The morning light filtered through the gauzy curtains, painting the room in a warm, soft glow. Taehyung, still dazed with sleep, blinked open his eyes and found himself staring at the ceiling. He was in an unfamiliar room, a room that smelled faintly of lavender and something else, something distinctly Jennie.

His memory flickered back to the night before. The awkwardness of a joint event, the usual forced smiles in public, an unexpectedly spontaneous conversation that was not prescribed in advance. For a whole year they pretended that there was something between them in order to divert attention from the Korean scandals. Just to feel real interest overnight?

He sat up, the sheets falling away from his bare shoulders. He could still feel the warmth of her body next to his, the faint scent of her perfume lingering in the air. He looked across the room and saw Jennie, still asleep, her hair a tangled mess of dark curls on the pillow. She looked peaceful, vulnerable, completely different from the confident, even aloof, persona she portrayed on public.

A small smile touched his lips. He had spent the past year being polite and distant, adhering to the script of their fake relationship. But last night, something had shifted. A connection had sparked, unexpected and intensely real.

This night was different compared to how they had been acting for the past year due to the Korean scandals. And he just.. accepted it?

Suddenly, Jennie stirred, her eyes fluttering open. She looked at him, her face flushed with sleep, and a slow smile spread across her lips.

«Good morning», — she murmured, her voice still thick with sleep.

Taehyung cleared his throat, feeling like the invisible wall between them had already cracked. — «Morning», — his voice a little deeper than usual.

An awkward silence fell as did the realization of what had happened. But now they were more real than in all this time.

«Get enough sleep?», — the early morning sun shone into Taehyung's eyes brighter than he would have liked. He winces funny.