Keys to Happiness

13. Aliah

I was unsurprised that KiBum was on time, and while I usually loved his punctual tendencies, I was freaking out right now. Like a mad woman I hurried around the apartment, trying to find the house slippers that I had bought specifically for KiBum's use and along the way spraying myself with perfume and making sure my hair looked just right.

As he rang the bell for a second time, I remembered suddenly that I had placed them by the door exactly so that I wouldn't forget what I'd done with them. Sighing deeply and lightly slapping myself on the forehead, angry since I always seemed to forget the stupidest things, I finally opened the door and let him in.

"Hey, KiBum. What's up?" I said in what I hoped was a nonchalant tone as I leaned against the doorframe. He smiled as if he knew I was faking it and took a long look at me. Before he could notice how flustered I was, I ushered him inside the house and closed the door behind him.

"I bought some slippers for you to use-", I said turning around and found myself face to face with him, his face bent down towards mine. Surprised, I took a step back, but he came closer, closing the distance between us.

"Annyeong, Aliah-yah. It's been a long time since I've seen you," he rasped near my ear and I felt my body shiver lightly in response.

My heart was beating a mile a minute. KiBum's voice sounded breathy, deep, and scratchy, very different from his usual timbre and outside of what I'd ever heard it sound like before. It wasn't something that I disliked though; I may have liked it too much.

"KiBum, what happened to your voice? Are you sick?" I questioned although what I really wanted to know is if the change would be permanent.

"Anieyo, I just lost it after finishing our concert. I'll be back to normal soon," he said with a laugh that was husky and warm.

"Oh, well it's very nice anyways," I muttered completely rattled by now.

In all honestly his voice sounded like seduction itself. KiBum usually had a certain tone that he used when speaking to me, one that I noticed was different from his normal voice. But now it sounded like he had just run a mile... or had just finished having sex. The look he was giving me at the moment certainly wasn't helping me think pure thoughts. I cleared my throat and took another step back. I needed the space to think clearly again.

"So, um, put your slippers on and come inside. I hope you're hungry."

I stepped around him delicately as he bent over to take off his shoes. I took a minute to look him over as he moved out of the entryway and into the kitchen where I stood. Since the three weeks that he'd been away promoting and touring, KiBum had lost weight. His face was thinner than before and his cheekbones more pronounced, but he was still gorgeous. He had a shadow of stubble on his face, something that I wasn't used to seeing on him.

Another thing I wasn't used to was the absence of his colorful contacts; instead today he just had on a pair of glasses. I tended to think that most people looked better in glasses, and even though it was a biased opinion since I wore them myself, in KiBum's case it was definitely not in my own imagination. I loved KiBum with his contacts, but if he actually needed his glasses, I was going to make sure he wore them all the time.

His outfit today screamed casual, but knowing KiBum's style sense, it had probably taken him a long time to get ready. Not a hair was out of place and his face was surprisingly free of makeup. I was even more impressed to see that it's lack barely made a difference; his skin was flawless. But my perusal had lasted only a minute and KiBum was talking again.

"Yes, I'm starving, but I have to do something first before we eat." A smirk pulled his lips upwards and I felt my pulse quicken at the suggestion in his voice.