TRACK 17
HOME TONIGHT
LIZ
After such a long emotion-filled day, I'm really glad that I let Yoon Ji talk me into going back home with him.
I really can't fathom spending tonight alone after our talk earlier.
I've got most of their personalities and quirks down pretty quickly considering there are eight of them.
One of the best things about him that I think even some of his members forget sometimes, is that he truly is a great listener.
We walk hand in hand, not in any rush to get anywhere after we fill our bellies full of our favorite chicken.
He'd asked if I wanted to go to my favorite place, but I'd told him no for more than one reason.
I don't want to see anyone I know right now.
With my emotions so raw, it's bad enough that he's had to see me like this.
I do my best to hide it away from the world.
Plus, he's not even wearing his own shoes or a jacket.
I'm just glad he grabbed a mask on his way out, even if his bleach blonde hair is sticking out every which way.
It might be a good thing, though. No one would ever expect an idol to be out and about without looking pristine.
My guys aren't like that. They care to an extent, but they're so down-to-earth.
It's one of the main things that drew me to Kyung.
I kind of fully expected him to act like a diva celebrity.
That is the furthest thing from the truth.
They're some of the most kind, humble people I've ever met.
I peek up at Yoon Ji to find him already watching me. It makes me smile and blurt out what I'm thinking. "My omma would've loved you. All of you."
"We would've loved her, too, I'm sure," he says, making my heart flutter when he adds, "She gave us you, after all."
Grinning like a fool, I purposely bump into him.
He doesn't even pretend to stumble, like the wall of muscle he is. There's a flashing light ahead. We see it at the same time and look at each other with wide eyes.
"Ice cream?" I ask with a quick wiggle of my eyebrows.
"Absolutely," he agrees, chuckling. "But no running home today."
"Deal," I tell him, skipping ahead a few steps.
When I turn around to see if he's following, he's tucking his phone into his pocket.
I might be an emotional wreck today, but I'm not oblivious.
I'd bet my ice cream that the others are keeping tabs on us.
Well, maybe not my whole ice cream. Just one scoop.
Nah, I take that back. Both scoops and the cone, because my phone hasn't gone off a single time.
Kyung would normally be freaking out by now if he hadn't laid eyes on me.
Earlier doesn't count since they were covered playing a game.
We take our time deciding before we pay and stand back to watch them scoop our cones. Yoon Ji grabs both of them and looks them up and down before handing me mine.
"Did you want to try it?" I ask him, knowing he's so accustomed to sharing and trading his food that it's almost second nature at this point.
"May I?" he asks in return.
Smiling, I hold it out for him. Slipping his mask off one ear, he uses his lips to pinch off a small bit to try. A short huff of a laugh escapes when I see the line just above his lip.
"That one is really good," he admits. "I wasn't sure I'd like the strawberry flavor mixed with banana."
"I'll trade you," I offer. "But let me get that first."
Closing the small gap between us, I use my thumb to clean off his lip, not even fighting my grin.
His eyes flick down to mine, and it makes my stomach flutter in response.
I lift my chin a bit, giving him permission.
Forgetting all about the ice cream, he leans down and presses his mouth against mine.
I like the way he tastes sweeter than any ice cream ever could.
I like the way his free arm goes around my lower back to pull me closer.
But what I really like is how each kiss I've gotten from him has surprised me.
The first one in the van was rough, because our competitive natures brought out his animal.
The one later was less animalistic, but still just as passionate.
This one is sweet. Every brush of his tongue against mine is slow and deliberate like he's trying to memorize everything about this moment that he can.
With all of the willpower I can muster in my body, I bring my free hand up from where it's resting at the top of his stomach to his chest and push ever so slightly.
He pulls away, but doesn't go very far. His expression says he doesn't want to stop and neither do I, but I didn't even check around us for people or cameras like I normally do.
The last thing I want is to cause them any kind of scandal issues.
"Ice cream first before it melts," I suggest with a quick nod. "Finish this later?"
He catches on and takes a look around us as he replies, "Promise?"
"I promise," I tell him with a smile, offering my cone up for trade.
Looking between the two, he decides to keep his own, and it makes me smile as much as him trading me would've.
"Want to walk down the river for a little while?" he asks. "It's been raining so much, and I've been stuck inside a lot lately. I miss the fresh air."
"Sure," I tell him, knowing I'd never be able to deny him even the smallest pleasure in life.
We walk the river for at least an hour in the same direction as the house. Once our ice cream is gone, he tucks his hands in his pockets, and I lock my arm through his elbow, wanting to feel his closeness as much as possible.
"Going back to what you said earlier," I start, "I think we should both be glad that you didn't grab Dav En's shoes in your rush out the door."
He chuckles, the deep sound making little butterflies take flight in my belly. "Not that my brother doesn't have good style or anything. Could you imagine, though? I'm pretty sure his feet are like four sizes bigger than mine."
I cover my mouth at the visual of poor Yoon Ji walking around like this with me in what would look like clown shoes on him. Then he just has to go and wreck me even further.
"I wouldn't have really cared either," he tells me, letting his gaze drift out over the river. "All I could think of in the moment was getting to you. If that meant giant shoes or no shoes at all. I wasn't going to let you get away."
"Why are you so sweet?" I ask him.
"Is that sweet?" he asks, turning back to me. "I thought it might come off as kind of selfish."
"Why did you come after me?" I counter.
His lips press together for a second before he answers, "Because I saw that you were upset, and I was worried about you."
"Sweet then," I assure him.
"Even though I talked you into coming back with me because not only do I not want you alone tonight or tomorrow, but also because I didn't want you away from us?" he asks in a lower tone.
"Yes," I tell him. "Even then. You can clearly see that it didn't take much convincing, yeah?"
He chuckles again.
"About what I said earlier," I start, trying to approach gently. "I answered you honestly about you feeling like home."
Stopping, he turns to face me, pulling me close enough that we're chest to chest. "And that you love me? That too?"
Tilting my chin so that I can look him in the eyes, I answer him honestly, "Yes. Yoon Ji, I don't give those words freely to anyone. I never have. So, if I say them, I mean them. But can you do me a favor and let me tell the others in my own time?"
His lips twitching gives him away. Something is up with whatever he is about to say. "Sure, I can do that."
"Thanks," I tell him, willing to wait and see what the truth reveals.
"So, you do love me?" he asks again.
My head tilts back with my laugh. "Yes!"
"You love your boyfriend?" he questions in a teasing tone.
Throwing my arms around his shoulders, I can't fight my grin even if I wanted to. "Yes, I love my boyfriend, Seo Yoon Ji."
"You're the first person who has ever said that to me that wasn't my parents or my brothers," he admits, sliding his hands across my lower back to pull me tighter against him.
"How do you do that?" I ask.
"Hmm?" he questions.
I slide the loop of his mask off one of his ears so that I can see his entire face. "Make me want to kiss you all the time."
He laughs softly. "Must be a talent."
"One of many," I remind him, feeling his deep tone down to my toes.
This time, he's the one that closes the distance between us and presses his lips against mine.
I wasn't lying. I could literally spend an entire day kissing this man and never get tired of it.
Lifting me off my feet, he spins us around a few times before setting me back down.
He gives me another quick kiss before stepping back and offering his elbow for me to loop my arm through.
It's how we walk the rest of the way home and into the house. Going back inside, I can almost forget the reason I was even upset in the first place. Thinking about the sweet man who came after me, let me practically cry on his shoulder, and then all but forced a confession out of me, I realize in this moment that it’s as true as the words I spoke.
I do love him. I'm thinking that, looking up at him as we round the corner into the kitchen.
I'm not even surprised to see everyone waiting on us.
I halfway expected them to meet us at the door, if I'm honest. Kyung opens his arms, and my body responds before my mind does, but I'm not ready to let Yoon Ji go yet.
Which is how I end up squeezed between them.
Then he goes and apologizes for everyone knowing our conversation from earlier, and I'm hugging him again without letting go of Kyung.
I figured something was up with how he was acting earlier, but it makes no difference.
I wasn't kidding when I told him there shouldn't be secrets in his family.