Work Text:
The rain outside would have been a comforting sight to anyone but Mobeom. Instead of embracing the soft pitter-patter of the droplets and drinking a hot beverage to enhance the cozy cold weather, she saw it as a nuisance. The sounds were unpredictable, some droplets would fall heavier than others and some wouldn’t make the same plonk! noise as the rest.
Plus, it meant that the grass would be wet later. The dirt would be all muddy and gross! She wasn’t going to walk in it or anything, but the smell of wet plants was equally as gross. Mobeom wasn’t even sure why she was so peeved by it, it’s not like she went out and smelled the flowers every day. It was irrational, if anything.
The only good thing about a rainy day was that she had an excuse to stay in her safe zone. She was much more comfortable under her warm weighted blanket than walking around in a grocery store with her girlfriend. The problem wasn’t walking around and shopping with Jyo, but rather the environment they would be in. She always hated grocery stores, especially the vegetable aisle. Just looking at them, knowing other people had looked through them to find the perfect specimen sent shivers down her spine.
(Which is why she insists on exclusively buying their vegetables from Nature Son. Sure, it would probably have more natural dirt on it than a store-bought one but at least it was handled by someone she knows.)
Mobeom shakes off the gross feeling of grocery store vegetables and taps her hip three times to ensure that she’d never eat one. (It was an unconscious habit at this point. She’d get conscious of it sometimes, but Jyo always reassured her that it was normal with her disorder.)
She turns her attention back to the television, the cheesy reality show drowning out the sounds of the rain. It’s not what she usually watches, but she watched every documentary currently available on the service and nothing else seemed interesting. The fact Jyo was a fan of this show may have influenced her decision too, but she wouldn’t admit that.
“Does she seriously think that Vivian is genuinely into her?” The contestant scoffed. “I mean, this isn’t some enemies-to-lovers novel. Vivi is just using Chelsea to get closer to Cassie.”
The show cuts to another contestant, looking mischievous with the way she was leaning into the camera. “I heard that she was doing it for fanservice.” Mobeom resists the urge to groan and watch something else when the show played several dramatic reactions and sound effects to the revelation.
This show is dumb. It’s corny and over dramatic and–
Has way too many similarities to Soulmate.
(Did it have anything in common other than the fact it was a dating show? Maybe, maybe not. That didn’t cross her mind.)
She and Jyo were enemies once. Their peace with each other was a little sudden, only because they united over heartbreak. She never expected anyone to choose her in the end, much less the girl she was rivals with for most of the series.
Mobeom tries to not think about it too much, like Jyo told her to do whenever she gets unpleasant thoughts. This wasn’t like her usual intrusive thoughts, though. Is it unwanted? Yes. She knows her intrusive thoughts are things she’d never do, or things that could never happen.
“You used me, Vivi?” Chelsea screams, her hand clutching the necklace that Vivian made for her a few episodes ago.
Mobeom gulped. Jyo dating her out of obligation and/or fanservice was totally possible though. Which means it wasn’t an intrusive thought, which means that it was true and Jyo’s gonna break up with me when she gets home!
She feels a tear slide down her cheek at the thought. Her heart felt like it was being squeezed apart at all the scenarios swarming through her head. Would Jyo have a long talk? Would she just announce it then leave? What if she just packed her bags and left? Or just texted “we’re over.”?
Mobeom winced, sinking into her blanket. She turns to lay on her stomach and spots the framed photo of her and Jyo on their first date. That just makes her frown deepen and her tears come faster. She likes Jyo so much. She was so gentle with her, always asking for permission when it came to physical touch, always cooking food that would suit her limited palate, always making her feel normal.
…Thinking of how sweet her girlfriend was just made everything worse. Mobeom huffed, feeling defeated as she laid face-down on the couch. Her tears were surely staining the cushions, but that was a problem for future her. For once, she just wanted to focus on one thing. (That thing being her imaginary breakup… at least it’s progress?)
Mobeom lays on her back again, figuring she should try some breathing exercises. Clearing her mind would probably get rid of her thoughts, right?
Inhale..
1… 2… 3…
Exhale..
1… 2… 3…
Inhale..
1.. 2–
“Mobie? I’m back!”
Jyo’s sudden entrance nearly made Mobeom choke. She wipes her tears away frantically, sitting up to see Jyo walk right past her after putting the groceries down. “Hold up, I’ll take a shower real quick and join you.” She says, walking so fast that Mobeom barely caught her words.
Her heart melts at the gesture. Jyo never forgot to take a shower before spending time with her, no matter how tired or how late she came home. It nearly makes her believe that Jyo does love her until her mind tells her otherwise.
What if she’s just being nice so you’re not THAT hurt when she breaks up with you? She’s probably counting the seconds until she won't have to shower so often because of you.
She’s this, she’s that, she’s Mobeom’s worst fear. Mobeom’s eye twitches as she desperately holds her tears back.
The show was still going on, a new episode starting. Mobeom sits still on the couch, the blanket loosely draped over her legs as she stares at the television blankly. Chelsea was talking to Cassie about.. something. She wants to know so bad, but it’s like her ears refuse to let her absorb the noise around her. The only thing she could hear was her own voice whispering unnerving thoughts into them.
Mobeom doesn’t even register Jyo talking to her until she plops down next to her, immediately bringing Mobeom into her arms. “Mobie? What’s wrong?” She whispers, gently patting her hips comfortingly. “You didn’t comment on my pajamas for once, I can tell something’s on your mind.”
Pajamas? Mobeom looks down. Jyo was wearing a set of pajamas with a cartoon bear printed all over them. It had a stupidly funny smirk on its face.
She wants to laugh, but it makes her frown even more. Jyo instantly grows worried, sitting up and cupping her cheeks gently. “Mobie, dear. Tell me what’s bothering you.”
Mobeom winces, pulling away from her touch and curling up at the end of the couch.
“Oh no, I’m sorry.” Jyo pulls her blanket off to drape it over her properly, tucking her in whilst avoiding as much contact as possible. “No touches today?”
Mobeom shakes her head. She feels a lump in her throat after seeing how gentle she was, as always. She opens her arms, wanting Jyo’s comfort even though she was upset because of her.
Jyo gently scoops her up, her embrace warm and comforting as she snakes her arms around Mobeom’s waist. “What is it, then?”
As much as Mobeom would rather ignore her question, she feels completely safe in her embrace. Jyo’s fingers gently tracing structured patterns to ground her, speaking so calmly and even pausing the show that was playing.
“You don’t have to keep pretending.” Mobeom whispers, looking down at the floor. “Soulmate has been over for almost a year, I don’t think anyone’s keeping up with us anymore. They won’t mind if you and I weren’t dating anymore.”
Jyo brushes her hair out of her face. “Now who told you I was pretending?”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
“No, Mobie. Care to explain exactly how I’m pretending?” She asks, knowing all her girlfriend needed was to be heard. Mobeom always just needed someone to listen to her thoughts, and Jyo didn’t mind being that person. No matter how mundane or how ridiculous it sounded. Nothing made her happier than hearing Mobeom’s thoughts, because it meant that she felt safe enough to share her train of thought.
“You know… fanservice. That’s why Soulmate got so popular, didn’t it? The viewers rooted for us to be together. It’s a smart move, if anything. The network gains more money, so we get better pay.”
Jyo nods understandingly, letting her words hang in the air for a bit before speaking up. “Well, have you considered that I chose you as my ‘soulmate’ because I wanted to get to know you better?”
Mobeom thinks for a bit, then shakes her head. She turned to face Jyo, but still avoided eye contact. “Did you really choose me because of that?” Jyo nods.
She gives Mobeom’s forehead a kiss. Soft and sweet, just how she liked it. Mobeom smiles, scrunching her nose up and finally making eye contact with her again. “I’m sorry I thought differently.” She mumbles, letting her girlfriend pet her hair. “It’s okay, Mobie. I understand that things like this can be confusing for you. Hell, it’s confusing for me too!” She laughs, “Next time you start thinking that our relationship is fake, I want you to remember that you’re my favorite. My one and only, okay?”
“And don’t bring up what you think makes you annoying. Your habits and beliefs don’t bother me at all. It makes me happier, actually. I get to learn more about you every single day and help you love yourself. I know I do that to other people for my job, but it’s more special when I get to watch the girl I adore most be silly and be happy and be herself. Got it?”
Mobeom stares at her in awe, not even minding that Jyo had been squishing and pulling her cheeks the whole time she talked.
“I love you.”
Jyo’s eyes widen at Mobeom’s sudden confession. She lets go of her cheeks, opting to hold her hands instead. “A–Are you sure? I know you always say you don’t want to make me wait forever but I promise we can take things as slow as you wan–”
“No, I mean it. I love you, Jyo.” Mobeom smiles softly, never feeling more confident and so sure of herself than she did right now. Jyo smiles too. She smiles that big, dorky grin that Mobeom thinks about every day.
“May I kiss you?” Jyo asks, leaning in very slowly. Mobeom nods and closes the gap for her, capturing her lips in the softest kiss ever. She was still iffy with kisses, never letting one last more than five seconds. Nor did she let it escalate from anything but a very, very gentle touch. She never thought she could kiss someone, let alone do it so comfortably.
Maybe it was Jyo’s soft lips, maybe it was the way she squeezed her hands gently as their lips connected. Maybe it was everything about her, Mobeom wasn’t sure. All she knew was that there were too many reasons to narrow her love down to just a single one.
Jyo pulls away first, having maximized Mobeom’s current five second limit.
“I love you too, Mobeom.”