cli·ché also cli·che  (klē-shā′)

1. A trite or overused expression or idea
2. A person or character whose behaviour is predictable

Taeyeon is secretly in love with her best friend.

For half of her life, nearly as long as she can remember. But she settled to be the reliable best friend, being there whenever her best friend needed her. It was funny how they became best friends because they could not be anymore different. Taeyeon liked blue, Tiffany was in love with anything pink. Taeyeon was quiet and reserved, Tiffany was the loud social butterfly that made friends with everyone, from the jocks to the janitor. 

"T-taeyeon..." She burst into tears, unable to continue her sentence.

Taeyeon as always, being the reliable best friend, would do what she has done countless of times.

She pulled her in, resting the sobbing girl on her chest. When it comes to Tiffany, she had to exert a lot of self-control. Every inch of her body yearned to claim Tiffany as her own. But she knew she couldn’t.

"W-why...do they cheat on me? All the time..."

"It's okay. Fany ah, you deserve better." I would never do this to you.

=

"Taetae. We have a problem here."

"Hm?" She could not peel her eyes off the array of cakes and pastries.

"Look at me" Tiffany forcibly tilted her best friend's head around by grabbing her chin when she saw her best friend lost in the array of sweet treats.

"What?"

"We need to find you a boyfriend."

"Huh?" Taeyeon was totally not expecting this. She scratched her neck, unsure of where the conversation would be going.

"I am worried  I don't want you to end up all alone when you're old and wrinkly."

"I have Ginger." And you...

"We all know Ginger is not going to be with you forever. You need someone reliable, with broad arms."

"Why broad arms?"

"Because all the jerks I have dated previously didn't have broad arms. And if he has broad arms, he would be able to help you lug your guitars around."

"What kind of observation is that? I don't need a guy with broad arms." She got off her seat. "Now excuse me while I order the cakes."

Tiffany let out a sigh as she watched the short figure peeping at the tall display case.

She knew whose Taeyeon's heart belonged to be but she did not have the courage to acknowledge it.

==

"Fany...."

"Go away."

"I am sorry okay" She tried to grab the girl's fingers in vain. Being the less athletic of the two meant that she had problems keeping up with the girl who was stomping away.

"Do you know how much effort I put in to arrange this date for you? He is a nice guy. The least you could have done is to at least finish eating the meal." She stopped, pulling her fingers away her best friend's grip.

"Okay." Taeyeon ran her fingers through her hair in frustrations. "I said I was sorry already."

"Why?" Tiffany inched forward. The sudden proximity caused Taeyeon to jerk backwards in reaction. "Why? Tell me why?"

"W-what do you mean?"

"Why do you always reject the guys that I introduced to you?"

"They're not my type."

"Then what's your type?"

"..."

Tiffany saw the droopy, sad eyes and softened immediately.

"Taeyeon ah..." She picked up the limp hand and hesitated for a moment. "I am sorry. I am sorry I can't give you what you want. You deserve only the best and I am nowhere near the best."

Taeyeon's eyes widened. She was not expecting anything like that.  

"E-excuse me p-please" She dashed off.

==

Taeyeon spent the next few days cooped up in her music studio, avoiding any unnecessary human contact. She lived on cup noodles and the occasional take outs. Her mobile phone was left lying around in some random jeans pocket, unanswered.

Through her headphones, she heard some banging and knocking but she decided to ignore them, drowning herself in work.

Finally, after a few minutes, the knocking stopped and Taeyeon heaved a sigh of relief.

She continued with her work, replaying the snippet of the song she was working on. The headset was loud and she did not hear the click of her door opening.

She felt something soft being thrown at her head and turned around by reflex, her eyes widening when she realized who was standing at the door, hands on her hips.

"Seems like somebody haven't changed their security pin. Stll 010889 huh?"

==

Tiffany tried calling her best friend's mobile phone repeatedly but to no avail. She was worried. She had asked their mutual friends to keep a lookout for Taeyeon as well.

TIffany had a feeling that Taeyeon was at her studio, but she decided to give her a few days to calm down.

Tiffany knew her best friend too well. The sensitive side of her. The way she locks her inner feelings inside of her. And Tiffany knew she was the key to Taeyeon's lock. Taeyeon was never expressive, never showy. With Tiffany, she was always gentle, understanding.

She had first realized Taeyeon’s feelings two years ago after a high school get together where Taeyeon had gotten particularly drunk. She chuckled at the memory as Taeyeon only had two glasses of beer before she started slurring her words and walking haphazardly to the washroom.

"Miyoungieeeee" Taeyeon squealed and giggled as she made her way to the car with Tiffany supporting her by her waist.

"Stop it. Taetae you're drunk."

Tiffany had to shake her head as her best friend started singing a melodramatic version of Beyonce's Drunk In Love. "Shh...not so loud."

"W-why?"  

"It's late and people are asleep." She shoved the half drunk girl into the passenger seat. "Work with me." She lifted the limp legs and plopped them into the car and shut the door.

"Why can't you love me the way I love you?"

"W-what..."

"I love you...but you don't love me." She giggled a little more. ”Isn’t it funny?”

"Taetae you're just drunk." At this point, Tiffany was not sure if she was telling Taeyeon off or just trying to assure herself.

After the little drunken confession, Tiffany started to make the connections. The seemingly natural things that Taeyeon would do for her took on a new meaning. Taeyeon would pull open the heavy glass door of shopping malls for her even though Tiffany was supposed to be the more athletic one of the two. Taeyeon will always let Tiffany have the window seats when they took trains and public buses together. Taeyeon was not zoning out, she was gazing at her with those soft eyes whenever she talks.

But she knew that their society would never have a place for a love like this. She suppressed all the feelings that she had for Taeyeon and dated other guys, in hopes that time would dilute the feelings. As we would all know by now, time would never work its magic on two things. Pain and true love.

==

“Are you done being a baby?” Tiffany had her hands on her hips, eyebrows furrowed. Taeyeon looked her and thought she could almost see fire coming out of her best friend’s nose.

“Why did you throw my dookong at me?” Taeyeon raised her voice slightly, not wanting to lose out. But not too loud, because she would never have the heart to shout at Tiffany.

“Because you’re being a baby again. How many times must we go through the same thing for you to realize that hiding away from your problems wouldn’t solve anything?” Tiffany marched forward, ignoring the fact that she stepping on Taeyeon’s sheet music and tangled wires. “In fact, it will only make things worse.” She stopped just in front of Taeyeon, her eyes round and dark. “Like now.”

“F-fany ah…” Taeyeon was a little nervous. She was not sure how the conversation would go. She tensed up.

“I know you better than you think, Taetae. Do you think 11 years of friendship means nothing? It means a lot more than you think. I don’t want you to run away anymore.” She paused for a while, trying to suppress the lump in . “I know how you feel since a long time ago. I am sorry I tried to push you into something you’re not. But I really don’t think I deserve your love.”

“Don’t ever say this of yourself.” Taeyeon was slightly agitated. She hated it when Tiffany puts herself down. “I love you because I love you. You don’t have to love me back. It’s not your fault that I am madly in love with my best friend.”

“Taeyeon ah…”

“It’s okay. You don’t have to pity me or anything. Look, I am alive and fine. Now that you have gotten what you want, please leave me alone.” Her voice was flat. She spun her chair around and put her headset back on. She did not want to face Tiffany. Any longer, she would not be able to control the tears that were threatening to fall. Great, now I can't even be friends with her anymore...

Just as she thought Tiffany had stepped out of the room, she felt arms going around her neck and a head resting on her shoulder.

“Please Taetae, listen to me.” Taeyeon could hear sobs and sniffing as the girl buried her head in the crook of her neck, tears streaming openly down her eyes. “I am sorry Taetae. I am just a coward when it comes to us. Can you give me, give us a second chance? I love you too, and I would never want to hurt you again.”

“F-fany…” She took off her headphones and turned around, and saw her sobbing best friend. Tiffany is the chink in her armour. All the walls that she took pains to build, Tiffany did not even have to try to shatter them. “It’s okay, you don’t have to force yourself.”

“NO. You still don’t understand.” The sobbing got louder and louder. “I love you. Hwang Miyoung is in love with Kim Taeyeon. Just like how Kim Taeyeon loves Hwang Miyoung in the same way.”

“Am I dreaming?” Taeyeon did not believe the things she had heard. She thinks she is dreaming. She pinched her thighs and felt a sharp pain. But Taeyeon did not know what to say for she knew she was bad at words.

“Did you just pinch yourself?”

“I am not good at words, but if you want me, only if you want me, then I am willing to give us a shot.”

“Of course I want you. Taetae, you know I would always come back to you.” Tiffany sat herself on Taeyeon’s thighs, wrapping her arms around her neck.

Taeyeon instinctively circled one of her arms around Tiffany’s waist to prevent her from slipping off. The proximity was not uncomfortable at all, it felt natural. Taeyeon liked being close to Tiffany. To feel the warmth and the softness of her skin. “I know. Especially after those breakups.”

“Yah. Must you mention those jerks again? Such a moodkill. This is supposed to be a romantic moment for us.”

Taeyeon merely grinned, her single chin dimple showing. Taeyeon her girlfriend’s back, waiting for her breathing to return to its usual pace after all the sobbing.

“Promise me something?”

“Hm?”

“If this ever gets difficult for you, you need to tell me. I will let you go.”

Tiffany let out an exaggerated sigh. “Must you always be so pessimistic? We are barely five minutes into our relationship and you want to talk about breaking up?”

“I just want to make sure. Okay, okay. No more breakup talks. My girlfriend, her way.”

“That’s the way. You have to listen to me now.” Tiffany tightened her hold around Taeyeon’s neck possessively.

“Bossy.” Taeyeon kissed Tiffany’s nose lightly. “Yah. Kiss me properly. On the lips.”

Taeyeon’s eyes widened and she swallowed her saliva. “C-can I…?”

“Oh god. Of course you can.” Tiffany shook her head and leaned into Taeyeon, initiating the kiss. The kiss was slow, gentle and they took their time to savour each other’s lips.

Taeyeon’s hand unconsciously slipped to the lower of Tiffany’s back, touching her favourite body part.

==

“Fany. We have a problem here.”

“Hm?” Tiffany was focused on the romantic chick flick movie that she had forced Taeyeon to rent.

“Baby, look at me.” Taeyeon kissed the cheeks to get her girlfriend’s attention.

“What?” Tiffany snapped impatiently, not happy to be distracted from the movie.

“Remember you said I needed a partner with broad arms? None of us have broad arms. I don’t have broad arms.”

“Yah. Taetae. I don’t love you because of you look, but who you are. Did you just interrupted me halfway through just to say this? Now I have to rewind for the kiss scene."

Tiffany was about to pick up the controller when she felt a grip on her wrist.

“Instead of watching a kiss scene, why don’t we make one of our own?” She smirked and gently pushed Tiffany back onto the couch and straddled her.

“Hate it when you are all prevy.” Tiffany pouted but relented anyway, allowing Taeyeon to her pyjamas. “Byuntae.”

a/n: As cliche as possible. How many taeny fanfic clichés can you spot? ^^