Before Dawn

It was something he had absolutely no control over.

Before he could even think about what he was doing, before he had even realized he was actually moving, Jo Jung Suk had already shot out of his seat the moment he saw Lee Ji Eun walking out the door. He quickly made a flimsy excuse to the co-star he was having a conversation with and ran out of the restaurant after Ji Eun, the Goodbye You're the Best, Lee Soon Shin party already long forgotten.

He wanted to say he didn't know why he felt the need to chase after her, didn't know why it was so important at this very moment - but he did. He knew why. It was because he could no longer ignore the fluttering of his heart when it came to Ji Eun, the woman who had completely altered his life in a mere six months. It was because he loved her. Plain and simple.

Jung Suk tore up the stairs, out the second door, and stepped onto the empty sidewalk. He looked left and right before spotting her a short distance away. She didn't have a jacket on and while it wasn't cold, the night air still held enough of a chill for her to be rubbing her bare arms in an attempt to create heated friction.

"Ji Eun-ie!" He called after her, watching as she paused mid-step before whirling around in surprise. "Jung Suk oppa?! Is everything okay?"

Just hearing the warm and familiar way in which she was greeting him was enough to put a smile on his face. Trying but failing to mask his grin, Jung Suk slow jogged towards her. "I wanted to make sure you could get home safely. Are you sure you don't want Parkk Jung Hyun-ssi to drive you home?"

Ji Eun smiled. "Aniyo. He looks really happy and relaxed right now. After how hard he has been working with me these past months, I think the least I could do is give him a small break. He deserves that much."

Jung Suk nodded slowly, feeling a sense of pride welling within him at the thought of how considerate his Ji Eun-ie was. He mentally shook his head at the thought and pushed it aside. No... Ji Eun-ie wasn't his. At least, not yet... but he hoped she would be one day.

"Then let me take you home."

Ji Eun tilted her head to the side before peering behind and around him. "Didn't Lee Sang Geun-ssi drive you here?"

"Yes, but he is also enjoying his time at the party." Jung Suk tucked his hands into his jean pockets as he stared at her. "You were going to take the subway, weren't you? Only you, Ji Eun-ie, would be stubborn enough not to even take a taxi when you are alone."

Ji Eun laughed and Jung Suk felt himself falling just a little bit more. Her laugh, he found, was truly unique. Loud and boisterous, it made him feel as though he were a comedian - but for Ji Eun, if he could make her laugh like that for the rest of her life, he would be content.

"The subway offers a lot more inspiration to me than a simple taxi," she explained, her face still glowing with the lingering traces of her laughter.

Jung Suk shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "Let me escort you. You shouldn't be riding the subway alone at night, anyway."

"Gwenchana, oppa," Ji Eun replied with a soft smile. "I will be okay."

"Jebal," he said, allowing a hint of exasperation to enter his voice. "If I don't see you home myself, I will worry about your safety. You know that."

Ji Eun was silent for a moment as she contemplated his offer, but eventually, she flashed him another smile, completely unaware that it caused his heart to skip a beat. She nodded slowly. "Arasso. Let's go then."

She resumed her walk towards the subway station and Jung Suk fell into step beside her. "It's hard to believe this is all over... isn't it?" he asked casually.

"Chincha!" Ji Eun exclaimed. "I still have not fully come to accept the reality of the situation. To suddenly have a big family like Soon Shin..." she trailed off slowly before adding, in a tone that was an octave lower than usual, "to suddenly have a lover like Soon Shin..."

She paused, then released a sigh as she shrugged. "It'll be hard to imagine that all of a sudden, as quickly as I had all of these, I'll be without them once again."

Jung Suk felt his heart pounding. Something about the way that Ji Eun was speaking about her experience in portraying Soon Shin struck a resounding chord in him. The way she had worded it, the nostalgia in her tone. Did he even dare believe that she, perhaps, felt something for him the way he did her?

He cleared his throat almost nervously. "Ji Eun-ie. I..."

But before he could continue, Ji Eun cut him off mid-sentence by quickly pointing ahead with a spark of excitement. Overly exaggerated excitement. "There's the station!" Without waiting for him to respond, Ji Eun quickened her pace towards the station entrance and left him behind.

Jung Suk didn't know if she was trying to cover her embarrassment over her confession of her difficulties in letting go or if she, somehow, had a spark of intuition about what he wanted to reveal to her and it was something she would rather not hear. He couldn't help but to second guess himself.

He would never wish to put her into a difficult predicament, so how could he bare his soul to her if there was a likely possibility that she felt absolutely nothing for him?

Shaking his head gently, Jung Suk ran to catch up with her and in silence, the two passed through the gate and waited at the platform for the appropriate subway to arrive. It didn't take long and still in silence, they stepped inside to an empty car.

He didn't know if it was just him, but the silence felt slightly awkward - it was something he had never experienced with Ji Eun before. They had always been comfortable with each other, even from their very first encounter. It was strange, but they had just clicked, like two pieces of a puzzle fitting perfectly together.

Jung Suk cleared his throat again, placing a hand in front of his mouth to somewhat block the sound, but Ji Eun still turned to look at him.

At that moment, the subway unexpectedly lurched as it began to move along the tracks and Ji Eun lost her balance. A flashback of one of the scenes they had to film for their drama flashed through his mind as he leapt forward and caught Ji Eun in his arms.

The sound of his heart pounding wildly rushed through his ears, but it was the moment that Ji Eun swung her head up to look at him in surprise that made his heart utterly and completely stop. Their close proximity made him swallow hard and he knew he should release her, but somehow, he found that he could not move. At the same time, Ji Eun made no motions to step out of his embrace.

Just like that, they continued to stare at each other, all too aware of the attraction that sparkled and leapt to life between them, until another lurch of the subway caused both of them to lose their balance. They stumbled backwards in a tangle of limbs until they fell against the side of the car. With the rush of breath that had been knocked out of them, it took a few long moments before they realized their awkward predicament - Ji Eun was pressed between Jung Suk's hard body and the sliding subway door.

"Mianhae," Jung Suk muttered, his voice slightly hoarse, as he pushed himself off of her by pressing his palms against the glass window. But if there was one thing he had not considered, it was that he was now caging Ji Eun in with his body.

He could feel the heat flushing from his face all the way to the tip of his ears and knew that they must be burning a bright, deep red. Jung Suk tried to push himself completely away from her, but at that very moment, the subway car rocked precariously along its tracks as it continued to head towards the next stop. It sent him sprawling back to his previous position - pressed fully against Ji Eun: chest to chest and hip to hip.

Jung Suk could feel the warmth of her breath against his neck and he quickly pulled his head back to look down at her. Unexpectedly, Ji Eun was already looking up at him and he found that, in their current position, their lips were only centimeters apart. If he moved just a fraction closer, he could brush his mouth against hers.

That thought alone was enough to leave him gulping, but it was the way her eyes shone beneath the fluorescent light as she stared up at him with slightly parted lips that became his undoing. How could he resist her when she was like this?

His mind flashed back to the moment he first shared a kiss with her. The tenderness, the sweetness, and the perfection in the way her soft lips had molded with his. The hooded gaze she had given him afterwards was unforgettable and he had thought of those moments repeatedly, replaying them over and over so much during the day that he even dreamed of it at night.

The way she had reacted had been natural. No amount of denying it could change the facts. At the time, Jung Suk had felt a deep sense of pride - the first to kiss her, the first to bring her that sort of response, and the first time he had ever felt her heart fluttering against him when they had embraced.

However, they had not spoken of that night - almost as though it were a taboo topic to speak of, but they both knew the truth: they had been deeply affected that night. And now, that same level of attraction was shooting through them in lightning waves and explosive sparks.

Slowly, so that Ji Eun had a chance to move away if she wanted to, Jung Suk raised his hand and brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear. It was a soft, butterfly touch, almost as though he was afraid of really touching her.

But when she didn't move and only continued to stare at him with wide eyes, Jung Suk grew more confident. Curling his fingers, he trailed his knuckles gently down the side of her face until it reached her chin and he watched in fascination as her eyes slowly fluttered closed.

More than anything, he wanted to kiss her - really kiss her, but he didn't want to scare her. He didn't want to do anything to offend or insult her. With a sigh, he grasped her shoulders with both hands and lowered his head to try and control himself. He shook his head with furrowed brows, as though that action alone would be enough for him to break free from the spell Ji Eun had bound him with, but it did nothing.

He was still in love with her.

Jung Suk raised his head back up and noticed that her eyes were still closed, as if waiting in anticipation for something.

"Ji Eun-ie...," he whispered, and the slight tremor in his voice made her eyes snap open in surprise.

"What is it that you have done to me?" he continued. "How could I move on when my heart is determined to stay right here?"

"Oppa...," Ji Eun murmured, her eyes widening at his confession. "What are you saying?"

"You." Jung Suk inhaled sharply. "I can't get you out of my mind, out of my heart. This is not Shin Joon Ho speaking to Lee Soon Shin. I have already shed him from me completely. This is Jo Jung Su. I am Jo Jung Suk and I... Johahae. Nomu nomu johahae."

He paused.

"Saranghae... Ji Eun-ie."

She felt her breath catch in her throat and the way her heart was pounding restlessly within her ribcage. Never in her dreams had she thought this moment would happen - the moment in which the man she loved, loved her in return, the moment where she didn't have to reveal her affections first, but in which the affection was first revealed to her. Ji Eun had only ever heard of this in movies, novels, close friends, and in dramas - like the one she had acted in, but never had she experienced this personally. After having been burned by the boys she had liked before in the past, this was a new and welcomed change.

Ji Eun smiled, a little hesitantly, a little disbelievingly, but she smiled nonetheless. If this was a dream, and it very well might be, then she wanted to, at least, reach her happy ending before she was forced to wake up.

But the way Jung Suk was staring at her, with love and affection sparkling in his eyes even as he waited anxiously for her response, was proof enough to her that this was reality and for once, reality was better than her dreams.

"Johahae, Oppa," Ji Eun finally whispered softly, repeating his words back at him. "Nomu nomu johahae."

Another pause.

"Saranghae, Jung Suk oppa."

The instant her words reached his ears, Jung Suk felt a burst of happiness radiating through him, overwhelming him. If this was the moment he had waited his whole life for, then it had been worth every sacrifice he had made and every ounce of suffering he had experienced. If this was the meaning of life, then he, at last, had found it.

He could not prevent his lips from immediately curving into a wide smile and even the ache in his cheeks could not deter him from the sheer happiness that filled his every pore.

Bravely and without a single trace of his previous self doubt, Jung Suk cupped her face in his hands and Ji Eun reflexively tilted her face toward his. Unlike the scene they had filmed, Ji Eun knew exactly what was coming next and her eyes had already slid closed, fully placing her trust in him that he would take care of her.

With his heart lodged in his throat, Jung Suk leaned forward and captured her lips with his. This was different, but this was right. This was perfection.

There was no holding back as their lips brushed and molded against each other, delving into each other fully for the first time. He stole her very breath from her, exploring her every crevice as his hands stroked at her hair, her neck, her shoulders, before returning it. He took and he gave and Ji Eun's head rushed at all the sensations he was invoking within her.

It was a thorough kiss, one that made the kiss they filmed feel like a kiss shared between two amateurs. Jung Suk was confident as he plundered her mouth, but he was not rushed. Instead, he was slowly teasing her, seducing her, allowing her the opportunity to explore for herself, to learn the art of a kiss - his kiss.

It was sensual and foreign, but beautiful and breathtaking. Her hands slowly moved from being immobile at her side to tightly fisting the fabric of his shirt at his waist. Ji Eun felt the heat slowly overtaking her, but she was helpless and unable to resist.

There was a sensation creeping up upon her that she could not deny, a tingling that rushed through her, making her utterly breathless. She felt flushed and warm, like she was floating, but his touch seared her and she was surprised when a soft sound escaped from her throat.

Ji Eun didn't know what this feeling was, but it was incredible and indescribable and she knew that only Jung Suk could invoke this type of a reaction from her. She felt as though her heart would burst and almost like Jung Suk knew, he pulled back slightly to let her breathe.

But despite her breathlessness, Ji Eun found herself leaning forward for every inch he had moved back, until their lips molded together once more.

His hands were caressing her tenderly and as if her hands had a mind of its own, it slowly smoothed their way from his waist, to his arms, trailing up to his shoulders before wrapping her arms around his neck, her fingers threading through his hair freely. Wildly. The action brought them flush against each other, shaping their entire bodies together like a clay sculpture.

The feel of his body against hers was a welcomed one and Ji Eun released another soft cry of approval when Jung Suk pressed her tighter against the door. He was insatiable, demanding, and firm, but then... so was she.

But the lack of oxygen became an undeniable concern and they slowly, reluctantly, pulled back and released each other.

They both took in the sight of mussed hair, askew clothes, and lipstick stained lips with amusement. An awkward silence hung in the air only momentarily before Ji Eun burst into laughter and Jung Suk couldn't help but follow suit.

As Ji Eun reached out to wipe the pink from his lips, Jung Suk wondered if it was possible to die of happiness and whether or not he would have any regrets if he did. Ultimately; however, he decided he would have many regrets if he only had this one opportunity to see his Ji Eun-ie with heavy, hooded eyes, looking thoroughly kissed and having enjoyed every moment of it.

This was the moment in which he - they - could truly live, and he was not about to give that up so easily.

"You have made me so happy, Ji Eun-ie, and I promise I will take care of you," Jung Suk said, reaching out to stroke her hair again.

"I know," Ji Eun responded with a dazzling smile. "I trust you. You have taken care of me more than you know during the time we have spent together and you, in turn, have also made me happier than you could ever understand."

Jung Suk grinned, but before he could speak, the subway violently lurched again, causing Ji Eun to fall forward and back into his arms once more. They chuckled at the situation and Jung Suk tightened his embrace around her, never wanting to let her go.

"I don't believe in fate," he murmured, staring at Ji Eun intensely, "but even I can't deny that it seems like fate is supporting us too."

"Well... Let it," Ji Eun whispered, before rising to her tiptoes, throwing her arms around Jung Suk's neck, and pulling him down for another soul searing kiss.

END~

This was inspired by a piece of fanart found in the DC gallery of Jo Jung Suk and IU on the subway and was written in celebration of a dear chingu's birthday - babyviolets! Saengil Chukahae! I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!