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

Chapter 52: Steady, Sure, & Absolutely Lethal

"And yet," he says, dimples flashing, "here you are."

My breath catches.
Because he's right.
I am here.

Standing this close to him, letting him tease me, letting him look at me like this-
And I'm not moving away.

I should.

I should be the one to break this moment, to say something lighthearted, to take the weight out of the air before it becomes too much.

But I don't.

Instead, I say, softly-"You're really not stepping back, are you?"

Namjoon's expression shifts just slightly. "No."

"Not even a little?"

His gaze flickers to my lips.
Then back up.

"Not even a little," he confirms.

I feel the impact of those words.

They settle deep in my chest, something warm and overwhelming curling inside me.

Because this-
This is real.

Namjoon isn't running. He isn't retreating into himself, hiding behind careful words or distance. He's choosing this, choosing to be here.

With me.
With us.

I exhale, forcing a small smile. "Well, that's good. I'd hate to have to hunt you down if you tried to avoid us or disappear again."

Namjoon laughs, bright and genuine. "I'd like to see you try."

"Oh, please," I scoff. "Yoongi and I would have you found in a day."

He smirks. "And Taehyung?"

I snort. "Tae wouldn't hunt you-he'd just show up wherever you were, completely uninvited."

Namjoon laughs, head tilting back slightly. "I really need to meet him."

I smile, feeling something impossibly fond settle in my chest. "He's going to love you."

Namjoon meets my gaze, something soft and unreadable in his eyes.

"I think I'll love him too," he admits, voice quiet.

My heart stumbles.

And I know.
I know this is just the beginning.
For all of us.

Before I can say anything else, Namjoon glances toward the table where Yoongi is still sitting.

He's pretending to be engaged in conversation, but I see it-The way his gaze keeps flickering back to us. The way he knows we're looking at him now, his fingers tightening around his drink.

Namjoon smirks. "Think he'll come over if we ask?"

I grin. "Only one way to find out."

And together-
We invite him in.

Yoongi hesitates for just a second, then-
He stands.

And when he joins us, we fall into something real.

Laughing. Talking. Teasing.

The three of us fall into something easy.

The kind of rhythm that feels natural, even though it shouldn't.

Yoongi joins us, sliding effortlessly into the space between me and Namjoon.

His presence is grounding, steady in a way that makes my heart ache with something warm.

And Namjoon-
Namjoon welcomes him in.

Not just with words, but with the way his posture shifts, the way his shoulders loosen, the way his dimples deepen when Yoongi makes some dry remark under his breath.