A/N: Last part of the chapter. Thank you everyone for your lovely comments! I...I really want to hear how you guys feel after reading this chapter. It's a really important installment and I hope I executed it well enough. Enjoy!

---

When they finished the pizza, Sunny was shocked to see that it was already 8PM. She watched as Sooyoung quickly put away the pizza box and their glasses and obeyed when she told Sungmin to go up to her room.

 

Sunny could see from the corner of her eye, something dangling on Sooyoung’s pants. Oh, didn’t she want to give Sungmin something? If she remembered correctly, it was probably one of those couple items Sooyoung had been collecting since they were kids.

 

Sunny, Taeyeon, Jessica and Sooyoung were at a dollar store near their school. It was after their first day of middle school and Sunny said that she’d buy everyone a present. Of course, as an 11 year old, she didn’t have much money so their destination wasn’t too fancy. She was lucky that the other girls were too busy to come with them on their little dollar store adventure.

 

Taeyeon decided to save her gift for a scoop or ice cream when the ice cream truck came by. Jessica decided to buy a new set of coloured pens to make notes with throughout the year. And Sooyoung?

 

“Youngie, that’s two things,” Sunny objected as Sooyoung held up a pair of matching cell phone charms. “It’s unfair if I let you have those.”

 

Sooyoung, being the dramatic youngster, got on her knees and begged the smaller girl.

 

“Please! I can’t just buy one of these, they’re too cute!” she plead, soon grabbing onto Sunny’s waist.

 

Taeyeon laughed at the pathetic display, “It’s okay if you get her the extra thing Sunny, I don’t mind.”

 

Jessica was still decided between two sets of colours, “Yeah, go ahead we won’t be jealous or anything. Besides, I doubt this baby won’t stop trying to beg you and I think people are starting to stare.”

 

Sunny turned away from her two other friends and back at the girl who was grasping onto her sweater really tightly.

 

“What are they even for?” Sunny asked, snatching the charms from Sooyoung’s hands. They were small, plastic and shaped like a butterfly. Being from a dollar store, it wasn’t the prettiest looking thing, but it had its own charm. It sparkled and it was green, a pretty neutral colour.

 

“They’re couple charms, duh,” Sooyoung responded with a roll of her eyes.

 

Taeyeon and Jessica immediately started laughing.

 

“Get a boyfriend first,” Jessica teased, grabbing the charms from Sunny and taking a closer look.

 

“I don’t think guys like butterflies,” Taeyeon added, raising her eyebrow.

 

Sooyoung ignored her friends’ commentary and turned back to Sunny, “So?”

 

“Fine.”

 

Sungmin was sitting on Sooyoung’s bed. He had seen her room once before, but only briefly. It was messy then. Sooyoung must’ve cleaned up in anticipation for his arrival. He looked around and took in the many pictures from over the years. Sooyoung was indeed a very sentimental person, having had pictures hung up from childhood until now.

 

Sunny stood up and walked up to picture frames with pictures that looked a little bit older. She picked them up and smiled widely at a photo of herself and Sooyoung. She was being piggy backed by the giant and Hyoyeon and Yuri were on the sides making really silly faces. It was during one of the school festivals in middle school, Sunny remembered the day rather clearly. She had a very similar picture in her own room.

 

She almost jumped when Sooyoung entered the room, quickly putting the picture frame back down.

 

“What are you looking at?” Sooyoung asked curiously as she walked up behind her boyfriend. She put her arms securely around his neck, peeking over him.

 

“Oh no, this is an old photo I looked really ugly back then,” she may have been shaking her head but she was smiling nonetheless. She took the picture frame and looked at it carefully.

 

“You were never ugly,” Sungmin commented with a small laugh, “You should thank your parents, you’ve always been beautiful.”

 

Sooyoung pouted, not failing to hide her bright blush. “How do you even know what I looked like back then? You’re just saying that cause we’re dating.”

 

“You have a million photos in here Sooyoungie, they’re not hard to miss,” Sungmin teased, sticking his tongue out.

 

The taller girl immediately whined and ran around her room, covering the photos with sticky notes. With a roll of his eyes, Sungmin decided to stop the rampaging Sooyoung and grabbed her by the waist and picked her up bridal style.

 

“Stop it, would you?” he said as he placed her back down on the bed.

 

Sooyoung sighed and allowed her body to sprawl all over her bed. She looked at her boyfriend and smiled at him as he looked at her with a tilt of his head.

 

“Come here,” she demanded, patting the empty space beside her. He obeyed immediately and jumped onto the bed, causing Sooyoung’s body to bounce up a little as well. She shrieked in surprise, causing Sungmin to laugh evilly. Almost getting a little too carried away, Sooyoung almost fell off the bed, but Sungmin managed to catch her on time.

 

It was a good thing her parents were gone because the squeaking of the bed and her shrieks were probably not a good combination.

 

Sunny held onto Sooyoung tightly as she tried to pick her back up so that she was securely on the bed. She smiled widely at the redness of the younger girl’s face and pecked her nose, causing the redness to deepen.

 

“Ugh don’t look at me,” Sooyoung covered her face and buried it in Sungmin’s chest in embarrassment.

 

“You looked like a cherry,” Sungmin teased, laughing when Sooyoung only responded with punches to his chest. “I thought it was cute.”

 

He closed his eyes and waited for Sooyoung to calm down. Sunny was amused at how easily flustered Sooyoung could still be despite how long the two have been together. She really considered herself lucky for being able to experience such cuteness up close. Too bad that may not be the case for long.

 

Silence soon engulfed the two. Sunny still had her eyes closed as she thought over the words she was going to say to Sooyoung that night and the younger girl was trying her best to listen to the sound of her boyfriend’s heart beating.

 

“Your heart is beating really fast,” Sooyoung commented as she looked up at Sungmin. Her ear was pressed against his chest and the two were extremely close to each other. She almost felt a little hot with the body warmth that was shared between the two.

 

“Is it?” Sungmin said with a small laugh. “I think that’s because you’re here.”

 

“Is it always like that when I’m here?” Sooyoung asked shyly, her hand now pressed against his hard chest, practically being able to feel the intense beating.

 

“Yeah,” her boyfriend mumbled in response before kissing her on the forehead, “You make me like this.”

 

A comfortable silence was shared again between the two of them as they lay on the bed. With time, their breathing soon synched up. Sooyoung fished her hand into her pocket and picked up the couple item she wanted to give to Sungmin. And Sunny? Well she was thinking really hard.

 

“Oppa,” Sooyoung’s voice broke the silence and she sat up. She was holding onto Sungmin’s hand and pulled him up with her.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“I have a present for you,” she immediately stuck a small item into his hands and looked away. “I know it looks kind of childish but, it means a lot to me.”

 

Sunny’s heart nearly stopped beating when she opened her hand and was faced with the tiny green butterfly from those years ago.

 

“Taeyeon probably told you or well, everyone probably warned you about my obsession with couple items. This was actually the first set I bought,” she showed off the matching charm and looked for her phone before attaching it.

 

“I-I like you a lot oppa and I want you to have it. I know it’s kind of early to say this, but I think we’ll be together for a long time. You feel it too, right?” her big eyes were looking at him with so much hope and so much love. Sunny could feel her insides burning and she wished at that moment that she wasn’t who she was. She wished that she could be Sungmin for Sooyoung, that she could be everything Sooyoung wanted her to be.

 

“Yeah,” he responded a little weakly. Sungmin stared intensely at the charm as if it were the most fragile thing in the world before clutching it close to his heart. “I’ll take of this for you.”

 

She smiled at him before taking him into a hug again, “I’m tired and tomorrow will be a long day. Can we go to bed now?”

 

Sungmin just nodded, smiling at his girlfriend and unable to produce any more words.

 

“Is everything okay?” Sooyoung asked a little concerned. “I actually wanted to give this to you earlier but something seemed to be bothering you lately so I didn’t want to burden you with my lame present.”

 

Sungmin shook his head and grabbed Sooyoung’s hand. “No, I’m okay, really.”

 

Sooyoung eyed her boyfriend before her lips formed a little pout, “You promised me you’d tell me something.”

 

He laughed a little, “I know I did. I promise I’ll tell you soon.” He leaned forward and kissed Sooyoung on the forehead then on the lips to distract her. He could feel her smiling into his lips, relieved that she would back down for now.

 

It surprised Sunny how quickly Sooyoung fell asleep. She was hanging onto Sungmin’s waist tightly, her face in his chest. Sunny wondered if Sooyoung suspected anything since her bounded chest felt a lot different from other boys’ chests.

 

Her girlfriend’s light snoring was background music to Sunny’s long sleepless night.

 

She was supposed to tell Sooyoung already but no appropriate moment came up for her. She was so overwhelmed and surprised with all of Sooyoung’s sweet acts that she couldn’t just retaliate with the truth.

 

Sunny felt absolutely horrible. The charms. The couple charms, they were a huge milestone. Having been there when Sooyoung got her to purchase it and to be on the receiving end was all kinds of horrendous levels of ironic. She knew how significant the green butterflies were and remembered back when she’d visit Sooyoung when her and Yoona would go through her couple things how the phone charms were always securely sealed in a separate box.

 

Sooyoung must’ve loved Sungmin very much.

 

But this was a good thing in a way, right? Sunny knew that Sooyoung fell hard and quick for boys, but this kind of relationship she had with Sungmin must’ve meant a lot more for her, right? This was supposed to be a symbol that her love was genuine.

 

And yet, Sunny can’t help but have the haunting feeling that this only meant that her confession would be harder.

 

But she made her resolve. It was now or never.

 

Sooyoung opened her eyes and looked up at her boyfriend, “Aren’t you going to sleep?”

 

Sungmin only shushed her and kissed her again on the forehead, “Yeah, don’t worry about me.”

 

“Are you sure?” she asked sleepily before yawning. It wasn’t until she closed her eyes again that she realized how tired she really was.

 

Sungmin caressed Sooyoung’s cheek before planting soft kisses all over her forehead to ease her, “Mhm, now go to sleep okay?”

 

She snuggled closer to his chest and nodded, “I love you, goodnight.”

 

“I love you too, night Sooyoung.”

 

 

[Tongue Tied Playlist: Tongue Tied - Glee Cast Version]

Sunny’s heart was beating so fast and so loudly that she wondered if she’d wake up Sooyoung with the intensity. The moment of truth should’ve happened by now but she kept postponing it like the coward she was. She shook her head and clenched her fist as she tried to control her breathing. She was glad she was quiet enough to allow Sooyoung to sleep again peacefully without wondering why her boyfriend looked so awake.

 

An hour later, she carefully got out of the bed and left to change in the washroom. She took off her shirt and released her chest from its confining prison. She could finally breathe properly, if you called her shallow intakes of oxygen breathing.

 

She tossed the damn thing in the garbage. No longer was her boy form a sense of security, but a reminder of a boy she could never be.

 

Everything around her was spinning and before she knew it, her face was wet with tears.

 

Sunny turned away from the garbage and began to wash the makeup and tears off her face. She removed the eyeliner that Sungmin wore all the time and the small hints of makeup that made her face look a little sharper. Slowly her slightly chubby, cute and natural face appeared before her in the mirror.

 

This was it.

 

It wasn’t until two hours later that Sooyoung stirred again in her sleep. She turned to her side and saw her digital clock blaring 2:00AM in bright red lights. Usually she’d be out cold until morning, but she felt something was missing.

 

“Mmm, oppa?” she called out, turning back to her other side. She sat up as soon as she saw that the space beside her was empty. Did he have to go pee?

 

She sat in bed for a good ten minutes before seeing someone sitting on her computer chair. A small figure just about the same size as her boyfriend.

 

“What are you doing over there, silly?” she asked, inching over to the figure and reaching her hand out. She missed his touch and craved it more than anything at this late hour.

 

Sunny reached out for Sooyoung’s hand and grabbed it securely. The younger girl smiled at the familiar hold that made her feel safe, warm and loved, the familiar hold that felt like home. She intertwined their fingers and began to the back of the palm with her thumb.

 

“Sooyoungie,” she said clearly in her natural voice. She had practiced this over and over again in the washroom, but she could feel her body starting to tremble. It was a surprise that she didn’t stutter.

 

Sooyoung flinched, wondering whose voice that was. It couldn’t have belonged to Sungmin, unless maybe he was playing a game?

 

“Youngie,” Sunny repeated, getting off the chair and sitting on the edge of the bed.

 

Now that Sooyoung thought about it, that voice sounded extremely familiar. She rubbed her eyes and approached the small person on the edge of her bed.

 

“Youngie, it’s me,” Sunny declared as she leaned over to turn on Sooyoung’s lamp.

 

Ruffled blonde hair, small brown eyes and fitting sweater that showed off Sooyoung’s new guest’s ample chest. This girl looked familiar, Sooyoung thought. She looked closer and tilted her head. The vision before her seemed like a mirage, some sort of sick illusion that made no sense whatsoever to the younger girl.

 

“Sunny?”

 

Sunny could only nod.

 

Sooyoung leaned back in surprise, “What? What are you doing here?” she asked with an eye brow raised. She thought Sunny would be back for graduation. And how did she even get inside, did Sungmin let her in? Wait.

 

“Where’s my boyfriend?” Sooyoung asked, some sort of realization slowly bubbling up in her head.

 

“Sooyoung, I know you’re not stupid,” Sunny muttered sadly, looking straight into Sooyoung’s eyes. “Look at me, where do you think Sungmin is?”

 

Sooyoung leaped out of her bed and towards her door. Was Sungmin playing some kind of joke on her? Was he hiding somewhere? Did he know Sunny from before and this is all some kind of early birthday present? She all the lights and started running around the house in a frantic search for her boyfriend.

 

Sunny cursed under her breath before chasing after Sooyoung in an attempt to calm her down. Was the truth really that much of a shock for her to pull off such a stunt?

 

“WHERE ARE YOU OPPA? THIS ISN’T FUNNY ANYMORE!”

 

Sunny could hear Sooyoung’s booming voice as she ran towards the source in the living room. In there she found the tall girl on her knees, looking under a couch.

 

“Sooyoung, I’m right here,” Sunny said, reverting back to Sungmin’s voice for a mere second.

 

Hearing that familiar voice, Sooyoung immediately stood up and turned around, only to see Sunny standing before her.

 

No, it couldn’t be.

 

It wasn’t until then that she realized that Sunny was wearing the same shorts that Sungmin was wearing earlier. Sunny also removed her sweater to reveal the same shirt Sungmin was wearing earlier as well. Everything was coming together, piece by piece and Sooyoung shook her head frantically in refusal.

 

“No, I’m dreaming!” she shouted before pinching herself over and over again, “I have to be dreaming, this can’t be real.”

 

She repeated the same words over and over again in almost a whisper before turning to Sunny with a crooked smile.

 

“You’re just playing around with me, right?” she asked half hysterically. She grabbed Sunny’s shoulders and shook her slightly, “Either that or this is some sick dream because I ate too much pizza?”

 

“Look, Sooyoung I’m sorry it had to be like this, but you-“

 

Sooyoung ignored Sunny as she turned away to walk around the house again in case Sungmin really was hiding. She swore she looked everywhere, but that Sungmin has always been a sneaky, clever guy. 

 

“I mean, he knew Taeyeon I wouldn’t be surprised if he knew you too,” she laughed nervously as she searched under the kitchen table and even opened the fridge, “It’s okay now oppa, you can come out.”

 

Sunny, too frustrated with how Sooyoung wasn’t listening, decided that action spoke much louder than words. She ran to Sooyoung and grabbed her hand, twirling her around and got on her tip toes to plant a firm kiss.

 

Those lips. That sensation. That desperation. And tears?

 

Sooyoung froze on the spot as she felt a familiar warmth engulf her entire body. Of course, how could she ever forget a feeling like this. She closed her eyes for a second and was able to imagine Sungmin in front of her, smiling and caressing her face as he stood on his tip toes. 

 

But this was wrong, all wrong.

 

Sooyoung pushed Sunny away when she realized what was happening to her. She placed her hand on as she stared at Sunny with betrayal clear in her eyes. She couldn’t find words to say for she still couldn’t believe what was happening.

 

“I’m sorry,” Sunny mumbled as she walked over to Sooyoung. She reached out to touch her friend gently, but was only pushed away.

 

“Leave,” Sooyoung muttered as she turned away from Sunny. She placed her hands over her ears, refusing to hear any more of this nonsense.

 

“Look, can’t we talk about this first?” Sunny didn’t want to postpone it, she had prepared to tell Sooyoung the truth from beginning until the end. She felt weak, her heart tightening with each cold glance Sooyoung gave to her. “Please, please Sooyoungie.” She pleaded desperately, her tears escaping faster than she wanted them to.

 

“I said, leave!”

 

Letting out a huff of breath, Sunny also let out the rest of the tears that she’d been fighting so hard to hold back. She began to sob in front of Sooyoung and she could tell from the taller girl’s face that she wanted to comfort her, but Sooyoung only turned around and ran towards her bedroom.

 

Sunny wanted to stay, to fight and get Sooyoung to listen. She wanted to storm up to her room and lock themselves in so Sooyoung would stop being hysterical and listen to her story, her reasons, her apologies. But she had had enough for one night.

 

They both have.

 

“I’m sorry,” she muttered again, nearly choking on her words as she put on her jacket and left the house, running towards the only place where she knows she can find comfort.

 

It was dark and much colder than Sunny remembered it being. She only put on her jacket, leaving her accessories and sweater back at Sooyoung’s, leaving her much more vulnerable to the winter cold. It surprised her how well she could run considering how weak and painful her body felt at the moment. Every square inch of her was freezing over and she was afraid that if she were to trip, she’d shatter in an instant.

 

She could barely see, let alone navigate her way through the streets. Luckily for her, Taeyeon’s house wasn’t too far away. She kept breathing and kept wailing into the night, not caring for whoever could hear her. In fact, she wanted to scream at the top of her lungs and fall to the floor crying.

 

Sunny knew that if she were to fall now, she could never get back up.

 

When she managed to find Taeyeon’s house, she knocked on the back door and to her surprise, it opened right away.

 

Taeyeon and Sunny looked at each other for a moment. Taeyeon instantly recognized the anguish in Sunny’s eyes. She could clearly see her tear stained cheeks and red eyes and the girl was shivering, probably freezing to her core.

 

She opened her arms and Sunny ran into them, crying so loudly that Taeyeon wondered how no one in her house woke up from the noise. The two collapsed to the floor and before she knew it, Taeyeon was crying too, knowing exactly the reason why Sunny was crying.

 

“You’re shivering,” Taeyeon whispered as she rubbed Sunny’s back. “Shh, it’ll be okay.”

 

The most painful noise that Taeyeon possibly could ever describe echoed endlessly through her ears as she held onto Sunny as tightly as possible. She was afraid that if she were to let go, Sunny would fall away into nothingness, so she embraced her and kept her from complete despair.

 

The smaller girl muffled her screams and cries in Taeyeon’s shirt, soaking the material and scratching at the back of her shirt in an attempt to calm herself down. Taeyeon felt the pain but she closed her eyes and beared it, wanting nothing more than to help her best friend calm down.

 

 “I’m here Sunny, it’ll be okay.”