SIX HOURS; kim jongin

Epilogue

She'd honestly never felt happier.

After they'd finished dinner, and bid their goodbyes to his friends, despite him suggesting a taxi, she'd asked if they could walk back to the hotel – because even though it was night, she was still eager to take in as much as the city as she could. After all, it was the first time she'd left her own country. The furthest she'd been from home before was down to Florida to go to Disney World, back when she was thirteen. Everything was so exciting, and she was full of wonder.

Her delight was infectious. He was smiling wide as he watched her, as she walked a few steps ahead, gazing around her with wide eyes, her lips pulled upward, occasionally tugging him forward by their clasped hands when she saw something she found cool or interesting, and gasping softly.

They were about halfway back to the hotel when she finally fell back in step with him, sighing dreamily, and resting her head lightly against his shoulder. He chuckled and gave her hand a squeeze as he said "So you enjoying Seoul so far then?"

She sighed again. "Oh my god yes." She chuckled. "I can't thank you enough for bringing me here."

He shook his head, chuckling. "You don't need to thank me, silly."

"You're ridiculous." She giggled, before lifting her head from his shoulder and pushing up to give his cheek a quick peck. "In the best way." she sighed softly once more. "This is the most insane birthday present ever. I don't think anything will top this." She rested her head against his shoulder once more, and happily murmured "You didn't have to."

"Nah, I didn't have to. But I wanted to." Kai told her firmly. "What did I tell you? When I'm with you, I will treat you like the princess you are." he paused, then laughed. "And after all, your Korean is getting so good now, and what better way to improve and put it into practice than going to Korea?"

"You really think it's getting good?" Leia asked, her voice pleased.

He nodded firmly. "Even Chanyeol and Kyungsoo said so."

She beamed. "Aw! Well their English was pretty good, too," she said, remembering the few sentences they'd spoken to her over the dinner, unsurely, and seeming proud when she smiled and responded. It was a little broken, but good, and she found it very sweet of them to do it to make her feel more comfortable. And, of course, she'd enjoyed trying out her Korean, and seeing them respond positively when she did, and it made her even more happy and awestruck that she was now able to understand the majority of what they were saying (and of course, hearing Kai speak in Korean was, y'know, pretty hot too).

A short bout of quiet hung between the pair, before she bit her lip and asked, tentatively "They liked me, right? I mean, it seemed like they did, at dinner there, and I had such a nice time, and they were so lovely, but I don't know, maybe-"

"They don't like you." He said, cutting her off mid worried ramble, and then after pausing for effect – like the wind-up he could be – he said "They love you. In fact, Chanyeol kept telling me how much of a lucky bastard I am, and Kyungsoo said I'd have them to answer to if I ever did you wrong." They walked a few more steps, before he made them both come to a stop, and he turned to face her – slipping his hand out of hers, and placing both of his either side her face. She was looking at him with wide eyes and a slight furrow in his brow, before he chuckled and said firmly "You doubt yourself too much." He reached over and tucked one side of her hair behind her ear, before placing his hand back on her cheek, and a soft sigh escaped her lips as she downcast her eyes, gently placing one of her hands on top of one of his, grabbing onto his shirt at his hip with her other. "After I asked you to hang out, you seemed surprised I wanted to spend more time with you. You apologised for talking too much when we texted all the time, or talked on the phone til late. You said, when I finally asked you out 'are you sure?'. You worried over every essay in college, and you've aced every single one so far." He tilted her face up slightly, a request for her to meet his gaze, and she did, eyes still wide, sparkling, biting her bottom lip. He smiled encouragingly. "You may not have innate capability, but like I said before – you're doing life good."

Her lips tugged up in a touched, soft smile, and he leant in and pressed his against them.

When they broke apart, that was when she knew it was the right time to say it. To tell him. She'd wanted to for a while, she'd known she'd felt that way for a while... but she'd been nervous to say it. Like he said, she doubted herself.

What if I told him, and he didn't feel ready to say it back? I mean, I know it's been a little over nine months now, is that too soon? Too late? In the few relationships she'd been in, she'd never said it, so she had no experience... but then, in those relationships she'd never felt the way she did now. The way she felt was intense, scary, giddy...

"I love you." Leia said, her voice shaking slightly.

Kai's eyes widened, and his mouth hung open for a second, before he blinked and one side of his lips pulled upward in a smirk. "I know."

Leia frowned, before realising, and she gave his shoulder a shove whilst he laughed. "Really? You just had to do the quote?"

"I saw my opportunity and I took it!" He defended himself, before wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her in close again to press his lips against hers once more, and when they were both breathless from the kiss, he whispered "I love you too."

Oh my god! He said it back! HE SAID IT BACK!

That was the mantra Leia repeated inside her head in a happy little sing-song as they made their way back to the hotel. She couldn't believe it – here she was. In South Korea. In love. With a boy she'd gotten trapped in an elevator with for six hours! To think, if she'd taken the stairs, or the elevator had never broken down, and she'd gone on the date she was meant to, and... no. She didn't need to think about that. Because here she was-

Getting in another elevator with Kai, to their room on the fourth floor.

And it'd only gone past the first floor, when Kai suddenly reached over and pressed the emergency stop, and turned back around to face her with a devilish smirk and raised eyebrow and said "For old time's sake?"

Leia raised an eyebrow back. "You could get into trouble for that."

He shrugged. "I'll say it was an accident." He paused, and his eyebrow arched further. "Which I reckon gives us about five or so minutes in here. So?"

"So." She said, and then snorted a laugh. "You wanna make out, don't you?"

"I really, really do."

"Well, then it's not old time's sake, cos if it was, we'd have to start with you flirting with me, and me getting wound up, and-"

"Leia, I mean this in the most loving way possible – but please shut up and kiss me."

Leia giggled, and once more, Kai wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in close to him, and his ridiculously full (and perfect for kissing, Leia had found out) lips crashed against hers.

She'd never felt happier.