End of the World

Chapter 34

Mina takes a moment to gather where she is. She's still on Nayeon's lap who's fast asleep, snoring softly, her mouth slightly parted.

Dahyun and Sana who are supposed to be keeping guard are curled up on the couch together.

Mina leans up a little and pecks the older girl's forehead first, then plants another on the bridge of her nose. She smiles a little when Nayeon sighs softly when she places a kiss on her heart shaped lips.

She lays another kiss on the corner of her mouth and pulls back a little. Nayeon's lips follow hers like specks of metal drawn to magnet and Mina thinks- hopes she could wake up every morning like this.

"Thank god for rescue. This would be the last morning I wake up to see you both sucking faces." Chaeyoung whines, rubbing the sleep off her eyes.

Mina ignores her.

Nayeon stirs from her sleep slowly, her long eyelashes fluttering open. A smile quirks up the corner of her lips when she sees Mina staring softly at her.

"Good morning." She yawns behind her hand.

Mina tucks a strand of loose hair behind Nayeon's ears. She smiles before uttering a soft good morning in reply.

"What time is it?" Nayeon whispers into the younger girl's ears, then drags her lips down to lay a kiss on the sensitive spot on her neck. She smirks a little when Mina shudders in her arms.

Tzuyu quips, "Time to get some bleach for our eyes."

Nayeon ignores her.

"Are we invisible or something?" Jihyo wonders loudly. She rolls her eyes when they don't reply, choosing to stare at each other with matching dopey smiles on their faces.

"It's eight in the morning." Mina replies, looping her arms around Nayeon's neck.

"Four more hours for the rescue." Nayeon lets out a soft breath as she rests her forehead against Mina's. "And then back to our normal lives."

There's a hint of sadness laced in her tone and it troubles Mina. She gently places a finger under Nayeon's chin and brings her head up to meet her eyes. "You don't sound too happy."

Nayeon doesn't know how to answer this. How's she supposed to tell the younger girl that she's afraid things between them would change once they return to their normal life? A normal life where Mina doesn't have to be with her anymore, because she'd definitely have plenty of dating choices. "It's nothing." She lies, her eyes skittering downwards.

Mina feels a slight aching in her chest, because Nayeon is closed off, like the Nayeon she knew before the apocalypse -the one who's always been there for Mina, for everyone, but hardly ever put her emotions on display.

Mina had thought that they had made some progress in that area and grown closer in the past few days but Nayeon seems to be eagerly reclaiming the dynamics of their past relationship.

Then she remembers something. Before she can stop herself, she stutters out, "You were going to tell me why you came back for me."

Nayeon swallows thickly, still refusing to meet her eyes. "You know why!"

Mina thought she knew, but this Nayeon -so distant and out of her reach is making her think she'd been delusional in her assumption that she had some feelings for her. "I don't think I know anymore." Mina slides off her lap and settles to sit by Nayeon's side, because she needs to get used to this distance between them. She'll drive herself mad if she didn't.

The action doesn't go unnoticed by Nayeon. She thinks Mina is setting boundaries again, the boundaries they always had around each other. With others, Mina has always been touchy, even a little clingy, but with her she's always kept a respectable distance. "Because you're my friend." Nayeon bumps her shoulders, flashing a toothy smile masking her hurt behind it.

Mina's heart breaks into a million little pieces.

"Oh my god." Jeongyeon groans, "Nayeon stop being a fucking idiot!"

"Call me an idiot again!" Nayeon rolls the sleeves on her shirt and stands up snarling at Jeongyeon.

Jeongyeon smirks, "Idiot."

"Jeongyeon, Nayeon!! Stop right this instant!" Jihyo hisses, and peels Jeongyeon off the top of Nayeon. "You're going to wake Jihyun."

"Jeongyeon, go with Chaeyoung and check the perimeter again." Jihyo pushes the taller girl towards the door and turns to Nayeon, "Go find some food from the vending machines."

Nayeon looks at Mina and scratches her neck sheepishly. "Do you want to go with me?"

Mina smiles sweetly, "No my dear FRIEND! Why don't you wake Aera instead my dear FRIEND? I'm sure she'd be willing to accompany my dearest FRIEND!"

Nayeon reels a little from the rejection.

"Did you see how she emphasized on the word friend?" Nayeon whispers to Tzuyu as they make their way to the vending machine on the second floor, "I think she wants to make sure I know I'm just her friend!"

Tzuyu stares at Nayeon in disbelief. Jeongyeon definitely had been right.