Title: Picture Images that Sketched Fall,
Genre: Cliche-ish (?), Character Development, Romance (?)
Rating: PG-13
Pairing(s): Jessica/Tiffany
Summary: "In that year, the picture was fading, so together they redrew fall."

---

"Y'know, it's nice to love someone. It'll hurt, eventually, but it's worth it. At least, I believe it's worth knowing how it feels to love, even if they'll have to forget."

Jessica remembers how everyone had said the same thing.

Although, it didn't mean she felt the same.

She had been rather new at this thing called 'love', though definitely not new with the whole process of making memories disappear.

Sometimes, as she stares out towards the field below in English class, Jessica wonders if she's considered weird for thinking that it's sad to eat memories in order to survive. 

She knows they - the Memory Feeders (which she would've much preferred to be called something with a little more 'grace') - have lived with humans for as long as anyone could remember, taking away memories of themselves from the people they've associated with.

Jessica thinks it's sad: to make memories with humans, to spend time with humans, and to live with humans, only to eat those memories away so they could continue living.

That was their food.

They don't look any different from a typical human being of course, it was just how and what they ate that did.

It isn't something disgusting though, how they eat - thank goodness - Jessica thinks. How they feed is up to themselves, really. It can be: a peck on the cheek, a kiss, a snap of their fingers, anything they wanted.

The only rule that governs them is to not starve to death.

Jessica purses her lips as she ponders on whether she should follow Tiffany for lunch again. The black haired woman is motioning to stand from her seat, gathering her things, and Jessica makes her decision to follow when Tiffany strides out of the room.

She keeps a distance from Tiffany as she trails quietly behind her, watching her back as Tiffany makes her way through the halls.

Jessica can't remember how many times she has followed Tiffany. Has it been four months already? Five? Maybe six? Probably seven. She does however, remember the tug in her heart whenever she takes Tiffany's memories away, either by holding her hand, or trailing her fingers down the latter's arm.

But the little pain she would feel back then was nothing compared to when she started loving Tiffany. 

"Have you ever fallen in love before? Because it's amazing, Sica. Really, the best feeling you'll ever have. The memories tend to taste even better too when you do,"

Jessica had remembered her close friend - Sooyoung - say so a month ago. How the taller woman had fallen in love with someone, 'Kwon Yuri' was it? Jessica wonders, as the giant's voice plays in the back of her mind.

She explained how love was like a sweetener, a cherry on top, for the memories they make with their partner. Jessica remembers asking Sooyoung if it had hurt to make Yuri forget after loving her.

Sooyoung had combed her fingers through her layered hair, a heavy sigh escaping as a wry smile takes her lips.

"It did. It really did." Jessica had hurried to ask, 'what's the point of loving then?' but Sooyoung had shushed her with a chuckle. "But even if she forgot ever loving me, I didn't. I won't, and I don't think I'll ever will."

"Then why tell me to love if I'll get even more hurt in the end?"

Sooyoung had patted her head then, grinning. "Because it's nice to know that I loved, still love, and have been loved, by someone I love. Do you get me?" Jessica had shook her head as a frown lined her lips, and Sooyoung merely shrugged. "Besides, if she really loves me, she'll keep loving me, even if she forgets."

Jessica figured she should try.

And she can't bring herself to ever forget when she did.

"It will hurt, Sica. Trust me, it'll hurt. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't still try,"

Jessica wanted to seal Sooyoung's lips with a zipper, erase her persuasive tone, and lock her voice away into a chest and burn the key so she wouldn't make the same mistake twice.

If only she understood earlier, then maybe she wouldn't have been so naive enough to listen.

Jessica remembers loving Tiffany.

"Does it really hurt to love?" She remembers asking Tiffany one day in English class.

She was curious of what the latter thought of it before she decided to venture on unknown territory. Jessica felt a little unsure of what to do when Tiffany didn't know either. That was why she also asked the younger girl for permission to love her, because how else was she supposed to do it?

"Then, can I love you?"

Was she supposed to love Tiffany without letting the girl know? How would love work if Tiffany didn't love her back either?

Jessica laughs gently to herself at how naive she was as she watches Tiffany stretch the kinks in her legs for track club. She is sitting on one of the stands near the field as she grips onto a cup of coffee in her hands. Jessica staves off the chilly air with a sip of caramel coffee as she eyes the track.

"She keeps looking at you,"

Her cup pauses beneath her lower lip, her mind registering the voice as she turns her gaze away from Tiffany's form from below. Jessica feels the warm liquid travel down , heating her skin, and she swallows before facing the newcomer. Jessica lowers her drink to her lap before scrutinizing the girl beside her.

"Tiffany," Jessica crinkles her brows in confusion, before the girl's name appears in her head and she remembers - Seohyun. "her eyes can't seem to help but wander to you."

Jessica can't stop herself when she automatically spins her head around to return her gaze to Tiffany, seeing how the black haired woman is blatantly scrutinizing her with narrowed brows.

She tries to read the words that seem to play across Tiffany's lips, as if the track member is talking to herself, but the black haired girl merely shakes her head as if to erase a thought and switches her focus to the field.

"She doesn't remember you, right?" and Jessica flinches from the sudden tug at her heart, her fingers tightening around the cup. "How did the memories taste like?"

Jessica can't bring herself to look at Seohyun as she bows her head, her gaze distant as she watches her coffee form ripples from the tremor in her grip. She remembers Seohyun being one of the newest Memory Feeders, and word has seemed to spread of love's phenomenon.

"Bitter," Jessica wryly chuckles, "the rumor of memories becoming sweeter is a lie."

Sort of.

But Jessica lies through gritted teeth so Seohyun doesn't have to feel the same thing after love becomes bitter on her tongue and the only one who remembers is the one who takes all the sweets away.

"Are you..." She hears Seohyun mumble under her breath beside her as she continues to fiddle with the rim of her cup, "...will you not love anymore?"

Her laughter is hollow, bitter like memories of love that only she remembers, before raising her hand so she'll prevent a tear from slipping. Jessica wipes the wetness from her eyes before it gets to spill and she whispers, "...Not with anyone else,"

Because Jessica can't bring herself to stop loving when she can remember so vividly.

Sometimes, she wishes she doesn't have to. Wishes that a Memory Feeder can just take her own memories away, but they can't. Even if they tried, it was like fitting the wrong key through the wrong lock. It just isn't possible.

"Does love really hurt?"

Jessica tilts her head so she sees the innocent gaze that plasters Seohyun's face. It was a quiet whisper, a tender caress that carried her hushed apologies, and Jessica merely lets the corners of her lips curve slightly upwards. Seohyun is just as curious as she was, before.

"Yes," and Jessica turns away to see the track, keeping her gaze on Tiffany as the latter sprints with all her might past other students. "yes, it does."

When Seohyun reaches out to touch her cheek, preventing that tiny drop from reaching her chin, Jessica instinctively shuts her eyes when more tears spill to follow.

She can still remember, so vividly.

---

"Jess?"

Her mind was cloudy, clattered, and just jumbled. Mess was scattered all over the place and Jessica had even felt disoriented as she leaned against the wall of the halls for support. Her breath became ragged, breathing shallow as she struggled to keep her eyes open.

Jessica used whatever energy she had left to wait until Tiffany's arms wrapped around her so she would catch her fall.

How long has she not fed? Two months? Three? Probably four.

"Jessi?" Tiffany's breath had tickled her ear as she held her from behind, "What's wrong?"

Jessica pressed a hand against her temple, her eyes shut as she tried to steady herself. It was dizzying to just stand, even when Tiffany acted as support. Her chest thumped painfully against her eardrums and it wracked at her skull.

She leaned back against Tiffany to ease the incessant tugging in her chest. Jessica found it hard to breathe as she released shallow breaths.

"Don't starve, even if you love. Because she'll still be there for you, Sica. Even if she doesn't remember,"

Jessica clutched her chest to quell the pain that shot through her as the strings that bound her heart tightened.

She wouldn't.

"I -" Jessica swallowed and she felt Tiffany's chin rest against her left shoulder, as if to hear more clearly. " - I'll be fine,"

She wouldn't erase what they had together.

"Jess -" But Jessica stopped what she had to say as she pulled away, leaning against the wall so she could walk on her own again.

Tiffany trailed quietly behind her, not withdrawing her arm around Jessica's waist in case she stumbled. Jessica could feel the black haired woman's concern spill from her form beside her as she pushed against the wall.

Jessica couldn't.

I won't, Jessica had thought then, as she gritted her teeth. I won't take them away.

And Jessica had truly believed Sooyoung to be cruel then. Making her believe love was something worth doing, something worth experiencing. It was, but not when time comes that she needs to feed and Jessica has to take it all away.

What was the point of loving, then?

When Jessica's steps had faltered, her legs finally giving, Tiffany's arms had scooped beneath her knees and back. Jessica vaguely remembers what happened then, other than cradling her face against Tiffany's neck as the black haired woman carried her off to the infirmary.

Jessica clutched Tiffany's shirt, the cotton material fitting through the spaces between her fingers as she focused on breathing. Her eyes were barely open when she told Tiffany to stop, her lips playing across the latter's neck. She knew her whisper had fallen on deaf ears as Tiffany continued towards the infirmary, so Jessica kissed the warm skin that cradled her cheek.

Her lips had lingered even when Tiffany finally halted.

"...Jess?"

The vibrations of Tiffany's throat tickled lightly against her lips, and Jessica would have giggled, if she wasn't so tired.

"If she loved you, she'll love you, and she'll continue loving you. The heart doesn't forget,"

Jessica found Sooyoung's words to be reassuring then, feeling the wetness of her eyelids as she struggled to wipe them away. She only held on tighter to Tiffany's shirt, her fist clenched as she buries her tears against Tiffany's skin.

Her hunger had bested her.

"Don't cry," Jessica had felt Tiffany's lips press softly against her forehead, and it only urged more to fall. "I'm here." She said and Jessica didn't think she could pull through with erasing what they had together anymore.

"Please," she breathed hoarsely, avoiding Tiffany's worried gaze. "don't make this harder than it already is."

When Tiffany only held her closer, whispering, "What? What's wrong?" Jessica couldn't take the pain anymore.

So Jessica had held Tiffany's cheek, whispered, "Forgive me," and nuzzled her nose into the crook of the younger woman's neck as her lips pressed tenderly against warm skin. She felt Tiffany's memories seep through her weak form, easing the tensions that bound her heart, as it cleared away the cluttered thoughts of her jumbled mind.

She remembers how Tiffany had still been worried, mumbling against the crown of her head, "Jessica?" as Jessica closed her eyes to lock the memories of their time together into the furthest corner of Tiffany's mind.

When Jessica didn't feel the incessant pounding that wracked her skull, didn't feel the strings that wrapped around her heart, and didn't feel the constriction that clogged , she pulled away to only be met with a confused Tiffany.

"Um," she remembers the younger woman furrowing her brows as she scrutinized her, "do I know you?"

Jessica didn't know that it would hurt as much as it did then. She only vaguely remembers nodding quickly but forgetting whether she had re-introduced herself to Tiffany or had settled for pushing away from her hold and running from pain instead.

You're such a liar, Sooyoung.

The memories they had together tasted bittersweet.

---

I'm sorry for any errors; will be re-checking everything at a future time. 

Key Facts: (for a better understanding)

Jessica, Sooyoung, and Seohyun are Memory Feeders. They look, act, talk, and think exactly like humans, but live off memories they make with them. It's their food. They can't go long without taking memories.

It's been hinted here, that Jessica can't remember how long she has been following Tiffany. Keep in mind of what Tiffany has been saying for the past two chapters, "She didn't know because she forgets,".

Since Jessica has been following Tiffany for a while, and Tiffany describes herself as someone who forgets, this means that Jessica has been feeding on Tiffany for a while (although as friends or mere acquaintances, which isn't shown here). The only (first) time she has taken Tiffany's memories where they were in love was at the end of this chapter.

The more emotionally attached (aka: love) they are with their partners they choose to be with, the more 'sweeter' the memories will taste for them. Like a little cherry on top.

And yes, when Jessica is speaking with Seohyun, it is in the present (after the whole event of erasing Tiffany's memories that happened in the end). With the previous chapters describing how Tiffany 'remembers' and how she thinks back to what she can recall, she is thinking in the present (did I lose you there?).

So yes, present Jessica here is indeed linked to present Tiffany two chapters before.

PS: Don't damage yourself over analyzing every little thing through this story. It can't project all the plot devices I've planned so don't expect everything to be covered in this short ongoing (like understanding why there are Memory Feeders...etc.) Just take it for what it says. :DD