A/N: Based on Jessica's Instagram comment on her saesang encounter, which was posted right after the news that Taeyeon's MV would be delayed. Thanks to Jjungcat for the inspiration!

“So, I heard you were disappointed,” Taeyeon says with a quirk of .

Jessica pouts. “I was. I even set an alarm for the exact release time.”

“I’ve shown you pics and clips—”

“Pics are pics. Clips are clips. They aren’t the real thing.”

But this isn’t the real thing either, Taeyeon can’t help but think as she looks at Jessica, or rather Jessica’s image in the Skype window. Text messages and phone calls and Skype conversations aren’t the real thing, are merely stepping stones on the scale of reality. Maybe the next step can finally lead her to Jessica for real.

“Tae?”

“So not only have I got love, I got you too?” Taeyeon asks with a lopsided smile.

Jessica rolls her eyes so hard it looks painful, but she’s smiling. “You have the lamest sense of humour out of anyone on the planet.”

Taeyeon grins. “Are you saying I’m out of this world?”

“In a manner of speaking,” Jessica mutters.

“Maybe I’m from Wonderland,” Taeyeon says brightly, and Jessica looks like she’s torn between laughing and strangling Taeyeon. Not that she could reach her to do the latter.

“Yeah,” Jessica says. “Maybe you had some of that Drink Me potion. That would explain why you’re so short.”

Taeyeon is the one to pout now, and Jessica smiles in a rather Cheshire Cat like manner.

“I’d rather be the cake,” Taeyeon says. “Then you could eat me.”

“Yah, Kim Taeyeon!”

“What.” Taeyeon blinks innocently. “Isn’t that what the cake is called? Eat Me?”

“You’re going to get kicked out of Wonderland if you keep making stupid puns,” Jessica says through gritted teeth.

“You think my puns are stupid?” Taeyeon puts on a Sad Face that she knows Jessica can see through in a millisecond but falls for every time anyway. Just like she predicted, Jessica’s face softens. “Are you sure you don’t mean stupendous? Or stupundous?”

Whatever softness was there in Jessica’s face dissipates instantly, replaced by the expression that had won her the nickname of “ice princess.” It’s strange, but Taeyeon finds herself missing that expression these days, or maybe just the times when she saw it regularly. The times when she was called “kid leader,” even though she felt far from a kid, even though idolhood stripped her of whatever childhood she had left.

“Taeyeon, if you’re going to keep spacing out on me I’m really going to think your mind is in another universe.”

Maybe in another universe they wouldn’t be separated by a computer, with the screen like a sheet of prison glass between them. Maybe in another universe they wouldn’t be reduced to subtle references on Instagram, being the closest to a public message they’re allowed. Maybe in another universe… Maybe.

“Taeyeon?”

“I’m here,” Taeyeon says. “Still in this universe, don’t worry.”

Jessica purses her lips. “You’re hard not to worry about.”

“I’ve heard,” Taeyeon says. “Speaking of worry, those saesangs you had—”

“Ugh, don’t even mention them.” Jessica’s eyebrows draw together, her forehead furrows; lines of tension that Taeyeon would quite like to kiss away. “And to think I spoke to them last time and asked them nicely not to do it again. I should have known that would just encourage them.”

“You never know what would encourage or discourage them.” Taeyeon shrugs. “They claim to love us but they don’t understand what love really entails.”

“What love really entails,” Jessica repeats, her eyes on Taeyeon like both a question and an answer.

Taeyeon clears and averts her eyes, suddenly finding it too hard to meet Jessica’s gaze. “So I’ll, um, let you know right away when they release the music video.”

“Okay,” Jessica says evenly. “I look forward to it.”

“I hope it doesn’t disappoint you.”

I hope I don’t disappoint you.

“I’m sure it won’t,” Jessica says, nothing but certainty in her voice. “And if it does”—Taeyeon’s mouth goes dry—“you’re really going to be kicked out of Wonderland.”

Taeyeon laughs, and when she sees Jessica smile in answer, that soft smile that has never really changed throughout the years, she thinks that this universe has its merits as well.

A/N: This was just supposed to be a fluffy punfest but then it took a surprisingly angsty turn?? Then again, maybe not that surprising because this is TaengSic after all.