"Don't say anything," Tiffany says as she twists the key to her apartment. Taeyeon follows her through the threshold.

 "I wasn't gonna." She doesn't even sound indignant like she knew she would've.

 "Yes, you were. I could smell it." As Tiffany says this, she can see Taeyeon eyeing her home. She squashes down the insecure part of her that wants to make excuses. It doesn't matter what she thinks, it's my home and I decide how it looks. Even so, baring her home, her one and only safe place, for someone to judge was nervewracking.

 "Maybe your nose was right because-"

 "I told you not to say anything."

 "You can't expect me not to! You didn't tell me you were moving."

 "I'm not."

 "..." Taeyeon pauses in the middle of unlacing her boots. Tiffany's pretty sure they're Doc Martens. Chunky and y, and hella expensive. "How long have you lived here?"

 "Three years." Tiffany doesn't feel like explaining. She has a pretty good feeling Taeyeon can understand.

 "Wow. Well, that's... I'm not good at interior design, but not this bad." Tiffany almost laughs, but doesn't. Taeyeon, however, saw the slip in her facade. "Ha! You almost laughed!"

 "Shut up."

 "Wow, what a solid comeback."

 "I don't need to have a solid comeback to know I'm right."

 "Is this another trope we'll fall into? Fake dating, shared dark past and now the-woman-is-always-right?" Taeyeon finally finishes with her boots and plops right onto Tiffany's couch, where its owner is seated as well. It is quite small, so Taeyeon's head falls into her lap. She grimaces down at the gremlin, who only grins up at her.

 "We're both women here, in case you didn't notice, Miss Popstar," Tiffany notes, squirming under the weight of Taeyeon's head.

 "Yes, but if we were to be man and woman, I would definitely be the man." Taeyeon closes her eyes, gesturing with her hands like this was some serious seminar and she was making her pitch. Tiffany frowns down at her even if the midget can't see it.

 "No matter what's your reason, it will be at least a little bit misogynistic." Taeyeon mulls it over for a while and seems to agree when she speaks.

 "Damn, wow, well... I'm more masculine." She says, sounding unsure.

 "How? Because I clean for a living?" Tiffany would never say it out loud, but bickering with Taeyeon was kind of fun.

 "No! I mean, like, appearance."

 "You wouldn't be in a girl group if you were at all masculine. That's not how it works."

 "Well, I dress more masculine!"

 "Maybe, but you have never seen me in anything but my uniform."

 "Well- I-"

 "Look around yourself. I have a barely furnished apartment, I can't cook, I'm taller than you and I wear men's size ten shoes. I'm the man." She gets up from the couch so that Taeyeon's head thumps on where she used to sit. The singer is scowling at her, eyes open, looking like a displeased toddler. "Plus, there's no way you'd top." She says nonchalantly as she walks to the kitchen. She was going to make herself a hearty breakfast to celebrate the weekend. It was Friday morning, the time was at around seven or eight and Taeyeon wasn't about to ruin her traditions. Even with her silly arguments.

 "I could totally top you!" Taeyeon's head is perched on the back of the couch. She still wears her grumpy toddler face.

 "Uhuh." Tiffany scoffs as she raids the fridge. , she'll have to make a grocery trip this weekend.

 "I so could!" Taeyeon hops over the couch and stands in the entrance to the kitchen with her hands on her hips.

 "Sure." Tiffany spares her a single glance as she smacks a knob of butter into the pain.

 "I'll prove it!" Taeyeon slams into her back, pinning her to the counter from behind. She whispers into Tiffany's ear: "I'll prove it to you."

 "You're pinning me to a hot stove, get off me, asshat." Taeyeon yelps as if she'd been the one burned. She even takes Tiffany by the hips and turns her so she can look at her tummy, which had been against the stove. Well, it hadn't been touching it, but near enough to be uncomfortably hot. Then Taeyeon goes and lifts her shirt to inspect her bare stomach. Tiffany is too stunned to speak as Taeyeon pokes at the flab.

 "It doesn't look burned..." The singer mutters as her poking stops and she rests her palm flat on Tiffany.

 "Thank you graciously, , for feeling me up," Tiffany says, voice dead and toneless. She tugs her shirt down. "You can make up for almost burning me by making my breakfast. Toast, eggs, bacon and I'll make the pancakes." She turns and walks away speedily, cursing herself for how hot her cheeks feel. Ridiculous.

 "Where are you going?" Taeyeon hollers after her.

 "Changing!" And she slams the door to her bedroom shut. Tiffany leans her back on it and sighs. . She did not need a silly teenage crush resurfacing like this. A few months tops and Taeyeon would discard her. This passing excitement shouldn't sweep her up, she had to keep herself grounded. No crushing on Kim Taeyeon, not even entertaining the thought.

 Tiffany cards through her closet for something suitable. She usually just threw on whatever, sometimes just her pyjamas and sometimes only her underwear. It was her home, she could dress however she liked. But it was too drafty to be half- and she had a guest, so no pyjamas either. She just settles on black leggings and a big band tee shirt. No idea who the band even is. She goes to the bathroom and takes out her contacts, switching them for her rounded black-rimmed glasses. She adjusts her hair clip and pads back to the kitchen.

 Seems that Taeyeon hasn't blown it up, so that's good. Tiffany takes an apron from one of the closets, puts it on and starts making the batter for the pancakes. It would be rude not to do enough for Taeyeon so, she'll have to double up her usual recipe. One and a half cups of flour, one tablespoon of baking powder, one-fourth teaspoon of salt,-

 Why is Taeyeon staring at me? 

 She tries to focus on the task at hand, measuring the dry ingredients correctly. But the singer's eyes feel like drills invading her concrete walls. Just ignore it. One tablespoon of sugar. Maybe two. Three is good. Then the wet ingredients. She cracks an egg into the bowl. . Forgot to microwave the butter. She turns to open the fridge and accidentally makes eye contact.

 "You look so y." Taeyeon laughs at the way Tiffany's face scrunches up. "I didn't know you had such nice legs." Tiffany wonders if Taeyeon's fans knew how gross she was.

 "Ew, creeper. Shut the up and get back to work. You better not burn my bacon."

 "Uh, excuse me, you said a moment ago you can't cook. I, in turn, am a great cook."

 "Everyone is good at something."

 "You're so mean..." The way Taeyeon's voice dims makes Tiffany feel a tidbit guilty.

 "You used to make Seohyun's lunches, right?" She asks, hoping that talking about a Girls' Era member would bring Taeyeon back to her usual disposition.

 "Yeah! I mean, I still do. I'm the one who cooks in the dorms." Tiffany watches Taeyeon's soft smile for a moment too long before turning to stir the batter. "Yuri's learning, though. Jessica's totally hopeless. Sunmi's... A hazard. Something bad will happen if she as much as steps into the kitchen." At that moment Tiffany realizes how much she's changed. She could never imagine living in a space with more than maybe three people. She doesn't even want to sing like that anymore. She doesn't want to stand before crowds and be evaluated. She wants to live and sing primarily alone and only when she wishes, she'll let someone in her life.

 But that someone isn't Kim Taeyeon. It can't be. It won't be.