Tonight a gathering of SM’s female idols were enjoying a Christmas party at Manager Ming Ming’s home in an exclusive hillside suburb far from the dorms they were used to. It had been a busy and successful year for all in attendance, members of such groups as SNSD, Red Velvet and f(x). Every year the Manager Unnie held this casual party so everyone can unwind and have fun, catching up with old friends and former trainees, as well as get to know other groups’ members. Most of the time when these groups crossed paths, it was for the briefest of moments, not exactly conducive to deep and meaningful conversation or connection.

As expected of Red Velvet, the young ladies arrived early and eager to help out with preparations. The native Canadian of the group, Son Seunghwan, also known as Wendy, had spent the day baking her delicious Christmas cookies, even frosting them with red, green and white festive designs. She set herself up in her Manager’s kitchen, carefully laying out her culinary delights onto plates with a critical eye. Any cookies that she deemed unworthy of display she put aside to take home and enjoy with her dorm mates, after all they still tasted okay she hoped. It was when she decided try one of her rejected cookies that Wendy heard a familiar ahjumma laugh growing louder as footsteps approached down the hallway.

It was the adorable laugh of Kim Taeyeon, sharing a joke with Yoona and Manager Unnie who greeted them at the door. Carrying a bottle of white wine, Taeyeon smiled at Wendy as she entered the kitchen to place her gift in the fridge. The grin on Wendy’s face was wide, and she had a definite sparkle in her eyes from being acknowledged by the Soshi leader. “Did you make these?” the older blonde asked from her position behind Wendy, the question startling the light brown haired honey from her task. With a quick swallow of her mouthful of Christmas cookie, Wendy sheepishly turned around to answer “I certainly did”.

Taeyeon was casting an appreciative eye over the assortment of trees, stars, and other Christmas shapes adorning the crisp white plates. “There’s no mistaking your baking” she rhymingly responded, glancing up at Wendy who giggled cutely at Tae’s poetic words. The blonde her lips with a tantalising of her tongue, “Mmm they look good enough to eat. May I?” Tae politely asked, her questioning eyes looking to Wendy’s for an affirmative answer. “Of course” she replied, picking up one of the plates in front of her and offering a choice for Tae to select from.

The leader chose a Christmas tree shaped treat, swiftly taking a bite, her verdict immediate, “Mmmmm soooo good!”. A broad smile spread on Wendy’s lips, pleased that her baking had satisfied Taeyeon, a woman she considered a personal inspiration for her own musical career. “YAHH!! Mistletoe!! You gotta kiss!” Sooyoung barked out when she walked into the room and saw Tae and Wendy standing under the notorious plant that hung from the beam above them. The shocked women looked upwards and there it was, “I knew I’d get a lot of people under that one” Manager Unnie laughed when she rushed by to answer the door again.

Now with only Sooyoung to supervise, Tae turned her cheek and tapped it with her index fingertip, giving Wendy the hint on where to plant a sweet smacker. Nerves tingled in Wendy’s tummy, and her own cheeks grew warm and rosey as she leaned closer to the waiting blonde. With the slightest press of lips to skin, Wendy pulled back and turned to continue her task, hiding her reddening cheeks. Sooyoung cheered aloud, laughing as Tae playfully swooned and leaned dramatically against the nearby countertop. “Here Soo, try this, Wendy baked it” Tae handed her half eaten cookie to her giant friend.

The seasonal sweet was gone in seconds flat, Soo nodding her approval, “Who did you learn from?” she asked once was empty. “Well my mom taught me to cook, but my grandma taught me to bake” Wendy recalled, happy memories filling her mind of the wonderful times she’d spent with her family members learning new skills and old recipes. Tae smiled at Wendy’s reminiscent expression, “So are you as amazing at cooking too?” she enquired and praised at the same time. Wendy woke from her daze, “I’m not too bad if I do say so myself” she smirked, handing Sooyoung and Taeyeon a plate each to carry now that all was in readiness.

Soo held the door open for Tae and Wendy to walk through out to where the party was taking place. With a gentle tap of her elbow against Wendy’s upper arm, Tae got the younger girl’s attention “I bet you’re incredible” Tae commented, making Wendy blush shyly as they headed to the food table. Inevitably Tae was pulled from Wendy’s company and into greetings with those already in party mode. Wendy returned to her group members to join in conversation, but her mind was on a certain woman who she could swear was sending her some very interesting signals.

Over the dinner table, talk flowed comfortably between everyone, and laughter was heard in all directions.  The food was sensational, the hostess going to great lengths to provide a traditional American feast. By some magical Christmas fate, Tae and Wendy were seated beside each other, the random arrangement giving the pair great opportunities to chat more. It was no surprise then that talk turned to business. “You’ve had such great concepts so far, and awesome catchy songs to go with them. Very similar to us. You’re already at the point where fans don’t just expect hits, the songs ARE genuinely hits. It’s a win-win situation” Tae intelligently discussed, surprising Wendy with her insight.

“I wish I had your confidence. I think we still have to try just as hard to make our videos and performances a success” the light brunette countered, taking a sip from her wine glass. Tae was quick to offer a correction, “Oh I’m not saying our success comes without hard work. I mean that it’s good to know that on the management and music side, we’re given the best material and have the best possible chance to have success”. Wendy listened in quiet awe of Tae’s knowledge and business savvy, “And here I thought Tiffany was the one with career potential after the spotlight dims” she opined, tucking her hair behind her ear as she listened for Tae’s answer.

“Oh no, I’m not cut out for all that behind the scenes stuff. I just love to sing” Tae sighed, her real passion clearly evident, something Wendy knew she had in common with this woman whom she looked up to as an idol. And the longer they talked tonight, Wendy found herself growing more fond of the person away from the glaring spotlight of the music business. She kept stealing glances of the blonde beauty between mouthfuls, hoping not to get caught staring, but also wondering what it could lead to if she were to be caught.

With dessert thoroughly enjoyed and Wendy’s cookies a smash hit, conversation continued while food settled in sated stomachs. “Seriously is there any concept you girls can’t pull off? I mean you’ve been cheerleaders, spies, nurses, stewardesses, even mannequins!” Wendy said to the SNSD members in her proximity at the table. Tae was quick to offer her thought “I think a Minions concept would be fun!”, earning a chorus of groans from Sooyoung, Yuri and Yoona. “Ohh you would think of something like that” Yuri piped up, throwing her cloth napkin across the table at her leader. Tae caught the item and tossed it back with a poked out tongue for good measure.

“What about mermaids! Or hmmm maybe flamingos! I’m sure Tiffany would love all those pink feathers!” Wendy offered her opinion, Tae’s face contorting at the thought. “She definitely would … so don’t tell her!” Tae laughed, warily looking down the long table to see Tiffany chatting with Irene and Joy. The blonde playfully wiped at her brow for effect, relieved that Tiff wouldn’t have heard what was said. Wendy couldn’t help but laugh at Tae’s reaction, particularly given how many times Tae has had to wear this colour that she seems to dislike. “Oh come on, you look great in pink” the younger idol gushed, thinking Tae could wear a trashbag and look like a goddess.

Taeyeon smiled, taking another cookie to savour, “Hmmm but I prefer blue” she muttered between bites. Wendy raised her eyebrows in surprise, “Well then you should definitely get blue tips in your hair like I had” the honey haired hottie suggested, dragging her fingers through her long locks where the blue dye once was. Tae bit her lip, Wendy’s combing arousing her senses, among other things, “That look was so good on you …” came the frank admission, the words causing Wendy’s cheeks to flush as Tae continued. “… but I liked your hair colour in “Automatic” more. Blonde really suits you”.

All other conversations started to fade, and the people surrounding them blurred into the background as Wendy and Taeyeon focussed all their attentions on each other. Wendy drank the remnants of wine in her glass before letting her mind seep from “And I think being blonde suits you too. But to be honest, dark hair makes you look so y”. She couldn’t believe she’d just said that out loud, but she soon noticed that she wasn’t the only one blushing at what was said. Luckily Manager Unnie broke the tension with the loud clinking of her glass with a spoon, announcing that she’d like to propose a toast.

During the speech, Wendy and Tae caught each other in a glance, smiling shyly before looking back to the others in the room. Wendy was becoming more and more convinced that something amazing was happening between herself and her senior, and she was not only enjoying it, but she was willing it to go further. As soon as speeches were done, various women got up to help take dirty dishes and glasses to the kitchen. Wendy followed Yeri in, laden down with plates to load into the dishwasher, giving them a quick rinse in the sink first. Once her young friend left, Wendy took a deep breath, stopping for a moment to let the cool water rushing over her skin calm her nerves.

In her distracted state, Wendy didn’t notice Tae enter the kitchen behind her. It wasn’t until a gentle hand caressed her lower back that she knew she wasn’t alone. Taeyeon brushed past Wendy to put her empty glass on the sinktop to be rinsed, noticing the familiar blushing cheeks she had seen so often tonight. “No wonder you were put in Red Velvet” Tae teasingly commented in reference to the colour of Wendy’s embarrassment. With a playful flick of water in her antagonist’s direction, she whined “Stop it! I can’t help it. You still make me so nervous!”. This confession intrigued Tae, and she wanted to know “Why?”.

“Really? You DO know who you are, right?” Wendy sarcastically questioned much to Tae’s amusement, the two of them breaking into laughter. But Tae had an answer “Hey you’re an idol too ya know” she shot back, still unsure why Wendy would be so affected by her. Wendy shook her head in a manner of ‘you just don’t get it’ underestimation, “Oh I can only wish to be half as big a star as you!” the lightened locked lovely talked herself down being in the presence of kpop royalty. Tae smirked, her years of experience in the business bringing out her cynicism “Be careful what you wish for”.

Once the dishwasher was loaded, Tae set it into operation and followed Wendy into the living room where the beautifully decorated Christmas tree towered to the ceiling in the corner. Wendy knew what Tae meant by her last statement, but she had a much more pleasant reason to wish “Well I did wish to eventually meet you, and that came true” she confessed, leaning against the door frame mesmerised by twinkling lights. Tae leaned on the opposite side of the frame, mirroring Wendy’s post, a certain smugness tugging at the corner of , “Is that so?” she ily purred.

Wendy nodded, thinking back to days gone by “When I was a trainee, I’d get butterflies whenever I saw you. I was too shy to even say hello” she admitted, keeping her eyes on the tree when she felt Tae’s gaze upon her. “Surely I wasn’t that intimidating” the blonde remarked, rubbing the back of her neck self-consciously, but was soon relieved by Wendy’s reassurance. “Well no …” she started, pausing when she saw Tae let out a long held breath, “… but I had such a big crush on you”. Tae was gobsmacked, but hid it well with a firmly bitten lip and not so hidden grin, “… Had?” she sought to clarify ambitiously.

The flirt had begun, and Wendy was prepared to take on her older opponent, “… Well …” she teased, that one word as clear as it was cloudy. By now they had turned to face each other, their backs leaning on the wooden door frame. Wendy’s hands gripped the surface behind her, Tae’s hands fumbling nervously in her jeans pockets, her fingers clutching at her thighs out of view. Their eyes were downcast, cheeks glowing with a reddish hue. A soft voice broke the silence, Tae finally looking up as she spoke “You know you’re cute when you blush”. If it was even possible, Wendy blushed more, raising her vision slowly to scan from Tae’s denim clothed legs to the white belt around her hips. Her white shirt ed to mid chest set off her collarbones magnificently, a visible rise and fall occurring behind the fabric.

Wendy’s temperature rose with every detail her eyes took in. But she wasn’t too distracted to notice Tae’s cheeks just as flushed as her own, looking just as adorable, and she made this fact known to her accuser “So are you”. Taeyeon instinctively raised her hands to her face, feeling the heat emanating from her skin. Wendy laughed heartily at Tae’s quick coverup, tossing her head back in guffaw. Her expression changed to one of seriousness when she saw the familiar looking green plant suspended above from the centre of the door frame. Soshi’s leader followed Wendy’s eyeline, and her jaw dropped when she saw the object of her attention.

Wendy quickly looked down, chewing her lip habitually, completely unaware that Tae was biting the tip of her thumb in anticipation. As soon as their eyes tentatively met, Tae pulled her hand from her pocket and offered it to Wendy to take. With contact finally made between fingertips, Tae took the brave step of closing the gap that stood in the way of them being more intimate. Taeyeon slid her other palm over Wendy’s hip, the butterflies of her trainee days returning in a tornado swirling swarm. Faces tilted ever so slightly, moving towards each other steadily, both of them wanting this kiss so much. Eyes closed at the last moment, the feel of silken lips making intense connection sending tingles to every erogenous zone on their bodies.

Initial brief contact lead into subtle motions of tasting each other’s delicate pouts, alternating between captures of top and bottom lips when mere pressings weren’t enough.  Wendy could feel Tae’s fingers lightly hers as they held hands, such simplicity able to ignite a spark of passion in Wendy’s chest. She raised her free hand to the side of Tae’s neck, cupping there softly so that she could tilt more deeply into kissing. In direct response, Tae guided Wendy’s body against hers, hands letting go to begin roaming over clothes when their obvious desires escalated. “Mmmmhhh” Wendy groaned in the midst of their mouths’ ministrations, the sound spurring Tae’s tongue into action.

A slick lapping from Tae’s pink muscle swathed seductively between the slight gap in Wendy’s mouth, met hungrily by the young vocalist’s own tongue. They were eliciting sounds that left no doubt as to how much they were into this, and each other. Now into some hot n heavy making out, deeply, passionately, their earlier shyness disappeared without a trace. Hands traversing curves, voices quieted by pleasure-filled breaths, their kisses began slowing into lingering tongue swirls and threatened to spark something much more intense that might be difficult to stop. Tae and Wendy were gasping when their connection broke, as much out of breathlessness as it was out of hunger. A  physical heat surrounded them, body temperature soaring just from kissing

“That’s some pretty good mistletoe huh?” Tae joked, running her fingers through her hair to cool her scalp. Wendy giggled, fanning her face with her waving hands, “Best mistletoe I’ve ever had” she countered, “Want a drink?” she offered, heading into the kitchen when Tae nodded. Internally Wendy was screaming and high-fiving herself. Her fantasy had just become spectacularly real, and the night was still so young. With two glasses of water in hand, Wendy wandered back into the living room only to find herself alone. Her heart pounded, scanning the room for her crush in case she was playing one of her silly jokes by hiding.

“Wendy!” the hushed voice sounded, making its owner turn on her heels, squinting her eyes to look down the darkened hallway. There she saw Tae standing in the doorway of another room, wiggling her finger to coax the younger honey over. With a smirk on her lips, Wendy strutted slowly down the hall to find Tae holding a sprig of mistletoe over her head, her lips puckered into a kiss adorably. But Wendy was well beyond cutesy Christmas games now. She reached up and took the mistletoe from Tae’s grasp, making a brazen and devilish promise, “You don’t need this … I’ll kiss you wherever you want”. Tae raised an eyebrow and bit her lip, sweeping Wendy into her arms and closing the bedroom door behind them.