Sooyoung sat on the floor of the studio with her eyes closed, her chest rising and falling at a steady pace as she recovered from another long, tiring dancing session. It had been a very long day choreographing for a new group, trying her best to show the steps and correct the formations while being careful to not be too harsh on the kids and discourage them – she knew how they felt, she still remembered how it was to struggle trying to reach your dreams. Even now, she was still struggling to bring her dreams to life, step by step.

Right now, she was only one of the choreographers working in the mid-sized studio, at a building located in the center of the city. Every day she had to work hard, thinking about new projects and how to improve older ones, how to make her moves more versatile and to adapt them to each artist who would execute it, making sure it would be nothing less than flawless. Growing as an artist was difficult and took time, getting a job in a nice company that offered her so much freedom was already a huge deal and she needed to remind herself to not feel discouraged.

Smiling to herself, she opened her eyes to see her reflection in the mirror, hair sticking to her forehead and red cheeks – she looked like a mess, but she was proud of herself for getting through another day. Slowly, but surely, she would make it.

But now, it was time to go, so she stood up to tidy up the place and get ready to head home.

Working in a boring office job wasn’t something people thought could fit someone like her – she herself didn’t think she was really cut for it –, but Jiwoo still went to the office every day and did her best. She may not be the smartest or the best at dealing with all the paperwork, yet she found her way to survive in that environment. With her easy-going personality and a sense of responsibility others usually overlooked, she managed to make friends and stay focused without losing herself.

It wasn’t the best job, but she made enough to have a comfortable life and more than this, enough to give herself the sense of independence she needed the most – it made her feel like an adult, and for once, in the good sense of the word.

Nonetheless, it didn’t mean she had changed on the inside. She still had her childish excitement and her ever so infectious humor – she was proud to stand up for herself and not allow this world to crush down her bright personality no matter what happened.

Of course, she had a reason other than her own self-love to stay like this. Her reason? It was rather obvious on the picture exposed on the back of her phone, the one she kept there ever since they took it years ago, for good luck. Sooyoung tried to about it, but she could see by the look in the older woman’s eyes that she really appreciated the gesture.

Jiwoo smiled to herself after paying for the food at the convenience store, grabbing the plastic bag full of Sooyoung’s favorite snacks, ready to head home.

Her girlfriend of some years now was quite a special one. Being older and the more responsible of the two of them, sometimes Sooyoung could look a little too serious and cold, her professional side leaving no margin to anyone doubt her capacities. Jiwoo really admired this side of her, albeit her favorite side of Sooyoung was definitely the one she would only show when she was around the people she loved, when she would allow herself to smile and joke and suddenly she looked even younger than the others – when they were together every moment was full of light bantering and playfulness, they both could show their real selves and know they would fully be accepted without any restrictions.

Years ago, when she met her at a dance studio where Sooyoung worked as an assistant teacher and Jiwoo was there just to keep her best friend, Jungeun, company, she would never have imagined the long way they would come. At first Sooyoung was just trying to help her with the steps of the dance, but the Kim couldn’t help but show her dork side and try to joke around to easy the mood every time she made a mistake, and to her surprise, the reliable young teacher showed her own sense of humor too. They had hit off right away, to everyone’s shock, and she caught herself going to the classes just to see Sooyoung – Jungeun didn’t need to know about it, even if she eventually found out and for weeks.

Thinking about it now put a smile on Jiwoo’s face, making her steps lighter as she walked towards their apartment a few blocks away – or she would have if something didn’t stop her.

Or better saying, she stopped for the ‘something’. Three little ‘somethings’ to be more precise.

“Meow!” The sound was there again, high pitched meows that could only come from one species. Crouching, she tried to see inside the carboard box from where the sound was coming, detecting three tiny kittens inside – orange, gray and black, all equally fluffy and small. Jiwoo wasn’t a cat expert, but it was obvious they were pretty young.

“What kind of person would leave three cuties like you behind like this?” She muttered, more to herself than to the kittens that she was now patting softly. There was no signal of a mother cat, so they were probably on their own, abandoned by some cold-hearted human who didn’t care about the fact that those little three had to way to survive on their own in such cold night. “Humans are trash, I’m sorry about that.” She continued, her hands feeling the little bodies as she checked if they were all okay – they seemed fine, just really lonely and probably hungry.

Sighing, she sat back, not minding her clothes getting dirty as she pondered about what to do. She could run back to the convenience store and get them some milk or something, maybe even a towel to keep them warm…But would it be enough? A quick look up was enough to tell it would start raining soon and she didn’t even want to imagine what could happen to those little ones if they were out there…

With another sigh, she decided to follow her heart’s wish.

“Sooyoungie, I’m sorry, but we will need to start this family a little sooner.” Whispering to herself and taking off her jacket, she carefully used it to wrap the kittens in warmth and stood up, grabbing the plastic bag with her other hand, and praying for the kittens to behave and to not end up dropping them by accident. “Now you guys be nice, we are heading home!”

Sooyoung was used to be the first one to arrive on Mondays, while on the weekends she would teach classes even during evening, during the week Jiwoo was the one to get home later. That’s why once she arrived and took a good bath, she started cooking for the two of them – she didn’t mind it, cooking was one of her ways to relax and she enjoyed this alone time on the kitchen; besides, Jiwoo’s face whenever she saw her food was both hilarious and adorable.

To be honest, she never thought she could enjoy this kind of simple life. In her college days she was always running around, trying to get accepted by a company and make a name for herself, even after she was already a teacher, she would often overwork herself. Her workaholic ways didn’t make her the most suitable for relationships, she already had an historic of failed relationships and she started to think maybe she was just not cut for it.

And then she met the dorkiest and cutest person to ever walk Earth – or something like this, she still remembered how the teacher in charge stared in disbelief at Jiwoo when she was the only one who kept messing up the steps, while laughing and winking her way through it; back then Sooyoung wasn’t sure if that girl was just trying to be annoying or it was her way to deal with things. It didn’t take her long to find out.

Jiwoo was very different from her at first sight, she was a couple of years younger and looked as carefree as it gets, with her cute look that didn’t quite match her loud voice and overly excited personality. It was a little embarrassing to admit, but Sooyoung fell for her even before she could realize what was happening, and suddenly love didn’t seem so impossible.

Being around Jiwoo made her feel comfortable and carefree, it gave her the freedom to show her more relaxed side and allow herself to enjoy her life a little more. Not only that, Jiwoo was also there for her when she needed, showing her reliable and caring side when Sooyoung needed the most. It was a no brainer, the two of them together was just too right for her to miss the chance – and now here they were, and she didn’t regret it even a bit.

Their life together may be simple, but she loved it wholehearted. There was something really special about waking up beside someone you love every day, having them wish you a good day and greet you ‘good evening’ with a tired, yet genuine smile. No matter how tired she was, seeing Jiwoo walk through the front door after a long day, giving her one of those smiles was enough to make her day.

Unfortunately, she didn’t get a smile that evening. Actually, Jiwoo’s eyes grew twice as big as they exchanged glances when the younger woman tried to enter the house tiptoeing.

Instead of a ‘hello, honey’, she got a…Meow? Coming from inside Jiwoo’s jacket? And not only once, but multiple times?

“Kim Jiwoo…” She started, sighing as she understood what was going on. Of course, responsible adult or not, Jiwoo was still Jiwoo, and surprises were always her trademark. Sooyoung couldn’t even get mad at her for that. “Why is your jacket mewing all of sudden? I’m pretty sure I have used anti-fur detergent for this one.”

“Well, you see…” Jiwoo hugged herself, forcing a charming smile that was hard to keep with three kittens inside her jacket – at first she thought about bringing them using the jacket as a blanket, but she had decided that carrying them with her might be a better idea after realizing it was a little too cold outside and she was never one who dealt well with low temperatures. She probably should have taken the little ones out of her jacket before coming inside, but they were getting a little restless and she was starting to fear dropping them.

The good news was: she didn’t drop a single feline. The bad news? Maybe they would need a lot of anti-fur detergent in the future…If that was a real thing to begin with, and if Sooyoung didn’t knock her out with a frying pan for bringing home three pets without talking to her first.

“Er, I just happened to meet Olivia on the way home…”A black head popped out of her collar before she could finish, the kitten mewing right on her face as it’s gray eyes observed the foreign environment that was the house living room.

“Olivia? She looks rather small today. Perhaps age shrinking is a real thing.” Sooyoung raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms over her chest as she approached her girlfriend.

“I know right!” Jiwoo said in a high pitched voice, trying to contain a nervous laugh as the other kittens followed their sibling’s example and showed themselves to Sooyoung, anxious to break free from the jacket and explore their new home. “Aeong and Choerry decided to tag along. You know how they are, they come in a pack.”

Sooyoung almost rolled her eyes at Jiwoo’s words, albeit she couldn’t help but smile at the sight of the shorter girl struggling to keep the kittens inside her jacket while she tried to come up with a decent excuse to have brought them home to begin with – she didn’t really need one, cats weren’t in their plans, but how could Sooyoung reject the three adorable fluff balls? “And all along I thought Hyunjin was a dog, you’re full of surprises today.” Giving up on her façade, she closed the distance between the two of them and helped the kittens to break free, carefully taking them into her hands and examining their tiny faces. Triplets, no wonder Jiwoo named them after their friends who were known for looking alike.

Scoffing at the thought, she slowly put them on the ground and faced her girlfriend who was now fidgeting with her fingers, her trademark puppy eyes on her face – she surely knew well how to make Sooyoung’s heart soft, it was a lost battle from the start. “Let me guess, you found them on the streets and couldn’t leave them behind?”

“Soo, they were out there all alone! Can you believe it? Poor little somethings were shivering and it was about to rain!” Jiwoo defended, sounding like a kid so passionate about the idea of keeping a pet – truth be told, she wasn’t much different from one. She had just found the kittens, but Sooyoung could bet she would cry like a baby if anything happened to them, moreover if anyone tried to take them away from her. “I know we said no pets for now, but they really need a home and they’re so small! I promised I will pay the expenses, so you don’t even need to worry.” She finished with a firm nod, trying to look a little more responsible and show it wasn’t just an impulse and she intended on really taking care of the fluff balls.

“No, Jiwoo, you won’t.” Sooyoung shook her head slowly, knowing their family had just grown. “We will take care of them, together like we are supposed to. Or am I supposed to trust you giving them bathes every day with strawberry shampoo and making them cat instagrams?” Chuckling lightly, Soo brought the girl into a hug before she could say anything. Yes, raising three cats would be a challenge for them, but she would have done the same thing in Jiwoo’s place and she was sure they would find a way to make sure the little ones behaved – she was more worried about Jiwoo than the cats, she was already pretty messy on her own. “I won’t even nag you because they’re too cute, you’re in luck!”

“We will?” It took a moment for Jiwoo to return the hug, a little shocked that she managed to win Sooyoung over so quickly – she was expecting at least some nagging, after all she didn’t just bring one, but three kittens; but she would never complain about her good luck. “Sooyoungie, you’re the best!” Hugging her girl back, she jumped up and down – almost accidentally stepping over a clingy Choerry, who was currently rubbing her small body against her leg. “I promise no strawberry bath, but I can’t say anything about the pics. We need to document their growth like good parents.”

Sooyoung only shook her head at her words, knowing fully well Jiwoo would have thousands of pictures of the kittens in no time. Someday she would be a really good, yet a little too exaggerated, mother. “First we need to clean and feed them, and tomorrow we will bring them to a vet, just to make sure they’re fine.” She explained breaking the embrace, and putting her more practical side in action. “Go ahead and look for some tissue, I will see if we have milk for them...And hope they can eat on their own.” She looked worriedly at the little ones that were already exploring the room, getting comfortable at their new house.

“They can! I mean, I think.” Jiwoo leaned to grab little Choerry, caressing her. “It’s okay if they don’t, I will feed them.” With her bright smile, she kissed the head of the little gray cat, before doing the same to Soo’s cheek and heading to the room to search for what the older had asked – all this while carrying the kitten who seemed pretty content to be with her.

“Of course, you will.” Ha muttered to herself, feeling her heart a little warmer with Chuu’s enthusiasm.

She observed the orange cat, Hyunjin, finding herself a comfortable place on top of one of the couch’s cushions – when had she even climbed up? – while the biggest kitten, Olivia, was doing her best to scratch the leg of the couch while looking at Soo with defiance…Yeah, Jiwoo had picked their names just right. With a sigh, Sooyoung walked towards the kitten to get it and carry the feline with her. “O-Hye, let’s get along well, okay? Leave the couch alone and I may get you some fish later.”

That first night, like the many others to come, she would need to have long conversations with the kitten that was as much of a troublemaker as Hyejoo – Hyejoo herself was surprised to see how much they were similar, and Sooyoung had to stop Chaewon from ‘accidently’ taking the cat home with them after one of their visits. The three cats had very distinct personalities, some were clingier than others, like Aeong who Jiwoo would often compare to Jungeun, “The are  both soft tsunderes” she would say to Jungeun’s offense – what often resulted in the two of them running around the house, bickering like kids; Choerry, just like Yerim, was indeed more loving and calm, and she would often demand attention by sitting on Jiwoo’s paperwork or rolling on her back so Sooyoung could pet her.

As expected, raising three cats wasn’t easy, but Jiwoo kept her word and helped her as much as she could. The couple had to get used to sleeping with the three cats trying to steal their spots on the bed and having fur all over the place, felines running wild through the house and sometimes even breaking things at the wee hours of the morning, waking up to meows asking for food even through their plates were half full…It wasn’t easy, but they didn’t mind it – maybe just about the couch that Olivia insisted on torturing, and all the money Jiwoo spent on the toys she would spontaneously bring home at least once a week; Soo had to nag her about it a little too often.

Slowly, the house was filled with pictures of the kittens growing up, beside pictures of the couple with smiles that grew as much as the cats did, revealing the happiness of the people who lived there. Jiwoo always kept her camera ready, claiming every moment was precious and Sooyoung had to agree on this one, but more than pictures, she loved to capture those moments in her mind.

If once, she only came back home to Jiwoo’s loving smile and bright eyes, now there were three fluff balls waiting for her cuddles, and even if Chuu was stuck at work, Sooyoung never felt lonely with Olivia insisting on sleeping on her neck – same goes for Jiwoo, who would have the three fat cats sleeping on top of her on the weekends, while Sooyoung was too busy teaching class after class.

Nonetheless, once in a while, Jiwoo would show up there and watch one of her classes, under the excuse of wanting to learn, even if they both knew she just wanted to walk her home. Sooyoung would give her an extra snugly hug every time.

Tonight, was one of those nights, where Jiwoo would wait for her patiently at the back of the dance studio, her big brown eyes almost closed as she started dozing off after waiting for so long. She had had her own long day at work, but she didn’t like having Soo walking home alone so late – and even if she didn’t look like it, she was pretty capable of taking care of her girl, all thanks to years of martial arts classes she loved to brag about. Snuggling inside her oversized flannel, she was hugging the packet of cat food she had brought on the way there, when Sooyoung finally tapped her shoulder gently. “Jiwoo, wake up. It’s time to go home.” Containing a yawn, she gave Soo a sleepy smile before standing up slowly.

The older girl helped her up, holding her hand to lead them to the exit. It was late and they had three kids waiting for them at home, but luckily it was a short walk. Instead of just holding hands, she hugged Jiwoo by the waist, keeping them closer so they could stay warm, regardless of the cold night. “You didn’t have to come if you were tired, you know?”

“I like watching you teach. Cool, hot teacher Sooyoung is the best Sooyoung.” The Kim said in return, winking at her with the same spontaneity she always had – clearly, she was no longer sleepy.

“Thanks, you have quite the skill if you can still see me through your closed eyes.” She teased back. Even focused on the class, she still noticed the way her girlfriend was looking at her loving from her place at the back of the room, but only for the first twenty minutes before the sleep got the best out of Jiwoo – she ended the class a little earlier just so they could go home. “I’m tired too, so let’s just order some food and go to bed early today.”

Jiwoo’s only reply was to clingy to her and walk a little faster, dragging her along, both in need of some sleep and cuddles.

They were welcomed by Olivia trying to ruin Sooyoung’s new carpet – as usual –, Aeong chewing on one of the toys Jiwoo had got her, and Choerry…What was that red thing she was trying to offer them so happily? “Oh my god, no!” Sooyoung said jumping back, while Jiwoo screamed loud enough to wake up the whole neighborhood – the screams died down when the two of them realized the cockroach between Choerry’s palm was a fake one, probably one of the human Yerim gifts.

All this and Aeong didn’t even bother to spare them a look, Olivia looking at them with some judgement in her gray eyes, while poor Choerry looked pretty disappointed to have her gift denied.

Definitely, raising cats wasn’t easy.

Later that night, after a good shower and a great dinner, Jiwoo snuggled up to Sooyoung, giving her a kiss and looking at her with the brown eyes that always said ‘I love you’ without words needed – Sooyoung knew her eyes did the same. “I told you, she is too much of pacifist to get a real one.” She said, as if excusing Choerry’s attempt at pleasing them with a fake cockroach. Of course, Sooyoung didn’t buy it. “Let’s just call an exterminator next week, just in case.” Jiwoo added, it would be better safe than sorry – and she wasn’t sure if she would be able to give her cat kisses if she really got her an insect for Mother’s Day.

“Now this is a good idea.” Soo agreed with a nod, giving her a kiss on the cheek. “Good night, Jiwoo, sleep well…And you three, please no stealing the bathroom’s paper to play, be good girls and sleep.” Talking to the cats wasn’t very efficient, even if she was pretty sure they could understand her by now, they would rather ignore her words – Olivia would probably even bite her toes during the night, sometimes she wondered if the cat had a secret beef with her. Still, she smiled when the three of them happily jumped on the bed to sleep with the couple, all fluff and warm. “Good night, triplets.”

Soo closed her eyes with a smile, taking a moment to fall asleep as she took in the moment and memorized it, enjoying the simple life they had. It was a little weird, but Sooyoung loved this new family of theirs.

A/N: Hello, it's been like 2 years since I posted on this tag? Don't worry, I won't be here often xD  This fic is only a gift for my friend Jin, but she said it was okay to post it, so here you go.

Sorry about any mistakes, thanks for reading.