***

"you could be the final straw that brings me back to earth..."

***

9 missed calls from Celine is what I read on my display as soon as my vision restores.

3:05 am

Celine: where are u?? i saw Jaebum go after you and then you just disappeared. is everything alright??

3:11 am

Celine: Y/N i'm freaking out so bad rn. call me asap

3:21 am

Celine: Jimin's here and he tells me you're with Taehyung? wth happened? and why is Jaebum all beaten up? just tell me u're ok

"Here you go." Taehyung hands me over a glass of water and I take it, my fingers still trembling. We're in the middle of his kitchen once again, and I have no idea how we got there. I must've passed out in his car because when I opened my eyes I felt slightly refreshed.

I immediately notice a couple of bloody scratches on Taehyung's knuckles, the sleeves of his shirt stained with several drops of the red liquid.

Taehyung trails the direction of my gaze with his eyes and pulls his hand away quickly, leaning back on the kitchen counter nonchalantly.

"It's okay," he puts his injured arm behind his back. "Most of it is his, by the way."

"Let me take care of that." I stand up, searching through the shelves for a band-aid or a sterile gauze.

"It's nothing, really." Taehyung protests as my eyes fall onto a small bottle of hydrogen peroxide and I quickly grab it. I grasp his hand insistently but gently enough not to cause pain on the injured area and make him sit down.

Taehyung sucks on his teeth slightly, making a painful grimace when the liquid touches the flesh, causing a burning sensation to his hand.

"Sorry." I mutter, waiting for a few seconds for the solution to absorb before I place some bandage on. "The wound must be clean so it doesn't get infected." Taehyung nods, glancing at me. "All done."

"Thank you." He utters awkwardly at me touching gently the place where I had tied the knot in his bandage.

"No, it's me who should be thanking you. For coming to my rescue." I look at him with a serious look on my face, my stomach curling up at the thought of what could have happened to me if Taehyung didn't appear.

"I guess it's my fault though. I shouldn't have been drinking so recklessly. I don't know what's got into me." I shrug my shoulders and lower my gaze, my head filling with guilt and remorse.

Taehyung knits his eyebrows in suspicion as he touches his chin with his forefinger, listening to me silently.

"How many glasses did you have?" He asks and I wrinkle my forehead, thinking hard.

"I don't know, maybe... now that you mention it, I had only one glass of wine and one tequila shot. I don't know why I got so wasted. Usually, it takes at least three or four drinks to knock me out." I smile at him sheepishly, a wave of nervousness washing over me.

"I don't think it was the alcohol." Taehyung sighs then stands up and massages the back of his neck, a spark of anger reappearing in his orbs again. "I think the bastard might've slipped something in your drink."

"Slipped something in my drink?" I mumble quietly, repeating his last words. I tried to think really hard about what had happened before even though my memories were quite blurry and chaotic. I remember Jaebum coming over to talk to me for a couple of minutes, then leaving as soon as I had snapped at him.

"He must have done it while I was looking away. It was really dark and clouded with smoke at the club too." I wonder.

"Oh, but maybe that's why he seemed so unbothered by me rejecting him all over again. And that's why he left me alone so easily, because he went back and waited for the pill to kick in." I blurt out, my voice monotone, my gaze fixated on the shelf behind Taehyung. I gasp, shocked. "That sneaky bastard! I knew he was obsessed with me, but I never thought he'd go that far."

Taehyung turns his back on me, facing the window and I see his shoulders rise and fall. I stand up and take two steps towards him.

"If he had succeeded in his plan I might've had to kill the motherfucker." Taehyung growls and at this moment he emitted waves of white rage through his body. I stay frozen in my place in disbelief that the Taehyung that always seemed so calm and collected now stood in front of me, his chest heaving angrily and his lips pronouncing words that I never thought I'd hear him say.

And all of this because of me.

Before I manage to think of a reply, he turns around, his expression shifted completely with no trail of the anger.

"Okay, time to get you to sleep." He glances at me and walks towards the room across the hall.

I cross my arms in front of my chest, nibbling on my lower lip anxiously.

"I'll call for a cab." I announce while walking after him and Taehyung turns around, giving me a startled look as if what I had said just now was the stupidest thing in the world.

"Y/N, there's no way you're going home alone after what happened tonight." His eyes widen at me, glistening with concern. "You're staying over. End of discussion."

His tone was so certain and definite that I sensed how there's not a chance for me to object.

The room we walked into was a lot bigger than the other rooms I had been into at Taehyung's place. Its walls were covered in a pleasant bright blue. The bed sheets on the large king-size bed were only a nuance darker so they complimented nicely each other. There was a dark beige fluffy carpet on the floor that tingled my bare feet as I set my foot in the room. One of the walls had nothing but shelves with paintings and art tools, including brushes, pens and palettes.

"I had no idea you painted." I gasp, my fingers running through one of the wooden shelves as one of the paintings, in particular, catches my attention. It was a girl dressed in a long red ball gown, and towards its end the gown transformed into a beautiful blossomed rose. The girl had beautiful straight light brown hair at shoulder length, falling on her shoulders like a waterfall. She was smiling, but the smile didn't reach her eyes.

Something about this girl seemed familiar. Her hair color was exactly like mine.

My heart started pumping faster and faster and I had no idea why.

"It's just a sketch." Taehyung mutters carelessly and points his finger to the bed, changing the subject. "Make yourself at home."

I plop my body on the mattress, my hands slide down the sateen bed sheet.

"It's soft." I let out a chuckle and look behind my back. "How many pillows do you own exactly?" I smile, pointing at the pile of puffy pillows on the bed.

Taehyung smiles softly and puts his hands on his waist.

"Okay then, I'll leave you to rest. I'll be in the other room, crashing on the sofa, so if you need anything you know where to find me."

I bop my head into a nod, while there's something lingering on my tongue. Taehyung turns his back to walk towards the door when I hear words leaving my mouth, my voice unsure and trembling.

"You- you can lie down next to me." I whisper as Taehyung freezes in his spot, his neck slowly turns around towards my direction, his eyes widened with disbelief.

"The bed is big enough for two." I add hesitantly.

I didn't feel okay sleeping in his bed while he curled up on the small uncomfortable sofa.

More than that, I didn't want to be alone right now, not with all the things that had gone down recently.

I was afraid.

Taehyung nods silently and I feel deep inside he understands. He closes back the bedroom door and turns the light off, now leaving the walls illuminated only by the night lamp beside the bed.

He comes over towards the other side of the bed and lies down slowly, his elbow slightly touching my arm as he settles down on the soft surface.

Both of us lie there next to each other, our eyes fixated on the ceiling above us. It's completely silent and I hear Taehyung's deep breathing as his chest heaves up and down. My whole being tightens up at the close proximity of our bodies, so close that I feel the warmness emitted by his body.

We've never stood so close. My heart starts pumping so loud that I feared he could hear it.

My thoughts crashed around my brain, making it impossible for me to grasp them. I had no explanation whatsoever of why I was feeling like that. I let out a deep sigh.

I suddenly feel his fingertips brushing off the surface of my hand. The touch was so light, almost imperceptible, but it sent out such strong burning sensations towards my whole body that I felt as if I was going to explode. I hold my breath unknowingly, afraid that my heavy breathing will give me away.

I stay there, afraid to move an inch when next thing I know, Taehyung takes my hand in his very slowly in a manner that somewhat excites me but also scares me. I'm scared to look at him, scared to turn around or even breathe. My breathing becomes shallow and cracked, as his palm envelops my hand even more, in a tight but tender way. One of his fingers caresses the skin on my knuckles. It's a miniature gesture but it's one of the most exciting ways I've ever felt my body being touched.

I dare not look at him. All I do is stay there, staring at the white ceiling, my mind raging, my body still as ever.

My stomach ties in a burning knot as Taehyung's fingers slip into mine, our hands now intertwined. I gulp loudly as the tension takes over me and I turn my head in his direction, my whole body burning up like it's 40 degrees.

Little did I know, his eyes were already on me, his gaze traveling from my eyelashes to my lips, only to stop at my jaw and neck to fixate on them. When he sees me turn around, his eyebrows slightly raise, he's obviously surprised I catch his eyes. He clutches his jaw, his hand not leaving mine but instead only tighten the grip around it.

Our eyes lock in a powerful, mesmerizing gaze and suddenly I can't look away.

I notice just now how his eyes are slightly curled on the outer angle. How his long dark eyelashes embellish his deep brown hazel eyes. The almost imperceptible mole on his lower eyelid on one of his eyes. How his light brown bangs, when messy, uncover his wide forehead, giving him a boyish kind of look.

Whatever I'm feeling, I can see he's feeling it too. We're so caught up in the moment that no one of us dares avert his gaze.

Complete silence fills the dimly lighted room, except for the sounds of our breathing echoing through my head. I hear his irregular breaths, no one of us breaking eye contact.

No one's ever made me feel this dizzy only with their eyes.

Taehyung's glare traces the distance towards my neck and he gulps. He instinctively licks his lower lip, an obvious hesitation dancing around in his mind.

No. Don't.

He slowly moves closer towards me, our faces now inches away from each other. I feel the breeze his breath sends to my neck. I can sense his scent that infiltrates my nostrils, making my mind hazy and clouding up my clear thinking. His nose lightly touches mine, his hand still wrapped around mine. I let out a deep sigh, fearing that I'm slowly losing control over myself.

Am I crazy?

Taehyung caresses my left cheek with his other hand, his eyes fixating on mine once again. This magical influence he has on me is making me feel crazy. I flinch at the soft touch, I feel as if he's reaching deep into my soul, when it's only the tips of his fingers touching my face. I close my eyes in the bliss that his hands are making me dive into.

Touch me more.

Taehyung touches my forehead with his, letting out a frustrated sigh.

"I can keep you safe." He breathes.

I open my eyes slowly, my heart skips a beat as I see his expression. His eyes are so soft, yet full of regret and fear. He was concerned for me. He cared for me.

He was afraid of what would have happened to me that night.

That's why he got so worked up before – he feared for my well-being.

Taehyung runs his fingers through my hair lightly, caressing my forehead with his thumb.

"You did. Tonight." I breathe.

"I wish it wasn't this complicated." His words send shivers down my spine and my skin bristles. I stay there silently staring in his eyes, my mind completely void.

We stay like this for a couple of minutes, no one moving. Then Taehyung's hand slowly pulls away from mine, his fingers brushing off mine as he does.

"Good night." He whispers, the tone of his voice neutral and blank, just like the day I had gone to his house to ask for his help. Then he turns over, extends his arm and turns the night lamp off.

"Good night." I reply back, my mind awake as ever.

It's safe to say I hardly slept that night.