Music filled the house as his voice poured through the speaker system set up with her mp3 player. Listening to her boyfriend's heaven-like voice, Alex sang along with the words as she bent over the sink, scrubbing the pan clean in the warm soapy water. A whisp of her strawberry blonde hair landed in front of her face, having fallen from the bun she had coiled her hair into that morning, indicating that it was a stay-at-home kind of day. She flipped her head slightly, blowing air from to move the stubborn piece from in front of her eyes. As she lifted her head, her eyes connected with the outside view. Staring out the window in front of her as the music continued to play, her mind wandered...

It was over a year ago when he left. It was a rather private affair, just the way he wanted it: no cameras, no press, no fans; just his family and her. The last few days before his enlistment he spent solely with those he cared about most in his life. The day before he reported for camp was one that the both of them would always look back on with a certain fondness that one does not often experience in a lifetime.

A smile crossed her lips as she recalled the beauty of that day...

...

They laid side-by-side on the blue and white checkered picnic blanket, her left hand intertwined with his right as they gazed at the sky above them, admiring the white powdered clouds, creating pictures and dreams out of them. Jongwoon turned his head to face the blonde one beside him. A smile broke across his face as he gazed at her beauty, thinking of one of the dreams that the clouds above him could never foretell.

Feeling his eyes fixed on her, Alex turned her head to look at him. "Yes, oppa?" she asked, feeling very self-conscious by the way his soft eyes gazed gently over her, committing to memory every edge and curve, so that he could recall her vividly in the months without her yet to come.

He smiled reassuringly at her, bringing their intertwined hands up to his lips, kissing her hand gently. "I love you, Alex." He unwound his fingers from hers, still holding her hand as he tilted it, kissing her knuckles until his lips reached the ring that only recently had found its place there on her finger.

The color in her face rose, recalling those deep and tender moments of promises made only the night before. Promises made in the presence of the moon that shone above them as they cuddled on the porch swing in his parents' backyard, wrapped in each other arms, as he slipped the ring on her finger...

Jongwoon smiled, guessing the object of her thoughts. "You're not nervous, are you?"

She shook her head, the grass beneath the picnic blanket rustling slightly as she did so. "No. I know you will be back in two years." 

"We'll have to think of a date though," he said, letting go of her hand and turning on his side, his head propped up on his arm. As he looked at her, his smile grew wider. "But, we can decide that later. I would rather just spend my whole day with you, my lovely Alex." He scooted closer to her, lifting his left hand to softly her cheek. "You are so beautiful, my dear." His eyes smiled at hers as his fingers slipped down to her lips, gently outlining them, leaving a sweet tingling feeling over them. "I love you, Alex." He dipped his head down, his lips meeting hers in a gentle press. 

He broke away, his nose brushing slightly against hers as he lifted his head. 

She felt her heart beat faster beneath her lovely chest as the color in her face deepened some more, darkening her whole face in a beautiful blush that he found hard to resist. "I love you too, Jongwoon oppa," she whispered softly, finding herself strangely quiet in front of him all of a sudden.

She reached her hands up around his neck gently, her fingers trailing up to his shorn head, wishing he did not need to have cut off his black locks. A small sigh escaped her lips as she thought about the two years that lay ahead. Would he be alright? Would he be healthy? Her stomach knotted as all her fears for him played in her mind. Her smile slowly faded and he immediately knew the cause.

Scooting closer to her, he laid back down on the blanket, putting his hand under her right shoulder and guiding her to rest her head on his chest. He nudged her slightly, causing her to lean into him, placing her right hand on his chest. "I'll be fine," he whispered quietly as he began to run his fingers through her hair, playing with the beautiful strands of strawberry blonde. "Please, don't worry about me while I'm gone. I'll be fine, my love," his deep voice assured her softly.

"I know," she replied, sounding much braver than she felt. Her fingers began to play with the fabric of his shirt aimlessly as she tried to believe his words. 

A soft smile broke out on his face as continued to her hair. He opened his mouth, his heavenly voice purring the lyrics to her favorite song to hear him sing, "Words I couldn't tell you..."

She felt a smile tug at the corners of her lips.

"...When I close my eyes, they will emerge again," he continued to croon in her ear as he caressed her tresses between his fingers. "Stop reminiscing my memories..." His fingers slowly detached themselves from her hair and trailed down to her back. "...My love, I think of you..." He drew little patterns along her back, sending sweet shivers up her spine as he lulled her into security with his warm voice and gentle touch. 

His voice soon fell to a whisper as they both melted into the comfort of the moment. "...My last love is only you..."

 Before he even got near the end of the song, his voice faded completely, replaced with the sound of steady breathing as the two of them fell asleep in each other's arms, dreaming of happy memories and those yet awaiting them.

...

...She snapped out of her reverie and continued to wash her dishes. Her eyes glanced out the window at the sweltering summer day again and was thankful to be inside enjoying her air conditioner. The chill from the air conditioner sent shivers up her spine, reminding her of the long awaited day still yet to come. What would that day be like? As the music from her mp3 continued to play loudly as she began to dry the pan in her hands, she thought about that blessed day when he would be discharged. 

She imagined herself running up to him on that cold winter day, throwing her arms about his neck. Happy tears would fill the corners of her eyes. Wrapping his arms around her, he would scoop her up, kissing her gently at first, spinning her around in pure happiness at being with her again. He would stop, setting her back down, her shoes crunching the snow underfoot. He would lean forward, kissing her again; passionately this time, making up for all the kisses he could not give her during his absence. She would blush, not used to having him express himself like that. "I missed you," he would say.

As Alex imagined the scenario, she spoke aloud, imagining that she would look at him with a smile. "I missed you, oppa. I'm glad you are back." 

"How did you know I was here?" a voice behind her spoke. 

She jumped in surprise, nearly dropping the rag and pan in her hands. "Jongwoon?!" She set down the items, whirling around to face him.

Jongwoon smiled at her with a grin. "You were daydreaming again, weren't you?"

"I was not daydreaming," she insisted, drying her hands quickly. "I was just thinking out loud. What are you doing here?" she continued, staring at him in disbelief.

"They gave me a little time off," he replied, turning off the music. "You really shouldn't play your music that loud. You didn't even hear me come in." He shook his head in mock disapproval, his hand reaching up to the bill of his gray military style cap and removing it from his head, placing it on the counter.

"Sorry, oppa," she said teasingly, doing the "Sorry, Sorry" dance move. 

He grinned as he approached her, wrapping his arms around her. "It's good to see you again, Alex." He pulled away, kissing her gently on the forehead.

She smiled. "It's good to see you too, oppa." Suddenly, her eyes widened, realizing that she had not been expecting anyone that day. "Uh..." Her hand reached to the top of her head, feeling the bun. She looked down, realizing that she was wearing just plain black shorts and a gray T-shirt. "Be right back. I'm going to go change." She turned to leave, loosening her hair from the bun as she tried to hurry out of the room. 

"No, you don't." Catching up to her, Jongwoon wrapped his arms around her from behind, pulling her close to him. "You look lovely already, my dear."

She scoffed. "Pfft. No, I don't."

"Yeah, you do," he insisted, burying his head in the crook of her neck, his warm breath tickling the bare skin above the collar. She felt the gentle press of his lips as he pecked her neck, before resting his chin on her shoulder. 

"Oppa, I--" Alex began, before Jongwoon cut her off.

"Stay here. You look amazing already," he insisted, holding her tighter.

She lowered her eyes in irritation. "Hey!"

He chuckled, realizing that he had interruped her, something that she could not stand anyone doing. "Sorry," he replied sheepishly, unwrapping his arms from her waist and walking to the front of her. "I'm just so excited to see you after the past few months, I could dance!"

"What?!" she cried, hoping he was not being serious. She had imagined other scenarios in her head about how he would surprise her if he got a day off, but never would she have imagined that he would dance like he did on variety shows. 

"I'm being serious," he replied with a huge grin on his face.

"No," she mumbled, wishing that he would be at least a little romantic with her. Maybe he did not want--

"Yes!" he cried, scooping her up suddenly in his arms, taking her to an empty space in the living room and spinning her around. 

"Stop, Jongwoon!" she cried, laughing.

"Nope!" He continued to spin, making himself dizzy.

Too dizzy to continue, he stumbled, making the both of them collapse onto the nearby sofa, laughing together. Jongwoon sat up, leaning his back against the arm of the couch, chuckling to himself.  Alex shifted herself, leaning back against the couch cushions, pulling her knees up and wrapping her arms around her legs.

Jongwoon's eyes trailed softly over her figure, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "You know," he began, averting his eyes and biting his lip. "I have a confession to make."

Alex's heart beat faster, nervous over what his confession could be. "What is it, oppa?" she asked, trying to make her voice sound normal even though she felt like her heart was about to burst.

He looked up, his face evidently showing signs of embarrassment with the tinge of red on his cheeks and ears. "Every time I leave here to go back to the base, I take a few minutes to stare at you."

"What?" She furrowed her brow, not understanding him in the least. "I'm confused. What are you talking about?"

"I look at you, trying to remember every detail about you so I can think about how beautiful my love, Alex, is."

She could feel her chest swell with happiness, her heart fluttering wildly.

He shook his head slightly. "However, every time I come back, I'm disappointed."

She could feel her heart drop within her chest and a lump form at the back of . She should have known...

He sighed gently. "I never can remember you perfectly. There's always something I failed to remember, because when I return, you look even more beautiful than you did before, more beautiful than how I dreamt of you."

She looked at him, unsure if she had heard his words correctly.

He gazed at her lovingly, his eyes roaming over her. "You're just so beautiful, Alex." He chuckled nervously. "I guess my imagination is broken, because you are always more amazing in person than how I picture you in my mind." He grinned at her. "Or maybe reality is better than any dream or fantasy." He leaned forward, placing a hand under her chin, guiding her head up a bit to meet his lips. 

Their lips broke apart and their eyes flickered open.

"I love you," they both whispered to the other almost in unison.

Cupping his hands over her cheeks, their lips connected once more in a sweet and loving kiss, more real and passionate than anything either one of them could have dreamt or imagined.

As their lips parted ways once again and they leaned back against the sofa, her head resting on his shoulder as he her hair, they knew that this was only the beginning of their life to come and that nothing that they could imagine or dream would match the joy awaiting in their future...