julia

The evening was perfect – but you never expected anything less from Heeseung. A quiet intimate dinner, a walk around the city, your hands clutched gently into his bulky coat, soaking up his warmth while his arm wrapped snugly around your shoulder. It was simple and romantic – a perfect representation of all that your boyfriend was.

It didn’t end there, though. When you got home, you realized Heeseung had taken the initiative to put your fluffy winter pyjamas through the dryer so they were soft and warm to change into. Your heart fluttered with endless affection for him as he teasingly rubbed the fluffy cloth into your nose before passing them to you.

Now, you sat in your living room, an old sitcom chattering away in the background as you untangled your hair from the updo you had wrangled it into for your date night. You hummed in annoyance when a particular knot gripped to your hairbrush as Heeseung walked into the room, skin rosy from a hot shower, wearing your favourite sweater of his – he knew you loved snuggling into him whenever he wore it.

“What’s up?” Heeseung asked as he plonked down beside you, tilting his head as he watched your fingers working at the tangle still attached to the bristles of your brush.

“My hair’s a mess. I don’t know why I bothered attempting a new hairstyle tonight,” you muttered in response, instinctively locking eyes with your boyfriend and giving him a pout, eyes tired and round, sulking for the sake of it.

“Poor baby,” Heeseung softly tutted, leaning closer to you and gently taking the brush from your hands, better able to tug at the tangle from his angle.

You sat quietly, watching the concentrated look on his face as he went to work, your cheeks warming with affection for the man in front of you, always so quick to take on your burdens no matter how big or small.

After a moment, Heeseung let out a small noise of vindication after having worked through the knot. Then, widening his legs on the couch, and without warning, he hoisted you by the waist and settled you into his lap. You yelped in surprise as your back thudded against Heeseung’s chest, but didn’t have to wait long to discover what his angle was when you felt him carefully brushing through your hair – starting at the bottom before massaging over your scalp.

You felt your bones melt as you sunk into his embrace, the feeling soothing and relaxing, and it would be mildly exciting if it weren’t for how exhausted you felt. The even rise and fall of his chest, his warm breath on the back of your neck, was like a balm to soothe your earlier frustrations with your hair, and you thought that you wouldn’t mind if your hair was tangled all the time if it meant feeling Heeseung’s fingernails gently scraping over your scalp every night.

Finishing his task, Heeseung set down the brush beside you both, wrapping his arms around your waist to pull you even closer into him. He pressed a soft kiss to your shoulder, your spine, the back of your neck, and you felt a pleasant tingle prickle over your skin. Closing your eyes, you hummed in appreciation as he kept up his quiet worship of you, kisses pressing closer to your ear, the juncture between your neck and shoulderblade, the underside of your jaw.

“Tonight was perfect,” he murmured into your skin, and you felt his eyelashes tickle against your skin as he hugged you closer.

“Only because you made it perfect,” you replied, craning your neck so you could look him in the eyes.

He smiled sleepily, ducking his head to kiss your lips once – something soft and chaste and sweet – and then a second time – slower, headier, like honey and smoke and warm pyjamas fresh from the dryer. Your entire body felt pleasantly buzzed as he pulled away and leaned his forehead against yours.

“If I made it perfect it’s only because you deserve the best.”