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Sullin, Jiyeon and Lynn were always inseparable.
Since early childhood, the three went everywhere together, and with their mothers being close, it was even easier.
They went to the same kindergarten, same middle school, and entered the same high school after agreeing what they'd enjoy the most.
Sullin was always known to be the more quiet, reserved of the three, with the other two being very loudly affectionate, either through words or physical contact.
It wasn't that she didn't like affection – wether she was giving it or on the recieving end – but most people she knew weren't very affectionate.
She slowly watched the two fall in love over the years, cheering them on for dates or helping with anniversaries.
For a while, the two took her along very often. If they went somewhere, chances are, they'd take Sullin as well.
They always did their best to include her in everything, just so she wouldn't feel like a third wheel.
And she didn't, which was the problem.
The more they all went out, the less she felt like a third wheel, and more so a part of the puzzle.
Sullin knew she had to pull away from them, to some extent.
She realised she had some amounts of feelings for both of her friends, and tried suppressing them.
She knew their actions – including her, inviting her for sleepovers, buying her gifts when she couldn't come with them – weren't the same as ones towards eachother.
She knew. Convinced herself they could never see her as anything other than a friend.
After all, they were together, and they were happy.
She couldn't come between them.
She spent years on the sidelines, happy from just seeing them together, and so in love.
She denied her feelings for a while, telling herself that she shouldn't feel that way.
But every time Lynn hugged her, or called her 'baby' without thinking, she felt her heartbeat quicken and heat rise to her face.
Every time Jiyeon brought her a little gift, or sent her a heartfelt message, or made sure a blanket was over her when she slept, she knew, no matter how much she suppressed it.
She was utterly, madly in love with her friends, the two people in her life she couldn't afford to lose by letting her emotions win.
Sullin was sixteen when she started feeling sick.
At first, it came as a scratchy sensation in her throat, that usually went away after a few coughs.
For a while, she thought she was just coming down with a cold.
When it didn't go away for a month though, she became worried.
She went to the doctor, who told her there was absolutely nothing wrong as far as he could see, leaving her confused.
She spent days reading online about different sickness that had such a symptom, but all that did was throw her into a loop of different deadly diseases, none of which sounded pleasant to her.
Two months after she began feeling sick was the first time she coughed up blood.
It was just a small drop at first, one that she smeared away and ignored, in favour of not spiraling into a panic attack from the implications.
She had visited the school library, spending hours in the medical section, reading book after book.
She suspected pneumonia, due to the symptoms, but ended up writing a small list of possibilities.
The amounts of blood coming out grew, until every time she coughed, a whole tissue would get soaked in dark blood.
Her mouth almost constantly felt like metal, making her gag every time she thought about it more.
One day, while in class, particularly aggressive coughing took over her.
Her classmates looked at her with raised eyebrows and concerned looks, neither of which beat the faces of her friends.
Sullin barely got sick before, so seeing her in such a state left Jiyeon and Lynn scared.
They watched as the teacher let her go out of class to calm down, sharing nervous looks and small notes.
'what's happening to her?'
'i'm not sure. But it sounds bad'
'i hope she's okay, I can't stand seeing her sick :('
'we should keep an eye on her'
'okay!'
The moment Sullin stepped out of the classroom, she practically bolted towards the school bathroom.
She threw the door open, thankful to find the room empty.
She shut the door, locking it behind her before she ran to the sink. Her hands reached up to her throat, holding it as she coughed, hard and loud.
She felt her throat burn from irritation, as if something was stuck and refused to come.
Taking in as much air as she could, she let out a series of aggressive coughs, finally feeling the clogging in her throat disappear.
She was about to celebrate her little victory until she looked down at her hand.
In the centre laid a single daisy flower, petals covered in blood.
She scrutinized it and let it fall into the sink, feeling another coughing fit approaching.
Leaning onto the sink, she coughed more blood into the sink. This time, rose petals, as well as white – red now, due to the blood – baby's breath flowers laid in the sink.
She pressed her forehead against the mirror in front of her, feeling tears well up in her eyes.
During her research, she came across a disease that sounded like it came straight from a fantasy book.
Since she'd never seen anyone with it, she just assumed it wasn't real.
Until now.
She stared at the flowers, swimming in a small pool of blood.
A metallic smell filled her nostrils, making her head spin.
She slowly moved to a different sink, putting her head under the faucet and gulping down water, trying to calm her burning throat.
Straightening up, she sighed as she felt the scratchiness die down, if only for a moment.
She reached for the flowers and wrapped them in paper towels, throwing them into the trash can on the ground.
She then washed off the blood from the sink, as well as her hand and her mouth, nodding slightly when she was done.
Slowly, she made her way back to the classroom.
Once there, she sat down quietly, nodding when asked if she was okay.
When the teacher looked away, Lynn reached over, nudging her arm.
She looked up, seeing the worry in her eyes.
It broke her heart seeing that look, but she gathered her strength and smiles at the girl, raising a disguised thumbs up.
It didn't convince Lynn in the slightest, and when she looked at Jiyeon, she wasn't convinced either.
They both did however decide to let it be, knowing pushing would only make it worse.
When the day ended and it was time to go home, the two – like every other day – accompanied Sullin home.
Since they lived around the same area, they always walked together, stopping by stores and laughing at comments the others made.
This day, though, they were quiet.
The walked next to each other, shoulders brushing from time to time.
Sullin, however, wasn't fully there mentally.
Seeing the flowers gave her evidence of the mysterious disease she found earlier.
Her mind raced with different possibilities and answers to questions, but one thing stood out.
The disease was real. It occurred when feelings were unreciprocated. It confirmed one of Sullin's fears.
She was in love. And she was alone.
That day, when the girls dropped her off, she didn't send them her usual soft smile. A smile was on her face, but the girls could tell it was forced as she walked inside, shutting the door behind her.
It hurt them to be pushed away, but they knew the girl. If she had a problem, she'd tell them.
The next few weeks were a blur for all three.
For Sullin, they were spent doing even more research on her disease, as well as partially ignoring everyone in her life.
Her mother was worried, of course she was, but didn't push. The girls tried to talk to her more, pull her around with them, but she'd always find an excuse for not going.
For Lynn and Jiyeon, through those weeks, they tried texting Sullin, only ever getting short replies, if the girl even responded.
They contacted her mother about her sudden change, but the woman was equally as lost as they were.
Over time, her condition worsened.
At first, the flowers came out occasionally, in small, manageable clusters. Now, the amount doubled, forcing her into a coughing fit more often than not.
Her mother told her to stay at home, but the girl knew she shouldn't miss her classes, despite how horrible she felt.
Her throat began feeling so sore and irritated that she rarely ate, and when she did, it had to be something easy to keep down and swallow.
She had started noticing the change in her body.
Suddenly, clothes that used to fit her perfectly hung off her shoulders.
Pants that stayed on with no help needed belts to stop them from falling off.
She could barely look at herself in the mirror, disgusted at the change.
Obviously, people around her noticed.
While around her mother, she could get out of physical contact and such, by just being her typical, closed off self, she had no such luck with her friends.
Being so touchy, she knew Lynn and Jiyeon wouldn't accept zero hugs, so she just prayed and hoped they wouldn't bring it up.
The two were probably the ones who noticed her body change the most.
Every time they hugged her, they could feel how thin she was getting.
No one pressed her about the change, though, not wanting to make the girl uncomfortable.
Lynn and Jiyeon spent days in their beds, missing the girl.
They talked and talked, about how strange she was acting, how little she was talking to them, how weird she has gotten.
They always reassured themselves that she'd tell them if there was something wrong.
Believed that she'd confide in them.
Sullin had become completely closed off.
She didn't text the girls good morning messages, didn't call them during the weekends, and only really see or talk to them in school when she had nowhere to hide.
She became conscious of how the girls saw her.
It had been a few months since she got sick, and she was not getting better.
One day, during a particularly aggressive coughing fit, she forced out a small, fully bloomed rose.
The small daisy flowers that were easy to cough out were now replaced by roses that agitated her more. That left her feeling like her throat was being scratched open.
She had started feeling a strange sensation in her lungs.
As if a wall was forming on the inside that prevented her from breathing as freely as before.
She started having a harder time running, or doing anything that made her breathe hard.
Whenever she tried to take in a deep, long breath, it felt like dozens of needles were poking at the walls of her lungs, forcing her to cough.
Her mother, noticing her sudden breathing problems, bought her devices to help her breathe. Namely a small, red inhaler, hoping it would help.
It didn't. The crushing sensation was still there, torturing Sullin every time she breathed. Reminding her that she was dying.
She could barely sleep, and when she could, she'd wake up coughing, spitting flowers onto the ground by her bed.
It was hard keeping everything to herself.
Whenever she'd make a mess of flowers and blood, she'd spend a while cleaning it all until it was gone.
Every day, she prayed her mother wouldn't find the bloodied flowers, and it worked.
She tried convincing Sullin to let her take her to the hospital. Just to know what was making her so sick, but the girl begged her not to.
She couldn't afford seeing the look on her mother's face when she realised her only daughter was slowly dying.
She hated feeling so sick. Hated how painful breathing was for her. Hated the flowers coming out of her.
She hated it all, but even then, she couldn't stop loving the girls.
Every time she mentally screamed at herself to just get over them, just forget her feelings and leave, she realised she couldn't. Wouldn't.
Her dreams were filled with only the two of them, laughing like they used to, joking around.
Some times, her dreams were darker. Images of the girl's faces when they finally found out about her feelings.
The disgusted looks on their faces, the laughs, scrutinizing her for her feelings.
Those dreams made her whole body ache in the morning, and her coughs seemed to be more aggressive after those types.
People in school started avoiding her. Scared that she had some extremely contagious disease that could spread to them if they stepped too close to her.
Everyone ignored her except the two people she desperately needed to.
Lynn and Jiyeon never left her side.
No matter how many times she croaked out for them to just leave her alone. Or run away from them to hide her coughing.
They'd always be right there, waiting for her to feel better, with hopeful eyes and opened arms.
She hated it. Or loved it. She could barely make out the difference in how she was feeling anymore.
Hated how her heart ached when they were around her. Hated the voice in her brain telling her they'd never love her.
Loved the warmth that the girls radiated. The gentleness with which they treated her. The way those short hugs made her voices go away.
She had read somewhere that there was a way to get rid of the flowers. Of the disease.
When she read more into it though, she halted.
The flowers, and the growing roots in her lungs, could get removed.
It would be more difficult during this stage, but it was possible.
There was one problem though.
By removing them, the doctors would also remove any ability to feel anything.
She'd lose the ability to love people, lose any sort of feelings towards the girls.
She made the decision to not do the surgery.
Yes, it meant she was going to slowly die, but at least she'd still feel the soft warmth in her chest when the girls smiled at her.
Months went by, and Sullin started getting used to the constant feeling of irritation.
The pain in her lungs.
Had created a cleaning routine around the house that made it easy to hide everything.
The contractions in her lungs only got worse over time, making it more and more difficult for her to breathe.
She found more ways of getting out of hanging out with Lynn and Jiyeon. More ways to ignore them, to avoid them.
They constantly tried to help. Of course they did.
Every time they offered to help her, or buy her medicine, she brushed them off, insisting she was fine.
She wasn't, and the girls knew it very well.
They noticed how white her skin had gotten. How sickly she started looking.
Every time they saw her drink, they mentally cringed at how she tried not to choke or throw up.
She made a point to never "eat" in front of them.
She wasn't eating.
Things like yoghurt worked well enough, momentarily cooling her agitated throat before the scratching resumed.
The third stage of her sickness came almost a full year after it started.
Big, red, rose flowers were replaced by much smaller cyclamens.
The small pink flowers were much easier on her throat, accompanied by forget-me-nots.
She knew that despite her pain lessening, and coughing becoming less aggravating, it wasn't better.
She had read enough to know what these flowers meant.
She was getting close.
Close to never seeing her friends again. Never feeling again.
This was the quickest stage of the disease.
Once someone got to this point, it went by quick.
By this point, she could hardly breathe, struggling to move around much.
Eating was now completely off the table as she felt roots exit her lungs and enter her trachea.
Every time she tried to swallow, thorns would stab her flesh, and no matter how much she coughed, it didn't help.
She began locking herself in her room, too weak to attend classes, or even walk out of her room to interact with her mother.
The woman became more and more worried, but since the girl refused to say anything – she could hardly speak – she'd just leave some food and water in front of her door before leaving for work.
Sullin would try to at least drink some of the water, ultimately throwing out any of the food left for her.
She hated keeping such a secret from her mother, but she refused to break the news to her.
Refused to admit that her life was slowly slipping through her fingers every day.
She began completely ignoring the world around her.
It had been weeks since Lynn and Jiyeon last heard from Sullin.
She didn't text them, didn't call them, leave a note. Nothing. Complete radio silence.
It worried them, obviously. She wasn't one to take days off school without telling anyone, and no matter who they asked, they came short on answers.
After classes finished, Lynn took out her phone and dialed a number.
Jiyeon assumed it was Sullin's again, just like every other time.
This time though, someone picked up.
Lynn smiled, but it wasn't her usual, brigiht one.
"Hi auntie.... Yeah I was wondering if Sullinnie is home?.... Yeah?..... Oh.... Well would it be okay if we visited her?.... Alright, yes, yes, we have the spare key, don't worry..... Okay, thank you! Bye."
Jiyeon watched her, raising an eyebrow once Lynn lowered the phone.
"You look worried, love. What's wrong?" She asked, linking their arms.
They started walking, Lynn leading the way.
"She said Sullinnie has been sick for a few days. Apparently it's pretty bad. As in she rarely comes out of her room, and mostly spends time in the bathroom if anything..." Lynn said, voice filled with worry.
The other girl nodded slightly, pressing their shoulders together.
"I'm sure she's fine. You know she's got a good immune system" she tried to lift the spirits, but even she wasn't convinced.
Even on the rare occasions in the past when Sullin got sick, she still texted them, or called them.
They hated being kept in the dark. Hated being ignored and not knowing what was happening to the girl.
The walk felt much longer than it actually was, mainly spent worrying about the girl.
Finally reaching the house, Lynn pulled out the spare key they were given by Sullin's mother years ago, for emergencies.
Unlocking the door, they entered, closing it behind them.
The first thing they noticed was the emptiness.
Sullin's mother was at work, and her father barely came home, usually somewhere abroad for work.
The second was the muffled coughing coming from upstairs.
It sounded..... Wrong. Painful. Aggressive.
Completely different from any other coughing they'd ever heard from the girl.
They made quick work of running up the stairs, halting in front of the bathroom door.
It was closed, but light shined through the crack between the bottom of the door and the floor, indicating it wasn't empty.
From inside, the coughing was loud.
Hearing it up close, it sounded like Sullin was barely able to even take in a breath before more coughing came out.
At one point, Lynn could swear she heard a weak sob between coughs.
Taking a hold of the door handle, Jiyeon twisted it.
Locked.
Grunting quietly, Lynn took a step back, before using her entire body weight to collide with the door.
First try, the door barely moved.
She tried again, feeling it rattle against her.
With every hit, the coughs sounded more urgent. More panicked. As if Sullin was trying to do something to stop the door from opening, but failed due to the coughing.
The more coughs she heard, the less Lynn focuses on the pain in her shoulder.
At some point, Jiyeon joined her, combining their power together.
With one last, desperate run, they heard the door crack before swinging open, hitting the wall behind it.
The two took a few seconds to recover from their efforts.
When they recovered enough to focus, their eyes widened at the scene in front of them.
Sullin was curled up in the bathtub, her clothes completely covered in blood, lap filled with cyclamen flowers, roses and forget-me-nots.
The girl's face was red, from a combination of crying, as well as not being able to take in an actual breath for god knows how long.
She was hugging herself, nails digging into her skin roughly.
Her hair was messy, with some of the ends covered in blood as well.
On the floor beside the bathtub were more flowers, and more blood, smeared over the sides of the tub, as well as the walls around.
It was a horrifying scene to walk into, and it left the girls frozen.
They felt cold shivers run up their spines when Sullin looked up at them.
Her eyes were bloodshot, with a mix of emotions flying through them, but one was the clearest.
Desperation.
The girl looked like a wild animal, staring at them with wide, panicked eyes as she realised they were actually standing there.
She tried to speak, but her body lurched forward with another set of aggressive coughs.
The sound tore the girls out of their shock and they immediately rushed to her side, kneeling by the bathtub. They couldn't care less when they felt the blood soak I to their pants, or the smell of metal.
Their focus was locked solely on Sullin, and her only.
Jiyeon stayed kneeling on the ground, hand running up and down her back in an attempt to soothe her. Her other hand rested on her knee lightly.
Lynn opted for getting up and climbing directly into the bathtub with Sullin.
Fortunately for her, the tub was big enough to fit both of them relatively comfortably.
She sat down in front of her, hands raising to rest on her arms, right on top of Sullin's.
She carefully pulled her hands away from her own arms to stop her from hurting herself.
The more they watched her, the more obvious her struggles to breathe were.
They could hear quiet wheezing coming out of the girl every time she tried to breathe in.
"Sullin, please breathe. Try breathing for me, okay baby? I need you to breathe" Lynn said, voice desperate as she watched the girl.
Sullin tried, she really did, but all it did was make her cough again.
The girls watched as she raised her hands to her mouth and coughed again. Putting her hands down, she let more flowers and petals fall into the tub, blood dripping down her fingers.
Jiyeon looked at the flowers with wide eyes, looking between the broken girl in front of her and the blood.
Lynn was so disconnected from what was happening, and so focused on Sullin, that her brain didn't even allow her to register the blood and flowers.
Jiyeon slapped her hand against Sullin's back, hoping to ease the girl's struggles, but it didn't seem to work.
"Sullin-ah.... Please, what's wrong?" She asked, patting her head gently.
"N-nothing.... P-please.... Please l-leave...." The girl wheezed out, tears falling down her cheeks again.
Lynn reached up, swiping them away just as more rolled out.
"We're not leaving. Not when you're like this" she said, voice soft despite the panic that was consuming her.
Sullin coughed again covering her mouth with her shirt as to not get blood on Lynn. The shirt came back with more blood soaked into it.
She knew, realistically, that she was dying. Had read enough, lived through enough of this to know she was slipping away.
Her breath caught in her throat for the hundredth time that day and she wheezed.
Panic had consumed her hours ago, and since then, she hasn't been able to calm down, constantly on edge.
Looking to the side, her brain registered Jiyeon's face, full of worry and confusion, eyebrows knitted together.
There were tears in her eyes, and she could feel her hand shaking against her back.
It was a bigger mistake to look up at Lynn.
The girl looked so distressed. Like Jiyeon, her eyes were filled with tears, and her grip on her arms was almost too painful, but Sullin didn't push her away.
Couldn't push her away.
Even if it killed her, she'd selfishly try to keep them close in her last moments.
Leaning forward, she rested her forehead against Lynn's shoulder, cringing at how sore her throat felt.
Jiyeon had reached for one of her hands, holding it in hers tightly, while Lynn took the other, bringing it into her lap, fingers intervened.
She thought back to all the happy memories she's had with them.
Though back to the laughs, the sad moments, every action that made her fall in love.
Sullin knew she was dying, but this time, she willed her throat to let words come out.
"I'm.... I'm s-sorry.... F-for loving you...." She said, voice quiet and raw
Her words hung in the air before silence consumed them.
While Jiyeon just stared at her, brain still trying to process her words and their implications, Lynn's eyes widened as she pieced everything together.
Sullin distancing herself from them. Her sudden lack of affection. Her sickness that came so suddenly. The coughing.
Her grip on Sullin's hand loosened, and the girl's heart dropped.
She knew it. It was useless. She was going to die anyw-
Lynn surged forward, pulling her into an almost bone crushing hug.
Sullin froze, feeling warmth spread through her body from the hug.
"Don't be sorry baby, you did nothing wrong.... Fuck, this is all our fault... Unnie we should have told her, shit" she said, squeezing the younger tightly.
By that point, even Jiyeon realised what everything meant, and leaned closer to wrap one arm around Sullin and the other around Lynn, head resting on top of Sullin's.
"We're so fucking sorry love. None of this would be happening if we just said something" she whispered, tilting her head down to press a kiss to the crown of her head.
Sullin, consumed by confusion and warmth, felt something inside her shift.
It wasn't some grand movement or anything, just a slight, uncomfortable shift.
She let her brain replay their words, feeling more tears in her eyes.
Her hands finally agreed to move. With how tired she was, she couldn't reach up to hug Jiyeon back, and settled for wrapping them around Lynn's waist.
It wasn't long before she felt another aggregating itch in her throat, and she barely managed to pull herself away from them in time before she coughed loudly.
This time, instead of a full flower, only petals laid in her palm.
For the first time in a long, long time, her throat didn't feel like something was perpetually stuck in it.
She could breathe, which she did immediately, sucking in loud breaths, body shaking from the, now unfamiliar, feeling.
She looked at them again, and with a teary smile, moved forward again, this time with more strength.
Her arms wrapped around both of them, holding them tightly as she cried into Jiyeon's shoulder.
They held her just as tightly, wearing matching teary smiles.
After what felt like hours, Jiyeon pulled away. She stood up and reached for an empty glass, filling it with water before handing it to Lynn.
"Make sure she drinks, I'll get her a change of clothes and then you'll take her to her room" she said before walking off to rummage through her wardrobe.
Lynn did as she was told, gently holding the back of Sullin's head to tilt it backwards, bringing the glass to her lips.
The first sips were small, careful. Soon enough, she gulped down the entire glass.
Lynn set the glass down, cupping her face so gently, as if she could break.
She pressed their foreheads together, smiling sadly.
"I'm sorry we let it get to this point.... We should have said something...." She whispered, feeling Sullin shake her head.
"Don't.... I should've... Said something too" she said. Her voice was still raw, but at least she didn't sound like she actively had a thorn in her throat.
Soft padding approached, as Jiyeon entered the bathroom, clothes in hand.
Lynn carefully stood up and stepped out of the bathtub, leaning down.
She wrapped an arm around Sullin's waist, using the other to swing the girl's hand around her own shoulders.
She lifted her up, supporting her whole weight with ease.
Helping her out of the tub, she held her up as Jiyeon worked to quickly take her bloodied sweatpants off.
Lynn then lifted the girl up onto a cabinet, pulling off her shirt.
She cringed at how bloody and dirty it was, and threw it I to the tub to clean up later.
Jiyeon reached for a black towel and wet it in the sink, taking a hold of her arm.
Lynn mirrored her, and together they worked on cleaning off as much blood from the girl's body as they could, so it wouldn't dirty her new clothes much.
Once Jiyeon was done, she put the towel away, leaning up to kiss where Sullin's nails had dug into her skin, sending shivers down the girls spine.
Lynn finishes soon after and threw the towel on top of the shirt, also kissing the indents in her arm before pressing her lips to Sullin's cheek.
Jiyeon then reached for the pants she brought, an old, worn out pair of sweatpants she knew the girl loved, and put them on, tying the strings to keep them from falling off her thin frame.
Jiyeon handed her a sweater, one Lynn left in Sullin's house a few years ago. One that Sullin wore whenever she was alone and needed comfort.
The girl's shoulders relaxed the moment it was pulled over her head, feeling the familiar rub against her skin.
As they helped her down from the cabinet, she doubled over as another, less aggressive wave of coughs took over her.
She instinctively turned towards the sink, letting the few petals that came out fall into it and spitting out some blood.
The girls rubbed her back supportively, Lynn's arm around her waist keeping her upright.
Jiyeon reached for the used towel and wiped her mouth with it gently, smiling when all the blood was gone.
Lynn carefully picked her up again, completely effortlessly, and carried her into her room.
Placing her into the bed, she rearranged the pillows to support her more, pulling out the softest blanket the younger owned.
Jiyeon walked in soon, a newly filled glass of water in hand, and sat next to Sullin.
She helped her drink it and then set it off to the side, watching Lynn climb into the bed next to Sullin, pulling her into her arms.
Jiyeon, leaving the room for the last time, brought in a small bucket from the storage room in the hallway, placing it on the ground next to the bed 'just in case'.
She then climbed in next to Sullin with a blanket, throwing it over the three. She pressed against her, wrapping her arms around her from behind, squeezing her between them.
For the first time in a while, Sullin felt warmth spread through her chest, a genuine smile forming on her face.
Lynn slowly ran her fingers through her hair, pressing her cheek against her forehead.
Jiyeon's soft breaths against the back of her neck sent goosebumps down her spine, feeling her arm tighten protectively around her waist.
Lynn's heartbeat – slow and steady, comforting – made her relax, her own breathing evening out.
Neither of the three talked, basking in the comfort of the bed.
The last thing Sullin felt before succumbing to sleep were soft lips pressing against her shoulder, and a second pair leaving soft kisses on her forehead.
For the first time in months, she slept soundly.
No horrid nightmares about the girls hating her. No dreams – memories – of the better times. Nothing.
Just peaceful darkness.
When she woke up, she noticed the lack of pain in her lungs.
She breathed in deeply, surprised when no restrictions stopped her.
She could smell Lynn next to her. A soft, earthy smell mixed with rain. The girl always reminded her of days right after it rained.
Focusing more, she could make out Jiyeon. There was always a flowery smell around the girl.
The smells mixed together into something so comforting. Something that always helped her relax.
She carefully pulled herself up and out of the girls's tangled arms, crawling over Jiyeon's sleeping form.
Setting her feet on the ground, she stood up, surprising herself.
The day before, she had to be carried just so she wouldn't fall.
Now, one sleep and some revelations later, she was strong enough to stand.
She slowly, careful not to trip, made her way towards the bathroom, scrunching her nose when the metallic smell hit her.
The flowers and blood were still in the bathtub, now begining to dry up.
She looked at herself in the mirror and couldn't stop the gasp from leaving her.
Her skin, once white and sickly, was now back to its original pink undertones, and when she touched her own cheeks, she felt warmth.
She quietly brushed her teeth, cleaning up any remaining taste of blood.
She heard soft a patter of steps behind her and in the mirror, saw a sleepy but alert Lynn walking inside.
The girl visibly relaxed when she saw her, letting her shoulders drop.
She walked up behind her, sneaking her arms around her waist.
Her chin rested on her shoulder, snuggling closer to her.
Jiyeon followed close behind, leaning against the wall next to the sink, watching the two with a fond smile.
"Feeling better?" She asked, voice soft and calming.
Sullin nodded slightly, reaching for a brush to get rid of any knots in her hair.
Lynn momentarily raised her head from the girl's shoulder, looking at her through the mirror.
"Do you think you can eat?" She said, voice deeper than usual due to her just waking up.
She thought for a second.
Swallowing, she no longer felt anything obstructing her throat, and just on cue, a loud rumble came from her stomach.
She hid her face behind her hand, red from embarrassment before nodding.
Casting a look at the bathtub, Lynn groaned before turning to the two.
"Jagya? Can you make some food for Sullinnie? I'll clean this mess up" she said, already reaching for rags and water.
The eldest nodded, reaching out a hand.
Sullin took it without hesitation and let the girl lead her into the kitchen.
It appeared her mother had already left by the time they woke up and Sullin hoped she hadn't seen the bathroom.
Sitting her down on a chair, Jiyeon leaned down to kiss the top of her head, staying like that for a few seconds.
Her arms were drooped over her shoulders, breathing softly.
Eventually, she let go, walking towards the fridge.
Scanning her eyes over the contents inside, her eyes zeroed in on a see thru bowl of soup.
On it, a note from her mother.
'if you come out and feel better, eat this.
Love, mom <3'
Her heart ached.
She imagined how hard it must have been seeing her daughter struggle for so long.
Shaking her head, she pulled it out and popped it into the microwave, fetching a spoon.
When it was warm enough, she took it to Sullin, setting it down in front of her.
She sat down next to her, holding up the spoon with some of the soup in it.
The younger eyed it for a second before opening her mouth.
When she swallowed, she waited for a moment, assessing wether or not her stomach would refuse the food.
Nothing seemed to happen, and a smile came onto her face.
Jiyeon looked at her with proud eyes, helping her eat more, making sure to go slowly as to not overwhelm the girl's stomach.
By the time Lynn was finally done cleaning and came down, Sullin was halfway done with the soup.
She walked by, pressing a kiss to her head before sitting on her other sided running her hands down her back softly.
Sullin relaxed more, leaning into the touch.
Lynn carefully leaned forward, hugging her from the back and resting her head on her back.
Every time the girl ate and kept the food down, she mumbled prases quietly. About how good of a job she was doing. How proud she was.
Jiyeon accompanied every praise with a smile and a firm nod.
Soon enough, all the soup was gone and Jiyeon put the bowl away.
The three then moved onto the couch in the living room, Sullin between them.
She leaned her head on Jiyeon's shoulder, and Lynn, being Lynn, laid on her back, head in Sullin's lap.
The girl smiled down at her, playing with her hair.
Soft, comfortable silence surrounded them, until Jiyeon broke it, reaching for one of her hands.
"Why... Didn't you tell us?" She asked.
Sullin sighed and looked away, a soft blush spreading across her cheeks when Lynn reached up to turn her head their way again.
"I just.... I didn't want to cause problems.... You guys are so happy together... And I couldn't bare thinking that by telling you, I'd be coming between you two" she confessed, tightening her hold on Jiyeon's hand.
The girls looked at her for a moment before smiling softly.
Jiyeon nuzzled her cheek with her nose, while Lynn took her free hand, bringing it to her lips to kiss her skin.
"You wouldn't be coming between us baby" Jiyeon said quietly, to which Lynn nodded.
"Yeah... Even if we didn't like you, we wouldn't let your feelings destroy us. But we do... Like you, I mean" she said, bringing Sullin's knuckles to her lips.
The girl smiled, shaking her head.
"I know I should have told you.... I knew you wouldn't react badly. I just... Couldn't bring myself to do it" she quietly said, a sad smile on her lips.
Lynn let go of her hand and reached up, gently squishing her cheeks with her fingers.
She pushed up until a smile was on Sullin's face, one that stayed on even after she dropped her hand.
"Don't feel bad Sullin. We could have told you too. We were probably just as scared as you." Lynn spoke, smiling up at her at an effort to make the rather tense conversation more comfortable.
It worked, and Sullin smiled, shaking her head.
"Why were you scared?" She asked, tilting her head curiously.
Jiyeon smiled next to her, arm wrapping around her waist.
"We were scared we'd scare you off. I can't imagine how strange it would feel for someone to have a couple come up to them and spill all of their feelings for them" she said, pulling her closer.
Sullin nodded in understanding, pouting softly.
Lynn noticed and sat up, moving to sit cross legged next to her, one of her knees laying on her lap.
She reached forward, cupping her cheeks gently, letting her thumbs softly run across her cheeks, foreheads pressed together.
"We're sorry it took so long. But at least you're here. You're safe, and you're okay" she whispered, kissing her forehead.
Behind her, Jiyeon nodded and reached up, lightly scratching the back of her neck, right below her hairline.
The feeling momentarily turned her thoughts into mush, and Lynn felt her relax into her hands.
The girls shared a fond smile over her shoulder.
Lynn, seeing her so relaxed, tapped her cheek with her finger to get her attention.
It worked, and she watched the girl open her eyes slowly, zeroing on her.
She couldn't help but let her eyes fall down to her lips before quickly returning to her eyes.
Sullin noticed, if the way her eyes widened slightly was any indication.
Lynn felt herself lean in slowly, eyes focused on Sullin's face, searching for any sign of hesitancy.
The girl nodded so softly one could miss it, if Lynn wasn't so intently watching her.
Having permission, Lynn closed the gap, pressing their lips together.
It was slow, soft, and much too short for Sullin's liking, but she still felt her brain scrambling as it happened.
When Lynn pulled away and Sullin opened her eyes, the older could see her pupils dilate, lips slightly parted.
The two smiled at eachother, Lynn pressing a soft kiss to the tip of her nose before nudging her head to the side, to face Jiyeon.
The girl's smile was bright, eyes watching them with fondness.
Noticing that Sullin's attention was now on her, she sat up straighter.
When Sullin began moving closer, Jiyeon did as well, meeting her in the middle.
This one, just like the first one, was soft and quick, mainly because Jiyeon giggled in the middle of it.
Apparently, she felt when Lynn leaned her chin onto Sullin's shoulder and couldn't keep the laugh in.
Soon, all three were giggling, collapsing onto eachother.
Then, Sullin felt arms wrap around her waist, keeping her in place while Lynn, in the midst of giggles, pressed kisses all over her face.
She felt her whole body heat up from the display of affection and looked at Jiyeon with pleading eyes.
The girl, a smirk on her face, just shrugged before moving, joining her girlfriend in the kiss attack.
She found herself trapped between the two, held down and peppered with kisses, laughing loudly until her cheeks hurt.
Sullin realised she never wanted to be anywhere else if it meant not being surrounded by Lynn and Jiyeon's loud, overwhelming affection.