Description: For Chaewon's birthday, all she wanted was to be with the person she loved the most.

A/N: Fic named after Song Jieun's song "Mirage", it's a very good song so check it out!

Those stolen moments were all that they had, nights in the back of her pickup truck, snuggling up in the pile of blankets she would lay down on the trunk, making them a comfy bed to stare at the stars above. It was still summer, the cool breeze of the night was only enough to give them a reason to cuddle, enjoying in each other’s scent and warmth. It was nice, sweet and comfortable – it felt like home, even though they were hiding at the limits of the city’s forest, where nobody could see, or judge them; maybe that’s why it felt like home.

It was her eighteen birthday, her coming of age, the moment that should mean she was leaving childhood behind and becoming an adult – she knew, of course, it didn’t work like this. She knew she would still need to attend school and graduate, she would still need to go back and work on her dad’s boring business and listen to all his nagging, she would still need to go back home and pretend to be something she was not. Being an adult wouldn’t magically change her life, she still had a long way to go to become independent and move out from that small town and all the prejudice and ignorance it had.

More than money and courage, she needed time. Enough time to take with her the one person she loved the most.

Sitting down, she watched as Minjoo climbed down the truck to get something from the cabin. Chae had a lazy smile on her face as she watched Min ever so clumsy self, carefully climb back up with a small box in hand – she was mindful enough to pretend to not have noticed it earlier when she picked the girl up in front of her house, a few streets away from hers. Minjoo couldn’t afford fancy gifts, but she wasn’t the type to ever skip a special day and Chaewon just knew she had put all her effort into creating something for today.

The simple sight of her girl – the girlfriend she could never call as such in front of other people, but who was always in her mind and heart – was enough to warm her soul, making her smile grow fond as she helped Minjoo to sit in front of her, after placing the box in the space in the middle.

Minjoo had her face bright under the moonlight, her dark brown hair moving with the wind and a childish glint in her eyes as she looked up from the box to Chaewon. “I made it for you. It’s your favorite…At least, half of it.” She explained with a shy smile, gesturing for Chaewon to open the box to reveal the small chocolate cake, light green frosting on top of it, imitating the choco-mint flavor Chaewon loved and Minjoo hated. “I was planning on ordering one, but I didn’t have enough…” Money, they both knew it, Minjoo’s mom was going through another crisis and even with her working part-time at the diner was barely enough to pay the bills. “Time, so I baked something instead. I don’t know how it tastes, but I tried my best.” Finishing explaining, she leaned in to give Chaewon a soft peck on the lips. “Happy birthday, Chae.”

“It looks great. I loved it, Min, thank you!” Even if the taste was horrible, Chaewon would finish it whole, just because she knew every piece would contain Minjoo’s love and care and this was better than anything else. Kissing her back, she gave her an extra peck before shooting her a grin. “Excuse me, but I will claim the first piece!” Using the spoon Minjoo had brought, she dug into the cake without thinking twice, the sweet taste filling – as sweet as the baker, and if there was something wrong with the cake, she would never be able to tell. It tasted just right for her.

She had a formal dinner with her parents earlier, a cake baked from one of the local bakeries, yet nothing there, from the atmosphere to the food, felt nearly as good as eating that cake with a plastic spoon on the back of her truck – for the nth time, Chaewon thought she wouldn’t mind a simple life, if it meant to share it with Minjoo and to make of every day, a day like this.

Min’s musical laughter filled the air, both happy and relieved. Seeing the happiness in Chaewon’s face was priceless, it seemed to radiate from her, filling Minjoo with the same nice feeling – albeit when she tasted the cake, she thought it was a tad too wet and had too much frosting, but she just knew Chae wouldn’t mind it at all.

The younger Kim had had a long, hard day. Having to wake up early to tend to her baby sister and organize the house, making sure her mother was properly medicated and had breakfast before running to the daycare to drop Wonyoung off, then heading to school just in time to squeeze in through the gates. Few boring hours later, Minjoo left the place just to pick her sister up and bake the cake while simultaneously cooking dinner, all this before going to her part-time job serving tables – she needed extra money, so she stayed until late. Honestly, all she wanted to do was to sleep, but today was Chaewon’s birthday and she wouldn’t miss their date.

Seeing the way Chae was smiling now made her feel it was all worth it. Only for now, she could feel as if everything was truly fine, everything was in the right place – and fate had brought her and Chaewon together.

Reaching for the pocket of her jacket, she pulled out the small bag and slowly opened it to reveal its content. She noticed the surprise on Chaewon’s face as she took her left wrist to carefully tie the bracelet onto it – the thin piece made out of leather and decorated with a single pendant, a silver moon. “I wanted to give you something you could keep with you.” Minjoo said, before showing Chaewon her own bracelet, a similar one with a star instead of a moon. “Like this we will always be together, no matter what.”

Those words seemed silly, the kind of meaningless promise young lovers always make. But they both knew it wasn’t the case. For them, to be together was always a gift, a gift they had to keep hidden from the world. It always hurt a little to have to lie and pretend, to put a smile on her face and say Chaewon was just her good friend, to pretend she didn’t mind when others were around her or when someone would try and make a joke about how suspiciously close they were and she had to pretend to be offended about it – for Chae it was all the same, the same pain and the same feeling of frustration and hopelessness.

Chaewon felt her chest tight as she heard Min’s soft voice with a hint of emotion, knowing well what she meant. She wished their moments together could last forever, but in reality, it was just a few hours that could cost them so much if they were ever found. For now, the promise of forever, was only it and there was nothing she could do about it.

The bracelet wouldn’t mean much for the others, but for them it would be a symbol of their love – a secret, rare and precious love that was only for the two of them to share.

Chaewon gently grabbed Minjoo’s wrist, bringing it closer to her to leave a soft kiss on the skin now decorated with the little star of the bracelet – the one that complemented the moon adorning her own wrist, the one that symbolized things far greater than the cheap platinum it was made out of. The star symbolized everything Minjoo was in her life – the bright, timeless presence that she could always count on, the beauty and mystery she would never get tired of admiring, the source of hope and the purest adoration. “I love you, Min. You are the greatest gift I could’ve asked for and I don’t even care if it sounds cheesy, because it’s true.” She said in a quiet voice that carried all her honesty, her eyes fixed on Min’s, watching the stars on them as Minjoo looked back at her with the warm chocolate orbs filled with fondness.

If Minjoo was a star in Chae’s life, Chaewon was definitely like the moon for Minjoo. The quiet, yet powerful energy that pulled her in, the reliable light in the dark that guided her safely home, the charming silver shine that could embrace her so fully just like Chaewon’s chestnut eyes did now, bewitching her forever. Chaewon like the moon would always be there for her, delighting her senses with the silent love she poured on her with every small action and gesture, even when no one else could notice it, Minjoo still could feel it – now, she was sure she wouldn’t ever stop feeling like this.

Reaching to cup the older girl’s face in between her hands, she smiled at her, feeling her chest warm and heavy with so much affection – if once this feeling had made it hard to breathe, a mix of fear and anxiety making it hard to put a label on it, now it was a very welcomed blessing. People might not think the same, they might never be able to show it outside these short, yet so precious moments. Still, she would celebrate this moment and not hold anything inside. “Thanks for being born, my precious Chaewon, who made my life so much brighter and happier ever since I met you.” The emotion in her voice was stronger now, her eyes shining with tears that were born from happiness, more than ever looking like the stars Chaewon loved. “I love you, today and for all the other days to come.”

Placing her hands on top of hers, Chae took in every detail from her face, loving every single trait that made this, the one face she would never forget – Minjoo was beautiful, but even prettier in her eyes, so incredibly perfect in the fond memories of her heart, someone she would always cherish. Smiling, she kissed Minjoo slowly, hugging her closer as if she was the most precious of the things – and she was, for her.

Maybe not today, but someday, those stolen moments would also be just a memory. Someday, they would have the forever they deserved, not stolen, not given, bur earned by all the effort they put into stay together through it all.

A/N: So I did this little thing instead of sleeping yesterday xD This scene is part of the universe of a fic idk if I will ever actually write, but I thought it would be nice for a short OS since it’s Chae’s bday.

Thanks for reading and happy birthday to Chaewon!