Jessica fidgeted on the couch. She felt a little uneasy lying in wait as the rest of her floor mates passed by her. There were a few familiar faces waving at her unsurely while most looked at her in either curiosity or shock. Had she really been hiding away from the public for so long that they’re surprised to see her lingering in the common room? She had always preferred the comfort of her room, only leaving when Tiffany literally had to drag her out. She could clearly imagine Taeyeon giving her a sympathetic smile whilst Tiffany rattled on about how bad it was for her to lock herself in their room and to reflect the result of her actions. Yuri would have been the first to laugh at her discomfort, but she also felt like Yuri would be the first to sit beside her and try to take her mind off the uncomfortable matter. She was sweet like that.

 

Being on the receiving end of odd looks was getting on Jessica’s nerves. She wanted to snap at them of how rude staring was but felt that it would not be in her favour to do so. They were still her dorm mates after all. So, she kept to her silence, her gaze flickering between the tv, the stairwell, and the clock, mentally counting down to when Yuri said she would be back. It was stupid, but Jessica needed to know if Tiffany was in fact with Yuri, and she had a good feeling Tiffany wasn’t despite all the assumptions pointing towards the former.

 

It was way past dinner time when Yuri limped up the stairs, and Jessica’s heart leaped with joy seeing her alone. She shot up from her seat, briskly walking towards Yuri who was too out of it to even notice her presence. Her joy was quickly replaced with concern when the girl brushes past her without even muttering a hello. What more was the absence of the crutch she had been lugging around for the past weeks.

 

“What happened to your crutch?”

 

“Oh my gah- Sica.” Yuri jumped, a hand flying to slap against her chest. “Whoo- Jesus, you scared me.”

 

“I wasn’t trying to. Sorry.” Jessica apologised sheepishly, reaching for Yuri’s arm to place over her shoulder in assistance. It was also a way to curb the physical wanting of Yuri’s touch, not that Jessica would ever admit that to the clueless girl. Or anyone. “I saw you having a little trouble getting up the stairs. What happened to your crutch?”

 

“It was confiscated.” Jessica arched a brow.

 

“Confiscated.” She mimicked, guiding Yuri to the couch and carefully assisted her as she lowered onto the leather seat. After Yuri made herself comfortable and began switching channels she takes a half kneel on the space beside her. Her heart was beating crazily, flight response barely kept in check. She had to do this. No more waiting patiently. But she shouldn’t just pounce on the girl. She knew well enough Yuri does care for her, but pouncing on unsuspecting victims was not her style.

 

“How did that happen?” she asked, worriedly taking a glance at Yuri’s bandaged ankle.

 

Yuri leaned her head back on the couch, running her hand through her dark locks as she thought of the best way to deliver the news without inciting Jessica’s frustration. “Well, some idiots thought the best way to take care of a… pest was to make sure they stay within a safe distance. My crutch just happened to be readily available, so they.. ah- liberated it from me.”

 

“They?” Jessica’s brows met in the middle as she thought hard of the long list of people Yuri befriended. It took a moment for her eyes to flash in understanding, after all there were only three other friends that were as bad as her. “Did you meet up with Hyoyeon and the rest?”

 

“Bingo.” Yuri grinned jerking a thumb up at her. Just as quickly her grin vanishes as she shuts her eyes and lifelessly lets her head loll back. “Ah.. I’m so tired after seeing them again. They sure the life out of me.”

 

“Huh.” Jessica muttered, her voice keeping the disinterested tone she had been careful not to let slip. Mentally, she was rejoicing at the lack of any mentions of a certain roommate, her joy manifesting in a small crooked smirk as she finally settled onto the space beside Yuri. She felt like bursting at the seams when Yuri automatically slid an arm around her shoulder and nestled her head at the nook of her neck.

 

“And so, how are they?” Jessica softly prompted, reaching to fiddle with the fingers dangling just above her .

 

Yuri shrugged, absently playing with Jessica’s fingers while keeping her eyes shut. “Hyoyeon’s still being a wiseass and Sooyoung got herself into ah.. a situation that’s way over her head. She has my crutch, by the way. Yoona had a little.. uh.. a little crisis. I’m pretty sure I averted her falling into a crazy town. I want to say that after today she’ll be a happy girl, but knowing her…” Yuri sighed. “she’ll be beating around the bush, dropping subtle hints and hoping the other person gets her. For an actress, she sure at real life.”

 

Yoona was not the only one. Jessica wanted to scream at her. ‘I’m here, Yuri. Look at me!’ Instead, she let out a long exhale.

 

“They sound as troublesome as ever.” Jessica muttered, dropping her hand onto Yuri’s leg. She runs her fingers gently over the jeans, surreptitiously checking for Yuri’s reaction.

 

Yuri takes a sharp inhale, eyes snapping open and gaze falling to the exploring hand over her lap. Jessica looked away, forcing her facial features to relax. “You know, I wanted to see them too.” She said, gliding her fingers up and down the length of Yuri’s left thigh, pressing down enough to feel the friction against the rough jeans but light enough to be passed off as random fidgeting.

 

“S-Sorry.” Yuri stuttered then coughed to clear . “I was- I wasn’t planning on meeting all of them at the same time. It just… kinda happened.” Her voice took to a pitch higher when she felt Jessica’s hand brushing down her knee, fingers tapping randomly.

 

Jessica hummed in faux distraction. “So, where’s Tiffany?”

 

“She’s with Te- er.. her friend- Classmate! Went to do a project or something.” It was getting harder for Yuri to focus. Hard to lie when her insides felt like they had taken a wild ride.

 

“And Taengoo?” Jessica took a side glance at her. She nearly laughs at the sudden scowl hardening Yuri’s face.

 

“As much as I love my cousin, I haven’t really seen her today.” She said a little snippily.

 

“She hasn’t responded to my text in a while. Should we be worried?”

 

“You texted her?” Yuri turned her head to face Jessica. Her expression seems to be stuck in between a scowl and a look of surprise, and Jessica nearly looses it.

 

She hummed and retracted her hand, turning away just in time to hide the silent laugh as she pretend to be looking for her phone. She checks it, knowing she hasn’t received anything, missing the not-so-subtle longing stare Yuri was directing at her hand.

 

She could see Yuri’s lips tremble in the slightest before, what looked like a short sentence passes through her lips. Despite how closely they were sitting Jessica didn’t pick up a word that was said.

 

“What was that?” Jessica asked, lifting her eyes from her phone.

 

Yuri sputtered as she straightened up, her cheeks turning just the lightest shade of red. “I-i-it was n-no-nothing. I didn’t say anything. You must’ve heard someone else. Yeah, someone passed us by just then.”

 

“Slow down, Yuri. Breathe.” Jessica giggled, reaching to gently pat Yuri’s right cheek. “Well, as fun as it is seeing you act cute and all, I’m starving.”

 

Yuri turned a curios eye to her, choosing to ignore the cute comment, for now. “You haven’t eaten yet? But it’s..” she took a long glance at the clock, mentally counting the lines. “7:45 already. Wow, time flies.”

 

Jessica gave her small uninterested hum, well aware of the time, as she pushed off the couch. “I was just about to head out when I saw you struggling up the stairs.” A lie, but Jessica was good at lying through her teeth. Especially when she had her sights set on something. She flashed Yuri an innocent smile while pretending to look around the area for any misplaced item.

 

“You shouldn’t have let me hold you back.” Yuri argued, following Jessica’s movements.  She crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head. “It’s not good to skip meals.”

 

“I’m not skipping meals.” Jessica corrected. “I plan on going right now and getting a bite to eat. It’s not skipping.”

 

“Right.” Yuri blushed. “Ah-w-well, it’s not safe to go out.. alone. I’ll go with you! Safer in numbers and all that.”

 

Jessica clicked her tongue. “Not much difference with just the two of us.” She argued lightly, keeping her eyes connected with Yuri’s.

 

Yuri gave a lazy shrug. “Two heads is better than one.”

 

“What about your crutch. I can’t let you walk around with an injured ankle.”

 

“It’s fine.” Yuri waved her concern off. “It’s been about two weeks, like the doctor said. Besides, I’m hungry too.”

 

It was Jessica’s turn to cross her arms, pretending to mull over her thoughts. In truth, her heart was beating like crazy at the thought of a dinner date with Yuri. Just the two of them, without a third and fourth wheel, finally!

 

“Only if you let me assist you. We wouldn’t want you plunging head down the stairs.” Jessica teased, her lip quirking up in a mirrored image of Yuri’s trademark smirk.

 

Yuri grinned goofily. “I’m all yours.”

 

 

 

 

 

“Ppany-ah, don’t you think we’re taking this too far?” Taeyeon eyed her phone, switched off at Tiffany’s request, lying lifelessly at the far corner of the booth after Tiffany had set it aside with her own. It was a sure way to keep both of them off their phone and enjoy their first official date as a couple. Taeyeon didn’t fully understand the logic behind it but agreed to it anyway. Anything for Tiffany.

 

Tiffany paused in her grilling to pass the phone an innocuous look before shrugging her shoulders, focusing back on the sizzling meat. “I’m sure they’ll be fine. Jessie knows what she wants and even if Yuri doesn’t catch on I’m sure she’ll be putty in Jessica’s hands soon enough.”

 

“You know, it’s kind of scary hearing you say that.” Taeyeon comments, repressing the little shivers running up her spine. “I’m pretty sure that one’s done.” She picks up the nearly black piece of chicken sizzling at the far corner of the hot plate and setting it aside her plate. From how blacken the piece was Taeyeon was sure it was hardly edible at that point.

 

“How am I scary? I’m far from scary.” Tiffany pouts cutely at her.

 

Imagining Tiffany standing in front of a stove with a large butcher knife in hand has Taeyeon thinking otherwise. After years of knowing the American girl Taeyeon was well aware of how disastrous it would be if Tiffany was put in charge of cooking. Open fire, oils in pans and Tiffany did not mix well. Her saving grace was that she was an absolute genius at baking sweets. Taeyeon still couldn’t fully wrap her head around how that was possible. But after years of gorging on Tiffany’s oatmeal cookies and chocolate cupcakes with egg white royal icing, Taeyeon’s apprehensions were nothing but a distant memory.

 

“I’m not saying you’re scary. Just the way you said it.” Taeyeon corrects, smiling cutely at Tiffany. “And you’re the prettiest girl I’ve ever laid eyes on, so don’t take my thoughtless comments to heart.”

 

“Eish, this girl acting all cute. Whatever Taeyeon-ah, now, tell me again how I know if it’s cooked or not?”

 

Taeyeon laughs as she reaches for the tongs gripped securely in Tiffany’s shaking hand. She had seen Tiffany flinch every time the oil spit back at her but kept her hands to herself, watching amusedly as Tiffany tried her best at showing how good a girlfriend she can be. Not that she needed to, Taeyeon loved her just as she was with all her good points and the bad.

 

“I’ll take care of it Ppany-ah. Just sit tight.” She says as she takes the tongs and began to segregate the cooked from the undercooked meat.

 

“Aw, I wanted to cook for you at least once.” Tiffany pouts as she settles back to her seat.

 

“Ah, then make me more of your delicious cookies, but let me cook for you. I want to do at least one thing for my girlfriend.”

 

Tiffany blushed. “You really like saying that, don’t you?” She said, cupping her cheeks in her hands.

 

“Hm?” Taeyeon blinked up at Tiffany, pausing in flipping the sizzling meat. “What? My girlfriend?”

 

Tiffany blushed a little darker, her lips pulling up in a shy smile that has Taeyeon grinning goofily at her. “But I like saying it. My girlfriend. My beautiful girlfriend. No one else’s, mine.”

 

“Tae-Tae.” Tiffany whined, her own smile turning into a full blown grin. She wouldn’t say it(too embarrassed to) but she loves hearing it just as much as Taeyeon likes saying it. “Stop it. You’re going to get bored of it quickly if you keep repeating that.”

 

“There is no way I’m going to get tired saying that. Hwang Tippany, my beautiful, mature, kind, and smart girlfriend. The most amazing girl to ever grace this planet, and she’s all mine.” Taeyeon stated proudly, keeping in mind the level of her voice, just loud enough for the both of them to hear. Fortunately, the chatter of the other patrons of the restaurant, along with the loud sizzling of meat all around masked Taeyeon’s voice completely.

 

“Taeyeon!” Taeyeon giggled to herself as Tiffany buried her red face into her hand.

 

“Okay. I’ll stop… baby? No, no, no…” Taeyeon shook her head as she sank back to her seat, her face turning serious as she rethought the last bit. She misses the shocked look Tiffany sent her upon hearing the endearing term.

 

“Sweetie? Cupcake? Buttercup? Honey? Sugar? Butter? Flour? Baking Powder?” Taeyeon continued, giggling as her thoughts trailed to a more comedic route.

 

Tiffany palmed her face, hiding away her amused grin. “You big dork.”

 

“But I’m your big dork.” Taeyeon said, resting her chin over her propped arms while batting her eyes. “You try to hide it, but I see you smiling.”

 

Tiffany’s head tilted back as she laughed, her hands coming together in rapid successions with her eyes disappearing into two crescents.

 

“You can be my peanut butter to my jelly...” Taeyeon randomly stated. Her eyes then lit up, giving a big grin that showed the small dimple down her chin as she leaned closer to the now slightly apprehensive Tiffany.

 

“Jellybean. I love it!”

 

Tiffany’s blush darkened and her smile distorted to a slight grimace. “Please don’t call me that.”

 

“But it’s perfect! I love Jellies and Jellybeans. I love you. And your voice sounds like Jellybeans and I love how your -”

 

“Do not call me Jelly or Jellybean,” Tiffany interrupted, shuddering at the mere mention of the cringe worthy endearment. “And I swear, if you finish that sentence I will break up with you faster than you can spell it out.”

 

Taeyeon’s smile fell and she immediately made the universal sign of zipping her lips and crossing her heart.

 

“That’s my Boo.” Tiffany grinned, tapping the side of Taeyeon’s face a couple of times.

 

“How come you get to give me pet names but I can’t give you one?”

 

“Because the reasons for the ones you like makes you sound so sleazy and it so ruins that cute image of yours.”

 

“I am not cute!” Taeyeon protested. “Stop calling me cute. I am an adult.”

 

Tiffany giggles as she brushes the back of her hand up and down Taeyeon’s arm. “There’s nothing wrong with being cute, boo. It’s a compliment.”

 

Taeyeon screwed her face. “Makes me sound like a middle schooler.”

 

“Oh, don’t be like that. That would make me a e for dating you.”

 

“P-Ppany-ah!” Taeyeon threw her a disgusted look. “Ew. No just.. ew!” She does a little exaggerated whole body shiver.

 

“Now you know how I feel about those sleazy comments. I don’t get why everyone thinks you’re so innocent. You’re like the poster child for pre-pubescent teen.”

 

“Only when I’m with you.” Taeyeon grinned, shoving her face so close to Tiffany’s they almost touch lips. Tiffany manages to catch herself and shrink onto her seat, simultaneously pushing Taeyeon’s face away. The dork only laughs as she quickly returns to checking on the cooking meat.

 

“You are unbelievable!” Tiffany hisses, her face fully flushed from nearly lip-smacking in public with Taeyeon. Mentally, she was smacking herself for missing an opportunity to get a taste of Taeyeon’s lips again, but she knows she shouldn’t. She sighs and mutters. “Why did I fall in love with you?”

 

“Because we’re perfect for each other.” Taeyeon replies unabashedly, grinning up from the stove. “And I will beat up anyone that says otherwise.”

 

 

 

 

 

Yuri wonders if it was normal for her heart to be beating so wildly every time Jessica flashes her smile, or whenever their hands accidentally brush. It wasn’t like Jessica had never smiled or touched her before. They had shared a bed at one point. Yuri remembered being playful and locking Jessica’s limbs to her side with a koala hug while she muttered a surprising number of ways she would torture Yuri the moment she got loose. Jessica gave up and fell asleep minutes into her koala hug and back then Yuri believed that the only reason for her erratically pounding heart was due to the fear of Jessica’s retaliation.

 

They had held hands numerous of times before, but recently the thought of holding hands made her palms a little sweaty. If she didn’t know any better she would have chalked it all up to anxiety.

 

But she knew that wasn’t the case. There was nothing to be anxious about. But there was something that was making her heart pound, her hands sweat, and gave her lightheaded feeling to that akin to being high. Someone that made her feel so unlike herself.

 

And that someone was currently sharing a bowl of cold noodles with her.

 

“Mm~ This is really good!” Jessica said in between chewing. Yuri found it cute how Jessica would throw her undivided attention to her meals. It reminded her of Sooyoung and Yoona, except she was a lot more elegant, cutting her meals in portions. She had a unique way of holding her chopsticks, using the back middle segment of her fingers to hold the chopsticks in place, and Yuri wonders how the noodles are not slipping off.

 

“Aren’t you going to eat?” Yuri blinks, tearing her calculating eyes off Jessica’s complicated handling.

 

“Huh?”

 

Jessica pushes the bowl closer to Yuri. “I’ve been eating for a while but I’ve only seen you pick up your chopsticks once.”

 

“Ah… It’s okay. I’m okay.”

 

“You sure? You said you were hungry.”

 

“Ah… well, turns I’m not so hungry.” Her stare falls back to the wooden sticks lodge in Jessica’s fingers. She picks up her chopsticks and try to mimic Jessica’s handling.

 

“You’ve been staring at my chopsticks for a while… Are you alright?”

 

“Eh? Ah! Yeah. I’m.. I’m actually just wondering how you’re able to pick anything up.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“I mean…” She holds up her own hand, the sticks jutted in awkward angles. “I can’t pick anything up with this.”

 

“Of course you can’t. The sticks aren’t even meeting.” Jessica pointed out flatly, rolling her eyes.

 

“But this is how you hold it.”

 

“No, I don’t. See.. the ends are perfectly aligned.” Jessica proudly shows off her handling. “Just because I spent my childhood up in America doesn’t mean I can’t use chopsticks.”

 

“No. I didn’t mean to offend you.. It’s just that.. I haven’t seen anyone hold their chopsticks like that before.”

 

“Yes you have.”

 

“Aside from you.”

 

Again, Jessica rolls her eyes. “I know. I meant Tiffany.”

 

“What?”

 

Jessica sighs, placing the chopsticks on the makeshift holder Yuri made from the paper sleeve. “Tiffany holds her chopsticks the same way. How haven’t you noticed?”

 

“Er..” Yuri shifted her gaze “I don’t make it a habit of staring at people’s chopstick handling?”

 

“Uhuh…” Jessica doesn’t sound convinced and narrows her eyes at the shifty actions Yuri was beginning to manifest. “Then how did you notice mine?”

 

“Uh.. I was staring at your hands?”

 

Jessica arched an inquisitive brow. “Why?”

 

“Because your hands are pretty?” The truth comes out faster than her brain could come up with a proper excuse. Yuri instantly bites her tongue and forces her eyes up, discretely fanning her warm body. She thanked high heavens for the yellow lighting somehow hiding the extent of her blush.

 

“You think my hands are pretty?” Jessica repeated amusedly.

 

Yuri jerks her head in an affirmative, keeping her eyes trained at the light shade above them. “Very pretty, long and slender.”

 

“Aw.. that’s sweet of you to say.”

 

“I mean it.” Yuri refocused her gaze on Jessica’s face. “They’re very pretty.”

 

Jessica gave her a soft smile, picking up her chopsticks and swirling it around the noodles. “Are just my hands pretty?”

 

“I think you’re pretty overall.” Yuri bit her lower lip. She did not mean to say that out loud. Lowering her gaze to her lap she misses the surprised look Jessica gives her and the subsequent shy smile and self-conscious fiddling with her hair.

 

“You’re not so bad looking yourself.” Jessica softly admits, much to Yuri’s pleasant surprise.

 

Before Yuri could completely regroup her thoughts Jessica was already opening up another conversation, efficiently closing the last. “So, tomorrow’s movie night… what exactly are we watching? And are we eating out for dinner?”

 

“Ah.. yeah. Um… I’m not- I’m not really sure. None of the movies really jumped out to me so I’m leaving that decision open for anyone’s suggestion. I’m game with anything really. As for dinner, the movie we’re catching could be anytime between 5:00 to maybe 6:00, so I think we’ll be having a late dinner somewhere.”

 

“And, is it just the four of us?”

 

“Yup. Just you, me, tweedle dee and tweedle dum.” Jessica starts nodding her head when a few nods later she stops, her expression turning blank. Then she wheezes a short laugh, quickly pressing her lips together as she turns her curious stare to Yuri.

 

Yuri tries to repress her grin, her cheeks straining as she looks at Jessica’s restrained reaction and then nods saying, “Yes, I did say that.”

 

“Tweedle-” Jessica doesn’t finish as she begins joyously laughing at her friends’ new nicknames. Her head tilts back as her legs untangle and her feet falls flat on the floor. One hand flies to to hide the bright, gleeful, toothy grin while the other falls to slap her lap. Yuri giggles long with her, reaching over to help settle the girl down.

 

Jessica bashfully smiles at Yuri as she hastily brushes the tears at the corners of her eyes.

 

“So, we’re definitely on tomorrow?”

 

Yuri grinned. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”