“You invited Nichkhun?” Taeyeon’s eyes widened as Jessica’s glass paused, halfway to her lips.

Tiffany shifted uncomfortably, the wine inside her glass sloshing slightly.

“I didn’t think there was anything wrong with that.”

Her members glanced at each other, eyes cautious.

“We just thought that you wouldn’t want to be reminded of him,” Sunny said carefully.

Yoona stared at her unnies with wide eyes, Yuri and Sooyoung pressed against her sides. Seohyun was silent next to Hyoyeon even as she watched Tiffany, eyes indecipherable.

“Well, I – I’m not hurting anymore.”

Tiffany’s voice was clear as she exhaled, a breath that stirred the air in the room, making everything lighter. 

“I’m alright now; I used to think I would never be, but I’m alright now.”

“Being alright is one thing, but are you happy?” Yuri leaned forward, her eyes big and dark and sincere the way only Yuri can be.

“Yes...yes, I am.”

The affirmation comes with no hesitation, and Tiffany realized with a start that yes, she was genuinely happy without having to force herself to smile and be bright, happy Brighter Than Jewels Fany Fany Tiffany for the cameras and fans. Even when she thinks of Nichkhun now there is only a echo of an ache which had once seemed to engulf her, bleeding into her life. There was only a ghost now.

She smiled softly, sincerely to herself.

“I am happy. Seunghyun makes me happy.”

“That’s good. Happy is good.” Jessica’s voice has a note of finality in it as she pats Tiffany’s hand, a familiar, comforting gesture. “We all just want you to be happy.”

“I know,” Tiffany tells them, her voice thick and she discovers to her embarrassment that tears are welling up even as she laughs.

She thinks of all the times Taeyeon comforted her when she cried after Nichkhun left her, thinks of all the times Jessica would or make sarcastic comments in that dry way of hers to get her worked up and out of the funk she created for herself. She laughed to herself at the memories of the many health drinks Seohyun insisted on making her drink because unnie, you look tired and you haven't been eating well and the ridiculous aegyo Yoona used to make her laugh and cover her ears in protest and forget. She thought of all the weary conversations with Yuri and Sunny at three in the morning and the ridiculous jokes she made up with Sooyoung and Hyoyeon and she starts to cry in earnest, wondering what on earth she did to deserve such friends as her members crowd around her worriedly even now. 

“All of you – just, thank you. Thank you so much.”

“For what?” Yoona blinks confusedly.

“For – for everything.”

Such a small, insignificant word that seemed to be unable to encompass all the feelings, the emotions she felt when she looked at those eight girls, how grateful she was, how much love she had for so many people that had once been strangers to her.

But Sunny smiled, her eyes impossibly bright, and she saw that they understood.

“Thank you,” Tiffany repeated, her voice softer but no less sincere.

Jessica and Taeyeon both put their arms around her and then Yuri and Yoona joined in and so did Sooyoung and soon all of them are hugging, a huge tangle of limbs and hair and clothes and smooth skin as they laughed.

Tiffany laughed, just so grateful that she got to be part of SNSD and sing and dance on stage with them and have eight other girls as sisters and Seunghyun all at the same time and she silently thanked her mother before closing her eyes, just losing herself in the large pile of bodies, in the close embrace, in this moment.

“How was it yesterday?” Seunghyun’s fingers slipped through hers, leading her carefully over the puddles of water in the road.

“Good – spending time with them is always good.” Tiffany murmured, tightening her hold on him as they walked along the quiet road, reveling in the late hour where they could walk out together without being photographed or mobbed.

“I’m glad,” he told her, and she smiled at him.

“How about you? Daesung told me Seungri’s planning the bachelor party of the year.” She wrinkled her nose.

“Ahh, that guy, really,” Seunghyun muttered even as he grinned at the thought of Big Bang’s irrepressible maknae. “I think the party will end up being more for him than any of the rest of us.”

They both laughed quietly together, just enjoying each other’s company as Seunghyun pulled up the hood of her sweater, pulling her closer. Their shoulders constantly bumped, her hand warm in his.

“Did Nichkhun agree to the invitation?” Seunghyun suddenly asked.

She paused. She had been pleasantly surprised when he had agreed readily when she had told him cautiously about wanting to invite Nichkhun to the wedding, but hadn't thought too much about it.

“Yeah.” Tiffany nodded slowly. “The girls asked me if I was sure I wanted to, but I think…I want to also keep our friendship even though we broke up on less than ideal terms.”

He was silent for a while, his handsome face hooded by the shadows thrown from streetlights. She peeked up at him.

“Are you jealous, Tabi?” she teased lightly, tugging him gently to a stop.

He snorted, looking somewhere over her head, not really meeting her eyes. “Of course not.”

Tiffany laughed, reaching up to cup his face before she smiled sincerely. Looking straight on at him always made her breath catch, like she was seeing his strong jaw and bashful grins and dark, intense eyes for the first time.

“Don’t be – I only have you here now.” She tapped her chest.

“But he’s still in here sometimes.” Seunghyun tapped the side of her head gently, his eyes slightly darker than normal. 

“He always will be up here,” Tiffany said, matter-of-fact. “The fact that we dated for such a long time and the memories I shared with him…all that can’t be erased. My relationship with him played a part in making me who I am today, and even though we’re over now, there’s always going to be that little part of me left with him.”

Seunghyun stared at her for a moment.

“You can be brutally honest sometimes, Miyoung.”

“Hanging out with Sica kind of does that to you,” she smiled wryly.

He paused before admitting slowly, "I love you and trust you, but you dated him, and even though you're just friends now, knowing that he'll always make up such a big part of your life...it still makes me uneasy."

 She raised an eyebrow challengingly then. “Don’t you dare tell me that’s not the case with your exes.”

He smiled sheepishly.

Tiffany took both of his hands in hers, twining her fingers with his as she looked at him seriously.

"I love you, Choi Seunghyun. Even though I dated him, I'm marrying you because you are the one I love, because I cannot imagine living my life without you. I want to see your face in the morning, and at night and a hundred times in between. I want to grow old with you, laugh with you and complain on national TV about how naggy you are while secretly knowing I'm the luckiest girl in the world."

“What?” he demanded, a ghost of a smile lurking around his mouth.

She shrugged coyly, smiling. "I've gotta keep up appearances – I'd be universally detested if everyone realizes how perfect you are.”

He laughed then. "I'm pretty sure a few million of my fans already knew that long before you had that epiphany."

She grinned before growing serious again.

"I didn't go after him, Seunghyun. I didn't go after Nichkhun even when he left for New York and I knew he might never come back. I stayed with you."

He blinked, seeming almost dazed as Tiffany touched his face tenderly.

"He was my past,” she told him, eyes open and clear. “But you are my present, and my future. Don’t ever doubt that.”

Seunghyun stared at her for a prolonged beat, eyes dark before something seemed to break in them, a fissure that bled light and life into his eyes.

“You do know you’re the only one here now too, right?” He tapped his own chest, voice low and husky with emotion, and she wrapped her arms around him, leaning into him. They stood like that for a few silent beats in the middle of a dark road at three in the morning where the only sound one could hear was of the other's breathing, arms wrapped against each other.

“I can hear your heartbeat,” she told him.

A laugh rumbled through his body as he pulled away slightly, looking down at her.

“Listen to my heartbeat, it’s beating for you,” he laughed lightly, eyes gleaming with mischief as she slapped him on his forearm. He only did the famous Heartbeat dance cheekily in response as she grimaced.

She glowered for a moment before she turned, stomping off as he laughed, running after her on the dark road. 

“Forget it!” 

“Miyoung, come back!”

"No!"

"Why, what did I do wrong?" He surpressed a laugh, catching up to her easily in a few strides.

“Meanie!” she tossed back over her shoulder.

“That’s it? How verbose.” He laughed, face open and carefree, hand wrapping easily around hers even as she glanced up, shooting a glare at him before turning back.

“Shut up!”

"Aha, look at this reaction!" he cried teasingly.

"Choi Seunghyun!"

"Hwang Miyoung." He mimicked, grinning widely.

“You know what? Save it!”

He laughed loudly, joyfully and the sound made a giddy smile stretch across Tiffany's face automatically even as she wheeled around on her heel, marching off while he called after her loud enough for all the houses along the dark street to hear.

“I love you, Miyoung!”

A/N: That line about complaining about him while knowing how lucky she is was from Julia Quinn's It's In His Kiss. I just loved how teasing it is while admitting one of the hardest truths to confess in the whole world. To me, it just captures perfectly how I would imagine TOPFany's relationship to be - if they ever got together - natural, fun, sweet and simple.