FINALE - EVERLAST

Two days after being rescued, Taehyung found himself getting his hair ruffled and his ass smacked by the man he missed more than anything in the universe. It took two days to get medical care and give statements to the police about what happened, but it was a painless process. Now Taehyung was back in New York. And not only that, but he was back in his roommate's arms as well.

"You're never traveling without me again," Jimin said, his voice edging on a dramatic whine and genuine concern. Jimin continued to ruffle his hair, squeezing Tae's ass perhaps a bit too much before pulling back to inspect his face. "You left me here, worried sick. How dare you. I had to buy a cat to cope."

"You had to... What?"

'Meow'

A fur-covered body came over, sitting and staring at Taehyung from its spot on the polished wooden floor. It was plopped down right in the middle of their living room, hints of scratch marks littering the side of their dark couch. Luckily, their TV was still on its stand and no signs of damage was there. Their rug was also intact, and it didn't even have a scratch on it. Taehyung didn't realize there were two scratching posts in the corner of the room until that moment when he glanced around.

"You bought a cat?" Tae asked, raising a brow.

"Maybe."

"Does our landlord allow cats?"

Jimin grinned. "No."

Taehyung whacked the man on the shoulder, and Jimin giggled like a baby. Although Taehyung could see the pain in his irises. His gut churned at the thought of the sleepless nights Jimin got, or the tears he shed because of Taehyung's disappearance. It was a thought he couldn't bear, so he threw it in a box and swallowed the key. Metaphorically, anyway.

Tae knelt and pet the animal behind the ears, and it purred because of the touch. Its coat was black, the body resembling the length of only a kitten and not a fully grown cat. Taehyung sighed and shook his head, shifting his attention back to Jimin. Jimin was, ironically enough, giving Taehyung puppy eyes.

"Well, you weren't here, so I made the executive decision to get a cat. This is our cat now. Her name is Marbles," Jimin said.

"Marbles?"

"Marbles, like those little marble ball things you play with. Isn't that cute?"

"You're something else, Jiminie," Taehyung said as he stood, giving Jimin's shoulder a squeeze. "And before you ask me for the fourteenth time: yes, I'm okay. I even met a girl, and I-"

Just like that, Jimin led Taehyung to the couch and sat. Marbles came over and laid down in front of them, licking her paws and listening to their conversation. "You met a girl?" Jimin asked, his little gasp the most adorable thing Tae had ever heard. "Tell me about her. All the details. Even the gross ones. Yes, even the sexy stuff. I'm your best friend, don't hold back any details, okay? Like really, not a single on-"

"Jimin."

"Sorry."

Taehyung snickered and leaned back, the cushions welcoming his weight. "Her name is Y/n L/n, she's a businesswoman who works around here. She was on that plane since she was visiting the company's headquarters in Seoul. We ended up being the only survivors of that crash, and we had to survive together. Best part: she was such an asshole."

"Tell me there's a but coming."

"Kind of," Tae said, his eyes averting to the ceiling for a moment. "She taught me a lot, Jimin. And I think I taught her a lot too. We inspired each other to be better. I gave her a bit more of an open-mind, and she gave me a much needed reality check on my optimism."

"Uh oh, are you a pessimist now?"

"Not in a million years. I mean she made me a bit more realistic. If I spend too much time in the clouds, I might get lost there. I may have fucked up in a tense moment if she hadn't knocked me down a peg. I'm grateful for her. Truly, I am. Jimin, I... I think I might love her."

Jimin squealed and swung Taehyung around against his will. Tae grunted and let Jimin squish him in his muscular yet somehow still tiny arms. It was nice to be held like this by the man he adored. It was also nice to see Jimin smile again. That one eye smile got Tae through the worst parts of his life. And now, it was here for him at one of the best parts too.

"Do you have her number?" Jimin asked, pulling away from Tae.

"She gave me her business card." Jimin burst out laughing, Taehyung narrowing his eyes in an attempted glare. "She lost her phone on the island, so she's using her backup business phone. Yes Jimin, she may have given me a business card, but it had her phone number on it. I consider this a win."

"Alright, alright. Fair enough, I won't bug you too much about it. But I still want all the details. How about sex, have you two-"

"Jimin, can you calm your horny, thick ass down for two seconds?" Tae asked.

"Wait, you think it's thick?"

Taehyung considered tackling Jimin, but he held back the urge, instead grunting while Jimin laughed like a little kid. Tae decided against speaking about his girlfriend. He took the better option and shifted his gaze to the older man. "I don't know what to think right now, Jimin. I survived a plane crash. How will I cope with the survivor's guilt? And what about solving my relationship status, and adjusting to daily life?"

Jimin brought Taehyung into an embrace that had him gasping. The warmth was something he didn't know he needed until tears spewed out of his eyes. Jimin hugged him for a good five minutes when Tae first arrived, but this was different. More special, maybe. Or maybe it was Taehyung's emotions catching up with him. Despite his rapid thoughts, he hugged back, burrowing his head against Jimin's shoulder.

"No matter what happens, we'll get through it together. You're like my little bro, Tae." Jimin rubbed his back and rocked him back and forth, placing a hand on Tae's head. "Do you trust me?" Tae tried not to break down, his hands clutching onto the fabric of Jimin's shirt before sniffling. It felt amazing to be back, and in that moment, all Taehyung wanted to do was enjoy his best friend. So that was exactly what he did.

"I do."

~~~

Y/n tapped her fingers against the table, her eyes wandering over all the faces present. The ice cream shop wasn't crowded today, but she didn't complain about that. It allowed her to observe every customer more closely. One was a teenager awkwardly flirting with the cashier around his age. He got rejected, which was no surprise. Y/n remembered those days. When she was an awkward teenager with a crush. Now, she had a different crush. Kim Taehyung.

Speaking of, Taehyung took her hand and gave it a squeeze. He was sitting across from her, finishing up his ice cream. It was around the time. The time. The time she would never forget, and Taehyung vowed to give her privacy when needed. He was already all packed and ready to go, but Y/n didn't want him to go yet. This was the perfect setting, after all.

The ice cream parlor hadn't changed since the last time she saw it. It was as clean as could be, outdated decorations still hung up just for the hell of it. There were colorful floors, walls, and countertops to appeal to their kid audience. There were also the goofy costumes the workers had to wear. They looked like something out of a 1950's diner rather than a modern day ice cream parlor. Y/n found joy in it, so she basked in the glistening fluorescent lights hanging over their heads.

"Why'd you bring me here? I thought this was a you and father thing," Tae said. It was a question he was avoiding the whole time. After he caught up with Jimin yesterday, and her with her business, the two of them agreed to meet and discuss what would happen next. For them. Where was their relationship to go from there?

"We still have five minutes," she replied, tracing her fingers down the material of the wooden table painted a cream hue. "I wanted to ask about us. Where you want to go from here."

"I really like you, Y/n," he said, chuckling after. "Funny how that works. We haven't known each other that long, but-"

"We survived an island." She grasped his hand a bit tighter than she meant to. "A dangerous one with fauna and tribes coming after us, not to mention my period. I think we're allowed to be a little attached, Mr. Kim."

"Shit, babe. Don't call me that in public, you'll give me a boner."

Y/n kissed his hand despite his remark, leaning back in her metal chair that squeaked upon feeling her movement. "Why are we dating?"

Taehyung opened his mouth to reply, but it dropped a few seconds later. "Wait, we're dating?"

"Wait, we're not?"

The two stared and stared, then, Taehyung brought out a boxy grin and let the joy glimmer in his eyes. Her heart jumped at the sight. "I'd love to date you. To move in with you one day and get to know even the smallest things about each other. Or am I being too ambitious?" he asked.

"Maybe not ambitious enough, Mr. Kim." She paused, meeting his pretty irises and considering her next words carefully. She could be honest. Or she could hide a bit longer. Oh, what the hell? Why not be honest after everything they went through? Y/n sucked in a breath, then held his hand more firmly than before. "Can I be honest?"

"Always."

"I think I'm already in love with you." At his widened eyes, she stuttered for what felt like the first time in her life. "I-I don't want you to feel pressured to say it back or anything, I just... After all we went through, it feels right to say those words to you, and I-"

"I love you," Tae said, interrupting the monologue she was planning to give.

Her lips pressed together in a thin line. When the words he said processed in her mind, she leaned across the table and gave his lips a peck he was quick to return. She sat back in her seat and breathed through her nose, her pulse going from top speed to its normal rate. "I love you too."

It felt strange saying the words out loud after wondering if they were even true. But they were. And they felt real. Realer than what she considered 'real'. Everything about the island felt like a dream. A fantasy from one of her nightmares as a child. However, Taehyung was in front of her, in the flesh. Living and breathing. And she couldn't be more grateful for that.

"I should get going now," he said, her hiding her disappointment. "But I'll see you soon. Let's meet up for lunch tomorrow, how does that sound? On me?"

"I'd never say no to free food, you know that. Most of the business meetings I went to, I only went for the shitty free food they had."

"Free food is free food," he replied with a snicker, coming over and kissing the top of her head before backing away. "See you tomorrow?"

"See you tomorrow. I'll text you when I'm free." He agreed, gathering his belongings and cleaning up before departing the parlor. But not without giving her one last smile and wave. She returned his expression and glanced down at her ice cream when he left. Sprinkles littered the top of the vanilla flavor, hot fudge too. She asked for extra sprinkles this time, and she wasn't sure why.

A couple minutes passed. The time her and her father met came upon her faster than it had in the past. No entrance. No man appearing in the doorway. Y/n sighed and went to grab her spoon when her phone rang, and she grabbed it from her pocket and answered it without looking at the ID.

"Hello, this is Y/n."

"Y/n, this is Ezekiel." Her face went cold. "I saw your police report and looked up your business, found this number and decided to call. Is this a bad time? I promise this will only take a minute."

She checked her watch, eyeing the door. Her childish hope that her hero would walk through the entrance was squashed when no one came. So, she rubbed her fingers on her temple. "Alright, what did you want to tell me?"

There was a quiver in the next breath he took. She wasn't sure if it came from him, or if there was interference on the line. "I'm sorry. You were right about the regret. I took a shower for the first time in what feels like years, and I still don't think I got the blood off. Not the blood on my skin, I mean the blood tattooed on my body from all the horrible things I did, and I..." He trailed off for a beat, a grunt sounding off. "Honestly, I'm terrified. Terrified of what I became, and what I was going to do to you. I'm so sorry, I really am. And I know no apology makes up for it, but-"

"I forgive you. Ezekiel, it sounds like you're punishing yourself enough. It doesn't excuse your actions and what you've done to others, but I forgive you for what you did to me. Try and heal, alright? On behalf of Taehyung and I, please heal."

More silence that stretched on longer than it needed to. "Alright. Thank you. And Y/n?" She didn't answer, hoping that signaled him to keep talking. It did. "Good luck."

Before she could ask what he meant, the call ended. Ezekiel was far from perfect, but he was a victim. People reacted differently to trauma. The truth was, she didn't know exactly what he did. Maybe she was making too many assumptions about him based on the experience he deeply regretted. She hoped he found peace.

The phone screen taunted her, calling her name. She hesitated before pulling up her keypad, staring at the numbers embedded on the screen. Her finger traced down the side of the phone's case. She didn't ask herself for permission to dial the familiar number, but she did anyway. And when the deed was done, she brought the device to her ear and listened. The same words came almost instantly.

"The number you are trying to reach has been disconnected."

Y/n lowered the metal until it clinked against the table, her grabbing the spoon and poking it against the top of the ice cream. There was chatter around the vicinity, kids rushing around with ice cream in their hands, some particles of the food spread on their faces because of how eager they were. Y/n was a kid once. She ran around the shop with her father right behind her, chasing her with a grin that made her feel safe. He would've been nice to have on the island. He was her comfort person. Taehyung took that role now, but she missed her father more than anything.

More time passed of Y/n poking her food, the substance melting before her eyes. Her phone was on, but no notifications came. She considered texting Tae to tell him to come back, and that she missed him already, but her eyes remained on the table instead of on her screen. Her fears came to life, right? Her father came last week, when she wasn't there. The one time she wasn't there because of a plane crash. That would be ironic, wouldn't it? Like the universe was spitting on her grave. She didn't deserve happiness, right?

The door opened, Y/n paying it no mind. The bags under her eyes were larger than the entirety of the island she was on. She listened for the bell of the door to ring, signifying that it closed, but the ring never came. She brought her stare up in time to see a single man in the doorway.

His posture was stiff, his gaze falling on her. Right away, she sat up straight and dropped her spoon, her eyes and jaw expanding. Her pulse heightened to the point where she thought her heart would burst from her chest. Emotions consisting of nostalgia, depression, and giddiness all hopped around her gut until she couldn't see straight anymore. He peered at her, and her back at him. For a moment, just a moment, she was a kid again. And then, she was happy. Fully happy. Not just because he was there, but because he did the unexpected. He grinned. Tears flooded her cheeks, and her lower lip quivered as she said the single word she never thought she would say again...

"Dad?"

THE END

~~~

A/N: I know, I know. Booo we don't get to see the reunion, but it's not necessary. I believe there's enough there to draw your own conclusions about what happened. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this story. I'm actually really proud of myself for this story because of the Y/n character. I feel like I handled her well, mostly because of how different she is compared to my other Y/n's. She was cold and indifferent to Taehyung, self-centered too. My other Y/n's are misguided but have their hearts in the right place. This one was the opposite. So I hope you enjoyed that, and if you did, I have more Tae stories coming in the future!

Upcoming Tae stories:

Nyctophilia - Where Tae works for a secret branch in the government to break into suspicious people's houses at night and search for kidnap / murder victims, and he finds Y/n in one of the houses he's searching. However, she ends up being more than he thought she was.

Veiled - Where Taehyung is an ex military man who's tasked with entering a portal that showed up near Area 51, and what follows is a dangerous journey he handles alone.

Inner Child - Taehyung as a Prince lmao you're welcome

I'm a Jimin account, so naturally, Taehyung is almost always a main character in my stories (Vmin things <3). I hope you check out my profile, and if you like it, I hope you follow for more! Thank you guys so much for reading, and I'll see you in the next story!