Almost There (a Summer Crush Short Story) - WATTPAD VERSION

Friday, 9:30 PM

Gabriel Park's default setting is GQ Model, no matter what he's wearing. It can get a tad aggravating, really, but Fi likes to think annoyance is a small price she has to pay, being the object of his affection and all. Tonight, she finds him at the busy hotel lobby, sitting comfortably on one of the nest-shaped lounge chairs, looking like he's posing for a camera. His white dress shirt, tailored nicely so that it hugs his body just right, has three buttons undone, sleeves rolled up a little below his elbows. God how she hates those toned forearms. And that messy tuft of black hair makes it seem like he's been running his hand through it a couple of times, but it still looks good. How annoying.

Fi burns this image into her memory as she approaches him, unsure what to think of him being here. It's only been two hours since he called her, and she was under the impression he was in Seoul. He said nothing about an urgent concern, so why in the world is he here?

He looks up just as she comes closer, the dazzling smile on his face giving the chandelier hanging above them fierce competition. It short circuits her brain for a millisecond. "What—"

"—are you doing here, Gabriel?" he finishes her question, the smile on his face turning into a mischievous smirk. He puts away the magazine he was perusing and gets up. "I have matters to attend to."

"What matters?"

Gabriel only smiles and looks past Fi, tipping his head toward the band members who are a few steps behind her. "Good evening, gentlemen."

"Hyung, why are you here?" asks Minchan.

"Are you done with tonight's meeting?" Gabriel dodges the question, gaze flitting from Fi's face to everyone else's. Yihwan reluctantly replies, "Yes."

"We're on our way to the pool to have a little fun," Steven adds.

The smile on Gabriel's face grows wider. "Sounds good. You won't mind me borrowing Ms. Legaspi in the meantime, will you?"

Fi jerks an eyebrow.

No one says anything for a good three seconds until Yihwan speaks up. "Sure, but... everything's okay, right? We're not in trouble or anything?"

The hearty laugh that comes from Gabriel's lips sends Fi's heart somersaulting a couple of times. He really should stop doing that.

Or not.

"Don't worry. You're not in trouble," Gabriel guarantees. "Go and have fun."

"Ne, abeoji!" Steven loops his arms through Yihwan and Minchan's. Without another word, he drags them both away with him.

"Now then..."

"The truth, Gabe. Why are you here, exactly?"

"I missed you."

She blinks. Her eyes dart to the band members, and she lets out a sigh upon seeing them step out into the pool area. "Not a valid answer. You said you had matters to attend to."

"Didn't say they were business related." He takes her hand and leads her to the nearest elevator, answering none of the questions she bombards him with all the way up to the 7th floor. More unanswered questions and several strides away from the elevator later, Fi finds herself staring at the door of a hotel room she's certain she's not booked in. She only watches as Gabriel swipes his key card through the slot and pushes the door open with ease.

He pulls her into the room with him, and in a matter of seconds, Gabriel's embrace engulfs her senses.

"Ahh..." he sighs, as though finally unburdened of the day's worries. His warm breath tickles her neck, and she stifles a giggle when he whispers. "I'm home now."