Thankful.

Grateful.

Filled with appreciation.

Naty was many things she could not find words for once the plane landed. The woman never enjoyed flying but nineteen hours proved to require a special endurance. She never knew she could be so exhausted from simply sitting and lying down for hours straight but there she was. The time difference made her feel delirious. She nearly lost her way ten times trying to go to baggage claim in the Incheon International Airport but pulled it together at the prospect of seeing Bang Chan.

To avoid being mobbed, Naty wore a disguise which consisted of a mask with thick sunglasses plus a totally different outfit than she would ever wear out in public. Her manager Leslie had picked out the outfit which didn't help her in the question of whether the woman liked her or not. It was very ugly…but that ugliness did help to conceal her identity. Regardless, the outfit seemed to work like a charm and ward off any additional looks in her direction. It also helped that Naty and Leslie had come up with the plan to tell her followers that she was visiting her family in the United States for some private time. Leslie made sure to post different updates on Naty's behalf to give off the illusion that it was true.

Once Naty grabbed her luggage she looked to her phone for instructions on where to meet Chan. Unlike LAX, Chan could not step foot outside of the vehicle for fear of what fans would do if they saw him or him and her together. They were not afraid of Stays; they were just so desperate to be together they could not handle pictures or any sort of attention.

There was still no word from Chan yet.

That soft anxiety began to nudge at Naty as she looked around the airport. She hated not knowing what was happening or what to do. She felt the lost fear of being on another continent unfamiliar to her. Though she knew the language, she still felt as if she were a small fish in a massive pond with no compass to guide her. All she knew was that it was dark outside and she stood away from the hustling and bustling of people around her. She just wanted Chan.

The feeling of being watched suddenly captured Naty's attention.

She looked across from her and saw a man dressed in a suit with his own thick sunglasses. He looked to be staring in her direction but the black tint of the eyewear made it impossible for her to know for sure. Naty simply felt the stare without actually seeing if it were true. The man didn't have any baggage with him and she had no clue how long he had been there. He looked to have some sort of pin on his lapel but from the distance she could not identify it.

Could he be security that Chan hired to bring her to him?

The vibration of her phone caught her attention.

She looked to see the message from Chan: "Fred is coming to get you."

It was both comforting and frightening to read. Naty was thankful to see Fred. He was the sole reason the two had been able to cement their relationship. It was frightening because she was suddenly positive the man was staring at her and knowing he was not affiliated with Chan gave her the creeps. Especially since he seemed to be walking straight toward her.

"Ms. Higuera."

Naty nearly screamed. She looked to her left to see Fred and immediately threw her arms around the man, "I'm so glad to see you."

He gave her his signature stiff return hug before taking her bags, "Follow me. It's best to get out of her as soon as possible."

There was no other need to exchange words. Naty following Fred through the airport with a speed just under running. It seemed to her there was a danger lurking in every corner that Fred wanted to avoid. She wondered if he had seen the man or if it was just in her imagination. She hoped it was the latter.

What was not her imagination was the route Fred took her through the airport. It seemed to be a secret side avenue that hardly anyone enjoyed. She wondered if this was how celebrities drifted in and out of the country without being seen.

It didn't matter.

Naty was too tired to do anything but follow the man.

Once outside, Naty took a big breath of South Korean air. It felt different. She felt immediately different. The air felt different on her skin, the dark night felt different to behold, and the Earth beneath her feet felt different to walk upon. But it was a welcomed difference. It was one she thought she could adjust to very quickly.

"In here," Fred's voice directed her to a nondescript black vehicle parked along the curb.

He opened the back door for her but before she could do anything a hand grabbed hers and pulled her into the vehicle.

Warmth. Incredible smell. Safety. Protection. Love.

Naty was immediately enveloped by the arms of the man she had missed more than anything in the world. Tears fell without her control as she wrapped her arms back around the man. She was on the verge of just straddling him when he pulled back to remove her sunglasses and mask.

She felt his fresh breath against her face as he whispered, "You're here. You're finally here with me."

"I'm here. I'm here," she replied as she looked over his features. In the darkness of the back of the car she could only see the lines of his face but her mind filled in the blanks. Her immediate desire was to touch his eyes and nose and lips but she felt her hands were too dirty to do so.

There was a moment between the two as if they were on the verge of a kiss but it seemed they both felt too shy to do so. Instead, Chan pulled her against him again and she wrapped her arms around his middle so they could embrace slightly more comfortable in the backseat. He kissed the top of her head over and over as he asked, "How was your flight? Are you okay? Did anything go wrong?"

"No, it was perfect. It was smooth. I'm just so tired," she answered honestly.

"Here, lean on me. You can take a nap while Fred takes us back to Seoul," he moved so that she could rest her body over him with her feet up on the seat.

"Are you sure? It's been forever since I've seen you," she was already moving into position.

"Shhh, I just want to hug you and hold you right now anyway. Also…I don't know if Fred would be so interested in us talking," he let out a soft, nervous laugh at the thought.

A little yawn left her just as Fred entered the front seat. Yes, she was exhausted, but more than anything she was so warm and comfortable. She realized she hadn't felt so safe in months. Sleep overcame her as quickly as Chan had in the backseat of the car. It was wonderful.

"Naty, Naty."

The woman slowly opened her eyes to find Chan's face so close to hers. She imagined she would have been uncomfortable if it were anyone else but seeing him was like waking up into her greatest fantasy. She felt her face bloom into a smile as she blinked into reality, "Hi."

He laughed at her reply, "We're here. Do you want to go up now?"

Naty sat up and looked around. She could see they were in a parking garage and Fred was already outside getting her belongings. A little nod was her answer that he seemed to enjoy and he quickly opened the door so they both could get out. On the ground Naty did a few stretches while the two spoke.

"Are you sure you're okay alone?" Fred asked.

Chan took the bags from the man, "We're okay. I'll call you in the morning."

Fred nodded, "Okay. Naty, I'm glad you're safe. Chris will give you my number. I'll be escorting you during your time here in Seoul. Call me if you want to go anywhere. Do not go alone."

"I won't. It's so good to see you!" Naty gave the man another brief hug that he returned with a slight bit more warmth.

"Come on, follow me. We have a special elevator," Chan grinned as he motioned for Naty to follow him.

She nodded happily, trailing the man with amazement that he carried all of her bags with absolute ease. There was something different about him. Perhaps it was just waking up but Naty found that there was a change in him that had not been so obvious back in LA. It was the way he held himself. Back in the States there was a lot more relaxed energy with which he moved yet it seemed to her that he had more serious movements. The grace and regality seemed to be much clearer than she had come to expect.

Naty quickly shook her head from the thoughts. She had only just arrived. It was too soon to be making such haste observations. Instead, Naty focused on following Chan into a smaller elevator a few feet from what looked like the main elevator.

"This is a private entrance for privileged guests," Chan had a playful smirk as if he were a young boy showing off a cool new toy.

"Oh…when will we meet them?" Naty teased right back.

Chan's mouth fell open in a way that made her laugh, "Wait until I get you behind closed doors, you."

"Is that a threat or a promise?" she grinned.

The man punched in the floor they were off to—14—as he answered, "You will just have to find out."

Naty could not contain herself. She curled up right against him with her head on his shoulder. The man put her bags down on the side she leaned against so he could wrap his arm around her shoulders. Chan had explained that PDA would not be possible the way it had been in the States; a lot of their public interactions would need to be much more subdued. Naty was okay with that as long as she could have the small moments just between them.

When the elevator door opened Chan picked up the bags again and lead her out into the hallway. Immediately, Naty was met with the actual reality of what it meant to be truly wealthy. The hallway itself was what she imagined a modern-day castle to own. It went down far and yet she could only count six doors. She assumed that meant that behind each door was its own little kingdom.

Chan stopped in front of a door and quickly opened it by punching in a series of numbers on what looked like a security lock pad. Naty had heard of such but still found it surprising to see in real life. She followed the man inside of the open door but paused behind him in the foyer. Naty made sure to wait until she heard the door lock before throwing her arms around him for a real hug. The man returned it immediately.

"I'm so happy you're here. I thought this day would never come," Chan mumbled sweet words against her ear that she could only reply with pleased sounds, "Come on. Let me show you around."

Naty agreed but followed very close behind me for fear of losing his warmth.

That stopped as soon as she laid eyes on where she would be living for the duration of her trip. The first thing she noticed were the windows. Windows everywhere looked out into the City of Seoul all around the condo. Large curtains were visible to shut such windows but from their place in the sky it was impossible to imagine anyone looking in. As she stepped out of the foyer, she saw that it opened up to a very large living room with a huge "L" shaped couch facing the largest wall of windows and a very large TV before it. Furthest to the left she noticed the incredible kitchen that appeared state-of-the-art and out of a science fiction movie. Straight down into the condo she could see a corridor with multiple doors that she imagined to hold the rooms and bathroom.

It was amazing.

"Is this where you live?!"

He laughed, "No, no. The company is paying for us to stay here this month. It's for our protection. Security here is maximum level."

Naty found that to be comforting. She couldn't imagine how one could live in such a luxuries space for long. The thought of this place becoming the "norm" was too much for her. Someone living in such lavishness to the point that it felt like home seemed odd. Though it was beautiful, the thought of how much money it costed almost made her feel uncomfortable.

"There are two rooms back there. Each with a private bathroom. There's also another bathroom if we have guests. Not that I want to have guests or anything I'm just telling you the layout," he quickly spat out the words as if he were nervous.

"Two rooms?" Naty pulled her eyes away from the condo to look at the real beauty. A small anxious feeling clawed at her that nibbled at her insecurities. Did he not want to share the same bed as her.

"Umm…yeah," his face was completely red and he seemed to look everywhere but into her eyes, "I wasn't sure if you wanted your own space. I'm totally okay with that if you want. Of course, you can always…um…share…my space? If you wanted to!"

Naty felt her anxieties quell as she looked at the blushing man, "I would like to share your space."

His shoulders visibly relaxed, "Okay…yeah. I would like that too."

Chan's eyes seemed to soften as he looked at her and she could see all the features of his face come down into an expression that she had only seen before he was going to kiss her. Naty certainly wanted to be kissed but she had just come from a nineteen hours flight and thought she would like the kiss much more if she felt refreshened up. Before he could lay one on her she quickly stepped away, "Would you mind if I took a shower and maybe freshened up? I want to be all over you but I just feel really gross."

"Of course!" the look went away immediately but a redness took over his features that she found so adorable she wanted to come back to it as soon as possible, "Here, follow me!"

The man took her bags down the hall to the room on the right. He opened the door for her and placed her luggage near the walk-in closet. Naty was frozen as she gazed around the features of the bedroom that certainly seemed impossibly unreal.

Chan laughed at her expression, "I felt the same way when I first saw it. Take your time exploring and I'll get us some dinner."

She smiled her thanks and waited for him to shut the door before running to the bathroom. Naty had no time to appreciate the room around her. She needed to shower, change, and return to her prince charming as soon as possible. There was a kiss in the air waiting for them that she would not miss. Naty was so happy!