"Are you coming today?"

"I am coming."

"Didn't you say that every time?" Taehyung smiled.

"I can manage this time. Don't worry. I cleared my schedule for today," Ashley smiled back.

"Don't take any phone call except mine," Taehyung said hurriedly.

"Why? Afraid I might get snatched away again?" Ashley teased slightly.

"How can I compete? I know your priority!" Taehyung sulked.

"Is that so?"

"Tell me," Taehyung asked giddily,
"Who is it? Me or them?"

"I'll zip it," Ashley suppressed her laughter.

"You know...now I think...the best way to get you fully is...if I am a patient of yours."

"Wanna die?" Ashley glared at him.

"For you? Sure," Taehyung winked.

"Flirting again?"

"You don't like it?" Taehyung chuckled.

" You are busy probably, don't worry, I'll be on time."

After the phone call ended, she looked at the watch.
It's already six.
She took her backpack and came out of her chamber.

"Unnie, I'm off. Have a good day," Ashley nodded towards Park Aera.

"Going to the concert today?" Park Aera asked nonchalantly.

Ashley gave a quick glance at Yuri beside her and smiled, "Yeah."

"Have fun, kid!" Park Aera winked.

Ashley came out smiling.

She was at the venue just in time and sent a quick text to Taehyung ensuring she has not got dragged away this time or not got kidnapped in the way here.

The concert was magical indeed like they say it. What happened there is a blur, but girls including Ashley were injured internally due to specific someone who made the headline in the entertainment world again tonight.

It wasn't exaggerated when Taehyung said Ashley to brace herself today for quite an experience. Where was the lie though? He went all in.

Later that night, Taehyung was long in a sleep coma just coming back from the concert on Ashley's bed.
As the night deepens, Ashley finished some works and went to bed. She leaned on the headboard of the bed and stared at Taehyung sleeping soundly.

Her hand automatically moved towards his hair, fiddling it lightly with a feather touch.

Taehyung snuggled close to her in his sleep.
She was in her mind clouded all over herself, thinking all the random things she could.

"Why are you crying?"

She came back to reality with Taehyung's sudden confused and sleepy voice. She blushed as she felt embarrassed all of a sudden.
Taehyung's arm slipped around her waist and pulled her closer, "Why are you not sleeping? What time is it? Isn't it late?"

"It's almost midnight. Go back to sleep," Ashley slightly stroked his cheek.

"You saw the concert today," Taehyung suddenly remembered, "At last."

Ashley hummed in response.

"How was it?" His voice was laced with curious eagerness.

"Someone took my breath away," Ashley responded cheekily.

"That's my specialty," Taehyung flashed his teeth.

"Who said it was you?" Ashley smirked lightly.

The next moment she was thrown and pinned down on the bed,
"Really? Not me?" His voice was full of mischief.

"Let me go," Ashley struggled.

"Should I show you again that it's only me who can take your breath away if I want?"

"Pervert!" Ashley shouted and hit him with a pillow.

"Really? You wanna pick up a fight at this hour of the night?" Taehyung chuckled.

He surrendered after getting hit by the pillow several times more.
He took her in his arms again after some minutes and fiddled with a streak of her hair, "Ash?"

"Yeah?" Ashley mumbled.

"Why were you crying?"

She chuckled a little more but said nothing.

"Won't talk to me?"

"I don't know. You just felt so....so surreal. Being with you at this moment, it felt so.....overwhelming," Ashley mumbled, embarrassed to the peak.

"I know what you mean," Taehyung poked her face.

"Let's go out." Ashley suddenly said.

"Now?" Taehyung smiled.

"We can still catch the last night bus if we leave now," Ashley raised one of her brows giddily.

"Let's go," Taehyung rushed down the bed and searched for his jacket. He was still in his t-shirt and jeans as he fell asleep as soon as he returned from the concert.

"Turn off the light," Ashley said from the main door when Taehyung was busy tying up his trainers.

Taehyung switched off the light and went towards the door.
He remembered something, "hell, I forgot something."

"What?"

He suddenly yanked Ashley back inside and pinned her against the wall.
The kiss was lingering yet gentle. When it was getting a bit heated, Ashley whispered reminding him,
"The bus."

Taehyung let out an embarrassed chuckle and rested his face in the crook of her neck, " I missed you the whole week."

"Two weeks," Ashley corrected him.

"One week, two weeks. It always the same. It feels like years to me."

"Why are you being this cheesy?"

"Say you don't like it?"

"Whatever," Ashley pulled Taehyung out.

Taking the night bus late at night became their thing for the past few years. Taking a full tour back and forth, listening to music with the shared earphone, holding hands, and barely talking.
It always helped them heal after long days full of patients or the distressed and struggling schedules and depression under fame.

The bus was almost empty at this hour of the night.

"It is a bit cold," Ashley shivered a little after opening the glass of the window.

"Come here," Taehyung opened the zipper of his jacket a little and wrapped it around Ashley after taking her against his chest.

"Abeoji wanted to know if you are sure that they can come to the ceremony."

" Of course! I wouldn't invite them if I wasn't sure!" Ashley smiled assuredly, "Besides, who else I have except you all?"

"What would I call you after that  Dr. Ruth? Wait, you already are a doctor. Shouldn't you use double Dr. After completing the p.HD?"

Ashley pinched him hard.
The convocation ceremony for her doctoral degree was ahead.

"Can I come?" Taehyung suddenly asked.

Ashley looked at him surprised,
"Really? Do you want?"

" Yes."

" Think about it. We will talk about it later."

"I thought about it already. It's been years. Let's make it official. I don't care about anything else."

Ashley's eyes flickered a little with excitement.
Not that there weren't any rumors regarding Taehyung's dating circulating through the air for the past few years.
Though they didn't say who the girl was. But the rumor said that it was a common foreign girl, no celebrity or whatsoever.
These rumors caused a lot of uproars at that time but Ashley didn't pay any heed to them, rather engaged herself more into her works to get herself busy.

Some moments went by in silence with light air ruffling Ashley's hairs.

Ashley brought out her phone and put on the earphone while listening to the melody she hummed along so lightly.
Taehyung contentedly listened to the incoherent humming.

He placed his palm in front of Ashley wanting one earphone, not saying anything.

Ashley casually pulled out something from her pocket and placed it on his palm, still humming.

Taehyung's eyes widened seeing the ring sitting on his palm.

He looked at Ashley who was now turning off her phone nonchalantly.

"Ash..."

" What do you say?" She smiled a little.

Taehyung again looked at the titanium and gold ring with oxidized blue metal streaks around it without any words.

" Tae..."

" You are cheating, it should have been me!" Taehyung wrapped his fingers around the ring.

"I lightened your workload then!" Ashley winked.

" Tae, we have been together for some years. As things are getting a little stable and we are not getting any younger every day, I thought it was about time. What say you?"

"I....I.." Taehyung chuckled nervously, "I am surprised."

"Why?" Ashley frowned a little enjoying the startled face of her man.

"Umm… I…" Taehyung again chuckled before pulling out a little box from his pocket.

Ashley didn't expect it at all. When she decided to propose, all she thought about was how surprised or happy Taehyung would be.

Her eyes were in clouds.
Taehyung opened the box for her to see, "I was carrying it with me for the last two weeks. But you know, can't do it through face time!"

Ashley couldn't surpass her small laughter.

"You said we are not getting any younger, speaking of which, how about getting old together?" Taehyung was smiling.

Ashley was sure that she will never cry, but she was surprised when her sight blurred a little.

"Ashley Charlotte ruth...will you..."

Ashley put a finger on his mouth shushing him right then.
"Don't steal my part, cowboy. I was here first."

Taehyung cackled and nodded obediently and pecked the finger shushing him, "yes ma'am."

She removed her finger from his lips and smiled, "Umm….be mine?"

"I am yours," Taehyung returned the brightest smile ever.

"Forever?"

"Forever and always," Taehyung smiled and kissed her after putting the ring on her finger. She leaned on his shoulder seeing the ring on his fingers, "Everyone will notice now, Probably."

"Let them," Taehyung removed a streak of hair from her forehead and kissed on it, "It's crazy! I've done it!"

"It's beautiful!" Ashley looked at the ring on her finger.

"It's my grandma's. I brought it from mom last time I went there."

"Your grandma's?" Ashley looked at his eyes.

Taehyung just smiled and embraced her softly and mumbled in her hairs,
"She'd be so happy if she could see you. She'd loved you."

"Would she?"

"Ashley, how lucky I had gotten in this life to deserve you?"

"I love you, Kim Taehyung," Ashley smiled and closed her eyes in his embrace.

" I love you, Ash. I love it's you. It can never be anyone but you. It's always you."