Morning Glory

“Good morning,” a voice sang into your ears.

Hot breath.

Something tickled your arms.

The last time you checked, you weren’t keeping a puppy.

“Baby… It’s time to wake up.”

You fluttered your lids open and the first thing you saw was a pair of beautiful eyes, almost like obsidians shining beneath a pool of shallow water, urging for your’s to hold them. His body was hovering over you, and you realised he was so close that you could smell the bittersweet remains of honey on his lips.

Nam Woohyun.

“Woo… Lemme sleep…”

Woohyun quickly asked for permission to drag you out of bed, but you remained snuggled in the mess of your blankets, unwanting to enter the cold tiled floors of the bedroom.

“Hey… you wake up so early for work but you won’t get out of bed for me?”

He pouted again when you told him you would rather sleep, drawing quick circles with his fingers on your skin to remind you he was still there.

… Indeed, you couldn’t ignore him.

A tuft of his hair was poking out, and he was looking so darn adorable.

Also, it was Saturday, your only rest day of the week, so you could understand why Woohyun was so hyper. You had been so busy at the agency lately that you haven’t even had the time to think about your boyfriend. Of course he would be anxious.

“Ngaww, is our baby jealous?” you muffled into the pillow, eyes half open. It was a wonder how you still had the energy to .

“You’ve been busy travelling back and forth all week you probably forgot all about your boyfriend.”

A pair of strong arms took you steathily around your waist.

You sat up, finally yielding to the quiet squealing to his cuteness in your head. You took a moment to think about what he said, and realised he was right. When was the last time you really enjoyed your weekend? You were tired as hell, and you still had papers dued in the morning on Monday, but right now you couldn’t care less.

Come on, who could resist Woohyun with his adorable squishy cheeks and puppy eyes? No one. Exactly.

You rub the back of your neck, feeling soreness spread up it. You must’ve slept funny again last night. “I guess you’re right, sorry…”

A mischievous smile, your favourite, crept up his face. “That’s okay, because today, you’re all mine okay?”

With that, he led you energetically to the kitchen, half dancing half jumping behind you, hugging like superglue to your waist.

“Oh, and I made you pancakes,” the way he slurred it ily sent tingles down your spine. You flushed red, not believing you just thought about kissing him. Now you know why you’d been tasting honey on his lips.

Funny, because they tasted just like the pancakes from the bakery next door.

He sat there from across the breakfast table, hands under his chin as he watched you finish the last piece.

“Ok, let’s go!”

You feigned laziness, wanting to rest after your stomach had been filled, but when he wouldn’t stop nagging you told him, “Fine, just let me change.”

“But you already look beautiful.”

Actually, he told you everyday, never failing to generate a smile on your face.

Then you wondered how he got in through the front door in the morning, but you didn’t care. Nam Woohyun. Pancakes. Every morning. That would beat waking up to the lousy shrill of your alarm clock anyday. You could get used to this.

After changing into a light outfit with a coat to fend you from the winds outside, you noticed Woohyun was already by the door with the keys, extending his arm out so he could take your hand into his when you neared. You still remembered the first time you guys dated, how you absolutely refused to take it because there was always something embarrassing to you about holding hands in public, but now, a year into the relationship, you found no trouble holding it at all. They way he’d take your hand so happily every time reminded you you were the most special person in the world. He made you love it.

“Aren’t you going to hold my hand?”

“Shireoh. It’s childish. We’re all grown up now, so why do we have to like we’re little kids again when we’re not?”

He pouted, not shameless at all to display his inner aegyo.

“All the other boys get to do it.”

He knitted his eyebrows together and you gave a rare laugh which alarmed the winter air.

“I guess I’m not just any other girl then… Besides, I have gloves, I’m already warm.”

Nam Woohyun was going to have to try harder than that, you told yourself then. And he certainly did, because in a week’s time after that he got all the gloves in the apartment hidden, leaving you with no other choice but to take his hand outdoors. He pretended they disappeared on their own, but you found them behind the flowerpot on the balcony one morning while you were getting the clothes hung out, and when you asked about them, you could never forget the nervous look in his eyes. But you never told him you knew, and he probably thought his plan worked. In fact, those gloves you threw out, because you knew you wouldn’t be needing them anymore.

He’d also joke about how you guys didn’t need a heater in the room because he’d be hugging you every second to keep you warm, but he gave up on the thought a month later when the both of you, creepily enough, got sick. Bounded to the bed, he huddled with you all he wanted, refusing a movie for a period of two days just because he liked the feeling of solely lying with you. You weren’t mad. You were just glad. Glad to be sick, so you could stay at home, away from the office, with the person you loved. You were crazily in love, and you thought maybe your happy virus was just a passing stage in your life, so you accepted it as it came, expecting it to leave one day.

But it didn’t.

It never seemed it would.

He said he loved you more.

The two of you had come to the end of the road, pedestrians buzzing like feet on hot pans.

“How come we’re not catching the bus?” Surely, that would have been the quicker option into town, but when he just turned to you with a knowing smile, you trusted your boyfriend had had it all planned out.

Woohyun laced your fingers with his. “Because. I want to spend more time with you.”

“Why are you so cheesy?”

“You know you love it.”

Damn.

It was true. You did. But before you could try to hide the pink shade spreading across your cheeks, a gentle wind ghosted through the tree leaves, catching your lingering thought. It was cold, and you found yourself scooting closer to him with every step. He held onto you.

“Where are we going?”

“Surprise,” he huffed, emitting smoke into the winterish air. Of course, always a surprise. Woohyun loved surprises. He was never out of surprises. 

The wind subsided by midday, and it shifted into a beautiful day for a picnic, but instead he took you for a walk down town. Coincidentally, there was a fair today.

“Hey, I want to ride that!” you cheered, hurrying excitedly into line.

He looked at the twirly thing in the distance, then at the ferris wheel, then the roller coaster. His face turned from to deadpan at the thought, but he hid it quite well because the last thing he had on his mind was to ever disappoint you.

Good. There wasn’t a single thought that crossed your mind about letting him go this time either.

“Remember the first time we met on this thing?” you asked, suddenly reminiscent.

Woohyun gave you a nudge. “Yeah, you got so scared you could even hug a stranger!”

“Yeah…”

“How did you get ditched by that classmate of yours anyway? He must be stupid.”

“I don’t care, because I wouldn’t have met you otherwise, right?”

“Really? But I reckon we were going to meet sooner or later, it just so happened sooner. We’re fated for each other, I just know.” He gave a hearty laugh, then continued. “Oh and you should have seen your face that day. You were so scared it was hilarious, I still have the photo.”

“What!? Why would you keep that?”

He poked his tongue out at you. “Blackmail.”

Karma must have hit him then, because the next thing you knew he was feeling nauseous after the ride. But that didn’t do anything to ruin your fun. Not in the least. It was at times like this you could look after him and thank him for all the kindness he’d devoted to you, for all the flavour he added into your life, and soon enough you found him all up and healthy again, shooting hoops in the games centre.

Nam Woohyun was always a wonderous being to you.

After sharing a few hoops together, he pulled you outside and together you guys chose couple headbands from the souvenir shop. He told you you would look good in anything, while he opted for the bunny ears.

On the way out, something bumped into you hard on the shoulder.

It was a man, and he seemed to be giving off a bit of a temper.

“Owh-! I-mean, sorry…”

But Woohyun intervened, annoyance in his voice. “Hey, it’s not even your fault.”

“Excuse me?” the stranger growled.

He stepped in front of you and turned to face him, snickering. “Clearly, you were the one at fault. Apologise.”

You were afraid a fight was going to start, even a little ring of people started to form, but when you saw security guards closing in from the other direction, you s both arms around his t-shirt  from behind and gave it a tug. Woohyun understood, and only turned back to whisper one thing into your ears.

“… Run.”

And you did.

Hand still in his.

Together.

The adrenaline pumped through your body, your legs aching to fail you but you didn’t stop. The feeling was wonderful, and you couldn’t remember the last time anything was so thrilling. The last time you ran at such a speed was probably back in high school at the annual marathon, but that was ages ago. Woohyun didn’t exist in your world then, and you spent several minutes pondering the words he gave you on fate.

Was it true?

Was he really the one for you, and you for him?

Were you really going to meet him anyway, even if oppa had not left you alone, and you had not bumped into Woohyun on the ride that day?

It started to sprinkle a little after that, signalling time for you to go home. With all the running, you were glad you hadn’t worn your heels.

“Get on.”

You looked at Woohyun’s back, who suddenly crouched down in front of you.

“Hurry, otherwise we’ll both get wet in the rain.”

With hesitation, but surely, you climbed on.

A few metres off across the street, a lovely old couple walked out from a cosy green store, the bell indicating their departure merrily, and you wondered whether you’d still be able to hang with Woohyun, when your hair turned gray, your skin draped you in wrinkles, and your teeth were falling out.

Then it hit you. Wow, you were going to be old in no time, and there were still so many things you had yet to do with Woohyun.

When he let you down, the rain stopped and the sun was out again. He laughed at the embarrassed face you pulled, pinched your nose, and suggested he went to buy you guys some ice cream from the corner shop down the road. You agreed. Your throat was still parched and dry from the earlier commotion.

You felt yourself drool when you realise he came back with red bean ice cream. Your favourite. Curled up to your knees, having ice cream in winter, you felt like a child without a care in the world again. You didn’t know how he did it, but Woohyun did. He could make you feel so many new emotions in the span of three hours.

Sitting on the sidewalk, you guys raised pinwheels you bought from the fair into the air, watching them spin like a million of rainbow ferris wheels dancing in the wind across a vast dandelion-filled field.

“Are you done already?”

“Yup, delicious!” you exclaimed, nibbling on the last of the cone.

Smiling, Woohyun handed you his cone, and leveled you onto his back again. “Here, eat more. You’re lighter than I thought.”

Getting on carefully, you mouthed, “Really?”

“Yeah, I really need to make you more of those pancakes, to fatten you up,” he joked.

“Hey!”

“How else are you going to have the strength to bear me chubby healthy children?”

You flushed bright red, whacking him across the shoulder, glad he couldn’t see it then with his back towards you.

Oh god. You didn’t know if you had it in you to look after so many. Woohyun himself was already a child. But there was one thing you were sure about, and on the way home, that was all you could find yourself contemplating.

Children. The thought didn’t sound too bad.

Your smile melted into the crook of his neck, and you thought:

It was only still morning.