It's really not hard to perform fanservice anymore. In fact, we have to try to keep our hands to our selves a little, because I'm trying to educate myself on the finer points of skinship, and apparently my obvious attempts to hold her hand on stage and to be as close as possible drive our fans wild. I grin to myself. Yes, yes dear fans, Kryber is SO real, I think, flirting with Krystal on stage and laughing when I see her wide smile and sometimes embarrassed face which she tries to cover up with one or two hands.

We really did it when our group got to perform Electric Shock at the end of an acceptance of a music award, as the winners. I was so happy that we had won, I didn't care. Fanservice, skinship, call it whatever the heck you want, but I wanted to have fun. I was surprised that Krystal didn't deny me my bit of "dorkber"ness (what a funny nickname! I love it! fans are so great) and actually joined me by making me carry her on my back. What a great feeling. Our elation at winning, the thrill of performing fanservice while also satisfying a very personal need to have her so close, and the fact that Krystal was so willing to go along with me.

As we ran off stage, Victoria shot us odd looks. Poor unnie, she'd been left out of the loop the past couple weeks and knew there was a change in attitude between us, but didn't know that there was a change of heart between us.

"You're a lot more willing to perform, aren't you?" she asked me skeptically as we walked down the hallway. I shrugged, feeling Krystal squeeze my hand.

"Well, anything for our fans, Victoria-unnie," I grinned.

"You two are so cute!" gushed Sulli. "Can I get a piggyback ride, hyung?"

I was about to say "Sure, Ssul!" but suddenly Krystal said, "No, Ssul, she needs to rest. She shouldn't have been carrying me around either," she said, sounding like she was scolding me.

I felt my face grow hot. "Oh c'mon Soojung, it's not like you were heavy--"

She swatted my arm. "Don't argue with me, stupid! Do you want to wear yourself out and make your body sick? No! Think about the group as a whole. You're such a people pleaser!" She was frowning at me. 

Sulli shrugged with a smile, "Yeah, she's right, hyung. No more carrying group members on your back!" and she rushed past us to the dressing room.

"Don't be such a jerk, Krys," said Luna. "Sulli and Amber are friends."

I was totally lost and looked back and forth between them. "Uh..."

Krystal tossed her hair. "I'm only looking out for Amber's health. She can't go carrying us around! Who knows, she could pull a back muscle, and then where would we be?"

"Look," said Luna half-sweetly, "You may be able to fool dino-brained llama face here, but I know you better. There's no need to act jealous if Sulli wants to have a few close moments with her hyung, you got me? Let them have a little fun together!" and she walked away from us to the dressing room, too.

"What's going on around here?" asked Victoria suspiciously behind us, having witnessed the whole thing. 

I blushed furiously, trying to drag Krystal to the dressing room faster so we could avoid this conversation. Krystal was surprisingly strong and kept a good grip on my fingers. It kinda hurt, but made me stop trying to make a fast getaway.

"Victoria-unnie, we might as well tell you, since it's not fair to keep you out of the loop," said Krystal bravely, bracing herself. "Amber is in love with me, romantically, and I love her too. We figured we might as well kill two birds with one stone and perform our fanservice while also satisfying our need for skinship."

Pretty sure that my face would melt off, I covered it with one hand. Krystal tugged on my arm. "Isn't that right, Amber?"

I turned, trying to act as cool about it as possible. I shrugged and gave Victoria a lopsided grin. "Yes! All true. I've been in love with Soojung for several months, maybe years, I dunno. But all the skinship stuff really started making me think about my feelings for her, and now, well, here we are!" I said throwing out my arms. The only thing missing was a drumroll and a "ta DA!"

Victoria smiled. "So you like each other?" she asked, trying to confirm.

"Yep!" I said with another shrug.

"Well that explains all the crazy angst that went on between you two for months," laughed Victoria.

*****

The days are melting together. Dance practice, outside concerts, inside concerts, promoting commercials. Every moment spent with Soojung, who is now growing closer and closer to my heart. I can't get enough of her smiles, her gentle and reassuring hand-squeezes, her laugh when she sees me acting like an idiot. I can't believe she really likes me too.

Lying in our hotel bed one night, she's staring at my face lovingly as her smile fills my stomach with butterflies. She pushes her fingers through my hair gently and I allow myself a small smile.

"You're such a hopeless romantic, Soojung," I whisper, teasing her.

"If I am, what does that make you, stupid?" she teases back, tugging my hair before ruffling it.

I grab her hand and place it over my heart. "It makes me a slave to my heart," I whisper, my smile softening. She blushes and pulls her hand away so she can cover her face.

I giggle. "Hey, what are you doing that for?" I pull at her hand. "Give me that," I half-whisper, and she covers my mouth with the hand I'd been pulling on.

"Shhhh! Do you want to wake the others up?" she whispers, scolding me.

"Heh, what others?" I smirk, giving her hand a kiss. She moves it, blushing. "To me, there's only you." 

She grins and then pushes me away. "Go to sleep llama face." 

What an adorable idiot. I roll over in bed, hearing her chuckle behind me. She falls silent and I wonder if she's gone to sleep. But then I feel her hand on my arm and she leans over me, tickling my ear as she whispers in it.

"Do you love me, Soojung?" she whispers. I can feel her smiling that goofy smile against my skin and it tickles. 

"Not at all, stupid," I reply, a smile playing on my lips. "Now go to sleep."

She rests her chin on my shoulder, digging into it. "I won't sleep for one minute unless you tell me you love me," she says softly, poking my back.

"Then you'll never sleep," I tease. "Victoria unnie will start grinding up sleeping pills and putting them in your drinks."

I hear her laugh quietly as she softly kisses my shoulder. "You're so heartless Krys."

I roll back over and she smiles over me, that big goofy smile I've begun to love so much. Then I poke her cheek. "I love you."

Delighted, her grin widens and she props her head against her hand. "What was that? I couldn't hear you because you were whispering."

"Shut up you idiot," I say, feeling my cheeks grow warm. She chuckles and lies back on her own pillow, tucking  her arms behind her head as she grins up at the ceiling. 

After a moments pause, Amber asks me in a low voice, "Did you take your sleeping pill?"

I smile, "No. Did you?"

She turns her head, her eyes squeezed shut as she tries to keep herself from laughing out loud. "We're so bad!"

I giggle and poke her armpit, which makes her arms come swinging down around her to protect her from my tickling. But my fingers dig into her vulnerable sides and she starts squirming as I attempt to make her laugh out loud. She rolls around, eyes squeezed tight, mouth open wide in a silent laugh as she tries to ward off my hands.

"Stop!" she whispers hoarsely, "Soojung, no fair!" I stop, smiling at her dorky behavior and ruffle her hair. She grabs my hand and kisses the back of it, then the palm, bringing it close to where her heart is. That stupid big grin of hers, and those dumb loving eyes...why does she make me feel like this?

"We're really going to get it if Victoria wakes up and finds us horsing around," I whisper ominously. "Go to sleep, dummy."

"Only if you come here so I can tell you a secret," she whispers back, still keeping my hand prisoner over her heart. I roll my eyes, but scoot closer to her, our faces close as I offer her my ear. 

"What?" I ask, but she turns my head gently with her free hand...

It's my turn to be brave. I've got her by one hand, and now she's super close. The plan is going well! Reluctantly she scoots closer to me, so close our cheeks nearly touch, as she asks, "What?" Now or never Amber!

I set my hand on her cheek and gently turned her head so she was looking at me. Then I lowered my head, closing my eyes, and touched my lips to hers. It felt like my skin was twice as sensitive as normal, and so when she responded by putting her arms around my neck and pulling me down so she could press her lips harder against mine, I felt like fireworks were going off in my body.

It might have been a few seconds, or maybe eternity, but when we gently let go of each other, I know that my chest was heaving. My heart was racing like I'd just sprinted down a track field. Krystal gazed shyly up at me, a small smile gracing her lips. I bent down again for another kiss, but she placed a finger on my lips and smiled.

"One for now," she whispered. "I'll give you one soon."

"So, what, are we taking turns?" I asked breathlessly, my body still very aware of how close she was to me. Our legs were touching, and my abdomen was screaming as butterflies with razor wings fluttered around in there.

Krystal smiled. "Yes. We're taking turns." She lovingly kissed the tip of my nose and then gently pushed me. "Now, this time, for real, go to bed."

 

[A/N: This may be the last chapter. I don't really know what else to write, and it shows because the last two chapters have pretty much just been fluff! Thank you for all your comments! They have been uplifting and encouraging!]