Tae's POV

It is New Year's Eve and we have been stranded in Alaska for a week. We are scheduled to fly to Los Angles in two days. Kookie and I have used the time to work on so many things and getting to know each other better. The more I get to know him, the deeper my love is for this man.

We will be in LA for six months and then return to South Korea. I have accepted my father's offer to work with him under the condition that it be part-time and that I hand pick a full-time director. I recommend Yeona, who my father immediately confirms, as she is one of Choi airlines most dedicated employees. She was overjoyed with the offer which will mean a huge salary increase and being home every night for dinner with her daughter, no travel, and weekends off. I have several offers from clinics and small hospitals in South Korea where Kookie and I will make our home. I am in no rush to decide. When the right position appears, I will know it.

Kookie's dad will join us in LA in a few weeks and I'm as overjoyed as Kookie is to see him. I hope to impress him with some of my Korean cooking. I'm so happy for Kookie. He and his dad talk or text daily.

I talked to my father about Kookie and my plans to be with him. The phone went silent when I told him that Kookie was my boyfriend. He didn't say anything else about the topic. I kind of wish he had. I know it will take time for him to get to know Kookie. But I do know that my father is a fair man and that he loves me.

Kookie has been working hard restructuring his office and business. It will take a lot of hard work to make the necessary changes. It's not easy to change a bad reputation. But he's doing it one person at a time. I have his back and I know it will be okay.

I start my packing while Kookie is at the gym. We are waiting to hear from Kookie's father about his plans to join us in LA. Kookie left his laptop open and told me he will be sending his flight plan. He actually will be flying on Choi airlines. I am too excited.

I hear an alert sound and run over to Kookie's laptop to check for the email. The email is not from his father. I see the senders name and loudly gasp.

Hwan.

'What the fuck!' Jealous Tae shouts.

I can't resist and I click on it, revealing a stream of emails messages between Kookie and Hwan.

Hey, hot and sexy. Here's my hotel information as you requested. I'm looking forward to seeing you in LA. I hope you don't have a problem losing your boyfriend.

Hwan

I step back from the computer, and I am gripped with fear. I know it's unreasonable, but my head starts talking to me and everyone is going crazy as I struggle to breathe.

Jealous Tae chooses this time to lead a revolt and is standing on his chair.

'We're going to kill this bitch!' Jealous Tae shouts.

Snippy Tae is speechless and frozen as Savage Tae steps in front of him.

'I thought he was going tell this Hwan bitch no more booty calls! What the fuck is this!'

I tell my head that there's a misunderstanding and everyone to settle down.

Jealous Tae is consorting with Savage Tae which is never good.

And poor Needy Tae has his teddy and is hiding under his blanket. I'm unable to corral them and all hell breaks loose. I want to shut them down, but I cannot deny that some part of their argument is valid. I feel myself losing grip as Savage Tae delivers a punch to my gut that breaks me apart. I hear him clearly in my head. 'Father was right! He told you what would happen if you trusted Jungkook!' To make matters worse he strips him of the sweet name I gave him. Savage Tae is merciless as he continues his attack. 'He'll abandon you.' No, not my Kookie! It's my only defense but it is not good enough to back off Savage Tae. 'He's no good and is back to being that asshole on the plane!'

Jealous Tae is fueled up. 'Let's cuss him out and then kick both their asses!'

Poor Needy Tae is under his blanket shaking like a leaf after hearing we will be abandoned, again. I want to comfort that little part of me, but I can't as Savage Tae and Jealous Tae run amuck.

Suddenly I can't breathe and need to leave. I grab my coat and hat and leave. I just need to settle down and clear my head. I know there is a reason for this, but I can't think in this place that reminds me of Kookie at every turn.

As I ride the elevator to the lower level, a multitude of questions run through my head.

Why is he corresponding with him? He said he was done. Why would he send an email to Kookie in the form of a confirmation for their meeting? Why would he lie?

Tears rush down my face as I walk through the lobby. Oh, fuck no, it's Troy. He is standing in my path as I swiftly walk towards the door. He is wearing a big friendly smile as Savage Tae shouts 'push him out of the way and keep going!' Jealous Tae claps in agreement to this aggression. I swallow and will not respond in an unkind manner and shout to everyone to shut up and they all freeze.

"Mr. Kim are you okay? I saw Mr. Jeon headed to the Gym like 20 minutes ago. I will go get him right away." He clearly sees I am upset and responds in a very caring way.

"No, no thanks. I-I need a taxi. Can you please get m-me a taxi?" He pauses for a few seconds and furrows his eyebrows together as if he is trying to figure out what happened. All this week he has seen Kookie and I laughing, smiling, and holding hands everywhere in the lodge. So, my tears and behavior make no sense to him.

"Of course, right this way, sir." He shows me to an awaiting taxi, and I nods as I get in and leave.

Jungkook's POV

I sit on the exercise bench finishing my last set of exercise curls. After I finish here, I'll swim 10 laps in the pool and return to Tae. I have found it hard to separate from him even for a short workout. He nearly pushed me out the door when I said I needed to get back to my workouts once we get to LA. He's so sweet, always thinking about me.

I cannot wait to get settled into our new life together. We'll stay in LA and get settled there. I continue to work on my business as things are going very well over the last week. Mr. Michael from the LA company was ecstatic about my proposal to save his company. We're meeting next week in LA. He keeps thanking me and at first it was uncomfortable, but I really like the feeling of helping others. It's the Tae effect.

Dad's coming to LA in a few weeks, and I cannot wait to see him. We talk often and it is so cool. Yesterday we talked about mother for the first time, and it was okay. I thought that it would make me sad or even angry, but I felt neither. Dad has been sharing stories of mother and they are wonderful. Yesterday he told me how they met and that she was the most beautiful girl that he had ever seen. It was love at first sight and he knew that they would be together for the rest of their lives. He wasted no time in marrying her because she was the one. My grandfather hated him, but dad soon won him over. Father says he is no longer sad, although he still misses her terribly. But now he has her again in me.

He will email me this morning about his arrangements. Tae, I believe, is on watch for his email. He is too adorable. I chuckle.

I finish my last rep and stand to head to the pool area and Troy is standing there with a blank look on his face.

He starts talking about Tae and I don't understand him. Something about upset and crying. I immediately pull my phone out and open my google translator app.

"Troy, what are you talking about? What are you saying about Tae?"

I listen to his response and then run to the elevator. As the elevator rises to the top floor, I pace the 5x5 box like a caged animal. I want to rip the doors open as they slowly part.

I run into the suite and call him at the top of my voice with no answer. I then call his phone and it goes right to voicemail. Troy said he left but I just hoped he had returned. Where did he go and why did he leave? What happened that caused him to be so upset? Troy said that he offered to go get me and Tae refused. I search and then see my laptop is open in the bedroom. We were waiting for dad's flight arrangements. I refresh the page and my email opens.

"Fuck!" I shout as I comb my fingers through my hair. "No, no, no! Oh, Tae no!" I grab my coat and rush out the door.

As the elevator reaches the bottom floor I search for Troy. I see him behind the front desk. He is talking to a couple and looks up and sees me. He asks another employee to assist the couple and comes over to me seeing the panic on my face.

This time he takes out his phone and starts to translate my speech.

"Troy, you said Tae took a taxi. Where did he go?"

"Mr. Jeon, I do not know. He was just adamant about leaving. He looked dazed and quite upset sir."

"Can you find him? Trace him? He has his key with him." I know my request is improper, and I don't care. I must find Tae.

"What? I-I can't do that. It's unprofessional and a poor decision. It's just not appropriate." Troy shakes his head from side to side.

"Troy, please. I-I love Taehyung and if I don't talk to him soon, I could lose him. He's not thinking. You said if I needed anything you'd help. Troy, I need your help. Please."

As the taxi takes me to the address Troy gave me, I cannot believe that I was such a fool. Why didn't I delete that email? I take out my phone and make a call.

"Jungkook, how are you? Song and I are looking forward to seeing you in a few days on the flight to LA."

"Hi Yea. I'm not doing well. Do you have a minute?"

"Of course, I do."

I tell her exactly what happened.

"Jungkook, your feelings for Tae run deep as I am sure his feelings for you."

"Yea, Tae told me you said that someone special was coming for him. He said it was me. If that was true, why is this happening? Does this mean I am not his someone special?"

"Jungkook, I did tell him that. But you are still both flesh and blood. I never said it would be easy. Relationships aren't easy. They take trust, hard work and patience. Let me ask you something. Do you think he is your special someone?" I don't hesitate for a second.

"Yes, I do, and I'm here for the hard work and I know Tae is too. He's just scared. He told me that our relationship sometimes brings up insecurities. He didn't call them that. He said he has this needy and jealous side of him that he has never experienced prior."

"Jungkook, like you, he has never been in love before. We all have variations of these parts of us. Under the right set of circumstances, they can overwhelm us. This is what I believe is happening to Tae. He is overwhelmed by his feelings. It doesn't mean he doesn't love you Jungkook. You both have changed your entire lives in a matter of days."

"I'd willingly changed my life for him. I will risk everything for him."

"Have you taken the biggest risk for him? Or is there something that you're withholding?"

I cannot believe that Yea asked me that. Is she aware of my thoughts?

Tae's POV

As the elevator opens, I walk down the hall and search for room 2512. I stand in front of the door and pull in a deep breath and knock twice.

"Tae!" Yeona pulls me into her hotel suite and hugs me as I release a soft sob.

"Come in. You were so upset on the phone." We walk and sit on the sofa. I was such a mess of feelings when I called her. I have since calmed down and had time to think. I was able to get a hold of Savage Tae and Jealous Tae. They are settled into their corner chairs. Needy Tae is cuddled in his blanket with his Teddy and calmly sleeping. My head is quiet, yet I am confused and need to talk with my friend. I explain the email incident to Yeona as she listens intensely.

"Yeona, I-I just don't know what going on. I know Kookie loves me. I don't question that. I just don't understand."

"Tae why didn't you call him and ask him to return to your suite?" I know Yeona is right, but I don't have an answer for her.

"I-I felt scared. It was shocking to see that he was emailing someone he said he would cease contact with. Someone he slept with less than a month ago. It just doesn't match up. But I know he is not a liar." As I talk, the back of neck feels impossibly hot. What a fool I've been. Why didn't I talk to Kookie?

"Tae, could you be reacting to information that is incomplete?"

"What?"

"Did you read all the other emails?"

"Well no. I read enough to know what was going on."

"Tae you know better than that. You don't make a diagnosis until you have all the facts." Again, she is right. I was so scared that I did not take time to look at all of the other information. My breathing becomes rushed.

"Yeona, I should have asked him what this was about. I should have given him the benefit of doubt. I know there's an explanation because we love each other." I rise quickly and she smiles.

"Tae you didn't need to talk to me. You know what to do and what's in your heart. You got overwhelmed and scared. You just needed to settle down those bitches in your head and tell them to shut the fuck up." I hug her tightly knowing that I need to go talk to my man right away.

"Now get your ass out of here and I will see you in a few days when we fly to LA." She kisses my cheek as we move to the door. Then she pulls the door opens and my mouth falls open.

"Tae, I need to talk to you!" Kookie stands in the hall as my hand rests on the doorknob. I say nothing and just look into his beautiful eyes, and I am immediately swept away.

"Tae, you didn't open all the emails. I sent Hwan an email as I said I would on the day after Christmas. I told him I fell in love with a beautiful man and would no longer see him. He was happy for me and wished me well. He would jokingly call me hot stuff. The other emails you didn't read were me asking him for a favor. I asked him to get me something special for you. We set up a meeting where I would pick up my item. He then sent the email you read confirming our meeting. Tae, I did not lie to you. I am real. We are real." He pleads with me and his eyes are red as I can tell he has been crying. Oh my God, what have I done? Of course, he loves me. He is talking fast I need him to stop him.

"Kookie, I was all in when you said my name." I toss my arms around his neck, and he presses his lips into mine. Butterflies fill my belly as he lifts me off the floor. Suddenly, I hear a throat clear. It is Yeona.

"Uh you two dorks want to step in and not eat each other's face in the hallway?"

"Teehee." We step in and Yeona closes the door. She then smiles and leaves us alone.

"Tae, I was so scared when Troy told me you had left and..."

"Troy?" Savage Tae rears his head as I tell him, 'don't even think about it.'

"Yeah, I kind of called in a favor. He uh took a risk for me." Kookie's smile goes big and I immediately know it was my keycard again. I laugh and hold him tight.

"Kookie, I should have just asked you. I will never do that again. I just needed to calm down. I calmed down on my drive here. I love you so much." There's a knock at the door as Yeona comes out of the room.

"More guests, I think." Kookie says, as I am unsure as to how he knows that.

The door opens and it is Yea and Song. I immediately run over and hug them both. After several minutes of greeting, we all sit, except Kookie who appears a bit uneasy. I'm puzzled as to why Yea and Song are here.

"Tae, I asked Yea and Song to meet me here and they agreed."

"Okay, Kookie." I say in an uncertain tone as I find myself in a state of befuddlement.

"I was hoping to do this in LA when Hwan found something for you that was very special." My mind is racing as I am searching to understand. What does Hwan have to do with me? I don't get it, but I try to follow. I'm just happy to be with my Kookie again.

"I asked Yea and Song to bring me something temporary until I can get your special symbol of my Love." I rapidly blink as I feel others are comprehending something that I am missing. What did Yea and Song bring? A symbol of his love for me? I turn around and look to the others for answers. Yeona has a silly smile on her face as if she has figured out the riddle that I find myself in.

Yea smiles and passes Kookie something small.

Unexpectedly, Kookie lowers himself to one knee and takes my hand. Needy Tae is running around like his hair is on fire. Even Jealous Tae is pleased. Immediately I gasp loudly and cover my mouth with both hands. My head starts to spin wildly. Is this real? Are we really going off this cliff?