A/N: First ITZY fic to celebrate my arrival to the fandom.
I'm not actually very familiar with the girls' irl personalities, so I apologize in advance if their characters here are vastly different.

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A thunderstorm rolls in that night, roaring across the district like the angry bellow of a sky god’s wrath as soon as the clock strikes 2AM.

It’s a particularly strong variant; with pounding rain that clatters relentlessly against the building and a jarring gale that rips through the trees to rattle the window panes of their mostly-quiet dormitory. The flash of blinding white lightning tears through the air for a split second, followed shortly by the timely rumbling of thunder shaking the very earth below.

Indeed, the storm is quite a powerful one. And the people of Seoul (if anyone else were still awake at this hour) would definitely be thankful to have a roof over their heads, sheltering them from the brutal weather outside. If one was attentive and observant enough, they could notice a cacophonous melody to the raging thunderstorm. The continuous loud patter of rain, coupled with the long howling tempest, forms a consistent yet characteristic discordance that only reinforces the strength behind the occasional crack of thunder.

It isn’t pleasant by any means, but it certainly highlights the magnificent force of power displayed by Mother Nature herself.

Shin Yuna, who has not sought comfort in the solace of her cozy bed, sits by the glass doors overlooking their dorm’s wet balcony with her arms folded over her knees; her head resting comfortably upon them as she gazes out into the dark misty fog that clouds her view of the world beyond with awe-stricken eyes.

Yuna enjoys watching storms. There’s this… grand sense of majesty and dominance in them. Like how they can easily light up the entire sky in a dazzling burst of electrifying white and blue with just a single lightning bolt, accompanied only by the titanic crash of thunder sending tremors across the land as it shakes the dormitory itself with the sheer intensity of its growl. The rain and wind are a fraction less impressive, but they still carry a certain wildness in them that Yuna admires nonetheless when she observes the water droplets splattering aimlessly on the glass panes.

Generally speaking, storms aren’t that fun to see – at least to the majority who are, understandably, terrified and unnerved by them. Except here, in the safety and warmth of their dorm, Yuna can settle down by her transparent shield against nature’s fury and appreciate the spectacle. is parted slightly to ooh and ah at the bold streaks of mighty lightning like a captivated audience.

Truth be told, she should be sleeping right now. Take advantage of the free time they have while the group is still on break from all the live shows and public appearances, catch up on some lost sleep, and gather back their energy before it’s time to hit the stage once more. It also pays to have plenty of rest in preparation for whatever tomorrow might bring.

Or, well, given the current time… whatever today might bring later.

But Yuna loves watching storms, so she figures that maybe it’ll be worth staying up a little bit longer to witness this rare and awesome display for at least a few more minutes. It had only woken her up just a short while ago, anyway, which means that she hasn’t been awake for too long. Right? Right.

She’s not sure of how her unnies are faring with all this at the moment. Lia hates loud noises, and the awful weather is no exception. Without a doubt, she’s most likely seeking comfort from Yeji. After all, it’s no secret that the two eldest members of ITZY would often cuddle together in the leader’s bed; with Yeji soothing Lia’s fears or Lia helping Yeji fall asleep during her bouts of insomnia. Chaeryeong, on the other hand, is most likely sleeping to her heart’s content like a hibernating bear. Maybe with her limbs splayed outwards like the hands of a clock, or maybe with her body falling halfway off her bed. As for Ryujin –

“Yuna…? Why are you still up?”

A sleep-rough voice mumbles from behind her, and Yuna jumps at that. A high-pitched squeak escapes her as she jerks upright in surprise. Startled, she whips her head around and comes face-to-face with a tired Ryujin approaching her in languid steps, the back of her left hand rubbing sluggishly at her eyes as if to rid them of their drowsiness.

Yuna perks up immediately and smiles. “Hi, unnie! I’m just watching the storm,” She says cheerfully. “Wanna join me?”

Ryujin considers it momentarily, then shrugs with a sigh before moving over to situate herself beside the maknae. Yuna, meanwhile, looks delightfully amused by the otherwise bedraggled state of their charismatic rapper. She’s used to seeing Ryujin standing tall (or as tall as her height would allow), proud, and glamorous under the spotlight. So, it’s a rare wonder to find her normally kept navy-blue hair in unruly tangles that can almost resemble a bird’s nest. Her much shorter stature is slouched with a hint of exhaustion beneath her loose-fitting shirt and sweatpants, and her half-lidded eyes are blinking repeatedly to get them back into focus again.

Yuna herself has exchanged the extravagant stage outfits and designer clothes for a simple pink tee and pajama pants. Her long black hair cascades rather messily down her shoulders, and her bangs are a bit poofed on her forehead than she liked. But, regardless, she doesn’t compare to how differently Ryujin looks right now in contrast to her usual flair and bravado.

If she had known that tonight would grant her such an adorable image of a sleepy, sulky Ryujin, Yuna would have definitely brought her phone along to snap a quick picture.

Ah, what a missed opportunity.

She must’ve been too deep into her own thoughts by then, because her soft giggles prompt Ryujin to ask “What’s so funny?” in a grumpy voice.

“Just you, unnie.” Yuna admits while trying to hide her growing smile behind her palm. “It’s kinda funny, but also cute seeing you like this. Most of the time, you’re so cool… and charming. Especially when all the cameras are pointed at you. But now, you just look so tired and I think it’s rather adorable—”

“Well, isn’t that sweet of you?” Ryujin deadpans, though the subtle twitch on the corner of betrays her monotonous tone. Yuna has to restrain herself from smothering the older girl in a hug while a silly grin threatens to break out on her face.

Instead, she gives her a small laugh and brushes their shoulders together when she presses into the rapper’s side. Her attention goes back to the storm, which flashes and booms with thunder and lightning combined as if rejoicing at Yuna’s return in spectating it.

Suddenly, the storm isn’t just a storm anymore. It’s a wonderful, private moment reserved only for Yuna and Ryujin alone.

They sit there. Silent and unmoving, save for the quiet breaths they draw in simultaneously. Their eyes are locked on the scattering raindrops that trickle down and fog up the cold glass with condensation. Another flash of lightning comes by, and Yuna is immediately struck with a thought.

“What are you doing up at this hour, unnie? You’re usually still asleep.”

Ryujin shrugs again. “Storm,” She replies simply, head propped up in her hand as she rests her elbow on her knee while side-eyeing the younger girl. “Woke up ‘cuz it was too loud and went out to check just how bad it was. Your door was left open, so I figured you’d be around here when I saw your bed empty.”

“Wow, you have good deduction skills.”

“Deductive, Yuna.”

“Oh, whatever. Same difference.”

“That’s a little contradictory, don’t you think?” Ryujin makes that boyish grin again that Yuna finds attractive on her. She looks more calm and relaxed now, which pleases Yuna as she reciprocates with a gummy smile of her own. Bright and chipper, just like her personality.

The storm rumbles again, she lets out a sound of amazement at the thunderous display. Basking in the thrilling noise that sends excited tingles down her spine and heightens her ecstatic nerves. Ryujin seems into it as well, judging by how she subtly leans forward at the sound. She mirrors Yuna’s earlier position; with her legs folded up as she hugs them close to her chest as her chin rests between her knees.

Their companionable silence implicates a shared feeling of fondness over the spectacle, and Yuna brushes their shoulders together once more. Grinning rather innocently when Ryujin shoots her a curious glance. She can’t help it. Enjoying the same thing is a very nice feeling, after all – even more so when it’s with the right person.

“So, why do you like watching storms, anyway? I thought you weren’t a fan of them?” Ryujin asks out of the blue.

Yuna scratches her cheek. “Well… I’m not too fond of seeing them outside, you know? It’s like the wind is gonna blow me away any second, and I don’t want my clothes getting all soaked either. Oh! And there’s also that probability of the lightning hitting you, which is apparently… one in seven-hundred thousand? If I remember correctly.” Yuna taps her chin, her expression contemplative. “But, yeah, you can never be so sure.”

Ryujin chuckles at that. Leave it to Yuna to search up random facts about some of the most daft things, such as the chances of being struck by lightning.

“It feels safe inside the dorm, so it’s much better to watch the storm here ‘cause I wouldn’t have to worry about that!”

“Well, yeah. You’d have to be a different level of insane to be standing out in a storm like this. Willingly, I mean.” Ryujin jests as she combs a hand through her blue locks.

For reasons she can’t fathom, the action… mesmerized Yuna. Her eyes follow the movement of those fingers brushing easily through the sleek healthy strands before dropping back down to Ryujin’s side. Just a couple of inches apart from touching Yuna’s own hand unless –

Crackle! Boom!

The abrupt jagged whiteness, followed by another angry rumble of thunder, jolts them back. They both stare out into the tumultuous night as the fading growls of the storm rattles the glass panes. They share a brief glance before erupting into a fit of hushed laughter at their jumpiness, Yuna’s being more boisterous compared to Ryujin’s more controlled one.

Once they’ve collected themselves, Yuna begins to speak again. “You know, I read that in Greek mythology, a storm would occur whenever Zeus was angry. Apparently, the ancient Greeks didn’t understand how the natural world works all that well, so they always connected it to the Gods—and storms were a representation of Zeus’ wrath. But then Socrates, this Greek philosopher guy, came along and tried to reason with them by explaining how the storm is just a vortex of air. Not an angry Zeus punishing the mortals for their misdeeds. But, of course, they didn’t believe him.”

Ryujin tilts her head, visibly intrigued by this flood of information. “Zeus, huh? Isn’t he the bearded guy with the flashy lightning bolts?”

Yuna rolls her eyes at Ryujin’s “interesting” choice of words. Oh, unnie…

“Yes, his weapons are those ‘flashy lightning bolts’ you speak of,” She humors her with a smile. “It’s said that he would hurl them at anyone who defied him, broke their oaths, or dared to fall in love with his wife, Hera. Any spot that had been struck by lightning is considered sacred too, so the Greeks and also the Romans built temples on them as a result. I think it was mainly to appease the Gods and prevent any more thunderstorms from happening often.”

“Ugh, what pushovers…” Ryujin comments after listening to her (admittedly) fascinating tale. Who knew Yuna would be so interested in Greek mythology? “At least Socrates had some common sense and didn’t go coo-coo over the weather like the rest of them.”

“They’re Greeks, unnie. Religion was pretty much a big deal for them at that time. Not science.”

“Okay, fair. But—for a population known for bringing forward the pioneers of Western Philosophy like Socrates and Plato, you’d think they would’ve been more rational in terms of understanding how the natural world works and, I don’t know… Gone for a more logical approach on the matter?”

Oof. Even when tired and half-asleep, Ryujin’s snark remains intact.

“Is that your way of saying that the Greeks were clever and smart, but also kinda naive and stupid?” Yuna asks inquisitively.

“Ee-yup,” Ryujin makes a popping sound with , and the maknae sighs.

“For someone who doesn’t really talk much, it’s always fun to hear you this chatty and sarcastic.” Yuna rubs her cheek affectionately against the other girl’s shoulder. “You’re so serious most of the time that it makes you look cool and all… but seeing you loosen up every once in a while makes me happy.”

Ryujin squints at her, a perfectly arched eyebrow raised in question. “Are you implying that I’m not fun by default?”

Panicked, Yuna waves her hands frantically as if to try and erase her previous words when she sees Ryujin’s scowl directed at her. “N-No! Of course not, unnie! She exclaims. “It’s just refreshing to see you being less stiff and aloof than normal, that’s all.”

“Oh, so now I’m uptight?”

“Wha—Unnie! Stop twisting my words!” Yuna whines childishly, hugging Ryujin’s arm while the latter merely smirks.

“Relax, Yun. I’m just messing with you.”

A blush colors her cheeks at the teasing pat on her head, so Yuna quickly pulls away to fire back a retort. “You’re such a jerk, you know that?” She pouts indignantly.

“Yeah, I think Yeji made that specifically clear whenever I pick on her for fun.” Ryujin then gives her a cheeky grin, leaving an impression of whiskers that wrinkles her cheeks. “You seem to like it, though.”

Yuna huffs, evidently working to regain her composure and repair the very non-existent damage done to her pride while Ryujin laughs as she gives her side-hug. She fights back the innate urge to smile, because dammit. How does Ryujin manage to get her to smile so effortlessly?

“Come to think of it, I just realized that the thunderstorms remind me of you a lot.” Yuna quips; a deliberate change of topic as she stares out the balcony again.

“Why? ‘Cuz it’s quiet, at first, and then it strikes you when you least expect it?” Ryujin jokes, her tone playful.

Yuna giggles. “No, silly! What I mean is that they’re so fascinating yet also pretty intimidating to look at. Especially with the light, the booming, and all the other flashy stuff. You can’t help but get drawn to that, like the storm is commanding your attention. It seems aggressive and domineering, and unpredictable, at first. But the more you think about it and experience it through a different perspective, you find out that the storm is actually super awesome. Almost like something magical to watch!”

Ryujin falls silent, her expression looking rightfully stunned by this strange bout of metaphor – but also very flattered, if her eyes were anything to go by. “That’s… very sweet of you, Yuna. And kinda deep too.”

“I know, right? Even I get shocked with how deep I can be sometimes!”

Yuna maintains an oddly serious face when she says this, only for it to completely crack and dissolve once she bursts out laughing. Her hand tightly clutches onto Ryujin’s bicep so she can steady her shaking self, and the rapper gives in to her own chuckles in response to the younger’s silly antics. In the background, the storm continues to howl.

But alas, the weather seems to be finally passing on moments later. The rain begins to cease, the white flashes of lightning have become less common, and the wind is beginning to calm down little by little. Yuna is not sure whether she’s satisfied or disappointed to see it end as she steals a quick glance at the wall clock hanging in the main room to check the time. She’s surprised to note that hardly forty minutes have passed since she had come out of her room to watch the thunderstorm. How weird.

“Whelp. That was quite enjoyable,” Ryujin gets up on her feet to stretch her back, a hand coming up to cover as a yawn slips out. “I suppose you’re ready to head back to bed now?”

“Mhm!” Yuna enthusiastically jumps to her feet as well. Ever the energetic one, even when it’s this early in the morning. “That was a great storm, don’t you think, unnie?”

Ryujin hums in agreement. “It was. But let’s talk about it later, okay? Sleeping should be our next priority now.”

With that said, she trudges back in the direction of her room. Lazily dragging her feet along as she does. She passes the kitchen and enters the small hallway, where she all but bumps open the door with her shoulder so she can go inside and flop unceremoniously onto her bed. The blanket is carelessly tossed over her, a sigh of content falling out her lips at the influx of warmth provided by the fleece covering as she’s slowly lulled to sleep – until her rest gets rudely interrupted by the sudden shifting of the blanket around her body.

“What the…”

Ryujin is more than surprised to discover Yuna sliding in next to her, completely ignoring the fact that she has her own room and bed to retire to in favor of snuggling comfortably into Ryujin’s side. Stunned by this new arrangement and having an unexpected bedmate for tonight, heat begins to creep into Ryujin’s cheeks as she moves to face the younger girl. Her curious dark eyes meet cheerful brown ones within the moon-lit darkness.

“Yuna? What are you doing here?” She asks, her voice just barely above a whisper.

“Sleeping with you, of course.” Yuna states the painfully obvious like it’s the most normal answer she can give her. “I felt lonely in my room, so I thought I’d just join you instead! We shared the storm, so now we can share a bed too!”

She smiles brightly at Ryujin before scooting closer to cuddle up to her unnie. A slender arm is thrown over her waist, and Yuna tucks her head right underneath Ryujin’s chin. Her jet-black hair tickles the older girl’s skin, her sweet sigh fanning along the column of Ryujin’s throat as she nuzzles her face against it. And just like that, the rapper finds herself sharing the sleeping space with her bubbly dongsaeng.

Well, there’s no deterring the maknae, it seems… Once Yuna commits to something, nothing short of a typhoon would change her mind. At this thought, Ryujin resigns to her fate by sighing in defeat. She decides against protesting and opts to return the embrace instead, making sure to adjust the blanket comfortably over them first before settling down at last with the pillow cushioning both their heads. Might as well get comfy, right? Right.

And besides, it’s far from the worst thing in the world to have this lovable sunshine of a girl curled up to her like a kitten. She feels this peculiar sense of real closeness, and perhaps intimacy, in their current position. Maybe even more so than just watching a storm together side-by-side. Ryujin wonders if there’s something else at play here. Something deeper and more personal between them…

Regardless of what it might be (she’s too tired to think right now), it feels really nice to be sleeping together like this. Her arms hold Yuna close as their legs fold and tangle beneath the blanket, and all she had to do for them to end up this way was to accompany Yuna during the thunderstorm. Ryujin doesn’t bother to hide the smile spreading across her face as she cuddles Yuna back, knowing that the younger girl would have definitely adored it. She always adored seeing her smile so easily, so genuinely.

There’s still that faintest rumble of thunder – a final goodbye from the passing storm – as Ryujin begins to fall asleep. She’s aware of only the warm embrace around her, the gentle breathing against her neck, and the featherlight sounds of Yuna snoring away contentedly in her arms.

Just before Ryujin drifts off to join her, there’s a soft whisper between them.

“I love you.”