Chapter 36

Marley POV

Abby had dropped us to the airport, accompanied by lots of gibes about what we'd get up to while we were together. After checking us in, we'd boarded into first class, Tae insisting that it would make flying with Sophia much easier. The seats were huge and once we were in the air, they folded down into beds so after dinner, she had curled up watching a movie and nodded off to sleep fairly easily, much to my relief. I wasn't sleepy, even though I should try so I could be well rested when I got there but all I feltwere butterflies in my stomach as we flew ever closer to him.

It was a new experience to travel with so much room and to be fed so well but I was finding it hard to take it all in. I would never have had this chance if he wasn't well known and I was still processing what all of that meant. He had said having money wasn't a bad thing but the extravagance of his world was foreign to me and not something I felt I could adjust to easily. I was a simple person who hadn't ever needed anything fancy to make me happy although, I thought with irony, I could definitely get used to travelling this way.

As we descended into Tokyo, it was more and more difficult to contain the feelings bubbling up inside me. Sophia had woken a few hours ago, a shorter night sleep than normal and I hoped she'd be able to cope with today and adjusting to the different time zones. Her little legs were moving constantly and she was desperate to get out of her seat, all of my distraction tactics used up to keep her occupied, so as we taxied down the runway into the airport, I was relieved for more than one reason.

The translator app had never been more useful than the last little part of our travel; leaving the plane, going through customs and heading to baggage claim where I'd be met by security all while juggling Sophia. Everyone was very polite and friendly but with only a few years of highschool Japanese under my belt quite a few years back, I wasn't very comfortable with the language at all and technology was definitely my friend in those moments.

I hoped security looked low key, I didn't want any attention drawn to us during our time here or any reason for people to connect us to Tae. My relief was huge when I saw it was Choi Ji-ho, a mask on, his eyes crinkling a smiling hello as he bowed to greet us.

"Oh my goodness, annyeonghaseyo," I said, feeling more relaxed to see familiar eyes.

"Good morning Miss Marley. And hello Miss Sophia, welcome to Japan," he replied.

Sophia gave a little wave, taking my hand. "TaeTae's friend?" she asked, looking up at me.

"Yes Sophia Bug, this is Choi Ji-ho, he is our friend too."

"Where TaeTae?"

"He's back at the hotel," I said, checking with Choi Ji-ho as I did and he nodded.

"Taehyung is waiting, not very patiently I think, for you both to arrive," he laughed.

"I can imagine," I answered, biting my lip as I smiled at the thought. "We should get our luggage then," and he guided us over to the baggage carousel.

"If you tell me which are your bags, I'll get them for you," he said.

"That's OK, I can grab them."

He frowned. "Taehyung won't be happy about that, he asked me to take extra care to make sure you were OK."

"That's very kind of you both, I am very capable," I answered, rolling my eyes a little.

"Oh, everyone knows that but lets keep the peace," he said, raising his eyebrows.

"OK, gamsahabnida," I answered, conceding that it would make juggling Sophia easier if I accepted the help.

The bags came round slowly and I pointed out the kids carseat and two large suitcases we'd brought with us. Sophia was just a little person but came with a lot of stuff. Soon enough, we were in the car, tinted windows tucking us away from the world but still able to watch the scenery go by. It was August and even though the blossom trees wouldn't be out everywhere, the scenery going past was beautiful, foreign to me and fascinating.

"Stay awake Sophia," I said, rubbing her leg. Travel always made her sleepy but I didn't want her going to sleep now or she wouldn't tonight and that didn't work for any of the plans I had in my head.

We parked in the carpark, Ji-ho insisting on organising all the luggage for us onto a trolley. "We're near the top floor Miss Marley, the view is very beautiful," he said as we got into the elevator and pushed a button.

"I'm sure Tae has thought of everything to make our stay amazing," I said, leaning back on the elevator wall and taking a few deep breaths. I'd been distracted by the bustle since we'd landed but now, only a minute or so away from seeing him, my stomach was fluttering and I was feeling nervous and excited all wrapped up into a big parcel of jitters.

"He has made a lot of lists Miss," he answered with a grin, hidden behind his mask but visible in the way his eyes crinkled.

As we exited the elevator, we were guided down the hall and round the corner to the room at the furthest end of the corridor. Sophia had my hand in hers and I didn't realise I was squeezing it tightly in anticipation until she said, "Ow Mummy, Sophia's hand."

"Oh, sorry baby!" I said, releasing my grip as Ji-ho knocked on the door for us.

It was flung open after only a few seconds and our eyes met, Ji-ho stepped back to make himself blend into the background as Tae reached for my hand to pull me into the room. Sophia had other ideas of our reunion though, letting go of my hand in a rush.

"TaeTae," she yelled, running at him as she was swung up into his arms.

I grinned at the smile on his face as he kissed her cheek, then he tucked her onto his hip as he used his free hand to finish what he'd started, reaching for mine. As he tugged me through the doorway, our lips met, brief because there were others around but sending a spark that ignited inside of me, telling me to bide my time until we were alone. He pulled me in for an awkward hug, whispering 'Konnichiwa' into my ear, Sophia in the way but it was so good to be in his warmth again that it didn't matter and when he let me go, he kept my hand in his as Sophia wriggled to get down.

Choi Ji-ho put our luggage just inside the door, bowing a goodbye before leaving us to it with a smile at the scene in front of him.

"How was the flight beautiful?" Tae asked as we walked into the room, following an excited Sophia who was running and touching everything in the suite.

"Careful Sophia, walking feet," I called as she bounced along the room, running off some of the energy from being cooped up on the plane for 12 hours. "It was a lot better than I thought it could be, the seats were amazing Tae, thank you."

His eyes almost closed as he smiled broadly and he seized the opportunity while Sophia was exploring, taking my face in his hands, their size holding both sides of my cheeks as they rose to smile back at him.

"I am so glad it's finally today and you're here with me," he said sweetly, his eyes lit up as he leaned in to kiss me again. And this time it wasn't brief as we let go of the feelings of missing each other, passing them back and forth as our lips slotted together as if they hadn't been apart for weeks.

When we had almost enough of a hello to satisfy us for now, Sophia appeared, pushing us apart as she looked up between the both of us. "I hungry," she said and we laughed. I wondered briefly if Tae realised that a large bulk of the trip would be feeding and entertaining Sophia and what that would look like for the three of us. The thought warmed me as I'd seen a lot of interactions between them, all sweet but he hadn't lived with us 24/7 and four solid days and nights might show me what he could be like after constantly having a child around. My heart did a small gallop at the thought as I answered.

"Ok, sweetpea, we have snacks in the bag and then TaeTae and Mummy will see about getting us all some food, OK?"

We had left in the evening and now it was somewhere around late morning by our body clocks. Thankfully, there was only a 3 hour time difference and I hoped I could keep her up past her normal bedtime to try and shock her body into the new timezone. But I knew from experience with myself, that sometimes didn't work. Crossing all fingers that it wouldn't be a 4am wakeup call from her, we sat down on the couch to sort our day, Sophia eating crackers between us.

Tae looked at his watch. "We could order an early lunch in if you're hungry now and then will Sophia have a nap after lunch?"

"She did sleep OK on the plane but not the whole night so she should definitely be ready for one in a few hours. We could plan a little more while she's sleeping?"

"We could do a whole lot of things while she's sleeping," he replied, glancing down at where Sophia was engrossed in getting the last few crackers out of the bag before placing a kiss behind me ear. I sighed into the touch and nodded.

"That is another option I would definitely like to explore," I answered and leaned into his shoulder as he put his arm behind me on the couch. Already, I could feel myself relaxing, the calm he radiated sinking into my core.

Lunch was sushi, something everyone enjoyed eating. "What about Ji-ho," I'd asked.

"He is, for the most part, on holiday," Tae replied. "He's here for security but that depends on what we do and where we go so he will order his own food. Otherwise, if he and Sophia get along, he has also offered to babysit. If that's OK with you?"

"Shall we see how it goes? She's friendly but it is all strange to her here."

"Of course, whatever you want Marley," he said, kissing my nose. "So, today you will feel tired from the travel and timezone change. Thankfully, it is the same here as Korea so I'm fine. How about we stay at the hotel today and relax and then go out tomorrow?"

"Sure but Sophia may need to burn off some energy this afternoon," I answered, looking at where she was starting to look a little sleepy after the travel and now food. "She'll nap soon but what about after?"

"There is a pool in the hotel, we could swim?"

"I did bring a swimming costume for us, I looked the hotel up to see what was available. I might use the gym at some stage too."

"Won't we be doing enough other exercise?" he asked, smirking.

"Well, I hope so but you just never know," I answered, stomach jittery again. "Won't people see you in the pool though?"

"Not if I book it out for a few hours? I can get Ji-ho to find out if we can have it to ourselves? I'm sure they will if I pay for that. What time?"

"How about 2pm?"

"Done," he answered, picking up his phone to make a call.

Sophia hadn't put up much of a fight going to bed. It was a different place but she had her sleeping friend Tinky and that was often all it took if she was really tired Now, Tae and I were sitting curled up on the couch together, legs entwined, part way through an epic make out session. Our lips had easily found each others, slipping back into the ease and comfort we'd built last time we were together. It felt familiar but after the time apart, also exciting again, hands exploring but not going any further right now, enjoying just taking it slowly. If I could stay awake later tonight with jetlag, more than a few stray touches would definitely be on the cards.

"I've missed you so much," he murmured against my neck, hand stroking the skin of my stomach under my top.

"Mmmmhhhmmmmm," I replied, very distracted.

"There's only so much video calls and texting can give me. To touch you again Marley, I can't stop smiling," and I could feel his lips stretched out in a smile as they traced kisses up and down my throat.

"And I am loving it," I answered as his mouth came up to find my lips again. Everything in me was feeling the connection and spark. It was growing with each touch, the time apart grew us in different ways but the physical connection was stronger than it had been a month ago. All of which gave me hope that somehow, there could be a way for us.

He cleared his throat as he pulled away, adjusting his clothing as he did. "We should probably stop now. Sophia will wake soon and I want a lot of uninterrupted time alone with you if things are going to end up in the bedroom."

I took his hand in mine, tracing across the top of his in a swirly pattern with my fingertip. "I'd be lying if that wasn't on my mind too Tae."

"Good, just as long as I know, I can wait. Maybe not patiently but I can wait," and I laughed quietly, leaning in for another quick kiss.

"Shall we watch something and relax," I asked, feeling sleepy.

"Of course," he said, reaching for the remote and turning the volume down as I snuggled against him falling asleep almost straight away. When I woke, half an hour had passed and he was lightly stroking my back as I curled with my head on his lap while he was on his phone replying to emails. "Sophia might wake soon, I can hear little noises from time to time coming from her room," he greeted me as I stirred, placing a kiss on the top of my head.

"Sorry, I was more tired than I thought, did I drool?" I asked, wiping at my mouth in case.

"You did not although that would be cute. And it's fine to sleep. You'll be more rested for tonight now and that is good for me," he smirked.

Sitting up with a grin at his eyebrow raise, I listened out and could hear the rustling and stretching noises Sophia made as she surfaced from her sleep. "You're right, she is waking. Last chance for a while," I said, climbing onto his lap as he instantly put his phone down. "Sorry, were you working?"

"It can definitely wait," he said, claiming my mouth again and pulling me close, hands on my back as he held me firmly in place.

"Mama?" Sophia called, feet hitting the floor and she opened the bedroom, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes as I scrambled to sit next to Tae on the couch while he ran his hand through his hair. I could see out the corner of my eye that he was adjusting himself and I bit my lip to hold in the smile at the thought I could be the one to incite that reaction in him.

"Hello Sophia bug, you had a good rest."

She snuggled on my lap Tinky tucked against her chest as she nodded. "Do you know what Mummy, TaeTae and Sophia are going to do now?" I asked, stroking the hair off her forehead.

She pulled away and looked up at my eyes and across to where Tae was smiling. "What we do mama?"

"Well, maybe Sophia won't like it but we are going to go to the swimming pool."

She clapped her hands, now wide awake and excited as I knew my little water baby would be. "I like, I like! We go now mama?"

I looked at my phone and saw it was close to when we had booked the time. Thankfully the hotel hadn't hesitated to set up the private booking for us and I briefly wondered how much money had changed hands to make that happen.

"Yes, we can start getting ready," I laughed as she jumped off my lap, doing a little skip in circles around the coffee table.

Tae had been watching the interaction and spoke up. "You like to swim BugBug?"

"Yea TaeTae. Mama and Sophia schwim," she said earnestly, running up to put her hand on his knee, still clutching Tinky in her small hand. "We go cold cold hot hot cold cold."

He nodded with a smile but looked confused at her last statement. "She always finds the pool a bit cold after a while so we go in the hot pool area then back to the cold pool when she starts to get too hot. I take her as often as I can, it's really important to me that she knows how to be safe in water."

"Sounds like I'm going to be swimming with experts then," he replied as there was a knock at the door. Standing up to answer it, he checked the peephole, opening it when he saw who it was. Choi Ji-ho was coming to walk us to the pool for safety reasons, just in case, but he wasn't going to stay, just coming back at the end to do the same in reverse.

"Hello again," I greeted him as he bowed while I stood up to go and find our bath costumes. "Come with me Sophia and we'll get dressed before we go down," and she skipped over to follow me into our bedroom.

10 minutes later, I'd dressed the both of us and put dresses back over the top for the walk down to the pool. I'd also packed our towels, snacks and drinks for Sophia, water bottles for Tae and I, all into a large bag. Tae did a double take when he saw it.

"Aren't we just going to swim," he asked and I grinned.

"Ah, if only it was that easy," I replied. "She will get hungry and thirsty, there's always a lot to bring whenever we go anywhere. And best to be prepared so she doesn't melt down."

He reached to take the bag from us, having taken all of 2 minutes to change into his own costume. "I still have a lot to learn about children," he said as he kissed my cheek, comfortable to express himself, albeit somewhat subdued, around Ji-ho.

"Hyung," he said turning to where Cho Ji-ho had tucked himself out of the way, eyes on his phone most of the time and I imagined he was trying to give us as much privacy as he was able. "Do you think there are many people about?"

"The hotel staff said it is a quiet time of the day here in the hotel so a good time to move about," he answered, looking up.

"Good," he said reaching for my hand with his free one. "I want to walk with you then," he said to me and I nodded, knowing the protocol for being around each other could change with a moments notice and in every situation. To hold my hand in a public place was actually a big deal.

"I'll take the bag for you Taehyungie," Ji-ho said, reaching for it and I thanked him.

"Right, Sophia, ready to go," Tae asked.

She gave a huge shriek of excitement and we all laughed as she ran towards us. I reached out my hand but she grabbed for Tae's instead and he held tightly, turning to make eye contact with me. There was a look in his eyes that I hadn't seen before but I wanted to see again, a different kind of intensity. I leaned in. "Everything OK?"

"I just, ah, I'm feeling very content," he said and I nodded because, in that moment, everything felt very right.

KTH POV

I'd been pacing for a while and checking my watch. Ji-ho had messaged an ETA and it was close to that, my stomach now in knots as I anticipated seeing her again. My breaths were coming unevenly as my heart beat increased with the minutes passing. So when the knock at the door came, I was already on my feet and there within seconds. Marley filled my vision and I could finally breathe again until a little hurricane threw herself at me. I smiled as I scooped her up, reaching to pull Marley into the room and into my arms.

Later as Sophia slept and we had time alone, my mouth and hands didn't want to leave her body until I realised there wasn't enough time for things to escalate to where I really wanted them to go. Pulling away from her was always hard, letting go this time after weeks apart was something my body was fighting against. Still, I'd had self control before and I could find it again, looking forward to later when the moon was rising.

When she fell asleep, I watched her for awhile, gulping a little as she slid partly into my lap. I gently turned her so she was more comfortable, my hand needing the connection of her body as it ran up and down her back while her breathing became even and steady. As quiet descended on the suite, I took a moment to close my eyes. My girls were both here with me and it felt wonderful. Was I even allowed to think of them that way, as mine? I wanted it so badly. So, when Sophia raced to take my hand for the walk to the pool instead of Marley's, my heart flew up and into my eyes as I looked at them both. This was family, this is what I wanted, this is what I'd fight for.

Oh Japan, could be fun for them! Stay tuned to find out... Still updating twice a week.