Part 3 - END (1/2)
When Changmin arrives at Victoria’s door that evening, he’s so nervous he can feel his fingers trembling. This was a now or never thing—he’s only giving himself one chance to succeed. He raises his fist and knocks softly on her door.
There’s no reply.
It’s dark inside, and Changmin is pretty sure Victoria has fallen asleep again in her bed. He tries knocking once more, but there is still no reply.
Taking a deep breath, he opens the door and walks inside. It’s pitch black in the room, the curtains he opened that morning had been pulled shut again. Somehow, it shakes a nerve in him. He walks over to her bedside and kneels beside it.
“Victoria?” He whispers.
The girl stirs a little but doesn’t wake.
Changmin smiles, gently tugging at her shoulder. “Victoria, wake up. We have to go.”
To his surprise, Victoria turns towards him and grabs his hand. She pulls his hand to her face and tucks it beneath her cheek, smiling innocently with her eyes closed. “Changmin-ah, five more minutes?”
He sighs. Reaching with his free hand, he brushes her hair out of her eyes and leans in feather a kiss to her cheek. “No, Victoria. You have to wake up now, my mom is waiting for us.”
Victoria peeks one eye open, lips upturned. “Your mom? Why?”
“I’m introducing the two of you formally. We’ve been dating for several months now so I think it’s about time the two of you met.”
“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?!” She complains, sitting up abruptly and angrily punching at Changmin’s arm. “If you told me we were going to meet with your mom, I would have made sure I got up and ready on time!”
“Kyuhyun didn’t tell you?” Changmin asked. “I remember telling him to.”
Victoria clenches her jaw.
“Looks like he forgot.” Changmin laughs. Victoria looks like she’s about to cry.
Dinner actually runs by pretty smooth.
Changmin is constantly filling Victoria’s plate with food, switching out the milk if it doesn’t look warm enough, and watches out for any spots or stains, even though she doesn’t make any.
From the corner of her eyes, she can feel Changmin’s mother watching them closely.
“Is our Changmin treating you well, Victoria?”
Victoria smiles widely, nodding with her hands clasped together tightly in her lap. She doesn’t know why she feels so nervous, as though she’s doing something wrong and will be caught in front of headlights at any second.
Sensing her insecurity, Changmin reaches over and takes one of her hands into his.
“Mom, I wanted to let you meet Victoria tonight because I have something to announce.” Changmin says.
Victoria turns to search into his face. She can’t really read the expression he’s wearing, but she thinks she knows where this is heading.
“What is it, Changmin?”
Changmin feels Victoria’s hand squeezing his, but he ignores it. “I’m going to ask for permission from Victoria’s mom tomorrow; permission to marry her.”
Victoria feels her heart stop, her entire body stiffening.
“I—“His mother begins, but doesn’t quite know how to respond. It was a good thing; her Changmin was growing up, trying to build his own family, but she felt a bit odd about it all. “Don’t you think it’s too early?”
“No,” Changmin replies honestly. “I’ve waited a long time for this.”
Both women are shocked. Hadn’t they only started dating a few months ago? They’ve met before that, yes, Victoria thinks, but it couldn’t have been much longer.
His mother thins her lips into a line but gradually it forms into a small smile. “Well, congratulations then Changmin. You’ve got yourself a beautiful bride and—”
“There’s one more thing,” Changmin intercepts her. “Victoria is pregnant.”
“What?” His mom says before she even realizes.
Victoria feels a headache building up but Changmin doesn’t let go of her.
“Don’t misunderstand,” Changmin immediately begins to explain. “We aren’t getting married because I got her pregnant.” Which was, honestly, the whole truth. “It just… somehow happened this way. I’m marrying her because I want to, mom.”
“Have you told her mother yet?” His mom asks.
Changmin grimaces. “We were going to do that tomorrow.”
“How far along are you, Victoria?” She asks.
Victoria breathily replies, “fourteen weeks.”
Noticing her discomfort, Changmin’s mom immediately sends him a glare and scolds him. “Why would you wait until fourteen weeks to do this? You should have done this sooner! Take Victoria upstairs to your room and let her rest; she looks horribly exerted. I’ll deal with you again later.”
Changmin grins and nods, standing and lifting Victoria into his arms, hooking his hands under her knees. She grabs onto his collar with one hand and throws the other over his shoulders. “I can walk,” she protests.
The boy ignores her, as per usual.
When he lowers her into his bed, she takes a good look around his room. It’s simple, neat, filled with brown and cream colors. She had imagined his room to be a lot brighter than it is.
Changmin closes the door and joins her on the bed, pulling his covers up to her chin. “That wasn’t so bad, right?”
“I almost died.” Victoria jokes.
He laughs, sliding one arm behind her so that she can rest her head against his chest. “I think we’ll do better tomorrow, now that we’ve had this experience. “
It’s quiet—peaceful and tranquil. This is a place that makes Victoria feel safe; it smells like Changmin, feels like Changmin. Even the comforters are softer here. “Why are you doing all this for me?” She asks sleepily.
Changmin considers the question. “Because I want to keep you by my side.”
Those are the last words Victoria hears before she falls asleep in his arms. His voice echoes in her ears, like a warm ballad. She hasn’t slept so peacefully in weeks—it’s been months since she’s last felt so at home.
Victoria wakes up to Changmin’s arms wrapped around her, his chest against her back. She can feel the slight tingle of his warm, even breaths against her neck and his forehead in her hair.
Trying not to wake him up, she slowly tries to unwrap herself with no success. Eventually she gives in and just lies still, holding Changmin’s large hand in her own. When she looks up at the clock on the small drawer beside his bed to see the time, she sees a new set of clothing.
Changmin’s mom must have prepared them for her.
“Hey,” she says, tapping on his arm.
The boy grumbles and hugs her tighter. “Too early.”
“Wake up,” Victoria chuckles, “I think your mom is waiting for us.”
Sighing, Changmin finally lets her go and plants a small kiss on the skin revealed at her shoulder. “You first.”
Maybe it’s because he’s made their relationship official in the eyes of their parents, but Victoria has realized he’s been a lot bolder with his actions. She doesn’t dislike it; as a matter of fact, it amuses her and makes something in her chest flutter.
She blushes again, humming in reply and getting out of bed.
As Changmin is getting ready, she get thirsty and decides to head downstairs by herself. Changmin’s mother is in the kitchen, decorating a dish she must have just finished cooking.