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Lily had just drifted off to sleep under the covers when her bedroom door opened. She looked over to find Haewon there.
‘Oh, sorry,’ Haewon said, one step inside the room. ‘Didn’t mean to wake you. Wrong door.’
‘Wait,’ Lily said before Haewon left.
‘What’s wrong?’
‘We’ve got work in…’ Lily reached for her phone on the bedside table. She squinted to protect her eyes from the bright screen. ‘three hours-ish.’
‘Yeah,’ Haewon said. ‘So sleep. Sorry for—’
‘Are you still not sleeping well?’
‘Ah… yeah. I just can’t seem to drift off even if I’m in bed.’
‘All that coffee you drink probably doesn’t help.’
Haewon gasped dramatically. ‘Oh no. Is that true?’
‘Please.’ Lily chuckled, eyes half-closed from drowsiness.
‘I’ve cut down a lot, but it’s not made much of a difference,’ Haewon said.
‘One cup a day.’
‘Yeah.’
‘Sometimes two, though.’
‘It’s still less than what I was drinking before.’
‘Okay.’
‘I’m gonna go. Good night, Lily.’
‘Want to sleep with me?’
Haewon sputtered, and Lily found it cute.
‘You know that trope with characters not sleeping well being able to finally get the best night’s rest after finding their person?...’ Lily, cheeks warm, pulled the duvet over her nose.
‘W-what are you trying to say?’
‘I was thinking that you might be one of those people who sleep better with someone next to them.’
‘I… I don’t know if I am.’
‘Right, we can test it?’
‘A-are you saying you might be my person?’
Lily shifted to make space on the bed and pulled the duvet back. ‘Want to find out?’
Haewon was silent for a moment, then she shut the door behind her and climbed in next to Lily.
With no words, Lily handed her the second pillow she had. Sometimes she hugged it, other times it propped her up when she read her books.
Haewon rested on her side, facing Lily. ‘Our body temperatures differ too much.’
‘Oops, I forgot about that.’ Lily’s heart sank. ‘Maybe this won’t work after all.’
‘I’m suddenly feeling quite sleepy, though…’ Haewon yawned. ‘Strange.’
Lily turned towards Haewon. ‘I think you’re just overtired.’
‘Mm… I dunno…’ Haewon snuggled closer. ‘You smell nice…’
‘Thanks.’ Lily ignored her fast heartbeat and lifted her arm, wanting to wrap it around Haewon, but retracted it instead. ‘Good night, Haewon.’
‘Good night…’
It was a while after Haewon’s breathing had become even and shallow when Lily felt an arm slip over her waist. Her breath hitched. How am I supposed to sleep like this? She’d already been struggling to drift off due to her hammering heart, but now she had an asleep Haewon’s arm wrapped around her. It was comfortably warm, and it wasn’t helping, but it would be a lie to say she didn’t like it.
Lily gulped and opened her eyes. In the darkness, she could just about make out Haewon’s face in front of her. So pretty. She smiled, glad that Haewon was finally getting some sleep. She wanted to shift closer, tuck her head underneath Haewon’s, cling to her, but that would be too much. They weren’t lovers. They were… What were they? Groupmates, friends… The words were right but at the same time they didn’t fit properly. We called ourselves a ‘couple’ before. In front of the public. It fit the best. If only they were a true couple…
Maybe there was a chance it could become real. Maybe there wasn’t… Lily drifted off to sleep wondering whether it could be possible to become lovers with the girl in her bed.
When morning came, Lily woke up with her face in Haewon’s chest. She’d somehow managed to tuck her head under Haewon’s. Or did Haewon bring her there? Because Haewon had pressed herself so close to Lily, legs intertwined, that she was actually in Lily’s half of the bed.
Lily pressed her nose into Haewon’s pyjamas.
‘G’morning,’ Haewon said, chuckling.
Lily shuffled back. Face on fire. ‘G-good morning. I didn’t know you were awake. S-sorry.’
‘What are you apologising for?’
‘Well…’
‘I feel so refreshed.’
‘Even though you only slept a little?’ The members of NMIXX wouldn’t get a full eight hours sleep for a while with how busy they were.
‘Best sleep of my life.’
‘Oh, that’s good.’ Lily smiled.
‘Yeah.’ Haewon pulled Lily close by the waist again. ‘You know, I think you were right.’
‘Huh?’ It was difficult for Lily to ignore how fast her heart was beating, but she did her best.
Haewon’s bedhead was too cute, and that charming grin? A deadly combo. ‘I think you’re my person.’