Min Yoongi x reader | Single Parent | Fluff | PG | wc: 1100
For this year's Secret Valentien project by @btscreatorscorner I was assigned the lovely @sunshinerainbowsbts so hereby I present my gift to you, Sunny (Even if its a little late).
Beta read by @rkivian and @mapleglasses27
| MASTERLIST |
The sun had truly shown itself from its better side today, having peeked through the clouds ever since the early morning hours and warming the chilled winter air. Maybe it too understood the importance of this day. Well, the importance it held for some.
And even though this was easily the day your boutique made most of its earnings, you could not help but dread the day. In itself, the day was hectic at best, but the days up to it were just as chaotic because of all the preparations you had to do. It was also the reason why you were currently running on minimal amounts of sleep.
Fortunately for you, the amount of customers seemed to be decreasing ever so slowly, making it possible for you to finally take a small break. Your tired legs almost buckled under you as you leaned against the counter, eyes darting around the shop.
Finally alone.
“What a day…” you sighed, closing your eyes only for them to shoot open in shock when you suddenly heard the all too familiar sound of the chime on top of the door, warning you that someone had entered the shop. You straightened your back and looked over at the door, but there was no one there.
Maybe, your mind was playing tricks on you? It would not be the first time nor would it be the last time it had done so. But that thought was shot down when your ears picked up on footsteps coming toward you. The steps were hesitant and came to a sudden stop, you held your breath; Fear striking.
Seconds passed before you heard a whimper, immediately you jumped up from the chair and rushed toward the sound. Your eyes darted around, trying to locate the source of the noise. However, it seemed that the source itself had other plans because as you stepped around the counter, something or rather someone tugged at your pant leg.
Chubby fingers clung to the fabric of your pants, their snotty little nose buried in your leg and big doe and teary eyes looking up at you like you held the answers to the world.
“A-app-” The child hiccupped, pressing themself even further onto you.
Without even thinking, you had swiped the child up into your arms and started to comfort them. “Shhh, I am right here,” you murmured, your voice soothing and soft while caressing their hair to provide the comfort they so desperately needed.
As the sobs subsided, the child pulled back and looked at you. Finally, you took the time to look over the child; A mop of dark hair paired with big doe eyes, a cute little button nose sprinkled with freckles and chubby cheeks that matched the chubby legs and arms every child that age should have. They wore a beige dress with small hearts on.
A beautiful little girl.
“Hey there pretty little lady”
The girl let out a squeak and pressed her head into your chest again. You could not help but giggle. A few seconds went by before she peaked up at you from her ‘hiding’ spot.
“Appa.. no appa,” she stuttered, falling over her words in her attempt to communicate with you. You nodded your head knowingly, understanding what she tried to tell you. Your eyes flicked over to the shop windows, but were only met with the darkness from outside.
A sigh passed your lips; this was going to be difficult.
“Would you like some chocolate milk?” you asked, already moving toward the machine as the girl started nodding her head rapidly. Another giggle passed your lips at how cute she looked, her hair tossing around her head and a little pout on her lips.
You settled the girl on the counter and gave her a cup. She wrapped both of her hands around it, moving it up toward her lips before taking a big sip. When she moved the cup away, she let out an ‘ah!” while smacking her lips.
“Does the pretty little lady have a name?”
“Yejun” She answered proudly, puffing out her chest.
“Hello Yejun” you said and introduced yourself, offering your hand to her with a smile. She took your hand into her much smaller one and gave it a light squeeze before going back to sipping on her chocolate milk.
Yejun seemed much more at ease with her chocolate milk in hand even though her father was still missing. Luckily enough it was not long before your eyes caught sight of a frantic looking man outside of the shop windows. The two of you locked eyes for only a split second before his eyes flicked to the child in front of you.
“Yejun! Thank God!” The man ripped open the door and ran toward Yejun, who was making grabby hands toward the man while crying “appa”.
He frantically pulled Yejun into his arms and held her against him tightly for a few moments, before sitting her down on the counter again: “Are you okay?” he was fidgeting over her, feeling and searching for anything that might not have been there before their sudden separation.
Fortunately, he found nothing.
He heaved a sigh of relief and planted a kiss on her forehead, then he turned around to face you.
“Thank you so much for finding Yejun!” He thanked you before beginning to ramble about how she had suddenly disappeared from one moment to another.
You could not help but notice that Yejun’s dad was just as handsome as she was cute. She had inherited his dark hair and cute button nose, but what really made your knees bent was the gummy smile he showed as he looked at his child.
“I understand. Children are hard work, but Yejun has been nothing but an angel,” you assured the man with a gentle touch on his arm.
His eyes lightened up when you complimented his child, chest filling with pride that even in such a highly emotional situation his little girl had been polite.
“Still..-” He started but stopped when Yejun tugged at his shirt, the man bending down toward her and she whispered something into his ear. He let out a soft ‘ah’ before straightening himself up.
This time when he looked at you, you could not help but notice the light glint he had in his dark eyes.
“Can Yejun and I invite you out for a cup of coffee?” He asked confidently. However, the sudden confidence seemed to diminish as fast as it had come when you did not reply immediately. “Of course only if-”
You touched his arm, making him halter in his sentence. You gave him a shy smile.
“That sounds wonderful, let me just close the shop.”
I choose the prompt: Kid playing matchmaker because who isn’t a sucker for diff BTS?
╰ After weeks of promotion for their latest song, the boys finally had a day off and decided to use it the best way possible: By playing a boardgame with you.
⟶ warnings: Use of a single curse word.
This is part of @thebtswritersclub fic exchange where I had the pleasure of getting to know @arizonapoppy. I hope you enjoy this little piece.
Banner made by the lovely @birbdae
Beta read by the amazing @eatjeanjin and @kerikaaria
|MASTERLIST|
You were standing in front of the rather large front door. You were trying to collect your nerves by taking a deep breath before exhaling it slowly. Your ears perked up at the sudden sound of undistinguished murmurs from behind the door, making you fail at your attempt to calm down.
Your nerves were once again all over the place. You had been looking forward to seeing them again. But now that you were here, you couldn’t help but want to turn around and run home.
You had turned around and were ready to head home when your stubbornness finally decided to make itself present, making you stop in your tracks and shake your head.
No, you couldn’t do this.
You hadn’t seen them for weeks because of the promotion of ‘Butter’ (which had been playing non-stop in your apartment ever since it came out, but you would never admit that out loud). And now when they finally had time, you wanted to run home with your tail between your legs.
No, you couldn’t do this.
“Pull yourself together, _____”
You turned back around toward the door, taking a deep breath before knocking on the door. Not even a second went by before the door was ripped off its hinges and you were pulled into a pair of strong arms.
Your eyes flicked up, locking with a pair of familiar warm brown eyes that were smiling down at you.
“Taehyung,” the word had only just slipped from your lips when you were tucked even tighter against him. You shuffled a little, and ended up wrapping your arms around his slim waist and you pulled yourself that much closer to him (even if it wasn’t possible). Then with heated cheeks, you buried your face into his chest.
The butterflies which had been stirring in your stomach before you had even gotten to the apartment complex were now bursting with life, making you weak in your knees.
The time seemed to have stopped - just for a short moment, where it was only the two of you in your little bubble. However, it didn’t take long before the bubble was popped by someone clearing their throat.
You whipped your head to the direction of where the sound came from and your eyes widened even more as they met six curious ones. Immediately your cheeks heated up; you had completely forgotten about the others while having your... little moment with Taehyung.
You dearly wanted to rebury your face into the warmth of Taehyung’s chest in an attempt to cover up your embarrassment for being caught red-handed. However, you knew it wasn’t an option, so you pulled away from him a little reluctantly. You were then pulled into the apartment by a pair of slender arms which were quick to wrap themselves around you.
“You two are so cute, you know,” Jimin shrieked in a low voice, so none of the others could hear it.
“Shut up, Jiminie,” you mumbled, cheeks heating up.
You hoped the little moment between you and Taehyung had gone unnoticed, however, it was quite apparent by the looks and sounds that it hadn’t.
Before you could become even more flustered, you separated yourself from Jimin. You hadn’t been out of his embrace for more than a few seconds when you were tucked into a chest and a new pair of arms were wrapped around you.
“Hey there,” you whispered quietly.
This was repeated until you had hugged all of the members.
Then you took a few steps back, so you could see all of the seven members and with a big smile on your face. You took the initiative to start the conversation (so you didn’t just stare at them like an idiot).
“How are you all? Has the promotion been going good?” You asked, already bombarding them with questions.
However, you didn’t pay much attention to what was actually being said as your eyes kept on flickering to Taehyung, noticing how good he looked.
His normally dark hair, which was usually combed back, had now turned into a caramel-coloured mess of curls. He was wearing a white t-shirt that had been tucked into his black pants that hung low on his hips.
He was absolutely breathtaking - you couldn’t take your eyes off him, especially off his collarbones which were prominently on display.
You were pulled out of your admiration by a sudden nudge to your side. Jimin was looking at you while wiggling his brows in a suggestive yet jokingly manner.
“You see something you like, ____-ah?”
Your cheeks heated up, having been caught red-handed in the act. Quickly your mind tried to come up with an excuse however, none came. Instead, you saw your chance to get away from the situation when Seokjin declared his departure for the kitchen.
“Let me help you, Seokjin-oppa,” you called out, darting after him.
You let out a sigh of relief, the tension leaving your body as you entered the kitchen.
“Anything you need help with, oppa?” you asked as you snuck up on Seokjin while he was looking for something in the cabinets.
“Yaa!” Seokjin cried out. Apparently, he hadn’t noticed you following him and you had given him quite a shock.
“Sorry” you mumbled, bowing your head in an apology.
“Don’t worry about it, ____-ah” He replied before directing you toward the fridge and what to find. So with quick hands, you found the beers and sodas from the fridge and settled them on the counter before finding the snacks.
“I will take the snacks to the living room”
With your hands full you began your walk toward the living room, almost falling over your own feet in the process. The sudden motion making the members burst into laughter.
“You’re almost as clumsy as Namjoon-hyung, noona” Jungkook said shyly as he took the bowls from you.
Your face heated up once again, embarrassed by your own clumsiness, but also by the rather unpleasant comparison. Namjoon’s cheeks were also covered with a slight pinkish colour.
“You gonna keep making fun of me or are we gonna play?”
The sarcasm in your voice was clear, making everyone stop mid-laughter.
“Don’t sweat it, ____-ah. Kook is just a brat” Yoongi said, sending a warm smile your way and then pulled out a chair for you. Your eyes flicked to the empty chair and then to the chair beside which was occupied by Jimin.
You almost - almost - wanted to laugh out loud because you already knew Jimin would be a pain in the ass. If it wasn’t already evident from the instances earlier today.
“Little shit,” you mumbled as you settled down in the chair, making everyone - even Jungkook laugh.
As the laughter died down, and it was quickly decided that you would be playing Trivial Pursuit in teams: You and Jimin would be on the same team and were pink, while Seokjin and Jungkook were yellow, Hoseok and Namjoon were orange, and Yoongi and Taehyung were green.
You were so into the game, you didn’t even notice how Taehyung’s eyes would be flickering over to you every once in a while. They were almost glued to you whenever you spoke, whether it was to tease some of them or to discuss an answer with Jimin.
He couldn’t help but smile when a frown found its way on to your face. His smile would become even bigger when your tongue would be sticking slightly out in concentration. He found it too adorable.
However he - and the others - got quite a shock when you suddenly burst out “I KNOW THIS!”.
“It’s B; The oldest known living tree is about 5000 years old. It’s actually quite interesting! it’s a Pinus Longaeva located in the White Mountains in California, while the second oldest living tree -” You explained - or rambled.
Taehyung was blown away. He was very impressed by your weird yet extensive knowledge of trees and other things too. It was unusual to see you this ‘loud’, but you really wanted to show your knowledge.
When it came to the halfway point of the game, you may or may not have drunk too much and could no longer hold in the pee.
“Guys, I need to pee.” You were out of your chair a little too quickly, wobbling a little on your feet in the process.
Taehyung had jumped out of his seat as soon as he noticed you weren’t stable however, you gave him a shy smile
“I’m okay Tae. No need to help me” you said and walked toward the bathroom.
Taehyung settled down again, still ready to be your knight in shining armor if you needed it. And the other noticed this.
“Taetae likes ____” Jimin couldn’t help but snicker and continued on with his teasing as he began singing ‘Sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G’, and soon enough Seokjin and Jungkook joined in as well.
Taehyung was a little embarrassed by having been caught by his brothers, but what made it even worse was when he saw you suddenly standing by the entrance of the living room with a shocked expression painted on your face.
“They were just joking, ____-ah” Namjoon was quick to say, trying to deescalate whatever could come of this.
“Shut up, Hyung,” Taehyung snapped, glaring at Namjoon before leaving his chair and walking over to you. You stared at him as he came closer, even as he took one of your hands in his, you didn’t really react - just stared at him wordlessly.
Idol!Min Yoongi x reader | Established Relationship!au | Fluff and Romance | PG-13 | wc: 5.3k
╰ After having surgery Yoongi had to take a break from what he loved. Fortunately for him - and you - you were right by his side, helping him and encouraging him.
⟶ warnings: Rehabilitation.
Banner made by my lovely twin flame @namluve
Beta read by @casuallyimagining and @nottodayjjk - thank you.
|| MASTERLIST ||
Your leg bounced up and down anxiously as you waited in the hospital’s waiting room. Your nails fell victim to your bad habit of biting them whenever you were nervous. Once you had bitten down to the nubs, you moved on to the cuticles.
Your eyes flickered around, noticing only a few others in the room. Despite the mask covering half of their faces, their body language spoke loud and clear. From sitting on their hands to fidgeting with whatever they had in hand.
They too were anxious.
The silence that swirled in the room didn’t help either, as it simply made the whole atmosphere even tenser.
It made you uncomfortable.
You had never been one to enjoy the presence of strangers - especially when you were somewhere new.
You took a deep breath to calm down your anxiety, but, the strong odor of cleaning supplies mixed with sanitizer filled your lungs when you did. You scrunched up your nose in disgust. The smell reminded you of a bad night out in town and the day after.
With a grimace on your face, you unexpectedly locked gaze with someone else, your eyes immediately darted down to your lap in embarrassment.
The uncomfortableness filled you further; your heart started to beat faster than before, as beads of sweat formed on your face.
You tried to distract yourself, your eyes glancing around the room as your fingers became preoccupied with fiddling the small threads that stuck out of your sleeves.
Suddenly something began vibrating in your pocket, making you abandon the tugging war and fish out your phone. The screen flashed with several notifications, and you quickly scrolled through them.
Several messages had been sent to you from your boyfriend's band members asking how it had gone. You didn’t know how to answer them yet.
It was clear as day that they were genuinely concerned about your boyfriend's state. They were his best friends after all.
You shuffled around in the hospital chair as you attempted to write a decent reply. You had only written two words or so, when suddenly your name was being called.
Immediately you jumped out of your seat with your hand raised and eyes flickered around until they landed on the nurse in the doorway.
She patiently waited for you and then gestured for you to follow.
You weren’t focusing on where the two of you were going, your eyes cast on the floor, your mind somewhere else - on Yoongi and his well being.
Maybe the nurse could feel how the tension grew with each step, because it didn’t take long before she began explaining to you how the surgery went.
“Mr. Min’s surgery went well and is slowly waking up.”
A tiny smile crossed your mask-hidden face. The tension in your body and mind eased a little, knowing Yoongi was okay, all things considered.
You hadn’t noticed the nurse coming to a halt in the middle of the hallway, making you bump into her and causing you to stumble back a few steps.
You began apologizing profusely, but the words died in your throat as the nurse simply shrugged. Then she turned around and knocked on the door, and all you could do was watch as she did so.
Your gaze darted between the door and the nurse while you shifted your weight from one foot to another, making your body sway.
Fortunately, you didn’t have to wait long before the nurse opened the door, as if she had gotten confirmation to enter.
The nurse stuck her head through the small opening and a few moments went by before she opened the door slightly more and a much deeper voice met your ears.
“Ah! ___-nim, please come in and join us.”
Quickly, you slipped into the room, eyes immediately finding your boyfriend who was half-sitting in the bed with a big cast around his arm and shoulder. He looked a bit dazed from the drugs, but other than that he looked fine.
You took his hand and intertwined your fingers with his, he was slightly cold to the touch. It must be a side effect of the anaesthesia, you told yourself.
“Are you okay, Yoonie?” you asked worriedly.
“Yea, baby,” he muttered in a hoarse voice, giving your hand a light squeeze.
You couldn’t stop yourself from pulling down your mask and leaning in to kiss his forehead, lips lingering there for a bit. You closed your eyes briefly and playfully rubbed your nose across his dark locks.
A sudden yet forced cough echoed through the room, making you jump back and spin around to locate the person behind the sound.
Immediately, your cheeks went aflame.
You had been so focused on Yoongi that you had forgotten all about the doctor, Dr. Lee.
He looked rather annoyed, but was quick to cover it up with a professional smile and began letting you know how the surgery had gone and how long the recovery would take.
“I assume you will be by his side throughout the recovery, yes?”
You nodded your head eagerly.
It had never been a question in your opinion. You knew as soon as Yoongi had mentioned he would undergo surgery that you would help him in every possible way you could.
“Good, because he will need all the help he can get.” He stated matter-of-factly. Then he looked back at Yoongi and continued, “You will have to start physical therapy in a week or so depending on your pain level. A physical therapist will come later to explain more, but for now I will leave so you can rest.”
With that he said goodbyes and quietly left the room.
You stared at the closed door, only turning around when you felt a slight pull on your hand.
A smile stretched over your face as you looked down upon your boyfriend, who gazed up at you with big eyes.
“What's up?” you asked softly.
The way he looked at you made your heart beat faster. You were sure you would have fainted if you could have seen his gummy smile that was covered by his mask.
“Please, sit down, baby.”
“Oh,” you hadn’t quite expected that response.
You tried to take a step toward the chair in the corner, but Yoongi didn’t want to release your hand, making it difficult for you to get to the chair. Instead you stretched yourself to the fullest and got a hand on the chair, pulling it towards you.
You pulled it toward the side of the hospital bed and sat down, still with your hand intertwined in his.
A few moments went by in silence, the two of you were simply looking at each other.
“Take my mask off?” Yoongi said - asked in a hoarse voice.
He sounded a bit tired which was understandable, considering what he had been through the last few hours.
You stood up from the chair, taking a hold of the strings behind his ears and gently pulled the mask off. Then you did the same, pulling your own mask off and placing the masks on the table-side.
“Are you okay?” you asked once again, wanting to be sure he wasn’t in too much pain.
He nodded his head.
That was all the confirmation you needed, you quickly placed a kiss on his lips before sitting down.
“You have to call the boys, they have been blowing up my phone,” you said, filling the comfortable silence that had settled between the two of you - “Especially Jimin,” you added in a mumble.
A small smile found its way onto Yoongi’s face, his eyes glittering with love and affection.
“We can video call them, if you want?”
You didn’t even give him time to answer before you had fished your phone out of your pocket and inched closer to him.
“Thank you,” he whispered.
You pressed on Jimin’s contact information and waited for him to accept the call. When he finally did, you made sure Yoongi could be seen by the six concerned members.
“Hey there!” You and Yoongi greeted the boys on the screen.
Your attention shifted from the screen to your boyfriend beside you. No longer did you focus on what was happening or being said, instead your eyes were locked upon Yoongi.
You noticed how his demeanour slightly changed: A smile was still present on his face but whenever he moved around, a slight frown showed itself for a second.
The pain medicine must be wearing off, you thought.
Before you could call for a nurse to inform that Yoongi needed a new dose of pain medication, the door to the hospital room opened and a physician you hadn’t seen before walked in.
“Yoonie,” you said softly, gesturing with a nod of your head toward the stranger.
Yoongi followed the gesture, eyes widening slightly before looking back to the phone screen.
“Oh, the physician is here - we have to go.” He said and an echo of loving ‘byes’ could be heard from the phone before it blacked out.
“Yoongi-nim, I assume?”
“That’s me, yes.” Yoongi answered politely.
“I’m Dr. Yang. Can you tell me your registration number?” The doctor began going over personal information to be sure that he indeed was the correct patient.
You didn’t pay much attention. Instead, you focused on putting your and Yoongi’s masks back on.
“I understand that you have undergone surgery for a shoulder injury that happened several years ago, yes?”
Yoongi nodded his head slowly, not quite sure where the physician was going with this.
Then the physician hummed and looked over the chart in her hands. Every now and then a slight sound would come from her as she went over Yoongi's information.
“I will recommend you wear a sling as much as possible, only taking it off whenever you do therapy or showering. The more you use it, the better the healing process,” she stated and walked over to the hospital bed.
She took a quick look at the shoulder, making Yoongi groan in pain.
Immediately you were alarmed.
“It’s okay.” Yoongi hissed, trying to calm you down, but it did the opposite since he was groaning and moaning with every movement.
“Are you in pain, Mr. Min?” Dr. Yang asked, taking one last look at the shoulder and then stepping back.
Before Yoongi could even answer, Dr. Yang was already half out the door asking a nurse for some pain medication.
A nurse was swift to join the three of you, she quickly gave Yoongi some medication through the IV in his hand.
The nurse left the room almost as hurriedly as she had appeared, and the physician began talking as if nothing had happened.
“In a day or two, you will start your physical therapy where we will focus on gentle exercises to regain movement and range of motion in your shoulder.”
“Anything else?” you asked, concerned.
“Be patient. It's a long way to recovery, but as long as you follow your therapy program closely with assistance, you will make a full recovery with little to no complications.
“Here are the papers. They contain everything that I have just told you, so if you forget anything, you can read these.
“My number is at the back, so if you have any questions don’t hesitate to call,” she added before declaring her departure with a “wishing you a full recovery”.
Yoongi and you ended up staying at the hospital for a few more hours, waiting for the anaesthesia to wear off completely and letting the pain relief medication take over instead.
When he no longer felt groggy and in pain, you called upon a nurse to ask if it would be possible to leave soon. The nurse gave Yoongi a quick look over, making sure that everything was fine and that there would be no problem discharging him.
“Remember to take the medication Dr. Lee has prescribed you to keep the pain and infection at a minimum.”
You drove carefully toward Yoongi’s apartment. Every now and then you would look over at the passenger seat, making sure that Yoongi was okay.
A smile stretched over your face as your eyes locked upon a very sleepy Yoongi. His normally half-lidded eyes were even droopier. He looked as though he could fall asleep at any minute.
As you pulled up to the apartment complex he had fallen asleep.
You almost couldn’t bring yourself to wake him up, seeing how peaceful he looked; messy hair falling down over his brows, a slight pout on his lips and cheeks puffed and turned pink.
However, the logical side of you kicked in reminding you that there was a possibility someone would see you and it would end up with pictures being taken of you, and/or a story getting written where both your relationship and the surgery would be discovered.
Sliding out of the car, you quickly went over to the passenger side, opening the door and leaning in.
You took a hold of Yoongi’s good shoulder and patted him gently while talking to him in a soft manner.
“Yoonie - Yoonie, we’re home.” You repeated over and over, even continuing doing so as his eyes fluttered open and blinked a few times.
“Where am I?” He asked confused, eyes darting around.
“We’re at your apartment, Yoonie.” You explained, waiting for him to understand what you were saying.
He nodded his head a few seconds later and let out a tiny ‘oh’.
You simply smiled and offered your hand, helping him out of the car and supporting him with both arms as you walked toward the entree.
“I want to sleep.” He mumbled with a pout.
A giggle left you, not believing how cute your boyfriend had suddenly become.
“Then we will get you to bed,” you said, still with a giggle in your voice.
As soon as the two of you entered the apartment, you followed him to the bedroom.
Carefully, you stripped Yoongi out of his clothes, changing him into something more comfortable.
Yoongi let out a few pained groans and moans as you did so, it hurt hearing them, but you knew you couldn’t do anything other than be careful.
After finally having him changed into a soft t-shirt, you helped him into bed and tucked him in. You ran your fingers through his hair while humming a lullaby, waiting patiently for him to fall asleep.
When he finally fell asleep, you tiptoed out of the bedroom and into the living room, flinging yourself onto the couch and tucking your legs underneath you.
You let out a heavy sigh as you threw your head back, closing your eyes in the process.
Every ounce of energy that had circulated through your body had left and you slumped deeper into the couch.
It had been a long day, you reminded yourself.
So much had happened - and even more was to happen. You dreaded it, but knew you had to be strong for yourself and Yoongi to get through it all.
A sudden flash of bright, blinding light woke you up.
You tossed and turned for a while, trying to fall back asleep after having fled from the brightness by turning your head. Any hope of falling asleep again slowly disappeared, as you continued to toss and turn restlessly.
You could feel right away that you had slept on the couch - a harder surface than you were used to - making your body ache with every movement.
Frustrated you threw off the blanket and sat up with a huff, putting your feet down on the ground before stretching your aching muscles.
As you stretched your limbs, your clothes clung to you like a second skin.
You scrunched your nose in disgust.
You needed a shower.
With that, you rose from the couch and headed toward the bathroom.
As you entered the bathroom you immediately turned on the shower, letting the water run hot while you peeled off your clothes quickly.
A soft sigh of relief passed your lips as you stepped under the steaming water. Your head slumped forward as the built up tension from the day before gradually left you.
After a moment of simply enjoying the heated water splashing over your skin, you began working the shampoo into your hair, while your mind was already planning your day.
You had errands to run; you had to go to the grocery store to buy the few items that were out of stock the first time you went. You also had to stop by the pharmacy to pick up the prescribed medicine for Yoongi: pain relievers, new bandages, and a few cold packs.
And then the rest of the day would be spent with Yoongi - when he was awake that is.
With the day planned and yourself cleaned, you stepped out of the shower and dried yourself off with a towel. Then you pulled on a pair of sweats and a shirt - both belonging to Yoongi.
You took a quick look at the mirror, immediately a smile formed on your face.
You looked cute; the clothes were quite big on your smaller frame but you liked wearing them, and you also knew he liked seeing you in them too.
Still with a smile on your face, you left the bathroom for the kitchen to fill up a glass of water and found a couple of painkillers. Then with your hands full, you began your journey to the master bedroom.
When you arrived at the bedroom, the door was closed, so you propped it open with your elbow and gave it a slight bump with your butt, and walked into the room.
You settled the glass and pills down on the bedside table, then opened your mouth only for it to shut - again. You had wanted to inform Yoongi that you would be going, but stopped yourself when you caught glimpse of dark hair peeking out from the duvet.
Therefore, you went over to the desktop, found a post it note and scribbled down a message for Yoongi before leaving it on the bedside table.
You gave the bed one last - almost longing - look before leaving.
You dragged yourself up the stairs with your hands full of groceries, regretting how much you had ended up buying.
As the apartment door finally was coming into view you fumbled with the bags, trying to rearrange them so you could press the door code.
Suddenly the door was ripped open causing you to jump back and dropping one of the grocery bags.
“What the-” you mumbled, looking at the dropped bag before looking up.
Then you saw her.
A petite middle-aged woman was looking at you. A pair of thick glasses framed her brown almond eyes and a contagious smile - one you would recognize anywhere - crossed her slightly wrinkled face.
Quickly, you settled down the remaining bags and bowed your head in respect - and embarrassment.
A soft chuckle greeted your ears, you straightened up and locked eyes with the woman - Yoongi's mother - and a sincere smile stretched over her face.
Suddenly, she took a hold of two of the bags and walked back inside the apartment.
A few moments passed before you registered what had just happened and a smile spread over your face. Then you took the remaining bags and followed.
You placed the bags on the kitchen counter. You were about to put away the groceries when suddenly you were pulled into a pair of warm arms.
Immediately, your body turned stiff as a board and your brain shut down.
“-re of my son.”
“What?” you whispered, not having registered what she had just said.
She pulled slightly back, giving you a kind smile before repeating her words: “Hubae-nim*, thank you for taking care of my son.”
As the words registered in your head, you felt the tension slowly leaving your body. Your arms found their way around Seongi and your head rested on her shoulder.
A moment went by where you simply enjoyed the warmth.
“Why are you here, eomeonim*?” you asked, pulling slightly back to look the woman in the eyes.
“I thought you would like some help,” she answered kindly, giving you the gummy smile you knew so well.
While you hadn’t expected Seongi to visit, you couldn’t say the help wasn’t appreciated. Only a day had gone by and you were already feeling overwhelmed by the whole ordeal, so the mere thought of another pair of hands made it more manageable.
“Than-” The words became stuck in your throat when you suddenly felt some kind of nibbling on your ankle, making you look down and cooed; a small brown dog with curly fur was staring up at you with wide eyes.
Without a second thought you crouched down and began petting the small creature, making it yap happily at the caress.
“This must be Holly?” You said slowly making it sound more like a question than a statement.
Seongi hummed a ‘yes’.
It was a pleasant surprise - especially knowing how much love Yoongi had for Holly.
“Now go wake up my adeul* while I make us some tea.”
You wanted to argue with the command, but by the tone of her voice, you knew that there was nothing you could say to change her mind. Therefore, you began the short walk toward the bedroom.
As you walked you couldn’t help but hear the soft padding of four paws, followed by the occasional bark.
When you opened the door you were met by the sight of a sleepy looking Yoongi; bed-head, hooded eyes, and lazy smile. However, the smile changed instantly when he noticed the small dog beside you, a big gummy smile took over.
Yoongi didn’t have time to question the arrival of the new guest before Holly jumped up onto the bed and began licking - kissing - his owner.
You stood by the door staring at the scene unfolding in front of you. The heartfelt laughter filled the room and filled you with warmth as you saw how much happiness the small creature gave your boyfriend.
Yoongi’s laughter continued for a few minutes only stopping to let out a painful groan as he moved around uncomfortably, trying to find a painless position for his shoulder while still enjoying the affection from Holly.
With quick movements you took a hold of Holly, making him lay in Yoongi’s lap instead of jumping around as before. Then you seated yourself beside Yoongi as the two of you petted the dog.
“How?” Yoongi asked dumbstruck, eyes flickering between you and Holly to be sure it was real.
“Your mother.” You shrugged as if it was obvious.
“What?” He was astonished by the two words you had uttered.
“She’s visiting to help us - just for a few days,” you explained softly, eyes locked upon Yoongi to see his reaction.
You could almost see the wheels turning in his head.
“I told her not to,” he mumbled, hand placed over his face in embarrassment.
“Stop pouting, Yoonie,” you said, removing his hand from his face and intertwining the hand in yours: “I could use the help until I’m used to the routine of being your caregiver, old man”, you said with a light laugh and gave him a tender kiss.
In the beginning, you and Seongi split the time caring for Yoongi fifty/fifty; sometimes she would volunteer to look after him throughout the night, and other days, you would do it. As days went by though, you started spending more and more time taking care of him, it getting to the point that you would spend most of your time around him.
Throughout the whole process, Seongi helped you; making you feel comfortable in your ability to take care of her son without any hiccups.
You were collecting dirty clothes from the bedroom, when you suddenly heard a cry and quickly dropped whatever you had collected and rushed toward the sound.
You slammed the door open, and looked around in panic, but what you saw wasn’t what you had expected - you weren’t sure what you expected, but certainly not that.
It was a sight for sore eyes.
A rather flustered Yoongi stood only in a pair of underwear and, having got stuck in the sling, his shirt was half pulled off,(which may have been the reason behind the sudden cry).
“Let me help you, Yoonie,” you giggled, trying not to laugh too much.
He let out a huff as you untangled the shirt from the sling and pulled it back down. With gentle hands you took off the sling from around his arm and shoulder.
“I just wished I could do it myself,” he pouted as you carefully pulled off his shirt.
“You will soon enough, but for now I’m here to help.”
He nodded, accepting that for the time being he needed the help - even if he wasn’t fond of it.
You helped him out of the remaining clothes he had on and then helped him into the shower, but before you had closed the shower door Yoongi let out an embarrassed cough.
“____”
“Yes?” you answered, an eyebrow raised in confusion.
“I need help,” he mumbled shyly, looking down at the water going down into the drain.
You let out a soft ‘oh’.
Quickly you stripped out of your outer layer of clothes, leaving you in a pair of panties and a tank top before rushing into the shower.
With gentle hands you worked the shampoo into his hair, letting it foam up before rinsing it out, then proceeded to lather up a washcloth and washed his body in small circles.
A couple of shy gazes were exchanged between the two of you as you proceeded to wash every inch of his body.
Then you helped him out of the shower and dried him off with a towel. You dabbed gently around the shoulder area when he began to yawn.
The shower had drained him of energy.
You helped him into a pair of sweats and patted his bum; “Go into bed, I will be there in a bit.”
You quickly found the bottle of prescription painkillers in the cabinet, thereafter you walked out of the bathroom and found Yoongi in his rightful spot in the bed.
“Here,” you said softly, offering a glass of water and a couple of painkillers.
Yoongi accepted both with a sluggish smile.
Then he shifted around in the bed to find the most comfortable position for his nap, and not much time went by before his eyes began dropping and no longer could keep them open.
“Goodnight, babe,” you whispered, kissing his forehead gently before leaving him to himself.
You found yourself walking carelessly around when suddenly you were pulled into a warm embrace.
Seongi held you tightly while whispering thank you’s - thanking you for being there for her son, for taking care of him when he needed it the most, and probably many other things, which were left unsaid.
As the heartfelt moment came to an end, Seongi untagged herself from you and briefed you on a few things she had prepared; showing you the different containers in the fridge and informing you of their content - and how to cook them.
When you registered what was happening, you took a hold of her arm and tugged at it.
“Don’t you want to tell Yoongi you’re leaving? He may not be asleep yet.” You asked, pointing out that she had the opportunity to say goodbye.
However, she declined your offer with a kind smile.
“He needs all the sleep he can get. Just tell him ‘eomma* loves you’, okay?”
You gave her a firm nod; a promise to do as she asked.
After helping her into her jacket, you bowed your head and declared your gratitude for her help.
She gave you one last smile as she left the apartment.
Yoongi had begun his rehabilitation, it had had its ups and down which was expected, however Yoongi didn’t seem discouraged whenever it didn’t go as planned. Instead he seemed even more determined to get through it.
It could be felt and seen; the atmosphere having become a more happy, lively one and you could see the small improvements Yoongi was making. Even as he still wore the shoulder sling he had become much more independent, doing most tasks by himself - or with very little help from you.
However, today seemed a little different.
You had noticed the lack of energy and motivation coming from Yoongi, as you helped him move his shoulder in gentle circles.
It seemed his mind was somewhere else.
You tried to encourage him with conversation about everything between heaven and earth, you even tried to make him laugh with one of those stupid dad jokes Seokjin had taught you. But nothing seemed to help, he didn’t react and it was clear something was wrong.
“Let’s call it a day,” you said, gently releasing his arm from your hold.
You had expected him to argue with you, but instead he simply nodded before leaving to change out of the sweaty clothes and into some fresh ones.
You let out a sigh of relief, having read the situation correctly.
A few moments went by before Yoongi emerged from the bedroom in fresh clothes and a shy smile on his face. It made your heart swoon.
“Want to lay on the couch for a bit?” you asked as you intertwined your fingers with his.
Once again he simply nodded and followed your lead. The two of you wriggled around a little until you had found a position where Yoongi was most comfortable; his head was on your chest and the arm with the sling was thrown over your stomach. It may have been a little uncomfortable for you, but you enjoyed it way too much to voice it.
You had missed this kind of intimacy.
You hadn’t noticed how tired you had become, but suddenly you had fallen asleep in the warm embrace of your boyfriend.
When you suddenly woke up from your light slumber, you were alone. Your eyes flickered around the room in panic, no one was there.
What if something had happened?
You jumped up from the couch, adrenaline rushing through your veins as you scanned every area and ran around searching for Yoongi.
You threw the door open, parting your mouth to say his name, but held your tongue when you saw Yoongi sitting at his desktop with his computer on and talking in a soft manner.
His eyes flickered over to you in the doorway, he gave you a soft smile before twirling back to the screen and talking again.
You were frozen for a few moments, taking in the scene, trying to understand what was happening.
“It almost doesn’t hurt now and the pain has gone down a lot. The first three days after surgery were really painful,” he explained, eyes flickering from the screen to you in a non-obvious-manner.
It hit you; he was talking to Army.
You tiptoed into the room and sneaked over to the bed, sitting on it while looking at Yoongi. Your eyes met and you gave him an encouraging smile and a hand movement telling him to continue, that it was ok.
He needed this.
“I couldn’t sleep well. I’m sleeping well now and there are no big problems,” he continued in a gentle manner, sending a gummy smile your and Army’s way.
Explanation for words with ‘*’:
Nim* - Honorific used in professional setting.
Hubae nim* - Honorific used when meeting juniors meeting for the first time
eomeonim* - Honorific for mother-in-law or your acquaintance’s mother
╰ As flowers continued to bloom in her chest, it became harder to hide the illness from the world. So when the doctors tell Y/N that time is running out, she has to make a decision; Get surgery to remove the blooming love or let herself wither away
⟶ warnings: Angst, Strong language Self conciousness, Mental Health and Major character death
Part of the Bangtan Boardwalk collab: Summertime Sadness booth
Banner made by the wonderful @dee-ehn <3
A big thanks to my lovely beta readers @spicykoreantatertots, @your-hannahbanana, @guksweet and @namluve if it hadnt been for you guys I wouldnt have been able to finish this story.
|| MASTERLIST ||
“Nurse Nam, I’m scared” your voice was cracking and fading into a hoarse whisper, while you looked at the nurse with worried eyes.
“You have nothing to fear, my dear” The kind elderly nurse reassured you.
For a few seconds, the room was filled with silence except for the heart monitor's steady beeping and your rough breathing helped by the nasal tubes.
You took the time to look over the room - your room.
A room you had been living in for almost a week yet it didn’t have any of the homey feeling you were used to. The walls weren’t plastered with art, instead it was clean white walls with only the most essential in the room; a bed, a cabinet for your belongings and a few chairs for visitors.
“How do you know?” you asked, voice trembling.
”Have I ever lied to you?” Nurse Nam asked seriously, waiting for you to shake your head before continuing; “Exactly, I will be with you every step of the way”
You didn’t know how to reply, or react for that matter, to the sudden vow of reassurance. So when you suddenly felt something wet on your face, moving your hand to touch it, you realised you were crying.
“Don’t cry, my dear” Nurse Nam cupped your cheek and wiped a few tears away with her thumb, a thing that had become a habit between the two of you through the whole course of your illness.
“I will be right by your side during surgery - and afterward too” Nurse Nam added softly.
“Promise?” you whispered, looking up at nurse Nam with big doe-like eyes, searching for that last bit of comforting reassurance.
“I promise.”
Nurse Nam took hold of your hand and gave it a light squeeze, scared that if she squeezed harder it would break into pieces. Your body being just as fragile as your mind right now.
“Okay...” you whispered, trying to convince yourself that you were brave enough; that you could do it.
“I’m ready.”
As soon as the words had left your mouth, you couldn’t breathe. Your lungs simply refused to unfold probably - it felt like you were choking. You brought your hands up to your mouth, covering it as the coughs tore through you.
As sudden as the coughing had started, it stopped again.
When you moved your hands, you weren’t shocked at what you saw. You had become used to the bloodstained flowers.
“Are you sure?” Nurse Nam asked worriedly.
You nodded your head weakly, not having much energy left to reply verbally. It was a telltale sign of the disease that was killing you from the inside.
“Okay, then let's get going.” Nurse Nam said, a weak smile with wrinkles around her eyes softened her gaze.
Then she took a firm hold on the hospital bed’s frame and started to roll it towards the operating room.
As you were being rolled through the corridors of the hospital, you looked around with big eyes, trying to take in everything that you came by.
The corridors were filled with people and it all seemed so different from what you were used to. It almost felt lively; The usual blue scrubs that filled the surroundings had been swapped out with casual clothing in all of the rainbow’s colours.
Some of the people were waiting outside; in the corridors, pacing up and down with frowns on their faces, while others were inside the hospital rooms enjoying time with their loved ones.
Even as your eyesight began to blur, you couldn’t hide the smile that was forming on your dull face as you watched the world unfold.
Yet, it also made your chest tighten. Not in the way you were used to - and had been for a few months by now. It almost felt like... envy, you also wanted someone to be by your side.
You hadn’t noticed that the bed had stopped moving until a hand clasped down on your shoulder, making you jump and flicker your eyes around in confusion.
The room made you nervous; The cold and clinical gray-blueish colour of the walls, the platform bed in the middle of the room with bright light coming from above, and the machines that were standing up against the walls, it made a shiver run down your spine.
“Let’s get you up here,” Nurse Nam said softly.
You gave her a firm nod and tried to lift yourself off the bed and over on the platform, but even the smallest movements sent stabs of pain slicing through your body. You let out a painful groan before slumping back down on the bed.
“I can’t” you huffed annoyed, sounding mostly like a stubborn child not getting their way.
Nurse Nam looked at you and gave you a kind yet sad smile. Then she called on her colleagues and told them to help her get you from the bed and onto the platform.
After finally getting you onto the platform bed, they began to prep you for your surgery.
“You will feel a little prick, okay?” Nurse Nam said and waited for you to nod, before carefully piercing your skin and inserting the IV in the back of your hand.
“That didn’t even hurt, Nurse Nam” you chuckled weakly, trying to lighten the mood with a giggle when suddenly you began coughing again.
Painful coughs ripped through your chest, forcing the air out of your lungs and leaving you gasping for more, while you fought to sit up; trying to relieve some of the pressure in your chest, but your body was having none of it. It was as if you were fighting against some kind of invisible weight that plagued your body down.
“I’m sorry” you repeated in between violent coughs; spurting even more petals, flowers and blood out.
Tears formed in your eyes and began flowing down your cheeks like waterfalls.
The pain you were going through was simply becoming too much. You couldn’t do anything, you were merely a passenger to it all.
The sight wasn’t anything new for the healthcare workers, yet it still affected them dearly - how could it not? A young woman was dying at the hands of a terrible disease which was slowly choking the life out of her.
Nurse Nam rushed over to your side and began soothing you with soft and motherly words, while she dapped your face with a wet cloth; wiping away the signs of blood that had been spluttered out of your mouth seconds ago.
“There, good as new,” Nurse Nam dabbed the last bit of blood away from the corner of your mouth.
You gave her a smile, however, it didn’t reach your eyes.
“You okay?” She asked, voice filled with concern.
“Yea-a-a” you replied hoarsely, your throat hurting from the thorns having ripped through it.
“Okay... then let's continue” She was still unsure if you truly were ready for what was to come.
Nurse Nam put the oxygen mask on you, immediately you inhaled, grateful to finally be able to breathe and get more oxygen down your lungs.
“Now Y/N, count to ten backwards.” She instructed.
‘10 - 9 - 8...’ you didn’t even reach five before your eyes became heavy and you drifted off to sleep.
7 MONTHS AGO - SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA
You were late. again.
It wasn’t something new, but you had promised yourself - and your manager, that today was the day that you wouldn’t do it. Yet here you were, running as fast as you could to get to where you were needed.
“No running, miss y/l/n!” You heard someone yell after you as you passed the entré point of the building.
“Sorry, I’m late!” you yelled back with an apologetic undertone as you kept running, not slowing down the slightest.
A sigh left the person who had yelled at you, already knowing what they were thinking; that it wasn’t anything new, you were always late - and well, you couldn’t argue with that.
The elevator would have taken too much time, but a brilliant idea popped in your mind; the stairs. You took two steps at a time, trying to save as much time as possible.
As soon as you stepped into the hallway, you looked around with wild eyes until they settled upon the sign with the number #13.
Standing in front of the door you took a few deep breaths, trying to get your breathing under control. However, you couldn’t stay outside the room for much longer, since you should already be inside.
With a firm hold on the door handle you pushed it open, shocked by your own strength. You stumbled through the door and into the room, almost falling over your own feet in the process, when the door ripped open.
You had already opened your mouth and begun sputtering your apology.
“Sorry I'm late sir, but the traffic was drea-” you stopped in your tracks, having caught the eyes of seven young men and one angry looking manager.
“Oh, fuck me” you groaned, throwing your head back and then forward with a heavy sigh.
Your head whipped up when laughter filled your ears, wide eyes looking around until they settled on the seven young men, who were now stifling their laughter.
Immediately, a flush spread across your cheeks. You could feel them becoming hot.
You wanted to hide, but it would be rather hard since you were standing at the entrance to the room. So, instead your eyes flickered down to your feet, trying to hide your face behind your hair
“EY!”
Immediately, the snickers stopped, making you look up, trying to find the person who had saved the last bit of your pride.
Your eyes settled upon one of the seven men; one with dark hair cut in a shaggy bowl cut kinda way. His eyes a pair of the warmest chocolate brown eyes you had ever seen.
You couldn’t help but let your eyes wander, taking in his broad shoulders and how his shirt tightened around his arms, showing the muscles underneath it.
If your cheeks weren’t already red, they would be now for sure after the man caught you checking him out.
You looked down at your feet again and began fumbling with your shirt sleeves, playing with them as you tried to calm yourself down.
Taking a few deep breaths you tried to collect yourself and get yourself into your work persona.
“I’m so sorry for my lateness, that was very unprofessional of me, please forgive me” you voice started out slightly shaking, but as soon as you had formed the first few words, it sounded professional.
You were waiting to be scolded by your manager, but also by the seven clients in front of you. Yet it never came, instead you were met with those warm chocolate eyes again and a kind smile.
“No worries, you are here now”
5 MONTHS AGO - UNKNOWN, SOUTH KOREA
“Oh, Stylist-Unnie has lightened your hair... Blonde suits you, Seokjin-ssi” You said softly while Seokjin sat down in the chair.
He cupped his face with his hands in a ‘V’-shape and sent you a cheeky smile through the mirror.
“Now make me worldwide handsome” He informed you and began slouching in the chair, letting his body relax.
“Your words are my command”
You started with his skin care routine; exfoliating his skin in a light manner, making sure not to upset the skin and then moisturizing it.
“Is it okay if I close my eyes?” Seokjin asked, his eyes already drooping from exhausting.
You nodded and gave him a soft smile.
Not long thereafter, he fell asleep, making an even bigger smile form on your face.
It wasn’t the first time he had fallen asleep while you had been working on his face. It was what could be expected from idols who worked as hard as BTS did.
Even with how exhausted Seokjin was, he didn’t have the biggest or darkest circles under his eyes, but they still needed a little bit of colour correcting.
You blended the peach colour into his skin and then covered it with some concealer, making sure that it would make his eyes pop.
You found the next product and began to work on his face. However, you also used the time to take a closer look at him.
The now blonde hair was swept away from his forehead, making your fingers twitch with longing; wanting to run them through his bleached locks and find out if it was indeed as soft as it looked.
Somehow, his features were a perfect combination between sharpness and softness; his strong, dark eyebrows that had become even more prominent now were framing his face and his equally dark eyes. His strong yet gentle jawline combined with his slightly rounded nose tip and plump rosy coloured lips.
Blood rushed to your cheeks, warming and turning them a light red colour as you caught yourself staring at him.
Yes, he was handsome, and you had known that from the minute you had met him. Neither was it a shock that he’d gotten the nickname ‘worldwide handsome’ because that’s what he was. But it was the first time where you didn’t just find him handsome, you found him attractive.
You were attracted to the man in front of you.
As soon as that realization came, you shook it off. You couldn’t have these thoughts about someone you worked with - or more like, worked for.
3 MONTHS AGO - HAMILTON, CANADA
It had been a little over a month since the ‘Love yourself World Tour’ had started; The American part of the tour was almost finished with only a few concerts left before we had to travel to Europe.
Your eyes were locked on the screen showing the members of BTS having the time of their lives on the concert stage; singing, dancing and just generally enjoying themselves.
You couldn’t help but envy them; they made it all look so easy.
They were used to this way of life. They were used to the fast paced life that came with being an idol; used to the long hours working on the same routine to perfection, before going back to the dorms to sleep and then repeat it the next day again.
And it was always more stressful whenever a comeback was nearing.
They became even more dependent on each other.
That was in big contrast to you and what you felt at the moment.
It was your first time being abroad for more than a week and without family or friends. You were alone and couldn’t depend on others, you only had yourself.
You reminded yourself that this was a ‘once in a lifetime opportunity’ but it didn’t calm you down. You missed home.
It was interfering with your work.
And it didn’t help watching others enjoy themselves while you were having an internal battle with yourself.
A flash of blonde hair flickered by the corner of your eyes. You blinked a couple of times, making sure you weren’t seeing things and that the blonde man was indeed sitting in the chair.
You used all of your strength to muster up a smile as you greeted him.
You didn’t wait for a reaction before turning around to fetch the products you needed to do your job.
However, if you had waited, you would have seen how Seokjin’s face contoured into one of worry and dismay. He had expected to hear the usual humming and cheerfulness from you when he sat down in the chair, but instead he was met with a silent and tense looking Y/N.
“Y/N, are you okay?” Seokjin asked softly, his eyes flickering to your face, and for a split second, he almost thought he detected something. Sadness, maybe?
For a moment, your movement halted as you glanced at him, eyes wide and unsure. You were quick to compose yourself.
“Mhm” You hummed and began to dab his face with a paper towel - a little harsher than needed.
You could feel his eyes on you, but refused to acknowledge them. Concentrating hard on the task at hand, doing it all on autopilot.
Seokjin wasn’t satisfied with your answer, at all. But instead of bombarding you with all kinds of questions, he was looking intensely at you as you re-applied his makeup.
Usually, the two of you would converse about anything and everything, so he wasn’t used to the awkwardness that came with the utter silence from you.
After what seemed like hours of silence, but were actually only a few minutes, his eyes lightened up as he suddenly remembered what you had mentioned a few weeks ago; This was your first time being overseas for a long period of time.
He decided to do what he normally did whenever one of the members were going through something similar.
“Did you hear the rumor about butter?” - “Well, I’m not going to spread it!”
You chewed on your bottom lip, stopping yourself from making any sound.
He kept doing all kinds of jokes, waiting for some kind of reaction from you. Even as no reaction came, he kept on going. As more jokes spluttered out of his mouth, he had more and more problems with keeping a straight face himself.
“What do you call cheese that isn’t yours?” - “Nacho cheese” He bursted out laughing at his own joke.
And that was the last straw, your walls crumbled as the hysterical laughter of Seokjin met your ears and your own laughter filled the room. It started out light but quickly turned louder and louder until you had to hold your stomach.
A smile formed on Seokjin's face, happy to hear your laughter.
2 1/2 MONTHS AGO - LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
For the first time that day you were all by yourself. You were curled up on the couch, enjoying the silence that came after the storm.
It had been a long and stressful day preparing the members and getting through the concert.
You let your eyes wander around, taking in the room. It was quite plain to be honest; it only held two couches and a table. It was clearly here the members had their down town in between sets and after the concert.
You closed your eyes and took a deep breath, clearing your mind and settled yourself deeper into the couch.
The last few weeks of the tour ended up nice and you had actually enjoyed yourself. Seokjin had truly made a difference; after he had shown his persistence to make you laugh, the two of you had ended up being... close.
He had become somewhat of a safe haven for you.
Whenever you needed someone to cheer you up or talk to, you knew you could go to Seokjin whether it was work related or more personal. He simply knew what to do and say to make you feel better.
The two of you could talk about everything. Well almost everything.
You couldn’t get yourself to mention how warmth was slowly spreading through your body whenever you were near him. You didn’t find it appropriate, and neither did you quite understand what it meant. Maybe it was just a little crush.
“What are you doing Y/N-ya?”
Surprised, you let out a piercing shriek.
You had been so caught up in your own thoughts that you hadn’t heard the creak of the door, nor had you noticed the shaggy haired boy whose head popped through the door frame.
“Seokjin-oppa! You scared me” You giggled and clasped your hands to your chest dramatically.
He sent you a charming smile and strolled into the room. You tried not to goggle obviously at him as he did so; he looked even better in the casual clothes he was wearing than the clothes he had been wearing on stage.
“You aren't doing anything important, right?”
He was looking around the room, trying to find any indication that you indeed weren’t doing anything ‘important’.
“Just enjoying the silence after the storm” you answered letting out a heavy sigh of relief.
“Would you like to go out for dinner?”
Your eyes widened at the alternate implication of his question. The calm feeling was replaced by a tingly feeling in your stomach.
As the words sunk in, Seokjin himself became flustered; face and ears heating up and turning a light red colour, and he was quick to correct himself:
“What I meant was: Do you want to join me and the rest of the team for dinner?”
“Oh”
You had been excited by the prospect of going out for dinner - just you and him. But you quickly covered it up with a smile.
“Yea. Everyone else is already ready and waiting at the entrance”
“I didn’t even know!” You pointed out in a high-pitched voice, still trying to hide your disappointment.
You then quickly gave yourself a look over and continue in a more sensible manner: “Give me two minutes then I’ll be ready.”
He offered his hand to you and you placed your own hand in his, letting him pull you to your feet. However, you weren’t ready and you fell into him.
A jolt ran through your body and your pulse quickened as your front was pressed up against his.
Immediately, your cheeks heated up and you were almost left breathless.
“Sorry” you mumbled and stumbled back, almost falling over your own feet in the process.
“Are you okay?” Seokjin asked softly, looking just as flustered as you.
“I will just fix myself” you mumbled, not really registering his question.
The BTS members, staff and yourself ended up in the cellar of a Korean restaurant. It gave you the needed privacy.
On your left side was a wall and on your right side sat Seokjin. You were studying his face while he - and everyone else - was having a good time, enjoying eachothers company and finally relaxing after an exhausting day.
You felt like an outsider again, leaning your head up against the wall, just nodding to the conversations that were going on over the table.
“Are you enjoying yourself? Or do I have to make you laugh again?”
You let out a gasp of surprise, startled by suddenly being pulled into a conversation.
Your reaction made him laugh, hard and after a few seconds of just staring at him you joined him.
Your heart fluttered at the sight of him looking so happy and carefree.
2 MONTHS AGO - SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA
It had only been a few days since you had arrived back in South Korea. Finally getting a break after working hard for three full months.
You had imagined that you would be enjoying yourself, being with your family and friends you hadn’t seen in months, but instead you ended up getting sick almost immediately after arriving home.
It had started out as just a simple cold, but as time went by it became worse and worse. You could hardly get out of bed because of how exhausted you were, only leaving whenever the need to eat or pee became too much.
Even as the clock approached 3 pm you were still in bed, rolled up in a bundle of blankets like an oversized burrito watching ‘Friends’.
Rachel and Ross were outside, standing on the balcony. Ross was staring at Rachel as he tried to formulate the words that were on his mind. He stumbled over his words as he tried to confess his feelings for her, when Rachel’s attention shifted from him to something behind him.
She began cooing as a fuzzy orange cat jumped upon Ross’ shoulder and vigorously attacked him.
You couldn’t contain your laughter as the scene rolled by, it was just too ridiculous not to.
The hoarse laughter filled the once silent room, but was soon replaced by gasping sounds.
You were gasping for air as your throat had suddenly seized itself closed. As if that wasn’t bad enough, you also felt a tightness spreading through your chest like someone was pressing down on your ribs - hard.
It went on for a short moment when suddenly your throat opened up just a little and a cough tore itself through you. Then as your throat opened more and more, more coughs started to tear through you.
The coughs were powerful, making you thrust your head forward with every cough.
When they finally stopped, your body slumped back as strands of your hair flew over your face, clinging to your forehead because of the sweat you had developed through the course of it.
Your chest was heaving, trying to control your breathing, yet your throat still felt itchy.
1 1/2 MONTHS AGO- TOKYO, JAPAN
It was weird.
Throughout the whole break you had struggled with your health, yet when you arrived in Japan your health improved out of nowhere. You were no longer coughing and neither were you shivering like a leaf because of a fever.
It was nice to be able to breathe normally again.
It was also nice to finally be outside and around others.
You hadn’t even complained when you had been stuffed into the staff bus instead you had joined in on the conversations that flew in every direction, while a smile had been plastered on your face.
The bus ride was short and soon enough you found yourself standing at the back of the stadium.
You were left breathless at the sight of the stadium; the sheer size of it was enough to leave an impression, but it was the way the glass-windows made a ramp towards the white dome-shaped roof. It was simply breathtaking - especially for one who never had seen it before.
A small smile formed on your face at the knowledge that later that day, it would be filled to the brim with screaming fans which made it even more incredible.
You jumped, startled from the sudden touch on your shoulder. You stumbled back in shock and searched for the perpetrator.
Your eyes widening as they locked themselves upon a pair of familiar warm eyes; you could recognize those eyes anywhere. Seokjin.
But before the two of you could greet each other a loud ‘clunk’ could be heard, making you both look towards the sound.
You hadn’t even noticed that your bag had slipped from your hands until the two of you looked at it laying on the pavement.
Neither did you notice that the two of you simultaneously reached for the bag, before it was too late and you bumped heads.
“Sorry” You mumbled in unison.
Then you reached for the bag and bumped heads again.
“Oh, gosh, sorry again!” you jerked upright, embarrassed.
Seokjin let out a soft groan before standing up.
Without a word he handed the bag back to you. Sudden a tingly feeling ran down your spine as your fingers brushed against his. An overall warm feeling settled in the pit of your stomach.
“Thank you, Seokjin-ssi”
“Well it was my fault you dropped it” Seokjin replied, his voice shaking slightly with laughter.
A comfortable silence settled between you for a moment before Seokjin spoke again.
“So ehm, what were you doing before?” He had a playful smile on his face, the one where one corner is quirked up a little more than the other.
“Nothing” you mumbled and your cheeks heated up, embarrassed that you had been caught staring.
“Tell me, please!” He whined with a big pout on his face.
How could you deny him when he looked like that? His head tilted to the side cutely with his plump lips forming a pout. It made you wonder how they would feel? How would they feel against yours?
Instantly your face paled at the thoughts. You couldn’t think of him like that. You knew that. So you tried to shrug off those thoughts.
“I just... well, it’s... big” You were stumbling over your words, still not having got the previous thoughts completely out of your head.
As soon as the words had left your lips Seokjin was bending over holding his stomach with laughter.
You weren’t quite sure why he was laughing until you thought your words through. Immediately your cheeks heated up as you realized how it could be interpreted.
“Not like that Seokjin!”
It simply made him laugh even harder.
“Sorry” He was trying to apologize while laughing.
“I was talking about the stadium. It looks gigantic and I have a hard time imagine how it’s going to look filled with people”
“Oh, so that’s what you were talking about” He teased while wiggling his eyebrows playfully.
“Of course!” You shrieked, looking at him with playfulness shining in your eyes.
Seokjin laughed at your reaction and you were quick to join. Your laughter joined the bird chirping in the trees becoming a beautiful symphony, if you had to say yourself.
“You look beautiful when laughing, Y/N-ie”
Immediately your eyes flickered down to your shoes and your cheeks flushed at the unexpected compliment.
“Stop it” You shyly nudged his shoulder.
“I mean it!” He said seriously with a slight laugh in his voice “your eyes turn into half-moons and your whole face lights up.”
“Yea yea, if you say so” you simply accepted the compliment, not wanting to start an argument with Seokjin knowing that he could go on for hours without giving up.
Silence settled between the two of you once again for a short while, before Seokjin faked a cough to get your attention. You looked up at him, eyes turning curious as you noticed the offered arm.
“Care to join me, my lady?” He asked, his whole demeanour turning to the Seokjin you knew.
You let out a giggle, feeling how your eyes crinkled as you did so. Nothing you had thought of before he mentioned it and now you couldn’t help but nothing you had thought about.
“Don’t mind if I do”
You took the arm he had offered and then the two of you began to walk towards the back entrance of the stadium, talking and laughing as you did so.
1 1/2 MONTH AGO - TOKYO, JAPAN
“Y/N!?”
You turned your head around, trying to find the source of the high-pitched voice that drowned out the R&B inspired track that was flowing through the speakers.
You lept out of the chair when your eyes landed on the person who had called your name. A rather stressed looking man was pacing towards you, looking like he wanted to rip his hair out.
Had you done something wrong? Would you be fired, right now, right here in front of everyone?
“You’ll have to take over for Jimin’s stylist, she just threw up”
“What about Seokjin?” You wanted to facepalm yourself for asking that, but it was the first thing that sprung to mind after the announcement.
“We got it covered”
“Oh, okay?” You weren’t quite sure how to react to it all, so when you saw the coordinator about to turn around, you took a hold of his sleeve and pulled at it to get his attention.
“Anything special th-”
You stopped yourself when he dismissed you with an agitated hand gesture before sending you a tight smile.
“I have to go”
You couldn’t stop yourself from staring at the back of his head as he left you to yourself, without any proper guidance as to what was to come.
With a heavy sigh your eyes flickered back to your station, deciding that it would be good to tidy it before all the chaos would break loose within the next five minutes.
As you fixed your station your thoughts drifted back to Seokjin; How would he react? Would he be annoyed? just as you were by the sudden change.
Maybe he would even miss your presence?
“Jimin-sii! Over here!” You yelled over the chaos that was created as the members returned backstage.
In that instant, Jimin reminded you of a child looking for his mother; His head whipping around with big eyes, trying to find you in the crowded room and when he couldn’t, a pout found its way to his face.
A staff member ended up having to take a hold of Jimin and lead him towards you and your station.
“Jimin-ssi” You greeted him with a bow before gesturing for him to take a seat in front of the mirror.
“Unnie has gotten sick so I’ll take over for the rest of the evening, I hope that’s okay?” you explained as Jimin made himself comfortable.
“No worries” His voice hoarse from singing but soaring with exhilaration.
You turned your attention to Jimin’s face, busying yourself with fixing his makeup.
As you began blending the colours on his eyelids, you heard an all too familiar laughter erupting through the room, making your whole body jerk, including your hand. The brush in it ends up jabbing straight into Jimin’s eye.
“Fuck”
You stared at him in horror, mouth turning dry with dread and your whole body was frozen in place. Even when the need to cover your face grew, your body didn’t react, it simply didn’t cooperate with your brain.
It felt like minutes you were frozen like that, but was probably only a few milliseconds, before you were apologizing profusely to Jimin.
You took a hold of his face and looked into his eyes, making sure that no harm had been done.
You traced a thumb over his cheek towards his eye and caught a single stray tear that slowly spilled from it.
“It looks okay, are you okay? Does it hurt?” You asked, still looking him over to be completely sure that he was okay.
“Just don’t stab me - again” He said in a serious tone, but the smile which had found its way on his face made it clear for you that he was pulling your leg.
Then you went back to the task at hand, fixing what damage you had done. This time you were extra careful, not letting any sound disturb with your work. But it didn’t stop you from glancing towards the laughter with pursed lips every now and then.
An overpowering feeling of jealousy spread in your stomach, only to be suppressed by a chest-crushing bitterness that was blooming in you, and a layer of fog appeared in your eyes. You tried to blink it away and ignore the tightness in your chest.
Stupid Seokjin kept laughing, shoulder shaking as he doubled over with half closed eyes.
Every now and then he would be clapping his hands whenever something ‘too funny’ was being said. You knew exactly what was happening; Seokjin had just told the female makeup artist the same lame joke as he had told you.
As your chest tightened even more, a sudden cough tore through you making you grab the sides of the vanity.
“Are you okay, Noona?” Jimin was worried, you had been fine just a minute ago and now you were crunched over the vanity, coughing your lungs out.
“Ye-e-a” You said - trying to suppress the coughing long enough to speak.
Jimin didn’t quite believe you, yet he didn’t word his concern as your coughing seemed to have stopped just as quick as it had started.
You shooed him off to the stage as you had finished his makeup.
As soon as Jimin was out of sight, you grabbed a tissue before bending over as if you had been punched in the stomach and began coughing again. A lot more violently than before.
When the coughing ceased, you moved the tissue away. Immediately, your eyes widened in shock; Inside the white tissue laid a crumbled rose petal.
4 WEEKS AGO - OSAKA, JAPAN
You had been searching every corner of the internet, trying to understand what exactly was wrong with you. It had become clear rather quickly that what you were experiencing was called: Hanahaki disease.
A disease born from unrequited love.
The signs were clear as day that it indeed was Hanahaki disease you were experiencing because what other disease made you cough up flowers?
It wasn’t anything like the common cold where most symptoms could be seen in other illnesses too.
However, there was something that kept nagging you since the whole premise of the disease was unrequited love; who did you love?
How could you attract a disease centered around unrequited love when you didn’t even know who it was you - supposedly - loved? It freaked you out.
Your mind had been on overdrive trying to find out who could be the reason behind it all, but none sprung out to you. Mentally you were going over every single person who you interacted with, coming up with reasons why it couldn’t be this or that person.
It had been quite easy until you came to Kim Seokjin and your mind went blank.
Sure, you may or may not have a little crush on the man, but who didn’t? He had the face of a Greek god and the personality of an angel, making him that more attractive to you.
Still it was simply just a tiny crush, something you had had multiple times before and that had never ended with you coughing flowers.
So who could it be then?
That was the question that kept popping up in your head, even as you set up your workstation it was all you could think of.
Lost in thoughts, you hastily set your things up before rearranging them over and over again out of unreasonable anxiety.
A heavy sigh tumbled out of your mouth and your fingers pinched the bridge of your nose, the frustration almost bobbling over in that moment.
You tried to calm down yourself; you closed your eyes and focused on your breathing. You breathed in for five seconds and then breathed out through pursed lips for five seconds.
You did this for a few minutes before opening your eyes and letting them flicker around, before you knew it, you were staring right at Seokjin.
Seokjin was walking side by side with another woman, someone you hadn’t seen before.
Who was she? And why was she here, near Seokjin? Your mind crumbled and your stomach turned at how her hand was caressing his arm and at how he was doing nothing to stop it, instead he had a smile plastered on his face.
Suddenly you were bent over as if you had been punched in the stomach and began coughing.
They continued tearing through you when your eyes widened all of a sudden; You put two and two together and suddenly it all made sense.
Yet you couldn’t face it, so instead you followed your instinct and fled the area.
You could feel your colleagues' questionable stares, but you didn’t stop, instead you set up your pace. Even as you heard your name being called you didn’t stop.
It was only when someone took a hold of you, making you stop in your tracks. Being twisting you around, making you come face to face with none other than Seokjin himself.
“What’s wrong Y/N?” He asked almost out of breath, hands on his knees while looking up at you.
You couldn’t help but admire him - and you hated it; How his brows were slightly drawn together, emphasizing the worry in his gaze. His cheeks were flushed and his plump lips parted as he breathed heavily.
“What’s wrong?” He repeated as his breathing had come a little under control.
You took a step back, distancing yourself from the man in front of you yet your eyes were still on him. As the two of you locked eyes the nausea came back instantly.
As if you didn’t have a hard time already breathing, it became shallower and shallower for every second that you were near him. You knew that soon you would be coughing your lungs out.
“Answer me!” It was clear that he was becoming agitated by being ignored.
His tone made you feel even worse and the first cough tore itself through your body. As another cough came through you, you were quick to bend forward as they kept tearing through you intensely, to the extent that white spots appeared in your eyesight.
The coughing stopped suddenly as you felt a warm palm on your shoulder, sending shock waves through your body and making you suck in air through your teeth.
“Please don’t touch me” You whispered, pleading desperately.
However, either he ignored what you said or he didn’t hear it because he kept a firm hold on your shoulder. His fingers were gently caressing you.
Why didn’t he understand that you didn’t want him near you? He had never shown any form of interest in you until now and it made you so angry.
“I said; Don’t touch me!” You yelled, ripping your arm out of his hold.
Immediately your coughing reappeared but you didn’t let it face you, instead you took a step back even as your legs were beginning to shake.
Seokjin didn’t listen this time either, he leapt towards you as soon as he saw how your legs were reacting, but you were quick to cower away.
Why didn’t he just listen to you, couldn’t he just leave you alone?
“Leave me alone, Seokjin!” You yelled, letting all of your frustrations out.
Then you turned around and fled for the second time of the day. You sprinted with all your remaining energy, even as your lungs felt like giving up both from the running and from the coughing, you kept going.
The adrenaline pumping through your veins, making it just a little easier for you.
Before you knew it you had slammed shut the hotel room door and slid down it.
No longer could you keep your emotions at bay; your eyes began watering and your vision became blurred. Within seconds tears were streaming down your cheek. You were sobbing and coughing uncontrollably.
You couldn’t love him. It simply wasn’t a possibility. How could you? You didn’t know him well enough to have that strong of a feeling for him, right?
You kept denying it even as it was staring right back at you. You simply didn’t want to believe it, but how else could you explain why you had memorized how his eyes clouded over whenever he was lost in thoughts, how his shoulders were shaking from laughter and his eyes shining.
You ended up falling asleep with the image of Seokjin in your mind, still huddled up against the door and with dry tears on your face.
Every hour or so you woke up because of a coughing fit ripping through your body. Even if you had wanted to move yourself away from the door, you couldn’t because of how your whole body - and soul - hurt.
A few days went by, and you had spent most of your time hiding in your hotel room alone, with only your thoughts to keep you company.
In the beginning you had been distraught by the mere idea of being in love with Seokjin. You couldn’t understand any of it, it simply didn’t make any sense how your tiny childish crush had evolved into something more - something a lot more. You didn’t understand how it had come to this.
And then you became angry; angry at the world, angry at Fate and how it had played you as if your life was one big joke.
The overwhelming anger consumed your being and made you lash out. You had never acted like this in your life before - ever.
You had been in such a rage that you weren’t even thinking straight.
All you wanted to do was scream your lungs out at the unfairness of the world. However, no scream would ever leave your lips instead a mixture of hisses and coughs would.
Your entire body was covered in cold sweat and trembling uncontrollably. The way your soaked clothes stuck to your skin was making you feel suffocated.
The hatred that filled you only moments ago seeped out like air from a punctured balloon. It left you with the overwhelming feeling of guilt and sadness. A sadness you never had experienced before, it almost felt like your heart was tearing itself in two.
You stuffed a fist in your mouth, suppressing the cries which threatened to make an appearance.
The realisation that it was Seokjin, who was the reason behind the flowers blooming inside of you had shocked you - yes - but that wasn’t an excuse for how you had acted.
You had acted childish, immature and totally out of order, letting your emotions get the better of you. It made you cringe inwardly with disgust.
As if that wasn’t enough to make you hate yourself, whenever you closed your eyes you saw Seokjin’s distraught face as you screamed at him. He looked as if you had kicked a puppy in front of him.
The memory brought distress and regrets with it, even making you nauseous.
You wished you could snap your fingers and make everyone forget what had happened, but it wasn’t realistic.
You had quite a hard time believing that Seokjin would ever be able to forget your interaction; forget how you had screamed at him like a crazy person.
You certainly wouldn’t forget it, especially if it had been the other way around. If he had been the one yelling and screaming at you for no apparent reason.
You weren’t sure what to do with yourself.
The guilt was eating you up and you knew that only one thing could help it going away; you had to take responsibility for what you had done.
You had to find Seokjin. Soon.
But first you were in need of a nap. Both mentally and physically drained after the whole situation plus you had doped yourself on pain medication for your throat and chest pain.
Sadly, the nap hadn’t gone as you had hoped; you had hoped that it would have come easy without much disturbance, instead it had been filled with the memory of you screaming at Seokjin.
However, it had been altered; no longer were you looking or sounding as yourself. Your voice had been robbed of its soft essence and became disfigured into a sinister entity of darkness that only promised hell. While you became bigger and bigger, Seokjin seemed to be smaller and smaller as you became more evil.
Suddenly you jerked awake; eyes flew open and hands grasping ferociously at your throat, trying to get the imaginary hands away from your throat. But it didn’t help, it still felt like someone was choking the life out of you.
Your vision started becoming blurry and white spots danced before your eyes. Gradually your body became numb and your senses faded, you wanted to scream but your energy was slipping away from you.
You were sure that you would be passing out soon, your lungs burning from gasping for air. The intense choking sensation suddenly eased when a cough tore through your body.
Tears sprang to your eyes and slowly trickled down your cheeks. You kept blinking to get your sight back and when it came back, a startled cry left you.
No longer was it only white petals that met your gaze, now the petals were splattered with a crimson hue. You rubbed one of them between your thumb and index; eyes widening as the colour transferred to your fingertips. It was blood - your blood.
You had to find Seokjin and it had to be NOW.
You felt as if you had been walking for an eternity, ending up at the basement of the hotel, you felt like giving up. When suddenly your ears picked up on something, eyes flickered around until they locked themself upon a door.
Was your mind playing tricks on you? You weren’t quite sure, so you inched closer to the door, nearing it you could hear the muffled sound of the all too familiar track “Idol”. You could also hear someone talking behind the door, it sounded a lot like Hoseok whenever he was in ‘dance teacher’-mode - but again you weren’t sure.
Biting your lip, doubt filled your head. Did you really have to knock on the door?
You weren’t even sure if BTS were in that room. And if they were inside, they were probably practicing and didn’t have time for anything else - especially not silly little you.
No, you had to be strong.
You had to face Seokjin and apologize.
And with those encouraging words echoing in your head you knocked on the door, waiting for someone to yell that you could enter.
So imagine your shock when the door instead was ripped open and you came face to face with none other than Seokjin.
This wasn’t how you had pictured it to go and it was overwhelming; your hands were clammy and beads of sweat peaked across your forehead as your heartbeat increased.
Neither did it help how Seokjin looked at you; he had a scowl on his face and his arms crossed in a tight manner. You could almost taste the disapproval that was raging from him.
“What do you want?” He sneered.
Immediately you casted your eyes down, unable to look him in the eyes, feeling small under his stare.
“Hnh, could w-” You swallowed the lump in your throat and a cough tore through you before you could continue, “could we talk?”
You lifted your gaze up from your feet and you looked at Seokjin with pleading eyes.
It felt as if he was looking right through you and you were slowly losing hope that he wanted to hear you out.
How stupid could you be thinking that he would want to talk to you after what you had done?
You were ready to turn around and run back to your room, but were stopped when he looked over his shoulder and began talking to someone you couldn’t see. Neither did you hear what was being said. Then he looked back at you, letting out a deep sigh before nodding his head.
Then the two of you found a secluded area to talk.
You opened your mouth and closed it again, unable to find the right words to say. You lifted your head to look at Seokjin, who was standing in front of you, his eyes locked upon you with an annoyed look.
“So?!”
Seokjin’s sudden outburst made you stumble over your words, trying to form some sort of apology in between coughs.
“What did you say?” he asked, his demeanor having changed slightly as he noticed your anxiety heightening.
Hearing his voice having turned soft - much more like the voice you adored - you looked up at him with big eyes.
“I-i-” you swallowed the lump in your throat and let out a deep and sad sigh, “I’m sorry”
As soon as the words had left your mouth, you ducked your head into a bow while you squeezed your eyes shut in embarrassment.
If you hadn’t lowered your head in embarrassment you would have seen the expression in Seokjin’s eyes soften drastically, they even held a glint of kindness as he waited for you to continue.
As seconds went by and no sound came from Seokjin’s mouth, you no longer could keep your head lowered and your gaze flickered up to him.
You noted he seemed to have calmed down a lot since his sudden outburst only minutes ago.
It made a sudden burst of confidence surge through you and an apology spilled out of you. You were shocked by how calm your voice was.
“I’m sorry for what I did - for how I acted. I should never have screamed at you like a mad woman and for that, i’m truly sorry and I hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive me”
However, the confidence vanished just as quickly as it had appeared under the scrutiny of his eyes.
Was he analysing you? Trying to find out if you truly meant what you said?
Dread washed over you; scared that you hadn’t sounded remorseful and that he wouldn’t accept your apology.
But it was all turned to dust when a smile stretched over Seokjin's face.
“You are forgiven, but please try not to let the pressure get to you. Come talk to me or someone else instead of... - you know” He said softly, adding the last two words with sternness.
You let his words settle in and relief flood over you. He forgave you.
You took in a deep breath before opening your mouth to thank him for his forgiveness, but instead a high shriek left your lips as you were knocked into.
You didn’t register the faint ‘sorry’ that the pepetrature said as they ran past you.
How could you when you were flushed up against Seokjin? Your palms were firmly planted on his hard chest while his big hands were clamped at your waist, steadying you. You could feel the heat rise to your face and stomach fluttering.
“Are you okay?” Seokjin asked, eyes full of concern.
You nodded your head, scared that if you spoke your voice would be trembling.
A few seconds went by before Seokjin noted the position the two of you were in. Immediately, his cheeks heated up and turned red and so did his ears.
Your eyes locked upon each other and it was as if the time stopped, as if the two of you were the only one in the world.
His dark eyes were like the night sky, sparks of gold flickering as if God had put the stars in them.
Without thinking you stood on tippy toes, reaching up towards him while he leaned down towards you. You felt his hot breath over your nose. A smile forming on your lips and you closed your eyes.
The butterfly in your stomach was going crazy in anticipation.
But the kiss never came and the warmth of his hands left your waist.
Confused, you opened your eyes and saw why; He had straightened and appeared troubled, unable to meet your gaze.
“What’s wrong?”
“I can’t Y/N. You are a nice girl, but I can’t” He replied,
“Oh” You took a step back, making distance between the two of you.
You felt a stab of pain in your heart and the air was knocked out of you, lungs contracting because of the flowers blooming in your chest. You had to get away from the situation - get away from him.
“You should probably go back to practice” you said, dismissing him.
You could see that he was dying to say something, but you knew that whatever he was going to say would make you break down.
“Let's just... forget this” You said sternly and turned around leaving Seokjin behind.
2 1/2 WEEKS AGO - TAOYUAN, TAIWAN
After the whole incident with Seokjin, you had done everything in your power to distance yourself from him.
You had even tried to talk to your supervisor about the possibility of swapping artists with one of your colleagues. Unfortunately for you it wasn’t possible. You were stuck with Seokjin.
It had bummed you out massively because you didn’t know how to act around him. Not after the clear rejection he had sent your way. But you had to suck it up and do your job while keeping your distance whenever it was possible.
To be honest, you thought you had done a rather good job.
Still it didn’t mean that others hadn’t noticed the sudden change; How you had been pulling away from both Seokjin and your colleagues. No longer did you anticipate in long - deep - conversations with them (and you missed it. alot).
However, it didn’t seem to faze Seokjin. Instead he seeked conversation elsewhere and it hurt. Even more so when his flirty nature seemed to flourish in these conditions.
The same couldn’t be said for you. Your coughing had become worse and it never seemed to be gone for more than twenty minutes. The petals had also become a frequent sight.
It had taken a toll on you. Whereas you had looked healthy and happy, you now seemed gaunt and tired.
Today was no different.
You had used extra time trying to cover up the tell tale signs; the dark circles beneath your eyes emphasized the fact and your cheeks having become sunken and hollow as though you hadn’t been eating.
With the thought of having done a good job covering up your dull appearance you had hoped your day would have gone... okay.
But who were you kidding?
As you stepped into the work room, you caught sight of Seokjin at your workstation with another woman, it made you stop in your tracks.
You pressed your lips together in a tight line, trying to suppress the pain you felt.
Neither did the subtle touches that passed between them go unnoticed.
You could literally feel your heart breaking.
So it didn’t come as a shock when you suddenly bent over sharply as if you had been punched in the gut. You couldn’t hold the coughing in anymore and let them roll through you.
You were so focused on the pain that you didn’t notice that someone had neared you, it was first when you felt a hand on the middle of your back. You didn’t even have to look up to know it was, you would know his touch whenever.
He was caressing you softly.
“Are you okay?” his voice was so close to you, that it made you jump a little, before a new fit of coughs tore through you.
“Yea I’m ju-” you were interrupted by coughs.
Even as the coughs tore through you, you knew that something more was about to come, so you fumbled with your backpocket for a tissue. You pressed it to your mouth and coughed some more.
The tissue became moist and when you looked, it had drops of blood spattered on it.
1 1/2 Weeks ago - LOCATION UNKNOWN
“Are you firing me?!” You demanded.
This wasn’t what you had expected when you had been called to have a talk with your manager.
“Firing you? No no no, that’s not what I’m doing” Your manager huffed in exasperation.
“Then please enlighten me because it feels like you are firing me”
“I’m not firing you”
“You sure about that?” You retorted in a slight mocking way, something you normally wouldn’t do but the anger and most of all confusion was going to your head.
“Listen to me, goddammit!” The way he raised his voice made any sneaky remark that had been on the tip of your tongue getting swallowed.
“I’m not firing you” He repeated in a much gentler voice but still professional.
“Then what is this?” You whispered with a frown on your face, eyes casted down to your feet that were shuffling around nervously.
A reply didn’t come immediately, your manager pondering how to word his next sentence.
“I didn’t want to say this, but you look like hell”
Your gaze flickered up, opening your mouth to retort but found your words stuck in your throat when he added:
“-and i’m not the only one who has noticed”
You shuffled around uncomfortably and tried to hold in the coughing, but were unsuccessful. Two or three hacking coughs sneaked their way out of you. Luckily, it stopped quickly.
“I’m good, so no worries sir”
You knew no one would believe you; you panicked and those were the words that had left your lips in a trembling manner.
“You don’t have to lie, Y/N”
The softness of your manager's voice made it clear to you that he knew something was up, that you weren’t well - that you were sick. With what he didn’t know, but he knew you were sick.
“- and therefore I’m sending you home”
You opened your mouth in objection but shut it again when you noticed the stern look he sent your way and you knew nothing you had to say would change it.
He had the final say.
5 DAYS AGO - SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA
Days had gone by since you had been sent home and at first, it had been okay - yes, the illness had gotten worse, but it hadn’t affected you much.
However, it quickly took a turn for the worse.
No longer did you have the energy to leave the comfort of your bed unless it was absolutely needed. You had even stopped eating anything that wasn’t in liquid form because of the throbbing pain you felt in your throat whenever you had to swallow - or do anything else for that matter.
As you were drifting in and out of consciousness, you heard the muffled sounds of someone talking and the soft knocking on your door? Or was it just something you imagined, you weren’t sure so you didn’t answer.
However, the knocking continued and you panicked when you thought you heard the words; “Open up, it’s the police”.
Panicked because you didn’t want them to see the mess you and your apartment had become. How the dishes were stacked in the sink and around on every surface, tissues overfilling the bins making some lay on the floor. It was a mess and so was you; still wearing the same pyjamas as you had days before.
In your panicked - and sick - state you opened your mouth in an attempt to answer them. Yet no words left your mouth, only scruffy sounds escaped you, ragged gasps.
In that moment, You were in so much pain, your whole body was simply too tired and began to shut down.
Your vision became blurry as sharp pain shot through you, like someone was clawing at your chest. The overwhelming taste of iron filled your mouth and lungs with each breath until you blacked out.
The annoying beeping sound was what woke you up. You reached for the alarm on your bedside table to make it stop, but when your fingers didn’t find the alarm - or the bedside table.
The beeping became louder - more high-pitched than before and more frequent.
Panicked your eyes flicked open. You were met with a too harsh lightning, making you shut them immediately again.
“Oh thank god, you are finally awake miss Y/L/N”
PRESENT - SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA
The steady beeping of the heart monitor had been going on for two hours now, making the surgery team be at ease. Nurse Nam used a machine to suck the blood out of the operating field, so the surgeon could remove the flowers that had wrapped themselves around your lungs.
They had been shocked when they had opened your chest, seeing just how much had been blooming within you. It was easily the worst case any of them had seen, yet you seemed to pull through.
However, it’s never that easy, is it?
It all happened so fast. How the high-pitched beeps of the monitor suddenly decreased significantly, making everyone stop mid-motion. Their eyes flickered towards the monitor and then back at you.
You had started bleeding from your mouth and nose. It was a terrifying sight.
Nurses and surgeons watched in horror as your heart stopped beating.
“Fuck” someone mumbled under their breath.
“She’s going into cardiac arrest!” Nurse Nam yelled over the panic, trying to get everyone going.
“Quick do CPR” Nurse Nam yelled again, making the surgeon who already had his hands inside of you take a hold of your heart and began pumping it manually.
In your dream-like-state the dim light you had been staring at was becoming brighter and brighter at every second that went by. It was almost as if it was calling for you.
You stood up from the ground and walked towards it, with a skip in your step. You no longer felt any of the pain that had been plaguing you for weeks and that was making you happy - with each step toward the light, you felt more and more peace.
Seokjin x Namjoon x reader | Established Relationship | Crack | PG | wc: 1400
Prompt: “April Fools!” - “That was so mean… We should do it to xx.”
This is part of The Spring Will Come Again Event.
⟶ warnings: Pregnancy, slight cursing.
Banner made by the lovely @birbdae
Beta read by the amazing @sugasbabiie and @hesperantha
|MASTERLIST|
The first rays of the morning sun peeked through the gaps of the bedroom blinds, illuminating the place in an almost fairytale-like glow. It awakens you from your slumber by tickling the folds of your closed lids gently waking, resembling the warm touch of a lover.
You yawned as you stirred awake, stretching your limbs while soaking up the warmth of the sun. Slowly, you roll over on your side, hand desperately searching for the softness and warmth of your partners - only to be met with complete emptiness.
Immediately, your eyes snapped open as you stared at the space beside you while your fingers continued to graze the spot.
A frown found its way onto your face as you realized that Namjoon and Seokjin must have been gone for quite some time as the spot had turned cold.
You wondered if they had tried to wake you up to inform you of their departure and you simply couldn’t remember - or, had they let you sleep in?
You did have another terrible sleep last night - - having woken up multiple times due to the baby growing inside of you spending the night head-butting you in the bladder, leading to quick runs to the bathroom.
As you wondered, you knew it was most likely to be the latter since the Kim’s always - always - put your wellbeing first, even if it meant not saying farewell or getting their morning kisses (and leaving you slightly annoyed (and a little sad)).
There was no point in denying it, you had become used to waking up to the sight of them; either by waking up in their arms or them waking you up before leaving for work.
Your eyes fluttered shut for a short moment, but before you could fall back to sleep, you were being kicked in your ribs repeatedly by the baby, making it clear that it was time for you to leave the bed and get something to eat.
Slowly, you pulled the sheets from your body, and with a bit of difficulty, you placed your feet on the slightly heated wooden floor.
With sluggish steps, you began the “long” walk toward the kitchen, a hand resting on your growing belly. A wide smile found its way to your lips as you felt another kick, this time much lighter than the previous ones.
“I know - I know, you are hungry” you chuckled while caressing your belly.
Even with the pain and discomfort the little bundle of joy brought upon you, you couldn’t hide the smile that spread across your face. (But that didn’t mean you couldn’t wait for them to be born).
Still, with a hand on your stomach, you reached toward the cabinet to get a bowl; while doing so you felt a prickling sensation on the right side of your lower abdomen. A feeling you had become familiar with ever since entering the second trimester as your ligaments stretched to support your growing stomach.
The feeling lingered as you filled the bowl with frosties, poured chocolate milk over it, and added a few ice cubes too. Then you walked over to the dinner table and, using a hand to guide your descent, settled down in one of the chairs, letting out a long sigh of relief now that you’re no longer having to stand on your swollen feet (another unpleasant symptom of the pregnancy).
You began eating the rather odd breakfast combination, almost letting out a moan in pleasure as it touched your tongue.
This is so much better than sex, you thought to yourself.
While you stuffed your mouth full of frosties, your eyes were locked upon your phone as you scrolled through TikTok. You suddenly stumbled upon a video that caught your attention. It was a prank video; a woman faking that her water broke while filming the reaction of her partner.
You couldn’t hold back the laughter; it was simply amazing watching how the man wasn’t sure of what to do.
And as your laughter died down, you wondered how Namjoon and Seokjin would react. You decided that you’d give it a try since you only had the fun you made yourself.
After you finished eating the cereal and put the bowl in the sink, you started planning how you would pull off this prank.
However, it didn’t take you long before you were drained of energy once again, so you headed to the bedroom and just lay down for a bit.
You awoke to the sound of the door slamming shut, you blinked and looked around confused for a few moments until you heard cheerful shouting from downstairs.
“I’m home!”
Hearing Seokjin’s voice brought a smile to your face as you pushed yourself out of the bed.
“I’m upstairs!” you yelled back.
As you walked down the stairs, you saw Seokjin standing at the bottom and decided it was the perfect opportunity to do the prank.
“Seokjinnie!” you welcomed warmly, but suddenly stopped in your tracks and put on a pained expression.
Immediately the smile was wiped away from Seokjin's face and replaced with confusion
“Fu-u-uck” you whispered dramatically and grasped your stomach.
“What’s wrong?!” Seokjin inquired, his voice high-pitched and filled with panic.
He ran up the stairs to get to you and took a hold of your arm, making you look at him. His eyes held nothing but panic and a hint of anticipation.
“I - I think my water broke” you whispered, your voice hitching at the end.
“Shit” he cursed - something you rarely hear.
But before he could do anything, you could no longer contain yourself and began laughing hysterically.
He looked at you, confused; “Wha-”
“April fools!” you cheered, a hint of laughter still in your voice.
“That... that was so mean!” He sounded so exasperated that immediately you regretted what you had done. You opened your mouth to apologize when his face broke into a mischievous smirk; “We should do it to Namjoonie!”
It didn’t take much convincing from Seokjin before you agreed and planned how the two of you would do it.
Later in the evening, the three of you were sitting on the couch watching television. You were fidgeting with Namjoon’s fingers, making him look over at you every now and then, however you simply replied by kissing his hand every time.
Seokjin coughed and your eyes flew over to him, and he signaled that it was time for you to put the plan into action. You nodded your head, and pulled your hand away from Namjoon’s, making him look at you with concern, “Anything wrong babe?”
You gave him an awkward grimace.
“I just have to pee, Joonie” you answered, giving him a quick kiss on his lips before pushing yourself up from the couch.
You shuffled around until you stood behind Namjoon and took a deep breath before, you clutched the back of the couch and your fingers touched Namjoons hair in the process. Then, you sucked in a deep breath and crouched over a little.
“Shit, shit, shit” you repeated in panic.
Both Namjoon and Seokjin whipped their heads back and looked at you with wide eyes.
“What’s wrong babe?” Seokjin asked, feigning concern, using his acting background to make the whole ordeal look real.
“I-I-I think my water broke” you cried out, voice full of panic. Your eyes flickered between the two and you tried to make yourself look scared. You might not have Seokjin’s acting chops, but you did try to give him a run for his money.
Both of them jumped up from the couch, but Namjoon fell in the process - even as he tried to get up he stumbled around while Seokjin had already taken you in his arms, making a show of calming you down.
“What - what should we do?!” Namjoon repeated, looking between you and Seokjin, fumbling his phone out of his pocket and dropping it in the process.
Seokjin couldn’t keep up the mask and began laughing, making Namjoon look up from the phone he had finally picked up from the ground, confused.
“It was just a prank, Joonie” Seokjin confessed, but as soon as the words had left his mouth you felt a tug in your lower abdomen followed by a warm gush of water trickling down your legs.
Hybrid!Namjoon x Human!reader | Angst and Fluff | PG-13 | wc: 10k
╰ The small-town life had always appealed to you, so when the opportunity came to leave the big city you took it. Welcoming a more calm existing, where you could be near nature and without disturbance. What you hadn’t expected what to meet a half-human creature one night.
⟶ warnings: swearing and a sprinkle of angst.
Big thanks to @mindays for beta-reading and @mikroparadise for helping me with all my ‘stupid’ questions.
|| MASTERLIST ||
After having finished your shift at the local library for the day, you made sure that there were no more visitors. You quickly walked towards the door and stepped out onto the porch, locking the door behind you. Your fingers had a firm grip on the door knob, twisting it to ensure that it was indeed locked. You let out a soft sigh, finally you could head home.
As you walked down the steps, the cold wind hit you right in the face and sent a shiver down your spine. It made you stop to secure the scarf around your neck and clutch your jacket tighter around yourself before starting walking again.
The narrow path you were walking at this time of the day would normally make people think twice before going that way, but you walked these streets six out of seven days a week and knew them better than the back of your hand - even when the darkness had settled.
As you walked, you looked at the trees around you; admiring them and their gentle movements and enjoyed the smell of the soft pine that emanated in the cold air around you. Birds were chirping as they flew about in the trees and the sound alone made you smile. It was all a constant reminder of why you had moved to the small-town in the first place.
You had tried to live in the big city but it had been clear rather quickly that it wasn't for you. You didn't appreciate the 'excitement' that the city had to offer, neither did you like how the noises kept going even after midnight. You never had a silent minute. But worst of all, you didn't like all the people; how crowded it was everywhere. Still, you stayed until you finished your degree.
You enjoyed the marks of history which the small town had; the older and generally more gothic-style architecture which covered the streets and the smaller, narrower and tortuous roads. It wasn’t something you saw in the city, no, instead it had been replaced with wider streets and modern skyscrapers so more people could be living there.
The streets which would have been filled to the brim with people at every time of the day if you had stayed in the city, was empty with only you walking them - and you enjoyed it. Enjoyed having the streets all by yourself as you could enjoy the sound of nature and its beauty without any disturbance.
Unconsciously your steps slowed down as your ears picked up on a high pitched noise. It stopped as quick as it had come, if not quicker.
You stood, frozen, noticing how the evening seemed to have gone silent; The birds were no longer chirping their evening song, neither did the leaves rustle in the wind.
The silence made your stomach knot and burn with worry, you felt your throat tighten and palms become sweaty. Something was off, you were sure of it. How else would you explain how the atmosphere had switched from joviality to gloomy and tense within a fifteen minute time period.
You took a good look at your surroundings, only seeing the lamp-posts near the buildings on one side and the trees of the forest line on the other side. Then you looked behind you, and neither there did anything look out of the ordinary.
Maybe it had simply been your mind playing tricks with you, it wouldn’t be the first time and neither would it be the last.
Even as your mind was screaming at you that something definitely was wrong, you still kept walking towards your house.
When you reached it, you fished out your keys from your jacket and were just about to unlock the door, when your ears picked up on the same high pitched noise again. This time it was louder though.
“What is that?” you asked out loud and took out the keys, letting them slide back into your pocket.
You turned around and listened more intensely than before. You could hear slight whimpering and occasionally it went an octave higher, becoming a high pitched howl.
Could it be a dog?
The high pitched howl brought you out of your frozen state. You stepped down from the porch and hesitated for a second, and then firmly walked towards where - you thought - the sound came from.
It wasn’t logical, for all you knew, it could be a serial killer waiting out there for you, but still the thought of an animal being in pain tugged at your heartstring and pulled you towards the sound.
You came to an abrupt stop, eyes widening as you notice where the whimpers came from; a narrow alley. One of the few places you had yet to wander around - in the daylight. The lamp-posters light didn’t even reach the deepest part of the alley, it was swallowed in darkness.
The instinct to turn around and run back to security, your house, was huge but disappeared as soon as the whimpers became louder. Without a second thought, you put on your big girls pants, took a deep breath and walked with small steps down the alley.
Your eyes were flickering around, never staying on something for more than a few milliseconds before flickering around again.
You fumbled for your phone, setting up the flashlight as the alley became darker the deeper you went.
Your heartbeat quickened and if it wasn’t humanly impossible, you would have been scared that it would jump out of your ribcage.
You nearly choked on your breath when you saw where - or more exactly who it came from; A man. He was huddled against a dumpster, maybe in hope of having found shelter from the cold. Even with a blanket wrapped tightly around him, he was shivering like a leaf.
It was a miracle that he hadn’t frozen to death.
You shined the flashlight at the man, trying to get a better look at him; He was wearing poor clothing that had been stitched up in various places, just like the blanket. Just like his clothing, the man himself looked to be in poor condition. His face was contracted in agony, and cold sweat streamed down his face, making him look ill - almost, deathly.
Yet even in this state, you couldn’t help but note that he was handsome.
His dark locks sticking to his forehead and his long lashes accentuating the dark circles under his eyes. He had full cheeks, a wide button nose and a rounded chin with a strong jawline. He had patches of what appeared to be dirt splashed over his face. His cracked lips hung open, breathing raggedly in between whimpers.
You caught odd movement on the top of his head, it made you take a step closer to the man, trying to get a better look at what may have caused the movement.
Were those ears you could see? You rubbed your eyes.
You didn't have time to get a proper look as you heard a terrifying growl and found the man's eyes snapped open in alarm, looking right at you.
You stumbled backwards, letting out a yelp as you landed on your butt with a thud. You caressed the spot where your back meets your ass, letting out a soft hiss. No harm had truly happened, but you were sure you would be sore for the next couple of days.
As you recovered from your little stunt, you noticed that your phone was no longer in your hand, instead it ended up a few feet away from you with it’s flashlight turned upwards.
Should you reach for it?
Your hand stopped mid-air and whipped your head around to face the man, who was growling at you again. He looked quite aggressive, a snarl locked on his face as he bared his teeth yet he didn’t scare you, instead you could see the pain coming from his eyes.
"A-a-are you okay?” you whispered, voice trembling.
You didn’t receive a verbal response instead the man simply growled at you. He seemed adamant on intimidating you trying to get you to leave him, yet as scary as he looked at that moment, you couldn't leave him. You just couldn’t.
"You look cold..." You gave him a quick look over, eyes falling on something that looked like dried blood around his chin and neck, then continued in a even more cautious tone, "and in pain."
"Leave me alone, human!" he snapped, showing off his sharpened canines.
"But you are freezing!" You tried to reason with him, not letting the negative name get to you.
He observed you with narrowed eyes and nostrils flaring as you undid your scarf from your neck.
Unfortunately, you didn’t notice and took the silence as a sign of permission from him and tossed the piece of cloth towards him. He was growling even louder than previously, and you jumped back, raising your hands up in surrender.
"Sorry, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you, I promise!" You yelped in a panic-stricken manner, trying to make it clear what your intentions were.
“I want to help you - Here!” You said, offering the piece of cloth once again; this time you approaching in another way. You slowly reach your hand out to offer him the scarf, waiting for him to take it from you.
He stared at the cloth, waiting a few seconds before pushing his head forward and sniffing the air. It didn’t seem like he had anything against it since he then reached for it.
You were still sitting on the ground, not moving an inch as you observed him. He was looking at the clothing, hands clutching it before he took it up to his nose and sniffed it.
You thought you heard a soft moan, but you pushed it aside and simply smiled.
A few minutes went by where you simply watched him as he relaxed, no longer looking intimidating instead he looked a little childlike.
However, the cold was beginning to bother you, a tingling sensation and numbness was creeping over your body as if you had been in the freezer section for too long, and you didn’t want to stay out any longer than necessary, so you decided to take a leap of faith/conversation.
"I'm Y/N." you introduced yourself with a kind smile, trying to get him comfortable with you and your presence.
The want to inch closer to him was growing as his demeanor had changed but you still didn’t, remembering the previous way he reacted when you neared him.
“What’s your name?” you whispered.
Instead of ignoring or growling at you, he looked at you with big eyes. It was easy to see that the wheels in his head were turning, trying to wrap his head around what exactly was happening.
"Namjoon." He introduced himself in a low, rough voice, an obvious sign of the state he was in.
It was a beautiful name and you were sure that it would match when he had cleaned himself up.
The two of you simply stared at each other. His eyes were flickering around, trying to calculate what was to happen and what your intentions were.
“I’m freezing and I guess so are you, Namjoon-ssi” your voice was gentle and swimming with kindness.
Slowly he nodded his head, looking at you with big eyes.
“I know you don’t know me…” you stopped mid sentence, biting the inside of your cheek as you tried to find the right words for what you were to say next, “but I would like to take you home with me.”
His eyes widened - if that was even possible - then they hardened and narrowed into slits. His ears flatten against his head and leaning away from you as he lets out a louder, threatening growl.
Immediately your hands flew up in surrender.
“Just for the night!” You quickly said to reassure him that you meant no harm, but it fell on deaf ears - apparently.
“What do you want? “ Namjoon said coldly and slowly, it almost felt like a threat.
“What?” you were dumbfounded, not quite understanding what was happening.
“WHAT DO YOU WANT!?” He shouted, baring his teeth and snapping at you.
Your heart took a frightened plunge. You took a trembling step back, almost tripping over your own feet in the process, your hands raised. Your palms were clammy and sweat dripped slowly down your spine. You tried to calm yourself down by taking a few deep breaths and exhaling slowly.
He may have thought that you would finally leave because of him shouting at you, but you wouldn’t. You couldn’t for some reason.
Instead you took one more deep breath before talking in a slow and gentle manner: “I didn’t mean any disrespect, I simply cannot let you stay out in this kind of weather. What if you freeze to death?”
You couldn’t quite identify the look on his face, maybe it was shock but you weren’t sure and in that moment you didn’t really care instead you continued talking: “Please Namjoon-ssi, come home with me for the night and if you don’t like it there, then you can leave tomorrow.”
“You can get some food, a warm bath and a warm place to stay for the night. And I promise you, you can leave tomorrow if you don’t like it there.” You urge, trying to convince him to come home with you.
You took another deep breath before you held your hand out towards him. He stared at it for what felt like an eternity, but was probably only a few seconds, when a cold hand wrapped itself around yours. Your eyes widened, shocked that he actually had taken your hand yet you tried to stay calm and gave him a kind smile before helping him up from the ground.
He stood tall - a lot taller than you had thought - he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, focusing all of his energy to stand on his legs. You held onto his hand, trying to warm it up as he looked at the spot he had been sitting at.
“Are those yours?” you asked, having noticed that there were a few belongings near the spot Namjoon had been sitting. He nodded his head but didn’t move an inch, so you kneeled down to gather his things.
You couldn’t find your scarf there and looked back at him, noticing that he held it tightly in his hand. You gathered his things; the blanket and a few smaller belongings that obviously had a significant meaning for him such as his glasses, a notebook, and a few polaroid pictures.
As you stood up, you gave him a smile and for the first time, he returned it. It looked a little awkward but it didn’t matter to you, you were just glad that he finally was loosening up a little and trusting you.
The two of you were looking at each other, no one talking when Namjoon slowly reached his hands forward. Immediately you understood what he wanted and willingly you gave him his things back. He held them tightly against his chest as if he was scared they would disappear.
“Ready to go?” you asked, your voice a lot gentler than normally.
Namjoon nodded his head.
The two of you walked towards your home in a slow pace, Namjoon’s every step was wary and a clear sign of what the man had experienced. Furthermore, it didn’t help that his eyes were flickering around and jumping every now and then whenever a noise came out of nowhere.
Suddenly a hand was wrapped tightly around yours again, you looked down and saw it was indeed Namjoons. When he noticed what he was doing he was about to let go, when you stopped him.
“It’s okay, It’s okay Namjoon.” You said in a motherly manner, reassuring him that it was okay and that he would be okay.
It must have helped because he didn’t let go of your hand, instead he gave it a little squeeze and a smile automatically pulled at the corner of your lips. It was a good sign.
“I know it ain’t much, but it’s home.” you said, unlocking the door and leading Namjoon inside of your small house.
He watched with caution as you slipped out of your jacket and shoes, and then entered the living room, leaving him behind at the entrance of your house.
He looked around with narrowed eyes, taking in every detail of his surroundings. The ears on top of his head were standing tall and twitching to the sounds you made a sound; the clicking of the light switches, the clank of keys hitting a surface and the soft sigh leaving your lips.
He still hadn’t moved an inch from the spot you had left him, he wasn't sure what to do and neither did he want to lose the small feeling of security he felt by remaining at the front door - the only means of escape.
There was a minute of silence that was only disturbed by the soft creaking of the wooden floor, making Namjoon aware that you - or someone else - were walking towards him.
Even though he had heard footstep nearing him, he was still caught off guard when you suddenly stood in front of him and coughed two times.
His eyes settled upon you; eyes full of curiosity as to what you wanted.
“Would you like to have a shower?” You asked softly.
He tilted his head to the side and his eyes locked themselves upon yours, he needed to understand what your motives were. He was trying to find some evil motive behind your actions, but his gut instinct told him that he could trust you. That was why he ended up slowly nodding his head.
“I think I even have some clothes that will fit you.” you said and gestured for him to follow.
You guided him through the house and to what he believed to be the bathroom when he abruptly stopped, his nostril flared as the sweet scent of vanilla and peaches became a lot stronger and slapped him in the face. He nearly growled when he breathed in the scent.
His eyes flickered around the room - your bedroom - it must be where you spent most of your time.
The room contained a bed, emerald green pillows sat on it, varying in size and shape, the throw matched the pillows, a dark wooden nightstand with a lamp and a small bonsai plant. On the opposite side of the nightstand/bed stood an old shelf full of books and the occasional plant. The white walls stood in big contrast to the dark colours of your furniture, but it reminded him of you and it seemed cousy - almost homely.
A grunt shifted Namjoon’s attention, his eyes settling upon you and he couldn’t contain the rumble of a growl ripping through the back of his throat at how close you suddenly were, it made him step backwards almost stumbling over his tail.
“Sorry.” you apologised. It was easy to see that you meant it.
“It’s ok.” He mumbled, slightly embarrassed by how his reaction.
You stepped to the side and gestured for him to follow you again; “Come”
He swallowed - hard, before he followed you again and soon he found himself in the bathroom.
You began explaining and showing him how the shower worked, how to control the amount and temperature of the water, and where to find soaps and shampoos.
“I will put your clothes and towel here.” you said softly, putting them on top of the countertop and giving him a reassuring smile.
“Take your time Namjoon-ssi and if you need anything, just call.”
You walked out of the door, closing it behind you and giving him some privacy.
He quickly locked the door and leaned against it, making sure that you indeed had left and weren’t waiting for him to be in a vulnerable state and then make your attack.
Two minutes went by like that and when he was sure that you indeed had left, he walked towards the hygiene products you had shown him. He took each bottle up to his nose and sniffed, making sure that he picked one that wouldn’t overpower his sense of smell. He picked the ones which didn’t have any artificial smell to it.
Then he stripped out of his clothes, almost having to peel them off himself as it had turned into a second skin.
As he was standing naked in the middle of the bathroom, he looked for a brush, eyes lightening up as they locked upon a brush near the sink. He was about to reach for it but stopped. Suddenly he wasn’t quite sure if he was even allowed to use it, you hadn’t said that he could use it.
He was frozen in place as his mind was racing, trying to contemplate what to do. He remembered how open and friendly you had been, and decided to take the chance. He took the brush in hand and began - or tried to - comb out the mats in both his hair and tail. Every now and then he would flinch as he had to pull extra hard to get the comb/brush through his tail.
Finally feeling satisfied with his grooming, he decided now was the time for showering; he turned on the shower, letting the water flow for a few seconds as the temperature regulated itself and then he stepped underneath the water.
He couldn’t contain the sigh which slipped out of his lips as the hot water sloshed over his body. The heat soothed his aching muscles, calming him down.
He worked the unscented shampoo into his hair, he was extremely gentle when he neared his ears before he moved onto his tail. He began rinsing off the shampoo, the water turning brown as the dirt turned to sludge and travelled to the drain. He repeated this action two more times to be sure that he indeed was clean.
Then he rubbed the body soap onto his body, making sure that he reached every inch of his body with the soap. He was almost scrubbing his body red in an attempt to get all of the dirt off his body. When the water no longer was brown and instead had turned it’s normal colour, he was happy.
He was finally clean.
A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he began massaging the conditioner into his hair. It was the first time since he had begun his grooming that he really enjoyed himself.
He had missed this; missed showering and feeling clean. He let out a sigh of relief as he finished working the conditioner through his hair and then rinsed it out.
He knew he couldn’t stand under the water forever, so he enjoyed the last few minutes he had in the shower before he then turned it off and stepped out of the shower.
He reached for the towel and began drying himself.
It was such a nice feeling. No longer was his tail tangled or flat looking, it was now back to its natural state; fluffed out and clean. Then he slipped on the clothes which you had provided him.
He couldn’t stay inside of the bathroom forever, he had to face you sooner rather than later. Even though he wasn’t sure how to approach you, he knew that you weren’t going to hurt him. You had only shown him kindness, he kept reminding himself as he slowly neared the door and unlocked it, leaving the comfort of the bathroom.
“Y/N-ssii?” Namjoon called, looking around for any sign of you. When you didn’t answer, he called for you again this time louder than before; “Y/N!?”
“In the kitchen, Namjoon!” you yelled, your voice a lot louder than what he was used to and it made him flinch out of instinct.
He was embarrassed that he flinched, making him swallow as he tried to calm his nerves before going back to the task at hand; finding out where the kitchen was. He sniffed the air. He frowned, noting how your scent had changed. It was now mixed with a strong smell of chemical - giving the calming vanilla and peaches a bitter aftertaste.
Still he could easily sniff you out and walked towards the scent.
He ended up at the entryway of the kitchen and leaned against the doorframe, watching you. He couldn’t suppress the smile which tugged at the corner of his lips; you were doing a little dance as you stirred the pot on the stove.
You looked over your shoulder and found Namjoon at the door opening. Your eyes widened and you could feel your blood flowing to your cheeks in embarrassment.
Had he seen you dancing? If so, how much had he seen? You shook away the silly thoughts, then gave him a shy smile.
“Sit down, Namjoon,” you commanded in a soft voice.
You sat down a bowl full of chicken-noodle soup in front of him. A light blush covered his cheeks as his eyes flickered between you and the soup, before whispering a soft ‘thank you’.
If you hadn’t seen his lips move you wouldn't have thought that he had said anything.
“Anytime, dig in.” You gave him a big toothless smile, almost making your cheeks hurt in the process.
You watched as he ate. He started out in a slow manner however, the act didn’t last long and he began eating like a starved man, the entire bowl disappearing in minutes.
He was slightly embarrassed by himself; ears tucked down to his head and eyes lowered in shame.
“Do you want more?”
Namjoon whipped his head, almost snapping it in the process as he looked at you. His eyes wide and full of wonder: Really, was what they said.
You sent him a reassuring smile and reached for his bowl yet you didn’t take it, you waited for him. When he scooted the bowl towards you, your smile grew. It was a sign that he was slowly warming up to you.
After giving the bowl back to him, you sat down opposite to him and watched him as he ate. You were nipping at your own food as your eyes devoured him, taking in every little detail of his appearance; Already looking a lot better than when you had left him in the bathroom.
His skin was no longer pale and neither were it covered in dirt instead, he was sporting a tan with a few discolourations; darker spots adoring his face from the middle of his forehead down to his eye and the side of his cheekbone. Another one was peeking up from his shirt.
His hair was no longer matted with sweat and tangled in knots it was now damp, towel-ruffled, sticking out in every direction. The ears on top of his head had also become a lot more full and fuzzed up and the same could be said about his tail.
You had already forgotten about the ears and tail until you were staring at them and hearing the thumps when his tail was hitting the chair. You hoped he wouldn’t think you were rude because of you
“What are you?” Your hand flew up to your mouth in embarrassment by the three words that had tumbled out of your mouth without much thought.
Your eyes flickered over to the man in front of you and was saddened by what you saw. He looked at you with big, wide eyes full of something that looked like fear. You weren’t sure if it was because of what you had said or your movement, you didn’t want to give him the wrong impression.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.” you apologized as you looked down at your food, poking at it, no longer feeling any form of hunger. Instead you now felt nausea, feeling disgusted by what you had asked.
“I’m truly sorry.” you continued apologizing, eyes almost tearing up by the feelings and thoughts that had manifested in you.
If you had been looking up, you would have seen that Namjoon was watching you and was slowly reaching out his hand, when his hand touched yours, he gave it a quick squeeze before retreating his hand again.
He tried to comfort you.
“It’s okay…” he said, looking down at his empty bowl and then up at you again.
He took in a deep breath and then let out a sigh: “I’m a hybrid.”
A few minutes went by as you let it all sink in; you had heard about hybrids before and had even encountered a few when you had lived in the city, but none of them were quite like Namjoon.
No, the ones you had encountered had resemble their animal counterpart a lot more, and were owned and treated like pets by humans. Namjoon, however, resembled more a human that simply had a pair of ears and a tail. He also acted more like a stray..
He had sounded so unsure about telling you, but you couldn’t help the nagging voice telling you to ask him the question that was on your mind.
“What kind of hybrid are you?” you asked slowly, unsure if it was okay for you to ask.
He rubbed his neck in a nervous manner as a short, deep chuckle left him. A smile tugged at the corner of your lips, it was like music for your ears and you ended up joining him with a light giggle.
When the laughter died down he sent you a small smile, his dimples on display.
“I’m a border collie.” he said happily, it was the first time ever since you had met him that he sounded so certain of himself.
After his revelation, the two of you finished up eating without any conversation and you ended up standing at the counter, putting your plate down in the sink.
Namjoon neared you with hesitation; wanting to help clean up the ‘mess’ he had created. But you simply put up your hand and hushed him away from the sink.
“I will clean it later.” you said softly.
“Come, I’ll set up a place for you to sleep,” you said and walked towards the living room with Namjoon on your tail.
You walked over to the couch, you stripped the couch of all of it’s blankets and cushions, throwing them on the ground and then rearranged the couch cushions to make space for Namjoon’s larger frame. Then you took the softest of the blankets and laid it across the couch as a bedsheet.
After doing so, you looked around the room, looking for Namjoon. Your eyes were flickering around, almost becoming anxious when you didn’t find him immediately, but your heart calmed down when your eyes locked on him. He was standing in the corner, shifting his weight on his legs awkwardly and watching you. You gave him a reassuring smile.
You went to grab a duvet and a pillow from your bedroom and when you entered the living room again, you noticed that Namjoon had left the corner and inched closer to the couch.
A tiny smile formed on your lips.
“These are for you, Namjoon-sii.” you said softly, showing him both the duvet and pillow, before putting them down on the couch and stepping away.
He cautiously neared the couch and looked at the arrangement you had made him. He touched the duvet, letting out a soft sigh before looking over his shoulder, his eyes finding yours.
“Thank you.” he whispered, voice trembling slightly but you didn’t comment on it.
“If you need anything I will be in my room, okay?” you said softly, letting him take everything in.
He nodded his head indicating that he had heard what you said.
“Goodnight Namjoon.”
“Y/N-ssi?” A voice called your name, stirring you from your sleep.
The room was enveloped in darkness when your eyes fluttered open, you couldn’t see anything so you reached for the bedside table lamp and flicked it on. You let out a yelp as you saw Namjoon standing beside your bed, a lot closer than you had anticipated.
With a hand against your chest, you tried to calm down your heart.
“Sorry.” a quiet voice mumbled followed by a whimper.
Your eyes whipped up to look at Namjoon, noticing how distressed he looked; Sweat was covering his body, drawing in shallow, ragged breaths and a troubled look on his face.
“Namjoon,” you were concerned, making you sit up straight in the bed: “What’s wrong?”
“Nightmare.” he mumbled, eyes locked on the ground.
“Do you want to talk about it?” you asked softly, reaching out for him but stopping before you touched him.
He shook his head from side to side. You didn’t take it personally that he didn’t want to open up to you - it was personal - instead, you nodded your head and gave him a soft smile.
“That’s okay.”
Even though he wasn’t ready to talk to you about his nightmare, you couldn’t help the nagging feeling in your gut, telling you that you shouldn’t let him leave.
You scotted to the side of your bed and patted the empty space beside you.
“Come.” you said softly and groggily.
“A-a-a-r-e you sure?” he asked unsure of himself and with wide eyes looking at you, trying to decide whether or not this was a trap.
Instead of answering him verbally, you simply patted the empty space again. You gave him a reassuring smile and waited patiently for him to decide if he wanted to take the invitation or not.
With hesitation in his eyes he slowly crawled into the bed. Even though the bed was already quite large and you both easily could be in the bed at the same time, you scooted over a little more to make more space for him and therefore also make sure that the two of you weren’t going to touch each other.
“If you want to have the bed to yourself, I can take the couch.” you said as you came out of your groggy state, suddenly remembering how he wasn’t fond of physical contact or being that close to you.
Before you could leave the bed, Namjoon had taken a hold of your arm and looked at you with pleading eyes.
“Please stay,” he whimpered before covering it up with a fake cough and continued; “It’s your bed.”
You didn’t say anything, instead you moved back to your spot in the bed, turning off the light with a tiny smile on your face. You had an idea that it wasn’t only because it was your bed, but also because he didn’t want to be alone after his nightmare - and you understood without any question.
You were lying completely still on your back with your hands above the duvet, as you listened to Namjoon tossing and turning, trying to get comfortable as he wasn’t used to sleeping in a bed.
No longer hearing tossing and turning, you began relaxing and was near sleep when you suddenly heard a single whimper.
“Are you okay?!” Frantically you flicked on the light and looked over at Namjoon.
A sigh of relief left your lips as you saw a very asleep Namjoon beside you, making you switch off the light again. The room enveloped in darkness once again and you closed your eyes welcoming sleep.
You woke up a little before noon the next morning. You blinked, your eyes becoming accustomed to the light, it was then you realized that someone was sleeping next to you and for a fraction of a second, you were startled until you remembered what had happened the day before.
You slipped out of bed quietly, letting Namjoon sleep some more. Your eyes lingered for a couple of seconds on his sleeping form; he looked different - so peaceful - before you hurried out of the bedroom.
Without changing out of your pyjamas you went to the kitchen, opening the fridge to see what you could offer for breakfast. You weren’t quite sure what Namjoon liked, so you ended up grabbing a carton, some ham and toast bread. You couldn’t go wrong with french toast and omelette.
Within twenty minutes the dinner table was set and the food was almost ready, therefore you thought it would be great timing to wake up your guest.
It was a little weird knocking on your own bedroom door, but you did it anyway.
“Mmm yes?” A deep, hoarse voice could be heard.
You opened the door and stuck your head in, sending a shy smile to Namjoon as your eyes locked on his frame.
“Morning Namjoon-ssi, breakfast is ready whenever you are.” you spoke softly, giving him a tiny smile.
He nodded his head and let out a yawn in the process, then he stretched himself to a sitting position and rubbed his eyes.
He looked a bit sleepy with his eyes half-shuttered, rose coloured cheeks and tousled hair; that stuck out in every possible direction.
“2 seconds.” he mumbled, scratching his hair and smacking his lips tiredly.
You nodded your head and closed the door, and went back to the kitchen where you waited for him.
“I have to make a quick stop at work today.” you informed Namjoon.
“W-o-o-or-r-rk?” he stuttered, lips slightly parted and eyes were as wide as they could stretch.
You nodded your head hesistiantly before elaborating shyly; “Yea, I work at the local library.”
His facial expression changed within an instant, his dark eyes lighting up at the word ‘library’ and the corners of his plump lips lifted up.
His smile was contagious, and unconsciously, your own lips curled up into a smile and a soft giggle left your lips.
“You like books?” you asked and was met with frantic nodding from Namjoon;
“Do you want to come with me? We can even find some books for you while we’re there.”
Namjoon was no longer looking like the nerve-wreck he was yesterday, in this moment, he looked more like a puppy that just got its favourite toy back. The food no longer interesting, instead, he was bobbing his leg up and down, and his tail wagging around every now and then hitting the chair with a smack; he couldn’t wait to go to the library.
“Then let’s get ready.” you said, hand around the mug and lips near it before sipping at it.
You almost snorted the liquid out of your nose because of the reaction you got out of him by those four words. He had sprung up from the chair, scrambling to his feet and bouncing on the spot from excitement.
“Ain’t you a excited one?” you giggled.
You took the used plates from the dinner table and put them in the sink, you weren’t going to wash them right now because of how excited Namjoon was to go to the library. Instead, you walked towards your room when Namjoon didn’t follow you immediately, you threw a look over your shoulder and gave him a smile.
“Come, let’s find some clothes for you.”
He scrambled from his spot and followed you.
The two of you ended up in your bedroom in front of your closet. You crouched down and began looking for some new clothes for Namjoon.
You looked over your shoulder, making eye contact with Namjoon and handed him some clothes. He accepted the clothes, giving you a grateful smile in the process.
“You can change in the bathroom and then we can meet at the entré” - “and just cut a hole in the pants for your tail”
He nodded before leaving the room with his hands full of clean clothes.
Your eyes widened as you saw the man in front of you. He looked good. He looked real good, the food and sleep had indeed done him wonder.
The black jeans were hugging his legs from the top to the bottom to perfection and the white sweater was a little to the bigger size, and in the middle of his chest were the letters ‘FG’ printed.
“You look good.” you mumbled shyly, your cheeks heating up both at what you said but mostly because you had been caught staring.
“Thanks,” he replied and added a low and flustered “you too.”
Your cheeks heated up even more and you were sure that you had turned the shade of a tomato. In embarrassment you turned around and looked directly at the coat rack, trying to hide your reddened face.
A minute went by like that; in awkward silence and you hiding your face. When you suddenly noticed something out of the corner of your eye and reached for it.
“Namjoon.” though it came out a little high pitched, you face him.
He looked at you with a lifted eyebrow, a little confused by your behaviour.
“Here,” you handed him a beanie and a jacket, “so you can cover your ears and tail”
Hesitantly he took the beanie and carefully put it on top of his head, covering his dog-ears. Then he slipped the jacket on, curling his tail around his upper body so the jacket would cover it.
You weren’t sure whether or not you should explain to him why you gave him the two pieces of clothing because you didn’t want him to think that you didn’t want to be associated with him, a hybrid.
No, you did it because you knew how hybrids - in general - were looked down upon especially at the outskirts of land. Neither did it seem like he wanted the attention which would come with him showing off his animal parts.
After you made sure that his ears and tail indeed was covered and it didn’t look suspicious, the two of you left your house and began your walk towards the library.
The streets were a bit busier than usual probably because it was Saturday which meant that most weren’t working and therefore they had time to enjoy the small town and what it could offer.
Your eyes flickered between the streets and its people to Namjoon; he was fidgeting with the hem of his jacket as his eyes flickered around, trying to calculate every person's move and what their next might be.
The two of you were greeted with friendly hello’s and smiles, and while you returned every single one of them, Namjoon became even more quiet than before.
You didn’t even have to ask why he was behaving like this, you already knew the answer; he didn’t like the attention.
You noticed how it was becoming too much for him; he began haltering in his steps when some of the locals came too close to comfort.
Instead of continuing walking, you stopped and without a second thought took a hold of his hand, making him stop too. You waited for him to look at you, it took a few seconds before he did, but when he looked down at you, you gave his hand a squeeze.
“I know an alternative route, you want to take it?” you asked softly, your thumb soothing over his knuckles, tracing different patterns.
He nodded his head as his face turned a little red, embarrassed how you saw right through him.
You didn’t stop holding his hand instead you lead him by the hand, making him follow you.
As the two of you stepped into the library, the warm air slapped you in the face, hard. Your cheeks turning red and a bit swollen by the change in temperature.
“This is where I work, Namjoon-ssi.” you stated, undoing your scarf from around your neck and zipping open your jacket.
He bobbed his head up and down as he looked around, trying to take everything in; from one end to the other shelves were filled to the brim with books, and every now and then in between two bookshelves a few chairs was scrambled around a table.
His eyes were big and full of adoration when they settled back on you, and you couldn’t hold back the smile which tugged at the corner of your lips and the soft giggle which left your mouth.
“So, what kind of books are you interested in?” you asked full of anticipation for what he would answer but when he didn’t, a thought crossed your mind; maybe he didn’t know? You wanted to facepalm yourself of your own stupidity.
“Do you like fiction or nonfiction?” you simplified your question.
His eyes were flickering around as his mind went into overdrive.
“Fiction” he replied.
“Okay. Do you like something with action, drama, humor or romance?” you elaborated.
“Action and drama, I think” he replied a bit unsure.
“Then follow me, Namjoon” you said and gave him a confident smile as the two of you began your walk through the library, only stopping when you came to the bookshelves holding the books which you had thought would match Namjoon.
“You can sit down here” you said and walked over to a chair, patting the back of it and continued with a smile; “Then I will just pick a few books out for you, and you can look them over and tell me what you think”
He did as you said, sitting down in the chair and scooting himself closet to the table. He looked up at you with anticipation shining bright in his eyes.
You wanted to coo at how adorable he looked, but you held it in and began picking out a few books which you thought Namjoon would like.
“You can start with these.” you spoke in a soft manner, but it also held some of the authority you had when working.
You didn’t even have time to put them down on the table before Namjoon had reached for one, taking the book which was on the top of your ‘tower’ of books. He even ended up brushing your hand in the progress, making you smile shyly.
“Thank you Y/N-ssi.” He thanked you before he began reading the back of the book, his tongue sticking out of his mouth as he did so. He looked so concentrated even when he switched from one book to another, and then he would put the book into one of two stacks; the ones he liked and the ones he didn’t like.
Feeling a little embarrassed as you had stared at Namjoon for a little too long for your own comfort, so you pulled your roots out of the ground and began hunting for more books.
This was what you loved most about your job as a librarian; the hunt after books. The hunt to find something that would perk the interest of someone who didn’t know what they liked, it meant that whatever you found was going to be fundamental for the person and their likings in books.
“Here is some more.” you said softly, not wanting to scare him as his face was buried in the book he had in hand.
You slowly put the newly picked books down on the table and sat in the chair opposite of him.
“Thank you.” He didn’t even lift his gaze from the book when he thanked you, but you could still see the smile on his face and his small canines were showing.
You looked at your wrist watch and was gobsmacked by how much time had went by, it had simply slipped out of your fingers as you had ‘read’ a book - or more precisely, you looking at Namjoon as he flipped through the pages of the book he had decided he wanted to read.
“We should think about heading home.” you said softly, but he didn’t react at all to what you said instead it seemed as if he was even more interested in the book than before.
“Namjoon, please, we can take some of the books home with us.” you said in a commanding voice, one you often used to lecture the young kids who visited the library,
It got his attention, he whipped his head up from the book he had been buried in.
“Really?” He asked full of hope, when you nodded your head, he scrambled all of the books together he liked and stood up from the chair.
“I’m ready then!” he said with the books pressed tightly against his chest.
And even though the library policy was against lending more than five books out to one single person, you couldn’t say that to him.
How could you? He looked absolutely adorable, truly like his animal counterpart with his big brown eyes shining with admiration and fondness.
As the two entered the house, Namjoon was quick to slip out of his outerwear and then sprint into the living room still with the books clutched to his chest. He wanted to start reading immediately, that you knew and you weren’t going to tell him off, instead you went to the kitchen and began cooking dinner.
With the pasta and meat cooking, your mind drifted to the man in your living room; Who was he and where did he come from? How had he ended up in your little town? Had he been a stray all of his life or was it only recently he had adopted that lifestyle?
You wanted to ask him all of these questions, but you weren’t sure if it would be appropriate for you to snoop in it and neither weren’t you sure that he would answer your questions.
Suddenly water spilled from the pot and fell hissing to the stove, bringing your attention back to the task at hand. You quickly pulled the pot off the stove and drained the pot for water. You dumped the spaghetti onto two plates and poured the meat-and-vegetable-stew over it.
“Namjoon, dinner’s ready.”
“Namjoon, you can’t read while we eat!” you said with a huff, annoyed at what you saw; he was sitting opposite you with a book in hand, still reading even though the two of you were to eat.
He snapped his teeth at you snarling, growling.
In a flash, he lowered his head and ears pinned down to his head, a shocked look on his face; eyes wide as he realized what he had done and it emerged into one of guilt and remorse.
“I-i-i-” He opened his mouth but no more came out of his mouth.
You put up your hand, stopping him from talking. You knew what he was about to say; he was about to apologize for something that was a part of his instincts and it didn’t really offend you.
“Just eat, okay?” you said in a slight stern-manner.
His eyes flickered from you and down to the plate before he gave you a curt nod. When he thought you weren’t looking, his eyes flickered up on you again. You noticed that his eyes were slightly watering, before his eyes flickered away.
“I’m not angry at you, Namjoon.” your voice was a lot more soft than before and you reached a hand towards him, letting it linger in the air for a few seconds before touching his hand. The touch made him look up, you gave his hand a light squeeze.
“Then when we are finished eating, we can enjoy a movie or read a book.”
He sent you a tiny and shy smile as a light blush covered his cheeks and his human ears and he began digging in.
When you were finished, you took your plate to the sink and rinsed it off. A light humming emerged from you as you began washing the used cooking ware.
“Let me help.” Namjoon’s deep voice made you jump and let out a small yelp.
You looked over at your shoulder and saw Namjoon with his ears pinned down and tail tucked between his legs. His eyes wide - probably shocked by your reaction - and nipping at his lower lip while he held his dirty plate in his hand.
“Oh.”
you were slightly taken aback before taking a few breaths to control your heartbeat that had increased massively after the shock.
“I will wash, you will dry, okay?” you sounded like a caveman, trying to form a simple sentence.
He nodded his head frantically, taking the kitchen towel and then the two of you began the task at hand.
It felt rather domestic, the two of you just standing next to each other, you giving him the washed dishes for him to dry as you hummed the same tune as before and before long Namjoon joined in on it.
“Thank you for helping, Namjoon-ah.” you said, suddenly feeling shy under his eyes.
It was the first time, you noticed how he towered over you. It could have made you feel intimidated, but somehow you knew he wouldn’t hurt you - or else he would have done so earlier, right?
“No worries,” he stuttered, trying to use the same words you so often used whenever he thanked you or wanted to apologize.
“Let’s go rest, I think we deserve it.”
The words had only left your mouth when he began bouncing on the spot, then he walked to the living room, still with a bounce in his steps. A soft giggle left your lips as you followed him, the small tic making him look even more like a puppy than human.
You ended up on the couch sitting on the opposite site of each other. Before getting yourself comfortable, you reached for the tv remote and turned on the television. You switched through the channels until you settled on one which was showing ‘10 things I hate about you’ for the third week in a row.
You got yourself comforfortable on the couch, shifting around until you finally found the perfect position. You were curled into yourself, your head popped up on a cushion and arm tucked under the cushion.
You tried to watch the movie, but whenever you blinked it began taking longer and longer for you to open your eyes again. You really tried to get yourself to stay awake but you simply couldn’t. You even began reasoning with yourself why it was okay for you to fall asleep on the couch; It wasn’t as if Namjoon was paying attention to the movie or to you for that matter.
instead his attention was on the book in his hands which he had been reading the whole day until you had forced him to stop reading before dinner. And it had also been a long day, not that you had done more than usual, but somehow the thought of having another being living with you took its toll on you.
You let out a stained groan as you were roused from your slumber by the sudden heat embracing your body.
Your gaze flickered around lazely, you were no longer on the couch instead you were pressed up against a hard and warm chest.
“I’m taking you to bed Y/N-ah, okay?” he said shyly, looking down at you with heated cheeks.
“Thank you, Namjoon-ah.” You mumbled, not noticing the blushed covering cheeks as you closed your eyes. On instinct you nuzzle your face against his chest, and a rumble went through it.
“Goodnight Y/N-ah.” Was the last thing you heard before you blacked out.
You woke up with a smile on your face, but it quickly disappeared when you noticed how the other side of the bed was cold and empty; Namjoon wasn't next to you and by the coldness of the bed, he hadn’t been there for some time.
You looked at the side in disbelief before your gaze searched the rest of the room, but you didn’t see him.
Sliding out of your bed, you thought that Namjoon maybe simply couldn’t sleep and instead of staying in bed and waiting for you to wake up, he had maybe gone for something to eat. Yet when you searched the kitchen you saw no Namjoon, and neither was he in any of the other rooms.
You became frantic, searching each room more than a few times while you called his name, but you didn’t find him the second or third time you searched your house and neither did he respond when you called for him.
As you were searching your mind was racing, trying to come up with any logical reason for why you couldn’t find him and when those scrambled, you tried to come up with logical reasons for why he had disappeared.
After what felt like an eternity you slumped down on the couch, the two of you had shared the day before, feeling an overwhelmed sadness almost consuming you.
Hadn't you treated him good enough? or had he known the whole time that he didn’t wanna stay with you.
Suddenly you noticed a small blue notebook on the coffee table, you leaned forward and reached for the book. You didn’t open and look in it, instead you held it in your hands trying to understand what it meant.
Maybe he had forgotten the notebook?
You thought to yourself, but was quick to shake that thought out of your head, he wouldn’t have forgotten it.
Firstly, it was one of his most prized possessions, you had noticed this already in the alley and secondly, it was easy to see that it had been left on the coffee table on purpose.
Was he coming back?
Maybe he really had just gone for a walk and was coming back soon, or maybe he had left it on purpose for you - like as a parting gift? but neither did that make sense for you.
Part of the BTS writers collective’s Secret Santa project, this is a little gift to the lovely @chillingkoo.
Banner made by the amazing @guktro.
Beta read by the sweet @taerseok thank you so much.
|| MASTERLIST ||
Never had you not celebrated christmas with your family neither had you ever thought you wouldn't, but 2020 had been one hell of a year. It had been a year full of changes and ‘firsts’ - including christmas.
You had thought you could have gone home to your parents to celebrate Christmas.
However, it quickly became clear that it wouldn’t be possible because the second wave (or was it the third?) of the pandemic hit and lockdown was a reality once again.
Once more, you had to limit your social activities and stay at home as much as possible, which meant no longer attending classes on site and neither could you go home to your family at the other end of the country.
This lockdown somehow was even harder than the first; you locked yourself up in your room, only leaving whenever the need for food or a bathroom became too evident to ignore.
You sighed as you trudged away from the fridge with the leftovers in hand and looked for a fork.
Then a sudden cough made you whip your head around and you locked your own eyes with a pair of big brown doe ones.
His dark hair had become significantly longer than you remembered; It was parted in the middle, some was tucked behind his ear while the rest waved past his sharp jawline.
His thick arms bulged with muscles under the black shirt that was stretched to its limit and a pair of gray sweats hung low on his hips.
“-ou okay?”
“What?” you asked puzzled, not having heard what Jungkook had said.
“I asked: Are you okay?” He repeated, the worry clear in his tone.
“Yeah,” You replied, trying to sound nonchalant.
You didn’t want to continue the conversation, but Jungkook didn’t seem to get the hint and continued on.
“You sure? You haven’t left your room for a few days.”
“I have.”
“The bathroom and kitchen don’t count!” He snapped harshly and immediately regretted it as his eyes widened at the sound of his own tone.
“I’m f-” your voice hitched in your throat as your eyes watered and you lowered your head.
He looked at you with sad eyes and took a step toward you. He didn’t say anything. Instead, he simply held out his hand for you to take and pulled you into him.
His body heat transferred to you, making a chill run down your spine as you cried into his chest.
“It’s okay,” he whispered, caressing your back.
A few moments went by like this; him simply holding you in his arms and whispering empathizing words. It only ended when you pulled away, wiping away the dried tears with your sleeves.
“Thank you,” you mumbled, slightly embarrassed by your sudden breakdown.
With your head still lowered, you began your ‘walk of shame’ out of the room, when Jungkook called your name. There was a sudden halt, and heat rushed to your cheeks as you looked over your shoulder.
“Lets celebrate Christmas together.”
You lifted an arched eyebrow at him, slightly surprised by the sudden request.
“Since we have to stay here anyway,” he added hastily, flustered by what he had just asked of you .
You nodded your head without thinking much over it. It was a good idea because as Jungkook said you weren’t going anywhere, so why not?
A small smile found its way to your face as you saw Jungkook doing a little happy dance; Hips swaying from side to side and hands clenched into fists as they moved up and down.
He looked like a happy little kid.
Later that week, you ended up on the couch, snuggled up in blankets like one big burrito and watched television with drowsy eyes.
You weren’t really focusing on whatever was shown on the screen because of how your eyes were flickering between the screen and Jungkook, who was wandering in and out of the room. Every now and then he would be bringing something back with him and setting it down on the floor.
Shortly after Jungkook had left the room once again, you could hear rustling coming from another room.
A few moments went by like this, when the sound of heavy footsteps were added to the rustling.
What was Jungkook doing?
Suddenly Jungkook walked in carrying an evergreen tree, making it slowly dawn on you what was happening and your hands clasped over your mouth in shock.
“Kookie…” you breathed, touched by the gesture.
He looked over his shoulder and sent a satisfied grin your way before leaving the room once again.
It confused you.
Why would he leave after doing that?
Luckily, the confusion only lasted a few seconds before Jungkook again entered the room, but this time he had a big cardbox in his arms.
As he settled down the box, he turned around to look directly at you.
His big doe eyes shone in the lowly dimmed living room light.
“Want to help with decorating?” He asked with a lifted eyebrow and a bunny smile on display.
A smile stretched itself over your face and eyes twinkled with happiness.
You jumped off the couch, almost falling face-first in the progress. An intense warmth quickly spread across your cheeks, colouring it a pinkish colour.
If it wasn’t embarrassing enough, you picked up on a soft cuckle, making you snap your head up and locking eyes with Jungkook. You flushed even more; He had seen everything unfold and found it all quite amusing.
With timid steps you scurried closer to him while taking deep breaths to calm down, trying to assure yourself it wasn’t that embarrassing.
You stopped right beside Jungkook, eyes flickering between the tree, cardbox and him.
He was looking back at you and giving you a dazzling smile, making your cheeks heat up once again. You gazed down to the ground before looking back to him, smiling back.
“So... what now, Kookie?”
His eyes widened and a pink tint covered his cheeks, surprised by your sudden playful tone.
“Ehm... let’s decorate the tree,” He said shyly before scrambling toward the cardboard box and opening it up.
You looked over his shoulders, taking in the contents of the box.
It was like Jungkook had opened a treasure chest filled to the brim with shiny and glittery things. There were colourful glass baubles, ornaments of angels, snowflakes and some were even made to look like Santa Claus. A few of the ornaments looked to be very old and others looked brand new.
While you had been in awe at what you saw, Jungkook had begun untangling the lights and draping them on the branches.
You joined him in the decoration of the tree, carefully placing all kinds of ornaments on it, making sure that no spot was left naked.
As you decorated the tree together, you could hear him hum the oh-so-familiar tunes of Christmas carols.
You hadn’t noticed yourself joining him, until he came to a sudden halt and you looked at him with wide eyes, face flushing flaming red.
His eyes were filled with surprise but were quickly replaced with a fond look and a bunny smile.
Then he began humming again and you joined - a little later.
When the two of you were done decorating the tree, you looked at it with a pleased look.
“Let’s turn on the light!” You said, almost bouncing on the spot, once again looking like an excited child.
Jungkook nodded with a chuckle and switched it on.
The light burst to life, spreading a warm glow over everything in the room.
You stared at it in awe. The feeling of an arm being slung around your waist made you look towards Jungkook in surprise. He didn’t stop though, only pulled you closer to him.
Your head fell onto his shoulder.
“Merry Christmas,” He whispered, kissing the top of your head.
╰ The small-town life had always appealed to you, so when the opportunity came to leave the big city you took it. Welcoming a more calm existing, where you could be near nature and without disturbance. What you hadn’t expected what to meet a half-human creature one night.
Pairing: Hybrid!Namjoon x Human!Reader
Genre: Angst and fluff
Rating: PG/PG-13
Word count: Estimated 4-5k
A/N: This is a fic preview for the lovely @interludemoonchild ’s birthday (You know you love all of us Captains). The full fic will be released in start June.
"A-a-are you okay?” you whispered, voice trembling as you spoke.
You didn’t receive a verbal response instead the man simply growled at you. He seemed adamant to intimidate you, trying to get you to leave him yet as intimidating as he looked at that moment, you couldn't leave him. You just couldn’t.
"You look cold..." You gave him a quick look over, eyes falling on something that looked like dried blood around his chin and neck, then continued in an even more cautious tone, "- and in pain."
"Leave me alone, human!" he snapped, showing off his sharpened canines.
