Perpetual Rain ✓

Maybe

"So, I'm curious." You started, deciding casual conversation was better than a boat ride in silence. "What is it people see when you interact with me?" Twisting your head, you hung it to the side, trying to feed your curiosity, though the soft rocking of the boat kept you on your guard.

"I'm able to project a mirage to the physical world while perhaps doing completely different things with the soul in my charge." He explained, and the very mechanical words of his answer made you feel as though you weren't the first person to ask.

"A way to get people to trust you without blowing your cover, I'm guessing?" Your brows flicked up, finding the information as fascinating as it was perturbing. You tried not to let the past reflect and your curiosity ruin the chance of a better understanding.

"Yeah. Basically." He agreed, though you could almost see his body tense as if knowing what you were going to ask next. His gaze averted toward the cherry blossom trees as the boat passed.

"It's safe to assume then, that most of those details you told me about yourself, like living in my home town, was also fabricated in attempts to get me to trust you?" You tried to keep your tone from being laced with spite, but it lingered in your words no matter your efforts.

Taehyung fell silent. You could only hear the sound of slow breathing as he knew there was no way to save himself from the question, but refusing an answer wasn't winning him any contests either.

"I'm not angry." You explained, taking a deep breath of your own as you exhaled your irritation with the wind. "I just want to know the truth." You took a moment to gaze around you, watching as the wind knocked loose some fallen flower petals and sent them in a whirlwind toward the water. Soon enough your eyes settled back on Taehyung. "If we're going to go on the run, from God knows what, then I want to be able to trust you." You offered a reassuring smile in his direction, wanting him to turn his head and see you, but he was trying to make himself small.

"I don't have a girlfriend." Taehyung spoke softly, still not daring to look you in the eye. Perhaps he still felt guilty for his lies, which offered you some solace that at least he wasn't as cold and mechanical as your inner thoughts would want you to believe.

"Bet you're not a college student either, or working at Otaru." You copped back, offering a bit of playfulness in your voice as you held your smile. You let your gaze drift, seeing as he didn't appear ready to look you in the eye. A slow rumble hung low in your throat before adding, "The girl... was she someone you were with when you were alive?"

"I wish." He replied curtly, almost sarcastically, as his tone bit the air.

Your brow cocked toward him, questioning what he might have meant by that, but before you could prod for more information Taehyung suddenly turned in his seat to face you, finally meeting your gaze.

"The other night, when I came for you. What do you remember?" He asked spontaneously, his dark brown eyes piercing the skin of your face as if impatient for an answer.

"Well, I..." You started, clearing your throat as just the memory sent a cold tingle up your spine that you couldn't shake off. "I remember blood, lots of it." Blinking rapidly, you turned your gaze away and tried to remember bits and pieces while not going into too grave of detail. "I remember hearing my Dad and--"

"No. Not that." He cut you off with a shake of his head, a faint apologetic hint lingering in his eyes for making you relive such gruesome details. "What do you remember when you regained consciousness?" He leaned in his seat, shifting his weight more towards you as he leaned closer.

"Uh... You?" Your brows dipped in confusion. It seemed like he wanted a certain answer, but you couldn't place what it was he was getting at.

His dark copper hues bored into you, silently asking you to remember more of the other night. You let your nails scratch against the wooden bench on which you sat. Your gaze, though directed at him, began to become more aimless as you tried to pick up pieces of whatever puzzle it was that Taehyung's hopeful eyes sought out.

Your lungs began to cry, begging desperately for air as your nostrils weren't enough to sustain the large amount of oxygen you needed to take in such a short time to satisfy your body. It was only when the shield pressed up against your lips was uncovered that you were able to gasp for air and your lids grew lighter with the inhalation.

"I remember not being able to breathe right away..." You could almost feel the tightness in your chest returning, making it a little harder to continue. "I couldn't see anything, my eyes were shut, but it felt like there was something pressed--" and then it clicked.

Your gaze snapped to Taehyung with wide eyes, recalling just how close he had been to you when you finally regained your vision. The inability to breath, the warmth against your lips.

"Did you...?" Was all you could get out before Taehyung quickly jerked himself back and turned his body the other way. Reaching forward in your surprise, you gripped tightly onto his forearm to bring back his attention, giving him a firm squeeze as you asked, "Did you kiss me?"

You were only met with dead silence and the sound of the wooden oar shifting in the water as you were propelled forward, but the boat attendant remained unaware. Your fingers sunk into the fabric of his jacket, trying to get him to acknowledge your question.

"What the hell, Tae?!" You yelled, your pitch raising in volume due to your surprise. You took the silence as your answer. 

"You were in deep." He started to say, his voice soft and slow, weak in his convictions as he likely realized it wasn't something you were going to approve of.

Of course, you wouldn't. You were kissed without your permission or consent! It wasn't as if it were your first kiss, but regardless... you would be stunned if someone just walked up and planted one on you in the midst of a hallucination.

"I tried touching you like last time, grabbing your face and calling for you." Taehyung shifted, finally turning back to you as you released his arm. His eyes were riddled with more guilt than last time, and an apologetic frown that made that beaming smile from earlier that much more meaningful. "But, you wouldn't wake up. I was trying to help, Y/N..."

"So you kissed me?!" You were unable to hold back your outburst. Your face had unwillingly gone red. You pressed your hand to the side of your neck and averted your face from view.

"Yeah..." He chased the silence with a heaving breath. But it was the words he uttered afterward the sent your pulse into an unexpected panic. "And... Maybe I had been wanting to do that for a while now."

You didn't look back at him, your eyeballs were about to leave their sockets as they popped open. Then again, should you really be that surprised? You recalled the little incident on the porch back home. His face had been dangerously close then, but he'd never followed through with that action. Damn it, this boat ride just got awkward.