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PRESENT TIME (PT. 3)

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Commander.

That one word relieved all the tension in his bones. It was nice to hear coming from her, especially now that it was rightfully his title.

His body felt heavy with exhaustion from all the guards he had fought to even reach the castle gates but he fought the heaviness that weighed his arms down and reached up to brush the hair out of her face.

She didn’t move to flinch away as she always did but he saw her tense up with curiosity swimming in her eyes.

“As of five months ago,” he began in a voice barely above a whisper, “I was named Commander.”

There were so many things he wanted to say to her yet in that moment, that was all that was on his mind.

“Guess I’ll have to come up with a new nickname for you.” Tears rolled down her cheeks as she smiled up at him and he resisted the urge to wipe them away and crush her to his chest. “Or I could always just stick with hot stuff.”

She looked so genuinely happy and safe as she gazed at him that it made his heart stop.  He leaned down and pressed his forehead to hers causing her eyes widen like a deer caught in headlights. The intimate gesture caught her off guard and her face flushed pink at the proximity.

“Hey, Chaeri?”

“Hm?” Was all she could manage to say.

Taehyung shut his eyes and released a breath of relief before smiling at her. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

She pulled back slightly and her eyes curved into that signature smile he’d missed so much. “I always knew you’d come.”

He grinned.

“You’re okay.” He repeated, almost as if assuring himself that though the recovery process would be a long and difficult road for her physically and mentally, she was alive and standing before him with the same cheekiness as before.

“I’m okay,” she echoed before tilting her head worriedly. “Are you?”

“You’re really okay.” The truth of his words finally crashed down on him and though he felt like a broken record, it was something he needed to repeat for the realization to truly sink in. Suddenly, he felt as if he could breathe again. He reached out for her and pulled her into a tight embrace. “Chaeri… I’m so sorry,” he whispered into her hair.

She returned the embrace unsurely, gingerly gripping the back of his shirt. “Why are you apologizing?” Her words were muffled against his shoulder but he heard her clearly.

He knew it wasn’t his fault that his memories had been altered with Yerin’s powers but he just wanted to—needed to—say it.

“It’s not your fault.”

He knew that.

Yet every time, he remembered how she had called for help and he had forgotten her. She had called when he knew she usually never would. He had given her reassurance that he’d always have her back and in her moment of need, he had failed.

“Commander—“ She started, yet her words were muffled as he hugged her tighter. She pulled away just enough to take a breath before chastising him. “Big Boss is probably looking for you. This country is going to see huge changes to come and he’s going to need all of his commanders working diligently. I’m really okay and you’ll trouble the boss if you don’t get working.”

Taehyung stared at her with a small frown. Here she was in front of him for the first time in 2 years and she was telling him to go work. There was so much lost time to make up for. Chaeri pushed him gently away from her and immediately took several steps back.

His frown deepened. Even after all these years she resisted any physical contact with him if she could. As his gaze lowered, he noticed she still had the necklace he had given her hanging around her neck, though she probably still believed it was from Yuna.

The necklace looked like it belonged on her, a part of her identity that she wouldn’t be complete without and it made him strangely content.

“I missed you, Chaeri,” Taehyung said. “I really missed you.”

Chaeri’s blush grew stronger and she struggled to reign in her rampaging emotions. “Jeez, hot stuff,” the nickname only made Taehyung chuckle now and it felt good to hear. “You can’t just say things like that. It’ll get my hopes up—“

“So?” He cut her off. “Isn’t that okay?”

His cheeks burned slightly though he swallowed down his embarrassment to make sure it wasn’t visible to Chaeri. Chaeri’s mouth hung open as she stared at him with confused yet hopeful eyes. He had always won