The first thing that Jihyo realized when she woke up at dawn was that she was not in her chambers, and instead of her bed, her head was pillowed on a sturdy yet warm surface. She took a deep breath, and quickly realized she had just spent the night in Jongkook’s arms. She looked up, and saw that he was still sleeping, his eyebrows furrowed and his lips pursed together. 

Jihyo wondered why he was so tense in his slumber, until she looked down and realized that she had been the only one covered by the blanket. She timidly reached down and spread the blanket over both of them, letting herself be cocooned as she pulled it up to his chest. She lightly rubbed his arms underneath the blanket, trying to warm them up.

She stared back at him, and thankfully, he didn’t budge, but the tension in his face subsided. She found herself getting distracted by the way he looked when he slept. It was probably from being a commander, but Jihyo noticed how Jongkook had always been on-guard. Sure, he whenever the opportunity presented itself, but, in the past, the careful side of Jongkook manifested itself in the slightest of movements that Jihyo’s meticulous eyes always seemed to notice. 

But Jihyo knew that his near-death experience changed him. He had been more relaxed since he came back, and here, under the soft light of daybreak, the fact was even more pronounced. As he slept, Jihyo noticed the way his closed lids didn’t have any creases, fully serene as they guarded his eyes away from the conscious world. She felt herself getting hypnotized, and she lightly brushed her finger against Jongkook’s tall nose, feeling tickled by the air he breathed in and out, rhythmically matching the way his chest rose and fell. 

Finally, she set her eyes on his lips, noticing that they were thoroughly relaxed, not fashioned in his signature smirk or his childish pout. They were thin, Jihyo realized, and it was probably due to winter, but they were slightly chapped. Still, she knew the power those lips had over her, the way they could make her heart race whenever he kissed her forehead. Briefly, she wondered what they would feel against her own, and suddenly, she felt entranced by the thought. 

Her head seemed to move out of its own volition, and she found herself leaning forward. Before she knew it, her lips had connected with his, lightly brushing against each other. She could confirm his lips were chapped, but only because in that moment, her mind was too aware of everything that was happening to her. She felt like she could hear her heart pounding in his ears, felt that her mind seemed to be drowning in delight, her toes curling up in excitement. But beyond all these, she felt his lips mold against hers, and she peeked at him, surprised to see that he was responding to her kiss even as he continued sleeping.

It was nothing passionate, just lips meeting affectionately, but Jihyo felt like she had been transported to a million different places and times all at once. It was completely irrational to feel that way, but reason didn’t hold any weight in a love like this. She pulled back, her fingers still on her lips, and she continued to watch him sleeping, this time a small smile grazing his lips. She could only wonder what he was dreaming about, and how her actions impacted his subconscious, but she would be caught dead before she admitted to him what she just did.

She let herself rest her head on his chest again, and closed her eyes, basking in the moment that only she would know.

Jongkook woke up from a wonderful dream to an equally, if not more, beautiful face. Jihyo was still sleeping on his chest, and though the cold winter wind still blew around them, the sun was slowly making its way further up to the sky. He smiled, knowing that he could live like this, waking up every day to the sight of the queen of his life, but the decision was in her hands. He would never hold her back, or force her to choose him over her family, and this thought made him remember that they have yet to get back to the palace.

He tapped Jihyo on the shoulder, slightly nudging her with the arm he had around her. It didn’t work, and she only fussed, scrunching her nose at the interruption. Jongkook had to call her name, continuing his movements, this time, adding a repetitive tap on the tip of her nose to get her to rouse. It worked, and soon enough Jongkook got a glimpse of her brown eyes. “Good morning! Slept well?” he asked with a warm smile on his face.

She hummed, not able to use her words yet as she lightly rubbed the sleep off her eyes, and Jongkook chuckled at her childish antics. “We’re past daybreak. We have to get back to the palace. They could be looking for you by now,” he said.

Just like that, his words sobered her, and she sat up immediately. “Oh right,” she mumbled, and the blanket fell off from his chest. It was only then that he realized that the blanket was covering both of them, but he knew that he intentionally covered just her the previous night, wanting to respect the boundaries between them. They may love each other, but they were neither betrothed nor sure about marrying each other.

He wanted to ask her about it, but she was already too busy packing back their rucksack. The apple wrapped in Jongkook’s handkerchief was still beside it, and it caught Jihyo’s eyes. She blushed at the sight, remembering what she did at dawn, and Jongkook didn’t miss the reddening of her cheeks, but he thought that she was reminded about what he said the previous night. She shrugged off the memory, opting to keep it as a secret in her heart, specially when she was still unsure what her decision would be that afternoon.

Soon enough, they were all packed, and ready to go back to the palace. “I’ll ride behind you,” Jihyo declared. The entire time she was packing their things, she was just dreading the time to go back, and she knew how perceptive Jongkook was. She didn’t want him to see her face, unwilling to dampen their last minutes together, before she had to make a decision.

Jongkook tilted his head, curiously looking at her, but he let it pass. He assisted Jihyo as she climbed up the horse, and sat in front of her. She fastened her arms around his waist, and he kicked the stallion to set off on their journey. 

The ride back was somber, as the horse galloped once again through the forest. Jihyo held onto Jongkook, and leaned her head on his back. He briefly glanced behind him, a smile appearing on his face, when he felt her movement. He didn’t know what to say as they were nearing the palace, and probably it was for the best. If he was anxious, he couldn’t imagine what Jihyo was feeling at that moment. He knew coming back and offering to run away would complicate things, but he also had to take his shot. If Jihyo decided that she was going to stay, then he could r