~𝟱𝟳~

(Third person)

Ava stood there, looking up at Lee Know who still hadn't turned his head to look at her again. She was getting worried. And the confidence was still buzzing in her body. So she slowly reached her hand out towards his face, hesitating ever so slightly before gently resting her fingertips underneath his chin. She turned his head towards her and smiled at him. His gaze barely connected with hers when he pulled away again, looking at the water splashing up against their ankles. She gently took his hands in hers, but even then he didn't look at her.

"Why won't you look at me? Did I say something wrong?"

"No, not at all," he stopped her. "I just... I shouldn't be feeling the way I'm feeling. You're not ready. It's wrong."

He was staring at their connected hands, a look of apprehension crossing his features. He slowly pulled his hands out of her grip, turning to walk away. Ava grabbed his wrist, making him stop. And finally, he looked at her.

"Your feelings aren't wrong. You have the fullest right to feel the way you do, and I don't judge you in the slightest for that. In fact, I really admire that you had the guts to tell me in the first place. Besides..."

Ava hesitated, unsure whether she could say what was crossing her mind in that moment. She knew it was a risk. But she also knew that if she didn't say it, she might lose the nerve and never say it at all. So she took a deep breath, getting her thoughts together. She took both Lee Know's hands, looking for the much-needed comfort in his touch. She took one more deep breath before she looked at Lee Know.

"Besides, I never said I didn't feel the same..."

She let the words hang in the air, her breath stuck in her throat as she waited for his reaction. Meanwhile, Lee Know was trying not to blush, his heart hammering in his chest. He hadn't realised that while he was trying to keep to Ava's agreement, he missed the signs that it wasn't necessary. He was still doubtful, though. And he told himself that he had to be certain.

"Are... Are you sure? I mean, I don't want you to be unsure or feel like you're obligated to do this just because I told you about my feelings. I... I don't want to push you."

"You're not pushing me at all. I want this. I'm sure of it. I've been thinking about it ever since you looked at me with that emotion in your eyes, and I realised that I'm ready. My only question is... are you?"

Lee Know was quite shocked at Ava's question, but appreciated it, nonetheless. He took a step closer to her, his body only inches away from hers. He moved his hands in hers, interlacing their fingers. He looked into her eyes. He felt as though he could drown in their rich brown colour if he looked at them too long.

"I've been ready since you confessed to me that night in the pool," he admitted softly.

He reached his hand up to her face, tucking a strand of hair away before gently brushing along her cheek with his knuckles. His hand went to rest just below her ear, fingers reaching into her hair. She leaned into his touch, and his heart leapt.

"Gosh, you're beautiful," he whispered, his eyes still glued to hers, not wavering for a moment. So much tenderness in them, it made her insides turn to mush.

A blush slithered its way up her neck, settling in her cheeks as she gently rested her free hand on Lee Know's chest, feeling his steady heartbeat underneath her fingertips. The hand that was still tangled with his was suddenly cold as he let go of it, Ava looking down to see why. She saw his hand wavering millimetres away from her waist.

She rested her hand on his forearm, his hand moving onto her waist in the process. The touch set a fire off in her stomach, the sparks breaking off and skittering through every nerve in her body. It dawned on Ava that the last time anyone had touched her like that was when she and Damian had still dated... She pushed the thought down.

"I just wanted to thank you," Ava said, looking up at Lee Know. "I don't know if I would have made it as far as I have if you weren't here to help me. Thank you for that."

An adorable smile spread on Lee Know's lips, and he dropped his head slightly to press his forehead against hers.

"You're very welcome," he whispered.

He pulled slightly away, their faces so close, their noses were brushing against each other. Lee Know's breath gently brushed over Ava's lips, eliciting another shiver to run up her spine. He brushed his thumb over her cheek, his eyes settling on her lips. His uncertainty sprang back up in his chest, making him hesitate.

"Are you-"

The look Ava gave him cut him off, the certainty in her eyes flowing into him as well. He took one last steadying breath before brushing his thumb over Ava's cheek once more. Then he closed the final distance between them, pressing his lips to hers. But as soon as their lips met, he pulled away again.

"Are you su-"

He was cut off by Ava grabbing him by the nape of his neck and pulling him down, kissing him again. Without any warning. It ignited something inside him, a burning feeling running through his veins, into every crevice of his body. He moved the hand on her neck further up into her hair, tilting her head up to deepen the kiss. She stood up on her tiptoes, wrapping her arms around his neck. It was like she just couldn't pull him close enough.

His hand on her waist gripped a bit tighter, but still not enough to hurt her, pulling her body up against his. She brought her hands up, sliding them into his hair. He shivered at the movement, making her smile into the kiss. Their lips moved perfectly against each other, like two dancers moving in perfect sync. Lee Know readjusted his hand again, ever deepening the kiss, his brows furrowing because of the overwhelming rush coursing through his body. He just couldn't get enough.

When Lee Know deepened the kiss, Ava's fingers clenched into fists, gently pulling on his hair. She heard a noise emanate from the back of his throat, coming out low and raspy. It made her legs feel weak, her own sound coming from the back of her throat. Her heart was pounding in her ears, and her breath was racing. She didn't ever want to let go. But all too soon for her taste, her logic told her that one of them would have to pull away.

She made the first move, gently pulling away, but still staying close enough for their noses to touch. She rested her forehead against Lee Know's, looking at him. His eyes were still closed, his breathing shallow. He had a light shade of pink dusted over his nose and cheekbones, making Ava smile at how cute he looked. He finally fluttered his eyes open, looking at Ava through his eyelashes. They slowly pulled further away from each other, Ava standing on flat feet again. Her hands moved down to Lee Know's chest, his heartbeat fast underneath her palms.

She looked into his eyes, a smile spreading on her lips. He mirrored it, making her heart flutter at the beautiful smile. A giggle rose up in her throat, passing by her lips. Lee Know's smile grew even wider at the adorable giggles. She caught her breath, looking up to see Lee Know's hair was a mess from her ministrations. She stood up on her tiptoes again, reaching up and gently carting her fingers through his hair. It was so smooth and soft. She slowly got it to look more normal, smiling at her work as she dropped her heels again.

Lee Know took the hand she just used to fix his hair, planting a gentle kiss on her knuckles, making Ava's heart flutter. He slowly brought his other hand up to gently rest on her cheek, thumb ghosting over her lips ever so gently, causing a shuddering breath to move past her lips. Lee Know hesitated at her reaction. As he pulled back, she took his hand that rested on her cheek, folding her fingers around it. She looked up at him, giving him a reassuring smile. She moved into a hug, wrapping her arms around his waist. When she felt his stiff movements, she looked up at him.

"You don't have to be nervous. I really liked it. And you didn't overstep any boundaries if that's what you're worried about."

She snuggled into his chest as she finished the sentence, feeling the last rays of sunlight fall on her face, heating her already warm cheeks up even more. He relaxed in her arms, his own arms wrapping around her. He dropped his head to rest it on top of hers. He pressed a gentle kiss to her hair, a smile spreading on her lips.

They stayed in each other's embrace until the sun had fully set and it was getting cold outside. They walked back towards the house, hand in hand. But what they didn't know, is someone saw the entire scene unfold. And that person was secretly giggling inside at the new revelation.

(First person, Ava's perspective)

I felt like I was practically glowing as I walked back in through the sliding door, quickly letting go of Lee Know's hand when I saw Chan standing behind the kitchen island. He seemed to be looking at some kind of blueprint.

I quickly pressed my hands against my cheeks, trying to cool them down before walking over to Chan, standing next to him. Lee Know came to stand right behind me, so close I could feel his breath on my neck. His hand was placed right next to mine on the counter, so close I could almost feel it against mine. You're not helping, I thought to myself.

"What-" Lee Know started but stopped because his voice was raspy and low. He cleared his throat and tried again.

"What are you doing, Hyung?" he asked, making Chan turn to us.

"I'm looking at a blueprint of the dorms. I am trying to figure out if there is anything we can do to make the dorms safer."

"That's not necessary, Chan. I'm sure everything will be fine without it. I just need to train some more, then I'll be able to handle myself."

"I know, Ava. I'm just worried that for whatever reason you won't be able to defend yourself. I don't want him taking advantage of the weaknesses in the dorms just to hurt you. He's caused you enough pain."

I gently placed a hand on Chan's shoulder blade, him looking at me. He seemed sad and worried.

"I'll be okay. I promise. And besides, you guys will be there to protect me. So what could there possibly be to worry about?"

He smiled slightly at what I said, sighing. I patted his shoulder blade twice before turning to go when he spoke again.

"What have you two been doing? Because both of you have unusually red cheeks."

My eyes widened, and I brought my hand up to feel my cheek. It was still warm. I felt my stomach drop as I looked up at Lee Know.

"We were just sitting outside. The sun was pretty warm so it's probably because of that," Lee Know lied, managing to look and sound completely calm.

I looked at Chan and saw his eyes narrow slightly, but he nodded, not seeming to think too much about it. I turned to the stairs, breathing out the breath I was holding.

"That was close," I muttered as I walked up the stairs to my room. Just before I reached my door, Lee Know took my hand.

"What are you going to do now?" he asked softly, taking a step closer to me.

"I'm going to finish packing. And try to get rid of my red cheeks before dinner. I don't want us to look even more suspicious than we already do."

He gave me a smirk, making my blush deepen.

"Oh, come on. You're making it worse," I said, smacking his arm. His smirk only grew.

"Glad to see I still have that effect on you," he said in a sultry voice, leaning down towards me. I backed away from him and ended up walking into my doorframe. His smirk immediately fell, changing into a look of concern.

"You okay?" he asked, coming up to me.

"Yes, I'm fine. Now go finish your own packing before you make this even more suspicious," I whisper-shouted. Just as I said that, Felix came up the stairs.

"Make what even more suspicious?" he asked, eyebrow raised and a smirk playing on his lips.

"Oh, it's nothing," I said, my voice unsure. But before Felix could say anything else, I was already in my room, closing the door behind me.

...

That night after dinner, I stood with my back against my doorframe, eyes closed as I took some deep breaths. Felix and Chan both looked extremely suspicious during dinner. I had no idea of knowing how much they had managed to figure out or what of their assumptions were true. It made me nervous, so nervous I could barely eat anything. I opened my eyes as I heard footsteps approach me, seeing Lee Know coming up to me. An involuntary smile spread on my lips as he came to stand quite close to me.

"You have to be careful when you come to stand so close to me. The others might see you."

"They're all busy getting ready to stargaze downstairs. I was just heading down myself if you wanted to join us," he said, looking hopeful when I nodded.

"I'll be right down. Just give me a second."

He nodded, turning to leave. I took a few more breaths before going downstairs as well, seeing all the boys sitting out on the deck. I went outside, going to sit in the empty space next to Lee Know. The spot next to me was ironically filled by Felix, who gave me a suspicious look when I sat down next to him. I just smiled nervously and looked up at the sky like the boys.

As soon as my eyes were focused on the stars above, Lee Know gently intertwined his pinkie finger with mine. Nothing big. Just a finger. Just so we could still touch without being awkward or too obvious. I squeezed his finger in mine, smiling to myself. The sky above us was littered with glittering stars. It was truly breath-taking. And I hoped that the boys and I would have many more tranquil moments just like it to come.

Lee Know squeezed my finger in his, and I looked over at him. He wasn't looking at me, his side profile beautifully illuminated by the endless shimmering stars above us. My eyes slowly traced his features, landing on his lips. I sucked in a breath. My hand involuntarily reached up towards my face, my fingertips grazing ever so gently over my lips. They still tingled from the kiss that afternoon.

I came crashing out of my thoughts when Lee Know turned his head to me, making eye contact. His eyes were like galaxies, their own stars shining in them. His gaze made me shiver. I bit my lip. But he just interlaced our fingers, looking at our connected hands with a smile on his face. And I thought to myself, how did I end up with such an amazing person in my life? And how did he manage to make me trust him so much that I gave him my first kiss?

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A/N

heyy guys :) this chapter is seriously one of my favourites so far so i really hope you guys like it ;)

you guys are welcome to let me know your thoughts in the comments or to dm me on my insta that you can find in my bio. can't wait to hear from all of you! see you guys in the next one <3