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

Chapter 85: Need like Prayer 🔥

It wasn't about lust.
It wasn't even about timing.
It was just love.

Quiet, grounding love.
And I let myself melt into it.

I kissed her back, gentle but lingering, and she smiled against my lips before pulling away.

My eyes were still fluttering open when Joon hyung stepped closer, watching us with that warm, grounded expression he always wore when he was soaking up the people he loved like sunlight.

Without hesitation, he cupped my cheek in one hand and hers in the other, and kissed her first-slow and sure-before turning to me.

And when his lips met mine, I sank into him like gravity.

Namjoon hyung's kiss was always like that.

Solid.
Steadying.

Like the world could end, and he'd still hold you together with nothing but his touch.

And I loved it.
God, I loved it.

Every second of it reminded me that I wasn't alone.

That with them it's going to be okay.

He pulled back just enough to rest his forehead against mine for a beat before he straightened, his voice low and soothing.

"Everything looks great," he said with a soft smile. "Even better without my... artistic touches."

Noona laughed, her hand sliding into mine like it had always been meant to be there.

"Oppa banning you from touching anything was probably the right call."

"Hey!" Joon hyung gasped, feigning betrayal as he clutched his chest.

"One broken vase and a small fire and suddenly I'm a hazard?"

I smirked, my heart a little lighter now.

"Joon hyung I can't even defend you right now."

He rolled his eyes, but the teasing tension between us melted some of the tightness I'd been carrying all day.

Somehow, in those few minutes-with their lips, their touch, their laughter-they'd reeled me back in.

Back to the present.
Back to joy.

We were trying.
We were hurting.

But we were still choosing each other tonight.

Still choosing love.

"Alright," Joon hyung said, clapping his hands together.

"Let's check on the chefs. It's been weirdly quiet in there, and I don't trust it."

He wasn't wrong.

Yoongi hyung and Jin hyung had been holed up in the kitchen for two hours now.

The clanging of pans had stopped at least fifteen minutes ago.

No grumbling.
No yelling.
No snarky Yoongi commentary about seasoning.

Just... silence.

Which was suspicious.
Too suspicious.

Noona gave me a pointed look.

"Odds they've killed each other?"

"Or eloped," I joked, following her and Joon hyung toward the kitchen.

I opened the swinging door and immediately froze.