The Siren's Song

Chapter 39- myths and musings

(Y/N) POV:

It's after dinner that I realise I haven't opened the package Namjoon gave me and I turn to Habaek oppa hurriedly.

"Oppa where's that package you took home for me? You said you'd put it away safely." I say turning to face him, where he's next to me drying the dishes and sorting them away.

"Huh? Oh yeah, I put it in the living room drawer- the high one so it couldn't get knocked over or damaged if one of us were taking anything out." He answers. I nod, pulling off my gloves and trailing after him as he leads the way to the living room. His tall frame easily allows him to pluck the packaged book from the higher shelves- easily accessed only by him and he hands it to me before plopping down onto the sofa next to Mi-sun unnie, who smacks him with a pillow when he quips a spoiler as he settles down next to her.

I walk over to the opposite sofa, drawing the package onto my lap- feeling nervous anticipation thrum through me, excitement as I wonder what book it is Namjoon will have chosen. My fingers carefully undo the wrapping, slowly peeling back the packaging and unfolding it to reveal what lies in its centre. It's a beautifully embossed book, dark with gold filigree running up the spine and across the cover. And then my eyes fall to the gold-lettered title. Myths of Old.

My smile bursts across my face, a mythology book. I adore mythology, love reading about tales of heroes, of wars, of gods and goddesses and mythical creatures. It's always been a long-harboured passion and when my hand goes to open the cover, my eyes fall to the small hand-written inscription on the first page- on the blank cream coloured paper.

I enjoy myths too! Hope you enjoy the detail the writer uses- one of my personal favourites are on the way the sea and ocean is home to so many mythical creatures- sirens though perhaps are slightly scary! Let me know what you think! Namjoon 😊 

My fingers that had been carefully trailing over his words, practically feeling the joy and excitement he'd written with suddenly gets washed away with a crashing wave of fear, cold and icy and brutal.

Sirens. Sirens are scary. He mentioned sirens.

And logically I know there's no way he'd known what effect it would have on me, that I'd be able to resonate with that sentence in particular, that it would cause me pain as if I'd been physically struck. But that's how it feels. As if he's struck me across the face with the gilded book, a silent mock and taunt in it.

The sentence glares up at me, as if imbued in all of those fears and insecurities I had- as if looking up at me and silently reminding me that like the fabled mythical creatures- I too was someone to be feared, someone that was a source of horror.

And it hurt. It made my heart ache that I couldn't ever truly escape from what I was, even if I felt that I was slowly making changes, slowly making friends, and allowing myself those moments of happiness. Maybe this was a silent reminder that I shouldn't ever forget, couldn't ever forget.

"What is it? You've suddenly lost that sparkle." Habaek oppa remarks, shifting from the other sofa to get close. He sits down next to me, peering over my shoulder and lets out a small sympathetic sigh.

"Oh cherub, come here." He says, gently lifting the book off my lap. He puts it down to the side, careful before his arms wound around me and lift me onto his lap.

"Don't go down that train of thought. You know Namjoon doesn't know we're sirens. He had no idea that the comment would hit close to home." He says, looping his head over my shoulder and tugging me into him.

I nod.

"I know." I murmur.

"You know but you're letting those thoughts take control, the comment wasn't directed at you. You know he'd never do that." He says.