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Language:
English
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Published:
2023-03-03
Completed:
2024-06-29
Words:
19,957
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5/5
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77
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way back home (cause it's you)

Summary:

where jimin comes back home

Notes:

(See the end of the work for notes.)

Chapter Text

Minjeong fiddles in her chair as she stares up at the analogue clock displayed at the top of the exit. The arrivals section is particularly empty at this time, it’s exactly 5am and Jimin is due to land in…

Minjeong looks over to the digital screen adjacent to her, squinting to read the small text. After the slide changes, she finds what she’s looking for near the top.

LAX - KOR EST 05:03.

Three minutes.

Minjeong’s heart begins beating faster in anticipation. After a whole two years of separation, a part of her wonders if everything will slip back into place as normal, as if she never left.

Minjeong and Jimin had been young childhood friends. As kids, Minjeong was quite quiet, a little reserved and soft-spoken on the outside, but Jimin being her bubbly and larger-than-life self really brought her out of her shell. Their parents shortly found out that together, they became nothing short of chaotic!

Jimin was always there, serving as a comfort for Minjeong. Being slightly older, she always knew the right things to say when she was going through a hard time.

Jimin spotted her when she crossed the monkey bars on the playground for the first time. She remembered how scared she was when she tried, being frightened of heights she used to call out for her mum; but this pint-sized girl had no problem grabbing for the rungs, with a bright smile on her face.

When they were tweens and awkward, Jimin went out to buy Minjeong’s first makeup palette. They ended up buying a cheap set, enticed by the variety of over twenty colours. News flash, if the price is the same as a palette containing four shades, there is definitely a problem.

Jimin held Minjeong in her arms after she broke up with her first boyfriend, even if the relationship only lasted about ten days. She was heartbroken, sobbing into her macaron-shaped pillow. Jimin knew just the right thing to set her straight, feeding her spoonfuls of ice cream like a child.

Regardless of the importance of the event, it seemed like Jimin was always there for Minjeong, to tell her that everything was going to be alright. Jimin’s empathy and warmth felt safe, and made Minjeong feel like she could get through anything.

They officially got together when they turned 18 and 19 respectively. Jimin may have confessed first, but Minjeong has had a crush on Jimin since she was 13, a fact that the elder doesn’t let her forget.

What made dating difficult at this stage was not only were they not in the same cohort for university, but they also didn’t attend the same one. This was a hard change to make when they were basically attached at the hip during high school and would frequently spend time with each other every day.

Jimin then got an amazing opportunity to transfer to the US due to her stellar academic performance and overall experience. Although Jimin debated staying in Korea to be with her, Minjeong couldn’t let Jimin leave such an amazing opportunity behind. And so, despite the both of them being in the early stage of their romantic relationship, they had to learn to adapt to long distance.

Of course, Minjeong had stayed in touch with Jimin while she was away. FaceTime had become a basic necessity, and notification pings in ungodly hours became the norm. But Minjeong couldn’t lie that the experience just wasn’t the same as being together in person. After all this time, would everything be different between them?

The gates finally open and Minjeong pays dutiful attention to every person leaving. The first to get off have simple carry-on baggage and we’re often dressed in formal attire, likely here for business.

Minjeong’s eyes widen and the corners of her lips instinctively are pulled upwards as she catches Jimin, who doesn’t spot her at first, looking around the entire hall. Once she catches a glimpse of Minjeong, she makes a B-line for her.

Wordlessly, she pushes her luggage cart to where Minjeong was seated. Taking the slightly larger and soft hands into her own (aptly named pink jelly), she pulls Minjeong into a hug.

It’s everything she’s wanted.

Minjeong closes her eyes and breathes Jimin in, feeling the air fill her lungs and travel down to her diaphragm. They stay in their hug for several beats, no rush to separate. When they finally do, Minjeong wipes the tear that forms at the corner of her eyes.

Jimin flashes a lovestruck smile, biting her bottom lip as she finds Minjeong nothing short of adorable. She gently cups the younger face, which only causes Minjeong to tear more.

Jimin lets out a little whine, followed by a light laugh as she coos, using her thumbs to swipe away at the warm liquid, before pulling in Minjeong again. Minjeong rests her head on Jimin’s shoulder as the taller slowly combs through her short hair, just like she used to.

“I’ve missed you,” Jimin whispers into Minjeong’s skin.

Minjeong pulls away, taking Jimin’s hand again. “Let’s go home.”

Minjeong helps Jimin load her luggage into the back of the car, with the help of the Uber driver.

Rather than both occupying a window seat, Minjeong sits in the middle one, staying closer to Jimin, grabbing hold of her arm. Jimin and Minjeong have always been extremely touchy, linking arms when they go on walks, holding hands, and even under tables. Something about that physical contact made them feel tethered and calm.

Jimin spots the sunrise through the window on the left, as the sky begins to take a bright orange-to-blue gradient, and the clouds a cotton candy pink. “Are you tired baby?”

Minjeong nods. “I couldn’t sleep all night. I was so excited.”

Jimin taps on her right shoulder, urging Minjeong to rest her head on it.

“Sleep. I’m here now.”

Minjeong gives Jimin a quick peck on the cheek before taking up her offer.

Jimin blushes. Although the girls initiate a lot of skinship, they don’t really kiss in public.

Jimin wakes Minjeong by squishing her cheeks. She’s still a little out of it, slowly blinking her eyes and letting out a soft yawn. Jimin takes the opportunity to put a finger in her mouth, which Minjeong instinctively bites on.

“Cover your mouth, silly.” Minjeong sticks out her tongue in response.

The couple awkwardly manoeuvre their luggage up a small set of stairs before entering an elevator to reach their flat on the 3rd floor.

As soon as they finally stood in their living room and dropped their things, Jimin found herself reaching for Minjeong again. After years of being starved of each other's presence, the mere idea of being in close proxemics was enough to make her feel high.

She gingerly moved her free hand towards Minjeong’s cheek, caressing it with her thumb.

Minjeong closed her eyes, her heart racing as she tilted her head up to meet Jimin.

Then their lips met in a soft, sweet kiss. It was a kiss filled with all the love and excitement of starting this new chapter in their lives together after being apart for so long.

Minjeong wrapped her arms around Jimin's waist, pulling her closer as their kiss deepened. She could feel Jimin's arms encircling her, holding her tight as they lost themselves in the moment.

Just as their embrace started to loosen, Jimin playfully leaned in and kabedon-ed the wall behind them, causing Minjeong to giggle. Minjeong was trapped in between the wall and Jimin’s piercing gaze.

“I got you all to myself.” Using her free hand she tilts Minjeong’s head upwards, leaning in again. Minjeong closes her eyes in anticipation, only to be met by a series of feather-light kisses all around her face. The barrage of affection felt borderline ticklish as Minjeong’s giggles turned into full-blown laughter.

“You’re such a tease.” She reached for the hem of Jimin’s shirt, pulling her closer before making a 180, with Jimin now pressed up against the wall. This time, she takes initiative to continue the kiss. The two part for a moment and Jimin rests her forehead on the slightly shorter girl.

She’s in a complete daze, a part of her in disbelief that she’s finally here, in the moment with her love.

“Sorry, I’ve been waiting to kiss you since I first saw you at the airport. Now I can’t get enough.” Jimin’s confession is heartfelt and impulsive, the words casually rolling off her tongue in a borderline whisper. Her voice is deep and slightly husky. Minjeong’s heart flutters.

“Kabedon? I wasn’t expecting that.”

“Well I wasn’t expecting that from you either.”

Minjeong flashes Jimin another blinding smile, causing her to pull the shorter girl in once again. She leans against the wall and lets out a deep, contented sigh.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

For a long time, they stood there in their new home, eyes locked, bodies locked and lost in their love for each other. And as they finally pulled apart, they knew that this was just the beginning of their journey together.

Minjeong shows Jimin around their new shared home. Minjeong still has one year of university left and rented out a one-bedroom studio apartment in anticipation for Jimin’s return. The place is small, or cosy if you would like to be polite about it, but still large for Jimin compared to the shoebox she was living in.

As Jimin began unpacking in the bedroom, Minjeong went to the kitchenette to start with breakfast, but not soon after she felt a pair of arms snake around her waist.

“There’s no way you’re done unpacking.”

“I’m not, I just want to be close to you.” Jimin’s voice is slightly muffled by a pout, and also because she’s impishly resting her chin on Minjeong’s shoulder. Minjeong finds it adorable.

With one hand stirring ingredients in a stone pot, she uses the other to tap and knead Jimin’s cheeks gently.

“You’re so clingy.”

Jimin still responds with that pouty voice.

“Shall I go back to unpacking then?”

Minjeong grabs Jimin’s arms which were still planted on her waist.

“No. I’m clingy too.”

“Perfect match.” Jimin turns to give the chef a quick peck on the cheek.

Minjeong sets down the bubbling bowl of soup on the dining table. It’s spicy tofu, the same dish as the first she ever made for Jimin when she was feeling ill.

Jimin takes a spoonful, ensuring to get a good chunk of tofu on her first bite. She softly blows on the soup before getting tucked in.

She lets out a satisfied groan before taking another sip.

“How is it?” Minjeong’s eyes are glued onto the girl in front of her, almost sparkling as she waits for a response.

“It’s perfect.” She takes a comically loud slurp of soup from her spoon, sighing like an old man, making a clicking sound with her tongue.

“I’ve missed Korean food so much. Thank you, baby.”

Minjeong blushes at the compliment before digging in with her spoon. The soup is mildly spicy, with a savoury depth from the pork, anchovies and seaweed balanced with a light sweetness from the onions and other aromatics. Perfect for a cold morning.

Jimin extends her free hand on the table and Minjeong instinctually takes it, interlocking their fingers.

While eating, the two chat about absolutely nothing, but also everything. Minjeong can’t wipe the smug grin off her face as she watches Jimin happily eat breakfast.

“You don’t want some more? I feel like I’ve been hogging all of it.”

“No, I’m okay, keep going. I want to have more snacks later anyway.”

Jimin smiles. “Of course, later I’ll show you the snacks I got for you.”

After breakfast Jimin (with Minjeong in tow,) walk to the bedroom to continue unpacking. Minjeong plops onto the bed like a starfish, feeling drowsy.

Jimin smiles at the sight, lightly patting Minjeong on the butt. She opens the white wardrobe, finding Minjeong’s clothes neatly organised on the left, leaving Jimin plenty of space to place her own clothes. She knows that over time, all the clothes are going to get scrambled together and it’s going to be hard to differentiate whose clothes belong to who, but she doesn’t mind.

After unpacking her clothes, she takes a quick shower to freshen up, changing into a new set and wrapping her hair up into a turban. When she leaves she finds Minjeong still on the bed unmoving.

She smiles, crouching down to her level and plants a kiss on her crown. Minjeong stirs slightly before opening her eyes and smiling.

“Oh, it’s an angel.” Minjeong says cutely before closing her eyes, her voice thick with sleep.

Jimin smiles, eyes forming into crescents. She kisses Minjeong on her head, one more time for good measure.

“Didn’t mean to wake you my love, you can go back to sleep.”

Minjeong lets out a soft chuckle, eyes still very much closed.

“My babe can wake me up whenever she likes.” She pauses for a moment.

“But give me five more minutes. Then come get me.”

Jimin laughs at her sleepy baby.

“Okay.”

Jimin leaves to quickly whip up a cup of hot chocolate for Minjeong. As she opens the fridge to get some milk, she sees her favourite drinks neatly organised on the second bottom shelf. Her heart swells at the gesture, thinking about how Minjeong purposely stocked the fridge with her favourite things before she arrived. She took out a bottle of coffee before placing a mug of milk in the microwave and swirling in 3 spoons of chocolate mix.

Minjeong waddles in shortly after and like a magnet, clings on to Jimin’s side.

“Hey, sleepy head.”

“Hey, yourself.” Minjeong pouts.

“You took a shower without me!”

Jimin lets out a laugh, “I felt gross cause of the plane and I couldn’t wait any longer.”

“Don’t be too mad.” As if on queue, the microwave dinged. Jimin reaches for the hot drink and passes it to Minjeong.

“Forgive me?”

Minjeong receives the cup with her two sweater paws. “How could I ever be mad at you?”

Minjeong takes a large swig of the drink, followed by a satisfied sigh.

Jimin laughs again, causing Minjeong to be slightly confused.

“What?” She looks at Jimin with a large, but perplexed smile.

“Your reaction was so extra. Baby, it was just hot chocolate.”

“Do you know what you were like earlier?!” Minjeong picks up the mug again, taking a sip, followed by an exaggerated groan, straight out of a soju commercial.”

Jimin’s stomach begins to hurt as the two girls break into laughter.

“It’s not just hot chocolate either! It’s hot chocolate made by my lovely girlfriend, who I’ve missed for the past year every day!”

“It’s perfect,” Minjeong confesses, smiling as she stares into her cup.

Jimin, being the notorious tease that she is, gets a wicked idea. “I wonder if it’ll make you taste any sweeter?”

Minjeong almost scoffs at the comment, resulting to rolling her eyes with her jaw slacked into a bemused lopsided grin. “I don’t know, will it?” Her eyebrow quirks upwards, challenging the taller girl.

“Hmm. I don’t know if it’ll be possible. Shall we find out?”

Minjeong sets the cup on the counter and chastely kisses Jimin, planting a soft kiss on her lips.

Jimin has a dopey smile on her face as they pull away. “Findings unclear, I think we need another trial.”

Minjeong takes another sip of the drink before going in for another. The kiss is deeper this time, needier and more passionate, but all the gentleness and love is there. Jimin smiles into the kiss as she tastes the faint sweet chocolate, proving her hypothesis correct.

“As a result of my thorough investigation, I propose Minjeong have hot chocolate every day.”

Minjeong pouts.

“What’s wrong baby?”

“So the investigation is over?”

“It’s a longitudinal study.”

“Does that mean I get more kisses?”

“You can always have more kisses.”

The cup Swiss Miss became shortly forgotten as Jimin pressed Minjeong up against the kitchen counter, capturing her lips again. She was high on the sweet taste, feeling the effects of her Minjeong-induced sugar high.

“I love you, so much.” Jimin confesses after another long kiss.

Minjeong looks up at her lover's face, there’s a soft pink blush tickles her cheeks, her sharp, yet somehow warm eyes boring holes into her own. Her plump and slightly swollen pink lips and of course that captivating beauty mark, resting just next to them. Minjeong instinctively bites her own bottom lip as she loses herself in Jimin’s beauty.

“Jimin, you are so unfair.”

“What?”

“You’re so-” Minjeong tries to find the right words, frantically waving her hands in the air as if that would help, but she just can’t seem to describe it.

“Every part of your face just screams, kiss me! Kiss me!”

Jimin takes that as a cue to shower her girlfriend with more kisses but is stopped by an index finger pushed up against her puckered lips.

“But the worst offender of all? That mole right there.”

Minjeong pecks the beauty mark, just below Jimin’s lips.

Jimin smiles at Minjeong’s expression of affection. Everything the smaller girl says is always so heartfelt, even if she has a hard time articulating it.

“You know people say moles appear where their lovers kissed them the most?”

“Jimin baby, in your next life you’re going to be a walking mole.”

“Hey, don’t you have a mole on..”

Jimin reaches for the hem of Minjeong’s shirt, pulling the base of it down to reveal the top of her chest.

“Hey!” Minjeong slaps the offending hand before putting her hand over her heart.”

“What happened to hello, how are you, my name is?”

Jimin grins, “come on baby, I think we’ve already moved past formalities?”

Minjeong rolls her eyes as she pulls Jimin in. She murmurs a soft “I hate you” before kissing Jimin again.

Jimin smirks as they break apart. “You love me.”

The shorter girl sighs in defeat and acknowledgement. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”