The thundering rain became the melody of their heartwarming embrace.

∞

12:09 pm

Rain. 

The gray clouds had been pouring in the heaviest, and breezing rain, the daylight of the noon had been hidden since the morning after it had slowed at the night; the night where one had a horrified pain, and the other had soothed it yet theirs were in a fold of a comfort together. 

The comfort? In the fold of each other's arms. 

Like it still has been; like it will continue to be. 

As the sound of the loud pour intact with the continuous thud against the glass wall of their room; a hum of disturbance from being awakened mixed with a relaxation from the uncalled pleasant sound left from her lips where the next second, she felt herself being snuggled into the warmth as the calmed heartbeat rang in the lean of her ear in a soothing melody as her forehead began to feel the heat of his skin to the familiar yet intoxicating scent of him. 

Baekhyun. 

Her mind rolled his name and it was awaken to the world from the comfort, but surprisingly, Iseul felt like she was still in a comfort as her eyes opened to find herself in the embrace of her husband where her own arms had been holding him closer to her might; her head on the left side of his chest beneath his calming heartbeat for her heart's content, her face in the crook of his warm neck that he had his own head leaned onto; her one arm pressed on his side in a hide while her other arm had him draped in her hold by his waist. 

His hand holding her arm around his waist; another one around her shoulder for how he had her closer to his heart. 

He laid on his back flat while she was facing his side but Iseul was recalling last night's glimpses of her nightmare; her telling him about her accident which she couldn't even utter about to anyone yet it felt so easy to pour out her vulnerable emotions as if she'd be fine with him, and undoubtedly, she was more than fine with him, his care, and soothingly comforting words, and his effort of making her feel better to his warming embrace for how he held her closer till she fell asleep in his arms. 

For how he pledged to stay with her; always. 

For how he assured her with his safety. 

Iseul hadn't felt safe throughout the nine years but he was becoming that safe for her now. 

He had already become the anchor of her life. 

Her heart swelled with emotions that Iseul gulped down the lump before her ears were attentive to the sound of rain, and tilted her face back from his chest to his bicep as her eyes gazed at the glass window in a roll of several drops of rapid rain beneath the sound in the silent room of theirs to realize that they were in their room; sleeping on the bed in the cuddled position yet again. 

But the fact that she wasn't surprised felt strangely funny because she had become used to their intimacy of their arms holding each other. 

Another thing she realized; her darling husband was right about her pattern of sleep. 

She liked to place her head on his arm and listen or feel his heartbeat to sleep as if it was an antidote to her sleeping pills. 

As if Baekhyun was her antidote to her havoc. 

Her eyes rounded at her own thoughts; how shuddering and Iseul was shocked to actually think of those words as her lips parted to let out a silent scoff yet wasn't displeased before retreating a bit only for him to stir with a deep groan of his throat so closely that Iseul felt a chill of a sudden searing warmth in her system until he shifted his position to face her while doing so, Iseul held her breath at his actions of draping his leg over her under the comforter to tangle his leg between her bare calves as her heartbeat thud to be pulled by his arm around her shoulder as he wrapped another one around her waist. 

Iseul had her stare at his inched closer face to hers on his bicep softly; a soft curve of her lips at the realization of his familiar actions was that he had a pattern of pulling her closer and somehow she was liking his pattern as she reached out, bringing her palm to his silver hair; the one always taking her attention in the most beautiful sight as her fingers caressed his forehead to tuck away his strands for him to nuzzle more into his pillow while his arm tightening around her as if he was in a warm comfort. 

Her eyes in an adoration of him. 

Soon her forefinger had begun to trace his every mole of his skin; fascinated, to his cheek softly until her fingertip halted to the outline of his lips as her heart thumped, and she gulped, feeling warmer at the searing glimpses of their kisses; Iseul had to admit, her husband was really damn good at it that she had the continuous urges of having him kiss her. 

“.”

Iseul cursed under her breath; her feelings literally out in the most embarrassing manner as she closed her eyes while retreating before her urges leads her to do it again as if her husband had any problem with it, and he let out a disturbing hum again of her retreating from his arms as he immediately dipped his face closer to her that Iseul stilled, until he snuggled into the side of her face as his warm lips lingered softly on her skin beside her eye that closed in a blink while his nose nuzzled between her temple and hair as a sigh left her lips at the warm sensation. 

Her hand had slid to the curve of his neck as her thumb caressed his skin for him to drown into her touch unconsciously yet known. 

She wanted to give him this much comfort without any fear. 

The rain continued to drizzle; Iseul stayed still for a while in Baekhyun's arms like he was in hers with a complete snuggle of his heavy body on her now. 

“Have I gone this much deep for him?” 

Iseul couldn't help but mumble; she should've thrown him out of the bed by now yet she was resisting and as much as it was likable, she hadn't been used to her being stilled in her position empty-hands since workload had kept her busy enough to be distracted as unconsciously her forefinger tapped on his neck while her lips twisted and completely comfortable in the fold of his arms and his soft breathes into her ear warmly. 

It was unbearably shivering now. 

She was wide awake but didn't want to wake him up since she was aware of how he had kept himself awake for her comfort as her heart softened but she couldn't stay still at last, and with her careful actions, she had managed to get out of his arms as she sat still while he immediately turned to the other side to be flat on his stomach as her forehead creased in amusement. 

“He must really be comfortable right now.” 

Iseul grumbled under her breath as he didn't even wake up for not feeling her in his arms; her head tilted, and her eyes squinted at his freaking y broad back, before frowning at herself, “Why the hell am I talking like a goddamn teenager in love?” She paused, realizing the ‘L’ word out of to immediately groan silently while rubbing her face as she huffed, pushing her hair upwards to glare at his back with her heated up cheeks; it was all his fault for making her insane for him like this. 

“This scum.” She reached out to thud hard on his back but halted, as her fingers opened to brush his hair softly while her lips twisted as her heart softened again for him. “He really sleeps like a baby.”

She remembered how many times she had to wake him up from his deep slumber. 

Iseul glanced at the thundering rain; the next second, her phone on her nightstand buzzed for her attention as grabbing it, she found a message from Hae-Jin, and with a frown, she had immediately grabbed her frames, along with her laptop since she didn't want to be loud considering her mood could change through one bad news while Baekhyun's peace seemed to be her priority from now on, and within a few seconds, she had exited their room barefoot while closing the door behind. 

“Yes, Mr. Jung?”

Iseul placed the laptop on the study table outside their room; her figure seated right on the chair with her leg over another as she pressed the phone to her ear with a deep frown of the news her secretary was giving at the moment; it was their magazine shoot in the noon after 2 but the rain was not giving any sign to stop as Iseul glanced at the blurry sight of rapid rain with a conflict and her lips twisted as the shoot was an influencing one for B&J and their brand T&T to promote more. 

“What shall I do, ma'am?” 

Iseul tapped her forefinger on the table as she leaned back, “Let's reschedule it for another time since the rain isn't going to stop anytime soon,” She paused, wearing her frames before opening her laptop, “I will personally email the owner; it won't create an issue with the change of plans,” Her sharp eyes focused on the screen as her one hand was already typing the email.

“Anything else?” 

“As per your instructions; I have been chasing Hyun-shik, and strangely he exited his house but after a sudden call, he went back.”

Iseul's fingers halted abruptly as her frown deepened; her mind working in a hurdle of this information. “I believe he was going to meet the one whom he was ordered to spy from,” Her words halted, as her eyes sharpened in a blaze of his actions; betrayal, the most despising thing in her life. “Follow him around through the tracking device, Mr. Jung; I want you to get accurate evidence against him, anyhow.”

“Noted, ma'am.”

“Head to your home; if you get any suspicious movement from him, inform me immediately.”

Hanging up, Iseul finished writing the email before sending it the next second; a sigh left her lips as she leaned back, placing her elbow on the armchair to let her fist lean to her chin as her mind went through the conversation; there had been a lot of people trying to bring her and her business down, and her new launch was the easiest to target since it was still in a beginning but Iseul was pinpointing on the actual one behind this daring of actually making one of her employees to spy as her jaw hardened; a gulp and her mind flashed a drastic face of the most despising woman. 

Song Hong-Ju. 

There was no one other than her who had this daring; Iseul had her doubts, and bet on her full hundred percent. 

She wanted the proof in her hand now; the next thing the betraying ones are gone mercilessly. 

At the moment, the reply of her email was here; positive and Iseul's nodded to herself with a satisfied feeling as she closed the app but frown the moment her framed eyes stared at the recent news from this morning in the articles; her posture leaned forward as her thumb scrolled down to read further. 

A gang of men were caught overnight; their crimes of exchanging illegal funds with importing and exporting along with the abduction from the orphanage; Hopeful Homes. 

“They were behind this.”

Iseul mumbled; recalling the news being read by her mother on the television and she believed that it was Se-Ju catching the gang as the next minute, Iseul tried his number but it was busy at the moment and she sighed, understanding that he would be busy for this. 

“Should I call Ji-eun?” 

Iseul muttered, looking at her phone in a contemplation; last night's search through her house and their doubt on Hwang Oh-Seong had gotten firm now that Iseul felt like giving time to Ji-eun to get adapt to this because if it was this hard to digest this doubt for her, Ji-eun would be feeling more difficult during this time. 

“What do I do?” 

She groaned silently while holding her head in the turmoil of her emotions before hearing the thunder for her head to lift up with another thought brewing her mind; her glasses were off on the table as she stood up, pushing her hair upwards through her fingers to let it smooth behind her lower back to realize herself still in the warm hoodie of her husband who was still asleep right now. 

She didn't realize it as if she was used to his familiar and soothing warmth. 

The next second she had pulled it closer to her; she was smelling like him, and it felt pleasing as her heart swelled to fold her arms while standing by the railing and her blank eyes stared downstairs to the empty living room, the empty mug of the espresso hot chocolate on the table, he made for her had softened her heart still, the way he had embraced her with his soothing words and arms swelled her heart that an urge to turn back her heels to their room and embrace him again rose; the open balcony thundering the drizzle of rain loudly beneath the gray clouds in the silence but somehow the sound of the rain didn't displease her right now. 

Since when has the rain become bearable? 

Two months back, Iseul was grumbling about it along with her grim mood because rain had a connection to her miseries; her conflict of a misunderstanding with Baekhyun, her accident, her father's death, her waking up to the rain in the white of hospital walls and hearing the dreading news while her mother's heartbreaking words. 

Yet in those moments; a change had shifted in her life in a way beyond her imaginations. 

But every change of her life had Baekhyun in the center of it. 

His sudden appearance in her life. 

His sudden involvement in her purpose. 

Their marriage of convenience became the biggest change of her life. 

They were no longer caught up with the grudge of their misunderstandings. He had forgiven her. He made her realize the importance of the two sides of any situation considering her mother. Her situation with her mother was solved. 

He was making her act on her emotions that she had long forgotten or stopped feeling them. 

Her emotions had made her feel that lost certain emotion for him again; she couldn't accept it before because of the guilt but he had forgiven her, after last night where his every selfless and warm effort towards her, to the danger he was in where the fear of losing him had her accept her feelings, and needed him in her life now. 

The will of protecting him at all cost. 

The wish of becoming better for him. 

The strong wish of not hurting him again. 

Her heart swelled; the vision of her eyes blurred at her thoughts as her bottom lip quivered slightly for her to softly bite it to hold back her tears as her eyes closed; the breeze of the thundering rain brushed past her hair in a soft wave while she gulped down the lump of painfully. 

The sound of rain felt surprisingly comforting.

The sun glowed it's daylight down the yard of the familiar palace; Alvarado, the early morning had gathered the knights in the yard for the usual training session as the sound of clashing swords echoed throughout where amongst the echoing sound of the clashing swords had a sound of galloping horse. 

His silver hair breezing with the rhythm of the gallops; a beautiful smile on his lips shone with the contrast of his shining silver hair as he pulled the rein gently to slow down the speed of his horse with a heartwarming feeling as the nineteen year old Baekhyun roamed his crescent shaped eyes on the yard to the familiar sight of the knights in the training session. 

He had been a part of it for four years now. 

Soon enough, he had stopped his horse for the one whom he had been closed to for the past three years; the one whom he could converse to his heart's content without having any fear or jitter of mocks, and the only time he'd be carefree as four years ago the carelessness had left his mind, and heart the moment he had entered this palace where he couldn't feel shielded and it had gotten worse three years ago. 

He was poisoned. 

After ending one of his training sessions; he had requested to eat in his room, and after having a few bites, he had begun to feel sick, deep enough to almost feeling like he was going to leave this world without proving his father's innocence and he couldn't help but cry during his painful aches spreading throughout his system alone in his room. 

No one to call. 

No one to have but endure the pain alone. 

Mentally he was getting used to the pain of his miseries but this physical pain was hard to endure, and it was more painful than his training injuries. 

If it wasn't for his caretaker; Marta Gracia, the one who had been a lady-in-waiting for his mother in the past but assigned to look after him after he had arrived here and Baekhyun was even distrustful towards her as he was to everyone in this palace but after that incident of her immediately bringing a physician the moment she had found him in the miserable, and almost close to death condition while crying for him and blaming herself for it. 

Baekhyun couldn't help but let his guard down. 

He began to respect her and treat her well. 

He was alive because of her. 

He couldn't live here without feeling jittery and anxious every day thinking he might get attacked again; poisoned again, and for his easiness, Marta began to taste his food before him so he could feed himself enough to grow while Baekhyun was grateful for her but that also hit him hard how unsafe he was here considering the way his uncle had promised to shield him here. 

Baekhyun had his doubts about him and his right hand man; José López. 

The man that always looks at him dead in his eyes as if he didn't like his existence; Baekhyun had stopped feeling afraid, because fear wasn't going to get him anywhere and to get to his purpose he had pledged in his mind with a determined heart was to live fearless, and his only purpose was just to survive here at any cost because living wasn't an option nor he was looking for any reason to live. 

He hadn't any. 

But somewhere or someone was, yet to meet and yet to make him realize it. 

“Stop looking like a painting and have a duel with me, prince.”

Baekhyun heard a manly yet familiar voice as he tilted his head to the side to find his cousin and the son of Andrés; Prince Juan Alvarado, his messy damp hair blonde inherited by his mother while his features reflected his father in a handsome manner as he stood in his white poet shirt, and leather pants with boots while an excited smile graced his face as he pointed his sword towards Baekhyun with a challenging expression from afar. 

“Are you ready to have a duel with me, prince?”

He questioned again in Spanish; the language spoken here and Baekhyun had learned it quite well, but his one eyebrow raised at his challenging tone yet couldn't unnotice the word ‘prince’ because he didn't declare himself prince at all considering the miseries he had gotten here, considering the names he had heard mockingly in the name of his father for marrying her mother and he shouldn't be feeling low about it as it was his mother but he couldn't neglect everything either. 

“Only if you stop calling me prince, Juan.”

(Sólo si dejas de llamarme príncipe, Juan) 

Baekhyun challenged back; Juan was the same age as him since they were born a bit later along with his sister Lucia, as they happened to be twins but with different features and personalities since Juan was more of a jolly and Lucia was rather reserved, before he found the latter chuckling in amusement. 

“If you win against me, prince.”

Baekhyun had his lips in an upside-down curve before he hopped down his horse; he was clad in a black poet shirt that fit his broad shoulders perfectly as he had grew physically muscular accentuated with leather pants, and black boots before he made his horse stand by securely while caressing his face gently with a soft smile before turning his heels towards Juan's direction as he slid his flared sleeves up to his elbows to let the veins shine under the daylight as Juan threw the sword towards him for Baekhyun to catch it perfectly while his lips as he warmed it up by a few bend wrist of his with his sword in concentration. 

“Let me be the judge, princes.”

Baekhyun heard the familiar female voice of his cousin; Princess Lucia Alvarado who had mirrored her mother's features but her long hair in silver shade shone her father's reflection as she had taken a seat on the bench with an umbrella over her by one of her female knights since she preferred it that way while her aura feminine yet strong as she leaned back. 

“Come on.”

“Don't act like you're going to reward us.”

“Don't act like you're going to win either.”

Baekhyun rolled his eyes at the sibling banter before clicking his sword with Juan's as his attention was back, and in a moment, Baekhyun's eyes were focused, and deeply drowned in the will for his victory as he held his ground fearlessly where the duel began, and their swords clashed together intensely enough as Baekhyun kept dodging Juan's aims along with clashing his sword before he could attack him abruptly. 

In a few minutes, the fight intensified, as Baekhyun could feel his heartbeat in a rapid pace along with the sweats beading down his face to his neck while his damp silver hair etched on his forehead before his eyes caught Juan's swift moves of going for his shoulder but a smirk curled Baekhyun's lips as he was quick to tilt his head along with the twist of his shoulder where the next second, he had thud his sword against Juan's hardly enough for him to stumble backwards until he had plopped on the grass while Baekhyun placed his sword inches away from his neck. 

A pant of his breathless mouth; a victorious smirk of his lips. “Do you admit your defeat, Prince Juan?” 

The latter nodded; panting. “Yes.”

Baekhyun put away his sword, running his fingers through his damp hair backwards while Juan sat down with a pout as he ruffled his damp hair where Lucia clapped her gloved hands for them silently until another clap was heard, and Baekhyun turned to find the most despising man as José was standing there with a devilish smile on his slightly aged face before his steps forwarded towards Baekhyun. 

“That was brilliant, Prince Baekhyun.”

Baekhyun's frown deepened; feeling jittery about him. “Thank you, Duke.”

“How about a duel with me?” 

An ominous silence fell over; the knights had halted their actions, and the Duke stood still in front of Baekhyun with his unstoppable evil glint in his eyes mixed with a certain hatred as Baekhyun gulped, yet held his eyes with his own sharpening ones mixed with the equal hatred towards him until he raised his eyebrows in a mocking tone. 

“Are you afraid?” He chuckled. “Isabella's son shouldn't be but Byun Beom-Seok's can be considering-” 

“We shall have a duel, Duke.”

Baekhyun cut him off; his eyes almost glaring at the man speaking ill of his father as his jaw clenched, but the silence around him had gotten his realization that he just interrupted a Duke between his talks was called a sign of disrespect towards him but Baekhyun could care less; he never respected this man either. 

“Hand me the sword.”

The man had it right in a second, while Baekhyun gripped his own tightly as he gulped, harshly, before stepping back to be ready for the duel as he could see Juan and Lucia staring at him in a concern because José's uncalled hatred towards him wasn't hidden from the people around them where the duel of an intense rage had begun with a thud of the two swords in a hard click that left an echo throughout the silent yard. 

It continued with the dodges but Baekhyun had known that José was known to be a master of wielding a sword, but he had his emotions on the line to force his wields strongly that the man dueling with him was surprised as the intensity of the fight intensified under the heat of the sun but the halt of their fight was nowhere to be seen. 

His strong wield, and Baekhyun stumbled back with José's sword grazing his right upper-arm as he held back his panting breath when a gush of stinging pain followed but his rage was so angering and destructive that his emotional pain had taken over as his bloodshot eyes had a lethal blaze while his jaw clenched, in a swift, he had stopped José's another attack, and with his immense force, he had pushed him back to slid his own sword towards his neck and shoulder that the man had groaned loudly. 

Yet he was adamant to attack but Baekhyun had thud his sword with a force that José's sword dropped, and Baekhyun held his sword against his bleeding neck with his ragging breath, and rapid heartbeat. 

“Do you accept your defeat, Duke?” 

(Aceptas tu derrota, Duke?) 

His bloodshot eyes still in a glow of rage towards the groaning and panting man yet silent where a mocking smirk curled Baekhyun's lips, “Are you afraid,” He trailed off, tilting his head, while pressing his sword deliberately to his injured neck in an accidental pretense as his jaw clenched. “To accept your defeat from Isabella Alvarado and Byun Beom-Seok's son, Duke José López?”

He saw a flicker of anger and embarrassment in his eyes. “I accept.”

Baekhyun felt sense of joy in his heart after a long time as he stepped back while handing his sword to the knight, before exiting the yard to the hallway inside towards his room as the sudden pain in his upper-arm gushed over for him to hold his arm with a clench of his jaw to endure it followed by a familiar yet unbearable heat in his body, until his teary eyes had glanced at the portraits hanging on the walls of the hallway where his own mother's was etched. 

He stood before the portrait painted by Lucia; his mother was beautiful in the scarlet gown with her favorite white rose donned in her bun where his blurry eyes read her name, Princess Isabella Alvarado, and his heart tightened in a pierce to gulp down his tears silently yet painfully. 

It wasn't even physical anymore. 

His brows knitted in disturbance; the feel of his eyes in a pool of water almost rolling his temples as he gulped his dry throat before the sound of thundering drizzle began to echo in his ears as if waking him up from his deep slumber of a long distance memory as he turned his position from his stomach to the other side with a quick stretch of his hand on the mattress to feel his wife's warmth only to feel the emptiness of a cold fabric. 

His eyes opened in a blur to blink his tears away to find Iseul's side empty and his already pacing heart raced in a sudden anxiousness as Baekhyun immediately sat up with his fingers through his messy hair as he roamed his panicked eyes around the room to get a glimpse of her yet nothing. 

“Sweetheart.”

He called, but there was no answer from her as last night's moments flashed, her vulnerability and tears in a painful pierce while his own unpleasant memory adding more to his pain as if he was alone again, and in an immediate action, he was on his feet as he rounded the bed only to glance at her slippers on the floor but no sight of her as he gulped in an uneasiness to step towards the wardrobe section yet no sight of her. 

“Iseul.”

A hushed whisper of a desperate plea left his lips beneath his welling up emotions until he heard the click of the door behind him from afar of his standing figure. 

“You called?” 

Her soft voice reached his ears and he was quick to turn around to find her standing by the door with a confused frown and Baekhyun let out a sigh of relief, and his heart hammered in a calmness enough to water his eyes to find her here, and alright, and that he wasn't alone right now as the next thing he was marching towards her as their distance closed; he was quick to pull her into his arms in a tight squeeze as his one arm draped her back, and another one held the back of her head gently but firm enough to feel her warmth as his face nuzzled into her hair. 

“You're here.”

He breathed out softly yet in a deep relief before feeling her arms hugging him back; her one hand patting his back, and another one sliding up to hold his shoulder firmly. 

“I'm right here.”

His teared up eyes closed in a calm of her embrace, and her affirming words as he gulped, snuggling into her warmth for how she held him closer and tight and in an assurance against the unpleasantly lonely and miserable feeling he had a few moments ago from his memories to not finding her the first one before his eyes sent a deadly displease and fear in his heart that he never want to feel, as he held her tight in his arms to feel her pacing heartbeat against his racing but calming one. 

Iseul was here. 

She was in his arms; she had held him in her arms with safety and he was safe. 

Iseul was his only safe amidst his unsafe world. 

The woman was surely surprised to hear him calling her in a panic; the next second she found him in a worry yet relief to see her until she felt his pacing heartbeat against her in his arms as if he had another nightmare enough to feel alone, and afraid, and she wanted to ease his uneasiness and make him feel better and safe like how he had been as her face buried in his shoulder with her closed teary eyes. 

The thundering rain became the melody of their heartwarming embrace. 

As the rain was slowing down; Baekhyun had leaned back to want to look at her as he cleared his eyes since he didn't like her vision in a blur where Iseul looked up at him softly to meet his deep soft, and adoring ones yet a certain gratefulness that swelled her heart before Baekhyun had his palm slid to palm her jawline as he caressed her skin with his thumb to feel her warmth in a sooth, to her slightly watery eyes staring at him silently yet held a worrying adoration for his heart to warm pleasantly. 

He was realizing that he missed this adoring eyes of hers for him. 

A smile curled his lips as he leaned his forehead against hers to caress his thumb over her chin the moment she bit her lip softly as he tug it out of her hold gently while nuzzling his nose through hers in a flutter of their hearts as Iseul stared at the beautiful curve of his lips in a warming sight of her heart, and eyes. 

How beautiful this man was even in the mess. 

“Did you sleep well, sweetheart?” 

Iseul hummed. “Yeah.” She leaned into his soothing touch, and Baekhyun slightly bumped his forehead against hers softly to press it back again as he caressed the corner of her twisted lips now. “You should have slept more by my side; I couldn't sleep well without you.”

“You seemed to want to be free from me.”

Iseul felt his frown against her own and Baekhyun clicked his tongue as if she uttered the wrong words while he rolled his words beneath assurance for her and a soft plea from him. “I feel the most carefree with you, Iseul; I have felt this after a long time so don't free me from you, ever.”

He feels carefree with her; her heart swelled. 

“Mr. Jung informed about the cancelation of the magazine shoot-” 

Iseul squealed softly abruptly between her words the moment Baekhyun had lifted her up by her waist; her arm draped around his neck with hold of his shoulder while another one clutching her own hand over his shoulder as her front leaned against his chest since he had her raise up to his level with her feet off the floor as he held her effortlessly. 

Their faces inches closer as her rounded eyes stared into his softly adoring her ones. 

“What do you think you're doing?” 

“Do you think I care about the cancellation of a freaking magazine shoot right now, sweetheart?” 

Baekhyun had his one eyebrow raised as if reading her eyes of turning their conversation to the other side as her one sheepish silent blink was enough to gush his heart with her unintentional adorableness; damn, how gorgeous she appeared right now to the hoodie of his wrapped around her seemed like she was really his woman, and with every right from the beginning of their meeting. 

He couldn't help but notice her being back to his workaholic woman while last night he had seen her vulnerability and miserable condition of how she hides it under her cold persona but in the end, Iseul was human after all, and as much as he was relieved that he had brought her inner turmoil out, he felt miserable and dreadful for every misery and cruelty she had endured, let alone shattering her only dream. 

“Don't give me that look, Baekhyun.”

Iseul's eyes hardened and Baekhyun frowned. 

“What, look?” 

“That sympathetic look; I don't want it.”

He was silent for a moment with a long stare at her; he could understand her actions of not wanting to be weak, because he had been like that before but her betterment had become his priority above everything else. 

“Let me be the one whom you can sympathize and emphasize your pain with; I want you to be carefree enough to share your every worry with me, and I promise, you will never have to hide it again.”

He uttered so softly and in a sincere assurance that her heart welled up; he was doing it again, and her heart was tugging more toward him, to his deep eyes holding hers in a deep adoration for her as if he didn't like her pain buried inside for how he had helped her cry last night to lighten her heart, and made her feel safe. 

Iseul gulped, and dropped her head into his neck with a sigh as she felt him putting her down but instead of feeling the floor, her feet were on his feet over the slippers before feeling him leaning his head against hers softly as he held her gently. 

“Iseul.”

“If you keep doing this; I will start wanting you and needing you, Baekhyun.”

Her voice cracked through the mumbles; his heart clutched unpleasantly as he gulped, understanding her reasons to hold her hand on his shoulder as their palms pressed softly by their side before lacing their fingers together. 

“Have me; I want to be only yours, Iseul.”

He wanted to be hers only from the time he wasn't even aware of this fact and from the time he had become aware of this fact. 

“Let's be in this together against every odd.”

Iseul felt like crying; she wanted him to be hers and she wanted to be his, and her hold tightened while her fingers threaded back through his softly as the same fear gripped her heart again of hurting him, or ruining them, but her mother's words coursed through her mind. 

Faith was stronger than trust. 

Like her faith in her father was strong. 

She just had to make her faith in herself, and him, and them, stronger to even waver again. 

“I will make our possibility true this time.”

The words of her heart had uttered out before her mind could think of, as her breath hitched but felt him stiffening in her hold where Baekhyun couldn't believe it; the words of her mumble but so soothing and unbelievably pleasant to his heart, and ears as he inhaled sharply while his hold tightening as the emotions threatened into his eyes in a blur of a bliss before he leaned back with a racing heart and Iseul met his teary eyes but had a glow of bliss with a soft smile as her own watery eyes blinked in nervousness beneath her heartbeat. 

The slowed rain had halted long before as the hue of afternoon daylight seeped through the dewy glass wall to shine their embrace in a glistening shine. 

“Can you repeat that again for me, sweetheart?” 

Baekhyun desperately wanted to hear those words again as Iseul stared at him blankly yet felt the heat crawling her face as her lips parted with a sudden feeling of shyness mixed with nervousness. 

“You heard me.” 

She was quick to step back with a twirl of her figure; somehow unable to look at him and as infuriating as it was to feel like a freaking teenager, a flutter went through her system pleasantly as she wiped her tears with a soft smile unaware yet aware of his lips graced in a beautiful smile as Baekhyun heard her words well beneath her indirect confession of a chance. 

A chance to him; her and their possibility now. 

He couldn't be happier. 

“Are we shy now, princess?” 

Iseul heard him over her shoulder as she felt him tangling his fingers through her curls while picturing his beautiful curve perfectly for how his words sounded in a happy tone and her smile widened before clearing . 

She was able to make him happy felt like a victory she had earned wholesomely. 

“Shy, my foot.”

His chuckle and her heart thumped, and her cheeks fired, as her barefoot steps almost forwarded to the bathroom but felt him holding her hand; the next thing her figure was spun around towards him as a surprise gasp left her lips and in the moment, Baekhyun had pulled her hand closer with a drape of her arm around his neck as within a second, Iseul was lifted in his arms again in a bridal style. 

“Baekhyun!” 

“Yes, sweetheart?”

He grinned, and she held the curve of his neck while another arm stilled around his neck where he stared at her with a dreamy smile and a blissful glow in his glistening eyes to warm her heart. 

“Stop lifting me up abruptly.” Iseul frowned, “What if I fall?”

“I will never let you fall,” He trailed off, pulling her up abruptly again as Iseul's eyes narrowed yet immediately soften at his words, and the loving gaze for her deep through the daylight as he was inches away from her until she found his eyes flickering in a rather teasing as his one eyebrow raised, “Except for me,” Baekhyun paused with a laugh the second she rolled her eyes; Iseul's heart rhythmic against his warmth until he completed his words. “We will make our possibility true and harmless, Iseul.”

Iseul's heart warmed yet again; how much more this man was going to swell her heart profoundly and rise into the depth of her heart and Baekhyun felt her caressing his skin as his heart swelled to the eyes of hers staring at him with a deep adoration was her answer. 

A bliss rose in the depth of his feelings for her. 

“Come on.”

“I have feet; I can walk, darling.”

“I got strong arms to lift you, sweetheart,” He trailed off, carrying her towards the bathroom and a smile curled his lips as she didn't resist; she wouldn't anymore make him want to jump with happiness. “What are you doing?”

Yet the only one spoiling it. 

Baekhyun opened the door before placing her on the counter as Iseul stared at him confusingly while he stood between her legs as the position wasn't even unfamiliar anymore but every time it seeped a different emotion and right now it felt both searing yet soft as he tucked her strands behind her ear with a soft smile, and met her eyes deeply in a close proximity of theirs like his hands caged her. 

“Just let me take care of you.”

“I'm not used to it.”

Iseul mumbled; the time was gone when she was accommodate to the care of her father but the moment he was gone, Iseul had admitted that she had only herself to take care of now and that her father was not going to come and chase her to make her eat, or braid her hair or be per personal diary and because her relationship with her mother wasn't close to even have hopes to have the care. 

She had learned to take care of herself alone. 

Her heart pierced unpleasantly as her eyes teared up and immediately down-casted her eyes to her blurry vision to her lap as her hands clutched the fabric of her nightwear until she found his hands reaching out to hold hers in his gentle clasp as he neared her hands to his lips and felt him kissing the back of her ringed finger softly while his eyes closed in the moment, and her swelling heart welled up. 

“I will make you used to it.”

Baekhyun uttered; the glimpses of her being her dad's princess proudly and immune to the care had always glowed on her while her shattered accident, and her father's death, and lost dream of her vulnerable cries pierced his heart of how much she had lost; the old Iseul was lost in the facade of her strong persona and it shattered his heart as he held back his tears to gulp harshly before caressing her skin. 

“Every care you deserve; every smile you lost and every safety you used to feel,” He declared, reaching out to caress the side of her head with an emotional smile yet tenderness in his eyes for her. “I to