Usual seat, usual time.
 

Taeyeon drummed her fingers against the table as she alternated between looking outside the café and worrying about the slowly melting ice floating on top of the vanilla latte in front of her.
 

She flitted her gaze back to the glass walls, and all her worries melted away as she met a pair of smiling eyes that made her heart flutter rapidly against her chest. Surely, crushing on someone at 26 years old warranted less internal squealing, but Taeyeon disagreed. Apparently, Tiffany Hwang deserved every bit of internal screaming and bursts of happiness Taeyeon's body could produce.
 

In record time, the woman outside the café had arrived before her. Taeyeon stood up to greet her, which Tiffany thought was highly amusing (and also very cute). “Why are you standing?” Tiffany laughed, quirking an eyebrow at her.
 

“Uhh… , I don’t know.” Taeyeon scratched the back of her head sheepishly. “It feels like I’m on a date.” She quickly sat back down as Tiffany scooted to the end of the booth so that they were seated across from each other.
 

“With five other people??” Be it Tiffany to remind her that most of their other friends would join them in a while, arriving later than was planned, as always. Although this time, their friends’ tardiness was completely welcomed by the two women.
 

“Shut up.”
 

Tiffany laughed again, amusement lighting her pretty eyes as she looked at Taeyeon. Taeyeon could get used to this. Very, very used to this.
 

Taeyeon smiled dopily back at her, because how could she not? “Hi.”
 

“Hi.”
 

“…Hello…”
 

Taeyeon could see Tiffany trying to fight back a smile at her shy and awkward responses. “Hello, Taeyeon-ah. It’s really nice to see you again.”
 

It was a very cold Tuesday, the week after they had that (frustratingly) platonic sleepover. Of course, they hadn’t stopped communicating with one another using their phones, but it was so much better being able to meet each other in person once again.
 

They were sitting across from each other, as they usually did during group hangouts, but it felt like an alternate universe now, if Taeyeon were to compare it to how they had regarded each other months ago.
 

“Remember when we used to glare at each other across this table?” Taeyeon began, earning an amused and reminiscent smile and nod from Tiffany. “But look at us now.”
 

“Yeah, I’m looking at you.” Tiffany's gaze turned soft, and Taeyeon all of a sudden found it really hard to breathe, as well as finish her train of thought.
 

Did Taeyeon say it was a cold Tuesday? Nope; it was an incinerating Tuesday. She tore her gaze away from Tiffany's eyes before she combusted right then and there, and she ended up focusing on the drink between them. “Oh! Here. I got this for you,” she said, pushing the drink towards Tiffany. Taeyeon knew that the other girl love iced caffeinated drinks, no matter the weather nor the season.
 

“For me?” The brunette looked at her in surprise as she pointed at herself. When Taeyeon nodded an affirmative, the beaming smile Tiffany directed at her made Taeyeon take note to always get the girl something to drink whenever they would meet. “Thank you,” Tiffany said gratefully, lifting the cup and taking a gulping sip of the latte. And then almost choked on her drink as she remembered something.
 

Taeyeon shot her a worried look as Tiffany coughed a little bit. “Hah, sorry.” Tiffany laughed sheepishly as she finally got her bearings together. She opened her purse and dug through it, coming up with a paper bag, which she handed to Taeyeon. “I just remembered that I have to return the clothes you lent me last time,” she explained.
 

“Ah.” Taeyeon held onto the bag, but decidedly pushed it back towards the other girl. “You can have them. I don’t mind.” They were her favorite clothes, but they looked so much better on Tiffany. It also made Taeyeon happy knowing that the brunette would be wearing her clothes every now and then.
 

“Oh.” Cheeks flushing at the sentiment, Tiffany didn’t know what else to say. But then she thought about it and pushed the bag towards Taeyeon again. “I…I can’t wear those. In public, I mean…even though I want to. It’s just that the girls know that they’re yours…” she trailed off, but Taeyeon understood what she was trying to say, and so she finally took the bag from Tiffany's hands.
 

“Ah, alright. I get it.”
 

“But maybe…soon?” The hopeful lilt in Tiffany's voice made Taeyeon smile.
 

“Yeah. I…yeah. Soon, what’s mine will be yours.” Taeyeon's eyes bulged out at her weird choice of words, and Tiffany also looked at her in surprise. “I-I mean—I mean not like…not like we’re getting married or what…I…”
 

She was cut off by Tiffany's sudden loud laughter ringing across the café. “Oh God, Tae. Relax. I know what you meant. And I’m kind of…really excited about it, too. Umm…if you don’t mind me being blunt, may I ask if we could maybe go out on a date…soon? I mean…” Tiffany coughed, clearing and trying to hide her nervous stuttering. “Will you go on a date with me?”
 

The flush on Tiffany's cheeks was back, and Taeyeon thought that it was beyond adorable. But when she saw Tiffany's hopeful smile begin to crumble, she realized that she hadn’t said anything in response yet. “Yes!” She burst out a little-too-loudly, scaring the five-year old that was occupying the table adjacent to theirs.
 

Tiffany's radiant smile returned to her face, and Taeyeon smiled back just as wide, but then the latter suddenly remembered something that made her smile drop and her eyes close in exasperation. “Fany, I’d love to go on a date with you as soon as possible, but I have to leave for Japan tomorrow morning for a photoshoot project. I won’t be getting back until Sunday night.”
 

Tiffany's smile faltered a bit as she digested the new information. “Ah. Well, that’s fine. We can always have it when you get back. Oh, and congratulations on getting the job!”
 

Taeyeon couldn’t help but stare in awe as Tiffany's smile came back in full-force. She wasn’t really used to the girls she dated being as understanding as Tiffany was about her work. Most of them were clingy and wanted her to always dedicate her time to them, even while she was out-of-town and would be busy practically all day and night.
 

Her awe for the girl in front of her grew even more as Tiffany began to ask her about the project, and not in the possessive way her lovers used to do, like when they asked her if she would be hanging with female models and if she could video call them frequently for updates (but mainly just to prove that she wasn’t hanging out with the female models). Tiffany’s questions were more curious and interested rather than subtly passive-agressive, and Taeyeon was honestly, totally floored by it.
 

She knew Tiffany had a jealous streak (she even got jealous every time someone in their group would wear more pink than her), but it was refreshing not to be bombarded with questions that didn’t focus on the main point of her work: that out of millions of photographers, she was the one picked for a huge international project.
 

Tiffany continued to throw questions at her, asking for details about the places in Japan that she’d be visiting, but all Taeyeon wanted to do was lean across the table and kiss the beautiful girl right on the lips.
 

As she contemplated on the pros and cons (but mostly pros) of doing said act, of course, lo and behold, that was when Kwon Yuri would show up.
 

Great. Awesome. Fan-freaking-tastic.
 

Grumbling underneath her breath in silent frustration, Taeyeon promised to herself that she would kiss the brunette who made her feel so many inexplicable things on the lips once they finally had their date.
 

She prayed that Tiffany wouldn’t be so adorable during lunch, or else she might not be able to wait that long.

***

Thankfully, the week went by fairly quickly, mostly because Taeyeon was busy working day and night on the photoshoot project. Before she knew it, it was Sunday night, and she was on a flight back to Seoul.
 

At about a quarter past ten, Taeyeon was making her way through the Incheon International Airport, her carry-on luggage in tow. She was exhausted, but she was also excited, because tomorrow, she was going to see Tiffany, and they were finally going to have their much-awaited first date.
 

She had been in constant communication with the brunette during the entire week, exchanging messages when they could and video-calling each other whenever their busy schedules would allow it. Taeyeon had compared Tiffany to the countless girls she’d dated and said that the previous women wanted too much of her time while she was busy abroad and she didn’t like that, but the difference here now was that Taeyeon was actually the clingier one between the two of them. She was the one who kept asking Tiffany about what she was doing, and she was the one who usually suggested going on video call whenever they had some free time.
 

She had already said good night to Tiffany before she got on the plane, but Taeyeon sent another quick text to let her know that she had landed safely. Before she sent it, she decided to add something about how she couldn’t wait for tomorrow to come, as cheesy as it may sound. She imagined Tiffany smiling in response to her message, and that made all the cheesiness worth-while.
 

Taeyeon noticed that most of the passengers walking with her had turned towards the baggage reclaim area, and she felt grateful that she didn’t bring back any baggage with her besides her carry-on; she just wanted to go home and get some rest so that she could look fresh tomorrow and impress Tiffany. Sure, the brunette had reassured her countless times that Taeyeon didn’t have to try to impress her, but it didn’t hurt to look her best for someone who always seemed to do so for her. Taeyeon was sure she’d get bonus points for it, too—maybe even a kiss or two.
 

Thinking about being able to kiss Tiffany made a smile break across Taeyeon's face despite her exhaustion. She quickly suppressed it, lest she looked like a weirdo in front of the other strangers walking in the airport with her.
 

She watched as some people practically ran towards the exit, where their loved ones were waiting for them. Maybe someday, Tiffany would be waiting for her at the other end, too. Or even vice versa.
 

And then Taeyeon abruptly stopped in her tracks when she witnessed a huge board bearing the words “KIM TAEYEON” written in hot pink marker being held by none other than the girl she hadn’t stopped thinking about the entire week.
 

It seemed like the other woman had seen her first. Tiffany was waving enthusiastically at her as she stood behind the metal fence. Even though the brunette was wearing some weird cap, there was no mistaking the lovely eye-smile she was throwing Taeyeon's way.
 

Holy . Holy .
 

You’d think that Taeyeon would have expected this, but she really didn’t. She knew Tiffany was busy with work, especially since the holidays were coming up and many galas and parties were being thrown by famous Hallyu celebrities who, of course, wouldn’t hesitate to invite the editor-in-chief of the fashion magazine of the year. Tiffany also mentioned that it was her magazine’s turn to throw a party in a few days; Taeyeon was even lucky that the brunette was willing to squeeze in their date in her packed schedule for tomorrow.
 

Taeyeon willed her legs to move as quickly as possible, almost leaving behind her luggage in her haste to get to the other girl, who had also moved towards the place where they could meet with no barriers in between them.
 

Finally, they stood in front of each other, and Taeyeon couldn’t look away.
 

“Welcome back,” Tiffany finally greeted her with a smile.
 

“But you said good night,” Taeyeon blurted out, making the taller girl let out a husky laugh.
 

“I know. But I wanted to surprise you.”
 

“Well…consider me surprised. Very surprised. And very, very happy.” Taeyeon couldn’t stop grinning. God, she was so happy. Tiffany was here. For her. Somebody freaking slap her right now; it felt like a dream.
 

“I’m glad,” Tiffany said, beaming at her.
 

Taeyeon finally noticed what the brunette was wearing, and her eyebrows wrinkled in confusion at Tiffany's getup. She was wearing some kind of captain’s hat, as well as a suit that wrapped around her curves perfectly, like it was tailor-made for her. “Fany…uhh, what are you wearing?”
 

“Oh!” Tiffany looked down at her outfit and pulled down the sign she was still holding up. She pointed at the left part of the suit, which had a few words sewn across it in glimmering golden thread; it read: ‘Cutie Kim Taeyeon's Personal Driver.’
 

Taeyeon's mouth dropped open as heat spread across her cheeks. Cutie. Oh God, she called me a ‘cutie.’
 

“You didn’t think I’d just ride a cab with you once I fetch you here, right? You deserve first-class vehicle navigation service from the one and only Tiffany Hwang,” Tiffany joked, pointing at herself.
 

“…Wow.”
 

Tiffany giggled at Taeyeon's awestruck response. “You like the outfit?”
 

“…Wow. I mean, yes. Yes. …And is that label…sewn in??”
 

“Tae…I’m a fashion magazine editor.”
 

“In-chief,” Taeyeon added. “Right. You have fashion staff and fashion people that could sew that in.” Which meant that someone Taeyeon didn’t know had to put ‘cutie’ before her name. Taeyeon pushed the thought aside; she can be embarrassed about it later.
 

Tiffany laughed at Taeyeon's choice of words. “Yeah. Exactly.”
 

Taeyeon used up a few more seconds to admire the time and work Tiffany invested on in order to surprise her. It honestly really felt like a dream right now; no one had ever done such a thing for her before. She looked up into Tiffany's smiling eyes and tried her best to tell her how much the gesture meant to her. “Thank you, Fany-ah. For the surprise, the outfit, the fansign—everything. You didn’t have to do anything, and I know how busy you are these days, so thank you so much. Really. I’m sorry… I probably look like an absolute disheveled mess right now—“
 

“Hey, you look good, okay?” Tiffany interrupted her sudden bout of self-consciousness. “I hope the fashion police never hears me, but your messy hair and loose hoodie honestly looks very y on you. You just look so comfy and huggable and adorable and—okay, I should stop selling myself out.” Tiffany laughed, a light blush fanning across her cheeks. “You’re also very welcome, Taeyeon-ah,” she continued. “And…I really missed you.”
 

If Taeyeon smiled any wider, her face would break. “I missed you too, Fany.”
 

The blonde watched as Tiffany shyly looked down in response, her cheeks turning even redder, smile getting even wider.
 

The silence stretched out between them as they digested everything they’d just spilled out into the open, right there inside the gigantic airport. Taeyeon wished that she could freeze time and just stay there with Tiffany, feeling every possible synonym of ‘happiness’ that the Oxford dictionary could procure.
 

In the end, Tiffany was the one to break the silence. “Let’s go home?” She asked, offering her free hand to the shorter girl.
 

Taeyeon stared at the hand in silence, something finally clicking into place inside her. “Wait.”
 

Tiffany watched in confusion as Taeyeon ignored her outstretched hand and pulled the other one holding the huge sign back down to Tiffany's side. She watched in breathless anticipation as Taeyeon moved closer and reached out to hold her cheeks in between her palms. And then Taeyeon was leaning in, pulling her along as she brought her lips up to meet hers for their first kiss.
 

Soft. Full. Warm.
 

Perfect.
 

Tiffany dropped the sign she was holding in order to wrap her arms around Taeyeon's waist as they kissed and kissed and kissed, both never wanting such an indescribable moment to end.
 

When they finally pulled apart for air, noses brushing, warm panting breaths ghosting across each other’s lips and intertwining, they didn’t pull away far enough to let the moment pass; they pulled away just enough to let each other know that they needed air, but they were going to merge their lips once again once they had their fill.
 

“God, I’ve wanted to do that for so long,” Taeyeon confessed, panting slightly. “...I was actually going to do it on our first date, but—“
 

“No, that was…that was perfect,” Tiffany said breathlessly. “Well worth the wait.”
 

“A seven-year long wait?” Taeyeon teasingly asked, chuckling.
 

“Yeah,” Tiffany replied, laughing along. She tightened her arms around Taeyeon's waist and nuzzled her nose with hers. “You’re worth waiting that long for.”

A/N:

*fist pumps air* FINALLY! THE TORTURE IS OVER LOL.

I updated this too quickly, didn't I? And damn, this was probably the longest chapter. I just got too excited to write the kissy kissy. Guilty as charged. ^^

I hope that didn't disappoint you guys. I mean...that took 12 chapters, after all. Hopefully it was worth the wait too! XD

Choose your poison! I honestly couldn't pick, so...visualize whichever you prefer. :D

Btw...this isn't the end! I actually have a super fluffy (maybe a little bit smexy) bonus chapter planned after this one to give you guys a glimpse of their new relationship. Plus a little bit more wrapping up to end it properly.

Thank you for reading and commenting! Your enthusiasm really makes my day. You guys make my heart flutter, aheuheuheu.