Tall People Problems

Tall People Growing Up, Part 1

It's been a long day, and Wonyoung couldn't be any happier. The first few minutes of her birthday were unexpectedly rowdy when the whole group invaded her room at midnight exactly, and it stayed that way almost constantly for the whole day. She had been showered with nothing but love - not that she wasn't already on a daily basis, what with her being the youngest of the group and all - and their rehearsals did nothing to hamper her joy.

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Sitting on the bed now in her hotel room, she rewatches the recorded V-live with a soft smile. Her lips quiver when she reaches Chaeyeon's and Eunbi's wishes, knowing that at the time the latter was very close to crying while the former was just full-on crying. They really were acting like her parents, and it made her chuckle a bit.

She's pretty sure they know she basically sees them as her parents, anyway. That's a silent agreement since day one, with a parent in each dorm to watch over the kids, although they often filtered in and out of each dorm just to hang out with each other and baby her to bits.

Plus, she'll never live down calling Eunbi 'mom' that one time during their arcade game.

Yujin was a tad shy during her message, but was there anything that really needed to be said? They had known each other for the longest time, spent their years training together, debuted together... They were soulmates, weren't they? And soulmates didn't need to communicate with words. Knowing glances, hands brushing against arms and waists, just realising that they would always be there to catch each other was more than enough.

But her biggest surprise had probably been finding out that the midnight surprise was Nako's idea. Wonyoung had been so afraid that she'd be alone in the hotel room, but Nako had it all planned out.

Of course she'd know, wouldn't she? It was Nako, after all. Nako, who could read her mind as easily as reading a children's book; Nako, who cared for her and offered her soothing pats and warm hugs in cold days; Nako, who knew all too well how hard it was carrying the burden of popularity at such a young age, and doing everything she could to make it easier on Wonyoung.

Nako, who took her out this morning for an early breakfast and a slow walk, just the two of them in a park on a beautiful summer morning. Could they be any more in love?

"What're you watching?" a curious voice asks. Wonyoung lifts her head to catch Nako walking out of their bathroom, towel fluffing at wet hair, petite body in an oversized tee and shorts.

Wonyoung lifts up her phone. "Today's V-live."

"Oh, when Chaeyeon started crying..." Nako clutches at her heart and squeezes her eyes shut, miming heartache.

Wonyoung laughs. "She's such a mom, isn't she?"

​​"One might think she was the one who gave birth to you, even," Nako remarks as she pulls out a hairdryer. "She loves you so much. So does Eunbi."

"Please, I know you all love me."

"You're absolutely right," Nako agrees without hesitation. Plugging in the hairdryer, she plops herself down and winks at Wonyoung. "But I love you the most."

Wonyoung's heart skips a beat at the smirk on Nako's face. She opens her mouth to tease Nako, maybe to even make her repeat her words again so Wonyoung can record them in her brain forever, but is interrupted by the jarring noise of the hairdryer. With a slight smile, she slides off the bed and walks over to where Nako is struggling to dry her long hair.

"Let me help you with that," Wonyoung offers, plucking the dryer from Nako's hands. She runs her fingers through Nako's dyed hair with the expertise of a professional hairdresser (she's been taking pointers from their stylist), undoing the knots that have taken root in Nako's hair, ignoring the knots in her stomach as Nako relaxes and leans back onto her calves.

They spend the next while like that, the only sound in the room the loud whirr of the hairdryer. This has always been one of those things Wonyoung has been reading in fanfics - yes, she does read fanfics, she's a 14, no, 15 year old with a very active imagination and ideals of loving and being in love - and this has taken one of her top spots in her imaginary list of 'Things I'd Like To Do With My Future Partner'. She loves the way Nako's head naturally tilts with her hand movement, as if even one second without her touch is a second too long.

​​​"I love you, Nako," Wonyoung blurts out. Nako doesn't respond, and she wonders whether her words have been swallowed up by the hairdryer.

It's not until they're done and the hairdryer has been put away that Nako turns to her with a brilliant smile and eyes curved into crescents to say: "I love you too, Jang Wonyoung."

Wonyoung's breath catches in her throat. It's not the first time Nako's said that, and yet every time she does it seems to mean a lot more than the last, and lord! It's as if her feelings for Nako trace out an exponential graph and grows and grows until it goes off to infinity and can't be explained with even the most precise of words.

And since actions speak louder than words, Wonyoung does the only thing she can do. Leaning down, she plants a quick kiss on Nako's cheek before burying her head in the smaller girl's neck out of embarrassment. Nako chuckles. Wonyoung can feel it where her nose and lips are pressed against Nako's neck, and her blush rushes through her face and into the tips of her ears.

Nako pulls back and cups Wonyoung's face in her hands. "You're so cute," she giggles before pressing their lips together. It's soft and gentle and exactly right.

They spend the rest of the night huddled in the same bed, flipping through random television channels and stealing pecks and kisses from one another. "Ahn Yujin's birthday is in a few hours," Wonyoung murmurs, glancing at her phone.

Nako hums. "We'll have to get out of bed when the members come to pick us up for her midnight birthday surprise."

"But not now, right?"

Nako snuggles into Wonyoung's side and looks up at her with eyes shining with adoration and love. "But not now," she quietly agrees as she tugs Wonyoung down for another kiss.