Kim Taeyeon

"So, are we okay with the collaboration?"

"Yeah, I'll text you later when my agency gets the final papers ready." Juniel says, touching the side of my arm.

"Alright, I'll see you then." I replied, scratching the back of my head.

"Thanks Taeng, we'll talk again when we get things rolling with the project." I nod and send her off, but she stopped in her spot and gave me a little peck on my cheek. I merely smiled, watching her back disappear into the limo. I sighed and looked at my watch, just enough time to get back into the office and do a little bit of work.

Every now and then I'd check my phone for that little notification from Steph. It never did happen, but I understand. I guess.

I no longer pushed it. Just because I already did enough damage. Running out of her house in such hurry after accusing her of such thing, jumping into conclusions because I"m also a very insecure little punk that needs an answer right here right now.

I went into my office's lounge and sat down, scrolling on my phone when I heard a couple of fat footsteps approach me.

"Ayo, what's up Hyung?" I asked, kicking my feet up on the glass table cracking open a cold one.

"Stop. Don't ever call me that ever again. I feel old." Heechul says distastefully as he puts a box of pastries in the fridge.

"Aren't you going to greet me?" Kris asks, batting his eyelashes and clasping his hands like some little girl.

"No. Sheesh, why do you smell like . . . woman?" I waft the floral perfume smell away from my nose, as I eye my buddy who had a mischievous smile on his face.

He cocks a brow and pulls out a chair to sit close to me, so close that I had to lean all the way back because it's like he wanted to kiss me.

"I was on a date with Stephanie, so.." I spat out the coke I had in my mouth, angrily grasping the poor can till it turned into a mangled piece of metal in my hand. I started choking angrily and Heechul had to pat my back aggressively to coax me along.

"Y-You fucking what?!"

"Uh, I went on a date with Stephanie." He says seriously, and at this point my hand is just twitching.

"How?! Why would she go on a date with you?! Wait, how did you get her number? How did she even start talking to you?!" I angrily hit my fist on the table, standing up as my chest heaved.

"Taeng, the moment you talked to her at the Gala a week back she was literally the center of attention of tabloids. Everyone knows about her too now." Heechul reasoned, still with a stupid grin.

"Yo, bro. Just chill, I just went out with her for like a day. What's so wrong about tha-" I cut Kris off grabbing the lapels of his suit, yanking him up till his feet was just dangling an inch off the floor.

"You little piece of shit! She's mine and you knew that! What kind of fucking friend are you!" I shouted, shaking him harshly with him in my hands.

He didn't answer me at all, he just stared at me with a blank face. I wanted to slap him silly, to get him to answer me.

"Fucking say something! Best friend or not I'll smash your skull in! Don't touch what's mine!"

Kris didn't look shaken at all. Heechul didn't even step in to stop me. All I heard were their jeering laughter and claps.

"W-what?"

"Kim Taeyeon's finally settling down!" Kris bellowed out with such happiness.

Heechul couldn't stop laughing. He had his body all over the table, smacking the table in an absolute laughing fit. "Did you see his face? Holy crap he was going to beat the living shit out of you!"

I sat down in my chair, huffing out in frustration. Grabbing my mangled can of coke, I continued to take aggressive loud obnoxious sips from it as I see them try to calm down.

"Fucking assholes." I muttered with an unamused face.

"Oppa." Kris cooed, jutting his lips out as if I'm going to kiss him. I pinch his lips and he pulls back whining.

Heechul grabbed the box of tissue and started to dab away his tears of laughter. I just sat there planning 568 ways on how to kill and torture my besties.

"So, describe your future wife in 3 words"

"She's not my wife." I sighed out.

"Just answer the question Taengo."

"Cute lost dumpling."

Kris and Heechul deadpanned for the longest time, they simultaneously face palmed themselves pretty loudly.

"You can't be serious, how can you get girls with that type of flirting?"

"What? She really is like a cute little lost dumpling. Or she's like a tiny puppy. Puppy Hwang." I whispered the last part just because.

Despite the teasings and the encouragement for me to actually pursue a 'family' no one knew that me and her were on the rocks. I kind of bursted out on her and just left. I hope she knew I still wanted to see her.

Kris already bolted out of the office, probably going home to tend to his pet guinea pigs. Heechul was going to leave too but he turned on his heel and clicked his tongue catching my attention. "Oh yeah, how did your date with Juniel go."

"Can we not talk about that?"

"It's all over the news. Nice kiss by the way." He teased as he ruffled my head, from the back of my head I could see his smug smile. Hyung is always smug.

"She kissed me, not the other way around."

"How is your wife going to react?"

"She's not my wife, seriously drop that."

"She's going to be. I thought you and Stephanie were going to hit it off, why the sudden change?"

"It was a business dinner, kind of. We have that magazine photo shoot we are supposed to do okay? We just met up to talk about it. I don't really like her that way." I buried my head into my hands, still feeling guilty with Steph.

"Alright. Safe trips to Germany by the way, get me one of those caramel waffles or something. I like those. Bring mom a nice knitted scarf too." As with that he walks away, leaving me still alone staring at the blank screen of my phone.

"Yeah, see you in a couple of days Hyung."

I sat down in my private jet, scrolling through the horrible movie selections as I waited for take off. I heard the engines start roaring but when I get a phone call from the one I missed. I squinted at the screen. I was reluctant to take it, really. Why would she call me?

"Yeah? What's up my planes about to le-"

"I need to talk to you, please." It came out in an inaudible whisper.

"Taeyeon." She said with a quivering voice.

I unlatched my seatbelt and told the pilot to stop, I opened the latch to the door and waited for the stairs to unfold. My feet were getting jittery with nervousness so I kind of jogged on the spot cursing my plane for being so slow with the stairs.

I stepped out of the plane and waved my car over, asking the driver to speed through traffic. I clutched my phone, repeatedly texting and trying to text Stephanie after she called me but she didn't pick up.

I reached that familiar townhouse residential area and had to take a guess where her house was. Stupid townhouses. They all look the damn same, but I guess the little pink flower pot and the pink mailbox was a giveaway. I had to remember from the first day I came.

I knocked on her door twice, no response.

I stepped back just to see none of the lights had been lit up. The fear was kicking in and I called her cell phone again. I made my way to the back and saw her room was dimly lit up.

I mean, I'm no tree hugger but I guess I'll climb the one right beside me and jump onto her porch.

Damn I feel like Robin Hood.

And so I did, but I stumbled onto the balcony and hit my head on the railing. I looked through the glass and with the curtains draw it only gave me limited vision. I saw nothing but a night lamp lit up. I opened the balcony door surprisingly as I thought it was locked.

I gotta scold her for that someday.

I stepped inside gingerly, afraid that I'll set off any alarms or traps. Who knows, maybe she like has a tripwire connected to a rat trap or like you know in those movies where they have arrows flung at you when you step on a pressure plate. But no, I found the little pup sitting on the floor, burying her face in her knees as she leaned on the side of the bed.

She was shaking, and the muffled sound of sobs made me crack just a bit.

I mean, I've never seen her cry before but I knew something wasn't quite right with her. Not that she had lost some marbles, but with the fact that on the day of the gala and the day I came to her house in the first place she looked so sad.

It was weird you know. Her biggest charm has to be her eye smiles, but when she smiles at certain topics I bring up or talk to her about she doesn't smile fully to that extent.

"Fany-ah? Hey it's me. I know I shouldn't have came in through that way because obviously the chances of you thinking I was some stranger trying to rob you was probably 140%, I just had no choi-" She sat on my lap and buried her face right I my neck. Her hot tears started to trail down my neck, her breathing was right up my skin and I froze.

Uh, what do I do.

"Hey, you okay?"

I tried to bring her face up to see mine but she clung onto my chest like a damn clamp.

"Okay. Um. I won't leave for my trip then I guess." I muttered, nervously bringing my hand to pat her back. I've never consoled a crying person before so it was kind of awkward. She continued crying, and beside her was the phone that was on her lap.

I used my foot to slide it to me as I continued to pat the girls back. I picked up the phone with my freehand and scrolled through the messages.

Nick: I took all the money out of our joint account, you won't have a single penny left.

Nick: I dare you to try and leave me again. I dare you to try and date someone other than me. Kim Taeyeon? Are you kidding me Tiffany?

Stephanie: I'm sorry, please don't drain my bank account. I have nothing left and my rent is due in a week. I won't even have enough to buy myself dinner. Nick, please?

Nick: Come home to me.

I clenched her phone tightly in my hand and put it on the bed. I carried the hiccuping girl in my arms and sat on the bed.

"I can't go back. I can't."

"You won't." I sternly said, because it was a statement.

"He's going to come Taeyeon-ah, he's going to take me away." She choked out with a quivering voice, wiping her tears away with the back of her hand.

I felt so sad just watching her. I didn't know about this, she didn't tell me. Of course she wouldn't, why would she tell me so early on?

"Can you stay with someone in the meanwhile? Just until I get back?" She shook her head.

"I go to Sooyoung's house and he'll find me there, I go to Nicole's house he'll find me there. He knows everything Taetae. . everything."

I clenched my jaw, not knowing what to say with this girl crying on my lap.

"You're coming with me."

I had to go to the meeting oversees, doing business deals and whatnot. So I set her on the bed as she watched me pack her luggage. I waited outside was she packed up her personal belongings and when she was done I drove her to the airport.

She stepped foot inside my private jet and with a shy hand, wrapped her small hand on my two fingers and gently tugged at it.

I smiled at how shy and cute she can be, looking like a tiny duck.

"Yeah?"

"I don't mean to bother you." She says softly, oh god puppy Hwang.

"You're not. We'll deal with this when we get home okay?" I said gesturing her to one of the seats. I sit down right across from her and take out my laptop from my briefcase. I didn't really notice her till I looked up 2 hours later to see her sleeping so cutely on the chair in front of me.

I went over to hear and draped a blanket over her, feeling bad that I still haven't apologized to her after what had happened.

I opened her phone and turned it on, letting the endless amount of messages pour in.

Nick: Where are you?

Nick: Don't make me go on a wild goose chase for you Tiff.

Nick: You're with him aren't you! You ran to him!

Nick: I bet you fucking bitch told him about me!

I couldn't read anymore. I literally felt like poop.

Right, this was clear signs of abuse right. Abuse? I wonder if he had touched her. . .

I was already pushing it by reading her texts so I set it aside. I glanced up and was startled, like literally shook.

She was awake and she tiredly was watching me. I felt like a bandit got caught red handed.

"I-I. Okay, yeah I was reading it sorry."

She blinked a couple of times before fixing her pillow and snuggling closer into her blanket without a word.

"I'm sorry for what I said back at your house. It was totally uncalled for and unnecessary. I, I didn't mean it."

She hummed and opened her eyes drowsily. I was about to open my mouth and say more but she waved me off.

"It's really easy to tell that you feel guilty. I know Taetae, just leave it okay?" I nodded eagerly, looking to my side. I pressed the button and a set of juices in bottles emerged from the side cavity. I took a bottle out and handed it to her.

For the rest of the plane ride we didn't really say anything but I did occasionally look up from my laptop to check up on her.

When we landed we went straight to the hotel, in which I changed my one bed room into a two bedroom suite, with a living room that connected both of it together. I got her settled into her own bed and continued to work inside my room.

I cracked my neck and a few of my bones after proof reading my presentation, getting up to stretch my long limbs and take another sip of my coffee. I ran out of caffeine when I sipped on damn air, so I shuffled outside to get a much needed refill when a small lump was leaning against the open balcony door staring into the city lights.

I stared at her back, knowing how tensed and stressed she is. I tried to make as much sound as I could so she knew I was present. I didn't want to appear behind her back and spook her into a high pitched dolphin scream that could potentially lead to her kicking me for scaring her.

So I rustled with the coffee machine, coughing here and there to let my presence known. She turned around and gave me a little wave and turned back again.

I was stunned really, I didn't even get to wave back.

I took another cup out and filled it with tea, adding a packet of sugar and a cup of cream into it. Stirring it into perfection because mother always said a pretty cup of tea means pretty kids.

I went over to her carefully and nudged her shoulder, offering it to her.

She mumbled a thanks and cupped the tea with both of her hands, sipping on it.

"You're not sleeping?" I asked.

"A bit jet lagged." I nodded in agreement.

She turned her head towards me and I felt her stare at me a little long. I caught her eyes and she gave me a half smile.

"What? Something wrong with me?"

"No." She said, and I knew she hid her expression behind her cup.

"Liar."

"Your shirt. It's orange." She finally spoke, eyeing me once again. I felt so judged, but in a good way. I liked having her approval.

"What about my orange coloured shirt?"

"It's kind of ugly." My jaw dropped like a sack of potatoes. Me, ugly?! My shirt?! Ugly?

"Thanks for your opinion. I appreciate it." I said with a chuckle, laughing in my head at her observation.

"I don't really like the colour orange." She mumbled.

"I see, I'm going to take it that if this was pink you'd like it a lot more."

She scrunched up her face and shook her head, "It would still be an ugly shirt."

"I'm going to go change after this and you can't stop me." We both laughed, together. Like, actually laughed together. The burden on my shoulder slowly eased and I knew we would be okay.

I poked fun at her oversized shirt, saying how she could fit 4 more bodies inside of it. She retaliated back saying how my choice of polo shirts were the same as her granddads.

I told her she won our little scuffle, giving her the point. Taeyeon: 0, Stephanie 2.

"Can you tell me?" I suddenly asked when the room got too quiet.

"About?"

"Him." I instantly had regrets saying 'him' because maybe she isn't ready to share that with me.

"My ex, cheated on me. Got upset that I left him." She got straight to the point and said it without anything in her voice. Like it was natural.

"He must be dumb to cheat on someone like you." I muttered under my breath.

"Well he did." I wanted to kick myself. I said it too loud. I need to keep my thoughts in my head.

"He did things to me. He forced me to be with him again but I said no. He's been like this ever since."

"Did you tell someone?"

"My family, a couple of friends."

"So you just, ran away?"

"He knows where I am all the time. There's no point trying to run away. He's always there." She placed her tea cup down and went inside. I followed her, I don't know why I just did.

When she sat down on the couch in the living room, I took the spot next to her. "Why do you still have pictures of you and him in your house?"

"I don't know. It's messed up isn't it?" She laughed bitterly, playing with the cushion.

I shrugged, not knowing the answer to her question.

"It hurts Taeyeon-ah, I don't know if I still love him. I think I do but I don't."

Poor girl.

"You're scared to shits Fany-ah, I don't think you love him anymore. He's made you afraid."

"Taetae, let's not talk about this right now."

"You know we have to eventually when we go back right?" I say, crossing my legs infront of hers. I blocked her vision of the TV, so she has to look at my big head.

"He's done things to me okay? I-I. ." I stopped her and my brows furrowed, instantly cursing self in the head.

"Don't, say it. If you're not ready that is. Just when we go back. I need to know the basics." I am so eager to know so much more about this. I want to know who hurt her, how he hurt her, and to what extent did he hurt her.

She sighed and nodded, putting her hands up in defeat. I smiled at the act, I grabbed her soft hands into mine for no reason I just did. When it got too awkward with me just holding her hands I told her to wait and went into her room.

I went in and immediately went out. "Can I go in your room?"

"You just did without asking."

"Can I go in your room?" I repeated myself. She nodded with an amused expression.

I went inside, and eyed the pink luggage, opening it up and digging into the deep depths of it while avoiding her personal belongings. Like her bra and stuff. Which was really weird but I needed to find George.

With like 2 minutes of digging underneath a shit pile of clothes I grabbed the squishy guy's head and held him up like the scene from Lion King.

"Alright little guy. Try and play hide and seek with me again, I swear." I muttered. I walked out with the monkey plush behind my back, shuffling awkwardly towards her.

"If it's a deadly bomb, a fake cockroach, or fisheyes get it away from me."

"Don't worry, it's cute and fluffy."

"Did you pack Prince in my things?"

"My airplane does not accept any live animals as checked baggage; transport of live animals is prohibited." I announced, she finally laughed with those eyesmiles, I was relieved. I can make her laugh again.

"Plus, cute and fluffy could also mean me. I could've packed myself in your luggage." I continued to boast about myself till she got tired of my endless ramble and threw a cushion at me, urging me to tell her what I had behind my back.

I threw the plush in her lap and she immediately grabbed it and hugged it.

"Oh my god, you packed George?"

"Yup."

"I honestly feel really bad that I stole him from you." she said with a sigh, looking into the monkey's eyes like they were lovers. I'm lowkey jealous.

"So, are you going to give him back?"

"No. . ." she trailed off, hugging him harder.

I laid back onto the sofa, sprawling myself out and she playfully pushed one of my many limbs away, saying how I take up so much space. Can't blame me though, big 6'4 guy.

"Taetae?"

"Hm?"

"J-Juniel. Did you go on a date with her?"

Oh Fany, I'm so sorry.

"Yeah."

"Do you like her?"

"Fany-ah." My voice was like a lower octave. I sound like Darth Vader and I think she got scared.

"It wasn't a date, it was more of a business dinner."

"Business dinner? Taetae, everyone knows she has like the biggest crush on you. She even kissed you. ." Damn it she saw it.

"It was for a project, a collaboration if you will. Business, strictly business. Also, side note. I didn't kiss her back okay?" I had to defend myself at all costs, can't lose this puppers.

I felt like she didn't believe me but when I tugged at the monkey in her arms she looked up.

"I like you." I said softly, rubbing the back of my neck when I said it. Throw back to high school years.

I've never seen such a blank expression before, and it was coming from her. I hope I didn't say the wrong thing because that would be a very very bad thing. But I didn't expect her to say anything back anyways. She had kissed me so I think she would, or at least we'd be on the same page on these types of things.

She crawled onto my lap unexpectedly and curled up against me, nuzzling her face into my neck.

"Taetae, I like you too." She mumbled.

"I can't hear you, say it again?" I teased. She pinched my side and looked up at me with a frown.

"Sorry, kind of had to." I said with a big grin, tucking her hair behind her ear unconsciously. She had shied away from me again and we just sat there being a big lump, eventually falling asleep with her laying on my chest.

Her phone that was on the table had lit up, signaling an incoming message. I reached for it and read it, clenching my fists around it with anger seeping into my mind.