Work Text:
it's been over a year since chenle and jisung officially started dating, the two having long since met each other's families and friends, becoming more than well acquainted with the various aspects of each other's lives.
domesticity has become a given in their relationship by this point - their shared friends joke about how it's so absurd that they're so young yet act like they've been together for decades. chenle used to pout and deny it, refusing to accept anything besides the idea that she and jisung were anything besides young lovers - two kindred souls with a romance and passion that burned just as bright as they were youthful. now, though, chenle takes the comments in stride.
she thinks about it during some of her and jisung's calmer days; humid mornings spent far away from each other in the same room, only exchanging quick pecks and kisses to avoid getting any hotter than they already were, cold nights spent huddled together for warmth, swaddled under blankets and comforters and all sorts of different quilts, and the various nights spent lying next to each other in bed, murmuring sweetly and giggling softly.
that's how they're positioned right now - jisung is lying beside chenle as she runs her fingers through the younger girl's hair, talking about how today's studio practice went.
chenle pays attention dutifully, like the great girlfriend she is, listening carefully to all of the things jisung says. there are more than a few tangents about some cool dogs the younger saw during practice, and chenle has to fight the too-large smile off her face to avoid interrupting jisung's story.
"thanks for listening," jisung finishes after several more minutes and a soft little huff, "how was your day?"
"same as usual." chenle answers easily. jisung's turned her head to face her, and she gets a little lost in the soft depths of the younger's eyes. "renjun spent nearly half an hour crying about jeno's smile, so that was cool."
jisung laughs, face scrunching up and looking so incredibly cute chenle's heart does a little involuntary squeeze. "oh, mood. i got over 300 messages from jaemin about him too. they really are smitten, aren't they?"
"they are," chenle agrees instantly, causing jisung to laugh again. her heart doesn't thrum as incessantly as it would back before they first started dating - nowadays it would beat steadily, only occasionally a bit out of rhythm, but much more gently. it's almost like her heart has finally settled down, content with the warm embraces and delicate glances jisung gives her, no longer desperate for something between the two of them to change.
jisung lies with her eyes closed, hair messily sprawled out around chenle's lap. her fingers are tapping along to a song that chenle recognizes as some trending song on the radio, nail polish chipped and faded more than not. her eyeliner is smudged since chenle had helped her put it on earlier, and her lips are chapped and dry.
chenle reaches for the lip balm she keeps on the nearby dresser and applies it to her girlfriend's lips silently. jisung makes a little murmur of thanks, and chenle smiles.
as she looks down at jisung, so completely comfortable and at peace in chenle's lap, she can't help but feel more than a little content herself.
she thinks about their past, about finding each other again and becoming friends, about long nights spent agonizing about if she should text her back so soon or play hard to get. she thinks about the memories they've made, running around the park with their friends, giggling behind their hands during supposed study sessions in the library. she thinks about twilights spent confronting some of her worst fears with jisung, talking about family, school, life, and what the hell she's supposed to do with hers. she thinks about how she opened her heart up completely to jisung long, long ago, and how it's only a matter of time before she says so. she thinks this is what it means to fall in love.
she smiles, absentmindedly braiding parts of jisung's hair as she speaks, "hey, jisung?"
the younger hums in response. she peeks an eye open when a pause follows, and she sits up quietly to face chenle, taking her hands in her own. "what is it?"
chenle looks at jisung, at the face of the person she has promised everything to, the person she would give anything for. she looks at the face of the person she has yearned for all her life and has been blessed to find so early. she looks at the face of the person she loves more than anyone else.
"i love you."
chenle doesn't need to worry about jisung freaking out - they've been dating for over a year, for christ's sake - but she can't help but laugh a little nervously when jisung's eyes go wide and the younger practically freezes on the spot.
jisung's mouth opens and closes again and again, before finally settling closed. "um, what?"
chenle sighs, and holds jisung's hands a bit more firmly when the younger seems like she's about to pull away. "i love you, jisung. i think i have for a while, but i've only realized it now."
jisung turns an adorable shade of a bright, burning red, and chenle giggles a little, turning a little pink herself. "i- i-"
"you don't have to say it back! i just wanted you to know." chenle reassures her, gently rubbing a thumb back and forth across jisung's knuckles as she speaks. "there's no pressure, sungie."
jisung pouts in what chenle has long since categorized as her third favorite style of jisung pouting. "i know, i know. but i do too." she looks down at their intertwined hands, the blush reaching her ears and neck. "it's hard to say."
chenle laughs, removing a hand to ruffle the younger's hair. "take your time, okay? i'll wait for you."
jisung nods, still refusing to meet her eyes, and they're both quiet for a few moments, holding each other's hands and just basking in the moment.
jisung looks up at chenle from under her lashes, "can i kiss you?"
chenle laughs, far too cheerful and loud for the stars and the night sky surrounding her house. "of course, sungie. c'mere."
she pulls her girlfriend close, smiling through the kiss and feeling like the luckiest girl in the world. what a wonderful feeling, she thinks, to be loved and in love.
she thinks back to their past together, and thinks of their future, of what kind of possibilities there are for the two of them.
few things will be easy, she knows this for a fact, but right now, pressed close against her girlfriend, she feels like she can take on the world.
chenle supposes this is what it means to be in love.