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It's 2 AM, and Minnie is still awake.
She's been lying in bed for the past four hours, staring at the ceiling, her mind refusing to shut down. The comeback is in two weeks. The choreography still isn't perfect. The vocals need work. The concept photos need approval. There's too much to think about, too much to worry about, and her brain won't stop spinning. She's been through comebacks before, but this one feels different. This one feels like it has to be perfect.
She can feel Miyeon beside her, sleeping peacefully, her breathing slow and even. Minnie tries not to move, tries not to disturb her. Miyeon has an early morning schedule tomorrow. She needs her sleep. She needs rest. Minnie shouldn't wake her. She shouldn't be selfish.
But god, Minnie needs her.
She reaches out slowly and takes Miyeon's hand. Just holding it helps a little. Just knowing she's there helps. The warmth of her skin, the familiar shape of her fingers, grounds Minnie in a way nothing else can.
Miyeon stirs slightly. Her eyes flutter open, confused at first, then finding Minnie in the darkness.
"Mm?" she mumbles, her voice thick with sleep. "Baby? You awake?"
"Yeah," Minnie whispers. "Go back to sleep. I'm sorry for waking you."
"No, no, it's okay," Miyeon says, and she's already shifting closer. Her eyes are barely open, but she's moving toward Minnie without hesitation. "What's wrong? Can't sleep again?"
"Just stressed," Minnie says quietly. "It's nothing. Really, just go back to sleep."
But Miyeon is already pulling herself up, propping herself on her elbow. She looks exhausted. Her hair is messy from sleep, her eyes are half-closed, and there are dark circles under them. But she's looking at Minnie with so much concern, so much focus, like Minnie is the only thing that matters.
"Tell me," Miyeon says, her voice a little clearer now but still slurred with sleep. "Tell me what you're worried about, baby."
"The comeback," Minnie says. "Everything. I just... my brain won't stop. I keep thinking about all the things that could go wrong, and I can't turn it off. What if the choreography isn't sharp enough? What if my vocals aren't good enough? What if—"
"Hey, hey," Miyeon says softly. She reaches up and brushes a strand of hair away from Minnie's face. Her touch is gentle, careful, like she's handling something fragile. "Breathe with me, okay? In and out. Just breathe."
Minnie does. She breathes in time with Miyeon, and somehow it helps. Somehow it makes the spiraling thoughts slow down just a little.
"Okay," Miyeon says softly. "Okay, we can talk about it. Or... or we can do something else. Whatever you need. We can sit here all night if that's what you need."
"I don't want to keep you up," Minnie says. "You have that early schedule."
"I don't care," Miyeon says, and there's a firmness in her voice despite the sleepiness. "You're more important than sleep. You're always more important. Come here."
She pulls Minnie closer, wrapping her arms around her and settling back against the pillows. Minnie settles into her embrace, her head resting on Miyeon's chest. She can hear Miyeon's heartbeat, steady and calm and reassuring. It's like an anchor in the chaos of her mind.
"Talk to me," Miyeon says, pressing a kiss to the top of Minnie's head. "Tell me everything. Don't hold back. I want to hear it all."
So Minnie does. She talks about the choreography, about how she's worried the formations aren't sharp enough, about how she watched the rehearsal footage three times and kept seeing mistakes that probably aren't even there. She talks about the vocals, about how she keeps hearing imperfections in her own voice that make her cringe. She talks about the concept photos, about how she's never satisfied with how she looks, about how she keeps comparing herself to the other members and coming up short.
And Miyeon just listens. She doesn't try to fix it or minimize it. She doesn't say "you're being silly" or "stop worrying." She just listens and holds Minnie close, her hand stroking Minnie's hair in a soothing rhythm.
"You know what I think?" Miyeon says after a while, her words coming a little slower, a little more slurred. "I think... I think you're being too hard on yourself, baby. You're always too hard on yourself. You set these impossible standards and then you hate yourself when you can't reach them."
"I know," Minnie says. "But I can't help it."
"I know you can't," Miyeon says. She kisses Minnie's forehead, then her temple, then her cheek. "That's why I'm here. To remind you that you're perfect. That you're so talented, and so beautiful, and you don't need to be anything more than you already are. The choreography will be sharp. Your vocals are flawless. And those concept photos? You look stunning in every single one."
"You're biased," Minnie says, but there's no heat in it.
"Of course I'm biased," Miyeon says, and Minnie can hear the smile in her voice. "I'm completely and totally biased because I'm in love with you. But that doesn't make it any less true."
Minnie feels tears prick her eyes.
"I love you," she whispers.
"I love you too, baby," Miyeon says. She yawns, trying to hide it. "So much. More than sleep, more than anything."
They're quiet for a moment. Minnie can feel Miyeon's breathing starting to slow again, her body getting heavier against her.
"Are you falling asleep?" Minnie asks.
"No, no," Miyeon says quickly, but her eyes are definitely closing. "I'm awake. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere."
"You're so tired," Minnie says. "You should sleep."
"Not until you sleep," Miyeon says firmly. "I'm not going anywhere, baby. I'm staying right here with you. For as long as you need me."
Minnie settles back against her, and they lie like that for a while. Minnie's mind is still spinning, but it's a little quieter now. A little less chaotic. The weight of Miyeon's body against hers, the warmth of her arms around her, like a weighted blanket for her anxiety.
"Can you... can you sing to me?" Minnie asks quietly. "Please?"
"Of course, baby," Miyeon says. "Anything you want."
Her voice is barely awake now, but she's already starting to hum. It's a soft melody, something gentle and soothing. Then she starts to sing, her words slurring slightly as sleep pulls at her consciousness.
"Close your eyes, baby... let the world fade away..." Her voice is hoarse with sleep, but it's the most beautiful thing Minnie has ever heard.
Minnie feels her chest tighten. She closes her eyes, listening to Miyeon sing. The melody is simple, nothing fancy, but it's perfect. It's everything she needs.
Minnie can feel Miyeon's eyes closing. Her singing is getting quieter, more like a whisper now, just for Minnie.
"Don't leave me," Minnie says softly.
"Never," Miyeon whispers back. She kisses the top of Minnie's head again, then her forehead, then her cheek. "I'm right here, baby. I'm always right here. Even when you can't see me, I'm here. In your heart. In your mind. I'm always with you."
"Promise?" Minnie asks, and she sounds so small, so vulnerable.
"Promise," Miyeon says. "I promise you, baby. I'm never leaving you. Not for anything."
They're quiet again. Minnie's mind is finally starting to slow down. The anxiety is still there, but it's manageable now. It's smaller, less overwhelming. It's something she can breathe through.
"Thank you," Minnie says.
"For what?" Miyeon asks, her voice barely audible.
"For staying awake with me. For... for being here. For loving me even when I'm a mess."
"You're not a mess," Miyeon says softly. "You're human. You worry. You stress. That's normal. And I would stay awake with you a thousand times if that's what you needed. I would do anything for you, baby."
"You're going to be so tired tomorrow," Minnie says.
"Worth it," Miyeon says. "You're worth it. You're always worth it."
She shifts slightly, settling more comfortably with Minnie in her arms. Her hand comes up to Minnie's face, cupping her cheek gently.
"Close your eyes," Miyeon whispers. "Try to sleep. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere."
Minnie can feel Miyeon's breathing becoming deeper, slower. She's falling asleep, but her arms stay wrapped around Minnie. Her grip doesn't loosen. Even in sleep, she's holding Minnie close, protecting her.
"Miyeon?" Minnie says softly.
"Mm?" There's barely any consciousness left in that sound.
"I love you so much."
"Love you too," Miyeon mumbles, the words so slurred they're almost incoherent. "So much... my baby... love you so much... always..."
And then she's asleep. Her breathing is deep and even, her body completely relaxed against Minnie's. Her hand is still on Minnie's face, her thumb gently stroking Minnie's cheekbone even in sleep.
But her arms don't let go.
Minnie lies there in the darkness, held by the person she loves most, and for the first time in hours, her mind finally goes quiet. The anxiety is still there, lurking in the background, but it's manageable. It's bearable. It's something she can live with because she knows Miyeon is here.
Because Miyeon stayed awake with her. Because even in sleep, Miyeon is holding her like she's the most precious thing in the world. Like she would protect her from anything.
And slowly, finally, Minnie's eyes start to close. Her breathing matches Miyeon's—in and out, in and out. They're breathing together, moving together, existing together in the darkness.
She falls asleep to the sound of Miyeon's breathing, to the feeling of Miyeon's arms around her, to the knowledge that no matter what happens, she's not alone.
She's never alone. Not when Miyeon is there.
When morning comes, Miyeon wakes up exhausted. Her alarm goes off at 6 AM, and she groans, but she doesn't move. She just holds Minnie a little tighter, pressing her face into Minnie's hair.
"I have to get up," she mumbles into Minnie's hair, but she's not moving.
"No," Minnie says sleepily. "Stay. Please stay."
"I have schedule," Miyeon says, but she's not moving. She's just lying there, holding Minnie like she can't bear to let go.
"Call in sick," Minnie suggests.
Miyeon laughs, a soft, tired sound. "Can't do that, baby. You know I can't."
She reluctantly untangles herself from Minnie and stumbles out of bed. She's moving slowly, her body heavy with exhaustion. She didn't get nearly enough sleep. She looks like she might fall over at any moment. But she's still moving, still getting ready, because she has a schedule and she's a professional.
But before she leaves the room, she comes back to the bed and kneels down in front of Minnie.
"You're going to have a good day today," Miyeon says, taking Minnie's hands. "You're going to go to rehearsal and you're going to nail the choreography. You're going to sing like the amazing vocalist you are. And you're going to remember that you're perfect just the way you are. Okay?"
"Okay," Minnie says.
"Promise me," Miyeon says.
"I promise," Minnie says.
Miyeon kisses her softly, then pulls back to look at her.
When she comes back from the shower, Minnie is sitting up in bed, watching her with guilty eyes.
"I'm sorry," Minnie says. "I'm sorry I kept you up. I'm sorry I'm so needy and—"
"Stop," Miyeon says firmly. She comes over and sits on the edge of the bed, taking Minnie's face in her hands. "Don't apologize. Don't ever apologize for needing me. I would do it again. I would stay up with you every night if that's what you needed. Your needs matter, baby. Your feelings matter. You matter."
"You're going to fall asleep at schedule," Minnie says.
"Probably," Miyeon agrees. She sits on the edge of the bed and takes Minnie's hand. "But that's okay. You're okay now. That's what matters. You slept. You got rest. That's all I wanted."
Minnie pulls her back down and kisses her softly.
"I love you," Minnie says.
"I love you too, baby," Miyeon says. She yawns widely, her exhaustion finally catching up with her. "So much. Even if you are going to be the death of me."
Minnie laughs, and for the first time in days, it feels genuine. It feels real.
Later that day, when Minnie gets a text from Yuqi asking why Miyeon fell asleep during dance practice, Minnie feels a pang of guilt. But when Miyeon texts her later, saying "worth it. you okay now? did you sleep okay?" with a heart emoji, Minnie knows that Miyeon would do it all over again.
She texts back: "I slept great. Because of you. I love you."
Miyeon's response comes immediately: "I love you too baby. Always. Get some rest tonight okay? I'll be home soon and we can cuddle."
And Minnie smiles at her phone, feeling loved and cared for in a way that words can't quite capture.