Hello again!! I'm back and it's only been 2 days, so yay :) some of you quite rightly guessed what happened next haha! Here, have a cookie! I really enjoyed writing this chapter, I hope you all like it just as much :) lots of love and deeply grateful for the comments and more :) cheers!

Lucky we're in love in every way!

She lay nestled against his chest breathing in his peculiar scent. It was then that realization dawned on her, she knew that scent, it was his natural smell and she had always found it greatly appealing. So her attraction to him was basic? Hormonal? She smiled to herself knowing quite well that even if the hormones had contributed to the undeniable chemistry they had, the feelings they had for each other were based in solid friendship. A friendship that they had been faithful to.

He shifted his hand around her waist still deep in slumber. She the muscles on his arms absently then gazed at his face.

She thought back to the earlier night when he had naughtily said "well.. Take a guess" She had truly and honestly let her imagination run wild and tried to beat him up, but he had mischievously burst her bubble.
"In the dramas, they just hug and sleep" He said and did just that.

He must've been tired. Well, they both were, but he had worked so hard around the house. The day was both emotionally and physically exhausting for him.

If she had only to confess her feelings to him, why did she have to make it so difficult for the both of them. She sighed, she decided she didn't particularly care for an answer. She had let him know what was in her heart. She felt content and peaceful.

She remembered the night before when every element of nature had conspired to get them into bed together but had also cruelly made them so exhausted that they just cuddled and slept. She felt an urge to laugh at her thoughts. She had told him she loved him only last night. He had told her he loved her about twenty four hours before. Though it felt like an eternity had passed since. Here she was shamelessly thinking of sleeping with him, she chided herself.

She had never pegged herself to be particularly orthodox or modern for that matter. She was always moderate in her thoughts. However, this feeling was new to her. She loved him, that was definite but what lay ahead, she didn't know. She felt like singing the female version of his song love light right now which his fans insisted he wrote for another girl. Maybe he did, she didn't care, her feelings were truly captured in it. She felt like she was floating amongst the clouds and that she was hopelessly falling for him, even more than before. The song was beautiful, why wasn't it written for me, she pouted then giggled at her own silliness.

She quickly stopped herself as she didn't want to wake him up. She loved lying in his embrace. As if to break the spell, her phone rang. She looked around surprised. She hadn't given her number to anyone but her family. Was something wrong? She tried to get out of his grip but found his hold on her solid. She gently pulled his hand away, he resisted but she managed to slink away before he could get hold of her again. She took the call and walked out of the room.

When she came back, she found him awake and looking at her. She gave him a half-smile. He, however greeted her cheerfully and beckoned her closer. Her own smile got wider just seeing his. She went towards him knowing quite well what he would do and found the idea agreeable. She let herself be dragged back into the bed as he spooned her and nestled his face into her neck. He sighed contently.
"You smell great" He said.
"I love you so much Shin Hye Ya. I want to stay like this forever"

She smiled, then sighed.
"Aigoo.. Why are you sighing? Are you tired of me already?"
She was taken aback that he had noticed her smallest of sighs.
"Of course I would"He continued as if reading her mind.
"Notice your sighs that is. Nothing about you escapes me"
He preened. She wanted to giggle at his conceit regarding her.
"Who called earlier? I am assuming everybody at home is okay from your reaction. So, what is it? A scandal?"

She turned around abruptly.
"Yaah.. What are you..Sherlock Holmes?"
He blinked back unsure of who that was and unable to place the familiar name to its context.
She giggled at his confusion but turned solemn almost instantly.
"Hey" he said, lifting her chin with one hand coaxing her to look at him.
"Tell me" He said in his most gentle voice. She found his tone comparable to hearing him sing a soothing song.
"Scandal" she told him distastefully.
He sighed as he wrapped his hands around her again but this time, they lay facing each other, though they were close enough to feel each other breathing.
He caressed her hair continually as he silently urged her to tell him.
"I am supposed to be on vacation with" she sighed "ugh"
She said annoyed.
"Why is this the first conversation we are having after I told you I love you?" She asked furiously, uncharacteristically cursing under her breath. He, who had been holding his breath burst out laughing.
"Don't worry, I don't get as jealous as I used to six years ago. I have changed, I hope"
She made a face.

"Why are you so adorable"
He pinched her cheeks.
He realized that he really didn't care, he was sure of her feelings for him. She was transparent when she was clear on what she wanted. That clarity had given him the needed strength.

"It doesn't matter" he spoke again, "who it is. All that matters to me is that you don't get stressed about it. Do you have to make a statement?"

She was immensely touched by what he said. In one sweep he had made her worries go away besides making her fall more in love with him.
She lunged towards him, pressing a searing kiss on his lips. He laughed at the attack then held her by her waist as she hovered over him. Her hair had formed a curtain on either side of his face as they just gazed at each other for a whole minute. She kissed him gently at first, slowly it turned into a battle of sorts as they kissed with unbridled passion.

"I asked my agency to release a statement saying how ludicrous the rumor was and that I was not on a vacation with that guy. Never ever"
They were lying next to each other, hands intermingled, looking up at the ceiling fan.
"How annoying" she said angrily.
"What is the public reaction?" He asked gently, avoiding the probing tone.
She giggled.
"As per usual" she said.
"Really?" He laughed knowing exactly what she meant.
"I won't believe this without pictures. " she recited the reactions from memory.
"Heol, just because they both are on vacations, you assume they are together. What nonsense"
"Jung Yong Hwa, where are you?"
He laughed at that one.
"Wait, Yonghwa is on vacation too right? How do you know they didn't go together"
He laughed uncontrollably at that one.

"You know, I just remembered your reaction when I first asked you to come on this trip"
He said, trying to talk between fits of laughter. "Love story that never was, you had called it"

"I didn't say, love story that never will be" she said sticking her tongue out.
He pulled her closer, she rested her head on his chest.
"Yong Hwa ya.. Why is it so comfortable with you. Is this love or just an extra special friendship ?"

"What do you think?" He asked her playing with her hair with one hand and the fingers with the other.

"Umm..what I feel for you now though it feels magnified, was also
What I felt for you over the years.. There is no dramatic change in what I feel". She said thoughtfully.

"Then? Did you feel the same way about me as you did with your other friends, over the years?"

"Hmmm.. " she contemplated for a while before answering " there was always something different about you. I liked the person I was, when I was around you. It's not just about the comfort, you brought out the best part of me. So there was always something special"

"Uri Shin Hye ya is giving out pearls of wisdom" he said teasingly effectively bringing her out of her reflective mood.
"Yaahh " she got up enough to beat him up.
"Ow ow ow " He writhed around in pretended agony.
"Hit me now all you want but you absolutely can't hit me after I marry you, okay?"
Her hand stilled.
"Marry you?" She asked in a constricted voice.
"What? You want to play with me and abandon me?" He asked playfully.
"Aishhh it's not that.. Why are you bringing up marriage "

"Because Jagiya.. I want to marry you.. Maybe not today but whenever the time is right.. I'll even propose to you formally then"

She stared into his eyes, they were dead serious even though a slight smile played on his lips.

She nodded. "I would like nothing more" she said as she lay her head back on his chest.

He wrapped his hand around her. Why did it feel so good to be with her. Why was it so hard to live together with the one you love just because you are a celebrity, he thought wistfully. Everybody else was getting married at his age. Here he was having to wait at least another ten years to get this comfort, this feeling, forever.