Tae sighed. He missed her. He could not get the nameless girl from Paris out of his head. For weeks now, every time he lay down and closed his eyes, her face would appear before him. It probably didn’t help that he kept looking at the dozen pictures he had of them together. He had long ago saved them to his phone.
Jimin had caught him peeking at them once and asked him who she was. Tae had told him. Jimin had had his own adventure in Paris, so Tae knew he understood. But Tae hadn’t told anyone else. Though he did consider talking to Jungkook about her, but that guy had been somewhere else these days. Physically speaking. And in his head. Since when did he take up jogging? And he was even quieter than usual when he was around the six of them. Hmm. Was Jungkook keeping a secret of his own?
Tae was now lying on his bed staring at his favorite picture of her. The third picture a thoughtful ARMY had taken of them that night. Woong – the secret name he had given to the girl who had rescued him from a mob the night before Jimin’s birthday – was gazing up at him with such wonder and joy in her eyes. Almost like he was the one who had put the sun in the sky. He knew there had been an answering tenderness in his own countenance.
He smiled. He just wanted to see that face before him once again. He wanted to slide his fingers across that soft cheek and entangle them in her silky hair once more. His eyes fell to her pink lips. He still wanted to kiss those twin beauties too. He’d thought about it more often than he probably should. He was building air castles, and he knew it. But Tae was really good at it. He had designed entire universes inside his heart and mind, and he loved to play in them.
He knew his perspective on life was truly unique. But there was just so much to ponder, so many mysteries to pursue! He was certain there was a higher power and a deeper intent to things than most of his friends seemed to notice. And the imagination that had pondered the secrets of the universe was fertile ground for the seeds Woong had planted in his heart that fateful evening in Paris. He often went back there in his mind and relived those moments. He had even written them in a journal, faithfully recording every single thing he could remember her saying.
But it was her eyes that he remembered the most. Eyes like fire. They were full of amber flames just leaping before him. He wanted to gaze into those beautiful eyes again. Forever. He had even written a song about her eyes. He began to sing it now as he stared into those eyes in the photograph in his hand. This one picture he had printed off. He kept it in his wallet. She went with him everywhere.
“You’ve got eyes of fire
Lit with a lovely desire.
You’ve got those eyes of fire.
Just one look takes me higher.
“I can’t forget
How you looked at me.
I can’t regret
What was meant to be.
“Look at me again.
Lock eyes with me.
Come on, my darling,
And set me free.
“Will you be mine?
Will you give me those flames?
Can I be yours?
Just wanna be face-to-face.
“Look at me again.
Your eyes of fire
Now light within me
A burning desire.
“Will you be mine?
Will you give me those flames?
Can I be yours?
Just wanna live face-to-face.
“Watching your eyes glowing
Fills me with such a knowing.
You’ve got those eyes of fire
Filling my heart with desire.
“I just wanna
Gaze into those flames.
I just want your
Passion all my days.”
He paused for a moment before singing the chorus through one more time, his expression revealing the longing of his heart.
“Look at me again.
Lock eyes with me.
Come on, my darling,
And set me free.
“Will you be mine?
Will you give me those flames?
Can I be yours?
Just wanna be face-to-face.
“Look at me again.
Your eyes of fire
Now light within me
A burning desire.
“Will you be mine?
Will you give me those flames?
Can I be yours?
Just wanna live face-to-face.”
Singing to her made him feel closer to her. But he wanted her here. Now. With him. He wanted to stare into those flaming eyes, not just look at her face captured in a picture.
But he couldn’t see any way it would ever happen. That’s why he hadn’t texted her again. He’d never called her either. He’d thought about it a thousand times in the weeks since he’d met and lost her. But he knew he was just dreaming. So, he’d restrained himself from doing something stupid. She lived on another continent, half a world away from him. He just needed to face it: he’d never see her again. So why did he keep staring at her picture?
