3…

 

2…

 

1…

 

BANG.

 

“Damn it Tiffany! Do you have to do that EVERY time?” I hear Jessica yelling from the living room.

 

“Shut up Jessi. Where is she?” Your voice is louder than it needs to be. It always is.

 

“Bedroom. Don’t make too much noise. I’m going to-”

 

”Sleep? I know.” You snort. “The same way I know that nothing we do say or do will wake you up anyway.”

 

To the uninformed ear, it would probably sound like the two of you don’t get along. It’s not true of course. Jessica is like that with everyone. Doesn’t mean she doesn’t care or that she doesn’t like you. I’d be more scared if she was deliberately being polite. Because if she is, then well, she probably doesn’t care the slightest bit about you.

 

As for you, well… you’re just loud. That’s probably why you two get along so well. She’s blunt. All the time. You’re loud. All the time.

 

~ ~ ~

 

“Taeyeon?”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“Can I give you a nickname?”

 

I HATE nicknames.

 

“Sure.”

 

“What about Taetae?”

 

It’s Ddaeddae, not Taetae. Guess when you’re not a native speaker, you miss these kind of things.

 

“Why would you want to call me that?”

 

You scrunch your nose and your cheeks flush an adorable shade of light pink.

 

“Because I heard Hayeon calling you that and it sounds cute.”

 

You’re wrong of course, but perhaps it’s a good thing that you don’t call me the exact same thing as my little sister.

 

“Ok then.”

 

“REALLY?”

 

I wince at the drastic increase in volume. You grin at me bashfully.

 

“Taetae?” You murmur, softly.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“What’s your favourite number?”

 

“I don’t have one. Do you?”

 

“Yeah. 9.”

 

“Why?”

 

“You know my birthday?”

 

“Of course.”

 

“8 plus 1 equals 9.“

 

You’re blushing again and I’m not sure why.

 

“That’s a pretty simple reason.”

 

“Yep. Favourites aren’t exactly something you can control anyway. You like what you like I guess.”

 

I tap my chin thoughtfully. “Well my favourite number can be 3 then.”

 

You scrunch your nose again -way too cute, if I might add- before snapping your fingers.

 

“Ah I know! Because you were born in March!”

 

“Yep.”

 

Nope.

 

~ ~ ~

 

Knock knock

 

“Taetae?” Your voice brings a small smile to my face. It’s smaller, lower, huskier. Different.

 

“How come you’re not obnoxiously loud to her?” I hear Jessica grumble.

 

You don’t respond straight away and I can easily picture your red face. I decide to save you some embarrassment and open the door.

 

“Because I’m special, Sica.” I grin the cheesiest grin I can pull off and Jessica in turn fakes a spew.

 

“Whatever, I’m out of here.” Jessica whirls around and stomps away, but she’s smiling, so it’s ok.

 

You spin to face me and take a step forward, but I don’t budge. You throw me a puzzled expression.

 

“Just hang on a second…”

 

You arch an eyebrow but I pretend to ignore it and gaze past you to check the wall clock.

 

3…

 

2…

 

1…

 

“Now you may enter.” I declare and move aside.

 

You snort and gently bump my shoulder as you walk by before taking a seat on the end of my bed.

 

“So Taetae,” you begin, “What emergency has me visiting you at midnight?”

 

I smile. The smile I’ll only ever smile for you.

 

“Do you know what day it is?” I ask.

 

You frown, your eyebrows furrow and you stare upwards thoughtfully.

 

“Uh, 26th of… September?”

 

“27th now. It’s past midnight.” I correct.

 

“Oh right!” You nod, “So what?”

 

“What’s the time now Fany-ah?”

 

“Midnight.” You roll your eyes.

 

“I mean the actual time.”

 

“Oh! Umm…” You lean over to check my old clock, “3 past 12 in the m-m-m-morning.” You manage to force out whist attempting to stifle a yawn.

 

A hint of sorrow creeps into my mind as I see you fighting your weariness for me. It’s important. I promise.

 

“What’s your favourite number?” I begin.

 

“9.”

 

“What’s 9 and 3 together?”

 

“12.”

 

“Ex- what?”

 

You frown. “9 plus 3 is twelve.”

 

“Yes I know, but that’s not-”

 

“Taetae, you’re my best friend and I love you, even when your weird is showing, but can the number game wait till morning?” You flop back on my bed. “I’m sooooo tired.”

 

Maybe next year then.

 

I smile. “Ok. Another time.”

 

You smile back and get up to leave. I don’t stop you. You pause anyway and look back, a question in your eyes. I’ve just settled myself underneath the blankets and my feet are warm from where you sat as I meet your gaze. I smile again and lift up the other side of my blanket in invitation. Your face lights up and seconds later you’re snuggling against my side, your cheek seeking the crook where my neck becomes shoulder. You’re gone soon after.

 

You’re so smart, you know that?

 

You apply yourself to everything you do with a work ethic that would put anyone to shame.

 

But how could you not understand this?

 

3 by 3 is 9. That’s me.

 

8 and 1 is 9. That’s you.

 

3 by 9 is 27. That’s us.

 

3 by 8 is 24. That’s us too.

 

1 by 3 is 3. Us again.

 

So 00:03, 9/27.

 

I guess it’s a little tricky, but I guess you would still be able to see how it all works together.

 

Don’t you see how this moment should be ours?

 

~ ~ ~

 

“This beach is beautiful isn’t it?” I murmur to you as you silently trudge on through the wet sand beside me.

 

“Yeah. Sure.” You response comes out in pants.

 

Looking at you, stray hairs mixed with sweat are clinging to your forehead and your err… chest is heaving.

 

I stop and crouch forward, gesturing to my back.

 

“Get on. I’ll carry you.” I declare with more confidence than I actually feel.

 

I brace myself in expectation of your additional weight. It never comes.

 

When I look to you, you gesture behind us.

 

“What do you see, Taetae?”

 

“Err… the beach… sand… footprints?”

 

“Right! Footprints. Mine and yours. What do you notice about them?”

 

More puzzles.

 

“They’re… next to each other?”

 

“Right. So if you carried me there would only be one set of footprints in the sand.”

 

“Uh huh…”

 

“Don’t you see Taetae?” You lean forward towards me, your face alive with emotion, “Those footprints are us, wherever we go. The water will wash them away and the sand won’t remember we were every here.”

 

I frown. That’s a depressing way to put it. But I know you’re not done yet.

 

“But I don’t want my footprints to fall behind yours. Or yours to follow mine.”

 

Clarity sears through my mind. I understand.

 

“I want to walk beside you. I want to share this path with you. When you carry me, then my footprints won’t be there, I’ll just be more weight on your back.” You give me a meaningful look and reach out to hold my hands. “I don’t want to be that.”

 

You swing our connected hands as we begin walking again.

 

“This is all I’ll ever need from you Taetae. Just you holding my hand and walking beside me.”

 

~ ~ ~

 

I wake up the next morning and you’re still here, still sleeping. You’ve changed position though, no longer cuddled up to me, instead lying flat on your back, hogging the blankets. But your hand still clutches mine.

 

I realise how silly it was of me for me to place such importance on numbers and dates. I don’t need them to confess. In fact, today I don’t feel the need to confess anything at all.

 

I’m Taeyeon, and you’re Tiffany. You can be my lover, my girlfriend or just my best friend, my kindred spirit. It won’t change anything. I’ll still you cook you a hot meal and watch you gleefully shovel it down whilst eating cereal with milk. Just like you won’t stop hogging the blankets when you share my bed.

 

Whatever our fans write about us, whatever anyone else thinks about us, whether it’s love or whether we’re in love, at the end of all things, were just TaeNy.

 

That will always be enough for me and that will never change.

 

—-

 

End.

 

—-

 

I kinda wanted to make this more fluffy and romantic… But I guess my non-shipper heart shone through. I just wanted to convey my feelings on pairings. It’s not about any perceived romance for me. I think sometimes we’re so busy scrutinising their interactions that we forget what we’re truly seeing – love of the purest kind between two extraordinarily talented and uniquely individual people. That will always be enough for me.

 

-SeeKo