Soft Places to Land | MYG pt 10
SUMMARY: After the world learns BTS can actually have soulmates, shy interpreter Ellie Parker joins the U.S. leg of BTS’s Arirang tour unaware that Min Yoongi recognizes her instantly as his soulmate. As growing public attention and a dangerous fan obsession threaten Ellie’s fragile sense of safety, Yoongi becomes the quiet place she keeps finding herself drawn back to. This is a slow-burn story about learning that love can be gentle, protective, and safe enough to finally stop surviving.
WARNINGS: past emotional abuse, anxiety, panic responses, stalking, invasion of privacy, obsessive fan behavior, toxic family dynamics, emotional manipulation, Contains heavy angst, hurt/comfort, and discussions of trauma and healing throughout.
The atmosphere changed instantly. One sentence, and the entire backstage hallway shifted into controlled panic.
“It’s all over Twitter right now.”
Ellie stared at the staffer’s phone while her pulse dropped hard into her stomach. The screen showed the hotel name, blurry photos of the entrance, guesses about floors, screenshots spreading faster than anyone could stop them.
Cold moved through her limbs—No…No, no, no.
The soulmate bond snapped sharp enough that Yoongi reached her before Ellie fully processed him moving. His presence pushed warmth into the panic, but this time it did not erase the fear completely.
Yoongi looked at the phone once. His expression changed.
Namjoon arrived seconds later with two security staff close behind him. “What happened?”
The young staffer answered quickly. “The hotel leaked online after the ment.”
Namjoon went very still. That was bad. Especially after the way fan attention around Yoongi and Ellie had escalated so visibly during the show.
He took the phone carefully and scanned the posts. His jaw tightened. “How widespread?”
The staffer swallowed. “Trending.”
Ellie wrapped both arms around herself without realizing it. The bond tightened protectively around her panic, and Yoongi stepped closer on instinct, close enough that her breathing steadied slightly despite everything.
“Okay,” Namjoon said, his voice calm in the way it became only when things were serious. “Nobody goes anywhere alone tonight.”
Security nodded immediately. One manager was already speaking rapidly into comms, coordinating vehicle reroutes and hotel access changes. The hallway began moving around them with quiet urgency.
Ellie looked toward Namjoon, “I’m sorry.”
Every member reacted at once. Yoongi closed his eyes briefly as if the words had hurt him. Namjoon’s expression softened. Hoseok looked heartbroken.
The guilt came anyway…It rose fast and familiar, filling every empty space fear had not already taken. This was because of her. Because of the ment. Because fans had noticed too much. Because she had stood too close and they saw.
The bond pulsed with Yoongi’s immediate rejection of the thought, “No.”
“You are not responsible for people crossing boundaries.”
She wanted to believe him. Part of her did. But the fear would not leave this time. She kept imagining the hotel entrance crowded with strangers. People waiting in the lobby. Someone learning her room number. Someone appearing outside her door.
Yoongi felt every turn of the spiral. His own emotions sharpened in response, protectiveness turning almost dangerous beneath the surface.
Namjoon noticed. He stepped aside with the security staff, speaking quietly about updated room assignments. After several seconds, his gaze moved to Yoongi. A silent conversation passed between them.
Ellie caught it too late. “What?”
No one answered quickly enough.
Yoongi turned toward her fully. “Ellie.”
His expression stayed calm. Too calm.
“We are not arguing about security tonight.”
Ellie looked between him and Namjoon in disbelief. “You cannot seriously be about to suggest—”
“Your room location is compromised,” Namjoon said gently. “Security wants minimized exposure.”
“And you should not stay alone.”
The hallway seemed to fall quiet around her. Because suddenly she understood exactly where this was going.
The bond moved with Yoongi’s tension. Not discomfort. Not reluctance. Concern. Restraint. The careful effort of someone trying not to overwhelm her while every instinct in him wanted to put locked doors between her and the rest of the world.
“I can stay with Avery,” Ellie said quickly.
Avery’s face softened with apology before she even spoke. Jungkook answered instead, quiet and regretful. “Our room leaked too.”
Namjoon exhaled slowly. “Yoongi’s room location has stayed offline.”
Ellie froze. Yoongi remained very still beside her. The bond hummed with patience and worry.
“I’ll be fine,” she said. The lie was obvious before it finished leaving her mouth.
Namjoon’s voice softened. “You’re shaking.
Ellie looked down. Her hands trembled faintly around the translation binder still pressed against her chest.
Before she could hide it, Yoongi stepped closer. “Hey.”
Her breathing caught. She hated how quickly he calmed her. Or maybe she hated that she wanted him to.
“We are not forcing anything,” Yoongi said carefully.
Her voice came out smaller than she wanted. “I don’t want to make things difficult.”
Yoongi’s expression broke a little. There it was again. Ellie treating her own safety like an inconvenience.
He reached gently for the binder she had clutched against her chest and lowered it from her grip. His fingers brushed hers, warm and steady.
“Baby,” he said softly, before he seemed to realize the word had left his mouth.
The hallway froze. So did Ellie.
Yoongi blinked once, as if he had heard himself a second too late. The bond flared between them with embarrassment, tenderness, and fierce protectiveness.
Ellie forgot how to breathe.
Yoongi looked at her steadily. He did not take it back.
For a moment, no one recovered from the pet name. Least of all Ellie. It had not sounded practiced. It had slipped out of him softly, instinctively, while he was trying to comfort her. Not teasing. Not flirting. Protecting.
Taehyung was the first to react, his eyes wide as he grabbed Jimin’s arm.
Namjoon warned, “Taehyung.”
Taehyung pressed his lips together, clearly suffering.
Hoseok looked emotionally overwhelmed.
Jin covered part of his face with one hand.
Avery whispered, “Oh my God.”
Ellie remained motionless, staring at Yoongi while her pulse raced.
Yoongi noticed everyone, but his attention stayed on her. The bond carried her reaction straight into him: shock, warmth, vulnerability.
His voice lowered. “Breathe.”
Ellie let out one weak, breathless laugh. “That is difficult after what you just said.”
Yoongi’s mouth twitched despite himself. For one fragile second, the fear loosened. Then reality returned. The hotel was still leaked.
Namjoon gently clapped his hands once, reclaiming focus. “As meaningful as that was, we need to move.”
Yoongi glanced at him. “Thank you.”
Security stepped back into motion, and Ellie tried desperately to focus on logistics instead of the fact that Yoongi had accidentally called her baby in front of BTS, their staff, and at least three security personnel. She failed completely.
The drive back to the hotel was tense. Security vehicles surrounded the vans, and the route changed twice before they reached the property. Outside, fans had already begun crowding parts of the perimeter despite the late hour. Phone screens flashed in the darkness beyond tinted windows. Ellie’s stomach twisted at the sight.
By the time they entered through the secured access route, her nerves were stretched painfully thin. Too much noise. Too much attention. Too much visibility.
Security moved quickly, guiding them through a private entrance while fans screamed somewhere beyond the underground garage. Ellie kept her head down automatically.
A sudden bang echoed from above, sharp and metallic, as something struck near the barricades. Ellie flinched violently.
Before she could recover, Yoongi’s hand settled gently at the back of her neck.
“Hey,” he said softly beside her. “You’re okay.”
The touch steadied something inside her immediately—Safe. Ellie leaned into it slightly before she thought better of it. Yoongi felt the trust move through the bond like lightning.
Upstairs, security swept Yoongi’s room before allowing anyone inside. Even after the door locked behind them, the tension lingered. Too much adrenaline. Too much fear still alive beneath the skin.
Ellie stood near the entryway with her overnight bag in hand, trying not to feel like an intrusion. The old guilt crept back in. Too needy. Too inconvenient.
The bond pulsed sharply with Yoongi’s disagreement before she fully finished the thought.
He crossed the suite quietly, “Stop.”
Yoongi stopped in front of her, close but not crowding. His voice softened. “You’re safe here.”
The words landed heavily because she believed him. Completely.
A soft knock interrupted them. Then Jin opened the door halfway without waiting. “Security update.”
Behind him, Namjoon, Hoseok, Jimin, Taehyung, Jungkook, and Avery hovered visibly in the hallway.
Ellie stared. “Why are all of you still awake?”
Jin looked offended. “Why would we sleep right now?”
Namjoon stepped inside, phone in hand. “Security doubled floor coverage. No one gets upstairs tonight without clearance.”
He looked at Ellie gently, “You are safe here.”
The fear eased a little. Not fully. But enough.
Taehyung’s gaze suddenly shifted to Yoongi. His eyes narrowed. “You are not getting away with what happened earlier.”
Ellie wanted the floor to open beneath her. Jimin started laughing under his breath. Avery hid her face against Jungkook’s shoulder.
Yoongi closed his eyes. “Leave.”
Taehyung smiled. “You sounded very in love.”
Yoongi threatened violence exactly four times before everyone finally left the suite.
“You said it so softly,” Taehyung continued while backing toward the door, delighted by his own survival. “Like she was made of glass.”
“And then she looked at you—”
Hoseok clung to Jimin, laughing quietly. Avery still refused to lift her face from Jungkook’s shoulder. Ellie remained near the couch, frozen somewhere between embarrassment and emotional collapse.
The bond still pulsed warm between her and Yoongi, threaded with residual embarrassment and something far more dangerous—Affection.
Namjoon finally stepped in before Yoongi could commit a crime, “Enough.” His leader voice settled the room immediately.
Then he looked at Ellie, gentler. “Try to sleep tonight.”
The concern nearly hurt. Ellie nodded. “I will.”
Jin pointed at Yoongi before leaving. “If she spirals, make tea.”
Yoongi frowned. “Why is that your advice?”
“That is not medical advice.”
The door finally closed behind them. Silence settled. Real silence this time. And Ellie became painfully aware that she was alone in Yoongi’s hotel suite.
The bond shifted between them now that the room had quieted, intimate in a way that made her look anywhere except directly at him.
Unfortunately, Yoongi looked directly at her.
“You okay?” he asked. The same low voice. The same voice that had called her baby earlier.
Ellie’s heartbeat stumbled again. She gave a faint, tired laugh. “I think my nervous system surrendered tonight.”
The corner of his mouth lifted slightly.
The silence stretched, softer this time.
Ellie shifted her overnight bag higher on her shoulder. “I can sleep on the couch.”
Yoongi’s expression changed immediately.
The bond carried his objection before he spoke.
Ellie blinked. “That was a strong reaction.”
The bluntness startled a small laugh from her.
Yoongi moved farther into the suite, slowly, as if giving her time to adjust. “You are not sleeping on a couch because someone violated your privacy.”
The protectiveness in his voice wrapped warmly around her chest.
Ellie hesitated near the entryway. “Are you sure?” The question came quieter than she intended.
Yoongi looked at her steadily. “Ellie.”
“You do not have to ask permission to exist near me.”
The suite bedroom felt almost painfully normal. A large hotel bed. Dim bedside lamps. A hoodie draped over the chair. Yoongi’s headphones resting on the nightstand. The intimacy of the room unsettled Ellie more than the danger downstairs had.
She stood near the edge of the room while Yoongi pulled an extra blanket from the closet. She watched him quietly, and then the truth hit her all over again.—This was the man she loved…Fully.
Her mind faltered under the weight of it.
“You’re staring,” Yoongi said.
Ellie blinked, mortified. “I was thinking.”
She huffed softly, but he stepped closer before the moment could turn into deflection.
He stopped in front of her without touching, leaving her space to move away if she wanted it, “Hey.”
Yoongi’s expression had softened completely, “You know you don’t scare me, right?”
Her throat tightened. He understood. Of course he understood. This still frightened her. Not him, exactly, but everything that came with him. Needing someone. Depending on someone. Loving someone in a way that made leaving feel unimaginable.
“I’m trying,” she admitted.
There it was again. Softer this time. Intentional.
Ellie stopped breathing. Warmth flooded the bond so intensely it almost hurt.
Yoongi noticed immediately, and a faint smile touched his mouth. He liked what the word did to her…That was dangerous.
Her voice came out barely above a whisper. “You can’t just say things like that.”
Yoongi stepped one inch closer. “Why?”
The quiet amusement in his voice nearly undid her. He knew what he was doing now.
Ellie looked at him helplessly, and beneath the fear, beneath the embarrassment and the lingering panic, something inside her reached for happiness instead of running from it.
Ellie did not sleep. To be fair, neither did Yoongi. Sharing space with someone she loved while trying not to fall apart from it turned out to be terrible for rest. The suite stayed dim and quiet long after midnight. Outside, Dallas traffic hummed faintly beyond the windows.
Ellie lay stiffly on one side of the bed, staring at the ceiling, trying not to think about Yoongi beside her. Trying not to think about the fact that this was the safest she had felt in years.
Beside her, Yoongi shifted slightly. “You’re thinking too loudly.”
Ellie closed her eyes. “You cannot prove that.”
“You sighed seven times.”
“I hate that you counted.”
A soft laugh escaped him.
Silence returned for a moment. Then, quieter, he asked, “Are you really okay?”
The question landed differently in the dark.
Ellie stared at the ceiling for another few seconds before answering honestly, “I don’t know.”
The vulnerability moved through the bond at once.
Yoongi rolled onto his side to face her more fully. The mattress shifted gently beneath him, “Do you want to talk about it?”
Ellie swallowed. “I think part of me keeps waiting to wake up and realize none of this is real.”
She laughed faintly, though there was little humor in it, “Which sounds ridiculous, considering there are people leaking our hotel online. That part feels very real.”
A pause, “I just don’t understand why this happened to me.”
The honesty struck him hard.
Yoongi moved closer before stopping himself halfway. The bond reacted immediately.—Need.
Ellie felt it too. Her pulse jumped.
“I think you spent so long surviving,” he said quietly, “that happiness feels suspicious now.”
Ellie turned her head toward him. Dim light softened the angles of his face. Her voice dropped. “What if I ruin this?”
Yoongi’s expression changed. There it was again. Ellie assuming love depended entirely on how well she performed.
He moved closer this time, slowly enough that she could pull away. She did not. The distance between them narrowed to inches.
Yoongi’s voice lowered to nearly a whisper. “You are not powerful enough to ruin being loved.”
Her eyes burned. His love was not that fragile. That was what he meant. It could withstand her fear. Her panic. Her bad days. Her doubt. It could stay.
“Hey,” he murmured. His hand lifted carefully, then brushed a strand of hair back from her face. Warm fingers touched her temple. The bond surged between them. Yoongi felt her trust immediately. Felt how still she went beneath his touch. His chest ached with how much he loved her.
Ellie blinked hard against tears. “You say comforting things like you were personally designed to destroy me.”
A startled laugh left him, soft and warm. Ellie smiled despite herself.
Then she whispered, “And the baby thing is unfair.”
Yoongi’s eyes warmed with amusement. “So we are talking about that.”
The room softened around them afterward. No longer tense. Only intimate in the dangerous quiet way that made every breath feel too honest. Ellie became painfully aware of his hand still near her face.
Then something shifted. A pull beneath the warmth. Recognition. Need. The bond tightened, not painfully, but deeply enough that Ellie felt it in the center of her chest.
Her breath caught. “Did you feel that?”
Yoongi’s gaze stayed fixed on hers. “Yeah.”
The word settled heavily between them. They both understood. The bond was changing again. Deepening. And neither of them knew how much further it intended to go before it finally completed.
After Dallas, the bond became impossible to ignore. Ellie discovered this the next afternoon when production schedules separated her from Yoongi for nearly four hours.
At first, it seemed manageable. Unpleasant, maybe, but manageable. BTS had interviews across town while Ellie remained at the stadium for revised production meetings with American event staff. It was normal tour logistics. Nothing dramatic. Nothing she had not handled before.
Except two hours in, Ellie realized she had reread the same scheduling email six times without understanding a single word.
The bond buzzed restlessly beneath her ribs, not painful, but constant. Static in the bloodstream. A low, insistent awareness of absence.
Ellie pressed both hands against the conference table and tried to focus while venue managers discussed lighting changes around her.
“Sorry.” Her voice came out distant. “Could you repeat that?”
The venue coordinator gave her a sympathetic smile. “Long tour day?”
Ellie managed a weak nod…If only.
Across Dallas, Yoongi was doing no better. BTS noticed immediately.
“You’re pacing,” Namjoon said from the dressing room doorway.
Yoongi stopped mid-step. “No, I’m not.”
“You have walked past this room four times.”
Jimin looked worried already. “You and Ellie have only been separated for three hours.”
Yoongi rubbed a hand over his face. Logically, three hours should not matter. The bond did not care about logic.
It felt wrong now. Not unbearable, but wrong, as if some instinctive part of him kept searching for Ellie and failing to find her. It made concentration difficult. The interview staff had already repeated one question because Yoongi had stopped listening halfway through his own answer.
Jungkook leaned against the wall, far too amused. “Hyung, this is getting serious.”
Yoongi gave him a tired look. “Do not start.”
Taehyung’s eyes widened with sudden delight. “Wait. Are you anxious?”
“No.” The lie arrived too quickly.
Yoongi closed his eyes briefly. “Maybe a little.”
Hoseok made a small, wounded sound, like he had just witnessed something historic.
Jungkook pointed at him. “The bond is progressing.”
Namjoon did not laugh. He looked concerned. Because this was fast. Faster than he expected.
Back at the stadium, Ellie’s phone buzzed. The second she saw Yoongi’s name, relief hit so sharply it nearly hurt.
She answered too quickly. “Hi.”
A pause. Then his voice, low and familiar, “Hey.”
The effect was immediate. The static in her chest eased. Her shoulders dropped without permission. Across the conference table, one of the venue staff exchanged a discreet, amused glance with another coordinator. Ellie ignored them.
“Are you okay?” Yoongi asked. Not hello. Not what are you doing…Are you okay?
“I’m fine.” The bond pulsed—Lie.
Yoongi sighed softly through the phone. “You sound tired.”
Ellie looked helplessly at the paperwork spread in front of her because now that he had said it, she realized she did feel bad. Restless. Frayed. Unfocused in a way that unsettled her.
Her voice lowered. “It feels bad today.”
Silence answered her. Because he felt it too.
Across town, Yoongi leaned back against the dressing room wall and closed his eyes. The bond softened at the sound of her voice. Relief moved through him, warm and immediate.
The confession settled between them. Saying it aloud made it real. The bond was affecting them physically now.
“You should eat something,” he said.
Her mouth fell open. “How do you know that?”
“Because you get quieter when you need food.”
Ellie stared at the phone, betrayed by the accuracy. Yoongi’s mouth curved faintly.
“You cannot just know things,” she said.
“You are soulmate bonded to me.”
Despite herself, Ellie smiled. Warmth moved through the bond immediately, and Yoongi relaxed against the wall like her happiness had physically steadied him.
The realization struck him hard. Ellie regulated him now. Not metaphorically like Actually.
Ellie’s pulse jumped. “What?”
A brief pause then, low and quiet, “I’m coming back soon, baby.”
Ellie stopped functioning for one full second.
His voice was too warm. Too natural. Like the pet name had already found a place between them and intended to stay there.
She leaned forward over the conference table and covered part of her face with one hand while the venue staff politely pretended not to notice her emotional collapse.
“That is unfair,” she whispered.
Yoongi laughed softly through the phone. The restless ache beneath her ribs loosened enough for her to breathe normally again.
After that, Yoongi started waiting for her. Not intentionally. At least, that was what he told himself. But every time BTS returned from a schedule without Ellie, he somehow ended up near backstage entrances, outside production rooms, or in hallways where she was expected to appear.
“You are waiting for her,” Taehyung said.
Yoongi looked up from the stage notes he was pretending to read. “I’m working.”
“You have been on the same page for fifteen minutes.”
Jungkook’s expression brightened. “It proves longing.”
Yoongi narrowed his eyes. “Never say that to me again.”
The stadium corridor hummed with pre-show movement around them. Staff crossed quickly between rooms. Dancers stretched near the walls. Production assistants moved past with tablets and radios.
Yoongi remained by the side entrance, outwardly calm, inwardly stretched thin by the bond that kept tugging toward Ellie somewhere deeper in the stadium.
The doors finally opened. Ellie stepped through carrying translation binders against her chest, looking tired and mildly overwhelmed. The bond settled instantly. Relief flooded Yoongi so strongly his shoulders loosened before he could hide it.
Across the hallway, Ellie visibly relaxed too. The others watched it happen.
Jimin pressed a hand to his chest. “That is actually painful to witness.”
“They calm down when they see each other now,” Hoseok murmured.
Namjoon remained quiet, thoughtful. The speed of the progression worried him. Soulmate bonds deepening this rapidly usually meant the completion pull had already begun. And neither Ellie nor Yoongi seemed to understand yet how intense that could become.
Ellie crossed toward Yoongi automatically. She no longer thought about it.
He reached for the binders in her arms, and she handed them over without hesitation. The familiarity of the motion was so simple it felt intimate.
Taehyung stared at them. “You two know this is unbearable, right?”
Ellie laughed softly. Yoongi looked calmer the moment she did.
Ellie realized that she actually calmed him too… wait what? Somehow she had still been thinking of herself as the one who needed comfort, the one who leaned too hard, the one who required too much. But the bond had never moved in only one direction. Yoongi needed her too.
“You look tired,” Yoongi said.
Ellie looked up at him. The concern in his voice wrapped warmly around her ribs.
She sighed. “I had six meetings.”
Taehyung made a strangled sound from behind them. “I cannot watch this calmly.”
“Then don’t watch,” Yoongi muttered.
Namjoon rubbed at his forehead, distracted. “This bond is progressing faster than I expected.” The words slipped out before he could stop them.
Silence followed. Ellie froze. Yoongi’s expression shifted.
Namjoon realized too late what he had said. “Right.”
Anxiety flickered low in Ellie’s chest—Faster than expected.
The bond carried the fear directly to Yoongi. He stepped closer at once, “There is nothing wrong.”
Namjoon nodded quickly. “There isn’t.” His voice softened. “It is just intense.”
Ellie looked down. Intense was one word for it. The bond had become almost physical in its awareness now. Distance felt wrong. Proximity felt necessary. And somehow, that truth scared her less every day.
The concert started an hour later. Dallas screamed even louder on the third night.
Ellie stood side-stage with her headset and translation notes while adrenaline buzzed through the arena. The moment BTS stepped onto the stage, the stadium erupted. Pyrotechnics flashed overhead. Fans sang lyrics loud enough to shake the floor beneath her feet.
Ellie loved this part. The energy. The movement. The beautiful chaos of live performance. Here, she felt competent. Useful. Certain.
During the first ment section, Namjoon spoke warmly about returning to Texas, and Ellie translated smoothly beside the stage. Her voice rang through the arena speakers, steady and confident.
Through the bond, Yoongi felt it—Pride.
He loved watching her become fearless while she worked. Loved the way she stopped shrinking when she held a microphone. Loved the way her voice carried not only language, but meaning.
The realization hit him hard enough that he almost missed his cue.
Jungkook noticed immediately.
He grinned toward Yoongi’s mic and said in Korean, “I think Suga is distracted tonight.”
Ellie sighed into her translation mic. “Jungkook says Suga seems distracted tonight.”
The stadium lost its mind.
Yoongi closed his eyes briefly.
Side-stage, Ellie laughed despite herself.
The problem with Dallas was that the crowd noticed everything now. Every glance. Every smile. Every movement between Yoongi and Ellie.
By the end of the concert, clips of “Yoongi smiling at the interpreter again” were already spreading online before BTS had even left the stage.
Backstage exploded into controlled chaos after the encore. Staff rushed through hallways. Managers shouted timing changes into comms. Security coordinated exits while fans still screamed somewhere beyond the venue walls.
Ellie moved through the madness on instinct, translating rapid instructions between American venue staff and Korean management.
“Vehicle three is rerouted to the west exit.”
“Press access denied on lower levels.”
This kind of work grounded her. One instruction at a time. One person at a time. But beneath it all, the bond kept pulling softly toward Yoongi somewhere deeper backstage. It felt almost physical now, invisible gravity beneath her ribs.
Ellie exhaled and tried to ignore it.
She turned. A security coordinator approached quickly, tension visible in his expression.
“We need you upstairs for route confirmation.”
He hesitated. “And security wants you with BTS directly tonight.”
Fear returned immediately. Right…The hotel leak.
The bond reacted before Ellie fully did.
Across the backstage corridor, Yoongi stopped mid-conversation.—Fear. Not his. Hers.
He turned toward her so quickly that Namjoon noticed.
“What happened?” Namjoon asked.
“She got anxious again,” Yoongi answered automatically.
Ellie stared. He said it so naturally now, as if her emotions were information he carried too. Namjoon’s expression tightened slightly
The security coordinator continued carefully, “There are more fans outside than expected.”
Ellie’s stomach dropped. “How many?”
“People have been livestreaming the exits for the last hour,” he added.
Of course they had. The old guilt rose instinctively. This is because of me.
The bond pulsed sharply with Yoongi’s refusal of that thought.
He crossed the hallway toward her, “You stay between us during exits tonight,” he said quietly.
Namjoon nodded. “We’ll keep the path tight.”
The protectiveness in both their voices nearly hurt because neither of them sounded burdened by it.
Yoongi’s hand brushed lightly against her lower back as he guided her toward the secured hallway route.
Ellie relaxed before she could stop herself. She trusted him in crowds now more than she trusted herself. The realization frightened her…But only a little.
The garage exit was chaos. Fans screamed beyond the barricades. Phones flashed violently in the darkness. Security moved fast, surrounding BTS as they advanced toward the waiting vehicles. Ellie stayed between Namjoon and Yoongi exactly as instructed. The noise pressed in from every side.
Her name echoing through the crowd sent adrenaline sharply through her chest. Too loud. Too close. Too many people.
Yoongi’s hand found her wrist automatically. Warmth moved through the panic, and Ellie’s breathing steadied slightly.
Then something slammed hard against a barricade nearby.
A fan screamed above the noise, “Stay away from him!”
Everything changed. Security moved instantly.
The atmosphere shifted from chaotic to dangerous in less than a second.
Yoongi went rigid beside her. The bond surged violently—Protectiveness, Fear, Anger.
Ellie froze. This was not internet speculation anymore. This had escalated.
“Move,” security ordered.
The group was pushed forward at once. Managers barked into radios. Fans screamed louder. Phones flashed endlessly. Yoongi’s hand tightened around Ellie’s wrist as security rushed them toward the waiting SUV. He held on like losing track of her was not an option.
Ellie stumbled slightly on the pavement.
Yoongi turned immediately. “You okay?”
His voice was urgent. The bond roared between them.—Stay close. Safe.
Ellie nodded too quickly. “Yeah.” A lie.
Her pulse hammered as security pushed them into the SUV. The doors slammed shut.
Silence dropped heavily inside.
Outside, fans still screamed through tinted glass.
Inside, everyone looked shaken.
Jimin wrapped his arms around himself. Hoseok had gone pale. Taehyung was quiet. No jokes. No teasing.
Namjoon rubbed a hand over his face. “That crossed a line.”
Yoongi still held Ellie’s wrist. The protectiveness flooding the bond was so intense it almost hurt.
His hand was shaking..Subtly, But enough. Enough to terrify her.
Yoongi had always felt steady to her. Calm during panic. Grounded during chaos. The person who stabilized everyone else. Now the bond carried everything clearly. Fear. For her.
The SUV remained quiet except for the muffled screams outside. Security vehicles surrounded them while the escort cleared the route ahead.
No one said what they were all thinking. This was not excitement anymore. It was obsession becoming entitlement. Dangerous entitlement.
Namjoon finally spoke, quiet and controlled. “Security is updating protocols tonight.”
Jimin nodded. “That person got too close.”
The reality settled cold in her stomach. Yoongi’s thumb brushed unconsciously against the inside of her wrist. Ellie’s breathing steadied a little, but she realized something else at the same time. He was calming himself through her too.
His eyes shifted to her immediately.
Ellie looked down at their joined hands. “You’re shaking.”
The others looked over quietly. Yoongi’s jaw tightened.
His voice came low. “You scared me.”
The honesty hit harder than she expected. Yoongi almost never admitted fear directly.
Ellie swallowed. “I’m okay.”
His expression changed. “You do not have to say that automatically anymore.”
Yoongi exhaled slowly. “It is okay if this scared you, baby.”
Namjoon watched them from the opposite seat, careful and quiet.
The bond had shifted drastically in only a few days. Too drastically, maybe. The mutual emotional regulation was unmistakable now. They calmed each other almost instantly. Felt distress before words. Reacted before conscious thought could catch up.
And tonight, Yoongi’s fear response had been strong enough to change the atmosphere around them.
Namjoon’s voice stayed careful. “We may need temporary schedule adjustments.”
Ellie looked up immediately. “What?”
Yoongi spoke before she could. “We are not separating.”
The certainty in his tone stunned the SUV into silence.
Namjoon looked at him calmly. “That is not what I said.”
“It is what security will suggest.”
No one contradicted him because he was probably right. Standard protocol would involve minimizing visible contact, especially after public fixation escalated this badly.
The bond sharpened with Yoongi’s resistance. Protective. Almost possessive.
Ellie felt it clearly. This time, it did not scare her. Some careful, hidden part of her loved that he wanted to stay.
The SUV finally pulled into the secured hotel entrance underground. Security moved immediately outside the vehicles, fast and efficient, but the atmosphere remained tense.
Yoongi’s hand had not left Ellie’s wrist. It was as if he needed physical confirmation that she was still beside him.
When the door opened, security surrounded them again. Namjoon stepped out first, already coordinating with staff.
Yoongi looked at Ellie before moving. “You staying close?”
The question was quiet. Almost too quiet. Like some part of him still feared she might disappear into the chaos.
Ellie’s chest ached. Yoongi was not only protecting her anymore. He was afraid of losing her.
She nodded once. “I’m here.”
The words affected him instantly. The bond surged warm with relief so intense it nearly stole her breath.
Yoongi looked at her for one long second then he said, low and soft, as if the truth had slipped out before he could stop it, “Good.”
His voice dropped further. “Need you here, pretty girl.”
Ellie completely forgot how to function—That was worse than baby. Lower. Rougher. More intimate.
The bond flared warm enough to make her dizzy.
Across the hallway, Taehyung silently grabbed Hoseok’s shoulder as if he needed support. Jimin covered his mouth. Avery looked like she might actually scream. Jungkook looked delighted.
Yoongi seemed to realize what he had said one second too late. Then his expression shifted. A faint, almost dangerous smile touched his mouth.
Ellie stared at him helplessly. The hotel hallway blurred around the edges. The fear was still there. The danger was still real. But beneath it, impossibly, something warm had begun to bloom.
Because Yoongi was scared too. Yoongi needed her too. And for the first time, Ellie did not feel like a burden because of it.
The words pretty girl lingered between them long after Yoongi said them. Not because the nickname itself was shocking. Because of the way he said it.
Baby had sounded soft. Protective. Instinctive.
But pretty girl sounded intimate in a way Ellie was not emotionally prepared for. Low and rough around the edges, like Yoongi had forgotten anyone else existed for a second. And through the soulmate bond, she felt exactly what sat beneath the words—Need.
By the time they reached the hotel corridor, Ellie’s nervous system had completely stopped cooperating.
“Did everyone hear that?” Taehyung demanded.
“Unfortunately,” Jin answered calmly.
Jimin looked deeply distressed already. “He said it so naturally.”
Hoseok pressed a hand dramatically against his chest. “This relationship is becoming emotionally dangerous for me.”
Meanwhile Ellie walked beside Yoongi in complete silence while security escorted them toward the elevators because her brain no longer functioned correctly. The bond still glowed warm between them.
Yoongi looked affected too, though less embarrassed than resigned. Like maybe he had not realized until tonight how naturally affection had started slipping into his voice around her.
The private elevator doors finally closed behind the group. Security remained outside while only BTS, Avery, and Ellie rode upward. The atmosphere inside was catastrophic.
Taehyung stared openly at Yoongi. “Pretty girl.”
Yoongi shut his eyes briefly. “Please stop speaking.”
“No, because that was insane.”
“That’s enough,” Namjoon warned.
Jungkook grinned shamelessly. “Hyung’s gone.”
“Completely gone,” Jin agreed.
Ellie covered part of her face weakly. “I would like to disappear.”
Avery looked deeply sympathetic. “I know exactly how you feel.”
The elevator chimed softly at their secured floor. The second the doors opened, security staff approached Namjoon immediately with updated reports. More fans had gathered outside the hotel perimeter. Livestreams were spreading online. Someone had apparently tried accessing the private entrance level before being stopped by hotel staff.
The warmth inside Ellie’s chest cooled instantly. Fear returned fast and quiet beneath her ribs.
Yoongi noticed before she spoke. His hand settled automatically against the small of her back, guiding her down the hallway. Ellie relaxed before consciously deciding to.
Inside Yoongi’s suite, the atmosphere loosened slightly once multiple locks clicked into place behind them—Safe. Or safe enough.
Jimin collapsed dramatically onto the couch. “I hate stalkers.”
“Same,” Hoseok muttered quietly.
Namjoon remained near the windows scrolling through security updates while Jin handed out bottled water like emergency supplies.
Taehyung, however, remained emotionally trapped on one issue, “Pretty girl.”
Yoongi looked genuinely murderous now. “Kim Taehyung.”
“You sounded like you were in a romance movie.”
Meanwhile Ellie stood near the kitchen counter trying very hard not to think about the way Yoongi’s voice had sounded in the garage. Unsuccessfully.
Ellie looked up immediately. Yoongi stood beside her now. Close enough that the restless tension in her chest eased automatically. Across the suite, the others kept talking, instinctively giving them partial privacy.
Ellie nodded automatically. Then stopped herself.
Yoongi noticed immediately. Something warm moved through the bond. Quiet approval.
Ellie exhaled softly. “…Still anxious.” Honest. The answer visibly relieved him more than I’m fine would have.
Yoongi leaned lightly against the counter beside her. “That’s normal.”
Ellie stared down at the water bottle in her hands. “I don’t like people knowing where I am.”
The vulnerability in the admission moved sharply through the bond. Yoongi’s jaw tightened. Protectiveness surged immediately beneath the surface again.
Across the room, Namjoon finally looked up from his phone. “Security wants additional guards on this floor overnight.”
Nobody argued. That alone told Ellie how serious this had become.
Jin frowned slightly. “This can’t keep escalating.”
Silence answered him. Because everyone understood he meant more than tonight. The fixation. The entitlement. The way certain fans had started talking about Ellie online like she was something standing between them and Yoongi instead of a real person.
Ellie wrapped both arms around herself unconsciously. Immediately, Yoongi turned toward her. His expression softened at once and, without thinking, he reached up and tucked a loose strand of blonde hair behind her ear.
The room went silent. The gesture was devastatingly gentle. Intimate in a way that felt almost private.
Yoongi froze slightly afterward, like he only realized everyone had witnessed it once it was already done.
Taehyung whispered dramatically, “They are violently in love.”
Nobody corrected him.Honestly, nobody could.
No one wanted to leave the suite afterward. Normally, post-show nights dissolved quickly into showers, food, exhaustion, and sleep. Tonight nobody moved much. Too much adrenaline still clung to the air after the garage incident. Too much fear.
So instead: Jimin curled into one end of the couch half-asleep. Hoseok quietly made tea in the kitchenette. Jin ordered enough food for twelve people. And Taehyung continued watching Yoongi and Ellie like he was observing a live documentary.
“You’re staring again,” Yoongi muttered eventually.
Taehyung blinked innocently. “No, I’m studying.”
“Please stop studying us.”
Jungkook looked up from beside Avery. “To be fair, everyone else is too.”
Because the atmosphere between Yoongi and Ellie had changed dramatically over the last forty-eight hours. Everyone could feel it.
The bond between them had deepened into something heavier now. Not frantic. Not unstable. Just undeniable.
Avery noticed it most clearly. The pull between them reminded her painfully of the weeks before her own bond with Jungkook completed. The way proximity started feeling necessary instead of comforting. The way emotional awareness sharpened into instinct.
And judging by the way Yoongi kept unconsciously tracking Ellie’s movements through the room, they were getting close. Very close.
Ellie sat cross-legged on the rug with a mug of tea warming her hands while trying unsuccessfully not to think about: pretty girl, Yoongi touching her hair, the fact that she no longer felt fully calm unless he was nearby.
The soulmate bond hummed softly now from where Yoongi sat only a few feet away on the floor beside the couch. Close enough that the restless ache from earlier finally stayed quiet.
God, She was becoming dangerously attached to him.
“Okay,” Jin announced suddenly while opening takeout containers. “Serious question.”
“No,” Yoongi answered immediately.
“You don’t even know the question.”
Jin ignored him completely. “When did you realize you were in love with Ellie?”
Ellie nearly inhaled tea directly into her lungs. Taehyung screamed. Hoseok dropped his chopsticks. Jimin sat upright so fast he almost slid off the couch.
Meanwhile Yoongi looked at Jin like murder had become reasonable, “Hyung.”
“That’s deeply invasive.”
“No,” Jungkook corrected cheerfully. “That’s family.”
Ellie covered her face instantly. “Please let me die quietly.”
The horrifying part was that Yoongi actually considered the question. Ellie noticed immediately through the bond—Warmth. Thoughtfulness. Memory.
“Don’t answer that,” she whispered weakly.
Taehyung pointed at him dramatically. “He’s thinking about it!”
Namjoon looked mildly amused now over the rim of his coffee cup. “To be fair, I’m also curious.”
Yoongi rubbed tiredly at his face while the room waited, then finally: “I don’t know.”
Everyone groaned immediately.
“Oh, come on,” Taehyung complained.
Yoongi ignored him, “I’m serious.”
And through the bond, Ellie felt it—Truth.
Yoongi’s voice lowered slightly, thoughtful now, “It didn’t feel sudden.”
His eyes flicked briefly toward Ellie before he looked away again.
“It just stopped feeling temporary.”
The room went quiet. That answer hit Ellie so hard it physically hurt. Because that was exactly it. Not one moment. Not one realization.
Just thousands of tiny choices slowly becoming permanent. The soulmate bond surged warm and aching between them.—Recognition. Home.
“Oh,” Jimin whispered immediately, looking emotional.
Hoseok clutched his chest again. “That’s horrible. I hate how romantic that was.”
“That’s genuinely one of the most romantic things I’ve ever heard,” Avery murmured.
Taehyung looked close to tears himself.
Meanwhile Yoongi appeared mildly horrified that he had apparently said all of that out loud. The bond flooded warm with embarrassment.
Ellie laughed softly before she could stop herself. Instantly, Yoongi relaxed.
The tension left his shoulders automatically at the sound. Everyone noticed…Again.
Namjoon leaned back against the couch watching them carefully. “You regulate each other now.”
The room quieted slightly at the weight beneath the statement. Because he was right. The emotional synchronization between them had become undeniable.
Ellie looked down at her tea. Something was changing. And for the first time in her life, she no longer wanted to run from it.
By three in the morning, everyone finally left. Reluctantly…Very reluctantly in Taehyung’s case.
“You better not have emotional development without us,” he warned while backing toward the suite door.
“That sentence alone should get you removed from the building,” Yoongi muttered.
Jin physically shoved Taehyung into the hallway.
Hoseok hugged Ellie tightly before leaving. “Text us if you need anything.”
“We’re one floor down,” Jimin added immediately.
Namjoon lingered last near the doorway.
His eyes moved quietly between Yoongi and Ellie. Thoughtful.
Then he looked toward Ellie gently. “Try to rest tonight.”
The concern in his voice settled warmly in her chest. Ellie nodded once.
Then finally the suite door shut. Locks clicked. Silence settled. Real silence this time.
Ellie stood near the kitchen counter holding tea she had long forgotten to drink while Yoongi dimmed lights around the suite and checked security notifications on his phone. The domesticity of it hit her suddenly.
Ellie watched him quietly. And there it was again…The truth—She loved him. Not with panic attached anymore. Just certainty.
Ellie blinked immediately.
Yoongi crossed toward her slowly before stopping close enough that the bond softened warmly between them.
“You tired?” he asked softly.
Yoongi’s mouth twitched slightly. “There it is.”
She looked offended. “You can’t invent emotional categories for me.”
“I’m not inventing them.” Yoongi looked directly at her now, “I pay attention to you.”
The simplicity of it nearly stole the breath from her lungs. Because he said it like it was obvious. Natural.
Ellie looked away first. Too much.
“Hey.” His voice softened further.
Ellie looked back automatically.
Yoongi’s expression had changed again. Open now. Unguarded. “You know something?”
Ellie’s pulse jumped. “What?”
“I think you’re finally starting to believe me.”
The words settled quietly into her chest.
He meant: that he would stay, that he loved her, that she was not too much, that this was not temporary.
Ellie laughed weakly under her breath. “That seems emotionally irresponsible.”
A quiet laugh escaped him too.
Then softer: “You don’t have to be afraid of happy things forever.”
The room fell silent afterward. The bond pulsed low between them. Slow. Deep. Pulling.
Yoongi felt the shift first. Something tightening beneath the surface again.
Ellie noticed seconds later. Her breathing changed subtly. The bond reacted instantly—Closer. Like some part of them suddenly needed less distance.
Yoongi went still. Because this was new. The pull settled low beneath his ribs almost painfully.
Ellie swallowed softly. “…Yoongi.”
He looked at her immediately. The room suddenly felt too warm. Too quiet.
The soulmate bond tightened slowly between them—Need..
Ellie’s pulse hammered hard enough she was sure he felt it too. He probably did.
Yoongi stepped one inch closer unconsciously.
Ellie did not move away..Six months ago she would have fled this level of closeness immediately. Now she stood there looking up at him with trust so open it physically hurt him—Fuck.
Yoongi lifted one hand slowly. His fingers brushed softly along her jaw.
Ellie’s breath caught instantly. The bond surged.—Wanting.
His thumb moved lightly beneath her chin, guiding gently.
“Pretty girl,” he said softly.
Ellie leaned into his touch before realizing she was doing it.
Yoongi’s eyes darkened slightly. The bond pulsed harder.
And suddenly Ellie realized with terrifying certainty: if Yoongi kissed her right now—she would kiss him back without hesitation.
Neither of them moved. Yoongi’s hand remained against Ellie’s jaw while the soulmate bond pulsed violently between them. The pull felt almost physical now. Heavy beneath her ribs. Warm enough to ache.
Ellie could feel his breathing. Could feel the exact moment Yoongi realized she was not pulling away.
“Ellie.” Her name sounded different now. Lower. Careful. Like he understood this moment mattered.
Ellie looked up at him silently.
His thumb brushed softly beneath her cheekbone. Yoongi should stop. He knew that. Not because he did not want to kiss her.
That was the problem. He wanted to far too much. And through the bond, he could feel Ellie wanting it too.
His voice lowered carefully. “If I do this…”
The unfinished sentence hung heavily between them: If I kiss you. If I cross this line. If I stop pretending this isn’t already everything.
Yoongi’s jaw tightened slightly. Because he needed her to understand something first:
This was not casual. Not with her. Never with her.
“I know,” Ellie whispered.
Yoongi went completely still. She knew.
Yoongi stepped closer slowly until only inches separated them. Still he waited. Still he gave her room to stop him.
Their foreheads nearly touched. “You can say no.”
The gentleness in his voice almost shattered her. Because even now, Yoongi made sure she had a choice.
Ellie looked up at him beneath the quiet hotel lights, her voice shaking softly. “I don’t want to say no.”
That was it. The last thread of restraint inside Yoongi snapped quietly. His other hand rose carefully to her face. Holding her gently now.
Ellie melted toward him instinctively and the trust in the movement nearly destroyed him.
“Pretty girl,” he whispered shakily.
Then finally— Yoongi kissed her. Soft. God, so soft. Not rushed. Not desperate. Like he was terrified of hurting her.
The soulmate bond detonated instantly—Relief. Love.Want.
Ellie gasped softly against his mouth at the emotional force of it. Like every lonely part of her had finally found where it belonged. The realization overwhelmed her instantly.
Yoongi felt it too. His hands tightened gently against her face as the bond surged harder. Then Ellie kissed him back. Not hesitant anymore. Choosing him.
The second Yoongi realized she was kissing him back willingly, fully, something inside him broke open completely.
The kiss deepened softly. Needier now. Months of restraint unraveling quietly between them.
Ellie’s hands caught lightly in the front of his shirt. The bond roared around them—Closer. Closer. Closer.
Then the soulmate bond tightened violently the moment Ellie kissed him back. Yoongi felt it immediately. Like something beneath them locked suddenly into place.
Ellie made a soft startled sound against his mouth as warmth flooded through her chest. Too intense. Too much. But not wrong.
Yoongi pulled back first only barely. Foreheads touching. Breathing uneven.
His hands still cradled her face carefully like he physically could not let go.
His voice came rough and quiet. “…Did you feel that?”
Ellie nodded immediately. Because yes. Oh God, yes. The bond felt different now. Like every wall between them had cracked open during the kiss.
Yoongi’s thumbs brushed softly beneath her cheeks, grounding her before she could spiral.
Ellie stared up at him silently. And suddenly she realized something terrifying. She was not scared anymore. Not of the closeness. Not of the love. Not even of how deeply the bond wrapped around both of them now.
The fear that remained had changed shape entirely. Not: what if he leaves? But: what if she loses this somehow?
Yoongi felt the shift immediately. His expression softened painfully.
He kissed her once more before thinking. Soft. Instinctive.
Ellie melted toward him immediately.
“You kissed me,” she whispered finally.
Yoongi looked faintly amused despite the emotional devastation currently happening between them. “I’m aware.”
“I might actually be hallucinating.”
A quiet laugh escaped him. Ellie’s knees nearly gave out because now she understood: every laugh, every smile, every touch…she felt all of it through the bond too. No wonder this had become impossible to resist.
Yoongi rested his forehead lightly against hers again. “You okay?”
Ellie laughed weakly. “You just rearranged my entire soul.”
His shoulders shook once with quiet laughter. “Yeah. Same.”
The honesty wrapped warmly around her ribs. God…She loved him so much.
Yoongi felt the realization the exact second it fully formed. The soulmate bond surged violently.
Ellie froze…Oh no. Because through the bond, Yoongi felt it—Love. Complete. Certain. Undeniable.
His breathing caught softly. “Ellie.”
The way he said her name nearly destroyed her.
She covered her face immediately in panic. “Nope.”
Yoongi actually laughed. “Are you hiding after accidentally confessing through the soulmate bond that you love me?”
“I didn’t know it worked like that.”
“That seems like information we should have assumed.”
Ellie groaned into her hands. “This is humiliating.”
“No,” Yoongi corrected softly while pulling her hands gently away from her face. “It’s my favorite thing that’s ever happened to me.”
The sincerity in his voice hit hard enough that Ellie physically stopped breathing.
Yoongi looked at her like he still could not believe she was real, Then quietly: “I love you too, pretty girl.”
Tears filled Ellie’s eyes instantly.
Yoongi’s expression softened at once. “Oh, baby.”
There it was again. That impossible softness he only used with her.
Ellie laughed shakily through tears. “You cannot keep saying things like that.”
His thumbs brushed gently beneath her eyes, catching tears before they could fall, “Sure I can.”
A small smile touched his mouth. “You love me. It’s too late now.”
The soulmate bond glowed warm with smug affection.
Ellie stared at him in betrayal. “Oh my God.”
He kissed her again before she could argue further.
And this time, Ellie kissed him like she had finally stopped being afraid of keeping something good.
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