Hilde | Kim Taehyung fanfiction ✓

taehyung

28

The very next morning, Taehyung was stirred awake by sunlight streaming through the window, warming his face. As he opened his eyes, he noticed he and Arya were still facing each other, closer now than they had been hours earlier; their hands were touching, a small gesture that he found surprisingly comforting. He stayed on his side, quietly observing Arya, struck by how peaceful she looked. A few strands of hair brushed her face with each breath, and he resisted the urge to tuck them behind her ear.

Rubbing his eyes, Taehyung shifted to lie on his back and then sat up on the edge of the bed. He glanced at Arya once more before gently tapping her forehead to rouse her. "Gotta go, wake up."

She mumbled in response, squinting against the light flooding the room. "What time is it?" she asked, stretching.

"Late, like five AM probably," Taehyung replied before heading to the bathroom to freshen up, giving Arya time to fully wake up and join him.

"You think five is late?" She groaned.

Five minutes later, they had checked out of the hotel and were back in the car, heading towards the airport to catch their flight to Ames.

Once they were a few miles away from the hotel, Arya spoke up. "So, no breakfast?"

Taehyung shook his head.

"You're saying no to the most important meal of the day?" Arya groaned and playfully stomped her feet before resting her head against the cool car window.

"Did you bring your plane ticket?"

"What?" Arya turned to look at Taehyung, eyebrows furrowed. "I already told you that I forgot it back home. And you replied with 'We'll think about it tomorrow morning' or something like that. Tomorrow morning was yesterday."

Taehyung sighed and shook his head, deciding to focus on solving the problem. He recalled having the digital copies of both tickets sent to his email. Without a laptop and having given his phone to Wayne, he knew he had to figure out a solution—perhaps buying a burner phone at the airport and hoping for WiFi to access his email.

"Why didn't you remind me?" Taehyung's tone was surprisingly calm.

"Well, I thought..."

"You thought I was going to remember something you whispered to me when I was sleep deprived?"

"Yes? Listen, a lot is happening all at once, I got a little lost."

Taehyung sighed once more and pressed down on the accelerator, eager to reach the airport in the shortest possible time.

Once they finally arrived at the airport, Taehyung hastily parked the car, taking up almost two spots. He and Arya exited the car simultaneously, and he instinctively grabbed her hand to enter the building as quickly as possible. The airport terminal was crowded, and Taehyung could feel Arya's hand squeezing his tightly, her breath catching in her throat now and then. He sensed her feeling overwhelmed by the sea of people, as if she were drowning in the crowd.

Pushing forward, Taehyung led Arya to a quieter area of the airport. He scanned his surroundings, searching for a phone store to buy a burner phone, but he came up empty. Instead, he spotted a small cafeteria nearby and guided Arya inside. He found an empty table and gestured for her to sit down.

"Order something. I'll be right back," Taehyung instructed.

Arya looked puzzled. "What? Where are you going?"

"To find a phone and sort out your mess. Just stay put and don't make this day any harder than it already is. It's only six in the morning," Taehyung grumbled, cutting off any protest from Arya before dashing off.

He hurried through the airport, weaving through the crowds until he finally spotted what he needed—a phone store. A relieved sigh escaped his lips as he approached it.

With the burner phone secured in his hand, Taehyung swiftly connected to the airport WiFi, finding it in mere seconds. Standing alone without Arya and her sharp banter beside him, he couldn't help but notice how her absence seemed to bring him luck. Yet, in the quiet solitude, he couldn't shake the feeling of being a little lost. Years spent caring for his mother and then working for Thorne had isolated him, eroding his social life. And then Arya had burst into his world, unpredictable, vivid and full of life, making him forget of the loneliness that had drained him.

A chill ran down Taehyung's spine at the thought. He realized he genuinely enjoyed Arya's company, whether they were exchanging words or simply sharing silence.

Turning off the burner phone, he retraced his steps back to the cafeteria where he had left Arya. There she was, seated at the same table, both hands wrapped around a mug of chocolate. She blew on the steam rising from the cup, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear—a gesture Taehyung had found himself wanting to do earlier that morning, less than an hour ago.

Her eyes scanned the surroundings, looking a bit lost in the oversized seat and high table.

Taehyung stood at the entrance of the cafeteria, silently observing Arya. When her gaze met his, her eyes brightened, a soft smile curling her lips. For a moment, the world around them seemed to fade as they locked eyes.