Chasing Perfection || Lee Know

Stolen Bites, Stolen Kisses

Morning crept in gently, golden light seeping through the curtains, casting soft patterns across the sheets. The air was thick with warmth, still carrying the remnants of the night before—the scent of skin, the whisper of confessions, the ghost of lips tracing paths only lovers knew.

Hyejin stirred first, blinking drowsily against the quiet. She was cocooned in the covers, and Minho's arm was draped over her waist, the weight of it firm, possessive—like even in sleep, he wasn't willing to let her go.

For a moment, she just lay there, her body still heavy with exhaustion, listening to the steady rhythm of his breathing. He was awake. She could feel it in the way his hold tightened slightly when she shifted, in the way his breath fanned against her bare shoulder, warm and slow.

Still, neither of them spoke.

It wasn't an uncomfortable silence, but it wasn't entirely settled either. The weight of everything unsaid lingered between them, fragile and uncertain, as if both were trying to figure out how to exist in this moment.

Hyejin wet her lips. "Are you going to pretend to be asleep forever?"

A slow smirk curved against her shoulder. "Depends." His voice was husky, still laced with sleep. "Are you going to keep staring at me like that?"

She scoffed, elbowing him lightly, but the gesture was weak. "You're impossible."

"Guess that makes you just as bad as me." His fingers traced lazy circles against her hip, his touch featherlight, absentminded. 

Hyejin rolled her eyes, but the corners of her lips twitched despite herself.

They were toeing the line of something delicate, something new—figuring out how to let softness exist between them without feeling like it needed to be earned. But Minho, for all his sharp wit and impenetrable walls, was still Minho. He didn't know how to hold back, not when it came to her.

So when he shifted, propping himself up on one elbow to look down at her, there was no hesitation in his gaze. Only quiet certainty.

"You're staring," she accused, voice quieter now.

"Because I can." His thumb brushed the inside of her wrist, lingering. "Because I spent too long not knowing if I'd ever get to do this again."

For all his teasing, his smug remarks, Minho was never careless with his words.

She groaned, turning onto her side, burying her face into the pillow. "Too early for this."

Minho chuckled, tugging the blanket over them both, pressing his nose against the crown of her head. "It's never too early to admire my girlfriend."

Hyejin peeked at him through sleepy eyes, unimpressed. "Gross."

Something in her chest tightened, breath catching in her throat.

Hyejin swallowed. Then, slowly, she intertwined their fingers, squeezing once. "You talk too much."

Minho smirked, but he squeezed back. "And you like it- no, you love it and don't even deny it"

She reached out, brushing her fingers through his hair with her other hand, and Minho leaned into the touch without hesitation, eyes fluttering shut.

"Don't stop," he murmured, voice thick with sleep.

A smile tugged at her lips. "So needy."

His eyes cracked open just enough to shoot her a lazy glare. "It's called being pampered."

"Right," she deadpanned. "Pampered."

Before she could pull her hand away, Minho caught her wrist, pressing a soft kiss to her palm. The simple gesture sent warmth trickling down her spine, melting away the last remnants of tension from the night before.