Work Text:
zuha 💖🌙 | 5:38pm
Just got on the subway, be home soon ><
zuha 💖🌙 | 5:38pm
😙😊
Yunjin smiles, hearting her girlfriend’s messages and replying with a kissy-face selfie of her own, alongside hurry up, pls and i miss you.
Two texts that are quite simple but very easily do the trick. Kazuha is spamming heart-eye emojis and puppy-face ones too, her search history probably clogged up with stuff like Ways to teleport right this second.
Yunjin smiles some more at the thought. That was all about 20 minutes ago, and since then, she’s been finishing up the miso soup she started cooking as a side dish for their dinner. Chicken katsu with steamed rice and pickled cabbage. The miso soup was just a bonus because 1) Kazuha could eat, and 2) Yunjin had made way too much rice.
Note to any self-proclaimed home cooks: don’t try to eyeball the measurements, unless you really, seriously know what you’re doing.
Give her a break! Yunjin isn’t a bad cook or anything. She’s certainly better than Kazuha—
(No offense, my sweet, sweet puppy-eyed cutie pie. I’m smooching you to say sorry)
—it’s just that Kazuha became a massive overthinker. Maybe it was the perfectionist in her, but whenever she tried to cook for them, specifically a recipe that was new, she ended up turning a 30-minute thing into a 2-hour one. Spamming her mom’s phone with pictures, fretting Does this look right?? How long am I supposed to leave it for?
That is, of course, if she didn’t have her mom on speaker phone already. That lady had the patience of a saint, though Yunjin has to admit she understands… Kazuha was too cute to say no to. Especially when her voice became that whiny one.
Kazuha was her parents’ baby. She was their only child, after all.
Kazuha was Yunjin’s baby, too. The blonde girl still remembers when they visited Kazuha’s hometown for the holidays. Yunjin sitting on her girlfriend’s lap inside her childhood bedroom, sipping on red wine while looking at a photo album of Kazuha’s baby pictures.
Safe to say: Yunjin cried. And then cried some more. And then calmed down when Kazuha laughed softly at her and kissed her, and soothed her, wiping away her tears and giving her some water.
And then Yunjin remembered baby Kazuha’s baby face and her baby smile, and her baby eyes already looking puppy-like and her little baby fingers doing that thing where they pushed out too wide when she made a peace-sign, and so then Yunjin cried all over again.
I hope our kids look like that, she had sobbed with a pout. And she honest to god didn’t get off of Kazuha for the entire rest of the night.
Yunjin smiles at the memory, the warm steam from the miso soup curling up and fluffing her face. Not to boast too much or anything, but the food she had made smelled amazing. And the fact that it’d all be served while still warm and alongside Kazuha, made her heart feel all cozy and coddled. She loved their simple nights. Especially since the two of them were usually so busy.
Yunjin was working nearly full-time at an art exhibit. What made her job cool was that it wasn’t a set-gallery. Yunjin and her colleagues were in charge of finding potential art pieces for future exhibitions and compiling them into a single viewing. They even sometimes did theme-exhibits depending on style or motifs in the artwork. Yunjin absolutely adored what she did. She had always harbored a deep love for all sorts of art, and believed one of the most extraordinary gifts and reasons for human existence was to consume art and give it meaning.
Kazuha, for her part, was finishing up an editorial internship at an up-and-coming fitness magazine. She was still a year younger than Yunjin in terms of schooling, after all, and though she technically already graduated and got her degree, she still needed to complete the credits. She had started it mid-year, like the dumbass she is.
If only her smoking-hot girlfriend hadn’t worn that bikini… the one that distracted Kazuha for an entire week and made her miss the deadline for an earlier application…
Whatever. She doesn’t regret it one bit!
The good thing about their schedules is that they still got to come home at a reasonable time to each other. And neither one of them worked weekends, which was a major bonus, save for the sporadic gala or two that Yunjin’s job would have every few months, to celebrate successful exhibits. But even then, Kazuha could come as Yunjin’s +1. And the galas were optional. Yunjin just signed up every time because she’d take any excuse to have her girlfriend’s arm around her waist while she wore a suit.
And don’t even get Yunjin started on the times they’d get back home after one too many drinks at the gala…
Unbuttoning Kazuha’s shirt one-by-one so her abs slowly revealed themselves…. Sweat dripping down into her cleavage while she’s wearing that damn lacy bra she knows Yunjin loves—
Okay! Let’s relax! Yunjin doesn’t need to accidentally kickstart her ovulation just before Kazuha gets home.
Not that Kazuha would mind dealing with it or anything… But still. It’s a Friday. Yunjin knows the both of them are tired, and a nice, hot meal followed by cuddling on the couch sounds like the cure to everything. Plus, Kazuha had promised that they’d drive out to Manhattan tomorrow. There was a bookstore Yunjin wanted to go to, and Kazuha always loved to give her girl whatever she wanted. Bookstores always meant gelato and cafes, too, so not only does Kazuha get to see her princess ultra-happy, but she gets to have bread, too! While holding Yunjin’s hand! Honestly, she couldn’t think of a more perfect way to spend her day.
Yunjin hums softly to herself, setting their tablemats and ladling some fresh miso soup into small bowls to give them a few extra minutes to cool off. She’s just finished serving their food when she hears their front door unlock and Kazuha comes in.
“Honey, I’m hooommmeeee!” Kazuha announces goofily, projecting her voice as if it really mattered. Their apartment is tiny—New York is expensive, okay?—and Yunjin can easily see the door from her spot standing in the kitchen.
The older girl laughs. “Hi, sweetheart.”
She’s just about done drying her hands and is about to walk over to greet Kazuha, when Kazuha beats her to it.
Yunjin yelps softly, startled by Kazuha surprise-hugging her from behind.
The black-haired girl kisses Yunjin’s cheek, smiling into it when she feels Yunjin’s hands on top of hers.
“Hi there, gorgeous.” The blonde flirts, entertaining Kazuha’s cutesy clingy act.
Kazuha hums in response, nose still pressed gently into the side of Yunjin’s face. She places a peck. Then another. And another, and two more, deviating from kisses to straight-up trying to tickle her with her mouth.
Yunjin squeals.
“Zuha!” She whines, twisting and wiggling to try and get away. She eventually relents to a bright laugh, tilting her head back in the midst of it.
It makes Kazuha giggle, and she presses forward to pepper tiny kisses along Yunjin’s neck as it becomes exposed.
Yunjin’s laughing fit melts down, trickling into feather-soft bliss at Kazuha’s sweet affection. The blonde girl makes a sound of content pleasure, leaning into Kazuha’s lips.
Kazuha grins, rocking the both of them gently, side to side.
“I missed you today.” She whispers.
“Mm. Just today?” Yunjin teases.
Kazuha shakes her head. “I miss you every day. Duh.” She replies. “But I just mean today was a little extra…”
She pauses to kiss the side of Yunjin’s head.
“I had a really long day,” she sighs.
Yunjin frowns, not liking the idea of her baby being unhappy at all.
“Baby girl,” she says, turning around in Kazuha’s arms and cupping her face gently. “How come?”
Kazuha melts into the touch, closing her eyes and exhaling a little, enjoying the gesture. She puts her hands on the countertop behind Yunjin.
“Just a lot of drama at the office. Remember the two reporters I told you about? They’re so damn petty to each other. And then they get all passive-aggressive during meetings and make it so awkward for everyone. I hate it. Argh.” Kazuha rants.
Yunjin frowns again, irritated at these people she doesn’t even know.
“Why are they acting like a bunch of high-schoolers?” She scoffs. “Grown ass adults, I swear.”
She understands there is going to be conflict in almost every work environment no matter what. It’s inevitable when you paired power dynamics with human beings. But still. Anything that made life harder for her girlfriend was an immediate enemy to Yunjin.
“I know, babe.” Kazuha sighs. “It just made the office feel really heavy all day, you know?”
“Totally, baby. I understand.” Yunjin looks at her sympathetically, big brown eyes warm and sincere. “Should I beat them up? Or I could write an email and get them both fired…”
Kazuha snorts, laughing a bit at Yunjin’s dramatic antics.
“Neither.” She states. “But if I change my mind, I’ll let you know…”
Yunjin laughs, letting her hands droop down to instead hug Kazuha’s neck.
“Real talk, though. I’m proud of you for not letting it bring you down. Those kinds of things are always so draining, and I hate that their own immaturity makes other people suffer, too.” Yunjin says. “But you’re so hard-working and so strong that I know you won’t let those assholes get the best of you. And if they do, I’ll see to it myself that their life is ruined.”
Kazuha nearly sputters at Yunjin’s sudden aggression. She can’t say she’s too surprised, though. When it came to Kazuha, Yunjin was extremely protective.
The blonde girl tips forward, kissing Kazuha’s nose.
“My brave baby.” She gushes, pressing her forehead to her girlfriend’s. “I’m so proud of you.”
Kazuha blushes, moving her hands to hold Yunjin’s hips and pull her in for a full hug.
She nestles her face into Yunjin’s shoulder, holding the older girl protectively and so warmly, Yunjin swears it gets colder outside because Kazuha stole pieces of the sun.
She hugs Kazuha back, holding her tight and placing faint scratches on her head.
Kazuha purrs.
“I love you.” She mumbles into Yunjin’s neck.
Yunjin smiles, her face pink as if it’s the first time all over again.
“I love you too, baby.” She whispers.
Kazuha smiles into her girlfriend’s sweater, kissing the first slip of skin she can find, and then pulling away gently from their hug.
“C’mon.” She takes Yunjin’s hand. “Let’s eat.”
Yunjin smiles at her, letting Kazuha lead the way.
***
After a very pleasant, warm dinner, Kazuha insists on clearing the table and doing the dishes herself, because My insanely gorgeous girlfriend deserves a break.
Asshole. Yunjin was always left blushing too much to think straight and properly argue.
What she can properly do, though, is something else. Something cuter.
Kazuha is putting away the last of their utensils when she hears it. Soft music drifting into the kitchen from the living room. Muffled because it’s a small distance away, but in turn making it sound more serene. Almost lullaby-like.
The Japanese girl crinkles her brows, curious as to what her girlfriend is up to. It wasn’t atypical for Yunjin to put on music; in fact, it was rather common. But it was usually after the two of them had settled into their pajamas and were having a glass of wine or doing a puzzle together. Besides that, Yunjin almost always picked something from RAYE or Laufey to start.
This time, though, she’s picked an old-school love song. A compilation album on vinyl that she’d found at a thrift store. It was old, and more than half the tracks skipped, but once in a blue moon, it’d play perfectly if you set the needle just right, and it was only $2, and Yunjin was so, so excited to have a new disc for their record player.
Tonight’s choice is Elvis Presley’s Can’t Help Falling In Love, and Kazuha smiles to herself as she sets the kitchen towel down and tiptoes over to their living room.
Yunjin is already waiting for her by the time Kazuha gets to the doorway, and the younger girl can’t stop the way her heart flutters and wobbles.
The blonde girl smiles softly at her, hand held out to Kazuha.
“May I have this dance?” She says.
Kazuha giggles quietly, slipping her hand into Yunjin’s and letting her lead them to the middle of the room, beginning a silly little waltz.
They let it be playful for a moment, sharing soft giggles and simply enjoying the small romance.
After a moment or two, though, their giggles taper out, instead shifting to tender smiles and lovestricken eyes. They melt into position naturally, Yunjin’s hands around Kazuha’s neck while Kazuha holds Yunjin’s waist.
The blonde girl kisses her girlfriend’s cheek, resting her head on Kazuha’s shoulder and closing her eyes. Kazuha kisses her forehead gently, hugging her girlfriend closer and leaning into her.
“I love you.” Yunjin whispers.
Kazuha smiles. “I love you too, princess.”
The music keeps playing. There are still dishes that need to be washed. They might put on their pajamas and have a glass of wine or two or call it an early night. They might not ever get a chance to make a song like this, that lets the whole world know they’re in love, but all of that is okay. In this small Greenwich apartment, the entire world is here. It’s quiet, but it’s real. And maybe that’s more than what most things will ever be.