(Three years ago)

“So, how’d you become a doctor?” Yun Mi was sitting on the sofa in Onew’s room looking like a bundle of clothes thanks to the way she had wrapped herself up in the quilt he had given her. She was sipping at the cup of warm tea Onew had insisted that she have. By the time they had reached the room, Yun Mi had been shivering with the cold and the air conditioner working on full blast that had hit them the moment they had entered. To make matters worse their clothes had been completely soaked as well. The next obvious step had been to change out of those soaked clothes of course, but after the blunder he had just made when he had unwittingly suggested she come to his room, Onew wasn’t quite sure of how he was going to put in words something that could possibly make things very awkward.

Retrieving a pair of pyjamas and a T shirt from his suit case, Onew had wordlessly offered them to her, hoping he really didn’t need to use words at that point. Fortunately she had taken the clothes from him in silence.

“Subscribe a bunch of painkillers and cut up a couple of people open. Easy.” Onew answered, taking a seat next to her.

She rolled her eyes at him. “I mean, did you always want to be a doctor?”

Onew smiled at himself. This was the first time he had been asked this question. It didn’t surprise him though that this girl had managed to ask him the one question his parents had failed to even bother with all his life.

“Not really,” he admitted, smiling down at his little bundle when her eyes widened in sadness. “But it’s not that bad.” He assured her, reaching out to ruffle her still wet hair. “It’s tiresome, but it has its own perks.”

“So what did you want to be?”

“I… wanted to be a singer…” He had never told anyone this except maybe his only friends. But even to them, never in as many words; they just knew him that well. Admitting it like this, out loud made him feel like a weight had been lifted off his chest.

Yun Mi stared as if deep in thought and Onew felt his pulse increase under the scrutiny of her eyes. He wanted to look away but her steady gaze held his in place, when she suddenly broke eye contact and looked to the ground, a blush forming on her cheeks.

“Will you sing for me?” The request caught Onew off guard and before he could really react, Yun Mi looked up and quickly added “If you want to.” She blushed even more, causing Onew to rid himself of the doubt he had when she had suggested he sing, and just like that, the lyrics flew out of his lips…

I’m entranced by your long, straight hair

I feel dizzy when you pass me by

Whenever that happens

I want to call out your pretty name

Like this

Onew paused, taking a nervous glance at the girl who had put her cup of tea away and was watching him.

“Don’t stop.”

And so he sang…

Sometimes when you’re sad

I don’t know your feelings

During then, I kiss you

I kiss your small hand

If it makes you feel better

I would do it several times…

The soft pressure of Yun Mi’s head dropping onto Onew’s shoulder interrupted him and he saw that she had fallen asleep. She looked peaceful, serene; and at that moment it seemed like the most natural thing to shift closer on the sofa to let her head be positioned more comfortably. As if in agreement with his gesture, Yun Mi snuggled into his warmth, muttering something sleepily about him smelling nice. Guilt took over his mind as he watched the girl breathe in her sleep, her lips now buried under the quilt she had pulled closer. Minho had been right hadn’t he? He really had fallen for this… child.

She was leaning on his chest now, her head tucked under his chin. Onew felt his breath slow down as he gave in to the urge to lower his lips to her forehead, backing off instantly when he saw her eyes flutter open. The world around seemed to fade out of existence as he stared into her wide eyes, his own eyes searching hers, asking her an unspoken question. He could hear his heart pound harder against his chest for the brief moment before she leaned in ever so slightly, as if in silent answer to his question. Warning sirens rang through his mind, screaming for him to break eye contact, to stop before it was too late, to make the right decision. But what choice did his mind have when for once in his life, his heart had decided to leave no room for rationality? What did it matter what the right decision was when the decision was already made? None really; none at all. And so with a final uneven breath, he bent his neck to meet her small mouth with his plump lips, tentatively; testing to see if she would move away. But she didn’t. Instead, her eyelids drew over her eyes as she pressed her lips further onto his, her small hands sneaking out of the covers to rest on his shoulders. And just like that, with the mere graze of those trembling fingers on the sides of his neck, Onew felt himself heat up; allowing himself to push side the rational part of his brain as his eyelids dropped and he increased the pressure of his mouth.

However, having been dominated by the rational side of his mind all his life, Onew forced himself out of the daze and gently pushed the girl in his arms away. “We… shouldn’t…” Minho’s words played in his mind like a broken record as his mind cleared now that she wasn’t touching him. “This… we shouldn’t…” he repeated between breaths.

The brief look of hurt was quickly masked with a smile much too bright as Yun Mi shifted away from Onew. “I should get going then. Clothes are probably dry by now…” She got up, pushing the sheets off herself. Watching her leave, her back turned to him, made Onew felt heavy,  like there were tons of bricks weighing him down and he had no way of getting rid of them. He didn’t want her to leave, he realized. With a groan, he did the first thing that popped into his head. He reached out, grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her back onto the sofa, smothering her surprised shriek with his lips. Her arms went around his neck automatically. Meeting his kiss fervently, sighing into it. After several minutes Onew pulled away to stare at her, taking in every feature of her face as if wanting to memorize every single part of her, his heart thumping against his chest violently. Damn. How had he fallen this quickly? “Are you going to say we shouldn’t again?” She asked, a cheeky smile tugging at her lips.

“I don’t think I can” he told her honestly. And having said that, he bent his head to claim her lips in another heart wrenching, mind muddling, toe curling kiss.

“You should really go now though” Onew said an hour later. It had taken every ounce of self-control in Onew’s body not to devour the child who was curled up in his arms. He was a man in love, not an animal. Although the way he couldn’t seem to help himself from reaching for her lips every two minutes and cup her face in his palms and hold her as close as he could – well, he was afraid the animal wouldn’t take too long to appear.

“You’re right…” Yun Mi agreed. “Not that my mother would care” she added before begrudgingly removing herself from Onew.

“Ahjussi you’d better keep your promise about tomorrow’s wedding ceremony!” she called to him as she walked down the hallway, having turned down his offer to walk her to her room. Chuckling to himself Onew closed the door once she was out of eyesight, an unfamiliar bubble of happiness forming in the pit of his stomach. His heart was rejoicing.

This chapter was supposed to be up long ago but thanks to certain virus-type creatures that I'm going to hunt down one day and rip to shreds, I'm all sick and germy *gross*

Aside from that rant though, I was told the whole time shifting thing is a little confusing so I'm just going to try to clear it up here:

Chapter 1 is the present and chapters 2 to 4 are in the past. Chapter 5 was in the present.

I've decided to add those little italic letters to indicate the time from now on.

Again, if you're reading this, comments are appreciated (a lot)! ^_^