"Byulah," She heard behind her, causing the taller woman to turn from the window where the sky was slowly greying. The other girl was biting her bottom lip in worry, looking from herself to the door and back. Byul tried to smile reassuringly and nodded for the other girl to continue. "The kids aren't back. What if they..." She trailed off, watching the door again and wringing her hands.

The kids. Not really kids, only a few years younger than themselves, but still young and sometimes head strong. They had gone out for a little shop early this morning but now it was about to hit midnight and they weren't back. They said they'd bring the new year all in together so where were they? Hyejin... Wheein... She shook her head and went over to the older woman, sitting on the floor with a metal clank and smiling at her.

"Ya, you know these kids. They probably got caught up shopping, they'll be home soon." She said, taking the other girls hands and giving them a soft squeeze. The older girl smiled back and Byul felt her heart calm slightly. How could anything be wrong when this woman smiled?

A bang could be heard outside her apartment door and she got up to go check but the hand in hers now had a tight grip on her. She looked down to the blonde haired woman in question and the small smile from earlier was completely wiped away, replaced with a face screwed up in fear and small tears gathering in the corner of her eyes.

"Yong, it could be the ki-" As she spoke they heard a shout, then a scream and some more banging further down the hallway. She slowly moved herself back and sat back on the floor, sitting closer to the shorter woman and wrapping an arm around her. It wouldn't be the girls, she'd be able to recognise their voices anywhere. Hyejin's lion rawr and the Wheein's loud laugh she would know them.

She sat beside Yong and kept a hold on her, trying to help the woman with her fear. The kids would come back, it was just a shop. Just a few days ago everyone went for a shop and split up to find each other Christmas presents. They shouldn't have done it so close to Christmas, so many people were out at the time, but this year it was a bit harder than last. They all managed to pick up presents for everyone though. Hyejin got everyone new outfits, something they were all thankful for. Wheein got everyone matching bracelets, friendship ones. Yong decided they all needed a night away from everything and got a tonne of alcohol, everyone had their favourite and then some. What did Byul get them? A new karaoke machine. One they could get working and sing as much as they wanted to. They all loved to sing, it didn't matter what they sung. Alcohol and singing all night probably made their 'neighbours' mad but they really needed that release.

When another bang was heard she felt the older woman jump in her arms and decided just holding her like this wasn't enough. She gently moved the woman onto her lap and wrapped her arms around her, letting the woman burry her face into her neck. It wasn't weird to find them in this position. The girls often woke up and saw them cuddling like this, ever since the big argument. That argument... Byul subtly shook her head, wanting to stop thinking about it. It had split their group for over two weeks, just Yong and Byul screaming at each other over... what was it? Byul couldn't even remember what had started it. She also didn't know how to end it at the time. She couldn't very well send pictures of her dogs anymore, not with how phones were these days.

Instead she mustered up her courage and went and talked to Yong. It had started as another screaming match, almost getting to fists, when the older woman had screamed how she never said anything and never would and how was that fair on her to be expected to have to hold everything in. Byul was confused when this had happened and had calmed down enough to try and get the other woman to answer what she meant and was talking about but before she could get an answer the kids had come in and told them it was time to go.

It was another week before she managed to corner Yong where she couldn't avoid her and make her answer the questions. Yong had looked scared before but she had never seen the woman look as terrified as when she cornered her. Her voice had been so weak and small, asking Byul to drop it and forget it; how it wasn't the time for any of this and could they please move on before they got caught. When the purple haired woman didn't budge and just stared at the woman, pleading silently for her to answer she cracked. Tears dripped down her face slowly as she asked the taller girl why after all these years she had never been able to say she was interested in the older woman. Why it was on herself to hold all these feelings for both of them while Byul went off and flirted and dated other people while she stood silently and had to pretend to be happy and just wait and hope one day she was seen. The taller woman didn't really remember what she said after that, or what really happened. Her brain had to do a reboot after everything she had been avoiding feeling and saying was brought up and confirmed by the other woman. The only thing she remembers doing after that is kissing the blonde. It wasn't a perfect kiss, she went in too fast and their noses pumped and she was almost pressing the other woman into the wall she had trapped her against. Their teeth pumped and it was more of just pushing lips against lips but as she pulled back the other woman had stopped her and initiated another kiss, this one much smoother.

After that, it was normal to see them cuddling around the apartment. They rarely went more than a few steps away from each other and they were always glued together when heading outside. She supposed that was one good thing of everything that happened last year, they could be together. She looked out at the sky as Yong started falling asleep on her shoulder. The grey clouds seemed darker and angrier and all she could hope was that the girls got home soon. She didn't know if she could handle it if she lost them too. Not after losing everyone else.

Another bang from the hallway and she looked to the door, slowly drawing out her weapon and keeping it tightly in her hand on Yong's stomach. She would have to go on though, she thought as she looked down at the woman in her arms. She wouldn't let this woman be alone and she wouldn't hurt her like that, ever. So she would protect her; this year, next year and every year to come. She would protect the kids too, if only they would come back. She would protect everyone, because she needed too. Never again would she watch someone die and do nothing, no. She couldn't, she wouldn't. Her resolve and resolution set in stone as the clock struck twelve, signalling the new year. Lightning struck and thunder roared instead of fireworks. The rain started coming down, leaving red drops sliding down her window. She could hear the screams of people on the street below, some terrified and some terrifying.

She looked down at her sun, her hope, and smiled softly. She leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her lips before looking back up and watching the door. They would survive the year, she thought as the banging outside got more aggressive and louder, she would make sure of it.

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A/N: I promise I'm working on the pirates au (and also another 50k one for my friend shhh later) I'm just kinda in the mood for hopeful/angst so... This was gonna be different butttttttt later >:)