Chapter 15;

Irene cracks her eyes open and turns around but she loses her breathe immediately at the sight lying in front of her. Wendy is beside her, her arms are hooked around Irene's waist lazily and the half of her face is hidden by mountains of pillows, giving a fluffy vibe. The light creeping through the curtains frame Wendy's soft features with a golden hue, making her look like a real angel. Her long eyelashes cast shadows on her cheeks, her lips are so pink and so, so kissable. Irene wants to reach out and touch her, run her fingers through the silky stands of warm brown or on those rosy cheeks or the perfect bridge of her nose- but she does not. These moments are so rarely- when she can just stare at Wendy without an insult slipping through the singer's lips.

Irene doesn't know how it started. Maybe Wendy's unnecessarily overflowing independence or her stupid arrogance made Irene know from the very first moment that she's facing someone one of a kind. As she got closer to the singer, the high walls around her dropped low to let Irene in. And the flight attendant sees the one and only Son SeungWan, the girl with big dreams and ambitions who is hidden from the big and bad world under an always smiling mask.

Truth to be told, she didn't try see behind the mask. For her, Wendy was someone she wouldn't mend with. Someone with a cold facade, eyes too narrowed, lips too stoic for someone who's actually happy. She's always looked for someone who's warm. Who feels like home- the home where she can leave her heart because she knows it's in good hands-, who makes her giddy inside, whose eyes stare at her like she's the most precious thing on Earth. Wendy seemed like someone out of the reach, so first, it was only logical from her not to try. But fate, universe, whatever kept bringing them together.

And she's thankful for it.

Because without it, she would still be lonely. She wouldn't know the brilliance that Wendy is. There wouldn't be here to shake Irene's little heart up, to make nervous butterflies in her stomach even though she thought she was old for them. She knows the thing between them- their relationship- isn't stable yet. It's only started and it gets hated on right after. It's hard. It'll be harder later on. She doesn't want to lie to herself.

But if it's for Wendy, she can do this.

Irene snuggles closer to Wendy, liking the way she feels her up with warmth and love. The ring on her finger shines up as the light hit it, making her remember of their promises. A smile tugs on her lips and she doesn't even try to push it down, it breaks through and spreads on her features.

Irene closes her eyes again and drifts back to sleep, smile still on her lips.

***

Irene wakes up to a warm body pressed close to her. The elder looks down and it takes a good moment for her to recognize Wendy in her half-asleep state but then, the singer snuggles her face to Irene's nape- and Irene is wide awake. The way Wendy clenches her hands around the material of her T-shirt, the way she furrows her eyebrows in her sleep, the low grunts slipping through her lips- Wendy has a nightmare.

Irene takes a deep sigh as she watches the frown deepen on Wendy's soft features and lays a warm palm on her cheeks. She rubs them with her thumb, shooing Wendy down without waking her up-- noting the bags under the singer's eyes, she does need some sleep-- and pulls even closer.

"Shh! It's okay. You're okay. I'm here."  Irene coos in a whispery tone and slowly tucks a strand behind Wendy's ears. Irene peppers kisses all over her head and she feels Wendy's grip become lax. Her breathing turns even after a while and she calms down.

But Irene feels restless after being woken up. Her mind is working on full and she has a hard time lying there peacefully so she doesn't wake the singer up. She looks down again at her sleeping form, now serene and Irene hates the fact that the things making her worked up during the day makes their way into her dreams too. They make her grasp for help, making her anxious during the day and as it seems like, during night too.

Irene really hoped there's a time and place for Wendy to relax, to be away from the watching eyes-- her dreams, her sleep.

It's like she's asking too much.

Wendy stays standing tall, proud like nothing hurts-- and Irene is afraid what happens to her when her small shoulder won't bear with the weight of the judgment.

Irene leans down and takes a deep breath in and she's intoxicated by Wendy's scent. The scent of her shampoo, baby powder and her detergent, it became Irene's most favorite scent very fast. She kisses the singer on forehead and tries to get out bed without waking up Wendy. More or less it's a success because she heard a faint mumbling but Wendy just turned around-- and hogged the blanket as usual-- and she's sleeping soundly all again.

The flight attendant sneaks out to the kitchen, making a surprise breakfast to start a day in a good mood. She wants to do something for Wendy and this is the all she can do right now. She knows Wendy hates to wake up alone with a cold spot beside her but Irene's pancakes and coffee just making up for it.

Not to mention-- morning kisses.

***

"Someone's in a good mood." Irene looks up at the newcomer's deep, husky voice-- which she tries hard not to find attractive and not to notice the burning of the tip of her ears as a blush creeps up on her-- and she finds Wend