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engines can only run on so much fuel. engines get tired too.
so when jihoon comes home, eyes near closing and lips in full pout, soonyoung isn’t necessarily surprised.
“jihoonie?” soonyoung looks up from her place on the couch at the sound of the door opening.
jihoon looks up from fumbling to toe off her shoes. soonyoung can barely see a change in facial expression but she hears a whine and jihoon tilts her head back down to finish her task.
soonyoung slowly get up from the couch, it’s not smart to make fast movements right now. jihoon is tired and the last thing soonyoung wants to do is stress her out.
“hoonie?..hoonie, are you okay?”
jihoon finally kicks her shoes off and drops her bag on the floor tiredly. she walks sluggishly towards soonyoung and places her face in the center of soonyoung’s chest, making soonyoung stand very still.
they say if you make sudden movements around cats, they run away.
she almost raises her hands to pat jihoon’s back.
“hoonie, can i touch you? do you want to be touched right now?”
jihoon moves to direct soonyoung’s arms towards her back, she fully sinks into the affection.
soonyoung rubs her cheek against the side of jihoon’s head as she softly speaks, “did you have tough day? do you need me?”
jihoon nods into soonyoung chest. they’ve had nights like this before, where jihoon gets to turn her brain off and let someone, soonyoung, take care of her. soonyoung has always been caring like that.
soonyoung tries to pull back so she can talk, but when she tries, jihoon immediately whines at the disappearing physical contact.
soonyoung giggles, “jihoonie, stop i wanna talk to you.”
jihoon fustratingly shakes her head.
“shhh, okay okay, i’m right here.” and she’s right back in the position they started in.
“do you want me to talk like this? we can. i just wanted to ask if you’ve eaten yet.”
jihoon removes her face from soonyoung’s chest and looks up at her.
“hi there.”
jihoon leans her face closer, standing on her tippy toes soonyoung presumes.
soonyoung affirmatively hums, leaning her face down to press a gentle peck on her lips.
soonyoung is a bit confused when jihoon doesn’t move after the first kiss so she pecks her lips again. and again…and again.
soonyoung giggles and slightly presses her hands down on jihoon’s shoulders to get her back flat on her feet.
“no need for tippy toes,” soonyoung cups her face, “i’ll lean down, hm?”
soonyoung jerks her hands back once she realizes jihoon still has makeup on.
“sorry, sorry, we should take your makeup off first.”
soonyoung starts to walk to the bathroom but looks back to see nobody is following her.
“hoonie? do you want to go with me?”
jihoon flops her arm forward, palm down.
“ah.”
soonyoung walks back and takes jihoon’s hand and finally leads her to the bathroom.
—-
“hoonie, you gotta keep your face up, okay?”
soonyoung tilts jihoon’s face up with her index finger for the fifth time, “there’s my pretty girl.”
it truly surprises soonyoung that no matter how out of it jihoon is, she will still have the jerk reaction to get shy.
“okay well i can’t wipe your face if you’re covering it.” soonyoung removes jihoon’s hands from her face.
soonyoung tenderly swipes the makeup remover soaked cotton pads across jihoon’s face. she can almost hear a sound coming from jihoon but she can’t figure out what it is.
“i know it says no rinse needed but i hate the oily feeling the remover leaves and ill assume you do too, so let me just,” soonyoung wipes jihoon’s face with a soft, damp towel.
“okay there, i’m done. you can open your eyes now.”
the way jihoon opens her eyes is slow, you can visibly see that she’s taking her time and that’s exactly what soonyoung wants her to do; slow down.
“ah, you don’t have to open your eyes too wide, you don’t have to be so alert. i’m here.”
soonyoung brushes jihoon’s hair behind her ears and she can hear the earlier sound clearer this time. she’s purring.
“you’re so cute, jiji.” she coos.
jihoon just whines and makes a small shooing gesture with her hand, but she doesn’t get up from her spot on the toilet lid. she doesn’t leave the room like she used to and soonyoung is forever grateful for it.
“i guess we’ll need to put on your pajamas too or can you do that by yourself?”
jihoon tilts her head up to give soonyoung the same face as before, same half-closed eyes and pouty lips.
“do you need me to repeat the question?” soonyoung genuinely asks.
jihoon slowly reaches up to tug on soonyoung’s shirt.
“hm? what do ya need, honey?”
jihoon gingerly pulls soonyoung's shirt in a downward motion, making soonyoung shift closer to her face.
"a kiss? is that what you need?"
jihoon can feel soonyoung's breath on her lips as she whispers, she nods.
soonyoung’s hands come up to cup jihoon’s face, “my precious girl.”
she presses her lips against jihoon’s. it’s not hard, but it’s not soft either. the world falls silent for just a few moments. soonyoung tilts her head to make the kiss last longer.
she takes a breath when the kiss breaks, but only to lay quick kisses all over jihoon’s face.
jihoon’s expression can only be described as blissful.
soonyoung hums as she runs her thumbs against jihoon’s cheeks, “pretty baby.”
jihoon puckers her lips again and soonyoung laughs and shakes her head to jihoon’s disappointment.
“how can i get you dressed if we’re kissing, silly? you can get all the kisses you want when you’re all dressed and comfy.”
soonyoung takes jihoon’s hand to sit on the bed.
“just sit here, jihoonie! you won’t have to move a muscle.”
jihoon continues not to do anything, but watch soonyoung’s animated movement.
“god, you look at me like i’ve hung the stars or something. now lemme go get your pajamas.”
soonyoung walks over to jihoon’s drawers, shuffling through various clothes, “hoonie,” she speaks aloud, “what kind of clothes do you want? are we feeling a matching set or just a random shirt and shorts? do you want a new bra to sleep?”
at the silence, soonyoung turns around to see jihoon’s eyes still on her.
“ah, i’m sorry i was talking too fast. do you want to wear a matching pajama set?”
jihoon crosses her arms and tilts her head side to side but later nods.
soonyoung nods and digs through the drawer to find a blue striped pajama set.
“okay, one more question, do you want a different bra? i swear you can put it on yourself and i won’t touch your chest unless asked.”
soonyoung gets another nod.
“okay, i just wanna make sure you feel good and comfortable.” soonyoung adds an unpadded bra to the pile of clothes in her arms and closes the drawer.
soonyoung stands in front of jihoon, “do you want my help for this part?”
jihoon wordlessly lifts her arms and soonyoung nods before lifting her shirt above her head. she removes her undershirt next.
“okay, i’m gonna need your permission for this step. unless you want to do it and i can turn around. i’ll even close my eyes too.”
jihoon furrows her brows at her.
“don’t give me that look. no matter how close we are, i’m never entitled to your body, jihoonie. never without asking.”
jihoon begins to pull the straps of her bra down, but flopping her arms back down in exhaustion.
soonyoung giggles, “i got it, i got it.” soonyoung leans over her to unclip her bra from the back and leans back to retrieve her new bra, but she feels a pair of arms around her waist.
she look down to see jihoon’s face in her stomach.
“hoonie, you have to let go. you’re exposed and you’re gonna get cold!”
jihoon whines and looks up at her with a frown.
“i’m almost done then you’ll be in bed in no time. just let me dress you.”
jihoon pats soonyoung’s butt before she lets go.
“okay arms back up, this bra doesn’t have clips in the back.”
soonyoung gently places the bra over jihoon’s head, putting her arms in the correct placement and adjusting her chest.
“okay, that feel okay?”
jihoon gives her a thumbs up and with that soonyoung pulls a shirt on her.
“okay now for your shorts.”
she sticks out her hand for jihoon to take so she can stand up.
“okay pull down your pants.”
jihoon snorts and shimmies out of her pants and leaves them on the floor.
“okay now hold onto me.”
jihoon holds onto soonyoung’s shoulder as she puts her legs in the shorts soonyoung’s holding out for her. soonyoung pulls her shorts up the rest of the way.
“yay!! we did it! now go lay down.”
soonyoung picks up jihoon’s clothes from the floor and puts it in her hamper. she looks back over to the bed to see jihoon standing in the same place.
“jihoonie? don’t you wanna get in bed?” she tilts her head.
jihoon just waits. maybe soonyoung will get the hint.
“you can go to bed, jiji, i’ll be right there!”
soonyoung tucks her own pajamas under her arm and shuts the bathroom door behind her.
jihoon sighs and slowly crawls towards the head of the bed. she gets under the cover and tucks the blanket under her chin. she can’t help but stare at the bathroom door longingly.
why couldn’t soonyoung just get dressed in here? she’s seen her without clothes before so why did she have to move so far away? and after a tiring day? universe has to be punishing her for some reason.
jihoon turns on her side and brings soonyoung’s pillow to her chest, hugging it. she closes her eyes, losing herself in soonyoung’s scent or more so the scent of her hair. she hopes she won’t take long. she doesn’t want to fall asleep without her.
jihoon feels a soft pressure at her temple, making her open her eyes.
“i’m back, my love.”
jihoon likes to make fun of soonyoung often. she tells her, her gaze is too sweet, too soft around the edges. that she could tell her the worse news in the world and soonyoung would just focus on the fact that jihoon is talking to her. but it’s nice. it’s nice to be looked at like this.
jihoon’s face squishes up into a smile.
soonyoung bows, her head tilts up, “may i enter the bed, my dear princess?”
jihoon reaches over and tugs the blanket up, letting soonyoung slide into bed.
soonyoung pouts, "you can let go of my pillow now, i'm here."
jihoon lightly chuckles, "and what if i want to sleep like this?" she speaks lowly, in a tone that doesn't cause her fatigue.
"why sleep with my pillow when you could sleep with me? plus what am i supposed to lay my head on?"
jihoon shrugs.
soonyoung sighs playfully, "fine, have it your way, we'll see how long you last."
Soonyoung reaches over to turn off the lamp, clouding the room in darkness.
….two minutes. jihoon lasts two minutes without soonyoung in her arms.
"…soonyoungie?" jihoon whispers.
soonyoung tiredly lets out a questioning hum.
"youngie, c'mere."
soonyoung yelps at the cold hand that has traveled up her back.
"jeez, jiji don't do that!"
"then c'meree" jihoon whines.
"then put the pillow down first."
soonyoung feels herself being tugged on until she's tucked inside jihoon's embrace.
soonyoung giggles at the ticklish feeling of jihoon's face in her neck.
jihoon falls asleep with a hand in her hair and a face tucked into the warmth of soonyoung. it’s the thought of coming home to this, that’s what jihoon works for.