The water lapped against Ji-hye's skin, warm and thick with the scent of Joon-ho—soap, sweat, and something dirtier that never seemed to fade from her pores. She stretched out in the tub, legs floating, feeling every ache in her body, every pulse of soreness and afterglow humming beneath the water. Joon-ho was behind her, arms around her waist, chin resting on her shoulder. The world outside had gone silent, the window fogged, the night swallowing every stray sound.
They lay together, letting the bath coax the last of the trembling from Ji-hye's limbs. Joon-ho's hands roamed lazily over her body, tracing the arc of her hip, the dip of her waist, his thumb gliding beneath the water to tease circles over her thigh, never quite innocent. When she arched, stretching like a cat, he tightened his grip, lips finding the shell of her ear.
"Stay here forever," he whispered, a smile curling into her wet hair. "I'll keep you warm."
