The rest of the day, after their rather eventful late lunch— or ‘dunch’ as Tiffany had playfully declared as such—, was mostly spent lazing about the living room.

For once, a mixture of endless chatter, laughter and giggles filled their home.

It was amazing how an addition of just two more people could do so much difference.  With Yuri and Jessica around, silence never lingered for more than a couple of seconds. Granted, there were periods of pause in between conversations. But it was there, mainly to catch their breaths and to recollect their thoughts before carrying on to another brand new topic.

It felt different. A good sort of different.

And Taeyeon never wanted it to end.

She knew it was rather selfish of herself to think that way, but sometimes she wished that Yuri and Jessica didn’t leave to study abroad.

Everyday could be so much livelier. Not that it wasn’t lively enough with Tiffany and Sooyoung around. It was just… It was just different without everyone together. Or maybe she was just being a sentimental sap again.

But she digressed.

“What? I can’t believe this.” Yuri scoffed, hands thrown up in the air in exasperation.

Tiffany rolled her shoulders carelessly, grinning cheekily as the red blocky letters screaming ‘Game Over’ came rolling down the television screen.

The Black Pearl huffed, still reeling from her lost. She pointed her controller at the redhead, eyes burning with unwavering determination. “I demand a rematch!”

“Sure, by all means.” Tiffany shrugged, an amused grin tilting her lips.

Lounging on the couch, the Ice Princess rolled her eyes and released a sigh.

“Bored?” Taeyeon asked, raising a brow at the girl beside her who seemed very much indifferent to the fiery commotion that was going on in front of them.

“Totally… Though, I have to say that I’m surprised that you even own a xbox, Taeyeon-ah.”

“It’s not mine.”

“Oh, it’s not? Sorry, I just assumed, since Tiff’ is only into things pink and girly…” The words died off in upon catching sight of the pink, hello kitty-themed console by the side of the television. “Oh.”

Taeyeon chuckled. “You’re still right about that though, I’d give it to you. But she only plays it like what? Every once in a blue moon? Or when Sooyoung comes over.”

“You don’t play?”

“Nah, I don’t particularly enjoy feeding her already huge ego. She always wins, that’s a fact.” Taeyeon paused, passing the Black Pearl and the redhead a cursory glance, chuckling yet once again. “Moreover, her favorite game is to drive you up the wall. Just like what she’s doing with your girlfriend right now.”

“Tell her that for me, would you?” Jessica whined, throwing her head back against the couch in a sigh. “It was amusing watching her lose for the first five times. And it was cute for the next five. But after that, things just got a little repetitive for me.”

“Mmhm,”

“I’m bored.”

“Yep,”

“Can’t you do anything, Taeyeon?”

“Nope, not until they’re done playing this round.”

Jessica groaned.

“But I guess in the mean time we can pick out the movies for our marathon later.”

Instantly, the dark sullen expression on the Ice Princess’ face lit up.

“Taeyeon, I love you.”

The shorter girl snorted and waved her off flippantly.

“Tell that to your girlfriend.”

She pushed off from the couch, landing on her feet with a small, devious grin.

“Come on, let’s pick the movies we want and hide away everything else that is horror and gore. I’ve got a strong feeling Fany has ‘The Conjuring’ in mind for tonight.”

Both girls gave a shudder.

“We should hurry.”

Looking to the two girls that were still very much engrossed with their game, the Ice Princess gave a fervent nod.

“We should.”

--

“Alright, since I couldn’t find the horror flicks, which I vividly recall keeping them in the lower left drawer of my room, anywhere. And half of my favorite chick-flicks are gone, along with the other half of my favorite gorey action films… We’re now apparently left with the animated Pixar and Disney films. “

The redhead shot a pointed glare at her roommate and the Ice Princess respectively, who were both giving each other a triumph high-five while trading gleeful grins with one another.

Over to the corner, one could almost hear a distant, dying groan of a certain Black Pearl.

“Kiddy, animated film marathon let’s go!” Taeyeon cheered, a little too cheerily for Tiffany’s liking, in unison with Jessica who was cackling and laughing maniacally.

Tiffany breathed a sigh of defeat and rolled her eyes.

“Kids, please settle down.”

And that managed to shut the duo up— and earn a frigid glare from the Ice Princess.

The redhead smirked, looking pleased at the reaction she had managed to rile up from both girls.

 “Taeyeon, could you please set up the player? I’ll go prepare us some popcorn and snacks.”

Taeyeon sighed and crawled her way over to said-player, remote in hand. “Yeah, yeah. I’m on it, just try not to bring about the apocalypse when you’re in the kitchen.”

“Har-har, very funny, Taeyeon-ah. I’ll be right back.” Tiffany snorted, rolling her eyes as she left the living room for the kitchen.

“I, uh…” Jessica began, shortly after Tiffany’s swift departure. She glanced towards the direction of kitchen and cleared before announcing, “I’ll go help out with the snacks too.”

And she was off and away as soon as she was back on her feet, leaving both Yuri and Taeyeon alone in the living room for the first time that evening.

“So…” Yuri trailed off awkwardly while Taeyeon fiddled around with the buttons of their player. “You and Fany, huh?”

Taeyeon froze and very nearly choked on her own spit.

“W-what are you talking about?”

“Well, I can see that it’s been going on for quite awhile now. Were you planning on not telling us about it?” asked the Black Pearl with an expression of what seemed to be mock hurt.

“What, no! I mean— No, as in we’re not together, together!” Taeyeon protested, stumbling over her words, looking very red in the face. With eyes darting all over the place, she did her best to avoid Yuri’s amused gaze.

“But you guys are together, no?” persisted Yuri, that twinkle in her eyes driving Taeyeon up the roof. “Performing a duet at Shindong-oppa’s wedding? At least that’s what Sooyoung said when we skyped the other day.” She said, shrugging with a grin that had the giant word ‘tease’ smacked over it.

Taeyeon shot her a long, withering glare.

“What did you think I was talking about?” asked Yuri, blinking innocently back at her with the same grin hanging off her lips. “Unless…” She gasped dramatically. “Don’t tell me, there is something going on between the two of you!”

“Nothing. Is going on between the two of us.” Taeyeon grounded out through gritted teeth, a faint pink hue painting her fair cheeks. She slid the movie into the player and pressed a couple of buttons. Making sure everything was set up okay, she rose to her full height.

“Sure… I believe you.” Yuri nodded, smiling and looking extremely unconvinced.

“You’re incorrigible.” Taeyeon scoffed.

The Black Pearl grinned, “I’ve been told.”

The shorter brunette rolled her eyes, setting the remote control down on the coffee table as she passed, plopping herself down beside the tanned brunette on the couch.

Together, they waited (not so) patiently for the Korean-Americans’ return.

Taeyeon casted the clock a cursory glance, her brows creasing with worry. Glancing back over her shoulder in the direction of the kitchen, she was nearly half-expecting to see dark fumes of smoke billowing out from it.

She exchanged looks with the Black Pearl beside her, who seemed equally uneasy at the slightly-longer-than-expected absence of the two Americans.

“I’m gonna’ go check up on those two. I just hope the kitchen is still in one piece when I get there.” Taeyeon said, getting up to her feet. 

Yuri laughed and waved her off dismissively. “Hurry back,” she said, liltingly, but the nervous spark in her eyes said otherwise.

Unable to contain the anxiety coursing through her, Taeyeon briskly made her way over to the kitchen in quick, long strides.

“Is everything oka—”

With half her foot into the kitchen, Taeyeon froze at the sight before her. The words she had previously wanted to say, she could feel them withering away at the tip of her tongue, filling with a taste so bitter it made her sick in the pits of her stomach.

“I missed you,”

Came a soft mumble that sounded distinctly like Jessica, whom had her back facing Taeyeon as she had herself locked in a tight embrace with Tiffany.

The redhead sighed softly and when she inched in further into the Ice Princess’ touch, huddling closer and tightened her arms around her, Taeyeon felt her heart stop and her stomach drop.

Her nose was buried into the small crook between Jessica’s neck and shoulder, and the whole gesture of her nuzzling gently into it had made the whole act seem a lot more intimate than it was initially.

“I missed you too.” Tiffany breathed.

But it was the look she currently had on that killed Taeyeon. With her eyes closed— as if to relish completely in the Ice Princess’ warmth— she had a soft, serene smile pulling onto the edges of her lips and Taeyeon thought she had never seemed so contented before. So god damned blissful.

Feeling like she had intruded onto something personal and private, Taeyeon retreated away from the kitchen with slow, heavy-leaden steps.

Her heart stung. It pricked. It hurt. The sight she had walked into, splintered so deeply in it.

She looked so happy in her arms.

She probably still… Still…

To think that she actually thought that maybe…

Taeyeon pulled herself— her wavering heart— up together with a shaky breath.

Chin up. Chest out. And don’t look down.

Hold it in. Lock it up. Don’t feel.

Win that stupid game and get a boyfriend.

Move on.

“You’re back,” Yuri greeted with a grin, but her expression grew to that of a perturbed one when she peered over behind Taeyeon. “Alone?”

Taeyeon flashed a weak smile, shrugging halfheartedly. Her eyes dimmed and she could feel them clouding over, her lips threatening to curl into a frown.

“They’re doing okay,” she said, in an unnaturally soft voice, and slumped back into the spot beside the Black Pearl. She swallowed, forcing a nonchalant smile up onto her face. “Just having some girl talk while getting the snacks, y’know? I didn’t want to interrupt.”

Yuri blinked, her playful grin gradually slipping off her face, as her expression grew solemn, probably having noticed the hint of a warble to her voice or the despondent expression she was struggling to mask to no avail.

“Is everything… Are you okay?”

With impeccable timing, Tiffany burst right into the living room, alongside Jessica, with arms filled with bowls of popcorns and potato chips.

“We’re back!” She chimed brightly, clattering everything down onto the small coffee table noisily and shoving a bowl into the unsuspecting arms of the Black Pearl who had very nearly dropped it onto the carpeted floor.

“Whoa—”

“So is everything all set up and ready to go?” Tiffany inquired, looking to Taeyeon with a bright, sunny smile.

She could almost feel her insides shriveling at the sight of it.

“Yep, we’re good to go.” Taeyeon gave a feeble smile and flashed a thumbs-up. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Yuri’s worried glance as if to say ‘we’ll talk later’.

Turning back to Tiffany, she noticed the redhead was no longer smiling. Instead, she was looking at her strangely, almost searchingly, with her lips pursed.

Taeyeon met her gaze head-on unblinkingly, ignoring the throb in her chest.

And somehow that managed to throw her off a little.

Tiffany shook her head and plastered on a broad smile, but Taeyeon noted that it didn’t reach her eyes.

“Alright, awesome.”

--

On the spare mattress laid out in Tiffany’s room, Taeyeon lay very much awake.

The only source of light came from the gentle moonbeams that were filtering in through the tiny gap of the drawn up curtains. Otherwise the entire room was enshrouded in shadows.

Eyes, bright and still so very clear without a single trace of sleep, Taeyeon blinked in the darkness. Idly, she traced out intricate patterns on the ceiling hanging above her.

The movie marathon had ended slightly before the clock struck twelve. Which was pretty unusual, especially since before— in the past— they had stayed up late into the wee hours, trying their best to finish up the movies, one after another.

Then again, with their guests nodding off— Yuri included— through the fourth movie, both Taeyeon and Tiffany figured that it was probably best to stop for the day and grant their jet-lagged friends a good night of rest. And so, with very little protest, they ushered the sleepy, bleary-eyed couple to bed before cleaning up and turning in after them.

Sighing, Taeyeon her side, pulling the covers up to her chin as she burrowed deeper into her pillow. She squeezed her eyes shut and willed for sleep to claim her. But her efforts were in vain.

She could only see the scene from before playing— replaying— behind her closed lids.

A soft sigh.

Arms squeezing, tightening around a waist that wasn’t hers.

A gentle nuzzle into someone else’ neck.

‘I missed you too.’

All Taeyeon wanted to do at the moment was to scream and tear her hair out in frustration.

“You know, if you’re feeling uncomfortable down there, there’s always room up here on the bed.”

At the sound of that all-too familiar husky voice, Taeyeon had nearly forgot how to breathe.

Stiffly, she turned to look over her shoulder— over at Tiffany on the bed— but amidst the darkness, all she saw was a dark boulder lying dangerously close to the edge of the large, pink queen-sized bed.

“What?”

 An exasperated sigh. The lump on the bed began to shift and the rustling of sheets and covers filled the room. When suddenly, an arm shot out from nowhere as fingers curled at her wrist, holding her in a vice grip.

“Just get your up here.”

“W-wait a minute— Yah, F-Fany-ah!”

Before she knew it, Taeyeon was hoisted up onto the bed, landing face flat into a fluffy pillow that smelt awfully like Tiffany.

“There, all better?”

She turned to the direction of the voice. Though masked deep within the darkness of the night, she could still hear the chirpy grin hanging off her voice and the bright twinkle in her eyes.

Taeyeon nodded, a slim smile subconsciously pulled at her lips. However, upon realizing that the redhead couldn’t really see her, she made a soft hum of assent.

“Good,” Tiffany said, sounding satisfied.

The sheets rustled again, and Taeyeon presumed that she had turned over to her side to give Taeyeon some space.

She nibbled at her bottom lip, staring at what she thought was Tiffany’s back pensively. “How did you know I was still awake?”

There was a soft chuckle.

“When you didn’t start reciting the periodic table, fifteen minutes after the lights were out. And if that wasn’t obvious enough, the whole ‘tossing, turning and sighing’ was another clue.”

Taeyeon blushed.

“I don’t do that… Reciting the periodic table in my sleep.” She mumbled.

“Oh, yes you do. You talk quite a bit in your sleep actually.”

Taeyeon’s breath hitched, eyes widened in horror.

Tiffany laughed. “But nothing too scandalous though. Just mostly your boring science-y facts and stuff.” She paused and added as an afterthought, “But I guess you do mention names every now and then though.”

“Names…?” Taeyeon asked tentatively, holding her breath.

“Yeah, names. Like Yuri, Sooyoung, Sica and me— Fany.”

The brunette bit at her lip nervously. 

“I guess I should set my alarm clock an hour earlier so I could wake you up more often.” Tiffany said in light jest, probably in hopes to break the tension that was starting to cloud the small space between them.

But it only seemed to get thicker when Taeyeon made another distant, noncommittal hum.

Tiffany shifted around to face her.

She sighed.

“Something’s been bothering you.”

Came her voice, soft and lacking in its usual playful edge, a hint of unfamiliar sobriety clinging to it. It was not a question, more like a statement. And it made Taeyeon wonder how was it that she was able to see through her so easily like an open book.

When Taeyeon didn’t answer, Tiffany made to continue.

“You haven’t been paying attention throughout the movie either.”

Taeyeon bit at her inner cheek and swallowed the bitter bile that was rising at the back of . Her stomach was gripping at her and really, she just wanted to turn away from this— from her— close her eyes and sleep.

She could hear it in her voice— the imperceptible hint of desperation laced in it.

Tell me. Just tell me what’s wrong. Please.

Honestly, she didn’t know what was wrong either. The whole notion of her being this upset over that whole scene she had witnessed earlier was just ridiculous.

They were just friends.

And friends wouldn’t get upset if they found out one of them fancied another.

Then again…

“I’m just worried over some stupid essay I turned in for finals. It’s nothing though, I’m just probably scaring myself.” She lied, smoothly as Taeyeon might add, and Tiffany seemed to mull over it in silence for a while.

After a long period of pause between them, she finally spoke up.

“Okay,”

But she didn’t sound too convinced, but nonetheless decided to just leave it as it was.

Breathing a soft sigh of relief, Taeyeon turned away— unable to bear being held under Tiffany’s ever so penetrating gaze despite being shrouded in darkness.

“Goodnight, Fany-ah.”

“Goodnight, Taeyeon.”

She heard a soft murmur that came soon after, followed by the slight ruffle of sheets.

Taeyeon paused, holding her trembling heart in her hands as she took in a deep breath.

“Fany-ah…”

“Hm?”

The brunette hesitated, pursing her lips. In a tiny voice, she asked, “Could you… Could hold me a little?”

There was a brief moment of stunned silence.

And Taeyeon wished that she hadn’t said anything in the first place.

But just when she was about to withdraw her request, Tiffany had cut her off instantly.

“Of course,”

With a chuckle, Taeyeon could feel the mattress dipping in a little as Tiffany moved in closer towards her. Soon, a pair of slim arms came slipping around her waist, pulling her back into a soft, melting warmth. And it was all that was needed to soothe the uncomfortable pang in her chest.

“Better?” Tiffany asked, voice lilting, playful.

Taeyeon closed her eyes and nodded, sighing softly in bliss.

Yes. For now, this was all she needed.

“Yes, better.”