Rogue Ranger

Chapter 18 Baby it's Cold Outside

"Ah, this is so good." Laura said later as she spooned her soup.

"Takes the chill away, doesn't it? In Korea we eat cold noodle soup and red bean porridge in the winter. I'll make them for you sometime." Ji Hoon said.

"Cold noodles? Doesn't that kind of defeat the idea of keeping warm?"

"It's a way of fighting the cold with the cold. And with mustard in it, it really does heat you up."

"Cool. I can't wait to try it." Laura said. Ji Hoon laughed.

"That was a pun wasn't it?" He asked. Laura gave a sly smile.

"Maybe." She said. She was silent for a minute while they ate.

"If you were a spy, you must have had some kind of codename, right?" she asked.

"Yes." Ji Hoon said. Laura looked expectantly at him.

"You're not gonna rest till you get it out of me, are you?" he asked.

"Nope." Laura said with a smirk. Ji Hoon put his spoon down and leaned back.

"I was called the Rogue Ranger." He said dramatically. Laura looked impressed.

"Dangerous and strong. I like it." she said.

"That's a very bad combination, you know. But yes, that was my name. I was a threat to the people I came up against and I worked alone most of the time. Until my last mission..." he trailed off. Laura threaded her fingers through his. He blindly stroked the back of her hand with his thumb.

"They called me double R for short if you can believe that. I don't mean to brag but I was their top agent. They started sending me into the most dangerous missions. They knew I could take it. I've even come up against wealthy crime bosses and the worst of underground criminals."

"I know those are fearful, but hearing you talk about it makes me want to know more about you – how you fought off all those men, outwitted them..." Laura said longingly.

"There are some stories I would never share with you Laura." Ji Hoon said with darkened eyes. Laura felt a little shiver go through her, wondering how bad they were.

"Can you really not tell me all about your life?" she asked timidly. He leaned his neck back.

"It's all in the past. I don't want to revisit those memories. There's nothing to be gained from them. There are even things I've done that I'm not proud of and I've let them go. I only care about the future now."

"What about the present?" Laura asked, tracing tantalizing circles on his shoulder. He grabbed her hand.

"The present has all my energy focused on trying to do my job right without showing you exactly what I'd like to do with you." he said with smoldering eyes on her. Laura blushed shyly.

"Wow, your honesty's giving me butterflies." She said. Ji Hoon stood up.

"Come on, mockingbird. That's enough spy stories for one night. Let's get some sleep." He said.

The wind howled in a blizzard through the night, making it impossible for any hope of navigation through the roads. The radiator emanated warmth throughout the cabin but a light chill still lingered and Laura shivered even under the blankets. Ji Hoon tried to warm her up by piling all the clothes on her but it didn't work.

"H-how are y-you n-not f-f-freezing?" she asked him, shaking with cold.

"I'm used to the cold. But I guess I retain heat more than most people." He said. Laura covered her nose trying to warm it up. Ji Hoon sighed.