(Author's note: this took me forever to write. Sorry about the wait.
As always please comment your thoughts no matter how random. Comments motivate me to update)
The Shin's had an old tradition of celebrating Christmas on the eve. They'd have a fancy dinner meal together and open the gifts that very night. The following day, they'd do nothing but eat, play board games and watch movies.
Even when Ryujin lived in France, she made sure to always travel back home for Christmas. Never having missed the special occasion until this year.
For the first time since she had been born, Ryujin was spending Christmas away from her family. Not by choice but by circumstances. Not only that but, she didn't get to decorate or keep up with the tradition. Although she tried her best to do so.
Ryujin had cooked a meal for Yeji and even exchanged gifts with the older girl. Albeit, it was one sided. Despite the absence of her family, she had actually enjoyed Christmas so far.
Looking at the girl besides her, Ryujin quietly observed while Yeji flipped through the pages of the album she gave her as a Christmas gift. Including the photos of them together.
Some of which she had a fake smile on, some where it was real. The difference likely only visible to herself.
After sometime, they found themselves laying on the couch, the television playing some show they had both agreed on and the photo album safely placed aside.
"Did he just get run over in slow motion?"
Yeji must have got caught off guard by her commentary because Ryujin heard her chuckle. Causing her to smile and feel proud of her accomplishment. Although she hadn't meant to cause that.
"That's just how dramas are, I guess."
"Watch a lot of dramas? How do you know how dramas are?" Her eyebrows raising teasingly while she stared at Yeji, causing the older girl to look back at her.
"Doesn't every Korean?"
"I don't."
"Sure, you haven't. I have caught you enough times crying over dramas to not trust a word coming out of your mouth."
Ryujin feigned shock, but she couldn't deny having spent her fair share of time crying over kdramas. Although, she hadn't expected Yeji to have known about it. But maybe she had quietly snuck around downstairs during one of her several drama marathons.
"Shut up." She mumbled, pouting before throwing a pillow at Yeji who caught it with ease.
After a few minutes of increasingly cheesy scenes, making her feel more single than ever, Ryujin turned to Yeji once again. Curiosity growing inside of her, she decided to boldly ask the questions lingering on her mind.
"Did you ever consider it?" Them. Did she ever consider them. Even if for a second. It kept lingering, every time she wondered if she had made the right decision by telling Yeji the truth and leaving their engagement.
Yeji seemed to not understand the context. Not that she expected her to. In truth, Ryujin didn't want to fully say it, opting for the vague words instead.
"What?" Yeji questioned, looking to be increasingly more confused, her eyes observing Ryujin's fingers playing with the hem of her hoodie.
After a few moments of what Ryujin could only label as awkward silence, she finally broke it. "I don't know. Forget about it."
Yeji seemed unsure, hesitating as she glanced to the television and to Ryujin once again.
"Are you sure?"
No.
Ryujin nodded, offering her a smile before focusing on the television. Although her mind was not processing anything happening on the drama.
After some time Ryujin couldn't keep her eyes open any longer, eventually finding herself drifting into sleep. Not bothering to excuse herself to her room instead. In her mind, it wasn't a big deal if she fell asleep on the couch.
It must have been a few hours, at least that's what it felt like to her, until she got shaken awake. Literally.
The sudden touch jerking her awake in surprise and shock, her eyes widening before blinking a few times and taking in the sight before her.
"Sorry. You fell asleep." Yeji spoke, her voice softer than Ryujin had ever heard before.
It was rather mesmerizing, waking up to Yeji in a hoodie, her hair wavy and messy while speaking in a soft tone. Ryujin's brain had a hard time processing such situation. It took her some time to truly realize it was real and not her own imagination.
"What?" was all she could say, the word barely whispered while Yeji continued to stare. Looking amused at how sleepy she was, judging by how one corner of her lips moved upwards.
"You nearly fell off the couch far too many times. It's time to go sleep in your bed."
Ryujin tried her best to focus on the words but her mind was mostly focusing on how Yeji's lips moved, her gaze locked on the sight of the girl's lips moving. It was hard to make sense of the words when all her brain could think of was how close Yeji was.
"Are you even listening to me?" Yeji questioned, making Ryujin instantly hum in response. Her eyes still focused on the other's lips.
After what felt like quite sometime but could have been only a second, Yeji seemed to notice, clearing her throat and moving away from her. Or maybe Ryujin was overthinking.
Maybe she hadn't noticed. Maybe it was Ryujin overthinking the reason for Yeji to move away. Maybe it was only because Ryujin had taken some time to respond. Maybe she did notice. Ryujin wasn't sure.
"Are you going to bed?" Yeji asked, grabbing her phone from the couch and preparing to leave the room.
Ryujin finally sat down, running an hand through her hair and noticing how Yeji had been standing still, quietly looking her way.
If there was someone she could never figure the meaning behind their actions, that someone was Yeji.
Getting up from the couch, Ryujin grabbed her phone, turned off the television and started to follow Yeji. Who had been waiting for her apparently, as she started to walk upstairs.
Entering the elevator after the older girl, Ryujin couldn't help but feel tense. Unsure if it was caused by however long she had been staring at Yeji's lips that had caused her to think of the possibilities, or something else entirely. Either way, Ryujin was standing in front of the other, staring at the door and trying her best to focus on nothing else. Yeji standing right behind her.
Ryujin didn't hesitate to walk out of the elevator as soon as the elevator door opened. Not daring to look back. Fearing that doing so would only make her want to do something impulsive and foolish even more than she already did.
"Fuck." she whispered, her hands running through her hair as she chuckled at the thoughts she had caught herself having just by looking at Yeji.
She was about to open the door to the bedroom that used to be hers when she heard footsteps right behind her. The sound making her turn around to question what Yeji wanted but before she could say anything, Yeji made the first move.
One she hadn't expected her to.