Work Text:
Waiting for You
They were sitting in the sofa in Seo-Jun’s apartment as they often did on Friday nights after work. Ju-Kyung was finishing a bowl of ramen while Seo-Jun picked the movie from the TV menu.
“Horror…” Seo-Jun thought out loud as he selected it.
“You really haven’t seen it yet?” Ju-Kyung asked, setting down her empty ramen bowl.
“Nope,” he shook his head with a sigh.
They’d been watching all of Ju-Kyung’s favorite horror movies for the past three months. Every Friday night.
Seo-Jun didn’t actually mind, but he pretended to hate it. That way every week she brought the snacks and he didn’t have to worry about cooking.
He settled into the sofa beside her and hit play on the remote.
“I’m so glad we’re doing this tonight, I’ve had such a stressful week,” she moaned as she pulled the throw blanket over herself. His apartment was small, tiny really, and cozy. But Ju-Kyung liked it. It wasn’t fancy but it was clean and comfy.
They’d talked about doing these movie nights since the last few weeks of high school when things got really stressful and Ju-Kyung had told him that horror movies were the optimal way to unwind. But they hadn’t actually done it until four months after school ended and they were each in real jobs.
One Friday Seo-Jun had texted and asked if she wanted to come over. She’d replied, “only if you watch a horror movie with me,” because that’s what she’d been about to do anyway. He’s surprised her by saying he would.
She’d picked up teokbokki on the way and the rest was history.
They’d started out by sitting carefully opposite each other on the sofa. There was something about being alone in that tiny apartment that made them both feel awkward.
Ju-Kyung was still getting over her break-up. She didn’t want to give the impression that it was a date.
The last thing she wanted to do was date anybody actually.
After what had happened, the way her boyfriend had ended things when she’d thought everything was fine. Great even.
She didn’t think she could ever trust somebody again.
Wouldn’t she always be afraid they would just drop her when something came up? It had happened before.
She was fine being single. Seo-Jun seemed to understand that. He never pushed her.
But by the second or third Friday night, they were comfortably side by side.
That was months ago.
Now, Ju-Kyung was practically snuggled against Seo-Jun on the sofa as the movie started. She hoped he didn’t mind. It was getting cold these days and he was so warm and cozy.
She looked over at him.
He smiled that crooked smile. His face inches from hers.
Yeah, he didn’t mind.
“The plot takes off right away, huh?” He asked, setting the remote on the table next to him.
“Yeah, that’s why I like it.” Ju-Kyung whispered.
The movie was intense, honestly, there were parts that still made her jump.
Actually, that was one thing about snuggling close to him. She couldn’t completely hide the times when she jumped or recoiled in horror. He could feel her body move against his. So she couldn’t play it as cool as she normally did.
“Ugh, I forgot about this part,” she groaned.
“I thought you said you love this movie?” Seo-Jun asked reaching for the remote.
“No, don’t turn it off, I’ll be fine!” She jumped to stop his hand from touching the remote.
“Okay,” he said. His body was completely frozen.
Ju-Kyung realized then, that she had started to climb over the top of him and was straddling him on the sofa now.
She was sitting on his lap and Seo-Jun was as still as a statue.
Ju-Kyung turned away from the remote on the table, to look at Seo-Jun’s face.
He didn’t turn away from her, or avoid her gaze.
He was like that. Wasn’t he?
He never pushed but he never moved away from her either.
She swallowed hard.
She noticed his lips.
It reminded her of a lipstick she’d seen that afternoon. Suddenly nervous. She needed to start babbling.
“I saw this new shade of lipstick today…” her voice trailed off. She couldn’t take her eyes off his lips.
She’d noticed them so many times before.
But the time was never right. It was always off somehow.
But there, in that tiny apartment lit only by a horror movie now playing unnoticed behind her. She wasn’t sure she could hold herself back anymore.
“I—“ Ju-Kyung didn’t finish the sentence. She didn’t know how.
“It’s okay,” Seo-Jun said quietly. Still not moving.
She knew he meant that. And she also knew he wasn’t going to push her if she wasn’t ready.
He would wait, like he always did, for her to come to him.
Her heart was pounding in her chest.
His lips looked soft. She knew they were soft, she’d felt them before.
But this time she wanted—what did she want?
She reached one finger and gently traced it along his lower lip. Her hand was trembling. Could he feel that?
Seo-Jun drew in a breath and blinked slowly. But he didn’t move. He didn’t pull away from her but he didn’t reach for her either.
She wanted to kiss him.
She had for a long time. She just knew that if she did that…maybe there was no going back?
Would she lose her best friend? Her soulmate?
The one who had been there for her through her darkest times.
But why did have to look at her the way he was looking at her now? Like he was almost in pain.
Did he really feel the way she did? Was he as scared of those feelings as she was?
His lips parted. Just—just a little bit. Not like he was going to say something. Just, a feeling.
And then there was no going back.
She leaned forward, eliminating those few inches that had been left between them.
She kissed Seo-Jun.
It wasn’t a long kiss. She just pressed her lips softly against his. She just wanted to know what it felt like.
Wonderful. It felt wonderful.
She drew in a quick breath and pulled away.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have.” She was scrambling off his lap and back to the seat beside him. “I—I know we’re just friends and you said you liked somebody.”
But he wasn’t letting her get away.
“It’s you,” he reached for her, circled one arm around her back and placed his other hand on her cheek, fingertips ghosting into her hair. “I love you.”
Ju-Kyung eye’s filled with tears, “That’s the problem, I don’t know if I can love somebody—trust somebody—again.”
Seo-Jun wiped a tear away with his thumb, the side of his mouth ticking up, “You just kissed me.”
“I know, I probably shouldn’t have done that. I’ve been wanting to do that, for—some time now. But I probably shouldn’t have—“
“You can kiss me anytime you want,” His face was working hard not to break into a full smile as he said it.
“What if I’m always worried that you’re going to disappear?”
It came out in a whisper. She couldn’t meet his gaze anymore.
“I’m not going anywhere,” he pulled her close to him.
She didn’t resist. She wanted to be in his arms. She wanted to be held by him.
“What if you change your mind?” she whispered as another tear escaped and soaked into his cotton shirt.
“That’s never going to happen,” he said between kisses in her hair.
She wiped her cheeks with one hand and pulled back just enough to look at him.
He held her gaze. Waiting.
Just waiting for her to decide.
He was right. She knew he was right.
Seo-Jun really wasn’t going to leave her. He never had. Whenever she needed him, he’d been there. Even when it wasn’t his job to be there.
She smiled and nodded.
His eyebrow lifted, trying to interpret that nod.“You said anytime?” Ju-Kyung asked.
“Wh-what?” he asked before noticing she was looking at his lips once again.
Ju-Kyung was glad for the darkness because she was blushing deep red.
Seo-Jun laughed. “Come here,” he said, before pulling her close and kissing her.
Really kissing her. The way he’d dreamed of kissing her for quite some time.
