I named this painting " walk with shadow." I imagined that place to be like it so....😊😊😊😊

Taehyung was on his way to Ashley's when he saw Ashley passing by his cab. He immediately told to stop the cab and peeked his head out and called her aloud, "Ash...??"

He saw her break the bike. He handed the driver the cash and got out of the Cab.

He had to run a little to catch her.
"I was on my way to see you. Where are you going?"

"The Clouds. Wanna come?" Ashley smiled.

"Hell yeah," Taehyung cheered.

"Then hop on," Ashley replied enthusiastically.

" Hop on? I mean...HOP ON?" Taehyung widened his eyes imagining Ashley giving him a ride.

"Problem?" Ashley raised her brow a bit with a faint grin on her face.

"No. Not at all!" Taehyung smiled.
"Let's go."

Taehyung got on the passenger seat behind Ashley, smiling unknowingly.

Ashley started smoothly but had trouble keeping balance on the curvy road. Taehyung continued smiling.
Suddenly she stopped and got off. Taehyung looked at her with a smile in his eyes.

" ok ok..." Ashley rolled her eyes and groaned, " laugh at me."

"I am not laughing," Taehyung replied with his boxy smile.

"It's my first time you know." Pouted Ashley, "Giving someone a ride."

Taehyung shrugged playfully, "I am not judging."

Ashley slapped his arm." you are smiling."

"What do you say I give you a ride Ms. Ruth?" Taehyung was still smiling.

"Whatever," Ashley accepted defeat and pulled his sleeve, "go ahead jerk, take your seat."

Taehyung chuckled and moved to the front. Ashley rode on the bike and Taehyung said, "fasten your seatbelt milady, we are about to take off."

Ashley smiled to herself and held slightly on Taehyung's sweater.
Taehyung grabbed Ashley's wrists and wrapped them around his waist and said, " Don't let go. We are going to fly."

As he said, he almost flew the bike with expert acceleration.

Taehyung inhaled deeply to take the fresh air in. He thanked that Ashley's hands were on his waist, not on his chest. His heart was beating faster as if to match with the pace of the bike in this sweet autumn afternoon.

Feeling the rushing breeze passing through them, Taehyung smiled thinking of Ashley being the one holding him with trust. He wanted to be trusted like this every time, every day. With the sparkling blue lake beside the track, he wanted to stop that bike right there, hold the hands that were gripping the hem of his sweater, pull the girl he liked into a deep, endless embrace, and bury his face in those long loose hairs.

Her hair smelled like the autumn sun and cool breeze. Her dark blue eyes under those veils of lashes with that deep ocean in them, he wanted to get drowned into them, he wanted to tell her that he is here, in this very moment. Nothing else mattered anymore.

But he didn't do anything rather paddling endlessly to match his racing heart. How was it still functioning with her behind him?
Why her mere presence shook him like that? Could he ever have the same effect on her as she had on him??

His confession alone made this girl almost cry, left her devastated. He wished she could cry, at least once.
But this girl didn't let the tears win.
His heart ached, this feeling was so profound that it wasn't just in an emotional reign now, it was being more and more like physical pain. He almost could see the waves of loneliness and emptiness he felt ever since he met this lonely girl.

The Clouds was not far from her place. Not long after they reached there and as soon as they entered, they were surrounded by a lot of children.

Taehyung was looking at Ashley's face. It was filled with pure joy and a childish smile. Looked like she went back to her childhood with them. She was sharing a group hug with them sitting on her knees. They loved her.
It was written on their faces.
She was handing them the cookies. Her face was like a huff of fresh air, lit with the smile that touched her eyes.

"Pip?" Mrs. Simpson came out of her office room. She was the one managing everything around here.

"Nana..." Ashley hugged her.

"Who is he?" she frowned.

Ashley introduced him to Mrs. Simpson.

"Is he the one you talked about?" Mrs. Simpson teased intentionally.

" Nana.." Ashley eyed her to shut up.

She smiled and hugged Taehyung. She smelt like baked cookies.

" This girl was so hurt and missed you so bad," she smiled with an intentional wink.

"Nana......!" Ashley yelled at her.

"Why did you hurt her, Taehyung?"

"I did not!" Taehyung protested, smiling at the embarrassed face of Ashley.
"She was the one who left!"

"Don't you dare hurt my Little Bow Pip, Taehyung. Always take good care of her." Mrs. Simpson held Taehyung's hand.

"Nana, please!" Ashley was red in embarrassment. "Let's go Tae... it's late already."

"Don't worry Nana," Taehyung smiled back, "I will take good care of her."

"Tae!!" Ashley groaned in frustration. Taehyung chuckled and ran to get away from Ashley behind him.

They spent some time with the children and again hit the road in the evening.

On the way back Taehyung started to hum an unknown melody. It was going up and down with the pace of the bike. Ashley felt so soft and vulnerable at the same time with his voice as if it had that power to cut through her heart.
His voice was deep, husky, and heavenly that she could hear him hum hours after hours.
His voice always touched her soul, the soul which always craved for that unknown whisper.
And that touch was so delicate, so deep in the most protected, the hidden vulnerability of hers that could bring out her tears. Every time.

She tightened her arms around his waist. She just wanted to melt right there, wanted this journey to never end. She wanted to close her eyes and rest her head on his back right now.
It seemed so wrong yet so right.
"Don't sing, Tae," Ashley mumbled to herself, "don't do this to me."

A sudden jerk made her head get back on earth. She couldn't balance it and the next moment she discovered herself on the ground. Taehyung had to break so suddenly for a sheep came into the road may be breaking loose from the farm nearby somehow. Her cottage was just ahead.

"Ash? Are you alright?" Taehyung rushed towards her leaving the fallen bike there.

"I am ok," she tried to smile.

Taehyung helped her to get up. "You sure?"

"Yeah, definitely," Ashley assured him and walked towards the bike. She flinched as she took a step.

"You are bleeding, Ash," Taehyung's voice was full of concern.

She looked down her knees. It was just scratched. Bleeding will soon be stopped. Nothing to worry about.

"It's nothing," Ashley shrugged, "just superficial scratches."

"Can you walk?" Taehyung looked at her with worries on his face.

"Don't worry, I can." she walked few steps to prove her statement.

Taehyung watched Ashley flinch every time she took a step.

"Can I ....." Taehyung hesitated, "can I carry you?"

Ashley widened her eyes. "No...no need," she managed to answer.

"Ok," He helped her walk instead. After another few steps, he gave in his politeness, "I am carrying you," he stated and picked up Ashley in his hands with ease.

Ashley gasped in surprise, "Tae.....you don't have to. Put me down!!!"

"I have no intention to keep you up the whole time." Taehyung groaned,
"I will definitely put you down after reaching your home."

Taehyung carried her easily and went into the living room to make her sit down on the couch.

"Where is the first aid kit?"

"In the kitchen.... the third cabinet from the left," Ashley replied.

Taehyung went in and came back with the box within a minute.
He knelt in front of her. He brought out the scissors, "I have to cut your jeans. Is that ok?"

Ashley had that amused smile plastered on her face.
"Yeah, go ahead."

Taehyung cut down the jeans above her knees. She didn't realize when she gave permission but went on full red when she realized that she never wore shorts in front of others and never wore anything revealing. It was her space of insecurity.

Taehyung cleaned the wounds gently and applied ointments and went for gauze.

"Leave it. It's not that deep. Keeping it open will help it to heal quickly," Ashley said.

"But you have to be careful, ok?" Taehyung instructed her, "or it can be infected. Don't wash it, and apply the ointment regularly. Got it?"

Ashley smiled still amusingly, "And I thought I was the doctor here!"

Taehyung chuckled and took her one leg on his lap to gain a better look around to see any additional injury. There was none but there was a long cut mark from just below her knees disappeared down her jeans upwards. He unconsciously touched the mark a bit and looked at her face curiously.

He saw her smile slowly disappear at the sight of it and he realized what that could be.
It's the mark that maniac left. How many marks she was carrying in her body like that?

His heart clenched at the sight and he tried to act as if nothing happened and pretended to get busy cleaning the other leg.

Blind rage was boiling inside of him. He could happily kill that beast right at that moment who dared to hurt that precious girl.

"It's raining again," Ashley stated quietly looking outside, "stay here tonight."

Taehyung looked at her in surprise.

Ashley scrunched her nose at him, "I am not cooking tonight. You order pizza."

"As you wish," Taehyung smiled back at her.

"By the way," Ashley asked excitedly,
"Do you like horror movies?