Jiyeon sat up slowly, reluctantly pulling away from Yura's lap, though the playful grin on her lips remained. She stretched her arms above her head, letting out a content sigh as the gentle afternoon sun bathed them in its warmth. "Alright, what's next on our picnic adventure?"
Yura's eyes sparkled with mischief as she reached for the basket beside them. "Well, I brought something special." She rummaged through the basket with exaggerated care, pulling out a bottle of sparkling lemonade with a flourish. "Ta-da!"
Jiyeon raised an eyebrow, laughing softly. "Fancy, are we?"
Yura winked, twisting the cap open and pouring the bubbly drink into two delicate glasses. "Only the best for you." She handed Jiyeon a glass, the lemonade catching the light and casting little rainbows across the blanket. "Cheers to surviving estrus and still liking each other."
Jiyeon chuckled, clinking her glass against Yura's. "Cheers to that." They both took a sip, the tangy sweetness of the lemonade refreshing against the lingering heat of the day.
As the bubbles fizzled on her tongue, Jiyeon's thoughts wandered. The last five days had been intense, to say the least, with Yura's estrus taking up most of their time and energy. It had been emotional, physically draining, and... okay, a little fun too. But now that it was over, Jiyeon was savoring the simple things again—the way Yura smiled when she wasn't overwhelmed by pheromones, the way they could just sit in the garden without feeling the weight of their biology pressing in on them.
Yura leaned back on her hands, looking out over the expanse of the garden. "You know," she began thoughtfully, "we should make this picnic thing a regular event. Something just for us."
Jiyeon nodded, swirling her glass. "I'm down for that. It's nice not to have any distractions or, you know... random employees barging in."
Yura snorted. "Don't remind me about Chef Kang. The next time he shows up uninvited, I'm locking him out."
"I'm pretty sure he's scared of you now," Jiyeon said, grinning. "You gave him quite the death stare."
"Good," Yura replied with mock seriousness. "He should be. That was *our* time."
Jiyeon couldn't help but laugh, shaking her head. "You're adorable when you're possessive, you know that?"
Yura rolled her eyes, though her lips twitched in a smile. "Oh, stop it. I'm not *that* bad."
"Oh, no?" Jiyeon teased. "Because I seem to remember you holding onto my arm like a lifeline when Kang came in. I thought you were going to sink your teeth into him."
Yura puffed out her cheeks indignantly, crossing her arms. "Well, can you blame me? You're mine."
Jiyeon leaned in, her voice dropping to a low, teasing whisper. "And don't you forget it."
They shared a playful smile, the air between them light and comfortable. Yura reached back into the basket, pulling out a container filled with sandwiches, each one meticulously made. "Okay, so I made these earlier," she announced, holding the sandwiches up like they were a prized possession.
"Ah, yes, the legendary Yura sandwiches," Jiyeon said, eyeing them with exaggerated reverence. "I've heard stories about these."
Yura giggled, passing one to Jiyeon. "Well, you're in for a treat. I made your favorite—roasted veggies with hummus and a touch of basil."
Jiyeon took a bite, her eyes lighting up as the flavors hit her tongue. "Wow," she said, chewing thoughtfully. "These are... really good."
"Of course they are!" Yura beamed, clearly pleased with herself. "I may not be a chef like you, but I can hold my own in the kitchen."
Jiyeon nodded appreciatively. "You've got some skills, I'll give you that." She took another bite, savoring the fresh crunch of the vegetables and the smoothness of the hummus. "Honestly, I could get used to you making me lunch every day."
Yura gave her a playful nudge. "Don't push your luck. I'm not about to become your personal chef."
"Why not?" Jiyeon teased. "I'd pay you in kisses."
Yura's eyes twinkled with mischief. "Kisses, huh? Well, in that case, maybe we can negotiate."
They both laughed, the sound mingling with the soft rustle of the trees and the distant chirping of birds. The peacefulness of the moment wrapped around them like a warm blanket, and for a while, they simply enjoyed their food and each other's company.
After a few moments of comfortable silence, Jiyeon wiped her hands on a napkin and leaned back on the blanket, staring up at the sky. The soft hues of the afternoon sun filtered through the trees, casting dappled shadows on the ground. "I don't think I've been this relaxed in ages," she mused aloud.
Yura lay down beside her, resting her head on Jiyeon's shoulder. "That's the point of today," she said softly. "Just the two of us, no worries, no stress."
Jiyeon tilted her head slightly, pressing a kiss to Yura's temple. "You're pretty good at this whole relaxation thing."
Yura smiled, her fingers tracing lazy patterns on Jiyeon's arm. "I've had a lot of practice. You, on the other hand, are always running around, stressed about work."
"Well," Jiyeon began, a grin playing at her lips, "I run a restaurant, remember? It's kind of hard to relax when you've got a dozen things going wrong every day."
Yura huffed softly. "Maybe you should take more days off. Or delegate more. You can't do everything yourself."
Jiyeon considered this, her fingers brushing through Yura's hair absently. "You might be right. But it's hard to let go, you know? The restaurant is like... my baby."
Yura propped herself up on one elbow, looking down at Jiyeon with a raised brow. "You're already talking like a parent. Should I be worried?"
Jiyeon laughed, shaking her head. "Nah, no babies. Just food babies."
Yura giggled, resting her head back on Jiyeon's shoulder. "Well, I'm fine with food babies. As long as you're not working yourself to death."
"I promise I won't," Jiyeon said, her voice softening. "I'll take more time for us. For days like this."
Yura smiled, content, as they lay together in the sun, the afternoon stretching lazily ahead of them.
After a while, Yura perked up, glancing toward the basket. "Hey, we haven't even touched dessert yet."
Jiyeon's eyes widened with mock horror. "How could we forget dessert?"
Yura grinned and reached into the basket, pulling out a small container of homemade strawberry shortcake. "I made this especially for today."
Jiyeon sat up, her mouth already watering. "You made this?"
Yura nodded proudly. "Yep. From scratch. Fresh strawberries and everything."
Jiyeon took a forkful, the sweetness of the strawberries and the light, fluffy cake melting in her mouth. "Yura," she said, her voice full of wonder, "this is incredible."
Yura blushed, her heart swelling with pride. "I'm glad you like it."
"Like it?" Jiyeon shook her head. "I *love* it. You're seriously spoiling me today."
Yura leaned in, her voice playful. "Good. You deserve it."
They spent the next few minutes indulging in the dessert, the sweetness lingering on their tongues as they fed each other bites, laughing when whipped cream smeared on their lips.
By the time they finished, the sun had started to dip lower in the sky, casting a golden glow over the garden. Jiyeon leaned back with a content sigh, her hand resting lightly on Yura's knee.
"This has been perfect," Jiyeon said quietly, her gaze drifting to the horizon. "I don't think I've had a day like this in... well, forever."
Yura smiled, her hand gently covering Jiyeon's. "There's more where that came from," she whispered. "We'll make time for more days like this."
Jiyeon turned her head, meeting Yura's gaze, and for a moment, everything else faded away. The restaurant, the stress, the world outside—it all disappeared, leaving only the two of them in this small, perfect bubble.
"Yeah," Jiyeon said softly, her lips curving into a smile. "I like the sound of that."
They sat there together as the sun continued its slow descent, the warmth of the day lingering in the air and in their hearts. It wasn't just the food, or the sun, or even the quiet of the garden that made the day special—it was the feeling of being with someone who made everything feel right.
And as the last rays of sunlight kissed their skin, they knew this was just the beginning of many more moments like this, moments they would cherish together for a long time to come.
The soft, golden light of the setting sun cast long shadows across the garden, wrapping the two of them in a warm embrace. Jiyeon leaned back, feeling the gentle weight of Yura's head on her shoulder again, and sighed contentedly. The peaceful quiet that had settled over them was a stark contrast to the chaos of the past week. Jiyeon found herself marveling at how, even after everything, they could still find moments like this—calm, simple, and deeply fulfilling.
Yura lazily traced circles on Jiyeon's hand, her eyes half-closed as if she were teetering on the edge of a nap. "I think we should do this more often," she murmured, her voice thick with satisfaction. "Picnics. Just the two of us."
Jiyeon chuckled softly. "Oh, I agree. But don't expect me to do the cooking next time."
Yura opened one eye, her lips curling into a mischievous smile. "That's fair. You can just sit there and look pretty while I do all the work."
"Deal," Jiyeon replied, laughing. She pressed a soft kiss to the top of Yura's head, feeling an overwhelming sense of gratitude for moments like these, where they could forget everything else and just be themselves.
As the sun dipped lower on the horizon, the sky fading into soft hues of pink and lavender, Jiyeon closed her eyes and let the tranquility wash over her. For now, there were no interruptions, no demands pulling them in different directions—just them, the lingering taste of strawberry shortcake on their tongues, and the comforting warmth of each other's presence.
In the quiet of the garden, it felt like nothing else in the world mattered.