Ashen || k.th.

43

"Congratulations on your exhibit, baby. It was awesome."

"Y-You think so?" I asked. He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and looked at me while chuckling.

"I know so. Wanna know my favorite of them all?" He asked. I nestled my head on his chest and listened to his heartbeat. Something that I never expect to hear from him.

"What is it?" I closed my eyes and feel his breathing, the rising and falling of his chest, the way it vibrates everytime he speaks.

"Beloved." He whispered. My eyes shot open and locked with his. "So.."

"So what?"

"So I bought it. I looked pretty good on that one, kitten." He flashes me his box smile. Realization dawned on me as I stared at him in disbelief.

"V-V?" I asked. He raised his hands with the peace sign and put his eye inbetween them. I totally forgot about that person already.

So that's why his name glowd the way Taehyung's does.

"That's me." He grins. I suppressed my smile and lightly slapped his chest.

"You sneaky asshole." He planted a kiss on my forehead.

"Thank you, baby. I did that for you." I said. He hummed and lightly played with my hair. "I want to make you proud of me. I want to be what you want me to be. And I did it, Tae. I just finished a major exhibit."

"I'm proud of you, baby. So so proud." He said making me giggle. But then I remembered something that made me pout again.

"You said you would come see me at my graduation. You didn't show up." I whispered. I hear him sigh and kiss the top of my head.

"I was there, Y/N. I saw you running out and you look dashing, baby. I wanted to come to you to hug you and congratulate you but I stopped myself. I don't want you to see me in a wheelchair." He mumbled sadly.

"Wait.. Are you telling me that--" The man I saw in the wheelchair that day came flashing back into my mind. Those familiar soft eyes and the sad glint in them... "I'm so stupid! Why didn't I realize?"

"Yes, kitten. That was me. I'm sorry I couldn't approach you. I'm just scared that you won't believe me once I tell you who I am and Namjoon said that it's not advisable for me to be stressed at that time." He added. I looked up to see him apologetically looking down at me. I gave him a timid smile and held both of his palms.

"That doesn't matter now. As long as you're here with me, that is what's important." He raised both my hands and kissed my knuckles before placing him in his cheeks.

"How does it feel?" I asked curiously after a long moment of silence. The night has been draping heavier over the skies but none of us felt a little bit of exhaustion. Damp clothes were now dried and so were our eyes.

"Feel what?" I felt his intense stare at me as he placed his hands on the counter on either side of my body. We lost track of time as to how long we have been standing here. We couldn't care less.

"To be alive. Again." A soft smile broke into his lips.

"It was different. I definitely felt the years the coma took away from me the moment I opened my eyes. Everything is heavy, stiff, and new. I had a lot of complications while I wasn't awake and they had to be checked once more when I woke up. But still, it felt miraculous to have people finally see me, talk to me." He trailed off.

I let my hands wander from his surprisingly broad chest to his collars. His fair skin was shining in his white button down that hangs from his shoulders. He looks so beautiful. This seemed to get his attention as he leaned in to my touch.