Jieun had just slipped under the covers with a fresh, clean face, tired and ready for bed, when she heard a knock on her hotel door. She paused in mid-movement and frowned, her eyes quickly glancing at the clock on the nightstand.

It was late. Who could it be?

She waited, indecisive on what to do, but there was no sound. No signs of movement from the other side. Jieun strained her ears to listen for the faintest of sounds, but there was none. Her frown deepened. Had she imagined it?

Scoffing at her silliness, Jieun shook her head gently, admonishing herself for her paranoia, before lying down, only for the knock to sound again. It wasn't loud or obnoxious, but it was decidedly firmer than the first one and Jieun knew with certainty that it wasn't her imagination.

Clutching the blanket to her chest, Jieun sat up and stared.

Who was knocking on her door this late at night? As far as she knew, Hanteo manager had already gone to sleep in the room beside hers and so had her bodyguards.

The only reason she was still awake was because she had spent the last few hours on her phone, internet surfing, texting, and playing games. Her mind hadn't been able to stop racing and she had secretly been hoping and waiting for the one that occupied her every thought. Her Lee Joon Gi Oppa.

No matter what she did, Jieun couldn't get him off her mind and after his appearance at her Taiwan concert tonight as her surprise guest, it became even more impossible.

Even now, she could recall the way her heart had skipped several beats when he had shown up behind her on stage with the infamous black cape. The way he had looked at her. The way his face had lit up with his radiant smile.

They were precious memories to her, just like all the other memories she had with him since the first day they met. They had been simple but warm co-workers, then quickly became friends. Before she had even realized, they had gotten so close to one another, Jieun couldn't imagine her life without him.

She wasn't sure when, but somewhere along the way after her break up with Kiha in July, she came to the realization that she had fallen for him. The signs of reciprocated feelings were there and it made hope bloom in her heart like spring flowers, but neither had made the move to confirm their suspicions about each other's feelings.

And for the last several weeks, she and Joon Gi had been caught in a limbo. Not quite just friends, but not quite lovers either. Yet, strangely enough, it wasn't awkward between them. There just wasn't a way to define exactly what they were.

By fate, Joon Gi's Taiwan fanmeeting had been moved up to a day after her own concert and after his appearance during her concert, she had waited for him to text or call her. But, she hadn't heard a single word from him since.

Jieun couldn't help but wonder if she had over thought the way he had looked at her tonight. Or if she had been the only one to feel the air sizzle with electricity the moment their eyes met on that stage.

She shook her head again when the knocking came a third time, pushing her thoughts to the side for another day.

Tossing her blanket to the side, Jieun swung her legs over the edge and swiftly made her way to the door. "Who is it?" She called out, resting a hand over her heart and the other on the lock.

"Jieun-ah…"

One word. One name. One voice.

That was all it took for her heart to leap to her throat.

With the sound of her heart pounding in her ears, Jieun quickly threw the door open and looked at her visitor. Without a doubt now, it was Joon Gi.

She drank in the sight of him from head to toe. The backwards baseball cap, the tinted sunglasses (even in the middle of the night), the leather jacket, the ripped jeans, the dark sneakers.

Everything about him right now sent shivers down her spine. There was a rugged, masculine feel to his appearance, the type that was as intense as the character he had portrayed. The Wang So to her Hae Soo.

"Oppa," she breathed, startled by his presence. "What are you doing here? Does Sang Hyun-ssi know you're here?"

"Of course not. He's asleep."

Joon Gi glanced left and right. The unspoken dangers of someone stumbling upon his late night visit too much of a risk. But, he was here. Jieun stepped to the side and he quickly slipped past her into the room with a wave of scented leather and fresh soap.

Before she could stop herself, she inhaled the scent that was solely Joon Gi, letting it wash over her. Envelope her within its familiar warmth and comfort.

She shut the door, making sure to lock it, before turning to face him just as Joon Gi removed the dark sunglasses from his face. Their eyes connected and held. Hers, wide and hopeful yet uncertain. His, intense and deep and mysterious.

Whatever it was on his mind, whatever it was that had prompted his visit, he was not as relaxed or carefree as usual. Jieun leaned against the door, tucking her hands behind her.

"Is everything okay?" She asked, biting her bottom lip nervously.

There was something in the air that put her on edge. A charged feeling she couldn't quite place that was pleasant, but not, all at the same time. Joon Gi stared at her silently for a moment, not answering her question, giving her the once over she had given him at the door.

He took a step towards her, their eyes reconnecting. Searching. But there was a predatory stalk in his step that gave her pause. She swallowed hard as she identified that previously unknown feeling.

It was tension.

Raw. Intense. Consuming.

Somehow, during the course of the night, during her thoughts of him, during his current late night visit… things had shifted and changed again.

Jieun parted her lips slightly to breathe through her mouth, certain that she would start feeling lightheaded if she couldn't quell the intensity in the air swirling around them. The electricity that crackled between them.

She didn't miss the way his eyes flickered to her lips and stayed. His eyes darkened and, suddenly, he advanced upon her in two long steps, slamming a palm up against the door, caging her in with his arm and body.

He looked down at her intently and Jieun slowly raised her head up towards him, their height difference making her feel small. But she felt protected at the same time. Like Joon Gi could and would protect her from anything. Like he had already done time and time again.

"I wanted to see you," Joon Gi said, his voice a soft contrast to his powerful move, raising a hand up to caress her cheek. "I couldn't stop thinking about you."

He cupped her face with his palm, eyes darting between her lips and searching her eyes for an answer. "I kept thinking about the way you looked tonight. The way you look every time I see you."

Joon Gi stepped even closer into her until they were slightly pressed together, every dip and curve of their bodies a perfect fit, absorbing the heat radiating off of each other. "I kept thinking about how happy you seemed to see me."

"I was happy to see you…," Jieun whispered. "I'm always happy to see you."

He shook his head, as if trying to keep a clear mind. As if her mere presence clouded and distracted him. "I tried to keep my distance. I was sure that you needed time. I don't want to be that guy. The type to move in when a woman is still trying to sort through her feelings. Trying to move past the pain of a past relationship."

Joon Gi sucked in a breath through his teeth, then released a wry chuckle. "But, I don't think I can wait anymore. The desire to be with you. To see your smile all the time and to know I was the one to make you glow with happiness. It's too strong to ignore."

"Oppa," Jieun said with a soft smile, tilting her head slightly to the right. "My relationship has been over for a long time now. I am very sure of my feelings… and the last thing I want is distance from you."

He took a long moment to process her words, almost certain he had misheard. Or misunderstood. Maybe he had even imagined it. But the certainty in her eyes, the sincerity in her voice, left him with no doubt.

His hands slowly left her cheek to her shoulder, trailing a path down her arm with finger light touches, then spanned the length of her waist. Pulling her flush against him with one move, he confidently smirked down at her. "And what else does your feelings tell you?"

The warmth of him. The way they were pressed so intimately together. The molten look in his eyes. The skip of her heart. It was all so very reminiscent of the character he had played, but to know that there were no cameras rolling and no script to read from, it sent her heart fluttering in a breathless way.

"What does your feelings tell you?" Jieun countered, her voice unintentionally breathy. Just in case. Just to be sure. She wasn't willing to be the first to make a move again.

Joon Gi leaned into her, bringing their faces a mere centimeter apart. His eyes were startlingly clear and serious, so penetrating that she wouldn't be surprised if he could read her every thought. "It's telling me that I love you, Jieun-ah."

She felt weak in the knees at his confession, positive that she would sink right down to the floor if he wasn't holding her by the waist. He left no room for doubt or second guesses. It was all there, laid bare for her to see. The sincerity. The depth of his love. The way he was opening his heart to her.

Jieun saw herself in the reflection of his eyes and marveled at the way she seemed to shine like a star. She had always believed herself ugly and not much of a looker, but right here, right now, she felt like the most beautiful woman in the world. For a moment, she idly wondered if that's how it was really supposed to be when you were in love.

She lowered her lashes shyly, trying but failing to suppress the wide smile on her face. Her response was obvious. She was as sure of her feelings for him as she was sure she needed oxygen to breathe.

Licking her suddenly dry lips, she flickered her eyes back up to his again so that he, too, could see the honesty within her. "I love you too, Joon Gi Oppa. A lot."

Her firm words struck him in the heart, piercing him straight to the core, in the most hidden part of himself that doubted he was someone to be loved. Years of pent up loneliness had hacked away at his hope of ever finding someone who could wholly love him, flaws and all, but now… He felt himself blooming from the inside out.

His smile was slow with disbelief, but there was no denying his growing giddiness. The way he lit up like the moon to complement her star.

"So… what do we do now?" Joon Gi whispered.

"I'm sure we can think of something," she replied with a mischievous smile.

She reached out, grabbing him by the collar of his leather jacket, and pulled him into her. Without hesitation, she kissed him for the first time. Not as Hae Soo and Wang So, but as Lee Jieun and Lee Joon Gi.

His response was immediate as he pushed her back against the door, framing her face with both hands as he took control of the kiss.

She held onto him, feeling the pounding of his heart beneath her hand beating in rapid sync with her own. He drew her bottom lip into his mouth, thoroughly kissing her, tasting her, loving her. Just like how he had wanted to for so long.

And it no longer startled him that Jieun eagerly reciprocated, fighting for control of their kiss just as hard as he did. He remembered the taste of her lip gloss, the way his heart had flip flopped that very first time, the way he had never felt this way before about another woman, and he poured every ounce of his love for her into the kiss just as she was doing for him.

Their mouths parted effortlessly, caressing and exploring as freely as they wanted, unleashing all the things they had wanted to do, but never thought they ever could. They took each other's breaths away only to give it right back, resuscitating the hearts that had been filled with self doubt and replacing it with self worth.

They took their time in each other's embrace, parting to breathe only to come together again like two magnets. There was no need to rush. No need to hold back. They had all the time in the world to enjoy their newfound love. To enjoy the happiness they brought each other because, together, there was nothing they couldn't overcome.

Because, together, they felt like they could conquer the world.

Author's Note: This short delulu fanfic was secretly written on January 29, 2017. After revisions, I made the decision to post this little piece of happiness for shippers like me~

Kabedon - A Japanese term that refers to the heart pounding act of a man slamming his hand against the wall behind a woman, pinning her there between his body. [As seen in the episode 16 BTS for Scarlet Heart: Ryeo between Joon Gi and Jieun when they were not filming]