Seoul University —— 2020

Haeun sat up in her bed with a start.

What was that sound? 

Mark had left for his parents’ house which meant she had the entire apartment to herself for the whole weekend. It wasn’t until she was laying down in the dark that she remembered this was the first time she’d be spending a night alone. Mark was usually always in his room. 

Every little sound sounded sinister.

A creak. Was someone walking around in her house?

A thump. Was someone trying to break in?

A scratch. Was it a rabid animal clawing their way in?

A rattle. Was someone climbing up the side of her building?

When Mark was here, these sounds never scared her, even when she fell asleep before he came home. Just knowing that someone else was in the house with her brought her a sense of ease. But at this rate, she wasn’t going to get a wink of sleep. 

A sudden loud thud was the final straw and sent her fumbling for her phone and stabbed at her contacts and cowered under her blanket until someone picked up. 

“H’llo?” He rasped.

“Taeyong! Thank god! Help me!” She whisper-shrieked. 

The sound of blankets rustling rang through the phone, “Woah, woah, Haeun? What’s going on?”

“My apartment is making noises and I’m freaking out. I think someone’s in my living room menacingly knocking things over.” She whispered. 

His croaky laugh filled her ear, “Is Mark at his parents’ this weekend?”

“Yeah…why?” She mumbled, shivering. 

“I think you’re just paranoid since you’re alone.” He murmured. 

She huffed, “If I get horribly murdered because of a home intruder, my ghost is going to haunt you. I’ll make you regret brushing me off.”

“Haeun…” He said with a tired chuckle. Only he would answer the phone in the middle of the night without sounding annoyed. She wanted to believe it was just because it was her. Maybe it was. Maybe not. 

She grumbled unhappily, “I’ll possess your pet cat, I’ll scare you in the mirror and I’ll mess with your laundry. I will be the worst ghost ever. I'll ruin your life.” 

“Okay, okay, what do you want me to do?” He said with a fond laugh.

She paused for a beat before speaking, “Can you come over?”

“Are  you—are you serious?” He muttered.

She gulped and hugged her knees to her chest, “Yeah…could you? I don't want to be here alone."

“Um…yeah. Sure, if it makes you feel better.” He said softly.

Suddenly the fear melted and was replaced with her heart thrumming. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” He whispered, “I’ll be there soon.”

She bit down on her lip, “Okay. Thanks.”

He hummed with one last goodbye and hung up before she leaped out of bed. She paced around her room for about 20 minutes before a soft knock echoed into the room. Closing her eyes to avoid seeing any monsters or demons hiding in her living room, she raced to the door, flicking the doorway lights on and swung the door open. 

Taeyong flinched before a slow smile spread across his face, “Aww, is the little baby scared?”

She never thought she’d be someone who liked being called baby. 

Perhaps she could convince Taeyong to only call her that from now on. 

“Shut up.” She grumbled with a warm blush, “Come in.”

Haeun stepped back to give Taeyong room to kick his shoes off. “Are you okay?”

“Um…sorta. I’ve never been in the apartment alone. Mark’s parents aren’t usually around so he never needs to leave to visit.” She explained. 

He nodded and reached over, turning on the lights to the entire living room. Taeyong walked around, eyes scanning over the area before landing back on her, “Luckily looks like there are no intruders.”

“Ha ha.” She said blankly. 

He chuckled, switched off the lights, and followed to the bedroom doors, “That’s Mark’s room. You can sleep in there tonight.”

“Got it.” He murmured with a heavy blink. "And seriously, jokes aside, are you really okay?" 

She gulped, a sudden wash of guilt flooding her, “God, I’m so stupid. I’m sorry for making you come over here in the middle of the night. There’s nothing in my room, I just got spooked.”

“Haeun, it’s fine.” He said with a smile, “I’d take your cozy apartment over a frat house with 10 other guys any day of the week.”

If he just said the word, she’d be willing to let him move in.

“Thank you.” Was what she ended up saying.

He grinned, lopsided, lazy and it took a force of a higher being to hold her back from launching into his arms and kissing it straight off of him. She thought she was getting a hang of being around him and not letting everything she knew about him cloud her judgment. 

But if it didn’t drive her insane that they were so close to a bed and she couldn’t drag him off to it. 

“Night, Hae.”

She bit down hard on the inside of her cheek, “Night.”

-----

Taeyong laid in Mark’s bed and stared up at the ceiling. 

What was he doing here exactly?

When Haeun called him, he a bit but his gut churned painfully when he heard how panicked and scared she was. He knew deep down that she was just freaking herself out and that he couldn’t do much for her by coming over but when she asked? It was obvious to say yes. Because the thought of something, anything, bad happening to her put the fear of God in him. 

There was only a wall separating them but something inside him was itching to walk over and knock on her door. 

What he’d do when she opened it? That was another problem he didn’t have the answer to.

Rolling over on his side he stared at Mark’s bookshelf in the dark. His lips hitched as his eyes took a trip along with all the picture frames that he had set up. Some of them were just of Mark, his family, him with his teammates and friends but there was a lot with him and Haeun throughout the years. Even when they were both pre-teens, she was beautiful, beaming brightly. 

God, she was something else. 

She was confident and so sure of everything she wanted out of life and ran headfirst towards it. In reality, dropping everything to come over was a bit of a no-brainer. She was his friend, a friend he cared about a lot. A friend that looked breathtaking when she laughed, with a smile that you’d find yourself matching. A friend with soft hair. And a friend that always smelled so, so nice. Kind of like the sun.

That sort of friend.

A friend he liked way more than a friend.

His eyes grew heavy and a last sleep-deprived thought ran through his head as he rolled over and curled under the blankets. 

She would probably feel really warm under his hands.

-----

Another thump in the dark had her leaping out of bed and creeping out to the living room. Her eyes darted side to side, scoping out the area in front of her before tiptoeing to Mark’s room. She raised her fist to knock when it swung open and Taeyong stumbled out, eyes wide. 

“What was that?!”

She pointed a finger at him accusingly, “Ah ha! See! I was right to be freaked out.”

He scowled but with his hair sticking out in every direction, it just made her melt. “What demon lives in here?”

She could help but let a laugh, “His name is Mark but he’s at his parents.'”

Taeyong snorted and gripped her arm, “I’m serious. What the hell was that?”

“I think it was the neighbors.” She whispered.

He grumbled, letting go of her arm, “I think I can kiss a goodnight’s sleep goodbye.”

“You could come and sleep in my room.” She offered weakly. 

Taeyong blinked at her before gulping, his throat bobbing, “Uh…what?”

“My room? We could, um, sleep there. Together. Because…um…maybe we won’t be as scared if we’re together…you know? Maybe? If…” God, why was he letting her talk?

He blinked at her and took a step closer and it felt like she was blasted by his heat, “I’m  fine, Haeun.”

“Okay…” She trailed off, her eyes snapping away. 

He felt his finger twitch when he thought he saw the disappointment in her face, “Hae—“

She turned back to her room ready to leave and die of embarrassment when he shot his hand out, gripping her arm to stop her, “W-wait.”

She stilled and looked at him unsurely. His throat dried, “Actually, would you be okay if I did? If I slept with you? I mean, next to you?”

“Of course.” She whispered with the kind of eyes that you wanted to confess your sins to.

-----

They laid side by side, the air awkward as they shifted around, trying to get comfortable.

Taeyong wasn’t sure if she was awake or not, but his previous sleepiness was wiped clean. He was wired. 

He wasn’t one to sleep on his back but he was conflicted. If he turned towards her, she might feel uncomfortable but if he turned away from her, it’d feel like he was ignoring her. 

It would be a whole lot easier if he could just wrap his arm around her and hug her to sleep like he used to do with his pillows. But she seemed perfectly fine sleeping on her back and him tossing and turning was going to get on her nerves if he didn't stop.

But he couldn’t stop his mind from racing. 

Taking a risk, he glanced over at her and froze when he found her already watching him with a gentle smile. 

“What?” He whispered.

She just smiled and shook her head, “Nothing.”

“Are you…comfortable?” He asked cautiously. 

Her smile just grew. Did all girls look like that when they smiled? Just happy and pure, like a sunflower, “No, not at all.”

He laughed groggily, “Are you sure you don’t want me to go back to Mark’s room? You probably would appreciate the space.”

“I’m absolutely sure.” She mumbled, “But can I do something?”

What did it mean when everything she did or said made him weak? 

“Okay.”

She waited a second as if contemplating her next move before she her side towards him and wrapped her arm around his waist. He let out a shuddering breath when she molded herself against him. 

He was right. She was warm. 

“Is this okay?” She whispered. 

He closed his eyes and it was like his entire body melted as she sunk against him, “Yeah…it is.” It wasn't just okay. It was right.

Another moment of silence passed before she slowly slid her leg over his and peered up at him, “You can touch me too. I mean—if you want. Wait that sounded weird, what I meant to s—“

Taeyong cut her off before turning towards her and tucked his arm under her neck with his other hand around her back before threading his fingers through her hair. She fit perfectly under his chin and nothing about her hold on him felt suffocating. He wasn’t used to touching someone so easily but it was like a gravitational pull dragged him to her. Like when they touched like this, they just clicked. It was as if they had done this a million times before.

And like their bodies were made to fit perfectly with each other.

His heart was racing a mile a minute when she snuggled closer to him and let out a content sigh. Like she couldn’t fathom being anywhere else in the world other than in his arms.

Okay.

This?

Now this was comfortable.

Joseon Dynasty —— 1890

If anyone found them, they’d probably get scolded and she probably wouldn’t be able to look any of the men in the eye. But when she came to visit Taeyong, she saw the bags under his eyes and the way he struggled to keep his eyes open. 

‘Please go rest, I will come see you another day.’ She had said to him.

But even exhausted, a dark spark flickered in his eyes when he laced their fingers together. ‘I have a better idea.’

And he had led her to his private quarters and stopped in front of his bed. “Would you like to nap with me?”

“B-but…what if people see?” She asked, blushing. 

Taeyong smirked and slipped his arm around her waist, pulling her into his chest. He ran his nose along her cheek before mumbling against her ear, “Everyone already knows that the beautiful maiden that runs around the palace is in love with the Prince’s guard.”

She shivered and scowled at him before pressing a firm kiss against his mouth as if to shut him up, “You talk too much, my love.”

“Come on.” He said with a laugh before they climbed into the bed. 

Haeun still felt a bit shy, pulling the blanket up to her nose as she looked over at Taeyong. He settled in with a sigh before turning to her, “Are you comfortable, sunflower?”

She nodded before inching towards him. He welcomed her in his arms and tugged her close to his chest. Haeun smiled and closed her eyes when he kissed her on the forehead and then again on the tip of her nose. It was so intimate to be in bed with him, inches apart wrapped up in warmth and body heat. 

But it felt right. 

“Are you tired?” She whispered. 

He hummed lazily while slipping a leg between hers and tightening his arms around her, “It’s been long hours. The King and Queen are grumpy but are pulling back on finding him another bride. I think they’re embarrassed of how often he gets rejected.”

Her fingers dug into his back and he knew that she was thinking about the days where he was missing. Those days weighed heavily on him too. He slid his fingers under her robes, nothing inappropriate, just gentle petting. 

Taeyong pressed his nose against hers and sighed when she stole a kiss, “What about the rebels?”

“The King and Queen are worried but everyone is working together to ensure the Kingdom's safety.” He murmured. He wasn't sure if it was the exhaustion or simply curling up with her but he felt his body melt with bliss. Sharing a bed with a woman was an intimate act, even if they were just sleeping, but with Haeun, it felt like destiny to be laying here with her.

She hummed and curled into his chest, pressing a kiss against his chest, “Sleep, Taeyong.”

"I'm sorry I couldn't do more with you today, sunflower." He murmured tiredly. 

Haeun smiled and tucked her head under his chin, "Oh, there's nothing I could've wanted to do more."

He used to dream about what it would be like to reach over and feel her next to him. It felt unreal that it was his reality. 

A little ‘meow’ had him cracking his eyes open when Yong leaped up on the bed and padded around before curling up next to Haeun. She laughed, petting him before snuggling back against Taeyong. 

This was just a small glimpse into every morning together for the rest of his life. Having her in his arms, in his bed, and in his heart. It was the feeling you got when suddenly the existence of the universe made sense. 

If he could pick how he spent his next 100 lifetimes, he just wanted her in his arms.

Seoul University —— 2020

Waking up with Taeyong wasn’t as awkward as getting him in bed with her. They sheepishly untangled themselves from each other and whispered shy good mornings before they washed up. 

She wanted to ask him to stay another night but he had beaten her to the punch, carelessly letting it slip that he wanted to stay but couldn’t because the frat was doing some sort of a bonding exercise that would run late into the night. A part of her urged to ask him to come by regardless until she realized that he’d be exhausted. He would probably be grateful for just walking up a flight of stairs to fall asleep in his own room. 

Luckily Sunday night was uneventful, the creepy noises seizing to exist until Mark returned. But she sort of wished the sounds were back so she could call him again.

“They know too.”

Haeun and Mark were sitting in the lobby of the student center, catching up between classes over a shared container of fruit. 

“Really