#taglater.

+1winter sucks. in the sense that, warm-blooded as they are, everyone is up early to get their coffee, their morning fix so they can do their work and turn in early. that also means jae has to be up early to serve early, but stay open because once she’s open she can’t close ( well she can but business ).

it’s the ass crack of day. she hasn’t bothered for proper attire just yet, but she’s layered enough that no one will really care what she’s in. even if it’s tights over tights, boots and a long fluffy poncho. she doesn’t care she’s going to stay warm and comfortable until it’s actual diner hours.

this isn’t even a diner what the fuck.

anyway, she’s pouring her next cup, pouring and pouring and yawning. yawning that she almost spills it over. she does though, let her elbow bore into the counter, chin nuzzled against her palm. she’s tired, and she’s not cute tired and she hates it. the customers laugh at it, a gentle laugh that she can’t even give  a dirty finger to. she stills gives it.

“don’t say anything if you want this next pot free of wood shavings.” so they don’t laugh and she smiles. maybe it’s because she’s won a small victory or because of the scent that fills her nose as the door opens. hayeon’s been up early, won’t say anything about it but grumbles about jae’s scent being too overwhelming sometimes. whatever. she’s awake and jae’s holding up the pot with a grin.

“coff—-” words get stuck in her throat, stuck because well, hayeon walks in and walks straight to her side, head falling in jae’s shoulder. a small silence settles over the tavern, mainly because a sleep deprived hayeon is not a hayeon anyone wants to deal with. but jae smiles, softly, ignoring the small fire under her skin at lips pressed against her shoulder. “you’re a big baby.”

“coffee.”“i am not putting a drop of anything in it.”“you’re a menace.”

oddly enough, jae could say the same. instead she detaches herself, watches hayeon slip into a stool, ignoring everyone’s stare and focus on the coffee pot. ah, so it’d been the coffee. jae smiles and pours the fresh one instead.

must be the morning.

+2winter is here. wood wood and more wood and jae is tired. if she wasn’t tired earlier, she’s tired now. tired of all the chopping, the carrying, the shedding. tired of getting pine shoved up her nose.

the kids think it’s fun so she indulges them, watches them run around with logs. watches close until her head lolls against a tree. the town likes to come together to grab firewood, they’re small so they know everyone needs to stock up for when it’s too cold to do it.

jae, never one to ask for help, curses her tavern for needing so much damn firewood. sure they have electricity but she still likes the fire. it helps the kids at night and it helps her as well. reminds her of old days. so she gathers.

gathers and groans with every log thrown into her arms. she’s bundled up well enough but that doesn’t lessen the load. and the kids, they love to mess with her, she’s the only one who allows it. her fault. but they pack on and jae tries to make it to the tavern as quick as possible before they can pile it on even more.

“noona slow down we have more.”“stay back demons, my arms will fall off.” she can handle it though, might be a little sore but she can handle it. that’s what she says as she passes hayeon for the fourth time, dumping the wood by the fireplace and dusting her hands off. the tavern is low so she can run in and out. in addition to her own set she’s been helping some friends gather. “noona hurry up! changjo’s about to level a tree!” she’s ready to run out with them when she sees hayeon beckoning her over.

“what’s up what’s up, decided to help the cavalry?” she doesn’t flinch much when hayeon’s hands reach her coat, doesn’t move when the arms slide down. there’s a squeeze on her shoulder and jae’s hissing. the squeeze becomes gentler and hayeon sighs, eyes not leaving the spot.“nope, no more lifting she-hulk.” jae tries to pout at that, tries to squirm even but hayeon squeezes again and all she does is yelp. yelp and wrinkle her nose in annoyance. because really, they’re in the middle of the tavern.“you’re a party pooper.”“you’re gonna get tendinitis.” “doesn’t make my statement false.” hayeon levels her, before patting the stool in front of her.“okay fine.” jae hops up, slightly confused but letting hayeon do what she must, if that includes hands on her skin, a little cold, unsurprisingly gentle. low as the tavern is on customers, she notices the hush. maybe she’s too comforted, by the feeling of a dull ache leaving her shoulders, and a pleasant scent warming her body. hayeon’s hands are quick but they get the job done. “alright go, big baby.” she’s back to her folder, sketches and paperwork. jae’s out the door with her arm around changjo, excited to see his tree.

+3catches, catches especially winter catches? winter catches were great. they had a guy who came around late in the week, with huge catches to share with everyone. sometimes frozen and sometimes fresh. listen, forced humanity aside, some things are too good to pass up.

giant turkey legs are one of them. and jae had to fight, fight to get her fair share of them until she realized those were to sell before they were to devour. she’s been working hard today, so hard that she doesn’t pay attention to much, like the rumble of her own stomach. smoked meat fills her nostrils, makes her mouth water each time she runs back and forth, to grill, stock, serve. some of them like to stock up their bellies before winter really hits, some of them prefer to just fill their fridge. jae often fills her fridge. she’s open during the time anyway.

everyone’s been joyous, welcoming the food and the smells of roasted anything, smoked anything. barbecue smells, chicken, turkey, pork. jae could cry. but, she’s got a job to do, a place to run. she lets their guy do his rounds through town, smiles as she sees the younger boys running with turkey legs and she sneaks one for the smaller of them. gives a thumbs up to the little girl who snags it from him.

catches are always a good day. yeah they can buy them in town, further into the city but, it’s the tradition of it. the joke of it.

so she moves quick, tuning into impatience and needs quickly. maybe she should be more in tune to herself. maybe. but she’s giddy, the smell keeping her going, nagging at her stomach as well. she doesn’t pay attention to her own stomach rumble as her feet scramble across the floor.

she does, pay attention when hayeon comes in, a turkey leg in her hand. jae cants her head towards the open stool, a platter in her hand. she’s on her way back, calls coming from every direction for her, when hayeon’s hand grabs her. there’s a slight squeak, more so for the turkey leg that’s placed in front of her lips. hayeon holds her hands out for the platter - well takes it and gives her the turkey leg. jae eats and eats and finishes it faster than intended. gives hayeon a kiss on the cheek that definitely is intended and runs off with the platter before she can say anything.

and anyone who watched the exchange, doesn’t say anything.

+4jae complains about the winter a lot, but she likes it. likes the snow and the footprints it leaves. likes the bristles against skin and fur alike. likes the icy burn of it all. and she says it all the time, how she loves it, is out there all the time. when she gets free time from the tavern, standing outside and letting snowflakes fall on her nose. it never lands right, never lands how she wants it to but it lands.

just as snowballs land across her jacket. as she runs back and forth with the kids in the town. lets them get scores before she’s after them, knocking them in the face with her own snowballs. laughing and ignoring the frost on her nose. she’ll handle it later, right now it’s war.

and it’s good. good for as long as her body heat can keep it. and she keeps it pretty long. running through the small patches of snow they get, rolling around with the smaller ones on her, hanging off her sides. with snow hitting her cheeks and her jacket. because yes she remembered to bring it and not run out here in her tavern clothes. hayeon would kill her.

speaking of hayeon, jae hasn’t seen her. the thought gets cut off by a snowball to the head and she’s running for the culprit. running and playing until her fingers get stiff and she has to rush in the tavern with the rest of them.

she’s chattering, teeth clattering and body jittery. it’s not bad but it’s not pleasant, it’ll probably go away soon, she knows that. but for the moment it settles. and she’s by hayeon’s side in an instant, flake of snow dripping off her coat. she’s up against hayeon’s side, rubbing annoyingly close with her ice-stained jacket.

“you missed out on the fun.” it’s with a snort that jae blows a snowflake from her nose.“yeah hayeon noona we beat jae in a snowball fight!”“a liar and a cheater I raised you right.”

hayeon’s quiet, but doesn’t move from jae’s incessant movement. when jae does feel her move, she turns to face her, cheeks probably turning rosy from the warmth burning past ice. her hood is being lowered and hands are touching her ears. it’s sudden and catches jae off-guard, traps words in her throat. hayeon’s fingers move quick, rubbing the icy feeling away, running jae’s ears back and forth between her thumb and index. it’s melting everything around jae in a matter of seconds. it moves down to her cheeks, jawline before the natural color comes back. darker, rosier, but back. all traces of snow gone. hands then gone and heart stuttering against her chest.

it’s only a call by the fireplace that snaps her out of it.

+5winter days are long days. naturally so. she wakes up early, works long even when she’s not in the tavern and stays open a little late from passing travelers. sometimes she even turns into a place to sleep, sometimes. jae doesn’t mind. the fatigue never really hits her. she loves her bed she does but sometimes she doesn’t miss it like she should. doesn’t think about it when she’s thinking about all winter has to offer.

new people, possible rogues, strangers, smells smells and smells that cloud the tavern. usually it’s easy to handle but she’s sleepy and she knows. knows it gets overwhelming when one of her smiles has too much teeth, when the moon’s been up and the wrong company stays up.

it’s not serious, never that serious because winter’s a mellow one. so jae remains mellow. when she moves back to the counter, falls against it after setting down the empty kegs. arm splayed out and chin resting on it. winter days will always be long and winter will always be long. long but welcomed, no matter what it brings.

ice can prickle in her skin but she can overcome it. she can. she breathes in once, twice, gets her composure. she thinks it’s her own doing, but feels hands in her hair.

“hmmm, what is with you and my ear?” the hand doesn’t stop though, and jae doesn’t move much. lets the smell settle over her again. old oak, vodka and spice. hayeon and all she is. she welcomes it and sinks into her position.“you’re not complaining.” jae can manages a shrug.“i’m not complaining.” she feels light, the words come out drawled. maybe it’s the sleep, maybe it’s the haze. all of it together. she feels irritation slip away, icy prickles settling into warm spots, dancing around her head, across her forehead, over her lips.“gonna close up soon?” maybe it’s not a question, and maybe jae had no plans of closing soon but for the life of her all she says is,“yeah.” and she finds nothing wrong with it. nothing wrong with locking eyes with someone across the tavern and watching their face turn red as they look away.

nothing wrong.

+0it’s morning again. jae doesn’t know what to expect really. just knows she can’t take anymore days like this, like yesterday, like the past couple days. she’s in a strange limbo of fighting it or welcoming it and not really knowing what the hell she’s welcoming. she takes it all yeah, hell yeah but she’s not sure what it could be. but it’s another thing when she gets these weird knowing smiles from everyone around town because - what can they know when she doesn’t even know? nothing. that’s what.

but she’s up early, groggy as she pads out the back and enters the tavern. she’s opening a little later today. mainly because everyone is full and asleep. which is what she should be but she’s awake, awake and pouring hot cocoa into her mug.

“I love winter.” she even speaks a little groggy, low and into the mug. she tries to stay satisfied with the warmth of the cocoa as it slides through. tries to focus on the feeling of the mug against her hands, that warmth. tries to remember and repeat it throughout. “i love the snow.” the snow light kisses. “and the snowball fights, i love the weird taste of it.” the easy feeling of her. “i love the catches and i love food and the smell of it all in the tavern.” of old oak, vodka and spice. jae’s still speaking, moving from behind the counter to lean against it.

“mhmm, c’mere.” and jae does, walking to hayeon’s side and settling in the embrace she gets, in the lips by her neck. in warmth washing over, overwhelming. sighs and not-so-secret smiles.“someone’s touchy.”“mhmm.” all she gets is a small nip, has jae jumping but keeping herself firm in hayeon’s hold. a hold she rarely gets to relax in. not like this anyway.“i’ve been getting looks all week like i’m the one who can’t keep my hands to myself when it’s you.”“mhmm.”“you, you it’s all you.”“mmmm.” it’s mumbled against, vibrating against skin and jae almost jumps, squirms away from the feeling and the fire it ignites. she doesn’t get far because hayeon holds her hips, but stops the movement to speak clearer. “winter air’s clear. you smell good.” and now, jae’s grateful for the position, back against hayeon’s chest, red on her face hidden. grateful that the tavern isn’t open yet. because hayeon’s hands are still moving up - when did they even get under and she’s squirming and quite offended at how sneaky it’d happened. it’s the fucking old oak and vodka. it’s always that.

but she’s not bothered. “so you admit it?” jae’s proud of herself for getting this far, still speaking with lips ghosting over her shoulder. still a little firm when they rest of her feels like jelly. feels sunken in.“admit to what?”“driving me up the damn wall.”“god i’m sorry displays of affection are such a turn on for you jae.”“shut up, oh my god.” jae turns around at that, rejuvenated in how scandalized she feels. ready to stand her ground at any given moment. but hayeon’s staring, eyes looking hooded, thoroughly calm. her fingers still hook in jae’s shirt. eyes on jae’s lips and a hand running through her own hair before she locks eyes with jae. finally.“alright i admit it.”“good.“good, so you’re opening late today.”“i hate you oh my god.” but she’s got a hold on hayeon’s hand, another mug in her hand and her feet padding towards the back room.