Chapter Text
Wooyoung is a light sleeper in the morning. Maybe if she keeps her eyes closed just a while longer, the cats will stop meowing. She’s fighting a losing battle. She gives in when she feels the bed dip next to her, hoping her girlfriend got home early— that would explain why the cats are going crazy— only to be met with a furry face instead. Byeol paws at her, meowing at a decibel that San had assured her was ‘totally normal’ and ‘just a siamese thing’ when they started dating.
She sighs, throwing the covers off and finally sitting up. Byeol darts out before her owner’s feet even touch the ground. If Wooyoung had to guess, she’d say she’s hoping for a second breakfast. She really shouldn’t, Byeol is supposed to be on a diet and she knows San fed her before leaving. In fact, their bratty cat was very insistent that her mom get out of bed and feed her instead of letting San cuddle with Wooyoung for the few minutes they had left.
But if it can buy Wooyoung another hour of sleep, or two…
She walks past the kitchen and into the living room, finding Dal, their other cat. She’s sitting next to the couch, looking at Wooyoung expectantly. Byeol squeezes between her legs, moving closer to the couch, pawing for something underneath. Wooyoung reaches in and pulls out their favorite toy, a little crinkle ball.
“You woke me up for this ?”
They’re not even listening to her plea, eyes trained on the toy. Their cuteness makes it too easy to forgive them, though. Something tells her that they’re very aware of that.
Just as she’s thinking of going back to sleep, something else catches her attention.
Someone is crying, and this time it’s not a cat. It’s coming from the front door, too loud to be the kids walking to school down the street. She pokes her head outside, just to make sure—
Oh. It’s Seonghwa and Seeun, the mother and son who live in the unit right next to theirs.
The neighbor seems to be a little frustrated trying to get her toddler to zip his coat back up. The kid’s face is all red, streaked with tears and looking truly pitiful but Wooyoung can tell from his mom’s face that it’s probably nothing bad.
“I’m not going!” He yells, stomping his little foot. Seonghwa’s head turns, her expression turning apologetic as soon as she notices Wooyoung. She must feel embarrassed, but really, the two of them have been great neighbors for the most part; these things just come with having a 3 year old living next door.
“Where are you two going?” Wooyoung asks Seeun, wondering if it’ll be easier if someone helps but the toddler just shakes his head.
“I don’t want to go,” he cries, giving his mom the sweetest puppy eyes. Wooyoung isn’t sure she could resist such a cute face.
Seonghwa looks like she’s about to give in, too.
“We have to, baby, it’s not going to take long,” she tries to reason. “And we can get breakfast on the way.”
He shakes his head again, digging his heels in and clinging to his mom’s leg like that will stop her from leaving for the car. That’s when Wooyoung notices she’s wearing high heels and sheer tights, her long legs disappearing under a pretty trench coat. Seonghwa always looks nice and put together, but the suit and glasses make it apparent that they’re not just going for a stroll.
When she looks up at Wooyoung, it’s with worry written all over her face. “I have to be in the office for a casting, I’d work from home if I could.”
Seonghwa tries so hard, Wooyoung knows that from the interactions they’ve had before. Usually on their porch, just like this one, but more pleasant. Wooyoung always sees her playing with Seeun, trying to keep him engaged and interested in new things. If there was more she could do to help— Wooyoung knows San would be more than okay with the two of them babysitting once in a while, but they haven’t found the opportunity to extend that offer yet.
“We usually have fun at the office, right?” Seonghwa tries again, a gentle hand pushing Seeun’s bangs away from his tear-streaked face.
“But you said Daddy isn’t there today,” he pouts.
Daddy? Are Seonghwa and Seeun’s dad coworkers ? That has to be awkward. Though, maybe she shouldn’t be so quick to judge. She’s noticed Seeun isn’t always home with Seonghwa, so they must be making the co-parenting thing work.
“What if you stayed home with me? We can have breakfast while mommy does her thing, if she’s okay with that?”
Seeun’s little head whips around quickly, looking between her and his mommy with eyes full of hope. He must really not feel like going. Not that she can blame him, sitting around without your mom and dad is boring enough as an adult.
Seonghwa’s thought process is visible on her face, brows furrowing so loud she can almost hear her think.
“Are you sure?”
Wooyoung nods and watches Seeun finally peel himself from his mom’s leg. She offers him a smile which he returns shyly.
“Okay, you can stay home with mommy’s friend,” Seonghwa concedes, making Wooyoung blush.
Stay focused, she reminds herself. Now’s not the time to think about how that title made her feel.
“Would you be ok just staying in our apartment? I won’t be gone for more than two hours.” Seonghwa interrupts her train of thought, reminding her of what she just signed up for.
“Take whatever time you need, I don’t have to be at work until 3!”
She’s already awake now anyway, she might as well stay up if it can help. Her neighbor already seems so relieved.
“Thank you so much… you should go warm yourself up first, you poor thing,” Seonghwa says, and it takes her a second to realize she’s looking at her and not Seeun. April weather isn’t ideal for standing outside in her pjs yet, the cold starting to seep uncomfortably through her thin sleep shirt.
She gets dressed and grabs her phone, a hair tie, and her wallet just in case.
Their apartment is similar to San and hers. They hadn’t even bothered looking at the 2 bedroom units in the building before moving in; the one bedroom had been just right for their budget. This floor plan is slightly wider to accommodate a second bedroom and a more spacious bathroom. Maybe their unit actually has a bath— she’ll have to ask if Seonghwa is interested in the bath bombs she’s been hoarding.
To be honest, Wooyoung is mostly jealous of the extra counter space in the kitchen. It looks like they’re making good use of it, too.
Seonghwa walks her through the things she needs to know: what she can keep Seeun busy with, where the snacks are in case they get hungry, emergency contacts… They end up swapping phone numbers before Wooyoung almost shoos her out of her own place— she looked to be in a hurry this morning and she doesn’t need to be late when Wooyoung likely can figure it out.
Luckily, Seeun is easy to handle once he settles. Not that she doesn’t have her share of experiences with difficult kids. Over the next hour, Wooyoung even manages to convince him to help put away some of the mess, making a game out of putting the toys away. Surely mom will appreciate that.
“Do you want to go pick another book?” Wooyoung asks, stretching to put the one they just finished down on the coffee table. Seeun stays quiet, not moving from where he’s curled up on top of her. She loves having a baby to hold, it reminds her of her little sister. Sadly, most of the kids at her job are too old to want hugs— unless they really need one— and her little sister is entering a similar phase. She fears she’s going to age out of the cool older sister position any day now.
The peace is short-lived, Seeun standing up as soon as they hear the jingle of keys at the front door. He somehow manages to hit both her chin with his head and her knee with his little foot while doing so… but it’s cute that he’s so excited to see his mom. Though Wooyoung realizes that might not be the full reason when she sees him start to paw at the brown bag in Seonghwa’s hands before she even takes off her coat.
“Careful honey, it’s still hot.”
Her eyes meet Wooyoung’s and they both can’t help but laugh, the kid’s earlier worries seemingly completely forgotten now that his mom is back and he has sweets to consume.
Seonghwa hands him the bag carefully, using the hand that’s now free to undo the buckle on her heels while doing her best to balance the drinks tray with her other hand.
“Let me help!” Wooyoung rushes up, taking the drinks from her and holding out a hand to steady her. Now that she’s holding the tray, she notices there’s three drinks in it— there’s a tiny cup smelling of hot chocolate, in a format obviously meant for kids, and some kind of strawberry refresher, but the iced coffee is exactly what she’d have picked out for herself. How did Seonghwa know?
“Ugh, I don’t know how I used to wear these for a whole day,” Seonghwa whines cutely, kicking the offending shoes closer to the wall. “The coffee is for you, by the way. I also got you something else, in the bag.”
Seeun perks up at that, having made his way to the dinner table. The bag is open and somehow there’s already crumbs on the table. “Let’s get plates first,” Seonghwa reminds him, and he sits back on the chair, kicking his feet.
Wooyoung follows them and sets the drinks down, reaching for the hot chocolate first. She makes sure it’s not too hot before handing it out; she doesn’t know how far Seonghwa’s commute is, but it was apparently long enough for the drink to cool down.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t think to ask if you had anything planned right after this.” Seonghwa sets the plates down before sitting and reaching for the bag.
“I’m okay, I don’t work until 3,” Wooyoung says, finally taking a sip of her coffee. It’s so good, not too sweet, the perfect way to start her day. “This is so nice, you really didn’t have to…”
Her eyes widen as Seonghwa pulls a pastry out of the bag, then two: they’re these salted caramel bars she loves— oh, one of them is going on her plate, thank god— and she’s tried recreating so many times but they’re never as good as the ones from this store. Seeun gets banana bread; it seems like it might ruin his appetite for lunch but Seonghwa did promise a little treat if he was good…
“Don’t be silly,” Seonghwa replies, “It’s the least I can do, you really helped me out.”
Well, Wooyoung at least feels much better about this than Seonghwa offering to pay her.
…She’s not going to, is she?
“Did everything turn out okay? You weren’t late?” Wooyoung has no idea what Seonghwa does for a living, but going off the nice clothes she’s wearing she assumes some kind of office job. She said she had a casting, so maybe she works with actors?
“Oh, yes, I think they’ll be a good fit, it was worth going.”
That’s good, it would probably suck going all the way there just to realize things wouldn’t work out. She watches Seonghwa take the first bite. Then a bigger bite. “This is so good!”
“It’s actually my favorite,” Wooyoung admits, “I’m amazed you picked that out of everything.”
Somehow, Seonghwa doesn’t seem surprised by that. “Oh, I had help. I remembered your roommate works at this cafe, I was hoping she would be there today. She said these were your favorites,” she admits with a proud little smile.
Right. Yeah, of course, her roommate .
She should have expected that, but it still stings.
“She’s not my roommate,” Wooyoung corrects her, perhaps too abruptly. It’s not Seonghwa’s fault. It’s a reasonable assumption to make, she just wishes everyone wouldn’t jump to it all the time.
“Oh.”
She can’t tell what Seonghwa’s expression is supposed to mean. Is that so shocking? It’s been a while since either she or San have felt like they need to hide their relationship. If anything, their friends would say they need to hide it more just to save them from the PDA.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have assumed.”
Despite the apology, Seonghwa still seems troubled, like she wants to say something but is holding back. I hope that doesn’t make you uncomfortable , Wooyoung could say— but honestly, she doesn’t want to. If Seonghwa has a problem with it, that’s on her, not them .
“We’re also, well… the reason my ex-husband and I…”
Seonghwa’s confession gets Wooyoung’s attention. The older woman’s gaze lands on her son and she seems to stop herself. If she’s saying what Wooyoung thinks she’s saying… that has to be a complex dynamic for a kid to understand.
“Well, if the food your girlfriend makes at home is as good as this, you’re very lucky.” Seonghwa’s comment lightens the mood, making Wooyoung snort at the thought of San baking. Wooyoung is very lucky, her girlfriend is good at many things. Ones that don’t include measuring cups and strict instructions.
“I think cooking is more my thing,” Wooyoung says, “but she can make amazing coffee now, so she’s basically the perfect wife.” Seeun looks at her, then at his mom.
“Daddy and uncle Yunho can’t cook, but they still like each other,” he argues, like what Wooyoung just said doesn’t make sense. Seonghwa laughs and reaches over to wipe his cheek before launching into a bunch of questions about Wooyoung’s cooking.
Hongjoong and Seonghwa started dating in high school.
It made sense at the time: Everyone kept asking if they were dating, like it wasn’t possible for a boy and a girl to just be best friends. And if everyone thought there was something between them… maybe they were right?
But how could they have known? They were only 16, with no idea what separates platonic and romantic love.
To be honest, Seonghwa still isn’t sure she knows the difference now. She still loves him. She thinks he still loves her. They just don’t love each other in the way that a mom and dad should.
The pregnancy wasn’t planned, but Seonghwa always wanted children. Hongjoong was happy with the news too, even though it came earlier than either of them had expected— he had just launched a fashion brand and both of them were putting all of their energy into making it happen. How would they find time for a whole other person?
The cracks in their relationship were already there. They had both been questioning themselves for a while, trying to figure out their identities. The stress of nurturing both a brand new company and a human life just made those cracks grow faster, no matter how hard they tried. Until it shattered.
Seonghwa knows Hongjoong spent years questioning it, agonizing over it, but as a young mom it felt like only a few months between the time he told her “I think I like men,” and “I’m not sure if I’m into women at all.”
Perhaps the reason they were so drawn to each other was a simple one: they were two queer kids who found each other when no one else could understand them.
She knows Hongjoong was right, but it gets hard sometimes, especially when he’s away on business trips. Neither of their families live in the city, so Seonghwa is incredibly grateful for Wooyoung’s help over the past week and a half. She’s still looking for a way to repay her, but the younger girl has been dodging every money-related conversation.
She planned on working from the office today, using Wooyoung’s offer to babysit as the opportunity to catch up on little things: meeting new faces, grabbing coffee with old ones, and most excitingly getting to touch the sparkly fabric of Hongjoong’s new collection with her own hands. Unfortunately for her, one of Wooyoung’s coworkers calls in sick and she ends up getting called into work earlier than usual.
After rushing home, she finds the apartment empty, front door unlocked.
Panic starts to set in as she checks both bedrooms and finds them empty too, not a thing out of place. Seeun’s coat and shoes aren’t in their usual spot by the entrance so they must have walked to the park, right? But then wouldn’t Wooyoung have texted to let her know?
She puts her bag down, rummaging frantically for her phone when a movement in the window catches her eye.
It’s Wooyoung.
When Seonghwa opens the door to their shared balcony, the girl simply turns and smiles at her before looking back down. Still no sign of Seeun. Rushing to the railings, she follows Wooyoung’s gaze and— there he is, down in the little park behind their apartment building. He’s covered in dirt but he’s giggling as he chases after a ball, a familiar silhouette running after him.
She can’t help the sigh of relief that comes from seeing San down there. Wooyoung turns again, about to tease her, stopping when she sees the genuine distress on Seonghwa’s face.
“Oh, unnie,” Wooyoung says, stepping closer. Her brows crease in worry. “You didn’t get my texts?”
…Her texts?
Right, she grabbed her phone but she never looked at it.
wooyoung
i called san just in case you didn’t make it in time!
i think we’re going outside
let it be known i tried to stop them
“...I didn’t have time to check,” Seonghwa admits, letting the younger girl pull her into a hug. The smell of white musk and jasmine fills her nose as Wooyoung tiptoes and presses their cheeks together. She’s like a kitten, Seonghwa thinks fondly. She hadn’t realized how much she missed being hugged until now, with Wooyoung’s arms wrapped around her.
It only lasts an instant, Wooyoung pulling away too quickly. “I need to go soon… I’m glad I got to see you, though,” she smiles, moving to look over the balcony where Seeun and San are still playing. “Aren’t they so cute?”
Seonghwa has to agree. She’s not sure what she did to have two neighbors who are so sweet and good with kids but she’s grateful for it. She sends Wooyoung off with a promise to pay her back and as usual, Wooyoung tells her it’s no big deal. So she keeps looking out the balcony, trying to figure out what game they’re playing. It doesn’t seem like they’re following any rules; Seeun is just happy to let all of his energy out.
After a while, San looks up, clearly expecting to see Wooyoung where Seonghwa stands. After they smile and wave, San gets Seeun’s attention and points out his mom. Seonghwa watches them start running until they disappear under the balcony.
As expected, Seeun makes it to the front door first, and she’s there to intercept him: no muddy footsteps make it past the rug in the entrance, not on her watch. “Hi baby,” she greets, helping him sit and take off his shoes. The knees on his pants have turned greenish from kneeling in the grass, but that’s a problem for later. “Did you have a good day?”
“Yes! Mama, can we play again tomorrow?”
His eyes are sparkling as he asks and it takes away some of the guilt she has from leaving him so often these days. Apparently San had been the one to offer, but Seonghwa still hopes she’s not putting too much on her and Wooyoung. After assuring him that they can, that she’ll go with him if San isn’t available tomorrow, she picks him up, using the opportunity to sneak in a hug.
That’s when the door opens, a very flushed San standing on her doorstep. “Sorry, almost forgot this,” she says, holding up the ball they’d been playing with. That is one of theirs, though she has no idea how the girls knew to look for it. Maybe Seeun remembered?
“Thank you,” Seonghwa says, “I’m sorry you had to stay late.”
She almost gives up and puts Seeun down when he starts squirming but then San hands him the ball; that seems to keep him occupied for now. They smile at each other and— oh, she’d never noticed San has dimples in both cheeks.
It’s not just the dimples, though. San still has a pretty flush on her cheeks, ponytail messy from running around, shirt tight around her biceps…
Seonghwa had never really thought about how attractive her neighbors were. Part of her is a little jealous of what they have with each other. She wouldn’t trade her kid for anything, but she wonders if she’d had more time to herself, back then, would she be dating someone like San?
“Oh, it’s no problem at all, I had no plans anyway. We had fun outside, right?”
San looks fondly at Seeun, who nods, feeling heavier in Seonghwa’s arms. He’s about due for his nap, even more so if they’ve been running around all afternoon. “And also,” San adds, “I think Wooyoung is happy to spend more time with you two. She really likes you.”
She does? It’s obvious that Wooyoung loves kids and that she’s happy to babysit, but Seonghwa wasn’t sure if the girl actually enjoyed her company or if she’s just this friendly with everyone.
“I really like her too.” Wait, is this something she should be telling Wooyoung’s girlfriend? “You’re welcome here anytime.”
San seems to want to say something, but the dozing toddler in Seonghwa’s arms gives them both pause. They’re going to have to take the conversation elsewhere if she doesn’t want to end up with a fussy three year old later.
“I’ll text you,” San says quietly, waving goodbye as she closes the door slowly.
They end up texting a lot . Wooyoung makes a group chat and adds them both so they can all contact each other, though she ends up texting them individually sometimes too, to avoid spamming the other.
They cross the line from neighbors to friends quickly. San feels like someone Seonghwa has known her whole life with the gentle familiarity between them, and Wooyoung… she’s just so easy to love, so eager to include Seonghwa in their plans, like she was always supposed to be there.
Between childcare and their mismatched shifts— none of them work a 9 to 5— and San coaching the local kids’ soccer team a few times a week… It's a while before they can make plans beyond dinner at home or a trip to the park with Seeun. Those are fun too, of course, but San and Wooyoung have been saying it’d be good for her to do things that don’t involve being a mom.
She doesn’t realize just how right they are until the day of their first little outing. She has some work to do in the morning and she can’t wait to be done, feeling a kind of excitement she hasn’t felt since… well, since she got divorced. She really should be better about contacting her old friends, too.
She hasn’t been home for 5 minutes when she hears a knock on the front door. There’s a pause, then the sound of the door opening.
“We’re here!” comes Wooyoung’s voice from the living room.
She peeks her head out of the bedroom, finding them sitting on her couch like that’s their home — she supposes they’ve been here often enough in the past month to babysit that they might as well be. “Take your time,” San says, leaning back against the seat and pulling out her phone, “Youngie just couldn’t wait anymore.”
San is wearing a plain tshirt and jeans under a dark unbuttoned shirt, and Seonghwa realizes it matches the color of Wooyoung’s cardigan. She isn’t sure if they’re matching on purpose, but it brings a smile to her face anyway. Her friends are adorable together.
Wooyoung’s cardigan looks soft and her short hair is styled differently today, the longer strands curling around her neck. She’s wearing loose short overalls underneath, which shouldn’t look as cool as it does on her. It’s probably because Wooyoung has really long legs.
Seonghwa’s wardrobe is a bit… lacking in the “comfortable and effortless” department, rather oscillating between the extremes of being comfortable at home and looking professional at work. She grabs a black pencil skirt she used to wear all the time and pulls it on over a pair of tights, suddenly remembering why she stopped wearing it.
It’s not as obvious facing the mirror, mostly thanks to the color, but when she turns to the side you can tell her tummy isn’t as flat as it used to be. It still fits her, it just feels foreign. She was so different when she used to wear this.
Seonghwa walks back to her doorway, still half dressed. Growing up a theater kid means she’s never been shy about changing in front of her friends. “Um… thoughts?” With San and Wooyoung’s attention now on her, she holds up the turtleneck she was planning to wear to her chest, so they can see what it’d look like. Wooyoung nods enthusiastically.
“I was thinking with this pleather shirt over it,” she explains further, holding the shirts up on top of each other.
“You’d look good in anything, we’re just going to walk around anyway,” San says, clearly amused by how invested her girlfriend is in their friend’s little runway moment.
Said girlfriend turns around, elbowing her lightly. “Don’t say that! Dates are always special!”
Seonghwa laughs, finding herself agreeing with both. Maybe she is worrying too much about this. “I think this looks good, unnie,” Wooyoung finally says, sharing a look with San that she can’t quite figure out. She finishes getting dressed, hair and makeup already done from earlier.
San huffs a little when she puts on shoes, staring at the chunky heels like they’re offending her personally.
“It’s just a few inches, San.” Seonghwa can’t resist patting the younger girl’s head. San swats her hand away playfully.
Their first stop is a café where San and Wooyoung appear to be regulars. Since it’s her first time here, Seonghwa lets herself be tempted by the white cake on display, ordering a slice. It’s also pretty crowded, so San and her move to the back while Wooyoung waits for their drinks.
“I wish we had those,” San laments, eyeing her slice of cake with the energy of a boyfriend who’s about to ask ‘are you done with that?’. Seonghwa turns her body slightly, guarding the cake with her shoulders as she scoops up another strawberry. San is so fun to tease, pouting bigger every time Seonghwa glances over her shoulder.
If Seonghwa thought of Wooyoung as cat-like, she’s realized over the past few weeks that San is even more of a cat. The girl has a natural cuteness that’s such an endearing contrast to the first impression Seonghwa had of her. She had always seemed a bit intimidating, from a distance.
She has her hair up as usual, but it’s in a clip today, giving her more of a relaxed vibe. It exposes all of her neck and the freckles there catch Seonghwa’s attention. She never noticed them. It makes her want to reach out and pet her neck, cute kitty that she is.
When Seonghwa finally looks up, San is staring, no longer sulking but rather holding back a smile.
“You’ve got some filling, here-” and suddenly her friend’s thumb is touching her lip, swiping at the white cream on her cheek. San brings it to her own mouth, finally getting a taste of her cake.
“...Thank you,” Seonghwa says, breaking eye contact so that San doesn’t notice her burning cheeks.
There’s an awkward silence.
Or maybe it’s only awkward to Seonghwa: maybe she’s the one making it weird. San has moved on to teasing her about how the cake tastes as good as it looks so she must not be feeling the same embarrassment.
“Fine, I guess you can have some...”
Seonghwa’s concession is a distraction. Of course San is just being her kind and silly self, she has a girlfriend . It’s not her fault that Seonghwa hasn’t had someone treat her this nicely in a while.
Wooyoung joins them with a tray of drinks a minute later. Seonghwa lets them finish the cake. For all her teasing, she did get it thinking they could all share. Plus, Wooyoung paid for their drinks anyway.
Seonghwa doesn’t say anything, worried that Wooyoung has noticed their little interaction. But Wooyoung links their arms together as they walk down the street, and Seonghwa feels more at ease surrounded by the familiar scent of her perfume.
San doesn’t even care that Seonghwa and Wooyoung spent entirely too long looking through clothes— namely because they keep making each other laugh and clinging to each other and it’s the cutest thing— worth sacrificing what would have been a date night with Wooyoung.
It doesn’t feel that different from Wooyoung and San’s usual dates anyway; Seonghwa goes along easily with what they had planned to do regardless.
They haven’t been out with friends in a while, not since finals started and took Yeosang away. It’s nice to see Wooyoung having so much fun. There’s a big overlap between Wooyoung’s friend group and hers, and she likes Wooyoung’s other friends well enough, but she really likes Seonghwa.
Wooyoung is nearing the end of her drink, sucking air through her straw. San sees her pull out her phone and recognizes it as a sign that they’ve been looking at books long enough. They bring their final picks to the counter and Wooyoung waits behind them, opening her purse for San to use.
She’s holding out her phone to show both girls when they walk up to her: it’s open to a restaurant menu. “Should we get take out?”
They don’t typically order out after every date, but it is getting late so it sounds like a good idea. Wooyoung is about to put their order in when she remembers something.
“Don’t you want to look at that store first? The one that has all those toys you showed me?”
That had been their plan for today, before they decided to invite Seonghwa. San had completely forgotten by now, but she could always count on her girlfriend’s excel sheet of a brain for things like this. She still wants to go, but… “We could always go another time, if you guys are tired,” she shrugs.
Thankfully, Wooyoung and Seonghwa are both down with one last stop for today. It’s a nice, short walk under the street lights; Wooyoung holds her hand while Seonghwa scrolls on her phone for more restaurant ideas. San would say it’s her idea of romance, and Wooyoung would tease her for it.
Two things are very clear: One, the store is much smaller than that instagram reel made it seem when San saw it. Two, Seonghwa had either been too nice or too embarrassed to ask what ‘toy store’ meant because the look on her face tells them she wasn’t expecting this .
The store’s back wall is lined with blind boxes of various figure brands, the whole reason San wanted to come in the first place— well, that and the plushies, but she swore before leaving the house that she wouldn’t get a new one unless it was a specific one she’d been looking for.
They spend some time looking through the different collections, pointing out everything that reminds them of their favorite characters. Every now and then, since they started texting, San will realize she’s underestimating how much of a nerd Seonghwa really is, but it’s a pleasant surprise every time.
There’s also a lot of cat themed merch. Wooyoung will buy siamese cat trinkets whenever she finds one; they’re some of San’s favorite things they have at home. Thinking of her kitties will inevitably make her smile, but what’s even better is the thought that Wooyoung picked it out thinking of their little family.
After much debate, San finally stops in front of the mofusand display. These specific keychains are new, or at least she hasn’t seen them before. Seonghwa and Wooyoung’s cheeks squish into either of her shoulders as they check the side of the box she picked up.
“Look at this one,” San tilts the box so Seonghwa can see better and points at the odd one out, the only one of a completely different color. “The black one always reminds me of Wooyoungie— ack, don’t bite me!”
Unfortunately for Wooyoung, she ducks too slowly and finds herself trapped between her girlfriend’s arms— a place she’s usually very happy to be, so San knows the squirming is all for show. She doesn’t have much of an audience to fool though. Seonghwa is pointedly not looking, shuffling through the different mofusand boxes and squeezing or shaking them lightly.
“I think the shapes are too similar to tell,” San tells her, and Seonghwa nods, admitting defeat. Whatever she picks will be truly random. Wooyoung uses the distraction to wriggle out of her grip, leaning over and picking up a box without seemingly much thought. She places it in San’s outstretched hands, knowing she would have made her pick anyway.
“What if I got one too?” Seonghwa suddenly asks, hand hovering over the display. “Then you can keep whichever one you prefer!”
They ended up getting three, one for each of them. Wooyoung is pretty satisfied with herself for managing to pay for all three while they were distracted by the large plushies in the back.
San had insisted on giving the black cat keychain to Wooyoung and the strawberry themed one to Seonghwa under the pretext that it suited them best, keeping the one with a pudding on her head for herself. Both girls kept smiling every time they looked at theirs, so that was money well spent if you ask Wooyoung.
They finally headed back to Wooyoung and San’s apartment, arms full of takeout food. They would watch a movie and eat snacks and Seonghwa would finally get to meet their two kitties. San shared enough pictures that Seonghwa was already familiar with them, but it was the first time she’d really met them.
While Byeol kept her distance and watched from the bedroom at first, Seonghwa’s once black tights had quickly turned white from Dal rubbing up on them.
They let Seonghwa pick a movie while Wooyoung set up their food and San changed into something more comfortable. They may have moved in together shortly after they started dating four years ago, but still, the sight of her girlfriend with her hair down and her bra off is always nearly enough to make her say fuck whatever other plans they had—
But they have someone over so Wooyoung focuses on coaxing Byeol over instead. It turns out to be much easier now that there’s food on the table. Seonghwa picks some musical movie that Wooyoung’s fairly certain they’ve seen before: she remembers some of the songs but not much of the plot.
The food keeps them quiet for a while, through a series of whimsy musical numbers. The plot takes a sad turn at some point, if she remembers correctly, but she’s more interested in her friends’ commentary than the movie itself. It seems her theater kid of a girlfriend has found her match, Seonghwa being just as excited as San is to discuss the costumes and colorful wigs.
“I’ve always wanted to try a different hair color,” Seonghwa says, making Wooyoung look up from where she’d laid her head in the older woman’s lap after they finished eating. “I couldn’t do it back when I had an office job, but I don’t think Hongjoong would care.”
Well, her ex-husband has that going for him at least, Wooyoung thinks.
She hums, still staring at Seonghwa’s face— trying to imagine what colors would look good on her. Wooyoung bleached her hair once and still cringes looking back on it. San says it was cute, but she’s biased because that’s how she met her.
“Like… going lighter, or a vivid color?”
She is genuinely curious about it, given that her best friend actually styles people for a living. She’s starting to pick up on some of the things that she’s talked about. Seonghwa seems like she could pull off anything.
It probably helps that she’s one of the most beautiful women Wooyoung has ever met.
“I don’t know… maybe silver?”
That’s not the answer Wooyoung expected.
“I think you’d be too hot, then,” Wooyoung gasps, faint with the vision. “What if your company never hires another model again?”
Seonghwa goes to shush her but when San unsurprisingly takes Wooyoung’s side, she finds herself trapped in compliment jail, her blush visible even in the dim light of the TV glow.
Wooyoung isn’t sure if Seonghwa is aware that she’s started playing with her hair or if that’s a habit from being a mom. She’s not complaining; her head feels heavy, her body comfortably stretched out with her legs in San’s lap. Her friend’s long nails massage her head while San kneads at her legs and feet.
This might be what heaven feels like. She’s so full, and so sleepy.
She closes her thighs when San’s hand starts trailing up, her girlfriend pulling away with a pout. She’s so comfortable, even when they start shaking with laughter or when San leans over her to hold Seonghwa’s hand during the tense parts.
The last thing she’s fully conscious of is watching San try to pretend she’s not crying as the sad plot picks up.
She’s woken up by Seonghwa’s hand gently shaking her shoulder.
“Wooyoungie, I’m gonna go soon.”
Wooyoung tries to sit up, disturbing Byeol who had curled up on her chest at some point— it’s all very fuzzy. “I had so much fun today,” Seonghwa says, all sweet and sleepy-eyed.
“Sorry I fell asleep.”
“You looked so cute and comfy, I didn’t want to bother you.”
When Wooyoung opens her arms, Seonghwa dives in to hug her. It’s kind of an awkward position but Seonghwa is so warm and soft. She holds on tight, forcing the older girl to pull her into a sitting position.
“Text me when you get home,” Wooyoung says without thinking. It earns her a laugh and a smile from her friend, who gives her one last squeeze before heading out.
San walks Seonghwa to the door, stepping outside with her, and then all Wooyoung can hear is a muffled conversation.
Wooyoung looks around, still feeling like she’s not fully awake. The girls must have picked up the food containers at some point because the living room is spotless except for the blanket they’d pulled over her at some point. She folds it up, then goes to brush her teeth and change while waiting for San to come back.
By the time San comes to bed, Wooyoung is already tucked under the covers, mindlessly scrolling on her phone. The big light is off, their bedside table lamp painting the room in a soft glow.
If Wooyoung was as nosy as San, she would ask what they were talking about outside. Instead, she watches San slip into bed, holding the covers up to let Wooyoung snuggle in. San is the perfect size for a cuddle, tiny waist made to grab and tug closer, and her shoulders are the best place to lay her tired head.
They often sit like this in bed, sometimes with one of their phones out so they can show the other whatever silly video they saved that day, sometimes just to talk quietly about whatever. Tonight is heading towards the latter.
“I’m glad you had fun today,” Wooyoung says, her hand moving to San’s soft little tummy as she scoots closer.
“Me too.” San looks down, twisting the promise ring around her finger as she often does when there’s something on her mind. “You know how… usually when we go out with our friends, even though I have fun too, it feels like my social battery is empty after that?”
Wooyoung lifts her head to look at her, reaching out to tuck back a strand of San’s hair when it threatens to fall in front of her face. That’s her sweet, introverted girlfriend, always in need of a cuddle after a big day like this. Sometimes she worries that she gets lonely when she stays home a lot, but she’s learned over the years that this is what works for them.
“It was just really comfortable, I don’t feel as drained today.”
“Like when you’re with me?” Wooyoung asks, remembering how San said something similar years ago. They’ve been stuck to each other from the first time they met, even in that short time before they moved in together. Having to learn to cohabitate without being together all the time was an interesting chore.
“It’s different.” She’s smiling at Wooyoung with so much fondness that it makes her chest hurt.
They talk about their day. Wooyoung asks about the books they picked out and San tells her how Seonghwa hugged her so tight at the door earlier. How she seemed like she didn’t want to go.
They agree that they’ll have to take her out again soon.
San pauses mid-sentence when she notices Wooyoung’s hand somehow found her way between her thighs.
“I’m cold!”
It’s clear San doesn’t buy it. “You’re not cold! You’re a human furnace, if anything.”
“You don’t know that, maybe I’m cold right now,” Wooyoung whines. Neither of them tries to remove her hand.
It’s really a wonder that Wooyoung hasn’t kicked the blankets off of them yet. Their combined body heat has Wooyoung sleepily rubbing circles into San’s thigh while the latter talks about a customer she had at work yesterday. It’s a funny story, but Wooyoung is more interested in slowly inching her hand up until it’s cupping San’s pussy.
So comfy.
San cuts herself off again and scoffs, but she spreads her legs slightly to allow Wooyoung better access. Wooyoung can feel her skin through the thin underwear, so warm and soft and she can feel the hair that’s barely there— her breathing picks up as she leans in a little. She loves it like this, when it’s spontaneous and everything is a touch messy.
Her fingers trace the shape of her slit through her panties until some wetness starts to seep through, imaging how it would tickle and feel so good. Her fingers glide more easily, sliding between San’s lips and finally touching—
San grabs her wrist and pulls her hand away.
“Nooo,” Wooyoung whines, until she realizes what her girlfriend is getting at and happily lets herself be pulled into San’s lap.
“Are you still cold?”
Wooyoung nods without hesitation. Whatever San has in mind to warm her up, she wants that. San wraps her hands around her waist and starts kissing her, pulling her closer. Wooyoung’s hands hang uselessly on her sides, trapped between San’s much stronger arms; this must have been her master plan all along.
She starts squirming, whining into the kiss and it makes San laugh and pull away. She kisses her cheek instead, right where her beauty mark lies.
“I can’t help it,” Wooyoung says, trying to sneak her hand between their warm bodies again, “You kept touching me all night…”
The truth is that she’s been turned on ever since she laid down between them, the gentle touch just enough of a tease to have her imagination running wild. And it was tolerable until now, but with San keeping her legs spread on either side of her thighs she can feel herself leaking uncomfortably into her underwear.
She needs to touch San first. If San starts touching her …
Luckily, San is seemingly too tired to put up a fight and lets her slip a hand between them again. Wooyoung uses the new position to her advantage, mouthing at San’s chest through her shirt. She feels San’s hips stutter when her lips meet her nipple through the fabric teasingly.
She’s a sight to behold, her long hair fanned across the pillow where she threw her head back, pushing her chest out into Wooyoung’s waiting hand. Her breasts bounce lightly as she tries to hump Wooyoung’s other hand, needing more, and god— San has the perfect tits, just big enough to fill Wooyoung’s hands.
Wooyoung loves to touch them through her shirts, feeling her hard little nipples poking through the fabric. She touches lightly , slowly, her palm barely grazing them at first. It can’t be as good as direct contact, and yet she always ends up begging Wooyoung to grope them properly.
Wooyoung takes a proper handful this time, squeezing, pushing and pulling at the hard little nub between her fingers. San gasps, her hands moving to Wooyoung’s ass.
“Is this okay?” Wooyoung asks, pushing aside San’s panties so she has access to her slick folds, already so wet just from a few minutes of making out. San nods enthusiastically, the pout on her lips earning her more kisses as Wooyoung slides a finger into her wet hole.
She keens at the sensation, pulling at Wooyoung’s ass cheeks and panties and the sudden friction is enough to have Wooyoung’s hips moving, trying to chase the feeling. It feels so good, but it’s not enough.
San seems to read her mind, her hands moving to the waistband of Wooyoung’s pants so she can help her pull them off. “Your shirt too,” San says, watching her sit up and throw her pants to the floor, panties coming off too, then her shirt.
When San pats her thigh for her to come back, Wooyoung shakes her head. “You too?”
San’s sweatpants join Wooyoung’s clothes on the floor and then she’s back in her girlfriend’s lap, all warm and cozy. San wastes no time kissing down her shoulders, her chest, giving it her full attention. She may not have been as blessed in that department as San was, but it never seems to bother her.
Whatever San is doing with her tongue feels so good, the little flicks and soft puffs of air on her nipples have her hips moving mindlessly. “Mmm, you’re so good.” Wooyoung says, gently running a hand through San’s hair and she preens at the praise, working harder.
San’s tummy is fit from her mornings at the gym but still soft, the perfect spot for Wooyoung to rub her pulsing clit. She leaves a wet trail on San’s stomach, the pudge over her abs squishing with every thrust of Wooyoung’s hips.
“You’re so wet,” San comments, looking down as well, “Did it feel that good when- when we were touching you? Unnie and me?”
Wooyoung’s brain— and hips— freeze for a second, processing what just came out of her girlfriend’s mouth. It’s just dirty talk, right? Not that they’ve… ever dismissed the idea of a threesome, but it hasn’t come up since that one time they made out with Yeosang, all those years ago. It didn’t lead any further than kissing and light touching over their clothes. She doesn’t blame Yeosang for not being ready for it back then, and hasn’t thought about her friend in that way since.
But back then, it had Wooyoung so worked up that she had San eating her out in the bathroom after that.
“You should have touched me more, earlier...”
“You’re the one who stopped me…” San says, now pressing wet kisses into her neck and guiding her hips into moving again. “You didn’t want unnie to know you were getting off on it, huh?”
Wooyoung doesn’t answer.
San pulls back to look at her. “Or did you?”
Wooyoung bites her lip, sure that the heat on her face is betraying her inner thoughts. She lets San lower her into a different position, her leg between her thighs so they can ride each other’s thighs.
“You were just, ah,” Wooyoung starts, tummy tensing when San starts moving, sending more heat through her body with every movement. She’s getting San even wetter, her thigh glistening with Wooyoung’s need, marking her the way she wanted to all day. “Just jealous, huh?”
Their movements have slowly pushed San on top of her, where she’s now cradling her waist with so much tenderness. Not crushing her, the hours she puts in at the gym obvious from the way she holds herself up effortlessly. Wooyoung doesn’t think she’ll ever stop getting hot and bothered every time she’s reminded of her girlfriend’s strength.
“I’d love to get you between us, too,” Wooyoung says, trailing her fingertips from San’s hips to her tummy, her flexing abs— “I’ve seen the way she looks at you, you know.”
San squeezes her eyes shut, shaking her head, like she doesn’t believe it but her head is already filled with filthy scenarios.
“We could edge you the way you like.” She keeps her touch light as her fingers trail even higher. “I bet she’d be good at it.” Wooyoung avoids giving her tits too much attention this time, pushing her palms up her chest and shoulders, wrapping them around her neck.
San leans in for a kiss when Wooyoung starts petting the back of her neck. She’s so, so sweet, even as she’s still humping her leg. “Pretty kitten,” Wooyoung whispers into the kiss, making San shiver.
Her hair's so soft. It’s a good thing she has it up most of the time or Wooyoung would want to pet her all the time.
“Maybe unnie would be too soft on you, at first. But she’s got the whole mommy thing down already, right?” Wooyoung’s voice starts shaking as she speaks, showing that she might not be as in control as she thinks. San doesn’t seem to mind, hanging on every word. “She’s a quick learner, wouldn’t let you cum until I say you can.”
Wooyoung can tell whenever San finds an angle that feels especially good from the way she gasps, and she starts pushing up her thigh more just to keep punching these cute little noises out of her.
“If only unnie knew how needy you get,” Wooyoung says, making San keen. “It wouldn’t be enough for you even with the two of us touching you.”
There’s a desperate look on San’s face. “Baby, please, I’d be happy just watching you two.” She sounds breathless as she says it, and Wooyoung no longer has the brain power to wonder if that’s true or if she’s just saying that —
She hugs her girlfriend close as she cums, every roll of her hips sending another jolt down her spine and dragging on her orgasm. She rides it out, whining and panting into San’s neck.
San is smiling when Wooyoung flops down. She looks so damn proud of herself.
Wooyoung recoils when San starts moving again, the movement pushing San’s thigh against her throbbing cunt. “Too much,” she whines, immediately eating her words as she watches San sit back.
She wants her girlfriend to get off too. Maybe she can get her to sit on her face? She’s too lazy to get their toys— can’t get out of bed.
“Use me?”
Wooyoung expects San to straddle her again. Instead, the other girl rolls her over, gentle hands pushing Wooyoung down onto her tummy. Now she feels cold, face down on their mattress, fully exposed for anyone who walks in to see.
If Seonghwa was to walk in… would she like what she sees? Wooyoung face down on the mattress, at San’s mercy, flushed and fucked out just from a little dirty talk. San’s hand is sliding down her ass, kneading it— her best asset, in San’s opinion, though Wooyoung thinks she might be biased. Her hand slips down further Wooyoung’s golden skin, onto her inner thigh, dipping dangerously close to her sensitive pussy.
San pushes her thigh further up onto the mattress, spreading her legs and exposing her further, like she just knows what Wooyoung is thinking about. She feels herself twitch, her hole clenching around nothing at the thought of Seonghwa walking in. She has the prettiest hands, always soft, long fingers, pretty french manicure— the contrast between her hands and San’s was perfect when they were touching her, earlier.
San’s fingers dig into her ass, bringing her back to reality. She throws a leg over her, straddling both thighs so that she’s sitting right over them. Oh, so that’s where this is going.
“Good?” San asks, just to be sure, even though they’ve done this before and Wooyoung always entertains it. Sometimes it doesn’t do anything for her, but just knowing this is one of San’s favorite ways to get off is so hot.
San starts moving her hips and soon enough she’s pressed against Wooyoung’s back, kissing her neck and fuck, Wooyoung can feel every drag of her wet pussy against her skin, San using her thigh and the meat of her ass to get herself off. She always gets so wet, soaking through her panties if Wooyoung teases her too much.
With her cheek pushed against the mattress, she can’t really see anything— can’t figure out if it’s sweat or San’s own wetness sliding down between her cheeks, making everything so slippery. She presses her thighs together, moaning as it squeezes her pussy tighter, feels so good.
San’s hands are holding her ass above where her own thighs sit, gripping in a way that will definitely leave marks. Wooyoung’s own hands clutch at the sheets above her head, San humping her hard enough that it’s jostling her forward. The sheets are getting wet, too, San pressing her into the mattress and creating delicious pressure on her whole lower body.
At this rate, Wooyoung might come a second time before her girlfriend even gets there. San loves to edge herself, but she’s not good at it, needs Wooyoung’s help to feel good.
“J-Just like that, Sannie, please, I’m gonna—”
San’s sweat drips down Wooyoung’s skin, making everything so slippery when her tits press down against her back and it makes Wooyoung moan, tensing up as she comes embarrassingly fast.
“That’s it, good girl,” San says, raising one of her hands only for it to come down hard on Wooyoung's ass. Wooyoung jolts and then tenses again, and that’s all it takes for San to cum too, losing her rhythm but not slowing down.
“Yes- keep going,” Wooyoung pants out.
San’s hips stutter but they keep moving, slow and deep as she rides herself to overstimulation.
They don’t say anything for a while, just catching their breath and enjoying the come down until Wooyoung realizes…
“Why did you move me! Now both sides of the bed are wet!”