“Hey..”

“Don’t touch me.”

***

It was her first time at the Bae’s house, the one which Irene grew up in.

She was trying to take in the new environment, distracting herself from the conversation that everyone was involved at the table, as usual.

Irene watched her from the corner of her eyes, occasionally placing her hand on Seulgi’s lap and pet it lightly, allowing the latter to know they were in it together. 

“Mr Bae, I’m sorry but I just got a call from my parents from the States. I’m needed back there for business purposes.”

“Can’t you have dessert before you go?”

“My flight is scheduled for tonight, so I’m tight on time. Sorry, Mrs Bae.”

Ilhoon returned to the table after picking up a call, announcing his soon departure and Irene had never smiled brighter than anytime else besides then.

She had to refrain herself from leaping in joy, so she cheered internally, thanking all deities in heaven for granting her some break.

Dessert wasn’t even served yet but she was already tasting the sweetness of some quality time she would get to spend with Seulgi in no time. 

“Then you should hurry leave now!”

She sounded a little overly eager, which Ilhoon didn’t seem pleased about and neither was her dad.

She bit down her grin, transferring her sight to Seulgi who mirrored her excitement. Truth to be told, the past two weeks had been tough on them, taking a toll on their bond. 

“How long will you be away for?”

“About one month or more.” 

“That’s a long time.” Mr Bae frowned. “But a man should place his career first. We will arrange for more meeting when you return then. Send my regards to your parents. Joohyun, send him to the door.” 

She would have been annoyed if it was any other weeks, but she was particularly joyous this time, each step light with happiness.

Little did she know she sent the wrong signal to Ilhoon who mistook her light steps as affection for him, because he leaned in for a hug and pecked her on the cheek, dangerously closed to her pinkish lips before he took off.

It left her dumbfounded and she only left the daze state when she heard a commotion from her parents who were laughing at Seulgi. 

“Look at how shy she’s getting, ears red and all. Must have been mushy to watch as a third party, isn’t it, Seulgi?”

Little did they know, the red was anger, scalding her on the inside. 

“Her own chap had probably done the same to her before, dear.” 

“Bring him here someday and we can all have a little gathering, okay?”

Seulgi forced a smile. “Sure, maybe someday when he is free.” 

Irene raised her brows at Seulgi’s reply, unamused.

She dismissed themselves from the table, grabbing her partner away and off to her room. Once the door shut, she crossed the arms while facing the guest, who was wearing an equally unpleasant expression. 

“So when will your chap be coming to have dinner with my parents and I?” 

“Whenever he is free.”

The elder girl scoffed. “Should I be glad that I will get to see the charming guy?”

“Not as charming as yours who gave you a hug and a kiss before he left.”

“Seulgi, I didn’t ask for those gestures.”

“Neither did I ask to be seated there, watching everything and pretend I am not dying from jealousy!"

As much as Seulgi was trying to control herself, her words came out louder than she intended for them to. 

"My chap doesn’t exist but yours does so who between the two of us should be getting the right to be angry?” 

It suddenly dawned upon Irene about how stupid it was of her to be even starting this argument.

Seulgi was right and they both knew it.

She was just being irrational, letting her emotions get the better of her. As much as it was against her will to be hugged and kissed, it was also against Seulgi’s to be undergoing all these suffering. 

“Hey..”

“Don’t touch me.”

Seulgi rejected the approaching arms which wanted to lean in for a hug.

A pout surfaced instantly on Irene’s face as she went in for a second attempt. She may be petite but her strength can be pretty surprising at times.

"I'm sorry, Seul."

The latter squirmed in her tight embrace, wanting to escape. Seulgi gave up eventually when one was persistent, and she couldn’t deny that the sweet scent of Irene had captivated her.

It had been awhile she was able to properly hold Irene for too long. It had been awhile since it was just them. 

She wrapped her arms protectively around the body with equal level of affection.

“I can’t believe he bloody hugged and kissed you so near the lips, how dare he.”

“But,” Irene’s voice was husky. “You have kissed other parts of my body that he will never.” 

Instead of being red in anger, Seulgi was turning red from the tease of Irene, especially with one hand petting on her bottom.

She let herself feel the smooth skin on the back underneath the fabric while her lips made an attack on the neck, moving down the collarbones. 

"You have no idea how much I miss you, just us..."

She deliberately exhaled longer, warm breaths as she savoured around. 

The soft muttering of her name only triggered her to be more playful.

She headed up for the lips, kissing briefly and pulling away each time Irene tried to deepen the touch, wanting to be the one in control.

Irene punched her lightly on the shoulder which she giggled to, but she didn’t comply. 

“Seul-Seulgi…” A voice barely squeaked. “Stop..”

A hand may have travelled a little too far down from the back, heading towards a sensitive spot as she on the neck, nibbling and biting on the area just below the defined jawline.

The more she thought of the scene of Ilhoon leaving a peck on Irene who belonged to her even if it wasn’t made known, the more it urged her to act slightly aggressively. 

What was supposedly playful became overwhelming, especially with each bite that she took along the neckline.

"I miss you so god damn much, Irene."

She felt the need to leave love marks, to leave a piece of herself on Irene, declaring her ownership. 

She only wanted Irene to be hers. 

“Seul, my parents are outside. Baby, stop..” 

Irene garnered all the last bit of self control in her to withdraw away, pulling the hand that was fondling her at the middle to her waist instead.

Seulgi looked a little out of her mind, as if she was just being pulled out of a trance.

She looked at the red rings on the neck which seemed like they would soon sting when the adrenaline wears off, fingers reaching out to brush them lightly. 

“, I got carried away." She shook her head. "I’m sorry. Does it hurt?” 

“This isn’t the first time we had done this.”

“It looks bad this time.” 

Irene pulled the younger girl with her towards the bed, settling themselves comfortably, each laying on their side so they could look each other in the eyes. She tucked the falling fringe away from Seulgi’s face, then placed her hand above Seulgi’s. 

“You were thinking of something just now, weren’t you?”

Seulgi sighed. “I just want you to be mine.”

“I’m yours, silly, entirely yours without a doubt.” 

“I mean, not just between us but to broadcast to the world that you belong to me.”

Seulgi knew it was too much to ask for, even impossible maybe.

She had witnessed for herself how much Mr Bae disregarded homoual relationships over dinner that one time and she didn’t need another reminder, not especially when his mean words were deeply etched in her mind.

She shook away the negativities, just letting herself sink into the peace they were sharing.

“When I was younger, I wanted to be a broadcaster.” 

Irene started a new conversation, taking Seulgi’s mind off everything with a trip down her childhood.

It was appreciated that she was sharing about her young dreams, her past aspirations and thoughts, making the latter even more mesmerised with her.

These talks always allowed them to connect on a new height, mentally, and it could feel as intimate as being ual. 

“Do you remember what you said on the night after we first made love?”

“I said something?”

Seulgi’s face fell instantly, heart being washed by a wave of disappointment but when she saw Irene holding back a beam, she knew she was fooled.

She rolled her eyes and turned her back against the one who finally exploded in loud laughter, legs kicking high in the air.

She was getting just a tad bit annoyed that she fell for the prank, yet her heart was light that it wasn’t just a sleepy declaration that came without much thoughts. 

“Aww come on, look at me.”

Irene kept failing at her attempts to flip the girl over on her back, so she settled on hovering her face over the other.

She poked at the cheek, tickled the chin, and earned herself some whining about how mean she was for spoiling the originally cozy atmosphere.

She laid back onto the bed, circling her arms around the waist to back hug her adorable human bear.

As much as Seulgi loved her scent, she loved Seulgi’s too.

It was her scent of security. 

“Are you asleep?”

“No.”

“So you remember what you said that night?”

“Of course.” 

The twosome smiled simultaneously and it was only then, did Seulgi turn around again, slipping an arm under Irene’s head, both of their free hands intertwined. Irene kissed her on the forehead, cuddling closer. 

“Can you say it again?” She was almost begging. “While looking into my eyes?”

One needed an affirmation and one was willing to give.

Her lips grazing on Seulgi’s, not kissing, just briefly touching.

“I hope that someday, I will be carrying your children, Kang Seulgi.”

She then repeated her exact same words she said that night. 

"I want to have your babies and start a family that we can call our own because…” 

“Because…?” Seulgi trembled.

“Because I love you so much.” 

The last part may have came as a whisper, but the fact that Irene managed to say it in the apartment where her parents were at was a huge deal to Seulgi.

It was like a cardiac stimulant to their relationship that had been rocky for the past weeks, closed to a month.

It would have been a lie if Irene were to say that she wasn’t least worried about saying the forbidden three words in the house of her parents’.

It was a risk.

But after putting Seulgi through the emotional rollercoaster ride ever since the interference of her parents and the matchmaking, it was the least she could do to ease the wounded heart. 

“Are you not going to say it back?” 

After a few minutes of deep staring into each other’s windows of soul, Irene bit on Seulgi’s lips, waiting for a reciprocation. 

“I would like that because I love you very much too.” A kiss happened. “I’m so crazily in love with you that it scares me sometimes.” 

Seulgi thought she heard the door clicked but when she glanced over quickly, it was shut. Maybe her mind was drained from the happenings through the day that it was starting to play tricks on her senses. Her attention returned back to Irene who was caressing her face. 

“Honestly, it would scare me more if you don’t.”

“I can’t imagine not loving you though.”

“Don’t you dare imagine that, Kang Seulgi.”

“Roger that, the mother of my future kids.” 

“Maybe we should go home now.”

“But I’m just getting comfortable.” 

Irene sat up, pulling Seulgi who was unwilling to detach from the soft, queen size bed. 

“Don’t you want to finish our unsettled affair from earlier on?” 

Seulgi furrowed her brows as she processed the words. The older girl purposely pretended to expose her neck unintentionally, with a smirk on her face.

When Seulgi realised, her eyes brightened up, expression mimicking the elder girl. 

“Oh my god, get me a rocket.”

One year and seven months of everything and Irene knew, never would she be letting go of Seulgi. 

***