Work Text:
1.)
Yujin bites her tongue when she sees Wonyoung up at 3am.
The living room is dark, only illuminated by the television light. The television is tuned to a random channel that plays reruns of variety shows. The volume is kept low and Yujin can hear low muffled laughter coming from its speakers.
Wonyoung has her eyes on the television but she’s hardly paying any attention, eyes unfocused and face stoic as if she’s busy thinking about something else. In this light, her face looks pale and almost gaunt, a far cry from how she usually looks on stage, with pink cheeks and sparkling eyes.
It isn’t uncommon to see Wonyoung so serious; she is usually very professional, especially when it comes to monitoring her own performances. But now she has an almost detached look on her face, as if she’s devoid of any emotion. It’s an expression that Yujin has only managed to catch a few times.
She thinks it’s sadness. It has to be; because in the dead of the night, away from prying eyes, amidst murmurs of curated laughter, Wonyoung wears this expression so quietly, so carefully.
She always is when it comes to things that matter the most to her - buries it six feet deep in her heart, leaving only whispers of lingering emotions that Yujin struggles to pick up.
It’s not that Wonyoung doesn’t talk - she does. She can ramble on about things that interest her, can provide witty jokes to liven the atmosphere, can offer words of comfort to people who need it, can wax lyrical about the beauty of people. She talks just about as much as the next extrovert.
She just never talks about herself.
Yujin once read about the loneliest creature in the world - a whale that communicates at 52 hertz, on a different frequency than other whales. It swims the oceans, constantly looking for another that can understand its calls, singing love songs that no one can hear.
Sometimes, Wonyoung reminds her of that lonely blue whale.
She wonders if the reason Wonyoung doesn’t talk about herself is because she thinks no one would be able to truly relate or empathise with her. The thought of that is so dauntingly lonely to Yujin, so much so that she desperately wishes she could do something, anything, to make her feel less alone.
Unsure of what to do, her instincts guide her to step out of her room entirely, clearing her throat lightly to signal her presence. It gets Wonyoung’s attention, snapping her out of her stupor effectively.
“Oh, unnie,” she blinks in surprise. “Why are you up?”
“Just woke up parched. What are you doing? It’s pretty late,” she asks, scratching her cheek.
Almost as if she just realised herself, her eyes flick to the television before centering back on Yujin, “Nothing much. Just watching running man.”
She frowns at Wonyoung’s lie but pretends to buy into it anyway, “It’s like, 3am. Don’t you have an early schedule for tomorrow?”
After a beat, Wonyoung withdraws, hanging her shoulders and retreating into herself, “Ah, sorry. You’re right, I’ll focus on tomorrow.”
Yujin realises that Wonyoung must have misunderstood, taking her concern as a reprimand, and she corrects herself immediately, “No, don’t apologise. I’m just worried about you. You don’t usually stay up this late.”
“Oh.” There’s a relieved smile on her face now, albeit small. “Don’t worry, I’m fine.”
A part of her wants to press further, to ask Wonyoung if she really is okay. But she holds her tongue, just sits down next to Wonyoung, afraid that the harder she pushes, the more Wonyoung will close up. She chances a glance at Wonyoung as she grabs a pillow, making herself comfortable. Confusion is written all over Wonyoung’s face, like she did not expect Yujin to plop down beside her.
“I like running man too,” she simply says.
Wonyoung laughs lightly at that, “Since when?”
She shrugs, “Since just now.”
Wonyoung bumps her shoulder affectionately, like she knows what Yujin is trying to do. Yujin really hopes so, hopes that this can at least alleviate a little bit of that sadness Wonyoung seems to experience. She exhales, leaning her head on Wonyoung’s shoulder.
“This episode is funny,” she says, just to fill the silence.
Wonyoung reciprocates, reaching over to rest her hand on top of Yujin’s, sighs, “Yeah?”
Yujin just hums in agreement, distracted by how her best friend’s hand feels cool to the touch. It’s a common occurrence; Wonyoung is rather skinny so she complains about being cold more than the average person. Yujin would love to feed Wonyoung more, but it’s difficult when society expects all of them to be dainty girls. So Yujiin does what she knows best, flips her hand to intertwine their fingers.
She says quietly, “Your hand is cold.”
“Oh, sorry,” Wonyoung tries to pull her hand away but Yujin just gives her hand a gentle squeeze.
“Lucky I have warm hands.”
She didn’t mean to be funny but Wonyoung giggles adorably in response, humour colouring her voice, “Are you flirting with me, An Yujin?”
Her laugh is a delightful welcome and it makes Yujin turn to look at Wonyoung, just so she can catch a glimpse of how happiness looks on her—and it’s breathtaking. It always is, because Wonyoung wears happiness so beautifully. It’s in the way her eyes crinkle, the way her corners of her lips lift, the way her cheeks blush. All she wants is for Wonyoung to always look like this, carefree and joyful.
Yujin jokes, wanting to prolong this light-heartedness, “Only if it’s working.”
“You’ve got to try harder than that,” Wonyoung teases back.
And for Wonyoung, Yujin always will.
“I’ll do my best,” she promises and hopes that Wonyoung hears her sincerity.
Their conversation lulls after that. Wonyoung quietly chuckles every now and then at the programme. Yujin accompanies her, watches the show distractedly, laughs when she does, eyes on Wonyoung more often than the television.
And when Wonyoung drowsily murmurs that she’s tired, Yujin raises her head and pats her own shoulder, prepared to face tomorrow with a stiff neck. It’s a meagre attempt at comfort, and it’s all she knows; it frustrates her and she wishes she could do more.
The soft sleepy smile her best friend answers with compels her to keep trying.
That is why she holds Wonyoung’s hand through the night.
///
2.)
“I’m craving strawberry ice cream,” her screen reads.
It’s a bubble notification from Wonyoung it seems. It’s already 11pm. Wonyoung in particular had a shoot with Rolarola in the morning, a group filming for IVE after that, and an evening magazine photoshoot. It’s been a long day of work, but she’s on bubble anyway, communicating with her fans. Wonyoung is always professional, self-sufficient and takes her job so seriously that Yujin has it easy when it comes to supporting her as a leader. Almost too easy, to the point where she wishes she could do more for the younger woman.
There’s another notification from her, “Dives, are you all sleeping? You have to sleep early for a good day at work tomorrow!”
And then a mini stream of messages:
“I love Thursdays the least.”
“It’s ambiguous and I don’t like the way it sounds.”
“I hope it passes sooner.”
“It’ll be Friday soon! Dives, you’re almost done with the week! Stay strong~ 💪”
The messages are slightly concerning and it makes Yujin wonder if anything happened to displease Wonyoung at one of her individual shoots. She doesn’t quite know if she should ask. She logs into bubble to leave a quick (indirect) message and a snappy selfie for the fans.
“Just an hour till Friday. I’ll do my part to make time pass faster! 🫡”
Her feet take her to Wonyoung’s room. Knocking on her door before opening, she peeks her head in, calling out Wonyoung’s name softly.
Wonyoung sits up on her bed, eyes blurry. Yujin just smiles at how adorably disheveled Wonyoung looks now, with her messy bed hair and make-up free face.
“Unnie? What’s up?”
Yujin leans against the doorway and asks, “Up for a convenience store run?”
Wonyoung just gapes in confusion, “Now?”
“Yeah? I’m craving ice cream,” Yujin shrugs casually, referencing her earlier message.
Wonyoung blinks in surprise before realisation dawns on her. She raises an eyebrow and folds her arms, “Don’t hijack my cravings.”
She’s pursing her lips like she’s trying not to smile. If anything, it makes Yujin grin even more. The expression is a far cry from the one she wore previously, and she’s so glad she gets to make Wonyoung smile. Wonyoung is sunshine and she’s the self-designated sunshine protector.
“Let’s go,” she encourages, beckoning her with one hand.
Wonyoung just laughs, part amused and part in disbelief, “I appreciate it, but it’s okay. It’s literally 11pm.”
“So?” she drawls. “We used to do it all the time.”
They really did do it all the time back then. When they were young trainees with no obligations, they used to sneak out to convenience stores or pochas for late night snacks - a reprieve from their rigorous training. She remembers a younger Wonyoung, all mischievous eyes and soft round cheeks, cheekily linking their arms together and pulling her along.
The Wonyoung now has bloomed into herself, with pensive eyes, sharp cheekbones and a well-defined jawline. Long lanky limbs are now elegant and feminine. She carries an aura of maturity and grace now, having shed away the awkwardness of youth.
Yujin wonders when she grew up.
This version of Wonyoung stares at her with careful eyes and questions, “Are you sure?”
“We only have practice and vocal lessons tomorrow. Come on, just like old times?” Yujin insists, waving her over.
Wonyoung sighs, shakes her head with a smile, as if in resignation. Yujin gives a silly little fist pump, earning a small laugh from the younger woman.
She drags Wonyoung out and by the time they’re stepping into a convenience store, it’s already near midnight.
The bell of the convenience store rings as she pushes the door, holding it so Wonyoung steps inside too. She wishes she could feel the cool air on her face instead of the obligatory mask which accumulates heat. They’ve both got caps and face masks on, now that they’re generally recognisable celebrities - Yujin’s thankful they’re successful, but the success, as with many other things in life, comes with many trade-offs as well.
Regardless, they make their way to the back of the store where the cold items are. Yujin can’t see Wonyoung’s expression but by the way she quickens her feet, she can tell Wonyoung is at least a little eager to satiate her craving.
Wonyoung stares at the ice cream selection for a while, contemplating her choices. She folds her arms and turns to Yujin, scrunching her eyebrows.
“Unnie. Extremely serious question. Melona or Dippin Dots?”
Yujin pokes at her arm fondly, “So serious.”
“I’m so serious,” Wonyoung frowns, catching Yujin’s prodding index finger.
Yujin just wiggles it out of her grasp, “What do you feel like having?”
“Both.”
“Then get both?”
“Can’t afford the calories,” Wonyoung says, with a rather devastated look in her eyes. She must be pouting beneath her mask, Yujin thinks.
“Get the Dippin Dots then. It’s in a cup, less messy.”
Wonyoung heaves an exaggerated sigh, “Fine. Melona will have to wait another day. What are you getting?”
Wonyoung slides open the freezer and reaches for the cup of strawberry ice Dippin Dots. Yujin purposefully fishes out a strawberry Melona ice cream, tries her best to sound nonchalant when she shrugs and says, “I feel like having Melona.”
The younger woman pauses to look at her. It’s hard to tell but Wonyoung’s gaze feels soft. She’s quiet for a bit and Yujin opens her mouth to ask what’s wrong when there’s a sharp jab to her ribs. She yelps and looks at Wonyoung with wide eyes, palming her side with one hand and the Melona ice cream bar in the other.
“You’re such a dummy sometimes,” Yujin is barely able to hear Wonyoung’s mumble and she deliberately keeps her head low so Yujin can’t see her eyes.
“I said I was craving ice cream too…” Yujin says in disbelief, rubbing her slightly sore ribs.
Wonyoung looks up then, narrowing her eyes, “Want another jab?”
Yujin raises both hands in a surrender, shaking her head, “I’ll shut up…”
They go to the counter and keep their heads low while Yujin pays with her phone. Exiting the store, they drag their mask down to their chins and unwrap their ice cream. Yujin bites into her Melona and Wonyoung just calls her a maniac for doing so, and they exchange once Wonyoung manages to down a scoop of her own.
“Satisfied?” Yujin asks after swallowing her last mouthful of strawberry ice cream.
Wonyoung hums, licking off the last bit of ice cream. “I’ve been dying to eat this all week.”
“Aren’t you glad I convinced you?” Yujin asks casually, fishing the remaining ice cream stick right out of Wonyoung’s hand and throwing it away.
She narrows her eyes, “Sure, stalker.”
Yujin mock gasps, “Stalker?”
“You’re subscribed to my bubble and you literally have my notifications on.”
“That doesn’t mean anything. I’m subscribed to all the members,” Yujin argues, leaving out the part where she has Wonyoung’s notification on, but not the rest.
Damn Wonyoung and her perceptiveness, because she catches on and latches on to it, “You have the other members’ notifications on?”
“…No comment.”
“Stalker.”
Contrary to her words, Wonyoung affectionately links their arms together - just like old times. Their banter dissipates into a comfortable silence and Yujin takes the chance to enjoy the moment, to take in and memorise every single detail so that she can file it away and bring it up when she misses it. The crisp cool night air, the starless indigo sky, the crunch of their slippers against gravel.
And Wonyoung.
Wonyoung, who is wearing a navy baseball cap. Wonyoung, who has a smudge of strawberry ice cream at the corner of her lower lip. Wonyoung, whose warmth presses against her and grounds her.
Wonyoung, who now trails her hand down with the intent to intertwine their fingers together.
“Tell me the truth. You just wanted to take me out on a date, right?” Wonyoung teases, tickling her palm.
Yujin just rolls her eyes and holds her hand, “Do I get a kiss at the end?”
Wonyoung giggles, “I usually don’t kiss on the first date, but if you try your best, who knows?”
“Like I said, I’ll do my best,” Yujin says, only half-jokingly (but Wonyoung doesn’t know that).
For a brief moment, Yujin thinks about asking if anything went wrong earlier in the day that made her possibly upset. But she doesn’t want to burst this bubble they’ve managed to create for themselves. Here, Wonyoung smiles and laughs more. The bubble will tear soon enough; the outside world is cruel like that, and Yujin just wants to let both of them have this as long as possible.
Wonyoung just smiles in response, “I know. You always do.”
Wearing a wistful smile now, Wonyoung’s gaze is soft as they look at each other. Yujin cannot help it; pauses in her tracks and reaches out to gently wipe away the smidge of ice cream at the corner of Wonyoung’s lips. Wonyoung freezes up, eyes wide as Yujin’s thumb brushes against her lip.
“You’ve got a little ice cream here,” Yujin murmurs by way of explanation.
“Oh,” Wonyoung breathes. “Thanks.”
They fall silent, looking into each other’s eyes. All of a sudden, the air between them feels heavy.
She can see the tension in Wonyoung, how taut her body is. Yujin loses a bit of her self-control, cannot hold back from glancing down at Wonyoung’s pink lips again, before dragging her eyes back up. Wonyoung herself looks a little dazed, pupils blown.
The sight of Wonyoung like this makes her chest ache and Yujin has to force herself to draw a deep breath and gather herself. Has to remind herself that it’s not like that.
She averts her eyes and drops her hand, letting the moment pass. To her surprise, Wonyoung catches it, brings it back to her face. She’s stunned but her hand instinctively cups Wonyoung’s face.
“Your hands are warm,” Wonyoung says with a subdued smile, as if it sufficiently explains her actions, as if her cheeks aren’t already warm.
But Yujin lets her anyway, even if she doesn’t quite understand what is going on. Yujin lets her get her way most of the time, always accedes to any request. Maybe it’s because she understands how exhausting it is to hear a ‘no’ all the time in their line of work. Maybe it’s because she is well aware of how tired they all are. (But really, it’s because it’s Wonyoung.)
Wonyoung visibly relaxes now, an easy sort of silence setting in. The younger woman closes her eyes and nuzzles against Yujin’s hand. Finding the gesture adorable, Yujin grazes her cheek with the pad of her thumb, feeling Wonyoung’s soft skin. The action makes Wonyoung sigh contentedly, leaning into her touch even more.
“Tired?” Yujin feels compelled to whisper, as if any louder and it would break this spell they’re under.
“A little,” Wonyoung admits softly.
“Wonyoung…” she trails off, unsure of whether to ask if she’s okay.
The younger woman just shakes her head slightly, murmurs an “I’m fine”. And all Yujin can think about is just how many times Wonyoung has said those two words.
She must be wearing a troubled expression on her face at the very least, because Wonyoung’s lips spread into a reassuring smile and she says, “Right now, I really am.”
Yujin just nods weakly, feeling like she just pushed Wonyoung too far. When will she learn, she thinks, admonishing herself. Her earnestness always causes her to be a little too careless with Wonyoung. She instinctively tries to free her hand out of Wonyoung’s grasp, trying to give her the space she needs.
Wonyoung doesn’t let her.
Instead, she continues holding her hand, looking at Yujin with tender eyes.
“The weather is nice. The breeze is cooling. It’s Friday. I just had free ice cream. And… you’re here with me,” she concludes. “So why wouldn’t I be okay?”
It’s the way that Wonyoung puts it across so simply, so matter-of-factly, that breaks Yujin’s heart.
Wonyoung, no matter how she herself feels, is the kind of person to make others feel that their existence alone is enough. They say consideration is the highest form of love, and Wonyoung, who always puts others first, gives her love away for free. Yujin wishes that she would keep just a little handful for herself, to consider herself first before any other person.
It feels sorely inadequate; that this is all she can do for Wonyoung. At a loss for what to do, she can only look away and mumble, “Tell me whenever you crave ice cream, okay?”
Wonyoung, her best friend, seems to understand her perfectly. She laughs warmly and hooks their pinkies together in a child-like promise, chasing away her guilt.
“Okay.”
And if Yujin holds Wonyoung’s hand a little tighter on the way home, she says nothing.
///
3.)
It’s becoming a pattern, she thinks, this staying up late thing. Once is a happening, twice is a coincidence, thrice is definitely the start of a habit.
It’s been harder to fall asleep. Her mind gets convoluted; Wonyoung writes her name all over without even knowing. If she just closes her eyes, she can easily feel the lingering warmth of Wonyoung’s cheek beneath her fingertips.
She tosses and turns, fiddles with her blanket, but sleep doesn’t come. Eventually, she resigns herself to fate, giving up on sleep. Her feet trudge towards the kitchen for water when she notices Wonyoung’s door ajar.
A quick peek wouldn’t hurt, she justifies to herself. She’ll just take a brief look and help Wonyoung close her door.
What she doesn’t expect is an asleep Wonyoung seated at her desk, with her laptop still turned on. She approaches, trying to be as silent as possible. She furrows her eyebrows in disapproval - Wonyoung’s going to hurt her neck like this. As she nears the younger member, the words on the laptop screen jump out at her.
It’s an article of Wonyoung published two days ago, reporting on her arrival in Korea after a fashion show in Paris. It’s not the content of the article that surprises her but the malicious remarks that litter the comment section. She browses through the comments, two fingers sliding across the touchpad. They don’t make any sense; they almost never do. Which is why they usually pay no mind, try their best to avoid searching up their own names online.
Yujin exhales quietly, scrunching her eyebrows. She closes the window and puts the laptop on hibernation. Gaze falling on Wonyoung again, she studies her a little closer now out of worry. Thinks of how she might have looked like earlier while reading those comments. (It makes her heart clench.)
Wonyoung looks peaceful now, breaths slow and even. With or without all the glitz and glamour, all Yujin sees is her dear best friend. In another universe where they aren’t idols, they would probably be ordinary college students. Wonyoung would be a math or science major. She herself would probably major in something sports-related; she never did do as well academically in high school compared to Wonyoung. They would probably be dorm roommates - she can imagine a studious Wonyoung dragging her to the college campus, making sure Yujin attends every class. And when their schedules match up, they would hang out in libraries and cafes together.
It would have been fun.
Now, all they get is little pockets of time to themselves, and a world that wrenches freedom and privacy out of their hands. A world that just takes and takes, and they’re too tired to count what they have left.
She wishes she could at least protect what little they have.
Yujin takes a deep breath and sighs quietly, unsure if she should wake the younger up. She’ll get cold too, she thinks, seeing Wonyoung only in a thin camisole. So she gently taps her shoulder, whispers her name to rouse her from sleep.
Wonyoung stirs in response, eyes blinking blearily. Her head tilts up slightly and she meets Yujin’s eyes.
“Wonyoungie… wake up,” she gives a little pat on her shoulder.
It takes a while for Wonyoung to gather herself, but once she does, she rubs the sleep away from her eyes, groans, “What time is it?”
“Two,” Yujin answers, holding out her hand. “Come on, let’s get you to bed.”
Wonyoung takes it and allows herself to be pulled up. Yujin drags her to her bed, watching as Wonyoung plops down and curls up between bed sheets. She tries tucking Wonyoung in but the younger woman weakly grabs her wrist.
“Just sleep here,” Wonyoung croaks, voice rough from sleep.
“Your bed’s too small,” Yujin says, wanting her to get a good rest.
Wonyoung gives a small whine of disagreement and exhaustedly yanks at her wrist, “Big enough. Please.”
It’s all rather adorable and makes Yujin fold quickly, sighing in fondness as she pulls back the covers. Wonyoung scoots over, making room. When she settles beneath the duvet, Wonyoung nears her again, hands finding her arm.
It seems the move from desk to bed has made Wonyoung a little more awake, because she asks, “Were you looking for me?”
Yujin shakes her head, “Just checking.”
Droopy, sleepy eyes blink shut. Wonyoung’s hands wander to her waist and one of her legs drapes over her thigh.
“Just cuddling,” Wonyoung breathes.
She huffs a laugh, “You’re literally on top of me at this point.”
“As I should be.” Even when sleepy, her quick wit doesn’t disappear.
“Turn around.”
“Don’t wanna.”
“Just turn around.”
The younger woman lets out an incoherent series of grumbles before turning around, back facing her now. Yujin turns to face her, slips an arm around her waist and spoons her.
“Better?”
Wonyoung tugs the arm around her and softly demands, “Closer.”
Yujin obediently inches closer until their bodies are flush together. Wonyoung lets out a sound of contentment and approval, then sighs happily. She relaxes all over, trailing a hand up and down Yujin’s arm.
“… Can’t believe you managed to take me to bed even before a second date,” Wonyoung mumbles.
“I just did what you wanted.”
“So chivalrous.”
“Sleep,” Yujin encourages, gently giving Wonyoung’s waist a squeeze.
“You have to kiss me goodnight,” the woman in her arms says softly, sleep colouring her voice now.
Yujin knows Wonyoung is just teasing and bantering with her as usual. But there’s something about the moment that makes her words feel so real. Maybe it’s the darkness of the room that makes her feel more honest than usual. Or the comforting warmth between their flushed bodies. It could be the quiet intimacy that seems to linger between them these days. Yujin doesn’t know what - but her chest is tight and her heart is chanting “kiss her, kiss her, kiss her”.
That is why she presses a kiss to Wonyoung’s bare shoulder, brushes her lips against soft pale skin as she murmurs, “Goodnight.”
Wonyoung doesn’t respond, seemingly asleep now. Her breathing evens out, and Yujin can feel the rise and fall of her abdomen with every quiet breath. Yujin’s heart is noisy and it feels like there is no way to silence it. All she wants to do is hold the woman tighter, so close that their hearts might beat in sync, but it feels like Wonyoung might break if she does so.
She feels tactless, so callous, as she tries to gently kiss between delicate shoulder blades, a feeble attempt to write love with her lips.
It’s not enough, it never feels like enough for her. It only makes her exhale shakily, burying her face into Wonyoung’s nape.
“Sweet dreams,” she whispers.
That is all for the night.
///
4.)
Yujin wakes up to beauty.
When she opens her eyes, she is greeted by a still sleeping Wonyoung. It’s a slow day, she remembers, so she takes her time to fully wake up, blinking away the sleep. It seems that Wonyoung turned during the night, because now she faces Yujin, slumbering a few inches away. The young woman looks relaxed, a serene expression on her face. Mindful not to wake her, Yujin tries breathing as quietly as possible.
Sunlight filters through the curtains and it dances upon Wonyoung’s skin, giving her a warm hue. Her gaze falls on long lashes, before trailing down to pillow lips. Her fingers twitch, yearning to reach out and feel soft skin beneath her fingertips. In the morning sun, Wonyoung’s hair looks lighter, tresses of golden brown fanned out on her pillow. Mesmerised, Yujin reaches out to tuck a stray lock of hair carefully behind her ear.
It is all she dares to do.
Somehow, in the same bed, within arm’s reach, in the morning light, it feels like she shouldn’t touch her. So she withdraws and keeps her hands to herself. But she keeps her eyes on the younger woman, unable to look away.
She can’t tell how long she spends just lying there studying Wonyoung. (The answer is not enough, she thinks.) Wonyoung stirs awake soon enough, half-lidded eyes meeting hers.
“Hi,” Yujin greets quietly.
It makes Wonyoung smile, “Hi.”
For a moment, neither of them says anything, letting a comfortable silence hang in the air. She can see Wonyoung’s eyes flit all over her face, as if searching for something. Yujin just breathes, satisfied with just holding Wonyoung in her eyes. Wonyoung must find the thing she’s searching for, because her smile gets a little brighter, eyes curving into beautiful crescents.
“What?” Yujin asks, finding the younger woman so lovable.
“Nothing.”
“Tell me.”
Wonyoung shakes her head, still smiling like she knows a secret Yujin doesn’t. She scoots over to be nearer to Yujin, closing any distance between them.
“Closer,” she simply says.
Yujin, pliant, listens to Wonyoung well. Because Wonyoung has granted permission, Yujin reaches out, pulling Wonyoung into her embrace.
Like a puppy searching for its owner’s approval, she asks, “Good?”
Wonyoung shakes her head again, gives a little pout when she says, “You have to kiss me good morning.”
It’s a similar demand to last night, and it makes Yujin chuckle. She lowers her head to press her lips against Wonyoung’s forehead in a feather-light kiss. Hands touch her abdomen and she can feel Wonyoung fisting her shirt slightly. She pulls back to look at Wonyoung, whose eyes look down.
“Wonyoungie?”
Her head stays down, but she grips Yujin’s shirt tighter, pulling it slightly. She burrows further into Yujin, seemingly wanting to be as close as possible. It’s both adorable and concerning, so Yujin places a kiss on the top of her head and asks, “Not good?”
Wonyoung just grumbles into her chest, “Why are you like this?”
She barely catches her words. “What do you mean?”
The woman in her arms just sighs loudly, expressing her displeasure. She looks back up at Yujin, eyes narrowing. There is no real hostility though; her eyes still hold affection and humour. If anything, it’s the exact opposite, with the way she presses her body against Yujin, tangling their legs together.
“You’re so oblivious, it’s actually unbelievable.”
As if to make a point, Wonyoung pinches her waist lightly, making her yelp in surprise. And then making up for it, she leaves a quick peck on her jaw.
Yujin blinks in a daze, feeling like she needs to take a minute to reboot, “What was that for?”
“For your obliviousness,” Wonyoung retorts. She taps Yujin’s lips twice with her index finger playfully, says, “Now actually kiss me good morning, unnie.”
Then Wonyoung is cupping her face gently, eyes soft, thumb brushing against her lower lip and—
Oh.
Everything clicks into place.
Wonyoung, who is still looking at her fondly, tilts her head in question. Yujin feels very much like an idiot, now that everything is crystal clear. She can see it in Wonyoung’s eyes, and now she wonders how she missed it all along.
“What are you waiting for—”
“I love you,” she confesses quietly.
The words tumble out from between her lips before she even realises it.
And yet, nothing really changes.
Yujin still feels the same, still just wants to embrace Wonyoung, shower her with love and make her feel protected. It nearly makes her laugh, how she initially thought that a confession would have been the most groundbreaking thing ever.
All it feels is right—this time, it feels enough.
She feels Wonyoung’s gasp more than she hears it; it’s in the way she inhales sharply, freezes in her arms. Then she grips Yujin’s shirt so tightly, crumples it. The movement is accompanied by a kind of desperation Yujin hasn’t witnessed before.
“You—“ Wonyoung stutters, voice trembling. “You took so long. I thought— I thought there was a chance that you didn’t—“
“I didn’t think you felt the same way,” Yujin admits, squeezing her waist.
Wonyoung jabs her ribs weakly, “I dropped a million hints.”
Yujin sees it all in hindsight and apologises, “Sorry, I’m still learning.”
Wonyoung eagerly tugs her down, connecting their lips in a gentle kiss. There’s an undercurrent of urgency regardless, and Yujin tilts her head to deepen the kiss. It makes Wonyoung whimper and Yujin has to pull back before she loses her self-restraint.
“You’re an idiot,” Wonyoung pants. “And I love you too.”
Yujin laughs and kisses Wonyoung on the lips again. (I love you.) Pecks her on the forehead. (I love you.) Trails kisses along her inner wrist. (I love you.)
“I love you.”
She says it over and over again—each time louder than the last.