"You're really happy tonight. Why?"

They had just finished dinner and were on their way back to the subway station. Taeyeon swung their interlocked hands at times and her steps were light, as if skipping, ever since she met the blonde after work.

"I'm happy because you're with me. Can't I like spending time with you?"

Tiffany slapped Taeyeon on the shoulder and laughed. "You cheesy little..."

They continued walking down the path towards the subway station as Taeyeon swung their hands like a kid.

"It's the second last day of my trip. I'm flying off the day after tomorrow." Taeyeon blurted.

Tiffany sighed and looked to the ground. "I know."

Taeyeon frowned and stopped in her tracks, pulling Tiffany back. She didn't like that dejected look on her face. "Hey, look at me."

She placed her finger under Tiffany's chin and lightly brought her head up. "I wish I could stay longer, but that's all the off days my boss allowed for this busy period. He's nice enough to grant me this short break."

"I know, it's just... I wish we had more time." Tiffany sighed and tightened the hold on Taeyeon's hand, physically conveying how much she meant that.

"We will. If you come back, we'll go out with our friends. We'll go have fun, food hunting, anything."

"Anything?"

"Yes, anything. Your wish is my command." Taeyeon placed her right hand over her heart and bowed a little, mimicking a salute playfully.

"I'll think about it." Tiffany shoved her shoulder lightly and smiled. This dorky side of Taeyeon never failed to cheer her up.

"Good enough. At least you didn't reject me like before. That's something."

It wouldn't be a bad idea to take a walk in the park with Taeyeon in future. Maybe we could even add a dog into the picture. We could walk the dog together after dinner every night. Tiffany smiled at that thought.

"Hypothetically speaking," Taeyeon paused, collecting her thoughts. "If you were to return to Korea, where would you be staying?"

Tiffany sighed and kept silent. Honestly she wasn't sure, either. She couldn't continue living with Siwon, and she still had belongings to shift from his place. Thinking about it made her head hurt.

"I'd most probably find a temporary place and hunt for my own place at the same time, I guess."

"Well..." Taeyeon started slowly, contemplating if she should continue. "Sunny has been looking for a housemate for the longest time. Maybe you could ask if her empty room is still available? I think she'd love you have you around. You know, split the housework, bills and all."

"And before you say anything, just know that I didn't ask you to come live with me because..." Taeyeon trailed off, looking at anywhere but Tiffany. Because it's not the right time yet and I don't think I'll be able to control myself.

She felt herself heating up at the thought of waking up to Tiffany beside her, with her bed hair and her PJs. Maybe some exposed body parts like her midriff, thighs, arms... or even- she unknowingly gulped as she felt her face heating up, together with the tip of her ears.

Tiffany waited for Taeyeon to complete her sentence but the latter stopped there. As they reached the subway which was brightly lit, she turned her head towards Taeyeon to see the girl looking at the ground, blushing. She smirked, knowing exactly what was going through her mind. Sometimes she's glad Taeyeon's face showed everything that's going through her head.

"Taeyeon? Are you okay? You look unwell." She reached out to place a hand on Taeyeon's forehead, then her cheek, and finally her neck to check if the poor embarrassed girl was running a 'fever'.

"I-I..." Taeyeon cleared and continued, "y-yeah, I'm fine."

She hoped the ground would swallow her whole. She saw Tiffany biting back a smile and knew the dark-haired girl had caught her. She groaned and covered her face with both hands, feeling her blood rushing to her face. This is so embarrassing! I'm behaving like a teenager with raging hormones. 

 

---

 

"Morning daddy," greeted Tiffany as she kissed his cheek.

"Morning."

"Good morning, Sir, would you like some pancakes?" Taeyeon offered as she finished making the last batch of pancakes.

She stayed overnight at Tiffany's place as the latter offered her guest room. It was late when they came back from their dinner and Taeyeon stubbornly wanted to send Tiffany home although the latter was more familiar with LA, and was more capable to travel back alone.

"Sure, thanks."

Tiffany was surprised at the interaction between both of them. Before this Taeyeon would talk to him and he'd always ignore her. And now he's actually replying to her? She eyed the two of them and didn't find anything out of the norm. Was she hallucinating? She shook her head when she saw her father receiving the plate of pancakes from Taeyeon with a smile.

"You want some orange juice, Taeyeon?" Mr. Hwang asked as he poured himself a glass.

"Yes, please." She placed her empty cup near his on the table.

Okay, now that was freaking her out. Did her father just accept Taeyeon's pancake and asked if she wanted some OJ?

"What's going on? Why are you guys behaving like you're comfortable with each other? Did something I do not know of happen?"

Mr. Hwang and Taeyeon glanced at each other and burst into a fit of laughter, confusing Tiffany even more.

"What's so funny?"

"I'll leave it to you to explain then, Taeyeon. I'm gonna have breakfast in bed." He took his plate and glass, and went out of the dining room, whistling on his way.

Tiffany turned to face Taeyeon who was seated opposite her. "Now out with it. What was that?"

"Aren't you glad we got along well, now?"

"Of course. But something must've happened. And I want to know, now."

"Well..." Taeyeon stood up and walked to Tiffany's side, crouching down next to her. "Someone told daddy nice things about me and he's gracious enough to give me a chance."

"A chance to what?"

"That's a secret." Taeyeon winked and chortled as Tiffany slapped her shoulder with an irritated look on her face.

"You're so annoying! Why can't you just tell me?!"

"Come on, we only have one day left. Let's make the best out of it, hm?"

Tiffany's eyes dimmed at the thought of Taeyeon flying back to Korea tomorrow. It felt like Taeyeon just arrived yesterday. Time flies when you're having fun, they say, and she couldn't agree more.

 

---

 

"I wonder how Taeyeon unnie is doing in the States." Juhyun voiced out as she took a sip of her coffee.

"Having fun I guess."

"That is if Tiffany's father doesn't give her hell while she's there." Sooyoung joked.

The others laughed, remembering how Mr. Hwang was the person who opened the door for her instead of the anticipated Tiffany.

"Hopefully the time Tiffany spends with Taeyeon would let her know how much she's missing out on if she were to stay in LA," exclaimed Joonhyuk.

"Oh, she's missing out on a lot alright. Our short pal is very-"

Yoona put her hand over Yuri's mouth to stop her from saying any further. Nothing good would come out from her. Although she was used to it, but she was afraid that Juhyun would feel uncomfortable. To her, Juhyun was like an angel -innocent and naive- and tainting that was the last thing on her mind.

"Shush. We don't need and don't want to know. I don't even want to ask why you know such things."

"Anyway, enough of them both. What about the two of you?" Sunny turned the arrow towards the youngest two of the group. Yoona seemed flustered while Juhyun just blushed.

"What about us, Unnie? We're good friends!" Yoona tried to defend the both of them.

"Why do you keep denying?"

"I'm not!"

"Your reaction tells us otherwise,” remarked Sooyoung playfully.

It was obvious the both of them had feelings for each other, or at least were at the stage where they want to spend more time together. They were almost like Taeyeon and Tiffany, but more subtle with their mutual attraction although they stuck like glue whenever both of them were present for any of their meet ups.

"Whatever. I got to go for a photoshoot. See you around." Yoona took her bag and went off hastily.

Everyone turned to Juhyun to see her looking at the retreating backview of Yoona, the blush on her face disappeared and was replaced by a frown.

"Another two idiots." Sunny muttered under her breath. Her friends drove her crazy at times. One pair was enough and now there's another, although there wouldn't be much drama this time round. Or at least she hoped so.

 

---

 

They spent the day shopping, mostly Tiffany accompanying Taeyeon to get gifts or requested items for their friends. Halfway through Taeyeon was whining for an ice-cream break while Tiffany wanted to go to the next store. The shopaholic within her emerged as soon as they stepped into a clothing boutique. Taeyeon had never seen this side of Tiffany and she found it amusing. Was she holding back the last time they went shopping together?

When dinner time was nearing, Taeyeon pulled Tiffany out of the store she was happily browsing in and stuffed her into the cab she hailed hastily by the road side. Taeyeon laughed as Tiffany whined, hitting her arm lightly for disrupting her shopping session. She was choosing between the blue or black dress that she saw from the display window. Taeyeon got the driver to drop them off at Tiffany's to put their shopping bags before proceeding to the next location.

"Wolfgang Steakhouse?" Tiffany thought out loudly as the signboard got bigger and clearer.

We're going there for dinner? This reminded her of the first trip to Korea's outlet with Taeyeon, and the subsequent visit with Siwon where he proposed. Bittersweet memories.

"Hm? You don't like?" Taeyeon asked worriedly. She thought it might not be a good idea to dine here but she liked the atmosphere, and it reminded her of the time they spent together.

"No. It's just, why here, of all places?"

"I just thought this was the closest to what we had in Korea. We could go to another restaurant if you like. I'll just cancel-"

"No! It's okay. I was just curious. Let's go!"

Of course she wouldn't let Taeyeon's effort go to waste. Tiffany linked her arm with Taeyeon and pulled her into the steakhouse. They got served by the maître d' and fortunately got a seat at the corner which was quieter and seemed more private.

"I've already placed the order, so just sit back and relax."

"Oh? When did you do this?"

"When I was in Korea, actually. I had some help from Juhyun with the e-mails."

With her broken English, she wouldn't have been able to make reservations here. She had a lot of help from her friends; searching for the location of this place, how to travel from Tiffany's, making reservations, suggestions on the places she had to visit, and so on.

The greatest help came from Juhyun. That girl was fluent in English and offered to help as much as she could, despite her busy schedule. Perhaps I should get her something on top of what I'm giving the girls.

"One medium rare steak for our lovely lady Ms. Tiffany," said the waiter as he placed the plate infront of the girl. He then turned to Taeyeon and placed her food infront of her. "And our signature steak for Ms. Erika."

"Thank you."

The waiter bowed and left them both alone, not before filling up their wine glass with more wine.

"Erika? I never knew you had an English name."

"Ah, my professor gave me that name when I was in college. He said we needed an English name somehow, and it might be useful in the future. Never agreed with him until now."

"Well, Erika, let's toast to a great dinner tonight. And thank you for planning this. I love it."

"To the beautiful you."

Their glasses clanked and they each took a small sip shyly. It never felt like a date all these while when they were out. It was different this time round, perhaps because of the setting.

The steakhouse was quiet save for some mumbling and sound of utensils hitting the ceramic plates. On their table was a lone stem of pink rose, which Tiffany noticed since the other tables were flowerless. She asked Taeyeon but the latter only gave her a small smile, to which she realized it was part of her reservation request.

Just how much did Taeyeon prepare for this trip? And how long ago did she start? Tiffany knew this was just a sneak peek to what Taeyeon was capable of. That cheesy goofball.

 

---

 

Both Taeyeon and Tiffany were seated at the back of the car as Mr. Hwang drove them to the airport. The atmosphere was kind of unbearable for the poor man. The usually cheerful and talkative daughter of his was quiet, staring out the window. The other was just as depressed, staring ahead into nothingness.

He tried to engage the both of them into a conversation but Tiffany didn't respond, and Taeyeon stopped trying eventually. So why did he volunteer to drive them and put himself in such awkward position? They could've just called a cab or something. He sighed and continued driving, increasing the volume of the radio when the DJ started talking. At least someone's talking. 

Tiffany was lost in her thoughts. She got Taeyeon's flight details, which included her seat number, so she could book herself a ticket to Korea. Yes, a one-way trip ticket to Korea. After the successful and sweet date last night, she decided that it would be her loss if she were to prolong Taeyeon's wait. There's only so much a person could take, and she didn't want to be separated from Taeyeon. At all.

However, luck was not on her side. The seat beside Taeyeon was occupied, as well as the whole flight- it was fully booked, even the business class. Her enthusiasm died down, replaced by disappointment. She should've made the decision earlier. Perhaps there was still time and available seat on the plane.

She turned to her left when she felt a hand on top of hers, giving it a light squeeze. She sighed and leaned on Taeyeon's shoulder, closing her eyes to rest. She didn't get much sleep as she spent the night looking for a ticket to Korea. It was either fully booked or the flight required her to transit somewhere. That meant she could actually book a flight another day instead since it wouldn't make any difference.

Mr. Hwang looked at the couple through the rear view mirror and smiled to himself. Taeyeon laid her head on Tiffany's and they both had their eyes closed. He didn't understand why youngsters these days have to torture themselves that much. In the past, when people fall in love, they marry and have kids. These days people date, and it doesn't mean they're seeing each other officially. They're just at the getting-to-know stage, and they could date a few people at a time. Times have changed indeed. It was more straightforward and innocent back then, he thought of his late wife with a smile.

 

---

 

Taeyeon flopped down onto the couch and heaved a tired sigh. Her friends came over to collect the things they wanted Taeyeon to get for them. They drilled her for information regarding her trip as well, and she inevitably got laughed at whenever she mentioned Mr. Hwang. But she had the last laugh since she managed to win him over.

It had been a week since she came back from LA. She drowned herself in work to repay her boss for granting her request. She still called Tiffany at times in the middle of the night but would fall asleep even before the conversation ended. So Tiffany banned her from calling ever since three days ago. She did try to call but Tiffany rejected her calls, and knowing that Tiffany was as stubborn as she was, she gave in eventually. The more she thought of it the more she wanted to laugh at herself. I'm so whipped even before we're officially together.

She caught sight of the paper bag at the side of her coffee table and groaned. Sooyoung had forgotten her items. Guess I'll have to pass it to her another day then. She picked the bag up and was about to head back to her room when the doorbell rang, startling her. She yelped in surprise, almost dropping the bag. She turned and walked towards the door, thinking that it was Sooyoung who came back for the bag in her hand. At least for once she's not thinking of food.

She looked through the peephole and gasped, dropping the paper bag when the sight of an eyesmile greeted her. She yanked the door opened and revealed Tiffany, standing there in all her gorgeousness. 

"Wh-wha... you... I-" She stuttered, too shocked to come up with a coherent sentence.

Tiffany laughed at the adorable scene in front of her, making her eyesmile more prominent. She stepped forward and flicked Taeyeon's forehead.

"That's not how you should greet someone who's jetlagged."

Taeyeon's hand flew to her forehead to rub the sore spot, and grinned when the pain started to dissipate. It was painful so it's not a dream. Her eyes caught the striking pink luggage right beside Tiffany and she's practically beaming right now. She's not dreaming. Tiffany's back.

"You're back." She said as she pulled Tiffany into her apartment and fumbled with the luggage, almost rolling the heavy thing over her toes. 

Tiffany chuckled at the flustered girl and helped with the luggage, bringing it into the apartment easily. Taeyeon then closed the door and stared at Tiffany.

The dark-haired girl felt uneasy under the stare. Taeyeon's eyes were expressive and she knew, judging by the sparkle in her eyes, that she was just as excited as she was. Like as if Taeyeon's brown orbs could speak, it made Tiffany's heart thump against her rib, and she could hear the beats in her ear.

Taeyeon gazed gently at Tiffany, took a step forward, and brushed her bangs away from her eyes. Something clicked in her brain and she wasn't sure what she was doing anymore. All she knew was she's really touched and beyond ecstatic that Tiffany's back. It meant that the week spent in LA was worth it and Tiffany had gotten her message.

She took another small step forward, invading Tiffany's personal space. She could clearly see the long eyelashes of Tiffany's and her eyes flickered down to the alluring lips. She gulped, completely blown by the close proximity. She could feel Tiffany's breath hitch and she almost lost it when the latter wet her lips. 

"Fany-ah..." Taeyeon whispered, and Tiffany could feel her breath on her lips. She hummed, waiting for Taeyeon's next move. She was prepared, or so she thought. She shivered in anticipation.

"Can I," Taeyeon paused, her eyes flickered up to Tiffany's brown orbs. She inhaled slowly and exhaled, preparing herself for the confession.

"I love you. Be mine?"

Taeyeon had a small smile on her lips as her eyes flickered back and forth Tiffany's eyes. She was nervous as hell. She didn't plan to confess like that and she just blurted it out. Since Tiffany's here with her luggage, it meant that she was here to stay and Taeyeon would be stupid to not hold onto her. She would not let her slip by anymore. She wanted Tiffany, and she was sure Tiffany felt the same.

She felt tears in her eyes when she heard the sincere confession from Taeyeon, their eyes boring into each other's. Tiffany had not expected that. She thought Taeyeon would take her out on a date, confess to her and then ask that question. She was tired and the rhythmic throbbing of her heart was making her head hurt. Expect the unexpected, Sunny once told her. Taeyeon would always do things randomly or when she thought the time was right. This must be one of those moments. What do I do with you, Kim Taeyeon? I had expected a more romantic confession. Nevertheless, she had to applaud the blonde for the brave move, was glad she took the initiative.

"Yes," Tiffany breathed and closed the gap between them, kissing Taeyeon on the lips.

 

---

 

Here's Chapter 31.

I wanted to update on Tiffany's birthday but I failed. I wanted to update on their 8th anniversary but I, again, failed. XD

The long-awaited scene. I tried to make it... you know, sweet? Yay or nay? Told you it's not my strength. LOL. 

As I visualized that scene, my fingers flew around the keyboard and somehow I just couldn't stop. But anyway, I'm gonna stop at them kissing. :p

-E

P.S. Way to go Taeyeon! You completely skipped the courting part and you got the girl!