Work Text:
I’ll have a blue Christmas without you…
It’s around 7:30 AM when she softly lands on their balcony. She can hear the record player from outside. Hyunjin sighs. They’ve been together long enough that Chaewon understands what comes with dating a superhero. That Hyunjin can be called away at any time in the name of the greater good. But even then, it still stings to not get to spend Christmas with the one you love. Chaewon won’t say it of course, but Hyunjin’s gotten the hint based on the depressing playlists she’s had on the past few days. She hopes this will make it up to her.
After brushing off the snow from her suit and shaking out her cape, she steps inside. At the kitchen counter, Chaewon sends her a sleepy smile just above her coffee mug. “Good morning Superwoman.”
Hyunjin walks to her side, leaning down to give her a kiss. “Merry Christmas,” she says when they part.
“It’s the 24th.”
“I know. But I won’t be here on the 25th so our Christmas starts early,” Hyunjin replies. It’s not her fault that their allies from Earth 999 called the Justice League for help. Thankfully, since they’re traveling across timelines, they have time to coordinate exactly where they’ll be dropped by the transporter. Hyunjin didn’t need to leave immediately, but the deadline for going was set to Christmas morning. So, she wants to make the most of the time she has.
“Is that so?” Chaewon drawls, brow raised impeccably. “Then Merry Christmas to you too. What do you have planned?”
Hyunjin places a small box on the counter. “This is for you. I hope you like it.”
Just before Chaewon picks the box up, Hyunjin hurriedly adds “Please don’t shake it.”
Her girlfriend nods and starts to carefully unwrap the box, untying the string and pulling paper away. Opening it, Chaewon pulls out a small vial filled with golden liquid.
“What’s this?”
“It’s a serum. A liquified version of my powers.”
Chaewon gasps. “You mean…?”
Hyunjin can’t help her grin. “Yeah. If you drink that, for the next 24 hours or so, you’ll be able to do what I do.”
“This is incredible, thank you, thank you, thank you,” Chaewon says, jumping up from her seat to hug her girlfriend properly.
“You’re welcome,” Hyunjin whispers in her hair.
“Let me call the office to tell them I won’t be in today. It’s not like I was going to be doing anything important anyways since we’re mostly running puff pieces this time of year,” she says, setting the vial back into the box before grabbing her phone. Hyunjin watches her fondly as she makes a poor attempt at sounding sick. She knows work has been tiring for her. The news never sleeps after all.
It’s made time together scarce, their schedules all over the place. Dating a superhero’s hard, but so is dating a star reporter. She just wants to give Chaewon a fun day together and a taste of her world while she’s at it.
She can hear Chaewon hang up. “Well I’m off for the day. Imagine what they’d say if they knew I was going to be flying around with Superwoman today, huh? Perfect material for a Christmas exposé.”
Hyunjin rolls her eyes playfully. “You’d get a decent section I think. Maybe page 3.” Chaewon pouts and Hyunjin laughs. Going to the press is all talk for them, an inside joke at this point. Hyunjin trusts Chaewon with all her heart. She hopes this gift says that.
“So, what are we doing first? Which baddie are we fighting today?”
Hyunjin chuckles. “First you need to take the serum. It tastes pretty terrible so you might want to wash it down with your coffee. Then we’ll take it from there.”
Chugging the serum and then chasing it with coffee, Hyunjin lets herself laugh at Chaewon’s scrunched up face. “Holy shit, that tastes like medicine. Like, the grape kind specifically because yuck .”
“Hey, I warned you!”
Chaewon sticks her tongue out at her. “So, now what?”
“Well, the effect should be immediate so let’s see how everything manifests. I tried to make the serum more concentrated so you wouldn’t get the full extent of my powers and the kind of nasty sensory side effects, but we’ll see. Want to try lifting something? It doesn’t have to be heavy, just to see how you feel.”
Chaewon reaches out to grab her e-reader on the table and snaps it in half.
Hyunjin does her best to push down the full cackle she wants to let out. Chaewon looks horrified. “It’s not like you read anyways,” Hyunjin offers as a consolation.
“Hey, I totally read,” Chaewon says, eyes narrowed.
“Yeah, the 15 books you’ve read 1% of this year really show it,” Hyunjin teases, bumping shoulders. “We’ll get you a new one when I get back. For now, let’s practice using your new powers.”
The next few hours are spent doing exactly that. Hyunjin helps her learn to control her strength, lifting things from mugs to the couch in the living room. It reminds her of when she first landed on Earth, how delicate everything felt, how hard it was to adjust. But Chaewon’s picking up on things quickly, partly from her own natural competence and partly from the reduced potency of the serum.
Next, they practice controlling her speed, zooming in and out of different rooms in the apartment. Chaewon trips a few times, but otherwise does just fine.
Then it’s flying. Chaewon has the most fun there, gently floating while Hyunjin holds her hand. It’s like riding a bicycle, it just takes a minute to gain the strength to let go and move on your own. Not that Hyunjin minded of course. She’d be happy to hold Chaewon’s hand as long as she wants, but seeing the proud smile on her girlfriend’s face as she exclaims “Look! I’m flying Hyun!” is worth it.
Finally, it’s the heat and ice vision. A few busted cups and an exploded pop tart later, Chaewon’s got the hang of heating up and cooling things using only her eyes. She even manages to heat up some coffee for them both and toast some bread.
“Now that you know how to use your powers, I have something else for you. Close your eyes.” Hyunjin zooms into their bedroom and pulls out the bag she’d hidden under their bed a few days ago.
She floats back into the living room and tells Chaewon to put her hands out. Eyes still closed, she does, and Hyunjin hands her the second part of her gift. “Go on, open it.”
Sticking her hand in the bag, Chaewon pulls out a piece of clothing. Not just any clothing though. Hyunjin beams as Chaewon holds up her very own supersuit, cape, crest and all.
“No way,” Chaewon breathes out.
“Yes way.” Golden yellow, almost like the vial, with splashes of purple and black, her girlfriend’s suit glimmers in the soft lighting of their apartment. She had almost opted for mint as a joke, but ultimately decided that was too tacky for Christmas. Instead, she opted for a mix of Chaewon’s favourite colours. It helps that it complements her blonde hair too, the shine of the gold. “Do you remember what the S, the crest means?”
Chaewon’s eyes sparkle. “El mayarah.” Kryptonian sounds lovely coming from her. It sounds like home. “It means, 'Stronger together’.”
“Yeah,” Hyunjin breathes out. “Stronger together.” And it never felt truer than now, sharing this with her.
“Thank you for this. All of this. Let me go put it on,” Chaewon says, quite literally flying to their bedroom excitedly. Hyunjin dabs at her eyes while Chaewon changes.
A minute later, her girlfriend steps out, posing with her hands on her hips and her eyes to the sky. “How do I look?”
“Like a superhero,” Hyunjin replies. The suit looks good on her. Really good.
“So, what now? Any crime to solve?” Chaewon asks, punching the air for effect. God, her girlfriend is such a dork. But she’s her dork. And they’ll be dorks together as long as she’ll have her.
“Probably not,” Hyunjin shrugs. “Most villains take the holidays off. But we can still help those that call for Superwoman. Now we wait. In the meantime, let’s give you a name.”
Chaewon floats over to the couch and Hyunjin follows. “You’re right, I need to get my branding out of the way. Any ideas?”
Hyunjin thinks for a moment. “What about Dollface? Since you’re so pretty, like a doll.”
She laughs at the grimace her girlfriend gives her. “Absolutely not,” Chaewon shuts down. She jabs a finger into Hyunjin’s chest. “It might be cute coming from you but a name like that is just asking for misogynistic comments outside these four walls.”
Hyunjin raises her hands in surrender. “Ok, I hear what you’re saying.” They both sit there and think a little more before Hyunjin pipes up again, an idea forming. “What about Supergirlfriend? Since you’re the best girlfriend I could ever ask for,” she says, pouncing on Chaewon to hound her with kisses. Her girlfriend shrieks in surprise, but doesn’t fight the onslaught of affection.
“You’re so greasy,” Chaewon laughs.
“It’s my truth, I cannot change this,” Hyunjin replies seriously, moving off of her girlfriend. “What about Supergirl then? Short and sweet, like you.”
“First of all, how dare you. Second, I’m older than you. I’m not going to be Supergirl while you’re Superwoman.”
“You’re older than me by, like, four days. But fine. Do you have any ideas?”
Her girlfriend rests her chin on her hands, clearly thinking hard. A few moments later she sits up again. “What about Golden Girl? Since I’m good as gold, you know,” she suggests with a flip of her hair.
“Of course you are babe,” Hyunjin fires back with a wink. “I like it. The alliteration is a nice touch.”
“Yeah, it has a ring to it. Plus it doesn’t make me sound like your little sister like Supergirl did. So Golden Girl it is.”
Before Hyunjin can argue, as if knowing they’d finished the important part of their conversation, somewhere in the city a child yells out “SUPERWOMAN! I NEED YOUR HELP!”
Hyunjin looks to Chaewon to find her already looking back. “Ready for your first official act as a superhero?”
“Definitely.”
The voice takes them to a home on the outskirts of Metropolis. It’s a quaint, cape cod style place. And sitting on the steps in front of it, is the child that brought them here.
“You called?” Hyunjin says, touching down.
“Superwoman! You came!” the small child with bobbed hair wrapped in a thick coat yells out excitedly. She can’t be more than 14 years old. “And you brought a friend?”
Beside her, Chaewon gives a quick salute. “I’m Golden Girl. Nice to meet you…”
“Yeojin!” the child says. Yeojin walks up to shake both of their hands with palpable enthusiasm. “Wow, two superheroes for the price of one!”
“You got it kid,” Chaewon responds. “So what can we help you with?”
At this, Yeojin grows shy. “It makes sense if you don’t ask too many questions. You see… long story short, I burned down our Christmas tree. I feel bad and was wondering if you could help me find a new one?” she asks, faltering slightly. “If you guys have more important things to do, then you don’t have to worry about my stupid tree though.”
Ignoring the part of her that wants to know just how this kid managed to burn a tree indoors, Hyunjin puts a hand on Yeojin’s shoulder. “We don’t have anywhere else to be. And this is pretty serious stuff too. What’s Christmas without a Christmas tree?”
“That’s what I said!” Yeojin exclaims. “But my parents said the tree farms are probably closed today. And my Dad’s back has been killing him lately, so I can’t ask him to go out and chop down a tree. But you guys can! My backyard’s a forest, so there’s gotta be something there!”
“We’re on it,” Chaewon tells her. “Sit tight and we’ll be back with a tree in no time, right Superwoman?”
“Right, Golden Girl. We’ll see you in a bit, alright?” Hyunjin says to Yeojin, who nods brightly and gives them both a thumbs up.
They fly off into the backwoods. Under normal circumstances, Hyunjin knows Chaewon would be freezing, but the effects of the serum are keeping her toasty warm as she zips through the cool air, searching for a good tree.
Eventually, they land in a small open area, snow crunching beneath their feet as they touch down. Chaewon had pointed the tree out and seeing it up close now, it looks perfect. It’s a young pine tree, taller than them both but not so tall it wouldn’t fit in your average home.
Hyunjin turns to Chaewon. “Do you feel comfortable cutting the tree?”
Chaewon purses her lips. “I don’t think I’d start a forest fire or anything, but you’ll probably do a nicer job. So I think I’ll pass.”
Hyunjin frowns at that.
“Hey now, I know you can do it,” she says, coming up behind her, rubbing her shoulders. “It’s pretty easy actually and when else will you get to try?” She turns her girlfriend to fully face the tree. “Just like we practiced. Remember, it’s like driving. Just look where you want to cut. And when you’re done, close your eyes.”
“I’ll be able to see right? I only used the heat vision in short bursts to heat up our coffee, so I didn’t really see much.”
“Yes,” Hyunjin assures her. “The world will look red, but you can still see everything. Just remember, to shoot the heat rays you need to shut your eyes tight, open them, look where you want to cut, and concentrate your gaze. To stop, just close your eyes again and shake it off.”
Chaewon closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. “Ok. I can do it.” And then she opens her eyes.
Hyunjin watches the red beam pierce through the tree trunk. It’s a clean cut, almost picture perfect in the way the tree gently falls over as Chaewon closes her eyes again to stop.
“Timber!” Hyunjin yells and Chaewon laughs. “That was perfect! You did great, Chae.” Shaking the adrenaline off, Chaewon turns to face her and she lets out a low whistle. “Wow, you’re a natural.”
Chaewon smirks. “You’re right. I guess I’m just naturally gifted,” she replies haughtily. Then she murmurs, “I also have a pretty good teacher,” before turning away to walk to the fallen tree.
“Sorry, what was that?” Hyunjin asks. For good measure, she cups a hand over her ear. “Louder for the people in the back?”
“I said I have a pretty teacher.”
She’ll take it.
“So do you want to carry the tree back?”
Chaewon snaps her head back to her. “Did you just give me superpowers to make me do your work for you?”
Hyunjin huffs out a laugh as she narrowly dodges a snowball, watching as it hits a tree behind her with enough force that it topples over. “Of course not! I gifted them to you because I thought you’d enjoy getting a taste of the super life. When else are you going to be able to lift a tree like this? Take advantage while it feels like nothing.”
“Fine,” Chaewon grumbles, rolling her eyes and dropping the newly formed snowball in her hands. Hyunjin can see the hint of a smile threatening to peek out, so she knows she’s playing.
“You carry the tree and I’ll guide us back, alright?”
“Sounds good to me,” Chaewon responds, picking the tree up and shaking some of the snow off of it.
They fly back to Yeojin’s house to find she hasn’t moved from her spot on the front porch. She lights up when she sees them.
“You’re back! And you’ve got the tree! Thank you so much!” she says, rushing up to hug them both the moment they land. Chaewon chucks the tree behind her hastily to catch the young kid in her arms, giving her a head pat for good measure too.
Yeojin lets go and leads them inside the house. Her parents are shocked at first, wondering what the heck Superwoman is doing here, but soon overjoyed when Chaewon carries the tree in. They help set up the tree, decorations and all, before saying their goodbyes.
They’re mid-air when Hyunjin pops the question. “Wanna get something to eat? An early dinner?”
“I could go for a bite,” Chaewon says.
‘A bite’ turns into multiple pitstops all around the world. They started with croissants and macarons in Paris. Then they had smoked meat and bagels in Montreal. After that it was burgers at In N’ Out in L.A. Next it was jollof rice in both Nigeria and Ghana because Chaewon couldn’t pick just one. Following that was something sweet to cleanse the palate with mote con huesillo in Chile and sweet tamales in Mexico City. Still not yet full, they then flew to Tokyo for some unaju and yakitori. And now they’re back in Korea for what Hyunjin is assuming will be their grand culinary finale.
Hyunjin watches her girlfriend adoringly as she absolutely devours her fourth bowl. After putting on some regular clothes over their supersuits at home, they’d opted to go to their local all-you-can-eat hot pot place. The food tastes as good as it smells, and it’s just cute seeing Chaewon’s appetite kick in even after everything they’ve already eaten.
“I didn’t even realize I was this hungry,” Chaewon comments around a mouthful of food.
It’s not all that surprising to Hyunjin. “Yeah, you’ve got Kryptonian cells now so if we were under some Kryptonian red sun lamps, you’d probably have a normal appetite. But under the earth’s yellow sun, our cells are like living solar batteries so our metabolism’s faster. Among other effects.”
Chaewon hums. “So that’s why you eat like a pig.”
“Speak for yourself,” Hyunjin scoffs.
In response, Chaewon flicks some broth at her, giggling before returning to her food. Hyunjin does the same. She’s not one to deny her own hunger either.
Eventually, when they’ve both had their fill, Hyunjin takes the check to the counter to pay. She taps a platinum card over the credit machine and watches it go through. It’s nice being friends with rich people, or at least close enough to ‘borrow’ their credit cards, otherwise she wouldn’t have been able to cover the cost of their food today. She pockets the card and makes a mental note to return it to its owner later.
Walking back to their table, she spots Chaewon with her eyes closed and head leaned back, rubbing her stomach. She’s definitely full. Hyunjin subtly snaps a picture just for herself.
Taking slightly louder steps, she makes it back to their table and Chaewon sits up. “Ready to go?” she asks, and Hyunjin nods. Holding out a hand, she helps Chaewon up and they head out. The restaurant isn’t far from their building, so they take their time walking.
Chaewon sidles up to Hyunjin on the sidewalk, pulling her jacket tighter around herself. “I’m cold.”
Hyunjin puffs out a laugh at that, watching the little cloud that drifts past her face from it. “No you’re not. You can just say you want to be held by me~,” she lilts.
Chaewon lightly shoves her. “No I don’t, I’m just cold.”
“Alright,” Hyunjin acquiesces. She puts an arm around her girlfriend and holds her close as they walk. “So Golden Girl, anything else you want to do?”
It’s quiet for a moment, before Chaewon responds. “I haven’t been to you and your friends’ new headquarters yet.”
“Then we’ll pop by. You know Jinsoul's probably going to be there though, right? And her incessant need for kisses?”
“Right. About that. I have an idea,” Chaewon adds, looking up at Hyunjin with a wicked smile. She’ll play along. She has a feeling this is going to be good.
Hyunjin has Chaewon in a bridal carry when they arrive at the Hall of Justice. She lets Chaewon down before they’re immediately greeted by an excited Jinsoul. Just who they wanted to see.
“Chaewon! It’s been too long since I’ve last seen you,” she says, running up to the couple and trying and failing to give Chaewon a kiss.
“Not long enough,” Chaewon retorts, avoiding Jinsoul’s reaching arms. “Why are you still in your suit? Was Aquawoman needed somewhere?”
“No, I just like the suit. It’s shiny and cool and I just got it cleaned!”
Hyunjin chuckles at that. “Sometimes I wonder if you became a superhero just to cosplay.”
“It’s a perk! Why are you guys here though? I thought you’d want to spend time at home together before the mission.”
“We do want to spend time together,” Hyunjin says, looking at her girlfriend. “Chae just wanted to see the new place so we came to hang out here for a bit instead.”
“Aww, you guys are so cute. Come in, come in,” Jinsoul says, leading them inside. They make their way to the breakroom of the building, previously an abandoned library, taking a seat on one of the couches. Jinsoul once again, sitting beside Chaewon, tries to plant one on her but to no avail.
Chaewon looks to Hyunjin and gives an imperceptible nod. So they begin.
“Ugh you know I don’t want your kisses,” she says with a pout.
“You’re so mean to me!” Jinsoul whines. “I’m just trying to give you my love! Why won’t you accept my love?!”
“Because she has me,” Hyunjin says cooly.
Jinsoul shakes her head. “Oh I’m not trying anything, don’t you worry. I’m an affectionate person, that’s all. I just want one kiss, that’s all I’m asking for.”
“Well why don’t we play a game then? You win and I have to let you give me a kiss on the cheek. I win, and you give it up.”
Hyunjin and Chaewon can hear Jinsoul’s heartrate pick up ever so slightly. “What game?” she asks cautiously, her signature brows furrowed.
“Arm wrestling,” Chaewon replies.
Jinsoul barks out a laugh. “Really? Oh, I’m game. You think you can beat me?” she taunts.
“Hey, don’t doubt her,” Hyunjin warns. “She’s stronger than she looks.” She does her best to hold back the cheshire grin threatening to take hold of her face. She can’t wait to see this.
So they set themselves up on the table in front of them. Jinsoul and Chaewon have their elbows on the table, hands clasped together, waiting for Hyunjin to call the start.
“Alright, on the count of three, we’ll start the game.” Just before she’s about to begin, Batwoman herself walks in.
“Gotham never sleeps huh?” Heejin sighs, ripping her mask off. “Just had to stop Harley Quinn from blowing up his ex’s place. Like, Wonho, I hate the Joker too, but can it wait until after New Years?”
Heejin sits down on the lazy boy opposite them. This reminds Hyunjin she has something to return. She pulls out her platinum card and tosses it over.
Catching it in between her fingers, Heejin sighs. “There better not be any suspicious activity on my card this time.”
Hyunjin just shrugs. “I’ve stolen it so many times I’m sure your bank is used to it by now.
“My accountants are so going to have questions, won't they?
“I’m sure Jeon industries will survive me and Chae dining internationally.”
“Ugh, whatever.” Heejin turns to Chaewon. “You’re a reporter; aren’t you supposed to be against crime like petty theft?”
“I’m supposed to be impartial. But I can talk to the involved parties to get a better read on the situation.” Chaewon raises an invisible microphone to Hyunjin’s lips. “Care to comment?”
Hyunjin clears her throat. “I think stealing can be fun.”
“Shocking,” Jinsoul laughs. Heejin makes her thoughts known too with a glare. “You’re not helping yourself.”
“Let me rephrase,” Hyunjin says. “Stealing is ok when I do it. And when Chaewon hogs the covers. Otherwise it’s bad.”
Chaewon turns the mic to herself. “So are you giving me permission to steal the blankets?” she asks, shoving the mic back in Hyunjin’s face.
“I never said that. Just that I wouldn’t turn you into the authorities for it,” she explains.
“Oh wow, you must really love me then.”
Hyunjin can’t help the smile that takes over her face. “I do. A lot.”
“Ugh get a room,” Heejin interrupts. “What’re you guys up to anyways?”
“I’m about to give Chaewon a big fat kiss, that’s what’s up,” Jinsoul says, goofiness at 100.
Chaewon glares at her. “We’re arm wrestling. If I win, she has to stop trying to kiss me this year. If I win, she gets to give me one, let me repeat, ONE kiss on the cheek.”
Heejin looks at her incredulously. “You’re kind of setting yourself up, but you do you.”
“We’ll see,” is all Chaewon says in response. “Hyunjin, start us off.”
Hyunjin steadies herself with a deep breath. “On the count of three. One, two, three!”
Were it not for the table being made of adamantium, it would have shattered with the force of Chaewon slamming Jinsoul’s hand down. There is a noticeable dent. Both in the table, and Jinsoul’s pride.
“Wha- how did you-” she stammers while Chaewon cheers standing to give Hyunjin a high five. Hyunjin looks at her with pride.
“I win!” she shouts gleefully as Jinsoul and Heejin stare at her in shock.
Jinsoul cradles her hand. “Now I’ll never get to give you a little kiss,” she says sadly.
Does the habit annoy her? Yes. But Hyunjin knows Chaewon can’t deny that the chase is fun. That’s why she added that failsafe. “I said you have to stop trying this year. You can try all you want in 2022, but know that I still won’t let you.”
“I will give you a kiss one day! Mark my words!” Jinsoul announces. “But now I’m going to go ice my hand. It was good seeing you though!” she says with a smile. It’s admirable how she keeps her spirits up even after losing so brutally.
“I didn’t know you had that in you,” Heejin comments, and Hyunjin thinks she can hear a bit of awe in her voice. Good. “But Jinsoul’s kind of just generally weak, even with her powers. You really want to show your strength? You’ve gotta go against me.”
Chaewon shrugs. “Well, if you say so.” They set themselves up again, and Hyunjin counts down just like before.
She’s playing the long game this time. Chaewon doesn’t even break a sweat as Heejin struggles to gain ground, their hands barely moving.
Hyunjin snickers at Chaewon checking the nails on her other hand. What a little shit. She loves her so much.
Heejin’s whole body is shaking with effort while Chaewon just sits there. She even has the audacity to yawn, which Heejin bristles at. She decides to put Heejin out of her misery and slams her hand down on the table too, though gentler than before.
“Oh my God, no! How could you beat me?!” Heejin cries out. Her eyes are wide and expression absolutely frazzled while Chaewon sits primly, body language that of a smug victor with her posture straight and smirk settled firmly on her face. “You’re not going to congratulate me?” Chaewon pouts. God, she is milking this for all it’s worth and Hyunjin loves to see it.
“I mean, congratulations, good job and all but- but- how? You just- I need to work out more. I can’t believe this,” Heejin mutters, getting up and walking out. Hyunjin assumes she’s going straight to the gym, what with her ego being shattered.
Alone now, Chaewon moves to sit on the couch with Hyunjin looking all too pleased with herself. Hyunjin can’t blame her, that same pride reflected on her own face. “Looks like your stunt worked. We only planned for Jinsoul, but you got the two for one special on ego busting. Really well done,” Hyunjin says. She makes a show of slow clapping while Chaewon preens.
“Superhero hubris is just so easy to manipulate. I love reminding people they’re inferior to me. And now I’m kiss ambush free until next year too at least.”
“Heejin I’m not surprised by since she’s human. But Jinsoul? You beat an Atlantean at arm wrestling. Impressive,” she whistles.
Chaewon scoffs at that. “Oh please, she probably wouldn’t be able to beat me even without my powers.
“Let’s not get cocky now,” Hyunjin says, teasing.
“I take back what I said before. I’m not impartial anymore. The world will know you’re a thief. I will sell you out to the Daily Orbit and run the opposite of a Robin Hood story.”
“No you won’t,” Hyunjin singsongs. She tilts her head at Chaewon, daring her to say otherwise.
There’s a pause. “No I won’t,” her girlfriend grumbles eventually. With a frown, she burrows her head into Hyunjin’s shoulder.
Hyunjin puts an arm around her. “Plus, it’s not like I’m the only thief here.”
“What?”
“You stole my heart.”
Chaewon groans. Before she can form a proper retort, they’re interrupted.
“I just ran into Jinsoul taping a bag of peas to her hand in the kitchen and heard what happened. You’d do well on Themyscira. That strength’s practically Amazonian.”
Hyunjin and Chaewon startle. They crane their necks to see Vivi standing in the doorway. Not in her Wonder Woman fit, Vivi’s opted for a cozier garb today consisting of a warm looking turtleneck and jeans.
“You want to play?” Chaewon asks, wiggling her eyebrows.
Vivi smiles. “No, but thanks for offering.” She turns her attention to Hyunjin, eyes turning playful. “So you gave her the gift, huh?”
Hyunjin blushes. “Yeah.”
“You worked really hard on perfecting that formula, so I’m glad to see it worked. Though now that I think about it, I’m surprised you didn’t tell Heejin. I thought you did, but considering how distraught she was when I passed her in the hall it seems you didn't,” Vivi comments.
“Yeah, she’s a great friend but she’s way too excitable to keep a secret. I wanted it to be a surprise,” Hyunjin says. Chaewon looks up at her with a satisfied grin. Yeah, it was worth it.
“Well, you kept that secret well. That was a nasty trick you pulled on them,” she says. “Great job.”
They all have a good laugh at that. Vivi plops down on the lazy boy Heejin previously occupied. “So how’s your first day as a super, Chaewon?”
And Chaewon tells her. About the practice, about Yeojin, about how much she ate, all up to now. Her joy is infectious, and Hyunjin basks in it. Vivi’s clearly amused as well.
“And nothing else?” she inquires. Hyunjin glances at her through the corner of her eye, not sure where she’s going with this.
“Well, there’s been nothing serious crime wise to deal with today so-” Vivi cuts her off.
“That’s not what I’m talking about,” she giggles. Hyunjin thinks it sounds evil, diabolical even. She knows she shouldn’t ask.
“Then what are you talking about?” Hyunjin asks.
“Well, humans are so fragile to you normally. I know how careful you have to be to not crush the average person when you so much as shake hands. And don’t think I’ve forgotten the broken nose incident.” Hyunjin grows sheepish and Chaewon winces. That’s not something either of them want to relive.
“But now you both have powers, so I just thought that you’d, you know, take advantage of that,” Vivi says, giving a cheeky grin.
Hyunjin can feel her whole body flush. She probably looks as hot as she feels, if Vivi’s cackle is anything to go by. “I- we-” she stutters before Chaewon takes over.
“We’ve been taking it easy today. But it’s getting late, so I think we’d better head home now, right Hyun?” Chaewon says quickly, giving her a look that says we’re leaving right now. And who is she to argue?
She clears her throat as Vivi looks on amusedly. “Of course. We’ll just be heading out now then. It was good to see you Vi.”
“Likewise,” Vivi drawls as Hyunjin and Chaewon get up. Just as they’re about to step out the door, Vivi calls out “Use protection!” Hyunjin’s ears have never burned more.
It’s late now, so the apartment is dark save for the dim glow of their Christmas tree. Hyunjin can barely turn the lights on when they step inside before Chaewon is closing the gap between them. She can feel her warm palms slip under her coat and up her sides, pressing into her ribs over her suit. She can feel the pressure, the insistence in Chaewon’s hands and lips.
They pull apart before Chaewon starts pushing Hyunjin down the hall, both of them hastily discarding their shoes along the way.
“Where are we going?” she asks. She knows. But she wants to hear Chaewon say it.
“You heard Vivi. Let’s take advantage of the situation,” Chaewon purrs, shoving Hyunjin against the wall, nipping at her neck. Hyunjin’s breath catches, the sensation almost overwhelming. Usually the feeling is dulled from her powers, but now… she can feel everything. From the scrape of teeth at her neck to the full weight of Chaewon’s body pressing her into the wall, it’s addictive.
She watches in awe and confusion as her girlfriend pulls away a moment later. Chaewon takes a few steps back, walking away slowly, and then turns to look over her shoulder. “Are you going to come and unwrap your Christmas present?” Chaewon says. She grins coyly, looking all too pleased with herself for that cheesy line. Hyunjin’s too stunned to respond, and Chaewon shrugs, almost as if to say, Suit yourself. There's a blur of movement and then Chaewon’s gone, a pile of clothes on the ground where she was a moment ago.
Damn superspeed. It’s absolutely cartoonish. Hyunjin would laugh if she wasn’t so turned on. “Aren't you coming? Or am I going to have to do everything?” she hears Chaewon call from their bedroom.
Hyunjin doesn’t need to be asked twice.
She follows after her girlfriend quickly, divesting herself of her own clothes almost frantically. She wraps her arms around the smaller girl's waist and lowers them on the bed. She maps a trail from Chaewon’s lips to her neck, savouring the little moans she lets out before reluctantly pulling back. “Let me turn on the red sun lamps”, she whispers against the shell of Chaewon’s ear, standing up and walking towards the switch.
Chaewon whines at the loss. “We have the same powers. You can’t hurt me so you don’t need to worry about the lights. Just touch me,” she whines.
Hyunjin shivers at her words. “Love, I know I can’t hurt you. But I can still break the bed. We both can. So let me turn on the lamps and then I’ll take care of you.”
“Fine,” Chaewon says with a pout. She splays herself out on the bed. “But hurry up. Don’t leave me waiting.”
Thank goodness for super speed, because not a second later, she’s falling into Chaewon’s arms.
She’s so happy. She’s always happy when she’s with Chaewon, but right now she feels this deep, warm peace settle in her heart. She’s also exhausted. But in a good way. The best way.
Time spent with Chaewon is like time spent in a dream. She combs her fingers through her girlfriend’s hair idly. Her head is tucked securely under Hyunjin’s chin, resting on her chest. She can tell the powers are starting to wear off, since Chaewon’s very clearly cuddled up to her for warmth.
She turns her head to look at their alarm clock. She’s careful not to make the movements too sudden lest she wake up Chaewon. The clock reads 12:01 AM. December 25th.
“Merry Christmas Hyun,” Chaewon whispers. Guess she wasn’t asleep after all.
Chaewon tilts her head up and Hyunjin shifts to meet her, sharing a soft kiss under the red glow of the lamps. “I’m glad I spent it with you,” she says. “Me too,” Hyunjin says as she watches Chaewon’s eyes flutter shut, the day truly catching up with her. She feels her breathing even out on her chest, hears her heartbeat slow, and Hyunjin knows she’s actually fallen asleep this time.
She stares up at the ceiling and thinks about their day. How much fun they had. How much Chaewon loved her gift.
She doesn’t know how long she’s going to be off-world, so she wants to enjoy this. She curls her arms around Chaewon just a little tighter.
She’s going to marry this girl one day. But for now, she’s content. Merry Christmas indeed.