Chapter 22

KTH POV

When my alarm sounded the next morning, we'd rolled away from each other slightly but our feet were still twisted together and I relished the small contact as I switched off the beeping. Marley made a cute, sleepy groan and buried her head under the pillow. "It's OK, go back to sleep. I have a meeting to go to and then I'll come back in a few hours."

I lifted the corner of the pillow slightly and she turned towards me as I pressed a kiss to her cheek, one eye popping open and a little smile visible before she closed it again and I lowered the pillow back down.

"K," she answered, muffled under the bedding as she scrunched in a ball under the covers and I chuckled softly as I threw some clothes on and grabbed a keycard as I left the suite.

I was the last to walk into the room, a few minutes late and all the members turned to look at me. "I came to wake you but no-one answered the door," Hobi said, raising his eyebrows.

"I was with Marley," I answered, taking a seat, noticing the smirks. "And when I feel like talking about that, I will," I continued, putting a stop to any comments that might come my way. Which was, of course, pointless.

"So, you're tired then," Jimin said, grinning.

"I'm always tired."

"And Marley is tired then."

"Yup, she has jetlag."

"Tae, spill," he teased.

"Jimin, shut it," I replied.

"Jimin, I'm sure Tae will tell us what he wants to tell us when he's ready. In the meantime, we need to run through the next few days itinerary. We've had a couple of things added, sorry Tae, it shouldn't be too disruptive to your plans," Namjoon said with an apologetic look in my direction before continuing. "So, from here we head to practice then free time until we have to go to the sound check this afternoon. The additions are we are filming a quick segment after the concert tonight so it will be later than planned then we do have another interview but I'll send those details to our chat so we can add it to our schedules. Lets head out."

We all gathered our things to go to a practice, Jimin catching up to me, slinging his arm around my shoulder as we walked. "Sorry hyung, you know I'm just teasing."

"It's OK, and no, I still won't talk about it."

"It? So there is something to talk about?" I punched his arm as we walked out the door into the underground carpark and he climbed into the car with me.

"I was very pleased to see her again and the feeling was mutual," I answered, buckling myself in and leaning back on the seat, remembering the kisses.

"Ah Taehyungie, that smile, she is making you happy."

"She is and when we do take things to the next step, I'm sure you'll be able to tell. I can hardly keep a smile off my face now."

His eyebrows had gone up when he realised we hadn't slept together yet. It's not like the members were in the habit of jumping into bed with a partner the moment we started dating but he did know I was incredibly attracted to her and that physical contact was just part of my DNA.

"It's OK to take your time bro," he said, squeezing my shoulder.

"It's necessary too with Marley, I know there is still a lot of pain there from her loss. When it happens, it needs to feel right for both of us."

"But you're ready," he noted, smiling at me.

"You've seen her, of course I want our bodies to connect like our minds have. And when that happens, I will not be sharing details."

He hit my arm several times with a grin and I rubbed it, laughing while we pulled up to the practice studio.

Marley POV

I only dozed on and off for a little bit, not really fully going back to sleep after Tae left, the kiss on my cheek waking me enough as it lingered on long after he'd gone. Finally, when I knew it was pointless trying to sleep any longer, I grabbed my laptop, climbing back into bed to work for a bit.

I got through work quicker than expected and decided to shower so I was ready when he came back. I think knowing we were in the same city was less distracting than thinking about how far away he was from me so I could actually concentrate on what I was doing.

Rummaging through my suitcase, I found an outfit I was happy with, everything brand new. Laying it out on the bed, I grabbed a cute new underwear set and put it on top. It was definitely sexier than I would normally wear on a regular day and I put it back before deciding to go with my gut and wear it. That didn't mean something would happen or that I was even ready but it did mean I would have a little lacy secret to remind me that I could be adventurous if I was ready to be.

As the hot water flowed over my body, I had to take a moment to check in with what was going in my head. The last few weeks had felt like a strange dream and my emotions were all over the place. I'd made a small amount of peace with the fact I was ready to move things forward. As I cleaned my hands, I rubbed the empty area where my rings used to sit and then looked at my other hand. That little step had felt huge to me. I finished cleaning up, smiling the whole time, remembering Tae as he'd leaned close to kiss my cheek that morning. It felt familiar, warm and something I wanted to experience every morning. I froze at that thought. Clearly my feelings were further along than I had been allowing myself to believe.

Coming out of the bathroom, I was startled to find Tae lying propped up against the head of the bed, crossed legged on his phone. I shouldn't have been surprised, I had told him to use the keycard anytime but still, my heart raced as I saw him and my hand automatically went to my robe, tied at my waist and my hair, wrapped in a towel on my head. Then to the outfit I had laid out on the bed, complete with brand new white lacy bra and knicker set on top. "In case you were wondering, I like your clothing choice. All of it," he smirked, without meeting my eye.

I reached over and smacked him on the arm and he grabbed my wrist, pulling me towards him. He ran his hand down the lapel on my robe, his thumb tucked into the inside and I watched his pupils grow large before he pulled his hand away. "Later, wearing just that," he said, confidently tipping his head towards my pile of clothes and my mouth moved without any words coming out, knowing he wasn't meaning the whole outfit.

"So, today," he continued as I gathered myself, sitting primly on the bed next to him as he tossed his phone to the side. "I have a sound check this afternoon but I'm free until then. Is there anything you want to do?"

"Is there anything we can actually do without attracting attention?"

He thought for a moment. "Do you want to go shopping?"

"Wouldn't like, everyone see us?"

"I could order in clothes for you to try on?" he answered, comfortably running his hand up and down my back. "I'd like to watch that."

I laughed. "While that sounds intriguing, I don't need to go shopping that badly. What about we just order in lunch and watch some Netflix?"

He relaxed back against the headboard. "Yes, perfect," he replied. "I may even end up sleeping a little. I got a good sleep last night but concerts make me very tired, we have stricter food rules on tour too so less energy."

I frowned thinking that I wasn't fully up on the way K-Pop bands functioned but I had assumed when they were doing concerts, the amount of exercise they got on stage meant they would end up needing to eat more calories not less.

"It's OK," he said, reading my mind, "I'm used to it. And really, some of that is my choice. I want to look and feel a certain way when I'm performing so it's easier to move."

"That worries me. But you've been doing this long enough to know what works for you I guess. Still, I think you're a babe no matter what era Tae I'm looking at. Can I legally say that about cute little 2013 Taehyung though? With his fluffy orangey hair?" I teased and he smiled a little embarrassed.

"How much of us have you watched?"

"I had to go back to the beginning to understand your journey. I didn't realise soooo much of your life was online until I went down the rabbit hole."

"It has been the most amazing, the most scary and the hardest journey to walk."

I watched him as he talked, thinking how much he'd done at such a young age. Even leaving home to become a trainee when he was still in high school. "You seem so much the same as you first did when you debuted. Not that everything that is on camera is true, I understand that. But, you're still down to earth and humble. I think that's why ARMY are so fierce and loyal. You're approachable and kind and sweet. And sassy," I finished, noting his face flush a little at the compliments. "After all this time, you still can't handle people telling you you're wonderful?"

"Some people. You."

"I embarrass you?"

"Well, I want to impress you so you talking about me in a nice way makes me happy shy."

What a cute way of describing it, he was actually adorable. And lying next to me in an oversized grey sweatshirt, he was also looking incredibly boyfriend like. I gulped and looked away, not wanting to get sucked into that deep hole right now. If I started thinking about him as a boyfriend, that was next level commitment. Not that flying to another country wasn't sending all those signals anyway. I was interrupted in my wandering thoughts by him asking me a question.

"Are you coming to the concert tonight?"

"I wouldn't miss it," I answered, unwinding the towel from my hair as I began to rub it dry. Tae was watching me, then got up, coming back from the bathroom with a hairdryer in hand.

"Let me," he said, gently touching my damp hair then plugging it in and using it, running his fingers through to my ends as he did. I wish I could've seen his face, the bedroom didn't have a mirror where I could see but I wanted to watch this moment of domestic togetherness. It felt like a massage as he used his hands on my scalp to speed the process along, the warmth of the dryer, him kneeling close behind me on the bed as he did this for me. I felt taken care of and more than a little attracted to him in that moment. And more than just this moment if I was really honest with myself and I knew I needed to start being really honest.

It didn't take long and my hair was falling against my robe, expertly dried by my own personal hairdresser. He unplugged it and took it back through to the bathroom and then jumped on the bed next to me again. I put my hand on his neck and whispered "Thank you," in his ear as I placed a kiss against his mouth.

"You're very, very welcome," he answered slowly against my lips, deepening the kiss before shaking himself and swallowing before looking away. "So, maybe you should go and get dressed and then we can decide what we should eat for lunch?" He said something under his breath and I wished I could remember what it sounded like to translate later as the look on his face was screaming tension at me. But I let it go as I nodded, taking the clothes from the bed and heading to the bathroom to get dressed.

KTH POV

The practice took too long and I was quiet in the car on the way back to the hotel. Namjoon had been working on his phone but glanced at me a few times out the corner of his eye before putting the phone away and turning towards me. "Are you handling this OK Taehyungie?"

"By handling it do you mean keeping it away from the media?"
"I know I have to be the voice for the company but this time I'm asking as a friend, I already know you're doing your best to keep it all secret. I'm very pleased for you that Marley could fly over to spend time with you here. But are you able to take time to think about how all of this is making you feel?"

Namjoon always went deep and I was glad it was just the two of us in the car when I answered. "I am trying to take the time it deserves. I've talked to Appa and he thought I needed to try to see where this can go and I agree. I know it's complicated."
"Everything we do is complicated, it doesn't mean we should hide from it. You always put your all into things Taehyung, can you do it all without burning out?"

"I relax when I'm with her, even the rush of just a few days and knowing there isn't much time isn't stressing me out as it just feels like everything is as it should be."

"She gives you the feeling of peace? That is an irreplaceable thing."

"I know and I want to fight to make it work because I don't want to lose that feeling."

"Then you have my support and I know the other members will feel the same. Why would we do all this if we can't also be happy in our private lives?"

I nodded, knowing he was thinking of his girlfriend back home. They had been together three years and it was still not recognised by the media so I knew it could be done. Although, she did live in the same country as us so that was definitely going to be a huge difference.

We pulled up to the hotel and we put our masks back on. "Make the most of the time Taehyungie and I will do everything I can to help."

"Thank you hyung, I'm trying my best to not be too distracted."

"I know, this is a lot for you but it's going to be OK," he slapped my back as he got out, head ducked in case of cameras as we walked into the hotel.

I went straight to her room, using the keycard after knocking and having no response. I paused as the door closed behind me, hearing the sound of the shower and realising why she hadn't heard me knock. I stood still for a moment, wondering whether I should stay or go and then throwing caution to the wind, walked through to settle on the bed and wait for her. The devil in me wanted to see her reaction.

As I settled against the headrest and pulled out my phone, I noticed the pile of clothes she'd laid out on the bed. On top, tags still on, were brand new underwear and my heart sped up a little at the lace and silky looking fabric. Definitely not practical but I wasn't complaining, trying hard not to picture her in them or out of them. I heard the shower switch off and some rustling so made myself comfortable, schooling my expression to neutral as she walked into the room. My brain stuttered at the short, satin robe she was wearing, trying not to flick between that and the clothes on the bed and I couldn't help but smirk at the double take she did when she realised I'd seen it all.

"In case you were wondering, I like your clothing choice. All of it," I said, averting my eyes and holding in my smile. She hit me and I took the opportunity to pull her close, breathing in the clean smell of her skin. I ran my thumb just slightly under the top of her robe, skimming the surface of her body lightly. I could feel where it was still slightly damp, willing my body not to react. "Later, wearing just that," I added, hoping I sounded more confident than I felt but telling the universe what I wanted to make happen and she visibly flushed at my words, blinking a few times before trying to rearrange herself.

I grabbed the hairdryer from the bathroom when she began to towel dry her hair. This was something I had a lot of experience at and was grateful to have an opportunity to be close to her, my hands massaging her head as she sunk back into my touch. When she thanked me with a kiss, it automatically grew more intense. I was trying to contain my feelings, I really was but I was also human and hugely attracted to her.

"So, maybe you should go and get dressed and then we can decide what we should eat for lunch?" I asked her and then "apart from each other," came out of my mouth before I could stop it and thankfully the last part was in Korean as she was looking at me funny and I wondered if I was wearing my emotions on my face. Even if she actually wanted to get any kind of physical, I couldn't get tangled up in my feelings before a concert. I knew from past experience how distracted that could make me later as I remembered the feeling of... I switched my brain off at that point, focusing on the hotel menu as she walked out of the room and I planned what to order for lunch.

Marley POV

Food, Netflix and Tae falling asleep next to me, meant I had a chance to rest, still a little tired from the travel and the late night. He'd set an alarm at lunchtime to remind himself when he had to head to the venue. Once they left for the soundcheck, he wouldn't be back until after the concert and filming they needed to do. It sounded like another long day for him and so when he'd nodded off, leaning against the corner of the couch, I took a blanket from the cupboard and tucked it over us both, snuggling in next to him to let him rest. I grabbed my phone and took a few photos of him sleeping, his floppy dark hair across his eyes, then answered some emails before falling asleep myself.

The alarm jolted us both awake. "That's horrendous," I said with a groan as I startled.

"I don't know the word but I know the meaning and yes, I have to use a horrible alarm or I'll sleep through it. We can all fall asleep anywhere now, we've needed to learn to do that over the years and once we're asleep, it can be hard to wake us."

He often said we and us when talking about himself, his life so interwoven with the members that they had become a collective. I wondered how they functioned when they were on their own or if they even got time like that, apart from in a hotel room. The thought made me lean in close, kissing him as a balm for the loneliness he might sometimes feel.

"What was that for?" he asked. "Not that I'm complaining," he continued, kissing me in return.

"I was just thinking about what you do when no-one else is around."

"It doesn't happen very often, usually just when I'm going to sleep at night or sometimes when we're all resting in our rooms. That's when I catch up on social media or write music if something inspires me. It can be hard to be alone though, when it gets quiet and you think too much."

"I don't like to think of you being lonely."

"I can still be lonely surrounded by people and that doesn't feel good at all."

"Please don't be sad, I just want you to be happy. Surely you've worked hard enough for long enough that you can be now."

"At the moment, I'm happy all the time," he answered and I leaned in to kiss his nose, his eyes closing as I came towards him, expecting that I was aiming for his lips. He pouted when I didn't so I kissed his cheek, then his ear, then his jaw and finally down to his lips, smiling as I heard his breathing change. I loved knowing that I could illicit a reaction from him with my mouth, his arms coming around my back to draw me in close. We both surrendered to the embrace until his snoozed alarm went off again and this time he had to go.

KTH POV

The kisses had become intense and finally I stood up and pulled her up too, hugging her goodbye as I headed to the door. Her top had slipped to the side while we were kissing and the strap of her bra was visible, reminding me of the pile that was laid out earlier on her bed. I had to turn from her at my bodies reaction, using the excuse of looking for my keycard as I took some breaths.

"Staff will come for you about an hour before the show starts and bring you backstage. I'll be busy getting ready before that so I don't know when I'll see you but I want it to be before we go on stage. I feel like I need you close today."

She reached for my hand and linked our fingers, squeezing them. "You'll be amazing, I loved it last time and I'll be cheering you on from nearby."

"It feels differently knowing that this time, we're more."

"More?"

"Yes, more, aren't we?"

"I definitely think we're more," she replied and I couldn't help but think of all the shared moments and kisses since she'd come backstage with Sophia.

My alarm sounded again and I sighed. "That's my last warning, the next thing will be a knock at the door. I promised that I'd be able to concentrate if you were here so I need to show them I mean it. I'd stay if I could."

"Go, work, be V," she replied. "I find V sexy."

"Well then, I will be V for you tonight," and I spun, pulling my lip in with my teeth and winking. She giggled and the sound stopped me in my tracks. I wanted to be the reason for that sound, everyday.

"Wa, you're beautiful," I whispered, my hand on the door handle and she blushed before rushing forward to kiss me one last time.

"Go, go, don't get in trouble," she said with the most endearing smile and mine was ear to ear as I went to join the members, preparing for the teasing I'd get when they saw my face.