Nobody told Taeyeon how magical the holidays could be once you're able to spend it with someone you cared deeply for.
 

As busy as they were, Taeyeon and Tiffany tried their best to spend their free time with each other. They were finally able to have their first date the day after their little airport kiss, wherein they had dinner at a cozy restaurant that wasn’t too lavish nor too cheap. After filling their stomachs with hearty food, they took a stroll around the city and stopped at a café to get some dessert. It was a casual date, and if they compared it to what they’d been doing together for the past few months, it was unerringly similar. This time though, they didn’t have to sneak furtive glances at each other nor dial back on the sweet gestures, and it was very freeing for the both of them.
 

Once the night ended, Taeyeon dropped Tiffany off at her place, but not before lightly pushing her against the front door and giving her a few soft, lingering kisses goodnight.
 

They had both agreed to not move too fast in the bedroom department, and that’s why they chose to have their next few dates outside of each other’s homes, because they both knew that the temptation would be worse if they spent time behind closed doors.
 

But soon, kisses by the front door turned into shy invitations to come in, which then progressed into steamy makeout sessions on the couch. Usually after a long day at work, Tiffany or Taeyeon would invite herself into the other’s place to unwind and relax with takeout and a movie. And unsurprisingly, the warmth and comfort of being next to each other would pave the way for burning touches and all-consuming kisses that made their heads and hearts spin.
 

To them, it became a teasing dance of will-they-or-won’t-they. They were prolonging the inevitable in the most tantalizing manner, like some sort of extended that only ramped up their passion for each other and made them sure that once they took that chance, took that plunge, it would be better than they could have imagined.
 

And so you’d think that they would plan their first time properly, since they’d been stalling in order to wait for the right time, but it’s funny how fate seemed to love pulling the rug out from under both their feet.

***

It happened when Taeyeon was being a grumpy little thing, whining on the phone about how she was sure she was coming down with a cold. Tiffany merely told her to get off her and buy some medicine to counteract the virus as quickly as possible, but the lazy blonde just whined some more, making Tiffany wonder out loud if she was talking to Taeyeon or a ten-year old brat.
 

Taeyeon, already feeling a little sensitive, got a bit hurt by that and said that she was just going to sleep it off, abruptly ending the call.
 

Twenty minutes later, the still-grumpily-pouting-but-not-actually-sleeping blonde heard a few knocks on her door. She opened the door to a brunette wearing thicker-than-thick prescription glasses, an oversized light pink hoodie, and denim shorts. Tiffany was carrying a giant plastic bag containing cough medicine, a huge container of assorted sliced fruits, and a pint-sized tub of caramel ice cream (Tiffany said that the last one was for when Taeyeon got better).
 

“…Tae?” Tiffany prompted when the petite girl just stood there and stared at her, unmoving. “Tae, come on, it’s really co—“
 

Tiffany didn’t even get to finish her sentence as Taeyeon reached up on her tiptoes to silence her with a heated kiss. The blonde didn’t let up, wrapping her arms around Tiffany's neck in order to lock their lips more passionately.
 

Tiffany clumsily entered the apartment, fumbling to place the plastic bag on the end table as Taeyeon seemed to be on a mission to try to fuse their mouths together permanently.
 

A moan was drawn from deep within when Taeyeon slammed her against the door and simultaneously entered with her tongue.
 

“I want you,” Taeyeon said bluntly, pressing her hands against Tiffany's warm skin underneath her hoodie and tank top.
 

“W-what?” Tiffany was still trying to catch her breath from the kiss.
 

“I. Want. You.” Tiffany gasped as Taeyeon punctuated her words with zealous squeezes against her soft flesh. There was no mistaking what Taeyeon had meant by her statement.
 

“…Now?”
 

“Yes.”
 

“…Oh, thank God, finally,” Tiffany muttered under her breath in relief.
 

They barely made it to Taeyeon's bedroom, hastily discarding their clothing along the way.
 

The moonlight hardly provided a view of fingers ghosting over bare, smooth skin as mouths melded and moans intertwined during a night neither one of them would forget.
 

Taeyeon pouted a little when the forgotten melted ice cream was thrown away the next morning, but Tiffany gave her a peck and promised to buy her a new one.
 

Predictably, Tiffany caught Taeyeon’s cold after a few days (she said that it was totally worth it, though), but it wasn’t so bad when she got to spend a few nights in with Taeyeon, just sleeping and cuddling next to each other, watching as the snow slowly began to cover every inch of the city.

***

It was safe to say that Taeyeon had never felt such intense feelings for someone until she had fallen for Tiffany. Tiffany, whose smile lit up her world and somehow made everyone and everything else fade in the background.
 

Taeyeon knew that Tiffany was undoubtedly imperfect: she made mistakes in the past and will definitely make some more in the future, but the certainty of this was what kept Taeyeon grounded. It was what made her realize that Tiffany Hwang was definitely real and not some sort of mystical creature of perfection that may just be a figment of Taeyeon's imagination, because sometimes, Taeyeon honestly thought that being with Tiffany was too-good-to-be-true. But Tiffany was real, just as real as the feelings Taeyeon harbored for her.
 

It was kind of surreal how the imperfections and quirks that Tiffany brought to the table made Taeyeon like her even more, when just a few months ago, those were the things that made her grit her teeth in annoyance every time the other girl was within proximity.
 

The pink explosion of a bedroom Tiffany had wasn’t an eyesore anymore. Maybe because Taeyeon had the privilege of witnessing Tiffany lying on the hot pink sheets, writhing uncontrollably with her eyes closed and mouth agape as Taeyeon made it her mission to kiss and and every single mole she could find on the brunette’s glorious body, and holy was that a sight to behold.
 

Movie nights on the couch catered to Tiffany's love for cheesy, sappy, barf-inducing romantic films weren’t excruciating to endure anymore, as Taeyeon could do things that Tiffany didn’t mind (and sometimes more than welcomed) her doing, such as distracting her with butterfly kisses down her neck or when Taeyeon was exhausted from work, she would simply rest her head on Tiffany's lap while the latter continued to watch the screen intently as she gently combed her fingers through Taeyeon's hair, allowing the blonde to fall asleep against her in a haze of comfort and warmth.

***

Tiffany was falling. Hard.
 

And it was scary, because it was so different from the love she had felt for the people she had relationships with in the past. There was something just so all-consuming about what she was feeling for Taeyeon that it had begun to keep her awake at night.
 

She loved being in control, and yet with just one look, Taeyeon took that control away from her. But what really terrified Tiffany was the fact that she didn’t mind handing the reigns to Taeyeon; heck, she even welcomed it. It was just…right. Being with Taeyeon was right.
 

Becoming the recipient of Taeyeon's hugs and kisses was a kind of gift that she didn’t know she craved or even needed. And she felt lucky, like she had just won the lottery or something one-in-a-billion, because being with Taeyeon felt like that. Like she had hit the jackpot because she was with someone who meant the world to her.
 

But once that fear of losing control began to fade away, another one came into play: the thought that she didn’t deserve Taeyeon. That someone as imperfect and loud and stubborn as her didn’t deserve to be with someone whom Tiffany thought was everything and so much more.
 

Tiffany was afraid, but when those fears would rise to the surface and threaten to overwhelm her, Taeyeon would unconsciously chase it back down with her words, her gentle caresses, and her burning touches.

***

“How did I get so lucky?” Taeyeon suddenly asked one night as they were lying down next to each other, their heated and slightly-sweaty limbs tangled underneath the covers.
 

“What?” Tiffany chuckled nervously, because why was Taeyeon saying the words that always wanted to escape her lips?
 

“I’m so lucky to be able to be with you.”
 

“W-what are you talking about, Taeyeon-ah? I’m just…me. I’m the one who’s lucky in this relationship.”
 

Tiffany jerked in surprise as Taeyeon quickly tried to untangle herself from the brunette so that she could sit up on the bed properly. “You’re the lucky one??? Tiffany, look at you! You’re...Christ, you’re beautiful. And-and amazing and nice and kind and good,” Taeyeon choked out, getting a little emotional. “I’m the lucky one here. Sometimes I…I don’t think I even deserve you.”
 

Now it was Tiffany's turn to sit up, her eyebrows furrowing in disbelief as she stared at Taeyeon's face in the barely lit bedroom. “No. It’s me who doesn’t. I know I have a lot of faults. I’m loud and annoying and—“
 

“Yeah, okay, you are, but you think I don’t like that about you? I’ve already told you that I like how loud you are…and…and now I like it even more because God, I love how loudly you moan out my name every time we’re in bed. And…and okay, I may narrow my eyes at you when you cling on to me and talk too much, but I swear, nothing makes me happier knowing that I’m the one you’re holding on to. That you chose me, out of all the people that could make you happy.”
 

“Tae…” Tiffany reached out to wipe the stray tear on Taeyeon's cheek and fought back tears of her own. “You’re the only one who can make me this happy. Just you. No one else can compare. I’m lucky to be with someone so beautiful and sweet and caring, and I swear it scares me every single day just knowing how much I…” Tiffany swallowed and threw all her fears aside, hoping and praying that Taeyeon would finally keep them at bay forever. “…How much I love you. I love you, Taeyeon-ah.”
 

Taeyeon was silent for a while, but Tiffany could clearly see the tears spilling across her cheeks, which she hurriedly tried to wipe away for her. And then Taeyeon's lips lifted up into such a beautiful smile that Tiffany wished that the room wasn’t only bathed by moonlight because she wanted to see Taeyeon's face clearly.
 

“I love you too, Fany-ah,” Taeyeon finally said in response, still smiling widely back at her.
 

And then Taeyeon was kissing her, moving her lips and tongue against hers like she couldn’t get enough, like she needed Tiffany just as much as Tiffany needed her, loved Tiffany just as much as Tiffany loved her.
 

They tumbled back down onto the bed, with Taeyeon straddling her hips as they continued to get lost in each other’s eager mouths and hands. Tiffany writhed against Taeyeon, blindly begging for more contact, but then something wet and very sticky touched her nose, which then trailed down to the top of her upper lip. She quickly pulled back Taeyeon's face and cringed at the visible trail of snot coming from Taeyeon's nose that was surely the source of her discomfort. “Tae…ewwww…”
 

“Oh, crap! Sorry!” Taeyeon quickly wiped the mucus off Tiffany's face with her thumb, which earned her another groan from the brunette.
 

“Taeyeonnn! Use a tissue!”
 

“Oh. Right. Wait.” Taeyeon scrambled to the end table beside the bed and pulled out a few tissues from the tissue box. She came back and hurriedly wiped the remaining snot from both their faces.
 

“That was so y,” Tiffany deadpanned, biting back a smile.
 

“Sorry,” Taeyeon apologized sheepishly. “But I love you.”
 

Tiffany laughed. “Are you always going to say that every time you do something weird?”
 

“Yes. And also any time in general.”
 

Tiffany smiled. “I love you,” she said again, no longer afraid of sharing her feelings to the girl who deserved them.

A/N:

I would like to thank my sponsor, Class Suspension, for allowing me to write this chapter quickly. Heh.

This chapter actually only has about half of the fluffy stuff I wanted to add as a bonus, but I thought that I would just incorporate the others into the succeeding ones. I almost forgot to write down an 'I love you' scene...which was dumb of me...but I hope you cringed at what I came up with. HAHAHA GOD, THEY'RE SO GROSS.