Sleepover, part 2
The first thing Seulgi felt when she began to stir was warmth.
Comforting, wrapped all around her, tempting her to give in to the drowsiness still lingering deep in her bones. She sighed softly, letting herself sink just a bit deeper into the mattress.
And promptly frowned, her eyes still closed.
Her bed felt… strange. Still half asleep, she noticed its irregular shape and feel – some parts softer, others firmer. She focused on the way it warmed her, as if a heating pad was covering every part of the mattress. Her blanket, for some reason, was heavier around her waist than any other part of her body. That didn’t make sense. One of her hands was twisted in the sheets below her, and the other must have curled under her pillow. Except her pillow was nowhere near heavy enough to cut off circulation in her arm, which was now slightly numb. Still sluggish, brain not fully woken up, she rubbed her nose over the pillow, trying to figure out what made it feel different this morning, confused by the strange give beneath it, the movement she felt.
She froze when she realised. Skin. And then she noticed the scent, subtle but unmistakable. Clean, but the kind that came in an expensive glass bottle with a fancy name and a beautifully designed label. Not at all like the softener her Auntie used, usually whatever they could snag cheapest without their skin breaking out. Not only that, there was also something else beneath it. Subtle, not overpowering at all, simply international. Traces of body and hair products, coordinated just enough not to clash, while still distinct from one another. Her mind recognised the scents, finally connecting the dots. Jaeyi.Shit.
She almost yelped when she tried to jump out of the bed, and an arm tightened around her waist. Shit, shit, shit.
This wasn’t her bed. These weren’t her sheets. And this definitely wasn’t her pillow. This was Jaeyi. How in the hell did this happen? Her face burned. No – scratch that – her whole body burned. And the fact that Jaeyi held her closer (was that actually possible? Seulgi felt like every single molecule in their bodies were pressed together), let her nose settle at her neck as it was before, and rubbed her upper back did not help. At all. Why me?
“Good morning, Seulgi-ah” came the voice from right above her – amused, but warm, still a bit husky from sleep. Seulgi felt her chest twist something fierce, mortified. She couldn’t answer right away. Her voice felt trapped in her throat, her brain sounding every alarm she’d ever known. Too close. Too soft. Too warm. Instead, she heard a sound escaping her, something between a squeak and a groan that she regretted straight away.
“Good – what?” she croaked finally, barely getting it out. She cleared her throat and tried again – this time, nothing came out. Could a person die from embarrassment? Is that a thing? Definitely feels like a thing now. Helpless, she squeezed her eyes tighter. Maybe, just maybe, she could will this away. Was this another dream? Jesus Christ, don’t think about that one! She needed to get up and disappear, move far away, maybe to another continent–
“You’re very tense, you know” Jaeyi interrupted her spiral, still rubbing her back, voice barely more than a murmur. “Wasn’t sleep supposed to help with that?”
Jaeyi sounded so sincere, so confused, that Seulgi couldn’t help the short bark of laughter that escaped her.
“I – well – “ she took a deep breath, almost immediately regretting it when she realised she basically inhaled every scent that shook her into consciousness just a few moments before. Focus! “Why am I here, exactly?”
She felt an understanding hum pass from Jaeyi’s chest and throat straight through her. Kill me now.
“That explains the panic.”
“It doesn’t explain shit” she mumbled, slightly irritated when she heard – and felt – a laugh. There was the smallest hint of relief when she realised it didn’t sound mean or mocking. It sounded… fond.
“It does” Jaeyi protested above her, still murmuring, still sounding soft and warm and comfortable. “You were so tired yesterday, no wonder you can’t remember anything. Want me to he- stop squirming. You’re twisting the covers. Relax.” Jaeyi interrupted herself and, suddenly, instead of gentle circles, Seulgi felt nails trailing up and down her spine. She tried very, very hard to hide the shiver that went through her body, but when Jaeyi’s other arm moved from her own side to Seulgi’s scalp and started gently scratching there as well, she couldn’t help either that, or the way her body instantly melted. She tried her best to hide her lingering blush in Jaeyi’s neck, giving up on escaping the bed for the moment. It felt nice, despite the heat and the shivers. Jaeyi, seemingly satisfied for now, finished her question. “Want me to help with that?”
Seulgi shook her head, overwhelmed, pulse pounding in her ears.
“Alright. Breathe, then. It’s nice and quiet here, focus on that and your breathing. Try to calm down a bit, hmm?” Jaeyi’s voice was low and patient, warm as it seeped into Seulgi’s ears.
This time, when she took a deep breath, Seulgi tried to let the scents wash over her like the warmth from the way she was being held. She tried to follow Jaeyi’s advice, but instead of focusing on the silence, she found herself listening to the few quiet sounds there were in the room. The glide of Jaeyi’s fingers over her back, and then the rustling of the duvet it caused. A bit louder from proximity, but still barely there scrape of nails against her scalp, tangling with her hair, shifting it around and then smoothing it back in place with an open palm every few strokes. Under her, Jaeyi’s calm and deep breaths.
Feeling slightly more oriented, she took note of how they laid together for the first time since she woke up. Jaeyi was laying on her back, with Seulgi fully on top of her. Their legs were tangled together, but Seulgi’s toes felt cold. Did she kick away the duvet when she tried to jump out of the bed? Carefully, she shifted just enough to kick it back down and cover them fully, Jaeyi’s warm huff of laughter filing the silence for a second. She finally found out why her arm was numb – it curled under Jaeyi’s head, hand laying limp. Her other hand she found twisted in Jaeyi’s pyjama top – that wasn’t the sheets, huh? – holding it loosely. Her body sunk deeper, relaxed a bit more as she focused on the way she could feel every breath Jaeyi took both in her chest and under the tip of her nose, which was pressed into the girl’s neck. Finally, she let herself lean into the hold, enjoying the warmth and the closeness. It felt nice. And it was Jaeyi. She trusted Jaeyi.
“Well done, honey” was huffed against her hair, and suddenly, everything came back. Kyung and Yeri blocking her, making her bump into them. Seulgi crying, sobbing into Jaeyi’s arms. Falling asleep in the alleyway. Falling asleep in the taxi. Snuggling Jeyun. Strawberries and water. Jaeyi, helping her change. Jaeyi, wiping her face with a warm towel. Jaeyi, helping her lay down. Jaeyi, offering her a cuddle. Jaeyi’s forgiveness. Jaeyi’s forgiveness. Jaeyi’s forgiveness. Jaeyi’s for-
The arm scratching her back tightened around her waist, grounding her, leading her back from her running mind. She didn’t even realise she tensed up again. She definitely didn’t realise a few tears escaped her eyes, before Jaeyi wriggled her fingers just enough between her own neck and Seulgi’s face to wipe them off, going right back to her head, cradling her, just like she did the evening before. Seulgi sighed lightly, forcing the tension out of her muscles and fully pressed her face into Jaeyi’s neck. Jaeyi knew what she confessed. Jaeyi forgave her. She was safe here.
With that realization, the tiredness she felt in her bones right after waking up came back, slamming into her with full force. She let herself melt a bit more and nuzzled lightly into Jaeyi’s neck, smiling through a yawn when she felt a small shiver.
“It’s still early. Nap for a little bit longer.”
Seulgi didn’t question, simply let herself drift off again, warm and safe.
—
The next time Seulgi woke up, there was whining close by and hushed whispers, sleep-soft and warm.
“Jeyun, shhh. Come on, shush.”
Seulgi stirred slightly and yawned into Jaeyi’s neck, causing her to squeeze her waist gently.
“What time is it?” Seulgi mumbled, wincing a bit at the hoarse voice that left her mouth. She cleared her throat and laughed airily when she heard a soft thump somewhere by their side, followed by a resigned sigh she felt under her chest.
“Since when are you allowed on the pillows, huh?” Jaeyi asked quietly, the hand that must have moved in their sleep from Seulgi’s hair to her neck now stretching out, reaching to the side. Seulgi shifted, moving her head until it was no longer hidden in Jaeyi’s neck, but now resting on her chest, turning it just enough to see Jeyun, sitting beside them on the bed, happily accepting his sister’s hand running over his back. Seulgi reached out to him with the arm that wasn’t trapped under Jaeyi’s head to scratch his chin, smiling softly at the blissed expression on the precious angel’s furry face.
Seulgi felt Jaeyi resting her cheek against her head for a moment, and then a gentle, slow press of lips against her hair. She exhaled deeply, letting herself enjoy the quiet affection, still watching Jeyun, who now crawled on his belly closer to them. With a small, tender huff, she brought the pup closer to them, effectively pressing him into Jaeyi’s side, whose arm instinctively curled around him.
“No idea” she heard Jaeyi mumble above her finally. They fell silent, Seulgi watching Jeyun settle in, resting his little head on Jaeyi’s shoulder and closing his eyes. He sighed deeply, making both Seulgi and Jaeyi laugh lightly, and when he opened one of his eyes and peeked at them, Seulgi could almost feel his distain at the fact they dared to interrupt him getting comfy. It made her laugh a bit more, fighting to calm down before he decided he’s too good for entertaining this.
“You would think he works a full time job doing manual labour,” the amused words that left Jaeyi’s mouth made Seulgi let out one, final giggle before the three of them settled, warm and soft in what was essentially a big cuddle pile, the room falling silent.
That is, until a loud call interrupted.
“Breakfast!” came Kyung’s voice from downstairs, muffled a bit but audible through the cracked door to Jaeyi’s bedroom. Seulgi let out a groan, not ready to get up just yet. Jaeyi’s fingers moved from her waist to her forehead, gently moving the hair falling there behind her ear. The familiar touch roused Seulgi a bit, who huffed when she felt Jaeyi laugh beneath her.
“Come on” came the smooth voice. “We have to eat, we already skipped dinner yesterday.”
With a sigh that Seulgi made sure sounded as bothered as she felt by the interruption of their quiet morning, she got up to sit. She winced slightly as she pulled her arm from under Jaeyi’s head, feeling it wake up with uncomfortable needles running from her fingers all the way up to her shoulder. She watched as Jaeyi got up from the bed, moving to her closet to find them something to wear for the day.
“Are you up?! Come on, the food will get cold!” this time, the voice belonged to Yeri, and Jaeyi let out an exasperated sigh before calling out to her, assuring they’ll be right there. Seulgi felt soft fabric hit her in the chest and looked down at the black hoodie that was tossed to her.
“Throw this on so you don’t get chilly. We can wash up after breakfast.”