/Narrator's POV/
It was a rainy June morning. The moist ground of yesterday should have been an indicator that today's weather would be rather gloomy. During this time in the summer, rain was expected but not much of it. Chicago wasn't the warmest city in the summer time so when it did rain, it could get a bit chilly outside.
Taehyung thoroughly enjoyed watching the weather. He loved how nobody could control the weather. How it has a mind of its own, and would change whenever it got ready to. He really liked the rain. How the droplets fell against his window and slowly slide down to join the others inside of the little cracks and crevices. The tiny streams and pools they made as they joined as one. It calmed him.
This morning was different. He couldn't focus on the rain as much as he would've liked to, because he was so focused on the woman laying on her back above the sheets in his bed. Taehyung had taken the initiative to crank the heat up so that she was comfortable laying without blankets to cover her. Her trench coat untied so that he could see the lingerie she wore beneath, although he found that to be the least enticing thing about her at the moment.
She was so different now. This was the closets they had been to one another ever since their short lived time in the paradise room together. There was something about her that was still so familiar and comforting, reminding him of what he once considered home. But in the same sense, she was a stranger.
This was the Liyah Gwan that present day Taehyung knew of, and not the one teenage Taehyung knew of. Somehow, that made him uncomfortable.
She was a gentle sleeper, didn't move much. Her features relaxed to smooth out any stress on her face. Her rosy lips resting apart to expose a glimpse of her white teeth. Her curved lashes resting on the lids of her eyes. Her curly afro sprawled out on Taehyung's pillows. The consistent rise and fall of her bosom. It's careful and healthy which calms him in a way , that reminds him she is in good health. She was his sweet innocent Liyah when she slept. This was far too much for him to handle.
Taehyung palmed the back of his neck, giving her a glimpse before leaving the room to enter the bathroom. He gets there and could only hold out his hand that had a fat bandage resting on top of his bruised and scraped up knuckles. He wasn't even certain that he had cleaned his wounds correctly, nor was he certain that he had patched the bandage on right.
He could care less about himself. He was relieved that he had saved Liyah before that bastard could take advantage of her. The thought made him sick. What he had seen last night brought out a side of him that hadn't been released since he went to prison. The monster, the relentless and merciless Taehyung that he hated. He hated to get so fucking violent but god knows that the last thing he could ever want was for Liyah to get hurt. He saved her. And, after damn near killing her assaulter, picked her up and drove her back to his condo. She had passed out and so Taehyung sat beside her the entire night. He hadn't gotten not an ounce of sleep and truth be told he couldn't rest until he heard her voice again. Seen her eyes again.
The thought drives him to turn off the bathroom lights and take an exit. Back into his bedroom, where he is surprised to see her sitting up on the bed looking around with confusion. Taehyung's heart skips in his chest. He hadn't felt so nervous, so careful in awhile. He felt as if he was walking on eggshells around her. Nonetheless, he could muster up words and speak to let her know that she wasn't alone.
"You're awake." He says simply. Liyah cuts her eyes in his direction. In the corner of her head, she felt a painful sensation. A headache. She ignores it as she makes eye contact with Taehyung. The person she least expected to see.
"Good morning." Taehyung adds, stopping in front of the bed instead of walking around to stand beside her. Liyah breathes in as she sits up straighter on the bed. The room reminded her of a fancy hotel suite. The bed was soft with four pillows on top. The covers crisp and clean, free of any irritating lent.
"Morning." Liyah croaks. Her voice sounded much more rougher than Taehyung thought it would. He figured a tall glass of water and some painkillers would help her out a ton right now.
"Hold on a second." He murmured before turning to leave the bedroom. Taehyung goes into the kitchen where he prepared a tall glass cup of water. Immediately after, he goes to the bathroom and opens the medicine cabinet to grab the Advils before going back to Liyah who was now sitting at the edge of the bed, still looking around like a confused puppy.
Taehyung flexed his jaws as he stopped before her. Extending out a hand to reach her the water but not the painkillers . Reluctantly, Liyah took the water. Taehyung stared at her face as he untwisted the cap to the pill bottle before taking out two tablets. Liyah holds out her hand again before proceeding to accept both. Taehyung hums and steps back.
This was quite awkward. On both ends it was awkward. Taehyung could only stand and stare. Liyah could only accept what he had given her. But neither could talk.
The room was cold and seemingly void of any spoken feelings between them. Their movements were robotic and words scarce. It took Taehyung some time, but after awhile he was the first to speak up. Watching as the girl downed the water after the Advils.
"Are you feeling okay?" He asked. Liyah tensed up. Only because she wasn't feeling okay, not at all. His words brought back memories from last night. Liyah had experienced some pretty traumatizing shit in her lifetime. But there was hardly any hero in the end.
Last night was different. Last night, Taehyung had come to her rescue. Liyah had mixed feelings about that. She didn't want Taehyung to be the hero in her story. She didn't want him in her story at all. However, she was grateful that he had come. Otherwise she would've been subjected to something horrible.
"I'm okay." Liyah lied. She could feel the dried up blood on her hands peeling everytime she moved. She vividly remember how the blood oozed from her palm last night after getting cut with glass. It hurt her ever so badly but she didn't want to stay in this room with him for a second longer.
Taehyung smirked. "You've never been a good liar, bumble bee." He tsked. Liyah licked over her lips. That nickname would always set off alarms for her. It was upsetting. A reminder of what they used to have which was no longer there.
The man standing before her could only sigh and rub the back of his neck as he left once again. He was doing a lot of back and forth for her but he didn't mind. This entire situation had him stressed but he could only imagine how Liyah must've been feeling. He grabbed a wash cloth and wet it with warm water, a bit of peroxide and then grabbed a bandage before going back into the room.
Liyah was still sitting in the same spot. When Taehyung stopped in front of her, she looked away from him. As much as that single gesture hurt him, he was more so worried about taking care of her injury.
Without asking, he took her injured hand in his. He got on one knee on the floor and placed the bandage beside Liyah on the bed. He then began to clean the blood that was on her palm, eyebrows furrowed together as he concentrated. Liyah grimaced.
"I could've taken care of it." Liyah said. Taehyung shook his head. "I'm already cleaning the wound. You might as well let me finish."
"I'm talking about last night." Liyah mumbled. Taehyung briefly stopped to look up at her. He damn near laughed. Liyah tucked her bottom lip between her teeth as she peered down at him. Her eyes were empty. Taehyung wasn't convinced.
"Then why didn't you?" He asked, wiping off the remainder of the blood before taking the bandage. He opened the bandage and carefully placed it over her cut. As much as he got injured, he didn't have any ointment to treat the wound further. But he did what he could.
Liyah remained silent. Taehyung nodded. "Exactly." He said, standing up to his feet.
"I don't need your protection." Liyah said. God, he was always a ticking time bomb in her presence. Always on edge with her because she just loved to prove him wrong. Even when they were teenager Liyah was the same. A bit more docile, but still.
"He was going to rape you Liyah. Why can't you just thank me and keep it moving?" Taehyung asked, voice raising. Liyah raised a brow.
"Thank you? As if you're super man and I called on you to save the day. I don't need you anymore Taehyung!" Liyah shouted, standing up from the bed.
"Dammit Liyah-" Taehyung began to yell but he held himself back. Taking a deep inhale. He didn't imagine that their first full conversation in seven years would involve so much yelling. Perhaps that was his problem. He expected the same Liyah he had left behind. That wasn't her anymore.
"Why can't you just accept the help? Why does everything have to be a fucking argument with you?!" He yelled. Liyah stood up in a flash.
"Thank you! Is that what you want to hear Taehyung?! Thank you for fucking saving me, for being there for the first time in seven years!" Liyah shouted. Taehyung clenched his jaw. So much he wanted to say. He wanted to raise his voice at her. Yell at her with the same anger she had thrown at him. Fuck, he wanted to so bad. But he wouldn't. It would only push her further away from him than she already was. And Taehyung couldn't let that happen.
"I need to get back to my car.." Liyah says in a much softer tone after a deep sigh. She was thinking about so much at the moment. She was confused, angry, longing, sad. She felt dirty and tired. Drained. Liyah was drained in every sense of the word. And Taehyung wasn't helping that.
Taehyung sniffled, running his finger along his nose as he looked down at the floor. Although it was Liyah's first time inside of his home, she took it upon herself to exit the one room she had become familiar with just to get away from him. She couldn't take him.
Her heels echo in the halls as she walks down them slowly. Looking to her left, she noticed the many paintings on the wall. Taehyung throughly enjoyed the works of Vincent Van Gogh and Park Su-Geun. Liyah used to reminisce about the days where they would sit on the floor in the middle of her bedroom flickering through his book of printed or recreated paintings from both artists. He never had much to say about them, but Liyah knew that he admired them and their works.
It amazes her how he hadn't given up on them. Or his love for red. Most of his furniture was red. The apartment was high rise...or perhaps he lived in a condo. Spacious and cold, sort of like this new Taehyung. Liyah could only look around and wonder about just how lonely he probably got at night. Living in so much space by himself. If, he was even by himself.
The thought of Taehyung having a significant other made Liyah feel uncomfortable. She could only blink, looking down at the marbled floors. She suddenly remembered Jimin. And how he must've been worried sick about her.
Just as the thought crossed her mind, a whisk of tension and air pushed past her. A deep muffle of the simple words "come on" drew her out of her thoughts. As she looked up, she seen Taehyung cutting his eyes at her as if they were dark brown shards of glass, as he opened the front door and impatiently waited for her. Liyah could tell that she had upset him but she couldn't find it in herself to feel too bad, knowing that he had angered her as well. It was then she realized that the unanswered questions and boiling rage between them would never be solved. And Liyah didn't know how to feel about that.
•••
The mustang was the same as Liyah had left it. She realized that as Taehyung's black Buick came up to a smooth stop on side of the relatively old vehicle. Liyah felt relief wash over her, knowing that nothing had happened to the car and she or Jimin wouldn't have to worry about getting it repaired. The woman grabbed her duffle bag from the backseat. The sound of her seatbelt snapping apart could be heard as she hustled to get out of the car.
Watching her scamble to get out of his presence made taehyung want to laugh. It was slightly humorous, their constant quarreling despite thinking that they would run into each others arms with pure happiness after seeing one another again in seven years. But Taehyung couldn't just let her leave. He had gotten her back and he would be damned if he were to let her slip away again. It just wasn't happening.
Liyah's left hand is on the door handle, ready to open the passenger side door of the Buick and walk out of his life. Taehyung could only briefly register his actions before he is taking a hand and gently grabbing her right wrist. Liyah snaps her head in his direction, wondering just how he planned on holding her hostage this time. She had to admit, his persistence was impressive.
"I'll be at Franks Friday night, say around 7."
Liyah raised a brow. Taehyung licked his lips, gazing down at her wrist in his hand. "If you don't show I'll leave you alone for as long as you want me to." Taehyung says. And, although he didn't mention what would happen if she chooses to show cons Friday night, Liyah already knew. She felt a lump forming in her throat. This was an ultimatum that she hadn't prepared for. So typical of Taehyung to drop destructive ass decision bombs and leave her to solve them. If she did, her world wouldn't erupt into flames. If she didn't, she was doomed. Either way, he was the reason for her demise.
The damage he had left behind was irreparable. Deep scars that painted a vivid, painful image of a calamitous past. Liyah was embarrassed of the mess she had become in his absence. She didn't want to double back, she didn't want to become vulnerable all over again. Leaving herself to be the constructor of the walls that had once been torn down by him. It was fear that was holding Liyah back. She was scared, rightfully so. Her heart was just starting to feel like hers again. She didn't need him to reclaim it.
The woman slipped her wrist out of his grasp after sitting in silence for damn near two minutes. As she opens the door, all of the tension seems to tumble out. There is nothing left to say. Nothing left in between them. Liyah left no room for conversation, nor did she give him a chance to start one. She could only slam the door of his car shut before hopping inside of the mustang. It was cold and held a faint smell of Jimin. She missed him and needed to get to him. There was no time to sit and worry about Taehyung. However, as she pulled off she could only think about his unspecified proposition.
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A/n: this. chapter. put. me. through. hell.
I feel as though I can finally BREATHE good lord. I hope you guys enjoy this as much as I hated writing it 😭
Excuse any mistakes <3.