Jessica was asleep on the couch, having fallen asleep after watching the television mindlessly for hours. Her hands had been bandaged tightly, so as to keep pressure on the open small, open wounds on her hands. I had patched them herself, years of experience finally being useful for me. For once, I was able to repay Jessica for what she had given me. It wasn’t such a bad thing to be out in the streets anyway. It taught me how to fight for myself, how to survive and how to be grateful for the things I used to have. The sudden outburst I saw from Jessica made me more cautious around her, more careful of what I do. Quietly, I sat on the carpeted floor, resting my head on my folded arms as I watched Jessica from the far side of the coffee-table. She looked so tired and weary, as if she had not slept at all last night. Her soft breathing calmed my nerves and I felt at peace as I watched the sleeping angel strewn out on the couch. My eyelids drooped, a sudden wave of tiredness and sleepiness overthrowing me and I found myself drifting off.

Jessica

My eyes opened lazily, and my back ached from sleeping on the couch. Sitting up, I stretched my sore body and ruffled my already messy hair.

“Hmm…Tiffany?” I looked around the room, my eyes zeroing in on the lone girl sleeping with her head resting uncomfortably on her folded arms.

I chuckled softly, shaking my head. Gently lifting her in my arms, I carried her to her bedroom. I marvelled at her little body and how light she was. She fit snugly in my arms, her nose poking at my shoulder and her head resting against my chest. I admired her beautiful face for a while, pausing just to stare at her smooth skin, her kissable lips and her angelic features. I laid her on her bed, carefully tucking her in and pulling the blanket over her so that she wouldn’t be cold. Walking outside to the living room, I decided to have pizza for dinner.

Tiffany

I rubbed my swollen eyes, having slept for too long. It was quiet outside, almost too quiet. I couldn’t hear the faint buzzing and murmuring of the television as I usually did when Jessica was watching it. I couldn’t hear the abnormally loud and high-pitched yawning that Jessica emitted when she was tired. I crawled out of bed, frowning, and took a peek outside. What I saw outside made my heart flutter. Jessica was reading an English book, a pair of black-rimmed glasses perched on her nose. She was really into the book, her forehead wrinkled as she frowned at the book. I jumped when she suddenly burst out laughing. My foot caught in the carpet and I tripped forward, my hand instinctively reaching out to grab a hold of the doorknob. My body fell through the door but I managed to regain my balance, stumbling forward a little. Jessica’s head snapped up at the loud noise and I managed to smile sheepishly at her. Her lips curved into a confused smile, and she shut the book softly. My stomach growled, having yet to eat since yesterday. Jessica seemed to have heard it and let out a soft chuckle.

“You’re hungry,” she produced a plate of a few slices of pizza from the microwave. “Here, I saved some pizza for you.”

I went over to Jessica and made myself comfortable on a stool next to Jessica. I pulled the plate nearer to me and began stuffing my face, faintly wondering when the last time I had something so delicious was. She watched me intently, her book put aside. It felt embarrassing to have someone staring at me while I was so greedily eating, but strangely, I felt okay with it. I didn’t have the need to cover my mouth or chew slowly with my mouth closed when I was with her. It just felt natural. And it didn’t scare me, instead, it comforted me. By minutes, there was absolutely nothing left on the plate but small crumbs and some sauce. I leaned back, satisfied.

“You full now?” she asked, a teasing light glinting in her shining eyes.

“Very, thank you,” I nodded, but felt something bubbling uneasily in my stomach.

Before I could say anything, I burped loudly. Jessica froze for a while, before doubling over, laughing until tears came to her eyes. I clasped a hand to my mouth, blushing furiously. She was hitting her lap repeatedly, her small body shaking form the uncontrollable laughter. It went on like that for a while; she would stop laughing, pause for a short moment, and then burst out in laughter again, hitting everything around her. Her bandaged hands slammed against the countertop, and she winced a little, but continued to laugh. I never knew anyone who could laugh as much as she could. I had watched enough, wincing every time her wounded hands went to slam on the table. I grabbed them and her laughter died immediately. She stared at me, looking at me with beautifully intense eyes.

Our faces were inches apart. I could feel her breath on my lips as my eyes trailed to hers. Her hands were in mine, and I held them up to my chest. I had never felt this way in my entire life. It was indescribable; it was something I couldn’t explain in words. It just was. And it feltamazing. It lasted like that for a while longer until Jessica’s breath hitched and she tore away from my gaze. My shoulders slumped in obvious disappointment. My eyes turned downcast and I was utterly crestfallen. I had no idea of what I just felt. It didn’t feel anything like love to me; love was definitely more painful, but it couldn’t just be attraction. It felt much more powerful than that. She cleared awkwardly and plopped down onto the couch.

“Well, you should be getting back to bed now. It’s late.”

“What? Did you not see my already-swollen eyes?” I whined, widening my eyes for her to see.

Her face scrunched up and I detected another fit of laughter again. So, I sat down next to her and smiled brightly at her. At that moment, I appreciated everything Jessica had done for me. I would’ve been sleeping in the streets, under no protection whatsoever with an empty stomach. And yet here I was, full and warm. I had forgotten everything, including my philophobia, and grabbed her arm, leaning on her shoulder. I felt her body stiffen, but I only snuggled up to her, breathing in her sweet scent. Gradually, after seeing how comfortable I was, I felt her relax, and we fell asleep that way, with the two of us snuggling into each other. It was cold without blankets, but I felt the warmest I had ever felt in years.

Readers’ Note:

Taeyeon’s coming! Hehehe…well, at least Tiffany’s comfortable with Jessica for now. Things will be much more different later on. And since many people wanted a JeTi fic, I’ll make this JeTi. :) So, anyway, enjoy some fluff before things turn bad.

Thank you for reading!

Yours Faithfully
Jazzign