Dancing On Thin Ice // KTH

Chapter 114

Humanity is a word for a reason right?

There is a limit to how heartless someone can be. If they cross that limit, well then at that point they're just not human anymore.

Carmela scraped her damp hair out of her face, took a deep breath and turned to leave, her eyes on the floor.

But Tae caught her wrist.

"Where you goin?" He asked, concerned. 

She whipped back to him, the anger bubbling up inside her.

"I just don't understand how fucking ridiculous this is. I really really don't understand." She exclaimed, totally out of it at this point.

"I don't either, I mean this is beyond fucked up--"

"And I had absolutely no idea what the hell was going on? For two years? Give me a freakin break--" She felt like punching herself in the gut, as she paced. "The biggest idiot--"

"Okay, let's stop there--" Tae cut in, sitting up.

"How could I be such an oblivious stupid little bitc--"

"Carmela, hey--" Tae grabbed for her hand but missed it.

"I don't even know what to do with myself! How could I let this happen so easily... what the fuck bro..." She cried, her voice in knots. "I need to leave, I need to go and--"

"Carmela wait..." Tae leapt almost right out of bed to grab her hand.

He winced as she turned back to him quickly.

"Oh my God, Tae! Are you okay?" She bent over him, repositioning him and the bed mattress.

His eyelids struggled to keep open as he lay back down, hand over his abdomen.

"Taehyung?" Carmela squeaked, her hands hovering over him as though he were some kind of glass about to shatter.

"Don't call me that." He whispered jokingly. His faltering eyes wandered over her as she bent over him.

She looked at his chest area, and bit her lip in worry. Her fingers carefully grasped the edge of his shirt, and she ever so slowly pulled it up. His boxers peaked from under his hospital pants, as her eyes followed his stomach to his soft abdomen, until she gently pulled the shirt up to his chest. Several bandages wrapped his upper torso, with faint lines of blood behind the white fabric.

She let herself touch him, wanting to. Her fingers barely carressed his skin, afraid to.

Carmela let out a quiet breath. How could she do this to him... how could she even think of doing this to anyone... she was no better than them, scheming to take somebody's life. She wanted to kill.

A tear fell from her eye, hitting Tae's body and she felt him twitch.

She let go of him immediately, but he looked at her... just like he did before... she didn't want to move away.

For the first time in forever, she felt butterflies.

"Carmela listen." His finger touched her pinky. "You didn't do anything wrong... you lost the most out of anyone in this entire situation. Stop thinking every thing's your fault for fucks sake."

Carmela chewed her cheek as more tears trickled down, his finger pushing more strongly against her pinky on the bed.

"I didn't tell you all of this to make you more upset or whatever. I told you so that we don't have to talk about this ever again. Can we please--" He laughed weakly a little. "--not talk about this ever again?"

Carmela felt herself smile too, as she nodded and brought her forehead down to touch his. He smiled against her, weak but satisfied.

They stayed there for a couple of moments, and Carmela kneeled down on the floor beside him, gently curling into the nape of his neck.

There was something about him... the boy who gave her butterflies was more than a brief dream after all.

**************************

6 WEEKS LATER

**************************

"AUNT KASS?! I WANTED PANCAKES NOT WAFFLES!"

Tae's deep voice boomed across the whole house, and Carmela stormed out of the bathroom and into the kitchen right up to his face. Half of her hair was curled and she was in his shirt and some sweats.

"Tae! Stop tryna mix breakfast and dinner foods, it's just not gonna happen!"

"Stop tryna look pretty, it's just not gonna happen!" He mimicked, flicking her hair.

"HEY--" She lunged at him but he ran away, jumping over onto the couch from behind. He knelt beside Aunt Kass who threw her phone in surprise.

"Ay, mijo! You're trying to kill me or what?!" She let out her usual anger-laugh and hugged him closer, his tall body looking funny huddled up next to the woman's.

"This is why I told you to not invite him! His tongue grew like 7 inches when he was healing--"

"That's not all that grew..." Tae gave her a sly look as he looked down towards his crotch.

Carmela stared in horror between him and her aunt.

"Tae! What the--" She lunged towards him again but he fell off the couch this time onto the floor.

"OW..." He groaned, clutching his chest in pain.

"Tae! Hold on--" She went around the couch, panicking, and quickly fell down to the ground next to Tae. "Let me see, where does it hurt?"

"Fuck, ow..." He winced again as Carmela reached for him. "No, it hurts right here."

He took her hand and pulled it under his shirt, her fingers sliding over his warm skin. Carmela's face went flush as he watched her nervous expression, amused.

"Oh, he's fine." Jimin walked past him, and kicked him from behind, pushing Carmela's hand towards his crotch for a moment.

"Ah! Okay--" Carmela immediately stood up, hands out like she was getting arrested. "I am going to go..." She announced."...and finish my hair."

"Wait--" Tae called but Carmela had already went into the bathroom, as Jimin, JK, Namjoon and Jin laughed behind her.

She shut the door, squeezing her eyes shut in front of the mirror. She felt her warm cheeks with her hands and smiled, embarrassed and nervous.

Oh Tae.... he was back alright.

"I missed you, holy shit." She smiled and resumed curling the other half of her hair for dinner with the boys and Aunt Kass.