Taeyeon blinked as she roused from her sleep. The clock on the wall reads 8:01, noticed Taeyeon. It was an exceptionally unusual time to be awake but she felt surprisingly well-rested. Stifling a yawn that bubbled from the pit of her stomach, Taeyeon tossed to her right to continue her beauty slumber. 

Taeyeon felt a smile graced her lips as she came to face her dozing girlfriend. Scooting closer, Taeyeon wrapped her arm around Tiffany and snuggled against her. Warm, comfortable and her senses were fogged with Tiffany when her eyes flew open. She gasped in surprise at the empty cold spot before her; Tiffany was nowhere in sight. With an unsettling feeling welling inside, she frantically scrambled out of bed. 

"Tiffany!" Taeyeon hoarsely yelled and stumbled to the toilet to find it vacant.

"Fany-ah!"

The door flung open as Taeyeon started tearing up in panic and Tiffany walked in, confused. 

"Taeyeon? Baby, what's wrong?" Taeyeon pulled Tiffany into her arm, tightening her arms around her lover as she breathed. 

"I'm here, I'm here. What's wrong?" Tiffany cooed and Taeyeon's hair. Grappled by fear, Taeyeon gripped on to Tiffany and bawled into her shirt. 

"Hey, hey, it's just a nightmare. Don't worry, I'm here." Tiffany gently assured the trembling brunette in her embrace. 

//////////

Tiffany suggested going to the café they used to visit after calming Taeyeon down. Taking a shower to calm her wild thumping heart, Taeyeon put on her favorite flannel and skinny jeans. Taeyeon pressed her fingers on a dull ache throbbing in her skull as she pushed the door open, eager to see her lover. Tiffany watched her with adoring eyes as she stepped out of the bathroom and attentively adjusted her collar. Taeyeon exhaled with a smile when Tiffany hugged her. 

"Are you ready to go?"

Taeyeon felt apologetic at her outburst earlier- the worry in Tiffany's gaze sent a pang of guilt. Taeyeon volunteered to drive today to make up for it and Tiffany gladly obliged. 

"Where are we going first?"

"Hmm," Tiffany scratched her chin in thought, "Pancakes?"

"I should have known," Taeyeon chuckled, "Get into the car, Miss Hwang."

Taeyeon started a conversation about a picture she saw on a social media as her Mercedes smoothly eased through the traffic. Tiffany's laughter reverberated in the confined space. 

"Can you imagine walking a pink dog?"

"It's not that hard," Tiffany wiped a tear away from the corner of her eye as she stared at the photo and giggled again, "I would do that." 

"That's because you're a pink monster, Tiffany." Taeyeon teased and grinned when she saw Tiffany sticking her tongue out at her. 

"It's just you and having something against the color pink, Taetae," Tiffany retorted, slipping Taeyeon's phone back into the storage department, "I think a pink-" 

Taeyeon revved her car to a halt hazardously. 

"Fany?" Taeyeon whispered. She stared at the seat where Tiffany was leaning into a minute ago but was now vacant. She pressed her palm on the seat, feeling the warmth that Tiffany had left behind. 

"Fany!" Taeyeon's heartbeat pounded rapidly in her ears as she flung the door open and ran out of the vehicle. 

"Tiffany!" Taeyeon breathed laboriously with a fear clouded mind, darting her eyes in search of her girlfriend. A sharp pain shot down her back and Taeyeon slumped heavily against her vehicle. Taeyeon swallowed, in relief and confusion when she saw Tiffany waving at her in the car. 

"Taeyeon?" Tiffany asked, voice laced with concern when Taeyeon climbed into the driver seat, "Taeyeon, what's wrong?"

Taeyeon stared at Tiffany. She shook her head and exhaled through her nose. She didn't feel the need to worry Tiffany. Really, Taeyeon cradled her head, what is wrong with her?

"Do you want me to drive?"

"No, it's okay just- give me a minute." Taeyeon shakily breathed and squeeze Tiffany's hand for reassurance. "Can you keep talking?"

"What?" Tiffany asked incredulously. 

"No," Taeyeon explained, "I just want to hear your voice. Please."

Tiffany nodded and sang along to the hits on the radio when Taeyeon could not hold a conversation with her. Tiffany's voice soothed Taeyeon as she continued her drive to their frequent American breakfast café. Tiffany happily took Taeyeon's hand and skipped to the café, dragging a chuckling Taeyeon who tried to calm Tiffany down. 

"Table for two, please," Taeyeon heard the confidence in Tiffany's voice; a reason why Tiffany enjoyed visiting this café as she could confidently converse in her preferred language. Taeyeon let Tiffany make the order for her; her standard go-to pancakes topped with berries while Tiffany opted for the savory pancakes platter with eggs and truffle sauté mushrooms. The fluffy stack was tastier than Taeyeon could remember; biting into it with a grin and generously soaked them with maple syrup. 

"Ew, Taeyeon," Tiffany scrunched up her nose as she delicately sunk her knife into her own, "Too much sugar."

"It's good," Taeyeon replied through a syrup coated lips, "Wanna try?"

"It's alright," Tiffany pretended to shudder. She lifted a bit of egg on her fork and bring it to Taeyeon's face. 

"Here baby, eat this."

With a grin, Taeyeon dramatically opened wide and closed her eyes. The fork hit her plate with a clatter and she widened in shock at the commotion. The fork laid on the table- the piece of egg stained the white cloth. Taeyeon toppled her chair over as she jolted upright. 

"Tiffany?" Taeyeon felt her insides churn as she frantically darted her eyes around the café. Her ears were ringing, her body stiffened in alarm.

"You... Tiffany... see her?" Taeyeon held the passing waiter's hand and questioned him in her accented English. He gazed at her with a baffled expression and pointed to the seat in front of her. Tiffany was frowning at her. 

"Fany?" 

"Taeyeon, you're weird today," Tiffany said while picking up her fork. She stole a blueberry from Taeyeon's plate. 

"Fany?" Taeyeon croaked, feeling her head throbbed with an intensity as she picked up her fallen chair. 

"Taeyeon, are you alright?" Tiffany reached over and cradled Taeyeon's face in her palms. She smoothed her thumb over the creases in Taeyeon's eyebrows. 

"Your fingers are sticky," Taeyeon feigned a smile as she relented to those gentle . The couple finished their brunch with a light conversation with Taeyeon casting worried glances at Tiffany's direction every now and then. The couple took a stroll down the river that afternoon and Taeyeon caved in when Tiffany pulled her into the mall. Watching her girlfriend happily slipping on heels, Taeyeon leaned against the wall crossed her arm, wincing when a pain seared her skin. A piece of glass jutted out from her forearm sending a trickle of blood down her fair skin. Taeyeon was horrified to see the state of her watch. 7.25, the watch ticked and Taeyeon examined the damage when she heard a gasp from Tiffany. 

"Taeyeon, you're bleeding!" Tiffany shrieked and pulled a tissue out of her bag. 

"I'm okay, I must have hit the watch against something," Taeyeon hissed at the contact when Tiffany pulled out the shard and pressed the tissue to stop the bleeding. 

"Throw it away Taeyeon!"

"No, you gave this to me!"

"Then at least remove it!" Taeyeon reluctantly peeled it off her wrist. With Tiffany fussing over her all the way home, Taeyeon felt her chest fuzzed with warmth as Tiffany sat her down on the couch and cleaned her wound. Taeyeon carefully took out her watch and removed the broken shards when Tiffany closed the washroom door behind her. Frowning, Taeyeon salvaged the shattered face with scotch tape. 

She carefully placed it on the dressing table as she climbed into bed, nearly dozing off when she felt a pair of arms circling her waist. 

"Taeyeon?" 

"Hmm?" Taeyeon hummed drowsily. 

"I love you." 

Taeyeon drifted off the sleep with a smile plastered on her face.