waking up to an alarm blaring at 7 am is not how joohyun was expecting to wake up after spending the night with her soulmate for the first time. needless to say, she's a little irritated and wants nothing more than to fall back asleep with seungwan in her arms.

 

joohyun feels the small girl fumbling around the bed to shut the alarm off and buries her face in her back with a small groan. "it's sunday … why do you have an alarm?" joohyun whines in a voice filled with drowsiness.

 

feeling seungwan leave her arms, she's forced to open her eyes. the nerd has sat up and is on her phone, texting her best friend and her demon of a soulmate since they didn't return last night.

 

"sorry, i have to go get seulgi and sooyoung since they're not back." seungwan sighs as she yawns sleepily, "you're welcome to warm my bed while i go get those two."

 

joohyun looks up with a pout, "it's not going to be nice without you here."

 

"so, not nice?"

 

"yeah not nice."

 

seungwan can't help but grin at how clingy joohyun is already, it's barely been a few hours since they've found each other and she's already acting like she's not going to live without the nerd. not that she disagrees, now that she has joohyun, she doesn't want to spend a minute away from her either — the feeling is mutual.

 

but she's gotta admit, being wanted by bae joohyun is a lovely feeling.

 

"come with me then."

 

"but it's too cold and too early …" joohyun whines as she continues to hide under the duvets.

 

"it is too early but i gotta make sure they're not sleeping in their own puke."

 

joohyun ignores her words and tugs at her shirt with the intention to pull her back into bed. and well, how could seungwan deny her? 

 

"come on, unnie," seungwan lets out a breathy laugh when her soulmate clings onto her waist, "we have the rest of our lives to cuddle."

 

the senior let out yet another groan and closes her eyes. using seungwan's lap as a pillow, she traps her soulmate with her own gravity. if she ever sleeps over when seungwan has morning classes, it’s very likely she’ll be on her way to failing her first class.

 

"i'm just saying, seulgi and sooyoung has spent years with you, all i want is to sleep with you till noon." joohyun mumbles a weak retort.

 

"stay here then, i'll get breakfast and be back in an hour or two then we can sleep again." the nerd offers and begins to untangle herself from joohyun's iron grasp.

 

"it's not the same …"

 

"it's the best compromise i can give you. though if you come, fluffy pancakes at munch will be on me," seungwan smirks as she crawls out of bed and heads to the bathroom, "and i'll hold your hand!"

 

a tempting offer. one that even joohyun could not simply pass up on.

 

"fine …" joohyun sighs in defeat as she removes the duvet, " i'll go …"

 

---

 

it's a half-past seven when the soulmates leave the warm dorm to brace the cold winds back to cygnus. this time, they are both properly clothed. the harsh temperatures are no match for the clothes they've put on. 

 

joohyun is clinging on to her for dear life once again. with her hands wrapped around the younger girl's waist, it makes for an awkward walk but neither wants to let go. the psychology major didn't do well in the cold despite being layered up like a burrito made out of all the warm clothes in seungwan's wardrobe — she had borrowed an extra jacket to battle the chills, but even that couldn't stop her shivering.

 

"i'm ready to jump back into bed, it's too early for me to function." joohyun mutters as they stroll down the empty paths.

 

seungwan snickers as she rubs a hand down joohyun's arm, hoping the friction would offer some warmth. "when you said you weren't a morning person, i didn't expect it to be this bad." she muses.

 

joohyun stifles a yawn as she looks up at the introvert, "you are too much of a morning person."

 

"unfortunately, i am. and that's why i have to go get seulgi when she doesn't come back in the mornings." seungwan sighs with a small smile. 

 

joohyun giggles lightly, "but you were at the new year party?" she questions.

 

"it was either that or watching her and sooyoung make out in our dorm room and i can't take anymore smooches. seul practically pointed a gun to my head and said party or perish." seungwan groans.

 

"i'm glad she did, otherwise when would we ever meet?" joohyun grins as she rests her head on her soulmate's arm, "also, smooches aren't so bad, seungwannie."

 

seungwannie. she could really get used to this. the way joohyun says her name makes her fall a little more each time.

 

seungwan wets her lips and shrugs, "we'd probably meet because of seulgi at some point and you haven't seen the two of them make out, they're absolutely disgusting and should probably get a room without me in it." she says firmly, she's been the sole audience of their full-blown make-out sessions for a few years now and there's only so much she can tolerate without gagging.

 

joohyun chuckles at her predicament and hugs her a little tighter, "come over anytime, i'll be more than happy to offer you a safe haven and non-disgusting smooches."

 

the weather doesn't feel as cold anymore when her face flushes at joohyun's words, she's on the verge of mumbling a response but it comes out as a weak squeak and now she's twice as embarrassed.

 

the senior doesn't hold back the amused laugh that leaves , "we don't have to do anything you don't want to, seungwannie. i'd be happy to just have you around." she reassures quickly.

 

the world feels like it's come alive, bringing color to every corner and she finally has something to look forward to. with joohyun in her arms, she's not sure if she could ever hate this world again. her soulmate has been so accommodating and patient and sweet and — the list goes on but everything about her makes seungwan's heart flutter.

 

seungwan makes a bold move and leans in to plant a soft kiss on joohyun's freezing cheek and the senior stops in her step. the introvert looks at her with a confused expression and joohyun's lips slowly crack into a huge smile.

 

"what's wrong?" seungwan frowns worriedly, afraid that her actions may have upset her soulmate.

 

"i thought kissing you was the best thing ever, but you kissing me is so much better." joohyun admits cheekily and resumes walking.

 

"i-!" seungwan stutters and her soulmate has to drag her along so she doesn't freeze up in the middle of the path.

 

---

 

the apartment where seulgi's birthday party was held got somewhat trashed, it's probably worse before they got here since yongsun is already busy cleaning up. the situation still looks dire though, there are still plenty of unconscious bodies littered around various spots in the apartment. joohyun can’t help but let out a soft sigh at her ruined apartment, every fibre of her being is regretting that she agreed to the party.

 

“you good?” seungwan questions with a worried gaze and runs a hand down her back comfortingly.

 

the senior bobs her head, “just thinking of how much of a pleasant sight this is.”

 

“close your eyes, you won’t have to see it.”

 

“yah …”

 

“joohyun? i thought you said you were only going to come back after lunch!” yongsun pokes her head out of the kitchen to peek her roommate presumably.

 

“i was.” joohyun snaps. clearly returning at the wee hours of the morning isn’t going to do wonders for her mood. not only is she cranky and tired, but their apartment also looks worse than a pig’s sty.

 

the brunette gasps loudly when she sees joohyun wrapped in seungwan's arms and she's beyond elated. "is this a dream? is this real? i'm not still dru–"

 

“not now, yong,“ joohyun shoots her with a sharp glare, “it’s too early for this."

 

yongsun looks at the two with a pointed grin and seungwan recognises that look. the senior probably think they did more than just cuddling and there’s no stopping the heat from rushing to her cheeks now.

 

“i should go check on seulgi and sooyoung …" seungwan stammers and trails off awkwardly. she scans the room but doesn’t see the couple anywhere.

 

“they’re in my room with byul," yongsun jabs a finger back into the corridor with a closed door, “watch out though, they drank a lot."

 

joohyun lets her seungwannie leave albeit a little unwillingly but she’s not going to act this clingy in front of yongsun who is throwing her an amused grin as her soulmate leaves. seungwan hurries into the room and leaves the two seniors to talk.

 

---

 

the room she enters is cool and dark, perfect for three hungover idiots sharing one bed that’s clearly too small for all of them. byulyi is on the precipice of falling off and seulgi is lying on top of sooyoung in a position that can’t be comfortable for either of them. but somehow, the expression on sooyoung’s face makes her look strangely comfy. shaking her head in exasperation, she walks over to the bodies and aggressively shakes the two drunk little s.

 

"kang seulgi, park sooyoung, get up." seungwan hisses, not wanting to wake byulyi up too.

 

sooyoung groans as she cuddles seulgi like a giant teddy bear and her best friend doesn't even budge. "park sooyoung, get up right now, i know you're awake." the nerd threatens as she shoves sooyong roughly.

 

"aish, unnie, go away …" sooyoung grumbles as she raises a hand to wave seungwan away.

 

seungwan leans in till she’s right next to sooyoung, “joohyun spent the night.” she whispered.

 

she has never seen sooyoung sit up that fast before, she barely has time to step back. in sooyoung’s haste, she caused the poor senior who happened to be sharing a bed with them to fall off with a loud thud. seulgi is lucky that she’s sleeping on top of sooyoung, who is holding onto her tightly so she doesn't end up on the floor like byulyi. seungwan rushes over to the film major who looks confused as to why she’s on the floor.

 

"you finally talked to joohyun?" sooyoung grins as seulgi stirs awake from all the commotion.

 

“yes,” seungwan answers before turning her attention to the senior, “byulyi-unnie, are you alright?”

 

“who pushed me off …” byulyi yawns as she accepts a hand from the nerd.

 

the door to the bedroom bursts open before seungwan could even reply and yongsun and joohyun are barging in with worried looks. "what was that noise?" yongsun demands quickly, her eyes darting all over the room to assess the situation, as if the puzzling positions of the four girls could provide any clues.

 

"probably me falling off the bed …" byulyi groans from her position on the floor in the corner of the room, “i’m okay just hungover now.”

 

yongsun sighs with visible relief, “idiot … get up and we can go get breakfast."

 

yongsun leaves the room while joohyun lingers a little, watching seungwan for a moment before joining her roommate outside. seulgi clings onto her soulmate and turns to face seungwan.

 

"what time is it, wannie?" seulgi yawns and blinks the sleep out of her eyes.

 

"time to get up," seungwan responds sharply, "glad to see you had a fun birthday."

 

"mhm, today would be a good day to sleep in." seulgi sighs as she buries her face in sooyoung's chest.

 

sooyoung sighs, "get up, baby, we gotta harass seungwan-unnie for the joohyun tea."

 

"joohyun tea?" byulyi chirps up as she looks up after zoning out for a while, "what joohyun tea?"

 

seungwan sighs as she looks at the three of them, "she knows we’re soulmates." the nerd leaves the room after dropping a bomb and she can hear arguing ensue.

 

---

 

seungwan can't help but grin when she thinks of her soulmate, it makes her beyond elated to know that joohyun has not only accepted her but is also equally as infatuated as she is. unable to stop herself, she does a happy little skip into the living room.

 

the living room has been cleaned up considerably, no more bottles or beer cans or sticky spills on the floor. the number of unconscious bodies has reduced too, leaving just a few stragglers. she watches yongsun and joohyun go on a cleaning rampage from her spot in the corridor. but despite their aggressive cleaning, the two seniors are strangely having a proper conversation.

 

"so, she ran from aquila to bootes, without shoes?"

 

"all she had was a thin t-shirt that i would get hypothermia in."

 

"and then what?"

 

"and then she asked me to open the door and said those exact words."

 

“you’re my joohyun, ?” yongsun takes a pause to clarify.

 

joohyun tosses an empty can into a trash bag and nods with a subtle eye roll, “yes …”

 

"if you weren’t so intimidating, maybe you'd have a proper tattoo." the brunette quips with a chuckle.

 

"shut up, do you even know what hers says?"

 

"yeah, i saw it last night. never knew bae joohyun would be capable of a word like that."

 

"i blame your idiot for this." her soulmate hisses.

 

"yah! lay off my idiot,” yongsun tosses a wet rag at joohyun, “what’s byul got to do with this?”

 

the smaller girl sidesteps the attack with ease and responds with one of her own, “it’s because she set off those fireworks that night!”

 

“it's not her fault that you get scared so easily."

 

"if byulyi didn't set off the fireworks, i could've talked to her like a normal person."

 

the two seniors are engaged in a nasty war that seungwan is glad to be out of. the sight of wet rags flying through the air accompanied by empty beer cans is hilarious to some degree, part of her wants to jump in and rescue her soulmate but the other part of her refuses to ruin her clothes in a petty fight that doesn’t exactly involve her.

 

"what would you say, miss bae? 'hi i'm bae joohyun the hottest girl on campus, maybe you've seen me on the posters around school.'"

 

"zip it, kim yongsun, or i'm leaving you to clean this up on your own since you agreed to this."

 

"you’d call my cleaning sloppy and clean it all over again."

 

"i hate that you're right, but i would much rather be asleep right now."

 

"you wouldn't leave me alone, hyunnie!”

 

"for a few more hours of sleep? i'd sell you."

 

“ah, you're so heartless— oh seungwan, are they all up?" 

 

two pairs of eyes turn to her and she snaps out of her daze, she's been staring at joohyun as she eavesdropped on their conversation.

 

"y-yes, they are. thanks for taking care of them, yongsun-unnie.” seungwan nods quickly.

 

“thanks for taking care of joohyun,” yongsun winks slyly as she heads to the kitchen, “don’t forget to take out the trash, hyun-ah.”

 

joohyun clicks her teeth and huffs with two large trash bags by her sides. “when i get back, i don’t wanna see any more stains!”

 

she didn’t even have to ask for help and seungwan is already taking one out of her hands. the senior shoots her an appreciative smile and they exit the apartment.

 

“is this what you and yongsun are usually like?” seungwan asks with a snicker when they enter the lift.

 

joohyun shakes her head quickly, “i’m a different person in the morning.”

 

“well, then i guess we should get you back in bed soon.” the little nerd jokes when the doors open.

 

the senior expels a quiet sigh and they make their way to the back of the building where the garbage bins are in relative silence.

 

“so, are we still on for breakfast?" joohyun asks softly once they are done disposing of the trash.

 

seungwan can't hide the huge smile on her face, "i thought you wanted to go back to sleep."

 

the senior huffs while pressing the button to call for the elevator, "i really do, but i think spending time with you takes precedence." she admits softly as she leans against the wall sleepily.

 

it’s warming, relieving even, that joohyun feels the exact same way that she does. maybe they wouldn’t have to figure out how to love each other, maybe it’s already wired in them. but it also feels like they’ve still got so much about each other to uncover.

 

"okay," seungwan nods with a wide grin, "right after i make sure seulgi and sooyoung are fine."

 

"do you think they'd want to tag along?" joohyun asks as the lift arrives and they step in together.

 

seungwan frowns for a moment before shrugging, "they're going to be pestering me about you if they do." the nerd sighs.

 

the senior shoots the younger girl an amused smirk, “oh, i can definitely foresee that happening.”

 

---

 

the couple splits up upon entering the house, joohyun opts to wash up and seungwan is instantly pulled aside by her friends. on another note, the apartment is empty save for her friends who are forcing her to sit on the couch — at least their interrogation would be privy to their small circle. stuck in between her best friends, seungwan has no choice but to answer to their demands.

 

"so what happened last night?" seulgi is the first one to interrogate the nerd upon her return, a cheeky smirk is plastered on her face.

 

seungwan sighs and rolls her eyes, "nothing happened, at least not what you're thinking of."

 

sooyoung clicks her teeth from her spot beside her on the couch, she nudges the introvert a little too hard, "no way, unnie." she shakes her head determinedly.

 

"what do you think happened?" seungwan exhales sharply, glaring at the two girls, demanding an answer from them.

 

the tall girl frowns at her unnie, "do i really need to say it?"

 

"we didn't have ! god! we talked a little and then it got late, so we just slept." seungwan huffs in annoyance.

 

"you're so boring unnie, you had the room to yourself and you just slept? unbelievable." sooyoung groans in disgust, "seul, baby, back me up here." 

 

seulgi snorts in amusement and shrugs, "i can't because that is an extremely wannie thing to do. she's not like us." the bear-like girl wraps an arm around her best friend in an attempt to appease her.

 

"by not like you do you mean that i'm not as nasty as you two?" seungwan asks as she leans into seulgi's side hug, sooyoung can only cross her arms in annoyance.

 

"pretty much," seulgi shrugs, "so what actually happened?"

 

"after you so rudely ended the call, i ran to bootes, fumbled over my words and then she knew." seungwan recalls the night without fail.

 

everything is still so fresh in her head. the look on joohyun's face when she realised. the firm tug as she pulled her into the room. the taste of her soulmate’s soft lips. the fear, the anxiety and the love of it all.

 

"what the heck? what does her tattoo say then?" sooyoung gasps and brings her hands up to .

 

seungwan's face heats up at the mention of joohyun's tattoo, she really couldn't keep herself together for more than a minute to say a proper sentence.

 

"get her to show it to you because i feel stupid just thinking about it." the nerd admits as she covers her face with her hands.

 

seulgi snickers and removes her hands, "for what it's worth, i'm glad you actually spoke."

 

"me too, seul, me too."

 

"did you do anything other than talk?" sooyoung rolls her eyes in boredom. 

 

"we kissed … she kissed me … wait, i kissed her ..." seungwan lets a lopsided grin slip at the memory of joohyun's lips on hers.

 

sooyoung sits up straight and widens her eyes, "okay? i wasn't expecting that, how did you get to that?"

 

the nerd cringes and contemplates whether she should avoid the question, telling sooyoung that they sat in silence for almost an hour would mean she'd never shut up.

 

"it just happened, okay?" seungwan gives up on finding an excuse.

 

"okay, wannie. we'll just ask joohyun." seulgi grins.

 

with perfect timing, joohyun steps into the living room. "ask me what, seulgi?" she questions, looking at the three girls with a raised brow.

 

"seungwan-unnie said you guys kissed last night and we wanna know how it went down." sooyoung smirks.

 

park sooyoung will really be the death of her, seungwan expels a sharp exhale and sinks further into the couch in an attempt to disappear from existence.

 

but it doesn't faze joohyun one bit, she's too used to her family’s constant prying. with a small smile, she explains calmly, "she was going to head back and i chased after her, asking her to stay. and, then we kissed."

 

"why aren't you this romantic, sooyoung-ah?" seulgi looks to her best friend and then her soulmate.

 

seungwan feels the heat rushing to her cheeks and she looks at joohyun shyly. seulgi and sooyoung enter a mildly heated argument while she's still sandwiched between them. joohyun shoots her a warm smile before excusing herself to take a shower, leaving seungwan entrapped in a gradually unpleasant scenario.

 

the nerd has little to no idea what the couple is even arguing about, all she knows is that her body definitely needs more sleep — and she definitely wouldn’t mind curling up next to joohyun again. honestly, that’ll be the best thing in the world. sleeping in on a sunday all tucked up with her soulmate. 

 

“wannie, are you even listening?” her best friend pulls her from her daydreams with a snap of a finger.

 

“huh?”

 

“i asked, breakfast at munch or mcdonald’s?”

 

seungwan scrunches her face up, “why mcdonald’s?”

 

“it’s the perfect ty food for a hangover,” sooyoung groans as she rests her head on her unnie’s shoulder, “which we both are.”

 

“serves you guys right,” seungwan shrugs the highschooler’s head off her shoulders mercilessly, “i’m getting breakfast with joohyun-unnie.”

 

sooyoung doesn’t hold back a loud gasp, “seul, baby, you heard that? she’s abandoning us for her soulmate!” she cries out dramatically.

 

“yah! your voice is too loud!”

 

“need i remind you that seulgi backstabbed me the minute you guys met?” the nerd clicks her teeth in annoyance. that memory is etched in a part of her brain that swears to never let them live it down for the rest of their lives.

 

as if on cue, yongsun swoops in to save the day before it descends into a full-blown and less than passive discussion. "do you guys ever stop arguing?" the brunette sighs while shaking her head.

 

"don’t drag me into this, i’m innocent" seungwan defends herself quickly. 

 

"those two were bickering over ketchup and tomato sauce last night," yongsun exposes them with her voice raised a pitch higher due to the absurdity of the situation, "i don't even know how it started!"

 

sooyoung hums tiredly, "oh i vaguely remember that, i was saying they're pretty much the same thing."

 

"they can't be the same thing!" the design major cries out in mock horror, "you wouldn't cook spaghetti with ketchup!"

 

"oh really? try me."

 

"the last time i ate your food it gave me a stomachache, i'd rather eat wannie's food!"

 

"nope! nope! do not bring me into this!" seungwan grunts with extra emphasis on the word ‘not’ and wrestles her way out from between the dysfunctional soulmates, "i want no part in your tomato and ketchup argument."

 

seulgi looks up with a pout, "but you're on my side, right?"

 

anyone with a working brain would side with park sooyoung, especially when the opposition is kang seulgi.

 

"i love you seul, but i’d rather not incur the wrath of park sooyoung at 8 in the morning.”

 

seulgi clicks her teeth and huffs while sooyoung sticks her tongue out playfully. "little …" 

 

"anyway, breakfast?" seungwan changes the topic before her two friends start a new argument.

 

a resounding yes is heard from the corridor as byulyi finally makes her way out of the darkness, “let’s go! together!” she croaks with a large grin.

 

and well, seungwan feels terrible if she rejects byulyi and the rest so she could have some private time with joohyun. so, of course, she agrees to a group breakfast.

 

---

 

with the sun fully risen, the temperatures aren’t as cold as before. seungwan misses how tightly joohyun had been clinging onto her. the group is mostly quiet when they make their way to the hub. the brand new soulmates find themselves trailing behind at a comfortable pace, away from the potential jabs that might come out of sooyoung’s mouth.

 

for the most part, seungwan is content to be with joohyun, even if it’s in the presence of others. but she finds herself uncomfortable with displaying her affections for joohyun when there are so many people around. it’d been okay when it was just the two of them in the wee hours of twilight and dawn but with her friends around, holding hands seem a little more daunting than it should be.

 

“i thought i could’ve had you all to myself today,” joohyun’s whisper reaches her ears and she turns to the older girl, “but i’m very wrong.”

 

a soft laugh escapes seungwan’s throat and she shrugs, “never hurts to spend some time with our friends, right?”

 

joohyun bites her lower lip and nods, “yeah but it’s our first day together.”

 

“we’ll have plenty more, that i’ll promise you right now.” seungwan declares firmly, to joohyun or herself, she’ll never quite know.

 

"cheesy." joohyun snickers and slips her small, freezing hand into seungwan's, "but i'll hold you to it."

 

with a firm bob of her head, the pair simply basks in each others' presence. they would save the words and conversations for later, to be with each other is enough for now.

 

breakfast is a simple affair, the group find themselves at munch. what used to be a weekly ritual for the two best friends is now a gathering session for all of their friends. and for a bunch of hungover partygoers, byulyi and seulgi are more talkative than anyone had expected. most of the time it's just the two creatives blabbering on whilst the rest listened in.

 

joohyun had decided about an hour in that seungwan’s bony shoulder would make a good headrest, so she shut her eyes and lets the world continue on without her.

 

“you’re gonna be so whipped.” sooyoung nudges her unnie in the elbow.

 

seungwan is cautious not to wake her soulmate so she cranes her neck slowly, “it’s not going to be as bad as you and seul.”

 

the highschooler puckers her lips and continues biting on her straw. “well, i just think it’s neat you got someone as caring as her. i’m happy for you, unnie.”

 

park sooyoung, being so — nice, is something that never happens. and maybe, it should be a cause of worry.

 

“sooyoung-ah, are you okay?” seungwan can’t help but snort even though she knows that the highschooler has good intentions. 

 

it’s just that she’s not used to their dynamic being anything but borderline hostile, seeing a less aggressive side of sooyoung is something unfamiliar but not unwelcome.

 

the younger girl shoots her a deadly glare, “why do i even bother being nice?” she huffs.

 

the nerd bites back a grin and reaches for sooyoung’s hand apologetically, “sorry, i appreciate it, i really do. thank you, sooyoung-ah.”

 

“i was going to make fun of you and joohyun-unnie being so clingy but i held my tongue because you guys are actually adorable together,” sooyoung rolls her eyes with a smirk, “but at the same time, you two look like little garden gnomes.”

 

“yah park sooyoung ..!” seungwan clicks her teeth in offence but can’t help but let a giggle slip at the highschooler’s comment.

 

“it’s kinda funny when you think about it, right?”

 

“i hate that you’re kinda right …”

 

---

 

breakfast ends on a good note and everyone wants to head home and sleep the rest of the weekend away. the couples begin to part ways after bidding each other farewell, save for seungwan and joohyun. do they say goodbye now? do they hang around each other for a little longer? defining their relationship is a little tough when neither party wants to come off as too much.

 

“are you going back to sleep ..?” seungwan shifts her weight from one leg to another uncertainly, well aware that seulgi and sooyoung are already much further ahead.

 

joohyun nods, “do you wanna …” she never finishes her sentence because seungwan is already nodding.

 

does seungwan want to spend the rest of her sunday napping with her soulmate? or does she want to spend the rest of her day with her soulmate? both questions would earn a resounding yes from her.

 

and lucky for her, it's a mix of both.

 

it mattered nought that their first day as soulmates is about to be spent on the most mundane of things like napping, because being cuddled up with joohyun under some warm duvets sounds more than perfect.

 

the two gnomes return to joohyun's room where, thankfully, the aftermath of the party did not reach. sure, the living room still needs cleaning but joohyun decided that it's on yongsun's shoulders for today.

 

today is a day for long naps and seungwan.

 

leading seungwan into her room, the pair is silent. joohyun flops onto her bed without a second thought while seungwan takes some time to examine joohyun’s little nest. it’s not as big as she thought it’d be, but it’s definitely more spacious than her shared dorm with seulgi. the room is lathered with sweet scents from the multiple candles that joohyun had around the room. though none of them are lit, a light and pleasant residue is still wafting through the air.

 

polaroids are pinned to a corkboard just by the door, pictures with friends and family undoubtedly. she manages to spot one with yeri dated back to october 2018, while joohyun looks pretty much the same, the younger girl has matured considerably. she has all the basic necessities of a room, but at the same time, it feels unbelievably cosy and fitting for someone like joohyun. 

 

“did you spot yerim?” joohyun asks while she lies on her belly, resting her head in her hand lazily.

 

seungwan bobs her head slowly, “she looks so different.”

 

“yeah, she wasn’t that much of a brat back then either.”

 

“i bet.”

 

sensing her apprehension, joohyun shifts herself to make space for seungwan on the bed. patting the spot next to her invitingly, she looks at seungwan with a welcoming gaze. the nerd accepts it by settling at the precipice awkwardly, maybe the adrenaline from last night helped her to feel less conscious about her actions.

 

“come on, i won’t bite.” joohyun sighs as she tugs at seungwan’s shirt lightly. 

 

she understands the nervousness that her soulmate is feeling, after all, she feels it too. they are so new to each other, so fragile in the eyes of the other. as if saying or doing the wrong things would mean the dire end of this new good thing in their lives. though she knows that’s hardly the case, they both just need time to adjust to this, even if it’s a good thing.

 

seungwan shifts herself further in and joohyun doesn’t waste another second in tackling her into a gentle hug. feeling no resistance from her love, she glances at the younger girl who still seems a little rigid.

 

“if there’s anything i do that makes you uncomfortable, you have to tell me. same goes for me, sound good?” joohyun offers a straightforward solution to their little predicament with a light smile.

 

the introvert bobs her head slowly and begins to relax into joohyun’s lovely embrace, “i like being hugged by you.”

 

“i like it too,” joohyun plants a tender kiss on the crown of her soulmate’s head, “now can i go back to sleep?”

 

“see you in my dreams, unnie.”

 

---

 

the incessant buzzing of a phone stirs seungwan awake. it takes her a moment to register where she is before blinking the sleep out of her eyes. finding herself entrapped by joohyun’s limbs, she struggles to raise her phone so that she could check who’s bothering her.

 

yeri

9 messages

 

that can’t be a good sign. something in the virtual world must be on fire otherwise yeri would never send her so many messages at once. opening up their conversation, she skims through the texts with a small yawn.

 

yeri:

hello??

12:05 pm

 

we have a practice for heretic hilla today

12:07 pm

 

did you forget??

12:07 pm

 

are you still asleep?

12:10 pm

 

you good?

12:12 pm

 

hey

12:12 pm

 

hey

12:12 pm

 

hey hey hey

12:12 pm

 

yah!!!!

12:12 pm

 

the panic that fills her body is unlike any other. this has never happened before, her sense of responsibility translates well into the online world. so how did she forget that she had a practice run for the newest boss today? opening up discord, she sees that her party members are all ready and waiting for their dear bishop to log in.

 

yeri today at 12:03 pm

@azure HELLO

 

azure today at 12:13 pm

🙏🙏 SORRY!!!

i got caught up with something

 

yeri today at 12:13 pm

get in the call NOW

 

she extricates herself from joohyun's arms slowly so as to not wake her soulmate but her less than elegant stumbling out of the room probably woke her anyway. shutting the door behind her, she enters the discord call with apprehension.

 

"yah! where are you?" yeri grumbles before she even has the chance to explain herself.

 

"did something happen?" oobie asks in a gentle tone.

 

seungwan has to lower the volume of her speaker so yeri's screeching doesn't wake the entire apartment block.

 

"sorry, i'm with joohyun-unnie," seungwan mumbles, "just give me like 15 minutes i'll run back to my dorm."

 

the sound of overlapping voices make it hard to differentiate who's speaking but she manages to catch a few questions.

 

"wait what?"

 

"say that again, azure."

 

"yeah, say it again!"

 

"i'll be back in my dorm in 15 minutes." seungwan repeats in a hushed whisper, making sure to enunciate each word slowly so they’d catch it this time.

 

"no! who are you with now?" luna shouts.

 

"joohyun-unnie …" seungwan mutters as she attempts to map out the fastest route back to aquila in her head.

 

the call erupts with gasps and cries of disbelief and shock, she has to pull the phone away from her ear so she doesn’t blow her eardrums out.

 

"yah!"

 

"no way! azure you did it?!"

 

"she confessed! she confessed!"

 

“yes i did!” seungwan hisses, “now let me hang up so i can tell her i gotta go!”

 

a hand finds itself on her arm and she almost recoils in surprise. snapping her head to the left, she finds that joohyun had been awoken.

 

“is everything okay?” the senior mumbles with a small yawn.

 

“oh my god! joohyun-unnie!” yeri yells from the call but her boisterous voice still emerges loud and clear.

 

blinking the sleep out of her eyes, joohyun turns her attention to seungwan’s phone. “what’s going on?” she demands with a frown.

 

seungwan grimaces and begins to explain, “sorry, i forgot i’ve got a practice run today and my friends are waiting for me.”

 

“is it important?” joohyun runs a hand through her hair with a pout.

 

“uh … it’s just a practice run but …” seungwan trails off when her breath is caught in , merely watching joohyun is enough to distract her from her thoughts.

 

“okay, skip it then. i don’t feel like sharing you today.”

 

seungwan can’t help but let a grin slip, she snakes an arm around joohyun’s waist and hands her phone over, “can you tell yeri?” 

 

shaking her head with an amused scoff, joohyun obliges. “hello?” she greets while raising an eyebrow at seungwan.

 

“hi unnie! i know you guys just met but can you let azure go?”

 

joohyun is relentless when it comes to spending time with her new soulmate. it seems like the universe is taking every opportunity to snatch her soulmate away and she’s not going to let that happen so easily. 

 

“no.” a swift and firm reply should allow her soulmate to stay.

 

“yah! why not?” yeri whines.

 

with a tired sigh, joohyun brings the phone closer. “because i’ve been waiting almost 8 years for her and we finally met. is it too much to want her all to myself? you guys have spent more time with her than i have, let me have this one day.”

 

the call turns silent and seungwan can feel her face flushing with how possessive joohyun seems. though she's certain that joohyun would let her go if she wanted to, she didn't exactly want to anymore. her friends would definitely make fun of her later when she logs in.

 

the silence is broken when bread breaks out in a snicker, “alright, alright. azure’s soulmate gets her for today.”

 

“thank you.” joohyun’s lips tug upwards into a large smile, “also, you’re going to get it from me the next time we meet, kim yerim-ah.”

 

“aish, unnie, you haven’t even bought me lunch!”

 

“i am not doing this right now,” joohyun declares and hands seungwan her phone, “i’m going back to sleep.”

 

seungwan lets joohyun return to her room while she bids her friends a swift farewell. “sorry guys, we can talk later. i gotta go for now.”

 

“go on, don’t keep your soulmate waiting!” oobie chases her away by disconnecting her from the call.

 

usually, she’d be upset that she’d miss a boss run with her friends. but today, she’s glad for the change of events. it’s unlikely that she’ll be able to concentrate even if she does leave joohyun. she’d be too distracted by the thoughts of her soulmate clouding her mind to focus on anything. biting back a grin, she returns to joohyun’s bed and warm arms instantly wrap themselves around her waist.

 

“do i have to book you for today? how do i stop people from trying to steal you away from me?” the senior mumbles while seungwan is crawling back to her side.

 

“i’m all yours today, promise. no one else is going to try anything.”

 

“good.”

 

joohyun settles comfortably on her chest, falling asleep within mere seconds. seungwan takes the time to gaze at her soulmate and the thought that has been echoing in her head resurfaces once again — she's so lucky to have joohyun.

 

and as promised, seungwan stays for the rest of the afternoon. keeping her soulmate company while she remained knocked out for hours, only shifting ever so slightly when she felt seungwan shift.

 

they share a simple dinner, seungwan whipping up a meal consisting of leftover ingredients from the fridge. it’s not the best but it’ll have to do. eventually, joohyun lets her soulmate leave because her cousin just wouldn’t stop texting her to release azure from her grubby little hands.

 

and seungwan doesn’t leave without showering joohyun in a plethora of hugs and a promise that she’ll text her a little later. slowly but steadily, they’ll learn to spell out what it really means to have someone’s first words as your tattoo.

 

---

 

joohyun-unnie:

is kim yerim satisfied now?

10:40 pm

 

seungwan:

not exactly

10:41 pm

 

she’s mad at me because she lost the bet

10:41 pm

 

joohyun-unnie:

😤 if only she had more faith in you

10:42 pm

 

seungwan:

if only 🤭

10:42 pm

 

joohyun-unnie:

not sure how i’m going to fall asleep tonight

10:42 pm

 

you let me sleep for way too long

10:42 pm

 

seungwan:

it’s not my fault you looked so peaceful while you slept 😔 

10:43 pm

 

joohyun-unnie:

it’s your fault because you made for such a great napping companion

10:43 pm

 

seungwan:

😗 well … i’m glad to be of service

10:43 pm

 

joohyun-unnie:

anyway …

10:43 pm

 

i know i said we could take it slow

10:44 pm

 

but how do you feel about a date tomorrow?

10:44 pm

 

seungwan:

a date? 😳

10:44 pm

 

joohyun-unnie:

yeah, what do you think?

10:44 pm

 

seungwan:

i think …

10:45 pm

 

bae joohyun? the hottest girl on campus? the senior i’ve seen on posters around school? asking someone like me out?

10:45 pm

 

unbelievable 😲

10:45 pm

 

joohyun-unnie:

YAH!!

10:45 pm

 

seungwan:

🤭 just kidding

10:46 pm

 

i think that sounds really nice

10:46 pm

 

we could meet around 12 for lunch so you can sleep in a little more

10:46 pm

 

joohyun-unnie:

🥺 okay

10:46 pm

 

we could catch a movie after that~

10:47 pm

 

seungwan:

horror? heard there’s a really good one that just came out recently

10:47 pm

 

joohyun-unnie:

NO

10:47 pm

 

😭 anything but horror please!!

10:47 pm

 

seungwan:

👀 when you put it like that … we definitely have to

10:48 pm

 

joohyun-unnie:

seungwan-ah 😭😭

10:48 pm

 

seungwan:

😂 fine

10:48 pm

 

we can check if there’s anything good that’s not horror

10:48 pm

 

but if there’s nothing good, we’re watching something scary 👻

10:49 pm

 

joohyun-unnie:

i’ll go home 😤

10:49 pm

 

seungwan:

no!! 😔😔!!

10:49 pm

 

okay, okay! no horror at all!

10:49 pm

 

joohyun-unnie:

i’m trusting you

10:50 pm

 

seungwan:

yes~ 😬

10:50 pm

 

i gotta go, yeri’s yelling at me again

10:50 pm

 

joohyun-unnie:

i’ll yell at her for you 🤬

10:50 pm

 

seungwan:

🥰 appreciate it unnie, but i got this

10:51 pm

 

joohyun-unnie:

have fun~

10:51 pm

 

---

 

the psychology senior wishes she could say she had a good night’s rest before her first official date with her soulmate — but she spent a good part of it tossing and turning in bed until the fatigue finally overtook her.

 

waking up in the morning to someone shaking her aggressively isn’t the most ideal, but nonetheless, she’s awake. sobering up slowly, she registers yongsun’s presence in her room, which isn’t the most uncommon thing. but her body being uncomfortably warm isn’t the most common thing either.

 

“what?” she demands but her voice comes out as a hoarse whisper. 

 

“you’ve been asleep for like 12 hours, i thought you died.” yongsun folds her arms across her chest, “are you okay?”

 

sitting up in a sluggish haze, she squints at the only clock in her room. it’s a quarter past twelve. the realisation that she’s late for her date with seungwan settles in almost instantly.

 

"yah! you're burning up." yongsun's brows furrow in worry after she places a hand on joohyun's forehead.

 

"i'm fine, i'm late to meet seungwan …" joohyun sniffles as she scrambles out of bed.

 

that was a bad move, she's instantly hit with a throbbing headache. pinching the bridge of her nose, she attempts to fight it but is quickly faced with defeat.

 

"you're not fine, you're sick." yongsun sighs at her stubborn friend, "give me your phone."

 

“why?” the model mumbles, stumbling momentarily only to find herself back in bed where she yields to her body.

 

“i’m texting seungwan,” the brunette explains simply, “there’s no way you’re going out in this condition.”

 

a whine escapes joohyun’s throat, “but it’s our first date ..!”

 

“if you’d taken better care of yourself in the weeks prior, you wouldn’t have fallen sick so easily!” yongsun chides harshly, scouring the room for joohyun’s phone and she finds it tucked by her bed.

 

if the tables were turned, yongsun foresees herself attempting to clamber out of bed too. and joohyun would never let her set foot out the door until she was fully recovered. it’s just the right thing to do for this idiot in love. bringing the phone to her face, yongsun prompts her sick roommate to unlock it.  joohyun, in her haze, obliges without much of a struggle.

 

son seungwan

4 messages

 

son seungwan:

good morning!!!

11:01 am

 

hope you had a good sleep, can't wait to see you!

11:01 am

 

are you up? i'm leaving my room now~

11:55 am

 

unnie?

12:07 pm

 

joohyun:

sorry to disappoint, yongsun here

12:13 pm

 

joohyun's sick and i'm not letting her go out

12:13 pm

 

not like she's up for it anyway

12:13 pm

 

son seungwan:

sick? is she okay?

12:14 pm

 

does she need anything?

12:14 pm

 

joohyun:

probably just the flu

12:14 pm

 

we've got some meds that should help

12:14 pm

 

but i should be picking up lunch unless you wanna come over

12:15 pm

 

son seungwan:

take care of her

12:15 pm

 

i’ll get some food and be right over

12:15 pm

 

joohyun:

you can expect her to be extra whiny

12:15 pm

 

son seungwan:

gotcha, thanks unnie

12:16 pm

 

"you name your soulmate's contact as her full name?" yongsun comments upon finishing a quick exchange with seungwan, "i'm shocked that you even saved my number."

 

her witty remark is met with silence and yongsun looks up from the phone only to find that her roommate has curled up into a ball at the edge of the bed. the great news is she’s fallen back asleep and the not so great news is that she could fall off the bed at any time. using her strength, yongsun maneuvers the smaller girl’s body with minimal difficulty, ensuring that she’s all tucked in and safe.

 

this idiot has had a rough couple of weeks, it's a miracle she's managed to last this long without crumbling. hopefully with son seungwan, she can expect a life with more ups instead of downs.

 

yongsun leaves her roommate to rest while she scours their apartment for resources to nurse a sickly joohyun.

 

---

 

worry is the only thing that seungwan feels when she makes her way from the university’s train station back to the hub. she suspected something was up when joohyun hadn’t replied to her earlier texts, but she chalked it up to the possibility that the senior had merely overslept.

 

knowing that her soulmate is down with an illness makes her feel uneasy, every fibre of her being just wants joohyun to be safe and happy. as much as she hates to admit it, sooyoung is right about her being whipped for joohyun — this is a loss she’ll take any day.

 

her limbs move on autopilot as she hurries around campus grounds, getting food appropriate for her ill soulmate before rushing over to the cygnus dorms.

 

it’s a quarter to one when yongsun greets her at the door, offering a warm smile and a side hug as she ushers the younger girl in.

 

“is she okay?” is the first thing that leaves seungwan’s lips, unable to mask the worry that’s plaguing her right now.

 

yongsun nods as she helps the nerd place lunch on the table, “she’s sleeping now. i gave her something to bring down the fever but if that doesn’t work, i’ll take her to a doctor.”

 

essentially, seungwan is powerless. perhaps the furrow of her brows gave it away but the brunette rests a hand on her shoulder to offer some reassurance.

 

“she’ll be okay, it’s nothing more than a bout of flu.” the senior coos, "you can go see her, maybe wake her up to eat a little later."

 

the nerd bobs her head weakly and mumbles something to excuse herself so she could be with her newfound love. it really that when she's finally spoken to joohyun, a bunch of obstacles just happen to pop up as well.

 

she enters her soulmate's ever so cosy room to find her all wrapped up in a cocoon of her sheets. her pale lips are a telltale sign of unwellness, followed by the sniffling and ragged breathing signalling uncomfort. seungwan can't bear to admit that it breaks her heart a little to see joohyun so vulnerable.

 

the nerd settles on the floor by the bed, making sure to keep a distance so she doesn't catch whatever nasties that have infected joohyun. and she watches and waits.

 

eventually, joohyun stirs awake and seungwan is instantly tending to her. wrinkling her nose, the senior offers an apologetic smile.

 

"sorry i missed our first date …" her voice is nothing more than a raspy whisper.

 

seungwan moving a stray strand of hair aside from joohyun's face, "it's okay, we can go on a proper one when you're better."

 

"but it's our first …" she tries to argue.

 

"we'll have plenty of firsts," seungwan offers her soulmate a glass of water before mumbling a string of soothing words, "this can be the first time i take care of you, it's not exactly the most romantic but it's still a first."

 

pushing herself up with some assistance from seungwan, joohyun accepts the glass with small sips. her limbs are aching so badly and the throbbing in her head has yet to cease. she hates being sick, obviously preferring that her body works as it should. having seungwan by her side is comforting in its own ways, to be taken care of by her soulmate sounds nice.

 

reaching a hand out, she leaves a gentle pat on seungwan's head. "thank you."

 

a quiet scoff escapes her soulmate's lips, "what for?" seungwan questions with a mildly worried gaze.

 

"being here."

 

"you're thanking me for the bare minimum," the little nerd chuckles and rests her head on the edge of the bed whilst looking up at her soulmate, "i think the fever's getting to you."

 

"maybe it is."

 

or maybe it's how she's looking forward to everything now that she's got someone to spend the rest of her life with.

 

---

END NOTES

i don't have a specific playlist for this fic but here's a calming one that i've been writing this chapter to: spotify playlist

and you know the drill: twitter