Taeyeon groaned as she let Yoona drag her out of the room.

“Aigo… you choding.”

“It’s movie night Taengoo! And we’re watching your favorite – horror. You get to watch us scream our heads off. You have no excuse. C’mon let’s go let’s go~”

Taeyeon couldn’t help but smile at Yoona’s infectious enthusiasm, feeling much better than she did in a whole week.

Entering the living room, she rolled her eyes at the seating arrangement.

Sooyoung, Yuri, Hyoyeon and Seohyun were snuggled together on the first couch. Yoona joined Jessica and Sunny on the other couch. The carpeted floor was conveniently littered with tidbits and DVD covers, leaving the only space for Taeyeon on the armchair with Tiffany.

Tiffany stared at her blankly.

“Hurry Taengoo we’re starting,” said Hyoyeon, nudging Taeyeon towards the armchair with her toes. Taeyeon sighed.

These guys.

She could smell the trap from a mile away…

But in truth she wanted to stop being angry with Tiffany. It was incredibly tiring to hate someone you love. Hurting Tiffany was like hurting herself.

…so she willingly let herself fall into it.

She took her seat beside Tiffany and felt the other freeze beside her as their arms made contact. How long had it been since they last touched? 4 days? Far too long by Taeny’s standards.

It was a tight squeeze as she sunk into the small armchair beside Tiffany. She could feel every small movement that the latter made while she tried to make herself more comfortable in the space that they shared.

Taeyeon pulled herself together and attempted to focus on the television as the title flickered on screen, complete with the usual theatrics of blood, gore, and suspenseful music.

“THE RING.” It read.

Taeyeon nodded, mildly impressed by their choice of movie.

Unlike the typical brainless horror flicks, this movie was known for its spine-chilling plot with images that would resonate with you throughout the subsequent sleepless nights that it caused.

“Wait a minute... aren’t we watching Legally Blond?” She heard Tiffany inquire to her right.

“Jessi…? Didn’t you say…?”

No one responded.

“Wait… wait wait… I’m not watching this… This is really scary!” Tiffany stuttered, trying to squeeze past Taeyeon and find enough footing to make her escape.

With one hand shielding her eyes from the television screen and only one hand to dig her out of the armchair that she had sunken in, she made little progress.

To the left of her Sooyoung made the prompt decision that the couch was too small a fit for her and extended her body to lay the lower half of it across the armchair on Tiffany’s slender frame, effectively trapping her like a seatbelt.

“Fany-ah relax. It’ll be fine.”

-----------------------------------------------------------

“Oh my God oh my God oh my God…” Tiffany’s frightened mutters were like a mantra.

Her face that was hidden behind her hands in the first few minutes of the movie had abandoned her hand-made shelter for the sturdiness of Taeyeon’s stoic back by the time the first victim had had her soul out of her. Tiffany’s arms had conveniently found their place circled around Taeyeon’s hips with her hands feeling at home encased in the warmth of Taeyeon’s own.

All enmity seemed to be forgotten in the face of the horror on the television screen.

Maybe it was the way their bodies seem gravitate towards each other like opposite poles of a magnet, or maybe it was how their movement unconsciously synchronized to each other. But really, watching Taeny come together was like watching a scene off the cheesiest and sappiest romantic comedy you could find – you knew the plot, and you could pretty much figure out the ending, but the love still made you warm and fuzzy inside.

Tucked safely behind her leader’s back, Tiffany only peeked her head out whenever the background music sounded less menacing but those awful things always caught her off guard, proving horror was totally not her genre.

But Tiffany could take pride in the fact that she was at least faring better than Jessica, who despite hiding behind not one, but the twin protection of both Sunny’s unwavering back, and the sofa’s cushion, still managed to scream her head off at the slightest provocation. 

Taeyeon stared straight into dramatic scene trying her best to let it divert her attention away when really all she wanted to was to lean against the warm body clinging onto her. A slight awkwardness from their argument lingered in the air but this wasn’t the right time to address the elephant in the room…

A theatrical explosion on screen interrupted her thoughts and a ghostly figure appeared out of nowhere. Taeyeon herself snorted at the over-dramatization but as if on cue a collection of screams sounded around the room, especially from the American girls who were cowering behind the backs of the dandyus.

Taeyeon couldn’t help noticing that Tiffany’s screams seemed oddly enough to harmonize pretty well with Jessica’s dolphin shrieks and the chuckle escaped Taeyeon’s lips before she could stop it. She smirked as she felt Tiffany withdraw her hand from Taeyeon’s only to slap it against her shoulder.

“Think you’re so tough huh?” whispered Tiffany, her voice gently teasing.

“I am tough.” Taeyeon’s whisper carried through the screaming of the girl in the television.

Tiffany’s hand returned to hers.

“Hmph.”

“… I missed you.” Another whisper, way below Tiffany’s usual volume - soft and deliberate this time to ensure it didn’t reach any unintended ears.

Taeyeon let her eyes flicker to the face on her left, meeting Tiffany’s eyes before they quickly averted their gaze.

“Me too.” Taeyeon murmured, grasping the hands in her hold tighter as she let her eyes glaze over the television screen. 

“and I’m –” Tiffany begun.

Taeyeon suddenly decided that she didn’t need to hear it.

“No, it’s fine.”

“No Taeyeonie I was really at fault I’m -”

“I’m sorry.” Taeyeon cut Tiffany short, completing her sentence for her.

“… Me too.”

They looked at each other, and when they turned back to the screen, both sported silly grins on their faces. They knew the regularity at which they fought and made up over the smallest of things probably just seemed silly to outsiders but it was only when you cared so much for the other that the tiniest of actions could slip under your skin. And because the smallest of things like a slightly raised tone could rage into a burning inferno, so could the smallest of actions like a gentle touch still the wavering heart. There was no explanation. It was simply the way Taeny functioned. 

“CRRAACCCKKK!”

Another flash of the ghost brought Tiffany whimpering behind Taeyeon’s back. To the front of her, Taeyeon could barely hold in her grin.

On the other couch, Sooyoung and Hyoyeon smirked at each other before reaching over to share a silent hi-five.

Mission accomplished.

----------------------------

Taeyeon shut her eyes when she heard Sunny enter the room, ending her 5-minute stare-down with the ceiling as she reminisced the warmth of her body pressed against hers.

“Oh don’t even try Kim Taeyeon. I know you’re awake. Or should I call you Hwang Taeyeon now?” Sunny could hardly hide the smirk in her voice.

“YAH!”

“Taeyeon-ah, I don’t want to say this but she really has you on a leash – and it’s like every time she pulls it you come running from wherever you are to her every beck and call.”

Taeyeon rolled over to face her best friend. She sighed.

“I know. But I can’t seem to do anything that would hurt her. She’s my… best friend.”

Both danshins registered the slight hesitation in Taeyeon’s voice.

“But Taeyeon-ah. I’m supposed to be your best friend too, and I don’t seem to have half the power she has over you...”

Taeyeon draped an arm wearily over her face, letting her eyes fall shut.

“I’m figuring it out okay? I’m figuring it out.”

“All I’m saying is… if there’s something you want to talk about Taeyeonie, know that I’ll always be here for you.”

A hand reached over to touch Sunny’s lightly.

Sunny looked up to meet Taeyeon’s eyes. It hurt her to see her best friend’s eyes clouded in so much pain and confusion and she wanted so badly to be a source of comfort – but she couldn’t broach the topic.

For it to work, Taeyeon had to open up to her first.

It wasn’t just about Hwang, it was a test of their friendship as well. A test of trust.

Taeyeon needed to learn to trust her.

“… We have a long day tomorrow, let’s sleep.” Taeyeon mumbled before letting go of Sunny’s hand and rolling off to her side.

Acknowledging the dismissal in Taeyeon’s voice, Sunny sighed while she patted down her blanket before letting sleep consume her.

If her intuitions were anything to go by, her best friend would be in for one of the worst rides of her life.