୨ৎ Pairing : Seonghyeon × Female Reader
୨ৎ Genre : Established Relationship, Comfort, Fluff, Light Angst, Domestic
Warnings : Mentions of stress and emotional exhaustion.
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Some people fall in love with fireworks.
You fell in love with silence.
The kind that existed between you and Seonghyeon.
The apartment was unusually quiet except for the soft hum of the washing machine. Rain tapped against the windows while a pot of ramyeon simmered on the stove, filling the kitchen with warmth.
You stood there absentmindedly stirring it, eyes fixed somewhere beyond the wall.
You didn't even notice him walk in.
His sleepy voice finally pulled you back.
You blinked before looking at the pot.
You had completely forgotten the noodles.
A small laugh escaped him as he reached around you to turn the heat down.
He simply shook his head.
"You've had enough on your mind already."
He never asked you to explain yourself immediately.
Some days he came home smiling.
Some days he came home carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
Today was the second one.
You could tell from the way he carefully placed his shoes by the door instead of kicking them off.
From the way his smile looked practiced.
From the way he sighed when he thought no one was listening.
"You don't have to pretend with me."
"Only because I've memorized you."
For a second, his eyes softened.
"You make me sound predictable."
"I make you sound loved."
Instead, he quietly wrapped his arms around your waist and rested his forehead against yours.
Sometimes that was enough.
There were forgotten meals.
Laundry that sat in the basket for three days because both of you were too tired.
You existed together in the mess.
One evening you found him asleep on the living room floor.
His laptop was still open.
Practice videos frozen on the screen.
"You'll break your neck sleeping like this."
You gently closed the laptop before covering him with your favorite blanket.
His eyes were still closed.
You laughed quietly before sitting beside him.
Without opening his eyes, he reached for your hand like it was instinct.
His thumb lazily brushed over your knuckles.
Sometimes love wasn't fixing things.
Sometimes it was waiting beside someone until they were ready.
Everything felt too loud.
You came home exhausted, dropped your bag near the door, and sat on the kitchen floor before you could even make it to the couch.
Seonghyeon found you five minutes later.
Then silently disappeared.
You almost apologized for worrying him.
He came back carrying two mugs of hot chocolate.
And your favorite blanket.
Without saying anything, he sat beside you on the floor.
Wrapped the blanket around both of you.
Placed one mug in your hands.
Then rested his head on your shoulder.
"...You don't have to be okay tonight."
Neither of you spoke again.
Outside, the rain continued.
Inside, the apartment smelled like chocolate and clean laundry.
Your breathing slowly matched his.
For the first time all week...
Your chest didn't feel so heavy.
"You know," you murmured.
"I think we're terrible at giving advice."
A tiny smile tugged at his lips.
"We don't really fix each other."
He looked at your intertwined hands.
"We make surviving feel less lonely."
He kissed your forehead gently.
Not because it solved every problem.
Not because tomorrow would magically become easier.
But because healing was never loud.
It looked like two mugs of hot chocolate.
And someone choosing to stay.
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with love and a little delusion, always.
Until our stories cross again cherries 🍒