“You already have my heart, and you know it,” I whisper against his lips before I kiss him again, deep and lush, one hand at the back of his neck, the other on the small of his back.
He moans softly, wrapping his arms around my shoulders and pressing his chest closer to mine. When we break for a breath, he cups my face with his palms. “I don’t need anything else.”
“Just those two parts of me?” I raise an eyebrow in question.
Sun considers for a moment, making a big show of acting like he’s thinking, brow furrowed, head tilted as frowns. “I guess your brain is pretty sexy too.”
“Thanks so much.” I push him off my lap gently. “So you don’t want to know then? I’ll just keep it for myself.”
He looks offended, like I might actually deny him something. “I didn’t say that!”
“That’s what I thought.” I take his hand again and lead him to my bedroom, flipping on the lights so he can see the balloons, the bouquet, the champagne bucket. I watch him take it all in, clearly confused, but also very curious. When he turns to me, his eyes are wide and bright as he nibbles on his lower lip..
“What’s going on?” he asks, when I sit down at the edge of the bed and pat the space next to me. “Are we celebrating something?”
“I hope so.” I reach for one of the balloons, then pick up the tiny pin on my nightstand and prick the hot pink heart-shape to pop it, making gold confetti spill out all over him. His shriek of surprise quickly turns into giggles of joy, and I am so charmed, I can’t hold out anymore. “I love you,sachi...”
“I love you, too. Love you so much,” he replies immediately, before I get a chance to really get going, leaning in for another kiss, quick and sweet.
I snatch the box out of my pocket, trying to keep it hidden while his eyes are on mine. “I never expected any of this. I didn’t expectyou. But you were exactly what I didn’t know I was missing. I’m so glad you took the first step, showing up in my office and making me pay attention to you. I needed that. The way you got under my skin so fast and stayed on my mind all the time was crazy. And I wanted more. I wanted to know everything about you, and then I wanted to know who I was with you. Who we could be together…”
“Kija.” His palm on my thigh is warm, and his hand is trembling. “What are you doing? Kija, please.”
“I love you, Yung-Sun. You are my light, my luxury. I believe in you and me and what we have. I want you to know that you have all of me, that I am committed to you, and to us for as long as you want,” I have to pause before my voice gives out—and because I want to give him the ring. A tear splashes onto my arm as I flip open the box, and I’m not even sure which one of us it came from.
Sun gasps, a sharp intake of air before he starts crying in earnest, throwing himself into my arms. “Is this real? What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that I want to give you this ring. It was my mom’s, but I had it remade for you, because you are my family now, the one I want to come home to. I know we can’t have something that looks like everyone else, but I want what we can have,” I say, slipping my finger under his chin so he’ll look at me. “Call it a promise ring, call it an engagement ring, I just want you to have it, so you always know that you’re mine. I’m yours.”
“Put it on me.” He thrusts his hand out in front of me, shaking. “Please.”
I slip it on his finger—a perfect fit—andcurl his fingers around mine, lifting his hand to my lips to kiss his finger where the ring now circles it. “Does that mean you accept?”
“Yes! You know I do,” he sobs. “This is everything I have ever dreamed of. I want to do my whole life with you. I want to get married and have your babies and…”
Chuckling, I press a kiss to his temple. “I want those things, too. But how about we start with a low-key commitment ceremony and a cat?”
He wipes his eyes on my sleeve and nods. “That’s good, too. But later?”
“You can have it all, sachi.”
??
LUX
2 years later
Ilove seeing familiar faces in a crowd.
It doesn’t happen very often.
Every once in a while, someone’s family will come to a show in South Korea, but even that is not common since we rarely have time to visit with them even if they do.
But as Chita and Nikko speak to everyone in the American stadium, I glance around with my hand over my eyes to shield from the glare of the lights, I can vaguely make out the whole row of guests.
They are here by special invitation, here for us as part of our lives in a different way than the tens of thousands of fans that surround them. Kija and Jase stand with Grace, while Seojun keeps an eye on everyone from the end of the stage. Taeha and Mihyun made the trip too, and are laughing with the two newest additions to the RYSING family.
I love VOX so much, and am so thankful for the support they give us, but these people, the ones closest to us, are the ones making this night extra special.
