I wake to a knock on the door. I sit up, stretching my arms over my head and yawning. Turning, I see Jimin is still sleeping, his hair in disarray. But he looks so at peace that I don't want to wake him. Not quite yet.
Running my hands down my braid, I can feel the wisps sticking out here and there, but I don't care. It can be explained away as I toss and turn in my sleep. Taking a quick glance around the room, I grab the clothes we had discarded last night, and fold them quickly, hiding certain bits inside my dress, his t-shirt and first set of pajama bottoms under it and set off to the side.
The knock happens again, and I see Jimin stirring at the sound. He reaches his hand out to where I had just been, running it around the empty space. I see his eyes open as he says my name, sitting up quickly.
"I'm right here, Baby. Someone is knocking on the door. I was going to answer it because I didn't want to wake you. You were up pretty late...early? this morning."
"It's okay, Nae. I need to be getting up anyway. We have another rehearsal this afternoon to do final checks of everything before tomorrow's concert. So why don't you climb back in bed, and I'll get the door." He says as he tosses the covers back.
"Umm, Jimin? Perhaps you should stay covered up..." I nod toward his lap where he's sporting morning wood. I feel the blush moving up my body, though this time it's not from embarrassment.
"It's okay, Nae. It's one of the guys and this isn't anything they've never seen before. After all, we lived together for quite a long time..."
"Well, in that case, I think I need to use the bathroom to take care of...something," I say as I grab my dress from yesterday. I head in and as I'm shutting the door, I hear him laughing as he walks to the room door. I hear him talking and laughing even more as I do my business, donning my bra and dress over his shorts. Slipping the scrap of thong into the deep pocket, I undo my braid and run the comb through my hair quickly, leaving it loose to flow down my back.
Checking my reflection in the mirror, I feel satisfied that nothing is showing from last night. Opening the door, I walk into the other room to see Yoongi and Namjoon sitting in the chairs talking to Jimin, who has slipped on a t-shirt. There are several dishes sitting on the table between them and Jimin motions me over. Walking to the desk first, I drop his folded t-shirt on top of my things, hiding what I know they all saw last night. With a blush I turn around, pulling the desk chair over with me.
Sliding it next to Jimin's chair, I sit with a smile on my face as Jimin grabs my hand, squeezing.
"Good morning, NaeYeong. How are you feeling this morning?" Namjoon asks as he hands me a plate and utensils. I take them with my free hand, smiling in gratitude.
"Good morning, Namjoon, Yoongi. I feel much better, thank you for asking."
"Did you sleep well?" Yoongi asks as he looks at Jimin's hand holding mine.
"I was up a couple of times, but other than that, I slept very well," I say as the blush deepens. I see Jimin grin at that. He lifts up my hand and places a kiss to the back of it, making me blush even more as he sets it back on the arm of the chair and grabs his own plate. I give him the look and he starts laughing. Both Yoongi and Namjoon look between us, noticing the subtle play, then look at each other. Namjoon clears his throat, his own grin spreading across his face as he chuckles.
"Well, I'm happy to hear it. We brought food. Figured you might be hungry after last night..."
My mouth drops open at that. I look first at Jimin, then Yoongi, then back at Namjoon, who shrugs and says, "Ummm, you weren't exactly quiet... and I'm a light sleeper."
"Oh my god," I cover my face with my hand in embarrassment.
"And I was working last night..." Yoongi says, trailing off.
I drop my hand to look at him in puzzlement then at Jimin, who responds, "His room is next door on this side..." and points to the wall behind Yoongi.
"You should've said something..." I whisper loudly at him. "I would've tried to be quiet harder..."
I stop as I realize what I just said, slapping a hand over my mouth, wild eyes looking at each man in turn, who are outright laughing at me now.
Closing my eyes briefly, I shrug my shoulders and open them again, grinning. Looking at Jimin, I mutter, "Well, maybe next time I won't have to try as hard after all..."
"No, you won't..." he agrees, wagging his eyebrows in my direction.
After the laughter dies down, we all start eating and talking about the previous day's rehearsal. I'm pleasantly surprised when they keep involving me in the conversation. We're about halfway done with our food when the door opens and Hobi strides in, bringing in coffee. Seeing we're already eating, he puts on a pouty face.
"Hey, you said you'd wait for me!"
"Sorry, Hobi-ah, NaeYeong needed to eat," Yoongi says with a straight face. "She has to build up her stamina..."
My head whips around to glare at him in disbelief. I throw my napkin at him, trying not to laugh as both Namjoon and Jimin do. Yoongi just stares right back at me, daring me to break eye contact first.
"What? What did I miss?" Hobi looks at all of us with a confused look on his face. I set my plate of food on the table and stand up, looking at the three men in turn with the sternest look I can, ending on Jimin, who is doing a full belly laugh at this point.
"Nope, not gonna. You three can explain that one." I turn around and look Hobi in the face.
"Don't believe half of what they say when I walk out this door..." I give him a wink as I walk past him before I turn around and march back to Jimin's chair, leaning over it. "As for you..." I kiss him with as much passion as I did during the night, making him sober up quickly and blush as badly as they had me doing earlier. Then I whisper in his ear so no one else can hear, "You better behave or else you know what will happen later. I'll be back in 10 minutes. I'm not going far, just down the hallway. I need to take a quick walk or else we may be kicking everyone out..."
I look up at everyone and give them all a wink and smile before I gather my phone and flats, walking out the door.
Making sure I know which room number we're in, I slip on my shoes and start slowly walking down the hallway, checking the time on my phone. I feel like I'm floating on air, and my body begins to move to the internal music I've been hearing this morning, the rhythm moving my limbs slowly. I choose the window at the other end of the hallway as a focal point as I pirouette a few times, warming my limbs up. Halfway there, I notice another hallway branching off to the left, deciding to take it as a new focal point enters my view.
With the hallway carpet muffling my steps, I start to go through the warmup routine I've practiced thousands of times, turning, dipping, moving forward along a straight line, getting closer to that chosen point in the distance. Once I reach it, I slip off my shoes and do some pointes watching the scenery beyond this new window, but not really seeing it. As I slowly come down from the music, I hear clapping behind me from several people. Whipping around, I see all seven members plus some staff standing in the hallway, watching me, with Jimin up front and center, smiling widely.
I take a deep bow, and grab my shoes to slip back on, embarrassed I was caught dancing again.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb anyone..." I start to apologize, but Jimin interrupts me as he walks toward me.
"Don't ever apologize for dancing, Baby. None of us here will make fun of you for it." By now he's reached me and envelopes me in a hug with his arms around my waist. Leaning into me I feel him growing against me as he whispers in my ear, "and you can dance around me anytime you want. You are so beautiful, and it turns me on..."
"I can tell," I whisper back as I move my hips a fraction, rubbing on him subtly. "Come on, you should probably go get changed for the day, and cage that beast before anyone faints from seeing it. Besides, I'm sure there's a lot of things that you need to be doing, besides me, to get ready for tomorrow. I think I may be a distraction...and I have a feeling there are a few others that may think that too."
I motion slightly with my head toward some of the people standing down the hall, frowns on their faces. I notice almost all of them are the female staff members. Geez, jealous much?
"Alright, come on," he says regretfully as he moves behind me and urges me forward.
"Using me as a shield, huh?"
He chuckles behind me. "Don't need everyone to see The Beast, now do we?"
"Oh, my, god, Jimin!" I laugh out loud as we reach the rest of the members. He slips his arms around my waist from the back and rests his chin on my shoulder.
"Now that we're all here, let's head back to the conference room to go over yesterday's rehearsal and get the game plan for today," Namjoon says. Turning around, he gets people moving. Turning his head back in my direction, he adds, "NaeYeong, you're welcome to join us if you'd like."
"I would love to, thank you Namjoon!"
The front of the group has reached the intersection where the two hallways meet, and I feel Jimin stop moving.
"This is my room," he says, stepping up to the door on the left and using his key card to open it. "Just so you know for later. I'll meet you in the conference room in a few minutes."
"Okay, love. See you soon."
He gives me a quick kiss before slipping through the door. I turn and hurry to follow the rest of the group, who have turned left instead of right toward Hobi's room, heading to the last door on the right at the end of the hall. I follow the last of the staff in and see the group members sitting around a big table in the middle. There are several chairs still empty there, and several more set around the edge of the room.
Without Jimin around, I start to feel some of the old insecurities trying to creep in, especially seeing the barely concealed hostility toward me on the faces of the female staffers.
No! I'm not letting people do this to me again, I tell myself. I put on what I call my authoritative aura that I use at work and stride in, meeting each of their gazes head on. F*ck them.
Seeing some pencils sitting in a cup at the edge of the table, I smoothly grab two on my way past as I walk to an empty chair across the room. It's a strategically placed chair against the wall, facing the door and all the other women in the room. It's also directly behind one of the empty ones at the table. In a fluid move, I sit down, crossing my legs like the boss b*tch that I am. I grab all my hair in my hands, deftly twisting it into a perfect chignon at the base of my head and weaving the pencils in to hold it in place within seconds.
I look at the members sitting at the table, who are all staring at me, some with their mouths open. I nod my head at them. No one says a word, so I then turn my gaze on the staffers sitting around the room. Several have visibly gone pale, recognizing my aura.
Both Namjoon and Yoongi lean back in their chairs, watching what's happening in the room speculatively.
Several minutes later the door opens again, and Jimin walks in, his gaze finding mine right away. He arches his brow, noticing the change in the room. Sitting directly across from me, with his back to the female staffers, he smiles at me. I smile back and relax into my chair, pulling my aura back in. Winking at me, he turns to Namjoon and nods his head. And the meeting begins.
Several staffers leave and come back with things to drink or eat, setting it on the table for the members. Even the members get up and move around occasionally, especially Jungkook. I notice others taking notes of the conversation.
I stay quietly observing the whole time, barely moving, paying attention to the nuances and glances when things are talked about. One time, I even notice Jimin try to hide a yawn behind his hand, and my heart goes out to him. I decide then and there that I need to go back to my own hotel for the night so he can get good rest for the concert tomorrow. An hour later, the meeting finally wraps up.
As people are starting to stand up, I see Jimin walking over to me.
"Where did you go those last few moments?" he asks as he holds his hand out for mine.
"Can I tell you when there aren't extra ears around?" I request as I slip my hand into his. He nods as he guides me up.
"Of course, Baby." He kisses my temple and steps back. "Let's go back to Hobi hyung's room. We're meeting the rest of the members there."
I nod then ask, "Is there enough room for everyone in there?"
"Oh yeah, there's plenty. Come on."
He pulls me along toward the door, walking past several of the female staffers without giving them a second glance. The hostility is palpable again as they stare at me, but I don't care anymore, barely paying any attention to them.
We walk back to Hobi's room hand in hand, talking a little about the meeting. It doesn't take long and we reach the door, which is propped open, allowing for easy entry. When we walk in Jin and Jungkook are arguing and messing around while Hobi and Taehyung are talking and picking at the leftover food that Hobi just put on the table. I stop in the bathroom to grab my earring and hair tie before walking to the desk to pick up the rest of my scattered belongings. I'm searching for my bag, which I find in the corner under the desk by the wall where it was never seen by Namjoon the night before. Carefully, I start to put the things on the desk back in it, making sure to pull the thong from my pocket and hiding it in the deepest interior zippered part of my bag.
I see Jimin watching me from where he's perched on the bed, talking to some of the other members. I give him a smile as I turn around and sit on the desk, watching the room.
At that point, Namjoon and Yoongi walk in, shutting the door behind them. I figured the room would go quiet, but it does just the opposite, actually getting louder and more chaotic!
I tilt my head to the side as I watch all seven together. Good god! How do they ever get anything accomplished?? I wonder to myself. It's such a cacophony of noise...it's like they seriously try to out-do each other, all by increase in volume! Then I see it. Namjoon gets quiet, and one by one the others follow suit. Then he speaks.
"Alright guys, it's D-1 until YTC in Busan. Any last thoughts from today's meeting that you would like to share? You know the drill."
Each one offers something, and I watch and listen, wondering why these things weren't brought up during the meeting. I see Namjoon looking at me, a slight smile on his face. I realize he knows exactly what I'm thinking.
When everyone has said their piece and discussion is over, Namjoon looks at me and nods. I'm startled when everyone turns their eyes to me.
"Ummm, yes?" I stutter out, panic clearly on my face by being put on the spot and not knowing what is expected.
"You're wondering why we do this after the meeting with staff from our agency, aren't you?" Namjoon asks.
"Well, uh yeah. I mean, everything each one of you has brought up is a very valid point. Why wouldn't you want to bring it up when other people can hear it and make needed change?"
Yoongi speaks this time. "We used to do that, but things never changed. When we discuss it here, we know what's needed and make the changes ourselves. It gets done. And it's done efficiently and safely."
I look around at the rest, seeing them each nod in agreement.
"It took several years to realize why things weren't happening. It usually doesn't make it past the staff to those who could implement the change," Jin says.
Taehyung interjects. "It's a holdover from our trainee days. We were the trained monkeys then, there only to perform."
"But why did you continue?" I ask, my brows furrowed in confusion. "I mean when it was time to renew your contracts. Why did you sign for another seven years? You could have walked away..."
"By then we were past the trained monkey stage. We pursued our dreams, even if they weren't exactly what we thought we wanted. And then there was ARMY...we couldn't leave them. We love what we do, even if we've lost sight of things occasionally along the way. ARMY have their dreams, and if we help just one to reach that dream, we are a success," Namjoon finishes.
"You've been a success for years! I should know, I've followed you since your debut! Your music, your messages, they got me through a lot of bad times..." I say as the 'aha' moment flickers. Yoongi nods.
"That, right there, is the why."
The rest nod their heads.
"So do you do this each time?"
"Yes," Jimin says, getting up and walking to my side, standing with his back against the wall next to me. "It's what we do each time, with each rehearsal, with each concert. We have become family over the years, a family that works best together, and this is one of the ways we do it."
I nod my head at his words, looking at each member in turn. I smile at them. "Sometimes the best family is the one you choose."
"Damn right," Jimin says as he kisses my temple. Squeezing my hand, he walks back to his spot and sits.
"Alright, any last thoughts?" Namjoon looks at the group. Most shake their heads, but Jungkook clears his throat.
"I have one question...and this is to NaeYeong. If that's alright?" He looks at me then at the group, landing on Namjoon and Jimin. They both look at me.
"It's fine with me. What's the question Jungkook?"
"What was that at the beginning of the meeting when you walked in the room?"
I see the confused look on Jimin's face, and the curiosity on the rest of theirs, especially Yoongi's and Namjoon's.
"I'm not quite sure what you mean...?"
"When we were all in the hallway, you presented this meek little thing who dances beautifully... Then when you walked into the conference room, you changed into..." he trails off, not sure how to explain it.
"Ahhh, yes. I think the phrase you are looking for is a 'bad*ss boss b*tch'?"
"Well...not sure I would put it that way..." Jungkook hedges politely.
"I would, " Namjoon, Yoongi, and Jimin all say at the same time.
I laugh, smiling widely, as Jungkook blushes.
"Let's put it this way - I've been through some things over the past 10 years, with some of the worst stuff happening most recently in the past three, that I wouldn't wish on anyone. I deal with insecurities all the time, which can present as being meek and docile. But because of those things, I've had to become stronger, overcoming more than most, and I've learned how to channel that into my aura." I see them all with a confused look on their faces, trying to understand. "Here's the thing about what happened today. Normally I'm that calm, I think sweet, person that you have mostly seen. In the hallway when Jimin walked up to me and gave me a hug, I noticed most of the female staffers got angry. They're pissed that I'm around. Even some of the male staffers are as well, but they won't show that hostility like the women will. When I walked into the conference room alone, their hostility was oppressive, making me feel those insecurities again. But I told myself that I wouldn't be that way around them. Women can be vicious to each other...so I had to show my dominance just like I do in my job."
"And what do you do for work?" Namjoon asks curiously.
"I'm a junior accounting partner in one of the largest global brokerage firms, which is headquartered in New York City. I deal with some very rich, very powerful people - mostly men - in the world who, when they meet me for the first time, believe I'm this sweet little meek woman who they can order around."
"I bet they learn really quick who you truly are," Yoongi replies dryly.
"If it's warranted, yes. Those staffers thought I was just a little fangirl that got lucky being here for a short period of time and then will move on. They were trying to stake their claim on you, on all of you. And that's fine. That's not why I'm here. I'm not here to disrupt the dynamic of what you have, of how you work. But now they know I'm not one to be discounted. I am the tiger and dragon rolled into one." I look directly at Jimin, and I see his proud smile.
"F*ck yeah!" he says out loud, and everyone turns to look at him, then at me.
"You obviously know what that's about, Jimin-ah," Namjoon states, no question at all.
"Yes, he does. I told him about it last night."
"Is it something we should know, little sister?" Yoongi asks.
"Little sister?" I ask, confusion on my face. I look at Jimin, seeing the confusion on his face slowly turn into a knowing smile. He gets up and walks back over to me, wrapping his arms around my waist.
He leans in then whispers in my ear, "You're their little sister now, not mine...you're much more than that to me, Baby."
"Do you think it's a good idea to tell them? You're the only one who knows the full truth of it."
"That's up to you, Nae. That's your story, you need to decide if you want to share it or not. Just know that I'm behind you all the way, no matter what your decision is." He kisses my temple once more, then moves over to lean against the edge of the desk, still holding my hand, waiting to see what I decide.
Looking at the other six, then back at him, I decide to give the cliff notes version of my tale, skipping over most of the graphic parts and ending with how I became junior partner in my firm.
"And the dragon and tiger? Where does that come in?" Hobi asks.
"Because of everything that happened, I created a tattoo to represent it."
"Can we see it?" Jungkook asks excitedly, smiling his bunny smile. I laugh. Figures the one with the sleeve would get excited and want to see it.
I look at Jimin to see what his reaction to the question is. "Would it bother you if I showed it?"
"Again, that's your decision, Nae. I admit, I'm not crazy about them seeing so much of you, but it's a beautiful piece..."
I sit and think about it for a few moments. Looking around the room, I ask, "Does everyone want to see it? Or just Jungkook?"
They all stay quiet and I see the thoughts going through their heads. Soon, each one of them nods.
"Okay. Jimin, will you help me?"
"Of course, Nae. Tell me what I need to do."
"I'm going to turn around and loosen my dress enough for it to slide down my back. I need you to undo my bra and slide the straps down, while I hold everything together in the front," I murmur to him. Turning to the group, I say, "I'm going to need everyone to go to that side of the room. Jimin is going to help me."
I wait as everyone moves to the other side of the room across from where Jimin and I are sitting. As soon as they're where I need them to be, I hop down from the desk and turn around, my back to them. I look over my shoulder at Jimin as I place my hand at the tie on my dress.
"Are you ready?" I ask him quietly. He nods as he straightens up.
"I am when you are," he says, moving behind me to hide me from the others' view while I do this. When he's in position, I pull the tie and slide the dress down my back, then I feel him unhooking my bra and slipping the straps down my arms enough to be out of the way of the tattoo, his finger grazing across my skin leaving a trail of goosebumps. I shiver briefly as I adjust everything in front so nothing shows, and I turn my head to look back at him. "Are we good?"
He touches his fingers to the scars one more time, and responds, "Yeah, we're good." Placing a kiss to my shoulder where his mark is still showing, he steps aside, revealing my tattoo to the guys.
It's so quiet in the room, I swear you can hear a pin drop. I repeat the meanings behind each image, just as I did with Jimin in the shower. I can feel his fingers grazing my back, tracing the images as I explain them. There's no sound in the room during my explanation. When I'm done, Jimin moves behind me again, helping me get everything put back in place. Once I'm tied back up, I turn around and lean against the desk, Jimin right next to me.
I wait for someone, anyone, to say something. Jimin kisses my temple and holds my hand, comforting me. He can feel my anxiety kick up a bit at the quiet room.
"I can't even imagine what you went through, little sister," Hobi says in a soft voice. Soon, the others echo his statement. A few even choose to come over and give me a quick hug...Namjoon, Hobi, Jungkook, even Taehyung. Jin and Yoongi hold back, which I'm not too surprised with, but they do echo the sentiments of the others. My eyes fill with tears as they do, and a huge weight that I didn't realize I had been carrying is lifted.
"Thank you," is all I can say to them. Jimin pulls me in close, resting his chin on my head, rocking us a bit.
"Namjoon hyung, I think I'm going to take Nae to my room for a bit. We still have a few things to talk about before we leave for rehearsal this afternoon."
"Okay, Jimin-ah. NaeYeong, if you need anything, please just let me know. And you'll give her my number, right?" he asks of Jimin.
"Yes, I will."
"Thank you, Namjoon. Thank you again everyone."
I sling my bag strap over my shoulder and follow Jimin out the door to his room. Holding the door open, he invites me to enter. I step in and stop in the area between the entryway and the main room, looking around.
It's pretty much just like Hobi's, except for the view. That actually kind of sucks. But it is neat and clean, considering he'd been in it for at least a week, longer if I thought about it.
I must have had a questioning look on my face when he stops next to me.
"I've been staying at my parents' house a few times since I've been here. It's only been the last few nights that I've been in the hotel. When it gets closer to the concert date, we're required to stay together, where there's more security and staff around."
"Ah, well that makes sense. The car I always see you driving...? Is that your family's?"
"No, that one is actually mine. My parents keep it for when I visit."
"Oh, very nice. Do you get to visit much?" I turn to look at him.
"Not as much as I would like. Recently it's been more since we started our individual projects."
He shrugs as he lifts the strap of my bag from my shoulder, walking over to set it on the desk. Turning around, he holds his hand out for me, so I walk over to where he is, placing mine in it. He curls his warm hand around it, interlacing our fingers as we move over to the chairs. Sitting down in one facing the window, he pulls me down onto his lap.
Before leaning his head against my shoulder, he pulls the pencils from my hair, dropping them to the floor as it falls down my back in a curtain. Putting an arm around my waist, he rests the other across my thighs.
I think about the past few hours while I wait for him to say what's on his mind.
"Where did you go just now, love?" Jimin breaks me out of my thoughts, his voice low and quiet.
"I was thinking about everything that just happened, how everyone reacted, considering the subject matter. Although I was worried after we showed my tattoo because no one was saying anything. Thank you for helping me with all of it. I don't think I would've been able to do it without you there."
"I'm very proud of you for opening up that much with them. I know it couldn't have been easy."
"You made it easier."
We sit in quiet contemplation for a few more minutes.
"Why did Yoongi call me 'little sister?' Then everyone else did as well?"
"Well, that's a bit more complicated..."
"But there is an explanation?"
"Yes."
"Care to share?"
"Soon."
I sigh. "Fine."
He chuckles a little. "Patience, Baby. Just have a little patience."
My face shows the displeasure I'm feeling at being put off. He chuckles again, then tilts his head as he assesses me.
"You're not a very patient one, are you?"
"Not when it's something really important to me, Jimin. Other times I'm the most patient person you'll ever meet. But I'm finding this to not being one of those times."
"Alright, Nae. Let's see if I can explain this so it makes sense." He pauses as he thinks how to start. The hand laying on my lap starts to rub little circles on the fabric of my dress as he stares out the window. I watch as with each pass, the fabric starts to slide off my leg, revealing bare skin. I look back up at his face as he starts to speak. "Earlier we were talking about family. Those six men have become brothers to me over the years, my best friends. And I'm the same to them. We've talked about it many times. We've also talked about what happens if, or when, one of us meets someone who becomes very important to us...how that might change the dynamic of our family. We decided if that important person is truly the one, then they also become part of our family. Then you summed it up when you said, 'the best family is the one you choose'...and they have chosen you." He stops and looks me in the eyes before continuing. "Just as I have chosen you."
I'm too stunned to say anything. As I process everything he just said, my eyes fill with tears. I try to blink them away only to cause a couple to trail down my face.
He doesn't say anything further as he lifts his hand to wipe the tears from my face.
"You choose me, Jimin?"
He nods his head as I see his own eyes water. My only response is, "I choose you too."
He pulls my head closer to his, leaning his forehead against mine. We sit like that for a few minutes before I hear him whisper, "I know we haven't known each other very long and it may be too soon to be saying this because I don't want to scare you away, but I'm falling in love with you, Ms. Cho NaeYeong."
"You're right, it may be too soon...for other people. But not for us, because I'm falling in love with you more each day, Mr. Park JiMin."
He lifts his head to look at me, satisfaction on his face.
Within minutes, he tries to stifle another yawn.
I get up and hold my hand out to him this time. He looks up at me, and I arch an eyebrow at him when he doesn't move.
"Come on, love, I'm taking you to bed..."
He grabs my hand and gets up in a swift move. "Why didn't you say so?"
I giggle then roll my eyes. "Is that seriously all I need to say to get you to move that gorgeous *ss?"
"If it has anything to do with you and a bed, you're damn right that's all it takes!"
Shaking my head, I lead him to the bed and climb into it, positioning myself against pillows and the headboard. Patting the bed next to me I say, "Come here, love. I know you're tired. Not only can I see it, but I can also feel it. And I want to hold you while you sleep."
He shakes his head in denial, like a little child.
"Jimin, you've yawned two times that I've seen so far. You still have rehearsal this afternoon. I would love to make love to you until it's time to go, but you need rest. So come on, Baby. I need to have you wrapped up in my arms..." I hold my arms open for him.
He just stands at the edge of the bed, staring at me with an indecipherable look on his face. Then he gives me The Eyes...and bites his lower lip...and it's all it takes for me to feel a rush of warmth low.
"You are not playing fair, love," I drop my arms with a pouty look on my own face.
He climbs onto the bed slowly, with the look of a feral, stalking jaguar after its prey. He still has the look on his face that has lived in my head rent free for years.
"Is it working?" He growls at me, the sound so sexy that all I want to do is rip the clothes from my body and let him ravage it in any way he'd like.
"Yes..." I say breathlessly. Sitting up straight and shaking my head I respond quickly, "No, I mean no."
He's up to me now, his hot hand resting on my ankle.
"You don't sound too sure about that."
Watching me, he slowly pulls me down the bed toward him then kisses the inside of the ankle he's gripping, moving up my leg with those lips. I spread my legs a bit to make room for his shoulders as he moves up.
When he gets to my knee he stops, sliding my dress so that it parts to pool on either side, baring my thighs to his view. He glides his hands up them, his thumbs feathering light touches along the inside of them until he reaches the bottom of the shorts. Pushing those up, I know he can see my wet p*ssy, but he doesn't touch. Instead, he continues to slide his hands up until they reach the tie on my dress, and he deliberately goes the slowest he can go when he pulls it.
My body is aching so bad for him, and he's deliberately teasing me. And I can't get enough of it.
Finally, the last inch of the tie is pulled loose and he carefully unwraps the edges, like he's opening the most fragile and precious gift given to him. Leaning forward he presses featherlight kisses on my now exposed stomach. Instead of what I was expecting from him, he wraps his arms around me and lays his cheek there.
I lean back against the pillows again, surprise clear on my face, one hand dropping to his biceps and the other to his head to run through his soft hair.
He lifts his head to look at me. With a serious look, he says quietly, "I just wanted to feel your bare skin against me while I rest. Is that okay?"
"Of course it is, my love! Of course it is," I trail my finger down his cheek to his plump lips. "How much time will you need to get ready before you have to leave for rehearsal?"
He reaches back to pull his phone from a pocket. Looking at the time then holding it up for me to see, he responds, "Thirty minutes is enough. Will that be enough time for you?"
I'm surprised, and it must be evident on my face because his brows furrow.
"You are coming with to rehearsal today, right?"
"Are you sure you want me there after yesterday?" His eyebrows lift at that.
"Yes, I want you there today. And every day going forward, my sweet Nae." He places another kiss on my stomach.
"I just don't want to be a distraction."
"Oh, you'll be a distraction..."
"Then maybe I shouldn't go..." I say sadly.
"You'll be a good distraction, Nae. The best distraction. The kind that will make me try my hardest."
"But you always try your hardest, don't you?"
"I do, but you're the best reason to try even harder."
"If you're sure, Jimin. I'm serious. I don't want to be a distraction being there."
"I'm serious too, Nae. I want you there. Your presence is calming for me. I'm usually nervous this close to a concert, but I'm not feeling that this time. And I realize it's because of you. And I like hearing your thoughts on things that we do, seeing what may work or not work from someone who is not staff or another member."
"I might be slightly biased, Jimin. Well, maybe more than slightly..." I smile as I run my fingertip down his straight nose to his mouth. "Very biased, actually..."
"Don't start something we can't finish..." he smiles widely as we both remember the shower earlier. "Remember I'm supposed to rest. Those were your words."
I laugh when he winks at me then lays his head back down on my stomach carefully.
"Tease," I chuckle. I notice he's holding his upper body a bit rigidly so as not to press too hard on me. I start to rub his shoulders and neck, hoping he will relax more.
Slowly his breathing evens out and his body relaxes on me. I smile at him, happiness written on my face for anyone to see.
Before I know it, the couple of hours is up, and there's only a half hour to go before the call to leave happens. I'm very happy that Jimin slept the whole time holding me, barely stirring while I continued to rub his shoulders and neck. Even when I ran my hands through his hair he didn't move.
I run my fingers over his ear, massaging as close to the lobe as I can without touching his earrings. I'm thinking of ways to best wake him up when he starts to stir with my fingertips caressing there.
I see an eye crack open, and his arms tighten around me. He moves his hand around to my stomach, touching the flesh there before gliding it down to my hip. Then he takes a deep breath in before letting it slowly out. Groaning, he lifts his head only to smile up at me. I smile back at him.
"Hello there, beautiful."
"Hello there, gorgeous."
Moving slowly, he sits up on the bed cross-legged, stretching his arms up over his head, then rolling his head and shoulders to loosen them up some more.
Groaning one more time, he goes to move to the side of the bed. Stopping, he looks back at me still laying in the same position.
"Will you stay with me tonight, Nae?" he asks cautiously. I sit up with a thoughtful look on my face. Crossing my own legs and leaning forward, I search for the right words while picking at invisible lint on the blanket under me.
"I was actually wondering if going back to my hotel room tonight would be a better idea so you can get a good night's sleep..."
He moves back to me, placing his hands over mine, causing me to look up at him. He searches my face.
"I would be happier and sleep better if you were with me, NaeYeong. But I understand why you're considering your hotel. Even though this was just a couple of hours, I feel more rested right now than I have in a long time. And it's because of you."
I continue to look at him, seeing the sincerity in his eyes. Slowly, I nod my head. A broad grin lights up his face.
"There's just one problem..." I say and the smile fades from his face. "I don't have anything to use or wear..."
"Ah," and the grin is back. "Actually..."
"What?" I eye him cautiously as I draw that one word out. "What did you do?"
He doesn't say anything as he picks up his phone and checks something. With a satisfied look on his face, he holds up his finger and moves to the edge of the bed, getting up. Walking out of sight to the room door, I hear him open it, then in a moment the door closes again.
When he walks back into the main room, he's holding a few large bags in each hand, setting them on the bed and standing there looking at me.
"I know this isn't the same thing as having your own, but before we went back to Hobi hyung's room I texted my mother asking if she would pick up a few things I ordered when I was changing this morning."
"Your mother?" I squeak out.
"Yes, my mother, who agreed and dropped them off at the front desk."
He looks down at the bags then back at me, a sober look on his face. "I was hoping you would say yes, but even if you didn't, I knew you would probably want to be more comfortable than wearing the same things from yesterday and my shorts..." He pauses, his eyes roving down then back up my exposed body, his voice getting huskier as he says, "even though you're extremely sexy sitting there like that..."
Shaking my head at that, I move toward him, my muscles flexing and flowing like water under my skin. Standing up, I let my dress slide off my arms and drop it on the bed. Standing in my bra and his shorts, I look at him before pulling the first bag closer to me. Opening it up, I look down and start pulling boxes out and setting them on the bed. Lifting the cover of the first box, I see a simple yet beautiful piece of fabric folded in the tissue paper. Sliding my fingers over the fabric, I'm surprised it feels as soft as it looks. Picking it up by the top corners, it opens up to reveal a wrap dress with a gorgeous pattern of cherry blossoms on a black background in my size. I hold it up to my body to show it to him.
He smiles as he breathes out slowly. "That looks even better than it did in photos."
"It's beautiful, Jimin! And the feel of it..." I lift it up to rub it softly on my cheek, then hold it out to have him touch it, which he does. Then he lifts his hand to touch my cheek.
"It's really soft, but not as soft as your skin..." I can feel my n*pples get hard at the look on his face. I clear my throat trying to break the spell he's putting me under. He grins and laughs as he drops his hand.
Turning back, I carefully lay the dress on the bed and open the next, where I find a few pair of thong and bra sets.
"How did you know my sizes?" I ask as I hold each set up to look at them. He rubs a hand over the back of his neck with an embarrassed blush creeping up his face.
"I checked the sizes of yours while you were sleeping this morning..."
"Jimin!" I teasingly scold before I laugh at his discomfort.
"You're not angry? It was an invasion of your privacy."
I look at him and realize he is actually worried that I would be angry. Dropping the lingerie back in the box, I turn back to him and place my hands on his face.
"No, Jimin, I'm not angry. In fact, I'm overwhelmed with the fact that you wanted to make sure that things would fit and be comfortable for me. That was extremely considerate and caring, and another reason I love you."
I freeze when I realize what came out of my mouth. I know he said he was falling in love with me, but not that he actually does love me. I drop my hands to clasp them and look down, as my insecurities rear their ugly head again while my mind races with the thoughts of what if it was too soon.
"I love you too, NaeYeong," I hear him whisper as he lifts my chin so I'm looking at him again. "I realized I loved you when I saw you standing in Hobi hyung's room last night, and that's part of the reason why I was so angry...and jealous. Because I didn't think the feelings were reciprocated. Then you fell and I realized it didn't matter anymore because I couldn't stand to see you hurting. I'm madly in love with you."
We stand there staring at each other before he steps into me and touches his lips gently to mine.
When he pulls back, I look up at him and say the only thing pounding in my heart.
"I've loved you as ARMY for years, but it was just a fan loving from afar the people who got me through so much over the years. I didn't know that that type of love was nothing compared... What I feel for you now is so much more, so much deeper, and it grew each time we talked or texted, each moment we spent together since that first time I bumped into you at the beach. I love you, Jimin, and I'm also madly in love with you too."
I stand on my tiptoes to touch my own lips to his, sliding my arms around his neck as his wind around me, pulling me in as he hugs me. Suddenly, he lifts me and kisses me deeply before setting me back on my feet.
Kissing the tip of my nose he apologetically reminds me, "Come on, we only have a few minutes left before we have to leave. Did you want to change? We can check out the rest of the bags when we get back from rehearsal."
I nod my head and let go of him to turn around to grab the black satin with pink lace set that would match the dress. Picking that up also, I see he's rummaging through another bag before pulling some things from it. Turning to me, he smiles and gestures with his head to follow him, so I do. Flipping on the light in the bathroom, he sets things down on the counter. Turning around and kissing me once more, he walks out the door, pulling it shut behind him. When it latches, I turn to see what he placed on the counter and my gaze softens when I see a whole set of personal care things sitting there. That man is so thoughtful!
Quickly getting out of the shorts and bra, I slide the new set of undergarments on, feeling the satin and lace under my fingertips. Looking in the mirror, I see how the cut of them accentuate and hug my curves, and I feel really sexy in them. I decide to brush my teeth quickly before pulling the dress on. Tying it closed, I love the feel of it against my skin and grin at how flowy it looks. He has really great taste.
Picking up the brush, I run it through my long curtain of hair. Then as quickly as I did before in the conference room, I twist it up, this time into a neat bun on the back of my head, weaving in the two long hair sticks to hold it in place. They're beautiful...black with small cherry blossoms painted up the shaft of each one, ending with a small silk cherry blossom at the top with a small black and pale pink tassel hanging from it.
Turning my head, I see the tassels swing. I smile at how that man keeps amazing me with his choices.
Figuring I'm about as ready as I'm going to be, I open the door and step out. I see him standing at the window with his back to me, and at the sound of the door, he turns around. I see his breathing change as he looks me up and down, whistling slowly.
"Damn woman, you are so beautiful! You make that outfit look good!"
"I think usually it's the other way around," I say, laughing. He motions with his finger to have me turn around. I hear another low whistle of appreciation come out as I do the slow spin.
"Nope, not this time. You make those clothes!"
"Thank you," I blush and watch as he starts moving toward me. He suddenly stops in place and I frown, only to smile widely as he has to adjust himself before taking another step. Soon he's sliding his arms around my waist and pulling me into his body, where I feel how hard he is.
"How are you going to practice like that?" I tease.
"I guess I'm going to have to think about something else to make The Beast go to sleep..." he teases back.
I laugh out loud as we hear a knock on the door and he groans. Stifling my laugh with a searing kiss, he breaks free to walk slowly toward the door, pulling his shirt out of his pants to cover his b*lge. This makes me laugh even harder, and he throws a glare at me over his shoulder, his own smile twitching at his mouth.
"That's not playing fair, Nae," he throws at me as he opens the door to a surprised Hobi standing there, hand poised in a knocking position.
Looking between us quickly, Hobi's gaze stops on me as I straighten up, quiet laughter still shaking my shoulders. A low whistle comes out of his mouth, which gets cut off when he sees Jimin's scowl. He has the good sense to look embarrassed. Jimin's face breaks into a grin at that.
"Come in, Hobi hyung," he chuckles as well when Hobi walks in, still looking between us.
"So, what's so funny?" he asks as Jimin closes the door and turns around to walk past him to grab his phone and wallet. I turn to go to the desk to grab my bag, slinging the strap over my shoulder, the laughter still shaking my shoulders. "And how is little sister not playing fair, Jimin-ah?"
I turn to see Jimin pointing at me, then lifting his shirt and point at himself...and Hobi's eyes get big as a smile cracks his face.
"Ohhhh, Jiminieee! How are you walking? And can you actually rehearse??" Hobi starts to laugh as Jimin scowls again.
"Hey, you're the one who got this," I point from my head to my feet as I continue, "for me, so that," then I point at his b*lge, "is your own fault."
Hobi starts laughing harder at that. Jimin throws his hands up in the air and growls, "Don't you encourage her!"
"She has a point, Jiminie!"
I watch as Jimin tries to keep the scowl on his face as he shakes his head at us both. Dropping his shirt, he walks over to me and whispers in my ear, "We will continue this later, love."
I kiss him on his cheek and walk away from him, looking over my shoulder as I pass Hobi. "You better believe we will! I'm going to enjoy taming The Beast!"
Hobi is now doubled over in laughter as Jimin's face turns a deep shade of red. I slip on my flats and hold the door open for both men as first a still laughing Hobi, followed by a flushed but smiling Jimin, cross through. But Jimin gets the last unspoken word as his arm and hand graze my private areas as he passes me. Watching his fine *ss walk away, I need to take a deep breath to calm down before I can move into the hall to follow, making sure the door latches.
They're both waiting for me as I turn around, and threading his fingers through mine, Jimin smiles down at me and we head off to join others at the elevator.