December 2022,

Till we came back from Japan tour & a week remaining for Christmas now.

My schedules were filled with year-end concerts & special shows in December & January, but I wanted to make sure that my Christmas night would be reserved for a date with Ryujin.

We didn’t plan anything together, but she was coming for the concert we had in Seoul, on Christmas night & I wanted to plan a small surprise including a warm wine-date.

Christmas was always special for Ryujin since childhood, and so even when I wasn’t so fond of this special  day, I wanted to be with her, spend time together, and make it special for her, and also to make it up to her for my one month absence.

After spending some hours beside the Han River, having dinner, drinking wine, having a good & long series of conversations about many random things including everything that happened in last month. 

We were in front of Ryujin’s door, it was almost midnight, as we were struggling to say good-bye.

I was thinking more than to end this night with just a goodnight kiss, now that the thought of parting away was getting obvious. 

She chuckled watching my sulking face, over-expressing my disagreement to leave.

I was thinking of kissing her & not stopping for less, when she leaned forward to do so, but before she could do or say anything, I extended my hand to her waist to keep her at distance till I could ask her out clearly,

“Do you want me to leave?”

I was waiting for her answer but those confused eyes changed into widened ones, as she stared at me, testing my patience much more.

Her hand was now pressed on my chest with those big eyes staring at me, when her lips parted away hesitantly, “Are you saying?” she looked like she knew now, as her cheeks were growing pink slowly.

I was somehow still afraid if she was gonna get turned off, maybe still unsure about us getting into this.

I was trying to contemplate those emotions in her eyes, which did got me to a partial conclusion with her taking a deep breath, as she watched me in anticipation now.

Her eyes had already made their mind, as they were taking glances at my lips.

I smiled silently, watching her distracted face, trying to concentrate, “Hmm" "Only if you want to?" my hand on her waist, tightened, as she stepped ahead then, looking in my eyes.

Our heartbeats were loud enough to echo between the narrow space of heated air between us.

I was waiting for her, holding back my thumping heart & myself, to stay sane for a while more, as her darkening eyes boring in mine were making it difficult now.

She reached my cheeks, palming it, her warmth making it warmer, as she caressed it with her thumb, “Kiss me”

And like a pull of a magnet, I leaned in to press my lips on hers, my hand on her waist pulling her closer, as it went up then to hold the nape of her neck, holding her face in angle.

After realizing that we were making out in the corridor of her apartment, lucky to not get caught by anyone, because of the midnight.

Not wanting to disturb her, I moved towards the door taking her with me, to reach the lock-pad on the door behind her & entered the code swiftly, pulling away for a second, for her to groan softly, watching me with confused look before she realized, what was happening, as I chuckled at her reaction, pushing the door knob, as I got my hands on her nape again, making her walk back, as I leaned in for the kiss again.

We got in hovering each other with gentle kisses again, giggling like idiots, till we were on the couch, locked in each other's embrace,

“You enjoying it, huh?” “Who was nervous a while ago?” I , taking off my coat before sitting on my knees across her, as she rested her back on the hand rest behind, “You want me to be nervous again?” she looked at me, smirking, “You’ll regret it” she whispered, undoing the button of her coat, as she raised herself to push it off her shoulder.

I couldn’t help but snicker, frowning at her cute boldness, as I pulled her waist again to take her lips in mine, as she was smiling on my lips then.

Our lips were busy, but her small couch wasn’t helping us navigate ahead, which got us rising back, to walk to the bedroom, but it was hard to stop the burning kiss in the meanwhile.

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After Christmas & New Year was celebrated, and now that I had some free time finally on the last weekend of January to shift my things to Ryujin’s house, we decided to do it immediately without delaying it anymore.

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As I & Ryujin took the big & bulky things with us through the mover-truck to Ryujin's address, we asked the boys for help, to bring my luggage bag with them, as we had a plan together for that weekend anyway.

“I don’t believe we are actually doing this” Ryujin was standing beside me, holding my arm, as she looked around her own house like a new one, filled with my workout dumb-bells in her mini terrace--garden, coffee-mug on her dining table, books on her book-shelf which made it look more filled now suddenly.

The painting I got from bummie was hanging on the wall in her hall too now, which she was begging to sell it to her.

I didn’t knew how all this was happening to us so fast, but I was excited feeling euphoric about we taking a new step together, yet again.

She walked ahead to get a look around from other angle, “I’m happy that I can see you every morning” I walked behind her to hold her from back, wrapping my arms around her shoulder.

“Will you make me coffee every morning then?” her hands reached my arms to hold them as she was observing the changed outlook of her whole house with my things all over the place now.

I hummed nodding, as she looked back at me, “Do you want me to cook breakfast too?” I chuckled, as we shared a moment of raising eyes together.

And she nodded in affirmation making those puppy eyes.

“You wish!” I pecked on her lips, smirking back, as she smacked my arm in her hands, “I thought oppa is serious!?” 

“What?”  “I am not going to do all the morning work just because I wake up early” I was smiling looking around, enjoying the tease,

“And I am going to be so strict about our morning workouts too" I looked back at her sulking face, pressing back my smile,

"We don’t need to go to the gym now” I continued, giving a serious face, as her face was already shrinking on the thought of it.

“Spare my morning sleep!” she was whining, as she turned her neck to look forward again with the scrunched face, pouting, “Please!” and she was poking my arms with her fingers now, as I kept silent not giving in to her lazy requests wrapped in that cuteness.

She turned her whole body to face me as my arms slid down to her waist, “Waking up at 5 am for workouts is too much” she was so good with the puppy eyes now, using them in every arguement, “I work for 12 hours a day” the pout was back, making her look adorable, and me weak with that saying.

“So do I?” “Maybe more than that sometimes?”

"That shouldn't be the excuse" I blinked at her with stern face, trying my best to not give in so early.

“Morning coffee, breakfast & morning workouts” “A combo offer!” I added, smirking at her poker face turning frustated with my joking around.

“Not fair” she was serious with her disppointment as I watched her, trying to laugh out loud now.

“I’ll just take all the night shifts & work for all nights then?” “How about that?” her sulking face was getting cuter,

“It’s not even legit possible” I laughed out finally, as she looked away sulking.

“Okay, fine!” I gave up & now her face was blooming again with a wide smile, which brought a smile to my face too.

“7 am is my last offer” I confirmed the deal, making her raise her eyes at me.

And she was pouting again, looking up at the ceiling after rolling her eyes at me.

“Two things, eating well & exercising everyday” “Can’t you do that for me?” I was not bad at convincing and she was weak for my aegyo too, so I used it for myself now.

“I can” the deep sigh left as she blinked looking back at me, “Of course!”

“As long as I’m not doing it alone” she had a soft grin as I smiled back, pulling her into a hug, happy on winning the deal.

“I brought a gym trainer home myself” she mumbled in my ears, as she rested her jaw on my shoulders lazily.

And we were laughing then, till we heard the door-bell.

Ryujin broke the hug to reach the door.

“Are you making me work on name of hyung?” Taemin was in the hall with my luggage bag & a paper bag he extended to Ryujin,

“How did you know?” she grinned teasing him, as she reached both the bags in his either hands, pulling the luggage one, and extending the paper one to me,

“I told him to get burgers for everyone on the way” she informed, watching me, as she looked back at Taemin's narrowed eyes on her, “That’s why he’s whining” 

"I'm not whining, okay!" Taemin mumbled walking past her to the kitchen, as her eyes shifted to Minho walking in behind Taemin with another bag, as we both were smiling at Taeminnie's cute face now,

“We can come here to play with hyung right?” Minho walked in taking the luggage bag from Ryujin, in his hand that was free, 

“Who said that?” she watched him with stern face, holding on to the bag,

He observed her for a second, before adding words ahead, as he was smirking then, "It's okay" "I’m not even asking you”

“It’s a yes I know!” he shrugged his shoulders, smiling proudly at her dumbfounded face, as he pulled the bag from her walking to her bedroom, dragging the bags in with him.

“Why are you even asking if you’re going to answer it yourself?” she eyed his back, huffy, as he disappeared inside with his melodramatic laugh getting louder and I rolled my eyes, laughing at them already bickering in less than 5 mins together now.

We heard more footsteps before bummie was in the open door.

“This is for both of you” he had got the couple slippers out from the paper-bag, placing them at the entrance, as he walked in.

“Wow!” exclamation from Ryujin made bummie smile with satisfaction & pride, “As expected from oppa” she sang further in adoration, eyeing the cute pink slippers near the door step.

“And this from me” jinki hyung had entered behind kibum, taking out a tiny pot from the bag he carried, holding the hook of hanging strings of the pot with a tiny bonsai tree growing inside.

“Aww! It’s so cute” Ryujin ran to grab the hook from his hand, as she held it high to watch it at her eye-level.

“It’s a good luck plant for both of you” he informed, smiling at the sight of Ryujin admiring it lovingly.

“You needed a moving-in gift too?” we heard Minho, as he & Taemin were standing behind us, watching over since, god knows, how long in hall now.

“Of course how will you bring anything when you were busy watching the football match last night” Ryujin was just too excited to be responsive to his teasing comments today.

“He’s just teasing you sweetie” Bammie got his arm around ryujin's shoulders walking her inside. As hyung & I looked at each other, smiling, as he wrapped his arm around my shoulders to move inside, following them.

“He helped me chose so blame him if you don’t like it?” Minho commented, holding up the bag he picked from the couch, taking a glance at bummie.

“What is it?” I looked at him, afraid of it being something weird for sure.

“Look yourself” he extended his hand to push the bag in my direction, as we reached beside him.

I opened the bag to take out a pair of pink couple-pajamas, “Oh! Choiminho!” I exclaimed, smile forming on my lips feeling the soft pair of cloth, as Ryujin approached near me to take a look herself.

She took one of the pair, unfloding it. And there was something printed in the front of the tops, which was visible now.