The Dusk Gallery | Taehyung x BTS

Time To Think

Taehyung doesn't really react. He just sits down on the ground, cross legged, with his head in his hands as he remembers his last life.

Hoseok was wonderful. He was sunshine personified. God he loved him. They had such a great life together. He was so happy. They were both so happy.

"How was it?" Daehan asks, leaning against the wall whilst keeping an eye on his younger cousin.

"He was wonderful hyung. He was so positive. The total opposite of me. And I gravitated to him like a moth to a flame. I love him so much" Taehyung looks up to him and just sighs "I love him. With all that I am".

"And you know what happens now" Daehan says, almost sheepishly

"The pain I know. I'm gonna feel like I'm dying. So don't be scared when I can't breathe". Daehan decides to kneel down beside Tae, and grabbed his hand for support. He knew it would be any minute now.

"Let's just get you through this part and then we can talk okay? After all, we have a lot to discuss"

"We sure do" Taehyung nods. He looks at his cousin for a few more seconds, exhaling loudly as if he was preparing himself but of course no amount of relaxing or breathing would prepare him for the pain that was about to make him crumble like a leaf.

"You've got this Tae. Just remember it'll pass".

The pain, once more, arrived suddenly. Like he had been shot, but by a thousand bullets. His whole body stung, and burnt. Taehyung's whole body tensed, as if he was about to have a fit. Hands clenched, teeth gritted, but his eyes remained on Daehan the whole time.

Fuck his whole body was on fire. His throat closed yet again, veins popping, face turning red.

"You're okay" Daehan tells him, squeezing his hand. "You'll be fine Tae".

Taehyung tried to exhale but instead he just coughed, causing more pain to sear through his chest, as if it was being ripped in two. Who knew that love could hurt so much. This lasted the longest. After all, all of the love had to accumulate inside of him, and it wouldn't be easy.

Taehyung genuinely thought he would die any second now, but the gallery wouldn't allow for that.

When the release finally comes, he inhales in the longest breath. His lungs fill with air and once more he gets to calming down his chest. Daehan stayed beside him that whole time, still holding onto his hand as the other calmed down.

"Well done. That's the last time you will have had to do that" he tells him, "No more".

"Thank fuck" Taehyung coughs out. After some time he gets the energy to sit up, so he does just that with the help of Daehan.

Now that he was somewhat calmer, Taehyung had the chance to look around the gallery. Its walls were no longer covered in paintings. All of the canvases have disappeared. They were just bare white walls.

"What happened?"

"Well the gallery has no more lives to show you. There's no need for any of the paintings anymore. So it's just the case choosing now. So which one do you choose? Who do you love the most? Who is your soulmate?".

"I have to choose now" Taehyung repeats in a whisper. Daehan mimics the way Taehyung had sat cross legged, whilst patting him on the back.

"You do. But it's okay. You can take some time to think. You don't need to decide right this second but you do need to decide".

"I have to choose one of the six. Just one. God that's so fucking hard hyung. It would be so much easier if I didn't love all of them. If one or a few of them had pissed me off in some way, or been dicks. I have so much love for literally every single one of them. How am I meant to decide".

Daehan sighs out softly. "Look remember the life you two had doesn't follow. You will go back to your core life as you were. But the person you choose will show up. So with Hobi you were travelling the world right? I mean he will be rich, he was before he met you. But that travelling life won't follow. Unless you make it so. Namjoon won't be a public speaker. An author. Jimin won't be a dancer in Seoul. Because you two never went to Seoul. It's the person as they are that'll come" Daehan explains once more, wanting to give Taehyung the knowledge.

"So how Jungkook was as a person. That's how he would be. Sure the life you had together may have shaped him a little differently. But that core person, the way he is, that would be him. You'd get the quiet, loving, sassy Yoongi. You'd get the funny, happy, dancing Jin. You know?"

Daehan catches the way Taehyung smiles.

"I wish I could re-live them all again" the brunette whispers sheepishly.

"Yeah not possible. I wish I could send you back. But rules are rules".

"I know I know. Okay so...can I just take a second to think?"

"Be my guest" Daehan tells him. So Taehyung placed his head in his hands, shuts his eyes, and just thinks back to all of the met he had met and loved. They were all amazing. All perfect. And apparently there was one destined for him. The one that will choose him back.

He goes through them all one by one. Carefully, remembering every detail. Every kiss, every I love you, every emotion.

"I know you'll know who to pick" Daehan says, now back on scrolling through his phone. The lights in the gallery begin to flicker above them. Taehyung looks up to the ceiling with a confused look.

"What's happening?"

"The gallery knows you're close to picking"

God the gallery knew, yet he didn't?

"Before you choose, Tae. I just want to say, I'm happy you no longer want to die. That you fought through your inner saboteur and are now going to go out on the other side with a new love. You deserve to be happy. Okay? I love you"

Taehyung leans in and wraps his arms around his cousin's shoulders. "Thanks Daehan hyung. I love you too. Thank you for being here with me. I wouldn't have wanted anyone else".

Daehan smiled and patted Tae's back quite firmly. "You got it. Look before this happens, do you have any questions?"

"You sure the choice I make will be the right one?" Taehyung whispers in fear, still clinging onto him.

"Yes. Your heart knows".

"And I'll just wake up in my life and...see him? Find him?"

"You'll know what to do" Daehan tells him. That wasn't a very clear answer but he couldn't say much more.

Taehyung finally pulls away, and releases a long shaky breath.

"I..I-I think I know who to pick" Taehyung admits, almost shyly. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Had he made his choice? This was the person he loved and wanted right? He loved them all so fucking much, so much that his heart hurt.

But this one...this one man just stole his heart.

"Then here.." Daehan says, giving his phone to Taehyung to hold. "Type it in here".

The walls of the gallery begin to shake violently all of a sudden, making Tae's brows furrow in worry. "It's fine. It's just this world is about to come to an end. Don't be scared Taehyung. Don't be scared. Type his name into the phone".

"That's all I have to do?" he asks, thumbs shaking above the keyboard.

"All you have to do" Daehan confirms.

"Okay". Taehyung looks down at the blank screen. He could feel the way his heart thudded in his chest. The way his ears seemed to ring, or how dry his throat had become.

His hands had never been this shaky, but slowly he begins writing down the name of the man he chose. The man he wants. The man he loves.

And suddenly the clock changed to 21:31