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

Chapter 110: A Thousand Unsaid Things

Their eyes met.
It lingered-longer than necessary.

A thousand things lived in that glance, apology, pain, history, the ache of still wanting.

Then it broke. She turned.
Namjoon didn't exhale until she was gone.

I exhaled and went to the patio, Yoongi is still sat, Jimin now long gone.

Yoongi is nursing a mug of cold tea, his hoodie sleeves pushed up just far enough to show the stress in his wrists.

I stepped outside arms folded, leaning on the rail beside him.

"They're hurting," Yoongi said without preamble.

"I know," I sighed. "And they're both so damn stubborn."

"They care too much."

"They're scared to lose it."

He nodded slowly. "It's our job to keep the rest of them laughing in the meantime."

I gave him a look. "We're good at that."
He didn't smile. But his eyes softened.

"Come on let's call everyone for dinner."

I opened the sliding door of the game room and saw Jungkook sat cross-legged behind Y/N, gently braiding her hair while she reviewed Jimin's project notes.

His fingers moved slowly, respectfully.
"You and Joon-hyung okay?"

She paused.
The silence was longer than expected.

Then, "We will be."

Jungkook nodded. "We believe in you."

She reached back, squeezed his knee. "Thank you."

I smiled, believing in her too and then called them out to get settled for us to eat.

Dinner was warm. The food was good. Ofcourse, I made it.

But the conversation was... quieter.

Y/N and Namjoon didn't sit next to each other. Didn't look at each other much.

Until her fork slipped, clattering to the floor. Before she could react, Namjoon bent to retrieve it, handing it back with a clean napkin already folded around it.

Her fingers touched his for a breath too long. Her voice was quiet, "Thanks."

He nodded. "Always."

It wasn't fixed.
But it was... something.

Later, in the den, post dinner.

Hobi sat at the edge of the couch, knitting. Knitting, of all things. His fingers moved rhythmically, calming, grounding.

Yoongi curled near his feet with a book, not really reading, just being. Their legs touched. Neither moved.

Jimin was half-asleep, leaning against Yoongi's shoulder. His hand occasionally reached out to pet Yeontan, who had wedged himself between Tae and Y/N.

Tae was sitting beside her now, head on her shoulder, hand in hers. His eyes were closed. Hers were not.

Namjoon watched from the doorway, coffee untouched.

I passed by him, gentle this time.

"She'll forgive you," I said, soft enough that only he would hear.

"You just have to be brave enough to let her."

He swallowed. Didn't speak.
But he stepped into the room.

As the evening progressed,
The house glowed.
Lights dimmed. Laughter bubbled.

Tension didn't vanish-it hummed in the corners, beneath words unsaid-but it didn't rule us. Not tonight.

Jimin leaned into my side when the movie started. I pressed a kiss to his hair without looking.

Tae pulled Jungkook onto his lap and made a throne of blankets.

Kook pretended to pout but melted instantly when Tae tucked his chin onto his shoulder.

Yoongi stole Jimin's spot on the couch, so Jimin climbed onto him instead. He didn't complain.

Joon sat beside Y/N.
Close, but not quite touching.

When she leaned to pass him the popcorn, their fingers brushed.

This time, she didn't flinch.
This time, he whispered, "Thank you."

And she looked at him for a long moment.
Not ready but with a small gentle smile. That maybe...everything will be okay.

I walked past Yoongi as he was collecting mugs and blankets for the night.

"Sometimes," I said softly, "you can't stop the storm. But you can hold each other while it passes."

Yoongi glanced up.
His look said I know.

I exhaled.

Love isn't always loud.

Sometimes, it's in the way we choose to stay. The way we laugh even when we ache. The way we reach for each other in the silence between songs.

Tonight, we were messy and bruised.
But we were here.

And somehow, despite everything, that was enough to keep us all coming back.