An opaque plastic bag is placed onto the small, wooden rectangular coffee table in the middle of the living space. In it, the glass contents clink together and rumble as they are slightly displaced and reset into position. Another bag is placed right beside it, although the contents just thunk on to the table.

Wendy was the one to purchase the alcohol tonight.

What better way to spend the little money that she has than on one of the few things she enjoys in the world?

“I thought we were just drinking beers....” Taeyeon mutters beside her, clearly already in a sour mood.

Wendy shrugs.

She doesn’t know if it’s the fact that she’s slightly peeved that her doctor friend left her hanging for a week or the fact that she intentionally decided to third wheel tonight, but she needs to get drunk, and fast.

She reaches in one of the bags and picks out a tall can, opening it with a satisfying crack. “So, it Sica coming?” She asks before she takes a long, hard sip of the infamous numbing agent, the barley taste tingling on her tongue and throat.

“Who knows.”

By Taeyeon’s tone of voice, Wendy surmises that Jessica might show up, be it because of Wendy’s earlier antics or because Taeyeon gave in. Probably both.

She wonders why her friend won’t just admit that she still kind of, really, actually wants to be with Jessica. Sure, they have a history that stings, but to Wendy it’s clear as day that Taeyeon has a hard time with and without Jessica – she might as well be with her so she’s at least not miserable all the time.

“Well, it’s a good night to get drunk,” Wendy blubbers, to no one really but herself. She raises her can in the air like she’s saying a wedding speech, but really it’s just her sitting on this couch with Taeyeon too preoccupied with being a worrywart.

She dips her head back,

and lets the cool beer sink to the end of .

---

Taeyeon has been pacing for nearly half an hour. She glances over her shoulder to see Wendy already halfway to being drunk, rocking out hard core on an acoustic guitar. Taeyeon can’t help but feel jealous that Wendy can enjoy herself at the moment.

Should Taeyeon just let loose too?

Unlike Wendy, Taeyeon is as light as a feather when it comes to drinking.

It’ll take no time at all, really. It’ll be too easy.

As if reading her mind, Wendy cracks open another can and yells for Taeyeon to come hither, “Tae! You gonna brood all night or are you going to drink!? I’m already one up on you!”

Oh, God.

Wendy is a tank.

Like an actual alcohol tank.

Taeyeon can barely keep up with her sometimes, especially when she’s like this.

Her feet flop on the hardwood floor as she steps towards her friend, taking the cold can into her grip. She holds it up, and Wendy cheers’ her as if they are actually celebrating something substantial.

“....Thanks, by the way.” Taeyeon slurs after taking a gulp or two.

“For?”

“The hospital bill, and all that.”

“What can I say? I was feelin’ all sorts of virtuous good. Thanks for letting me stay here.”

“Just don’t bring that doctor overnight and we’re even.”

“You just don’t let Sica sleep here overnight, and then we’re even.”

Taeyeon almost chokes on her drink, “Pfft, don’t worry about that. She won’t sleep here, that’s for sure.”

“Right.”

“I’m serious.”

Wendy sips before grinning,

 “Riiiiiiiight.”

-----

The night drags on – the air cools down, the lights dim low and the bottles, no matter how numerous, eventually go dry.

The small antique box TV that Taeyeon bought second hand blares a variety show that they’re not even listening to. Beside it, a more vintage than antique record player sits on the floor. It’s shiny, as if it’s been recently wiped down – a stark contrast to the dusty television. Even her furniture screams that music is a priority.

Wendy has disappeared; she announced that she was going to the bathroom and has since not returned. Taeyeon figures she’s either

Puking – highly unlikely, but still an option

Passed out

Texting her doctor crush like a giddy schoolgirl.

or worse,

Gone out to buy more alcohol.

Taeyeon herself feels like she has two boulders shackled to her ankles on and a liquid mush for a brain.

Damn,

she’s wasted.

Of course.

She’s been lying on the floor, staring at the ceiling and listening to whatever TV show has been playing for God knows how long. It feels like seconds but it’s probably been hours because the ceiling above her begins to twist and turn as if the alcohol is settling in her stomach and seeping into her nerves.

She rolls onto her side begrudgingly, accidentally hitting left glass bottles and causing them to roll as well, left and right. She hopes they’re empty but her thoughts are so numb she can’t even be concerned about it.

She drags herself,

literally drags herself,

with her two hands because she can’t find it in her to actually get up off the floor and find the remote or walk to the TV,

and turns it off.

Taeyeon feels like she’s lost several years of life just doing this.

“Aigoo...” She sighs, and she winces slightly because she can smell the alcohol in her breath,

“Weeeeeendy, where are you~?” She calls into the silence.

When no one answers, Taeyeon shakes her head like she’s trying to hold on to her waning consciousness and scoots slightly so she’s parked in front of the record player,

and as if it’s ritual routine, she plays the record that’s already on it, listening to the smooth soundtrack that comes from it’s speaker.

And just like that,

listening to one of the few things she loves,

she drifts off to sleep.

----

It’s funny because,

even as she’s off in la-la land,

Taeyeon can feel that it is one of the warmest sleeps she’s hand in a while.

----

Meanwhile,

Wendy.

Where is Wendy?

She slipped away from Taeyeon because she received a text from Doctor Bae.

Seriously,

Doctor Bae?

Even her professional name is perfect.

How many people can say their name is actually and legally Doctor Bae?

Wendy’s giggles at the thought, as she’s sitting outside drinking canned coffee from the convenience store across the street. Her phone lights up at her prompt.

[Bae Joohyun] How’s the party?

[Wendy] tae is 2 drunk. packed and rdy 2 go?

[Bae Joohyun] Haha, of course she is!! Yes. L Wish I was there

[Wendy] same

[Bae Joohyun] Really?

Wendy scrunches her eyebrows at the text, but replies nonetheless.

[Wendy] jk not really

For a couple of minutes, she doesn’t receive a reply, which worries her. Sometimes people don’t take her jokes too well. After a bit of time, her phone buzzes.

Irene is calling her.

“Hello?” She says into the speaker.

“Meanie.” Is all she gets back.

“Hello?” Wendy says again, genuinely confused.

“How could you take it back so easily!”

And now Wendy is laughing because she can just imagine Irene pouting with furrowed eyes.

“I was kidding!”

They talk like this for awhile, and even as Wendy starts to feel the chill from staying outside in the dead of night, she continues to laugh and converse with Irene as if it was any other sunny day.

“Shouldn’t you be sleeping? You’re flying out tomorrow.”

She hears Irene hum in thought, a pleasant sound that warms her ears, “I’m just resting in the living room, so it’s okay.”

Despite every ounce of her body trying to will it away, Wendy lets out a relentless yawn.

She hears Irene giggle on the other line, a forsaken sound – maybe one of Wendy’s favorites.

“Maybe it’s not okay after all.” Irene laughs, “And here you are worrying if I’m tired. Look at you.  You and Taeyeon must have been drinking since dinner!”

“True...” Wendy sighs, feeling tired and tipsy but mostly tired.

As she hears Irene talk, she imagines her standing in front of her. She questions how lucky she must be to have met someone like her. Wendy didn’t have an ideal type before, but thinking about it, if she did, it must be close to Irene. That is the only feasible reason as to why Wendy is falling so hard for her. It’s almost cringe-worthy how easy it was.

She hears bustling in the background, and Irene’s voice off to the side, probably speaking to whoever is passing by her. Standard greetings, a little laugh here and there.

It makes Wendy think – if she feels this way, shouldn’t others? Like, come on, she's outrageously pretty, no, beautiful, has a successful career, great personality as far as Wendy has known her, and she’s comfortable to be around.

How is she not dating someone right now?

 “Wendy?” Irene calls, and Wendy realizes she’s been silent for quite a while.

They aren’t even anything yet, and she’s worrying like this. It’s unlike Wendy to be worrying about anything at this level.

“Sorry.”

“Everything okay?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. I think I’m just tired.”

“Oh...” Irene sounds disappointed, but Wendy just can’t seem to shake her thoughts away, “Maybe you should head to bed then.”

“Yeah, I think so.” Wendy sighs – she feels bad for being weird now.

“....Goodnight, Wendy. Don’t start drinking again, ok?” Irene tries to sound like she’s joking, but Wendy feels like she’s testing waters and making sure Wendy is actually okay.

“Mmmhmmmm.” Wendy hums into the speaker and hangs up without another thought.

She stands up abruptly, feeling her blood rush to her cheeks.

“Oh God, I must be going insane. She must think I’m weird.”

She shakes her head before heading back inside.

It’s the alcohol. It definitely is, because there is no way Wendy would look this  far into a nonexistent relationship.

She rushes in because if she doesn’t start thinking about something else soon,

she’ll really go insane.

----

The next morning, Taeyeon wakes up from a peaceful slumber, stretching in her thin sheets and feeling her back curl against the mattress that she somehow ended up on. Her eyes flicker open, and somehow she is not as hungover as she thought she would be.

Great,

what a great start to the day.

She looks at her phone – she’s slept in, but she feels so chipper that she actually decides she might make herself a proper breakfast.

Taeyeon springs herself up, and sees beyond her open door that Wendy passed out on the couch, mouth swung open and her body clutching the blanket around her. When did she get there?

As she walks up and about, her stomach grumbles and Taeyeon doesn’t realize it at first but there is a deliciously aromatic smell lingering around.

When she turns in the kitchen, her morning turns upside down, because right in the middle, cooking what looks to be scrambled eggs and bacon,

is a barefoot and thankfully not ,

Jessica.

----

“You - !” Taeyeon’s heart almost jumps out of her chest.

“Good morning to you too, sleepyhead.” Jessica pipes, not turning away from the pan.

Since when can she cook?

“Since when can you cook?” Her thoughts verbalize and Jessica side glances her, which immediately makes Taeyeon swallow back her words.

She hears Jessica whisper a snide comment that she can’t quite hear. When Jessica doesn’t reply, Taeyeon asks more questions,

“Did you....” Taeyeon treads carefully, “end up coming last night? And slept over?”

It honestly wouldn’t surprise Taeyeon if she ended up sleeping with Jessica last night.

Her track record to date isn’t good – she feels herself slipping easier and easier to the temptation that is called feelings and it doesn’t look like it’ll stop anytime soon. Taeyeon hates to admit it but she’s weak.

Weak when it comes to this girl cooking breakfast in her kitchen.

Jessica finally turns a fraction of her body towards Taeyeon, which puts her on edge, “No, I didn’t.”

Taeyeon almost lets out a sigh of relief.

“Don’t sound so happy.” Jessica rolls her eyes, “I came ... this morning. To check up on you two. You guys and alcohol – never a good mix but it happens far too often anyway.”

“Oh.” Now Taeyeon is surprised. She was sure Jessica would’ve just come... and found someway to make Taeyeon regret the next morning. But she didn’t, which is.... unexpected.

“Well... Thank you for coming.” She says finally before walking over to the fridge. She didn’t buy any groceries these past few days, so Jessica must’ve bought some this morning. Now Taeyeon feels guilty for feeling relieved earlier.

She opens it to find the usual suspects – water bottles, some condiments, a fresh carton of eggs, and an unopened bottle of white wine she doesn’t remember buying.

Geez, Wendy did go out and buy more alcohol. And she switched over to wine! Mixing is not good. Taeyeon shakes her head and sighs, happy that she dodged that bullet.

“I bought juice. I think it’s in the brown bag over there. And do you mind setting coffee table and waking up Wendy?”

Taeyeon nods, “Sure.”

Jessica is being strangely... civil. These past few months, they haven’t been able to sit in the same room without the atmosphere turning sour. It’s almost as if she’s in a good mood. Heck, they’re even socialising they used to, before they got together.

It’s weird – it scares Taeyeon almost, but she doesn’t want to wreck the good vibes, so she wills the dark thoughts away.

“Wendy, wake up!!”

----

After a surprisingly calm breakfast, Jessica gathers her things and slips on her heels, “You guys clean up.” She announces, “I’m going to work now.”

“Leaving, so soon? You just got here, though.” Wendy asks, still eating.

“Oh trust me, I’ve used up my stay here.” Jessica smirks, and Taeyeon wonders if that was a jab at her or just some snide comment.

“Thanks for uh...” Taeyeon mindlessly touches her food with her chopsticks, “y’know, breakfast.”

“You’re welcome. See you.”

“Uh, yeah, bye.” Taeyeon doesn’t know whether to wave or hug or continue to feel the awkward pressure but thank God, Jessica decides to just turn and walk out the door.

“What was that?” Wendy says right away, as if she felt the exact same worries as Taeyeon.

Like two peas in a pod.

“I honestly have no idea.”

“Maybe she’s moved on?”

The thought almost makes Taeyeon frown.

No, Taeyeon doesn’t want that to happen.

Wait.

Yes, she does.

.........No..... she doesn’t.....

Yes. She. Does.

...........

Yes, she does!!!!

It’s an ongoing battle -- her and her emotions.

“....Right.” Taeyeon finally says before finishing off the rest of the