01. SUMMARY :: a quiet moment between mars and stella.

02. CONTENT WARNING :: none

03. NOTE :: none

04. WORD COUNT :: 701 words

━━ the two lay there, tangled together on the living room couch, long after midnight had passed. usually, minsol would have been fast asleep by now, her bedtime on non-work days being ten o'clock sharp. but tonight, she didn't care about her routine; she would rather be here, wrapped in jiseok's embrace, than anywhere else in the world.

the room was steeped in a tranquil silence, interrupted only by the gentle hum of the ceiling fan and the distant murmur of traffic outside, its sound softened by the closed windows.

minsol lay on her back, the warmth of the couch beneath her a comforting cocoon. jiseok rested on top of her, his head nestled against her chest, where he could feel the steady rhythm of her heartbeat. her fingers moved idly through his hair, the soft strands slipping between her fingers, while her other hand was held loosely in jiseok's gentle grasp. both of them were teetering on the edge of sleep, their bodies heavy and relaxed in the quiet hours of the night.

"seok," minsol murmured softly, her voice barely more than a whisper in the stillness.

jiseok responded by lifting minsol's hand to his lips and pressing a delicate kiss to her fingers. the gesture was tender and affectionate, a silent affirmation of his love. "let's go to sleep," minsol suggested, her voice laced with a hint of exhaustion.

"we can sleep here," jiseok replied, his words muffled as he burrowed deeper into minsol, his hair brushing against her face.

"babe, you are far too tall for this couch," minsol chuckled softly, her amusement evident. despite her words, she made no move to dislodge him. jiseok, content in his place, simply tightened his hold around her, showing no intention of moving to a more comfortable location.

they continued to lay in silence, both unwilling to break the cozy spell they were under. minsol wasn't in a hurry to move; the comfort of jiseok's presence and the warmth of the couch made her reluctant to shift.

she heard soft footsteps approaching from the kitchen. looking up, she saw rhyland, his hair sticking out in wild disarray and his oversized glasses perched precariously on his nose. their eyes met, and rhyland, noticing the affectionate tangle of minsol and jiseok, made a theatrical gagging gesture before heading to the pantry. it was clear that his blood sugar must have been low; he was known for his late-night snack runs.

minsol made a move to rise and check on him, but rhyland waved her off, a reassuring gesture that he was fine. he grabbed a snack and retreated back to his room, the door closing with a soft, definitive click.

a few moments later, jiseok lifted his head slightly, his sleepy eyes meeting minsol's as she gazed down at him. there was something deeply endearing about the way he looked at her with those half-closed, drowsy eyes. minsol's heart skipped a beat at the sight of his gaze, so earnest and tender despite his sleepy state.

"hey," she whispered, a gentle smile spreading across her lips.

"mm," jiseok murmured in response, his voice slurred and unfocused, a testament to how close he was to drifting off completely.

minsol thought she saw his eyes flicker toward her lips, but the room was dim, lit only by the soft glow of a lamp on the other side of the couch. jiseok's eyes quickly returned to their previous position, staring deeply into hers as if searching her soul. even in his half-asleep state, the intensity of his gaze never failed to make minsol's heart flutter.

leaning down, minsol pressed a tender kiss to jiseok's lips. as she pulled away, jiseok emitted a low, contented noise that sounded remarkably like the gentle whines minsol had come to recognize over their four years together-whines that jiseok still refused to acknowledge despite their long relationship.

jiseok squeezed his eyes shut tightly, a big yawn escaping him as he snuggled closer into minsol's hoodie. minsol couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle at his adorable reaction. she let herself be drawn into the comforting embrace of his presence, allowing sleep to gently overtake them both.