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zy's corner. Okay, so I'm finally back with a new chapter, and I can't lie: I think it took me like two sittings to finish this chapter. I usually post about the writing progress, and by the time chapter 53 was out, I was already 50% in, writing this one.

The title of this chapter foreshadows a lot and almost nothing (but not really nothing) in a single go. We all know what soft porn is, what it means, but for this chapter it isn't just that. There's a huge emphasis on soft.

Let's first start, as usual, from the epigraph.

The three sets of brown eyes and the single set of blue eyes. Pretty self-explanatory. I think you guys know to whom they belong. What's important is the distinction between ground and water, because we always stress about how much the earth is made of more water compared to ground, and how overwhelmingly dangerous the ocean is with hurricanes (they form above oceans in hot weather), tsunamis, high waves, and all of the above. But what's important to remember is, despite how strong water is, it can never digest (and this verb is important) ground: the ocean can only submerge an island, but not delete it in the true sense of the word.

The digestion is important because it means that you incorporate it. When we eat, our bodies process the food we've ingested, and it makes it a part of us, something in the function of our well-being. The ocean can't do that. It can submerge a mountain, erode it a little, but the mountain will still be there, and when the water levels retreat, it comes back out.

And the fact that the three sets of brown eyes are compared to a type of landscape, all an extension of the other, is also significant, because water stands out while they move together naturally, blended, seamlessly.

Now the chapter itself, before I get lost solely in the epigraph.

It's generally wholesome, slice-of-life type of content, but you know I don't really do filler chapters, and if they do seem like filler chapters, check that shit again. The book generally covers mundane bits of life, but nothing is just as it seems; some are, others absolutely aren't.

What's important, what emerges from the slice-of-life-like parts of this chapter is the personal traits of each character presented: Taehyung still remains the boy who easily heats up, the kind to always ask for the window to be opened in class and he's in a T-shirt in January; Daphne is still the same girl who's scared of getting sick, likes winter only on paper, and is only apparently reserved (because Taehyung do be finding parts of her that she isn't used to showing, given the kind of company she usually chooses to keep around herself, and this is not to say that she doesn't fuck with her family; she just has very few friends up until the move); Daphne and Taehyung talk about their dogs and their past experiences with pets. Loki and Luke are dogs Daphne's had since she was a child, but they've always stayed with her grandparents because there's only so much space for two big dogs like them in a city apartment with four people (plus, the countryside offers them all the space in the world to move and run around).

What I hope is emerging well across the chapter is how their e personalities match but also contrast with each other, not like black on white, but like complementary colours.

When in her comfort zone, Daphne tends more to goof around, finally out of that shell that would make her seem like a first-born child to the eyes of strangers.

The differences between them make them match like pieces in a puzzle instead of going head-to-head like two bulls.

She's the usual listener and less of a talker, as we always see with Cleo, but around him, she indirectly becomes the chatterbox and he, the listener, because, again, he brings out different parts of her.

She's usually very shy and guarded around certain topics of intimacy, as we see whenever her parents try to initiate a safe sex talk now that she's in a relationship, and yet, when she's alone with Taehyung, like in the car during the stay at his cabin (sometimes with herself only, such as in the previous chapter after the date), she comes out of her shell pretty quickly. And all this ties to the metaphor in the epigraph.

Another thing that makes them match like puzzle pieces is his love for maths and physics and her passion for humanitarian subjects, specifically literature, which isn't surprising, given the avid bookworm she is. And in this chapter, the roles are reversed: she's the tutor and he, the student.

Another reason why saying that this chapter might be a filler is wrong as fuck is that I tried focusing on the intimacy between them, which isn't solely kissing and fucking.

It's the second time he's welcoming her in his home, in his bedroom; she communicates with Yeontan, with whom she's now very accustomed, and the dog doesn't bark anymore when she comes around (which is also to blame on the fact that she has dogs of her own, and therefore, knows her way around the little animal); the two move around in the kitchen like a fucking married couple, and they have casual conversation with no pressure to keep up the tension; but very important is that they are slowly learning to open up about their issues to each other. Right now, it's still very mellow, very filtered, but I also want you guys to study the way Daphne sounds whenever she's relaying a fight to someone else. Finally, we have another little session about talks about the future, college, and all of the above.

I still need to break down chapters 39 and 40, but if you remember them, you'll understand why Taehyung keeps beating around the bush when it comes to talking about the college his mum chose for him.

Let me quickly wrap up this gigantic note. Taehyung and Daphne are having maybe their most heated make-out session yet (what do you think?) symbolically in his bedroom again, but there's a little irony to that, which I won't spoil for you just yet.

The little flashback to Willow, though... Oh, that kind of burns, and this is the first time we are finally seeing her and not just hearsay. Let me know your thoughts on what kind of person you think Willow is now that you've read this chapter and with the little context around her personality that we know so far from Taehyung and his friend group.

I really appreciated the various character studies I received on the previous chapter and the numerous anonymous questions. I've never been happier, truly. Keep them coming because I'll answer all of them.

With all that said, enjoy your read, show some love, and we'll see each other on the next one.

─zy<3

─Now playing: Nervous by The Neighbourhood ✫

Afternoons in Taehyung's home were silent, especially after school.

The building's layout was similar to Daphne's, but while there wasn't any separation from Nana's side of the house, Daphne's grandparents' home was connected to hers by a door in the living room.

The sun and the clouds have been battling for days on end, and it was clear that the latter were winning, because the country hadn't seen a different shade of light, if not the blinding bright one that reflects through the planes of clouds and snow.

For this, this was yet another Wednesday, Taehyung's home was even a bit gloomier.

"Oh, the gate's not closed?" Daphne had asked him as he led the way to his front door.

They could still hear the bus in the distance as it sped steadily to the terminal, and just as Daphne pushed the gate closed behind herself, she could still see Adrielle walking home.

The gate squeaked closed, and Daphne lingered to check it. Taehyung caught on to it only when he stopped hearing her footsteps behind him.

"Lauri, that gate hasn't been closed in a long time." He softly laughed, pausing on the stepping stones, midway to the front door.

"Barely anyone locks their doors here. It's not like we have a killer on the loose."

"Oh." Daphne mouthed to herself, immediately connecting the dots and understanding why, on his birthday, Adrielle was directly at his front door and not at the gates when she came to answer her.

She shrugged and rushed up behind him, and as soon as she was close enough, he grabbed onto her arms.

"Jeez, be careful. The stones can be slippery sometimes, especially if they're wet or frosted."

"Oh." She looked down at her feet, and he chuckled, letting his hand slide down her arm to find hers.

"My mum always leaves the gate and front door open, because back in elementary school, sometimes Yvette would take me home from school."

As soon as he turned the door handle, he chuckled at the grating sound of his dog's paws on the laminated wooden flooring.

"Who's Yvette again?" Daphne asked, her voice clashing with Yeontan's barks. Taehyung didn't immediately reply, voice softening to communicate with his pet.

She smiled with him, looking down at the little dog as it stood before them, huffing and with its tongue out.

The door closed behind them, keeping the cold out, and unlike how Daphne's house felt after school with no one at home, the environment was warm.

She dropped her bag on the ground, toes pulling on her heels to take off her shoes, before crouching down to Yeontan and carrying it in her arms. It finally stopped barking.

Taehyung had also taken off his shoes, and whilst hanging his jacket, he still blew kisses in his dog's direction. But once he was done, he took it from Daphne's embrace.

"Mum's at work?" she began, unwrapping the scarf from around her neck.

He looked up at her and hummed. "She'll be home for dinner. Nana's supposed to be home, but I wouldn't keep my hopes up. She's been running on so many errands ever since school began."

"Just like your teachers," she chuckled, hanging her jacket next to his.

"Yeah, unfortunately so." She could hear his eye roll in the tone. Setting Yeontan free, they finally proceeded into the house, walking along the hallway to end up in the kitchen.

"If Nana wasn't out all morning, there might be a chance we already have our lunch served."

And as he muttered the words, he walked past the dining table, heading for the pots on the stove. Daphne, on the other end, was looking for Yeontan.

The pot cover clanged as Taehyung went in to look for food, and when Daphne had successfully found Yeontan, she joined him in the kitchen with the dog in her arms again.

"Okay, so we've got white rice, kimchi, and—"

"Oh, god," Daphne gasped, Yeontan resting peacefully in her embrace as she leaned closer, "I love kimchi."

"Well, perfect, and there's also some chicken breast. Good?"

"Awesome." She beamed at him, and he softly chuckled, moving to the crate to get two plates.

Without even realising it, Daphne began talking to Yeontan, murmuring to the animal about going to the fridge to look for something to drink.

Taehyung glanced at her with laughter tugging at the corners of his mouth, and while he served them, Daphne debated with Yeontan about what drink they should have.

"Apple juice? What do you think?. It's been in the fridge, though," and this was mostly muttered to herself rather than the dog, because Taehyung knew that all she was thinking about was how quickly the drink would give her a sore throat.

"Maybe we should just stick to room temperature water. Better be safe than sorry, right, Tannie?"

Taehyung bit his lip and shook his head, opening the lid to the pot of chicken breast. Placing it down, he turned the electric stove on, leaving the food to heat up while he handled the kimchi.

"Or maybe we could have something warmer… like tea, yeah, tea. Perfect for the season, plus I've had enough hot choco this week— Tae?!"

She called out, and he answered, pretending that he hadn't been eavesdropping the entire time.

"What do you think about tea?"

He pursed his lips and slowly nodded. He chuckled at the hopeful expression on her face and chuckled harder when it disappeared. "Not my favourite."

"What?" She frowned, closing the fridge. "Tell me you're joking."

"What?" He laughed, turning back to the kimchi and the plates. "I genuinely don't like tea. It's bland as fuck."

"Tae, is…" she huffed, the words dying in her mouth as she approached him, stopping by his left.

He turned to her and laughed when he saw her jaw hanging in disappointment.

"You can't even give me an appealing review of tea, and I'm—"

"Because I never thought I'd face someone who doesn't like tea. I've never prepared myself for such a prospect."

He laughed again. "That sounds tragic."

She grimaced, looking at Yeontan as if it was agreeing with her. The dog hadn't uttered a single sound since, just rested in her arms.

"Well," she shrugged, standing close enough to lean her head against his arm, "what are we having then? And don't tell me coffee."

He scoffed, moving to the pot of chicken breasts as the stew brewed on the heat. The sudden movement made Daphne pout.

He noticed only when he looked back at her. Without uttering a word, he leaned to peck her lips before resuming his activity. She instantly smiled.

"Anyway," and he pointed in its general direction, "there's some other juice there, room temperature."

"Oh, okay." Daphne walked past him to the opposite end of the counter. "Why are y'all keeping orange juice in the fridge anyway? It's January."

"Sometimes, it gets really hot." He shrugged, tasting the stew before turning the stove off.

"Oh, so it's you." And he laughed. "Who else?"

Setting the dog free again, she carried the jug around Taehyung and went to the cupboard.

"Need some refreshments from time to time." He shrugged, done filling one plate.

"I'd freeze my throat if I did the same." Stretching to reach for the cups.

"Anyway," she resumed, pouring the juice into the glass cups, "how old is Yeontan?"

"Ten."

"Oh, he's older than Loki and Luke. They're about to turn eight." Placing the jug down, she pouted. "They've been sleeping so much lately, both of them."

Licking the stew off his fingers, Taehyung hissed. "Ooh, they're getting old."

"Yeah, I know," she sighed, "but it feels like yesterday when we got them. I was, like, ten."

Taehyung refrained from concluding that they were indeed old. "I got Yeontan when I was eight. Birthday gift from my mum."

"Aww, how cute. Had any pets before then?"

And as they discussed, they set the table to eat.

"Yes, I did." He placed their plates on the table. "Had a hamster, but their lifespan is questionable—"

"A hamster? A fucking hamster, Taehyung?" and he laughed, dragging the chair to sit.

"Yeah, died while doing pull-ups on the bars of its cage."

"What the fuck?" Daphne sealed her lips, refraining from even chuckling. "Wow."

"I was six when it happened, and I cried too hard, then got angry when Jungkook laughed about it."

This time, she snorted before laughing as well. He tried swallowing down his amusement, nodding and feigning offence.

"That day was horrible, but every time I think back to it, I just…" he cocked his head to her, "dying while doing pull-ups."

And Daphne shook her head, giggling. "Never heard of it."

"Hamsters are peculiar." He finally reached for his fork while Daphne settled next to him. "Or it could've been my fault as well for feeding him too much. He was probably trying to lose some of it."

"Oh, my god, Taehyung!" She laughed out loud.

"I think my mum was about to laugh about it, too, but I glared the fuck out of her, and she didn't."

And they laughed harder, Daphne the hardest.

"You were terrorising everyone?"

"Especially Jungkook. Just imagine a six-year-old Jungkook in this kind of situation. And I was so short-tempered as a kid, I'd literally chase after him, screaming."

Daphne couldn't control herself.

"Explains why you're so chill now. You exhausted your own body."

He rolled his eyes, chuckling. "Yeah, say whatever you want." And he poked her rib.

"Leave my ribs alone, you menace!" She slapped his hand away, but that was an invitation and a challenge at the same time.

"No, okay, Taehyung," she heaved a sigh, "some other time, please?"

─Now playing: Hecho Para Ti by Latin Mafia, Omar Apollo ✫

Lunchtime came and went, flying past their childhood stories, giggles and loud cackles of surprise.

Daphne learned that Taehyung used to be very bratty as a child, screaming at any inconvenience, while he learned that she used to fight endlessly with Cleo as a child because the latter always wanted to play and didn't like colouring as much as Daphne did.

"Oh, so you were just another type of menace then?" he teased as he dried up his hands before they finally went upstairs to his room.

"I was literally the most peaceful child a parent could ever wish for—"

"And a menace to your mates. Jungkook would've hated you. You would've made him cry."

And this time, the laughter made Daphne tip her head back. He laughed with her.

"Straight-up tears of desperation and pain. He also used to cry so hard whenever he was given green beans, and now he hoards anything that contains protein—pray he doesn't rip a fart next to you. That shit's nuclear."

"Oh, my fucking god," she said through the laughter, gripping onto the railing so she wouldn't tumble down the stairs.

"Aah, what stories." He mused before slinging his arm around her shoulders and leading her to his bedroom.

"Y'all hung out so much even as kids?" Her arm went around his waist, body leaning against his.

"My garden was literally our park because I have a swing, a tree house, and a pool."

"Oh, yeah," she chuckled, "the tree house is certainly any kid's dream."

Pushing the door open, they finally walked in. His arm left as he reached for the light switch while she proceeded inside, leaving their backpacks by the door.

The room was even dimmer than the rest of the house, given the sun's position outside, but as he switched the lights on, the space came to life.

He'd changed his sheets and his blanket, and instead of the usual brown and grey scheme he usually followed, his bed was covered in a deep navy blue blanket, with matching pillows and a smaller green cloth running around the bottom edge of the bed.

While he set the thermostat, she sank onto the mattress, dropping onto her back with her arms spread wide.

As soon as he'd set his preferred temperature, he turned to Daphne, running to the bed.

"Taehyung!" she screamed, curling into a fetal position. "Are you trying to smother me?"

He laughed, pulling on her legs. "You think I'd do that?" And when she'd finally uncurled herself, he lay on her chest, arms circling her waist and head just over her sternum.

She chuckled, hand falling on his head to play with his hair. "Don't get too comfortable, young man. We're on a mission today, remember."

"Mmh," he frustratedly hummed, tightening the embrace. "Let's just stay like this for a couple more minutes."

She didn't protest, only giggled. The blanket smelled like an emulsion of softener and his cologne, and the initially cold surface steadily warmed up under their weight.

The room wasn't entirely identical to the last time she'd been there. He'd added a few more decorations on the walls, such as a grid of six customised vinyl discs, a couple of flower pots and a few more music posters.

But as she stretched her neck to look around better, her eyes caught something bigger.

"Oh, my god, Tae," she gasped, and he slowly looked up, eyes already showing how comfortable he'd been feeling the entire time.

"Is that a curved PC?"

He chuckled and nodded. "What? Are you serious?" And he nodded again, now nuzzling his face in the crook of her neck.

"A birthday gift," he muttered close to her ear.

"That's fantastic," she continued before turning to him and wrapping her arms around his neck.

"The posters and vinyl disks, too?" And he hummed.

"A gift from Chelsea, actually."

"Ooh, nice." She smiled, trying to inspect them from the bed. "Who bought you the PC? That thing has to be expensive as fuck. You have games on it?"

"Avyanna downloaded The Sims 4 on it the same day I showed her—"

"The Sims 4? That's my favourite game!"

He looked up with a soft smile. "Why am I not surprised?"

She scoffed and rolled her eyes, giggling when he hid his face in the crook of her neck again.

"Who doesn't like that game? Come on! I just have issues with finding a decent device that can carry it and the mods."

He shrugged. "You can play on it if you want."

"Really?" And he hummed, placing a kiss on her neck and moving up. Unconsciously, she leaned into his touch even more.

"Anyway, since you mentioned it," he began, getting up. She bit her lip to swallow back the lament. "I have a pair of sweatpants you can wear to get out of your jeans."

"Oh." She blinked back to the present and sat up, following him with her eyes as he walked to his wardrobe. As he opened the doors, she got off the bed.

"Didn't think you were taking me seriously when I said it."

He paused, didn't speak and continued. She giggled, approaching him from behind.

"They have strings, so you can adjust them." He turned around with a pair of deep blue sweatpants in hand, and she smiled appreciatively.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention." And before shutting the doors, he fixed a few last things.

Finally, as he turned around, he pulled on his sweater to get rid of it, only to freeze when his view cleared out: the sweatpants he'd just given Daphne were draped over his desk chair, and she was busy slipping the jeans off herself, completely unbothered.

His eyes went wide before he instantly redirected his gaze to the floor, swallowing hard as if a lump of metal had formed in his throat.

She'd stepped back, set a metre barely between them, but she was still right there in his line of sight, just casually getting changed because things had gotten that comfortable between them.

The sleepover hadn't just forced proximity enough for them to finally talk it out; it'd changed things for good.

"No, Taehyung. Let me go in first!" Jimin yelled after him as Taehyung sped down the stairs to the bathroom, giggling with each step he took.

Jimin's feet thumped behind him, increasing with the volume of his voice. "Taehyung, I'm not playing around!"

But his friend paid his ears deaf, laughing and running steadily for the bathroom. As soon as he reached the first floor, he sped to the door, slipping inside the room without looking back.

"Taehyung!" Jimin pounded on the door seconds after Taehyung closed it. "Taehyung! I swear if it takes you more than fifteen minutes in there, I'll burst down the door."

Jimin could hear his friend giggling from the other side of the oak door, and he just rolled his eyes, sighed, and slid down to the floor.

"I'm setting a fucking timer!" He warned, getting up to settle in the more comfortable sofa. "Be warned."

Taehyung inhaled deeply, satisfied with the little victory and finally turned around to rest on the door. He was about to close his eyes when he sprang them open in surprise.

"Fuck, Lauri. You're in here?"

Daphne was by the sink, pyjama top held in front of her naked chest with her eyes wide in shock.

"Ever heard of knocking?" she chuckled.

He gulped and pushed himself off the door. "I-I'm so sorry. I- I was racing against Jimin— What am I?— I'll leave—"

"No, don't worry." She paused, body angled toward him, but her arms still hugging the top to her chest. "I'm done here."

And she cocked her head in the sink direction. "I was just washing my armpits."

"Y-you sure? I don't mind waiting outside."

"Tae, don't worry." And with that, she turned around to finally wear the top. He lowered his gaze, keeping it away from her naked back and the reflection of her side profile.

"I- erm," he cleared his throat, "I just need to shave. It won't take me—"

"Shave? Can I help?" she first asked, then turned around, and as soon as he noticed the outline of her nipples through the top, he superglued his eyes to her face.

"Shave? H-help? What do you mean?" he chuckled, approaching the sink.

"I wanna see how you shave your morning stubble."

"Oh." His eyes went wide again, a soft giggle escaping him. "That's what you want to do?"

She narrowed her eyes in annoyance. "Tae, you promised."

"I didn't decline, did I?"

She shrugged. "Just wanna know how it feels."

The position they'd initially taken was very convenient for the task: she was between him and the sink, so he could easily look at his reflection and watch how she moved her hands.

But once the task was completed, the same position became convenient for other reasons.

Jimin thumped against the bathroom door, voice a bit muffled by the thick oak. "Taehyung, you're tethering so close to the fifteen-minute mark!"

But Taehyung didn't care, and when Daphne tried to pull back and give him the space and breath to reply to his friend, his hands only tightened the grip on her waist, lips chasing after hers almost in a lament.

"I don't wanna sound sexist, but you do be taking your sweet time. I think even Avyanna is faster than you."

Daphne softly laughed in the kiss, hands cupping Taehyung's face, while he swallowed the sounds of her giggles, dragging her body closer until he could circle her frame with his arms.

Maybe Daphne had caught, maybe not, but when her chest collided with his, he felt it through her top, the soft squash of her chest and the rough feeling of her nipples. And when he'd felt it, his breath caught.

"Taehyung, I swear to god, if you don't get out in the next three minutes…"

"They're warm," Daphne commented after tying the string of the sweatpants.

Taehyung blinked, finally checking his T-shirt and adjusting it. "Yeah? Will do?"

"Yeah, they're perfect. Thank you," and she went on the tip of her toes to peck his cheek. Too bad she instantly returned to the bed; she would've seen him blush.

He ruffled his hair before shoving his hoodie into the wardrobe to join her. She was just sinking into the mattress as she'd first reached for their backpacks.

"Okay, so what's your go-to study method?" she began, and he briefly widened his eyes.

"Mh?"

"How do you usually study?" she repeated, moving around the bed on her knees to sit closer to him.

"Look at how the tables have turned—"

"Right?" she teased him back, pushing his bag toward him. "Now, get serious."

He cocked his head to the side, a small smirk on his lips, and finally complied, opening the backpack to reach for his things.

"Are you, like, notes heavy or do you prefer to repeat?" She pushed her hair back, taking a few books out of her bag.

"You—" he blinked twice, peering at the object, "you seriously have a collection of poems from the war poets?"

She giggled and nodded, showing it to him better. His jaw went slack. "No way. You're of a different breed."

"I've also analysed a few, especially Dulce Et Decorum Est." His eyes went wide yet again, head slowly shaking in disbelief.

"You're still surprised?"

"Lauri, you surprise me every day. Cut me some slack." She laughed, rolling her eyes and crossing her legs.

"Come on. War poets first— in fact, show me the list—"

"Oh, you're gonna get scared." He pulled out his agenda. "The number of pages is frightening."

Handing it to her, he quickly hopped off the bed to take his English textbook. In the meantime, she opened the agenda, following the numerous coloured bookmarks to find her way around it.

"Why does your agenda look like an ancient journal?" She laughed, turning the pages.

"Because it kind of is," he replied, going through the pile of books beside his desk. "Found it— I've had that journal for almost two years now."

"Oh, my god." She scoffed. "Do you even use it?"

He didn't verbally respond, waving his hand in the diary's direction while settling next to her on the bed.

"It's not empty, is it?"

"It's cluttered."

"Cluttered?" he echoed, narrowing her eyes at her. "Cluttered?"

"Cluttered." She nodded, failing to hold back the smile. He didn't wait for her to lean in, closing the gap in a kiss.

"I can be messy sometimes," he mumbled before pecking them again and pulling away.

She unconsciously thinned her lips, tongue running against them, as she smiled. "Come on," she gave him the journal, "show me the page."

"Yes, ma'am." She rolled her eyes, reaching for his iPad.

Unlocking the device, the first thing that caught her eye was the widget on the homescreen: it was a group photo he'd taken with Jimin and Jungkook, the latter restoring memories in her mind.

"Here it is."

─Now playing: Paranoia by The Marìas ✫

His voice slid through the cracks of the wall of fog in her head. She slowly blinked and looked up, lips thin again as she gave him the device and took the agenda. She didn't see him frown as her eyes scanned the To-Do list.

"Hey, are you alright?"

She quickly looked up, eyes wide, not in surprise, but rather in a confused shock. He repeated the question, leaning closer to see beyond her bangs.

"Yeah, I'm alright." She flashed him a smile, and he didn't even notice his eyebrow instantly tilting in doubt.

"Daphne?" His voice went down an octave. Moving to the side, he tried inspecting her better, but she refused to look up. He frowned again. "Something happened? Did I say anything wrong or—"

"Oh, no, absolutely." She nervously chuckled, finally meeting his eyes and regretting it the moment she read his facial expressions.

"Oh, my god," he began softly, hand reaching to push the bangs away from her eyes. "What happened?"

"Nothing, seriously, jeez." She smiled again, forcing a giggle as she rolled her eyes. "Why are you sounding like that? It's not like I'm crying or anything—"

"Yeah, but I know you, and something's bothering you so much that you can't even fake it anymore."

She bit the inside of her mouth, glancing at the agenda to notice that she still hadn't done what she was intending to do.

"I'll tell you later. Let's just—"

She stopped speaking, seeing him frown again, doubt still etched on his face. She tried holding his gaze, hoping he'd back down and ignore it, but it didn't last even two seconds before she sighed, looking down at the agenda again.

"I," she began, shoulders shrinking in a shrug, "I fought with Cleo today."

"Oh," he mouthed, pursing his lips. "Was bad?"

She shrugged again, biting her lip but not replying. That was an answer enough.

"And…" he dragged, "I take you don't want to talk about it."

She pursed her lip, biting the inner corners without removing her gaze from the diary.

To that he sighed, nodding to himself. "Okay then. Let's just… continue—"

"Yeah, yeah," she finally spoke, blinking a couple of times. "Please, pass me your textbook."

He complied, turning the device on to take notes and swiping past the page with the photo that had triggered her memory.

The room had suddenly turned silent, quiet enough for him to hear Yeontan's little footsteps around the house.

"So…" he cleared his throat, "you talk, and I write down, or we read together— Actually, I'll feel like shit, like I'm leeching off you while you're upset."

She went wide-eyed. "Oh, god, no, don't feel like that. It's my fault for—"

"You know that we can cuddle instead and do this some other time? We live minutes away from each other. We can catch up on any other day—"

"It's just that…" she sighed, closing the agenda and setting it aside. He unconsciously turned his iPad off.

"It's just that… I feel like I went about it the wrong way, and I hate fighting, like so much." He caught the frustration in her voice, noticed how she wouldn't look at him but at a random spot on the wall as if she were actively recalling the events.

"And everything happened so fast—"

"Just throwing a guess here…" he cut her off, scooting closer, "was it about Jungkook?"

She finally met his eyes and slowly nodded. "And Avyanna."

Taehyung's whole face changed, eyes widening and brows lifting.

"Essentially…" she sighed, hesitating to share anything, "gosh, can I even tell you this? I feel like I'm breaking girl code."

"What's her deal with Anna?" He tried to help her find a beginning. "I mean, she was kind of interrogating me back at the cabin… but I take it that she was just trying to look out for James."

Daphne blinked once, lips thinning out as she replayed the scene he mentioned.

"There's this whole issue between her, James and Jungkook, and it's complicated. I just never know how to go about it."

He softly chuckled. "What do you have to do with it?"

"It's just that, when she brings up the issue, I just never say the right things, and I'm always trying to de-escalate, yet for some reason, I still just fuck it up."

"Yeah, that can happen sometimes." He nodded, leaning on his elbows and stretching his legs out. "But you don't have to kill yourself over it. Friends fight, we fought, everybody fights. It's human nature. It doesn't mean it's the end of the world or your friendship, okay?"

"Taehyung," and he looked up to her, eyes verbalising his answer, "can you please tell Jungkook to, I don't know, man up or something and stop playing around with Cleo's feelings?"

Taehyung was slightly taken aback, but he didn't immediately reply.

"Their relationship is just a constant push and pull, and it's not good for her, and I know I always try to run away from confrontation and everything, but if he doesn't make his feelings clear to Cleo, I'll… I don't know exactly what I'll do… maybe cuss him out, fight with him, hate him, I don't know, but I'll do something."

Taehyung pulled his lip between his teeth, slowly nodding as he let the words sink in. "Noted. I'll refer it to him."

"But like…" she faced him, "I'm not the only person seeing things, right? Like, you always say he's obsessed with her, but look at them."

"Yeah, yeah, I know what you mean. Whenever I say he's obsessed with her, I'm just pointing out his contradicting behaviour."

"Exactly, enough of that. Tell him."

He bit back a smile and nodded. "Yes, I will—"

"Don't call me ma'am. I could feel it on your fucking tongue."

He threw his head back and laughed. "You could feel it on my tongue? How did you feel it? It's not like you're kissing me right now—"

"And I won't be because we're getting serious again." She got more comfortable. "I've talked it out, and now the focus is back on you."

"Hey, a little PSA: I'd also like to be on the receiving end of your little threats from time to time."

She almost choked on her gasp. "Oh, my god, what in the humiliation kink?"

"Yeah, that's exactly the word—"

"Taehyung, back to Wilfred Owen—"

"Will you be giving me treats every time I get something right?"

She cocked her eyebrow. "You weren't giving me treats when I got things right."

His gaze darkened just a little bit. "It's never too late for things to change."

A soft chuckle escaped her as she broke eye contact and reached for the agenda. "You're truly something."

"So no treats?"

"If I need to tell you to get serious again, no." And he instantly sat up, tucking his feet under his legs as he sat criss-cross-apple-sauce like a child. She couldn't help but laugh.

─Now playing: Nothing Else by Angus & Julia Stone ✫

Within a span of an hour and a half, Taehyung and Daphne had studied basically in every spot the room had to offer: his bed, the desk, and on the rug.

Sometimes he'd lean his head on her leg and listen as she read, and other times she'd be resting her chin on his shoulder, watching while he sat at the desk and took notes.

There were times she'd hold the book in her hands and walk to and fro, talking and gesturing around with her hands, while he'd spin on the chair with his iPad in hand and follow her with his eyes.

There were times she'd take the device from him and add a few details herself, and in those times, he'd pull her into his lap.

“You’re comfortable there?” He’d mused before pulling on her top, nudging her closer until the back of her knees touched his legs and forced her into his lap.

“Better, no?” His voice, as soft as cotton yet as deep as the ocean. His arms would wrap around her waist, chin perching on her shoulder to invade her breathing space, although ‘invade’ would be a wrong word to define it.

His invite was beyond welcome; she’d bring her feet onto his legs, push her knees up to create a supporting surface for the iPad, her back glued to his chest with his perfume permeating her clothes. And when the time would span too long, he’d try busying his hands, dragging under the hem of her top to run his fingertips on her warm skin.

“It’s so satisfying,” she’d said, trying to distract him long enough to regain some self-control. His nose caressed her neck in a feather-light touch as he hummed.

“What?” he’d softly asked, his hands temporarily paused at the level of her navel.

She fought against the urge to turn and face him, knowing the proximity, so she faced the iPad still. “Writing on the iPad.”

“I recall you having your own iPad when I first saw you at the library.” His hands travelled upward, stopping at the base of her ribcage where his arms circled her frame to embrace from underneath her top.

She tried looking at him from the corner of her eye, trying to catch anything from him, anything that meant he’d heard her gulp down the moment his hands started moving around.

“It belongs to my dad, and he lends it to me sometimes.”

They'd decided that five o'clock was the perfect time to go downstairs for a snack, so they tried to make the most of their last twenty minutes.

Back on the bed, Taehyung sat with his legs crossed, while Daphne lay prone, feet kicking in the air and book in hand to go through the pages.

"You guys covered little about Joseph Conrad," she commented, going through his agenda again. "Heart of Darkness deserves justice."

Taehyung looked at Daphne, lips thin to withhold his smile, and shook his head. Obviously, she'd be making such a comment, and it meant little to him because hadn't it been for school, Conrad and his works would have been closer to a legend than an actual classic work.

Closing the agenda, she returned to the textbook, her favourite red highlighter in hand. He'd asked why red out of all colours. The first response was that it was her favourite colour, something he'd noticed a long time ago, just from watching how she dressed, and secondly, it stands out enough for her to stimulate her photographic memory better.

"I'd just remember red lines," he'd chuckled, and she rolled her eyes with a smile.

"I'm not surprised," she'd replied.

Besides the obvious silence that permeated the room like water through a sponge, the afternoon was proceeding peacefully, a stark contrast to their last time here in his bedroom.

She was still in his sweatpants, which had somehow ridden low on her hips to expose some skin, just enough for everything to look more comfortable and feel intimate.

"You have ducks on your socks," he'd told her before, and her cheeks almost caught fire. "What? It's cute!"

"Don't look at my feet. They ain't for free." And he'd laughed at that, feeling his heart swell when he saw her cheeks grow into a smile.

"Ooh," her voice brought him back to the present. "Are you already preparing for your college entrance exam?"

Somewhere between dreamlandia and his memory lane, Daphne had taken his agenda again, and instead of stopping at the page with the list of topics for his English test, she'd surfed it a bit, now reading a whole new list.

He leaned closer, not like he needed it since he could recognise that page from miles away, and hummed.

"Yeah. There are three sessions, like, three chances, basically. February, April, and June. I'm aiming for April because February is too early, and June will be impossible with all the graduation exams and shit."

She nodded, reading the page thoroughly. "Is this the whole syllabus for the exam?"

He hummed again, completing the sentences he was writing on the iPad.

"It's a lot of stuff, Tae,” she said, swinging her feet again.

"Yeah," he sighed, scratching his head to remember what he was writing. "But it's April, so I believe I can make it by then."

Leaving the agenda on the bed for a few seconds, she sat up and crossed her legs, scooting close to him.

"Did you create a sort of study schedule?" He chuckled to stop himself from cheesing at the cute smile she sported.

"Mh-hmm." He finally completed the sentence, running his tongue on his suddenly dry lips as the screen went black and the device fell on the bed next to him.

"I try filling out a box each day.” He scooted closer. “I'm going to intensify it as the date gets closer, but yeah, that's how it's going for now, and I began in December."

"The same school your mum wants you to attend?" She met his eyes, and he slowly closed them to nod. She chuckled, "Is it really that bad?"

"If you knew my mum, you'd understand my frustration, but that's a story for another day, yeah?" He pecked her cheek, a smile on his lips.

She tried not to think much of it and shrugged, returning prone on the mattress with her feet up.

"Well," she sighed, cheek flushing against the sole of her hand, "it's cool as fuck that you'll be going to college. I still don't know what to do with myself."

He lay down next to her, the movement making the blanket blow out the scent of his softener. "You don't?"

She shook her head, closing the agenda to lie flat on the bed, hands under her cheek.

"Well,” he began, scooting even closer, “you're good as fuck in literature."

"In fact,” and his hand absentmindedly reached to play with her hair, “anything that isn't maths or physics is your forte."

And she turned to him with narrowed eyes, no malice. "Tae, is that a backhanded compliment I'm getting?"

"No, no," he chuckled, letting himself lean closer until his cheek flushed against her shoulder. "You're good at those, but they don't come as naturally as the others do. I swear, you teach literature better than my teacher."

She gave him a small appreciative smile, looking at the agenda again and getting lost in thought while his arm slowly circled her frame again, fingers moving slowly underneath her top.

"Plus, I also think that you'd be good in leadership roles—"

"What?" She turned to him, bewildered. "Leadership? With how anxious I get, that's like stepping into fire drenched in fuel."

"Anxiety this, anxiety that.” He shrugged, softly scratching her back in messy circles. “I think that when you get comfortable, you'd be really good, and nobody plans ahead better than you do. And I'm not trying to glaze you or anything."

She scoffed, closing the agenda to look at him. The proximity made his cologne hit her senses harder, but she caught something else too: her perfume.

"I think that's just me overthinking." Her voice gained a soft rasp as the proximity made her unconsciously lower her tone.

"Hey," he mused, getting close enough for the tips of their noses to touch—she didn't retreat. "Every disappointment is a blessing."

She tried biting back a smile, but the chuckle still escaped her. "So it is a disappointment."

─Now playing: Fantasie by Cesare Cremonini, TROPICO ✫

But the words died in the kiss, lips melting into his like cotton in water. And if that had a sound, it would sound exactly like his sigh.

His lips moved so softly, and his fingers graced her cheek in such a delicate touch she could’ve almost missed.

She craned her neck to deepen the kiss, and his hand fully cupped her cheek, dragging her closer. No words were shared, yet he turned on his back, and she automatically straddled him, hands cupping his face.

His chest against hers felt balmy, the heat of his body sipping through the pores of his clothes to mingle with hers. He felt soft and hard underneath her, so warm, and with her legs bracketing his waist, the warmth would first pool in her tummy, fluttering like butterflies only to travel further south.

Hadn’t all these feelings overwhelmed her, she would’ve caught the glimpse of skin that his shirt had exposed when he turned on his back and the band of his boxers peaking from above his pants.

His hands rode up from the back of her thighs to her waist, lying there softly, casually, naturally.

Tilting her head to the side, she deepened the kiss, lips parting to let his tongue rub against hers in a tender, heated touch that made something low in her stomach clench so hard that her hips jolted on their own accord.

He moaned softly, and she unconsciously mimicked him, feeling the sound register in her brain and cloud her mind. His hands travelled down again, pausing on her butt before squeezing the flesh almost out of reflex.

Goosebumps showered down her body, making her moans shaky for a little while when she felt her nipples harden through her bra and against his chest.

The heat burning low in her felt like holding the flame of a lighter close to the skin enough to feel it, but not for it to touch you.

With lips glistening, she broke the kiss first, pecking his lips a couple times to regain her breath before drawing a chain of wet kisses from the corner of his mouth down to his neck.

His chest seemed to instantly deflate at the touch of her lips. She could feel it rise and fall at an increasingly quick and unstable rate, and as if closing all the doors and giving him no way to escape, she pressed her chest against him even more.

His hands stopped where her skin was exposed, and her chain of kisses didn't stop until she was nibbling on his earlobe, consciously or unconsciously driving him crazy.

Another moan left his lips, an almost silent plea as she continued the sweet torture, running her tongue against a sensitive spot on his neck before softly sucking on it.

He melted into the touch, eyelids fluttering and breath coming in shaky. His left hand reached for the back of her neck, the touch firm and needy, as he craned his neck—another silent plea.

His eyes were shut, and his body was overheating under the layers of his clothing.

"Lauri." He began softly, breath raspy, hazy, barely there. But her reply was moving to another spot again, and this time, he leaned into her touch more, head almost resting against hers and lips gathered in a little needy pout.

He sharply exhaled again, right hand now breaching her top to feel the skin underneath. He bit back another moan, pulling his lip between his teeth, while his hands grew restless.

They ran up her back, along her bra to go back down from her side, feeling the goosebumps against his fingertips. Then they settled on her hips, and without even thinking twice, he applied some pressure, pushing her down against him while his hips bucked up on their own accord.

"Lauri." This time it was whiny and breathier, so soft she could've missed. "Oh, Lauri."

The butterflies in her tummy were flapping their wings violently now, heat blooming even stronger, and his hips were only blowing on the flames. She left kisses on his skin like she was covering him with petals and moved to the other side of his neck.

He heaved a deep sigh, chest inflating and deflating at a rapid pace, desperate to intake some air and make up for all the time lost.

With her fingers running through his hair, thumb close to his ears while the others interlocked with his curls, she ran her tongue on the skin again, and he just melted in her touch, hips bucking up again before he could stop them.

"Fuck," he rasped, barely audibly again as she was literally ridding him of his oxygen. His lips were still gathered in a little, needy pout, a bit swollen from the kiss and the constant lip bites, while his hands stayed firmly on her hips, pushing her down against him.

At the friction, he couldn't help the moan that left him—still raspy, but a bit louder.

"Oh, god,” he hissed, bucking them up even harder. “Lauri—"

Someone knocked on the door, and they immediately untangled their bodies, sitting up straight with their legs crossed.

As she moved to fix her hair, the second heartbeat she felt down south travelled to her throat while her eyes looked at the door, hoping that whoever it was wouldn’t open it yet.

Taehyung, next to her, had grabbed a small pillow from the bunch at the head of the bed, and the nervousness sitting like a gulp in her throat died down just a little bit.

"Tae, are you there? Can I come in?"

The voice belonged to Adrielle.

"Fuck," Taehyung muttered before welcoming her in, hand keeping the pillow in position. Daphne bit her lip—she was still a little shaken up—but she went wide-eyed for a split second when she caught the faint marks on his neck.

"Yeah, yeah, come in,” he continued, unaware of the train of thought in his girlfriend’s mind.

The door handle turned as she complied, stuttering in her steps when she found him with company.

"Oh, I’m sorry. Am I interrupting?" Her lips went thin, eyes a bit dilated but still cold.

Adrielle dared not to take another step into the room, but the open door was enough for Yeontan to sneak inside.

"I-I," she cleared her throat, eyes moving elsewhere, "Nana told me to meet her at five for the school garden project, but I can't find her, so I thought—"

"Oh, yeah, yeah, I get it," Taehyung nervously chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "I don't know where she is. She wasn't at home when we got here, so…"

Adrielle nodded, pursed her lips a bit as if she were confused, and after apologising once again, she turned to leave, closing the door behind herself.

─Now playing: Gocce di Memoria by Giorgia ✫

The lock clicked as she let go of the handle, and she could've sworn she heard them, him, heave a sigh and groan from behind the oak door.

The number of times she'd said it now made it corny, but Adrielle indeed hated her life, and every day was just another point in the list, another element placed into evidence.

She'd seen worse, certainly, starring Taehyung especially, but it still hurt every single time.

The slim rug running along the hallway was soft under the soles of her feet, as was the little tingling pendant attached to Yeontan's collar.

The dog walked along the corridor, moving to Nana's side of the house and back. Adrielle turned the corner before the arched way leading to the woman's home and went down the stairs.

Yeontan led the way down, his paws as light as Adrielle's footsteps, which was ironic because something solid had formed in her throat, pooling down to her chest to sit on her heart like a pile of bricks.

It wasn't unfamiliar, and for that reason it didn't weigh down on her feet as she reached the ground floor. It didn't mess with her balance, so she wasn't holding onto the wall and the pieces of furniture lining the hallway.

Instead, her hands gathered in front of her, manicured nails torturing her cuticles and her finger pads.

Yeontan proceeded unbothered, eyes wandering around from the dining room to the kitchen to the sliding doors and finally the living room.

Adrielle's gaze had glazed over, blue irises seemingly covered by a ghostly cold shade, with tears prickling at the corner of her eyes.

She didn't notice her feet carrying her to the couch until she'd sunk down on it, her purse dipping closer to her as she did so. She reached for it, dug into it to take her phone, and quickly sent Nana a text, asking about her whereabouts.

The clock widget on her homescreen said almost five pm before she turned the device off and brought her knees to her chin.

His neck.

The bed wasn't close to the door, at least not enough for her brain to be permanently flashed with specific pictures, yet his neck was so clear in her memory, truly like she'd stared at the sun for too long.

He was sitting on the bed, legs midway between a laxed position and being crossed, and he held a pillow in his lap, specifically his groin.

Adrielle wasn't stupid enough not to make something out of that. Experience taught her otherwise.

But his neck… just like staying wide-eyed in front of flashing lights, her mind couldn't let go of those soft pink and coral spots on his skin.

Did he know he had them? Had he seen them? Seen how they stayed on his neck like stars in the sky, like polka dots on a dress?

Their colour was faint but not enough for Adrielle's eyes to miss them, never enough.

Daphne was so close to him, keeping the kind of proximity you get as soon as you get off someone's lap. Unintentional.

She had his sweatpants on, the ones he always wears when, for some odd reason, he'd feel cold at night. He'd taken them to the cabin on Christmas, had them on before going to bed.

Now, Daphne was wearing them, and they were clearly too big for her despite the strings. Adrielle caught the black lace of her underwear peeking from underneath.

It almost hurt her gums how everything about them was seemingly effortless, like the flow of a river. Nothing groundbreaking or mindblowing. Just… poised, sensible, automatic, natural.

He wasn't naked, wasn't shirtless. He was fully dressed and only stripped of his hoodie. His messy hair did the job. His swollen lips spoke the truth. And while those faint hickeys would fade with time, the scene would never leave her mind.

Daphne wasn't naked or shirtless. She, too, had messy hair, and the bottom rim of her top was lopsided, proof that Taehyung's hands had wandered in the vicinity.

With Willow, things weren't like that: it was a matter of wildfire, not silent sizzling.

When Adrielle had accidentally walked in on them, the flames were roaring, growling, greedy, and needy.

Willow had a small tank top with sleeves so thin they could break, a material so light it could rip apart, and a neck cut so deep that Adrielle could see the edges of her bra.

Taehyung…? He was shirtless, propped against the pile of pillows placed against the headboard of the bed.

Willow was in his lap, the distance negligible, irrelevant, barely there to be even taken into consideration.

Adrielle didn't know that Taehyung was awake, didn't know Willow was around at all. She was downstairs in the kitchen after working on the farm with Nana.

"He's tired from school," Nana had said. "After lunch, he just went to bed."

And Adrielle didn't think much of it. But as they were done preparing snacks late in the afternoon, Adrielle and Nana, too, thought it would be nice to give him some.

When exactly Willow had snuck into the house escaped her, escaped the old woman as well, and after knocking and welcoming herself into his bedroom, expecting him to still be asleep, the ceramic plate almost crashed to the floor.

"Hey, Elle." His voice was rough, nervous almost. He probably thought she was Nana or his mum.

Adrielle didn't verbally reply, just pursed her lips in awkwardness. But as she took a step in to leave the plate on his bedside table, Willow's voice froze her muscles.

"We're not hungry."

Adrielle's frown was barely detectable, but it was there, along with the remark sitting on the tip of her tongue: Willow's stomach wasn't included in the snack, since she believed only Taehyung was in the room.

"Well…" She carefully began, still heading for the bedside table. "It's for him."

"Yeah, but he's not hungry—"

"Thanks, Elle," he said, giving her a tight-lipped smile as she finally left the plate on the bedside table.

Just as she'd remained silent moments ago, she left the couple without uttering another word. But while the sigh from behind the door was collective, Willow had been the one to groan, and Adrielle knew she tried to be as loud as possible, making sure she'd be heard.

─Now playing: Disappear by Beabadoobee ✫

Adrielle's fingers stopped toying with the edge of her phone cover when she heard Taehyung and Daphne leave the room and head downstairs.

Trying to seem unbothered, she lay on the couch and stretched her legs to browse on her phone.

From the volume of Daphne's giggles and Yeontan's hurried pace to the corridor, she could tell they'd finally reached the bottom of the stairs.

Daphne's voice went up an octave as she cuddled the dog in her arms, while with her eyes still on the phone screen, Adrielle had no idea of Taehyung's whereabouts until he addressed her in the living room.

"Tried calling her?" he asked, referring to Nana.

Adrielle moved the device out of her gaze just a little and tried to maintain an expressionless appearance as she replied.

"I already did that on my way here, but she hasn't responded yet."

He hummed. Daphne, behind him, was in the kitchen, moving between cabinets with Yeontan still in her arms.

"Well… she's been working on various commissions since last week, but I think she'll be back. I'll try calling her myself."

Adrielle didn't reply while he stood beside the couch, phone in hand to keep the promise.

"You guys set up a meeting?"

Adrielle had to swallow down the scoff threatening to come out of her throat. "Yeah, we did, but she's also promised to help me with the school project."

"So… you haven't really set it up?" He scratched the nape of his neck.

Adrielle instantly sat up, almost regretting it when the iron deficiency kicked in. "Tae, we meet on the regular—"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm just saying, because she's not forgetful—"

"She's not." She coldly cut him off before lying down again. "She probably got caught up with a client or something."

"Yeah, yeah." He licked his lips. They were probably dry after all the making out. "You're right— We're just grabbing some snacks. Wanna join?"

"Oh, don't worry. I'm fine."

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