time diplomat | kim taehyung ✔

| Stay Back A Little Longer |

To Taehyung, the past days were totally miracles. His best friend woke up, he found a new companion, and here they were, on the couch, watching movies and listening to music. He had overcome his fears and had outgrown his insecurities all within two days—faster than any treatment or counseling.

The upcoming hours had ear deafening singing, awkward dancing, messy cooking, and a gentle match of arm wrestling where you could already guess the winner. 

When the kitchen was crowded with smoke from the oven, they decided it was time for a take-in. Taehyung got his drinks, "You want something?"

"Nope."

Once done, he changed the channels, going from documentaries to cartoons to the news. It looked as if he had nothing special in his mind. Astra walked to her mini bag of accessories that she brought from the future, scrambling her hand through it to pull out the VR set along with a cable. 

All through the game, his shoulder was touching hers and he had the biggest smile on his face as he continued to scream 'I've never seen anything like this before!'

Taehyung's playlist was played and when a slow song came on next, his smile faltered. "Hey, friend . . ." he began, "Stay back for a little longer . . ."

"Our paths are going to split up soon . . ." 

Astra joined in, looking through the lyrics and singing offbeat. Taehyung had his hand made into a fist near his mouth like a mic. Her eyes were getting teary and her face was heating up as he swayed along with her. A dream couldn't capture the intensity of the emotions that she felt. 

". . . I still had a lot more to say . . . But, you fell asleep forever a little too early . . . "

The atmosphere in the room changed—not just Astra's confidence level despite how off-key she was or the words she messed up. Taehyung sank deep past his skin, into his soul, which was fading minute by minute. He was lost in good memories and moments. 

"Hey, friend . . . Stay back for a little longer . . . The seasons are yet to change . . ."

"Hey, friend . . . Stay back for a little longer . . . We still have a lot more to walk . . ."

The song played on loop for the next fifteen minutes and Astra caught her breath, breathing in the sense of sadness and love in the air. 

"Your and my unfateful destiny . . . I wish we could walk another path together . . ."

Taehyung sighed, reaching out over Astra's lap to play the song once more but, she caught his hand, staring into his eyes as he smiled back knowing what was about to go down. 

He was not wrong. 

He was never wrong.

Heat rose from Astra's stomach to her chest. Taehyung's lips were getting closer and her heart decided to skip a beat, the smell of him hypnotic beyond reason. She parted her lips and felt him washing over like a wave of warmth, curling her toes, unfurling all her senses as the taste of him nearly silenced all thoughts.

Her whole body tingled, the feel of his frame leaning on hers as his arms wrapped around her felt nearly forbidden. He pulled her in, claiming her mouth again, sad and emotional, until her heart gave in.

As if time had stopped right there, as they stood propped against the couch, glued to one another. As if no one else existed and there was no risk of Terry watching the show from behind the curtains. And for Taehyung, as if he'd never been shy, to begin with.

"Finally!" Astra cried when he gave her a chance to breathe again and soon, she pushed herself more forward. "What took you so long?"

"I'm sorry. I—I had to make sure you're that same person who I thought you were. And I was right. You know, the best thing about dying now, is your friendship and love." Astra never thought she'd find someone who'd say those words if she were still in 2177. They were so short but, deep like an ocean. It was a private thing but, she wanted to scream it to the world. "You gave me this life. The life I've always wanted."

"Yoo took care of me," he continued, sniffling. "I was so lost. Especially the past week. You took away all the doubts I had and—and, helped me find myself again. You made me better."

"I love you so much." Astra wanted Taehyung to hold her hand forever. She didn't know if she could go back to where she belonged and go on with her life as if nothing happened. 

Astra grabbed his wrist, pulling him onto the carpeted floor as he stumbled for a dance. 'The End' played, a rap talking about final goodbyes, nightmares people wanted to wake up from, and death. If Taehyung were alone, listening to that song, he was sure he'd be depressed. But, instead, here he was, laughing and smiling to the extent his mouth hurt. 

His pulse rose and he followed her lead, bopping his head and bouncing his shoulders. They stayed pressed against each other as if there was a crowd around them. Taehyung put his hand on her waist, stopping her from going wild, "Slow dance with me, partner."

"Partner . . . Tsk." The beat went fast but, their movements were slow. Astra's fingers dug into his shoulders, taking things mildly. Looking into his eyes was the most difficult task, but, she still wanted to take the embarrassing risk. She moved closer to his ear, mumbling—her voice didn't bother coming out as she sighed, "I wish you had more time. I wanna ride bikes, go all around Seoul with you, sing loudly, and get our neighbors annoyed."

Taehyung chuckled as if he heard her, "I wanna go to Paris with you. Play under the rain and sing in a cafe together. But, I want silent moments too. Nights talking about taking a train to the moon or watching bad movies. Can we make it true?" He laughed with a hoarse voice and she sucked in her tears.

"What will I do without you, Tae?"

"You don't have to do anything, love. I'm gonna be with you hereafter. Only you."

I just want you to live.

That's when, the main door burst open—the old, rusted hinges flying far away.