off limits ✧ zb1 applyfic

✧ one hundred and fourteen

Waking up early in the morning was rarely anyone's cup of tea, but when it was for a good reason, just about anyone would make the effort. Today, such was the case. Haewon, officially done with her summer break, would embark on the first flight back to California, and everyone had insisted on coming to the airport to see her off. Perhaps, if her last moment here was spent surrounded by friends, the simple memory would serve to stave off the loneliness, once she would be gone.

Jiwoong had, of course, picked Jiyeon and Yujin up, much to Vicky's dismay, who wasn’t happy about having to sit next to the latter. That discontenment had been somewhat alleviated when he had offered to take Ricky along, as compensation. She'd instantly forgotten about her little feud with Yujin, eager to spend even the early morning with her boyfriend.

Well, she wasn’t seeing much of the early morning, really. In his rearview mirror, he could clearly see Vicky fast asleep, her head resting upon Ricky's shoulder. He did not seem bothered, sometimes shifting slightly to make her more comfortable. Jiwoong let out a chuckle, which prompted Jiyeon to glance at the back of the car.

"Oh, she's napping," she whispered, a smile on her lips.

"She really doesn’t like to wake up early," Jiwoong added, shaking his head.

And of course, Yujin clicked his tongue. "Pfft. She's just like a kid. Can't even stay awake through a car ride."

As expected, Yujin always had something to criticize about Vicky. The most amusing part was, if Yujin had been the one to fall asleep, there was a hundred percent chance Vicky would have said the same about him. Their little game of cat and mouse was entertaining enough, doubly so since it had lost all of its bite and venom. They were bickering like siblings, Jiwoong thought. And that was a good sign.

"I don't mind," Ricky murmured.

A smile tugging at the corners of his lips, he wrapped his arm around Vicky's shoulders, pulling her closer. She stirred, a low hum in the back of her throat, but did not wake, instead nestling into Ricky's chest. Her boyfriend looked down at her with a gentle gaze, and Jiwoong thought it was a shame he couldn’t take a photo — Vicky would have been ecstatic to know Ricky looked at her with so much affection, even when she was off to dreamland.

But he had the road to focus on, lest they all end up taking a trip to the hospital instead of the airport. He tapped his fingers against the wheel, trying his hardest to hold back a yawn. Compared to Vicky, he dealt relatively well with early mornings, but they were far from his favorite.

Despite his best efforts, Jiyeon noticed. "How about you, Jiwoong? Are you tired? We can take a quick break if you need."

"No, I'm okay." He braked at the red light, turning to his girlfriend with a smile. "Don’t worry about me."

"But it would be bad if—"

To prevent her from fretting any more than she already had, Jiwoong leaned over the central console, and planted a peck on her lips. Just as the light turned green, she turned red, and shrank in her seat. Jiwoong chuckled to himself, satisfied with his work. He looked in the rearview mirror just at the right moment to see Yujin rolling his eyes, surrounded by couples too cheesy for his taste. Or maybe it was just because he didn’t have his girlfriend with him to do the same.

Finally, they reached the parking lot of the airport, and Jiwoong parked his car near the few he recognized. Vicky was roused from her sleep with difficulty, but they eventually all climbed out of the car, as did their other friends. From one, came out Hanbin and Irang, towards whom Yujin immediately beelined. From another, came Jaewook, Matthew, Gunwook and Lilah, none of whom seemed all that alert.