The five tired bodies lay in the relative safety of the air lock.  To their front, the doors were locked.  To their rear was an elevator.  Unfortunately, the front was their only real exit.  Three of the bodies were injured.  Suddenly, the elevator door opened, and a tall man, heavily injured from battle emerged, clutching his torso with his left hand and holding his gun in his right.  He was the man these people were hoping to see.  He hobbled from the elevator, his face and body covered in blood.  “Sir,” the injured, darker skinned woman greeted him.  “It’s done,” the Captain assured them.  A brief sigh of relief went around the group at the news.  The Captain looked around, surveying his people.  “Report,” he commanded, but to no response.  “River?” he asked.  Nobody was willing to speak.  Moments passed before the large mechanical doors opened, revealing a mess of corpses.  Standing in the middle of them was a young woman, possibly only 17 years old, only 90 lbs.  In her hands she held a club and an axe.  The very weapons she had used to slay the tens of muscular, burly, psychopathic killers that lay at her feet.

 

“I swear,” Sunny declared, cuddling tightly with Yuri, “every time I see this, I want that frame blown up and printed, like, a metre tall.”

Yuri giggled, holding Sunny tighter in her arms.  The weather was quite dull outside this Saturday, so Sunny had suggested making the day one to sit in pyjamas and watch DVDs.  This was the third of the day; “Serenity”, a firm favourite of Sunny’s.  She had even dressed for the occasion, wearing a pair of grey jogging bottoms and her black “Definition of ‘Interesting’” t-shirt.  It had white writing on it, made to look like a dictionary entry, and three definitions of the adjective ‘interesting’:

 

1. Capable of holding one’s attention.
2. Arousing a feeling of interest.
3. Oh God, oh God, we’re all going to die.

 

The last of the definitions was a quote from the film, close to the start, with the pilot, ‘Wash’, explaining the possibility of the space ship Serenity crashing whilst trying to land on a planet in response to Captain Mal Reynolds’ request to “define ‘interesting’”.  The smart comments, the action, the futuristic reality and the story kept Sunny hooked from the moment she had put the DVD on, and Yuri was certainly enjoying her choice.  Matching Sunny’s relaxed attire, she too wore jogging bottoms, but in black, and a plain, deep purple t-shirt.  Both had their hair tied up in loose ponytails and were curled up on the sofa, Sunny resting her head on Yuri’s chest and Yuri with her arm over Sunny’s shoulder.  A bowl of popcorn lay on their laps, two-thirds of which had been eaten by the pair feeding kernels to each other.  They continued to watch the action unfold as the crew had boarded their ship, which had been repaired by the Alliance and re their journey, having paid respects to their fallen friends and pilot, who had been killed earlier in the film.  Sunny sighed contentedly as Mal sat in the cockpit, taking the pilot’s seat.  River, the young girl who had killed the tens of ‘Reavers’, sat in the co-pilot’s seat, waiting to hear his pearls of wisdom on the rules of flying.  “Love,” he said.  “You can learn all the math in the ‘Verse, but you take a boat in the air that you don’t love, she’ll shake you off just as sure as the turning of the worlds.  Love keeps her in the air when she ought to fall down, tells you she’s hurting before she keens.  Makes her a home.”  Only now did Sunny truly appreciate that wisdom.  Serenity, the “Firefly” class ship they were travelling on, was as much a part of the crew as each person who sailed in her.  Just as Yuri was a much a part of Sunny as she was herself.  Yuri was her Firefly.

 

The credits rolled and the pair sat up and stretched.  “Another DVD?” Sunny asked.

Yuri checked the clock.  It was only 5pm.  “Sure, sweetie,” she smiled, quickly kissing her girlfriend as she stood up to make her selection.

“Did you enjoy that?” Sunny asked, walking to the kitchen to refill their drinks and snacks.

“God yes,” Yuri smiled.  “I kind of want to watch the series now.”

“We’ll have to,” Sunny beamed.  “We can make a day of it, just watch all of the episodes, back-to-back.”

“How long will that take?” Yuri asked, walking to the kitchen with her film choice in her hand.

“About a day,” Sunny thought, pouring two large glasses of Coke.  “I think each episode is about 45 minutes and there are only 16, or something like that.  I know I’ve done it in a day before, but it has taken the whole day.”

Yuri nodded thoughtfully.  “We could always make a weekend of it instead, so we can really enjoy it and eat and not be too tired.”

Sunny nodded and smiled.  “That sounds good, too!” she agreed.  “So, what did you choose?”

Yuri held up the case.  On the front stood two people; a brown haired young man stood in the background, and a blonde haired woman in the foreground.  The woman appeared to be , with only a large clapperboard protecting her modesty.  On the placard were the words “The Girl Next Door”.

“Nice choice,” Sunny smirked.  “I wonder if I would be that y if I dyed my hair blonde,” she teased, carrying both drinks into the living room.

“Hey,” Yuri scolded her, following her with the bowl of potato chips.  “You know you look even ier just being yourself.”

“Awwww, honey~” Sunny gushed playfully.  “You always say the right things when you want to get me out of my pants.”

Yuri placed the chips in an empty space on the coffee table and waited until Sunny placed the drinks nearby before she playfully grabbed Sunny and pulled her onto the sofa.  Sunny screamed, laughing with her, as Yuri pushed Sunny onto her back and climbed on top of her, pinning her lightly to the sofa.  “Tell me you don’t want me in your pants,” Yuri teased.

Sunny smirked, pretending to look innocent.  After that morning almost six weeks earlier, Sunny had wanted nothing but.  Being woken up with Yuri’s kisses or feeling her arms wrapped around her body, her skin, made sure that every morning started right, even if it did start a little later than planned.  “Are you putting the DVD in?” she asked, pretending to change the subject in order to avoid telling Yuri exactly what she already knew.

Just as Yuri sat up, Sunny’s phone started to ring.  Sunny reached over to the coffee table and picked up her handset as Yuri changed the DVD, putting Serenity back into its case.

“Hey Seo baby,” Sunny greeted her caller.

“Hi Sunny unnie,” Seohyun greeted her.  “Am I interrupting anything?”

“Uh, kinda,” Sunny admitted.  “We’re having a DVD day.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Seohyun apologised.  “I just thought I would ask if you guys were busy on Friday.”

“Friday?” Sunny asked.  “Let me check.”

She turned to Yuri, who had resumed her place on the sofa next to her love.  “Are we busy on Friday?” she asked.

Yuri shook her head.  “No, not that I can remember,” she replied.  “Why?”

“Let me put you on speaker,” Sunny told Seohyun before turning the phone to speakerphone, allowing Yuri to hear the conversation.  “We’re free on Friday,” Sunny answered.  “What do you have planned?”

“Nothing really,” Seohyun admitted.  “I just thought we could do something for Taeyeon.  She’s been a little down and I’m really worried about her.”

That was indeed true.  Four weeks after Sunny and Yuri had come out to the group and asked for their blessing for their relationship, Jessica had announced her relationship to some guy they had never met.  Apparently, he worked at the boutique store she did, but she never said what his job was.  She said he was really cute, although when she showed the group photographs of him, they didn’t find him to be as attractive as they expected him to be.  When it came to looks, Jessica always seemed to have standards.  Which was admirable, in some ways.  She wasn’t vain, not by any means, but she always believed that one’s appearance was a representation of their inner self and taking pride in one’s outer appearance was just as important as taking pride in one’s inner health.  Being so photogenic, they expected her partner to be the same, but he wasn’t really that photogenic.  Taeyeon had put a brave face on for the announcement, declaring her happiness that Jessica had found someone that she cared for.  That was genuine, although there was heartbreak at the realisation that this “someone” would not be her.  Two weeks later and she hadn’t quite gotten out of it.  Sunny, Yuri and Tiffany all knew why she was retreating into a shell of her old self, but every member was concerned about her.  Every member besides Jessica, that is.  She was concerned for the group’s wellbeing, and their leader’s wellbeing by extension, but her love life had begun to take a more prominent position on the stage and many signs of discontent went unnoticed by their loved up bandmate.

“I was thinking maybe we could take her to watch a movie?” Seohyun suggested.  “Or perhaps play miniature golf?”

“Sounds fun,” Sunny mused.

“I’m guessing for you two, that would be like regular golf,” Yuri teased.

Sunny scowled at her whilst Yuri stuck her tongue out.  “Watch that, otherwise I really will bite it off,” she warned.  Yuri didn’t listen, sticking her tongue out even further.  “One second,” Sunny asked Seohyun, before climbing onto Yuri’s lap, sitting astride her legs and playfully trying to “bite” Yuri’s tongue.  Naturally, their tryst ended in a kiss, before Yuri broke it, motioning to the discarded phone.

“Sorry, Seo,” Sunny apologised, keeping her place on Yuri’s lap.  “Someone keeps provoking me to … de-tongue-ulate them.”

“It’s ok,” Seohyun dismissed.  “I think I’m getting used to being the third wheel to your tongue wars.”

“What about a sleepover?” Yuri proposed, promptly changing the subject.

“A sleepover?” Sunny questioned.

Yuri nodded.  “Yeah,” she explained.  “A real girl’s night in.  We can do hair, make up, tell stories, watch trashy movies, eat cookie dough, pizza, play Twister, Truth or Dare, that sort of thing.”

“Wow,” Sunny nodded, impressed by Yuri’s idea.  “A real, trashy, girl’s night in.”

“I think Taeyeon would love that,” Seohyun agreed.  “I’ll see if the others are up for it.”

“Well, we’re in for that, definitely,” Yuri confirmed.  “We’ll let you organise the details and let us know later.”

“Will do, unnie,” Seohyun smiled.  “Thanks for the suggestion!  I’ll call the girls now and find out who’s in.  I should let you get back to your DVD day,” she added meekly.

“Don’t worry,” Sunny smiled.  “It was a nice reason to call.”

“Maybe, but still,” Seohyun reasoned.  “I don’t like interrupting you when you’re having time to yourselves.”

“Awwww, don’t worry maknae,” Yuri comforted her friend.  “You get in touch with the other girls and let us know what they say.”

“Sure thing,” their younger member agreed.  “I’ll speak to you soon.”

The trio exchanged goodbyes before Seohyun hung up.  As Sunny stood up and placed her phone on the coffee table, Yuri made herself comfortable, making room to snuggle with her Sunny Bunny whilst they watched their next DVD.

 

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Eight bodies lounged around in the rather large living room, wearing the kind of pyjamas that would not look amiss in some 90’s chick flick sleepover.  With her parents away for the weekend and her siblings living away or studying away from home, Sooyoung had been allowed to invite everyone to stay over.  Her family were quite well off, which made their regular altruistic ventures easier.  Sooyoung was always eager to encourage the girls to join in with these activities and was regularly attending them.  Unlike her usual demeanour where she praised herself for looking half-decent, she took genuine pride and had real passion for her volunteering work.  Living at home also made Sooyoung’s personal finances easier to manage, without the demands for rent or food or bills.  Everyone was laughing at Hyoyeon’s impression of Yuri, even Yuri herself.  It was wildly over-the-top to add comedic value, but Yuri laughed whilst cringing with embarrassment.

“Oh my god,” Yuri laughed, “am I really that bad?”

“Of course not!” Sunny comforted her.

“Of course you’d say that,” Hyoyeon mockingly defended her performance.  “You want to see her again.”

“That is not true!” Sunny gasped.

“Really?” Taeyeon chuckled.

Sunny pretended she was looking for the right words.  “That’s still not why I said it,” she blushed, causing more laughter around the group and toe-curling embarrassment between the loved up couple.

“Oh my god, I am so glad Jess isn’t here right now,” Tiffany sighed.

“Why?” Sooyoung asked, semi-indignantly.  “She’s still one of the group, isn’t she?”

“Oh yeah,” Tiffany quickly replied.  “I didn’t mean like that.  I just meant she wouldn’t be up for trashy nights in and playing ‘Spin The Bottle’ whilst those two were acting cute and loved up.”

“Especially with ‘lover boy' taking up space in her bed,” Taeyeon added, a touch of scorn in her voice, before overly exaggerating their absent member’s supposed ‘’ face.

A few gasps and immature laughter took over the group, although Sunny, Yuri and Tiffany knew this was only to divert attention away from the real problem.

“Ok, ok,” Yoona reached forward, taking the plastic toy in her hand and spinning it.  The group resumed their spaces in their circle.  The bottle spun around and around, before landing on their leader.  Yoona reached into the box of cards, each holding one ‘truth’ and one ‘dare’.  “Truth or dare?” she asked.

“Dare,” Taeyeon smirked.

“Ok,” Yoona held up the card and read the requested ‘dare’.  “’Kiss the person to your left for ten seconds’” she read aloud.

Tiffany’s eyes widened in fear and stunned confusion.  She was the one sat on Taeyeon’s left.  “Can’t we pick another?” she asked, anxious not to embarrass Taeyeon.

“Nope,” their leader replied.  “Come on, Yankie, give me some sugar.”

Before Tiffany could object, Taeyeon leaned towards her, closed her eyes and puckered her lips.  An exasperated sigh passed as Tiffany met with her lips.  The group counted down slowly to prolong the embarrassment.

“Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one!”

Cheers and whoops went around the room as the pair released themselves from their kiss and opened their eyes.  “See?” Taeyeon smiled.  “Wasn’t so hard, right?”

Tiffany smiled weakly for a split moment, before worry took over her face.  “Back in a minute,” she announced, before standing up and leaving the group.

“It was just a game,” Hyoyeon sighed, as Sunny stood up and followed her friend into the kitchen.

“Tiff?” she asked.  “You ok?”

“Nothing,” she replied quietly, resting her hands on the work surface, her back to her friend.

“It isn’t nothing,” Sunny stepped forward to comfort her, before Tiffany turned around.

“No,” she shook her head, lowering her voice to a whisper.  “Nothing.  I felt … nothing.”

Sunny narrowed her eyes for a moment.

“I thought, when I kissed Taeyeon, I would want to keep kissing her and I would not let go,” she confessed.  “But I didn’t.  It was like … I might as well have been kissing you!  I …”

“You felt nothing,” Sunny smiled, suddenly understanding why Tiffany left.  “You like Taeyeon a lot … just, not in the way you thought.”

Tiffany nodded.

“She’s like another big sister,” Sunny continued.

A nervous laugh escaped Tiffany’s lips as she nodded.  “I love her to pieces, just … obviously not as a girlfriend.”

“She has some great qualities though,” Sunny met Tiffany’s eyes, trying to put her predicament into perspective.

Tiffany nodded again, emphatically.  “Sure she does,” she whispered, “and whoever she ends up with will be so lucky.  Just … it won’t be me, like I thought.”

“Everything ok in here?” Taeyeon asked, entering the room.

“Yeah, Tiff just feels a little weird,” Sunny smiled, leaning in to hug her confused bandmate.

“I’m sorry,” Taeyeon apologised.  “I shouldn’t have made you…”

“No,” Tiffany cut her off, “it’s not that.  Well, it is, but it isn’t.”

Taeyeon rolled her eyes to the top of her head in mock thought.  “Yep, that sounds weird,” she agreed.

“No,” Tiffany laughed.  “I mean,” she looked questioningly at Taeyeon as she walked closer.  “Did you … feel anything?  When you kissed me?”

Taeyeon shook her head.  “Did you?” she asked.

Tiffany furrowed her brow and shook her head.

“So what’s the big de…” Taeyeon started before catching up.  “You felt nothing?”

Another shake of Tiffany’s head.

“Tiff, babe,” Taeyeon joined in the small group hug.  “I’m so sorry!”

“What for?” Tiffany asked, confused.

“I didn’t try hard enough!” she mocked.  “I should have made you want to rip my clothes off and me right there!”

A gentle shove from Tiffany lightened the mood instantly.

“Hey,” Yuri peeked her head around the door.  “Everything ok here?  We’re all a little worried.”

“Don’t worry, baby,” Sunny comforted her.  “Come join in the !”

“Sunny!” Tiffany shouted, laughing at her friend’s audacity, then laughing louder as Yuri did indeed join in the group hug.

 

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