You pushed aside your weird thoughts and started some conversation. 

"Have you been writing while you've been gone?," you asked.

"Of course. I've been writing both poems and songs," he replied.

"Still working magic with your words....."

"I heard from Yoseob that you're getting better with fighting with your words, especially against Hyunseung. That includes tricking him and confusing him, but I guess that counts."

"I've gotten practice over the years, especially being with the five of them," you stated.

“As you know Ailee,” he started. “I’m pretty good with my words.”  You nodded in reply to his statement.

“Indeed you are,” you stated firmly.

“But I know that whatever I can conjure up and verbally express will have a complaint or counterclaim towards it, coming from you….”  

He sighed and sat there, taking a long sip from the glass bottle.   

“Keep in mind,” you started, then paused to arrange and prepare the words that you were to speak. “I might not be as talented as you are, when it comes to my linguistic skills, but I’m getting there.”  

He nodded in agreement.

“I’m sure that you’ve used the five years to improve your linguistic skills,” he stated as he continued to nod.

“Plus, I’ve gotten a lot of practice for arguing, being that I have to deal with five college guys who are very stubborn.”

“Well, I don’t think I would have fallen for you if you weren’t good with your words,” he said with his lips curved into a sweet smile.

You felt your cheeks heat up, knowing that they’ve become crimson at his statement.

“What’s wrong?,” he asked. “Did I come on a bit strong?,” he asked with a grin.

“N-no,” you immediately replied, mentally slapping yourself for stuttering.

“It’s okay. I think you’re cute when you become as red as a cherry.” He chuckled.

You couldn’t help but to scoff at his remark. He continued to chuckle. You just sat there and rolled your eyes at him.

“You’re asking for a scolding,” you spat hastily, trying to cover up the embarrassment.

“No, I’m asking for your love,” he countered. He then winked at you.

“Okay, now it’s just the alcohol talking,” you declared.

“No,” he instantaneously opposed. “The only person speaking is me, from the bottom of my heart.”

You shook your head and decided that he had enough to drink. You got up and started to walk toward him in an attempt to take the bottle of alcohol away from him.

When you got ahold of the bottle, both you and Lucian pulled at the same time. His strength overpowered you, which made you fall forward and land on top of him.

At this point, your whole body grew weak and you couldn’t get up; you just stayed in that position.

All you could do was to simply lay your head on his chest and close your eyes. You listened to his heart beat steadily; with every second that went by, the beating of his heart sped up. After a moment, it sounded like his heart was going to burst out of his chest.     

“Do you hear that?,” he suddenly asked in a faint whisper. The sudden question startled you.

“Yeah, I hear it,” you replied.

“The silence sat for a long moment before he continued.

“My heart…. it only beats for you.”

“Then shouldn’t you be dead?,” you uttered with a grin, and to your luck, he didn’t see it.

“What do you mean?,” he asked puzzled.

“If your heart didn’t beat for five years, then you’d be dead right now.”  You were waiting for him to counter using his linguistic skills.

“The motivation for me to be able to see you again was what gave my heart the strength to continue to beat.”  You couldn’t help but to chuckle at his statement.

Your eyes then slowly began to shut, as you slowly faded away into a realm of darkness.

You heard a faded echo of Junhyung’s voice.

You opened your eyes to see Junhyung staring at you with kind eyes. He had a small smile on his face.

“What time is it?,” you asked in a whisper, your voice still adjusting. You then saw him turn his head to the clock that hung on the wall above the bedpost.

“It is nine o’clock,” he stated. Junhyung brought up a hand and tucked a strand of loose hair behind your ear.

You felt your heart beginning to beat faster.

“J-Junhyung,” you uttered softly.

“I’d never thought that anyone could look so beautiful when they’d just woken up.”  He flashed you a sweet smile, and his eyes were illuminated by the sunlight that was seeping through the windows.

“You’re so cheesy,” you replied as you rolled your eyes at his remark.

You then became lost in the pleasant moment; the two of you laying down in the silky sheets, as his voice was the first voice you heard, his face was the first thing you saw. Your eyes met his, and you felt as if he was staring into your soul. It seemed as if he was trying to figure out what was going on in your head.

“You’re so difficult to read,” he whispered. You were startled, since you hadn’t noticed that he had come closer to you. “I can’t figure out what you’re thinking, or what’s happening in that mind of yours.”

“Well, I’m most certainly not telling you,” you stated firmly. “What goes on in my head is to stay in my head.”

“Do those thoughts regard me?,” he asked you with a playful smirk plastered on his face. “If they are about me, I’d like to know.”

“There’s a lot,” you replied bluntly. “More than I can count. Plus, I can’t really put it into words.”

“Really?,” he asked in disbelief.

He inched closer and closer towards you, until your faces were less than an inch apart; and you didn’t dare to move. He then stared into your eyes, trying to unravel and fathom what you were thinking about. You felt his eyes pierce into your soul. Although he couldn’t figure you out, you felt very vulnerable, as if he could see right through you.

“I honestly don’t believe that you don’t know,” you stated. You wanted to hit yourself for wording that statement so horribly.

“What do you mean by that?,” Junhyung asked with a look of confusion on his face. You then took a moment to think about how to verbally express what was going through your mind.

“Whenever you look at me, I feel as if I’m completely exposed and vulnerable. I feel as if everything in my mind can be seen. I’ve felt susceptible to you all along; as if you’re capable of reading my mind with no difficulties or hesitation.”  

A soft smile crept up across his face. The corners of his lips were curved perfectly in an upward direction. His lips were plump, and were a healthy shade of mauve.

“Well,” he started with that same angelic smile on. “It’s actually quite the opposite of what you think. I can’t figure out any of the thoughts that are going through your head. It’s a one-side glass, like the ones they use for interrogation rooms; you know how you feel, while having the capability to read me pretty easily. But I can’t read you, but I obviously know what goes on in my own head.”

“Well, my mind is everywhere, at the moment,” you uttered.

You then let out a yawn, then immediately covered your face, thinking that it was rude to let Junhyung see you yawning, being that you also thought that your face looked horrendous when you would yawn.

“Are you tired?,” he asked with a grin. You gave a small nod in reply. He then got up and off of the bed and put on his blazer that was hanging on the coatrack.

“What are you doing?,” you asked, panicking about him leaving you by yourself, feeling as if history were to repeat itself again.

You then threw the sheets off of your body and got out of the bed within a few seconds; your mind and body went into a state of panic.

“Something,” he replied bluntly with a smirk on his face. “You miss me already, even though I’m only five feet away from you?”

“N-no,” you stuttered. “It’s just that the warmth is gone.”  You looked down at the bed where he laid just a moment ago. You felt a feeling of emptiness consume your heart.

“Come on,” he called to you with a beckoning hand. “Go put on a sweater. We’re going out.”

“Go where?,” you asked in confusion.

“You don’t have classes today, do you?”

“No.”

“In that case, go get ready and let’s go.”

You got up as you were told to do and walked over to the coatrack where your favorite navy blue sweater hung. You took the sweater off of the hook it hung on and put it on over the black long-sleeve shirt you were already wearing. You then got your canvas bag that was on the floor right beside the coatrack and slung it on your right shoulder.

“I think you’re ready,” Junhyung said softly, practically a whisper. “Let’s go.”  He held his right hand out to you, and you took it in your left hand. Your hands and fingers intertwined naturally, for they molded together perfectly.

“Do you mind telling me where we’re going?,” you asked, completely clueless as to where he was taking you, or if the two of you were even going anywhere in particular.

“Somewhere nostalgic,” he said with an angelic smile. You thought of the possibilities that could have fit his descriptions, but there were a lot.

“Anything further you’d like to add?,” you asked with one eyebrow raised.

“The nostalgic portion already gave it away,” Junhyung stated with a wide grin. He just pulled you along, out the door; he guided you to a place in which only he knew at that moment.

He walked you down to the parking lot in which his car was parked.

“When did you get a new car?,” you asked in surprise. It was a sleek sedan in a gunmetal gray. You’d remembered him driving an SUV the last time he was there.

“When I got here,” he answered bluntly. “My parents had sold my old car before we’d left.” Junhyung walked you to the passenger side and opened the door for you. After you got in the car, he quickly closed the door for you; he quickly got in the car soon after you, sitting in the driver’s seat.

Without uttering a single word and leaving you clueless, he pulled the car out of the lot and drove along.

Throughout the entire drive, he kept quiet. As you continuously asked him questions regarding your destination, he gave simple nods or no reply at all. You felt neglected, for he was technically ignoring you.

You just stared out the window and admired the pine trees that would flash by along the railings of the freeway. The highway roads were literally bordered and surrounded by nothing but pine trees. In many of these parts, the forests would meet the city. In fact, people wouldn’t even consider it to be cities. It would be more like towns. It was quite urban; there were no tall buildings and structures, and many people lived in houses. And right beside your house would be the wilderness. It was a simple lifestyle that the people would live.  

Junhyung just stared blankly at the road ahead. You began to wonder if he was even paying attention to the road, for his mind seemed to be elsewhere. You were then startled when the car swerved a bit out of the lane. Junhyung quickly pulled the car back into the right lane.

“Junhyung,” you uttered firmly. “What’s going on with you?”  You looked at him intently, as he continued to stare at the distance in the same manner he had earlier.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I’m just out of it.”  He didn’t even turn to glance over at you, nor did he avert his attention to you for even a fraction of a second.

He continued to drive solemnly, while you stared at the trees and mentally screamed at Junhyung.

Just when I’d thought that today was going to be a good one, this happens, you thought. This morning was one the best mornings I’ve had with anybody. But here I am, wanting to go home and sitting here in irritation…..

After an hour of riding in the car silently and observing trees, the car finally slowed down, as it reached a freeway exit. Junhyung finally slowed the vehicle and parked it in a street parking space.

You got out of the car hastily. You were trying your best to display your irritation towards Junhyung. As you scanned your surroundings, you then remembered where you were. You looked at the small sidewalk strips of shops, the ficus trees planted in the soil squares in the pavement, and the small neighborhoods of townhouses in the distance.

You were in the town in which you’d gone to high school and grew up in years ago, along with Junhyung. You were two hours away from the center of the city.

Your exasperation seemed to fade away slowly. The memories began to fill your mind, leaving your head with no room for the recent memory of being ignored by Junhyung the entire way there. You then felt a hand grasp tightly on to yours and pull you along.  

“If I’m going to be yanked around like a dog, then I at least deserve to know where we’re going,” you muttered.

“My apologies,” he simply muttered, but said nothing further. He continued to walk, as he pulled you by your hand. You just rolled your eyes and walked along with the force of him pulling you.

He led you down the twisty narrow roads a few blocks away from your former high school, walking along anxiously.

You felt a sense of nostalgia loom over you. You remembered this little town; it wasn’t far from where Junhyung used to live.

“Didn’t you live around here?,” you asked him to clarify. He gave a small nod, as he continued to drag you by the hand.

“I still do,” he uttered softly, barely audible. His blunt answers didn’t make you feel any better.

“Are we in a rush or something?,” you asked. And of course, he didn’t answer you; he kept walking in silence. You couldn’t help but to ask, since he seemed to be pulling you urgently, as the two of you walked swiftly.

He then came to a stop in the middle of the sidewalk; in front of you was a small little shop. And the lovely memories had returned to you, floating around in your head gracefully. You stared at the little coffee shop in pure bliss, as your mind was floating off to a far away place.

“We used to study here,” he said softly. “And we….”  He paused for a long time. And then you mentally filled in his sentence.

Had our first kiss here, you thought to yourself. He would work here, too; and of course I visited him during his work shifts. He also asked me to be his one and only, and even made me a cappuccino with a milk froth heart when he had asked....

You couldn’t help but to grip his hand tighter. He looked down at your hand and his clenching on tightly to each other. He gave you a small smile, and you displayed one in return.

A sudden wave of courage consumed you, and you pulled his hand forcefully, causing him to topple forward and his body to touch yours. Your face was only a few inches away from his. He looked flustered; he seemed awfully stiff and confused, his cheeks becoming bright pink.

You took a deep breath silently and closed your eyes for a brief moment. Bracing yourself for what you were about to do, you let out a deep sigh as quietly as you could.

You then leaned forward, closing the space between your lips and his. You savored the moment; neither one of you hesitated, and you both gave into the temptation and desire. You felt a sense of euphoria take over; it wasn’t the first or last time having a kiss with him, but it felt like the first and last time that you’d ever get have his lips upon your own. You finally pulled away from him, parting the two of you.

“What was that for?,” he asked with a smirk. “I thought you were upset. Or was I just reading you incorrectly?”

“For being both a jerk and an angel,” you whispered. “And you did read me correctly. I was upset, but I couldn’t stay mad. I also didn’t want to be a jerk, too.”

“Okay,” he replied. “I guess I had that one coming; I deserved that. But I never thought that I’d be insulted and complimented in one statement.”

“Although it may not seem like it, the two are a perfect combo. I’d never thought that a jerk and an angel would mix. But here you are; a product of the two combined.”

“I’m gonna ignore the fact that you just called me a jerk and just take in the part where I’m considered to be an angel.”  He then pecked your lips gently.

“Yep. A lyrical, mysterious angel that can be a jerk at times.”  You then chuckled, causing him to crack a small smile.

“That reminds me,” he started, then paused. He pulled out a paper that was folded into a small square, and began to unfold it. “This one’s for you; the most precious thing in this world.”

“Is that so?,” you asked teasingly with a grin. He then shot a smile at at you, then winked.

“You’re my first priority; you’re the most important thing to me. As long as you’re with me, I’ll continue to breathe.”  You nodded hesitantly.

“Proceed,” you uttered.

“One must let go of the burdens of the past;

For one’s life is long and vast.

Life seems like an encumbrance;

Full of hindrance.

Let the rain engulf you in its faint white tinge;

To pain, you’ll no longer cringe.

That’s the power of love;

Resentment is what you’ll be free of.

Love is a mystifying mystery;

Let the burdens be forgotten in history.

Be welcomed by a loving warm embrace;

Love is what you’re encountering, face-to-face.”

You instantaneously wrapped your arms around him after he read the last few words, and he was taken by surprise. Your head was tucked safely into the crook of his neck, resting on his chest. He rested his chin upon the crown of your head, and he, too, wrapped his slender, toned arms around you. His warm, heavenly embrace was one that you never wanted to be apart from or get out of; you wanted to bask in the warmth for eternity. He suddenly spoke, keeping the his arms wrapped around you, and his chin resting on your head.

“I know words will never make up for my mistakes,” he whispered with obvious guilt in his voice. “The words I utter will never undo what I’ve done, or heal the hurt I’ve caused you….”   He paused for a long moment before continuing. “But I want to rip off the label I’ve put on myself. Through the years, I’ve resented myself for what I’ve done. And in the car, when I was zoning out…. unpleasant flashbacks were filling my head. The memory of me leaving, and what I’ve been doing all this time. It all came back.”  As he whispered the last few words, a single tear trailed down his cheek. “I don’t know if I should be glad that I remember everything now, because now, I wish it didn’t come back,” he uttered with a hollow chuckle.

You pulled away from his hold and looked at his face. You examined his face; you carefully inspected to see if anything could give away or expose his thoughts, but you couldn’t quite put a finger on it.....

A/N ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Hello!!! ^~^  Sorry for the LONG wait. I've recently been channeling my inner ARMY (not to worry, I haven't forgotten about BEAST and being a B2UTY). Though, BTS has been getting my attention recently( I love J-HOPE and Seokjin). I can't apologize enough for not updating this as often as I should have.... I was just totally empty. Well, thank you for reading and being loyal to this fic! And please anticipate and look forward to the next chapter!!! Please COMMENT, SUBSCRIBE, AND UPVOTE!!! <3  I'D REALLY APPRECIATE IT! THANK YOU!!!!  ^-^