New Start

Part 8

She woke up briefly, still sore, still dazed but without a headache. It was still dark, behind her eyelids, she could tell it was still some time in the middle of the night. She was so comfortable she didn't want to open her eyes, she was warm, and then she realised, there was a body next to her. Their arm was wrapped tightly around her, and she could feel the gentle way their chest was rising and falling in time with their breathing.

She knew instantly it was Chanyeol and, yet, she felt comfortable with him, without wondering why he was still here, why his arm was around her, why he was sleeping, peacefully she fell back asleep.

Sometime later, the light from the morning was filtering through her eyelids waking her completely. She laid still for a while, processing what had happened through the night. She had been so groggy from pain and medicine, but now she was clear, and attempting to recall the details. She remembered falling, waking up in pain, Chanyeol being here and feeding her, but she remembered nothing much after that.

Straining hard to grasp the details of the night she could hear voices. At first, she thought the TV was on, then she realised she had not put the tv on at all.

'Why are you here?' She heard the deep voice of Chanyeol ask incredulously.

'Jongdae told me what happened, so I came to check she was ok, have you been here all night?' She heard the voice of Junmyeon reply in the same tone.

'Yeah I fell asleep on the sofa by accident.' Chanyeol replied skittishly. That wasn't what happened, the lie irked her, she remembered him sleeping next to her. Why did he fall asleep next to her exactly? Why was he lying about it?

'How do you even know her?' Chanyeol asked moodily.

'I met her last week, she ran right into me in the lobby,' she heard Junmyeons voice drop and get ever so slightly impatient. 'We were going to go on a date, as soon as I got back,' she heard him gripe.

'Oh,' she heard the deep astonishment in Chanyeol's voice. 'Oh,' he said again, evidently lost for words. She cringed listening to their interaction, but why was Chanyeol so bothered, he always came across as not liking her anyway, but then again, why did he stay all night to look after her?

'How do you know her?' Junmyeon asked with the same accusing tone.

'Oh, she tried out for my video, the director liked her, so she got the job and then Baekhyun told me she lived here,' Chanyeol lied easily.

Why was he lying to him?

'Oh really? She'll be in the video?' Junmyeon sounded amazed.

'Yeah, Hae-soo loved her,' Chanyeol replied emotionless.

'Ok, well you did the right thing bringing her home and looking after her, she needed someone to stay with her,' Junmyeon responded either ignoring Chanyeol or just deciding not to comment further.

'So, she's so still asleep?' Junmyeon questioned.

'Yeah, I had to move her off the sofa, the doctor said the tablets could knock her out for a while.' She heard him mumble back.

'Ok, thanks Chanyeol, you can go home now, I'm here now,' he seemed to say with a bit of a hard edge.

'Yeah, sure, I'm tired anyway,' Chanyeol was inarticulate again. She heard the door open and close, and footsteps come close to the bedroom. There was a light knock on the door, so light, she presumed he thought she would still be asleep.

'Come in,' she uttered as loudly as she could. She was on her side facing the door, as Junmyeon opened the door carefully and popped his head in.