off limits ✧ zb1 applyfic

✧ eighty six

Once the nervousness of the first date had passed, Lilah had found all subsequent dates to be... Just as nerve-wracking! She liked to blame her red cheeks and racing heart on Gyuvin, who somehow always found a way to fluster her, no matter the time and place. And yet, despite always being on edge, those little dates were the most fun Lilah had had in ages. Probably ever since she'd come to Korea. They didn’t have to be grand and extravagant. Just like today, walking together in the streets was just enough. As long as he was walking next to her, the atmosphere felt plenty romantic already.

Well, that was if he was walking next to her. Today was market day, and the streets were black with people, all rushing in every direction, marching all over the place like they were the only ones here. With every step Lilah was taking, she felt the distance between her and Gyuvin growing.

"Gyuvin!" she called after him, and she spotted his tall head turning towards her. "I'm getting—"

Before she could finish her sentence, yet another person bumped into her, pushing her back. In a second, the crowd before her had changed, and she could not see Gyuvin's head stick out the top anymore. She gulped as she darted her eyes around, trying to find him in the sea of people, when suddenly, a hand wrapped around hers. Not even for one second, did she think a stranger might have grabbed her. No, she'd recognized his warmth, the softness of his skin, the firmness of his grip, just as soon as he'd touched her.

"Gotcha," Gyuvin whispered in her ear as he pulled her towards him.

Lilah crashed against his chest, leaving the waves of people that had been engulfing her. She took a deep breath, grateful she hadn’t gotten herself lost. Being in such a crowded place was already stressful enough with Gyuvin, but alone? She was sure she would have panicked until she would faint. Lesson learned: maybe avoid market days.

After catching her breath, she looked up, opening her mouth to tell Gyuvin they could go back to walking now. But his eyes anchored in hers stopped all the words in her throat, and she found herself blinking slowly, unable to speak. At her dumbfounded expression, Gyuvin's smile deepened, and he squeezed her waist like she was a stuffed animal.

"I know this kinda sucks, but," he started, his voice brimming with barely concealed joy, "I'm so happy."

All she could do was chuckle awkwardly, avoiding his eyes. "Happy about what?"

"Being here." His voice was so sincere, it felt like he was making a grand declaration. "Being with you."

Once again, Gyuvin had managed to catch her off guard. Lilah's chest swelled, and she felt a painful, yet sweet pang in her chest. A prickling heat in her fingertips, she found her breathing had become erratic just from hearing him speak. God, she hated the way Gyuvin made her feel, the way he made her lose all her composure. She hated that she loved him so much she became completely ridiculous with just a few words. She hated that he loved to see her so flustered, too.

Her face so hot she was sure she could fry an egg on it, Lilah pushed herself off of him, mumbling under her breath that they should continue walking. Sensing her embarrassment, Gyuvin let out a lighthearted chuckle and followed her, but not before grabbing her hand. Of course, Lilah allowed it. As much as she wanted to deny it, she knew she loved all of his gestures. Even the ones that made her feel completely crazy.

Thankfully, the world seemed eager to distract Lilah from her flustered state. At the end of the street, in a less populated area, stood a little pink and yellow truck. She squinted her eyes to read the sign, and her stomach immediately started growling when she read the word "waffle". Lilah could hardly resist Gyuvin, but she was even worse when it came to sweets. Her feet stopped of their own accord, and she turned to her boyfriend with the slightest, shyest of pouts.