Please don't kill me guys. I know its been a while since I've updated, but I lost my inspiration for a while and my New Year's resolution is to update more frequently, so I'm going to try really hard. However, my school work absolutely must come first because I'm a junior in high school and this is my toughest year, so please be kind to me, okay?

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Chapter 11

            The warm salty air ruffled Hyerin’s silky tresses as she walked with Sam towards the town square, their fingers entwined with each others. The sun was setting and the slight buzz from the alcoholic drinks they’d consumed just minutes earlier was helping to take their minds off of the day’s earlier incidents.

            “This feels like a real honeymoon,” Hyerin commented, swinging their intertwined hands between them, smiling at how easy it was to hold this man’s hand, to think of him so fondly when it really had been a little less than a month that they’d known each other. It warmed her heart. Sam chuckled softly, the sunlight reflecting off of his sunglasses. The sound of drums and horns began to play in the distance as they reached ever closer to their destination.

            “I wonder what they’re celebrating; do you have the slightest idea, love?”Sam cast a glance at the petite woman; His wife shook her head, causing the tumble of loose waves to shroud her face momentarily. Sam reached over and tucked a stray strand back behind her ear, smiling when she blushed adorably at the intimate action. There was a moment of peaceful silence before her sweet voice broke through, singing an English song.

“It starts in my toes
And I crinkle my nose
Wherever it goes
I always know
That you make me smile
Please stay for a while now
Just take your time
Wherever you go...”

[Colbie Caillat, Bubbly]

            As she let the chorus trail off, she turned her face and grinned, the smile reaching her eyes and lighting them up from the inside. Sam couldn’t help the warm flush that ran through him; he hadn’t felt like this with another woman since his first love, back when he was young and naïve and didn’t know what to believe in.

            He smiled and freed their entwined hands to loop one arm around her shoulders. Hyerin reached up with her right hand and laced their fingers again, a happy smile gracing her features. To other spectators, they probably really looked like they really were a newlywed couple, but that didn’t seem to bother the two idols in the slightest.

            With her close proximity, Sam could detect the scent of her perfume; it was something incredibly warm and sweet smelling, like sun ripened peaches and honey.

            “Mmm, you smell amazing,” He breathed softly, nuzzling his nose into her hair subconsciously. Her soft, lilting giggle filled his ears. He wouldn’t have minded to listen to that sound for the rest of his life.

            “I could say the same for you,” She murmured, tilting her face upwards to inhale the scent of his cologne. Sam smiled to himself, mentally patting himself on the back. He knew that as soon as Polo had come out with its latest fragrance, it had to be his. He literally owned every single bottle of cologne that Polo had ever come out with. By far, however, Polo Red was one of his favorites, topping his list of go-to fragrances alongside Polo Black.

            It was times like these where Sam couldn’t help but bask in the glory of such a simplistic lifestyle; he had everything he could possibly want in life, now with the added addition of a wife into the picture.

            As they neared the town center, the sun warmed sand beneath their sandals gave way to roughly hewn cobblestone; it was rustic and very traditional looking, yet it just made the experience of such a beautiful county that much more appealing. That was another thing about Fiji; it cleverly combined the modern technology of today’s society with its own established culture and presented it all on the incredible white sand beaches that surrounded the entirety of the country itself.

            They rounded a corner and were met with the sight of a giant wooden cross situated in the middle of the town square. Men and women alike were dressed in the finest clothes they owned and were joyously worshipping the cross. Hyerin turned to Sam slightly, keeping her gaze fixated on the scene before them.

            “Darling, what’s today’s date?”

            Sam glanced down at his watch; the outer circumference was a calendar.

            “April 5^th, love. Why?” There were people on the sidelines, massive drums and long horns that were so heavy they had to be set on the ground to use lest the players fall over. Hyerin nodded her head as if in knowing, turning her bright green eyes in the direction of her husband.

            “They’re celebrating Good Friday; the day of the Lord’s crucifixion.” Her reply caught him off guard. His parents went to church every Sunday, and he’d celebrated Good Friday ever since he was a toddler, yet the idea of a honeymoon with his beautiful T.V show wife was enough to make him forget about the religious holiday. He felt guilty about not remembering something that played such a large role in his life when growing up.

“Aw, don’t look so guilty, darling. We’ve been busy with the filming and our schedules. S.O.S has been promoting, and I know for a fact that you guys are getting ready to release your first album. You look like a puppy that’s been kicked to the curb,” Hyerin nudged Sam’s arm and they continued walking, skirting around the celebrating people and making their way towards the shops that were really meant for the tourists that frequented the tiny archipelago.

“I know, love, but I still can’t help it. Good Friday was something that my family was always adamant on celebrating,” Sam groaned, his accent making his voice sound thick and husky. Hyerin shivered at the sound; his voice was one of the many things that made her warm all over.

They reached a strip of shops and they peered into one that was decorated with large shells on its window pane. On the inside, there was a brightly lit room where a woman and what appeared to be her daughter were crafting handmade jewelry for another couple that sat across from them. The jewelry was made of beautifully ornate shells that sparkled with gems, the reflected light from the gems were thrown up high on the walls in a gorgeous array of colors.

“How exquisite,” Hyerin murmured softly as she peered into the window, watching the nimble fingers of the women as they crafted a set of couple rings. The male’s ring was large and made of what looked like onyx; it was a deep blackish grey color that stood out boldly against the man’s skin tone. The woman’s was much more delicate, which suited her appearance. The band was made of white gold and had a tiny sea shell that was opened up to present a single opalescent pearl. The shell was striped amethyst and white, making the band of the ring look elegant and refined.

Sam glanced between Hyerin and the jewelry crafter, a plan forming in his head. He wouldn’t play it out now, but if he laid his cards out right and timed everything perfectly, he could potentially get his pretty little wife a necklace to remember this vacation by. She was refined and elegant, so he couldn’t get her anything big and bulky. Sam wanted something to reflect her personality; or even better, a physical representation of what his first impression of her was.

There were stands that were set up with refreshments for the tourists and natives to purchase. One man, his skin was tanned a deep rust, cracked open a coconut; the clear juice of the fruit sloshed over the edge slightly before the man stabbed a straw with a paper parasol onto the edge and handed it to Hyerin who in turn handed him a few bills. He grinned toothily at her, the smile accentuating the wrinkles next to his eyes signifying that he was just a really friendly guy.

“Thank You!” Hyerin smiled, waving at him as she strode ahead of Sam, sipping on the cool coconut juice for refreshment. Sam chuckled lowly before beginning to stride after her. The coconut vender stopped him, gesturing at the quickly retreating figure of his T.V show wife.

“Your wife?” His voice was warm and gravely and Sam immediately liked him.

“Yes, she is. Beautiful, isn’t she?” Sam answered, smiling at the man. The vender wasn’t too old, maybe in his late fifties or early sixties; he had to have been doing this job all his life, and judging from the husks of the coconuts that sat next to him, he made good money off of it for such a simple job.

“Very preetee. Take good care of her, yes?” The old man agreed and with those words, the kindly old gent shooed him after Hyerin who’d paused to look at some hair clips that were decorated with pearls and shells.

Sam caught up with her as she picked up a simple barrette that had single shell pried open and glued along the metal clasp on the inside, allowing the two halves of the shell to appear in a bow like shape. Hyerin looked up at him, her eyes bright and a radiant smile plastered to her face.

“Isn’t it cute?” She held up the clip for him to inspect it even further. Indeed the clip could be counted as ‘cute’, he was sure, but Sam wasn’t exactly one to really care about hair pieces, let alone state his opinion of one.

So he went on a bit of a tangent off of what she said.

“Not as cute as you,” He answered breezily. Hyerin crinkled up her face in mock disgust.

“That has got to be the greasiest thing anyone has ever said to me,” She set the clip down and began making her way towards the next vendor, sipping at her coconut juice.

“Are you calling me a grease-ball?” Sam caught up with her, slinging an arm around her shoulders casually. Hyerin squirmed away from him.

“Yes. You’re such a greaser!” She poked her pink tongue at him before skipping away from him, leaving him to catch up with her.

“So you’re saying I’m slick!” He called out, jogging to catch up with her.

“Samuel Carter!”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

               It was nightfall by the time the couple returned to their hut. Hyerin was sporting a new sunhat that Sam had purchased for her. They’d stopped at a small bank and traded in the rest of their Korean currency in favor of the notes that the native people of Fiji used.

               Hyerin flopped onto the couch, exhausted from the evening of joking and walking and sampling of the new foods that the tropical country had to offer. Sam walked in after her, carrying a small bowl of Kokodo. (Chopped pieces of raw Mahi-mahi drenched in lime juice with a dash of salt. Left to marinate and topped with coconut cream, onions, and hot chilies. Served on lettuce leaves.)

               He was inhaling through his mouth harshly as he set the bowl down, wandering to the kitchen for a drink to soothe the harsh burn the chili left. Hyerin snorted and rolled her eyes, reaching for the bowl that Sam had left on the table.

               “I don’t understand why you had the urge to put so many damn peppers on your fish. It’s not like you had anything to prove to the old woman,” She picked up his fork and stabbed a piece of the meaty fish, popping it into . Sam watched her from his spot in the kitchen as she chewed a few times and exploded in a fit of coughing.

               At least he could handle the burn.

            Sam handed her a glass of cold milk which she took, still reeling from the unexpected burn that the dish had managed to pack into one tiny bite. She sipped the cool substance slowly with one hand as Sam gently pried the bowl of spicy fish from her white knuckled grip. As her coughing subsided, Sam couldn’t help the lopsided smirk that her coughing fit had elicited from him.

            “Too much heat for you, love?”

            She glared at him over the edge of her glass of milk. “Shut up. You English boys are so damn cheeky, you know that?”

            Sam sat down on the couch next to her, draping an arm around her shoulders and drawing her in for a half-hug.

            “Don’t be like that darlin’. We don’t mean any harm,” Sam mumbled, gently rubbing his stubbled cheek across the top of her head. He heard her sigh before she gently removed herself from his grip.

            “I’m going to shower and head to bed. We have something planned for us early in the morning, so it’d be best if you shower too,” she stood up. Sam raised an eyebrow at her.

            “You took a bath this afternoon; you’re showering again?”

            She shot him a slightly miffed look. “Yes. I can still feel sand between my toes and I can’t stand it any longer.” With that said, she made her way into the bedroom. Minutes later, her head popped around the corner.

            “You can have the outdoor shower, love,” She giggled as she quickly made her way into the enclosed shower in the master bathroom and shut the door with a loud ‘click!’ Sam sighed before standing and walking out onto the balcony to inspect the outdoor shower. It was actually a very nice shower. There was a walkway that led to the actual balcony itself, but the shower was closed off, for which Sam was thankful.

            After ensuring that he would not be subjected to any form of peeping, Sam collected a fresh set of clothes and the bag that contained his shower necessities. (A single bottle of Axe, because all guys know that can be used as a universal washing material. A toothbrush, toothpaste, mouthwash, razor, and shaving cream.)

            Sam tossed a towel over the edge of the shower and stripped down to a pair of black swim trunks. He turned the dial on the water until he was satisfied with the heat and began washing away the day’s dirt and grime.

[Hyerin’s POV]

I stepped out onto the warm tiled flooring of the bathroom after my relaxing but quick shower. In all honesty, I wasn’t really sure if Sam took my cheeky joke seriously or not, so I made sure to take a quick shower in the event that he wanted to shower before heading to bed.

Reaching for my clothes I’d set on the vanity bench, I inspected them closely. They were a little more racy than even I would usually go for, but considering how good Sam looked tonight, I thought it was time for a bit of payback.

Because absolutely no one should look as good as he did in his sunglasses paired with a white and navy striped button up and khaki shorts. No one.

I slipped on the lacy blue bra and matching lace trimmed boy shorts. On top of my lingerie, I wore a simple mid thigh length night gown that also had some lace adorning the edges. Towel drying my hair left the inky tresses in loose beachy waves and I padded into the bedroom, intent on letting Sam know the bathroom was open.

The sound of water running reached my ears and I turned towards the balcony. He was seriously taking a shower outside? I was joking.

I walked over to the far end of the hut and found a small horizontal window that was situated at hip height. Kneeling down a bit, I peered through it. What I saw was more than enough to send my cheeks and ears flaming with fire.

Oh.

My.

God.

Sam was definitely taking a shower outside.

Sam was in nothing but swimming trunks. Oh My Lord.

He had a six pack. Hot damn do those abs look good with water running over them.

I stood up quickly, my heart thumping painfully against my ribs as I struggled to remember how to breathe again.

Okay, Hyerin. Inhale, exhale; that’s it. Breathe in and breathe out.

Right as I’d calmed my breathing, I heard the water stop running. A small squeak forced itself from my lips as I hurried over to sit in the bathroom vanity. My face was red with a fiery blush and I scrambled to find my cooling facial serum. Sam definitely could not see me like this. He would know that something was up.

Heart pounding, I grabbed a cotton round and pumped some of the cooling cucumber serum and dabbed it all over my warm face and neck. The serum worked its magic and in a few minutes, my face was beginning to return to normal. I knew it would take at least another five minutes before the redness completely left, but at least now it didn’t seem like I was having, ahem, bad thoughts about the sinfully delicious man that was just a few steps away from me.

I studied my reflection in the mirror. Gone was the horrid deep red blush that had stained my cheeks but in its wake was a scarlet flush. Hopefully Sam would just take it to mean that I took a really hot shower and that the heat had caused the flush. I heard the door slide open and looked up in what I hoped to be a somewhat innocent face.

“Done?” I asked simply, my heart still thumping erratically in my chest. His hair was ruffled from his towel, but he still looked downright perfect. I don’t understand how he does it.

“Yeah,” He met my gaze for a second before turning and putting his things away. I quickly brushed my teeth as I waited for the rest of my facial moisturizers to dry. After I spit and rinsed out my mouth, I quickly gargled some mouthwash and headed to the bedroom. Sam was standing by his luggage and was typing away on his phone. Judging from the blue I saw on his screen, he was tweeting something, so I ignored it and climbed into bed. The bed was extremely soft. So much so, that I kind of sank into it a bit, but the soft downy mattress didn’t bother me too much.

Sam, after finishing up whatever he was doing with his phone, turned around to see me all cuddled up into the bed and the thick comforter, despite the heat.

“Will we be, uh, sleeping...?” He trailed off and cleared his throat, his hand coming up to   scratch the back of his neck.

He’s so damn adorable.

“Of course we are. There isn’t another bed that I see,” I quipped, my eyebrow arched in ‘innocent’ confusion. He was just too cute when he was embarrassed.

“Are you sure? I can definitely take the couch...” He gestured towards the living room area. I rolled my eyes and glanced meaningfully at the huge expanse of bed left.

“There’s plenty of room for both of us, even if we move around a lot. Come to bed,” I stated nonchalantly before turning my head and snuggling into the white sheets. My heart was beating fast, but I waited. Soon enough, I heard Sam turn the lamp off and I felt the mattress dip under his weight. I let a small smile grace my lips at my little victory before allowing sleep to overcome me.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The End for Chapter 11! What did you guys think? I know I haven’t updated in a really long time, but it’ 2014, so I’m going to try to fix that. Do you guys have any ideas that you want me to incorporate? Please let me know in the comment section below and if you have one that I like, I will definitely message you and maybe even offer you a role as a character in here. I still need someone to give Teo some love >.<

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