“Can we meet?” she heard him across the call, “Right now?” she looked at the clock on the wall in front of her, it was ticking 9:30 pm,

“Yes!” she heard him.

She was sitting in the chaos of clothes & her cosmetics and pairs of multiple shoes, all around her, out of wardrobe, on the floor and her bed.

She had her flight to New York tomorrow evening and she had not packed a single thing yet.

She had got home from her recent shoot 10 minutes ago, and though she was tired from the shoot since morning and needed her bed the most at this time, she had pulled out the luggage bag from the wardrobe instead to get the work done before her eyes could close completely, and she could have the peace of calm sleep.

But why did Taemin want to meet her at this time?

She was going to New York for the fashion week, and she had a few more modeling projects scheduled in New York, so she was staying there for a month thereafter. 

But about that, she had talked it out with him & dealt with his disappointment a long time ago.

She had no clue what this was about?

“Where are you?” she asked, getting up to walk out of her room, to the door, getting her outer in one hand while putting on her sneakers, guessing if he was coming there himself.

“I’m waiting here, near your apartment” 

“You’re here already?” she walked in front of elevator waiting for it to open, “Okay, I’m coming down” 

—-------  

He was sitting in the car, so she went ahead, knocking on the window of the car, making him step out to stand before her, 

“The thing is-” 

“Actually-” she was waiting quietly, as he looked up to notice her tired eyes. 

He wasn’t sure if he should be talking this with her now but then she would be gone for a month and keeping those words to himself till then didn’t seem right to him.

He was in his own dilemma when they heard the phone in her hand ringing, as she looked down, “Excuse me for a second”

She took the call, and by the conversation it seemed like it was her stylist, who was guiding her about what kind of personal fashion she should carry along with her, and he was really contemplating now if he should be confessing his love in the middle of her stressful schedule right now. 

When her call ended she found him leaning against his car, deep into his own thoughts, so she walked closer again, reaching for his arm, “Oppa?”

“Huh?” he was startled by her touch, already in the chaos of his rushing emotions at the time,

“What were you saying?” she asked, as he looked in her intrigued eyes widened on him, innocently waiting to hear him, not knowing about the crazy world inside him going upside down by her eyes on him in that instant, as he opened his mouth to speak, but his tongue wasn’t moving, words were in that space of his head he couldn’t access anymore.

Her peering eyes were searching his lost gaze, as he felt his arm squeezed in her grip, bringing him back to this world again, “Huh?” he was startled yet again. 

She laughed, seeing his innocent yet idiotic face when he looked like a lost child now, “What is happening?” “I thought you had something important to tell me, after coming here at this hour?” she was expecting something serious, which it was, but- 

“I?” he had definitely forgotten the whole rehearsal he did in the car by now with all those overwhelming thoughts pulling him back from saying what he had prepared, “I was saying something?” 

“You don’t remember?” a light scoff left her lips, leaving his arm, to move back watching him amazed, “You really don’t remember what you came here to say?”

He found her eyes again, “The thing is-”

“Do you wanna come inside first?” she had turned around already walking back inside without waiting for him, assuming he’ll follow, “It’s still very cold outside!” she kept blabbering, till his hand was on her wrist, “Naeun!”

She had stopped on her feet, to turn back to him, but he stayed silent, watching her raised eyes on him, holding her hand, as his grip got tighter with the following silence then.

She looked down at his tightened fist on her wrist, catching his nervousness by now, though still wondering what is the thing he’s here to tell her, that was breaking his nerves to this level, 

“I’m here!” she had reached for his hand on her wrist, as he looked up hearing her words, making him loosen the grip with her touch for her to take his hand in hers, “I’m right here!” She wanted him to relax first. 

He looked way too occupied in his thoughts to continue the conversation immediately. 

Though she couldn’t guess what it was about, she knew it must be important if he was here in person.

“Let’s go inside for now” she calmly turned around, with his hand in hers, dragging him to the house, but felt a tug to stop again.

She turned with a confused face, raising her frowned eyes on him again, making him pull her back to him, “I love you”

Her eyes blinked, with her forehead twitching up, when went into an ‘O’, as a shy smile followed, with her eyes drifting away from him, when her other hand on the side till now went up to her neck, then touching her lips restlessly, and going up into her hair then.

So before she could mess with his patience again, Taemin had reached to hold the other hand  that was brushing her hair back, pulling her to stand exactly in front of him, “I wanted to tell you that I love you”

She couldn’t do much than blink again, when he was full of determination, looking back into her eyes, defining the words he was saying for her to do nothing but believe them, “Before you could disappear for the entire month, I wanted to let you know that-” 

He took a pause, and she felt like her heart had stopped beating, as she was scared of her vulnerable state in that moment.

What was she falling for again? 

Wasn’t she already liking him too much to have this another feeling, making her feel like nothing could be greater than this?

“I love you!” his voice had lost its power, melting on the beautiful smile on her face.

He could see his own reflection in her eyes that were fixed on him, as he stepped forward to get closer, “I want you to miss me every day and every night you spent without me there ” her lips were curled up into a wider smile, creasing the corners of her eyes.

All his presumptions had disappeared, replaced by the warmth he could feel when her soft hands held his hands back in that moment.  

“I’m going to miss you” he cooed, making her smile burst into a tiny giggle, as he felt weaker to let her go.

She was embarrassed to reply to those words filled with so much affection, when her stomach was filled with butterflies, and her hands were in his warm ones, making her cheeks turn darker second by second now.

She kept her silence instead, watching his eyes reflecting his heart through and through.

Before she could act upon her thoughts approaching her just now, he had released her hands, changing her face in that very instant to a stunned one, making him smile before he could reach to hold her face between both his palms, “See you tomorrow then” 

“I’ll drive you to the airport” he kissed her forehead, and he had turned to walk to his car already. And she felt like someone had woken her from the most beautiful dream right now.

She saw his back, as he was actually walking away, making her step up then, getting the hold of his wrist, “Wait!” 

“You’re leaving?”

“Hmm” “It’s late!” He had the most silly poker face she had seen of him, as she released the wrist to walk back then, crossing her hand on her chest, watching him, or rather observing him now, as he had turned around to face her, confused now.

“It’s late?” she murmured to herself, her narrowed gaze focused on his puzzled expression.

“What?” he seemed oblivious…

“You just decided to say that and go back?” she specified, making him blink in surprise, phasing through realization in those few seconds of thinking, as he walked up to reach for her hand again, “Weren’t you busy packing?” he wasn’t expecting her offense, but she was somehow offended by him .

She stepped back, rejecting his touch, “How do you know?” 

“We talked about it on text an hour ago” he reminded, making her look up to recollect, “But even if I was-”

“Do you have anything to say in return?” he interrupted, getting the indication behind her offense finally, “I’m hearing now!” he added, folding his hands up on his chest, watching her in the same way she did a while ago, standing there in front of her, making her nervous suddenly, as she ended up clearing , making him smile adoring her blushed face again.

Her hands had started to wander again, now that she was feeling the nervousness kick in, as she was touching her neck again, running her fingers on her lips then, and as expected it went up into her hair then, making him burst into a soft chuckle now, adding onto her embarrassment.

She had stopped him to express her heart back & it was silly how she was tongue-tied now that he was waiting to hear her back.

She released the nervous breath she was holding in, preparing herself to speak finally.

He was waiting, as she opened to close again, clipping back her hair behind her ear instead, making him tilt his head on the side now, “You’re worse than me”

She raised her palm, but it was curled back to her side quickly, realizing her palms were sweating.

Why were her palms sweating for this little reason? 

“I’m really trying” she added in self defense, as he nodded, pressing back his smile now, taking short & soft steps ahead, when she was watching the ground, thinking of… probably choosing some good words to form the right answer in her head in that short time, as she saw his feet in front of her again, losing her answer as well as courage again, hearing her own heart beats so loud, when deep silence had surrounded them in that short moment.

“You don’t have to say anything!” she heard his whisper near her ear, and the heartbeat was accelerated to the number she couldn’t put in counts. 

She wasn’t feeling her heart inside her chest anymore, and her head was feeling dizzy, as her hand had raised to push him, stepping back herself.

As she looked up slowly, covering in shock of her own actions, to notice his amazed face,

“I’m really worse” she had her hand running through her hair again, closing her eyes, her crying face coming out now, making him hold back his laughter desperately.

He reached for her hand, holding it to walk them to her apartment, as they were soon in front of the elevator.

She turned to him on her side, making him look at her to turn back to the front again.

Her hand was still in his, fitting so well in his grip, as she couldn’t stop looking at it when they were waiting for the doors to open.

She still had no idea what she was supposed to say, but was only happy having him there for some more time.

The doors opened, and he pulled his hand holding hers ahead, to push her forward into the elevator, staying out himself, as she was watching him surprised now, “Go and have rest” “We can talk tomorrow” he was ready to leave but she wasn’t, holding onto his hand like the last chance she had, to make things right.

He had a surprised smile watching her pouty face, “What do you want me to do now?”

She had pulled him, making him step inside the elevator, with his shocked eyes watching her when she had her eyes on the doors closing, reaching to press her floor number.

She turned back to him to find his stunned face, “What do you want?” 

“I want you for the night” she blurted, not letting his stunned face relax, as he stepped back from her, making her release his hand, maintaining the straight face till the end.

—---------

“This or this one?” 

“I don’t know” he was lying back on her bed, between the abandoned choices from her wardrobe, watching her in front of the mirror, with four more dresses on the hanger in her hand, trying to choose the last two choices she needed to add to the bag.

“I can’t believe you’re doing this to me” he was bored, lying there seeing her ignore all his words in her attempt to clean the mess she had laid out, 

“You’re of no help!” she complained, finally making her mind, throwing the rejected pieces on bed, one of them covering his face now, as he sat up agitated, “This is how you treat a man who has confessed his love for you not an hour ago?” he was super-pissed. 

She had pulled him into the elevator, she wanted him to stay, and she was the one ignoring him for the last whole hour again.

“I’m taking back my words” he added, seeing her finally turn her eyes on him,

“What words are you taking back?” her eyes were raised, but her lips were smiling, as she walked closer, sitting across him on the bed,

“I don’t know, I already forgot” he looked away from her gaze, hearing her gasp, to end up smiling quickly. 

“I love you” she had let out those hesitant words, getting his gaze back, “Those are already mine for you to take back” she spatted it out in haste, before embarrassment could get hold of her tongue again.

As he was staring at her with all of his heart in his eyes, “Ofcourse!” 

“I’ll miss you” she cooed, lowering her eyes from his gaze. 

“Yah!” his whining groan had brought her gaze back to him,  “How can I let you go if you say it like this?”

She was laughing now, seeing his adorable expression, “I’ll not be here for Valentine's day too?” she continued, bringing back the pouty, sad face, making him chuckle, “You better not go, if you’re gonna do this” he warned, making her laugh again.

She moved forward wrapping her hands around his neck, as he hugged back, “I want you to think about me every day, every night till I come back” she added, making him smile now, but nodding back, “Hmm”

“And?” she moved back, parting away to take a look at his face, “and because I’m not here for Valentine’s day…” she took a pause watching his awaiting eyes, as he was waiting curiously to hear her further, but she went ahead pressing her lips on his, moving back to sit before him again, “Love you too” 

He had pulled her into a hug again, hugging tighter this time, “Don’t go!”

“Okay!” she answered, and heard his soft snicker to end up smiling herself.

"You should've brought flowers along I might've thought of staying then" she added, teasing him, as he pulled himself back hearing her, "Should I now?" he had raised himself to step down from the bed, as she held on his hand, stopping him, as they smiled watching each other,

"I'll be back soon" she assured, getting a soft nod from him, as he went ahead wrapping her in his arms again, "I'll really miss you a lot"

"Me too" her hand was his back lovingly, not sure how she should express her feelings otherwise... Her mind was still processing what was happening to her, but her heart was already on the other side!

A/N:

Happy Valentines Day!!

I'm late but hope I'm not too late to bring the smile on your face with another cute fluff!!

Valentine's day is equal to TRUTH for me, like the song is such a Valentine themed piece, can't resist falling for it with the lyrics and Taemin's sweet vocals binding so well together....it's a precious song to me, so tried my best to keep the essence & deliver the emotions through my words!!

Hope you liked it!! Enjoy reading!!

As spring is here, and love is in the air, I'm expecting myself to write more & better, so will try to update next story as soon as possible.