it's deathly cold, this hand she holds. the lithe fingers locked within hers is akin to frost enveloping her skin. so cold that they rival the ac in the car. though as cold as they were, her touch was uncharacteriscally gentle as yizhuo had never imagined. still, yizhuo preferred anything else to the norm that she's been living in for far too long. and minjeong is the perfect abnormal.

a small smile graced her lips, yizhuo chuckles lightly. one a little more sincere than her previous decades, because this time, there's a flicker of hope somewhere in her heart and she hopes minjeong would be the one to rekindle it. 

minjeong's fingers graze her knuckles, slow in a repetitive pattern, as if to indulge in the warm touch only she provided. yizhuo understands, lets the pale fingers lovingly caress her skin. 

"what are you thinking?" minjeong's eyes flits to her smiley passenger before going back to the road, a sharp eyebrow arched. 

yizhuo turns to her with lips quirked up on one corner, taking the opportunity to keenly gaze at the perfectly sculpted profile minjeong had bestowed her. the streetlights that zoomed past, cast a sentimental glow on her silver hair which gleamed just like the waning moon. 

minjeong's tongue swiped at her lips, yizhuo wonders how long one could go on with only consuming one thing their entire lives.

"just that i had a blind date with a myth i never thought existed, now i'm on a second date with the same one who's driving me home." yizhuo says, calmer than what minjeong's used to. the hint of tease in her voice draws a smile on her face.

"and i never thought i'd find someone who can outlive me." minjeong replies, a series of light laughter enters her ears then.

she throws a glance at the woman beside her, knowing her heart would sing in palpitations if ever it beats.

.

their meeting had been by chance. in an everchanging world that blemished them with scars, drowned them in desolation and left them with grief, they gave it one last try. perhaps it had been the way minjeong gazed out the window — in the corner of the café where they first met, not knowing each other's stories, just contact numbers and a location. even in a place bustling with life, minjeong had an empty look. like she couldn't be bothered to keep up with the world anymore, like she grew weary from everything.

yizhuo saw herself in her then, the same empty look. she knew it all too well. 

"your eyes," in the comfort of minjeong's car, yizhuo leans into the driver's side. she lightly clutches the wrist that lay on the armrest, head tilted as she lets her eyes bore into coal black orbs. the streaks of wine red in her irises doesn't go unnoticed. 

"what about them?" minjeong questions quietly, lips pursed as she remains unmoving. her senses spiked, she hears everything all at once — yizhuo's calm breaths, her pulse, her blood pressure. minjeong's eyes trace the shape of her pink lips. 

yizhuo smells sweet.

"they look like they've seen everything." 

then there's the solemn look in minjeong's eyes again when she says that, the mirthless smile that appears after makes yizhuo's heart squeeze uncomfortably. 

"...just enough." minjeong responds, her voice just above whisper. 

and for a moment, she looked utterly broken.

yizhuo brings a hand up, placing it under minjeong's ear, thumb caressing blanched cheek. now that they had each other, she only hoped that they could share the comfort they long sought from the long despair only they knew. 

"...me too." yizhuo mutters, her warm breath hitting cold lips.

she kisses minjeong long and gently, hopes that her warmth would give her solace. at the same time, minjeong promises her a forever.

.

she's done this countless of times, to her past lovers.

her eyes traced all over minjeong's features, from the tips of her long lashes to the curve of her chin. the long silver hair that cascades down sharp shoulders felt soft within her fingertips. minjeong's mellow cheeks, the plumpness of her lower lip. she takes it all in like how she's always done it, wanting to imprint the image of each and every love and heartbreak in her mind so she wouldn't forget.

she's done this countless of times. however, with minjeong, it's different. in a few decades, there wouldn't be wrinkles forming on her face, her hair would maintain its brilliant silver shine and she wouldn't age a day. 

it's different with minjeong, because for the first time, she wouldn't leave yizhuo behind — never changing.

it had yizhuo wondering if minjeong was thinking the same, right in this peaceful moment. yizhuo takes a few strands of silver and starts twisting them in tiny braids, all the while minjeong watches her intently, the side of her head leaning against the backrest of yizhuo's couch.

"how many lovers did you have before me?" yizhuo speaks in the midst of their comfortable silence, curiosity peaked. 

minjeong merely shrugs, flashes of her past slowly surfacing in her head. although painful, they remained as fond memories engraved in the back of her mind. 

"a few. most were lovely, some were only there to fill in the loneliness." minjeong replies truthfully, yizhuo pulls her hand away. she sees the small braids in the corner of her eyes.

"i understand, too well unfortunately." is what yizhuo says, elbow propped on the backrest, head tilted to mirror minjeong. the latter hums.

"you?" 

"i don't know minjeong, i stopped counting last century." yizhuo admits, a short wistful sigh escaping her lips. 

minjeong doesn't say a word and yizhuo takes this as a sign to continue her lament. 

"i couldn't bear the pain of being constantly left behind by the people i loved." yizhuo closes her eyes, manages a wry smile when she feels a hand on top of hers. 

"i was always envious, watching them grow and live out their lives while i was always just... stagnant, unmoving."

she'd never wish solitude upon anyone, not when it completely drained her and left cracks in her heart. so when she overhears humans wishing they were immortal, joke or not, yizhuo just doesn't understand it. if they'd seen half the things she did, they wouldn't want to be immortal either. 

while they were walking on land, she was walking her living hell.

"i just hated that i couldn't disappear, no matter how many times i tried." yizhuo lets her head droop into minjeong's shoulder, exhaling shakily when she's reeled into an embrace. 

she wonders if she would still have tears left to cry if this had been decades ago. exhaustion is quick to overwhelm her now, leaving her insouciant. 

minjeong remains silent, just cradling her head. and yizhuo appreciates it despite not saying anything, because minjeong's been roughly through the same as her. and she would even go as far as to say that minjeong must have had it tougher.

"what do you think we would've been like if we were normal?" minutes later, minjeong asks out of the blue, opting to stray away from the bleak atmosphere.

the question feels a little silly. nonetheless, yizhuo lets out a playful scoff, and kisses the spot under minjeong's ear.

"the same, just a shorter lifespan." she lets out a giggle after, when minjeong visibly cringes from the feeling of her nose nuzzling against her neck. 

"well, i'm a little glad we aren't normal." 

"oh?" her asserting tone was intriguing enough for yizhuo to pull away, an amused smile on her face.

"i mean, if i didn't live for three centuries, i wouldn't have met you. think about it." minjeong looks ahead, a little stoned. if the latter could, yizhuo knew her face would turn scarlet. just picturing her flustered made yizhuo smile a little wider.

"i mean that much to you?" her fingers gently grab minjeong's jaw, slowly turning towards her. 

there's a tight-lipped smile on her face, brows furrowed. yizhuo wanted nothing more than to eradicate the agony that had seized minjeong for hundreds of years— the agony that had yizhuo herself in it's suffocating grasp. maybe it had really been fate that they met, they understood each other too well so perhaps, they were brought together to be each other's solace, to finally put an end to the melancholy they have faced many years prior.

and if yizhuo knew better, minjeong would go through the same thing over and over if it meant she was there in the end. yizhuo knows, because she would do the same.

"so much that it scares me, yizhuo." minjeong's voice almost breaks, she looks at yizhuo like she's her last lifeline.

yizhuo moves in to place a chaste kiss on trembling lips, her own stretching into a smile when minjeong pulls her a little closer.

"then hold onto me for more centuries to come, minjeong."

it's slow, but they feel their loneliness start to dissipate in each other's arms.

.

what would it have been like, if yizhuo went on her entire life not knowing how other people perceived her? she couldn't imagine it, wouldn't know how to deal with being her own mystery. yet minjeong stands beside her in the bathroom, hands clutching the edge of the sink, staring blankly at the mirror. 

yizhuo looks at her own reflection, and that's all she sees. 

"i'd forgotten what i look like." minjeong breathes out after a period of staring into... nothing. yizhuo's heart wrenches, minjeong's flat tone deemed that she had been used to not knowing how she looked like her entire life that it didn't bother her at all now.

yizhuo tugs her by the hem of her shirt, minjeong looks down at her in question. she doesn't pull away when yizhuo's hands start to trace her features, softly pinching her porcelain cheeks down to grazing her lips with her thumb.

"then it's good that i'm here to remind you everyday, hm?" yizhuo reassures her, it makes minjeong smile, feels herself fall a little deeper. she's sure yizhuo would, with the many times her eyes unraveled her.

"i don't appear in pictures either." 

"then... i'll draw you."

"huh?" minjeong's brows crease, yizhuo pulls her by the hand then, towards her bedroom. 

there, yizhuo tells her to wait as she rummages the chest in the corner of her room. minjeong looks on with curiosity bubbling from within, lips parting in pleasant surprise when yizhuo fishes out a couple of medium-sized empty canvases, charcoal pencils and stained brushes. 

"i can paint a portrait of you." her confidence oozes out, yizhuo's eyes are sparkling, mouth in a cheschire grin.

"you can?" minjeong marvels, finding out about yizhuo's artistic temperament for the first time. something in her head clicks, it explained the lone easel sitting in her living room.

there's a swell of pride in yizhuo's chest when she watches minjeong's reaction, eyes widening, mouth parted in awe.

"of course! i've accumulated a lot of skills throughout my lifespan. i'm confident enough to say that i can overthrow leonardo, dali, van, picasso, you name it." yizhuo asserts with a smirk, then jerks her chin towards the door before walking out with a sway of her hips.

minjeong chuckles, hands shoved in the pockets of her sweatpants — which was an item of yizhuo's. 

"i, for one, love the confidence." minjeong says with a hint of tease, following the immortal who, in a short amount of time, had her wrapped around her fingers.

"...oh i see, you doubt me." 

"wrong, i love you."

.

in spite of the anguish that conquered most of her memories, minjeong has had her fair share of happiness throughout her long years. like when she was embraced by her first love, when she witnessed a couple sharing kisses under a gazebo, when a little flower boy placed a rose in her hair, there were many.

but today, happiness felt immensely different. she couldn't properly piece together what she feels at the moment, just that feels thick, the back of her eyes are burning and something was continuously stirring in her gut.

minjeong couldn't take her eyes off the canvas. she sees her silver tresses that yizhuo likes to fiddle with, her porcelain white features that yizhuo loves to trace with her fingers and the enigmatic ebony eyes that yizhuo loves gazing into. she's looking at herself through someone else's eyes, made out of bold, colourful both thick and thin that it brought her inexplicable bliss beyond words. 

"this... is me?" when minjeong turns to the artist, her eyes are glassy. yizhuo's eyes softens, the sight tugging at her heartstrings.

"yes. you're beautiful, right?" she says in delight with a tilt of her head, placing her hands that were covered with splashes of colours behind her back.

minjeong had lunged at her then, arms embracing her so tightly when they lay motionless on yizhuo's linoleum floor. only her loud sobs filled the air, shoulders trembling as she cries and cries into yizhuo's shoulder. 

knowing how it meant significantly to minjeong, yizhuo keeps a promise. as long as she had a pen and paper, minjeong would never forget how she looked like ever again.

yizhuo closes her eyes, buries her nose in minjeong's hair and hugs her just as tight. 

"i love you, you deserve so much."

minjeong doesn't stop staring at the painting for the rest of the day.

.

it's raining on the 24th of a saturday evening. even when blanketed by a bleak starless nightsky, the damp streets lit up vibrantly, swarming with all walks of life, nonstop chatters buzzing in their ears.

they're heading towards a traffic light which had been a ten minutes walk from the café they just exited, minjeong has her hands in yizhuo's, the other holding an umbrella above their heads. 

yizhuo might have been in a trance, because the next thing she knows, minjeong is pulling her, colliding into her front. it catches yizhuo off guard, was going to ask about it until something zooms past just in the spot where she was.

minjeong's eyes are throwing daggers at the cyclist who then disappears in the distance. there's several others who does the same, grumbling under their breaths before they resumed their day-to-day conversations.

yizhuo huffs, smiling thankfully at minjeong who briefly raised a brow at her, as if wondering what had completely distracted her. though she doesn't say anything about it.

when they were at the crosswalk however, yizhuo's eyes are planted on the other side of the street. her lips break into a small smile as the feeling of familiarity becomes stronger.

"do you believe in reincarnation?" she suddenly asks minjeong then, who takes back her hand in hers and stares intently at the glowing red man.

"i wouldn't know, i have no soul." minjeong replies nonchalantly, yizhuo squeezes her hand. it was why she didn't have a reflection in the first place.

"but i hope that it's a possibility," minjeong glances at her, lips quirked up in a charming smile,"because i'll take whatever chances to meet you again."

yizhuo giggles behind her fingers, sidling up to her lover. she returns her gaze to the other side, where two women stood hand in hand among the crowd — she catches a glimpse of rings on their respective fingers — seeming to have broad smiles etched on their faces. probably talking about the little things. yizhuo's seen them so many times, those fond smiles — she has them embedded in the back of her mind.

"and if i tell you it's true?" yizhuo nudges minjeong with her elbow, earning a questionable look.

"how can you be sure?" 

the light turns green, and everyone shuffles forward. halfway along the crosswalk, yizhuo gave the two women another glance as they passed by one another. her ears picked up something about an anniversary, and yizhuo smiles a little wider.

"let's say, i've seen soulmates who are meant for each other in every lifetime." she gave them one final glance when they reached the other side, minjeong hums as they turn a corner, intrigued.

"do they have red threads just like they say?" 

"i can't see them, but just the feeling of familiarity is enough."

had her and minjeong been humans, would they have been destined for each other just like they were?

.

"horror? you're not scared?" minjeong asks when yizhuo points up at the only horror movie showing at the moment.

outside the theater, it's a little noisy and yizhuo's just munching on sweet popcorn as they wait patiently for their screening. minjeong's staring at her incredulously, the popcorn would be gone just before the movie with the many times yizhuo's hands reached in the bucket.

not that it was for her in the first place, human food is horrible to her palate.

"being alive for two centuries has dulled my fears, i've seen so much that nothing bothers me anymore." yizhuo shrugs, feline eyes looking up innocently at minjeong.

"i second that," minjeong nods, eyeing the kids in front jumping up and about. something about a latest blockbuster, she doesn't know, she was never interested in these things. "but you have to be afraid of something?"

"well, if i have to say..." yizhuo pauses to swallow, minjeong holds out her fizzy drink which she gladly took. 

"...losing you?" yizhuo says cheesily, sipping on her drink after.

a smile creeps up minjeong's lips, she snakes a hand around yizhuo's waist.

"i wouldn't want to lose you too." 

"then it's a good thing we're immortal." 

they burst into lighthearted giggles, in their own world. just the two of them.

.

the moment yizhuo learned that minjeong was a vampire, she had always been wondering how and what type of blood she had been feeding on. minjeong told her then that she used to live off of animal blood throughout her first century. they never quenched her for long, so for the next century, she grew even more ravenous. minjeong had confessed that in the 1900s, she began to consume human blood, but only of those who deserved a punishment worse than death.

"my hands were the dirtiest in war, i never knew how badly i could get scarred by something that i wasn't even involved in. it will never leave my mind how greedy and destructive humans can get."

yizhuo had grimly nodded, memories of her being a military nurse back in her country which flooded her mind then had been one of the most gruesome and agonising years of her life. she could still faintly remember the sight of her motionless comrades on bloodied beds, the unbearable guilt of not being able to save them, the overwhelming stench of iron that had dulled her senses then. 

it hadn't been fair, because those who never deserved to face such cruelty left the world too early. yet yizhuo still got live on. for half a century, her sleep was merely a cycle of neverending nightmares.

yizhuo figured it was useless to dwell in the past, what mattered now was the light at the end of the tunnel; kim minjeong.

"you do know you won't scar me?" yizhuo tells minjeong, in the comfort of the latter's minimalist apartment, whose forehead creased with needless worry. she fidgets with the empty syringe in her fingers, lips pulled inwards as she nervously glances at the empty vials on the coffee table.

her fangs were becoming noticeable, when yizhuo tries to peek at her irises which began to glow a deep red, minjeong draws back and turns her head away with a hand covering her nose.

it didn't help that her senses began to peak — her thirst begging to be quenched — yizhuo's sweet, sweet scent continuously invades her nostrils.

"yeah but- it's a little unsanitary, there'll be blood down your neck and i don't want to take advantage-"

"minjeong," yizhuo grabs her face in her hands before she starts to ramble. 

"i'm immortal." she affirms when she notices the way minjeong had her jaw clenched, her veins which appeared like black roots slowly crawling up her neck. 

"and you're not hurting me, i'm giving you a fraction of me and i only feel you." the pair of glowing red orbs that locked its gaze into yizhuo's chocolate ones began to quiver. yizhuo grins softly, she loved the brilliance they held despite the desires clearly glinting in them. 

"besides, aren't you tired of needles? they take way too much time. directly on the neck is the most conventional way." yizhuo leans back — minjeong finally exhaling —  takes the syringe from minjeong's grasp and scrunches her nose as she studies it. she hurls it on the table lazily, the sly smile returning once she settles her gaze on minjeong again.

two months in their relationship, yizhuo had offered her own blood, insisting that it was a better option than the (illegal) blood packs minjeong had been paying way too much money for. her persistence paid off and days later, the whole thing started with minjeong extracting her blood using syringes which would then be put in vials for her consumption.

even minjeong had been astounded at how sweet yizhuo's blood was and the satiety value it granted her was especially shocking. before yizhuo, she required a couple of bloodbags to quench her thirst, and they usually lasted her barely a week. with yizhuo, one bag was already enough to satiate her for two weeks.

minjeong didn't know why it was something yizhuo would take pride in, but she doesn't complain, only filled with great gratitude. now, six months in and yizhuo's grousing about how she's getting tired of getting 21-gauge needles under her skin.

"wh-what if i can't hold back?" minjeong's silvery voice voice falters, throwing a hand over her eyes as she leans back on her couch.

a suppressed laughter enters her ears, then the rustling of movements, before she feels weight on her lap. minjeong refuses to open her eyes, whatever yizhuo is doing is only fueling her desires. countless of times when she mentioned that if she could turn red, she would have been a deep scarlet.

nevertheless, minjeong couldn't escape her embarrassment, because yizhuo pulls her hand away a second later and locks her hands behind her neck. 

"then drain me dry, so be it. as long as it's you, i'm fine with anything." yizhuo coyly says, the gentle caress on her nape only stimulated the provocative atmosphere.

surely, the sight bestowed upon minjeong has her eyes darting elsewhere. she inhales sharply, lips twitching at yizhuo's overpowering scent.

"yizhuo, this is- this is serious... i'm genuinely terrified of hurting you." minjeong groans, battling her inner turmoil. 

yizhuo giggles, this part of minjeong never failed to captivate her, how she carries too much compassion even for a vampire.

silly, you can't hurt what's already been in pain. 

she rests her forehead against minjeong's, plants a reassuring kiss on her nose. 

"it's okay, i trust you." 

they held their gazes then, minjeong searching and waiting for the moment yizhuo would change her mind but yizhuo remains steadfast, even going as far as angling her head up, showing off deliberately. minjeong groans, who was she to deny an invite?

so she proceeded, with great reluctance at first, until she leans in and the tip of her nose grazes the soft skin. yizhuo's pulse sings in her perked ears, minjeong hears everything. her lips slowly parted in instinct, she gives yizhuo a final glance.

"go on." yizhuo glances back and smiles encouragingly.

and that was the final assurance she needed.

.

"don't i taste better this way?" minjeong's cleaning up her little mess when yizhuo speaks, her tongue leaves a wet trail on her skin as she cleans up the last trickle. 

"...yes." minjeong meekly says, pressing her lips gently on the punctured wound, watching as they eventually mend. then it was as if she hadn't sunk her fangs into yizhuo's flesh minutes ago.

"do i taste as sweet as honey?" yizhuo queries, a little too cheery like minjeong almost hadn't drained her dry earlier. the vampire her lips, awkwardly wiping them with the back of her hand. the colour of her eyes altered again, returning to its mysterious black.

"...you're sweeter." she mumbles, not that she knew what honey tasted like, but she knows for a fact that yizhuo completely overthrows everything else she's ever tasted.

"ah, now you've got me curious." yizhuo narrows her eyes, the smirk on her lips tells minjeong that she had something up her sleeve because yizhuo's looking at her a little too attentively.

"here, let me try something." yizhuo swipes a thumb across minjeong's chin, now covered with the drop of blood she had missed when she was wiping her own mouth.

then she frowns, watches with a slack jaw when yizhuo gives her a dubious look as she smeared her own blood on her lower lip.

"what are you-"

yizhuo doesn't let her finish, yanks her by the collar and crashes their lips together. minjeong's eyes closed in reflex, makes a gutteral sound at the back of when she faintly tastes yizhuo's blood yet again.

oh, she's evil. minjeong muses, traces yizhuo's lower lip with her tongue just as it was intended. then yizhuo pulls away abruptly, leaving her in a daze.

"hm, i still taste like iron... but everyone has their preferences, right?" yizhuo quips, feeling a wave of satisfaction wash over her when she's rendered minjeong speechless. she casually returns to her spot beside minjeong.

"you just... your lips- um... that was on purpose, wasn't it?"

"you know, you are very endearing when shy."

.

the constant wonder of what the end of the world would be like never left their heads, it raises unpredictable questions concerning their very existence. they would live on for hundreds and hundreds of years, then comes a chance for them to witness the world slowly falling apart. humanity would eventually perish... and then what? 

what would happen to them?

"do you think we'll float around in space when the earth shatters and becomes inhabitable?" yizhuo asks in a whim, seated crosslegged on her bed with minjeong in front of her.

"um, that's a possibility? but that would be..." minjeong trails off, scrunching her face that itched every few seconds. "...very boring." 

a few stickers fall onto her lap, minjeong grunts when yizhuo sticks another one on her nose. the large red heart occupies half her vision, minjeong purses her lips, yielding to her lover's late night whims.

"you're right, but i wouldn't worry so much." yizhuo nods to herself, scribbling something on minjeong's cheek. "because you'll be there with me."

that would have honestly sounded romantic if it had been a different situation, the thought of being stuck in space for eternity had minjeong scrunching her face again. more stickers fall and yizhuo pouts.

sure, it was a nice depiction that they would remain together no matter what, but minjeong's a bit of a deep thinker. earth is gone, they float in space because god forbid they can't die under normal circumstances, and then would they play the waiting game of when the sun would explode or when they would fly too close to the sun.

she hopes it wouldn't be the former. as if three centuries weren't enough torture, does she have to wait billions of years until the sun explodes and then finally be granted her long awaited demise?

and then there was the possibility of migrating to another planet, and if that wasn't an option, would they have to swim out of the milky way and into another galaxy? they were immortals, sure, but there was no way they would live that long... would they? minjeong shudders (she never does!).

"logically, won't we burn in the sun eventually? i don't think either of us would survive that, i know i won't." 

yizhuo caps her marker and releases a yawn.

"minjeong, let's just sleep." 

"but you started the conversation... and i'm covered in ink and stickers. why did you do this again?" minjeong questions, peeling the stickers that irritated her skin. she's wondering why yizhuo had chosen to treat her as a canvas when she had dozens of unopened ones in her stash.

"love, you are my favourite canvas." for a second, minjeong thought yizhuo had read her mind. she lazily mumbles something about erasing the ink tomorrow, minjeong's only glad that it wasn't permanent.

"have you seen my hair tie?" yizhuo's eyes look around the bed, ruffling her pink hair before holding them up.

minjeong rubs at one of the scribbles on her wrist, occasionally glancing at yizhuo who searched under the sheets.

"you're going to sleep with your hair up?"

"of course not," yizhuo finds it a little while later, smiling in relief as she pulls her hair up in a bun. 

"then why-" minjeong stops talking immediately when yizhuo starts ing her shirt. 

she's too rigid to realise that yizhuo's giggling at her, keen eyes following the fingers that continues ing halfway before she pushes the fabric off one shoulder. 

yizhuo cranes her neck, exposing the flawless skin only for minjeong to see. she grins playfully.

"your eyes are turning red, minjeong." she states, ultimately reminding minjeong of her bi-weekly exclusive meal.

"r-right... let me just-" minjeong stumbles over her words, shaking her head to pull herself out of her reverie, quickly peeling the remaining stickers off her face.

yizhuo merely giggles at the sight of minjeong in a haste, finding her suppressing her excitement rather adorable.

.

her fingers lazily comb through long silver locks, minjeong's body that lay bare on top of her own feels like a cool duvet. in a sense, it was refreshing to her taut muscles.  

"do you like being this close to me?" yizhuo asks in a soft voice, tips of her fingers now lightly scratching minjeong's scalp.

"yes," minjeong answers a beat later, muffled against yizhuo's chest. 

"i love listening to your heartbeat." her words slur in her delirium, the gentle thumps of yizhuo's heart — alive and beating — were melodious in her ears. 

they were her favourite lullaby. 

minjeong nestles up to yizhuo's neck, planting a gentle kiss under her ear. she tightens her embrace, sighing when yizhuo's hands lovingly caress the curve of her spine.

"and you're comfortably warm." minjeong loved the succour that was granted only within yizhuo's hold, the worries that were alleviated and the serenity that it provided to her mind.

minjeong props up on her elbows, hair falling in curtains. yizhuo's bonny eyes are looking up into hers, plump lips that stretched into a smile still a little swollen. minjeong smiles, yizhuo still looked pretty decorated with her love bites.

"i love you," minjeong draws in and murmurs against her lips, yizhuo's arms already wrapped around her neck. "you make everything easier."

yizhuo pulls her in deep, and grins lazily into cold lips.

and under amorous susurration, she tells minjeong that it was okay to ruin her again tonight.

.

when minjeong tells her that she's never been to picnic, yizhuo gathers all of the essentials and drags her out in record time. now they're settled on yizhuo's outdoor mat at the han river, hair flowing in the cool breeze. minjeong's drinking her packed 'juice' and yizhuo's happily slurping ramyeon. 

minjeong's eyes never stopped to look at one place the whole time, there was much to behold, she realised she's never properly watched what humans were really like nowadays. it's all new to her, and it dawned upon her that there was still a tranquil side to humans compared to centuries ago.

"hey little girl, what are you doing here?" minjeong speaks in a higher tone when she notices a child no older than three comes running up to them, the little pigtails swishing adorably in her bouncy steps.

yizhuo raises a brow when the little girl grins up at her, gummy smile showing, a couple of little teeth missing. 

"pink!" the little girl chirps, chubby fingers pointing at yizhuo's striking hair. it leaves the couple stunned for a moment, exchanging uncertain glances until yizhuo breaks into an affectionate smile.

she ducks her head slightly, letting her hair fall over her shoulders and holding a handful out for the curious little girl. her childlike giggles and little toothy grin is infectious, yizhuo's laughing along and minjeong's only watching with a gentle gaze when the little one plays with her hair.

"there you are!" somewhere in the distance, a worried voice calls out. yizhuo lifts her head, noticing a woman with wine red for a hair colour comes jogging up to their spot, worry etched on her face.

the little girl turns and beams upon the sight of the said woman, jumping into her open arms. 

"mama!"

yizhuo remains wide eyed, not because of the whole exchange, but because of the feeling of familiarity that hit home. it's destiny thats unfolding in front of her eyes.

"oh my gosh- i am so sorry!" the woman says, cradling her smiley child in her arms as she bows her head to them in a panicked apology. then she turns to her daughter with furrowed brows, fingers brushing her cute bangs.

"what did i say about running away like that, sweetie?" 

"pink!" the little girl points at yizhuo again, who's smiling just as widely. the woman grabs her tiny hand and gives her a little lecture.

minjeong pats yizhuo's knee to get her attention when she realises her focused stare at the duo. yizhuo blinks, before leaning in to whisper.

"it's them," 

"who...?" minjeong doesn't have a clue, face contorting in a frown. 

"the soulmates i spoke of." yizhuo reveals before pulling away, the look of realisation on minjeong's face was priceless as she continues watching the mother-daughter duo.

"mommy's going to get angry, love." the woman boops her little nose, and then minjeong's ears picked up hasty footsteps approaching them.

"aeri! where's our little-" this time, it's a woman with purple hair running up to them. the worry on her face dissolves into relief when her eyes lands on the little girl in aeri's arms.

"oh thank god." she exhales, breaking into a relieved smile as she takes the giggling little girl from aeri's arms into hers.

"jimin? did you leave our spot? our bags-"

"doesn't matter, i was more worried about our little rascal here." the other woman, jimin, says. there's a loving smile on her face when the little girl playfully pokes the beauty mark under her lips.

yizhuo rises up to her feet and minjeong follows suit. she's smiling uncontrollably, the names she's been longing to hear gave her a surge of euphoria. she's never lost the chance to be an avid spectator of the unbreakable bond the two soulmates had in their various lifetimes. and this time was no different.

"hi um, we're really sorry about the disturbance..." jimin gives them an awkward smile, aeri nods along sheepishly beside her.

"it's fine, really. she's adorable." yizhuo gives them a dismissive wave, looking at their daughter with eyes full of love. at the same time, jimin shyly slips out a 'thank you'.

their meeting was brief, as it has always been. yizhuo has only been in a fraction of their memories, nevermind that they never recognised her. they talked for a bit, introducing themselves and yizhuo lets their little girl play with her hair a little longer, even nudging minjeong to give her a tiny high-five. 

"well then, we should get going. have a nice date, you two seem lovely!" jimin vocalizes, a bright smile on her face as she bades the couple goodbye. 

then yizhuo watches them walk away, minjeong's arm slung around her shoulders.

"pink..." she mutters to herself, minjeong turns to her.

"their previous life revolved around the colour often, they'd put pink carnations in each other's hair, exchange love letters written in pink envelopes." yizhuo smiles and shakes her head in disbelief, piecing their memories together.

"and now they have a little one who loves pink." 

minjeong looks at her in awe, the gears in her head turning as she digests yizhuo's words. she muses how astonishing it must have felt, being able to watch the same love sprout and grow lavishly in many lifetimes. yizhuo had been a constant witness, and it was clear that she's always looking forward to their future lifetimes.

"well the little girl was right about loving pink," minjeong says, pulling them back down on the mat, tucking the pink strands behind yizhuo's ears. "it looks lovely on you."

yizhuo flashes her a knowing smile and kisses her sweetly.

"you're kind of like their guardian angel. how many lifetimes have you seen them in again?" 

"this is their 24th," yizhuo sighs dreamily, looking into the distance where the little family was happily munching on sandwiches. "and in every single one, they always find each other."

minjeong hums in wonder, yizhuo leans her head on her shoulder. it has minjeong lost in her train of thoughts for a while, nibbling on her lower lip until something comes to mind. 

"if this is our first and only lifetime, let's make the best out of it." she remarks. 

"how do you want it?" yizhuo asks, filled with curiosity. 

"let's make a bucket list and start from there. any ideas?" minjeong suggests, taking out her phone and pulls up a notes app. her thumb hovers the keyboard as she patiently waits for an answer.

"would taking over the world count? i've always wondered what it's like to be a villain." yizhuo feigns an evil cackle, running her fingers up minjeong's thighs.

her lover could only sigh at her absurd idea, grabbing the hands that tickled her. 

"yizhuo, honestly that's too much work. when i said i wanted to live my days out with you, i didn't mean in prison." minjeong frowns, evidently detesting the thought of being imprisoned. she had anticipated something like 'travelling the world' coming out of yizhuo's mouth, of course she had to be unpredictable.

in fact, the foolish idea never piqued her at all. 

"but we'd be like bonnie and clyde!" yizhuo jokes, pulling away to give minjeong a look of defeat. minjeong pats her cheeks out of pity and leans in to peck the corner of her lips.

"they were shot, yizhuo. we're immortals. let's not romanticize criminals, yeah?" minjeong reminds her firmly. she goes back to staring at the empty list.

"got anything simpler?"

this time, yizhuo puts on a thinking cap. she leans back on her hands and gazes up into the clouds, humming deeply in thought. minjeong smiles to herself at how serious yizhuo turned, her eyes in slits as her mind was preoccupied.

minjeng didn't have to wait long though, yizhuo opens just as she hit a brainwave. she clutches minjeong's hands, eyes now lit up along with a beam on her lips.

"then... let's move to a beach town. imagine the cool breeze, the stiffling summer perfect for a sun tan, maybe we could get a cat or two. dogs too if you'd like. we could start a little family restaurant by the beach, i could have painting as a freelance job too and you'd be a great local doctor. we should at least put our century-long skills to great use right? and when we're free, we'd run around in the water, hair in the wind, getting sand between our toes, little waves splashing up to our shins. the best part? i'd hold your hand all the time." 

yizhuo spits it out all in one breath, carried away by her own excitement. minjeong initially looks at her with eyes wide open, apprehending everything that spilled out of yizhuo's mouth. it sounded more like a long-term plan than an idea, but minjeong doesn't protest. instead, she just bursts into a hearty laugh, leaving yizhuo dumbfounded.

"minjeong? what is it?" yizhuo's eyebrows creased, wondering if minjeong had found her idea rather silly and that she's overshooting it. she bites her lips, waits for minjeong's laugh to settle down and possibly get a rejection.

but minjeong doesn't say any of those things. she intertwines their fingers and uses her other hand to cup her jaw, reeling her in for a deep kiss. 

"nothing, i'm just really in love with you." minjeong confesses against her lips, laughing once again when yizhuo whines and timidly buries her head in her neck. 

"your idea sounds like it would take a long while." minjeong says truthfully.

and despite that, she wanted it to happen, wanted to spend her long days with yizhuo always by her side. the immortal pulls away, slinging her arms around minjeong's neck and flashes a sly smile. and it was enough for minjeong to know her next words.

"baby, we have all the time in the world."

—