Sheets

The steady thrum of the fan in the hallway and the quiet breathing beside me met my ears as I slowly drifted back from dreamland to reality. His arm was draped over my waist haphazardly. I smiled and closed my eyes, reveling in having his warm body next to me after such a long absence.

Very few knew where to find us and we liked it that way. The great and infamous Junsu had disappeared after his world tour, returning to his hideout in a small cottage on the green fields of Ireland. It was a sanctuary for the both of us, peaceful and isolated. No one would ever find and disturb us.

I had fallen in love with the sweetness, the innocence of the Korean boy beside me. Though he was far from a boy anymore, he still held that youthful spark that made a smile form, a laugh, when I least wanted it to. He was perfect, an angel of pureness and perfection—a being I could never compare myself to. His flawless face, enchanting eyes and random moments of his adored laughter. The way he was like a kid, but as romantic as the man he was. That was what I fell in love with.

Our relationship was just like he was: simple, innocent, and perfect. Who could have thought I, such a girl from rural America who had banned love from her life, would catch the eye of Xia Junsu? Someone who was growing so famous in the ranks of Asia's entertainers; why would he want me?

I asked him such a ponder all the time, but he would smile and say, “because you're you.” A question would form as to what that was supposed to mean. He'd be quick to silence it with his lips. I hardly understood what he saw in such a flawed person such as myself when he was the embodiment of angelic perfection.

His arm tightened around my waist as he stirred. He mumbled something in Korean before pulling himself closer to me, my back against his chest as warm breath blew against my neck. Goosebumps formed.

“Joh-eun achim,” he murmured, pressing his head against mine.

“Good morning,” I responded, turning over and kicking the sheets away. It was humid already in the early morning, as it always was.

The moment I looked into those drowsy and half-lidded dark eyes, my chest squeezed at the heart. We weren't the couple who “slept” together as in sex. No, there was none of that. We didn't need that to show how much we loved each other. We just slept. It was our favorite activity to do together. Just sleeping with the other, being able to relax, bodies close together beneath cool sheets, dreaming of the other.

“What do you want to do today?” asked Junsu as he buried his face in my neck.

“Be lazy.” The same answer as every day.

Junsu's lips pressed against my neck and I shivered despite the humidity. The soft flesh curved against my skin in a smile. “I like the sound of that. I haven't had time to be lazy for a while.”

“Well, we can be lazy all the time until you have to leave again.” I tried to sound playful, but a frown settled.

“I won't be gone for a long while,” he told me, brushing hair from my face. “And when I do leave I want you to come with me.”

My eyes widened at his proposal. “To Korea?”

He smiled, brightening the gray morning gloom that seeped into our bedroom. “Where else?”

“But what will everyone say?”

“Who cares? I'm tired of leaving you here. You're so unhappy.” He frowned, almost a pout, reminding me of a lost puppy.

“I'm not necessarily 'unhappy',” I said. “I just...miss you. A lot.” It was only somewhat of a spoken truth. When I missed him, I was unhappy.

He smiled again, making the heart beat thunderous. “I miss you all the time. I think about you when I'm on stage and I imagine you're there in front of me. When I'm in the hotel by myself, all I want is for you to be there beside me. I hate being alone in bed. Its too cold.” The last sentence was almost a whine, like a child, as his arm pulled me as close as possible. My nose pressed against his chest as I giggled. “Its lonely without you. I feel lost.”

“Well, we always know to meet back here,” I whispered. “Right here in this bed.”

“That was always my reassurance when the tour got too long.” I smiled. “Come to Korea with me next time, please?” He was back to sounding like a child, making me blush and unable to hide a smile.

I looked up at him, running a hand through chocolate hair that stood slightly askew. “As long as there's a bed to be lazy in there too.”

He smiled playfully. “Of course.” And his lips pressed to mine, feeling like the love we had spun ourselves into.

Simple, innocent, and perfect.