Chapter 124: Love in the Tension Lines

Start from the beginning
                                        

I brush a thumb along his knee.

And I realize, truly-Gab's return might rattle the air, but this? This is bedrock.

The tension ebbs. Not gone, but tamed-wrapped in hot chocolate and warm limbs and Jin hyung's fierce, maternal will.

We sip. We breathe.

And just when I think we've got a few more minutes of peace-Joon hyung's voice cuts through the hallway like a gong of fate.

"He's here"

There's a collective freeze.

Then-from downstairs, we hear it.

Y/N noona's voice, high and bright and delighted, "We're home with Tisoy!! Come downnn"

Kook faceplants into the pillow and groans like the dead.

Jimin grabs his wrist in sympathy.

I pat his back in solidarity.

"Welp," Hobi hyung says, cheerful again. "Time to meet the guest."

Yoongi hyung hums, "At least he's not sleeping here."

"Praise be," Jin mutters, and together-we rise.

______________________________

Jungkook's POV

I press my elbows into the table, silently watching the scene unfold over breakfast.

The smell of noona's favorite Filipino breakfast-brown-sugar-glazed tocino, savory beef tapa, garlic-fried rice, and perfect sunny-side-up eggs-wafts through the room

Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.

The smell of noona's favorite Filipino breakfast-brown-sugar-glazed tocino, savory beef tapa, garlic-fried rice, and perfect sunny-side-up eggs-wafts through the room.

Jin hyung and Yoongi hyung really outdid themselves, it's too good. Even sourcing Y/N noona's favorite rich and dark hot chocolate from the Filipino grocery yesterday.

The whole spread feels warm and homey, but every smile across the table tugs me in two directions.

All of us gathered around the table for the feast, Y/N noona, Taehyung hyung, Jimin hyung, Jin hyung, Yoongi hyung, Hobi hyung, Joon hyung, me sitting beside noona- it's almost perfect, if only Slimy Gabriel isn't here, sat on the other side of noona, grinning like he's crashing the party on purpose.

Ugh.

My stomach growls, but I force it into submission.

Pathetic, I think.

What's so good about him anyways?
I'm here, too, okay?

Gab leans in, savoring a bite. "Tocino's the best-reminds me of school cafeteria days with Y/N."

He and noona share this nostalgic-silly-lights-in-their-eyes moment.

I grit my jaw.

I catch Yoongi hyung shooting me a glance across the table-half 'Are you okay?' half 'Bro, simmer down.'

Stigma Love's Algorithm [ A BTS x Reader Poly ]Where stories live. Discover now