RINEI
"Rinei."
My eyes flicker. There's a soft sigh, above me. Then the voice comes again, with the tender touch of fingertips wrapping around the side of my face.
"Wake up, love."
I recognize his voice.
"Tae."
I'm whispering before I even open my eyes. The dark landscape is what comes to me first, and then him. The moon glows behind him, outlining in silver.
Just with the way he's looking at me, I can tell.
I hurry off the small rock and throw my arms around his neck. He laughs, and I feel him press a kiss to my forehead as I squeeze him tighter.
My breaths run fast.
How?
"How are you—" I pull away, my hands wrapped around the curve of his strong shoulders. My gaze is full of awe as I stare up at his warm expression.
My voice is slightly shaking. I can't keep down the excitement.
"But it's night."
"You scared him when you disappeared like that," He whispers, pulling me closer. His hands shift to my waist. "He was the one who let me."
I blink.
"He let you out? For me?"
Taehyung nods. His eyes roam across my face, so full of love that I almost can't help but avoid his gaze in embarrassment.
He smiles. "He thought you hid from him. Thought that you would come out when you heard me."
My cheeks blush. "I-I fell asleep."
"That was my guess." He says. Then he breathes, tilting his head. Dark hair spills down the line of his shoulders.
"He loves you."
"I could feel it, when he spoke." Taehyung muses, tucking a lock of my hair over my ear. "You might've just tamed him, love."
"Does that mean he won't take over anymore?"
"I'm not sure." He whispers. "This might be just the one time. Or it might not be. I still can't say for certain."
"But one thing I know is that he won't be the same as before."
His voice is impatient as he looks down at me. His eyes are fixed on my lips.
"Now kiss me. I've waited so many nights."
Me too.
I don't even wait for him to finish. My hands bury themselves into his soft hair, and my lips are on his. The kiss is deep— and I shiver when he makes a pressed noise in his throat.
It turns deeper. His hands trace my body as I touch him, under his cloak. I get closer— the closest I can possibly get.
He tastes so sweet. And he smells like the Forest, the leaves wet with dew and the ground soft with rain.
"I love you." I whisper. His gaze brushes mine.
"Thank you for coming back."
_________________________________
The sheets are light and silky against my skin.
I should be asleep. It had only been a few hours since Taehyung had brought me back to the City, laid in bed with me. I should be knocked out cold.
But I wake to the first glint of dawn.
My eyes flicker. And I lay still, looking at him.
He's awake, too. He's sitting on the edge of the bed, body bent forward with his head in his hands. His back is turned to me.
Oh.
I don't need to see his face to know that the other Tae is back. At this point I could just tell, from the aura that changed whenever they switched.
My eyes blink slowly.
But for the first time, he feels different.
He doesn't move. Just has his head buried deep in his hands, breaths hushed. His shoulders are hunched forward.
He almost seems sad.
...sad?
I hesitate. But I know I have things to say to him, so I shift the slightest bit to the side. The blankets rustle, and I see him tense as he hears me.
He seems almost anxious.
So I break the silence first.
"Hey, other Tae."
He turns. And I had been right— he really does look sad. Usually he would've smiled at me, a coy, playful smile.
But right now his heart lips are a flat line. His eyes fix on me, and he won't say anything. Silence ticks on, for the next couple seconds.
I make an awkward cough.
"I wanted to, uh, say thanks. For what you did. I heard from Taehyung that you let him out because you were worried, and I—"
He laughs sharply. It makes me stop in my tracks, with just how bitter he sounds.
"You want to thank me for what?"
"For scaring you away?" He says, his eyes angled back in my direction in a way that half his face is still turned. "Enough for you to hide from me. You want to thank me for that?"
I frown.
"I wasn't hiding."
His gaze narrows.
"I called you. So many times. I turned the cliffs inside out looking for you."
"Don't lie to me."
"I was— you missed where I was, then." I exclaim, clasping the covers. "I think I fell asleep. You know I wouldn't just ignore you like that. I'm sorry I didn't hear you."
He falls quiet again. And he doesn't look like he really believes me either.
I sigh.
"You missed me." I repeat. "I'll take you to the place where I was if I have to. I'll show you. I really didn't hear."
He stays still. I'm staring at him when he suddenly shifts off the bed. He faces the wall.
"It doesn't matter."
Then he turns to look at me. His voice is flattened, his eyes passive.
"Do you want him here? I'll leave if you're done."
My eyes widen.
For a second I'm taken aback— really taken aback.
What happened to him?
It's like all of his snarky voice and possessiveness before has just dissipated. He looks hollow, and empty.
Now he just looks like someone who's given everything up.
My voice tightens. "I'm not done."
He sighs.
"And what more would you have possibly left to say to me?"
The things I wanted to say to him. I had a lot of things I wanted to say.
I just didn't know how to word it.
His gaze flickers away when he sees me silent. Then he sighs again, shifting up from the edge of the bed.
"Just go to sleep."
"I want you to understand that whatever you're trying to do—"
"I still think of you as Taehyung."
He pauses. And I frown, trying to find better words. Because that doesn't quite describe what I mean.
"I mean— I mean," I say, scrunching my brows. "You aren't him. But I think of you as...as another side of him, you know? It's just that you show up at night and he comes back during the day."
He narrows his eyes.
"What are you trying to say?"
I was trying to say...
"That you matter," I mumble. "You're different from Taehyung. And I want to get to know you as a separate person."
"Can I give you a name? I want to give you a name."
He stays silent. But I can feel that his gaze has lost its weight a little bit, from that brooding look he'd had earlier.
"I'll take that as a yes." I murmur, noting the complete awkward silence. Then I think for a little, finding it difficult to try and think about something else with him staring daggers at me like that.
I blink.
"Sage?"
"I don't heal."
"Hm. True." I sniff, pursing my lips. "What about Shadow? Because you're like...all dark...and a little bit scary sometimes— never mind."
"V."
"I like that." I say, snapping my fingers together at the name I'd come up with. Sharp and dark— with a touch of menace. It suited him.
I force a smile as I hold out a hand to shake his.
"Hi, V. Nice to meet you. We're going to start fresh at square one, okay? And pretend that you never dangled me sixty feet off a tree."
He glances at my hand.
"Come on." I say. "My arm hurts."
He hesitates, before slipping his fingers against mine.