“Hi, I’m Yuri. What’s your name?” The long, black haired girl grinned widely, showing the gap in between the two upper enamels of her pearly whites.

 

Jessica turned her head from side to side before looking up at the expectant face of the girl towering over her. She hesitantly pointed to herself, a doubtful look crossing her features.

 

“Who else, silly?” Yuri said, crouching down to inspect the small mound of dirt Jessica had carefully piled up. Her brows scrunched as she scrutinized the dirt mountain, nodding her head from time to time as if she was assessing the stableness of the dirt structure. “That’s neat… What is it anyway?”

 

Jessica looked back on her dirt hill, a smile tugging at her lips. She wasn’t much for showing off regularly, but the girl did ask first. “I’m Jessica, and this is going to be a big castle. This is where I’m going to be living in, like the princesses in my stories.”

 

“It doesn’t look like a castle.” Pride hurt Jessica puffed her cheeks and turned away from the girl, stabbing the ground with her stick with newfound vigour. Or was that anger?

 

“I’m not done with it yet.” She growled, attention fully focused on the small hole she had created. She scraped the side of the crater, just figuring out earlier that she could gather more dirt that way. She pointedly ignored the girl crouched in front of her, watching her like she was the most interesting thing she’s seen.

 

After a while, with Jessica’s dirt mound rising another inch or two, Yuri began restlessly bouncing on her spot. Her wide eyes excitedly took in the playground around them, looking for something more fun to do. With her current height things like the tall structure with the long ladder on the wrong way where the bigger kids played were way out of their league. She knows, she tried it with her brother one day. She couldn’t reach it even though she was already on her tiptoes on the last rung. Her brother had then laughed at her and told her to go play in the sandbox with all the other babies. Of course, Yuri grew angry at the insinuation of being a baby and kicked her brother’s shin. She got into trouble with her parents, but her brother stopped calling her a baby.

 

Her eyes landed on the ever popular swings and a giant grin pulled at her lips. “Wanna play at the swings?”

 

Jessica spared a quick glance over to the swing set where the other kids had gathered, running around or hanging on the bars. Her face scrunched in displeasure. “I don’t think the bigger kids will let us play.” She said observationally, refocusing on her masterpiece.

 

“We can ask them really nicely.” Yuri persisted.

 

“They won’t let us play.” Jessica repeated, stabbing at the ground.

 

“We didn’t even try yet.” Undeterred Yuri bounced right back up. Grabbing Jessica’s by her arms she pulled her up and proceeded to drag the protesting girl away from her masterpiece. Before Jessica can pull her hands away from the tight grip Yuri had already stepped on the swing area and came close to the nearest swing, keeping in mind to have enough distance so as not to get bowled over.

 

“Excuse me.” She called out, waving her free hand to catch the swinging boy’s attention. Her mother would be proud of her politeness.

 

Noticing the two younger girls the older boy let his shoes scape against the ground, slowing his motion, but not enough to stop. “Whaddaya want?”

 

“Can my friend and I play on the swing?”

 

“What if I don’t wanna get off? What’re you gonna do about it?”

 

“Pretty please? Me and my friend wanna play. Even just for a little bit.”

 

The boy scoffed, pushing his feet against the ground to gain a little momentum. Before he can gain speed, and before Jessica could pull back and return to her mud castle, Yuri dug into her pocket with her free hand and pulled out half a packet of her gummy bears. “I’ll trade you my gummies for the swing.”

 

The boy glanced back at Yuri. His eyes focused on the pack of gummies and it takes even less time for him to hop off the swing. Teetering on his unstable feet he quickly snatched the pack from Yuri’s hand and jerked his thumb over to the vacated seat.

 

“All yours kid.”

 

Yuri didn’t forget to say her thanks before dragging Jessica closer to the swing. “See, told you.” She said grinning proudly as she steadied the wobbling seat.

 

“But there’s only one seat.” Jessica pointed out. Yuri glanced around them, simultaneously patting her pockets for any more treats. She only had that one pack of gummies.

 

“Well… we can both sit on the swing?”

 

“We won’t fit.” Jessica said dejectedly, already turning to go back to her unfinished mud castle when their clasps hands halted her movements. Yuri tugged at their hands gently, pulling Jessica closer to the swing.

 

“You swing first. I’ll push you. Then I’ll take a turn. How about that?” Yuri offered, grinning.

 

Jessica thinks she’s never seen anyone grin that much in her life. “You’re a little weird.” She cocked her head to the side, a grin of her own forming. “I like you.” She declared brazenly, already deciding Yuri would be a good friend to have.

 

The young girl’s smile only seems to grow wider as she returned the sentiments.

 

 

 

 

 

A gentle poke against her cheek roused Jessica from her nap. Her eyes protested from the bright natural light and so, not one to fight the calling of sleep, she attempted to bury her face back in her arms.  She groaned in protest a second later when a pair of warm hands sandwiched her cheeks and forced her head up.

 

“Rise and shine princess overlord.” A cheeky voice called to her. She groaned again, her lips forming into a duck pout instead of the frown she was aiming for.

 

“If I hear you calling me that again I’ll hit you.” She muttered darkly. At least, that was what she intended to do. With her cheeks squashed the way it was and her lips pushed out her words became slightly garbled, almost comparable to toddler’s babble.

 

A soft chuckle was the response she got.

 

“Could you please repeat that princess- ouch!” Jessica tilted her head to the side, grabbing the nearest finger (the thumb) with and sunk her teeth into the soft flesh.

 

Yuri yelped, immediately letting go and retracted her hand. Jessica’s head followed the motion, refusing to ease off her bite until she thinks the younger girl had fully understood that repercussions were to be expected if her rules and orders weren’t followed.

 

“Okayokayokayokayokay. I’msorrySicaIwon’tcallyouthatagain.I promise!” Satisfied by the pained look and the rushed promise Jessica lets go. The moment Yuri retracted her hand she made a mad (noisy) scramble to the safety of the next table, an act that successfully put the two at the centre of attention. Jessica chose to ignore the stares and focused on stretching out the tightness around her neck. Sleeping with her neck angled unnaturally had pulled a muscle and had to be stretched out before the shooting pain started. Jessica knew tricks to stop that as she had been subjected to constant muscle cramps from forcing her body into positions she wasn’t used to. Her laziness, though made her good at think outside of the box, was not doing very well for her physical health what with the constant desire to sleep anywhere at any position.

 

Yuri peeked from the other table, watching to see if Jessica was in a better mood from barely a minute ago so she could come out of hiding. After a few rolls of her head, Yuri deduced that Jessica was now safe enough not to try and send her one of her habitual hard slaps and carefully encroached hostile territory.

 

“Is it safe to approach, general?”

 

“Cut the crap, Yul, and tell me what you want from me?”

 

Yuri grinned, plopping her on the chair and leaned over her knees. “Oh, nothing too hard to ask for… just your love and devotion.”

 

“You see this book?” Jessica said as she held up the thick mathematics book in her hand “You’re going to be well acquainted with this book if you don’t drop the jokes. I’m not in the mood.”

 

“Sica-yah, you’re never in the mood.” Yuri reached out, plucking the book from Jessica’s lax grip and stuffed it in the large, leather shoulder bag slung over Jessica’s chair. “Anyway, it’s home time and I’m thinking chicken. Want to pop down to good old KFC for some chickin pops? We can share so that we won’t upset aunty by ruining dinner.”

 

“I’m not a child.” Jessica huffs indignantly, crossing her arms over her chest as she glared down Yuri’s bright smile. It doesn’t faze the latter and she slings the bag over her shoulder, right over her own cross body sling bag. She chuckled at the clashing difference in their taste.

 

She offers her hand, Jessica doesn’t even think too much as she slips her hand into Yuri’s and gripping firmly as the taller girl pulled her off the chair. Even as they leave their hands remained clasped firmly together.

 

 

 

 

 

The party was going on full swing. The students, out of their stuffy uniforms and into stuffier looking suits or long, puffy gowns, jammed out to the song choices blaring around the suffocating gym. Thank God the staff approved of the students to DJ instead of the usual. Otherwise, they’d be stuck awkwardly dancing to overrated tunes from the 80’s that no one really knows the lyrics to.

 

They still stuck around to “chaperone” but Jessica was sure a few of the students managed to sneak in some alcohol and had been passing it around in secret. It wasn’t that hard to distinguish the smell of alcohol from the fruity punch that was being severed. Plus their motor skills started to go downhill after downing one too many, but of course, no one could wait for the after party to start getting buzzed.

 

“You’d think the teachers would start sniffing out the alcohol by now.” She turned her head to her date, wondering how long he had been standing there for. He had excused himself to get a punch after they had bounced along to one of the hit songs that Jessica never knew the title to. There was a loopy grin on his face as he offered her one of the red cups her was holding.

 

Jessica cautiously sniffed around the rim of the plastic cup, arching her brow at the faint smell mixed in with the punch.

 

“Did they really spike the punch?”

 

Her date laughed. “They’re not stupid enough to do that. They mixed vodka in Gatorade bottles and put beer in bottles of fruit juice and have been going around.”

 

“They’re gonna to get caught.”

 

“I doubt it. They move too much, and in pairs or three’s, just in case.”

 

“Oh,” she looked into her cup, swirling it a little as if it would somehow show her what kind of alcohol was mixed in it. Not that she could differentiate them if it did, she wasn’t that interested in alcohol like the rest of her peers. “which one is this?”

 

Her date grinned that boyish grin that made her heart jump just a little bit. “Taste it to find out. Don’t drink it all in one go though, I’d still like a date to the after party.”

 

“Whoa, back off Romeo,” A familiar voice interrupted. Jessica felt a weight pressing upon her shoulder and the warmth on her side that she wasn’t really keen on pushing away. She sniffed the fragrance that had a hint of her own. She sprayed it on the girl when they were getting ready, only to have her spraying her own favourite brand right before they left. She looked to her side, treating herself to the sight of a grin that reminded her of the Cheshire cat accentuated with the dimness of the place. Her head lolled to the side, resting her head on the comfortable shoulder. “she’s mine at the after party.”

 

Her date laughed good-heartedly, raising his cup in the air. “And I was just about to convince her to dump you for me.”

 

“In your dreams lover boy, hoes before bros.”

 

Jessica arched a brow and gave Yuri’s middle a pinch. Yuri squirms at the initial sharp pain, but her arms drop from Jessica’s shoulder to her waist, pulling her closer to her hip. “Did you just call me a hoe?”

 

“It’s an expression, Sica-yah. And even if you were, you’re a mighty fine piece of Mona Lisa that it wouldn’t even matter.”

 

A pinch to her arm, this time Yuri hisses through her teeth. “Now I know you’re insinuating something about me.”

 

Her date laughs even more, spilling a little of his drink onto the floor. They pay him no mind.

 

“All I’m saying is that you’re beautiful and any lucky sap that you deem worthy should be grateful and treat you like the princess you are.”

 

Jessica gives her arm another pinch that has Yuri releasing her and cussing under her breath when the juice in her other hand spills on her dress. “Great, now I’m going to smell like punch for the rest of the night.”

 

“It’s a good change over that musky scent you like.”

 

“It’s a good perfume and you’re just saying that because you think its men’s perfume. It’s perfume, there’s no gender in perfume.”

 

“There’s a female section and a male’s section.” Jessica flatly retorts much to Yuri’s chagrin.

 

“She’s right you know.” Her date agrees, and she smiles gloatingly at Yuri. “See, even Taecyeon knows.”

 

“I do, but I honestly can’t tell the difference without the bottle.” The boy adds while chuckling. Yuri reaches for a high five which was gladly reciprocated.

 

Jessica rolls her eyes and takes a sip from the cup, hoping to alleviate the growing headache she was getting from the conversation. Her nose scrunches when the aftertaste began to kick in, leaving a less desirable taste in .

 

“Did you mix beer in this? Why do people like drinking beer anyway?” She says as she puts the half-filled cup on a nearby bleacher.

 

Taecyeon shrugged. “You don’t exactly drink beer for the taste. Also, I guess it’s an acquired taste.”

 

“Like Jessica’s personality.” Yuri happily chimes in earning her a good solid sock to her shoulder. This time she manages to avoid the liquid sloshing dangerously over the rim of her cup, laughing at the disgruntled look on Jessica’s face. “Violent Sica.” She snickers.

 

Jessica shakes her head and doesn’t even react when the same, slightly sticky hand wraps around hers, linking them together. She feels her squeeze and she returns the act as her head finds its place over the comfortable spot on her shoulder. Jessica sighs, closing her eyes as she listens to Taecyeon and Yuri chattering animatedly over the distinct pounding of the bass of the current song.

 

 

 

 

 

The warm hands that wrap around her freezing ones make her look up from her blank staring. Worried eyes peer at her from the semi-darkness put some warmth back in her weary heart. She tried to smile, but that felt too much work for her already strained face, so she dropped her head, staring instead at their hands as she twiddles her fingers. She moves a little, just so she could properly hold onto Yuri’s hand with both hers, relishing the warmth that she sorely needed.

 

“I hope the pain eases soon.” Yuri mutters softly, kindly. Jessica hums, letting her know she heard.

 

A strong gust makes their hair dance and Jessica shivers, pulling her shoulders up to form a sort of barrier against it. The swing she sits on creaks noisily, but she doesn’t move too much, her knees bumping with Yuri's steadies her momentum anyway.

 

“I was expecting it.” She mutters softly. Yuri lowers to a kneel trying to get as comfortable as she could. She doesn’t say anything, only brushes her thumb over Jessica's cool skin, hoping to provide even a bit of comfort and warmth when her best friend needs it the most.

 

“He was always smoking. I told him to stop- we tried to bargain with him to stop, always buzzing around him whenever he steps out. For a while it looked like he did, he was getting better... But then, gram died...” she inhales noisily, the memory still fresh in her mind though it had been a while. Seeing her father howling painfully for the first time left a deep impression on her, something she could never forget. And now… “He went back to smoking, like he couldn’t bother to move without it.” Her lips quivered, chest giving a tight pinch. She sniffed back her tears, and she thought she didn’t have any left but there were more. She didn’t know where it came from or if she would ever run out.

 

“I should have tried harder. I got him to lower his smoking before. Why didn’t I make him stop again?” her voice sounded like someone else's at that point. Stuffy, scratchy, in deep anguish. She lowered her head, a new batch of tears streaming down her cheeks and dropping to their hands. It felt cold.

 

“Uncle wouldn’t want you to get sick out here. Let’s go back.” Yuri says as she gives a tug. Jessica shakes her head, gripping her hand tighter.

 

Her breaths come short, it was almost painful with every contraction of her lungs. Her heart was torn in half and she could only imagine how her mother felt at this point. It must be way horrible.

 

“He was a good man.” She felt Yuri’s hands pull out from hers and she lets her go and squeezes her eyes shut. She didn’t want Yuri to see her like that, nor did she want to see looks of pity. She wouldn’t blame her if she turned and walked away, she was such a mess.

 

“Why did he have to go like that?” she questioned anyway, not expecting a reply.

 

“Sometimes life just isn’t picky with who gets what.” Yuri’s softened voice filters to her ears. “Sometimes you get a sack of , but then other times you get something worth your while. And some are really lucky and they hit the jackpot right from the start.” She feels Yuri’s hands come back over hers, feeling a bit warmer this time. She squeezes Jessica’s hand, pulling them up to blow warm air against them and rubbed some heat back to her hands. The warmth Jessica felt for the girl blossoms in that cold, miserable day. Like a ray of sunshine after years in the dark. Her shoulders quake harder as unrestrained sobs spill from her lips. It doesn’t take more than a few seconds when she feels Yuri pulling her into her body, encasing her in a warm embrace. A hand lands on top of her head and, in typical Yuri fashion, she runs it firmly down to her neck, hand resting there as if to cradle her head like a babe. Jessica all too gladly buries her face in the crook of her neck, hands flying around Yuri to clutch at her like her life depended on it. And Yuri, ever dependable Yuri, stayed in place, murmuring sweet nothings,offering her shoulder to cry on as she had always promised.

 

It’s only when Jessica’s crying tapper in muffled, shaking breathings that Yuri pulls them both to stand. She’s really acting more like a post as Jessica refuses to pull away even for just a second. Grunting a little Yuri pats at Jessica’s shoulder. “Come on. Auntie’s worried about you too.”

 

“I don’t want her to see me this way.” Jessica hiccups. “I don’t want to add more burdens on her shoulders.”

 

“Oh, you are most certainly not.” Yuri berates lightly, pulling a little bit away in hopes to get Jessica to look at her. “Sica, you are never a burden. You never will be. Your mom loves you and will always worry about you. You shouldn’t hide from her and act strong. Be there beside her and let go, be each other’s support.”

 

Yuri cups half of Jessica’s face, guiding her head up to look at her. Jessica sniffs, pressing her lips together to stop them from quivering so much. Everything around Yuri blurs as her tears cloud her vision, but she’s wearing a smile so heart-warming Jessica can’t help but try and return it.

 

“Aw, come on now. It’s not fair to cry and still look pretty.” It gets a short laugh out of her. Yuri grins at her success and pulls Jessica back to her chest. Jessica is more than eager to tuck her head under Yuri’s chin, placing her ears close to her left shoulder to listen to the calm breathing.

 

“It’s not fair that you always know what to say to cheer me up.” Jessica sighs, easing into the warmth surrounding her.

 

She feels the vibration of Yuri’s chuckle and feels the girl pulling her even closer to her body, wrapping her more into her embrace. “I have to know what can cheer you up. It’s my duty and I’ll proudly deliver.”

 

“You won’t ever leave me, right?”

 

“Me? Leave you?” She feels her cool lips pressing against her forehead in a chaste kiss. “Not even in your dreams.”

 

 

 

 

 

Jessica sighed as she leaned back onto the headboard. Her glasses dangled in one hand, the other kneeding at her forehead in hopes of easing the migraine she had been battling with for the last hour. She should have just gone to work. Three days cooped up in the house, though was pleasant during the first two, was giving her a sore back.

 

She had gone through all of the series she had wanted to catch up to and was now left with the hollowness of that everyone went through after a good show ends. So she turned to bury herself in her leftover work. Opting to leave her business to her second in command proved to be a wise choice, but having agreed to switch their responsibilities had Jessica mentally cursing the woman. She didn’t take accounting for a reason.

 

“Are you seriously doing work?” The familiar husky voice had her leaning all the way back. A lazy smile was on her face as she moved the notebook that was on her lap to the bedside table, beckoning for the other woman to come closer.

 

“You’re back.” She mewled, throwing her arms over Yuri’s shoulder the moment she was within arm’s reach. The younger woman chuckled, turning her head to the side to press a quick kiss to her cheeks before gently patting Jessica’s shoulder for release.

 

“I thought we agreed that you should just rest.”

 

“But I’m tired resting. My back aches from all the resting. I need to do something before I lose my mind.” Jessica complained, pushing off the pillows she had been using for support, pulling her shoulders back until her muscles started to tense before releasing.

 

She feels Yuri’s warm hand pressing up against her forehead and she playfully leans forward, causing the woman to chuckle at her antics. “At least your temperature’s returned to normal. But still, you should keep resting.”

 

“But I’m bored.” She pouts her lips.

 

Yuri grins before she swoops down to steal a kiss on her lips, then plants another quick one on her nose. Already used to Yuri’s penchant for stealing kisses she keeps her lips puckered, tilting her head up to ask for more. Yuri’s all too happy to deliver, placing another quick peck before capturing Jessica’s lips in a slower, longer kiss. They take their time, their lips moving against each other in a slow dance, pulling back, grazing teasingly before falling back into place.

 

When they part they mirror each other’s grinning faces and Yuri falls into the empty space of their king-sized bed, using her arm to prop her head up. “So, what do you want to do then? Want to continue watching where we left off yesterday?”

 

“Ah that… I already, kind of, watched the remaining episodes.”

 

Yuri gasps dramatically. “Without me?”

 

Jessica rolls her eyes. “You left me here with nothing to do. Of course, I was going to end up finishing the series. There were two episodes left.” She looks over to Yuri’s pouting face and her lips lift to a smile as she grabs the remote from the bedside table. “But, I guess I can watch it again with you.”

 

“Yes!” Yuri pumps her fist in the air, earning a few chuckles from Jessica. Yuri turns to her back, shuffling backwards to the headboard. Her arms fly up to Jessica’s shoulder nudging her a little to get her to shuffle closer, squeezing her arm in between Jessica’s lower back and pillows. She reaches to gently caress the large baby bump, a serene smile on her face as she lets her hand fall to where she last remembered the baby kicked.

 

“Has my baby been good to mommy?” she cooed, rubbing at the spot.

 

Jessica sighs, leaning back to partially rest against Yuri’s side, tucking her head by the crook of Yuri’s neck and shoulder, her favourite spot to relax. The TV blares the opening theme of the show but Jessica lets her eyelids close, opting to enjoy the wonderful feeling of being loved and being in love.