All About You
author:anonymous

Warm sunlight streaming through the open windows, followed by a welcoming breeze of cool spring air accentuated by fluttering cherry blossoms, with the chorus of the birds ringing melodiously in her ears; for Tiffany Hwang, nothing could be a better alarm clock. Of course, after their previous high-tech 100,000 won Smart Clock got thrown out the window by her very angry roommate, anything was a better alarm clock. Except perhaps a soft caress on the cheeks, or a light peck on the lips by said roommate.


Actually ‘roommate’ was an inaccurate term to use for the girl who had been with Tiffany for five years already, especially when it’s someone who never fails to show affection for Tiffany at every opportunity. ‘Girlfriend’ was too shallow a term for what Tiffany could call the girl. In fact, she so badly wanted to call Kim Taeyeon by a certain title, but she was willing to wait until she had something to show for it.


For now, she was just wondering why the other side of the bed felt cold and empty. It was the perfect Saturday, and a day-off to boot. Nothing to do all day but goof around, watch TV, browse the net looking for interesting stories, and maybe even order from their favourite chicken restaurant; a perfect day to spend with her roommate, who was nowhere to be found. In Taeyeon’s place was a sticky note stuck on her pillowcase, folded neatly in half with pink hearts lining the edges and a smiley doodle in the middle. Tiffany was still feeling drowsy and her motor functions were just warming up, but the pink hearts caught her attention, so she took the note as she yawned widely, and a bashful giggle followed after.

  
“Hm? Where did TaeTae go?” Tiffany said drowsily, and then opened the note. “Oh well, let’s see what‘s inside first…”







 

Bright eyes, a beautiful smile, and an adorable yawn. If I could only paint a picture of that blissful moment when you wake up...

Click!


That was the first thing Tiffany heard when she woke up on a rainy Monday. Still groggy, she tried to search for the source of the sound with outstretched hands. They found a silky smooth surface, soft to the touch and slightly warm. Her eyes were still closed, but Tiffany immediately knew who the culprit was, and a smile worked its way to her face.


“Yah, what do you think you’re doing…?” she said with a bit of a slur.


“Just taking some good pictures,” Taeyeon replied with cheer.


“Wha-? Pictures…?” Tiffany rubbed her eyes quickly to wipe away the sleepiness. When her vision cleared, she found herself looking down the clear lens of a DSLR camera. Then she heard another click and a satisfied sigh.


“There! Another good one~ You look so cute when you’re just waking up,” said Taeyeon, looking through the pictures on the camera, her smile widening with each one.


“Mmmm… Lemme see…” Tiffany reached out to take the camera from Taeyeon’s hands, which the latter willingly gave. The first picture the drowsy girl saw was the one Taeyeon just took, eyes slightly open and in a perfect pout. Tiffany couldn’t deny that it was a picture worthy of a professional photographer, even if Taeyeon was simply doing it as a hobby. But instead of complimenting her work, Tiffany’s brain found another question to ask.


“How many pictures did you take?” she looked at Taeyeon with unfocused eyes.


“From when you were sleeping up to now?” Taeyeon counted with her fingers for a moment. “Hmmm… I think about ten pictures or so?”


“Wait… you were taking pictures of me when I was sleeping?”


“I can’t help it! Blame your genes or something because you’re just too cute!”


“…Creeper,” then Tiffany hid herself under the covers, burying herself in a warm, fluffy cocoon. “Ahjumma creeper.”


“Aw, don’t be like that, Fany-ah,” Taeyeon put the camera on top of their bedside table and went over to Tiffany, snuggling close to her back and wrapping her arm around Tiffany’s waist. “If I could paint like a maestro, I’d be doing masterpieces of your smile so magnificent, so pure and so bright that art houses all over the world will line up in front of our apartment to buy them. Not that I’d be willing to sell them, of course.


“But for now I have to make do with a camera, because your smile is a priceless picture that needs to be taken. And it all belongs to me.”


Tiffany stayed silent, but the smile was there. Taeyeon’s little speech couldn’t have been more cringe-inducing, but she knew exactly the right words to say to make her heart jump in little somersaults and leave her feeling all giddy inside.


“You cheesy dork,” she mocked.


“Hey, I’m your cheesy dork,” Taeyeon replied, and Tiffany’s heart did one more somersault.









Even though her eyes were blurry from sleep and her mind woozy from a good night’s rest, she couldn’t help but smile at the contents of the note. It was just like Taeyeon to leave a note like this, just to make sure that Tiffany wakes up feeling good even if she was gone. At this point she was thinking that Taeyeon might have gone out to buy something or to meet with someone important. She wasn’t worried that much; there were definitely days when Taeyeon’s job would force her to wake-up in the wee hours of the morning, and every time Taeyeon would do something to make it up to her. A single rose, breakfast in bed, even a small hastily-written lyric filled with silly love notes and cliché pick-up lines. So for now she concerned herself with one thing: preparing herself for the day.


“First things first, I gotta to the bathroom and freshen up,” she eyed the note in her hands with a small smile, before setting it down on the bedside table.


The bathroom was one of the main reasons Tiffany was willing to live in this apartment despite the high rent. At first it was the pink-colored tiles with the cherry blossom imprints that made her fall in love at first sight. Then as the months went by Tiffany kept piling events and experiences that made the washroom a more memorable place. Red flushed her cheeks as she remembered the many skinship moments she had with Taeyeon inside the shower stall. Then she chuckled to herself, noticing just how conveniently close the bathroom was to their bedroom.


She the faucet and let the sound of running water stir her into wakefulness. A huge yawn made its way out , and she smiled afterwards as she was reminded of the note Taeyeon left her at the bed. She scooped up the water in her hands and splashed it all on her face. The fresh coldness of tap water jolted her awake, and it felt good to see her sleepiness and other grime washed away down the sink. Splashing herself few more times, she thought about the note and what it implied. Taeyeon was definitely cheesy enough to leave a note like that, but there was something else. There was always something else when it comes to Taeyeon; little subtle gestures that had second meanings, most of them ending up in a hug or a kiss or something better.


Coincidentally, when she opened the glass cabinet above the sink to get her strawberry-flavored toothpaste and pink toothbrush, a flutter of yellow greeted her. There was another sticky note attached to the cabinet door, this time sprinkled with diamond glitters and a grinning smiley. Tiffany was slightly surprised; she had not expected another note from Taeyeon, especially not in a place like the glass cabinet inside the washroom. But it was written by her precious danshin so she decided to read it anyway.







 

Brush those pearly whites! Wouldn't want to kiss someone with bad breath. ㅋㅋ, just kidding. I’d kiss you anytime if you ask me to~ >.<

“Hey, TaeTae,” Tiffany said, looking over at Taeyeon who had just finished washing her teeth. “You have something there… just near your lips.”


“Oh! Thanks! Now lemme just wipe—eh?”


One moment there was nothing. The next a pair of warm lips was pressed gently against the corner of Taeyeon’s mouth and a hand grasping hers tightly. Then for one moment she felt slight moisture that was tickling to the touch. That sent tongues of fire spreading across her skin and shivers wracking down her spine. Her eyelids subconsciously dropped and her arms went slightly limp from the contact. Even her legs felt weak from that momentary lip-to-lip that wasn’t even a proper kiss.


“Mmm… Minty,” Tiffany said, her lips. It only served to deepen the blush that was already on Taeyeon’s face like a mask. “Hm? Why is your face red, TaeTae? Do you have a fever?”


Taeyeon could tell that Tiffany was playing with her, and she tried to come up with a witty retort for the brightly smiling girl. But her mind refused to cooperate, still in disarray from Tiffany’s surprise attack. “W-Why did you do that?” she asked instead.


“Because it’s faster that way, silly~” Tiffany simply said, before going back to the cabinet to pick some supplements and vitamins. “By the way, which one is the Vitamin C again?”


This time Taeyeon found the perfect comeback for Tiffany. Instead of answering her question, Taeyeon cupped her cheek with her hand, and before Tiffany could react she captured her lips in a full kiss. It only lasted for a mere two seconds, but Tiffany already felt everything her partner felt when she kissed the corner of , multiplied by nine. When Taeyeon pulled away, she saw the small flush of crimson on Tiffany’s cheeks, and felt conflicted. For one, she was happy that she made the American girl flustered like that. But she was slightly disappointed that Tiffany was able to control herself more.


“So… what was the kiss for?” Tiffany asked, trying to keep her voice level.


“Do I need a reason to kiss you?”


Taeyeon was answered with silence, and Tiffany simply buried herself in the cabinet in an attempt to hide the blush that spread like wildfire over her face. The little woman mentally pumped a victory fist for paying back Tiffany for that surprise attack of hers. However, the other girl wasn’t finished just yet.


“Ah TaeTae, the next time we buy toothpaste make sure to pick the strawberry-flavored one,” Tiffany said.


“Oh come on, Fany-ah. You’re 24 years old already. Grow up a bit.”


“No no, it’s not that,” Tiffany slowly walked over to Taeyeon, close enough that the latter could smell her warm minty breath. “It’s just that I want to taste strawberries the next time you miss a spot~” she lightly brushed her finger against Taeyeon’s lips, smirking as she did so.


Instant K.O.









“Tch. How cheesy can that girl get?” Tiffany was saying that, but she was fighting hard to keep her heartbeats steady. “A note hidden in the most unexpected of places… Did she place notes all over the apartment?”


The thought amused her, since Taeyeon would most likely do such a thing. Tiffany knew the little girl’s logic would go this way… “I have no time to buy a rose... cooking her a good American breakfast would take too much time… GAH, even writing a short song would get me beheaded by the manager! I… I… I GOT IT! Writing short notes would work for now. And since I’m an incredibly dorky person who watches cliché dramas all the time, this will be a breeze!”


Tiffany’s own opinions might have altered that last part, but she was sure that Taeyeon acted exactly according to that train of thought. “She might even think that a bunch of notes aren’t enough for me. She’ll probably come back later today with a huge package, a large bouquet of flowers, or some of our favourite chicken.”


She smiled at how adorable her partner was, working so hard to make sure that she didn’t feel the least bit forgotten or sad. But then her stomach grumbled in protest, saying that she was taking too long in the bathroom and that it needed to be filled with a delicious breakfast. So she quickly brushed her teeth with her favourite strawberry-flavored toothpaste then made her way towards their homey little kitchen.


For Tiffany it was a very cozy place, one where they could talk about many things in comfort while sipping hot steaming cups of coffee and tea or munching some of Taeyeon’s wondrous cooking. It’s also the place where Tiffany witnessed the near destruction of the world; it started when she managed to convince Taeyeon to let her cook dinner for them one day. It took a lot of pouting, hugs and kisses, and finally Taeyeon agreed to let her use the kitchen, not knowing what the consequences of her actions would be. Suffice to say that it didn’t end well, and that faded black spot on the wall right above their stove stood as testament to what was supposed to be Tiffany’s bibimbap.


“First rule of a good breakfast: Brew some good old-fashioned coffee!” she said, going over to the coffeemaker with a bag of French Roast. Perhaps it was foreboding or something else, but she wasn’t surprised to see another note attached to the machine. This time it was decorated with coffee beans formed into a smiley. This was slowly becoming like a treasure hunt to her, and she was excited to see what was inside of it.  







 

Rich black coffee, brewed from scratch, with two teaspoons creamer and three teaspoons sugar. You've always liked your coffee sweet and creamy. Just like you.

“Fany-ah,” Taeyeon started on a cold winter morning, sipping her cup of Earl Grey tea.


“Hm? What is it TaeTae?” Tiffany said, herself enjoying a cup of brewed coffee she made.


“I’m just curious about one thing,” the little girl was looking at Tiffany so seriously that the latter suspected that something must be troubling Taeyeon. “Why do you always put that much creamer and sugar in your coffee? Does it even taste like coffee anymore?”


Tiffany was stunned for a moment, and then made a mental facepalm. She knew better than to take Taeyeon seriously in situations like this. “Aigoo, what am I going to do you a kid like you?” she muttered.


“What’s that you said?”


“Nothing, nothing… And to answer your questions, I’ll have you know that this much is normal for coffee drinking.”


“Psh, even I know that’s sweeter than the usual blend.”


“Perhaps you’re right, and I like it that way, so there,” then a pensive air erased the carefree expression Tiffany had. She stared deep into the brown mixture, as if an answer to her greatest troubles would suddenly pop out of it. “Besides, there’s already so much bitterness in the world today; if I could at least make coffee sweeter, why not?”



Taeyeon was silent for a while, carefully considering what to say next. “Well, that might be true…” she put her cup down and stood up, then walked towards Tiffany.


“What are you…?”


The next thing Tiffany felt was warmth, like the soft flaming embers of a fireplace during Christmas. Her body immediately relaxed as she slowly put her cup down on the table. She leaned her head on Taeyeon’s chest, clutching the arms that wrapped around her neck. “…You know? I like my Tiffany sweet and creamy, too.”


Tiffany chuckled. “I can be very bitter at times, though.”


“I don’t mind. If you weren’t, then I’d be choking or vomiting from too much sweetness,” Taeyeon said, resting her chin on Tiffany’s head.


“Yah, I’m not that sweet. Hmph.”


“I know. You could be a bunch of other things, such as sour, savoury… and spicy hot.”


“I like that last one the most~”


“Me too. Meheheheh”








“Yeah, and you always like your Tiffany sweet and creamy as well,” Tiffany sighed. “You know you’re only making me miss you more with these notes. Just come back already, will you?”


While waiting for her coffee to brew, she went over to the refrigerator to pick something for the microwave oven. As evidenced by the black stain in the kitchen, Tiffany couldn’t cook to save her life. The opposite also applied in this case: Tiffany could cook to cause a mass genocide. Some of their neighbours had come close to reporting them to the police station on grounds that they were experimenting with a bomb. So from that day on, every time Taeyeon’s out of the house, she was specifically instructed to only reheat food from the refrigerator.


“If only I attended a cooking class back then… I wanted to cook for her at least once without blowing up half the kitchen and almost burning down the entire apartment complex,” a long sigh escaped Tiffany’s mouth as she opened the fridge. “Now let’s see here. What could work for a good breakfast… eh? Another one?”


And yes there was another one; another note left by Taeyeon, scribbled with doodles of French fries, hamburgers and pizza. “Hmmm… I wonder what’s in it this time?”







 

There’s still some leftover pizza from yesterday. I know how much you love American food. You love it so much that even I get jealous. Nah, I’m just joking…. Or am I? >: )

“You have got to be kidding me.”


That was the first thing Tiffany said after she got home after a long day of work and greeted Taeyeon. The only reason she did so was because instead of asking how the night went, she was greeted by a cold frown and accusing eyes. Taeyeon was seated on the sofa, a cup of instant ramyun sitting in on the table in front of her. The TV was showing live broadcasts of SMTOWN in LA, but Taeyeon’s eyes were trained on Tiffany, so focused that she could drive a hole through her.


“What did I do wrong this time?” Tiffany asked exasperatedly, as if this kind of thing happened a lot before.


“…”


But Taeyeon refused to answer. She was now too busy looking at the plastic bag in Tiffany’s hands, which was labelled with the logo of a certain clown. Tiffany followed the girl’s gaze, and instantly made a ‘not- this-again’ look. Ignoring the girl’s constant stare she went over to the kitchen and quickly put the take-out food inside the fridge. All this time Tiffany could feel Taeyeon’s stare boring into her back, and she felt she needed to do something to diffuse the situation. After all, she knew exactly the reason for Taeyeon’s attitude.


“Taeyeon-ah…” Tiffany started with a softer voice than before, walking towards the sofa and sitting next to the fuming girl. “Can you tell me what’s wrong?”


Instead of answering, Taeyeon looked away in response, puffing out her cheeks like how a kid would. This was one of those times when Tiffany would wonder if that girl really was a 23-year old singing instructor at a famous entertainment agency.


“Taeyeon-ah…” Tiffany tried again, this time inching closer to Taeyeon and gently her arm. The other girl didn’t resist, but she still refused to look back. “If it’s about me having dinner with Jessica at a fast food joint, then please understand that it was something related to our work. It’s not like we went on a date or anything.”


Taeyeon began acting more childish, shaking her head vigorously at Tiffany’s words. The latter fell silent, still Taeyeon’s arm to rub away whatever anger she was feeling inside, trying to think of another way to convince her that nothing happened between her and Jessica.


“You ate with Jessica, ate American food… You don’t like my food anymore,” Taeyeon mumbled quickly, and Tiffany would have missed it if she wasn’t sitting so close to her. It was exactly the kind of response Tiffany was expecting, but the logic of it all still amazed her no matter how many times she heard it. It also meant that she knew what to do next.


“TaeTae…” using her loving nickname as a start usually helped Tiffany in diffusing her partner, and Taeyeon’s body did relax considerably after hearing that. “I want you to realize that I only went there with Jessica because I needed her input on a very important marketing project.”


“…”


“We only talked about technical stuff like budgets, advertising options, and possible scenarios, nothing more. Sure we took some time to catch up with each other, but nothing further than that.”


“…”


“Besides, we really didn’t eat that much. I only ordered a single burger with orange juice. My stomach wasn’t satisfied at all… Come to think of it, I’m still hungry.”


“…hm.”


If Taeyeon was a dog then Tiffany would see her ears perk up, but that slight response was enough a foothold for Tiffany to work with. “Actually, I wouldn’t mind eating some good old spicy chicken stew right about now.”


“…You sure?”


“Positive.”


“Then prove it to me. Choose. American food, or my cooking?”


It was such a childish question, and Tiffany had heard a lot of them before, all from the same person. Like the ones that came before it, Taeyeon’s question was a no-brainer, and Tiffany answered almost immediately. “Your cooking, of course.”


“Okay then!” the change was so sudden, so abrupt that Tiffany wondered if Taeyeon was actually feeling sad or jealous all this time. Perhaps she was just waiting for this chance to show off her cooking to Tiffany, but the sincere relief in her voice and in her eyes told Tiffany that Taeyeon just wanted her to enjoy the food she made. “I’ll go to the kitchen now and prepare something for you. Expect deliciousness provided by yours truly!!”


And before Tiffany could say another word the little girl sped off towards the kitchen. Soon enough she was hearing the repeated thuds of knives cutting up vegetables and meats, meals cooking in pots or frying in pans, and the occasional self-cheer from Taeyeon. Tiffany was sure she was going to prepare more than just spicy chicken stew. From where she was sitting it looked like Taeyeon was whipping up a feast worthy of a Queen. She was starting to think that maybe encouraging Taeyeon to cook for her was a bad idea, since she lied about eating only a single burger with Jessica.


But seeing the joy in Taeyeon’s smile as she cooked, Tiffany felt that she could still free some space in her already-full stomach.  


  






“I should probably bring my officemates to our apartment the next time we have a meeting. They’ll definitely enjoy your cooking. I know I do,” Tiffany said. She was actually thinking of taking the leftover pizza as said in the note. The image of Taeyeon’s joyful smile in her mind made her pick the small plastic container with the home-cooked spicy chicken stew inside of it. She didn’t forget to bring out some leftover ri