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Go Yeongeun steps onto the pedestal, white snow crushing underfoot. Her big coat makes it difficult to maneuver, but she manages to get on just fine.
She always manages fine.
"Need a hand?"
Instead, she turns towards her slightly taller companion, extending a small gloved hand.
"My, what a gentle lady," her companion teases, breath like fog slips between her lips.
She takes Yeongeun's hand anyway, and walks up the platform with her.
They stand there, hand in hand, overlooking the scenery beyond the platform.
An expanse of cold, shimmering white stands before them, blanketing hills and filling valleys, suffocating evergreens till they're barely seen.
"Haven't been to a place like this in years."
Yeongeun hums in affirmation. Neither has she.
This is actually her first time here.
A bundle of nerves coil within her heart.
She turns to her companion, stiff.
"…Do you really like it here, Haje-ssi?"
Eun Haje grins, and, as cliche as this is, Yeongeun thinks, her smile is just like the sun.
A pretty and bright winter sun.
Yeongeun can hardly feel her fingers, all cold and stiff even in her thick gloves, but she can feel this.
The slight squeeze of her lover's hand.
"I'll love wherever you take me, Yeongeun-ah."
Ah. Seriously.
Yeongeun feels the tips of her ears burning.
"We should get on board, probably," she says, a little too quickly, shuffling her feet forwards, hands now entirely too warm, swinging between the two, as they climb onto the chairlift.
"Sure is cold, huh?"
Yeongeun considers their bodies, tangled and flush, helmets knocking against one another; Haje's stray strands brushing against her cheek; Haje's cool, gentle hand deep in her jacket pocket; and of course, a hint of Haje's racing carotid pulse, and is inclined to disagree.
"…It's not so bad."
"Hmm~"
Yeongeun doesn't need to look at her, she can feel the subtle movements of Haje's face, forming what she knows to be a knowing smile.
Haje says nothing as Yeongeun pulls her close, even closer than before, but Yeongeun can feel the resonant hum against her ribcage, can feel the bounce in her legs.
"…You shouldn't move too much, we'll fall…"
"But we're going to jump anyway, right?"
Haje's even closer now, much too close, as if it's possible.
Yeongeun feels her blood rush, fingers stiff in her pockets.
Haje is still close, deep in Yeongeun's space, but she tries to soften the blow, forcing the friction out of her smoke stained throat.
"Yeongeun-ah?"
Her rasping concern tickled Yeongeun's face. It feels good to hear her name, to feel it on her skin. Perhaps that's why, it puts her in a daze.
A gloved steel finger pokes her cheek.
"You getting cold feet?"
There's a lilt to it now that feels experimental, and maybe Yeongeun's turned herself into a bunsen burner in this scenario, sparking a steady flame the moment she'd felt a kindling.
"You know, we don't have to get off now."
And there she goes again.
What's she being so considerate for?
Yeongeun huffs, feigning a frown.
"I know, but… We're nearly at the drop off. We can't back out now."
"Pfft… We can always just go another round."
"Do you seriously want us to spend the entire day up here?"
"And what's so bad about that? We have this view down here and the sky up here, all for ourselves."
"…We'll get cold if we're here too long."
"Aish… We can just keep each other warm."
Haje wiggles her eyebrows for effect.
Yeongeun chuckles, rolling her eyes, pinching her lover's cheek.
"I'd rather not get arrested for public indecency."
"Wow, what a perv~ Who said we'd even go that far?"
"Then how far do you suggest we go…"
Pausing midway for effect, Yeongeun clings to her lover's arm, looks up through her lovely eyelashes, and smiles.
"…eonni?"
"That's— That's not fair! You can't use the eonni card!"
Yeongeun snorts.
"Always dishing what you can't take, huh, eonni?"
"Argh."
Making an odd, frustrated noise, Haje sinks her reddened face into her hands.
"Eonni, you're too easy to tease," Yeongeun whispers, gently prying those hands out of her face, before then… Planting a quick, deliberate peck on her cheek.
"!!!"
As if it's possible, she's gotten even redder. She's frowning now too, as if she truly hadn't expected it.
Haa. How cute.
"Yeongeun-ah… You shouldn't do that… What about my heart?"
Even now, as they're sitting tens of meters above ground, Eun Haje still looks to the side, hiding her face behind a hand, still trying to act cute with her voice barely above whisper.
"Eonni," Yeongeun can't hold it anymore. She nearly climbs into her lover's lap, and holds her cold face in both hands. "You don't have to whisper. The wind is so strong, and we're up in the skies. Nobody can hear us."
"You knew didn't you. You picked this date when you knew the visibility wouldn't be so great. They forecasted it in the news."
"…I don't even know how to ski."
Yeongeun huffs out a short laugh as she cradles that face closer, and closer, till their noses are touching.
"Neither do I."
The cold that clings to their lips and skin in the winter sky, dissipates so easily as both meld and cling to each other, hot breaths filling one another.
Warmth bubbles and spreads in Yeongeun's chest. For all that's heavy in the world, she is glad to be here, up in the air, light as a feather, light in her heart.