#kmysticsnet

resting your chin on a hand, you merely said, “i’m aware.”

he took the seat to your right. “then why do you look like you’re trying to light everyone in this room on fire?”

“because,” you started, tilting your head to look at him, “it’s fun. i like watching as they squirm and writhe. it makes me feel more powerful than i am.”

riki’s brows raised as he crossed an ankle over his knee. “we’re the only two people in this room dressed in black. people stare at us as we walk past. shouldn’t that make you feel powerful enough?”

“no,” you scoffed, letting your hand fall back to your side as you stared at him. “my definition of power seems to be very different from yours, nishimura.”

“it was always different,” riki said smoothly.

ouch.

mouth drawn in a tight line, you kissed your teeth, gaze sliding from him to the archangel now standing on the dais. seven identical thrones accompanied the king’s, the new seats all filled except one.

the crowd grew silent as someone tapped a spoon against a wine glass.

“greetings,” the king said with a sickening smile, his wings extended behind him in a subtle display of power. “oh, how i have waited for this moment, to welcome you all here to the castle on the occasion of good news.”

good news? you thought, eyes flashing to riki. his face heeded no information on whether he knew what this was about or not.

the king continued, his white hair shining under the chandelier light, making it appear silver. “here, in this ballroom, we have a very special guest among us. now, she has already made her appearance through an array of deviant actions, but i think her company here could bring us great benefit, wouldn’t you all agree?”

if every person in the room wasn’t already staring at you post entrance, they definitely were now.

your throat closed up at the sudden urge to vomit all over the tile flooring, and you swallowed down lingering anxiety as you stared at the king. you were almost certain that even though the wards around the room nullified your powers, your irises had turned a dark shade of red.

the monarch up front continued to talk, but the words started to slur together as blood thrummed in your ears. this is bad, you thought, forcing yourself to remain dormant in your chair. sudden applause erupted in the room, and someone grabbed your shoulder.

“what?” you heard yourself snap, eyes flicking to riki, who was now getting to his feet.

he nodded toward his father, dark hair falling past his ears, as his mouth curved into an amused smirk. he extended a hand. “dad requires your presence.”

blinking up at him, your mind shadowed with a haze as you stood slowly, ignoring his offered palm. squaring your shoulders, heels clacking on the marble with each step, you weaved through the crowd—riki right behind you—and forced your face to become unreadable. all eyes were on you, and while it wasn’t necessarily a foreign concept, you felt small. like a child hesitantly approaching its furious father.

“ah, there she is,” the king said, watching with a smile that made your stomach twist in on itself. “i’m happy you’re here…and so is everyone else.” he took your arm, turning you to face the crowd he addressed (though not before shooting a dirty look toward riki, sending the black-winged angel to his designated throne).

gulping, you stared at the large group of angels, some with and without wings; of individuals that called this place their home. the idea of people actually being happy here made your stomach knot.

the king continued to speak, it was white noise in your ears, his speech muffled. you continued to blankly stare down the crowd, focus landing on a pocket of empty space, not daring to meet any person’s gaze. you thought it better that you ignore them, even with all of their attention zoned in on your stilled figure.

“...and my sons will oversee her training and missions, making sure that she understands and complies with our rules.” the king moved his hand to your back, and you hoped to hell that you didn’t visibly flinch.

your life now consisted of being the new personal assassin to an archangel, and if you were to keep the impression you strived for, no weakness could be displayed. not now and not ever.

soobin : stargazing while resting your head on his chest, as he tells you about the different constellations in the night sky. picks up things on the higher shelves so that you don't have to be on your tiptoes. tries to weave in flowers into your braid like the aesthetic pictures you see on pinterest, but he fails miserably and you two collapse, giggling uncontrollably. getting drunk on soju to admire his ears that have now turned red, along with the slurred love confessions. a kiss pressed to your temple, with a declaration of his love for you.

beomgyu : songs that remind him of you, and the way you make him feel, stashed in one playlist, for you to listen when he's away. painting your nails with the utmost concentration and care, while you simply marvel at the sight of this beautiful boy in front of you. handing you hair ties when the wind outside makes both, his and your hair blow while you two sit in the car, enjoying each other's presence. carries you to your bed when you fall asleep while waiting up for him, as he gently pecks your cheeks, promising to be there when you woke up.

taehyun : little post its decorating your side of the bed, your work table and the fridge, leaving messages like 'hi baby, thank you for everything' or 'my love, call me once you're free <3'. adds you to his spotify blend just to see if or not your music tastes are similar; will jump over the moon if y'all are over 80% similar. thread in tiny, pretty beads to make matching bracelets for you, and will smile so proudly when you show it off to your friends. will get all sentimental before a scary roller coaster in the amusement park, expressing how you mean everything to him and you laugh over his cuteness, before he quickly smooches your hands as the ride whizzes off.

hueningkai : lies to you about when he's coming home just so that he can see the surprise and delight in your eyes when he comes home earlier than he told you. eating the cookie batter together rather than baking it; sprinkling flour on each other during the process. splashing water on you whenever you run a bath for him, turning the calm bath session into a water fight. indulges you into the eyes staring contest, will gaze into those eyes of yours that hold so much love for him, even if both your eyes start watering and he eventually wipes off your tears and kisses your eyelids.

offering her an encouraging smile, she started off, you right beside her. in no time were the two of you coming to a stop just before the other child you were helping coach.

“look!” you started, bending so you were kneeling on the cold ice, “you did it! that wasn’t so hard, was it?”

at your reaction, the little girl shrilled, clearly happy with herself. “no! it was really easy!”

as you watched her giggle, dark plaits falling behind her shoulders, you nodded. “i told you so. now go skate over there.” you pointed to a small orange cone that was where you had been previously.

“okay,” she said without second thought, starting for the marker.

the boy next to you pouted, his rosy cheeks puffing up. “you didn’t do it with me.”

“i promise you’ll have your turn in a bit, alright?” you told him, rubbing his back reassuringly. “you’re a quick learner, that’s why i didn’t do it with you. you didn’t need me.”

although he looked mildly unconvinced, he still nodded in response, his frown slowly disappearing. “okay.”

too caught up in promising the boy a turn to skate with you holding his hand, you didn’t notice that someone had approached his sister, and was currently skating with her back over to where you were.

still smiling, you finally glanced over to the pair of familiar skates, gaze slowly going up. and up. and up. your grin dropped entirely as you stared at sunghoon. “what are you doing here?”

he seemed rather amused at your question as he said, “your time’s up. figure skating’s taking over the ice until closing.” he gestured to where his coach was over by the railing.

“i just started their lesson-” you tried, standing to your full height now.

“no, you started their lesson a half-hour ago, after your team finished up their practice,” sunghoon said, looking at you with pure righteousness. “your time is up.”

there was no hiding your scowl as you snapped at him. “i wasn’t aware that i was even on a time limit.” you crossed your arms as the twins stood by your sides, staring up at the figure skater who was cutting their lesson short.

“well, you are, so i suggest you wrap this up before my coach comes over. she’s not as lenient as i am.” he made a circular motion with an index finger, referring to you and the kids before him.

you huffed at sunghoon before bending at the waist, grabbing the hands of the twins with a pitiful smile. “it looks like we’re being kicked off the ice. we’ll continue your lessons tomorrow after my practice, okay?”

the little girl frowned, her eyes wrinkling as he brother shot sunghoon a glare. nonetheless, though, they didn’t argue when you began towards the exit.

but not before glowering at the platinum blond, of course.

“you could’ve waited a little longer, ya know. at least until my full hour was up,” you told sunghoon as he walked into the locker room. he was breathing heavily as he sat on the bench next to you, reaching down to untie his skates.

“but i have to convince everyone that i ‘hate’ you. and there’s no better way to do that than take away your coaching time; something that i know you hate with a burning passion,” he said, finally pulling the ice skates off his feet and glancing at you. “it’s quite funny, really.”

you rolled your eyes, going to stand. “is not.”

“is to,” sunghoon drawled, pushing his skates to the side and pulling you down on his lap. he only gripped your waist tighter when you squirmed, muttering something about how he was all gross from his practice. “you’re really cute when you’re mad. eyes blazing and face heated. i think it’s adorable.”

“my god, you’re excruciating to be around,” you said bitterly, refusing to relax under his hold with a pout.

sunghoon’s legs shifted beneath you, his lips pulling back into a teasing smile. “yeah, yeah. so you’ve told me before.”

giving him a heavy sigh, you slid your hands up his arms and to the expanse of his shoulders, settling on crossing them behind his nape. a sense of quietness took over, and as you looked at him, at the bangs that stuck to his forehead and the crinkle of his eyes, you blurted out, “you’re so gorgeous. even when you’re all sweaty and gross, you’re still the prettiest man i’ve ever seen, hoon.”

you watched as pink bloomed on his cheeks and the tips of his ears, but grinned like he already knew about his unmistakable beauty. which, you assumed, he did. your boyfriend got compliments all the time.

when he only continued to stare at you lovingly, his eyes examining your face, you began to grow impatient with his silence. and sunghoon could tell, much to his amusement.

as you frowned, sunghoon pulled you in, pressing the ghost of a kiss on your cheek, and then the corner of your mouth. his lips trailed up to your ear, and you swore your heart skipped a beat when he whispered, “you’re the prettiest woman i’ve ever seen.”

“isn’t it pretty?” you sighed, leaning in your seat to get a better view of the carnival below you. lights twinkled in every which way you looked, the feeling of contentment overtaking your being.

riki shuffled on your left, peering through the ferris wheel’s protective bars. “yeah, it is,” he said with a small smile.

the wind was much cooler up here, and you couldn't help the shiver that ran down your spine, spreading goosebumps along your exposed arms and shoulders. you wordlessly damned yourself for not bringing a light flannel or cardigan to keep the chill at bay.

“you cold?” riki asked, his voice just above a whisper.

nodding, you looked over, watching as he started to shrug off his black hoodie. his immediate action made you shake your head. “wait, wait. you’ll be cold then.”

pulling the garment over his head, he handed it to you with tousled hair and a boxy smile. “i don’t mind.” at your unsure expression, he placed the hoodie in your lap. “seriously. take it.”

you gave him a look, but tugged it on nonetheless, immediately engulfed in the warmth of riki’s body heat and the sting of his sharp cologne. pulling your legs up, you crossed them, using your position to rest your arms on the back of the seat and lay your cheek on the soft material. the way that you sat allowed for a view of both your crush and the lights below.

“god, i wish we could stay like this forever,” riki said, tugging at the sleeves of his long-sleeved shirt and adjusting his position to be closer to you.

the corners of your mouth pulled upwards. “me too. it’s so…calming. peaceful.” a beat of silence skipped over before you found the courage to continue on. “there’s something i need to tell you.”

“heh, it’s funny you say that. i’ve also been meaning to tell you something, too,” riki mused, his eyes gleaming underneath the moonlight. his reply had hope planted in your stomach, hoping that whatever he needed to tell you would be similar to your confession.

when he gestured for you to go on, you sat up straight, wetting your lips then sighing. “i think…” the words became lodged in your throat, and you had to inhale deeply before continuing. “i like you, riki, a lot. since we were sophomores, even. that’s the sole reason i approached you in the first place; you were my crush and i wanted to get to know you.”

riki’s smile faded as he stared at you, his eyes growing alarmed. it was the red flag that made you realize that your confession had been a mistake.

gulping, you blinked yourself back from your memories. as you shut the front door to your house, you exhaled sharply, trying to shake off your odd mood. you had a presentation for your history class; you couldn’t allow for old memories to prevent you from getting an a.

the walk to school was fine. it was quiet, though, which you weren’t very fond of, but that was okay. you’d grow used to it eventually.

“there you are!” a familiar voice called from not far ahead. your friend yuna looped her arm with yours, tugging you along with her. “i thought you’d never show.”

you gave her a strained smile. “yeah, well, here i am.”

yuna stopped suddenly, turning you to face her. she gripped your shoulders as she said, “don’t let his rejection get to your head, okay?” when you nodded wordlessly she added, “i don’t even know why you liked him. he dates around, you know that.”

“he dated around. past tense,” you told her knowingly. “i noticed that he stopped around last year. he hasn’t had a girlfriend since. but, regardless, that’s what makes it hurt, yuna,” you told her, tugging her to your first period class with a frown. “it seems as though he’s willing to date everyone but me. i don’t understand why.”

“you’re too good for him, that’s why,” yuna stated, side-eyeing you from your right. “and he knows it.”

you waved her off with your free hand. “i’m starting to think he believes that he’s too good for me.”

yuna said your name in a light gasp. “absolutely not. he’s an asshole who picks up one girl after the next. he doesn’t deserve you, and i think you know that.” the young woman on your arm steered you both into the school and around a corner.

“i still have his hoodie,” you muttered as the two of you stopped outside your classroom. “i’ve been waiting for the day he approaches me for it.”

“if anything, he’ll have his new girlfriend do it,” yuna snapped, her voice laced with bitterness.

“new girlfriend?” you echoed with furrowed brows.

yuna’s eyes widened as she looked at you. “oh. you haven’t heard?” her face had paled.

you scowled. “no. i haven’t. who is it this time?”

“no one good, i’ll tell you that,” yuna huffed, leaning against a set of lockers. when you gave her a look that seemed to say get to the point, she finally told you the name of riki’s new girl. “it’s leah.”

there was no hiding your distaste. “leah? why on earth would he go for her?!”

“you think i know?” yuna said with exasperation, rubbing at her bare arms with a frown.

the school bell startled you both, and you checked the watch on your wrist before saying, “well, damn. you gotta go, yuna. i’ll see you in sixth.”

“bye, see you,” she waved before stepping into the middle of the hallway, immediately being sucked into the crowd of students trying to navigate their morning classes.

sighing, you adjusted your backpack, walking into your science class with a blank face. riki had first period with you. great.

there was also a lab. a lab that you had completely forgotten about. fantastic, you thought with a sigh, standing to follow your teacher’s instruction and find a partner to work with. you normally partnered with riki, but he had shown clear disinterest in you, already deciding to pair up with another girl on the opposite side of the room.

luckily, though, you didn’t need to approach anyone. one of the boys a few tables down walked up to you, opening with a “hey, do you wanna work together?”

“sure,” you said, offering him what you’d hoped to be a kind smile. “i’d like that.”

the boy’s name was jungwon, from what you could recall, and he was kind enough to do most of the work, much to your dismay. he wasn’t a bad partner, which you had originally been worried about.

as the two of you cleaned up the workstation you were at, he said, “thanks for partnering with me.”

“of course,” you quipped, laying the wet pipettes on a paper towel so they could dry. as jungwon handed you a paper towel of your own, you couldn’t help but give him the compliment of “you’re one of the best lab partners i’ve had in a while. most of the kids in here don’t do shit.”

“tell me about it,” the dark-haired boy chuckled, walking with you back to your seat. as you sat back at your spot, jungwon went to turn in your shared paper that was filled with data. when he returned, he said, “what period do you have lunch?”

the question caught you off guard. “um, fifth. why?”

“i was wondering if you wanted to go to off-campus lunch with me one day. i can drive and pay,” he said with a kind smile. “i’ve been meaning to approach you for a while now. i noticed that you’ve been eating alone at lunch.”

“wait, if you know that, then why did you ask for my lunch period?” you asked skeptically, your eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

jungwon realized his slip-up with widened eyes. “shit, i’m- i’m sorry. i wanted to ask so i didn’t seem like a creep, but that doesn’t seem to matter anymore.” he looked away, avoiding your gaze. “i’m sorry, this conversation is not going how i planned.”

you laughed at his attempted explanation. “it’s okay. i’d still love to go to lunch with you. i can do today if that’s alright with you.”

jungwon’s gaze locked with yours, his face already beginning to light up with delight. “okay, yeah, cool. i can do today.”

“we can meet at the front of the school?” you suggested with a grin, leaning forward in your seat and bracing your forearms on the table.

“yeah, that’d work,” jungwon said, nodding mindlessly. he backed up a step. “i’ll see you then.”

you couldn’t help the pure bliss that brought upon butterflies. jungwon seemed sweet, with good intentions, and now you wouldn’t have to eat lunch alone anymore. the good feelings only lasted so long, though. your grin started to fade when you watched riki approach jungwon, his face drawn in a scowl.

the bell rang, and as you quickly collected your things, trying to hurry up and find out what riki could possibly be telling the boy he had even never talked to.

“what’s going on?” you asked, leaning against one of the tables and standing beside jungwon, your lips pursed.

riki’s glare dragged from your lab partner to you. “nothing,” he snapped.

“you sure?” you said with raised brows, challenging him to tell you whatever he had probably been drilling jungwon about.

all your crush did was nod before shooting jungwon one last look and turning around to go collect his things. it was all you needed before saying, “what’d he want?”

“nothing,” jungwon assured, offering up a promising smile. the gleam in his eyes said he didn’t want to talk about it. so you didn’t press on. at least not until lunch rolled around.

“hey, what’s your deal?” you hissed, shoving riki into a set of lockers, ignoring the way his friends objected. “you reject me and then go around telling boys that i’m off-limits? what the hell is wrong with you?! i’m not yours. and, shit, you rejected me, riki. you have a girlfriend, too. so fuck off for christ's sake.” your words were harsh, but this was unacceptable. especially after what had happened that night at the carnival a few days ago.

riki only licked his lips, his gaze narrowed.

giving him another harsh shove, you said, “leave me and the people i talk to alone. you don’t own me, nishimura. never have, never will.”

as you turned to leave, riki’s hand shot to your wrist, his grip firm. “meet me after school. courtyard. okay?”

“we’ll see,” you hissed, ripping your arm free.

“this is the stupidest decision ever,” yuna said, walking you to the courtyard with a distraught face. “like, how could he fuck up this badly, and yet you still wanna give him a chance?”

you gave her a look. “i just wanna see what he has to say. and i don’t hate him, you know that. it’s just easier to pretend that i do. it’s easier to loathe him for his rejection than to try and understand it.”

yuna sighed through her nose as she said, “i guess you’re right. if someone rejected me i’d probably resent them too.”

“i don’t think you have to worry about that. every time you’ve confessed to someone they have returning feelings,” you assured as the doors to the courtyard came into view.

halting in your tracks, you took your bottom lip between your teeth. “shit. now that we’re actually here i don’t want to go.”

“oh no, you’re not backing out now,” yuna said, pushing you forward. “plus, i’m curious about what he has to say, so you’ll have to tell me what happened later tonight.”

you groaned but didn’t fight her as she opened up one of the doors and wished you good luck.

the outside air was warmer than it had been this morning. as you walked, you flexed and fisted your hands, eyes scanning the area for riki. you felt your throat close when you spotted him seated at one of the benches, attention on his phone.

this is the stupidest decision ever, you thought, forcing your legs to move in his direction. the idea of deserting flashed in your mind, but you shook it out, telling yourself that if you left, you’d regret it. you’d forever wonder what he wanted to tell you.

“you’re here,” riki said, cutting off your will to leave. he stood from his seat, slipping his phone into a pocket. “i didn’t think you’d actually come.”

“where’s your girlfriend?” you asked bitterly, ignoring his jab. for some reason you had the idea that she’d be here with him, waiting to strike you down if you said anything she deemed as “too much.”

riki’s eyebrows knitted together. “i don’t have a girlfriend. the last person i dated was rae, and that was, like, a year ago. before i met you.”

“what?” you blanched, stunned by his answer. that can’t be right, you thought, backing up a step. yuna had said-

wait.

“you don’t have a girlfriend?” you questioned, your face falling into a frown.

shaking his head, riki said, “no.” he was genuine. and just as confused as you were. “i promise.”

head spinning, you managed to tell him, “well, get on with whatever you wanted to tell me. i don’t want to waste my time.”

“right,” riki said, licking his lips before continuing on. “i didn’t reject you. hell, i don’t know where you got that idea. i told you that i needed time, not that i didn’t return your feelings.” he took a step closer, trying his best to look as meaningful as possible. “i like you too. and seeing you with another guy…i think that made me realize that if i was going to give myself to you then i better do it now.”

his words sucked all the air from your lungs. of course, he had been right; he had never said “i don’t like you.” he had said “give me time,” and you had taken it the wrong way, too caught up in your own thoughts about him leaving you for good.

swallowing, you took a seat on the bench, eyes glued to your lap. you thought that you would’ve taken the truth better than this. better than being shocked wordless.

riki nudged your foot with his. “please say something.”

“i don’t know…i just didn’t think you liked me too,” you breathed, looking up at him. “yuna had convinced me of something else.”

“yuna?” riki asked, his shoulders tensing. “i didn’t think you hung out with her anymore.” he seemed disturbed.

“i don’t. normally, at least. after you kinda…left me, she approached me again and so i told her what had happened over the weekend,” you explained, puzzled at riki’s unease.

he shifted from one foot to the other. “was she the one who told you that i had a new girlfriend?”

“yeah.”

riki ran a hand over his face, moving to sit next to you. “she’s liked me since forever. she was a close friend of sunoo’s, but then we learned that she had only gotten close to sunoo to get close to me. it was a mess.”

“oh,” you merely said, too stunned to say anything else.

mustering up the little courage he had left, riki reached for your hand. “i know that it’s a lot to hear and take in, and i honestly should find a better time to ask this, but…will you be my girlfriend?”

your head whipped toward him, stricken by his question. it was something you had wanted him to ask for so very long. and now that he had, it caught you by surprise.

“of course,” you said, voice quiet with disbelief. when he squeezed your hand, you squeezed back, the start of a smile blooming on your face. “i’d like that.”

nose scrunching with your grin, you looked at him. “i love it. it’s so pretty.”

his lips quirked up in response, and he started to tug you forward, down the hill, and towards the sprawled-out blanket that awaited you both; he was excited to show you all that he had prepared.

letting out a slight squeal at his strength, you hurried after jay, settling on a speed between a light jog and a power walk as he continued to drag you down the hillside in a hurry.

“jay,” you drew out his name with a whine. “slow down, there’s no rush.”

fortunately, he obliged, decelerating his footing as you both managed to make it to the bottom of the hill without tripping over your own feet. now back on a flat surface, he turned to you. “i know, i’m just excited to show you what i set up.”

jay's confession brings on another smile, and you give his hand yet another squeeze as you begin to tug him towards the pink checkerboard blanket that was spread on the grass just a few yards away. your eyes were on him as you walked backwards, resulting in your incapability to see the small stone that intercepted your path. before you could register the unsteadiness of the ground below you, your feet slip, and you’re gripping onto jay with vigor.

“woah,” you hear jay exclaim, worry etched on his face as he hurriedly grabbed your other arm, pulling you towards him without thought.

you stumbled into him, almost violently, and you felt yourself begin to fall yet again as jay loses his footing too. letting out a sound of surprise, you gasped when your knees met solid earth, hands splayed beside jay’s body.

he groaned from underneath you, neck craning to meet your eyes. “my god, that hurt.”

still startled by the abrupt sequence, you blinked down at your boyfriend, becoming aware of the way your body was pressed against his. “yeah, i’m sure that did. you took most of the damage, my love.” you let out a small puff of laughter.

“ugh, the things i do for you,” jay mused as you sat up, adjusting yourself so you straddled his lap. he shifted underneath you, lifting himself using his forearms.

the end of your peach-colored skirt pooled around your ankles, and you watched as jay brought a hand up, taking the strings that hung by your collar with two fingers. tension grew when he twirled the laces before grasping them, eyes jumping between your white tunic and face. he pulled you towards him in a swift motion, not close enough to connect your lips, but just enough so you were nose-to-nose.

“is this my shirt?” he whispered, breath fanning out against your skin.

the closeness forced nerves to arise, and all you could do was nod, not trusting yourself to speak.

jay hummed in acknowledgment before tugging you towards him again, this time molding his mouth with yours.

“i love you,” he breathed against your lips. the hand that once held him up now found purchase on your left hip. “i love you, i love you, i love you.” he repeated the words over and over again, pulling you flush against him as he sat up properly, still gripping the strings as if you’d slip away after release.

you kissed him feverishly, one hand at his nape and the other on his wrist. “i love you too.”

“you’re mine,” jay said, hand releasing your shirt and moving to your chin, his eyes sharp.

“i’m yours,” you affirmed, breath shaky as jay’s thumb traced your bottom lip. “i’m all yours.”

“good girl,” he muttered, a satisfied smile taking shape. his hand moved from your mouth to the side of your head, knuckles brushing against your cheek before pressing his open palm to the side of your face. “you’re so beautiful. and as much as i would like to sit here, on the grass, admiring you, we still have a picnic to attend.”

you felt your face grow hot at his compliment, and you rolled your eyes as you pushed away his hand, suddenly pulling him closer. he was startled by your movements, but relaxed as you hugged him; your arms wrapped around his neck, lips ghosting the spot behind his ear. he smelled of patchouli and rain.

jay mimicked you with a sigh, his chin resting on your shoulder as he held you. it was moments like these that were his favorite, where he could just relish your presence. the realness of your existence always hit him like a punch to the gut, but it was a blow that he enjoyed taking, for it seemed that every time he saw you in a new light, he fell a little more in love each time.