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

Chapter 99: Of Roots and Rooms 🔥

"We needed a five-burner, not four! We're seven people, Yoongi! Soon to be eight!"

Jin hyung huffed, and I didn't miss the way everyone paused for just a second at that.

That word again-eight.
Like a heartbeat we hadn't met yet.

Y/N noona, curled beside Joonie, reached out and squeezed his hand.

"We've still got a room waiting," she said softly. "And until then... we fill the house with love."

Tae leaned his head on her shoulder, voice dreamily soft. "You say the most romantic things. I'm stealing that line."

Yoongi hyung plated up the food and Jin handed out dishes like a seasoned host, gently scolding Kook when he tried to sneak a bite early.

The dining table was massive-sleek wood with matte black legs, surrounded by a mix of cream and gray cushioned chairs.

The overhead chandelier gave off a golden glow that made everything feel like a painting.

Dinner was loud.
Warm. Filled with laughter.

"I told you the tub was too big!" Joonie said with a shake of his head, laughing as he recounted a story.

"Excuse you," Yoongi interjected, "You're the one who said, 'Get the biggest tub. We all deserve spa-level soaking.'"

"We do!" Tae argued dramatically, mouth full of mashed potatoes.

"And we will soak together, like the tangled soulmates we are!"

"Please stop talking about soaking," Kookie murmured, blushing into his glass.

Jin hyung grinned. "Oh baby, you haven't lived until you've tried the Jacuzzi mode. Bubbles in places-"

"-JIN-HYUNG!"

I choked on my wine, while Y/N noona practically slid under the table from laughing.

We traded stories about construction mishaps-Yoongi hyung accidentally stepping into wet cement, Tae picking wall colors that "looked like sadness" according to Jin hyung, and Joonie getting stuck in a dumbwaiter because "it's for laundry, not your six-foot body."

Somehow, between all the teasing, I found my gaze drifting around the room again, drinking in the details.

The framed photos already up.
The books on the shelves.
The intentionality of everything.

Even Wacha had her own cat jungle gym in the corner, and Yeontan had a plush chaise by the window.

This wasn't a house-it was a home, breathing and blooming.

Later, as we stood by the door, Kook and I getting ready to leave for the night, the ache in my chest deepened again.

Y/N noona hugged me tight, whispering, "No pressure. Just whenever you're ready."

Tae kissed the crown of my head and then Kookie's, saying, "You always have a room here. Or five."

"Don't be strangers," Joon added with a wink, holding up the keys that we technically hadn't accepted yet.

"They're on the table. You can grab them whenever."

Yoongi hyung nodded toward the kitchen. "We make breakfast at seven. Hope you like waffles."

"And chaos," Jin hyung chimed.

We laughed, hugged each of them again.
Kookie lingered in Y/N noona and Tae's embrace.

I lingered in Yoongi hyung's, Jin hyung's, and Joonie's. Everyone smelled like home.

As we stepped outside, the night air cool and star-strewn, Kook slid his hand into mine, our fingers twining automatically.