Sanctuary

Nine. (My World Is You)

In the morning when I wake and the sun is coming through
Oh, you fill my lungs with sweetness, and you fill my head with you

When the evening pulls the sun down, and the day is almost through
Oh, the whole world it is sleeping, but my world is you

"What do you want to do today?" she asks when he comes out of the bathroom, wearing only jeans, no shirt, gorgeous in the stream of sunlight that pours through the windows.

She can't help stepping into him and tracing the lines of his chest with her fingers, even though she's showered and dressed already, even though her body is sore and loose and she doesn't really want to start another round. Earlier, she was spellbound by the graceful, focused movements of his lithe body in his morning labor of love: making her coffee. The patient, smooth pour of hot water from a drip kettle over coarsely ground coffee beans in a paper filter was mesmerizing. When his eyes found her, a smile lit his face, and his voice – like honeyed whiskey in the bright glow – drew her to his side, into his morning kisses. Everything started chaste, soft, and then she was pressed between him and the kitchen counter, the smooth rounded edge bruising against her flesh as he drove his body into hers. The sex was rough, fast, and remembering the wet sounds of their coming together and her breathless loud moans not an hour ago makes her blush now.

Jeong-hyeok chuckles, a low, soft sound, as if he can read her mind, and he wraps his hand around her fingers, leans in to touch his mouth to hers.

"What do you want to do, Se-ri-ya?"

"Hmm," she pauses, pondering, lips feathering against his again. "Be with you, outside." Fresh mountain breeze, golden sunshine, the smell of early spring, the music of the water's trickle into the pull of gravity. And Ri Jeong-hyeok.

He grins widely at her, one arm coming around her to pull her into him, and he's warm, still slightly damp from his shower. "Sounds nice. I'll think of something."

Se-ri disentangles herself from him, stepping away from all this naked skin – so distracting – and grabs a t-shirt from his duffle bag, thrusting it against his chest. "In the meantime..."

"You don't like me half-naked?" he asks with a playfully innocent pout.

She gives him an arch look. "I don't do halves very well."

He stares at her for a moment, lips parted, want flaring in his eyes, but in the end he closes his mouth, pulls the t-shirt over his head. Mm, the ripple of muscle at his stomach is so very lovely, and she has to stop herself from feeling it under her fingertips.

"Let's go on a picnic in Giessbach falls," he suggests when he's done, voice gruff because he's caught her looking – it makes her eyes flutter shut for a split second. "There's a short hike to the viewpoint, so you may want to change," he points out, looking at her flowery sundress like he wants to devour her.

"Yeah," she says, swallowing. "Yeah, I'll change."

*

Their journey to Giessbach falls starts on a ferry boat from Brienz. The lake is still and glitters like a bed of sapphires under the persistent plow of their ferry. It's such a beautiful, crisp day, and she holds the air in her lungs blissfully. The ferry is bustling with tourists and residents alike, so they forgo their seats in favor of standing on the deck. Beside her, Ri Jeong-hyeok is resting his hands lightly on the railing, gazing out over the water and the mountains. He looks peaceful, and he's a sight to behold in his worn jeans and dark gray hoodie. He's carrying all the supplies they bought at the local supermarket in a backpack, which is fastened at the front, just below the center of his chest.