Yongsun woke up with the sunlight directly shining on her face, enough to warm up her left cheek, the heat eventually waking her up. It would have been a great morning, really, if not for the throbbing pain in her head and the smell of wine on her shirt which was soiled with drops of pinot noir. 

Embarrassing.... She thought, getting drunk out of her wits like that, alone.

She reached for her phone on her bedside table and looked at the time, it was 9 in the morning and a weekend at that. She has messaged her employees yesterday (before she got wasted over wine) that they were going to take the day off today and not open the cafe.

Might as well tend to the house...

Yongsun decided to lay down in bed for a while as she tries to make sense of her surroundings over her hangover. For some reason, however, she felt that something was... wrong? or that something was missing? She couldn't point out what it is exactly. She racked her brain for answers, none; it was nothing but a big haze and plain drunkenness. She looked around her room, nothing notable really, still the lavender walls that she's so used to. After a few more minutes of wondering what was bothering her subconcious, she gave up and took a quick shower. She headed to the kitchen to whip something up for the croaking frog in her belly. Until she saw something on the countertop. It was a note stuck to a teacup filled with what she assumed was chamomile tea from her own pantry, and beside it was a hangover medicine.

You could have atleast invited me if you wanted to drink like that ㅋㅋ Make sure to rest today. 

- BYUL

The note reads.

Byul... Hmmm... She feels eerily uncomfortable reading her name. 

Byul.... Oh.. --BYUL! THAT was what's wrong!

As if her head wasn't throbbing enough already, Yongsun felt dizzy once more as she recalled the things she said and did last night in her boozed-up state. 

"Y-you're...co-confusing me, you know"

"I-It's...Y-you're pretty...and y-you smell n-ice."

The words uttered by her drunk self rang in her head like a broken bell on her cafe's counter. 

Who the says those things so bravely like that?

She cried inside, not wanting to confront the loud pumping of her chest when she remembered how the younger woman tended to her so... gently last night. And then, there it was.

"You can keep me."

"Wait....I-- Don't tell me....I ING KISSED HER.... NO, NO, NO... WHY--"

She cussed multiple times, the panic setting in deeper than it already has. It's over for her... really. She had hoped to keep her feelings a bit more on the down low for longer but she didn't expect it to blow up too soon. Behind her embarassment, though, was a hint of hope; that Byul felt the same way because she kissed her back (or Yongsun hoped she did). They have always flirted with each other jokingly, but she has now stepped into an unfamiliar territory--and she knew that there was no going back. Though she dreamt that a certain someone would also dare to cross the line that she did with her. 

"God...how am I gonna face her now? I might be insane..." Yongsun planted her face on the table.... She doesn't really want to move or do anything.

---------------------------------------------------

"They cancelled the deal, unnie." Wheein said, her eyes evidently tinged with disappointment. 

Byul looked up abruptly as her eyes widened at the short woman's words, a thousand thoughts came flooding within her head.

"You know I should have seen it coming to be honest, they were offering me such a high amount yet I haven't really encountered the company's name in my line of work. It was kinda too good to be true to begin with." Wheein sighed as she drank her tea. She and Byul originally decided to meet up today to go to the contract signing with TN Inc. since Hyejin specifically entrusted her girlfriend to the taller girl.

"Did they tell you why?"

"They told me something like 'there are matters in the company that have hindered us from going through with this offer' or something. Honestly, I think those are kinda bull but whatever." Wheein laughs, totally oblivious to the confused state of the woman in front of her.

Did they know that we were mobilizing forces?.... .... That is toying with us....

"Hellooo?? Earth to Moonbyulie?" Byul was interrupted with Wheein's voice, snapping her out of her trance.

"Unnie, are you that sad for me? Don't worry, this artwheest here will reach larger companies in the future, I'm sure of it." Wheein smiles proudly as she tries to convince the seemingly bothered Byul that it was going to be okay.

"Well, I'm pretty sure you can even reach Jupiter with that much talent." Byul finally grins playfully.

"Eyy... Don't make my head grow bigger, unnie."

The two of them decided to finish their drinks before eventually parting ways after Byul declined Wheein's offer to treat her to a meal as "payment" for her companionship. The free meal could wait another day.

Byul hurried to report everything that she knew to the higher ups and a new plan was drafted for their team. She went home with a renewed anger in her heart for Taecyeon and his men. The pain of losing people in her life snuck in the back of her mind again until her eyes were filled with tears. And as if the heavens listened to her pain, her phone lit up to show a familiar caller ID. Byul wiped her tears and snot, and cleared her voice before answering.

"Hello unnie~ How are you?" Byul answered trying her best not to sound like she was falling apart seconds ago.

"Oh--ah--h-heyy!" Yongsun said, stuttering. Then, a healthy pause filled the line, neither one really had the courage to break since what happened last night.

"C-can I uhmm, go to your place?" Yongsun asked, filled with hesitation.

"Ah... no I'll just go to yo--"

"NO! I mean, no, you're always the one going to my house and I always bother you, so... can I go to yours instead?"

Byul chuckled silently on the other side of the line. "Well... I guess. If that's what the princess wishes. I'm not gonna ask for the reason why, it seems pretty urgent so just get here safely please."

Yongsun almost sighed out loud in relief. There's the greasy hamster..... Atleast we're not gonna be awkward, right?

Byul spent the few minutes of Yongsun's travel to her house to check if there are "work-related" things that she should hide in her house. It also gave her time to remember what happened last night.

She probably can't remember it.... Byul thought to herself after recalling how drunk the older girl was last time. 

But a rational part of her mind also asks, What if she remembers? Then what?

Byul slammed the thought and immediately went outside to keep a lookout for Yongsun, after all, she is still her bodyguard. Thankfully, her house has a different entrance which she could use to make it seem like she has been in her house the entire time. She trailed the older girl at a safe distance, glancing at her small figure in a view that was all too familiar with her. It felt like dejavu for Byul: Yongsun walking ever relaxed as she always did. But Byul couldn't help but notice the slight hesitation in her steps and the way she looks quite nervous. Byul made sure to make a quick note of that in her mind. To her surprise, Yongsun stopped and looked around, seemingly observing if there are other people around and suddenly she lets out a short, frustrated scream and mumbles to herself just loud enough that Byul heard it

"Just what was I thinking doing that?!"

Cute... Moonbyul stifled a chuckle to prevent the other girl from recognizing her.

Until it was time that Byul plays the pretending game and she sneakily goes inside her own house to pretend that she's been inside the whole time. The doorbell rings and she sees the cheeky (quite literally) woman who offered her a small smile throgh the intercom. 

"Hey", Yongsun greets timidly, pairing it with a small smile that Byul mirrored with her signature smirk that was less teasing.

"Hey... Well, come in." 

The apartment was modern and is perfectly the size of a one-person home. Byul keeps things neat, to say the least; everything organized and polished the way Byul liked. 

"Sorry I wasn't able to cook anything for you, would you like some snacks?"

"Oh... No need, I--came by in a hurry so you don't need to worry about it."

"Hmm... Alright, if you say so... But would you like some coffee? I mean, it's not as good as the ones in your café but I can try."

Yongsun giggles. "Sure, if you're so eager to match this barista, then let's see." She challenges playfully.

"Oh.. so we're turning this to a competition now? Byul raises her eyebrow "Fine, wait for me here or just entertain yourself with that if you want." Byul points to the white electric keyboard sitting on the corner of her living room, before going to her kitchen. 

Yongsun was thankful for the normalcy of their banter and relieved to know that her dreaded awkwardness was nowhere in their interaction. She uses this time to gather her thoughts and block the thumping sound of her chest. She looks at the keyboad, reminding her of the faux proposal Byul did at her café when she got unrightfully jealous over her own employee.

Finally, Byul arrives, interrupting her thoughts with two coffee cups in her hand and gave one to Yongsun, who was thankful to have something to disguise the heat in her cheeks with. The two women sipped their coffee in silence as Yongsun desperately tries to evade the younger woman's eyes, knowning well that she has to face the consequences of her drunk actions in the form of an outrageously handsome woman whom she kissed last night.

"So... what brought this pretty barista to my house this early in the morning?" Byul grins while taking a sip from her cup again.

Usually, she'd throw a playfully disgusted comment at such a cheesy remark but now, all Yongsun wants is to be swallowed whole by the ground. She takes a good, deep breath, mustering up the courage to look at the pair of eyes looking back at her and finally speaks.

"I remember... last night..." She looks at Byul, careful to show her intentions. "I apologize..." For a moment, Yongsun thinks Byul's smile faltered and before it fully drops, she continued "...for kissing you so suddenly. But I won't apologize for the things I said. I only regret the fact that I said those things in a non-sober state..." Byul chuckles. "But unfortunately, those things were true."

"Unfortunately?" Byul scrunches her eyebrows.

"Yes, because I apparently like this one hell of a cheesy woman." Yongsun rolls her eyes playfully. "Hey listen, I'm not sure how you feel about me and it was never my intention to pressure you by kissing you last night, so I'm sorry for that."

"Well, I--I was honestly so convinced that you forgot everything, but here we are." Byul managed to respond.

"You.. do not have to say anything because I know things were sudden. I just... wanted to let you know that my actions last night.. weren't just the wine--well it partly was--but I didn't do it to toy with your feelings. 

And there it was. Byul doesn't know if it was the sincerity in Yongsun's words or the fact that Yongsun thinks she deserves to know the truth while she was hiding the biggest lie from her. Byul felt a pounding in her head and a good ounce of guilt in her chest.

"I just--I don't know if I deserve you." Byul says, pained and on the verge of tears. Because god, does she want to make Yongsun hers but it does not take away the fact that she is her father's employee, who he tasked to protect his daughter from some ill-virtued lunatic who has a knack for hurting people. It was all so insanely ed up that Byul's head starts to spin and the lump in threatens her heart to spill out. She wants her more than anything, but the repercussions of possibly being together is greater than what her love can offer Yongsun, Byul thinks.

"What's on your mind?", Yongsun nudges a question with the gentlest tone she's ever heard from her and Byul feels like she's going to break.

"I want you, I really do but...

"And that's enough for me..." Seeing how the younger woman struggles, Yongsun cuts her off and places a warm hand on top of hers. "Listen... I'm not asking you for anything right now, I just want to tell you how I felt. We can take this slowly, okay?" 

Byul manages to give a weak nod as her mind fills itself with the worst case scenarios. Though a tiny voice in her head is urging her to finally be brave and to choose an ounce of happiness for her own sake. Selfish? Yes, extremely. Her mission is at an extremely crucial point where one mistake can blow everything up and cost the life of someone--and god forbid, it be Yongsun's or her loved ones'. No, she simply cannot let that happen. But what about her? What about her own happiness?

So, Byul tries. She grabs the hand on top of hers and kisses one of its knuckles. "I'm sorry, but I might take a while to figure everything out... And I don't know how long this will take, but will you stay with me while I figure this out?"

"I can wait here for as long as you want." Yongsun smiles and her heart can never be happier. She doesn't know the things plaguing Byul's mind and as curious as she may be, she figured she'll just wait until the younger woman opens up. But for now, at least she knows that she has her heart.

God, I really don’t deserve you. Byul thinks, looking intently at the older woman finally in front of her, staring back like Byul holds the universe in her eyes and in those seconds she was convinced that she was.

After a while, Yongsun releases a sigh of relief, “Well, that went better than expected…”

“Why? Do you think I’ll be cruel enough to reject a pretty lady who willingly confessed that she was into me? No way.” 

“Oh, so it was all pity?”

“No, because unfortunately I also happen to like this pretty barista.” and Byul kisses her with a gentleness like she will break anytime. So Yongsun places a hand on her cheek, encouraging her to want more. And it was enough to cut the invisible rope so tightly bound, restraining them both like an unspoken rule every time. 

They both melt into the kiss, turning heated as moments pass. With the force of built-up tension, the pair somehow managed to end up on the sofa as Yongsun straddles the younger girl’s lap. Their tongues explore whatever they can now that they’ve clearly crossed the line.

A small sound escaped Yongsun’s lips as the younger woman’s thumb s its way under her shirt, breaking off their make out session. 

“SORRY” Byul blurted out in panic.

Yongsun burst out in laughter, infecting the younger woman. Once they both settle Byul burries her face in the older woman’s neck, inhaling her scent. 

This. Her. Her warmth. All made Byul’s head spin with want—to protect and to cherish the only person who was kind enough to dare to love her. She becomes more selfish than ever, so she stays there and promises herself that she would do anything to keep this warmth even for a little bit longer.

"So much for taking it slow, huh?", Byul chuckles pulling herself back to the present while the older girl was suddenly reminded of the things Byul said in her drunken daze last night.

"I wish I could stay looking at you like this forever. I want to keep you safe in my arms...always"

"Hey Byul"

"Hmm?"

"I know I've said this before, but...." Yongsun says through her flustered cheeks. "You can keep me."

Byul finally looks at her like the world stopped revolving just for them in this moment. Has she always looked at me this way? Yong wonders. 

"I have always kept you here" Byul points to her chest and as if on cue, the grin on her lips starts growing annoyingly fast.

And I can only hope that you keep me too, even when everything unfolds before for us.

¤_¤

It's quite literally been 2 years since I've updated this fic T__T And in the span of those years, I've fallen in love, got my heart broken, entered uni, and finally saw mamamoo live for the first time in my 7 years as a fan. They were the absolute best and I cannot believe how amazing it is to see them in their element in real life. I can only wish for all moos to experience seeing them live T__T Anyway, if you're still here after all these years, thank you! I really wanted to give my characters an ending they deserve so I came back here. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Again, let me know what you think! Keep smiling, beautiful people <33