Taeyeon stomped her way inside their flat, roughly kicking her shoes off as she regulates her breathing. Tiffany quietly followed behind her, gently closing the door before properly placing the shoes Taeyeon left lying on the ground inside the shoe closet.

She knew Taeyeon was pissed and it was partly her fault. Partly because she didn’t exactly plan for things to go the way it did, however, she could have prevented it altogether if she made better decisions.

At first, Taeyeon didn’t seem mad. She asked Tiffany if she was fine, nodded when she got her confirmation, gave her a hug, and after talking to some people, remained silent as she led both of them to her car.

Tiffany witnessed Taeyeon’s building frustration and anger when she noticed the firmness of how Taeyeon closed her door as soon as she’s strapped inside the car and how Taeyeon yanked her side of the door open then harshly pulled it close before driving off.

Tiffany already apologized on their way home but the blonde woman just kept her eyes on the road, cleared , and slightly shifted in her seat without sparing Tiffany a glance. On the bright side, she saw Taeyeon loosening her grip on the steering wheel.

She watched Taeyeon as the woman yanked her blazer off and threw it on the couch’s armrest, clearing showing her frustration now that it’s just the two of them at the safety of their home.

“Boo…” Tiffany started.

“What did I tell you this morning?” Taeyeon quickly responded as if she was waiting for Tiffany to intiate the conversation even though that was not her intention. Regardless of whether or not Tiffany starts talking, Taeyeon knew she was going to speak what was on her mind.

Tiffany stayed silent as she kept her head down, clutching her bag in her hands, and looking like a child being scolded for misconduct.

“Do you know how worried I was when I got to your office and I was greeted by an ‘Oh! You’re already done?’ by your colleague, thinking you were with me the entire time when the truth is, I just arrived there to pick you up and I haven’t seen you all day?” Taeyeon looked at the quiet woman.

“Do you know how worried I was when you wouldn’t answer my calls and messages and I had no idea where to start looking for you cause your location wasn’t ? And when you did give me a call, it was basically a call out of distress?” Taeyeon’s voice was gradually rising as she continued recounting. “Do you know how worried I was while driving your way, trying not to think of you being in the worst state?”

On Tiffany’s side, she felt guiltier and guiltier by the second.

“What did I tell you this morning, Tiffany?” Taeyeon repeated her question, keeping her voice steady because frankly she also doesn’t want to raise her voice at Tiffany but she’s beyond frustrated.

“To not go by myself….” Tiffany quietly answered

“And?”

“To wait for you to pick me up so we can go together….” She’s not even looking at Taeyeon because she’s afraid of seeing that disappointed expression on Taeyeon’s face.

“Do you remember why I specifically, explicitly, told you those things? What did I say?” From another person’s perspective, it truly sounds like a parent scolding their child for wandering off.

“Because the place was far and it might be hard to use public transportation…”

Taeyeon shook her head. “No, I didn’t say it might be hard. I said it could be dangerous to use public transportation seeing as you haven’t been to the area yet and be alone at that.”

Tiffany quietly nodded, her eyes still trained on the ground. Taeyeon on the other hand, leaned against the back of the couch, crossing her arms as she looked Tiffany.

“And yet one, you didn’t wait for me to pick you up. Two, you went there by yourself. And three, you didn’t even inform me about it!”

Tiffany raised her head and saw the look of frustration in Taeyeon’s face. “Tae…”

“I know I said I’d try my best to leave work early but I got delayed because of a meeting and me informing you about that wasn’t me saying you can go on ahead since you’re off early anyway.”

Tiffany walked towards Taeyeon, dropping her bag on the couch as soon as she could reach it. “Hey…” She cooed at the blonde woman who is intensely looking at her and following her movements.

“Tiffany.”

Tiffany chewed on her lip at Taeyeon using her full first name on her instead of her nickname or any endearments they have for each other. She knows she’s in the wrong, she acknowledges her mistake, but to Tiffany it seems like Taeyeon is blowing it out of proportion. Shouldn’t Taeyeon spoil her now instead of lecture her?

“Boo, hey..” She ran her hands from Taeyeon’s arms up to the side of her neck, her eyes looking straight at Taeyeon’s. “I’m sorry, okay? Can you calm down now, please?”

The blonde woman closed her eyes as she took a deep breath in. Tiffany watched her face, her thumbs caressing Taeyeon’s skin. “I promise I’ll let you know about my whereabouts ahead of time.” You don’t get it, Taeyeon thought. “And I will listen to you from now on, just don’t be mad at me anymore?”

Taeyeon opened her eyes and gave Tiffany a pursed smile as she finds herself calming down at Tiffany’s touch. Tiffany gave her a smile back, that kind of pursed smile she usually does that shows her chin dimples, which Taeyeon finds cute.

“You can stop being cute now.” Taeyeon softly said before gently placing her hands on top of Tiffany’s, pulling them off of her neck but not without a gentle squeeze first. “I’ll take a shower.” And with that she left Tiffany in the living room, with the woman being unsure whether or not Taeyeon’s still mad at her.

So she busied herself with placing Taeyeon’s stuff, her bag, keys, and blazer, where they are supposed to be stashed before going to the kitchen and fixing two mugs of hot chocolate as her peace offering.

It didn’t take Taeyeon long to shower and she went out with a towel turban wrapping her hair and a white robe covering her body. “Shower’s yours.” She told Tiffany as she went to the living room to look for her bag, only for Tiffany to say it’s in their room.

“There’s hot chocolate on the kitchen counter.” Tiffany gave her a quick kiss on the cheek when she passed by her on her way through the bathroom, hoping it will help in conveying her sincerity at wanting both of them to be okay.

Truth be told, Taeyeon knows Tiffany’s sincere. She knows Tiffany will stick to her word about letting her know about her whereabouts and listening to her and, in a way, that does comfort her. She also knows she may sound like she’s overreacting about the whole situation but she can’t help but be mad at the prospect of Tiffany being in danger.

They were supposed to go to this shop somewhere in the South, about an hour away by car and an hour and a half by public transport. Taeyeon wanted to accompany Tiffany although the latter had suggested she go alone. Taeyeon’s arguments were that she has the car and she’s been to that shop before, and her assessment is that it’s not the safest place to be for a woman to be walking around since there’s quite a distance from the train station or bus stop to the shop.

Tiffany agreed to Taeyeon driving her there but she finished her work ahead of time and Taeyeon was unfortunately held up by a client so she figured that to save time, she’ll go ahead and get it done with. And by the time she’s back, Taeyeon can pick her up and drive them home.

Except things don’t usually go as planned.

x

“Where are you!” Taeyeon greeted Tiffany the moment the woman picked her call.

“T-tae..? Please pick me up?”

Taeyeon could hear the distress in Tiffany’s small voice and concern washed over her. “Are you okay, Fany? Turn on your phone's location for me, babe.”

As soon as Taeyeon saw the commotion ahead, she parked as near as she could and quickly left her car to search for Tiffany.

Her heart was hammering in her chest as she saw the broken glass on the road and the dented, almost wrecked cars. “Hey!” She called out to a police officer. “I’m looking for the passenger of the cab, where Is she?”

Taeyeon was directed to the ambulance where she half-ran to.

“Tiffany?” She called as a paramedic blocked her view. As soon as her view was clear and she saw Tiffany, safe in one piece, she let out a relieved sigh.

“Boo..”

The paramedic busied herself with her things and attended to the other people involved in the crash as Taeyeon took her spot in front of Tiffany.

“Are you okay?” She ran her eyes on Tiffany’s face and body, looking for anything amiss. A scratch or anything bleeding. Thankfully, she found none.

Tiffany nodded and Taeyeon stepped closer to hug the shaken woman, or more like cradle Tiffany’s head on her abdomen and occasionally rubbing her back as a form of comfort as the latter wrapped her arms around Taeyeon’s waist and they stayed that way until Taeyeon thought it would be best if they head home.

X

She took a seat at the dining table and drank out of her mug as she tended to her phone. She was trying to see if there was any updates or perhaps a news article or report regarding what transpired today as well as waiting for anyone from the investigation team to contact her since she left her business card to them in case they need to be contacted or in case they want to file a case.

She heard the sound of the bathroom door opening, some shuffling inside their bedroom and she knows it wouldn’t be too long that Tiffany will join her. Afterall, the other mug’s untouched. Taeyeon stood up to put the mug inside the microwave to heat it up.

Soon she felt arms slipping around her waist and a weight on her shoulder as Tiffany rested her chin there.

Taeyeon placed her hands on Tiffany’s arms, her thumb caressing Tiffany’s skin. “Are you feeling better?”

“I will be if you’ll forgive me.” Tiffany quietly answered and Taeyeon can’t help but smile. She can never really stay mad at Tiffany. She had already cooled off the moment Tiffany told her to calm down and she felt Tiffany’s hands on her neck as she did.

“You are forgiven.” She felt Tiffany gently squeeze her. Taeyeon turned her head to address Tiffany even though she can’t really face her or even see her face properly with their position. “Please don’t be stubborn next time? You know I find your stubbornness adorable, but please don’t be like that when it comes to these matters.”

She felt Tiffany nod against her shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

Ding.

“Fany-ah..”

Tiffany smiled cause finally, Taeyeon’s back to calling her the way she usually does. “Hm?”

Taeyeon lifted her hands to carefully get the hot mug from the microwave to place it on the counter. “You do know why I’m mad, right?”

Tiffany stayed quiet, thinking Taeyeon was asking her rhetorically.

“Yah..” Taeyeon shrugged her shoulder a bit, thinking Tiffany dozed off.

“Because I disobeyed you.”

“Well, there’s that.” Taeyeon cleared . “But mostly because you were in danger.” Tiffany shifted her head, laying her cheek on Taeyeon’s shoulder as she stares at the side profile of her lover, waiting for her to continue.

“What if….what if something worse happened?” Tiffany mirrored Taeyeon when the blonde woman furrowed her brows. “What if that driver of yours wasn’t fast in dodging the incoming car? What if…what if it was your side of the car that got hit badly?” Taeyeon listed as Tiffany hugged her tighter, understanding what Taeyeon’s trying to say.

“What if I had lost you..?” Taeyeon ended quietly, afraid that if she raises her voice, it will crack because tears are slowly pooling in her eyes as she thinks about the endless possibilities of how things could have ended tonight.

“Tae…” Tiffany’s heart ached and she hugged the smaller woman tighter. Taeyeon’s hands intertwine with hers in response.

“I still want to see you walk down the aisle and say I do. I can’t lose you…” Taeyeon continued as she closed her eyes. Tiffany’s heart dropped as she heard Taeyeon and felt Taeyeon pressing on the engagement ring on her hand. She saw the tears falling and she quickly disentangled herself to turn Taeyeon around and hug her properly.

“Babe, I’m so sorry for scaring you.” Tiffany’s own eyes turned glassy as she felt Taeyeon clutching her robe as if she’d disappear the moment she lets go. She feels stupid for thinking that Taeyeon is blowing it out of proportion, that she’s overreacting. She now realizes the reason behind Taeyeon’s anger.

God, she was just afraid. Afraid of losing you, pabo. Tiffany thought.

Taeyeon buried her face in Tiffany’s robe as she feels relief seeping out of her system through her tears because Tiffany is here, Tiffany is hugging her, Tiffany is alive and she hears her whispering words of comfort and apologies in her ear.

Tiffany pulled away to cup Taeyeon’s face in her hands and she couldn’t help but let her own tears fall as she sees Taeyeon’s red eyes who are trying to look elsewhere.

“I’m right here, Boo.” She wiped away Taeyeon’s tears with the pad of her thumbs. “You’re not losing me, okay? That was really stupid of me today, I’m so sorry.” She saw Taeyeon biting her lip in attempt to help hold her tears fall, but failing.

She placed a kiss on Taeyeon’s forehead before hugging her again and rubbing her back. “I’m fine. I’m alive. We’ll still have that wedding in 4 months, you’ll see me in my dress, and I’ll say I do and be Mrs. Tiffany  Hwang-Kim and I’ll stay that way for a very long time.”

She felt Taeyeon hug her tighter and her neck getting wet at another batch of tears falling from her fiancée’s eyes.

I was so scared I’d be going home alone from now on. Please never leave me. Please, to whoever is up there, don’t take her away from me.

She pulled away just enough to place a kiss on Taeyeon’s head. “I love you, I love you.” She placed another kiss for good measure before pulling her fiancée, her future wife, closer.

Taeyeon placed a kiss on Tiffany’s neck in response. Later, she’s gonna apologize for raising her voice at her and for being mad. But for now, she needs to be in Tiffany’s arms – to feel her warmth.

I love you so much, stubbornhead.