Cookies & Cream: A Chaesoo Coffee Shop AU

Chapter Two: Thunderstorms

"Your apartment's nice." Rosé gazed around the room as she stepped in.

"Thanks." I kicked off my shoes at the door.

Just then, a small, fluffy dog came bounding over to us. He was very excited to see me, but was definitely excited to see Rosé. She kneeled down on the floor so she was at his level and gave him a belly rub. He barked happily as she giggled in response.

"Dalgom seems to like you." I smiled.

"I've always loved pets!" Her voice seemed to get higher. "He's so cute and cuddly."

She lifted him up in her arms and pet him a bit. Normally, I would be weirded out by the fact that a stranger was holding my dog. But with Rosé, I didn't feel that way. For some reason, I felt like we weren't strangers. It was almost like we were friends.

"You're good with him," I chuckled. "Do you have a dog?"

She shook her head. "No, I have a fish. Joohwangie. God, I miss him."

"It must be hard, huh?" I asked. "Being away from home."

She nodded. "A little bit, yeah. I wish that I had told my parents before I left."

"You never told them?"

"No," she replied. "I never found the right time. But there's no need to dwell on that. I can't go back, so why not move forward?"

"Right," I said. "You know, you're much wiser than I thought you'd be."

She smirked. "Well, you're much nicer than I thought you'd be."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I laughed.

"Interpret it as you will," she said before going into a yawn.

"Tired?" I questioned.

She nodded. "Maybe a little."

"Well, you can take my bed tonight, if you want," I said.

"I can't take your bed," she argued. "It's yours. I can sleep on the couch."

"No, no. I insist. I'll sleep on the couch."

"It's your bed, Jisoo. I'll sleep on the couch."

"No, you won't."

"Yes, I will."

"No, you won't."

"Yes, I will."

"Fine, we'll both take the bed, happy?" I shouted, leaving Rosé in shock.

I soon realized how ludicrous that sounded. Sharing a bed with her? Was I crazy? Maybe a little. Yet, I trusted her in some way. She seemed rather nice and friendly. To refuse her would be considered a felony.

"Alright," she sighed. "Happy."

That night, I lent Rosé some of my clothes to use as PJs. I couldn't deny that she actually looked really cute in my black oversized t-shirt and pink shorts.

It was always hard for me to sleep. The loud thunderstorms outside didn't seem to help either. I tossed and turned carefully so that I wouldn't bother Rosé. For the most part, she slept peacefully. Whenever there was a clap of thunder, she would squirm a bit and make a little whining noise. That is, until it rained harder.

An extremely loud clap of thunder sounded, causing Rosé to jolt awake. At least she seemed awake. She let out a squeal and immediately grabbed a hold of me. She gripped my arms tightly, making me feel slightly worried. When she told me that she was afraid of storms, I wasn't expecting this. I could feel her tremble against my chest.

"It's okay," I whispered. "It isn't going to hurt you."

"No, but he is," she responded meekly.

"Who is he?" I asked, but another clap of thunder rang out before I could get a reply.

She squealed again, this time even louder. I wrapped my arms around her, hoping that it would calm her down. It seemed to help a bit, but she was still trembling. I could hear her cry a bit, her wails muffled in my chest.

"You're safe," I told her. "I've got you."

"Thank you, Jisoo," she said back.

Soon enough, Rosé had fallen asleep again. This time, she was cuddled up with her head using my chest as a pillow. Her light snores filled the air, a soft sound. I didn't let go of her the entire night. Something about the way she clung to me not too long ago made me want to protect her in some way. Wait, what was I saying? I had only just met her. She was barely even an acquaintance to me. Right?