~ Summer, Three Years Ago ~

I opened my eyes and watched behind my black-tinted sunglasses the people fuzzing around me to get their hand-carry bags from the overhead compartment. Some were already hurriedly walking on the center aisle. I turned my head to the side and saw the airport terminal building through the window beside me. I unclasped my seatbelt and stretched my still sleeping muscles while I yawned so loud, not caring how the passenger beside me looked at me with judging eyes. I pulled my sunglasses up and let it rest on top of my head as I fished for my phone inside my purse.

I changed it out of airplane mode and rolled my neck, popping and loosening it from being in the same position for a long time, while I wait for my messages to get in. When my phone made a series of chimes, I decided to wait for it to stop and pocketed it as I stood up from my seat, then carried my purse and I walked out of the airplane.

I've been away from home for two weeks to attend an international research conference. I wanted to decline because of how long it was but I don't want to be rude as well. The organizers already paid everything for me and all I have to do is to participate. Now I'm finally back here after two weeks, standing by the conveyer belt as I waited for my suitcase to appear.

Once I spotted my suitcase, I immediately grabbed it and pulled it out before rolling it beside me as I walked towards the exit gate. I fished my phone from my pocket, and opened Wheein's message first. I pouted while my shoulders sunk when I saw her message sent six hours ago.

From: My Butterfly

I'm sorry I can't pick you up later. I have a scheduled surgery today and I might end later than expected. I'll see you back home, okay? I miss youuuu…. I love you, baby! 

Wheein would usually pick me up from the airport if I have work scheduled abroad. This is probably the first time that a scheduled surgery of hers and my arrival overlapped.

I sighed and walked directly to the taxi stand, still feeling a bit sleepy and exhausted from hours of traveling. The moment I got inside the taxi, I plugged in my earphones and listened to some music while I looked outside the familiar view of  the buildings. I rubbed my eyes as another yawn came out of me. I slouched on the taxi seat while I waited for the ride to be over.

When I saw our penthouse building, I immediately perked up, forgetting about being exhausted and feeling all excited as I thought of not just only hearing Wheein's voice but finally being able to hold her again. I immediately went to the building's lobby right after the driver handed me my suitcase. I impatiently tapped my foot on the floor as it felt like the elevator seemed to take longer than usual.

This elevator needs to be upgraded for people who could get really anxious in waiting, like me.

When the elevator doors finally opened, I ran out, dragging my suitcase behind me, and went straight to our penthouse. I clicked my tongue when I couldn't seem to get the password right because of how my body buzzed from excitement.

"" I cursed and groaned when I couldn't get it the third time. I sighed and calmed myself down before punching on the code slower than my first three attempts.

"Yes!" I shouted when I finally got it right and went inside right away. "Whee! I'm home! Are you already here now?" I shouted as I removed my shoes.

"Yong!" I smiled when I heard her voice from our bedroom followed by her hurried footsteps.

When the door from our bedroom opened, I dropped my purse and abandoned my suitcase as I saw her. She smiled so wide and ran directly towards me with her arms wide open. I was about to hug her but she ducked and wrapped her arms around my thighs. I yelped and immediately held her shoulders as she lifted and spinned me around in our living room. 

"Yong! You're back! You're back!" she shouted excitedly over our loud giggles. "I missed you so much! The bed feels so empty without you sleeping beside me" she added as she slowly stopped us from spinning.

When the world seemed to stay still, I felt her lowering me but did not put me down back on the floor yet. I wrapped my arms around her shoulders and my legs around her waist as she continued to carry me.

"I missed you too, Whee. I missed you so much," I whispered looking at her intently while she stared back at me with the same intensity.

She slowly leaned closer to me as I slowly leaned towards her. When we got closer, I tilted my head and closed my eyes before our lips finally touched. I inhaled and smelled her scent, letting it invade all my senses. I succombed to the familiarity of having her so close to me, just within my arms' reach. And I allowed myself to be overcome by the feeling of her in my arms and our bodies perfectly molded against each other. The things that we missed so much from all the days that we were apart. The things that made our hearts ache agonizingly.

We kissed to make up all the days and nights that we were apart from each other. We kissed for all the moments we missed because of the physical distance work created between us. We kissed and it made all the wrong things in this world right again. It made everything perfect.

She slowly walked towards the wall, still carrying me in my arms, then made my back touch the wall behind me. She pinned me there while I buried my hands in her hair, pulling her closer to me. My muscles turned jelly and my legs loosened its grip on her waist. But she continued to hold me up and we continued to kiss until it was almost impossible to breathe anymore, when we couldn't handle our complaining lungs at all.

We reluctantly pulled away, leaning our foreheads on each other and heaving audible breaths into our lungs. I gulped and swallowed my own saliva as the kiss left my throat dry. She slowly put me down without pulling away from me, afraid to be apart again.

She planted soft kisses on my still hanging open mouth, on my dimples, on my cheeks, and all over my face before resting her forehead on my shoulder, holding me tighter. And when I was able to breathe normally, I planted soft kisses on her shoulder and neck.

"Can we stay like this forever?" she whispered.

"I'd love too baby, but I know you're exhausted from your surgery earlier and me from my hours of travel" I explained to her. "Have you eaten already?" I asked while I played with the hairs on her nape.

She pulled away to look at me, smiling so wide as she said, "Oh, that reminds me. I made pasta! I wanted to make you tteobokki, but I couldn't find ready-made rice cakes on my way home. I also have a bottle of wine ready too"

I lifted my eyebrows as my eyes went wide and asked her, "You must've been tired. Didn't you have surgery earlier?"

She nodded her head and said, "I did. But I also wanted to cook you dinner since I know how exhausted you'd be from your flight"

I leaned in and gave her a long kiss on the lips. "That's romantic, Whee. I love that" I said, rubbing my thumb tenderly on her cheek.

Gosh! I'd kill to marry this woman any minute now.

She gave me one last lingering kiss on the lips before she held my hand and walked us to the kitchen. "Let's eat then," she said excitedly in front of me.

Wheein did not just prepare a simple dinner. She prepared a candlelight dinner for us. There was a long candle standing in the middle of our dinner table. She decorated the table with black and gold silk cloth. There are rose petals scattered around the table, surrounding the plates and glasses. And she only a couple of lights so that the dining room lighting will be dimmed, making the atmosphere more romantic.

As much as we wanted to enjoy the dinner she prepared, our exhaustion kept on showing up. We were yawning every now and then, not from boredom, but from how physically tired we both are. We both giggled at each other every time either one of us yawned. When we were done eating, we blew the candle and  abandoned the dishes in the sink, deciding to do it tomorrow. We dragged our bodies to our bedroom and changed out of our clothes into pajamas, not bothering to shower anymore, then dropped ourselves on the bed from exhaustion.

We pulled each other close, missing the feeling of sleeping beside each other. I sighed as I wrapped my arms around her waist and buried my face on her chest while she held me tightly around my shoulders. I missed smelling her scent when we sleep together. I missed how she would tightly hold me towards her and how she would sometimes hum a song to me until I would fall asleep.

When we were apart in the last two weeks, we always called each other at night. It doesn’t matter if we’re so tired that we can barely speak, our voices slurring when we were on the verge of dozing off. But being able to listen to each other’s voices, no matter how incoherent we sounded, would make the physical distance between us almost bearable.

“I guess we’ll just have the hot and y reunion tomorrow night” she whispered above me, breaking the silence.

I softly smacked her chest and chuckled at her. “I thought you’re already asleep. You better behave because I’m already tired."

She chuckled and kissed the top of my head as she pulled me closer. “If I could, I would’ve done it there on the wall earlier” she whispered before bursting into laughter when I smacked her again, harder than earlier.

Her laugh is so infectious that I can't help but laugh as well. “Jung Wheein!” I shouted as I pulled away from her chest.

She pinched my cheek, smiling wide at me, and said, “I was just joking. I just missed your laugh, Yong. Don’t worry. I’m equally as tired as you”

I narrowed my eyes, poked her dimple, and asked, “So you’re really going to do it if you weren't tired?”

She blinked her eyes, trying to look so innocent, and said in a cute voice, “Probably”

I grabbed both of her cheeks and pinched it hard. Her hands automatically landed on top of mine, trying to get them off as she squirmed and cried out of pain under my hold.

“Yong! I was just joking!” she shouted beside me but I kept on pinching her soft cheeks while laughing at her. “Ahh! That hurts! Yong! Baby, stop!” she shouted again, her feet unconsciously kicking the sheets away from us because of the pain she felt from my pinching.

When I was satisfied, I released my hold off of her cheeks and returned them around her waist while she rubbed her cheeks and pouted so hard at me. I giggled, pulled her hands off her cheeks, and placed them back around my shoulders before showering her cheeks with kisses.

“It hurts," she whined, pouting at me, while I continued to kiss both of her cheeks.

I kissed her pouting lips before I pulled back and laughed softly at her then buried my face back on her chest. “You deserve it” I whispered.

“I was just joking," she whispered before pulling me closer to her.

I chuckled and whispered, “I know. I missed you too, Whee”

“Me too," she whispered as she sighed in content.

We closed our eyes and relaxed as we let sleep slowly pulled us out.