Joohyun finds Byulyi sprawled across her couch, an arm thrown over her face.  Usually she's awake at the smallest sound but she doesn't even stir as the apartment doors beeps open and closed.  Joohyun’s mouth twitches as she slides off her shoes and drops her bag in a chair at the kitchen table.  She stands right next to the arm of the couch, staring down at her sleeping girlfriend.

 

 

“Moon Byulyi.”

 

 

The other woman mumbles something and curls into the back of the couch, bringing her legs up into the fetal position.  Joohyun rolls her eyes.  Byulyi had emphatically texted her that she wanted her to come over after shooting for the Aseul-han Project.  So why is she fast asleep?

 

 

“Yah.  Is this how you’re going to greet me?  I’m tired, too.”

 

 

Finally Byulyi’s eyes open.  And at the sight of her sleepy smile, Joohyun feels her annoyance disappear. 

 

 

“Oh.  Unnie, hey.”

 

 

“Hey?”

 

 

Byulyi sleepily grins and reaches her arms out.  With a sigh, Joohyun sits on the edge of the couch and feels warm arms wrap tightly around her hips.  Byulyi nuzzles against her side.

 

 

“Why’d you take so long?”

 

 

“We had to finish wrapping up the show.”

 

 

“Oh? Did you make more food?”

 

 

Joohyun rolls her eyes and swats at her girlfriend who just laughs, halfheartedly dodging the blow.

 

 

“You said it tasted good! You love my cooking.”

 

 

“Mm, I do.  But tonight I’ll just order takeout.  You deserve to rest.”

 

 

“When does your sister get back?”

 

 

“Uh not till late.  She has some work she wants to get done at the company.”

 

 

Joohyun hums and absentmindedly cards her fingers through Byulyi’s dark hair.  She glances at Byulyi’s outfit, the same clothes she’d worn to the film shoot.

 

 

“Did you just collapse on the couch right after you got back?”

 

 

“Well I was up early, Unnie.  I went to Yongsun-unnie’s pre-recording for ‘Spit it Out’ before I went to your thing.”

 

 

“Oh.  You really must be tired.”

 

 

“Mm.  You should make it up to me.”

 

 

Joohyun frowns down at Byulyi who is grinning up at her sleepily.  Typical.

 

 

“You think you deserve a reward after trying to use my handmade coaster as a dust rag?”

 

 

Byulyi groans in exasperation and burrows against Joohyun’s side.

 

 

“Unnie, it was a joke! You even laughed!”

 

 

“Maybe I should just leave early.  I did check up on you after all.”

 

 

Byulyi sighs dramatically and rises onto her hands, resting her head in the crook of Joohyun’s neck.  She giggles a little at the ticklish sensation of Byulyi’s hair and mouth brushing against her skin.

 

 

“Unnie, please forgive me.  I’m so sorry.”

 

 

“I don’t think I will.”

 

 

“Oh, Unnie, please!”

 

 

Joohyun petulantly pushes back against Byulyi who whines even more obnoxiously.

 

 

“What can I do to make it up to you?”

 

 

“I don’t think you really want to apologize.  It doesn’t sound very sincere.”

 

 

Byulyi huffs and suddenly pushes Joohyun over so that she’s on her back, staring up at her pouting girlfriend.  Joohyun feels her resolves melt a little at the way Byulyi tilts her head and smiles.

 

 

“You look pretty today, Unnie.  I didn’t get to tell you that earlier.”

 

 

Joohyun clears , mouth curling at the compliment.  She reaches forward and fists the soft grey fabric of Byulyi’s sweater with a gentle hand.

 

 

“I like this on you.”

 

 

“Why, Unnie?”

 

 

Joohyun wrinkles her nose.  She’s been trying to work on being more communicative with Byulyi.  Early on in their relationship, they’d gotten into a few fights because Joohyun had thought doing something for Byulyi was a good enough way to say I love you.  But Byulyi wanted to hear those sometimes elusive words just as often as she said them.

 

 

So Joohyun tries.  And succeeds.  Mostly.

 

 

“B-because it makes you look… well.”

 

 

“Hm?”  Byulyi grins as she reaches forward and plays with one of the ties of her hoodie.  The way her girlfriend’s eyes seem to sparkle with mischief makes Joohyun her lips with anticipation.

 

 

“Attractive. I think you look attractive in the sweater.”

 

 

“Well, Unnie, thank you.  I think you look very attractive in your sweatshirt.”

 

 

“Don’t lie,”  Joohyun laughs as Byulyi reaches forward and gently undoes her hair from its bun.

 

 

“No, I’m serious!  You don’t believe me, Unnie?”

 

 

“You… well not really.  You say that to me almost every day.  Sometimes without seeing me in person.”

 

 

Byulyi giggles and they wiggle around, settling more comfortably onto the couch.  They shift and Joohyun is on her side, tucked into Byulyi who’s lying flat on her back. 

 

 

Joohyun smiles when Byulyi turns to look at her, their faces very close.

 

 

“Hi,” Joohyun says, strangely a little shy.

 

 

“Hello.”

 

 

“Stop looking at me like that.”

 

 

“Unnie.”

 

 

Joohyun hides her face in Byulyi’s neck, smiling as arms wrap around her.

 

 

“Thanks by the way.”

 

 

“Hm?”

 

 

“For coming to the shoot.  Seulgi really appreciated it.”

 

 

“I’m glad you both liked me showing up, Unnie.”

 

 

Joohyun laughs, glad that Byulyi can understand exactly what she’s trying to say.

 

 

“You know, you were pretty cute earlier.  You were trying to say I was charming and you couldn’t look me in the eye.”

 

 

Byulyi just groans and Joohyun peaks from her spot, trying to make eye contact with her girlfriend who is pointedly staring at the ceiling.

 

 

“Hm, Moon Byulyi-ssi?  When did you get so shy around me?”

 

 

Byulyi sighs dramatically and flicks her eyes quickly toward Joohyun before glaring pointedly back at the ceiling.

 

 

“If I looked at you while I was saying how charming you are, I was worried it would be too obvious.”

 

 

“Oh?  Too obvious that what?”

 

 

“Too obvious that I’m in love with you.”

 

 

Joohyun smiles and reaches a hand out to lace her and Byulyi’s fingers together.

 

 

“You love me? That’s so embarrassing.”

 

 

“Unnie,” Byulyi whines.  Joohyun pacifies her with a kiss to the jaw.  As soon as makes contact with Byulyi’s skin the other woman relaxes.  They’re quiet for a little, shifting into kisses and touches that start to make Joohyun wonder if she can get Byulyi to move to her bedroom.  She’s on top, lips starting to drop below Byulyi’s collarbone, when she feels her girlfriend’s chest move as she laughs.  Joohyun slowly raises her head, very annoyed about whatever reason is making Byulyi think that her kisses are hilarious.

 

 

“Oh, Unnie, your face!”

 

 

“Any reason why you find kissing me funny, Moon Byulyi?”

 

 

Byulyi wrinkles her nose at Joohyun’s clear annoyance and she sits up on her elbows to pull her into another kiss.  They’re both smiling and Joohyun starts to really enjoy it when Byulyi starts laughing again.

 

 

She pulls back and begins to stand up, leaving Byulyi practically wheezing on the couch.

 

 

“W-wait, Unnie!  Wait!”

 

 

Joohyun wordlessly gestures for a response.

 

 

“I-I was thinking about Sooyoung wearing your pot coaster as a hat.”

 

 

Joohyun can’t control her expression and bursts into laughter too, dropping her head into her hands as Byulyi and her fill the apartment with their shared laughter.  When they stop and just look at each other it comes out so easily.

 

 

"I love you."

 

 

Byulyi's nose wrinkles as she smiles.  There's a softness in her eyes as she appraises Joohyun.  It's moments like these that remind her how easy it is to love Moon Byulyi.

 

 

"Oh, Unnie, I'm sorry I didn't quite catch that.  Could you repeat it again?"  Byulyi cups a hand around her ear and tilts her head to try to hear better.

 

 

On second thought.

 

 

"Yah, you respond like that to your girlfriend saying I love you?"

 

 

"Oh you love me?  Wow.  I'm sorry but I have a girlfriend."

 

 

Joohyun groans and settles on one end of the couch, crossing her arms over her chest.  Byulyi crawls over to her and starts to paw at her side.

 

 

"Unnie, look at me please."

 

 

"No.  I think I've given you too many chances."

 

 

"Unnie."

 

 

Joohyun thinks that the other woman has softened her edges too much because all it takes is another whine and she reluctantly turns to see Byulyi's big smile.  For once it isn't teased with mischief.  She waits as Byulyi cups her face with soft hands and gently presses a kiss to the corner of .

 

 

"Love you too," is whispered warmly against the bow of her lips.  Joohyun brushes their noses together and then quickly fists her girlfriend's sweater with one hand and pulls her in for a hard kiss.  Byulyi's surprised squeak and subsequent whimper feel like proper revenge for Joohyun's hurt ego from the teasing she suffered all day.