[Chapter 14]

Longing For Your Touch

 

 

 

The night had gotten colder and the pain was turning into more of a reality. Tiffany had managed to drag herself to a near-by bench as she wiped away the continuous tears that still streamed down her cheeks. Everything about the night was nothing more than some horrendous nightmare.

 

Nothing but sympathy swept over the Guardian. She would be lying if she told the other girl that everything was alright. What could she possibly do to make things better though? Gently, Taeyeon walked over to the bench and sat herself on the other end. “Tell me what's wrong Fany-ah.”

 

Tiffany sighed as she wiped away her tears. She always hated it when people saw her crying and right now that even included her Guardian. “Everything...” Tiffany managed to breathe out in a quiet sob. “Everything's wrong TaeTae.” Her head hung at this sick reality.

 

“Everything Hmm?” Taeyeon pursed her lips at the sight of her Troubled One. Guardian's didn't give them that name for no reason. Her arms folded across her chest as she looked around, seeing how empty the sidewalk was starting to get. When she concentrated back on the crying girl, Taeyeon spotted the young shop owner nodding. “So then, I guess me saving you at the restaurant was wrong too, right?” She tilted her head slightly, trying to lock eyes with the crying angel.

 

Hearing the words that poured out of her Guardian's mouth made Tiffany realize how everything wasn't completely bad. Again she shook her head, still unable to look at the other girl that accompanied her. “Aniyo Tae. If you hadn't come to my rescue, then who knows what would have happened to me.” Her voice was more composed now.

 

A small pout formed on Taeyeon's lips as she looked to the sky. “But then you would have been with your dream man wouldn't you?” Again she looked to the crying girl curiously. That would have been anyone's wish, to be with someone that they absolutely fell for.

 

“Dream man.” Tiffany scoffed while shaking her head. “He was nothing but a nightmare Tae, a wolf in sheep's clothing.” Her lips pursed as she finally managed to lift her head up. The streak of tears were obviously wiped away thanks to the small trail of watered down mascara.

 

The Guardian put a finger to her chin and tilted her head. “But if you were with him, then you would have been able to save your cafe.” She then tucked away her hand to under her other arm. “Wasn't this what it was all about? You being with that guy just to save your cafe?”

 

Hearing Taeyeon's words made Tiffany shake her head again. She looked right into her Guardian's eyes before finally saying, “Selling my body isn't worth it.” Their conversation quickly replayed in the shop owner's head, making Tiffany pause for a moment. “Tae, if I didn't know any better, I'd say that you'd want him to have his way with me.”

 

Taeyeon chuckled and this time she shook her head. “Aniyo Fany-ah. My point in saying all of those things is for you to realize that not everything is wrong. You were smart enough to pick out which one was a wolf in the herd.” She flashed a toothy smile towards the latter. “And you also realized that selling your body to him would have been just some big regret.”

 

A small smile crept onto Tiffany's face as she listened in on the reasoning. The other girl's words were right. She did manage to figure all of that out on her own. However, if it wasn't for Taeyeon, she probably wouldn't have gotten out of there alive. “And that my Guardian is someone that I should trust.” She added on.

 

Taeyeon smirked in victory. “We can go with that.” She chuckled, unfolding her arms and placing her palms on the bench seat. “See, isn't it better to look at the brighter side of things?” Tiffany answered her with a simple nod. “Now c'mon. Let's go home.” Taeyeon cooed out as she stood up.

 

Weakly, the shop owner stood as well, but the minute her weight was put on her feet in those torturous high heels, she couldn't help but sit back down to ease the pain. “I can't walk home Tae. My feet hurt too much. I can't even stand in these damn things.”

 

The Guardian examined the situation. She felt bad that she made Tiffany run in them, but it was for her own safety. Then, a light bulb in her head. “Take your shoes off.” Taeyeon ordered gently as she sat back down on the bench next to her Troubled One.

 

Complying to the Guardian's order, Tiffany slipped her feet out of those painful things called 'shoes'. Her feet slowly flattened themselves against the cool sidewalk. The shop owner let out a quiet sigh of relief and looked to Taeyeon, curious of what she was doing.

 

While Tiffany was removing her heels, Taeyeon was unlacing her own shoes before slipping them off and setting them neatly next to the latter's feet. “Here. Wear my shoes.” She offered, giving Tiffany a caring smile. The shop owner stared at the white pair of dress shoes and then up at the smile that was plastered on her Guardian's face. Sensing the slight hesitation, Taeyeon scooted the shoes closer to the other girl using her foot. “It's okay. I'm pretty sure no one can see them and it's much better than walking around the streets of Seoul barefoot.”

 

Tiffany nodded at the reasoning. She'd rather walk around with something protecting her feet than stepping on something nasty or sharp. Still, she couldn't find herself to touch anything that belonged to her Guardian. “Are you sure it's safe? I don't want you to end up like last time when Jess and Yuri walked through you.” The shop owner's lips pursed worriedly. How would she be able to tend to a Guardian? It's not like she can call an ambulance for an invisible being.

 

A pair of shoulders raised and dropped from the latter. “I honestly don't know Fany-ah.” Taeyeon confessed while looking down at the shoes then back up at the other person occupying the bench. “I've never done anything like this before.”

 

Hearing those words made Tiffany's jaw drop slightly. She's never done this before? Then why is she- The Troubled One's thought cut off when she spotted Taeyeon's foot inching the pair of footwear even closer to her. “Look Tae, I'm really grateful that you wanna do this for me but, I'm really scared that you'd end up like last time. I don't know how to take care of a Guardian.” She gestured her hands up and down towards the other girl.

 

With a gentle chuckle, Taeyeon scooted her shoes even closer to the living being, only being a few centimeters away from having them touch her. “The rule is that my energy will get drained only when someone goes through my body. The last time I checked, clothing only covered my body, it isn't actually part of it.”

 

Tiffany finally nodded her head to the Guardian. She knew that trying her hardest to argue her way out of this one wouldn't work. Gently, Tiffany slipped one foot into the white dress shoe. All the while, her eyes were glued on Taeyeon's facial expression, knowing to stop the minute her Guardian winced in pain. Still, there was no change as Tiffany stepped down into the soul of the shoe. The only thing she could find was a cushioning satisfaction on the bottom of her foot. After slipping on the other shoe and lacing up the given footwear, Tiffany couldn't stop herself from asking one thing. “You're not injured are you?” When the Guardian's only response was a negative shake of the head, the shop owner let out a sigh of relief. “Thank God.” She mumbled while leaning back against the bench.

 

Taeyeon slowly stood up and gestured the latter to follow her. “C'mon Fany-ah. We can't get you home if you just sit around on a bench all night long.” She joked with a toothy smile. Eventually the Guardian got Tiffany to follow along. As much as they both wanted to rest, they knew it wasn't an option at this time. Spotting the slight drag in Tiffany's step made Taeyeon know that she had to reassure the latter with one thing, “Don't worry. I won't leave your side.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pain surged throughout Tiffany's feet with every step she took. Running in those high heels wasn't such a great idea after all. Still, replacing them with Taeyeon's comfortable dress shoes made up for it. The only downside was that now that Tiffany's feet had gotten used to the cushions, the pain began to resurface again and they were still no where near Tiffany's home. The pair continued to walk down the sidewalk, talking about anything to get their minds off of the night's horrific incident.

 

Glancing over at the tired shop owner, Taeyeon felt sympathy striking her heart. “Fany-ah, perhaps I should hold your shoes for you.” She offered out her hand to the latter. It was the least she could do for the girl.

 

Tiffany turned her head towards her Guardian. “Thanks for the offer TaeTae, but I think I'll pass. People probably think I'm crazy, talking to some invisible being that only I can see. How would they react if they saw a pair of floating shoes next to the crazy lady?” The Troubled One explained with a giggle. However, her time of laughter was cut short as a cold autumn breeze whirled through the air. Not planning on walking home, Tiffany was obviously not dressed well for the outside weather. The gentle late night breeze picked up, sending chills up and down the shop owner's spine. Reflexively, Tiffany began to rub her arms quickly, hoping to generate heat, but that was no use.

 

Seeing her Troubled One like this pained her heart. The two of them still had many blocks to walk until they reached Tiffany's apartment complex and adding the factor of her aching feet and shivering body only added more misery to this already terrible night. Undoubtedly the young owner had gone through a lot for her age, so she figured that she might as well try to make the night better. Taeyeon pursed her lips gently and thought about what she could do. “Fany-ah.” Taeyeon cooed out. Without checking if whether or not Tiffany had heard her, the Guardian quickly ed her blazer.

 

As much as the shop owner was unconsciously enjoying the sight before her, something in her mind finally clicked. “W-Whoa Taeyeon. W-What are you doing?” A guilty gulp of enjoyance slithered down . Trying to compose herself, Tiffany looked away shyly.

 

Taeyeon stared at the latter confusedly mid-strip. “Mwo?” Her head tilted as she slid off her blazer in one swift move. Holding the outerwear up by its collar, the Guardian held out the white piece of elegance towards the other girl. “I was just gonna let you wear my jacket.” She explained. Noticing the slight hesitation, Taeyeon smirked and stepped behind the shop owner. “If wearing my shoes don't hurt me then I'm sure wearing my blazer won't hurt me either.” With that said, Taeyeon carefully draped the blazer upon the shoulders of the other girl, being very careful to not touch the latter.

 

The minute the Guardian's clothing rested upon her shoulders, the chilling breeze was immediately gone. Warmth quickly surged around the freezing girl, making her look up in curiosity. Her eyes settled on her Guardian, her protector, who was simply smiling at her. It warmed her heart on how caring Taeyeon was to her, despite everything they recently went through. “TaeTae-”

 

“Take it.” The white clothed girl insisted. “The whether doesn't faze me and it's obvious that you need it more than I do.” Taeyeon flashed her Troubled One a toothy smile. She soon let go of her blazer once Tiffany slipped her arms through the sleeves of the invisible jacket. “It feels good to take that thing off every once in a while anyways.” The Guardian continued while rolling up the sleeves of her oxford.

 

Guilt suddenly started to consume the taller girl. Even after everything...she still cares for me... Tiffany hung her head regrettably once she realized just how much Taeyeon had gone through to protect her. She wrapped her arms around herself, loving the warm feeling that was embracing her. That's when Tiffany remembered that she was wearing her Guardian's jacket and she hadn't exactly thanked the coat's owner properly. “Gamsahamnida Taeyeon.” She piped out, finally lifting her head to meet eye to eye with what seemed to be her Guardian Angel.

 

After gripping the brim of her hat, Taeyeon simply tipped the head gear towards the other girl. “You're welcome Fany-ah. Now c'mon, let's go home.” She insisted with a simple wave of her hand in the direction towards the latter's apartment complex.

 

Happily and obediently, the shop owner lead the way with a smile. You dork. There was something warm and fuzzy inside Tiffany's gut that she couldn't quite understand. Still, she didn't mind it. In fact, she even liked that weird feeling. Now if only she knew what caused it. That much was still a mystery to the girl. Her eyes scanned Taeyeon up and down as they walked down the side walk. Suddenly began to recite the words that her mind wanted to keep a secret. “You look good without the jacket TaeTae.”

 

The compliment caught the Guardian off guard for a split second. “Uh, you think so?” Taeyeon couldn't help but look at the rolled up sleeves of her oxford. “I rarely take off the blazer because I think I look unprofessional without it.” Not used to hearing a compliment in hundreds of years made Taeyeon feel self conscious of her looks. She quickly began to fix every little part of her outfit. The Guardian first started with smoothening out the creases on her shirt, followed by centering her tie and belt, before ending it with a quick check of her buttons.

 

Glad that the conversation didn't go completely awkward from her sudden outburst made Tiffany breathe out a gentle sigh of relief. Registering Taeyeon's words made Tiffany glance at her Guardian up and down again for a better look. As her eyes wandered, her heartbeat slowly began to increase. Finally Tiffany's orbs settled back on the latter's face before her eyes turned into eye-smiles. “Neh. You really do and even without the blazer you still look professional.” A giggle hopped out from between Tiffany's lips as ran without any permission again. “You can loan me your shirt and I bet you'd still look professional.” It wasn't until those words were said did the young shop owner finally realize what had just escaped into the air. Only now did the conversation turn awkward between them.

OMO!

What did she say?

What did I say?

 

Hearing her Troubled One's words made one of Taeyeon's hands immediately go to over her stomach as she gently bit her lower lip. Great. I think I just made my Guardian sick. Tiffany pursed her lips tightly while looking away. She couldn't believe that she could make a mystical being feel nauseated. Looking away from her caught Taeyeon's attention, settling her eyes right on the latter. Why is she...? Taeyeon gently turned her hands into loose fists and that's when she noticed her hand on her stomach. Now the gears began to turn in her head. “Yah, Fany-ah.” Taeyeon cooed out wanting to break the uncomfortable silence between them.

 

After pulling the invisible clothing tighter around her petite body, the young owner looked up at her Guardian shyly. Her cheeks had a new hint of blush coated over them. “Neh TaeTae?” She managed to chirp out.

 

The mystical being shoved her hands into her pockets. She knew that the best way to deal with an awkward topic was to simply avoid it. “Is this really how you plan on getting home? By just walking?” Though she didn't look at the shop owner, Tiffany managed to spot the pursed lips that formed on her companion's face. “Why don't you call any of your cafe buddies to come pick you up?” Taeyeon finally looked over at her Troubled One.

 

A sigh slithered out of Tiffany's throat. “I was thinking about it...” She started, not able to complete her sentence. Of course the thought of calling someone to take her home crossed her mind but so many things were holding her back from making that one phone call.

 

“But?” Taeyeon pushed on. The thought of edging on Tiffany seemed like a good idea. Maybe then she would be able to figure out why they were still walking.

 

Tiffany sighed again. “But I don't want to start any more drama tonight.” Her head hung shamefully. Hasn't she caused enough drama for one night? “All I want to do is just get home and sleep the night off.”

 

A pout surfaced onto the Guardian's face. There were still some things that she couldn't exactly piece together. “What drama could be started from asking your friends to pick you up and drop you off home?” That was the main question that was rummaging around in her head. It was probably the most logical one to ask at the moment too.

 

Running her hand through her hair soothed the living being. “Jess and Yuri are so in love with me and Siwon going on these dates that if I told them about tonight, who knows what would happen?” Tiffany gently clutched onto her little pink mini purse at the thought of having her friends not on her side throughout this whole ordeal. “They might as well call me a liar and say that he's an amazing guy.”

 

Taeyeon's lips twisted awkwardly, seeing where the trouble would come in. “Well then what about Hyoyeon? She wasn't exactly pro-Siwon compared to those two.” Biting her bottom lip, Taeyeon hoped that that at least Tiffany wouldn't mind calling her daily customer. Anything to at least get her Troubled One home faster. Undoubtedly Tiffany's idea of sleeping the rest of the night off was probably for the best.

 

“Well, I'm pretty sure the others know that Hyoyeon doesn't like Siwon.” Tiffany recalled back to earlier in the night when that Dancing Queen got caught calling her ex-date the devil. Obviously the others would interrogate her for saying something like that. “Bringing her into this would just add more fuel to this fire and the last thing I want is for us to be split into those that like Siwon and those that absolutely hate him.” Tiffany's hands were out in front of her, as if holding invisible items in her palms to signify the two teams that would definitely clash with each other. “So unless we have proof that this whole thing happened-”

 

[Beep Beep!]

 

The pair stopped dead in their tracks, looking to the road where the car horn emerged from. Their eyes settled on a shiny red Hyundai with dim tinted windows. The front window quickly rolled down, revealing a short haired girl with a warm smile. From the looks of it, she seemed younger than Tiffany who must have come from a pretty fancy place judging by the silk silver top that rested on her shoulders. “Hey!” The mystery girl called out in English. “You're Tiffany right?”

 

Bewildered at the sudden English, the shop owner looked left and right, realizing that she was the only pedestrian on the side walk. Her eyes settled back to the road, also noticing that it was the only car with someone in the driver seat. Tiffany simply blinked in awe before nodding to the driver. “Neh! I-I mean yeah!” Her eyebrows gently crashed together. “I'm sorry but, do I know you?”

 

The English speaker laughed. “Uhm, probably? I'm Nicole! Hyoyeon's friend?” That's when the light bulb in Tiffany's brain . No matter how much that Dancing Queen friend of theirs gushed about her dance partner, not once did she ever know what the girl actually looked like until now. Seeing the raised eyebrows from the latter made Nicole smile. “I was back at the restaurant and saw everything that happened between you and what's his face. I'm glad someone finally stood up to that guy.” She waved for Tiffany to come over so they wouldn't be yelling just to hear each other. “Do you want me to give you a ride home?”

 

A grateful smile plastered itself on Tiffany's face as she took a step forward. “Sure!” Suddenly she stopped herself the minute her feet touched the road's gravel. “But, are you sure you're okay with it? I live pretty far.” She bit her lower lip gently. The last thing she wanted to be was a burden to other people. She already caused enough drama in one night as it is.

 

“Yeah!” Nicole laughed. “Otherwise I wouldn't have offered! Now hop in!” She smiled, pressing a button to unlock the doors. Taeyeon evaluated the driver throughout the whole conversation, feeling no threat or indication of lying from her. In fact, the Guardian was pleased that someone came by to help the shop owner out. She was also thankful that with her being dead, she could understand any language that the living conversed in. To her, there was no such thing as a 'language barrier' anymore. Not wanting this opportunity to be missed, the white clothed being grabbed the front flap of her blazer that Tiffany was wearing and gave it a gentle tug towards the car. She only gave her Troubled One a reassuring smile to let her know that she could trust this girl.

 

Seeing the smile that her Guardian was flashing made Tiffany feel safe and relaxed. She knew that after tonight her Guardian was most likely her Guardian Angel. Rushing over, Tiffany climbed into the front passenger seat and buckled up. “Thanks Nicole. I really appreciate it.” From the corner of her eye, the Troubled One spotted a certain mystical being relaxing in the back. Tiffany let out a sigh of relief and leaned back once she recited her address to the shop. As much as she liked Nicole's generosity, she still didn't want to tell a stranger her apartment address. “I really thought I was going to walk all the way home.”

 

The driver kept her eyes on the road as a smile grew on her face. “Don't mention it Tiffany. I don't mind helping out a friend...even if we haven't officially met until now.” She chuckled. “It's a good thing I found you on my way home. You've obviously been through a lot for one night. I witnessed everything that happened when the incident with the waitress happened.”

 

A small o formed on Tiffany's mouth as she recalled what part Nicole was referring to. Then it dawned on her. “Hey Nicole, I'm just curious but, how do know how to speak English? You're obviously fluent.” Her head tilted to the side as she anticipated an answer.

 

“I came from the states.” The driver answered. “My family and I moved here when times were getting a little tough over there so we wanted to start over.” She shrugged her shoulders as if it was no big deal. “My parents sent me off to college and that's where I met Hyoyeon.” Nicole chuckled softly. “She's such a dork. She also showed me a few pictures of everybody at the cafe that she had on her cellphone. That's how I knew what you looked like.” Stopping at a red light, Nicole glanced over at her passenger. “Hyoyeon also told me about some of your financial hardships. If you ever need some money Tiff, then I'm willing to help you out as much as I can.” She offered looking straight into the shop owner's eyes.

 

Hesitation lumped up in Tiffany's throat. As much as she loved the offer, she knew she couldn't take her money. She hated taking money from her friends and when she tried taking money from a stranger, she ended up with the second worst day of her life! “Thanks for the offer Nicole but I'll have to pass. I think it's time that I let the place shut down for good.” Tiffany mumbled with a sigh.

 

Nicole continued to drive, quickly hopping onto the freeway, just as her passenger began to explain the fate of the small business. “Let it shut down? Wasn't that place dedicated to your mom?” Her eyebrows furrowed, trying to recall that detail that Hyoyeon told her about. “You can't give up now.” A pout surfaced onto her lips.

 

From the back seat, Taeyeon pursed her lips gently. What can I do to help you Fany-ah? She knew that having the cafe become successful was her and her mother's dream. There's no way she could give up just like that! I have to do something to help her.

 

Tiffany looked down at her loosely laced fingers in her lap. “I know I worked my off for it, but I guess my best just isn't good enough to keep it going. There's no other way of paying off the bills since the cafe doesn't bring in that many customers. Shutting it down is the only thing I can do.” She lifted her head with a gentle sigh. “But it's okay. It was great while it lasted.” Tiffany glanced over to the driver, flashing her a small eye-smile that easily persuaded the latter to thinking nothing was wrong.

 

“I guess you're right. Some things can't last forever.” Not sure of how many more blocks to go, Nicole decided to try and take advantage of the situation at hand. “Hey Tiff. If you ever need me, then I'll gladly help you out.” She didn't want to feel like such a stranger to the young owner, especially with Hyoyeon giving her constant updates of what was going on at her favorite cafe. “Would you be okay with us exchanging phone numbers?”

 

Raising her eyebrows at the request, Tiffany finally nodded. “Yeah sure.” She agreed while pulling out her phone from her mini purse. Instantly her thumbs tapped in the numbers that Nicole called out, creating a new contact in her hand held device. “Since you're driving, I might as well put my own number in your phone too if you want.” She offered, putting her pink cased phone on her seat. Spotting the nod from the driver, Tiffany delicately entered her number into Nicole's phone.

 

Soon after setting the latter's device in the cup holder did Tiffany realize that the cafe was coming up. “Oh! There's my cafe, Nicole.” She pointed out just in time for the driver to stop without slamming on the breaks. “I can walk from here, I just need to check up on some things in the shop. You know, just to make sure the others didn't leave a mess.” Tiffany smiled thankfully as she quickly unbuckled her seat belt. “I'm so glad that you want to help me out Nicole. Thank you.”

 

Just before the shop owner could gather her things and go, the dance student suddenly grabbed the latter by the wrist and pulled her back. “You're not going anywhere,” She called out rather seriously, bewildering both passengers in the car. Before either of them could react, Nicole smiled and giggled gently. “Not without giving me a hug silly.” She clarified while wrapping her arms tight around the shop owner, not caring about the arm rests between them.

 

Tiffany spotted her Guardian letting out a deep sigh while relaxing in her seat. I thought the same thing too TaeTae. The Troubled One smiled to her mystical friend while hugging back Nicole. “You honestly scared me for a moment.” Tiffany confessed while breaking the hug. “I thought I had to deal with you too.” She admitted with a soft giggle. “Anyways, thanks for the ride! I'll see you around.” The shop owner stated while finally getting out of the car with her pink mini purse in hand.

 

As her Troubled One reached the sidewalk, Taeyeon quickly teleported next to her and also waved to the red Hyundai that cruised down the empty road. “Well, this night was clearly filled with surprises.” The Guardian stated with a sigh. “So why did you really want to stop at the cafe?” Taeyeon turned to lock her vision onto Tiffany.

 

“I didn't want her to know where I live.” Tiffany confessed while starting her trek towards her apartment complex while rubbing the back of her neck guiltily. “The last thing I want is for Siwon or any of his buddies to know where I live just because of some slip up. Plus I already feel bad for wasting her gas. Nicole practically took me from one side of the city to the other. Walking the last couple of blocks home wouldn't hurt.” She looked over towards her Guardian. “Right?”

 

Taeyeon could only shrug her shoulders as an answer. She didn't completely agree or disagree with the reasoning. In fact, she found it practically logical at a time like this. “Then I suppose we should just go home now.” The angelic figure suggested with a slightly raised eyebrow. Tiffany simply nodded her head and continued down the road to her apartment complex. At least now it wasn't a walk that would take forever.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The duo entered the apartment, both tired and worn out from what happened back at the restaurant. Finally, we're home! As grateful as the pair was for finally finding the shop owner's sanctuary, not every troubling thought had exactly been left at the door. During the entire walk, something was mentally bugging Tiffany. It was something she couldn't escape from since it was all in her head. Eventually, she just couldn't take it anymore. “Mianhae.” Tiffany mumbled when the door closed.

 

Hearing the mumble made Taeyeon spin around quickly. She looked right into her Troubled One's eyes. “Mianhae?” Her head tilted slightly. “What for?” The white clothed figure furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

 

“For not believing you.” Tiffany explained with a sigh, plopping herself onto the couch. “You warned me about him, saying that I should listen to you.” Her eyes locked with Taeyeon. “And I really wi-” Tiffany pursed her lips tightly, knowing that she could accidentally waste her most valuable thing as of now. “I really should have listened to your warning. Then maybe all of this would have been avoided.” Her head hung at the reality.

 

The white clothed being let out a sigh and sat on the other end of the couch. “I accept your apology Fany-ah. But...” She called out, turning to look at her Troubled one. Their eyes met for a split second before the Guardian peeled her eyes away from the other. “If you're sorry for that, then I should be sorry too.” Taeyeon confessed guiltily.

 

Lifting her head, Tiffany scrunched her eyebrows together. “Wae?” The last thing she was expecting from her Guardian was for her to apologize. What had she done wrong? In her eyes, Taeyeon had done everything she possibly could have to keep her safe. If it wasn't for her, who knows when Tiffany would actually be safe from that jerk?

 

Taeyeon scratched the back of her head trying to figure out how to say it. “I didn't really warn you about what was going on with him.” Her lips pursed together tightly. “I just exploded after you confessed your feelings for that jerk and to be honest, I don't even remember half of what I said during our argument. Words just came out. In the end I never even said why he was so bad in the first place.” She paused, letting out a regretful sigh. “I knew his secret and I was going to tell you, but when you said that you started to fall for him, I just couldn't help myself...” Taeyeon pursed her lips as the argument between them replayed in her head. How could she have lost control like that? Anger had consumed her, and she hated it. Taeyeon looked right into the latter's eyes. “So I wanna say sorry too.”

 

All of the explanation gave Tiffany mixed feelings. She wanted to be mad at her Guardian for not telling her what Siwon was up to. However, she was also full of regret for falling for someone that she knew for less than a week. Not to mention that she was also at fault for all of this chaos just because of money. Only one thing could be done. “TaeTae, thank you.” Her response caught the latter off guard as Taeyeon's eyebrows lifted in curiosity. “You acted the way anyone would have, and you saved me from that spoiled maniac. If it wasn't for you, I would probably be...” Tiffany stopped herself from continuing on. She didn't want to think of what would happen if she never had Taeyeon at her side. Wanting to hug something, anything, the shop owner quickly snatched up the couch pillow and suffocated it in her arms. As badly as she subconsciously wanted to hug Taeyeon, she knew she couldn't.

 

Neither of them wanted to think of what would happen to Tiffany if Taeyeon hadn't cracked at the restaurant. Instead, the Guardian wanted to make things turn to a brighter note. She stood up in a swift motion, easily catching her Troubled One's eye, and breathed out a quick, “Enough of that jerk.” Taeyeon shooed the air as if she were getting rid of some pesky fly. “How about you turn on the T.V. and we watch a movie that might be playing this time of night?” With a quick pivot on the ball of her foot, Taeyeon was already headed towards the kitchen. “I'm gonna get some ice cream. Did you want some Mimi?”

 

Tiffany said nothing for a moment. She was too busy mentally swearing to herself that the latter had called out another name. Her lips pursed and her arms squeezed around the pillow subconsciously. “TaeTae?” She finally spoke up. “Who's Mimi?” Her head tilted to the side as she anxiously awaited an answer.

 

Hearing that name made Taeyeon gasp silently the minute the freezer door opened. “Mimi?” She questioned as nonchalantly as she could. Thankfully for her, she was facing the cold cave that stored the frozen food instead of the young shop owner that would have easily spotted the troublesome expression on her face. “Who's that?” Taeyeon questioned, eventually recomposing herself. “I said 'Fany'.” She added, looking to the girl that was still seated on the couch. “You're probably so tired that you're hearing things now.” The Guardian let out a soft chuckle and faced the freezer again, delighted to see the sweet treat in the freezer. “So what do you say Fany? Do you want some ice cream?” The mystical being called out over her shoulder to make sure that the latter could hear her correctly.

 

The answer that she was given didn't exactly fit what the Troubled One was expecting, but then again it was getting late and she was getting tired. With a gentle pout of her lips, Tiffany nodded at her Guardian's question slowly until she realized that Taeyeon wasn't even looking at her. “Sure TaeTae, but what flavors do you have in there?” The shop owner weaved her head left and right, trying hard to take a glimpse of what had become of her food storage. It had been a while since she ate something from the freezer so who knows what it looked like now.

 

Taeyeon couldn't help but laugh at the question. Her ahjumma laugh filled the kitchen and living room area as she turned to face a very confused girl on the couch. “Fany-ah, I think your question should be what flavor do I not have?” With those words said, the mystical being stepped aside to display the now packed freezer full of tubs, sandwich bars, and cones that came in various sizes and flavors. Seeing the latter's jaw drop only made Taeyeon smile a cheeky smile. “So what would you like to have, miss?” She added with a giggle.

 

When did...Did she buy all of that? Tiffany's eyes shifted back and fourth from the full freezer to the proud Guardian. Nothing but questions ran in her head. When did she buy it all? Did Taeyeon really buy it with just 'spare change' she found? How long did it take her to get all of that? It wasn't until Taeyeon's question finally sank into her head did she come back to reality. “Huh? Oh. Uhm. I think I'll just take a vanilla sandwich bar. You do have that right?” Tiffany smiled thinking of the most obvious answer.

 

“Of course I do!” Taeyeon nearly shouted. She quickly reached into the freezer and pulled out some of the wrapped treats. “But...small, medium or large?” The Guardian questioned while holding up three different sized blocks. That same gleeful smile was still plastered on her face as she eyed the biggest brick of ice cream in her hands.

 

Undoubtedly, Tiffany caught the lustful stare for the largest bar of ice cream, making her choose the one in the middle. “I'll take the normal sized one TaeTae.” She giggled softly when the Guardian tossed the rejected treat back in the freezer and bump the door closed with her shoulder. In the blink of an eye, Taeyeon was already seated back at the couch, handing the requested sweet out to her Troubled One while already taking a bite of her own dessert.

 

Eventually the pair had flipped on the T.V., watching a marathon of classical movies. They wanted something off the subject of love and action since they had both gone through it in a span of less than one week. After already finishing her one ice cream sandwich, and Taeyeon scarfing down three, Tiffany began to think of other things aside from the movie. “Hey Tae,” She caught her Guardian popping the last bite of her sandwich in . Seeing that she had now gotten Taeyeon's attention invited Tiffany to continue. “Why couldn't you empty out the bullets from his gun like you did to mine? Why didn't you do any of your fancy Guardian tricks?”

 

Taeyeon's eyebrows clashed together at the question. “Well, I flipped the safety mode on and pressed the button to make the magazine of bullets fall out. Doesn't that count?” Her lips twisted awkwardly when she saw the unsatisfied expression on Tiffany's lips. “Fany-ah, it's not that I didn't want to, it's that I couldn't. With your gun, I was able to tinker around with it, playing with the ammo and all that nonsense. In fact, I unloaded and reloaded your gun constantly while you were away so I could familiarize myself with the gadget.” She explained, placing the ice cream wrapper trash on the coffee table. “Since I wasn't used to his gun, I couldn't do my 'fancy Guardian tricks' to stop him.”

 

Tiffany nodded her head at the explanation. It made sense. Taeyeon did take her gun and have it in her possession for a whole day. It wouldn't take that long to figure out how to use it. Siwon's gun seemed to have come out of nowhere and taking it from him would have made everybody freak out from a floating deadly weapon. Probably Taeyeon being as discreet as she was, was for the best. As long as she was away from the psycho, everything was going to get better.

 

Well not exactly. Now thinking of the cafe only depressed the shop owner. She knew she was going to lose the only business that she owned and using her wish to save it would only result in her protector leaving her life forever. She wouldn't even remember who Taeyeon was after the wish and forgetting someone who's done so much for her was something Tiffany didn't even want to think of. Silently, the Troubled One stood up and headed to her bedroom, leaving a puzzled Guardian on the couch. A moment later, she emerged with pajamas and a towel in hand. “I'm going to take a shower. I'll be back.” She explained slipping into the bathroom.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About an hour later Tiffany emerged in nothing but a pair of pink pajamas along with a certain white blazer. Taeyeon looked up to the sound of the door opening, only to chuckle as she crumpled the seventh ice cream sandwich wrapper. That amount of ice cream was of her controlling herself from having too many sweets. “Fany-ah. You don't have to wear my blazer anymore.” Taeyeon managed to say with a chuckle.

 

Looking down at her outfit, Tiffany couldn't help but wrap her arms around herself. “I like it. It's warm and fashionable.” She giggled while walking back over to the couch. “Still, if you want it back-” The shop owner ended her sentence by slipping off the jacket from one shoulder.

 

It was only until her shoulder was exposed did Taeyeon realize that Tiffany was wearing a tank top underneath it. The Guardian gulped down nervously and watched the girl's other shoulder become exposed as well. “A-Aniyo Fany-ah.” Taeyeon finally spat out with her hand like a stop sign. “Gwenchana. I-If you really wanna wear it then it's fine with me. Plus you might get sick if I let you wear only a tank top.” Her eyes locked with Tiffany's, watching them disappear behind her signature eye-smiles.

 

“Gamsahamnida TaeTae.” The Troubled One thanked happily. The moment her shoulders were covered once again, Taeyeon let out a silent sigh of relief. Aish. This girl. After making herself comfortable on the couch, Tiffany spotted the small pile of crumpled wrapping paper on the coffee table in front of them. “Omo. TaeTae, did you make that mess?” She pointed a finger to the pile.

 

Taeyeon's eyebrows rose the minute she heard the shocked phrase only to find out that it was her that was in some trouble. “Aniyo!” She cried out, placing her palm over the mess. In the blink of an eye the wrappers were gone from the table as if they were never even there to begin with. All Tiffany could do was stare at the spot that was once cluttered with ice cream wrappers. “I don't know what you're talking about.” Taeyeon spoke again with a triumphant smile.

 

“How did you do that?” Her head tilted to the side in confusion. “And where did the trash go?” Tiffany's eyes shifted back and fourth at the empty coffee table spot and her Guardian's joyful smile. It was as if she enjoyed wowing people with her little magic trick.

 

Leaning back into the couch, Taeyeon folded her arms with that smile still on her face. “I'm a Guardian remember? I have powers that the living don't have.” She then wagged a finger at her Troubled One. “But remember! We definitely aren't Genies.” A serious look was shot towards Tiffany before a smile quickly replaced it. “Plus the trash is in...well the trash.”

 

Tiffany's eyes turned into crescent moons as she giggled at Taeyeon's dorkiness. How could she ever use her wish when she has a Guardian that's this dorky? “Well obviously the trash is in the trash TaeTae. And how could I ever mistake you for a Genie? You're the dorky Guardian magician.” She explained while grabbing a pillow and crushing it into her chest again. Tiffany knew she had to contain herself from playfully slapping the other girl on the arm or something.

 

“Yah! I'm a Guardian! I'm no cheapskate magician!” Taeyeon pouted with furrowed eyebrows. Just when the cafe owner thought the mystical being couldn't get anymore childish, a playful tongue stuck out to her. “Now shush! I'm trying to watch the movie!” The Guardian commanded with an obvious chuckle intertwined with her words.

 

Looking to the television screen, Tiffany spotted the movie come back from a commercial break and the first thing that was displayed was a man in a white tuxedo pulling out a bouquet of flowers from his blazer sleeve. “Omo! Look TaeTae! It's you!” The eye-smiler pointed her finger at the television screen as the magician bowed.

 

“YAH!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

The duo watched the rest of the movie along with another classic to pass the time. It had gotten much latter and the tired state of both beings were taking their toll. However, one was obviously more drained than the other. The young shop owner let out a small yawn that didn't go unnoticed to the mystical being. Taking a closer look, Taeyeon could see the sleep aura that surrounded the other girl. She had droopy eyelids, a gentle yawn coming out of , and every now and then her head would bob back and fourth as she slowly slipped in and out of consciousness. “Alright.” Taeyeon called out, almost immediately catching Tiffany's attention. “I think it's time you go to bed Fany-ah. You're going to fall asleep on the couch and I can't carry you to your bed as much as I'd want to.”

 

After a few blinks to sharpen her vision, Tiffany was finally able to comprehend what was going on. “Aniyo TaeTae.” She said with a bit of a whine in her voice. “I'm not sleepy. Can't we just stay up together watching TV?” Her eyes were glued on her Guardian, only seeing an unconvinced face to her suggestion. Maybe if she dug down deeper. “What if we have some more ice cream?” Tiffany's lips curved into a smile when she noticed Taeyeon's eyebrows raise in interest. However, her body wasn't very cooperative as she let out another gentle yawn between them. Only after she mentally cursed herself for being so tired did she notice her Guardian's eyebrows had lowered into that same unfazed position.

 

Taeyeon simply stood up and fixed her outfit before turning around to face her Troubled One. “C'mon Fany-ah. Let's go to bed.” The Guardian gracefully held her hand out to the latter. Tiffany stared at the offered hand in awe. Why is she doing that? Hesitantly, the sleepy girl reached her hand out to take it. However, at the last minute, Taeyeon turned her hand to grab the wrist of the blazer that Tiffany was still wearing. The Guardian helped her Troubled One onto her feet, careful not to accidentally touch each other.

 

Despite the fact that Tiffany was wearing her jacket, Taeyeon didn't want to try anything more drastic. This was her first time she ever let a living being wear any part of her attire. She didn't know if doing something like grabbing Tiffany's wrist over the sleeve of her blazer would injure herself or not. After what both of them had gone through in one night, Taeyeon didn't want to take the risk. One thing was mutual about both of them though. They longed for each other's touch.

 

The Guardian gently dragged her Troubled One behind her as they continued into Tiffany's bedroom. After emerging through the door, Taeyeon let go of the blazer sleeve and stood in the middle of the room. She gestured to the bed where Tiffany immediately laid down after removing the white clothing that once rested on her shoulders. The Guardian stared at the bare shoulders of her Troubled One as if she were in a trance. After a deep gulp, she finally managed to spit out a quick, “Sleep.” Seeing Tiffany only stare at her made Taeyeon fold her arms across her chest. “C'mon Fany-ah. At least try to sleep...

 

 

 

 

It's time for you to snap out of this nightmare...”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A/N: Annyeong my awesome readers! I'm baaack! Did you miss me? No? You actually hate me for taking 2 months to finally upload? Oh. v_v MIANHAE! OTL Please let me explain the reason for my hiatus! So in my last update I explained that I had to take a one month hiatus to do the move right? Well after the move, it was finals time! That meant endless cramming of homework and tests and everything just to make sure I pass! Aish! It was so difficult! >< Along with that, I finally got a job! [I made a blog post about it xP] and now my orientation will be on this Friday at 8:30 in the morning. Oh noes! I can't sleep in late anymore! Oh well, at least I'd be getting money right?

 

Don't forget though! I do have 2 other stories up and I tried my hardest to balance the chapter updates by switching what story gets the next update. Plus! I've been having a TON of other stories clashing in my brain! Like SERIOUSLY! I can barely write when I have about 5 other stories all wanting my attention! Aish! >< Not sure of how many stories are playing tug of war with my brain? Here, check this future fan fics list out and just imagine them trying to get your attention at once while you're already writing a story. CRAZY right? And I still have other stories that aren't even on the list!

 

http://www.asianfanfics.com/blog/view/563183

 

Anyways, I've been getting a lot of writing down lately now that I've actually got time to write and type and all that. PHEW! Still, it's summer and that means vacations, hang outs, and other distractions so I won't guarentee when the next update is! I will say that I have about half of the next chapter already typed up because I swapped it's chapter placement with one of the earlier chapters so yeah. Last minute swap out I guess. But don't worry! I'll be working hard! Any free time I'll devote to writing! Promise! ^^

 

So what did you think of this chapter update? Look! There's Nicole! Say whaaaaa? And what do you think of Taeny? It's honestly pretty challenging writing fluff without the physical interactions. I just want them to cuddle already! Rawr! But no, that would kill Taeng in the story! We wouldn't want that now do we Locksmiths??? What's that? She's already dead? Well yeah but...okay. I'll stop there. Anyways! Let me know what you think about the story everybody! I welcome any comment! It motivates me! ^^ Until the next update!

 

-Jeo

 

Yah! Dongsaeng! You make me seem like such a shikshin eating that many ice cream bars!

 

But TaeTae, you do go crazy for ice cream. You finished that ice cream cake that Jeo gave you on your birthday in just...one hour.

 

=_= That never happened.