A/N: This is a sequel to Don't Leave Me  in the previous chapter, so make sure you read that first.

A week late, but this is for Jessica's birthday. Happy Birthday to my beloved princess! Wishing you all the best with Blanc & Eclare and everything else, and can't wait for your solo!

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Jessica’s so used to getting birthday wishes phone calls that when she picks up another call, she just says “thank you” on reflex before the other person even speaks.

“Uh, you’re welcome?”

“Tae,” Jessica breathes. “It’s you.”

“Yeah, it’s me.” A pause. “Hi.”

“Hi.” She waits for Taeyeon to continue, but Taeyeon seems to be waiting for her to do the same. “Hello.” It sounds too awkward, so she adds, “From the other side.”

Taeyeon laughs, not the slightly strained one she gave at the beginning of their last phone call, like she had forgotten how to, but that genuine, familiar laughter of hers, full and deep and warm. It’s reassuring to hear it again, like finding an old sweater that she still fits into, like rediscovering a piece of home.

“Hello. How’s your side doing?”

“Which one?” Jessica rubs her waist. “I bumped against my bed yesterday and now I have a bruise on my right side.”

“Are you okay?”

“If I say I’m not, will you rub it better for me?”

“Are you trying to start phone or—”

“Yah, Kim Taeyeon!”

Taeyeon laughs again. “I swear, I should record that and make it a personal ringtone for your calls.”

Jessica smiles. “And what should I record to set as a ringtone for you?”

“What do you want me to say?”

Jessica narrows her eyes. “Not something dirty.”

“Oh, that reminds me of why I called.”

“Why,” Jessica says in a low voice. “Wait. Did you really call for phone ?”

Taeyeon’s laughter rolls over Jessica like a warm tide. Maybe she should just record that as a ringtone. “No, I didn’t. But if you’re asking…”

“You wish.”

“Maybe I do,” Taeyeon says, unabashed. “Hey, you’re the birthday girl. You should be the one making wishes.”

“Should I?”

“Yeah, tell me your wish.”

Jessica snorts. “Are you my genie now?”

“Only if you rub my lamp.”

“Taeyeon.” Jessica can’t even get out another word, she’s laughing so hard. “You’re so… Taeyeon.”

“Sooyeon,” Taeyeon says, quietly, intimately. “Happy Birthday.”

“Taeyeon.” This time, Taeyeon’s name leaves her lips in a very different tone.

“Are you having a good one so far?”

It would be better if you were with me.

“I want to be,” Taeyeon says softly, and Jessica realizes that she had said the words out loud. “I’ll be—I have a surprise for you.”

Jessica looks down, even though she knows Taeyeon can’t see her. “A surprise?” The question comes out in a small voice. “What kind of surprise?”

There’s a knock on the door. Jessica stops breathing.

“Aren’t you going to let me in?”

“Taeyeon?” Her voice is even smaller now. “Are you really— Don’t play a joke on me now.”

“Sooyeon,” Taeyeon says. “I’m really.”

Jessica makes it to the door, somehow, and opens it. And Taeyeon is standing there, in front of her door, in front of her, with a big bag and a small smile that widens when she sees Jessica.

“Hi,” Taeyeon says.

“Hi,” Jessica says, rather dazedly.

“Hello from the same side.”

Jessica chokes out a laugh, and then she’s pulling Taeyeon through the door and into her arms. She remembers to close the door behind them, and it clicks shut like a sealed secret.

“Happy Birthday,” Taeyeon says again.

“Thank you,” Jessica replies automatically, her eyes drinking Taeyeon in. Her hair has grown a little since the last time Jessica saw her, and mercifully she’s gotten rid of those horrible bangs. She’s also put on a tiny amount of weight, barely noticeable but evident to Jessica’s eyes (and arms, for the brief moment she held Taeyeon). Taeyeon never takes care of herself, but she won’t let other people do it either, and. Jessica’s relieved to see that she’s no longer quite so waifish.

“I hope—” Taeyeon clears . “You know, all your wishes come true.”

Jessica smiles. “One of them did already.”

Taeyeon smiles back, and there’s a moment when they just stand there smiling at each other, unspeaking but not silent.

“So,” Taeyeon says. “Aren’t you supposed to wear something special for the occasion?”

Jessica blinks. “Like, a party hat or something?”

Taeyeon doesn’t laugh, but her eyes do. “It’s your birthday, so shouldn’t you be in the suit for that?”

“There’s a special suit for birthdays?” Jessica asks, confused, and then it clicks for her. “Yah, Kim Taeyeon!”

Taeyeon laughs. “I really have to make that my ringtone.”

“You – you’re so…”

“So what?”

“So…Taeyeon.”

“Is that an adjective now?” Taeyeon asks, amused.

“Yeah,” Jessica says. “Nobody is as Taeyeon as you are. You’re very special.”

Taeyeon looks at her like—looks at her in that Taeyeon way that only she looks at Jessica with and that she only looks at Jessica with. “You’re the birthday girl,” she says lightly. “You’re the special one.”

“Well, of course I’m special,” Jessica says, and Taeyeon smiles.

“Very,” Taeyeon agrees, eyes not leaving Jessica’s.

Jessica’s lashes feel very heavy when she blinks and momentarily lowers her eyes. She redirects them onto Taeyeon and the pale blue ribbon in her hair, tied into a neat bow. Jessica touches it, lightly. “Nice accessory you have there.”

“It’s not an accessory. It’s for you.”

Jessica’s eyebrows draw together. “You want to give me a ribbon?”

Taeyeon laughs again. Jessica has long since memorized the sound, and she heard it over the phone only minutes ago, but it’s different in person. More defined, more real, more—just more. Taeyeon is more in person, but Jessica still can’t have enough of her.

“It’s for your present,” Taeyeon says. “You have to unwrap a present, right?”

Jessica’s mouth goes dry.

“Oh, I almost forgot.” Taeyeon gestures to the bag she brought, which Jessica had totally forgotten about. “I got you a cake. And I brought a handheld massager, for your side. And some massage oil, if you would rather have me rub it better.” She grins, dimple popping out, and Jessica just ends up staring instead of snorting and swatting her like she normally would.

“Taeyeon.” Jessica wants to say a lot of things here, but she’s never been the best with words. “Thank you.”

“You don’t have to thank me. It’s your birthday, and it’s—you. You don’t have to thank me.”

“Tae,” Jessica says, and in lieu of speech, kisses her.

I can’t believe you’re here.

“Believe it,” Taeyeon says, running her thumb over Jessica’s cheek. Jessica puts her hand over Taeyeon’s and just holds it.

“I have to stop this talking out loud while believing I’m thinking thing,” she says with a wry twist of .

“Why? I want to know what you’re thinking.”

“I want to know what you’re thinking.”

“I’m thinking that…you’re like a birthday candle.”

Jessica blinks, utterly bemused. “I am?”

“Yeah, you light up my life.” It should just be a cheesy pick-up line, but with the way that Taeyeon is looking at her, it’s not so cheesy anymore.

“Do you spend your spare time looking up pick-up lines or something?”

Taeyeon grins. “You inspired me with your Windex one.”

“That’s me, always an inspiration.”

“Indeed,” Taeyeon says solemnly. “You inspired me to write a song for my album.”

Jessica points to herself. “Me?” she asks in surprise.

“No, the plant behind you,” Taeyeon deadpans. “Yes, you.”

Taeyeon wrote a song for her. A song. For her. “Can I hear it?”

“It’s not done yet.” Jessica can see the excitement in Taeyeon’s eyes about her album. It makes her happy to see Taeyeon light up about something. Taeyeon has so much light around her, but it’s too often swallowed by the darkness that’s inside her. “I’ll sing it for you after it’s finished.”

“You’re really excited about this album, aren’t you?”

“I am,” Taeyeon says. “I think it has the potential to be something really special.”

Jessica would expect nothing less. Taeyeon deserves nothing less.

“Are you excited about your album?” Taeyeon asks.

“Definitely,” Jessica replies. “I haven’t sung in a long time. It’s…nice to sing again. I’ve missed it.”

Taeyeon looks at her with an intensity that’s a little hard to face head-on. “I’m sure your fans have missed your voice.”

“What about you?” Jessica can’t stop herself from asking.

“Don’t you know? I’m the president of your fan club.”

Jessica laughs. “I had no idea.”

“Well, you know now,” Taeyeon says. “I’ve missed your voice more than anyone.” She somehow says it very flippantly and very seriously at the same time.

Jessica bites and releases her lip. “You’ll get to hear it soon enough. I’ll sing something special just for you, president nim.”

Taeyeon grins, dimpling. “I’m looking forward to it.”

Jessica is too.

 

Bonus:

“So, I also have a pants line for you,” Taeyeon says, glancing at Jessica’s skirt. “You’re going to need to pretend you’re wearing pants too.”

Jessica snaps her fingers. “Done.”

Taeyeon smiles at her, eyes liquid and affection solid. “Do you have a mirror in your pocket?” Jessica almost checks, but then she remembers she doesn’t even have pockets, and she shakes her head. “Because I can see myself in your pants.”

Unlike Jessica, Taeyeon has no problem saying the punchline at all. Jessica means to give some sort of witty comeback, but she just ends up blushing, the heat spreading all the way to her ears. It’s not so much the pick-up line as it is the fact that she did think about Taeyeon being in her metaphorical pants when Taeyeon said that she could unwrap her present.

“I didn’t expect that to work so well,” Taeyeon remarks, looking smugly pleased.

Jessica clears . “It doesn’t work well. It would probably get you slapped if you tried it on someone else.”

“Why would I try it on someone else? You’re the only one I ever tell pick-up lines to.”

Jessica can’t help the smile that breaks over her face at that.

“Hey,” Taeyeon says. “Actually, I wanted to send you something nice for your birthday, but the mailman made me get out of the mailbox.”

“You’re nice?” Jessica teases. “I’m pretty sure Santa put you on the naughty list.”

“For your information, I can be either.”

“Well, I’m happy you…made a personal delivery even though the mailman thwarted your plans.” Jessica’s voice drops in volume but not sincerity. “I’m so happy you’re here, Tae.”

“I am too,” Taeyeon says softly, and grins. “I’m your genie, right? I have to make at least one of your wishes come true.”

“Thank you, genie,” Jessica says with a smile, reaching to undo the bow in Taeyeon’s hair. “I think,” she breathes, “it’s time for me to unwrap my present.”