14;천국

"I'M SCARED!!"

Taehyung laughed loudly, holding her small frame in his arms, both of them teetering on the edge of the high tower.

"Please, Taehyung... remember, I love you a lot. If I do not ma—"

He didn’t let her complete her sentence, pressing a firm, silencing kiss against her lips. A frown formed on his face.

"Shut up, Thea. Nothing's gonna happen. I'm here."

The man securing their harness chuckled at the sight of Thea clinging to Taehyung out of pure terror.

"It’s done," he announced, tightening the last strap of the strong metal belt binding them together.

Thea's face crumpled as she squeezed her eyes shut. Taehyung shook his head, amused by how adorably frightened she looked. Such a scared little kitten... he thought.

He turned to the staff and gave them a nod before leaning down, his voice soft.

"Thea..."

Her doe-like, terrified eyes fluttered open, meeting his.

Taehyung smiled, cradling her face, and pressed a lingering kiss to her lips. With his free hand, he gave the staff a thumbs-up.

And then, he pushed them both off the ledge.

Thea let out a piercing scream, her grip on him tightening. The world blurred around them as they plummeted, but Taehyung only watched her. The exhilaration, the fear, the thrill—it all painted her features with a breathtaking glow.

The camera strapped to his wrist captured every second of their descent. As they swung mid-air, Thea finally dared to open her eyes. Her breath hitched before she broke into laughter, her voice echoing through the vast sky.

"Taehyungie, look at your face!" she teased, tilting her head back with a carefree laugh.

His arms around her waist tightened instinctively. Watching her glow with excitement, his lips curled into a soft smile.

He wished time would stop right there.

He wished they could stay like this forever—tied together, floating in the air, away from the world and its cruel expectations.

"Baby..." he murmured, almost unconsciously, his gaze never leaving her.

Thea stopped laughing. She blinked up at him, her voice softer this time.

"Yes...?"

"I love you..."

Her playful eyes softened at the sincerity in his tone. His gaze held hers—wide, vulnerable, as if she were the only thing keeping him tethered to this world.

And in that moment, they just stared.

Not as lovers caught in a forbidden web, not as sinners defying fate—just two souls lost in each other. Their world. The only one they had built for themselves.

---

Later That Night – The Camp

The day passed in a blur of jungle safaris, shared laughter, and stolen moments. As the night descended, Taehyung carried Thea on his back, trekking up a hill to their campsite.

"Am I not heavy?" Thea murmured, nuzzling into the crook of his neck.

He smirked. "You feel like a feather, to be honest."

She pouted, then teased, "I thought your old back must be hurting, carrying me for almost an hour."

Taehyung scoffed. He knew exactly what she was trying to do—her usual tactics to get him to prove his stamina to her all night. His smirk deepened.

"We’re almost there," he said, tightening his grip on her thighs.

She hummed sleepily in response.

When they reached the top, Taehyung set her down and started pitching the tent while Thea fished out drinks from her backpack. She handed him a beer can—the one he had strictly prohibited her from drinking.

They sat side by side on the soft earth, watching the city lights twinkle below like fallen stars.

"It’s beautiful, isn’t it?" Thea whispered, gazing ahead.

"It is," Taehyung murmured, though his eyes never left her.

Sensing his gaze, she frowned slightly and turned to face him. Their eyes met, locking in an unspoken exchange.

A gust of wind sent chills down her spine. She gasped, instinctively wrapping her arms around herself. Taehyung noticed immediately.

Without a word, he got up and disappeared inside the tent.

Seconds later, he returned, sitting behind her. He draped a warm blanket over both of them and pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms around her from behind.

"Better now?" he asked.

She sighed, relaxing against his chest. "I’m loving it..."

Taehyung pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead before staring ahead, his fingers tracing absentminded circles on her waist.

And then, she spoke.

"Why did you get married, Taehyung?"

His hold on her tightened.

A heavy sigh escaped his lips. "I didn’t want to... but I had to. For my family."

"Did you ever catch feelings for her?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Taehyung closed his eyes for a moment. "No. I respected her... but I couldn’t force my feelings."

Silence hung between them. Then, Thea turned slightly, looking up at him.

"Do you love me?"

His answer was immediate. "More than myself."

A soft, satisfied smile graced her lips. It was wrong. It was forbidden. But in this moment, neither of them cared.

They stayed like that for a long time, tangled in warmth and stolen love, until Thea finally drifted into sleep.

Taehyung kissed her forehead, brushing strands of hair from her face. Carefully, he lifted her into his arms and carried her inside the tent. He laid her down beside him, pulling the blanket over both of them as he held her close.

---

Two Days Later

Thea groggily descended the stairs, stretching as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Taehyung was still fast asleep upstairs, but she had woken up because of the dull ache between her legs.

She winced slightly as she walked toward the kitchen, her throat dry.

Taehyung had put her to sleep once when she had been in pain, but the ache had returned, and she hadn’t wanted to wake him. He looked so peaceful—so at ease, and she hadn’t had the heart to disturb him.

As she reached for a glass of water, a voice suddenly echoed through the quiet morning air.

"Good morning, niece."

She froze.

Her breath hitched as a cold chill ran down her spine.

---