You woke up feeling grumpy. You had a weird dream, or rather a nightmare, which had ruined your night's sleep. You couldn't remember half of it and the rest didn't mean anything to you. It felt like you were in an action movie with guns and police sirens everywhere. You suddenly remembered why you had such a dream. Hakyeon!

You sat up in bed, rubbed your eyes as you thought about the dream again. Your phone started ringing and you wondered how the caller knew you were awake. You smiled when you saw Taekwoon's name on the glowing screen.

- Good morning.

- Good morning.

His voice was a bit hoarse, indicating that he had just woken up, probably still in bed.

- Did you just wake up?

You asked.

- Yes, and I really needed to hear your voice before anything else.

Your heart fluttered as you imagined him in bed, with messy hair, puffy eyes and swollen lips. You wished you could be there lying next to him as he wakes up in your arms, run your hands through his hair and kiss his eyelids and snuggle to his warm chest for as long as you could.

- Do you have any plans for this afternoon?

He asked and you wanted to hear more of his hoarse voice since it's usually soft and quite.

- No. Why?

- I bought a DVD player last night and rented a couple of movies to watch with you whenever you have time.

- Movies? A movie just ruined my sleep.

You said and chuckled. He asked in concern:

- Why? What happened?

- It's not a big deal. Dad wanted to watch a movie last night so Hakyeon suggested an action movie. I watched half of it and then went to bed. It was too violent and I ended up dreaming about it.

He giggled and then said:

- He always liked action movies. We argued a lot when we chose movies for our movie nights.

Your heart warmed up with a sense of familiarity.

- You need to tell me more about our childhood. There are so many things I want to know.

His voice suddenly became huskier as he whispered into the receiver:

- Come over and I'll tell you everything.

Your body shuddered as your hands traced the love marks he left on your shoulder last night.

- What time should I come?

- Any time you want.

You looked at the clock on the wall and then said:

-Would 3 be okay?

-Yes. Do you want popcorn or nachos or both?

You thought for a second.

- What did I use to like?

- I won't tell you. You'll know when you're here.

He said teasingly.

- Okay then, I'll be there at 3. Should I bring anything with me?

- No, just come. I'll take care of everything.

You got off bed, went down for breakfast and then headed back to your room. You were too eager to meet Taekwoon but you had to think of an excuse to give to Nana in case she asked you where you're going. You weren't fond of meeting Taekwoon in secret but you had to be careful until you were both ready to go public. You knew you could get Nana on your side if you manage to prove that Taekwoon loves you and cares about you. After all, she loved him too and she was willing to do anything to see you happy. Once you have her approval, everything else would be easy to deal with.

You went back to reading the Sahara book until it was time to meet Taekwoon. As you read the book, you were magically transferred to a whole new world, where nothing really mattered. It was a beautiful, yet harsh, part of the world with plenty of secrets. You were glad you chose this book to read, as it had taken you away from your boring daily routine.

You put the book aside when you receive a text message from Taekwoon asking if you forgot about your date. You texted him back saying "of course not!" before getting off your bed and going into the bathroom. You picked a sleeveless casual dress for your movie date with him, wanting to keep the love marks on your shoulder clear and visible to him, knowing how possessive he was. Then you grabbed a jacket and placed it around your shoulders before leaving your room. While in the shower, you had thought of a logical scenario to cover up for your date. You really hated having to lie to your family, but so far this was your only option. It's a white lie, you thought to yourself.

- Where are you going?

Nana asked as she put her book down, took her glasses off and waited for your answer. You turned around and walked in her direction. Time to lie.

- I'm going out with Seokjin and his fiancée.

She thought for a second and then smiled as she asked:

- Your college friend?

- Yes.

- Ah! That's good! Say hello to them and invite them to come over lunch when they have time. We didn't get to meet his fiancée last time.

- I will.

Waving at her on your way to the kitchen, you let out an internal sigh. You asked one of the maids to check if the driver is available. Once she returned and told you that he's waiting, you thanked her and left the kitchen toward the car.

On the way to Taekwoon’s apartment you were thinking about him again; how much you wanted to wake up to his voice and see his face the first thing in the morning. You wanted to spend the night at his place without worrying about getting caught. Maybe I should move out of the house, you thought to yourself. He’d like the idea very much, you smiled when you remembered how many times he’d asked you to stay. I should think of something, you stared out of the window as you thought of a way to spend a night out with him without raising suspicions. You were suddenly imagining yourself going home an hour before his shift finishes and making him something to eat for lunch, or him cooking for you on his days off. A wide grin crept into your face while the driver pulled over in front of the building. You thanked him and got off the car before entering the building.

You climbed up the stairs toward Taekwoon’s apartment to find him standing in front of the door waiting for you. You ran toward him and he extended his arms and took you in his warm embrace, wrapping his arms around you tightly as he whispered:

- I missed you so much!

- I was here last night.

You said teasingly.

- It’s so lonely in here. I spend the whole day on my own.

You pulled out of the hug and stared at him. A pout formed on his lips as his gaze met yours. You rubbed his back and pulled yourself up as you pecked his lips before saying:

- I’m here today, and I promise I’ll spend the night as soon as I can.

He pressed his lips against your temple and then held your hand in his as he pulled you inside his apartment. He closed the door and then turned to look at you.

- I prepared some popcorn, some nachos and coke for the movie.

- This means I liked both, right?

He smiled at you and then said:

- Yes. Hakyeon liked popcorn and I liked nachos, but you ate both.

You smiled shyly at him and then averted your eyes away in embarrassment. You looked around and found the coffee table pulled closer toward his bed and the T.V. connected to a new DVD player. You walked toward the DVD player and picked the DVDs he rented before asking him:

- So which one are we watching?

- Anything you want.

- None of these are action movies, right?

He shook his head ‘no,’ and then said:

- I don’t like action movies. These are all romantic movies.

You let out an ‘oh’ and then looked through the DVDs again before saying:

- Did you watch them before?

- No. I read about them and my friends suggested a couple.

- Then which one do you want to watch?

You handed them to him and he picked one before saying:

- How about this one?

You read the title; The Fault in Our Stars.

- Sounds good.

You were now sitting on Taekwoon’s bed, your back against the headboard, your head resting on his shoulder and your arms wrapped around his middle. He placed an arm behind your back and pulled you closer to him before placing the snack bowls on the breakfast tray in front of you. The movie started out fine until at one point you felt tears running down your cheek. You wiped them away with the back of your sleeve, not wanting to alarm Taekwoon. He was silent the whole time, pulling you tighter at times or kissing the top of your head at other times.

Toward the end of the movie you could no longer control your tears. The story was sad, too sad and you were choking on tears. You pulled out of Taekwoon’s hug to reach for the tissues on the nightstand. You turned to look at him to find silent tears rolling down his cheeks as well. He looked away immediately, hiding his face and wiping his tears with the back of his sleeve. You called his name faintly before cupping his face to make him look at you.

- I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to alarm you. I just… I thought... I... I don't want to lose you.

He let out a sob and your heart skipped a beat. You threw your arms around his neck and pulled him into a tight hug. He wrapped his arms around your body and buried his face in the crook of your neck. A tear escaped and ran down your cheek.

- Next time we'll choose a less sad movie.

When the movie was over, you got of his bed and sat on the sofa as he pushed the coffee table back to its place and then sat down next to you.

- What shall we do now?

You thought for a few seconds and then said:

- I feel like eating cake.

- Cake? Why not?

Says the cake addict, you thought to yourself as you remembered the sad fate of his birthday cake.

- Shall we bake one?

You suggested, with an unnecessary enthusiasm of someone who had never turned the stove on. He looked at you in confusion and then asked:

- Do you want to bake a cake?

- Yeah. I mean we can try.

He was silent for a couple of seconds and then said:

- I'm not sure I want to eat your cake though. The ramen was more than enough.

You hit his chest playfully and he let out an 'oh.'

- Forget it!

You crossed your arms in front of your chest and moved away from him. He scooted closer to you, threw his arms around your body and pressed his lips against yours as he said:

- I was kidding. Do you have a recipe?

You squinted your eyes and he pecked your lips again. A smile involuntarily found its way into your lips. You grabbed your phone as you said:

- I’ll look for one.

It took you a couple of minutes to find an easy recipe, something you could at least try.

- This one seems easy.

He stood up and walked toward the kitchen. He then as he opened the cupboard:

- What do we need?

You scrolled through the recipe and then said:

- We need flour, eggs, sugar…

- Wait. I don’t have any flour.

You looked at him. He had a shy smile on his face so you said:

- We can go get some.

- Okay. What else?

- It says ‘beat the eggs’… Do you have a food processor? Or a mixer?

He scratched the back of his head in embarrassment and then said:

- No.

He walked out of the kitchen and sat down on the sofa next to you. You looked at him as you said:

- Maybe we can do this some other time.

- I think so too. But, it's going to be really difficult for me not to eat cake now, I kind of prepared myself for cake.

He giggled and then added:

- So... how about we go out for some dessert? I know a very good pastry shop. They have the most delicious dessert in town. What do you think?

- Now?

- Yeah. Why not?

- I'd love to!

He stood up and grabbed his jacket. You grabbed your purse before standing up and looking for your jacket.

- Let me help you.

He took the jacket from you and held it open. You turned your back to him and put an arm inside one of the sleeves when you felt his lips kiss the love mark he left on your shoulder last night. You had completely forgotten about it and he didn’t notice it until now. He wrapped his arms around your middle and pulled you closer as his lips and tongue traced the area around his mark. You let out a faint moan when he on it lightly. He whispered in your ear:

- I love you.

You leaned into the touch and tilted your head to the side. He turned you around and staring into your eyes. You swallowed hard when you felt his hands travel down your back and give your bum a light squeeze.

- I'm starting to think moving out wasn't a very good idea. I miss you so much when you’re away and I hate to think that I can’t see you whenever I miss you.

You giggled, dying to and say 'I told you.' You cupped his face and let your thumb brush his cheek as you said:

- It's better this way. It feels like we're really dating.

He looked at you intently as he asked:

- Are you happy that we're dating?

- I’ve never been happier.

This relationship was very sweet, everything about it making you flutter. When you'd sleep in your room at night hugging your pillow, you'd think of nothing but him, the way he touches you, the way he kisses you, or simply the way he smiles when he lays his eyes on you. The nights when you awfully miss him and go down to the empty kitchen, sit in his place and look at your phone are the worst. You'd resist the urge to call him, knowing he barely had time to sleep and you'd just go back to your room and sleep, dreaming of nothing but him. You were surprised at how attached you were to him. He was everything you ever wanted in a man, and you felt lucky to have him already in love with you for so long.

He looked at you as you smiled at him and he was suddenly thinking of the time you were sleeping on his chest. He looked at you sleeping peacefully on his chest with your arm around his body and his heart skipped a beat. He spent the last 15 years thinking if you ever did this with another man, if you ever kissed another man, if you ever held hands with another man. He'd cry himself to sleep thinking that you might have done all that while he could do nothing about it. Hearing you say you’ve never been in a relationship before felt so relieving. To know that he was your first everything meant the world to him. When he saw you sleeping in his arms he knew this moment was worth waiting for, he knew he wanted to wake up to this for the rest of his life, he knew he wanted nothing but to have you in his arms for forever.

You were now on your way to the pastry shop, oblivious to the car following you. One of the men in that car picked up his phone and dialed a number. A few seconds passed until he heard a voice from the other end of the line.

- They left the apartment. Yes. We’re following them. She spent a couple of hours at his place and now they’re going out together. Yes. I am sure this is the boyfriend. Ok. Separately? Sure. Consider it done.

Half an hour later you were sitting with Taekwoon at the pastry shop he suggested. It was a nice place, small and cozy with a couple here and there. He picked two pieces of dessert and ordered coffee before sitting next to you. He held the fork and asked you if he could feed you. You nodded shyly and parted your lips to take in the bite. He looked at you with a warm smile on his face, and it made your heart flutter.

He placed the fork down and then said:

- I’m hungry.

He whined and you giggled when you realized he wanted you to feed him. You picked up the fork and he open his mouth wide enough to take it a big bite. You chuckled before cutting a bigger piece and holding the fork up to feed him. He definitely loves cake more than he loves me.

You sipped your coffee and then remembered what you had asked him before coming here. You looked at him as you said:

- You promised to tell me about my childhood, remember?

He sipped his coffee and then placed his cup on the table before saying:

- Hmm… you were a happy child. Smart, funny, and… yes... strong.

You giggled when you didn't expect him to say anything similar to 'strong'. It somehow sounded strange put together with smart and funny.

- I’m not kidding! One time I hid in your room to scare you. Instead of running away and crying like I thought you would, you chased me around the house with a fly swatter.

You gawked at him when you couldn’t picture yourself running after him with a fly swatter. He was both older and taller than you. He continued:

- Once I failed an exam and was so scared of my father. You took my hand in yours and pulled me behind you to talk to my father. You made him promise not to punish me for failing the exam, and he never did. We were both shocked at how you handled the situation. He even asked me if I made you do that.

- Did you?

You asked in curiosity.

- Not at all! You saw how terrified I was so you said something like “I got your back” and went to talk to him.

- Is that really me you’re talking about?

You still couldn’t believe this was you. You couldn’t remember anything of what he said and you definitely couldn’t imagine yourself being this strong as a kid. When you moved with your father you were bullied a lot and had to ask your father for help on several occasions. It took you a while to be able to defend yourself without asking for help. It astonished you that you were completely different before the accident.

- Yes, I’m talking about you. You had an amazing personality, which is why I couldn’t help but fall for you.

He smiled at you and reached for your hand before giving it a light squeeze. You smiled back at him, wondering how he still remembers such insignificant incidents. Your phone started ringing suddenly, ruining the moment. You took it out of your purse and then looked at Taekwoon apologetically when you saw Nana’s name on the screen.

- I think I should go home.

He gave you a tiny pout and you whispered ‘sorry’ before answering.

- Yes. We’re done. Yeah, please send him. He… he knows where. Bye.

You let out a sigh and then turned to look at him:

- Can we go back now? Nana is sending the driver to where he dropped me.

- It’s okay. Let’s go.

You and Taekwoon were in his car in front of his building, waiting for the driver to pick you up when he said:

- I have 3 exams next week. I might be a little bit busy so don't worry about me in case I can't answer your phone calls or texts.

He saw the disappointment on your face so he said:

- You can come to my room and help me study.

- I'll think about it.

You said teasingly. He held your chin gently and pecked your lips before saying:

- Do you really need to think about it?

You leaned closer to him and printed a kiss on his lips. You stared at him for a second and then said:

- No.

Your phone started ringing. You grunted in annoyance causing him to giggle. You let out a sigh before answering:

- Yes. I'll be there in a minute. Thank you.

You looked at him apologetically before saying:

- I should go home.

He printed a kiss on your temple.

- Call me when you get home.

- I will.

You got out of the car, waved at him and left. He watched you as you crossed the street walked toward the coffee shop. You saw the driver’s car parked in front of it so you tried to walk faster. You flinched when you heard the screech of a car barking suddenly in front of you. You took a couple of steps away from the car when two men got out and ran towards you. In a matter of seconds they covered your mouth and shoved you into the car. You kicked and punched in the air as they tried tying your legs and hands. Your resistance was useless but you kept trying until one of them punched your face forcing you to stop. One of them gagged you and blindfolded you before picking up his phone.

- We have the girl. Yes. They’re after him. We’re on our way to you. Ok.

___________________________________________

Author's note: this is a slightly short chapter, but I hope it keeps you looking forward for the next one ;)