Seungwan stepped out of her an Joohyun’s tent, a heavy quilt draped over her shoulders. She paused, standing beneath the small awning of the tent, eyes looking out at the campsite. A wide, gummy smile split her looks as she watched the gathering, a happiness settling over her. The day had been lazy, her time spent lounging about and talking with her girlfriend, yet it felt as though time had flown by. “We’ll make the most of tonight,” she told herself with a firm nod of her head.

Their small group had all gathered about the fire, broken into pairs, holding hands or cuddling in each others laps. Not long ago she would have been annoyed, alone and lost with so many people in love. Now she had someone to call her own. To hold and kiss instead of watching others with a jealous eye.

“Wannie,” Joohyun said, the woman leaning back in her chair, head rolling back to look at the girl. Seungwan giggled at the sigh of Joohyun’s upside down fair, long hair falling till it almost swept the ground. “Hurry up, I’m all alone over here and they’re all being lovie.”

“Coming dear,” Seungwan said in deep voice as she walked the short distance to the fire. From the corner of her eye she caught sight of Yeri dramatically rolling her eyes. Settling into the seat beside Joohyun, she unfurled the blanket and held an end out to her girlfriend. “Let’s share a blanket.”

Nodding, Joohyun grabbed Seungwan’s seat, pulling it till it almost touched her own. “You have to be closer then,” the woman said with a wink before taking the offered blanket. Once Seungwan had settled down, they spread the blanket out over them. With a twinkle in her eye, Joohyun’s hand slid beneath the blanket, snaking its way to rest on Seungwan’s thigh, fingers gently massaging the girl’s leg. 

With a soft cough, Seungwan looked at Joohyun, eyes wide before nodding towards their friends sitting about the fire. Joohyun just shrugged and winked, her fingers slowly climbing higher along the girl’s leg. With a soft yelp, Seungwan fumbled beneath the blanket to grab Joohyun’s hand, leaning over to whisper, “What are you doing?”

Smirking, Joohyun whispered into Seungwan’s ear, “I wasn’t going to molest you if that’s what you were thinking. I just like touching you. I can do that, right?” Joohyun gave a mock pout as she fluttered her eyes at Seungwan.

With a slight blush, Seungwan let Joohyun’s hand go, the woman’s fingers immediately begin to roam along her thigh, dipping inside her legs. She drew in a long, deep breath, the hot caress of those fingers causing her body to feel warm, a sensation of desire welling up in her. Desire and lust was something she had long given up on, a fire thought long burnt out that Joohyun was reigniting. 

Leaning over, Seungwan dropped her head to rest on Joohyun’s shoulder, biting her lip as she thought about this woman. The ease with which Joohyun had invaded her life, pushing past her insecurities and making her feel comfortable with the idea of being in a relationship again. The confidence the woman possessed, the surety in which she declared she would choose Seungwan, was quickly becoming her anchor.

“There’s something I should probably tell you,” Seungwan whispered, her voice timid. She could feel Joohyun’s head turn to regard her, the woman’s hand coming to a stop, fingers playing gently along the inside of her knee.

“You can tell me anything,” Joohyun said in a serious voice. 

“I’m,” Seungwan bit her lip a moment and clenched her eyes, filled with dread as she admitted, “a .” She could feel Joohyun’s entire body go still beside her. Turning her head, she looked up at the woman, Joohyun’s face a mask of shock and disbelief.

The woman’s lips worked wordlessly for a moment before saying in a rushed whisper, “But you dated Sejeong for two years? How can you still be one?” Joohyun’s eyes boggled.

Seungwan gave a soft chuckle, looking away, suddenly too shy to meet her girlfriend’s eyes. “I just couldn’t because I knew she was going to leave me for someone else. So I kept telling her I wanted to wait until I was married and she accepted it.”

“I’m suddenly scared,” Joohyun said slowly as she drew her hand away from Seungwan’s leg. “Oh gosh, I must be pushing things too fast for you then. I just thought you were more experienced.” 

“It’s okay,” Seungwan whispered as she grasped Joohyun’s hand beneath the blanket, dragging it back to rest against her thigh. “It’s not like I didn’t do a lot of other things, so I’m not completely naive.” Joohyun’s fingers began to trace hot circles along her leg, dipping to drag along her inner thigh. She felt her neck flush with heat, her body reacting to those fingers.

“Still,” Joohyun said as she dipped her head down to place a kiss against Seungwan’s temple, voice still a low whisper, “I don’t want to push too fast and scare you. Promise me you’ll tell me if I overstep any boundaries. When I want something, I tend to barrel forward.”

“Maybe I want you to barrel forward,” Seungwan said in a happy tone. “I think the way you decide what you want and go for it is rubbing off on me,” Seungwan said, her tone turning speculative. “It’s something I wish I could do.”

“I’d tell you to just start acting that way but we both know it’s not helpful advice,” Joohyun said with a nod. Turning her head, she placed a quick kiss on Seungwan’s cheek. “I’ll keep pushing you if that’s what you need.” 
Seungwan could only smile, wondering how she came to meet someone who complements her so well. Across the camp, she caught sight of Sooyoung rummaging about the coolers, the tall girl suddenly jumping up with a triumphant cry that drew all eyes. In each hand she held a bottle of soju. Rolling her head back, Sooyoung gave a rolling, evil laugh.

“Drinking game time,” Sooyoung said giddily as she strode confidently towards the campfire. 

***

“Are you drunk?”

Seungwan gave a quick shake of her head, fuzzy and light, before saying, “Just a tiny bit buzzed. You?”

“Same as you, just a light buzz,” Joohyun said as she zipped the tent shut. Seungwan stared up at the woman in the low light, dressed in a pink sweatshirt and black leggings that hugged the woman’s legs. She couldn’t stop staring at the curve of Joohyun’s thighs as they sloped down to narrow knees. Shaking her head, she mentally chastised herself for letting her mind wander to things more lewd. 

Joohyun quickly slid beneath the blankets, head falling on her pillow facing Seungwan. A soft smile tugged at the corners of her lips, eyes filled with contentment. “Tonight is our last night camping,” she said in a whisper, “and our first day is almost coming to an end.”

“First day,” Seungwan said thoughtfully, eyes falling shut before giving a happy sigh. “I honestly thought I was never going to have one of those again. I had shut out all possibility of it and then, bam, along comes the amazing Hyun to knock down every barrier I had built.” She gave a soft laugh, hand sliding beneath the blankets to fall against the woman’s hip.

Joohyun’s voice dropped a register, mock seriousness in her tone as she said, “That’s me, Super Hyun, here to save you from a life of loneliness.” She immediately burst into a fit of giggles and winked at her girlfriend.

Seungwan couldn’t help but laugh even though she knew how much truth there seemed to be in that statement. She scooted a bit closer, hand sliding down Joohyun’s hip to slip beneath the long, pink sweatshirt she wore. “Why are you so far away,” Seungwan asked, perplexed at the foot of distance between their bodies. “You’re more cuddly than this.”

Joohyun bit her lip before saying in a contrite tone, “I’m afraid to take advantage of you now that you’ve told me you’re a .” She heaved a sigh as Seungwan barked a laugh. Lips curving downwards into a deep frown, she watched as Seungwan fell into a fit of giggles. “What’s so funny?”

“Now? You were all about kisses and touches but suddenly that makes you worried?” Seungwan’s hand grasped Joohyun hard and with a rough pull and a yelp of surprise from the woman, she dragged their bodies together beneath the blanket. “I want you to push my boundaries,” Seungwan said honestly, her face turning soft as she stared into Joohyun’s eyes. “I’m a scaredy cat. I know this.”

“I don’t want to push too far,” Joohyun whispered as she shifted and squirmed, worming her arms about Seungwan to embrace the tiny girl. “Like you said, you’re a scaredy cat. What if I wind up scaring you away?”

“To be honest,” Seungwan said as she slid her head along the cool pillow, bringing her nose to touch Joohyun’s. “I’m glad you’re going to be my first.”

Joohyun gave a soft sound of surprise, eyes growing wide. “So you’re accepting that I’m going to choose you over what you believe is my fate?” The woman’s lips split in a brilliant smile, eyes dancing with happiness. Simply watching her girlfriend’s happiness made Seungwan grin in return.

“I’ve decided I’m going to sleep with you whether you do or not,” Seungwan said as she tilted her head, nose bumping past Joohyun’s as she brought her lips to hover over the womans. She spoke in a whisper, her hot breath caressing Joohyun’s cheeks, “Would that be okay?”

“Are you talking about tonight?” Joohyun’s voice was filled with surprise, the woman’s eyes wide and features registering astonishment.

Seungwan’s eyes fell half lidded, a shyness in her voice as she whispered, “Not all the way tonight, but I want to do things with you I’ve never done before.” She felt her own cheeks flush with heat, knowing she was blushing a scarlet red at her own forwardness. She had always pushed away and resisted, but with Joohyun’s body against her own, she felt a need for more.

She felt Joohyun’s leg slide between hers, the woman’s breath grow shallow as hands slid down the length of her back to rest upon her . Joohyun’s hands grasped her bottom, fingers kneading into the soft flesh as the woman pulled them close together. “You’re driving me crazy, Seungwan,” Joohyun groaned. “Just yesterday I thought you were going to run away from me and now you’re asking me to make love to you.”

“Suddenly I’m the one worried about  pushing too far,” Seungwan said with a laugh before placing a kiss on the corner of Joohyun’s mouth. Her lips lingered, their bodies melding together like they had been built for each other, one a lock and the other a key. She wondered just how wonderful it would be if Joohyun managed to fully open her up. 

They held each other in silence, shifting beneath the blanket, settling their bodies together, hands slowly roaming. Seungwan felt at ease in Joohyun’s arms. After a while, Joohyun’s voice broke the silence, her tone filled with worry as she asked, “Does it bother you that I’m not a ?”

Seungwan paused, her hands falling still before she gave a low, throaty laugh. “Thank God you aren’t,” Seungwan said with a giggle. “Otherwise we’d be two people just fumbling in the dark without a clue what to do. I’m going to rely on your experience to lead me.”

“You’re making it hard not to rip your clothes off right now,” Joohyun asked in a husky voice, the woman’s eyes fluttering shut as she gently caressed the girl’s bottom, amazing at how soft it felt beneath her touch. “I really do want to, Seungwan, but we should take it slow.”

“Not too slow,” Seungwan said as her fingers raked along the woman’s lower back, her nose bumping against Joohyun’s chin as she nudged the woman’s head back. Hot lips found the warm flesh of Joohyun’s neck, ling hotly. She could taste vanilla on her skin, the sweet scent of lavender filling her nostrils. The shudder of delight that poured down Joohyun’s length emboldened Seungwan, hands grasping the hem of Joohyun’s sweater, slowly drawing it upwards to expose the woman’s soft skin.

“Not too slow,” Joohyun groaned in agreement.

***

Seungwan’s lips parted in a deep yawn, a hand reaching up to cover her gaping mouth. Her eyes were bleary, the sound of the road beneath the tires, the wind whistling against the windows, almost like white noise making her feel sleepy. She dropped her head back against the headrest, glancing over at Joohyun in the driver's seat and gave a soft laugh.

“What’s so funny?” Joohyun glanced at her sidelong, lips curled into a smile, a single brow quirked in question.

“You look so happy over there. Do you realize you’ve been humming to yourself the last five minutes?” Seungwan dropped her hand to rest on Joohyun’s thigh as the woman drove, fingers now intimate with the shape of the woman’s legs. She couldn’t help but blush. “I’m happy it’s one of my songs you’re humming.”

“This may not be too much of a surprise,” Joohyun said in a cheery tone, “but I’ve been listening to nothing but your songs since we met. I always listened to music but never really paid much attention but now that I have, your music has a special something.”

“I think that’s only because you have special feelings for the artist,” Seungwan teased before giving Joohyun’s leg a pinch. “Would it be too greasy if I were to show up outside your window and serenade you some night?”

“Considering I live on the fourth floor,” Joohyun said through a laugh, “you’d have to get a window cleaners platform to do that. I’m going to buy a house this summer so you can show up outside my window then.”

“Buying your own properly?” Seungwan let out a low whistle, “Look at you miss big time CEO.”

“That’s right,” Joohyun said with a nod, “I’m actually going to buy something in your neighborhood since my office is so close. I’m tired of the morning commute and it’ll be nice to walk.”

“So I won’t have to drag my equipment that far to serenade you,” Seungwan laughed. “I think that’ll be a great thing.” Her mind was already running through a list of songs she would sing to Joohyun, wondering if she could write one just for her girlfriend. A new song that would only be for them, never to be played for another living soul.

“You suddenly look thoughtful,” Joohyun remarked as she watched Seungwan from the corner of her eye. A blush swept over the girl’s cheek as she looked bashful, shoulders pulled in. “And now you’re all shy. You weren’t this shy last night,” Joohyun said playfully, laughing as Seungwan’s blush went from light pink to scarlet red.

“I don’t regret what happened last night,” Seungwan said softly, her fingers tracing around Joohyun’s knee. “I know you held back for me but what we did, it was magical.”

Joohyun blushed a red to rival Seungwan’s, her eyes flicking from the road, her voice filled with mirth as she said, “Greasy. You owe me another kiss to be paid in full when I drop you off at home.”

“Deal,” Seungwan said with a grin.

***

As the door closed behind her, Seungwan’s bag slipped from her hand to fall in a lump on the floor. Leaning back, she rested against the door, her legs weak. Reaching up, she brushed fingers across her lips, damp and puffy from Joohyun’s goodbye kiss. She could still remember the the sensation of the woman’s hands on her body, caressing along her stomach, reaching further upwards.

She quickly patted her cheeks and shook her head. “I can’t believe I did that,” she said to herself. “Even if she does wind up leaving me, I won’t regret that,” she said firmly, nodding to herself in emphasis. Her eyes swung to the mirror hanging in the entryway, heavy curtains drawn over where it was mounted along the wall.

It had been an agreement she and Sooyoung had come to. The curtain meant it was out of her sight and her roommate could open it to check her makeup and hair before heading out the door. It had been over a year since she had looked at it. Pushing herself from the door, her steps hesitant, she moved to stand before those closed curtains.

Her heart pounded in her chest, the room feeling as though it was collapsing in on her as she reached out to grab them. Holding her breath, she drew them wide open, her own image springing up before her. “Don’t be afraid,” she told herself as she fought the urge to force them shut. For a brief moment, she could have almost swore a flash of white, ghostly fog appeared above her head before disappearing into nothing.

She blinked, looking above her head in the mirror, eyes scrunching and searching but nothing appeared. With a final sigh she whispered, “I’m just seeing things. I didn’t get much sleep last night. Not that I mind,” she laughed to herself. Grabbing her bag from where it sat on the floor, she kicked off her shoes and placed them in her shoe stand, eyes falling to the small white Converse shoes, a smile on her lips.

She was surprised how, in such a short time, so much was reminding her of Joohyun. It hadn’t even been five minutes since they had said goodbye and now, looking at those shoes she had first met the woman in, she was missing her. Standing and looking into her living room, she couldn’t help but feel cold and empty. 

“Joohyun fills me up,” she said thoughtfully before breaking into a laugh. “I wonder if I still owe her kisses for being greasy about her even when she’s not around?” She pursed her lips a moment and shrugged. “Doesn’t matter, she’s getting lots of them anyway with how needy she is for them. Not that I mind.”

She shuffled across the hardwood floor, the living room dark and cool, the soft hum of the fridge echoing out from the kitchen. Everything was silent and still, something she had been happy with in the past but now, it didn’t feel right. She felt on edge, wanting not only to see Joohyun’s face but to hear Yeri’s teasing, watch Seulgi blunder about in a haze, to see the loving looks Lisa and Rose would toss each other when they thought nobody else was looking.

“They all fill me up,” she said with a grin before flopping down onto the couch, stretching out. Grabbing a pillow, she fluffed it with her hands and placed it against the arm of the couch, head falling to rest against it. “I went from only Sooyoung and my music to what feels like a family.”

“A family I hope I get to keep,” she said, a hint of worry creeping upon her. She knew that Joohyun meant every word she had said, stating that she would choose Seungwan over fate. “Can we really deny fate,” she whispered to herself, covering her eyes with her forearm, yawing tiredly.

“No,” she suddenly said to herself. “Don’t do this now. Stop with the doubt. It’s only a few weeks till we find out, not like the two years I was with Sejeong. Just how much in love can one fall in just a few weeks?” 

“A lot,” she said in answer to herself. “But today is our first day,” she said with a whisper. As she laid there, she began to hum, a new melody settling in the back of her mind. She drew her arm away, staring at the ceiling as those hums became tones, her lips pursing as she whistled. “That’s her tune,” she said to the empty apartment, lips splitting into a grin.

Swinging her feet onto the floor, a wave of energy rushed over her, renewed by the song starting to form in her head. She flung the curtains open, the room suddenly bathed in natural light. Unlocking the window, she pushed it open, inhaling the scent of spring as that melody filled her mind.

“Horns,” she said. “It will need horns.” Reaching up her lips, she tapped them thoughtfully and turned to face the room, empty and cold, and for the first time in a long time she didn’t want to let herself be drawn into the sullen silence. 

“I’m going to write her a bouncy, happy song. It’s going to be about kisses,” she said firmly, pounding her fist into palm for emphasis. Flinging her arms wide, she spun in spot, laughing happily, completely unaware of Sooyoung standing in the entryway, watching with a motherly smile on her lips.

Authors Notes: Since this isn’t an M rated story, that’s all you’re going to get. I might post the full scene as an M rated one-shot but I felt that, in the context of this story, it would feel out of place to suddenly get more graphic than this. As for people surprised by Seungwan’s sudden bold behaviour, it will be explained in further chapters. There was one thing during the camping trip that changed her and as she begins to realize that, you will begin to piece it together. 

I also wanted to announce, that once this story has run its course, I already have my next Wenrene story planned. It is going to be an urban fantasy story set in Seoul but rather than the standard witch/vampire/werewolf theme, it’ll follow more traditional Korean folklore in regards to creatures that go bump in the night.