Chapter 13

 

After the failed ‘Practice Session’ of Taeyeon and Tiffany acting like a couple, Jessica and Taeyeon have become quite close, much to the disliking of the new redhead.

 

“Jess, what do you think?”

 

Tiffany came out of the salon stall, only to be met by a dozing Jessica who was getting her pedicure done.

 

It was their quarterly salon day, Yuri was also a part of it, she only got her much needed trim and a little touch up, and so she was done much earlier than the two best friends.

 

 

 

“OH MY GOSH! Your hair is freakin’ red right now.”

 

“What do you mean ‘freakin’ red’, that’s what it’s supposed to be!” Tiffany retorted. “Dude you are zoning out again.”

 

“Actually it doesn’t look half bad.” Jessica noted after staring at her best friend for some time.

 

“What does that even mean?”

 

“I don’t really know. I just heard Yuri say that, when I made her taste something I cooked-”

 

“You cooked? Again? I thought we discussed you were never going to cook after you almost blew up your face and Yuri’s hand…”

 

“Stop it! I know we promised. But she has been working really hard lately…and I just wanted to do something nice for her. Plus Yuri was smiling when she said that so I thought it’s a good thing.”

 

“Jessie, Yuri is always smiling. If she is not then there is a problem.”

 

“Do you think Yuri didn’t like it?” Jessica asked in a small voice.

 

Even though Jessica always has a ‘don’t care’ aura about her, whenever it is something to do with Yuri, she gets emotional. Tiffany always thought that was very adorable of her best friend.

 

“What did I not like?” the duo looked back to see their subject of discussion entering the salon, the thin fabric of her workout top sticking to her sweating curvy body, turning a few heads.

 

Yuri was breathing heavily, waiting for her question to be answered by the speaker, who at this point was having Rated-R thoughts about her girlfriend.

 

“We were talking about Jessie’s cooking.”

 

“Oh! Did she tell you that she cooked chicken pesto pasta for me? It was pretty good. I was impressed.”

 

The compliment seemed to have brought Jessica back from her zoned out phase.

 

“You were?”

 

“Of course! I actually thought it was quite awesome. Why would you think I didn’t like it?”

 

“Because you said ‘it wasn’t half bad’, so Tiff said it meant it was bad.”

 

“When did I say that?”

 

Yuri chuckled at the cute pout forming at her girlfriend’s face.

 

The lady who was quietly working on Jessica’s pedicure was stunned for a second to see the demanding customer, pouting like baby, before she went back to her work again.

 

“OH that! We had this really tasty cake at work for someone’s birthday, and one of my colleagues said it wasn’t half-bad, so I thought-”

 

“So you liked it?”

“Of course I did.”

 

Tiffany smiled seeing her best friend smile shyly and the loving gaze on Yuri’s eyes.

 

All this time Tiffany didn’t notice the small figure standing behind Yuri.

 

“Taeyeon?” The name left her lips unintentionally.

 

“Taeyeon is with you?” Jessica asked Yuri, after taking note of the shorter girl who was standing behind Yuri all this time.

 

“Oh yeah! I thought I would invite Tae to come running with me, since you already worked out in the morning.” Yuri said.

 

Taeyeon nodded her head in agreement.

 

 

Tiffany just stared at Taeyeon.

 

The way her short was tied back up messily, with lose strands coming out. Small droplets of sweat collected on the ridge between her cute nose and thin upper lips. The sweat formed a V-shaped wet patch right on her chest that Tiffany found so y.

 

‘How can a sweaty person manage to look so y?’

 

Her trance was broken by a sharp pinch on her thigh. She glared at her best friend who looked at her with raised eyebrows gesturing toward Taeyeon.

 

“Taeyeon-sshi was asking you how you have been doing.”

 

Tiffany lowered her head in embarrassment.

 

‘She probably thought I was rude for not answering her question and staring at her like that. I need to have self-control.’

 

“I have been doing good Taeyeon-ah. What do you think of my new hair color?”

 

Tiffany was surprised when her question was rewarded with an unexpected grin and the chin dimple.

 

“You look gorgeous.” Taeyeon said almost immediate without a second thought.

 

Tiffany smiled when she saw the Taeyeon blushing after complimenting her new look.

 

‘Damn it! I should really start censoring myself…why do you have to look so gorgeous when I am trying so hard to get over you.’

 

 

 

 

 

Tiffany asked for a few hours off from work, in order to accompany Taeyeon to get Sonkyu and Taemin from the airport.

 

Taeyeon insisted that she would be completely fine taking a taxi, but Tiffany personally wanted to be there with Taeyeon.

 

In the past week, they spend quite a lot of time together, in their combined efforts to make the place look like a couple’s place.

 

They took couple pictures and put it around the place.

 

It was this indescribable feeling that Tiffany started having recently every time she was close to Taeyeon.

 

Sure she always thought that Taeyeon was a pretty girl, but she never felt so attracted to Taeyeon ever since seeing her in her after-running state in the salon.

 

‘Maybe I am just about to have my period…so it’s probably a hormone thing.’

 

That’s what she told herself every time she had this burning urge to yank Taeyeon toward herself and violate her lips.

 

Jessica and Yuri almost force them, by them it’s mainly Taeyeon, because Tiffany was a bit too willing, even though she didn’t show it, to have a kissing picture.

 

It hurt Tiffany when she saw Taeyeon wiping her lips after Yuri was done taking the picture.

 

She sighed.

 

‘She’s a hard nut to crack.’

 

The only advancement that she made was to get Taeyeon to drop the honorific and call her Tiffany; however that was also in the insistence of Yuri, who pointed out that it would be totally awkward if married couples called each other with honorifics around the house.

 

But Tiffany knew that maybe she really did have a chance. There have been occasions where she caught Taeyeon about to do something sweet.

 

There was the one time, when the 4 of them were at a restaurant, nd they ordered a whole duck to be shared, and there was a this one moment when Tiffany caught Taeyeon about to put a slice on Tiffany’s plate but decided against it, in better judgment.

 

The older girl somehow found it hard to control herself around the redhead. At first she promised to herself that she would be extremely mean to Tiffany. But being mean is just not Kim Taeyeon’s character.

 

Therefore she decided to be civil and cool. And with some little slip-ups here and there, she has been quite successful.

 

Just that, it was getting hard when Tiffany was being so nice to her. She wondered what happened that led Tiffany to act nice toward her.

 

Taeyeon was under the impression that the Korean-American wasn’t very fond of her.

 

So it was kind of weird for her, when Tiffany would offer her food, remember random things about her preferences, be sweet toward her.

 

‘Maybe it’s her practice to act like a couple before Sonkyu and Taemin comes!’

So here they were, waiting for Sonkyu and Taemin’s plane to land.

 

“Tiffany, when is the plane schedule to land again?”

 

Tiffany was just sitting around playing with her phone, while Taeyeon was standing there looking around, at the chart that showed the landing times of the planes.

 

“According to the recent update online, it says that their plane is supposed to land in 7 minutes.” Tiffany read from her phone and looked up at Taeyeon who had a huge smile on her face.

 

Tiffany unconsciously smiled seeing the happiness in Taeyeon’s face. She knew how much these people meant to Taeyeon, and it made her happy that Taeyeon was happy.

 

Tiffany was about to go back to her phone, when she heard Taeyeon’s voice.

 

“You know, I am just soo excited to see Taeminie and Sonkyu!”

 

This was the first time Taeyeon initiated an interaction with Tiffany in all the times that they have spent together. And it made Tiffany feel both ecstatic and jealous.

 

‘Would you be this excited to see me Taeyeon-ah?’

 

“I am too.” Tiffany said giving Taeyeon her eyesmile.

 

The air conditioning was a bit high on the inside, and Taeyeon was rubbing her hands to keep herself warm.

 

Tiffany noticed this.

 

“Taeyeon-ah, you want some coffee?”

 

“Uh…are you having it too?”

 

Tiffany nodded. She knew Taeyeon would say no, if she wasn’t having it. It was just something she noticed that Taeyeon tended to do.

 

“Okay then. I will have a medium coffee with-”

 

“Half-and-half and brown sugar. Got it.” With that Tiffany went off to get their coffees.

 

Taeyeon was stunned for a second, before she broke into a smile.

‘She remembered. I never even told her. That was sweet of her.’

 

 

 

The couple just finished their coffee, when they heard a high voice: “TAE-NOONA!”

 

Before Taeyeon could even turn around to look at the source of the voice, someone just jumped on Taeyeon’s back making her stumble forward a bit.

 

“TAEMINIE! OH MY GOD!”

 

Taeyeon quickly turned around, and Taemin jumped into her arms again.

 

Taemin just broke into tears!

 

“Noona! I missed you so much! I missed you!”

 

“I missed you too little one! You know how much I love you!”  Taeyeon gently his hair, trying hard to keep her tears at bay.

 

Tiffany smiled at the hearty reunion of the little boy and the woman she loves and noticed the other woman standing behind them with two big luggages and approached her.

 

“Sonkyu-ah! How have you been?”

 

“Tiffany-ah! So good to see you! I have been good! Minding my own business, taking care of this annoying boy and what else.” Sonkyu said smilingly. “My best friend seems to have forgotten me!” Sonkyu said loudly on purpose, so that Taeyeon would hear.

 

Taeyoen put down Taemin, and hugged Sonkyu so tight. “Taeyeon-ah! Somehow you have gotten stronger breathing this American air. You are going to squish me! I can’t breathe.”

 

“I don’t care! I missed you!”

 

“Aish! This little kid face! I missed you too…now don’t make me cry and let me off.”

 

Taeyeon finally let Sonkyu off her embrace and went to get their luggages.

 

She was pushing the cart, and walking behind Sonkyu and Tiffany while Taemin was holding onto Tiffany’s hand and asking her all sorts of questions about the place.

 

Taeyeon smiled at the sight.

 

‘I wish you were really my wife.’

 

 

 

 

 

Taeyeon walked into the kitchen and saw Taemin eating something directly from the carton.

 

“Yah! Why are you eating from the carton?”

 

“Tiffany-noona said I could finish it. Plus they don’t have this mint-oreo flavor back at our town Tae-noona.”

 

Taeyeon’s eyes twinkled in excitement at the mention of ice-cream.

 

“Yeah I know right! Let me get a spoon from the kitchen so we can share.”

 

Tiffany, who was at the kitchen to get her milk heard the conversation and was about to walk out of the kitchen with a spoon. But she bumped into the shorter girl who was about to enter the kitchen in search of a spoon.

 

 

“Sorry” they said it together.

 

In order to give the other space to walk both Taeyeon and Tiffany ended up moving to the right side together.

 

“I am so-”

“Oh my Gosh!”

 

Realizing the situation, the couple ended up bursting out in laughter.

 

Since they were standing so close, Tiffany put her hands on Taeyeon’s shoulder that she continued laughing like a crazy person.

 

“Why is that so funny?”

 

“Oh my gosh! Taetae, it’s just like the movies!”

 

At first Taeyeon became a bit tense when she felt Tiffany’s hands on her shoulder, but she relaxed when she saw Tiffany laughing like a madman.

 

She squinted her eyes hearing the familiar nickname. At this point Taeyeon was only smiling on, seeing Tiffany laughing so hard that tears escaped her pretty eye-smiles.

 

Before her brain could command her to do otherwise, Taeyeon reached out and gently wiped the tears off Tiffany’s eyes.

Tiffany stopped laughing and stared at Taeyeon with wide eyes.

 

Tiffany always found Taeyeon’s eyes to be pretty, but now from this up close perspective, the depth and intensity of Taeyeon’s stare made her heart race, her grip on Taeyeon’s should unconsciously tighten as she could feel her knees weaken.

 

They were broken out of their reverie when Taemin appeared.

 

“Why are you two hugging at kitchen entrance? It’s not even romantic.”

 

Tiffany quickly let go of Taeyeon’s shoulders as Taeyeon distanced herself away from the redhead, her cheeks burning.

 

‘I am not supposed to fall for her! KIM TAEYEON! Get a grip!’

Taeyeon yelled in her mind.

 

“W-we are not! I am just getting the spoon…”

 

Taeyeon was about to get inside the kitchen when Tiffany handed her the spoon.

 

“Right here.”

 

“Thanks.”

 

With that Taeyeon left the kitchen in a hurry, with Taemin on tow.

 

‘Oh my god! That was close! I could get lost on your eyes Kim Taeyeon. I hope tomorrow morning I will wake up looking into your eyes. I am loving this already.’

 

 

After getting them from the airport, Tiffany went to work and came back at the evening to have dinner together.

 

She had already arranged the two guestrooms for Sonkyu and Taemin.

 

Tiffany smiled standing at the corner as she watched Taeyeon fussing over making sure that Taemin’s room had the perfect temperature and enough blankets and quilts to keep him warm in the cold nights.

 

“That kid catches a fever so easily. And his temperature won’t go down. That’s the worst part.”

 

Tiffany listened on as Taeyeon kept on talking.

 

“When he was four, he caught fever three times throughout the year. The 3^rd time was the worse. His temperature went so high, and then it refused to come down. I was scared out of my mind. After that, I always made sure that he doesn’t come down with a cold. It’s not pretty.”

 

Taeyeon stopped talking realizing that she was pretty much talking to herself the whole time. She blushed in embarrassment.

 

“Sorry I got a bit carried away.”

 

“No it’s nice to listen to your stories. You sure love him a lot.” Tiffany said, with plain adoration in her voice.

 

“He is so precious to me, Tiffany.”

 

“I can see that in your eyes Taeyeon-ah.”

 

‘I wish I was this precious to you…if only I wasn’t stupid enough to lose my chance.’

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tiffany came in her room after putting Taemin to bed. The boy requested for Tiffany, especially to put him to bed. She sang for him until she saw the boy’s drooping eyelids. She was about to leave when she felt a tug on her arm.

 

She saw Taemin holding onto her arm as he sleepily asked her, “Is noona happy?”

 

“I will do anything to make your noona happy. I promise you Taeminie.”

 

The boy seemed assured by her promise and let go of the hand.

 

 

 

Tiffany came out of Taemin’s room and sat with Taeyeon and Sonkyu for some time before she yawned.

 

Taeyeon caught on that.

 

“Tiffany you have work tomorrow early in the morning, why don’t you turn up for bed.”

 

“Yes. Tiffany. Go to bed already, I almost forgot that you still have work tomorrow! When Taeyeon and I start talking, it never ends. This cheeky dork needs to know about every one in the town, and that includes the chickens and the cows. So we won’t be done till later.”

 

“But you have work too.” Tiffany complained.

 

In all honesty, Tiffany liked sitting with them, and listening to all of Sonkyu’s stories about the town. For some reason, she had grown very attached to the place and its people.

 

Another perks of sitting there was that she could lean on Taeyeon and share the couch and the blanket with Taeyeon.

 

“Yeah, but I don’t have to turn up until the afternoon, so I can stay up late and sleep in for a bit.” Taeyeon reasoned out.

 

“Okay then! Goodnight guys!”

 

“Good night Tiffany.”

 

“Goodnight.”

 

 

 

 

‘I hate you Kim Taeyeon! Why would you not want to sleep with me?’

 

Tiffany blushed at the miswording of her own thought.

 

‘Do you really not like me at all, that you would refuse to share a bed with me. It is a huge bed. It’s not like you have be really close to me. Plus what if you catch fever while sleeping on the floor. You were all mature and worried about Taemin like an ajhumma. And then you don’t care about your own health. Aish! That dork! Always making me work hard.’

 

 

 

 

 

It was 2 in the morning, when Taeyeon quietly opened the door of the bedroom and tip-toed into the room.

 

‘Thank god she is sleeping. Otherwise she would try to convince me to sleep in the same bed with her. I am already going crazy trying to control myself, telling myself not to fall for you. Do you have any idea what sleeping with you would do to me?’

 

Taeyeon blushed at her own thought.

 

‘Sharing a bed, not sleeping together! Get this right Kim Taeyeon!’

 

After a lot of arguments, Taeyeon convinced Tiffany that she would sleep on the floor during her stay in here.

 

Taeyeon looked at the sleeping figure, and quietly went close to her. She fixed the blanket, so that it was properly covering the redhead.

 

She went to the other side of the bed and found a nicely made makeshift bed, which actually looked quite cozy with a couple of nice thick blankets and a fluffy pillow.

 

 

It made Taeyeon smile.

 

‘Do you really care so much?’ 

 

 

 

AUthor's NOte:

 

Hello Readers! This is probably going to be my last update for the week, since I will be busy with work and school this week....I will again update next week! So please do look forward to my updates! I also wanted to thank everyone who commented on my last update! Please do remember that its your sweet comments that inspires me to write, it gives me ideas. You wouldn't understand how much your comments mean to me. I appreciate you all for taking the time to comment! 

 

I didn't get a chance to read over my update...so please do forgive the grammatical or spelling errors. 

 

Don't forget to leave a comment with your thoughts on this update! 

 

Thank you for reading! 

Bye until next weekend!