The party lasts well into the night, with majority of the students stumbling and exhausted by the end of it. 

After seeing Seulgi face-plant on the floor twice, before draping herself across hers and Joy’s laps on the couch, Seungwan decides that their little group should head home; especially before everyone else does. She wants a clear route back to their shared apartment, instead of squeezing with the throes of vomiting people. Gross. 

She whispers her plan to her girlfriend, who agrees that “yea I’m a little tired too,” with a glint in her eye. 

Sooyoung cradles her face, fingers curled around her jawline and guides their lips together. They kiss slowly, taking their time to exist in their love. But then Sooyoung gives Seungwan a final peck, before pulling away from her side, (albeit very reluctantly), to look for Joohyun. 

And so Wendy takes this time, while Joy attempts to extract Irene from the crowd, to wake Seulgi up. She smooths out her hair, brushing away the stray strands that came out of Seulgi’s bun, and gently taps at her cheeks. 

“Seulgi-ah, can you wake for me please?” Seulgi is flushed to the tip of her nose, and clammy to the touch. She groans, scrunching up her face in the most adorable way, before straining her eyes open. 

“I’m up, I’m up,” she slurs, “are we going home?” 

She tells Seulgi, that yes, they’re heading home, and gently guides her to her feet, all wobbly and shifty in her crumpled Pringles costume. They stumble out of the house, into the cool air, where Joy and Irene are already waiting. Seulgi teeters a little, but looks slightly more sober as she pulls away from Wendy to go to Irene. 

The both of them are significantly more drunk than Wendy and Joy, leaning against one another for balance and still swaying precariously. Seulgi, trying to be gentlemanly, offers Irene her hand, and the both of them are giggling and flushed as they stumble onto the street and start the trek home. 

Sooyoung hooks her arm around Seungwan’s and they watch on amusedly from behind. 

The walk home is slow, what with the two less-than-sober people, but the cold Autumn air does well for them. By the time they reach the lobby of their shared apartment, Seulgi isn’t flushed anymore, and Irene no longer looks as though she’s about to fall at any moment. 

-

“Shall I walk my lady to her door?” Seungwan is twinkling and bright and playful, and Sooyoung is almost breathless just looking at her. 

“Aren’t we already at the door?” Sooyoung gestures, and sure enough, they are already stood at their bedroom door. 

Seungwan laughs, clear and so damn beautiful. She opens their bedroom door, steps in, and bows dramatically. “Well then, should I take my lady to bed?” 

“You shallst.” 

She struts into the room, in what she thinks is a ‘Victorian strut’, and flicks her hair. And they’re both wheezing from laughter. In that moment the moonlight catches Seungwan’s face, and Sooyoung is blown away once again. Seungwan is enigmatic. She is brilliant and amazing and she is Sooyoung’s. 

Their laughter tapers off and Seungwan is looking at her with those big eyes. She is smiling and full of love that Sooyoung practically lurches forward to gather her in her arms. 

She can’t feel the buzz of the alcohol anymore, but her body is thrumming - her heart thumping thumping thumping. 

-

The next morning Sooyoung wakes up and the first thing she realises is that Seungwan is not cuddling her. Blinking sleep from her eyes, she finds Seungwan one movement away from falling off the bed, swaddled in all the blankets. Her face is buried in her pillow, and the only thing visible is a small tuff of hair that the blanket is unable to cover. 

There’s a slight ache beginning to take root at the back of her head. But she ignores it in favour of getting closer to her girlfriend, shifting and tugging until she’s managed to press up against Seungwan. Seungwan, in turn, wiggles out from her blanket mountain to face Sooyoung. Her arms automatically wrapped around Sooyoung’s waist, cheek mushed up against her collarbone. 

It’s early. The sun is still selfishly clinging onto the tails of the night, leaving the room basking in the calming shades of pastel pink. And Sooyoung can see how her girlfriend is also still chasing sleep. She blinks blearily, warm air ghosting along Sooyoung’s skin as she breathes. Everything is slow, gentle. She traces the words “I love you” along Seungwan’s back, and it’s so cringeworthy but she can’t help but be soft for Seungwan. (Nobody can.) They’ve been together for so long - there isn’t a life without Seungwan, nor is there meaning without her. 

Today is as good a day as any other to skip classes, Joy thinks. Even if Wendy will grumble about the importance of education. (They can roll out of bed at noon, eat a lazy lunch, and spend the rest of the day chilling with the rest of the gang.)

Yes, no attending classes today. 

-

Rumours fly, gossip spread. The week after after the Halloween party is full of them. Wendy feels so many pairs of eyes following her whenever she’s on campus. The stares bore into the back of her head in class, claw at her back as she walks towards the Drama building, cling on jealously when she’s in the library. 

The students seem to have figured out their obliviousness, seeing as they gasp in unison whenever Wendy sneaks into the theatre to leave Joy’s lunchbox before lunch break. 

Seungwan has been doing that ever since Sooyoung started schooling in the University (and maybe during high school as well). 

They’ve figured out a rhythm that works in tandem with both of their tight schedules - they’ll leave for school together, separating for classes, and since Seungwan mostly only has a single class in the morning, she will return home after the class to prepare their lunches, and then bring the lunchboxes to wherever Sooyoung will be. If they are lucky, and Sooyoung isn’t being a busy social-butterfly, or having drama rehearsals, they will retreat to an alcove on the campus grounds to enjoy a little lunch date. If not, Seungwan will leave her lunchbox (along with a little note of affection) on Sooyoung’s bag, before joining Joohyun and Seulgi for lunch instead. Sometimes Yerim sneaks out of high school to meet her for lunch, but that is breaking school rules, and Seungwan nags at her for that, (even though she does miss her little sister a lot).

Such an intricate routine that has been going on for almost two months, and it takes school a party to see the signs. Wendy wonders if the students are there to learn or to gossip. Joy says that they are all there to learn about gossip. And kisses her before Wendy is able to rebutt.

-

Sooyoung ends her ‘hell week’ a few days before Seungwan, submitting her final paper a whole 72 hours before Seungwan does. And with the conclusion of her first ‘exam period’ in university, she’s taken to walking Seungwan to all her classes, and being an amazing source of distraction at the library for her. The peace Seungwan usually enjoys at the library is disrupted by her girlfriend’s presence - Sooyoung always sits directly across from her, and studies her so lovingly that the words and notes start blurring into one, and all her brain wants to write about is how smooth and perfect Sooyoung’s skin is even under the harsh fluorescent light of the library, or how soft Sooyoung’s lips are against her own. And moreover, with Sooyoung’s recent schedule change, her swarm of fans has also re-rooted themselves in the library, and being a general nuisance to Seungwan. They buzz annoyingly at every little movement. (And Seungwan knows Sooyoung is popular, and is grateful to the support they provide). But she knows that they are practically on the verge of being kicked out by the librarian; who glares at Sooyoung every time she enters the library.

Seungwan is always full of jitters and nerves when it comes to her studies — it’s hard being the top student. And the recent attention placed on her back, along with a serious amount of work the university has given, has made her significantly more tightly wound. Her hair is beyond frizzy, mind frazzled and clingier than usual. But after submitting her final paper, Seungwan just feels exhausted. 

She slides her laptop back into its case, neatly stacks all the music sheets, before slotting herself into Sooyoung’s waiting arms. Sooyoung is half asleep already, softly sleep-mussed and groggy, but still she tilts down to press a sloppy kiss on the corner of Seungwan’s mouth. 

“Sleep, unnie.” Sooyoung tugs at her, arranging her limbs with heavy, sluggish movements until they are both content, until Seungwan is molded into every crevice of hers. “I love you.” 

Even while half asleep, Sooyoung still attempts to loosen up the muscles at the back of her neck, loose fingers gentle pressing and massaging. Seungwan closes her eyes, listens to the soft rhythm of Sooyoung’s heartbeat, and follows her to dreamland. 

“I love you too.”

___________________________

hellooo I am back w another chapter

also like I kinda miss wentae so so look out for that in the near future? ded I have so many wips - like I still have a Halloween/horror au for wenseul, and my soft au for wenseul, and (oops) for wenrene. /I guess u can tell who my bias is 

if there are are any mistakes I’ll try my best to fix it but I’m sick rn so it’s very messy sorry!! And enjoy Halloween tmr )(I’m going to dress up as Kaonashi WHOOP WHOOP) and CANT WAIT FOR SM HALLOWEEN WOO okay goodnight