He couldn’t sleep. Not anymore. It was still dark outside, the light a few hours away. But he knew that he wouldn’t be able to sleep. His mind was too awake; the thoughts buzzing around in his head too insistent. There was nothing for it. He’d just have to resign himself to the fact that he wasn’t going to sleep tonight.

The room was Spartan, the few furnishings sparse and fit for their purpose, nothing more. His double bed was comfortable, the sheets clean. The hotel room was fine; he’d been in less bland rooms, true, but he was only here for a couple of nights, before he flew back home. Maybe that was why he couldn’t sleep. Maybe he was just homesick.

Rising up, he pushed the duvet down, revealing his toned chest. It was too hot to sleep in a t-shirt, and he was only wearing pyjama bottoms for the sake of decency. Was the heat why he couldn’t sleep? No, he didn’t think so. He was tired, so tired, but his mind wouldn’t rest. He was tired of flitting around the country, tired of never being able to have a rest. Just…tired.

There was nothing he could think of doing that would be relaxing, nothing that would send him to sleep. He had nothing to do. Something flashed on the bedside table-was it his phone? It flashed again, and he picked it up, keying in the “unlock” code. The phone reported that he had a text. Opening it, he discovered it was just one of his friends asking when he was coming back.

He replied quickly, disappointed it wasn’t anything important. He was about to toss the phone back down, when something caught his eye. His wallpaper was a picture of him, his arms around a smiling woman. It’d had been his wallpaper for as long as he’d had the phone, and he’d never thought of changing it. It occurred to him that it had been a long time since he’d talked to her.

A long time. He had his reasons, of course. But now they didn’t seem particularly important, late at night. He was seized with a longing to hear her voice…just her voice, he didn’t need anything more. Just the sound of her voice, hell, even her answering machine would be good. He had missed her, had felt a sort of loss for the lack of her presence in his life. He had no one to blame but himself, he was well aware of that.

Before he was really sure he wanted to do it, he pressed call, and listened as the phone rang. Beepbeepbeep. Beepbeepbeep. Beepbe- “Hello?” It was her voice, her familiar accent both at once comforting and strange. It had been far too long since he’d talked to her.

“Hey.” He managed to get it out, a ridiculous sort of nervousness running through him.

“Siwon, is that you?” She sounded delighted. “It’s been so long… How are you?”

He couldn’t help the smile that started as his lips quirked up. “Yep, it’s me. I’m fine. And you?”

He heard the earthy sound of her chuckle. She always did have a dirty little laugh. “Oh, I’m fine as well. What are you up to? Surely it’s late over there?”

“Can’t sleep.” He told her, leaning back against the pillows. He was rewarded with another laugh.

“Mm-hmm. And what am I supposed to do about that, baby?” He shook his head at the endearment. Of course, she didn’t mean it in that way. She was just affectionate to everyone. But he couldn’t deny that he wished she meant it that way.

“Just talk.” He told her honestly. All he wanted was to hear her voice.

“About what?” Her voice was edged with humour. “The weather? The state of national affairs? What colour my knickers are?”

“Anything you want. The knickers thing would be a good start, though.” Again, her laugh rang out through the phone.

“Well, they’re red, and that’s all you’re getting.”

“Lacy? Come on, you can tell me that…” He , all the while imagining her sat down, shaking her head at his comments.

“I said that’s all you’re getting, Mr Choi. Don’t push for more, or else I shall leave this conversation and abandon you to your fate.”

“Abandon me to my fate? What do you think I’m doing, standing on the edge of a cliff?” He asked.

“You could be, for all I know.” She replied. “Am I there? Can I see what you’re doing?” He didn’t know what it was, but it had only been a few minutes and already her voice was soothing him. He felt better, relaxed in their teasing relationship. Talking to someone he could be like this with was becoming increasingly rarer these days.

“Well, so you know, I’m not. I’m lying on a hotel bed.” She snorted.

“Trying to entice me, Siwon?” She giggled a little. Oh, how he wished she though he was serious. He was. He’d love to entice her, but somehow he’d…never quite got around to it. That sounded pathetic. It was, but somehow schedules and comebacks had always gotten in the way and he’d never quite been able to ask her out. He knew he was just rationalising his fear, but it sounded better than saying ‘I just don’t want her to reject me’.

“Maybe.” He grinned at the phone. He wondered what she was wearing. If it was three in the morning in Paris, it would be one o’clock in the afternoon in Korea. She was probably working. Or perhaps it was her day off. The last time he’d seen her (a very long while ago, quite honestly), she’d been wearing a strange navy-blue trouser suit, made of velvet. It should have looked weird, but on her, it hadn’t.

“Sure, sure.” Her voice was a little static-y, but he knew her well enough to hear how the enthusiasm had dropped a little.

“Disappointed?” He tried.

“By you, baby?” She gave a lacklustre snicker. “Never.”