But he keeps drawing these lines between us.  Ever since she had met him, Se-ri had become acutely aware of the differences in how they managed risk. She reveled in taking chances — her enterprises succeeded because of it. Perhaps it was inherent in who they each were. Or perhaps it was because there had never been anyone in her life to lose. He, on the other hand, was marked by a grief that she could not imagine.  You have to be loved deeply to lose like that.  
                          
Jeong-hyeok lined everything up in precise rows: objects, protocols, and decisions. From the first aid supplies on his front step to the rules governing what he could and couldn't do with her; control and order ruled. Jeong-hyeok approached intimacy as if it were an inherent risk; that the uncertainty swirling around them meant that giving into what she  knew they both wanted would cause pain when they were apart. 
                          
But time was fleeting. They had wasted two months of thinking about one another and doing nothing; eight weeks that they could have spent mornings like this before the advent of his father's campaign. Now, any day could bring months of separation in an instant. So while Se-ri was moved by his consideration, the riskiest course that she could imagine was living the next nine months with regret. She did not want to be shielded from feeling too much; she wanted something to hold onto.
                          
A plan formed in her mind. Se-ri leaned over and pressed a kiss to his jaw-- the sharp turn of it was now drawn in relief by stubble. It tickled her lips and she reveled in the new sensation. The two top buttons that she had claimed last night remained loyal accomplices. She trailed her fingers down and undid a third. Then Se-ri pulled the fabric back to reveal the plane of his chest.  God help me. She didn't know whether to laugh at how absurdly perfect he was or undo every single damn button right now. He was still sleeping and she already felt overwhelmed. 
                          
Se-ri took a deep breath and focused on slipping the next button free. Then she kissed the deep indent at the base of his throat.  You are finally mine.  Se-ri smiled against his warm skin at this tiny victory. Jeong-hyeok stirred and she glanced up. His eyes were still closed and he turned over slightly as his arm tightened around her.  Well that's what I had in mind too, Jeong-hyeok. She suppressed a giggle as she slid her leg up his. Then she undid yet another button and leaned down to kiss his chest. His body suddenly stiffened. "Se-ri?"
                          
She rolled him on his back and rested her chin on the exposed part of his chest. "Hi." Se-ri crossed her feet and swung them back and forth gently.
                          
Jeong-hyeok's hands were paused midair. He was adorably sleepy and confused. "Um, hi."
                          
She opened the fabric of his shirt further and pressed her lips again to his skin. "I like waking up next to you."
                          
A smile quirked on his lips as Jeong-hyeok raised himself up on his elbows. He squinted at the alarm clock. "Wait —what time is it?" 
                          
"It's almost six."
                          
"Oh, ok." He ran a hand through his hair. "Phew, my briefing isn't until seven."
                          
"Good."
                          
Jeong-hyeok tilted his head and his eyes narrowed as if asking a question. So Se-ri slid the last button out of the hole in reply. She had to bite her lip to keep from smiling at finally vanquishing the imaginary foe from her dream. But then she held her breath; frozen between her own nervousness and desperately hoping that he wouldn't stop her. Jeong-hyeok's hands remained suspended in the air as he silently watched her open his shirt like a gift. The length of his lean and muscular torso stretched before her. The precise tailoring of his shirts had not prepared her.  Stay calm.  
                          
"Se-ri, I..."
                          
Se-ri placed a hand on his stomach and felt his breath rising and falling quickly under her palm. Then she closed her mouth on the first ridge of his stomach; pressing her tongue against his warm skin. The taste was familiar despite claiming new territory.