Seungwan walks into her room and places the sleeping Joohyun on her bed. She was about to walk away when Joohyun reaches out and grabs her hand before sitting up.

“Where are you going?”

“Oh, uh, since all the rooms are taken, I was just going to go downstairs.”

“Why? There’s room here.”

Seungwan smiles tiredly at her. “It’s okay. I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable. Besides, I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep much tonight anyways.”

“I don’t mind. This is your room and your bed. Who am I to just take over?”

“I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me.” Seungwan says as she gently removes Joohyun’s hand.

“Stay. Please?” Joohyun says softly looking at Seungwan with searching eyes.

Seungwan frowns.

“Everyone needs someone to lean on. Plus, I don’t want you to be alone.”

Seungwan looks at her feet and thinks about it. It was true. Seulgi and Sooyoung. Yeri and Saeron. Even her mother and Mrs. Bae. She gives a small scoff and smiles. “It seems everyone has someone but…me.”

Joohyun can see the sadness in Seungwan’s face. She moves to get on her knees so she is at eye level with Seungwan. She cups Seungwan’s face and lifts it up.

“You have me.” Joohyun says. Her words filled with comfort and sincerity.

Seungwan looks at her. Searching her eyes. Seeing the honesty in Joohyun’s eyes, she relaxed her shoulders and let out a deep breath, she didn’t know she was holding.

Seungwan breaks the eye contact and looks at her feet again as she places her hands over Joohyun’s and brings them down.

“Thanks for being my friend. I’ll be okay.” She looks up at Joohyun. “Goodnight.”

With that Seungwan turns to leave but Joohyun leaps forward and hugs her from behind.

“You don’t always have to be strong. I’m right here. You said I’m your friend so share some of the pain with me. I’m not going anywhere.” Joohyun says with desperation in her voice.

The hug surprises Seungwan but she’s more surprised by her words. It takes her a moment before she tries to untangle Joohyun’s arms around her shoulders.

Joohyun hugs her tighter.

“Don’t say anything. Just stay with me tonight. I know you want to be alone but I don’t want to be alone. At least do that for me.”

Seungwan lets out a deep and heavy breath before pulling Joohyun’s hands down to turn around and look at her.

Joohyun waits for rejection but it never comes. She watches as Seungwan smiles tiredly at her before nodding.

She automatically smiles as she moves to make space for the woman in front of her.

Seungwan turns off the lights. The room is lit up by the moonlight. She makes her way over to the bed and slips in.

They lay facing away from each other. It doesn’t take long before Joohyun falls asleep due to the long night.

Seungwan lies awake as many things run through her mind. She can’t sleep comfortably. After a minute or two, she decides to turn to lay on her other side.

As she does, she finds herself face to face with the sleep Joohyun. She is frozen in place as she holds her breath.

Gently and quietly as she can, she moves to turn back the other way but is unable to when Joohyun suddenly moves forward and snuggles closer to her. She tucks her head neatly into the crook of Seungwan’s neck and draping an arm over her waist.

Seungwan doesn’t dare move. She holds her breath. After a few seconds, realizing the girl is asleep, she lets her breath out slowly.

She tries to remove Joohyun’s arm but when she hears whimpering, she stops. Thinking Joohyun was having a bad dream, she moved her arm and placed it around Joohyun’s back.

She gently and lightly pats her back.

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