A/N: For clarification regarding the timeline of this story:

The chapters in this story are separated by a timespan of weeks to months, not days. This is reflected by the different city locations for each chapter. This is why the events in the story can seem a little fast-paced and unexpected. Considering the nature of Taeyeon’s and Jessica’s occupations, it makes sense to have their encounters spaced out like this. Many developments can happen in a span of weeks or months – that’s life.

Seoul, South Korea

It’s 8:00pm on a Friday when Taeyeon receives a series of text messages from Jessica, her phone vibrating beside her on the couch. She lazily holds her phone in the air and giggles at the emojis and stickers covering her screen, tapping out a quick reply before returning her attention to the television in front of her.

She blinks and furrows her eyebrows when the doorbell rings.

Odd. She’s definitely sure she hasn’t ordered any food deliveries today.

Taeyeon rises from her seat and shuffles over to the CCTV camera monitor, raising her eyebrows in astonishment when a familiar figure smiles up at the camera lens. She presses down on the intercom button and coughs.

“What are you doing here?” She says, holding back her laughter when Jessica jumps in surprise but quickly recollects her composure and flashes her a bright beam through the camera lens.

“You’ll find out if you open the door and let me inside,” Jessica teases.

Taeyeon rolls her eyes, forgetting that Jessica can’t see her, and shuffles over to unlock the door. She pulls it open and playfully sighs when Jessica’s grin widens and she cutely tilts her head to the side.

“Oh please, be happy that I’ve graced your apartment,” Jessica says, laughing when Taeyeon scowls but pushes the door open a little wider to let her enter her abode. She marvels at the simplicity of Taeyeon’s apartment, glancing over her shoulder when Taeyeon closes the door. She smirks when Taeyeon’s cheeks turn pink and she coughs awkwardly as she brushes past Jessica to lead her to the living room.

Jessica’s mouth drops open at the state of Taeyeon’s living room; her television softly blaring in the background, her magazines carefully organised into a pile on her coffee table, a mug of what looks like hot tea beside the magazines, the sofa’s pillows nicely propped up on the furniture, and Taeyeon.

Taeyeon, her former leader, standing in the middle of the living room underneath its bright lights. Taeyeon, with the lights bouncing off her brown hair to give it a shiny reflective look. Taeyeon in a tank top and black tracksuit pants.

Jessica doesn’t realise she’s too busy staring at Taeyeon until a hand waves in front of her and Taeyeon’s smirk works its way onto her face.

“I know I’m beautiful but what I want to know is if you want tea or water to drink?” Taeyeon says, guffawing when Jessica reddens in embarrassment and quickly mumbles ‘tea’ before sitting down on the sofa. She heads off into the kitchen and busies herself with the teapot and kettle, humming under her breath as she sets to work.

She re-enters the living room a few minutes later and hands the mug to Jessica, who blows on her hot drink and takes a careful sip.

“Is this earl grey tea?” Jessica says, the corners of her lips turning upwards when Taeyeon nods and settles down cross-legged beside her with her own cup in her hands.

"What can I help you with?” Taeyeon says, sipping on her tea as she glances over at Jessica. She watches Jessica place her mug on the coffee table and reach inside her purse to take out a beautifully crafted envelope.

Oh.

“I thought I’d deliver this to you personally as a formal invitation,” Jessica says, pressing the fancy white envelope into Taeyeon’s hands.

Taeyeon turns the envelope over in her hands, her words running over the beautiful monogram of her name in the centre of the invitation.

 “I’m flattered even though I told you I’d be singing for free,” Taeyeon says softly, smiling when Jessica shakes her head and taps on her name with her index finger.

“You, Kim Taeyeon, are formally invited to my wedding as one of my guests. And I’m still paying for you to sing. In fact, you should check your bank account because I’ve already paid you,” Jessica insists, laughing when Taeyeon rolls her eyes. She watches as Taeyeon’s thumb rubs across her name again before she carefully places the invitation on her coffee table, unopened.

“Thank you. I’m really happy for you,” Taeyeon says, smiling when Jessica grins at her and leans over for a hug.

Taeyeon wraps her arms around Jessica and holds her, a part of her acknowledging the fact that Jessica’s found her happiness; that one thing that lights up her world and makes her feel like she’s the centre of the universe.

Another part of her dies inside, knowing that the date is growing closer by the day.

Jessica leaves an hour later, leaving Taeyeon to reflect on the past events that have occurred over the past few weeks. She exhales deeply and taps the side of her mug, her mind going back to that night in Tokyo a few weeks ago.

“I got back with him,” Jessica says quietly, propping her legs up on the windowsill to mirror her position.

“I heard.”

There’s a short pause between them until Jessica speaks softly again, except a part of her voice sounds afraid and reluctant to reveal her confession.

“I’m engaged.”

Taeyeon tries to keep her emotions at bay and pretends her gaze is focused on the night sky behind Jessica, which is difficult considering Jessica’s in her line of sight and all she wants to do is stop and stare at her all day.

(Not that she’d ever tell Jessica that.)

“I know. Congratulations,” Taeyeon says shortly, the words sounding so foreign coming out of .

She keeps her eyes trained on the bright stars in the night sky but all she wants to do is look at the brightest star in her life.

Taeyeon spares a glance at the envelope on her table.

She leaves it untouched and only dares to open it a couple of days later, a pensive look flashing across her face when her fingers touch the golden printed words of Jessica’s name on the top of the wedding invitation.

The next time they meet is six weeks later and a few hours before the wedding, Jessica’s insistence on hearing Taeyeon rehearse for her special day being rejected by Taeyeon keeping as much of it as a surprise as possible. Taeyeon pushes the door to Jessica’s room open, standing slack-jawed as her eyes trail up the white wedding dress and she makes eye contact with bright brown eyes filled with ecstasy.

“Taeyeon!” Jessica says, rising from her chair and laughing when Taeyeon shakes her head and steps closer.

“They did a great job on your dress,” Taeyeon says, clucking her tongue when Jessica reaches over and pinches her arm. “Excuse me, you cannot injure your guest here.”

Jessica sticks her tongue out and rubs the area where she pinched Taeyeon, grinning when Taeyeon stares at her again.

“You’re the most beautiful woman today,” Taeyeon says, smiling softly when Jessica looks down at her dress with a bashful grin. She reaches out and tenderly squeezes Jessica’s hand, knowing what she wants to say without saying anything at all.

Jessica raises her head to the side and releases a sigh. Taeyeon peers up at her through her eyelashes, furrowing her eyebrows when Jessica gives her a tiny smile.

“I have a feeling that something bad is going to happen,” Jessica says, releasing a small giggle when the dent in Taeyeon’s forehead deepens and she squeezes Jessica’s hands again.

“You shouldn’t say that,” Taeyeon replies, thinking that Jessica’s going through pre-wedding jitters and is doubting herself.

Jessica purses her lips but doesn’t say anything else, her eyes flickering over to the phone on her dressing table. She takes note of the time and sighs, knowing that in two hours time she’ll be a married woman.

She still can’t shake off the strange feeling she’s been having lately about her special day.

“Taeyeon, will you be there for me?”

Taeyeon squeezes her hand a third time, this one a little tighter than the previous two.

“I will,” She says, and it sounds like a promise.

She swears she’ll keep this promise for life.

Taeyeon ducks out of the room and flinches when she hears an annoyingly high-pitched “Kim Taeyeon!” from the other side of the corridor. She shakes her head and makes her way over to her group members, laughing when Sooyoung latches onto her and pulls her close.

“I see you went to visit our Ice Princess,” She says, shooting Taeyeon with a knowing look.

 Taeyeon rolls her eyes and shoves her away, which ultimately is a futile attempt when Yoona clings onto her other arm and rests her head on Taeyeon’s shoulder.

"Why don’t you come to visit me sometimes?” Yoona says with her saccharinely cute aegyo, batting her eyelashes for good measure.

“Because you do things like that which turn people away from you,” Sunny replies, winking when Yoona glares at her.

Taeyeon laughs and pats Yoona’s arms to quell her, smiling when Yoona wraps her arms around her and pulls her close.

“This is why Taeyeon is my number one Unnie. You all ,” She says, squealing when Sunny tilts her neck to the side and mimics a choke grab.

“Shall we find our seats?” Seohyun, the ever responsible maknae, says. She leads the way inside the function room, engaging in conversation with Hyoyeon and Yuri. Yoona and Sunny playfully shoot daggers at each other before linking arms and entering the hall.

Sooyoung turns to Tiffany and Taeyeon, shrugging her shoulders and following after the others.

Taeyeon glances over at Tiffany, who regards her with a thoughtful expression.

“What?”

Tiffany shakes her head and smiles, reaching over to pat Taeyeon on the before entering the function room.

Taeyeon definitely underestimates how grand Jessica’s wedding is, standing to the side as she watches the guests fill the wedding hall and settle into their seats. She takes a quick sip of water and runs through another vocal warm up exercise as she waits for the wedding to begin.

Taeyeon notes that the groom is yet to make his appearance but doesn’t think more of it when the doors to the wedding hall push open and all heads turn to focus on Jessica.

Jessica.

Beautiful Jessica, in her white wedding dress. Beautiful Jessica, all smiles as she walks down the aisle with her father who wears a proud grin on his face. Beautiful Jessica, who Taeyeon knows more as Sooyeon, is about to marry the love of her life.

Taeyeon catches sight of Krystal wiping a few tears from her eyes and she smiles, knowing how happy she is that her sister is about to start a new chapter of her life.

Jessica reaches the stage and spins around to beam brightly at her guests. She turns around and makes her way up the steps, reaching out to squeeze Krystal’s hand as she passes by.

Taeyeon immediately knows something is terribly wrong when there’s still no sign of Jessica’s husband to be and Jessica stands beside the officiant and MC, alone in her wedding dress. She watches as Jessica’s smile grows smaller by the minute, her gaze constantly flickering back and forth between the officiant and MC, her family and the entrance to the room.

She raises her eyebrows when Tyler’s parents shakily rise from their seats and step onto the stage to speak with Jessica, their faces covered with guilt and humiliation. She discerns what looks like a letter being held out in between them.

Even though Jessica’s body is turned away from her guests, Taeyeon can make out the way a muscle jumps in her jaw when her hand reaches out to accept the letter. Taeyeon studies the way Jessica frowns and nods, her lips pressed together in concentration as she processes the information given to her. She’s definitely not surprised when Jessica suddenly leaves the room and the officiant stands forward, announcing that they’ll return shortly.

The room immediately begins to fill with chatter as the guests try to decipher what exactly has just happened.

“Do you think Jessica is okay?” Yuri says. Taeyeon feels seven pairs of eyes fixate on her and shakes her head.

“I don’t know,” She answers truthfully, pursing her lips when she realises that maybe she doesn’t really know Jessica at all.

Taeyeon’s too busy chatting away with Tiffany about her upcoming vacation to Switzerland when she feels a soft tap on her shoulder. She turns around, surprised to see Krystal standing with a tiny smile on her face.

“Yes, Krystal?”

“I think Jess needs you right now,” Krystal says, smirking in amusement when Taeyeon raises her eyebrows.

“Are you sure?” Taeyeon says carefully, perplexed that Jessica’s asking for her and any of her best friends. She suddenly remembers what she had promised Jessica a couple of hours ago and chuckles to herself when she realises she’s just asked Krystal a very stupid and redundant question. It seems that Krystal knows exactly what’s going through her mind because she clicks her tongue and points her thumb towards the back room.

“If you don’t get your over there, I am going to personally kick you over to Jess,” Krystal threatens playfully, sticking her tongue out when Taeyeon rolls her eyes and swats her arm.

“And it’s Jung Soojung for you!” She adds, her shoulders moving up and down while laughing when Taeyeon flashes her a glare and pulls a face before she disappears behind the door.

Taeyeon pushes the curtain aside, blinking when Jessica looks over at her with a small smile on her face.

“Hey,” Jessica says softly, reaching for Taeyeon’s hand. Taeyeon steps forward and crouches down, taking Jessica’s hands in her own and threading their fingers together.

“How are you feeling?” Taeyeon asks, biting her lips when Jessica doesn’t say anything for a moment but just smiles at her. Unlike all her other smiles that she’s known for, this one doesn’t reach her eyes.

Taeyeon waits patiently for Jessica, knitting her eyebrows together when Jessica raises a hand to reach for a letter lying beside her on the sofa. She presses the note into Taeyeon’s hands and nods when Taeyeon shoots her a concerned and wary look, as if seeking her permission to read something so personal to her.

Taeyeon holds the note in her hands, her eyes quickly scanning its contents and the dent in her forehead growing deeper with every word she reads.

Dear Jessica,

I am sorry you are receiving the news like this. I hope you understand.

I thought long and hard about what the past and present have held for us and what the future will hold for us. We might have had common chapters over the past few years but this is where our story is different. We could try to rewrite the stories and words between us but it’ll all lead to the same ending.

In short, I can’t marry you.

I will be away in New York on a business trip for two weeks. You can collect your belongings from my apartment while I’m gone.

I hope you will find the one who is right for you because I can never be that for you.

Goodbye,

Tyler Kwon

Taeyeon folds the letter neatly and places it on the table beside them. She peers up at Jessica through her eyelashes, her shoulders slumping when Jessica smiles weakly at her.

Taeyeon doesn’t think she’s good at offering any words of consolation so she does the one thing she can think of at that moment; she brings Jessica into her arms, holding her close as she threads her fingers through Jessica’s hair.

Taeyeon releases her hold on Jessica when they hear a knock on the door and Krystal pokes her head inside the room.

“Mom and Dad wanted to know how you’re holding up,” Krystal says, pushing the door to allow their parents to enter the room when Jessica nods her head and offers a small smile. Taeyeon notes how visibly distraught Jessica’s parents are and moves to stand away to give the family their privacy. She blinks when Jessica’s hand encloses around her wrist and tugs her to remain close by, her hand slipping into Taeyeon’s with their fingers naturally entwining.

Jessica doesn’t look at her but Taeyeon can feel her emotions and the unspoken words between them through her touch and by the way Jessica squeezes their hands. She rubs her thumb on the back of Jessica’s hand, taking a deep breath when Jessica loosens her grip but doesn’t let go of her.

“I’m okay,” Jessica says to her parents, who exchange worried expressions and reach out to rub her shoulder.

“Sooyeon –”

"I know what I want to do,” Jessica says, smiling gently when her parents look at her with baffled expressions.

“Sooyeon, you don’t have to do anything. We can do it for you.”

“I know but I’m the face of today so they deserve to hear it from me. It’s a shame that it’s not what we expected but I don’t want our guests to have given up their time for today and to leave with empty stomachs. I still want to go ahead with the reception and entertainment for tonight. Think of it as one great party,” Jessica says, pausing to study her parents’ faces.

“Okay, we can do that. But if at any moment you want to end the night, we’ll help you with that.”

Jessica nods, letting go of Taeyeon’s hand to wrap her arms around her family who hold her close. Taeyeon’s eyes flicker over to Krystal, who makes eye contact over Jessica’s shoulder and mouths ‘thank you’.

Taeyeon shakes her head and smiles, stepping back to allow the family their privacy. Her eyes dart around nervously, falling back onto the four other people in the room when they finally break apart.

“We’ll be outside waiting for you when you’re ready,” Jessica’s mother says, pressing a light kiss on Jessica’s forehead. Jessica nods again and laughs lightly, raising a hand to wipe her mother’s tears away.

Taeyeon swallows anxiously when Jessica’s parents exchange looks and smile at her knowingly.

“Taeyeon, a word please,” Jessica’s father says, nodding at Taeyeon before leaving the room with his wife. Krystal wraps her arms around Jessica again and kisses her cheek. She smiles gratefully at Taeyeon and exits the room, leaving the two of them standing together.

Taeyeon raises a hand and brushes Jessica’s cheek clear of her tears, pursing her lips when Jessica looks at her through her eyelashes and holds her hand to her face.

“Thank you,” Jessica says, closing her eyes when Taeyeon’s thumb brushes against her skin.

They remain in this position for a few more seconds until Taeyeon retracts her hand to tuck Jessica’s hair behind her ear. She steps towards the curtain but pauses when Jessica whispers to her, her voice so soft that Taeyeon just manages to catch what she’s saying.

“Taeyeon?”

Taeyeon glances over her shoulder, her hand resting on the curtain.

“You’re stunning.”

Taeyeon releases a quiet chuckle and shakes her head.

“I said it before and I’ll say it again; you’re the most beautiful woman today. Don’t ever forget that,” She says, staring at Jessica for a couple more seconds until she releases her grip on the curtain and allows it to separate them.

Taeyeon spots Jessica’s parents standing down the corridor, deep in conversation judging by the way their eyebrows are knitted together and the increasing number of hand gestures exchanged between them. She makes her way towards them, bowing politely when they notice her approaching.

“There’s no need for you to bow, Taeyeon!” Jessica’s mother says, holding onto Taeyeon’s arms to prevent her from bending further. Taeyeon straightens her back and switches her gaze back and forth between the two as she anticipates what they could possibly want to discuss with her.

“What can I help you with?”

“You already have, without anyone saying anything. Thank you.”

Taeyeon furrows her eyebrows, knowing exactly what they’re referring to but refusing to accept their gratitude.

“There’s nothing you need to thank me for –” Taeyeon starts to say, stopping when two warm hands reach out and hold her own.

“There’s everything that we have to thank you for,” Jessica’s father says, squeezing her hands tightly.

Taeyeon’s shoulders slump and she lowers her head in gesture, finally accepting their words of appreciation.

(She doesn’t feel like she deserves it at all.)

Taeyeon almost breathes a sigh of relief when she returns to her chair and the girls don’t question her on what has transpired. She’s half-listening to the deep conversation between Yoona and Yuri about the menu for tonight when the doors open and Jessica steps back out into the room, calmly making her way onto the stage. She watches as all heads turn her way and wait for her to address the crowd.

Maybe it’s the way the lights shine on Jessica differently because she looks even more beautiful in her dress, her make up redone to hide any hints of her crying. Taeyeon stares at the way Jessica glimpses behind her and nods at the officiant and MC, her brown hair falling over her shoulder as she reaches out to accept the microphone given to her.

Taeyeon notes the tight grip Jessica has on her microphone and the way her eyes search the crowd. She locks gazes with Jessica, an encouraging and reassuring smile plastered on her face when Jessica’s eyes fall onto hers. She nods gently and Jessica’s shoulders relax before she switches her gaze to the other people in the function hall.

“I’m sorry to say this but the wedding is cancelled. However, I would like to thank you for your time and spending it with me so please help yourself to the food and drinks that we have here today,” Jessica says shortly, bowing and taking her leave from the stage.

Immediately whispers and chatter fills the room. Taeyeon feels multiple pairs of eyes on her and she shrugs at her members, who look at her suspiciously before letting the matter drop and returning their attention to the menu.

Taeyeon feels a hand on her wrist and glances beside her, frowning at the growing smirk on Tiffany’s face.

“You and Jessi seem to be very close these days,” Tiffany says, a knowing look on her face. Taeyeon rolls her eyes and stares at the champagne tower at the front of the room near the stage.

“We reconnected a couple of months ago in France.”

“To the point where she only asked for you to see her when she was most vulnerable?” Tiffany asks, not sounding convinced in the slightest. Taeyeon purses her lips and sips on her wine, feeling Tiffany’s burning gaze on her.

“What are you implying?”

“She could have asked for Minyoung-unnie or Irene but she asked for you,” Tiffany voices, playing with the bracelet on Taeyeon’s wrist. “I know everyone’s worried about Jessi but I just want to make sure you’re okay.”

Taeyeon smiles and pats Tiffany’s hand.

“Thank you. I’m here for you too,” She says, the squeeze on her wrist enough for her to know that Tiffany feels the same way.

Taeyeon leaves for a restroom trip, encountering Amber and Krystal in an animated discussion about who-knows-what on her way back to the table.

“Oh Taeyeon-unnie!” Amber says cheerfully, stopping Taeyeon from walking away and wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

“Nice to see you too, Amber,” Taeyeon says, laughing when Krystal pouts and latches onto her arm.

“Taeyeon-unnie, please save me from Amber embarrassing me on the dance floor,” Krystal says, swinging Taeyeon’s arm from side to side that is so endearing to Taeyeon that she nods, cackling when Amber huffs and tries her best to pry Krystal off of her.

They stop their playfulness when they hear a throat clear in front of them, their eyes gazing up into Jessica’s and her friends, Irene and Minyoung, as they stare at them in amusement.

“Don’t think you’re going to escape dancing tonight, Krystal,” Irene teases, shrugging her shoulders when Krystal glares at her and cutely scrunches up her nose.

Taeyeon blinks when a glass of wine is pressed into her hand. She connects the arm to the person offering the drink, shaking her head when Jessica flashes her a smile and steps beside her. She shoots Jessica a knowing look, who coughs and laughs at the same time.

“I swear I’m not trying to get you to die from alcohol poisoning,” Jessica says, grinning when Taeyeon immediately understands the reference to their inside joke and takes a sip of her wine.

“Speaking of drinks, let’s not let all the food and drinks go to waste tonight!” Minyoung says, heading off in the direction of their assigned table.

“We’re partying over you not getting married to the dickhead who stood you up at your wedding!” Irene says, slinging an arm around Krystal and Amber and pulling them away. Krystal shoots Taeyeon and Jessica a helpless look, pouting as she’s whisked away into the crowd.

 “Your friends are...interesting,” Taeyeon says, nursing her glass of wine in her hands. Jessica shrugs and expertly swirls her wine glass as she leans against a pillar, strangely not following after her friends.

"I just want to forget today ever happened. No, scratch that. I just want to forget that relationship ever happened. You’re all doing a great job at helping me with that.” Jessica pulls her arms closer to her chest and sighs.

“The night should only get better from here, right?”

“What are you suggesting?”

“You’ll see,” Taeyeon says, winking as she makes her way to the stage. She quickly gathers the band and hurriedly whispers her plan, smirking when they nod eagerly and return to their instruments.

Taeyeon steps forward and switches on the microphone, holding a thumbs up at the DJ as she gathers her thoughts.

“This is to all the heartbreakers and the cowards who won’t work up the courage to do the right thing,” Taeyeon says into the microphone, winking over in Jessica’s direction. She blows a kiss to the crowd, who gather on their feet and cheer her on.

I think I’ve finally had enough
I think I maybe think too much
I think this might be it for us
Blow me one last kiss

You think I’m just too serious
I think you’re full of
My head is spinning, so
Blow me one last kiss

Just when it can’t get worse
I’ve had a day
You’ve had a day
We’ve had a day

I think that life’s too short for this
Want back my ignorance and bliss
I think I’ve had enough of this
Blow me one last kiss

Taeyeon finally steps off the stage after singing a couple more songs, chuckling and shaking her head when the crowd begs for her to continue singing. She’s not surprised when Jessica stands off to the side, patiently waiting for her and stepping forward when she approaches her.

“You might get in trouble for that,” Jessica says, breaking out into a grin when Taeyeon smiles so widely her chin dimple pops out.

“For what? The swearing? That’s nothing new. Not-so-subtly referencing your ex-fiancé? He deserves it,” She says archly, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “I feel sorry for your DJ and live band though. They have to play all these romantic love songs.”

“Hey! Let everyone else have their fun at this...function,” Jessica says. She giggles when Taeyeon stares at her blankly for a couple of seconds before bursting into laughter, not minding the people turning around to stare at her doubled over form with her wine glass in her hands.

Jessica doesn’t say anything when Taeyeon straightens up and flashes her an impish grin, her eyes twinkling with mirth and mischief. They only last three seconds of direct eye contact before giggling again, with Jessica naturally linking her arm around Taeyeon’s as they sip their wine and watch the rest of the guests enjoy their night of free food and entertainment.

The song shifts to a slower melody and Jessica’s lips curl into a smile when she notices Taeyeon swaying back and forth beside her. An idea crosses her mind and she squeezes Taeyeon’s arm to get her attention, biting down on her lips to prevent a wide grin from spreading across her face.

“Dance with me,” She says, sliding her hand down from Taeyeon’s elbow to her fingers.

“Is that a question or a demand?”

Jessica laughs and tugs on Taeyeon’s fingers, pulling her to the dance floor. Taeyeon doesn’t say a word and allows herself to be pulled forward, beaming widely when Jessica glances over her shoulder with an equally bright grin.

Jessica stops tugging her along when they reach the middle of the dance floor. She spins around in her heels and smiles, gently placing her arms on Taeyeon’s shoulders. Taeyeon carefully places her hands on Jessica’s waist and they rock back and forth to the sound of music.

“Taeyeon.”

“Hmmm?”

Jessica smiles and wraps her arms around Taeyeon’s neck, pulling her into a tight hug.

“Thank you for being here with me,” She whispers softly, turning her head to place a light kiss on Taeyeon’s cheek.

Taeyeon smiles and returns the embrace, blushing when Jessica rests her head on her shoulder. Even though Jessica’s taller than her, there’s something that feels just right about laying her head on her shoulder.

“Anything for you,” She says, not stopping the silly smile growing on her face when Jessica nods and buries her face into her neck.

The party comes to a close when the guests begin to leave, Jessica and her family standing by the doors to greet them on their way out. Taeyeon stands off to the side, waiting for a moment where she can catch them alone before she leaves for the night.

Jessica finally raises her head and looks at her in the eyes. She smiles and steps closer to her, giggling softly when Jessica links their arms together.

“You waited,” She says, resting her head on Taeyeon’s shoulder.

“I just want to make sure you’re alright,” Taeyeon says, patting Jessica’s arm. Jessica laughs and leans on her, a goofy grin spreading across her face as she rocks their bodies back and forth. Taeyeon’s body shakes as she tries to stifle her laughter, but the movement causes Jessica to further lean her weight on her. They both lose their balance and trip, with Taeyeon wrapping her arms around Jessica protectively and Jessica sliding her arms around Taeyeon’s neck.

Taeyeon quickly steadies the both of them, helping Jessica stand upright just as her family approaches them with amused and worried smiles on their faces.

“Are you okay Jess?” Krystal says, reaching out to stabilise her sister. Jessica waves her away and hiccups.

“I’m fine! Taeyeon caught me before I fell,” She slurs, staring down at their linked arms and sniggering to herself. The corners of Taeyeon’s mouth quirk upwards and she playfully tries to unlink their arms, cackling when Jessica whines and tugs her back.

She hears Jessica’s father clear his throat and stands straighter, patting Jessica’s arm to gain her attention.

“It’s about time we get some rest," He says.

“Taeyeon was going to help me to my hotel room,” Jessica says smoothly, sliding her hands into Taeyeon’s. Taeyeon’s eyes bulge out in astonishment and she turns her head to look at Jessica, caught off guard by the sudden announcement.

Taking Jessica to her hotel room was not a part of her plans to end the night.

Jessica’s parents nod approvingly and smile at Taeyeon.

“Thank you, again,” They say, squeezing her shoulder and tightly wrapping their arms around Jessica. They wave goodbye and exit the function hall, with Krystal following suit after giving the both of them a tight embrace and mouthing at Taeyeon to text her.

Taeyeon sighs and nudges Jessica, who stares at her with an unreadable expression on her face.

“Shall we?” Jessica says, her eyes twinkling with hope and expectation, as if the only acceptable answer Taeyeon can give her is a ‘yes’.

How can Taeyeon possibly say no to her?

Taeyeon takes her hand and together they leave the wedding hall.

They're sitting in late night traffic in the back seat of the limousine, with Jessica playing with the frills in her dress and Taeyeon staring at the city lights through the window and admiring how Seoul is still so lively at night.

Taeyeon almost jumps when Jessica's head rests on her shoulders, her brown locks tickling Taeyeon's arms as she shifts her body into a more comfortable position.

Taeyeon peers down at Jessica, her lips coming into contact with Jessica’s forehead. She studies the way Jessica’s eyes are closed and how curves into a dreamy beam.

Taeyeon paints as much of the sight of Jessica sleeping on her into her mind, never once stopping to push Jessica off her shoulder.

They reach the hotel in no time and stumble their way into the elevator. It reminds Taeyeon of what happened in Las Vegas and she chuckles at the recollection. Her laughter jerks Jessica awake and she yawns, stretching her arms in the air before they fall and clasp onto Taeyeon’s.

They remain hand in hand even when they exit the lift and head down the hallway to Jessica’s room. Taeyeon slides the hotel key card into its slot, pushing the door open and helping Jessica inside. Jessica kicks off her heels and sighs, gathering the pyjamas her secretary had laid out on the bed into her hands. She turns, her eyes focusing on Taeyeon leaning her shoulder against the wall.

“Will you stay with me until I fall asleep?” Jessica asks softly, her fingers twisting into the fabric of her clothes.

“I will,” Taeyeon says, a small smile appearing when Jessica nods and shuffles into the bathroom to change out of her dress.

Taeyeon spends the time Jessica takes inside the bathroom to check her phone notifications, sending off a quick message to Krystal to inform her that they’re both safe. She’s in the middle of replying to Tiffany’s latest message when the bathroom door slides open and Jessica comes out with a tired expression on her face. Taeyeon pushes herself off the wall and observes the way Jessica slides into bed and pats the spot beside her for Taeyeon to join her.

Taeyeon sits down, blinking when Jessica reaches out for her hand.

“Can you sing for me?” Jessica says softly, hesitantly, as if the request is so absurd that Taeyeon would never say yes.

(Taeyeon would always say yes.)

Taeyeon beams and squeezes Jessica’s hand, deciding to sing the first song that pops up in her mind when Jessica closes her eyes. She momentarily forgets it’s the first song that she was supposed to sing in her setlist tonight if things had gone according to plan.

When you looked over your shoulder
For a minute, I forget that I’m older
I wanna dance with you right now
Oh, and you look as beautiful as ever
And I swear that everyday you’ll get better
You make me feel this way somehow

Taeyeon watches as Jessica drifts off into a deep slumber, her hand still grasping tightly onto Taeyeon’s.

Taeyeon continues to sing softly into the night, only stopping when Jessica’s breathing evens out and her face relaxes into a serene expression. Taeyeon feels Jessica’s grip on her hand slacken but she doesn’t let go or pull away, their hands still intertwined on top of the blanket.

Maybe it’s the combination of alcohol in Taeyeon’s system and the fact that Jessica’s sound asleep that she dares to raise her free hand and brush her hair away from her face. She leans down to press a light kiss to Jessica’s forehead, her lips lingering on her skin before she sits back and gently her hair. A ghost of a smile graces Taeyeon’s lips as Jessica shifts in the bedsheets and Taeyeon’s palm falls beside her face.

Taeyeon rubs the pad of her thumb on Jessica’s cheek, biting down on her bottom lip when Jessica nuzzles into the hand cupping her cheek.

“Thank you,” Jessica mumbles quietly in her sleep, her breath tickling the inside of her wrist.

Taeyeon brushes a stray strand of hair away from Jessica’s face and stares at her, taking in the way her hand fits beside Jessica’s face perfectly. She admires Jessica’s ability to fall asleep easily and smiles wistfully when she remembers how Jessica was usually the first person to fall asleep and the last person to be woken up at the dorms. That was many years ago when Jessica was still a part of Girls’ Generation so it’s amusing to Taeyeon that Jessica’s sleeping habits have never gone away.

(Taeyeon would still argue Jessica is always a part of Girls’ Generation.)

Taeyeon regards the way Jessica sleeps peacefully with no hint of worry or pain on her face, as if the past events have had no or little effect on her. It’s disappointing to think that Jessica was so close to an exciting new chapter in her life, only to have that taken away from her at the last minute because the two paths never aligned at the end.

Maybe he really wasn’t the right one for her after all.

Taeyeon gives her a long look and swallows, unconsciously rubbing her thumb on Jessica’s hand.

If only it were true.

Taeyeon sings one last song before she leaves Jessica for the night, her voice falling into a whisper when she reaches the bridge. She leaves the last line of the bridge unsung, allowing the words to remain hidden and untold between them.

Sometimes I wonder when you sleep
Are you ever dreaming of me?
Sometimes when I look into your eyes
I pretend you’re mine, all the damn time
'Cause I like you

Jessica wakes up to the sound of her phone alarm ringing throughout the hotel room. She lazily reaches an arm over to the bedside table and snoozes the alarm before sinking back into bed.

She spares a glance at her wedding dress strewn over the room’s armchair and chuckles to herself. Strangely, she doesn’t feel any pain or heartbreak after being left alone at her own wedding. It surprises Jessica how calm she’s reacting to the events from the previous day and she shakes her head, the image of her angry self amusing to her.

Her mind flashes back to the moments that happened throughout the night; Irene and Krystal dragging her to the dancefloor to dance the night away, her conversations with her guests filled with sympathy and consolation, and Taeyeon fulfilling her request to sing for her and to be there for her until she fell asleep.

Taeyeon.

Jessica sits up on the bed, her eyes flickering over to the bedside table again. She pouts in disappointment and a dull ache appears in her chest when she registers no sign of any notes being left behind for her to read in the morning.

She moves to settle back against her pillows when her eyes land on a peculiar red object on her dresser. Jessica pushes the blankets to the side and rises from the bed. She shuffles over to the dresser, a dent forming on her forehead when she recognises what appears to be a closed envelope for her. Jessica picks up the red envelope and turns it in her hands, noting the lack of handwriting or name on the cover. She pulls the flap open, frowning when a cheque and a folded note slide out into her palm. She inspects the price of the cheque, her suspicions only confirmed when she unfolds the paper and scans the contents of the message.

It’s been a while since she’s seen this person’s handwriting but it’ll always be unmistakable in her eyes.

Her lips curl into a smile and she shakes her head when she realises that once again, Taeyeon’s put her before her own self.

Thank you, but this belongs to you – Taeyeon

A longer update because this chapter is introspective for Taeyeon. Once again, I hinted about this chapter in a tweet of mine. Thanks for all the comments from the previous chapter! It’s hilarious to know you really don’t trust me when it comes to engagements and weddings, especially if they’re unexpectedly announced 😂

Songs included in this chapter:

• P!nk – Blow Me (One Last Kiss)
• James Arthur – Say You Won’t Let Go
• Taylor Swift – Delicate