Cut the strings and set me free

Part 6- tied and bound and yet it's freedom

TAE POV:

Who knew that suddenly having something...someone you spent the majority of your life longing for, pining after suddenly with you, suddenly there, attainable in the way that you wanted- could make you feel as if you'd woken up one day and the world had fantastically changed. And yet day still dawned and night still fell, the sun still shone and the wind still blew. The birds still chirped and the breeze was still chilly as it brushed across our skin.

And yet (Y/N) was there. No longer someone Jiminie and I could only watch with desire and longing from afar, never able to take her into our arms and simply hold her there. And now, now I felt like the shape of her had imprinted onto me, the feel of her warmth permanently cocooning me and the scent of her rich and heady and a dizzying rush to my senses.

And when we'd woken to Jiminie pressing a kiss to both of our foreheads, sliding away murmuring softly that he had something to do- (Y/N) had turned to reach out for him, eyes soft and vulnerable and needy, trying to hold on.

And I could see the longing flicker in Jiminie's eyes, to forget everything and clamber back into bed, to wind his arms around her and hold her close. Eyes flickering with guilt.

"Go on Jimin-ah, I'll cuddle with her. We can go back to sleep." I murmured, gently tugging (Y/N) back and pressing a kiss to the back of her head, fingers slipping free from the cuff of his sleeve.

"Will you walk with me later? In the gardens?" Jiminie asked, soft imploring look on his face, sweet hope that had brightened into his endearing beaming smile when she'd nodded eagerly, acquiesced and allowed me to tug her into my arms, to wrap myself around her and hold her close. Lazily pressing kisses to her cheeks, to her hairline, to the tip of her ears until sweet giggles had petered off into slow deep breaths, sleeping with her hand resting against my chest- against where my heart thudded strong.

And waking up to soft breaths and sweet kisses pressed to the edge of my jaw, to the feel of her hand winding around my nape as she held on was enough to send my heart pattering wildly, that finally we too could have a sweet normalcy like this.

A sweet haze of contentment that had remained until eventually she'd pulled away, had wiggled out of my hold and slipped away from under the blankets to stand up and get out of bed. Unable to get far because my hand had darted out to wrap around her wrist, to anchor her there. Unwilling and unable to let go of her, to let the sweet vision she was slip away and fade.

"Do you have to go?" I whine as I cling onto (Y/N)'s hand, hurt and upset that she would even want to do such a thing. That she had the determination and courage to say she wanted to leave.

Didn't she realise how much it hurt to hear those words? How much it stung for her to look at me with a look of fixed resolve as she repeated again that I needed to let her go, that I needed to stop clinging to her hand.

"Tae I need to get out of bed and change. I can't stay here forever. I promised Minnie to take a walk around the gardens. He'll be waiting." She huffs, lips twitching with fond amusement.

But how can she look me dead in the eye and say it. How can she not have an ounce of remorse or guilt at wanting to part from me. Was I not good enough to cuddle and remain in bed with?

"Tae baby...Minnie's pouts are too powerful. I'll end up having to pay far more if I don't go." (Y/N) says softly, trying to subtly extract her wrist from my hold, looking at me with fondness.

"So it's fine to leave me alone. For me to lie here wounded with a broken heart." I say lamenting over my loss, at the way her warmth seems to be draining away from the sheets, at the way she's standing firm on the floor, looking at me.