Work Text:
Yoohyeon is having what is quite possibly the worst week of her life.
On Sunday, it storms. Lightning flashes outside the windows, and thunder shakes the entire apartment building. The roof starts to leak, and Yoohyeon uses almost every single pot and pan she owns in order to catch the drops of water falling from the ceiling.
On Monday, the rain persists, and as Yoohyeon is getting ready for work, rushing because her alarm didn’t go off when it was supposed to, she trips over a pot full of rainwater and gets drenched on her way toward the door.
By the time she actually makes it out of the apartment, it’s fifteen minutes past the time she usually leaves, and she ends up being late. Her boss berates her in front of everyone in the bullpen, and she has to fight back tears when she’s finally allowed to sit down at her desk.
On Tuesday, the sun shines briefly before another storm rolls in. The pots and pans scattered about the apartment have been replaced by ten-gallon plastic buckets from the local hardware store. When she talks to her landlord about the roof, he dismisses her with a wave of his hand and tells her he’ll “get around to it.”
It’s forecasted to rain the entire rest of the week, and the incessant tapping of raindrops against the plastic buckets is starting to drive Yoohyeon up the walls. She can’t even find her noise-canceling headphones anywhere. She’s searched the apartment top to bottom twice, and she still hasn’t been able to locate them.
On Wednesday, her girlfriend texts her. Her flight’s been pushed back to Friday due to the weather. Yoohyeon wants to cry. She’s late again to work; the bus was late, which made her late, and her shoes, pants, and shirt are soaked from a car driving through a puddle next to the curb where she’d waited for the bus.
She gets yelled at again by her boss in front of everyone, and she tries her hardest not to burst into tears when one of her coworkers, Wendy, from the desk next to hers, offers her a change of clothes and a hot cup of tea.
Thursday is the same. Incessant tapping as rain drips through the ceiling and into plastic buckets that Yoohyeon has emptied countless times by now. Late buses, wet shoes, and clothes. Wendy offers her warm drinks, outfit changes, and soft, sympathetic smiles after their boss tears Yoohyeon’s head off for being 15 minutes late due to something she has no control over.
Her girlfriend calls. Her flight has been pushed to next week because of the weather. Yoohyeon cries into the phone at the news, stressed beyond belief and just wanting to have her girlfriend back with her.
Friday rolls around. Yoohyeon is sick. She has a cold. Her throat aches from a cough that won’t go away, and her nose is stuffy. The light hurts her eyes, and the tapping of raindrops is driving her insane. She calls out of work, setting the phone down on the pillow beside her when her boss starts yelling, a headache pounding at her temples.
She falls asleep at one point, waking up in the dark as thunder shakes the building. Her head feels like it’s splitting in two, and she presses her palms to each side of her head, trying to keep it in one piece. Tears form in her eyes, and she shuts them, crying herself back to a restless sleep.
Saturday morning arrives without any fanfare. Someone’s in her apartment. She can hear them moving around in the kitchenette, hears the oven beep, and the door snap shut with a loud metallic bang.
Yoohyeon groans, the headache still pulsing at her temples, and reaches around to grab a pillow and press it over her face. Not a great idea when she can’t breathe out of her nose, but it’s better than the cannon shot that’s just been set off inside her skull.
The bedroom door creaks, and soft footsteps pad into the room, the mattress dipping to one side as someone sits down next to her.
“Hyeon?”
Yoohyeon rips the pillow away from her face and winces at the light, but the pain is dull compared to the spark of joy she feels when she sees Handong hovering above her. She pushes herself up, wincing at the pounding in her skull as she moves too fast.
“Hey, whoa,” Handong says with a soft laugh, reaching out to gently push Yoohyeon’s shoulders back onto the mattress. “Take it easy, babe. You don’t look so good.”
Yoohyeon pouts but lies back down. “You haven’t seen me in weeks, and the first thing you mention is how bad I look?”
Handong blinks before laughing, shaking her head as she tucks a few strands of blonde hair behind Yoohyeon’s ears. “Not what I meant, silly girl. You’re obviously sick, Yoohyeon. Take it easy, ok? Relax.”
Yoohyeon sighs and shuts her eyes, reaching her hands out blindly for Handong. “I thought your flight got pushed back,” She whispers, finding Handong’s hands and lacing their fingers together.
Handong hums softly, the sound a soft rumble in Yoohyeon’s ears. “It did, but I found another. Good thing I did, yeah? Have you eaten anything?” She asks, squeezing Yoohyeon’s hands gently.
Yoohyeon shakes her head and then grunts as her headache threatens to split her skull. Big mistake.
“Alright,” Handong says softly, her voice low and gentle. “Just rest, ok? I threw a pizza in the oven, but I’m going to make you some soup, alright? Probably be easier to get down.”
“Don’t leave,” Yoohyeon whimpers, tugging at Handong’s hands.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Handong whispers. “At least not until the pizza is done,” She says with a chuckle. “Let me change, ok? Then I’ll lay with you.”
Yoohyeon feels the mattress shift as Handong stands, and she peeks open her eyes, pouting up at her girlfriend. “Be quick?” She whispers.
“Of course,” Handong murmurs, leaning down to press her lips against Yoohyeon’s forehead. “I’m not leaving the room, babe. I’m right here.”
Yoohyeon hums and shuts her eyes again, wishing she wasn’t sick. She hates being sick. She feels so useless. She can’t breathe out of her nose, and her throat hurts whenever she coughs or talks. Her head pounds with a headache, and she can’t even look at her girlfriend without her eyes hurting from the light.
Tears form in the corners of her eyes, and she shifts on the bed, turning onto her side as she pushes her face into a pillow to hide the tears. She knows it’s inevitable that Handong will notice, nothing escapes the girl’s gaze, but for the time being, she hides her face and cries silently into the pillow.
The mattress dips behind her, and warmth presses against her back, an arm draping over her waist and pulling her closer. Lips press a gentle kiss to the back of her neck, and she shivers at the touch, letting out a breath as she’s pulled against a warm chest and trapped there with a strong arm around her waist.
“Talk to me if you want,” Handong whispers, her voice soft. “You don’t have to if it hurts. We can just stay like this,” She murmurs, kissing Yoohyeon’s neck again.
Yoohyeon can’t even sniffle, her nose is so stuffed. She lifts her hands to her face and wipes the tears away, not even bothering to be discreet about it. She knows Handong will notice soon enough, so why delay the inevitable?
“Sorry I was gone for so long,” Handong says gently, tucking her face into Yoohyeon’s shoulder and pressing a kiss there.
“Not your fault,” Yoohyeon responds in a whisper. She reaches down and wraps her fingers around Handong’s arm, squeezing gently. “It’s just… This week sucked,” She says bluntly, drawing a deep laugh from Handong that Yoohyeon feels against her back.
“Sorry. It’s not funny. The way you said it was, but I don’t think you having a hard time is funny. That’s-”
“I know,” Yoohyeon murmurs with a soft laugh. She likes that Handong makes sure that she knows exactly what she means. She loves it, really. It’s one of her favorite things about her girlfriend. That she makes sure to explain so there are no misunderstandings.
Yoohyeon shifts, turning to face Handong. “I wanna kiss you, but I don’t wanna get you sick,” She grumbles softly, drawing another laugh from Handong. “Plus, I’m gross right now.”
Handong hums softly. Not in agreement, but just to let Yoohyeon know she’s been heard. She lifts a hand to Yoohyeon’s face, brushing blonde hair back from her cheeks. “I think you’re beautiful,” She whispers.
“You’re horribly biased,” Yooheyon counters, shutting her eyes and relaxing into the warm touch on her face as Handong cups her cheek.
Handong hums again, the sound rumbling out of her chest like a cat’s purr. “Maybe,” She mumbles. “But, yeah. Maybe we should avoid both being sick at the same time. Who would take care of us?”
Yoohyeon shrugs and shifts as close as she can, wiggling further down the bed to tuck her head underneath Handong’s chin. “Minji, maybe.” Handong chuckles at that, and Yoohyeon feels the rumble against her cheek as she presses her ear to the girl’s chest.
“Do you wanna talk?” Handong asks softly, carding her fingers through Yoohyeon’s blonde hair, gently pulling apart tangles.
“This week just sucked,” Yoohyeon mumbles, wrapping one arm around Handong’s waist. She wiggles the other one underneath Handong’s hip and wraps it around the girl’s back, hugging her close.
“I’m sorry,” Handong whispers, not pushing to make Yoohyeon elaborate. She runs her fingers through Yoohyeon’s hair again, nails gently scratching the blonde’s scalp.
Yoohyeon relaxes into the mattress at the touch, starting to feel like she’s melting at Handong’s gentle ministrations. “The roof is leaking,” She mumbles, feeling very sleepy.
“I noticed,” Handong says with a soft chuckle. “Did you talk to your landlord?”
“He said he’d get to it,” Yoohyeon replies, her voice fading into a ghost of a whisper, barely audible. She sighs, feeling her eyelids grow heavy. “I was late to work because of the bus and got yelled at a bunch,” She adds before a yawn forces its way from her mouth.
Handong is quiet, but Yoohyeon can feel the girl tense, her arm tightening around Yoohyeon’s waist the slightest bit.
“I thought you weren’t going to be back for another week,” Yoohyeon whispers with a pout. She squeezes Handong’s waist tightly, pulling the girl impossibly closer. She wishes she could just stay here forever, wrapped in Handong’s warm embrace, where nothing can hurt her. She’s safe in Handong’s strong arms. She knows the girl won’t let anything harm her while she’s there.
“And I’m sick,” She grumbles, pulling one arm from Handong’s waist to cover a cough. Tears spring to her eyes as she coughs into her elbow. The cough makes her head pound, and her throat feels raw, and she wishes it would just go away. She wishes she wasn’t sick.
Handong stays quiet, carding her fingers carefully through Yoohyeon’s hair over and over. “What can I do?” She asks after a while, her voice a soft, gentle whisper. “What can I do to make it better, Hyeon?”
Yoohyeon hums softly, half-asleep, thanks to Handong’s hands in her hair. “It’s better,” She mumbles, tucking her face into her girlfriend’s neck. “You’re here now.”
Handong lets out a soft laugh. “It’s better just because I’m here?”
Yoohyeon hums again, exhaling slowly as she relaxes fully into Handong’s warm embrace. “Happy now that I’m home,” She whispers, her eyelids heavy with sleep. She yawns, the sound muffled in Handong’s neck.
“Don’t you mean you’re happy now that I’m home?” Handong asks softly, shifting to be able to press a kiss to Yoohyeon’s hair.
“Happy I’m home,” Yoohyeon repeats, snuggling as close as she can to Handong’s warmth.
“Happy you’re home?”
“Yes,” Yoohyeon says simply. “Sleep now,” She mumbles, tucking her head back underneath Handong’s chin as sleep pulls her away into nothingness.
When she wakes, it’s to fingers running through her hair and a head no longer threatening to burst at the seams. She shifts, blinking open her eyes and looking up.
Handong’s eyes are closed, and her eyebrows are furrowed, creating a small crease on her forehead.
Yoohyeon lifts a hand and uses her thumb to smooth out the crease, watching Handong’s eyes flutter open at the touch.
“Hey,” Handong whispers, her voice deepened with sleep. “Sleep ok?” She asks, leaning her head forward to kiss Yooheyon’s forehead.
Yoohyeon just hums, moving her hand to Handong’s cheek to brush her thumb over her girlfriend’s soft skin. “What’s wrong?” She whispers.
Handong blinks and lets out a soft laugh, shaking her head. “Nothing’s wrong. Just thinking about what you said before you fell asleep.”
“Before I fell asleep?” Yoohyeon echoes, trying to remember what she said. It’s all a bit hazy, foggy with sickness and a headache.
Handong hums, reaching up to curl her fingers around Yoohyeon’s wrist. She gently pulls the blonde’s hand away from her cheek and presses a kiss to the girl’s palm, letting out a breath. “You said you were happy you’re home,” She whispers.
“Happy I’m home,” Yoohyeon murmurs, remembering. “Yeah. Happy I’m home,” She repeats with a small nod. “Why are you thinking about that so hard?”
“Because,” Handong starts, her voice dropping into a barely audible whisper. She kisses Yoohyeon’s hand again before pressing it back against her cheek as she shuts her eyes. “Shouldn’t it be you’re happy I’m home?”
“Maybe,” Yoohyeon answers with a soft laugh. “You’re my home, so I’m home now that you’re here.”
Handong lets out a breath, turning to press her face into Yoohyeon’s hand. “You…” She trails off, letting out a laugh against Yoohyeon’s palm. She shifts slightly, reaching to cup Yoohyeon’s cheek with her free hand. “Yoohyeon, I-”
“It’s ok,” Yoohyeon whispers, giving Handong a soft smile. She knows it doesn’t reach her eyes, but it’s all she can muster at the moment. “Sorry if that makes you uncomfortable.”
Handong shakes her head furiously. “No, no, I- I’m ok. I’m just… Processing. It’s just… I’m always away for long periods of time, so I guess I never expected…” She trails off again, letting out a breath. “I’m your home?” She whispers, her voice hopeful and soft.
“Yeah,” Yoohyeon whispers with a soft breath of relief. “Is that ok?”
Handong chuckles, leaning forward to press a kiss to Yoohyeon’s forehead. “Are you kidding? It’s more than ok. I… I’m honored to be that for you.”
Yoohyeon swallows thickly and shifts to move her hands to curl around the collar of Handong’s shirt, tugging lightly at the fabric. “Well, you know what they say,” She murmurs, her heart in her throat. She’s nervous. Neither of them have said it out loud before, but now seems like the perfect time.
“What they say about what?” Handong asks with a soft laugh.
Yoohyeon shuts her eyes and lets out a breath. “Home is where the heart is,” She whispers, butterflies erupting in her stomach and chest as the words and the implications leave her mouth.
Handong is quiet for a few seconds before she exhales a trembling breath. “Well,” She starts, letting out a soft, shaking laugh. “I guess that means you’re my home as well, then.”
Yoohyeon’s eyes snap open, and she meets Handong’s, seeing the girl smiling warmly at her with soft eyes full of love. “You can’t say things like that when I’m sick,” She whines, tugging at Handong’s collar again. She pouts at the girl, getting a soft laugh in response.
“Why not?” Handong whispers, cupping Yoohyeon’s cheek with a warm hand.
“Because I can’t kiss you,” Yoohyeon grumbles. “And I really want to kiss you now.”
Handong hums softly and leans her head forward, shutting her eyes as she brushes her nose against Yoohyeon’s. “It’s just a cold, right?” She murmurs.
“Yeah,” Yoohyeon answers, shifting to lean her head back slightly. She really doesn’t want to get Handong sick. It might make the girl change her mind. “But-”
“Yoohyeon,” Handong cuts in softly, letting out a laugh. She reaches back and cups the back of Yoohyeon’s head, her fingers tangling in blonde strands. “I don’t mind if you get me sick. I’m probably already screwed just by being this close to you.”
Yoohyeon frowns at that. “Still, I-” She clenches her jaw. “Just one, ok?”
“Just one,” Handong agrees. “Just a little peck, that’s it. That’s all I want.”
Yoohyeon hums and leans closer to Handong again, shutting her eyes as their noses bump again. “Just one,” She mumbles.
“Just one,” Handong mumbles back as their lips brush.
Yoohyeon presses her lips to Handong’s for a brief, tiny little kiss before she pulls back, unsatisfied. She sighs.
“I love you,” Handong whispers, opening her eyes with a bright smile. “I-”
“You can’t say things like that!” Yoohyeon protests, wrapping her arms around Handong’s neck and pulling her into a kiss.
Handong laughs against Yoohyeon’s mouth, wrapping her arms tight around the blonde’s waist as the kiss breaks off into scattered kisses against her cheeks and lips. “If I get sick, oh well,” She murmurs, pressing a kiss to Yoohyeon’s cheek.
“Who’s gonna take care of us?” Yoohyeon grumbles, kissing the corner of Handong’s lips.
“Minji,” Handong suggests with a soft laugh. “Maybe she’ll get Bora to make us some nice soup.”
Yoohyeon hums and settles against Handong’s chest, pressing a kiss to the underside of the girl’s chin before she shuts her eyes and lets out a breath.
“I’ll be here if you want to go back to sleep,” Handong says, running a hand up and down Yoohyeon’s spine. “I don’t mind being a pillow,” She adds with a soft laugh.
Yoohyeon hums and relaxes against Handong’s warm chest, her arms still wrapped tightly around her girlfriend’s midsection. “Dongie?” She whispers, lifting her head slightly so she can see Handong’s face.
“Yeah?”
“I love you too,” Yoohyeon breathes out, thankful at how easily the words escape. They’ve been sitting on her tongue for weeks now, but she didn’t want to say them to Handong over the phone or through a text message. She wanted them to be heard in person, wanted to be able to see Handong’s expression.
And it’s so worth it. The waiting for Handong to be physically in front of her to say it. It’s worth all the waiting just for the smile that stretches across Handong’s lips. For the sparkle that shines in her eyes as she pushes herself up onto her elbows to meet Yoohyeon’s eyes. For the soft laugh that leaves her.
All of it makes the rottenness of the past week melt away. Because Handong is here with her again, and she loves Yoohyeon. And she knows Yoohyeon loves her back.
“You do?” Handong whispers, breaking Yoohyeon from her thoughts.
“So much,” Yoohyeon whispers back, reaching out to cup Handong’s cheek. “You make me happy, Dongie. This week sucked, but now that you’re here, it’s like none of it happened.”
Handong chuckles. “Except the leak in the roof,” She says gently, nodding to a plastic bucket that sits in the corner of the room.
“Alright, almost none of it happened,” Yoohyeon amends, glaring at the mentioned bucket. She shakes her head, focusing back on Handong. “But none of it matters now. Because you’re here. And you make everything better just by being here. You make me happy.”
Handong smiles back at Yoohyeon, shifting to push herself up into sitting. She reaches for Yoohyeon, gently pulling the blonde into her lap and wrapping her arms around the girl’s waist to keep her close. “You make me happy too.”