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Summary: Four years and continents apart. What keeps Yi Jeong and Ga Eul's hope alive are the letters that they write to each other from time to time…

LOVE LETTER

XXXV

Tonight is his wedding night, his first real night with Ga Eul. Not that all the other times weren't genuine, he corrects himself hastily. They'd had the very rare sleepover, usually when her parents weren't in town and he could come over. That way, they always had parental guilt to keep their wondering hands in check. Plus, Ga Eul seemed to have superhuman self control, even when it came to him. But tonight is different, it's special.

They had bid all their guests good night after the wedding dinner. Some had left; others were staying and then leaving the next morning. And his blushing bride had requested that she go upstairs first and that after a "decent amount of time", to quote her exact words, he could come up as well. As if anyone expected them to keep their hands off each other tonight. But if it made Ga Eul more comfortable, he would do it.

Deciding that thirty minutes is decent enough for anyone, let alone a very eager groom who managed to behave himself for the past year, Yi Jeong takes that first step up the flights of stairs.

"Yi Jeong ah!"

He can't quite swallow the faint curse on his lips. Something like this would happen to him. He could not be allowed to enjoy his wedding night in peace. Making a mental note to himself to lock the door and take the phone off the hook, plus to squirrel their respective handphones away somewhere where Ga Eul could not hear any ringtones, Yi Jeong turns back, a look of strained patience on his face.

"Yes, Woo Bin?" The anxiety on his friend's face changes his own expression to real concern. "Is something wrong?"

"I can't find Jae Kyung. I've tried her room, I've called her but her phone's shut off I think. I've searched the garden and the bank of the lake." It's an effort to keep his voice low and Woo Bin realises subconsciously that he's run his hand through his hair for what must be the thousandth time. "She's missing!"

Ah, so that was the problem. "Oh, she's left for the airport. She went immediately after the dinner." The look on Woo Bin's face is priceless. It was almost funny, except that Yi Jeong felt obliged by the bonds of friendship and brotherhood to feel sorry for Woo Bin.

Woo Bin's first instinct is to grab Yi Jeong by his collar and shake him furiously. Instead, he settles for clenching his jaw and fists and growling at Yi Jeong. "And you didn't tell me because?"

"Because she asked Ga Eul yang and I not to."

That sentence deflates him faster than the hardest punch he has ever received. So she had made up her mind to walk away first. "I see. Thanks."

"Her flight doesn't leave until two hours from now. You can still catch her." Yi Jeong takes out a pair of car keys from his pocket. "One of my relatives saw fit to ship over a Lotus for Ga Eul yang, part of the wedding present. I didn't have the heart to tell him she can't drive. You can borrow her car for tonight. It's sitting in the driveway; bring it back in one piece." Firmly, he takes Woo Bin's hand and drops it in his open palm. "Only the courageous will conquer love. It sounds sappy, but it's true. Look at what happened today."

And with that, he leaves Woo Bin. When he looks back several steps later, his best friend is gone. Seconds later, he hears a familiar low roar of a Lotus starting up and smiles. It's about time that the mafia prince got his princess.

……………………….

Ga Eul stands by the French doors that lead to a balcony that overlooks the loch. It's cold outside; she can see the wind rippling the dark glassy surface of the water. Above, there is a bright moon, not perfectly round but with a pale ring of iridescence surrounding it. She wraps her arms around herself, feeling slightly exposed in her modest silky black robe. Tonight is the first night where there are no boundaries, no limits to whatever they do, to what he wants to do. And as badly as she wants him, she can't help but feel nervous.

The door opens and she turns slightly, her profile caught in the soft dim light. All the lights save one, the light furthest from the bed which illuminates a small alcove in the huge room, have been switched off. She tries to smile at Yi Jeong when he shuts the door and shoots her a rakish grin but she can't.

"Are you okay sweetheart?"

He crosses the room quickly, rubbing his hands up and down her slender arms gently to try and soothe her. Ga Eul tells herself she's being silly; she's waited for this night with as much anticipation as he has. Saving themselves for their wedding night has been tough, to say the least. "Yes I am," she replies softly.

Yi Jeong takes her hand and kisses her fingers gently. Light as a butterfly's touch, he presses his lips against her skin, trailing them over her hand, around her wrist. When he reaches her palm, he touches his tongue to the centre, hears her soft gasp as he continues his ministrations. Then she sighs and he knows he has her. Wrapping her arm around his waist, he leans down and captures her mouth in a kiss.

She opens her mouth for him, moaning softly as his tongue enters and meets hers. She can still taste the wine they had during dinner. His fingers dig into her waist when she sucks on his lip, his tongue. There is a vague awareness when he lifts her in his arms, lays her down on the bed. She slides against the silk sheets as she reaches up, bringing him down with her.

She reaches for his buttons, feeling for them in the darkness. When he tries to untie her robe, she stops him, still feeling shy. Yi Jeong lets her have her way, relinquishing control of the moment to her, knowing it will help her conquer her nerves. When she finally unbuttons his shirt, she pushes it aside, trails her fingers over his bare skin, down his front. Her mouth follows suit and he crushes a fistful of silky hair in his hand as he presses her closer to him, trying not to moan unsuccessfully. With the lights out and with her clothes on, his precious Ga Eul yang has become quite bold.

He feels her fumble slightly when she gets to his pants, knows when she hesitates before deciding to tug them off. He helps her out, glad to be out of the confines of his garments, to feel silk and her skin against his own. She gasps as he catches her around the waist, forcing her to straddle him. Whispering softly to reassure her, he never loosens his grip as he coaxes her to settle atop him. He grits his teeth, stifling a groan when she finally acquiesces and he realises that she is naked underneath the robe. Experimentally, she rocks against him; he can feel her jerk when his erection gets too close to her centre. Pressing his head back against the pillows, Yi Jeong moves with her. When she becomes more confident, he pulls her down to him, kisses her hard enough to bruise her lips and rolls her beneath him. She is perfection and he cannot get enough of her…

………………..

When he finally recovers enough to think, Yi Jeong realises that Ga Eul is bearing his full weight. With a somewhat breathless apology, he rolls over, taking her with him as he cuddles her close.

"Ga Eul yang?" he murmurs.

"Yes?" Her voice sounds so deliciously husky that if he weren't currently exhausted, he would be tempted to make love to her again.

"Nothing." Yi Jeong drops a kiss on her forehead, rubs his cheek against her hair. He doesn't really have anything to say, he just wants her awake with him. It's a strange new feeling; all this in fact is new to him. For once he doesn't want to leave, doesn't want anyone to go. He wants to preserve the moment for as long as he can, he craves a different intimacy after pleasure. Even making love is different now. It's not for selfish gain or to cement his reputation, it's about her and making sure the experience is as unforgettable for her as he knows it is for him.

She chuckles and presses a kiss against his neck before settling down beside him. He listens to her breathing in the darkness, hears each breath as it is drawn out and realises that slowly, she is succumbing to sleep. "Ga Eul yang, have you heard the legend about the lake beside this castle?"

Ga Eul yawns discreetly before she smiles. She knows what he is doing and wonders how long she can stay awake for him. Tonight has been more than anything she expected or hoped for; they finally belong to each other in every way possible between two people. So she fights against the heaviness weighing down her lids, and tries not to think too much about the comforting warmth of his body entwined around hers. "I heard about the fake one you and Jan Di concocted for Woo Bin sunbae and Jae Kyung."

He laughs softly and wonders briefly if Woo Bin managed to catch Jae Kyung in time. He hopes for his best friend's sake that he managed to. "Well, this one is real apparently. It's about a kelpie, a Scottish water horse."

"A water horse?"

"It's a magical creature that usually takes the shape of a beautiful horse in order to ensnare humans. Kelpies can transform into humans as well."

"As handsome as my teacher at school?" She squeals as he retaliates by tickling her mercilessly. "Okay, okay! As handsome as you."

"That's better," Yi Jeong says smugly. She mutters something about vain chaebols but he decides to continue with his story. "Anyway, one day, this kelpie who lived in the lake felt lonely and decided that he would pick the most beautiful girl living in a nearby village. So he turned himself into a black stallion and wandered into a field where she was resting."

"He kidnapped her?"

"Well, she was enchanted by him but once she started petting him, she found that she could not let him go. That's when she realised that she was in trouble."

In spite of her tiredness, Ga Eul found her interest in the tale growing. "So what did she do?"

"Well, she talked him into allowing her one last afternoon out on the land and eventually, into lying under a tree with her. She started singing to him and at last, he found himself falling asleep. When she invited him to lay his head on her lap and sleep, he transformed into a human and promptly accepted her offer. Unfortunately for him, the girl was aware that the kelpies in human form wear a chain around their neck."

"If she gets the chain she can control him?"

"I married a smart woman."

"If only it had been that easy to catch you," Ga Eul sighs dramatically.

"Casanovas are more difficult to manage than kelpies," he replies dryly.

"I wouldn't disagree. So she caught him and then?"

"She made him work on her farm for her father. Every day, once their chores were over, she would bring him around the area, show him the beautiful forests, and tell him stories about the people, about herself and how her father had single-handedly raised her. Every night she would rub him down in his stall and stay with him until he fell asleep."

Ga Eul props herself up on her elbow, tracing patterns on her husband's bare skin. She smiles when he sighs quietly and tells her that it feels nice. "I'm still waiting for the rest of the story."

"I'm getting to it my sweet impatient country bumpkin. Anyway, after a year, she gave him back his chain because she could see the sadness in his eyes each time they rode past the lake. The girl, in spite of herself, had fallen in love with the kelpie when she had seen his human form. Instead of kidnapping her however, the kelpie chose to let her go."

"He had fallen in love with her too."

"See, I told you I married a smart woman. Yes, he had fallen in love with her and the idea of taking her away from everything she cared for, of hurting her had become unbearable. After living for hundreds of years, he had finally learnt not to be selfish."

Yi Jeong is quiet for a few moments before he continues and Ga Eul begins to have an inkling of why he has chosen to tell her this particular story. "They parted ways but months later, he appeared before her again. He gave her his chain, telling her that if she still loved him, he would give up his magic and become a human for her sake. It was the only way they could live on the land and be together, in life and death."

"He didn't want to live forever and watch her grow old."

"No, being alive without her would not be living at all."

"So they lived happily ever after?"

Yi Jeong is not surprised that a romantic like Ga Eul has guessed the end of the story correctly. "Yes, she had not forgotten him even for a moment. So they were married and lived a long life together. And when he finally passed away, she followed after within days."

Ga Eul leans forward, so close she can feel his breath on her cheek, her lips. "Do you think you are like that kelpie?"

Gently, he threads his fingers through her hair, strokes his thumb over the smoothness of her cheek. She has always been able to see through him, this woman who lights up his life. "In some ways. I keep telling myself how lucky I am that you found me." His voice is thick with emotion as he confesses this to her. Pulling her to him, he kisses her deeply, telling her with his body what he feels in his soul.

Laying a hand over his heart, she returns the kiss. "So, how did I catch a Casanova since, as you said, they are much harder to handle than kelpies?" she murmurs against his lips.

"Well, I can't speak for all of them. But you caught this one by showing him he has a heart. And then you gave him all of yours."

She doesn't say anything for a long moment. And then she wraps her arms around him as tightly as she can. For as long as she lives, there will be nothing that she wants more than to just hold him in these moments that will last forever. "I love you, So Yi Jeong."

"I love you, Chu Ga Eul. Perhaps more than you will ever know."

A/N: Okay, so I did have a more complete and better written version of this written but I'm not putting it up here because according to the rules, I'll have to rate it M and I think that's a little ridiculous, considering that it's just for half a chapter really, and M stories do not show up as recent updates unless you check for them.

The legend is adapted from a story entitled "The Kelpie and the Girl".

The epilogue will be up in a day or two. ^_^