pairing: Jihyo x Momo

summary: Momo has a slightly peculiar taste in movies.

 

 

1.

Jihyo gets home escorted by a heavy rain and even heavier weight on her shoulders. It has been one of those days when everything has needed attention and every task has proven to be more difficult than the previous. She feels like she has been everywhere without really being anywhere, mind scattered and body numb.

 

So, home feels particularly comforting tonight.

 

She gets rid of her wet clothes and phone that has been demanding her attention all day long. On her way to the dorm kitchen she bumps into Momo, who is fixing a meal for herself. The Japanese girl is sporting a newly dyed blonde hair and Jihyo quite likes it. It makes her features soft, which matches well with her personality.

 

She is kawaii, for sure.

 

"Jihyooo," Momo drawls affectionately. "I was waiting for you."

 

"Oh, what for?" She is secretly pleased.

 

"I was wondering if you would like to watch a movie with me?" Momo crosses her fingers together and makes a praying motion. Jihyo feels a smile on her lips, despite being tired. The vocal lesson she just had, hadn’t gone all too well, at least in her own mind. It was a struggle to be a main vocalist sometimes.

 

"If it's not very long," she says, taking a drink out of the fridge. "I am not going to watch a 3 hour Bollywood film or marathon the extended versions of the Lord of the Rings."

 

Momo grins, which seems to say maybe next time.

 

"No, it won't be too long."

 

"Okay, good. Where should we watch it?"

 

The older girl frowns a little, glancing at the ceiling. Jihyo wonders why everything she has to do looks like it is from the Best Puppy Vines of 2015.

 

"In the living room? I don't think anyone is there at the moment."

 

"Yeah, sure." Jihyo sips her diet coke and watches how the kitchen light falls to Momo’s head like a halo.

 

"What's it called?"

 

"Imagine Me and You," Momo says, dreamy look in her eyes. But then again, she always has a dreamy look in her eyes. "I've always wanted to watch it."

 

Jihyo realizes that she has no idea what kind of movies Momo likes. She is someone who always agrees with everyone and rarely voices her own opinions, only hums approvingly while the rest of them tell her what to do and watch. It’s a shame really.

 

She makes a mental note to ask questions from Momo more often.

 

They end up on the couch, Momo's laptop on her lap, under a shared blanket. Jihyo throws her arm around Momo's shoulders out of a habit and the blonde seems to be pleased by it as she shuffles even closer. It feels very natural and for the first time that day Jihyo feels the certain powerlessness go away.

 

When the movie begins she thinks she knows why Momo had wanted to see it. It feels light and amusing, nothing unusual, but well made. Besides, the male lead is particularly handsome, with dark hair and soft eyes.

 

But then the bride falls in love with a girl.

 

The movie has lesbians in it.

 

Jihyo tries to play it cool. It's not like she has a problem with it, not really. She knows her own parents are against all that stuff, but personally she can see nothing wrong with it. Besides, she tries not to care about what other people do with their lives anyway. It’s none of her business.

 

It's fine.

 

But as the two girls finally kiss, Jihyo can acutely feel her own arm wrapped around Momo’s lean shoulders. She can feel every inch of the Japanese girl, pressed so close against her. She can even smell Momo’s shampoo if she tries hard enough.

 

Not that she is trying.

 

No.

 

Momo doesn't seem to be bothered about the events in the movie. She is curled up like cat, smile on her lips.

 

So, she must have known about the plot?

 

Jihyo wonders if Japanese people are more comfortable with gay stuff than Koreans. Maybe Momo is just so used to this that she sees it as completely normal behavior. So why would she feel uncomfortable either?

 

Not that she is, mind you.

 

"What are you guys watching?" Chaeyoung's voice comes from the doorway.

 

Jihyo almost jumps out of the couch, knocking the laptop with her knee, feeling the pain of the blow only faintly.

 

Momo doesn't even flinch.

 

"A British romantic comedy," the blonde says and puts the laptop where it was. She smiles cutely over her shoulder to the rapper who is using the sleeves of her pajamas’ to wipe her eyes.

 

Jihyo is trying not to hyperventilate next to Momo.

 

"Is it good?" Chaeyoung asks, yawning slightly.

 

Momo turns to look at Jihyo, raising an eyebrow at her.

 

What is all of this, a test?

 

"Ye-yeah," Jihyo stumbles. "I like it."

 

"Maybe I should watch it, too" Chaeyoung says and Momo nods enthusiastically.

 

No, no, no.

 

“But some other time.”

 

Thank God!

 

"I'm going back to bed," she adds. "Goodnight, unnies."

 

"Goodnight," Momo cheers.

 

"Night.”

 

Jihyo sighs.

 

"Where were we?" Momo mumbles once the rapper has left. She leans back and presses play.

 

Jihyo sits back and tries to act normal. This time she doesn't throw her arm around the Japanese girl.

 

They manage to finish the movie without any further incidents and Jihyo calms down. When the credits start rolling, she finds herself even slightly moved. The movie was actually quite nice.

 

"That was lovely," Momo says with a smile and stretches. The sweater she is wearing rises up, bearing sculpted abs. Jihyo looks away and gets up quickly.

 

"Time to go to bed," she says briskly, on her way out of the room.

 

"Goodnight, Jihyo-chan," Momo says and throws a wink over her shoulder.

 

"Goodnight!"

 

Jihyo’s hits her shoulder to the wall as she walks out, but acts as if it doesn’t hurt.

 

 

 

2.

It’s a quiet evening at the dorm. Most rooms are dark and deserted, long shadows extending their fingers all over the place.

 

Mina is doing what she does best, sleeping soundly in her bed. Jihyo wonders if she should do the same, but feels too restless. She would rather spend her time doing something useful and getting tired in the process than tossing and turning in her bed.

 

She takes a notebook and walks out of the room, closing the lights as she goes so that they won't bother Mina.

 

She decides to go into the living room, but on her way there Momo's voice stops her.

 

"Leader-nim," she shouts from the room she shares with currently-absent Jeongyeon.

 

Jihyo pushes open the half-closed door and walks inside.

 

Momo is sitting on the double bed, back against a wall. She is on her laptop, the screen light framing her features. She looks like your regular nerd and not some fancy idol. Her hair is pointing to all sorts of directions and the shadows under her eyes are clear.

 

But that’s how Jihyo likes the members of her second family. Natural and comfortable enough to show their true selves.

 

"How did you know it was me and not Mina?"

 

"Your footsteps are stronger," Momo says and types something on her laptop. She doesn't raise her gaze as she adds: "I'm going to watch a movie. Would you like to join me?"

 

Jihyo looks at the notebook in her hand and wonders if writing lyrics would work anyway at a time like this. The way Momo is sprawled on the bed looks quite inviting.

 

Jihyo wouldn't mind the company if she is honest.

 

"Sure," she says, putting her things on jeongyeon's bedside table.

 

Momo grins to her laptop screen and shuffles to one side, so that the younger girl can have more space.

 

"This is a new one," Momo explains. "It has been nominated for Oscars."

 

"It should be good then," she says and sits down next to the Japanese girl. The length of their arms is touching, and as Momo gets the movie ready Jihyo closes her eyes for a brief moment and just enjoys the fact she doesn’t have to be anywhere else. She can just be.

 

"Here we go," Momo says, poorly hiding excitement. Jihyo opens her eyes and wonders if she should have asked what the movie was about first. Knowing Momo, it could probably be anything and right now she would rather not watch a based-on-a-true-story movie about America’s worst serial killers.

 

A movie that would not require much from its viewers.

 

A comedy maybe.

 

Momo rests her head on Jihyo's shoulder and the leader wonders if they could possibly be any closer. It seems to be physically impossible for Momo to live without touching others as much as possible. With someone else it might feel a little exhausting, but with Momo it’s just endearing.

 

The movie begins. It’s called Carol and Jihyo can’t remember hearing about it ever before. One of the actresses looks slightly familiar, but she is not sure where she has seen her before. But she is good.

 

It doesn’t take long when she realizes what it’s all about.

 

It’s a movie about - lesbians.

 

Again.

 

Jihyo stares at the crown of Momo’s head as if to see inside of it. Does Momo like girls?

 

She has always thought that Momo is affectionate towards girls, because she is affectionate towards everyone, but now that she thinks about it…

 

Maybe she is trying to tell her this way?

 

However, soon she is so wrapped up in the movie that she forgets everything else. There’s no Jihyo or Momo, just these two women and the obstacles that life keeps throwing at them.

 

Well, until the scene comes.

 

Jihyo feels her cheeks burning the moment the main characters kiss. After that she doesn’t know whether she wants to cry, because it’s so beautifully done – how much the two women love each other and when they finally get to show it – or whether she wants to - you know… because… well…

 

She takes a quick look at Momo's face, but it is surprisingly unreadable. She turns her head back to the screen quickly, because she is afraid that she might miss something important.

 

The scene passes, but not before it has made her hyper-aware about her own body.

 

But to the movie’s credit she is soon so immersed that forgets herself again.

 

"They can't take someone's child like that," she mumbles, heart in as the story progresses. "Not because of who they love."

 

"Mm," Momo mumbles next to her. Clearly agreeing, but not as agitated.

 

‘I love you,’ the older woman says in the movie and Jihyo can feel her cheeks getting wet. It gets gradually worse and soon she is pretty much bawling.

 

As the credits start rolling, Jihyo takes a deep breath, the air somehow passing the lump in on its way to her lungs. She wants to run away from the room and cry her eyes out, but doesn’t want to show how much the movie has affected her.

 

Well, it would be rather too late for that anyway. Even a toad could tell that she is a crying mess.

 

Momo has gone quiet next to her, staring at nothing in particular. It is almost as if she is in some sort of a shock, or maybe she is trying not to cry by not looking at her, Jihyo just can’t tell. Suddenly she just really wants to hold the blonde, and bury her face into the crook of her neck. The need is almost overwhelming.

 

"Do you want to sleep here?" the older girl asks suddenly. "I'm sure jeongyeon wouldn't mind."

 

Jihyo comes out of her teary haze.

 

All these lesbians and now she wants to sleep in the same bed, she thinks, but immediately chides herself. Really, she is just being so dramatic.

 

"I'd love to."

 

Once they are settled in under the covers, lights closed, Jihyo asks the question that has been bothering her. Well, not bothering but…

 

“Momo?”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“Do you… do you like girls?

 

No answer.

 

“You can tell me, I won’t mind,” she says, hoping that she sounds as sincere as she feels.

 

“I think I like someone,” Momo says thoughtfully.

 

Jihyo curses the lack of lights. She wishes she could see the older girl’s face, instead of having to guess her expressions.

 

“Do you want to tell me who?” She can feel the curiosity tingling even in the tip of her toes.

 

“Not tonight,” the blonde says and Jihyo wonders why she sounds so sad. Maybe Momo has already confessed to the girl, but she didn’t like her back? Or maybe the girl was already in a relationship? Or just straight, of course…

 

But it really would be their loss, she thinks.

 

“That’s fine,” Jihyo says out loud. “Just remember you can always talk to me, okay?”

 

“Thanks.”Momo turns so that her back is to Jihyo. “Oyasumi nasai.”

 

“Sleep well,” Jihyo answers and feels oddly lonely.

 

Who could the mystery girl be? One of Momo’s friends from Japan? Someone of their crew? Even one of their members? She can think of so many girls who Momo might like that eventually her head starts to hurt.

 

She stays awake long after Momo’s breathing goes even. No matter how much she thinks, she is not any closer to revealing the identity of the mystery girl.

 

 

 

3.

They are stuck in traffic. All sorts of cars surround them from all sides, and the beautiful weather makes it somehow even worse. Who would want to be stuck in a car on a day like this?

 

Well, maybe a tired idol who could get a long nap, just like Tzuyu and Nayeon in the front seat. But Jihyo feels sweaty and annoyed. There’s no way she could sleep even if she tried. She stares at the long row of cars ahead and tries to make them move with her mere thoughts.

 

Sadly her 10 years of training haven’t thought her that.

 

Momo sits next to her and plays with her phone. For some reason she hadn’t sat on the other side, but had to sit in the middle, next to Jihyo.

 

Part of her wants to be annoyed at the closeness, but she can’t really bring herself to. At least if she would fall asleep, there would be a shoulder to lean on.

 

Momo disturbs Jihyo’s thoughts by offering her an earpiece of her headphones. Jihyo takes it without saying anything and places it into her left ear. She is curious to see what the older girl wants to show her.

 

It’s a movie called Kiss Me. Jihyo doesn’t recognize the language that is being spoken, but the movie looks European.

 

And somehow very familiar.

 

When the plot becomes clear she doesn’t even find it surprising. But she does wonder why Momo has decided to show her another one of these lesbian movies. Didn’t they already talk about this?

 

Jihyo feels her palms getting sweaty as the leading ladies kiss. The scene is so spellbinding that she doesn’t even notice as the car starts moving again. She presses her thighs together as things become heated and hopes that Momo doesn’t notice.

 

Instead, the Japanese girl’s hand starts moving slowly and carefully so that soon her fingers are ghosting the side of Jihyo’s thigh.

 

Jihyo’s lips part and she watches the subtle movement with wonder, unable to hold a sigh from escaping.

 

She understands now what Momo has been trying to say all along.

 

Oh .

 

The older girl lifts her gaze and their eyes meet. Momo’s are careful and curious, Jihyo’s wide open and vary. The movie is still playing, but they are not paying attention to it anymore.

 

Just as Jihyo feels the need to articulate her situation, the car turns to a familiar alley. They are home.

 

For a moment she is relieved that maybe now she can escape confronting Momo about all of this, but realizes soon that there is no point. They will have to talk and a part of her doesn’t even want to run away.

 

Dazed, she gets out of the car as it pulls into the garage. Here in the shadow the air is cool, but it does little to calm her nerves or soothe her racing heart.

 

To her surprise, Momo takes her by the hand and leads her inside.

 

Walking briskly they make their way down the stairs, looking exactly like something interesting is going on when they should be careful.

 

They manage to get to a bathroom in the basement without anyone paying attention to them. It’s the safest place to be at the moment and as Momo locks the door, they might as well be in another world.

 

The older girl has let go of Jihyo’s hand and they stand awkwardly, as far away from each other as they can in such a small space. Even as she knows now what it’s all about, she has to ask.

 

“You like me?” It comes out a little hoarse. The whole thing is quite unbelievable. Maybe she is just flattering herself and soon Momo will laugh straight at her face and tell her it was someone else, someone better.

 

“Yes,” Momo says and sounds so sure, her eyes looking straight ahead. If she is afraid, she doesn’t show it. Jihyo knows that when Momo says something, she means it. The sincerity makes her heart do somersaults.

 

Momo takes a step closer.

 

“I need to know if you might like me, too,” she says, words certain, but eyes pleading.

 

Jihyo takes a shuddering breath and tries to make sense of all the feelings that are swarming inside of her. The day has taken a turn that she couldn’t have imagined in the morning when she woke up. She was so sure of herself just an hour before, but now…

 

“I don’t know…” she says, but her eyes are flickering over Momo’s jaw and the corner of .

 

“I think you do,” Momo whispers, reading the language of her body rather than her words.

 

As Momo takes another step forward, Jihyo takes one step back and meets the wall at the other end. She knows she could leave, knows that she just has to say the words and she is free. Momo wouldn’t do anything that she didn’t want, ever. That was why she loved her-

 

Jihyo feels the realization in the bottom of her stomach, like a stone dropped into a pool, making waves. The waves might be small, but they waver long after the impact.

 

She hadn’t thought that she could ever fall for another girl, but now as Momo’s perfect lips are smiling at her ever so slightly, it all makes sense.

 

She and Momo, they make sense.

 

“May I?” the older girl asks, so close now that their breathing mingles.

 

Jihyo nods, and it’s so subtle she might as well have just thought about it rather than actually do it.

 

Momo looks into her eyes one last time and closes the distance. When their lips brush together it is a relief. This is what they’ve been avoiding for who knows how long and it is almost laughable that they ever even tried.

 

Jihyo deepens the kiss now that she has finally given in completely. As the kiss is not nearly enough she pulls Momo’s hips flush against her own, the desire multiplying in a flash.

 

By the time Momo’s hands are tangled in Jihyo’s hair like they’ll never untangle again, there isn’t a trace of lipstick on their lips anymore. They pull away enough to catch a breath, but won’t let go.

 

“Next time I’m choosing the movie,” Jihyo says, her naturally rich voice sounding darker than before.

 

Momo grins, eyes burning with the sort of fire she has when she dances.

 

“But we still haven’t watched Blue is the Warmest Color.”

 

“Oh, be quiet,” Jihyo mutters and kisses Momo again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A/N: It's official! I can't write! RIP. I'm also half asleep, so if what you just read wasn't proper English, I wouldn't be surprised. RIP x2