Taehyung thumped down on the floor as soon as the practice finished.
The room was already filled with the sound of heavy and ragged breathing.
Taehyung wiggled in the direction of Jin who took the place just beside him.

"Ahhh this brat!" Jin groaned in frustration as Taehyung placed his head on his thighs, "yaah, go away. I can't feel my legs."

"A little longer, hyung," Taehyung pouted.

"Go, go. Go away," Jin pushed him off and leaned on the wall behind, "you are all sweaty!"

"Rude," Taehyung glared at him and dragged himself towards Yoongi

"Don't," Yoongi blurted seeing Taehyung's intention.

"Come on!" Taehyung placed his head on his lap and gave a wide smile, "I know you love me hyung!"

Yoongi rolled his eyes and got back to his phone.

Taehyung was almost drifting away in comfort but sprang up at once with a loud bang just beside his ears.

Namjoon pushed a chair down on which he was sitting earlier.

"Hyung!" Taehyung cried out loud, "you could have given me a heart attack!"

"Be careful, Namjoonah," Yoongi mumbled not taking his eyes off his phone, "you'll hurt yourself."

"Still better than hurting others," chuckled Hoseok.

"Tae, did you see it?" Namjoon was excited and was not giving a damn about what shades others were throwing at him.

"What?" Taehyung was still messaging his chest.

"Oh! It's noona!" Jungkook peeked into Namjoon's phone.

"She is all over the internet. Didn't you see?" Namjoon pointed at his phone.

"What?"

Namjoon came down to the floor where everyone else was sitting and everyone gathered around him one by one.

Taehyung saw Ashley crying hysterically holding a baby in her chest, all bloody and devastated.

His face melted in a smile with an aching heart. He never felt more proud.

"She is the talk of the town now," Namjoon said with appreciation in his voice, "God! She is so cool!"

"What happened?" Jimin asked curiously.

"She did a delivery right in the middle of the airport, saved the baby while the mother was dead already," Taehyung answered.

"The video went viral, she is in every news channel, and all over the internet," Namjoon added.

"She is showered in love and respect," Yoongi scrolled down the comment sections, "I mean did any of you have ever seen a comment section this respectful? At least I didn't!"

"She deserves this, Tae! Your girlfriend is famous too!" J hope laughed out loud, "Why so suddenly I feel like proud dad?"

"You should be her rival hyung, I mean consider the kiss thingy..." Jungkook flashed a mischievous smile.

"This one is being a dork day by day!" Jin smacked his head and looked at Taehyung just to laugh his heart out,
"and this one is turning into a tomato!"

"I don't mind sharing him with her." Hoseok wiggled his brows at Taehyung and caught him in a headlock, "as long as he agrees that I am a better kisser."

"Hyung!" Taehyung cringed and tried to get away from his hands.

"She doesn't seem like doing fine, is she ok, Taetae?" Jimin asked him with concern.

"Went through some shitload of family drama, her so-called mother died and tons of things. She is just exhausted now," Taehyung sighed and told them in short.

"Why is everything so extreme with her?" Jungkook sighed, "I mean did you see what happens to her all the time?"

"Take her somewhere," Suggested Hoseok, "a getaway could help, did any of you went out?"

"No," Taehyung frowned, "It's just always been her apartment, me visiting her back at her home, or she coming to visit my family....oh, I once took her to Han river."

"That is the best place to hang out, ever!" Namjoon cooed.

"You and your Han river!" Jin rolled his eyes.

"I am serious Tae, take her somewhere far from here, look up at the schedules and find a free time."

"What about Junghyun's place?" Yoongi suggested calmly.

"What?" everybody looked at him with questions in their eyes.

Yoongi just shrugged and showed his phone screen.

"Where is it?" Jimin asked.

"Gangwon du. Near Sokcho. Junghyun is my high school friend. They run a little resort there, it's neat and nice. It's not crowded cause it's offseason now for hiking or camping in the mountain."

"It will be bad if they get spotted together even by one person," Hoseok told, "especially in a place like that."

"It's already booked. The whole resort. Nobody will get a reservation in between," Yoongi was unbothered.

"Booked? Whole resort? What do you mean?" Jin fake gasped, " how much money do you have?"

"Told you it's a tiny resort. Can accommodate five families at best. I was thinking about sending my family there this time for few days for a little change. But mom just messaged me, appa's asthma increased, better stay put for few days. I was gonna cancel the reservation. But you can go on." Yoongi said nonchalantly.

"Really!" Taehyung was smiling ear to ear.

"Yeah," shrugged yoongi, "Don't worry. They guaranteed full privacy and I'll talk with Junghyun again if necessary. They'll keep unnecessary population away from their properties."

.
Ashley picked up the phone after several rings.

"What?" her voice was whispery and careful.

"Are you free this weekend?"
Taehyung went straight to the point.

"Not now! I am in the middle of the lecture!"

"Hear me out. There's the thing, Just tell me, are you free?"

"Yes, why?" Her voice was now annoyed.

"I am also free," Taehyung grinned imagining Ashley's furious face at that moment.

"Tae!" Her voice was almost cracking, "enough fooling around, can I go now?"

"I want to take you somewhere. Are you coming?"

"Tae...Yes, professor?" Ashley's voice was suddenly careful.

Someone told something to her in the background.

"You are so dead, mister!" Ashley gritted from the opposite of the phone and ended the call.

It was the late afternoon on the weekend. Sun was almost down to the horizon lighting up the blue calm water of the lake, reflecting down the greens and pinks surrounding it. The sky was tinted in the red and purple hue of the last lights of the day coating the water surface in golden-green hues all around. It was quiet, a calm yet lingering soft murmur of the forest was surrounding them.
Taehyung's soft humming made the silence even softer like lost mountain flutes.

"You need to stop," murmured Ashley with her still closed eyes.

Taehyung increased his voice a little louder.

"Ughhhhh!" Ashley sighed.

"Why are you sleeping?" Taehyung pouted.

"Cause it's freaking weekend! I worked the whole week!" Ashley smiled cheekily.

"And I didn't?"

"Who's stopping you?" Ashley chuckled and patted the space beside her on the grass.
She looked so calm with the resting book on her chest and few pages scattered around them.

Taehyung smiled a little and looked ahead of him. The clouds were changing their colors with time. He took a deep breath full of the faint scent of cherry blossoms.

The mountain was covered in pink and white cherry blossoms and the wind was ruffling the tiny petals in the air like snowflakes were falling from the sky.

"Tae?"

"Mhmm?" Taehyung looked back at Ashley.

"Nothing," Ashley shrugged a little.

Taehyung smiled and picked up a cherry petal from her hair which was covered in tiny petals all over herself now.

"What are you thinking?" Ashley looked curiously at him.

"Just this and that," Taehyung shrugged and laid down beside her.
"Tired?" He asked softly.

"Contented," smiled back Ashley.
"You sure I am not harming your work schedule?" Ashley teased a little.

Taehyung didn't answer except a soft chuckle escaped his lips.

"Why are you smiling?" Ashley rolled to the side to look at his face.

"Nights are not unbearable now," Taehyung smiled lightly thinking all the nights he cried clinging on Jin for dear life or trapping himself alone in the bathroom.

"What?"

"I don't feel scared anymore. I don't feel lonely."
He was rather talking to himself.
Ashley didn't understand it much but dragged herself closer to him.
She reached her hand towards his hair and lightly slipped her fingers through the soft locks.

"Don't be so good to me, Ash," Taehyung murmured closing his eyes.

"Why?" Ashley smiled.

"I can't ever let you go if you do," Taehyung looked in her eyes and tugged a hair string behind her ear.

"Then don't," Ashley whispered.

Taehyung traced his fingertips along her hairlines softly and blew a petal from her hair.

Ashley smiled and brought down her hand from his hair to his cheek.
Taehyung interlocked their fingers and took the hand and planted a soft kiss on it.

"I love you," Ashley looked deep into Taehyung's eyes and smiled.

Taehyung again kissed the red string on her wrist and looked deep in her soul, "let's get back to the room."

Ashley smiled as a blush spread over her face.

It was midnight when Ashley woke up in tears. She felt the presence of Taehyung at her back wrapping her around close to his chest. They were spooning and she didn't want to wake him up now as they both went to sleep not long ago.
But she knew it was too late when Taehyung's arm tightened around her and asked in a sleepy and husky voice, "you awake?"

Ashley tried so hard to not let out any sob and control her shaking body but her body wasn't just listening up.
Taehyung scooped in closer and pressed his lips on her shoulder,
"What is it?"

Ashley let go and her lips released a tiny sob with a shaky breath.
Taehyung turned her around and took her in his arm.
Ashley buried her face in his chest and fisted his shirt in between her fingers.

" I am here. Sssshhhhh, it's all ok."

Ashley couldn't control herself rather the sobs increased with his words.

"Wanna talk about it?" Taehyung kissed her head affectionately, "you don't have to be scared anymore, I am here."

"I am not scared," Ashley whispered with tears still pooling in her eyes.

Taehyung looked down at her in the dim light.

"I am happy."

"Happy?" Taehyung looked soft as he wiped the tears away, "what did you dream about?"

"Something good," Ashley again sobbed almost silently, "something beautiful."

Taehyung palmed her face carefully,
"what was that about?"

"Dolphins, ocean, shells, and sand," Ashley nuzzled close to Taehyung's neck, "A sunset with you."

Taehyung's lips curved up in a silent smile realizing the dream was not a nightmare tonight.
" I am glad," Taehyung let out a sigh of relief, "I am glad."

Taehyung held her until she fell asleep, with a faint picture of his own dream lingering in his mind with this girl and a tiny human with a smile on his face.

Going in full 36-hours calls with loads of caffeine to keep me up and the continuous complaints of the patients around is draining me out really!

The story is going to end soon, thank you for hanging in there with this tortoise race!!!😄😄😄😄

Stay safe, stay blessed!