A/N: Hey, Merry Christmas everyone. This is a Joyri oneshot where Joyri are not a couple at the moment, but are both talked into attending their married friends Seulrene’s Christmas Party, and of course it will not be awkward in anyway, but of course it will be. Enjoy!

 

This Christmas wasn’t going to be like any other celebration for one Park Sooyoung, not when she is currently broken up from her longtime girlfriend Kim Yerim. They had broken up maybe 3 months ago, and even if that is time technically to be over Yerim. Sooyoung is not over her ex girlfriend. It’s a shame when she thinks about how long they’ve been together too and it’s disappointing to think they’re not together anymore.

 

“It’s going to be Christmas too.” The auburn-haired woman sighs as she sits up in bed. This used to be the same bed where Yerim used to be too. Just last year they celebrated a Christmas together as well.

 

(Flashback)

 

The couple had just returned from their married friends Joohyun and Seulgi’s annual Christmas party. The older couple always throw a nice party for everyone before Christmas as a way to celebrate it.

 

“Hey, babe. Are you still drunk?” Sooyoung teases and touches the dark-haired woman’s cheek to see if Yerim is still drunk from what she drank earlier. Her shorter partner is swearing that she’s not drunk.

 

“Yes, you are.”

 

“I am not! You’re the one that drunk so much at their party.”

 

“Well, I can hold my liquor.” Sooyoung says proudly and helps her girlfriend over to the couch. She kisses the top of her head and tells Yerim to wait because she’s going to get her some water. Sooyoung is barely gone a few minutes when she sees Yerim laying on the couch and sleeping. It’s too cute that she has to take pictures.

 

“So much for not being drunk.”

 

(End)

 

That was last year and this time Sooyoung knows she’ll be invited to Seulgi and Joohyun’s party, as they always do send her an invitation. Only this time she won’t be attending with Yerim, but she knows her ex girlfriend will be there. Sooyoung could always decline but the party is a nice way for everyone to get together before spending their Christmas in their own way. Sometimes she and Yerim would stay here and give each other gifts. Sometimes they would go to Yerim’s parents place and spend time with them and Yerim’s kid sisters. None of that would be happening this year.

 

“Yeah, I guess I’ll be spending my Christmas Day alone.”

 

It’s weird to think about. Sooyoung hasn’t ever been without Yerim for Christmas. She lays back down in bed and turns her attention to where Yerim used to sleep. Times like this when she’s alone Sooyoung will think about her more than ever, not that she needs any excuse. She really still loves Yerim and plenty of times she’ll look in her phone at the contact number and almost press it. But never does even when she wants to. Sooyoung wonders how Yerim is now. She’s supposed to be staying with some of her friends for the time being since moving out of their apartment. Sooyoung just hopes she’s doing okay, or at least better than her.

 

Yerim is fine.

 

Or that is what she tells everyone. She is fine and isn’t in anyway affected by her breakup with Sooyoung. No one believes her. Not her friends that she’s chosen to stay with for the time being, and certainly not Joohyun when she spoke to her. The older woman invited her to the party she and Seulgi throw every year, even when Yerim tried to decline out of it. Joohyun wouldn’t let her get out of it and said it in very specific words.

 

“Just because you and Sooyoung are not together anymore, that doesn’t mean you can’t come to our party. You know Seul and I want all of our friends to be there.”

 

Yerim knows it wouldn’t be right to not attend the party. She’s been going for a long time even before she started dating Sooyoung. Yerim knows it’s going to be so awkward at this party with Sooyoung there. They are not even together anymore, but Yerim is sure they can act civil and not have anything get too weird. The blonde sighs and runs her fingers over her locks. She can’t say she ever thought that there would be a day that she and Sooyoung weren’t attending this Christmas party together. Yerim never really imagined that they would break up either. Yet, here they are broken up and no longer together.

 

(Flashback)

 

Yerim was tired and exhausted from work. These days she’s busier as she’s been promoted to a higher position within her company, and that comes of course with a nice bigger paycheck, but at the same time it comes with immediate sacrifices. She knows she’s not been around for Sooyoung as much, and with her girlfriend having a more flexible work schedule that she’s free more puts strain on them. They get into more arguments these days too, and not always about their conflicting work schedules. Sooyoung wouldn’t right away admit this, but she is an easily jealous person. Although, she doesn’t even have to say it for it to be obvious. Yerim knew from just being friends with Sooyoung that she could get jealous quickly over things. Tonight Yerim is tired and she doesn’t even know why Sooyoung is angry or what she’s yelling about. She does hear when Sooyoung mentions one thing that completely sets her off.

 

“What did you say?” The shorter woman turns to her with wide eyes.

 

“I said that you spend more time with your so called best friend Saeron than you do me, and I’m your girlfriend or I’m supposed to be.”

 

Whatever tiredness goes away and Yerim is angry too. Sooyoung is just looking for cheap shots to throw at her because she’s angry. The taller woman knows that Saeron is her best friend and only that. Sooyoung also doesn’t have any right to be making accusations like this when she has close friends she spends time with too.

 

“Don’t even go there, Soo. Like you’re not always with Rose every chance you get.”

 

Sooyoung stands there taken aback. Yerim isn’t wrong here. She is very close to Park Rose and they have become close friends. But it’s not like she chooses to spend time with Rose instead of her girlfriend, like the times that Yerim has chosen to hang out with Saeron.

 

“Hey, that’s not even fair. My friendship with Rose has nothing to do with what’s going on here. You have chosen to hang out with Saeron plenty of times when you could have been with me, Yerimie.”

 

Yerim is really tired and doesn’t want to fight with her. Can they save this argument for another time. Yerim feels like they have this argument all the time and it’s getting way beyond tiresome.

 

“I’m not going to fight with you right now, Soo. I’m tired of this.”

 

Sooyoung looks hurt then. Because she hears Yerim say that she’s tired and although logically she knows that means Yerim is tired of fighting. In her hurt she hears it as something else.

 

“If you’re so tired why are you still with me?”

 

“I don’t know. Why am I, Soo?”

 

(End)

 

After that things just grew worse. They ended up in such a huge fight that they broke up and Yerim moved out as quickly as she could. She’s staying with friends in the meantime, until she’s saved up enough money to move into her own place. Just because they are no longer together. It doesn’t mean that she has stopped loving the woman. Yerim still loves her and knows it will be hard this Christmas. There will be no waking up to those warm hugs and tons of kisses. They won’t be decorating their tree together or making cookies that always end up so burnt they have to buy from the bakery. Yerim sighs again.

 

“This will be a terrible Christmas and party.” While she thinks this she does hope that Sooyoung is alright.

 

Sooyoung has been trying to avoid Seulgi like the plague. The older monolid woman has been calling her to ask her if she’s coming to the party. Sooyoung has been successful for the most part. But today isn’t in her favor because Seulgi sees her and now she can’t go anywhere.

 

“How did you find me?” Sooyoung complains as they are now sitting down at the food court area of the mall with two hot chocolates. Seulgi laughs in amusement and tells her that it’s not difficult tracking her down.

 

“I was just giving you the chance to woman up and talk to me. You’re the one that made it difficult, Soo.”

 

The auburn-haired woman sighs and drinks some of her hot chocolate. Seulgi isn’t wrong that she has been working hard to avoid her. But it’s not anything personal. She just doesn’t want to go to the party.

 

“I know you and Joohyun do your annual party thing, but can I not go this year? It’s just too hard for me right now.”

 

Seulgi looks sympathetic as she understands. Both Sooyoung and Yerim are going through a rough time. It’s not like Seulgi and Joohyun don’t understand what they are going through. However, it wouldn’t be right to not have both younger women at their party.

 

“Listen, you don’t have to stay long, alright? Why not just come for a little while, eat some food, mingle with everyone and leave? Is that okay? Hyun and I just want you both to be there.”

 

Sooyoung nods and tells Seulgi she’ll come