I woke up to the feeling of lips pressing, sucking and licking across my neck. I sighed with pleasure as Jimin littered my skin with his kisses. I felt his lips form a smile as he felt me squirm and shiver.

"Good morning, my handsome birthday boy," I murmured so as to not break the spell he'd put me under. "Shouldn't it be me who is making you feel good, though?"

His low rumbling chuckles vibrated through my chest as he shook his head, the movement created goosebumps as his hair skimmed across my sensitive naked skin. "You know I get turned on seeing you writhing beneath me, Sweetheart. Plus, bringing pleasure to the woman I love so much would be the best present I have ever received."

"I love you, too," I whispered as I cupped his cheeks in my hands and guided his lips onto mine. The feeling of Jimin's lips was something most people could only dream of. "Because it's your birthday, how do you want me, Bubba?"

Instead of answering with words, Jimin guided me to roll over onto my stomach. He placed sweet open-mouthed kisses along my spine. The sensation of his hair tickling my skin made me wriggle, that was until the loud sound of flesh colliding with flesh filled the room. The spank to my rear pulled a loud moan from my lips. As Jimin's weight settled along my back, I felt his hard length pulsing and twitching against my skin. Whispering into my ear with his deep, sexy voice that made me drip like a leaky faucet, he reminded me to be a good girl.

I tried to hold still as he rutted his hips into me, his cock slid between my lips with ease from how wet I was for him. I was desperate for him to bury himself inside me, where he would claim all my orgasms as victorious rewards of his capability as a lover.

"You feel so fucking good," Jimin groaned, his lips brushing the skin between my shoulders. With a long, drawn-out moan, he slowly sheathed himself inside my silken walls. I loved how the bulbous head of his cock parted my walls and stimulated every nerve that ran through my sensitive womanhood.

As he bottomed out, the both of us sighed in ecstasy. Jimin used me for leverage. His lower body pressed me into the mattress as his cock retreated before it slammed back to its deep home. With the power, stamina and coordination that his martial arts training had provided him, my blonde lover set a steady pace.

"You're so fucking tight," he panted into my neck. The sound of his breathless praise made me clench around him. "Heaven could never compare with how wonderful you feel."

I loved feeling his chest and torso muscles rippling along my spine as he closed the gap between us. Jimin laid on top of me, his hips drove his hard length in and out. The feeling of his breaths fanning across my back drove me wild. Each long, hard roll of his hips had me moaning like a bitch in heat.

Being with Jimin in such an intimate embrace was my own form of paradise—one I never wanted to leave, especially when he made me cum around him. If the Garden of Eden was the birthplace of sin, then this paradise built only by Jimin and I would forever be the home for our unconditional love.

"Jiminie, please." One orgasm wasn't enough. I needed more. I needed him to put out the fire he'd lit within me.

"I'm here, My Love. But I want you to tell me who you want right now: Jiminie or Park-fucking-Jimin," he murmured. His command was punctuated with a hard roll of his hips.

There was no way I wanted sweet, tender Jiminie to make love to me right now. I needed Jimin to fuck me... and hard. "Ruin me, Jimin. Fuck me until I can't remember my name."

"Don't worry, Baby, I'm gonna make you feel so good you'll think it's your birthday. I just ask for one thing of you... Can you make it rain for me again?"

Ever since Jimin had made me squirt, he'd been obsessed with trying to get me to cum explosively again. I nodded with a pleading urgency. I was so wound up, my orgasm was already on its way and I wanted to feel the high washing over me already.

The way his cock moved with slick ease inside me had me crying out with glee. Jimin's hands gripped my hips so hard that I knew bruises would litter my skin later in the day. I'd wear his marks with pride, the symbols of our combined love and desire for each other.

"So close," I whimpered. My unspoken words begging for him to go harder lingered in the air. But that wasn't part of Jimin's plan just yet. I cried out in frustration as he pulled out of me. My orgasm, which was so close I could practically taste it, ended up dissipating like fog in the morning sun. Instead of feeling so full with his cock rutting into me, I was empty.

"Shhh, it's okay, Baby. I'm right here. Lift up a little for me, Sweetheart."

I pushed myself onto my hands and knees as Jimin stuffed a pillow under my hips. I turned my head back to look at him and my breath caught in my lungs as I saw the way he gazed at me. Love, desire and wonderment were evident in his deep eyes that raked down every inch of my spine and bum.

"You're so fucking stunning, Nell," he breathed out. "You take my breath away every time I look at you or touch you. I love you so much and I could never thank you enough for coming into my life."

Tears began streaking down my cheeks. I didn't only hear Jimin's love through his words—it was evident in the tone of his voice, in the breathy sighs he let out as he looked at me like I was a piece of artwork worthy to hang in the Louvre. A couple of my exes had told me they loved me; however, neither came close to making me feel as loved, cherished and wanted as the man kneeling behind me.

I awoke from the dream, tears streaming down my cheeks. The memory that played through my subconscious was bittersweet. While I was asleep, I was filled with the joy of seeing my beloved Jiminie in my dreams, the two of us sharing a private celebration for his birthday. Yet, alongside this happiness, I keenly felt the ache of his absence. I was untethered without him here with me as if a vital part of me had been cast overboard in a turbulent storm, lost without a guiding light to show the way.

I curled around the second pillow on the bed and saturated the one I laid on with my tears. I thought about that morning of his birthday. After he thanked me for coming into my life, I'd told Jimin that I loved him so much, and then said I would only come again if he fucked me the way he promised. I giggled amongst sniffles as I remembered the sexy growl he made a second before his hand spanked me so deliciously that it forced me to beg him to fuck me. That morning, he had succeeded not only in making me cum so hard that I squirted, but I also forgot how to talk.

୧‿︵‿๑︵‿୨💜୧‿︵‿୨💜୧‿︵๑‿︵‿୨

Since Esther and our mother both had the day off from work, the three of us decided to spend the day together exploring the local shopping centre. I was surprised to see the various stores all decked out in Halloween decorations, something that I had never experienced when I was growing up. In the past, Halloween wasn't a big deal here. Now, though, it seemed like there was fierce competition among the shops to see who could create the most frightening and spine-chilling displays. Shivers ran down my spine at the gruesome, macabre and often nightmare-inducing decorations.

"You okay, Squish?" Mum asked as the two of us waited for Esther outside the camera shop. "You don't seem like yourself today."

The funk that lingered after waking up from the dream stayed with me all day long. I attempted to shake it off or brush it aside and force a cheerful grin on my face. However, I failed to remember that my mother had a remarkable ability to see through a veil of bullshit.

"I had a dream about Jim this morning," I admitted. Mum's face as she looked up at me was one of sympathy. "I'm missing him more than I thought I would even though we've only been together for a few months."

My mother wheeled over to me, wrapped her arms around my waist and rested her head on my stomach. The way she twisted her torso wouldn't have been comfortable, yet she made no effort to move into a more relaxed position. I fondly recalled the bear hugs she used to give me when I was younger, the way she would hold me close, cradling my head against her neck as we swayed together. Even though her cuddles were now a bit more awkward due to the wheelchair, they still radiated the same warmth and love that she always showed me.

"It's okay to miss him, Squish." She pulled away and coaxed me to lean down towards her so she could wipe my cheeks. "People can bugger off if they say you shouldn't love someone after only a few months. Love has its own timeframe. You've heard the stories of how I was head over heels with your father and knew he was the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life on our third date. People thought I was crazy because I was in love with him before the end of our first week together."

I laughed and nodded my head. More times than I could count on my fingers, my parents had engaged in light-hearted debates about who loved the other first. Dad claimed he knew from the second date, while Mum always maintained that she said the three little words first.

"It doesn't matter the speed you fall in love. What matters is that you both treat each other right," she said like a wise sage. Mum locked eyes with me and gave me a pointed look, "He does treat you well, right?"

"Yeah, he does," I assured her while nodding and smiling as I pictured key moments of my time spent with my Jiminie. "He looks at me like I hung the stars and moon in the sky."

Mum hummed and a smile graced her face. I always loved my mother's smile—it rivalled Hobi's or Jimin's with how radiant it was. "Good to hear your Jim bloke isn't all froth and no beer like the last fucking arsewipes you were with." I laughed, chiding for her language in a public place. She just turned to me with a look on her face that I interpreted as 'What you gonna do 'bout it?'

"All good?" my sister asked as she joined us. Esther looked at my eyes, which I could tell were slightly red-rimmed from both the tiny cry and laughing at Mum. "Did you have another dream about him or did Mum wheel over your toes again?"

"Oh, hush you," Mum chided, poking Esther's side with a giggle. "I'll wheel over your toes, you little toad. Now, let's shop until I'm ready to drop."

"Oi, no fair!" Esther whinged playfully. "You've got your motor so that won't happen unless you run out of juice."

I giggled with delight as I saw Mum wheel away gracefully, resembling a queen in her chair. Even though I missed Jimin while I was at home, being with him made me long for the lively chaos that my mother and sister brought. I leisurely followed behind them, chuckling at their playful squabble over lunch spots, feeling grateful for the unique bond we shared.

꧁♥💜♥꧂

"Long time no see," Esther laughed as she hugged me before greeting our brother and his family outside our favourite Korean BBQ restaurant. We'd spent the whole morning and most of the afternoon together but neither my sister nor I were sick of each other. "See, I told you that dress would look incredible on you."

I had to admit, when I first saw the short floral dress, I didn't think it would be flattering on me. While I loved the rust-coloured flowers that dotted the white background, the poly-cotton fabric it was made from had me worried it would highlight all my flaws. Upon Mum and Esther's insistence, I'd found that the skater cut made my legs look great and the elasticised gathered waist made the fabric skim across my belly.

"I think Mr Loverboy would drool seeing you in that," Mum giggled as she and my father sidled up beside the rest of us. Ever since I blushed furiously the first time she'd used the nickname, 'Mr Loverboy' has been her go-to name for my Jimin.

Dad cleared his throat to get everyone's attention, "Since we're all here, we should go in. I could eat the bum out of an elephant."

As soon as I stepped through the front entrance, the familiar aroma of Korean food cooking on individual barbeques filled the air. My mouth instantly watered as I anticipated the delicious food I was about to eat. Keemaki was my family's favourite Korean restaurant on the Sunshine Coast, one that we had frequented many times to partake in their Korean barbecue. Named after the granddaughter of the owner, the restaurant had a vibe that made everyone feel like they were part of the Kee family.

For a moment, I was transported back to the kitchen at the palace—the only difference was the sounds that filled the room. Instead of the palace's staff talking to each other in their native language, a loud hum of English came from the restaurant's patrons chatting within their groups. K-POP music filled the air as it was streamed through the surround system; the corresponding MV's played on the multiple televisions dotting the walls.

"The Bennetts!" Kee Young-Jae exclaimed happily as my family and I walked in. "How are my favourite regulars doing?" Young-Jae was the proprietor of the successful restaurant but he often said his favourite job was being the grandfather to the namesake of the restaurant, Kee Maki, his first granddaughter who was now nine.

As Young-Jae led us over to the largest booth, he and my mum made small talk. I was touched to hear how the older Busan-expat had attended Nana Betty's funeral, and how he'd been to visit her since. He and Nana Betty had become close friends over the years, bonding over the fact they had both lost their spouses.

"How's your granddaughter?" I asked in Young-Jae's native tongue without thinking.

"Wow, your Korean is perfect!" he exclaimed with wide eyes. A beaming smile was on his face as the proud grandfather launched into a long spiel about the adventures Maki had been having at primary school.

The rest of my family looked on at the two of us with gobsmacked expressions on each face. It wasn't until we had each taken our places around the booth with menus placed in front of us that the floodgate of questions opened.

"When did you learn Korean, sis?"

"Have you been secretly learning to speak Korean so you can understand those K-POP songs that you, your mother and sister all listen to?"

"How? When? Who taught you?"

"That's so cool, Aunty Nell! Can you teach me?"

I laughed at Caleb's question and request. Esther already knew how I'd come to be fluent in the other language. Unlike me, she looked relaxed as she perused the menu.

"Dad, no I didn't learn the language for the music, though I kind of wish I had earlier. And to answer Aiden's, Christof's, and probably all your questions—the doctors diagnosed it as a case of foreign accent syndrome that came about from my head injury."

Everyone was silent as they took in my response. While our mother was having a massage on her shoulders today, Esther and I had spent that time on our phones as we Googled how a person could 'magically' start speaking another language. In our research, my sister had come across the rare, but very real, condition. The two of us hated lying to our family but the fact that we didn't know how the others would react hearing the truth had forced us to find a creative answer.

"That's awesome," Caleb voiced out in wonderment, "You're like a superhero now."

Everyone cracked up laughing at my nephew's innocent comment. I was nervous that my parents would ask questions about this new 'skill' I'd acquired but it seemed filling our hungry bellies took centre stage.

"Since you can speak the language, you can order, Squish," Dad said. "It's on us tonight, so get whatever you want."

As I looked around the table at all the important people in my life, surrounded by the smells and sounds I'd experienced in Korea, I was hit with a wave of longing, fear, uncertainty, and sadness. It was like both universes had merged—coming together in one place in time. Although, one person was missing: my Jiminie.

This feeling was amplified when BTS' Home started playing throughout the restaurant. I looked up at the TV above me and saw the video the group had filmed for Jimmy Fallon's show. The video for this song was always one of my favourites because it was performed in the BTS dorm as a treat to show ARMY a different side to the members. Esther bumped my arm with hers and mouthed 'Are you okay?' I gave her a silent look that conveyed what I was feeling.

I was missing my person.

I was missing my other home.

But most of all, I wondered if I'd ever see him again.