Chapter Text
Ahn Suho had known since she was five that she didn't want to live another day without Yeon Sieun. That she couldn't live without the other girl.
Yeon Sieun is Ahn Suho’s everything.
Suho wasn't religious by any means. Her halmeoni never pressured her to believe anything either, always leaving it up to Suho herself to come to her own beliefs.
So, Suho was one hundred percent sure that whatever higher being that was out there, had blessed her with glossy doe-eyed Yeon Sieun.
It was decided then, quiet genius Yeon Sieun was Ahn Suho’s to protect from this cruel world.
Although Yeon Sieun was stubborn, extremely stubborn, Ahn Suho was just as determined.
It was a cruel world, Sieun’s parents being just as cruel to leave the young girl to fend for herself starting from such a young age, but Suho wasn't going to leave her side for a moment.
Suho would make a whole new universe for Sieun if she could.
Now, the seven-year-old girl squatted down under the old tree just in front of their school, waiting for Sieun to finally come out after the bell screamed of their dismissal.
Suho boredly plucked the grass that reached her ankles, gently tickling her whenever she took a step.
The sight had a few passing students giggling, the words ‘Ahn Suho loves Yeon Sieun. Ahn Suho and Yeon Sieun will get married’ carved into the tree rooted in its spot behind the young girl apparently humorous.
“Are you a dog?” Are the first– very blunt– words to leave Sieun’s mouth as she halts her steps in front of the crouching girl.
Suho doesn't reply, squinting her eyes from the harsh sun to look up at Sieun’s face. Her silence only earned a small impatient scoff from Sieun, whose shoulders dropped as she moved her head to look at their surroundings– a nervous tick Suho had taken note of the first time she ever saw it.
Suho finally stood up, still silent as ever.
“You’re unbelievable, really,”
“Unnie,” Suho mumbled her interruption, shyly looking down at her foot that started awkwardly kicking at the dirt.
“What?”
“Say unnie, I’m older than you. You brat.” Suho, with sudden confidence thrumming in her veins— the volume of her voice growing firm, scolded the girl; grabbing the backpack that hung off one of Sieun’s shoulders to carry on her own back before she stomped off a few steps on the pathway exiting the school yard.
Sieun stood frozen for a moment, eyes slightly widened with surprise at the older girl's sudden outburst. She blinks once more before starting to follow after Suho, shuffling her way to her usual spot next to Suho; her arm wrapping itself around Suho’s as they made their way to their homes.
Suho, headstrong as ever when it came to Sieun, had loudly determined she was going over with Sieun to her house. And Yeon Sieun, who could never deny Ahn Suho, stayed silent, not bothering to deny the older girl. Her unnie. Her Ahn Suho.
The two laid on their stomachs in the living room of Sieun’s apartment. Suho’s gentle humming, Sieun’s pencil scratching on the paper as she silently drew and the sound of the wind chimes collecting the breeze in the window echoed the apartment.
“What did you answer for the ‘dream job’ question?” Suho turned her head to Sieun, who didn't lift her head at Suho’s sudden question.
It takes Sieun a second to realize Suho is asking about what she answered on the little questionnaire Miss Lee had given them to answer earlier.
Her eyes don't leave the paper in front of her, and her hand doesn't pause its movement. She lets out a small breath. Sudden shyness blooms in her stomach, the harsh words her mother had commented about artists sometime ago whispered in the back of her mind.
“Artist. I want to be an artist.” Sieun lightly confesses, her tone shy as she tries to bury her face further into her sketchbook. Suho still notices the red ears peeking out behind Sieun’s hair, making Suho grin as she brings her head back down to continue what she was drawing herself.
After around half an hour of the girls drawing in occasional small conversations, Sieun gently places her pencil down on the wooden floor; making a small noise. Suho turns her head to the sound, quietly watching as Sieun gently folds her drawing in half.
“Is it done? Can I see?” Like a puppy wagging her tail for a treat, Suho sits up to stare at Sieun with big eyes and a bright smile. Sieun’s heart beats frantically at the sight, like a butterfly trying to escape a closed jar. Overwhelmed by this warm presence.
“No.”
“Whyyyyyy,” She over dramatically whines at Sieun’s denial, throwing her head back as if she were a crying toddler.
“Are you three? Why would you need to see it anyways?”
“Let me see it! I’ll even show you mine,” Her head flies around to look for her discarded drawing, snatching it from where it peacefully laid to shove in Sieun’s face.
Sieun raises an unimpressed eyebrow, moving her gaze up from the bulky stick figure drawing of a grown up version of the two of them outside a– presumably theirs– blue house. Two more little bulky stick figures stood in between them, children. She looks at Suho, blankly staring at the pouting girl.
She pressed the folded paper to Suho’s chest, her head falling forward to let her hair fall over to cover her flushed face. Suho– always having to drive Sieun insane– gently slips the paper out from Sieun’s hand, treating it as if it was worth millions.
She carefully unfolds the paper, as if it would rip from breath too close, her eyes widening in awe at the sight. Lightly sketched on the paper were two girls on the beach and two children. One woman was further back, watching. She watched the other woman running with the children in front of her.
“Whoa”
“It’s not that good, I’m going to throw it out.” Sieun's mumbled decision earns a scandalous gasp from Suho, who now hugs the drawing to her chest.
“No. This is beautiful, it belongs in a museum.” She stated like it was a fact, her serious tone making Sieun feel slightly more flustered from her finality.
Sieun gets up, moving to the kitchen to grab something for them to eat. Suho gently folds the drawing back up, placing it into her pocket with the intention to frame the drawing.
˙ . ꒷ 🥢 . 𖦹˙—
Suho had been sixteen when she’d finally confessed to Sieun– when she finally kissed Sieun.
Sieun had been scolding Suho, Her hand holding Suho’s, placed in Suho’s skirt pocket as they walked to Suho’s part time job. Sieun was going on about the amount of students that regularly fought at their school– only bringing the topic up because Suho had gotten into a bit of a scuffle with some other girls in the soccer club.
Suho tried to pay attention to Sieun’s worries– really– it’s just that Sieun’s lips looked so smooth and glossy, the thought of feeling them on her own two lips had Suho pressing her lips down together.
She looked away, trying to stop thinking about feeling the other girl's lips against her own.
“Are you even listening?” Sieun’s question finally snaps Suho out of it, her eyes coming up to stare into the big beautiful doe-eyes that her love had been drowning in for years.
The lack of response had Sieun let out another huff of annoyance, wondering why the girl that always listened to her seemed to not want to right now.
“Hmm? Yes, I am.”
“No. You’re not,” Sieun comes to a stop, Suho immediately following Sieun in halting her pace. “Jeez, listen to me once in a while.”
“How am I supposed to listen when your lips shine like that?” Suho suddenly snapped, Sieun’s face slightly retreating back out of shock.
“Wha-what?”
“You’re almost constantly pouting those glossy lips and I’m supposed to pay attention? Just how soft are they?” Suho’s words are flying out without much thought, her frustrations flowing out like a river.
“Try it."
“Wha-what?”
“I’ve been waiting for you to say something since we were seven. Try it, you coward.” She mumbles the insult with a slight pout, moving her flushed face to look anywhere but Suho.
Suho.exe has stopped working.
For a moment she just stares with wide eyes at the shorter girl’s side profile, lightheaded with her face warm. Her head was empty, only the words Sieun had last said echoing her head. ‘I’ve been waiting for you to say something since we were seven’
waiting for you
waiting
since we were seven
Her hands fly out to Sieun’s face, gently cupping it before her lips find their place on Sieun’s. The shorter girl lets out a small noise of surprise, her hands finding their way to grip the front of Suho’s windbreaker as she squeezed her eyes shut.
Suho felt light headed.
Her emotions were hitting her all at once, she couldn't even make out what she was feeling exactly. She wasn't all that concerned with how concerningly fast her heart was beating at the moment either, not when Yeon Sieun was kissing her so sweetly.
They both pulled away gasping, faces burning red. Sieun looked up at Suho with big eyes, while Suho’s eyes never left Sieun’s lips. A beat, hearts hammering in both their chests. Then they were diving in for another kiss, Sieun’s head pushed back with her feet on her tippy-toes whilst Suho pushs herself closer.
˙ . ꒷ 🥢 . 𖦹˙—
Sieun had been irritable lately.
Suho wasn't sure why. Or maybe she did know, Sieun mainly had been snappy with Suho rather than their friends.
But Suho wasn't sure why, and Sieun didn't seem too keen on telling her why either, leaving Suho to wallow in her own desperation— driving herself mad to figure out why Sieun was mad at her.
Even if Sieun wasn't being snappy towards their friends, she did not hide her attitude towards Suho from them.
So, at lunch Suho planned to finally confront the girl who'd walk away if Suho approached, only to be interrupted by one of her classmates just as Suho took her place across from Sieun at their table.
Suho was absentmindedly replying to the girl who'd started to nonstop talk next to her, chatter going in one of Suho's ears and out of the other. Suho thinks she has a class with this girl, maybe history? Suho doesn't know. She doesn't care, her eyes and mind are locked onto Sieun's face.
The quiet girl was definitely annoyed.
Her eyebrows were slightly scrunched, one of her eyes twitching every once in a while as she picked at her food.
Picked at her food.
Yeon Sieun never picks at her food.
"You never had a chance.” Sieun abruptly cuts off whatever the girl talking to Suho was saying, stabbing a piece of beef on her tray with her chopsticks, plopping the food in her mouth; angrily chewing it up.
Her whole body was on fire, jealousy burning like a fever. Gotak, Baku and Juntae all share a look, silently debating with each other if one of them should say something. The girl turns to Sieun with a scoff, disbelieved.
“What? You think you’re so special, huh? Suho doesn’t want you if you're going to be this much of a bitch. God,” she pauses to push her hair back, stepping back as she takes a quick look around the cafeteria before bringing her glare back down to Sieun.
“Suho’s not going to die without you, she doesn't need you. Get off your high horse Sieun-ssi. You're insufferable, even if you rank first place.”
“All she wants is me, all she thinks about is me, and all she needs is me. It's pathetic and embarrassing on your part, really.” Sieun blankly states. A fact. The cold hard truth. Emotion void of her face, throwing one more look to the girl before going back to eating her food.
Suho didn't say anything, staring at Sieun for a breath before taking food from her tray to put on Sieun’s; earning her an appalled scoff from Baku. The other girl lets out a huff, seeing Suho dotting on Sieun even after that— she stomps her way out of the cafeteria.
“Yah, that greedy asshole doesn’t even let me have a chip, but Sieun gets half her tray..”
“Yah..” Gotak cuts off Baku’s complaint with her own astonishment, Juntae softly elbowing Baku in the side to stop complaining of Suho’s bear appetite. Gotak brings her hands up, slowly clapping with her mouth slightly ajar.
“All she wants.. is me. All she thinks about…. is me. And all she needs.. is me.” Gotak dramatically pauses every few words, repeating what the usually level headed girl had previously said.
Juntae suppresses a small grin, pressing her lips together as brings her head down to face her tray; picking at her food.
“Amazing, Yeon Sieun. You are amazing.” Gotak gives her two thumbs up, Baku pointing at Gotak as she nods in agreement.
Suho picks more food from her tray to transfer to Sieun’s, a love-struck grin painted on her face.
“Love fool,” a low scoff comes from Baku. She then brings her arm up to point at Suho’s foolish face that can't seem to pull itself away from Sieun.
“She was snappy all morning but now you’re happy, huuuh?”
A small absent minded hum of agreement comes leaves Suho's throat, not really caring for what Baku had to say when she was watching the love of her life eat everything Suho was offering without complaint. Sieun seemed to be basking under Suho's attention, satisfied that the random girl from moments before finally left. Baku lets out another scoff, leaning back in her seat; giving up on even trying to talk to the idiot in love.
“Unbelievable.”
˙ . ꒷ 🥢 . 𖦹˙—
Suho really didn't know what was going on. Sieun’s mother had randomly shown up to one of Suho’s regular jobs– a steakhouse that Suho had been working at since she was thirteen that she’d never visited until this day– which was very out of character for the older lady.
Suho’s interacted with Sieun’s mother maybe three or four times before, so you couldn't really blame her for being shocked when the older woman asked to talk to Suho for a few minutes.
Suho sat across from Sieun’s mother at a booth in the back corner of the restaurant, her greasy apron still on. Sieun's mom scans Suho before looking back into the teenager’s eyes, a forced smile forming on her face; reaching out her hands to hold both of Suho’s. She slightly grimaces at the feeling of calluses formed on Suho’s hard working hands, letting out a small sigh.
"Suho-ssi, don't you want Sieun to succeed in life?"
“Huh?” Suho doesn’t know what gave the impression to Sieun’s mom that she didn't want the woman’s daughter to prosper in life. Suho would do anything for Sieun to reach the sky.
"How is she supposed to do that here? And you as her spouse? It's foolishness. How will she soar if you're holding her back with no money to support her? You don't plan to go into college either, how will that help you support my daughter in the long run?"
Her rapid fire questions had Suho’s head spinning, the thought that Suho couldn't actually support Sieun at all broke her own heart.
"I can make the money. I'll work hard, I can take it all for her."
"And how do you know that will be enough in the end? She has parents that can support her, what will you be able to do?"
"But..I.." Tears welling in her eyes, gently sliding her hands from the older woman’s grip off the table and into her own lap. Sieun’s parents actually have money to support her dreams. If she stayed with me…
Her eyes scanned the restaurant, looking at all the guests enjoying their meals in the seats surrounding the two of them. Her focus then found its way to the staff running around, the door to the kitchen showing the cooks working hard every time a waiter opened them. Her heart squeezed, making her feel suffocated; her fists clenched the fabric of her apron pooling in her lap, her face turning back to look at Sieun’s mother with a solemn expression.
I wouldn't be able to help Sieun soar, I’d only drag her down.
“You’d only drag her down.”
Hearing the words leave someone else's lips was far more painful than thinking them herself, especially when it came so coldly from the woman that gave birth to the girl Suho loves so much.
So, Suho gave herself two days.
Two days until Sieun’s last day in their hometown, where Yeon Sieun and Ahn Suho’s love bloomed like a Lily of the valley.
Sieun's probably fighting against her mom about going to America. Suho still had to talk to Sieun anyway, planning to make this final push for Sieun’s success.
So after her shift she made her way straight to their tree, having already told Sieun to meet her there after her shift.
Sieun, as usual, had beaten her there: sitting on a blanket under the shade of the tree.
Sieun wore baggy sweatpants and a white tank-top with Suho’s jacket thrown on top. The sight had Suho’s heart racing, her palms starting to lightly sweat as she got closer.
Suho gave a small mumbled greeting as she sat down next to Sieun, Suho figured she could be greedy for one more hour. Just one more hour of having Sieun in her life.
They had their usual conversation, talking about everything and anything. Around thirty minutes the topic had drifted, Sieun sulking about her mother wanting to send her off to study in America; about three minutes into her rant Suho had– for the first time ever– cut Sieun off.
“Sieun-ah. Just go.” She breathed out.
Sieun snapped her head at Suho like she’d suddenly grown two more. She was frozen like a statue, shocked expression, trying to figure out if Suho really had just said that or if it was a figment of her own imagination. Her eyes darted all over Suho’s face, realizing Suho really had said that to Sieun.
“What? You've been acting weird for two days, now I'm getting this? Do you not want me in your life? Do you not need me in it?” Her eyebrows pinched, confused hurt on her face.
Suho's silence doesn't help, the delicate heart in Sieun's chest feels like it's cracking. One by one, tears spilled from Sieun’s eyes. Suho was serious.
Suho couldn't fight the urge to wipe them— it was instinct for Suho to take care of Sieun. Being the reason for Yeon Sieun’s pain had Suho tearing up herself, a few even falling down her cheeks.
I need you like I need oxygen, I crave for your presence constantly, I'll die without it. I’d give you my soul even for just a minute of your love.
“Just go, Sieun-ah. Studying in America will be good for you.”
“Fine. I’m never coming back then. I might even end up marrying some– some American guy.” Sieun exaggeratedly adds the last bit, jutting her chin out; hoping that Suho didn't want her to leave, that Suho needed Sieun like Sieun needs her— that Suho would stop her from leaving.
Suho sat with a broken heart, tears flowing down her face as she fought her body that screamed to follow after the stomping off Yeon Sieun.
It hurt, watching Sieun’s figure get smaller as she got further away. I need her.. but does she need me?
The words from Sieun’s mother come back to her mind, making her lightly shake her head before getting up to go home.
Sieun doesn't need me.
˙ . ꒷ 🥢 . 𖦹˙—
Suho was avoiding Sieun.
A little test, experiment even, for herself. The 'getting used to being without Yeon Sieun' experiment.
Sieun was getting prepared to leave to study in the U.S and Suho was getting ready to be without Sieun for the rest of her life. So for two days she avoided Sieun.
With what seemed to be a blink of an eye, the day of Sieun’s departure arrived.
The thought alone made Suho’s stomach churn, the very thought of living without Yeon Sieun was impossible.
It was impossible for Suho to live without Sieun.
What was she going to do?
She followed her usual routine of getting ready for work, as if in a daze— her once full heart now empty. That seemed to be common now, Suho having days where she felt like a ghost. Only, it seemed to be that she had mindless days exclusively without Yeon Sieun accompanying her.
It was weird.
Going to turn to Sieun after anything she wanted to talk about came to her head, only to see that no one was by her side to listen. Her diamond heart cracked bit by bit every time Suho turned to find empty space next to her. Where Sieun should be. Where Sieun always was. Until now.
Most of Suho’s shift consisted of her getting odd looks, probably wondering where Sieun is. The two had been inseparable since second grade, Suho always having followed Sieun like a puppy.
While people outside their neighborhood thought Suho was stupidly devoted to Sieun, they didn't know how faithful Sieun was in return.
Of course the adults that knew the two girls for basically all their lives would notice. Sieun is just as ruthlessly loyal to Ahn Suho. Just like a cat. Acting indifferent towards Suho, but never straying far from her side.
The old neighborhood aunties can remember it all well. The day Suho had gotten in trouble with some boys, the girls must've been about nine when it happened.
Some boys had started up some trouble with Suho, cornering her. But the quiet Yeon Sieun had come to her rescue.
Except the usually silent girl hadn't been the least bit quiet.
She cursed the boys out, standing protectively in front of Suho, who stared at the back of Sieun’s head with puppy eyes. The aunties had watched as Sieun dragged Suho away from the crying boys, holding onto her uninjured arm.
Sieun nearly turned around to curse them out again when she realized Suho's wrist sprained.
You can't really blame the aunties for being so taken aback when Sieun wasn't with Suho. It was odd. They were always together.
“Suho-yah, are you on your lunch break yet? Come, come sit,” one of the aunties ushered her over, frantically moving her hand in a ‘come come’ motion.
Suho lets out an affirmative hum, pulling a chair from the empty table next to theirs to sit with the older ladies.
The ladies continued on with their conversation they were having before Suho came over, the teenager not paying much attention due to the longing tugging on her heart.
Suho mindlessly picks at the food her halmeoni had packed for her, the noisy restaurant nothing but buzzing in the back of her head. Until a sentence one of the aunties say grasps Suho’s unbroken attention.
“If I could go back.. I’d chase him to the ends of the earth,” auntie Kim said, wistfully. One chance, Suho realized. She has one chance. Suho has one chance. The sound of the chair legs scratching the floor has the women’s heads turning to Suho, who suddenly stood up– looking to be in a daze.
Then she ran straight out of the restaurant. The startled shouts from the old women fall deaf to Suho’s ears, they don't even try to follow after her. They know.
Suho runs and runs, ignoring the exhaustion creeping into her bones. The ribbons from her aprons flew violently in the wind, Suho racing to the airport with only one goal.
Run. Run or you’ll never see her again.
“YEON SIEUN!” barrelling into the airport, Suho shouts. She runs towards where her friends stood, staring at where Suho assumed Sieun had disappeared off into before turning to look over at the girl. Stumbling to a stop next to her friends, she starts panting from her journey before taking a deep breath.
“Yah! Yeon Sieun!” She calls out once more, hands going to her knees as she panted.
She ran miles, a marathon really, but she was still too late. I’ll never see her again.
Suho flops to the ground, her friends letting out small gasps as they crouch around her. Gotak and Juntae fan her off with their hands, Baku patting her back, all of them holding back their tears from the sight of Suho like this.
"Yeon Sieun!” She cries, tears finally slipping down her cheeks. She bites down on her bottom lip as choked sobs start leaving her, hiding her face in her chest.
She’s gone.
“Huh?”
Juntae, Gotak and Baku turn their heads in the direction of a sudden commotion, the crowd of people walking away from them letting out grunts and complaints as someone runs against their flow.
“Sieun?”
Suho snaps her head up at Baku’s voice, her gaze searching for what her friends were staring so intently at. Sieun fought against the current of people that swam to the other direction, trying her best to run towards her friends, to Suho.
Suho bolts up from the ground, slightly stumbling– still tired from all the running. She puts her hand on the shoulder of whoever was closest to her– Juntae, just for a moment to help her balance out. Sieun slams into Suho's chest, tightly gripping the back of Suho’s shirt as she embraces the taller girl. Both sob as they embrace each other.
“What happened? Did your mom cancel it?” Suho lightly pulls herself and Sieun back from each other, questioningly searching Sieun’s face. Sieun shakes her head with a small disagreeing hum, bringing her arm up to wipe her nose on her sleeve.
“I-I didn't want to go. So I ran, I didn't– I don’t want some American man!” Sieun hiccups out as she sobs, Suho fixing the hair-clip that meant to be holding Sieun’s bangs back but had gone askew in Sieun’s fight against the wave of people. The two sob, cupping each other's face as they sobbed together.
“Waahhhh, you two are amazing. I should just cancel my Netflix subscription already.” That comment earns a shoulder punch from Gotak. Baku lets out a startled pained yelp, her hand going to hold her ‘injured’ shoulder as she shoots a glare at Gotak.
˙ . ꒷ 🥢 . 𖦹˙—
Sieun does not yell. Ok— well apparently she does, but Suho had never actually heard or seen it happen.
Yeon Sieun is patient and kind, she does not yell— unless it's the last resort, unless she has to. The only close call for Sieun yelling was when they were nine, and the girls from their school soccer team tried to start up drama with Suho.
And Sieun has never had to yell in all twenty-two years of her life until now. For her wife. For her Ahn Suho.
For weeks now, Suho had been silent about her mistreatment.
The boss who had her jumping through hoops, her manager that'd give her hours and hours of work— keeping her away from her wife that patiently waited at home for her. But Suho couldn't complain. No. She shouldn't. The pay wasn't all that bad and the two of them needed to get by somehow— especially since they were left to fend for themselves.
So, Suho slipped her shirt sleeves down, even going so far as wearing sweat pants in the blazing heat to keep the injuries she'd gained at work from her wife.
She couldn't worry Sieun, she refused to.
Nevertheless, Suho had never been great at keeping secrets from her wife.
It was honestly surprising how long the secret been kept— her manager and boss' disrelish for Suho was not well hidden at all.
The way Suho, the one who was one with her body, somehow would trip on her own feet when the two were near her.
Suho endured, silently putting up with the tripping that bloomed into shoving, that wilted into slapping. She didn't cry. No, she couldn't afford to.
Sieun already worked hard and Suho would only feel guilty to add to Sieun's stress if she decided to quit, especially since Sieun was two months along now.
Suho wouldn't be able to live with herself if she stressed out Sieun like that.
Yeon Sieun is a silent observer and her wife isn't as good at hiding things as she thinks she is.
She started to notice the way Suho would start limping around the house, forcing herself to stop whenever Sieun was in the room— choking down her pained hisses when she moved her arm at an awkward angle to reach something, trying her best to come off uninjured.
Sieun also noticed how Suho stuck to wearing long oversized clothes even when it was burning outside. She also noticed the times Suho had started favouring her non-dominant hand over the dominant one from time to time, sometimes letting out a low hiss when she moved her shoulder.
Sieun was worried and fed up. What was happening for Suho to gain these injuries?
Her question was answered sooner than expected, a sudden day off from working at the daycare had lead her to walking around to see what the street vendors had out to sell today.
Gossip was not an odd thing to overhear in their small town, Sieun usually tuned it out because it never had anything to do with her. However, the day where Sieun and Suho were the gossip had somehow manifested.
At first, Sieun didn't notice the glances shot at her as she passed by people. Didn't question the hushed whispers that surrounded her. Ignored when she managed to make out a whisper, "Ahn's wife."
It didn't concern her. Especially not when they were not too far from the restaurant Suho worked at, so people recognizing her in this area was to be expected. But, man they seemed to be gossipy more than ever today.
She managed to ignore it all, none of it raising any concern in her as she looked at the fruits— picking up apples to observe, checking if they were ripe enough to make an apple pie for her wife. She'd placed two apples in the fruit basket that hung from her elbow, looking over the third apple she'd picked up to look at.
"Aish, how brutal. Those two are making Suho-ssi run around like a damn dog— no mercy on her when she's got a pregnant wife at home."
An Ahjumma speaks from behind Sieun, oblivious to the pregnant wife mentioned that stood a few steps behind her. Her husband makes a face, shaking his head, desperately trying to get his wife to stop talking.
She looks at him like he's a fool, confused on why he keeps shaking his head and hands at her in sync— desperate to stay quiet. Sieun stays frozen in her spot, focus no longer on the apple she held, but staring straight ahead. Her eyes don't comprehend what she's staring at now, focused solely on the words her ears are hearing.
"Yah, what's wrong with you? I'm telling you they've got her running around like a fool— making her carry stuff like they didn't just get her pinky broken!"
"Are they still at the restaurant?" The sharp voice coming close from behind the Ahjumma has her startled, jumping forward with a small gasp before spinning around to face the voice.
She's met with the sharp eyes of Ahn Suho's wife— Ahn Sieun. It has the Ahjumma take in a nervous breath, whispers of Sieun's sharp eyes and even sharper tongue echoing in the back of her mind.
"H-huh?" She stutters out, not processing Sieun's question— too caught up in the fact that the girl happened to be behind her as she had been gossiping about Sieun's wife's mistreatment at work.
"Ahjumma, are they still at the restaurant?" Ah, she can understand why plenty of people are intimidated by Sieun— the younger girl's tone wasn't playful at all, serious to find her wife immediately. The Ahjumma nods, still slightly in a daze, letting out a very light hum of confirmation.
Without another word Sieun takes off, headed straight towards the restaurant Suho works at.
The sight is weird.
Familiar faces turn their heads to follow after a running Sieun. Sieun who hates exercise, who'd rather do anything else than cardio, is bolting down the concrete ground with a furious look on her face.
She's panting when she comes to a slow stop in front of the overfamiliar restaurant, completely out of breath.
Suho's pinky finger stings, teeth pressed harshly to her bottom lip in great effort to not let any sounds of discomfort or pain slip out.
It's fine, I can push through. For Sieun.
Crushing her finger in a door, making it break only to let out a meaningless apology— that'd she'd giggled in the middle of. Suho's manager is cruel.
On top of that, the ingredient restock had been delivered today, so her manager told her to bring everything inside with a sickeningly sly grin. Suho had to bring it all in Alone. With a broken finger.
She tried to work fast so that'd it be over quicker, the once stinging pain slowly becoming a prick in the back of her mind.
Maybe that's how she ended up spilling a bag of rice, because she forgot her pinky was no longer reliable in this moment.
The sound of rice hitting the ground rang tauntingly in her mind, grabbing many people's attention, especially the two people Suho didn't want to piss off.
It doesn’t take them more than a minute to stomp their ways over— an enraged look on her boss' face, and her manager's eyes lit up like it was Christmas morning. Immediately, her boss is yelling while her manager watches.
Her feet come to a slow stop, relieved to no longer be running. Nothing leaves Sieun's lips that hurriedly takes in the fresh air, sun glazing down on her blank face that has Sieun slightly squinting— quietly observing the scene playing out in front of her. Taking a deep breath in, her rage is what she exhales.
"Yah!"
Her call isn't loud, but slightly louder than her usual voice. The displeasure in her tone isn't hard to miss either. Suho's eyes widen when she turns her head only to make eye contact with the one person she desperately wanted to hide this situation from.
Suho's manager let's out a scoff from next to the injured girl. Suho had honestly forgotten about her swelling pinky in the moment of Sieun's arrival, too stuck in her disappointment that Sieun found out this way— that Sieun had found out at all.
Sieun doesn’t say anything, taking angry steps towards the three of them.
"What? You're just going to yell and then what!?" Suho's manager has Suho grimacing at her high pitched voice, annoying.
"Does she look like a dog to you? Huh?! Go get an actual dog if you want to bark orders at someone!" Sieun gets in the manager's face, yelling. The action has Suho taken aback, never having Sieun do something like this before. Suho's manager looks dumbfounded herself, not expecting the usually quiet girl to yell right in her face.
Sieun steps towards Suho, taking her wife's arm to drag her away. Suho's legs obediently follow, mind still taking in what just happened. Her mouth is left slightly agape, unable to form words. You're amazing, Sieun-ah.
With stars in her eyes, Suho stares at the back of her wife's head. Her hand finds its way to Sieun's, grabbing it to hold Suho's hand instead of her arm, holding her wife's hand with a firm grip.
With nothing else to say, Sieun quickly looks over her shoulder to throw a glare to Suho's boss.
She doesn't say anything as the get further from the restaurant and closer to their home, Suho doesn't say anything either. Suho's only staring at their intertwined hands, Sieun still dragging Suho behind her. The sound of Sieun inhaling has Suho bringing her gaze back up to the back of Sieun's head.
"Quit. We're opening our own restaurant."
˙ . ꒷ 🥢 . 𖦹˙—
Sweat drip down the two young women's backs who work around each other, moving everything that was left in this abandoned building– now their building.
Their restaurant. Well, soon to be restaurant.
The two were clearing out all the trash leftover so they could start painting another day.
Sieun presses a small peck to the mole under Suho’s eye as she passes by, joy tingling under her skin.
Suho can only stare at Sieun in awe as she walks away, tanned skin with freckles decorated on Sieun's face— absolutely glowing under the sun's beams.
Suho couldn't hear the music that once blasted, now sounding distant in her ears. She could only stare in admiration at her wife, who seemed to be moving in slow motion; the weight of the silver band that fit perfectly on her ring finger had her mind screaming, my wife, my beautiful wife.
Suho believes she's the luckiest girl in the world.
Her stomach feels full— as if she ate a hearty meal.
The girl who's decided to stay by Suho's side without a single ounce of doubt, even going against her own mother's wishes.
This is forever, her brain whispers.
Sieun continues to clean up, short hair now tied back in a low ponytail; oblivious to Suho, that's stopped cleaning to stare at her. The music playing at become a distant hum in Suho's ears, focusing solely on this serene moment.
run away from the world, run on
Suho thinks her heart's going to explode from the small shy grin Sieun sends to her after a glance.
She skips Sieun's way, lightly swaying to the music as she mouths the lyrics; pulling Sieun in to dance with her. They waltz around the room, Sieun's arms wrapped around Suho's waist and Suho's arms around Sieun's neck. They pamper each others faces in feather light kisses, sending one another in fits of small giggles; whispering small words of adoration.
come with me to the end, my lover
Sieun's feet lightly swing, her feet not reaching the ground from where she sat on the bench in front of their restaurant. Their restaurant, Suho and Sieun's restaurant. She's leaning on her hands that sit behind her, staring up at the setting sun.
The heat is slightly overbearing, somewhat cooling down from earlier— but still too hot in Sieun's opinion. She can feel her shirt sticking to her, soaked in her own sweat. Sieun really can't wait to shower.
"Baby, I told you not to overdo it," Suho lightly scolds, more worried than angry.
"It's fine, Ahn's are stubborn— the baby is too stubborn to let anything bad happen." Suho can't argue with that, but Sieun is just as stubborn. Their baby really is going to be something. Suho can't suppress the grin her lips are forming.
Suho plunks a straw in the water bottle before stepping in front of the sitting girl, gently handing the bottle over to Sieun— worried the overheated girl might drop it. Once she’s sure Sieun as a good grip on the bottle, gulping it down like she hadn't had water in days, Suho moves to sit behind her. Grabbing a clipboard, she holds it out before bringing it up and down– fanning off Sieun’s back.
the two of us lost mm
˙ . ꒷ 🥢 . 𖦹˙—
The feeling of guilt had never fully left Suho's heart.
She had a lot to feel guilty about. Every time her eyes found the paint brushes, palettes or sketch books in stores, the guilt returned to stab her heart. Words from Sieun's mother would whisper in the back of her head, reminding her how she held back Sieun.
Of course Suho knows Sieun is happy, not having a single day without a laugh leaving her lips. The beautiful sound still couldn't stop the occasional tug of guilt on Suho's heart though, never seeing Sieun sketch anymore.
Honestly, Suho's confident that Sieun's first love was art. The sight of a young Sieun's pigtails peeking out behind the sketchbook her face was almost constantly sucked into was a very normal sight in their neighborhood.
Even when she was by Suho's side, she'd quietly sit next to the older girl while sketching in the yellow book.
"You should start drawing more," Suho suddenly commented, voice light— almost as if she was afraid to say it.
Sieun's chopsticks stop right in front of her mouth, eyebrows drawing together before her eyes move to look up at Suho's blank face.
"That's so sudden. Why?"
Suho is silent at first, avoiding Sieun's gaze while anxiously starting to push the food around on her plate with her chopsticks, finding her words. "You love drawing. I feel like I've somehow taken that away from you. I'm sorry."
Sieun hates when Suho apologizes for things that are out of her control— acting like things that aren't ever her fault somehow actually are. It draws a huff out of Sieun's lips, stabbing the piece of beef on her plate with her chopsticks before shoving it in her mouth— cheeks puffing up like a chipmunks.
"Stupid. How is that your fault? We've just been busy lately, it's not like I've given up drawing forever." Suho tears up in relief hearing that, Sieun looks up at her softly.
"Don't cry, don't feel guilty. You're not at fault for anything."
More tears are racing down Suho's face as she nods her head, roughly wiping her tears away with the palm of her hands.
Sieun sits up straight, pulling her sleeves down to help wipe Suho's tears away. The weight of the guilt lightens, the two wives crying together— basking in each others presence, in each others love.
But the guilt continues to linger.
Sieun doesn't get back to drawing right away, having given birth to their baby girl, Ahn Suhee.
The two of them can't seem to leave her side, watching her as she sleeps soundly in between them on their queen bed. Suho's caressing her face, whispering as she points out ever feature Suhee had gotten from Sieun.
"See! Her nose too, she got that from you." Suho's smile is so big that it hurts, but she can't even force herself to wipe it off her face.
Sieun is smiling, holding Suhee's hand so she can bring it up to her lips to place a gentle kiss every few minutes. They're so wrapped up in baby Suhee that Suho forgets she'd ever been so bothered about Sieun not drawing as much as she used to.
Though, about two weeks after Suhee's birth, Suho walks past their bedroom, getting a glance of Sieun sketching the soundly sleeping baby in her crib.
And when Suhee has started walking herself, she joins her Eomma in painting. Slowly moving from painting on canvasses to painting doodles on the restaurant walls and windows, Suho watching them as she cleans up the closed restaurant.
The sound of Sieun and Suhee's giggles ringing through the building has Suho's heart fluttering.
˙ . ꒷ 🥢 . 𖦹˙—
Nothing has terrified Sieun this much before, she's absolutely sure of it.
Suho had also been as anxious as Sieun the last few days, glancing at the clock every few seconds— counting down the hours until their daughter's first day of kindergarten.
Every new achievement Ahn Suhee accomplished had her parents bouncing in excitement, proudly telling customers on things such as their Suhee saying her first words, pulling herself up all on her own, and even when she first managed to walk on her own. Awards decorated the shelves in their home and in their restaurant.
Sieun's deep in her own head, her unfocused gaze staring out the window over the kitchen sink as she ruthlessly scrubs the same plate she's been cleaning for nearly seven minutes now.
Suho's crouching in front of Suhee in the living room, assisting her daughter in putting on her school bag before her sneakers.
"And when you meet your teacher, you say?" Suho's asks with a gentle voice, mind still in slight disbelief that her baby girl is staring kindergarten already— wondering where all the time went, how'd Suhee grow so fast? It had her heart slightly aching, wishing time would slow down.
"Annyeonghaseyo," Suhee repeats the respectful greeting her mothers had been teaching her, "I'm Ahn Suhee. Please take care of me." She finishes her greeting with a small bow.
The sweet voice of their daughter's greeting echoing the house pulls Sieun out of her trance, a smile blooming on her face as she finishes up the dishes.
Suho can feel tears pricking the corner of her eyes but refuses to let them fall, giving Suhee a proud smile as she claps.
"Wah~ good job Suhee-yah!"
Just as she's walking to where Suho and Suhee's voices were coming from, a sudden strike of pain hits her heart. It's quick, but unexpected. It makes Sieun halt for a moment, bringing a fist to press down over her heart as she takes in hurried breaths.
Bringing her hand back down to her side, she turns around the corner with a tight smile, meeting the sight of Suhee ready for her first day of school and Suho barely holding back her tears as she stares at their daughter.
"Let's go now, okay?" Sieun crouches down in front of Suhee, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her daughter's ear. Suhee gives her an excited nod with an equally excited smile, spinning around to race out of the front door.
Suhee walks in between her mothers, Sieun on her right and Suho on her left. She's slightly skipping while she swings the hands of her parents she holds. Small occasional hums come from Suho and Sieun, harmonizing with whatever Suhee started to cheerfully sing. A few mistakes in lyrics that Suhee made had Sieun letting out airy laughs, while Suho threw glances at the two of them every so often.
Reaching the school gate, they both crouch down in front of Suhee. Sieun's fixing Suhee's hair as she speaks, reminding Suhee to try not to get into any trouble and listen to her teacher— Suhee gives her eomma an enthusiastic nod before running off to her teacher, who was standing at the front door to greet all the students.
They wave goodbye to their daughter, watching as she excitedly greets her teacher before entering the school.
Their walk back home is silent, holding hands. Small sniffles break the silence after a few minutes, Suho turning her head to look behind them— looking for where the crying could be coming from. She's confused when she finds that no one is around them, turning to face Sieun to ask if she's heard the sniffling.
The way Sieun's shoulders jump up before dropping themselves back down, small muffled sniffles coming from her, has Suho's mouth left opened— stunned. Immediately Suho's on high alert, eyes jumping all over Sieun's figure to make sure she's not hurt.
"Why- Baby, what's wrong?"
One of Suho's hands finds its way on Sieun's back, the other lightly pulling one of Sieun's hands down from covering her face. Sieun doesn’t say anything, shaking her head before letting out a sob.
"Will she be okay? I mean— this is the first time she's going to be so long without us for a day."
Suho lets out a relieved breath, body relaxing realizing Sieun isn't hurt at all. She smiles at Sieun, tears pricking her own eyes because of how worried her wife is, and for her own worry on how Suhee was doing. Suho starts rubbing Sieun's back with the hand she'd already had placed there— the way she's comforted Sieun since they were kids. Suho's other hand comes up to wipe away the tears racing down Sieun's cheeks.
Pausing to press her hand down on Sieun's back, pulling her right into Suho's side, before Suho continues to rub Sieun's back. It has Sieun's sobbing ease almost immediately, sniffles continuing every few minutes. Suho still brings her hand up to wipe any tears off of Sieun's face, whispering comforting words in her worried wife's ear.
"She's ok, baby. she'll come home talking about what a great day she had."
˙ . ꒷ 🥢 . 𖦹˙—
Sometimes Suho could be a bit of a trouble maker. In the sense she impulsively decided to do something that ended up with her earning some sort of injury.
Even if Sieun's mom was against her daughter doing pretty much anything other than studying, Sieun accompanied Suho in her sometimes trouble making and Suho's every day routine. Sieun's dad couldn't understand the dislike Sieun's mother held towards Suho.
Suho is only nine, the kid didn't do anything to deserve this treatment— and he's pretty sure Suho wasn't able to do something to deserve that sort of treatment.
Suho always lends a helping hand around the neighborhood whenever she can, especially helping Sieun carrying all her stuff back home. She'd done it since they'd first met, and Sieun's dad doesn't think Suho's planning to stop anytime soon.
So he'll stay quiet, turning the other way so the two young girls can simply exist together, not needing to be bothered by an overbearing mother.
Sieun's sitting on the curb, a book neatly laying in her lap. Suho is standing on a skateboard, testing the waters— checking how to balance on what Sieun called "the death board with wheels," before she actually starts trying to ride it.
In hindsight, it was a really bad fucking idea. A nine year old trying to skateboard for the first time on concrete road with no protective equipment. Just wearing her school uniform, a white shirt and a blue skirt that cut at her knees.
Suho didn't usually wear the uniform outside of school, opting for her favourite black shorts, especially with how much she runs around helping others out in their endeavors. Definitely more comfortable than helping out wearing the long-ass school skirt.
But Suho had been a bit too eager to try this after school. She didn't have her spare shorts in her bag either. Someone had spilled something on Sieun's skirt at school on Tuesday, so Suho had given them to Sieun to wear instead of a dirty skirt. Both Sieun's blue skirt and Suho's black short's were side by side drying on the clothing line outside Suho's house.
Suho lets out a low hiss when her knee meets the concrete, harshly scraping her skin. Sieun doesn’t take more than three seconds to get to Suho, worriedly helping the injured girl to sit up before taking a look at her injured knee.
"Wait," Sieun orders, quickly turning back to go and grab her bag. Suho's not surprised when she pulls a little first aid kit from her bag, this is Sieun after all. The girl that silently worries while acting like she's indifferent, before taking care of you when you get hurt.
"I told you this was a ridiculous idea," Sieun lowly says as she tends Suho's injury, not taking her focus off if it for a second. Her moves are gentle, not at all rushed so she doesn't hurt Suho. It makes Suho's heart queasy. Suho likes when Sieun is by her side, when Sieun just wants Suho to be safe— Suho wants Sieun forever.
"Should I kiss it better?" Sieun asks blankly, tucking the mini first aid kit back in her bag, and grabbing the garbage from the rubbing alcohol and bandage to shove in her skirt pocket.
Suho freezes, not at all expecting that question to leave Yeon Sieun's lips.
"What's with that face? You say halmeoni says kissing a 'booboo' makes it feel better— heal quicker."
Ah.
Suho had forgotten her comments about that, let alone the time Sieun had accidentally pricked herself with a pin, making Suho grab her slightly bleeding thumb and place a soft kiss on it. When Sieun asked why she did that, Suho simply replied "Halmeoni says a booboo feels better after a kiss."
Her heart is racing so face someone could probably bet on it. Suho's face was also heating up, she could feel the heat rising.
Why are you so cute, Yeon Sieun?
"Don't do that. You're making your lip bleed."
Suho hadn't even noticed she was biting her lip, hard enough that it started bleeding at that. Sieun's silently watching as Suho stops biting her lip, can almost hear the gears that suddenly started turning in the older girls head. Sieun watches as Suho's face suddenly lights up, an idea (probably a stupid one) coming to Suho. The older girl brings her hand up, pointing at her bleeding lip.
"Kiss it better?"
Sieun blinks, stiff as a robot. She doesn't say anything, just that one blink before the unblinking staring at Suho. after a good twenty seconds she turns around, starting to make her way home.
"Yah! Sieunnie," Suho whines out, rushing to the girl that'd started to speed walk away. Sieun can't bring herself to turn her flushed face to look at Suho.
"You're insane. Absolutely insane."
"What are you laughing at?" Sieun peeks out from the kitchen doorway, various spots of different coloured paints decorating her face, questioningly looking at her wife that'd suddenly threw her head back laughing in the middle of folding the laundry— Suho wasn't even watching television, what could she be laughing at?
"Nothing, baby. I'm just wondering what fun Suhee could be getting herself into."
Sieun gives Suho a hum, alongside a small nod of her head. "I hope no ones giving her any trouble," she comments as she walks back in the kitchen.
The smile doesn't leave Suho's face as she continues to fold the laundry, the memory seems to play on loop in her mind.
˙ . ꒷ 🥢 . 𖦹˙—
Ahn Suho had several terms used on her.
Some of them being lover girl, stubborn, love fool, and hopeless devoted. All were for Yeon Sieun, only Yeon Sieun. Suho would go all distances for Sieun— would challenge science for Sieun.
Suho would also do anything to see Sieun smile— to laugh. So she stayed up most of the night planning.
Even if she'd been with Sieun for twenty seven years now— her thirty second birthday having been last month, she still meticulously planned out her dates with Sieun. She liked everything to be perfect for Sieun.
In Suho's eyes, Sieun deserved nothing less than perfect.
Step one was to get the kids on board, insisting to Sieun she could pick them both up from school by herself.
"Why?" Sieun asks. Not at all suspicious, just curious on why her wife seems hell bent on picking up the kids alone.
"I just think you should rest," Suho sighs out. She'd been worried Sieun was overdoing it lately, giving Suho more of a reason to plan the perfect relaxing date for her tired wife. Sieun ends up agreeing, accidentally passing out on the couch shortly after Suho excitedly rushes out of the house.
Six year old Suhee and three year old Eunwoo were as ecstatic to be throwing a surprise for their eomma as Suho was— even if Suho hadn't really gotten into detail on what they were doing. They just knew they were going on a picnic tomorrow and that their Ma had a surprise that their eomma would really like.
Suho had made sure not to actually tell them what surprise she actually had for Sieun, knowing better than to tell excited toddlers (that had Suho as a mother, who could barely ever actually keep surprises a secret herself) the secret present she had for their Eomma.
And she was thankful that she didn't tell the kids what she got Sieun, because not even an hour after coming back home Sieun came up behind where Suho sat at the dining table, wrapping her arms around Suho's neck asking, "What's this about a picnic?"
Sieun's head goes to lay on Suho's shoulder as she asks, facing the side of Suho's face. Suho hadn't even started cooking anything yet and the word about the surprise picnic was out already, probably Eunwoo's doing. Suho lets out a small hum.
"I thought since tomorrow's Saturday, it would be a nice treat. The weather's going to be great too."
"Sounds nice already." Sieun sighs out, closing her eyes. Suho brings a hand up to run it through Sieun's hair, which has Sieun letting out another relaxed sigh, barely fighting off her urge to sleep.
"Go to sleep, baby." She whispers to her tired wife, who responds with a small hum.
It takes Sieun a moment to start moving, slowly doing so. Once Sieun disappears out of her sight and Suho hears their bedroom door close, she calls Suhee and Eunwoo to the kitchen to help their Ma make food for their picnic tomorrow.
Suho doesn't know where the confidence about waking up before Sieun in the morning had come from, but it quickly disappeared when she opened her eyes to see Sieun no longer sound asleep by her side. Sieun wakes up at ungodly hours,
Suho sluggishly glances at the alarm clock that reads 6:47am— slightly feeling sour at the fact her wife always wakes up so early, Suho really wanted Sieun to give herself a break.
"Why won't you ever sleep in?" Suho slightly whines, putting her chin on Sieun's shoulder as she wraps her arms around Sieun's waist.
The shorter girl just lets out an airy laugh, no words needed to know that breath alone told Suho that Sieun wasn't going to be sleeping in anytime soon.
Slightly defeated at that, Suho drops her arms to her side, turning to head to the children's bedroom.
"I'll go get the kids ready."
Suho's heart beat is steady beating in her ears, a sense of calm taken over her whole body. Sieun, Suhee and Eunwoo walk a few steps ahead, Sieun holding Suhee's hand, and Suhee holding Eunwoo's.
Their small giggles ring like bells in Suho's ears, the sound of Suho's beauty and joy of life. The sun makes them glow, as if they're in a painting— art that's been crafted beautifully by Sieun and Suho.
A piece of artwork, my life is.
"Maa, catch up!"
Suhee's call snaps Suho of of her daze, speeding up behind Eunwoo, who let's out a surprised squeal as Suho picks him up. Suho presses a small kiss to the giggling boy's forehead, reaching her free hand out to hold Suhee's.
They set their picnic up on a hill, near a park. Suhee and Eunwoo, ever the sweethearts, help their mothers place down the blanket before they're running off to the play structure.
"Be careful!" Sieun calls out after seeing Eunwoo slightly stumble down the hill from how quick he was running.
The two wait until the children have tired themselves out from playing, running back to the blanket to eat and rest. Suho surprised they're the only ones at the park, but she's not complaining. Hearing the joy from her family echoing the empty area has Suho's heart fluttering violently— like it wants to escape her chest, it's so filled with joy.
"I did want to have my art hanging up in museums when I was younger," Sieun suddenly confesses, taking a small pause.
Suho turns her head away from the children that have gone back to playing on the playground, instead looking intently at her wife. "But I'm more than happy with this outcome too. My life has been as valuable as my hypothetical artwork in the museum."
Sieun and Suho stare at each other with bright foolish smiles, faces slowly getting closer and closer before their lips finally meet.
Their heads snap to where their children play after they part, Eunwoo getting their attention by letting out a loud squeak.
"You're it!"
Suhee's speeding back to the picnic blanket with Eunwoo hot on her tail, letting out her own squeal of surprise when she feels him grip the back of her shirt. They end up tumbling down on the picnic blanket, giggling as their parents fret— telling them to be careful, to not get themselves hurt.
Time passes quickly in their joy filled day, the sun slowly setting as they start to make their way home. Suhee's sleeping soundly on Sieun's back, Eunwoo being held to Suho's chest as he sleeps.
They're quiet on their way back, Suhee and Eunwoo's peaceful breathing being the only constant noise on their walk.
Suho starts shifting weirdly— nervously, as they got closer and closer to their home. The only times Suho had been this nervous was whenever she'd been hiding something from Sieun and it was on the brink of reveal.
Sieun thinks she's either going to really love what Suho has been hiding, or really fucking hate it.
Sieun doesn’t comment on Suho's nervous demeanour, instead waiting until they get home and put the kids in their beds before asking Suho what's wrong.
Though, her planned is pushed back when Suho says they should stop at the restaurant first. Suhee suddenly wakes up, insisting her Eomma puts her down, Sieun complies.
Unlike her Ma, Suhee is bouncing next to Sieun excitedly. The difference in their attitudes almost has Sieun laughing, mini Suho is excited and grown Suho is nervous.
Suhee is quick to take Eunwoo when he wakes up a few feet away restaurant, tiredly rubbing his eye as he takes his noona's hand reached out to him.
Suho takes her place behind Sieun, covering the shorter girl's eyes with her hands, as she slowly leads Sieun inside the restaurant. Suhee and Eunwoo take a seat on the bench outside, setting up a game of go fish to play before they inevitably go to bed.
Suho gets Sieun to turn around, take three steps forward, then stop.
"Are you ready?"
"Let me see already," Suho's hands drop not even a second later, the lights aggressively hitting Sieun's eyes.
She blinks a few times, eyes slowly coming into focus on the additional painting on the wall. The familiar colours have her confused for a moment, realization suddenly taking her breath away.
Immediately, Sieun's eyes are tearing up at the sight. The painting she'd made when they were kids hung up alongside artwork of Sieun's favourite artists. Her hands are flying their way to press over her heart, slightly stumbling backwards into Suho's chest— overwhelmed.
It looked like it was a museum.
“How is it?” Suho plops her head on her shoulder, Sieun’s head turns to Suho with a grin on her face.
Sieun’s arm finds itself wrapped around Suho’s, taking Suho’s hand in hers before laying her head on Suho’s shoulder. “Wonderful,” she contentedly sighs.
Her teary eyes shined under the soft glowing lights, staring through the restaurant's window at their children playing around outside; who'd started running around, their giggles tinkling like wind chimes in their parents' ears.
This is even better than an ordinary museum, Suho-yah. This is a museum of us.
˙ . ꒷ 🥢 . 𖦹˙—
The Ahn house has never once gotten a phone call from Suhee or Eunwoo's school's as they grew up.
The two weren't trouble makers at all.
Thus, when one random Thursday afternoon of autumn they get a call from the school about one of their children getting into trouble, Suho and Sieun immediately come running.
They walk into the principal's office to see Suhee and Eunwoo sitting with an unfamiliar face, all alone on one side of the room. The other side of the room had a group of three boys and three girls sitting with two teachers standing next to them.
"Eomma.. Ma.." Eunwoo softly call as they come running at them. Sieun crouches in front of Eunwoo, rubbing dirt off of his face.
Suho is crouched in front of Suhee, fixing her daughter's messy hair. Suhee is pissed off, doesn't care one bit if they get in trouble. It's not like they started this, Nabi was getting bullied and Suhee had spoken up. Why should she get punished for playing the part of a guardian angel? At least her parents would take Eunwoo and her side.
"What happened?" Sieun's tone doesn't have a trace of anger. She's never angry, the realization that both his mother's first response was always worry had Eunwoo tearing up. Biting his lip to stop his feelings from bursting out all at once, his fingernails dig harshly into his palm. Sieun and Suho's heads spin around to face the principal once they hear him clearing his throat, standing up from their crouched positions.
"Suhee, Eunwoo, and Nabi were seen.. causing trouble by Mrs Oh and Miss Jeon." The principal was cautious around the words 'causing trouble' tone lower when pronouncing it. Sieun can't help but raise and eyebrow at that, suspicious.
Suhee and Eunwoo weren't children that caused trouble, and Sieun isn't speaking as a mother that believes her children can do no wrong— no, she's speaking as a mother that knows her children like the back of her hand. Her children that have watched how Suho treats everyone as they grew up. If they caused 'trouble', then it'd been with good intentions. Suho and Sieun are sure of that.
Suho had taken people under her wing growing up, always speaking up when others were treated unfairly. And that habit never broke, her own children took after Suho in that way— which made this whole thing even more unbelievable to Sieun.
"They'd caused a bit of a scuffle—"
"A scuffle? That's our fault? Somi was the one targeting Nabi for no reason." Suhee cut Miss Jeon off in disbelief, face blank for the most part, her eyebrows slightly pinched.
Suho catches the expression from the corner of her eye, immediately she knows that Suhee is angry— annoyed. Because Ahn Suhee has the same pissed off face that Sieun wears right now.
"Why are we getting in trouble for trying to put a stop to Somi and her minions? I told Somi to cut it out yesterday and she didn't listen, this was last resort."
The 'Su' in Suhee came from Suho, and the 'Eun' in Eunwoo came from Sieun. However, Suhee seemed to take after from Sieun more, and Eunwoo took after Suho.
And with how Suhee and Sieun were making the same exact faces right now— Suhee sounded exactly like Sieun did in high school. Suho's brain can't help but lightly sing like eomma like daughter.
Miss Jeon shoots an unimpressed look to Suhee, clearing her throat. "Anyways, I believe a three page written apology and volunteer work at the community centre would fit best as punishment."
Her gaze moves from Suhee and Eunwoo to Sieun and Suho before finally settling on the principal's, who seems quite pleased with the punishment. She starts nodding, taking in a breath as she opens her mouth to voice out her agreement— only to be cut off.
"Why? They acted perfectly accordingly. Those kids were obviously picking on this girl and our children said something, did something. Why are Suhee and Eunwoo getting in trouble?"
The principal's jaw drops, not expecting Sieun to fight against the punishment. Eunwoo's head snaps up from staring down at his lap to star at his Eomma, who stood unbothered, confident and fearless.
Suhee's head had also snapped to stare at their Eomma— stars in both of their eyes.
"Suhee, Eunwoo, grab your stuff. We're going home."
The three teens quietly follow behind Suho and Sieun. Suhee and Eunwoo had nothing to say, knowing their parents weren't mad at them but at the teachers, and Nabi silent in fear of saying anything. Eunwoo had insisted that Nabi went with them to go eat and clean up the cuts that her cheek and bottom lip had earned.
The whole family lets out sighs as they enter the restaurant. Suho urges Sieun to rest, pulling out one of the chairs for Sieun to sit before rushing to the kitchen. The siblings hang their bags off the back of the chairs to sit on across from Sieun, bodies going completely lax once they take their seats. Nabi shyly follows after the siblings, pulling out the chair next to Eunwoo; sitting down with her bag held tightly to her chest.
"Nabi-ssi," said girl's head immediately snaps to the woman that'd gently called her, Sieun. "Have you known my children for long? Are you friends? How'd you all meet?" Her tone is slightly higher than usual, questions pouring out seemingly nonstop, excited at the possibility of her children having a good friend that'd stay by their sides no matter what. With wide eyes, Nabi gives a shy nod in response to Sieun.
"Baby, let them eat. They must be exhausted." Suho comes out of the back with plenty of food for the kids, laying down the fresh dishes in front of them. The two siblings hands are immediately clapped together, eager to dig in, the harsh noise startles Nabi.
"Thank you for the meal," they lightly sing in sync before rushing to pick up their chopsticks, immediately digging in. Nabi quietly sings her thanks, grabbing her chopsticks and food much more calmly compared to the siblings next to her.
Nabi can't help but take several glances at the siblings parents, intently watching Suho feeding Sieun before taking a bite of some food herself. Ah, so that's love.
Suho pushes Sieun's loose hairs behind her ear, bringing a spoonful of soup up to Sieun's lips, who silently eats it. Nabi can't help but move her gaze to the siblings who don't seem embarrassed over this, like it's just an every day thing— like it's normal to have a love so passionate.
Nabi wanted a love like that.
"Again, thank you for the food. Goodbye." Nabi waves farewell to Suho and Sieun, who both eagerly return it.
"Get home safe!" Both Sieun and Suho call out as Nabi opens the door, Nabi replies with a small bow.
"I'll walk her home," Eunwoo suddenly declares standing up, putting on his coat as he follows after Nabi to the door.
"Eunwoo," Suho stops him, taking a pause to send one last smile to Nabi. "Be good to her." Suho's words has Nabi's cheeks burning, overwhelmed by how nice the whole family was— the family that'd helped her with something she'd never started.
Eunwoo smiles, letting out a strong hum as he nods his head. The implications of Suho's words also has Nabi's head spinning, but she won't let her heart get ahead of itself.
˙ . ꒷ 🥢 . 𖦹˙—
“What? What’s that?” Suho shyly asks, her hands not leaving their place wrapped around Sieun’s. Sieun could only squeeze Suho’s hands, hoping they would somehow calm down the worried woman.
“Coronary Artery Disease,” the young doctor repeated, his gaze leaving his computer screen to look at the elderly couple in front of him. He leans back in his chair, fully turning his body towards the two women before giving them a small pitiful smile.
“Mrs. Ahn, you have a reduction of flow in the arteries to the cardiac muscles due to plaque buildup,”
“It can lead to a heart attack.”
The two made their way out of the crowded hospital, Suho’s hand found its way to Sieun’s back; hovering a bit over it as Sieun walked beside her.
It'd been 11:38 PM when they’d finally got back home, the sound of the automatic lock clicking behind them echoed the quiet house once the door shut. Suho followed her usual routine of moving down to her knees, gently grasping one of Sieun’s ankles to slip her shoe off; placing Sieun’s sneakers on the shoe rack after successfully taking both of them off her feet.
The two followed their usual routine of getting ready for bed, this time Suho hovering around Sieun more than usual. Sieun couldn't find it in herself to tell Suho to stop it, her sick heart could force her to leave the other girl at any moment.
A bomb waiting to go off.
The two laid on their sides to face one another. One of Suho’s hands petting the back of Sieun’s head gently, her expression telling Suho that if Sieun was a cat she'd be purring by now. Her other hand held one of Sieun’s, gripping it as if Sieun was a leaf the breeze would take her from Suho’s grasp.
“No overworking yourself when I’m gone,”
Sieun suddenly breathed out, like a whisper in the wind. The petting of her hair came to a sudden stop, the sudden words taking Suho by surprise.
Sieun didn't open her eyes, but the way her lips just barely twitched screamed her disapproval for the sudden stop of Suho petting her hair. Suho let out a shaky breath, trying to collect her words; her hand leaving the back of Sieun’s head to slide down to her back, gently patting it.
“What are you talking about? Where are you going?”
“Ahn Suho, just listen to me— please,” was the last thing said in their whispered conversation, the hand that held Sieun’s didn't weaken its grip.
Suho never liked to hear Sieun beg.
Soon enough Sieun’s breath slowed, leaving Suho to be the only one awake. Not wanting to wake up her wife with her endeavors, Suho scooted a bit away; moving to lay on her back. Even if she put some space between Sieun and herself, she refused to let go of Sieun’s hand for a second.
Suho intensely stared up at the ceiling, Sieun sleeping soundlessly next to her. Breath steady, chest raising and falling in a rhythm that didn't have Suho panicked.
“Leave her alone.” The sudden whispered demand cuts the air like a knife, her anger for whatever higher being only grew worse at the thought of losing Sieun forever.
The anger quickly washes away though, despair coming to cling to her like the sweat on that hot day when she’d first kissed Yeon Sieun.
“You gave her to me when I was five. She’s mine. Stop hurting her just to take her away from me.”
Silence. The only noise echoing the room coming from their fan working hard to keep the bedroom cool from the summer heat. Not even the heat could overwhelm her like the desperation to keep Sieun by her side. The feeling of Sieun’s hand lightly twitching in hers– alive– had tears forming in her eyes.
“Just please take me instead, Please.”
A eighteen year old Suho sat on the bus stop's bench, wearing her favourite windbreaker on-top of her school uniform.
Her hair in the wolf-cut style that a teenage Sieun loved to run her fingers through when ever Suho would fall asleep on her lap.
She stood up from her seat, eyes staring straight at the bus window in front of her. A girl in a familiar gray sweater; her air-pods in her ears, sat in the seat, staring ahead.
Sieun.
Long black hair neatly laid on her back, a cute red little strawberry hair-clip— the first hair-clip Suho had ever given Sieun— sitting elegantly; holding Sieun's bangs back from her face.
The girl turned her head in Suho's direction, staring at the other before giving her a small smile; tears forming in the younger girl's eyes as she lovingly gazed at Suho. When she brings her hand up to press against the window, Suho loses the control she had over her tears.
Thank you, Suho-yah.
Gravity takes Suho’s tears that slowly descend themselves down her cheeks, hesitantly her hand comes up next to her face. Her fingers twitched– the most unsure she’d ever been. But her fear took over, the fear of this being Suho’s last time seeing Sieun and not giving her lover a proper goodbye.
Life was cruel, taking away a girl Suho hadn't lived one day without. How do you say goodbye to someone that's your forever? Suho didn't stop waving, didn't drop her smile, didn't stop her tears even when the bus slowly started to drive forward; slowly taking Sieun away from her.
‘I’m sorry to let you leave like this to the unknown by yourself. But don't worry, I’ll be ok. You’ve written a beautiful life for us, my love, my silver poem.’
Her gray hair was tied back in a bun, a common hairstyle choice she went with entering her last years of life.
She walks down the art exhibit, pausing her pace every few steps to read about art pieces that'd caught her eye. She stops at the bench that sits in front of by far the largest painting there, the only piece of art hanging on the wall. That's no good.
Suho's hand traces the bench surface before she takes her place on it, hands sitting kindly in her lap as she stares forward at the familiar artwork.
A beach with one woman running with two children up ahead on the shore while another woman stood a distance away from them, holding a piece of paper with bulky stick figures of them. Tears prick Suho's eyes as they trail down the painting, making their escape once her eyes spot the artist's name— Yeon Sieun.
"Aigooo, my poor Sieunnie. Why'd they put you here all alone? It's okay, your guardian angel is here now— I won't leave." The sight of an old lady comforting the painting in front of them has the young lesbian couple not too far from Suho giving her an odd look. Suho gives them a smile, leaning forward as she drops her voice.
"I have to keep this one company— after all, it has a piece of me."
"You painted this?" The taller out of the two girl's asked— excited curiosity in her tone. Suho shakes her head, smile pressed down to hold back a giddy giggle. She brings her right index finger to press down on her lips in a 'shh' motion, before gently placing it to lay over her heart.
"My wife," love and devotion clear in her voice, she points to the piece of paper one of the two women in the painting are holding. "You can see the painting I drew for her when we were children in that woman's hands." The two young women follow where Suho's finger points, eyes landing on the bulky stick figure family drawing one of the women hold up.
"I drew that for her and she painted me this. I didn't even consider the possibility of seeing my wife's painting hung up like this when we were seven— I'm so happy." The taller girl started tearing up at the older woman's words, her shorter girlfriend starting to fuss over her once seeing the tears. Concerned whispers leaving her lips, trying to understand why her girlfriend started crying.
"You've known each other since you were seven?" The older woman shakes her head, a small hum leaving her throat. "No, I've known her since I was five."
That seems to only make the younger girl cry more, her girlfriend patting her on the back to soothe her. The sight reminds Suho of her early adulthood with Sieun, heart dancing in her chest at the memories worth more than gold to her. She turns her head back to wistfully look to the painting.
"Ma!" A girl cried out, running alongside her brother. Two siblings that seemed to be in their early forties come stumbling to a stop in front of the three ladies, the older sister fixes her hair as her younger brother rests his hands on his knees, lightly panting.
"Ma! We told you not to wonder off!" The girl's scolding echoes the room, earning an unimpressed look from their mother. Suho doesn't go against them when they usher her to come with them to finally go home, not particularly pleased with the attention her children seemed to attract to them. The couple gives a small goodbye to the old lady, smiles and small waves. They turn back to finish reading what the artist had written about the painting they'd just been looking at.
'I didn't know you could feel so warm on a winter morning, not until I turned four. That year my sun had come to me, never leaving my side or dimming for a moment. Thank you for lighting my way steady-fast and lovingly, giving me warmth no matter how cold it may be. My warm guardian angel who gave me everything, my life has been a work of art thanks to you.'