The Siren's Song

Chapter 75- the sweetness of you, the pain in you

TAE POV:

To have the jaunty ring of a phone cut through my work mid-shoot isn't ideal. To have it be my phone with its distinctive ringtone makes it a rare occurrence that the model and staff pause. I dip my head in an apology as I hurry to turn it off, slight frustration and embarrassment- everyone had been so in the zone, we were really beginning to get some nice shots. And then I pause.

Because it's the first time this number has called my phone, the first time it's appeared on my screen that way. It's the first time that (Y/N) calls me. And immediately I wonder whether she's okay, signalling with my hand that I'm ducking out to take the call, moving to a quieter corner out of the studio so I can pick up, voice slightly breathless from the run and my rush to answer it.

"Hey (Y/N)! Is everything okay?" I ask immediately, the moment the phone connects, the sound of her soft breathing coming through.

There's a few beats of silence.

"...yeah I...I'm sorry am I disturbing you?" she asks gently, voice sounding apologetic and guilty.

I shake my head furiously even if she can't see it.

"No no not at all!" I rush to say, hearing the way there's a small sound of amusement on the other end, though her voice is still tentative when she speaks.

"Can we meet later?" she asks.

I can't fight the smile that spreads across my face, body doing a little happy jig at her wanting to meet, at her asking rather than me badgering her.

Because she called me. And I briefly wonder if I'm the first one she's called, mentally planning on teasing and bragging later if that is the case.

And then hear her repeating a question.

"Sorry pretty girl, repeat that please?" I ask, having missed the question.

"Can you...can you bring Tannie too?" she asks hesitantly.

But because Tannie is my baby, because (Y/N) asks with such hopefulness- I wouldn't ever have the heart to separate her from him and him from her. I hadn't missed the way Tannie barked and tried to cling onto legs when one of us were leaving- tail swishing eagerly whenever someone mentioned her. It was clear he was besotted with her.

"Of course. I know he's missed your cuddles a lot. I know I have too." I add, ears catching onto the small, hitched sound of breath.

I didn't know how much fun and how much more it would be to continue to tease her in my usual playful way but to get small sounds to accompany her responses. Her usually silent wide-eyed stare accompanied with a small huff, or the way when we now spent time with her- her gentle sweet voice would interject or join conversations, not at all looking put out or scared by the notion.

It almost seemed as if she was no longer bound by whatever specific reasons held her back from speaking, as if she was slowly emerging from the shell herself and freeing herself from whatever kept her captive. As if that first date experience had triggered a change within her, as if reliving trauma had in some way had slightly released its hold on her. I couldn't say exactly what it was, or how the two tied together- but it hadn't been just me who'd made that connection.

The others had too.

And I had seen Joonie hyung's notebook fill with pages trying to theorise why, trying to connect it to studies and research but when Jin hyung had incidentally peeked over his shoulder, he'd been quick to snap it shut, cheeks warm and muttering about not giving anyone false hope.

"Thank you Tae." She says sweetly.

And this time it's my breath that catches in my throat, a small noise that accidentally slips out.