Two Months Later...

"Morning, Minah," Minseok smiled at his dongsaeng coming down the steps, rubbing her eyes tiredly.

"Morning, oppa," she responded, yawning in the process.

"Did you sleep well?" Minseok asked as she waddled into the dining room with a bowl.

"I slept ok," she admitted, going into the kitchen to fetch a box of cereal and milk.  "Oh, oppa, I'm going over to Baekhyun's house in an hour.  I hope you don't mind."

"Don't worry about it," Minseok waved off.  "Just make sure you have your key.  I'm going to be leaving later today too.  Chen wanted me to go help him move some furniture into his place for the day.  I might stay the night there.  I'll try to leave after you come back so you won't have to worry about me."

"Alright, oppa," Minah nodded, digging into her cereal.

"So, what are you going to Baekhyun's for?"

Minah shrugged.  "The boys wanted me to go with them to get a video game they wanted.  Some Call of Duty thing that I could probably beat their sorry butts in."  She chuckled.

"Them?" Minseok questioned.

"Oh, Baekhyun asked Chaneyol, Sehun, and Kai to come with us.  It isn't a tournament without a lot of people," she clarified.

"Oh, ok, just don't get too carried away and cream them too much.  Leave a little bit of their dignity in tact," Minseok joked.

"No promises," Minah winked at him.  "You know how competitive I get at video games."  She finished her breakfast and glanced at the clock.  "I'm gonna go get ready now."

"Alright, just have fun and I'll see you when you get home," Minseok called as she put her dishes in the sink.  She kissed the top of his forehead and headed up the stairs to change.

* * * * * * * *

"Minseok oppa~, I'm home~" Minah called as she walked through the door of Minseok's apartment.  She walked into the living room and found that it was empty.  Confused, she walked into the kitchen and found a note on the refrigerator.

Minah,

I'm sorry I'm not home with you right now.  Chen insisted on me going early because of how much stuff he had to move.  I hope you don't mind me leaving you home alone again.  I won't be home until tomorrow morning, so you can ask any of the guys to stay with you for the night if you feel scared.  I'm sure that they would be very excited to spend the night with you hehe~.

By the way, Kris is coming over later tonight to pick something up.  Don't be too alarmed if someone walks in without knocking because I gave him a spare key.

See you tomorrow!
Minseok oppa

Minah's eyes widened with a sudden fear.  Sure, there have been many times when Minseok left her home alone for the night and she didn't complain.  But there was something about tonight that just made her spine tingle with fear.  Was it the fact that Kris was coming and she was going to be alone with him for a few measly minutes?  Or was the alarm in her head sounding that a greater danger was coming?  Nonetheless, Minah made sure that the door was double-bolted and the windows were tightly shut and locked.  She wasn't taking any chances, especially when this sixth sense of hers was going out of whack.  Every creak and every squeak was a serial killer ready to break down the door to her.  It made Minah crazy with paranoia, but she refused to call any of the boys over to pacify her.

At around 8:30 in the night, just when she was calm enough to ease her nerves, she heard the front door creak open from her room.  "Hello?" she called out with a shaky voice.

There was no answer.

"Hello?  Anyone there?"  Now her fear was rushing back slowly.  She weighed her options: go downstairs to see who it is, or wait upstairs and hide.  Minah chose the latter.  She crept downstairs to the kitchen to see who was at the door.  "Kris?" she called out, for the first time wishing to see him.

There was still no answer.

She was about ready to reach for the phone, but a hand reached her and grabbed her wrist.  She froze for a millisecond before turning her head to see who it was.  Before she could scream out, she was spun around and a hand covered .

"Don't say a word," a raspy voice spoke into her ear.  Minah could smell his breath masked with alcohol.  She tried to fight against his grasp, but he only held on tighter.  "The more you fight, the harder I hold you."  He slipped out a blade from his jacket.  "And the more you suffer."

Minah shut her eyes and kicked him between his legs.  He groaned in pain and crumbled to the floor.  Once his grasp loosened, she ran up the stairs to her room without looking back.

"Silly girl!" she heard the man snarl after her.  A few seconds later, she heard his heavy footsteps gaining on her.  Almost tripping on the stairs, she ran faster.  She was about to close her door behind her when the man stopped it with his foot and swung it open again in one swift motion.  Minah swore she had never felt her heart beat this quickly, nor had she ever felt this frozen with fear ever.  She backed up slowly, but the man only copied her retreating steps and advanced further.

"Please," Minah pleaded.  "What do you want from me?"

"I don't know sweetie," he rasped.  He took a large step forward and hooked his arm around her again.  "But you deserve some payback for kicking me in my nutsack."

"No, no please," Minah whimpered.  "Please don't hurt me!"

"I'm afraid it's too late for pleas, my dear," he spoke in a bitterly sweet voice.

"And it's a bit too late for you to get your out of here."

She looked behind the man's shoulder and into the dark eyes of a man Minah only dreamed would save her from danger.

"And who are you to stop me?" the  attacker spat back.

"What's it to you, huh?" her savior snapped.

The attacker took the initiative and threw her back.  Minah flew across the room into a mirror.  She blocked most of the impact with her arm and shielded her face.  She crashed down onto the ground and her hand cut into a long piece of glass.  She hissed in pain.  Minah looked up and saw the two men fighting.  The drunk killer was faltering under the nimble and strong motions of Minah's hero.  The man finally sobered up and punched the other, causing him to falter.

"Kris!" Minah screamed as the man's fist collided with his face.

Hearing the distressed call from Minah's lips, Kris recovered from the blow and quickly threw him to the next room.  Since he had time, Kris opened the window in that room wide open.  He took up the man and threw him out, watching him crush and break his bones from the impact of hitting the ground.  Minah winced at the sound.  Kris hurried down the stairs, locked the doors again, and made sure to take the spare key out from under the mat so no one else could come in.  Kris hurried back to Minah's room.  She stared at him, her eyes wide with shock.  She was breathing heavily still.  The pain from her hand rushed back to her as she looked down and saw the scarlet blood oozing out.  She yelped in pain.

Kris approached her slowly and knelt down besides her.  Minah's eyes followed his approaching figure.  He took her hand gingerly and examined it.  He got up and left the room, leaving a confused Minah on the floor.  He came back with a roll of gauze, rubbing alcohol wipes, and tape.  Kris took her hand again.  Wordlessly, he carefully pulled out the long piece of glass piercing her palm.  Minah winced again.  Kris took a wipe of rubbing alcohol and cleaned her hand.  Minah hissed in pain as she felt a burning sensation.  Kris wrapped her hand with the roll of gauze, taping the end to prevent it from coming apart.  After that, he stood her up and sat her down on the bed.  He went back into the hall.  He looked in the closet and took out a broom and dustpan.  Kris swept up the remains of the glass and threw them into the trash bin.  After putting them away, he came back to Minah, who was looking down at her hand thoughtfully.

She looked up at Kris.  His eyes were clouded with confusion and worry.  "Thank you," she murmured.

His eyes softened.  "Minah, I'm sorry."

She blinked.  Did...Did he just...say something to me? she thought, bewildered.  "M-Mwoyo?"

"Minah, I'm sorry I ignored you when you wanted to leave.  I was angry that you would dare to go and leave us like that, without even considering it.  I should have been a better friend and supported your decision instead of blame you and make you feel guilty about it.  And I should have talked with you while you were there.  I was an idiot.  I could have preserved what little we had left."  He took my non bandaged hand in his.  "I'm a terrible friend.  I was selfish.  I drove you away from me instead of keep you here.  It's just that...I never wanted you to leave me."

Minah was wide eyed as she listened to his sober words.  They hung in the air for a while as she soaked them in.  She hung on to every word, savoring the voice that she hadn't heard for years.

"What I'm trying to say is..."  His eyes downcast in hesitation.  Then he looked back into her blue orbs.  "Park Minah, I'm in love with you."

Minah was wide eyed in shock, dumbstruck by his words.  She couldn't say anything; she just stared at him, slightly agape.

"Every time you texted me, called me, emailed me, tried to contact me, I would freeze up.  I didn't know how to face you without lashing out at you.  I didn't want you to be hurt, so I ignored you.  I thought you were mad at me after you stopped trying to reach me.  I was so afraid to call you myself after that because the thought of you scolding me would have killed me on the inside.  So I avoided you, thinking that you would move on in your life and forget about me."

"Kris..." Minah whispered.  She placed her injured hand gingerly on his cheek.  Kris leaned his head against her fingers.  "I could never forget about you, nor could I ever be mad at you.  After I stopped calling, I couldn't focus on anything.  It got so overwhelming that I went insane.  I couldn't stop thinking about you either.  I decided that I had to come home and fix things.  You were the reason I came back, Kris.  Because I'm in love with you too."

He took her hand and placed it over his heart.  "Don't lie to me.  I can't take it.  I would believe you because I'm a fool for your love.  Minah," he brushed a lock of hair behind her ear.  "I don't take love lightly.  I never believed in it.  You're the only one I've ever considered to be in love with; you're a special girl.  Please don't break my heart, don't lie to me, don't play games with me."

"I won't.  I promise you," she swore.

"How do I know that you mean it?"

"As real as your heartbeat sounds with me is as real as my heartbeat sounds with you.  Do you believe that?"

"Love, I'm blind; I will always believe you, even if you whisper sweet lies in my ear."

They stared into each other's eyes, letting the time pass between them.  Kris was searching her eyes for any sign of mockery or pity.  Minah was just shocked at the turn of events.  Only in her wildest dreams had she expected such a feat to happen, and now she was witnessing it with her own eyes.

"I should go now.  I shouldn't bother you anymore," Kris said, turning to back away.

Minah scrambled through her thoughts.  She wanted him to stay with her, to comfort her after he was her hero.  Instinctively, she grabbed his wrist, ignoring the pain that shot through her injured hand as she clutched him.  "Don't go," she whispered, barely audible above her hammering heart.

He turned back to face her and approached her.  "Those are the same words I wish I had the guts to say when you left."  Kris cupped Minah's face and pressed his lips to hers.  The long-awaited kiss was soft.  Kris kissed her with a careful touch, afraid that he would break her fragile figure.  Soon, he started kissing her with an eager passion, as if he was scared that he would wake up and this would just be a dream.  He wanted this moment to last for as long as possible, dream or reality.

Minah melted into his lips, allowing him to do anything he pleased, feeding his eagerness while quenching her own selfish desire to keep him to herself.  She hooked her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her.  Answering her motion, he wrapped his arms around her waist.  Her fingers tangled through his hair.  Kris trailed his kisses to the side of her lips, to her jaw, under her chin, latching onto the side of her neck.  Feeling weakened by his actions, Minah squeaked and fell onto her back.  Kris never stopped his kissing.  He climbed right on top of her, trailing his way to the other side of her neck.  Minah emitted a moan.  Then he continued and stayed at the nape of her neck.  Minah's stomach was flipping and summer salting. Her hands fisted his hair and pulled his head back.  Kris groaned and looked down at her with desire-filled orbs.

"As much as I want to continue, I think we should stop," she panted breathlessly.  She was heaving for breath after the intense make out.  Her head was still spinning out of control.

Kris nodded.  "Should I stay?"

"Please," Minah pleaded.  "I'm scared to be by myself.  I need you."

He leaned down and placed a chaste kiss on her lips.  "I've always wanted to hear you say that."  Kris curled up next to her and got under the blankets.  Minah turned her back into his chest.  "Sweet dreams, my love," he whispered against her ear, sending shivers through her system.

"Say it again?"

"My love, nae sarang, wǒ de ài, qīn ài de, jagiya, bǎobèi...Should I continue?" he whispered again huskily.

"N-no, that's ok," Minah stuttered.

Kris threaded his fingers through hers and kissed the side of her head.  "I love you."

"I love you too."

I feel like I took a dramatic (and drastic) turn from fail horror to way overly-poetic romance -_-'.  Seriously, this is so cheesy and poetic that Shakespeare would have laughed at how poetic and cheesy it is.  Gosh, please don't make fun of my overly poetic language.  Am I sure that I'm my age?  Cuz it sure sounds like I'm 80 years old -_-'.  I'm shocked that I'm this cheesy though, considering that I have a cold and I wrote this at midnight.  My stuffy nose was ruining the images in my mind.  How is this possible?  What's wrong with me?  Goes in the corner and hits my self with a baseball bat.

Man I wish that Kris spoke French, it would just be great for his love life.  He could tell his girlfriend/wife 'I love you' in five different languages including the most romantic language in the world.  That would be a dream come true *sigh*.

Also my friend saw this post on Tumblr and put it in her blog.  It was so touching that I had to show you guys.  The post is here so please read it.

And I might be a little too deprived of EXO comebacks...because I had a dream a few night ago about EXO having a comeback.  I dreamed up a whole album, music video, and red carpet, the whole shinding.  This is how you know a fandom is deprived of a comeback...when they're fans have nowhere else to go but their dreams for a comeback -__-'.  Shame on you SM, shame on you...

Anyway, this is gonna end at the 3rd chapter.  The next one is a bit shorter, but let me give you a hint: it's anything but fluffy.  Hehehehe~~ Got you guys there~  The ttrouble ain't over yet~  This is where the angsty part comes in mwahahaha~~

Love you guys and stay tuned~!

MWAAHHHHHH