#bangtanscenerycollab

[luxekook]

petal to the metal ✿ jjk

✿ pairing: jewelry-maker jungkook x florist reader

✿ genre: idiots to lovers, fluff, slight bits of crack and angst

✿ summary: every sunday, the farmers’ market took place in the center of town. vendors from near and far traveled to sell their crafts, their produce, their teas. as the local florist, you figured that running a booth each weekend would boost your business and bring in new clients. at least, those were your reasons in the beginning. but, now? now, you returned just for the handsome jewelry-maker whose booth was next to yours. 

✿ word count: 7k

✿ warnings: pg15, slight innuendo, mention of alcohol, noona!reader, mutual pining, memes, vmin as teen prom dates, chaotic 2seok + joon as jk’s bandmates, scheming yoongi as reader’s assistant, sweetheart jungkook tries his best but doesn't succeed, one (1) make out scene uwu

✿ beta’d by: the gracious phia @meowxyoong​

✿ banner by: the talented queen of banner-making maggie @kimtaehyunq​

People, to you, are not unlike bouquets of flowers - uniquely complex with traits grown and cultivated throughout the years and brought together to form meaning and personality. It is far too often that you assign flowers to the people you meet in passing. 

The boy running down the sidewalk chasing a butterfly is a blooming bunch of crocus (youthful gladness) and daisies (innocence).

The young woman storming out of the cafe after dumping her coffee on what you assume to be her ex is a flurry of peonies (anger) and black-eyed Susans (justice).

You find your flower assignments to be a fun way to pass the time when sitting alone in a coffee shop or walking along the beach.

They are decidedly not fun when you are caught staring unabashedly at a beautiful boy as imaginary petals of acacia (secret love) and daffodil (new beginnings) rain down upon him. 

The second his dark eyes flick up to meet yours, you whip around and pretend to be preoccupied with your display of forget-me-nots. The irony is not lost on you as you rearrange the already pristine pale-blue petals. You are more likely to forget your own name than to forget the image of the boy’s crinkly-eyed smile.

God, it’s only the first hour of the first Sunday of the Summer Farmer’s Market, and you are like this? Things are looking more and more dire by the minute. 

Your small beachside community holds the annual Summer Farmer’s Market every Sunday from the middle of May until the end of August. Not only does the market attract tourists, it boosts your own business and earns you year-round customers.

Founding Of Fern & Freesia Flower Co. has been one of your proudest achievements to date - perhaps second only to chugging a beer faster than a misogynist on a bar crawl. Now in your third year of business, you feel accomplished in the slow but steady growth of your shop. You have poured your heart and soul into your business, leaving little time for other endeavors.

Hence, you’re wary of your growing fascination with the owner of the neighboring stall. 

When you had rolled up earlier with your overflowing cart of flowers, you had set up shop next to a jewelry booth full of gleaming silver and vibrant stones. It hadn’t been until a clang and a muffled curse sounded from the neighboring stall that you noticed it’s owner.

The first thing you had noticed was his outfit - all black clothing with boots that looked like they could stomp through steel. The second had been his adorable pout as he fiddled with a couple bracelets he must have just dropped. And the third - the third had been his hands and the gentle but steady way they fashioned the jewelry back in order.

The opening rush had distracted you from your growing interest for a bit; but the early birds have all since scattered, leaving you alone in between an old woman selling honey and a cute boy selling handcrafted jewelry. Now that you have thoroughly embarrassed yourself by being caught staring, you figure you should at least attempt to busy yourself.

You flutter around your stall, checking on flowers and rearranging errant blossoms. 

“H-hey, do you have any tiger flowers?” A soft, sweet voice calls to you from one stall over. You pause in your movements. That can't be who you think it is... But when you turn your head to address the speaker, you find yourself face to face with your mystery boy.

Magically, you manage to blurt out a semi-coherent response, “Oh, hello! No, I don’t have any tiger flowers right now… I do have some tiger lilies?” You gesture to the orange be-speckled bunch in the corner of your stall. 

“Oh,” The boy deflates a bit, but then perks back up, “Well, I’m Jungkook. I make jewelry.” He gestures to his collection behind him. “It’s more of a hobby, actually. I’m a vocalist, but I really like working with my hands part-time.”

Your eyebrows raise, and Jungkook blushes profusely. “I didn’t mean it like that!” He whines, his bottom lip jutting out slightly.

You decide to take pity on the boy. Grinning slightly, you extend your hand across the buckets of flowers in between you both, “It’s nice to meet you, Jungkook. I’m (y/n), and I really like working with my hands full-time.”

Grabbing your hand in his, Jungkook returns your grin. “(Y/n),” He mutters almost absentmindedly as he keeps pumping your intertwined hands up and down. You don’t have it in you to stop him, especially when he keeps looking at you like you just told him the secret to eternal life.

A throat clearing jolts you both from your reveries. Two teenage boys stand there awkwardly. One fiddles with one of the cut stems you discarded in a hurry earlier. 

“Oh,” You reluctantly pull your hand away from Jungkook’s warm embrace. “Talk to you later?” You shoot him a wry grin before turning back to your customers. You don’t see the death glare that Jungkook sends the two boys as you greet them warmly.

They request matching boutonnieres for their prom, and your heart swells as they both argue over which flowers they think would fit the other best. One suggests yellow roses, and you can’t hold yourself back from interjecting, “Oh no. Not yellow roses.” 

The two of them glance over at you, almost looking shocked to find that you are still there. “Why not?” The taller boy asks.

“They represent infidelity,” You say with a shrug, “But that’s just semantics. You don’t have to read that deep into it if you don’t want to.” Just because you follow the language of flowers closely does not mean that everyone and their mother did as well. 

The shorter boy practically throws the yellow rose back in its bucket. “What are you trying to say, Tae?” He shakes his head in mock disappointment at his partner, “I trusted you.”

“Shut up, Jiminie,” The boy you now know as Tae rolls his eyes and turns to you, “Do you have anything that means, like, the opposite of that?”

“Yes,” You smile at the pair and bustle over to the flowers you have in mind, “If I may make a few suggestions…”

Ten minutes later, the two boys shuffle away from your stall with matching cosmos (joy in love and life), baby’s breath (everlasting love), and ivy (fidelity) boutonnieres and with matching grins. You gaze wistfully at their interlocking hands and the quintessential picture of young love they represented. 

“You’re good at that,” Jungkook comments, fiddling with one of the earrings dangling from his quickly reddening ears. 

“Hm?” You question, your eyes still lingering on the cute couple you had just assisted.

“You’re good at showing people exactly what they want – even if they hadn't known it yet.”

His words capture your attention. You know he’s referring to the two teens that you had just helped, but you can’t help but wish he had been referring to himself. However, before you can even respond, it is his turn to get pulled away by a prospective customer.

The rest of the day flies by. This isn’t a surprise to you as the newness of the market always tends to draw waves of people on the opening day. You and Jungkook only get to exchange some shy glances and small smiles with each other.

That is, until your floral assistant Min Yoongi arrives. 

You have a running joke that Yoongi is simultaneously your best and your worst employee. He is your only employee after all and a headstrong one at that. You used to drag him along with you to the early hours of preparing and setting up for the market, but you have long since learned your lesson that Yoongi is decidedly not a morning person. You shudder at the mere thought of it. Now, you only ask that he arrives in the late afternoon to help you close down.

Yoongi greets you with a typical head nod and a half-hearted wave. “Hey, boss lady.” 

You shoot him a half-hearted glare, “Hello, worst employee of the month.”

The sound of a gasp draws your attention back to Jungkook’s booth where he is openly gaping at you with wide eyes. 

“Oh, Jungkook! It’s just a joke. He’s my only employee,” You laugh nervously as Yoongi gives you a side-eyed look that says ‘you’re acting weird, dude, and I don’t like it’. 

“Ah,” Jungkook beams at you, his eyes sparkling adorably, “I see, (y/n). For a second I thought you might be one of those people that gets off on being mean.”

Yoongi spits out the sip of coffee he had just taken. Jungkook turns bright red for the second time that day as he blinks in confusion, “What? What did I say?”

“Nothing!” You pinch Yoongi’s side in an attempt to shut him up, but that boy never listens to anyone but himself.

Walking the short distance to Jungkook, Yoongi lazily extends his hand over the barrier of flowers, “Min Yoongi.”

“Jeon Jungkook,” The boy grasps Yoongi’s hand firmly and squints at him quizzically. “Have we met before?”

Yoongi shrugs in a typical Yoongi fashion, “Dunno, maybe? You do look a little familiar.”

Suddenly, Jungkook drops Yoongi’s hand and snaps his fingers, “You were at last year’s Battle of the Bands! Your rap was legendary! I remember talking to Joon about it all night…”

The two boys quickly descend into a musically driven conversation, leaving you to slowly pack up your flowers and intermittently stare as Jungkook passionately talks about his main craft. 

After the fourth time you look over at the pair, you catch Yoongi’s eye. He’s staring at you with a maniacal glint in his eye. Oh no. He slowly looks back and forth between you and Jungkook. No, no, no. An ominous grinch-like grin grows on Yoongi’s lips as you can practically see the light bulb go off above his head. You are done for.

And not a second after Jungkook packs up his trinkets and bids you both goodbye for the day, Yoongi rounds on you. “FBI! Open up!” He mock-yells, cupping his hands around his mouth.

You splutter out an indignant laugh and shove him playfully, “He’s at least 21, Yoongs! You have to be in order to rent a booth here.” 

Yoongi continues to playfully tease you for the rest of the time you spend together loading the flowers into your truck and then unloading them at your shop. You only hope your crush is not as obvious to Jungkook as it is to Yoongi...

You and Jungkook spend the next two Sundays observing each other, exchanging small greetings, and chatting in between customers. Slowly, you begin to learn bits and pieces about Jungkook.

You learn he’s the lead singer in a band with his friends, he boxes to stay active, and he loves to eat. In turn, he discovers that you’re two years older than him, your life basically consists of flowers, and you read crappy romance novels in your limited spare time.

And as the weather warms even further, you find out that he has a plethora of tattoos winding up his arm. Though you tease him about his love of black clothing despite the soaring temperatures, you cannot help but admire the way his tanned skin glows against the dark color and makes the tattoos pop. You swear you glimpsed a flower inked on his forearm but you couldn’t be certain. Perhaps it had just been the combination of your growing crush and your overactive imagination.

The weather burns even hotter still when he begins to call you ‘noona’.

“(Y/n)-noona, what do you think of this necklace?”

“Noona! Let me carry that bucket for you. It looks heavy.”

“Do you want to go out with me sometime, noona?” 

Okay, that last one had just been wishful thinking; but, a girl can dream.

Meanwhile, Yoongi continues to poke fun at you and your growing infatuation. He had even arrived early for the first time in his career just to get in some extra roasting time. God, you wish Jungkook had some embarrassing friends to help ease the amount of times you had to physically turn away from the boy because you were blushing too hard.

And, finally, on the second Sunday in June, you get your wish.

“Ayo, JK!” A booming voice sounds from halfway down the long row of booths. A smattering of uproarious laughter follows the exclamation.  

The boy in question sighs before shooting you a helpless look. “My hyungs are visiting today. I love them, but they’re…” He trails off, “They’re a lot.” Jungkook steps out in front of his booth to get ready to greet them.

The shouting gets closer and closer until three boys break out of the throng of the crowd and approach Jungkook with large smiles. You blink in awe at the sight of them. Do all good looking people really flock together? You’re beginning to think so as you try your best to subtly check out Jungkook’s friends. The loudest one playfully greets Jungkook by throwing fake punches at him. He’s tall and lean with broad shoulders and a face that looks like it could make anyone give him anything if he so much as glances at them. He reminds you of white hyacinth (beauty) and lemon (zest). 

The tallest boy shakes his head fondly at Jungkook as he greets him through the other’s antics. You barely stifle a sigh as he grins and shows off the cutest set of dimples you’ve ever seen. He practically screams pear blossom (comfort) and polyanthus (confidence).

The last boy has a smile that makes you almost have to squint because of its sunshine-like radiance. He also has on the most colorful and fashionable outfit you’ve ever seen, and you can’t help but wonder if he’s had design experience. He is so white jasmine (amiability) and lupine (imagination), you think. 

Before you can assess further, you’re pulled away by a long-time customer. As you prune and arrange their requested flowers, you can’t help but notice that the stall next door has grown suspiciously quieter. 

Hushed whispers carry in the wind. 

“That’s your noona?” 

“Shut up, hyung!”

You hastily wrap the bouquet for your customer and bid her farewell with a smile. You barely have time to take a breath before three boys appear before you with a fourth scowling behind them in distaste. 

“So you’re the flower noona that Jungkook always brings up,” The sunshine boy speaks first, tilting his head as he peers down at you.

“The flower noona, huh?” You shoot Jungkook an amused glance, only to find him with his face buried in his hands, “Maybe I should rebrand.” You grin and introduce yourself to the three boys who you discover to be Seokjin, Namjoon and Hoseok.

Soon you find yourself wrapped in a conversation with Namjoon while Hoseok and Seokjin gather flowers to make their own bouquets. 

“Yes,” You nod your head at Namjoon’s question, “Some flowers do have multiple meanings. Take geraniums for example. The pretty pink oak-leaf geranium symbolizes true friendship, while the just as pretty scarlet geranium signifies stupidity.”

“And what does baby’s breath represent?” Hoseok crinkles his nose in distaste as he fiddles with the flower, “You smell bad?”

You crack up and open your mouth to answer, but Jungkook cuts you off. “No, Hobi-hyung, they represent everlasting love.”

Blinking at him, you nod, “Yes, that’s right. How did you know that?”

Jungkook mumbles something incoherent as he scuffles his heavy boot across the pavement.

“What?” You furrow your eyebrows, ears straining to pick up the decibels. Why is he speaking so softly?

“He knows because JK eavesdrops on you all the time, (y/n),” Seokjin lets out a squeaky laugh, “He also downloaded a flower app on his phone to study. I even caught him making flashcards—”

Jungkook jumps on Seokjin’s back, slapping a hand over the older boy’s mouth. Meanwhile, your heart feels like it’s about to burst into a whirlwind of lilac (first emotions of love). Good god, your feelings have leveled up.

Namjoon and Hoseok pay for both their flowers and Jin’s, as the older boy is still preoccupied fighting off an embarrassed Jungkook.

“It was really nice meeting you, (y/n),” Namjoon smiles at you.

“Yes!” Hoseok beams, “Also, please tell your friend Yoongi that we want to collab. Kookie is too shy to ask him.”

You promise that you will and wave goodbye to the two of them as they drag a breathless Jin along with them. The older boy shoots you a wink as he is pulled along into the crowd and disappears. 

“Sorry about them, noona,” Jungkook mumbles, looking down at his feet, “They like to embarrass me.”

You melt at his cuteness. “No, don’t apologize. Your friends are a whole lot of fun.” You can’t help but tease him, continuing, “And they were very informative... Do you really pay that close attention to me, Jungkook?”

“Aish!” Jungkook yelps, grabbing a bucket of red roses and hiding his face behind it. “Noona!” He whines, his large eyes peering at you over the red flowers, “You’re just as bad as them!”

“Oh, am I, Kookie?” You emphasize the new nickname of his that you just learned courtesy of Hoseok. 

“Did they tell you to call me that?” Jungkook sets down the bucket of roses and looks like he is about to take off in pursuit of his three hyungs.

You grab his arm to prevent him from doing so. It’s warm and solid, and the physical contact sends a tingle across your skin. “They didn’t tell me. I just noticed Hoseok called you that once. If it bothers you, I won’t call you that again.”

Jungkook relaxes. “No, you can call me Kookie,” He says in a small voice.

“Thank god,” You grin and squeeze his arm once before releasing it, “It’s so cute!”

His responding squeal of ‘noona!’ can be heard throughout the entire market.

The following Sunday, the market is cancelled due to the tropical storm swirling up the coast, bringing with it a disappointing blend of rain and an absence of Jungkook.

You probably should be concerned at how rapidly your feelings for the boy are developing, but you aren’t. How can anyone not love him? It’s impossible, in your opinion. Even your grump of an employee likes Jungkook, and Yoongi likes very few people. You aren’t even sure if you make the cut most days.

Sipping your peppermint tea, you gaze out at the rain and wonder if Jungkook misses you just as you’re missing him. Does he feel anything for you?

You know he at least equates you with his friends; but is that all he sees you as? If so, you would respect that, albeit disappointedly. With a sigh, you turn back to your copy of “The Art of Jewelry Making: An Introduction” and pretend just for the day that your feelings are reciprocated.

One week later, you are scrambling. Somehow you had managed to sleep through all five of your alarms, and now you are so, so late. 

Your truck’s tires squeal angrily as you whip into the first empty parking space you spot outside of the market. Where will you even set up today? You quickly grab your buckets of flowers as well as all the other supplies you’ll need. Will there even be a booth left for you?

You push your cart up the rows of booths and get more and more dejected at each turn. Finally, you decide to at least visit Jungkook before you dejectedly head back to your truck. You are in dire need of his sweet smile and positive energy.

The wheels of your cart bump and wobble over the uneven gravel. God, why couldn’t Min Yoongi be a morning person? You grumble as you wind the final corner to where your usual stall resides. You stop in your tracks.

Your usual booth… is empty? You blink multiple times in case this is just a beautiful mirage. Nope, it’s still open, it’s wooden tables bare. 

Almost as if he senses you, Jungkook practically runs out of his stall towards you. “Noona! You’re here!” And before you can even answer, he sweeps you into a tight hug.

“Hi, Kookie,” You sigh, bringing your arms around his neck. You can’t resist the urge to bury your face in his chest. He smells so nice, like fresh soap with a hint of heady musk. Reluctantly, you release him, realizing you’re both blocking most of the pathway. 

“I-I saved your booth for you,” Jungkook blushes and looks down at the ground. He shifts his weight from left to right and then glances up at you once more. “I hoped you were just running late. I didn't want to miss seeing you two Sundays in a row. You would not believe how many people I’ve had to fight off.”

Your heart swells at his words. “Aw, thank you, Kookie. You missed me that much, huh?” You reach up to ruffle his hair as you pass by him, lugging your cart along with you.

You miss the forlorn expression on his face as he gazes after you and mumbles, “Yes...so much.”

With Jungkook’s help, you manage to set up your booth in record time. You thank him profusely, but he just shrugs it off by saying that you would do the same for him. And you would.

Around midday you text Yoongi and ask him to bring food for Jungkook as an extra way of saying thank you.

Rather than respond with a normal yes or no, Yoongi just sends you a sea of smirking emojis. You should’ve known that Yoongi would (correctly) read too much into it. The boy is too smart for his own good.

Quickly sending back the gif of Hades from Hercules turning his flames from blue to orange in anger, you glance up to find Jungkook staring at you with a peculiar expression.

“Noona,” He begins, “Do you have a boyfriend?”

You choke out a laugh that sounds sad even to your ears. “No, I don’t. Why do you ask?”

Jungkook perks back up, “I just thought you might be arguing with them. You seemed to be angry texting.”

Letting out a more genuine laugh this time, you reply, “I’m just texting Yoongi, Kook. He’s being his usual difficult self.”

“Oh,” Jungkook grins, “Well then don’t punish him too harshly. It’s fun to see you all riled up.”

Punish? 

Riled up?

You blink rapidly at the boy who seems to have no idea how much his words affect you. Trying to brush off the images flowing through your mind, you decide to fight fire with fire – even if it had been unintentional arson.

You take a step towards him, “You like seeing me all riled up, Kookie?” 

“Uh-h, yes?” Jungkook eyes you warily as you continue to approach him. He even takes a step back, only to bump into his table of jewelry. 

You stand toe to toe with him as he is effectively trapped in between you and his table. Slowly, you rise to your tiptoes. Your lips brush his ear as you murmur, “Well, then I’ll be sure to stay cool and collected from now on.”

Pulling back, you saunter back over to your booth. Faintly, you hear a wheeze from the direction you’ve left Jungkook. You grin in success.

Yoongi had ended up bringing food with him that day. An action that had caused Jungkook to thank the two of you more times than you could count as he had shoved barbecue chicken into his mouth. 

You had stared at the boy with hearts in your eyes as he ate. Yoongi had just made whipping motions from beside you, thankfully out of Jungkook’s line of sight. 

And as June turns to July, your feelings grow substantially. Your mind is a meadow scattered with clove (I have loved you and you have not known it), cyclamen (timid hope), and gladiolus (you pierce my heart).

You can’t quite get a read on Jungkook. Every time you think there might be something in the way he interacts with you, he does something else that negates everything.

For example, the other day he had requested a bouquet of your favorite flowers. You had thought you might pass out from the way he looked at you, all blushing and shy. But, that might have just been the hundred degree weather.

It had admittedly been foolish to think that he would gift the bouquet back to you, but that’s just you – a fool in love. Your clown status had become even more confirmed when Jungkook had smiled down at the flowers, saying that his elderly neighbor would love them.

You had never thought you would experience being jealous of an elderly widow, but you had been ready to square up. It had decidedly not been your finest moment.

It isn’t until the middle of July that you begin to feel that Jungkook might actually return your feelings. 

The boy comes barreling into your stall as you’re setting up for the day. “Noona!” He grins happily, “I have a surprise for you!”

“Please tell me it’s a portable fan,” You moan, as you wipe the beads of sweat from your brow, “It’s so hot out here in these streets.”

“No,” Jungkook pouts adorably, “It’s not a fan. It’s my new collection! I spent all week working on it. I even brought my supplies to band practice. The hyungs all teased me, but it was worth it because of y— because of how good it turned out.”

Had he started to say because of you? Your heart pounds as you watch Jungkook eagerly tug a box out from his large backpack. He holds it out to you expectantly, and you have no choice but to take it from him.

Shooting him a speculative glance, you slowly open the lid. Your eyes widen at the sight before you. Rows of flower themed jewelry gleam up at you - orchid (refined beauty) necklaces, lotus (purity) earrings, and dahlia (dignity) charm bracelets. 

These are almost all of your favorite flowers. You blink up at Jungkook, “These are so beautiful, Kook. I want all of them. How are you so talented? It’s so unfair!” You reach down to grab a particularly gorgeous pair of silver hoop earrings with lotus charms dangling from the bottoms. 

“I will pay anything for these,” You look back up at him. He’s smiling widely and his cheeks are shaded pink.

“They’re yours,” Jungkook shakes his head, “There’s no charge if my noona wants to wear my jewelry.” 

His noona… 

You think your cheeks might fall off from smiling too hard. “Well,” You murmur, “If you insist.”

You hand Jungkook the box back, and quickly switch out your plain gold stud earrings for your new hoops. “How do they look?” You flick your ponytail behind you and turn this way and that in an attempt to model his work.

“Beautiful…” Jungkook sighs as he watches you and then straightens suddenly, “Oh, I almost forgot!” He digs around in his backpack for a second time. Pulling out a small black velvet drawstring bag, he once again extends his hand towards you with a gift.

“I made this specifically for you,” He doesn't blush outright this time, but you do note that his ears are bright red. Curiosity overtakes you. You slowly open the bag and pour its contents into your waiting palm.

A silver cuff falls into your hand. It’s about an inch wide with what seem to be persimmon flowers (bury me amid nature’s beauty) engraved on its surface.

“My favorite flower,” You gasp, immediately sliding the cuff onto your wrist, “You remembered!” 

“Of course I did,” Jungkook laughs, running a hand through his disheveled hair, “Do you- do you like it?”

“Do I like it?” You scoff, “Do I like it?” You take one large step towards him and basically tackle him in a hug. “I love it, you idiot.”

His hands rest on your waist as he sighs into your hair, “Good. That makes me so happy, noona.” 

Reluctantly, you pull away. “I should be angry because you completely upstaged me,” You crack a smile as Jungkook crinkles his nose in confusion, “But I can’t be mad when you give me presents.”

You tug your own little baggie from your tote bag and hand it to Jungkook. “It’s not even close to your level, but you inspired me to try to make something and…” You trail off as Jungkook holds up the bracelet you had carefully strung together for weeks. You basically only had bought expensive black stone beads and slid them onto a string, but you think it’s cute nonetheless.

“(Y/n)-noona,” Jungkook’s wide eyes flick up to stare at you, “You really made this for me?” 

“How many other JK’s do you know?” You say referring to the two little letter charms amidst the sea of black stones, “Yes, I made it for you.” 

“There’s John Krasinski!” He argues, sliding the bracelet onto his wrist with a smile.

You cannot roll your eyes hard enough, “You caught me. I couldn’t meet up with the Jim from The Office this month, so I just had to give this bracelet to the next JK I came across.”

“I knew it!” Jungkook laughs, “I guess we sort of have friendship bracelets now, huh?” 

You feel like you have just been slapped back into the friend-zone. “Oh,” You force out a chuckle, “Yes, I guess we do.” 

Clueless to your inner turmoil, Jungkook grins as he hurries away to set up his stall for the day. He prattles on about how excited he is to see how the new collection will sell, especially since he is set up right next to you and your flowers.

You feign normalcy as you reply that his collection will be a hit. And you’re right. As the day wears on, you watch as Jungkook sells more jewelry than you had ever seen him do before. You consistently feel like you’re in a state of whiplash as he keeps referring to you as his “muse” during his sales. 

Why are feelings so confusing? You fiddle with a stem of lavender (mistrust). You had honestly been beginning to think that Jungkook might return your affections, but now you aren’t so sure. Maybe next weekend you could try to get a better idea of his feelings? 

But, as it turns out, you wouldn’t have to...

It’s midway through the market that next Sunday that you begin to realize Jungkook is acting strange. He is acting more jittery than usual, and despite your constant questioning of if he is okay, Jungkook refuses to give you more than two word answers.

Eventually, you give up asking and instead begin to silently observe. He constantly toys with the bracelet you had given him last week. He rarely can go a minute without touching it, almost as if he is afraid it might disappear right off his wrist. Jungkook also keeps peering into his backpack and adjusting something inside of it. 

It isn’t until Jungkook checks his backpack for the third time in five minutes that you snap. “Okay, that’s it.” You stalk over to his booth, “Why are you acting weird today?” You stop in front of him, arms crossed in front of you. Jungkook’s throat bobs as he swallows nervously, “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about, noona.”

“Really,” You deadpan, “Then you won’t mind sharing with the class what riveting thing you have in your backpack?”

His eyes widen to the size of dinner plates, “How did you know there’s something in my backpack?”

You laugh, “You’re not exactly subtle, Kookie.” His shocked expression turns into a pout as you continue, “I’m just teasing. You don’t have to show me. I just wanted to make sure it wasn’t anything illegal.”

“Illegal?” Jungkook gasps, “Noona! Who do you think I am?”

“I don't know,” You shrug, “You could have a double identity for all I know.”

Mumbling something about infuriating women, Jungkook turns and tugs something out of his bag. Holding it behind his back, he faces you, “I was going to wait until the end of the day to do this, but I guess this is happening now.”

He takes in a shaky breath, “I know that I’m not the best with words. That I’m shy and inexperienced. But, I need to tell you how I feel, because I think I might lose myself completely if I don’t. So, I decided that I would tell you in the language you know well.”

Slowly, Jungkook moves his hands from behind his back to reveal a bouquet of flowers. “These say everything you need to know about what I feel for you.” His hand shakes slightly as he extends the flowers towards you. 

Your lungs refuse to work as your eyes cannot seem to look away from the flowers he offers you. 

Striped carnations. Those are what he holds out to you. You feel as if he has taken your heart and stomped on it with his massive boots. 

Striped carnations… symbolizing a love that cannot be shared. A gesture meaning that ‘he cannot be with you’. 

Rejection.

The first tear falls from your eyes as you force yourself to look up at the boy you’ve fallen in love with. How long has he known your feelings for him? Why has he strung you along so much only to hit you with this now? Or have you just been oblivious to his indifference all along? ‘

Jungkook seems to be panicking as he lowers the bouquet back to his side, “Noona, please say something.” 

You open and close your mouth, trying in vain to search for words to say, for questions to ask to help you make sense of this blindside. 

The only thing you can eventually muster up the strength to say is a shaky “I’m sorry. I’ll leave you alone.” You take off, barely stopping to grab your phone and your bag as you run to your truck. 

Behind you, you can hear Jungkook frantically shouting your name. He’s probably concerned that he has to monitor both your stall and his. You shake your head as you finally reach your car. 

You call Yoongi as soon as you turn out of the parking lot, unknowingly leaving a teary-eyed Jungkook in your wake. 

“What?” Yoongi groans when he finally picks up. 

You can barely breathe through your tears, “Y-Yoongi, can you swing by the market early to pack up?” 

The line is quiet for a second. Then, Yoongi rapidly fires questions at you, “What happened? What did he do? Where are you? Are you okay? Do I need to rough him up?” 

You let out a small laugh. At least one person seems to care for you. “I’m okay. Just a bit of an unexpected rejection.” You sniffle, “I’m heading home for the day.”

“Wait,” Yoongi sounds confused, “He rejected you? What the f—”

Cutting him off before he asks you to rehash every painful detail, you sigh, “Yes, he did. Now, please, can you go clean up the stall for me? And don’t say anything to him.”

Yoongi growls something that suspiciously sounds like “Oh, I’ll say something to him, alright”. But before you can voice your suspicions, he agrees and hangs up. 

Thank god for Min Yoongi.

The week passes slowly. You spend your days going through your usual motions, working in your shop and assisting customers.

However, after you make your sixth bouquet of marigold (grief), lichen (dejection) and cypress (mourning), Yoongi insists you take a few days off. You surprisingly listen. 

On Friday, Yoongi brings you a bunch of yarrow (cure for a broken heart) and nearly runs when you envelop him in a tight hug. He offers to handle the market this weekend, and you don’t have it in you to refuse. But, you only accept on the caveat that Yoongi takes Monday off. You don’t want to take advantage of your employee and your dear friend. 

Your weekend is spent by yourself. You stock up on cranberry juice in an attempt to pretend that it will have the same effect of its flower meaning (cure for heartache). Spoiler alert: it does not.

Even watching an exorbitant amount of bad Hallmark movies cannot cheer you up. And when Monday comes, you force yourself to try to be positive.

“It’s fine. This is fine. Totally fine. I’m fine.” You say, pointing at yourself in the mirror, “I’m totally cool. Cool, cool, cool, cool, cool.” With a firm nod, you head out.

Opening your shop is one of your favorite things. You revel in the solitude that the early hours bring, the first sips of your morning coffee, the feeling of being surrounded by your flowers.

Your flowers bring you peace – a big reason why persimmon flowers are your favorite. But, you can’t travel down that train of thought today. Nope. Today, you are all about self-love and positivity!

At least you are until 9:01am when your shop has barely been open for 60 seconds and Jungkook bursts through your doors.

The boy looks like a mess. His hair is sticking up in various places like he has run his hand through it too many times, his shirt looks like it’s on inside out, and he is staring at you like you’re a wild animal that might spook at any moment.

And he would not be wrong. You fight down the urge to run, choosing instead to head behind your counter so that there is at least a semblance of a divide between you.

You decide to just rip the bandaid off and attempt to be professional. Staring over his shoulder, you say, “Hello, welcome to Of Fern and Freesia. How can I help you?”

The sound of a stifled sob reaches your ears. Had that come from him? Or from you?

“Noona,” Jungkook finally pleads, his voice rough, “Can’t you at least look at me?”

Slowly, you bring your eyes to his. His large brown eyes search yours for a moment before they fill with determination.

“(Y/n)-noona, I know you’ve been avoiding me,” He approaches the counter, “But I need to know something. I have to or I’m going to lose my mind.”

Jungkook’s hands fall onto the countertop, his eyes blaze into yours, “Noona, is the thought of me loving you really so appalling that you can’t even stand to be around me? Is it really so terrible that we can’t even be friends?”

Your mind short circuits. “Are you making fun of me?” You whisper after a brief pause.

“What?” Jungkook cries, “No! Why would you even think that?”

Anger bursts to the surface as you throw his actions back in his face, “Maybe I think that because you openly rejected my feelings last weekend, Jungkook! Maybe I think that because I’ve stupidly been in love with you for weeks only to have you hand me those damned striped carnations!”  

Jungkook looks stricken, “I-I thought carnations meant love a-and fascination?”

Oh. My. Sweet. Baby. Jesus.

Your anger at what you thought was Jungkook’s rejection morphs into rage at the complete and utter idiocy of his misguided confession.

You shake your head at the giant idiot before you, “Yes, you absolute fool. The general meaning of carnations is love, distinction, and fascination. But, how did you not think for one second that meanings might change depending on the color and the type?”

He continues to gape at you as you power on. “Striped carnations symbolize rejection, you colossal moron! They mean that you cannot be with me! You basically slapped me and my love for you with a big, fat nope.”

You watch warily as Jungkook rounds the counter, coming towards you faster than you’d like. But, your mouth is on a roll now, and you can’t stop, “How could any respectable florist interpret that gesture any other way? Hey! What are you even doing? You can’t be back here—!”

Jungkook reaches you, cups your face in both hands, and slams his mouth onto yours. Your eyes widen as he continues to kiss you, and then slowly you begin to return his affections. Your hands slide up his back to twine through his hair.

The cutest whine emits from his throat as you tug on it slightly. “Noona,” He murmurs against your lips, his wide eyes stare into yours, “You really love me?”

You shoot him an exasperated look, “No, Jungkook, I go around kissing everyone who walks into my shop like this.”

He pouts, “So mean to me.” He tries to kiss you again, but you shift out of the way slightly so his lips meet your cheek.

“I reserve the right to be mean after spending an entire week wallowing in unnecessary self-pity following your failed attempt at a declaration of love.” You cock your head slightly, “If that’s even what it was?”

Jungkook blushes, “I really screwed up, huh?” He rests his forehead on yours and sighs, “It was supposed to be perfect. I was supposed to give you something meaningful to show how much I love you and pay attention to your work, but all I did was accidentally push you away. I thought you were rejecting me.”  

You press a soft kiss to his lips. “I could never reject you, Kookie. Not even after that.”

“God, I love you, noona,” Jungkook buries his face in your neck. “I missed you so much.”

“I love you, too,” You run your fingers through his hair, “But don’t think you’re getting off this easily.”

“Huh?” Jungkook pulls back, his eyes wide.

“You have a lot of making up to do, Kook,” You grin.

“And what do you suggest I do?” He smiles down at you, affection clear in his eyes.

“Well,” You shrug, “I can think of a few things…”

a/n: flower meanings taken from: The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh (flower definitions may vary depending on the source!! this is just the reference that i chose because i love the book uwu)

✿ Flowers left undefined in the fic: 

Fern → sincerity

Freesia → lasting friendship

Peppermint → warmth of feeling

Tiger Flower → please love me* (*as defined by jk)

Tiger Lily → wealth

© luxekook. please do not repost, modify, edit or translate.

#bangtanscenerycollab #bangtanscenery #bangtanhq #ficswithluv #btswriterscollective #btswritingcafe #kwritersworldnet #bangtanarmynet #btsbookclub #btsnoonanet #goldenclosetnet #jungkook x reader #jjk x reader #jungkook fic #jungkook fluff #bts #bts fic #bts fanfic #bts fluff

[kitsutaes]

strawberry afternoons

pairing: yoongi x reader

genre: fluff, est. relationship, & a strawberry loving min yoongi

word count: 2.2k

warnings: none

a/n: hi! this is for @bangtanscenery​’s event, april showers bring may flowers! i had to change my fic last minute since i’ve been in such a writing slump agh. well, i hope this one’s alright! just something short, fluffy, and warm :-) thank you to the wonderful @sketchguk​ for looking this over!

summary: in yoongi’s eyes, you were the sweetest strawberry out of the bunch and no one could tell him otherwise.

“Min Yoongi, where are we going?”

Yoongi’s hands grasp yours as he’s tugging you out of your apartment. Your free hand pulling your apartment door shut, you’re letting go of Yoongi’s hand for a bit to lock the door before taking his hand in yours again. Intertwining your fingers, Yoongi huffs at your question, “___, you need to learn when to stop asking questions. C’mon we’re gonna be late.”

You scoff at his response. Late to what exactly? Curiosity was eating you from the inside out. Not necessarily a fan of surprises, you were someone who wanted to know where they were going and what they were doing. 

It was 9:30 in the morning when Yoongi called you on the phone, insisting for you to wake up and get dressed with absolutely no explanation whatsoever. Whining over the phone as to why exactly you had to open your eyes and get up, Yoongi hung up on you leaving you to stare at your ceiling in confusion. Nevertheless, you forced yourself to get out of bed and fix yourself up for the love of your boyfriend.

Yoongi arrived at your door a couple hours after he woke you up on the phone. With the baseball cap on his head and looking ever so warm in his favorite sweatshirt, you couldn’t help but smile.

The first time you met Yoongi was at your brother’s wedding. He was Seokjin’s best man—the two becoming best friends in college. Min Yoongi was seated beside you at the wedding reception, dateless, like you. Seeing as you both had no one to talk to and both awkwardly picking at the food on your plates, you summoned all your courage to tap on his shoulder with a small smile gracing your face.

With that one tap on Yoongi’s shoulder, you two ended up bonding over wedding cake and exquisite music taste the both of you actually shared. After Seokjin’s wedding, you would’ve thought that it was the end between you and Yoongi’s wedding connection but you were so wrong.

Before you knew it, you were texting each other until it was 3 AM (having exchanged numbers before the reception had ended), rambling about anything and everything—conversations jumping from which cooking shows you liked to watch on Netflix to why this one album’s songs were all so good. You ended up spending so much of your time with Yoongi as well. Coming over to each other’s apartments, the two of you would just be talking on opposite ends of the couch or watching films together, softly laughing at each other’s lame jokes or watching the figures on the screen intently. Sometimes you’d go to the park, just plainly sitting on a bench doing some people watching. Other times you’d be at this cafe that was near your place, working on whatever your career asked of you with Yoongi doing the same.

It got to the point where Yoongi became your best friend rather than Jin’s.

You weren’t really sure who fell in love first. Maybe it was you, stealing glances at the man who often made your days pleasant; catching his small smiles and chuckles that made your heart melt. Yoongi did what he loved, and you admired him greatly for it. He had this great passion for music, often hearing him play the piano whenever you were over at his place. Despite not showing much at times, you knew Yoongi always meant well. His small actions made up for his loss of words. 

But, maybe it was Yoongi. Maybe it was Yoongi who fell in love first. You weren’t the only one stealing glances. He loved to watch you read. Nose scrunches, eyebrow lifts, teary eyes, and all as you turned a page to read another. He loved seeing your eyes brighten up, whether it’d be being able to talk about a book you loved, seeing a puppy when the two of you went to the park, or when you tried something he cooked that ended up being so delicious.

It was Yoongi who asked you out officially.

He had asked you over a dinner at this place you both adored. He took your hand in his, the words leaving his lips while you gaped like a fish out of water.

Your relationship with Yoongi hadn’t changed much, from when you became the best of friends to each other’s significant other. You continued to share music with one another, cook together, debating on who really was the best Avenger out of all.  You two continued to share stories on the couch, only instead of being on opposite ends of the couch, you were in each other’s arms. Hands would grasp your own, his arms would wrap themselves around you, and his lips would find their way on your own.

In the car, the only information Yoongi gave you about your mysterious trip was that it would maybe take one or two to arrive at your destination. Although you continued to ask him questions about your trip, pleading him to at least give you a hint—he left it at that, only telling you how much longer it would take to get there.

Instead of continuing to bug your boyfriend to his wits end, you played music instead; some tunes were what brought you and Yoongi together in the first place.

“Do you wanna guess where we’re going?” Yoongi asks, looking at you for a bit before bringing his eyes back to the road. You had left the city around thirty minutes ago, slowly leaving your busy life behind. You hadn’t been able to take a break like this from work in months, always cooped up at home typing on your laptop or at the office, surrounded by the sounds of keyboards tapping, mumbling, and papers printing—always waiting for time to pass by for when Yoongi would be able to bring you a snack or pick you up.

So you were very grateful for this surprise trip, well wherever you were going.

“My best guess would be a beach,” you started, staring out the window, ”but we’re not even really dressed to go to the beach.” The two of you wearing a sweatshirt and a hoodie to the beach, on a still somewhat chilly day. Well then again you could be going to the beach. You remember your parents would take you and Jin on road trips, jamming out to songs from the 80s, and sometimes they’d take you to the beach despite the cold weather. You were able to see some lighthouses and experience the freezing waters of the seas.

Yoongi hums at your response, “Good guess, but no.” He chuckles, catching your nose scrunch as he takes a look at you once again.

This time, instead of asking him to tell you where you were really headed, you’re silent; foot tapping against the floor of the car to the beat of the song playing from the stereo.

“You’re not gonna ask?” With a curious tone, Yoongi’s taking your hand with his free one from your lap. Shaking your head no, “I mean curiosity's killing me, but a surprise is a surprise.”

Yoongi nods, “You’re right, well props to you for trying.” He has a small smile on his face, matching yours as you roll your eyes at him playfully.

“A strawberry farm?” Your eyes light up at the sight of the sign, nearing closer as the sign eventually passes you on the right as you enter the parking grounds. The entire trip took about 3 hours, with the two of you stopping to get some food at this burger joint along the way, plus bits of traffic that had slowed you down. Coming from a bustling city with honking horns and lively streets, this place utterly seemed like a whole different world; and you loved it.

Tranquil and serene skies, this place seemed to calm your heart down. It was as if your worries were washed away and that it was just you and Min Yoongi along with ethereal fields that you hadn’t really seen for years since you moved to the city. It wasn’t like you didn’t travel, because you did; leaving the country to explore another. But it was also easy to forget pleasant places like these your own country had in store.

“You ready?” Yoongi asks, hand on the handle, ready to open the car door.

“Super.” You grin in response, hopping out of the car with your feet hitting the dirt.

Yoongi was soon at your side while you were taking in the scenery. The small farm you were at consisted of agriculture farming tents plus a stand covered in pre-picked berries and only two other cars were parked in the lot beside yours. 

“Hi! You two here for some picking?” A lady approaches the two of you as you near the three tents. She was wearing some boots and gloves, previously tending to some of the plants that were still in the flowering stage before she saw the two of you walking towards the tents.

“Yes, we are.” You smile, hands tucked into the pocket of your hoodie. Yoongi stood beside you, placing his car keys in his jeans, taking a look around.

“Then, here you go,” She handed the two of you some  red baskets. “You can head over to the first tent, right here.” Pointing to the one on the right. “Just pick as many as you please, then you can pay for it at the end. There’s also a sign inside that’ll tell you how much to pay for each pound you pick.” She explains, giving you and Yoongi a small smile and a nod. The two of you reply with a “Thank you!” before she walked back to where she came from.

“C’mon,” Tugging on your boyfriend’s hand, you lead him to the strawberries the lady told you to go to.

Inside, rows full of strawberries could be seen as you walked in. Ripe red rubies with little green tops, ready to be picked. You and Yoongi split ways, heading to different rows to find only the best strawberries for the two of you to share later. Like busy bees, you and Yoongi scanned the rows, taking a good look at each and every berry.

While you were doing so, every so often he’d check if you were doing alright. He noticed how serious you’d gone, inspecting each strawberry with such laser focus it made Yoongi want to laugh.

In Yoongi’s eyes, you were the sweetest strawberry out of the bunch and no one could tell him otherwise. Some strawberries end up being deceiving, tasting sour although possessing a sweet appearance. But unlike sour strawberries you were actually sweet. Someone with a kind heart and always looked for the best in others. Yoongi knew you deserve a break from working all the time and he was always willing to give it to you.

Looking up, your eyes make contact with Yoongi’s. His eyes held something—a combination of adoration and mirth that brought redness to your own cheeks in embarrassment.

After quite a while of picking, your basket was full of luscious strawberries to the point if you added one more, they’d topple and fall out. “Are you done? If I add any more I think my basket will collapse,” you snort, walking up to your boyfriend with your heavy basket in your arms. 

Laughing, you see his basket and it’s the same as yours; overflowing with berries. “Yeah, I’m done too.”

Leaving the tent, you see that time has passed by with a blink of an eye. The cloudless blue sky is now painted with tints of tangerine and honey that look so alluring to the eye.

Side by side, both of you head towards the stall you saw earlier. It was being manned by an older man. He had a grin plastered on his face when he saw you two coming his way.

“Did you two enjoy?” He asked, taking the baskets from your hands. You both nod, “Yeah, it was a pretty great experience.” Yoongi answers while the man begins weighing your combined strawberries.

“That’s good to hear,” He starts, “It’s a shame not a lot of people come by, we got some good strawberries this time around and they’re missing out!” He says with a sigh, now packing your strawberries into a carton and some green plastic berry containers.

“Hopefully we’ll be back soon,” You respond, unaware of the fact Yoongi had paid for all the strawberries. Anyway it was his treat, and it would be no good if you argued with him.

“I hope so too, have a great rest of your day!” He grinned, waving the two of you goodbye as you take the bag with your strawberries.

You did enjoy picking, very much actually. Today ended up being one of your most favorite days, and it was all thanks to Yoongi. Getting back into Yoongi’s car, you let out a sigh. With the bag of strawberries in your lap, you turn to face your boyfriend who’s putting on his seatbelt, unaware of the fact you’re staring at him. As he turns, his eyes meet yours, raising an eyebrow at you.

“Thank you,” You say, kissing his cheek. “I really enjoyed today.”

Yoongi’s cheeks are flushed and his stoic expression melts into one of a bashful smile as you’re looking at him with such endearment that’s evident in your eyes. 

“Anything for you, ___.”

#bangtanscenerycollab #bangtanscenery #bangtanarmynet #bangtanhq #btsbookclub #btsboulangerie #btswriterscollective #hyunglinenetwork #yoonkooknetwork #bts fic #bts fluff #yoongi x reader #min yoongi x reader #bts imagines #yoongi fluff #yoongi imagine

[joonsrack]

+Pairing: Namjoon x fem!reader, Taehyung x fem!reader (one-sided), 

+Genre: Angst, humor, fluff, two-shots, sfw

+Word count: ~8.5k

+Warning: Mention of past recreational drug use (weed), blood mention (nosebleed), lot of pinning 

+Rating: Pg13

+Summary: 

Your roommate and long-time one-sided crush disappears one morning, leaving behind only a post-it note stating two things:

1. He’s off to finally meet the love of his life whom he met on the internet, might take the whole summer;

2. He’s sub-renting his room while he’s gone, don’t worry it’s all taken care of;

+A/N: Just six days late, nothing too major. This is the first part of a two-shot I’m writing for the bangtanscenery collab: April Shower & May Flower. This didn’t turn out as expected, but it is what it is lmao. Thank you to @gguksgalaxy for helping me brainstorm, and @spicykoreantatertots and @starlightseoks​ for reading over my stuff, fixing my mistakes and giving me the validation I needed to carry on 💖

The first day of summer vacation is supposed to be a good day, a great day even. No more finals, no more studying; just warm weather, lazing around, and maybe picking up some shifts at the grocery store.

Today is all of that, but it’s also the worst day of your life.

It had started as it was supposed to; no alarm clock, just your body waking up by itself. You had messed around on your phone for a while, not caring about the time you were wasting. After the last three weeks of nerve-wracking deadlines and exams, you had deserved a break. The next thing on your schedule was work on Thursday, meaning you had two days completely to yourself. You had big plans for these two days; doing absolutely nothing.

But then, as the day was slowly shifting from morning into noon, the stillness of the house cued you that something was… not right.

As you have come to learn, your roommate, Taehyung, is not one to go about his summer day without his 20 minutes of morning stretching on zen nature sounds. Sometimes you join him, sometimes you don’t. He has a morning routine that he sticks to a T, and in a way, you find the sound of him doing his routine comforting.

Two years you’ve been living together now; or well, almost two years.

You had met in your first semester of freshman year, both residing in the same co-ed dorm. The horror of shared bathroom, kitchen, and living areas had prompted you two to throw caution to the wind and start living together, even if you were both still technically strangers. Two years later, the concept of being a stranger with Taehyung is so far fetched, it’s like you’ve never not known each other.

Which is why this comes as a slap to your face.

After finally making it out of your room and to the kitchen, you find in lieux of your roommate, a single post-it note, stuck to his old fashioned shelf stereo.

There are barely fifteen words on it, but that’s enough to destroy your post-final, beginning of summer haze:

Going back to Korea for the summer, I’m finally going to meet Busan_baby!

I sub-rented my room, he should get here soon :) xx

Objectively, Taehyung doing spontaneous things is not out of character. But this… Leaving for a whole summer, without even hinting at it...

You had plans for this summer. Plans that consisted of spending quality time with him, and maybe, possibly, finally confessing to him. Him leaving kind of put a wrench into that.

Plus.

Busan_baby…

The mysterious internet friend that’s been plaguing Taehyung’s mind since they met during an Overwatch raid, whatever that means.

Your two-year crush had only evolved in the time you were living together, and a part of you had become possessive overtime. So these days, only the mention of Tae’s friend’s username was enough to put you in the worst of moods. And now you’re going to lose your summer with your roommate to her? To a perfect stranger living on the other side of the planet?

And the whole sub-renting situation...you’re boiling. He just... rented his room. To someone you might not know, with whom you’ll be stuck all summer.

The first day of summer vacation is supposed to be a good day. This, this is not a good day.

Your first reaction is to, well, do nothing. You feel tears of frustration welling up in your eyes, and you recognize the burning sensation in your chest as anger. You feel a little ridiculous; you’re always factoring Taehyung into your plans, always have, but clearly he isn’t giving you the same kind of courtesy. You grab your phone, knowing he hasn’t sent you any text, but checking anyways. You have no idea what time he left, he could already be in the plane for all you know, but you send him a message anyways.

Me 1:27pm: Is this a joke?

You wipe a tear away, trying to breathe through the negativity. He must have had his reason, he does have his whole family in Korea, maybe they’re the real reason he left and he’s just joking with you.

Just as the thought is starting to make sense, you hear the key in the lock, and your heart starts beating double time.

It was all the prank, he’s not leaving for real, it’s him coming back to surprise you. See? You had nothing to worry about. The smile grows on your face, and you quickly dry the tears track on your face, not wanting Taehyung to tease you about them.

But doubt quickly sets in your mind when it’s clearly taking too long for whoever on the other side to open the door. The bolt is old, and it had taken you and Taehyung weeks before you had been able to know the right way to unlock it without struggling.  

You can hear them struggling with the key, rattling the doorknob, until finally the bolt clicks into place and the door swiftly swings open. Obviously, whoever is on the other side wasn’t expecting it to give, and they stumble past the doorsill, barely missing the floor by a few centimeters.

You’re shocked into stillness, watching the catastrophe unveil.

Mystery man then trips on the entry mats, throwing him forward once again until his head gets dangerously close to the kitchen table; but like a seasoned tripper, he flips his body mid-plunge, landing hard but cushioned by the shag carpet of the living room.

He groans, rolling on his side holding his head in between his hands, and you’re too shocked to do anything but stare in both horror and wonder.

The living trainwreck on the floor doesn’t seem to have noticed your presence yet, and you’re inclined to just lay low and wait until you can observe more accidental gymnastics, but you realize that would be weird. Would it be weirder than everything you’ve just witnessed though?

You clear your throat to announce your presence, and he freezes, opens one eye, spots you, closes it again, and groans even louder.

“Is there any chance you just materialized now and missed all of that.”

You shrug emphatically.

“I can lie if that makes you feel better.”

He sits up, smiling grimly and resigned, like this is not the first time this has happened.

You would go offer him a hand but you also have no idea who this man is, what he’s doing in your apartment, with a key, and seemingly enough bad luck to bring this whole building down by himself.

“So… Who might you be?”

He looks up to you in confusion, and for a second you think you also see hurt flicker across his eyes, but it disappears as fast as it appeared.

“Taehyung… didn’t tell you?”

Right, sub-renting.

You grab the post-it off the stereo and wave it in his direction, letting him connect the dots.

“He just did.” You say, voice dripping with sarcasm, and he winces, noticing how you’re clearly unhappy with the whole ordeal.

“I thought you knew...I... fuck. I can leave if you want? You don’t look like you agreed to this.”

You sigh, feeling bad that you made him feel bad. It’s not his fault after all. Plus, him sub-renting means he most probably doesn’t have a place to stay right now.

“No, no. Of course not. It’s not your fault, I’m just… he didn’t even tell me he was leaving. It’s a lot.”

Silence fills the room, and he smiles awkwardly at you before dusting himself off. You take the opportunity to finally properly look at him.

He looks vaguely familiar now, with his tall body, long limbs and soft brown hair. He’s wearing grandfather clothes, but it’s strangely fitting with his energy. The glasses perched on his nose are slightly crooked, but it doesn’t like it’s from the fall. It looks permanent.

If he’s Taehyung’s friend, you probably saw him around Uni or something.

“So, I still don’t know your name?” You finally break the silence, and he looks startled by the question, pushing the glasses up his nose.

“Kim Namjoon. Well, Namjoon Kim here.” He finishes with a faint blush on his cheeks, and you nod, well aware of the whole last name difference. You’ve been living with Taehyung for two years after all.

“I’m going to try calling him, you can...get your luggage in I guess.”

“His plane was leaving 3 hours ago, I doubt you’ll be able to reach him.” He says sheepishly, as if that was his fault.

You pinch your lips in anger containment, not needing Namjoon to watch you slowly lose your sanity. You feel a surge of dark emotions invading your chest, so you have to make your escape swift.

“Cool, nice. Ok. Well, I need to... be in my room. If you have any questions just knock on my door. Or call my name.”

You’re already off into angst world, making your way to your room, so you miss Namjoon’s parting words;

“But... you haven’t told me your name, y/n.”

You feel the need to grieve the summer that could have been, so you do.

The first stage is denial.

It’s a little hard to deny though, with Taehyung gone and Namjoon currently moving into his room, so you jump straight to anger.

You would feel bad for Namjoon, you didn’t even show him to Taehyung’s room, and your welcome was pretty cold. But you can’t be blamed, this was sprung on you. You were blindsided; betrayed; fooled.

You try to remember your chats with Taehyung in the last few days, but everything is covered by a mist of confusion. The last few weeks are blurred and blended together, a mess of studying, late nights, nervous breakdowns; so you and Taehyung were not exactly talking. You were more...existing in the same space. Or crying in the same space, really.

But still, you know that if Taehyung had mentioned his plans to disappear for the summer you would have surely remembered.

You write an angry text a hundred words long, fueled by the horrible feeling of having been wronged and a need for vindication.

You don’t send the text because you know at the bottom of your heart you’re being overly dramatic, but it’s still therapeutic to act like you’re going to send it to him.

Then comes bargaining.

You write another text, this one more conciliating. You promise to be a better roommate, to stop bunching up your socks and leaving them in the cracks of the couch (although he does that too, the hypocrite), to stop stealing the Korean snacks his mom sends send him once a month (which is a big commitment; they’re just so good, you can’t find this quality in your uni town), and to stop using up all the hot water in the morning.

You also do not send this text. There’s a little too many promises in it you just know you won’t be able to hold.

You’re transitioning into the depressive stage when you hear a crash coming from the living room, followed by a few curses.

With the whole thing you witnessed earlier, you’re surprised that nothing fell victim to Namjoon’s long limbs sooner. He clearly has coordination issues; you would be worried, except pretty much everything decorating the apartment belongs to Taehyung.

Everything except…

There’s a bad feeling creeping up in your stomach. You don’t have the worst luck in life, but you also don’t have the best. And bad things usually happen in a group of three.

Taehyung ditching you for the summer, Taehyung clearly being fooled by some internet catfisher, and….

You jump to your feet, following the sound to the living room. There, your new roommate is kneeling on the floor, gathering the pieces of dried macaroni scattered around him. You can see the picture frame on the floor, the glass cracked in the middle.

The first day you had moved in together, Taehyung and you had taken a picture together with a single-use camera. You were both exhausted from the move, boxes laying all around, but beaming with satisfaction.

You had gotten a frame for it but Taehyung thought it was too bare, so one time, completely high as a kite, he’d decorated it with macaroni and hot glue.

You hold it very dear, and it has a central place in the living room. Or well, it did.

The macaroni remains on the floor is probably the saddest thing you’ve ever seen, and you can’t bear the sight of them, so you give a parting blank look to Namjoon, who’s looking up at you pale as a ghost, and you walk back to your room.

Alright, so stage one of grief; denial.

Belting your heart out to Italian music is usually your way of dealing with sorrow, but with a new and strange presence in your home, it probably won’t be happening for a while, so you settle for laying in your bed, with your curtain pulled closed and some Andrea Bocelli blasting from your earphone. It works for a while, until your stomach reminds you that you haven’t eaten all day.

You sigh, bracing yourself for yet another reminder that you’ve been basically abandoned by the possible love of your life. You come out of your room dragging your feet, only to be basically assailed but the unmistakable smell of frying garlic. You’re both disgusted and intrigued, so you pick up your pace to the kitchen, finding Namjoon there, sweat on his forehead, with a concentrated look on his face. His glasses are hanging at the tip of his nose, probably having slipped there from the sweat, and you find yourself endeared by the sight. Only for a quick second though.

“Are you sure it’s safe for you to be left alone in the kitchen?” You ask, and he whips his head towards you, clearly startled by your presence.

“Well…” He says, followed by a deprecating laugh, and you kind of feel like an asshole. He probably broke the frame by accident, and it’s not like it’s his fault that Taehyung bailed on your summer plans to go run off to who knows who the fuck busan_baby really is.

“What are you cooking?” You ask, trying to change the subject, and he looks grateful but also very nervous.

“Hm, well Taehyung told me once garlic pasta was your favorite, and since I was trying to apologize for, well the frame but also just being sprung onto you so suddenly, I figured I could cook your favorite dish...”

You nod, but you can’t contain a snort, and Namjoon’s expression becomes worried.

“Taehyung thinks that because that’s the only thing he can successfully cook, and the first time he did I didn’t have the heart to tell him I can’t stand garlic.”

Namjoon looks at the dish, then back at you, then back at the dish. You see all the energy drain from his body, face falling as he groans in frustration.

“It’s fine you didn’t know.” You try to sound as apologetic as you can, but it doesn’t seem to be helping, and he moves the pan from the burner, closing the heat, plastering a hand on his face.

“This is going all wrong. This day is just mess after mess. I’m so sorry I’m usually much better at human interaction, I’m just very nervous right now, I guess.”

You want to ask what he’s so nervous about, but you feel like it might not help his distraught state. “Ok so, clearly this was doomed from the start.” You say, and his face falls even more, so you hurry to finish your thought before he can jump to conclusions.

“You showed up while I was having a horrible day; I had no idea you were coming; you...tripped and fell in front of me, probably making you feel embarrassed, then all this nervous energy lead to you having another clumsy accident, and I probably didn’t help with my overall coldness… and now, this, which again, is totally not your fault…” You let the silence hang for a little longer before you finish your thought. “ I think we should start over.”

“...What?”

“Yeah, I think we should start over. Like, come here.” You wave your hand in a motion for him to follow after you, and he does, albeit definitely looking reluctant.

You lead him to the front door, opening it, waiting for him to get the cue. He stands there, looking a little dumbfounded, glimpsing down at his slipper clad feet.

“Come on, only for a second.”

He finally follows your directions, stepping outside in the hallway, and you close the door behind him. After a good 30 second of silence, you realize he might be dumber than he looks.

“You’re supposed to knock.” You say just loud enough for him to hear on the other side, and there’s a split second before he finally does.

You throw the door open with the biggest smile you can muster, and he stares at you in actual worry.

“Hello Namjoon Kim, nice to meet you! Taehyung totally told me you were coming! Come on in!”

Namjoon finally catches up, pinching his lips to stop himself from smiling.

“Nice to meet you,-” He greets back, taking a step into the apartment, but the sole of his slipper gets caught on the doorsill, ripping it off.

He stares down at his slippers in betrayal, and you have to bite the inside of your cheeks to hold back a cackle.

“At this point, I don’t know how to convince you I’m not like this 24/7.” He says, and he looks a little bit more relaxed than before, which is good.

“I’m sorry to say that ship has sailed.”

Going to sleep at five in the morning is never the right decision, even when you have nothing planned, but the prospect of watching Hannah Brown finally eliminating Luke P off The Bachelorette is just too good, keeping you wide awake until you finally get the satisfaction of seeing the smug smile being wiped off his face. Taehyung was so looking forward to this, cursing out the man after every episode, and not having him by your side, yelling incoherently at your computer screen, definitely made you sad.

There's also the whole waiting-for-a-text-that-never-came thing.

You know his flight landed, you looked at the flight time between where you are and Incheon airport. The realization that you weren’t even worth an “I’ve just landed” text is enough to ruin you Luke P elimination afterglow, sending you straight to sleep.

So being rudely awoken at 9 a.m., eyes sore from the lack of sleep and maybe some possible tears of frustration, is not the best feeling.

At first you think you dreamed it, a loud crash from somewhere in the apartment, but then the groans of pain that follows are sounding pretty damn real.

You throw the comforter off, jumping out of bed in the same breath, trying to locate the source of the commotion but still woozy with sleep, and you find its origin in the bathroom;

Very naked, save for the shower curtain draped over the figure.

Namjoon squeals at the sight of you, making sure all the important bits are covered with the curtain that he probably dragged in his apparent fall, half of it still hanging off the pole.

Your sleep-deprived brain slowly catches up to the situation, and you slap both hands over your eyes, turning around with the intention to get out of dodge, only to walk straight into the door frame. The impact makes you lose your balance, the unforgiving tiles making contact with your ass at the speed of light. There’s a throbbing pain in your backside and there’s definitely something dripping from your nose. Another beautiful start to your summer vacation.

It’s your turn to groan, holding your head back to stop the blood from dripping all over your PJs. There’s wet fumbling in the general area of the shower, the sound of the water being cut off and then a moment later, a very naked man appears in your field of vision.

“Hum.” Is all you say, as he snatches his boxer brief from the counter, slipping them on in a flash. But you’ve seen. You’ve witnessed. You’re a changed person now.

“I forgot my towel.” He answers back, face so red it looks like it must hurt. There’s still shampoo suds in his wet hair, dripping down his forehead, neck, and shoulders, but he doesn’t seem to care as he grabs the toilet paper roll, offering it to you.

“Are you ok?” he asks with concern in his voice. He’s kneeling in front of you, skin glistening, and the sight he makes doesn’t help with your blood pressure. His handsomeness didn’t escape your notice, but this….this is a little overwhelming.

“I’ve known you for less than 24 hours and I’ve already seen your junk; I’m great.”

He looks a little thrown by what you’ve just said, but you can blame it on a concussion later, so you’re not too worried.

“Lean forward and breath through your mouth,” He says, choosing to ignore your comment. You follow his recommendation, pinching your nose.

“You seem familiar with nosebleeds.” You tease, knowing full well he’s clearly the clumsy type.

“I’ve had my share of encounters with flat surfaces.”

“So are you gonna tell me what possessed you to shower in the middle of the night?”

“Is 9 a.m. the middle of the night?” He asks, a grin playing at his lips.

“It sure is during summer vacation.”

Namjoon chooses to ignore your admission of being a living, breathing, couch potato.

“I wanted to go get a new pair of slippers, maybe a new frame as well. I obviously need to add a new shower curtain to the list.”

You look up at the way his tone goes slightly somber from irritation, and you’re having none of that;  it’s 9 am, middle of the night, and all you want right now is everything to be happy and breezy.

“Do you mind if I tag along? I wanted to get a corkboard for all my pictures, so I won’t need a new frame actually. We could go get some middle of the night breakfast too.”

His eyes light up, a new energy filling the room.

“Of course! You can, totally.”

His metaphorical tail seems to be wagging, and you’re a little confused about the source of his sudden excitement, but he seems to be in a good mood so that’s the important part here.

“Alright then, I’ll let you finish your shower- oh my god, wait. Are you ok? I heard you fall; that did not sound like a painless descent.”

Namjoon winces, rubbing at the back of his head like he’s suddenly reminded of the pain.

“I’ll survive with only slight bruising, it’s all good.”

You nod, relieved he didn’t hurt himself seriously.

“Let’s get you some bubble wrap while we’re there.” You tease, and he rolls his eyes, probably having heard that one before.

There’s this moment of silence where neither of you are moving, and you’re wondering what he’s waiting for to go back in the shower.

“So...are you waiting to get another peek at my junk, or?” He teases.

You blush, staring at him dumbfounded. Your sleepy brain says yes, but your pride says no.

“Right, let me get out of here.”

You take your roll of toilet paper with you as you leave, pride almost intact.

Both of your loudly growling stomachs make the decision for the order of things, and your first stop is the cheap dinner a few streets down. The usual grumpy waiter that you’ve grown fond of is on shift, and his eyes zeroes straight on you two the second you step in.

His regular glare is already pretty intimidating, but the intensity of his stare is enough to make you want to take a menu and hide behind. Instead you walk with Namjoon to the table you usually sit at with Taehyung.

“Hey Joon.” Is the first thing Yoongi says, throwing the menu on the table with all the lack of grace in the world. Namjoon salutes him back with the ease of someone who’s used to being the target of Yoongi’s laser focus. You deduce they’re friends, by the way they seem to have a silent conversation with their eyes.

He switches his focus to you after a beat, and you gulp loudly, confused by the inquisition in his stare.

“Hi Y/N, where’s your tragic love story?”

Your jaw drops to the table, shocked by Yoongi’s blunt call out of your unrequited love for Taehyung. You two often come to eat here, but clearly you come too often if Yoongi figured you out so accurately.

“Jesus am I that obvious?” You mutter, picking up a menu to avoid looking at either man. You don’t need to see Namjoon's reaction when learning you’re crushing on your roommate who’s also one of his friends.

Yoongi snatches the menu out of your hands, having none of that.

“The usual I presume?” He asks snapingly, throwing one last unimpressed look at Namjoon before walking away.

Namjoon waits before he’s out of earshot to sigh. “Who pissed in his cereal this morning?” he scoffs, trying to lighten the mood, and you’re grateful for his attempt but you’re also feeling pretty shitty; why do your feelings for Taehyung seem so obvious to everyone but Taehyung himself?

“Well, I guess the elephant is out of the bag”, you say with fake enthusiasm. You want to be mad at Yoongi for his brusque ways, but Namjoon would probably have figured it out one way or another. This is kind of ripping the bandaid in a way.

There’s another beat of silence before Namjoon clears his throat, and you brace yourself for what he’s going to say, which is why what he asks comes as a surprise.

“Are you ok?”

His voice is empathic, genuine.

You look up to him, eyes a little glossy.

He’s got a kind face; a dimple here, soft corner smile there; eyes searching but not judging, the crooked glasses giving him a nerdy look. Yet, you’ve...seen. There’s nothing nerdy about the rest of him.

You smile sadly, biting your lips while looking back down at the table. You’ve known him for less than 24 hours and you already feel like Namjoon is the kind of person you can confide in, and before you know it, words are tumbling off your tongue.

“I guess… It just sucks that I was not even worth a ‘I’ve just landed text’. Or even better, him telling me in person that he was leaving for the summer, completely ruining all the plans we made together.” Namjoon nods along with your confession, and once you open your mouth, you just can’t shut it. “Like I’m always making sure he’s included in all of my planifications, and I always go beyond to do stuff that he likes… Like I’m sorry but I hated doing pottery, like, I suck at it. All I made always ended up having a vaguely phallic shape and I’m pretty sure the teacher was judging me, but I still put through three months of pottery class, which were very expensive by the way, because I knew Taehyung would love that. And the Pasta! I hate garlic, I can’t stand it, but I still told him it was my favorite since it’s the only thing he can cook!”

Namjoon clears his throat, looking around at the people starting to take notice of your meltdown. You were getting increasingly louder, you realize, so you sigh, letting the tension escape your body with a deep breath.

Yoongi stops by the table to drop two cups of coffee, raising an eyebrow at you, to which you answer with a glare of your own. He walks away with an evil glint in his eyes, and you already know what’s about to happen. You still risk a small sip of the steaming coffee, only to spit it back into the cup, face void of emotion.

Namjoon winces at you, offering you some napkins for the drops dripping down your chin.

“He put mustard in it, didn’t he?” He asks while you wipe your mouth, then taking your water to wash down the acre taste.

You nod slowly.

“He’s got a weird way to comfort his friends.”

You nod again, but grabbing his cup at the same time. “Do you mind?” You ask, and he agrees enthusiastically, only to frown when he sees what you do with it next.

You grab the table syrup, dripping some all over Namjoon’s coffee cup handle. You put it back on Namjoon’s side of the table, smiling warmly at him.

“Where were we?” You ask cheerfully.

“I think he might just ban me from the Dinner.” Namjoon says in a daze, looking back at where Yoongi is throwing daggers at the both of you from the window, wiping his sticky finger on his apron in vain; You know this stuff is impossible to get rid of.

You knew Yoongi would expect your handle to be sticky after the stunt he pulled, which is why you did it on Namjoon’s cup instead. You make sure to send Yoongi your most radiant smile as you walk away, waving. You should probably avoid the dinner for a few weeks.

But now, belly full of good food, mood lightened, you can go on your productive day of buying stuff. You take the bus to the closest Target, a comfortable chatter between the two of you, when something suddenly hits you between the bedroom aisle and the bathroom aisle.

“Now hold on a second; I just realized I never properly introduced myself. I mean obviously you already know my name, since Taehyung seems to have talked about me, and well, Yoongi used my name earlier too. But still... Wow, I’m so sorry I'm the worst new roommate ever.”

Namjoon shakes his head no, fiddling with the brand new slippers he picked up on the way.

“It’s...fine. Actually, well. I was hesitant to tell you since I don’t want you to feel bad about it but... we’ve already been introduced. Also we shared like, three classes so far. I’m minoring in languages.”

“Oh… Oh my god.” You say, stopping in your tracks. You look up at Namjoon with wide, confused eyes.

“It’s ok.” Namjoon says, pulling you after him into the bathroom aisle with a light touch to the arm.

“Oh my god I’m so sorry,”

“It’s fine I swear.” He reassures, steering you until you’re standing in front of the shower curtains.

“Wow, all this time I was acting like we didn’t know each other-”

“Y/N...” He tries to stop you.

“I’m sorry I have the worst memory.”

“I think it was more your complete and utter lack of interest for anyone but Taehyung that did it.” He teases, not unkindly. There’s more an air of resignation to it.

You drop your head in your hands, feeling flustered and embarrassed.

“Wow everyone really knows, huh?”

“You’re not exactly subtle.”

Maybe your friends were right; maybe you need to take a breather. Maybe this summer away from him is a good thing.

“So… Namjoon Kim, how long have we ‘known’ each other?” You question, quotation marks and everything.

“Well…” He trails off, thinking about it for a second before answering, scratching his head as he seems to be wracking his brain for the exact information. “Taehyung introduced us during one of the first dorms get-together, so I'd say as long as you’ve known Taehyung.”

You groan, pulling on one of the displayed shower curtains, hiding your face behind, doing your best impression of an ostrich burying its head in the sand.

“I’m a horrible person.” You state to no one.

“To be fair though, I was not on the same floor as you guys, so we probably didn’t see much of each other.”

God, he’s such a good person, trying to make sure you don’t feel bad with yourself for basically ignoring him for two whole years. It literally took him moving in with you to notice him. You peek from behind the curtain, not ready to come out completely.

“I feel horrible, I’m really sorry I didn't mean to ignore you for two fucking years.”

“You’re good, y/n, I understand. Actually I think that you-.” He says, but cuts himself short, mouth slamming shut.

“You think that I...?” You ask, curiously, eyebrows going up.

“No, nothing. It’s nothing.” He answers, but it’s hurried, the look on his face borderline frantic. He doubles up on the fiddling with the slippers, the price tag close to coming off with the way he’s tugging on it.

‘Curiosity killed the cat’ they say, but you’ve never listened to that; when you feel like something is being hid from you, you’re like a starving shark smelling blood. You can’t let go, you need to know what’s putting Namjoon in this state; what he was about to say about you.

“Namjoon, it’s ok, you can tell me.” You try to go for a reassuring smile, but the look in your eyes must give you away because it only serves to make Namjoon look more worried.

“I- I think that.” He clears his throat, looking around nervously. “I think that you’re holding the ugliest shower curtain I’ve ever seen.”

You frown, looking down at the aforementioned curtain you're currently still half hiding behind.

It’s truly atrocious; it’s a solid ugly grey color, the top part bare of anything, but starting from the middle, the bottom part is layers of ruffles over ruffles, hemmed by some white lace. It’s truly horrifying; very hard to look at.

“Namjoon.” You say, and his eyes finally settle on you.

“Namjoon, if you don’t tell me what you were going to say I'm making you buy this truly horrifyingly ugly curtain.”

There’s a look of pure unadulterated horror passing through his eyes, before he composes himself, looking perfectly neutral.

“It’s your bathroom, I'll buy whatever you want.” He says, voice void of infliction, and you smirk, pleased.

“Amazing, I’m so grateful you’re willing to spend seventy bucks on this curtain.”

“Seventy bucks?!” He exclaims, choking on air. You know he’s a student; students are usually poor. Simple math.

“Or… you could tell me what you were going to say, and I can settle for this beautiful plain white curtain,-” You entice, coming out of hiding to grab the other curtain on the display, stretching it out and showing it off as if you were in an infomercial. “yours for only…” You pause, checking the price tag, “ $9,99.”

He sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. After a moment of silence, he mutters something so quickly you can’t catch any of it.

“Come again?” You ask, turning on your heels to hug the monstrous grey ruffle disaster to yourself in a threatening manner.

“I said…” He looks about ready to take a bite out of the slipper to avoid your questioning. “ I think that you’re- I think that- It’s cute.” He stammers.

Of all the things, you were not expecting that.

“What?”

“I think it’s cute, ok? I think that you’re cute for focusing all your attention on him like that.”

You’re shocked and confused. This is not the words usually used by your friends to describe your relationship with Taehyung.

“It’s like the rest of the world around you fades away when you’re with him or you think of him, and I wish-...I wish I had someone who liked me that much too.” He finishes, the tip of his ears burning scarlet.

You take him in at that moment, this broad and tall human, with the nicest set of dimples, the soft eyes hidden behind his glasses, the overall grand-father look that he somehow rocks; The way he’s so big yet he’s got this whole gentle vibe going on; how he’s so involuntarily destructive but he also has this calm aura surrounding him.

Suddenly, you’re kind of glad Taehyung is not around. You probably would never have noticed Namjoon if he hadn’t left. It’s only been 24 hours but you already know Namjoon is the kind of person you want to befriend. And he seems to want to befriend you too, so maybe, this summer won’t be so bad.

This summer is terrible.

You get a text from your boss first thing in the morning asking you to come in early, someone else having called in sick. Your bus shows up late, making you late, and you barely have time to catch a breath before Karen, the manager, is on you, lecturing you for your tardiness. Yes, maybe you’re often late, but you can’t really help it if mother nature skipped you when handing out punctuality.

You’re barely clocked in when you’re handed some cleaning tool, a customer having made a mess with some jam pots, meaning this is going to be a sticky disaster. Then you get screamed at because some prick disagrees with the pricing of a jar of pickles, as if that had anything to do with you; You hate pickles.

It just gets dumber from there on, and when the end of your shift comes around, you can’t wait to just be back home, with nothing to do but finally watch the finale of Hannah Brown’s season and maybe stuff your face with whatever you got from the grocery haul you did yesterday.

You wonder if Namjoon is cooking anything; a part of you hopes that he isn’t, worried for the state of the kitchen; another part of you would definitely be pleasantly surprised. As long as there’s no more garlic on the horizon.

It’s kind of weird how this is technically day 3 of you being roommates and you’re already used to his presence. Of course there’s still some awkward moments, but they never last too long.

Namjoon is such a sweetheart, and there’s a part of you that is mad for basically depriving yourself of his friendship for so long. Another part is happy that you did so, or his arrival in your life wouldn’t be the perfect distraction from Taehyung abandoning you. Not that you consider him a distraction, but he’s definitely distracting.

When he’s not falling in showers, he’s singing in them, apparently. Completely off tune, his voice not the most graceful, but still very, very endearing. A shame that you had to rush to go to work while he was having his very own concert, or you would probably have gotten out your phone to gather some blackmail materials.

There’s also his possible inability to cook anything other than pasta; it’s been three days but you’ve already seen him cook some kind of spaghetti at least thrice.

You’re not the most accomplished cook, but you can manage. You have a feeling that next to Namjoon though, you probably look like a professional Michelin decorated Chef. You’re thinking about taking over mealtime when you’re home, maybe assigning him the sous-chef role. A risk that you’re willing to take so you don’t have to see what would probably be a hurt expression at being completely dismissed from the kitchen.

There’s also his ankles. He’s got such pretty ankles, you’re kind of jealous. They’re all dainty and pretty, which is not what a man probably wants to hear when talking about his body, so you’ve decided to keep this compliment to yourself.

You’re not sure exactly what he does during his day. So far you’ve observed that he spends a lot of time in sweatpants, on his computer, earphones cutting him off from the world. He had spent a few hours on the couch yesterday, a focused look on his face as he was clearly working on something, but you didn't want to bother him to ask him what he was doing.

You get home, sighing deeply as you finally take off your shoes after nine hours of standing. It’s dinner time, your stomach is growling, there doesn’t seem to be any action in the kitchen, and you don’t have the strength or patience to cook anything right now, so you grab your phone, pulling up the UberEat app.

You plop down onto the couch, bouncing slightly before properly melting into it, but you can't fall asleep now, you’re on a food-oriented mission.

You’re about to pull up the page of your favorite pizza place when something in your peripheral vision catches your eyes.

It’s Namjoon’s laptop, open on the side table, earphone hanging from the side; The screen light is dim, but you can easily recognize the face on the paused screen.

It’s John Paul Jones.

You can’t believe your eyes, and you’re so shocked, you don’t hear the bathroom door open. You jostle when Namjoon appears in a flash, slamming the laptop shut, looking particularly distraught.

“You did not just see that.” He says, hand still on his laptop, frozen in position.

“I sure fucking did.” You exclaim, eyes sparkling. This is the best thing ever. “You’re watching The bachelorette. Alone. Because this is something you actually enjoy.”

“Please don’t tell anyone.” He whines, dropping into a low squat, wiping his face down with one hand. “I swear I’m a feminist.”

“You’re a romantic, you love love.”

Namjoon groans.

“That’s why you don’t judge me for my crush. You’ve seen worse.” You marvel, and he looks up shyly at your tone.

“You don’t have to worry, I won’t tell anyone...” You linger on the pause for a moment, keeping him guessing. “As long as you promise to do your marathon with me.”

He frowns for a second, searching your face for the teasing or ‘just joking’ that he thinks is coming. But it’s not.

“You’re...a fan of The Bachelor franchise?” he wonders aloud, and you laugh out loud at the bemusement on his face.

“If by fan you mean slowly but surely making my way through all the seasons, all the series, all the content I can, then yes, I would say that I’m a fan.”

There’s a shy smile growing on his face, his dimple going the deepest you’ve ever seen them so far in your three days of co-existing. You’re on the verge of popping out a ruler and verifying once and for all how deep those really are.

“Then yes, Y/N, I will accept your offer of being your bachelor buddy.” He chuckles.

There seems to be a lot of marathons on this summer’s horizon, and you love the idea.

Going to sleep at 5 am is never a good decision, but when it’s because you were binge-watching Bachelor in Paradise with your new bachelor buddy, then you can forgive yourself.

You step out of your room, yawning, at the same time as Namjoon does.

“Hey” You greet him, to which he answers with a small wave, squinty eyes avoiding the light.

“Hungry?” You ask, scratching your head as you make your way to the kitchen, Namjoon following behind.

“Ravenous” He croaks, morning voice ten tones deeper. But it’s not affecting you. Not at all.

You open the fridge to browse the content, pulling out some milk to make yourself some cereal, going to sit at the table so you can both eat and scroll through your phone comfortably.

Namjoon sits on the other side, buttering up some toast with an impressive amount of Nutella; but you’re not judging, being an ex Nutella-addict yourself.

You pull up your text like you’ve been doing for the past few days, checking if you received any messages that your phone failed to notify you about, sighing when you still have no answer from Taehyung. You would worry, except there hasn’t been any newsworthy event about planes or Korea or anything; you’ve been following the news just to be sure.

You peek at Namjoon, who’s staring blankly into his slice of bread with the air of someone who didn’t get enough sleep. You clear your throat lightly to get his attention.

He raises unfocused eyes on you, and you have to bite back a coo at how adorably soft he looks, with his soft brown hair a mess, eyes still half-open, a light stubble slightly apparent, and his mouth hanging slack.

“Did you...did Taehyung send you a text or something? Since he left?”

It takes Namjoon a second to register the question, frowning for a split second before shaking his head.

“He hasn’t, but I wouldn’t worry. His family would have reached out if he hadn’t made it safely.”

“Hmm good point.” You nod, going back to your cereal. You’re slowly coming to terms with the fact that Taehyung seems to have completely forgotten about you. It hurts like a bitch, but it’s getting bearable. You’re not sure how it’s going to be between the two of you once he comes back from his summer spent chasing his internet girlfriend, leaving you in the dust. You’ll definitely feel awkward around him, at least for the first few weeks. You’ll have to have a talk with him, maybe ask for an apology. So many of the plans you made together are now definitely not happening.

“Y/N?”

“Hm?”

“The other day you said that you always plan stuff factoring in Taehyung’s interest and choices, and that kind of bothered me.” Namjoon mumbles, looking suddenly very awake but also very shy.

“Aw, don’t be bothered. In a way it’s kind of my fault you know. I could easily just do my own things, but I choose to plan around him because I want to spend time with him…” You pause, wince. “It’s kind of sad now that I’m putting it this way.”

“I know that he considers you his best friend, though, and relationships, even platonic ones, go both ways.”

You smile into your cereal, pushing them around the milk.

“I appreciate you defending my honor, Namjoon.” You tease lightly, a warm feeling spreading through your chest.

“Actually I was wondering-,” He cuts himself off, scratching his head, before carrying on, “I was wondering, is there something you’ve always wanted to do? But you haven’t since it’s not something Taehyung would appreciate?”

The question takes you by surprise, and you wrack your brain, trying to think of something.

“Well, I’ve always wanted to do a road trip to the future birthplace of Captain Kirk in Iowa, but Taehyung’s not really into SciFi, so I never brought it up.”

Namjoon’s face is the one of someone who was not expecting this answer at all, and he stares at you for a long moment, something akin to wonder sparkling in his eyes.

“You like Star Trek.” He marvels, shaking his head like he can’t believe it. “How are you so perfect.”

You freeze, he freezes; everyone freezes.

“Wait, what did you just say?”

“Erhm, well, hum,-” He stammers incoherently, face growing red, before finally getting control of his tongue again. “I mean, your cinematic taste; they’re perfect. How is your cinematic taste so perfect? I just woke up, my brain is still half asleep.” He laughs, but it sounds forced, and you take pity over him.

“Sure.” You answer, dragging on the syllable. ”Anyway, that’s what I would do. I’ve always wanted to visit there, and I’ve always wanted to do a road trip, so, yeah.”

Namjoon looks grateful that you’re not insisting, taking a big swing from his glass of milk, and you’re scared that he’s going to choke and splurt milk all over the table and you for a second. Knowing his track record when nervous, it wouldn't surprise you, but he manages to keep it all in without incident.

It’s been a while since you’ve practiced your reanimation techniques and Heimlich maneuver, and you make a note to review some videos, just in case. You have a feeling that living with Namjoon is stressful

“The reason I’m asking is, well, I’ve got nothing planned this summer, and I would love to try new things. I know we’re basically strangers at this point, but, if you want we could, you know, do some stuff together. Like, I would love doing a road trip to Captain Kirk’s future Birthplace. Only if you want! I don’t want to impose myself either. If you want to save that for friends you know better, it’s perfectly fine. I’m just saying, like, I’m open to doing stuff with you. Like, I think we get along well and,- Now I’m just rambling.”

You giggle, finding this whole thing quite endearing. You’re tempted to torture him a little, but you decide to take pity on him; it’s morning after all.

“Namjoon.”

“Yes.”

“I would love to go on that road trip with you.” You state simply, and your words take a moment to register, but he gives you a beaming smile, the dimples making yet another noticed apparition. The joy is short-lived though, a frown making its way on his face.

“There’s just one thing; I don’t drive.”

You snort, extending your hand to tap lightly on his, comforting.

“It’s a good thing if you ask me.”

“...Do you?” He asks tentatively.

“Yeah baby,” You exclaim, pulling out your best southern accent. “I'm a licensed driver and everything. ‘Haven’t drove into a wall since 2016.”

“That's not as reassuring as you think it is.”

“Are you questioning my driving abilities?” You ask, leaning forward in a threatening manner.

“...No.” He gulps.

“Then let’s set a date!”

There’s a new air of excitement taking over the kitchen, the prospect of a road trip making you feel giddy like a child going to Disneyland.

“Wait, where would you get the car?”

“I can pull some strings.” You shrug with a taunting eyebrow raise, aiming for mysterious. There’s a certain someone who owes you one, and this is the perfect occasion for him to pay his due.

Before Namjoon can question you further, someone starts knocking on the door incessantly. You turn questioning eyes to Namjoon, who mirrors the look, and he stands up, hurrying to the door as the onslaught doesn't seem to be stopping.

There’s a flurry of movement as whoever is on the other side of the door jumps into Namjoon’s arms, sending him swaying back from the weight. There’s confusion and shock on Namjoon’s face, and you quickly understand why.

“Tae?!”

#btswriterscollective #btsboulangerie #bangtanarmynet #ficswithluv #bangtanhq #magicshopnet #bangtanscenery #btswritersnet #plotsofpastel #bangtanscenerycollab #armysource #Bangtanidx

[bangtiddies]

Phantom

Pairing: Yoongi x Reader Genre: Heavy Angst, Parent AU, Bittersweet Fluff Rating: PG15 Words: 3.9k Warnings: major character death, hospitals, mentions of a road accident, mentions of blood, trauma, emotional turmoil, lots and lots of hurt i’m sorry

Summary: "It’s your papa and mama’s song.”

Note: Inspired by SEKAI NO OWARI’s 幻の命 (Maboroshi no Inochi/Life of Phantom)

Tagging my support team @mygsii​​ and @starlightseoks​​ who gave me validation when I needed. Love you! ❤️❤️❤️ Part of @bangtanscenery​‘s April Showers Bring May Flowers Collab

You’re in a field filled with yellow and orange flowers. Bunny shaped clouds fill the sky on a beautiful blue canvas. You see a small child – your child – a few metres in front of you, picking the flowers and squealing in glee. Yoongi is crouching next to Sunmi, gummy smile present as she hands him flower after flower.

This is a dream, you think to yourself, it has to be.

With each step you take toward the two most important people in your life, the scene changes. The sky turns darker, the flowers turn fake, Yoongi’s smile disappears into a frown. You’re afraid of what’s about to happen next. You run toward Sunmi, reaching out to her. You try so hard to grasp her, to give her the biggest hug you can.

Sunmi’s screams fill your ears.

And before you can wrap your arms around her, she disappears.

You wake up suddenly, sweat running down your forehead, feeling like you want to scream.

Yoongi isn’t on the other side of the bed next to you.

There’s a moment in your life you hold dear to your heart. One you never want to let go.

Laughter and singing fills the kitchen, you’re stirring dinner and singing along to the song playing from speakers. The vase of fresh yellow and orange flowers sitting on the kitchen counter, a reminder of Yoongi’s love for you. As the old jazz tune continues, Sunmi giggles at Yoongi’s weird impromptu dance from her seat in the high chair. She makes grabby hands at him and he lifts her into his arms, swaying with her to dance. You smile fondly at the two, still singing to the melody. Yoongi joins in with the singing.

Little girl, You’re the one girl for me, Little girl.

The memory is filtered with golden rays of the evening sun, the distinct smell of the macaroni cheese that Sunmi loved, the sound of Yoongi’s laughter and Sunmi’s giggles. A happy moment of flowers, songs, and gummy smiles.

Yellow and orange that you’ll never see, a moment that could never happen again. The love in the air that was once there is no more, yellow and orange turned into blue and red. The moment is one you hold onto like it’s a lifeline, to keep you moving, to keep you going on. To remind you of the love that there once was, the love that you can no longer hold, the love that you miss, the love that will never be remade, no matter how hard you try.

The memories feel like a dream. Life, now, feels like a nightmare. A nightmare you can’t wake up from.

“Y/N,” a voice tries, reaching into your darkness and looking for the light you once had.

“Yeah?” you whisper, not looking at him. The voice sighs.

"Please," he begs. "Look at me."

You reject the voice, the light he tries to bring. The darkness swallowing you up, suffocating you. You're not sure if you want out.

"No," you whisper, turning yourself away from him, away from his light. "I can't. Not after what I've done."

The voice stays in your room. Dejected sighs and sobs that you pretended not to hear plaguing your mind. He wants to pull you out of the darkness, to embrace you.

"Please," the voice tries again. The desperation in his voice moves you to look at him. His concerned face, his yearning for your attention bringing tears to your eyes. Looking at his face, your guilt rises to your throat. This is why you didn't want to look. He smiles at you, but it doesn't reach his eyes. Your guilt feels heavier.

"I'm sorry," you blurt, guilt escaping through your lips.

He smiles. It's sad. So, so sad. Why is he smiling if he's sad?

"It's not your fault."

The white corridors of the hospital are daunting, flashes of blue and red circling your vision.

You run down the endless halls, not knowing where you’re going, but you continue to run and run, looking, searching for any hint of yellow and orange. The corridor repeats itself, empty white halls with flashes of blue and red, red, red.

The corridor turns into the field of yellow and orange flowers, bunny shaped clouds in the sky. Sunmi is picking flowers with Yoongi.

You try running to Sunmi but the storm comes again and she disappears just before you can hold her in your arms.

You wake up, sweating.

The trace of Yoongi in your bed feels like it’s disappearing, the comfort you used to have dissolving into an empty feeling.

The red lights from an ambulance and the blue and red from the police cars plague your mind. Blue, red, red, red. Blue, red, red, red. The colours flash in your vision as thoughts repeat in your head. It’s all my fault, it’s all my fault, it’s all my fault.

Yoongi’s worried face comes into view. He looks upset, panic-stricken, eyes looking between you and the doctors tending him. Scratches cover his face, blood, red, so much red. You look at yourself, a few scratches but barely any injuries, then to Yoongi, at his arm, at his hands, his livelihood, his career, all gone in an instant.

It’s all my fault.

It was an argument over something so stupid, so minuscule. You wouldn't let it go, so stupidly angry at the situation, making sure that Yoongi heard every single word you said. You should have let it go. The main focus should have been on the road, not the argument.

The accident happened too fast for you even to realise what had happened until you're sitting in an ambulance, barely scratched, very scarred. Yoongi, beautiful and kind, holds your hand in the ambulance as tightly as he can with the strength he has. Darkness plagues your mind.

It's all my fault.

You look at Yoongi, heart constricting, throat dry, realising the situation. Realising where you are, in A&E at the closest hospital. Realising about the one person you didn't want to leave when they had to be whisked away for immediate care as soon as the ambulance arrived.

Sunmi.

Her small body so fragile, almost lifeless, fighting for her life. The paramedics trying to calm your panic at the sight of her, assuring you that they're going to try their best to save her.

You don't want to think the worst. You really don't. But after what happened, you can't help yourself.

It's all my fault.

Panicked eyes meet concerned, teary-eyed ones. You feel numb, mind shutting down, shock getting to your system. You want to cry, to feel pain somewhere, to scream out all the stress that resides in your spine. Yoongi softly mutters your name, good hand reaching out to hold your hand, but you hear nothing but muffled sounds, feel nothing but phantom hands.

And when your whole world comes crashing down from a sombre expression on a stranger’s face, you feel nothing, no pain, no tears. All you feel now is guilt.

It's all my fault.

“Your fault?” Yoongi asks in disbelief, staring at you as if you’d grown two heads.

“Yes, it’s all my fault, Yoongi,” you say, voice cracking. “I initiated the fight in the car. You’ve said before that my nagging might get us killed, and now look what I’ve done.” You take a deep breath, hiding your face into your hands, not wanting to look at Yoongi, at your husband who loved you with all his heart, fearing that he would look at you with such judgement, such disappointment, such hatred.

"Y/N," he whispers, good hand reaching out, reminding you of the cast that his other arm is in, feeding your guilt, feeding your pain. His career, ruined. All because of a fight that you caused. You flinch away from him.

"It's all my fault," you whisper.

"Y/N, please, look at me."

You refuse to do so, moving yourself away from him, turning away from where he is. "Sunmi. She's--"

"I know," Yoongi interrupts. "But we can't take her back. No matter how much we want her."

"It should've been me."

"Do you realise what you're saying?" Yoongi asks, breath shaking. "We lost our daughter, Y/N. Why does it feel like I'm losing you too?"

Yoongi's hurt hurts you more than your own.

You’re back in the white hospital corridor. The bench you’re sitting on is uncomfortable. What is this room you’re sitting outside of? Where do the doors lead to?

No.

You don’t want to be here anymore. You want to be away from these doors. You run down to where you think the exit is, the white hospital halls endless. And then, the flashes of lights. Blue, red, red, red. Blue, red, red, red. The hospital corridor repeats itself, constant white with flashes of blue and red.

Until you’re in the field of yellow and orange flowers again, with bunny shaped clouds in the sky. Yoongi and Sunmi are picking flowers together, about ten metres from where you’re standing.

You try calling out their names, but they don't hear you. You take a step toward them. The flowers below your feet start to wilt.

The more steps you take, the more the scenes start to darken. The flowers in Sunmi and Yoongi's hands wilt, looking sad and brown. Yoongi notices the storm starting above them and he stands up, taking Sunmi's hands into his, before walking away from you.

Afraid of losing sight of them, you run. Calling their names desperately, you run toward them. The sky goes grey, clouds darkening with every step you take. Thunder and rain looms above you, as you continue running. And when you're about an arm's length from them, Yoongi and Sunmi disappear into the storm.

When you wake up, Yoongi's empty side of the bed feels colder than it ever did before.

You hardly see Yoongi in your small flat anymore. The rift between the two of you increasing as the days and months go by, as you push him away to avoid seeing the hurt on his face whenever he talks to you. The flat feels colder without the presence of your husband but you never dwelt on that feeling. You only focused on numbing that pain in your chest.

Now, you're alone and afraid. Yoongi's presence used to be warmth, and the lack of it suddenly hits you harder than the hurt looks he would give you. The flat is cold, empty, dull – endless nights of grief and guilt stripping away the liveliness that was once there.

The kitchen that used to be filled with laughter, now silent and blue. The vase of wilted flowers reminding you of the love that was once there, had you not pushed it all away. You want to scream at the vase, throw it to the ground and let the memories shatter into pieces. But your love for the person who gave you those flowers stops you from doing so.

Fear stops you from reaching for your phone calling the one person you need right now. Fear of his reaction. Fear of the likelihood of his love for you gone. Fear of hearing his voice differently to how you remember.

Instead, you stare at the wilted flowers on the kitchen bench, heart mourning for the child you lost, and the love you let go.

You noticed that somehow, you always had enough food in your fridge and pantry, despite never going outside your own room for anything other than work. A small part of you had hoped that Yoongi was the one bringing the food in, until you find Seokjin putting things into your fridge from a supermarket bag one morning. The look of shock on his face when he sees you is enough to show you how long it’s been since you last acted like a functioning human being.

“Y/N,” he says quietly, voice cracking a little. “How are you?”

“I’m good,” you try to smile.

Seokjin smiles. “That’s good to hear.”

He stares at you, block of cheese in hand forgotten. You can understand his reaction, having hardly seen anyone since the last time you spoke to Yoongi. Jimin had popped in once, but you had completely ignored him. Yet here you are, freshly out of the shower and clothes on ready for work, attempting to smile and talk to someone.

“Thanks, by the way,” you say to Seokjin. “For the food.”

“Ah, it’s all Yoongi. He couldn’t come today cause he had some last minute work to do.”

The hope comes back in flutters of cherry blossom petals, pink tinting the grey in your heart. Then, a small amount of fear, of the thought that you’ll have to face Yoongi soon. You’re afraid you might push him away from you further.

But the digital clock on your stove reminds you of the time, and you need to rush out of the door soon or else you’ll be late for work. You look back at Seokjin, try to smile again but it feels odd.

“I have to go to work, but thank you for, um, today. Can you tell Yoongi that I said thank you?”

Seokjin shrugs. “I mean, I can, but I think he’d rather hear it face to face.”

You take a shaky breath. “I don’t know how to face him,” you tell Seokjin honestly.

“I know of a way,” Seokjin says with a smile, and although you want to ask him for it, your time is running out. Giving him a thankful nod, you bid a quick goodbye and leave the flat for work.

And hours later, Seokjin’s knowing smile etched into your mind, you come home to Yoongi sitting on the couch.

The white hospital corridor leads to the field of yellow and orange flowers again. The bunny shaped clouds look softer, like a storm isn't going to come. Sunmi and Yoongi are picking flowers, far away from you. You want to run toward them, but you remember what happens when you do that. Instead, you decide to sit down in the field and watch them from afar.

Only a few minutes pass before Sunmi notices you sitting there and points a finger at where you are, turning Yoongi's attention toward you. His gummy smile now a concerned frown.

This time, instead of you running to Sunmi, she runs to you. Yellow and orange flowers in her small hands, she holds them out to you as her little legs brings her closer to you. At about a metre away from where you're sitting, she stops.

"Mummy, look!" She waves the flowers at you, gummy smile bright and wide. You want reach out, wrap your arms around her, but you're afraid she'll disappear again. Instead, you try to smile back at her. But you probably fail, because Sunmi frowns, and extends flowers out toward you and waves them in front of your face.

"Here, this is for you, mummy," Sunmi says, smile appearing again. "So you can be happy!"

Your heart hurts. Even if this is a dream, you want to be happy for Dream Sunmi. If only you can. Trying another smile, you reach out to receive the flowers from her.

You wake up to your alarm for work.

The warmth in your bed tells you that Yoongi was sleeping beside you last night.

The air is awkward. But seeing Yoongi looking at you with some hope and adoration, the red fear you had about his feelings filters away into pink hope. His hands are wrapped around a mug of coffee, steam drifting up and swirling in the air.

He shifts a little on the couch, placing the mug down on the coffee table before breaking the awkward silence between the two of you. "Do you want a cup of coffee or something?"

"Tea please," you say quietly, voice cracking a little, how easy it is to lose words in his presence.

Yoongi makes his way to the kitchen to prepare your cup of tea, and you find yourself following him, not wanting him to leave your line of sight. You try to gather some words, apologies sitting in your mind but finding it difficult to bring them to your tongue.

“I’m sorry,” you blurt, wincing a little at how odd it felt, and Yoongi freezes, sighing at the cup of tea in front of him before turning to face you.

“You don’t need to apologise.”

“I pushed you away,” you admit in a whisper. “I hurt you.”

“We were grieving,” Yoongi says with a sad smile. “I had views on how we should’ve been coping. I got upset because it didn’t work. You didn’t hurt me.”

You sigh a shaky sigh. No. You did hurt him. Even if it was unintentional and he doesn’t blame you, your shutting him out of your life had hurt him. You know him well enough – you’ve been married for years. You’re worried that he’s tip-toeing on eggshells around you, because of the way you were coping with grief until now.

“Then why,” you ask. “Why is there this awkward tension between us?”

Yoongi’s smile drops, and you notice his breathing, how he’s trying to hold back tears. “I think we’re afraid. Afraid of going back to the way we used to be. Without Sunmi.”

Sunmi’s absence is like a hole in your heart, but you strangely don’t miss her. You don’t tell Yoongi about your dreams, and you don’t remind him that you haven’t cried since her death. Going back to normal without your daughter is terrifying, but you realise that you miss Yoongi more. You want to feel his warmth in your bed again. You’re yearning for him, his love, his kindness.

You hold his hand, a gesture that you would always use to comfort each other. Yoongi looks at you, eyes teary and breath hitching. You try to smile, hoping that your eyes tell him your thoughts. That you’ll fix what was broken, that you’ll find a way through the darkness.

Together.

“I’ve been at the studio with Namjoon,” Yoongi says one day, sitting across from you in the small cafe close to your flat, having decided to spend the day together. The tension between the two of you is starting to fade away, yet you still find it difficult to bring yourself in his arms. Still, you’re taking yourself out of the dark greys, spending more time with Yoongi, the love and support he gives you each day bringing colour into your life. You hope that you’re giving back too, with the same love and support.

“Is there a new project coming up,” you ask.

“No, I mean,” he takes a deep breath. “That’s why I wasn’t around much. I’d work hours in the studio until I passed out on my keyboard.”

“Oh,” you say quietly. “I’m sorry if I drove you to work hard.”

“No, you didn’t,” Yoongi says quickly, before cocking his head to the side in thought. “Actually, you were the reason. Kind of. I was writing a song for you. For us.”

You almost want to laugh, Yoongi bringing shy feelings to your chest. “I… I’m sure I’ve told you that you don’t need to be writing me songs.”

“Trust me,” Yoongi says with a smile, reaching out to hold your hand. “You’ll want to listen to this song.”

Cups of coffee finished, Yoongi leads you to his studio. The fogged glass door sort of intimidating as you stand in front of it, bracing yourself for what you might see in there. It’s been such a long time since you were here, those times when Yoongi would invite you over, telling you that he’s seeking inspiration, sweet whispers for his muse.

Door opens, and you’re met with a room that hasn’t changed. The only thing that’s different, is the black cover over the upright piano that’s tucked away in the corner of the room. From the dust that’s scattered on the cover, you can tell that the piano hasn’t been touched in a long time.

“Come,” Yoongi whispers, holding your hand and guiding you to the seat by the computer. He hands you a pair of headphones, and you put them over your ears as he clicks on an audio file named Sunmi_05.

The song starts with a low hum, before it bleeds into a piano melody. You can’t help but glance over to Yoongi’s hands, left hand damaged. You wonder how difficult and frustrating it must’ve been for him to play. Guilt rises in your chest, but you try to focus on appreciating the song. The melody is beautiful, yet melancholic. You feel a sense of reminiscence, bittersweet, yearning, reaching. All in a soft melody that Yoongi probably spent a long time working on.

And then, it bleeds into the most beautiful sound you’ve ever heard in your life.

A giggle.

Sunmi’s giggle.

You gasp, wide eyes turning to Yoongi’s that are brimmed with tears. He smiles at you, and nods, knowing exactly where you are in the song. You don’t take your eyes off Yoongi as you continue to listen, hearing the melody of the piano smooth out into Sunmi’s voice. The sounds she’d make when she’s eating macaroni cheese and wants to tell you she’s loving it by humming. The made-up songs she’d sing to her teddy bears. The gibberish into the microphone from the times she’d visit Yoongi’s studio. Collections of audio files from home videos and studio recordings, all compiled together to create a song over a beautiful piano melody.

The piano melody slows, Sunmi’s humming fades out, and you’re about to open your mouth to say something before you hear a different voice in your ears.

“Sunmi, do you love mummy?”

It’s your voice. You remember this day, when Sunmi was just starting to learn how to form sentences, and you wanted to film every moment. This is the audio from your favourite video.

“I love mummy!” Sunmi replies enthusiastically, struggling a little with the word ‘love’, but sounding so proud of herself.

Next, comes Yoongi’s voice, low and raspy, but filled with such love and adoration. “Do you love daddy?”

“I love daddy!”

“Do you love Sunmi,” your voice asks. You can almost hear Sunmi’s smile brighten up, and you can’t help but smile at the audio too.

“I love Sunmi!”

The song ends.

And for the first time since Sunmi’s death, you feel tears running down your cheeks. Yoongi takes you in his arms, warmth embracing you in such a comforting way, and you let yourself cry into his arms.

“Thank you,” you sob to him, pulling away so you can look at him in the eyes. “I love you. So much.”

Yoongi smiles, tears threatening to spill. “I love you too.”

Yellow and orange flowers surround you, Sunmi and Yoongi sitting beside you. The sun sets, painting pinks and oranges in the sky. The bunny shaped clouds look like they’re bouncing in their own field of flowers.

“Are you happy, mummy?” Sunmi asks you, handing you flowers with a bright gummy smile.

“No,” you answer honestly, but you find yourself smiling at your daughter, who looks at you with wide and curious eyes. You turn to Yoongi, who looks at you with care and love, the way he always looks at you. You’re in love. So in love. But you won’t deny that you’re hurting too.

“Will you be happy one day?” Sunmi asks. You chuckle a little, reaching out and hugging her, letting out a breath of relief when she doesn’t disappear in your arms.

“Yes,” you say to her, reaching out to hold Yoongi’s hand while still holding Sunmi in your arms. “One day, I’ll be happy.”

Yoongi’s arms are wrapped around your waist when you wake up.

#bangtanscenerycollab #bangtanarmynet #btswriterscollective #btswritingcafe #btsghostie #btsbookclub #btsguild #bangtanhq #ficswithluv #magicshopnet #bangtanscenery #bts scenario #bts fanfic #min yoongi #suga #bts angst #heavy angst #major character death #sekaowa collection

[bangtan-dreamland]

A Fairy Tale’s End [Prolouge]

Pairing:‌ ‌‌(future) ot7‌ ‌x‌ ‌reader‌ ‌

Word‌ ‌Count:‌‌ ‌4822

Rating:‌ ‌‌pg-13‌ ‌

Warning:‌ reader is mostly just sad, gets hunted by a creature bent on harming her, brief description about fighting

Genre:‌‌ ‌fluff,‌ ‌angst,‌ ‌e2l,‌ ‌fantasy!au,‌ ‌supernatural/fairytale!BTS‌ ‌

Summary: You wanted, for once, to be someone important, someone needed- to be wanted and appreciated, to love and be loved. Well, you should be careful what you wish for.

or

A careless wish made on what might be the worst day of your life sets into motion events that puts you on a journey in another world- literally. You wake up to find that you've become a chosen hero- and now you have to save the world!? Thrust into a dangerous quest with no one but seven princes (re:jerks) as team members, can you survive the quest and go home?

AN:‌ I wouldn’t have been able to post this if not for @shadowsremedy so thank you T^T I seriously kept asking him again and again for help aixnsoxnsoxa nOT TO MENTION @dee-ehn​ who made the banner I’m not over how pretty it is asuidhjasd

This is also a part of @bangtanscenery’s collab, ‘April Showers Bring May Flowers’! Quickly before posting period ends in a few hours, ahahah. I, the fool, am doing a series instead of a oneshot because I have no self-control. Nevertheless, I hope this makes whoever reading smile ^^

masterpost // next chapter

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The streets in the city were always dreary at this time of the night, moreso with how the rain seemed to be specially intense tonight.

Splish, splash.

Your footsteps hardly made a sound in the deafening sound of the downpour. Instead, with every step you took, it was the sound of rain puddles splashing that you heard, and the faint squelch in your sneakers as they became even more soaked. The umbrella in your hands barely protected you from the rain, harsh as the winds were- and your clothes were already a lost cause. Only the tips of your hair were wet, yet the wind had caused your hair to be blown into messy knots, and your makeup- well. You had no doubt that were anyone to see you now, all they’d see was a ragged, downtrodden woman who seemed like she had been broken up with.

Not that you had much motivation to correct that, anyway, even if it was far from the truth.

Or that there was anyone to even see you in your current state. The time was well into the evening, most people having gone home already- and the fierce rain only drove the people left outside into either staying home, or going home. There would be no one sane walking around the streets tonight.

Well, except you.

And even then it was hard to mind. The rain was therapeutic in a way- and even when you arrived back at your apartment, what was there to welcome you but silence? What was there to surround yourself in but silence, echoes of birthday greetings faint and even then insincere, reduced to polite, half-hearted greetings that only reinforced the distance you felt. Between your parents, your family, and to the people who, if asked, would call themselves your friends- but were you, really?

Was it really too much to ask for more than a smile, more than a mention on the day you believed you had the right to feel important on?

At least in the rain it was hard to hear your own thoughts. When you stood under the rain, alone in the streets, it was easy to believe that you were alone in the world, that what you felt truly was reality. You were alone.

Still… as a shiver crept up on your body, the coldness of the rain seeping in, you were forced to relent, looking around for a nearby eave to wait out the rain in. That was all you were looking for to stop yourself from getting too sick. No rest for the wicked, after all.

But then your eyes met the sign of a bookstore near you, and you stopped in your tracks.

Magic Shop.

… What kind of name was that, for a bookstore? Curious eyes wandered along the outside display, the glass offering little view as to what was inside, what with the dim light from outside. Still, it was easy to see that the shop was open- and you hesitated to step in. Your dripping clothes would ruin the shop’s interior, you knew- you probably shouldn’t go inside.

Too bad, you faintly thought. It would be a nice break, small it was. The shop had to be new too- you’d never seen it before despite going through this road so many times now.

You wandered closer, feet dragging as quiet as they could be along the road. A meter away from the glass, in contrast to the bitter cold surrounding you before you could feel a soft kind of warmth coming from inside. Still the inside remained hard to see, as though there was a fog covering your eyes.

“A customer?”

You flinched at the sudden voice, turning to the side.

Mellow eyes that took in your current look without a hint of pity or disdain, accompanied by a warm smile that showed no malice, the woman that suddenly appeared by the door looked at you with curiosity.

“… Oh, um, no,” you mumbled, feeling yourself redden under her stare, even though she didn’t seem to be judging you. “Just keeping myself out of the rain, ma'am.”

She tilted her head at you, the picture of a curious cat, before raising an eyebrow. “Well then- you should come inside anyway.”

“I couldn’t,” you rejected her gently, fidgeting with your soaked clothes. “I’m- well, um, I might ruin your floors.”

“Nonsense,” she tutted at you, beckoning you to come over. You followed her order, a little intimidated by the firm look in her eyes. You raised an eyebrow in surprise as she reached behind her to hand over- a huge towel. Wrapping it around you- where did she get that, you wondered, it was too big not for you to have not seen it, so why? She gently but surely tugged you inside. For a moment you hesitated, foot raised mid-air, before you slowly followed her inside.

And while you didn’t want to impose… it was, admittedly, nice to be out of the rain and with a towel around you. It helped that stepping in, it was as if the rain was little more than background noise- the warmth you felt from before surrounding you oh so heavenly, the chill from the rain being banished instantly. So instead you put your mind to your current situation, instantly looking around the bookstore that originally intrigued you- only to stop. As the two of you stepped in, you couldn’t help but pause as you took the interior of the bookstore in. The air in the bookstore was… strange, to put it in simple words.

No, you mulled over the word in your head. Not quite strange.

Old.

Yes, that was the right word. Inside, it felt as if you had taken a step back in time. Dusty bookshelves filled the floor in neat rows, crammed neatly with books of different shapes and sizes. The bookshelves themselves seemed to be specially made as well- carved decorations standing out neatly, intricate and mesmerizing. The walls lined with bookshelves, the sole exception being the counter. Looking down, the floor was spotlessly clean, the shine of wax evident- and, looking up, there was nothing on the ceiling save for the sole, hanging light lamp.

That wasn’t even beginning to describe how the bookstore was to your other senses- the smell of old parchment mixing with what had to be an incense- nothing but the sound of rain outside and the quiet inside, broken occasionally by the drips of rain falling from your wet figure.

But for some reason, it was how the bookstore simply felt that had you enthralled.

It was hard to describe, but there was something in the air, something that you knew was something so rare- so wonderful, so… magical.

Magical. Yes, that was it. The bookstore seemed magical.

You took a step forward, curious to explore. Each bookshelf was filled with books, yes, but… as you examined them, you were surprised to find that not a single one had a title. All of them leather-bound books, yet not a single one with an engraved title, or an author, or anything to tell them apart from each other, save for the fancy decorations you could see on some. The hints of a ribbon here, and there, yet overall each book seemed to be about the same.

You walked around the bookshelves, curious. Did all the books in the bookshop have blank covers?

As your eyes fell upon the bookshelf nearest to the windows, you tilted your head. Familiar titles of the Grimm Brothers and many other classical authors were on each book- you let your fingers trail over them, a sense of wonder in you at how authentic each book seemed to be, as if they were collected at the time of original publication- the first edition, so to say.

Still, then, what about the other books? You walked back to the original bookshelf you had been looking in, more curious than ever now. Still blank.

Weird, you thought. What kind of bookstore did you step in? Fingers fell unto a single book, and you were just about to tug it off the bookshelf, when-

“You are, then, here for a book?”

You halted, eyes wide as you looked to the side- the woman from before smiling at you.

… When did she arrive? More than that, when had she left? Why didn’t you notice both occurrences? The floor was waxed- it should have been impossible to walk without making a sound. Yet both times she so easily did it that you were very much confused.

“That,” you paused, feeling your face redden slightly as you tried to come up with a response, aware of how long it was taking you to answer. You coughed. “Yes, I am. Um, I mean, I’m looking for something new to read.”

A thought appeared in your head. “That said, uh, what kind of books are these? If- if you don’t mind me asking,” you mumbled. “I mean- the other books were fairy tales, weren’t they? B-But, um, these don’t seem to have any indications of what books they are…“

“Why, they’re fairy tales too, of course,” she beamed at you, before sighing. “Although not many people read them anymore. It’s a shame… perhaps things like knights, magic, and fae aren’t that interesting anymore. Instead they have robots and disasters and whatever young people seem to be reading these days.”

“That’s not true!” You burst out, a part of you immediately upset, before your nerves kicked in and you amended your words. “I mean- I’m proof that that isn’t true, right? I… can’t deny that, um, robots, and uh disasters, all that- they’re appealing to a lot because it’s easier to relate with them. Considering our society now,” you relented.

“B-But,“ you hastily continued. "That doesn’t mean people have abandoned fairy tales. And, um, I think everyone could do with a reminder of old stories now and then, don’t you? Tales about simpler, purer things.”

“Like curses and magic?”

You flushed, pouting. “W-Well, at least they’re easier to understand than human feelings. I mean, I don’t think anyone can tell exactly what they’re feeling at any moment, even if they spend a lifetime studying themselves, right? So, I mean- in comparison, I’d prefer word games and riddles. At least they can be logical,” you fiddled with the hems of your shirt as your rant began to die down. “In a way.”

“… Yes, yes, that’s true.” You glanced at her, unsure if she was simply saying them or if she meant it- but the sudden glee in her voice was not hard to miss, and you rethought your words, unsure if her glee was good or bad for you.

While you fidgeted in place, she began to speak again. “You seem to be familiar with the books by the window?”

“Um- yes,“ you admitted. “I’ve read many of them, or, uh, at least a version of them.”

You shyly added. “Fairy tales are one of my favorites, though I guess that was, um, easy to see from earlier. Honestly… it’s up to the point that I often wish the world was a bit more like fairytale. Or that I lived in one. That would be much more preferable to my life right now.”

The last part of your words was said wryly.

She gave no outward reaction to your words- yet when you looked at her, you were surprised to see her look at you in awe, as if she’d found a rare treasure. Then there was the determined tone in her voice that made you nervous, for some reason. “Yes… this world just isn’t quite right, isn’t it? If you’re looking for a new fairytale to read… yes, if it’s you, I think you’ll appreciate this one just fine... if it’s you, you’ll succeed- you’ll finish the story properly.”

“Huh?” You furrowed your eyebrows, confused, as she suddenly left. “What do you-!”

And then came back seconds later, a book clutched in her hand. “For you,“ she told you with a satisfied look on her face- you warily accepted the book.

Looking down, it seemed to be the same as all the other books in the shelves- leather-bound with a glossy finish, the cover blank save for a light engraving on the side that resembled- flowers?

You barely resisted the urge to bring the book closer to your face, feeling the smooth texture and the smell of old parchment. Just what exactly had you been given? “It’s…”

“A book about a fairy tale,” she finished for you, the smile remaining on her face.

“There’s no- um, there’s no title on the cover,“ you pointed out, feeling a little bewildered at the sudden turn of events. Was this something that she did often? Did you even do something to warrant the book? If the cover was blank… “How old is this book?

It seemed, though, that you wouldn’t be getting any answer to your question- her vague answer only gave you more questions. "There’s no title on the cover because it’s the only one out there of its kind, of course,” she chided you as if you should have known better, but all you could do was look at her in apparent confusion. “And as for how old it is, just know that it’s older than you can imagine.”

You furrowed your eyebrows. “W-Wait, just one? What does that mean?”

“It’s a special kind of fairy tale,” she said slowly, an impatient frown on her face- you bit back the frustration building inside you at her sudden switch of moods. “It’s one of a kind. Magical- you’ll be so immersed in the story, you might even forget about this world. Really, you won’t find any book like this out there!”

At her insistent stare, you reluctantly held the book under your jacket, careful not to let it get wet or damaged. “Okay…”

A glance at the windows revealed that the rain had stopped long ago- really, you should have been in bed by now. You had to admit you were nervous. For once since stepping in, you were all too aware again at the oddness of your situation. You clutched your clothes tighter- dry. A step back- you glanced at the woman who seemed content to see you go.

It was only when you were a step out of the door that she spoke to you again.

“Wait! Don’t open it until you’re about to sleep, or you won’t be able to experience the story properly,“ she firmly instructed you, her voice making you wince.

“O-Okay…” You paused, awaiting for any signal from her that she was going to continue talking, before you resumed. “Um, I should be going now.”

“Alright,” she beamed at you- the whiplash making you even more uneasy. “I hope you enjoy that book!”

It was only when you arrived back at your apartment that you realized the towel had disappeared, and your clothes were dry- your hair neat, make up removed- as if you had never even stepped out in the rain. All that remained that assured you the bookstore was real was the blank package you held in your arms.

»»————-　♔　————-««

“One of a kind, huh…”

That night, as you laid in bed you found yourself examining the book given to you by the bookshop owner- still mystified by the whole thing. You let your fingers trail along the sides of the book. A part of you was admittedly curious about the book, so held in high view by the shopkeeper.

But.

“Blank,” you murmured, looking down at the pages below when you opened it. Not a single drop of ink anywhere, nor the pressure of a pen or any machinery. The pages themselves were barely yellow, yet all the same there was the faint smell coming off from it that indicated it was antique. You flipped through the ages, confused. However the remaining pages proved to be like the first- and until the very end, the pages were all empty.

“Figures,” you exhaled, feeling oddly disappointed as you closed the book. “The one time I hope, and this happens.“

You stopped in surprise as you felt something on the back. What…

Looking down, you felt bemused. Engraved on the back cover were seven… men. No, not entirely human- you traced pointed ears on one of them, and the faint outline of a bow- another had scales and a tail, while the rest…

Well. You paused. Was there any point in figuring that out? It wouldn’t change that the book was blank. Tomorrow you’d return it, you told yourself. No need to keep what was basically a journal, no matter how pretty it was.

For a moment as you set the book down you remembered the shop keeper’s words, and you chuckled to yourself.

“Make a wish…?” You huffed, chuckling afterwards. “Make my own story, hm?”

“I wish…” You started, your voice a whisper as you stared at the book. “I wish, for once, that I’m able to be someone important… needed. To experience loving someone and being loved for real…”

“For once I want to feel what it’s like to be like a main character in a story…”

»»————-　♔　————-««

Loud.

When you woke up, it was to the sound of birds chirping ringing in your ear. Which, you faintly thought as you stirred into consciousness, was actually kind of ringing in your head. And annoying. Why would people think it nice to wake up to the sound of nature? Everything- everything was just so loud. Even the grass you were laying on wasn’t in any way comparable to your bed.

Wait.

Why were you laying on grass…?

You opened one eye and hissed. Too fucking bright. Bringing up a hand to intercept the light, you allowed yourself a few moments to adjust to your surroundings.

You fell asleep on your bed. You had, hadn’t you? But- your eyes were squinted even as you slowly opened them- you weren’t in your apartment anymore. Nor were you anywhere near your city- you would have remembered seeing these-

You paused, taking in the appearance of the strange trees. You’d never seen it before in your life, which, what the hell? Where the hell were you then?

You… should have been feeling panicked. You should have, shouldn’t you? Here you were in an absolutely unknown and strange place. Anyone would panic.

But your head felt stuffed instead, as though there was a fog inside and you were straining to see through it.

You shakily got up on your knees, noting distantly that you were still dressed in what you’d originally slept in- a a huge t-shirt and a pair of shorts. Your slippers were also on your feet- that was good, right? Not the fact that you weren’t dressed for the outdoors, but the fact that you hadn’t been changed out of your clothes by- whoever had brought you where the hell you were.

Your legs were unsteady as you walked over to a nearby pond. When you looked over- you felt a steady sort of relief as you realized it was still you in all your… glory-ish. Nothing had changed, or was changed about you. But that didn’t answer the question- where the hell were you, and how had you gotten here? Nothing was out of place with you, and you couldn’t remember anything…

You turned around and nearly fell back into the water as you met the eyes of- something.

Something, because your mind had to have been playing tricks on you. There was no way you were seeing a small- human. Ish? Human-ish? With a pair of- what kind of wings were those? They couldn’t have been butterfly wings, and they were too little for any other type. Actually, the initial thought probably should have been why there were little wings attached to tiny humans. Wait. But they had pointed ears. They couldn’t have been human, could they?

“Wha…”

You couldn’t help just staring at it, confused. Thankfully enough though, the small creature also seemed to be quite confused as well, looking back at you with a tilted gaze. You hesitated, then slowly stepped back- and then you let out a cry of pain.

What seemed to be adorable as much as confusing it was before turned to now be a fucking menace and a terror in one as, with a raise of its arms, the soft grass from before shot up and pulled you harshly to the ground. You let out a wheeze as one of the grass vines wrapped itself around your waist, another around your arms- its hold on you firm, then squeezing tighter and tighter.

No no no no no, you had to get up- you could feel the rocks digging into your back, a light, malicious giggling coming off from the creature from before, and, more than a feeling, knew that if you didn’t do anything then, you were dead. You weren’t- you weren’t dreaming, a part of you knew that from the start, but this only reinforced it- you would actually die.

Fuck this shit, you thought, and with a fierce, concentrated kick with your legs, you hastily pulled yourself from the grass ropes, your heart beating in your chest as you frantically began running away from whatever you encountered. You didn’t know which direction you were running off to, and you didn’t care- your main priority being to set distance between the two of you. It proved to be right, as you could hear the slither of grass as it furiously nipped at your heels, trying to cage you in- shrieks and maniacal giggles echoing behind you.

What the fuck, you chanted in your head. What the fuck, what the fuck, what the fuck.

You almost screamed as you tripped, although you were able to recover your bearings just as quick. The world around you seemed to blur, the only action your body had to run, when you saw- him. A young man sitting on a horse, riding towards you. A part of you noticed his strange clothes- the way his hair framed his face in locks that made him more handsome than anyone you’d ever known, the plump lips and angled nose- but the main part of you was focused on having someone possible save you. You screamed.

“Help!”

“Grab my hand!” He yelled, the horse immediately stopping in its tracks with a cloud of dust rising behind it. You didn’t hesitate, taking his offered hand. It only took a second for you to be smoothly swung onto the horse’s back, and with a sharp move of his legs the horse turned around, galloping fast away.

But not fast enough. You stared in horror and fear as the grass seemed to move even faster, as though the creature was a snake instead of whatever it had been. Even the trees seemed to come alive, branches shaking slightly in a deliberate manner. You turned around to warn your companion, when he muttered something that barely registered in your ears.

“Of all the places to appear…”

“I think it’s still following us!” You cried out, letting out a sharp squeak as you ducked, one blade of grass almost wrapping itself around your neck.

Your companion let out a sharp scoff. “Well, what do you expect, you’re a practically a chasm of magic.”

Your eyes widened. “Magic? What do you- ah!” You screamed again as you faced another near miss. As the horse jumped over a tree root, you instinctively held on to him, your fingers finding purchase in his shirt before you turned to face him with a bewildered gaze. “What do you mean by that, magic isn’t- your ears!?”

You gaped at the pointed cartilages, unsure what to say. The disbelief in your companion’s voice however, was palpable. “Did you just realize you were talking to an elf?”

“You’re an elf!?”

“Of course I am!” He hissed out, before groaning. “I can’t believe it- the only hope we have, and she turns out to be useless.”

“I wouldn’t say I’m useless, as much as I don’t fucking know what’s going on,“ you shot back, annoyed and frustrated. “Well, not much other than that we’re getting chased by fucking murderous fairies.”

“Pixies.”

“What?”

You couldn’t see him, but you could feel the irritation thick in his voice. “Look at their color and size- that’s a fae born from corrupted magic. Meaning, it’s a pixie, not a fairy.”

This time it was your turn to be in disbelief. “Oh god, you’re actually serious.”

“If anything, you’re the one being utterly ridiculous right now,” he muttered, before sharply yelling, “Duck!”

You reflexively obeyed, narrowly avoiding a- was that a tree branch!?

“Isn’t there anything you can do to stop them!?” You screamed, even more terrified now than before.

However this time it seemed that your companion was focused on your escape, or rather to ignore you- you weren’t sure. You shivered, your hold on his shirt tightening even more as a sharp wave of faint panic rose up in you.

“Oh god, I’m going to die and it’s going to be by pixies, of all things, in a dream I don’t even know about,“ you whimpered.

You squeaked as you felt a change in your surroundings- looking around in surprise as you realized the grassy plains were making way for dirt roads and stone pavements. When you looked to the side, you were no more terrified than to see people milling around, faces set into fear or confusion.

“We’re approaching the city!?”

The horse stopped quite smoothly, despite the tremble in its body- you almost fell off as your companion descended, though he pulled you off and behind him afterwards.

You trembled. What else were you supposed to do? You didn’t even- nothing had been making sense for you since you woke up. A part of you wanted to ask him what the hell he was thinking, stopping, when the- pixie arrived.

“There’s nowhere to run- oh god,” you choked out, freezing as you heard it’s giggling.

“I don’t think a god will help us now,“ he muttered, plump lips twisting into a scowl. “Stay there if you want to live.”

The giggling grew louder- you flinched as you felt something manifest in the air, before you noticed them- long, tendrils of vine from the forest, creeping up into shapes behind the pixie. You stared at it in horror- only to gape as your companion pulled out the bow he was carrying, drawing it back and shooting arrows- some at the vines, but mostly for the pixie it seemed.

A vine coming for you overhead quickly found itself pierced apart, and the others dealt with in a similar manner- even as you stood there, initially frozen in fear, you eventually began to look around, hoping for a solution to stop the- the pixie.

But, the thought trailed in your mind. What were you supposed to do? You didn’t even know a single thing waking up here- you still didn’t understand what was going on.

But then you heard the heavy thump of something getting hit- and the accompanying cry of pain from him, even if it was quickly muffled-

You looked back at him, noticing the vines slowly overpowering him as he became slower and more sluggish, one in particular aiming for his unprotected back-

You ran forward without thinking. He’s going to die, you thought- you had to do something.

“Stop!” You cried out, desperate- please, you thought. Anything, just to stop it. As your hand touched- something, something that you couldn’t figure out, just something, you felt it. Something hot and heavy, something tainted and dark flowing into your hands, before a fierce warmth came from you, overpowering it, and you opened your eyes-

A flash of light- an overwhelming, searing light- covered you, blocking all other senses and leaving you feeling as though you were floating on air- and then, silence.

When you opened your eyes, it was to the shocked expressions of not only the populace, but the minute widening of your companion’s eyes. You froze, confused and dazed.

What had just happened…?

“You…”

When you glanced down, you saw a crater leading away on the ground- and at the end of it, the faint shimmer of wings, though not badly mangled. The pixie. Too little to fully see, but a part of you just knew they would not be getting up again, for a long time at least.

… Had you… done that…?

When you slowly looked around once more, it was to the chatter, the excited voices, the rising fervent pitch of the crowd. Faintly you felt your hands touch your heart- beating loud and fast, almost too much- everything was too much-

“The Savior has arrived! Praise be the gods!”

The cheering broke out- and your consciousness fell away.

#bangtanscenery #bangtanhq #ficswithluv #btswritersnet #bangtanscenerycollab #bts x reader #ot7 x reader #seokjin x reader #yoongi x reader #hoseok x reader #namjoon x reader #jimin x reader #taehyung x reader #jungkook x reader #bts fanfiction #bts fic

[kkulmoon]

SUNSET HEARTBEAT | KTH

pairing: Taehyung x Reader (f)

genre: fantasy au, hybrid au, sci-fi (?), fluff, angst

word count: 5.1k

rating: pg

a/n: ngl i feel like the beginning portion is a bit rusty, by rusty I mean it may feel a bit slow but pls give it a chance 🥺, I struggled to write that 😭. I am also tagging two very lovely people who were excited about this, hopefully you like it uwu @blossomkoo​ @inkedxclouds​. This fic is part of Bangtan Scenery’s collab ‘April Showers Bring May Flowers’, make sure to check out everyone else’s entries!

warnings: implied sex, other than that none, except for heartbreak and slight purple patches here and there cause I was in the mood hehe

beta read by: lovely angie @scvkjin​ and amazing emi @bangtiddies​ 💕 

synopsis: The time had come for the seventh sun to rise. For the seventh and last color in line to have its cycle. As one indigo supernova signified the coming of a purple nebula, you and Taehyung spent the remaining of your last day together creating something of your own. If it comes into fruition can only be known years in the future. A decade after you found someone unlike anyone. Truly one of a kind. Someone with a destiny they couldn’t outrun. It has been 10 years since the birth of a purple sun.

☁︎ masterlist ☁︎

It was in your final year of university, twelve years ago, that you met Taehyung. That same year you decided it was time to give up on the idea of becoming an astronomer. Quite frankly, you were just too dumb. However, it did not mean that you couldn't enjoy it all while living a life where pretending that you truly understood everything was your best bet, your only bet. They all say that interest and dedication trumps natural talent, right? For that same reason you decided to still attend as many astronomy lectures as possible even though you were studying to become an English teacher. You were always quiet and attentive so either the professors didn't notice you or let you be. Either way, what mattered was that you got to be there.

The first time the two of you interacted was a random weekday in April, near finals’ season. You were sitting at the back of the room as usual. The professor had handed out some papers to be passed back. A gold tinted hand with slender fingers, on which well groomed and shiny fingernails were present, reached out to you. You could all but wave away at the paper, trying your best to dismiss it. A pouty and confused expression was what you got as he continued to jab the paper onto your palm. You kept trying to mouth 'it's okay' but he was persistent. Not much of a purple characteristic but surely a sun one, now that you think about it. Finally you settled for a verbal response.

“I don't actually take this class, so really, i'm fine.”

He retreated his hand for a second, “Huh, don't we all wish that was true,” he said as he placed the paper on the small desk in front of you instead. “You've got this! We're almost done, hold in there.” You got a thumbs up before he turned back to focus on the class.

And every week from there on, whenever he got a short moment in class while the professor was writing on the board Taehyung would pester you with motivational notes filled with sayings. One particular somber April morning where you looked more tired than usual he even went as far as offering to help you with the class and your homework. You did your best to decline and yet that same night you got an email in your inbox that told you he obviously hadn't understood.

| Kim Taehyung     Chapter 15: Helpful Resources, (hang on there, you got this!) |

While you didn't take the class and had no official obligations to learn anything, you were still interested in astronomy so you decided to have a look. The links did clear up some questions you had during the lecture. However, you didn't want him to be wasting time helping a lost cause. As much as you loved reading about astronomy and learning about it, you were slow and having him help you was more than unnecessary. The definition of futile work. You decided to send him a screenshot of the official classes you were attending from the university's student portal. You made sure to censor your grades. He truly didn't need to think that you were any dumber, all he needed was proof that you weren't taking the class.

But once again, Taehyung's sun qualities shone through. Where it would have been expected for the person to drop the subject and for the two of you to go back to your habitual behaviour, he thought otherwise. He responded, but this time instead of answers he had questions, none of which you felt like answering so you left him on read. Well, the email version of read. You opened the email, read it, thought about answering it but ultimately left the email thread to die on the read pile.

A week went by. No Taehyung and you felt relieved. At least that's how you think you felt, the sleep deprivation might have been playing tricks on you. As yet another day came, where the indigo sun let its rays shine, Taehyung thought it better for him to act as the sun. You hadn't seen him in class, but it just turned out he changed his usual spot. He tried to catch you before you left the room but your daydreaming self was quick on her feet. He had a quick talk with the professor before he hurried to you.

“Hey!” The sound of sandals echoed against the cement floor. “Hey! You there!" 

You kept on walking, as far as you knew your name wasn’t you there'.  Someone grumbled behind you only to exclaim after a short while. 

“Y/N! Y/N! Hold up, I need to talk to you.” So in that case you were 'you there' and someone was Taehyung. 

You stopped walking and turned around. You couldn’t help but cock your head at him. You had only seen Taehyung from the torso up while in class. His attire surprised you for some reason. Maybe because he was a STEM student and you had expected him to look more uptight. He looked like one of the people from the pot dorm down your hallway.  Everything he wore was oversized except for the big knitted headband he had on now that he was outside. He looked devoid of colour with his muted clothes, but his cross body bag stood out with its patterned rainbow material.

"Yeah, what is it?" The quicker you could get it over with the better. However, Taehyung didn’t seem to agree with you on that aspect. He took his sweet time to fix the misplaced headband as you were left to witness the action. As much as you would have liked to categorise the scene as boring, it would have been a lie. His grey hair strands somehow managed to sparkle in the sun. They didn’t shine the normal way hair shines when light reflects on it. His hair literally sparkled as if it had recognised something familiar within the sun rays. But at the time you just thought you were being delusional or being tricked by the elements of his beauty.

"You didn't answer my email," he asked with curious eyes and an innocent tone. Right, that happened.

"Oh, that... uhm... I just haven't gotten the time to go through my email, things have been a bit hectic," you shot him a sympathetic smile.

Taehyung seemed like a pretty understanding person but he sure wasn’t dumb. You saw the way his tongue shifted to lick his lips as his teeth found their way onto his bottom lip. He trailed his hands on the strap of his bags as a pensive lip bite made adorned his features. Taehyung could have either been nervous or so irked by the bullshit you just spat at him that his body was reacting. Either way you felt bad for your white lie, but maybe not bad enough.

"It has been two weeks though," Taehyung stretches his back to stand straighter, "Also I take a chem class with Hoseok and you're always chatting in the gmail chat so..." 

What do you say to that? You lied and the worst part of it all was that you were caught right in the same moment. Your mouth opened and closed continuously as a hot flush made itself present on your ears and neck. You made note of the fact that Taehyung seems sweet but he actually packed a punch and was definitely ready to confront you on your bullshit. Classic STEM student approach, just face things head on. Thinking back at it, that was yet another instance in which his sun characteristics took the wheel. The sun's rays don't budge for anything or anyone and they certainly don't cave in to make others feel comfortable.

"Uhmm... right. But I am here now, so ask away!" Maybe your fake enthusiasm could make up for your little lie. Taehyung gave you a wondering look as he calculated  the pros and cons of continuing this conversation, You hoped the cons would win. 

“Uhmm, alright, fair enough,” He shrugged and the pros must have won because he kept talking. “Why do you go to astronomy lessons if you don’t take the class?”

Why did he want to get into your personal business? You could have very well told him that it was none of his business, turned around and left. But that seemed a tad bit too rude for you and for some weird reason you didn't want him to think of you as any more rude that you had been.

Would you paint yourself as an overly ambitious student that just had a general love of learning or would you tell him the truth? If you were to lie again you were sure he wouldn't manage to uncover this lie.

"I just like astronomy and find the class interesting, on top of that I've got time so like why not?" You felt good about your response, so good you were happy that you had made the choice not to lie to him, again.

"Oh okay, then how come you didn't apply for the program?" Wow, this dude was really trying to uncover all of your flaws during the first real conversation you've had. He should have become a detective instead, his focused and analysing eyes made it very hard for you to lie and not feel any residual guilt. He would, without a doubt, catch you if you were to slip up again.

"Uhm... I just felt like education was the right place for me you know." You shook your head with squinted eyes in hopes that he would just get you. Which he obviously didn’t if you had to go off of the way his jaw jutted out to the side. 

"Well, to put it simply, I am not the brightest of students and while actually taking the class would have been a nightmare, just being there and listening and learning at my own slow pace just makes me feel better about my shortcomings."

Taehyung's lips parted slightly. Okay, maybe you didn't have to give such a confession but he had been pushing and you wanted it to just end.

"Ohh, I see." Not the response you expected but how else do you respond to someone who said that they were too dumb to follow their dream. "But still my offer stands, if you need help trying to understand anything, feel free to tap my shoulder in class."

"But you changed seats to sit in the front."

"Nah not really, I was just bitter that you hadn't answered and didn't want to hurt you. From now on you'll see me at my usual spot in front of you."

The squeamish movement that accompanied the words ‘hurt you’ gave rise to a wondering look on your face. Hurt you? Why would he hurt you? Taehyung looked pretty harmless so you decided to not take his weird comment at face value. He most likely meant hurting you in a verbal sense.

The rest of the semester progressed in that same weird manner that characterised your relationship with Taehyung. A constant push and pull that kept being encouraged by your closest friends– Hoseok being the top player in the game. Inevitably, the more time you spent with him the more you warmed up to him. A month down the road the two of you decided to put a label on it. Or it was more so you who needed a verbal confirmation that you had somehow managed to catch someone's interest.

It took you awhile to reset the way you thought. Your wandering mind wasn’t only filled with personal affairs anymore, another individual had found their place in your day to day thoughts. All of a sudden being affectionate wasn't something you had to actively be, it was simply default mode whenever Taehyung crossed your field of vision.

For that reason alone, finals season was filled with movie nights, whispered love confessions, enough takeaways from different cuisines that you felt you were now ready to become a food critic. But the most precious instances of that time was the afternoons where Taehyung did his best to teach you astronomy and you being too lazy to listen despite your interest. You can't help but ask yourself if you would have been more attentive had you known what astronomy actually meant to him.

You had now been with Taehyung for one entire year. One year filled with diametrically opposite feelings. The good, the bad and the ugly. But ultimately all of it was left at the door the moment the two of you decided to reconcile despite the drawbacks. You were happy. The kind of happy that you don't recognise until it's gone. That can only be acknowledged in the midst of incoming fury. You had never in your life wished for the ability to predict the future. To see what happens after sunrise before it is manifested. 

One particular day eleven years ago, you wished that astronomy was fake, that the sun wasn't real and that it never needed to rise or set, to be born or die. You wished the sun didn't exist, knowing very well that that would mean the most important person in your life wouldn't exist. But you could have dealt with that. 

Longing for something you know you could have hurts far more than craving for the unknown. In the latter situation there's at least hope, that if you search hard and long enough you could find that thing you so deeply want. In the former, you know where that thing is, it's in fact right under your nose, or more accurately right over your head, where you can feel it at least a little bit every single day. Except this time you can't have it, no matter how hard you wish for it or how long you choose to wait. The whole scenario was like a twisted marshmallow test. Made to incite cravings with no intention of ever quenching them.

This all started a year following the start of your relationship with Taehyung. At that time you took notice to how hot he would get at the most unexpected of times. A behaviour that was usually reserved for when he was irritated or angry. It wasn’t only him that was hot but he radiated the kind of heat reserved for an extremely sunny summer’s day. 

You overlooked those instances and decided not to pay them too much mind. It could just be you having the extreme hots from him. However on a particular night, you just couldn’t bring yourself to stay in bed with Taehyung. The sheets were drenched and the windows had fogged up. You had to leave and find refuge in your living room sleeping right by a fan. 

The coming morning you woke up to breakfast on the table and right beside it there was a thick pocket sized book. The Book Of Suns. That was the white title that was engraved onto the black cover. Taehyung was nowhere to be found but his belongings were still in your room so you assumed he had gone for his morning walk. 

You had to make a choice between the two. Would you read the book first or you would eat breakfast first? You knew that whatever you were about to find out would most likely curb your appetite. Your hand glided against the rough cover of the book. 

Wouldn't it be better to read it now, just in case something made you extremely sad? That way you could cry before he got back home. Whatever it was that you were about to find out was very important to him, important enough that he wanted you to form your own opinion of it in peace. He wanted in no way for his presence to taint your reaction towards the truth that he had been hiding. Or as he thought protecting you from.

You sat down by the table, knees to your chest as you brought the book onto your hands. 'The Book Of Suns' was, as you realised after reading it, just that, a book about suns, in particular Taehyung’s sun lineage. It was a story about your world’s suns, the rainbow sun family. A fact unknown to you before that very moment. You were surprised by your behaviour, you weren’t exactly known for having calm reactions. It must have been Taehyung’s scent on the sweater you wore. It tickled your nose and calmed your senses. The book served as a track record for the next person in line to become the sun. It had seven chapters. Beside each chapter title in the contents page there were small vertical lines. The first six suns had five lines while the last had four. Taehyung must be purple sun. You read silently or more so you attempted to read silently, the deep breaths you were taking in effort to digest everything couldn't be contained.

After a continuous hour of reading you got to what was perhaps the most interesting chapter. Where do the dead suns go? And most importantly what do the suns that have yet to be born stay? You were cautious about continuing your reading. What if you found out that Taehyung was in fact just the ghost of someone that didn't actually exist? Or worse what if Taehyung would cease to exist? 

Fear curbed your initiative to let your eyes continue their dance on the page. But fear also did its job in fixating your attention on the slightly faded black letters present on the off-white pages. Fear of the unknown is always worse than that of the known.

Deep in the forest, there was the garden of suns. Every time a sun died and resurrected as a human, their statue appeared in the garden, where their sun soul was kept, only to vanish on the day of their sun birth. In the middle of the pages there was a picture, at the back of it you could read Taehyung’s harsh handwriting ‘The garden of suns -15/07/39’. He had been there four days ago.

The statues of the first five suns were covered with vibrant collared moss equivalent of their sun pigment. The sixth and seventh sun’s statues were only slightly visible in the photograph. They seemed to be in an intermediary phase. Not quite gone, yet not quite there. It was hard to figure out whether they were emerging or vanishing. That’s until you remembered the previous week’s news report. A supernova was on its way and scientists believed it would most likely occur near the end of next year. 

The indigo sun is near its death, and a purple sun is nearing its ascent. 

Taehyung’s statue was the one vanishing. His sun soul was ready to find its owner and ascend to its rightful place amongst the other stars. Just as you were about to continue reading, ready to delve into how this whole sun birth situation went about, the sound of metal clashing against metal resounded in the dead silence. Clinging keys and heavy steps entered the apartment. 

No 'hello' or 'glad to see you're finally awake'. But could you blame him? It would have been weird to act as if it was like any other of your usual mornings. You wished you had mustered up the strength to get off the chair and go greet him at the entrance. In your mind you did that but in reality you stayed rooted right where you were, back squeezed into the corner between the table and chair.

Taehyung walked in to lean against the door frame that lead into the kitchen. He looked exhausted. Dark under eye bags decorated weary eyes. You thought you could hear a tentative squeak come out of his mouth. Maybe you should've said something, because he looked like he was hurting and trying to find the appropriate words to start a conversation he knew would only end with heartache and tears. You thought that talking about the small steps he made outside was a good way to segue into talking about the biggest step he would take in his life. One that he could unfortunately not walk back on. 

"How was your walk?" You managed to ask before Taehyung walked past the kitchen and into the bedroom. He stopped midway, standing in the living room, where sun rays illuminated his surroundings. You couldn't help but think that it was very fitting for him to become a sun. The rays may have been bright and hot but he was the only one able to make you feel as hot as the sun and make your smile shine brighter than the biggest star. He was already a sun. Your sun. Why did he need to leave and become everyone's sun as well?

"Pretty good, helped me wake up," he said and sat down on the bean bag present beside him. You put the book down on the dining table just to look back at him from your seat. You were just there, in the moment, sitting down and doing your best to have an internal conversation. Both of you knew that words would hurt too much. And they surely couldn't bear the complete weight of what your current predicament meant neither could they have illustrated the joint pain that was shared between two beating hearts.

Your conversation might have been dead but the emotion was very much alive. You stood up from your seat, Taehyung's knitted sweater fell back down to caress your thighs. The walk to the beanbag felt like an eternity, not because it was but because you made it so. You had felt his sour and vigilant mood and you knew that being playful at that moment was your best bet. You tiptoed back and forth all the way to the beanbag as the sweater shifted here and there to reveal skin that was highlighted blue by the sun.

He was upset but he couldn't manage to keep his mouth set. His lips would stretch and unstretch as small playful wiggles played at the tip of his mouth. Finally you had found your way to the bean bag. You stood tall as your body cast a shadow over his. You placed a foot on the bean bag as the material sunk under your weight and you found your place on his lap. 

Right there, that's the kind of pat in the back that Taehyung gave you as his arms enveloped your slouching form. You snuggled your head deep into the crook of his neck and inhaled all the way in. If he was really gonna be leaving you, you needed to make sure you could imprint the scent and feel of his flesh right onto yours.

You sat there, quiet, with synchronised breaths yet fighting thoughts. How in the heck were you supposed to manage this? Him just being gone? Sure, you had a year left before it was officially time, but a year is far from a lifetime, what he had promised you.

"You are sure you don't want to talk about it?" Long hand strokes continue to comfort your back. You move your buried head side to side, groaning in response. Alright is all he said. Things were far from alright.

While on that morning you decided not to talk further on the topic, the coming months were filled with explorative trips to the Garden of Suns, where you would spend hours listening to Taehyung tell you about the stories of him and his sun brothers. He talked about being particularly close to the blue sun.

"It's just because he literally has no filter," he said gazing longingly at the statue covered with flashy blue moss.

"Is that like, dangerous?"

"Well yeah for you, but I am a sun remember." He turned around on the grass to face your way.

"And that's probably why I orbit around you." The huge grin that found its ways to your face was uncontrollable and contagious as Taehyung couldn’t help but snicker at your corny joke.

Just like that, your months together flew by until it was finally d-day. You hoped that waking up wouldn't be a necessity but Taehyung refused to let you sleep through it. He refused to let you think that it was all a dream. Getting yourself off the bed and into the shower felt like an endless task. One that he was patient enough to help you with. In hindsight you feel bad about having put him through that on such a significant day. He was, most likely, having a harder time dealing with his destiny than you were. That day was one to remember, the most vivid of them all, the most cherished of them all yet the most sad of them all.

All of that happened in the past and you were currently in an unsure present. The indigo sun had faced its fate, to be extinguished in an equally coloured supernova that would give rise to the last one in line, a purple sun. One day they would all be back to the complete cycle. A day where you wouldn't be present.

It has been ten years since Taehyung became a sun. You could talk to him, well, not really but you could see him and most importantly feel him. It had been a decade since you asked him to leave you something to remember him by, a part of him, a living one. On the night of Taehyung’s sun birth he decided to take you up on the offer. Cuddled up, in each other’s arms that’s how the day progressed. While usually persistent yet gentle, that night Taehyung felt it was appropriate and maybe in fact vital for him let his sun like ferocity be expressed. How else could you have understood the intensity of his feelings, a muddy mix of grief and love. The remains of that one last heated night were left for you to admire and cherish.

You thought you would manage to stay up the entire night to witness the purple sun birth but Taehyung’s warmth, forehead kisses and soft singing lulled you to sleep before you could realise it. 

Nothing was felt. No heat, no cold. Nothing was seen. No light, no spark. Taehyung was gone into the void in the same effortless way he entered your life. You’ve now been waiting over a decade to know if the fruits of that night would come into fruition. Conception can only happen when eclipses take place. Eclipses happen every 126 months. It has been 10 years. Half a year is left.

That half year could not have passed at a slower pace. It was a Thursday, yet another tiring day at school. You loved kids but you were drained of energy. You couldn't wait for time to pass by so that you could leave. It was Thursday, which meant you could watch the sunset to its complete  end without being bothered. It was also Thursday, the day after you got your first ultrasound. Taehyung may have not been there but that didn't mean you couldn't share the remaining of your waking hours with him, whenever you thought it was possible. You looked out of the window from your classroom to see purple hues in the sky as the sun said goodbye to leave place to another night.

The clouds thought otherwise, for some reason they always felt the need to be there to cloud his presence. What right did they have to cover up his tint? If it weren’t for them you would have been able to bask in his purple light, let it colour you bare as your feelings went from blank to purple butterflies that made you lose sight as tears formed in your eyes.

So you did what any sensible person still in love would have done. As soon as the clock struck 4 pm you ran to catch the train that would take you from skyscraper views to wide flower fields. It took the train two hours. You did your best to enjoy the way he set along the ride. Once you arrived you were left with two entire hours to enjoy the last of him and say goodbye to Taehyung and hello to the darkness.

During that time you reached into Taehyung's patterned cross body bag. You truly hated it but it was his so you kept it. You pulled out the ultrasound picture and raised it to the little part of sun that was still left. You didn't actually think that he would, through some weird magical way, actually be able to see it. It was more so something to calm your conscience. But most importantly, it presented you with the opportunity to capture an unusual family picture. It was you, the ultrasound, your baby bump and the purple sunset all in one picture. One that had found its rightful place on your bedside table.

Years unmasked themselves to reveal the growth of your child. One that grew to inherit the intensity of her father. Every now and then you made sure to let her know about him. As young as she was she couldn't truly understand it all, but as a child your love story was something that was within imaginable grounds. So you took advantage of that and taught her all you could about him. Maybe if you started early she could manage to develop past your less refined genes with regards to learning.

You took your time to tell her all that she wished to know and all that you wished to share. Sugarcoating to the maximum, cause that’s what Taehyung would do, but still making sure to keep a coherent timeline. One specific day you are unable to answer her question.

"Wh–why did dad break the promish?"

You had to fight long and hard with your tear ducts. Never had you cried in front her and you didn't intend to do it anytime soon.

In fact in one way or the other, Taehyung hadn't lied about keeping his promise. He had omitted some important specifics but he hadn't completely been untruthful. He said a lifetime and he would give you a lifetime. It just happened to be one where he wasn't always there, present by your side. 

However he would always get up to see you rise, and always say goodbye as he sets down to give place for lonely nights. And on all of those goodbyes unlike the one where he left you for the first and last time, you could swear that in bed with your child pressed to your chest, you could feel and hear his sunset heartbeat as clear and strong as the rays of a certain purple sun, your only one. Sun rays filled with his most cherished truth: 

‘I will turn purple when i miss you and to say i love you’.

Posted: May 28, 2020

#bangtanscenerycollab #bangtanfairygarden #bangtanarmynet #bangtanscenery #ficswithluv #bangtanhq #btsgoldnet #vhopenet #btspocnet #w:sunsetheartbeat #bts scenarios #bts imagines #bts fanfction #kim taehyung #taehyung x reader #taehyung fanfic #bts x reader #taehyung angst #bts angst #moonmintrails #taehyung au

[spicykoreantatertots]

Sleep Alone - Part One

Pairing: Namjoon x Female Reader (ft. Hoseok and Seokjin)

Word Count: 3.9k

Rating: PG-13

Genres: SFW, Soulmate AU, Angst (Future Fluff)

Summary:  The timer on your wrist is ticking away until the moment you get to meet your soulmate. You often spend time daydreaming about your him. The time remaining on the timer has fluctuated throughout your life. Each big decision you or your soulmate makes can have an affect on the timer. A week before you finally get to meet, the timer gets extended by an additional forty years.

Warnings: Mentions of drugs, drug dealing, drug lording, meth labs, death, murder, blood, scary guys being scary dudes, someone gets arrested, but there is not smut lmao. 

A/N: Proud to be part of Bangtan Scenery’s April Showers Bring May Flowers Collab! This is the first part of this fic. Part two will be coming in May! I may also do a NSFW one shot later this year. I’m excited to continue working on my soulmate series (one for each member). They are all based on songs by Waterparks, check out Sleep Alone. 

Big shout out to @megahwn and @ho-baebae​ for beta reading and thank you to @lovely-literati​ for always being supportive. Love y’all! 💜

~~~~~~~

The street is deserted, only one parked car about a few feet away. He sneaks around the corner into the alleyway. Careful not to step on any debris or in any puddles, he slinks past the dumpster overflowing with garbage. He can barely make it out in the dark, but he’s found the door with the marking. 

He reaches into his back pocket for his lock picking kit, but when he begins to work on the door he finds it unlocked. He pauses, unsure if he should continue inside, but the overwhelming metallic scent of blood floods his nostrils.

He rushes into the building. The first room is large and dim. But he can see boxes, buckets, beakers, tubing, and trash everywhere. It’s a meth lab. The smell of ammonia starts to overtake the smell of the blood. Until he sees two bodies in the next room and one big puddle of blood between them. 

As he approaches cautiously he begins to recognize one of the people. Dae-hyun. He falls to his knees. The one person he was trying to protect from all this. Before the grief strikes him, there’s a crash from the other room. And footsteps. And then his chest is on the ground, the breath knocked out of him, a knee in his back. A booming voice.

“Kim Namjoon, you are under arrest for the murders of Jung Dae-hyun and Yoo Young-jae. You have the right to remain silent...” 

~~~~~~~

It’s the same dream you always have. Following the path of rose petals up the hill. The sun is setting and at the top you can see him: your soulmate. You’ve never been able to see his face. You always wake up just before you reach him. This time as you approach the hill, he’s nowhere to be seen.

The gentle thunder from the approaching storm wakes you from your sleep. An early morning thunderstorm, one of your favorite types of weather. The gray sky and light drizzle almost lull you back to sleep. But just as you’re dozing off you see it. Your timer. 

44y:67d:54h:23m

You have to do a double take. Forty-four years? Just last night your soulmate timer was counting down from four years. It’s not uncommon for it to change. 

Each decision you make could potentially affect the timer. You changed your mind about college three times before you settled on the one that only added two years to the timer. One day, your timer went from 5 years to 3 minutes, but then quickly returned to 5 years. You had just been watching TV, so you often wondered what decision your soulmate made that brought you so close together and why he would have changed his mind. 

But you couldn’t have done anything in your sleep last night to cause this... what did he do?

~~~~~~~

It’s the story of the year. Of all the exciting cities across the world, it has to be breaking in your hometown. The sexy new drug lord, Kim Namjoon, finally caught. It’s sick, but it makes for good news. Or whatever Buzzfeed is. They’re taking it as far as possible with their quizzes and bullshit articles. 

Are you compatible with Kim Namjoon?

10 reasons why Kim Namjoon is the sexiest drug lord of the century. 

Which paradise should you and Kim Namjoon escape to?

22 things to know about Kim Namjoon’s life before drugs. 

Kim Namjoon as exoctic birds.

It’s not something you would normally be interested in, but during your morning social media scroll, one article catches your eye. 

Could Kim Namjoon be your soulmate? Click here to see his timer. 

There’s something growing in the pit of your stomach. It really really couldn’t be. The fact that the story broke the same day your timer had 40 years added means nothing... Right?

You check the comments, refusing to give into click bait. 

Kim Min-seo

President Namjoon 2020

Steven Borden

Why do we care about this? He’s a murderer and drug dealer. 

Karen Smith

prayers for the family

Jae Lee

He can murder me any day of the week. 

Julie Ann

Can’t imagine having a half empty bed for 44 years. Thank god I got my mans already.

The feeling in your stomach radiates throughout your body. It can’t be. You give in and click on the article. A picture of Kim Namjoon. A close up of his wrist. It’s not exactly the same as yours, but it was taken two days ago. At 3pm. You do the math in your head. Then you do it again on a piece of paper. Then you plug it into Google, just to be sure. 

It’s him. 

So if any of you ladies or fellas out there have the matching timer, you can find him at the 48th Police Precinct before he’s transferred to a maximum security prison upstate. Click here to stay up to date on all things Kim Namjoon. 

A gif of Namjoon being escorted into the police station plays on a loop at the end of the article. He is beautiful isn’t he? He could be a murderer, a full on drug lord. But as it begins to fully sink in, you know there has to be more to the story. Your soulmate couldn’t really be a killer. 

~~~~~~~

There was no air conditioning on the bus to the police station. The warmth of late spring is making you sweat. You might think it was just your nerves, but the overwhelming smell of body odor confirms that everyone else is sweating too. 

Looking around the bus at the other passengers, it’s hard to imagine where they might be coming from or where they’re going. Most people are probably doing normal things, shopping, going to work, visiting friends. Is anyone else on their way to face their soulmate?

Some chattering from the front of the bus pulls you out of your head for a moment. Everyone on the bus begins looking out the windows on the opposite side. You crane your neck to try to see what everyone else is looking at. It’s a crowd of people, but that’s about all you can make out. 

“Stop #27: West 12th Street!” The bus driver announces over the intercom. The bus slows to a stop, your stop, right in front of the police station. 

Fiddling with the strap from your bag, you exit the bus slowly. Soon you’re able to get a good look at the crowd. It’s mostly young women, all crowded near the entrance of the police station. They’re holding signs, it must be a protest of some kind. 

As you get closer you can read some of the signs. 

HUGS AND DRUGS

LEGALIZE

FREE KIM NAMJOON

END THE WAR ON DRUGS

PRESIDENT NAMJOON 2020

The protest signs seem... inappropriate? Especially considering he was arrested for murder and not his alleged drug lord-ing. 

“Free Namjoon!” Shouts the girl wielding the “President Namjoon 2020” sign. 

“He’s too hot for prison!” The girl next to her screams.

“Ji-woo shut up! You’re invalidating the cause.” You don’t stay to hear Ji-woo’s rebuttal, instead opting to duck inside the police station before they engage you. 

It’s a bustling place. Lots of people in the waiting room. A woman with two small children is ahead of you in line trying to reason with the woman behind the counter. She’s trying to convince her that the $10,000 bond for her husband’s DUI is unreasonable. 

“Ma’am, the judge sets the bail amount. There are bail bonds services down the street. Next!” She motions for you to step up to the counter.

“How can I help you?” She asks, not making eye contact, but instead clacking away at her keyboard.

“I’m here... to see Kim Namjoon?” It comes out as a question, without looking up she responds.

“You can go join the group of your friends waiting outside. No one can see him. Next!” There is a grunt from the man behind you in line when you don’t move immediately. 

“I think...” You start quietly. “I’m his soulmate.” The woman stops typing to look up at you. You reluctantly pull back your sleeve and show her your timer, still ticking away. 

“I see.” She stands and disappears down a hall and out of sight. You fight the urge to look around the room, not wanting to make eye contact with anyone who might have heard you. The forty years on your timer don’t change and you’re not sure what this means. Maybe they still won’t let you see him, soulmate or not. 

After several minutes of awkwardly standing and waiting, she returns with a police officer. 

“Ma’am please come with me.” The officer motions toward a door that leads out of the waiting room and the woman returns to her keyboard. The officer meets you on the other side of the door. It’s quieter than you expected. A bulletin board of wanted flyers stares back at you. 

“He doesn’t want to see you, but he was willing to add you to his phone call list.” Your stomach drops. How could he not want to see you? He’s the one who’s been arrested, it’s you that shouldn’t be willing to see him.

The officer continues down the hall to a small conference room. There are two other people in it, another police officer and a man. The officer guides you in and then leaves. 

“Hi please have a seat and fill out this form.” It’s a fairly simple form. Name, address, phone, relationship to detainee....

“Who are you?” The man next to you asks. He’s looking at you trying to fill out the form. You don’t respond to him at first, because who is he? He looks like any other guy off the street. Well maybe not quite. He’s dressed in basic dark jeans and a graphic t-shirt, but he is very handsome.

“I’ve never seen you before, why are you here to see Namjoon?” He prompts you again. He must know Namjoon. But if he’s friends with Namjoon... Namjoon the potential drug lord and murderer... can he be trusted?

“I’m his soulmate.” The words still feel awkward falling out of your mouth. But you don’t have much choice but to trust him. He’s your only line into the life of Namjoon. The man tenses up, drops his head into his hands. He says nothing, the lights in the room flicker slightly.

After too much awkward silence, you push your completed form toward the officer across the table. He tells you that you may receive calls from the station or prison when Namjoon is able to call, but the only way for you to reach out to him is to send letters to the prison. You thank him for the information and pause, waiting to see if Namjoon’s friend will say anything. He doesn’t, so you get up and leave the room. 

You manage to get out of the police station and through the crowd of weird fan girls before the tears start flowing. What are you supposed to do now? Just wait around and hope he calls? 

“Hey! Hey!” You turn and see the man from the conference room running toward you. You quickly wipe the tears away and straighten your posture. He slows a bit before approaching you cautiously. 

“I’m really sorry. I don’t know... God. I don’t really know what’s going on to be honest. I just know that what they’re saying... what they’ve accused him of. It isn’t true.” Even though he’s a stranger. Even though you have no reason to trust him. You feel relieved. 

“Who are you?” You finally ask him. He smiles a little and stretches out his hand.

“I’m Jung Hoseok.”

~~~~~~~

Namjoon’s friend, Hoseok, walks with you down the street to a cafe. He buys you a drink and tells you about Namjoon, the English, Government, and Philosophy triple major. The boy set to start law school in the fall. His best friend for years now, the friend who helped him finally find his own soulmate connection. 

And now here you are. Namjoon’s soulmate, sitting across from Hoseok at a coffee shop. 

“So, you clearly don’t think he could have done this,” you mumble across the table, “so what do you think is going on?” Hoseok is quiet for a long moment. He’s looking down at the cup of coffee, stirring mindlessly.

“I think he’s being framed.” The air between you is heavy, the weight of the situation settling onto your shoulders. 

“Namjoon has- had this friend from his childhood,” Hoseok starts again, “he got mixed up into some bad things.”

“Dae-hyun?” You ask before taking another sip of your drink. Hoseok nods.

“I know Namjoon was trying to help him. He asked me to follow Dae-hyun a few times because he wouldn’t have recognized me.” Hoseok shakes his head a bit, as if he’s wiping away some memories.

“You followed him? That was so dangerous, why would you do that?” You question. 

“I owed him one.” A faint smile crosses Hoseok’s lips. 

“Well.... Did you learn anything?” Eager to hear more, eager to figure out how to fix this problem.

“Dae-hyun was dealing something, I’m not sure what. I guess meth, they found Joon in a meth lab didn’t they?” Hoseok takes a drink before continuing. “Dae-hyun was in a relationship with the other guy that was killed, Young-jae. I wasn’t sure, but Namjoon thought they were together. He said Dae-hyun would never do drugs much less sell them, so he assumed Dae-hyun must have been trying to help Young-jae get off drugs, get out of the drug ring.”

“Why did Namjoon do all this, why not go to the police?” You ask, your head beginning to hurt. Trying to connect the dots is taking its toll. 

“If he had reported it to the police they would have busted Dae-hyun and Young-jae.” Hoseok pauses. “I think Namjoon was trying to take down the whole drug ring.”

“By himself?” You laughed to yourself. The stupidity... the guts... your soulmate is something else, isn’t he?

“Namjoon is a genius, but even more than that he’s compassionate and caring. And he must have been close, because they framed him for murder, framed him for running the drug ring himself.” Hoseok was right. The real leader of the drug ring must have felt Namjoon was getting too close to exposing them. 

“Hoseok?” You tilt your head to the side, an idea brewing in your mind. “Do you think Namjoon may have left any evidence or clues for someone to find?”

“What are you thinking?” Hoseok raised his eyebrows. 

~~~~~~~

It wasn’t difficult for you to convince Hoseok to take you to Namjoon’s apartment. It’s proving to be much more difficult to convince him to cross the crime scene tape. 

“Hoseok this isn’t even where the alleged crime took place!” You shout, tugging your hands, trying to break Hoseok’s grip on you. 

“We have to be careful about this. If we get incriminated too there won’t be anyone left to help Namjoon.” You don’t want to admit it, but he’s right. 

“This is the closest I can be to him Hoseok, please let me go in.” Your shoulders droop and you stop fighting him. He doesn’t let you go though. He’s about to speak, but before he does, both of you hear footsteps running down the hallway. 

A tall man wearing a baby pink sweatshirt is running toward the two of you. Hoseok drops your wrists and puts his hands on his hips with a huff.

“Jin what are you doing here?” Hoseok greets his friend with a hand slap and a bro hug. 

“I don’t know exactly. My fiance sent me here to see if I could find anything helpful. She’s headed to Namjoon’s hometown to be with his family. They were close growing up.”

“Oh yeah... does that mean she was friends with Dae-hyun too?” Hoseok questions.

“Yeah she’s really upset about it.” Jin turns to you finally. “So who are you?” 

“She’s Joon’s soulmate.” Hoseok says before you can answer. 

“Bad timing, huh?” You laugh a bit to stave off the uncomfortable feeling. 

“Yeah, well. I know a thing or two about bad soulmate timing. I’m Seokjin.” You shake his hand. He laughs a bit, not bothering to tell you about his soulmate story. The focus is back on entering Namjoon’s apartment. 

Hoseok stands in front of the door, still wanting to weigh the options. Without hesitation Seokjin begins furiously tickling Hoseok’s underarms. Hoseok doubles over in laughter and then dead weights himself, sending both of them toppling to the ground. While both of them are laughing, you decide to reach for the door. 

The door is unlocked, so you swing it open. You step through the tape, trying not to break it. Silence breaks over the three of you. The boys scurry to their feet and enter the apartment behind you.

“Don’t leave your finger prints on anything.” Hoseok whispers. It takes a moment for it to set it in, but the more you look around the room it’s easier to see. 

Someone has been here. The place has been completely trashed. Drawers are open, couch cushions thrown about, pictures and decorations knocked down and smashed. You reach down and pick up a framed picture of Namjoon and his family. The glass falls out, so you remove the picture and slip it into your pocket. 

Before anyone can say anything, there’s a sound from the back of the apartment where the bedroom must be. It sounds like a drawer slamming and then someone curses. Someone else is in the apartment. 

The hair on the back of your neck stands up and you look back at Hoseok and Seokjin. They’re both frozen. Footsteps are coming from the hallway and a figure comes out of the shadows. Hoseok grabs your arm and pushes you back behind him. 

It’s a man, yet another person you don’t recognize. He’s wearing all black and a leather jacket. Hoseok seems to tense further upon seeing the man’s face. 

“What the hell are you doing here Min-jae?” Hoseok demands. The man stills upon seeing the three of you standing there. He puts his hands up and slowly continues walking toward you. 

“Probably the same thing you are. I just need some answers man.” Min-jae stops about ten feet away and puts his arms down. Hoseok turns to you. 

“Young-jae’s brother.” Hoseok mouths this information to you, trying to hide what he knows.

“I need to know what happened! Why would this guy kill my brother?” Min-jae shouts. He kicks a chair over in the kitchen while tears begin to fall down his face. 

“Listen, we came here to figure something out too.” Hoseok continues, cautiously approaching the man. “Namjoon didn’t do this. He loved Dae-hyun, he was trying to help them. Dae-hyun was on drugs, your brother was probably trying to help too, but just got caught up in the mess.” 

Hoseok was intentionally sharing the wrong information. He must have a reason to not trust Min-jae. Seokjin looks over at you and you shake your head once, so slightly as to not let Min-jae see. 

“Well good luck because I haven’t found anything.” Min-jae let out an exasperated sigh. 

“You’ve never been here before, so maybe we should give it a once over. We’ve all seen this place before.” Hoseok says, again, not the truth. You’ve never been here. You play along with Hoseok’s ruse. 

The four of you search the house for anything that might be helpful. It’s more difficult than you thought because you don’t know what you’re looking for. But you are learning about Namjoon. 

In the kitchen you learned that he seems to eat a lot of take away and instant ramen. In the bathroom you learned that he has a full skin care routine and that he uses cinnamon toothpaste. In the bedroom you learn that he probably misses the hamper when he’s in a hurry, and based on the polaroids taped to the wall, he enjoys traveling. Back in the living room, you learn that Namjoon is an avid reader. You’ve parked yourself in front of his book shelf, scanning each title carefully. 

“He’s always got a book with him.” Seokjin says as he comes out of the kitchen. He reaches past you to grab a book from the shelf. It’s leather-bound and has his name printed across the cover. 

Seokjin opens it and the two of you stand there, silently looking through the notes scrawled throughout the pages. Except, they aren’t notes. They’re song lyrics. 

Your phone begins loudly ringing in your pocket, causing both you and Seokjin to jump. You excuse yourself into the hallway. It’s an unknown number, your heart skips a beat. 

“Hello?” You answer quietly. 

“A detainee at the 48th Police Precinct is attempting to contact you, do you accept?” An automated voice is on the other line. This is it. Namjoon is calling. 

“Yes.”

“I’m so sorry.” Kim Namjoon on the other end of the call, it sounds like he’s crying. “I never meant for any of this to happen.”

“Oh I know sweetheart.” You coo into the phone, it feels strangely natural to comfort him.

“Where are you?” He sniffles.

“I’m with Hoseok at your place.” You continue speaking in a hushed tone.

“Okay that’s good. Stay with him until this is over. You can’t trust anyone else.” The words send a chill down your spine, reiterating the seriousness of the situation. 

“Seokjin is here too.” Your voice is trembling now, your hands shaking. 

“Jin is safe.”

“A guy named Min-jae was here when we got here.”

“Son of a bitch.” Hoseok seemed to be suspicious of him and Namjoon’s reaction confirms that he is bad news. “Listen to me. Listen carefully.” Namjoon takes a deep breath.

“I can’t say much, I don’t know who is listening. There is a small flash drive taped to the back of the painting above my couch. Jin will know who to take it to. Get away from Min-jae as soon as you can, don’t let him see the flash drive.”

“Namjoon I-”

“You don’t have to do any of this, you can leave now and I won’t blame you-”

“No!” You almost shout it, probably getting the attention of the boys back inside the apartment. “No, I’m in this now. We’re in this together.” Namjoon takes a deep breath.

“Thank you. Please get yourself out of there.”

“I’ll see you soon, Namjoon.” You say firmly. It’s not an option. You will get him out. 

“See you soon.” He chuckles lightly before hanging up the phone. 

You take a moment, pressing your back against the wall. You try to catch your breath, but instead you cry. The tears silently roll down your face.

Back in the apartment, the three boys seem to be in the back of the apartment continuing their search. You tiptoe toward the couch and reach for the painting. It comes off the wall easily and you set it down silently on the couch cushion. 

It takes a minute to spot it. It is actually very small and painted to be the same color as the back of the painting. You carefully remove it and stick it in your front pocket. You put the painting back up and turn to go find Hoseok and get the hell out. 

Min-jae is there behind you, staring at you. 

“Find anything interesting?”

~~~~~~~

Thank you for reading! Part Two coming soon! Check out my Not Warriors Soulmate Series Masterlist! 

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[moccahobi]

Written in The Stars [Hoseok x Reader]

Warnings: Cuss words

Summery:  Hoseok had always been big on supporting his friends. Thus it came as no surprise that he ended up spending his free time at Namjoon's latest buiseness venture: a little dessert cafe. He didn't expect to fall for the cute barista who always worked when he was there though the.

Word count: 7k words

Genre: Slice of life au; Cafe au

Author’s Note: Thank you so much to @kyub for making the banner and @heyitsmeee2, @jung-hoseok-s-airplane, @jiminful, and @elenasgotyourback​ for betaing. This fic took so much out of me! I had one idea than the next and the main time I had to write this was during school. Oof! I am glad I did it though! Big shutout to @bangtanscenery​ for orchestrating and creating this project! It was soo fun!

Hoseok sighed from where he was seated in the all too cliche cafe. Namjoon had just opened it up so Hoseok was trying to fulfill his role as a supportive friend by eating there, but it just wasn’t a place he was into. The place was beautiful. He could tell Namjoon and his business partner had quite the eye for design. The wall behind the register was painted in chalk and the menu was written in large swirling letters across it. They had picked a light and natural wood tone for the tables and booths that complimented the dark grey of the metal chairs which were all  all seats upholstered with a rich navy blue and embezzled with glittering gold rebites keeping the cushions to the furniture. It was an ethereal kind of look that undoubtedly drew in the crowds. 

Looking around, Hoseok’s eyes landed on a large astrology chart sprawled out on the back wall, similar in handwriting to the menu, painting a story with the chart. He only noticed it because Namjoon had a passion for astrology and he would often gush about it to Hoseok who would listen to almost all the times that they met up. To top it off, the ceiling was painted in an all consuming shade of black, mimicking a galaxy with its streaks of white, here and there, which glimmered like actual stars (although Hoseok could admit that the ceiling was almost a piece of art). Aside from the heavy reliance on a theme, it was a dessert cafe. Hoseok liked sweets. Namjoon loved sweets apparently. Almost every food was doused in sugar and it was almost overwhelming just how sweet it all was. They all sounded amazing and cavity inducing (especially the french toast and ice cream combo), and Hoseok was tempted to try them, but he couldn’t handle all that sugar in one sitting. He’d need someone to help and he didn’t have someone to help him today. The only thing Hoseok could handle was the Black Hole coffee (americano with a little sugar) and a Galaxy bagel (it was just a plain bagel with some sugary cream cheese). Hoseok felt a little more like Yoongi, the resident grump of his friends, sitting in the cafe with such… unsweetened foods. 

Of course Namjoon’s cafe had some savory food and Hoseok wanted to try them some other time, maybe with Yoongi.The main thing Namjoon sold was dessert though, and to support Namjoon, Hoseok had to have one of the desserts. 

What wasn’t a shock about Namjoon’s cafe was that he co-owned and ran it with someone else. Hoseok didn’t know who it was yet, Namjoon having not told him yet but from what Hoseok knew of the current set up, they were manning the counter with two baristas. From what Namjoon had said about his business partner, they were much more focused on what they were serving as well as the astrology side of the cafe work than any of the real business. It gave Namjoon exactly what he wanted: the business side of things and a partner to share the possible debt. Hoseok had finally managed to visit today, their fifth day open and if he had to list the things that he did like,  he’d have to start with the ceiling and then mention one of the baristas:

They took his breath away the second he entered the store. They smiled broadly and greated Hoseok and for a second, he forgot that he was at a local cafe and not a family run restaurant back in Gwangju. The world slowed as he looked at them and all Hoseok could think about was the warm feeling of returning to his mom’s friend’s restaurant after his post-school program and eating kimchi and rice. 

The trance was broken the second she turned to take someone’s order and Hoseok slowly came back to reality. He wasn’t in Gwangju but he was about to have a wonderful meal in a shop owned by a friend. 

Hoseok had only been in the cafe for half an hour and he could already say that he was starting to develop a small crush on the barista. He didn’t mean to and he didn’t dare think about actually asking her out… it just happened. She was a pretty woman doing her job and Hoseok was an attention starved small business owner who was entranced by her caring attitude. Hoseok was stressed and tired. Plus, he was finally feeling better after his last relationship. There wasn’t this constant longing nestled deep inside him at the thought of the end of his last relationship anymore, and he might finally be at a point where dating was ok to do again.

That is what he brushed it off as. 

Hoseok didn’t want to think of the alternative. He just got out of a relationship a month ago and was still recovering even if he felt like he might be better now. Sure it might have been a mutual agreement based on his best interests and their best interest, but that didn’t make it any harder. Hoseok still missed the nights when they would spend the night in their apartment and snuggle close while watching cheesy shows or when they’d force him to stop working on pottery for a day and instead grab food at one of the food trucks. He missed the companionship but by now, he didn’t know if he missed them.

He might.

There wasn’t a real way to always tell though. The two went everywhere together. Every place that Hoseok went to now conjured memories that danced and pranced around in his mind. This cafe would be different though. There were no ghost memories dancing around. It was new and he could work effectively and happily. 

At some point while Hoseok was finishing his food, Namjoon came over and joined him. The two had barely had more than a handful of conversations since graduating college, both too busy to make time for the other as small business owners (well this was Namjoon’s second business venture, the other supplying him a good source of money to fund him and the cafe). That was how life was sadly but with this cafe open so close to where Hoseok lived and worked that now they might have a chance of having long and winded conversations again.

“Do you remember watching stars on our old apartment’s rooftop?” Namjoon asked at one point, a soft and content smile on his face

“Somewhat. They were nice. Cold, but nice.” Hoseok lied while taking a long sip of his coffee.

Namjoon had always loved the night sky, so much so that he would drag Hoseok out three times a week just to look at the sky. The man could name every constellation and phase of the moon off the top of his head. It was an amazing skill. Hoseok didn’t have that same passion though. Sure, the night sky was nice, awe inspiring at times, but most nights Hoseok would return from work exhausted and all he wanted to do was go to sleep. Those nights when Namjoon and Hoseok would go onto the roof and look at the sky were mostly filled with Hoseok drifting off in the cold. 

Hoseok did it though and Hoseok would do it again in a heartbeat because it made Namjoon happy. 

Namjoon smiled broadly, “That was kinda the inspiration for the cafe’s decorations! My co-owner, Y/n-ssi, really likes astrology so she added some of the more… magical elements.” 

Hoseok chuckled and looked around with a small smile growing on his face as well,“I am glad you enjoyed those nights so much. Do you still make time to go out and look at the stars?” Hoseok asked before taking a long sip of his coffee.

“No.” Namjoon snorted, his smile much larger now, “I am a working man. I barely have time to eat, sleep, and breath. Let alone gaze up at the stars.” 

“You should make time, Namjoon-ah. It isn’t healthy to work all the time.” Hoseok chastised, taking special care now to scrutinize Namjoon’s face.

He looked very similar to the young twenty year old Hoseok once knew but there was more evidence now of stress and wear-and-tear. Frown lines and bags etched in his face. When was the last time Namjoon took a break from all his work? Hoseok didn’t know the answer. He did know though that he was no better than Namjoon. This was his first real break in a week or two.

“You sound like Minjae.” Namjoon laughed.

Hoseok winced instead, “Sometimes we need someone to look after us, Namjoon-ah.”

“I am sorry, man. I didn’t mean to-”

“It is ok, dude. I am over her.” Hoseok said, carefully watching Namjoon process what Hoseok said.

He still looked stressed, his frown lines growing as he looked at the table instead of Hoseok. Namjoon had set up Minjae and Hoseok and his pride was undoubtedly wounded when the two decided to end it. Namjoon also barely had time to check in with the two so his own memory was probably a little foggy.

“ Anyways, we should try to go camping sometime… or go to some sort of museum for stars. Bet we could stay there for five hours before they’d kick us out.” Hoseok proposed, watching as Namjoon smiled, his frown lines becoming ghosts as he looked back up at Hoseok again as the previous stress left him. 

Namjoon snorted in laughter, “I would love to look at the stars with you again, if that is what you’re asking.” 

His eyes lit up as he started to speak animatedly, “And we can make s’mores and grill some beef. Oh my god! I haven’t had beef in sooo long. It would be so good!”

“I think we would have to go camping to do that, Namjoon-ah. I don’t know if a museum will allow us to start a fire and cook stuff there.” Hoseok laughed.

“Well then, looks like we will be going camping.” 

“Yeah. Looks like we will have to plan that soon.”

A comfortable silence filled the two as they looked out at the bustling cafe, nothing left to talk about. They were both running their own stores, Hoseok had his pottery shop and Namjoon had the bookshop and now this cafe. The two did the same work just in a different setting and neither felt the need to talk about it. Shortly after their conversation died down, Namjoon had to go back to work. He mainly worked in the backroom but there was almost more work to be done.. Hoseok didn’t mind. He understood the struggle. Namjoon leaving actually left Hoseok excited as he could finally start reading the latest book he grabbed from the library. Giddily, he tapped his feet against the floor and quickly pulled the book out of his bag and started to read. The soft and sure feeling of the hardback book grounded him as he started to be carried away by the words. Distantly, he registered people moving around him as life carried on but he didn’t care one bit. The tension rose in the story the further he read and soon enough he found himself tightly gripping the book as more and more problems arose. Time passed at an unknown rate to Hoseok as someone new sat near him or left or readjusted. He barely noticed any and all changes that happened around him, too absorbed in the world he held in his hands (which he was somehow only a third of the way through). That was until he noticed someone sit across him at his table. They said something that he didn’t quite hear or understand and he quickly tried to get to a stopping point so converse with whoever it was (probably Namjoon back to bother him more).He looked up in shock to see the cute barista from earlier, smiling and taking a bite of her sandwich. You were the last person Hoseok expected to see sitting with him. Maybe an old friend and very possibly Namjoon, but you? A cute barista he barely said one word to? Nope. 

You blushed and started to speak, a hand covering her mouth to hide the food you were eating, “I hope you don’t mind me joining you for my lunch. I noticed you talking to Namjoon-ssi earlier and you’re reading one of my favorite books and I thought that it could be cool to meet and talk to you. I am Y/n by the way.” She smiled brightly and nodded lightly at Hoseok.

Hoseok laughed quietly and blushed himself before nodding with a smile, “I am Hoseok. Why is it your favorite book? Oh! And no spoilers! I just started the second part.” 

“Ah! A bunch of good stuff is about to happen! I am warning you!” You laughed before taking a sip of your drink. 

As you did so, Hoseok looked at what you brought with you, namely your lunch box. Hoseok knew that Namjoon built into the budget a small meal for each of the workers during their shift and it struck Hoseok as endearing that you brought your own food instead of eating the sugary sweets offered in the cafe. It was smart too. The sweets probably wouldn’t be the healthiest to eat daily and you could eat more if you packed your own food. 

“I really enjoyed the story. It just… it traps you and doesn’t let you go. The author is really good about that in general with her works. I have read some of her other works and they’re so good!” You said, your eyes glued on the book splayed on the table and not Hoseok.

“I am learning that now.” Hoseok laughed, “This is my first time reading one of her works and I definitely want to read more of her stuff. I specifically enjoy how she is associating certain aspects of her world with different textures and feelings. ”

You nodded excitedly as Hoseok kept talking, your cheeks full of food as you ate. His heart fluttered endearingly as he watched you eat and talk about the book, your eyes wide and cheeks flushed with excitement. Time was moving almost as quickly as when he read the book and he enjoyed it. There was something fun about talking about a book with someone. He hadn’t done it since high school (Minjae was always more of a movie or show person and he did other things with other people). Until now, reading had been an  activity he’d done alone. He found himself smiling and laughing more with you than he had in awhile. Maybe there was something fun about talking about books with others that Hoseok had been ignoring until now.

Maybe there was something magical about you. 

Maybe it was how your eyes drew him in and kept him there. He didn’t fully know. 

The fun didn’t last too long though. You came to talk during your lunch break and lunch breaks were short. It didn’t help that as they talked more and more, he started getting inspiration on some new pottery and he knew that he would need to start working on them soon or he might lose the idea (that or he’ll lose the inspiration).. Just to be safe, he excused himself after you finished eating your sandwich and made his way to his shop. He tried to ignore the image of you nodding and smiling sadly as he left that bounced around in his head but it was heard. You simply looked so adorable and he wish that he didn’t have to leave.

In fact, he thought about how he left Namjoon’s cafe in a rush  many times over the following week. Regret stewed inside him the more time he dwelled on it and didn’t return to the cafe. He should have risked the idea for talking with you (his new creation barely sold so it probably wasn’t worth losing a conversation). He should have stayed longer. He should have asked you for your number. Then maybe he might have been able to ask you out to meet up (and maybe call it a date). Plus, if he had gotten your number then he might have had enough courage to reenter the shop instead of standing outside of the shop like an absolute buffoon every time he passed it. Like he was currently doing right now.  Inside the shop, people were bustling around. A group of children had gathered there after school and were drinking some sort of milkshakes. People were simply sitting there and working. Friends were meeting up. You were working away behind the counter.

He was standing outside like a loser.

He wished that he had the gall to go in and order something (as well as as for your number) but all he could do was watch you flutter around behind the counter as you worked hard, his own heart fluttering and stuttering as he watched you work. Why was he chickening out? He didn’t have this issue when he officially asked Minjae out but with you Hoseok could barely manage to gather up courage to ask for your number. Maybe he wasn’t actually ready for a new relationship. 

But he couldn’t stop thinking about possibly having one with you. Hoseok was so confused. Friends could ask for numbers too. It wasn’t inherently a romantic action. Hoseok liked the idea of it being a somewhat romantic action. 

He didn’t have the courage to go in today sadly. Hoseok didn’t know when he would have the courage to.

With a disheartened sigh that seemed to cling in the air around him, Hoseok turned around and sat at the bench in front of the cafe. It overlooked streets that were surprisingly empty save for a bus or two. He watched as a couple walked hand in hand on the sidewalk across the street, dopey smiles on their face as they looked at each other. 

A pang of jealousy bubbled up in his stomach as he stared at them. The two looked so happy and content. He wanted that. He wanted that with someone who wanted similar things out of a relationship (unlike Minjae).  Hoseok could be the man across the street holding hands with a romantic partner if he just asked someone out.  

“Crazy seeing you here, Hoseok-ssi.” Your voice shocked Hoseok out of his thoughts, making him jump and turn around to face you. 

Your hair was frizzy from a long day of work but your eyes shone brightly, almost saying that you enjoyed every minute of the hard work you did. Hoseok understood that drive. Your navy blue apron complimented what you were wearing underneath too, over all you looked undeniably cute. You took Hoseok’s breath away. Even if you had coffee stains and looked like death, you would have taken Hoseok's breath away.

“Y-y-yeah! I… Uhhh… I was enjoying the view.” Hoseok managed to stutter out, turning red as he kept stuttering.

“Oh really? Street views are nice… Yet, I had hoped that you might have been thinking about coming into the cafe. Guess I was wrong.” You laughed, sitting next to Hoseok on the bench and taking out your lunch box, this time a dinner tucked neatly into it. 

Hoseok spent a few seconds to look at the tattered lunch box. You must have had it for a while as there were scratches and dents on it that only came with time and repetitive use.

“I-I… well… I might have been thinking about going inside.” 

“And what made you decide to not go inside? Did you want an actual dinner?” You laughed before putting some of your food into your mouth.

“Oh… Uh… no… I just… decided not to. Nothing against the cafe.”

“Ok. And how is the book going?”

“Uhh… It is going decent.”

Hoseok was kicking himself. Just a minute ago he was fantasizing about going on a date with you and thinking about how cute you were and now he could barely finish a sentence! How was he supposed to even possibly ask you out when he couldn’t even get out more than a four word sentence and you were carrying most of the conversation? 

He was handsome, damn it! 

He was a catch! Yet here he was getting flustered by a barista… what has he come to.

You weren’t just any barista though… You were a cute and interesting barista who liked similar books to him.

“Why’d you decide to come outside and eat instead of eating inside?” Hoseok finally asked, trying to push his nerves aside. 

“Oh! Well… It’s hot and stuffy. Plus, you’re here. That helps.” You said quietly and from the corner of Hoseok’s eye he noticed you blush as you gently brushed your shoulder against his. 

A fluttering in Hoseok’s heart made his response get stuck in his throat. What was that supposed to mean? Was she interested in him too? How was he supposed to interpret that?

He cleared his throat and spoke, “Yeah… You’re pretty cool too, I guess.” 

What?

What is all he could say?

How lame!

“I mean, I think you’re cool. I just don’t know you much yet and don’t want to say something that might possibly be wrong… I don’t think you might not be cool though! I just-”

Your laugh interrupted Hoseok and struck him into silence. It was a melodious laugh that he could listen to for hours on end and never get bored. 

“I am glad you think I am cool, Hoseok-ssi.” You said, turning towards Hoseok with a broad smile.

Hoseok’s heart was beating wildly now. Its erratic heartbeats weren’t ideal earlier when you were simply sitting next to him but now? How was he even supposed to focus with you staring at him intently? Especially with your lips looking like the perfect place for his own lips.

Unintentionally, Hoseok started to lean towards you.

They really did look wonderfully soft. 

What was he thinking about?

You were practically a stranger! Even worse: you were Namjoon’s employee! For all he knew you were trying to use Hoseok to get a better pay.

But Namjoon paid his employees well… and most didn’t have tons of room to grow with the work as it was a small cafe. 

“I enjoy your company too, Y/n-ssi.” Hoseok said with a cough as he turned to face the street again. 

All of the sudden he was very focused on how hot he was feeling. It wasn’t summer but the heat was… present. He was probably blushing and sweating from the heat. Nothing else.

“Even if we have a conversation like this? Where we’re both awkward?” You asked with a strained laugh, leaning into Hoseok.

You had stopped eating.

“Uhh… y-y-yeah. I am having fun. Even if it doesn’t seem like I am.” 

“So… would you enjoy my company if we… went on a date, Hoseok-ssi?” You asked slowly, your voice devoid of all laughter.

“Oh. I. Yeah! Totally.” Hoseok’s voice cracked and he leaned back and coughed to try to cover it up, “I mean… It’d be cool, I guess. Yeah. That would be nice.” 

You giggled, “Wonderful. How does… Tomorrow at seven in the evening sound? We can meet up here and then go somewhere close by.” 

That was so soon.

He could make it though.

“Yeah. That works.” Hoseok nodded, trying to ignore the incessant vibrations from his phone that was sitting in his pocket.

“Are you going to take that, Hoseok-ssi?” You asked with a small giggle, already going back to eating your food.

“Oh. Yeah.” 

He quickly grabbed his phone and looked at who was calling. It was Jisoo, one of his employees.

“Hey… boss. I am sorry but uhh… I can’t make it to my shift. I have been vomiting nonstop. I think I have food poisoning. I am about to go to the hospital. I tried asking Jinyoung but apparently he is currently working and can’t do any more overtime. I am so sorry.” Jisoo spoke hurridly.

Hoseok winced at the connotation. He only had two employees aside from him and this meant that he would have to go in and keep the shop open until ten tonight. Five hours more of work and he needed to leave soon.

“Don’t worry, Jisoo. You didn’t intend to get sick. Take care.” Hoseok said before hanging up and looking over at you, “That is sadly my signal to go.”

You looked like a kicked puppy in that moment, a sad gaze growing as you looked up at Hoseok, “Ok. See you tomorrow.”

All while he walked away, he wished that he could turn around and spend the rest of your break together. He felt like an ass for leaving right after agreeing to a date but his shop needed him. It was the curse of a shop owner and it was a curse that Hoseok had chosen. 

Of course, what he hadn’t realized until he got to his shop and Jinyoung had left was that he completely forgot to get your number once again. 

He was such a damn idiot at times!

Now he couldn’t text you to fill the time that he was forced to work. He also couldn’t get any more information about your date. Would it be formal? Casual? Where were you going to take him? Should he get a gift for you? 

It’d make sense that the two of you would be going on a date after your shift because otherwise why would he meet you at Namjoon’s cafe? 

In the end Hoseok fretted all throughout his shift and the night about what he could possibly wear for his date tomorrow. Everything felt wrong and he had no idea what to do. Everything he did and tried on felt like not enough. Nothing felt right and for the first time in a while, he didn’t know what to do. First dates were hard and he didn’t know how to prepare. 

He shaved and just barely missed twenty nics and even took a longer than normal to make sure that he wouldn’t stink during the date but what was he supposed to wear?

Despite his panicking and fears, Hoseok somehow managed to calm himself down to restlessly sleep that night and was even able to work in the morning. After work though, he was back to panicking. Somehow Hoseok managed to settle for wearing a simple pair of light blue jeans, one of his favorite large shirts with a smile on it, and his long tan jacket.

His whole afternoon bleed into itself and eventually Hoseok found himself sitting on the bench outside of Namjoon’s cafe, a single sunflower held loosely in his hands as he waited for you (he got it at some point between changing into his current clothes and coming here but he didn’t know if he could manage to pinpoint exactly when he had).  He barely had enough sense to wear his jacket for when the sun set and it got cold (or if he had to hide in it if you ended up taking him to some fancy restaurant). He would feel so underdressed if you did.

Why would you though?

From what Hoseok understood, you were just coming off of work so you probably wouldn’t want to go to some fancy place. Plus, working in a cafe wasn’t going to get you too much money, even if one’s employer gave them a living wage. You’d probably be a little pressed for money. 

If that was an issue though, Hoseok would be more than happy to pay but he wouldn’t care either way. 

It also probably wasn’t Hoseok’s place to pry at this time either.

In a last ditch attempt to make sure he was ready for the date, he quickly tried to check his breath with his hand, only getting blasted with air in his face instead. How was he even supposed to check his breath with his hand? 

Had his hair got messed up on his trip here?

Had they even agreed to meet here? Maybe you said a different place instead? 

Just to check, he looked inside the cafe and didn’t see you there. It was almost seven so maybe you were in the back? Maybe he could just text Namjoon to make sure you were off at seven. Hoseok didn’t want to overstep yet. 

“Are you looking for someone in there, Hoseok-ssi?” You asked from beside him, scaring him to the point that he jumped up and almost dropped the sunflower in his hands.

Once he managed to get his bearings again, his breath was taken away by how etheral you looked. There was almost no way that you had come from work, Hoseok was sure of that. Your hair was beautifully and simply styled and your outfit… Hoseok loved every bit of it. His heart fluttered slightly as he looked you over again (barely noticing the reddening blush growing on your face). You looked so good and for the umpteenth time that day, he questioned his own choice in clothes. He might be really underdressed. 

Dress pants would have been better to wear instead of jeans. What was he thinking? He really goofed up.

“Y-You look wonderful tonight, Y/n-ssi.” Hoseok finally said, blushing lightly as you laughed quietly.

“So do you, Hoseok-ssi.” You complimented, a broad smile on your face as you stepped closer and looked down at the sunflower.

“I… Uhhh… I got this for you. I don’t know what your favorite flower is or if you even like flowers but I thought it would be nice.” He stuttered out, quickly giving the flower to you. 

You looked up at Hoseok with a small laugh before saying, “I love it Hoseok-ssi. Shall we get to the restaurant? I got a reservation for seven thirty.”

“A reservation! I guess it is really fancy, huh?” Hoseok asked, rubbing his neck nervously as he started to walk with you.

“No. Not really. It is just popular and I didn’t want to have to spend the night looking for somewhere to eat. I hope you like Haemul Pajeon (vegetable pancake), I got us a reservation at a small place that is just about three blocks down the street. They make wonderful food.” 

“I love the sound of that. How’s your day been so far, Y/n-ssi?” Hoseok asked, biting his lip to hide a large smile growing on his face.

Haemul Pajeon was one of his favorite foods… and Y/n was being so considerate. He was feeling so soft and mushy. How dare you make him feel so soft. 

He loved it.

“It hasn’t been the best. I worked the morning shift and… well there are always rude customers but morning people have such a strange breed of rude customers.” You had started rambulling, animatedly gesturing and talking about the rude morning customers.

Hoseok simply watched and listened as you kept going on, a content and fuzzy feeling washing over him as he kept waking next to you. Occasionally your shoulders and hands brushed as you expertly led the way to the restaurant while ranting and while it left Hoseok reeling, it didn’t seem to phase you at all. He could live with that though. As long as you were happy. 

In the midst of all your rambling about work, the two of you made it to the restaurant. It was at the bottom of a large building, the upper floors likely dedicated to apartments or business offices. Even from the outside, Hoseok could see a large mass of people jostling around in the restaurant. Large friend groups talking and moving around the restaurant drunkenly, couples draped over each other, and restaurant workers expertly weaving through the masses. 

It was obviously a popular place and it made Hoseok just a little nervous. How would you and him get to talk much when all that was happening around you two? Maybe it would be more of a people watching event? One where he only really talked when it came to theories about other’s lives outside of this restaurant. 

There wasn’t too much time to think though as the two quickly started walking inside. You only stopped talking after introducing yourself to the hostess. In the silence between you two, Hoseok looked around the restaurant. It looked different from the outside. Whereas earlier it looked as if it would be a party place, now that Hoseok was inside, he could see a semblance of organization to the chaos.

Despite both you and Hoseok not talking, there wasn’t a silence that fell. The whole of the restaurant was lively and filled with a soft amiability that Hoseok really enjoyed. 

“Alright. Your reservation is ready. Please follow me.” The hostess said, bowing slightly before turning around and starting to weave through the tables. 

Hoseok swallowed his nerves before he started walking in front of you (the three of you had to walk single file because the space was too small to walk side by side) and gently grabbed your hand from behind. People were bumping up against him as he quickly followed behind the hostess but his grip on you didn’t falter. He hoped that his hand wasn’t too sweaty and that he wasn’t gripping you too hard, but Hoseok was nervous and he didn’t want to lose you in the crowd (or let go of your hand yet). 

The table that you had reserved was tucked in a corner and overlooked all of the action happening in the bar. There was a small candle lit between the two of you that flickered gently in the soft breeze created by the fans above. Hoseok liked the spot.

“I just realized,” You started with a laugh once you sat down, “I talked the whole walk here. Silly me. I got carried away. How has your day been so far?” 

“I like listening to you talk so it’s ok. As for my day, it has been a good day. I didn’t make any more pottery, but I headed the shop and got some good work done there.” Hoseok started, a large smile on his face as he looked across the table at you. 

“Oh! So you’re one of Namjoon’s business friends?”

Hoseok snorted at that. Namjoon did have a lot of business friends at this point.

“Yeah. I think I might be Namjoon’s first business friend though. We met in high school and have been friends since. Back in high school Namjoon wanted to be an astrologer believe it or not.” 

“Oh? I wouldn’t have guessed!” You laughed, “So what do you do?”

“I am a potter. My shop is just two streets over from the cafe you work at.” Hoseok nodded.

“Own. Namjoon and I are co-owners. I run the front.” You corrected lightly, “How about we look at the menu?” 

“Oh. Yeah. Let’s look.” Hoseok nodded along, somewhat caught off guard.

You were the co-owner? It made sense, Hoseok thought as he opened the menu, you looked like she belonged in that cafe. Plus, you were closer to Namjoon’s age than the other baristas' ages. He should have seen it coming. 

After a few minutes of looking through the menu Hoseok spoke up, “So… have you figured out what you’re going to get?” 

“Yeah. I am thinking of getting Haemul Pajeon with a side of chicken feet. What about you?” 

“Uhhh… I think that I am going to get Haemul Pajeon as well but with a side of kimchi. I’m not too hungry today.” Hoseok laughed lightly thinking back to his two large stress induced meals earlier today. 

You snorted and laughed lightly before taking a sip of your water, “I get that. Plus, the Haemul Pajeon are quite large. They have great deals.” 

Shortly after you two decided, a waiter came by and took your order, and then Hoseok and you were left in amicable silence once again. He was a ball of nerves once again and he had no idea of where to go from here… He wasn’t this anxious when he started dating Minjae… why was it so hard with you? Maybe because he was genuinely interested in you from the start and he was scared of screwing it up. Maybe because he had just spent most of the day fretting over this date and now that it was here, he realized that he didn’t think over the right stuff. 

“So,” Hoseok coughed lightly, hoping to clear his throat some, “Do you come to this restaurant often?”

“Not really. I came here the first night I moved into the apartment complex above the cafe but since then I haven’t. I actually came here on my own and just sat at the bar and talked to random strangers. It is amazing to see what conversations one can have when they’re open to it.” You said with a smile as you looked over at the bustling bar space. 

“I can imagine. I haven’t gone to bars much so I don’t have such conversations often but I have never had a dull conversation.” Hoseok said wistfully, thinking back to some of the talks that he had when he volunteered to help the homeless back in Gwangju. He wanted to keep up the volunteer work when he moved to Seoul but it simply didn’t happen. He got carried away with his studies and his life and service work simply got put on a backburner.

“Yeah? I doubt that, Hoseok-ssi.” You laughed, “I can’t believe you’ve never had a dull conversation. Not even one with a boring professor?”

Hoseok laughed lightly and shrugged, “I mean, I guess you could count some of those conversations as dull. I guess I was more thinking about general conversations with people… not cardboard cutouts.” 

You snorted at this before taking a large sip of your water, blush rising quickly on your face. A sense of pride washed over Hoseok at your reaction. He had made you laugh. It felt good to make someone smile this much. 

“I loved most of my professors, don’t get me wrong. They were amazing, but oh my gosh. Ask Namjoon about Professor Gaewon who taught our Stat 240. He was such a snore.” Hoseok started animatedly, smiling as you laughed again, “Even for me and I double majored in Statistics and Business. Dude could put me to sleep in seconds. Lecture or not. I went to one of his office hours once and it was even worse.” 

“Oh really?” You asked with a laugh, raising your eyebrows and looking at him with a lopsided grin.

“Oh yeah! I wanted to know a little more information about some complicated statistic and the details and whatnot, nerdy stuff really. He got so excited but you couldn’t tell because he talked in such a monotone voice,” Hoseok smiled brightly before he started mimicking Professor Gaewon, “This statistic, blah blah blah. It is interesting stuff.”

You were laughing uncontrollably at this point and Hoseok couldn’t help but indulge in the butterflies that fluttered wildly in his stomach. This was amazing.

“Needless to say, I didn’t go to his office hours after that.” 

You nodded, “I didn’t have anything like that in college. I mean, I was also not a business major and didn’t have to take any stat classes but I mostly got a lot of very pretentious professors who had written books or wild professors who I loved. I didn’t enjoy the former.” You laughed lightly and shook your head, “They seemed to think that they knew everything. It was painful.” 

“Oh? What’d you major in?” 

“I double majored in Literature and History. I love it. Don’t use it much with my work but that is ok.” You said, coming to a stop when the waitress came with sides for the food. 

You and Hoseok slightly bowed to the waiter before turning back to each other and smiling. For a couple minutes, the conversation died down and the noise of the restaurant around you two filled the air as both of you indulged in the sides. Before you and Hoseok had time to continue conversing, the waiter returned and gave both of you your Haemul Pajeon and the two of you dug in All throughout eating, the two of you made comments about how the Haemul Pajeon compared to what you two had had in the past. 

Somehow, all the time in the restaurant blurred together and before he even knew it, the two of them were back at Namjoon’s and your cafe. It had closed by now, the windows dark and reflecting the party life outside. 

“Well… this was a great night, Hoseok-ssi.” You said, swaying forwards and backwards with a soft and happy smile plastered across your face. 

Hoseok felt giddy looking at you. How did he get so lucky to have you ask him out? 

“It was. I would love to do it again sometime.” 

“Yeah.” You giggled and bit your lip as you asked.

“Yeah.” Hoseok nodded, biting his own lip as he took a step closer to you.

You took a step closer to him as well, your smile growing as you reached out and grabbed Hoseok’s waist. He leaned closer at this and gently pressed his lips against yours, you quickly reciprocating. His hands rose to cup your face as the kiss got heated, soon enough tongues starting to intertwine. 

A moan left him as you broke the kiss, a sly smile spreading on your face, “You may have to work for my phone number first, Hoseok-ssi.” 

He groaned quietly and smiled, his hands sliding down your soft face to your shoulders, “Well then, can I get your number then, Y/n-ssi?” 

You took a step away from Hoseok and giggled as his hands fell to his sides, “Nope. Try again tomorrow… then I will consider. Until then, good night, Hoseok-ssi.” 

#bangtanscenerycollab #btsguild #magicshopnet #btscreatorscorner #bts #bts fanfiction #bts cafe au #bts slice of life au #bts hoseok #bts jhope #bts fluff #bts oneshot #hoseok x reader #bts x reader #bts fan fiction #bts fanfic #bts fan fic #hoseok fluff #jhope fluff #lilliaflurr

[boywivlove]

| Title | Floral |

| Pairing | Jung Hoseok x Reader

| Word Count | 3k

| Genre | Florist AU, fluff, slight romantic moments

| Summary | Reader has moved back with her parents in her small hometown; after her life hasn't turned out the way she had hoped, and dealing with bouts of depressive thoughts. When she runs into an old friend from school, can he help her through her low point to see the sunlight after the storm?

| Warnings | descriptions of depression and depressive thoughts.��

| AN | So this is my second half of the `April showers bring May flowers` collaboration, and I'm really glad to get this out!! This has a mildly gloomy beginning but I promise a fluffy ending!

On a personal note I wrote this fic to kind of get some of my own thoughts out, I think there are alot of us who have gloomy days, and our thoughts are anything less than happy. And I just want to say if anyone reading this also has days like this please know your not alone and you are loved <3 Please enjoy, stay safe, and have a lovely day!

The rain kept coming, pouring down relentlessly as you were stopped at a red light, You didn't mind. If anything it relaxed you. The sound of rain always made it easy for you to fall asleep, driving in the rain drowned out the world to you, making it easier to concentrate on your thoughts, no matter how glum they were. You looked out of your window, the last hours of daylight clinging to the skyline, smudged with the storm clouds that had been gushing rain for the last couple of hours. The weather seemed to match your mood perfectly.

You didn't know exactly when your life started to feel gloomy and dull, but you know it had been a while, almost a year at most. Looking back, you had such high hopes for your life, finish college, finish university, get a good job, move out and live your life. But while you tried your best in education, that's when the thoughts of doubt and paranoia started to bury themselves in your mind. 

You were constantly thinking the friends you had grown close to had only tolerated you, and your parents were secretly disappointed in you. It was hard to concentrate on your degree while trying not to have a breakdown in the middle of class. Eventually you had to leave your studies for the sake of your mental health, and you got a new job to keep on top of your rent, and it was good, but after a while, the same nagging thoughts came back, same thoughts, different setting. 

You had made your way down the long winding road of the countryside, eventually passing the town's welcome sign. This is where you're going to be staying now, back in the town you grew up in, the town you had imagined all the great things you were going to do with your life. You had decided that you needed a do over, and after a talk with your parents, a decision was made that you would take some time out from everything, and come and stay with them until you get back on your feet. 

Leaving your job was hard, but gave you room to exhale and let out some of your anxiousness. But at the same time, you were right back where you started. It's not like you could go back to school, and try and get a degree in a different subject, the only thing you could do was try and work through your issues and try and find a job. 

You arrived at your parents house just after 10 pm, and you parked the car in the driveway, leaving the boxes of everything you owned in the garage until your could sort your old room out, your parents had turned it into a pantry, but now it was remade into a room for you, a bed, closet, desk, but the personal touches could come later, right now you wanted to sleep, not even changing out of your clothes you crawled into bed, letting the rain lull you into sleep.

It had been 3 months since you had packed up your life and moved back with your parents, and they had been nothing but supportive, the medication you were given helps only a little with the depressive moments. You had been taking care of yourself and now finally you wanted to start looking for a new job, your parents had said not to worry about rent or paying your way, but you owed it to them, and yourself. You wanted to prove that you could overcome the black dog that hung over you. 

It was easier said than done, for a small town, the job opportunities were even shorter. A lot of the businesses here were family owned, and didn't really need any new workers. It had taken you around 30 rejections before you got an offer from a little independent bakery, owned by a lovely old lady named Rose. The pay wasn't great, but hey, it was something, and Rose was lovely, remembering you from when you used to live here as a kid, and gave you a chance. 

 Now, months later, you and Rose were doing great, you had learnt her tips and tricks for making her baked goods, and found the locals to be a breath of fresh air, the bakery having plenty of regulars to get to know and talk to, a surprisingly nice reprieve from the comings and goings of random faces, a thing that made your old job kind of daunting. 

The days you spent in the bakery didn't melt into one, each day had a little something new, a new recipe, new stories from the regulars, and sometimes new faces, and one particular day had a face you had not seen in years.

The sun had finally seemed to come out from behind the clouds, the rain never seemed to stop, but it happened now only with small sprinkles. The hanging baskets of lavender outside the shop dripped onto customers who entered, and the window baskets that held an array of colourful pansies were nicely watered thanks to the rain. 

Rose had made you feel so at home in this bakery, and she has so much faith in you, leaving  you in charge of the shop for a week or so while she visited her son overseas, and it meant so much to you. Her trust in you had given you something to aspire to.

You were doing your best.

You had just taken another batch of bread rolls out of the oven, and had just set about  brewing a pot of coffee when he came in. His hair was speckled in rain droplets as he placed his umbrella in the stand. He approached the counter and peered at the choices. As he was browsing you gave him a once over, he was cute. He was dressed in a white button up shirt and black pants, a long brown corduroy jacket and a deep maroon scarf wrapped around his neck. His face was nice to look at, his hair framed his chiselled jaw nicely, and his shoulders were nice and broad. Now you didn't make a habit of ogling the customers, but you haven't seen this guy in the bakery before, so he was something new to you.

You approached the counter as he was still considering his selection.

“ Hey Rose, you don't have any of those white chocolate almond cookies ready do you?” 

He didn't even look up as he was trying to locate the cookie in the rack, it was almost a childlike movement, both his hands placed on the glass and his eyes squinted in concentration. It was oddly familiar to you.

“Hey, not Rose, but we do have some in the oven that are almost ready if you fancy waiting?” 

Your voice seemed to surprise him, as his head shot up and his eyes widened slightly

“Oh, I'm so sorry, I never see anyone else behind the counter he he, Is Rose back there?”

He rubbed his nose in a kind of embarrassed movement, looking towards the back room for a second, and then back at you, his eyes roamed your face as he smiled at you. 

“Ha ha it's alright, I only started 3 months ago, and sadly no, Rose is visiting her son for a couple of weeks, left me in charge, I`m Y/N”

Your chest puffed slightly, taking pride in the fact that Rose had trust enough in you to leave her business in your care. 

“Ahhh Rose must really trust you to leave her pride and joy in your hands,,, wait, Y/N?”

His face was wrinkled slightly, as if trying to remember something that he couldn't quite grasp for a second.

“Yeah? Have we met?”

“ Y/N, Y/L/N  from high school ? “

 You didn't recognise him at first, it had been so long since you had seen him, but you quickly realised who it was as you remembered the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled, and his bright toothy smile.

“.... oh my god, Hobi ?”

Now that was something that you didn't see coming. Hobi, the guy in front of you was Hobi, the high school funny guy who made everyone laugh, the guy who danced out everything he said. Honestly, you had expected him to be long gone from this town by now, he was always so gifted in the way he moved, you thought for sure he could have gone into a career in dancing. 

Still, it was nice to see him after so long, when you graduated high school you tried to keep in contact but the distance eventually fizzled the friendship out. You had always felt bad for never getting in touch with Hobi, you were good friends by the time high school ended. But here he was, sitting with you after closing time having tea and cookies. 

“I cant believe your here Y/N, it's been so long since I've seen you!” 

Hobi took a bite of his cookie, smiling as he did, his smile hasn't changed, still as bright as the sun. You sipped your tea as he spoke.

“Have you been here long? I've only just come back from a vacation so I'm sorry I didn't know you were here, I would have been one of the first to see you if I did”

“No only three months or so, and it's OK Hobi, if anything I'm sorry I never stayed in contact with you, things have been a little difficult for me you know?” 

“How so if you don't mind me asking?”

So you filled Hobi in on how you ended up back in your hometown, and how you're working through your feelings, he was sympathetic, but he didn't baby you or try to advise you on how to go about things.

“Anyway enough about myself, have you been here all this time? You never moved away or anything?”

Hobi laughed as he set his cup down, running his hand through his hair, he took out a business card out of his wallet. The gold embellished font against the crisp white background stood out beautifully.

 ` Fragrant Florals by Jung Hoseok. EST 1978 ` 

“ I went to college here, I still studied dance like I did in highschool, and my grandma gave me a part time job in the flower shop, when she passed, she left it to me. I thought long and hard about what I wanted to do, but the shop has so many memories of my grandma you know?”

You remembered Hobi`s grandmother, she had owned that flower shop for over 30 years, and it was nice to know that Hobi stayed and kept it going. You haven't felt this at ease in a long time, it was as if you finally came home and was able to breathe again, and seeing Hobi again made you feel lighter than air.

“Come with me, I want to show you something”

Hobi had met you as you locked up the bakery for the night, you two had been catching up a lot in the past month, making up for lost time he would say. He would come and visit you on his lunch breaks, grab a coffee and some baked treat and shoot the breeze with you while you had no one to serve. Other times you would stop by his flower shop and bring him a coffee when he was busy. It was nice. You can't believe you let yourself fall out of contact with him.

But as much as you had been enjoying your life lately, you had noticed the negative thoughts starting to creep back into your mind. You would catch yourself thinking of all the ways you would mess everything up, that people will start getting bored of you. That Hobi would start getting bored of you… You wouldn't lie to yourself, You like Hobi. He was always a nice boy growing up, and he was a great guy now. But you knew your feelings for him were starting to become more than friends. And you were so scared about messing things up, that Hobi wouldn't want to be anything more than friends, that stopped you from admitting your real feelings for him.

“Where are we going?”

“Ahh, I'm not saying, you have to close your eyes.”

“Hobi were in the middle of a street, iI cant-”

“Trust me, your gonna love it Y/N”

Hobi flashed you a toothy grin, and covered your eyes with his hands, guiding you toward wherever it was he was taking you. You heard the cars passing by and the occasional person greeted you both. You came to a stop a little while after, as he kept your eyes closed with one hand he rummaged around for his keys, unlocking the door as a bell chimed upon opening it.

“Your shop? Hobi, I've been here a hundred times. Why do I need to keep my eyes closed…”

“Don't open them yet! I just need to get the lights…”

Letting out an airy laugh you kept your eyes closed, the shop had a variety of different smells, but overall smelt earthy, just like Hobi. You heard the click of a light switch, and you felt his presence in front of you. You felt his hands on your arms as he gently guided you to where he wanted you to be. He was so close to you. 

Hobi smelled so good. His scent was a mix of fruity, woody hints, but also had hints of spices and earth, all his time tending to his plants and bouquets rubbing off on him in the best way. 

“Ok, annnnd, open”

You opened your eyes, letting them get used to the light, and what you saw made you take a surprised breath. 

He had taken you into the back of the shop, to his own little greenhouse, and turned it into your own little restaurant. In the centre of the greenhouse, surrounded by his many growing flora, was a small table set nicely with food cooling in dishes. Fairy lights hung above the table, shimmering like stars. Magical. You turned to Hobi with a small smile, his own smile a most bashful as he waited for your response.

“Wow, You did all this?”

“Well, this is a small town, not many places to go you know, I wanted to take us somewhere new, so I thought, why now make somewhere new”

He looked at you with such a fondness, you felt your heart flutter slightly.

“But, I also wanted to take you somewhere that's not crowded, I know you've been feeling down again lately, I can tell. You fiddle with your hands when you start over thinking, I wanted, I wanted to make something special for you.”

You felt yourself well up slightly, his gesture had really touched your heart. He was too good for this world, too good for you. You couldn't contain your tears as they fell down your cheeks. You hugged Hobi as he let you cry onto his shoulder. His arm wrapped around you as he brought his other hand to rest in your hair. It was like something straight out of a romance movie. Made even more so by the tapping of rain that started against the windows. 

“Hobi, you're amazing, you know?”

“Ah come on, I just thought you would like a surprise.”

“No, I mean it. You always know just what to do, your kind and caring, and you never make me feel bad about how I feel” 

You raised your head to look at him, his eyes held so much care in them, his lips parted slightly, as if contemplating what to say, and looking into your eyes, he must have decided. His face came a little closer to yours, and in the softest of moments, he placed a light kiss to your forehead before resting his chin on top of your head. It was like thunder to you, sending a shiver down your spine. You breathed in his scent as your face nuzzled his neck slightly. 

“I'm glad you like it Y/N, I don't want you to feel the way you do about yourself, I know it's hard for you. But I just wish you could see yourself how I see you. You're perfect to me, you always have been.”

“Since when are you this cheesy?”

“Hey cheesy is my forte, and if it makes you happy I'll keep being cheesy”

You shared a laugh, breaking apart from him ever so slightly to look at him again, his hand in your hair made its way to your cheek, his thumb wiping the remaining tears that streaked down your face. 

Your mind, ever the interrupter, was screaming at you that this wouldn't last, that this is all a dream. But the thoughts were suddenly silent as Hobi placed his lips on yours, his kiss was soft and delicate, not wanting to overstep a boundary that he might have misread. 

You had never felt more at ease. With a deep inhale, it was as if the weight of everything you felt had lifted from your heart, and it finally started to beat again. 

You had first thought coming back to your childhood town was a huge step back for your life, but there, in a small flower shop. It was the start of something new, something that you would look back on when you feel yourself slipping into your dark thoughts as a moment that could ground you.

And Hobi, who would tell you everyday that you were worth your weight in gold to him.

#bangtanscenerycollab #bangtanscenery #ficswithluv #hyunglinenetwork #btsbookclub #armysource #bangtanarmynet #bts #bts fanfic #jung hoseok #hoseok #jung hoseok imagine #jung hoseok au #hobi x reader #hoseok x reader #flower shop au

[limjaeseven]

This is Not a Love Song

Title: This is Not a Love Song

Pairing: Taehyung X Gender neutral OC

Genre: Angst

Word Count: 3,032

Summary: Taehyung got so lost in his own world that he didn't realise the he broke the one person who put him back together

Warnings: Alcohol consumption

[a/n]: This fic is part of the April Showers Bring May Flowers Collab with @bangtanscenery. It was an absolute pleasure to write, though the concept is different from what I usually write. I hope you enjoy it! (Also a big shout out to @sope-and-shine for proof reading this fic)

If there were two things that Taehyung couldn't live without, it was his music and his love. The two were intrinsically linked because the reason music was such a big part of his life it was because of his love.

They had met each other on what was probably the worst day of Taehyung's life. He was beaten down and tired, tired of his own life. He felt like he lived a life without meaning and direction. The only thing he ever did was wander aimlessly, looking for what, he didn't know himself.

And when his feet refused to carry him any further, he found the closest bench sat down. One sob, two sobs, three sobs before the dam broke. The tears never stopped as he wailed and weeped on that lonely bench. But fate had other plans as he felt a tap on his shoulder.

A stranger sat next to him on the bench when he looked up. They were offering him a handkerchief which Taehyung took and wiped his tears. No one had ever been kind to Taehyung like that. No one had offered him help when he was down even if it was just a handkerchief.

A broken thank you left his lips but the stranger just smiled. They spent what felt like hours like that, a comfortable silence shared between them as Taehyung clutched the piece of cloth in his hands tightly.

It had been long after the sun had set that the person next to Taehyung got up and left. By that time he had fallen into a deep slumber. It was the first time in months that he had slept peacefully.

When he finally woke up, the warm rays of sunlight kissed his face, making him feel an emotion that he could call happiness. A jacket was draped over his slim frame and the white cloth was still in his hands.

The walk back home for Taehyung was different that time around. Not once in the previous few months had he felt like himself, a person with a mind and a heart. He had barely felt like a person when he woke up each morning.

It was a whole month before their paths crossed again. Taehyung had made a habit of carrying the jacket that the stranger had left with him whenever he left his house in hopes of returning it to them. To him though, the thought of returning the jacket was connected with the thought of seeing that person again and that's all he honestly wanted.

The month since he had met that person both dragged on and sped by. Taehyung spent his days thinking about them, the way they didn't utter a word but still moved him to the core. For the first time in twenty three years, Taehyung had felt like he wasn't alone.

But thinking about them in his waking hours wasn't enough for Taehyung apparently because he spent his nights dreaming about them. Though he did acknowledge the fact that the simple gesture had probably meant nothing to that person, he couldn't help but cling onto the one bright moment of his life like it was the only memory he wanted to remember for an eternity

They met the second time on the crowded subway. Taehyung was wandering as usual and had enough money left on him to take a subway to nowhere and walk back home. They had been standing and looking down at their phone, their face slightly concealed by the hat they wore but Taehyung recognised them almost instantly.

It took two stops but after a while, he was standing right in front of the stranger. The person in question looked up and smiled in recognition as they placed where they had met Taehyung before.

Wordlessly reaching for his bag, Taehyung pulled out the jacket and offered it to the stranger and they smiled at him before accepting it. After mustering up enough courage, Taehyung finally asked for the person's name which they gave to him with a bright smile.

They both got off at the same station and walked together, engaging in small talk and getting to know each other. They hadn't known each other for more than a few hours but Taehyung felt a connection with the person next to him.

It was almost midnight when they parted ways, this time Taehyung had both a name and a number. They spoke to each other via text and phone calls often, talking about anything under the sun.

Taehyung felt like he had found a lighthouse in the distance in the middle of the past ocean. The closer he got to it, the less uncertain he felt about getting lost again. It was the most wonderous feeling he'd felt in his entire life.

It took a while for Taehyung to finally ask them to be their significant other. They just as usual gave him the brightest smile and said a simple yes. Their relationship was a lot like that, few words shared and more communicated through silences.

They had been together for three months when Taehyung's lover introduced him to the world of professional music. They had been friends with the founder of a label and had offered Taehyung to try out at the company since he was planning to leave his job anyway.

Taehyung had played a few instruments growing up and loved coming up with songs off the top of his head but he had never considered doing it for a living. After a series of interviews and discussions, the company gave him a chance to try out as a producer and it turned out to be a life changing opportunity for Taehyung.

Within months he had become the most sought after producer in the industry, all big names dying to work with him. He learned quickly and made songs that broke record after record. He also became popular internationally through the artists he worked with.

A year after Taehyung joined the company, he started to put his work before everything. He rarely came back home to his partner, opting instead to spend time in his studio and neglected his personal life for his professional one.

His lover supported him through everything but couldn't help but feel forgotten when Taehyung spent weeks without talking to them. They tried to talk to him but he wasn't used to having conversations. The two people who had learned to communicate through silence had become a victim of that same, but now deafening, silence.

A single word from his lover's mouth would send Taehyung into a bout of rage that would end up in broken decor and lots of tears. As time went by, Taehyung was becoming less and less like himself, yet again.

Taehyung had thought that finding a partner and a job would have been enough to make sure he would be happy. He later thought that his career was all he needed to keep him going. After a while it became less about the music itself and more about the fame and power.

Everything started going downhill together for Taehyung. His songs started declining in quality leading to a lot of backlash from his fellow artists, fans and company alike. He got frustrated as he sat in front of his keyboard and nothing came to him.

Unfortunately, that frustration was released on his significant other not in the form of open venting and communication but in the form of harsh words and lots of shouting.

A point came where his lover couldn't take things anymore. He didn't see it coming, even though he should have, months ago. The realisation hit him the day he returned home from work to see a half empty house.

A lot of the stuff was gone and it looked like someone had reset the place to how it was before he met his partner. Their belongings were all gone. The only things that were left was a white handkerchief and a small piece of paper folded in half.

Taehyung didn't realise his hands were shaking when he picked the paper up and read the words inked onto it. The words were clear but the words felt hazy. The only things that kept repeating in his head were "I can't do this anymore" and "don't look for me".

Taehyung was a man who didn't like alcohol much but somehow it was the only thing that could fill the whole in his heart. You, the person who found him and made him who he was, was gone. Taehyung was devastated to say the least.

His lover had written about how much Taehyung had changed but truthfully, the love he had for his other half, his significant other, his life partner had never changed. Yes, he had gotten blinded by success and didn't see that the only person he truly cared about in the world was suffering and that too, all because of him.

Taehyung had never despised himself more in his life. It was as if there wasn't a person worse than him. He stared at the picture the two of them had taken together on their first date. The smile that adorned his partner's face and the genuine glow on Taehyung's features. It felt like such a distant memory to Taehyung, as if it was all a dream.

He drank and drank and drank till he couldn't remember his own name. Somehow he got home and cried for what felt like years because half of his bed was cold. He had once more become the man that he was before he met them, just a shell of a person.

After a few days of sulking at home, Taehyung finally had the courage to go to his studio again and the first thing he did was deleted all the songs he made last. He knew that those songs were bad and that they were practically useless. He randomly started going through the folders in his computer and found a folder called "Love Songs"

The tears came before Taehyung could process the words on screen. He opened it and found a single project inside it that he had started the day he joined the studio. It was meant to be a gift to his partner but he never got around to finishing it.

The next three days were spent holed up in the studio as Taehyung poured word after words onto pages of loose leaf paper. He recorded the song himself, singing about the sorrow he felt that the one person that he loved more than his life was gone.

He asked his friends over at his label if he could release just the one song. It had to be out there for Taehyung to get closure. After a lot of convincing, they finally agreed and let him release the song under the label. They dropped it without much suspense of promotion, Taehyung just tweeting about it the night before.

The song was an instant success even with the limited preparation. Fans talked about how the real Taehyung had returned and how his music was more like it used to be before. What most didn't know was that Taehyung didn't care about what anyone thought. He just wondered day in, day out if that one person had heard the songs and what they have thought about it.

"I wanted to make a love song just for you

I wanted you to hear it"

First day in the studio, Taehyung was getting used to the equipment in front of him when an idea struck. He wanted to give back to the one who gave him all that he had and so he promised that the first song he would make would be for them.

"Our happy memories

I wanted to write about it

On top of a pretty melody"

He worked hard on it, spending every free moment on it, even when he was given other projects to work on. The melody was perfect he thought, it reminded him of the feeling he had the day he woke up after meeting them for the first time. The tune was soft and pleasant, soothing to the ears.

The lyrics he wrote down were of the days they spent together, the dates, the moments, the way he fell in love with them. He wrote of the way his heart beat in his chest whenever they smiled at him.

"But there’s no one to listen to this song

So I’m just singing by myself"

Standing in the recording booth was new to Taehyung as someone who had stood on the other side of the glass for as long as he had worked in the industry. He had a good voice that lacked training but was good enough to pull the song off.

His heart hurt with every word he sang. He knew that it was all his fault and he had now way to fix it. The words felt foreign coming from his mouth as he thought of them. They were his entire world and now they were gone.

"This is not a love song

There’s no love song after you left me"

The irony weighed heavily on Taehyung as he eyed the 'Love Songs' folder on his computer. He felt the hole in his heart grow bigger as he chugged down the beer in his hand. Alcohol failed to help him anymore. It just made him more miserable but he didn't know what to do.

"This is not a love song

I’m singing by myself and it can’t ever reach you"

Taehyung was well aware that releasing the song wouldn't do much more than ease his own heart. He knew that regardless of whether his love heard the song or not, it wouldn't make a difference. They weren't going to come back to him and that was the truth of it all.

"I’m better I’m better but

It’s hard without you

Yeah, it’s too hard without you"

Months after they had left and the song had become a big success, Taehyung still felt broken. He had started sleeping on benches again because he didn't have it himself to go back to his empty house again. Everything reminded him of them, he stopped traveling in the subway, and always carried the handkerchief that he still had wherever he went.

"Just by looking into your eyes, just by touching you

I felt like I had the world, that’s what I miss the most"

Taehyung couldn't concentrate on anything. All he could do was think about them. It was as if his world had stopped now that they weren't in his life anymore. He felt like he was breaking again. He tried his best to hold onto the memories of them the way he did after the first time he met them but knowing that they would never come back made him feel lost.

"I long for you and I regret but

Now there’s no use, I have to leave it as a memory"

It took two months for Taehyung to finally quit his job. People tried their best to convince him but he knew he couldn't continue anymore. The only reason he was where he was, was because of them and it reminded him too much of them. He decided that the only thing he could do now was to leave them in the past, even if it meant leaving the other thing he loved the most.

"You’ve already left me

But this song still remains"

Driving to his new office, Taehyung turned up the volume of the radio to distract himself. He was starting a new chapter of his life. But it seemed like fate didn't want that because it was his song that played through the speaker of his car. His familiar voice filled his ears as tears filled his eyes.

"After this song is over

I should get over you too"

Taehyung felt a sort of relief when the craze around his song diminished. The audience had already found a new artist and a new song to listen to. He finally felt a bit better when he stopped hearing his song on the radio every time he went to work. He was a lot better than he was when they first left.

His new job was good, with normal work hours and a modest pay. The office was crowded and he had made friends with people in the cubicles around him. They went out for coffee and movies together.

"If you’re still here, if you’re still by my side

I’ll sing for you endlessly"

Starting anew didn't mean he stopped thinking about them. He often dreamt about singing the original version of his song to them. There wouldn't be one day had they been with him that he wouldn't tell them how much he truly loved them.

"This is not a love song

There’s no love song after you left me

This is not a love song

I’m singing by myself and it can’t ever reach you"

Taehyung moved from his old apartment to one that was close enough to his office that he didn't have to drive and could just walk to work each morning. The last time he was at his old place to finish up some paperwork, he left the handkerchief on the dining table and walked out.

"I’m better I’m better but

It’s hard without you

Yeah, it’s too hard without you"

A year later Taehyung was a lot happier. He had found someone else who he loved unconditionally and made sure to remind them everyday that he did. He still missed his previous lover sometimes but he felt the whole in his heart filled with new love, love that was appreciated and reciprocated properly. He finally had the courage to leave behind his old love as a collection of memories. Memories that he wouldn't forget, but as memories nonetheless.

#bangtanscenerycollab #bangtanscenery #ficswithluv #magicshopnet #mygsnet #rainbowbtsnet #bts #bts smut #bts fanfic #bts namjoon #bts taehyung #bts v #bts fic #bts fanfction #bts fanfiction #fanfic #bts yoongi #bts jin #bts jung hoseok #bts jeongguk #bts jhope #bts jungkook #bts angst #bts ff #bts fluff

[thebiasrekkers]

Breathe: Hope In Isolation | PJM

For the @bangtanscenery​ - April Showers Bring May Flowers Project in celebration of the Spring Season!

Plot: For as long as Jimin can remember, the house is all he’s ever known. His only companion, a calico cat. Neither of them age as the house pulls them through time and space. He can neither interact with people nor stray far from the house. He is cursed to watch the world pass by every year and never be a part of it. But one day, someone not only is able to see the house, but they can finally see him as well.

Rating: PG-13 // SFW

Genre: time-slip!au | modern fantasy!au | angst | romance | drama

Pairing: Park Jimin x Female OC (Brianna Larkins)

Warnings: Strong language, extreme angst, anxiety, implication of curses/magic

Links: FAQ || BTS Masterlist || Admin E’s AO3 || [ REQUESTS ARE OPEN ]

Word Count: 11.4K

AN: This idea came from a mash-up song of Billie Eilish and BTS. Specifically the song "Serendipity". I have been told that this story is the epitome of what Serendipity stands for and to me, that is the greatest compliment I could ever hope to receive. In a time of isolation, like what we are experiencing now, it's always important to remember the things that matter the most to us. Which are often the things we take for granted. So for those of you who are feeling lonely, sad, or even a little anxious, this is for you. Remember that you are loved.

© thebiasrekkers (Admin E). All rights reserved. Reposting/modifying our work is prohibited. Translations are not allowed. Plagiarism/stealing is not tolerated by any means. Legal action will be taken in instances of theft.

Jimin’s grip tightened around the handle of the water pitcher as the house began to shake violently. The water sloshed from the pitcher, spilling onto the floor around his feet. The little calico cat that kept him company hopped onto the couch and curled itself into a ball of fluff. The few dishes he had trembled on top of the coffee table, all but threatening to fall to the floor. Craning his neck, he peeked out of the small kitchen window and sighed as the universe swirled in a kaleidoscope of colors and stars. The sheer curtains in the house fluttered with the speed of how fast everything was moving, causing his own blonde hair to fly back off his forehead.

Closing his eyes, Jimin held his breath and waited for the tremors to cease. He could never stare at the seemingly endless galaxies for too long. It always made him feel a little nauseous, even after all these years.

When the shaking finally ceased, he released the breath he held and opened his eyes when aggravated meows of protest reached his ears. Sighing, he turned to see the cat was now moving around on the couch in circles, kneading the cushions in determination before plopping its rump back down. The calico flicked its tail back and forth, patiently waiting for Jimin to open the window to let it roam about.

He poured the water into a glass, setting the pitcher down on the counter, and made his way over to the cat. Jimin stroked its head lovingly before leaning across the couch to unlatch the locks and pushed the window open. The cat wasted no time hopping outside to begin exploring. Shielding his eyes with his forearm, Jimin peered out to see where he’d landed this time.

When he’d landed this time.

The cat rolled happily in the bed of flowers, chasing after a butterfly. Wherever Jimin was, it was quiet and seemingly barren for as far as the eye could see. There were forests to one side and a rolling set of hills on the other. In the very center, separating both landmarks, was a wide open field of countless flowers in varying colors and breeds. A breeze pushed against his face and he smiled, savoring the smell and taste of the ocean winds. He was by the sea.

The weather was nice and calm. He wouldn’t need to dress warm, but he stripped out of his white t-shirt and slid on a long-sleeved one instead; also white. He kept his white linen trousers on and didn’t bother with shoes. It would be nice to feel the grass between his toes. His last location was a desert and sand got old very quickly, as did the heat. He rarely went outside during that year.

As his feet touched the grass, he was immediately filled with the fragrant smell of the flowers. He made sure not to inhale too much, or the aroma would overwhelm him. His little feline companion was long gone - seemingly off to explore and hunt whatever she wanted. Jimin didn’t mind. His friend always came back.

He walked around the entire radius of the house to get a good idea of his surroundings and tried to figure out the layout. Whatever time he was in, he couldn’t quite determine it. Not without notable landmarks and people to gauge their clothing or the latest technology of that era. Once he saw anything remotely familiar, he would figure out the rest. 

He’d lost count of how many times he’d moved through time and space like this.

Spinning on his heels, he spread his arms out and flopped into the bed of flowers. Petals fluttered in the air around him, some falling into his hair and on his face. He smiled widely and even laughed. How he’d missed the clean air and the feel of cool grass on his skin. Jimin made a note to savor every moment he had in this time before he was forced to leave it again.

The sun felt warm on his face, lulling him into a serene state until he felt his lids growing heavy. He would have drifted off to sleep had it not been for his furry companion feeling the need to hop onto his stomach at that moment. The cat purred as he laughed and stroked the cat’s back. 

“Did you find anything interesting?” he asked. The cat meowed in response, but not really giving him an answer. Jimin smiled, petting its head. “Yeah, I didn’t think so.” Sitting up, he gathered the cat into his arms and stood up from the ground. “Let’s do a bit more exploring, hm?”

The two of them wandered around where they could. An invisible wall prevented Jimin from going further than two hundred meters in any direction. As he pressed his hand against the barrier, he gave a dejected sigh before returning back to the house. On the outside, it looked like a Tudor cottage with natural brick and molding. Everything else was white or a soft yellow color for the trimming, the roof tiles a rich cobalt blue. It was the strangest house he’d ever seen and it was probably the reason he was drawn to it in the first place.

Truth be told, Jimin couldn’t recall how long he’d been in that house. He didn’t even remember how old he was supposed to be or what time period he hailed from originally. All the clothing, food, and other necessities were replenished on their own. If the climate he was transported to was cold, all of his clothing was suited for the temperature drop. If it was hot, humid or dry, his clothes changed to match it as well. The house provided it all. He stopped questioning how and why a long long time ago.

Everything he owned was white, save for the bedding, which was just a simple yellow blanket. The couch was slate in color. There were a few plants in the house but they were all green and simple to take care of. Namely the cactus that sat on his coffee table.

He set the cat down and opened the door, waiting for the calico to prance inside. The house had enough natural light streaming from outside that the lack of actual lighting fixtures made little difference to Jimin. If he needed a light source, he would always light a candle or burn some oil in the lantern.

It would be just another year for Jimin. One year of many.

After he finished showering, he changed into some fresh garments and began scrounging up something together for a modest meal. The scent of flowers overwhelmed him to the point where he needed to come inside and lay down for a few hours. After smelling the acrid air of the desert, it was a stark contrast but one that he knew wouldn’t take long for him to acclimate.

For the first time in a while, he was actually excited to discover more of his new environment.

The first few weeks were uneventful. They always were. 

Once he was used to the floral aroma that wafted in through his windows, he made it a point to gather up fresh flowers and placed them throughout the house. The interior in its entirety was white, so the bursts of color that the flowers provided were a welcome change. Jimin could hardly remember a time where he was able to be surrounded by nature in its colorful bountifulness. 

He’d been from place to place and from one time to the next. He jumped from the past where architecture was still done by hand to the future where machines did most of the heavy labor. Some skies were clear and blue, others were dark and overcast. Rain, sleet, snow, high winds and desert storms. Jimin was able to experience them all thanks to the power of the house that moved him in and out of existence through an ethereal portal he couldn’t begin to hope to understand.

Strangely enough, he didn’t age. He assumed it was from the power of the house. There was no other explanation. He stopped questioning it years ago because he forgot the reason he was in the house in the first place, or how he’d gotten there. 

Certain things were made clear from his travels through time, however, and it made coping with his isolation a little bit difficult. The invisible barrier was one. His inability to grow old was another. He couldn’t destroy the house either. He tried many years ago in a fit of anger and didn’t leave a scratch on the surface. He couldn’t even burn it down. He tried that too. 

Jimin only stayed in one place and time for a year. Then the house would jump through time. The house would never leave without him, because the house and he were connected. Even if Jimin was outside after the year was over, he would get pulled back inside for the journey. 

The one that struck him the hardest, however, was the fact that no one could see him or the house. This made interacting with people impossible. 

No matter how much he screamed, no one could hear him. No matter how hard he tried to touch someone, they could not feel him. His hand would pass straight through their bodies, as though he were little more than a ghost to them. But he wasn’t dead, of that he was most certain. 

He couldn’t recall, exactly, how far back it was he’d learned these things, but they were lessons that stuck with him for a very long time. Since then, he simply flitted in and out of existence, watching the world and the people in it pass him by. So far, the only being he could actually interact with was the calico cat that lived in the house with him and as far as Jimin could tell, the cat was always by his side.

The months rolled on in an even keel and there was still no sign of a single person in sight. The weather was getting warmer, breaching into summer. From what Jimin could gather, he arrived at the onset of spring. It wouldn’t be long before autumn was upon him and he would no longer be able to relish in the lovely landscape as things began to die. The thought of it caused a pained expression to form on his face. He didn’t like to witness things wilting before his eyes, but what choice did he have?

It rained for a few days straight, cooling the air and giving it a refresher of sorts. The rain always made Jimin sleepy and he often napped for hours at a time before getting up to feed himself, shower, and then return to bed. The cat enjoyed rainy days because it gave her an excuse to cuddle with Jimin as he spent the days lazily lying in bed.

The sound of laughter pulled Jimin from deep sleep, causing him to rouse from bed. Bleary eyed and a little groggy, he shuffled around from his room and out to the kitchen. The laughter was louder now and it was more than one set of tones from what he could gather. Pouring himself a glass of water, he drained it in a few gulps and then splashed some water on his face to fully rid himself of the sleepy haze still settled on the backs of his eyelids. 

Pulling back the sheer curtains, he peeked out of the kitchen window and blinked rapidly. He wasn’t sure what he was seeing, but he knew he wasn’t dreaming. There in the fields of flowers were several people; young men and women. They were sprawled out on a blanket, laughing and talking as a small radio sat at their side. Jazz peeled from the speakers and he could tell from the model that it was a mid to late 80s radio. There was a large picnic basket between them and one girl with red hair began pulling out things from inside of it. Two of the three boys scrambled off the blanket and started tossing a baseball between each other, the sound of the ball hitting the leather gloves like whip cracks to Jimin’s ears. 

The boy who remained was sitting with the two girls who were chatting it up while putting things on paper plates. Confident they couldn’t see him, Jimin poured himself another glass of water and stepped outside so he could hear them better. They were just within the two hundred meter barrier, but just barely.

“When’s Brianna comin’?” asked the boy with dirty blonde hair as bit into a sandwich.

The red-haired girl shrugged as she poured some orange juice into a cup and handed it to the blonde-haired girl beside her. “I dunno. She said she’d be here soon.”

The blonde scoffed as she leaned back on one hand. “She’s always late to these things. We only have a month and a half of summer vacation left before the new school year starts.”

The two boys tossing the ball back and forth looked at them. One of them had jet black hair that fell around his ears and the other was mousy and in a bowl cut. “Then we’ll officially be college students.”

The red-haired girl groaned, falling onto her side. “Ugh, don’t remind me. I’m dreading it already.”

The boy on the blanket chuckled. “Yeah right, Miss ‘I’m moving to New York to be a famous fashion designer’ Maxine.”

Maxine pouted, shifting to lay on her stomach. “Shut-up, Eddie. You all know how hard I worked to get that scholarship.”

“Aw, come on, Max,” teased the blonde, “you know he’s only teasing. Eddie’s just sad to see you leave our little circle of friendship.”

Eddie puffed out one of his cheeks and bit into the sandwich in annoyance. “Psh, whatever. No one asked you, Stephanie .”

The blonde, Stephanie, glared at him. “It’s Stevie. Call me Stephanie again and I’ll knock your fuckin’ block off.”

“Language, Stevie,” called the boy with black hair as he flashed her a grin.

“Oh, fuck you, James.” Stevie flipped her middle finger at him, which only caused him to dissolve into a small fit of laughter. 

The mousy-haired boy laughed as he tossed the ball to James. “You two should just get married already.”

James missed the ball, balking at his friend. “You’re out of your fuckin’ gourd, Marcus.”

Marcus rolled his eyes and motioned for James to toss the ball back to him. When he did, instead of it falling into his glove like it had been, it was caught in a bare hand. Jimin looked up to see a young girl with light brown skin and dark brown curls holding the ball. Dressed in a pair of distressed denim overall shorts, she wore a hunter green t-shirt underneath; a black and white flannel shirt tied around her waist. On her feet, instead of sandals, were a pair of combat boots. 

This ensemble had Jimin canting his head slightly. It wasn’t exactly a summer-type outfit, but what did he know about fashion? Everything he owned was white.

“Well look who finally decided to grace us with her presence,” called Max as she sat up on her elbows, “we were beginning to think you were gonna be a no-show.”

“Yeah, Bree,” said Stevie, “where’ve you been?”

“Got held up at work,” Bree said as she tossed the ball back to James. She took a few steps and paused, her eyes meeting Jimin’s. The action was so sudden that he nearly dropped the glass of water he was holding. She pointed a finger at him. “Who’s the new guy?”

“Huh?” Eddie looked in the direction she was pointing, blinked as Jimin looked back at him, then faced Bree again. “Who’re you talkin’ about?”

This time she extended her arm, still pointing at Jimin. He took a step back, unsure of what to make of this new development. He could feel the heat rising up his neck and creeping over his face. 

“Him. Who is he?” Bree looked at the others as she placed a hand on her hip. “And did you guys actually ask him if we could hang out in the front yard of his house?”

Stevie’s brows furrowed as she stood up from the blanket. “What the hell are you talkin’ about, girl?” She turned her head in either direction. “What house? What guy?”

Bree rolled her eyes. “I swear to God, if you guys are tryin’ to play some game with me, I’m going to make your lives hell for the next hour.” She looked back at Jimin and his lips parted in both surprise and fear. “Hey you! Are you in on this too?”

“Bree, have you been smokin’ again?” Marcus teased as he gently pushed her back. “Told you about tokin’ it up so much during vacay.”

For a moment, all she did was look at Jimin; seemingly boring holes through his own sockets. He licked his lips, contemplating on responding, but was soon pulled from his shock after James moved to pick Bree up and spun her around as he hefted her stomach-first onto his shoulder. She kicked and smacked his back, turning her away from Jimin so that she could no longer catch him in her line of sight.

But that didn’t keep her from shouting.

“Yo! I’m talkin’ to you! Hey!” 

Jimin didn’t answer. He didn’t know how to answer. Someone was actually looking at him and speaking to him. This was the first time it’d happened in all the years he’d moved in and out of time. As much as he wanted to respond to her, he knew that she would only look like a raving lunatic if he tried to speak or interact with her in any way. So Jimin did the only thing he could at that moment.

He ran back into the house, slamming the door closed behind him.

Hours passed and the people still remained. Even as the sun was setting, they showed no signs of vacating the premises. They’d spent so much time out there that James managed to change the batteries on the portable radio in the midst of all their fun and games. Jimin was both confused and entranced. He longed to sit beside them as they turned on their flashlights and shared stories about their school year.

The one called “Bree” kept Jimin from even entertaining the idea of getting closer.

After the initial chaos from her outburst died down, he secretly hoped that she would merely view both the house and him as mere figments of her imagination. Clearly she was the more rebellious one of the group, partaking in recreational drugs as well as managing a part-time job. But that also made her a bit skeptical, at least from Jimin’s perspective. For a while, he believed she’d forgotten about him, as well as the house. But every so often, when he would peek out the window to be part of their little world, she would cast her umber hues in his direction, forcing Jimin to retreat back into the safety of his home.

Why was he so afraid? Wasn’t this what he’d always wanted? What he’d yearned for?

Hiding like this seemed silly and pointless.

When will I be able to speak to someone again? 

The thought weighed on his heart like a heavy anvil, threatening to sink all the way down to the pit of his stomach. He couldn’t remember how many years he traveled through the universe. But he could remember the loneliness he felt during that time. What was it like to have a normal conversation with someone? To be able to laugh and share memories together, no matter how exciting or dull they might have been? To cherish the small moments like the people were outside?

When would another opportunity like this come again for Jimin?

He knew this to be true. There was no sense in denying it or even ignoring it. There was no other truth. But it couldn’t shake the fear that lurked in the darkest recesses of his own heart.

He feared rejection. He was afraid of being turned away from anyone who could see him. So detached and far from the realm of normal, Jimin knew that anyone would find his circumstances both unreasonable and unbelievable. 

Being invisible was better than being ignored.

“So, we callin’ it a night or what?” It was Marcus. 

The sound of a yawn being stifled was heard. “Yeah, I think so.” Now it was Stevie.

There was a distinct rustling noise of things being gathered. Jimin, while locked away in the house, hadn’t strayed too far from the window. He made sure to keep himself hidden in case Bree had any urges to look in his direction. But in those hours, he’d grown accustomed to whose voice belonged to which person and enjoyed being able to get to know them despite the lack of interaction. It made him sad to know that they would be leaving; even more so that he didn’t know when they would be back. If they would be back.

He took a chance to peek out the window and saw the group rolling up their things. They all laughed, chatted more, and promised to get together again later in the week when they were all free. Something about hitting the mall or maybe going to watch a movie. Jimin pressed his back to the wall as the sounds of their footsteps faded off in the distance.

A movie. Jimin tried hard to think back on when he last saw a movie. His earliest memory was so fuzzy and he couldn’t be sure if it was accurate.

The calico cat meowed as she rubbed her body in between each of his legs, bringing him out of his thoughts. Crouching down, he began to stroke the cat’s spine and tail before rubbing her head lovingly. She purred happily to the attention and he smiled. “You wanted to play with them too, huh? I’m sorry, but it was too risky to let you out.” The cat meowed again, as if understanding his words, and he gathered her up into his arms. “Maybe I’ll read a book tonight…”

Jimin managed to take a few steps into the main living area when the sound of the door knocking caused him to drop his friend. The cat landed softly on her paws and scampered away to the couch, leaving him seemingly frozen in time. He couldn’t ignore the cold sweat dripping from his neck or the heavy ache in his chest from how hard his heart was thudding against it.

Craning his neck, he peered at the door. 

Again, three knocks hit from the other side.

“Hello?” 

It had to be her. It couldn’t have been anyone else. But clearly she’d left with the others. What reason would she have to turn back?

“Hey, I know you’re in there.” In most cases, that phrase would have been threatening. But her voice belied something else. “Look, I just wanna talk, okay?”

This was it. This was the moment Jimin wanted. He wanted it more than anything he’d ever wanted in his entire life.

Yet all he could do was stare at the door. His body refused to move. He wanted to, but his feet were rooted in place. There was a lump forming in his throat and he wasn’t sure if he could swallow it down enough to speak. To tell this person to go away, even though he secretly yearned for them to stay.

“J-Just a minute,” came his weak response. 

He wasn’t sure if she’d heard him, but he took a moment to gather his courage before forcing himself to cross the short distance to the front door. It wasn’t locked. She could have just waltzed in if she pleased. Jimin was thankful she hadn’t, though. He wasn’t sure how he would have responded if she’d barged in unannounced.

When he opened the door, Jimin felt his heart skip a beat as he looked at Bree. He shouldn’t have been surprised. It wasn’t like this was the first time she was seeing him. But this time they were less than three feet from each other. She stood with her hands folded across her chest, giving him the once over with a glance. Jimin flushed, averting his gaze for half a second before moving back to her. 

She’s pretty, he thought suddenly, causing another rush of heat to stain his cheeks. It was unexpected but was also still his own opinion.

“Good evening.” 

It was the only thing Jimin could come up with that didn’t sound stupid.

“You too,” she said almost dismissively. It wasn’t offensive, but it was clear that Bree had her own priorities. “So what’s your deal?”

He nervously placed a hand on the back of his neck. “What do you mean?”

“You. This house.” Bree looked to her left, right, then back to him. “How come no one else can see it but I can?”

Biting his lower lip, he felt his brows knit in worry. He couldn’t very well lie to her. So he chose to tell her the truth. “I honestly don’t know.”

A single brow lifted on Bree’s face. “You don’t know or you won’t tell me?” 

Jimin shook his head. “I really don’t know.”

“Bullshit.”

He winced slightly. “I can’t tell you what I don’t know.”

Sighing, she brushed a hand through her dark curls. “Okay, well what do you know?”

“That you’re the first person who’s been able to see me and this house.” The cat meowed, moving between Jimin’s feet to rub her body against Bree’s leg. She looked down and blinked at the feline, then looked back at Jimin. “And the cat.”

The calico continued to weave in and out from between Bree’s legs until she finally relented, leaning down to pick up the cat. His companion seemed to appreciate being able to interact with someone other than him and he felt a little offended. Bree petted the cat for a moment, then held her hand out toward him. For a while, all he did was stare at her hand.

“I’m Brianna Larkins. Friends call me Bree.”

Slowly, he reached for her hand. But just as he was about to touch her, he hesitated. Part of him still couldn’t believe this was happening. Jimin was afraid that his hand would pass straight through hers like he were a mere apparition. 

Bree took the initiative, grabbing his hand with her own. It caused him to jump slightly, the sensation of touching another person a seemingly foreign concept to him. He’d well and truly forgotten what it was like to feel the skin of another human being. All he could do was watch, dumbfounded, as she shook their hands up and down.

“I’m Jimin.”

She canted her head slightly. “No last name?”

“I can’t remember it.”

She didn’t bother hiding her scoff as she let his hand go. Already he was mourning the absence of her touch. “Figures.” Bree lifted herself onto the balls of her feet to peek inside the house just over his shoulder. “So, can I come in or what?”

Again, another question he didn’t know the answer to. Surely if she could see both the house and him, as well as touch him, then she should have been able to cross the threshold into the house. But that was just a theory. One he’d never had the pleasure of putting into practice.

“S-Sure,” Jimin managed to stammer out as he stood to the side, giving her room to step through the entrance. 

And just like that, she stepped past the door frame and into his main living area like it was the most natural thing on earth. Jimin stood speechless while still holding the door open. Bree pulled off her combat boots, the calico still held delicately in her arms as she moved in and out of the space he alone occupied for so long. Well, him and his little furry friend. It was too strange and his mind was having a difficult time processing everything that was happening. 

If he could describe the sensation accurately, Jimin felt like he was walking through water that was a mile deep and he was on the verge of drowning.

“Little lacking in the interior decorating department, don’t you think?” she asked while slowly turning as she walked. 

Jimin rubbed at the back of his head. “That’s not something I can really control, unfortunately.” 

And it was true. Even if he could paint the walls, they would just turn white again after a matter of minutes. 

Bree shrugged as she turned to face him. “Better than some awful wallpaper or something.”

“Yeah,” was all he could say. 

Why was talking to another person so hard? It shouldn’t have been this difficult, should it?

He watched her head to the sitting area where only his gray sofa was, along with the coffee table. She flopped down on the cushions, the cat wriggling out of her arms to crawl onto the windowsill. Bree looked at Jimin expectantly and for a moment, he didn’t understand what was supposed to happen next. She suddenly patted the empty seat next to her. 

“Well?”

“Uh, right…” Jimin took a step, then stopped himself. “Oh, I didn’t even offer you anything to drink.” He turned to head back to the kitchen.

“It’s fine, seriously, dude.” When he looked back at Bree, he saw her smiling, clearly amused with his flustered behavior. “I said I wanted to talk and I meant it. So c’mere.”

Deciding to just go along with whatever was happening, Jimin crossed the short space and slowly sank onto the couch beside her. His heartbeat thundered like war drums in his ear and he started closing and opening his hands by his knees. This was unreal and he couldn’t figure out what he was supposed to do next.

“So,” she said while clapping her hands together, “let’s try to figure some shit out.”

He whipped his head to look at her, half his vision obscured by his blonde fringe. “H-Huh?”

Bree shrugged while raising her brows. “I mean, don’t you think it’s a little weird that I can see you and the house and no one else can?”

“Well, yeah…” Though Jimin wouldn’t have necessarily called it weird as he would uncircumstantial. 

“There’s got to be some kinda puzzle behind this.” He watched her bite into her lower lip as her brows furrowed in thought this time. Bree gave a low hum, as if she were trying to piece something together in her head. “You’re obviously not a ghost.” She reached out and poked his cheek for good measure, causing Jimin to lean back a bit as his eyes widened in shock. Again, sensations he wasn’t used to feeling. “You look human, but that doesn’t mean you’re not an alien.”

He pouted. “I’m not an alien.”

Bree blinked at him, then laughed at his reaction. “Okay, fine. You’re not an alien then.” She gave her head a slight tilt while placing a hand on her chin. “Are you some kind of angel?”

Jimin relaxed a little. Her teasing nature eased some of the tension that was weighing on his shoulders. “Why would you think that?”

“Well, as stupid as this might sound, it’s because you’re wearing all white.” She gestured to the rest of the house. “The entire house is white.”

“Not all of it.”

“No, you’re right.” Bree leaned back, folding her arms across her chest. “But I can’t think of anything else.”

He sighed a little. Jimin couldn’t help himself, but it happened anyway. “Why can’t I just be human?”

For a while, a small stretch of silence managed to lurk between them. Suddenly, Bree sat up straight and punched her fist into her hand. It startled Jimin, causing him to lean back slightly. Her eyes were shining brightly, like she’d just had an idea.

“That’s it!” 

Bree jumped from the couch and Jimin felt himself standing on impulse. He watched her scrambling to put on her shoes and as he was about to call out to her, she turned to face him. Whatever popped into her head suddenly, she was hellbent on leaving to figure it out. 

“Where are you going?” 

Jimin hadn’t meant to ask. It just slipped out. Part of him worried that if she left, he’d never see her again. This was his one opportunity to be able to actually interact with another person and he didn’t want it taken away from him. The moment felt far too short. 

“I need to get home.” She held up a finger, still smiling. “But don’t worry. I’ll be back tomorrow.”

And before he could ask her what she meant, the girl turned and ran out the door. There was a heaviness that sank over him as the latch clicked. While he didn’t doubt her words, Jimin couldn’t ignore the overwhelming sense of loneliness clinging to him in her absence.

In just a few short minutes, his house felt emptier.

Bree returned the next day.

And the day after that.

And the day after that. 

Until Summer slowly came to an end, yielding into Fall.

Every day that she left and returned, Jimin was both sad and elated. He understood the meaning behind the phrase “welcome back”, even though he never said it out loud. The power of “goodbye” was heavier than he could even begin to fathom. He knew the steps that it took to truly get to know someone, because knowing a person meant cherishing every single feeling and interaction that came with it.

Bree brought over tons of books. Some were reference texts and others were compilations of fairy tales. He didn’t understand the latter until she explained it. And what she managed to divulge actually made a lot of sense.

“See here,” she said, pointing to a paragraph in the tale of Beauty and the Beast, “the Beast wasn’t allowed to leave the castle. There was a spell cast on him, a curse, and the only way the curse would be broken is if a person could see past the beast on the outside and into the heart of the man on the inside.”

Jimin furrowed his brows. “But it says that he was cursed because of his arrogance.” He met Bree’s gaze. “He turned the old woman away who wanted shelter from the storm and that’s why she cursed him.”

“So?”

“So you think I’m cursed?”

Bree sat up straight. “Don’t you?”

He frowned. “What makes you think I’m cursed?”

She rolled her eyes. “Oh, I dunno. Maybe because no one can see this house or you, but you can see everyone else? Or maybe because you’ve been in isolation so long that that you lost your memories? Or maybe because you can’t go more than two hundred meters in any given direction?” Defiantly, she folded her arms across her chest. “Or maybe because you can’t age and your house is a literal fucking time machine that moves you back and forth from the past, to the present, to the future? Or MAYBE--”

Jimin held his hands up in defeat, not even realizing that he was smiling. “Okay, okay! I get it. Enough already.” He let his hands settle back into his lap. “Okay. Maybe you’re right.”

“Jesus, I wish you would listen to me,” she muttered while brushing her thick curls off her shoulders. Her attention returned to the book and she leaned forward, resting her elbows onto her knees as she scanned the pages again. Jimin came to learn of her sarcastic nature and was often on the receiving end of her tongue lashes. “All of it points to you being cursed, but it doesn’t help that you can’t even remember why you’re here or where you originally came from.” Chin still propped in her hands, she craned her neck to look up at him. “You sure you don’t remember anything?”

A pained expression formed and before he could hide it, Bree was already sitting up again. He could see the apologetic look on her face, and he felt guilty instantly. He hadn’t meant to be so expressive, but the more he interacted with her, the more free he was with his emotions. 

“I’m sorry, Jimin. I didn’t mean it that way--”

“I know,” he said softly, “it’s okay.”

She threaded her fingers through her hair, groaning in aggravation. “God, this is so frustrating!” Again, her attention returned to the book. “What are we missing?”

“A miracle,” Jimin said flatly, to which Bree cuffed him on the shoulder. He laughed from surprise more than actual pain. 

“I’m serious.” She pouted. “There’s gotta be something we’re not paying attention to.”

Jimin couldn’t figure out what the missing piece to the puzzle was. Part of him honestly didn’t care. He was enjoying the time he got to spend with Bree and there was no guarantee that he would be able to return to his original time. It was all just theories and hypothetical possibilities at this point. If it was one thing he learned during all of his travel through various eras in history, it was to value the present. The past and the future were inconsequential.

“Does it really matter?” 

He didn’t miss the look on Bree’s face at his question. But he wondered if it did, in fact, matter? He’d been living his life this way for so long. Interacting with Bree was a variable he hadn’t accounted for. He just wanted to focus on the here and now. 

She sat up a little straighter, then sighed. “Aren’t you tired of living like this?”

Yes, I’m tired of it.

But he knew the truth. She knew it too. When his year was up, Jimin was going to have to leave this place. He would leave it behind just like he did all the others; with no hope of ever returning. Regardless of what he may have wanted, the end result would always be the same.

A lump formed in his throat, making it impossible to respond. He parted his lips to speak, but then gave up. Averting his gaze, he stared at the open book on the table. His vision blurred momentarily as he fought back oncoming tears. A sad smile formed on his lips.

“...does it really matter?”

Jimin saw Bree less and less as the Fall season hit full force. School was back in session and she worked part-time. But she made a point to always come by on her off days or when she finished up with her classes. He was able to glean that she must have lived nearby. Was the area he was in a rural township of sorts? He thought about asking her to bring a magazine or newspaper the next time she decided to pay him a visit, but they were usually caught up with various other conversations and he only remembered long after she was gone.

Her absences weighed heavily on Jimin. They’d been so engrossed in fairy tales and folklore that he often compared himself to Rapunzel, trapped in isolation and waiting for his one true destined one to save him from his prison. It was safe, comfortable, and he wasn’t in chains, but it was a prison just the same. 

The leaves changed color and fell from the branches. Vibrant greens transformed into browns and beige. The flowers were long dead. Jimin could tell from the area that he was in that it would snow and while it was something he was looking forward to, he wondered if it would be safe for Bree to trek around the mountainous area in the dead of night. It wasn’t like he could walk her home like he wanted to. 

He was stuck.

The front door opened, pulling Jimin from his thoughts. He was wrapped up in a blanket on the couch with a book in his lap. The cat, now named Juno thanks to Bree, looked up from her perch on the armrest. Bree stopped knocking on the door months back and there was never a need to lock it. Jimin remembered winning an argument they had about his safety with keeping the door unlocked. There was really no point. No one else could see the house to break in and it wasn’t like he had a key he could give her.

Bree quickly unraveled the scarf from around her neck. She was carrying something in her arms and it smelled sweet. Untangling himself from the blanket, he made his way into the kitchen as Bree busied herself with the dishes. Peering out the window, he saw how dark it was and frowned. 

“It’s late.” 

She pulled out some chocolate chip cookies from the bag and plated them. “Yeah, I know. I got held up at work again.”

“It’s not safe for you to be wandering around up here by yourself so late at night.” He folded his arms across his chest. “You could have just come first thing in the morning.”

Jimin was reprimanding her, but it’d been several days since their last meeting. Secretly, he was happy she was there. 

“Can’t. I have class in the morning.” She handed the plate to him.

The worry lines on his brow deepened. “Then you definitely shouldn’t have come out here.”

Bree rolled her eyes. It was only then that he noticed her bookbag. “Psh, you’d go stir crazy if I didn’t show up today. Besides, I brought cookies as a bribe.”

He’d hardly call that a bribe, but he was happy for the present. 

She poured them both a glass of milk each. He carried the plate to the living room and they both flopped on the couch at the same time. Bree skillfully didn’t spill a single drop of milk before setting the glasses on the table.

“Don’t you have homework?” Jimin nibbled on a cookie as he cast a sideways glance at her.

Rifling through her book bag, she dropped a few notebooks and pencils on top. “I finished it during break at work.” 

He raised his brows as she pulled out extra clothes and set them on the floor by the couch. “Uh, what are you--”

“I’m sleeping over,” she interjected, reaching down to pick up Juno and cuddle her into her lap.

For a while, Jimin said nothing. All he did was stare as she pulled her thick curls back into a low ponytail. 

Finally, it registered.

“W-What?” He turned to fully face her. “You’re staying here?!”

She cut her gaze at him. “Did I stutter?” He was about to ask why, but instead a cookie was pushed into his open mouth. “Besides, I had an idea I wanted to run by you and it couldn’t wait another day.”

Attempting to swallow the cookie, he grabbed the glass of milk and washed most of it down. The awkwardness of her staying over was overshadowed by his curiosity. “What idea?”

Biting into a cookie, she quickly opened one of her notebooks up and showed it to him. “The conditions.” She pointed to a series of bullet markings. “All the folk legends and fairy tales state that certain conditions have to be met in order to break the curse.”

“Okay,” he said while nodding, “but those conditions all stem from knowing what the curse entails, doesn’t it?” Jimin sighed. “So we’re still back at square one.”

Bree set the notebook down suddenly, leaned into his space and soon her face was inches from his own. Blinking rapidly, his heart suddenly thundered heavily against his chest. Jimin’s eyes momentarily crossed when he felt the velvet texture of Bree’s lips brushing against his own. The contact was swift enough that he couldn’t savor it, but long enough for him to get a taste of her cherry lip balm. 

When she finally pulled back, Jimin just stared open-mouthed at Bree. He almost missed the rose tint on her cheeks. Her dark skin tone made it a little bit more difficult to notice it, but the moonlight outside seemed to illuminate her face radiantly. 

Reality sank down on Jimin’s chest as he remembered to breathe. “W-W-Wh-What was that for?!”

“Do you feel any different?” Bree leaned back a little more. “Did it work?”

The absurdity of the question helped Jimin to collect himself. “Does it look like I’m back in my own time?”

“Who says this time isn’t your time?” she countered.

He rolled his eyes. “I’m pretty sure it would be obvious if it actually worked.” Jimin pointed to a line in her notes. “Something phenomenal always happens soon after a curse is broken. That’s how you know.”

Bree snapped her fingers with a scoff. “Damn!”

Jimin couldn’t keep himself from laughing. “Next you’re gonna tell me to go slay some dragon.”

“If there was a dragon around, you bet your ass I would.” Jimin was thankful she turned away from him so he could focus on steadying his racing heartbeat. She bit her thumb in thought. “A kiss is usually a surefire way to break a curse. Since I’m the first person who’s seen the house and you, I figured that was the answer.”

Brushing his hair out of his eyes, he reached for another cookie. “There are probably more conditions that go along with that.”

Bree tilted her head slightly as she looked back at him. “So you think that I’m a variable in all of this?”

“It wouldn’t make sense for you not to be.” He furrowed his brows and looked back at her notes. “Everything points to you being a part of it. We just have to figure out how.”

Groaning, she flung herself against the couch and began kicking the heels of her feet on the floor in frustration. “This is annoying!” She covered her eyes with her forearm. “I don’t know how people in research and development go through all this trial and error nonsense.”

He flashed her a reassuring smile. “It’s kinda their job, Bree.” 

He watched her slip her arm off her face and flop down beside while she stared up at the ceiling. “Conditions need to be met…”

Jimin lightly poked her forehead to get her attention. “Hey, don’t beat yourself up too much. I’m just thankful for all the help and effort you’ve been putting in on my account.”

She gently moved his hand out the way before sitting up again. “I was so sure we were getting close.”

“We probably are. We just don’t know.” But that also brought up another curious thought. “Why are you so adamant about helping me anyway?”

“Huh?” Her expression clearly stated that she didn’t understand why Jimin would even ask such an obvious question. “I mean, don’t you want to go back to where your friends and family are? They’re probably freakin’ worried out of their heads, y’know?”

He smirked. “I doubt it.” 

There was no cynicism in his tone. Jimin believed that everything happened for a reason. 

He met Bree’s gaze and was surprised to see a tiny flicker of sadness in her umber hues. “I just want to get you home. That’s all.”

Kindness to a complete stranger. It was something archaic to Jimin because he wasn’t able to interact with people for quite some time. He knew that the people he cared about more than likely moved on with their lives after his disappearance. But Jimin also knew that if he miraculously wound up getting back to his original timeline, then it would settle all the other paradoxes surrounding his involvement. Things would go back to normal, in theory. Whoever placed this curse on him must have realized this, hence why he was unable to interact with people until now.

Leaning forward, he reached out to Bree and pulled her into his arms. He heard her gasp softly, his motions completely unexpected even to him. But he couldn’t think of any other way to express his gratitude. In the months he’d gotten to know her, he knew that Bree was rough around the edge but was genuinely a good person. Her determination to get him home, to the place where he belonged, more than evident in her actions. They weren’t just empty words. 

Jimin could perceive that now after having been denied human interaction for many years.

“Thank you…” 

When he pulled back, their noses were just barely touching. Then he leaned in to press his lips against hers. He tasted the sweetness of the cookies and her cherry lip balm all over again. Jimin slowly urged her lips apart with his tongue, silently asking for entrance. When she complied, he slid his tongue across her teeth and over her own pink muscle. 

The sigh mingled with the moan Bree managed to push out from her chest and he pulled her even closer so he would be able to hear her heartbeat. Bree’s hands slowly slid up his torso, resting her palms on his chest. Jimin took his time pulling and nipping at her full lips, enjoying the sweet taste of her mouth. Part of it was the cookie. Part of it was her lip balm. The rest was just simply how she tasted naturally.

As their lips parted, he smiled and bumped his forehead against her own. Even though his shadow covered half of her face, he could feel the warmth simmering along the surface of her skin. Jimin closed her notebook with one hand, still smiling as he stared into her face.

“I know as the host, I should be nice and offer you my bed while I take the couch. But would you be against us both using the bed?”

Bree blinked a few times, then flashed a devious grin. “I wouldn’t be against it, no.”

Jimin immediately scooped Bree into his arms, carrying her like a new bride. There wouldn’t be any mischief. At least, that wouldn’t be the plan. All he wanted was to savor this moment, the sound of Bree’s laughter as he carted her off to the bedroom, Juno hot on their heels. 

The house didn’t feel so big anymore and the joy Jimin felt was indescribable. 

Fall was fleeting and Winter swept in faster than Jimin could have anticipated. The house was warm as per the conditions it needed for him to remain comfortable. His clothes changed to suit the shift in temperature. He had to be thankful for all that the house was able to provide for him. He wasn’t sure if he’d be able to handle actually having to do everything on his own outside of the normal things. 

As much as he fussed at Bree for wanting to continue to trek up the mountain to see him, Jimin relished in the closeness that blossomed even further between them. 

True to his word, they didn’t actually do anything that night. He had a sense of morals and a conscience, not wanting to seem like he was trying to take advantage of Bree’s kindness and affection toward him. Outside of kissing, they just cuddled and slept in the bed. He wouldn’t go further than that and Bree seemed to pick up on his need to not press things too far.

Jimin was just glad that Bree took everything surrounding his circumstances in stride. She was understanding, open-minded, and willing to help. He couldn’t imagine what it would have been like between them if she’d been a full-blown skeptic. 

They never put a label on what they were to each other. He didn’t know about her, but Jimin felt there wasn’t a need. In six months’ time, he would disappear from her life like a passing dream. Maybe she would come to forget him. She would move on as if nothing changed and continue to strive towards her own aspirations. Jimin would remain in his proverbial prison, clinging to the memories that he’d made with her; hoping to seek solace on the more lonely nights when he knew he would inevitably miss her.

It was getting even colder out. He didn’t want Juno going out and getting frostbite in the snow that was slowly starting to pile up outside. The cat made a fuss about it initially, but after walking around just by the window, she understood that her little paws weren’t going to like being wet and cold. 

Despite the biting chill of the air, Jimin admired how picturesque everything looked. The floral landscape was completely covered in a blanket of fresh powder. Even if he hadn’t met Bree, he was still lucky to be able to enjoy scenery like this. Traveling through time helped him to appreciate all forms of nature, but he couldn’t get enough of these images. 

He had a pot of coffee brewing and the aroma filtered throughout the house. He wasn’t big on coffee. Not usually. Jimin slept when he felt like it and was awake when he wanted to be. Having coffee seemed almost a little pointless. But ever since he met Bree, he’d indulged here and there. It was more for her sake than his own since it was apparent that she didn’t get much sleep. Even less since having met him.

His brows furrowed slightly, shaking off the guilt that tried to sit on the forefront of his mind. Jimin knew it was her own choice that kept her coming back. No one else’s. She would have smacked him for trying to shoulder the responsibility all on his own and it wasn’t fair for him to take it.

As he poured himself a cup of coffee, he noticed the small clock on the counter. It was a present from Bree. There was nothing fancy about it. Just a simple clock that only needed batteries changed out every so often. She left said batteries in a drawer. Jimin scoffed about not needing to know the time, his predicament making it obvious as to why. 

“Just because you never know where you wind up doesn’t mean you should ignore what time it is while you’re there.”

Jimin’s lips pulled into a small smile. She was right. This, and many things, were the small lessons that he was beginning to finally learn. As if it was Bree’s purpose to teach them to him. 

It would make leaving her that much harder. 

He entered the living room after checking the time, his free hand reaching out to unlatch the window. Despite the cold, Jimin still wanted to get a bit of fresh air circulating inside of the house. The sun had long since set and Bree would be battling through the cold to see him. He saw a few flurries starting to float from the sky, his brows furrowing at the thought of the snow falling heavier and further impeding Bree’s trek up the mountain.

I hope she takes it slow…

The worry didn’t start setting in until several hours passed by. Initially, he simply shrugged it off as nothing. It wasn’t unheard of for Bree to be late. She could’ve easily gotten caught up with her job or even hanging out with her friends from school. The group she came up there with seemed close. 

But as the night pushed onward with no sign of Bree in sight, Jimin began to get a little concerned.

Unlatching the window, he pushed it open and a rush of cold air whipped across his body. The chill shot down his spine, causing his skin to pepper out in goosebumps. The muscles in his shoulder grew taut as he fought back the urge to shiver. Juno meowed in protest to the cold, hopping down onto the couch to curl herself against one of the throw pillows. The full moon hung like a pearl in the sky, illuminating the world around him. 

In the distance, he heard several howls. Their cries filled the night air, indicating that they were gathering together. Possibly for a hunt. The prospect of food in the area seemed a little slim, but Jimin didn’t think it was impossible. Especially if they were making rounds in preparation to stalk their prey. 

Fear suddenly gripped at Jimin’s chest. Juno’s mewling snapped him out of his trance and he hopped out of the window. The cold nipped at his feet, but he didn’t care. He could barely feel it. The snow crunched under his feet as the wind continued to push around him, the flurries falling heavier than they had a few hours earlier. 

He cupped his hands around his mouth. “BREE!” His voice echoed over the wide expanse of the landscape. “WHERE ARE YOU?”

There was nothing. Nothing save for the sound of his voice bouncing back at him. 

And then he heard a scream.

Jimin trounced forward, wading through several feet of snow. Desperation pushed him forward, forcing him to start running. He pumped his legs into the ground as hard as he could until he slammed into the invisible wall. The force of impact knocked him back-first into the snow and the cold clung to every inch of his skin. Not wasting a single second, he scrambled back onto his feet and began kicking and punching the wall, clawing at the barrier with his bare hands. At some point he started to scream, but he couldn’t remember when. The burning sensation rippling down his throat kept him alert until something snapped inside of him.

The sound of glass shattering echoed in his head. It was loud, like an explosion. Before he’d realized what’d happened, he was taking off at a dead run toward the cluster of trees near the base of the mountain. The world was a blur around him as he sped off toward his destination, following the howls of the wolves as his need to find Bree overshadowed all other rational thoughts that made vain attempts to come to the surface.

Pain registered in the back of his mind as he ran. The dying branches from trees and bushes seemed to reach out in their need to snatch him in the darkness. Jimin used the moonlight to guide him as twigs snapped against his body and dying leaves crunched under his bare feet.

Predatory snarls loomed around him, spurning him forward. Bree’s scream tore through the night, signaling where her location was. Slipping on wet grass, he crashed to his knees and rolled through the snow. The momentum helped him to get back up, making a quick right through the forest as the barks of wolves became louder. 

Bursting through a thicket of trees, he entered a clearing and saw half a dozen wolves in a semicircle advancing toward their prey. They turned in sync with one another in his direction as they bared their fangs at him. Bree was on the ground and holding her ankle while trying to shuffle back as much as she could. Jimin’s eyes met hers for a split second and he saw her face was red, splotchy,  and slick with tears.

“J-Jimin!”

Rage flared across Jimin’s chest as he picked up a broken tree branch. One of the wolves launched forward, his jet claws and pearl fangs gleaming in the moonlight. Jimin roared and swung with all the strength he could muster, the branch striking true as he slammed into the side of the wolf’s head. A sharp cry of pain came from the wild animal as it fell into the snow. The other wolves raised their hackles and moved toward him, snarling heavily as the clouds from their breath puffed in front of their snouts. 

Jimin took a second to glance at the branch in his hands and quickly assessed that he would be able to get one or two more hits in before it completely snapped. Splinters were lodged into his palms, stinging along his skin. He pushed the pain back as far as he could manage, taking a step forward as his grip tightened around the branch. 

“Bree, are you alright?” he asked. He sighed quickly at her nod. When he saw her about to stand, Jimin held his hand out to her. “Stay there!”

The wolves took this as their opportunity to attack and two of them leaped at Jimin. He swung out and hit one of their forelegs, causing the animal to hop back on three legs as it whined. The other wolf went for Jimin’s calf, forcing him to lift his leg up and out of the snow. The injured wolf launched himself from the snow and snapped his jaws. Jimin barely had time to react, using the branch as a shield and watching with horror as it snapped between the wolf’s teeth. 

A sharp pain registered on Jimin’s shoulder and he fell forward as another wolf’s weight smacked into his back. Claws dug into his skin beneath his sweater and the white fabric instantly stained crimson as the wolf bit mercilessly down into the meat of his shoulder. Crying out, he struggled to move out of the way as more of the wolves advanced on him. 

Bree’s scream brought him out back from nearly drowning in his agony and he looked up in time to see her throwing rocks at the wolves. One of them hit the wolf that was biting him, forcing him to release his grip. They snarled, making their way toward her. Jimin pushed himself up and ran at the wolf closest to her, kicking up a spray of white powder in its face. Without wasting another second, he snatched Bree’s wrist in his bleeding hand and pulled her onto her feet.

They ran like their lives depended on it.

The wolves kicked up snow as they gave chase, barking and snapping their jaws menacingly. Jimin’s vision blurred every so often, but the ensuing stumble quickly brought him back into focus. He tried to maintain his speed while also being conscientious of Bree as he pulled her along. Jimin could just barely hear their heavy breathing over the pounding of his heart. 

Jimin believed it was instinct that led him back to the house. Or was it the house itself pulling him by an invisible string? He didn’t question his surroundings and continued to run, his only concern for Bree’s safety. He was ready to force her to leave him behind if necessary.

Bursting through the treeline, they continued to run from their pursuers. The wolves gave chase only so far, however, and stopped completely as they rushed in through the front door. Jimin crashed onto the floor and Bree hurriedly slammed it shut. His breathing was labored as he lay there, his vision coming in and out of focus as he tried to stabilize his racing heartbeat. 

“Jimin!”

He could only just barely hear Bree’s voice. It felt so far away. Why did it feel so far away from him?

Something warm touched his back and he instantly took comfort in it. And then his body began to turn over. The sounds of wolf howls echoed through the night, announcing their retreat. They would not indulge in a meal tonight, forced to make due with empty stomachs.

“Are you crazy?!” Bree’s hand swept over his brow, brushing his bangs off his forehead. He couldn’t tell what her expression was, only that it was a mixture of fear and anger. “What were you thinking?!”

Her voice cracked a few times. Jimin could tell she was fighting back against something. But what, he couldn’t be sure. She cupped his cheek with her palm, sending more warm sensations across his entire body.

A hand’s warmth. 

It was something that people so often took for granted. 

Reaching up, he grasped at Bree’s wrist. “I’m so glad…”

Her face came into focus and he could see the tears sliding down her cheeks. She blinked down at him in confusion. “W-What?”

Jimin smiled. “I’m so glad...I was able to keep your hands...from getting cold.”

Bree sobbed, pulling him closer to her chest while burying her face into the juncture of his neck. “No! Please stop talking! Just...please stop…”

Letting her hand go, he started to pet her wild, curly hair. Bree gasped, pulling back a measure so she could look at him. He was happy she did so. Now he could see her beautiful face.

A strange sensation tingled over his skin, all the way down to the tips of his toes. He shouldn’t have been able to feel anything near his feet. They were more than likely frostbitten by now. But he wiggled them just to be sure, and the tingling feeling continued to increase. 

His body started to feel light, the sensation moving around in his stomach, through his lungs, and swirled around the center of his chest. Blinking, he shifted his gaze toward the window and felt his lips part slowly as he watched an aurora paint itself over the darkness. 

What? Jimin thought, confusion settling over his heart, What is happening?

The aurora transformed into a pink and purple nebula, the stars swirling from the center until they fanned out in strange, ethereal tendrils. Jimin tried to sit up, but felt he had no control over his body. Only that it was getting lighter and lighter for some reason. 

Was the house preparing to jump again? But it was too soon! He still had several more months before it was time. 

“What’s going on?” Bree asked, and he looked down to see what she was talking about. Gasping, he could only stare in shock as her body was now visible through his own. “What’s happening?!”

“I...I don’t know.” 

Lifting his hands up to his face, he saw the tingling sensation now manifested into tiny glowing particles along his skin. With each passing second, his body grew lighter and more transparent, until he started to float off the ground. Bree tried to grab for him, but to her horror and his own, her hands passed right through him. Jimin moved to touch her, and while he could feel her body, the physical sensation was absent. 

Was the curse finally broken?

“No!” he yelled suddenly. The distance between them started to increase and they both attempted to reach for the other in vain, their hands dissolving into one another. “Not yet!”

Jimin’s body lifted higher off the ground and the glowing particles brightened. Bree quickly stood on her feet and he saw Juno appear in between her ankles. The cat meowed in protest as they seemed to get further and further away from him.

“Don’t go!” shouted Bree as she tried to jump and reach for him, but he was too far away.

Was this really the end?

“I love you!” Jimin yelled suddenly, causing Bree to stop her attempts to pull him back. 

She blinked up at him. “J-Jimin…”

A sad smile formed on his lips. This was inevitable. There was nothing they could do to stop this. He was going back to his own time now; to his own world.

“I love you so much…”

Bree gasped, covering her mouth. But when it seemed he would pass through the ceiling, she lowered her hands and flashed the same sad smile back up to him.

“...I love you too.”

And as though those were the magic words, everything quickly disappeared around him. The house, Bree, the cat. Everything was replaced with a swirling galaxy of stars and a colorful galaxy. A harsh wind pushed through his body, pulsing over the plane of his skin, and he felt his tears spilling from his eyes. Time slowed and sped up simultaneously and he curled himself into a ball, burying his face in his hands as he sobbed.

Jimin should have been elated. He was going back to his time. Things were going to finally fit themselves into the right place. All the pieces of the puzzle were found.

But at that moment, Jimin felt more alone than he had in all the years he’d spent in that house.

Because he’d loved and lost in what felt like a single snapshot of time.

His curse was lifted, but he felt emptier than he’d ever been.

To Jimin, his true curse was only just beginning.

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[namluve]

paring: hoseok x reader rating: 15+ genre: soulmate au! fluff, crack, a little angst warnings: talk about death, a little kissing, wedding that might make you cry a little word count: 5.7k note: I am somewhat back, trying to write again after what seemes like forever due to many life changes. I want to thank @spicykoreantatertots​ for beta reading this mess that turned out way longer than I planned.  collab: april showers, bring may flowers @bangtanscenery 

read part one, love on borrowed time if you haven’t first!

Waking up in the middle of the night, laying on your side you stared at the wall that was in front of you. Your mind in a state of calm before reality hit you. Hoseok was gone. He was most likely laying beside you, lifeless. At this point and you felt the tears beginning to form in your eyes.

Suddenly, you heard the toilet being flushed.  That… should not happen. It can’t really flush itself… can it? Mortified, you turned around, expecting to see Hoseok laying next to you, but to your surprise, he was gone. Did he know he was going to die? Did he leave the bed so you wouldn’t have to wake up next to his dead body tomorrow?

The sink had been turned on in the bathroom. Something was not right. Finding courage, you sat up on the bed, ready to face whatever was in your bathroom. What if it was a burglar? Or worse, a murderer? The sink was turned off and it was quiet.

Suddenly the door opened, and you screamed, too caught up in your own thoughts and scared to death by the action. What you didn’t expect was the person on the other side of the door screaming as well.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” You scream out as you see Hoseok… well and alive?

“HOW ARE YOU ALIVE?” He screamed back at you and you did a ‘what’ motion with your hands. Wait, did Hoseok think you were going to die? Did your clock tick down to this day just like his?

“What do you mean?!” You shout back, not as loud this time and you see how Hoseok pounders, thinking about the next words he is about to say.

“Your clock… It should be zero right now… you shouldn’t…” He began to quietly explain, still trying to wrap his head around the situation.

Hoseok knew the day he met you that he wouldn’t have much time with you. The clock on your wrist showed that you only had a little over half a year left to live. He wished so many times he would have met you sooner so that he could have had more time with you. The fact that you were still alive and well in his bed made him think his wish might have come through somehow. A smile on his face as he looked on your distraught form. You were alive.

Hoseok threw himself at you, tackling you down onto the bed, holding you so tight you could barely breathe.

“Hobi…I can’t… breath…” You choked out and Hoseok immediately let go of his tight grip around you, but still held you in his arms. Tears were streaming down his face as his eyes met yours.

“I thought you… Your wrist said…” Hoseok incoherently choked out as he took hold of your wrist, examining it.

By now, you had gathered all the signs and clues together to solve the mystery of Hoseok’s weird behaviour. He thought you were going to die. His eyebrows furrowed together as he, still confused, examined your wrist, not believing what he was seeing. Suddenly it all made sense.

The way he held so tight when you were about to sleep. How he took the day off to spend it with you. His proposal… Wait- Hoseok proposed to you? Knowing, no, thinking you were going to die?

“You thought I was going to die?” You asked him and he nodded. Sitting up, you escaped his grip on you, your breathing ragged. Thoughts and emotions spinning uncontrollably around in your head.

“Yah! You proposed to me thinking I was going to die? The day before I was supposed to die?!”

“Yeah?” Hoseok looked up at you with his puppy eyes, confused at your sudden outburst. You, however, didn’t imagine your proposal like this when you were young. You always imagine it would be out of love, not just because the other person is dying. The thought of Hoseok only proposing to you because you were going to die filled you with an unexplainable sadness.

“You can’t just do that!” Holding back the tears in your eyes as you spit out the words angered with the fuel from the never-ending thoughts that maybe, just maybe, Hoseok didn’t mean anything he said yesterday, at all.

“Why not?” He questioned, and you sighed, brushing away the tears that had escaped going down your cheek.

“Because… marriage is not supposed to be taken lightly… it’s something you go ahead with when you know you love the other person and wanna spend the rest of your life with them.”

“But I love you… and I actually get to spend the rest of my life with you…” Hoseok murmured, mostly to himself because frankly, he still couldn’t believe it. But you still heard it, feeling bad for reacting the way you did and also feeling butterflies in your stomach at hearing Hoseok say ‘I love you’ for the first time. He said it quite often, to his mom, friends, all the animals he’s meet but this, this was the first time he had ever said it to you.

“You love me? So… you didn’t just propose to me because you thought I was going to die?”

Now, you felt stupid. Why would you even think that in the first place? Hoseok had poured his heart out to you yesterday and you said to him was yes. If anyone should be doubting, it should be him.

“No!” Hoseok answers fast, upset that you could even think of such a thing, “I meant what I said last night, I wanna spend the rest of my life with you.” Letting out the breath you were holding it, you sigh. Crying uncontrollably as you throw yourself onto Hoseok, holding him tightly. He didn’t doubt your love for one second, never again would you doubt his.

“I love you too… I can’t believe you’re here…” You choke out as you begin to cry, “I really thought you were going to die.”

At your words, Hoseok crooked up his head, taking hold of your shoulders, pushing you back to create distance between the two of you.

“What do you mean you thought I was going to die?” He questions as the cogwheels begin to turn in his head, connecting the dots. “Yah! Did you only accept my proposal because you thought I was going to die?”

“No, I- “

“Is that why you were accusing me of not loving you? Yah, you really are something aren’t you ‘___’?” Crossing his arms Hoseok looks at you while shaking his head as you start to defend yourself.

“Yah, what else was I supposed to think? I was so happy when you proposed last night it seemed unreal and then… I find out you thought I was going to die?” A silence settled between the two of you, the realisation of your current situation sinking in as Hoseok carefully whispers out his next words.

“So… you do want to marry me?” Hoseok’s question caught you of guard but your answer was still the same, just like it would always be.

“Yes… And you still want to marry me?” Laughing, Hoseok throws himself at you, hugging you once again tightly, placing kisses all over your head and face. Laughing at his sudden attack on you, you no longer feel any sadness at all. Only joy. Only love.

“Yes, yes and yes. Always.”

A few days later, things went on as usual. As if you and Hoseok were never destined to die that fateful night. Things were quiet in your shared house. The storm that had raged the night the two of you were fated to die had ended the next morning.

You and Hoseok were sitting on the couch, watching Netflix. The drama you were watching felt almost bland compared to the life you would get to have with Hoseok. Sure, they were in love and their love story was interesting but did the characters cheat faith like the two of you had? Was their love so strong that it saved one and other somehow? 

Maybe your time was really up, and this was just some middle stage, even though, that made no sense either. So, you decided to keep believing that it was the love you had for one and other that saved you somehow, looking down on Hoseok’s wrist, seeing the 00:00:00 mark, no longer counting down.

Your thoughts were interrupted as Hoseok’s phone started ringing. The vibrations startled you, making you jump closer to him, if that was even possible considering how close the two of you had cuddled up. Hoseok smiled, muttering ‘cute’ under his breath.  

Turning off the sound on tv, Hoseok began taking up his phone awkwardly from his back pocket as you were pressed flush against him, refusing to move. As he saw the caller id being ‘mom’ he pressed a finger against his lips, a quiet ‘shh’ leaving his lips before he pressed answer.

“Hi mom!” He answered and their conversation went on. With your head still laying on his shoulder and arm wrapped around him, you began to feel sleepy. Your brain going back to your previous thoughts. You had googled a lot, not finding much about the phenomenon, except that it had happened a few times before. A total of four cases had been recorded so far.

As you tried to recall the articles you had been reading, you closed your eyes and laid your head comfortably on Hoseok’s chest. After a little while, you began snoring and Hoseok laughed quietly to himself, his mother wondering at what.

“Nothing… ‘___’ just feel asleep on me.” He spoke a little quieter, smiling as he looked down on you, your face pressed into his chest. Hair messily laying around on his t-shirt, some of it falling down your face. Carefully lifting his hand, Hoseok removed the strands of hair, pushing them behind your ear.

“I’m happy to hear that.” His mother began as she tried to figure out how to pop the big question she was really calling him for. “About your fiancé…”

Hearing his mother call you his fiancé made Hoseok freeze. Yes, he knows he just proposed to you. Yes, he knows you accepted his proposal. Still, hearing someone call you his fiancé made him freeze because that meant it was all real. Not just some dream that you actually survived that night, despite your clock showing 00:00:00. Neither had the two of you discussed that night really, the thought of it still making Hoseok uneasy.

“Have you decided on a date for the wedding yet? I know that’s a big question, but I just wanted to know if I could be of any help.” His mother's soft voice woke him up from his thoughts and Hoseok realized that the two of you had not talked about the wedding, at all.

The weekend following the phone call from Hoseok’s mother was spent planning. Or rather, passionately discussing, because you refused to call it arguing. Both standing of the opposite ends of the kitchen. Arms crossed. The tile floor being the battleground between the two.

“Why can’t we have it in the summer? It’s warm, nice and my favourite season.” Hoseok argued and you shook your head. You had been through this already, while summer was Hoseok’s favourite season, you thought it was the absolute worst. Bugs everywhere, burning sun in the sky making the air feel suffocating. No thank you.

“Do you know how much I will sweat under the dress? I won’t be able to be in a wedding dress.” You argued back and Hoseok smirked.

Raising an eyebrow, you looked skeptically at Hoseok as he began to close the distance between the two of you.

“What?”

“Then don’t wear one,” he said as he reached you and you scoffed, “it’s going off anyway at the end of the night.”

At his words, Hoseok picked you up, throwing you over his shoulder and you yelped. If this is how he planned to carry you on your wedding night to your suit, you would make damn sure to never show up at your wedding, at all.

“HOBI!” You screamed as he began to carry you towards the bedroom. You knew exactly where he was going with all of this. He had been more touchy and clingy ever since that night and kissing always seemed like a good solution whenever you wouldn’t agree with him. You were much more tolerable tugging at his hair, kissing his lips than when you were disagreeing with every suggestion he made.

“What? It’s true.” He said as if he had just won the argument as he entered the bedroom. Rolling your eyes before you were thrown onto the bed, a smug smile plastered on Hoseok’s face that you’d do anything to wipe away. He crawled on top of you, placing a sweet kiss to your lips.

“I’m pretty sure that’s not how the groom carries the bride,” you tease, your annoyance being replaced with playfulness as you remember that a week ago, you never thought this would be possible. You and him, playfully bantering in the bed and he smiles at your words. His eyes filled with love as he looked down at you.  

“If she walks in without a wedding dress, I’m pretty sure that would be precisely how the groom would carry his bride. Which is how I imagined you.”

“Hobi!” You exclaim as you smack him playfully on his shoulder. He only laughed, connecting your lips once again. More passionate, more desperate and needy this time.

Planning a wedding turned out to be harder than you thought, but you wouldn’t have it any other way. As long as you got to spend the rest of your life with Hoseok.

Suddenly, into the kiss you felt your cheek getting wet. Breaking the kiss, you meet Hoseok’s gaze that shows nothing but sadness, tears in his eyes as his shaking hand caresses your cheek.

“Hobi, baby… what’s wrong?” His hand never leaving your cheek, eyes filled with sadness and uncertainty as he lets out a shaky breath before speaking.

“What if… I lose you tomorrow… What if… the clock is broken or something and starts ticking again?” You didn’t even know what to say. How could you reassure him when these were the exact thoughts running through your head, over and over again, every day? How could you comfort about something you felt deeply burden by as well?

You decide to say nothing, embrace Hoseok in your arms, hugging him tightly. Finding comfort in each other as you finally begin to talk about that night and try to understand what had really happened.

Spending hours in bed talking about your fears, your hopes, and the future. Actually managing to plan the wedding a little bit at the end after both of you had opened up to one another.

The wedding would be held at the end of the summer, on the beach near where you grew up and suddenly, everything felt okay.

A month later, you and Hoseok had most things planned out when it came to the wedding. It would be held in the end of August since Hoseok wanted it during the summer and you wanted it during autumn. You had to compromise about a lot of things but in the end, as you started to see the pieces all come together, you couldn’t be happier.

The thought of a future together with Hoseok making you happy in a way you didn’t even know was possible. The kind of happy that you can’t ever see to end, filling you with warm fuzzy feelings of comfort and joy.

The only problem was how you were supposed to fund it all. Both of you had big plans, well not that big, but bigger than your budget. Both of your parents wanted to help which you and Hoseok respectfully declined, wanting to be able to say the two of you did it all, together. Just like you had survived that night and still kept on living with the 00:00:00 marks on your wrists.

That day, a news segment on the tv caught your eye. Scientists talking about a possible gene modification that allowed soulmates to live, even though their clocks had ticked down to zero. Since it was so rare, scientists tried to reach out to the public and offer them a sum of money if they came in and took some tests.

Since you and Hoseok needed money for the wedding and also wanted answers for what happened that night, you called in as soon as the segment was over. Booking a trip to Seattle for the coming week, excited to contribute to new discoveries and hopefully, find answers.

Boarding the plane, holding Hoseok’s hand, it felt like this was fate. The two of you were meant to have a beautiful wedding, just like you’d imagined and dreamed of. 

Live a long life together. The talk about children even being brought up in your conversations. The house you were living in did have a spare room after all. You and Hoseok would often go into it and imagine a little bed there instead, your first born sleeping peacefully in it.

“You doing good baby?” Hoseok asked as the two of you had lifted off the ground, the plane now high up in the sky above the clouds. Still holding hands as you sit comfortably in your seats.

“Couldn’t be better, just a little nervous.” As Hoseok squeezes your hand, he gives you a reassuring smile. Eyes sparkling with hope.

“Me too,” he answers and for the rest of the flight you watch movies, talk about your wedding and everything the future holds. The future you were both blessed to be able to have that you would hopefully find some answers to in Seattle. 

Months passed by since the two of you, along with the other couples that had gotten tested, finally would be able to get some answers. Sitting by your computer, Hoseok adjusts the volume as you join the zoom meeting, greeting everyone that had joined so far.

Once everyone had joined and small talked for a bit, the head researcher asked for everyone’s attention, her intern standing beside her.

“We are happy to say that we are certain that the gene modifications you both have are a different kind of soulmate clock.” Doctor Jean began as each and every contributor of the scientific research from all around the world, including you and Hoseok, listened carefully. Nervous and excited to finally get some answers as to why your clocks worked differently.

“We were able to discover that your clock doesn’t tick down to your death, but to the moment you start loving your soulmate.” As Doctor Jean spoke those words, you and Hoseok both exhaled in relief. Worrying about what it all could have meant all these months to find out it was something as pure as falling in love.

Her intern began showing the results, pictures of what gene, how common they expect this phenomenon to be and how it would affect future generations. The gene was dominant, meaning, your children would have this type of soulmate clock as well. It was the future for humanity. It was no longer an advantage of knowing when your soulmate would die, as opposed to thousands of years ago. In today's age it was more important to know when your soulmate would fall in love with you so the two could move forward in their relationship.

Your children would never have to experience that night that you and Hoseok had. They will grow up, knowing what their clock is ticking down to. Reassured, happy and excited you and Hoseok leave for bed once the meeting was over and all the results had been presented.

“You can never not love me now. The clock says it.” Hoseok says as he lays down on the bed next to you. Shaking your head, you roll your eyes.

“That’s totally not what the doctor said… but you don’t have to worry about that. In two months… I’ll be yours.” Giving a peck on Hoseok’s lips, smiling as he pulls you closer, not giving you any time to pull away.

“You already are,” he says as he gives you another kiss, this time, with his arms wrapped tightly around you, holding you tightly as if you would shatter if he didn’t.

“You know what I mean.”

“Yes, but I want you to say it.” Wrapping your arms around Hoseok’s neck, you look at him, smiling. Saying the words he wanted to hear each and every second if he could.

“I’m all yours.”

With now only a week left until the wedding you were both busy running errands, preparing and making sure that everything goes as planned. With Hoseok’s parents staying in your guest room and always being around the house, it felt as if you never had the opportunity to be alone with Hoseok. To spend time with him and to just be with him. It almost made you wish that the wedding was today so you could just get it over with and spend time with him again.

‘Soon’ your mother would always remind you when you vented to her on the phone. The word following your thoughts every day. Soon, you would be married, soon Hoseok would be your husband and soon you would be married. Husband and wife, til death do you apart.

That week went by faster than you could’ve ever imagined, now standing at the beach, in your wedding dress, as you wait for the cue for you to walk in. It was a sunny day with a little wind blowing occasionally, the breeze caressing you every now and then, comforting you.

You were standing by the cliff, the rocks nearby covering you as the altar stood far down by the ocean shore, but not close enough for the water to ruin your shoes when you would stand by the altar as the waves hit the shore. If you peaked around the stone formation, you could see Hoseok nervously kicking in the ground as he was speaking with Yoongi, his best man.

Your hands were sweaty, holding the bouquet of flowers close to your body, afraid you’ll drop it somehow. Today was the day and all you could think about is how would you be able to walk in your high heels up to the altar without tripping in the sand? Seriously, how was a beach wedding one of the few things you and Hoseok agreed upon and you never considered this factor?

Hoseok wasn’t thinking about that at all. He knew you would stroll down with ease, carefully placing one foot in front of the other. Looking like a goddess on her way to great Poseidon, not to marry Hoseok, that’s how beautiful you would look.

He hadn’t seen you with the dress yet but he knows it in his heart. You looked like a goddess without it in whatever clothes you would wear, however you would style your hair, with or without makeup, you always looked like Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty. 

As the music began to play, both of you were pulled from your thoughts, now present in the ceremony that would bind your love together forever.

You started walking. One foot in front of the other as everyone turned their heads to face you. Your friends, your family, all staring at you as you continued walking down the aisle, not remembering how you managed to get there really from behind the rocks. But you did, almost freezing as your eyes met Hoseok’s, filled with tears of joy as he saw you.

He had been watching your every step in awe of your beauty, not believing how lucky he was to have you as his partner. His soulmate. His fiancé that would soon be his wife. That he was lucky enough to be able to spend the rest of his life with.

Thinking back about that night almost made him want to just run up to you and hug you, to be sure this is all still very real and not just in his head. A dream that he would soon wake up from, lonely as the bed would be empty and your warmth gone.

Your thoughts had also been drifting back to that night, being grateful at fate for giving you a second chance at love. To find the right one but also to give you time with him. To give you a future with him and give your life new meaning.

Trying not to tear up, you took your final steps to the altar. Your feet sinking lightly into the sand as you do. You had been reciting your vows in your head, making sure you would remember them. You reached the altar and took your place standing next Hoseok in front of the priest. 

Smiling widely, you took Hoseok's hand. He squeezed your hand with his, as though he was making sure it was real. Holding the bouquet in your other hand, cursing on the inside for not choosing a smaller one, the weight of it heavy in your hand.

As the music stopped, you heard the waves more clearly, bringing a sense of calm to you. You turned your body toward the priest, Hoseok followed your lead, still holding your hand tightly.

“We’re gathered here today…” As the priest begins to speak you end up in your own thoughts, watching the waves crash into shore. Feeling the light breeze graze your skin.

Turning your head to look at Hoseok, you see the tear that he had been holding back. It almost made you cry, so happy to be here with him today. There was no one else in the world who you wanted to spend your life with. It was Hoseok. It always had been.

Hoseok never turned his head once towards you while the priest was speaking, afraid he was going to lose it and cry as soon as he did. He felt your gaze on his face, watching him, and he wondered what you were thinking. Did you feel just as blessed as him? Did you also think that maybe, just maybe, the past couple of months was just a dream?

“Do you, Jung Hoseok take Y/N Y/L/N to be your wife?” Hoseok was awakened from his daydreaming as the priest addressed him.

“I do.” He says without a doubt, smiling at you, tears running down his cheek.

“Do you, Y/N Y/L/N take Jung Hoseok to be your husband?”

“I do.” You answered equally eager, equally happy to finally be able to say it.  

“You may now say your vows to each other,” the priest spoke. Turning your body towards him as he did the same, bringing up your other hand to place it in Hoseok’s. Holding both of his hands as you stared into his eyes.

“I want to start,” you announced, and he let out a sigh of relief. Usually, he wasn’t nervous about talking in front of people, but you always made his knees weak. Made him stumble over his words and thoughts, not able to think straight in your presence.

“The night you proposed to me… you poured your heart out and I haven’t had the chance to do the same…” It had been something you had been thinking about for a while, having a hard time finding the words you wanted Hoseok to know. Swallowing hard, you saw a tear leaving Hoseok's eye.

“Hobi… You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. Before you, I didn’t know where my life was going or where I would end up staying. I am glad to know that I’ll be wherever you are, by your side, building our future together.” You paused, sniffing as you try to keep your own tears at bay to no avail, your cheek wet, glistening as the sunlight hits it.

“The first time I saw your time mark and figured out we wouldn’t have much time, life just felt so unfair,” you remembered it all so clearly. Hoseok must have had the same thoughts at the time, he sniffed and gave you a weak smile. “I found the person who could always make me smile, even when I’m crying. The person who always made me feel safe and loved. The person… I love the most in the entire world.”

Choking on your tears, you tried to finish your vows. Hoseok stood in front of you speechless, attempting to hold back his own tears without any success. His tears slowly fell down his cheeks and onto his suit. The tears in your eyes made it difficult to keep eye contact with him.

“I want you and I want you for the rest of our lives. I love you so much Hobi and I can’t imagine a day going by without thinking about you. I just love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

As you finished your speech, you wiped away your tears and finally had a moment to take in Hoseok’s appearance. You notice how his usually sparkly eyes were puffy, red and filled with tears. Tears that kept falling from his eyes. He still couldn’t believe you were here with him, pouring your heart out in front of him and everyone important in your lives.

“I don’t think I’ll be able to beat that…” he joked, laughing  a little, trying to collect his thoughts, ”but I do have some things that I want you to know.” Wiping away his tears, he took a deep breath and looked deep into your eyes.

“Even though this last year have been one of the most difficult ones, it’s also been the one with the most joy… because of you. You make everything better and I’m always excited and happy to get home from work just to see you. Even though I sometimes come home to the kitchen being almost on fire,” your guests laughed as you and Hoseok both let out a chuckle, “I do really think I need to tell you in front of everyone not to try all the recipes you find on Facebook.”

You laughed, your tears replaced with the thought that Hoseok really did it. He managed to expose and embarrass you on your wedding somehow and you wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I hope you know I’m serious,” you almost rolled your eyes but kept it in. Seeing how happy Hoseok is to tease you about your cooking skills made you forgive him in a heartbeat.

“Even though you almost burn down the kitchen once a week, it’s one of the things I admire the most about you. You always try your best and you always have new ideas, want to try new things and…” Hoseok trailed off as he watched your lips form into an even bigger smile than the one you were already wearing before.

“Where was I... Oh yeah! And you always make life more interesting, willing to try anything to put a smile on my face. Even when you fail… You always make me smile anyway because I know how hard you try.” You can barely look him in the eyes as he speaks so softly about you, just as he did the night of the proposal.

Almost as if Hoseok had heard your thoughts, he began speaking, bringing up one of the saddest nights of your life.  

“Now… I know you said you didn’t want me to bring up that night but… It was the scariest night of my life… Going to the bathroom… Thinking you were laying there dead in our bed, I was so scared I didn’t even want to leave the bathroom after I went to pee…”

He had never told you this, never did you think much of it to ask either. He must have been in the bathroom for a long while, not wanting to go out and face your dead body laying in your shared bed.

As you began crying again you could hear a few sobs coming from your guests sitting below. They couldn’t even imagine what you and Hoseok had gone through.

“But what was even scarier was finding you sitting on our bed, very much alive, and screaming at me. I swear I had just gone to the toilet but I’m pretty sure I peed myself in that moment…” Laughter was once again heard throughout the crowd and you tried your best not to laugh at his bad joke, but failed miserably.

“Now… I want to end this on a positive note so I don’t want to drag this out any longer even though, I could tell you all night about all the things I love about you. I want to end it by saying I love you… I love you so much and I’m so happy to be here today with you and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.”

As the two of you cried, squeezing each other’s hands, the priests began speaking.

“You may now exchange your rings.” Letting go of each other’s hands, the both of you took hold of the rings that your little sister brought to you.

Taking hold of your hand, Hoseok took his ring and placed it over your finger as you did the same with his. Enjoying the quiet moment, hearing the waves in the background, you just held hands for a few seconds. The feeling of another ring on your finger still foreign, but in a good way.

“You may now kiss the bride.” As soon as the words left the priest's mouth, Hoseok’s hands were cupping your face, his head bending down to capture your lips. The music started just as your lips met, loud cheers being heard from the audience as he kissed you even harder. Refusing to let go of your sweet lips, the ones he now would be able to kiss every day.

The lips that would greet him each day as he came home to your shared house, starting your new life together with everything life had in store for you. Together, forever and ever. 

#bangtanscenery #bangtanscenerycollab #April Showers Bring May Flowers #bangtanhq #hoseok x reader #hoseok fanfic #bts fanfic

[bangtiddies]

Until the Light Fades

Pairing: Seokjin-centric platonic OT7, a smidge of romantic Yoonjin Genre: Angst, Fantasy Rating: PG13 Words: 3.7k Warnings: sad ending, panic attacks, lots of crying, confession gone wrong

Summary: To them, Seokjin is a beacon of light, an ethereal being sent to take people out of the darkness. One day, Seokjin’s time runs out.

Note: unedited because I’m a fool. This took way too long for me to write. Writing funk really got me hard but I finally just,,, sat down and wrote. Biggest biggest thank you to all my friends in servers who were there to support my writing when I was feeling my lowest. Specifically thanking @staerrylights​​ @moonmintrails​​ and @j-sope​​ for helping me with parts I was unsure of and giving me validation ❤️❤️

Part of @bangtanscenery​’s April Showers Bring May Flowers Collab

Sad smile on his face, Seokjin looks at the six boys he got to call his friends. They’re all inside, sleeping in the living room of Seokjin’s flat, all passed out from too much soda, popcorn, and movies.

“I’m gonna miss them, you know,” he says to the stars. He leans back on the railing of the balcony, looking up at the stars above him. He tries not to cry. But soon enough, tears are streaming down his face and he tries to rub them away. When he looks back at his sleeping friends, he notices that one of them is awake and has opened the sliding the door to the balcony, worried frown etched on his face.

“Jin-hyung? Are you okay,” Yoongi asks.

“Yeah,” Seokjin wipes away the tears on his cheeks and fakes a smile. “I was just moved by the stars.”

Yoongi laughs. “That beautiful, huh?”

“Very,” Seokjin says quietly, looking back up at the stars in bittersweet melancholy.

Your time is almost up.

The stars are beautiful tonight. Jungkook looks up at them, marvelling at how different the stars look in the countryside compared to the city. He sits in the tray of Seokjin's truck, pile of blankets making a comfortable place to cuddle up in as he stares at the stars with the rest of his friends.

No, they're more than friends now – they're brothers.

Some of them are cuddling up in sleeping bags and blankets on the grass, drinking from mugs filled with hot chocolate provided by Seokjin's many metal bottles. Yoongi is wearing an over sized sweater, one that probably belongs to Seokjin, and he lies on the grass with Jimin and Namjoon, who are pointing at the stars and telling stories about the constellations, while Yoongi listens closely. Hoseok and Taehyung sit by their tent, tin mugs of hot chocolate in their hands and talking animatedly about the best shenanigans their dogs got up to.

Seokjin sits with Jungkook in the tray, mug of hot chocolate in his hands, looking up at the stars with a smile. Jungkook notices a hint of melancholy in Seokjin’s expression.

“You must really love the stars, huh,” Jungkook comments, thinking back to the many times Seokjin would look up to the sky.

“Yeah,” Seokjin says quietly. “They remind me of home.”

Seokjin’s hometown, to all the boys, is still a mystery. No one knows where he’s from, and nobody has asked. But tonight, under the stars in the middle of nowhere, Jungkook has the courage to ask.

“Hyung, where are you from?”

Seokjin’s smile falters a little. He looks at Jungkook, blinking as if he’s thinking of what to say. He sighs. Looks at the stars again.

“Somewhere really far away.”

There’s something about the balcony of Seokjin’s flat that emits comfort. A lot of nights are spent on it, no more than three boys piling on it at once for it’s so small, but each time they find themselves on the balcony, there’s a nice intimate moment with Seokjin under the stars.

Hoseok had just finished his last dance performance of the year, the rest of the boys deciding to cook dinner as a celebration. Yoongi, noticing that Seokjin looks unusually exhausted, tells the two of them that the rest of them can handle the dinner, encouraging Hoseok and Seokjin to relax on the balcony. The moment Seokjin steps out onto the balcony, Hoseok notices the elder sighing in relief, exhaustion soothing away under the moonlit sky.

They stand on the balcony and chat for a while, Seokjin congratulating Hoseok on his performance for the umpteenth time today. Hoseok blushes at the compliments from his hyung, heart smile wide and bright as he thanks Seokjin again and again. Then, they talk about small things. The weather, the new exhibition at the local art gallery, upcoming projects, new clothes that they bought.

Namjoon joins the two on the balcony moments later, exiled from the kitchen by Yoongi for being a hazard, the other three brats agreeing and betraying their disastrous hyung. Pout on his face for dramatic effect, he makes his way to the balcony while Seokjin and Hoseok are talking about how much of a brat Jungkook is. They turn to him when he opens the sliding door to the balcony, just as Seokjin was about to go on a long rant about how disrespectful the brats are. Hoseok tries to hide his relief.

“What happened,” Hoseok asks, although he already knows the answer, judging from the pout and the amused looks from their friends in the kitchen.

“I’m a hazard to society,” Namjoon mumbles, making Seokjin laugh.

“Why did you even help them in the first place?”

Seokjin’s laugh brings a smile to Namjoon’s face and a laugh out of Hoseok. There’s something about Seokjin’s laugh that brightens a day, that brings people to laugh with him.

“You’re looking a lot better, hyung,” Namjoon says with a fond smile. Seokjin stops laughing and cocks his head, confused. Hoseok isn’t sure if bringing up Seokjin’s tired state from earlier is a good idea.

“What,” Seokjin asks.

“You were looking a bit pale. Exhausted,” Namjoon replies. Seokjin purses his lips. His smile gone, now a memory that hangs in the air. He looks at the sky, the stars littered across the dark canvas, shining above them.

Seokjin sighs, before letting out a chuckle, a smile tugging at his lips. “Yeah. I’m feeling a lot better now.”

Something about the way Seokjin looks at the sky, the way his sigh sounded melancholic, the way his smile didn’t reach his eyes, feels unsettling to Namjoon and Hoseok.

The rain hits on the door to the balcony, the sound echoing through the flat. It’s movie night Friday, the group of them gathering in Seokjin’s flat to get slightly drunk and eat too much popcorn, while reacting dramatically to every jump scare on the screen. Blankets are thrown over laps, heater on, keeping the cold air out and the warmth in.

The night ends like it always does, with the boys passed out in the living room after many runs of movies. Only, there’s one difference – the weather. Every night, Seokjin sits out on the balcony and admires the stars. Only tonight, the storm stops him, the stars hidden from the sky. Tonight, he sits by the sliding door to the balcony, curled up, trying to control his breathing, looking so small, so terrified.

They were going to cancel their movie night Friday because of the storm, but Yoongi insisted that they go to Seokjin’s place. Now, looking at Seokjin’s state, Jimin knows why.

Seokjin is afraid of storms.

Jimin feels like he’s seeing a part of Seokjin that he’s not supposed to see, a part of Seokjin that’s hidden from the rest of them. He thinks about how long they’ve known each other. How long Seokjin’s been hiding this fearful state.

Jimin can’t help but stare, afraid to go close to Seokjin and risk being pushed away. But when Seokjin lets out a soft sob, Jimin’s instincts take over and he’s walking toward his hyung.

Seokjin shivers when Jimin wraps his arms around him, but he doesn’t push him away. Questions sit on Jimin’s tongue but he doesn’t utter them in the silent room, Seokjin’s breathing calming down as Jimin rubs his hands against the elder’s back.

Looking out at the storm-filled sky, Jimin wonders if the reason Seokjin’s on the balcony often is because the stars comfort him.

The poster on the wall by the city hall shows an image of fireworks, big letters giving the name and dates for the local firework festival. Taehyung stares at the poster for a few seconds, taking in every single detail, before elbowing Seokjin who’s walking by with him.

“Yah!” Seokjin yells, ready to tell Taehyung off for elbowing him, before noticing the same poster that Taehyung’s looking at. “A firework festival?”

Taehyung grins. “We should go to it.”

Seokjin stares at the poster, reading through the details of the poster once, maybe twice. Taehyung looks at his hyung in curiosity, seeing the cogs work in Seokjin’s mind. He’s calculating something. What for, Taehyung doesn’t know. Finally, after what seems like forever, Seokjin smiles and turns to Taehyung.

“Sounds like it would be a great idea. We should take a photo of this poster and send it to the group chat.”

Taehyung blinks. He watches Seokjin take a photo of the poster on his phone, smile on his face, as he talks animatedly about the kind of food stalls that may be there.

As they walk back to Seokjin's flat, Taehyung can't help but think about the expression on Seokjin's face while he was reading the poster. Something about the expression on his hyung's face was melancholic, relieved, calculating.

Something is going to happen at the festival and something about Seokjin's expression tells Taehyung that it's not going to be good.

There are moments in life that Yoongi cherishes and those moments are mostly with Seokjin. Fleeting touches, deep conversations with Seokjin on the balcony, he especially loves those moments when it’s just the two of them.

The stars above them are beautiful tonight, and sitting on the balcony with Seokjin, a little tipsy from the wine they had with dinner, hands intertwined, Yoongi has the courage to confess.

“Hyung,” he mutters and Seokjin answers with a hum. “I think I’m falling in love with you.”

Seokjin freezes and Yoongi wants to bury himself deep into a hole. He thought that Seokjin felt the same, that the touches and affection was more than platonic. He wants to cry, but he holds his composure as Seokjin lets go of his hand.

“Yoongi-yah,” Seokjin says softly, and Yoongi has just enough courage to look at his hyung in the eyes. He looks sad. Yoongi is ready for rejection.

“You don’t feel the same, right?” Yoongi whispers. He’s ready.

“No, I do,” Seokjin says, and Yoongi’s heart skips a beat. “But I can’t. I can’t be here for long. You shouldn’t love me.”

What? Yoongi doesn’t understand what’s going on. There’s a confession. Seokjin feels the same. So why does Yoongi’s heart feel like it’s going to break worse than a rejection? Why does Seokjin look like he’s going to cry?

“What,” Yoongi takes a deep breath in. “What are you talking about?” Seokjin smiles sadly, tears rolling downs his face, looking away from Yoongi to look at the stars. “My time is almost up, Yoongi-yah.”

“What does that mean? What time?” Yoongi’s voice cracks. No, not Seokjin. He’s their brother, their best friend. Yoongi’s… no, he can’t imagine life without Seokjin, not since he met him.

Seokjin sobs, the sound striking Yoongi’s heart in an unsettling way. There’s something that Seokjin isn’t saying, something that is troubling him, and Yoongi knows that it’ll leave him heartbroken. Yoongi stays silent, unsure of what to say as Seokjin continues to cry on the balcony. He wants to reach out, to wrap Seokjin in his arms and kiss his forehead, to comfort the one person who took him out of his own darkness. But somehow, Seokjin feels too far away, untouchable. He can’t move closer to his best friend without feeling like he might break down too.

“Please,” Yoongi manages to find his voice, reaching out his hand and holding Seokjin’s. His heart hurts. “Please tell me what’s going on.”

Tears continue to paint Seokjin’s cheeks, replacing old ones. He looks at Yoongi, at the stars, and then back at Yoongi. “I’m disappearing, Yoongi. I can feel it.”

“What--”

“You wouldn’t believe me,” Seokjin mutters, taking a deep breath. In, out. Yoongi watches the despair in his hyung’s eyes, not understanding what’s going on but knowing that Seokjin is telling the truth. “But one day, I’m going to disappear. I don’t have enough power to stay.”

Picnic blankets are laid out on the ground, the group of them ready for the firework event that’s about to start. A few beers in their systems, they talk over each other in excitement, teasing each other about potential facial expressions and reactions to fireworks.

Yoongi stares at Seokjin as he laughs with Jimin over an impression Jungkook did. The laugh, the smile on his face, while still genuine, has an inkling of sadness, one that Yoongi knows very little about. Seokjin's words run through his head, but Yoongi still can't understand exactly what he means.

I'm going to disappear.

People are gathering more in the area and the group decide to settle into comfortable positions on the blankets. They fit snugly on the blankets, Seokjin carefully sitting behind them right next to the food that’s tucked away into a picnic basket. He hands sandwiches to the boys, and their minds focus on the sandwiches and the fireworks that are yet to come.

Every time Seokjin thinks that one of his friends wants to sit by him, he hands them a snack and tells them to share it with another. He wants to make sure that no one is sitting next to him, only directly in front of him. He slowly moves back, little by little, so he’s not suspiciously too far, but far enough that no one would notice him moving.

And then, the fireworks light up the sky above them, the sound echoing around them.

Everyone looks up to admire them, and Seokjin finds this the perfect time to slip away. Now is a good time. He’s left letters for each of his best friends, each with personalised messages and enough information to explain his situation. He brings himself to a small clearing in a forest just off the park. Far enough away from the park that they wouldn’t find him when they realise his absence. 

Or so he thought.

He looks up at the stars, ready to accept his fate, when he suddenly hears people running through the forest.

“Hyung!”

Seokjin recognises Hoseok’s voice almost immediately. He wants to turn to look at him, to reply to him with a smile like he always does. But instead, he looks down and shuts his eyes tight, fists clenching by his side. No. Not now. He can’t let them see him leave.

“Please,” he whispers to himself. “Please don’t find me.”

He looks up at the stars, trying to fight the tears forming in his eyes. He pleads to his brothers and sisters in the sky, to let him disappear before any of his friends find him. They reply to him, but don't answer his pleas.

Your time is almost up.

But it doesn't take long for one of the boys to find him.

Jungkook stares at him with wide eyes, confused at the situation, wondering why his hyung had taken off. He remembers how Yoongi had freaked out at Seokjin’s absence, telling them to make sure that they find him. That it might be the last time they'll ever see Seokjin.

Seeing his hyung in front of him, Jungkook feels dread in the pits of his stomach. Something is wrong. The tears forming in Seokjin's eyes, the way he looks at the sky with a sad and pleading expression, the sense of giving up on his shoulders. Jungkook doesn't like the sight one bit.

"Hyung," he starts. "Where are you from?"

It's a question that burdens Jungkook, the somewhere really far away on his mind. He feels like the true answer to the question is the reason why Seokjin tried to slip away from them during the fireworks.

Seokjin takes a deep, shaky breath in. Breaths out. Breathes in again, before answering. "If I say, will you promise not to cry?"

Jungkook knows that he'll cry. But if being strong in front of his hyung means that he'll get some answers and not spend his whole life wondering, then he'll fight those tears like it's his last fight.

"I promise."

And Seokjin explains. How he was a small speck in the sky, wishing to live life as a human. A star, one that had enough power to give himself a physical form. He wasn't just a ball of gas and elements, but a soul, a spirit. He looked down at the Earth and had fallen in love with the idea of life and love. Deciding to use the power he had, he created life and love for himself on Earth.

But unfortunately, his power wasn't enough, and no matter how much he had pleaded to his family in the sky, they wouldn't allow him to stay on Earth for any longer. No matter how much he had explained that he had found love and happiness in the six friends he had made.

The only compromise he was given was that he could return to the sky as a star. And he could watch over his love and happiness, rather than disappearing into nothing.

As Seokjin explains his situation to Jungkook, he lets the tears out. He cries out his soul, his thoughts, his spirit. Jungkook listens, ignores Seokjin's additions of you probably don't believe me, and keeps his ears and heart open. He stares at his hyung, watching him fall apart in front of his eyes, and he can't help it anymore. He takes a step toward Seokjin, and then more, until he’s holding his crying hyung in his arms. 

And Jungkook didn't know that they were there, but he finds more arms wrapping around him and Seokjin. First, Jimin, then Taehyung, then Hoseok, then Namjoon. There's a slight hesitation from Yoongi, his breath hitching as his mind blanks at the information that was uttered, but soon enough he joins into the group hug, as Seokjin continues to cry in their arms.

"I'm sorry," he cries out, after a few minutes of them hugging.

"There's no need to apologise," Jimin whispers. "We'll always love you, hyung. Even if you have to leave us."

Seokjin cries even more, sobs shaking through his body. Taehyung soon joins in, soft whimpers escaping his lips as he runs a hand through Seokjin's hair. The seven of them hug there for a while, some crying, some rubbing Seokjin's back for comfort. Jungkook keeps his promise, and fights away his tears.

And then, Seokjin hears the voices of his brothers and sisters in the sky.

It's time.

"I'm sorry," Seokjin says, letting himself stop his tears and sobs. He looks at his friends, his brothers, his happiness, and gives them a genuine but sad smile. "It's time."

Those two words don't sink in until Seokjin's skin stars glowing, shimmers of white scattering on his skin like freckles. They all believed his words, but when the evidence starts materialising in front of them, they realise the seriousness of the situation. Seokjin is going to disappear. Right in front of their eyes. They slowly pull away from the hug, looking at Seokjin in awe.

"Wait," Namjoon says. "Is there something we can do? To help you stay?"

Seokjin shakes his head, smile not leaving his face. "If there was, I think I would've told you about this sooner."

"But we'll miss you. You can't leave us," Taehyung cries.

"I wish that I didn't have to," Seokjin says, voice cracking. The glowing white freckles on his skin gets a little brighter. There's nothing they can do. The reality of the outcome sinks in.

"Hyung," Jungkook finally says, still fighting his tears. "I promised that I wouldn't cry. I kept my promise, hyung."

Seokjin looks at Jungkook, the younger's fists clenched, shoulders tense as he tries not to cry. Seokjin's heart hurts for Jungkook, a little guilty at asking Jungkook for a promise. He wouldn't have minded if the younger cried, considering all the crying he just did. He pulls Jungkook into a hug.

"Thank you, Jungkook," Seokjin says. "You can cry now. Hyung is proud of you." Jungkook breaks out into sobs in his hyungs arms, gripping Seokjin's clothes as his tears soak into Seokjin's chest. Tears fall down Seokjin's cheeks, as he looks up at the stars for his last wish. 

Please. Give me just a little more time.

Your time is almost up.

Seokjin lets go of Jungkook, giving the younger a sad smile, caressing his cheeks as he wipes Jungkook's tears.

"I'm so glad I met you, Jungkook. You might be a brat, but you're my favourite brat."

Jungkook cries even more, hiccuping as he throws himself in his hyungs arms again. The rest join them, group hug forming once again. The glowing white freckles on Seokjin's skin brightens once again.

"I'll miss you all," Seokjin says.

"We'll miss you too, hyung," Hoseok says, as they pull away from the hug again.

"Thank you," Seokjin smiles. "Thank you for being my happiness on Earth."

Seokjin's skin glows brighter, and the end is near. They all look at Seokjin, at the tears running down his cheeks, at the sad but loving smile on his face. 

But Yoongi feels like there are words left unsaid, and there's only one way to say them.

"Jin-hyung," Yoongi says, getting Seokjin's attention. Yoongi steps forward, heart beating in his chest, grabbing Seokjin's hand. "I love you."

"Yoongi--" Seokjin starts, but Yoongi interrupts him.

"I said before that I think I might be falling in love with you. But I can't have you leave without me saying anything, and spend my whole life regretting not telling you. I want to tell you about the times I wanted to kiss you under those stars on your balcony. I want to tell you about wanting to hold your hand all the time. Even if I can't have you by my side anymore, I want to tell you that I love you, hyung."

Yoongi's voice cracks a little, tears streaming down his face but he doesn't let himself take his eyes off Seokjin. Seokjin nods, smiles, and tightens his hold on Yoongi's hand. He lets himself sob as he utters his last words before the glow on his skin brightens.

"Thank you, Yoongi. I love you too."

When Yoongi blinks, Seokjin's no longer in front of him. All that’s left is the faint feeling of Seokjin's warm hand around his own.

Yoongi looks up at the stars on Seokjin’s balcony, letter addressed to him in his hand.

I love you, Yoongichi. When you look at the stars, I hope you think of me.

Yoongi reads the last lines over and over again until Seokjin’s handwriting is etched into his mind.

I’ll never stop thinking of you.

The stars sparkle in the sky.

#bangtanscenerycollab #ficswithluv #bangtanarmynet #btswriterscollective #btsghostie #btsguild #btsbookclub #btswritingcafe #bangtanhq #magicshopnet #bangtanidx #bangtanfairygarden #bangtanscenery #bts scenario #bts scenarios #yoonjin #angst #bts angst #kim seokjin #jin #ot7 angst #mxm #fantasy #sad ending

[daemour]

Summary: Seokjin is the crush of your entire school. He won the Prom King award six times, and he wasn't even in high school the first two times. Everyone loves him. But you're his neighbor, and you've seen his worst. You don't like him.

Warnings: Mild Cursing

For the @bangtanscenery​ collab, April Showers

Thank you to my betas, @moccahobi​ and @thebiasrekkers​

"Good morning to my amazing friend," Yoon Jeonghan greets you at the bus stop, and you grin at the designated pretty boy of the school, and your best friend.

"Alright, you barely suck up to me. What do you want?" You tease him, and Jeonghan elbows you.

"Can't I appreciate my best friend?" You raise an eyebrow at Jeonghan, and he stares you down. He loses the staring match. "Alright, fine. There's this deal at the local café, that if you bring a friend, you can get two dozen donuts for the price of one."

"You don't need to suck up to me for a chance for me to get donuts." Jeonghan snorts and slaps your arm playfully.

"I should've known your stomach would win you over."

"You don't know me well enough, I guess," you joke. Jeonghan ignores your jibe but still elbows you again. As you two wait in complete silence for the bus, the sound of footsteps alert you to another person coming. Kim Seokjin, the resident hunk of Kaidol High School, takes the same bus as you two. Unfortunately. While it isn't as bad for Jeonghan, as he's the pretty boy, you're just known as "Jeonghan's friend." That isn't great when everyone at school who likes Seokjin (and Jeonghan, quite often), knows you live in the same neighborhood as him.

The jocks tease you, but it isn't too bad, so you don't mind. And when Jeonghan is with you, which is often, people don't tease you. Seokjin doesn't hang out with you at school, so most people with a brain don't dislike you. Once in a while, when there's a particularly nasty rumor going around about Seokjin, you get a couple glares and sneers, but Jeonghan is usually around to protect you. He's protective.

You hate using that word to describe your relationship with Jeonghan. It makes your relationship sound one-sided like you only use him. But Jeonghan has been your best friend since kindergarten. He had just moved into the neighborhood, and the kids at school used to make fun of him for his long hair. You didn’t. So you became his friend. Way before the hierarchies of school began, you were Jeonghan's friend.

"Are you two just going to ignore me, then?" Seokjin interrupts your internal monologue. You and Jeonghan sigh at the same time.

"Hello, Seokjin," the two of you chime out at the same time.

"You two sound like robots," Seokjin sighs out dramatically. "Can't a guy get some warm greetings?" Jeonghan puts a hand on your shoulder, likely to get you to stop looking like you want to murder someone.

The bus arrives, and you and Jeonghan hop on as quickly as you can before Seokjin follows. You two manage to get your usual seats at the back of the bus, but this time, Seokjin follows. "Can I sit with you guys? My friends are being driven to school this time, so they aren't picking me up."

"What did they do now?" Seokjin isn't even fazed by your comments about his friend group.

"I think they tried keying someone's car?" You honestly don't know how Seokjin ended up with that friend group. You think that if he didn't stick around with those people, you would've gotten along with him. Well, Sandeul isn't that bad. You've talked to him a little before, and he seems like a nice guy, but you don't know much about Ken, Jooheon, and Wonkeun. You don't want to assume things about them, but you don't want to risk your perfect GPA just yet.

"Sounds like them." Seokjin is still not bothered by your comments, and you turn to Jeonghan awkwardly.

The rest of the bus ride is silent, save for Jeonghan cracking a joke, and you giggling like there's no tomorrow. When you reach school, Seokjin heads out first, likely to find his friends. You and Jeonghan get out a little later and immediately spot your group of friends.

Yugyeom is the cute airhead of your group, but he also has an "in" with the jocks. He's the best friend of Jungkook, the jock-est of all jocks and Seokjin's cousin. Jaehyung is the oldest of your little group and the mood maker. You've dubbed him the master of deadpan, and he enjoys the title. He's on the badminton team, and friends with another guy, Younghyun, who has somehow subconsciously made his way into your friend group. His name's Younghyun, but you call him Brian. He's a little younger than Jae, but his mood varies to be either super mature or six-years-old. Jae calls him annoying, but you think they're closer than they let on. Finally, there's Jennie, the outlier of your group. She's extremely popular, beautiful, and can easily influence half the student body with her pinky. You don't know why or how she decided you guys would be her friends, but you appreciate another girl around you.

"What's up, amigos?" Jae cheers, and you roll your eyes at him affectionately.

"Jae, you thought ocho was cinco, not just yesterday," you tease him. "I don't think you should be throwing out some Spanish."

Jae raises an eyebrow at you. "You may be fluent in French and English, (Y/N), but that doesn't mean you don't make mistakes as well."

"I don't think five is eight, or that cinq and huit are the same either, Mr. I-Lived-In-Argentina." Jae narrows his eyes, and you glare playfully right back.

"Low blow, (Y/N), low blow."

"It's true, though," Younghyun butts in, and you reach up to give him a high-five.

"See, even Brian agrees with me." Younghyun retracts his hand just as fast as he had butted into the conversation.

"Nope, I revoke my high-five. I'm not Brian."

"Brian’s your name."

"But Younghyun’s also my name," Younghyun counters, and you roll your eyes.

"I don't even know what you guys are arguing about, but let's skedaddle," Jennie jumps in. "We're going to be late."

You groan. "I don't want to go to class, though."

Yugyeom gapes at you. "You love your GPA too much to not go to class."

"Shut up, Yugyeom. I don't want to go to class because a certain someone always distracts me. It's annoying." You narrow your eyes at him playfully, and he pokes you in the forehead.

"If you keep making a face like that, your face will be stuck like that. Look at that wrinkle." You slap his hand away, and Yugyeom laughs.

"My face is priceless." With that sentence, you enter your class and find your seats.

Unfortunately, this class you weren't allowed to sit next to whoever, the teacher had assigned seats. And you were next to Seokjin. He does nothing but pass notes and crack snarky jokes in class. While you were trying to maintain your GPA by listening to the teacher, Seokjin made it extremely difficult. You're sure he doesn't MEAN to annoy you, but sometimes, when he's being particularly loud, he sneaks a peek at you, and you are in doubt.

For some reason, though, today, Seokjin is quiet. It's now your turn to sneak a glance toward him. You're not used to this. Where are all sniggers and whispered jokes? The strangest thing is when the teacher called on him, Seokjin just answered the question quietly and didn't say anything snarky and funny.

You try to look around the classroom discreetly. None of the other students seem to notice what's wrong, but you've been Seokjin's neighbor since late primary school. You know something's wrong. You may not like Seokjin, but you know how he is.

As you glance around the classroom, you notice something strange. Seokjin's friends aren't here. He said their parents would be driving them. You know Sandeul and Jooheon don't have this class at the same time as you and Seokjin, but Ken and Wonkeun do. Where are they? Did Seokjin lie? "Miss (L/N), since you seem bored, would you like to answer this question?"

You jump up from your seat, startled, and glance at the question on the board. Are people inherently good or evil? "No."

"No, you won't answer the question, or no, humans aren't inherently good or evil?"

You stand up and answer the question as quickly as possible. "I think human beings are inherently neither good nor evil. Their influences in life can help them make decisions that deem them either 'good' or 'bad,' but they are not born evil or good." You sit down with a thump, and there is no fanfare for your answer. The class just continues on.

But not for long, as the teacher dismisses you all. Before Seokjin can stand up and leave, as he is usually the first to get out, you grab his sleeve. "Wait for a second, Seokjin."

"What is it?" Now, this is very different. Seokjin always makes a snarky comment or teases you, but this time, he's just straight-up asking what you want?

"Where are Ken and Wonkeun? Don't they have this class?"

"They, um, they're not in school for the time being." Seokjin seems annoyed, but you press on more.

"Why? Are they okay?" If you were asked this morning if you think you'd be asking if Ken and Wonkeun were okay, you'd laugh in the questioner's face. But here you are.

"Their parents decided it's best if they go to a private school. Same for Jooheon." Oh. No wonder. Seokjin may be popular, but he didn't have that many actual friends who hung out with him every day.

"Ah." You sigh. "Do you, do you and Sandeul want to sit with us during lunch?"

"I'd appreciate it," Seokjin says slowly, sounding like he's contemplating whether or not it's a good idea. "We do have the same lunch period, right?"

"Yeah." You say after a quick thought. "Well, I have to skedaddle, so see you?" Your tone is confused like you're unsure of yourself, so you do skedaddle out of that classroom as fast as you can.

Yugyeom and Younghyun are waiting for you in the hall, as the others don't have the next class you're heading to. "Why'd you invite him to sit with us?" Younghyun asks. "I thought you didn't like him?"

"I don't dislike him, Brian. I just didn't want him to have to sit alone for the first time in his entire eighteen years of life." You shrug. You feel a presence behind you, and you turn around to see Seokjin glowering at you.

"I don't need your...pity." He spits out that last word, and you flinch.

"I wasn't trying to pity you, Seokjin. I was making an effort to be friends." You try to explain, but Seokjin isn't hearing any of that.

"You don't need to act like a mother to me. I can do just fine by myself," he seethes and storms away, and you stare after him in shock.

"Ignore him," Younghyun tries to comfort you, putting an arm around your shoulders and drawing you away from Seokjin. "Let's just head to class." You walk with him, Yugyeom hanging slightly behind, unsure of whether to speak up. He decides not to, and the rest of you make it to class without any further disturbances.

The next class is math, so you're focusing on taking notes, but your friends aren't. They're glancing at you, and you must say it's slightly uncomfortable. What are they doing? You shake it off, and when the teacher starts to drone off-topic, you take a break from writing. Your mind wanders. Are you really annoyingly like a mother? Why would Seokjin say something like that? As you dwell on the subject, you don't even notice the teacher is back on topic, and class passes without a second thought from you. When the bell rings, you jump in your seat.

As the three of you head out of class, Jaehyung and Jeonghan catch up with you. "Hey, nerds," Jae says, and Younghyun rolls his eyes. Jae socks him in the arm.

"You're literally going into political science, Jae. Don't be a stupid hypocrite." Younghyun rolls his eyes at Jae.

"I'm not. That's why I'm going into poli-sci." Jae pinches Younghyun's cheek after that sentence, and Younghyun pouts.

"Jae, stop bullying Brian," you mumble absentmindedly. Then your eyes widen. You're doing it again, aren't you? Being a mother.

"Hey, (Y/N), you all right?" You smile at Jeonghan tightly.

"Yeah, just thinking," you reply quietly, and Jeonghan cocks his head.

"About what? You never think." You snort, and Jeonghan dodges your hand.

"Graduating early. I'm thinking about doing it," you lie. Jeonghan quiets, and everyone else's attention is on you. "The principal said I can."

"Why the sudden decision?" Younghyun asks. You sigh.

"I don't know. I feel like it'll give me some time to think about college. And wouldn't it look good on my resume?" Even if you did lie about what you were thinking about, you were planning on graduating early. You just weren't expecting to tell your friends.

Jae hums in contemplation. "Yes, but you will have a lot less time to decide on a college if you want to start college during spring. If you don't, then you need to work full-time."

"I think I will. I haven't told anyone but Jeonghan yet, but I got accepted on a full ride to NYU." Yugyeom chokes, and everyone else beams at you.

"That's great!" You jump at Jennie's voice. When did she arrive? "I'm planning on going to NYU as well! I'll be a year behind you since I have to finish four years of school first, unlike you, but I will be seeing you at college then! I also think Yugyeom's going to NYU on a full ride as well."

You turn to Yugyeom, who's bashfully scratching his head as well. "Really? That's great, Gyeomie! Why didn't you tell us?" Jeonghan smiles at the much taller boy.

"I didn't want to go to a college where I knew no one, so I was waiting to see where you guys would go." This isn't unusual. Yugyeom does love his friends and is a bit shy, even if he's a grade above you all. He is the youngest, but he's in the same classes as Jae.

"Well, then we'd be graduating at the same time." You elbow the much taller boy, and he gives you a grin.

"Yeah, I guess we will."

"Now, let's go get food! I'm starving," Jennie proclaims, and your growling stomach agrees. Your group of friends all head off, and your thoughts about being overprotective are pushed away. That is, until lunch.

Contrary to his words, Seokjin and Sandeul do sit at your table. You can only assume Sandeul convinced him to still go since Seokjin is still grumpily sitting slightly to the side while Sandeul is chatting with your friends. Younghyun and Yugyeom let you sit in between them, as they are the only ones who know what happened, but you're still staying quiet.

You think Jeonghan suspects what happened. Guests have always made an appearance at your table, and you've never stayed quiet like you are now. Even when Jongin, the prom king runner up, sat at your usual lunch table, and you still made conversation. "So, (Y/N), what college are you planning on going to?" Sandeul is the first of the two visitors to talk to you.

"I'm going to NYU. How about you?" You answer hesitantly. Sandeul grins.

"That's great! Both me and Seokjin don't know where we're going." You offer a half-smile at that.

"I'm sure you guys will figure it out." Sandeul laughs.

"Well, I sure hope so. Do you know what you're going to study?" You shake your head.

"Not really? I'm stuck in between two majors, either business or law." Sandeul is actually really friendly. You wish you talked to him more.

"Those are good occupations. Hopefully, you can achieve what you want and enjoy it as well." You nod at Sandeul, in quiet thanks.

"The same goes for you." The quick conversation is enough to remind you to act like a normal human being and converse with people. You get back into your groove, and Jeonghan's worries are put on pause. "So, what do you think of Ms. Sunmi's substitute for today?"

The conversations at your tables resume, and the world is at peace for now. When Jaehyung eats a crabcake that Jennie let him try, his throat closes. He jolts up from his seat to rummage through his bag and pulls an EpiPen out of his backpack. With a steady hand, he uses it on his thigh. "I'm allergic to crab, and I forgot to take my medication beforehand." You tsk at him.

"How do you forget that? Come on, I'll take you to the nurse." Jae stands, and you accompany him through the halls. Seokjin follows quietly, and you shake off the uncomfortable feeling, focusing on your friend first.

The nurse's office wasn't far, and when you explained what happened, she took over. She also gave you and Seokjin a pass for the next class, and you guys had an unexpected free period. You headed straight towards the library, hoping Seokjin wouldn't follow you, but he did.

"Hey, um, (Y/N)?" he calls your name, and you try your best to ignore him. He grabs your wrist and spins you to turn to face him. "I'm sorry."

You roll your eyes, turning away from him. "It's fine. Sandeul must be wondering where you are. Why don't you go find him?" Seokjin gapes after you as you hurry down the hall again. He doesn't follow you.

You spend the rest of your free period in the library, and you go through the rest of the classes alone. With your final period being a free period, you head to the principal's office. When you enter the office, the secretary takes a quick glance at you before returning to her computer. "Mr. Lee is in a meeting, but he will be available in five minutes. Is it okay if you wait?" You nod, before realizing she's looking at her computer and voice your agreement.

"Are you playing minesweeper again, Ms. Hyuna?" Hyuna glances up, popping the gum in her mouth once before smiling and nodding.

"Yeah. This level sucks."

"Can I help?" you ask, and Hyuna nods, scootching over to make room for you. As you two discuss the strategies (apparently there are strategies according to Hyuna), the door to the principal's office opens and out walks Sandeul.

"(Y/N)? What are you doing here?" You glance up at him.

"Oh, I'm just here to see Mr. Lee." And see Mr. Lee, you did. He said you were able to graduate early at the end of the year, or you could graduate in the middle of the year with no fanfare. You decided to do it. With a quick goodbye, you left the office. You also passed by Hyuna to tell her not to click on the square with the mine.

Jeonghan had already gone home without you, as you texted him to let you know where you were, but someone else was waiting for you. "What are you doing?" you ask when you see Seokjin standing near the door to the principal's office.

"I'm walking you home since you stayed late." You roll your eyes.

"I'm not a child. I can walk home by myself."

Seokjin rolls his eyes as well. "Don't be stupid. I know you're not a child, but you did kind of run away from me when I was talking to you."

"I don't need your apologies," you say and walk past Seokjin. His legs are long, though, so he catches up to you. "What do you want?"

"I want to know why you don't like me. We've been neighbors for however long, but I don't know why you don't like me." You decide not to answer this question. It's not that you don't know why you don't like him.

He's loud. He throws parties on weekdays when you're trying to sleep. Sure, the first few times you let it slide since he didn't know you had a test, but it kept happening. Even after you asked him to keep it down. Your sleep schedule was fucked because of him. And that's not the only thing. When the police came to question him about his friend's actions once, he denied everything.

You're sure at least something must have been right, which means he must have lied at least once. Now, it's not good to judge someone, but you must say, you don't want to risk anything. "Are you going to answer my question?" Seokjin sighs impatiently.

"Ah, I don't hate you." You answered too fast. Seokjin raises a disbelieving eyebrow. "I just don't think you and I would get along."

"Why?" This man is stubborn.

"We don't see eye to eye on some things." That's your best excuse, and you can tell Seokjin doesn't believe it.

"Is this because of my friends' reputation and your love for yours?" You scoff. That was rude. "Don't give me that look. I know that look well. If you're so scared for your own reputation, then don't hang out with us. And don't invite us to lunch. It's an easy solution."

You glare at him. "It's not because of that." It is a little, but you're not telling him that. "And I wasn't trying to pity you, Seokjin. It's not entirely my fault that we don't hang out."

It's Seokjin's turn to roll his eyes. "How so? I don't seem to recall avoiding you every time you try to talk to me."

"But I do recall when you embarrassed me at the middle school assembly." Seokjin chokes.

"That was in middle school. This is high school now, so it shouldn't affect you." You feel your temper rising.

"People still call me stupid, sometimes," you hiss at him. "I still get notes asking whether my mom really was a criminal mastermind. But it's high school. It shouldn't affect me. So why does it still affect me?" Seokjin gapes at you.

"I'm sorry."

"You don't need to apologize again. Anyways, if you're so annoyed by my indifference towards you, you don't need to worry anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm graduating a year and a half early. I'll be out of your hair. That'll make you happy." Seokjin just stands there, and you turn to walk away. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go home. I need to talk to my aunt."

"Which one? The shoplifter?" You clench your fists. Seokjin was only worrying about you, he didn't mean to jab at your family, but you didn't know that.

"No. Unlike you, Seokjin, some of my family actually cares about me. Maybe you should take a look at yours and see if you can say the same."

Seokjin's really mad now. "Oh, last I checked, your mother and father leaving you really seems like they care about you."

You stop, turn around and stare at him with glassy eyes. "Fuck you, Kim Seokjin." Before you can apologize, you run. He figures it'll be best not to go after you.

———

"I can't believe you're leaving already," Jennie whines as she gives you a hug. "I thought you'd be graduating at the end of the year, along with Jae and Yugyeom."

You smile at her. "Don't worry. You'll be joining me in just a year." Jennie sighs again.

"You said Younghyun. You never say Younghyun. You're sad too. You know it won't be the same. You'll be an entire year above us, and then you won't hang out with us as much. You might as well become best friends with Jae and Yugyeom instead of Jeonghan."

"What's this about replacing me as your best friend?" When did Jeonghan get here? He scared you and Jennie, as the two of your jump.

"Yeah, I might do it if you keep on scaring me," you threaten.

"Sure, you will. Come on, all the other guys are waiting." Jeonghan says with a short laugh. "I think Yugyeom might cry. Also, Jae bought a pizza and some fried chicken, so if you don't hurry, Younghyun may eat it all."

You glare at nothing in particular, racing outside. "Brian, if you touch that chicken, I'll kill you." Younghyun gently places down the chicken before going for the pizza.

"I wasn't touching the chicken, what are you talking about?" You laugh at his feigned innocence. Before you know it, you're crying while you laugh. Yugyeom starts crying too as soon as he hears the first sob, and everyone else rushes to try and calm you two down. Jeonghan is quick to envelop you into a hug, with Jae following quickly. Jennie and Younhyun pat Yugyeom's back. He was hard to calm down, and if you had the chance to, you would've hiccupped out a sorry.

"I don't even know why I'm crying," you sob into Jeonghan's hug. "Why's Yugyeom crying too?"

"He's crying because you're crying." This just makes you cry harder.

"I'm going to miss you guys." You choke out.

"What? Yugyeomie's going with you." Jae says, confused, and you laugh at him tearily.

"Yeah, but it'll take a while before we can all be united again. Aren't you going to the Cali State University with Younghyun? Jeonghan is going abroad to the University of Paris, and Yugyeom won't join me until next year. Jennie has two years to go too." Jae sighs, and offers you a tissue. He always carries a pack of them around because of his allergies.

"Don't worry. You'll have Yugyeom. And you'll make more friends! When you go to NYU, go find someone called Oh Sehun. You didn't hear it from me, but he's a good guy. He'll be a good friend."

You sniffle a little. Your tears are almost gone now. "Thanks, Jae."

As you dry your tears and help Jennie and Younghyun calm Yugyeom down, you can hear someone approach. You pay no mind, thinking it must be your aunt. "(Y/N) can we talk?" You look up and see Seokjin standing in front of you.

"I...sure. Just make it quick. Yugyeom and I have to hit the road soon." It's your last day here. You don't want to be mean.

"I just wanted to say sorry. What I said was rude." You sigh and nod.

"I can't accept your apology. And I don't think I'll ever forgive you," you say coldly. Seokjin nods miserably.

"I figured as much. Thank you. I wish you the best" You nod stiffly at him. Honestly, you don't want to talk to him. At all.

"Yeah." Seokjin leaves after getting the hint, and you sigh. "I really do have to go now." Yugyeom sobs harder. After more tears and goodbyes, you finally get in your car. It's time to go. You shoot a quick glance across the street to Seokjin's house, and you see him arguing with his mother. You quickly turn away and start your car engine. You're not going to worry about such stuff. Now's a new chapter.

#bangtanscenerycollab #seokjin fanfiction #seokjin fanfic #seokjin angst #seokjin #fanfiction #fanfic #bts fic #bts fanfiction #bts fanfic #bts angst #BTS au

[agustdef]

Knuckleheads - Part 1

Pairing: Yoongi x OC [From Here & Now]

Genre: Idol!AU; Some fluff; Angst

Word Count: 12.6k

Warning: Angst. Some Language. Medical emergency. Unhealthy habits. (Not eating. Not sleeping. Just not taking care of one self in favor of working too much.)

Rating: PG15

Banner Marker: @shadowsremedy​

Lovely Beta Reader: @shadowsremedy​

Author’s Note: So, this is part of a two-shot for the Bangtan Scenery ‘April Showers Bring May Flowers’ collab. So this month you get the angst and next month comes the fluff. I promise I won’t just leave people hanging with this ending.

P.S. The creator of this lovely banner is also my posting twin and is giving us some angst with a Jungkook x Reader story here.

Summary: When you refuse to take care of yourself, you’re accepting that the consequences may vary. Or Kendall and Yoongi can’t seem to find a balance within their work and it’s doing more damage than they think.

Kendall's fingers flew across the keyboard, her eyes focused solely on the open document in front of her. She was almost at the end and could feel it or at least that's what she tricked herself into believing. In truth she still had a few more chapters to write, but the end of chapter goal was what kept her going.

Lying to herself was the way to get stuff done.

And after twenty minutes of typing away, the chapter was finished. Kendall then took a short break to drink some water and flex her fingers, but it wasn't long before she was on the next chapter. There were deadlines she needed to meet and getting ahead was her only goal for the day.

Even if that meant she was glued to her chair for twenty-four hours.

Time passed quickly as she wrote, especially since she'd gotten lost into the world she was weaving. Before she knew it, it was midnight and she was writing the final words of her last chapter of the day. She'd breezed through writing two of them and pushed for three more, even though her eyes were begging for a break.

Just as she typed the last word, she heard an aggressive vibration coming from the drawer in her desk. Confused, she opened it up to see her phone squirming around, which made no sense since she'd told everyone to leave her be for the day.

Kendall pulled the phone out of the drawer and flipped it over just as the vibrations stopped. And when she saw the screen her eyes nearly fell out of her head.

There were twelve missed calls from Yoongi.

She'd completely forgotten that they were supposed to have a facetime that night.

He was going to be pissed.

Taking a deep breath, she unlocked the phone and called him back. As she waited and was forced to see the reflection of herself, she realized she'd forgotten to do all her skincare that morning. Her face was beyond dry, but she didn't have time to remedy that because Yoongi was answering her call.

The expression on his face was blank, but she could see the annoyance in his eyes and the way his jaw was rigid.

"Hi Yoon," she said.

Being calm was her best option, because if she tried to play innocent or too sweet, he'd be even more annoyed with her than he was. And she honestly felt bad so that was the last thing she wanted.

A minute went by and he just stared at her, his eyes almost never blinking. It made the silent treatment even more uncomfortable.

Kendall sighed. "I'm sorry, Yoongi. I really am. I've been writing nonstop all day and time just got away from me. I seriously didn't mean to forget. I even set an alarm on my desktop, but it didn't notify me."

Though her words seemed to soften his expression it only lasted for a moment, because then he was leaning closer to his phone with an obvious frown.

"Nonstop? You've been writing nonstop all day?"

Kendall cursed herself for that slip up. Of course, that would make him even more annoyed with her.

Not knowing what else to say she nodded.

Yoongi ran a hand over his face and took a deep breath before his full attention turned back to her. For a moment he still looked miffed, but soon enough his entire expression shifted to one of worry.

"Why?" he asked.

Knowing she'd already ended up on his bad side she took a moment to gather her thoughts. Articulating her reasons clearly would lead to less confusion and annoyance for him if she accidentally said something in a way she didn't mean it.

"You know I'm on deadline for this rewrite and I wanted to knock out as much as possible. And I know, I know it's a bit further away and I have time, but I have all these other things to do that I wanted to get a head start. Give myself time to breathe later on since I know I'm going to have to start that outline for the one duology that Ara and I have been talking about. Plus, I don't want to spend all my time while I'm in Korea writing. So, I didn't think that a goal of ten chapters today would hurt anything," she rambled.

"Ten?" he shouted.

Again, Kendall nodded.

There was a series of sighs that he let out before he spoke again.

"Were you wearing your wrist braces?"

"Yes."

"Did you take Tylenol before you started and then again a few hours later?"

"Yes."

"Did you move around some?"

"Kind of."

Another sigh.

"Did you eat?"

Kendall knew she was screwed, but she wasn't going to lie to him.

"I had a pop tart throughout the day, but nothing else," she said.

If his glare could kill, Kendall would've died the moment he looked at her. And she understood why. It hadn't been her intention not to eat. Not eating was never her intention, but when she was focused on something else and didn't feel any biological urges, she'd forget. Even if she did get hungry it wasn't long before it slipped her mind.

After another stare down he broke again, though that time the anger didn't leave his face; it merely softened a bit.

"My day was a late start so I'm having a late lunch. It's on the way. Order something and we'll eat together. And it better be something filling. I don't care about how late it is; you need to eat."

"I can do that," Kendall said.

Not wanting him to glare at her anymore she sprang into action. Propping the phone against the monitor she went to her browser and looked at the places she had bookmarked. She wasn't craving anything specific, so she went with a Chinese restaurant not too far from her. Quickly her order of chicken with broccoli and vegetable fried rice was placed. She even flipped her camera and raised the phone so he could see her do it.

"It says fifteen minutes," she said once it sent.

He grunted. "Mine should be here around that time too."

Even though he was more at ease because she got her life together he didn't look at her. He'd sat the phone against something, and his eyes were focused on the screen in front of him. Though she wanted a little more interaction with him she couldn't help but enjoy watching him focused on work.

After a few minutes she broke the silence.

"Did you get the samples I sent you?"

Yoongi nodded and said nothing, but then directed his gaze to the camera.

"But you didn't put that one cello piece in there. That and the synth drum track," he said.

Kendall's brows furrowed and she sat the phone back down to focus on her own screen. After going into her email, she saw that it was indeed missing something and huffed.

"I'll send the synth drum and this other thing I meant to give you, but you have to wait on the cello piece. I wanted to redo it. Something sounded off," she muttered.

Despite not looking at her phone she knew he was rolling his eyes at her.

"It sounded great. You're just being a perfectionist," he said.

Kendall scoffed. "Says the man who played me Clair de Lune so flawlessly that I cried and then had the nerve to say it didn't flow well enough."

Yoongi smacked his lips, but Kendall could see a small smile form. No matter how much he pushed it back down it flared up again.

After pressing send Kendall watched him closely and said nothing. Not even when he confirmed he got the tracks did she speak a word. She just watched him with a weird smile on her face.

When Yoongi looked her way, he was taken aback by how focused on him she was, but he didn't mind it one bit.

"What?" he asked.

Without thinking she said, "I love you."

Yoongi rolled his eyes but smiled wide at her words. "I love you too, idiot. You just need to do better at taking care of yourself. This shit isn't healthy."

Kendall nodded and continued to stare at him with love in her eyes. Yoongi stared back with the same intense feeling.

They remained like that until her food arrived, then they spent the rest of the night eating and watching Sailor Moon Crystal together until Kendall fell asleep.

Kendall tried not to be annoyed, she really did, but it just wasn't feasible. And it was beyond clear to Kihyun as he drove her from the airport to Yoongi's apartment.

"I'm sorry. I called him and Namjoon, but got no answer from either of them," he said.

That made Kendall sigh. Not because she was pissy, which she was, but because he'd apologized a million times since picking her up. He apologized more than Jungkook that time he thought he'd deleted the track she was working on. In neither instance was it their fault, but both men seemed insistent on quelling her agitation.

She turned her head and stared at Kihyun; whose eyes remained on the road.

"Ki, we've been over this already. You have nothing to apologize for, so stop it. I'm not mad at you. Hell, I'm not mad at all. Just annoyed. I promise."

Kihyun glanced at her as they came to a stop light. Though he appeared skeptical after a few seconds he nodded, and she watched his body physically relax. In turn she relaxed because she hated making people feel uncomfortable when they had done nothing to warrant her mood. She could save her agitation for later.

After about half an hour and some small talk they arrived at the entrance of the building. Kihyun got out to help her with her bags and after a hi-five she made her way inside. The guard on duty was one she was familiar with and he waved at her, a smile on his face. She returned it before heading into the elevator.

As she stood and watched the floor number change it was easy to settle back into her agitated state. Pulling her phone from her pocket she checked to see if there were any messages from the hour she hadn't looked at it. The only things were from her mom responding to her landing text, some emails, and social media notification. Not one message from any of the boys.

When the doors of the elevator finally parted, she practically stormed out, dragging her luggage behind her. She punched in the code into the keypad and just as she stepped into the apartment, she saw the reason Yoongi wasn't answering. On the small table next to the door sat his phone.

Rolling her eyes Kendall kicked off her shoes and fully entered the apartment, ensuring that the door locked behind her. Since she knew he wasn't home she went about her business. That meant taking her luggage and unpacking it and then going into the kitchen to make her a quick lunch. Which was reheated kimchi stew from the fridge and some rice.

By the time Kendall finished her food a wave of tired coursed through her. She'd slept well on the plane, but that didn't make her completely void of jet lag. Staying up was the goal, but after ten minutes of sitting and fighting sleep she realized a nap wouldn't hurt. It was only three in the afternoon anyway, so it wouldn't mess with her sleep that night.

Before she slept, she checked her phone one last time, but again there was nothing from any of the people she needed messages from. Sighing, she texted the group chat and all the boys separately asking why no one was answering. She didn't bother to try and wait for a response though, merely setting an alarm and passing out on the bed.

Her dreams were filled with normal everyday things, so it was a peaceful sleep. Once she'd woken up her body still felt that linger of tiredness, but it was mostly energized. Which was a miracle for a nap. Though once she tapped the screen of her phone, she realized it was because she'd been knocked out for six hours.

None of her alarms had woken her up.

"Damnit," she groaned.

After throwing a small fit she carefully rose from the bed and stretched out. She wondered if Yoongi had appeared, though since he wasn't in the bed with her or hadn't woken her up, she was sure he hadn't. And after a quick look around the apartment, including his studio, she was proven right.

Checking her phone, she went to every single chat and there was nothing, not even a read message. And she knew they kept those things on so they could drag each other when they didn't get a prompt response. Hell, she knew that half the time Jimin went to the bathroom was to check his phone where he wouldn't get scolded and yet nothing.

Tired of it she finally texted Sejin.

Kendall: Hey, Sejin. Is everyone alive? No one is answering my texts or calls.

She went to put down her phone after that, but there was a notification before she could.

Sejin: Today's just been a bit busy with practice and things. Is there something that you need? Something wrong? Do I need to get Yoongi? I know he accidentally left his phone at home.

All the questions made her laugh. Of course, he'd think something was wrong.

Kendall: Nothings wrong. And I know he left his phone. I saw it when I got in a few hours ago

The three dots came almost instantly and then stopped. It went on like that for a minute solid and Kendall had no clue what he could possibly be typing. Finally, it came in.

Sejin: That was today???

So, Yoongi wasn't the only one who'd forgotten about her. It didn't hurt her feelings any because while it was partially Sejin's job to remember it also wasn't. He wasn't the one who was supposed to come get her. Nor was he the one who left her sitting in the airport for almost two hours.

Kendall: Yes

Again, the dots, but he didn't take as long.

Sejin: I'm so sorry, Kendall. I had it down somewhere and it slipped my mind. How did no one get back to you? Yoongi didn't contact you? That punk. I'll let them no to get back to you. We just finished and everyone should be heading home now.

That didn't really warrant much of a response, so she said ok and thank you before throwing the phone on the couch. Them getting back to her was no longer a worry of hers, so she'd just continue with her evening.

Feeling disgusting she grabbed some stuff and went off to take a shower. The moment the hot water hit her skin was like a cleansing for her mind. Was her annoyance gone? No, but she felt calmer and much more relaxed. Well, at least until she remembered she'd gotten in without a shower cap on and scrambled away from the water. Thankfully, there was one already in there from when she'd been in Korea months before.

Refreshed, she hopped out the shower and got dressed. Settling on some short shorts and a tank top for her sleep attire. And after twisting her hair in large sections in order to put on her bonnet, she snagged one of Yoongi's hoodies to walk around in.

Hunger struck her again, so she found her phone and ordered from a place that had pho. It would take some time to get there and she was set on ignoring the messages from the boys that sat in her inbox. So, she went about straightening and cleaning things. She'd done the kitchen and the living room by the time she was notified the food was there. Slipping on her shoes she went down to get it, once back in the apartment she practically inhaled it.

She watched some random show while she ate, but once she was done the urge to be productive hit her. Grabbing her laptop from the bedroom she planned to work from the couch, but then her eyes drifted towards the hall where the studio was. Being fully immersed in her work sounded better to her, and she'd wanted to work on a track, so it made sense.

Kendall grabbed some water and a pop tart before heading into the studio.

It only took her a minute to set everything up. Even booting the computer up under her log in. Everything was just like she wanted it, thankfully. Sometimes when Yoongi typed in his password wrong too many times he used her log in and ended up altering how she liked to set up her software. It was a pain in the ass to fix.

He was a pain in the ass.

Not allowing herself to get worked up Kendall focused on the computer. Slipping on some headphones she played the track a few times before tweaking it. The goal was reggae trap, but it wasn't coming out that way at all, so she just went wherever it took her.

But twenty minutes in her phone wouldn't stop vibrating, so she was forced to deal with it. It was a series of messages from the boys. They'd all sent apologies separately, but also blew up the group chat. Scrolling through and reading them all took a solid two minutes.

She wasn't that upset with them. Much like Sejin they were supposed to remember, but weren't the ones with any real responsibility. It wasn't necessarily their job. Kendall was just being petty when she ignored their messages before.

Sighing, she realized that if she didn't reply they'd keep messaging her nonstop or start thinking she was pissed at them or something.

Kendall: It's fine. I'm annoyed and hate that I had to call Kihyun to come get me, but it's fine. I'm not mad at any of you. But I'm also trying to work, so maybe tone down the spamming

There was an overall okay in response to her and she went to set her phone down only for it to go off again. That time it was just Namjoon.

Namjoon: Did Yoongi call or text?

Kendall checked her phone for a message from someone other than Joon and there was none.

Kendall: No

Namjoon: Taehyung gave him his phone so he should get to you soon. And I swear that he feels like shit for forgetting.

Though she believed him, something in her questioned why he felt the need to emphasize that. And why Yoongi didn't just head home instead of using Tae's phone to contact her, but she chose not to ask Joon a million questions.

Kendall: Ok, thanks for letting me know

With that she got back to work but sat the phone on her thigh, so she'd feel when it went off. Enough time passed that she'd been so into her work that the vibrating almost went unnoticed. But when she realized it, she took off the headphones and answered the call from Tae's phone, though she did take note that it was over an hour later.

"Hello?" she said.

There was silence and then a gruff voice came through. "Hi, baby."

"Yes?" she wasn't going to play that game with him.

"I know I fucked up," he said.

"Accurate."

He laughed at that but kept going. "But I really need a favor from you and then I'll be on the way home. Where I will apologize thoroughly."

Of course, he needed something from her first. That explained her weird feeling about how bad he truly felt.

"What is it?" she asked.

A sigh of relief came through the phone. "There are some things in the folder labeled Jin and I need you to send it to me."

"Fine."

"Thank you so much. I love you."

In return all she did was grunt. Saving her own project, she logged out and logged into his. Within a minute or two she'd found the folder and sent it to him.

"It should be there," she said.

"Thank you. I swear I'll be home in forty-five minutes or less."

Kendall rolled her eyes. "Sure."

Right as he tried to say bye, she stopped him though, there was something else she needed to say.

"If your version of telling me your sorry involves sex, you're going to want to rethink your plan. It's not happening."

And with that she hung up.

Locking her phone, she threw it on the desk and refocused on her music. She wasn't going to let him derail what she was doing.

By the time thirty minutes passed Kendall was okay with where she was in terms of progress and knew she'd need to come back to it with fresh eyes. But she played it aloud a few times to see if she genuinely liked it.

Kendall was so immersed in listening she didn't realize that by the third playthrough she was no longer alone. Not until Yoongi's hands were on her shoulders. It caused her to jump, but when she registered his fingers she calmed down.

She then stopped the music and turned around to face him. He was looking all sweet and innocent, but she knew better than to give in to that.

"Go ahead," she said.

Yoongi immediately dropped the act and sighed. Then after staring at her for thirty seconds he moved closer and pushed her legs together. Before she could question that both of his knees were on either side of her thighs and he was sitting in her lap, his arms wrapping around her neck.

"Baby."

"Don't baby me mister."

Yoongi rolled his eyes but didn't retort.

"Kendall. I'm sorry I forgot about you today, I really am. I told myself last night, but then today was crazier than we thought it would be. It didn't help that I was up late working on this thing for Kook. Which meant I rushed out of the house forgetting my phone and then I was so wrapped up in work that nothing else crossed my mind," he rambled.

Kendall's eyes narrowed. "Pause. A thing for Kook? As in the thing you said you stopped working on and would pick up today when you had the chance. Because you'd already pulled three all-nighters this week and you needed the rest."

With each word Kendall became more annoyed and Yoongi realized he'd messed up.

She watched as he scrambled for something, but then finally gave up.

"Look, I know. I should've slept, especially since it takes me so much more energy to fake that I have energy in order to get through work. But inspiration hit and I just started working. Next thing I knew it was early in the morning and I needed to get ready for the day. I fucked up and I'll do better about it. I promise."

His words were sincere, and he wasn't the only one prone to doing that, so she couldn't be too upset with him.

"I get it. We both suck at taking better care of ourselves. We'll both do better," she said.

Yoongi nodded, removing one arm from around her neck so he could hold out his pinky. Smiling she linked her own with it.

"We'll do better," he said.

Kendall nodded and with that Yoongi got off her.

"I showered and ate dinner already, so how about we go to bed?" he asked.

A sarcastic laugh escaped Kendall and she shook her head.

"I said sex isn't happening."

Yoongi scoffed. "I just want to cuddle you, not sleep with you. Goodness, woman."

Though she didn't believe him Kendall shut everything down and allowed him to lead her out of the studio to the bedroom. There they snuggled up and watched TV. Yoongi copped several feels, especially on her butt, which he insisted was an accident.

But the truth was, they didn't do better. In fact, they got worse.

Comeback preparation came at them harder than usual and they had to dive into the chaos. Of course, it wasn't their first time handling it, but that didn't make things easier for either of them.

Yoongi was fully submerged in it, along with one or two projects outside of the group. Kendall wasn't essential for the album, but she still worked on it nearly every day. Plus, there were other groups she worked with that were preparing to comeback, along with all the writing she needed to get done. It was a blessing that projects in the western world were off limits to her during prep or the stress would've tripled.

To their credit they did try to keep things from getting out of hand, but it only took a week before they slipped into unhealthy habits. Their focus was so on getting things done so they were out of the way, that there was no thought about taking a moment to breathe. A moment to take a walk and not think about all the things that needed to be done.

If a thing they planned wasn't mandatory it wasn't going to happen. There were countless outings with friends that they flaked on. A cancelled lunch here, a trip to Lotte World there, jam sessions that were only meant for some fun and stress relief. Kendall nearly missed a friend's engagement party because she'd brushed off the reminder and twenty minutes before someone called to ask her when she was getting there.

At some point people stopped inviting them places and neither of them even noticed.

And that didn't even account for them flaking on each other. Date nights or plans to do even the grocery shopping were put off or forgotten about. Not that either of them ever brought it up, because even if they were aware enough to remember themselves something always caught their attention, so they forgot it even happened. Well, didn't happen.

It even reached the point where spending time together was sitting in Yoongi's studio and working on different things. Kendall preferred her studio for producing so she'd just bring her laptop in and write. Yoongi was usually the one to invite her, but he didn't stop staring at his screen or talking to one of the guys about a track long enough to say anything but hi.

It was getting out of control, but of the two Yoongi was the one dealing with all the stress and work better. He was pushing too hard and not taking proper care of himself, but sometimes logic would prevail. A snack would get eaten or he'd walk to a secluded park to write lyrics because he needed a change of scenery.

But even with his brief moments within reality, he was blind to the fact that Kendall was descending farther than he'd ever reached. He always had faith that she would be fine because she was strong enough to know when things truly needed to slow down, but she wasn't doing that. And right under his nose she was on a downward spiral.

For over a month he remained blind to that, everyone did. Or at least they weren't saying anything to him about it. Not that he listened much to what anyone told him when he was focused on something else.

However, at some point someone got fed up with the bullshit.

Kendall was on Yoongi's couch typing away on her laptop with music blasting through her headphones, while Yoongi sat at his desk writing lyrics. They'd started working on a song the night before that he needed help tweaking. Hours past rapidly as they brainstormed and worked through it. When that was figured out, she decided to write while he finished up.

Both neglected to notice that by the time Kendall's butt hit the couch it was seven in the morning. And they stayed like that until nine rolled around and Jin was bursting through the doors with bags in hand.

The suddenness startled them both and they stopped what they were doing to focus on him. They were met with an incredibly angry Jin and a smirking Taehyung who stood behind him watching the show.

"What time is it?" Jin asked.

"Uh..." Kendall shrugged, eyes flitting down to the bottom right of her computer screen.

When she saw the time, her eyes went wide, and her jaw dropped. There was a curse from Yoongi which indicated that he'd also checked.

"Mhm, and when were you supposed to leave?" he asked.

"No later than one," Yoongi mumbled.

"And why is that?"

"Because we've already been pushing it, so the rule has been imposed for everyone so not to overwork ourselves," Kendall said.

Jin nodded. "And yet, here you two are. Up for over twenty-four hours. Plus, you haven't eaten since who knows when. So, you're going home and today is an off day."

Yoongi opened his mouth to speak, but Jin just reiterated his point.

"You're both going to eat all of that. Only then will you be allowed to leave and when you leave, you're going to go home and rest. Don't make me have to come over and watch you do it either. I will know if you don't."

The way he glared at them meant there was no room for argument and Yoongi wasn't going to, but Kendall had something to say.

"Actually, I have a meeting at one that's like an hour away and then I have a session at four. So..."

That made Jin glare at her, but he didn't have anything else to say. Of course, arguing it was an option, but work was work and there was no way around that. Yoongi even had it in him to look displeased by the news.

Without saying anything Jin moved farther into the studio and shooed Yoongi out of his chair and onto the couch. From there he took a seat and started pulling things out of the bag he'd brought with him. Before they knew it, containers of steaming food were in each of their laps and Taehyung was handing them drinks.

Once they had the food, he stared them down and waited, but Yoongi was the only one who started eating right away. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Kendall playing with the food.

"Look, Jin we didn't mean too..."

"Just eat," Jin said, clearly not in the mood for an explanation.

After that nothing else was said and they both just sat there and ate their food. Every drop of food was consumed too because no matter how much they told him they were full he just stared at them until they continued.

It was like they were children.

When all the food was gone Jin directed to shut everything down and gather their stuff. Jin supervised every movement. It didn't stop there though. He got into the van that took them home and glared the entire drive there. Then he went up with them and watched as they both got ready for different things.

Yoongi prepared for bed and Kendall for her meetings. In half an hour of arrival she was out the door and Yoongi was down for the count.

But his sleep was only temporary.

After about twenty minutes he was up again, and his body didn't want to go back down. He gave up and dragged his feet out into the living room, where Jin was still present.

"Are you not leaving?" Yoongi asked, his voice gruff.

Jin was startled by him and jumped a little, but quickly collected himself and went back to the scowl that seemed permanent.

"Not until you've been out for a few hours. And maybe not until Ken gets back," Jin said.

Yoongi chuckled at that. "I can't sleep, and she might not be back for a while so you're going to get bored fast."

There was a moment or two of silence before Jin's expression shifted to something more distressed, a sigh escaping him.

"Yeah, I know."

That response through Yoongi off. Obviously, Jin would be tired of their antics but something about him read more than that. Yoongi couldn't pinpoint what else could be plaguing the oldest member, but he would find out. He hated seeing any of his brothers down and out.

Moving toward the couch he laid out a few feet from Jin and watched him closely.

"Something wrong? You know you can talk to me about anything, right?" Yoongi asked.

That made Jin sigh again, but it was accompanied by a humorless laugh. After a second or so Jin nodded and turned to face Yoongi.

"Not when you're like this I can't."

Yoongi scoffed. "Of course, you can. I know I've been a little too focused lately, but you know I'm always here for you. You don't need to worry about that."

"You're the one I'm least worried about," he mumbled.

"Huh?"

For a moment Jin appeared conflicted, but then his expression turned serious. He turned his body so he was facing Yoongi full on and stared at him for a few seconds.

"Have you really not noticed Kendall's behavior?" Jin asked.

That made Yoongi frown. He'd been caught up in work, but he liked to think if something was wrong, he'd noticed it. There was nothing that came to mind though. All he was met with was memories of her being as engulfed in her work as him, which wasn't a great thing, but it wasn't that bad. She had a lot of work.

Though part of him felt like that line of thinking was stupid since he was on her constantly about taking care of herself. But of course, he shook it off, they were in a high-pressure time and sometimes things needed all their attention.

"She's been working a lot, but that's it. Did something happen?" he asked.

Jin groaned and wiped a hand over his face.

"You've both been working a lot, but she's taking it to an almost extreme level. Have you seriously not seen that she's almost always working on something or going somewhere to do more work? I'm not even sure that she gets much sleep at this point. Let alone eats enough. I'm sure this morning was the biggest meal she had in a few weeks."

That made Yoongi even more confused. "But I almost always see her when you guys force a group lunch. She eats then."

Jin pursed his lips. "Have you actually seen her eat or just pick at the food while typing away at her phone and basically running away when everyone else finishes?"

Yoongi tried to think back to all the times they'd eaten together, and he remembered eating at least half his meal, but never actually seeing Kendall eat. His attention always focused on his screen or notebook. And when he'd go to put the leftovers in the fridge or trash Kendall's containers would be beside her in the exact spot it was placed. But of course, she just happened to sit it back down there or ate out of it from that position. She wouldn't forgo food for long, so she had to be eating.

"Of course, she..." Yoongi started, but then he recalls seeing her walk down the hall one afternoon and having to lean against the wall for a moment with her eyes closed. That could've been a one time thing though. Couldn't it?

It reached a point where he just laid there with his mind going over every interaction they'd had since the prep began. He was finding all types of things that seemed normal at the time, but in hindsight didn't make any sense if she was taking proper care of herself.

"Listen," Jin said, regaining his attention. "You just need to talk to her. We've all tried, but she plays it off or has something else she needs to do. Jimin almost got her to listen, but she just went back into the habit a few hours later. You're the only one who can call her out on it. You both need to be called out, but I know you'll be fine. I'm scared she's going down a dangerous path."

At that Yoongi nodded, but he was still a bit lost in his own head. He couldn't believe that he'd missed so many signs. There was just no way.

Jin confronting him the week before had woken Yoongi up from what he was doing to himself. The way he'd slimmed down a bit and how no amount of skincare could save his face; the undereye bags were going strong. It wasn't good and so he made changes in order to be healthier. Even having the younger members enforce him taking breaks multiple times a day. It was easier to see how things were going down a bad path for him and he was eternally grateful for Jin helping pull him back as he always did.

However, with his newfound clarity and self-awareness he finally saw what was going on with Kendall. Finally, he was paying attention. He watched her for a week and could see that he'd missed everything. Even the biggest flag of them all, which was how she never left her studio if she didn't need to. He hadn't been looking for that before, so it got by him, but every day until who knows when she was in that room by herself working. Food set outside would go ignored and he was sure she never even peed.

How he'd been so far gone that none of those things caught his attention was still a major question, but he couldn't focus on that. His attention needed to be on figuring out how to handle Kendall. If someone didn't get her to snap out of it, she'd lose steam completely and enter a creative block. And she didn't need to do that when all her jobs were creative. Yoongi cared more about her health than her hitting a roadblock, but he knew that when she did that it was much worse for her mentally. She put too much pressure on herself.

So, he needed to be strategic about it. Coming straight at her would do no good and if he was too nice or tried too hard to get her to forgo something to do something else, she'd suspect him. The only choice was for her lone plan for the day to be cancelled to create a slot where she was free. It would be hard for her to turn him down then, so he did what he had to.

Yoongi pulled out his phone and called Kihyun. His friend answered after a few rings.

"Hello."

"Hey, Kihyun. I have a question," Yoongi said.

"Sure, what's up?"

"Is the thing that you're working with Ken on something urgent? Can it be postponed or something?"

"Yes. Yes, it can!" Kihyun shouted.

It shocked Yoongi. "Uh, okay..."

A throat cleared and then Kihyun was speaking at a normal level. "Sorry. It's just the last time she came to work on the song she looked so tired. And even though she was working as well as usual there seemed to be a lack of her normal spark. I asked her about it, and she brushed me off, but I've been worrying about it. So, it can definitely be put on hold so she can rest or whatever you have in mind."

Everyone, but Yoongi had been paying attention it seemed.

"Yeah, I want to get her to rest. But listen, I need you to make up a reason why it's pushed to another day. She cannot know that I'm the reason that this was cancelled. Getting her to stop depends on her not knowing."

"Okay, I can do that. I'll text her now and then text you when it's done," Kihyun said.

"Thanks man."

"No problem."

With that they hung up and Yoongi shut down everything and prepared to head out. But he couldn't just stroll into her office after she got the news, so he played on his phone for half an hour after getting the confirmation text. After that he just casually made his way to her studio, knocking before letting himself in.

What he was met with was her sitting on the couch and staring at her table with a pen in hand. She was making edits, which made his appearance even better time wise. If she was doing it then that meant she was ahead of her schedule in some way and was even less likely to turn him down.

"Hey, baby. I was going to head out for some food. You want to come?" Yoongi asked.

For a moment or two she didn't say anything, but that was unsurprising since he'd asked as she started to write on the screen. Once she was done with the task at hand her attention became his and he truly saw the tired in her face. The bags under her eyes were prominent and her usually plump cheeks weren't as chubby. It made him feel even worse for not noticing it before.

"Uh. I'm not really hungry." she said, her voice softer than usual.

"But you were gone before breakfast. Come eat with me. Unless you have something else planned?"

That made her sigh and deflate a little. Yoongi almost felt bad for messing with her schedule, but it needed to be done.

"No. Ki said that something in his schedule changed so he'd need to meet with me another day."

Yoongi tried his best to seem chill about it. "Damn, that sucks. I hope they aren't overworking him over there as per usual. Okay, then you can come eat with me since your meeting fell through."

Again, he was met with no response for several seconds, but then she nodded her head and carefully rose from the couch. It was clear that it disoriented her a little, but Yoongi couldn't react to it. He had to let her move at her own pace and get her where he wanted her to be.

As she packed up her stuff, he kept a close eye on her.

"Is there anything you want to get in particular?" she asked.

Yoongi shook his head. "Nah, not really. I was thinking something close by, but then I also remembered that Jin put some kimchi stew in the fridge so we could just eat that."

Kendall froze and that worried Yoongi, he did not need to be found out so early. But when she turned around, she smiled at him.

"That sounds really good."

He returned the smile. "Great. I already had one of the vans waiting out front for me, so we can just tell them where we're going."

Kendall nodded and then motioned for Yoongi to lead the way. When he turned around, he released a deep breath and led them out of the building and into the awaiting van. Once they were on the road it was silent between them, but he didn't mind. He needed to ensure that he didn't say something too soon and if they got talking, he would slip up.

Once they arrived home, he led her upstairs with a hand wrapped around her waist, which wasn't something unusual. It appeared like affection to her and everyone else, but it was mostly him trying to keep her stable enough that she didn't sway or stumble. If that happened, she'd get defensive when he asked if she was okay.

They got into the apartment without issue and Yoongi got to work reheating the food so they could eat. Kendall took a seat at the dining room table and began editing again. It wasn't too intensive, so he let it be, but the moment the stew was ready, and he had some side dishes he had her put it away.

Again, they sat in silence, though that time he turned on the TV and put Brooklyn Nine-Nine on in the background. It drew in some of her attention and that's what he wanted. He needed her calm and comfortable. If she got a filling lunch and was somewhat immersed in the show some of her walls would be down. It also helped that he genuinely enjoyed the series and she knew that, so it didn't appear that he was trying anything.

But despite Yoongi's careful steps Kendall saw through him. After he'd taken the dishes to the kitchen, he returned to find her waiting for him with her arms crossed.

"What?" he asked.

"You're up to something."

That made his heart rate spike, but he'd perfected a steady expression over the years so of course that didn't show.

"What are you talking about?"

"We haven't spent real time together in a while and now you're actively seeking me out. Plus, you've been watching me a lot over the last two days. It's weird and sudden. So, what are you up to?" she asked.

"I'm not allowed to show interest and want to spend time with you now? That's suddenly... actually, no. I'm not going to do this. We'll go back and forth for forever and I'm just going to get to the point. I've stopped being so caught up in work that I noticed that you're too caught up in it. You're not taking care of yourself and I'm worried about you. Many people are worried about you. I thought we could spend some time together and that means you would rest."

Kendall's expression went from suspicious to annoyed. One of her brows raised and she rose from her seat, though she didn't move closer to Yoongi. In fact, he saw her take the smallest step back.

"So, what? You were going to try to get me to bend to your will by using things I like to lull me into a sense of comfort? Thought that would be enough to get me to forget about all the work I have to do?"

"No, I..."

"And then what? Get me to sleep? Make sure I stay in bed until tomorrow? Or were you planning on trying to get me to not work the rest of the week? Something that would put me back severely since I have things to do. Something that..."

"Stop!" he shouted. "Yes, I wanted you to take a break. And I would've loved if it was for the rest of the day. I would love for you to just sit down for a moment and relax. To sleep more than you do. To eat more than you do. I'd love for things to not be how they are now. But I wasn't and don't plan to commit some grand conspiracy against you, Kendall. I just want you to slow down and breathe."

There was silence and then Kendall scoffed. "When you're doing it it's fine, but when it's me there is suddenly this major problem. I'm fine. I'm stressed and working a lot, but I'm fine. This isn't anything that I can't handle. I've had more to do, so it's not a problem. But a problem occurs when everyone seems to think they need to insert themselves into my life for one reason or the other. I don't need to be watched like a child who can't function on her own. I'm more than capable."

Yoongi sighed and ran a hand over his face. Of course, things were taking a turn. She reacted much like him when backed into a corner when they swore, they were okay when in truth it felt like life was drowning them.

"No one is saying you're not capable, Kendall. We just want you healthy and not pushing yourself so much. You're losing weight and you look so drained of energy all the time. Even Kihyun said something was off during your last session. That you had your same work ethic, but your usual energy was gone," Yoongi said gently.

He hoped that his words would change something within her, and they did, but she was angry which wasn't the goal.

Kendall took a deep breath; her fists clenched and unclenched a few times before she glanced at Yoongi.

"Kihyun? Is that why he canceled? Because I don't seem well enough? Great."

Yoongi took a step forward, but she took two steps back.

"Everyone seems to have these grand ideas about what I should be doing and making decisions on my behalf. So, I'm going to let you all do what you want to do. But I won't be around to let you do it. I have things to get done today and Kihyun canceling means I have more time. So, if you need me for my job then let me know. Other than that, back the hell off."

With that she grabbed her stuff and was headed towards the door. Yoongi went after her, but after she slipped on her shoes she whipped around and held her hand up to stop him.

"I'll be sleeping somewhere else tonight. Don't wait up or come looking for me to make sure that I'm sleeping up to your standards."

And with that she was gone. Yoongi was left cursing himself and wishing he'd handled things differently. Maybe if he had she'd be still in the apartment. If he'd only caught on sooner maybe the evening would've been spent cuddled together on the couch or in bed. Honestly, anything was better than what happened.

Yoongi couldn't help but feel like he'd messed everything up.

Despite wanting to fix things as soon as they happened Yoongi waited it out. He knew that coming at Kendall again would just yield another argument and he didn't want that. Especially because he was likely to lose his cool and things would become worse.

So, he sat back and let her do what she wanted for a few days. Every time he ate, he grabbed her food, sat it near the door and walked away. Sometimes it would be gone when he went by again, but more often than not it was still sitting there. It was frustrating, but he didn't let up and just kept doing it. There were even little notes where he left her with encouraging messages or that relayed how much he loved her. He hoped it would help soften her and that she'd see his true intentions.

And when they worked together, he was his usual self. There was no pressure to eat, drink, or rest. Kendall had already taken to avoiding him, so he didn't want her to just completely ignore his existence. He only got such brief time with her to make sure she was okay, and he refused to risk it.

The method was honestly great for the first few days, but then after two days in a row with food untouched and her barely leaving the office he'd had enough. The boys could see it too, they watched as he was pushed over the edge.

They stood in the middle of the practice room discussing the choreography they went over a few times. It was the early stages, they were more worried about everyone getting it than it being in sync, so the topic of discussion was one move that almost everyone was struggling with.

But it was during Namjoon explaining that maybe they could alter the instrumental a little to fit that shit hit the fan.

"I could talk to Kendall about it. Of course, making changes is a bit much but it would be kind of cool. None of us are doing it as smoothly as needed and we were discussing adding more of that slightly disjointed sound to the chorus. It wouldn't take much time at all," Namjoon said.

Hoseok pursed his lips and nodded. "But when can she do it? Of course, we can practice it with that in mind, but we need to hear it and get approval before we make that choice. And she said she had a lot to do today. Something about having a new project to work on and needing to prepar..."

When Yoongi heard she took on another project his head snapped up, his eyes focused on Hoseok. The younger male was startled by the attention, especially since Yoongi was glaring at him.

"She has another what?" Yoongi said, practically shouting the words.

No one said a thing, but then after they all were the focus of his glare Jungkook said something.

"Yeah, she took on this thing for some artist she really likes. They're an American one, but she wanted it more than she cared about sticking to her rule during comeback prep."

The rage that filled Yoongi was swift and before anyone could utter another word, he was storming out of the practice room. He didn't stop until he reached the elevators, but as he waited for the doors to open, he could feel his emotions intensify. It was time to put an end to the situation and he didn't care about her being upset with him.

"Where are you going?" Namjoon called out as he caught up with Yoongi.

"To stop this shit."

"Yoongi, you can't just come at her all pissed off. She doesn't respond well to that, you know this," Joon tried to reason.

"I'm not going to her."

Just as he said that the doors opened, and he stepped through. Namjoon stood and watched him, conflict clear in his expression. Yoongi waited a second, but when he didn't make a move, he pressed the floor number. Just before the doors closed Namjoon slid in after him.

The elevator ride was tense and quiet. Yoongi was trying to control his anger so that he wouldn't lash out at anyone. No one was at fault for this and there was no need for them to have to deal with his issues. Even if they were all willing, he'd hate if he'd made anyone too uncomfortable once everything was over.

When the doors opened, they walked out and the secretary simply nodded and pointed towards their destination. After knocking and being granted entrance they walked into Bang's office.

Their boss looked prepared for their arrival and Yoongi was sure one of the boys put two and two together and warned him. He didn't mind though; it was easier to handle it if he didn't have to just show up and lay it all out when he least expected it.

"Is there something I can help you with, Yoongi?" Bang asked.

Taking a deep breath Yoongi collected himself and then nodded. "Yes, there is. Kendall has been a little, well a lot overwhelmed the last few months. She's working more than she needs to and not taking care of herself properly. Obviously, some of this stuff is out of your domain, but a lot of it is work on producing and writing. It's reached a point where she won't listen and even when things fall through, she finds a million other things to do in its place. I know that her main focus is on the girl group debut and you wanted her to take full control of that, but they won't even be announced for a few months and she's way ahead of schedule. So, what I'm asking for is her taking a break. She'll have more than enough time to come back to it and have them ready. But right now, she needs to step back. I need her to step back before things get worse."

Yoongi hadn't meant to be long winded, but once he started talking it all came out. And that included the distress he was feeling. His voice went up a few octaves and he was pleading with Bang to agree with him. He needed for him to give the go ahead.

It was silent for a moment, but then Bang nodded. "I've noticed that she's been working a lot, but I didn't know to what extent. She's farther ahead then what we talked about. Practically finished the album. So, we can put a hold on any more work until she's had proper rest. If that needs to start today, then it can. I'll send the email and make the call."

After nodding and giving a brief thank you Yoongi was out the door and back in the elevator with Namjoon hot on his heels.

"What are you going to do?" Namjoon asked.

"We're going home."

"And if she doesn't choose to go? You know she's not just going to agree. So, what are you going to do?"

For a while Yoongi didn't say anything, but the moment he stepped off the elevator he turned to face Joon.

"I'm going to tell her too much time has gone."

Namjoon's eyes widened at that, but Yoongi could see on his face he understood. That phrase - too much time has gone - was used when there was something serious they needed to talk about. Something where one of them needed to be heard out and it invoked the urge to listen better with the other. Kendall wouldn't be able to refuse and would have to see how concerned he was.

He hated using it because it always left him on edge when she used it and he would assume the worst, so he knew she had to feel it too when he did it.

"Call or text me after. Okay?" Namjoon said.

Yoongi nodded and then turned to walk down the hall. He made a quick stop in the practice room to grab his stuff and then did the same in his office. Once packed up he headed towards her studio. As he went, he prepared himself for a shit show and he really wished it didn't need to be, but he'd accept that if it meant she'd be okay.

When he walked up to the door the bag of food he'd left earlier was gone and that helped calm him. At least she ate something. He took a deep breath and knocked on the door but got nothing. Several knocks and doorbell rings later he put in the passcode and entered the studio. Instead of finding Kendall immersed in her work he was met with darkness, which was weird because she didn't have any outside work.

Yoongi flipped the switch and found everything was shut down, but something on her desk caught his eye. He moved closer and saw the bag of food, which was still untouched, but before he could focus on that his eyes drifted to the note on the desk. It was the one he left, and it read: You're doing a great job, baby. I got your favorite. I love you.

The paper was wet unlike it had been when he dropped it off and it only took a second to realize that it was from tears. Even the space around it had a few drops here and there.

His first thoughts were about if she was okay and the next were hoping that maybe they'd just been from him finally breaking through to her. Either way she needed to be found.

Yoongi sprinted out of the room and slammed into SlowRabbit who looked at him confused, but then noticed where he was coming from.

"Ken went home. Said she needed to do something," SlowRabbit said.

Muttering a quick thank you Yoongi was running again. He needed to get home fast. Thankfully once he got to the lobby Joon was waiting there with one of the drivers, once they saw him the driver headed to a car out front and Yoongi moved after him.

The drive to the apartment was tense. There was a giddiness inside of him as he clung to the idea that she'd finally seen the light, but there was also a deep-rooted fear of what could happen if she wasn't coming back to reality. It left him all over the place and sweating more than he had during dance practice.

Once in his building he felt his anxiety diminish, but for some reason he walked very slowly through the lobby and to the elevators. Like he was stalling for time trying to come up with something, but in truth his mind was completely blank. Even as the elevator indicated he was getting closer to his floor his mind remained emptied.

It was weird.

As the doors opened, he started to think again, but that quickly came to a halt. At the end of the hall there was a person collapsed onto the floor. Panic filled him and he sprinted out to them, dropping to his knees to make sure they were okay.

"Excuse me? Hey. Hey. Wake up." He chanted as he carefully rolled them over.

When he saw the face, he stopped breathing. For some reason it didn't register in his head that the person was on his floor and in front of his door. It didn't register that the person could be Kendall. Until he saw her face.

"Kendall! Kendall! Baby!"

He shook her gently, one of his hands going to cup her face. She wasn't responding or even moving and that panicked him more. His mind raced and he continued trying to get her to wake up. Screaming her name and shaking her to get some sort of response.

It took a minute or so before it clicked with him that he needed to act. That there was no time to waste.

He placed his fingers under her nose and waited, after a few seconds he was sure that she was still breathing. It wasn't strong, but it was something. He then fumbled in his pocket for his phone and when it was finally in his clutches, he dialed emergency services. His eyes never left Kendall's face and his finger remained under her nose.

When they answered he had a response ready, but instead of words a sob broke free. The tears came soon after and he was finding it hard to say anything.

"Hello? Hello? I can hear you crying, dear. Please tell me what's wrong," a soft voice said on the other end.

Yoongi took a breath and reminded himself what was at stake.

"My... my girlfriend collapsed, and I don't know how long she's been out. I found her in the hallway of our apartment building. Her breathing... her... her breathing isn't as strong as it should be. And neither is her... pul... pulse." He finally managed to choke out.

"Okay. I'm glad that you checked all those things out. If she's still breathing, there's a chance she's fine. Can you give me the location?"

He mumbled off the address and what floor they were on. As he spoke more, he calmed, but the tears never stopped and at any given moment he was hit with an intense wave of distress.

Yoongi's eyes never left Kendall, even as the dispatcher kept him talking so he wouldn't freak out too much. He couldn't take his eyes off her. The last time he'd done that led him to the pain he was enduring in that moment.

Kendall's body felt too hot and she needed to cool off but no matter how much she adjusted there was no escape. At some point she was forced to wake up and try to free herself, but the moment that her eyes opened she felt disoriented.

Everything was fuzzy and her head felt swimmy. It was as if she wasn't grounded and she didn't know why. Of course, she wanted to fight for some clarity, but she knew she'd needed to just let it pass first. So, she waited until her vision cleared and she felt settled before trying to figure anything else out.

Who knows how much time passed before she could make out her surroundings, but when she could confusion filled her. She wasn't in the apartment or in her studio, but what looked like a hospital room. But for the life of her she couldn't figure out why she'd be there.

Kendall searched her memory for something, but it was as clouded as her vision had been. She didn't let that stop her though, she focused on what she could last remember until snippets of her day came up. They were so short that she couldn't make anything out of them though. It was frustrating, but she needed answers and she was alone so there was no one to give them.

At least she thought she was alone.

As Kendall took in her surroundings and then herself, she finally noticed that she wasn't the only one in the hospital bed. Next to her lay Yoongi. He was asleep and looked so peaceful that she momentarily forgot what she was doing. It had been so long since she'd seen him like that and she wanted to savor it, but before she could even get comfortable with the idea it all came rushing back to her.

She'd been working on a track that was proving difficult for her. The idea she had in her head wouldn't translate into the actual work. Nothing she tried was working and she was close to screaming about it. Instead she decided to take a step back and finish some things on a different track for a friend. It would give her a break and the chance to get some more work done.

Halfway through that hunger struck her and she'd peeked out to see if Yoongi left any food for her like he had been. Kendall was still upset with him for actively trying to hinder her work, but she appreciated the gesture because she often forgot to eat. It wasn't that big a deal, but not having to search for food when she finally decided to eat was a good thing.

She'd grabbed the food and brought it in, but as she opened the bag there was a post-it on top. It wasn't surprising since he left them with every meal and she'd planned to sit it aside, but then she read the words. For some reason something in her finally snapped and she felt her body droop and tears fall from her eyes.

Yoongi was being so caring and loving, even after she lashed out at him. He was making sure that she at least ate and reminding her constantly that she was doing great and was enough. She'd been so caught up in doing everything that she'd let those things slip away from her. Let herself reach a point where she was so tired all the time and barely functioning mentally but using the excuse of needing to stay ahead as a reason to keep going. As a reason to not take a moment to breathe.

Kendall ran herself into the ground. And instead of giving into him and taking in what he tried to tell her she'd pushed herself further to prove a point.

But she was tired of proving that point.

So, after crying she packed her stuff and planned to head home. Yoongi was practicing so she didn't want to disturb him. She'd planned to text him after she got home and showered, it would be enough time for the boys to be taking a break. After telling Slow Rabbit she was leaving, a van took her to the apartment and she was eager to finally stop being so hardheaded so she could rest. However, as she got onto the elevator, she felt weird, but couldn't pinpoint why. She brushed it off as being tired and thought maybe she should nap and then shower.

But as she got off the elevator and walked towards the door everything around her shifted. It was like a kaleidoscope was right in front of her eyes and before she knew it her body was falling in slow motion. After that everything was blank.

The moment her brain caught up she felt herself tear up; she'd fucked up. Not only had she done damage to her body, but she couldn't imagine how Yoongi felt. Had he been the one to find her? Was he notified as he tried to live out his day? She hoped she hadn't scared him too much.

As the tears fell her hand moved to caress his cheek. At her touch he shifted but didn't wake up. Leaning down she pressed a kiss to his forehead. It was soft and lingered for several seconds. When she pulled away though, his eyes were wide open, and he was staring at her. The sadness was clear, but there was also some relief.

"Baby," he whispered.

Kendall didn't get the chance to say anything though, because he was kissing all over her face in seconds. After he pulled her tight, burying his face in her neck.

"You scared the shit out of me, Kendall. You can't keep doing this shit, okay? It needs to stop," he mumbled.

"I know. I'm sorry," she said.

It was all she could think to say. She wanted to explain herself, but it didn't feel like the right time, so she let it be.

They spent the rest of the day like that. Even when the doctors came in Yoongi didn't stray too far from her, he always had to be touching her. If he couldn't be in the bed with her then he was holding her hand and if she left to use the bathroom, he would snatch it up the moment she was out.

It hurt her heart to see him like that. To watch him look at her as if she were going to slip through his fingers and disappear.

"I'm sorry," she started. "I didn't mean for this to happen. I should've listened to all of you and stopped letting work take over, but I just pushed myself harder. And when it finally clicked, when your note put me back into reality, I was going to take a break. I'd gone home to shower and rest. I was going to message you after to not be a disturbance and because I knew we were going to need to talk, but I didn't get the chance. I didn't mean for it to get this far."

Yoongi just watched her as she spoke, nodding along to show that he was listening. When she finished, he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her lips. He murmured about how it would be okay, and they would deal with it later. Kendall didn't think that wise, but then the boys showed up to pay her a visit and lightly scold her, so the moment was lost.

After her explanation Yoongi still remained close by, but she noticed a shift in him. His relief faded and he relaxed more, but something else rose to the surface. He was clearly annoyed and though she wanted to ask if he was okay, she knew it was best not to. It didn't take a rocket scientist to know why he was upset. Kendall expected his rage to surface at some point, but she wished it made him more vocal.

Instead of scolding her or just straight up yelling he remained silent. They didn't speak much and any conversations she tried to start fizzled within seconds. It left things tense all the time and despite the guilt it grew tiresome.

Thankfully, they only kept her for a day after she'd woken up so she could rest at home. That meant that she wasn't confined in one room with him watching her with his underlying anger, but it didn't make her feel any less uncomfortable. Yoongi still made sure she rested, took her medication, and ate. He worked outside of the home studio to keep an eye on her but kept his distance. And his silence remained. He'd even mastered answering her questions without saying a single word and after three days Kendall was over it.

She'd come home from the hospital still quite drained, but with eating regularly and resting her energy returned to her. Which meant she could risk exerting herself a bit to push the issue. And after he'd blatantly ignored a question she asked it was hard not to snap.

"Can you just fucking yell at me already? I get you have some stuff to work through and are probably trying to figure out how you want to address this, but please just do it. Just say what you want to say. Yell. Cuss. Tell me you hate me. I don't care. Just please say something!" she blurted out.

That made him pause and turn around to face her. His expression was one that he wore when he was pissed off and though it made her stomach drop it's what she wanted. What she needed.

Yoongi laughed after a few seconds. One of those humorless ones, that were so loud and obnoxious that they seemed fake. It lasted for a moment and then he abruptly stopped, taking a few steps forward so they were only two feet apart.

"Okay. I'll talk. We both went off the deep in and got too caught up in things. You more than me, but we're both guilty of it. But I was so off in my own damn world that I didn't notice you were taking it a step too far. I had to be told by Jin, who saw it from the start and tried to help. I had to be told to take a closer look at my girlfriend who I saw often, and thought was okay. I fucked up and part of this is on me. No matter what you say I'm sticking to that because I know how far you can go, and I wasn't seeing the signs. Hell, I even encouraged it with my own behavior.

"But then you have to be so damn stubborn about things. You have to think because there are no obvious effects on you that you're doing okay and that everyone else is seeing things. You push yourself too hard, Kendall. No matter how overwhelmed you are, you push so hard as if you can't take a breath. As if you couldn't half ass it and still come out with some great work. And you let yourself get so in your head that you fucking forgot that and neglected yourself. Barely ate. Barely slept. Barely did anything besides work, even when there shouldn't have been any work to do. And that shit ended with me fucking finding you passed out on the ground in front of our home. Of me fearing that you weren't going to be... be... that you weren't going to be okay. This entire situation is fucked up and I need some time, okay?

So, let me have my time to fucking think. Let me have the chance to stop being mad at you and me, so we can try to move the hell forward after this shit show."

With that he turned on his heel and walked away. He went into the bedroom and slammed the door behind him. It left Kendall alone in the living room feeling worse than she had when she woke up in the hospital. She knew she had no valid reason to cry since she'd brought this on herself, but it felt like her heart was ripped out of her chest.

It felt like she'd fucked her entire relationship up.

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