GUCCI BOY//kth

51.) checkmate

_________

•••
"I'm everything
you want me to be
and everything
that I wish I was not"

-gemma troy
•••

_________

Taehyung's POV

His eyes were burning from the lack of sleep, he had been lying awake for most of the night, his thoughts fumbling into a grey clouded, mess. Jungkook was the first one awake, Taehyung watched him brush his fingers through his messy black bed hair.

Everyone else still seemed peacefully asleep, hostel room dipped into morning silence. It felt stuffy in here, maybe the rusty AC had finally lost its fight and broken down. Taehyung's eyes roamed to Jin and Namjoon's bodies deeply intertwined on the bed closest to him.

Jin's head was nuzzled into Namjoon's shoulder whilst Namjoon had one arm protectively wrapped around Jin. The sight left a stinging sensation in Taehyung's chest. Just days ago he had been holding Cassia like this. Just days ago they were peacefully sleeping like this as well, as happy as ever, cuddled up, as closely intertwined as possible.

Just days ago she had confessed her love to him. And now she was gone. What if their plan didn't work out? What if he wouldn't see Cassia for a long time or possibly even never again?

What were the last words he said to her? I love you? No. Be careful? No. He hadn't told her anything, maybe he'd never get that chance to tell her how much she meant to him ever again.

It had only been days but it felt like weeks had gone by. Fashion Week only a distant memory now. Cassia laughing and running through Paris' parks in that twirling blue sundress. It all seemed so long ago. Happy Cassia. What if she'd never be the same? When would he get to see her smile again?

His eyes suddenly fixed on another moving silhouette. Marla. Nari and Jimin in the other bed were still asleep but his assistant was awake, sitting up in the small hostel bed, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, staring up at the ceiling. Taehyung noticed the bags under her eyes, she hadn't slept much either.

With a short glance to Jungkook who was now checking his phone, sitting on the bed's edge, pants pulled up only half way up his legs, Taehyung pushed himself off the bed and quietly made his way over to Marla.

"Marla?" he whispered, trying to get her attention. The assistant's cheeks blushed a faint shade of red at the fact that she was just in a t-shirt and pyjama shorts, hair messy, face tired.

"What's the time?" she asked, voice croaky.

"6:20 am" Taehyung whispered back after a quick glance at his phone. "Did you not get any rest?"

"Do I look that terrible?" a weak smile pulled at the corners of her mouth. "I stayed up some more last night, doing research. They noticed we were gone about the time we had gotten onto the plane, I booked our flights under a different name so I don't think they could track us. I messaged management, they think we flew back to New York but it's only a matter of time until they find out the truth, I said something about you not feeling well and being in a bad place emotionally because Cassia dissapeared, for now I think they swallowed my lies but I can't lead them on forever. Mr. Song has scheduled a meeting with us tomorrow night American time in NYC if they don't catch onto it before that that's when they'll definitely find out we never flew back to America"