The 12 hour 30 minutes non-stop plane journey was pleasant. That would be the only way to phrase it.
Six hours in, Suzy had finally given into temptation and allowed herself to fall asleep on Joohyuk's shoulder. She would deny it to the bitter end if teased about it when she woke up but he knew better. He would always be reminded of the pleasant memory of her soft snores whenever she got a bit too big for her boots.
Hours later.
"Do you always stare at unsuspecting women creepily while they sleep?" Suzy said with her eyes firmly shut and an emotionless line of her lips.
"Aniya. Only you," he muttered next to her ear huskily which only enhanced her reaction.
Slapping him on the shoulder and shoving him away, her eyes opened and she realized the surface she was laying on was far luxurious than that of even the expensive first class seat.
Taking a few second to get her bearings, she frowned and propped herself up with her arms, coming to the realization that she was now in the comfort of a highly starred Parisian hotel.
"Woah. How did I get here? Have I been kidnapped?"
Joohyuk merely laughed as he continued to lie facing her casually on his side as he played with a rose from one of the many vases littered around the suite.
"Although I dream to play a psychopath someday, Suzynapping is not my forte."
Smiling sarcastically, she stood up from the bed and began to pace the room, until she ended up at the large window situated a few feet away from the bed that housed a small balcony overlooking the city.
"You fell asleep on the plane and I couldn't quite bare to wake you when we landed so I carried you from the plane to the car and again from the car to here." He shrugged, eventually easing himself off the comfortable bed. "Don't worry I made it sure no one recognized us," he said, walking towards Suzy who stood just outside the now open balcony doors.
"Gomawo," she said simply as if all her cockiness had just flown out of the window, literally.
"The view is stunning isn't it?"
It was clear to see what Joohyuk was talking about as they stood- Suzy in front of him, bracing the balcony railings. He stood a step behind her taking in the beautiful sight of Paris illuminated by stars and artificial lighting which stretched for miles.
"Areumdapda."
It was only above a whisper but Joohyuk heard her loud and clear. He didn't ask for more but he knew there was something else she was meaning to say.
"I love Paris, I visit her often. I would sight-see for hours and dine in the sweet cafés in the day time and at night after dinner in one of my favourite restaurants, come back to my room and look at the city from the balcony."
She smiled at the memory but even standing behind her, Joohyuk felt her body stiffen at her words.
"Paris is the most romantic city in the world. Did you ever come here with a special someone?" He didn't know what got into him to ask that, but he had to.
"Almost but we blew up our chance. After going public, more responsibilities had to be taken care of, less time with one another." She shrugged as she tried to justify a wasted chance by her former boyfriend.
Joohyuk knew of Suzy and her first publicized relationship. He certainly saw it in the news, Suzy's dating scandal in London, he was one of the thousands men who got brokenhearted at that time after finding out the nation's first love was already taken. But he refused to celebrate with his guy friends after Suzy's break up news made headlines, he just couldn't quite push away the feeling that Suzy must be hurting somewhere hopefully not alone all by herself and had to bear a scar after a failed relationship.
"Then have a romantic date with me here. If there's one thing I regret, it's not bringing the women I loved here. I'm not saying I had the money to treat them to a Parisian date before, but I sometimes wonder what it would have been if I made an effort, if I made time."
"I will make time," Suzy whispered under her breath once again and without warning, stepped back so she was almost touching Joohyuk's chest.
In a calming but precise movement, she dropped her arms to the side only to grasp his hands with hers as she brought his arms around her body to hug her from behind. "Kol. Let's date here," she said, biting her lower lip. Too late to back out.
Suzy's body was now flush against his chest but he didn't reject her, instead Joohyuk intertwined his hands to her, across her stomach and held her against him, inhaling the scent of her natural hair, no pretence of a wig anywhere to be seen.
"I'm sure we'd enjoy this more if I have no work to do."
"Priorities, Joohyuk-ah. Remember business before pleasure."
"Ne, Jagiya!"
Suzy chuckled and allowed her head to sink against his chest, listening to the soothing call of each heartbeat and noting that when she placed her cold hands on top of his, it started to beat a little faster.
"Have dinner with me?" Joohyuk mumbled against her ear after a few silent yet strangely, comfortable moments.
"Oui, je voudrais bien."
____________
As Suzy casually took lick after lick of her cheesecake off the tiniest of dessert spoons, she looked up to Joohyuk who was eyeing her intently.
"Wae?" she asked.
"I want to know something."
"Hmm mwo?" Suzy frowned but openly welcomed his curiosity.
"Why the beauty of Bae Suzy has yet to be captured," he spoke with integrity as he sipped his espresso.
"You mean why haven't I got a ring on my finger?"
Joohyuk nodded at this and she smirked a sinister but longing expression.
"Didn't you know Korea will be flooded with tears once I marry?"
"Maja," he said, grinning. "But I'm almost certain he would be the luckiest."
With a mere shrug, Suzy suddenly stood, walking away from him.
Dumbfounded at her reaction, he questioned what had just happened and having no time to make a rational choice, followed her.
Leaving the dining quarters, he followed her towards the stairwell. She would have no doubt taken the elevator in any normal circumstance but her reactions only lead him to believe she was going up. Right up.
With a quick and steady pace, Suzy took each step with enthusiasm, not stopping until she reached air. Joohyuk on the other hand, had to stop once to regain his breath before he continued his pursuit of her.
____________
When he finally felt cool air rushing into his lungs and a crisp breeze on his face, he realized he had reached the roof.
His eyes immediately set upon Suzy. She really was beautiful in the moonlight. Her figure was hugged lovingly by a black dress that finished just above the knee, pleated lines accentuating her tiny waist and a zip running full length down the back of the dress, finishing just low enough to allow Joohyuk to admire the luxury that was her neck. A weak spot.
"There's something sinfully appealing about trespassing especially when it involves no clothing." Suzy quirked an eyebrow at Joohyuk who watched her, completely in awe.
In a slick move, her arm was swinging and all Joohyuk heard was an, "Oops!" PLOP.
He observed his ring slowly drop through the water until everything was still and only the small ripples of the water persisted. "Suzy-ah!"
"Go fetch."
Suzy couldn't help but grin at the sight of Joohyuk loosening his tie before her.
"I won't look, I promise." She laughed so hard as she turned to look towards the moon while he stripped.
"Wae? Afraid you might like what you see?" Joohyuk smirked as he pulled his shirt buttons open one at a time; watching her the whole time as her hips bounced slightly in waiting.
"Oh please!" she chuckled, rolling her eyes.
He smirked harder when she didn't deny it.
Suzy felt a rush of heat to her cheeks when she heard the sound of a belt buckle being undone.
"Kol."
Splash. She turned to see Joohyuk under the water, coming up for air with the ring in his hand.
"Care to join me?" He challenged as she stood poolside, hand on hip, enjoying the view.
When she shrugged and began walking towards his clothes, Joohyuk's eyes met hers and she froze.
"Jagiya.." His warning tone only elicited her to mimic him with a smirk.
"Jagiya.."
There was a moment of contemplation and then she started to move. Gathering his clothing in her arms, she stood facing him.
"Scared?"
"Very."
With his final word, he had swung his arms in a strong stroke and drenched Suzy in water as she stood still holding his now damp clothes.
"Oops!" he announced with sarcastic glee.
"Jugule, Nam Joohyuk!? You shouldn't have done that." Suzy laughed as she moved some wet hair from her face so she could smirk evilly at him, still maintaining some composure.
He kept his eyes pinned on her as she thoughtfully removed his phone and wallet from his pockets before taking the liberty of standing on the edge of the pool and throwing his clothes into the pit of water, laughing as she did so.
"Ooooops!" she announced just as he did but before she had time to follow through with more, she felt his hands on her ankles and her feet leaving the floor.
Like a slow motion picture, she knew it; she was mid air as Joohyuk's laughter filled her ears.
Swimming to her in some sort of assistance, he pulled her up from underneath the water and trapped her flush against his naked body.
"Ya, I can't swim." Spluttering, Suzy tried to regain her breath as Joohyuk held her in place against him. Unaware that he was making the task of lowering her heart rate near impossible by just holding her with not an ounce of clothing on.
"Even?" He smiled as he pushed her stray locks away from her face with his spare hand as she blinked the water from her eyes.
"Not even close!" She slapped him playfully on the chest and splashed some water in his face until he conceded and let her go.
He couldn't remember the last time he had laughed like this.
Pool walking away from him, Suzy sought for the zip at her back and with a few tugs, she released the material and shrugged the drenched item from her body.
Joohyuk was transfixed as he watched her dump the ruined clothing on the edge of the pool and continue to undress herself without a care in the world.
Eventually she was left in nothing but a pair of underwear. Joohyuk smirked at her decency. Even in times of craziness, Suzy would always be pure in there somewhere.
"I have to admit, I feel quite liberated." She smiled to herself as she plodded in the water to keep herself afloat.
She couldn't quite remember the last time she had felt this happy or free.
"Can I tell you something?" Suzy titled her head to the side.
"Ne. Anything."
Suzy smiled, gesturing with her index finger for Joohyuk to come to her in the middle of the pool.
Swimming towards her, she eyed every movement and flex of his body, feeling herself over appreciating his body. His muscular arms, his chiseled chest, his sexy abs.. his…- What was she thinking!
When he reached her, she pushed her arms out until they sat homely on his strong shoulders. Pulling him closer to her, she closed the distance between them, their bodies not quite touching but so achingly close that Joohyuk nearly flinched at the proximity.
She moved in until her mouth was dangerously close to his neck, then to his ear.
He waited, his hands so close to grasping her waist, he waited for her to speak.
"Jagiya…" The whisper was seductive and teasing.
His hands reached out to take her body but as he tried to, Suzy pushed hard on his shoulders and she successfully dunked him under the water. The second of pure panic on his face, it was worth every second of temptation. She was damn strong to successfully pull that act for a big guy like him, he was amazed.
She plodded as quickly as she could away from the scene of the crime, finding it increasingly difficult as she couldn't stop laughing.
Just as she thought she was out of his reach, Joohyuk had grabbed her ankle and pulled her down with him once again, only giving her a quick chance to brace her lungs with air before she went under.
Blinking the water away from her eyes so she could see, she searched for her companion, only to find him in front of her, his eyes wide open, his hands reaching for her waist, smiling as he held his breath.
She smiled too, but quickly tried to hit him on the chest. To her disappointment, she was unsuccessful from the resistance of the water and instead settled for her hands on his shoulders.
In a swift move, Joohyuk had pulled Suzy against him and kissed her on the neck lovingly.
She turned expressionless, breathless; her spine tingled as they reached air. Plodding in the water, they were still holding one another, just staring into each others' dark orbs, searching for something, anything to say.
"It's late." Suzy let out first.
Joohyuk's face suddenly turned serious. "Ne."
He released her and she walked away in one direction, Joohyuk in the other as he gathered his clothes that littered the pool. He pulled his boxers on before climbing out of the pool and dressing with the rest of his clothes.
Suzy finished before him and waited by the side of the pool, watching him closely as he dressed, still unable to remove the blush from her cheeks but masking it with a plain expression as if she was totally unaffected by him. Lies.
_________
They smirked in unison as they casually walked back through the lobby; sporting their drenched clothes, shoes in hand and smirks on their faces.
The funny looks from other guests and employees only added fuel to the fire and once in the confines of the elevator, they burst into light echoes of laughter.
Once in their luxury suite, they went their separate ways, Joohyuk to his bedroom and Suzy to hers.
As they were about to part with a simple nod, she stopped and turned to him. "Goodnight."
He turned and smiled genuinely, raising his hand a little, still holding his ruined shoes. "Jalja, Jagiya."