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You are exactly
precisely and perfectly
what I waited for.
- T. K. Gregson
♡
1
At the age of 27, Bae Joohyun stands on stage before thousands of people, a sea of pastel coral glowing and shimmering back at her like starlights in the night sky.
She stows the moment safely in a tiny, well-hidden cavern in her heart, and the image, the sound, the feeling, engraves itself in her mind as she waves goodbye and returns backstage, the rush of adrenaline making her knees quiver as a staff member approaches hastily to collect her mic.
They pile into the van twenty minutes later. The two youngest members claim the backseats immediately, so Joohyun takes the middle row—sandwiched right between Seulgi and Seungwan—and if Seungwan ropes her into listening to her favourite jazz playlist and Seulgi leaves tiny drool marks on the sleeve of her shirt, Joohyun doesn't mind.
She's right where she wants to be.
♡
2
Seulgi can't quite decipher the unreadable expression on Joohyun's face when she pads into the kitchen at a little past eight in the morning, taking in the sight of Seungwan slouched on the kitchen table, sleeping soundly, and the mess that is their kitchen—a huge pile of dishes in the sink, and a plate of kimchi fried rice that's far too salty for human consumption and a stack of half-burnt pancakes on the kitchen island.
As it is, Seulgi can only smile sheepishly.
"It's your birthday and we—wanted to make you breakfast, for a change," she says, voice coming out softer than she intended.
She's caught off-guard, though, when Joohyun smiles softly, pads over and leans up a little to peck her on the cheek, before dipping low to kiss a sleeping Seungwan on the back of her head.
"Good morning, silly cubs."
♡
3
Putting the microphone back on the stand, Seungwan gives the patrons spread all over the dance floor a sweet smile as she hops off the stage, making a beeline towards the bar at the back.
Joohyun is perched at her usual spot, their eyes meeting instantly as Seungwan approaches. She kisses her girlfriend in greeting, easily climbing onto Joohyun's lap and moaning appreciatively when she feels Joohyun's tiny hands grab and squeeze her buttcheeks through the fabric of her leather pants—they're Joohyun's favourite.
"Tequilas for two very beautiful ladies," break them apart and Seungwan turns to the bartender with a glint in her eyes, noting the two shots of tequila placed on the counter.
She pulls away from Joohyun, leaning over the counter to meet the bartender halfway in a searing kiss that takes her breath away, and murmurs hotly into the kiss, "And a bottle of Seulgi to go, please."
♡
4
"So, who exactly—between the two of you—has been trying to hit on me?" Joohyun asks nonchalantly, like she's talking about groceries.
Seulgi's eyes go wide, her cheeks flushing to a shade nearly as red as the highlights on her bangs. Seungwan chokes on her noodles, dissolving into a coughing fit. Joohyun just smiles, patting Seungwan on the back good-naturedly.
They don't have to answer; she already knows, anyway.
♡
5
The problem with watching a horror movie is that none of them has the actual balls to do it—both literally and figuratively.
But Seungwan has gotten exactly three free tickets for the newly released flick, and they haven't gone on a legit date that isn't the cheap fine art museum downtown for so long, and they're too broke to miss anything free even if it means sitting through a fucking horror movie, so yeah, all else be damned.
"Holy fucking shit," Joohyun hears Seungwan curse loudly over the earphones she's got plugged in both ears with the volume on full blast when a bloody face jumps at them on the big screen, and Son Seungwan never curses.
Seulgi is shrieking and crying at the same time, lap full of used tissue papers. "I want my mommy!"
♡
6
Seungwan is the most excited about this, not unexpectedly.
Joohyun is watching them amusedly from Seulgi's laptop screen as Seulgi watches Joohyun's pretty face and Seungwan kisses down Seulgi's neck distractingly. They're supposed to ask Joohyun how work has been first—really, they've discussed this beforehand—but then a quick hand travels down her body to grope at her left buttcheek, and Seulgi knows she's lost.
So Seulgi gives in and kisses Seungwan on the mouth—and she can't quite see what Joohyun is doing on the other side of the globe when she's got an eager Seungwan's face all over her vision like this, but a series of rustling and a characteristic pleased sigh from the speakers are all the reassurance she needs.
Yeah, perhaps all of them are equally excited about this.
♡
7
It's only ten minutes into their weekly grocery shopping and Joohyun already regrets bringing the two along.
Seungwan is filling their trolley with thirty or so packets of instant rice, and Seulgi has been pondering between laver and seaweed for the past five minutes. Joohyun is losing her shit.
But then Seulgi approaches with a packet of laver on one hand and seaweed on the other, head tilted to the side so she can look up at Joohyun with those unintentional puppy eyes of hers as she asks what they're supposed to get for seaweed soup, melting Joohyun's heart alarmingly quickly in the process, and Joohyun reconsiders:
Maybe they're both exactly what she needs, after all.
♡
8
Joohyun is already fast asleep under a thick blanket of fur when they get back from the hunt.
Tonight's game is three hares and a young stag—nothing out of what the pack usually goes for, but hunts have always been tiring, the rush of adrenaline draining them to their bones, and the headache-inducing summer heat only makes it worse for everyone involved.
Seungwan can already feel the fatigue seep out of her as she slips under the blanket, wrapping her arms around Joohyun from behind, as Seulgi curls into Joohyun's front. Joohyun has on a thin, old t-shirt, and Seulgi presses a soft kiss on the swell of her belly over the fabric and then her cheek, before burying herself into the pillows.
Seungwan presses her lips to Joohyun's warm nape, cradling the baby bump with a hand and breathing their omega's sweeter-than-ever scent in, as she lets the exhaustion lull her to sleep.
♡
9
They're just trying wedding dresses for fun. It's not like they're all getting married in the near future or anything, but when Seungwan walks out of the fitting room and twirls, Joohyun's breath catches in her chest. Beside her, Seulgi takes Joohyun's hand and squeezes, but when Joohyun looks to the side, her eyes are fixed on Seungwan, completely entranced. They haven't talked about this, but maybe it's not too soon to be looking at wedding rings. Joohyun can already hear the church bells ringing.
♡
10
It's Saturday and Seulgi has an ungodly morning class.
The television is blasting a rerun of last week's Hello Counselor episode, but Seungwan is the only one watching it. Joohyun is immersed in a book she's been reading for the past week. Seulgi is deeply asleep on both of their laps, face buried in Joohyun's clothed tummy and long legs dangling off the armrest.
She's already fifteen minutes late to class.
♡
11
When Seulgi turned seventeen a few full moons ago, her father had given to her her very own court ladies, those of her age rather than the middle-aged court ladies who used to attend to her father before being assigned to look after Seulgi when she was born.
Now, Seulgi doesn't know if it's supposed to be any different—the older court ladies compared to the younger ones who attend to her now—but when Seungwan sits Seulgi down in her room, moving closer and lowering her head to peer up at Seulgi through her pretty, pretty lashes, Seulgi has no complaints.
Seungwan is almost her age, curious and playful, still so young, but Joohyun—her complexion doesn't show it at all, but she's surely (if a little) older than them, her actions unfaltering, the sense of maturity evident in the way that she brings herself.
So, naturally, Seulgi trusts Joohyun, heart thundering in her chest with contained excitement as Joohyun moves to shrug Seulgi's top off her shoulders and then pull at the strings of her undergarment loose. Seungwan shifts forward to press their mouths together eagerly—too eager, her lips plush and soft, soft, soft—and Seungwan is only her age still, sure, but Seulgi thinks she trusts her, too, no less.
♡
12
"Are you two making out, in a public fitting room, at the bras section, without me?" whines Seungwan from the other side of the door, sheer incredulousness evident in her voice.
"It's not my fault!" Joohyun defends, "Seulmphm—"
Joohyun can feel the stretch of Seulgi's grin against her own mouth—that little (adorable) shit—and the gasp that she involuntarily lets out when Seulgi's hand slips under the back of her top to unhook her bra is skillfully muffled into the kiss.
"I'm just helping out, as promised, see?" Seulgi says once she pulls away, eyes glinting with mischief, as she ignores Seungwan's faint, agitated huff and instead holds up one of the bras that she's supposed to help Joohyun try on.
Truly and deeply, Joohyun thinks, a little (still adorable) shit.
♡
13
Seungwan is caught by surprise when Seulgi surges forward to kiss her on the lips, pulling back just as quick.
She can feel all the blood drain from her face. Sure, she's been secretly crushing on Seulgi for quite a while now, but Seungwan has a fucking girlfriend, god damn it, and she really shouldn't, not when her girlfriend is right beside—
Seungwan goes severely dumbstruck when Joohyun, instead of straight up breaking up with her, giggles into her neck like a little girl high on sugar. She pulls away only to push Seungwan's agape mouth shut with the tip of a finger on her chin, declaring gleefully, "Seulgi's our girlfriend, now, too."
♡
14
Low, hushed whispers fill out the giant hall as Joseon's crown princess paces past the line of handsome and well-raised noblemen and royalties from all over the world. Behind her, her personal royal consultant—face of ethereal beauty, brain intelligent and wise, heart colder than ice, they say—struts along, chin angled up elegantly and fleeting eyes scanning briefly over each and every one of the well-groomed men, observing them frigidly like they're nothing more than a mere display of wax figures.
Silence envelops the hall as the princess, her consultant trailing right behind her, reaches the end of the line. She smiles at the crowd before her, warm and playful and young, and the crowd parts slowly in unified awe until nothing stands between the princess and a young maiden, one who has been the talk of the town for the past few days leading to the royal ball, for she has travelled from a land furthest away than all the noblemen and royalties, a land of maple leaves in autumn and deathly chills in winter.
The princess approaches the maiden and offers her hand in humble invitation, and from the other end of the hall, a royal servant strikes the bell—bong, bong, bong; Her Royal Highness has chosen.
♡
15
The repetitive whir of the engine is overbearing. The expanse of space laid out in front of her, a million stars speckled on black canvas, is a sight to behold. Looking out at the galaxy through the glass dome like this has always had that effect on her—her mind wandering for hours on end—but the steady rise and fall of Seungwan's chest, her head pillowed on Joohyun's lap, and the press of Seulgi's cheek against Joohyun's shoulder as she snores softly keep her safe and grounded.
Joohyun doesn't miss Earth.
Not when home is right here.
♡
16
At the age of 23, Bae Joohyun sits against the wall of the practice room, limbs heavy and her ankles aching after hours of repetitive dance moves.
Seulgi is asleep by her side, body slouched awkwardly so that she can rest her head on Joohyun's shoulder even if she's that much taller. They're both tired, but Joohyun knows that Seulgi, too, would much rather keep Seungwan company than get some well-deserved rest at the dorm while knowing fully that Seungwan's still here, at the agency building, catching up with the amount of practice she's missed after having been put on mandatory vocal rest.
The promise of a nearing debut date is a sure thing that drives Joohyun forward, pushing through endless vocal sessions and late night follow-up dance practices, but Joohyun thinks, feeling the familiar weight of Seulgi's body against her and watching the way Seungwan's shirt sticks to her skin as she goes over a dance move for the umpteenth time, it's all worth it.
She's right where she wants to be.
♡