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 Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 9:10 am
The familiar feeling seemed to abate, and Brad found it a little easier to breathe. Taking a deep breath of the cool air, he felt a little better, daring to turn his eyes back to her. He smiled, squeezing her once again. "It's okay, Hae-min," he tried to reassure her, "I know what it is and I'm okay with it. I'm more worried about your comfort."
It surprised him to say it out loud, but it was the truth: he would deal with the perpetual feeling of lust if it meant Hae-min could be happy for a while. He was a male, and could take advantage of a cold shower or something equally as unpleasant and jarring to keep his wits about him. In some twisted way, he was glad it was happening to him and not her. That would have been more difficult to deal with.
"I'm fine. Promise." He paused, trying to walk a very thin line of honesty and imparting far too much information. "Having no need for such a thing, it's just a little overwhelming to feel, I guess," he spoke the words slowly, considering the weight and implication of the statement. Brad smiled, hoping to take the edge off of any awkwardness he may have been inflicting.
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Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 12:49 pm
"I wouldn't be much of a sorella if I would sacrifice your comfort for my own," she mused, then she paused. It felt weird to say that, suddenly, as if she was a different person than just a few days ago. She was, a little, but mostly she was still Hae-min. It shouldn't be so odd... Instead of dwelling on it, she smiled sweetly up at him before returning her gaze to a potted rose.
For a minute or so, she just stared at the plant. As if it had just occured to her, she said, "They say I can learn to control it. If I practice." And she would practice, even though they'd hinted at adverse effects on her. Surely nothing could be that bad. "I'm going to practice as often as I can." It'd be worth it.
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Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 10:46 am
Brad chuckled quietly. "But I've asked you to. Besides, I'm not being a very good oppa." The word was a little strange and heavy to say at that moment, but he said it mostly for her benefit. To tell her things could stay that way if she really wanted them to...he would just have to pretend. He had already crossed the line of thinking her attractive before he recognized her; it was a path of no return, as it were.
His eyes remained upon her face as she gazed elsewhere, quiet and considering. Dark brows raised in the slightest at she spoke again, not entirely trusting the statement. "Control it?" he echoed in a question, not quite settled with the idea. It seemed very unusual that anything so otherworldly would grant such a boon to mere mortals. It wasn't really for Brad to question, having never been a man of faith or belief himself. "You can do it. You've always been strong like that."
The Italian smiled wistfully then, looking over the roof once more. Maybe they could just build something better. It'd be new and difficult, but it wasn't anything they couldn't overcome with a little trust and company.
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Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 12:58 pm
With a sudden, bright laugh, she smiled again for a brief moment. "You're being a wonderful friend, though," she told him. "I'm so lucky. Some people go their entire lives without ever even meeting someone like you." Hae-min felt so bad for them, too. Then, as if startled by something, she stiffened. "Do you know what time it is?" She probably shouldn't stay too long, after all. He'd been working when she turned up on his doorstep, hadn't he?
Still... she did want to stay. She set her head against his chest and sighed. "Have I asked you how your day's been?"
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Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 1:43 pm
He gave a short, soft laugh in return, somewhat relieved by her reactions and her words. "Funny, I feel the same way." Brad started to smile, but it fell short as she stiffened and asked for the time. Removing his cell phone from his hip again, he didn't have the time to even flip it open before there was a warm presence against him. And damn, but he did enjoy it.
Brad slid the arm around her to hold her a little more firmly, lowering his head to touch his cheek to the top of her hair. She always smelled so nice, so exotic and distinctly feminine. Casting his eyes to the phone before relaxing comfortably in the affectionate moment, he rumbled his reply, "Five oh three, and you may have but I can't remember what happened five seconds ago, let alone the whole day. It's the same answer anyway: tedious and full of work." Brad shifted his weight to the other foot, squeezing Hae-min. "Much, much better now though."
Loathe to ask but even more so to keep her if she had somewhere to be, he asked, "Do you have somewhere you have to be? I'd say I don't want to keep you, but that's something of a lie."
...did he just flirt with Hae-min? Brad decided that whenever she did leave, it was time for a cold shower and some extra sleep.
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Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 2:36 pm
"I don't think I did," she said, disheartened by the time she heard but more by the memory it brought up. She tilted her face up so she could kiss him on the cheek. "If it's really so late, I have to go. I forgot that I promised Edward I would have dinner with him at five thirty." With a slightly mournful smile, she sighed. "He said he wanted to ask questions about Tae-yul. As if I would know more than he, right?..." Her look around the rooftop really was regretful, as if she couldn't think of a better place to be.
(She couldn't.)
Then she returned her gaze to Brad. "You won't mind if I visit again soon, right?"
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Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 2:50 pm
The man nodded quietly, comfortable enough in the moment that he didn't even bristle at those two names spoken in such a close vicinity. Maybe that was another power of Hae-min's. Brad gave a faint smile, unable to at least get in one statement in regards to his current feelings about the fact she was leaving him to be with one of them.
"I'm jealous."
Another soft chuckle and he turned, keeping the woman tucked near by until she was ready to go, extending a hand towards the stairwell. "If anyone knows any of us silly guys, it'd be you. Let me at least walk you to the door." Indigo eyes remained in place, caught by her gaze, his smile warming. "I would like that very much, Hae-min. I'll even make sure I have no open accounts so work can't get in the way."
He supposed that things do change.
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Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 3:31 pm
"Don't be," she said. "I love you best."
Well, it was true. If it weren't, Hae-min would never say such a thing. "All right." She lingered for a moment, then slipped back a couple of steps. "Shall we?" Her smile was impish, not quite happy but possibly a little mischievous. "Next time you come up here, it'll be a lot prettier. Promise!"
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Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 3:57 pm
"Good, or I'd be really jealous otherwise. This way I'm just mildly so." Brad chuckled warmly, quirking a brow at the smile but doing as instructed. Pausing at the steps, he turned and handed her the keys to the two doors leading to the roof. "These are the only keys in existance that unlock the way up here. You wont have to worry about me sneaking a peek." He winked and headed down the stairs, pausing at the door to his own loft, not sure if he should walk her to the front of the building his his current state of mostly undress. He wouldn't want to embarrass Hae-min.
Tugging on the shirt, he peered around the doorway. "I'll put on something less horrifying if you'd like company on down," he offered, not really thinking she'd accept but wanting to offer anyway. He really wasn't ready for her to leave, but she had made a promise and they both knew the value of giving one's word.
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Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 4:24 pm
She tucked the keys into her pocket, smiling happily. The Korean lady was really very lucky in her friends, all things considered. "No," she said, "I don't want to trouble you." Even though I suspect I already have. After sketching a bow for Brad, she started to walk back.
Hae-min paused at the end of the hallway, turned around and came back to throw her arms around him again. Straightening, she kissed him on the cheek. "Good night, Brad. I'll see you again soon." Then she scampered, having turned just a little bit red.
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Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 4:47 pm
He stood to watch her go, his smile just a touch sad. Surprise dominated his features as she turned around, and he was all too gleeful to catch Hae-min into a good farewell hug, dipping and turning his head just so to kiss her cheek in return (and it was a good thing, as if he had remained upright, both of them moving to kiss each other's cheeks would have ended up as an entirely different kiss!).
And then the woman was gone again, Brad lifting his hand in fond parting. "Good night, Hae-min. I'll be here."
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