A/N: Thank for the the reviews and support! I hope my story continues to please you! The title of this chapter is based of the song by The Turtles. haha. And thank you very much for all the name suggestions! Anyways, this chapter is just four screenshots of their life together in that tiny apartment. Oh, someone asked who my faceclaim for Miles was. Well, the one for Young-ja is Kim Seuk Hye, and the one for Miles is Tyson Ballou.
Welcome any new readers! Enjoy!
-Chores-
Young-ja
Tchaikovsky's "Violin Concerto in D major" echoed throughout the performance hall, capturing the attention of the entire audience young and old alike.
I smiled from my positon on stage, never weary of the astonished looks on their faces.
It had been two months since my official debut, and the Orchestra Hall has never been busier. People apparently adore the 'youth-twist' on the classics, as the critics call it.
Not all of the reviews have been glowing, but those are far and few between.
'Can't please them all, I guess.'
The concerto was soon brought to an end as the conductor swept out his baton, ceasing all music.
After a moment of silence, the audience shot to their feet and applause filled the hall.
The conductor took a bow before gesturing to me, the soloist, and I followed suit, still high on the adrenaline rush.
"Let's have another round of applause for Ms. Young-ja Park!"
As I received my own standing ovation, I couldn't help but shed a few tears while smiling like an idiot.
Years ago, if someone told me I would be a star in a world renowned orchestra, I would've laughed it off.
Now, in the spotlight with hundreds of people cheering for me, I still couldn't wrap my head around it.
So all I could do was smile and pray this feeling of euphoria would never fade away.
"Good job tonight, Young-ja!" Peter, one of the cellists, grinned, patting me on the back. "Care to grab a few drinks with the others?"
"Thank you, Peter," I replied, pulling on my coat and grabbing my purse, "But I can't tonight. Maybe some other time."
He nodded and said goodbye before heading out with the others.
Once I made sure my violin was secure in its case, I scurried outside into the cool night air and hailed a taxi.
Exhaustion finally caught up with me as the city flew by in the window, but it was a rewarding kind of exhaustion.
The kind that you knew was well deserved.
After paying the taxi driver, I trudged up the stairway to the third floor and unlocked the door to our apartment.
During my stay here, I had managed to mold the shoebox into something a little more welcoming. The bare floor now had carpeting, the cruddy walls had been painted a lovely light pink, and the kitchen actually had a decent stock for two.
The lights were off, so I made sure to put my things away quietly and tiptoed to the bedroom.
Miles was slouched over his desk, papers scattered everywhere and reading glasses hanging off his face.
I chuckled to myself, wishing I had my camera with me.
Since my debut, Miles has never missed one of my concerts, but there was a break in the case he'd been working on, so he had to stay home.
"I can still come pick you up," He offered as I got ready to leave. "Really, I don't mind."
"I know, Miles, and I appreciate it but taking the taxi for one day won't kill me." I reassured him, trying to erase that worried look in his eyes. "I'll be home by eleven so make sure you do the dishes, alright? They've been soaking in the sink for long enough."
"Alright," He sighed, resigning to his fate, before leaning down and kissing me. "Be careful. I love you."
"I love you too."
Grinning at the memory, I decided to make myself a quick sandwich before waking him up so he could lie down comfortably.
"Oh, Miles." I sighed, practically skipping to the kitchen. "You are such a lovely-LITTLE SHIT!"
Stacks of dishes rested in the now murky sink water, threatening to tip over at the smallest tremor.
Pissed off, I raced back into the bedroom and flicked the lights on.
"WAKE UP, YOU LAZY BUM!"
Miles immediately shot out of his chair, head whipping back and forth, searching for some unknown threat.
"What?! What happened?!"
"Didn't I tell you to do those dishes this morning?!" I glared at him, crossing my arms and tapping my foot.
The twit stared at me for a moment, still half asleep, before it finally registered in his brain.
"Oh yeah," He scratched the back of his head, averting his gaze from my heated one. "Kinda forgot about that. My bad."
"Your bad?! Miles, you never do the freaking dishes! It is your only chore around here!"
Miles said nothing, just adjusted his misaligned glasses with a sheepish look.
I sighed and rubbed my face, exhaustion all but leaking from my ears now.
"Look, I'm sorry for yelling at you. It's been a long day for the both of us, but I still expect you to go and do the dishes right now like you promised."
He groaned in annoyance but went to the kitchen anyways, grumbling under his breath.
"Forget to do the dishes once, and she holds it against me for the rest of my life…"
I pinched the bridge of my nose and leaned against the doorway, feeling a headache coming on.
"I need a bath." I muttered, slugging over to the bathroom while Miles tackled the Great Wall of Chinaware.
"And remember to be gentle with the cups!" I called back. "You've already broken three of them!"
"Yes, Your Grace!"
-Laundry-
Miles
Living with Short Stack has been great.
Really.
It's been nice having someone to wake up to and converse with on a regular basis.
She has also given the apartment a makeover with useless knickknacks and all that other HGTV shit. I can't say I'm a fan of all the cutesy additions to the pad, but if it makes her happy, then I can deal with it.
One thing I cannot deal with, however, is one of Short Stack's habits.
What is this habit, you ask?
Well, how can I put this delicately?
Oh, I know! SHE LEAVES HER FUCKING CLOTHES EVERYWHERE!
On the floor, on the couch, in the bathroom, everywhere!
Sometimes I expect to find one of her socks in the fridge!
At first, I didn't mind it, just reminded her to pick her crap up.
But, after four months of tripping over her jackets and finding her bra hanging on the shower faucet, I was at the end of my rope.
"Short Stack, it's time for a fucking intervention!" I announced, stomping into the living room where she was perched on the couch, watching the Food Network Channel.
"Hmm?" She turned to face me, confusion etched across her face. "What are you talking about?"
"Look, if you want to start a kinky scavenger hunt, then fine. But, if you're not," I held out one of her undershirts that I found draped over the shower curtain. "don't leave your clothes around the house!"
"Hey, it's only to dry them. The bathroom is a perfect place, and it is cheaper than using the dryer downstairs."
"Oh that must explain why you leave your shirts on the ground. So my feet can dry them as I fall flat on my face, right?"
She rolled her eyes at my remark and snatched the undershirt from my grip.
"Fine, I'll try to pick up after myself AND find someplace else to hang my lingerie."
"Bless you, Warden." I gave her a mock bow. "But you better go a step above 'trying' and actually do it."
"Fin-e." She groaned, drawing out the 'n'. "I promise to hang my clothes or place them in the laundry basket when I'm done with them."
"Hallelujah!" I threw my arms in the air. "Praise the Lord!"
"Oh shut up."
-Painting-
Miles
After turning in my report and receiving payment from my client, I drove home, feeling pretty damn good.
'Maybe I'll take Short Stack out tonight. One of those nice sit-down restaurants that look over the city that she always loves.'
Humming to myself, I parked the jeep and sprinted up the stairs, excited for the upcoming night on the town.
"I'm home, Short Stack!" I called out, closing the door behind me and kicking my shoes off. "I got paid today, so get all prettied up! I'm taking you out for dinner!"
No reply.
"Short Stack?"
She doesn't work today, so why isn't she answering?
"Young-ja?" I peeked into the kitchen. No Short Stack.
"Young-ja?!" No one in the bathroom.
Just as I was about to give her a call, I finally noticed there was music blasting from the bedroom.
"Young-ja?" I opened the door. "Are you i-?"
The words caught in my throat as I took in the room's state.
The once pasty, white walls were now a light blue with flowers and rainbows painted on them. And there stood Short Stack, dancing away on the blue tarp with a paintbrush in her hand.
She was singing along to Savage Garden's "I Want You", one of her all-time cheesy 90s favorites.
I crossed my arms and leaned against the doorway, enjoying the very embarrassing, but very cute, spectacle.
Though she has relaxed over the past few years, Short Stack still is hesitant to let lose in front of people at times. When she first moved in, the landlords invited us out to dinner, and she spent an hour coming up with conversation topics to prevent "looking like an idiot in front of your neighbors".
In response, I told her both of them were partially blind and deaf, so nothing she could say or do would offend them.
I was sentence to the couch that night.
I chuckled at the memory and turned my attention back to my dancing/singing girlfriend who was painting fluffy-looking cloud.
Her illustrations have gotten better over the years.
Beforehand, I couldn't make heads or tails of her chicken scratch.
While she was dipping the paintbrush in the white bucket, I decided to make my presence known.
Tiptoeing behind her, I crouched down and grabbed her shoulders, shouting, "Hi, Short Stack!"
She screamed and threw the brush into the air, splattering the drying blue wall with white paint.
"Miles!" She decked me in the arm, the smile completely gone from her face. "Can't you greet people normally?! What if I got paint all over you?!"
"I almost give you a heart attack, and the only thing you're worried about is getting paint on me?" I laughed, wiping a blue smear off her cheek. "You're quite the messy painter, my dear."
"Neh." She stuck her tongue out at me. "I was just trying to brighten the room up."
"And I see you've used my clothes too." I gestured to the baggy shirt and khakis on her body.
"They were already dirty, so…." Then her eyes widened. "Oh, Miles! I'm sorry for not asking! If you wanted-!"
I shut her up with a kiss.
"Calm down," I whispered, pulling away and enjoying that enamored glaze in her eyes. "They look better on you anyways. Besides, it's pretty hot to see you in my clothes."
She rolled her eyes with a snort and backed away, wiping her hands on a rag.
"I'll keep that in mind, Miles. Anyways, what are you doing home so early? I thought you were meeting with a client."
"I did meet with them, and~" I whipped out an envelope, waving it in her face. "I got paid~! So go change into something beautiful because I'm taking you out tonight, my love!"
Her cheeks reddened, and she flashed that bashful smile I love so much.
"I would love to go, but I need to finish this wall first. Give me ten more minutes."
"Let me help then." I tossed my jacket to the side and rolled my sleeves up. "Believe it or not, I know my way around a paintbrush pretty well."
I grabbed one of the spare brushes from the box and was about to dip it into the water when Short Stack grabbed me by the wrist.
"Wait! You are dressed so nicely, Miles! Please change into something else."
I glanced down at my apparel: a simple white button-up and blue jeans.
"This is your definition of nice, Short Stack? Maybe you should pick up a fashion magazine once in a while."
"Oh, shut up." She snorted, pulling me up off the tarp. "Just go and change so we can finish this and then you can spoil me at Denver's finest restaurant."
"Yes, ma'am!" I saluted, racing out of the room.
But, before I reached the hallway, I whipped back around.
"By the way, Short Stack, you're cute when you dance. I love that seal-like wiggle of yours."
"Miles, you were watching me?! Get back here!"
I cackled as I raced around the tiny apartment with her hot on my heels.
"I didn't say it was bad, cara mia!" I called out, hopping over the dining table. "You just look like an adorable seal when you dance!"
"Shut up and get back here so I can pour this paint can down your shirt!"
That wall wasn't finished for another two hours.
-Morning Light-
Young-ja
Sharing a bed with Miles is a gamble.
There is a 50/50 chance of waking up all snuggled up next to him or waking up smooshed against the wall while he is stretched out over the bed with all the blankets.
Typically, it is the unfortunate gamble.
So, after six months of kissing the wall, I vowed to extract some sweet revenge.
I snatched a marker up from Miles' desk then scrambled on top of him, uncapping my weapon with resolve.
"Payback time, you bed hogger." I snickered, proceeding to draw all over his face and chest.
With a satisfied 'hmm', I clicked the cap back on, crawled back to my side of the bed, and waited.
'This is going to be good~.'
About an hour later, I felt Miles stir, and I had to contain to giggles at what was to come.
"Morning." He leaned over and kissed my cheek, 'waking me up'.
"Mhmm, good morning, Miles." I rubbed my eyes, hoping my acting was convincing.
He crawled out of bed and stretched.
"I'm going to take a piss."
"Thank you for the notice."
He trudged out to the hallway, and I immediately sat up, clutching a pillow in my arms.
One second passed.
Two seconds passed.
Three-
"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO MY FACE?!"
I exploded into a fit of laughter, burying my face into the pillow.
'Oh my gosh, this is great!'
Miles stomped back into the room and pointed to his face.
"YOUNG-JA! DID YOU DO THIS?!"
All across his face, neck, and chest were swirls, poop emojis, and dicks.
I tried to reply, but I was too busy clutching my aching abdomen and 'attempting' to cease my laughter.
"You little-!" He tackled me from the side and pinned me to the bed. "Why the hell did you draw all this crap on my face?!"
"Oh, just some revenge!" I smirked. "If I'm going to sleep next to you, then you need to improve your sleep habits! I'm tired of waking up to a wall in my face."
"Then wake me the fuck up! Don't draw dicks on my face! You always tell me to grow up, but you can be immature too!"
Miles wasn't furious anymore, just peeved.
"Aw, I'm sorry, Miles." I gave him the Bambi eyes, cackling internally when I saw him gulp. "I promise not to do it again if you try to stop being such a bed hog."
He glared down at me a while longer, finally looking away when I shifted the Bambi eyes into full throttle.
"Shit, fine!" Miles groaned, yanking me to my feet. "But you're going to wash this off! I'm not going out with your creations on me."
"Yeah, yeah." I snickered, leading him to the bathroom.
I set him down on the edge of the tub before getting a wet washcloth and rubbing his face.
"Y'know," I smiled. "This reminds me of our first time together."
"How?" He squeezed his eyes shut as I moved over to his forehead. "As I recall, you didn't draw on my face."
"Well, you didn't spend the night, remember?"
It was the day I finally confessed to Miles
After we picked ourselves off the soapy pavement, we scurried up to my dorm room, giggling like the teenagers we were.
"You sure Mary Ann isn't going to walk in on us?" Miles asked as he pinned me against the door the moment I locked it.
"Yeah," I breathed out, sliding my hands down his chest. "She is out with her friends today. We have the room to ourselves until 8."
"Fuck yes."
We've all heard and seen those movies/books that portray a couple's first time as magical and perfect.
Well, I can say with complete honesty, our first time wasn't a Hollywood blockbuster.
"Ouch!" We both shot back as we banged our foreheads together.
"You trying to break my nose, Short Stack?!"
"Well, I didn't know you were going to plunge in at the same time I was!"
Once the pain subsided, we got into the mood again, kissing and groping each other.
In the back of my mind, I was panicking; this was my first time, after all.
I felt my knees hit the back of my bed, and with a little push, we both fell onto the mattress.
And we banged our foreheads again.
"OUCH!"
"Dammit, how does it look so easy in the movies?!"
"Because it's a freaking movie, Miles!"
"Do you want me to shove dirty, soapy water in your face again?"
"I'm just nervous, alright?!" I crossed my arms and averted my eyes. "This is my first time, and I don't know what to expect."
Miles said nothing, just scooted closer to me and cupped my cheeks in his hands.
"Hey," He smiled, "I'm just as nervous as you are. This is my first time too."
"What?!" I pulled away from him, mouth agape. "Are you serious?!"
"Of course it is! Do you think I'm a manwhore?!"
"N-no!" I snickered, covering my face. "It's just that….you're so handsome, so I figured…."
He squinted at me with an unamused gaze before grasping my shoulders.
"Let's….just continue, shall we?"
So Miles pulled me on top of him, and we started kissing again.
Eventually, we moved to the next step: stripping.
I find it amazing that people can keep their lips locked, even while undressing each other.
Miles and I had a bit of trouble in that department.
"Why the heck are you wearing skinny jeans in 88 degree weather, Miles?!"
"Well, why the hell is your bra so fucking hard to unhook?!"
"It's not a Rubix Cube! Just unhook it!"
After some trial and error, we finally sat in front of each other without a shard of clothing on our bodies.
Both of our faces were beet red as we took in the other's body for the first time.
"S-say something!" I snapped, feeling like curling into a ball and dying.
"Short Stack."
"Y-yes?"
"Your boobs are top notch." He smirked, giving me a thumbs up.
"You freaking pervert!" I attacked him with the pillow, my cheeks burning. "You're supposed to be serious about this!"
"Ah, but all good sex is full of laughs!" He snatched the pillow up and threw it across the room. "So, let's throw all the technicalities out the window and have fun."
Miles pulled me into his arms and held me, rubbing his hands down my back.
"Hey, can I ask for something stupid and cliché?"
"Depends on what it is." I rested my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes, listening to his heartbeat.
"Could you…say it again, what you said in the parking lot?"
My eyes shot open, and butterflies erupted in my chest.
"Why?" I asked, looking up at him.
"Because…" He bit his lips as his cheeks flushed and his heartrate increased. "Well….just because, alright?!"
I giggled and kissed his clavicle, noting how it made him jump.
"I love you, Miles."
He sighed in content and lifted my chin up, gazing straight into my eyes.
"And I love you, Young-ja. Thank you for giving someone like me the time of day."
I chuckled and shook my head.
"You're worth every moment, Miles. Never forget that."
I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and kissed him with all my might, feeling the nerves fade away.
I just wanted to be with him, completely.
Without breaking contact, Miles eased me back and pulled the blanket over us.
"Wait," I gasped as Miles started kissing down my chest. "Did you have protection?"
"Duh." He flicked his wrists and suddenly, there was a condom in his hand.
"How the hell did you get that?! Where you planning on jumping my bones, regardless of my answer?!"
"NO!" He flicked my nose. "Student Life was giving them out for "Safe Sex" Week, and I just happened to have it now."
I glared up at him, making sure he was telling the truth.
"Are you sure?"
"YES! God, can't we just bang in peace?!"
I snorted and nodded.
"Proceed, Sir Seduction."
Soon, the room was filled with the sounds of the bed creaking, and our moans echoing off the wall.
And, for that reason, is the reason why we didn't hear the door unlock until Mary Ann announced herself.
"Young-ja, I'm ba-Whoa!"
At that moment, time froze.
There was Mary Ann, one hand on the door knob and the other holding her Gucci bag. Her blonde hair was frizzing out, and her eyes were as wide as saucers.
And there was Miles and I. The blanket had slipped off of us and was hanging around Miles' waist, who was on top of me. Both of us had messy hair, flushed faces, and that "Oh Shit" expression on our faces.
No one said a word. I mean, what could anyone say?!
Finally, Mary Ann cleared her throat.
"Um, I'll…just go wait outside." She whispered, slowly easing out the room and closing the door behind her.
Once she was gone, Miles and I looked at each other, wondering if my roommate had actually walked in on us.
Then, we erupted into laughter.
"O-oh my God," Miles cried, tears coming to his eyes. "Did that just happened?!"
"Yes!" I shrieked, covering my face. "We just scarred Mary Ann for life!"
It was no laughing matter, but for some reason, we couldn't stop.
So, we laid there in that tiny dorm bed of mine, holding each other and laughing our asses off.
And that was how we spend our first time together.
"I still don't understand how drawing shit on my face equates to our first time." Miles pointed out as I finished wiping away my handiwork.
"Because~" I cooed, tossing the rag away and standing between his legs, draping my arms over his shoulders. "Both occasions are the only times I've ever laughed until I was blue in the face. And, they involve embarrassing you."
Miles scoffed and yanked me closer, his hands on my hips.
"You're a crazy lady, Short Stack," He kissed me on the nose. "But that is why I'm in love with you."
I laughed and buried my face into his shoulder, wanting this moment to never end.
"Promise me we will always be like this. Even when we're old, we will never have a dull moment together."
Miles laughed and kissed my temple with a feather-like touch.
"Not even death will keep me from being in your life, Young-ja. You can always count on that. I promise."
I nodded and clutched him tighter, feeling this odd sense of ruin at his words.
"You better keep it your promise, Miles."
"I will, Young-ja. I will."
A/N: Tad bit of foreshadowing at the end. Lol. And "I Want You" by Savage Garden is such a catchy song! :D There should 1-2 more chapters until the Mount Massive area!