Unspoken beauty of Patches and Jinling

The sun was setting, and the colors in the sky were magnificent. Patches stared out of the window, her fingers tapping on the sill as she watched the sun sink below the horizon. She turned to look at Jinling, who was sitting on the bed with a blank face. "They say this is the most romantic city in all of Asia."

Jinling looked up from his phone and squinted at her. "I don't think so." He shook his head. "The weather was pretty nice though."

Patches sighed and flopped onto her stomach on the bed, her hands tucked under her chin as she whispered, "I know, right?" She could feel Jinling's eyes on her, but he didn't say anything. Usually he would make some joke about how bad a date she was or try to convince her to go back to their room and check their stocks app or something. But they didn't have any stocks anymore. They had sold everything before they left Seoul last week. All they had now was a few hundred dollars between them and what little they could fit into their bags. And that wouldn't last long if they continued spending money like they did today. The lunch they had just eaten cost a hundred dollars - one hundred dollars! For two people who used to spend $0.99 on a cup of coffee every morning! Patches squeezed her eyes shut and tried not to think about it for too long. It made her anxious, and she didn't want Jinling to see that side of her tonight. He'd think she was weird.

"It's really beautiful here," Jinling said suddenly, his voice low and quiet as he moved closer to Patches's backside, wrapping his arms around her waist as he pressed himself against her backside. She shivered involuntarily at his touch, surprised by how forward he was acting tonight. Was this how couples were supposed to be around each other? Just touching each other without saying anything? She wasn't sure how she felt about it - it felt good but also kind of weird because she couldn't read him much today - but she decided not to question him about it either way; what he did seemed natural enough to be accepted by society, so there shouldn't be a problem with it either way, right? Right? Patches didn't know anymore; all she knew was that she wanted him closer. His warm breath tickled the back of her neck as he continued speaking softly into her ear: "This place is even more beautiful than I imagined it would be." His lips brushed against her skin as he spoke, and Patches involuntarily shuddered when his tongue flicked out to taste her neck. The next words out of his mouth sent shivers down Patches's spine: "You're even more beautiful than I imagined you would be."

Patches' breathing hitched in response to his words, and she whirled around to face him while simultaneously pushing him away from her slightly so that she could get a better look at his face. Did he... Did he mean what she thought he meant? Did he love her? Did they say that aloud already? The expression on Jinling's face confused her even more; there was nothing there except pure seriousness and something almost like sadness or guilt across what seemed like every single one of his features - but why? Why would he feel guilty about something like that? Did someone else say those things first? No, no... She was sure no one else ever said those things first... She felt tears welling up in the corners of her eyes with excitement and fear as she repeated herself for Jinling: "Do you mean that?" She blinked rapidly in an attempt to keep tears from escaping down her cheeks as she stared pleadingly into Jinling's eyes. Her heart skipped a beat when Jinling nodded solemnly at first before leaning forward again to brush his lips against hers gently in response. Patches kissed him back eagerly while trying not to let out any sounds or movements that would give away how incredibly happy this moment made her feel inside; if this moment ended now, then everything would end with it - but if it kept going on longer than just this moment then maybe things could work out between them after all!

"I do," Jinling answered seriously when they pulled apart for air briefly before continuing where they had left off before another kiss cut off any sort of response Patches may have had prepared for him in response to those words - but words weren't necessary anyway; the kiss that followed said everything they needed to say after all: It told Jinling that Patches loved him too, and it told him that whatever happened next between them didn't matter as long as they stayed together for as long as possible...