White Lies | Kim Taehyung ✓ 🔞

White Lies | seven | his redemption (part 2)

The block leading to your apartment was void of people, being quite late in the night. It was giving you the reprieve you were seeking, while at the same time, it also made you even more hyperaware of Taehyung's presence as he walked right beside you.

You kept your head down and looked everywhere else but him to be able to think, though it had ended up becoming something that was hard to do when you kept on getting drawn to him. Even in his silence, Taehyung's presence demanded your attention, his warmth filled the space around you that it was almost overwhelming to be so close to him, though you were surprised to find that you had no urge to stay away from him either. The sensation felt dizzying, when it was suddenly obvious that your old feelings for him which had been laid dormant inside you suddenly came back to the surface and was growing even stronger than before without giving you a chance to stop it.

"We're here," he suddenly said, breaking the silence between you and snapping you out of your thoughts. You looked up, finding yourself standing right in front of your building, and suddenly felt ashamed of letting your mind wander off not to notice where you were. You looked at Taehyung as he followed your gaze, his eyes staring up at the old building for a moment before he shyly asked you, "Do you want me to walk you up?"

"Sure." The answer just slipped right out of you that it surprised both of you at the same time, but you chose to hide your face so he wouldn't be able to see it. He walked you up to your floor with a light hand pressing at your back, as if he was afraid to let you go. He quickly pulled his hand away as you finally reached your door, and you shivered to the loss of touch that you immediately moved to press your back against your apartment door.

"Thank you for everything today. You've done so much for me, from welcoming me into your new home to welcoming me to take a glimpse of your future endeavours," you told him, slightly teasingly that you made him laugh. "I have to admit, this day—it was a lot," you carefully continued as you sobered up, quickly adding, "But I enjoyed everything. Thank you."

Taehyung gave you a small smile. "I'm the one who should thank you for being there with me and for being so open to everything. It really means a lot," he said, looking sincere, though he seemed to be thinking hard and looking a bit agitated right after. "You know—you haven't answered my question."

"What?"

He bit his lips before he finally explained, "I asked you earlier if you would give me some time so I could show you more. To prove myself to you."

You know that I would always wait for you.

The words were there, hanging right at the tip of your tongue, but you were too afraid to say it out loud, too afraid to build up hope. You simply could not afford to make such a promise to yourself by giving you another hopeful thought after experiencing how painful it was to hold one for so long only to have it all crushed into pieces.

Taehyung kept his eyes on you, as if he was studying your reaction closely without realising how his deep gaze made you feel completely bare in front of him. You braced yourself, ready to give him the answer that he may not have expected, only for him to stop you from doing it when he surprised you by asking, "Where is it? The ring that you wore the day we first met here in London?"

You looked up at him dubiously, not sure why he had to bring this up now. But he only shrugged as if you had voiced your question out loud and said, "I've never seen you wearing it again."

Caught off guard, not completely sure why he was suddenly thinking about the damn ring, you couldn't find the right word to say to him. "I, uh—I lost it. It doesn't matter," you finally said while feigning ignorance, though nothing could stop you from stuttering through your lies, only for him to respond to you easily with,