time diplomat | kim taehyung ✔

| Ready |

The sound of police sirens and ambulances clouded Astra's mind as she hugged her knees tight, looking at the people crying, yelling, and shouting outside the vehicle she was in. An old couple had a man on their laps, trying to wake him up when it was clear he was dead. 

Her tears turned worse once she realized that it could've been Taehyung and his father or maybe her and her brother if they were a minute or two slower. She was never so scared of death before—it was something she saw most often happening right in front of her eyes and right now, she couldn't make peace with that.

Firefighters tried their best to put off the fire from the set of cars with the police still interrogating witnesses on how the explosion was set off and according to them, it just started out of nowhere.

Taehyung's shoulders were tightly bandaged and so were his bleeding forehead and knees. He was sitting right next to Astra, wondering how to stop her from crying. "Hey, we're fine, right? That's all that matters."

"No! Did you see the others who died?! Think about their parents. Think about their loved ones. What would they be going through? What if it was you and me? What about be your father's reaction? What would Sarah, who's still trying to reach out to you, do?!" She took in a deep breath, burying her face into her knees and randomly hiccuping and coughing. Taehyung was surprised. He never expected her to raise her voice at him.

Before he could stand and walk away, leaving her to herself, she grabbed his arm, not letting go, and pulled him to her. "I was so scared. I thought—I thought you died!" As she sighed into his chest, Taehyung patted her head, moving his fingers through her locks, and hushed her, feeling her heartbeat coming to normal. 

_ _ _ _ _

"Please get on, Astra. C'mon!"

"No. It's not safe, Taehyung. You're still wounded."

Taehyung was on his bike, flexing the brakes. Astra was dodging his gaze, trying to escape from his manipulating eyes. It was the first time they spoke ever since the accident. "It's my birthday today. C'mon. I wanna spend it with you."

The girl had her mouth parted, her eyes turned glossy as her heart started burning with guilt. She knew it was not her fault but, Taehyung was someone who could have lived off easily for the next fifty years, and rather, here he was, trying to find comfort in a stranger.

"I want to forget everything that happened but, I don't wanna leave you behind, Astra. I still don't know if this all is a dream or not but, I wish I don't wake up on my bed, my pillow still covered with tears. Please."

Astra still had her arms crossed and her face was facing away from him. Taehyung didn't know what he had to do so, he just got off from his vehicle, kneeling down in front of her with his hands clasped. She gasped, looking around to the other people busy with their business. "Yo, what the fuck are you doing?!" She looked seasick but finally, to his relief, said yes.

He handed her his helmet that she pushed back to him. He protested, trying to shove it to her but, she knew he'd need it more. Fixing it firmly on his head, she strapped it under his chin. 

"Cool."

"Ready?"

"Ready."

He accelerated slowly, feeling sweat of nervousness covering his palms. Astra had a tight grip on his shoulders that turned concerning to a point he had to ask her to stop. Once he found a good rhythm and feeling, he put all the problems in the world behind him, looking only ahead.