Chapter 31

Marley POV

We fell asleep after trying to keep awake for as long as we could, talking ourselves out before the next day came and took us away from each other.

I felt a kiss on my cheek when the sky was still dark, waking me up gently. "Come with me," he said, pulling the blankets back and handing me a robe and a long jacket to wear over the top. The clock said 530am and my tearful moments from the night before could still be felt in my heavy, tired eyes. Rubbing them as I wrapped up in the clothes, I noticed he was wearing similar and smiled at him in the soft light of the lamp he'd turned on in the corner.

"Where are we going?" I asked as I grabbed the door key and trailed behind where he led.

"A surprise," he answered, finger to his lips and I used my hands to smooth down my messed up hair as I followed him out the door. Heading along the hallway, we turned a corner to a door which led to a back stairwell. He held it open as we went through and started to climb up, taking my hand. I knew the hotel had 16 floors and my room was near the middle so quite a few slow, morning steps later we reached the top where a man was waiting at a door. He nodded to Tae and unlocked the door and Tae led me through and out into the fresh night air. The sky was just beginning to turn purple rather than black as we walked out onto the roof of the hotel.

"I wanted to watch the sunrise with you," he said sweetly, pulling me close, pointing to the blanket someone had placed on the ground. We walked over, hand and hand and I saw wine glasses and a platter of food was laid out plus some heat packs and extra blankets to keep us warm. I stared at the set up, the dawn air waking me up as I realised the trouble he'd gone to for our last morning together. He sat down, pulling me with him so I nestled between his legs, resting against his chest. "The sun should rise soon, we can eat together while we wait. It is not alcohol," he finished pointing to the bottle of sparking grape juice.

"Such a perfect surprise, thank you baby," I answered, kissing the tiny mole on his cheek and snuggling into his warmth. He picked up a cracker, popping it in my mouth as we watched the sky begin to change. Relaxing back into his embrace, his chin was resting on my shoulder and I felt a sense of calm and reassurance. The air was crisp and still, he was warm, the world in that moment seemed a beautiful place, a stark contrast to a year ago. I didn't think it was that I had fallen for just anyone that made me feel this way. It was that I had fallen for Tae. His presence was soothing, the way he was with me felt like I had been missing something and now that I had found it, everything was starting to make sense again.

The sky was a dark amber, slowly turning a more brilliant orange, the moon dropping as the sun rose. The last stars twinkled and disappeared and I just breathed in the moment, feeling alive. Tae poured a drink for us both and we sipped as I reached for a canape, giving it to him to nibble. I didn't even notice that he'd put a playlist on at some stage, soft music setting the scene as we spent the dawn together.

I frowned a little as he moved away from my back but as he stood up and held out his hand to pull me up and into his arms, I was charmed again as he swayed with me, quietly dancing the day in.

"Now we've seen a sunset in New Zealand together and a sunrise in Australia. One day soon I'd like you to watch both with me back home," he whispered in my ear as we turned together, the sky almost light now, the moment magical.

"I'd love to come to Korea with you Tae, you've seen a little of my world. Seeing where you call home would be another piece in getting to know you."

"Lets try to make that happen soon. And not just a short trip, when you come home to me, I want it to be for a long time so I can show you so many things." He opened his mouth as if to say something else but paused, kissing my forehead and pulling me close again instead.

A long trip sounded daunting, I didn't even know what that could look like but I wanted all of it, to see him in the places he was most comfortable. And the way he had said that he wanted me to come home to him hung in the air between us or maybe it was just the way I wanted to hear it.

"Yes please," I answered with a kiss, moving in time with him as we continued to turn.

KTH POV

I'd been planning the rooftop sunrise since I knew she was coming, praying to my angel for a clear night so it was memorable. We already had so many memories together but the sunset had been one of my favourites and I was hoping the sunrise would be a special one for the both of us too. I'd woken just before 530am, sneaking out from under the covers and turning on the lamp. Looking down at her bare shoulder, only just visible above the sheets she had clutched in her hand as she slept, I smiled. Even though it was our last day together I hadn't started to feel the sense of loss I knew would come once she left, I planned on smiling until she was out of sight.

As she awoke, bleary expression cute as she pulled on the extra layers, she trusted me as she took my hand. Seeing her eyes light up as she took in the scene once we came out into the night air, feeling her rest in my arms as the sky showed off it's myriad of colours, I felt incredibly content. The time together had been worth the wait and although I hadn't enjoy the time apart, this trip had solidified my feelings and I'd do it again to feel this way now.

We danced together, her hand clasped in mine and I thought briefly of when we had danced together a few days earlier and how much had happened since then. When I'd told Marley I wanted her to come to Korea for a long time, what I wanted to say was she could come for as long as she wanted, forever too. But that felt foolish, I was caught up in my emotions. I couldn't pledge forever to someone I'd known for three weeks no matter how strong my feelings were. It did seem like a good time to tell her I loved her but as I took a breath, I couldn't do it and I didn't know why. Maybe because, if I had to think about if it was the right time, then it wasn't? But she'd agreed to come to Korea for a longer trip than we'd had so far and in the back of my mind I could see her cycling along the river with me, Sophia in a little seat at the back. Introducing her to my family, to my other friends. I wanted all of that and so much more and the thought gave me goosebumps, reminding me I had a lot to think about.

Marley POV

We'd had a little more to eat then walked back to the room, stopping a few times to indulge in a quick kiss or four against the wall and the stairwell landing. The hotel was beginning to stir and we were careful not to be seen but having taken the side stairs again rather than the lift, no-one was using them yet at this time of the day.

When we got back to the room, we'd walked straight into the bedroom. There had been no rushing, carefully undressing each other, our kisses slow and deep, taking our time as we knew it would be the last for a while.

Now I found myself facing him on the bed, leaning back and just staring as he played with the hair around my face. His own soft, dark hair was messy and floppy from where I had been running my hands through it only minutes ago and he looked boyish and relaxed although his eyes were animated. There were no words needed as we gazed at each other for what felt like a really long time but also not long enough.

Tae reached behind my back to take my hands from where they were resting on the mattress and pulled me into his lap where I sunk down, his expression changing and his eyes grew heavy as we slowly began to move in rhythm. My heels were hugging his back as we breathed against each others mouths, our fingers linked together on my hips.

"Baby, open your eyes," and I struggled with that as the sensations swept through my body, nerve endings on fire, finally dragging them open to meet his, hooded with desire. "I want you to see what I look like as you love me, what you do to me."

As our eyes held each other, mine tried to falter under his, the intensity too much, the feelings too big but I couldn't look away, we were locked to each other in every way. All of a sudden it became overwhelming and I began to quietly cry, tears welling and then spilling down my cheeks. His eyes grew big and our movements stilled as he brought our hands between us, one of his holding them in place to my chest as the other crept to my face.

"Are you hurting?" he asked cautiously.

"No, no, not in that way. It's just, I didn't know," I cried, tears now streaming from my eyes. "I didn't know how much I'd need you. How much I'd crave your touch, I don't want to lose it when we leave."

His hand had been wiping my tears away and now it was replaced by his mouth as his lips pressed to my tears, kissing them from my face.

"Marley, it's OK baby. This feels big for me too."

I looked at him, the way his eyes were worried for me but held an ocean of tenderness in them. It wasn't lust or passion or desire, I'd seen those over the last few days. There was an adoration and a calm now in their depth that was my weakness. That even while our bodies were fused, he cared more about my feelings than anything else.

"Jagiya, let me love you. Do you trust me?"

I nodded, dropping all my worries and walls so that we could return to the moment, tangling my fingers into his hair. As he kissed away the last tear from my cheek, we began to move again, still in sync, finding the pace that pointed towards our future.

KTH POV

As she rolled her hips and I revelled in the feelings coursing through my body, I felt like she gave herself to me fully, no holding back. I'd looked into her eyes and felt her fully present before, her body responding to the slightest touch but now she seemed to let me into her soul as well. I wanted to tell her I loved her, to tell her how much she had invaded all parts of my life but I couldn't get the words out, the emotions of the moment taking my breath and my words with it. So we spoke with our bodies, painting a picture of what we could have together, the canvas slowly filling with each stroke.

Marley POV

My bags had been packed, reluctantly, and we'd spent the last little bit of time together talking ourselves out on the couch. There was so much I still wanted to know about him, so many questions still to ask. We were standing at the hotel room door now, a car downstairs ready to take me to the airport. And now that the time had come, I didn't want to let go of him. I was wrapped in Tae's arms, pressed up against each other.

"I don't want to go. I only just found you," I said against his shoulder.

"I don't want you to go either. Every time we talk, I find more of you," he replied, lifting my head up to kiss my forehead. I stared into his eyes, mine a little blurry from unshed tears and saw the future in their depth. Big, scary but full of warmth and feeling like home.

As he looked back at me, he took a big breath. "I love you Marley," he said softly as he tucked my hair behind my ears. Tears started to overflow my eyes, dripping slowly down my cheeks as he continued. "I love your eyes, your smile, your nose," placing a kiss on each as he spoke. "I love your heart and how open you are with me," he added, burying his head against my chest as he wrapped me in his arms. "I'm in love with you," he finished, carefully announcing each word and wiping the tears with his hands.

The breath I was holding as he started to kiss my face was released in a puff as I struggled to process his words, staring at him for a moment with my mouth open. "Tae, I, I...'"

"It's OK if you're not ready to say it back, I just know I couldn't let you leave without telling you how I'm feeling," the warmth of his words and tone, flooding through me.

"That's not it at all. I just, I was taken back as I wasn't sure, I mean I hoped," I stopped so my sentence would come out properly without the mess I was making of it in the moment. He waited, patient as always, as I took a breath, clutching both my hands in his. "Tae, I am in love with you too. I think I've known I was falling for a while and it's not something I say easily but the last few days, being close to you in all ways, I realised you have my heart completely. Saranghae Tae."

His smile kept growing as I spoke and at the last, he tucked his lips together, his cheeks rising. "I am beyond happy right now Marley, that you love me back."

Pulling me in, we sunk against each other, every part of our body as close as we could get while completely dressed. Our lips became full and puffy from the voracity of our kisses, which only waned as we came up for air, breathless and momentarily speechless. I touched my lips, wanting to hold onto the kisses for as long as I could and he reached his hands to my face, gently stroking either side of my cheeks. We just stared at each other, his eyes holding as much depth as the ocean, still and calming. He was perfect and in that moment, he was mine.

Eventually I was able to speak. "Why does there have to be so many goodbyes between us though? And why am I crying all the time, this is getting ridiculous. My emotions the last few weeks have been all over the place." I pouted a little but couldn't keep it up as I was still lost in what we'd just confessed.

"Marley," he said calmly, "you just told me you loved me. This smile isn't leaving my face anytime soon. I am going to miss you so, so much but now that I know you feel the same as me, it's going to be OK."

I didn't know what that meant or what it looked like moving forward but I wanted to look into those eyes everyday. And for now at least, with having to leave, that was an impossibility. "I'm going to miss you too but I'll message when I land."

His phone beeped to remind him staff was waiting outside the door to walk me to the car. He took a deep breath, one last gaze where our eyes spoke into the silence and one last deep and lingering kiss before letting me go. "Until next time."

And I smiled, not wanting tears to be the last thing he saw on my face. "Until next time."

KTH POV

It wasn't while we watched a sunrise or while we were exploring each others bodies. In the end, it came out in a rush of words and feelings brought about by desperation, needing to say it before she got on a plane and flew far away from me. And it didn't matter that it wasn't perfect because when she said she loved me back, none of that was important. It only mattered that she felt the same way.

The members and I would be leaving for another city soon and we'd be in the air together, flying even further away from each other. But, the words we'd said made me feel like I could survive the time apart and I grinned as I ran at the bed, jumping around on it like I was 18 again. She made me feel alive and my heart was the fullest it had been in a very long time.

If only things could stay this happy right?