Seulgi used to hate morning afters.

The ones after one-night stands to be more specific. She can go all night drinking with Moonbyul or Jeongyeon and regret nothing the next day even if she remembers absolutely zero from the previous night. But morning afters of waking up in some stranger’s bed (rarely does she offer her own due to privacy and really, she just wants to have a good time and not get murdered in the process) feeling sticky and sore and overall horrible? She hates it with a passion.

She hates it when the heat of the moment (or of last night’s frenzy) finally sizzles out into the morning air and the regret of staying over sinks in, when it’s eight in the morning, she has a morning shift at the office that day, and there’s tiny men banging on the corners of her skull with little hammers.

And she absolutely despises it when she accidentally stays over, when the one-night stand catches her awake and tries to get her to stay, for a morning coffee or for another round, Seulgi doesn’t know but she never says ‘yes’ to find out. She just smiles politely, shakes her head, and promptly runs out the door like hell once she’s semi-decent (forgivable are shirt buttons that are out of order, a missing sock, even ped pants).

But all it takes is one woman with the face of a goddess to change her mind.

Entering stage right is Bae Joohyun. Also known as the one woman who had successfully rearranged Seulgi’s messy life into a somewhat more manageable one as the convenient friend with benefits, she is also the one responsible for ultimately succeeding as the person who did a 360 towards Seulgi’s apprehension towards morning afters.

Now Seulgi spends them talking to Joohyun about the most mundane of things, no matter how much her head aches from the lack of oxygen because she turns breathless as Joohyun is so beautiful in the morning light as it filters in from Seulgi’s window and hits her in just the right angle that makes her look ethereal.

The lack of sleep has her brain going haywire at how absurdly wonderful Joohyun looks, how she stares at her unabashedly as she lies on her front with her head atop crossed arms on a pillow, how her mind purrs at the sight of Joohyun in her bed, lying on her side while returning Seulgi’s dazed-out stares, and thinks she won’t mind seeing this view every single day for the rest of her life.

But with her designated placement as the friend with benefits, she doesn’t say anything that could tiptoe around the line they both drew when they decided about their relationship, no matter how much the words hang around the end of her tongue. Because Joohyun is smart and kind and beautiful and she doesn’t really want to lose this amazing person just because she can’t control her feelings.

"You're so pretty," Joohyun breathes into Seulgi's ear softly, airy and feminine. "With your hair down like this." 

Yet for some reason, Joohyun loves dipping into the line Seulgi doesn’t want to mess up, with that comment being only one of many praises Joohyun seems to shower her with. It could be in the little things such as that, compliments on her physical features, but could blossom into actions that border on something else, like hugs that are a little too tight than what could be considered as friendly and hand holding with Joohyun’s fingers fitting through the spaces in Seulgi’s perfectly.

There's a voice in her that wants Joohyun to stop it, to stop playing with fire before this whole thing between them goes up in smoke and ends up with them eventually walking out from each other’s lives. Another part of her doesn’t want Joohyun to stop at all.

When she feels Joohyun's fingers sift through the brown strands, Seulgi resists the urge to press her head into Joohyun's hand, to nuzzle her nose against Joohyun's palm. The warmth was tempting and she blames it on the lack of sleep, having spent all of last night and early morning doing much more important things that do not require talking at all.

Regardless, she doesn't think she could rest like this, not while Joohyun is and soft beside her, fingers in her hair calming and soothing with only Seulgi’s blanket shielding her from Seulgi’s wandering (yet welcome) eyes. This was too much of a perfect moment to miss, so instead she indulges in this slice of heaven with Joohyun.

"Really? I was thinking of getting a haircut because my bangs are too long..." 

Seulgi trails off as she blows a puff of air towards said bangs, making them fly before settling back against her forehead, tickling the skin and brushing against her eyes. 

Joohyun's fingertips are soft as they move towards her face, skirting her hairline before they gingerly play with her bangs too, moving them away from Seulgi's line of sight. Seulgi hears a hum of approval from the older woman but keeps silent due to the absence of a verbal reply. She rather looks at Joohyun's features as the fingers by her temple skirt down to her face, observes the minute expressions she doesn’t get to see on a daily basis.

The older was focused, a furrow by her brows that deepens as Joohyun's fingertips reach the arches of her eyebrows, effectively removing any remnants of sleep from her eyes, her index finger tracing down the slope of her nose, and her thumb... 

Joohyun's thumb traces over Seulgi's lips, Seulgi parting them on instinct and she doesn't miss how Joohyun's eyes darkened at the sight, how there's a bolt of need that sears through her insides with heat, and the way Joohyun's teeth peek over her bottom lip as her cheeks are dusted with pink. The perfect image of lustful temptation.

Because this was a familiar scenario, a dance they had both practiced towards mastery. It will only take someone to lean in and jumpstart this chain reaction. 

Thumb parting lips. Desperate kisses. Choked gasps. Pressing Joohyun to the bed. — 

Joohyun effectively cuts off her brain's descent towards the gutter as she drags her hand now to cup Seulgi's cheek, thumb the apple of it and the action anchors Seulgi back to where she was. The thundering of her heart quiets down as the heat of the moment disappears, leaving only Joohyun, Seulgi, and this tender morning. 

Against her will she closes her eyes and basks in the attention, pressing her face to the warmth she finds in Joohyun's palm and risking a little peck to the middle of it. Joohyun seems to enjoy it a little bit too much as well, going as far as to drag her blunt nails under Seulgi's chin, scratching it as she would a tamed pet. 

"That would be nice too. Just saying that you're pretty, Seulgi-yah." 

Compliments have always rendered Seulgi brainless, always clueless on how to handle such beautiful words spoken unbidden. Her brain scrambles for a weak thank you but Joohyun's fingers tilt her chin towards her direction, the need to spot the slight edge of teasing in Joohyun's voice that brings her to open her eyes.

She needs to know if Joohyun is joking, needs to know that these were only words without any sort of meaning behind them that will lead Seulgi on, and needs to see for herself that Joohyun isn’t giving her any sort of false hope.

She was surprised to see no trace of mischief in Joohyun's stare. just a pair of brown eyes looking at her, gaze tracing over her face like it's the last day on Earth and Joohyun's committing everything to memory.