Getting from the train station and to Wooyoung’s parents’ house proved to be a lot more difficult than Wooyoung thought it would be. Apparently, news of their trip had spread and there were reporters waiting for them at the station. Jieun’s worry was momentarily taken over by surprise when the flashbulbs went off and Wooyoung could feel hesitation coming off her in waves as they tried to navigate through the station with the help of security.

Since their relationship had become public, the two of them were still hardly ever photographed with each other. They’d decided from the moment Wooyoung posted the picture of Jieun on his Twitter account, that they didn’t want their relationship to be something they showed off. They didn’t want to be a power couple, no matter how much potential they apparently had. They diverted questions about each other and the relationship in interviews and made it a point to keep as much of their privacy intact. Wooyoung had only broken their silence once when he addressed the letters on his Me2Day.

It was truly a rare occurrence to see the Milky Couple out and about together. So when Wooyoung instinctively reached for Jieun’s hand, they were almost deafened by the screams of the intrusive reporters and blinded by the harsh blitz of camera lights. Questions were hollered at them from every direction, most of it being dead on speculation about the reason they were in Busan in the first place. And Wooyoung hated all of them in that moment for taking away the bit of normalcy that Jieun had wanted for this experience.

She held on to his hand with an iron grip and didn’t let go until they were in a taxi, far away from the yelling and lights and Wooyoung felt helpless when he got a look at the sheer panic in her eyes.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, her face flushing.

He automatically shook his head. “Why are you apologizing? You have nothing to be sorry for.”

“I’m not handling this well,” Jieun explained with a weary sigh. “I know you told me not to worry and I’ve been trying not to. But I really didn’t expect that many of them to be there and it just…caught me off guard. You would think I would be used to it by now, right?” She let out a pathetic sounding laugh. “I don’t even know why I stupidly hoped that any of this could be normal.”

“It still can be though,” Wooyoung assured her. “We have two days in Busan that says so. And we’ll pretend that we left 2PM’s Wooyoung and IU in Seoul and that it’s just us right now. Just Jang Wooyoung and Lee Jieun.” He reached over so he could brush his thumbs against her cheeks soothingly. “It’s going to be fine, jagi.”

Jieun closed her eyes and let out another sigh as she leaned into his touch. He placed a soft kiss on her forehead and then two more on each closed eyelid. “Why are you so good to me?” Jieun asked without opening her eyes. “I’m just…”

“Amazing,” Wooyoung finished, reminding her of their earlier conversation on the train. She still didn’t open her eyes, but Wooyoung didn’t need her to look at him; he needed her to hear him. Not minding that they were sitting in the back of a taxi and about ten minutes from his parents’ house, Wooyoung pulled Jieun’s face closer to his so he could kiss this time. Jieun let out a surprised whimper, but much to his relief, she didn’t pull away.

A surge of desperation thickened the air between them, Wooyoung needing her to believe him and Jieun, fighting whatever internal battle that was weighing her down, needing reassurance. And the first touch of his tongue against her bottom lip had each of them trembling. Wooyoung’s feelings rushed forward, nearly consuming him and his only thought and instinct was more more more. He at Jieun’s bottom lip again, before pressing inside to brush his tongue against hers. She tasted sweet like the peach juice she’d been drinking on the train and Wooyoung had to fight the embarrassing urge to moan.

The fingers that had been gently cradling Jieun’s face went down to her neck and he pulled her impossibly closer, feeling like she had taken over each and every one of his senses. And he couldn’t get enough of the sweet taste of peaches and the soft feel of her lips against his own.

He needed to have her.

The minutes quickly moved by like seconds and Wooyoung wasn’t anywhere near satisfied when the taxi driver started clearing his throat, letting the couple know that they’d reached their stop. Jieun looked dazed when Wooyoung finally let her go and he took in her unfocused eyes and thoroughly kissed lips and groaned. Alone time. They really needed it. Because he hadn’t had as many opportunities as he’d liked to put that look on her face.

The taxi driver unloaded their two small bags from the trunk and Wooyoung made sure to give the man a large tip for putting up with their PDA in the backseat of his taxi.

“Remember what I said, Jieunie,” Wooyoung started, taking a hold of her hand as they headed towards the front door of his parents’ home. “My mother is going to love you, so don’t even worry about that. Okay?”

Taking a deep breath, Jieun nodded at him and Wooyoung gave her hand a quick squeeze, before he rang the doorbell. A long couple of moments later, the front door opened and a woman even shorter than Jieun let out an excited squeal.

Before Wooyoung or Jieun could blink, Mrs. Jang launched herself at Jieun, pulling the younger woman into a tight embrace.

“Aigoo! You’re even prettier in person! I can’t believe my son is so lucky!” Wooyoung made an indignant noise, while Jieun laughed and returned the woman’s smothering hug. “I knew it from the moment he told me he was stealing food for you how special you were to him,” Mrs. Jang continued as she pulled back, letting her eyes search Jieun’s face carefully. “I knew you were the one.”

“Mom,” Wooyoung whined, his face flushing in embarrassment. “It’s not like we’re getting married or something.”

Mrs. Jang turned to look at her son, an amused glint shining in her eyes. “Yet.” She gave him a quick pat on the cheek, before taking a hold of Jieun’s hand and leading her in the house. “I’ve just finished lunch and I know the two of you must be hungry and exhausted from your trip.”

Wooyoung shook his head and watched the two most important women in his life disappear inside the house together.

A couple of hours later, Wooyoung found himself not very surprised that Mrs. Jang and Jieun got along famously. His mother had wanted to meet Jieun ever since they were still filming and Wooyoung had assumed it was because she was a fan. But watching the two of them together, catching the knowing look Mrs. Jang would throw him every now and again, Wooyoung figured it was because his mom knew way before he did that his feelings for Jieun were so much more than a simple crush. And his mother’s promise of “yet” had been sticking to him ever since she’d said it.

It should have scared him to think about the idea of forever with Jieun, especially since they were so young. Except it didn’t scare Wooyoung to think about spending the rest of his life with Jieun. Especially watching her laugh with his mother, looking nothing like the nervous wreck she’d been earlier that morning. She fit in his life in a way that he couldn’t fathom any other woman fitting.

“I love your mom,” Jieun announced, taking a seat next to Wooyoung on the couch once Mrs. Jang had left the two of them alone in the living room for a moment. She’d gone upstairs to find some photo albums, promising Jieun that she was in for a treat (much to Wooyoung’s embarrassment). “She makes me laugh. I know where you get it from now.”

Wooyoung smiled and leaned over to steal a quick kiss. “I’m glad the two of you are getting along like this. Not that I didn’t try to tell you that she was going to love you.” He rolled his eyes up in false modesty.

Elbowing him, Jieun let out a small laugh. “Alright. So you were right…for once.”

“Yah? I’m always right.” He pulled Jieun under his arm and started kissing dropping kisses all over her forehead.

“Stop that,” she fussed, squirming away from him with a slight frown. “Your mom is right upstairs and she’ll be down any moment now.”

“Jieunie, I’m sure she knows that we kiss each other. You are my girlfriend.”

Jieun slapped his arm and scooted over on the couch, leaving a sizable distance between them. Wooyoung couldn’t help smiling over the genuine concern on her face as she pouted at him. “Still. I don’t want her thinking I’m one of those types of girls.”

“…the type of girl that kisses her boyfriend?” Wooyoung asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

“The kind that can’t keep her boyfriend’s hands off her for five minutes.”

Wooyoung reached for her and laughed when she slapped his arm again. “Jagi, I think it’s pretty safe to say we’re the picture of self restraint.”

The offhanded comment seemed sobering for Jieun, because she went rigid and stared at Wooyoung with a sudden wary look in her eyes. And he didn’t have time to ask her about it, because his mother came bounding down the stairs, carrying several large photo albums.

“These are only for the first couple of years after Wooyoungie was born, but there’s more in the attic I can dig out later,” Mrs. Jang said, collapsing between the couple on the couch, oblivious to the sudden tension in the room.

Wooyoung watched Jieun blink, before turning all of her attention to Mrs. Jang, who had opened the first book. He made a mental note to broach the subject again when they were alone, because the look she had given Wooyoung wasn’t settling right with him.