Jongin slid his hands everywhere around the sheets as he shuffled over to his other side, searching for the warmth of the body next to him.  Well, it was supposed to be next to him but his hands found nothing and no one. He popped one eye open, before allowing the other one to open as well once he heard the sound of a cabinet being banged shut. He finally gathered the energy to sit up, rubbing the sleep off of his eyes, groggily and internally greeting the morning and the new day.

Seulgi stepped out of the bathroom gulping down a bottle of water, fingers hastily rubbing on her temples. "Oh,” She stopped once she saw Jongin. “You’re up.”

“And so are you, I see.” Jongin observed, a yawn cutting off his words. “Even ahead of me. Hm, what time is it?”

“I’m not sure. Around six quarter, I think?” Seulgi thought, returning the bottle on top of the fridge before sliding in next to Jongin again, hands still on the sides of her face. “My head was aching."

 “Oh?” Jongin gaped, staring down at Seulgi who was now laying on his lap over the sheets, carefully moving her hands away to massage the sides of her head for her. “Have you drank medicine?”

“Yeah, aspirin.” Seulgi answered, allowing Jongin to steadily massage her head and keeping her eyes closed. “Couldn’t find the non-drowse ones, so I’d probably be in zombie mode again in a few hours.”

“With or without non-drowse drugs, you’re already a zombie at this time of the day, Seul.” Jongin teased.

Seulgi’s eyes shot open and instantly raised a hand to shove Jongin’s face hovering above hers. “As if you’re not.” She retorted, snorting at her just as regularly sleepy of a boyfriend.

“Yah! I’ve woken up a little bit over the past years.” Jongin argued, whimpering in sarcastic pain at the act. “And I was kidding. Want me to call you in late today?”

“Nah,” Seulgi gently shook her head in disagreement. “I have to go today, the choreographer’s coming this morning and I couldn’t catch up on the routine last time.”

“That’s a first.”

Seulgi sighed. “I know.”

“Alright but,” Jongin started, retracting his hand. “Take it easy on yourself today.”

“Will do, boss.” Seulgi joked, having Jongin cringe at her and threatening to flick her forehead before ordering her to take a shower.

---

It was fortunate that Jongin didn’t have to undergo the struggle of waking Seulgi up considering that his driver was on vacation and he had to be the one to drive them to work. He practically had to drag Seulgi to the car though, the pills she took taking on their expected toll on her.

“Told you, you should have called in late.” Jongin pointed out, stopping at a red light behind a pick-up truck. He released the brake and glanced at Seulgi on the passenger seat leaning against the window with her arms over her chest. She was wearing another oversized sweater Jongin recognized as one of his, the hood covering half of her face, and her hair disheveled everywhere. “Seulgi.” He called out, shaking her gently with one arm.

“What?” Seulgi groaned, shunting his hands away.

“Do you want me to take you home again?”

“No.” She whined under her breath. “I already said no, I have to go to work.”

“But you’ll be dead by like… 7:10.” Jongin said, pushing up his sleeve and checking on his watch. “That’s in like two minutes.”

“I can do this, I just need a nap before we get to the office.” Seulgi argued.

“Did you think the company is Busan-based, we’ll be there by the time you die—7:10.” Jongin chuckled, starting the car again as soon as the light turned green.

“Take the longer route.”

“There is no longer route.”

“Yes there is, let’s go to Busan and turn around from there,” Seulgi directed. “Oh and blame being late on the traffic.”

Jongin laughed under his breath, eyes steady on the road. “Whatever you want, Seul.”

“Really?” Seulgi popped a single eye open.

“No, I’m late.”

Seulgi raised her eyebrows, attempting to sit up. “You just said we’ll get to the office by 7:10, that’s a lot earlier than when you’re supposed to start working.”

“Yeah, but I’m just dropping you off,” Jongin let her know, turning towards the road of the company. “My meeting’s all the way downtown. And the traffic’s not exactly friendly past seven.”

“Oh.” Seulgi gaped, nodding and completely pushing herself up once the company’s building came into view. “Are we still up for dinner tonight? Or are you ditching me again?”

“Of course not.” Jongin smiled, pulling the car to a stop right in front of the office. A bunch of guards immediately rushed to attend to them as always. “But that’s if you’re feeling better later.”

“I’ll be fine, just a headache.” Seulgi claimed. “Probably just overslept.” She removed her hoodie and quickly tied her hair up before one of the guards opened the door for her and took her duffel bag, politely greeting her along with Jongin who was still on the driver’s seat.

“Alright, I’ll call you. Drink lots of water,” Jongin said leaning towards her for a kiss. “And take it easy, okay? I mean it Seulgi. That’s a demand, not a request.”

“Yeah, yeah.” She playfully rolled her eyes, giving him a quick peck and leaving the car with a brief wave of her hand as Jongin drove away.

---

As Seulgi anticipated, Jongin couldn’t make it. He was called in for yet another emergency flight to Japan or China or wherever. Seulgi barely took note anymore, she’s oddly gotten used to it; to not having Jongin around as much as she’d like. Although, human that she was, she’d usually still feel a tinge of disappointment whenever Jongin (or rather, any of his assistants) called to take a rain check on any of their plans but as she shoved her key and opened the door to yet another empty apartment, she felt rather at peace.

Her headache still hasn’t gone away. Almost twenty-four hours and it was still there, harshly throbbing against her skull. And knowing Jongin, he’d force her to getting a check up as soon as possible out of ridiculously high levels of concern for her and paranoia (something he developed since his father almost died on the spot when he wasn’t taken to the hospital sooner). And Seulgi hated hospitals, she didn’t need to be around depressingly gray walls and rushing doctors and stressed nurses and almost-dying-people right now, all she needed was her bed. And a long, long, good night’s rest.

She didn’t even bother eating dinner or taking a shower, instead she immediately rushed upstairs to their room and changed into a pair of her most comfortable pajamas, afterwards tucking herself in bed. Very much ready for slumber, her phone started ringing next to her.

Annoyed, she thought twice before answering. “Hello?”

“Seulgi.” Jongin’s voice emerged.

“Hey, ditcher.” Seulgi teased.

“Yah,” She could practically hear the frown in his voice, with that cute little pout appearing on the corners of his mouth. “I’m sorry, okay?”

“Don’t be.” Seulgi chuckled. “I was kidding, stay safe there. When will you be back?”

“Couple days.” Jongin answered, Seulgi heard a car zoom past from the phone assuming Jongin was on the way to his hotel. “Not sure yet. But hey, how are you feeling?”

“Better.” She lied. “Just missing you.” Not a lie, but she strategically added it to distract him from badgering her with anything close to a statement including a get-a-check-up-or-I-swear-to-God-Kang-Seulgi.

“I miss you too.” The frown was gone, Seulgi was certain. “Sorry I give you reasons to miss me all the time.”

“That’s what I get for dating a CEO, Jongin. It’s fine.” Seulgi joked.

She heard Jongin laugh. “I do hope my gift is helping decrease the longing, though.”

Seulgi cringed to herself. “What gift?”

“What do you mean what gift?”

“I mean what gift?”

“You haven’t seen it?” Jongin questioned, sounding utterly surprised.

“Obviously I have Jongin, since I’m asking you what it is.”

Jongin ignored her mockery. “Go to my office.”

“But I was just about to sleep.” Seulgi wailed, moping.

“It’ll take like two seconds, get up.” Jongin forced her. “And its like 9:30, what are you doing in bed already anyways?”

“Fine, I’m going.” Seulgi gave in, desperate to avoid the pestering her concerning a single headache. She swung her feet off of the bed, one hand on her temple and one hand holding the phone close to her ear. “Where’d you leave it?”

“On my seat, behind the desk.” Jongin responded. “Did you go straight to bed, I can’t believe you didn’t see it, it’s huge—“

“God Jongin, I told you to stop spending money on inappropriate things!” Seulgi whined as she reached where Jongin directed her towards, and saw the indeed huge gift he left.

“But it’s for you!”

“Especially when it’s for me!”

“I have one too, mine’s milky white—“ Jongin cut himself off, realizing this wasn’t exactly helping his case concerning the not spending on inappropriate stuff. “Come on, hey doesn’t it look like me— us! It looks like us. Mine looks more like you.”

“Excuse you Kim Jongin, if anyone looks like a bear in this relationship, it’s you and only you.” Seulgi opposed, eyeing the humungous caramel brown stuffed toy sitting on Jongin’s chair, one small curvy line on its face—a smile, she discerned, its eyes looking straight ahead.

“I meant that looking-like-a-bear thing as a compliment, bears are adorable, so thank you.” Jongin scowled.

Seulgi took a moment to stare at it longer, taking its hand and running hers over its fluffy material. She decided that fine, it was adorable, subtly smiling to herself. And that it oddly did look like her boyfriend—something she didn’t have to directly tell Jongin.

“You like it?” Jongin asked, cutting off the silence startling Seulgi.

“Maybe.”

Jongin quietly sniggered. “Hug it to sleep, let it take my side of the bed until I get back.”

“No way, bed’s all mine, Bear Jongin.” Seulgi sneered.

“Kang Seulgi, do not make bear me sleep on the floor--”

“Yeah yeah, I was just kidding, Human Jongin.” Seulgi interrupted, picking up the bear with all her might, carrying it back to their room and dropping it on Jongin’s side of the bed, momentarily keeping quiet as she entered the sheets again and placed an arm over the stuffed animal before whispering, “Thanks. For this.”

“You’re welcome.” Jongin proudly smiled to himself. “Alright, get some sleep. Goodnight, my bear.”

“Are you talking to me or bear Seulgi over there?” Seulgi smiled at the thought of Jongin in one of his tailored suits, looking all professional and respectable, while dragging a huge white bear under his arm.

“You.”

Seulgi laughed softly. “Wait,” She thought. “Should I be offended?”

“Goodnight, Seulgi.” Jongin concluded, hurriedly ending the call before Seulgi could say anything more.

Author’s Note

Hi kids, thanks for reading! And hi to the new subscribers. I’m trying out a new writing style, did you notice? Lols anyhow, hope you enjoyed it. We'll be entering the sooner than I think you're all expecting sooo HAHAHAH. Oh, & EXO and Red Velvet have an event together tomorrow, let’s hope and pray for the best. Thanks again, goodnight! From me and our favorite bear couple ♡