Nayeon had been to so many of these company events she couldn’t even count them. They weren’t exactly her favorite thing in the world. In fact, she hated them with a passion. They were boring, full of people she disliked and who she knew they were just interested in talking to her to get something in return.

This time, to make things worse, none of her friends were attending. Jihyo was on a business trip, Jeongyeon had somehow found an excuse to get out of it, and even Momo had deserted her. She had accepted her fate of spending an awful evening and getting out of there as soon as it was polite to do so.

She was getting herself the first drink of the night (and probably the last one, as bored as she was she didn’t want to get drunk in public) when she saw someone familiar out of the corner of her eye. There she was, waiting for her own drink, Kim Dahyun.

Nayeon had only met her a handful of times before, and they had never really spoken. She only knew that she was a talented song-writer, and Jeongyeon’s close friend. She hoped that last part was a sign that she could make her night less insufferable.

“Dahyun?”

“Oh, hey Nayeon.” Dahyun smiled when she saw her. “You couldn’t get out of this either?” She joked as she took the drink the waitress handed her.

“Unfortunately, no. Jihyo would have had my head if I skipped.”

Dahyun laughed. Nayeon thought she had a really nice laugh. 

“Maybe we can keep each other company to make this all more bearable.”

“I was hoping you’d say that.”

It didn’t take more than five minutes for Nayeon to be completely smitten with Dahyun. She was funny and charming without even trying. They talked about music, and their friends, and their jobs. Nayeon wondered why the hell she hadn’t bothered to get to know her before.  

Still, she had dismissed the fluttery feeling in her stomach as the symptoms of a silly, fleeting  crush. She hadn’t been ready for the truth.

She hadn’t been ready to be smiling like a fool for days just remembering the time they had spent together that night. It had been so easy to talk to her, teasing each other back and forth. She hadn’t been ready to be unable to get Dahyun out of her mind from the moment they said goodbye.

Nayeon hadn’t been ready for her.

---

Nayeon and her had been texting since the event, but she hadn’t mentioned anything about working together. Which was why Dahyun was surprised when Jeongyeon told her she had asked specifically for her to help with her upcoming album. Dahyun had almost outright refused, but Jeongyeon had told her to really think about it.

It wasn’t like she didn’t want to. To be honest, ever since that other night, she would have welcomed any excuse to spend time with Nayeon, especially if it involved music. The only problem was that she didn’t know if she would be able to do it. She couldn’t write or compose anything, hadn’t been able to make something decent for months. And she would hate to disappoint Nayeon.

That was the main reason why she was about to text the other woman and tell her she wouldn’t be able to do it, but Nayeon called her first.

“I think we could do something really amazing together. Please, Dahyun?”

How could she say no to her?

Nayeon had insisted on being involved with every little detail of the album. That meant meeting they had to meet in person to work on the music and the lyrics, and although Dahyun was excited at the prospect of seeing her again she was also incredibly nervous.

It turned out, there was no need to be nervous at all.

Nayeon had sent her some of the lyrics she had been working on, and as she read them Dahyun felt inspiration come back to her. Maybe it was because she could identify so much with those words, maybe the pressure to impress her was just what she needed to get rid of her mental block. She had so many ideas she rushed to the piano to try to make sense of them all and come up with something she could show to Nayeon during their meeting.

Nayeon loved it all. She had plenty of ideas of her own, of course, but they were able to merge it all and make it even better.

From that first song they made together Dahyun knew they were going to do great things as a team.

---

Nayeon loved working with Dahyun. She just wondered if the girl was really that dense or if she was just pretending not to notice all of the songs she was writing were about her. She knew she was being reckless, but she couldn’t bring herself to care.

They had spent countless hours together, sitting on that uncomfortable piano bench as they went over the lyrics, and the melodies, and how they could make each song sound better than it already did. It was her dream, being able to do her own music like this, and Dahyun gave her all the freedom she needed while still doing her job perfectly. Her music was beautiful, and Nayeon felt like she had a gift. She had told her once, and Dahyun had only blushed and said Nayeon’s voice was the real gift. Then it was her who had been too flustered to say anything else.

There was this tension between them. Nayeon knew she should have stepped away, she knew that was the rational move to make, but the only thing she seemed to be able to do was getting closer to her. If she had thought her crush would go away once she got to know her more, she was awfully wrong. It got worse the more time she spent with Dahyun, the more she got to know her little quirks and habits, how she thought, how she felt music.

It should have felt wrong, like she was making a mistake, but nothing had felt so right in a long time.

They often spent long nights at the studio, after getting too caught up with their work they didn’t even notice how late it was until their stomachs started grumbling. Then, they usually ordered something to eat and talked about everything and anything, to disconnect from the songs for a while. Even though they were tired and mentally exhausted Dahyun always had a silly joke and a warm smile to cheer her up.

It was one of those nights when the inevitable finally happened.

“Do you mind me asking if you’re writing those songs with someone in mind?” Dahyun asked her out of the blue right after they had finished their dinner of take-out and ice-cream.

She looked nervous. Maybe she wasn’t as dense as Nayeon had thought.

“Yeah.”

“That person must be really lucky, then.”

“I don’t see it that way.”

Dahyun furrowed her brow. “Why?”

“It’s complicated.”

“Is it someone I know?”

“I think you know who it is about.” Nayeon smiled, but it was almost sad. Dahyun hated it when she smiled like that. She would do anything to make that sadness behind Nayeon’s eyes go away. Maybe it was because of that, maybe she was just feeling brave because she was ninety-nine per cent sure Nayeon’s song were about her, but the next thing she knew Dahyun was kissing her, softly pressing her lips against hers, holding her face delicately as if she was going to break in any moment.

Nayeon kissed back. She couldn’t help herself, not when she had longed for this for weeks. She had known she had been playing a dangerous game with the songs, but she had no choice. She couldn’t write about anything else. Every time she tried to it was only Dahyun who inspired her words.All the feelings she felt for her, ones that she had given up hope on feeling again a long time ago.  

She knew it was pointless to resist. And yet, she still tried to. She put a hand on Dahyun’s shoulder and gently pushed her away.

“I’m sorry, I should have not, I shouldn’t have assumed-“

“You did nothing wrong.” Nayeon shook her head. “It’s okay, really. It’s me. I should know better. I just can’t do this.” No matter how much she wanted to.

“But-“ Dahyun tried to interrupt her, but Nayeon was already getting up and gathering her things.

“I’m really sorry, Dahyun. Let’s pretend this didn’t happen? Please. I don’t want to lose your friendship over this.”

“You won’t.” The other woman looked sad and a little lost. It hurt Nayeon to know she was the cause of it. “They are about me, aren’t they? I just need to know for sure.”

“Of course they are.” Nayeon faked another smile. Dahyun hated it. “Goonight, Dahyun.”

---

Dahyun had invited her to her apartment so they could work without worrying about leaving the studio free for others. She obviously had a piano there, and it was practically all that they needed. Nayeon wondered if she was aware of the dangers of her offer, especially after what had happened a few weeks ago. They were still trying to pretend it hadn’t.  

“What have you been working on?” Dahyun asked her as sat together in front of the piano. “Do you have something new?”

“I do have something. It’s still very unpolished, though.”

“Let’s see it! That’s what we’re here for anyway, right?”

Nayeon hesitated. Her mind went back to their kiss. It seemed to happen a lot lately. Maybe because she wanted so badly to go back. To go back or for it to happen again.

“Okay. I’ll show you.” She put her fingers on the keys and started to play. Her fingers were still a little clumsy, she was a mediocre player, especially compared to Dahyun, but her voice was soft and clear when she started singing.

“Our secret moments in a crowded room, they've got no idea about me and you. There is an indentation in the shape of you, made your mark on me, a golden tattoo.”

She could feel the other woman’s stare on her as she sang, and it made her heart race. She resisted the urge to turn her head and meet her eye until she felt Dahyun put her hand on top of hers, making her stop playing. “Don’t hold back.”

This time, there was no will left in Nayeon to resist the need to kiss Dahyun again.

It was nothing like their first kiss. It was hungry, and desperate, and Nayeon couldn’t get enough of it. Dahyun straddled her, and she grabbed her hips to pull her even closer.

“If we do this, we can’t” She tried to speak between kisses. “No one can know. It will have to be a secret.”

“I know.” Dahyun muttered against her lips before kissing her again. “I don’t care.”

“You say that now, but-“ She was cut off when Dahyun’s lips left her neck and pressed against hers again.

“I don’t care.” She breathed out, looking at Nayeon straight in the eye. She knew that what Dahyun was about to say wasn’t just a product of the urge and the need they felt for each other at the moment. “I want you. Not just this. I want everything with you.”

Nayeon would never be strong enough to deny her that. Not when she was more than willing to give it to her.

---

There was still a lot Dahyun didn’t know about Nayeon, but she didn’t mind. Little by little, she was sure she was becoming the person who knew the most about her, and she loved that. It wasn’t like Nayeon was an especially secretive person, but Dahyun could tell there were some things she kept to herself. She was content to wait until she was comfortable enough to share.

She should have guessed that when the time came, she would do it like she had done it so many times before. Through a song.

“I wrote this five years ago. But I found it the other day and I thought maybe it could fit in this new album.”

Dahyun’s face reflected her surprise as she read the lyrics. “Nayeon, this is amazing. Why hadn’t you recorded this before?”

“I don’t know.” She suddenly got a little shy, and Dahyun knew there was something behind it. There had to be. The words was beautiful, but heartbreaking. It felt so real she was sure there had to be a story, a real story, that inspired them. “I guess I wasn’t ready before. It’s pretty personal. And I needed to do it with someone I trusted.”

Dahyun grinned. “We’ll make a masterpiece out of this.”

It wasn’t until a few days later, when the song was almost done, that Nayeon brought it up again. They were lying in bed at the older girl’s apartment, cuddled up together under the blankets. Dahyun’s fingers traced the small tattoo on Nayeon’s hip absentmindedly, a habit she had acquired lately whenever they were in this position.

“Do you remember the rumors about me dating right after I debuted?” Nayeon suddenly spoke, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled between them.

“Yeah.”

“They were true.” Dahyun wasn’t surprised. Nayeon, even if some people didn’t like to see it that way, was still human. She could have easily been in love back then.

“Is that what the song is about?”

“Yes.”

Dahyun didn’t ask further. She knew Nayeon would go on if she wanted to.

“It’s about Jihyo.” That was a little surprising. But, the more she thought about it, the more sense it made. They had always been incredibly close, and their relationship was something special.

“Do you want to talk about it?”  

It wasn’t until Nayeon finished talking, after a few tears had been spilled and dried with soft kisses, that Dahyun realized that was probably the first time she had ever told that story.

---

Sometimes, the most insignificant moments are the ones that made you realize the most important things.

Her relationship with Dahyun had been going well. It was wonderful, in fact. Nayeon couldn’t remember the last time she had been this happy, and she only wished it would never stop. There was always this fear at the back of her mind, that things could go awfully wrong just like they did the all those years ago, but she tried not to think about it too much.

She had been doing interviews for hours, and she was exhausted. She loved her job, but sometimes it could take a toll on her. She was looking forward to getting home, taking a shower and going straight to bed, which was the best ending she could imagine to that day.

But that may have been so before. Before Dahyun had come into her life and made everything better just by being her loving, dorky, amazing self.

Instead, what she got when she arrived home was a warm welcome by her girlfriend, who greeted her with a tight hug and a kiss, who had a hot bath ready for her and who was already finishing up the dinner she had prepared for them. For a moment, she felt so grateful her eyes welled up, but she managed to hold back the tears. Dahyun already enough for being too emotional.

She walked back into the kitchen after her bath, her hair still a little damp, to see Dahyun dancing around to some song on the radio, using a spatula as a microphone. Nayeon laughed and it made Dahyun notice she was there, but she didn’t seem to be embarrassed at all. Instead, she just took her hands and pulled her in to dance with her. Nayeon was still tired, so it didn’t take them long to end up slow dancing despite the song’s quicker pace. She just leaned on Dahyun as they softly swayed.

She knew right then, as Dahyun pressed a kiss against her temple, that she would do anything not to lose this. It had already happened to her once, and she wouldn’t let it happen again under any circumstance. She would make sure of it.

She’d had her success, but how much was it really worth when you didn’t have anyone to share it with?

“Are you hungry?” Dahyun asked her. “Dinner is ready. Let’s go eat, babe.”

Nodding, Nayeon followed her. She insisted on sitting on Dahyun’s lap and making her feed her, arguing that she was too tired to do it herself. Dahyun just laughed and humored her. She was already used to it.

That night, as Dahyun wrapped an arm around her waist and rested her head on her chest, falling asleep almost immediately, Nayeon made a promise to herself that this time she wouldn’t give up without a fight. And it would be a fight she wouldn’t lose.