December 31^st 2013, otherwise known as New Year’s Eve. The streets of Seoul groan in agony, echoing the sounds of thousands of people bustling through it in preparation for tonight’s events. Shop to shop, taxi to subway, then back to their homes, treasures latched onto each arm and a goal in tow, to make this night unforgettable. The most crowded of all these venues  are the supermarkets. Masses of people all bunched together into one building, searching for last minute ingredients for the delicious meals they have promised their guests, families, or in our case, lovers.

 

“Sunny-ah? Yah! Lee Soonkyu?!”

Great. Sooyoung has managed to lose the shortest kid in Korea amongst this circus.

Bumping shoulders with the rushing crowd an immediate feeling of dread consumes her. She pulls her coat tight to her body at the sudden realization of how confined she truly is.

“Soonkyu-ah?”
Suddenly a hand wraps around her waist, pulling her along the aisle. Accustomed to the lecherous hands of the local ahjusshis, she lashes out, successfully landing a sharp chop on the danshin’s skull.

“Yah! What the hell Soo?!”
The shorter girl rubs her sore spot, a soft groan passing through her lips as her fingers accidentally grace her forming lump.

“Aish, sorry bunny. I thought you were a ert,” she pats the girl’s mop of hair in an attempt to appeaser her but Sunny’s scowl refuses to be erased.

“You’re just lucky I’m in a good mood today,” she grumbles.

“Oh, planning a special evening with your TaeTae?” The giraffe wiggles her eyebrows at the thought of Taeyeon’s idea of a special evening.

“Oh gross. Don’t ever do that again. And yes actually I am so I’d like to hurry things up here.”

“Don’t worry Soonkyu, I’ll have you in the arms of your lover in no time.”

“You know I don’t like that name Soo,” she lets loose a blow to the kid’s shoulder, possibly taking her revenge for the earlier assault. “Now pray tell what is it your planning to do again?”

“I want to make a special dinner for Hyoyeon,” she proudly proclaims, forcing Sunny to grab the list she prepared at the instruction of Hyoyeon’s mother.

Sunny carefully thumbs through the list, eyes widening at the detailed instructions and complexity of the dish.

“Sooyoung, isn’t this a little too ambitious? Even Hyoyeon would be troubled making this.”

“But it has to be this dish Sunny. Kim omma says it’s Hyo’s favorite.”

“But you cooking,” she laughs. “Why the sudden change?”
The girl halts, her eyes trained harshly on the ground as she searches for the best way to answer the question.

“I feel dreadful Sunny. Everyday Hyoyeon leaves so early in the morning to go to work, then she comes home so late at night. She makes dinner and cleans while I just sit there like a lost child. She even takes the time to make me breakfast and lunch for the next day before dragging herself to bed. She treats me like a princess, always taking care of me to the best of her abilities. She puts up with my horrid whining and she never complains that I eat too much. Tonight, I want to show her how much I appreciate her. I want her to be my princess for once.”

“Aigoo,” Sunny pinches the girl’s cheek. “My little giraffe is finally growing up.”

“I’ll always be more grown up than you midget,” Sooyoung mutters under her breath.

“What was that?” Sunny asks, her attention still fully focused on the list.

“Oh nothing,” she hums.

 

With a spark of determinations Sunny takes the lead. Like a seasoned pro she haggles with the elders for the best prices, scanning the products for the highest quality, and blazing a trail through the clustered shoppers.

“Yah Sooyoung! What is all of this?” Sunny riffles through the stuffed shopping cart, pulling out chips, cakes, chocolate, and several other snacks Sooyoung managed to slip past her radar.

“It’s just some snacks bunny,” she attempts to snatch away the delicious treats but the adept hands of the brunette girl have already begun restocking the depleted shelves.

“Soo, I thought you were going to be serious. If you want to help Hyoyeon you need to watch carefully. She works too hard to earn this money for us to be so carelessly wasting any. If you pay attention you’ll save her a lot of it.”

Sooyoung breathes a deep sigh. She doesn’t respond but concedes to returning the enormous haul she accumulated to their proper shelves.

 

The rest of the trip is a vast improvement. Sooyoung’s eyes never leave Sunny’s figure. She’s left in awe by Sunny’s skills. The girl easily acquires the ingredients, weaving in and out of aisles with an arm full of necessities. It’s like she has an internal map, none of her moves wasted. Eventually the only thing left on Sooyoung’s list are a series of long black dashes, each and every item accounted for.

”That was amazing bunny,” Sooyoung gasps, still winded from keeping up with the danshin’s swiftness.

“It’s just grocery shopping Soo,” she laughs, tossing the list into the garbage before they part ways.

“No way, that was war.”

“Yeah yeah, just hurry home. I’ll see you later, I have my own princess to take care of.”

“Yes general Lee,” she raises the substantial load of groceries to salute Sunny before running down the sidewalk, still energized from her own excitement.

“That kid,” she laughs.

How do you handle her Hyo?

 

HyoYoung’s Apartment

 

“Ugh!” Sooyoung groans, the enormous load sliding off her arms and onto the kitchen floor. “I’m soooo tired,” she collapses onto the coach, absorbing herself into the cushions and nearly disappearing into dreamland.

Yah! What are you doing Choi Sooyoung?! Get your lazy up and get to work!

I don’t wanna.

Come on. It’s for Hyoyeon remember.

“Ugh, since when is my conscience able to make such a convincing argument?”

Letting out a high pitched whine she manages to throw herself off the couch, her newfound position forcing her face against the hardwood floor. Now horribly uncomfortable she finally allows herself the motivation to get off her and start cooking.

“I should call Kim omma…”

“Hello?”
“Kim omma!” An instant smile spreads across her face, imagining the petite woman standing in her kitchen and making delicious food like her daughter.

“Oh Sooyoung, how was shopping dear?”

“It went well omma. I got everything you told me to.”

“Good, good. I made some rice cake soup for new year. Would you like me to bring some over?”

I knew it! Kim omma always makes delicious food. I have to ask her to bring some…

Sooyoung! This is your special dinner for Hyoyeon. If you want to show her that you care then you need to do this yourself.

Ugh, I really hate my conscience sometimes.

“Umm omma? As good as I’m sure it is I really want to do something special for Hyoyeon. This is something I need to do by myself.”

“Aigoo, such a sweet child. Take good care of my Hyoyeonnie.”

“Ne omma.”

Sooyoung gives a sad smile to the phone before placing it on the counter, “I guess I should get to work.”

After rifling through her purse she pulls out the extensive list of instructions. “This is going to take forever,” she moans, glancing at the clock on the wall. “Hyoyeon gets home at 11 today. That leaves me… 8 hours to get this done. Asa! Let’s do this!”

 

Hyoyeon’s Dance Studio

 

“Aish,” the blonde slinks her body down the mirrored wall, sweat dripping from her every pore as she takes a mere moment to catch her breath. “When will today be over? I need to make something special for Soo.”

She groans slightly, her sore muscles throbbing with pain after her latest class.

It’s hard for Hyoyeon to get through the day. So many classes so close together putting unlimited strain on her already aching muscles. Not to mention the hours in bed that she draws up schedules and signs the numerous forms, watching the sweet, sleeping form next to her. The lulling rise and fall of her chest giving Hyoyeon some sense of peace. As long as Sooyoung is happy, she can keep going. The image of Sooyoung’s smile is her constant motivation, rejuvenating her spirit and giving her the necessary push to succeed.

Tonight she swore she would show Sooyoung just how much she adores her, how she couldn’t live without her support.

“Hyoyeon-shi?” A gruff voice destroys her blissful daydreaming.

“Ne Junho?”

“It’s time for your next class.”

“I’ll be right there.”

Wiping the last of her sweat with the drenched towel she follows him out into the main room, thoughts of the girl waiting for her replacing all else.

 

HyoYoung’s Apartment

 

“Where the is the measuring cup?!” With an exasperated growl Sooyoung continues to rummage through the cabinets, making a horrid mess of the neat assortment Hyoyeon is accustomed to.

Sadly enough if she had the slightest idea what a measuring cup looked like she’d know that she long since cast it aside, now it rests on the ground amongst the other fallen objects.

“Is that it?” she kicks aside the pile, uncovering the long sought after item, “It has numbers on it so I guess so.”

Lovely, it’s already four and you’ve just managed to find the measuring cup.

Shut up.

“Let’s see… one cup of this… 2 of this… ½ of this. Alright, now I need to chop these.”

Sooyoung manages to unsheathe the longest, most unnecessarily long knife she can find. She shakily chops the length of each vegetable, slowly at first but with experience each slice becomes more skillful.

“Gee gee gee gee baby baby baby”

“Appa!” Startled by the sudden interruption the knife slides over Sooyoung’s finger, creating a small cut that immediately begins oozing blood. “Hello?” She quickly slides her finger into , the dark iron taste absorbing into her tongue.

“Hey babe,” despite the pain Sooyoung’s mouth can’t help but curve into a smile.

“Hyo!”

“I’m just calling to check in Soo. What are you doing right now?”

Aww, my Hyoyeon is so sweet. Wait, what should I tell her?

“Just sleeping in as usual.”

“Oh no did I wake you?” Hyoyeon’s worried tone makes the girl’s heart flutter.

“No Hyoyeonie it’s fine. I love hearing your voice when I wake up.”

“Omo, so cute,” she laughs. “But if your tired you should go back to sleep. I’ll be home at 11 okay.”

“Ne omma.”
“Gross, don’t call me that. I’m way too y to be that old.”

“I know that better than anyone,” an embarrassing shade of red flushes across Sooyoung’s face.

“Love you honey.”
“Love you too Hyo.”

 

“Asa! I have to do well now, Hyoyeon is counting on me.”

Filled with a level of excitement much too high to be safe Sooyoung returns to her work.

 

Hyoyeon’s Studio

 

“Love you too.”

The other side of the line beeps in response, Hyoyeon’s ear still pressed against the receiver longingly.

She pulls the phone to her chest, as if the small device will still radiate the warmth that the call gave her.

Ah my sweet Sooyoungie. I can’t wait to get home.

Once again Hyoyeon stares at the clock, willing the hands to tick even a little bit faster. But sadly they retain their pace, each tick resounding in the empty office.

It’s around 6:30, Hyoyeon’s usual time to break for dinner. Normally she would spend the time trying to catch up on the mountain of work rapidly forming a mountain on the corner of her desk, but today was different. Still clad in her sweats she runs out the door, waving goodbye to Junho who’s still in the middle of teaching a hip hop class. The first place she runs is to the jewelry store in the mall. Every time they would pass this store Hyoyeon would catch Sooyoung’s glance trailing to this place, specifically the necklace on display in the front case. It was definitely expensive, the price making up the price of about ten private lessons Hyoyeon had to take on, but it would definitely be worth the price when she saw Sooyoung’s reaction.

The second task on Hyoyeon’s list is calling in a favor from her best buddy.

“Yo Ice queen, I need a favor,” Hyoyeon leans over the counter of the flower shop, repeatedly poking the girl in the head in an attempt to stir her from her slumber.

“Touch me one more time and you lose the finger,” she growls, Hyoyeon’s hand locked in her vice like grip.

“Aish, so harsh. Come on buddy, I need a favor. You still owe me for fixing that mess between you and Yuri.”
“It was her fault anyway, ing putting a cucumber in my soup,” she scowls, “you should be asking her for the favor.”
“Come on Jess, do your friend a solid.”

“Alright. What do you need?”

“I need some flowers for Soo,” her smile widens at Jessica’s sudden compliance.

“The usual?”

“Nah-ah, bigger.”

“Hyo, you spoil that girl,” she finally lets out a laugh, recalling all the times she’s witnessed Hyoyeon’s treatment of her princess. “I wish Yuri was that much of a gentleman!” She shouts boisterously, causing Yuri to peak her head from the stock room.

“You say something babe?”

“Oh nothing,” she hums.

“Hey, don’t be so harsh on Yul. She’s doing pretty well with you from what I can see. This is the longest relationship you’ve ever been in.”

“Yeah yeah, but she’s still got a lot to learn when it comes to taking care of a princess like me. Anyway just grab what you want. It’s on the house.”

“Jess…”

“No buts Hyo. We’re making bank today anyway from all these orders. We won’t miss such a small amount.”

“Thanks Jess,” Hyoyeon jumps over the counter, planting a quick peck on the girl’s cheek.

“Yah! Kim, back off my girl!” Yuri suddenly materializes next to Hyoyeon, charging her fist full speed into the girl’s shoulder.

“Appa! What the hell Yul?!”

“Only I’m allowed to do that, right babe?”

“Nah, Hyoyeon’s actually a much better kisser,” she laughs.

“What?!”

In that moment of confusion Hyoyeon manages to slip out with her bouquet, flashing a quick smile to the two before sprinting out the door.

“There goes Prince Charming,” Jessica smiles once again before returning to dreamland.

 

HyoYoung’s Apartment

 

It took five hours and every single patient bone in Sooyoung’s body but she finally manages to slide the dish in the oven. It was perfect, every single direction followed exactly. She couldn’t believe how well everything turned out, especially with how inept she usually is at this sort of thing. She can’t help but think of how people will do anything for love, even the seemingly impossible.

“Done!” She slams the oven closed, happily dancing around the kitchen in celebration of her success. “I am the master chef!”

You’re exaggerating a bit there Soo.

Shut the up conscience! I’m amazing and you know it.

After finally finishing her task a wave of exhaustion takes over, this being the most she’s ever tried to accomplish so quickly. Every bit of energy now drained from the girl’s body she collapses on the couch, her eyelids drawing closed from the great weight they’ve carried throughout the day.

 

11 O’clock

 

“Soo I’m ho… Holy !” Hyoyeon sprints into the apartment, searching for the cause of the burning odor and severe heat.

A rush of adrenaline overtaking her body she grabs the tray with her bare hands, tearing it from the oven and spilling it onto the floor. She rips off her jacket, smothering the flames with the material. She coughs furiously, tears welling in her eyes as she inhales the smoke.

Finally able to subdue the disaster her thoughts immediately turn to Sooyoung.

Where is she?! Is she okay?!

Hyoyeon dashes into the living room, breathing a sigh of relief and letting the tension seep out as she lays eyes on the sleeping form on the couch.

“Soo?” She gently taps her shoulder. “Soo baby, wake up.”

“Mmm, hey Hyo. Hyo!” She jumps from the couch, surprised by the sudden presence of the blonde.

“Soo, I need you to listen okay. There was a little accident.”
“Hyo, your hand,” she catches sight of Hyoyeon’s palms, now swelling and blistering after being by the flames.

“I’m fine Soo, ah appa!” Sooyoung grabs her hand, applying a gentle pressure and revealing the girl’s lie.

“See, you’re not fine. What happened?”
“Well there was a fire and…”

“Fire! the food!”

“Soo, it’s okay. You’re okay and that’s all that matters.”

“But your not. God Hyo just look at your hands.”

“Babe it’s fine. I’ll just go clean it up and we’ll act like it never happened.”

Hyoyeon rises to leave but Sooyoung grabs her wrist, yanking her back onto the couch.

“No way Hyo. First I’m going to treat your hands, then I’ll clean up the mess I made, and after all that’s done we’re going to go out.”

Hyoyeon sits in a stunned silence. This new side of her lover strangely alluring, seductive even. Unable to move she watches as her girlfriend begins treating her hands, not even wincing as the cool cream meets her palm.

“Does it hurt babe?”

“…”

“Babe? What’s wrong Hyoyeon?”

“You’re being so controlling, it’s just…”

“Do you want me to stop?”
“No, it’s y actually.”
“Really?” She laughs.

“Yeah, it’s different but, I like it.”

“Alright then, you sit right here while I clean okay? Don’t mess with your bandages either. I know how you are. If I don’t watch you you’ll take them off as soon as I turn around.”

“Yes ma’am.”

Omo, this side of Hyoyeon is so cute. She looks like a little puppy sitting over there. It’s so strange.

Hyoyeon, ignoring Sooyoung completely, starts scratching at her bandages, attempting to tear them off with her teeth.

“Kim Hyoyeon! Stop playing with your bandages!”

Hyoyeon jumps slightly, scared by Sooyoung’s strange outburst.

“Ne.”

Sooyoung eyes the horrible mess she’s created in the kitchen. Even though she didn’t say a word she can tell Hyoyeon must be upset. She knows how Hyoyeon can’t stand even a speck of dirt and now her beautiful kitchen looks like a tornado spiraled through it.

Hyoyeon continues her observance of this new Sooyoung. Her eyes widen at the sight of her kitchen. It was a complete mess, there’s no way she could clean all of this by herself.

“Soo let me help.”
“No!”

Hyoyeon plops back down as quickly as she got up.

“Okay,” she whispers. “I’ll just stay here then.”

Oh wait, I dropped the flowers and necklace when I came in.

With as much stealth as the blonde can muster, she sneaks back into the entryway, gathering up the bouquet and small box she dropped in her panicked state.

“Babe.”

“Hyoyeon I told you to….”

“Oh Hyo,” Sooyoung drops the rag she’s holding, her hands clasped over and her eyes welling with tears.

“I love you Sooyoung. Everyday since the day I’ve met you has been the best day of my life. You’re gentle, caring, and the kindest person I know. Everyone says that I spoil you but you deserve all I can give you and more. I couldn’t get through my days without you. I know you tried your best to cook for me today and that made me love you even more, though I didn’t think that was possible. And then suddenly you start bossing me around like a little kid, I was so shocked I couldn’t speak. But I guess that’s what love is like. Being together lets me learn new things about you every single day and allows me to fall deeper in love with you. Will you accept these?” Hyoyeon bends down in front of the princess, her head bowed and arms outstretched with the gifts.

“Hyo,” she cries. “You’re the best girlfriend anyone could ever ask for. You take care of me and always make me feel special. You bring out the best in me. I didn’t think I was capable of anything until you showed me that I would do anything if it was for you. I wanted to show you how much I loved you tonight but I ended up ruining everything. I made you hurt yourself and yet you’re still trying to take care of me. You’re so damn stubborn that way. But I love that about you. I guess the fact of the matter is… I love you Hyoyeon!” Instead of taking the presents she jumps into the girls arms, wrapping her own around the shorter girl’s neck and her legs around her back.

“Soo! You could at least warn me first.”

“No! Now carry your princess to the window. I wanna watch the fireworks!”

“Yes princess.”

Hyoyeon lays the presents on the ground, bending to the giraffe’s will and carrying her to the window.

The noise of the fireworks is overbearing but the one can’t bear to tear their gaze from the other.

“I love you Hyoyeon.”

“I love you too Sooyoung.”

Suddenly she hoists the girl into the air, as high as she can with those mile long legs that is.

“Hyo! What are you doing?!” She laughs.

“This,” she lets go,” pulling her close and placing a kiss on the shikskin’s lips.

“Happy new year princess.”

My first attempt at writing something cute because, let's be honest, writing so much angst can't be good for the soul. I know it's not new year but you know what this author can be very lazy and actually came up with this idea a long time ago and just got around to it so yeah. Subscribe, comment, criticize, fantasize, and I'll see you when I see you. Your faithful servant ~AfterSNSD