Dying to see your face, Taehyung rushes along the busy white corridors, trying to avoid collision with the passing nurses and fellow patients. Before he even enters your hospital room, he can already hear the vibrant voices.
"Okay, maybe we can give this one a try?" He hears Jin say.
His friend's voice is followed by the sound of someone gagging which is soon followed by Jungkook's voice, "Oh my fuck, absolutely not. The red jelly is better than this chocolate pudding. Fucking hell, why does hospital food suck ass so much?"
Stopping at the door and making sure he's not noticed, Taehyung smiles to himself in amusement.
Then lastly, he hears your sweet voice that makes his heart beat fast out of excitement, "But I don't even like jelly.", you whine, "Just give me the chocolate pudding."
"Nu-uh." Jungkook refuses, "You're not eating this, it tastes like ass."
With a smirk, you reply, "Yeah and you'd know what that tastes like, wouldn't you?"
Taehyung has to press his lips together to stop himself from laughing. Before Jungkook can even respond, Jin quickly offers a suggestion seeing as he's the only adult in the room, "Okay, how about I just order some McDonald's?"
Finally, as he clears his throat, Taehyung enters with "I was craving some KFC actually."
All three heads turn to him and he sees your eyes spark wide with surprise and joy as you shoot out of your bed. You leap into his arms and he welcomes you lovingly, holding onto you just as tight as he feels your arms wrap around him as if they were to never let go.
His heart feels full and content with the feeling of your weight against his again, it's a feeling he can't believe he was so close to losing. Kissing the top of your head, he can't even find the words to say anything right now.
"It's good to see you're okay, Taehyung."
He looks up at Jungkook and nods in acknowledgement, "Thanks and thank you for...saving her I guess."
Jungkook gives a small smile in return, "Of course, I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I hadn't."
He knows exactly how Jungkook feels. He wouldn't be able to live with himself either if the world was robbed of your beautiful soul. Shifting his eyes to Jin, "I..I-"
"It's alright." Jin interrupts, "You don't have to-"
"No, I do." Taehyung insists, finding it in him to say what he needs to say, "I owe you my life. I'm alive because of you."
Jin swallows, recalling all the trauma of last night, how his best friend almost died in front of him.
"It's something I'll never be able to repay." Taehyung continues, forcing his voice to stay strong as he looks deep into Jin's eyes, "And it's something I'll never forget you did for me as my friend. I love you."
He can feel your head come out of his chest and look up at him after what he just said. Jin looks slightly stunned too, never thinking that he'd hear those words from him nor see him be willing to forgive so soon. "I love you too, Taehyung." Jin responds, his heart feeling warm.
"Aw, well isn't this just so damn sweet." Jungkook breaks the atmosphere, awkwardly standing there amidst everything all the bro loving.
"Jungkook." You complain and then look back up at Taehyung who meets your eyes and smiles. But the smile soon disappears as you let go of him and punch him in the gut.
"Ow!" Taehyung exclaims, surprised by your strength, "Wha-"
Jungkook tries to stifle his laughter, holding his hand over his mouth.
"That's for almost dying, you prick." You scowl, sending him a glare.
But he only ends up smiling bigger, finding you adorable, "I do deserve that one. I'm sorry, sweetheart." Despite your pout and glare remaining, he pulls you back into his arms where you belong.
"Alright, so KFC it is then?" Jungkook brings up food again, not being able to forget how hungry he still is.
"Sounds good." Taehyung responds.
Jin says, "Yeah, you guys go ahead." He looks at you then up at Taehyung, "There's something I have to do first."
•
Jin's neck feels stiff as a rock. He's afraid to turn his head in case it cracks and disassembles into pieces. Clearing his throat, he unnecessarily sniffs just to give him something to do while sitting in the still, dense air. He's not going to lie, he is nervous. More nervous than he's ever been. But this is something he should've done a long time ago. So putting all feelings aside, he straightens his back.
Reaching out to the cup of coffee that's slowly starting to go cold on this brittle morning, he convinces he'll take a sip but then simply puts the cup back down after contemplating for a second. He feels too sick right now, he's worried about one thing and therefore he's worried about doing anything else.
Here he is, back at the same cafe that's still empty as ever. Except for two men, sitting in the most casual clothes they could find and sipping their drinks as unsuspiciously as they could. Jin glances into the cafe from the table outside, checking once again like he has been anxiously for the past twenty minutes.
"What's with the look?"
He hears Namjoon's voice, followed by a mocking chuckle. Jin gulps once again as the man takes the seat opposite of him.
"What look?"
Namjoon shrugs, grabbing a toothpick from the jar on the table and fiddling with it. "I don't know, you just look panicked as hell."
"Really?" Jin nervously laughs in response, pinching his own hands as he shifts in his seat. "It's good to see you, Joon."
He scoffs in return. "Cut the bullshit. Why did you invite me here? I thought we agreed to never talk again."
It's not to Jin's surprise Namjoon's already suspicious of this sudden meeting and he knew he had to make things quick but meaningful.
Jin sighs, looking down at his hands. "There's something about our last meeting that didn't sit well with me, Namjoon."
Namjoon raises a sceptical eyebrow in response, "And that is?"
"Well," Jin looks up at him, eyes icy and stern, "I didn't appreciate the way you thought you could just walk all over me, your loyal friend, and destroy a young girl's life, thinking..." He smirks in hilarity, "...that you could just walk away without consequences."
The air thickens with Jin's taunting words and Namjoon's eyes narrow carefully as he tries to analyze the meaning behind his words. "What consequences would those be, Jin? As far as I know, you're the only one who has to worry about an unhappy ending with all of this."
Shaking his head, Jin tries to control his anger, "And yet you're still talking to me like you're not lying in your own shit right now." He can't help but grit his teeth as he talks and Namjoon internally admits he's never seen this side before.
"There's something you forgot about me, Joon, something you should've kept in mind." Jin continues, piercing his fierce stare through the shameless man in front of him, "As I said, I'm a loyal friend and I would never betray my own but seeing how you ended our friendship the last time we met, there's no reason for me to stay loyal or protect you anymore."
"Protect me? I don't need your protection, you should be worried about protecting yourself." Namjoon shoots back, infuriating Jin even more how he still manages to have the audacity to try and speak over him.
"And that's where you're wrong, Joon. When you ended our friendship, my loyalty shifted to my real friends and in case you didn't know, one of them happens to be Y/N. So it makes all the sense of what I need to do now for her."
He can tell Namjoon is getting more nervous now. Sitting back, he looks Jin up and down as his ego and security start to shred. Jin grins, he knows he's got him.
"Also there's another thing you forgot about me."
Namjoon glances cowardly away, "What is that?"
Blinking slowly, Jin leans closer and deepens his voice, "I've got a lot of money. And money can mean power so in that case, you should never mess with someone who's more powerful than you."
Leaning back, Jin turns to look inside, meeting eyes with the men waiting behind the windows. With a swift nod, the two men receive the signal and stand up briskly, walking out of the cafe.
Namjoon stands up automatically, alarmed, feeling his fleeing instincts resurfacing. The two men enclose the distance with him as he stumbles back.
"Kim Namjoon, you're under arrest for drunk driving and fleeing after heavily injuring other individuals." The taller man roughly turns him around and speedily handcuffs his hands behind his back.
"Wha-what is going on?!" Namjoon exclaims, panic and anxiety flooding his eyes as he looks frantically between the cops and Jin. "You can't do this! I'm the wrong person, he's the one who-!"
"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say will be-" The second cop is interrupted by Namjoon's unstoppable yelling.
"You honestly can't think this will work." Namjoon audaciously starts laughing at Jin, "They'll find you out, I'll let them know, I'll-"
"Namjoon, please. Save your breath for someone who actually cares." Jin responds calmly.
Namjoon's eyes grow wide with perplexity, his mouth dropping open. "Y-you-you-!"
Choosing to ignore the yelling man, Jin pats one of the cops on the back, "Thanks, fellas."
"Of course, sir. We'll take it from here."
He nods in appreciation, giving Namjoon a polite smile and bowing before saying, "I'll get going now. Enjoy your time in a cell, my 'friend'."
•
The hushed greens of the trees told the wind to calm themselves, asking for solitary in its own beauty instead of the disruption the force of air caused as it begged for attention. But the sun was getting ready for rest and it called on the wind to greet the evening with a cooler atmosphere, not caring that the scenery of nature had limited time left to be adored as the stars would soon cast over the black cape of the night to make the show their own.
You take in a breath of crisp air and idly watch the elements fight over the eyes of humans, feeling sorry for the day that soon would have to come to an end as night approaches with a smug smile. But you decide to smile with them, knowing another day awaits where you get to spend your life with the one you love.
As if on cue, a pair of arms wrap around your waist from behind you and the feeling is all too familiar to not be able to know who it is.
"I always find you out here," Taehyung says softly into your ear, brushing his lips against your soft cheek.
"Well someone has to make use of this billion-dollar view."
He chuckles, "True, you were always the more grateful one. Maybe it's a trait I should pick up every once in a while, being the spoiled brat I am."
"That's quite correct, Mr CEO of one of the most successful companies in Korea." You feel his smile against your ears as you tease him.
"Well, as long as I have you, I don't see what more I need to be grateful for."
This makes you glance up at his smiling face and he takes the chance to plant a kiss on your lips. You roll your eyes at his smooth words and actions, "Please."
Another laugh escapes his grinning lips as he rests his chin on your head, adoring the view that you were so indulged in. He found himself encaptured at the moment as his eyes grazed over the view from his balcony. Only then did he realise how much more beauty to life he'd been missing out on.
"Has the pizza arrived yet?" You mumble the question, feeling sleepy in Taehyung's embrace.
"Hmm,", he answers, "Jungkook and Jin are waiting in the living room. Apparently, Jungkook wants us to do a marathon of all the Star Wars tonight."
"Oh god." You sigh, already falling into a doze, "It's going to be a long night."
He smiles into your hair, "Indeed."
The wind falls silent too and the sun caves deeper into the ground, saying a wordless goodbye until the morning. You turn around in Taehyung's embrace and look up at him, reaching up a hand to cup his face.
Feeling the warmth of your skin, he leans into your hand, closing his eyes as he wishes he could stay in this moment forever. But it's not something he had to wish for, he had the rest of his life to share moments like these with you.
He knows that this battle with himself and his mental health is far from over. But at least he'll have you by his side as he grapples the starless nights, giving him all the light he needs to be guided through the shadows.
Opening his eyes from the darkness, he finds your serene face staring back at him with a look he hopes he never stops seeing in your round orbs. With no need for words, he takes your mouth in his and caresses your lips with intense love, tightening his grip around your waist to let you know that he too will never leave your side.
"Okay lovebirds, are we going to watch the movie or just let the pizza go cold?"
Jungkook's voice projected from inside the house, causing the kiss to break. While Taehyung scowls at the interruption, you can't help but giggle, a glacé smile taking over your face.
"We should head inside, he won't stop bugging until we do," Taehyung tells you.
You nod, still smiling, "Okay, but try to not let him notice if I fall asleep on your shoulder."
He smiles back, "Got it."
Intertwining his fingers with yours, the two of you walk hand in hand back into the house.
To be honest, you were never one to believe in fortune-tellers or fate. But if this is the fate that's meant to happen, you'll take it.
The End
____________________
Here comes an end to another story of mine. Thank you so much to everyone who supported and commented on this book. I read all your comments and try my best to respond to most, you guys truly make me happy and pushed me to keep updating this book even when I lost the motivation to.
Out of all my books, this is probably the most emotional one I've written as it truly digs deep into dark emotions and the struggles of overcoming them. There's no doubt Taehyung will continue to struggle in this story but he's healing one day at a time :)
You have my whole heart, my lovelies ♥️
Feel free to check out my other books on my profile! All the love xx