Sitting around the table in the booth were ten young, female bodies.  Five of them were wearing black dresses of varying lengths and styles, none longer than their knees or shorter than their mid-thigh, and delicate black heels.  The other five wore blue jeans, pink shirts with white collars, large patterned ties, black waist jackets and a black fedora.  Sooyoung, Hyoyeon and Yoona wore black blazers, open around the waist.  Yuri and Tiffany didn’t, opting to forego the additional layer of clothing.  The group were out in force, bringing Sooyoung’s older sister along.  The “Guys and Girls” theme seemed to be a firm favourite with most of the group, especially with the couples.  Sunny and Yuri had still revealed nothing about Taeyeon and Jessica’s illicit affair, and nobody in the group seemed to suspect anything happening between them, not least with the mentions of Iseul peppering the conversation.  Tonight, however, was about Sunny and Yuri.  The group were elated to know of the couple’s news and quickly planned a night out for them.  The two youngest were keen on having a themed party to make it more memorable.  Sooyoung had suggested the theme, and the two halves of the group considered their attire accordingly.  Tonight, the fruits of their semi-impromptu labour were available for all to see, and all were impressed, especially with the efforts of the ‘guys’.  Excited conversation was passing between the members, and surreptitious intimate brushes of the skin of lovers passed between those in love.

“I’m still in shock your parents outed you the whole time,” Hyoyeon laughed at Sunny.

“Shut up!” Sunny blushed, hiding behind Yuri.

Yuri comforted her as she hid her crimson cheeks.  “Don’t worry, sweetie,” Yuri cooed, “Hyoyeon’s just jealous because her parents outed her first and she still doesn’t have a girl to show for it.”

Hyoyeon smirked.  “Laugh all you want,” she shook her head, “it doesn’t change that her parents have the most finely tuned gaydar on the planet.”

“Whatever, guys,” Seohyun raised her glass to diffuse the argument.  “I’m just happy that you two have your parents behind you.”

“Hear, hear,” a series of voices chorused, as glasses met in the middle.

“So,” Hyoyeon swallowed the remnants of her vodka and Red Bull, “remind us again how your mom was, Sunny?”

“Ok, Hyolo, that’s enough,” Taeyeon elbowed her bandmate slightly in the ribs.  Hyoyeon was funny when she took hold of a joke, but sometimes she found them a little too funny and milked them a little too much.  She was oblivious to it as well, but when she was asked to stop, she did.

“Sorry,” Hyoyeon apologised meekly.  “It’s just funny as hell.”

Yuri scowled playfully at their apologetic aggressor as Sunny sat upright.

“Ok,” Yoona declared, rising from her seat at the end of the bench, “next round is on me.  Same again?”

Nods went around the table, affirming their orders, and Sooyoung stood to help bring the drinks back.  “So, did your parents really ‘out’ you, Hyo?” Soo-jin asked, as snickers went around members of the group.

Hyoyeon glowered at Yuri, who was smiling rather smugly back.  “Mess with my girl, I mess with you,” Yuri beamed proudly.

“I’m not gay,” Hyoyeon corrected Soo-jin.  “I’m … just between guys right now.”

“Between guys?”

Hyoyeon paused.  “That sounded wrong, didn’t it,” she mused.

“Actually,” Taeyeon smirked, “it sounds like something you’d love a hell of a lot.”

“Anyway,” Tiffany interrupted, “this isn’t about guys.  We’re here to celebrate!”  Cheers went around the group, just as Yoona came back to the table.  Her face showed signs of disappointment and annoyance that usually accompanied a child when they had been told by their parents that it was getting late and they couldn’t have their friends staying overnight because they had to visit relatives in the morning.

“I hate to be the bearer of bad news,” she announced meekly, looking directly at Yuri and Sunny, “but someone is here.”

“Who?” Sunny asked.  “Please don’t tell me it’s Leo.  I’ve seen more than enough of him lately.”

“I hope it isn’t Do-hun either,” Yuri shook her head.  “I really couldn’t handle him right now.”

“Worse,” Yoona answered nervously.  “It’s both of them.”

Sunny looked at their messenger with exasperation dripping from her face.  She was getting really pissed off now with exes showing up.  Why couldn’t they leave her and Yuri alone?  The pair were happy together, they were in love.  Surely they deserved a break.  The frustration in her eyes was overwhelmingly immense.

“Yuri?” Yoona’s question broke her reverie, bringing her back into the world.  Instantly, Sunny looked at her lover’s face.  Hers betrayed fear, confusion, despair, sorrow and pain.  One ex was one too many to handle.  Both?  One who knew of their relationship and was disgusted by it, the other who had broken the news to her parents before they could.  Even though she seemed to be the most resilient member of Girls’ Generation, she wasn’t invincible.

“We should leave,” Yuri declared, the despondent look of defeat taking hold of her eyes.

“Why?” Taeyeon asked.  “ him, you’re here with your girlfriend.  You’re here to celebrate.”

“I can’t be here if they’re both here,” Yuri explained.  “It’s too much.”

Seohyun reached out and took Yuri’s hand.  “Forget about him,” she comforted her.  “We’re here for you, we’ll protect you.”

Yuri shook her head.

“God damn it, Yuri,” Seohyun sighed.  “This is the chance you need!  Stay here, don’t let him make you run away.  Let them see you both being happy and living your own lives and make them ing eat dirt!”

Every member at the table turned to look directly at Seohyun.  Their most pristine member, their most polite, most mature and refined member, rarely swore.  If ever.  When she did, people paid attention, even those who didn’t know her.  Seohyun looked at the faces that were suddenly fixed on her.  “Yes, I swore, deal with it,” she smirked.

“She is right,” Yoona agreed.  “You can’t let these idiots run your life forever.”

Yuri sighed.  “I know, but …” she looked around, trying to find her words.

“Hyo?” Sunny leaned over.  “Who’s on the decks tonight?”

“Jinnie, I think,” her comrade answered, confused at the sudden change in topic.  “Why?”

Sunny shook her head and pulled her phone from her handbag.  The movement hadn’t gone unnoticed by Yuri, and she turned to see what the commotion was about.  With a look of determination, Sunny tapped away at the phone’s screen.  She paused before looking at her lover.  “Do you trust me?” she asked into her ear.

“What?” Yuri asked, unsure of the roots of this request.

“Do you trust me?”

“Yeah … why?”

“How much?”

“With my life, you know I do.  But why?”

“No matter what?”

“Just tell me!”

Sunny fixed her gaze on Yuri, her eyebrows trained into that position between anger and worry, the anxiety painted on her face.  She remained silent, waiting for Yuri’s unknown blessing.

“Sunny?”

“Do you trust me?” she asked firmly.

Yuri nodded, affirming her trust.

“Good,” Sunny replied.  “Because I’m not letting any self-important jackass mess with you.  Not tonight, not tomorrow, not ever.  We’re in this together, understand?”

Yuri’s face softened and she nodded.  With a deep breath, Sunny tapped once more on her phone before passing the handset to Yuri.  She read the message on the screen: “Jinnie, please. Two asswipe detoxes and let’s turn Tae up to 11. We need it.”  The message itself made no sense to Yuri, but before she could ask what it meant, Sunny was leaning over to Taeyeon and whispering to her.  Their leader listened intently before nodding.  Whatever her part in this plot would be, she was obviously prepared to partake.  Sunny turned back and smiled.  Yuri looked before feeling the handset vibrating in her hand.  Habitually, she looked at the screen.  A reply arrived.  “Sure thing, babe” it read.  “Next one is all yours.”

‘No time to back out now,’ she thought, waiting for the next track to play across the sound system.  The deep breaths she was taking to prepare weren’t helping in any way, although she wasn’t exactly feeling any worse for it.  The current track started to come to an end as Sunny prepared to … what was she going to do?  Yuri wasn’t sure, and she wasn’t entirely comfortable with not knowing the contents of the plan, no matter how much she trusted her.  Perhaps if she knew what Sunny had up her sleeve, she would feel better about it all.  Perhaps.  She couldn’t say for certain.  She was half expecting for Jinnie to announce their presence.  To declare across the music that her friend and her lesbian girlfriend were here.  That would go down a treat, she thought sarcastically, before imagining lynch mobs with fiery torches and pitchforks chasing them to the nearest airport.  What happened was much more subdued.  There was no announcement.  No declaration.  No mob.

 

Just a change from an up-tempo dance track by some obscure artist to Britney Spears’ “Gimme More”.  On cue, Sunny ushered Yuri and Tiffany out of the booth, before taking Yuri’s hand and confidently and seductively striding out into the crowd.  As planned, Taeyeon and Jessica followed suit, Taeyeon leading Jessica in similar fashion.  Three pairs of hips sashayed from side to side, and three pairs of legs strode with power and determination, whilst still portraying grace and iness.  Yuri struggled to keep up with what was happening, but her long legs made sure that she kept up with the pace.  She didn’t notice, but Sunny had already spotted their exes and had made sure they noticed her and Yuri.  Her determined gaze silently screamed the three most painful words either of them had heard.  Three words that cut at their very soul, causing precise and prominent scars, wielded from a distance by the diminutive samurai in the black dress.

“You lost out.”

The foursome descended the stairs with glamour and poise.  It was clear they were there for a purpose.  Onlookers turned to see the new arrivals, with some of the men following the girls with their eyes, and some of the women shooting scornful glares in their direction.  Nothing abated the group from their goal.  Sunny led them to an opening on the floor, maintaining a relatively tight grasp on Yuri’s hand.  They meandered through the dancing bodies, finding a clearing a little inside the crowd that was close enough to the edge to be noticed by those who looked, but far enough to be hidden from those who didn’t.  Sunny turned to face Yuri and danced with her, with Taeyeon and Jessica doing the same close by.  Sunny danced closer to Yuri than she would with any of the other girls, keeping a look over her shoulder at the balcony above.  Tonight, she was protecting Yuri from any “asswipe” that came to her.  The knowledge that Yuri knew Do-hun at least had been in the building was still discomforting to them both.  It was something Sunny knew well, and was the very reason she and Jinnie had created the “asswipe detox” – a random selection of songs that Jinnie had available to remind Sunny that she was free to make her own choices, free to live her life in her own way and that she deserved better than Leo.  As the track played, Yuri slowly began to understand what Sunny had planned: dance Do-hun away, once and for all, with his eyes directly on her.  Show him that she didn’t need him at all.  The shorter dancer in front of her, keeping a grasp on her hand, inspired her to live.  And she intended to do just that.

The track changed seconds later, just as Yuri was beginning to relax.  The seductive tones of Crazy Town’s “Butterfly” seemed to open something in Sunny, subtly unleashing an enchantress on the floor.  The detox was slowly working its magic on Yuri; the music seeping through her veins, the dancing shaking off her stresses, her partner taking full focus of her sight, her body getting closer and closer.

 

Hey sugar mamma, come and dance with me

The smartest thing you ever did was take a chance with me

Whatever tickles your fancy

Girl, it’s me and you like Sid and Nancy

So y, almost evil

Talkin’ about butterflies in my head

 

Yuri thought nothing of Sunny dancing right next to her, her arms draping ily around her neck.  Maybe the music had mellowed her.  Perhaps Sunny’s dancing had hypnotised her.

 

I used to think that happy endings were only in the books I read

But you made me feel alive when I was almost dead

You filled that empty space with the love I used to chase

And as far as I can see, it don’t get better than this

So Butterfly here is a song

And it’s sealed with a kiss, and a thank you Miss.

 

As if on command, Sunny pulled gently at Yuri’s neck, bringing her closer, and placed the softest kiss possible on her cheek.  Her lips barely touched her skin, but the electricity was felt in spades.  Yuri froze, closing her eyes, forgetting where they were altogether.  She instantly forgot each and every one of her fears.  She immediately forgot about Do-hun.  Instantly forgot about Leo.  Quickly forgot about the world surrounding them, and almost forgot to breathe.  No kiss had held such power over her, not even one from Sunny.  Although it did create another problem for Yuri: tonight was about dancing their cares away, which Sunny had done for her.  She also knew that Taeyeon’s byuntae-o-meter would be turned up to its highest.  That, she could handle.  Perhaps.  Taeyeon was limited to 11, if she worked at it.  However intense ‘11’ was, anyway.  She had never once thought to consider Sunny’s limit.  She just knew not to push her to it.  She knew that Sunny’s limit would be higher than Taeyeon’s.  She doubted she could handle Sunny’s limit.

 

And she knew that tonight would be the night Sunny would put that to the test.

 

The heavy beats of Timberland’s “Carry Out” moved Sunny’s hips in a way that had Yuri worrying what would come next.  All thoughts of those two were long gone, and all that remained was the troublesomely flirtatious minx that stood close to her on the dance floor.  She was possessed, surely.  And, whilst Sunny’s lascivious movements were causing Yuri discomfort, it wasn’t an unwelcome discomfort.  Actually, she was getting a little .  Thankfully, this performance was low in intensity, very modest in vulgarity and uality.  It wasn’t something that would be out of place in the club.  Yuri turned her head to look towards Taeyeon, dancing equally seductively with Jessica.  Possibly less so.  She looked back to Sunny, watching her hips snaking, her arms swaying above her head.  Yes, definitely less seductively than her very own minx.  One by one, the remaining girls joined the party, surrounding the dancing couples, picking out a partner or two to dance with.  All except Hyoyeon, who was far too busy busting a groove of her own.  Ne-yo’s “Closer” followed on, bringing a little more energy and bringing Yuri closer to Sunny.  “Turning Tae up to 11” was just code to say the songs should be slightly y.  It was a message between friends.  Nothing more.  Yuri dismissed every fear that she had of Taeyeon and Sunny being only moments away from a striptease in the middle of the club and shook with the lead of her partner.

 

Then it happened.

 

The upbeat rhythm of “Closer” faded into the pulse of “Hands All Over” by Maroon 5.  The slow shaking of Sunny’s body became slower, but infinitely more loaded and much more prominent.  She moved next to Yuri, gyrating her hips and her against her body.  The repeated chorus of “Put your hands all over me” seemed like commands, ones that would never have to be made in private.  Ones that Yuri was struggling to disobey.  The racy, heavy track carried the pair to a place beyond the bedroom, to a level of indecency that they had never experienced.  Sunny kept her back to Yuri and displayed her inner siren, determined to turn the woman to putty in her hands.  The plan was for Taeyeon to entertain them, but not once had Sunny focussed on her leader’s efforts.  In honesty, she wasn’t faring too badly, although her energy was solely on Jessica.  Sunny, however, was lost to the music.  She forgot everything, rooted to the bass, acting out the spicy undertones for her lover’s benefit.  She didn’t even notice the track change to “Buttons”, another suggestive track to use to her advantage.  She could feel Yuri dancing with her, close to her, so all must have been right.

 

“Sunny!”

The tugging on her arm brought her back to Earth with a start.  Sooyoung was standing in front of her, her face inches away from hers, her eyes widened in a mixture of shock, fear and laughter.  Thankfully, mostly laughter.

“Huh?” Sunny answered, regaining her bearings.

“You two need to leave, now!”

“What?  Why?”

“Because, if you don’t,” Sooyoung warned cheekily, “Yuri looks like she’s going to rip your clothes off right here and have you on the dance floor!”

Sunny turned her head, giving her attention to her partner.  Her face was flushed, her breathing shallow, her eyebrows furrowed and her eyes …

“Is this true?” Sunny asked, innocently.  “You wanna tear my dress off right now?”

Yuri nodded slightly, restraining herself with every ounce of her soul.  Sunny gasped in her typical cute manner, realising instantly the effect she had on her.  What made her laugh was the knowledge that she hadn’t even put that much effort into it either.

“We’re going, guys, bye!” Sunny called out, grabbing Yuri’s wrist and practically dragging her off the dance floor, giggling to herself as the remaining members laughed at the pair.  The woman wanted to destroy Sunny’s attire in an instant and ravish her in ways she had never known.  How could Sunny deny her that?

 

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