Make You Know Love

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Summary & Masterlist

A03

Pairings: ot7 x female

Warnings: alcohol

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“I don’t remember falling in love with you, I just remember holding your hand realizing how much it was going to hurt when I would have to let it go” - Unknown

***

“Taz!” Jungkook exclaimed frantically.

“Jungkook? What’s wrong?”

The three men all turned their attention her way.

“Put it on speaker,” Hoseok demanded, grabbing her phone and doing it for her.

“-what happened! I just-I left to use the bathroom for like 2 seconds! That’s it!” Jungkook trailed off, Korean tumbling out of his mouth in what she knew was panicked curses.

“Hey, it’s okay, just tell me what happened. You’re okay,” She consoled, doing her best to bring his attention back to her.

“I won’t be after I tell you what happened,” He mumbled.

She paused. “…What the hell did you do, Kook?”

“I maybe, sorta, kinda…lit…your kitchen on fire?”

“You did what?”

“It was an accident, I swear!” He exclaimed and Anastasia could hear Jimin and Hoseok snickering behind her.

“Sh!” She snapped, making them flinch.

Turning back to her phone she asked, “are you fucking with me right now?”

“No”

She pinched the bridge of her nose, “Okay, so, how did you manage…that?”

“I was making food and I didn’t see the kitchen towel by the stove and I just left for a second to use the bathroom and when I came back….there were a lot of flames”

She hung up, rushing to the bathrooms, making it all the way into the hallway before slumping into the wall.  She slid to the floor, clutching her mouth as she fought off the rising urge to puke.

She was going to be evicted, she was going to have to pay for repairs, she wouldn’t have a place to stay.

She flinched violently when a hand landed softly on her shoulder. “Don’t touch me.”

“Maybe it’s not that bad,” Jimin murmured, crouching beside her.

She could feel the tears welling but nodded nonetheless. They stayed there for a while, Jimin affectionately brushing her hair back behind her ear and rubbing her back.

“Come on, let’s go,” He hummed a minute or two later, encouraging her to stand up. “Hoseok, take-” Jimin hesitated, not remembering Beatrice’s name, “-Anastasia’s friend back, we’re gonna get a car.”

Anastasia didn’t have it in her to argue, so she just weakly said goodbye to her new friend and followed Jimin out.

It was a pretty busy area so there was a plethora of transportation available, Jimin quickly flagging someone down. He helped her in, sliding in right after, and told the driver her address.

***

The hoards of policemen and firefighters outside when the cab pulled up threatened to send Anastasia over the edge again, but Jimin was quick to comfortingly wrap his arms around her. She couldn’t fathom why she felt so safe when not even a half-hour ago she wanted the ground to swallow her whole every time he so much as glanced her way.

“Taz!” She was tackled the second she stepped out.

“Get off.” She wasn’t stable enough to put any emotion into her voice.

Jungkook flinched back, not expecting her cold demeanour.

“Taz?” He murmured cupping her cheeks but she shrugged him off.

If she paid him attention, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to stop herself from doing something she might later regret.

Nervously, she approached her apartment, her heart clenching uncomfortably at her roastedkitchen.

“Excuse me, Miss Lloyd?” She turned at the sound of her last name, coming face to face with the landlord.

***

Breach of contract. Evicted.

Anastasia sat on the corner of her mattress with her head in her hands. What was she going to do? Where would she go? So many thoughts swirled around until she couldn’t understand them anymore.

With a heavy sigh, she got up to take a shower. There was no way she would be able to sleep, so after the shower, she zoned out to a crappy tv show.

The next time she looked at the clock it was 4 am. She had class at 8 am.

Shutting her laptop and tossing it to the other side of the bed, she scooted down and rolled onto her side. She was so frustrated, too frustrated to sleep, so she tossed and turned until the sun began to rise.

The day continued in a blur and luckily no one came over to try and talk. She thought she might combust if Jungkook or one of his friends came over and hounded her for attention.

She had been left alone the whole day, so she was startled when a familiar hooded figure was leaning against her door when she came home from her evening class.

“Yoongi?”

He imperceptibly titled his head as his one visible eye met hers.

“What are you doing here?”

“Do you wanna get out of here?”

“Excuse me?”

“Jungkook, Hoseok, and Jimin are all in your apartment right now,” He said in his lazy drawl.

Anastasia glanced at the door, hesitating. “Okay”

She wanted to get away if only just for a little while, she didn’t want to be responsible and in charge of her future. She wanted to be free to run away.

The two made it all the way back down the stairs and around the corner before Anastasia started hyperventilating and had to sit down with her head between her knees.

Breach of contract. Evicted. The words repeated over and over until her head spun. Relaxing her head back against the wall, she closed her eyes.

Time passed unacknowledged until she eventually calmed down, and when she opened her eyes again, Yoongi stood beside her. His dark hair was almost completely covering his eyes and he had a black mask covering the rest of his face, but his silhouette was somehow comforting.

Holding her hand out, she silently asked for him to help her up.

There was a beat of silence before he cautiously pulled his hand from his jean pocket and gripped hers, pulling her up with more force than expected. Unprepared, she stumbled into his chest.

“Payback?” She snickered, deranged, into his chest.

What had gotten into her? Was she really that desperate that she’d run off with someone she’d just met? Someone that didn’t even like her?

Maybe so, but running off with him felt more favorable than facing her anger towards Jungkook and the weight of homelessness and responsibility.

And so they ran, hand in hand, away.Neither of them seemed to have a destination in mind, only away. When she looked back, his eyes were as blank as ever, but there was humor in them.

Taking a chance, they sprinted across the too-busy-to-be-jaywalking street and kept running until they could no longer see the dreaded apartment building. Multiple times they saved each other from hitting people until they eventually slowed to a stop, clutching their sides, laughter bubbling up inside.

Somewhere along the way, Yoongi had removed his mask and suddenly Anastasia was struck by his beauty. The sun was setting, complementing his expression with a beautiful pinkish-orange hue. He wasn’t quite laughing, but there was a grin on his lips that she’d never seen before.

Slowly, their smiles faded as they stared at each other, not saying anything. Anastasia furrowed her brow, what was this feeling?

“Come on,” She nudged, motioning to the taxi that rolled to a stop a little ways away.

There was an elderly woman inside the cab and Yoongi gingerly helped her out as Anastasia slipped in through the other side.

They drove in silence for around thirty minutes before they got to the more tightly populated part of the city, filled with little boutiques and tourist attractions.

“Here’s fine!” She called, startling the driver a little. Yoongi had his mask up again, but Anastasia thought she saw his cheeks lift and so she grinned back at him.

She felt good, happy.Nothing mattered at that moment.

Yoongi slipped the driver some cash and they both tumbled out of the vehicle, small giggles leaving her lips.

The foot traffic was considerably heavier there and, not wanting to lose Yoongi in the crowd, she laced her fingers with his. Or maybe she just wanted to hold someone’s hand.

Spotting what had prompted her to tell the driver to stop, she tugged gently on Yoongi’s hand and began making her way to the entrance. It was a small bar that she’d never been to but had always intended to visit

A little bell chimed the moment they stepped in and Yoongi pulled his mask down to rest under his chin, looking around. The place was beginning to fill up, but there was space by the bar for them to sit.

Grinning, she turned to Yoongi, “Let’s drink.”

That was how the night continued on, filled with alcohol and reckless decisions. As the hours passed, they ended up at a club, Anastasia dancing freely while Yoongi watched from the bar. She was still in the cropped t-shirt and jeans she wore to class, not nearly club-appropriate attire, but she didn’t care. For once she didn’t care.

“Yoongi! Yoongi!” She stumbled over, almost too drunk to stand.

“Yes, jagi?” He hadn’t drunk nearly as much as her and if she was a little soberer, she would have noticed the mirth in his expression.

“I had a th—I had a thought,” she giggled, leaning heavily into his side.

“Oh? What was your thought?” He humored.

She cupped her hand over her mouth like it was a secret, then proceeded to say loud enough for everyone around them to hear, “What if we got a hotel room? I don’t want to go home~” she whined.

Yoongi quirked an eyebrow but didn’t argue, the intoxicated woman reminding him of Jungkook and Jimin when they drank.

“Whatever you want,” He agreed easily, standing up and placing a hand on her back to guide her to the exit, making sure he grabbed her bag that he’d been watching.

Anastasia bounced to the music as they moved, her head bobbing offbeat.

…..

Let’s drink. Anastasia should’ve known that nothing good ever followed those words.

Where was she? Minimal light was shining through the cracks in the closed drapes, but she could still clearly see the room she was in. It was clean and empty of anything personal, just a dresser, a mirror, a small bench, and the bed. A very large bed at that.

She winced at the taste in her mouth, her tongue feeling like it was glued to the roof of her mouth. The pounding in her head was irritating, but not intolerable.

Rolling over deeper into the covers, she contemplated her life choices. She couldn’t remember most of what had happened the night before, the last thing she remembered was bar-hopping with Yoongi.

I’m never drinking again. She thought, her breath catching when the bedroom door suddenly clicked open. Please be Yoongi, please be Yoongi.

She held her breath as they clumsily plopped onto the bed, rolled closer, and wrapped an arm around her waist. She risked a glance down, closing her eyes in relief when she recognized the ring and bracelets adorning the hand.

Why was he hugging her? What happened last night?

“You scared the shit out of me,” She sighed, pulling away.

Yoongi didn’t fight her, letting out a muffled hum, his face pressed into the bed.

“Where are we?” She grimaced at the taste in her mouth, somewhat regretting opening it.

He let out an annoyed sigh and shifted to lay on his back.

“A hotel room.” He deadpanned.

“Did…did we do something?” She sat up, biting her lip nervously, her eyes not missing the opportunity to appreciate his good looks.

His hair was messily strewn over his closed eyes, his face a little pink from having just woken up.

He cracked one eye open, unexpectedly sitting up too, the proximity making their noses brush. “Why? Do you want something to have happened?” There was a mischievous glint in his eye, his minty fresh breath fanning across her lips.

She pulled back, self-conscious about her own breath and her heart beating too fast at their proximity.

“I have to use the bathroom!” She blurted, stumbling out of the bed.

The pressure in her head got exponentially worse at the sudden movement and she had to wait a second for the pain to ebb away.

“You good, jagi?”

“I’m —what did you just call me? ” She’d heard Jungkook call her that a few times before, but he’d always made it seem like it was a slip of the tongue. Yoongi had definitely just said it with intention.

“Ja-gi-ya.” He enunciated, slow and mocking.

She huffed, “What does that mean?”

“It means your breath stinks. Go brush your teeth, I’ll order breakfast.” He smirked, rolling off the bed and leaving the room.

Anastasia narrowed her gaze, glaring at the door he’d just exited out of before scoffing and stalking off to the bathroom.

She might’ve felt more comfortable with him, but he was now proving to be an ass.

Sitting on the marble countertop was an unopened toothbrush and some toothpaste placed next to a second, used toothbrush. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she wondered when he got toothbrushes and toothpaste, but she was more concerned with her missing memories of the previous night to give it much attention.

With her mouth full of sudsy paste, Yoongi walked in.

“What do you want?” He asked. He was the one that walked in, why was he asking her what shewanted?

She realized he meant breakfast.

Thinking about it, she spit and rinsed, almost choking when Yoongi carefully tucked a stray hair behind her ear before she spits on it.

“Thanks,” She muttered shyly, wiping her mouth.

He nodded in dismissal, “So?”

“Oh, um, anything is fine.”

He frowned but didn’t argue, closing the door in her face.

“Eggs and bacon!” She called out the first thing that came to mind, suddenly concerned that he was upset with her. Her shoulders drooped when there was no response.

Shaking it off, she turned back to the mirror and cringed at her reflection. Her hair was an actual rat’s nest and her complexion was worse for wear with mascara smudged around her eyes.

She tried to finger comb her hair as she slipped out of the bathroom, but quickly gave up and put it in a bun. Now that she was awake, it was clear they were in a hotel suite. She didn’t even want to think about the money Yoongi had spent just because she hadn’t wanted to go home. She had money on her but she couldn’t recall paying for anything.

How much did a room like this even cost? She wondered fleetingly. Oh no, and all the drinks!

She groaned into her hands, how was she supposed to pay him back?

Following the sound of Yoongi’s low voice, she found him on a couch with the phone the hotel provided pressed to his ear.

Noticing her in the doorway, he hung up and beckoned her over.

“They said it will be 15 minutes. How’s the head?” He asked, mocking her alcohol consumption the night before. As if she needed the reminder.

“It’s fine.” She snapped, cheeks red, “What time is it? And where are my shoes?”

He vaguely motioned to the end of the couch, his eyes not leaving her as she stalked around to find them lined up beside his own with her socks neatly tucked inside.

“Are you usually this grumpy in the morning, or is it just the hangover?” She glanced up in time to catch him brushing his hair out of his eyes and the arrogance in that simple action was infuriating.

“Are you flirting or just trying to piss me off?” She accused, hoping for somekind of reaction, be it irritation or, better yet, embarrassment.

He shrugged, noncommittal.

Scoffing, she plopped down onto the couch, as far from him as humanly possible.

Anastasia knew she didn’t have the right to be annoyed with him, he hadtaken care of her the whole night but she still was. A lot of it stemmed from her own embarrassment and she begrudgingly had to be thankful that he seemed to realize this as well.

A comfortable silence ensued, him scrolling through his phone and her staring absently out the window. The view was incredible, an oceanfront. There were tourist families already on the beach, their children running around delightedly.

When the table of food was wheeled in, Yoongi unpacked everything and handed her a plate full of food. Sitting down beside him on the couch in front of the trolley, she unraveled the napkin-wrapped utensils and prepared to eat.

“Do you want my bacon?” She offered.

He shook his head, “You eat.”

She winced, “I-I don’t actually like bacon…”

He squinted at her for a moment, probably trying to decide if she was mentally challenged or something. She avoided his glare, nibbling on a slice of apple.

The food was consumed pretty quickly, not much conversation made, and after they were done, Anastasia slipped away to take a shower, washing off the night before.

When she stepped out of the bathroom, half an hour later, she found Yoongi sitting in the bed, arms crossed and eyes closed. Perfectly poised yet still relaxed, how’d he do it?

Was he asleep? She couldn’t tell.

Deciding not to risk it, she tiptoed out of the room.

“Stay in here.”

Jumping at the sound of his voice, she squeaked, “Huh? Okay”

Walking over to the other side of the bed, she crawled in, careful not to jostle him too much. She squeaked again when he suddenly leaned over to rest his head in her lap. “What are you doing?”

He shifted his body so it was better aligned, “Getting comfortable”

***

Anastasia grit her teeth as Yoongi’s phone vibrated for what felt like the hundredth time and he still hadn’t shown anysign of getting up and checking who it was.

Noticing her glare, he rolled his eyes and sat up to check. Nodding, he turned to her, “It’s Jungkook. He’s worried about you.”

Her face dropped and she brought her knees to her chest. Inside her head was a mess of anger, guilt, and embarrassment. She had an audience for her life falling apart! How did one handle that? And then she’d just run off? What had she been thinking?!

She groaned and dragged her hands down her face.

If she was being honest, she was ready to forgive Jungkook, but she was notready to face the embarrassment. The walk of shame had a whole new meaning to her.

With Yoongi it was becoming comfortable, everything else could be forgotten. She just wanted to stay with him and perfect the feeling.

Sniffling, she mumbled, “I guess we should head back and face reality, huh?”

His lips twitched, “I’m not in a hurry.”

“I think he’s been stewing in guilt long enough,” She disagreed.

Yoongi stretched his arms over his head and nodded, “Whatever you want, jagiya”

She huffed at the nickname and got up to gather all her things, which wasn’t much, just her shoes and socks.

He’s so annoying, she thought.

After checking out, they decided to walk somewhere less popular to try and get a ride. Yoongi was prepared this time and had called an uber.

Walking out of the hotel, Anastasia was suddenly plowed into, sending her and the other person straight to the ground.

Yoongi immediately helped her up, glaring at the perpetrator. It was a man, around their age. His face was hidden by the blue hoodie he wore, but Anastasia instantly got a sick feeling in her gut.

“My bad,” The man mumbled, jogging off.

“Asshole,” she huffed, nudging Yoongi to continue walking.

Next

Make You Know Love

Previous | Next

Summary & Masterlist

A03

Pairings: ot7 x female

Warnings:

___________

“You can romanticize me all you wish, but the devil wrapped in silk is still the devil” - Unknown

***

Exhaling a shallow breath, Anastasia carefully opened her eyes, her head feeling like it would split open with every beat of her heart. It was dark and cold, and t he air felt so dry it was almost suffocating to breathe. Her knees were pressed uncomfortably tight against her chest and she struggled to form a coherent thought. 

Disoriented, head foggy, she tried to remember where she was, but the loud whirring in her ears and the occasional jarring jolt made it hard to concentrate. The last thing she remembered, she was on the beach with Jimin and Taehyung, waiting for Seokjin and Yoongi to return. 

Where was she? It was so cold.

She was in and out of consciousness after that, vague memories of indistinct voices, and moments of deafening silence the only thing she remembered. The ache in her bones, whether from the cold or something else, never left. In another moment of awareness, she felt her limp body being shoved into something, a car maybe? Fighting with what little strength she had to get out of the person’s arms, she didn’t win. 

A car door slamming, voices, then nothing. 

It must have been many hours before she roused again because her limbs were stiff and sore. Still groggy, though significantly less so than before, she struggled to sit up. The violent shivers, which no doubt also attributed to the soreness in her muscles, no longer wracked her frame. A small relief.

“You’re awake,” Jimin’s sweet voice echoed beside her. 

Disoriented, she flinched, not expecting his presence. He looked different from the last time she’d seen him, still angelic, but now he had deep purple bruising under his eyes and his clothes didn’t look as carefully picked as they usually did.

She could only imagine what she looked like. 

“What happened, where are we?” The words came out in a raspy whisper, her mouth too dry for her vocal cords to vibrate properly.

Jimin smiled sweetly and handed her a glass of water, “Here”

Taking it, she greedily chugged it down, and when it was empty, she begged with her eyes for more. 

He shook his head, “You’ll get sick. You need food first”

Clutching her stomach, she realized how hungry she was. Grinning, he said, “Thought so”

Taking in their surroundings — a plain room without a hint of personal touch, she repeated, “Where are we?”

Jimin hesitated, shrugging.

Cautiously, she pulled the covers up to her chin as if they would protect her, “Jimin,” she warned, “Where are we?”

“I don’t know”

A terrible thought occurred, “ Did you kidnap me? ” Where was Jungkook? 

“Of course not,” He soothed, “ I didn’t kidnap you, I’m a prisoner here, too”

Somehow, knowing it wasn’t Jimin that had kidnapped her made everything so much worse, a cold sense of dread settling in.

“Who, then?” Worried for him, she leaned in, “Are you okay?”

Frowning, he stood from the bed, running a hand through his messy hair. 

“It’s not me I’m worried about,” he admitted after a while. 

Wide-eyed, she cupped herself, horrified at what he was insinuating. Catching her reaction, his hands jerked out, “Not you!”

Wracking her brain, she tried to follow him. Then it dawned on her that Taehyung was the only other person there with them on the beach. Frantic, she grabbed Jimin’s hand, “Where’s Taehyung?!”

Groaning, he gripped at the strands of his hair and fell back onto the bed, whining “They won’t tell me!”

“Who’s they?” 

It took him a minute to respond, “I don’t know,” he mumbled, “probably some chaebols that want to stop Seokjin and Namjoon’s influence. We’re leverage”

Chaebols? Influence? What the hell was Jimin talking about? Anastasia felt the shock beginning to wear off and the hysteria set in. 

“It’s a desperate move on their part, but I suppose I understand. After all, what other choices do they have? Shooting Taehyung, though —” It was harder to understand Jimin’s accent when he spoke so fast, but she picked out the most important part.

“Taehyung was shot?!” 

Jimin jumped slightly at her outburst and the nervous shift returned like he was trying to hide how concerned he actually was, “He should be fine, it didn’t look fatal”

Should be. She didn’t like those odds. 

“Don’t worry,” He cooed, brushing his fingertips against her cheek, “I’ll make sure you don’t get hurt”

“It’s not me I’m worried about!” That was a lie, but she was definitely worried more about Taehyung, “What if he bled out? Holy shit, what if he bled out?! ”

“Hey, hey, look at me,” Jimin gently commanded, cupping her cheeks and forcing her to meet his gaze, “He’s fine. The goal was to incapacitate him, not kill him”

Searching his deep brown eyes, she found sincerity. Licking her dry lips, she asked, “Why?”

Jimin tilted his head back and forth, weighing his answer, “To level the playing field?”

Level the playing field? What did he mean by that? There was a sinking feeling in her chest. Cautiously, not sure if she really wanted to know, she asked, “What does that mean?” 

He deliberately avoided eye contact, a playful, knowing grin on his lips. Anastasia felt irritated with his behavior. 

“You should take a shower, you’ve been out of it for a while,” He suggested, changing the subject. 

“I don’t want to shower — why are you not taking this seriously? Jimin, we're captive , what is wrong with you?” She growled climbing to her feet, almost tipping over when the ground swayed beneath her feet. 

Jimin hummed, gripping the tops of her arms firmly and guiding her back to the bed, “You’re right, showering might be too much right now. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of everything, okay? I promised, didn’t I?” 

Anastasia didn’t really know what he was talking about, but she trusted him, letting him ease her back into the mattress and tuck her in. 

“Just stay here until you’ve recovered, I’ll get us some food,” Jimin instructed, backing away and slipping out of the room. 

Low voices greeted him, but she couldn’t understand what they said. Jimin’s brighter tone was easy to pick out, even through the closed door. It consoled her some that he didn’t sound distressed. 

Greeting her with an easy smile when he returned, he informed her that the food was on its way. It was obvious now that Jimin had lied about not knowing the people holding them captive, he was way too comfortable. Why wasn’t she surprised?

“Jimin, you know who they are, don’t you?”

“I’ve made friends with the guards,” he smirked cheekily, plopping beside her on the bed. 

Having spent enough time looking at his face, she could see through his near-perfec t façade. There was fatigue in the way he moved and she suddenly wondered when the last time he slept was. After they ate, she decided she’d insist that he got some sleep. 

Taking some time to use the bathroom and wash her face, she tried to remember how she got into this situation. Leaning against the sink, bowing her head, she wracked her brain til a headache began to form. There was a blank spot in her memory, she could recall everything up to her frustration with Taehyung when he mentioned Beatrice, and then suddenly she was waking up here .

Giving up, she stepped back into the room to find Jimin sound asleep, having passed out with his legs still hanging off the edge.

Sighing, she went to the window on the far side of the room, pulling back the curtain to look outside. She hadn’t been expecting to recognize her surroundings, but to her surprise, she did. They were two cities west of where she lived.

Letting the curtain fall closed once more, she began to plan their escape. Jimin was chummy with the guards, he might be able to talk them into helping them, or at the very least distract them while she got help. 

Her mind raced as she paced back and forth, biting her nails. 

When the door to the exit of the room began to open, Anastasia jumped to stand in front of Jimin, prepared to protect him in his vulnerable state. 

A tall man in a well-tailored suit entered, giving her a strange sense of deja vu stepped into the room. Just by the man’s expression, she could tell he meant business. 

Tilting his head, he took in the sleeping figure behind her, smirking when she shifted her weight to block his view. “Follow me,” he ordered. 

Shooting Jimin a concerned glance, she hesitated. If she left, would he be okay? Did she even have a choice? 

Looking at the large bodyguards that stood there waiting for her, she knew she didn’t. 

Stepping out of the room, cautiously taking in her surroundings, she realized they were in a suite. Why had they been brought to a hotel? An oddly luxurious setting to hold two victims. That brought her to her next question; why had she been taken in the first place? It wasn’t like she had anything to give. 

The man in the suit sat on the couch, crossing his legs and resting an arm across the back. Silence ensued, Anastasia shifting awkwardly from foot to foot. What did he want? Was he going to hurt her? If she screamed would someone hear? What if he was super rich and owned the hotel and no one would help? He looked super rich. 

Deciding to wait it out, the buff, muscley men standing at the exit incentivizing her to behave. 

“Why am I here?” She asked lowly, making the effort to keep her tone non-confrontational. 

The man smirked, “Sit down”

Hesitantly, she lowered herself onto the couch across from him, shooting the guards another cautious glance. 

“Jeon Jungkook…” The man said her best friend’s name like he was reminiscing a memory, “He’s been missing for a long time, you know”

She furrowed her brow. Missing? Since when? Her mind began to race with so many possible explanations, but which one was correct? 

“So imagine my surprise when I find him here, with you ,” He paused to pour himself a drink from the water jug on the coffee table between them. “At first I thought you were just a cover, someone to help him seem normal, but then the other six showed up and you’re still here”

She’s still here? What was that supposed to mean? 

Nodding she agreed, “I was surprised by the other six, too” She was grasping at straws, trying to make it seem like she knew more than she did. 

The man tilted his head to the side curiously, “And yet you managed to wiggle your way into their good graces” 

Anastasia didn’t respond.

“That’s why you’re here,” he finally got to the point, “You’ve infiltrated a group of very dangerous people and I am very interested to know how” 

“Dangerous people? They’re not dangerous, you’re dangerous! You shot Taehyung! Is he even alive?” She hissed, immediately composing herself when she caught a guard stepping closer out of the corner of her eye.

Leaning forward, the man studied her expression closely, “You have no idea who they are, do you?” 

Licking her lips anxiously, she nodded, “I know who they are” 

Shaking his head, he stood up, “I don’t think you do”

He walked over to the kitchenette, he grabbed a tablet that was on the counter, typing something in. “I’ll show you”

Sitting beside her on the couch, he pressed play on the video he’d pulled up, handing her the tablet. 

The video began in her kitchen, before the fire, with Yoongi standing at her sink, filling a pot with water, and Jungkook leaning against her fridge, watching.

“You put cameras in my home?!” She exclaimed, standing up from the couch and backing away, her eyes never leaving the screen. 

Yoongi turned off the tap and set the pot on the old gas stove, lighting it up. Stepping back, he stared at the pot for a moment, tilting his head to the side almost contemplatively before turning to Jungkook and saying something she couldn’t understand. Jungkook nodded and walked out of view. 

Anastasia looked up at her captor, confused at what he wanted her to see. So far he was doing a very poor job at convincing her of any danger. 

“Keep watching,” is all the man said, annoyingly cocky. 

Returning her attention back to the screen, she was just in time to see Jungkook walk back into the frame, holding a folded towel that she knew he got from the cupboard at the end of the hall. Shaking it open he walked up to the stove and without hesitation, tossed it next to the fire. 

Anastasia’s eyes blew wide in disbelief but she couldn’t look away.

It took a second before the towel erupted into flames and it didn’t take long after that for it to spread to the counter beside it. Throughout, Jungkook and Yoongi stood calmly, watching the flames eat up everything it touched. 

It felt like hours before either pulled out their phones, Yoongi dialing 911 from what she heard and Jungkook calling… her. 

“Taz!” Jungkook exclaimed frantically, his voice muffled through the sound of flames. “ I don’t know what happened! I just-I left to use the bathroom for like 2 seconds! That’s it! […] I won’t be after I tell you what happened […] I maybe, sorta, kinda…lit…your kitchen on fire? […] It was an accident, I swear!” 

Anastasia felt sick to her stomach, tossing the tablet onto the couch, unable to watch anymore. It was all a lie, everything was a lie. 

Beatrice had been right . She thought miserably.

“Do you understand now?” The man asked. 

Clenching her jaw, she sat back down across from him, “You said Jungkook was missing, what do you mean?” 

“I mean exactly that. Five years ago, after a certain altercation with a man that ended in the hospital, Jungkook disappeared”

Anastasia shifted, uncomfortable with the information, “The man ended up in the hospital or Jungkook?” 

“The man. He was in a coma for two years before passing away” 

Making a mad dash for the kitchen, she barely made it to the sink before retching, nothing but a bit of water and stomach acid coming up. 

Spitting, she blindly turned on the tap, using the water to wash out her mouth. “You’re lying,” she rasped, suddenly unsure. This wasn’t the first time she’d run into Jungkook’s temper, there had been a few times throughout the years where he’d gotten into some serious fights. A few she’d been witness to, others she’d seen the aftermath. All of them ended in the hospital. But he’d given them concussions, broken noses, dislocated knees, he didn’t put people in comas, he wasn’t a killer .

Besides, it had been a long time since Jungkook got in a fight, even if the man was telling the truth, Jungkook wasn’t like that anymore, he was a good person who loved her. 

Recalling the video she’d just seen, she wondered if maybe it was just that Jungkook had gotten better at lying. Lighting a kitchen on fire and taking someone’s life were two very different crimes, though, and she just couldn’t bring herself to think of Jungkook as a murderer . 

Memories of Jungkook jogging up to her with a big smile, saying her name in that teasing lilt, she couldn’t believe that he was a bad person. Despite the evidence staring her in the face, she could only see his smile in her mind. 

Her captor had made it out to seem like all seven of them were evil, but evil people didn’t care and if there was anything she’d learned about them in the time she’d known them was that they cared more for each other than she had ever seen anyone care. He was right about one thing, though, somehow, she’d managed to catch their attention, become someone they wanted to protect, and for as much as she felt betrayed, she would still rather be back in the room with Jimin than here with this man. 

Stealing her resolve, she stood up straight, “Tell me who they are”

***

I have a question! I’ve tried not to project what I imagine Anastasia to look like into the book so you could imagine her in the way you wish, so I was wondering, what does she look like to you?

Make You Know Love

Previous|Next

Summary & Masterlist

A03

Pairings: ot7 x female

Warnings: depictions of violence

___________

“She denies it, but the truth is, she’s falling in love” - idk

“Actually Taz…” Jungkook grimaced, rubbing the back of his neck.

Anastasia’s shoulders dropped, “You’re not coming?”

“Don’t pout,” He complained, cupping her cheeks, “I just have to run some errands. Hobi-hyung and Namjoon-hyung will drop me off, they got called into work”

Despite Jungkook’s request, she couldn’t help the pout on her lips, “Okay”

“Let’s go,” Seokjin whispered in her ear, gently tugging her away.

Yoongi, Jimin, and Taehyung followed wordlessly to Seokjin’s car—just as sleek and expensive as she remembered.

Taehyung opened the passenger door, bowing dramatically and motioning for her to get in. Biting her lip, she held back a laugh and slid into the seat.

“Where to?” Seokjin interrupted her thoughts after the other three buckled in.

***

Stepping into the chain restaurant, one in walking distance of the movie theater, felt like a scene out of a movie. As expected at 1 pm on a weekday, there weren’t a lot of people there, but everyone present hushed and stared. Anastasia almost tripped over herself at the sudden attention, Seokjin holding her waist steady.

“They have wings,” Yoongi announced, reading off the menu, seemingly unbothered by the stares.

“Oh? Really?” Taehyung asked, pulling away from Jimin—who’d been hanging off his shoulders—to get a better look.

“I’ll get us a seat,” Anastasia muttered, eager to not be the center of attention anymore. Most everyone had gone back to their meals, but there was still a fair amount of people that repeatedly glanced their way. Slipping back out the entrance, she looked for a place to sit, noticing on the way in that no one had made use of the outdoor seating.

Getting comfy at a table with a large umbrella that was too tall to be of much use, she waited for them to find her.

“Anastasia, love,” She could hear the amusement in Seokjin’s voice as he bent over to talk to her, running a hand up and down her back, “You have to tell us what you want to order before you run off”

Face flaming she ducked her head, “R-right. I’ll have whatever you’re having”

He nodded and disappeared back inside, only to return a minute later. Looking up questioningly, she watched him sit down.

“They’ll order,” he answered her unspoken question.

Nodding, they fell into a comfortable silence, watching people go about their lives. Well, shewatched, he glared.

Taking the opportunity to admire him in perfect daylight, she felt her face heat up. He was so attractivein an impossibly beautiful kind of way. Lean, with wide shoulders and a slim neck that lead up to a soft and pleasant face, and a jawline that could cut diamonds. And his eyes, his eyes were the darkest shade of brown, even in the sunlight, almost black.

Gradually, his expression morphed from cold and unapproachable to something akin to arrogance. It took her a second to realize it was because of her staring.

“Excuse me?” A petite girl with big blue eyes interrupted, saving Anastasia from coming up with something to excuse her staring.

Seokjin didn’t even turn to acknowledge the girl and Anastasia was tempted let her squirm until she left, but second-hand embarrassment won out and she gently kicked Seokjin under the table.

Languidly, as if it was the biggest inconvenience, he turned to face the girl, “Yes?”

Batting her lashes innocently, she fidgeted with her hands, “I-I was just wondering…could I have your number?”

It was clear that her question came as no surprise to him, his response already in progress before she’d finished speaking, “Ask her,” he nodded in Anastasia’s direction.

Looking about as embarrassed as Anastasia felt, the girl spluttered out an apology, “Sorry, I-I didn’t realize you two were together”

Anastasia felt a little offended by that but didn’t comment. It was kind of hard to believe that anyone wouldn’tassume two people sitting alone together at a restaurant were together. The more likely alternative was that the girl suspected they were together, but still thought it was worth the shot to get Seokjin’s attention. Just in case they weren’t together. Which they weren’t, not really.

“Who are you?” Came Taehyung’s familiar deep timber, breaking the awkward silence before it could really begin.

The girl’s eyes blew wide at the sight of him and for a moment, Anastasia felt understood, “I’m Belle”

“Hello, Belle,” Jimin smiled enchantingly, slipping in beside Tae.

“Hi,” she breathed, completely captivated. People gravitated towards Jimin by nature, without much effort on his part, but when he didtry, he had everyone and anything under a spell. Belle was no exception.

“Do you need something?” He asked, tilting his head, earrings catching the light at just the right angle and making it look like he sparkled.

Still in awe, Belle shook her head, dazed.

Yoongi grabbed Anastasia’s attention, sliding in beside her and wrapping an arm around her waist.

“Food?” She asked.

“They’ll bring it out,” he assured, kissing her temple.

Turning back to a smirking Jimin, she noticed Belle’s retreating figure. He took care of that fast.

By the time they finished lunch and made it to the movie theater, they’d been approached by 2 more people trying to ask one of the boys out. Anastasia was thoroughly irritated.

Leaning over the armrest in the dark theater, Yoongi whispered, “You look hot when you’re jealous”

“I am notjealous,” she hissed, unconvincingly. Yoongi snorted, sitting back.

The lights dimmed as the movie began, Anastasia pulling her legs up to cuddle into herself. For the next 30 minutes of the movie, she was hyper-aware of Yoongi and Jimin on either side of her. Neither of them reached out to touch her or get closer in any way like she had half expected, but still, in the darkness of the theater, everything felt so much more intimate.

Shifting, she leaned over to Jimin, who sat closest to the exit, “I’m gonna use the restroom”.

He nodded in acknowledgment and she stood up, ducking her way out. Hearing someone’s footsteps following her down the hallway, she glanced back to see Yoongi with his hands in his pockets.

Letting her curious expression do the talking, she tilted her head.

“I have to pee,” he shrugged, breezing past her. Rolling her eyes, she skipped up to his side and shoved him lightly. A smile broke on his face as he teetered to the side, glancing down at her.

“I don’t need a chaperone to use the bathroom,” she accused.

Eyes widening in faux surprise, he stared back and a giggle bubbled out of her.

“You’re so lame,” she snickered, just as he grabbed at her and pulled her into a kiss.

It was now her eyes that were wide with surprise, though herexpression was sincere, “What was that for?”

He shrugged, nudging her towards the bathroom, “no reason”

Glaring suspiciously, she decided to let it go.

“Go back, you’ll miss the movie,” She nudged back. With a deep, airy laugh, he took a step towards their theater, but before he got far, she cupped his cheeks and pulled him into a deep kiss.

Keeping his hands to himself, understanding that she wanted to be in control, he kissed back gently. Smiling, a giddy feeling in her chest, she pulled away and darted into the bathroom. She really did have to pee.

Looking at herself in the mirror after washing her hands, she realized how silly she looked. Jimin’s shirt was unflattering on her frame, conflicting with her styled hair and makeup. She looked like she’d spilled something on her shirt and this was the only thing that fit in the lost and found bin.

Huffing, she pulled off the shirt and draped it over her arm. She wasn’t sure she could pull off the outfit, it was very bold, but she wanted to feel pretty so she ignored her nerves and straightened her shoulders.

Just then, someone walked into the bathroom, a woman with pin-straight black hair and a build that looked like she did MMA.

Nodding cordially, Anastasia waited for her to move by so she could exit.

The woman hesitated by the stalls, “Who are the guys you’re with?”

Anastasia’s brows flew up, who was this woman? Had she noticed them when they’d entered the theater together? How was Anastasia supposed to answer? They weren’t her friends, but they weren’t her boyfriends either.

“Just some…people I know,” There, that was vague enough.

“Are you dating any of them?” The woman persisted.

Anastasia understood that the woman was probably asking because she was interested in them, but the questions still made her uncomfortable.

“Um, excuse me,” She nodded in parting, escaping, almost jogging back to her seat.

Noticing her expression, Yoongi leaned over, “What happened?”

“You all attracted too much damn attention is what happened,” She huffed back, crossing her arms. Was this what her life would be around them? Constant attention from strangers? She felt Yoongi’s stare but refused to turn back.

When the lights came back on, after the movie ended, she was abruptly pulled into someone’s arms.

“You’re so fucking annoying,” Jimin hissed in her ear, his arm around her waist. It took her a second to realize he was annoyed that she’d removed his shirt.

Turning around in his arms, she wrapped her’s around his neck, leaning in to whisper in his ear, “You’re not my boyfriend”

She felt his jaw flex against her cheek, “Exactly”

Pulling away, eyes wide, she watched him walk away.

The afternoon passed quickly after that, their time together bleeding into the evening. It was easy to have fun with them, everything came naturally like it did with Jungkook, a feeling she thought she would never feel with anyone butJungkook.

They ended up at the beach, Anastasia and Yoongi watching the sunset while Seokjin, Jimin, and Taehyung chased each other around, throwing sand and kicking water at each other.

“You missed your class,” Yoongi pointed out casually, sitting next to her in the sand.

Pouting, she nodded.

“Jagiya,” He coaxed, patting his lap and she wiggled around so she was laying with her head on his lap. Soothingly, he rubbed her arm.

“What does it mean?” She asked after a while, playing with his necklace, nervous to know the answer.

He paused, “What does what mean?”

“Jagiya”

Leaning back, he propped himself up with his arms, “It’s…a term of endearment,” he explained.

Anastasia frowned, “How come you only use it with me, then?”

He smirked and looked down, “It’s just for you, jagiya”

Shivers raced down her spine, his voice was so deep. Raspy. Sexy.

“Oh,” she breathed.

They stared at each other a while longer until she heard her name being called out. Sitting up, she had just enough time to brace herself before she was yanked to her feet by Taehyung.

“Come play!” He ordered, pulling her against his soaking wet frame.

“Tae! You’re wet!”

He smirked devilishly, “The goal is to get youwet”

That was all the warning she got before Seokjin hauled her over his shoulder and he and Taehyung took off towards the water.

“Put me down!” She screeched, her laugh too prominent to be taken seriously.

It was completely dark by the time they settled, all four of them dripping wet. She was sure that her makeup was running down her cheeks by now.

“I’m hungry,” She whined, head resting on Taehyung’s arm (he was spread out like starfish in the sand).

“Me too,” He agreed.

Sitting up, she nudged his thigh, “Go get us food, then”

He’d been about to say something to Jimin, but did a double-take at her, “Why me?”

Shrugging, she shifted her weight so that Jimin, who’d scooted closer,  could slot himself behind her. “Yeah, Tae, go get food,” Jimin chimed, perching his chin on her shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her.

“I’ll go,” Yoongi offered, stumbling to his feet, Seokjin ambling after him, shaking sand and salt out of his drying hair.

Huffing a laugh when Taehyung smirked in satisfaction, she rested her head back on Jimin’s shoulder.

“Where do you think they’re gonna go?” He asked after a while. Jimin and she shrugged simultaneously.

The sound of waves lulled her into a relaxed state, everything feeling so surreal. But it wasreal, Jimin really had his arms around her, Taehyung was really lounging next to them, it was real. She was having a hard time understanding how they’d gotten to that point.

Their perfect moment was broken when Taehyung opened his mouth, “Are you still talking to Beatrice?”

Narrowing her gaze, she pulled away from Jimin, who made a noise of protest, to face them both. “What’s your obsession with my relationship with Beatrice?”

Taehyung sat up, “She’s a psycho, why wouldn’tI want to know if you still talk to her?”

“You shouldn’t call people psycho, Tae. And she’s not.”

Taehyung rolled his eyes, “Then why is she so damn nosy about shit that has nothing to do with her?”

Frustrated, she challenged, “Maybe because you’re all so overbearing and controlling that she’s concerned about her friend?”

Taehyung’s face dropped, his expression becoming infinitely more intimidating, “Taking you out for food, helping you with your homework, helping you pack your shit, keeping you safe when you’re shit-faced drunk, taking you on dates, that’s all called caring about someone, Anastasia. Why the hell are you taking her side right now?”

Opening and closing her mouth, she struggled to find words, “I’m not taking anyone’s side!”

“Like hell you aren’t,” He snorted, “Shit, Anastasia, if you don’t like us, just say so, you don’t need to look for a fucking excuse to start a fight every other day”

She didn’t know what to say, they always made her feel like she was crazy, but maybe she wascrazy. This was the first relationship she’d ever been in that she actually wantedto be in, she didn’t know what she was doing. Where did she draw lines? What were her boundaries? Did she know the difference between a hard no and the discomfort of meeting someone halfway?

“I like you a lot less when you yell at me,” she pointed out, her pride wounded.

“And I like you a lot more when you aren’t pretending you’re better than everyone else,” He sneered.

“Taehyung…” Jimin warned lowly. They both ignored him.

“I’ve never thought I was better than anyone else, out of the two of us, you’rethe one with a god complex,” she refuted and Taehyung rolled his eyes.

“No one can do right by you, can they? If we spend time with you, we’re overbearing, if we try to protect you, we’re controlling, if we’re confident, it’s a god complex. What the hell do you even want?”

Scowling, she grunted, “I want Jungkook”

Out of everything that had been said, Anastasia could tell that those words hit hardest. Even Jimin tensed up.

“Well,” Taehyung muttered, getting to his feet, “I won’t waste my fucking time then”

And then he was stalking off across the beach.

They watched him leave, Jimin only turning to her when Taehyung was out of earshot, “We have a genuine interest in you, Anastasia, if you’re only with us for Jungkook’s sake…then you’re hurting him too,” Jimin’s voice was soft, almost like a lullaby. It was grounding, filling her with remorse.

“No, of course not. I really like all of you, even though I know that’s insane. I just…I think I took my frustration out on him,” She sulked, ready to chase after Taehyung and apologize. “Things are just a lot right now. Getting evicted from my apartment, trying to keep you all happy, finishing all my schoolwork early so I can keep my credits through a transfer,  I’m so stressed!”

Sighing, he reached out and pulled her into his lap, “I’m sorry you’re having such a hard time, but you don’t need to do so much. We’ll do it for you, we’ll take care of you. Helping you pack, encouraging you to remember to take breaks, offering a place to live, it’s all because we care. Just trust us to take care of everything, you don’t have to fight so hard anymore, Taz, it’s okay”

His words soothed something deep inside her, tears overflowing. Nodding into his chest, she consented, “Okay”

Nodding too, he nudged her to get up, “Let’s go chase him down”

Brushing the sand off their clothes, they looked to the direction Taehyung had left in, eyes widening in horror. A hooded figure, five or so paces from him, aimed a sleek black gun at his head.

Jimin hastily covered Anastasia’s mouth before she could scream, “He’ll be fine,” he reassured.

Fine?How could he be fine? He was being held at gunpoint!

Faster than she could really follow, Taehyung lunged forward, grabbing the barrel of the gun and tackling the man. Jimin’s hand couldn’t completely muffle her terrified screech when Taehyung didn’t hesitate to pull the trigger.

And then arms were shooting out from behind them, ripping her and Jimin apart.

“No!” She shrieked, writhing and punching at the arms holding her hostage, “Jimin!”

New tears, fueled by terror, clouded her vision and she could barely make Jimin out as he struggled against the three men holding him down, gagging him.

Stop it! She thought desperately, a gag being shoved into her own mouth. You’re hurting him!

“We’ll kill him,” A tall man in a suit threatened, casually slipping between his two hostages. It wasn’t until he’d spoken that Anastasia noticed Taehyung, much closer than she’d last seen him, a sparse trail of bodies left in his wake.

Were they dead? She couldn’t handle the thought, but to her relief, she noticed some of them move, groaning into the sand. The ones that weren’tmoving, well…she had to tell herself that they were just unconscious.

“No, you won’t,” Taehyung’s voice was chilling — absolute.

The man’s expression morphed into a smirk and he shrugged, “Maybe not, but I’ll kill her”

With renewed vigor, she began to struggle, desperate to get away. She didn’t want to die!

That was the last thing she saw was a bullet searing through Taehyung’s abdomen, before she felt a pinch in her neck and everything faded away.

Make You Know Love

Previous|Next|

Summary & Masterlist

A03

Pairings: ot7 x female

Warnings:

____________

“I’d like to hang out with you for my whole life” - TS

***

Splashing cold water onto her freshly washed face, Anastasia let out a heavy sigh. How had she gotten herself into this mess? Hoseok and Jimin hadn’t stayed long, leaving her to gather her wits in peace, but it hadn’t been much help. She needed to talk to Jungkook.  Staring at herself in the mirror — hair pushed back with a fluffy headband and her dress still clinging to her body —she looked ridiculous, just like the mess her life had become.

Exiting the bathroom, she didn’t see anyone on her way to her room, and perhaps that was a good thing, despite the loneliness that settled in her stomach. When it came to them, she had no self-control, always wanting more, wanting what she shouldn’t want. Worrying her bottom lip, she absentmindedly picked out one of Jungkook’s old white t-shirts and began to try and unzip her dress.

“Need help?”  Squealing, she recoiled into a crouch, relaxing when she recognized Jungkook in the doorway.

“Dammit, Kook, you scared me,” Her voice was rough and he smiled sheepishly. The air between them felt a little forced, but Anastasia couldn’t imagine it lasting long. Everything about him made her want to give him everything.

“I’m sorry, I thought you’d heard me come in,” He explained, taking a step into her space. She knew his signs, he was moments from wrapping himself around her.  Bracing herself, she let him wrap her in his arms and nuzzle his nose into her neck. Closing her eyes, she reluctantly hugged him back.

Why couldn’t she have met a nice averageboy and fallen head over heels for him? Why did her heart flutter every time Seokjin was a subtle gentleman? Why did she feel like she could trust Yoongi with her every secret, even when he was so obviously not to be trusted ? And Hoseok with his arrogant swagger sweeping her into his world, even when she knew she didn’t belong there? Why did Namjoon’s attention make her feel like she was the only relevant subject? What about Jimin’s hot and cold act made him so alluring? Taehyung,she just knew if she showed him even an ounceof weakness, he would take it and run, spinning spiderwebs in her head. And Jungkook, she felt like she no longer knew him. In the weeks passed, she’d realized, maybe she never really knew him at all. She didn’t know what was truly important to him, and maybe that was the worst part of it all — realizing nothing was real.

“Jungkook, do you love me?” She regretted asking immediately.

Pulling back, he tilted his curiously, his expression softening, “Anastasia, you’re more important to me than I will ever be able to put into words. I know the last few weeks have been overwhelming, but I don’t want to lose you.”

His fresh, minty breath fanned across her face and she closed her eyes, accepting that her next move might be a mistake. He let out a small grunt of surprise when she yanked him down to her level, silencing him with her lips. He reacted instantly, hands cupping her cheeks to deepen the kiss. There was no hesitation in his movements, spreading warmth throughout her body.

Shuffling backward, they made their way slowly to her bed until she was on her back with him above her.

“Wait, wait.” She gasped, pushing him back and taking a moment to catch her breath. His gaze impatiently flicked down to her lips, but she could tell he was making the effort to listen.

“I need to tell you something,” she confessed, but by then he’d finished waiting, moving closer to connect their lips again.

They made out for a couple more seconds before he pulled away, just far enough for their lips not to touch. “Yeah?”

Jungkook was the most jealous, possessive person she’d ever met, she knew confessing might ruin everything, but there was no taking the words back. “I-I kissed Jimin”

“I know, Seokjin-hyung told me,” He mumbled against her lips.

“Not just then, and Hoseok and Yoongi, too!” She blurted, disgusted with herself.

His whole body became still and she wished he would pull back so she could see his expression and hopefully read his emotions. She was afraid of his reaction, who would he be angry at? Her for kissing them or them for kissing her?

“When?” His tone wasn’t what she was expecting. Instead of angry, he sounded…confused? Curious? As if the whenmattered more than the act.

Pushing him away, she analyzed his expression. She was right, there was no anger in his doe-eyes, just curiosity. His reaction felt like a piece to a puzzle but she didn’t know what the end picture was supposed to be.

“Tonight…after dinner, and when I went out with Yoongi” She watched him take in the information, then nod and lean in to kiss her again.

“That—it doesn’t bother you?” A horrible realization came; what if this didn’t mean anything to Jungkook? Was that why he wasn’t bothered? He cared more about the others, so there was nothing to be jealous about?

He shook his head, leaning down to nuzzle the crook of her neck.

“Why?” She needed to know.

He sighed, rolling off her. “I love you, I want you to be loved by them too.”

“But…they don’t love me.” How could he be so…so nonchalant?

“Not yet,” Jungkook shifted onto his elbow, “but you can tell they’re trying, right?”

Her mind was spinning so much she felt dizzy.

“I—I don’t…” She couldn’t form a coherent sentence, a coherent thought.

“Does it bother you?” His voice was soft, the vulnerability grounding her somewhat.

Licking her lips, she asked, “Does what bother me?”

“Us. Being around you, taking you on dates. Do you not like it?” He was staring so intently at her, but she didn’t have an answer. Not even an hour ago she’d been certain that Jungkook would think she was a whore and now, knowing he’d known, knowing he supportedit, she didn’t know what to say.

They were moving to Koreaand she had been dead set on notmoving. What was she supposed to tell him?

“I think I need some space.”

He didn’t waste time getting off the bed and kneeling on the floor.

“No, no. I mean, I need some time alone. I need to think,” she explained. It was a request he was visibly less eager to obey. “Please.”

Before either of them could make a move, they heard someone burst through her front door, urgently calling for Jungkook, who was up in a flash.

“Namjoon-hyung?”

The man in question came into view, “Seokjin needs you,” Anastasia could tell he’d said it in English for her sake.

Jungkook did not share the same sentiment as he asked something in his first tongue. Namjoon jerked a nod and Jungkook’s gaze tightened. Turning to her, he assured, “I’ll come back”

Namjoon watched him leave with a furrowed brow, his chin jutting out ever so slightly. Turning to her, he chastised, “You need to lock your door”

Considering his intrusion, she agreed readily, “I really do”

Taking a seat on the corner of her bed, he stared into the hallway, getting lost in thought. The act suggested that he would be waiting with her for Junkook’s return.

Catching herself staring, she realized she was still laying in her dress and scooted to the edge of the bed, getting up, “I need to change…”

He barely glanced at her, nodding once, as if he was only responding so as not to hurt her feelings. Snorting, she grabbed Jungkook’s old t-shirt and made a move for the bathroom. Grabbing her wrist, he glared, “Where are you going?”

“I need to change,” she repeated. His eyes flit over the room in confusion, his grip sliding down to hold her hand.

“What’s wrong with this room?”

Her face fell flat as she stared at him pointedly. Catching on, he smirked, dimples popping, and guided her to stand between his legs. Her heart instantly began beating faster but her expression didn’t change. Why did she always feel so touch-starved when they were around?

Refusing to get distracted by him, she asked, “Why are you here?”

His brow furrowed, “Have you noticed anyone…out of place, around?”

“You mean, besides you?” She teased. He poked her stomach in retribution. “No, have you?”

He shook his head, “I just think you should be careful. A woman living alone? Couldn’t hurt to have extra protection”

Narrowing her gaze, she daringly reached out and laced her fingers together behind his neck, “That’s weak, Joonie, if you wanted to spend time with me, all you had to do was ask”

Dimples reappeared at his closed-lip smile, eyes becoming crescents. “I need to ask?” He challenged.

Jutting her lower lip out, she shrugged. They stayed there, staring into each other’s eyes, expressions slowly becoming serious.

“You look very beautiful in this dress,” He murmured, tracing her silhouette with his fingers. A fierce blush warmed her face.

“The zipper is stuck,” she admitted, shifting her weight.

Leaning in, he let his hand trail up her side where the zipper was sewn in. “Need help?”

Gulping, she shook her head and he nodded, retracting his touch. Grabbing his hands, not wanting him to pull away completely, she stammered, “Jungkook said—he said you all…you want to share?”

Namjoon took his time to think about his response, leaving plenty of room for Anastasia’s nerves to grow. “It’s more than that. Jungkook loves you, like he loves us”

“Are you all—” She left the question hanging.

He tilted his head back and forth as if weighing her question, “More than friends, less than lovers?” It came out as a question, like he wasn’t sure she’d understand. She didn’t, but she wasn’t sure anyone could. “And because he loves you so… encompassingly, just as we love him, loving him now includes you. It’s not sharing, you’re not a toy, you’re just ours” He shrugged.

Groaning, she dragged her hands down her face, “That’s a lot to take in”

It felt like she was finally getting some answers, a little sneak peek into their minds, but they were insane.Worse yet, she wasn’t completely repulsed. But their emotions for each other were so strong.Obsessive. She couldn’t just ignore that.

“You don’t get jealous?” She asked, incredulous, but before he could answer her phone rang. Going to grab it off her nightstand, she checked the caller ID. Beatrice! Anastasia had missed her call earlier, she must be calling back again to make sure Anastasia was okay.

“You’re still talking to her?” Namjoon sneered, peering over her shoulder. Ignoring him, she sat on the bed and answered, “Hello?”

“Taz! I’m sorry I couldn’t talk earlier, I needed to finish my paper,” Beatrice immediately apologized.

“Put it on speaker,” Namjoon interrupted, coming to sit beside her on the bed.

Side-eyeing him, she did as told. “It’s okay, you’re on speaker by the way”

“Oh—is someone else there?” Beatrice sounded hesitant.

Namjoon shook his head, indicating for Anastasia to deny his presence.

“No?”

There was a pause, “Why’d you call?”

Anastasia giggled, “Well, technically you called me, but earlier,” she glanced uncomfortably at the man leaning into her side, “Jungkook and I were arguing and I wanted some advice”

Namjoon’s expression tightened, returning to that irritated expression he’d first walked in with—chin jutted out and tense brows.

“What happened?” Beatrice sounded concerned.

“He wants me to move with him to Korea,” She conveniently left out the part where he wanted her to live with his entourage, too. She felt intensely uncomfortable with Namjoon listening so intently.

“Korea?”

“Um, yeah. I haven’t been able to find a place here, so he’s insisting”

“Wow, are you okay?”

“What do you mean?” Why wouldn’t she be okay?

“Well…I wasn’t going to say anything because I know it would be overstepping, but…it’s just—okay, so when you left with Jimin that day, the others seemed very…smug? And after them acting all weird the whole time, I just—this might be a long shot, but…was the fire actually an accident?”

Namjoon tensed beside her and Anastasia turned to him with a gasp, “Is that true?”

“I swear! Of course, I could be mistaken, but—”

“I’m sorry, I have to go” She interrupted, ending the call. “Is it true? Was the fire purposeful?”

Namjoon rolled his eyes, “Don’t overreact”

“Don’toverreact?!How am I supposedto react?” She felt like she was going crazy.

“Anastasia, do you honestly think Jungkook would do something that wasn’t in your best interest?”

That made her hesitate, but if it wasn’t true, why had Namjoon reacted like that? “Then why did you react like that?”

He scoffed, “Hoseok already told you she was a bitch, but you listen to her when she tells you about yourbest friend, like she knows us better than you do?”

Anastasia opened her mouth to refute, but he was right, Hoseok hadmentioned something about Beatrice before, but Anastasia had wanted to form her own opinion before deciding. That had obviously been a mistake, cause now she was making her doubt Jungkook.

Regret burned her insides as she felt the urge to apologize. “I’m sorry. A lot has been happening and I don’t know, I’m just really overwhelmed with it all”

Still irked, he turned away slightly, clearly not ready to forgive. Crouching before him, in an attempt to get him to meet her gaze, she tried again to make amends, “I’m really sorry for suspecting you and getting angry”

Brown eyes flashed down to meet hers with a sudden fire, “I don’t care what you think Jungkook did, but you’re so quick to doubt our intentions. He lovesyou, yet you doubt him all the time, I see it in the way you react when he’s around us”

Shaking her head vehemently, she said, “I know, I know, I’m sorry! Everything was suddenly all different, I just wasn’t thinking straight”

“Are you now?” His gaze was intense, reminding her of when she first met him, feeling like a cornered animal. Nodding in earnest, she hoped he would see her sincerity as he studied her expression suspiciously. After a few seconds, he rolled his eyes, “Get up”

Following the command immediately, she sat anxiously beside him, her body angled forward slightly to try and see his expression. Was he still upset? Would he tell Jungkook she didn’t trust them?

Meeting her pleading gaze, he sighed and moved back onto the bed, motioning her closer, “Come here”

Laying down beside him, she let him pull her in close, and against her better judgment, she felt herself relax.

“You don’t need to worry about Jungkook or anyone else, okay? We’ll take care of you,” He promised softly, his warmth seeping into her bones. She felt herself nod.

***

Anastasia’s limbs felt stiff the next morning, the same way they always did when she slept soundly enough not to move. Warmth showed through the open curtains, illuminating Jungkook’s face on the pillow next to her. Stretching, joints popping, she slowly became aware of the arm still wrapped around her middle and shifted so she was laying on her back. She was still in her dress, the straps now digging uncomfortably into her shoulders, but she didn’t want to get up yet to change.

Groaning lowly, she rolled onto her stomach and carefully wormed her way down off the bed. Forcing the zipper of the dress down, not caring if it broke, she wiggled out of the dress and slipped into a tank-top and shorts.

Staring at herself in the bathroom mirror minutes later, she contemplated what to do next. The attraction she possessed towards the seven men was undeniable and she found herself humoring the idea of them and her. She was already way more involved with them than she’d ever planned, so if she was going to break her heart, might as well do it thoroughly.

Deciding to test the waters, she quietly left her apartment and headed towards Jungkook’s. Pausing at his door, Namjoon’s words from the night before echoed in her mind; “Have you noticed anyone…out of place, around?”

Tensing up, she turned around slowly, scanning what she could see of the parking lot. There were a couple of people loitering around, but she had no way of knowing who they were or if they belonged. Everyone looked suspicious when you were paranoid.

Shaking off her nerves, she tiptoed through the door, forgoing knocking. Tentatively entering the living room, she smiled at Taehyung who stared wide-eyed at her from the floor in front of the TV. His hair was a mess, like he’d just woken up, and he wore a super oversized white t-shirt that engulfed his entire frame. Jimin lay passed on the couch across the room and she could hear someone else shuffling around in the kitchen.

“Good morning.” She greeted, hesitantly.

“Did you come alone?” Taehyung questioned, leaning over to try and see past her. His accent was much thicker with his rich morning voice.

Thrown off, she stuttered out a confirmation. Taehyung had a knack for keeping his expression stoic, she rarely could tell what he was thinking and it intimidated her.

Seokjin walked out, then, with a bowl of ramen, eyebrows raising at the sight of her. “Good morning,” he smirked.

Desperate to avoid Taehyung’s intense gaze, she grinned at Seokjin, coming closer to peek at his food, “Wow, that looks good!”

His unsure response sparked an idea.

“Can I have some?” She begged, staring up at him with wide eyes.

Glancing back and forth between his food and her, he hesitated. She tried to hide her disappointment.

“This has bacon in it.”

Her eyes went wide, bewildered. Had Yoongi told him that she didn’t like bacon?

Studying her expression, he offered, “I can make you some without bacon”

Shaking her head and waving her hands she said, “That’s okay, I’m not hungry enough to finish an entire bowl”

He didn’t argue, moving past her to sit on the open couch. Taehyung watched the exchange silently and Anastasia had to remind herself that they had no idea that Jungkook had proposed a poly relationship.

Taking a deep breath, she asked, “Are the others still sleeping?”

Two nods in response.

Biting her lip, she wondered if she should wake them. If a decision was to be made, she needed to know whether or not she was accepted. If they didn’t all like her, it didn’t matter what Namjoon said about their feelings, a relationship wouldn’t work. Finding out if they genuinely liked her or if they were just pretending for Jungkook was crucial.

“I’ll go wake them,” She announced, spinning and heading off towards Jungkook’s bedroom. She wasn’t sure where the other two were sleeping, but Jungkook’s bedroom was the closest.

Peeking into the room, she found Hoseok already awake, scrolling through his phone. Turning to look at her, he smiled brightly.

“Have I slept in too long?” He jested, his voice deep and scratchy. He must’ve justwoken up.

“It’s already two in the afternoon!” In truth, she hadn’t checked the time yet.

“Liar,” he snorted, rolling over to stretch.

Next, she headed to the guest room, finding Yoongi asleep on the far side of the bed.

“Yoongi?” She tried, coming around to see his face. Eyes fluttering open, he stared blankly at her for a moment.

“Anastasia?” He croaked, understandably confused.

“Hey, wake up, do you wanna do something with me today?”

There was a moment of silence as he comprehended her question, “What do you want to do?” He, like Taehyung, also had a stronger accent in his sleepy state.

“You’ll have to wake up and see,” She teased, leaving the room. When she entered the living room again, Hoseok was already out of bed and brushing his teeth.

Crouching before Jimin, the one she was probably most nervous about, she gently rubbed his arm. “Jimin?” There was no immediate response, so she tried again, “Jimin?” Stirring, he shifted his weight but otherwise didn’t respond, so she decided to just let him sleep. He was probably hungover.

Moments later, Yoongi stumbled into the room, looking far too good for someone who had just woken up. “What did you want to do?” He caught everyone’s attention with his question.

“Well, it’s been a pretty stressful month, I thought maybe we could relax, go out to eat, maybe see a movie?”

They all exchanged glances, Hoseok meeting her gaze with a smile. “Okay, let’s go”

Her shoulders relaxed, “Get ready, I’ll go wake up Joon and Jungkook”

Sitting in her closet half an hour later, she still couldn’t find something to wear. Irrationally nervous about spending time with them all together, she wanted to look good, but there was a bubble of excitement inside of her, too. Feeling bold, she reached for a top that her estranged cousin had gifted to her. It was something she thought she’d never wear, but suddenly the satin piece of material that only stayed on your body with two chains seemed like the perfect top.

Would they say anything about it? She couldn’t even predict Jungkook’s response because she never wore things like this.

An odd mix of giddy and dread filled her as she got dressed, pairing the top with a simple pair of jeans. After finishing getting ready, almost an hour and a half had passed, yet none of them had come to get her.

If they came to get her, that meant they actually wanted to spend time with her, right? What if they didn’t come? She decided to sit on the couch and wait.

Barely fifteen minutes passed before someone came bursting through the front door. She barely stopped herself from chucking her phone to the floor in a classic guilty fashion.

Scrambling to her feet, she faced Jimin.

“I —” Cutting off, he took in her appearance, before shaking his head and continuing, “So what, you were just going to invite everyone but me?”

Panicked, she reached out, “I tried to wake you, but I thought you had a hangover,” She spluttered.

“So? You were just going to go on one big group date and not even askif I wanted to come? Looking like that,no less?” He looked positively offended.

“It’s not a date!” She defended, though they both knew that wasn’t entirely true. It wasa date, to some degree, just….an experimental one.

He scoffed, “Nuh-uh, get back in there and get ugly.” He demanded, pointing down the hallway where her room was. A surprised giggle bubbled up without permission and she knew she probably should’ve gotten offended, but the petulant frown on his face was too cute.

“Get back in-in there and get u-ugly.” She repeated, barely getting the words out through her laughter. “I’m not changing!”

In one swift, startling movement, he tugged his black t-shirt over his head and threw it onto the couch. “Fine,” He shrugged, taking her hand and tugging her towards the front door, “We’ll match.”

Her eyes grew wide at the sight of his muscular, tattooed chest, unable to come up with a response fast enough before he tugged her out the door.

“Jimin!” She hissed, trying to cover him with her body as a mom and her child walked by. Jimin shamelessly wrapped his arms around her, her bare back pressed to his chest. She could feel his silent laughter.

“Hi, sorry Mrs. Reynold.” She waved apologetically as they shuffled like crabs to Jungkook’s door. They only got a disgusted scoff in reply.

Once safely behind closed doors, Anastasia elbowed him off and shoved him against the door. If she had been paying attention, maybe she would have noticed the dark look he gave her before neutralizing his expression.

“What the hell was that?!”

“You put on a shirt, I’ll put on a shirt.” He bargained with a shrug.

“Iamwearing a shirt!”

He scoffed, “Bikini’s cover more than that.”

“My entire front is covered!”

He didn’t say anything, glaring at her in silence.

“Stop trying to dictate what I wear.” She growled. She hadn’t expected herself to get so defensive over her outfit choice (maybe she was insulted that he didn’t want her to wear it in public), but she couldn’t deny that a part of her was enjoying the fight.

“Back at you, sweetheart.” He countered, “I won’t stop you from leaving, but if you go wearing that, I’m following wearing this.”

“You’re not wearing anything,” She growled.

“Jimin, go put on a shirt, we’re leaving.” Namjoon suddenly ordered, shuffling past to get his shoes.

Crossing her arms smugly, she silently dared Jimin to argue. Scoffing, he stomped off, still behaving like a child. Anastasia smiled to herself, it felt good to win.

More of the boys gathered to put on their shoes, but none of them made nearly as big of a deal as Jimin had. That is, until Jungkook came round the corner.

“Why are you wearing a bib? Go put on a shirt,” He huffed, slipping past to grab a pair of shoes. Yoongi almost snorted iced coffee out his nose and Taehyung put his hand up over his mouth to hide his silent laughter.

“Would you shut up?” She hissed and slapped Jungkook’s arm, face burning. That was not the reaction she’d been hoping for. There was a lot of effort put into her appearance this time.

Jungkook said something in reply, but she didn’t catch it because Jimin was suddenly trying to shove one of his shirts over her head.

“Hey!” She shrieked, wiggling around to try and avoid his ambush.

“I put on a shirt, you put on a shirt!” He giggled, not giving up.

Ducking under his arms, she made a dash for the couch, clumsily jumping over it. Jimin was quick to follow, wrapping an arm around her waist before she could land on the floor and they both toppled to the cushions. Their laughter could likely be heard from the downstairs apartment.

“Let me go!” She giggled. She was having fun. Jimin made it so easy, like it was all just in the moment and she didn’t have to worry about tomorrow.

As the laughter subsided and she let Jimin put the shirt on her, “You’re like an over-possessive boyfriend,” She grumble, getting up from the couch. Jimin smirked in reply.

“Taz?” Jungkook called as she made her way to the front door.

Not wanting to answer the questions she knew he had, she shook her head and grabbed the hand closest to her — Seokjin’s — and skipped out the door. “Let’s go!”

summary: min yoongi has everything: fame, respect, money, and his manager. and the idol will do anything to keep these things.

pairing:idol!min yoongi x fem.manager!reader

warnings in general: yandere tendency, submissive/passive reader, mean min yoongi, “dark”/unrealistic version of bighit/hybe, alternative timeline (bighit/hybe has a  board, bv season 4 is set after the grammy nom,… stuff like that.)

warnings for this chapter: workplace harassment, mention of blood/wounds/needles/vomit (non-descriptive), mention of illegal drug usage, crude language, manipulation, [if i forgot a trigger/warning, please let me know!]

ratings: overall m (please read the warnings!); but not this chapter.

words:2600

links:prev.  next  [masterlist]

info:read it, don’t live it. yandere stories should be fictional for a reason.

“did you know about this?” you whisper to jinho as your team moves into the venue. min yoongi is walking behind you with two security men flanking him. minhae’s stilettos are heard as well, but you try blend her out.

“about what?” jinho asks while looking around for a staff member to seat your idol.

“that min yoongi reached out to tvn first?” you try again. your colleague looks at you surprised.

“no, i didn’t. but… what does it matter? min yoongi does what he does; there is no point in us questioning that.”

before you can respond, a woman with a headset waves you over, only to show you the clipboard with the seating chart. you nod, scan the names, eyes widening as you see that your idols are sitting next to kim woo bin. sunhee will surely die.

jinho is still talking to another worker there while you turn around to the idol couple; both of them are looking at their smartphones, clearly bored and tired of all the hectic from the red carpet.

you move closer and make eye contact with one of the bodyguards. “they are first row, seats a14 and a15. one of us will get them after the seventh intermission for the backstage room. you ought to be standing at exit one and stage case thirteen,” you tell him and he nods back swiftly.

with a thankful smile you close the distance to your idol rapper who puts his phone away the second you approach him. minhae doesn’t seem to notice – or care.

“you’ll be escorted to your seats by security. we’ll get you to go backstage with enough time for hair and makeup to touch you guys up.” then you bow professionally, which makes yoongi’s lips curl into the first honest smile of the evening. “have fun!” you hear jinho add.

“you’ll be backstage?” yoongi asks, ignoring your coworker. you nod without looking at him as your eyes are set on his expensive shoes.

“get me as soon as it’s appropriate. i hate award shows,” he orders harshly, before motioning the security guard to get going. when minhae tries to curl her fingers around his arm for support, the male idol steps further away from her.

“don’t be ridiculous. if you can’t walk in these shoes, don’t wear them.”

lovely. you nod at the other bodyguard and without a word, he offers his arm to escort her inside, trailing behind min yoongi’s figure.

“come on,_____ there should be a minibar backstage,” jinho says and doesn’t comment on yoongi’s rude behavior.

you sigh in resignation and follow your manager through a corridor filled with fast moving people, carrying clipboards, make up bags and pressed shirts. you get one of the few bigger vip rooms – but yoongi has to share his with some upcoming movie star. with puffed cheeks you fall onto the couch, dreading his reaction to a shared room. because of yoongi, bangtan switched to separate rooms last year.

“do you want grape or strawberry?” jinho swings two iced sojus at you and you wordlessly point to the illustrated grapes. you’ve long kissed your no-drink policy goodbye during award season – the hours are long and time does move faster with a few shots of soju. your coworker opens the bottle instantly and takes out two glasses. you try to take the drink from him to pay him respect by pouring the alcohol yourself. but jinho just shakes his head.

“oh! it begins!” the hair stylist – who you haven’t even heard joining you – claps her hands as her eyes are fixated on the screen. and there he is – smirking at the camera as the presenter on stage introduces the guests in first row. minhae smiles shyly next to him, making you roll your eyes at her acting all innocent.

“the fenty eyeliner under his waterline is really… art,” the stylist comments dreamy and you hate that you agree – yoongi’s eyes are underlined with a beautiful shimmery glow, enhancing his feline features.

“but her cut crease is just as beautiful,” she continues as you finish the drink in your hand without a word. yes, minhae looks good and yes she looks good next to yoongi and yes the both of them compliment each other visually. so what?

“____?” an assistant rushes through the door, not caring to knock. he looks flustered and you faintly recognize his face from the cafeteria at hybe. he’s bangtan’s manager as well – and judging by his flushed cheeks, he’s in trouble.

“taehyung-ssi won’t come out of his bathroom,” he whispers frantically throwing his hands up in the air. oh, right, kim taehyung is here as well. you nearly forgot that yoongi’s bandmate is presenting too. your groups arrived separately because the singer was scheduled to present earlier in the program.

you sigh, already missing your next soju shot. you get up from the couch and follow the rushing staff member.

“you have to be back before yoongi gets here, ____!” jinho shouts from behind you, sounding slightly uncomfortable at the prospect of greeting the rapper without you here.

“come on, ____! we’ve got to hurry!” the assistant isn’t overly nice to you. he doesn’t have to be, but it still sucks to be asked to help without so much as a word of gratitude. you fasten your steps nonetheless as he nearly runs towards another waiting room. the inside is smaller than yoongi’s but it seems like taehyung has it to himself. there is only a familiar stylist there, greeting you without looking up from her cellphone. you don’t care as your eyes train on the closed bathroom door.

“can you please step out for a minute?” you ask them both. the assistant looks like you just told him to abandon his treasured wife while the stylist shrugs and leaves, still glued to her device.

“but- but he has to be out in … in eight minutes!” the staff member says. you nod and point to the door.

“he’ll be there. just, give me these eight minutes,” you answer calmly. the man in front of you takes a deep breath before leaving too. the door closes swiftly and you’re alone. a first this evening.

“taehyung-ssi?” your voice is soft as you knock on the bathroom door.

“______?” he responds only a moment later.

“yeah, it’s me. can you come out?” your question is met with silence, then a “no”. you sigh again, whishing you’d be dancing at bean’s engagement party instead of starring at a closed bathroom door.

seven minutes

“well, can you maybe open the door? you don’t have to get out – just, just let me in,” you reason with him. maybe he’ll take the bait. sometimes, idols are like little children.

“promise me?” he asks to which you only hum in responds. you don’t like lying. soon you hear the soft click of the now unlocked door. without another warning, you enter.

six minutes

there is a lot of vomit covering the toilet, a few drops of blood on his white shirt and an all too familiar syringe. damn it, taehyung.

“oh honey,” you mutter and crouch in front of the teary idol. with a whispering touch, you let your hand glide through his colored hair. taehyung’s eyes are wild, not even the harsh bathroom lights widen his pupils.

“i’m so sorry, ____. please, don’t tell yoongi,” he begs and leans into your touch.

“of course not, honey,” you agree. it’ll be a disaster, the rapper would explode with rage if he knew that taehyung took another unnecessary dose of morphine in the bathroom seconds away from a televised stage.

five minutes

“here” you hand him a baby wipe from the sink. “clean up the blood from your skin.” the idol nods, focused on your words. you rush out of the room to the make up bag. your fingers shake as you rummage through the utensils. they have to be here. they have to be. and there they are, you think in silent victory: colored contact lenses.

you run to the clothing bag and pray that the stylist had the mind to pack a safety shirt. again, you sigh in relief when you see the black button down. it’s not like the white one and it’ll make his dark blazer blend in too much, but you do not care. with haste steps you join the singer again. he has moved, now sitting on the closed toilet.

“put these in,” you command and push the contact lenses into his hands. but they shake and taehyung looks close to tears again. damn him.

“okay, okay, okay – that’s okay. i’ll do it. just – just brush your teeth for me, okay?” you say and switch the lenses with his toothbrush.

four minutes

your face is only inches away from his as you press the blue contacts against his eyeballs. you’ve never worn them yourself, but yoongi had a phase two comebacks ago where he only wanted to perform with green eyes. and the only one allowed to put them in was you. so, your fingers are used to the movement, but still, being this close to taehyung is new territory.

there was a time where no one of bangtan was allowed to talk to you. now, things are different because yoongi gained confidence in your submission. still, if yoongi saw this scene, there would be nothing you could do to hold him back.

three minutes

“let me help you,” you say as if you’re talking to a small boy instead of a grown man misusing illegal painkillers. your hands move with caution as you unbutton his shirt – the blood irrevocably tarnishing his outfit. as soon as the clothing is removed, you seal the puncture site with a band aid. after that you help taehyung putting on his new button down. he hisses in pain when you slip it over his wound, but he doesn’t talk. it’s eerie quiet in the bathroom.

two minutes

“i’m not the best at this,” you apologize as you add some high brand foundation under his eyes. “but it’ll have to do.” his make-up won’t measure up to the work of a professional (right outside the room), but it’s kim taehyung – he doesn’t need much.

one minutes

getting him out of the bathroom is a miracle for itself. but you celebrate internally while handling him an opened bottle of water. “drink all of it,” you order. the idol does as told, and you have the time to comb through his hair. the blazer next to him is the last piece and you try not to wince when you slip it over his injured arm.

“_____?” you can hear the mini breakdown in the manager’s voice as he calls out from outside the door.

the look taehyung gives you is not overly confident, his eyes look void of emotions but his body moves a second to fast as he gets up. the idol is high. he shouldn’t present an award in front of half of korea.

“do i have to?” he asks in a whisper and you nod. “it’s your job.”

you escort taehyung out of the room and down the long corridor to the stage. his stylist grimace at your poor coverup but doesn’t say anything. she knows you’re out of time. at the stairs next to the stage, his costar is waiting for him. park seojoon smiles brightly at your singer, a relieved breath leaving you. he’ll do him good. still, your fingers itch to touch taehyung – just to be sure he’s okay. you don’t. instead, you turn around to walk back to his room. you have to get rid of used needles and incriminating shirts. as you rush back you feel burning eyes on you. you don’t have to turn around to see min yoongi staring at you from across the room.

*

your heels are killing you. at first, you didn’t notice them. but now, standing near exit one, you feel the blisters starting. you don’t want to be here. you want to dance, have fun, congratulate bean. but you’re in a room filled with celebrities instead, clapping politely for the young actress on stage.

as soon as she starts her acceptance speech, you tiptoe to the first row – your feet won’t forgive you for that. it’s unnerving how beautiful yoongi’s back looks, how delicious the suit hugs his wide shoulders. because you won’t drool on him, you hesitantly crouch down next to his seat. damn him for having a gorgeous side profile as well. with a soft touch, yoongi turns toward you. his eyes gleam and you feel your heartbeat fasten at his look.

“you have to get backstage now, yoongi-ssi,” you say as quietly as possible. the idol understands you but doesn’t move – he just… continues to stare at you. your mask hides most of your face, still, you feel naked under his gaze. blood rushes to your cheeks as he wordlessly looks at you.

“it’s time,” you try again but his eyes are the only ones answering. his collab partner sighs, clearly annoyed by this situation. she isn’t the only one.

“we heard you the first time,” minhae hisses quietly. it irks you that she talks down on you, but your eyes stay on yoongi who continues to watch you. after another moment you get saved by the rising cheers around you. even yoongi flinches at the interruption. and then he gracefully gets up, only to offer you his hand. it’s not even debated before you put your hand in his. his palm is cold against your skin, reminding you of the cool temperatures inside the auditorium. yoongi’s grip is firm when he pulls you up, only to steady you with his other hand.

“let’s go,” he orders next to your ear as he lets go of your hand. you nod your head, too afraid to speak. sometimes yoongi leaves you speechless in the best kind of ways – sometimes not. you walk on shaky legs towards the exit, aware that you’ve drawn some attention onto your little group. with quickened steps you reach the doors and push past them to get yoongi backstage.

**

“- so, we are deeply honored to –“ minhae’s voice fills the speakers backstage as you try to focus on yoongi’s cold expression.

“she should never try acting,” jinho comments while packing up the two empty soju bottles. one does not leave evidence. you have to agree with him; minhae does not look natural addressing their collab in front of the audience.

“but she can sing,” you answer, trying to be somewhat objective. you stole some of the make-up stylist’s product the second yoongi went back to the mainstage. your lipliner and mascara is freshened up and you do look pretty in the semi formal dress. before you can twirl your hair more casual, your phone starts to vibrate.

“that’s my uber,” you inform your coworker, only to see him huff – clearly unhappy.

“i don’t understand why you can’t wait till we’re all leaving. i bet the company van will drop you off right at that restaurant.”

yeah, you know the van is already scheduled to arrive in half an hour, when the award ceremony is finished. but what you also know is that yoongi won’t let you go.

“i’m already three hours late – i don’t want to make it four. the stage is done, yoongi looked pretty. all is well. i’m out of here,” you explain again. instead of getting you to reconsider, jinho just waves his hand in your direction. you brush over the smooth dress and walk confidently to the exit.

you don’t want to be here anymore, so you leave.

______

it’s long overdue. i hope you enjoyed the chapter! i’d love to hear from you guys! (and don’t be mad about taehyung – everything is part of the plot.) take care of yourselves and be nice to others!

love, dana

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~Coming Soon~

Allurement: Friends

The next day came with a usual busy schedule but an unusually quiet Namjoon. (Y/N) could not help but steal subtle glances at him from time to time, he was engrossed in work, but she could tell that he was not quite himself. Namjoon was an almost indecipherable man, but she was learning to read him. The real him. The deepest, darkest of him- she had no choice but to learn to read him.

Perhaps it was her intuition, or perhaps her understanding of Namjoon, but she knew that there was something different about the tenderness he had shown her the previous night. Namjoon was tender with her, but there used to be something unpredictable and daunting about his tenderness ever since she came to know his true nature. But the previous night, she felt more like an anchor to him than the object of his affections.

He was mechanical in his tasks, not his creative self today. (Y/N) realised as she skimmed through the documents. But she dared not say anything, instead, edited them on her own.

.

.

“How is the blueprint coming up?” she could not help but ask as they packed away their files into the cabinets. It was time to go home.

“Fine, done with the SOW?”

“Yes.” she paused before continuing “I was considering if I am to attend the Board Meeting for this project as well?”

To her surprise, Namjoon nodded immediately- on a closer inspection, the far off look in his eyes never disappeared, if anything, it was more apparent than before.

Not able to contain her concerns, she placed a hand on his shoulder “You are not yourself today.”

Finally, Namjoon looked at her “I’m tired, Jagi.” and indeed he seemed so. He appeared more than tired.

(Y/N) nodded silently “Let’s go.”

Namjoon walked away in silence.

——–

“Did the company send a response to my mail?” (Y/N) asked Hana, her assistant while her fingers worked on typing.

Namjoon was, thankfully, not present in the office. He was at Mr Min’s cabin and had been there for hours. (Y/N) did not want her assistant to have any funny theories after all.

“Yes, Ma’am, a response via email was sent, I have printed it out, you can look through it and sign and stamp it.”

She hummed before dismissing the girl. The day was just as busy as any other, and on the surface, there was not much of a change in Namjoon, but (Y/N) just knew that beyond the surface there is a storm brewing.

She had been in constant touch with Jimin through the burner phone he had provided her, all that she needed was to make sure that the phone or any sign of suspicion stayed far away from Namjoon’s eyes. She did not even wish to imagine what step would he take if he ever got even a hunch about what was brewing within.

But more than Namjoon, she needed to be cautious regarding Min Yoongi- the man had eyes and ears everywhere. And if he even had a suspicion, she was as good as caught. And (Y/N) knew that it was Jimin and Doctor Choi who would have to pay the price. And she could never do that to Jimin, nor to Sejun. They risked it all for her, they looked out for her. The least she could do was not shield them from Min Yoongi and Kim Namjoon’s radar.

The landline on her desk rang into life, snatching her attention back to the present. It was her assistant on the other side, (Y/N) had immediately assumed the gisl had missed something while she had been there. Juggling a college life with work was not easy- she had been there herself, and she empathised with the girl.

“Ma’am, Miss Choi is here. She has just left for the elevator.”

“Choi Ara?”

“Yes Ma’am, Sir’s wife.” 

The last part gave her the much-anticipated sting but (Y/N) was learning to look past it. Not that it would matter in near future anyway. She would be far away from the place, from the people here, from Namjoon. She gulped as her hands turned slightly heated.

“Didn’t you inform her that Mr Kim is at Mr Min’s cabin?”

“I did, Ma’am, but Miss Choi insisted that she ould wait in his office. I had no choice, Ma’am, sorry.”

“No, not fault, okay, just order some coffee and dessert from the nearby cafe.”

“Right away Ma’am.”

(Y/N) nodded to herself and put the phone back. It merely took a couple of minutes for Choi Ara to reach the office.

“Hello there, (Y/N).” Choi Ara was just as immaculate as she had seen her last time. And the last time had been on her wedding day, months ago.

(Y/N) smiled at her, rising from her chair and welcoming the woman, she was a Kim now, after all. Besides, Ara had not given her any reason so far to be cautious of her. Yet, that was, strangely, the very reason that (Y/N) had her guards up, always. She was, after all, Choi Wonshik’s daughter.

“Good afternoon, Ma'am, honoured to have you here.”

(Y/N) received a radiant smile from Ara in return as she took a seat in front of her. She picked up the phone in order to inform Namjoon. Why else would she be there?

“Let me inform Mr Kim—” 

“No need of that (Y/N), I came here to see you.” Ara put her hand on the phone, ceasing (Y/N)’a actions

“Me?”

Ara nodded with a smile “Also, Ara would be fine.” her tone sounded genuine, and her smile did reach her eyes, enhancing her beauty.

“Did…Did something happen that I should know of?”

“Girl, all you should know of is who is your friend and who pretends to be.”

(Y/N) only smiled at her, so she continued.

“And I want us to be friends. Good friends.”

“Oh, okay…” (Y/N) stretched her smile slightly, though she was still confused as to why would Ara be interested in befriending her.

She still remembered her piece of advice though- not to become a pawn. Yet, at the moment, she was not sure if Ara was genuinely interested in her friendship or was playing a puppeteer herself.

“I understand your concern, (Y/N), and your lack of trust…And this is a good thing to have.” her smile waned slightly but her eyes remained on her. “It’s a hard world, and we need friends to look out for each other in times of crisis.”

“Cannot agree more, but it is not my world.” 

“Of course it is, you are Kim Namjoon’s woman, you are an integral part of the world.” she paused and reached for (Y/N)’s hand “Whether you want it or not, (Y/N), you are a part of this world, an important part. And you must realise your importance and accept your role.”

(Y/N)’s gaze dropped, feeling a strange pit in her stomach.

“It…It must have been so hard for you.” Choi Ara sympathised. But (Y/N) found herself shaking her head and looking away.

What would she understand of her tight plight? Ara seemed to read right through her.

“Trust me, girl, being born a woman itself in this world sets our struggle for survival in stone. No one has it easy here- and definitely not the women. We are mostly viewed as pawns and trophies…So if one wants to survive and win, having friends is important.”

She felt Ara’s hand squeeze hers gently, her eyes warm and empathising.

“The first time I saw you, I immediately knew that you do not really belong here, and neither do you want to. But Namjoon was determined to have you, to keep you. He sees it safer for you to be legally bound to him.”

“You–how do you know about it?” she was baffled

Ara passed her an easy smile and tilted her head slightly “It is important to keep an eye on your foes, but absolutely necessary to know what your friends are up to.” she leaned slightly closer “And Namjoon is a very important friend.”

She leaned away slightly, relaxed but sighing softly 

“He left the mansion in a haste that night, and had not been in contact since.”

So it was something to do with the  Kim Estate.

“He appeared a bit tense.” (Y/N) added hesitantly.

“I do not worry about him, I know you will take care of him, I worry about the cause. He seemed perturbed.”

“I have been surprised too, the all-powerful Kim Namjoon appeared tense.” she could not help but muse out aloud.

“He is not all-powerful (Y/N), not yet at least- just more powerful than he had been before his father’s demise.”

(Y/N) stilled, Mr Kim’s demise had been a complicated matter so far. Namjoon never liked to be approached with the matter, and as far as (Y/N) knew, he was not very fond of his father, or other relatives.

“He is not very fond of his uncle either.” 

“He keeps me away from his family affairs.” (Y/N) looked away, slipping her hand from Ara’s hold and choosing to fiddle with the ring she wore all the time. The precious gems gleamed under the daylight flooding the gigantic office.

“Really? That is not done, you are supposed to know. You, out of all people.”

(Y/N) simply passed her a smile, Ara was a pleasant lady, but (Y/N) had a lot of the ability to trust easily.

“Coming to his family, I suppose his soured mood could be associated with his soured family ties- I meant, they were already sour…Mine isn’t that great either.”

This made (Y/N) look up, meeting Ara’s gaze once more.

“I want us to be friends, good friends,” she emphasised, leaning closer again, while (Y/N) nodded in a daze.

She did not know what else to do. Ara passed her another pleasing smile 

“Are you actively involved in the Board Meetings?”

“Uh, I am just Namjoon’s secretary,”

“In their eyes, yes, but you are much more than that, you know this right?”

“I believe Mr Min is already doing a great job in influencing the board.”Choi Ara had always been friendly with her, but she still could not let anyone know about her newfound interest in the Board.

“Oh, yes, Min Yoongi- he has eyes everywhere.” Ara rolled her eyes and leaned away. “He likes to keep tabs on people he deems important enough.”

(Y/N) pursed her lips at the memory of how it took only minutes for Yoongi to find out about her meeting with Jimin, his warning still rang in her head. It was him she needed to be careful of for the time being.

“You know Mr Min?”

“Of course, I know him.” she scoffed “He is Namjoon’s closest associate after all.” she added after a moment.

(Y/N) hummed. 

The door of the office opened and Hana walked in. While (Y/N) had been expecting the girl, what caught her off guard were the two figures trailing behind her- Namjoon and Yoongi.

“I just came to know that my secretary is entertaining Miss Choi without informing me.” Namjoon’s smile was cold and sharp, mirroring his tone.

“I came here, Namjoon, quit blaming this poor girl.”

“And why is that?” Yoongi questioned this time.

Choi Ara only smiled as she rose from her seat, turning to (Y/N), she shook hands with her “See you around, (Y/N).”

With that, she walked out of the office, leaving the tension hanging in the air.

“What was she doing here?” It was Yoongi who cut through the thick silence.

“She was checking up on Namjoon, she is worried that he appears tense these days.”

“Oh really, and she walked away without a single question when I walked in?” 

Of course, neither of them would buy it.

“Hyung, kindly close the door before leaving?”

“See you tomorrow now, Namjoon.” with that, he walked out of the door, leaving her alone with Namjoon.”

“Why was she here.”

“She said she wanted to be friendly.” (Y/N) blurted out dumbly, earning a snigger from Namjoon.

“And you believed her? She is Choi Wonshik’s daughter. You ought not to trust anyone but me here.”

“Oh really? Even after everything?”

“Even after everything.” he pressed

(Y/N) shook her head with a resentful, she was not surprised, just disappointed.

“What was she talking about?”

“She said she wanted to be a good friend of mine…And that you have been on edge lately.”

“Really?” Namjoon put his hands on his hips.

“You have been tense, lately.” his eyes stilled and locked with her gaze as he heaved a sigh.

“And you care about me?”

Her mouth opened and closed but nothing came out, yet there was so much to say and so little to believe.

“I’m tired of fighting.”

(Y/N) stood stunned, not by his words, but his eyes, the kind of softness and vulnerability she had witnessed in his eyes the other night- when he returned from his ancestral home.

“What are you tired of?”

“I’m tired of trying to prove how much I love you, I’m tired of clashing with you…I want us back, just the way we were? I want you to trust me!” he stepped closer and cupped her cheek.

“You know I cannot do that, thinking about the past only hurts me,” she whispered back. 

She could never be the girl she used to be, not after what had happened.

“It hurts me too.” his voice was low, heavy and suppressed.

She said nothing, only let him kiss her after that. She knew he needed it.

****

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