Nayeon was pretty.

Jisoo drew a silent, deep breath as she saw Jennie's childhood friend stepping in the room. The Venusian glanced at Jennie and saw a genuine, happy smile plastered on her face.

"Dumpliiing!" Nayeon ran to the Martian and hugged her in a way like she had done it a thousand times.

"Hey, Nayeonie" Jisoo saw how Jennie s her arms around Nayeon's waist like they belonged there. She bit her lips.

"I miss you. It's been almost two years right?" Nayeon smiled soon as the two broke the embrace.

"I miss you too, Nayeonie. You have no idea how boring it had been" Jennie continued. Her eyes then shifted to Jisoo and her lips turned up even more. "Until I met Jisoo of course"

Nayeon's eyes followed where Jennie was staring. She beamed Jisoo a smile and made one step forward.

"I am Nayeon" She said as she offered her hand. "Princess of Pluto"

Jisoo started with a hesitant smile. "Jisoo, Second Princess of Venus"

"You are the person Jennie is fated to marry. I heard about it"

Unsure of what to say, Jisoo kept her smile.

"I will definitely want you on our big day" Jennie broke the tension between the two. "You must be tired from the trip, Nayeonie. Let the maids bring you to your room first"

"Sure, dumpling. I will see you soon" Nayeon twinkled at the Martian. Her arms still managed to find their ways to Jennie's waist, quickly yet affectionately.

There were a few seconds until Jisoo felt a brush on her hand.

"The physician said I can do more activities now" Jennie said, grabbing her hand tightly. "Let's go outside and water all the trees you have planted"

"Yeah, let's" The Venusian forced her smile through.

It was burning outside, but the couple did their job nevertheless. Jennie praised Jisoo for all the good care she had given to the plants and repeated the same thing despite being given short, cold answers from the other girl.

Jennie turned her head at one point; an action that she did not regret. The evening sunray that fell on Jisoo made her silhouette become crystal clear for Jennie. The Venusian smiled, not at her but at the water that sprinkled on the tree seeds that she loved heartily. Even as a silhouette Jisoo's smile was pretty. She wanted to wake up to this sight everyday, to have Jisoo there, in her life. And luckily she would. She believed she would, because fate seemed to want this anyway.

Just like that, her overwhelmed heart drove her to walk toward Jisoo. She sat behind her secretly, then pulled Jisoo by the stomach gently.

Jisoo gasped as she felt hands on her torso, but relaxed as she knew where she landed on.

"You're so silent today" Jennie whispered to her ear. "Are you having a secret conversation with the trees?"

That earned a giggle from her lover. "Yes, and you are not invited"

"Why is that?"

Jisoo smiled again hearing how seriously disappointed Jennie was. "Because"

"Because...?"

"Because only the trees can see me mad" As she said it, Jisoo moved away from the Martian, sitting across her now but not meeting her gaze.

"Mad?" Jennie dragged herself closer. "Why are you mad? And to who? About what?"

Jisoo left the question hanging in the air at first, but she had learnt that hesitation brought her nowhere. "Who won't be annoyed if a beautiful girl throws such a loving smile and sneak her arms around your lover's waist?"

Jennie kept her eyes on Jisoo the whole time she listened, and by the time Jisoo finished those eyes widened. "Are you jealous?"

"I am annoyed" Jisoo blushed as she looked away.

"Hey, come here" Jennie moved again, positioning herself behind Jisoo before backhugging her one more time. "Why would you be mad only because she smiled at me and hugged me?"

"It's not 'only'" Jisoo grunted. "I mean, she even calls you by a nickname and I don't. You call her Nayeonie too"

"The dumpling thing? Jisoo, that's just how we have called each other since we were young. She calls me dumpling because my cheeks look chubby like dumplings. To think about it, it's not even a nickname that means much"

It might be not so for you, Jisoo thought, but for her? And how many things have they shared since they were young besides nicknames? Hugs, cuddles, innocent kisses?

Jennie sighed as she studied Jisoo's troubled face. "Look, do I hug her the way I do to you now?"

"No, but-"

"Then trust me when I say there is nothing between me and her, alright? We are simply childhood friends and that's all to it" Jennie touched her shoulders. "Turn around and look at me"

Jisoo did. Jennie's lips turned up as she caught Jisoo staring at her. Jisoo knew little of how much Jennie liked those pure orbs. It did not take her long to lean in and put a kiss on her lips.

"On the top of everything, I don't kiss her and touch her like I do you" Jennie said and smirked after their lips were apart.

Jisoo hit her shoulders lightly. "ert"

"Oh, I think someone is the ert one when she ogled my s before?"

"I did not!" Jisoo puffed out a breath. Her cheeks warmed up. "I mean, you can't expect me not to stare when you're fully like that!"

A smirk appeared on Jennie, but a few seconds was all that it took to subside. She sighed. "If I wasn't injured we would have been able to continue that evening, wouldn't we?"

"We can always do it next time" Jisoo rubbed the Martian's cheeks tenderly. "I want you to heal, and not get hurt because of me again"

Jennie held the hand that was on her cheek and fixed her gaze on Jisoo. The Venusian still and would always find those eyes as her Achilles' heel, no matter how much time had passed, and she would do anything to protect the fire in those eyes. The next time; she wished for dear life there would be no next time, but if one of them had to get hurt for the other, it would be her.

"I will heal faster for you" Jennie spoke again, carving another smile on Jisoo's face.

#

Jennie and her childhood friend crossed their path on their way to dinner.

"Jen" Nayeon brightened up soon as she saw the Martian.

"Hey, Nayeonie. Finished with the shower already?"

"Yes, I have finished some time ago actually. I was looking for you but you're not around"

"Oh, I was with Jisoo the whole time. That is why"

Nayeon's smile shifted into a pout. "You really get no time anymore for your childhood friend huh?"

"It's not like that. I just thought you should get enough rest. Besides, I have been bedridden these past few days and I want to make it up for Jisoo"

"Bedridden?"

Jennie nodded and gave her a sketchy summary of what had happened.

"I didn't hear anything of that. Are you okay now?"

"I am much better than I was. Which is why I want to spend more time with Jisoo"

Nayeon leaned, using one of the pillars of the castle as a support. "Well you surely have some time to spare for me now?"

"Jisoo is still taking her shower and the dinner is still being prepared. We can talk, although I have planned a time for us to catch up. How have you been?"

"Same as always" The Plutonian replied. "My mother still sends me as a delegate here and there. I have been to many Kingdoms, and only now do I have some time to visit you"

"You sound busy" Jennie laughed. "Are you sure you can make time for my marriage day?"

"I will always make time for my best friend" Nayeon gazed at her. "Speaking of the marriage"

She paused and got Jennie wondering. "What of my marriage?"

Nayeon shook her head. "It's nothing. I was just wondering if you're really happy"

Jennie's eyes squinted. "What do you mean? Of course I really am"

"Well yeah, just wondering. I mean, it's an arranged marriage after all. Not everyone is happy to not be able to choose who they love and who they will spend the rest of their life with"

"I want to be with Jisoo and spend the rest of my life with her"

"Oh, well" Nayeon's expression was flat. "I guess we'd better not continue the topic"

"Why, Nayeon? Are you not happy that I am happy? What are you trying to say?"

"I said we'd better not go on"

"No." The Martian's tone was stern. "What are you trying to say about me and Jisoo?"

Nayeon sighed. "Fine. I just don't think you can be happy marrying someone just because of a so-called prophecy"

Jennie looked at her sharply, but decided not to say anything yet.

"What I am trying to say is that what if you're not happy after you marry her? What do you know about Jisoo? What if the whole prophecy thing is not true and you have to foolishly spend your life with someone you-"

"That is enough"

Before she could finish, Jennie's cold voice stopped her. She watched in silence as Jennie stepped closer, sensing anger in her friend's aura.

"I am marrying Jisoo because I am happy with her. Nothing can change my mind" Jennie let out a breath, realizing the anger and wanting to let it out. "I will see you at the dinner"

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Hello. Sorry if it took a while to update. Thank you for reading and leaving comments. I hope you will enjoy this chapter too.

'Til the next update :)