Hiiiiii, I'm back with a new update! I am so sorry about the delay but I had tons of submissions and personal issues going on. Nevertheless, I'll try to keep my updates regular from now on. Have a good read:)

My eyes fluttered open, Taehyung's sleeping face the first thing in my vision. I rubbed my eyes, wondering how Tae got there. Reaching into my memories from the previous night, I remembered that I had decided to stay over at his place. I didn't want to leave him alone after everything he confessed to me last night. I would hate to think that he would take some extreme steps, like hurting himself if I left him alone. He seemed to want me to stay too, jumping on my offer when I made it.

I had insisted that I sleep on the couch, since I didn't think he would be comfortable sharing a bed but he urged me to sleep in his room. He convinced me that he didn't mind sharing, so I agreed. We kept a respectable distance between us, distance that I was yearning to cross but knew not to. 

Right now, seeing Tae sleeping in front of me, I realized how much I loved this moment. I could get used to waking up to him if we ever got to that point. He looked absolutely adorable, his eyes fluttering lightly as if he were dreaming and his mouth slightly open, drool spilling out from the side of his mouth onto his pillow. 

He looked extremely peaceful, like all his burdens were lifted off him and he was free as a soaring bird. I felt like I was seeing him at his most vulnerable, because people's guards are down when they are asleep, and I adored what I saw. 

I propped myself up on my elbow to get a better look at him, noticing features I didn't know existed, like the little moles by the corner of his lips and under his nose. I observed how plump and rosy his lips were, the most perfect pair of lips I had ever laid my eyes on and how long his eyelashes were, so luscious that it could make any person on this planet jealous. He was ethereal, absolutely angelic. I just couldn't believe that a person this beautiful could even be human.

His long, coal black hair was falling over his eyes, tickling his nose, his face scrunching up at the feeling. Not wanting him to wake up because of that, I reached my hand out and tentatively pushed his hair behind his ear. His eyes opened slightly when I did that, sleepily trying to make sense of where he was and who he was with. He opened one eye completely and looked startled when he saw me. I guess he too forgot how we ended up here. He opened the other eye slowly, his lips pulling up in a smile as he looked at me. I mimicked the smile, retracting my hand from behind his ear.

"Hi," I whispered, afraid to speak too loudly and shatter this moment.

"Hey," he replied, his eyes still sleepy and his voice thick. I had this sudden urge to frame his face with my hands and leave kisses all over it but I controlled it, only smiling at him, my hand in a fist by my side.

"For a second there I was like, woah, what is he doing here," he said, a chuckle falling off his lips. I laughed along, "Me too."

I continued, teasing him a little bit, "you know you look really adorable when you're asleep, with your mouth open and drool falling from it." 

His eyes widened as he covered his mouth, red tinting his cheeks. "Jungkook, what the hell," he said, clearly embarrassed. He smacked my arm, smirking evilly when my face contorted in pain.

"I'm sorry, I was kidding. You looked absolutely exquisite, like an angel," I replied, a smile on my face at how cute he was behaving.

"Shut up," he mumbled, hiding his face in his pillow, not meeting my gaze.

I chuckled at that, my heart fluttering at how endearing he was. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, turning to face me again, reaching his other hand out to entwine with mine.

"I don't want to get up," he muttered, snuggling into his pillow further. I almost cooed, almost.

"You don't have to. How does breakfast in bed sound to you?" I asked, watching his eyes slowly light up. I decided I would make him as many breakfasts as he needed to see that look on his face again. He nodded sleepily, a wide smile on his face. I brought our hands to my lips, leaving a light kiss on the back of his hand before rolling out of bed.

"Kookie," he called out. I turned to look at him, his cheeks puffed out and tufts of his hair spread over the pillow. "Thank you, for everything," he said, an emotion in his eyes which I couldn't quite place. I just smiled at him, shaking my head. "You don't need to thank me Tae. Go back to sleep, I'll get breakfast to you," I said, walking out of the room.

It took me some time but I located all the ingredients and utensils needed to make him a spanish omelette. I cracked six eggs, whisking them till the yolks and the egg whites were no longer separated. I finely chopped a few tomatoes, onions, capsicums and coriander, taking my time to make every cut perfect. I sprinkled the veggies into the egg container, whisking them together again. 

Coating the pan with butter, I poured the batter into the pan, the crackling of the mixture making its home in my ears. There was something very inviting about the sizzling of the pan, the sound welcome in the otherwise quiet house. I covered the pan with a lid for a few minutes and flipped the omelette once the bottom was cooked perfectly. Another minute in the pan and the top was done too, leaving a beautiful caramelization on the skin of the vegetables. The aroma was almost intoxicating and I realized how hungry I was. Quickly making the second omelette, I put them on two plates, topping them with some more butter and fetching a fork and knife for each of us. 

Finding the dish slightly incomplete, I found some orange juice in Tae's fridge and poured two glasses for us. Carrying it all on a tray, I made my way to his bedroom, leaving it by his bedside to wake him up. I softly called out his name, not wanting to startle him awake. Slowly stretching, he rubbed his eyes and pushed himself up on his elbows. 

"Whatever you've made smells delicious," he said, sniffing the air with contentment. I brought his breakfast to him, pecking him at the top of his head because he was so adorable, before getting mine. He smiled at me as he dug into his fluffy omelette, immediately moaning at the taste.

"Fuck, this is so good! What the hell, Jungkook. I didn't know you were a cooking genius too," he said, stuffing more omelette in his mouth like someone was going to snatch his plate away. 

I just laughed, "I had to learn to cook because Jimin is a great person but a lost cause in the kitchen." He chuckled at that, not saying another word till he devoured his plate whole. I was scared that he would eat the plate as well, if I hadn't taken it away from him in time. 

"Do you think you could stay here forever?" Tae questioned, the smile never leaving his face.

"Haha, does that mean I have to cook you breakfast everyday?" I asked, playing along.

"Well, why else do you think I'm asking you to stay," he replied, a grin on his face. I smiled, shaking my head as I took both our plates to the sink. I went back to his room to see that he had wrapped his blanket around himself like a burrito and drifted off to sleep again. As beautiful as he looked, I had to get him up.

"Get up Tae, let's go," I said, shaking him lightly.

"Go where? Wait, don't you have school?" he asked, clinging to his blanket like a koala bear.

"There's something more important to do than school today," I answered, watching confusion settle on his face.

"What's more important than school? Where are you taking me?" he questioned, his forehead creased.

"We're going to meet Seungri," I answered and saw his eyes shoot open, startled and even more confused.

"What?" he questioned, the sleep gone from his eyes.

"Just trust me and get dressed, please," I pleaded, urging him to get up. He nodded, still puzzled and folded his blanket. I went to take a bath before him, as he wanted to tidy up the house before we left.

I turned on the shower, the steaming water streaming down my shoulders. The water cascaded down my body, warming up every inch of it. The muscles in my back relaxed as I let the water pour over my head, splashing some of it on my face. Moisture started to build up in the bathroom, condensing on the mirror parallel to the shower. I soaped up my body, playing with the suds a little before washing it off. 

I let the shower run till the water became cool, chills running down my spine. Grabbing my towel, I wiped myself down quickly and wrapped it around my waist. I ran my hand down the condensation on the mirror, creating a swipe of clarity amidst the blurriness. My hair was wet in the front, strands of it sticking to my forehead in curls. I moved the curls towards the right, trying to straighten them about before leaving the bathroom, whistling a tune as I stepped back into Tae's room.

He was still in the room, tightening his bed sheet when I walked in. I cleared my throat to make my presence known. He turned around, his eyes widening to an extent I did not think was healthy. He gulped visibly as his eyes roamed my naked chest, down to my well-defined abs and the V-line below. I knew I had a fit body because I was very diligent about working out but I didn't expect to be ogled at like that. He gulped visibly, his eyes not moving from my abdomen.

(This is completely real, in case y'all wanted a peek. I know, yum!)

Feeling a little self-conscious, I cleared my throat again. "Tae, can I borrow some clothes? I didn't bring a change with me," I voiced, a little louder than I needed to. He broke out of his trance at that and nodded, looking down for two more seconds before turning around and opening his cupboard.

There was a part of me which was smug, after being checked out so openly and I decided to tap into it. He pulled out a hoodie and a pair of jeans with a belt, piling them up as he walked towards me. I crossed the distance between us with two steps, getting much closer than required to take the clothes from him. 

Our chests were almost pressing as I took the garments he handed to me, the most infinitesimal touch of our hands sending sparks of electricity running down my limbs. I felt his breathing quicken as he looked at me from under his beautiful lashes, neither of us daring to move a step back. It was like we were frozen in that moment, wanting nothing more than to close the distance between us but unable to move at the same time. 

I didn't want to pull away, loving the warmth that enveloped me from the close proximity with Tae but I stepped back a few moments later, afraid that he might have been uncomfortable. Every muscle in my body complained about the loss of heat that resulted from this move but I stayed put, not moving my gaze from Tae's.

"I'll leave you to get dressed," he said, breaking our eye contact and walking out of the room, his ears red. Once he shut the door behind me, I quickly pulled on his clothes, gleeful that I smelled like him. There was just a slight hint of his musky deodorant mingling with the smell of the floral detergent.

I left the room, hearing Tae in the shower, singing along to 'Youngblood' by 5SOS. I put on my shoes, waiting for Tae to be done so that we could leave. I had quite a few surprises planned out for today, hoping that it would help Tae see reason. Jin and Namjoon were very supportive when I informed them about the details of my plan, giving me the go ahead. However, I still felt like I may be crossing certain boundaries and the last thing I wanted to do was offend him.

My train of thought was brought to a halt when Tae appeared before me, changed into a similar hoodie and jeans attire, his hair fluffy and hanging over his head in slight curls.

(Imagine this with black hair)

"Should we leave?" Tae asked, seeming bashful as he glanced at me. I nodded, pulling him to my car after he locked up the house. I drove us to our destination while Tae questioned me about the it at least fifty times during the drive. Eventually, we turned a familiar corner and he seemed to click the pieces together.

"Are we going to Seoul Memorial Park?" he questioned. I nodded, looking over at him slightly. His lip was caught between his teeth as he looked out of the window again, not saying another word. We drove the rest of the way in complete silence, Tae's face slightly pale. I tried starting a conversation but he shut me down almost immediately, refusing to look away from the window. Giving up, I focused on driving, reaching our destination soon after that. We stepped out, shutting the car door behind us as a light wind swept over the space. 

Glad that we were wearing hoodies in this chilly weather, I turned to Tae, his face distressed. "Look, I'm sorry if this was presumptuous of me. If you're not comfortable, let's go back, okay?" I said, not liking the anguish etched on his face. He looked at me finally, shaking his head.

"I'm okay, let's go," he said, not quite convincing.

"You sure? Don't feel pressured to do this in any way," I clarified, only wanting the frown on his face to disappear.

"I'm sure," he replied, sounding a little more confident this time.

"Okay. You want to lead the way?" I asked him, calculating every shift in his expression. He looked at me for a moment before nodding and walking ahead. I caught up to him, linking our hands and squeezing his larger ones, reassuringly.

We walked for a few minutes, manoeuvring our way through the narrow pathways, no sound other than the crunch of our feet on the dirt and the wind whistling through the leaves. Tae came to a sudden halt before me, taking a left into a sort of dirt road. There was more shrubbery here, stunted and browning. He pulled me through a few hedges, dead leaves crunching below our feet, before stopping in front a particular headstone. 

(it was my very first attempt at trying to edit text on a picture, sorry if it sucks too much :P)

Tae walked forward, his hand dropping from mine as his eyes welled up with tears. He reached his hand out, lightly touch the stone before running his fingers over the epitaph, a few fat and salty teardrops falling from his eyes. He stood that way for quite some time, eyes closed, muttering something under his breath as his hair billowed around him because the wind was picking up. 

Eventually, his hand dropped to his side after wiping the tears away. His shoulders were slouched in defeat, looking like a picture of misery. He turned and walked back towards me, plopping down to the ground and pulling me down with him. He laid his head on the nook on shoulder and I wrapped my arm around him, holding him close as we looked at the epitaph.

"I used to come here a lot, the first year after his death. I used to speak to him and leave him flowers. I even played music for him," he said, a half-hearted smile on his face as he remembered the fond memory. "After that year, the guilt started to build up and I could never come back. I didn't think I deserved to." 

My arm tightened around him, trying to comfort him through my actions as I didn't want to interrupt him. 

"I'm coming here for the first time in almost two years now," he voiced, his voice breaking at the end.

"What do the words on his stone mean?" I questioned, hoping to stray his mind from any negative thoughts that may make home in his head.

"It's a quote from King Lear by Shakespeare, one of his favourite one's actually. He believed that everyone sows what they reap, they get what they give. So, the wheel has come full circle, everyone got what they deserved, one way or another," Tae replied, not moving his gaze from the stone.

"Did you suggest writing it as his epitaph?" I asked.

"Yes, I thought it would be symbolic, in the sense that we all come from the soil and end up in the soil, full circle," he replied.

"Didn't know you were this intellectual," I said, a half chuckle escaping my mouth.

"Shut up," he replied, his mouth slightly turned up at the corner. He snuggled into my shoulder further and I left a light peck on the side of his head. We sat that way for a while, in front of Seungri's headstone. There was a flower shop in the vicinity, so I bought a bouquet to leave it by Seungri. 

An hour after we reached there, my phone rang, giving me the go ahead for the next part of my plan.

"Hey Tae, will you wait here for two minutes? I need to take care of something," I said and he nodded, lifting his head off my shoulder.

"Sure, I'll be right here," he replied, looking at me for a moment before turning back to the stone.

I quickly made my way to the entrance of the crematorium, finding the person I was looking for by the signboard, her cardigan hugging her skin. Her skin was wrinkled, her dark circles deep and her eyes watery as she waited for me. In that moment, I realized how hard everything must have been on her.

"Mrs Lee, hello. I'm Jungkook. I had texted you last night," I spoke, introducing myself, extending my hand.

"Ah Jungkook, hello," she replied, a small smile on her face as she shook my hand. "What exactly is the plan here?" she questioned, getting straight to the point.

"I explained the situation to you yesterday. I just needed you to talk to Tae because your words will get through to him the most. I mean you're Seungri's mother, and I think he needs to hear he's innocent from someone related to and affected the most by everything that happened," I replied.

She nodded almost immediately at that, "I'd do anything for that boy. He stuck by my Seungri when even I couldn't." 

I didn't know what to say, or how to comfort her so I just smiled and said, "thank you so much." 

We walked back together, shivering slightly as the wind blew harder around us. However, the second Tae's profile came into our vision, she held my arm to stop me. I turned to her, quizzical but immediately saw the anxiety written on her face.

"I have been living for a long time with the regret that I didn't keep in touch with him after everything. I don't even know if he wants to see me. Do you think he can forgive me?" she asked, an urgency and tension in her tone, like she was afraid Tae would lash out at her.

"He will be nothing but glad to see you, believe me on that," I replied, remembering the fondness with which Tae had talked about her last night. She looked at me, nodding as if trying to convince herself to take the next step, and she did, placing one foot after the other till she was a foot apart from him. I egged her on, urging her to talk to him.

Softly, she called out to him, her lip trapped between her teeth in anticipation, "Taehyung."

Tae turned around, looking at her for a second before realizing who she was and scrambling to his feet. His eyes were wide open as he walked towards us.

"Hyuna, is that you?" he replied, dazed.

I hope you liked this chapter! Please comment, vote and share if you did. Have a great week:)

Also, stream Stay Gold! The live performance got me crying TT

STAN BTS