The flowerbed - Aespa's Giselle x M!Reader

The bed that we shared (Part 1)

The gentle buzz of my phone alarm felt distant, barely registering through the peaceful haze of early morning. As consciousness slowly returned, I became aware of several things at once: the unfamiliar softness of a different pillow, the warm weight against my shoulder, and the subtle scent of Giselle's shampoo.

Reality crystallized with tender clarity – I was still in her room, in her bed, where we'd drifted off during the movie last night. Nothing had happened beyond innocent sleep, but somehow this felt more intimate than any other moment we'd shared. Her head rested perfectly in the curve of my shoulder, one hand loosely curled against my side, breathing deep and peaceful.

I didn't dare move, afraid to break whatever spell had allowed this moment to exist. Through the gap in her curtains, early sunlight painted delicate stripes across her duvet, and I found myself counting her breaths, memorizing how it felt to exist in this space between friendship and something more.

A subtle change in her breathing told me she was waking up. Her fingers twitched slightly against my side, and I felt her tense for just a moment as awareness returned. Then, instead of pulling away, she relaxed again, settling more firmly against me.

"What time is it?" she murmured, voice soft with sleep.

"Early," I whispered back. "A little after six."

She hummed thoughtfully, still making no move to separate. "Did you sleep well?"

"Better than I have in weeks," I admitted, surprising myself with how true it was. The constant tension of recent months – Jung's threats, comeback pressure, maintaining boundaries – had melted away somewhere in the night.

"Me too," she said quietly, and I could hear the smile in her voice. "I usually take ages to fall asleep before big performances, but..."

The mention of performances brought reality gently back into focus – today was the MMA awards. But even that couldn't shatter the peaceful bubble we'd created.

A gentle knock at the door made us both jump slightly. Ningning's voice drifted through: "Coffee run in twenty minutes! We've got award show prep all day!", before seeing the both of us in bed.

"I didn't know we were having a sleepover!" Ningning's voice filled the room as she launched herself onto the bed with her characteristic enthusiasm, landing between us with all the grace of an excited puppy. The peaceful morning bubble burst instantly.

"It's too early for this, Ning," I groaned, though I couldn't help but smile at our maknae's antics. Even at dawn, her energy was unstoppable.

Giselle let out a soft laugh against my shoulder, the sound mixing with Ningning's delighted giggling as she sprawled across both of us, effectively ending any chance of keeping our quiet moment. I felt Giselle's slight laugh against my shoulder.  I couldn't help but smile, remembering all her hard work, and careful maneuvering over the past months.

Finally, Giselle shifted, propping herself up and pushing Ning off the bed, who then slithered out of the room. Her hair was mussed from sleep, free of its usual perfect styling, and something in my chest tightened at how beautiful she looked in this unguarded moment.

"We should probably talk about this," she said softly, but her eyes were warm, unworried.

"Probably," I agreed, reaching up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear before I could second-guess the gesture. Her smile widened at the touch. "But maybe..."

We finally separated, the moment gentle rather than awkward. As I headed to my room to change, I passed Winter in the hallway. She didn't say anything, just smiled that knowing smile of hers and continued on, humming what sounded suspiciously like the melody from Whiplash.