Love in the Spotlight

The Little Things

The morning sunlight streamed through the curtains, casting a golden glow across the bedroom. Gianna stirred, blinking herself awake, only to find Hana's arm draped protectively over her waist. Hana's steady breaths brushed against her neck, her face buried in Gianna's shoulder.

Gianna smiled softly, her fingers brushing over Hana's hand. These quiet mornings had quickly become her favorite—no alarms, no rush, just the two of them wrapped in warmth and comfort.

She tilted her head slightly to glance at the clock on the bedside table: 8:47 a.m. The world outside seemed to be stirring to life, but inside this little bubble, time moved at its own pace.

Gianna tried to shift, careful not to wake Hana, but the movement made Hana tighten her grip. "Where do you think you're going?" came Hana's sleepy voice, muffled against her shoulder.

Gianna chuckled, turning to face her. "You're awake?"

"Barely," Hana murmured, her eyes still half-closed. She blinked a few times before a playful smirk curled her lips. "But awake enough to know you were trying to sneak away."

"I was going to make us breakfast," Gianna said, running her fingers through Hana's tousled hair.

"You're too good to me," Hana replied, her voice low and affectionate. She reached up to cup Gianna's cheek, pulling her down into a soft kiss. "Morning," she whispered against her lips.

"Morning," Gianna replied, her heart fluttering.

Hana sat up, stretching lazily, her shirt riding up slightly to reveal a sliver of toned stomach. Gianna didn't miss it, her cheeks heating as she quickly looked away.

"You're staring," Hana teased, catching her gaze.

"I am not," Gianna protested, though the blush on her face gave her away.

Hana grinned, leaning closer. "You totally are. It's okay, babe. I'm flattered."

Gianna rolled her eyes, swatting at Hana's arm. "You're impossible."

"And yet, here you are," Hana countered, stealing another kiss before finally climbing out of bed. "Come on, let's make breakfast together. I'll even let you pick the playlist."

Gianna raised an eyebrow. "You'll let me? How generous of you."

"Hey, compromise is the key to a healthy relationship," Hana said, throwing her a wink as she headed toward the kitchen.

Gianna shook her head, smiling as she followed.

By the time they made it to the kitchen, Hana was already rifling through the cabinets, pulling out pancake mix and a bag of chocolate chips. Gianna connected her phone to the speaker and scrolled through her playlist, settling on a mix of her favorite love songs.

Hana groaned dramatically as the first song played. " Bryson Tiller again?"

"You like Bryson Tiller," Gianna said, raising an eyebrow.

"I tolerate Bryson Tiller because you like him," Hana corrected, though the small smile tugging at her lips betrayed her.

"Uh-huh," Gianna said, pouring pancake mix into a bowl. "Don't think I didn't see you humming along to Don't last week."

"That was one time," Hana said, grabbing the whisk. "And I'll deny it if you tell anyone."

Gianna laughed, nudging her aside to add milk to the mix. "Your secret's safe with me."

They worked side by side, the familiar rhythm of cooking together falling into place. Hana took on the task of flipping the pancakes, her confident movements making it look effortless, while Gianna focused on cutting up fruit for toppings.

At one point, Gianna felt a gentle tap on her shoulder. She turned to find Hana holding a strawberry between her fingers.

"Open up," Hana said, grinning.

Gianna rolled her eyes but complied, letting Hana feed her the strawberry. The sweetness burst on her tongue, and she smiled despite herself.

"You're such a flirt," she said, shaking her head.

"Only for you," Hana replied, her tone light but sincere.

They sat at the kitchen table, their plates stacked high with pancakes, fruit, and a generous drizzle of syrup. The sunlight streamed through the windows, and the music played softly in the background, creating a peaceful atmosphere.

"This is perfect," Gianna said, glancing at Hana.

Hana looked up from her plate, her eyes softening. "Yeah, it is."

They ate in comfortable silence for a while, the occasional clink of forks against plates the only sound. Gianna couldn't help but admire Hana as she ate—how she leaned back in her chair, relaxed and confident, her hoodie sleeves pushed up to reveal the tattoos on her forearms.

"Can I ask you something?" Gianna said after a moment.

"Anything," Hana replied, setting her fork down.

"How did you know you wanted to do TikTok?"

Hana tilted her head, considering the question. "Honestly? I didn't. I started it as a joke during quarantine. It was just a way to kill time, but then people started liking my videos, and I realized I could actually make people smile. That's what kept me going."

Gianna nodded, a small smile playing on her lips. "You're good at it. Making people smile."

Hana reached across the table, taking Gianna's hand in hers. "Thanks, Gigi. That means a lot coming from you."

Gianna's cheeks flushed, but she didn't pull her hand away.

Later that afternoon, they found themselves sprawled on the couch again, this time scrolling through Hana's TikTok comments.

"Look at this one," Hana said, pointing to a comment. "'When are you dropping the skincare routine?' Should I tell them it's just soap and water?"

Gianna laughed. "Don't you dare. They'd riot."

Hana leaned her head against Gianna's shoulder, scrolling through the endless stream of comments. "It's kind of wild, you know? That all these people care about what I'm doing."

"They care because you're amazing," Gianna said, running her fingers through Hana's hair.

Hana looked up at her, her expression softening. "You think I'm amazing?"

"I know you are," Gianna replied, her voice steady.

Hana sat up, cupping Gianna's face in her hands. "You have no idea how much that means to me," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Gianna smiled, leaning into her touch. "I think I do."

Hana kissed her then, slow and deliberate, her hands cradling Gianna's face like she was something precious. When they pulled apart, Hana rested her forehead against Gianna's.

"I love you, Gigi," Hana said, her voice filled with emotion.

"I love you too," Gianna replied, her heart swelling.

In that moment, nothing else mattered. The world outside could wait. All that mattered was them, wrapped up in each other, basking in the quiet, simple joy of being together.