This was confusing.

Jessica was confusing.

One moment she was there, clinging to her like a limpet and so unwilling to let go. The next moment, she was gone and so distant unlike before, pretending as if she didn’t exist.

Initially, it made Yuri backtrack, wondering if she had done something to anger her. Was it something she said? Something she ate— cucumbers, maybe?

But after while, she just sort of let it be.

There was a limit to playing ‘push and pull’, and with all that they’ve been through— or at least with what there was left of them— lately, she wasn’t about to let herself harp and brood over the matter.

Call it once bitten, twice shy. She wasn’t going to build herself up to face nothing but disappointment all over again.

Because once was good enough.

This time around, she had learnt to be more careful.

Yuri glanced up when she felt the spot beside her on the couch dip in unexpectedly. At this point, she was barely even surprised when saw that it was none other than Jessica who was currently beside her.

She seemed like she was in one of her better moods. Eyes twinkling mirthfully, her lips were moving fairly quickly as a smile hung off its edges. However, with the music blasting through Yuri’s ears from her earphones, she could barely make out what the fairer brunette was saying.

“I’m sorry, what was that?” She asked, peeling one side of her earphones off.

“I said: What’re you doing?” Jessica chirped brightly and Yuri fought the urge to raise a brow at her sudden cheeriness towards her.

She merely shrugged her shoulders and briefly flashed her phone at her before quickly returning to the task at hand, although keeping one side of her earphone off.

Jessica scooted over closer towards her. So much so that their thighs and shoulders were touching. But that was honestly the least of Yuri’s concerns.

For now.

“Ah, candypang!”

Yuri didn’t respond immediately; eyes and attention completely focused onto her phone and fingers rapidly sliding up and down the screen, she was far too into the game to deal with her at the moment.

Without looking up, she could feel Jessica peering over her shoulder from the warm breath that was tickling the side of her neck.

At first, it was bearable and she heeded her no mind.

This sort of a closeness wasn’t particularly out of the ordinary, and she chose to not read into it too much.

However, after a while, it almost seemed like Jessica was trying to push the limits to how close she could get. Inching closer and closer, the breath on her neck grew hotter and hotter, right up till the point where it got so frustratingly distracting that Yuri was beginning to do poorly on her game.

As such, the Black Pearl lowered her phone down slightly. In hopes that now Jessica could see better, she would put in that much needed distance between them at last.

A minute passed. Then a second. A third.

But Jessica wasn’t making any inclination of moving away.

Yuri desperately wanted to fidget. To squirm under the torture of her, breathing down her neck and making her feel all warm and tingly in her chest and… maybe slightly down south as well.

If she were to look to her side right there and then, her face would only be a couple centimeters away from her own, and she honestly couldn’t trust it herself to say something comprehensible at the moment.

“Ah, I’m bored.”

The second the Ice Princess had slumped back into the couch with a groan, Yuri had immediately released the breath she didn’t realize she was holding onto the entire time.

However, she was only allowed a second of relief before the brunette had reached forth to pluck the earphone that was hanging limply off her shoulder, and nonchalantly inserted it into her own ear.

“H-hey…” Yuri protested feebly, making the mistake of turning towards her.

Because the sight of her cheeky lopsided grin was more than enough to make her go weak in the knees.

~I still think about you,

I still dream about you~

“Hmm, Brian McKnight…” Jessica hummed musingly, listening as the all-so smooth voice of said artist flowed through their ears.

~I still want you

and need you by my side~

Glancing down at her, the fact that their faces were far too close for comfort had completely left Yuri’s mind. Instead, she was struck by depth of her eyes as they sparkled back at her in bright glistening pools.

~I’m still mad at you,

All I ever wanted was you~

“I like it,” Jessica grinned. And it was that one toothy, crooked grin that melted her each time.

~You’re still the one~

A squeeze of her heart.

~You’re still the one~

Jessica gently dropped her head against her shoulder and nuzzled up against her, sighing softly.

“What the heck… our stage is going to be up soon and you’re going to sleep?”

“Yeah, you got a problem with that?”

A brow rose up at her in defiance despite hints of a playful smile curling at her lips. When Yuri made no indication of replying, she then shut her eyes and snuggled closer.

“You’re warm and it’s a waste to pass up such cuddle-material. Just… do your thing and don’t mind me.”

Yuri could only sigh, shaking her head. Gazing softly down at Jessica, she ran her fingers through her hair ever so gently.

Suddenly, it felt like it was just them alone in the waiting room and no one else.

Just them, sitting on the couch with the soothing music of Brian McKnight filling in the background, having none of the other members lingering about with their endless chitchat and jokes.

It was a kind of peace that Yuri hadn’t felt in a long time. And she allowed herself a moment to take in— to memorize— everything in that very moment.

The warmth beside her and the warmth blossoming in her chest.

Just let her indulge, forget and pretend… before all this was gone and taken away from her once more.

And then the moment was over.

She was back to the game on her phone.

Although, this time, she found that her heart was no longer in it.

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A/N: Much thanks for subscribing, as well as for all the wonderful comments! Really glad to see that the response for this story is rather good. Next update will be up pretty soon! :)