Taeyeon checked herself out as she perfectly finished up on drawing her eyebrows. Do I look okay? Still, she couldn’t help but to doubt herself – nothing would ever be okay enough for Jessica. Well, maybe except for Jessica herself. She put the eyebrow pencil down before she let out a slightly nervous sigh.

“You’re such a…” she muttered under her breath, staring at herself through the mirror. She gave up on the negative thoughts as she bit hard on her teeth. She let a smirk grace her face afterwards. “Go sweep her off her feet, Kim Taeyeon.”

The young ruler had barely stepped foot outside her room when she found herself face to face with Tiffany.

“Oh ,” she cursed in slight shock before she quickly regained her composure. “Sorry, reflex.”

Tiffany only shook her head and then she took in a breath. She made herself stare deep into Taeyeon’s eyes. She really wished that her childhood friend would listen to what she was going to say next.

“Taeyeon,” she started, preferring not to address her as “miss”. The said girl already disliked the way the conversation was going. She knew Tiffany well enough to know that the girl would only use such a tone on her when she was about to say something that she probably wouldn’t want to hear. “You know… You—”

“If this is about me wanting to go out without you guys following me,” Taeyeon interrupted without hesitation, returning a strong gaze. “I’m standing my ground. I don’t know if Sunny told you this, but I told her that this is an order, and it still is.”

Tiffany couldn’t hide the disappointment on her face as she looked down for a short moment before she brought her eyes to meet Taeyeon’s again. She her dry lips and swallowed her saliva, not knowing if there was anything that she could say to actually convince Taeyeon. “Taeyeon…” she ended up calling the girl’s name again. “We… Do you remember the first time we met? We were just thirteen. We didn’t know anything about one another. You, me…and Sunny.”

Taeyeon didn’t know why, but Tiffany’s words, together with that sad expression on her face, started to choke her up. “Why are you suddenly—” Taeyeon attempted to speak up but Tiffany didn’t let her.

“At that time, we agreed to protect you and to take care of you because we promised your parents, but it was a mere responsibility, a big one that is. But do you know? As time passed, you became more than just a responsibility.” Tiffany’s voice was beginning to shake at this point in time, and even though Taeyeon couldn’t understand why she was overreacting over her wanting to go out without them for just this one time, something still tugged at her heart hearing Tiffany say every single word. “You…became a friend. No, it was more than that. It was like a…family?” Tiffany suddenly let out a small laugh while she shook her head, and then she used her fingers to gently swipe away the tears that appeared at the corners of her eyes. “Why am I being like this?”

“Tiffany…” The name escaped Taeyeon’s lips automatically when her heart ached.

This time, Tiffany looked away from her friend. “I’m just saying that…even though going out without us for just one time sounds really trivial, even though we know that it is annoying to have us follow you around…”

“That wasn’t what I meant Tiffany,” Taeyeon was quick to speak up because she had always been thankful towards Tiffany and Sunny for protecting her with their everything. She just needed that one time to be with Jessica, and only Jessica.

Still, Tiffany continued, “How easy is it for us to put someone as dear to us as a family out there when we know that Chaerin is obviously out to kill you…?” The girl’s lips started to tremble as she struggled to hold her tears back. “What if…what if something happens to you? What are we supposed to do? How are we supposed to live knowing that we were the ones who let you go out there? How are we supposed to live…”

Tiffany broke down just as Taeyeon wrapped her arms around her. The ruler gently rubbed her friend’s back while she tightened the hug. “I promise you that I’ll be okay. I won’t let anything happen to me or Jessica,” she comforted in a soft voice. Slowly, she pulled away from the hug, looking deep into Tiffany’s eyes. “Just like you said, we are family. I won’t let anything happen to you or Sunny either. We’re going to be together for a really, really long time. You know I don’t break promises, and this is my promise to you. Trust me, okay?”

Tiffany knew that there was no way Taeyeon would retract her order. That girl was just too stubborn. Still, she appreciated Taeyeon’s promise, even though she was still worried. “Can I really trust you?”

“Mmm,” Taeyeon hummed as she nodded, before she extended her pinky to the girl. “Pinky promise.”

This time, Tiffany couldn’t hold back a small smile while she locked her pinky with the girl’s and sealed the promise with their thumbs.

***

Fifteen minutes passed since Taeyeon took the wheel, and both girls hadn’t spoken a single word. It was comfortable silence, and a comforting one. Finally, Taeyeon turned her head to steal a glance at the girl on the passenger seat.

Jessica had her elbow resting on the car windowsill while her palm supported her chin as she quietly watched the world zoom past her. She let the wind mess up her hair, and she didn’t mind a bit. Taeyeon could tell that this was bringing peace to the girl and she couldn’t help but to smile before her eyes returned to the road.

“Don’t peep at me.”

The same smile returned to Taeyeon’s face when Jessica suddenly spoke. “I didn’t,” she denied.

This time, Jessica turned to give her girlfriend an accusing look. “You did,” she insisted matter-of-factly.

“I didn’t.”

Jessica pursed her lips and then she tore her eyes away from the girl. “How far are we away from wherever you’re taking me to?” she asked instead.

“We’re pretty near. Say, another mile or two?” Taeyeon replied as she spared Jessica a brief look.

“Let’s race later,” Jessica suggested out of the blue, causing Taeyeon to chuckle.

“Okay.”

“Pull over.”

The slightly older girl let out a small laugh and then she shook her head. However, her senses perked up when Jessica’s Pulse flared.

“I said pull over.”

Checking the rear mirror, Taeyeon complied and skillfully parked her car at the side of the road. “What?” the girl asked in confusion, her eyes meeting Jessica’s.

“If I say that I wanna drive, will you let me?”

Taeyeon only raised an eyebrow. Sometimes, she didn’t understand how the child-like Jessica before her could be the same person who once protected her against a Silver Rebel without showing any signs of fear. Smiling while she let out a small sigh, Taeyeon pulled the handbrake before she stepped out of her car to move to the passenger’s seat.

Her smile faded almost immediately when she caught sight of Jessica reaching over to lock all the doors with a single push of a button. Shocked, she backed a few steps and pressed her palms at the window at the driver’s seat where Jessica had already taken over.

“Hey!” she protested as one of her hands fumbled to open the door, but to no avail. “Jessica it’s not funny. Unlock the door!”

A mischievous smile gracing her face, Jessica only lowered a tiny bit of the window to ensure that Taeyeon could hear her before she shouted, “You said okay to the race!”

“Wha— How is this a race when you’re in the car and I’m standing outside?!”

“It’s a race!” Jessica argued. “Between you and…the car.”

Taeyeon gave up on trying to open the door and instead, she stood where she was with her arms crossed. “Stop this nonsense already. Open up.”

“Open what? My legs?” Jessica teased.

“Jessica!” Taeyeon furrowed her eyebrows as she scolded.

“I’ll race you to the front. Starting from…now.”

Taeyeon’s eyes widened when Jessica wound up the window and secured the seatbelt before her hand reached to release the handbrake. “Jessica Jung you’re not serious!”

Turning to Taeyeon once more, Jessica smirked as she waved the girl goodbye.

“No. No Jessica!” The car sped off, leaving Taeyeon staring with agape. “This little…” the girl complained under her breath before she started to look around her. It was a good thing that this was the road to Taeyeon’s secret little hideout so there were no other cars around. Did Jessica already notice that? To hell with that. Jessica was getting further and Taeyeon had no time to waste. Checking her surroundings one last time, a small smirk crept up on Taeyeon’s face as she kept her eyes on her gradually disappearing car. With a blink, eyes turned silver and Taeyeon’s Pulse flared. “Game on,” she whispered before she dashed off into the wind at a terrifying speed.

Jessica’s grin grew wider when she noticed that there was a figure outside the car. She had no intentions to stop as she kept the race going until she caught sight of a breathtaking view of cherry blossoms right ahead. Unknowingly, she gradually slowed the car down and Taeyeon too decreased her speed such that she was merely following the car, letting Jessica pull over at the side, right at the first tree.

The door was finally unlocked and Jessica took a step out, staring at the beautiful cherry blossoms with her jaw slightly open. A slightly panting Taeyeon caught up with the girl soon enough.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Just like you, but Taeyeon didn’t tell her that.

Jessica gently nodded with the corners of lips curving upwards. “Yeah, it’s really beautiful.”

“Let’s go,” Taeyeon invited as she passed Jessica who was still standing at the same spot. “It’s even prettier down the road. I’m not going to wait for you!” Jessica only let out a small laugh before she quickened her pace so that she was walking side by side with the ruler.

The wind gently blew, and it gradually fell into a silence between the girls again while they continued their walk in the heaven made of cherry blossoms. Jessica wasn’t particularly thinking of anything. The walk was great. The company was great. There wasn’t that much to think about. However, all that was in Taeyeon’s mind was how to hold that hand which was so near to her.

She finally mustered enough courage to reach out for that little bit, but then Jessica slightly turned in her direction to admire the flowers at her side, and then she found herself awkwardly patting her own thigh like it was the most unnatural thing to do. She thought that she would be able to get away with it, but she was wrong. Jessica dropped Taeyeon a look that the latter wasn’t able to decipher. Was that just a smile, a teasing smile, an awkward smile, a…seductive smile? Just what kind of a smile was that? She didn’t get a chance to take a longer look at it, because Jessica looked away right after.

Taeyeon only bit her lip as she kept walking. How embarrassing, she thought. The mighty ruler of the Silver Guardians not even having the courage to hold a girl’s hand was just…embarrassing. Then again, whoever said that being a ruler had to be courageous in love? Punching someone in the face would be much easier than just—

Taeyeon’s thoughts were interrupted when she felt a hand grabbing hers before those fingers interlocked and she froze. Bringing her eyes to meet Jessica’s, she could only see her girlfriend beaming a smile at her.

“What? You dare to my s at the corridor outside my room and you don’t even dare to hold my hand?” Jessica teased while Taeyeon’s face flushed. She laughed as she shook her head and was about to walk when she realized that Taeyeon was still standing where she was in a daze. “Aren’t you coming with me? What’s the matter? Don’t tell me you want to my s here?” Jessica wiggled her eyebrows and a horrified expression washed over Taeyeon’s face.

“N-no!” the shorter girl retorted.

“Then?” Jessica pushed. “Do you want me to yours?”

“How dare you.” Taeyeon’s tone suddenly took a change as she let go of that hand and stared coldly at the girl. The smile on Jessica’s face only disappeared for a mere moment before it reappeared. However, it surprised Taeyeon when the Silver Guardian bowed without a word.

Even when Taeyeon took another step to stand right in front of the girl, she didn’t move as she stayed right in the same position. One corner of the ruler’s lips curved upwards before she reached below to grab Jessica’s collar. With a strong pull, she pulled the girl upright who then struggled to hold onto the girl’s arms for support as she went crashing into her. Jessica couldn’t see anything except the smirk on Taeyeon’s face and then she felt warm lips on hers and her eyes snapped shut immediately.

Taeyeon gently traced the girl’s upper lip with her tongue before she pulled away, but not letting her face drift too far away from Jessica’s. She stared into those beautiful brown eyes and whispered, “You’re so precious, do you know that?”

Jessica said nothing, except to smile that precious smile of hers. A hand was extended bravely this time and Jessica took it gracefully as fingers interlocked.

Finally, the two girls were walking side by side, hand in hand. Following a few more minutes of silence, Jessica broke the ice with a little swing of the hand that she was using to hold Taeyeon’s.

“Sometimes I wonder how it feels like to be a human. A normal human.”

Taeyeon gently bit her lower lip, suddenly understanding that hint of helplessness and desperation in that voice. “We’re not…” she began hesitantly, uncertain eyes turning to meet a face showing more exhaustion than anything. “We’re not born like this, right?”

Jessica shook her head. “I was about fourteen then. I remember getting really angry and…” Stopping midway in her sentence, the girl suddenly broke out laughing.

Taeyeon followed suit, even though she didn’t know the reason why. “What’s so funny?”

“I almost burned down a classroom.” The widened eyes that Taeyeon was showing in response only caused Jessica to laugh even harder. “Don’t stare at me like that. You probably could burn the entire school down.” Her statement didn’t serve any comfort to the Silver Rebel, who was suddenly aware of how frightening she might actually be. “Anyway, that was the first time I found out that I was…different. I freaked out for quite a while and then…I guess a goddess was born.”

Jessica said it so matter-of-factly that Taeyeon rolled her eyes before she even knew it.

“Seriously though, it’s cool to have these powers and whatnot, but sometimes I can’t help but to feel nothing but exhaustion. Then there are times when it’s worse than exhaustion, like…” Jessica stopped in her tracks abruptly, just like her words. It was impossible for Taeyeon to miss the sadness that flashed across those eyes for that brief moment. The Silver Guardian swallowed her saliva before she slowly made her way to lean on the railing at the side and Taeyeon made sure to follow her closely. “It’s like just because we’re Guardians, we’re supposed to just…lose everyone close to us.”

“You have me,” Taeyeon said plainly, and a surprised Jessica found herself staring at the person who just made a subtle confession. Embarrassed by her own reaction, Jessica quickly looked away once again.

“You… You’re royal, Taeyeon. I know that I’m really playful around you, but I…I don’t really deserve you.”

“You’re not serious right?” Taeyeon was laidback when she asked. She let out a small laugh, as if she found whatever Jessica had just said was ridiculous. “I’m the only one left. Should I just look forward to dying alone then?”

Frantic eyes searched for Taeyeon’s as Jessica fumbled to explain, “N-no that wasn’t I meant. I was just—”

Taeyeon made no move to return the eye contact. However, in a breath, she unexpectedly confessed, “I like you, Jessica. That’s all there is to it.”

Jessica was clearly taken aback. Even with all the things that they had done, there was never an upright confession like this.

“You don’t have to tell me that you like me too. I just hope that all that had happened, they happened because you at least felt something and not because it was…you know, convenient.”

“No it’s not like that. I like you!” Jessica almost shouted the words back and her face turned rose pink when Taeyeon’s half amused and half surprised face turned towards her. Jessica quickly tore her eyes away and Taeyeon found herself laughing before she followed suit.

An awkward silence followed as the gentle wind became the only source of sound in their ears.

“You know,” Taeyeon spoke up with a voice that held so much. Jessica couldn’t pinpoint what. It was heavy, maybe even burdensome.

“Yeah?”

“What if… What if one day, I’m just not around any more?”

“What?” Jessica was quick to question as worry start to show in those eyes.

“It’s just a what-if question. I’m just asking.”

Taeyeon could see the way Jessica’s expression changed, the way she was playing that scene in her mind. “You’re the one holding my world up now Taeyeon. If I lose you, I don’t know, my world might just collapse. I don’t think I can live.”

“You lived fine before Yuri even introduced you to this job. Your answer is invalid,” Taeyeon pressed.

Jessica only nodded slightly. “It’s true that I lived fine without you back then, but that was before you came crashing into my life. I can’t turn back time, neither can I take away the position you hold in my heart now.”

Taeyeon forced herself to swallow the tears that were threatening to spill. She couldn’t imagine. She didn’t want to imagine. Jessica couldn’t turn back time, and Taeyeon couldn’t change their future, couldn’t stop what would definitely come their way, couldn’t prevent the heartbreaks that would soon come to them as the timer reaches zero. She swallowed hard once more, before she tried her best to mutter, “I don’t want to lose you too.”

“Then don’t.”

Jessica... I'm sorry.

[A/N] 16/6/2015

I'm sorry this update took so long. God, 3000 words is just... Still, I hope the TaeNy and TaengSic were good for you guys. Write me something. :)

P.S. So... My little brat Prawnified (now Darthearts) wrote a JeTi fic "Risk" and I really liked it so click on the link and read away. ;) Oh and, just read all her stories because they are so good. You know I'm not bluffing.

Subscribe, comment and upvote if you liked what you read :)
Follow me on Twitter here
© Sky Blue Tales ✍