Stigma Love's Algorithm [ A BTS x Reader Poly ]

Chapter 17: The Thrill of Being Caught

The faint smell of old wiring and electronics filled the air, but neither of us minded.

The buzz of the company felt distant-like we were in our own little world.

Yoongi had his hand casually resting on mine as we stood next to the rows of server panels, tucked away from the busy office environment outside.

I hadn't realized how much time had passed, but now, as I stood there in the dim glow of the server lights, I was acutely aware of how close Yoongi had gotten.

His face was only inches from mine, his hand still holding mine gently, his thumb running along my skin in a soothing motion. I was almost lost in the softness of his gaze when-

The sound of the door creaking open snapped me out of my trance.

My heart skipped a beat, and I quickly pulled back from Yoongi, the action too fast to hide the sudden fluster I felt.

Standing in the doorway, hands on her hips, was Yeona.

She raised an eyebrow, a playful glint in her eyes. "Well, well, well," she said, her voice teasing as she walked into the room. "I didn't expect to find you two here."

I felt my face heat up, the usual calm composure slipping away.

Yoongi, too, was grinning, his usual cool demeanor breaking as he glanced at me, a knowing look passing between us.

"You weren't supposed to see this," Yoongi said with a smirk, his tone half-excusing, half-amused.

Yeona laughed softly, leaning casually against one of the server panels. "I don't know, you guys are pretty obvious."

Her eyes flicked between Yoongi and me, and I could tell she wasn't mad, just entertained.

"I mean, you're literally standing here, his hand holding yours like a pair of lovestruck teenagers, and you don't even realize the maintenance crew is about to come in to start the system updates in-" She checked her phone, "-ten minutes."

My heart sank for a second. "Oh, god," I muttered, not even realizing how late we'd gotten.

But before I could stand up straighter, Yoongi reached over, giving my hand a gentle squeeze.

"We kind of lost track of time," he said softly, his voice dropping an octave, his eyes still on me.

I glanced up at Yeona, who was clearly amused but also relaxed, her smile wide and warm. "Well, it happens," she said, her tone teasing but not judgmental.

"I wasn't planning to interrupt, but I couldn't help but notice how... happy you two look."

I laughed nervously, my fingers fidgeting with my sleeve. "Yeah, well, we're kind of... still getting used to everything."

Yoongi leaned closer to me again, his fingers brushing my cheek, and I leaned into the touch instinctively.

It felt natural-right.

We had been through so much together already, and being here in the server room, away from the eyes of the office, it almost felt like the only place where we could be fully ourselves.

Yeona's expression softened, and she smiled, clearly happy for us.

"So, how's it going?" she asked, clearly referring to the bond between us. "I'm guessing you two have fully accepted the soulmate thing?"

I nodded, squeezing Yoongi's hand lightly.

"Yeah, we've fully accepted the bond. It feels... different, you know? But in a good way. There's just this comfort between us, like we don't have to pretend anymore." I glanced at Yoongi, my heart swelling as I spoke.

"We're happy."

Yoongi's thumb brushed my knuckles gently, his gaze never leaving me.
"It's perfect."

Yeona tilted her head, her eyes shining with curiosity.

"Have you met any of your other six soulmates yet?" she asked, sounding genuinely interested.

I hesitated for a moment, glancing at Yoongi.

He gave me a slight nod, and I knew exactly what he meant.

"We've met a few people," I said slowly, "but none of them have activated their profiles yet. So, we're not sure if they're the ones, you know? It's more of a feeling, like... there's something familiar about them. But that's it for now."

Yoongi leaned in closer, his voice quiet as he spoke. "We're open to meeting the others when the time comes. We don't feel the need to rush it, though. Right now, this-" He motioned between the two of us with his hand, "-this is enough. We're content with where we are."

Yeona gave a soft, understanding nod, her eyes filled with affection for us both. "I'm happy for you two," she said warmly.

"It's good to see that you're both not just rushing through this for the sake of it. It's important to take your time and see where it leads."

I smiled at her, my heart lifting with her support.

"Thanks, Yeona, you're the best" I said, my voice sincere. "It really means a lot to have your support."

Yeona's face lit up as she suddenly got an idea, her mischievous grin returning. "bitch you should have known that by now" she winks at me as yoongi and I couldn't help but chuckle

"Well, if you're both so content with each other, I guess I'll have to invite you on a double date sometime, huh?" She raised an eyebrow.

"I think Ryota would love to meet you Yoongi, seeing as he's your soulmate. You've been hiding your bond for a while now, so it's about time we all got together."

I blinked, caught off guard. "Wait, what?"

"A double date?" Yoongi repeated, sounding slightly amused, yet intrigued.

"Yeah," Yeona said, smirking at us.

"Why not? Ryota and I are overdue for a little fun. And now that you two are officially a couple-" She made air quotes.

"-I think it's only fair that you join us. It's not like we'll be able to keep this 'secret' of yours forever anyway."

I chuckled softly, my cheeks flushing again at the thought of a double date. "Okay, yeah... that sounds nice, actually."

"Yeah," Yoongi said, his voice still playful. "I think I can manage that. It'll be interesting to see what a double date looks like with you two."

Yeona grinned, her arms folding. "Good. I'll hold you to that. Just let me know when you're free." She winked at us, her eyes full of teasing energy.

"Now, I really have to get the servers up and running for the updates. So, I'll leave you two to... whatever it is you were doing."

She turned to leave, but not before giving us one last glance, a soft, knowing smile on her face.

"And don't worry, I won't tell anyone. You two are cute together. I'm glad you've found each other."

Yoongi and I exchanged a look as the door shut behind her, and I could feel the tension in the air shift to something lighter.

I squeezed his hand gently, feeling a warmth spread through me.

"That was... unexpected," I said, chuckling.

Yoongi smiled, leaning in to kiss my temple softly. "Yeah, but I'm glad she's happy for us."

I smiled back, resting my head against his shoulder. "Me too."

We stood there for a moment, the hum of the servers around us almost comforting now.

The world felt smaller here, quieter, as if time slowed down just for us.

I knew that our journey was far from over-that we'd eventually meet our other soulmates, that there were still questions to answer, and maybe even new paths to explore.

But for now, with Yoongi by my side, I felt a sense of peace, content in the moment.

The future would come, but I was ready for it, one step at a time.