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whisperedmeg · 22 days ago

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RE-ENTRY BURN ―.✦ s.r. soft animal series ∘ part vi

pairing: spencer reid x fem!nurse!reader

summary: spencer returns to the field, and the soft parts of him begin to harden. together, they search for a way to hold on.

genre: hurt/comfort, like kinda fluff if you squint I guess?

w/c: 2.7k

tags/warnings: post-prison spencer, spencer goes back to work, reader gets anxious again but for a diff reason, spencer is still a reassuring sweetie pie, reader meets (part of) the bau, just some kissing but nothing more than that, big moment in their relationship !!

a/n: I wrote, erased, and rewrote the second half of this chapter like five separate times before I was happy with it and I’m still not 100% convinced, so I hope it turned out okay. no spoilers but there’s some major payoff at the end in this one 🙂‍↕️. as always, thank you sm to everyone who has followed this series so far 🫶🏼

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The call came on a Thursday morning.

Spencer was sitting on my living room floor, back against the couch, flipping through a book of poetry he insisted he didn’t like but kept rereading anyway. I was in the kitchen in one of his old t-shirts, buttering toast and making an omelette and wondering if I had time for a shower before my shift. The air smelled like coffee and rain. It felt like a quiet, ordinary kind of day.

Then his phone rang. And I watched everything in his body go still.

“Yes,” he said after picking up. “This is Dr. Reid.”

His fingers tightened around the phone. His spine straightened. I turned off the burner.

I didn’t try to listen, but I didn’t leave the room either. He only said a few words: Okay. Thank you. I understand. See you soon. But when he hung up, he didn’t just look different — he looked lit up, like something dormant had just sparked back to life.

He stared at the phone in his hand for a second, then looked at me with wide, stunned eyes.

“That was them?”

He nodded slowly. Then, voice thick with disbelief and something close to awe: “They’re taking me back. I’m reinstated.”

For a beat, all we did was stare at each other.

Then I crossed the room and launched myself at him. He caught me, laughing, and spun us around so fast we nearly knocked over a vase.

“Oh my god,” I said, cupping his face. “Spencer, that’s amazing. You did that.”

“I didn’t think—” he broke off, blinking fast. “I thought it would take longer. Or that they’d changed their minds.”

I kissed him, hard and messy and happy and full of relief. He kissed me back just as fiercely, both hands buried in my hair. We were still tangled in each other when the real weight of it started to settle between us.

I pulled back slightly, breathless. “So… what happens now?”

“I report to Quantico next week. There’s some re-entry protocol — updated field certifications, paperwork, so on. Then I’m back on the team.” He paused, then added, “Back on the jet.”

I nodded, trying to keep my smile steady. “Right. Of course.”

But a quiet fear had already begun to curl into my chest — something I didn’t want to name. The fear that maybe the version of Spencer I’d come to know, the one who made me coffee with too much cinnamon and traced my shoulder blades with reverence, was only who he was here, with me.

Who was he when he was chasing monsters across state lines again? Who was I to him in that world?

“Hey,” he said gently, reaching for my hand. “Talk to me.”

“I don’t know what to say,” I admitted. “I’m so, so happy for you. And I want this for you. I… I just don’t know what it means for us. I don’t know that version of you. Your life is about to get a lot bigger, and I’m still here, going back and forth to Millburn, in scrubs, on twelve-hour shifts, staying exactly the same.”

“You think I’m going to leave you behind?”

I paused. “I don’t really think that. But I still fear it. Which might be worse.”

His grip tightened slightly. “I’m not going anywhere. But… I know this will change things. I just don’t know how yet.”

We sat with that — the not-knowing. It was becoming a constant companion.

He exhaled slowly, his forehead resting against mine. “We’ll figure this out. I promise.”

—

His first day back, I packed him lunch.

It felt stupid and too intimate and maybe a little bit like denial, but I did it anyway. Hummus, cut-up vegetables, and fruit, plus two hardboiled eggs he’d probably forget to eat. Spencer had a habit of doing that — starting a meal but then getting too absorbed in his work or the documentary on TV or the book in his lap to remember to finish it. I tucked in a note before I could overthink it: You’ve survived worse. Just breathe. You’re gonna be great.

He texted me later to say thank you. Then I didn’t hear from him for six hours.

I tried not to spiral.

When he finally walked into his apartment, he looked… different. Not bad, but sharper. Like someone had ironed some of the softness out of him. I was already waiting for him on his couch — he’d given me my own key last week and told me to use it.

“How was it?” I asked.

“Strange,” he said honestly. “Good. Overwhelming.”

I kissed him and tried to pretend I wasn’t searching his eyes for cracks.

—

By day three, he was already packing an overnight bag.

“There’s a case,” he said, tucking mismatched socks into a duffel. “We think there’s an unsub targeting sex workers.”

I sat on the edge of the bed, watching. “That was fast.”

He shrugged a shoulder. “It’s the job.”

The words landed harder than he probably meant. I swallowed thickly.

“Will I get to know where you are?”

He turned, reaching for me. “You can know everything I’m allowed to tell you. I won’t shut you out.”

I nodded, because I didn’t trust my voice.

He kissed me once — soft and lingering — and then he was gone.

—

The next few days passed slowly.

He texted when he landed in Denver. Again when they reached the local precinct. That first night, he called me from his hotel room. His voice was tired but steady, full of soft reassurances: I’m okay. I’m thinking about you. I wish you were here.

But the check-ins were short. Sporadic. Sometimes twelve hours went by without a word, and I had to remind myself he was just busy. That it wasn’t about me. That he had bigger things to worry about. That he wasn’t retreating.

Still, I found myself staring at my phone more than I wanted to admit. Writing texts I didn’t send. Wondering if this low, quiet ache in my chest was normal or the beginning of something harder.

When he got back four days later, he smelled like airplane soap and adrenaline. His arms were around me the second he was through my front door, and for a moment, it felt like the rest of the world didn’t exist.

“I missed you,” he murmured against my hair.

I squeezed him closer. “I missed you every second.”

Then he pulled back, and I saw it — the part of him that was already half gone again.

“You okay?” he asked.

I nodded. “Are you?”

“I’m tired. But yeah.”

“Did you eat the eggs?”

He blinked. “What?”

“In the lunch I packed. On your first day back.”

A small smile tugged at his mouth. “I forgot.”

—

That weekend, Spencer’s work friends invited him out to a nice dinner downtown.

He insisted I join him. Said he wanted me there. That he wanted me to meet more of his team, and that they wanted to meet me, too.

I said yes because I could tell it meant a lot to him — and because I genuinely did want to meet the people closest to him — but I was a nervous wreck over it. I felt like I was going to be interviewed by the people who had known him for years, who had pulled him from blood-soaked crime scenes and watched him unravel and rebuild more than once. People — profilers — who could probably read body language as easily as breathing. People who would know if I was feeling even just a little bit off.

Penelope nearly vibrated with joy when Spencer and I walked into the restaurant, hugging me like I was a gift-wrapped surprise. JJ gave me her usual perceptive, friendly smile, the kind that made me feel both seen and slightly exposed.

But it was meeting Emily and Rossi for the first time that made me sweat.

Emily shook my hand with polite warmth, but her eyes were sharp. Measuring. Assessing. As if she couldn’t help it. As if it was hardwired into her, the way it was hardwired into me to check pupils and track vitals. Rossi gave me a smile so charming it almost felt intimidating — not because he was skeptical, but because he was paying close attention, the way you do when someone you love finally lets you see something they’ve been protecting.

I did my best to hold my own. I answered questions about myself — my job at the infirmary, the story of how Spencer and I met (they loved hearing how I’d given him my number via scrabble tiles), what I liked to do outside of work. I laughed when they teased Spencer about still being the worst at remembering to eat, and about the time he tried to explain string theory at a retirement party and knocked over an entire cheese platter mid-metaphor. He rolled his eyes and claimed it was an unfair exaggeration, but his ears turned pink.

There was a moment when Emily asked what had drawn me to Spencer, and a million different answers piled up in my throat all at once. I just smiled and said, “He’s easy to care about. Even at his lowest, he was still always the kindest person in the room. Plus, he even pretended to feel bad when he kicked my ass in chess.”

Garcia let out a delighted little sound, pressing her hand to her heart. JJ’s eyes softened with something almost protective. Rossi gave an approving nod and raised his glass. And Emily — she didn’t quite smile, but her shoulders loosened, like she was easing off an invisible trigger.

Still, the entire dinner felt a little like walking a tightrope — one foot in Spencer’s universe, the other still hovering over mine. I couldn’t tell if I was holding my breath or just trying to match their rhythm.

“You okay?” JJ asked gently while we waited for dessert. “It’s a lot, I know.”

“Being part of this world?”

She tilted her head. “Being with someone who spends half their life chasing ghosts.”

I smiled tightly. “I haven’t quite figured out where I fit yet.”

“You don’t have to know today,” she said. “But if you care about him — and it’s pretty clear you do — then hang on. He’s worth the turbulence.”

I looked over at Spencer, who was in the middle of arguing with Garcia about the probability of alien life as if the past six months hadn’t nearly broken him. His hands moved as he spoke, his expression animated, utterly absorbed in the debate. There was something so familiar about it — the way he lit up, the way he met the world with open palms and big questions. Like the worst thing had already happened, and now he was trying to believe in wonder again.

“I know he is,” I said softly. “But turbulence still leaves you breathless sometimes.”

—

Later, in the car, Spencer took my hand. “You okay? You’ve been kind of quiet.”

I shrugged, watching the city pass by through the window. “I’m just tired. It was a good night.”

He glanced over at me, unconvinced but gentle.

“I really like Penelope,” I added. “She always hugs me like I’m the best thing that’s ever happened to you.”

“She thinks you are,” he said, no hesitation. “And she’s right.”

I smiled, feeling my cheeks warm. “And JJ. She’s… perceptive. And kind. Like she sees things but doesn’t make you feel too exposed.”

His thumb brushed across my knuckles, slow and steady.

“And Emily was warm in a scary, FBI-chief sort of way. I was terrified she hated me, but then she made that joke about your hair and I felt like I passed some kind of test.”

Spencer let out a soft laugh. “That’s exactly how you know she likes you.”

“And Rossi’s stories are even better than you said they’d be,” I continued. “Though I’m still not convinced that the one about the ambassador’s wife and Ringo Starr actually happened.”

“Oh, it definitely did.”

That made me laugh. I leaned my head back against the seat, exhaling. “It was a good night, Spence. Really.”

Spencer smiled softly, but didn’t say anything. His thumb moved in slow, absentminded circles against my hand — like he was trying to ground me without interrupting whatever was unraveling inside my head.

I hesitated. “It’s just…”

He waited, thumb still brushing lightly over my knuckles. I kept my gaze on the window.

“It’s strange,” I said slowly. “Watching you slip back into your world so naturally. Not in a bad way — it’s a good kind of strange. But I’m still figuring out where I fit.” I paused for a beat. “Sometimes I worry I’m just watching your life take off without me.”

He turned to look at me, a flicker of confusion crossing his face. “That’s not what’s happening.”

“I know,” I murmured. “But it feels that way sometimes. You’re re-entering a life that’s so much bigger than I ever knew, and I’m still finding my place in it.”

His fingers tightened gently around mine. “You’re not on the outside of this. You never were. You’ve always had a place with me.”

I nodded, though the ache lingered. “I know, Spence. It’s just… kind of a lot, I guess. I wasn’t ready for how much of it existed before me, which I know sounds incredibly silly.”

He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he pulled the car over with a soft turn of the wheel, settling us into the stillness of a side street, headlights casting long shadows through the trees. Then he turned toward me fully.

“You’re part of my life,” he said, his voice calm but firm. “The best part. I just need you to trust that I’m still in this. Even when I’m gone on cases. Even when I come home wrecked and quiet. I’m still with you.”

I looked at him then, really looked. At the man who had once been shattered, who had let me see every broken edge, who had handed me the glue and trusted me not to cut myself as I helped him put the pieces back together. And who now was flying straight toward the storm again, because that’s what he was made to do.

“I trust that,” I said softly. “I really do. I just don’t want to be the thing that keeps you grounded if what you really need is flight.”

His brow softened, and he reached across the console to cup my jaw, thumb brushing just beneath my cheekbone, tender and steady. “You’re not holding me down,” he said. “You’re giving me a reason to land.”

My throat tightened. The knot in my chest loosened — not all the way, but enough. I nodded, blinking against the rush of everything that wanted to spill out.

He gave my hand a final squeeze and slowly pulled back onto the road.

And this time, I really did let myself believe him.

—

That night, we didn’t sleep right away. We just… laid there, wrapped around each other, quiet and breathing like the hush itself was sacred. His hand rested against my back, fingers tracing slow, absent-minded lines — like he was etching something into the moment to keep forever.

It all felt different now. Not just tender, but certain. Like something had settled between us that couldn’t be undone.

He shifted slightly, just enough to look at me. His eyes moved across my face like he was studying it, memorizing it, letting the silence stretch long enough to make my breath catch.

Then he said, softly but without hesitation, “I love you.”

No preamble. No buildup. Just the truth, laid bare between us.

It hit me like a tidal wave, sudden and warm and full. I think part of me had been waiting for him to say that — aching for it, really. I had felt it already, but still, actually hearing it aloud cracked something open in my chest.

I blinked hard and reached for him, tracing his cheek with the backs of my fingers.

“I love you too,” I whispered. “I think I have for a while now.”

Something in him shifted — softened, unknotted. He exhaled like he hadn’t realized he’d been holding his breath. And then his lips curled into a smile so bright it almost hurt.

“You mean it?”

I nodded, and his smile deepened, eyes full of hope. “I think I’ve been waiting to hear that since the moment I met you,” he murmured.

Then he kissed me — slow and deep. Not hurried or desperate, just honest. His lips on mine like he was saying it again with his mouth, his hands, his whole body:

I’m here. I’m yours. I’m trying. I love you.

ᝰ.ᐟ

part vii

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winterzsurprise · 20 days ago

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Change My Mind [9]

Pairing: BTS x reader

SUMMARY: As a make-up artist, you were expected to glamorize your clients with brushes and products that cost a week-worth of food, not to befriend them outside of work, let alone have them save you from dates yet here you are five years later as one of their closest confidants.

Being a stylist of the world's biggest boyband is no easy feat, someone is doing flips, someone can't stay still and one's asleep but its fine, you can work around their chaos but then one day, you find out they're all your soulmates, a whole different can of chaos you don't think you can handle.

Tags: Soulmates AU, Friends to Lovers, Eventual Smut, Not Beta Read, Slow Build, Polyamory, Attempts at Humor

Words: 8.4k

HAPPY BORA MONTH EVERYONE OUR BOYS ARE COMING HOMEEEEEE

to keep the updates somewhat stable, I'll be only posting on wednesdays KST (pretend that its still wednesday, I got caught up playing grow a garden lmao)

Sorry for the late update, our capstone mobile project got scrapped mid production and we now have one month to finish it (damn u prof), with the addition of creating an e-commerce app for a diff subject. So yeah fun :D! (im about to curse them down to their grandchildren)

n e ways, here's the update. I hope you enjoy it! Thank you all for your patience and support!

Maybe it was a mistake cracking your eyes open and making space in your already minimal cubicle room but could anyone blame you for doing so when you’ve got a pouting Jimin and the ringing absence of his body heat against your skin had overcome your better judgment?

“Noona, can I bunk with you?”

It was a simple request, you could’ve said no and Jimin would’ve returned to his seat to sleep alone. But seeing him, with his hair mused from the tossing and churning he must’ve done earlier in his bed, matched with his pouty lips and barely open eyes, you couldn’t dare say no to his face.

Moving aside and inviting him without hesitation was something you never thought you'd ever do in your life—at least while sober.

Scared of crossing boundaries with your best friends, you had stopped yourself from entertaining anything past what you deemed is platonic and acceptable.

Sure there were times you’d let the maknaes snuggle up next to you but other than the few times you had let them do so after they had grown past their teenage years, cuddling had become rare once they were adults.

Maybe it was because you had spent weeks sleeping next to Jimin during the times you had to stabilize the bond but it felt odd not sensing someone else’s body heat next to you, or having the mattress dip from someone’s weight—Jimin’s weight specifically.

Somewhere, sometime during the nights you had Jimin next to you, he had become a beacon of protection and safety. In the short time you were alone in your cubicle, you had found yourself missing his presence and the soft glowing pulse of your soulmark near you. His absence rang and resonated loudly in the quietness of the flight.

You had comforted yourself earlier, reassuring your own longing heart that you’ll get to sleep next to Jimin again once you’re both off the airplane yet.

But the heart is fickle and not easily convinced once it begins to want and yearn.

To be able to welcome Jimin into your bed without going through multiple pages of pros and cons to letting your friends momentarily cross the line, the old you would’ve had an aneurysm and you excuse it as one of your (probably) sleepy mistakes.

“Close the blinds so the stewardess won’t see us and scold us for… bunking together.”

“Just say sleeping together, noona.” He giggled. “It means the same thing, right?”

You said nothing, only moving to make space for him.

Slipping inside the already small space, he closed the slides behind him and laid next to you. Automatically, his hand seeked yours in the dark and pulled it close to his nose, making goosebumps prick your skin as his hot exhales breathed warmth and lit up the golden swirls of your soulmark into your body.

It bloomed elegantly from your palms to your knuckles before eventually fading somewhere mid-forearm. They glowed a soft golden light, a stark brightness in the darkness of your cubicle but you couldn’t find it in yourself to feel bothered by its llight. In fact, it had begun to instill a degree of comfort whenever it gleamed behind your closed lids.

Your heartbeat then began to drum in your chest, the loud thuds resonating through every bone in your limb, rendering you weak under the cold relieving effects of your soulmark.

“Didn’t mean to bother your sleep,” Jimin had murmured softly. “I just… It felt weird not being able to sleep next to you.”

Maybe it was the sleepiness from travelling at midnight that made you put your guard down. After a socially exhausting day of having to lie to a thousand people and dealing with worried friends, you dare to let yourself enjoy the presence of your soulmate without the ugliness of insecurity.

“Me too,” you whispered. “I missed you, Jimin.”

It felt so odd letting such a sentiment slip past your lips yet it felt so right uttering his name next to it.

He giggled and it sounded like the chimes of the sweetest of bells as a large, embarrassed smile cracks through his sleepy expression. Shy, he hid his face into the back of your hand.

“Did you really?” He asked through his giddiness. “You missed me?

“I missed you, Jiminie.” You repeated.

His giggles multiplied and with it, the radiating comfort from where you’re both connected growing warmer and brighter.

“How am I supposed to sleep after hearing that? Noona, I think my heart might explode from how fast it's going.”

Jimin then brought your hand to his chest and pressed it against his rib. Feeling his heart race under your palm, you wondered how he hasn’t exploded from how concerningly quick it’s going.

“The other guys are going to be so jealous. I’m so excited to brag about it.”

“You’re going to tell them?” You asked, curious.

“Rarely do I get anything to brag about. I also wouldn’t miss the chance to hold it over Jin and Jungkook’s head.”

How is it that something you usually regard as a red flag could pale when it comes to your best friends? Telling other people of your business should’ve made you frown yet you found yourself uncaring of the fact. They’re all your soulmates anyways, you mentally shrugged.

Closing your eyes, you prepare yourself to welcome the serenity of sleep, thinking Jimin had fallen asleep already in the short time you were reflecting on your reaction to hearing they share tales with each other about you.

To your surprise, Jimin spoke again.

“Noona, can I ask you something?”

“What is it?”

“You can say no and not tell me but,” He took a tentative pause. “I just… kept wondering why you feel so undeserving of us.”

After you had fallen asleep after Hoseok’s celebratory dinner, Jimin had sneaked away to tell the others of what you think of the soulmate bond. He had briefly and very vaguely told you what they had talked about the next morning, saying it was just a simple discussion on how they'll proceed with you and left it at that.

And as much as it was frustrating being left in the dark, you knew deep inside to not pry for more information knowing it might become fuel for the bald headed demon of insecurity.

“Don't you already know?”

“I might but I'd like to hear it from you personally.”

You debated on telling him, scared to hear your own faults be spoken out loud in the small space of your cubicle. For a moment, you thought to ignore his question and to talk about the interviews they had lined up on days they were to rest in between shows but don’t they deserve to hear it straight from you?

“I feel bad because not only did I reject some of you, I also talked about my other relationships and my search for a husband with you all. I ignored your feelings for a semblance of normalcy, especially Jin’s, although he'd argue that I didn't know. I still think I should be crucified for that. All I wanted was the closeness we all had before feelings got involved but it only got more twisted.”

Hearing you say it out loud made your sins sound more evil than it should be. It echoed in the silence left by your reply. Your words bounced off the walls, seeming to gain more volume the more it reverberated, sounding more taunting and mocking as it went.

Then all of a sudden, the cold relief that flowed under the swirls on your arms grew hotter as if lava had replaced them. It stinged like dislike and burned like disgust. Panicking, you pulled your hand away but Jimin was faster, tightening his hold around your wrist.

“Noona—”

“I swear I'll try and make it all up to you somehow. It's gonna take a little bit of time but—”

“Listen to me, noo—”

“Please, I don’t

Jimin pressed a finger to your lips and shushed you.

“You don't owe us anything, noona. Don't force yourself to reciprocate our feelings or our efforts preparing for our dates will end up being useless.” He laughed. “But seriously, let yourself feel whatever you want to feel because at the end of the day, we're all connected anyways.”

Your frown deepens and your stomach hollows itself up. It is not how it should be. Soulmate or not, they should make you work for their forgiveness, especially with Jin and Jungkook but instead the two of them had easily waved off your mistakes as if they never existed in the first place.

Normally, you’d have your partner atone after they hurt you, right?

“Why are you guys so accepting? Don't you think that I should redeem myself first? Don’t you at least resent me a little for what I did?”

Being one of their closest friends in and outside work for five years, you were introduced early on to them in their lowest, their ugliest, and them in their happiest. They could forgive betrayals and bullying but they would never forget the names and the faces of those who discredited and snubbed them.

So for those same men to easily shrug off your sins as easily as breathing, you couldn’t help but feel unworthy of their kindness.

“It's such a cliche answer and I know you’ll kill me for saying it but it's because we like you.” You opened your mouth to refute but he shook his head and continued. “I know. I can't believe that I'm saying this too. You know how we roll but ever since the marks manifested, I just… everything doesn't matter anymore now that I'm tethered to you. Because the moment Healing Touch manifested, a new chapter has started.”

Hearing the confusion and reluctance in your silence, Jimin opened his arms for a hug and you surprised yourself with how fast you had leaned in.

“Noona, you know what I realized while we were adjusting to the bond? Love is as powerful as the movies portrayed it to be and it's scary how it can change a person.” He paused, as if he’s mulling over an idea at the tip of his tongue. “Sure, if you really want to and if it makes you feel better, you can ‘make up’ for us but don’t tear yourself down in doing so. Healing Touch could fix anything but I doubt it's powerful enough to revive an exhausted mind.”

Between the effects of the soulmark growing stronger with you both cuddling up to each other and being engulfed in the soft scent of his peach cologne and the subtle fruity scent of his conditioner, drowsiness easily finds its way to you.

Experiencing the same drowsiness brought by the calmness from the soulmark, Jimin yawns.

“Does that answer your question, noona?”

“Yes,” You say, the exhaustion of today finally overcoming your own will to stay awake. “Thank you Jimin.”

“Good night noona, I hope you dream of the sweetest dreams.”

“I hope you do too.”

_______

“Okay so, how about this one?” Taehyung enthusiastically began, showing his screen to you. “Do you and hyung share any existing scars?”

“I don't think so? If we had, the scar on my knee would be reflected on him but there's none.”

His excitement mellows down as he scrolls through the catalog of body-altering soulmate marks.

After waking up in time for brunch, Taehyung hadn't stopped his search for the right soulmark for you and Hobi. His experimentations ranged from observing your shadow by having you hold your arm above the table to see if your shadow could reflect Hoseok's movements back home, to making you meditate and imagine switching bodies with Hoseok, and lastly, pinching yourself to see if their hyung could feel the sting from wherever you currently guys are.

Despite having their own seats to occupy on either side of you, the two men had naturally gravitated to your space and squeezed themselves into the footrest in front of your reclined chair before Taehyung eventually decided he wasn’t close enough and squeezed himself in the small space next to you while Jimin continued to occupy the footrest, taking your legs to rest on top of his thighs to idly pressed his thumbs on your calves.

You and Jimin luckily woke up before the attendants had made their rounds for breakfast.

He was sulking when he left your cubicle with his sleep-mussed hair and jutted out bottom lip while carrying the pillow he brought. Seeing him trudge towards his seat—which is directly to your right as you’ve been placed in the middle—reminded you of a sad, wet pup whose day has been ruined by the sudden downpour of rain.

Breakfast came ten minutes and once the plates were collected, Taehyung had practically bounced from his cubicle to yours with Jimin following soon after, acting casually as if you both weren't cuddling each other barely an hour ago.

It was always odd cuddling up to Jimin with the context of being soulmates. It was awkward and embarrassing whenever you woke up to his arms wrapped tight around your waist and his breath on your skin. The irrational, overly-conscious part of you yelled at you to wake him up and tell him to return to his cubicle yet the more deprived within you demanded you stay silent.

And for the first time with a sober mind, you decided to stay silent.

What can you do against a heart that began to yearn for someone's warmth?

“How long before we land?” Taehyung asked, breaking you out of your trance.

“Three hours or less, why?” Jimin responded.

Tae pursed his lips. “I'm just thinking about something…”

You raised an eyebrow. “And what does that ‘something’ entails?”

“It'll ruin the surprise if I tell you.”

The cheeky grin brightening Taehyung's face was enough to let you know that he's planning something devious and you shared a worried look with Jimin.

Not noticing the shared look, the younger boy continued. “Management agreed to let us drive on our own right? I'd like to take a detour to Walmart before we arrive at our hotel.”

Jimin made a face.

“How about no?”

“Guys, I promise on my necktie collection, I think I've finally figured out what soulmark noona and Hoba got.”

Before you could push him for more information, your mother’s message popped up on your screen and you turned your attention to it.

[Today, 10:23] [10:23] Mom: Have you guys arrived in the states yet? [10:23] You: not yet [10:23] Mom: Always be careful when walking around with those two boys, people can get a little bit crazy even if they know you as their make up artist [10:23] You: dont worry too much, im strong enough to handle them💪💪 [10:23] Mom: Strong my foot, you can barely book a doctor's appointment without me [10:23] Mom: Anyways, the reason why I messaged you was because I had a talk with Guwon’s aunt and found out you used to go to the same high school as him [10:24] Mom: Our town really small is for the two of you to be in the same school before [10:24] You: really? I dont think I remember seeing him at all. Did she tell you which batch he was from? [10:24] You: also im shocked she didn't ignore you after guwon and I ended things on a bad note [10:24] Mom: She said she's not fond of the boy, saying he gives her goosebumps. [10:24] Mom: I honestly don't get why, that boy seems nice [10:24] Mom: But that glistening peach face of his became a squid to me when he said all those things to you [10:25] Mom: However, I won’t deny how kind he was to us before. Did I tell you that he had climbed our trees to pick us fruits after I introduced him to you? [10:25] Mom: Also she didn't tell me what section he was from, only that you used to go to the same school [10:25] You: maybe I'll take a look at the yearbook when I visit [10:25] Mom: Alright. Don't forget to buy me those biscuits you bought me last time, okay? Me and your dad loved those [10:26] Mom: Say hello to the twins for me and your dad😄 [10:26] Mom: Stay safe, alright? [10:26] You: always, I love youu😘 [10:26] Mom: Stay safe and come visit soon with your nexus alright?

Double tapping on her message and sending a quick reply to her, you then notice the obvious interest the boy beside you has over your conversation.

“You used to be schoolmates with Guwon?” Taehyung asks, his eyes shamelessly connecting with yours as if he wasn’t reading your messages not a second ago. “Was your town really that small?”

“Yeah but the thing is, I couldn't remember him. If his stories were anything to go by, he was his batch’s president from start to finish. I was the vice representative of my class so I would've attended council meetings with every class rep from every junior and senior high section. ”

“Wait, how are you schoolmates with Guwon when he's five years older than you?” Jimin chimed in, confused.

“Our town was so small they put elementary, middle school and high school in one place.”

It was to cut costs, the municipal mayor had reasoned. Having all the grade levels in one place not only saved space but also meant the small number of teachers from your town could cycle through the classes from different grade levels in one place, cutting off the time allotted to walking from one school building from one part of the town to another.

Jimin furrowed his eyebrows as he processed the words and grimaced but before he could say his piece, Tae spoke.

“I don't want to hear anything about a shit stain like Guwon anymore. Past is past so let's focus on the future, are we all in agreement? Yes or yes?”

With no one going against his wishes, he smiles and shows you his screen once more.

“Now that's done, I found another one! Hear me out on this, noona—”

_______

Despite Jimin’s best attempts to take the car key from Taehyung, who had practically tackled the guy handing it off to them, the fate of your hair is unfortunately now in the hands of the boxy-smiled boy who swore his plans would never hurt you; not even a sting, he had promised and crossed his heart too.

Never had you thought that approaching a vehicle could feel so daunting now with Taehyung as the driver. You expected this for Namjoon and maybe Jungkook and Hobi but never the rest.

“Stop looking like you guys are walking towards your inevitable death, I swear that what I have in mind is far from harmful.” Taehyung reassures as he tugged along your luggage with his before stopping in front of the trunk to open and load your baggage in. “Besides, I've checked with Joo hyung and he said that he's been planning to bleach Hobi’s hair at some point anyways.”

You broke the speed of light with how fast you spun around.

“We’re going to bleach my hair?!”

Taehyung nodded enthusiastically. “Yup! I’ve been asking our hair stylists’ for permission these past few weeks and they finally gave me the green light earlier!”

“Hobi and the others must be on their way to the airport right now, should we really risk bleaching noona’s hair and in turn, change his hair in public?” Jimin asks, trying to deter the boxy-smiled boy.

Taehyung hummed thoughtfully as he finally lodged the final bag into the truck.

“I know it'll be bad but it'll be so funny.” He huffed out a laugh. “I mean imagine, they'll be leaving early in the morning, Hobi would still be sleepy and as he heads into immigration wanting nothing but to board the plane and finally sleep, his hair color changes and he's suddenly being pulled to the side for questioning which forces him to stay awake a little longer.”

Jimin blankly stares at him for a while, as if his mind is recreating the scene in his head before a small giggle escapes him.

“...Ok, I won’t lie. It’s kinda funny.”

“Right? So, is my dear Jiminie going to help me with my plan?”

“We’ll be sentenced to months long dish washing and house sweeping chores.”

“I know but don’t you want to get back at Hoba for putting us through hellish dance routines?” Taehyung knew what words to use. Years of being friends with Jimin had given him the PhD to understand what stokes his twin’s interests.

You see the shift in Jimin’s opinions as soon as Taehyung said that. You saw it in the way a mischievous light found its way into his eyes and the subtle quirk in the corner of his mouth.

Despite knowing the consequences of their actions, Bangtan's maknaes will always be maknaes. They wouldn't miss the chance of getting back at their Hobi hyung who had made them dance till the soles of their feet melted away from the friction.

Soon enough, you find yourself standing behind the twins under the broken overhead light in the haircare aisle at Walmart after a quick drive-thru—which Jimin had begrudgingly ordered your food despite Taehyung being the driver.

It was a wonder how nobody had figured who they were when they're giggling loudly like devious kids at the hair care section. You had been nervously looking over your shoulders to make sure no one who could recognize them was near as they whispered mischievously to each other.

There’s a woman at the far end of the aisle who’s busy comparing two conditioners and a busy mother with two fussy children trailing behind her going down the aisle. Focusing on the former, you swept over her sling bag for any keyrings and badges that might indicate her being an AMRY and when you found none, you turned your attention back to your soulmates.

Being in public with worldwide superstars is going to turn your hair white.

Should you start mastering SFX makeup to change their appearances?

TUG!

You looked down at the string on your pinky to see it half tangible with a soft glow of red. Wrapping your fingers around it, Yoongi's concern bleeds into you.

‘Okay?’

‘Nervous.’

It was odd how you could feel his eyebrow raise from so far in the temporary absence of his reply.

‘Why?’

‘Twins. Mischief.’

The string thrummed a low tune as if to replicate the sigh he must've let out from hearing it.

‘Good luck.’

Turning your attention to the twins, you find them now debating on what brand is best with Jimin reading reviews out from his phone and Taehyung insisting he had seen people use the dye in his hand more therefore is much better.

‘How are you?’

‘Preparing. Jungkook just woke up. Seokjin screaming. Hoseok stressed. Namjoon lost’

You smiled as the image of Seokjin, possessed by the spirit of an airport dad, ordering and rushing their youngest whose face is contorted into a frown with eyes barely open to gather his essentials while Hoseok sits in the living room with his arms crossed next to Yoongi who’s sitting next to him and both scrolling on their phone.

Namjoon is probably running around for anything he must've forgotten to pack or put into his bag, a hunt Hoseok had purposely put him on to distract him from stressing over his bandmates.

Mind wandering to Namjoon, you closed your eyes to try and focus on his heartbeat. It has faded into the background hours in the flight earlier but it had always been there, although required high concentration to hear.

“Should we try a bold hair color too? I wanna know how he'd look in blue.” Jimin asks his friend in a low voice, unaware he's speaking rather loudly for you to hear. He holds up a box dye and you narrow your eyes at the item in suspicion. “Oh, toxic green sounds good, no?”

Tae tilts his head. “Will noona even let you?”

You didn't have to imagine yourself with the vibrant shade of green for you to interfere.

“Noona will not let you, actually.” You said, letting go of the string as you took the dyes off of his hand and returned it to the shelves. “Bright colors would not look good on me.”

“Then let's stick with bleach but having fully bleached hair is a bit standard, a bit on the boring side so—how about we just bleach your ends for a change?” Jimin suggested, eyes looking up at you and it felt like he’s shooting you puppy eyes even when he’s not trying to.

“If we’re going to only dye the tips, then wouldn’t having a fire-like effect look good?” Taehyung chimed in, holding up an orange and a red dye in both hands while his eyes continued to scan the shelves. “Oh wait! If you really want something that isn’t too eye-catching, how about ash grey tips?”

“As much as I appreciate your confidence in me pulling a red orange ombre, I really don’t think it will, in all honesty.” You say and Taehyung practically wilts, his hands falling to his side yet his eyes continue to scan the shelf for another color to suggest with the eyes akin to a kicked puppy. “I’ll consider the ash grey, though.”

Immediately, Taehyung brightened up.

“I think you underestimate yourself noona, you’re very pretty.” Jimin says with a sheepish smile.

Suddenly feeling shy, you averted your gaze and cleared your throat.

“Thank you, Jimin.”

You don’t even know how a compliment from Jimin, something you get from him weekly, could elicit such a reaction from you. It took everything in you to not widen your eyes in realization when you noticed how bashful you had become.

One night of deep talk and you’re already flushing. You don’t even want to imagine how you’ll react once the relationship deepens.

“What the fuck.”

Taehyung’s eyes bounced from you and Jimin, incredulous with a hint of betrayal.

“Did you guys do it on the plane?!”

“What?” you and Jimin squawked.

“No cause you guys didn’t act this way before! What did you guys do while I was getting my beauty rest?! ‘Cause that would be so disgusting I was literally a few inches away from you!” Taehyung exclaimed and you have never been so grateful he wasn’t screaming in English.

What a scandal it would’ve been. BTS Member Kim Taehyung revealed his co-member Park Jimin had FREAKY SEX in the PLANE with his MAKE UP ARTIST?!?!

“Whatever you might be thinking, we didn’t do it!” Jimin exclaimed, scandalized.

“Then explain what I just witnessed there!”

“You’re hallucinating!”

“That's just the jetlag!”

_______

Due to Taehyung’s excitement, he had made the trip to the hotel a quick affair; moreso the trip to your room when he practically vibrated in front of the desk and snatched the key from the hostess and crossed the distance between where he stood to the elevator with five steps.

The hotel bathroom is too small to fit three people, you think. While not physically a tight fit, your heart seems to beat twice with every tick and expand to fill your entire chest and spread the jittery nerves of anxiousness throughout your entire body.

With Jimin taking out the hair dryer from the cabinet and Taehyung eagerly mixing the solution together in the black bowl they bought next to him, you find yourself sitting on the edge of the bathtub silently relishing the feeling of foreboding doom as you watch the twins flutter around preparing to dye your hair.

“Are you sure you know how to do this?” you asked, fingers fiddling with the hem of the shirt Jimin had randomly picked out to wear while having your hair bleached.

Hair dying has always been the hair stylists job while the idols sit idly in front of them, moving only when the dye is going to be washed off or while waiting for the colors or bleach to set in.

And you’re putting your full trust on these idols who haven't bleached their hair themselves.

Where’s Jin when you needed him?

Taehyung grinned. In a different setting, you’d think his square-shaped smile endearing and cute but with the tint brush and comb tool, and the plastic bowl full of bleaching solution in both hands, he never looked more menacing than he does right now.

“How hard can it be? We’re just going to dye the tips.”

“Remember, if you mess up my hair, you might also mess up Hoba’s hair and an angry dance instructor and second leader is not something you’d want,” you reminded as Taehyung approached you.

Jimin, ever the supportive soulmate, placed his hands on your shoulder and led you to the chair he dragged in from outside. “We know, don’t worry, noona. We had someone teach us how to dye it earlier.”

“Who?”

“I forgot his name but we saw him on YouTube and he’s got a pretty big following so that must count for something, right?”

Hearing that, you began to pray to every divinity out there who could hear your pleas for a successful hair bleaching.

“Alright, I’m gonna start now, noona.”

You watched cautiously as Jimin allocated a bunch of hair into the aluminum foil and Taehyung started his work on dyeing the tips of your hair.

The twins stayed silent throughout the process, as if they’re also holding their breath like you are doing.

It wasn’t the act of having your hair dyed by the twins that had your leg restlessly jumping—you could have the ends cut off if you ever decided it didn’t look good on you—but rather the prospect of facing Namjoon’s disappointment when the sudden change in Hoseok’s hair is noticed by the TSA and delay them.

Yoongi and Jungkook would laugh, Seokjin would feign disappointment and try to lecture you until people turned their backs and he’d shower the twins with praise. But Namjoon, the man is far too stressed from the multiple roles he has to take in as they enter foreign soil, to have their first day in America to start off with one of the members being held off at customs would add unnecessary weight onto his shoulders.

You don’t want to add more to the weight pressuring him down. Not to mention, you also haven’t atoned for your mistakes yet but what can you do against the unstoppable force that is Jimin and Taehyung?

With the final piece of hair being covered in the bleaching agent and foil, the two then stepped back to admire their work.

“See? Nothing to worry,” Jimin says, almost as relieved as you are while picking up one of the foil-wrapped strands and securing them.

Taehyung rotates around you, searching for a strand he had possibly missed.

“Alright, we just need to wait for a couple of minutes before we wash it off.”

But even after those words had fallen out of his lips, he continued to flutter around you as if his hands, who had just learned how to bleach and felt the rush of chemicals from doing great at it, itched to add the alarming amount of leftovers onto your hair. Taehyung pursing his lips solidifying your guess.

Jimin who had finally turned back around after searching the sink for his phone, saw this and placed a hand on Taehyung's shoulder.

“I know that look, don't do it.” Jimin said as he reached for the black bowl.

“I'm not even doing anything, why are you looking at me like that?”

“Cause I know you.”

Taehyung laughed incredulously and waved his hand at the man. “Of course you do, silly. We've been together for six years now.”

“Don't do it.”

“I'm not doing anything!” The younger man pouts. “Matter of fact, I'm not even thinking about doing anything!”

Letting the boys chatter in the background, you open your phone to see messages from Jungkook flooding your notifications.

[Today 15:12] [15:12] Ggukie: NOONAAAA [15:12] Ggukie: namjoon hyung told me to inform you first as courtesy [15:12] Ggukie: but I'll be your first and only handsome date for the weekend :D [15:12] Ggukie: dont tell jin hyung but i definitely cheated to go first [15:12] Ggukie: he just didn't notice HA! [15:13] Ggukie: for our magnificent date, wear something comfortable but also a little elegant☺️ [15:13] Ggukie: just a smallll bit 🤏 [15:13] Ggukie: not that you even need to style urself much tbh [15:14] Ggukie: you'd look cute even if you're wearing garbage bags and those stupid colorful feather accessories😁 [15:14] You: what time are we gonna leave? [15:14] You: what do you have in mind for our date? o.0 [15:16] Ggukie: telling you would ruin the surprise [15:16] Ggukie: so no😁 [15:16] Ggukie: but we'll go after lunch [15:16] Ggukie: is that good for you? [15:17] You: of course [15:17] You: how elegant do you want me to be? [15:17] You: like fancy candlelight date kind of elegant? Or an attending an important social event kind of elegant? [15:17] Ggukie: haha [15:17] Ggukie: nice try noona [15:17] Ggukie: i was raised by seokjin and namjoon, you can't fool me that easily [15:17] Ggukie: just wear something comfortable with a hint of elegance😁

The conversation ended after Jungkook's last reply and you finally turned your attention back to the oddly peaceful twins now discussing what food to order with Jimin looking over Taehyung's shoulder and navigating the man's phone.

Soon enough, it was time to wash your hair and you find yourself bent over the bathtub as Taehyung rinses the bleach out.

Since the moment the bleach had started to take effect and begun to lighten the tips of your hair, the twins had been giggling to themselves nonstop as they unwrapped the foil, murmuring scenarios of how the rest of the nexus must be reacting seeing the tips of Hoseok’s hair changing a different color.

(“We’re not even sure if this is our soulmark, we could just be dyeing my hair for no reason at all.” You chime and Taehyung shrugged.

“Even if nothing were to happen, at least you got yourself a good hairstyle out of this, no?”)

Once the dye was washed off, Taehyung fit a towel over your shoulders and gently placed them behind you before leading you to the chair in front of the vanity sink where Jimin is plugging the hair dryer in before switching it on to try the strength of the air on his hair.

“Is it good, Mr. Park?” Taehyung asks in a formal accented tone as he sets you down on the stool.

“All good here, Mr. Kim. It’s working fine and well! Just set down our pretty client so we can start drying off her hair.”

Before you could offer to do it yourself, Taehyung draped the heavy towel over your head, patting and mushing your face instead of your hair. With a slap on his forearm, he laughed and tugged the towel back to properly dry your hair.

It didn't take long before the three of your phones on the far end of the sink began to vibrate, screens flashing as message after message floods in from individual chats of the members and the group chat. Jimin looks over to see who's getting the most notification before giggling to himself as he picks up his phone.

“Congratulations noona.” He says, making Taehyung stop drying your hair to jog towards Jimin and look over his shoulder.

Taehyung began to gloat about how he ‘knew it’ but it all faded into the background as Jimin turns his phone towards you to show a flustered Hoseok, smiling shyly with the ends of his hair bleached as a hand that seems like Jungkook’s buried into his sleep-mused hair as he looked away.

“I knew it! I told you all it was twin mirror in the first place and nobody believed me!”

“You were telling them to cut their hair or get injured, of course no one would listen.” Jimin deadpanned.

“If you had only trusted my intuition!” Taehyung chided.

Jimin continued to scroll on his phone and you reached for your own phone to face the chaos happening in the group chat when Namjoon's voice echoed in the small space of the bathroom.

“You three better prepare an explanation later when we get there and I better hear something good from you all.”

_______

Namjoon really doesn't know what to do with you.

It has been weeks since Jungkook's birthday and the soulmarks’ manifestation yet he seems to always find himself either awkwardly hovering behind you or staring at you for an inappropriate amount of time as he pondered over the words he wanted to say.

(Not that they mattered anyways, he always ended up tongue tied in front of you.)

They could demand him to convince a businessman to stop running his factories that's effectively harming the environment or to convert an iPhone enthusiast into a Samsung user, yet all of those would be miles easier than knowing how he should treat you.

Should he follow the footsteps of the men in romance novels and movies with the bouquet of flowers, lingering touches and constant reminders of their love for their woman or should he be normal?

But what is the definition of normal in the context of relationships and how you treat your soulmate anyways?

What even is considered as normal in something that sounded so impossible to be real like a fated spiritual connection between people?

Suddenly, he was reminded of the night the mark manifested.

The chaos and the raised voices as his brothers clamoured over each other's opinions on how to proceed with the newfound connections. Namjoon could almost feel the rattling headache he had back then, could even remember the sobering realization as he watched as the rest of the original four soulmates—not including him, he was busy massaging his forehead as a bad headache formed at the front of his skull—actively debated against one another.

He recalled thinking how no man would fight so valiantly for a woman this passionately if they weren't interested in them romantically.

He saw this behavior from the men surrounding him growing up from his friends, his teachers, his classmates to even his cousins and uncles. Namjoon has read of the bloody wars waged for rare beauties and love before then. To be greedy and wanting to capture and have something shiny is human nature, it's ingrained into man’s programming.

Even then, seeing it happen before him surprised him.

Seeing his brother clamor over each other—while more respectful than you'd expect from four guys being tethered to one girl— he remembered thinking: Am I the only guy who never thought of you as a romantic partner?

Namjoon had always thought of you as one of his dearest and closest friends. If he was to put you in a tier, you'd sit next to his family, and the group. You've always been someone he could trust with his worries about fame and the pressure from leading six men and their company to the top. You might be one of his friends but you were special to him, just a little like his brothers, if not more…

Special? Would that be the correct term to describe how he thinks of you?

Sure he had found himself subjected to your warm hugs and a couple forehead kisses—and maybe cheeks too—but all of them were platonic.

At least, that's what he thinks.

Women hugged and gave each other cheek or forehead kisses, it was to show their appreciation through actions. Surely it can also apply to male and female relationships without the romantic context like they do too?

(Namjoon would think back to this day later on and scream profanities into his pillow, embarrassed by his stupidity)

Having to see you sit on the floor next to Taehyung and Jimin had distracted him more than he wanted to. Even when he had scolded the twins from your trips before, he never had to sit you down to reprimand you for encouraging or letting them do all the mischief their heart could ever want.

He’s seen how his dad treated his mother, and he sure as hell hasn't seen his father ever scold his mother.

So when one of their bodyguards, Beomseok, came and said you needed to pick your and Jin’s dinner, he was relieved. He didn’t want to show any favoritism towards you just because of your spiritual connection with him—not that anyone would be upset by this but he’d like to make it fair for everyone in the nexus.

Namjoon waited until you were out of the room before turning back to the troublesome twins who just raised their hands above their heads once again.

“Hyung.” Tae began.

“I don't want to hear your excuses, Tae.” Namjoon sighed, massaging the space between his eyebrows. “While I appreciate you all for helping Hobi to figure out what soulmark he has with noona, would it hurt for you three to do it while we're all in the hotel?”

This soulmate thing atop of his duty as the group's leader might be enough to make him volunteer for a cryogenic sleep pod experimentation. He could use a decade or century long sleep to heal from the heavy mental toll from leading six men and a company to where they are now.

Be a leader, they said.

Being a leader would be mentally stimulating enough, sure! he had replied, stupidly.

“We learned something from noona earlier.” Tae said, effectively catching his attention. When Namjoon said nothing, he continued. “Apparently, she and her ex used to go to the same school together but the weird thing is, they never saw each other despite being in the council at the same time.”

“What are you getting at, Tae?” Namjoon asks.

“Doesn't it feel like a drama-esque cliche where he followed her through adulthood then struck when the opportunity came?”

“I think you've watched too many dramas and read too many comics, Tae.” Jimin giggled lightheartedly. “Your imagination is getting a little creative.”

“No but seriously, I have a bad feeling about this.” Tae insisted and Namjoon almost believed the determined sheen of his eyes if it wasn't for the steadily slow descent of his raised arms. “I’ve always said that he's got the facial structure of a manipulator, even got those hollow and tilted eyes of a creep!”

As much as he likes to entertain every absurd and out-of-the-box idea of Taehyung, there still exists a line where his imagination reaches the point of impossible and frankly, nonsensical. Coincidences exist, and are unpredictable and sudden, there's nothing he can do much about it.

Jimin rolled his eyes. “You're still hung up on that?”

“Let's not speculate, it's most likely a coincidence.” Namjoon interrupts before the twins can begin their banter.

“Of course I am! There's definitely something off about that guy!” Taehyung insisted.

Namjoon sighed, already noticing the boxy-smiled boy’s hand slowly fall to his sides. “Tae, don't think for one second that I'm not noticing you slowly letting your arms down.”

“Can I put my arms down, hyung? I was the one who suggested bleaching the tips of noona's hair instead.” Jimin asks with his bottom lip jutted out and his eyes rounded and glossy as it stared back at him. “Could you imagine if I had let them—”

“No, keep those arms up and repent.”

_______

Staring at the burly man walking in front of you, you began to wonder if his excuse has any credibility behind it.

Beomseok, although a new hire, has quickly become one of your close work friends when he had saved you from an insistent visitor in the BigHit building back in August. It was easy to feel endeared towards a man who looks all intimidating with the tattoos, muscles bulging out of his shirts, and a buzz cut but in actuality has a heart softer than a well-oiled machine and carries the scent of coconuts with him. There is no doubting how safe you feel with him but Seokjin would never ask to save you from Namjoon’s scolding, if anything, he'd be scolding Namjoon for even including you.

“Did Seokjin really call for me?” You asked Beomseok.

The man shook his head. “Someone did call you, but it's not Seokjin. Yoongi had asked me to retrieve and walk you to your room. Said it was better to have Namjoon face a stranger than his band members so he'd let you go without question.”

“Guess I'll be thanking him then?”

“Not a thanks for me?” He asked with a playful lilt in his voice.

Stopping next to him, you then bowed low at the man with hands folded over your abdomen, surprising the man who had jumped at the sudden action.

“Thank you o’ benevolent god Beomseok for saving a poor soul like I from the impending doom that is Namjoon's scolding.”

“Stop that! Oh my god!” Beomseok says as he wildly motions his hands for you to raise your head.

When you looked back up again, the man had a flush of pink dusting his cheeks as he looked away and scratched his nape. Seeing Beomseok, with his muscles proudly bulging out of the black uniform shirt he's wearing and skin designed with loud and bold tattoos, acting shy and faint-hearted, you laughed.

It was unreal how a man almost thrice your size could easily remind you of a shy kid.

“Are you seriously getting shy over that? What's so embarrassing about me expressing my gratitude?”

“I-I don't even know myself.”

“How else can I express my gratitude towards you then?”

He stops and you finally realise that the both of you had finally arrived at the door of your room.

“Buy me lunch tomorrow? I heard they're serving pizzas and carbonara tomorrow.” He offered, voice weak as he shyly scratched his cheeks.

“Deal!”

_______

Your night had continued on with no more excitement for as long as you and Jimin could last without being in the presence of each other. So for a long while after today, the energy winds down to a calm and you find yourself scrolling through your naver feed to catch up on news and celebrity gossip you had missed earlier while you were getting your hair dyed.

It wasn’t until the last minute before the effects of soulbond strain kicked in did Jimin stroll into your room with a pillow in tow and dressed in a hoodie dwarfing his figure matched with a Red Bulls basketball shorts.

Closing the door behind him, a soft smile grows on his face. “Hi noona.”

“Hello Jiminie.”

“I need my noona time before Jungkook follows, I think he wants to start his day a little too early.” He says before throwing himself to the empty spot next to you and pulling up his phone to scroll through his own feed like old time.

It takes him a minute before he's linking his arm with yours, another to have him throw his leg on top of yours before he eventually molds into your side. Healing touch thrummed happily under your skin from the proximity and you find yourself melting in his arms not a second later.

This was the position Jungkook and Hoseok found you both in when they eventually entered the room. Without hesitation, they joined you both with Jungkook taking your other side while Hoseok had snuggled up behind Jimin.

“Look at how cute you and Hobi are with the matching hair!” Jungkook points out, twirling a strand of your hair with his finger before he reaches for the hand holding your phone where the music note tattoo is engraved to the side of your finger. “Can I borrow your hand for a little while, noona? I miss feeling connected to you.”

Switching your phone over to the other, you took his hand in yours and entangled your fingers with him. Cold shivers racked through your body as two soulmarks resonated within you, catching the attention of your soulmates.

The Bangtan pile only grew when the rest of the boys poured into the room with Seokjin tugging Namjoon inside.

Seokjin occupied the spot behind Jungkook, but not without the maknae teasing him when the bed had creaked while Yoongi pulled the chair by the large window pane to sit next to the overflowing bed before opening his laptop and putting his headphones on.

Namjoon followed the older rapper's actions when he had occupied the floor next to the bed, and Taehyung threw himself in the space between Seokjin and Jungkook, to the dismay of the two men.

There's not a single word in the English nor any language’s dictionary that could ever describe the comfort and security you felt being surrounded by your soulmates. No matter how much the ugly head of insecurity whispers about how you don't deserve any of them, it was futile to deny the bond you shared with the boys.

You had begun to get used to the electric sensation Taehyung and Jimin's touch evokes, the constant feeling of Yoongi's presence lingering in the background through the red string, and the faint pulse of Namjoon's heartbeat yet you couldn't even imagine how you had lived for so long without the pulls and the sensations having soulmates has given you.

To be parted from your soulmarks would be like tearing an organ out of you.

It might be overwhelming with all the information your mind and body is receiving from having seven soulmarks but you couldn't trade for the word.

Come the day you lose the calmness from their touch and the constant reminders of their presence in the background, you might find yourself a husk of a human with no more purpose to live in the world.

With Namjoon's calm heartbeat in your ears, the thrum of Jimin and Jungkook's soulmark, and the one-sided activation of your and Yoongi's red string of fate, you let the newfound drowsiness take over you. The sound of your friends’ hushed chatters fade into the background as your eyes fall to a close, the romance comic on your phone blurring.

Someone took the phone from your hand and you vaguely felt a pair of plush lips pressed into your temples before you last heard a sweet whisper in your ear.

“Sleep well noona.”

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