Drive

In another life, this is a perfect night. Weaving through the twists and turns of a familiar mountain road. Convertible top down, sunglasses on as the sun disappears. Music louder than it should be. Not a single concern on your mind.

No, in this moment, as the summer breeze flows through your hair, you feel weightless. You feel free. You feel alive.

Now if only the passenger seat wasn't empty.

…

You’ll always remember the day you met Yeji.

It was the first time she caught you staring. It’s a trend that would continue—obviously—but this time was different. Your eyes were enraptured by the moon’s reflection across the turbulent waves, watching the water rise and fall in unpredictable, beautiful waves. Their chaos mirrored your mind as you searched for answers to questions you lacked the words to even describe.

Thus, when her words were picked up by the frigid winds and carried into your ears from across the pier, of course you didn’t know how to respond.

"Didn’t you hear me? I asked, what're you doing out here? It's nearly midnight!"

Then again, she could have asked your name and you would have drawn a blank.

It wouldn’t be the last time you’d be left speechless around her; Yeji always did seem better with her words. Yet somehow, in this initial moment—the start of something truly special—it seemed someone somewhere was looking out for you, handing you a response like a cue card.

"You know, I've been asking myself that for a while now. Wanna help me figure it out?"

And there’s this sparkle in her eyes, like she’s hoping for that last little push, so you wave her over and thank the stars above that she accepts. In the hours to come, as you huddle close, sharing stories and learning about the lives you’ve lived so far and the lives you wish to live in the future, you thank said stars once again. Because somehow, some way, you end up lucky enough that she stays to watch the sunrise.

But you can’t help but wish for just the slightest bit more. You can’t help but wish that she’ll stay forever.

…

Even with a gun to your head, you wouldn’t be able to tell anyone much about your first date two weeks later. The only thing you’d be able to tell them about was the kiss. Because while the rest of the night mattered, nothing but the kiss mattered.

Who cares about the color of her dress?

The only sight saved in your memory was the firework show playing against your eyelids.

Who cares how good the food was?

Your mind was too busy tumbling into insanity at the faint taste of strawberry on her lips.

Who cares about the venue of choice?

All you’ll remember is how her lips upon yours felt like home.

There is, however, one other detail that stuck with you. You made it back safely—and more importantly, so did she—and it’s only when you parked that you realized you had no recollection of the drive home. For the first time, your brain hadn’t treated the opportunity to drive as a priority.

Even then, it made sense; despite the novel sensation, you felt anything but surprised. Because from the very first moment Hwang Yeji stood by your side, you knew that you had discovered a higher priority. The highest priority.

…

“I love you.”

A phrase uttered nearly every hour of the day, yet one of the few things you two disagreed on. Because neither of you refused to believe the other said it first. It was a losing battle, especially since you said it simultaneously after staring into each other’s eyes for longer than you could remember, but as much as you both tended to compromise, stubbornness reigned supreme here.

Yeji tended to argue that she definitely said it first as she always had a quicker wit and was far more likely to have the first word (or three). Your counter was always that you kept things simple, so there were fewer distractions between you and what you wanted to say.

Your argument was weaker, there’s no doubt, yet you stood firm. Mostly because these conversations had a habit of going around in circles, with each of your points being put forth, listened to, then promptly ignored. And while neither of you were able to declare yourself the winner of these “battles”, you both left them feeling victorious.

Because the conversation always ended in the same place. Where it always did. Where it always would. With those same three words.

…

In retrospect, it’s a testament to whatever meager bits of self-control remained within that you kept your hands off Yeji for so long. However, a rainy night that left you both racing towards your apartment changed everything.

The door slammed behind her.

You felt that control begin to falter.

The rain slid down her skin slowly—far too slowly—before falling to the floor below.

You loosened your grip even further.

She pushed you against the wall and crashed her lips against yours.

You conceded to her entirely.

For you both, it was a boiling point, a release of tension, an evolution in your relationship, a miracle, a feeling so fucking amazing that you both forgot how to breathe—

And once your survival instincts forced you both to break away from the kiss and finally satiate your need for oxygen, it wasn’t the scent of Yeji’s rose shampoo that made your heart find a way to shift into seventh gear. No, it was the metallic taste seeping out of your lower lip.

It was the way she hungrily ran her tongue over those fangs that had marked you.

It was the predatory smile she gave as you audibly gulped.

It was the way she grabbed, spun, and pushed you back until you stumbled over the arm of the couch.

It was how she pounced on you.

It was the way she turned you into prey.

And for the rest of the night, even hours later when your soaked clothes were long forgotten and your only defense against the raging storm was the heat emanating off of each other’s bodies, the cold was the least of your concerns.

Because you were together.

Finally.

…

It was early in your relationship when you drove her to the jewelry store. Early enough to not arouse suspicions.

For once, you played your part well, eloquently telling Yeji that you simply wanted to get her something special. Something that would make her think of you. And you told her no lies.

Thus, she was willing to oblige when you asked her to try on a multitude of options and simply enjoy herself. You both ended up enjoying the experience, with you happily buying Yeji the necklace she chose as her favorite and her refusing to take it off for the entirety of the next week. You just made sure to secure one other thing. Her ring size.