A ride along the river, just basking in this new and wonderful thing they had.

This is for @pateetsie and @keepfallenstars for keeping me awake at night and making me write things gaddammit.
#coreastories #mineuncouple

She felt someone shake her gently and she smiled--knowing it was her mom or dad and maybe they had an advance gift. But she smiled without opening her eyes. Her birthday was tomorrow. Her birthday could wait. Sleep was important.

"Wake up, birthday girl. You have a visitor."

That made her eyelids fly open. Who on earth would come at-- She looked at the clock. It was after 9pm.

She looked at her dad's half smile half smirk and knew. And suddenly her heart was pounding in her chest.

"Come out when you're ready."

Her dad left her bedroom and she reached for the clothes she still hadn't put away. She pulled the purple shirt at the bottom of the pile and grinned fondly at its wrinkled glory. She took off her pajama top and put on the purple shirt.

She ran her fingers through her short hair, loving the feel of it.

She wiped her face with the bottom of her shirt to get rid of any sleep grease and grit.

That was it, she laughed to herself. She was ready.

She came out of her room and saw him in the dining area, saw the cutest cake slices on the table, saw him pouring another glass of water. Saw him see her. Saw him take her in from her unbrushed hair to her bare feet. Saw him smile like he couldn't help it.

So she smiled back and decided that maybe... maybe there really was something here.

When he got up and gave her an envelope, her heart felt like it wanted to escape her ribcage so she laughed.

"Are you still reading or watching my old interviews?"

"What old interviews?" But his grin had turned shy. "It just says happy birthday. Read it later."

"Thank you."

He put a party hat on her head, paused to see if she was ok with it, and then gently snapped the elastic against her chin. She slapped his arm as he laughed.

She saw the silly sunglasses and put them on herself. They were grinning too much but she didn't care. They sat at the table and she smiled at those lit candles.

Using her phone, he took photos without taking his eyes off her.

Was it any wonder she forgot to even look for her mom and dad? They'd probably gone to bed.

"Do you want any cake?"
"Not if you don't want any. It's too late for sweets, yeah?"
"Yeah." She blew out the candles.
What next? "Let's go outside."

She got on her bike. He got on his hoverboard. But not before he gave her a bouquet. She looked at him reproachfully. He grinned. "Well, I wanted you to be the first to see it, not your dad."

She raised her eyebrow. "Smooth. You were shy, weren't you?"

He just laughed.

She loved that he still got shy. It wasn't like her dad didn't know everything. But it was adorable that he still got nervous about her dad.
And her dad liked it, too. Liked that he wasn't too confident, too self-assured. Not for this.

She secured the bouquet with its own ribbons onto her bike and they glided through the night on their silent wheels.
They didn't say anything, only crinkling their eyes at each other whenever their gazes met and locked above their masks.

They both took videos and photos, both while off and on their wheels. The Han River was a black mirror of lights and stars and she loved the balmy air, loved this evening.

"What are you doing tomorrow? Is your day full?"
"Not really. The agency's a sure thing. They say I have a lot of gifts to pick up. Then I think my mom and dad have a small party planned." She wrinkled her nose. "I just really want to sleep."

He took her hand and cradled it against the railing. "Sorry I woke you up." But he was grinning as he said that. She really loved that grin. She understood why it made millions of people insane.
"I missed you," he said softly, looking at the river, gently squeezing her hand.

She took a deep breath, didn't bother hiding how she felt, not this time. "I missed you, too."
He turned to her and smiled. Transferred her hand from one hand to the other as he moved the hand close to her to place his arm around her and tuck her against him. "Happy birthday."

She hid her face against his jacket, savored how warm he was, and smiled.
"It IS a happy birthday."
And even though she loved her hand in his, she pulled away so she can snake her arm under his jacket and around his waist.

They stayed like that for some time, just holding each other. She loved that he knew when to talk--and they talked a lot--and when to let them both just bask in this new and wonderful thing they had.

Because it WAS wonderful. And the next day, when she saw that he'd been up to mischief, she wasn't even angry. That song-- she was smiling as she closed Insta and called him. He was already laughing the moment he picked up.
"I told you they love us."
"Shut up."