Morning arrived again, brushing the apartment with a gentle, almost reverent light. The city outside was waking slowly, the distant hum of traffic accompanied by the chirping of birds perched somewhere nearby. The world felt soft, unhurried, and alive in a way that Seo Jin hadn't remembered noticing in years. For a long moment, he simply lay in bed, eyes tracing the patterns of light on the ceiling, letting himself breathe without urgency.
Li Ran was already awake, though he appeared as if he hadn't moved at all. One arm rested across Seo Jin's chest, while the other curled lazily over the pillow. A soft hum vibrated from him, faint, almost like a lullaby carried by the wind. Seo Jin's fingers traced the line of Li Ran's jaw, careful not to disturb him, savoring the rare luxury of unbroken peace.
"Morning," Seo Jin whispered.
"Morning," Li Ran replied, his voice still husky with sleep, soft as a brush of fabric. "Sleep well?"
Seo Jin nodded. "Better than I have in… months."
