Y/N

He was beautiful in this lighting, his pale skin reflecting along with his white hair. He was ghostly and yet he could still steal the hearts of all of Army. He gave me a wary look as the coughing began. It shook my entire body and it just wouldn't let up. The taste of iron filled my mouth as my vision blurred. Avery ran to my side and was holding me, trying to help ease the violent shaking that my body was doing. I can only imagine the pain he was in to do such a thing.

So this is what it feels like to die? I thought to myself as I leaned into Avery. Taehyung moved closer, kneeling down in front of me. His gray white eyes looked as if they were pleading for me to hang on.

"I-it hu-hurts..." I croaked. My throat felt like sand paper when I talked. Avery gave a squeeze. I was still shaking uncontrollably but the coughing had subsided for the moment.

Why hadn't either of them started coughing?

What had Avery said before?

He only coughed during the death stage. How many stages were there? I forgot...

"Hang on Y/N..." whispered Avery. Taehyung rested a hand on my leg.

"We are so close to a cure... hang in there."

Cure... that would be nice. If only we had figured that out a few days before... then maybe Lucas would still be here. Tears formed in my eyes. The memory of Lucas dying in such a grotesque way hurt. It was as if every rib in his chest pierced through his heart making blood spew out of his mouth. His chest even turned a deep purple, then faded to that of white death.

Avery took it the hardest I think. You see the sadness in his eyes when Lucas was mentioned. They had grown up together, best friends.

Now Avery just had me. We both lost our families along the way and as much as I hoped for a happily ever after with one of the BTS members. It didn't seem like I'd get that chance. Nor did I really want that anymore.

All I wanted now was just one more day with Avery... Time was against me, I could feel the pressure in my lungs grow with every second ticking away my life. One final breath... give me one final breath to tell him.

A tear formed in the pit of my eye as I stared up at the one boy who always challenged me. The one who always protected me even when I did something stupid, the one who held me as we cried over the loss of our friend... The one I gave my dying heart to in the end.

"Avery..." I murmured, my vision blurring from the tears that threatened to fall. The distorted view of his pale face looked broken. Like he could fall apart at any second.

I've seen that look before.

Avery

I can't take another one, God please! I begged silently, staring down at the only girl I ever really took the time to notice. The one who was trying to fade away.

We only needed a little more time. They had the best scientists here trying everything to cure the virus. So far they have failed but what's a few more days. Does she even have that long?

I knew better...

"Y/N—" I started, just as Taehyung started coughing. I could hear the thick wet sound of blood coming up with each rough cough. My eyes stayed on Y/N. Fear ran through me like hot iron.

"No..." she whispered, more tears falling down her chubby cheeks.

Please... I bit my lower lip. The words I wanted to say caught in my throat.

Action.

I looked over at Taehyung. He was clutching his ribs in pain. His body shook with every cough. My eyes darted back to Y/N. Her eyes were squeezed shut.

That was my opportunity. I leaned forward without a second thought, kissing her softly on her lips. They were a lot softer than I thought they'd be. The slight jolt of electricity had my head spinning. I wasn't expecting that. Y/N's eyes flew open. Her trembling hand resting on my cheek.

"Avery..."

I smiled wearily.

Please God, let the scientists find something soon. My chest tightened, pain shot through my body as the final wave began. Right as I fell to the ground in a fit of coughs I heard Y/N gasp for air and the door to the room fling open, nearly breaking off the hinges.

"Shit!"

Complete darkness and the taste of blood.

Taehyung

I woke up in a hospital room with an IV hooked up to my arm with three doctors and Jungkook who was chewing relentlessly on his fingernails.

"Where am I?"

Jungkook's eyes lit up when he heard me.

"Tae!" He grabbed my hand, squeezing it with a huge smile on his face.

"Where am I?" I asked again, looking at the three doctors. One with a chart in his hand, the other looking at the monitors. While the last one messed with a blood pressure cuff.

"In a hospital."

That seemed odd to me. Why am I in a hospital? Where is Avery and Y/N?

"What about the others?"

Jungkook pointed to the bed next to me. A boy with dark brown hair with a few strands of white in it. He looked familiar and yet so different.

"Avery is right there... everyone else stayed at the penthouse."

"That's Avery?"

"Yea... his hair color started changing a few days ago."

"Days?" I was confused. It felt like just yesterday I was on the ground clutching my sides in pain.

"They put you two in a coma. Just so they could monitor everything better. You guys are recovering greatly." Jungkook beamed.

"Y/N?"

Jungkook scrunched his face at her name. My heart fell.

"She... didn't make it?"

"Oh... yea she is fine. They sent her home yesterday."

Then why did he scrunch his face?

"Home?"

"Yes. Her father was found buried beneath some rubble. He was fine, just trapped. They had informed his family he had died. So once they found out she was here he pulled some strings and had her sent home."

They didn't take Avery?

I looked over at the sleeping boy. He seemed so peaceful. Wonder what he's going to do when he wakes up. Once he realizes she's gone. Honestly I can't believe she left without him.

"She didn't want to stay with Avery?"

Jungkook chuckled.

"She refused to leave. Two men in uniforms came and dragged her out. It was quite sad. She gave them a beating though.

Again I looked at Avery. He stirred in his sleep. The doctors exclaimed loudly.

"He's waking up!"

"You and Avery are heroes, Taehyung." Smiled Jungkook, watching the doctors fuss over the waking boy.

———
Avery

My mouth felt like it had cotton in it. When I opened my eyes I was nearly blinded by the luminescent light above. I could hear voices speaking in hushed tones. I turned my head to look towards the sounds to find Taehyung in the bed and Jungkook.

"Hey." Taehyung smiled. I frowned at him, Y/N wasn't in the room.

"She's fine." Taehyung quickly added as if reading my thoughts.

"Oh..." my voice didn't sound like my own.

"We did it, Avery."

"Did what?" I asked confused, a doctor was messing with my arm. Everything felt so weird. Perhaps it was the lack of pain.

"We have helped to find a cure."

My eyes grew wide. Happiness rushed through me. The realization that Y/N was okay and that the whole world would finally be free of this nightmare. All because two boys fought hard.

Taehyung held out his fist and I bumped it with my own.

Jungkook stepped out of the room, returning a few minutes later with a cell phone. He handed it to me with a piece of paper.

"She insisted I give this to you."

I stared at the paper. Then dialed the number on it, running my thumb over the tiny little heart sketched out.  A smile forming on my face.

The phone rang several times, followed by her sweet voice.

"Hello, Jungkook is he awake?" She sounded worried.

"Yes..."

Silence took over for what seemed like eternity.

"A-Avery?"

"Hi."

"Oh my gosh! Hi!"

I chuckled, I could practically hear her smile on the other end of the phone.

"How are you feeling?" Y/N questioned.

"I feel nothing..." it's true, I didn't feel anything. I glanced at Taehyung. He was smiling happily at me.

"Nothing?"

"No pain."

"I'm so happy to hear that!"

"Where are you?" I questioned, tugging at the edge of the blanket.

"My dad forced me to come home."

"I thought he died?"

"So did I."

"I'm glad he's alive."

"Same." She sighed.

We talked for a while longer. Before she hung up she asked me when I would be coming back to America. That I couldn't answer. I really didn't know. When I put the phone down Taehyung smiled again.

"We can take you home." He said matter of factly.

"Thank you."

"Of course."

I didn't really have a home to go back to. My mom died and I had no other relatives. There was nothing left for me. Except for maybe a cute girl with a crazy obsession with a k-pop band.