Work Text:
Taehyung was lying on his bed, the black sheets draped over his lower half. Looking at his mobile screen, he was biting his lips in anticipation. It would be midnight soon and he could only hope things go well. Scrolling through the weverse feed, he cheered on a few of armys posts. His eyes went to the bathroom door, light peeping through the corners, indicating someone was inside. His expression went soft looking at the door in dark. He kept his mobile down on his bare chest as he exhaled deeply, looking at the ceiling.
Suddenly the door opened and his gaze fell on the figure coming out. The light was switched off, momentarily taking away the ability to see, before his eyes adjusted to the darkness enveloping the room. He felt the mattress dip beside him and the sheets shifting before he felt her presence. He turned to his right, looking at the person fondly.
‘You aren’t asleep babe?’ the soft voice made him smile as he pulled the person closer to him as he hummed a no. She hummed back as she wrapped her hands around his neck, playing with the hair at the nape of his neck.
‘Your hairs have gotten so long.’ she said combing her hands through his strands and he smiled.
‘Should I grow them out more?’ he asked in a deep murmur as she locked eyes with him.
‘Hmmm, maybe. I wonder how you’d look with long hair.’
‘Handsome!’ he replied back cheekily and she smiled at his antics.
‘Not as handsome as Kookie though! Long hair suited him so much. It’s really a tragedy he had to go and get them cut.’ she bit back, still running her fingers through his strands as he stilled.
‘What!?’
‘What?’
‘Take that back. Who says that their boyfriend’s best friend looks better than their boyfriend?’ he said, voice laced with whining and playful teasing tone.
‘Well, I am only stating the facts here Kim Taehyung. You being my boyfriend is a separate matter.’ she said playfully tugging at his hair a little.
‘I am so hurt Xia Artino!’ he said patting his chest twice so as to emphasise on how hurt he was exactly as she giggled at her boyfriend’s attempts before placing a kiss to his chest.
‘All better?’ she asked him and he only replied with capturing her lips in a kiss.
He pulled her to his chest and over his and he lied on his back kissing her deeply. Wrapping a hand around her waist and other to hold her face still, he pecked at her lips and face. She shifted her position so that her upper body was pressed to his, as she held his jaws and relished the feel of his lips. She would never get tired of his soft kisses and how they would always leave a flutter of butterflies in her stomach.
She could feel his hand moving down her jaw to her sides, caressing her bare skin with his hand. She could feel their bare bodies pressed against each other more intensely. Taehyung could feel the heat too. His heart was pounding and just looking at her face was enough for his heart to skip a beat. His hands were roaming on their own accord as he kissed her lips, feeling himself getting intoxicated on the taste that was just so her.
He would imagine being more tired after already having had a go at it earlier. But his body was thrumming with passion and the anticipation only fueling his desires. He gently flipped them around, balancing his weight so as to not crush his girlfriend. Staring at her eyes, he could see the love she held for him now. It made his heart flutter so bad.
He couldn’t imagine how he had survived these past few years that they hadn’t been together. When he said that he would like to fall in love; true love, and spend his life with the person, he had been very serious. And for him, that person was Xia Artino. It had always been her and would always be her. Even when she had broken up or they had bad blood and she had hated his guts. He couldn’t help loving her. He couldn’t help wishing to be with her and now that he did have her back, he was going to make sure to never let her go, ever.
He gently pushed her bangs to the side of her face, caressing her skin. She, this moment, everything, felt surreal to him. It had only been a few months that they had been dating.
___________
After years of agony and fighting, he had been so done with everything. The glimmer came back in his faded gaze when he had heard Xia would be accompanying them to Japan during their activities as she was part of their new album project. Though he had been running low on ideas as to how to interact with her.
Aside from professional stuff, she wouldn’t utter two words to him. She would avoid him and if at times she couldn’t, she would not acknowledge his existence. And no matter how hopeful and at ease he came off as, he had been dying inside. And that had only driven him to infuriate her over the years. If she would acknowledge his presence only to yell at him or fight with him, then so be it. Therefore, he had been doing everything in his power to irk her here and there. But it was getting old. Four years of trying was a long time.
So when he was given responsibility for two songs for the album, he knew he had to exploit this opportunity. He had convinced Namjoon to ask Xia for her diary as an inspiration-gathering thing for him. And once again, Kim Namjoon was put in a bad position. He loved Kim Taehyung dearly as a little brother. He also adored and respected Xia immensely. It felt like choosing sides, but he went ahead with Taehyung’s request. Because when he remembered the situation Taehyung had come to him five years ago, his heart melted.
He knew Taehyung had fucked up bad. It would have been ok still if they had just been co-workers if the song wasn’t much significant and the credits had been messed up. But they had been lovers, and the song was anything but insignificant. It had been their song, an ode to their love and their nights. And it wasn’t the same as what it had been when it came out. The feel, the lyrics, the emotions worlds apart from what they had been. The only thing that remained was the melody.
Namjoon remembered how beat Taehyung was. He had asked the older for any solution, any remedy. But there wasn’t much. Being a leader was hell at times. Because no matter what your heart said, you can never follow it fully. Because it had to be the group before anything else.
So Namjoon had asked Hoseok to fetch it, already conflicted too much to do it himself. And reassuring her, lying to her face, had brought him immense stress. Though he felt all of it had been worth it when he saw the hint of a genuine smile back on Taehyung’s face as the younger came to his room later, recounting his encounter with Xia, excited but nervous, begging for ideas on how to solve everything and woo her back.
Taehyung could never forget his apprehension when they came back to Korea and Xia asked him to visit her. And he had been crying, hugging her waist as he recounted everything, from where it started to his mistake and how the last few years had been hell for him. Xia had broken down too, trying to be strong but failing.
‘It’s not going to be okay for it wasn’t fair, whatever happened Tae. And things can’t go back to how they used to be. But I’ll forgive you.’ Xia said sitting down, Taehyung still holding her. She looked at his tear-stained face and knew hers wasn’t much different.
‘Xia I love you. I have… I tried to live without you. I tried to let you go for I had betrayed you but I just couldn’t. All these years, all the time you were away for study or another project, all the time I couldn’t see you, it was sheer agony. And when you looked at me with indifference, it felt like everything… everything seemed so meaningless. I can’t live without you. I need you Xia.’ he cried keeping his face down, too desperate and broken.
‘Tae, Tae! Look at me!’ and so he did. ‘I couldn’t stop loving you too. I have tried my best to hate you but I… I just couldn’t. But it doesn’t make it ok. I am still hurt. I guess we could’ve talked sooner if I hadn’t been so irrationally mad but. We can’t just get together and pretend as nothing happened.’
‘I know. I am sorry it took me so many years to actually talk too. I kept pissing you off and being a jerk and selfish one at that. If only I had tried harder.’ he blinked back the fresh wave of tears threatening to spill.
‘I wasn’t much better either I guess.’ she said and they chuckled lightly.
‘Where do we go from here Xia? I still want you in my life. Even if it is as a co-worker or friend or whatever. I would love us back but I know it’s too fucked up.’ he said raking hands through his hair and trying to compose himself.
‘I… I don’t know what to say Tae.’ she said looking at him and he nodded.
‘I would like to have a chance. A chance to mend all this. A chance at redemption. Can you give a chance Artino?’ he said mustering up a small genuine smile and she nodded.
They had agreed to try to be friends and take it slow. It had taken a few tries to set things straight. And it wouldn’t be an understatement to say that most of the bighit staff was fucking confused. They had only seen Xia and Taehyung together when they were yelling and tearing each others’ head off. But when they saw Xia accept the coffee from Taehyung as he sat down beside her, discussing over some lyrics and notes, the whole room had gone silent.
BTS members had vowed to keep their lips shut and keep out of the matter altogether. Everyone else was confused and it had been chaos. But gradually, things got better. Xia and Taehyung would be seen working together more often and not pick fights or ignore each other. And this went on for a few months before things escalated after working together on their new album. Taehyung had been at the dorm and had asked her over to work there in peace. The rest of the members had gone to company building for their own works.
And suddenly it happened that the office building had to go down on temporary lockdown, with no one allowed to leave before having tests done. Taehyung had been distraught hearing the news from the managers and his members. Xia stayed with him for three days as things around them went on partial lockdown. And somehow this time came as a blessing for their relationship. Because Taehyung physically couldn’t stop himself from pulling her in for a kiss when she walked in on him in shower.
She had gone still looking at him as water cascaded down his body. And Taehyung had pulled her in the shower as she tried to run away, pinning her on the wall and kissing her lips. She had been just as intense as ever, kissing him back with equal fervour. Taehyung had ravished her body against that wall, all wet. Her moans and his grunts.
They had talked afterwards, sipping on their beer. What they were, what they wanted to be and how they were going to take this forward. Both of them didn’t regret it and somehow the conversation led to them making out on the couch and making love on Taehyung’s bed. Soon things returned back to normal around them, and two weeks later, they had started dating officially.
_____________________________
Things had escalated fast from there, the both of them falling for each other deeper and madly. Happier and so in love, on a weekend vacation, far from everything.
‘I love you so much!’ he whispered pecking her lips and she smiled.
‘I love you too Kim Taehyung. Now hurry up and make love to me. I am afraid I am losing my patience.’ she said with a smirk on her face and he chuckled.
‘Just a few moments.’ he said as he got off her and grabbed his phone. She looked at him with one brow raised and he smiled. Pulling up something on his phone screen, he gave it to her.
She sat up, taking the phone gingerly. Looking at the screen, she screamed before she burst out crying and dropped the phone on the bed. She looked at him as if trying to confirm if what she was seeing was true and he nodded with a smile. She looked back at the screen and then at him before scrambling over to hug him. He hugged her back, stroking her hair and back to calm her down.
‘When? What? Taehyung…’ she said in muffled voice against the crook of his neck and he smiled.
‘It’s out now. I was planning it for a while now. I wanted to gift it to you. Hence, the title you know.’ he kissed the side of her head as they continued hugging.
‘I don’t know what to say Tae. I love you so much!’
‘Shhh… You deserved it, love. This mixtape, this song, and so much more. Everything I can, I’ll give to you.’ he said as his eyes fell on his phone screen.
The display was showing an album (mixtape actually); “For You” under his artist name on the app with the cover being a painting of Xia he had made. Under it was the list of songs, the first being- Hold me tight, an ode to their love, to and for her. He smiled looking at the monochromatic silhouette painting of her as she kept clutching him and he held her tightly.