It's the 18th of August, 2018. The 230th day of the year with 135 days until 2019. It's been two years since the collapse of Forest Lakes Hospital brought Taehyung back into your life. You look back at your reunion with Taehyung now in humor, it was truly meant to happen. Fate, she was a beautiful beast.

It's been 1 year since you've practiced medicine in an ER and it's been 8 months since Taehyung moved into your home to be closer with Sunny.

You were happy.

You were in love.

And Sunny loved her dad very much.

Additionally, it's been a month since Jimin became a nurse practitioner, opening a clinic in the valley, where you occasionally practice to maintain your practicing registration. Yoongi proposed to the brunette on the opening day of the clinic. In a loud romantic gesture, Yoongi had yelled at anyone on the streets who would listen that he could not see a life without Park Jimin in it.

That Jimin was his forever. 

Jimin, being the hopeless romantic, had been swept off his feet by a giant diamond ring and a gesture he'd longed for since they started dating. They were happy, grossly happy.

Seokjin and Namjoon were happy, both now working at Seoul Hearts Hospital. You and Taehyung were actually invited on a double date to watch Crazy Rich Asians with them next week but Taehyung has an occupational habit of falling asleep on you in cinemas and he's cute, but not that cute (his head is heavy).

Jungkook moved out after Taehyung kept bullying him. He lives with a girl he's been seeing who, unfortunately, has no medical literacy so dining table conversations get awkward but she's lovely and she's learning. He's had ongoing problems with the arm he broke in Forest Lakes, requiring physiotherapy. Jungkook's been taking it hard because it means, his dreams of becoming a world-famous surgeon are over but he'll be okay. He's got us to help him get through hardship.

Irene had signed up for medical school and was now attending one of your classes. She and Hoseok were close. Being a student, Irene is often seen getting a saline drip in Hoseok's office after joining in the festivities of college life again, much to his chagrin when he picks her drunk self up off the ground.

Mina, Taehyung's ex-wife, is pregnant again! She still works in pediatrics and has actually gotten quite close with your family. She's been banned from coming over after you found her poking holes in Taehyung's condoms.

Apparently, pregnancy makes her crazy. 

Sana and Taehyung continue to be close working colleagues, she's a huge drinker these days. Her and Jimin have become best friends and have established a knitting club at the hospital and clinic. Jimin thinks it's funny when people actually turn up to knit. You don't find it funny when they stumble back to your house drunk.

Sunny is in primary school. She's become one of the popular students being as loud as her father. Taehyung has encouraged her to learn saxophone much to EVERYONE's desire for a good night sleep. She's decided that she's going to be a veterinarian when she's older. She thinks medicine for animals will be easier because people are too silly. You can't help but agree.

To be specific with your life, it's been okay. You've taken the year off to continue your education and to lecture at the medical school connected to Seoul Hearts. You work 5 days a week, an 8-5pm job, something that allows you to drop your child off at school and pick her up from after-school care.

It was Saturday today, unfortunately, half of your students had an early morning Saturday exam and your juniors had an afternoon lecture. It was a rare occurrence in your schedule to be working 6 days a week but today, it had to be done.

More meaningfully, it was the end of the semester before half your students went on break before starting their second-year rotations at the hospital. It's your exam and practice hints, and self-care class today, something you had been planning with Taehyung.

"Well," you close the book full of your notes as the sound echoes throughout the silent lecture theatre. "It's come to that time again.

"I'm not going to be mean and make you all stay till 6 to listen to my boring anecdotes when I know happy hour starts in an hour at bad grannies and all of you had to come in on a Saturday. So, I have decided instead, that I will finish this class by telling you a story about my trauma," you announce, stepping away from the podium. "I know all of you have been to my trauma class and heard about the effect of the Forest Lakes bombing on the medical and nursing team."

"I know most of you know what happened between Dr. Jungkook and I that day. I know some of you have worked with Dr. Taehyung in the orthopedic unit next door or Dr. Hoseok in psychiatry or have felt the wrath of Dr. Yoongi in ED. I know some of you were there and I know a student in this room played a cardinal role in saving my life."

Irene sinks behind her computer in the back as all the students look around the room.

"Why am I saying this to you all? Because they were all there with me and they were apart of something so huge, that it still affects me to this very second."

You all watch over their expressions as some close their computer screens. "I know you've heard stories and accounts of what happened just as much as I know most of you wish that you had been there but my story, something I haven't told any other cohort will describe why I'm glad none of you were."

The room goes deafeningly silent.

"But more importantly and more relevantly, no matter what you see out there in the field when you start your rotations in the next couple of weeks, you are not invincible. You'll come to realize that doctors aren't safe from traumatic stress disorders and you will see and experience some very traumatic things."

"To begin," you click the remote to the screen behind you. "It was 7 pm at night, and we had a multi-trauma MVA (motor vehicle accident) come through ER. I was given trauma bay with an unresponsive John Kim. He was barely breathing and it became increasingly clear that I would not be able to provide adequate medical help given my own personal circumstances with this kind of case. You see, prior to the evacuation of Forest Lakes, I had been with a patient with a similar accident, sustaining similar injuries."

The students all begin talking loudly amongst themselves at this revelation.

"Now, this is my last medical story I have for you this semester," you say, clicking on the screen that lists the details of the patient. "So, listen well."

[Flashback: Seoul Hearts Hospital 2017, March 11]

"Can you hear me, John? Wiggle your fingers if you can hear me?"

No response.

You rub his sternum.

Still no response.

"He's not responding," Your hands drop to your side. Your fingers tremble. You step back; your sneakers squeak against the floor. Blood soaks into the fabric. He's lost too much of it. You should probably get the nursing team to run 2 units of blood but he isn't stable yet.

"Breathing looks shit, resps are low 2-5."

He needs to be intubated. Intubate him. Now. Do it.

"My nurse in crime had him on oxygen and while I had spent 5 minutes trying to decide whether I should intubate John. He was a category 1 case for immediate surgical intervention and the anesthetist I was initially working with was required to assess the patient and anticipate the possibility of a difficult airway."

"Unfortunately, he had left the trauma room to attend to an incoming triple-A case (abdominal aortic aneurysm) and this never ended up happening. So, I had little confidence and little help," looking around the room, you all watch their eager eyes follow you. "A surgeon in John Kim's situation, which was me at that point, should be familiar with performing tracheostomies, that is standard hospital protocol. You know, cutting open the throat and chucking in a tube down their airway. It's a classic in the ER and I've done it a million times. It was standard protocol."

You click the screen, showing a picture of an intubated man.

"The nurse I was working with urged me to do an emergency surgical airway but, working with PTSD, I was experiencing flashbacks and felt tunneled in. When that happens, you lose the ability to think about the wider picture, this was the first time it had happened to me during an emergency. In this scenario, it didn't hit me until he had been moved to ICU that it was real. That it actually happened. That John Kim was a real person."

"Y/N, you need to breathe," Jimin yells, tying a tourniquet around the patient's thigh. "This is the end of your 20-hour shift, should I grab another doctor?"

"No, it's fine." You watch the patient's chest rise and fall to shallow depths. You watch the crease beneath his eyebrows even out. You watch the veins in his neck begin to gorge. Then the numbers on the machine beside him begin to fall into a place that would usually make you run into immediate action, but all you hear is white noise.

Static white noise.

Jimin rushes around you. The edges of your vision grow hazy. The lights around you are too bright. The sound of your heartbeat rings loudly in your ears. The rancid smell of blood should be something you're used to by now, but strangely tonight, the sight and smell make you want to vomit.

Makes you want to cry.

You can feel the blood being violently pumped around your body; it whistles in your veins, it runs in your arteries. You feel like you're hovering out of your skin, you're the shell of a doctor, and a scared former self-remains. You don't feel present, as though you were standing somewhere else, in a place far away. The more you feel it, the more numb you grow to feel.

Your patients going to die.

You're going to die.

"It was clear at this point that what happened when Forest Lakes came down and everything else with it, significantly affected my mental health. I didn't know it too until then either," you pace the room, watching all their faces. "You don't know anything until someone tells you or something happens, and unfortunately for me, something did happen and someone did get hurt."

A student raises his hand from the back, you nod your head at him. "Did he die?"

The student sitting beside him shakes her head. "Why would you ask that so early into her story?"

He shrugs.

Jimin shouts desperately beside you, trying to pull you out of the panic attack you think you might be experiencing but you feel so helplessly lost all of a sudden, as though you were left in a dark room with no doors.

With no windows.

With no light.

That it's hopeless.

"He's not responding, Doctor we need to do something," he shouts. "He's not breathing!"

"DOCTOR Y/N!"

"Y/N."

"Did I kill John Kim?" You stop talking, smiling up at the students as they sit on the edges of their seats. "Is that why I am no longer practicing medicine? Are you all wondering that?"

They shake their heads, talking amongst themselves.

You know they are. 

"The short version is that no, I did not kill him thankfully but I was very damn close to killing him. You will never be alone when you practice. You have nurses who protect their patients from harm and as much as I hate to say it, from you too."

"John Kim died in ICU. He passed on comfortably with his family around him. I'm a good doctor. I don't need people to tell me I am. I know I am but when I think of that day, I know I wasn't. I wasn't looking after myself and I was ignoring my mental health. We are not made of a different kind of substance, we are just as sensitive to trauma as anyone else."

"You can do this," Jimin says, shaking you after making you do deep breaths with him. The static noise begins to disappear, removing the veil atop of your oblivion, revealing a completely lit room. A patient in front of you needing help. A nurse staring at you with a beautiful mix of concern and fear in his eyes.

"Y/N, we need you!" Jimin shouts again. "We need you, come back!" You take a deep breath then you take another one.

"I don't know..." you whisper, shaking your head. Jimin watches you and then he smiles, "He needs you, you're okay."

Your eyes sweep across the situation again as though it had become a completely different situation. "Jimin, we need more fluids and more blood. Get Sana to contact the family, we need an extensive family history and more information about what happened. "

"You aren't practicing after this patient Y/N.," he says, frowning at you. "I have to advocate for my patients and because I love you. You stop after this. I can't let you practice."

You smile back at Jimin because as much as you hate hearing that, you know in your heart that he's right. "You're right Jimin. Absolutely right."

Clicking the end of your pupil torch on, you turn back to the patient. You shine the light into his dark brown eyes, watching the reflex in one eye before the other. "Christ. Abnormal pupillary reflex, possible cerebral trauma," putting your hand into his, you shout at the patient. "If you can hear me, squeeze my hand."

No response again but you knew there wouldn't be.

"Trauma affects you in different ways. It doesn't have to be during or straight after something scary, it can be latent, affecting you later like it did to me. I want each and every person in this room to know and understand that people react differently to things, I know that's obvious, but to emphasize with those who you care for, those who you sit next to and those whom you company."

The room is silent as the echo of your voice fades into the lecture hall.

"I want to talk to you all about something that will help. It's in no way replacing the fabulous work of a counselor or a therapist, but it's something you should all take on board. Let's talk about self-care out in the field that may prevent things from escalating to what my story told off."

You like lecturing, it gives you the opportunity to inspire and influence the future doctors of the world through your experience. Talking as you gaze at each and every student, you smile -feeling grateful. Teaching has also given you the opportunity to think about your own future and where you want to go. Maybe you needed to do more study? Perhaps, become the dean of the medical school at the university? Or, open your own hospital? Who knows.

But you're hopeful and happy, and that's all that matters.

"Lastly folks, looking after yourself is how you'll look after others. Please take your own pulse before you take other peoples. Thank you for attending my class today and I hope to see you all before you start practice."

"Alright, I'm done," You sigh, chucking the clicker onto the adjacent table as you step out from behind the podium. "Have a good break, you guys!"

You grip your briefcase, waiting for the last few students to drag themselves out of the lecture theatre. Stretching your neck, you rub the pad of your fingers against the tight muscles, feeling some relief momentarily albeit the reminder of the horrendous amount of marking you had to complete before leaving.

It was a different kind of exhaustion working in education. It certainly wasn't like emergency medicine and the visceral fatigue you felt after a shift, although you missed the excitement of life and death, you had to admit that it was actually kind of nice working with students who would someday fall in love with it too.

"Y/N," Irene waved, reaching you in three quick strides. You smile at the girl; she's changed so much in the last year too. Her once lavender colored hair, now raven black, contrasting beautifully with her pale skin. Her lips trembled into a tender smile as she approached you.

"I hope you aren't still blaming yourself for that day, John was a complex case," she sighs, as the two of you start leaving the lecture hall together. "But I'm glad you're able to talk about it, I was beginning to think we lost you to it."

When Irene had left her nursing career, you had handed in your resignation. It just felt right to take a break from healing others to heal yourself. "There are some cases that stick with you forever but you know this already Irene."

She nods. "I do."

"Have you worked part-time since you started med school?" you asked, it would be an awful shame if she had completely stopped nursing. You were confident that it would've given her an advantage over the other students.

"Other than working casual when they're short staffed, I've been taking a break, I'm actually seeing Hoseok and it's going well," she stammers, her cheeks dusting with a soft pink as though she had not meant to tell you that. You walk towards the elevators, a smirk growing on your face. "Oh seeing as in ...not dating, ...I mean, he's helping me with the nightmares."

"Oh, I'm sure he is-" you pinch her bicep playfully "-you crazy kids!"

"We're talking and it's nice, I meant, he's helping me deal with the nightmares."

"I saw you guys laughing at that new Italian restaurant when Taehyung tried to propose to me for the third time. You were holding hands and staring at each other, no need to hide it." you chuckle, enjoying how she was becoming. "I'm glad he's in love. I was beginning to think it wouldn't be possible for Hoseok."

"Oh, you saw us? Well, I guess I can't keep it from you. He's good to me although at one point people are going to start accusing me of nepotism. He's so obvious with his special treatment."

You laughed at that. Hoseok would never go out of his way to encourage nepotism, especially in his own line of work. In fact, you were certain Hoseok would ensure any benefit and achievement Irene got was because of her own hard work. "I am not going to comment on that. Love is love."

Irene stays paused outside of the elevator when the doors open. "Happiness is happiness."

Your heels click against the floor as you head in. Turning to face her, you hold up your hand to wave. "It was nice talking to you Irene. Give Hoseok a cuddle for me, tell him it's been a couple days since I last saw his ugly face."

"You guys work together, calm down," she smiles. "Hey, I'm glad you're healing and do whatever the hell you want, you deserve it. Say "Hi" to Taehyung and Sunny and Jimin for me, I miss them."

"They miss you too Irene. Please come to our BBQ next Friday, Sunny keeps talking about wanting to be you and it's driving me nuts."

"But nepotism Y/N."

"What's more important to you?"

"Fine, see you then."

The elevator doors close.

Leaving your office early that Friday afternoon, Taehyung calls you as you throw your briefcase into the back of your car. Tapping the hands-free option, you start the engine as his voice fills the car.

"Babe, where are you?"

You grip the steering wheel, indicating off the road with a click of a button before pulling out. "Hi hunny, lovely to hear your voice too. Yes, my day was great, what about yours?"

His baritone voice fills the car. "My parents have Sunny for the night, where are you?"

"That sounds suggestive, the couch too uncomfortable for you?" Stuck at the traffic lights, you mirr in suspicion. "I'm 5 minutes away, why? You got something planned for dinner?"

"I do actually. Can you meet me at Nimas at 5?"

"You better not be proposing to me because I'm sorry babe, it's going to be a no again," You sigh. You aren't entirely sure why Taehyung is so determined to persuade you that marrying him would be the next best decision since he moved in. He's a hopeless romantic and you have to admit, the proposals get more exciting everytime you say no but you know someday, you're going to have to say yes. "Why are we having an early dinner?"

"I've proposed to you 9 times now, do you think I'd propose again beca-

"-yes, yes I do. I definitely think you'll propose again," you interrupt, pressing the gas pedal down when the light turns green. "In fact, I'm looking forward to seeing what ring you'll poison me within the garlic bread. Can I say as a suggestion that putting jewelry in food is a bad idea, and not to do it."

"Hey now, the yogurt incident was horribly organized by the staff at that restaurant. You're lucky I know CPR."

Taking a deep breath, you shiver at the memory. Taehyung had taken you to one of the best middle eastern restaurants in the city. It had started with an argument on the way and it had ended with an argument as you yelled at him for trying to kill you. "We do CPR every time we're in the community, can I not be a doctor when we're out? And I know you were embarrassed that day, you didn't need to kiss me so hard in front of everyone to cover-

"-CPR. IT WAS CPR. I WAS SAVING YOUR LIFE."

Rolling your eyes, you snort. "So dinner tonight and you're only giving me an hour to get changed?"

"Jimin's at home, so you girls can talk. Be ready or not, up to you. The house is clean and Rosie is at Jungkook's new place for the night too. So, it's just us."

Frowning, you indicate onto the highway. Rosie. That damn loveable dog. "Still can't believe you bought Sunny a golden retriever, what's wrong with you? We're doctors, we don't have time to give her the attention she needs. And I can't believe you manipulated Jungkook into moving out, I miss him."

"Jungkook has an insanely large crush on you and it makes me uncomfortable watching him lust over a woman who lusts over me. Also, don't hate Rosie please, she is cute. Plus, you come home at 5 pm every day, you have time in the evening and I have time in the morning."

"He has a girlfriend and I'm a slob," he snickers at your comment. "But ...I lust over you? Since when? I don't, do I?

You can see the smile take over his face as though he were in front of you having this conversation. "Oh baby, you can't help it when I'm just this irresistible."

"I'm hanging up now-

"-I love you," he interrupts. "I'll see you at the restaurant! Don't be late."

"I'll be what I want."

You hang up on him.

He calls you back a second later.

You pick up. "What do you want now?"

"Y/N, I love you and do you?"

"Fine. I might love you too."

Taehyung hisses into the shell of his phone. "Might? Please, you love the heck out of me. I have the marks on my body to prove it!

"Then why do I need to say it if you know?"

"Anything could happen and I don't want it to happen without me telling you that I love you. I know you'll regret it too if something happens to me too."

"Nothing's going to happen. I'm hanging up now."

"Y/N."

"Fine. I love you Kim Taehyung, you crazy dog loving fool. I'll see you soon. Don't put the ring in the food."

"I think I'll just put it on the table then. Bye, babe."

"Really? Oh lord, bye Taehyung."

--

Jimin adjusts his tie as Yoongi puts his pants back on. They'd just finished visiting a million wedding venues before settling into the first LGBT friendly wedding apparel store. Yoongi had paid the owners to close it so their session with the stylist could be more intimate.

When the stylist had left them alone upon a request that Jimin's suit be of a softer fabric because he had sensitive skin, Yoongi had swept him off his feet, kissing the hell out of the boy.

His mouth had tasted like the white chocolate cake they had tried earlier.

"Yoongi," he whispers, reaching out to grab the lapels of his suit jacket, pulling him closer. "Do you think Y/N is going to marry Taehyung?"

"Baby, why are we talking about this now?" Yoongi leans forward, placing soft kisses down Jimin's neck. He whispers into Jimin's ear. "Because fuck no, not now anyway. Maybe a month ago yes, but now? No way."

Jimin frowns suspiciously as he leans into him. "What do you know?"

Yoongi runs a hand down Jimin's chest, resting it over his stomach. He leaves his palm there before winking at the boy.

Jimin screams, pulling away from Yoongi. "She's pregnant again?"

Jimin screams again.

Then he jumps like a child in a bouncy castle.

"I'm going to be an uncle!"

He claps as he screams.

"Please stop," Yoongi laughs. "She's not pregnant. She's just fat. Oh my god, you screamed so loud."

Jimin falls back on his feet, crashing back to Earth. "You were kidding?"

Yoongi nods, reaching out to him again.

"You fucker," Slapping him away, Jimin shouts at the poor blonde. "YOU CAN'T CALL ANY WOMAN FAT YOU PIG, AND HOW DARE YOU."

"Just mind your own business then, worry about us and our wedding instead. Leave them to their dysfunctional happiness."

"Figures, why did I think you'd know more than me?" Jimin sinks. "By the way, I am not moving out of that goddamn house anytime soon. I'm attached and Sunny is like my daughter-

"-yes I know, we'll be living there," Yoongi sighs. "It will be so ...cozy..." he cringes at the thought.

"I just need to get my clinic back on its feet and we'll be saving money before we build our own house, okay?"

Yoongi nods. "Okay. Speaking of home, shall we head back to mine?"

Looking around the room, Jimin spots the stylist hanging up their suits. "Let's go, I trust you've already paid for the suits?"

Rolling his eyes, Yoongi flashes his credit card in front of Jimin's eyes.

"Aren't you lucky I'm rich."

"Get that thing out of my face," Jimin chuckles. "One of us has to be, do you think nurses get paid well? No, we don't. So, you'll be paying for lots of things, like ...our drive thru starbucks we're going to get on the way home?"

Yoongi shakes his head. "You're disgusting." 

"Awh but babe."  

--

Taehyung has proposed marriage to you 9 times now and you've said no every single time.

Your relationship with him isn't like how it used to be. You're comfortable. He's comfortable. It feels right. But there's still that little piece of history that makes Taehyung feel like he has a lot to make up for and alot to promise, like marriage.

Marrying him in a hurry isn't something that you're interested in doing, especially when you're finally able to think about yourself for the first time in a long time now that Sunny has two parents.

"So, what do you think?" Taehyung smiles, pushing the little box across the table as you finish your mouth full of food. You were sitting across from each other in a small yellow Mexican restaurant. You were by the wall, table separated by a black divider for privacy and Taehyung was wearing a linen white shirt and suit pants. His hair was luscious, his soft brown locks falling just above his eyebrows, a small mullet forming at the back.

And he was smiling at you, brown eyes twinkling a million shades full of hope. It was his pre-proposal face, one you were becoming addicted to seeing.

He looked good.

But he always looked good.

You gape at the box next to the flickering candle. The ring is small, just how you like them. "What do I think of the ring? I think it's beautiful."

"Is it a yes?"

Staring around the divider, you see a hesitant group of musicians staring at you and Taehyung. "Yes to the ring, no to both the mariachi and marriage."

He blinks at you. "Why?"

"I don't wanna marry you."

"Why not?"

Shrugging, you pour yourself some water from the silver tequila bottle as Taehyung turns to signal to the mariachi band against coming over. "Obviously because I'm waiting for someone better to come around." you joke.

"I am someone better and I have come around. Is this because I bought Rosie? But she's our other baby? I know you love her!"

"This has nothing to do with the dog," you whisper, realizing just how loud you two were becoming.

Taehyung stands up, dragging his chair beside yours as he sits back down. He holds your hand tenderly, as he looks at everything but your face. "Is it me? You don't want to be with me like that?"

"No, don't be silly," you whisper, heart, softening at the expression of sadness on his face. "Taehyung, it's not like that."

He looks up at you, eyebrows furrowed. "Then tell me, so I can stop this."

"It's not you hunny," You rub your thumb over his knuckles. "But is there a reason why you want to marry me?"

Taehyung drops his head to avoid looking at you.

"Tell me." You whisper, trying to look at his face.

He turns his face away.

"Tae, tell me."

He turns away again.

"Taehyung," Holding a side of his face, you lean forward and kiss his lips, catching him off guard. He sighs, leaning into your affection before you pull away, "Tell me."

He shakes his head.

You kiss his cheek. "Tell me," You kiss his other cheek. "Tell me."

"Tell-" you kiss his lips. "Me."

"Fine," he smiles, admitting defeat. "I'm afraid you'll leave me and if I don't tie you down with marriage, you'll run after a younger looking hussy. You're mine. I just want it written down on paper."

"That's stupid."

"I know it's stupid. I'm stupid."

"You aren't stupid at all."

"I'm just stupid around you."

"Is that a crime?"

He smirks, winking at you. "A crime of passion?"

"You have my heart Kim Taehyung, always have and always will," A small smile stretches across your face as you lean in and softly kiss his lips. He melts into your affection, wrapping his arms around you. Its moments like these, where you're able to surrender the past you've had with him in order to feel the hope of a bright future that makes you feel peaceful with your life.

Kim Taehyung was yours.

As you were his.

Pulling back, he stares at you in thought. "Why don't you want to marry me though?"

"It's not that I don't, it's that I don't want to marry you right now. Can we get married in like 5 years instead of now?"

He smiles widely, grabbing the ring from the box and putting it on your finger. "It's fine! We don't have to get married right away. We can be engaged for years-

Interrupting Taehyung, a waiter sporting a worried expression with trembling hands opens the divider. The restaurants light invades your intimate area, casting light across Taehyung's calm face. "Hi sorry to interrupt, but when you made the reservation you told me you were a doctor," she stares at Taehyung. "And we need one right now, a man in our private eating area has just collapsed."

You both deflate. "I knew this was going to happen."

Taehyung stands up, pushing the chair out of the way. "We're never really off duty are we?"

Shaking your head, you smile at the man. "We're doctors, not soldiers. If we can help, we help."

The waiter runs you both towards the private area after you rip the green defib bag off the restaurants first aid wall. Pulling open the doors, a man is unconscious on the ground while a much younger woman smacks his chest.

"What's going on?" Taehyung says, immediately swooping into action.

Turning to the waiter, you urge her to call an ambulance when Taehyung shouts out that he isn't breathing. Taehyung immediately begins CPR. Grabbing the defibrillator, you rip open the man's shirt, placing the pads on his upper and lower chest. The machine picks up a rhythm compatible with the defib as you both stand back. The wailing woman beside you grabs onto Taehyung's arm, pushing her face into his chest.

Taehyung looks at you, discomfort written across his face.

You wink back.

When the shocks are administered, you fall to the ground. Taehyung pushes the girl away, shouting at the waiter to update the paramedic on the cardiac arrest at present.

Taehyung sits opposite you. You smile at him as you do chest compressions with a shiny new diamond on your finger. "She looks good on your finger? So, earlier, you said you wanted to marry me, was that a yes?"

"Really? Right now?" you pant.

"Why not?" he shrugs, watching you deliver two breaths. "She looks good on your finger while you do chest compressions."

Taehyung gets his hands ready on the man's chest as you both watch his chest expand with your breaths. You fall back as he takes over.

"Ambulance is on the way!" the waiter shouts as you hear the nearing sirens.

"Marry me Y/N," he pants, his bangs beginning to drip with sweat after 2 minutes of chest compressions. "I promise with everything that I won't stop you from growing into the person you want to become. I support everything you do, know that."

He stops compressions, delivering two breaths.

"Taehyung, I'll marry you if you save him," you snap, just wanting this to be over and to go home. Taehyung lifts his gaze to yours. His lips upturn as he excitingly gets back onto the man's chest, compressing with a newfound motivation.

"Where's the ambulance?" he shouts. "He got any allergies, on any medication?" he shouts louder at the poor sobbing girl. "YO' YOU GOT ANY ADRENALINE HERE? I NEED TO SAVE HIM SO I CAN MARRY THE LOVE OF MY LIFE"

You know it's an inappropriate time to laugh but you giggle. Taehyung is ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. After some time, you both reassess the patient's condition. Taehyung shouts with more excitement. "He's breathing again. HE'S BREATHING."

You fall back onto your heels, fingers pressing against his jugular and you look at Taehyung over the patient on the floor.

"And we have a pulse too!"

"You know what that means?" He smiles up at you as the paramedics arrive just on time. "Don't take off that damn ring, I'm marrying your ass."

"Yes, I'll marry you Kim Taehyung. Goodness gracious, you crazy man!"

When the paramedics arrive and take over, Taehyung sweeps you off the ground and kisses the living daylights out of your blushing sweaty face. His hands rest around your waist, pulling you back and out of the room, past the ambulance, into your car and all the way home.

Time, something you could see yourself giving yourself too if he was with you. Of course, you wanted to marry him but marriage is and will never be your end-all.

He knows that.

And he loves you regardless.

Though the house is empty with the last hints of Jimin's earlier visit before retreating back to work, Taehyung slams you up against the front door, his lips not capable of leaving yours as he grabs your thighs, hoisting you up. Wrapping your legs around his waist, you rustle your keys from his pocket, shoving them into the door and pushing it open.

You pull the keys out before he kicks it closed behind you.

Wrapping your arms around his neck, he carries you to the lounge.

The house is silent and dark as the trickles of rain are illuminated by the bright moonlight baring down through the sheer curtains. Although in due time, muffled hums and broken moans will fill the silent space as his silhouette hovers above you gripping your waist, laying you flat against the living room carpet.

In the darkness, he kisses you, swallowing all of your throaty moans. All pretenses fall, Taehyung is a hungry dominating man and you were his next meal. He kisses, he licks, he touches you. It's like electricity, the way he makes you feel so inexplicably alive.

Every kiss he plants tastes like wine and you were getting drunk of the euphoria as he sheds your clothes, as your hearts race as your naked bodies move together like the finest of silk.

His musky scent surrounds you as he holds you tightly against him. His hands fall to your hips, moonlight splays against his back muscles as your toes curl when he gyrates against your hips, pushing his cock inside you. He bites his lips, squeezing his eyes closed as he holds himself back from fucking you hard when you moan at the pressure of feeling so damn full. 

But Taehyung was going to take his time with you tonight.

He had all night to do so.  

And when the early rays of sunrise lick your bare skin as you lay curled up into the couch throw on the floor in front of the fireplace he had started up last night, Taehyung holds you close.

Jimin would be getting home soon, they needed to move. He kisses your forehead as you pretend to be asleep, before picking you up and carrying you back to bed. They can deal with the lack of protection later because all Taehyung can think about is the overwhelming peace he feels within his softly beating heart.

Untucking the covers, he places you underneath the blankets. "I love you Y/N.," he says as you nuzzle into his chest when he joins you. "You silly billy." 

"Hey." he pokes your cheek.

He pokes you again. "Y/N."

"Aren't you going to say it back?"

You open one of your eyes. "How the hell did you know I was awake?"

He stares at you unimpressed. "Pretending to be dead sleep so I can carry you to bed? Pulling a Sunny move? It was almost a good job until you smiled when I picked you up."

"You're so strong though, who wouldn't love being carried to bed by you," Kissing his chest, you curl yourself into him. "I love you too. Let's sleep, okay? I want to sleep. You sleep."

"Fine. Let's sleep. Gotta get our energy up anyway with all the sex I plan on having with you this weekend while Sunny is gone." 

"Gross. It takes two to tango, you know."

"I know, but who can resist me?" 

"Go to sleep you rat. Goodnight."  

He chuckles softly. "Goodnight Y/N. Thank you for everything."