Jason watched the rest of SNSD’s performance from the shadows backstage.  Much to everyone’s relief, there were no other last minute emergencies.  Watching the girls perform, he was sure he had developed a magical sixth sense.  From his position, everything was backlit and the girls were nothing more than silhouettes moving about the stage.  Should have been unrecognizable… Except, like a homing beacon, his eyes followed one shadow.  One that flitted about in between the other girls, but he knew it was Tiffany.  He just knew.

After their closing performance, everyone piled into the van, excluding Jason.  He stealthily got in his car and followed the van home.  

Everyone was lounging about in his apartment.  Sprawled on every available surface of his living room.  The sofa, the arm chairs, the floor...You name it - they’ve got it occupied.

    “It was lucky you knew the song and could play it, oppa,” Yoona looked up at him from where she lay on the floor.  On her stomach with her chin resting on her stacked hands.

    “It was. But you guys would have come up with a solution anyway?” he winked playfully at her. A ringing came from his pocket, “Sorry. Phone call.”

Jason patted the legs across his lap.  Tiffany pouted, but reluctantly removed them.  He stood up from the couch and fished his phone.  With a quick smile at the older girl, he answered the call.

    “Hello, good evening. Jason Logan speaking,” Jason hurried to his room and closed the door.

    “Good evening, Jason-ssi.”

    “Director-nim! To what do I owe the pleasure?”

    “I’ve been reviewing staff profiles and performance recently, and I would like to make an offer…”

His mind went blank.  Everything went numb as the director’s words barely registered.  The young man’s legs collapsed from beneath him.  He dropped onto his bed.  He felt nauseous, like he just reached the top of the rollercoaster and fell down the other side...Leaving his stomach somewhere up in his throat.  

    “I..I… Thank you, Director-nim,” he choked, “Could I have a bit of time to think about it?”

    “Of course.  Think it over the next two weeks, and let me know your answer.”

    “Yes, sir,” unconsciously he bowed slightly, even though there was no way the director could see him via phone call.  The line clicked.  And the call ended.  

For a few minutes he just sat there.  Dazed eyes staring unseeingly at the mobile phone cradled in his hands.  There was a shout outside his door.  His head snapped up.  He threw the door open and darted out.

    “What’s wrong?” he asked worriedly.

Sunny pointed at the TV.  Everyone was transfixed by the program.

    “...Friendly encounters? Or is KhunFany real? That’s right! You heard it here.  2PM’s Nichkhun and SNSD’s Tiffany have been spotted having a few romantic moments.  Are they dating?.... We’d like to know…”

Jason looked down.  Tiffany’s eyes were wide.  She was...scared.  Blood drained from her face, leaving her ghostly pale.  Her bright eyes were shining with tears that threatened to spill.  Pictures of innocent meet ups with her friend were being displayed for the world to see and twisted to feed a rumour.

    “Neither Nichkhun, Tiffany or their managers were available for comment. But there’s been no denial… Is this confirmation of their dating rumours?...”

It’s been a week.  A whole blasted week and the rumours of Tiffany and Nichkhun were still swirling around the public.  It’s been a whole week since Jason had slept peacefully.  Too many nightmares… too much worrying for Tiffany’s sake.  Nothing worse than the same rumour has happened yet, but he knew fans could get riled up some day. One wrong post and Nichkhun’s fans might target Tiffany.  Just like before...And the next time, they might not use something as harmless as paint balloons.

A tired sigh escaped him.  Suddenly, his apartment was too small and too cluttered.  He was alone, but he felt constricted.  He snagged a jacket from the back of his sofa and left.  Jason climbed up the familiar steps and opened the door to the roof.  

His thinking place.

And Tiffany was there…?

Sure enough, the American born beauty was leaning against the rails and quietly staring out into the open sky.  Still a bright blue from the afternoon sun.  Sunlight glinted from the windows of the buildings around them.  Quietly, he walked over and leant against rails beside her.

Neither of them spoke. Nor even looked at one another.  Just listening to the sounds of a busy city. From up here, everything else felt so far away. Like they were somehow separated from the stress and trouble of normal life.

Jason said, “The rumours about you and Nichkhun haven't died down.”

“No,” she glanced at him, “I think they've actually gotten worse.”

“What's going to happen now?”

“The director, manager-oppa, Nichkhun's manager and the PR came up with a...plan,” the way she said it, it was like ‘plan’ was the most idiotic and sneer-worthy word in the dictionary.

“You don't approve of it?”

She sighed and turned away, “Nichkhun and I have to 'confirm' the rumours.”

If her tone was bitter, he didn’t comment, “You're going to pretend?”

“For a few months, then we can break it off and the fans will finally drop it as 'old' news,” feigned nonchalance. Like if she said it casually enough, it wouldn’t be a big thing.

He let out the breath he didn’t realise he’d been holding, “That …”

“Yeah.”

Silence reigned again.  Both of them grappling with their own inner troubles.

“I got a job offer,” he blurted out, “To be the new head of the legal sector, it's a really big promotion, especially for my age.”

“Congratulations!” The old spark twinkled in her eyes, “Where?”

“Still with SM Entertainment,” he said evasively.

“You know that's not what I meant.”

“...... Japan. But, I haven't accepted yet. I have a few days to think about it.”

She nodded, spark gone, “Yeah, same. I have a few days to think about the plan.”

Jason sighed.  His shoulders slumped, defeated.  The paint on the rails was peeling, peeks of the underlying grey metal showed here and there.

“There’s not much to think about, is there?” he picked at the peeling paint with a fingernail.

“No, not really,” Tiffany mumbled.

Jason eyed the bits of paint trapped under his nails, they were stuck. He chuckled humorlessly, “Look at us. Trapped by the very careers we chose.”

She echoed his empty laugh, “You know...I’m trying to decide if I did something incredibly stupid.”

“What did you do?”

Tiffany looked him straight in the eyes.  Trapping him in her serious gaze.

“I fell in love with you.”

He wrenched his eyes away from her.  A bitter taste filled his mouth as he stared down at the city he was probably going to leave, “I have to confess that every relationship I have ever had has ended in disaster because I got bored or for some other trivial reason.  I’m not perfect, I have flaws. I don't know how to be a good boyfriend.”

Tiffany rolled her eyes and grabbed his shoulders.  She forced him to face her, “You don't have to be the perfect guy, you just have to be the perfect guy for me. And I wouldn't have said it if I didn't already think you were the guy for me.”

“You know I'm going to say yes and go to Japan.”

“I know.”

“And you're going to say yes to pretending to date Nichkhun.”

“I am.”

Jason pulled away.

“What do you want me to say?” he growled, “We can't do this, not now, not with the way things are.”

“I was hoping you'd say you did something stupid too,” she flashed him a watery smile. He wished she hadn’t. It was a washed-out version of her eye smile and the sight of it killed him inside, “I don't need you to give up the job at Japan. I actually want you to accept the position because it's an amazing opportunity and you deserve it, so much. But just for tonight...just one night pretend nothing else is going on and respond to me as if we had all the time in the world.”

“I can't—”

“Please?”

“........ Fools never differ, noona,” he stepped forward and held her close, “I did the same stupid thing you did, I fell in love with you.”

“Good,” she breathed in his comforting scent, peppermint and cologne, and relaxed into his arms.

“This doesn't change anything,” he mumbled into her hair, “By tomorrow we'll both say yes and—”

“I know,” she cut him off, “But I'm happy.”

“... Funny,” he croaked, “I'm heartbroken.”

“So am I,” she sniffled, “But at least I'm not stuck with a 'what if', I'm not going to spend the rest of my life wondering if you felt the same way.”

Jason laughed weakly, “I don't know if this is my happiest heartbreak or my saddest mutual confession.”

Tears ran down their faces.  Each rivulet traced a path of despair on their ashen skin.

“It can be both,” she whispered.

Jason pulled away.  He walked back to the door he had come from. With twist of wrist, the knob turned, but he paused.  On the threshold, before he walked away and shut the door, he turned back.

“Bye, Tiffany-noona.”

She mirrored his broken smile.

“Bye, Jason-ah.”

This was inspired by a prompt I found:

"I think I did something incredibly stupid..."

"What?"

"I fell in love with you."

I don't know where it was from, or who to credit. If you know, just comment/message me and I'll give credit. :)

Almost there, everyone! ^^