At this point, it had become fairly routine.

Either Nayeon or Sana would send a text, usually to the tune of, “Want to come over?” Decidedly unromantic and to the point, but that was just how things were between them. It was Sana ending up at Nayeon’s place more often than not, since Sana apparently had two homebodies for roommates. Nayeon’s apartment was bigger, anyway— her comfy bed was also a plus, not that Sana ever actually slept over.

They’d met at a bar a couple of months ago, introduced by a friend of a friend of a friend. Sana was all smiles and lingering touches, and, well, Nayeon enjoyed the attention after a long series of headache-inducing workdays. Naturally, one thing led to another, and before long they found themselves in a cab on their way back to Nayeon’s apartment.

The first time they slept together was good, no doubt about it, but there were no illusions about what it was: a one-night stand. They didn’t even bother exchanging numbers when it was over, Sana throwing her clothes back on and slipping out Nayeon’s door with a coy smile.

As it turns out, one-night stand it was not. Thanks to that friend of a friend of a friend, they wound up at the same party a few weeks later. That night ended in the same way the first one had, except this time Nayeon had Sana’s number logged into her phone as a contact. They were having fun, Sana was sweet and undoubtedly gorgeous, and it felt good, so why not? They’d both made it explicitly clear that they weren’t looking for anything other than casual , and Nayeon was content with being an occasional booty call as long as it was mutually beneficial.

This time around, on a Friday evening somewhat despairingly devoid of plans, it was Nayeon texting Sana. She decided to go for a more cliche opener tonight— “You up?” she typed out, adding a winking emoji at the end— because she knew it was the sort of thing that would make Sana laugh. She set her phone on her nightstand, basically twiddling her thumbs until she got a text back. It wasn’t like she was desperate or anything— it’d just been a while since one of their “escapades”, and Nayeon was looking to destress after a particularly ty work week.

It took weirdly longer than normal for Nayeon’s phone to light up with a notification from Sana. They’d only had a handful of “conversations” since they’d exchanged numbers, but Nayeon always found it surprising whenever they did text how fast Sana was to reply. It was like the woman was glued to her phone. This time, about six minutes had passed before her phone buzzed— not that Nayeon was counting, or anything.

Actually, Sana’s response did seem a little off: “Yes, on my way” it read, with no emojis or anything. Sana’s texts always contained three emojis at a minimum, something that was both exhausting and, okay, maybe a little endearing. Shrugging it off— she wasn’t the only one allowed to have a rough day, after all— Nayeon just sent a thumbs up and got up from her bed, moving to the living room to wait for Sana to arrive.

Sana only lived a couple blocks away, so Nayeon didn’t have to wait long before there was a knock at her door. As soon as Nayeon swung it open, her suspicions that something was wrong were seemingly confirmed. Usually the younger woman wore a permanent beaming, radiant smile, the kind that always made Nayeon want to smile, too. And Sana was smiling, but it wasn’t her typical one— this time, it didn’t quite reach her eyes.

“Hi,” Sana greeted softly, and, realizing she was being rude, Nayeon moved aside to let her inside the apartment.

Nayeon clicked the door shut behind her, watching Sana carefully. Granted, it wasn’t like she knew the other woman very well— they didn’t exactly have time for much deep conversation when they were, well… otherwise engaged. Nayeon knew her age and where she lived, sure, and she vaguely recalled Sana mentioning that she was a kindergarten teacher once, but that was about it. So she probably had no right to ask this, but, “Is everything okay?”

Sana glanced over at Nayeon, offering her what she guessed was supposed to be an assuring look. “Yeah, I’m fine,” she replied, maybe a bit too quickly, tucking some of her blonde hair behind an ear. She moved toward the bedroom purposefully, Nayeon trailing behind her after a moment’s hesitation.

Of course she’s not going to unload all her problems on you, , Nayeon scolded herself, rolling her eyes. They barely knew each other, sharing their worries wasn’t exactly how their nights typically went. If something was going on with Sana, the least Nayeon could do was try to take her mind off of it.

Sana’s shirt was already on the floor by the time Nayeon followed her into the room. She turned, and Nayeon met her with a searing kiss, maybe feeling a little bit too needy already. Nayeon eased Sana backward until her thighs bumped into the bed, and the both of them fell back.

The older woman’s hands eagerly slid down Sana’s sides to finally grasp at her hips. Even though her mind was beginning to be enveloped in a haze, Nayeon was still finely in tune with Sana’s reactions— or lack of reactions, in this case. Though she was kissing back, it was clear that Sana was nowhere as into it as Nayeon was at the moment. After realizing this, Nayeon pulled back to glance at her partner, who looked like she was in another world altogether. Far from being offended, Nayeon just felt concerned.

“Hey,” she said quietly, trying to steady her breathing. (Okay, maybe she was a bit needy, but Sana didn’t need to know that right now.)

The blonde blinked a few times under her before frowning. “Why’d you stop?” Sana mumbled, reaching a hand up to cup the back of Nayeon’s neck, drawing her in for another kiss. She still had that faraway look in her eye, though, so Nayeon put a hand on her shoulder to get her to stop.

“Sana…” Nayeon bit her lip, not sure how to approach this. “I know we don’t… Like, we barely know each other, but if something’s going on, you can tell me, okay?” A few seconds passed in silence, Sana avoiding her gaze, and Nayeon worried that she may have overstepped. “You don’t have to,” she added quietly, “But, you don’t seem to be into it tonight, so…”

At this, Sana released a sigh, and started to sit up. Nayeon moved to the side, and they both sat at the edge of the bed. “I’m sorry, Nayeon,” the woman murmured, sounding dejected. “I’m really sorry, it’s not you or anything, it’s just that…” Nayeon was shocked when she heard a little sniffle, and when she looked over, Sana’s head was hung low. “My roommates and I have this dog, Ray, a-and he’s been acting weird the past week so we decided to take him to the vet and they’re keeping him overnight a few days to run tests and I’m just, I’m really upset and stressed out about it. I’m sorry…”

Truth be told, Nayeon hardly knew what to do or how to respond. The Sana she had always known was bright and flirtatious, confident and charming— she’d never seen the vulnerable side of the woman, so it was kind of surprising to be exposed to it all of a sudden.

Finally snapping out of it, Nayeon wrapped her arm around the blonde, hugging her into her side. “There’s no need for you to apologize. That’s awful though... I really hope Ray will be alright,” Nayeon murmured, almost wanting to cry herself. She knew she would be an absolute wreck if something happened to her family dog, Kookeu, so she felt for Sana. That reminded her, though: “But, Sana…” She waited until the other woman looked up at her with wet eyes before continuing lightly, “You know you don’t have to come over when I ask, right? I’d totally understand if you said you just wanted to stay at home, or something.”

Sana smiled over at her, a real, genuine one this time. “You’re sweet.” She rubbed away her tears, her head tilting somewhat as she continued, “I wouldn’t have accepted your offer if I didn’t want to come over, though.”

That made Nayeon feel a little better, knowing that Sana didn’t feel pressured or anything, but it also left her a little conflicted on how they were supposed to proceed now. Nayeon could try to kiss her again, considering Sana was still only half-clothed and they were in her bedroom already, but the mood felt wrong.

Obviously Sana picked up on Nayeon’s hesitation, as she released a groan and buried her head in her hands. “I made it awkward, didn’t I? I’m sorry, I know this isn’t exactly what we usually do,” she apologized again, and when Nayeon got a glance of her face, Sana’s cheeks were burning red. “I-I guess I just thought I’d feel better coming here… seeing you.” Her voice was quiet, almost… shy?

Nayeon wasn’t sure she could exactly wrap her brain around the implications behind that possibility at the moment. Instead, she got an idea— a strange one, considering their usual dynamic, but she thought it would be the best plan for tonight’s circumstances. “Would you maybe want to… watch a movie, or something?” Nayeon offered cautiously. “We can order food and just hang out?”

Honestly, she was half expecting Sana to reject her offer— they weren’t even really friends, why would Sana have any interest in spending extra time with her? Nayeon was beginning to curse herself for even mentioning it all when she saw a slow smile appear on Sana’s face.

“I think… That’d be nice, actually,” the blonde murmured, nodding her head once. She then fixed Nayeon with a serious look, “As long as you’re sure you don’t mind or think it’s weird?”

“Not at all,” Nayeon hurried to respond, surprising even herself.

Sana nodded again, then looked down at her shirt still lying abandoned on the ground. “I guess I should put that back on, then,” she laughed, lifting herself from the bed. Her laugh made Nayeon release a giggle as well, the older woman picking up the blouse and handing it over.

Once Sana was fully clothed, Nayeon led the way out of the bedroom and to the couch. While Nayeon ordered them some food from a nearby take-out place, she left Sana in charge of the remote, telling her to choose whatever movie she wanted. When Nayeon hung up the phone and returned to the couch, her eyebrows raised at Sana’s selection.

“Aquaman? Really?” Nayeon laughed. “I wouldn’t really peg you as the superhero movie type.”

Sana shrugged her shoulders, “I’m not really. To tell you the truth, I just think Mera is badass and, you know, super hot.”

“That’s fair,” Nayeon hummed in agreement. She settled next to Sana on the couch, keeping a more than respectable distance between them. It felt silly, considering how intimate they were on a fairly regular basis, but it was still clear to Nayeon that they were practically strangers. Two bros, sitting on a couch, five feet apart because they’re just hooking up and getting too cozy would make things complicated. Nayeon had to hold back a snort at her own joke.

Apparently, Nayeon wasn’t very subtle in her attempts at putting space between them, as Sana turned to toss her a soft smile. “You of all people should know I don’t bite,” she teased, a suggestive glint in her eye that made Nayeon swallow thickly. Sana’s head tilted, beckoning the other woman closer.

This girl is dangerous, Nayeon thought, not for the first time since she’d met her— likely not for the last, either. Regardless, she closed the gap between her and Sana, scooting over until they were right next to each other.

Their arms brushed as Sana lifted the remote to press play on the movie, Nayeon having to resist the urge to shudder. It was so bare minimum, and she felt truly pathetic, but Nayeon was admittedly still a bit worked up from earlier. It was nice just to be in close proximity with Sana, though— the woman radiated warmth. Even so, Nayeon reached behind Sana’s head to grab the blanket resting on the back of the couch, throwing it over the both of them. It was… cozy. Nice.

They settled in, and soon enough both women were immersed in the movie. Well, one of them more than the other— Nayeon couldn’t help but sneak glances at Sana every so often, unable to help smiling at Sana’s wide eyes and little gasps during the action sequences. “Haven’t you seen this movie before?” Nayeon asked playfully at one point, only receiving a light slap on her arm in reply.

Eventually the food came, and after paying the delivery man, Nayeon brought the food over to Sana. She lined up all the boxes on the table and sank back onto the couch, unconsciously now even closer to the other woman than she had been before.

“Thanks Nayeonie,” Sana chirped, her eyes still glued to the screen even as she leaned over to give Nayeon’s cheek a swift peck.

“You’re welcome,” Nayeon mumbled, resisting the urge to touch the cheek Sana had just kissed. Ugh… I think I’m going soft, she groaned internally.

Eventually Aquaman ended and the food ran out, leaving the two women in a sort of limbo. Sana usually didn’t stay over for more than a few hours— it was weird enough that they weren’t having , maybe she’d want to leave now? The thought of Sana leaving so soon compelled Nayeon to blurt out, “Want to watch another? You can pick again.”

Sana just smiled and leaned back into the couch— into Nayeon’s side, more accurately. “Okay,” she said softly, searching through movies again.

She eventually landed on a rom com that was easily in Nayeon’s top ten, but Nayeon was too distracted by Sana’s hand resting on her thigh under the blanket to even care. She almost half expected that Sana was making some kind of move— maybe she’d decided she wanted the night to progress as it usually did— but much to Nayeon’s surprise, Sana’s hand didn’t stray.

As the movie began to play, Nayeon made an impulse decision to lean her head onto Sana’s shoulder. It all felt so domestic— she knew she should know better than this, should know better than to get too comfortable, but she couldn’t help it. As disgustingly cliché as it all was, everything about Sana beckoned her closer and closer.

About twenty minutes into the movie Nayeon felt her eyelids grow heavy. She fought back sleep as best she could, but the crook of Sana’s neck was so warm, and the lavender smell of her hair lulled her into unconsciousness.

——

“Nayeon… Nayeonie, wake up.”

She released a little whine, burying her face further into what she vaguely recalled was Sana’s neck.

Nayeon felt Sana giggle under her, and then one of the blonde’s hands reaching up to her hair. “Nayeonie, the movie is over,” Sana whispered.

Reluctantly, the older woman peeked her eyes open and pulled back slightly. The haze of sleep fading, Nayeon cringed when she noticed their new position. Apparently, sleepy Nayeon was a cuddler— she was practically half in Sana’s lap.

“Sorry,” Nayeon mumbled, pulling away from Sana and offering her an embarrassed smile. She rubbed her eyes and glanced at the clock— it was half past midnight now. Had she really slept through the whole movie?

Sana just smiled again, her hands dropping to her lap. “You look really cute when you sleep,” she commented, causing Nayeon to groan and bury her face in her hands.

“...hush.”

Nayeon only uncovered her face when she felt Sana push up from the couch. The blonde lingered at the end of the coffee table with uncertainty, smiling almost nervously when they met eyes. “I guess I should get going,” Sana murmured, chewing her lip.

“Oh,” was all Nayeon said. Then Sana turned to go, and yet again Nayeon found herself speaking before her brain could catch up. “You could stay over, you know.”

Sana turned slowly, her eyebrows raised.

“It’s really late,” Nayeon explained, before adding (somewhat unnecessarily), “You know my bed’s big enough, and super comfortable. You don’t have to, but...”

The woman released a laugh. “It is insanely comfy,” she agreed, a playful look in her eye. “I’m not exactly dressed for a sleepover,” she gestured downward at her clothing, “but…” Sana hesitated for only a moment before smiling. “You’ve convinced me.”

Nayeon grinned as well, feeling strangely giddy. “I’m sure I can lend you something.”

After shutting the TV off and locking the door while Sana cleaned up the food containers, Nayeon led the way into her bedroom. It was strange, bringing the other woman into her room with no expectation of this time. Nayeon rummaged through her drawers and selected two sets of pajamas for them— if they were matching sets, it was purely coincidental and nothing else.

They changed in the same room without even thinking twice about it— they’d seen all of each other already, after all, and neither of them were shy. After that they went into the bathroom and did their nightly routines side by side, Nayeon lending Sana an extra toothbrush and beauty wipes.

Nayeon was the kind of person who had a strict way of doing things— daily rituals and routines that she had grown accustomed to, especially considering she’d been living alone ever since her college days. She didn’t like change. That being said, it stood to reason that having Sana invading her space like this would cramp her style, but strangely it didn’t even bother her. Even when their elbows knocked together or Sana accidentally dribbled toothpaste on the sink, Nayeon didn’t mind, not at all.

Once both of them had cleaned up, they crawled into either side of Nayeon’s bed and met in the middle. They exchanged hushed goodnights and Nayeon leaned over to turn off her lamp.

For a few minutes they laid in silence, the only sound that filled the room being that of their breathing. Nayeon was almost positive Sana had fallen asleep when the woman proved her wrong, beginning to speak.

“Thank you for tonight, Nayeon. For cheering me up. I really appreciate it.”

“Of course,” Nayeon replied. “I had fun.” Their voices were little more than whispers, perhaps both afraid to speak too loudly and shatter the fragility of the moment they were sharing.

Nayeon was going to leave it at that— was going to just roll onto her side, close her eyes, and hopefully get a decent night’s sleep. Then in the morning Sana would leave and they could forget this night ever happened— it’d just be a one-off, and they’d go back to having casual whenever the urge arose. No strings attached, like they intended when this began.

The problem with that was, Nayeon wasn’t sure that’s what she wanted anymore. Was that what Sana wanted still? There was only one way to find out.

“Hey, Sana?”

“Hm?”

They both turned at the same time, and even though it was dark in the room, Nayeon could see the faint outline of Sana’s face smiling at her.

“Would you…” Nayeon swallowed and started again, uncharacteristically a little nervous. “Would you maybe want to come over again sometime? And watch more movies?”

Sana hummed. “Are you asking me on a date?” Although her voice was teasing, it was clear that she was trying to clarify Nayeon’s intentions.

“Yeah. A date.”

There was a few seconds pause, Nayeon’s heart thumping in her chest, before: “Okay. A date, then.” Nayeon released the breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding.

Sana moved closer and leaned forward again, pressing a kiss right at the edge of Nayeon’s mouth. “Night, Nayeonie,” she murmured. “Sweet dreams.” She pulled away only slightly, resting her head right under Nayeon’s on the pillow.

A slow smile bloomed across Nayeon’s face. Maybe being grossly domestic wasn’t so bad— maybe she could get used to this.