On the ground is V and Yoongi struggling with a gun. It looks like the gun just went off but no one got hurt. “V! The police are here!” Taehyung yells, watching the struggle. Both of them look up, momentarily stopping. 

 

Yoongi’s quick to get back to the matter at hand, getting the upper hand. He presses the gun to V’s temple, pulling him up. “I guess this is the end for you, Kim,” Yoongi says hostile. The only sign of panic from V is his clenched jaw. Yoongi looks up at Taehyung. “You’re still here?” 

 

Yoongi shrugs, “Whatever, might as well kill you too. After all, if I’m getting rid of V, I wouldn’t want to continue seeing his face.” 

 

“You’ve become a very miserable man, Min,” V says, voice rid of any emotions. 

 

“And you’ve become stupid. Your life lies in my hands right now,” Yoongi the gun. V bites his inner check, eyes cast downwards. 

 

“Yoongi, you don’t have to do this,” Taehyung tells him. “What will you benefit from doing this anyway?” Based on the glare from Yoongi, there are many benefits from this.

 

“Drop the weapon!” Footsteps surround them. Finally, it’s the police. Yoongi isn’t fazed at all. “If you don’t drop the weapon, we’ll have to take our orders and shoot you.” 

 

Yoongi has the audacity to yawn, his eyes meeting Taehyung’s. Taehyung stares back. Yoongi is a miserable man like V said. But he isn’t just a vicious, miserable man. He’s also someone with a heart and mind. 

 

Taehyung knows this because when he was hanging out with Yoongi, he saw that man. The man who has a strong tolerance for alcohol, who secretly plays the piano, and acts like he doesn’t care when he does. 

 

“Yor don’t need to kill V,” Taehyung says, eyes still meeting Yoongi’s. “Especially with all these policemen around, you wouldn’t want to do that.” 

 

“Why would you know what I want?” Yoongi glares at him. If looks could kill, he’d already been dead. 

 

“I don’t,” Taehyung admits. “I just know that your life isn’t going to be any better if you kill V. You have to understand that you can’t change anything anymore.” Yoongi’s glaring temporarily stops, urging Taehyung to go on. “There are just some things in life you can’t get, no matter how much you want it.” 

 

Probably not the best thing to say considering how dangerous Yoongi is right now. Yet, it’s the truth, isn’t it? Yoongi lowers his gun but the police officers still have their guns trained on him. 

 

He pushes V forward, making a few officers flinch. Then, he throws the gun to the side and raises his hands. “He’s surrendering!” Taehyung watches as they surround Yoongi, cuffing him. Wasn’t that too fast?

 

He stands in the same spot, watching. As Yoongi’s passing by, he turns to Taehyung. In his eyes isn’t anger, guilt, or sadness. It’s pity. Yoongi stops walking as Taehyung walks over to him. He wants to know why he’s receiving pity of all things. 

 

“I don’t understand,” Taehyung simply says. “I didn’t even say much.” Yoongi still has pity in his eyes though now it’s masked. 

 

“You enjoyed this charade too much. I wonder who’ll get hurt from it.” Yoongi doesn’t wait for anyone to force him along as he willingly walks over to the police car. 

 

The officers give him worried glances but he brushes them off with a bright smile. Behind his smile, his brows furrows. He glances at V who’s exchanging words with a detective, Yoongi’s words whisper to him. 

 

~~~~

 

“A couple of months! Why didn’t anyone tell me?!” Taehyung blubbers as V calmly sips on his black coffee. V had woken up a couple of months ago but Taehyung didn’t know a thing about it. He was forbidden to visit V in case someone followed him. 

 

V sets the cup down, calmly. “I wanted to get well first. I had a feeling that things were going to be complicated and personal. Also, I didn’t want to add more pressure to you,” V glance at him. 

 

Taehyung leans back in his seat, taking a sip of his coke. “Oh...” Maybe it was for the better. He yelps as his chin is jerked up. From across the table, V has reached over and grabbed his chin. “W-what are you doing?” 

 

V’s eyes scan his face lazily before letting go of his chin. “I just wanted to see if you’re as handsome as I am.” 

 

“And am I?” Taehyung smiles, cupping his cheeks. 

 

“No,” V says flatly. 

 

“What! You’re kidding, right? We literally have the same face,” he’s shocked at V’s brutal honesty. He has to remind himself that he’s not looking at his reflection right now. 

 

V dabs the corner of his mouth with a napkin. “Handsomeness isn’t just about the face. It’s how one carries themselves.” He sets the napkin down. Taehyung’s eyes stay longer on his hand than it should. 

 

It’s just that the longer he’s getting to know V, the more he can see their differences. One being how V uses his hands. He treats the napkin as nicely as an ice sculpture. “You carry yourself differently from me.” 

 

Taehyung agrees with him. The more he thinks of it, the more he’s surprised that not a lot of people found him suspicious. “Can I ask you something?” He his dry lips.

 

“Go ahead,” V looks at him uninterestedly. It’s funny how he bores the same face as 

Taehyung but totally different personality. 

 

“Why do you treat people badly?” Realizing his words, Taehyung’s quick to modify them. “I mean, why are you cold to so many people?” Everyone he interacted with as V were so jumpy at him and looked at him with disbelief when he did something kind. Even Jin.

 

“I don’t treat people badly,” V scoffs. “I treat them accordingly.” 

 

“Really?” Taehyung laughs. Not the answer he was expecting. He must be joking. V just stares blankly at him. “Oh, sorry,” Taehyung stops laughing. Or maybe not.

 

“Okay. Maybe I do treat some of them badly,” V sighs. “I know I’m cold to a lot of people who care about me. It’s easier that way.” Easier? V’s lips are pressed into a thin line. 

 

“How so?” Taehyung voices his question. It doesn’t make sense. V has a perfect life. He has money, success, family, friends, and Seokjin. For the first time since meeting, V’s hesitant to speak. 

 

“You’ve been with Seokjin for a long time,” V averts his eyes to the window. “He’s nice, isn’t he?” 

 

Taehyung smiles, “Very.” Sure, it was rough at first but he eventually got to Jin. His smiles fade as he notices V’s unhappiness. “But he was nice to me this much because he thought I was you.” V’s eyes flit over to him slightly.  

 

“He loves you a lot. You should reciprocate the action back.” The words carry a heavyweight as they leave Taehyung’s mouth. 

 

V turns to face Taehyung fully, nervousness etched in his eyes. Taehyung has to blink a couple of times to believe what he’s seeing. It’s an odd look for V even though they just met. His presence is strong, powerful, and intimidating. It’s odd to see him not radiating that power. 

 

“What if I’m not as great as he wants me to be? What if I let him down?” V’s voice has gone softer. For a moment, Taehyung’s at a loss of words. He’s talking about Jin. He’s turned from a lion to a deer because of Jin. 

 

He could feel the aching in his heart. Of course, V loves Seokjin. Why would he not love him? No one can resist. 

 

“You’ll never know unless you open your heart to him,” Taehyung smiles assuringly. “I know you and I know Seokjin. You can trust me on this.” V looks like he wants to say a snarky remark but keeps quiet. “Just be happy!” Taehyung lifts the corner of V’s mouth with his finger. 

 

V slaps his hand away. “I am happy,” his tone goes back to being monotone. All traces of the deer, gone. The transition is baffling. Yet, Taehyung could see his eyes which are far away as if he’s thinking about someone. He doesn’t have to guess who. 

 

Taehyung chuckles, “Well, you surely don’t look like it being like that.” 

 

V rolls his eyes, “I just have a resting face that makes me look sometimes sad or angry. You have it too.” 

 

“I do?” Taehyung frowns. “Well, it’s not noticeable because I smile. So let a little sunshine into your life, okay?” Taehyung jabs at V’s stomach for a response. 

 

“Hey,” V glares at him. “I’m older than you.” 

 

“By a month only~” Taehyung grins as V sighs. As he catches V up to what happened while he was gone, he can’t help the dread eating away at him. 

 

~~~~

 

“Thank you for helping us,” Namjoon says for the hundredth time. “Without you, who knows what could’ve happened.” 

 

“No need to praise me like a god.” Taehyung wraps his arms around Namjoon and Jungkook’s shoulders. 

 

“I know you said you didn’t want anything but here,” Jungkook hands him an envelope. Taehyung frowns at the envelope but opens it. He doesn’t want money. He doesn’t want to look back at this like it was a job. It wasn’t. It was more than that. 

 

“I don’t want it,” Taehyung gives it right back seeing the check and the many, many zeros. 

 

“But V said to pay you-“ Jungkook protests. 

 

“I don’t want it anyways,” Taehyung shoves the check into Jungkook’s hands. Even if he’s penniless, he won’t ever cash this check. Life as V was so dream-like. He doesn’t want to put a price on that or Jin. 

 

His heart whines sadly at the mention of his love. V went back to Jin as soon as possible. He’s with Jin right now. He misses Jin so much. They’ve decided that it’s best if Jin never knew there was a switch. His last words to Jin is still a lie. He may never see Jin again. 

 

He doesn’t want that. Can’t he at least say goodbye? No, he shouldn’t. Goodbyes are nothing but painful. It’s best if it never happens. What is he saying? There’s going to be a goodbye no matter what. Maybe it can be a happy goodbye?

 

“Can I...” Taehyung blinks away his tears which he didn’t notice was there. “Can I have one more day with Jin? As V of course.” 

 

Jungkook looks confused but answers. “Uh, sure.” Taehyung smiles, hiding his sorrow behind it. He turns to Namjoon who looks troubled but smiles back.

 

~~~~

 

Jazz music is playing and Taehyung’s eyes are on the singer on the stage. However, he can’t ignore his erratic heart. After informing V of his wish, he planned everything out. 

 

He looks down at his wrist. Tonight’s the last night he’ll wear Jin’s bracelet. Same with the wedding ring. They’ll go to the true owner after tonight. Taehyung takes a shot of whiskey to push the pain away. Tonight’s only going to be fun and happy. No tears. “Did I make you wait long?” 

 

Taehyung feels tears rush to his eyes. ‘Tonight’s going to be a happy night. No tears,’ he tells himself. “Jin!” He smiles widely, every muscle genuine. He doesn’t care about the stares he gets as he embraces Seokjin tightly. 

 

Seokjin smiles and hugs him back. He pulls away, smiling softly. “Is tonight a special occasion?” His eyes scan the extravagant place. 

 

“No, I just want to be with you.” Taehyung pulls Seokjin to their table. They sit down right as another singer gets on the stage. “She’s really good at singing,” Taehyung points out. “Her specialty being jazz but she does a couple of ballads,” he informs Jin in a hushed voice. Jin nods an amused smile. 

 

Taehyung smiles eagerly at the stage, excited to hear what jazz song she would sing. Jazz is the best distraction right now. “This song is called Tonight. Hope you’ll enjoy,” she says and the lights dim. Taehyung’s smile fades as a ballad plays.

 

 

 

“When this night passes

I’m afraid I won’t be able to see you

 

The utterly clear gaze 

The touch I got too used to 

The face that smiled at me

Will I be unable to see you again anymore? 

 

In my everyday 

You are there

In your every day

I’m there

 

When the moon is gone 

And the sun rises 

The one who has been with me

Will you be gone?

 

When I close my eyes

I feel like it will remind me of the times

That we were together 

When I close my eyes 

I feel like I will think only of the happy memories 

again

 

When this night passes 

I’m afraid I won’t be able to see you

When this night passes 

I’m afraid that I’ll be left alone”

 

 

 

The song ends and Seokjin applauds exuberantly. Taehyung claps too, glancing at Jin who has a small smile unlike him. The song’s lyrics echoes in his head. 

 

~~~~

 

Taehyung bops his head to the saxophone. They just finished eating but are still here for the performances. The waiter comes to take their plates. Before leaving he bends down to Taehyung, “The dance floor is open.” 

 

Taehyung tilts his head, not quite understanding. In return, the waiter nods towards Seokjin. “Oh,” Taehyung blushes. “You mean..” Dancing with Jin. The waiter smiles before leaving. 

 

Taehyung looks at the empty dance floor. The whole night, the dance floor has been empty. Taehyung forgot it was even there. He bites his bottom lip as he contemplates. It’s a fun song. If he brings Jin up there, others will join. 

 

“Jin,” he whispers. Jin makes a small sound to tell Taehyung, he’s listening. “Wanna have more fun?” 

 

“This is fun,” Seokjin says, eyes still on the stage. “What do you have in mind?” Taehyung takes a deep breath, urging all his confidence to come out. He stands up, causing Jin to look at him. 

 

With no words exchanged, he takes Seokjin’s hand and weaves through the many tables. Jin calls his name softly but he ignores him. Only when they’re on the dance floor, does he listen to Jin. “W-what are we doing?” 

 

Taehyung’s already grooving to the beat. “Dancing,” he simply answers. “Dance with me,” he smiles brightly. He can hear applaud, pushing his embarrassment away. Seokjin nods and starts swinging his hips side to side. 

 

Taehyung laughs at his awkward attempt and grabs his hand. He twirls Jin around and pulls him close, so they were swaying together. By now, others had started to join them on the dance floor. 

 

“This is fun!” Seokjin yells over the loud music and people. Taehyung beams and breaks away from Jin. He breaks into a small shuffle, matching the beat of the song. Even though he can’t hear it, he can see Jin laughing. They dance and dance with different styles until the jazzy song ends. 

 

Taehyung’s worn out to the bone and ready to sit back down. However, Seokjin pulls him back. He puts one hand on Taehyung’s shoulder. The other holding Taehyung’s hand. 

 

“Let’s dance to this song too,” Seokjin tells him meekly, pretty eyes staring back at him. Taehyung nods and rests his other hand on Seokjin’s waist. They sway to the slow song. 

 

Like a movie, all Taehyung could focus on is Seokjin. Everything is blurry, only bokeh of colors. Despite being with Jin for a while, they’ve never slow danced like this before. 

 

They’re about the same height, eyes meeting each other perfectly. “I’m not sure if it’s just the adrenaline rush, but you’re glowing tonight,” Seokjin tells him. 

 

“I am?” Taehyung smiles, amused. He pulls Jin closer. 

 

Seokjin smiles, “It makes you look even more attractive.” He lowers his head as if to avoid Taehyung’s eyes. 

 

Taehyung laughs and presses his forehead to Jin’s. “That’s because of you.” His heart hums happily. “You bring out the best of me.” If only this genuine warmth can stay forever. He’s starting to wish tonight never ends.

 

~~~~

 

The machine cackles evilly as Taehyung fails to grab the stuffed animal. He reaches for more coins but Seokjin tugs his arm. “Let’s do something else. You’ve been trying for ten minutes already. Maybe even more than that.” 

 

“I don’t understand this sorcery,” Taehyung says loudly with a pout. The machine is definitely rigged. He has the magic touch with these claw machines. Somehow they ended up at the arcade after dancing. 

 

Seokjin giggles, “I’m not so sure about that..” Taehyung glares at him, though not fully meaning it. He grabs Taehyung’s arm and pulls him away. “Let’s go to the photo booth.” 

 

“B-but-“ Taehyung’s hand reaches out desperately at the claw machine as Seokjin drags him away. He can’t be at ease until he’s beaten the damn machine. Jin pulls him inside the photo booth. 

 

The photo booth looks brand new, the buttons gleam in the light. It’s probably not used much as this arcade is ninety percent full of game-addicted kids. “Come on,” Jin pulls him down on the seat. 

 

Taehyung’s attention on the claw machine fades as he notices how excited Jin is. He swipes through the options carefully, reading every word. “How many frames should we do?” Seokjin asks eagerly. 

 

“However many you want,” Taehyung wraps an arm around Jin’s waist, leaning his head on his shoulder. With a few more clicks, the camera starts blinking. They start by doing simple poses. 

 

One has them both smiling widely with their teeth. Another has them doing a heart together. Most are just them doing funny or over-the-top expressions. Taehyung’s kinda sad when they reach their last frame.

 

The countdown is starting but Jin is still contemplating what pose they should do next. “What’s something we didn’t do yet...” 5. 4. “V, help me think,” Jin says hurriedly. 

 

“Look straight ahead,” Taehyung tells him. He already has something in plan for their last photo. 3. 2. It should be fine. For tonight, it’ll be fine.

 

Jin does as he says, “Now what-“ 1. Taehyung presses a kiss to Jin’s cheek, eyes closed. Click. Seokjin turns to him, scolding. “V!” Taehyung could tell he was trying to look angry but he can’t hide the pink tips of his ears. 

 

Taehyung puts his hands up, “You asked me what to do. I wanted the last frame to be memorable.” Picture or not, all of this will be memorable. “Let’s go play against a bunch of kids. See who can beat them.” 

 

However, before he could open the black curtain that separates them from the outside world, Seokjin’s hand finds his. Jin has his eyes closed as he leans in for a kiss. 

 

An alarm blares in Taehyung’s head. He knows it’s wrong. Even though he loves Jin, they can’t be kissing like this. After tonight, Seokjin will go back to V...

 

His breath hitches as Seokjin comes closer. He swears Seokjin is not human. How can he be so ethereal? 

 

No! Taehyung shakes out of his stupor. “Let’s go look at our photos!” He hops out of the booth before Seokjin could protest. 

 

~~~~

 

“Woo!” Taehyung puts his hands up, feeling the wind rush forward. After the arcade, they went to an amusement park. “Jin! You should put your arms up, it feels really fun!” He doesn’t wait for a response as he takes Jin’s hand and raises it in the air. 

 

However, Seokjin yanks his and Taehyung’s hand down. Instead, he clutches Taehyung’s arm, eyes squeezed shut. Taehyung realizes then that he’s been quiet since the ride started. He lets Seokjin clutch his arm for the rest of the ride, smiling softly. 

 

They get off and Jin finally opens his eyes. He’s a little wobbly as they start walking, causing Taehyung to laugh. “If you didn’t want to go on the rollercoaster, why didn’t you tell me?” 

 

Seokjin glares at him, “What makes you assume I didn’t want to go on the rollercoaster? I enjoyed it very much. Thank you.” 

 

“I guess that means you enjoyed holding onto my arm with your eyes closed,” Taehyung mumbles. He has a mischievous smile, knowing Jin heard him all too well. 

 

“What! I didn’t!” Seokjin denies. “I don’t know what you were thinking but your arm was holding onto my hand.” 

 

“Uh-huh,” Taehyung plays along. “If what you said happened, then..” Seokjin curls an arm around his arm, shushing him. 

 

“Then what?” Seokjin glance at him, the playfulness from earlier gone. He has a small smile, eyes bright as he waits for Taehyung's answer. His little smile somehow hurts Taehyung. Small yet with so much meaning. 

 

Even after tonight passes, Taehyung will be sure to remember his every feature. From his small smile to his tone when he’s angry. “Then what?” Seokjin asks again, bringing Taehyung out of his thoughts. 

 

“Uh..” Taehyung forgot what he was going to say. “I forgot..” Seokjin laughs heartily and all Taehyung could do is look at him.

 

~~~~

 

‘Don’t do this, Taehyung,’ Hoseok’s text reads. ‘I know you love Seokjin so don’t do this.’ Taehyung sighs and turns off his phone. He leans his head on the window, staring at the flickering light of the gas station sign. 

 

‘This is the only thing I can do.’ Taehyung sits up as Seokjin comes to the car. He enters the car, getting into the driver seat. After the amusement park, Jin wanted to bring him somewhere. He wants to surprise Taehyung. Therefore, being the driver. 

 

“I got a few snacks and drinks,” Jin hands him a brown paper bag. Taehyung takes it and puts it in the back seats. The car has Jin’s smell as it’s his black pickup truck. Taehyung isn’t sure why Jin chose to use his pickup truck, but oh well. 

 

“Are you tired?” Seokjin asks him, blinking softly. He always found Seokjin’s blinking to be so pretty. How can someone blink so prettily and angelically? 

 

“No,” Taehyung answers and Seokjin caresses his cheek. He leans into the touch, putting his hand on top of Jin’s. “How can I be tired when I’m with my favorite person?” He couldn’t help himself as he said those words. He does not regret it one bit as a small bloom of pink appears on Seokjin’s cheeks. 

 

He likes how even after all this time, he still gets a shy reaction from Jin like this. “Please,” Jin scoffs. “Remember when you chose to sleep over me.” Despite his narrow eyes and pouty lips, Taehyung could tell he wasn’t angry. 

 

Seokjin pulls his hand away slowly like he doesn’t want to. “We should get going. I don’t want to arrive there at night.” Night. Right. Taehyung nods and sits back. 

 

As Seokjin drives them to the surprise destination, Taehyung yaps optimistically. It’s only challenging when his eyes catch the sun which feels like a ticking time bomb, considering the situation he’s in. 

 

“We’re either going out of the city or...” Taehyung contemplates, looking around them. They’ve been driving for some time now and there’s not much out there. 

 

“Or...” Seokjin presses, an amused smile on his face. 

 

“Or the beach?” Taehyung guesses. Before he knows it, they’re at the beach. 

 

“I’ve always wanted to go to the beach with the person I love,” Seokjin says as they step out. The person I love.“So why not accomplish it today,” he looks at Taehyung. Taehyung’s heart is doing gymnastics at this point. He goes over to Jin and pulls him into a hug. The waves serve as their background music. 

 

“I feel like my life became cooler when I met you,” Taehyung whispers, still hugging Seokjin. 

 

“Cooler?” Seokjin sounds disappointed. “Shouldn’t it be that your life became magical or dreamlike?” 

 

Taehyung chuckles deeply. “That too. But meeting you,” he pulls away enough so that he could look at Jin’s face. “Made me a better person. I learned more about myself.” 

 

They stare at each other silently. It almost feels like the ending of something. Like when you’re watching a movie and though you’re not satisfied yet, you feel like the credits will start rolling any second. 

 

Seokjin cracks a grin, “Are you going on a business trip or something?” 

 

“What?” Taehyung asks, still lost in the earlier moment. 

 

Seokjin plays with his hands, “You’re acting like this is the last time we’re going to see each other.” He pinches Taehyung’s cheek. “All day, you’ve been looking at me like I’ll disappear any moment.” 

 

‘More like I’m gonna disappear any moment.’ Taehyung keeps his thoughts as thoughts though. Guess his acting didn’t go through with all the emotions he’s feeling. 

 

“I just really really really,” he takes a dramatic breath. “Really like you.” 

 

Seokjin laughs, “Only like?” 

 

“Yeah....” Taehyung says slowly. Seokjin’s smile drops and he wants to kiss him to bring back the smile. Instead, he goes, “Maybe I’ll love you if you catch me.” Cackling, he sprints in the opposite direction. 

 

Soon, afterward, Jin is close behind him. The beach is cold along with the water that kisses their faces as they run by. “V!” Seokjin grumbles, obviously annoyed. 

 

“What!” Taehyung flashes a wink at him. That seems to push Seokjin as he grabs Taehyung’s arm and they go tumbling to the sand. They fall onto their back, breathing hard from the impact and chase. 

 

Taehyung turns his head to the side where Jin is. “Someone wants me to love them,” he teases. 

 

“I-I-“ Seokjin’s bottom lip juts out. “You were running away so I..” 

 

Taehyung giggles, interrupting him. He scoots closer to Jin who’s refusing to look at him. “Even if you didn’t catch me, I’d still love you.” He looks up at the sky. The sun’s setting. 

 

~~~~

 

“Let’s go back,” Taehyung says gently to Jin who’s dozing off on his shoulder. He has an arm around Jin’s waist. They’ve been sitting like this for an hour. The sun is long gone by now. It’s just them, the night, and the waves. 

 

Seokjin whines quietly, no sign of wanting to leave anytime soon. They can’t stay here forever. Taehyung gets up, propping Seokjin onto his back. As they go to the truck, Seokjin comes out of his sleepy daze. “I don’t want to go back yet,” he voices. 

 

“Well, it’s late and you’re sleepy,” Taehyung reasons with him. “Where’s the key to the truck? I’ll drive.” Seokjin gives no response as if boycotting. “Seokjin,” Taehyung chides.

 

“Let’s just sleep here,” Jin suggests, snuggling into Taehyung. It’s tempting. The beach is so calming. As if hearing Taehyung’s thoughts, Seokjin says, “Please~ I know you like the beach, too.” 

 

“But where will we sleep?” Taehyung asks. He’s starting to lean towards sleeping here. 

 

“In the truck. I even have a couple of blankets,” Seokjin tells Taehyung, playing with Taehyung’s hair. 

 

“Blankets? Why would you have blankets in your truck?” Taehyung chuckles. However, he’s now set on sleeping here. Tonight can be extended. He sets Seokjin down and they enter the backseats. Sure enough, there are two fleece blankets waiting for them. 

 

They snuggle into the blankets, staring up at the sunroof which is showcasing bright stars. Twenty minutes pass and Taehyung’s still stargazing, his mind filled with many thoughts. “V,” Jin calls softly. 

 

“Yes, Jin,” Taehyung answers, turning to Jin. 

 

“I’m not tired anymore,” Jin tells him, eyes wide and awake. 

 

Taehyung smiles at his adorableness. “What do you want me to do about it?” 

 

Seokjin sits up, discarding the blanket. “Let’s go sit in the cargo bed.” He doesn’t wait for an answer before he’s pushing the door open and stepping onto the sand. Taehyung grabs the blankets and follows him. 

 

Once in the cargo bed with Jin, Taehyung wraps one of the blankets around Jin. Although it’s spring, he doesn’t want to take any chances of getting Seokjin sick. Seokjin wraps his arm around Taehyung’s, leaning into him. “I’m glad our parents put us in an arranged marriage. Otherwise, I’m not sure I would’ve ever met you,” Jin says, kinda laughing. 

 

Taehyung can’t bring himself to smile. “Seokjin.” 

 

“Hmm,” Seokjin snuggles into him even more. 

 

“Will you remember me?” Taehyung’s voice almost cracks like his heart. After tonight, will he just morph into V? Will Seokjin remember him even after years pass? His vision is blurry with tears but he makes sure nothing slips. 

 

“Of course I’ll remember you,” he could practically hear Seokjin’s smile. “I’ll remember when you started to love me. I’ll remember the day you declared to change and become a better husband.” Seokjin presses his face into Taehyung’s arm. “I’ll tell our kids about how you were so cold and mean at first but then you started to change and care and love me.” 

 

Taehyung’s bottom lip quivers at the mention of kids. Not him. He’s not going to be the one who’ll build a family with Seokjin. He flinches as Seokjin caresses his cold cheek. 

 

He turns Taehyung’s face so that they were looking at each other. Taehyung does his best to hide the sadness in his eyes. “I love you, Kim V.” Seokjin closes his eyes and connects his lips with Taehyung. 

 

Taehyung doesn’t have the heart to push him away. Instead, he lets Seokjin kiss him. He lets a tear fall as Seokjin continues kissing him. Seokjin pulls away. Suddenly, he’s too shy to look at Taehyung. It makes Taehyung’s heart yearn for him even more. Makes him want to hold Seokjin’s face and kiss him until forever ends. 

 

Instead, he pulls Seokjin close and they stay like that until Jin falls asleep. Only then does Taehyung say, “I love you, Seokjin.” Seokjin’s breathing’s even, deep into slumber. 

 

“Even if we’re miles apart or an untouchable centimeter apart, I’ll still love you. I’ll love you until forever ends.” He holds Seokjin tightly, wanting to hold him one last time before he disappears. “I, Kim Taehyung loves you.” 

 

 

 

 

 

 

****

When this night passes 

I’m afraid I won’t be able to see you

When this night passes 

I’m afraid that I’ll be left alone