The Jeju night air is cool as it hums through the windows of their cozy stay. The two are in their matching pajamas—Ivory in an oversized oatmeal-colored tee and shorts, Jake in a soft grey set with his hair tied messily back.
They're tangled on the couch, legs lazily draped over each other, a random Netflix movie playing in the background more for vibes than plot.
Jake stands up, stretching, "Want chips or ramen?"
"Both. You know I'm indecisive," Ivory says, grinning as she snuggles into the pillow.
"Noted," he chuckles, heading to the kitchen.
Then his phone buzzes again on the coffee table.
Curious, Ivory leans over and glances at the screen.
[Incoming Call: She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named]
Brows raised, she holds up the phone.
"Babe? Can I answer this?"
From the kitchen, he calls out, not looking,
"Yeah, sure—who is it?"
She smirks.
"No one important."
She swipes to answer.
"Hello?" Ivory says, voice sweet as honey.
"Who the fuck are you to answer his cell again?!" Sayuri's sharp voice snaps on the other end.
Ivory rolls her eyes.
"His girlfriend. You know, the one who didn't leak his private life to the media for attention?"
There's a pause. Then venom.
"You're just a rebound. Don't get too comfortable. He'll come crawling back like he always does."
Ivory laughs softly, "the only thing crawling back is the regret that's eating you alive."
"You think you're special? You're nothing—just a vacation fling."
Ivory calmly adjusts her pajama shorts, leans back, grinning.
"Well, this 'fling' just spent the entire day with him—forest walks, seafood feasts, ice cream kisses... busking concerts where he serenaded me. Oh, and I'm sleeping in his arms tonight. So, try harder."
There's a furious huff—and then the call drops.
Ivory sets the phone down, grinning like the smug goddess she is.
Just as Jake walks back with a bag of chips and two cups of ramen balanced carefully, she hands him the phone with an innocent smile.
"Your ex has quite the temper."
He blinks, confused.
"Wait—you answered that call?"
Ivory shrugs, curling back into the couch.
"You said I could. Anyway, I told her she should thank me. You look way less like a vampire now. She sucked the life out of you like a parasite."
Jake lets out a shocked laugh, nearly dropping the popcorn.
"You're evil."
"Nope. I'm just on your side," she says, pulling him down to cuddle again. "Now shut up and feed me ramen."
***
The Netflix screen is idle now. Only the soft hum of the aircon and the rhythmic waves outside fill the silence.
They're lying in bed, lights off, but the room still glows faintly from the streetlight slipping through the curtains.
Ivory traces slow circles on Jake's chest, her head resting where his heartbeat thuds steady and calm.
He suddenly whispers, voice almost unsure, "Can I tell you something?"
She nods, lifting her head to look at him. "Always."
He stares at the ceiling for a long beat before finally speaking.
"I thought I lost myself."
His voice trembles.
"After the scandal. After... her. I started to believe maybe I was the problem. Maybe I deserved it."
His jaw tightens, eyes brimming.
Ivory doesn't interrupt.
"There were nights I couldn't breathe. Not because of the media, but because I didn't recognize who I was anymore. The music didn't sound right. My own reflection didn't look real. I smiled on stage, but when I got off, I felt... empty."
He swallows, tears slipping down.
Ivory cups his face, thumb gently brushing away the trail.
"You don't have to keep it all in," she whispers.
"I didn't think I'd feel safe again," he chokes out. "But then you came in... like you've always been there. Like I knew you before I ever saw you. And now the tours are stacking. The promo work. The enlistment. The months, the distance, the silence... I keep promising you things but... what if it's not enough when I'm gone?"
Ivory's eyes stung. She reached up, cupping his cheek, thumb brushing away the tears he couldn't hide anymore.
"Don't cry," she said with a watery smile. "Now you're making me cry, you overachiever."
He let out a small, broken laugh that shuddered through his chest.
"I'm serious," she whispered. "If I could take the weight off you, I would. I'd pay for it, fight for it, kick it in the shins if I had to."
She placed a hand over his heart. "You don't always have to be strong for me, Jake. Let me be strong for you too."
He grabbed her hand and pulled her gently to him, arms wrapping around her like a lifeline. His face pressed against her neck, breathing her in.
"Thank you, Ivory," he murmured, lips brushing her skin like a prayer.
"For seeing me. Not the idol. Not the name. Just... me."
She pulled back just enough to look him in the eyes, brushing back the strands of hair that clung to his forehead.
"You're just... Jake to me. They may call you JungKook, your friends, family, fans, etc. But you are Jake to me. The one I stubbed its toe back in Iceland. The one I treated with coffee after. The one I made sit at the back of my bike, holding on to dear life as I revved through the mansion--like I was his last hope on Earth. That's Jake to me. My Jake."
She kisses his forehead.
"And I love him."
Jake stills. His heart melted.
She nodded, suddenly shy. "I thought it was obvious? I've been calling you Jake for months. Thought that was a dead giveaway."
He grinned—slow and breathtaking—and suddenly tackled her back onto the bed, wrapping her up in his arms like he was afraid she'd disappear.
"You're ridiculous," he whispered against her hair, still smiling.
"And you're in love," she said, nose brushing his cheek.
"There's a difference."
He held her tighter. "Not anymore."
After a few heartbeats, Jake whispered, almost in awe. "It's the first time you said you love me."
Ivory blinked at him, lips quirking.
Then she snorted. "Well, you took my virginity. Shouldn't love come around sooner?"
Jake's eyes widened. His jaw dropped just enough to make her cackle.
"I'm—" He blinked. "You—! Are you seriously saying that with a straight face?"
She shrugged, smug and wicked as she tucked a pillow beneath her chin. "I mean. You did. That night. Air BnB. Silk sheets. Your candlelit dinner, your playlist accidentally played your own songs, which was... a choice—"
Jake groaned, dragging his hand down his face. "Don't remind me."
"'Still With You' came on while you were unhooking my bra," she sing-songed.
"That was not planned!" he laughed, full-bodied and flushed.
"Sure, maestro."
He rolled over, pinning her to the mattress with an easy, practiced move. "You were moaning by the second verse. Don't lie."
"Because I was horrified!" she gasped. "I thought JungKook the idol had possessed Jake the man."
Jake leaned down, lips brushing the corner of her mouth. "You weren't horrified later that night. Or the second round. Or when you screamed—"
"Jaaaake!" she squealed, swatting him with a pillow, face blazing.
He caught the pillow mid-swing, grinning like a sinner at confession.
"First time you said you love me," he murmured again, nose nudging hers. "And you make it about sex."
She shrugged, breath catching. "Well. That night kind of changed everything."
His smile softened.
"Yeah," he said. "It did."
Their laughter melted into silence. His forehead rested on hers.
"I never thought I'd find this again," he whispered. "Real love. The kind that teases and heals and holds me together."
"You found it," she said. "In Iceland. In pasta. In a big bike ride."
"In you."
He kissed her slow. Sweet. Full of promises he didn't have to speak.
Because love was loud in the way he held her.
And louder in the way she stayed.