Work Text:
I love you in a way that can’t be defined in a dictionary, unless it was printed in the stars, and all of the words expanded into another galaxy every time I said your name
1-. December '23
“Jimin, I swear to god, if you don’t buy the ring in this one, I’m leaving you alone.” Aeri’s voice came after she walked out of the car, walking beside the tall girl. “Don’t be such a crybaby, it hasn’t been that bad.”
“Jimin, this is the fifth shop we visited today, not counting the other five we visited last Tuesday. We have been going around the city for almost six hours, you promised me food.” The Japanese girl said while holding the shop door for her friend so they could walk inside. The jeweler was warm inside, the light was cold, and it smelled good, like pine and rosemary. There were some customers around looking at the showcases around the place. “And we are going to get food after this, jeez, calm down. You were the one who offered to come with me today when I chatted with you the other day.”
“Well, it’s not every day my best friend decides to propose to the woman she’s been in love with for more than a decade now and wants my opinion on the ring she’s buying.” The woman said, moving around to see if someone could show them around.
“If we are being honest here, I already had a ring,” Jimin commented while strolling inside to see if something could catch her attention. “What? You already have one? What are we doing here then? Show me.” Aeri held her shoulder so the other woman could look at her.”
“I can’t, I lost it two years ago.”
“You bought it two years ago and didn’t tell me?” The Korean girl chuckled at the look her friends were giving her. “I purchased it after Minjeong and I had our tenth date. I was walking around the mall because I wanted to get her a present, and I saw it and bought it. Since we started dating, I knew I was going to marry her, maybe even before that, so I keep it in my wallet for almost two years waiting for the right moment, but on our trip to Italy I lost it because my wallet went missing or stolen and honestly, I forgot about it.”
“That’s really a shame. How was it? The ring, I mean.” The Japanese girl asked with curiosity in her eyes. “It was elk, I bought it since it was ivory and that was her favorite color, it was simple but beautiful,” Jimin answered, turning her attention to the woman beside her. “Why don’t you buy another one like that?”
“I thought about it, but is hard to find the same looking one, and I don’t think it’s the right choice anymore.” The Korean girl said. “How did you know the one you bought for Yizhuo was the right one?”
“I didn’t, well, not conscious, I think. Like I told you years ago, I was walking to my car after a work reunition and I walked beside a pretty jewelry and I saw the ring through the window for pure coincidence, moonstones are often portrayed as a symbol of love, hope and creativity and it has purple on it so I knew she would love it, I bought it because it had her name in every part in some way, when I got into my car with the ring I realized what I just did, the rest is story.” Aeri said with a smile, looking around the store for a seller. “At least you know what you don’t want.”
“Can I help you ladies?” Before the older woman could talk, a sweet woman interrupted them. “Hello! My friend here is looking for engagement rings.” Aeri said with a smile. “Well, do you have something in mind, young lady?” the woman asked while looking at Jimin. “Well, yes and no, I don’t want diamonds since she doesn’t like them that much, and nothing too big, she usually uses small ones,” Jimin spoke to the woman. “That’s fine, maybe describing how she is will help, sometimes people are looking for what it symbolizes and not the stone or the design.”
“Well, she’s a perfectionist in her work, with an amazing devotion, she’s clear in what she does and thinks, always wants to accomplish her goals most cleanly and positively. She’s also a lovely person, very sweet and always truthful about any point you talk or share with her.” The Korean girl commented with a small smile. “She’s always saying that she is not good with her words, but I differ with her, because she always takes care of the people she loves in the sweetest way ever. She will probably remember what you say about wanting or needing something. For me, Minjeong it’s a delightful person, out of this world, galaxy even.” She ends talking, looking directly at the old woman in front of her, smiling while feeling Aeri’s arm on her shoulders.
“That’s a lovely way to describe the person you love.” The woman smiles at them while kneeling to grab some rings and show them. “Maybe with these you will find something that you like and fits with her, this are rings people look for when they don’t want diamonds, we have here rubies, moonstones, emeralds, aquamarines and sapphires, all of them symbolize almost the same so any of them fit with the description of the woman you say.” Jimin nods her head while looking at the rings. “Usually people buy emeralds, moonstones, or sapphires, since the stone is strong and the level of damage is not that big.” She explains to them.
“I like this one.” The black-hair girl pointed at a sapphire one, seeing how the woman took it and extended it to her so she could look at it. “It’s really beautiful.” Aeri’s voice grabs her attention. “Yeah, it is.” She says with a smile. “Both stones are sapphires, in a simple gold band. The blue one means loyalty, truth, honesty, and love, it fits perfectly with the woman you describe. The white one means new beginnings, commitment, and prosperity, a thing people often want in marriage.” The woman comments with a soft smile.
“I want this one,” Jimin spoke with a sparkle in her eyes, causing a giggling out in both women close to her. “Very well, I will have this wrapped for you, You can move to the cashier when you are ready.”
“Thank god, I’m hungry.” The Japanese girl said with a smile while bumping her friend’s shoulder. “Can’t believe you two are finally marrying, feels like a lifetime since I discovered you liked her.” Jimin chuckled at her words. “You don’t even know if she’s going to say yes.” Aeri rolls her eyes at her words. “Please, Minjeong has been waiting for this for a while now, you can tell from the way she’s been acting lately, you have nothing to worry about this, you two love each other so much sometimes it's tiresome.” Jimin looks at her with her eyes and mouth wide open. “You are one to talk, you should look at yourself when you look at Yizhuo.” The Japanese girl smiles at the mention of her wife. “That’s another point, what I’m trying to say here is, everything will be fine.” Jimin smiled at her friend after hearing her voice, nodding her head.
“Yeah, it will.”
-
Minjeong's giggles filled the small kitchen after Jimin’s chest pressed against her back, chin comfortably resting into her neck. “That smells good, by the way, did you cook that? Sorry, I didn’t tell you when I arrived home.” The taller girl mumbles, her lips grazing the neck of the girl, causing a little shiver. “That’s okay, you looked tired, and no, I didn’t cook this, your mom dropped these off early, and I’m just following the last instructions.” She answered while turning around and giving a peck on her lips with a small smile. “How was work? Did you overdo yourself again?” Jimin questioned while resting her hip into the counter, seeing how the small woman turned her attention to the food.
Minjeong huffs, her eyebrows meeting in the middle with a little cute pout, “I’m working on a comeback right now, so everything we are doing in the studio is mixing sounds and lyrics, this time some members are participating in the lyrics and composition.” She pointed with her head at the laptop and notebook lying on the table. “What about you? How was your day?” The woman asked. “It was fine, with the girls we just reviewed some new steps they want to try in the choreography, tomorrow is going to be a long day though, we are practicing everything from the top.”
Minjeong nodded at the voice of her girlfriend. “Can you pass me some garlic love? Your mom was explicit about this. Also, take care of yourself tomorrow, you usually overwork when it’s this time of year, say that to the girls too.” Jimin quickly followed her instructions. “I will try not to go so hard tomorrow, but I can’t promise anything.” The small woman murmurs a tiny thank you in return. They stay like that, comfortable conversation filling their space, being interrupted by clapping sounds every time Minjeong asks her to taste the food, the older woman smiles at the woman standing in front of the stove and thinks about their years together doing the same, and reaches for her phone to put on some music.
Minjeong turns her attention after hearing the music coming from her girlfriend’s phone, shaking her head in amusement, feeling Jimin’s hands reach her waist and pulling her so they could dance around the kitchen like the two lovebirds they are.
We go together like birds and the sky, from the moment that you caught my eye, I knew that I was falling in love
The taller woman sang, her lips grazing her ear, causing giggles in both girls. “Jimin, I’m trying not to mess with your mother’s food.” At this, Jimin just sways them playfully, Minjeong laughs at her attitude before she fixes her hand on the older's nape as they dance around their kitchen. Their laughter echoes with warmth and domesticity, with their cat looking at them from its bed.
A feeling warmer than the sun in July, since the day you came into my life, I knew that I was falling in love
Minjeong voice filled the space, together with the guy’s voiced, and Jimin looks at her girlfriend, like she's the whole galaxy retain in such a small frame, like she’s the answer to all her worries and questions, and the girl look so content to be with her that the thought crosses her head. Asking the question right there, under the lights of their house, the scents of delicious food filling the air around them, laptop on the table, some books scattered in the counter, cat food around, while some guy sings about falling in love, she thinks about it, it would be so easy, reach for the box in her pocket and kneel in one knee and pop the question, it feels right to do it there, in the privacy of their home, with the only witness being their mascot.
The song ends, now playing another one, faster than the one they were dancing to, the small woman places a peck on her mole, immediately scurrying away to prepare their dinner with a small smile and sparkling eyes. Jimin stays there, feeling the moment gone.
It's okay. She could do it another time, she touches the box and feels calm, there is no rush to do it.
“Hope you like the food; I’m thinking about practicing for when we get married.” Jimin turns her attention to the woman, notices her blush in her cheeks and ears, and smiles at her, feeling a rush of love towards her.
“I’m sure I will always love it.”
2-. JUNE 24’
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Jazz music plays softly in the background as Jimin looks around her table together with Minjeong in front of her, noticing the place being lukewarm and comfortable as her eyes wander around the restaurant, the place was full of colorful well well-cared-for plants causing a warm and enjoyable environment around them. The soft music playing in the background was gratifying and calming, with the piano together with the cello filling the place with a cheery and loose atmosphere. The number of people in the restaurant wasn’t so much, still wandering her eyes around the place, she noticed couples surrounding them, some families having their time together, probably for a birthday or other time of celebration, and some company workers in a formal dinner to celebrate something they achieved in the year. She returned her attention to her girlfriend, seeing that she was concentrating on reading the menu in her hands. After getting out of their work, they decided to go out today since they were working late a lot lately, causing their usual time together to be short.
“Thank you for saving me today. I was doing some vocal production and arranging, so I’m afraid if it wasn’t for you coming to get me, I was going to stay in the studio until midnight, maybe more, so I hope you know you are my hero tonight.” The younger woman said with a smile after noticing the attention of the older man on her, chuckling at how Jimin bowed her head in the silly way she always did. “You are welcome, babe, I will always do it if I can.” The older said with a smile. “Also, I want to spend all the time I can with you before going with the girls to the USA for their tour and what the company has planned.”
“Ugh don’t remind me of that, please. you will be out for one and a half months, and I will barely see you. I hope this thing the company wants results good,” Jimin chuckled at the pout the younger girl was doing. “I am going to miss you, too, Minjeong. I promise I will call or text every day, even if I have to hide.” The short-haired girl hummed before returning her attention to the menu in her hands. “You better, I will be waiting.” Before Jimin could say something, the waiter interrupted them.
“Goodnight, I’m Sam, and I will be your waiter for today. Do you know what you are ordering, or do you need more time?”
“I think we are fine; do you want me to order for you?” Minjeong asked, receiving a nod from the older girl, turning her attention to the girl beside her so she could order. “My wife and I will have jajangmyeon, jeyuk spicy bulgogi, stir fry dwaejigogi bokkeum, yes with rice please, also can we have some vegetables and some other condiments?” Jimin just stared at the girl I front of her, stunned by the word she used, seeing how she was still distracted by the waiters and their order, she perked when the woman called her again her wife without noticing it. She felt bliss and happiness in her heart, She just stared at the woman ordering with sparkling eyes and a loose smile, she waited for the moment the waiters went away so Minjeong’s attention could be totally on her.
“What? Why are you smiling like that?” she asked while staring at the smiling girl. a couple of seconds went by when the realization struck her of why Jimin had the biggest grin on her face, causing a blush on her whole face. “I mean, I like it a lot, but I didn’t know we were wives already. I must have been sleeping the day we married, for that reason, I don’t remember it happening.” Jimin joked, her smile becoming bigger as she saw how red her girlfriend was. “It slipped from my mouth, that happens sometimes, okay, that’s what happens when you are with someone for a long time,” Minjeong spoke as she covered her face in embarrassment. “It’s okay, I loved how it sounded.” The older girl reassured her, taking her hands away from her face so she could smile at her, laughing at the puff sound the younger made.
“I would love to, you know?” Minjeong said after a couple of seconds, with the music playing as a background. “Call you my wife and you calling me your wife.” Jimin nods with a grin on her face. “I know we haven’t talked that much about this, but something I can’t help, I would really love it, and lately I find myself thinking about it more often than none.” The older smiles and takes her hand in hers, kissing her knuckles. “Me too, thinking about it, I mean, it has been running my thoughts lately too.” She said softly, she finds herself staring at the woman in front of her, with a shy smile on her face, rose pink in her cheeks and ears, looking adorable with this light, the music around bringing the perfect atmosphere.
She thinks about the ring, heavy in the jacked hanging in the back of her chair, she feels the words in her mouth, perfectly tucked for a moment like this, she could do it, seeing the soft smile in the woman face, Jimin couldn’t help herself for the flutter in her stomach at the sight, the ache of her cheeks, the warmth spread around her face and her chest throughout her body, thinking to herself of how much she’s in love with this woman she could ask the question there, reach for the ring and do it in front of all this people so they could see how much she loves her and see the happiness explode from their bodies, she could kiss her before doing it, and probably Minjeong would become extremely shy after realizing where she’s is, so she tries.
“Minjeong I-
But before she can even form the oration or catch her attention, the waiters reach their table with their food and the younger girl is easily distracted by the food so she sighs and pushes the thought away for another time while smiling at how adorable and cheerful her girlfriend is, warm invading her heart for the woman in front of her.
3-. AUGUST 24’
-
“Are you sure you are fine?”
“Yes, Minjeong,” Jimin answered from her place in the passenger seat while the younger girl drove around familiar streets. “You know it's fine if you want to stay at home and rest for the day, I mean you just landed in Korea three hours ago and you barely slept before my mother called me, I’m still sure you have jet lag.” The short-haired girl said without moving her attention from the road. “Babe, I was away for a month and a half. I miss spending time with my girlfriend and my family, and I don’t want to miss your father’s birthday, not since you say you feel Youngwoo has something big to announce to the family. My being jet lag is not something to worry about.” Jimin spoke with her attention towards the woman driving with a soft smile. “Well, yes, I first thought it was something about work, but I feel it’s going to be something bigger. Jimin, I’m being serious here, if you feel tired or any sort of discomfort, promise me you won’t hesitate to go into my old room and sleep a little.” The older nodded her head after hearing Minjeong’s words.
“And, I missed you too, I’m glad you came back and we can finally spend time together.” The short-haired girl said with a smile on her face after a couple of seconds, causing a grin on the older face.
The car was filled with the warm air around the road they were passing through, and it felt fresh thanks to the spring season coming. Jimin turned her head towards the window to see the view, the color green everywhere, the highway covered in a verdure of flowers. Soft music was making them company, helping the space to be relaxed, after a short time her attention came back to the woman in the driveway, her hear messy thanks to the air coming into the car, the sun reaching her, making her skin glow, she grinned after feeling the attention of the older in her. “You are staring.”
“I like the view.” She said with a smile, stretching her hand to hold Minjeong’s one and squeezed it. Turning her head, she could she could start to noticed the house lined up beside one and another, she spotted Minjeong’s parents house at the end of the houses, the pretty neighborhood filled with flowers as the road they just passed, she noticed her mother in front of the house with her girlfriend’s mother, attending some flowers and laughing together, they parked, grabbing the attention of both women and causing big smiles to appear in their faces.
Both women got out of the car, walking towards their mothers, who were waiting for them. Before they could salute them, they were embraced with strong hugs and kissed. “Jimin, I missed you so much, sweetie. You need to tell me everything about your time out of the country.” Her mother spoke after finishing kissing her daughter's face. “I missed you too, how are you, Mrs. Kim?” she asked the woman beside her mother, just to receive another strong hug. “How many times do I have to tell you, Jimin, that you can call me mom too?” The woman said after stepping back. “I’m fine, sweetie, we were waiting for you two to arrive, Joohyun and Seulgi are inside, same as Minjeong’s brother and Byul, they arrived early.”
“Where’s Dad?” Jimin asked while following them inside the house. “He’s at the back with the others, they are trying to turn on the grill.” She nodded before walking into the garden after saying her hellos to the women in the kitchen. Stepping out, she noticed her father, Mr. Kim, and Youngwoo in front of the grill while laughing at something they said. “Hello there.” She said winning the attention of the three at the same time. “Jimin, sweetheart, hi, finally you arrive.” Her father was the first to hug her, followed by the other two men, wishing a happy birthday to her girlfriend’s dad. “Minjeong’s inside?” They asked, winning a nod, the three reached inside, leaving her with the grill. After a couple of minutes inside, where she heard laughs, they stepped outside this time carrying meat. “I always wonder how you can turn it on so fast; we at least have twenty minutes trying.”
“I guess it’s a talent I have.” She brags about it, causing smiles. After that, they get into work, grilling the meat while they ask her about work, her time out of the country, and how she was feeling, the smell of the food being cooked in the grill filling the space around them. “Youngwoo is killing me with the surprise he has for me today, I hope you don’t have one too, Jimin.” Minjeong’s father said. “Imagine now if she says to us that she proposed to Minjeong.” Her dad jokes, causing laughs around. “Not yet, first I need the blessing from her parents.” She comments, shy about the theme of the conversation. “Sweetheart, you have our blessing since the beginning of your friendship, I mean, relationship.” He jokes with her. “It amazes me how you haven’t proposed to her yet.” He tells her while placing his hand on her shoulder. “I also needed to show you the ring.” At this, Youngwoo's attention was fully caught. “You have a ring?” He saw how she nodded, causing smiles on the man. “Did you bring it? Can we see it?” He asked with curiosity. “Yes, of course.” She grabbed the ring from her pocked, they were already grinning at the red box.
“It’s beautiful, Jimin, oh, she’s going to love this a lot,” Youngwoo commented with a smile while studying the ring. “You two are growing up, oh, I’m so happy you have each other.” Her father said before hugging her. “I agreed with this old man, I’m so happy you two found your way to each other and are now here.” He smiled at her. “Now, Jimin, go inside and look for some plates before we end up crying here and drowning the meat with our tears.” She laughed at the comment before turning away and walking through the back door towards the kitchen. Before she could enter, she heard Minjeong’s mother talking to her girlfriend, piquing her curiosity. “To think that before you didn’t know how to cook, look at you right now, you look like a professional there, I bet Jimin is happy with this development.”
“She doesn’t know.” She hears Minjeong. “I had been taking classes to surprise her, since she’s the one who always cooks, but before I could make something for her, the company decided to send her out of the country for almost two months, so she hasn’t tasted anything.” The woman explained, causing murmurs in the kitchen. “Well, she will be testing your food today, so maybe you should tell her.” Her mother’s voice caused a smile.
“You sound like a married woman, wanting to cook for your wife and do a little surprise.” Joohyun joked, causing laughter around her. “Oh! Joohyun is right, you do sound like that.” Byul's voice followed right after the laughs died. “Maybe it will be me soon, who knows,” Minjeong says, the dark-haired girl could sense the smile in her words and felt her heart warm with love, after a couple of seconds listening to the woman, she decided to enter the kitchen to do the thing she was supposed to do, look for the plates.
.
“Do you want me to help you dry your hair?” Jimin turned her attention to the woman standing close to the bed. “If you don’t mind.” She said while walking towards her with the dryer in her hands. “Sit, if we don’t do it, your hair will be too frizzy in the morning.” The older just followed her indications, closing her eyes as she felt fingers in her hair, moving it around, minutes later where the only sound in the room was the drier, the atmosphere was calm and warm, Jimin looked around her girlfriend’s room, remembering all the laughs, dance, study sessions and more they shared years ago, smiling to herself as she feels Minjeong’s hand running through her hair softly, smelling the oil.
“All done.” The younger says as she unplugs the dryer and sets it aside.
“Thank you, what would I do without you?” Jimin says with a smile after pecking her cheek with a kiss. “Probably have frizzy hair.” They both chuckled at the joke, moving together to lie in bed.
“Can’t believe I’m going to be an aunt.” Jimin perks up her attention to her girlfriend minutes later. “Your brother knows how to give surprises, your parents almost passed out, Byul’s parents were really happy.” The older says, pushing the girl closer by the waist. “You will be a great aunt.” Minjeong looks at her. “How do you know that?”
“Well, for a start, you are a lovely person, very sweet and always truthful, you do anything for the people you love, and the way you show how much you care and love is the sweetest thing ever. That kid is going to be so lucky; they already have gold in their lives for having the Kim family at their side.” Jimin shares, looking at the girl, noticing the blush creeping in her cheeks and neck, causing a grin on her face. “Careful, or otherwise I will believe you have a crush on me,” Minjeong says, causing a laugh in the older. “You discovered my darkest secret.” The short girl puffs at her while resting her head on her chest. “I discovered a secret from you.” Jimin sees how the woman raises her eyebrow without moving an inch from her place. “I heard you early, about you attending culinary classes to surprise me.
“You sneaking thing.” The younger comments caused a giggle in the older woman. “But yes, I have been taking them for some time now, and I wanted to surprise you with a dinner too delicious you wouldn’t want to cook again or eat another person's food but mine.” Jimin nods her head after hearing her.
“Why? I mean, why take them if you know I like cooking for you?” The older asks. “For the same reason I guess, I like doing things because I know you will like them, and since I feel so loved every time you cook me a warm dish, I wanted to return that feeling, also to help, sometimes you reach home later than I do and maybe receiving you with a warm meal is what will recharge you.” She says softly, almost shy with the revelation, squeezing herself deeper into the hug.
“Joohyun was right, you sound like a married woman.” The older says, giggling as she feels a little whine coming from the girl, hugging her a little close as she thinks about the ring resting in the pocked of jacket resting down stairs, she could try to untangled herself from the younger girl and walk down stairs, trying to not wake everybody in the house, walk towards her and kneel in front of her while she’s on bed, it wouldn’t be that romantic but it will be symbolic, since this was the place that started it, where she learned she loved her best friend, I was easy to follow that plan, the words forming in her brain, as she tries to move she feels Minjeong snuggles closer to her, realizing a sigh.
“Jimin”
“Hm?”
“I love you.” Minjeong yawns after murmuring, the older can feel how sleepy the girl is. “I love you, too.” She murmurs, realizing the woman is already asleep, and Jimin’s head drifts towards the ring in her pocket, waiting for her real owner, so she holds Minjeong tighter towards her. “Maybe in another time.”
4.- FEBRUARY 25’
-
Can I move now?
The raven woman asks, feeling her checks warm from the weather around them, from her place she could see the snow around where she was standing, her hands in her pockets trying to look for heat, her clothes a little wet for the time out, her beanie trying to cover now her short hair from the snow and failing miserably, seeing how her girlfriend was checking the camera in her hands with a small smile adorning her face. “Maybe try to lean forward, I’m trying to recreate that picture Joohyun took years ago, the one where you look handsome.” Jimin rolls her eyes at her words but still follows what the other woman wants, seeing the flash coming from the camera, hearing seconds later the title squeal, Minjeong leaves as she stares at the picture.
A noise draws her attention from her girlfriend, turning her head she finds not too far from they were standing, the culprit Yizhuo, laughing with her whole body at her wife for falling into the snow with a loud sound, she sees how the woman tries to help her just to be stopped by the Japanese on the floor. “Don’t even think of coming closer, Yizhuo, if you fall, that can hurt the baby.” She giggles as she sees how Aeri tries and fails to stand for a couple of seconds until she’s up again, laughing embarrassedly as the younger girl brushes snow from her head with the sweetest smiles ever. “Be careful, you dork, you will hurt yourself for real, and then we will be stuck in the house you rent.” The Korean woman turns her head as they are about to kiss, feeling an intruder for witnessing their sweet moment.
Returning her attention to the woman in front of her she sees how the girl is still taking pictures of her while she was distracted by her friends so she smiles at her, feeling her ears red for being caught, Minjeong lowers her camera after the last picture is taken and stares at her with an unreadable expression in her face, seconds later she walks closer towards her and grabs her neck and pulls her, kissing her hard for a couple of seconds, she pulls back with a grin in her face and walks away, taking her camera to capture her flustered and dizziness state, smiling with pride at the pics she took.
“That’s no fair.” She says softly after a couple of seconds staring at the short woman, deciding to walk closer to the small woman to stare at the photos of her. “Can I take some of you?” She asks, Minjeong nods eagerly at this and walks out of the place towards where there is more snow around. “I want some here.” The brunette woman says while turning towards the raven woman, who takes the camera and snaps some shots, one smiling and others pouting. “I think you look really cute here in the snow, more in that blue jacket,” Jimin commented with a smirk, seeing how Minjeong’s blush became stronger. “Blue suits you a lot, you look very lovely like this, drowned in blue.” She grins at the woman, stepping closer to her so she can show her the pictures. “Thank you.” She replies gently, with rosy cheeks and ears, raising her hand to clean something from Jimin’s face.
“I believe it’s because blue is Jimin’s favorite color.” She mumbles before closing the gap between them, Minjeong’s arms wrapping around her neck, bringing her down for a kiss filled with love and adoration, Jimin is the first to pull away, breathing heavily, staring dumbly at the sight in front of her, swollen lips and flushed checks, she ends kissing her check gently before hugging her, feeling the warm breath of the short girl in her neck and thinks about the roughness of the rock, about how cold she would feel if she drops in one knee, about how little she care about it, how lovely Minjeong would look, surprise, a little embarrassed for the amount of people out seeing them, she thinks about her friends a couple of steps behind them, how loud Aeri’s screams could be, how Yizhuo would start recording. The ring in her coat, heavy now that ashes are aware of it, so she tries.
“Minjeo-
Before she could at least try to kneel, she felt snow hitting her face hard, causing her to stumble back a little in confusion. She moves her eyes to her friend, laughing. “OH, you are dead, Uchinaga.” She screams before scooping snow into her hands and throwing it, hitting are in the back. “You are on!” She sees how the woman throws another snowball, but this time hits Minjeong in the face. “I’M SORRY.” The Japanese woman screams while Yizhuo cackles beside her, the older woman notices how Aeri places herself in front of her wife before Minjeong’s snowball could hit her. “This is war, Uchinaga!” The four of them ended up playing for about an hour together, laughing and screaming, with Aeri covered in snow because of how much she tried to protect Yizhuo, who came as Jimin.
“Look at the state of you, Jimin,” Minjeong says after they calmed down, the older grins at her while heavying breathing. “You are covered in snow, same as the other dork.” The raven grins as she feels Minjeong’s hand in her hair with trying to remove the snow in her while the other hand grabs her beanie. “You have snow in your hair, too.” The taller says while cleaning the girls too, smiling at the look of concentration her girlfriend has, stealing a kiss for how cute she looks.
“You two look like newlyweds from afar.” Yizhuo voice bringing them to reality, seeing how Aeri was almost clean from snow and a smile in her face. “If we didn’t know you two, we would think that.” She comments too, the older noticing the smirk in her face before turning her attention to the woman beside her, noticing how she smiled at the words, her eyes disappearing into crescent moons. “Well, I bet we make cute newlyweds.” She says while grabbing Jimin’s hands in her.
5.-
“Can you stop pouting? It’s getting ridiculous.”
Aeri glared at her. “I could push you right now, look how far we are from the floor.”
“Please don’t, she will get dizzy and have a bad time.” Minjeong talks beside them, causing a smile on her girlfriend’s face. “And be nice, Jimin, Aeri is sad because her pregnant wife can’t ski without us because it’s dangerous for her and the baby.” The Japanese smiles sadly at that. “I know she reassured me that it was fine for me to come with you guys and for her to stay in the cabin down there, but I feel bad for leaving her alone.” She feels a hand gripping hers, looking up, she sees Jimin smiling at her. “She knew how excited you were for this class, and she’s fine down there, I know it, I wanted to stay with her.” The short girl says beside them, causing a chuckle in both girls with her words.
“It’s not every day we can be together to take a class to learn how to ski, so let’s cheer up and be our best selves right now, no matter how scared we are of this height.”
Aeri hums at that. “The view here in Verbier is very pretty.” Jimin turned her attention to the window of the small cableway they were riding to reach the place they needed to be, staring into it she noticed how everything looked small from there, and how much white was around them, the city was covered in snow, giving it an angelic appearance, mountains towered around them, capped with spotless white snow that sparkled against the sunlight creating a stunning view. “What’s the name of this place, Aeri?”
“This is Tzoumaz les vallées, I spent a lot of my childhood here with my family. “She received a hum from the Korean girl, not too far from where they were. she noticed a group going down into the hill. Her attention was piqued as she felt a small squeeze in her hand. she smiled, and Minjeong, who was just looking around, smiled. “Do you want to take a picture? I brought my camera.” She asked, smiling at how eagerly the girl nodded her head.
“Where did you keep the camera? All of our things stayed down with Ning.” Aeri asked with curiosity. “My jacket has pockets.”
Aeri raised an eyebrow. “Do you have another thing there?” She asked with a smirk and knowing look. “Just my camera, now shush and take a picture with us.” The Japanese girl chuckled at her words, looking at the camera. “It looks like we reached our destiny, oh, I’m so excited for this.” The older shared with them a grin adorning her face. “You can fool anybody with this excitement, I wouldn’t think you are afraid of heights,” Aeri said while standing next to the woman, seeing how she helped Minjeong get out to start walking to their destination.
“Well, that’s the idea, don’t let them know you fear.” Aeri just chuckled at them before walking ahead of them. “I still can’t believe this is the first time you are trying skiing, by the way, since you always came with your parents before. “The shorter among them said towards the Japanese after walking into the reception. “My father loved to come here every time, but I was afraid of heights back in the day, so I would always beg to stay down with mom.” She explained with a nostalgic smile. “He tried every year to convince me, but it was impossible until a couple of years ago when Ning made it possible.” Both women nodded their heads. “The power of love, I guess,” Jimin commented, causing a bigger smile on Aeri’s face. Before they could talk more, a voice interrupted them.
“Welcome to La Tzoumaz here in Verbier, how can we help you today?” A man spoke with perfect English to them. “Good morning, we have a group ski class reservation, it’s behind the name Uchinaga.” The Japanese girl answered in perfect English, seeing how the man checked something on the computer. “Yes, but unfortunately, Mr. Yoshida had an emergency today, so he’s unable to do the class as you requested. We can tell another of our teachers to take his place if you want.” He explained to them. “That’s okay, whoever can do the class, it's fine.” He nodded before picking up the phone.
“Who’s Mr. Yoshida?” Minjeong asked her friend. “He’s a family friend, very close to my dad.” The girl hummed at the information.
“Mr. Jonsson here will be your ski teacher, and sorry for the inconvenience caused for this.” The same man talked towards them now with a taller man beside him, ho smiled at them. “Nice to meet you, I hope we have fun today.” After the introductions and some things explained, the four found themselves putting the equipment and listening to the Switzerland man. “Since it’s your first time, we are going to be slow coming down the slopes, skiing is about control and strength, and balance, remember what gives you velocity is your legs and how you move your body.” He explained to them while showing the technique. “You need to keep your knees slightly bent, same as you do when you skate; your weight is what will move you around.”
The women nodded their heads after finishing with the equipment. “Since we are four, I will be with Miss Aeri, and since you are wives, you can come right behind us so I don’t lose track of you while descending.” He explained distractedly beside the Japanese, who just chuckled at the words the man said. Jimin raised an eyebrow, caught off guard by him, while the younger girl stifled a laugh beside her. “I guess we are wives now.” Jimin smiled at the teasing from her girlfriend. “A great thing if you ask me.” She whispered to the woman, now missing the blush in her.
“Okay, let’s try going down first and some turns.”
-
“You know, I’m a little sad Yizhuo can’t come with us.” Jimin turned her attention to the girl walking beside her. “She loves ice skating, but since now it’s dangerous for the baby, she can’t do a lot of activities.” The raven girl hummed at this. “It’s sad, yes, but they look so happy for it, like Ning’s pregnancy, it’s a nice view, the group is growing up.” The older commented with a smile adorning her face. “Aeri too, she looks so happy lately, like she can’t believe her luck.” She smiles at the words. “They are going to be excellent parents.” Minjeong nodded her head with the same smile. “They will.”
The weather outside was cold but bearable for them, the brunette left hand was secure in the older pocket while they strolled down the Loisirs park, people filled the space around them, walking around with scarf and fluffy sweaters to maintain the heat, the noise coming from the different stores around them filled the space, with laughter and different languages, the raven girl could notice English and French among all, some mandarin and maybe some Spanish, she was impress by the among of culture around, she felt how the younger girl moved her hand away from her so she turned her attention to her just to find her with her camera, taking some pictures around the place.
Jimin waited a couple of minutes, walking behind the woman to pop the question. “Do you know what would be amazing right now?”
She could see how Minjeong’s eyes lit up at her words. “Hot chocolate? With marshmallows on top?” She nods at the words. “There’s a line there in that stop, and people are looking too happy after taking a sip, so I want to try.” The brunette nods, stretching her hand for her to take so they could walk towards together, Jimin buries her face into the scarf the younger girl gift her years ago, it wasn’t snowing anymore but the street was still covered by snow, causing a glistering imagen thanks to the lamps lights around them, she takes Minjeong’s hands into her pocked again while walking.
Minutes later, they are walking again, now with two cups of hot chocolate and some treats for both women in the house. “I can see why people were having an orgasm while drinking this,” Jimin said, laughing after feeling the push her girlfriend gave. “You don’t have to say it like that!” she says with a pout. “But I will give you credit, this tastes amazing.” She said before taking another sip and humming contentedly, the older girl just stared at her, enchanted by the view in front of her. Burned red checks thanks to the ski activity they did early, her lips rosy from the hot drink in her hands, and the warm and cozy eyes, pleased by being there. Jimin was aware of the ring resting in her bag; she could kneel there, since the street was a little lonely on their way to their housing up in town, the lights would make a great background.
“Do you hear that?” Or maybe not. “It sounds like an animal.” Minjeong stops death in its tracks, almost causing the older to stumble with her. When Jimin looked in the direction her girlfriend was examining, she heard the noise coming from behind an alley, The younger girl turned her eyes at Jimin with a worried look in her eyes. “Stay here, I will see what it is.” She said while passing her drink to the hands of the other woman and walking into the alley to explore. She followed the sound to a trash can just to find a little dirty white puppy trying to hide from the cold weather and the snow. when it noticed the woman, it barked scared, she could see how much it was trembling. “Hey little guy, I promise I will not hurt you.” She talks while crouching slowly, she extended her right hand first so he could smell her, after a couple of seconds, she was patting softly at him and scooting him in her arms.
She walked with him out of the alley to see her girlfriend face getting bright at the sight "oh look at him Jimin! He’s so cute!" she whispered before petting the puppy, causing a chuckled in the older woman "It seem like he’s alone and was abandoned here to freeze." Jimin says. Seeing how the younger girl pouted at the words, she looked at her girlfriend with pleading eyes. “Let’s take him, we can feed him and bathe him, maybe take him to Korea?” Jimin just stared at the woman in front of her, seeing how she was still petting the puppy and smiling at him cutely. “Do you think Gungdaeng will like the company? He can be a jealous cat,” she grinned at the enthusiasm of the woman after hearing her. “Of course, he will like it, I know my baby will take this little guy in with much love.”
“Well, I don’t mind having another companion with us then.” Minjeong’s shriek surprised not only her but the little guy in her arm who was tagging his tail at them. the younger hugged her, causing them to fall into the snow for strength. they just laughed as the little puppy barked at them from Jimin’s arms. After standing and cleaning themselves, they decided to walk back to the town so they could buy some things for the puppy.
“Do you want to name him?” Jimin asked later while trying to maintain the little thing contained in her arm as she saw how the younger girl picked dog food. “What about dusty? I always wanted to name my puppy like that.”
Jimin smiled at the memory she had of them discussing that when they were younger, “I like that, did you hear that baby? Your name will be dusty now.” She said with a baby voice to the guy in her arms, smiling at the tail moving, raising her head, she caught Minjeong looking at her with a soft smile. “It suits you.” She said while walking away from the into another corridor, being followed by her and the new addiction,
+1
“He’s so cute, Minjeong, he looks just like you.” Yizhuo's voice caused a pout in the older girl. “Don’t make that face because you know it’s true, I still can believe Jimin found a maltase out in the cold like that.” The woman shared while petting the now sleepy dog in her lap. “I guess she’s his savior, together with me,” Minjeong says softly with a smile adorning her face. “We bought a lot of things in the store, so while we are here, he will be comfy,” she shares with her friend, who is staring at her. “What?”
“I feel you are far away from here, like you are abstracted,” The Chinese says with curiosity, causing surprise in the brunette. “How can you tell?”
She smiles. “I’m your best friend, I have an ability Jimin doesn’t have, it’s making you talk in the moment. Now, tell me what it is so I can try to help you.” She says while scooting a little closer to the older girl. “It’s a little silly.”
Yizhuo just stared at her. “Maybe it is, but it’s clearly bothering you, so spill, if you are worried about those overhearing, don’t, you can’t hear anything from the kitchen.”
Minjeong nodded at the words of her best friend. “I just thought another thing was going to come out of this trip.” She stared at the confusing face of her friend, stifling a laugh. “A proposal, Yizhuo.” She fully laughed at the face her friend made. “I mean, this trip has been amazing don’t get me wrong, but I have been getting this vibe from Jimin lately, like she’s going to propose or at least she’s thinking about it, but she doesn’t, and I thought that in this trip she would, I have been dropping hints at her that I want to be her wife and her to be mine, but I guess they aren’t that good.” She shares with Yizhuo, fidgeting with her hands.
“Have the two of you talked about marriage?” she asked while staring at her best friend. “Yes, we have, sometimes in bed or eating, we comment on it, we even told each other we are ready to jump that step into the relationship, and she told me she would do it eventually, but I don’t know.” She shares with the Chinese girl. “For example, before she went to America we were in a restaurant and she looked me in a way I thought she was going to do it there, asks me to marry her but we got interrupted, the look was gone and everything, also the day we arrived here, when we were taking pictures, I felt the same thing but it didn’t happen, maybe is my head messing with me, there are so many moments I could tell you about her having this certain look in her eyes, like she’s ready but it doesn’t happen, I don’t know if I am reading too much into it.”
“I know what you mean.” Minjeong looked at her with curiosity. “You do?” Yizhuo nodded her head with a soft smile. “Aeri, before asking me was like that, she had this look that made me so nervous because it looked so serious, she would stare at me very intensely in random moments, but the moment I moved, the look was gone, it’s like it never was there.” The brunette nodded her head at the information. “If Jimin does that too, believe me, Minjeong, she’s thinking about it. Hell, I can tell you she has been ready to marry you for years, that woman has loved you for over a decade, more than that, she’s probably waiting for the perfect moment, it's going to hit her in the face when she realizes every moment is the perfect one.”
“I know she is, it’s just my desire that is talking right now, a part of me could wait for her to pop the question for years, I don’t care.” She shares with her friend beside her. “But the other side of me is so exasperate, waiting for her to do it, desperate to call her my wife, I even do it when she’s not with me, and I know she does it too, I can tell from some looks people give me.” Yizhuo smiles at that. “You know, I feel she could do it sooner rather than later, and if she doesn’t propose to you by the end of the year, she will be hearing from me.” The brunette laughed at the words of her friend before squeezing her hand.
“Dinners are ready, my ladies.” Before they could talk more, Aeri’s face popped into the room they were in with a smile before entering to help her wife, while walking out of the room, she noticed how Yizhuo winked at her, making her feel a little lighter and secure.
-
The cold breeze struck them in the face when they come out of the cabin’s back yard they were staying, Jimin push string of her short hair out of her eyes, clearing her view to explore into the place, noticing how big the place was, she stares at the tress covered in snow around them, clear sky for the first time, offering an amazing change of scenery from one in the beginning of their shared vacations. She took a breath and smiled at the serenity around her. “Sometimes I forget how rich Aeri is.” She comments, bringing her girlfriend's attention to her instead of the scenario in front of them. “Every time I think she cannot surprise me more, she does something like this.” The brunette said.
After exploring a little around they walked part the yard towards where the snow piled taller than the rest of the house and decided to build a snowman, something they did every time they were together and snow was involved, it was their favorite activity to do together, even if now they were older than the last time they did. “Do you remember the last time we did this? When was it?” Jimin asked the girl collecting snow with her hands. “Maybe two years ago? We did those small ones before freezing out, we almost caught a cold back there.” The brunette comments with a smile on her face, thanks to the memory. “Do you think we should do two this time? Instead of a big one?” Jimin asks after a couple of seconds. “One tall and the other small, like us.” She says with a smirk adorning her lips. “That’s not fair, I am not that tiny, and you are not that tall.” The younger woman snarls back with a pout, causing a snort in the taller one. “It doesn’t matter, actually; you will always be small and I will always try to push myself up to look big so I can impress you.”
Minjeong caught a laugh. “You think you are really funny, but you are just a dork.” Jimin smiles at this while shaping a circle of one of the snowmen. “I know I am funny because you always laugh at my antics.” She starts with confidence before leaning towards the girl. “And I have been your dork for almost five years now, I don’t see it like a bad thing.” Minjeong just hums with a smile before helping her with the body of both snowmen, while they are moving around, the wind becomes colder, and snow starts to fall, gathering on their shoulders and hair.
“Jimin, beanies are created to protect your head from the snow. where is yours?” the brunette asked after noticing the snow in the raven's head. “I left it inside, I don’t like wearing them, you know that.” The older said, still focused on the snow around her. “I know, but that doesn’t mean I will not bother you with this, you will whine about being too cold.” The older just hummed at the woman. “It’s done, next time I promise to try and put my beanie on after getting out, that’s okay?” She asks, turning her attention to her girlfriend. “Deal, I will make sure of that.”
“I know you will.”
They stayed silent after that, focused on the snow and the form of both snowmen, something laughing at the situation or comments the other said, not caring about the snow falling around them. “He looks really silly with that mole.” Jimin scoffed at the words of the brunette after standing and seeing their work done. “I think he looks handsome, very demure if you mind, he’s holding hands with yours by the way.” Minjeong laughed at the antics of the woman. “I can tell, for the way their arms are touching.” She says while moving closer to the woman, climbing onto her arm for warmth.
Staring down at Minjeong in that moment, seeing the snow and smiling softly, with her eyes like a crescent moon, she feels her breath catch in her throat, the snow illuminating in her face, creating an angelic look, adorning the curve of her checks, adorned with flush thanks to the cold around them, the soft curve of her lips, her expression made Jimin felt like she was witnessing a dream come true, like she casted a spell and she felt into it, easy into her charms, her heart was beating, thanks to the view beside her. In that very moment, the realization struck her. The woman beside her was a masterpiece, one she loved yesterday, loved today, and wanted to love for the rest of her life.
“You look heavenly right now.” Hearing her giggling into her arm tickled her ears. “I brought my camera, so let me take some pictures of them and we can go inside to warm up.” The small girl said, stepping far from her so she could look for her camera, seeing her grinning as she took pictures, she knew, it was the moment, the ring heavy, screaming for her, it was now or never, not going back after seeing her and feeling this warmhearted inside her. After swallowing her nerves, she shoved her hand into her pocket, hoping her hands weren’t so sweaty or trembling as she kneeled in the snow, immediately noticing the cold in her and chuckling at it.
“I think these are enough, maybe we should try to take one with them.” The younger commented, unaware of what was waiting behind her. “What do you say Jim- “
Her words cut by the stifled gaps released by her throat while her hands covered her mouth, sending an overwhelming feeling into her body, leading her to start trembling in the middle of the backyard, the camera falling into the snow. As she stared at the woman in front of her, she noticed how sincere and full of love her eyes looked, diverting her eyes from her, she noticed the gold ring, her blue gemstone shining and resalting for all the white around them.
“Minjeong…” The name slipped from her lips, her voice exposing her nervousness and longing for the woman, shaken because, finally after so many attempts, she was asking the woman she loved to be with her forever.
“I have been trying to do this for some time now, every time being interrupted by something or someone, making me believe the moment was not right, but here, right now, together with you, I couldn’t hold it in anymore.” Her smile was more of a frown, showing her nerves. “I prepared like twenty speeches for this moment, none of them are making it to this moment, so I’m sorry if this comes out very messy.” Minjeong shakes her head, with tears already rolling down her cheeks. “I have known you since I was sixteen years old, liked you since I was seventeen, longed for you to notice me in my twenties, desired you at twenty-three in ways I didn’t know were possible, loved you for over eight years. We have been in each other's lives for fifteen years. I want to be with you for fifteen more, and then thirty more, and then a hundred more.” A smile tugged at her lips at her words.
Minjeong laughed at that, sounding more like a sob trapped in her throat as the words washed over her, whirling her into a bunch of emotions she never knew she could feel at the same time in her chest and brain. Her eyes locked onto the deep brown the raven has, holding onto every word as if her life depended on it.
“You make me happier than I ever thought I could be. I thought I was destined to love you in the shadows until that day in your house. Since that day, I have only felt happiness. Since that day, I realized that I want to be with you forever. If you let me, I promise I will try for the rest of my life to make you feel the same way, to return half of the contentment you have given me since I met you years ago. I want to marry you and have kids and grow old in a house down the road. I want everything with you.” Jimin smiled at her before licking her lips.
“Kim Minjeong, I want the future to be a safe place where we can rest indefinitely and feel like us. If you do me the honor of creating that with me, do you want to be my wife?”
Minjeong surged forward, closing the gap between them, feeling the cold snow on her knees as her arms wrapped around Jimin’s neck in a tight hug. The force of her sudden movement caused them to tumble onto the snow, where the raven found herself landed right on her back with the small girl on top of her, warmth blooming in her heart as she felt a series of kisses pampering her face, lips capturing hers at the end in a flurry of more kisses—and laughter. Kisses that only stopped so Minjeong could answer.
“Yes! A thousand times, yes, you fool.”
“Yes? No taking back.” Minjeong laughed through tears of happiness before kissing her again, firmly this time, expressing her joy. “Wait, the ring.” Jimin pulled back to see where the ring was. After finding it not too far from where they fell, the raven-haired girl helped the other off of her so she could kneel again, this time on both knees, copying the woman in front of her before sliding the ring softly onto her finger, smiling at the sight of it. “Now you will always carry me with you, since it's blue.” The brunette girl grinned at her words and nodded eagerly. “I will gladly do it.” Jimin smiled, with tears flowing down her cheeks. She leaned in once more, seeking her lips, sealing their words.
….
PD:
“She did it,” Yizhuo said from the window, with a smile adorning her face as she saw how the couple was laughing about being all wet, kissing once more. “Aeri, are you crying?”
“Yes! That was beautiful, I can’t believe she proposed to her best friend in this beautiful scenery, and we got to witness it and record it.” She said between sobs, looking at the video she recorded on her phone. “Aeri, I should be the one crying, not you, since the hormones and all.” The younger said with a trembling voice.
“You are crying, my love.” The Japanese girl accused her. “Yes, because of you.” Aeri chuckled at the situation, averting her eyes towards the couple that was still on the snow, this time hugging each other, drowning themselves in the snow. “Let’s go out before they freeze or catch a cold for being too in love and not noticing it is literally snowing.”
“Help me with my shoes,” Yizhuo said while walking towards the door and grabbing Aeri’s coat first, smiling as she felt her wife’s lips on hers.
“Gladly.”