It hadn't been very long when Bomi decided to approach Chorong. Give or take a day. The familiar queasiness sat low in her chest again. She needed an outlet.

She was beginning to think that if she described her home with the comfort of Chorong's addicting warmth, understanding her, it might heal her from whatever this problem gnawing at her is, rattling around like it was contained in a box.

Perhaps just indulging in Chorong's reactions—the concentration in her lip, the subtle arch in her brow, the stunning warmth in her eyes—like she was hugging her without hugging her—

That didn't happen. She was disheartened when Chorong took her by the hand and apologised.

"Bbom-ah, it's not that I don't want to know. It's just a... It goes into an area that is still a difficult subject for me right now. I don't think I'm in as good a place to listen to you when you talk about it."

"Oh," was all Bomi could find to say. Until this topic, it had never been that hard to talk about things. They talked about a lot of things; pretty much whatever that came to her mind blurted out easily. It was that comfortable.

But this was awkward. And uncomfortable. was suddenly sealed shut. Chorong must have seen the look in her eyes.

"I'll ask you when I've gotten past it. I promise."

Bomi left it alone for the while.

She was a little more affectionate though, still wanting to comfort and reassure Chorong without pressing her about anything. Kind of like making up for it all.

But when she was not with her, or anyone for that matter, it would feel isolating in her own head.

She followed Chorong downstairs after noticing she was dressed to go out. Chorong had been working in the flower shop all morning but had headed up to get her coat.

"Friendly meeting?"

"Uh, yeah, with Changsub. He'll be here in a minute," Chorong said sheepishly while grabbing her bag and keys.

Bomi nodded, standing back by the couch and Chorong hurried to the knock of the door at perfect timing.

"Good morning, good mooorning!" Changsub sang when his face came into view, though it just reached midday. "Where to? Your pick."

"I don't know—Downtown, Chinese place?" Chorong suggested as she took her shoes from the rack and dropped them to the floor. Changsub responded in acknowledgement, starting about the hot pot there even as Chorong kneeled down to put on her shoes.

By the time she got up, she still hadn't put them on. Chorong's limbs stuttered by the door as she seemed to process two different actions. "What is it?" Bomi vaguely heard Changsub ask.

"Ugh, wait. Give me a minute," Chorong ended with a stammer and dropped her bag.

Then she crossed back into the living room. To Bomi?

"Huh, you forget something-?"

Chorong smacked lip contact with her cheek before she could say anything more and... what? Chorong's eyes held her with caution. Bomi stared back in surprise for all of two seconds.

"Oh! Oh, uh, what?"

"Don't make me say it please."

"Is it a kiss for good luck?"

"Something like that." Chorong squirmed on the spot, eyes batting to someplace else. "That and I'm just...checking you're okay?"

"Hey, I'm fine! Don't worry. Go, go."

Chorong's hands flexed on her shoulders and she tilted her head towards the door. Hesitance was in her words. Slow. "We're just going to hang out for a while, and talk."

"Geez, I'm not jealous, unnie. Just go ahead. Come back safe to me."

Chorong's expression and posture slowly lightened up, leaning on her back foot. "Alright. Good." She swung her hand holding Bomi's for a moment. She beamed for another small second before Bomi rolled her eyes and gave her a little push to where Changsub was waiting, hands quiet over his mouth and wiggling his eyebrows.

Bomi waved to him as Chorong went for real this time; the woman looking like she really needed a talk with her best friend. Bomi's expression softened without knowing, finding that Chorong is lucky to have him and her friends and this family.

Kind of like...

No.

Left alone in the house, which in itself is pretty rare to happen, Bomi found that she wished it was her turn to work. It wouldn't be her shift for another few hours.

Otherwise, she might just think about...

"Ugh, why? Again? Now?" Bomi rubbed at her head.

Surrendering to it coming on, Bomi spontaneously flung her body onto the couch and turned herself to lay on her back. She closed her eyes.

She'll just let herself think about it this time. No surprises. Just let the images come flowing through her mind like they always want to.

Maybe give it the time to process.

The colours came rushing in like splatters of a rainbow. Flowers grew wild and full, sprinkled over mountainsides and curled up in vines. Trees with thousands of leaves branched over them, swaying gently in the breeze under bright golden sun rays and ever-blue skies. Soft green padding rustled beneath her bare feet.

She remembered the earthy scent of mud clay walls and crackling sounds of fire in the pit in the winters and in the evenings. It was humid all-year-round mostly, but they stayed indoors more in winter, sleeping together the cold away.

It was a simple life, she realised. A simpler time. Or maybe that was how it seemed to her now that she was out of it.

Lost days of pleasure, of laughing unapologetically at one another, water splashing into each other's faces. Women she grew up with, honey-kissed with sun and glow. Women she looked up to.

"I miss you all," Bomi mumbled into the air.

None of the scenes she was imagining really mattered. It was less the visuals and just... The feeling. She just missed them. Missed touching them and holding them close, even if it didn't give her the same feelings that Chorong did. Those cuddles had at least reassured they were there, alive, breathing next to her in their slumber.

This pain really hurts.

It hurt in her chest, like a small twisted pinch of skin that she couldn't grab, because it came from within. Not physical to see.

The tears were about to run down both sides of her head and she pressed them away.

The little cry she gave this time felt easier. It just worked so well together with the emotion, smoothing over like the waves that would ripple in the baths—oh, one of her favourite places!

A few faces popped up in her mind of unexpected guests that peeped or joined the baths. Their satyr friends had a notorious streak, sometimes a centaur joining in on a prank. Sometimes their naiad relatives visited. It was a usual occurrence, and oh, the over-the-top flirting.

Bomi's cry switched to a quiet laugh in her hands. Flaunting was such a nymph thing, no matter who it was... The embarrassment slightly reeled among the fond memories. Self-consciousness here has certainly been rubbing off on her.

Drying the tears, Bomi stood up in the kitchen and shot her hand over the few cacti sitting in little pots by the windowsill, accompanied by herbs and things Chorong used in cooking. The pink swirled from her wrist in a flush and encircled the small cacti, blooming tiny magenta flowers a few months earlier than they should grow.

And as it flew out past her fingertips, Bomi took in a deep breath that felt...good. Freeing. She felt herself relax, like it released a better bit of the stress that built up than sitting had done. Seriously, she should've just done this to begin with.

~ ★ ~

Dancing with the flowers zipped the time away while Bomi was working. She waved the last of the customers goodbye, politely walking them up to the door. She switched the sign to say they were closed and started to pack up around the shop, checking the last things for the evening, when someone small snuck up behind her and wrapped their arms around her front. She hadn't heard the door unlock as she had been singing to the music, bu