CONTAINS MINOR STRONG LANGUAGE, MENTION OF NEEDLES, & MINOR ANGST
_
After I called Chanyoung, I made my way downstairs into the kitchen with the urge for a hearty breakfast. It was only about eight in the morning, and with nothing to do that required my absence from the house, I figured I mine as well find something to do other than sleep all day. Upstairs, I could hear the hushed voices of Namjoon, Jungkook, and one other voice from a partially closed-off bedroom farther down the hall. For a moment I simply stood and tried to tune in on their conversation, but a moment ticked by where I heard nothing and then the sound of the door slamming, shutting everything off.
I gathered food from the fridge and spent almost an hour preparing each individual plate for myself and everyone else in the house. The smell of freshly cooked bacon, eggs, and the slight smoke billowing from half-cut bagels lured Jimin and Seokjin down to the first floor. They stepped about the kitchen, still in their pajamas, pondering if all the food was for them.
"No, I'm renting out the house as a bed and breakfast," I chortled. "Yes, it's for you."
"You didn't have to, angel," Jimin commented, but still made his way to the kitchen island and accepted a lukewarm plate into his hands. He leaned over to press a kiss to my forehead as a thank you before making his way to the table, Jin in close tow after him.
"Thank you, baby." Seokjin's voice sounded raspy and hoarse from sleep, sending tingles down my spine as his lips pecked at the corner of my mouth before he followed after his younger boyfriend.
Even though he and I weren't official and hadn't really discussed the boundaries of our relationship, hearing certain pet names slip from his tongue and receiving delicate kisses from him made me feel as if I were floating. Taking a steady breath, I took my own plate and made for a seat at the head of the table, as I had always done before. I dug into my food, my appetite large from slaving over the stove all morning, but it soon began to fade as Jungkook, Namjoon, and Hoseok stalked in from the living room.
"What's with the long faces?" Seokjin pondered from my right, mouth full with a mix of everything on his plate as he crammed it down his throat.
Jungkook squeezed Hoseok's hand as he led him towards the island to offer him a plate.
"I told hyung about Rachel."
Everyone froze. Slowly, I lowered my fork down onto my plate with a soft clink, my gaze never leaving the three bodies standing off to the side of us. Jungkook bit down on his bottom lip nervously, his hyung flexing their hands together before finally letting go. The brunet took a plate into his hand and offered it up to the youngest before retrieving one for himself. They walked about almost as normal, save for the quietness that now lingered with them. Jungkook looked almost relieved and I had completely forgotten that we'd neglected to tell the others about what else had happened while they were gone.
"Y-You did?" I stuttered.
"Mhm. Everything."
I flushed. Everything. That meant that they both knew I had practically turned against everyone while lost in my own headspace. Namjoon would love to use that against me whenever he got the chance, I knew it. "Remember when Jungkook was taken advantage of and you basically said 'Fuck you, I don't care.'? Yeah. Stupid mutt." I sighed to myself, pulling my gaze away from them and bringing it back down to my plate.
Footsteps shuffled up behind me and as a plate lowered to the empty space to my left, I felt a hand slip along the back of my shoulders. Looking up, I was met by Namjoon's alluring gaze. His sudden presence startled me and I couldn't help but scoot away out of fear.
"What-"
"Look, I know we didn't start off on good terms, Yumin-"
"Damn, straight."
Namjoon glanced up as Seokjin interrupted him, the eldest clearing his throat as he took another bite of his food and urged him to continue speaking. With an exasperated sigh and the roll of his coffee-colored eyes, he turned back down to me and offered up the first smile I'd ever seen painted on his face.
"But, I want to thank you."
"For what?"
"For what you did to help Jungkook and the others. I know I wouldn't have been able to put myself in your shoes, even though I love them. What you did took guts." He gave me a slight punch on my shoulder and sat down in the empty seat beside me. "Good to know you're a fighter and not a-"
"Not a what?" I bit, but someone's foot gently tapping mine from beneath the table made me hold my tongue. "Thanks, I guess."
He offered a curt nod, one with slight hesitation as my tone dipped before turning his attention to his plate. Jungkook and Hoseok came to the table seconds after, the youngest pecking a kiss atop my head before settling down to eat. He thanked me for the meal, as did the others, and for once, we sat together as a normal family without the stress and the bickering. A smile ghosted over my face for a moment at the thought, but it quickly disappeared as I lifted my head to ask but another question.
"Where're Tae and Yoongi?"
"Asleep." Hoseok bit down on his silver fork and kept it in place between his pearly white teeth, mumbling around it as he continued speaking. "Tae normally sleeps in latest, but I guess you already knew that."
I chuckled half-heartedly. "Yeah."
"Yoongi... I knocked on his door but didn't get an answer. So, either he's asleep or-"
"I'm right here."
We looked up at the sound of Yoongi's husky voice to find the brunet turning the corner into the kitchen. He eyed the two remaining plates on the island before walking closer to my seat. "Check your phone," he murmured, his already clutched in his hand. "Chanyoung said you didn't pick up after you left him a message this morning."
"He called?"
A nod. I slipped my phone out of the front pocket of my sweats and sure enough, I had several missed calls and texts from my lawyer, Freya, Kiana, and my mom. I checked the ones from my mom out of habit first, replying quickly and then clicking over to Chanyoung's contact. Pressing my phone to my ear, I lowered the volume to keep the voicemail's contents between myself and him before pressing play with my thumb.
"Hi, Yumin. I called Yura this morning, but he didn't pick up. Don't worry; I left a message. We're bumping his court hearing to next Thursday at eleven. That's as soon as I could schedule, but at least it'll give you and the others some time to prepare."
A sigh of both relief and panic slipped from my lips as my gaze blurred before me.
"I'd still be careful, Yumin. Yura's known to be manipulative and although the judge should know better, I don't have full faith in his ability to deem him guilty and put him behind bars. The most we might be able to get is about...five years?"
"Five years?" I mumbled.
"Yumin?"
"Even so, I'm going to try as hard as I can to get him behind bars for as long as possible. You've gone through too much for us to lose this case now. Stay strong and until Thursday, stay positive alright? Call me if anything happens and I'll do the same."
Beep.
Looking up, I caught Yoongi's gaze as he peered down at me with wonder-filled eyes. Everyone around us was staring, Seokjin still nibbling mindlessly on his food but his gaze never wavering from the head of the table.
Yoongi leaned a little closer and shoved both hands in his front pockets. "What'd he say?"
"Next Thursday. At eleven. We have to be down there at eleven. That's when it's happening."
"What's happening?" Namjoon inquired.
"Min Yura's court hearing." Knees popped, posture stooped, the brunet placed his hands on my knee as he crouched but a few inches from the floor. He looked me dead in the eye and I could feel the panic begin to set in as a cool feeling seeped through my ribs. "Yumin, don't do that, alright? Don't look at me like that. You're gonna be fine. It's just this one and then we're done. One and done!" He squeezed my thigh reassuringly but all I could think about was having to face my ex in a neutral setting, one where I couldn't lash out when needed. God, how I wanted to tear through his skin and leave never-fading scars, just as he had done to me.
"I- I'll be fine." I pushed Yoongi's hands away from me and allowed him to stand to his full height. "The sooner the better."
The kitchen remained quiet for a while. Eventually, Taehyung wandered down with Yeontan in tow, too sleepy to bother refilling the Pomeranian's bowl. He slipped bits of his food under the table to feed the pup despite Hoseok's complaining that it'll spoil him. The brunet didn't seem to care as he picked up a full slice of bacon and dropped it obviously onto the hardwood floor. I continued to eat with the rest, chiming in on mid-day conversation here and there, but my head really intended to be elsewhere.
The sooner the better. The sooner I had to see Yura again face to face, in the same fucking room, but in the end, everything would be better. I wouldn't have to constantly look over my shoulder in fear of seeing his wicked smile from across the store. No more tugging at my partner's sleeves in public settings every time another man walked by and I swore under my breath that it was him. His apartment would be cleared out; leased to a new family. The needles would be thrown away, the dishes cleaned and stacked, and most of all, Yura would finally get the help he needed. We both needed help.
"Thanks for the food, precious," a voice whispered in my ear.
Glancing up, I offered Taehyung a nod as he and Namjoon walked together to the sink to wash their dishes. The oldest rested his head atop the brunet's shoulder, and to my surprise, was offered a kiss atop his head. A smile tugged at my lips despite my shadowed thoughts as I realized that, once Yura was finally gone, I had everything I ever wanted to return home to.
_
Namjoon was beginning to feel bad now that he had seen Yumin in much friendlier lighting. Not only had she made him and the rest of the house breakfast without being asked, but after hearing everything Jungkook had been through while they were gone, he found that there was an unspoken defensive side to her that nothing could break. She had their lives in the center of her palm and wasn't about to let them tumble out.
Draping his arms over the back of the couch, he settled his fuzzy gaze on the television as a mind-numbing show played out on the screen. Jungkook sat curled up in the crook of his right side, dozing peacefully as he said he wouldn't do minutes before. Taehyung and Seokjin were cuddled up on the opposite end of the sofa with a blanket covering their legs for warmth. The eldest seemed to be struggling to stay awake, and soon enough Namjoon felt he would blurt out that it was time for them to head upstairs. Everyone else had retired for the day nearly a half-hour before.
Maybe she's still up.
Shifting carefully so as to not wake the maknae at his hip, Namjoon patted around the couch cushions in search of his phone. He pulled it up from near his rear and clicked it open to find Yumin's contact buried beneath the rest of his boyfriend's. It had been several days since he'd first texted her, but now the awkwardness of all their tension seemed to build up in his chest.
Glancing out of the corner of his eye, he checked to make sure Taehyung and Seokjin weren't eyeing him before slowly typing a message to the brunette upstairs.
_
IMESSAGE CHAT
𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐘𝐮𝐦𝐢𝐧
NAMJOON
Yumin, are you awake?
YUMIN
No.
NAMJOON
Um...
YUMIN
It's late, Namjoon.
YUMIN
Can I help you with something?
NAMJOON
Yes.
NAMJOON
I wanted to see if you were awake.
YUMIN
Which I clearly am...
NAMJOON
Yeah, um...
NAMJOON
I wanted to apologize to you.
NAMJOON
But, in person.
NAMJOON
Are you alright with that?
YUMIN
Um, yeah...
YUMIN
Yeah, it's alright.
NAMJOON
You have every right to not accept my apology, Yumin.
YUMIN
I'm aware.
YUMIN
And, depending on how you approach this situation
further, I might not accept it at all.
YUMIN
But, if you really are genuine and prove to me that you're
sorry, then I'll probably forgive you.
YUMIN
After all, I do understand where you're coming from.
NAMJOON
Okay. Thank you, Yumin.
NAMJOON
I'll be up in a sec, just let me wake Jungkook.
YUMIN
If you're with Jungkook, it can wait.
YUMIN
Don't wake him.
NAMJOON
But, I need to come upstairs.
YUMIN
Just wait. He's missed you a lot; don't wake him up.
NAMJOON
Alright...
YUMIN
I'll be up for a while longer, but if you can't make it tonight,
I'll come to talk to you in the morning, okay?
NAMJOON
Thank you, Yumin. Seriously.
YUMIN
Mhmm.
_
When everyone's bedroom doors clicked shut for the night, Namjoon stepped out into the moonlight hallway and made straight for Yumin's room. He placed his feet carefully along the hardwood floor, flinching at every creak and groan of the floorboards beneath him. The idea of being caught making his way into the youngest's room startled him just slightly, but he wasn't doing anything bad. Although he was very much in the wrong for the words he'd directed to her, this was his chance to make up for it. Namjoon truly didn't hate Yumin; it was envy and jealousy that had driven him to utter such things.
Knocking lightly on her bedroom door, he waited calmly for an answer from the other side. The clock was ticking in at almost one in the morning and Namjoon was beginning to doubt whether the brunette was still awake. Finally tired of waiting, he pushed his way inside. Nari ruffed softly under her breath in her sleep, rustling the covers at the foot of the bed as he gazed out into the dark bedroom.
To his slight dismay, Namjoon found Yumin fast asleep atop her bed, the covers draped half-heartedly over the lower half of her body. A sigh slipped from his lips; he'd taken too long to come up to her, and now he'd have to delay his apology until tomorrow morning. It was tempting to walk closer to the side of her bed; sit down and nudge her shoulder ever so slightly to wake her, but he refused. He could wait until tomorrow and respect her wishes.
Until then, he would spend the night sleeplessly crafting the perfect wording for his apology.
_
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We're so close to the ending. This is crazy.