Chapter 25

Marley POV

Hunger eventually took over and we decided ordering food would be a good idea. It was many hours until our bridge climb, staff having called Tae to say we had been given permission to take a special tour later that night.

"Do you want to do something else this afternoon," he asked, hanging up from his manager. "Or do you want to relax? The day is yours."

"To be honest, with two more days ahead of us, I don't mind just hanging out with you. The painting session was great and the bridge climb will be amazing so lets just relax?"

"Sounds good to me," he answered, opening the door to gather the food that had been left outside our door.

After eating, we left some of the food for later and he went into the bedroom to plug his phone in. Five minutes later when I realised he hadn't come back, I walked in to find he was fast asleep on top of the bed, a little pout on his face. Standing for a moment and just looking at him, I couldn't wipe the smile off my face. He was the perfect combination of sexy and cute and this sleepy Tae was always adorable. Deciding a nap wasn't a bad idea, I grabbed a blanket and lay it over him before tucking myself in as well. Planning to read for a bit first, I grabbed my book and turned to where I was up to, waking later to his lips on my cheek and my book fallen next to me.

"We obviously needed that," he said, his mouth lingering for a moment against my face, eyelashes tickling mine.

"Too many late nights which I'm not complaining about," I replied, stretching and sitting up as I reached for his hand.

He looked at his phone, commenting we still had some time before we needed to get ready to go. "If we stay here, I'll probably fall asleep again," and he tugged me off the bed and onto my feet, causing me to fall against him. He smirked at this and raised an eyebrow as he leaned in to kiss me.

"That was smooth," I said, laughing.

"That was the plan," he said, walking us out to the lounge so we could watch some TV.

We were laying on the couch watching Netflix when I felt his lips on my shoulder, breath warm against my skin. Turning my head I saw he had left them there, his eyes closed and I melted.

"I sarang your kiseu," I said carefully and his eyebrows went up before a chuckle erupted, low and melodious from his mouth. I stuck my lip out at him. "Obviously I'm still learning," I frowned at him and he pressed another kiss, this time to my lips as I rolled over onto my back.

"That might be the cutest sentence I have ever heard," he said. "And I very much sarang your kiseu too."

"That better not be something you share in your group chat," I pouted and he laughed again. The depth of his voice, the way it pulsed through me was something I didn't think I'd ever get sick of.

"They already know what I think of your kisses. And of you." His look had grown intense and I cleared my throat a little. "Do I want to know what you talk about with them?" I asked, cheeks feeling a little flushed and I put the back of my hand up to cool them down.

"Probably not," he said. "Although it's definitely all good. Jimin can't keep his mind out of the wrong places so I don't tell them everything between us."

"Thank goodness," I answered, thinking of our conversation before we'd started painting. I did not want comments from any of them about whether I liked white, milk or dark chocolate with my cream. His eyes were locked on mine, enormous and extraordinarily deep and in that moment I couldn't help but think that he was the one who I had handed my heart over to and I wanted him to keep it. Scary as it was, I was becoming more and more certain of my feelings and it felt more exciting than daunting.

KTH POV

Laying on the couch together had happened so naturally as we'd rested before our late night. She had sprawled out, grabbing the remote to find something to watch and when I had walked over, she scooted forward, indicating space for me to settle behind her. As she snuggled back into me, I was incredibly content, wrapping her in my arms like I had so many times before, feeling the kind of comfort she seemed to bring just by being around me.

I'd kissed her shoulder, right where her top was falling away, her bare shoulder calling to me. In that moment, I'd wanted to tell Marley I had fallen in love with her but I was holding myself back. So many other moments had been more romantic than this, after all we were just watching TV. But my feelings had grown even more since she'd flown in and something bubbled up in me when she'd attempted to speak my language, the sweetest look on her face. I didn't think it was possible to feel full to overflowing just by being around someone but I was, she had brought something into my life that was more than I knew I needed. The fact that Marley had looked up the word love and learnt it sent feelings coursing through me that I was becoming more and more unable to keep tucked inside.

As she rolled onto her back, I was looking down at her eyes and she gazed back with such a beautiful look of trust which meant so much to me. I knew that trust would be huge for her and that I needed to be so careful not to break her heart. That was not in my plan at all but my job, my world; I could try and protect her from it all but I couldn't guarantee it wouldn't be painful.

Instead of the words flowing from my mouth, telling her all the things I wanted to say, telling her I had fallen so hard that I had cracked my heart wide open, I poured my feelings into my actions. She had been questioning what I was saying about her to the members and when she stopped, I was still watching her, unable to look away. Lowering myself onto my elbows, pressing our chests together, I watched her eyes dilate, sending a surge of adrenaline through my whole body. Her hands reached up, entwining her fingers in my hair, softly grazing my neck as she did and my mouth drifted to hers as the sensation of her touch radiated down my back.

Her lips parted, a sigh escaping, the sweetest sound and my tongue found hers, our kisses heated and all consuming as we slowly took our time to taste each other. Her hair fell loose of it's tie as my hands ran over her body before finding my way to where it cascaded around her head, flowing out across the couch like a waterfall. I became lost in the junction where her throat met her collarbone, grazing my nose across skin before following it with my mouth. And much too soon my alarm sounded.

"Saved by the bell," I said, reaching to swipe away the noise on my phone as I ran my other hand through my hair, needing to take a moment.

"Did I want to be saved?" she asked, her lips temptingly full from our kisses and I had to breathe. It felt so much more than yesterday which was more than the day before that. My whole body was in turmoil and not in a bad way, I was just trying to work out exactly where we were at, confused as to what had changed since last night to make her seem so much more open to things racing ahead at a faster pace.

She must've seen my expression because she reached up to lightly touch my face, the softest of touches making me momentarily close my eyes. "I'm sorry, I'm not making this easy am I?"

"It's not that I'm not having an amazing time because I am. Most definitely. But, last night, what was happening between us, I just want you to know this is all at your speed now. You are in charge, I've given you my heart and now it's up to you."

She gulped and I watched an unsettled look flash across her eyes before she smiled, the tiniest of smiles. The corner of her mouth rose, automatically pulling one from mine in return before she spoke.

"I am cherishing all of this Tae, each new moment between us feels so right. You've given me time and that's what I needed. You have to know, you have my heart too," linking our fingers. "And I'll try to be very clear on what I want so you're not confused."

I nodded, appreciating that while I was ready for anything, she still might not be but had taken huge leaps in trusting me with so much of herself already. "I'm pretty sure I understood what was just happening, you like me a little bit right?" I joked.

Her laugh was heavenly before she answered. "Like it such a boring word Taehyung. I absolutely adore you."

My heart which had grown two sizes already today, doubled again and I kissed her lightly, bliss likely plain on my face before being a responsible adult even though I just wanted to keep enjoying her mouth.

"That alarm was reminding us of the time. We need dinner and then we can head to the bridge. My tummy is a little worried about how tall it is though," resting my hand where my fear was currently sitting. She reached out and placed her hand on top of mine.

"I'm scared of heights too but it should be an amazing view. I know the Opera House is right there."

"We would love to perform there one day."

"I would definitely fly over again to see that," she answered as we grabbed the leftovers from a few hours earlier and ate a little, neither of us that hungry but full of anticipation for the night ahead.

Marley POV

The process going on the bridge climbing tour was more detailed than expected because, even though it was dark, it was a public place and we needed guides. We had two staff security with us and Tae's manager. When we pulled up, he got out to sort the NDA and find out how it would be happening before coming back to fill us in. We'd be suiting up, attached to climbing wires for safety with a guide before and after us, one security member accompanying us up to make sure no photos were being taken of us. I was happy that it would be Choi Ji-Ho as I already felt comfortable with him.

They gave us incredibly unflattering jumpsuits to put on over our clothing and harnesses to wear so they could hook us onto the safety mechanisms as we climbed. I laughed at Tae's face as he grimaced while taking a selfie. Only his eyes were visible above the mask but I could tell he wasn't impressed with the required clothing. I raised an eyebrow as he took another selfie, pressing his masked lips to my cheek after checking who was in the waiting area and saw all the Harbour Bridge staff were talking to our security. His arm was hooked around my waist, a permanent, warm and comfortable fixture now and he moved to hug me from behind, encircling me in both arms as I rested my head back on his shoulder while we waited for instructions. The night was still and clear, the view was going to be spectacular.

As far as safety goes, we were climbing up steps along the edge of the bridge so it wasn't that we were going out on tiny ledges or anything that would put us in danger. But the darkness as well as the height leant another element of danger of slipping and injury so the extra guide meant we had someone in front and behind the group to keep us all safe.

Tae pulled away from me as everyone headed back our way. Jake and Toby had already introduced themselves as our guides, typical Australian men in their mid to late 30s who didn't seem at all interested in the celebrity factor associated with our visit. I was pleased, potentially this would be a smooth tour.

"Ready to go," Jake asked as we both looked at each other before nodding. I had some nerves at the thought of how high we would be shortly but Tae was clearly more nervous than me so I didn't mention it. Toby handed us helmets to wear, clunky and unlikely to protect us if we fell almost 500 feet onto our heads but we buckled them on, helping each other do up the clips, his hand lingering on my face for a moment before we were dressed ready.

Taking the lead, Toby walked us onto the start of the bridge and we formed a line, Tae and Choi Ji-Ho boxing me in on either side and Jake bringing up the rear. As we ascended, my legs felt a little shaky and Tae stopped a few times, making sure I was OK. I noticed he was being careful not to look down while we climbed, focusing instead on the things we could see in front of us as we gained height. His comments occasionally were lost into the night but I could see his face, the stairway lit slightly and his eyes were alive. I stumbled slightly at one point, Choi Ji-Ho reaching out to steady me from behind, Tae quickly grabbing my hand as he caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye. I was in no danger of going over the edge but it was reassuring to feel protected.

He continued to hold it until it became too hard to climb that way and we both reluctantly let go.

We had to stop a few times. You could be super fit, which I wasn't, but climbing that many stairs was hard on anyone. It gave us a minute to reconnect and reassure each other it was fine, the height was no big deal, we weren't suffering from vertigo (a word I had to explain to him) and that we were glad to be doing this together. He naturally rested his arm, leg or side against me each time we stopped and I wondered, if like me, being apart was harder than we wanted to admit. The little touches were calming and when combined with the way he looked at me, it didn't matter that we were 300 feet above the water, only that we were there together.

As we arrived at the top, I gasped as I finally took in the whole view. As we gazed out across the inky water, the lights from all the buildings glowed against the sky, creating a gleaming scape spread out on either side of us as they reflected in the harbour. It seemed to stretch on into tomorrow, a never-ending darkness punctuated by pinpricks of light and the Sydney Opera House lit up to the side, huge and majestic. "It's so beautiful," I said quietly, awestruck that I was here in this moment.

"It really is," he answered staring out at the scene around us before looking back to me with reverence, neither of us even noticing how tall it was anymore.

"Ji-Ho ssi, can you please take some photos of us," he asked and he unlocked his phone, handing it over as he moved us to stand exactly where he wanted, the world glittering as it spread out behind us. "Take lots, I want to remember this forever."

"Thank you for this trip Tae, I'm speechless right now."

"There's nowhere I'd rather be and no other person in the world I'd like to be doing this with, what a perfect moment," he said. Our fingers were linked together, both hands and he pulled me close, laughing as he went to kiss me and our helmets clunked together. "An almost perfect moment."

We turned our faces, finding a way to connect our mouths, the illuminated harbour our backdrop. And it was perfect after all.

The trip back in the car, we had leaned against each other in the backseat, not letting each others hands go. His fingers were so long, I'd never have described a guys hands as beautiful before but Tae's were and they fit mine like they were designed to be linked together. He would sync his lips with mine before one of us would pull away, a strange hesitation in the air. I knew what it was though, it was the feeling that we knew something was going to happen. It had been building all day, starting last night really and continuing on the couch this afternoon. Now the anticipation was making us more self conscious around each other. So then I would press my lips to his to push the tension away and the cycle would repeat itself. By the time we were pulling up to the hotel, I was feeling electrified and more than ready for the night.

We had the normal clandestine entrance into the hotel, me going first with staff and he would follow a few minutes later so I was back in my room waiting for him. Taking the opportunity to quickly freshen up, I walked into the bathroom and looked at my face. There was definitely something different in my eyes from a month ago. I had barely glanced at myself in the mirror then, knowing that what I'd see was a shell of the old Marley, my eyes had a dead look and I hadn't needed any reminders of my sadness. Now, my eyes were brighter than they had been in a very long time, my lips were full from all of our many make out sessions and there was a smile that was permanently stuck there.

Brushing my teeth, I looked at my hand as it held the toothbrush and paused. After the fact he'd been so respectful, taking things at my pace, putting me first even when it was clear he'd wanted to progress things, I knew what I needed to do and that was to finally move the rings off my hand. I'd known it since I was getting my nails done but I wasn't quite ready then. But now, my brain, heart and body had come to the conclusion that whatever this was, I was ready for some happiness. Taking my rings off didn't mean I stopped loving Matty or forgot the years we spent together. It was actually something I knew he would want, for me to move on with my life. Tae might not be my forever but if he was my right now, I needed to show him that I wasn't thinking of anyone else when we were together. And then I could fully be his, giving him all of me.

I twisted them off my finger, dropping them into my hand and staring for a moment. I felt a brief twinge of sadness but it also felt right and zipping them into my makeup bag, I was prepared to move on with whatever came next. Hearing the hotel door close, my heart gave another leap. Checking my face one last time, I walked out of the bathroom. "I'm in here oppa," I called, trying the word out for the first time.

He appeared at the bedroom door instantly, his face alight. "Say that again," he said, grinning as he walked over to me.

"I'm in here?" I teased.

"Marley," he responded, grabbing my wrist to pull me close.

"Oh you mean oppa?"

"Mmmmmhmmmm," he replied, lips attached to mine as I threaded my fingers into his hair.

Pulling away slightly breathless, I smirked. "Oh, I said it correctly then?"

"As long as you weren't calling me brother, it was perfect."

"I don't have a brother but I would not be doing this with him if I did. Oppppaaaaa," I replied, stringing out the last word.

He couldn't keep the smile off his face as he leaned in to kiss me again and then he stopped and the look he gave me made me blush, the intensity instantly sparking something between us.

"I would like to dance with you Marley. The last time was at the restaurant back in your home town and I would like to hold you close again," he asked.

I nodded, a shy smile coming back to my face, the air in the room suddenly heavy.

He quickly flicked through his phone, finding a jazz playlist that he clicked on, putting his phone on the side table next to the bed so it played quietly in the background as he walked back to me. Taking one hand in his, cupped so gently and my waist with his other, he pulled me closer and I softened against him, my legs barely moving as we swayed together. The curtains were open and the lights of the city sprawled out below us like a million fireflies igniting the darkness.

Reaching a finger to my chin, he lifted it up and placed a soft, sweet kiss on my lips and then another deeper as our feelings took over. He wrapped his arms around my neck before sliding his hands slowly down my sides. They rested on my waist, where he tilted his head to gauge my reaction. Our eyes locked and I could see a war within them although his face seemed still. Was he anxious about what this was, what we were, especially given my hesitation last night?

Reaching up with my thumb, I traced lightly across his lips which were slightly parted, feeling his reaction as I did. I held up my hand, pointing to the empty space where my rings had been earlier. "My head is clear now on what I want," and he swallowed, nodding, understanding straight away.

Standing up on my tiptoes, I brought my mouth to his, tasting his uncertainty and turning it to possibilities in a few tender moments. I reluctantly dragged my lips from his so I could speak, feeling the weight of them, full of unspoken promises. "Don't overthink it. This can just be something beautiful."

"We both know it's more than that and I'm trying to take it all in, to memorise you and us," Tae replied softly, his voice deep, gently twisting my hair in his hands as he stepped even closer, now no space between us. I watched as his eyes darkened, intensity replacing the doubts and felt the answering quickening of my body. He dropped his hands to the small of my back, pressing against me as he slowly, carefully walked us backwards, claiming my mouth again. As the back of my knees hit the bed, we fell onto the mattress, a tangle of laughter, touches, sighs and limbs and the night began.

**Finally lol I have a few chapters almost finished so I think it will be 3 rather than 2 updates this week**