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 Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2008 7:57 pm
Were he a lesser man, he might have been sick on the spot. As it where, he listened quietly and considerately, never releasing her hands of his gentle hold, his eyes attentive upon her face. He could tell by her expression that she was telling him the truth, even though she didn't like it. Hell, he liked it even less, and it hadn't been his problem.
But that was the problem; he cared, and he wanted to keep her safe. He wanted to take care of her, he had always watched out for her since college, and thus her plight became his. To see her smile was a constant warmth on a cold day, and seeing her now...could he ever make her smile, everyday...?
An idea occured to him. It was crazy, it might lose him his dear friend, but...
Brad drew her hands closer, resting them on his chest over his heart, bidding her to look at him. "Hae-min," he spoke her name with a soft baritone, "do you trust me?"
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Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2008 8:07 pm
"Of course I do," she said. Where was this going? She looked at him, trying to find some kind of hint as to why he was asking such a weird question; of course Hae-min trusted him. They had known each other since... since she couldn't speak proper English. How could she not?
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Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 10:58 am
Brad took a deep breath, and prepared to change his life for better or worse.
"I want you to be my wife." His face was perfectly serious, holding her hands over his heart all the while, which beat steadily in his resolve. "I'll take care of you, and you'll never be wanting. You can come to me for anything, if this 'thing' gets the better of you or not, you'll be with me and we'll make it through. You know I'd never hurt you, in any form." His lips curled into a faint smile at the implication. "Your family knows me, and you aren't completely mortified by Alex; I know she likes you. I can support you so that your family is happy, but I will never make you do anything you don't want to - you can keep working or stay home, whatever you need, and I'll be there.
"You're one of my best friends, and I daresay I'm at my happiest when we're plotting our next grand adventure of tackling the workplace or just going out to buy some clothes. We have a good foundation, you and I. I'll be here for you, always." His voice softened considerably as the words came forth, using his impeccable logic to appease any 'problems' that could be caused by the sudden question. He knew her family was important to her; granting her all the desirable traits of an arranged marriage for the sake of what he was offering would at least appeal to them. Or so he hoped.
While it might have been easier just to ask her to move in with him, he would never compromise her sense of tradition and proper manners - the only way he could make good on his words was to act as her husband. Somehow, Brad was peaceful with the idea of stepping into that role again. "If you can agree to everything I just said, I'll just have one question." He continued to smile, his fingertips tingling with unexpected anticipation.
"Hae-min, will you marry me?"
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Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 11:36 am
His wife?
Hae-min couldn't quite understand where this question had come from. The instinctual reaction of shock drove away the distraction of her power- but she knew that it was still there, repressed, could feel faint pains beginning- and she could think clearly. He knew, first hand, what she was capable of, but he still asked her?... After what she'd said about things happening, not because she wanted them to, but because she couldn't help it? The prospect of having one more person to answer to was daunting- it frightened her.
"I..." can't? And yet... Everything he said was true. She knew Brad loved her, trusted her, was as close to perfect as she knew. The idea of him ever raising a hand to her in anger at her was so alien as to be completely absurd, and she smiled a little at the mere thought.
It was just... marriage? She'd resigned herself long ago to being the spinster of the Mhin sisters. All of them had been married for years, and she still alone. Hae-min hadn't minded, didn't resent- it seemed that to be a wife was a chore. After all, all six of them had been engaged sight-unseen at one point or another. Some of them even married the man their parents had chosen. Not all of them had been happy, though, and that was what she'd told herself she was avoiding. But now, to be offered...
The prospect of being Brad's wife didn't seem intimidating. It might even be easy. He'd laid it out so clearly, so logically, she couldn't think of a reason to say no. She closed her eyes for a moment. "Okay," she breathed, that word only for herself. Her shoulders shook a little- from suppressed energy or fear or... anticipation? She couldn't say, and concentrated on the strange feeling where their skin touched instead of a question like that.
Hae-min took a deep breath. "Yes," she said, feeling stupid for having one word to say to all he'd just told her. "I'll marry you."
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Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 12:21 pm
He set his jaw to keep from letting it click in his nervous habit, trying to hold her gaze. The man felt surprisingly nervous, even more so than the first time he had asked that question - this wasn't planned, they hadn't talked about it at all. The idea had crossed his mind and it had seemed so right, such a perfect answer to all the riddles that he had to ask.
Brad hung on her spoken word, trying not to shift or even breathe wrong. The hands holding onto hers were as gentle as ever, his face drawn into a look of patience with a lining of hope. As she closed her eyes and spoke again, his heart actually jumped, not sure if she was talking to herself or him. At the words that followed that, however, he exhaled a deep sigh of relief, an uncharacteristically warm grin taking the place of his anxious smile. "You've made me a very happy man," he said quietly.
Gently drawing her hands from his chest to his shoulders, he released her and leaned over to give her a proper hug, unable to express his innate joy outwardly. While the marriage would certainly be one of convenience, the Italian took a great deal of satisfaction out of her agreement, because there was something more to it. He couldn't quite put his finger on it yet, and so he kept his pleased relief to himself for the time being.
He gave her a gentle kiss to the cheek - he would not dare to properly kiss her, not unless she wanted him to - he allowed his smile to speak all the words that he suddenly could not find. "I swear I'll be good to you. We can move in wherever you want, when you're ready...I guess I'm getting ahead of myself." Brad chuckled quietly, looking slightly embarrassed. "But I am glad. I am," he finished sincerely.
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Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 1:03 pm
Of course there were still misgivings, but in the light of his smile Hae-min forgot them. He'd only smiled like that rarely- she liked this smile and usually did her best to make it appear. "I'm glad," she murmured, tangling her hands in his hair because it gave her something to hold on to. Besides that, she was relieved- he had meant it, wanted it, really. It hadn't been... a lark, or a joke. She knew Brad wouldn't do that and she hadn't been aware of a sneaking fear of it, but still...
She laughed and smiled at him, letting herself get carried away in his happiness. "I know," she said, "but there's one tiny problem." And rather than tormenting him with letting him think it was something wrong with him, she continued quickly. "Who's going to tell Alex?" Hae-min kind of wanted to see the look on Brad's sister's face. (Alex, her soon-to-be sister-in-law? How odd it was to consider the other woman that way! She'd have her hands full with telling abeoji... and Tae-yul...
God, though, he looked... happy. Hae-min stared, slightly aware that she must have looked as mystified as she felt, but the truth was... "I'm glad, too." And she smiled.
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Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 3:41 pm
If he had any doubts as to her true frame of mind, it was quickly washed away when he felt that familiar heat curl in his stomach; he wouldn't let it spoil the moment, and instead drank her smile and laughter with a light heart. "Alex? That depends, do you want her to be a terror or ecstatic? She'll hound me like there's no tomorrow, but she'll be pretty happy to hear it from you. I can hear her already," he crinkled his nose and spoke in a silly voice, "'You tied him down AND I get a sister? Where do I sign up?'" He chuckled lightly, knowing the hellish creature he called a sister would be beside herself with excitement.
He paused. "A second question. Who's going to tell Tae-yul?" Brad had the distinct feeling the younger man was not going to be thrilled about it. Not wanting to give Hae-min the wrong idea, he shrugged his broad shoulders and smiled, a bit heady under the influence of her fingers in his hair. "I'll even be nice to him, although I doubt that'll make him any happier."
The smile softened again, practically taking years off his age. Leaning forward, he gingerly pressed a kiss to her brow, delicate and lingering before he turned his gaze back to her. "I want you to be happy. That's important to me, more than anything. I'll tell the world if you'd like, although no one will believe us until we have a ring to show for it." Indigo eyes sparkled. "That, I suppose, will be the next order of business."
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Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 6:12 pm
She smiled at the thought. "I'll tell her, then," she said, desiring to save him from being hounded. While she might not be able to prevent all of it, she could try... Or maybe she could? Hae-min thought about that for a moment and then giggled, shaking her head.
"As for Tae-yul..." Her expression turned solemn. "I won't tell him first. I'm going to get abeoji's permission. Then he can't say anything without being disobedient." Then she smiled again and pulled him closer. "You'd better be at least a little nice."
No, she didn't need the world to know. "I guess," she murmured. Maybe she'd get to help pick this one, or something like that, anyway. "May I help pick?" She was careful to sound... not disinterested, but unconcerned. After all, he might say no; she doubted it, but he might.
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Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 10:47 am
It briefly occured to them that he probably should have been just a little unnerved to be talking wedding specifics with his close friend out in the parking lot, but it seemed all rather natural. As natural as proposing without warning to said close friend could be. No doubt he'd find the whole situation amusing later in the evening, but he had no regrets.
A thoughtful nod followed her words concerning his sister. "If you'd like, I would not mind." He did not add that he'd no doubt get chewed out for not telling the fiesty woman immediately, but that was neither here nor there. He might have quirked his lips in a grim line at the mention of the younger brother, but wisely, the woman pulled him closer and he relented on his negative thoughts, remaining comfortable in their hug. Or embrace. What did one call a moment that lasted longer than a formal embrace?
"I do hope your abeoji will give blessing," he said at length, thoughtful. Would it change Hae-min's mind? Possibly. Brad himself was a strong character who could easily give the woman and her family all that was required out of an arranged marriage - he could likely even team up with the firm he worked with on a regular basis, giving himself a title and a corporation to heft around, if that made them happy. It should have alarmed him that he was considering such things at all, but it was hard to think about anything around the sweet lady whom had just accepted his proposal.
His smile lit further, nodding slightly. "I would prefer that you accompanied me, if you don't mind," he replied with just as much careful consideration. He would rather Hae-min choose something she liked and would wear than to get something impressive to her family that was more like a lethal weapon if worn when back-handed. "Maybe we can get, the, ah, the wedding rings at the same time?" he suggested.
Wedding rings. He was really getting married again. He couldn't tell if it was the warmth from her happiness or his own brand of butterflies, but he was quite content with the idea.
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Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 12:05 pm
She would like, very much, she thought. Perhaps she could go right from telling Alex to telling Tae-yul, even- both siblings in one sweep. That amused her, for some reason. Her brother's reaction would be one of two things, either he'd lapse into silence or rage about it. Like Brad had said, though, she wasn't mortified by Alex. She liked the other woman, thought she was amusing, in fact. So that wouldn't be bad at all.
"Of course Abeoji will," she said with confidence she did not quite feel. "Why wouldn't he? He knows you, he likes you, of course he'll allow it." Besides, she had been nothing if not a dutiful daughter all her life- and, like her fiancé, she knew how to spin something to her benefit.
Perhaps later she would think about this - talking about a wedding, her wedding, in a parking lot outside a restaurant where the opening event was an hour behind schedule - and laugh. For now, though, it seemed... not deadly serious, but still important. "Thank you," she murmured, "That would be sensible." No point in going twice, at any rate; she smiled, again, and touched the side of his face gently.
I will be better than her, Hae-min resolved. Work was important to him, just like to her, and she could understand it. She blushed and bit her lip. "I do love you," she said, in an odd tone.
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Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 12:33 pm
Even if Hae-min's confidence wasn't 100%, Brad felt it for her; he trusted her, and what she said was true. He had always been the image of perfect politeness and a gentlemen when meeting with the woman's family, Tae-yul included (even if the younger man was smart enough to detect the underlying hostility that had recently taken residence). The Italian was well aware that appearances were everything, especially having worked in his field for as long as he had. "That's true," he confirmed with a small smile. For the first time in his recent memory, he wished his parents were around; they would have loved the Korean femme.
He was a bit dense at times, but he did like to think he was sensible, and to hear it from Hae-min was flattery to his ears. The man chuckled softly, lowering his eyes humbly, which was why he looked a little surprised when they raised again to look at her at the gentle touch. Her words were honest, despite the fact that the love she spoke of was more friendly and less amorous. There was nothing wrong with that, and Brad had expected as much; maybe, in time, things would be better for them and not for the convenience of everything else.
His fingers curled against her back, keeping them in place rather than reaching up to return the touch, not wanting to be too forward. Brad was, for lack of better word, smitten. The strange change from 'sister' to 'fiancé' was abrupt, but it was honest. He would not have asked for her hand in marriage if he did not sincerely think he would treat her like she deserved - as a wife and cherished partner would deserve. "I love you too, Hae-min," he replied in a quiet but warm voice, feeling at ease with saying it out loud. Maybe the transition wouldn't be so difficult for him afterall. In fact, he found himself refraining from a desire to kiss her again, as one would kiss their wife-to-be.
He smiled a little more, realizing that it may actually be more difficult to keep himself bridled and reined in rather than step into the role of husband. Things had changed, and quickly at that.
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Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 1:36 pm
Something had changed in the way he looked at her, but then, of course it had. After all, he couldn't be her oppa anymore if he was to be her husband; that would be too strange. The whole situation was strange, though, and she was sure she had gone past surprise. "I'm glad," she said, sounding odd to her own ears.
Hae-min recalled another thing, one that unsettled her and made her quite... nervous. Husbands and wives were not just friends- there was more to it than that. She took a deep breath to calm herself. No need to think about it at that very moment, no need to think about it until... whenever. The wedding night, she supposed, although. Although. She let her hand drop from his face for a moment as she thought.
Feeling nervous (and worried that such a feeling showed on her face) she reached up again to trace his jawline. Uncertainly, she stood on tiptoe and pressed her lips to his for just a moment, then drew back as if he might react badly to such a thing. Her intentions were good, though; she wanted him to know that she was as serious as he, even if she was not quite so committed yet. She looked up at him with a shy ghost of a smile and felt like her blush would spread from her cheeks to her collarbone.
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Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 3:25 pm
Brad inclined his head at her acknowledgement. Whether she meant it or not yet would not have any bearing on his decision to marry her; they had all the time in the world now to see what would come of it. But...
He had to remind himself that this venture was not for the sake of love - it was, in fact, for security. For safety, for companionship and friendship. He wanted to be there for her if her Sin became a weight she could no longer bear. He wanted to be strong for her so she didn't always have to be. More than that, he did not want her to be alone anymore. It was unfair that she had to bear this burden on her own without so much as a kind word or encouragement. He would change that.
His smile quieted into something muted but definitely there as she moved her hand, preparing to let her go. Too slow, and her fingers were against his jaw, the touch different and alluring. And then her lips were against his, and he, in all his shocked stupor, could not move. Indigo eyes blinked widely at her shy smile, immediately endeared to the blush, his surprise melting into a lop-sided grin. Brad had no idea what to say, or what to think, still feeling a bit like he was buzzed, almost entirely certain that was just Hae-min's effect and not her Sin.
It occured to him he didn't really get to feel the kiss, he was so surprised by it. Drawing her just a little closer, he bent down and very slowly, deliberately, pressed his lips to hers. It was a gentle kiss, nervous, hopeful and quite affectionate, the type one might experience on their first date (and certainly not after a proposal). He could feel his own skin starting to flush, murmuring a gentle, "Thank you," against her hair before giving another sweet hug. It was entirely likely that he had enjoyed that far more than he thought he should, and that he was not above blaming it on the Sin for the time being.
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Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 5:05 pm
There was her answer, and it was one she liked- even if she didn't know the question she'd been asking.
She hugged him back, tightly, and didn't let go. It was confusing to feel the way she did- almost afraid. Not of Brad, no, never that, but of change. Nothing in the etiquette she'd been taught had ever dealt with something like this- unexpected marriage proposals? Ha! No Mhin woman would ever have to deal with that... "Thank you," she repeated, feeling silly for repeating him but meaning it.
After a time, she pulled back enough that she could see his face without craning her neck. Reluctantly, she looked back towards the restaurant, where undoubtedly the event was still an hour behind and probably more by now. "Do you think... we should go back in?" She gathered herself, feeling the unwelcome weight settle back inside her skin. "Even if it's just to make our excuses..."
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Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 9:31 pm
He hummed softly as she returned the hug, happy to hold her as long as she desired. Another smile took over his lips, prompting him to squeeze her ever so delicately. Hae-min had always been so sweet, but now she was his fiancé and that sweetness was undoubtably directed at him. The warmth he felt from that far surpassed the thicker and heavier feeling in his gut.
Brad turned his smile onto her as she looked at him, his eyes eventually turning to follow her gaze. At her question, he gave a slight shake of his head, "Craig will take care of it. You can always tell them I got sick and you had to drive me home - they'd believe it, seeing how miserable I was in there." His smile took on a more cynical edge, more his normal state of expressions, rolling his broad shoulders in a shrug.
"I'd rather go home. I have more important things to think about than the opening of a restaurant I'll probably never see again." His eyes warmed in color, brows settling to make him look more fond of what he spoke of.
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