"Yeah, you needed the rest," Jiyeon replied, brushing a strand of hair out of Yura's face with a gentle touch. "And I wasn't about to wake you up. You looked too peaceful. Like a little strawberry cupcake."
Yura squinted at her, trying to make sense of the comparison, still half-asleep. "Strawberry cupcake?" she mumbled, her voice hoarse from sleep.
Jiyeon chuckled, her eyes twinkling mischievously. "Yeah, you know, sweet and a little squishy." She gave Yura a teasing poke in the side, making her yelp.
"Yah!" Yura swatted at her hand, cheeks flushed both from the poke and the comparison. "I am not squishy!"
"Oh, really?" Jiyeon arched an eyebrow, a playful smirk curling on her lips. "Because last night you were all 'Jiyeon, don't leave me! I'll die without you!' That sounds pretty squishy to me."
Yura's face turned a deeper shade of pink as she buried it in her hands, groaning. "I was not that dramatic!" she protested, though the embarrassment in her voice betrayed her.
Jiyeon grinned, enjoying how easily she could fluster Yura. "Oh, you were. You were like a clingy little kitten, pawing at me and begging for attention."
Yura peeked at her through her fingers, eyes narrowed in mock outrage. "You make it sound like I was desperate."
"Well…" Jiyeon trailed off, a cheeky grin still plastered on her face.
"Okay, fine, maybe a little desperate," Yura muttered, pulling a pillow over her face. Her voice came out muffled, but Jiyeon could still hear the defeated tone. "But you know what it's like during estrus. I couldn't help it."
Jiyeon softened at that, her teasing fading as she reached over to gently pull the pillow away from Yura's face. "I know, babe. I'm just messing with you," she said softly, her tone now filled with affection.
Yura peeked up at her, her expression softening as she met Jiyeon's eyes. "You promise?"
Jiyeon nodded, her hand gently cupping Yura's cheek. "I promise. No matter how clingy you get, or how much you smell like strawberries, I'm not going anywhere."
Yura pouted slightly at the mention of her scent but leaned into Jiyeon's hand anyway, taking comfort in the warmth of her touch. "You're lucky I love you," she muttered, though there was no bite in her words.
"I'm very lucky," Jiyeon agreed with a grin, leaning in to press a quick kiss to Yura's forehead. "And you're lucky I'm such a patient alpha. Not everyone would put up with your ridiculous demands."
Yura huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "I don't have ridiculous demands."
Jiyeon raised an eyebrow, her grin widening. "Really? Because last night you wouldn't even let me get up to go to the bathroom without practically crying."
Yura's eyes widened in horror. "I did not cry!" she exclaimed, sitting up straighter. "You're exaggerating."
"Oh, you didn't actually cry, but you definitely gave me the puppy eyes," Jiyeon said, wiggling her fingers at Yura's face in an exaggerated way. "All big and watery like 'Jiyeon, how could you even think of leaving me for a second?'"
Yura groaned, burying her face in her hands again. "Oh my god, stop. I'm never going to live this down, am I?"
"Nope," Jiyeon replied cheerfully, poking her in the side again for good measure. "You're stuck with the memory of your clingy self forever. I might even bring it up the next time we argue, just for fun."
Yura's eyes narrowed at that, and she gave Jiyeon a light shove. "You're the worst, you know that?"
"Am I?" Jiyeon asked with a grin, clearly enjoying herself. "Because I'm pretty sure I'm the best. Who else would stick around to be your emotional support alpha during your strawberry-scented crisis?"
Yura let out a dramatic sigh, shaking her head as if in defeat. "Fine, fine. You're the best. Happy?"
"Ecstatic," Jiyeon said with a laugh, leaning back against the headboard. "But seriously, how are you feeling? Any better?"
Yura paused, considering the question for a moment. "Yeah, a little," she admitted quietly. "I'm still kind of… out of it, but it's not as bad as last night."
Jiyeon nodded, her expression softening again. "That's good. If it gets worse again, we can always up the dosage on your inhibitor."
Yura bit her lip, nodding slightly. "I know. I just… I hate feeling like this. Like I can't control anything."
Jiyeon's heart ached at the vulnerability in Yura's voice. She reached out to take Yura's hand, squeezing it gently. "I know it sucks, babe. But you don't have to go through it alone. "
Yura looked down at their intertwined hands, her grip tightening slightly. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
"You don't have to thank me," Jiyeon said softly, leaning in to press a gentle kiss to Yura's knuckles. "You're my omega. I take care of you."
Yura smiled faintly at that, though there was still a hint of uncertainty in her eyes. "You say that now, but what if I get even more clingy?" she asked, half-joking, half-serious. "You might regret it."
Jiyeon chuckled, shaking her head. "I've already survived the worst of it. You crying because I went to the bathroom? That was peak clinginess."
Yura groaned again, her face flushing with embarrassment. "Oh my god, please stop reminding me!"
"I can't help it, it's too funny," Jiyeon said with a grin, clearly enjoying Yura's reaction.
Yura shot her a half-hearted glare, but there was no real malice behind it. "You're impossible."
"Maybe," Jiyeon agreed with a playful smirk. "But you love me anyway."
"Unfortunately," Yura muttered, though her smile betrayed her. "I guess I'm stuck with you."
"Forever," Jiyeon replied with a wink, leaning in to steal a quick kiss from Yura's lips.
Yura let out a soft huff but didn't pull away, instead leaning into the kiss for a moment before pulling back with a small smile. "Yeah, forever."
They sat in comfortable silence for a while after that, simply enjoying each other's company. The morning sun filtered through the curtains, and the scent of vanilla and strawberries filled the air, mingling together in a way that felt comforting and familiar.
After a few minutes, Jiyeon stretched her arms above her head, letting out a content sigh. "You know, I'm kind of hungry again. We should probably eat something."
Yura blinked, her sleepy mind still catching up. "Again? We just ate."
"That was hours ago," Jiyeon said with a laugh. "Besides, you need to keep your strength up. You're going to need it if you plan on surviving the rest of your estrus without clinging to me 24/7."
Yura shot her a glare, though there was no real heat behind it. "I'm not clinging to you."
Jiyeon raised an eyebrow, glancing pointedly at the way Yura was still holding onto her arm. "Uh-huh. Sure you're not."
Yura's face flushed again, and she quickly let go of Jiyeon's arm, crossing her arms over her chest instead. "Shut up."
Jiyeon laughed, shaking her head. "Come on, let's go make something to eat before you start getting all possessive again."
"I'm not possessive!" Yura protested, though her pout betrayed her.
"Uh-huh," Jiyeon said, her tone dripping with sarcasm as she got out of bed and stretched. "Whatever you say, cupcake."
Yura groaned, throwing a pillow at Jiyeon's back as she walked toward the door. "Stop calling me that!"
Jiyeon dodged the pillow with a laugh, turning to stick her tongue out at Yura. "Never."
Despite herself, Yura couldn't help but smile as she watched Jiyeon leave the room, her heart feeling a little lighter. She knew the next few days were going to be tough, but with Jiyeon by her side, she felt like she could handle anything.
With a sigh, Yura got up from the bed, following Jiyeon into the kitchen. As they prepared a simple lunch together, the banter continued, light and teasing, punctuated by laughter and the occasional playful insult.
"Hey, don't burn the eggs!" Yura scolded, nudging Jiyeon with her elbow.
Jiyeon shot her an innocent look. "Burn? Me? Never."
Yura rolled her eyes, grabbing the spatula from Jiyeon's hand and taking over. "You're hopeless."
"I prefer the term 'adventurous cook,'"
Jiyeon replied with a grin, leaning back against the counter as she watched Yura work.
"Adventurous, my ass," Yura muttered, though there was no real venom in her words. "You're lucky I'm here to save your sorry butt."
Jiyeon chuckled, reaching over to poke Yura's side. "Admit it, you love cooking for me."
"Only because you'd starve without me," Yura shot back, flipping the eggs with a practiced hand.
"Hey, I've survived this long, haven't I?" Jiyeon said with a grin. "I'd figure it out eventually."
"Sure you would," Yura replied, though her tone was more fond than sarcastic. "But let's not test that theory, okay?"
"Fine, fine," Jiyeon said, holding up her hands in mock surrender. "I'll let you be the master chef."
"Damn right you will," Yura said, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips as she plated the eggs. "Now sit down and eat before I change my mind."
Jiyeon laughed, obediently sitting down at the table. "Yes, ma'am."
Yura brought the plates over, setting them down in front of Jiyeon before taking a seat across from her. As they dug into their meal, the conversation continued, light and easy, the tension from earlier fading into the background.
"You know," Jiyeon said around a mouthful of eggs, "if you keep spoiling me like this, I might never leave."
Yura snorted, shaking her head. "You say that like it's a bad thing."
"Who said it was?" Jiyeon replied with a grin, swallowing her food before continuing. "I'm perfectly happy being spoiled by my adorable little omega."
Yura rolled her eyes, though there was a faint blush on her cheeks. "You're impossible."
They finished their meal in a comfortable silence, the bond between them growing stronger with each passing moment. By the time they were done, the earlier tension had all but disappeared, replaced by a sense of peace and security.
After they cleaned up, Jiyeon suggested they watch a movie to pass the time, and Yura readily agreed, happy to have something to distract her from the lingering anxiety. They curled up on the couch together, Yura tucked comfortably under Jiyeon's arm as they settled in to watch one of their favorite comedies.
As the movie played, their laughter filled the room, the lighthearted humor providing a much-needed reprieve from the emotional rollercoaster of the past few days. Every so often, Jiyeon would sneak a glance at Yura, smiling at the way her eyes lit up with amusement, the tension in her shoulders slowly easing away.
At one point, Jiyeon reached over to grab a handful of popcorn from the bowl they were sharing, only to have Yura swat her hand away.
"Hey, that's mine!" Yura protested, her voice playful.
"You're not going to eat all of it by yourself," Jiyeon shot back, feigning offense.
"Watch me," Yura said with a smirk, grabbing a handful of popcorn and shoving it into her mouth.
Jiyeon rolled her eyes, leaning over to steal a piece of popcorn from the bowl. "You're such a brat," she said, though there was no real heat behind her words.
"And you love it," Yura replied smugly, popping another piece of popcorn into her mouth.
They continued to bicker playfully throughout the movie, their banter light and teasing. By the time the credits rolled, Yura was snuggled up against Jiyeon, her head resting comfortably on her shoulder.
"Hey, Jiyeon," Yura said softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Yeah?" Jiyeon replied, glancing down at Yura.
"Thanks for sticking around," Yura said, her eyes half-closed as she fought to stay awake. "I don't know what I'd do without you."
Jiyeon's heart swelled with affection, and she pressed a gentle kiss to Yura's forehead. "You'll never have to find out," she whispered, her voice filled with warmth. "I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere."
Yura smiled at that, her eyes fluttering shut as she finally allowed herself to drift off to sleep, secure in the knowledge that Jiyeon would be there when she woke up.
As Jiyeon watched Yura sleep, she couldn't help but feel a deep sense of contentment.