I am about a week out from graduating. I'm so happy.

Thank you all for the wonderful comments! I didn't post last week because of how much work I had to complete, but I'm going to be able to start writing again soon! I cannot express how grateful I am for every one of you for sticking by me through this roller coaster of a story, so please enjoy this next chapter :)
-PB

Hae Soo

"Go without Mommy, okay? I'll be there soon to play with you." Soo smiled at her daughters as they held Wook's hands.

"Mommy just needs a bit of break time," she explained. "Have fun with Daddy." The girls looked apprehensive but their pouty faces were quickly replaced with smiles when Wook declared he would buy them both ice cream.

Soo leaned against the wall and watched her babies walk away with their father as Chae Ryung tailed them. Wook's swim trunks were the same shade of blue as Mi and Yoon's bikinis and Soo prided herself on finding children's swimsuits in that exact shade.

She would have two hours to herself while Wook took the girls to the pool and entertained them, giving her some time to catch up on a few e-mails.

Ready to work, she stretched her arms out and sighed, wondering where So was.

Soo sucked on her teeth, reprimanding herself for thinking about him again. Even though they had broken up weeks before, Soo still ached for So. She had not realized how much she truly wanted to be with him until they had split apart. But if So ever looked at her, he looked away when she caught him. And when Soo spied on her ex-boyfriend, she also averted her gaze when he caught her. They jumped around each other's boundaries, avoiding each other even though So's literal job was to stalk her.

She felt terrible that he had to witness her kissing Wook. Soo could only imagine how much he hated seeing her with her husband. To have to be in such close proximity to them… she wished she could apologize.

Her thoughts drifted to him at inopportune moments. Soo hated herself for imagining So while laying on her husband's lap. She automatically felt her thoughts focusing on So when she thought about the way his rash guard had clung to his toned body, acting as a second skin. She had not even bothered to hide her stare when So had run towards her after Wook had thrown her in the ocean.

Reaching for the door to her room, Soo paused and stared at the lock.

"Shit," she muttered.

Feeling her body for the key card, Soo swore again when she realized her key was in her purse... which was inside the room. She stared down at her sundress and its lack of pockets before remembering she was in a bikini beneath it. "Just let my day get worse. Honestly."

She knocked her forehead against the door before realizing something else.

"No… my phone is in there too," she whined. "Why is my… no…"

Defeated by a door, Soo slouched and thought of the people that could open it and let her in. Chae Ryung and her husband were too far and Soo did not know the way to the hotel's pool area or which pool her husband was even going to. Wook's bodyguard was already at said pool—having been sent earlier to set up and keep an eye on the number of people present. Which left…

"No…" Soo groaned. The last person So would want to see would be her, but she needed to get into her room.

Trudging forward, she approached So's bedroom door and raised her hand to tap on it. She paused when she realized she would have to face him. Her hand fell away and Soo wondered if it was even right to talk to So after all they had been through. Would he hate her for seeking him out? Would he shut the door in her face? Would he-

"Hae Soo, you're being paranoid," she whispered, biting her thumb. She prepared to knock on the door before stopping again. "But what if you're not?"

She moved away and paced in a circle, trying to calm her nerves and tell herself that no, Wang So was not going to laugh at her for locking herself out of her room and slam the door in her face. "But he might. You broke up with him. What if… argh." She groaned, traversing the space in front of So's door while mulling over her seesawing thoughts.

Up and down her hand went as she debated between knocking on So's door or not. Side to side, her body moved as she paced around the patterns on the carpet, debating if she should really knock or not.

"What the hell are you doing?"

Soo turned away from So's door and stared with an open mouth as So held the door to the smoking balcony open, his expression confused and a box of cigarettes in his hand. So returned her stare with a blatant expression on his face and Soo bit her bottom lip before pointing at his door.

"You're not in there?" she asked lamely. Soo cringed at her own question as So flipped the lighter in his hand before catching it. He glanced around the empty balcony.

"I should hope not," he replied.

Soo's eyes darted between the box in So's left hand and then at the purple lighter in his right.

Forgetting her past problem, she went towards So, stepping out onto the balcony as he moved away to let her through.

The door shut behind them and she stood across from him, watching as he coughed and tore the plastic off of his cigarette box, tossing it into the ashtray. Soo felt her heart pang when So flipped the top of the container open.

They stood in silence and Soo sighed. "How long were you watching me?"

"Since your husband left with the children. Hae Soo, you realize the front desk will open your door for you, right? You don't need me."

But I do.

Soo watched as So bit a cigarette and closed the carton, pushing it into his pocket. He flicked his lighter and Soo shook her head.

"I thought you quit," she whispered.

The flame dissipated and So eyed her with a sadness Soo could not place. He looked at her as if she were dying- as if he would not see her again. She pressed a hand to her heart and So let the cigarette between his teeth drop to the floor. It bounced off the balcony and down into the trees below.

Stepping forward, Soo raised a quivering hand and opened her palm to So. She blinked slowly, her legs moving with a mind of their own. He was a magnet and he pulled her in with a single gaze. Her heart pounded in her ears, but she only registered him.

So met her in the middle and Soo watched the purple plastic fall from his hand to hers. Her fingers curled around the warm lighter and Soo looked into So's eyes, wondering why this felt like the last time she would be seeing him.

A flash glinted over the dark irises and Soo watched his pupils dilate. She exhaled when So leaned his forehead close to hers. "What are you doing?" Soo asked as their breaths intermingled. A shiver ran down her spine and she unconsciously reached for So's forearm to support her shaking legs.

The cigarette carton entered her grasp and Soo moaned when So's lips pressed to hers, so gentle and chaste that it hurt to be so close to him.

Soo dropped the contents of her hands and wrapped her arms around So, her body perfectly fitting against him. His large hands held her hips and Soo felt his fingers tangling in her dress as they kissed.

There was no tongue, no fancy action. Soo kissed So with the barest of glances, touching her lips to his the way he had to her.

She made no sound when he picked her up and held her bottom as her legs wrapped around his torso, her ankles locking behind him. Soo let her hands move from So's back and she held his cheeks, pressing one long, hard kiss against his lips.

She felt him take a step forward, but was too engrossed in how right it felt to be against him again that she did not notice where he was going.

When So sat her on the ledge of the balcony, Soo shrieked and wrapped herself tightly around his neck, holding onto him for dear life. They were twenty stories above the ground and Soo felt the wind against her skirt. Her heart pounded and the sound of blood rushing past her ears made her tremble.

She refused to look anywhere, shutting her eyes as So's arms tightly held her against his chest. Terror gripped at her, but fear was overridden by trust. So won't drop me. He has me. I'm okay. The cold metal touched her bare skin and Soo's eyes opened wide when she heard So's voice.

"Are you afraid of me?" he asked softly.

Pulling back, Soo loosened her grip just enough to look at him. She took in the equally terrified look in his eyes before pressing her forehead to his. "Are you afraid that I'll hurt you?" he asked again.

She should have screamed. She should have pushed herself into the veranda and ran for dear life. But Soo knew her answer as soon as she heard the question.

Teetering off the ledge of a hundred meter drop, Soo hugged So and held onto him with all she had. Closing her eyes, she whimpered, "No," certainty in her terror-struck voice. "I trust you with my life."

Soo did not miss the strangled sound that came from the back of So's throat. When she opened her eyes, she saw tears in his, his irises glistening like topazes in vodka. "Wrong answer," he whispered, pulling her back into the veranda.

Her feet touched land, but Soo refused to let go of So. Her arms went around his waist and she pressed her head to his chest, listening to his rapidly beating heart. It was too easy to find his pulse and Soo felt her breathing return to normal.

So's hand reached around her and Soo expected him to hold her shoulder, but her eyes widened when he gently pushed her away. "I'm leaving," he murmured. "I can't… I can't take it anymore."

Soo stumbled backwards but this time, she refused to concede.

Don't let him go. Don't let go or he'll never be yours again. You can't let go.

Her only reaction was to swallow her tears and kiss him as hard as she possibly could.

Stay. Don't leave me. I need you.

"Hae Soo, stop," So growled. He told her to stop, but Soo felt him kiss her back, his lips as needy as hers. His hands held her shoulders, but he no longer tried to push her away. "Please, please don't make this harder. I can't… I can't stay. I can't handle not being with you but having to see you every day. It hurts me and I…"

Soo bumped her forehead against So's collarbone, closing her eyes and pressing her hands to his hips. "I need you," she said. "Please stay. Please don't go. I can't live without you."

She fought to keep him, held his clothes and touched his skin, trying to create her own magnet that would bring him closer. She needed him like she needed air to breathe. If he went away, she had no idea what she would do.

"Soo," So moaned, his fingers holding the back of her neck. Soo looked up at him and blinked back her tears, unwilling to lose. She could not give him up again.

Her heart pounded and her hands shook. She was so occupied with her desperation that she almost missed the words he breathed.

"I love you."

And suddenly, everything was still.

Soo's eyes widened and she felt something snap inside her. A tsunami of emotions rammed into her chest, shattering her ribs and taking her heart somewhere it could never hurt again. Her hands quivered and her entire body felt loose, as if she would float away with the wind that ruffled her skirt.

I love you.

The words echoed in her mind and she stared as So looked down when he realized she had heard. "Wh-"

His lips crushed against hers and his hands pulled her in, his strength easily overpowering her. Soo felt her stomach meet So's and she moaned into his lips. Her world shattered and rebuilt itself around him, putting Wang So at its center. She already had everything but him. She wanted nothing but him.

He was too good for her. Too clean and too raw. Untarnished by bad reputation or rumor, he was a person who the world had constantly stepped on- a light that flickered within her dark world of lies.

Soo kissed So and pulled back when the tears from her eyes fell onto his skin. She breathed deeply, unable to control her gasping sobs. "I'm sorry," she cried, pressing a hand to her mouth. Sorry that I can't say it back. I'm married. It would only be unfair to you if I said it back.

"I'm sorry."

She muffled her sobs against her palm and So pulled her back indoors.

Soo tilted her forehead against his shoulder, clutching at his arms as she felt him walking through the hallway. They passed by his door and Soo stared back at the balcony of the smoking area.

Through the haze of her tears, she saw two metal ledges on the place So had stood, carrying her. One ledge was securely inside the building, meant to hold a long ashtray. Made of black metal, it acted as a guard to prevent people from toppling off of the building and into… the second ledge.

He was holding me inside the building. He was…

Soo pulled at So's shirt and shook her head, wiping her tears against his tee. "Not my room," she whispered. He paused in his tracks and Soo held the back of So's arm. "Not my room. Take me to yours, please."

"Soo…"

"Please."

They turned and Soo held So's hand, wiping her eyes of the relentless tears and entering his room when he unlocked it. Letting So guide her, Soo sat on his bed and inhaled as steadily as she could.

Her head spun, but she could see Wang So kneeling in front of her. Soo's heart broke when she knew it should be her bowing in front of him. The married woman that dragged her lover along because she could not let go of him or her husband. Even she found herself horrible.

He loves me. This man loves me. And I… I think I love him back.

His hands gently wiped her cheeks and Soo caught his palm as it caressed her skin. She found his racing pulse beneath her fingertips, touching his heartbeat and letting him brush her hair away from her face.

Holding his hand against her, Soo opened her eyes. She inhaled slowly, stretching her hand out to touch So's cheek. "I'm sorry I can't be perfect for you," Soo said as she touched him. "You deserve so much more than a woman who can't leave her husband. More than a woman who can't… who can't tell you how she feels."

So shook his head and Soo leaned up as he moved forward until his face was a hair's breadth away from hers. Their hearts beat as one and Soo kept her eyes open. So's words brought little huffs of air over her skin, causing goosebumps to run over Soo's arms and legs. Her mind went blank and she shivered at the black yearning in So's eyes.

"For all the bad things I've done in my life," he murmured, his lips just brushing over her ear, "just being near you is too much of a blessing. To me, you're perfect. It's me who isn't worthy of you."

So kissed her cheek and Soo gripped his hand as he continued. "I'll stay if you let me be your equal. Let me love you. Let me be what I am and keep me close so that I can protect you. Let me be yours forever."

Nodding her head, Soo kissed So's cheek. "Stay with me. Be my equal. Make me happy, but not unless you can let me do the same for you. I want to be your equal and… and protect you and keep you close. Let me… let me love you in the best way I can. Promise you'll never leave me again."

Their lips met and Soo opened her mouth in an instant, welcoming So's tongue and moaning as his hands rushed to tear her dress off. She did not care. All she wanted was to feel him. "I promise," So whispered as they kissed, his breathless grunts vibrating against her upper lip as he struggled to remove her dress.

"Ah," Soo panted as her first layer was flung aside. "Make it hurt. Fuck me hard," she pleaded in between erratic kisses. "I don't want to- to feel anything but you."

So's shirt was the next to go and Soo grasped at his taut muscles, gasping when he threw her onto the bed. Her teeth clacked together and So loomed over her, his hand hovering over her bikini.

A pull of a tie and Soo only wore underwear, her breasts exposed to So's amorous gaze. They kissed and Soo did not hold her reactions at bay, arching her back as So's tongue ran from her throat and trailed down her breasts and down her stomach, dipping into her belly button before rushing back up to capture her lips.

With one hand, So collected her wrists and pinned them above her head. Soo squirmed, wanting to touch him and feel him, but her feeble attempts at escape were no match for his strength.

So's other hand moved to her breasts, squeezing them. When he pinched her nipples, Soo moaned aloud, unable to contain herself. Jolts of electricity and the steady thrum of pleasure rushed over her body as So pulled away from their kiss to lavish his tongue against the peaks of her breasts, toying with the buds and gently biting down until Soo yelped and wriggled within his grasp.

"Ah, ow!" She whimpered and met eyes with So as he pressed feathery kisses to her breasts.

"I can be gentle," he said. "Just tell me to stop and I-"

"If you stop, I'll kick you," Soo said, thrusting her hips until they hit So's body. She breathed heavily as So smirked, shaking his head and swearing under his breath.

"So fucking sexy."

Soo felt a tingle of excitement run up her spine as she listened to So curse. He leaned his lips close to her ear as his hand held her breasts, toying with her peaks. "Do you know what kind of hell I was going through watching you dress the way you did without being able to touch you? Today, you're mine," he whispered hoarsely. Soo shivered and sighed as the deep vibrations of his voice created an ache between her legs. There was a desperation in his tone that made her melt under his dark gaze. "Today, your body belongs to me, and I'm going to fuck you until you can't walk."

"Please," she said, her voice a tiny squeak.

Little by little, her mental turmoil and emotional collapse disappeared from her mind. Soo fell to the whims of the rough, torturous pleasure So gave her, letting herself drown in the black depths of his eyes and be swallowed by the many emotions that engulfed her.

His teeth made themselves known against her belly and Soo tossed her head back when he kissed her through her bikini. The thick material of her swimsuit blocked most of the movement his tongue provided, but Soo opened her legs when she felt his tongue give a gentle swipe up her sex. So licked over her apex, but Soo continued to whine, wanting to feel more of him. Her swimsuit muffled too much of her pleasure and she wanted him closer.

She complained in erratic moans and disconnected words when So stopped kissing her sex and moved away, a smirk on his lips.

He left wet marks against her skin as he nibbled and bit at her knees, thighs, and stomach, slowly rising until he blew a stream of air onto her nipples and pressed his lips to her throat. He lightly sucked on her jugular and Soo sighed in adoration.

So released her wrists and Soo rushed forward to kiss him. She stroked him through his underwear, wondering when he had discarded his jeans. "Soo," So groaned, a new, guttural tone overtaking his voice. His lips met hers and he pulled at her bottom lip, kissing her teeth and squeezing her breasts until she pined for more. "Suck me off," he ordered.

Soo watched as So leaned over her, but she sat up and pushed him onto the bed before he could act. She held him against the pillows, shoving him down and kissing beneath his chin. Her lips met the spot between his ear and chin and she bit the place he liked, smiling as he pulled her closer. "May I mark you?" she asked breathlessly, one hand on So's chest and the other against the headboard.

So turned his head to peer at her and Soo smiled when he frowned before agreeing. "This body is yours."

Lowering her lips to the place she had just bitten, Soo pulled a bit of So's skin into her mouth, tasting the musky, salty flavor of his sweat and rolling her tongue over where she would lay her claim to the man beneath her.

She smoothed her hand over So's bare chest as she sucked on his throat, feeling his stomach clench with each of his erratic breaths. Her fingertips traced his nipples and So panted, his chest heaving. "Ow," he muttered. Soo felt her own need soar as So moaned. His reactions made her wet and his voice made her want.

She lowered herself against So, straddling his left thigh and grinding against it to try to increase whatever friction she could. She tried to ease the building need between her legs until So stopped her, his hand finding its way into her swimsuit. "Needy," he murmured, clicking his tongue and gently sliding his finger against her sex. Soo did not respond other than to open her thighs so that he would touch her more. So smiled before pulling at her final layer of clothing. "Do you want me to take this off?"

She desperately wished he would rip it off and fuck her, but So merely let go of her swimsuit and Soo released So's throat to marvel at her work. She wriggled in surprise as So leaned forward to lick her nipple and display the dark, wine-colored flower that bloomed beneath his jawline.

"Does it look good?" he asked against her chest. Soo squirmed against him as his mouth continued to play with her breasts.

Her breathless whines bounced off of So's shoulders and her hands grasped at his skin when he finally rewarded her for her work by removing her panties. She yearned for him to touch her, for him to make her scream his name and cum against his hand.

Soo leaned forward to kiss So but paused when his hand smacked her bottom, eliciting an unprecedented moan from her. Soo fell forward against So, her face burning and her body coursing with electricity as pain and pleasure became one.

"Didn't I tell you to suck me off?" So asked, his rough voice edged with need. Soo heard the slightest trace of humor in his tone and she pouted.

"I wanted to kiss you."

"So did I."

She nuzzled against So's throat, kissing her mark and trailing her tongue over his collarbone. She tasted his skin, picking up the light sheen of sweat on his body as her tongue dipped against the scars that roughened his exterior.

Tracing down the marks on his body, Soo slowly dragged her nails down his rigid muscles until her lips were parallel with the rise in his underwear. Using her teeth, she removed So's boxers and looked up at him, opening her mouth to the tip of his erection.

Their eyes met and Soo swirled her tongue over So's length, tasting the cock she had become familiar with. She stroked him as she slowly filled her mouth, bobbing her head to take more and more. Her other hand moved between her legs and she touched her wet sex, moaning against So's length as she pleasured herself. She wished he would touch her, but Soo relished watching So's reactions to her ministrations.

His eyebrows knotted in concentration and his lips parted, his breaths exiting in light huffs.

So exhaled and sat forward. He pushed pillows beneath his head so he could watch her from a better angle, and she chuckled and hummed softly, taking him as deep as she could before releasing his length and licking up its side. So moaned and Soo smiled when his hand reached to touch her cheek, his thumb entering her mouth. She rolled her tongue over his finger, batting her eyes and biting his knuckle.

"Come here," So said, opening his arms.

Eagerly, Soo crawled to her lover's side. He reached to take her hand and Soo blushed when he licked the fingers she had used to touch herself. "Couldn't wait?" he cooed against her fingertips, sucking on each one. When he released her, Soo yelped as he dragged her down and kissed her, his tongue running over hers.

Their kiss was messy, but Soo did not care. She straddled So and ground against his erection, ready to take him. "Are you wet enough?" So asked, his lips trailing over her cheeks. His voice sounded worried, but Soo shrugged his question off.

"I want it to hurt," she said, positioning him and urging him to take her. A single nod and So's hands clutched her waist.

She shrieked when he bucked his hips and penetrated her. Soo tipped her head back and rested her hands against his thighs, riding him. She smiled at the pain and pleasure that mixed into a delicious combination that sated her weeks of unfulfilled desire and finally gave her the contact she wanted.

He tipped her onto the bed and took her ankles, roughly lifting them to his shoulders. Her hands met the headboard as it hit against the back wall in sync with him. Soo felt the force of So's harsh thrusts, but whatever pain that resulted only enhanced the sensation of having him inside her again. Crying his name, she clawed at the wood atop the bed and just enjoyed.

So released his grip on her legs and Soo opened her arms to him as he leaned forward to crouch over her open knees. Soo closed her eyes when he kissed her. The sweat from his chest fell onto hers and Soo registered So's grunts and huffs, his hands roughly pulling her closer until they were in the center of the bed and Soo could not reach the headboard.

Sloppy, open-mouthed kisses were added to merciless thrusts and Soo held So's back, gripping him as he pushed in and out of her. "Harder," she begged, crying out and clawing at his back as he obeyed.

So's fingertips met her where they were joined and Soo arched as he rubbed her most sensitive point. She came undone almost as soon as he touched her, writhing as he brought her to the edge and tipped her without preamble, sending her body crashing into blinding pleasure.

Her nails dragged down So's back and she did not hear herself release. Instead, Soo kept her eyes on So until she could not keep them open any longer. Their lips met and he took each of her moans, stealing her away from everything else and making her his.

So pulled away from her and Soo whined until he squeezed her bottom and turned her onto her side. She followed without a fight, smiling when So laid in front of her, lifting one of her legs onto his hip and sliding into her again.

Soo relished each thrust he gave her after her orgasm. She could feel her nerves tingling, her spine aching, and her entire body entering euphoria.

"I love you," So said, panting into her ear. Soo felt her eyes widen, but she only hugged him tighter, kissing his skin as he grunted, drawing closer and closer. She could taste the sweat on his body, salty and powerful.

"Cum in me," Soo whispered as she heard So drawing closer. "I want to feel you cum inside me."

She gazed at his face, mesmerized. Kissing his chin and lips, Soo breathed in unison with So as he thrust deeper within her, his eyebrows knotting and his expression clenching as he grunted.

Soo pulled So closer, using her leg to press them even tighter against each other. She gasped as he moaned, his voice low and constricted. He shuddered and Soo kissed his forehead, watching him climax. His face contorted in ardor and she felt a swell of pride as she realized So's pleasure came from her. His mouth opened and his eyes closed as he released an elongated moan, his orgasm becoming one of nature's masterpieces. She found him beautiful.

After So came, Soo kissed him and ran her hand down his chest. "I love you," he whispered again.

She tried to respond. So pulled out from her and Soo looked into his half-lidded eyes as he bit his bottom lip.

I love you, she thought back. Her body trembled from the emotions that ran through it.

"I… I'm sorry," Soo whispered. "I can't say it back. I'm- I'm so sorry, So. I- please know that I really-"

"It's alright, darling," So replied, his voice hoarse and quaking. Soo sniffed as her chest heaved with the regret of the words left unsaid on her tongue. An invisible weight fell on top of her, but Wang So was there to take it away. His eyes were as wet as hers, but his tears never fell.

Soo leaned into So's touch when his palm caressed her cheek. "You don't have to say it," he said. Soo could hear disappointment in So's voice and and bit the inside of her cheek. "Just know that to me, you are everything. I love you, Hae Soo. I don't need anything from you- just your understanding."

They laid on the messy bed until So moved to the bathroom, leaving Soo alone on top of sheets that smelled of them both. Loneliness gnawed at her even when she knew So was only a meter away.

Reaching for a pillow, Soo pressed her still-flushed cheek to the cool cushion and waited for her partner. She looked around his room and noted the messy suitcase where his t-shirts, socks, and underwear were piled. In the open closet, two suits hung with their matching pants and three shirts.

He walked out from the bathroom and around the bed. Soo smiled when the mattress dipped under his knee, almost making her tumble against him. His hands were wet when they touched her skin and Soo gave a hum of content when he lightly kissed her forehead. She could see the purple mark against his pale jaw- her mark.

It only felt right to have Wang So in her arms- to feel his body against hers. And now that he was out of the bathroom, Soo would use it to clean up.

She frowned when she noticed a washcloth in So's hand. "What—oh, no you—"

Soo blushed into her pillow when So opened her thighs with light hands. He chuckled and Soo hid her face when the wet cloth gently cleaned between her legs. "Wang So, you're the worst," she grumbled, unwilling to meet his gaze. He only continued to chuckle, and Soo turned to glare at him as he continued to wipe the remnants of himself from her body.

"Speak for yourself," he muttered back. "Hae Soo, your cheeks are red. Did I do that?"

The warm cloth touched her where So had just been, but Soo felt a new intimacy take a hold of her. She blushed deeper and held her gaze on So as he meticulously cleaned her. Yet, for how embarrassing it felt for So to hold her knees open and dab the white towel against her sex, Soo did not ask him to stop.

When he was satisfied with his work, So released her knees and Soo shut them with a huff, watching him expertly throw the towel into the bathroom sink from where he sat on the bed.

The wet cloth smacked against granite and So laid in front of her, his arms going around her and his smirking lips kissing her hot cheeks. Soo made a face at her lover as she snuggled closer. "Imagine if you'd missed and the towel hit a wall," she mumbled.

"I never miss," was So's immediate reply. Soo wrinkled her nose at him.

"Arrogance?"

"Truth."

They laid on the messy bed, neither willing to move away from each other long enough to curl up beneath the sheets. Soo rested her head on So's arm and tangled her legs with his. She felt a dull throb in her hips and knew she would be aching later, but she did not care- not when So was holding her again.

"No one's done that to me before," Soo muttered, too flushed to meet So's eyes. His lips met her forehead and Soo hugged his muscled body close.

So replied simply. "I doubt there's anything I wouldn't do for you."

Soo kissed So's chest, touching his scars with her lips. So's fingers trailed up and down her skin, tracing abstract patterns and drawing wobbling lines.

"I put you on the balcony to scare you into hating me," So said, his statement appearing out of the blue. Soo nuzzled against his neck, feeling it vibrate as he spoke. His Adam's apple moved and she touched it, brushing her fingers against the ridge on his throat. "So that you'd fire me."

She sighed and shook her head. "I've noticed you're not the best at setting long-term plans," she remarked. Hell, I'm not the best either. "How could I ever hate you? There is nothing in this world that could ever make me hate you. You can scare me all you want. I won't ever hate you."

So stiffened beside her and Soo exhaled slowly.

All these secrets you keep, Wang So. Let me bear your burdens, whatever they are.

She kissed his skin again, meeting his lips with hers when he touched her chin.

"Don't ever even think about leaving me again," Soo murmured, gazing at So as his hand ran up her hip and back. "I need you. You mean so much to me."

They embraced and Soo accepted So's promise.

"I won't leave unless you want me to," he said. "I'm yours forever- to do with as you please."

Thank you to Krysyuy for being the best beta in whole world.