Ride or Die

Sunrise, finally

"Good morning." He said sheepishly.

"Good morning." She said.

"I'm sorry. I... just..."

"You don't have to explain, I'm sorry, too." She said, without peeling her eyes off the coming sunrise.

"I was being selfish." He said.

"I was being immature."

"Let's just say we're both at fault." She continued with a soft smile.

They sat in silence again. Looking at the horizon, waiting for the sun to finally rise. Dara reached for Jiyong's hand. She placed the familiar bucket list notebook he gave her. He browsed through the first wishes she wrote. Mostly for her family, so few for herself. But on the last few pages it was all for him. He noticed a rose stem protruding on the last page she wrote on, he opened the notebook on that page, and he saw a pressed white rose he guessed was probably from him. On the page, scribbled on her neat penmanship.

"Love Kwon Jiyong for the rest of my life."

The ray of sun rising on the horizon touched their faces, like a giant spotlight. Jiyong's face broke into a smile. He was glowing, just as how Dara's face is glowing.

"Did I read this right?" Jiyong asked. Looking at the notebook, then at Dara, reading the message written on the notebook, and then at Dara again. Dara just smiled, then she nodded.

"Really?" Jiyong asked again.

"Yes." Dara said, her smile, bigger.

Jiyong shifted from his seat and faced Dara.

"So, are you officially mine now?" Jiyong cautiously asked. Dara just looked at the rising sun, she looked at Jiyong, smiled and nodded. Jiyong broke into a bigger smile.

"I want to hear it. Are you officially mine now?" Jiyong asked again.

"Yes." Dara smiled. "And you're mine."

The sunrise wrapped around them, wrapping them in its glorious blinding light. Jiyong hugged Dara tightly. Enveloping the love of his life in his arms. Dara hugged him back. It was such a wonderful scene, two young lovers along with the sunrise. Jiyong kissed Dara's forehead. They locked their eyes and held each other's gaze. Dara could not explain the happiness she's feeling. It was new, and amazing for her. Jiyong could never be happier.

"In my life, I have made a lot of mistakes, but you're never one of them. I want to change a lot of things in my life from the past, but one thing I would never want to change is meeting you. You changed me and made me the person that I am now. You made me feel the feelings I've never felt before. You showed me how to be happy. You showed me how to love life. You know my story word for word, you know my history, yet here you are, holding me in your arms, and I want to thank you for that. You are my everything. I want to care for you, to watch over you, to make you happy, and to be there for you. I want to be yours. I want you to be mine. If that is okay." Jiyong said while holding Dara in his arms.

"You look at me like I am someone so amazing, and perfect, and beautiful, but I am not. I am far from perfect, I might make mistakes. I might be silly at times. I might cry at the wrong time for the wrong reason." Dara was caressing Jiyong's back while she continued with her soft voice. "I was trying not to tell you that I love you. I was trying to choke down the feeling. I know it's stupid to even try. But when I stopped trying to fight my feelings, I discovered something I don't even have a name for. There's not much I've done for you, and there would always be someone better than me but there's one thing that they can't do better than me, it's loving you. Of course, I would want to be yours."