Taehyung released an astound gasp at the familiar comfort. The sight of the chestnut hair brushing against his cheeks was enough to bring tears blurring his vision.

He didn't bother to stand up and encircled her waist with his arms, his damp face pressed flush against her neck as she hugged his shoulders ever so dearly.

"Yuna," his voice was broken by further sobs, his form quivering against hers as he attempted to speak distinctly. "I was so scared..."

Yuna was already shaking her head, "They're just people, shh," she stroked his auburn hair, hoping it would help relax his breathing.

Ignoring the attention shifting towards them from the few people walking past, they held onto each other even closer, if that was possible. Yuna didn't have notion about him leaving the house, but knowing about his stubbornness and want for change, she knew, from faint signals of her heart, that something would soon occur.

Taehyung's sobs altered to ragged breaths against her neck, and Yuna lowered her hand from his mussed hair to the back of his neck, softly massaging the skin. "Taehyung."

He shifted. His nose grazing against her shoulder, he forced himself to timidly gaze into her eyes.

"They're just people," her velvet covered voice hugged his heart, like a healer granting a silent wish. "They won't hurt you - and trust me, they won't even care much about your presence." She added with soft laughter.

"But..." Taehyung hesitated. He honestly didn't even know himself why his fear for public areas was so great, but couldn't help the feeling of tornadoes of knots in his stomach. "I can't."

"You can. I'll be here with you."

"I can't. I-"

"Taehyung."

"I'm so scared-"

"Taehyung. Look at me," she quietly demanded as her hands moved to the sides of his face, her face nearing his. "You can't stay caged for the rest of your life. You need to go out and meet people, and you can't do that if you won't even try!"

His eyes teared up again, whether it was from fear or relief for her presence he didn't know, perhaps both. He was going to say something but stopped himself when he saw her lips nearing towards his.

Time felt infinitely slow before her lips finally contacted his.

He didn't plan for that, just like how he didn't plan for what he would do once he would be in the town square. He stopped caring about that and closed his eyes, savouring the exquisite feeling of her lips massaging his.

She tasted like drops of cherry scented complexion, like early summer - a feeling that will forever cling to him.

A tear escaped from his eye, landing on Yuna's cheek, which made her draw back from the kiss. She examined his dark coffee coloured eyes in search of something - anything, perhaps close to what she felt right then - before brushing the tear from her cheek with a gracile finger.

"Come on," she softly encouraged him, as if speaking a note higher would shatter him like fragile glass. Brushing his wet cheek with the pad of her thumb, she brought her other hand down to hold his shoulder, which instinctively, but slowly, made him stand up.

With her hand still on his cheek, her eyes still gazing his, Yuna contemplated whether to start moving or stay as they were for a moment longer. Instead, she said, "Let's go."

Taehyung's fingers feathered against her free hand - a silent permission, which Yuna gladly accepted - and wrapped them around her fingers.

They started walking towards the town square, the most challenging task he was going to commit so far; holding Yuna's hand tightly, he wondered if he was taking the first stairs to his greatest wish: to finally overcome agoraphobia.

~
A/N: Next chapter will be the last chapter. ^•^