Been lovin' you for quite some time | Winrina

3

Karina almost freezes in place. Winter Kim is knelt beside the table, a glass of what looks like mulled wine on the floor next to her. She's wearing a disgusting Christmas sweater and a Santa hat is pulled down over her short curls, dark brown eyes wide with surprise and cheeks so pink from the fire and the embarrassment and the surprise that she looks like the picture of a 50s Christmas.

"Winter, this is Karina."

"Hi," she offers a lame wave at the same time that Winter says:

"We know each other."

"You do?" Jisoo is frowning beside her, looking between them.

"Yeah, we've actually met at Berkley," Karina looks to Winter uncertainly at the girl stumbles to her feet, revealing large fluffy slippers on her feet.

"Just a... passing acquaintance, some mutual friends. We've been at parties together." Winter is barely looking at her, her eyes darting from Rosé to Jennie and back to Karina before flying away again.

"What's this I hear about parties?" A strange voice comes from behind them and they turn together, creating a path for the older woman who walks through their little group, a tray of fresh cookies between her hands and deposits them on the plate on the table before turning to smile at them all. She has a soft smile and a kind, but sharply intelligent face and when her eyes land on Karina she feels as if she's being looked over from top to bottom. "Hi, I'm Ms Pi Seung-hee. You must be Jisoo's sister."

"Karina," she holds her hand out and Ms Pi's handshake comes with a comforting squeeze. Her eyes flicker around the group that seem to be watching her expectantly and she finally says, her words stilted and uncertain, "sorry, I don't want to be rude but how... exactly... are you guys all siblings or...?"

"No, no," Rosé laughs, shaking her head and moving away to flop onto the couch. The rest of them seem to take their cue from her, Ms Pi lowering herself into an armchair as Jisoo sits more carefully down beside Rosé, letting the girl curl up against her and Mino settles onto the couch on the other side of Rosé, leaning back as she stretches her legs along his lap. Jennie and Kai snuggle into the loveseat together and Winter slowly kneels beck beside the monopoly board again, leaving Karina to perch on the footrest, glancing between them all as Rosé explains.

"I'm not actually related to any of these guys-"

"Not by blood anyway," Jennie interrupts and Rosé rolls her eyes, waving her hands.

"Sisters in spirit doesn't count Jen."

"Says who?"

"Says science, dumbass." Mino puts in and Rosé cuts through Jennie's indignant response.

"Anyway, this place is actually Ms Pi's," she gestures to the house, "Winter is her daughter." Karina tries to ignore the way that her cheeks heat up, keeping her gaze resolutely on the blonde speaking to her, "Jen and Mino are Winter's cousins and I'm just an old family friend, I've been coming here for Christmas since I was little."

"Normally our parents would be here, but my mom's sister is sick," Mino adds, "she and our dad are both in Seoul looking after her."

"Right... I see." She swallows, glancing to Jisoo and resolutely avoiding looking at Winter as she stands. "I might just go and wash up, if that's okay with you all? The journey was long."

"Of course," Ms Pi stands at the same time that Jisoo does, "I can show you to your room if you want?"

"I'll do it," Jisoo tells her, firmly, moving to stand next to Karina and place a hand on her shoulder. "You relax."

"Oh, well," Ms Pi hesitates, still standing, "you must be hungry after your trip. I can make you something eat? Rice? Soup?"

"Please don't go to any trouble," Karina holds out a placating hand, "I'll be fine, honestly. I might go to bed though, if that's okay?"

"Of course, the bed is all made up for you." Ms Pi is still watching them, even as Jisoo steers her sister from the room with the hand on her shoulder, a chorus of goodnights following them out of the room.

"Come on squirt, it's this way." Jisoo shoulders her bag without accepting any complaint and leads her up the staircase until they come to the wide landing. "Your room is just up here," she gestures down a wide hallway with carpet so soft that it bounces beneath Karina's feet and pauses at the second door on the left.

Inside is a spacious, neat guest bedroom; all neutral whites and browns with a soft, red blanket thrown at the bottom of the bed and a vase of white flowers and crimson berries sitting on the lace covering that lies over the top of the dresser.

The curtains to the tall window in the corner are drawn back, though it is too dark outside to see anything and when she reaches out to unhook them they fall forwards with the soft, satisfying thump of heavy, warm curtains. A door to a inbuilt closet stands to the left of the bed and a little further on is a bookshelf with a collection of odd books in it. Karina lowers herself carefully onto the end of the double bed, fingers running over the gentle material of the blanket and watches as Jisoo lowers her bag to the ground at her feet.

"My temporary room should be ready by Christmas Eve," she says at last, to break the silence, "I'll be out of your hair by the time the big day rolls around."

"Don't be ridiculous Karina," Jisoo moves to sit beside her, "you shouldn't be alone on Christmas Day."

"You've never cared before," she cocks an eyebrows and Jisoo's brows furrow slightly.

"Well this year I do, okay? Just stay."

"Really?" Her eyes wander up to the antlers on Jisoo's head and even she can't help but crack a smile when she reaches up to tweak one, "seems like they're very serious about Christmas here. You know I don't really do it."

"They are," Jisoo pulls the antlers off her head, smiling wryly as she holds them between her hands. "I was sceptical at first too but... they really won me over."

"You mean Rosé won you over," Karina corrects her teasingly, nudging an elbow into her ribs as Jisoo rolls her eyes, shoving lightly at her arm. "She seems nice," she says more seriously and Jisoo nods, smiling.

"She is Karina, they all are. And Christmas is important to them."

"I need to study," she points out, looking down to the bag at her feet and Jisoo nods, patting her knee as she goes to stand.

"That's totally fine, just try not to be a total Grinch, okay?"

"I'm not a Grinch," Karina protests, even as Jisoo raises an eyebrow. "Whatever. Goodnight loser."

"Night asshole,"