sleepless cinderella ☆ w.kh | ✔

07

"Happy Birthday!"

It was some time later, and you were back in the VIP lounge. Due to conflicting schedules, you were celebrating one birthday late and one early. Kun was on a flight during his birthday, and Yukhei would be in Nicaragua for his, so the eight of you found a happy middle to come together and celebrate.

You settled back into the couch with your glass of champagne, taking a small sip as Yangyang immediately started making fun of his friends. Well, just one of them.

"Kun, how does it feel to be one year closer to death?"

"Yangyang, how does it feel to be one comment closer to death?"

Chuckling at your friends' banter, you set your glass aside. Kunhang's hand had settled on your thigh just a moment earlier, and you quietly rested yours on top. He turned his hand over to be able to lace his fingers through yours, looking over at you with a fond smile.

"Y/N," Dejun snapped your focus away from your boyfriend for a moment, and you looked to your friend attentively.

"Hm?"

"How'd your article end up turning out? Aside from the obvious."

You laughed lightly, "Good, really good. My professor's not going to publish it, unfortunately. Something about a conflict of interest. So I also didn't get the internship. But she did hire me after graduation. My first day is the beginning of next month."

"That's awesome!" They all congratulated you, and you couldn't keep the grin off your face at their exaltations.

It was magnified by a tenfold when Kunhang suddenly kissed your cheek, and you giggled as you swatted him away.

"I think I miss when they'd just scream at each other," Sicheng mumbled as stood up from his seat on Kunhang's other side to pour himself another glass of champagne.

"I don't," Yukhei snorted, probably reliving the multiple arguments he'd had to break up between you two.

Ten brought it back to the precious topic, "Wasn't there a catch to your professor hiring you or something?"

"Yeah," you looked down at your lap in mild embarrassment. "Don't become romantically involved with any of my stories again."

"I mean, why would you want to?" Kunhang was practically puffing his chest out, and you kicked his ankle with your foot.

"I'm thinking of doing an article on Yukhei next, actually—"

"No you're not," he tapped you back with his foot.

"Maybe I am."

"You're not."

"And how would you know?"

Kunhang leaned over to murmur something in your ear, and you smacked his chest as scandalized giggles bubbled up from your mouth. You could just barely hear your friends over the blood roaring your ears as he wrapped an arm around your shoulders, bringing you closer to him to peck your cheek again.

"We don't want to know what he just said, do we?" Yangyang asked in a hushed voice.

"Considering he whispered it and Y/N's currently a tomato, definitely not," Kun replied, and if you were looking, you would have seen a unanimous shiver of disgust run down their spines.

But you were still playfully struggling in your boyfriend's grip. You finally gave up your mock attempt to flee, settling further into him and lacing your fingers with those of his hand that was settled by your shoulder. Bringing your entwined hands a little closer to your mouth, you pressed a gentle kiss to his before letting them hang again.

☆

At the end of the night, you found yourself wandering the streets with Kunhang. A little while ago, he'd told you that while walks still weren't enjoyable for him, he loved walking with you. You didn't press him for more information, just happy to be able to enjoy something with him.

Hand-in-hand, you stopped him at a familiar park, "Hey, look where we are."

When you looked over to him expectantly, you found him smiling widely, eyes focused on you. You felt a small blush creeping up your neck as you teasingly interrogated him, "And what are you grinning about?"

"This," he squeezed your hand before swinging your intertwined hands. "I finally found something so simple that I love on a deeper level. Holding your hand."

A happiness you'd never felt before struck you. You grabbed the back of his neck, crashing your lips onto his enthusiastically. Kunhang eagerly kissed you back, his free hand coming up to cup your cheek tenderly.

It wasn't the first time you'd kissed him, but it was the first time that when you pulled back, these three words tumbled from your mouth, "I love you."

He had a nearly blinding grin on his face as he went to kiss you one, two more times before he repeated it, "I love you."