A Night With You
Leader X Maknae: A Series of JiTzu OneshotsSummary: Holding unto the leader, Tzuyu realised that she had developed a particular instinct to protect the older girl.
It shouldn't have been this awkward.
Tzuyu tossed and turned, unable to find a comfortable position in the new environment. With eyes wide open, she found herself staring at the unfamiliar white ceiling of the room as the seconds ticked by. It was late, 01 14 displayed on the clock in bright red. She should have been asleep by now, her usually disciplined self would have ordered herself too. She was tired enough but she couldn't sleep; not with Jihyo sound asleep beside her.
Sharing a bed shouldn't have been a big deal to her. She's done it a million times before with friends and family and the members were no exception. In fact, she's even slept with Jihyo once before in the older girl's own bed, months before their debut, and she didn't face any problems back then. So why, she wonders, can't I bring myself to sleep with Jihyo by my side.
She blames Sana and Momo for this arrangement, remembering how the older J-line members had strolled into the living room that evening, bottles of alcohol in hand. Saké, she noted, having seen the the familiar bottles in stores all over Japan. They were gifts apparently, from Sana and Momo's parents, as explained by Sana when Nayeon had raised a questioning eyebrow at the bottles.
There were only eight of them then. Jihyo had been out, having gone home to spend quality time with her family. The only responsible member of the group had left the dorm in the mercy of the rowdier, more trouble-prone unnie line whom she had warned to 'not do anything stupid'. Despite the warning, they did do something stupid, and that was how the chaos began.
All it took was a few drinks before the other girls had gotten terribly drunk. Even Chaeyoung, who shouldn't even be drinking in the first place, had snuck in several sips of the liquor. Tzuyu on the other hand, stayed far away from the drinks, wanting to spare herself from the hangover the others would be experiencing the morning after.
Taking care of seven drunk girls however, proved to be no easy feat. Each member had their distinct drunken personalities; something Tzuyu would have found to be particularly entertaining if she wasn't the victim of their antics.
It had started with an emotional Nayeon clinging onto her as she sobbed because 'she should have taken better care of the maknae.' That was accompanied by a overly affectionate Sana who kept trying to kiss the life out of all the members including the traumatised Tzuyu. Thankfully, the older girl changed targets and instead decided to pursue Dahyun who was running and dancing around as if she was on a sugar rush. At least the other half of the group was calmer with Jeongyeon drunkenly cleaning up the dorm, Momo raiding the refrigerator and MiChaeng probably off somewhere else in the dorm.
Fortunately for Tzuyu, Jihyo had returned in time to help her clear the mess (though the leader had gotten the shock of her life when she walked through the doorway to their dorm); and after much trouble (especially from the overly affectionate Sana who managed to plant a big wet kiss on both their faces), they had managed to get their members in bed, with Momo and Jeongyeon curled in both of theirs, leaving them with only one bed to use. The queen sized one the roommate-line shared.
Tzuyu couldn't deny that she had a hand in their current predicament too. But who could blame her. When Jihyo had offered to sleep on the couch, she couldn't bear the idea of having the older girl crash in such an uncomfortable place. After all, she was still a softie even under all those layers of savagery, especially when it involved her equally soft leader.
"It's just one night Tzuyu," the ever-so-kind leader had argued. "I'll be fine." Tzuyu however disagreed. "No unnie. Your old self is going to get back pains if you sleep there." Jihyo whined at the insult but said no more. And with that Tzuyu had dragged the older girl to bed, but not before erecting a barrier between them.
Tzuyu looked to her side to see the wall of pillows she had stacked up between them, Jihyo's snores ringing loud and clear from behind them, the noise somewhat comparable to that of a train's horn. She took a glance over the barrier, catching a glimpse of Jihyo snoozing with agape. Cute, she thought as she snapped a picture with her phone and she giggled, muffling it behind her palm. Her heart fluttered and her laughter was cut short.
What's wrong with me, she wondered as she placed a hand on her chest in an attempt to slow her racing heart. Jihyo's face appeared in the back of her mind causing her to reel away in shock. She slapped her cheeks, buried her face into her hands, forcing herself to push her feelings aside.
She couldn't feel this way, she shouldn't feel this way. They're groupmates after all; and relationships within groups usually don't end well. She had to push the feelings away. For the sake of the group.
With a sigh, she turned over, her back to the leader; and amidst much difficulty and confusion, Tzuyu let her exhaustion lull her to sleep, forcing herself to ignore the internal conflicts she's been denying all this while as well as the snores coming from the other end of the bed.
This was going to be a long night.
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What Tzuyu didn't know, is that her sleeping habits weren't any better.
The small room froze over as the air conditioning roared, prompting Jihyo to hug herself as the low temperatures froze her to the tips of her toes. Though the cold rarely ever bothered her, the fall nights as of recent just seemed too cold for her. She could have just switched on the heaters but then it'll just be too warm and she never liked the heat either.
Eyes still shut, her hands lazily scoured her side of the bed, searching for the blanket that should have been covering her, only to come up empty.
Tzuyu, the voice in her head hissed, knowing that only the maknae could have stolen the duvet. She got up, rubbed away the sleep from her eyes and peeked over the mountain of pillows, ready to snatch the blanket from the thieving maknae. But she instead softens at the sight of the youngest wrapped up in the covers like an oversized burrito.
Awwww, she quietly cooed at the sight, the ends of her lips twitching as she smiled before she realised that she had to face another dilemma. She didn't have the heart to disturb the younger girl's slumber. Tzuyu looked so soft, so comfortable; but her chattering teeth and aching joints were warning her that if she didn't do something soon, she probably wouldn't last the night.
Too lazy to grab another blanket, she carefully grabbed a corner of the duvet and tugged, slowly pulling what little of the blanket she could pry out from Tzuyu's tight grip. The maknae wasn't easy competition however, not loosening her hold one bit. It was a game of tug-of-war, with Jihyo pulling the fabric one way, and Tzuyu unconsciously pulling it the other.
But, it didn't take long before the older of the two managed to snatch just enough of the covers to shield her body from the cold. She didn't need much in the first place anyways — and she was proud to say it was one of the many perks of being small.
Jihyo curled up and laid on her side, snuggling under the sheets, grinning at her success as her eyes shut. Finally, she could sleep comfortably.
.
.
.
.
.
Huh? Jihyo's eyes flew open as a force pressed against her back, soft at first but gradually gaining strength until it was eventually strong enough to force her towards the edge of the bed. And before she could even figure out what was going on, she had landed on the cold, hard floor with a thud, groaning at the pain from the impact.
Rubbing her sore bottom, Jihyo glowered at the maknae who laid in a starfish position on the mattress. Tzuyu's long limbs were outstretched, taking up the whole bed after having shoved the leader of the bed; the collapsed wall of pillows was proof of that.
The older girl got up, brushed off the dust and tried climbing back under the covers but the moment she settled in, she was unceremoniously kicked off the bed once again, landing back on the floor, sure that she'll have a large bruise the next day. And she was less than pleased, cracking her knuckles and making a mental declaration.
This is war.
With all the strength her tiny body had, she pushed the maknae to the other end of the bed close to where the wall was. She then proceeded to slip under the covers and press herself against Tzuyu's back, spooning her to hold her down. It was a good idea in her opinion. Holding Tzuyu down would stop her from kicking the Jihyo off the bed and she would also be able to share the blanket without much fuss.
Though, the idea had only sounded better in her head. For in the next moment, the maknae managed to turn around despite being held down, and Jihyo found herself nose to nose with the younger girl, the close proximity sending warning signals to her brain.
Too close, too close, her brain screamed and she quickly pulled away, scrambling to the other end of the bed. She clamped a palm over to silence the scream she was close to letting out.
Jihyo could feel her face heat up, her stomach doing backflips. How could she not feel this way when she just had the prettiest girl she's ever seen this close to her face. Sure, she's lived with the girl and seven other equally beautiful girls for over two years now, but Tzuyu has always had a way with her heart. Not exactly something she could announce to the world.
She was Twice's leader for goodness sake. She was supposed to be a good example — caring, wise and serious when she needs to be; not a love struck fool. Also, the idea of love still scared her. She's been training for so long that she's never had a chance to experience it first hand. And Tzuyu and her had a bond she would never dare to sever. It would kill her to lose the maknae.
The leader was really considering going against Tzuyu's demands and just going to sleep on the couch for the night. It was the only way she was going to get any sleep that night after all. But, the maknae had other plans, an arm sneakily wrapping around the older girl's waist, pulling her close after having pushed her away for the past few minutes that have gone by.
Jihyo's breath hitched but she kept silent. She thought Tzuyu had woken up but the Taiwanese girl must have been a heavy sleeper, barely even stirring once throughout the whole ordeal. Unable to remove the arm, the older of the two decided instead to just accept her fate.
Well, at least she's finally warm.
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"...n-no...."
What was that... Tzuyu inwardly groaned, annoyed that she had been awoken from her slumber for the second time that night by the odd noise. Eyebrows furrowed, she listened closely in an attempt to pinpoint the source of the sound, but it was gone as if it had never been there in the first place. Maybe I was just imagining things, she concluded, dismissing the sounds as she lay back down and tried to fall back asleep.
It didn't last long however, as the sounds returned, clearer than before.
"...No..." Must be Jihyo again. Groggily, she turned over to glare at the older girl for interrupting her slumber. What she didn't expect to see however, was her leader surprisingly close and trembling uncontrollably under the duvet, eyes shut tight as soft whimpers escaped her lips.
"Jihyo unnie?" she called out silently, reaching over to shake the older girl awake, but received no response. She was fully awake now, adrenaline pumping through her blood out of anxiety as she moved closer to check on the older girl. Upon closer inspection, she could see the distress on the leader's face, her hair matted with perspiration as she tossed and turned, and Tzuyu knew Jihyo was having one of her nightmares again.
I often have paralysing nightmares, she remembers having heard Jihyo tell Mina during one of their breaks and again briefly on one of their V lives, though most paid little mind to it, thinking that it wasn't that severe especially with how casually the vocalist had said it. Tzuyu however, without the leader knowing, has actually seen first hand how awful those nightmares can get.
The dorm was silent, its occupants resting in preparation for the long day ahead. Tzuyu however stirred awake, parched from the warm summer air. Sneaking out of bed, she tiptoed over to the kitchen for a drink but her plans were put aside when a scream rang from the master bedroom. Silence filled the air before she heard the scrambling of feet and low whispers, tempting her, calling for her to move closer.
"It's alright Jihyo." She could hear Nayeon's hushed tone from behind the closed door, uncharacteristically shaky and full of concern. "We're here." Tzuyu knew she shouldn't have eavesdropped but she couldn't help herself. This was her Jihyo unnie they were talking about. She had to see. She had to know.
Burning with curiosity, Tzuyu carefully twisted the knob, trying not to make even a squeak as she pushed the door open just wide enough for her to peek in. Inside, she could see the silhouettes of the members crowding around the leader's bed. The girl in question had her face buried in the eldest's chest. Sana sat behind her, arms wrapped around her in a back hug while Mina her messy hair, all in an attempt to dispel the leader's fears.
"Don't tell the others," she could hear Jihyo beg among the whispers. "Please." Tzuyu had slipped away after that, returning to her room without anymore detours. She couldn't sleep that night and her heart ached when she saw the leader's puffy eyes the next morning, only hurting more when she had pretended to be alright.
The sounds of Jihyo's pained sobs snapped Tzuyu out of her thoughts. She turned to the older girl, eyes widening at the sight of tears streaming down her face. Oh no. She's crying, was the first thought that popped in the maknae's mind. Alarmed, Tzuyu panicked, unsure of what to do.
She was stumped. It was always the other way around; Jihyo comforting her not her comforting the leader. But with Jihyo's cries growing more alarming by the second, she knew she had to do something.
So Tzuyu did the first thing she could think of.
Reaching over, she pulled Jihyo into her arms, the older girl's face buried into the crook of her neck, feeling the tears soak her nightshirt, mirroring what she had seen Nayeon do all those nights ago. There was some resistance however; as Jihyo struggled to break out of her embrace, crying out in agony.
But she didn't let go, choosing instead to run a hand through the older girl's hair, something Jihyo used to do to her when Tzuyu herself had gone through some tough times. She could hear Jihyo's breathing even out, her body slowly relaxing into the younger girl's.
Holding unto the leader, Tzuyu realised that she had developed a particular instinct to protect the older girl. It's been there even before she had found out about Jihyo's nightmares but the sight of the girl writhing and whimpering like that really struck a chord within the girl. And Tzuyu knew she was going to help put a stop to these nightmares, both out of duty as a member and friend but also out of love that she had for the older girl.
Though she shouldn't have, Tzuyu pressed a kiss on Jihyo's forehead, smiling softly as the older girl's wrinkled her nose slightly before she leaned in closer into her touch.
Good job Tzuyu, she gave herself a pat on the back before her droopy eyes shut and she followed her unnie into dreamland.
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The next morning Jihyo found herself unable to meet Tzuyu's eyes.
How could she, when she had woken up buried against the maknae's chest with their legs a tangled mess under the sheets. She had turned her gaze upwards, only to see the younger girl staring down at her, the look in her eyes unreadable. Her heart had raced at the sight.
"Good morning unnie," Tzuyu had greeted her nonchalantly as though their position was in no way out of the norm. Jihyo quickly turned her eyes away from Tzuyu's own, trying to make little to no eye contact with the other girl. She could feel her cheeks burn and all she wanted to do was to stuff herself into a corner to hide from the embarrassment.
Instead, she greeted the younger girl good morning, stumbling over her words as she scrambled to untangle herself from the position they were in, announcing that she had to go prepare breakfast before pretty much running out of the bedroom and into the kitchen.
Jihyo could remember the events of the previous night quite clearly; and though the maknae hadn't said anything about the previous night, she could sense Tzuyu's worried gaze staring at her from across the room while she prepared breakfast for the nine of them.
She hated her nightmares and their bad timing, and she hated how Tzuyu of all people had to see her in such a feeble state. She was fine with her roommates knowing. After all, there was no way she could hide it from them. But not Tzuyu, whom she was supposed to be a pillar for. Jihyo was supposed to carry the group's burdens, not make them carry her burdens. And with Tzuyu knowing about her nightmares, Jihyo knew that she had just added something to the maknae's already full plate.
Speaking of Tzuyu...
"Unnie," Jihyo heard Tzuyu call out to her and she pretends that she doesn't hear her. She knew what Tzuyu was going to ask and she was in no way ready to answer her. "Jihyo unnie," Tzuyu called again, this time grabbing Jihyo by the shoulder and the older girl prays for something to intervene so she wouldn't have to answer her.
Thankfully, their seven terribly hungover members shuffled into the room, groaning like the zombies from their Like Ooh-Ahh music video, distracting Tzuyu and giving Jihyo enough time to slip out of her grip so that she could tend to her seven idiots (she still loves them despite the stupid things they end up doing).
"This is what you get for drinking without permission." Like a mother, Jihyo nagged at the seven, arms crossed over her chest as she shot daggers at them. The girls didn't respond, choosing instead to lay sprawled across the dining table, only apologising when Jihyo shot them another look.
Sighing, Jihyo grabbed the pot of tea she had been preparing and with Tzuyu's help, handed it out to the members who stared at the duo as if they were angels sent from the heavens. However, the duo were not ready for what came next.
"You smell like Tzuyu," Momo had mumbled as she hugged the leader, nuzzling her face against Jihyo's belly. Her comment had left the two flustered as the members sent them raised eyebrows and curious looks.
"Wait, Jihyo?" Jeongyeon called out to the leader who hummed in response before she turned to her. "If I slept in your bed, where did you sleep?" she asked and Jihyo felt her lips dry up, wiping her sweaty palms against her shorts. "O-on the couch," Jihyo stammered but it only casted more suspicion over her behaviour. "But it doesn't seem like anyone slept there," Chaeyoung stated, eyebrow raised at the leader's flustered appearance.
Instead of answering, Jihyo announced that she was going to wash up, made a beeline straight for the bathroom. Right before she could slam the door close however, a hand came between the gap and yanked the door open, eliciting a squeak from the leader when she spotted the tall figure of the maknae standing behind it.
"Unnie, about last night..." Tzuyu started, eyes begging for the leader to listen. Jihyo, though reluctant, let out s sigh and looked up at Tzuyu with questioning eyes. "What about it?" she asked, struggling to hide the nervousness in her tone. "Your nightmare. What was it about?" The question made Jihyo flinch, surprised by how straightforward the maknae was. But she kept silent, not planning to reveal the content of her nightmares. She couldn't bring herself to say it and Tzuyu must have seen her reluctance,
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," the younger girl said, reaching out to take Jihyo's hands in hers. "But whatever it is, I won't let anything happen to you. I'll protect you," Tzuyu declared before leaned forward to press a kiss against the leader's cheek and sauntering out of the room, feeling somewhat embarrassed yet proud of herself.
I'll protect you, the words rand in Jihyo's ears. It might have been an innocent proclamation, but Tzuyu really didn't know that those words would actually haunt the leader.
When the maknae had left, Jihyo slammed the door shut, locking it with trembly hands. She shakily dragged herself to the shower, stripping herself on the way. But as she the shower, she sank to her knees, clutching her chest. No.... her mind screamed as her nightmare flashed across her eyes.
"I told you I'll protect you."
Tzuyu stated with a smile, as blood dripped from the corner of her lips. Jihyo could only stand in place frozen in shock as Tzuyu kept her arms wrapped tightly around her. She could feel her weight pressed against her as the body slumped against her before crashing to the ground, a knife stabbed into the maknae's back. The faceless killer stood before her, mocking her, laughing at her misery.
"Your fault, you killed her," the voice mocked her before the scene changed and she was face to face with the members. "She died because of you," their voices accused her. No, she says but they continue their accusations and the scene switches again so that she's facing Tzuyu's parents. "You promised to protect her," they screamed but she couldn't even defend herself. Lastly, she sees Tzuyu's ghost, bloody and angry. "Your fault," she says and Jihyo breaks down,
"Please. No..." Jihyo's silent pleas filled the room, sobs wracking her petite figure. The scenes that play over and over again to torment her. Her body laid curled up against the wall, letting the pouring water hide her tears and wails. She's broken, biting down on a fist so that no one else would know, so Tzuyu wouldn't know.
Please don't let this happen. Please let it stay a dream. She prayed over and over again like a broken record until the tears are gone and is sore from sobbing. She doesn't know how much time has passed before she finally stepped out of the showers on trembling knees.
None of that will happen, none of it. She walked out of the bathroom once dressed, only to see the maknae happily bullying the other members. A grin crept onto her face but vanishes just as quickly, when the nightmares flash by again.Turning the other way, she speed walks away from the sight, praying once more.
Don't... Please...
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