It begins when their eyes first meet across the room.

Karina uncaps her water bottle and takes a quick sip of her drink as her eyes dart around the room to look at the other trainees. Her eyes fall on a particular figure loudly joking around and giggling to herself as the girls surrounding her fall over laughing at her jokes. She leans against the wall and takes another sip of water as she immediately recognises who this particular individual is – Winter, younger than her by a year, shorter than her by an inch (or so she’s heard, not that she’s ever had the chance to stand beside her) but with a bright voice and personality to match her energy.

She feels her breath escape her when Winter suddenly glances up and looks her way.

There’s something about the way she looks at her, with that tiny quirk at the corner of her lips and her eyes filled with recognition, that makes Karina’s fingers fumble with her water bottle as she tries to maintain her composure.

Winter tilts her head to the side and offers her a shy but silly smile before engaging her friends in another funny story of hers.

Karina immediately feels a connection to Winter and she’s initially not sure what to make of it, but she knows that there’s something between them that she hopes she’ll be able to figure out eventually.

(Of course, it doesn’t help when Winter’s eyes never leave hers as they rehearse the same dance routine over and over again.)

It’s a year or so later when the number of trainees is reduced down to four members. Karina doesn’t mind; it can be a little chaotic working with so many different girls with all sorts of personalities. One thing she knows for sure is that she’s glad she’s gone through this grueling process with Winter, that same girl who caught her eye when they first started rehearsing together.

Karina has heard a lot of rumours about Winter; that she’s a great singer (true), that she’s shy (questionable at times) and that she’s quiet (not true at all).

But one thing she is definite about is the expanding feeling in her chest whenever their eyes meet and they get to spend time together, both with Giselle and Ningning and when they’re alone together.

Like right now, where they’re both sprawled on the floor and taking a break from their late night practise session.

Karina smiles when Winter tangles their legs together and playfully pokes her side. She doesn’t realise she’s staring at her until Winter coughs and sits upright.

“Is there something on my face?” Winter asks, her eyebrows cutely coming together to form a frown. Karina bites her lip to stop herself from grinning widely as Winter continues to look at her with a bemused smile and pink cheeks.

“No, you're fine,” Karina says softly, holding back her giggles when Winter arches an eyebrow in suspicion.

“Okay then. We should probably go through the routine a couple more times,” Winter says, squealing when Karina tugs her down and she falls on top of her.

Karina slips her arms around Winter’s waist, holding her still as she regards her with a broad smirk. She feels her heart rise in her chest when Winter positions her hands on either side of her face, her long hair pooling over her shoulders and shielding them from the rest of the world.

“Let’s stay like this for a moment. I’m tired and I need my cuddles,” Karina says, blushing when Winter regards her with an unreadable expression.

She gasps when she feels soft lips being pressed on her and can taste the strawberry lip balm on Winter’s lips. She sighs when Winter gives her another chaste kiss and moves back, her lips forming a wide grin as she waits for Karina.

Karina tugs her back down and kisses her silly, just like how it should be.

“Let’s make a wish for our debut!” Karina says, placing her hands in the middle of the group. The rest of her members follow by stacking their hands on top of hers. The four of them close their eyes and silently make a wish.

Winter opens her eyes and sneakily glances over at Karina. As if she can read her mind, Karina immediately opens her eyes and looks in her direction. They hold each other's gaze and try their best to hold in their giggles. They only manage to last a few seconds before Karina bursts into laughter and Winter silently giggles to herself, their hands never leaving Giselle’s as they stare at their celebratory debut cake.

The four of them count to three before taking a deep breath and blowing out the one candle lit on their cake. They cheer and clap happily, the relief of finally debuting hitting them and making their hearts rise in their chest.

Karina looks at each of her members individually, her lips curling into a grin when she catches Winter shooting her quick glances even when they’re a metre away from each other.

She offers her a quick wink, her heart thumping wildly when Winter returns her wink and gives her a knowing look.

A look she knows too well that means I love you .

“If your stage name is Winter, then can I be your blanket to warm your heart on the cold nights?” Karina says one time when they’re sitting beside each other on the couch, their legs casually tangled together as they consume the last tub of cookies and cream ice cream. She laughs when Winter rolls her eyes and waves her spoon in the air in a playfully disapproving manner.

“Oh lord. I forgot how straightforward you can be. We should warn the fans that you have a cheesy bone in you.”

“I can’t help but say whatever is on my mind. But speaking about your stage name being Winter, can your fandom name be Summer?”

Winter adorably furrows her eyebrows and pauses to contemplate her question. Karina smiles when she tilts her head to the side and looks at her with confused eyes.

“Why?”

Karina grins widely as she leans over to whisper softly to her. “Because opposites attract, just like how your favourite season is fall and mine is spring.”

Winter smirks impishly and turns her head to press against her ear. Karina gasps softly when Winter touches her hand and rubs smooth circles on her skin in a tender manner. She entwines their fingers together and sighs when Winter squeezes her hand.

Winter decides to play along with Karina’s amusing little game. “Are you suggesting that we’re attracted to each other?” She says, her voice teasing and gentle as she pushes the tub of ice cream away from their laps with her free hand.

“I think you’re the one saying that,” Karina says archly, squealing when Winter slides her hand down and pinches her waist.

Neither of them mind when their ice cream melts away.

(After all, that’s one of many things that they both like.)

“Ningning said you're a small hamster,” Karina says, playing with Winter’s hair as she reviews her lyric sheets. She guffaws when Winter immediately frowns and cranes her neck to look up at her with her bottom lip jutting out in protest.

“I'm an inch shorter than you,” Winter says, her cheeks puffing up when Karina plays with a lock of hair and tucks it behind her ear.

“You're cute. Besides, your height is perfect for many things.”

“Like what?”

Karina brushes Winter’s hair away from her face. She smirks when Winter’s eyes flutter closed, as if anticipating her next move. She decides to be a little cheeky and catch her off guard by pressing her lips on Winter’s forehead. She allows her lips to linger on Winter and only moves away when Winter sighs in content.

Her heart skips a beat when Winter’s fingers grasp onto the hem of her shirt to keep her close and honestly, she would never want to be too far away from her.

Karina admires Winter’s passion for music, so much that she sits beside her and watches her as she plays a random musical piece on the piano. She seeks out her hand when Winter finally stops playing and reaches for her cup of milk sitting on top of the piano.

“Can I be your lifetime headache?” Karina asks, nudging Winter with her clothed foot.

Winter laughs and pats her knee as she brings her mug of warm milk to her lips with her other hand. “I don’t want to be sick.”

Karina rolls her eyes and wrinkles her nose in playful displeasure. “You really know how to ruin a romantic line, don’t you?”

Winter bursts into giggles and gently places her cup back on top of the piano. She turns and rests her head on the palm of her hand as she looks at Karina with a silly smile on her face.

Karina finds herself unable to look away when Winter regards her with that loveable grin of hers. It’s a smile no one else has had the chance to witness (not that Karina wants anybody else to see something that’s hers). It’s one that Karina has adored over the years because even though Winter can be bubbly and mischievous sometimes, she knows what each of Winter’s smiles represent.

It’s a smile that’s just for her and her only.

“Can I be your lifetime headache?” Winter says, beaming widely when Karina coughs and immediately flushes pink.

“So you want me to be in pain for the rest of my life? How dare you, Kim Min Jung.”

Winter giggles and lightly shoves her shoulder. Her hand drops onto Karina’s and she plays with her fingers as she falls into a comfortable silence. Karina curls their index fingers together and smiles to herself when Winter’s fingers caress her own.

There is something so right about how their hands fit together, as if they were made for each other.

Karina finds herself staring at Winter a little too long, her cheeks turning warm when Winter wriggles her eyebrows and releases a silvery laugh.

“Then I’ll also be the one to take your pain away,” She answers quietly, the mischievous glint in her eyes never disappearing even when Karina reaches over to pinch her cheeks.

“Minjungie.”

Winter glances up from her phone, curving into a wide grin when Karina falls into the space beside her. She wraps her arms around Karina when she leans against her and rests her head on her shoulder. Winter sighs softly and draws soothing circles on Karina’s back when she feels her arms slip around her waist and hold her tight. She presses her lips together when Karina looks up at her after a few minutes, their eyes meeting each other underneath the dim room lights.

“Yes?”

Karina chuckles and reaches up to touch Winter’s face, her eyes b with happiness as her fingers lightly trace her features. Winter leans into her touch and closes her eyes as she smiles toothily at her. It makes the warmth in Karina’s heart expand, knowing that this feels right between them.

“Why did you stick by me all these years from pre-debut until now when you could have gone on to do greater things?”

Karina finds her breath being taken away when Winter opens her eyes and meets her gaze. She tries to look away for a brief moment, gasping when Winter’s fingers graze against her skin. She feels Winter reach down and squeeze her hand tightly, their fingers lacing together in the space between each other’s lap.

“It had to be you. It’s always you,” Winter says affectionately, her eyes bright and glistening as she regards her with her charming smile.

Karina tugs on the strings of Winter’s hoodie and leans in.

She beams widely when Winter smiles against her lips.

She tells Winter that it will always be her too.

A/N: I thought it'd be nice to write something different to my usual works for a change. This is very largely inspired by the way Winter and Karina look at each other. And this too.

I hope you enjoyed reading this!

You can find me on Twitter for drabbles/ficlets when I'm not writing a story or you can ask me anything on Curiouscat.