Sunshine Someday // A BTS Soulmate AU [UPDATES SLOW]

Sixteen

When Zanna walks into the dining room that evening--on her own--and sits down at the table, Hoseok and Jimin gape at her.

"Hungry, Zanna-yah?" Seokjin gives the other two a warning look as he sets a bowl of rice in front of her.

"Hyung, Zanna's--" Taehyung rushes into the dining room, panicked, but stops short when he sees her sitting there. When he'd woken to empty arms, he had assumed the worst, but here she is. Sitting at the table, as though nothing has changed. Her hands are folded in her lap and she gazes blankly at the empty chair across from her, where Jeongguk usually sits. Taehyung blinks at her, trying to process seeing her out of bed. "Did someone move her?" Seokjin shakes his head.

"Taehyung, would you call Yoongi and Jeongguk for dinner?" He asks calmly, casually laying out bowls of food. "Namjoon will be late; he went to the mall."

Still stunned, Taehyung does as asked. Once the whole family--minus Namjoon--is at the table, Hoseok quietly passes Zanna a spoon.

"She hasn't been feeding herself," Jeongguk whispers to Hoseok, confused.

"Just wait," Hoseok murmurs. All six watch Zanna closely, though they try to hide it by taking distracted bites of food.

Having accepted the spoon from Hoseok, Zanna slowly scoops a bit of rice. Seokjin gives a fleeting thought to how ridiculous this would seem to anyone on the outside looking in--six young men waiting with bated breath to see whether a malnourished young woman will feed herself--and he almost laughs aloud.

Zanna takes a bite. The tension in the room dissipates as the members relax and begin eating in earnest. Yoongi and Taehyung share a hope-filled look, and Jeongguk pauses eating to reach out and squeeze both of his Soulmates' hands.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Ready for bed, Zanna?" Yoongi pulls his shirt over his head as he steps into the bedroom. Zanna is already there, sitting on the bed, having come immediately back--on. her. own.--after dinner. "Baby steps," Seokjin had murmured, to which the other five all agreed.

"Tae," Zanna says. Yoongi freezes, the shirt halfway down his arms. Slowly, he pulls his arms free.

"You want Taehyung instead?" He asks, watching her carefully. She lifts her eyes from her lap to look at him and gives a clear nod.

Fuck "baby steps"! Yoongi thinks, trying not to shout for joy. We've come leaps and bounds even since this morning! She hasn't looked anyone in the eye in days, and now... He gives her a gummy smile, struggling to contain his excitement.

"Alright. I'll go get him then, yeah? Be right back."

When Yoongi returns with Taehyung (and a slightly jealous Jeongguk) in tow, Zanna has slipped under the covers. Her eyes are open, and they flick to the door the moment her three Soulmates walk through it.

"Your prince is here!" Taehyung singsongs, completely unable to mask his glee at having been requested. Zanna's end of the Bond thrums and goes silent again. Yoongi and Taehyung try to pretend they didn't feel it.

"Tae," she murmurs, and he crouches next to the bed so he can meet her eyes.

"Want me to stay with you tonight, princess?" She nods, so he pulls back the covers and slides in next to her. Jeongguk grumbles softly as Yoongi tries to tug him out the door.

"Soon," Yoongi promises. "She's so much better today, Ggukie. You've just got to be patient for a little while longer."

"You're sleeping with me tonight?" Jeongguk asks, trying not to sound hopeful. Yoongi nods.