1 A Match Made in Heaven

Sakura sighed as she plop down on the sofa and Yuri soon toppled over her. She noticed Wonyoung standing near them and the girl was about to join when Chaeyeon called them out to properly put their things away.

Deliberately, Yuri raised from the sofa and yawned before spacing out. Of course, being seen as the father of the dorm, Sakura, with a groan, jumped up from the sofa.

"Put your stuff away properly," she ordered and put her own to their room. She did her night routine and got ready for the night.

Sitting on her bed, she scanned through the items she got from the last fansign that wasn't confiscated by the staff. And then, Chaeyeon appeared on the doorway.

"I got a call from manager-nim. Apparently, a storm had been threatening since–about–a few days ago. He said it might get bad later. Hope you guys can sleep well," she said then glanced around, checking each member. "Don't worry about waking me up if you need anything."

Only when Chaeyeon had left, Sakura began to discern the faint pitter-patter of the rain.

"I'll try to sleep now before it gets bad," said Nako.

Sakura stood up from her bed and went to turn off the lights. "We all should probably go to sleep," and just as she had finished talking, a thunder roared making her flinch. Low-key scared, her heart started beating fast.

She did a breathing technique that usually helps her and soon she began to calm down. She turned to the door to close it when she noticed Chaeyeon placing unlit candles all around the kitchen and the living room. Upon detecting her gaze, the woman walked up to her.

"Here," she handed out a flashlight. "In case, the lights go out."

Sakura decided to keep the door open and went back to bed.

***

Sakura woke up to the consecutive crackles of thunder. She closed her eyes and tried to back to sleep when a particular loud one made her jump. She sighed shakily as she sat up from her bed. Then reaches blindly for her glasses. After wearing it, she reached for her phone.

12:16 am. She went to bed around 10:30 pm. She glanced across of her, seeing an unbothered memberneun sleeping.

She placed her feet on the cold ground and shivered. She wished that no thunder crackle as she stumble to the bathroom. Successfully relieving herself, she went to the kitchen to grab herself a bottle of water. She brought it to her lips. A thunder then rumbled. Almost making her spill water on her shirt.

"Saku-chan?"

She wet her shirt this time.

"Jjaeyeon!" she said and immediately covered her mouth with a hand when she remembered the maknaes are asleep.

"My bad, hang on." Chaeyeon disappeared back inside her and Hitomi's room then came back out holding a towel. She handed it to Sakura while apologizing.

"Is there any particular reason why you're awake? Aside from being thirsty?" Chaeyeon asked as she holds Sakura's bottled water for her.

Sakura dabbed her shirt with the towel but frowned when it seemed futile. She had no choice but to change her top. She gave the towel back to Chaeyeon and received her water bottle back. "No. Just thirsty," she said before demonstrating by taking gulps.

"Okay... Are you going back to sleep now?"

"Yes. Good night." She gave Chaeyeon a small hug.

And then, as if playing with Sakura, a thunder roared making her jump in Chaeyeon's arms.

The woman hummed teasingly, feeling Sakura tense. "Just thirsty, huh..."

Sakura sighed and buried her face on Chaeyeon's neck. Small hug turned into embrace. "I can't sleep. Not with those thunders."

She felt Chaeyeon's arms wrapped around her waist and they began swaying together. She doesn't know how Chaeyeon did it, but for a long moment she forgot about the storm outside. She felt completely protected in Chaeyeon's arms.

When Chaeyeon spoke, her voice was soft as if lulling Sakura to sleep. Sakura sighed again but this time from contentment. "What do you usually do on a stormy night?"

"Cover my ears with my pillow? Listen to music with headphones?"

"Do you wanna do that right now?"

Sakura thought of it for a while. The current state she's in right now is undeniably better than the ways she'd dealt with her fears of thunders before. Chaeyeon's embrace, without doubt, is better than covering her ears and listening to music with headphones.

"I... I kind of like this. I don't know why, but can we stay like this?" she asked as she pulls away just a little to face Chaeyeon.

"Whatever helps you fall asleep."

"If it isn't too much, can we lie down? My feet are kind of getting tired."

Chaeyeon unwrapped herself from Sakura before taking the woman's hand. "Where?"

Sakura flinched again when a thunder crackled. But no fear lingered when Chaeyeon squeezed her hand. Then she looked at Chaeyeon sheepishly, "I'm not that sleepy, and we don't have a tight schedule tomorrow, can we play Xbox?"

Chaeyeon just stared at her blankly. Then she asked so kindly, Sakura felt her heart flutter, "Will that help you calm down to sleep?"

Sakura nodded and went back to her room to change her shirt. She then let Chaeyeon lead her to the sofa. She turned the Xbox on, immediately lowering the volume. She decided to play Detroit Become Human and turned to give Chaeyeon a grin. "I wanna see you play."

Chaeyeon shook her head while making a cross with her forearms. "I can't, I don't know how to play that."

"I'm here to teach you. Pretty please?" Sakura pouted and battered her doe eyes at Chaeyeon.

"Not fair," Chaeyeon mumbled before taking the controller from Sakura.

A few countless mad whispers and hushes later, they moved to a multiplayer game where Sakura had to teach Chaeyeon again but the girl was really adaptive and a fast-learner, so it was no hassle really. And she enjoys teaching Chaeyeon, most especially spending time with her like this. They'd never hang out playing games before. She usually play at the other dorm with Hyewon and Yena. So she was elated that even temporarily, she had a person to play with in their dorm. And that person is Chaeyeon, who's company she enjoys.

"I'm actually liking this," said Chaeyeon and they shared glances.

Sakura chuckled. "Now you understand my fixation."

Chaeyeon hummed positively, "Yeah." Then she added in a few seconds later, "I like doing this with you."

"May–"

"Don't expect me to be your gamer buddy soon though," Chaeyeon sent her a smile that made her nose crunch and her eyes crinkle.

Then it disappeared before her. The lights went out. Followed by a thunder that made Sakura yelped, immediately reaching for Chaeyeon.

"I have to get the flashlight, Saku-chan," said Chaeyeon but made no move to stand up. Then Sakura felt a warm hand cup her cheek. "It'll only take a few seconds, okay?"

Sakura turned her head and placed a light kiss on Chaeyeon's palm. "Okay," she whispered against it. Chaeyeon was unmoving and it was too dark for Sakura to perceive her face.

Then, abruptly she stood up. Sakura listened to the slow careful foot steps. Realizing what she had just done. Her face started heating up. What was that? Why did I do that? She covered her face with her hands. Oh my god, she must be disgusted.

A bright light was shone on her but she couldn't remove her hands from her face. She heard a thump and felt a woosh of air.

"Saku-chan?! Are you okay?"

Sakura was about to uncover her face when she was suddenly engulfed in a hug. "I'm here now. Sorry for leaving you."

She basked in Chaeyeon's embrace, watching the flashlight rolled on the floor. "No... I'm fine."

Chaeyeon pulled away but kept her hands on Sakura's shoulders. "I'm sorry, I lef—"

"No. I'm sorry," said Sakura, averting her eyes to the floor.

Chaeyeon scrunched her brows in confused way. "Sorry for what?"

"I didn't know why I did that... thing. A while ago."

"Thing? What thing?"

Sakura fidget with her two index fingers repeatedly tapping together. "Kiss–kissing your palm like that. Sorry, I must have made you uncomfortable."

Silence settled over them and Sakura continue to fidget under Chaeyeon's gaze. She heard the howling of the wind outside. The rain seemed to have weaken. Well, Sakura was relieved at that but she knew she still wouldn't be able to sleep tonight.

"Saku-chan..." Chaeyeon squeezed her shoulders weakly before trailing her hands down Sakura's arms, then she clasped her hands. Chaeyeon brought them to her lips, kissing each hands. Then she made Sakura cupped her cheeks before copying Sakura's action but on both palms. "Flustered, maybe. But uncomfortable? No, not even a little bit."

Sakura bit her lips as she bowed her head to hide her reddened face from Chaeyeon's intense gaze. She felt like she was melting inside. And her heart beated faster than before. The TV suddenly turned on, indicating the electricity was back. She turned it off, including the Xbox. Then unplugged their outlet.

"The storm is calming. Let's go to bed and sleep," said Chaeyeon.

Sakura was disappointed that they had to separate so soon. She held back a sigh before standing up. Using Chaeyeon's flashlight, they navigated to Sakura's room. The woman was surprised when Chaeyeon followed her inside and to her bed.

"Jjaeyeon?"

"Want to cuddle?"

"Yes," she said instantaneously, she blushed at how desperate it came out.

***

Sakura can feel Chaeyeon's breath against the back of her neck. She's using one of Chaeyeon's arm as a pillow and the other was wrapped around her waist.

"Is it not cold?" Chaeyeon asked before bringing the blanket up to cover them up to their necks.

Sakura let out a contented a sigh. She definitely could fall asleep even if it's still storming outside with how comfortable she is right now. "Warm enough."

"Good." Chaeyeon's arms pulled her closer. "You know, Saku-chan. I'll always be here for you. So, don't be afraid to come to me next time, okay?"

Sakura hummed a yes. "Why are you awake anyways?"

"I wasn't awake. I just woke up."

Sakura chuckled, the vibration felt by Chaeyeon. "You must have sensed a troubled member."

Chaeyeon chuckled next. "I wonder if Eunbi-unnie woke up too."

"She probably didn't."

"Why do you think so."

Sakura threaded her fingers through Chaeyeon's. "Our connection is special."

Little by little, she felt Chaeyeon's heart raising on her back. Then the woman buried her face on Sakura's shoulder. "It is."

Sakura rolled on her back. "Jjaeyeon..." She whispered in the dark.

"Yes?"

"Daisuki."

She sat up. With one arm supporting herself. She cupped Chaeyeon's cheek and leaned down.

The instant her lips brushed against Chaeyeon's, her stomach dropped pleasantly, followed by a tingle that run over her whole body. That was just one brush, so when she pressed down and got the feeling of Chaeyeon's soft lips, she was instantly breathless. Her heart pounded in her chest like it wanted to get out.

Her arm gave out and she fell on top of Chaeyeon.

Chaeyeon's heart pounded against her, and then she felt her kiss back. Her head starting to spin. Sakura pulled away with a whimpher. No matter how much she wanted to return to the feel of Chaeyeon's lips, she had to take in mind that there are maknaes sleeping in the room.

"You... I... You love me?" Chaeyeon panted over her lips making them tingle. Sakura lied back down on her back, so she wouldn't find herself leaning down to kiss Chaeyeon once again.

"I do," she said, not knowing what to expect. She kissed me back, or was that just my imagination?

But then she felt Chaeyeon shift and soon her lips were back on Sakura. "I love you too," she whispered. "God, since PD48. I thought you were the most beautiful girl out there out of ninety six girls, you had me hook. I don't believe in love at first sight, but I just couldn't keep my eyes off you."

Sakura can feel her eyes misting. Her voice clogging up but she managed to let out her feelings. "When I said, our meeting was fate, I truly meant it. The first time you talked to me, I felt that I could survive the show, without you, I probably wouldn't be here. I couldn't imagine a life without you."

With that, she felt a drop on her face. "Saku-chan," Chaeyeon started hoarsely. "I didn't think I would actually say this ever in my entire life and actually mean it but... Aishiteru."

Chaeyeon gave Sakura another tender kiss before returning to spooning her.

***

Both were the last ones to wake up, obviously because they stayed up late. Chaeyeon walked in the kitchen, surprised to find breakfast on the table. "You guys cooked this?"

"We did, we did, that's right," said Wonyoung, looking so proud with herself.

"That's very nice of you. I should better get, Saku-chan."

"Yeah. Of course, you should to that." She heard Yuri, quite in an odd almost sarcastic tone.

Chaeyeon raised her brows at her but the younger woman only gave her a grin. "I'll get her then."

"Don't forget to give her a morning kiss."