Lia didn't expect Taehyung to kiss her when she turned to face him and she figured that he hadn't meant to either; his lips immediately freezing as they fell into place over hers. Inside Lia knew that she shouldn't kiss him back because of Jungkook. Taehyung felt the hesitancy, pulling his head back to look at her. His cheeks were scarlet as he quickly got up from the couch, bowing his head in apology.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me," he said without looking at Lia, moving to pull out his mask as he walked towards the front door. "I will get going now..."

Yeontan yipped at Taehyung, chasing after him to the front door where he seemed to be fumbling to put the mask on. Lia stayed seated on the couch as she looked over at him, unsure of what to say or do. Taehyung didn't turn back to look at her as he put his hand on the door knob, moving to turn it and open it up. He slipped into the hallway without another word and soon the entire apartment was silent aside from Yeontan yipping at the front door; his front paws up on the door as if begging Taehyung to come back.

Eventually the initial shock wore off as Lia moved to stand to her feet. She began to putter about her place for a little bit while her mind reeled from everything that she had learned and experienced. She absentmindedly did her tasks as Yeontan stayed at the door and barked for Taehyung to come back. Eventually Yeontan stopped, moving to go over to Taehyung's shirt on the floor to bury himself in it. As Lia scrubbed the hot chocolate mug she had given to Taehyung under the sudsy water, she couldn't help but to think about how Taehyung's lips had tasted like chocolate when he had frozen his lips over hers.

Sighing, she let the mug drown in the sink water, drying her hands as she went back to Yeontan in the other room. He had nestled down into Taehyung's shirt but looked up at her as she re-entered.

"Come on," she said, moving to scoop him up in the shirt as she moved towards the door of her apartment; grabbing her apartment key.

Lia opened the door to her apartment, locking it behind her before making her way to the door across the way. Standing with Yeontan in her arms, she shifted so that she was able to knock on the door with one hand. When no answer came to her knock, she rapped on it again.

"I know you're in there," she said when no answer came to her second knock. "Open the door."

Lia sighed and was just about to give up when she heard slight shuffling behind the door, watching as it opened a crack. She looked at Taehyung's still masked face on the other side of the door; the mask making it so she couldn't clearly tell what emotions he was feeling. She was able to tell by the sag of his shoulders though and the way that he was uncharacteristically silent. His gaze went from her to Yeontan, obviously waiting for her to say something.

"May I come in for a moment?" she asked.

Taehyung opened the door wider for her without saying anything. Lia stepped into the apartment, putting Yeontan gently down as Taehyung shut the door behind her. She watched him scamper off into the depths of the apartment as if making himself at home before turning to look at Taehyung who stood silently by the door.

"I'm sorry for my actions," he said as she looked at him. "I shouldn't have done that. I stepped over the boundary..."

"I want you to say you're sorry to my face," said Lia.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I want the mask off," said Lia as she reached out a hand to grip it. Taehyung didn't fight her as she pulled it off so that his saddened face was clearly visible.

Their eyes locked; silence pervading the apartment.

"I'm sorry," said Taehyung again softly as he held her gaze.

Without saying anything, Lia shut her thoughts off completely. She moved closer to him before leaning up towards him to press a gentle kiss to his lips. When she brought her head back, it was Taehyung's turn to be shocked. His eyes widened as he looked at Lia.

"What was that for?"

She didn't say anything and just stared back at him in silence. She was still wearing his bracelet and Jungkook's necklace. Taehyung's eyes went to Jungkook's necklace, hating that he was betraying a friend but he needed some sort of distraction from all the noise in his head. He tentatively brought a hand up to Lia's face; letting his palm rest there for a minute. When she nodded her head to his unspoken question, he allowed his hand to slide across her cheek until it rested on the back of her neck. He brought her head closer to his as his eyes slipped close, tangling his fingers in her hair as he placed his lips over hers again. This time, Lia closed her eyes and kissed him back, causing Taehyung's breath to hitch. All thoughts fled his mind then and now he only had one focus.

Letting his hand fall off the back of her neck, he gripped her waist, spinning her around until her back was against the wall he had been standing in front. As he kept her pinned there, he parted his lips, deepening the kiss with her and falling completely into the distraction of it all.

- - -

Lia spent the rest of the evening distracting Taehyung with sweet, loving kisses. Sometimes the kisses she received were just pecks and other times they were more hungry and desperate. Kissing was all they ended up doing though. Kissing and cuddling. Towards the end of the evening, she found herself seated up against the headrest of the bed in the bedroom as Taehyung began to pull open drawers to find some comfortable loungewear to change into. She sat there as she watched him yank a white baggy t-shirt out of a drawer along with some gray sweatpants.

"Thank you for today," he said as he turned back to look at her. "I'm sorry if it feels like I just used you for a distraction."

"Well, that's what I was," she said, "But you don't need to apologize. It's not like you forced me."

He nodded, turning back to look at the drawer. He reached his hand inside and dug out an oversized gray shirt and black sweatpants, putting them on the bed next to the other set of clothes he had already dug out. 

"Why do you have two sets of clothes?" Lia asked stupidly, even though she already knew the answer for herself.

Lia watched as Taehyung's cheeks turned a deep shade of red as he looked away from her, scratching the back of his neck.

"I was wondering if you could stay with me until I fall asleep. I think if you do there will be less chance of me sinking into...well, you know."

"Am I even allowed to stay?" she asked. "I mean, what with midnight and everything?"

"Just stay until 11:30," he said. "I'll set an alarm and then you can go across the way back to your apartment."

Lia hated how desperate Taehyung sounded. He just wanted her to stay with him until he fell asleep. She supposed that she could do at least that much for him.

"Alright," she said as she leaned forward to grab up the white t-shirt and gray sweatpants. "I suppose I can do that."

Taehyung grinned at her answer, moving to grab up the other set of clothes.

"If you want, you can change in the adjoining bathroom and I'll change in here really quick," he said.

Lia nodded as she kept the clothes in her hand, flipping her legs out of the bed before making her way towards the bathroom. She shut the door behind her; the bathroom light flooding the room helping her to see how things were clearly organized for seven men as opposed to one. There were small plastic drawers on the sink counter that were labeled with each person's name. Her eyes lingered longer than necessary on Jungkook's drawer as she slipped out of her clothes and into the ones Taehyung had provided to her. Jungkook's necklace fell against her chest in between changing shirts, almost feeling like it was burning as it rested there. Lia knew that it must just be her guilty conscience, trying to shut it off as she grabbed up her clothes after and made her way back out into the bedroom.

When she arrived back in the bedroom, Taehyung was already changed. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, fiddling with some sort of alarm clock that was on the bedside table. His brows were furrowed in frustration a bit as he pressed a button along the top of it harder than he needed to. Lia couldn't help but to chuckle as she folded her clothes beside the bed.

"Are you okay?" she asked him when he let out a grumble, slamming the alarm clock on his thigh for a moment before fiddling with it again.

"Yes...I'm fine. I just can't get this stupid clock set..."

"Can I see it?" she asked, holding out a hand his way.

He swiveled sideways a bit to look at her, handing the alarm clock over. She took it in her hands, reading the barely legible writing on the top next to all the buttons before beginning to play with it herself. Eventually she got it set for 11:30, handing it back to Taehyung.

"Thanks," he said as he moved to put it back on the bedside dresser.

Taehyung moved to lay down on his back on top of the covers, tucking an arm under his head. Lia stared at him for a moment before moving to lay down on her back on her side of the bed. She turned her head to the side to look at him, seeing that he was zoning out as he was staring at the ceiling.

"Tae, are you okay?"

A small smile came across his lips when she called him 'Tae'. He turned his head so that he could face her.

"You've never called me that before."

"I haven't?"

He shook his head, watching her with a soft look in his eyes.

"It's nice," he said. "I like it. Keep doing that."

Lia chuckled as a grin came across her own lips.

"I will keep that in mind, but you still haven't answered my question."

"I just can't stop thinking about everything and I mean everything, everything."

He chuckled saying that; his cheeks tinting pink with a blush. Lia moved to grab one of his hands, lacing her fingers through his.

"Don't do that to yourself. I will help you all figure this out. I promise. There has to be an answer to it all somewhere and we will find it eventually."

She knew what Taehyung meant, but she purposefully ignored the Jungkook situation for now, knowing she'd have to face it eventually. Soothed by Lia's words, Taehyung nodded his head, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. Without asking, he moved to scoot his body over until she was lying with her head on one of his shoulders; his arms securely about her. Lia knew that she should be trying to put walls back up between them but she couldn't find it in herself to. She stayed where she was, relaxing under Taehyung's touch. When she felt his breathing even out, she looked over to see that his eyes were closed. In sleep, he looked absolutely innocent and carefree. Even though she knew she should feel guilty, she was happy that Taehyung was no longer as upset as he had been earlier.

Lia knew that she should untangle herself from his grasp now and slip away back to her apartment, but she couldn't bring herself to. She was afraid that if she moved she might wake him up. Lia stayed there, losing track of time as she let herself get lost in her thoughts. Before she realized it, her own eyes had fallen shut and she fell asleep; her face buried in the crook of Taehyung's neck as she remained cuddled close to him.

Both Taehyung and Lia slept so peacefully in each other's arms that neither of them heard the 11:30 alarm go off.