There were boxes piled all over the living room and bedroom. Jung Hwa explained how Kwan Seok helped to get the house since he had to leave earlier for Yangkusan. He had anticipated moving by packing up his stuff and everything beforehand, so Kwan Seok only had to move the packed boxes over to the new house. There was not much; as a bachelor, he had lived minimally. He has all the basic items, such as things for the kitchen, linens and towels and such, but they are visibly the basics, as he explained to Mi Yeung while they unpacked. 

"We'll get other stuff that you think we'll need when we go to town." His hands were full bringing another box that has their plates and cups into the kitchen.

"This is all right, Jung Hwa. I've had much the same back in Yangkusan. It's fine. We just need to get groceries. We don't need a lot of other stuff."

"I don't mind getting other stuff. It's about time I live like a human being,"  Jung Hwa said, grinning. "Besides, I'm hoping you will spoil me rotten."

"Oh, I suppose I can. I did promise to take care of you, didn't I?" she said tentatively, not used to being coquettish.

He gave a low chuckle, dropping a light kiss on her cheek as he passed by her in the kitchen, making her blush prettily.

Mi Yeung went to the next box. Opening it up she noticed these were various button down shirts and tees. She called out to Jung Hwa, "These are your shirts; shall I put them in the drawers for you?" She held one up, shook it to remove the wrinkles and began to refold it.

Jung Hwa glanced at her kneeling by the box. "Is that the box with an X on it? If it is, don't bother. Those are old shirts I've been meaning to donate, just kept procrastinating. You can leave them in the box. I'll drop them off when we go to town."

She lifted up various shirts and refolded them neatly, seeing them all in fairly good condition. "These are perfectly fine shirts. You must not have worn them much?"

"Not anymore. Theyr'e not new at all. Besides, I'm mostly on my fatigues anyway. I have plenty of other shirts"

"You must take good care of your stuff." She replaced them back in boxes and set them aside. She went to grab the other box which is filled with his clothing and uniform.

"These are ok to put away, I suppose? The box didn't have any marking for donation."

"Yes." He said as he placed the rest of the plates up in the cupboard. "Do you want me to do that instead?"

"No, unless you don't want me to?" She asked. 

“I don’t mind at all. Sure.”

“Which drawers do you want to put your clothes in?” she had lifted one box and was headed to the bedroom.

He was wiping the glasses clean before putting them in the cabinets. He set it down and went to her, worried the box maybe too heavy for her to carry.

“Let me carry that; it might be too heavy. I don’t really care where. Pick whichever one you want. This is your house now too.”

She smiled at him sweetly; she knew how he’s trying to make her feel at ease, to feel at home. And aside from the strange dynamics of their relationship and the attraction she feels for him in return, she does feel comfortable and at home. She hesitated, unsure how to put him at ease too so he need not worry about her too much.

“I feel I’m home, Jung Hwa,” was all she said.

He set the box down on top of the low cabinet, and turned to her, unable to help himself from touching her cheek, and bent to graze his lips on her forehead. He only meant to give her a passing kiss, but her hands rested themselves on his waist, and her head lifted to meet his. It was more than he could bear not to lean down and close the gap between them.

His hands tangled themselves in her hair; his thrill was palpable when he felt her pull him close. He felt her tremble in his arms and though he loosened his grip, kept her captive within his embrace. Her breaths came in gasps, and she couldn’t quite meet his eyes. Understanding the state of her mind, he just held her and buried his face in her hair, breathing her in, until he felt her relax in his arms.

.

.

Next morning…

“Are you ready? The office should be open by the time we get there.” She heard his voice outside the bedroom. She’s dressed warm, wearing a loose sweater and jeans. It snowed last night and she didn’t want to be caught in the cold. She looped her scarf around her neck. “I’m almost ready.”

Jung Hwa is taking her to the security office center to get her name filed per protocol in order to receive access to the compound. That way she can have proper credentials around the civilian areas, and if need be, some access to where Jung Hwa’s office is located.

She turned to the bed to grabbed her coat, sparing it a glance and a blush crept up her cheeks.

She had not been worried before having their first night together, afterall, they had that night to themselves right after she lost her Appa. She knew he would certainly keep some boundaries in place until they got to know each other further. But yesterday after sharing many intimate kisses, she had felt quite restless and self-conscious and suddenly very aware of his presence...his very manly presence. It didn’t help that she seem to lose her mind whenever he would kiss her. Even his passing touches made her shudder in response. These were all quite unfamiliar sensations to her and she felt at a loss how to act or react to him.

Last night they had finished unpacking and sorting things away. She had cooked something simple, since the state of his pantry disallowed anything more than a basic meal. He had offered to take her out for dinner, but she declined, seeing how it started to snow steadily. Their first meal at their first home was comfortable, warm and cozy, and they spent talking about everything and nothing. She promised to cook him a much more elaborate meal next time, but he just shrugged it off, saying it was one of the most enjoyable meals he’s ever had, even though it was just ramyun and vegetables and pajeon. And she heard what was his unspoken intent that having her company there with him was what had made it enjoyable. 

That evening she was subconsciously apprehensive, so she took a book to read and sat in the little nook by their bedroom window. Her book stayed on the same page, as she was unable to concentrate; she found herself reading the same sentence over and over, until she finally gave up all pretense and set the book aside.

Jung Hwa had just completed washing up and came out of the bathroom shirtless, wearing only black sweatpants, slung low on his hips. She could see his hair is still damp from his shower; and when his muscled arms reached up to towel his hair, she followed the movements that caused his chest and abdomen muscles to ripple and tighten. She had to wrestle her eyes away, before he could catch her looking; the room suddenly feeling enclosed and crowded with just the two of them. 

He went to the closet near where she sat to grab a shirt to put on. He made a turn, a step towards her, but she stood up quickly and ran to the bathroom, murmuring she will go wash up as well.

She tried to take her time showering, brushing her teeth, and drying her hair, but the minutes seem to fly by so quickly. Mi Young looked at herself in the mirror and bit her lips. Her face stayed flush and she chided herself for getting herself all worked up. She took a deep breath and left the bathroom.

The room was darkened, only slightly illuminated by the table lamp on her side of the bed. He was lying down already, his arms flung over his head, covering his eyes. Thank goodness he’s dressed, was the thought that came to her mind immediately, as her eyes still looked at how his shirt is stretched tight across his body, his chest rising and falling evenly with his breaths. He must have fallen asleep, she thought.

She moved quietly and quickly to her side of the bed and reached over to turn the lights off. She laid herself down gently, trying not to jostle him, reaching to pull the blanket over herself. She froze when she felt him move; his sudden reach for her, made her gasp. Her heart is thudding so loudly in her ears as he brought her into his arms, so that she ended up leaning into him, his chest solid and warm on her back. She heard him murmur softly into her ears, “Go sleep, Mi Yeung-ie…don’t worry,” as she felt his lips graze the side of her neck, finally resting on the curve of her shoulders, his slow breaths warming her skin. She willed her heart beat to slow until she could relax into him. And as the night wore on, she fell asleep holding onto his arms that were wrapped around her, keeping her close to him.