Her eyes were slowly adjusting to the darkness of the room as she woke up. It had felt even more lonely than before when she first fell asleep. The room was silent and still as she shuffled to climb out of the bed. A rub to her face and a light sigh, she started to go down the stairs of the apartment and to the living room area.
"Ah, you're awake!"
The voice startled her. Across from her was Youngkyun waving from the kitchen. The lights were bright, but nothing compared to the smile upon his lips as he caught sight of her.
She squinted in the dark and moved towards him to see better. Upon being in the lit kitchen with him now, she realized she really wasn't dreaming. Her lover stood in their apartment again, reaching out for her hand.
"Are you hungry? I'm making pancakes because I'm kinda hungry myself." A blush formed on his cheeks from the confession. "If you want anything, let me know. I don't mind making it for you."
She shook her head. "I'm alright. It's only one am, Kyun." She was more surprised to see him again, when in her heart she already convinced herself it wouldn't be any time soon. To see him so happy, despite it being so late, made her wonder if he had an early release.
It had been several months, leading to a year, since they had seen one another. Phone calls and letters would never amount to the feeling of being in one another's arms. With his busy schedule, and her constant shifts at work, they could no longer have time together.
It was becoming hard for them both. The past month had hit her more because she had time to sit and contemplate everything. She was worried about their relationship not moving forward and bring strained after a year apart. Her heart had began to ache every night, making it more difficult to sleep. Alone especially.
And get, here he was, a sweet smile towards her and in their kitchen once more. When she had finally moved forward and reached for him, he had only chuckled and pulled her closer. He knew how it felt to miss his lover and craver her touch too.
She wrapped her arms around his waist as he continued to flip pancakes. The rest of the house was still silent, but it felt more peaceful. Having him in her arms made the home feel filled again. It wasn't uncomfortable.
"So? Are you going to tell me why you are in my kitchen at one in the morning making food?"
Youngkyun laughed. "I'm sorry for startling you. I wanted to eat quickly and go cuddle you. I came home so fast I didn't have enough time to get any food."
She tilted her head back to look up at him. He made a cute pouty face at her, pinching her cheeks and giggling. "Did the tour end sooner than predicted? I'm not complaining, though, don't misunderstand. I'm curious, rather."
"The tour ended on time, but the practice and everything had finished sooner. I honestly thought it would still be another few months before we could hold each other."
She sighed, tucking her head back into his chest. She was just glad that whatever the reason, he was here. The nights of loneliness were becoming unbearable. There was nothing either one could fix. Even with their shared pet climbing in bed with her, she felt alone. Her heart yearned for his touch.
"Are you sure you don't want a bite? I've learned to make some mean pancakes."
She laughed. "I guess a couple bites won't hurt. Then we go straight to bed okay? I missed my cuddle buddy."
Youngkyun placed his hand over her head. Softly, he started his normal strokes that often put her to sleep. He would tuck small tendrils of hair behind her ear, running his hand along her back and up again. This movement was careful and well-thought through over the years of accidentally catching her hair on his rings. It was sweet and kind now.
He had terribly missed her. The softness of her skin melted him. The comfortable, familiar curve of her body pressed against his made him at peace again. During the times he was gone, it sometimes was more difficult than others. It took time apart to help heal them and prepare for times like these where it was a long while before seeing one another.
He had debated briefly on leaving the food behind and joining her quickly in bed to cuddle. The long day and time apart was suddenly becoming more real being in each other's presence. But he knew his grumbling stomach would ruin the mood for both in the end.
The smell of the pancakes brought him back to reality. He forced a separation between them, having her sit at the table with him to enjoy the food. They talked about a couple of things, laughing in the night and feeling their hearts warm again.
After some time, he finally climbed into their bed. His arms quickly wrapped around her body, pulling her as close as possible. She moved the blankets on top of them both and snuggled into him. The sigh of relief left both of their lips at similar times.
Finally, they were able to comfortably sleep again for the first time in a long time.
