I flopped onto the sofa with my iPad, scrolling through the sites. I was in deep thought, trying to put together a perfect plan for Rai. It was his eighteenth birthday next week and I wanted to get him something nice that would live on in his memories.
He had often raved about taking a trip around the world, traveling to places he had not yet seen. As a child, we had made frequent visits to Japan to stay with our grandparents, spent a summer vacation in the Caribbean, and watched the Northern Lights in the freezing winter in Norway.
But Rai was an adventurous young man and I loved that about him. Materialistic stuff also counted for him, of course, and he appreciated whatever he got, but for him, exciting new discoveries and quality time meant much more.
I tapped my finger against my chin as images of Sicily and Mykonos filled my screen. Maybe these places were often visited spots, but still, you had to experience them at least once in your life.
I also browsed through the activities that were available to explore in India and Laos so that I could have him first tour Europe and then Asia. He would be graduating from high school in a few weeks, so he had the whole summer free to let off steam.
My dad had always been careful with Rai's credit card limits, not because he didn't trust him, but because it was always better to learn to manage money from a young age, even if you had a lot of it. Well, I couldn't say much about the latter now, because our situation was obvious.
It didn't mean we were poor or anything. We just had to control our expenses more than we ever did until my father got back his title as one of the best lawyers that society had taken away from him.
Still, I was glad that nothing had gotten around even if there were whispers about me suddenly marrying Jungkook. I always gravitated towards ignoring those anyway, so I didn't do it any different this time.
I decided to single out Mykonos because it was apparently very crowded with tourists in the summer, which I didn't originally intend to have. "This is harder than I thought," I muttered to myself.
I hadn't traveled to hidden gems much myself, which is why I couldn't just fish out a nice place from my memory.
"What's harder than you thought?" I heard a deep voice ask. Looking up, I found Jungkook closing the door to the bedroom behind him.
My eyes dropped to the iPad in my hand and I kept scrolling, googling for recommendations. "I'm looking for a gift for Rai," I said, hearing him hum.
He rummaged through a drawer and grabbed a shirt and pants, probably to take a shower. Just before he disappeared into the bathroom, he rapped his knuckles against the wood of the door frame. "Just get him a car or something."
I refrained from rolling my eyes. Of course, he would suggest that I thought to myself but I didn't say it out loud. "Thank you for your extraordinarily creative input."
Of course Rai could plan his own trip, but it was different when a close relative treated you to a good time. It took effort and thought, having an understanding of a person's preferences to know what they wanted to see around the world. Rai could easily buy a car for himself.
I heard the water running as I tried to think and recall if my cousin had told me anything about a destination lately. The door to the bathroom opened after a few minutes and I realized that Jungkook hadn't locked it.
Not that I would have walked in there because he hadn't locked it. I never locked it myself, but that was only because I always showered when he was at work or I was sure he couldn't get in.
"By the way." he started, tousling his wet hair dry with a small towel. He looked so different when he wasn't wearing a suit and his hair slicked back. "This is yours."
I was entering my information into the website when he appeared next to the sofa. My eyes went up to his and then fell on his hand, which he held out to me.
"What's that?" I asked, one eyebrow raised.
He sighed. "Why do you ask questions you know the answer to?" he said, almost annoyed. "It's a credit card."
"Yes, I can tell," I responded, half as annoyed as he was. "But for what?"
"To use it, obviously." He pushed the black card further in my direction, eyes impatient. "It's linked to my account and has no limit."
I stared for a while longer and then back at my iPad. "Thank you, but I don't need it."
He sighed again, but more forcefully this time as if expecting that exact answer. "Just take it, Reva."
His voice was as impatient as his eyes. I didn't know why he was so dramatically insistent that I take it. Maybe it was to control what I spent money on or just because he wanted to provide for me as a husband. I hoped it was the latter and would be pissed if it was the former instead.
"I'll take it if I need it, Jungkook," I decided to reply. He ran his hand through his hair, seemingly more irritated than he already was. "What?"
The day had started peacefully, and for the first time this morning, he hadn't commented on my stiff neck, even though I had long since stopped getting one. The human body could get used to a whimsical number of things.
But now, for whatever reason, he had to disturb that peace. I wasn't taking his credit card to be difficult. I didn't need it, just as I had told him. I had my own and enough money in the account to afford what I needed or wanted.
At first, I had feared he was just doing this out of mockery because of the situation my father was in, but I saw anything but the assumed mockery in his eyes. I chewed on my inner cheek as he shook his head.
"I'm just wondering when you're going to let that ego of yours go," he grumbled, his voice filled with darkness.
His words sliced through me like a razor-sharp blade, and they had a greater effect than I would have desired. Only when he crashed the door behind him did I let a tired breath fall from my lips.
Was my ego really existent in this conversation? I didn't think so, because I hadn't said anything that would suggest I hadn't taken him up on his offer out of self-centeredness and pride. Feminist nonsense of women being able to take care of themselves had not been the motive either.
But it had always felt that way. It wasn't that I was not capable of accepting help from others, but I had not raised myself to beg others whenever I was in difficulty. I was old enough to look after myself even if I appreciated what he had to offer.
No matter what I did, people would label me as insolent or stuck-up just because I didn't follow through with what they had pictured in their minds. I secretly knew Jungkook wouldn't rub my nose in using his credit card, but it really served no purpose other than just gathering dust in my wallet if I took it.
The excitement of searching for destinations for Rai faded and I placed the iPad next to the black card, which tauntingly threw flames in my direction. I tucked it away in a safe place because you never knew what could happen to it.
Usually, when Jungkook and I were bantering and it got out of hand, I wouldn't know about his reappearance until hours later. Maybe now, just to let off steam, he had disappeared somewhere. But it didn't matter anyway.
Deciding not to let this stupid conversation occupy my mind, I turned on the water in the shower to let it run warm. The mirror was still slightly fogged up and I looked at myself in it after wiping a hand over it.
I stripped off my clothes, tossed them into the nearby hamper, and stepped under the spray. The warm water felt exquisite against my muscles and skin, easing everything pent up. I shampooed my hair and shaved my legs before reaching for my new exfoliating scrub.
It had essential oils in it and felt good on my skin, although it was challenging to wash it off my body because of said oils. But I reckoned it was worth the smooth feeling.
That, however, turned out to be the exact opposite, as the scrub created a slippery layer on the already wet tiles, making me lose my balance. Before I could reach for something to keep me from falling ass first, that was exactly what happened.
But worse was to come, as I slammed my ribs against the tiled shelf that held our shower gels, shampoos, etcetera, because my foot popped outward. I let out a pain-filled hiss, the water still pounding on my head as I pressed a hand against my rib.
"Fucking hell." I cried out in agony, my face contracting as new waves of sensation roared through my entire body.
With my other hand, I reached up and turned off the water that poured into my face. My eyes were blurry from the drops and also from the tears that were gathering as a result of the pain, which still did not subside.
Finally, I took my hand off my ribs and ventured to my feet, hoping that I would not be betrayed a second time by the slippery death trap. But my ankle hurt so badly that I fell back onto my bare butt.
"Shit." I cursed under my breath, wiping my wet hair from my face.
I realized I'd forgotten my towel in the cabinet next to the sink as I slowly crawled out of the shower without getting to my feet because I couldn't anyway, the cool air triggering goosebumps on my skin.
A knock sounded at the door. "What?!" I snapped, trying to figure out how to get up at this point.
"I heard a loud crash and you screaming. You okay?" I needed anything but my husband at that moment, who would probably laugh at me if he knew I had slipped.
"Yes," I called out loud enough for him to hear me.
I was still pissed at him for what he had said to me not even an hour ago, and I had a problem I needed to find a solution for, so I couldn't deal with his shenanigans right now.
Gently connecting my hand to my sore ankle, I yelped again. It already looked swollen compared to my other ankle and I couldn't help but fear the worst. I hoped it wasn't a fracture, anything else would heal at home.
"Are you sure?" he continued to press the issue, though I had assumed he had already walked away. "Did you fall?"
I groaned. "I slipped and now leave me alone, Jungkook," I scolded. I could hear him chuckling. See, I knew it.
"I'll help you." I heard him say and panic filled all my consciousness as the doorknob rattled. I hadn't locked the door.
"No!" I yelled almost immediately and the rattling stopped. "Don't come in."
Now he sighed, probably thinking I wanted to be difficult again. "Don't you want me to help you?" he asked, sounding somewhat rhetorical. As if he knew I couldn't get to my feet on my own and would probably sleep naked on the cold tiles until morning.
"I don't have a towel right now," I muttered with red cheeks. I would die to be able to project myself to another place. Why couldn't Dalrae or one of the maids be at the door?
"I don't mind." his smirk had burned into my brain like an engraving that I could hallucinate him just like that in front of my eyes. I wanted to smack that stupid smirk off his face.
I scrunched up my face, coming to terms with the truth that I was on my own because there was no way I was going to get indebted to Jungkook and on top of that, be laughed at by him.
"You know what? Get lost." I glared at the door, secretly hoping the lasers shooting from my eyes hit him in his groin.
"It was just a joke, Reva," he said, suddenly serious. "I'm coming in now."
"Wait!" I exclaimed. "Close your eyes."
"How am I supposed to see with my eyes closed?" he growled. It sounded like he was about to change his mind and leave me sitting here until some unknown time.
But I was naked and wet and helpless. A combination I did not want to present to my enemy as if on a silver platter. It was dramatic to call Jungkook my enemy because he clearly was not, but still.
"That's the whole point. I don't want you to see me naked." I explained, gritting my teeth. I tried to stand up again on my own but to no avail.
He exhaled deeply. "I'm going to close my eyes. Happy?"
"Don't try anything funny," I warned one last time before the door slowly opened. I made a mental note to lock it from now on, even though it sounded like a stupid idea. I was glad my fall hadn't ended in anything more severe.
"Dammit." He cursed as his knee hit the toilet bowl. "How about you lead me so we both don't end up hurt!"
"Just walk in a straight line, geez," I berated. It wasn't that hard to figure out where I was, taking into account that the shower was in the middle of the farthest wall of the bathroom.
He reached me, still keeping his eyes closed and his hands outstretched in case I forgot to tell him that there was something in front of him. Maybe I would have if I had been petty, but I wasn't in the position to do that right now.
I raised my hand, coming against his warm one, and he felt down my arm. His skin was warmer than mine and a shiver ran the length of my spine as the drops of water on me sucked the temperature out of my body.
"Can you pass me a towel first?" I asked before he could pull me up.
He mumbled something unintelligible under his breath but turned nonetheless to bring the towel requested from the cabinet. I realized that he found the cabinet faster and without any problems, which made me suspect that he had opened his eyes the moment he turned around.
However, Jungkook's eyes were shut again when he turned back around, which I appreciated. It would probably be ridiculous because spouses were supposed to see you naked, and yet marriage on paper wasn't a legitimate reason to let Jungkook do that. At least he respected my wishes.
"Here," he said, sliding the soft material into my hand. Waiting a few seconds to give me time to tie the towel around my body, he extended his hand to me again.
Hissing as pain shot back into my ankle, I shifted my weight to my healthy leg. Jungkook wrapped his arm around mine, propping some of my weight against his body.
Even though I had just showered, his scent encompassed my nose because he was so close to me my chest pressed against his. His jaw clenched, as it so often did, and he suddenly opened his eyes. The drops of water evaporating from my skin made the temperature around me rise.
The brown orbs looked deep into mine, an unspoken yet clearly palpable tenseness reigning between us. His hair was completely dry now, lying lazily against his forehead. It added a boyish quality, yet his eyes were hard and quick-witted.
They said eyes were the mirror to the soul, but I couldn't read Jungkook's. Maybe it was because he was so clever at masking them with an acquired repulsion of anything that wanted to come too close.
The brown was rich and warm, but the gaze was cold. He had a scar on his left cheek and a mole under his lower lip. I caught glimpses of details I hadn't planned to see, which is why I looked away.
"Can you walk?" he asked after clearing his throat.
Cautiously, I ventured a step forward, with his one hand on my waist over the towel and the other on my arm. "Oww." I whimpered, pulling my foot back again as I realized my ankle was fighting the pressure.
"Fuck, okay, don't strain it." He tightened his grip on my arm and tried to walk along with me, but the pain was overwhelming.
He let out a breath and before I could grasp it, he had his hands wrapped around my body and hauled me up in his arms. He growled and I didn't know if it was because of my weight or the fact that my wet hair slapped his face with the sudden movement.
I stifled a laugh which caused him to just glare at me before walking out of the bathroom with confident steps. Jungkook's strength was not something I ever underestimated and the possibility of him suffering from my weight brushed itself out of my mind as he carried me into the bedroom with ease.
His face was closer to mine now than it had been before, but this time I followed the direction of his gaze and found the bed we were approaching. He carefully laid me down on the soft mattress.
"Do you want me to call a doctor? Or go to the hospital?" he asked, eyeing my ankle and cringing at the visible swelling.
"No, I'll get it checked if it doesn't get better by tomorrow." I answered. He nodded and reached for his phone.
"Maria, can you bring an ice pack?" he spoke into the device before hanging up.
Jungkook didn't say another word, simply waltzed over to our shared closet and fished out a new pair of pajamas from the drawer of the left dresser. He threw them to me and I caught them in mid-air.
"Underwear?" he then asked.
"Second drawer on the right," I answered.
He opened it and stared inside. Just as I was about to berate him for ogling and the little smirk at the corner of his lips, he returned. He raised a white lace thong in front of my face, no bra.
"Seductive," he commented, clearly enjoying the irritation on my face.
"Give me that, you perv." I yanked the thin material from his hand. "Turn around."
A deep laugh rolled in his chest, but he did as I said. I struggled first to lift my butt off the bed to pull the panties over my legs. Jungkook almost earned a kick in the back of his head as he offered to help me.
I was being tested on my patience today it seemed.
I told him I was done dressing and the smirk was thankfully now wiped off his face. Someone knocked on the door and when Jungkook went to answer it, I spotted only a glimpse of Maria's red hair.
My dear, lovely husband - emphasis on sarcasm - handed me the ice pack and I almost moaned as it had an immediate calming effect on my swollen ankle. I hoped it would go away by tomorrow even though I doubted the possibility.
I looked up at him as he still stood at the corner of the bed. "Thank you for helping me," I said simply. I didn't know how to thank him. He stared, cleared his throat, and then looked away. I watched him as he walked around the bed and grabbed a pillow and blanket.
At first, I thought he was arranging the sofa for me because I obviously couldn't have done that with that foot, but my eyebrows drew together as he laid down and the blanket draped lazily over his lower body. He eyed the blank ceiling, his arm tucked under his head.
And then I came to the realization that he was letting me have the bed today.
Not knowing what to say in response, or if I should say anything at all, I leaned back into the soft pillows. From here I had a clear view of Jungkook and how he continued to stare at the ceiling as if in thought.
Jungkook had helped me today after he had come down hard on me with his harsh words. And so it was kind of hard for me to thank him for the bed as well. Still, I decided to break the silence.
"Looks like I can let that ego of mine go after all," I spoke, schadenfreude laced in my voice. Sarcasm sounded like the only option, and I took advantage of it to lighten things up.
"Let's not start again." he rasped, though I could hear the same lightness in his husky voice. He might have even grinned a little.
I chuckled. "You know what? I could get used to switch spots with you." I sighed, running my hand over the bed sheet. "This bed is pretty darn comfortable."
He cocked his head to the side, eyebrows raised and biceps flexing beside his face. "You keep your pretty mouth shut unless you want to find me sprawled out next to you in the morning."
Now, that was a good threat.
Besides, I'd trust him to turn his words into reality if he got too blasted on the sofa in the middle of the night. But if I caught him trying to get into bed, I would simply kick him off.
___________________
A/N: this chapter lowkey gave me ptsd because of my recent injury💀 but i can wear normal shoes again so yayy
also i would pay jungkook a ridiculous amount of money to just lay beside him