“Are you...sick?”

The words coming out of Tiffany’s mouth catch Taeyeon by surprise, and both stare at each other. Of course Taeyeon heard Tiffany and of course Tiffany knows that she is sick, the situation couldn’t be more clear to them. On the other hand, they are left in a suffocating silence that is followed by a background music that plays at the party.

“I am” Taeyeon looks around her. She holds a petal through her fingers, white as the snow and pure as the love she feels for Tiffany. But now the petals look so sick and annoying.

“Why didn’t you tell me? I’m not your best friend anymore?”

Tiffany sounds angry, and on Taeyeon’s mind there’s nothing wrong about it. They are friends after all. More than friends, best friends. The look on Tiffany’s face don’t get soft anytime. Taeyeon’s silence annoys her.  “What is ing wrong with you? You’re not answering me?” She gets closer to Taeyeon and now she’s got her hands on Taeyeon’s shoulder, both on the floor. “Why didn’t you tell me? Why?”  Now her voice looks more fragile than angry, and sobs can be heard through the bathroom.

Taeyeon holds Tiffany in a tight hug. “I’m the one who’s dying and you’re the one crying?” She lefts a soft giggle. “I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you. I’m just…really sorry. I didn’t want to hurt you and make you worried.  I’m sorry.”

“I…I’m sorry I was rude” Now she is looking into Taeyeon’s eyes, getting away from the latter’s hug. “You didn’t tell me and I panicked because you are you and…you are my best friend you are…I-“

“You don’t need to say. I already know. I forgive you” 

Both stare at each other for a little and Tiffany decides to break the silence. “Who is he?”

That takes Taeyeon by surprise. She needs to come up with a good answer and a good person otherwise Tiffany can be suspicious, even though she’s not really great at deductions.

“Is it Kibum? Well I always thought he was in love with you but he seems to like Jonghyun. Wait. Is it Jonghyun? Ok, maybe is Junmye-“

“Tiffany”

Taeyeon puts a finger over Tiffany’s upper lip.

“It’s not a boy”

Is not like Taeyeon is a good example of heterouality, because she clearly isn’t. She always had boy crushes, and that is what kinda confused Tiffany, that simply whimpers an:

“Oh”

Then, she asks the scary question.

“Who is she? Do I know her?”

Taeyeon tries to not look alarmed, tries to act cool. And she is good at pretending, she did this for the past weeks, she did it for Tiffany and she did it for the love she felt.

“Don’t judge me okay?” She takes a deep breath and let it out. Oh, here comes the lie. 

“It’s Jessica”

Probably is not the wiser choice to drag Jessica into this mess,  but you know. Hard time, hard choices.

“You fell in love with the girl with no feelings? The Ice Queen? Ice Princess? Whatever her name is, you fell in love with her?”

The atmosphere between gets dense.

“Why do you sound so angry?”

“She’s got no freaking feelings. She’ll never be able to love you, you know that?”

“Yes, I know that. This is why I’m sick Tiffany, thanks for telling me”

“I’m going to lose you then?” Again, the sadness with the anger. But Taeyeon like always doesn’t blame her. She’s been feeling sadness and anger for too long and these emotions are so hard to control when you feel like you’re losing someone important to you. That is the reason she didn’t want to tell her. Seeing Tiffany sad it’s like a knife going right to her chest.

“I presume you will”

Again, they are left with only their breathing because in times like that, speaking can bring so much pain since every word that comes out from their mouths could be the last.

Tiffany knows. Tiffany knows. And it wasn’t supposed to be like that. It wasn’t supposed to be like that, and there is no way things could go better than that. Is there any great way that Taeyeon could just say “Hey, I’m dying and I’m sick”?

Realizing they are stuck in the bathroom for too long, Tiffany grabs Taeyeon’s hand. “Let’s get out of here and get you somewhere safe, so you can rest. I’ll sleep at your house tonight okay.” Taeyeon only nods. Tiffany opens the door and they walk through the drunk bodies across the dance floor, and Tiffany doesn’t mind waving Minho goodbye while she is leaving with Taeyeon.

Once they are out of the house, both can breathe a nice fresh hair. “Better, isn’t it?” Tiffany gives her a weak smile.

“So much better.”

Tiffany only let Taeyeon’s hand go when the short one texts Kibum to make sure she’s alright. The boy is so worried about her, right now she only hopes he’s having fun and meeting nice and new people.

Taeyeon’s house isn’t really far from Hyoyeon’s, Kibum only gave her a ride to help her save some breath but when she is with Tiffany everything looks better and indeed, feel better. They share a quiet walk with a comfortable silence, not a devastating one like in the bathroom.

10 minutes after, both are standing at Taeyeon’s door and Taeyeon opens it leading Tiffany upstairs to her room. The lights are out and everyone is sleeping, both keeping a slow pace and not making any noise. As soon as they got into Taeyeon’s bedroom Tiffany closes the door and they change into comfortable clothes, Tiffany changing in the bathroom and Taeyeon in her room.

The intimacy between Taeyeon and Tiffany it’s so big Tiffany has a spare of clothes at Taeyeon’s, and vice-versa. They are always ready to sleep on each other’s house, yet Taeyeon doesn’t feel comfortable with Tiffany when it comes to changing in the same room.

When Tiffany leaves the bathroom Taeyeon is already in bed, waiting for Tiffany since they always sleep together. Tiffany settles down in bed and they end up facing the ceiling.

“Can you tell me what made you fall for Jessica?”

Taeyeon frowns a little bit. “Why?”

“I’m just curious. You’re my bestie, you’re in love with a girl, and I’m just curious. It’s okay if you don’t wanna talk about it.”

“It’s okay I’ll try to talk about it.” Taeyeon scratches her neck. “Well, she is gorgeous. Her beauty outstands everything. I like her nose, it’s cute. Her hair it looks like it came out from TV, it’s always shining just like her. What I like the most…I think it’s her smile and her eyes. When she smiles, everything feels so right you know? Some people might kill for that smile, but I…I live for that smile. I live for when she is glowing, I live to see her always being so... like her. I think that’s what I like about her. Everything she does, and everything she makes me feel.”

Taeyeon regains her breath after her sweet monologue. “I’m sorry, I said too much didn’t I?”

“No” Tiffany answers. “It was so beautiful. I could feel the love coming inside of you, Tae.” She lets out a soft chuckle. “But I’m wondering…Jessica can’t feel. But you describe her as a glowing being  with a warm smile and everything. That’s weird but poetic.”

Now Detective Hwang is paying attention to details. “Well…you know. It’s a love thing”

“Love thing. Sure”

“Tae, I think I’m going to sleep right now”

“Oh it’s fine, I’ll be going too”

Taeyeon shifts her position in the bed to hug Tiffany, like they always do every night they sleep together but Tiffany stops her. “No no”

“What?” Taeyeon looks confused.

“Let me protect you tonight, ok?”

The blonde’s heart miss a beat and Taeyeon turns to the left, feeling Tiffany’s arms around her waist. Everything feels warmer and her heart accelerates too much, if you consider the last seconds that almost stopped.

“Goodnight, I love you.” Tiffany whispers in her ear.

“I love you more” Taeyeon answers.

They feel comfortable on each other’s arms and both have a good sleep.

When Tiffany is sure Taeyeon is asleep, she whispers in her ear:

“Please don’t let me”

After the discovery episode, Taeyeon had to let Jessica know about the lie thing. The girl was really comprehensive, she just shouted a “You what?” so loud that whole western could hear, but since she didn’t mind that much she let Taeyeon carry on with the lie.

Everything between Taeyeon and Tiffany changed since that day. It’s been only a week and there was a lot more of skinship. A lot more of touches, of hugs, of stolen looks and sometimes they got caught looking at each other’s lips. Taeyeon thought it was just her head fooling her, Tiffany was in love with Minho. Always him, right?

Tiffany never mentioned the boy for some reason, and Taeyeon felt grateful for that. By the way, since the party, she didn’t see Minho or Minho and Tiffany together. Tiffany started spending all the time at school with her, and the boy simply disappeared from her life.

Things started to get better, the future didn’t sound so scary. These days were full of Taeyeon and Tiffany and Tiffany and Taeyeon only, both didn’t need anyone else.

Kibum texted Taeyeon often to make sure she was alright and he was beyond comprehensive, feeling okay knowing Taeyeon was feeling better and safe with Tiffany.

It was on a Saturday when the most awkward thing happened.

The girls were on Taeyeon’s bed watching “Old Boy” a famous South Korean movie on Taeyeon’s laptop when Taeyeon felt Tiffany getting bored. The girl was yawning all time time. “You don’t like this movie, do you?”

“It’s too much for my mind. I just can’t” Tiffany looks at her.

“So, let’s do something not-boring” Taeyeon pauses the movie.

“Like what?”

Taeyeon gets up putting her lapton on her desk, and go straight to find her iPod player in some corner of her room. “Let’s dance, Tippany” She shows her iPod to Tiffany. Tiffany gets up smiling and laughing, Taeyeon plugs the iPod into a little amplifier and both stand in front of each other waiting for the music begin.

“It's on the random buttom, okay?”

“That way is funnier”

The first song that comes out is a bop from Wonder Girls, the second is an a American pop song that Tiffany showed it to her and when the third song comes both girls look at each other and start smiling like two fools. The song playing is I Need You by K Will and it’s their song.

Thank god there is no one home, because if there was, we would be sorry for their ears even if their voices are harmonic.

Tiffany grabbed Taeyeon by the waist and then made awkward dance moves with her, and when the chorus began they couldn’t control it.

niga pillyohae niga pillyohae (i need you, I need you)

il nyeoni gado sip nyeoni gado naneun ttokgata (even if a year passes, if ten years pass, I am the same)

dan harudo itji motan saram (I’m a person who didn’t forget even for a single day)

They were dancing and singing like the world was going to end tomorrow, laughing and smiling and imitating the song’s high notes, only they could share moments like that. In a clumsy move, Tiffany tripped over a Taeyeon’s shoe and brought the girl to the floor with her.

Tiffany on top and Taeyeon and the bottom, they stared at each other. The song was almost in the end, and both looked at each other’s lips. Tiffany leaned in closer to capture Taeyeon’s lips, she wanted it. She was so close and-

“Taeyeon, I’m home!”

Tiffany fell to the other side of the floor and Taeyeon was in disbelief. Both girls got up and when Taeyeon started saying something Tiffany left with a:

“Sorry, I’ve gotta go”

Taeyeon caressed her lips with her fingertips and felt the almost kiss that Tiffany gave her. She was just like Tiffany that day in the bathroom, although the latter had a real kiss. The pain strikes and she coughs, dry. It’s been almost a week nothing happened but now the memories haunted her. She can't have Tiffany.

“Tiffany darling, you’re already leaving?” Taeyeon heard her mom downstairs.

“I’m sorry I’m late for something”

She’s not sure of anything anymore.

2 days passed and nothing.

No sign of Tiffany, no messages, no phone calls. Tiffany missed school, and Taeyeon couldn’t be more worried, drowning in her own thoughts.

She was walking through her room trying to make the thoughts stop, but it didn’t work. She heard the knock and the door and Kibum entered the room because she needed someone to be with her right now.

“Nothing from her yet?”

Taeyeon shakes her head. “Maybe she is scared, you know? Is not that easy for someone to realize they love their best friend in a different way. And if she really wanted to kiss you…she’ll talk to you. I’m sure. Tiffany is not an .” Kibum tried to calm her down.

“You’re right”

He hugged her. “Like always”

They separated when both heard Taeyeon’s phone bipping. It was a message.

From Tiffany: Taeyeon, we need to talk. It’s urgent. Come to my place, if possible, right now.”

She read out loud and Kibum hugged her again, a quick hug. “I told you!” He smiled.

Taeyeon was desesperate. “I…What do I do?”

“Be yourself and just listen to her okay?” Kibum could be an amazing psychologist by the way he treated people always being so caring. “I’ll drive you to her house”

“What? You don’t need to. I can walk by myself”

“Honey, if you walk by yourself like this, I’m afraid you won’t be able even to cross the street. Let’s go, my car is outside”

They both got into the car, on the way to Tiffany’s Taeyeon didn’t look well and was playing with her fingers trying to get a distraction.

As soon they as they got on Tiffany’s street, Taeyeon closed her eyes and hold her breath. Kibum looked at her. “You’ll be fine. Go ahead. I’ll be here okay?”

“Okay”

She left the car and made her way to Tiffany’s door. When she was about to ring the bell, Tiffany opened the door and looked behind her. “That car is yours?”

“N-no. It’s Kibum’s”

“Oh, fine. Let’s talk okay?”

Tiffany left the door opened and Taeyeon got in her house, Tiffany going straight to her room and Taeyeon following her behind.

Tiffany closed her bedroom’s door and started talking.

“T-Taeyeon. I wanted to talk to you about something. I needed to talk to someone, to you.” Tiffany was nervous and kept walking from one place to another, just like Taeyeon minutes ago. “I wanted to tell you that Minho asked me to be his girlfriend and-“

“Taeyeon!”

The smaller girl throw up petals and petals, she fell on her knees and kept throwing up. They’ve never seen so many petals before, things escalated quickly to the final stage, it seems.

Tiffany tried to hold her down and the girl kept throwing up and trying to breath. “Ki-“ Taeyeon tried to say. “What?” Tiffany couldn’t hear. She kept throwing up and Tiffany just couldn’t hear. “Key”

Kibum.

“Wait, please!” Tiffany screamed and made her way to Kibum’s car and knocked on his window too roughly. “What is wrong?” He looked surprised.

“Taeyeon is…I think she’s dying”

He opened his car’s door and ran straight to Tiffany’s house, the latter showing him where her bedroom was. “Oh god.” He muttered.

Taeyeon was on the floor, unconscious. He got closer and noticed the girl was alive when checked her pulse.

“What the hell did you do?” He screamed at Tiffany at the same time as he tried to carry Taeyeon’s body.

“I didn’t do anything…” The girl cried while trying to explain herself. “I didn’t even mention Jessica and then she started to throw up and I couldn’t do anything and-“

“You can tell me later, that’s enough. Help me get her to the hospital. Is there anyone here?”

“No” She tried to stop the tears

“For God’sake, where is everyone right now? Let’s get to my car”

They put Taeyeon’s unconscious body in the backseat and Tiffany held Taeyeon’s hand all the way through the hospital, always looking at the girl. 

Kibum entered the hospital carrying the girl in his arms and soon nurses came to see what was happening. “She’s got the disease, the unrequited love one, you know. I think she needs to breath. Please save her"

The nurses put her in a stretcher and tell him told him to wait. “She’ll be fine” They say. He hopes it's true.

He sat down in a chair and Tiffany sat beside him. His hands buried in his face, the boy started to tear up when he looked to Tiffany. "I’m sorry I was an with you. I worry about Taeyeon, I know you do too. I didn’t let you finish. What you were going to tell her?”

“I was going to tell her Minho asked me to be his girlfriend”

She paused.

“And?” Kibum encouraged her.

“And I couldn’t say yes…because I have feelings for her”

"You're saying that.."

"I think I'm starting to fall in love with Taeyeon"