Chapter Text
Wouldn't it be nice if we could wake up
In the morning when the day is new?
After having spent the day together
Hold each other close the whole night through
Kang Sol's eyes fluttered open as a trickle of sunlight streamed across her face. Stifling a yawn, she rolled over to her side and came nose-to-nose with the warm body lying next to her. In the moments following her crossover to wakefulness, her appreciative gaze trailed over the familiar, handsome face illuminated by the soft, golden light. His eyelids were still closed, refusing to rise with the sun. Light snores emanated from the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest.
Growing up, Sol had never been one to sleep comfortably in the same bed as someone else. Her twin sister, Kang Dan, used to complain that Sol was a restless sleeper who could never stay still. In the wee hours of the morning, Dan would find herself stirred awake because Sol had once again hogged all the blankets and kicked the pillows to the floor.
The first time she and Joon-hwi slept together, it had happened unexpectedly. The two of them had merely been enjoying one of their weekly Tteokbokki Night dinners, when their previously platonic friendship turned into something more.
Sol can no longer recall who moved first. But one moment they were cleaning up in the kitchen of Joon-hwi’s apartment and then the next their lips were locked together in a searing kiss.
Their lips continued to move against each other while Joon-hwi’s strong arms lifted Sol onto the kitchen counter. It was a moment after her impatient hands pulled his shirt above his head that Joon-hwi broke away to stare at her incredulously.
“Sol-ah…”
Her heart sank at the uncertainty in his voice. It dawned on her that perhaps Joon-hwi had acted on impulse. Perhaps she had been too forward. Perhaps he didn’t like her, not in that way. Perhaps the kiss had been spurred on by a horrible mix of spicy rice cakes and a week’s worth of exhaustion.
Sol quickly averted her eyes from his and muttered an apology. But then she felt his finger underneath her chin, leveling her gaze so that they were eye-to-eye; Joon-hwi’s eyes dug into her, his earnest stare searching hers so deeply it felt as though he were peering right into her soul.
“Whatever happens next, this isn’t just a one-time thing for me,” Joon-hwi had confessed. “You’re my best friend, Sol. But if we do this, I want to be someone more than just a friend to you… that is, if you’ll have me.”
Her breath hitched as her heart fluttered at the declaration. Sol could longer distinguish the hour nor the day when she’d begun to see Joon-hwi, her best friend, in a different light. Suddenly, there were things she wanted to do with him (and to him, to be more accurate) that were well beyond the boundaries of friendship. And he had just told her that he felt the same.
Sol couldn’t speak. A lifetime seemed to pass, in which only silence reverberated around the kitchen.
Then, Sol curled one hand around the back of his neck, tugging him down to capture his lips once more. Joon-hwi exhaled a quiet, confused breath, but didn’t pull away. He brushed his mouth over hers. Sol’s skin tingled. The feel of his lips against hers had been strange yet exhilarating.
Soon, the kiss grew more heated. Sol pressed the heel of her foot on the small of his back, drawing him closer between her legs, which were spread wide on the kitchen counter. Joon-hwi’s arms circled her waist, tugging her body full against him so that the length of him was pressed against her aching core. Sol keened as Joon-hwi parted her lips and let her in.
The next few moments were a frenzy.
Discarded clothing. Ardent kisses. Busy, wandering hands. More ardent kisses. For the life of her, how they made it out of the kitchen and past the threshold of Joon-hwi’s bedroom door remained a mystery.
There was no going back to being just friends after that. And Sol didn’t mind. Joon-hwi was an excellent lover as he was a good friend.
What’s more, the past six months had made Sol realize that her most restful nights of sleep were ones she spent in her boyfriend’s arms.
Boy friend. Boyfriend. It was remarkable how much brighter her days were now that there was no space to separate the boy whom she loved from the friendship, which she also cherished . Aside from sex, nothing else about her relationship with Joon-hwi had really changed.
The recollection caused a smile to bloom across Sol’s lips, before she shifted forward and began planting soft, gentle kisses on his eyelids.
Han Joon-hwi, her boyfriend of six months, stirred.
“Sol-ah…” he muttered, his voice thick with sleep.
“Good morning,” Sol said softly, kissing his mouth lightly.
“Good morning,” Joon-hwi’s eyes remained shut. “What time is it?”
“A quarter past six.”
He groaned. “It’s still so early…”
“Ye-seul’s wedding is at nine o’ clock sharp,” she reminded him. “We promised her we’d be there.”
“Five more minutes.”
Then Joon-hwi retreated into the covers, like a stubborn child protesting against going to school. An exasperated look replaced the upward quirk of her mouth.
This fool, Sol thought with a breath of frustration. Joon-hwi liked to take his sweet time in the shower; it took him twenty minutes to finish washing his hair, for heaven’s sake. At this rate, they’ll most likely hit traffic and arrive late to their friend’s wedding, and then face the bride’s wrath later on.
Gripping the duvet with both hands, Sol exerted as much force as she could muster and wrenched it away. Joon-hwi yelped and then lay flat on his back, raising his arms to his face to block out the sun, and exposing his incredibly broad, incredibly naked chest to the morning light.
After months of dating, Sol was no longer a stranger to the sight; still, the bare expanse of skin evoked memories of the previous night’s... activities. Her legs still felt sore but nevertheless Sol felt warmth settling at the pits of her stomach.
“Ya, Kang Sol!”
The protest, however, died away quickly as Sol planted both her legs on either side of him so that she was straddling his lap. She settled into place, eyes boring into his, hungry and burning with want beneath the curve of her lashes.
“Stop staring at me,” Joon-hwi’s eyes had darkened; he looked wide awake now.
“I’m not. You have dirt on your eyes, that’s why.”
Sol canted her body forwards to press her lips on his.
“We’ll be late…” Joon-hwi murmured against her mouth. A half-hearted protest.
Her lips curled into a mischievous smile, then kissed him even deeper. Warm hands slid underneath her shirt and climbed the bare skin of Sol’s side, mapping the curves on her waist, until they rested on her breasts. His thumb grazed over a hardened nipple, and a soft whimper fell from her lips. Hands splayed out on his chest, Sol began to roll her hips; she heard Joon-hwi let out a sharp breath and felt his cock hardening beneath her.
“Fuck,” the expletive came out in a low growl as Joon-hwi quickly relieved Sol of her shirt. She was topless before him now. Sol was about to tease him for his impatience but then his mouth latched on to her nipple, his tongue laving at her stiff peak, and all other thought faded away.
All she could think of now was the wetness pooling between her legs. Her eyes fluttered close as his hands slid down to cup her ass and pull her flush against him. With growing desperation, Sol continued to rub her aching core against his hardened length, moaning when the delicious friction sent tiny jolts of pleasure to her clit. Why wasn't he naked yet? She needed more—
Then Joon-hwi flipped their positions and her head fell back against the pillow. He hovered over her, holding both her hands firmly above her head, looking as though he wanted nothing more than to devour her.
I know that look. The thought buzzed behind her irises as her whole being quivered with anticipation.
Sol stared up at him, skin feeling hot; she found herself unconsciously licking her lips. Sex with Joon-hwi was in equal parts incredible and comfortable; a gentleman even in bed, he took his time with her, prioritizing her pleasure before his own, and at the same time never made her feel embarrassed about herself. Never in her life did Sol imagine sex could ever feel this good.
The corners of Sol’s mouth tugged upward in a smile. A laugh rumbled deep within Joon-hwi’s throat, the slack weight of him sending heat radiating across the woman underneath him. For a moment, the two of them merely basked in each other's warm, loving gazes.
“What do you want, Sol-ah?” Joon-hwi's mouth trailed across her jaw to her ear.
Sol dipped her palm lower to cup the stiff length of his cock through his sweatpants, and was rewarded by a low hiss from Joon-hwi.
“You,” Sol answered, breathy and wanting, not even caring at this point how wanton she sounded.
“I need you to be more specific than that, baby,” Joon-hwi chuckled, before lowering his head and sliding his tongue down the slope of her neck. Sol keened and arched into him, one hand going up to claw at his shoulder while the other began to slide her hand up and down his erection. She heard him groan, a strangled, garbled rumble of contentment, before Joon-hwi skimmed his fingertips along the inside of her thigh.
“Joonhwi-ah…” Sol breathed, biting back a moan. He was so close. Just a few inches from where she needed him the most.
“How wet are you, baby?” His breath was hot against the valley between her breasts. She nearly stops breathing. Every kiss felt like little tongues of fire burning on her belly, her abdomen, and then finally, the apex between her thighs, where the fabric of her panties was visibly damp and darker than the rest.
“You're so wet for me, Sol-ah. Do you want to come?” Joon-hwi's voice had dropped an octave, so rich and dark and full of promise. He stroked her through the thin fabric and she felt herself getting wetter, arousal coiled tight in her belly, just begging for release.
"Stop teasing," Sol groaned. Her boyfriend’s filthy words would be the death of her. His penchant for talking dirty during sex had been a surprise, albeit a pleasant and welcome one.
It amazed her that after all this time, he could still make her entire being light up as though this were their first time all over again.
Grinning wickedly, Joon-hwi obliged her request; above the sounds of her panting, his hand found its way under the material of her panties. And then he was touching her there, rubbing and flicking and circling her clit; eyes squeezed shut, her body canted into his touch as a string of gasps and moans fell from her lips.
“More,” Sol managed to plead, and Joon-hwi immediately knew what she wanted him to do. His own breathing had become hurried, and she sensed that he was also past his breaking point; he needed his own release, but his restraint was much stronger than hers. Joon-hwi would make her come undone first, as he always did, but not without pushing them both to the edge of their own limits.
Although they had done this plenty of times in the last six months, her heart still raced when Joon-hwi took the elastic of the last piece of clothing covering her, and began pulling them down.
When at last Sol lay completely naked on the mattress, Joon-hwi parted her legs wider and nestled between them, one arm looped around her thigh, hugging it to the side of his face. She could see his eyes looking darkly up at her, watching hungrily as he swiped his tongue down her slick center.
“Joon-hwi, fuck—” Her eyes rolled back, a throaty moan slipping past her lips, as Joon-hwi tongued her throbbing clit. Jolts of electricity coursed through her body. “That feels so good, baby,” Sol whimpered, unabashedly writhing against his mouth.
Her ability to form words, however, momentarily disintegrated when he slipped two fingers inside her heat. Sol cried out in pleasure, wetness gushing out of her, as he slowly pumped in and out of her while he continued to flick her swollen bundle of nerves. The double assault of his mouth and fingers brought her closer and closer to her release. All it would take—
Snapping her eyes open, Sol looked down to lock eyes with Joon-hwi.
“I want you inside me, Joonhwi-ah…”
Faster than was humanly possible, Joon-hwi shimmied out of his sweatpants and underwear. He took out a packet of condoms from the nightstand and rolled the latex through his erection. When he positioned himself between her legs, however, Sol clutched at his arm and said, “No. I want to ride you.”
The smirk on his face was almost wolfish.
Staring at his girlfriend with mingled lust and awe, Joon-hwi leaned back against the pillows while Sol swung her leg over his hips and straddled him.
“You look perfect like this, Sol-ah.”
Flush with arousal and keenly aware of every nerve in her body, Sol aligned his cock with her soaked entrance. Gentle fingers grasped her hips and slowly pushed her down his length. Still sensitive from earlier, the feel of his cock stretching her and pressing against her clit filled her with dizzying ecstasy.
“You feel amazing, baby, fuck,” Joon-hwi groaned, his breaths coming out in pants, when he was fully sheathed inside her heat.
Desperate for release, Sol planted her hands against his chest and started to rock her hips.
Reaching out to cup her breasts while she rode him, Joon-hwi groaned, “So good, baby. So warm and wet for me.” He rolled his hips in tandem with hers, in a fast rhythm that had Sol arching her body back, unable to stop her lips from spewing out a litany of moans and whimpers as his impressive length pressed against that elusive spot that made her see sparks.
His thumb finds her clit once more, rubbing it in circles. Her mind swam, all coherent thoughts gone.
"Joonhwi-ah! Oh my God, don't stop, don't you dare fucking stop—"
The press of his thumb on her delicate nub and muttered praises— beautiful, yes, fuck— stoked the already raging fire in her belly, and soon Sol was chasing her own end as ardently as she was driving Joon-hwi to his.
With another swipe of his finger on her clit, and another hard thrust that had a strangled cry clawing its way out her chest, Sol exploded. Wave after wave of pleasure washed over her. She could feel the walls of her sex fluttering and closing tightly around Joon-hwi’s length as he grasped both her hips and thrusted into her, harder and faster as he sought his own release.
Sol, breathless and sated in the white wash of her orgasm, barely registered when Joon-hwi cleaned up the wetness between her legs with a Kleenex.
Breathing a little heavily, he planted a tender kiss on her forehead.
“We have about an hour before we have to be at Ye-seul’s wedding ceremony. Think Bridezilla will notice if we show up a couple of minutes late?”
The reminder sobered Sol up; she’d very nearly forgotten that one of her best friends since Hankuk Law School was getting married today. And to another of their friends, too: Seo Ji-ho, of all people. Sol scowled up at Joon-hwi, who looked a little too smug for her liking.
“Han Joon-hwi,” she groaned, “this is all your fault.”
“I can’t help it,” Joon-hwi had the audacity to grin, curling up next to her once again on the mattress, “waking up next to you in the morning is my favorite part of the day.”
“I’ve known you for six years now. I’ve become immune to your charms.”
“I’m serious,” suddenly his earnest gaze bore into hers, fixing her with a look that was in part adoring and bashful. “I want to wake up like this every single day for the rest of my life, Sol-ah. I want you to be the first thing I see in the morning and the last before I close my eyes at night. That’s all I want. Wouldn’t…” Joon-hwi swallowed, looking nervous. “Wouldn’t it be nice for every morning to be like this?”
Sol blinked. Was she hearing him right?
“What are you saying, Joonhwi-ah?” she asked, raising an eyebrow at him.
“Kang Sol, would you like to move in with me?”
She rose onto her elbows, watching him with an incredulous stare.
“Are you serious?”
Joon-hwi rolled his eyes, momentarily distracted. “Ya, why would I even joke about something like this?”
“It would be nice, yes. But… moving in together—that’s a big step, Joonhwi-ah.”
“I know. And I couldn’t be any more serious,” he reached out to take her hand and kiss each one of the knuckles. “It’s a huge step but I can’t imagine sharing my days and nights with anyone else but you, Sol-ah. My best friend, the love of my life. You’re home to me. You always have been.”
“You sound like you’re asking me to marry you, not share an apartment with you.”
“I confess I’m not entirely opposed to that idea, either.”
Sol giggled, before leaning in and kissing him long and hard.
“I love you, Han Joon-hwi. My best friend and the love of my life,” she said when they broke apart. “And I’d gladly live with you. Even if your fart smells bad and you leave toothpaste wads on the bathroom sink.”
“Aigoo, whose fart even smells like lavender or roses?”
“Aha! So, you don’t deny that you leave toothpaste wads after brushing your teeth—”
Joon-hwi cut her off with another kiss and his lips on hers soon erased the thought from her mind.
“You know, we’ll probably save time if we shower together…”
Another giggle escaped her lips at his less than innocent suggestion, but Sol made no move to turn him down. Both of them wore identical wide, pleased smiles as, hand-in-hand, they stumbled into the bathroom of Joon-hwi’s apartment.
“We are so going to be late,” Sol sighed in defeat. Nevertheless, she surrendered to the barrage of kisses Joon-hwi was sending her way.
Of course, there would be hell to pay when the bride and groom realize that the seats reserved for two of their best, most treasured friends were yet to be filled. Sol could only hope that she can make it up to Ye-seul with the promise of dinner and gossip.
For now, Joon-hwi is warm and safe and exactly like how Sol imagined mornings should be with the person you love. Sure, life would cast its shadow and throw them furiously back into a world in utter shambles the moment they step out of the door. ‘Til then, in Joon-hwi’s arms, Sol was home.
They were home.
Fin.