A/N: I don't know what the hell happened, but I just couldn't arrange the text as prettily as I did for Seven Days of Magic on this chapter, although I followed the same procedures to do so. I'm hoping it is just a glitch from asianfanfics, since the website was down these days. I'm hoping it is all settled when I update What's Your Tale, Nightingale?ㅡwhich will be soon, by the way. Enjoy, and I'm SO sorry for the messy format.

POV ㅡ Tiffany

“God damn it,” Taeyeon cursed, as she tapped ferociously on the screen of her phone, trying to dial Martin’s number.

“Taeyeon, please calm down,” I said, hoping she would listen to me. But, I suppose, it just made her angrier.

“Are you kidding me, Tiffany? Do you not see the chaos outside? How am I supposed to calm down? We can even open the damn windows,” she fired back. Her voice rose a little, and I frowned. “ARGH!” she groaned, tossing the cell phone awayㅡluckily, it hit the sofa. “Why won’t he pick the ing phone?”

The house had been surrounded by paparazzi overnight. Taeyeon, Sooyoung, and I had woken up at our usual time, ready to go back to the studio. Taeyeon and I were packing a small suitcase to bring to our trailers when we heard a buzz outside and decided to open the window to checkㅡbut, thank goodness, we had Sooyoung do that. The sound of the window opening was followed by the frenetic clicks and flashes of dozens of nosy cameras. Sooyoung was shocked for a second or two, but readily slammed the damned thing shut again. Questions about what sort of commotion was taking place outside weren’t necessary, not after those sounds, the loud manly voices and Sooyoung’s panicked expressionㅡthe only question was, why? Sooyoung then checked the internet to see if she could find any explanation, and according to an article, that by now had been published on many different online tabloids and which also stated that the close relationship Taeyeon and I showcased on Betty’s show had raised suspicion from the public, it appears Taeyeon’s friendly neighbors had reported to the press that they had seen me come to her house quite often in the past few months, claiming that I’d come by night, stay overnight, and sometimes for days. It was true but, god damn it, how could it be anyone else’s business but my own and Taeyeon’s?

“All right, Taeyeon, I’ve had enough,” I said, approaching her and grabbing her by the arms. I shook her a little, though not forcefully, until her eyes were on me, and attentive enough. “You cannot have a fist like that every time something bad happens, okay?” I chastised her. “You are a grown woman, not a child,” I added, letting go of her as she stared of me wide-eyed. “I’m just as anxious as you are about this, but what can we do?”

She fell silent for a few seconds, then sighed. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” she said, hugging me and kissing my cheek. “I’m an idiot, I know. I just can’t stand that kind of harassment.”

“I know,” I said, nodding my head and rubbing her back slowly. “Neither do I. But you know we would have to face this sooner or later, don’t you?”

I looked at her. She looked back at me. There was a certain despondency in her smile. “I know.”

I nodded faintly. “And you also do know someday we’ll have to tell people about us, don’t you?”

“I do, and I want to do that, but now is not the time yet,” she said, brushing my hair with her fingertips. “We can’t have our relationship be seen as a publicity stunt for the movie. It would be bad not only for it, but for us as well. People would watch the movie for its story, for its content, they would watch it because the two lead actressess fell in love with each other while filming it.”

I sighed. “Hell, you’re right.” I let go of her and sat down on the sofa, elbows on my knees as my hands held my scalp. “Try Martin again. Tell him we can’t make it to the studio today.”

“ing morons,” Sooyoung hissed through gritted teeth as she entered the living room.

“Still there? All of them?” I heard Taeyeon ask.

“If anything, there’s a couple more,” she said with disdain, making a face. “I’m sorry, guys, I know you don’t want nor deserve to go through this, but we’re 2 hours late already. We have to go.”

“What? No,” Taeyeon protested. “No, Sooyoung, we can’t go. We leave this house and we’ll give them what they want. We can’t have our relationship go public right now, the timing couldn’t be any worse.”

“And you stay inside and you give them what they want as well! I understand why it definitely isn’t the right time to go public, but I’m afraid you don’t have much of a choice.”

I jolted my head up, finally realizing. “They don’t know we are here.”

“What?” Sooyoung asked.

“They don’t know we’re here,” I repeated. “Nobody saw us arriving last night, and we haven’t shown our faces outside this morning, only you have,” I told her. “We stay inside and pretend we’re at the studio. All there’s left to do is to call Martin.”

“I’ve tried that five times,” Taeyeon said, groaning.

“Well, try again.”

“Won’t they move to the studio to try and get some pics there?” Sooyoung asked.

“Maybe, but we can arrange a lie or a cover-up for that. Taeyeon, please try Martin again,” I pleaded, looking at Taeyeon. She picked up her phone again and tried Martin’s number. This time, he finally answered the call, and Taeyeon put it on speaker mode.

“Taeyeon? Where are you? And Tiffany?” we heard Martin’s voice from the other side of the line.

“Martin, Tiffany and I can’t make to the studio today,” Taeyeon said with a sigh. “She slept over my place last night and today we woke up to the house surrounded by paparazzi. We can’t go out together. I think you see how damaging that could be for the movie.”

Martin was silent, but then agreed. “Yes, I see. God damn it, how did that happen?”

“An article suggested we could be more than just friends, from the way we behaved on Betty’s show yesterday. Apparently, the press talked to some neighbors of mine and they told them they saw Tiffany come to my place at night quite often. It’s all over the internet.”

“Right.” Another moment of silence. “I’ll close the studio for today and dismiss the other actors. If anyone asks me, I’ll say that we were having some serious technical problems and couldn’t shoot today. Just make sure to be here tomorrow. Can you find any way of getting rid of those idiots?” Martin asked.

Taeyeon nibbled on her lower lip. “Sooyoung might know of a security team.”

“Good. Good luck, girls. See you tomorrow.”

“Thank you, Martin,” Taeyeon said, and then finished the call.

As soon as Taeyeon’s phone went silent, mine rung.

“Hello?”

“Tiffany, where the hell are you? I just arrived at the studio and I can’t see your car anywhere! I can’t see Taeyeon’s van either. What happened?”

“Oh, Sunny!” I said, rubbing a palm against my face. “I’m at Taeyeon’s. Long story short, I slept over and woke up to dozens of paparazzi waiting outside. We can’t leave.”

“WHAT? What happened?”

“Sun, just-- just go to my place, okay? We talked to Martin and it’s all settled. Feed Prince, check if everything is all right there, please. I’ll go home as soon as these bastards go away.”

“But what about you two?”

“We have Sooyoung here with us,” I said, looking around the room for Sooyoung, but she was nowhere to be found. “I’m sure she’s just plotting a way to shun them all. I’m betting throwing pots and pans at them while yelling,” I added, trying to ease the atmosphere. Taeyeon chuckled, and I smile.

Sunny agreed, told me to take care of myself, and the call ended. I sighed, threw my back onto the couch, and closed my eyes. “What a long day. And it isn’t even ten in the morning,” I grumbled.

I heard and felt Taeyeon approaching with gentle steps. She sat by my side and hugged my waist tightly, pulling me into her, closer to her body. I opened my eyes and she was staring at me, but then I closed them again once her lips fell on mine in a lingering, ardent kiss.

“I’m sorry for that,” she cooed once our lips parted.

“Don’t be, do it again,” I said, bringing my mouth close to hers once more.

She chuckled and pecked me on the lips. “I meant them,” she explained, signaling towards outside the house. “I’d never want you to go through this ordeal. I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“Weren’t you dating me, you wouldn’t have to go through this.”

“Stop it,” I demanded, rubbing her arms with my palms. “Don’t you even dare blaming yourself. It is not your fault. I love you, I love dating you, and I don’t care whatever is thrown at me as long as you’re with me.”

Taeyeon finally smiled. That glad, passionate, perky smiled I loved so much. The only thing that made me more glad than seeing Taeyeon smile was being the cause behind it.

“You’re wonderful, did you know that?” she said, and kissed me on the lips again.

“So are you,” I responded, smiling back at her.

“You know, I suppose there is a bright side in this.”

“Which is?”

“We get to spend a lazy day together,” Taeyeon said, lying me down on the sofa and then lying her torso on top of mine, as one of her hands my waist. She trailed a few soft kisses down my neck and then back up towards my ear. “Doing all the things they imagine we do and more,” she added, crooning against my skin.

I giggled. “You cannot be serious.”

She smirked. “Wanna bet?”

“No, I don’t!” I laughed. “Not with Sooyoung in the house.”

Taeyeon blinked a few times, then turned her expression into a rather irritated one. “Oh, right. The giraffe is here. Why must she be such a ?”

I took her face in my hands and kissed her again. She kissed me back, and what I expected to be just a loving, affectionate kiss turned into one of those make-out sessions that would bind Taeyeon and I to the bed, or to whichever surface we were on, for hours and stall our day. I had to find every single, tiny bit of strength and willpower inside of me to break the kiss and gently push Taeyeon away by her shoulders.

“Taeyeon, honestly,” I said, a bit out of breath, as Taeyeon’s hands made her way up under my top and her lips their way down my neck and chest. “I don’t want Sooyoung to witness this.”

Taeyeon bit my skin and looked at me with both a frown and a pout on her face. How she managed to do that and still look absolutely irresistible, I have yet to figure out. “Really, Fany? Now?”

I sighed. As I said: irresistible. “Maybe if you’re quick… we can try your bathroom…”

Taeyeon smiled brightly, jumped up, and grabbed my hands as we ran away from the sofa and out of the living room. The next thing I know, I was breathing heavily and my was pressed against the cool bathroom wall, and Taeyeon had her lips glued to the crook of my neck as her teeth nearly sunk into my skin.

And I was trying with all my might to make no noise.

By the evening, the paparazzi had already left the surroundings of the house, or so it appeared. We had Sooyoung walk outside for a while to check if the area was really clean, and when the response was a certified yes, I reluctantly kissed Taeyeon goodbye, grabbed my things and hurried into the car and home. Sunny was waiting impatiently for me by the living room when I opened the door and closed her as quickly as I could.

“Finally!” Sunny exclaimed. “What happened? Are you okay?”

“I’m good,” I said, hugging my friend and manager. “I missed you. How’s your sister?”

“Never mind. What happened?” Sunny repeated.

“Taeyeon and I were on Betty’s show yesterday morning. We, well, you know. You know just how close we are. All we did on TV was showcase the close friendship we do have, and apparently that stirred some suspicion from the public. I have no idea why. The thing is, Taeyeon and I woke up to her house surrounded by paparazzi this morning. Sooyoung checked the internet and there’s an article all over the gossip sites talking about that and it seems like some of Taeyeon’s neighbors reported having seen me come to her place late at night to the press,” I explained.

“Did they get any snaps of you two?”

“No. Sooyoung opened the window to check when we heard the buzz. We have barely even seen sunlight today.”

“Geez,” Sunny said, sitting down. “Are they all gone by now?”

“I suppose. Sooyoung checked again before I left, and there was none. They must have given up.”

Sunny sighed. “I’m sorry, Tiff.”

“It’s fine. I mean, that was something we would have to face, sooner or later. It’s just that we weren’t expecting it that soon.”

“You aren’t ready to come out yet, are you?”

“No, we are,” I told her. “We are, we have discussed this today. I know it isn’t exactly the best thing for an actress’s image, but we do want to go public with our relationship as soon as possible. But we can’t do it before we’re done with the film. Maybe not even before it is released.”

“Is it a clause in the contract?”

“No. It’s a matter of responsibility. This movie can’t have this sort of publicity. It isn’t the attention we want. It will divert the focus of the public attention from our acting and the story to what was behind it. We don’t want that,” I said, sitting down by Sunny’s side.

She pursed her lips, thinking for a moment. “Tiff, I understand. I agree with you, even. It wouldn’t be the wisest thing to do. But I don’t think you can hold this secret for that long. The movie is probably going to be released by the end of this year or in the first half of the next. You know how the media works. Secrets like this aren’t securely kept for very long.”

“I know, I know.” I sighed. “We don’t even want to do that either, but we have to try. It would be awful to work this hard for a project and then have it disregarded because our personal lives are more interesting than our performances.”

Sunny smiled a little and rubbed my back. “I’m sure you two will find a way. I’ll be here supporting you guys, all right? Just be wise and keep calm. If you need anything, I’ll be here. Moreover, by tomorrow you’ll have a security team of four guarding your house, in case those paps decide to act funny around here. You’ll be safe. I’ll talk to Sooyoung to check if she has done the same for Taeyeon and if not, I’ll tell her to.”

I looked at her, smiling gladly. “Thank you, Sun,” I said, then hugged her again. “Thank you for protecting me. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”