Chapter 16

"But I don't want to!"

"I think you need to Tae," I placated, grinning a little to myself as he lay back on the bed, arm covering his eyes, pouting.

"But I don't have anyone here I can trust to do it."

"It will grow again in the next few weeks and then you can get it done properly. Come on, you know it's bothering you."

"You love it though," he said, sitting up and running his hand through the long length we were talking about.

"I do," I replied, reaching my hand to join in, the feel of his hair twisting between my fingers very memorable for many reasons. "But it's bothering you and you can't tie it back properly when you have a cap on so we're kind of stuck for disguises now."

He sighed. And pouted some more. And rolled his eyes while I tried to hide my smirk.

"Alright then, you do it."

"What? No! I've never cut anyone's hair, it will look terrible." He had gotten better but was still definitely a little bit of a prima donna about his hair and face. With good reason, it was part of his job and there was no way I was going near being the one to make him mad if anything went wrong.

"I trust you," he said sweetly and I just shook my head at him and backed away from the bed. Sophia was playing at my feet and I glanced down in the small space, careful not to trip as I moved back.

"Nope. Not going to happen."

"Awww jagi, it will be fine. Please?" His puppy dog eyes came out and I hissed at him between gritted teeth.

"That's not fair, you know that always works."

"Of course and I use it as often as I need to," he grinned at me. "So yes, you'll cut my hair? You don't have to take much off, just cut the ends so they're not brushing against my neck so much."

"Alright then. And stop smirking at me, you knew what you were doing with those eyes," and he leaned forward, kissing the frown from my mouth as I easily gave in.

But now as he sat in the sunshine, he was relaxed on a camping chair and I was fretting, worried about making a terrible job of it. The newly purchased scissors would make it easier with how sharp they were but I was wringing my hands together to stop them from shaking a little.

"Are you going to start jagiya," he asked, turning slightly in the chair to look up at me.

"Mmmmmm, I'm thinking about it," I replied, stalling for time.

"It'll be fine, just take it slowly."

Nodding, I picked the scissors up and ran my fingers through his hair, enjoying the length before taking some of it. Tae relaxed into my touch with a sigh. "You can't do that," I said loudly, earning a small laugh in return.

"What? Sigh? It feels nice."

"Sigh, laugh, move, do anything that will distract me while I have scissors near your head."

"I trust you, go for it."

"Just don't move then Tae," I said, opening the scissors up and snipping a little off the ends at the back. Holding my breath as it fell under the sharpness, leaving a gap of length, I let my breath out. So far so good or at least, it seemed straight. Snipping a little more, I worked slowly, taking just a small amount at a time until it was sitting above his shoulders, looking trim and quite a bit shorter.

"Do you want me to trim around your ears," I asked.

"Aniyo, we can leave that long."

"Good because I want something for my fingers to play with."

"I've got lots of other things your fingers can play with," and I could see his cheeks rise in a smirk, even from the back.

"Oppa! Stop," I laughed, worried that I would make a mistake as the scissors hovered for a few final loose ends.

Putting the scissors down, I blew the hair off his neck, gently flicking the rest off with my hand and his came up to rest on mine, giving it a gentle squeeze. "All done," he asked, turning slightly in the chair to look up at me.

"I think so and I think it looks OK but remember I'm not a hairdresser Tae."

"It will be fine aein," and he stood up, kissing my cheeks as he shook his hair out, running his own hand through it to test it's length. Smiling at me he walked into the campervan and I trailed behind, anxious to see what he thought. As he opened the bathroom door, turning from side to side to look in the mirror, he took it all in, spinning from all angles. And he was very quiet.

Twisting my lips at the silence, I waited. And then it got too much, wondering what he was thinking. "Is it OK Tae?"

He met my eyes and there was a hint of amusement in his as he replied. "I can wear a hat."

"You hate it? I should never have done it, why did you make me," I wailed, Sophia coming running at my apparent distress.

"What's wrong mama," she asked, taking my hand in hers and hugging my leg with her free one.

"Nothing BugBug, mama is being silly." Turning to me, he was grinning. "I'm teasing jagi, it's fine."

"Fine? Not good?"

"Well, it was your first try and you can only get better right?"

"Nope, I'm not doing it again, that's a one time thing. I knew I'd be terrible at it."

"Not terrible, just not a career change for you." I don't know why he found it amusing when he was the one who had to wear it. Or cover it up. "Honestly, it's pretty OK. Just no selcas for a while."

I rolled my eyes as he pulled me in, pressing his lips to mine. "Thank you for doing that, I won't be so annoyed now with it tickling my neck and it won't be so hot."

I looked over to where Sophia had gone, watching as she played in the little area we had set up for her with toys. "Don't ask me for anymore favours, clearly I am not cut out for anything to do with the beauty world."

"When it comes naturally like you have it, you don't need to know what's going on in the beauty world."

"Charmer," I replied, wrapping my arms around his neck as he slid his hands down to my hips.

"Guilty but are you sure?"

"Am I sure about what," I asked, his fingers spreading slow circles and warmth across my body.

"Are you sure I can't ask you for anymore favours?"

His tone was light, teasing. His voice deep and words slow, dripping with a kind of honey that I definitely recognised by now.

"I suppose it depends on the favour," I conceded.

"I know I can think of some you'll agree to," he whispered into my ear as his lips came to press a kiss under it. Closing my eyes, I felt the movements of his mouth and hands, soaking in the sensations.

"You're pretty sure of yourself."

"I'm pretty sure of us," he answered and I sighed as his mouth continued to move.

"I'm pretty sure of us too," I replied and felt his smile against my collarbone.

"Did you leave enough length," he asked as we pulled away enough to look at each other.

"Enough for what, tying out the way?"

"I know you like the tie I bought from home," and I blushed a little, remembering when he'd pulled it out to show me before we'd found a good use for it. "But I wasn't thinking about tying anything. I was meaning for you to hold onto when I'm," and I interrupted him.

"OK OK Tae, got it and yes, there is more than enough for that."

"Good because I very much like your hands wrapped around any part of me, anytime."

I put my hands on his shoulders, standing up a little on my toes so ours noses were level as I moved mine lightly side to side against his. "My hands not my mouth," I asked, teasing as our lips came so close to each other without touching. His slow blink reply was cute, his mouth dropping open and breathing increase was noticeable.

"You know I love your mouth," he said softly, inching slightly closer.

"Oh, I know oppa," I said, closing the gap with a light brush against his lips.

His quick answer was in the way he tightened his hands behind my back, pressing himself fully against me. "You know I can do the same for you?"

"Cut my hair you mean," I asked, snuggling against him as he held me close.

"Not exactly. I was more thinking something a bit, ummmm, closer."

"Closer?"

He looked across at Sophia then back to me. "Lets talk about it later."

I raised my eyebrows and he winked at me. "Patience nae sarang."

Later that night we'd tucked Sophia into bed, partially closing the van door as we sat outside in the fresh early Autumn night air. The sun hadn't gone down yet but the golden light was beginning it's descent as we lounged on a blanket, holding hands as we read. Tae's hand came up to his face a few times and by the third time I asked what was bothering him.

"Nothing really, I just need to shave," he said as he turned a page.

"Do you want me to go grab your things before the light goes?"

"I can do it," he answered, closing his book but I was already standing up, dusting the grass off my legs as I kissed his fingers, dropping our hands as I walked into our home away from home. Rummaging quietly in the small bathroom cupboard above the sink, I found his shaving kit, filled a cup with water and handed it all to him as I sat down again next to him.

"Can you hold the mirror for me jagiya," he asked as he pulled out foam, beginning to lather it on his face. I watched him for a moment as his hands made every surface white and slick with foam.

"How about I do it for you," I replied, reaching for the razor, holding it between my fingers, giving him a chance to say no.

His eyes looked out of a sea of white, deep brown and blinked very slowly at me. "I think I'd like that."

Walking closer, I straddled his legs, kneeling on the blanket either side of his thighs. His hands automatically came up to steady my hips as I reached one hand up to his neck, gathering up a little foam where it was dripping. His eyes followed my movements and he swallowed as I brought the razor up to his neck. "Ready?"

"I am very, very ready Marley," he said, dragging out his words but holding incredibly still as I slid the blade down his neck, cleaning it in the cup of water before starting on another stroke. Anytime I glanced his way, Tae was watching, mouth closed against the foam on his face but lips pressed tightly together as his eyes followed me.

Adjusting how I was seated, I leaned even closer, coming up over his jaw to glide along the parts that had been rough against my lips when I'd kissed him that morning. I didn't mind, it sparked memories of the first morning we'd been together all those months ago. "Am I doing this right?" My voice was soft so not to startle him when the blade was close to his face but I'd made sure it wasn't touching when I'd asked.

"I don't even care right now," he replied, hands gently holding the small of my back. "This is, ummmmm, really... fun." His body under me told me what he meant.

"Ah fun," I answered, attaching it to his face again and he fell silent as I continued.

"Do I go down for the part above your lip," I asked, chewing my own. So far I thought I'd managed to do this without nicking him and I wanted to avoid that if possible.

His hand came up slowly to hold the razor with my own hand, guiding it in the direction to go before dropping it again when he saw I had the angle right.

"Can you do this every time now," he asked, keeping his face still but eyes sparkling with his words.

I paused in what I was doing, leaning in to brush my lips lightly across his, the stirring in my body following what I could feel under my hips. He smirked as he came up to wipe a little of the foam from my face.

"Cute."

"It's giving me anxiety."

"It's giving me all sorts of other feelings," he replied, fingers sliding up to rest higher on my back.

"I can tell oppa," I answered, one eyebrow raised as I carried on paying close attention to the remaining hair on his face, small amount of foam left.

"It's not something I can hide."

"And I like that I can still cause you to react."

"That won't ever stop aein," he said as I took a cloth, wiping the mess from his face, touching the smoothness that was left behind. Opening the after shave, I patted some onto his skin, inhaling the manly scent that I had always loved when it lingered when he shaved. When I was satisfied, I kissed him again before going to stand up and put everything away. Tae held me firmly, not letting me move.

"My turn."

"I would hope I don't need you to do that for me," I laughed, linking my arms around his neck, pressing our chests together.

"You said earlier you needed to do your legs, I can do that for you. That's what I was talking about earlier when you cut my hair."

I blinked at him, cringing at the idea. "Oh? Oh! No, that's OK, it takes ages."

"It's not like I have a lot of plans tonight," he said against my lips. "Apart from later, in bed. But now, I want to do this for you."

He ran his hand down my bare leg, the nice weather perfect for wearing shorts. I would previously had been embarrassed that they weren't already completely smooth when he touched me but travelling together and not being able to take care of those things as easily meant I'd had to get over myself. "OK," I said quietly and his eyes lit up. Like it was Christmas. Like it was the best answer I could've given and I laughed a little.

"Thank you," he said, reaching for the foam. Guiding me back so I was stretched out on the blanket, he set about putting it all over one leg, running his hands over the surfaces as he did. Then he cleaned off the razor, arched an eyebrow and began, sliding it over my leg. His tongue came out a little as he concentrated and I understood how he had been watching me so closely when I'd shaved his face. I couldn't help follow his movements, every stroke he made against my skin. We had done plenty of things that were a lot more intimate but this felt intimate in a whole new way. It was what I could imagine him doing one day when I was too pregnant to lean over and do it myself, reminding me that he was always there for me, in any situation. I trusted him completely.

As he started on the second leg, I leaned in to kiss him and he stopped so he didn't cut me. "Saranghae."

"I love you too Marley."

"No Tae, I mean it but it doesn't feel enough, saranghae, saranghae but I want to say more."

He kissed my face, resting his lips on each eyelid as I closed it, kissing down my arm to my wrist and then as it rested on my dry leg, he grazed down my thigh, gently showing me he loved me too.

His mouth on my thigh was distracting. More than that, it was causing my back to arch a little, body clenching from his caresses. "Tae. Oppa. I, well, pil-yohae."

His mouth and eyes lifted from my leg, fixed intently on my face. "When did you learn that," he asked, dropping the razor and pushing me gently so my back was on the blanket.

"A few days ago when I wanted to express it to you in your language but couldn't." I was looking up at him as he hovered over me, foam forgotten on my leg as it smeared between us.

"Always say that to me jagiya, hangsang. I need you too," he said, lowering himself slowly so that our bodies were flush and I glanced up at him, at the orange sky above us where the sun was drifting to sleep and I had never felt so sure that I wanted this to be forever.