Summary: Real estate agent Tiffany tries her luck on a haunted house. And a very annoying ghost.

Category: Spooky floof LOL HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Title source: The Other by Lauv

Taeyeon jerks awake at the sound of the front door opening. A mischievous smile forms on her lips as she practically trembles with excitement.
 

Fresh blood.
 

She's always loved scaring new people the moment they arrive in her home. Screw tension and suspense; it was more fun to start everything off with a bang. Literally.
 

As she leaves the living room couch and walks towards the entrance of the house, Taeyeon focuses her energy on rattling some of the wooden furniture in the foyer before she lets the front door close with a bang, at the same time deepening her voice several octaves lower as she demanded for them to LEAVE. NOW. GET OUT BEFORE—
 

“God, cut it out. It’s me.”
 

Taeyeon is cut off from her spine-tingling command upon hearing the familiar voice. She rematerializes herself as she turns the corner. “Oh, hey, it’s you.” She watches the woman take off her heels and leave them by the door. “I thought you sold the house already.”
 

Tiffany looks up and fixes her with an annoyed glare. “Obviously I haven’t,” she huffs out.
 

“Okay, whoa. Chill. Long day?”
 

Finally done with taking her shoes off, Tiffany begins to her coat. “Yeah. Sorry,” she sighs. “God, it’s chilly in here. Can you warm the place up?”
 

With a nondescript blink, Taeyeon lights up the fireplace in the living room and turns on the heater. She was about to light every single candle in the house again, but she recalls how that didn’t end well last time—Tiffany had to pay a lot of money in order to replace those wooden drawers—and so she stops herself. “I didn’t light the candles this time,” she informs Tiffany proudly.
 

“Thank you.” The smile Tiffany directs her way makes Taeyeon feel warmer than the fireplace-and-heater-combination ever could.

***

Taeyeon doesn’t exactly remember when she had begun to hang out with the real estate agent in charge of selling her house (although technically it’s not her house anymore, since, well…since she died).
 

Tiffany is the ninth agent, having already successfully scared off the other eight before her with her well-timed door-bangs and painting-drops. But Tiffany was different. Sure, the girl was surprised every time she did those tricks and more, but for some reason, she wasn’t afraid. Or now that Taeyeon really thinks about it, maybe she was afraid, but pushed through like a trooper because of her dedication to her job…and also just her innate stubbornness as a person.
 

It was when Tiffany had yelled out “This is getting old! Don’t you have any new tricks up your sleeve???” that Taeyeon had materialized in front of the woman, earning herself an ear-splitting scream (she remembers wondering then if Tiffany was part-banshee). After the brunette had calmed down, Taeyeon was subjected to a curious head-to-toe appraisal, and a very insulting “That was all you? But you’re so tiny! Can you even reach the heater’s controls?”
 

She remembers grumbling “I don’t have to touch it for it to move” because it had earned her her first eyesmile.

***

Taeyeon questions her insistence on selling the house for the hundredth time. Because now, a couple was living with her and she misses Tiffany dearly.
 

Her ‘start-off-everything-with-a-bang’ scare tactic hadn’t worked because Tiffany was present during that time, and had told the couple that the ‘effects’ were part of the welcoming surprise package since it was October. A sad coincidence is what it was.
 

Taeyeon had also failed to miss the fascination in the wife’s eyes before Tiffany had explained the situation and called it a hoax.
 

Her subsequent door-bangs and painting-drops had only made matters worse. She could practically smell the anticipation coming off of the wife in waves every time nightfall came and Taeyeon began her attempts of scaring the new owners away.
 

At least they weren't trying to exorcise her this time (the last time it happened, the house had smelled of garlic and incense for weeks), although Taeyeon kind of wishes they would. To be honest, it’s scary how excited the woman is at the prospect of ghosts haunting her home, while her husband remains carefree and just indulges her (“I know, honey. That is why I picked this house for us. There have been countless rumors about it being haunted.”).
 

And now, Taeyeon is at a loss. Haunting isn’t even fun anymore because the couple seems to have more fun than her every time she does it. But more importantly, she really, really misses Tiffany.
 

It’s only been a month, but she misses the sarcastic, enthusiastic, determined, and stubborn woman with the eyesmile that could sometimes make Taeyeon accidentally light her hand on fire or short-circuit the electricity.
 

She feels so trapped inside the house. She wants to leave and look for the real estate agent, but she’s bound to the place and is unable to do so—all she can take are a few steps outside the front door. She didn’t even get to say goodbye because she didn’t know that that movie marathon in the living room would be the last time.
 

Until it wasn’t.

***

It’s late at night, and Taeyeon is roaming around the house, bored out of her mind.
 

Taeyeon thinks she’s hearing things when she hears Tiffany's voice call out to her in a whisper, but that doesn’t stop her from breaking into a run towards the entrance of the house and pressing her ear to the front door.
 

“Taeyeon?”
 

A relieved and shaky sigh is all Taeyeon can respond with. She’s so incredibly happy right now.
 

She passes through the door and observes Tiffany, who still doesn’t know that she’s there with her because she hasn’t rematerialized herself. Tiffany was wearing all black (was she trying to look sneaky?), one hand pressed against the door. She’s leaning into it with her forehead touching the wood, lips ghosting over as she whispers Taeyeon's name urgently again.
 

Taeyeon doesn’t know if she still has a heart, but something in her chest thumps hard as she observes the taller girl, and if that isn’t her heart, then what else could it be?
 

“Hi,” she says with a dopey smile, making her presence known.
 

Tiffany gasps out in shock and winces in pain as she bumps her hip against the doorknob. Though the wince immediately melts down into a smile once she realizes that Taeyeon is standing in front of her.
 

“Hi,” she shyly replies.
 

“I've missed you.” Taeyeon doesn’t think twice about saying it. She’s already dead; she won’t die of embarrassment, she reassures herself.
 

The warm hug and heartfelt “I've missed you too” that she receives afterwards makes her feel like she’s still alive.

***

As much as the new owners of the house love the idea of the supernatural, they do not like it when the machines break down and the electricity short-circuits during times of urgent need.
 

The heater just had to fall apart in the middle of winter.
 

The power just had to go off during showers in December, cutting the lights out and turning the hot water frigid.
 

As much as the couple likes the weird hauntings, they know when they’re not wanted.

***

The house is put up for sale once more, and Taeyeon never asks Tiffany if she’s sold the house every time she comes over.
 

She doesn’t ask, but one day Tiffany sits up on the couch they were cuddling on and turns to her. “I’ve sold the house.”
 

Taeyeon freezes. “The house with the squeaky swing and the heart-shaped pool?”
 

“No. This house. I’ve sold this house. Your house.”
 

Taeyeon opens but nothing comes out.
 

“Look. I even have the deed of sale.”
 

Taeyeon doesn’t want to take the paper from Tiffany's hands. Nope. No way. She feels so betrayed. She closes her eyes and pouts. “No.”
 

“Taeyeon, just look.”
 

Taeyeon makes herself invisible because she thinks she might cry and she doesn’t want Tiffany to see her cry.
 

“Tae—wha? Taeyeon? Taeyeon, please. Just. God. You’re so dumb. I bought it, okay? I bought the freaking house!”
 

“…What?” Taeyeon rematerializes and takes the paper with shaky hands. Yep, Tiffany bought it. “W-why?”
 

“Because my boss is low-key breathing down my neck about this house, and I’m sick of it.”
 

“…That’s it?”
 

Tiffany chews on her lip nervously. “Um…no. The contract of my apartment ends in a month, so…”
 

“So?”
 

“I…I mean…this house is pretty cheap for its value! Mainly because you keep scaring the clients and lowering its cost, but it’s a steal to get it at this price.”
 

“Tiffany…”
 

“Okay, fine. I kind of like spending time with you, okay? Even though you’re hella annoying sometimes and keep burning parts of your body randomly whenever I move too close. Even though you’re a really cute ghost and you’re dead and I can’t let you meet my other friends because they might invite you outside of this home and you can’t really leave—“
 

“Did you just call me cute?”
 

“…Is that all you heard from my speech???”
 

“Yeah. Kinda.”
 

“You’re so annoying.”
 

“I like you too, Tiffany.”
 

“…”
 

“…”
 

“Oh God, Taeyeon! YOUR HAIR IS ON FIRE!”

FIN.

A/N:

When you have to study so much that you end up writing fanfiction instead...

I saw amazing author senpai Lau's prompt and laughed so hard. And racked my brain for a good-enough plot. At least I hope it is. XD

AND HAPPY HALLOWEEN, CHILDREN! (I honestly didn't even realize how appropriate this was for Halloween until I finished writing it lol)