Perpetual Rain ✓

Lullaby

Taehyung carried you back to the hotel that evening, having lost all strength in your legs and the will to even move after suffering another episode like that for the third time now. One arm wrapped around your shoulders while the other rested in the crook of your knees. He cradled you, his body heat keeping you warm as you rested your head against his broad chest, feeling the wind lick lightly at your cheek every so often. 

It seemed he was afraid to be too silent, that being quiet might cause another relapse of the events prior. You could feel his hand lightly pat against your shoulder as he'd ask you repetitively if you were okay, though to avoid lying to him you'd only hum in response. Still, that simple sound let him know you were still conscious and aware. 

He tried apologizing, telling you how sorry he was for not telling you how much time had passed. You recalled your conversation with him on that payphone the other night, remembering the surprise in his voice when you had stated the last thing you remembered was walking home from the ramen shop. It made a bit more sense now. 

He explained how afraid he was to tell you, that he thought in doing so, he would bring only anguish when you were already suffering so much that night. He told you that he only wanted to try and get your mind off of it all, at least for a little while before trying to inform you of your relapse of time. 

You didn't verbally answer him as he went on with his apology but you listened. How could you bring yourself to be upset with him? How could you even begin to understand how to tell someone something like that if you were in his shoes? You just couldn't bring yourself to fault him for his choice, but still, you knew he felt guilty for what he had done. 

"I forgive you..." You whispered under your breath as you brushed your cheek against the fabric of his shirt, nuzzling into his warmth to evade the bitter cold. His scent was helping to lull you away from consciousness without the fear of your madness taking you over. 

The events of the evening had drained you as if your energy was a bottle of water that someone shot a bullet through. It was the reason for your inability to walk, the reason for your muted lips, the cause for the silence within your mind - which at the moment you were eternally grateful for. 

You didn't resist against the alluring grip of slumber, and the heaven that Taehyung's arms provided was enough to let your already shattered defenses down. Before realizing it, you were fast asleep in his arms, curled up like a small child next to the fire on Christmas morning. You could hear his heartbeat against your ear, the rhythmic beating the only thing you chose to focus on as both of your voices had ceased. It was like your own lullaby. 

||

You weren't sure what time it was when your eyes finally pried themselves back open, seeing only the pure white ceiling above you in your vision. Your body was consumed by thick, heavy blankets that kept you warm, really warm. You were still in the clothing you had left in, excluding your shoes and coat that had been removed, likely due to Taehyung's consideration. 

You had been brought back to the hotel room safely, but it took a few seconds for you to even process that. Your head, turning and falling to the side, looked to the nightstand next to the window. It was only 5pm now, you hadn't been out long. The clouded sky was still aglow as the sun tried to shine through the barely visible water vapor that filled the sky. 

Your body felt heavy and your mind even denser, but a faint click near the entrance of the room caused you to jump. Such a trivial sound actually served to startle you? You turned your head around, looking toward the noise as you unglued yourself from the bed and pushed back the covers. That sounded like it could have been the front door to the hotel room. Speaking of which, where was Taehyung?