IT WAS MOSTLY quiet, save for the wind that blew over the rolling hills, rustling everything in its path. taehyung's shirt billowed in the breeze, his hair – now black and longer – periodically blurring his vision as it danced back and forth over his eyes.

the last time taehyung was here, he'd been with his friends. with autumn. the air was much colder back then. but spring was now in full swing. and everything was brighter, greener and more full of life. everything was renewed. this time he was alone, significantly more at ease but not particularly as happy.

still, the view of the sunset was the same. it was as stunning and magical as taehyung remembered. it was jimin's favourite. his too. the untouched and untainted beauty of nature. it was the best place to enjoy dusk and dawn, and especially the stars.

he was gone for months and hadn't expected everything to stay the same. yet it was still bewildering to find that so many things had changed over time. but the one change that had certainly hit him the hardest was autumn's absence.

everyone was here where he'd left them, even a couple of new faces. but she wasn't. autumn was gone. only a month ago, she'd packed up and told everyone she would be leaving for a while. she didn't say where or how long. she certainly didn't say anything to him.

taehyung let out a deep sigh, burying his hands in his pockets. he'd taken all those months away so he could somehow gain some control over his emotions. but it hadn't worked. all he did the entire time was think of autumn jacobs. of her eyes and her smile. of her voice and her laughter. of beautiful skin and rich black hair.

but what wasn't meant to be really wasn't meant to be. and it seemed to be his and autumn's fate. he was going to have to accept it. and sooner or later he'd have to find a way to get over her.

something soft brushed his cheek, catching his attention. his brows drew together when he noticed white fluffs being swept away by the running wind. they looked more familiar as he continued to stare. "dandelions?"

they were fluttering past him from behind. he twisted around and his eyes widened, body freezing in surprise. unable to believe who was standing in front of him, he continued to gawk.

autumn's glossed lips curved in a sweet smile. the stem of the dandelion she'd blown was still resting between her thumb and index finger. "heard if you get it all the seeds off in one blow, the boy you wish for will like you back." she said, glancing at the stem and back at him.

"i..." he blinked, feeling flustered. the weight of just how much he'd missed her, how happy he was to see her again and how strong his feelings for her still were hit him all at once. "i was just thinking about you."

autumn still looked the same, just as he remembered her. her skin was still as radiant, eyes still as captivating, smile still as gleaming, curls still as wild and full, and her face was still as beautiful.

but something was different about her. his eyes narrowed in scrutiny as he tried to pinpoint what it was. her body language and the energy she was exuding. it was the same as it used to be before the incident. she looked sincerely happy.

"were you? i was thinking about you too." she let her hand drop back to her side. "you're back." she added with a grin. "so are you." he slipped a hand out of his pocket and let a smile take over his face. "how did you know i was here?" he asked. "i had a feeling you'd be. and jimin confirmed it." she answered, lips pursing as though she was fighting off her smile.

"ah," he nodded in understanding. "are you just going to stand there and stare at me awkwardly?" she asked, tilting her head with a cheeky grin. "ah," he repeated awkwardly.

taking tentative steps forward, taehyung got closer to her, feeling his heart protest wildly against his chest. he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to him. it was spring but she still smelled like fall. like autumn. it felt familiar. it felt warm. it felt safe. it felt dangerous.

"i missed you so much, tae." she sighed, sinking into his embrace. her hands clung to the back of his shirt. "i missed you too, autumn." he said, burying his nose in her curls. "you look much better."

"you can tell." she laughed, pulling away. "of course." his cheeks rounded as he looked at her. "i took your advice." she held on to his arms lightly. "i've been seeing someone." she continued. "oh," he tried to keep the disappointment out of his voice. "a doctor." she said, sounding slightly amused. "she's a really good psychotherapist."

taehyung's eyes widened a fraction as he met her gaze. the corners of his mouth twitched in the ghost of a smile. "that's great!" he pulled her into another hug. he felt her laugh tickle his chest through his shirt.

"yeah. she helped me realise a lot of things." she told him as he stepped back. "like what you told me. that my happiness doesn't mean i've forgotten gavin or what he did for me. and that i should enjoy what he gave me. a second chance at life."

a small smile tilted the corners of her mouth. "so much has happened in the time that you were away. i've been on a journey of self rediscovery. i've been learning to appreciate life more and everything. i've been smiling sincerely, laughing more often, enjoying even the most mundane things. it was slow and painful at first but since i found my feet again, it's like i broke into a run. i feel like the old me again, but even better."

taehyung couldn't stop smiling as he listened to her, the apples of his cheeks glistening with warmth. he could sense the change in her. he was glad, so glad that it had turned out the way he'd hoped rather than the way he'd feared.

"autumn, i'm so happy for you. this is probably the best news i could have come back to." he pushed his hair back with both hands, face lit with unbridled euphoria.

"is it?" she looked almost cheeky, one brow arched in question. he blinked in confusion, wondering if it was a trick question. "um, yeah?" he answered with uncertainty lingering in his voice.

"how about if i told you that she also helped me realise that my feelings weren't wrong? that my falling for someone else wasn't an act of betrayal?" autumn asked, her tone tinted with shyness.

taehyung continued to stare in confusion, trying to piece her words together to make some sense of them. one corner of autumn's mouth quirked in a slightly amused smile. "you can be so slow sometimes." she remarked with a shake of her head. when he still didn't seem to understand what she was trying to tell him.

so autumn lifted herself higher on the tip of her toes, leaning closer to him until her plump lips met taehyung's briefly. she pulled away just as quickly, warmth travelling up her neck.

taehyung stood stunned for what felt like hours, eyes wide and lips slightly parted. one hand coming up to lightly brush against his lips, he met her gaze. the feeling of her soft lips still lingered on his. "autumn." his soft whisper was snatched away by the wind as soon as it left his lips.

"do you remember when i told you that no medicine could ever be as effective as you?" she asked, lips curving subtly. he could barely get himself to nod in reply. "i meant it." her small hand came up to cup his cheek, fingertips brushing against his warm skin lightly.

"since when?" taehyung couldn't even hear his own voice over the tempo of his racing heart. "it's been a while. one moment you were the precious friend who was there for me in what felt like the worst time in my life, then the next..." she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, worrying the plump flesh.

"i kept trying to ignore it, to deny that i was starting to think of you as way more than a best friend. i felt guilty. but it didn't stop my heart from racing a mile a minute every time you smiled at me, neither did it stop my mind from straying and hoping each time you did or said something sweet. i had to constantly remind myself that we were just friends. and that i had to keep acting the way i always have with you. it was so exhausting."

taehyung ran his eyes over her face, wishing it was not an illusion. he could only pray that his mind was not playing cruel tricks on him. and that she was really here and actually saying the words he was hearing. he suddenly understood why people wished not to wake up if reality turned out to be a dream. "but that day..." he trailed off.

"i lied." she admitted softly. "well, i technically didn't lie." her head tilted slightly. "i just didn't tell you how i really felt about you. but i almost did." autumn let out a small chuckle. taehyung let himself enjoy the small sound as his mind travelled back to that day. he replayed the things she'd said after he confessed and he realised. she really almost did let it slip.

"i know you probably got away from me not just to give me time to myself but also to get over me. and this probably too late, but taehyung i lo—"

taehyung didn't let autumn finish, pulling her flush against his chest. letting his eyes flutter close, he leaned down until he felt her soft supple lips press against his. his heart responded to the action almost immediately, pulsing loudly in his head. as expected, she tasted a little, spicy but sweet. like autumn. like her.

tingling electricity was coursing through taehyung's veins, sending a shockwave of unimaginable bliss through him. the butterflies in his belly had gone out of control, spiralling in unrestrained excitement. everything was perfect.

he pulled away, resting his forehead against hers. she grinned brightly, every part of her exuding the same happiness as his. there was nothing in the world that could wipe away the smile that had etched itself on his face.

and taehyung couldn't help but think that wishes do come true. because he was holding his in his arms.

FIN