Taehyung.
Taehyung can't sleep, he's been restless since the two of them headed upstairs to sleep over three hours ago.
He needs space.
Just a moment or two to gather his thoughts before attempting to sleep again.
He smiles fondly, gently lifting Y/N's arm which is currently draped over his bare chest and setting it down on the mattress.
She's so beautiful.
He's so enamoured.
For a moment he allows himself to watch the steady rise and fall of her chest, to trace the shimmer of moonlight along her cheekbones as it filters through the thin drapes.
Then his thoughts turn back to Sasha and the warning she delivered earlier that evening.
He reluctantly pulls himself away from Y/N, bare feet padding softly across the carpet as he leaves the room and heads downstairs.
It probably has nothing to do with his mother but it just doesn't seem like something Sasha would do of her own accord.
Yes, she was hurt by his rejection but she was a beautiful woman who wasn't short of men chasing after her.
Why would she come after him now?
How does she even know about his feelings for Y/N?
It has to be his mother....the only other people who know about his blossoming relationship with Y/N are his friends and of course Y/N's friends but none of them would ever say anything to Sasha.
His blood runs cold.
What the hell is his mother planning?
He sighs, fingers pushing his hair back in sheer frustration as he pulls open the fridge and grabs a cold beer.
Not really the best time for drinking but he just needs the one drink to take the edge off.
The air outside is warm, a gentle breeze wrapping around him as he steps through the patio doors and heads for the lake, toes curling into the grass when he stills to take in the view.
He's not going to let his mother or Sasha ruin his time with Y/N.
He will deal with the text when they return home, Y/N is the only one who deserves his attention.
Should he tell her though?
Wouldn't that just ruin their trip?
Yet he did promise to be honest with her, so what the hell should he do?
He brings the chilled bottle to his lips and takes two big sips, eyes closing as the familiar warmth sweeps through him and settles his frayed nerves albeit only slightly but it's something at least.
Taehyung decides to tell Y/N tomorrow, let her rest tonight and enjoy breakfast in bed in the morning before he drops the news.
He needs to make it clear that she's got absolutely nothing to worry about, that whatever his mother or Sasha have planned he isn't going to leave her.
They will get through this together as a couple.
It's not going to be easy but nothing in life ever is especially when Taehyung has to deal with a mother like his.
Taehyung has faith and total trust in Y/N, he knows how strong she is and that she's not the type of woman to be so easily intimated. He knows she'll stand by him through everything his mother has planned, he just wishes she didn't have to do that.
Is he even worth it?
He tries not to let those thoughts linger, he doesn't like to doubt his own worth but nobody is perfect and sometimes these thoughts plague Taehyung even though he knows they shouldn't. Y/N would tell him he's worth it, he can almost hear her soft melodic voice chastising him for even thinking the opposite.
Even now.... as he's out here worrying and she's sleeping soundly upstairs she still finds a way to settle his inner turmoil.
Fuck, he's really falling for her isn't he?
Well and truly falling.
Irrevocably so.
.....and it still scares the hell out of him because Taehyung doesn't do love, he never has. Yeah, he loves the guys but that's a different kind of love. This....what he's feeling now for Y/N is different, so very different. It's the kind you crave but you're almost afraid to find it because once you do, how are you supposed to deal with it? How are you supposed to deal with something so fragile and so delicate? How are you supposed to keep it alive and fiery hot with the passion and love you initially feel for the other? When the flames flicker, when they sway and dim how are you supposed to entice them to stay and give you a chance to bring them back to what they once were? To some love might be easy but to Tae it's something he never expected to find and now he's feeling the start of it, now the fire is burning how does he keep it going? How does he stop others from attempting to extinguish the flames?
If you only know the surface layer of Kim Taehyung, if you only see what he wants you to see you would never guess that he has thoughts like this. That he craves yet fears love, and that when he feels when he truly feels he does so with intensity and reckless abandon.
Y/N has been slowly peeling the layers back one by one since the day they met, she still has many more to go but what scares Taehyung is that he will let her do so and he's never let anyone do that before....never given anyone that permission.
Will he come to regret it?
Will it be his downfall?
Taehyung doesn't know and for now he can't find it in himself to care because even if he does end up regretting it, even if it is truly his downfall he will gladly endure it if that means he gets to fall for the beautiful woman upstairs with moonlight shimmering across her cheekbones.
Damn....when did he become such a sap.
Taehyung laughs to himself, finishing off the rest of his beer as he heads back inside.
He pushes thoughts of his mother and Sasha to the back of his mind.
Now is not the time for them.
Y/N is still fast asleep when he slips back under the sheets, she furrows her brow adorably when Tae brushes his cold nose against her own.
"You scare me." He whispers, fingers tracing over her lips ever so softly so he doesn't wake her.
"You scare me because you make me want to be better, you make me want to fight my mother for what I want...for what I believe in. Please don't let her push you away, please fight for me because I'll always fight for you." His thumb brushes across her jaw, emotions betraying him as his eyes sting with the promise of tears.
"You scare me too Kim Taehyung but if you think I'm going anywhere you best think again." Taehyung startles as Y/N's sleepy voice drifts across the small space between them, he can't see much in the dark but he can tell her eyes are now open.
Did she hear all of that?
She must have.
"If you think I'm going to let you mother come between us then you're an idiot." Taehyung chuckles, forcing back his tears as he finds Y/N's hands beneath the sheets and laces their fingers together.
"I lost my sight, I lost the person I used to be but I didn't give up even though I wanted to at times, even though I might have moments where I struggle now. If I can go through that then I can face whatever your mother throws at us, I'm not giving up on you so long as you don't give up on me....deal?"
They're both holding back tears now, sniffling as they share a kiss bathed in moonlight.
He's no longer falling, he's spiralling headfirst.... flames flickering and sparking.
His mother doesn't stand a chance.
((HELLO! LOL Finally this book is getting the love and attention it deserves. I'm so sorry you've had to wait so long, that won't happen again. As you know I've been struggling with writers block for a long time and life just dragged me down especially during the lockdown. This book has now been fully edited so you may want to go back to the start and read again especially if you haven't read it in ages lol you'll need to remind yourself of the story. This book will be updated every Monday! It's not one of my most popular books but it's one I love and want to finish, so please give me your thoughts and thanks again for your patience, love and support. Love you guys and see you here again next Monday for the next update 🥰💜))