𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞 - 𝐜𝐡𝐮𝐮𝐯𝐞𝐬

(THIRTY-SEVEN)

a/n: sorry if this chapter sucks
i'm super out of it rn
i deadass just turned in an essay that ended with this

anyway chapter time please enjoy

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Sooyoung rubbed her eyes and yawned as she opened the door. Who the hell was at her house so early in the morning? She smiled as she saw her girlfriend standing on the porch, shivering slightly with the early morning cold. Rain drizzled steadily down and darkened the sky even more, and Sooyoung smiled. She loved the rain. Before she could say a word, she was smacked in the face with something soft, cold, and slightly damp.

"I saw these and they reminded me of you," Jiwoo mumbled. Sooyoung pulled the flowers away from her face and chuckled.

"How did they remind you of me?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

Jiwoo huffed in embarrassment. "They're pretty." Sooyoung began to laugh again, but Jiwoo cut her off. "Are you gonna invite me inside, or what?" The older girl shook her head as she stepped back from the door, letting Jiwoo inside. She kissed the girl on the tip of her nose and dragged her upstairs by her hand.

"You woke me up," Sooyoung said, "Which means you get to be my cuddle buddy, because I'm going back to sleep."

Jiwoo whined, "But I'm wearing jeans. And my clothes are wet from the rain. I won't be comfortable sleeping in this." She pouted and poked Sooyoung's cheek.

Imitating fanfare (very poorly), Sooyoung presented a fluffy maroon hoodie to Jiwoo. "Jammies," she stated. "I'll be waiting for you to come cuddle once you've changed. You know where the bathroom is." She flopped down onto her bed and waited. She looked toward her door when she heard quiet footsteps. Lightning flashed, illuminating the room for a moment. In that brief moment of light, Sooyoung got to see Jiwoo looking as cute as ever standing in the doorway, fiddling with the sleeves that covered her hands. Sooyoung opened her arms and called Jiwoo's name quietly. The younger girl slowly climbed onto the bed and lay down on top of Sooyoung, sighing contentedly as she cuddled close to her girlfriend.

Sooyoung hummed a song quietly as she rubbed Jiwoo's back with one hand. Absentmindedly, she set the other on the back of Jiwoo's thigh, and Jiwoo yelped in surprise. Immediately Sooyoung pulled her hand away.

"I'm sorry," she said, "I didn't mean to scare you or make you uncomfortable or anything."

"No, it's fine," Jiwoo responded, "I kinda liked it, your hands were just cold."

Sooyoung nodded and offered, "If my hands are so cold, then help me warm them up." Jiwoo gladly laced their fingers together and beamed at the sweet moment they were sharing.

After a few minutes, Jiwoo nervously spoke. "You know, you didn't make me uncomfortable. I guess I'm just still not used to... I don't know how to say it, liking when people touch me?" She cringed at herself. "Like, you— I mean... What I'm trying to say is that-" she sighed in frustration, still struggling to find the words. "I like it when it's you." Sooyoung smiled softly at the girl in her arms, grateful to have her. Jiwoo pulled her hand away from Sooyoung's, returning the older girl's hand to where it had been before, gently resting on her thigh.

"You sure you're okay with this?" Sooyoung clarified, "I know this kind of stuff isn't really your favourite. And you're kind of... not wearing pants, so I don't want you to think I'm gonna try anything." She seemed beyond nervous. "I want you to feel safe with me," she added, slightly pulling her hand away. As much as she liked it, she didn't want to hurt Jiwoo.

Jiwoo looked her in the eyes. "Put your hand back," she whispered, "I feel safe with you. This kind of stuff isn't my favourite when it's not you. Lucky for me, it is you, and I like when you touch me, and I like being close to you."

"But your heart is beating kind of fast," Sooyoung noted, "If you're nervous, it's okay."

"Let me trust you," Jiwoo demanded. Sooyoung immediately complied, relaxing completely. She slowly ran her thumb over Jiwoo's skin and bit back a smile when she felt the younger girl shiver slightly and pull her closer.

This was new for Jiwoo. Had it been anyone else's hands on her skin, she'd have felt like she was being burned. But with Sooyoung things were different. Jiwoo wasn't afraid when Sooyoung's hand drifted to hold her hip. She wasn't bothered when Sooyoung's fingertips traced the scars there. Every touch from Sooyoung made Jiwoo feel comfortable. Cherished. Valued.