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It's a slow, quiet night in Seoul. They were in the middle of a bitter winter, but the heater in Haseul's apartment offered a warm respite from the cold outside. That, and the warmth of Jungeun's body curled into her side. If the soft snoring in her ear meant anything, it was that she had fallen fast asleep during the movie.
She knew Jungeun always tried hard to stay awake during them for her but would never make it and checked out at least an hour in. Haseul didn't blame her though, since she was guilty for lulling her to sleep by running her fingers through her hair when she was fighting to stay awake. It was soothing, listening to the gentle inhales and exhales as she remained asleep. Something about it warmed her heart and caused a stir there in the pit of her stomach. She likes to think it's love.
She loves Jungeun. She knows this as fact.
She knows it when she sees her heavy lidded eyes, struggling to stay up to watch the film just for her. She knows it when she curls in closer to Haseul's side under the blanket, getting clingier as her sleepiness grows. She knows it when, even if Jungeun is wide awake, she pays more attention to Haseul than the movie, playing with her hair and pressing soft kisses to her cheek. She knows it when her hands stay linked with hers as she takes her last conscious breath and drifts off to sleep.
She adores her and she feels adored in return.
Nights like these are a small blessing to Haseul. They're comfortable, domestic and sweet. She wouldn't trade them for the world.
Her fingers continue running through Jungeun's soft hair. A smile crosses her lips when she watches her face scrunch up just slightly, a small crease forming between her brows before disappearing as quickly as it came. There's a soft blue glow from the television that casts shadows along the outline of her face, shaping her cheekbones perfectly in their light. Her head lays comfortably against her shoulder and Haseul refrains from moving for fear of waking her. She doesn't hold back from pressing a soft kiss to her temple though.
"Haseul," Jungeun mumbles sleepily and Haseul stills.
"Jungie?" she whispers. Jungeun doesn't respond and for a second she thinks she's drifted back off to sleep until she lifts her head. She rubs her eyes groggily and squints at the silent TV screen in front of them playing a sappy romance movie. Haseul had muted it the second she fell asleep.
"Did I fall asleep again?" she frowns. Haseul smiles and nods before pulling Jungeun back into her side on the couch, which Jungeun snuggles into as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "M'sorry," she yawns. Haseul drags a finger across the slope of her cheek and laughs.
"It's okay, I know you're tired," she smiles and presses a kiss to her head. Jungeun hums and looks up at her with sleep addled eyes. Haseul can't help the tug in her heart when she gazes into them.
"I promised I was gonna stay up for this one," she pouts. Haseul rolls her eyes with a light laugh.
"Trust me when I say I didn't expect you to actually follow through on that."
Jungeun laughs, a sweet sound that Haseul counts as another blessing. It's usually loud and free and Haseul always teases her for it, but when she's tired and lax there's a softer sound that leaves her lips. Haseul can't choose which laugh she prefers since everything that comes out of Jungeun's mouth is music to her ears.
"Did you want to go to bed?" Haseul asks, noticing Jungeun's eyelids beginning to fall again. Jungeun shakes her head despite that.
"It's early," she protests.
"It's 9, you always go to sleep at this time," Haseul pokes her cheek. Jungeun makes a noise and rests her chin on Haseul's shoulder, looking up at her with warm brown eyes. Her brows are knitted together, pushing upwards and Haseul thinks she looks like a puppy.
"Do you want to?"
Haseul isn’t really tired, but she didn't want to finish the movie without her and would rather spend the rest of the night with her head against Jungeun's chest and her arms wrapped firmly around her waist.
"C'mon let's go to bed," she nudges her. Jungeun presses a kiss to her cheek and smiles.
"I'll make it up to you, okay?"
Haseul raises a brow. "Make it up to me?" she smiles. Jungeun realizes the unintentional innuendo and, even in the darkness of their living room, Haseul could make out the blush in her cheeks.
"I mean breakfast in bed," she clarifies hastily. "I always wake up earlier."
Haseul squeezes her hand and tugs her upwards to stand. "I know what you mean, dummy." She reaches for the remote and turns the TV off as Jungeun trudges towards the bedroom. Haseul holds back her laugh at her girlfriends zombified state and folds the blanket on the couch, making a mental note to herself to wash it with Jungeun's favorite detergent in the morning.
She follows after Jungeun who, to no surprise, has already borrowed Haseul's clothes for pajamas and slipped into bed. "You look comfortable," Haseul smiles as she digs around her drawer for a change of clothes.
"I'd be more comfortable if you were in here," Jungeun murmurs impatiently from beneath the covers. Haseul rolls her eyes and changes quickly, knowing Jungeun would only grow antsier the longer she waited.
When she's finally dressed she slips under the covers and is immediately welcomed by Jungeun's open arms. Haseul contently tucks her head under Jungeun's chin and her ear is pressed firmly against her chest, the sound of her heartbeat calming her.
This time, Jungeun is the one to run fingers through her hair. "It was easier to do this when your hair was long," Jungeun hums. Haseul smiles and presses a kiss to the base of her neck.
"But that doesn't stop you does it?"
She doesn't need to look up to know that Jungeun is smiling.
She feels overwhelmed in that moment by a warm, heavy, giddy feeling. It's the same emotion Haseul had felt when she first confessed to Jungeun, when they first held hands, when they first kissed, when they first — you get the idea.
In that moment Haseul couldn't hold back her tongue. "Jungeun," she whispers. Jungeun hums sleepily in response, her hands still slowly coursing through her hair.
Haseul smiles. "I love you," she says.
Jungeun's hands still for a moment before she glances down at Haseul with a confused expression that quickly turns into a fond smile. "I love you too," she says softly and her eyes stay locked with hers.
Haseul leans upwards and presses their lips together. Their kiss is soft, sweet and languid. They both pull away with a small smile and lean their foreheads together. "Goodnight," Haseul kisses her nose.
"Goodnight," Jungeun kisses her forehead.
When Haseul wakes up in the morning, it's to the smell of breakfast and the sound of Jungeun's sweet voice.