A/N. This is my favorite chapter so far :) I hope you guys enjoy it too <3

Taeyeon couldn’t exactly put a label on what they had yet. To be honest, not much had changed.

She still fulfilled all her duties as a lady’s maid. There were small differences of course. Now, whenever Taeyeon went to wake Tiffany, she would always pull her down for a quick kiss. At first Taeyeon protested, but Tiffany would just look up at her with a sleepy smile and Taeyeon’s words would die on her lips.

When she worked in the library, Tiffany would come in and settle down on one of the couches with a book in hand. Sometimes she would hum, other times she would sing. Whenever she read something particularly funny or interesting, she would repeat it aloud for Taeyeon to hear. Once, Tiffany brought in one of her favorite books from her personal collection. She sat down on a couch and read to Taeyeon the entire morning. Taeyeon could hear her words clearly as they echoed through the room, and Tiffany would smile into her book whenever Taeyeon’s laugh rang out.

Tiffany still joined her parents for meals, but when she wanted to spend more time with Taeyeon she would ask her to bring a tray up to her room. Taeyeon would bring up her own dinner and they would eat together, talking and laughing quietly, and occasionally feeding each other.

Sometimes they went out on dates. Tiffany would drag her out the gates of the estate and into the town. They walked close to each other, their shoulders bumping. They would do whatever they felt like doing. Tiffany would bring her shopping and when she caught Taeyeon eyeing an item, she would buy it for her despite her protests. Sometimes they would stop by a bakery and buy a loaf of bread, sharing it as they walked. When they didn’t feel like walking, they would stop at the park and lie down under the canopy of trees, their fingers touching. Taeyeon occasionally yearned for something more. She wanted to be able to walk the streets like all the couples that they passed. But when she thought about the risk Tiffany was putting herself in, she realized she should be content with what they had, because it was already too much.

When they didn’t feel like leaving the estate, they would find themselves by the hedge maze and twist and turn their way in, safe from any prying eyes. There they would walk around freely, getting themselves lost and wasting away their afternoon. Taeyeon’s hands never left Tiffany’s, their arms and fingers intertwined.

Taeyeon was more comfortable now when Tiffany would join the girls by the lake. She let herself relax and played around with the girls. She squealed when she felt a pair of hands grab her waist and smacked at Yoona when she surfaced. She laughed when Tiffany splashed her and retaliated with a devilish smile on her face. The girls noticed her change.

“Seems like you’re more comfortable around Miss Tiffany now,” Sooyoung nodded towards the said girl.

Taeyeon could only shrug, smiling.

“I guess it’s just because we’re spending more time together.”

“We have to be careful. My parents don’t share my point of view,” Tiffany had said.

Taeyeon nodded, worry clear on her face.

“I’m scared of the consequences,” she bit her bottom lip.

“Me too,” Tiffany admitted, “But I’m prepared to fight for us.”

She had said it with such determination that Taeyeon felt overwhelmed. Tiffany noticed her shock.

“I don’t know what I’m feeling, because this has never happened before,” Tiffany took Taeyeon’s hands, “But if I’m willing to turn my back on my parents, my feelings must be very strong.”

Taeyeon wasn’t meeting her eyes. She’s been convinced that Tiffany surely didn’t feel the same way she did.

“Hey,” Tiffany said softly, “Why aren’t you saying anything?”

Tiffany grew nervous at the silence. Had she scared the other with her words? She knew that Taeyeon was definitely more hesitant in the relationship, worried that she was jeopardizing her job. But even if the older girl was cautious, Tiffany still expected her to return those same feelings.

“Tiffany,” Taeyeon interrupted her thoughts.

She was playing with Tiffany’s fingers and chewing on her bottom lip. She looked almost thoughtful. Tiffany wanted so badly to lean in and steal a kiss, but she waited to hear what she wanted to say.

“Hm?” Tiffany nudged her a bit.

“Thank you,” she said finally, “For saying that. Honestly, I had my doubts. I wasn’t sure how you felt about me. And I was too shy to make the first move.”

She finally looked up and Tiffany was shocked by the sheer intensity of the look in her eyes. It was a mixture of admiration and sadness and, if she dared to hope, a little bit of love.

“When I first saw you, I thought you were beautiful. I never thought that I could fall in love so fast. I guess I was being stupid, liking someone without knowing them first. And you were nobility, to top it all off. But, as cliché as this sounds, I felt like we were meant to be. But I didn’t dare try.”

Taeyeon took a breath.

“Then you started to join us at the lake. I was annoyed at first, because it was an opportunity to distract myself from those feelings. But of course, on top of your beauty, you had to be down to earth as well, and I could feel myself falling for you even harder. When you didn’t show up, I’m ashamed to say that I was disappointed.”

Tiffany giggled, bringing their intertwined hands to her lips and kissing her fingers.

“That day in the library… I want to say that it was the best day of my life, but… it would be a lie.”

Tiffany lifted an eyebrow.

“Because every day I spend with you are the best days of my life.”

Taeyeon turned red at her own words and pulled her hands out of Tiffany’s, burying her face in them. Tiffany just beamed, her heart fluttering. She tried to pry Taeyeon’s hands away from her face.

“But I’m scared,” her voice was muffled.

“Why?” Tiffany paused.

“Because,” Taeyeon lifted her head, “Suddenly I don’t care about my job anymore. I thought that working here would be my life, but truthfully I don’t know what I would do without you by my side.”

“Tiffany Hwang,” Taeyeon gripped her hands tightly, “I think I love you.”

Taeyeon gasped as she felt herself get pushed back onto the pillows. Tiffany was on top of her, looking down with a bright smile.

“Kim Taeyeon,” she breathed, “I think I love you too.”

Taeyeon woke up with Tiffany’s head nestled in the crook of her neck and their legs tangled together. She smiled to herself when Tiffany let out a snore. She couldn’t help the blush growing on her face when remembered the previous night. She buried her face in Tiffany’s hair at the thoughts.

She could still remember the way Tiffany had kissed her, her lips saying everything her words couldn’t. She recalled the way Tffany had whispered sweet nothings in her ear as she ped her dress. She flushed with embarrassment as she remembered how easily she had come undone under her. Her skin still burned where Tiffany had touched her. She could still feel the spots on her neck and shoulders where Tiffany had mouthed at the skin. She relived the memory of running her fingers along the other girl’s skin and mapping out every curve, making her shiver above her.

“Hey,” Tiffany mumbled.

She was half-awake. She pulled away from Taeyeon slightly to look at her with sleepy eyes.

“Go back to sleep,” she yawned, “The sun isn’t even up yet.”

“Okay,” Taeyeon kissed her forehead and closed her eyes.

“I love you,” she whispered into the darkness.

She could feel Tiffany’s lips pull up into a smile.