aeyeon was the one who started it, who initiated the whole war. She had crossed the line, and deserved to be punished. Or at least that was how Tiffany felt as she sprayed the shorter girl with water directly from the sink.

            “YAH! YAH! YAH!!!! You got me all wet!”

            “You were the one who put soap all over my arms!” Tiffany retorted.

            Taeyeon grinned her dorky grin. “Haha! That was good. Your arms are super foamy now!” She teased the other girl.

            “Yeah, well, at least I’m not sopping wet from head to toe!”

            “That could change!” Taeyeon grabbed the nozzle, aiming it directly at Tiffany.

            “NOOOOOOO!!!!” Tiffany tried to run, but slipped on the wet marble floor. She closed her eyes, waiting for the pain to hit her at any moment. She braced herself for the hard impact, for the loud sound of her head hitting the ground.

            She landed on something soft, something that let out a loud groan of pain when they connected. She opened her eyes to see herself staring into a pair of golden, hazelnut ones.

            Taeyeon’s.

            The two girls were breathless, thoughtless, and speechless. Taeyeon looked deep into Tiffany’s charcoal-onyx colored eyes, searching. She saw that the girl’s eyes were worn and weary, perhaps something to do with her past. The girl’s eyes seemed tired. Taeyeon wanted to rid the girl of her past, wanted to give Tiffany something that Taeyeon assumed she’d never had before.

            Love.

            Taeyeon’s eyes strayed from Tiffany’s and moved to her cheek, the one etched with scars. Who would do this to her? Which heartless bastard would dare to hurt her Tiffany?

            Wait…her Tiffany? Taeyeon reasoned with herself. Tiffany had become her Tiffany after last night, after Taeyeon saved her. Taeyeon vowed that she would protect the girl from as long as she lived with all her life, even if it meant giving up her own.

            Tiffany, on the other hand, grew more self-conscious as Taeyeon’s gaze shifted to her scars. She felt a hole burning from Taeyeon’s stare. That uncomfortable feeling of being ugly came back, and all of her emotions flooded her mind and body once more. Tiffany looked away from Taeyeon, turning her face the other way so that the other girl wouldn’t have to see her scars. But Taeyeon held her head in place.

            “It’s ok. Don’t hide it from me.”

            “D-D-Don’t look at me. I’m ugly; I’m just an ugly, old maid.” Tiffany was about to get up and run away when she felt something pulling her back. For her stature, the shorter girl was surprisingly strong.

            “Stop, Tippani. Don’t leave. Don’t leave me.” Taeyeon stood up, never letting go of the other girl’s hand.

            By now, Tiffany’s face was streaked with tears. Tears of remembering her painful past. “I’m so ugly. Make fun of me if you want to. Call me names, call me anything. You’re just like the others, all you do is stare at my face. Well, I know what you’re thinking, I know your true intentions. So, make fun of me. Do it! It’s not like I haven’t been tortured before. Do it, Taeyeon. Say what you need to sa-“

            She was cut off when she was spun around by the shorter girl. “Look at me, Tiffany. Look at me.” Taeyeon’s eyes searched Tiffany’s. “Look into my eyes, that way you know that what I’m telling you is true.”

            Tiffany obeyed, and immediately regretted doing so. She was lost in the other girl’s eyes. Taeyeon spoke. “Look, I’m not going to make fun of you, or call you names, or do anything to hurt you.” She in a deep breath. Then, she let it all out. “You’re beautiful, Tippani.”

            That was the biggest insult of them all. Tiffany tore away from Taeyeon’s grasp in rage. “Beautiful? You call this beautiful? Clearly, you’re either blind or just plain stupid! You call me beautiful? Yeah right, Taeyeon! Good job! Beautiful? Oh, wow! Haven’t heard that one before! Is this funny to you? Joke’s on me, right? Sure, go ahead keep making fun of the ugly, demented, stup-“

            Tiffany’s rant was silenced with a kiss. A kiss that meant a lot of things…

            A lot of unspoken messages…

            I’m sorry.

            I’m here. To protect you.

            I’ll help you erase your past.

            I’ll be your future.

            And lastly…

            I love you.

            Tiffany’s eyes fluttered open only when she felt the other girl’s lips leave hers. She felt incredible, no, amazed, no….

            Loved.

            ‘Taeyeon-“ She was left breathless. What had Taeyeon done to her? All she could do was stare at the one person in front of her who could make her feel beautiful.

            “No, Tiffany, let me. I admit, when I first saw your scars, I was shocked. Scared. But then I realized that it was because of your scars that I decided that it would be my duty to protect you for as long as I live. I realized soon that it really doesn’t matter how you look on the outside; it’s more of what’s on the inside that matters more. When we had dinner together, I found that your inside is beautiful, Tippani. The outside is just merely a disguise of who we really are. Your scars are beautiful; everything about you is beautiful. I really mean it, Tippani. Don’t try and cover up your scars anymore; don’t try and run away anymore. I’m here for you, Tippani, no matter if you want me or not, I’m always here for you.”

            Taeyeon was someone who made Tiffany want to live; she was the source of Tiffany’s strength. Tiffany had gone all her life ducking and hiding away from the outside world because of her marred cheek. Taeyeon’s words made what used to be the fuzzies inside Tiffany’s stomach grow to something along the lines of butterflies. She was falling even more in love with the shorter girl.

            “Taeyeon, I-“

            “It’s ok. This may seem like a lot for you, and if you need time and space, I’ll give it to-“

            “That’s not what I want.” Tiffany stood her ground, now clutching onto the shorter girl’s hands.

            Taeyeon was surprised by this bold action. “T-T-That’s not? Well, what do you want, then?”

            Taeyeon’s breath hitched when Tiffany moved closer, closing the gap between them. In the blink of an eye, the taller girl was now right in front of Taeyeon, her sweet breath tickling Taeyeon’s ear.

            “…You. I want you, Kim Taeyeon.”

            The next thing that Taeyeon saw was amazing, mesmerizing. She saw an array of colorful sparks exploding in the air, like the fireworks during New Year’s. She saw butterflies flying around, swirling their colors, mixing them until they became butterflies no more; until they all just became one big mass of alluring colors.

            Tiffany was longing for this moment again. She was longing for the soft, cushiony feel of Taeyeon’s lips on hers. She was waiting for the jolt of electricity and adrenaline to shoot through her body once more when their lips connected. She yearned for Taeyeon’s touch; the way the shorter girl held her waist while they sealed their love was sensual, and had Tiffany’s insides swirling and convulsing.

            It all ended when they broke apart. Silence filled the kitchen as the two girls silently stared into each other’s eyes. Smiles danced on both of their faces, and hands began to roam bodies. Taeyeon softly Tiffany’s disfigured cheek, with each bringing rising anger within her body. Who had done this to her princess?

            Tiffany leaned into Taeyeon’s touch, closing her eyes. She didn’t mind that the shorter girl was touching the one thing she was ashamed of. She had nothing to hide from Taeyeon anymore.

            “Tippani….I-I-I-“

            “TAAAAAAEEEEEENNNNNNNGGGGGG!!!” Taeyeon was interrupted by the loud sound emitted by Yoona’s voice.

            “…I-I’m coming! Sorry, Tippani.” Taeyeon, red-faced and flustered, ran upstairs to find the girl who was calling for her.

            Tiffany couldn’t help but wonder…what was the other girl trying to say? Surely it couldn’t have been…