Work Text:
She only took this job to make ends meet. Who knew that a night receptionist position could pay so well?"
$20 an hour as a graduate student wasn't anything to sneeze at, and she only had to work 10 hours a night. From 6 p.m. to 4 a.m., Jisu admitted all sorts of patients to White Mountain General Hospital's emergency room.
Being a night receptionist required her to deal with a lot of bullshit, but most nights the chaos lulled a bit at around 2-4.
Most times, she was able to use this time to catch up on paperwork or even watch a bit of TV. Tonight it was pretty slow, even at 10 p.m., so she planned on catching up on some homework.
Instead, she was arguing with her boyfriend.
Most nights, Jiwoong was dead to the world, as he should be. Instead of sleeping, tonight he decided to pick a fight with Jisu about the hours she worked.
As if she could really afford to work different hours. With the $2 shift differential, Jisu could afford to do a lot more, not that Jiwoong acknowledged that.
Jiwoong ❤️
Are you serious?
I have work in the morning, and I need you over tonight to help with the dogs.
Jisu
I’m sorry, but I can’t call off, I’m in the middle of my shift anyway.
You should’ve told me earlier. I can help next time.
Why can’t you watch the dogs in the first place?
Read 22:15
Jiwoong ❤️
Matthew needs help with a paper, and I promised I’d come over.
You know he struggles with grammar.
Jisu
Well, I’m sorry, I can't help.
Maybe I can ask Felix to tutor him?
I’ll text you later.
Read 22:20
Jiwoong stopped responding for the rest of the night.
Which was atypical of him, but maybe he was honestly, actually, busy helping Matthew. Jisu had only been dating him for about 2 months, as she had gotten out of a pretty toxic relationship before.
She thought Jiwoong was a great guy, who was coming to “save” her after the mess she had dealt with when she was dating her ex. And he was a good guy, when he was dealing with everyone else but her.
He had time for everyone but his girlfriend, and Jisu was starting to get annoyed.
Jisu
I’m getting kind of sick of his shit.
It’s something new every day.
Read 23:30
Felicity ✨
i told you that you pick the worst types.
i’m sorry though, pretty.
maybe you’ll have better luck with someone else.
i would leave him if i were you, though.
Felicity was optimistic, but she was also beautiful.
She had luck with everyone she dated, boys and girls. She was small but lithe, short with model-long legs, with pretty bleach-blonde hair, no real damage, and the cutest dusting of freckles across her whole face.
Anyone would want to be with her.
Jisu, however, was not as cute. She was short, of course, with short legs and knock knees.
With her tan skin and untamable hair, she felt like bagging someone as pretty as Jiwoong in the first place was a miracle.
Maybe that was where she was running into issues. She needed more self-confidence. But it was hard to feel pretty when all of her boyfriends treated her like shit in the first place.
Another text pinged on her phone, interrupting her from her musings, Jiwoong again.
Jiwoong ❤️
I feel like you never have time for me.
Is work that important to you?
Jisu
Work isn’t as important as you, babe.
But I have to work.
I spend as much time as I can with you.
What can I do to help you feel like I care for you?
Read 00:37
Jiwoong ❤️
Cut down on your hours.
You know, there are so many people who would kill to be with me. It’s not fair that I have to beg you to love me.
All my friends tell me that I can do so much better.
Fresh tears welled up in Jisu’s eyes.
So much for keeping her composure. She knew she would never be good enough for Jiwoong, but she was trying.
How much more could she do without running herself into the ground? She closed her phone and looked up to see the night security guard staring at her.
Minhee was pretty—really pretty. Jisu wished she had the type of effortless beauty Minhee had.
Minhee waved a hand at Jisu, which made her smile a little bit. Minhee had been there to watch the failings of Jisu’s past two relationships, and she would be there for the third if things continued to go as they had for the past two years.
If Jisu were a boy, she definitely would go for Minhee.
Effortless confidence and kindness were so sexy. And Minhee was the poster child, always sending Jisu a smile on her worst days.
After her first breakup working at the hospital, she brought Jisu some kimbap that she had made herself. Sometimes she wished she had a boyfriend like Minhee.
Speaking of the devil, she walked over to Jisu’s desk and smiled toothily.
She smiled with her perfect teeth and pretty lips. Maybe Jisu wished she was her. She didn’t know; she was just wrapped up in Minhee’s orbit.
“Hey, pretty lady. What’s bothering you tonight?”
Of course, she noticed Jisu’s distress. Her face was red with frustration, her nose runny, and her eyes welling up with tears; she probably looked terrible.
“Oh, it’s my boyfriend again; you know how boys are.” Jisu laughed miserably.
“No. I don’t. You don’t deserve that, princess.”
Her eyes were soft, but something hard was behind them. She was often like that when Jisu talked about boy troubles, kind but seemingly annoyed with whatever was going on.
Here she was now, annoyed with Jisu’s boy problems again. Great job Han Jisu, coworker of the year.
“Sorry, I know I always have something going on.”
Minhee’s eyes narrowed as if she were reading her mind. It was almost as if she could tell why Jisu was so distressed, maybe her insecurity permeated off of her in waves, or maybe Minhee was just perceptive.
She leaned over the receptionists desk, caging Jisu in with her arms, “I want to know everything about you, even your problems; so don’t stress about telling me.”
Minhee was so sweet, Jisu wished she was her boyfriend sometimes. She would, of course, be the perfect partner, always giving Jisu her jacket when the emergency room got chilly in the winter, or a cold tea in the summer.
She was attentive in a way that Jisu hadn’t seen any man be before.
The sliding doors of the emergency room slid open before Jisu could respond again, and she was thankful for it.
She didn’t need to deal with this identity crisis right now. She put her phone in the desk drawer and focused on checking in their new charge, a young mom with a kid who apparently was running a fever. Poor guy.
Jisu rummaged through her drawers until she found the roll of stickers she kept for moments like this. At least she could manage to make one person happy tonight.
｡ﾟ•┈୨♡୧┈• ｡ﾟ
Jisu was trying, she was trying to juggle work with school and her failing relationships, and it was all too obvious to her that her methods were not working.
Jiwoong had made it exceedingly clear that it was him or work, and he wasn’t paying her bills, so he had to go.
Jisu was sad to see him leave, she liked him, she didn’t know if he liked her, but the stress was getting to her, so breaking up with him was the only option she had to keep her paychecks and her sanity.
Jiwoong ❤️
I’m getting sick of your shit.
I told you I wanted you to come over tonight.
Jisu
And I told you I needed to work.
I don’t see you paying my bills.
Read 23:30
Jiwoong ❤️
It’s always that fucking job.
It’s me or the job.
Matthew wouldn’t do this shit to me.
Ah, Matthew. He was a nice guy, sweet, even though he was a little too loud at times. Jiwoong wouldn’t shut the fuck up about him, waxing poetic about his personality and voice.
Jisu knew Jiwoong had a thing for Matthew, but it wasn’t her business because Jiwoong was with her, and she was pretty sure Matthew and Gunwook were together.
But Jiwoong always did this to her, compared her to other people, and expected her to be just like them. She was sick of it.
Felicity had been boosting her ego ever since she left her first boyfriend, Jongho, in middle school. Only now was Jisu really understanding that she did choose the shittiest guys.
Jisu
Then go be with Matthew.
If your friends think I’m so bad, leave me. I’m sick of it.
Stop texting me if you’re done.
Read 23:33
Felicity would be proud of her for standing up for herself.
Even though it hurt now, Jisu knew that if she didn’t leave now, she would never get out of this cycle of shitty boyfriends. She shut her phone off and put it in the drawer of her desk.
She looked up at Minhee, her eyes focusing on the way that she talked animatedly to her colleague, Christina, Carolina, whatever.
Jisu didn’t remember her name, but she was just as gorgeous as Minhee.
With a cute curly pixie and huge muscles filling out their ugly uniforms, Jisu wondered if she was Felicity’s type. She knew Jisu liked muscly people; she had a huge crush on Changbin before he was dating Seungmin. They had talked about it for hours over episodes of Vincenzo and a bottle of moscato, “It’s so unfair, how can such a cutie have such big arms.”
Luckily, Felicity also liked girls, maybe she could hook them up, they would be a cute couple, some sort of Barbie and Ken in their own way. Maybe they would let Jisu third-wheel on date nights.
Jisu’s internal musing was interrupted when she caught Minhee’s eyes.
Minhee was glaring at her. Jisu suddenly felt embarrassed and quickly averted her eyes, pretending to type patient notes on her laptop, until she felt a presence looming above her.
She looked up and was immediately caught by Minhee’s piercing gaze.
God, she was kind of scary; she had never seen Minhee angry before, even when she was kicking out unruly patients.
Minhee was talking, but Jisu just couldn’t hear her with her pretty lips and strong jawline. Her broad shoulders were caging the sides of Jisu’s desk.
What was her max? Could she lift Jisu up, maybe she could do squats with Jisu in her arms, or push-ups with Jisu on her back, she seemed that strong.
“Hey! Hey. Pretty girl. Anyone in there?”
Oh, Jisu was staring again, zoning out at the space behind Minhee, looking directly into the other guard’s amused eyes.
“Sorry, sorry. Hi Minhee! What’s up.” Jisu hoped she sounded cool, calm, and relaxed. She doubted she did, but a girl could try.
Minhee’s face was hard, like she was angry, for what Jisu had no clue, but she could only hope she wasn’t on the receiving end of that scorn.
“Do you like her? Be honest.”
“Like who?”
Who was Jisu supposed to be liking? Her confusion must have been clear on her face because Minhee’s angry eyes softened.
Jisu had never even had crushes on girls before, so that was perplexing in and of itself, she secretly hoped someone wasn’t spreading rumors, she couldn’t deal with that and everything stupid going on in her life right now.
Minhee’s angry eyes gentled, her teasing sparkle returning again. Crisis averted, thank God.
“Oh, no one. My friend Christie thought you were staring at her, but I knew you knew better.”
Minhee was confusing like that; what did Jisu know better about? She was always talking crazy like that, but she was cool, so Jisu put up with it.
She was confused but nodded along, hoping to see Minhee’s proud face.
"Yeah, babe, it’s cool. How’s that boyfriend of yours?”
Gosh, why did Minhee have to bring him up? She didn’t know how he was, but she knew that they were over. She would have to deal with that backlash in the morning.
“Oh, we just broke up, like five minutes ago, actually. I guess he wasn’t right for me either.” Jisu expected to get a sympathetic smile, or at least a hum, but instead Minhee’s grin widened exponentially.
“Yeah? Great, he wasn’t good enough for you anyway, pretty girl. I gotta get back to work, but we can talk about it over break, if that’s okay with you.”
She waited a beat and a half for Jisu to respond, “Sure, Minhee! I’d love to.”
Sending one more cheeky grin over her shoulder, Minhee walked back to the security desk, back to Christie who was making some weird faces. .
Minhee was right; they both needed to get back to work.
But Jisu was zoning out for the rest of her shift, thinking about her ex-boyfriend’s response and Minhee’s excitement at the same time.
Was Minhee into Jiwoong? That would be terrible, because Jisu really wanted to be her friend.
They didn’t get a chance to talk before the end of Jisu’s shift. Jisu had to work through her break because of a huge crash, but she wanted to talk to Minhee soon, or else she wouldn't know how to interact with her.
｡ﾟ•┈୨♡୧┈• ｡ﾟ
Jisu arrived at her apartment to see a disheveled Jiwoong in her doorway.
His eyes were bloodshot, his hair was undone, his clothes were clearly wrinkled, and he looked absolutely terrible. Nothing like his normal put-together facade. Jisu was concerned, regardless of how terribly she had been treated by him in the past.
“Jiwoong oppa, what’s wrong? Why are you here?”
She knew what was wrong—what she couldn’t figure out for her life—was why he was here. He didn’t want to be with her; that’s the only rational explanation there could be for his treatment of her. She thought he would at least be relieved by her leaving him.
“What the fuck is wrong with you? I’ve called you at least ten times since we last spoke; were you seeing someone else? Cheating on me?” He seethed out.
It was ridiculous, considering the more she thought of it, Jisu was pretty sure he was cheating on her, but she decided to say nothing on that issue.
“I was at work, as you already know, considering you hate my hours so much. I decided to shut my phone off because there was nothing to talk about. We’re over. Be happy! You can find someone better than me.” Jisu offered blandly.
“I don’t want to be over. Let me come inside so we can talk about this. This isn’t fair; you never gave me a chance.”
He was switching between being enraged, being filled with sorrow, and pure apathy. Jisu was scared.
“I don’t think so, Jiwoong; that’s not something I’m interested in right now. I’ll send your clothes and stuff back to your house tomorrow.”
She hoped her voice wasn’t wavering, but she knew it was. She just wanted him to leave before her neighbors got mad again.
She was almost evicted when her last boyfriend came to try and break her door down after they broke up.
“No. Let me in. Now. You’re being ridiculous. I love you. We can talk about this.” Jisu was frozen. She didn’t know what to do.
“Please don’t, Jiwoong. I need you to go home.” Jisu whispered, her breathing quickening as she saw him bounding down the hallway toward her.
She was vulnerable, her phone was dead, and none of her neighbors put up with her; maybe her newest neighbor could, though.
She rushed to the end of the hallway, Jiwoong following in long strides.
It was like her neighbor sensed the danger immediately, swinging their door open before she could even get her hand on the door.
They grabbed her hand and dragged her into the apartment, shutting the door behind them.
Jisu took a second to breathe before she looked up at her unknown savior. It was—Minhee? What was Minhee doing here?
Jisu thought she rented a place with Christie; that’s what she told her, at least. Regardless, Jisu was relieved that her saving grace was Minhee. She felt so safe around her most of the time, so it was a lucky break that she lived here too.
“What the fuck was that, Jisu? Who is he, and why are you running from him?” Minhee implored. She looked mad.
“He’s Jiwoong, my boyfriend,” she paused, understanding the gravity of her current situation, “I guess my ex-boyfriend now. I don’t know why he’s so mad. I’m sorry.” Jisu winced at the end of the sentence, her shoulders up to her ears.
It was embarrassing bringing this pile of shit to Minhee, showing her all of this vulnerability, but it had to be done.
Minhee’s gaze softened. “Never apologize. You can stay here tonight or until he leaves. I’ll get some clothes for you and put them on the bed in the guest room. Sound good?”
It was impressive how Minhee took immediate control of the situation. It made Jisu’s racing mind stop as she focused on the task of taking a shower and getting dressed.
Minhee put a warm hand on the small of Jisu’s back to guide her back to the guest room.
It was surprisingly well decorated for a guest room; compared to Jisu's place, it almost looked like the master bedroom. Minhee pointed to the bathroom with a small grunt and left the room again.
Jisu walked into the small bathroom, took off her clothes, and played with the faucet until hot water sprayed down on her hand.
She got in and started to ponder how she got here and how she still totally wished she was Minhee. Put together, strong, collected, and still pretty after a twelve-hour shift.
Jisu completely forgot that night security did twelves instead of tens, and she was stressing Minhee out after work by being at her new apartment. She would make it up to her somehow another time.
She got out of the shower to find a pretty pink towel across the front of the sink, along with a blow dryer and some lotion. Jisu felt an odd blush rise to her cheeks at the sight; she felt cared for, but it was too early in her day (or late in the night) to be so emotional over this.
Jisu realized she would still have to exit the bathroom to get to the clothes Minhee had for her, but she didn’t mind; they were both girls. So she bundled herself up in the towel and exited the steamy, safe bathroom.
She padded across the cold wood floor to find some boxers and a big T-shirt on the bed. Jisu would feel uncomfortable going commando in Minhee’s clothes, but she could always ask to just keep them and bring her a new set. That would have to do for now.
She mused about how soft the clothes were—only a size bigger—they were comfortable and smelt so good.
She wondered if this was just Minhee’s scent, or her detergent, or maybe her natural scent. She would have to ask her later. Jisu smothered her legs in the smooth lotion and put on the cute little fuzzy socks that were left out for her.
As she walked to the living room, she was impressed by how put together it was, even though she had only been here for two weeks. She was so cool. Jisu was slightly in love with her, in the most platonic way possible.
She was interrupted by the sight of Minhee stretched across the couch, her wife-beater riding up to reveal a patch of pale skin, with a happy trail riding up her soft stomach, and Jisu felt conflicted. She could feel her face get warmer and quickly looked away when she heard Minhee chuckle lightly.
“How was your shower? Did you enjoy the new showerhead I installed?”
“I did; did you know the water is hard in this apartment complex?” Jisu mused, trying to fill the empty space without sounding awkward.
Minhee was really muscular; Jisu hadn’t known that. It made sense, of course, that she would be muscular; she needed to be strong.
But Jisu hadn’t had the chance to really look at Minhee’s body; even in the summer, it was covered by the guard’s uniform. Now, in the comfort of her own home, Minhee was confident and scantily clad in her shorts and shirt.
Was it just Jisu, or was it hot in here?
She stood awkwardly, staring at the floor, shuffling her sock-clad feet back and forth. Minhee’s couch was pretty small; where would Jisu fit? If she sat down now, they would be very close together, and Jisu knew their relationship wasn’t that close, even if she wanted it to be.
Minhee smiled again, her eyes scrunched together in the way they did when she found something funny. She looked Jisu up and down appraisingly before patting the seat next to her.
"Why are you so shy? You know me. I'm just your Minhee unnie."
Ah, her unnie, that was awful familiar for her to say. Jisu should've said something to reject that title, but she couldn't; it felt right.
She shuffled shyly over to the other side of the couch and sat down, pressing her body against the armrest. She looked down at her hands, ready to find a random topic to fill the dead air, but Minhee just turned on the TV.
"National Geographic, right? You can choose the documentary if you'd like, but I think this one on bugs looks pretty cool."
Oh, she remembered; that was really nice of her. She was so kind without realizing it; she was truly lovely. Jisu felt the anxiety bleed from her body as she talked to Minhee about that particular series.
"Oh! Monster Bug Wars! I love that one. Yeah, I want to watch it. Please, unnie."
She turned to look at Minhee with her cutest puppy-dog eyes, and she was shocked by the fondness present in her eyes.
Minhee looked away and hummed, "Yeah, yeah, don't try and manipulate me with those pretty eyes, Jisu. I would do anything if you only asked.”
And wasn't Minhee kind? Yeah, it was a little intense, but Jisu needed more close friends other than Felicity and Hyunjin. Jisung also really liked Minhee. She was nice, neat, and smelled good.
Minhee interrupted her musing with a snap of her fingers. "Earth to angel, are we going to get comfy so we can watch this documentary, or not?"
She didn't look annoyed; she was just amused, which was a relief. Jisung was far too anxious to deal with that tonight.
"Yeah, sorry. It's been a rough night." Jisu shuffled closer to Minhee, leaving an appropriate amount of space between them before she was promptly yanked to her side. "Woah! Damn, unnie, you are strong."
Minhee grinned down at her, her cute little bunny teeth peeking from behind her plump upper lip. "You think so? Good to know, pretty lady. Sit back and focus on our show. I can get us some snacks later."
Minhee was warm, and her house was so cold that Jisu had to snuggle up to stay comfortable. She felt too awkward to ask for a blanket, so she decided the socially acceptable thing was to cuddle up by Minhee's side and shut up.
Minhee's hand slowly slid up the small of Jisu's back, tracing small circles around the knobs of her spine but not dipping down too far, not crossing the line between slightly over-familiar touches that you would give a friend.
It was hypnotizing—the closeness she had to Minhee, her scent filling Jisu's nose, her hands burning touches into Jisu's back, the low hum of noise in the background. Jisu felt more safe in Minhee's, a stranger's, apartment than she had in her adult life.
Minhee seemed to be entranced by the TV, her dark eyes following the cute insects fighting to death on the screen. She seemed so confident, even in this small moment of silence. Jisu wanted to just watch Minhee and absorb her presence and her energy.
Minhee looked over at Jisu, her eyes crinkling when she saw Jisu's starry gaze. "You must be pretty sleepy. You're not even watching the show. Should I head up to my room?"
Jisu's eyes shot open. "No! No. Sorry, I don't know. Can I sleep out here?" Jisu felt her cheeks heat up with shame; she just didn't want to be away from anyone right now, especially Minhee.
"Yeah, of course, I didn't even think you would be scared; I'll go get you a blanket."
Minhee rose up from her spot, slowly detangling herself from Jisu's grip.
"I'll stay out here until you fall asleep; don't worry, there are no boogeymen allowed in my apartment!" She winked before disappearing into the darkness of her apartment.
Minhee reappeared exactly two blinks later, with three giant blankets on one arm and two fluffy pillows on the other. "I'm back! Stay awake for a bit longer, just so I can get some cuddles in."
She smiled down at Jisu, her messy hair creating a halo in the blue light of the TV.
Minhee was Jisu's angel now, wasn't she?
She was the only witness Jisu had to her terrible dating life; even when she was a bitch at work, Minhee was always kind to her, bringing her meals and treats and even letting her wear her comfy Carhart jackets. It was insane how perfect she was.
"I wish you were a boy, Minhee unnie. That way, we could be together." Jisu whispered, the words tumbling out of her mouth like fluff tumbling off the top of the head of a dandelion.
"I don't have to be a boy, Jisu. I can just be yours." Minhee whispered back, a sad smile gracing her beautiful lips, "It'll be okay; I'm right here. Go to sleep."
Minhee wrapped her up in two of the blankets and put a pillow behind Jisu's head before sitting down beside Jisu and getting comfortable herself. Jisu didn't know if she was asleep or awake, but she was sure she felt lips pressing against her forehead in a featherlight peck.
"Goodnight, Jisu. Sleep tight."
｡ﾟ•┈୨♡୧┈• ｡ﾟ
Jisu woke up to the cheerful sound of a little girl speaking.
Was that Japanese?
Where was she? Jisu never fell asleep with the TV on anymore; she had crazy dreams when she fell asleep with anime on in the background. Her stomach growled in response to the decadent smell of bacon and cheese that filled the room.
“Ah, Jisu! You finally woke up! Good morning.” Minhee was too cheery this early in the morning, especially considering they were at work overnight.
Jisu stretched as she stood up, expecting to see the clinical white walls of the hospital and her desk, but instead, she was met with beautiful art and a cozy living room.
"Minhee, am I in your house?" Jisu gasped out, last night's events rushing back to her.
Holy shit. She needed to go check on her apartment and her precious manga collection. Jisu shot up, her eyes wide. "Fuck, I gotta go."
Before she could even step a foot beyond the beautiful couch she had slept on, Minhee shushed her. "Babe, calm down. I checked on your apartment, and everything is safe. I even brought your laptop and headphones over."
"You are literally my angel, unnie; how can I make it up to you?" Jisu felt like a weight had been lifted off of her chest.
Jisu wanted to marry Minhee, but maybe she could get away with just bringing her a box of cookies.
"Spend the day with me. We can have a girl's date." Minhee grinned. "Your presence is my gift. You can go back and get dressed after breakfast."
Jisu felt flustered; it felt like she had just spent the night with her boyfriend, but it was with Minhee instead. How confusing.
Who was Jisu to say no to eating breakfast and hanging out with Minhee, especially because she was in pursuit of a new friend?
She definitely didn't have any plans today anyway; Hyunjin was with her cute little boyfriend Jeongin, and Felicity was at work from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
“Hell yeah! What’s for breakfast?” Jisu knew Minhee could cook, but she wasn’t expecting such a decadent spread, especially so early in the morning. Minhee turned around to reveal French toast, eggs, omelettes, and bacon. Damn. What a housewife!
“Is this up to your tastes, princess? I don’t mind making something else.” There it was; Minhee did have a mouth on her, but Jisu thought she was funny in a way Jisu never could be.
“Oh, I don’t know. What if I’m not in the mood for such a heavy breakfast?” Jisu hoped she was coming off as funny instead of bratty, who knew if Minhee liked her humor, they wouldn’t talk that much.
“Well, you can surely eat something else.” Minhee sent a greasy wink Jisu’s way, her eyes sparkling when she saw how red Jisu’s face grew, blush creeping up her neck and to her ears.
“Shut up! Let’s just eat.” Jisu didn’t know how to respond; she didn’t want to know how to respond. She just wanted to eat.
They sat down at the island counter and began to eat silently. Jisu remembered Minhee complaining about Christie’s eating habits once, whining, “She talked and ate at the same time; how gross!” Jisu never wanted Minhee to think she was gross.
So she ate silently, stuffing her cheeks with food and pointedly ignoring Minhee’s fond smile. The food was fucking good, though. It was well seasoned and perfectly cooked.
Cooking was a skill that Jisu was never able to possess, but then again, Jisu was not a domestic goddess like Minhee seemed to be.
“You don’t seem to eat home-cooked food often, do you? Unnie can fix that, you know?”
It seemed to be more of a personal statement than something Jisu was expected to respond to, so she just hummed and continued eating her delicious meal.
By the time they were both done eating, Jisu was stuffed. Minhee kept offering her food, and Jisu felt way too awkward to refuse.
So Jisu felt tired again, like she hadn’t slept at all. Minhee was talking about some anime she had started watching while she finished her plate, but Jisu just couldn’t stay awake.
Her eyes began slowly blinking, and her head nodded lower and lower with each second. And finally, they closed.
｡ﾟ•┈୨♡୧┈• ｡ﾟ
Jisu woke up to nails scratching her scalp, rousing her gently back into the world of wakefulness.
This was nice; she hadn’t been treated so gently in years, not since she was little, and her mom would soothe her back to sleep after a nightmare.
She felt safe, safe in a way that was new to her in her adult life. Being awake would bring back her feelings of anxiety and inadequacy, so she let her eyes slip back closed again.
“Hey, Jisu-yah. You gotta wake up, babe; we can’t cuddle all day; we have to go on our date still.”
A voice whispered in her ear, with a hand rubbing up and down her back. Who was that? Their voice was sweet and deep; it wouldn’t be helpful in waking her up, she thought absently.
"No, I like where I am now; this is a good dream." Jisu nuzzled into the firm chest under her cheek. She felt her body being suddenly lifted up by under her armpits; she slumped forward like a ragdoll before snapping into wakefulness.
Jisu opened her eyes to see Minhee smiling down at her again. Jisu felt more free with her than she had in a while, so she grinned back and just cuddled back up to her.
"Ah, sorry, unnie. You're so warm, and your hands really work magic." Jisu was so happy they were friends, even if the situation that pushed them closer was so intense.
Jisu felt the vibrations of a chuckle ringing its way through Minhee's chest, along with her heartbeat; it made a beautiful symphony that made Jisu's heart ring.
She loved being a girl; she loved that she could be this close to someone that beautiful without having to worry about anything.
"I know, I'm perfect for you, right? I can head over to your apartment and pick up some clothes if you want to stay sleeping." Minhee offered, distracting Jisu from the intimacy of that proposal with more back rubs.
Yeah, why not? It was a lot less scary than having to face the prospect of her apartment too.
"Okay, you really are the best unnie. I can take your dirty clothes with me later, so you don't have to worry about washing them."
Jisu felt guilty about dirtying up her clean, soft clothes.
"No! No, it's fine. You can bulk up my dirty clothes pile, don't worry." Minhee was so organized, it was impressive.
"Alright, baby doll, I'm gonna go and pick up some clothes for you."
She could probably pick out a sick outfit; Jisu wasn't worried. She lifted her body off of Minhee and headed over to her bathroom.
Minhee had set out a spare toothbrush and some toothpaste.
As she brushed her teeth, she mused over how she got here and how her life had changed. Decentering men, romantically, at least, was proving to bring her so much more joy and peace than she could have ever expected.
Minhee knocked on the bathroom door; she was fast. "I'm putting your clothes outside the door; get changed and come on out."
She was so considerate. Jisu hoped the outfit wasn't too crazy; even if it was, they could laugh about it.
She grabbed the pile of clothes and inspected them; the outfit was cute.
More feminine than Jisu would have worn on her day off, but it was adorable. Minhee must’ve grabbed the prettiest clothes she could find, but the outfit matched from the bra down to the socks.
Jisu felt a little special while she put on the outfit.
She had never met someone who understood her soul like Minhee; only Felicity truly understood her, and Jisu still felt like there was a barrier between them.
Minhee, on the other hand, saw through her, through the facade she projected to the rest of the world, and saw Jisu for who she was.
Jisu was complicated, as every person was; she was loud and confident but skittish and shy. She wanted so badly to be invisible and seen at the same time.
It felt like Minhee knew her on a deeper level than even Jisu knew herself after they spent the night at her house.
“Jisu, I don’t mean to rush you, but I do want to go to the arcade before all of the lame middle schoolers get to the best games.”
Jisu could hear Minhee’s grin in her voice, picture how her teeth poked out the bottom of her plump upper lip, and see how her eyes crinkled at the sides.
It was insane how Minhee had monopolized her mind in the sixteen short hours they spent together, like she had burrowed a parasite from some alternate universe into Jisu’s brain.
"I don't know, unnie. I think you are one of the lame middle schoolers if you think you have to steal their games."
Jisu couldn't help but giggle at the end of her sentence; talking with Minhee was so easy and so freeing.
"Girl, whatever. Just get dressed."
Jisu quickly got dressed, shocked to even find a pair of matching panties under the cute little frilled skirt Minhee put out for her; it was sweet and considerate, but a little embarrassing, imagining that Minhee saw her period panties.
Oh well, they were both girls; it was no big deal. But wasn't it?
Jisu wanted to project a put-together image to Minhee; she wanted to be cool, effortless, and beautiful like Felicity or Hyunjin.
She wasn't; she was clumsy and awkward; Minhee knew that, but what if Jisu wasn't? What if she was different?
"Okay, you have five seconds to be decent before I come in."
Minhee's voice was muffled behind the door, but it got closer and closer until she was standing face-to-face with Jisu.
"I knew it! You look so cute; you're like a little doll; I just want to keep you on my shelf." Minhee crooned, her dark eyes scanning the length of Jisu’s body.
Something in her stomach heated up by Minhee's words. Jisu already felt so small around Minhee, but when she talked about her like that, it ignited something in her soul she had never felt with a woman before.
"Hah, you're too nice to me! I think you just want me to pay for your tokens; you're not slick." Jisu’s eyes were darting around the room, trying to dodge Minhee’s intense eye contact, to no avail.
"Never, you know you don't have to pay for anything around me." Minhee was so serious, her eyes boring into Jisu’s soul.
"You deserve to be spoiled too; I got you today, unnie, my treat!"
A glint lit up in Minhee's eyes, and even though she narrowed them at Jisu threatengly, Jisu stood strong and just winked at her.
"So, let's put on makeup so we can go!" Jisu felt inspired by her outfit and wanted Minhee to feel just as pretty as she looked.
Minhee didn't say anything; she just pulled out Jisu's makeup bag from behind her back and pushed her way into the room, sitting on the floor and patting the spot next to her.
“Well, cmon, pretty girl, let’s get this show on the road. I’m assuming that you will be doing my makeup too; I can’t do it all that well.”
She smirked up at Jisu, her eyes lighting up when she saw the blush decorating Jisu’s cheeks.
“Don’t be shy; come on, sit down.” She patted the carpet next to her, picking up a little piece of lint in the meantime.
Jisu felt embarrassed with the intimacy of the situation, but it was so freeing and so beautiful to be around another woman who understood the complexities of womanhood, of girlhood.
Jisu put on her primer before her eyes cut over to Minhee, who was staring intently at her.
“Oh- this? This is primer. Do you want to wear foundation? I don’t think we’re the same shade though.”
Minhee smiled, tilting her head to the side like a lion, analyzing the situation.
“Hm, no. No foundation. You’re the makeup artist, not me.”
Jisu felt so powerful like this, nose to nose with Minhee while she did her makeup; she had never been so casual in a friendship before; she had always been nervous, on edge, even with her closest friends.
Jisu felt like she could breathe again, in through her nose and out through her mouth.
The only issue she had right now was that she couldn’t quite get close enough to Minhee right now in their current position. She needed to creep closer to put on the dark smudge of eyeliner she had planned for her waterline.
“Can you sit on the bed? I need to get closer to you.” Jisu didn’t want to climb into her lap or anything, never wanting to seem too presumptuous.
Minhee didn't seem to think it was presumptuous at all, because she patted her thick, beautiful jean-clad thighs twice before looking at Jisu with her eyes still closed.
"Well, hop on. I don't really feel like moving."
Oh, Jisu didn't know if her heart could take much more of Minhee's casual sensuality, even if they were both girls.
"Um," Jisu was stalling; she knew it, but she felt a little scared by the prospect of being that close to Minhee, even if she wanted it.
It felt like she was with someone she had a crush on; maybe it was a crush, but what if Minhee didn't feel the same? She probably didn't.
Regardless, she really didn't want her to feel the growing wet spot that was forming in the gusset of her panties, she would probably be disgusted by her.
Minhee peeked an eye open, her ridiculously long eyelashes fanning across her cheeks. "Well, don't be shy. We have somewhere to be."
She looked cocky, her eyelids heavy, looking beautiful, and all too tempting for Jisu.
"I-, I." Jisu's heart was stuck in her throat, her mind racing with all the possibilities laid out in front of her. She could give in to this temptation, latch on to the affection she's been looking for, and finally feel something, but what if it wasn't real?
Minhee softened, opening both eyes and grabbing Jisu's face with her small hands. "I'm just kidding; you don't have to if you wouldn't like it."
She looked concerned, like she was afraid she crossed a line, but that was Jisu's problem.
She stood up, pulling herself up to go sit on the bed before Jisu, delicately, reached out a hand to stop her. "I think you can just sit here, and I can do it much easier anyway."
She scanned Minhee's face, looking for some sign of disgust or anger, even pity, but Minhee just looked relieved, crouching down with a grunt and patting her lap yet again.
"Let's get this show on the road."
—
Minhee's lap is warm and comfortable when Jisu inevitably has to wiggle around to get a good angle to put on the pretty dark blue eyeliner she chose to match her outfit.
Even though the silence is comfortable, easier than anything Jisu had ever experienced in her 23 years of living, Jisu can't help but speak, filling the empty air.
"Do you smoke, Minhee-unnie?" Weird question, but Jisu was really curious. Minhee didn't ever seem like the type, but Jisu was, so maybe they could bond over it.
Minhee's lips quirked up at Jisu's question, trying to move and look up at her before Jisu chastised her.
"Not currently, but I know you do. I saw that pretty bong you have in your bedroom, among other things."
And oh, Jisu hoped she could fall into the abyss below both of their bodies.
Jisu chuckled, her embarrassment crawling up under her skin, resulting in a red-hot flush on her cheeks and ears. "Uh, yeah, I do."
"I used to, not much anymore, but I don't mind that you do. All apartments have a balcony here; don't they?"
"They do. I love the balconies."
"Well, you can come smoke on mine. I'll keep you company." Minhee was sweet, pulling Jisu further and further into her orbit until they were here now, where Jisu was trapped and floating.
“I might take you up on that offer.” Jisu liked smoking with friends, sitting and enjoying their company while she was able to have fun, she just liked being high alone, getting unreasonably emotional at times, or worse yet, horny.
“We can sit and watch a movie after, I love watching movies when Christie’s high.” Well, there goes her plans, out the window.
“Why not,” Jisu hummed, finally getting Minhee’s other eye done, “maybe next time the both of us are off at the same time.”
Jisu slid off her lap, mourning the loss of warmth and connection before letting Minhee stand up and go look into the floor length mirror.
“It looks good, baby.” she said distractedly before turning to pin Jisu into her spot on the cold hardwood floor with her intense stare. “Why don’t we just hangout some more tonight, after our date, you can smoke and then sleep over.”
Jisu felt embarrassed, how was she supposed to explain that she was going to, no doubt, want to make out with Minhee after she smoked, not watch a stupid documentary.
“Oh,” she hummed, trying to sound as casual as possible, “I think I have an assignment due, and you probably want to get some deep sleep in.”
That was definitely the real reason, not her painful, throbbing clit, yep.
Minhee promptly ignored that, rolling her eyes good naturedly, “I can help you finish it. No big deal, this unnie is rather smart.”
Duh, Minhee was painfully smart, and the Intro to Interpersonal Communications homework was simply watching a movie and remembering what happened, anyone could do that. But Jisu couldn’t confess her stupid little quirk.
At least with Felicity, they could make out as friends before falling asleep cuddled in bed. Purely platonic and fun, but with Minhee, it would mean so much more.
Jisu began to object before she looked into Minhee’s, painfully sincere, eyes.
“Fine, now sit down, I have to do my makeup now.”
｡ﾟ•┈୨♡୧┈• ｡ﾟ
After being stared at, rather lovingly, by Minhee while Jisu rushed through her makeup routine, they finally ended up in Minhee’s old ass Subaru on their way to the arcade.
Jisu offered to drive, even though everyone at the hospital, including Minhee, knew she was a terrible driver.
“I quite like having an intact front bumper, so no thank you, sweetness.” Minhee smiled and opened the passenger door for Jisu.
So, you ruin your front bumper three times and now you can’t drive? Whatever.
Jisu had been kindly designated as “aux princess,” and was forcing Minhee to listen to her favorite songs.
Minhee smiled and nodded at the appropriate times, adding in the occasional comment when she knew an artist or enjoyed one of the weirder songs Jisu put on. But other than that, she let Jisu do most of the talking.
“And, for my 22nd birthday party, I want to go to Build-a-Bear and make all of my friends put hearts inside of the bear, wouldn’t that be fun? maybe a little silly.”
It was something Jisu had wanted to do from a young age, but now she was an adult with friends that would humor the request.
Minhee put her hand on Jisu’s thigh, purposefully avoiding skin and landing on the soft material of the socks she had added to her outfit once she felt the cold weather hit her bare legs.
“Am I invited? I think I’d have to give you a special gift of my own though.” Her eyes were firmly on the road, but she sounded almost, scared, as if Jisu would ever say no.
“Of course, you were always on the invitation.” She wasn’t before, but she was now, especially with how close they were getting.
The car was silent once more, a random song softly playing from Minhee’s speakers, making Jisu scarily aware of the sound of her slightly labored breathing when she rubbed her thumb back and forth the barrier between bare skin and clothed thigh.
It probably meant nothing, but, it could be something. Did she want it to be something?
｡ﾟ•┈୨♡୧┈• ｡ﾟ
Minhee sucked at rhythm games.
Jisu knew Minhee danced, she was in a dance group on the side, probably waiting for her big break like Jisu was, so she assumed Dance Dance Revolution would be an easy win for the older woman, but she was wrong.
Or maybe, Minhee was letting her win. She had seemed to suck at a lot of the multi-player games they had played together, but killed the single player ones.
Regardless, Jisu was left with 300 tickets, and they had only been in the arcade for an hour. It was insane, and she had her eye on a prize, something nice to give to Minhee to commemorate their first “date,” even if it was a friend date.
She had done the same with Felicity and Hyunjin, picking out little stupid frames to put their pictures in so they could see the beginning of their friendship.
That was a sweet memory, before boyfriends (and girlfriends), work, and worse yet college got in the way of all their fun. And now, with Jisu graduating so soon, they would have something else to deal with, careers.
Moments like this, with someone close to her, Jisu felt like she was able to let all of her worries float away. It was damn near euphoric with Minhee, different, sweeter.
Jisu’s musing was interrupted by Minhee running over from her spot at the basketball hoop to push her perfect face a touch too close to Jisu’s own.
“Are you bored? I mean, we can leave.” Minhee sounded casual again, cool and collected, even though Jisu could tell she was a little nervous.
“No! I’m just thinking, wanna go get some shitty arcade pizza?”
Jisu was a woefully picky eater, and while she didn’t really want to eat arcade pizza, but she wanted to see Minhee continue to enjoy herself.
Minhee scrambled to help Jisu up off of her, rather comfortable, spot on the ground nearest the skee ball machine, nearly shaking with excitement.
“My favorite is their best,” she stopped, thinking to herself before continuing, “well, their only, cheese pizza.”
She would know what their best pizza was, Jisu never came to this arcade, so she would take her word for it.
Cheese pizza it was.
｡ﾟ•┈୨♡୧┈• ｡ﾟ
Minhee seemed so unreal, so unattainable before Jisu really knew her. Well, she didn’t really know her now, but she knew her better than she ever did before.
Regardless, before, Minhee was some sort of marble statue, out of Jisu’s touch.
But now, face to face in the dimly lit arcade “cafeteria,” Jisu saw the color in her cheeks. She was a person, breathing and talking with tomato sauce on her chin.
She loved pizza, the nasty greasy kind that made Jisu’s stomach turn, and she hated her favorite gimbap topping, burdock. But she also grew up with cats, and still saw her parents' cats now as her “brothers.”
She lived and breathed and was now breathing life into Jisu as they watched the flood of middle schoolers come into the arcade after school let out.
Minhee snorted when she saw a little kid trip and fall while playing Dance Dance Revolution, trying not to bring attention to herself. “Looks like it’s time for us to go, huh?”
Jisu didn’t want this time, their time together, to end. She finally felt like she was waking up from a deep sleep, and Minhee was the sunrise. It was alarming, but Minhee reached her hand across the table and placed it on Jisu’s own.
“I was thinking we could get ice cream, and you can pick up the rest of your stuff from your apartment, and then we can have another sleepover.” Oh, she was being serious earlier.
Jisu was used to empty hangout promises, “see you next time,” or “dinner next week?” But there was no next week, no next time. Not until Minhee.
“Yeah! Okay, yeah.”
They paid when they ordered the pizza, Jisu caught the bill for the two slices, so all they needed to do was head over to the prize counter and leave.
Minhee hauled the heaping pile of tickets to the counter and looked at with Jisu. “I think that necklace is pretty cool.”
“A silly necklace for 200 tickets? No way.” Jisu kept scanning, ignoring Minhee’s other, terrible prize ideas.
It wasn’t until she found what she was looking for did she look up and speak to the especially bored looking teenage worker.
“That frame please.”
It was the last one, probably there for years, but it was perfect. Spotted with rhinestone jewels, buttons, and even macaroni. It was perfect.
Jisu was left with 50 extra tickets that she mentally deciding to give to one of the middle schoolers being smoked on one of the driving games before turning to Minhee, “We need a picture now.”
Minhee blushed, looking surprisingly bashful after all the flirting she had been doing for the past couple of weeks.
“You mean, a picture by yourself? In front of the arcade? Okay.” She turned around, moving toward the doors, but Jisu stopped her.
“No, silly. A picture with you.”
Minhee beamed, abandoning her normal cocky grin for a genuine sunbeam of a smile. It was nice, knowing someone was so happy to take a picture of Jisu, it made her heart sing.
They walked to a photobooth in the arcade, which was shockingly empty, probably because it took card instead of cash, but Jisu was happy to pay for it, reaching for her wallet to pull out her well used debit card.
“No, I’ll pay, so we can get two copies.” Jisu was going to do that anyway, but she would never argue over spending money, so she let Minhee pay.
They sat with their knees knocking together in the cramped photobooth, talking until the little screen instructed them to “look up and smile.”
Jisu tried to look as pretty as she could, posing with a pout and wink, ignoring Minhee’s jeers.
They posed in multiple poses, some silly, some sweet, until the final picture came. Jisu leaned her head to the side to press a light kiss to Minhee’s cheek.
The photobooth was silent while they waited for the pictures to print, the only sounds that could be heard was Jisu’s sneeze and Minhee’s heavy breathing. The ding that signified the pictures were done shocked them both out of their trance.
As Minhee exited the cramped space, Jisu was sure that she could see a bright blush coloring her ears, but she said nothing.
｡ﾟ•┈୨♡୧┈• ｡ﾟ
Jisu had a hard time staying awake on the car ride back to the apartment, her head bobbing up and down as they sat in standstill traffic.
Minhee had stolen the aux cord from Jisu, choosing to play shockingly smooth R&B, lulling Jisu into a dream state.
They had such a perfect day together, more perfect than any “real” date she had gone on with a man. Even though Jisu felt scared and afraid of everything happening between them, what she felt for Minhee was soothing.
She knew deep down she could never pursue Minhee, not because she wasn’t perfect, but because Jisu knew Minhee could never truly reciprocate.
She was perfect, smart, successful, full of life and humor, and kind.
But Jisu was weird, awkward, shy, talkative, and even lazy sometimes. How could Jisu ever compete with all the suitors Minhee had going for her, all the pretty girls who would come into the hospital to bring her food?
No, Jisu was Jisu.
“Are you sleepy, sweetheart?” Minhee put her hand back on Jisu's thigh; skin-to-skin contact was good for babies, and it was good for Jisu.
Jisu hummed; her head still felt heavy, full of clouds when Minhee touched her.
She leaned over Jisu, pulling the latch to lay Jisu’s seat down. She was so close, her weird ass necklace dangling over Jisu’s chest, the smell of her cologne filling Jisu’s heart.
This was nice; this was enough.
Jisu thinks distantly she wants to live in this moment, cuddled up in one of her new friend’s car, the heater working overtime as the sun sets above their sweet town, and it’s worth it.
Before Jisu fell asleep, Minhee draped a jacket over her legs. It was warm and heavy, like the one she wore to work in the fall and it was perfect.
“Take a nap; I’ll be here when you wake up.”
｡ﾟ•┈୨♡୧┈• ｡ﾟ
Minhee had a staring problem, that much was obvious.
She walked Jisu to her apartment when they reached the complex, watching her go through every room of her apartment as a form of comfort for the both of them.
“I told you, it’s safe, he won’t be bothering you any time soon. I made sure of it.” It was casual, the way she threw the sentence out there while Jisu packed an overnight bag with her bong and pjs, but it was soothing.
There was no need for Jisu to respond, she took care of it, she had taken care of Jisu, and she would do the same for her. So she crouched down and rifled through the back box in the back of her closet for her grinder.
“Unnie, can you look in my nightstand for my grinder? I can’t find it.” She shouted from her spot ankle-deep in a pile of sweaters that fell when she pulled her box down from the top.
“Yeah!” Her voice echoed from her spot in Jisu’s bedroom, leaving the girl distracted as she thought of the cutest yet comfiest pj set to wear.
She was going to call it a lost cause, let go of her attachment to the stupid grinder Felicity bought for her on 18th birthday when she heard Minhee gasp. She found it!
But when she walked over, she woefully realized that Minhee had found something, not her grinder though.
Jisu screamed.
｡ﾟ•┈୨♡୧┈• ｡ﾟ
Grinding her weed grounded Jisu.
It was a new strain that Felicity got from her mysterious dealer sugar mommy, that was none of Jisu’s business, especially when it got her free weed.
It also helped her avoid the curious eyes over her shoulder. She was trying her best to avoid Minhee after the woman ransacked her sex toys, even if she successfully located her tiny grinder.
She wasn’t weird about it, chuckling softly, but it was still so embarrassing. Especially because Jisu used those toys imagining a strong, buff person making her feel good. As rare as those occasions were.
How did Jisu explain she’d only used them once, once in the three years of owning them, and she always got overwhelmed. Jisu was always trying to explain herself to Minhee, to look cooler, and now she hit a roadblock.
So, she decided to do what she had done best from the start, ignore the elephant in the room and keep it pushing.
After about five minutes of absolutely obliterating the nuggets she had placed in the grinder, Jisu finally looked up to see Minhee sitting with her hands politely in her lap, cute.
“Yes?”
“I’m sorry for looking in your drawer and picking up your vibrator, that was weird of me.” It was weird, but Jisu had asked her to go in that drawer, and she was just looking for what Jisu asked her to look for.
“I’m not mad, just embarrassed. Don’t worry.” It was sincere, as sincere as Jisu could be while avoiding eye-contact.
Minhee reached out, placing her warm hand on Jisu’s thigh for the nth time that day, “Hey, look at me.”
She didn’t let up, imploring Jisu to look her in the eyes, until she finally did.
She looked painfully geniune, no judgement in her eyes in the slightest, “Everyone masturbates, I do, the people I hang out with do, it’s not a big deal,” she smiled, rubbing soothingly.
“I’d even say I masturbate a lot, maybe twice a day. It’s totally cool.”
Jisu had to focus very intently on not thinking about Minhee with her hand in her pants, but it was cool, it was normal.
Jisu didn’t know how to put it, how to explain why she was so mortified, but she tried. “I don’t really masturbate often, though, and that’s okay it’s just, oh I don’t know.”
“It’s not wrong to do that, as a girl, it’s okay.” Sure, Jisu knew that, she had been told that by everyone, but that wasn’t the problem.
Suddenly, she was overtaken by the feeling that she was making Minhee feel insecure, scrambling to look her in the eyes.
“I know! I know. I just, I can’t orgasm.” Jisu felt the words shoot out of her mouth before she could stop them, how lame. She had fucked plenty of men, had boyfriends who fingered her failed miserably at finding the clit.
Even when she tried on her own she got so,,, got so overwhelmed, no matter how turned on she was.
Minhee took everything in stride though, smiling gently, “I see. It’s okay, we can talk about it later.”
｡ﾟ•┈୨♡୧┈• ｡ﾟ
As it turned out, Minhee did smoke.
She just smoked more than Jisu did. It didn’t take much to get Jisu high—two or three hits from her bong and she was just calm enough to lay and watch TV with Felicity, but Minhee could smoke.
She had declined Jisu’s offers a couple of times before finally agreeing, taking the biggest hit Jisu had seen in her life, making her brace herself in sympathy, expecting a coughing fit, but she was fine.
“I guess I surprised you. I just didn’t want to smoke all your weed.” And wasn’t that romantic?
Disappointingly, Jisu had tried to keep pace, taking a hit when Minhee did, but even after five hits, the older woman was still in the game with her head on her shoulders, so Jisu had to tap out.
Jisu normally didn’t talk much when she was high, choosing instead to watch TV, eat, or on enjoyable nights kiss someone, but Minhee was a yapper.
They had been talking for hours, talking through the movie Jisu was supposed to be taking notes on and into the Netflix-recommended sitcoms. Shockingly enough, Minhee was a menace.
She was handsy, almost immediately hauling Jisu into her lap and nuzzling into the space between her ear and neck. Her voice was muffled by Jisu’s heated skin but she didn’t seem to mind, talking on and on about whatever weird cat she was interested in on Tiktok while absent-mindedly tracing patterns into her midriff.
“The crazy thing is, Maxwell has a home and a family! He’s just evil.”
“Uh-huh, I see.” Jisu didn’t see, but Minhee’s persistent touch was only fanning the flame of arousal that rested deep in Jisu’s stomach. She was honestly surprised Minhee couldn’t feel the river of slick that she knew was pooling in her underwear.
Bored of her cat gangster ranting, Minhee finally paid attention to Jisu’s uncharacteristic silence, stopping her affections.
“Why can’t you orgasm?” Blunt, but okay.
There was no filter like when she was sober; Minhee had no shame, and Jisu didn’t really see the need to feel shame right now either, so she responded.
“I mean, no man has been able to tell I’m faking it,” which was true, but Minhee seemed to sense that there was another issue at hand, tickling her stomach through her thin sleep shirt to encourage Jisu into spilling the beans.
She sighed, the air filling her lungs and pushing out all her secrets with the resulting breath. “And it gets too much when I get close, so I just stop.”
Minhee hummed appraisingly, chuckling softly to herself. “I would just make you keep going.”
Oh.
“I mean, it would be only if you wanted it, but I think I can make you feel good," Minhee said it like she was discussing the weather on a cloudy day. But it made Jisu blush, her hips moving outside of her own accord.
“Really?” Jisu felt breathless like she had been running a marathon in her comfy spot on Minhee’s lap.
Minhee yawned, her jaw popping with its intensity. Was she bored? “I’d take you apart on my fingers until you couldn’t take more, and then I’d keep going.”
“Please, can you do it? I’ll do anything.”
“Unnie would make you beg for it just like that, smart girl; you’re so good for me. Aren’t you?”
Jisu was on fire, Minhee’s fingers singing every spot that they left behind until Jisu’s body felt like it was filled with Minhee. She breathed out her answer, “Yes.”
Minhee let out another yawn, standing up with Jisu in her arms and walking back to the guest bedroom where Jisu had been sleeping.
“We can talk about it in the morning,” she muttered while tucking Jisu into the blankets she had on the bed. “I promise I’ll make you feel so good.”
Without the older woman’s arms around her, Jisu felt so cold and so lonely, swimming in cotton sheets, drifting without Minhee to anchor her.
It was unfair, the way Minhee could just walk away, her back rippling with muscle, after she made Jisu the most turned-on she had ever been with just a soft touch here and a whisper there. Jisu was stuck in her mind, with no one to save her.
She heard the most pathetic sniveling; it sounded like it was coming from the spot beside her. She didn’t know Minhee owned pets; she probably told her, so she did.
“Unnie,” she hiccuped, her nose oddly runny, “your kitten is crying.” Jisu had never seen it, of course, but if her kitten was meowing so loudly, she should know.
Minhee walked quietly, or maybe she had superpowers, because the next time Jisu opened her eyes, she was nose to nose with the woman, peppering kisses all over her face.
She looked pretty when she was high; it was the first time Jisu could really get a good look at her face; her eyes were at half-mast, not red but sleepy. She still looked so sexy, and effortlessly beautiful as she scanned the room.
“Ah, I see. You can come to sleep with me then.”
Well, Jisu wasn’t a kitten, but if Minhee needed her help taking care of the kitten, then she was there.
｡ﾟ•┈୨♡୧┈• ｡ﾟ
Jisu woke up embarrassed.
She woke up with her face buried in Minhee's chest, snuggled up in her cozy queen-sized bed while she rubbed a warm hand up and down her back.
"Be happy we're off today; you slept in, huh?" Holy shit.
Jisu went stock still, pretending she was asleep, trying to wait until Minhee lost interest and let her sneak out back to her own apartment and lick her wounds.
Sadly, Jisu was never that lucky; no one ever was. Minhee chuckled, the sound reverberating through her chest into Jisu's ear.
"If you're still sleeping, I guess I can't make you come. What a shame."
What.
Jisu picked her head up to stare at Minhee incredulously. That wasn't a dream? She really told Minhee that she had never experienced an orgasm before.
She smiled before reaching up and putting a stray lock of hair behind Jisu's ear. "So we're awake now, you naughty thing." She didn't sound angry or disgusted, just amused, which was a relief.
"I am so sorry, Minhee-unnie. I don't know what came over me." Jisu felt like shit; she didn't want Minhee to think she only liked her for the concept of sex.
Minhee stared at her before tilting her head, imploring Jisu to keep speaking.
"I like you for more than whatever stupid orgasm you could give me; I just get kind of horny when I'm high." Jisu felt so embarrassed, moving off of the woman completely so she could look somewhere other than her pretty eyes.
"And we were talking about exes, and I confessed, and then I think I cried because I wanted to kiss you, and I know you don't feel the same, but..." Minhee put a hand over Jisu's mouth, lighting a fire of arousal in her gut that was completely unnecessary for the moment.
"You like me?" Minhee's voice was calm; Jisu couldn't see her face, purposely looking down.
Jisu let out a series of words rendered nearly intelligible by Minhee's hand on her mouth but she eventually seemed to get the clue, removing it when Jisu licked a wet stripe on her palm.
"I do like you a lot. I'm sorry, I can leave if you'd like. I know that because you like women, you don't necessarily have to like me back."
Jisu's voice was shaky; she didn't want to cry; she never wanted Minhee to feel manipulated by her tears, no matter how genuine they were.
"And I'm sorry, I know you were helping me cope with whatever the fuck was happening with Jiwoong. But I like you, and I can’t help it." Her feelings finally bubbled up and came out in awful, desperate sobs.
"Can I kiss you?" Minhee’s voice was shaky, quiet but confident. "If you don't want that, it's fine, but I want to kiss you?"
"Yes."
Jisu leaned in, preparing herself to feel soft lips on her own, but Minhee blew her out of the water.
Minhee presses her petal-soft lips against Jisu's own, humming in what Jisu assumes to be appreciation when Jisu melts against her body. She pecks her once before pulling away to look at her.
"What was all that crying for? I like you too; I've liked you from the moment I met you." Minhee tilted her chin up, forcing her to make eye contact.
"I wasn't going to try anything with you for a couple of weeks; that whole thing with Jiwoong was a lot, but you started this," she used her free hand to gesture between their two bodies, "remember that."
Jisu blushed, her ears turning red. She was so excited for the first time in years to have a crush on someone and to like them.
"I'm okay with that," she croaked out. "I'm a big girl; I can handle it."
Something behind Minhee's eyes changed, shifting from fondness to—Jisu couldn't tell what it was—maybe hunger?
She didn't have time to think about it before she was flipped onto the bed, Minhee pressing their lips together again.
Minhee was a good kisser—a shockingly good kisser. Jisu could tell she had practiced, from the way she bit Jisu’s lips to the way she brought a hand up to tweak Jisu’s ear. Making her mouth fall open in pleasure, it felt good, like everyone touch from Minhee sent a jolt of electricity directly down to Jisu's pussy.
Jisu didn't even know she was into that. Definitely didn't know just kissing someone could make her feel so desperate, so turned on with just a few touches.
She wanted to open her mouth and finally taste Minhee after late nights imagining kisses like this. But Jisu was cool, cool enough to make Minhee work for it.
Jisu poked her lips out to peck her again, teasing her before they got into a hot and heavy makeout session when Minhee pulled away.
Minhee looked down at Jisu, raising a perfectly trimmed eyebrow in disapproval, it made Jisu feel a little scared, like she was a prey animal trapped with her biggest predator.
"Are you being cheeky with me?" Her tone was light, like she found the whole thing amusing for some reason, which made Jisu feel safe, comfortable with having fun, teasing her a little bit.
She shook her head, hoping to be as coy and cute as she could. "Not at all; I just wanted to kiss you."
“You call those little things kisses?” She must’ve known Jisu was teasing, but Minhee seemed to take things personally, “I can show you how to really kiss. Don’t worry.”
What did really kissing even mean? Jisu had no clue, but she could only hope to survive, and besides just kissing could be safe; Jisu would be fine; it would be okay.
｡ﾟ•┈୨♡୧┈• ｡ﾟ
She was not okay.
Minhee had been attacking her mouth for the last five minutes, barely giving Jisu a chance to breathe without diving back in.
Jisu tried to keep up, licking into her mouth, savoring the flavor of coffee and mint that seemed to linger on her tongue, but it was too much.
Minhee kissed slowly, taking her time to mentally map every crevice of Jisu’s mouth, from her tongue to her teeth and back to her lips. It was like she was being taken apart slowly without ever having been touched.
And secretly—maybe not so secretly from the way her hips rutted in the air at the next bite to her bottom lip—Jisu was losing her mind.
No whining, pouting, or even touching on Jisu’s part would make the woman budge. It made her head spin; she felt like she was at the mercy of this beautiful woman who was solely dedicated to taking her apart.
Jisu lifted a hand up to cup Minhee’s face before her wrist was snatched by Minhee, holding it above her head while she squirmed. Pulling back, she scanned Jisu’s face before pinning her further with her eyes.
“What do you want from me? Tell me,” she was being kind. Jisu knew that, but it felt like she was choosing her method of execution, and Minhee’s bed was the chopping block.
Jisu’s silence didn’t deter her, Minhee moving to kiss down the side of her neck, nibbling on her left ear. It was the first time Jisu had genuinely moaned in years. Unburdened by the effort of putting on a performance for a man, she didn’t need to sound like a porn star with loud, high-pitched moans; instead, she could sigh, whining out when she pleased.
A thick, clothed thigh nudged at the junction of Jisu’s thighs as if inviting her to finally fall into Minhee, baring her soul to her.
"C'mon, lovely, let me in; I can’t make you feel good like this.” She sounded desperate, her voice raspy with barely contained passion. It made Jisu’s cheeks flush; she never felt such a reciprocal amount of need for someone like this.
Jisu’s mouth fell open in a gasp, letting Minhee take hold of her tongue and suck; it was disgustingly hedonistic, and it made her feel giddy with excitement. Her legs fell open with the sensation.
Minhee pushed her thigh flush against Jisu’s pelvis, flexing her muscles to—Jisu assumed—give her extra friction.
“Unnie, ngh,I—" Jisu gasped out, shocked at the way Minhee was able to give firm, delicious pressure.
Minhee grinned against her lips, pressing down gently, making Jisu work for whatever she was getting now. And she did, ignoring all of the things that would have made her insecure in the past; her messy hair, raccoon eyes, and even her morning breath were all in the past, set aside for this moment.
Minhee didn’t move further to help her at all, letting Jisu grind and writhe on her thigh, encouraging her to find as much pleasure as she could without her help. It was frustrating; Jisu wasn’t used to working for her pleasure, not really used to pursuing it honestly.
She stopped, pouting up at the woman, lost in the depths of her pretty eyes. “I can’t, unnie; I need your help.” Couldn’t she see how difficult it was? Jisu barely even knew what she was searching for; she only knew when it got too much.
Rolling her eyes, Minhee moved from her spot devouring Jisu’s collarbones until she was at the junction of her sleep shorts and shirt, her breath fanning over the soft skin there.
There was something sensual about the way she looked up at Jisu, her eyes pleading again, like being here between her unshaven legs was the greatest honor she could have. Her pretty fingers walked their way up her thighs until she was at the elastic band keeping them apart.
“Can I see her?” She glanced down. “I wanna see my other pretty girl; make a good impression.”
It was stupid, one of the dumbest things someone had said to her pussy, but it eased the tension in a way Jisu would have never thought of. “Yeah, Miss Kitty down there would love to meet you.”
Jisu had never found sex fun, pleasurable on occasion, but never fun. The way Minhee giggled, abandoning her sexy, dark persona momentarily, was a breath of fresh air. Jisu giggled in response until the cold air shocked her.
“Hi pretty girl,” she cooed, her lips just brushing Jisu’s outer labia over her panties, “I’ll get you out of this prison Jisu has seemed to trap you in; don’t fret. Her tone wasn’t as light as it was before, funny, but yet again tinged by need.
Minhee’s eyes looked at Jisu, finally darting between her and her Spongebob panties expectantly: “Well, I want to have eaten twice by 11, and it's 10 already.”
She felt so unsexy as she shimmied out of the comfy panties she put on, but Minhee seemed to think it was sexy, sexy enough to reach a hand between her own thighs, under the sweatpants she had on.
Was she touching her clit, or just feeling the wetness there? Was she wet? Jisu was suddenly overwhelmed with the urge to see and taste; she wanted so much when she was with Minhee, more than she had ever wanted in her life and now they were here.
There was that whining sound again, low in her throat as she realized how parched she was. “Unnie,” she gasped. “Can I taste you?” It wasn’t anything Jisu had expected to experience in her life, but now she felt like she couldn’t live without it.
Minhee looked up, her mouth open in pleasure, before she sighed, bringing up three slick fingers and nudging Jisu’s mouth open with them. “Suck for me; you can do it, kitty.”
Flavor burst on Jisu’s tongue; it was different than Jisu’s own, tangier but it wasn’t bad. Jisu let Minhee’s fingers explore her mouth, stroking her tongue and teeth with gentle strokes.
The rough sensation of Minhee’s fingers and the taste of her on Jisu’s tongue left her floating in a river of pleasure, lost in the sensations. Is this what being cockdrunk feels like?
Jisu’s musings were interrupted by an annoyed grunt from Minhee, who promptly removed her fingers from Jisu’s mouth. “I want to taste you now; you’re being a brat.”
She wasn’t trying to be a brat; really, she was lost in pleasure, shouldn’t Minhee be happy? Regardless, she pulled down the panties, letting them rest haphazardly around her thigh, purposefully covering her face with her hands while Minhee stared at her pussy.
“Stop, looking at me down there,” she whined, finally deciding to move her hands back down and cover herself up.
Minhee stopped her, her hand once again wrapping around Jisu’s wrists, pinning them to her stomach. She continued staring at Jisu, all of her, while a grin stretched it’s way across her face.
“You’re cute, you know that?”
Jisu definitely didn’t think she was cute in this moment, unshaven in Spongebob panties with a rats nest of hair on her head, “Uh, no?”
“No? No.” Minhee sounded offended, like Jisu was saying Minhee herself was ugly or something. “You, and her,” she kept staring, “are the most beautiful girls I’ve ever seen.” It was like she was committing this moment to memory, her to memory.
She finally looks Jisu in the eyes and suddenly Jisu gets it.
She shoves her face into the nearest pillow, her words muffled by the fabric, “Are you going to… Going to lick it?” There was no way she could look her in the eyes right now, unable to stomach the sight of Minhee’s hunger.
“Look at me.”
Jisu ignored that, choosing to respond from her very safe spot behind her eyes, not seeing Minhee. “You can; I want you to; I’ve never felt that.”
“Han Jisu, look at me.” Minhee’s breath finally fanned over Jisu’s sensitive clit, causing her hips to twitch responsively.
Looking at Minhee only made everything worse; her eyes were dark and heavy, like she was high again, but she knew they were both sober. Jisu felt like she was leaking puddles into the cool cotton sheets below her hips.
Minhee inhaled, taking in a deep breath before sighing like she was grounding herself, collecting herself before she snapped. “I’ll eat you out, but you need to look at me; look at me now.”
There was desperation in her voice, and it made Jisu finally look and see Minhee in between her legs.
Jisu’s body tensed, still in shock because Minhee looked so hungry, like she would truly eat her and devour her body and soul. The worst part was that Jisu was fine with it.
“Okay.”
Minhee started by kissing Jisu’s vulva; it was shockingly gentle when compared to her earlier desperation, letting the both of them relax, Jisu’s thighs falling open with a soft sigh.
She smiled; Jisu could see it and feel it, which is weird, but it’s fine; she can get used to it. She would get used to it if Minhee kept her around.
Before her thoughts could spiral at the thought of not being in Minhee’s life after this, her mind blanked at the swipe of a tongue on her labia, holy fuck.
She whined, words unable to form in her mind already from the sensation, deciding to try and close her legs; this was going to be way too much.
Minhee seemed to sense it though, because her hand shot up to keep them open. “Sit still for me, honey; it'll be okay.” She shushed Jisu, like some pitiful little thing, and the worst of it all was that it worked.
After looking at Jisu appraisingly, Minhee resumed her efforts, diving back down to lick at Jisu’s lips, purposely ignoring her clit, instead prolonging this moment of newfound connection for the both of them.
Jisu whined, her voice pitchy and soft; she needed to feel Minhee on her, her tongue, her fingers; it didn’t matter. The only thing that mattered was the feeling of skin on skin, Jisu on Minhee, melding their souls together.
“Unnie, please.” She whispered after Minhee blew purposefully on her clit, watching her body for whatever reaction she was aiming for.
Minhee looked up almost dismissively before glancing down again. “I know,” she hummed. “I know.”
“It hurts; look at that pretty thing, Jisu. It must hurt because your clit sure is throbbing for me.”
Wow, Jisu’s cheeks burned with embarrassment, looking away to avoid being burned alive by the heat in Minhee’s eyes.
She continued to stare before making a decision, “I’ll kiss it better.”
It really was a kiss, the way Minhee’s lips puckered and pressed gently on Jisu; finally, it's feather soft, but she lingered before pulling away and looking up at Jisu expectantly.
“More?” It’s a teasing thing what Minhee was doing to Jisu, but she finds no reason to whine, not when Minhee tilts her head down to continue her ministrations.
She kissed, sucked, and licked, becoming comfortable with being in between Jisu’s legs more quickly than Jisu could ever imagine. It feels easy, not as scary as it ever had with Jiwoong, Mark, or even Chanhee; it just was.
Distantly, somewhere outside of herself, Jisu hears a keening that sounds like a whining puppy when Minhee pushes a finger inside. Oh, it was Jisu.
“Mn, so full, Unnie, please, I need." Jisu didn’t know what she needed—more? Less? The words settled behind her teeth and ripened when Minhee grazed her public bone with her other hand.
“Already so cockdrunk? Hm, just on my fingers?” Fingers, plural. Jisu must really be feeling good then, so she nods. She didn’t even notice, floating in the clouds, until Minhee’s stomach pulled her back down to earth, the constant hum of pleasure behind her eyelids making white noise.
Jisu settles there, in that headspace, until a tightening feeling in her stomach pulls her back down to earth. She wanted to squirm away, to run, but Minhee was still there, licking frantically at her clit before dipping her tongue inside.
Minhee continued her work between Jisu’s legs, doing all she could to pull everything she can from Jisu’s dripping cunt, making Jisu feel filthy in a way that should be scary but it wasn't. Being defiled, like this, almost felt freeing.
“Wait,” Jisu whines; she needs to stop to ground herself in reality before she falls into the abyss.
She looks up, her eyes heavy again like she had just taken a hit off of Jisu’s favorite bong, stopping, “Are you okay?” Minhee seemed so concerned; Jisu felt like there was no need to be scared, not when she was here for her.
“I think I have to pee.”
Minhee nodded before crawling up to hover over Jisu. “Do you trust me?”
What wasn't there to trust? Minhee had never hurt her and never made JIsu feel sad or embarrassed. So what if she pissed? It would be fine.
The words escaped her lips before she can stop herself. “Of course.”
“Then sit still.”
It felt weird, feeling the sensation build in her gut. Jisu wanted to pull away from Minhee like she had before, but she trusted her; Minhee would never hurt her, ever.
So when the band in her stomach got close to snapping, she let it. Jisu wails, rolling her hips up into Minhee’s awaiting mouth, finally letting waves of pure euphoria wash over her.
Minhee pulled her fingers out swiftly when Jisu felt something gush out of her; she didn’t even have it in her to feel embarrassed, her body writhing around in pleasure.
Minhee’s thumb continues to circle at Jisu’s clit as she rides the waves of her first-ever orgasm, tears bunching at the corner of her eyes. “Atta girl, cmon, breathe with me.”
Jisu didn’t know if she was stuck riding with waves of her orgasm for hours or minutes, but when she came to, Minhee was staring down at her with a grin, somehow having teleported from her spot between her legs to lying beside Jisu.
“What did you think?” She had pulled her bottom lip to rest between her teeth, nibbling nervously.
What right did she have to look so scared, she didn’t not when she made Jisu cry like that over just a few fingers!
Jisu really didn’t mind, not when it meant she could feel that good, so she asked, “Again?” Jisu paused, realizing herself.
Now she was acting like a man herself. “Or, did you want me to, yk?” She gestured down to Minhee’s suddenly bare lower half.
Minhee sends Jisu another dazzling grin, bunny teeth peeking out from below her plump upper lip. "Believe me, I am fine."
Did she mean she had made herself come? Was it in the time that Jisu was coming down from her own high, or didn’t them orgasn together? Jisu felt heady with pleasure and arousal, warmth flooded her lower half, her hips jumping in response to the pure sex appeal radiating from Minhee.
Fuck.