Sakura POV

 

 

You don’t lie, ever. You try your hardest not to, so when you say you’ve slept the best you have in your life these past two weeks, you mean it. You also mean it when you say that being woken up like this is your favorite. 

 

A pair of lips to your neck, placing a soft kiss on it. You hum.

 

Honey fills your lungs.

 

“Chaewon-ah,” You murmur with a smile. You don’t want her to stop. The girl laughs, and to your dismay, pulls away from your neck, only to reposition herself to be a few centimeters away from your face.

 

Her gaze lifts to meet yours, and you realize that she’s smiling like a fool as she stares at you with hooded eyes.

 

Your breath is taken away, because how is she so pretty? Even while doing something as simple as waking up, even if it’s the start of the day, Chaewon glows almost as if the universe blessed her with beauty.

 

You rest one hand on her waist with the other around it. You don’t know how or why, but you’ve become addicted to the feeling of her. The girl in your arms responds with a wider smile. Could she be any cuter?

 

“Morning,” Chaewon greets you with a whisper.

 

“Good morning,” You whisper your response. This is a very good morning.

 

You watch as her eyes trail from your eyes down to your lips. Your breath hitches.

 

Pulling herself closer, Chaewon wastes no time to close the distance. For a moment, she doesn’t move. You're frozen in time with the only thing you feel being contentment. Chaewon pulls away.

 

Your eyes meet hers. Once again they’re hooded. You’ve really known this girl for two weeks? It’s only been two weeks and she’s already making you feel like this? She already leaves you wanting to tell the stars about her?

 

Chaewon moves her hand to rest on your shoulder. Her touch burns your skin, but in the best way possible. You live for the sensation.

 

You pull her in for another kiss, and this time, none of you freeze. Closing your eyes, her lips move against yours, and you swear you don’t normally get addicted to something this fast.

 

Someone this fast.

 

You shift from your spot of lying down on your back, flipping your positions so that she lies on her back instead. All without breaking the kiss. Both of her hands rest on your shoulders. One of yours holds yourself up while the other rests in its spot on her waist.

 

You curse at the human need for oxygen, because it forces you to pull away from her. The two of you stay in your positions, gazing softly into each other's eyes as you catch your breaths. Her eyes are red, and you can only imagine your own eye color.

 

Your emotions always get the better of you.

 

“You’re so perfect,” Chaewon breathes out. There’s something different in her gaze. It’s warmer, almost as if– as if–

 

You don’t have time to finish your thought, because before you can process it, Chaewon pulls you in for yet another kiss. You have no choice but to think of only her.

 

As seconds pass, Chaewon brings her hand up to cup your cheek. Her palm rests against your face, and you lean into it as she pulls away.
 

You open your eyes.

 

You’re tangled in your bedsheets, the sun shining its rays through the window. Chaewon is no longer under you and you face the ceiling instead.

 

You blink, eyes widening in the process.

 

What was that? Why did you dream about… kissing Chaewon?

 

You turn your head to look at the girl that haunted your dreams. One of your arms acts as her pillow as she rests her head on it. It has most likely gone numb a while ago, but you have no plans on moving it. You realize that you can feel her hand resting around you, while your free arm rests on her waist. 

 

Pink eyes soften.

 

She looks so at peace, so pre–

 

You stop yourself mid-thought. Suddenly, you’re all too aware of the fact that those thoughts could have another meaning.

 

Pushing those thoughts away, you pull her closer. 

 

You take in a breath, letting it out shakily. Your dream consumes you.

 

You’re not sure what the dream means, what it means for you or what you think of her. Obviously, Chaewon is an amazing person, someone that has grown into a friend.

 

A friend.

 

Friend’s kiss each other like that? In dreams, apparently so, but in reality it makes you question your dynamic with her.

 

You pull her closer, but the girl that clouds your thoughts groans, squirming in your arms.

 

“Sa–kura, you're squeezing me to death.”

 

And just like that, you’re pulled away from the chaos that is your mind. 

 

“Sorry,” You speak quickly. You loosen your hold around her as fast as possible, pulling your arms away from her. You create distance between the two of you.

 

She hums, except it sounds more annoyed than anything.  From under the covers, Chaewon grabs onto your wrists, placing your hands around her body once more. Your hands rest on her waist, and the sensation burns onto your hand.

 

“I never said to get away from me, just to let me breathe.”

 

You smile.

 

Without the feeling of invading her space, you pull her closer once more. This time, you make sure you don’t hug her too tight.

 

You're swarmed with the overwhelming urge to not go to work today. Although that might be due to the fact you are still in the comfort of your bed, you can’t help but think that your urge is partly because of the girl in your arms.

 

Thoughts of your dream flash by. Her warm breath hitting against your lips, her soft touches and noises of contentment, they act as if they have no choice but to remind you of your internal conflict with what you are with her.

 

You push the thoughts away. They don’t matter, not when you inhale honey. 

 

“I want to call in sick today,” Your voice is quiet so as to not wake her up any more than you already have. Chaewon hums softly.

 

“You don’t seem sick.”

 

A smile pushes itself onto your face. “I’m too comfortable. I can’t get out of bed.”

 

She scoffs as you move your hands to hold her closer, yet still not close enough for her to be uncomfortable. You don’t want that for her.

 

When you think about it, you’ve been considering staying home for longer since before you had that dream, and a part of you hidden deep knows it’s because of Chaewon. You have an urge to spend time with her, even if you know they won’t allow it. However, those thoughts have long been thrown out the window. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that you opened up to her about your parents. Maybe you simply don’t want to be alone with snobs that only care about themselves instead of the citizens of the planet.

 

Or maybe, you want to spend time with someone that makes you feel sane so rapidly.

 

That is more likely the answer rather than those sorry excuses for answers.

 

Like you said, you don’t lie. Not even to yourself.

 

“If you don’t get up, then I will,” Chaewon threatens, and that almost makes you shoot up. 

 

Almost.

 

Chaewon seems to forget that you are a trained captain, stronger than most. You tighten your hold around her, but not enough to, well, suffocate her.

 

“I’d like to see you try,” You say with a smirk. Chaewon lifts her head up to glare at you. It only makes your smirk grow wider.

 

“I have serapha, you know.”

 

You quirk an eyebrow. “You often seem to forget that when a seraph uses serapha on another one, it weakens them.” 

 

“That’s what it does?” Chaewon gasps, her eyes widening. 

 

You let go of her and sit up, mostly to distract yourself from the thought that says her action was cute, but also because of more questions you have.

 

“You didn’t know?” You ask. You begin to regret your question when you see how she tenses, how she averts her eyes from you. 

 

You’ve noticed that she does this when she’s upset, and you hate being the cause of it.

 

“I– um, I guess my– my planet wasn’t well informed with things that had to do with seraphs.”

 

You open your mouth to speak again, but Chaewon beats you to it.

 

“Hey, your eyes are pink. You okay?”

 

You falter a little before you let out an amused smile. Chaewon must really not want to talk about this.

 

“Yeah, I’m… okay.”

 

Tender kisses and the burning of her touch. Her hands on your shoulders.

 

You feel the bed shift as Chaewon sits up with you. She watches you curiously, and yet you make no attempt to return her gaze.

 

“You look like I just ate your entire stash of bread, leaving you with none for your sandwiches.”

 

“That’s… a clever way of saying I look down,” You chuckle. 

 

“So you admit it?”

 

This time, you meet her gaze. Chaewon watches as you dwell on her words.

 

Are you upset because you don’t know what you want with her? Because you don’t know if you want something more than a friendship?

 

Soft smiles and more kisses.

 

That dream had to mean something. What? You don’t know, but you’re more than determined to find it out.

 

You push the blankets off your body.

 

“I will neither confirm nor deny, Miss Kim,” You speak as you flatten the sheets of your bed.

 

“I don’t have to worry, do I?” Her voice is small, weak, for lack of a better word.

 

Your eyes meet hers, and you soften. She looks at you with a face full of concern, which reminds you of how she pulled you in for a hug after you opened up to her. You want to hug her now, tell her that she has nothing to worry about, that her only concern should be her, not someone she recently met.

 

But then, what would friends be for?

“Of course not, Chae.”

 

She smiles.

 

You’re reminded of warm mornings and the scent of honey.

 

“What’s got you smiling this morning?”

 

You tear your eyes away from the same hologram you’ve been staring at for the past half hour. Yunjin has a smirk on her face, raising her eyebrows in a teasing manner. Your smile falls, replaced with a scowl.

 

“Her girlfriend probably did something this morning. Come on Captain, tell us!” Eunchae chimes in with a wide smile.

 

The youngest is officially part of your unit. Having passed the final exam with flying colors, the only thing that awaits for Eunchae is her induction ceremony. Nonetheless, she is still permitted to work in your unit as a receptionist of some sort for the time being. Given her high grades and her connections with you and her brother, the Council deemed it necessary for Eunchae to gather experience before her fellow peers. 

You were there when the Council made their decision, along with Eunchae. You were about to protest, since Eunchae deserves to spend her last few weeks without the stress of being part of an organization as serious as this one, but Eunchae stopped you saying that it’s better for her to ‘get a feel for the real job’, but you know that isn’t the real reason why.

 

“Nothing happened. Stop pestering me,” You frown at their teasing remarks. The two only snicker in return.

 

“She didn’t deny it! She didn’t deny it!” The pair shout, hooting laughs as they lean back in the chairs. 

 

“She’s not my girlfriend! I’m only helping her, so stop it!”

 

Alas, the teasing never stops when Yunjin and Eunchae are together.

 

“You know what she did, Yunjin?” Eunchae shoots up from her seat behind her semi-neat desk, rushing over to her older friend. Again, she is practically jumping in excitement.

 

“What? What? What’d she do?”

 

You groan in protest. “Eunchae! She doesn’t have to know!”

 

“Oh, but now I have to know,” Yunjin laughs, except it sounds more like a cackle. You sigh. Why are you friends with such people again?

 

Yunjin places her hands on the younger’s shoulders, shaking Eunchae softly as the girl attempts to regain her composure. You watch as Eunchae covers while her laughs turn silent from the lack of air. She gasps for a breath.

 

“Captain Kkura gave her flowers! She was all like ‘these reminded me of your beauty,’” Eunchae bows to mimic you, but you have no recollection of bowing at all. Your mouth falls open in disbelief.

 

“I only said they reminded me of her, and I never did,” You stand from your chair, gesturing at Eunchae’s pose with… weird hand movements to which you don’t know the meaning of. “whatever that was.” 

 

“Kkura was bowing? At who?”

 

Your eyes dart to the entrance of the office. Kazuha stands before the glass doorway, holding a box that you can recognize is from the cafeteria. You could never be so happy to see the girl.

 

“Zuha! Captain Kkura bowed at her girlfriend!” Eunchae dashes to the older, almost knocking the box out of her hands if the latter wasn’t fast enough to help stabilize it.

 

Kazuha quirks an eyebrow. “I thought those rumors were false.”

 

“Thank you! They are! Chaewon is not my girlfriend,” You approach the pair, choosing to ignore Yunjin’s loud laughter from behind you.

 

You also choose to ignore the slight skip in your heartbeat. ‘Chaewon’ and ‘girlfriend’ in the same sentence is not what you need to hear after your dream.

 

“The two of you remember that Kkura is your boss, right?”

 

“Oh, I’m so very sorry, Boss,” Yunjin gets up from her chair, bowing repeatedly in your direction. She clasps her hands together. “So sorry for the misunderstanding, Boss.”

 

You scoff, rolling your eyes. You turn to see Eunchae grin before bowing the same way Yunjin did.

 

“So sorry, Boss! Won’t happen again!”

 

You take the box out of Kazuha’s hands and bring it over to the table used for the office’s lunch break. Setting it down next to the small flower vase sitting on the table, you turn to your friend