pairing: Jihyo x Nayeon

summary: Nayeon is living the dream.

Nayeon stepped out of the studios, in to cool evening and pulled a jacket closer to herself. After hours of retaking a scene, she could still hear a record in her head playing the same words over and over. The other actors, who were older, had an ability to leave their characters to work and go home without them but she was still new at acting. Hopefully, one day she would learn the difference between reality and make-believe.

Before she had taken more than a few steps, a smooth, black limo glided to the sidewalk. She recognized the vehicle immediately and froze on the spot, still gaping as a driver walked to open a door for her. With a faint, surprised thanks she went inside and found that she wasn't alone.

Jihyo was lounging on a large leather seat in her black suit and held a phone to her ear. As Nayeon slipped inside the younger woman smiled a mischievous smile and mouthed "hi, babe." Nayeon couldn't help but smile back and move closer so that she could position herself under Jihyo's outstretched arm.

She sighed happily and buried her face into Jihyo's long hair, breathing in perfume, a scent of expensive hair products and something that was the other woman's own. Something warm and intoxicating.

"-no, take care of it now," Jihyo said to the phone and sounded so sure and confident that Nayeon couldn't help but admire her. Even as she was aware of the young ceo's monetary success, it was the practical everyday situations where Jihyo showed her leadership skills and made Nayeon look up to her.

She glanced out of the window to see the city passing by and she could tell that they weren't going to her place to drop her off, but instead to Jihyo's. It was an exciting thought. She would get a heavenly meal made by Jihyo's personal cook and after that...

As is if to confirm her train of thought a hand moved from playing with her hair to her thigh. Nayeon swallowed, feeling the warm hand on her skin like a touch of silk, going up and down slowly, fingertips always grazing under her skirt just a little bit, before innocently falling back. And then the motion was repeated.

Nayeon had to close her eyes so that she wouldn't reveal just how much the simple touch was affecting her. It wasn't fair that Jihyo could do her business phone calls at the same time while Nayeon could hardly control her breathing.

Jihyo might have been touching her thigh, but it felt as if she was holding her heart.

-

"Does it feel alright?" Jihyo asked, as Nayeon had swung herself into a saddle and was now watching the world from a higher, moving viewpoint.

"Yeah, just fine," she said and smiled at the other woman who was holding the reins loosely. She looked gorgeous with her auburn hair free and flowing, and the riding clothes made her look majestic.

"Raftery is always very calm, so you don't have to worry."

"I am sure he is," Nayeon said and patted the horse on the side of his neck, feeling warm from the way Jihyo wanted to make sure that she felt safe. Jihyo always treated her so lovingly, it was like watching the sun rise.

"Let's begin then," Jihyo said and started to walk. The horse followed her immediately and Nayeon adjusted herself in the saddle so that she could better move along with the horse’s movements.

It wasn't the first time she was riding a horse, but on the previous time she had been so small that it hardly counted. Also, she had been riding a small pony and not a large horse like Raftery. The two horses couldn't have been further apart from each other. The pony had been weary and over-fed, carrying small children in an amusement park. Raftery was a well-bred, athletic horse with an intelligent glint in his eyes. He was magnificent, just like his owner.

"Move your shoulders a little more back," Jihyo said and Nayeon did as she was told. It would be good to learn a good posture before she would start filming for her new movie. It was kind of Jihyo to teach her how to ride, so she wouldn't need to learn it in the movie set. Besides, horse riding was always a good skill for an actor. Any moment she could get an offer to do a historical drama that would require the skill.

This was the first time she was visiting the stables with Jihyo since they had started dating. She had been immediately dazzled by the fact that the young woman owned a horse and had been riding since she had been a teenager. It had greatly added to the romantic image that Nayeon had of her - Jihyo, her knight in tailored suits, riding a horse through the countryside, wind blowing in her hair.

But even as Nayeon had known that Jihyo had a lot of money and could expect some splendor, the horse and the stables had still managed to wow her with their grandeur. Even the manège they were in, looked like it had been transported as a single piece from central Europe.

She could smell the money even from the horse’s leather gear, but the sense of money didn’t manage to override the fact that everything had been selected with good taste. Jihyo wasn’t just any rich person, she also knew how to use her money. The fact that the woman had started several charities that used a hefty amount of her earnings made Nayeon love her even more.

By the side of the large double doors was a man wearing a dark suit and sunglasses. At the beginning of their relationship it had taken some getting used to because Jihyo always had someone like him around. Some were assistants, but some, like this man, looked oddly like a bodyguard. Nayeon didn't understand why Jihyo would need one. Maybe it was normal for people of great wealth to feel a bit unsure about their own safety?

When she was finally learning to move her hips together with the horse’s gait and starting to enjoy herself, another man came into the manège.

"Sorry, babe. Will you be fine by yourself for a moment?”

"Sure," she said and smiled reassuringly, not feeling as confident as she pretended to be. Sometimes it was a great help being an actress.

Luckily, the horse seemed to know what to do better than she did and he walked around the manège much more gracefully than his clumsy rider could sit in the saddle. Nayeon glanced at the doorway and wondered what was going on. It wasn't unusual for people to interfere with her time with Jihyo but the way the old man had come in piqued her interest. He seemed agitated.

As she carefully inspected the scene she could see that the man was getting more upset the longer he talked. He looked as if he was almost pleading to Jihyo but Nayeon couldn't hear his words. She also couldn't see Jihyo's face as she had her back turned to the riding ring. All she could tell was that the ceo was standing tall and strong with the older man in front of her looking ready to kneel on the sand.

The scene looked like a great painting of an important scene in history even as it was so simple. The charged energy in the room made her forget entirely what she was doing.

Then, as fast as the scene had begun, it ended and Jihyo turned around, clearly having said what she had wanted. The man in a suit guided the older man out of the manège but not before Nayeon could see his face. It had gone ash colored and his eyes looked like they were pleading at her when their gazes met for a moment before he was gone.

Later, even as she had spent a lovely afternoon with Jihyo at the stables, she still couldn't quite forget the man's face. She was still thinking about him as she laid down next to Jihyo during the night, skin sweaty from their love making.

-

"There's a party next week," Jihyo said from her bedroom as Nayeon was cozying up on the living room couch. She had turned the tv on but wasn't watching it. Instead, she was looking at Jihyo's collection of swords on the high wall that seemed to go on forever in the dim lighting of the room.

There were swords from all over the world, some older, some younger and some so old that they could have been from the future instead of distant history. She knew nothing about swords, but she could admire the handmade blades, carved handles and other beautiful details. If she had asked, Jihyo could have told her the history of every sword: their famous owners, the battles they had been in and the people they had killed.

She shivered.

"And I was wondering if you'd like to go with me," Jihyo said and stepped into the living room. The vest she was wearing matched her tailored pants and Nayeon let her eyes travel the line of her curves carefully, not ashamed to let Jihyo know what she was thinking.

"I'd love to go," she said and watched as Jihyo walked closer.

Honestly, she didn't mind dating a woman with a sword collection.

-

The party was an interesting one, which Nayeon found surprising since she usually wasn't big on such events. Especially as she had gotten her big break the previous year - she had suddenly started to attract people who hadn't cared about her before. Now they approached her like old friends with fake compliments and even emptier smiles. All those catch ups left her drained and feeling as if no one was honest anymore.

However, this party felt different. First, it was smaller than the usual gatherings and second, it was a private affair. There was no press here, no paparazzi outside. Just very wealthy people with their famous or equally wealthy dates.

She wondered how she and Jihyo appeared to the others. Maybe they just saw Nayeon as another one of Jihyo's famous lady lovers. It was no secret that she had dated beautiful actors and singers before, but it didn't bother Nayeon. She knew that what they had was different - she could feel it from the way Jihyo held her head high, more proud of her partner than herself.

"Wait here, I'll get us drinks," Jihyo said and her hand lingered a moment on the small of Nayeon's back where her dress had been cut low to reveal smooth skin. She had to bite down on her lower lip so that she wouldn't smirk, but she couldn't help it that she liked Jihyo's small possessive touches. Every time when they went out somewhere, Jihyo would make sure everyone knew who she was with.

With anyone else she would have found the habit suffocating.

"Nayeon, is that you?" A deep, kind voice said from behind her. Nayeon turned around and was greeted with a warm smile from a handsome young man.

"Jim!"

She stepped closer and pulled the tall man into a brief hug during which she didn't notice his hands brushing against her . She was happy to see her ex co-worker here, where she didn't know anyone except Jihyo.

"How have you been?"

"Oh, nothing special. Went to the States to take some acting classes and now I am back. I hear you got big while I was gone," he said and seemed genuinely pleased for her and her success.

"I only got lucky in being in the right drama," she said and felt a little shy.

"But Winter Garden wouldn't have gotten so huge without you.”

"Or your wonderful acting, honey," a voice said from the side and Nayeon turned to see Jihyo coming with two drinks. She gracefully handed one to Nayeon before taking a sip from her own. She was eyeing the new-comer carefully.

It took a moment for Nayeon to realize what she was supposed to do.

"Oh, Jihyo, this is Choi Jim, we used to work together in my first drama," she said and waved her hand in his direction. "And Jim, this is Park Jihyo."

"Nayeon's partner," Jihyo said smoothly yet a little dangerously and extended her hand to the young man who shook it. "Nice to meet you, Jim. What brings you here?"

The actor had frozen as soon as Jihyo had come back, but Nayeon couldn't blame him. There was something about her that made other people stop for a moment because she was so powerful and larger than life. The ceo sneaked her arm around her girlfriend as soon as she had shaken hands with the man. She is mine, the gesture screamed.

"Nice to meet you, too," he said after he had recovered. If he was displeased to find Nayeon dating a woman, he didn't let it show. "I am here with one of my movie's producers. But mostly I am here for the food, I hear it’s good."

Nayeon laughed at his lame joke sincerely while Jihyo chuckled coldly. Her hand on Nayeon's waist was moving up and down with firm , like a queen caressing a pet tiger.

"You are right about that, the table over there is full of food," Jihyo said, in her very polite way to say off.

Nayeon watched as Jim's eyes darkened, but otherwise he seemed the same. It was as if the person holding her and the man were fighting a silent battle of wills. Jihyo was radiating energy and Nayeon had to look somewhere else than her friend's face, because she already knew who would win the fight.

"Well, it was nice to see you Nayeon," Jim said after a moment of heavy silence. "I hope we get to work together soon." He nodded to them and Nayeon smiled to him, hoping that he didn't feel too upset from the way Jihyo had behaved. He was a nice guy, she would tell Jihyo that, too.

"See you around."

When he had gone, Nayeon turned to face her girlfriend with a disapproving face.

"He is just an old friend, there was no reason for you to act like that."

"I saw how his hands were all over your back just a moment ago, so don't tell me how to behave," Jihyo said and Nayeon started doubting herself immediately. Had he really? She had been too pleased and surprised to see him to pay attention to what he was doing.

And because Nayeon didn't answer right away, the conversation came to an end and she couldn't bring it up again. It was just as well, as Jihyo was the one who always had the last word.

The party passed by pleasantly enough and Nayeon forgot about the incident while she met new interesting people and danced with Jihyo, who was an incredible dancer.

That night Jihyo took her roughly, leaving a mark on her shoulder and Nayeon felt drunk from love as spots of light danced under her closed eyelids.

-

Nayeon got home from the last day of filming and opened a door to a quiet apartment. It was quite unlike Jihyo's because it was so much smaller. It also didn’t look quite so luxurious as Nayeon wasn’t exactly rich. A couple of successful dramas hadn’t made her a millionaire yet.

Even so, she loved the place a lot and it was a last island of her independence. As much as she loved Jihyo and loved being served by the people working for her, she sometimes needed a moment when she could do simple tasks alone, like scrubbing the floor on Tuesday afternoon.

On the kitchen table were two large bouquets of flowers. One was smaller and simpler, sporting white and red flowers that looked very romantic. The other bouquet was large and magnificent, and so big that it didn’t leave much room for the other one. It was practically eating the other flowers alive.

She had expected the large bouquet, but the smaller one had come as a surprise. But if the flowers were surprising, the note was shocking.

I have been thinking of you - Jim

Something about the little confession made her feel more uneasy than it probably should have. The discomfort was more than a feeling of pity for a person who loved her but who she couldn’t love back. The feeling went deeper. She wished Jim hadn't send it at all, because it felt as if he didn't respect the fact that she was with Jihyo. He should have known that they wouldn't be broken up so easily.

Another thought bothered her almost as intensely: what if Jim had send it as a petty revenge for Jihyo who had treated him so coldly? Yet it didn’t feel like something he would do.

As she was deep in thought in the kitchen, the doorbell rang. She discarded her purse, walked to the door and opened it to a beautiful sight.

"Hello," Jihyo said and greeted her with a kiss that made Nayeon forget that they were still standing in the doorway where everyone could see them. She just loved those lips so much that she could spend half a day kissing them and another half thinking about how amazing it had felt to kiss them.

"I thought you might want some food. Pizza?"

"I couldn't say no to that," Nayeon said and smiled, forgetting her previous darker thoughts immediately. She loved this little game of Jihyo's, where she would pretend to want to run away from her luxurious life as a ceo to Nayeon's tiny apartment with cartons of takeaway. She was even wearing a hoodie to match the feeling of wanting to be carefree.

They spent the evening like a couple of teenagers and Nayeon loved feeling so young after working hard at the set for several weeks. Jihyo knew how to make her feel like a heaven was right there if only she would reach out for it.

Nayeon was so happy that she didn't notice as Jihyo inspected the smaller bouquet and the note that had come with them. She was so relaxed watching the sun set that she couldn't see a long shadow pass over Jihyo's beautiful face.

-

A week later Nayeon was at Jihyo's place, eating a lazy breakfast and watching the news. She had borrowed one of Jihyo's soft morning gowns and let it hung loose over her t-shirt and shorts. It probably looked a bit ridiculous, something expensive paired with something old and cheap.

"You look beautiful," Jihyo said and stole a kiss from Nayeon's lips.

"Tell me something I don't know." Nayeon laughed as Jihyo only nodded as an answer. Every time she felt like making fun and pretending to be greater than she was, Jihyo acted as if it was the truth. The younger woman seemed to think that she was the center of the earth, which was a dizzying thought.

"--the body of the actor has been found from the harbor near--"

Nayeon heard the words faintly and turned her face towards the tv on the wall. On the screen, was an unreadable face of the news’ presenter but also a polaroid of someone she could recognize in an instant.

It was Jim.

"The police won't disclose more information at this stage of the investigation-“ other words came and went and somehow she couldn’t hear properly at what was being said. The shock was so great that she didn’t even move until she heard a word: murder.

Nayeon's fingers around a coffee mug had turned white.

"Honey, want some more coffee?" Jihyo asked and slipped her hand into Nayeon’s hair, caressing the locks as she poured more coffee into the mug, not waiting for an answer from the frozen woman.

Nayeon couldn't tell whether Jihyo hadn't noticed the news, or whether she was pretending not to.

The hand in her hair went lower and touched the nape of her neck. Fingertips drew small circles on the skin like casting a spell.

Nayeon turned her head, but instead of looking at the other woman, she looked at the wall in the living room. The swords were glowing in the morning sun like dragon's teeth.

One of them was missing.

A/N: Oops, hehe.... Jihyo ceo au is alive and well.... If someone can tell where I took the fictional horse Raftery, you deserve a medal!