Jiyeon has known, right from the first time, that traveling with Hyunjung's mother will never be something she likes.
It's stressful and traps Jiyeon and Hyunjung in a loop of overthinking: Hyunjung'll become so burdened because of how restless Jiyeon gets, and Jiyeon'll worry about that, which eventually will increase her stress.
It's close to midnight when they retreat to their hotel room, and an hour past it when they finally settle into bed to get some rest.
They're spent and quiet, but there's serenity in their shared exhaustion; in their newfound bond, and it envelopes them gently.
Jiyeon gets under the covers first, while Hyunjung continues applying her favorite night lotion.
Jiyeon thinks about that lotion, out of all things; it has a faint scent, but it always lingers on Hyunjung's skin. Even after they finish with their duty.
A hint of flowers mixed with the scent of arousal and sweat.
It has long become familiar to Jiyeon. Comforting. And as of late, indispensable that Jiyeon is truly fulfilled when she breathes its scent deeply.
Jiyeon feels a twist in her gut then, one too sweetly burning to be considered anything but lust.
She ignores it, though. Despite having agreed to have sex more regularly now, without the goal of conception hovering over their heads, they are tired.
Come the morning, Jiyeon wakes up to Hyunjung's warmth and arm draped over her.
From the dim daylight seeping into the room, Jiyeon knows it's still early and she can let herself remain immersed in Hyunjung like this. The fact that it's not the first time they wake up tangled in each other's limbs; closer to each other than the night before encourages her.
It's nice, she thinks. Relaxing. And something she can have.
So she sighs with contentment and ease and relaxes.
Hyunjung's snoring faintly, her steady breathing brushes by Jiyeon's neck. Her fingers had clutched around Jiyeon's loose t-shirt at some point in the night, and the weight of her arm is far from annoying.
Jiyeon places her hand over Hyunjung, and strokes her; basks in the ease of this moment's offering.
A desire to coax Hyunjung's burdens and worries away, and replace them with that same ease she's feeling flickers in Jiyeon's heart.
Yesterday, Hyunjung's given her all to prevent any tension between them and her mother, so it's the least she can do, right?
Jiyeon leans into Hyunjung.
She's been getting similar desires for a while now, even before that step they've taken a couple of months ago. Jiyeon reasons them with: they've been together for a little over a year, they've been sharing something real amidst something so painfully fake. It's only natural to genuinely care about Hyunjung.
Hyunjung stirs, and in her sleeping state, she pulls Jiyeon and snuggles into her before realizing what she's doing and practically stops breathing.
Jiyeon looks beyond her shoulder, and that makes Hyunjung snap out of it.
She apologizes and withdraws her arm, but Jiyeon keeps it where it is.
