1.

"I'm home!" Wheein called as she dropped her purse on the shoe cupboard. She dropped her keys into the flower-shaped bowl with a sigh and kicked off her shoes. Then stood, staring down her hallway, as she waited for the welcome she was used to. But the hugs and the kisses, the way her confident partner would melt as she scooped her up and twirled her around—it never came.

Reluctantly, she shuffled toward the living room, chilled from the outside air and heated from being so pissed off. As she drew closer, she heard it.

A low, rumbling laugh. The very same sultry notes that she had so often heard in her ear. Only this time, she was nowhere close.

She felt her hair stand on end.

"Ahn Hyejin!" Wheein barked as she stormed through the threshold and into their living room.

Two identical pairs of wide-eyes immediately looked up at her guiltily. Wheein couldn't believe it. Lying across their white leather couch was Hyejin, dressed in just a tank top and shorts, with their tiny white kitten tucked under her chin. The kitten's ears seemed to drop even lower as he snuggled further between her partner’s s.

"Um, welcome home?" Hyejin said with a nervous chuckle.

"What are you doing?" Wheein said with a heavy sigh. She ran a hand over her face to try and mask the frustration.

This was the third night in a row that she came home to her partner and her cat like this. The third night that Hyejin neglected to hug her at the door because she was too caught up in Ggomo. She brought the kitten home only a week ago, but this recent development was unprecedented to say the least.

They used to sit on either side of the room, quietly looking busy and avoiding eye contact. Wheein used to be their queen: Hyejin would glare when she held Ggomo in her lap, and if she was held on Hyejin's lap, Ggomo would meow until he wedged himself between them to be cuddled.

Now, all of a sudden, it was like they didn't need her around anymore. Out of nowhere they took down her pedestal, and she didn't like it.

She turned around and stomped off into the kitchen. It was crazy how jealous she was getting because of Ggomo. She knew it was crazy. Ridiculous even. After all, Ggomo was hard to resist. The floppy ears, the big round eyes—Wheein was wrapped around his little paw, and she knew that. But—

"Ah, Ggomo, look at your mommy angrily chopping vegetables like that. Let's not get too close," Hyejin teased as she came in, cradling the kitten on one shoulder.

Wheein continued to chop in silence while her eyes continued to try and burn holes into her cutting board.

"Wheein-ah, don't be mad," Hyejin cooed, rubbing up against her back lightly. Wheein grit her teeth, and tried with all her might to ignore Hyejin's soft curves against her blouse.

Ggomo meowed.

Why couldn't she stay mad? She thought, biting down a smile. Stupid Hyejin. Stupid Ggomo. 

Wheein sighed again, and put her knife down. She turned and picked Ggomo off Hyejin's shoulder. "You can finish cooking," she said over her shoulder.

Hyejin rushed forward and tugged the back of her shirt. "Yah, why are you being like this?"

Wheein whipped around. "You know what you did, Ahn Hyejin."

“And what did I do?”

“You…you and Ggomo!” She waved an accusing finger, though she couldn’t find the words. Finally, she hung her head, and rested her cheek on Ggomo’s head. “You never welcome me home anymore,” she said quietly.

Hyejin smirked, and, without warning, pulled Wheein right up against her, ignoring the kitten in her arms. Ggomo yelped as he leapt out of Wheein's arms and onto the safety of the floor.

"Welcome home," she whispered.

Wheein blushed, but did not look away as she the short strands of Hyejin’s hair. "Kiss me already, you idiot."

Later, when Hyejin came out with dinner, she found Wheein asleep on the floor, curled up around the purring kitten.

She huffed, set down the trays of food, and marched over to join them. She slid down onto the floor beside Wheein and wrapped her arm around her. Wheein smiled, but did not wake.

2.

Ggomo was purring as loud as a truck under Wheein's outstretched arm. It was six in the morning and Hyejin had woken up to the kitten’s padded little paws walking haughtily all over her face. He seemed determined to let Hyejin know that he had taken full control over both her partner and her state of sleep.

Sometimes—though she would never say it out loud—Hyejin wanted to punch the furball in the face. If only he wasn't so damn cute.

She scooted closer to Wheein.

"Hyejin-ah," she mumbled, voice thick with sleep, and waved her off. Hyejin frowned and got out of bed.

When she got out of the bathroom, Wheein was already at the table with breakfast, head bent over her cell phone as she munched on a slice of toast. Without looking up, she pushed a second piece of toast, already buttered, toward Hyejin's placemat.

"Where's Ggomo?" Hyejin asked, picking up the slice of toast.

Wheein looked up for a moment, reached over, and brushed Hyejin's damp hair out of her eyes. Hyejin smiled, leaned over to give her a peck on the cheek, and took a bite of her toast.

"Still in bed. You should see him. He's so cute," Wheein said with a giggle. "I took a lot of photos."

"That's funny—I recall somebody here acting all jealous last night," Hyejin said, grinning between bites.

Wheein stuck her tongue out. "Don't pretend you weren't annoyed at him this morning. I remember. Aish, he's so cute," she said as she scrolled through the photos in her phone. "Maybe we can have a pet date with Jjing Jjing soon."

Hyejin covered the phone on the table with a hand. "Wheein-ah," she said.

Wheein looked up with a raise brow.

Hyejin wiggled her eyebrows. "While our baby is sleeping," she said in her lowest tones.

Wheein slapped her lightly on the shoulder. "Aish, I have to get ready for work! At least finish eating first," she said, nodding to the toast between her fingers.

"But I miss you," Hyejin whined. "It's been so long."

"Yah! Stop pouting. You're more spoiled than our kid."

At that moment, Ggomo trotted out into the dining room, his little paws silently padding across the hardwood floor.

He mewled softly.

Wheein beamed and scooped him up, showering kisses all over him. "Ah, who's the cutest kid in this whole, wide world?" She mumbled into Ggomo's fur. He purred triumphantly.

"Yah! No fair!" Hyejin cried. "Give me a kiss too!"

Wheein huffed, and carried the kitten with her back into the bedroom. Hyejin dropped her half-eaten slice of toast and shuffled after her, whining.

As soon as she put Ggomo down onto their bed, she felt gravity take her as Hyejin threw her entire weight down, straddling her waist. Hyejin had a predatory glint in her eyes, and she was not smiling. Not even when she jammed both hands under Wheein's arms and wiggled her fingers.

"Yah! What's with you?" Wheein said laughing hysterically.

"Do you love Ggomo more than me?" Hyejin demanded, unrelenting in her tickling.

"What kind of question is that?" Wheein gasped in between breaths.

"Ggomo or me?"

"Oh my god, are we seriously talking about this?"

"Wheein-ah!"

Wheein sighed and reached up to pull Hyejin down by the neck in a gentle kiss. "I love you both. In different ways," she said as earnestly as she could.

Hyejin grinned, looking like the biggest and happiest cat there ever was. "I love you too."