A Year Later

Sang Hee winced as the sun bled through the blinds and poured over her face, waking her up amidst the best sleep she had all week.

Groaning, she rolled over onto her stomach before shoving her face into her pillow while burying herself deeper into the bundles of blankets that were keeping her warm.

She kept her eyes shut and blindly reached out for Himchan but frowned when she didn't feel his familiar warmth. She sighed when she heard the sound of the news playing in the living room and figured that he was already awake.

After Hong had taken the deal on Minsoo's behalf, it was a short wait before handcuffs were slapped on his wrists and he was put in maximum security with court appointed psychiatry session.  

Woon had quit a few days later which made everything a lot more stressful for her and Himchan ever since. The board had yet to decided on a new chief and had left most of the duties to the two of them until they came to a decision.

Which meant late nights and over time for the both of them for a year so she had no idea why he was always up and about early when all she'd want to do is sleep.

Despite working non-stop, the last year had been good for the both of them. He had become a vital part of her life and he had made a permanent space in his heart just for her.

The two of them had grown nothing but closer and every day she found her being grateful for falling in love with a man like Kim Himchan.

A man that didn't baby her, that didn't underestimate her skill, that took her opinions seriously and respected her as more than just his girlfriend but would love her just as whole heartedly as she could ask for.

She was still learning and growing as a cop and it helped that it was Himchan who was making her a better detective.

Peeling her eyes open, Sang Hee rubbed her face before stretching her arms out in front of her, cracking the kinks in her muscles until she spotted something on her finger that wasn't there when she went to sleep.

Her eyes widened and her previous fatigue vanished as she sat up in shock. As if on cue, Himchan strode into the room, unaware that she was awake, and opened the closet.

She stared at his back until he finished putting a sweater on and turned around. He blinked at her in surprise before grinning.

"You're up?"

She raised her hand up and quirked a brow, "What is this?"

His eyes landed on the large diamond ring that was glinting off her finger, "What do you think it is?"

"Normally I'd assume it was an engagement ring, but since I don't remember you ever asking me to marry you and since I don't remember saying yes, an engagement ring wouldn't make sense." She said while resting her chin on her palm.

He tilted his head, "Would you have said no?"

"We'll never know since you never didn't give me a choice." She said haughtily.

Himchan bit down a smile and walked towards her until he was standing by the bed, "Do you want me to ask?"

"Well you already put the ring on me, so does it even matter anymore?" She said dramatically while crossing her arms in mock anger.

Himchan in his cheeks to hide his smile as he leaned his arms on the side of the mattress to lean close to her so that their noses were brushing against each other.

"Of course it matters, angel." He muttered softly.

She tipped her head aside and let out a small smile, "Ask me."

"Alright, then." He pulled the blankets off her legs and pulled her body so that she was sitting on the edge of beg with her legs hanging off the side.

Sang Hee watched, her heart beating at a speed that she had never felt it race before, as Himchan knelt down on one knee in front of her before taking her hand and squeezing it.

"Tiger?"

She suppressed her smile and kept a straight face, "Yeah?"

"I used to think that I'd be okay alone. That I didn't need anyone in my life just because I'd be better off on my own without having to go through the pain of letting someone down. Honestly, I didn't think I was good enough to be a man that stuck around a woman for the rest of her life. Especially the woman who I had fallen in love with when I was a teenager." He said while staring at her small hand.

Sang Hee's smile faded as she watched his eyes washed over with something sad. When Yongguk had found out that Himchan had purchased a ring, he had asked the man if he knew if Sang Hee wanted to have kids.

Himchan knew that she did.

So when Yongguk asked him next, what he was going to do about that, Himchan was at ease for the first time in his life.

If he was ever going to have a child, it would be with her because with her, their future child might have a shot. He didn't feel lost anymore, he felt like he was actually capable of raising another human because Sang Hee was making him respect himself.

She was making him realize that he was a good person and that he could work his off to be a good father if it happened.

He looked up at her and she could feel her whole life reflected in that man's eyes, "I still sometimes wonder how I managed to make you happy all this time because I didn't think I would be capable of it. But that's when I realized that it's just because it's you. And if you're with me, I start to see a better side of me that you bring out and I might be selfish, but I want that for the rest of my life. I want you for the rest of my life because holy you make me so happy and so human. You bring out sides of me that I thought was long gone."

She watched, speechless as he slipped the ring off her finger and held it up to her face, "So Bae Sang Hee, after loving you for more than 15 years, will you please marry me?"

"Do you have any more secrets I should know about?" She asked quietly.

Himchan used his free hand to squeeze hers, "I don't think so, but if I have any left, you'll be the first one to know. I promise."

"Do you promise never to walk out on me?"

He snorted, "If I ever walk away from you, you know where I keep my gun, shoot me in the head."

"And do you promise to do whatever I tell you to?" She asked jokingly.

He laughed breathily, "Whatever you want I'll do it."

She stayed quiet and leaned her forehead against his. Himchan stared into her eyes, basking in the feeling he always got when he got to look into her eyes.

Like he was whole.

"Well?"

She smiled and shook her head, "You were right."

"What do you mean?" He asked nervously as the fingers holding the ring grew sweaty.

"You didn't need to ask me, I wouldn't have said no." She breathed out.

His eye widened before a smile grew widely, "So that's a…"

"Yes. God, yes, I'll marry you."

For a second there, he was actually worried.

Himchan slipped the ring on her finger before cupping her head and pressing his lips against hers while leaning her back until she was her back was pressed on the mattress with him hovering on top of her.

Sang Hee slipped her hands around her neck and smiled into his mouth as he slipped his hands under her shirt and around her waist.

He bought that ring a year ago.

He didn't know what compelled him to do it, but he when he found himself driving past a jeweler, he decided what the hell, there was no harm in looking.

But 30 minutes later he was walking out of the store with a ring so beautiful and radiant that he was sure it was made for her and he was determined to see on his girlfriend's finger.  It almost felt sinful to imagine the way she'd look in a white dress.

He just needed to find the right time to ask her.

He into before teasingly pulling her lip back with his teeth, making her laugh into the kiss, causing him to smile.

And hell, there were so many times when he held the box in his pocket, seconds from pulling it out and popping the question, but he had lost his nerve too many times.

At romantic dinners when he'd chicken out when the waiter would interrupt with the check right as he was about to ask her.

At end of late night walks when, just as he was about to ask her, he'd fumble with his words until just asking her if they should head back home.

And every single time she looked at him and he'd forget how what he was going to ask her

When Sang Hee smiled against his mouth and rolled the two of them over, him giving in and letting her push him over, so that she could sit on him, he knew one thing.

He woke up that morning and decided it and slipped it on her finger while her fingers were still clutched onto his collar like she was worried that he wouldn't be there in the morning.

He was glad that he did it.

------

"So this is going to be your life until you die, now." Jongup said as he gave Sang Hee a beer.

She grinned and looked at the scene in front of her as they stood in Eun Ah and Yongguk's backyard for a barbecue. When Himchan had called Eun Ah to tell her the good news, reluctantly because Sang Hee had pestered him to, she had screamed and called everyone to celebrate the good news.

There was a lot of screaming, cheering and jokes that he wasn't going to die alone now. There was champagne, meat, music and all around good vibes.

Now everyone was running around, jumping on each other in a game of touch football that was turning more into a mix of wrestling and rugby. There was a lot of foul playing, cheating and hair pulling, but they were having fun.

It was Himchan, Sang Hee, Chin Hwae, Eun Ah, Yongguk and Ah Young against Daehyun, Yongmi, Jongup, Junhong, Youngjae, Dong Chul and all of their girlfriends.

Yeah, even Dong Chul.

Apparently the new medical examiner at the precinct was not only pretty, but about 100% less crazy than their last one.

Which worked great for him.

Chin Hwae, on the other hand, was too busy living his life, making up for all the moments he missed because of his stuffed up emotions, to care about a love life. He claimed that he just wanted to live.

She had played a few rounds before tapping out with Jongup due to pure exhaustion, she had no idea how Yongguk and Eun Ah were still going strong against the younger group without showing an ounce of wearing down.

"That doesn't sound so bad." She mused while accepting the beer and taking a sip.

Jongup sighed and watched Yongmi yell at Yongguk for breaking the rules even though the group had abandoned trying to play by the rules a while ago. Hell, he was pretty sure that he saw Junhong following Himchan around, trying to tie his shoe laces together when the older male wasn't looking.

"We're a strange group of people, if you met us all individually you wouldn't think we'd end up together…but we work. We're family."

"It's a good family." She replied as Himchan got tired of Yongguk and Yongmi fighting and just resorted to lifting the girl over his shoulder and tossing her into the pool as Daehyun rolled on the grass, laughing at his wife's state.

"One that you're part of now." He said while pointing at her large, expensive ring.

She smiled and stared at her ring, "That works for me."

"Jongup come help! Yongmi is refusing to play until Yongguk apologizes!" Jongup's girlfriend yelled from the field.

"Tell him to apologize then!" He yelled back from the porch.

Yongguk let out a loud laugh, "Over my dead body. That is going down."

"Mooommm, Dad said a curse at Yongmi aunty."

Jongup grinned at Sang Hee before setting his drink down and jogging to the crowd. She watched, enamored, as Himchan bent over, resting his hands on his knees as he stared intensely at the other team.

She had to admit that he got her heart fluttering when he pushed back his sweaty hair with a determined gaze. To be fair, he got her heart fluttering a lot, so she might be a little bias.

He straightened up when the round was about to start and glanced at her standing by the porch before winking at her.

"Never thought I'd see the day."

Sang Hee looked over her shoulder to see Yongguk and Yongmi's father standing behind her while holding his sleeping grandson. "Pardon?"

"Kim Himchan is going to marry a detective." He said with a shake of his head.

She smiled and looked back at the field, "The irony isn't lost on me either."

"I think his parents would've been proud." He said calmly.

Sang Hee watched, her heart warming, as Himchan threaded through the other team before handing the ball to Ah Young and lifting her up in his arms before running to the other end with her while Yongguk and Eun Ah screamed encouraging words.

"I think his parents would be proud of a lot of things about him." She said confidently.

Soo Juk looked at her for a long time before handing her folded piece of paper that was yellowing with age.

"What is this?" She asked in confusion as she took the paper from him.

Soo Juk readjusted his grandson in his arms, "It's a letter his mother left for the person Himchan ended up marrying. I think it was about time you got to read it."

He walked past her, into the yard, leaving her alone. She took the letter and walked into the kitchen, closing the door behind her, before taking a seat on a stool near the counter.

She set her drink down and stared at the folded letter, taking a few calming breaths before opening it up.  

To the woman who has blessed my son with love,

I don't know if this letter will ever find you.

I don't know that this letter will reach the woman that my son will choose to marry and who chose to marry him back.

But if it falls into the right hands, I should get on my knees and thank you but also ask for your forgiveness.

I don't know my son that well. In fact, I don't know him at