Siwon turned over in bed, unable to get comfortable, missing something.

Missing her.

He knew it wasn’t her fault, knew that she couldn’t help the fact that she didn’t live anywhere near him, not even in Korea. She couldn’t help the fact that they couldn’t even be open about their relationship because of his fans.

It didn’t make it any better.

He wished she was here, her hair spread over the pillow, hand tucked under her chin. He always slept better when she was here. It wasn’t that he couldn’t live without her, no. It was just…better when she was here. She brightened up his world.

He rolled his head back. If he concentrated, he could imagine her scent, her smile. He closed his eyes, picturing her, her head thrown back in laughter, her hair blowing in the wind. Her legs wrapped around his waist, her lips on his neck. He sighed. This wasn’t going to help. He was only going to get himself , and as she wasn’t here, that wasn’t the best idea.

It wasn’t that he was jealous of Shindong- he was really pleased for him and his fiancée- it was just that he couldn’t have that with the woman he loved. He had to be alone, waiting for her to fly over here. He rolled on to his back. The others didn’t seem to have this problem-they seemed perfectly fine not having girlfriends. Though, he guessed the sounds he heard coming from the occasional bedroom meant that some people, at least, were happy with the situation.

And it wasn’t as if he was forced into being celibate. He just didn’t want anyone else but her. Which was slightly irritating when it was the middle of the night and he was moping about, missing her. He sighed, and sat up. He obviously wasn’t going to get to sleep any time soon.

He rubbed his eyes, passing a hand down his face. Standing up, he found his water bottle, and drank thirstily. It was probably late morning where she was now. She was most likely working-she wouldn’t be home. There was no point calling her-she wouldn’t answer, and it wouldn’t help. He wanted her here, now, and there was nothing he could do about that.

His mind betrayed him, throwing images of her at her most beautiful to the forefront of his mind. She grinned, eyes half closed as she crooked a finger at him from the bed. Her, lying on his bed, their clothing strewn everywhere as he held her. That little black dress, thrown on for a party, hugging every inch of her glorious curves. Her smile, lips curving up when he told her something funny. Her mouthing “I love you” as she boarded yet another plane away from him.

He massaged his temple, and looked out of his window, staring up at the stars. They weren’t even looking at the same sky, he thought sadly. He knew it was cheesy, and a little stupid, but the idea of them both seeing the stars at the same time comforted him. He’d told her that too.

He held her, arms around her waist, her back against his chest. He could smell her perfume, that gentle floral smell that was all her. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail, and she leant back in his arms as they looked up at the sky.

“See,” He told her. “We’ll always be looking at the same sky.” She shook her head, laughing. “What?” He grinned, shaking her a little. “At some point, we will.” She laughed again.

“What a line, Siwon. As if that’s supposed to make anything better.” She snorted, tossing her hair, the ponytail bobbing up and down.

He nuzzled the top of her head. She relaxed. “But it does, doesn’t it?” He asked, spinning her around to face him.

“Kind of.” She whispered into his chest. He’d held her close then, wishing she didn’t have to leave this time.

He’d kissed her sweetly then, savouring the taste of , knowing that this was the last time he’d see her in months.

It’d been 3 long months, but she couldn’t get the time off work and he’d being performing. Not to mention the drama he had lined up. The way things were going, they’d be lucky if they saw one another in another three months.

But it didn’t matter, because if they were together in the end, well, it would be fine. As long as he saw some time in the near future. He was sick and tired of wanting her with no release. He missed her intensely, but focusing on it just made everything worse.

***

He waited at the terminal, hands stuffed in his pockets, peering through every few seconds, desperate to catch a glimpse of her. Suddenly, a rush of people came from the direction of baggage control, and he spotted a flash of green, and there she was, standing in the throng of people, on tiptoe, trying to find him.

His face broke into a huge smile, and she finally noticed him, her face wearing a matching smile. Her hair, pushed back with a green silk scarf, was shining in the harsh lights of the airport, and she looked paler, but still beautiful. It was such a relief to have her here after having nothing but memories and the internet for months.

She strode over towards him, not hesitating. She was here to claim her man, and God help anyone who tried to stop her. And then…

She was right in front of him, real, here for him. She wasn’t going to disappear in the morning, wasn’t going to tell him she had to go. She was here for a week. A whole week. Alright, she’d go back after that, but for one week they had the luxury of being able to pretend they had a stable relationship.

She pulled him closer to her, stumbling slightly in her heels as she did so. She kissed him, murmuring “I missed you.” He could only respond to her kiss, having missed her just as much. Someone wolf whistled in the background, and she smirked, pulling back to flip her hair over her shoulder. He picked up her bags and slung them over his shoulder, taking her smaller hand in his. She nestled in closer to him, laying her head on his shoulder, and he placed a protective arm around her waist, releasing her hand.

He liked this, liked the idea of making it obvious they were together, staking his claim. He just had to be careful they weren’t outed as a couple. So perhaps it wasn’t advisable doing this in a public airport, but he’d missed her. He couldn’t be held accountable for his actions.

He held open the door of the car for her, carefully shutting it behind her and stashing her luggage in the boot. Now came the hard part. He had to smuggle her into the dorm without any of the press seeing. He could usually count on a couple of the members helping, but it was still tricky.

***

Donghae sneaked out of the dorm, his face lit up with mischief. “Ryeowook’s coming in a minute. Yesung put his bloody turtles in his bed again, and Ryeowooks’s freaking out. You know how he gets.” Siwon nodded sagely as a loud, high pitched shriek came out of the window.

“STOP PUTTING YOUR ING TURTLES IN MY BED!”

She giggled, her face radiant. “It never changes, does it?” She said, shaking her head. “Oh, I love this place…”

***

They lay on the bed, clothing scattered on the floor, her head on his chest, as he ran his fingers through her hair. He chuckled at the sight of her black lace bra on top of his bookcase. How it got there, he would never know.

She chuckled too as she followed his gaze. “I guess you really did miss me, then?” She teased.

“Like you wouldn’t imagine.” He answered softly, still her hair. She shifted, her head higher up now.

“Siwon?” She said quietly.

“Hmm?” He replied, still thoroughly absorbed in her hair.

“Do you ever…” She hesitated, then started again. “Do you ever think the only reason we work is ‘cause we’re apart all the time?” She trailed off at the end, her voice sounding upset.

He was taken aback. “Why would you think that?” He asked, confused, and slightly hurt if he was honest with himself.

She shrugged. “I just wanted to ask. I love you, you see, and if this isn’t real, well, I don’t want to live a lie.” She came upwards, leaning her elbow on his chest and looking down at him. Her hair tickled his bare chest. “I have to know that you actually want me.” She blushed, looking embarrassed. “I’m sorry for springing it on you.”

He gave an empty laugh-a gust of air really. “Of course I love you. Don’t be daft. I mean, why would I wait months to see you, thinking only about you if I didn’t want you?” He sat up and pulled her onto his lap. “You know I love you…”

***

She sat at the desk, typing rapidly on a Word document. He long, pretty hair was thrown back in a messy bun, and her glasses were half way down her nose. With one finger, she pushed them up, and carried on typing. He tapped her lightly on the shoulder, and she brushed his hand away impatiently. “Baby, stop it.” She told him, giving him a reproachful look. “I have to get this done. The only reason they let me take off a month of work to be with you is because I promised to do all the paper work.” She grasped his hand in hers. “I’ll be done in a minute.”

He raised his eyebrows. “You’ve been saying that for the past three nights. What’s the point of you being here if you’re just going to work?” He huffed, crossing his arms. He was bored of waiting for her to finish, bored of watching her work too hard. He pulled away from her hand, and went to stand closer to her, massaging her back. She relaxed into his hold, wriggling her shoulders. He kissed her cheek. “Why don’t you just leave it for tomorrow? I’ll help.”

She pulled back. “I can’t.” She said sharply. “You know I can’t.” He glared and turned his head.

“Of course.” He shook his head. “For once, we get to be together for longer than a week, and you’re doing work.” He made it sound like a dirty word.

Her eyes narrowed, and she breathed out, low and hard. “This is my job. I can’t stop simply because you are !” She glared back at him, and turned back to the computer, ignoring him. Well, fine, if she was going to be like that…

“I’m going then.” He said, almost snarling.

“Fine with me!” She said, a sing song tone to her voice. “I’ll work better without you!” He stood in the doorway, registering how stupid it was to be arguing when they had so little time together. But in the end, his temper got the better of him. She glanced at him. “Well, are you going or not?” She said archly.

He stormed out of the room, slamming the door childishly. The tapping of the keyboard followed him, angering him even more. No, he wasn’t going to stand for this! He stomped back, the door almost flying off the hinges as he pushed it open. “You know, this is my house. I don’t have to stand for this.” Her eyes flashed, and she stood up, giving him a frightening look.

“So you want me to lose my job, is that it?” She tossed her head back, on fire. “Well thanks, Siwon, how thoughtful!” Once she faced him, he could finally get a good look at her. She looked exhausted, her under-eye circles a dark purple, her skin pale and dry. Her hair looked lank, and her eyes weren’t as bright as they normally were. Her cheeks were flushed, drawing attention to the frail look she had about her. He felt his anger evaporate. She was working too hard, as usual. He hated to see her work herself to the ground, trying to earn all the money she could, and partly because it was just her nature; she was a perfectionist. He crossed the room and knelt down beside her.

“Sweetheart, stop.” He told her softly. “You’re making yourself ill.” She shook her head furiously, attempting to carry on typing. He leant over her and pressed ‘Save’, and then shut down her laptop. She looked up at him, eyes wide and tearful.

“Why did you do that?” She asked, too tired to let her true annoyance show. He stood up, and pulled her out of her seat. She rose up, expression confused. Without any warning, he suddenly swung her up into his arms, and walked out of the open door to the bedroom. She hit him. “What,” She said, her expression amused, “do you think you’re doing?”

He smiled. “Saving you from yourself. You’re sick, you idiot.” She struggled in his arms, protesting feebly. He shook his head. “Uh-uh. I’m not letting go.” She gave up, settling down in his arms and pouting. He came up to the bed, and laid her down, sitting next to her.

Her head flopped back on the pillow. “Whoa, head rush.” She mumbled. He pushed a lock of hair back from her face as she closed her eyes. He felt her forehead, the heat pulsing between his fingers.

"You have a temperature.” He informed her, and set about removing her clothes. He pulled her jeans off slowly, then got her to sit up as he slipped her top over her head. He unclasped her bra, and piling it on top of her other clothes, he set them on top of the dresser, grabbing a t-shirt of his. It would fit her-she wasn’t tiny by any means, but his t-shirts were usually a little too big on her.

“Raise your arms.” He instructed her. She did so, and he pulled the t-shirt over her head. He took her glasses, and placed them with her clothes, undoing her bun too. “There. Now don’t move. I’m just going to get you a glass of water.” He turned, then pivoted, spotting her trying to make a break for it. “I said stay! If you get better by tomorrow, I’ll bring the laptop to you for a couple of hours.” She opened to respond, but he cut across her. “I’m not taking no for an answer. Now, don’t move.” She huffed, but fell back against the pillows.

He headed to the kitchen, and returned with the glass and some asprin. When he came back, she was sat up, head bent over her knees. He hastened over to her. “I thought I told you to stay put.”

“I know, but I-I feel sick, and I have a raging headache.” He nodded, understanding, and gently helped her to the bathroom. She bent over the toilet and retched, looking incredibly ill. He held her hair back for her as she threw up, getting paler by the second. When she finished, he passed her the water, letting her swill out. She drank it thirstily, and he refilled it, this time handing her the pills, too. She downed them, then leant her forehead against his arm. “You were right.” She murmured. “I feel awful.” He scooped her up again, and this time, she didn’t even complain, just burrowed into his neck and closed her eyes. He cradled her close for a moment, then put her back on the bed.

She fell asleep slowly, but soon, she was moving jerkily, unconscious and uncomfortable. She started to sweat, her hair plastering to her forehead. He found a cloth, and wet it, placing it on her forehead. He couldn’t stand seeing her so sick, and felt a little helpless.

She meant so much to him.

***

Three days later, and her head felt a lot clearer. She lay back against the headboard, glad the headache was finally disappearing. “Siwon?” She said hoarsely. He was in the other room, but she wanted to talk to him.

“What?” He asked worriedly, rushing into the bedroom. “Are you okay?”

She nodded, giving him a faint smile. “Much better, thank you.” She gestured with her arm. “Come talk to me?” She phrased it like a question, and he sat next to her, putting an arm around her shoulders. He studied her. It was true; she did look better-her eyes were brighter, and her skin not as flushed. She looked more alert.

“I’m so glad.” He told her, kissing her forehead. “You had me worried.” She smiled again, and turned to lie on her arm, facing him.

“I think I was due for an illness.” She replied, pushing a piece of hair from his eyes. “I’m just glad you were here to look after me. You didn’t have to do that, baby. I’m really grateful.”

He held her hand, and shook his head. “Of course I would help you. It’s what I do.” He joked, laughing a little. She started to laugh too, but coughed in the middle. He passed her the drink on the side.

“Oh, but you didn’t need to pick me up. I’m certainly not light.” She chuckled, her voice dry.

He shrugged. “You’re not that heavy either.”

She gave him a look. “Yeah, really…”

“Yes, really.” He told her. “Besides, you’re y.” He said, giving her a naughty grin.

“I don’t think so.” She shook her head. “Especially not when I’m sick, either.”

“I think you are, and that’s all that matters.” She tried to speak, but he put a hand across . “So, shower?” She laughed again, sounding even better.

“Sounds like a plan…”

***

They sat on the sofa, some TV show neither of them cared about playing in the background. She was ensconced on his lap, snuggled against his chest, a blanket wrapped around the both of them.

“This is boring.” She said, reaching for the remote. “Let’s watch something good.” She found the TV menu, and scrolled down, eyes lighting up when she found a movie. “We’re watching this.” She said in a determined voice. The side of his mouth quirked up.

“A horror movie?” She nodded, and he lay back. He didn’t mind, if that was what she wanted.

An hour later, and she was laughing hysterically as the so-called ‘monster’ crept across the screen. He wished they could stay like this forever, but knew it was futile. She had to go back in two days.

Soon, the credits rolled, and after singing loudly (and off key) with the end song, having forced him to sing too, she switched the TV off. She tucked her legs underneath her, and looked at him, hands either side of his body. “So…” He gave her look that clearly said ‘Go on…’ “I was thinking… Maybe I should stay.” He felt his forehead crease. He didn’t understand. She smoothed out the crease with her index finger. “What I meant was that maybe I shouldn’t go home. Maybe I should live here. With you.” She clarified.

“Really?” He asked before he could stop himself. She nodded.

“I don’t like leaving you.” She said quietly, finding it hard to admit. “And I can go back for work, but I’m pretty sure they said they could transfer me here.” Her voice was stronger now.

“So you’d be here, for good?” He asked.

“If you’ll have me.” She shrugged helplessly. “But it’s up to you. I mean, if you don’t want me here, that’s fine, I can stay home.” He shook his head violently.

“No, no. I want you here.” He stressed the last word, needing her to understand, to realise just how much he wanted her to stay.

“Well, then. I’m not going anywhere…”