"Damn!" I can hear the appreciation in just that one word.
"Is it really that good, Jungkookie?" I ask, a smile on my face as he hums when he puts another bite in his mouth.
"Mmmhmm," Jungkook nods as his eyes roll and he's making the same angry face I've seen in video when he's eating something that he really likes. "Damn!!" his voice rings out again as he takes another big bite of the dakgalbi sitting in front of him, followed quickly by another bite of the samgyeopsal.
I hear more appreciative sounds coming from the spot next to me, and I look to see Jimin taking several bites and chewing, his cheeks filled with food. I lift the cup of tea to my mouth, sipping it as I continue to watch and listen while these two men enjoy everything. I pick up the mandu sitting by itself on my plate, taking a little bite and chewing slowly. I'm waiting for the tell-tale sign of nausea that I'm sure is going to come since this is the first meal I've had all day.
"Jiminie hyung, you need to be careful," Jungkook says, pointing his chopsticks at Jimin. "If you keep eating food like this, you're going to gain a lot of weight!"
Jimin stops chewing the bite of mandu he'd just taken, staring at Jungkook with eyes that could pierce through steel.
"Jungkookie...for your information, Jimin will probably be losing weight even with food that I cook." They both look at me, heads tilted. I look from Jungkook to Jimin. I grin and wink at my love. "You're going to be needing the extra calories with all the workouts you'll be doing taking care of me!"
I watch as his ears turn a beautiful shade of red, and he swallows the food down hard, needing to take a drink from his bottle before he starts coughing. Jungkook laughs hard at Jimin's surprise.
I turn to Jungkook.
"And you – you're going to help me."
His doe eyes get large as he points at himself in question. He chews his mouthful of food and quickly swallows it. "Me? How will I be helping?"
"I'm putting all my trust in you to make sure he's eating at work when you're both there. I want to be sure he's going to have the stamina for all of his...ahem...activities!"
"Nae..." I hear Jimin start to say next to me. When I turn my head in his direction, I lift an eyebrow and his mouth snaps closed. I have a hard time suppressing the grin that I feel flitting at the corners of my mouth at his look. I wink at him and blow him a kiss. Turning back to my food, I take a bigger bite of the mandu, chewing slowly before washing it down with another sip of the tea.
We continue eating for several minutes, the sounds of appreciation punctuating the comfortable silence. I venture a few bites of the samgyeopsal after the mandu is gone, waiting for the morning sickness to hit each time, but thankful when it doesn't. But it doesn't take long before I feel full.
"Is that all you're eating, love?" Jimin asks quietly as I set my chopsticks down. I nod, knowing full well that if I eat another bite, I'm going to be losing everything I've just gotten in me. "Why don't you try a couple more bites?"
"I may not be nauseous from morning sickness at the moment, but if I eat another bite nothing is going to stay down. I'm already too full."
"Have you told everyone that you're expecting yet?" Jungkook asks quietly, a serious look on his face as he looks between the two of us. We both shake our heads and I pick up my cup to take another sip.
"No. We just confirmed it last Monday at the emergency room when we were there to have my back looked at," I reply without thinking. Jimin's head turns to me quickly, surprise etched on his face.
"What was wrong with your back?" Jungkook asks, concern on his face.
"Oh! Well, um," I hedge, having forgotten we hadn't told him anything about what had transpired over the past week. I look at Jimin with worry on my face. He shakes his head, his hand covering mine on the table.
"We'd better tell him," he says softly. I take a deep breath in, letting it out slowly, feeling the butterflies starting to wing their way through my stomach. Why do I get nervous when I have to tell people who I feel close to about these things? I take another drink from my cup, stalling. Jimin squeezes my hand gently to let me know he's with me.
"Remember I told you guys about my past at my job and the tattoo?" We watch as Jungkook nods his head and takes another bite of the food absentmindedly. "Only some people know what the tattoo covers..."
He tilts his head as he chews. I proceed to tell him about the scars, then we fill him in on the rest of what happened starting on Monday with the reappearance of Jeffrey, meeting Anaïse, the trips to the hospitals, the threats by Leeza, the trouble at work, how Anaïse became security with my company and through that also my bodyguard, and the camera found in the statue. By the end, he's put down his chopsticks and crossed his arms over his chest as he leans back in his chair. The look on his face is not the one that I'm used to seeing – the smiley, happy bunny is gone. In its place is an angry, f*ck-with-me-and-find-out-I-dare-you look, the light glinting dangerously off the metal of his lip ring as he presses his lips together. I lean forward with my arms on the table.
"Anyway, we were talking about having a dinner sometime soon, inviting everyone over, including Bang PD-nim, and tell the news of the baby all at once. Speaking of, you should ask everyone while we're thinking of it, love," I turn to Jimin. "We should also invite Jae-sung oppa and Anaïse unnie. That way everyone can meet her and know who she is too." I turn back to face Jungkook, emptying my cup first. "So please, Jungkookie, don't say a word about our little flower to anyone yet. You're the only member who knows at the moment," I implore, and the look on his face changes back to soft bunny mode. I release a quiet sigh of relief.
"Of course, big sister. I won't say anything until you tell the others. Promise. Do you know what you're having?" We shake our heads, and I chuckle.
"I'm only a couple weeks along, so it's far too early to tell. We won't know for several months."
I look at my empty cup and get up to make more. I stand by the heating water listening to Jimin and Jungkook talk, feeling like everything is right in my world. I hear the beginning of the whistle indicating the water is hot so turn it off and fill my cup. Bringing it back to the table and sitting, I unconsciously pick up another bite of whatever is sitting in front of me, which there isn't much of after the men attacked it, and pop it in my mouth. Even though it's cold by now, it still tastes really good...until it decides it doesn't want to stay down.
I leave the table quickly, running to our bathroom, not thinking about the fact there are other ones closer. After I've lost everything I just ate, I clean up at the sink. Looking up at my reflection, I realize I'm looking pale and a bit haggard. I lean heavily on the sink counter, taking deep breaths in and slowly letting them out. When I look up again, black dots are starting to dance across my vision, and panic begins to take hold. I feebly push away and take a few steps toward the bedroom door when the room decides to upend itself before everything goes dark.
*************
"Nae? Baby? Wake up... JUNGKOOK-AH!" Jimin yells above me, and I hear the sound of Jungkook running in. The last words I hear before everything fades again is Jimin saying the names of Jae-sung, Anaïse and Namjoon...
*************
"Hang on, Baby, we're almost there...you're going to be okay..."
*************
Beeping...beeping...steady beeping... What the hell is that infernal sound? Can somebody please turn off that annoying sound??
I lift my hand to brush at my face, but instead feel something tugging at the back of it. Then a warm hand is cupping my cheek while another one guides my lifted hand back down.
"Baby...open your eyes..."
"Jimin..." I exhale his name on a sigh and settle my cheek in his palm. "Where am I?"
I try to open my eyes, but they feel too heavy.
"You're in the hospital. You passed out. Do you remember what happened?"
"I remember...dinner...enjoying myself...listening to you and Jungkookie talking...then getting sick. When I was washing my hands, I felt dizzy. My only thought was to get to you, but that's the last thing..."
"I was coming to see if you were okay. You were gone for only a few minutes. I'm normally there when you get sick but I wasn't quick enough this time..." I can hear the regret and sadness in his voice and I snuggle further into his hand.
"When can we go home?" I ask, still trying to open my eyes to look at him. I move my other hand but bump into a wall of warm body.
"You've been admitted for observation overnight, love. The doctor said you're extremely dehydrated. Combined with not getting enough nutrients to sustain you and our little flower because of the morning sickness, they think that's probably why you fainted. But they want to make sure you're both okay before they release you."
"Jimin..." I feel the prick of tears behind my eyelids. "I don't want to be here without you..."
"I'm not going anywhere, my love. I'm staying with you here the whole time. We all are," he says.
"We all...? Who else is here?" I ask, mortified.
"All the members, except Jin. He's still in Argentina but he's heading home in a few days. Jae-sung hyung and Anaïse noona. They're here too. God, Baby, you scared me so much!" The bed shifts as he leans forward and places his warm lips to my forehead, lingering there. Then he whispers when he rests his forehead on mine, "Please don't scare me like that, my love."
"I didn't mean to, Jimin. I didn't realize it was happening. And things were staying down so well too!" A tear leaks from my closed eyelids, slipping silently over my temple and into my hair, followed by a second then a third. He must have noticed because when the next few slip out, his lips capture them in a kiss, then he kisses both my eyes, then my nose, finally landing on my lips. It's a gentle kiss, one full of love, which makes the tears come faster because I suddenly feel like such a failure and disappointment. When he sits back, I curl my body around him, letting the tears come. His hand brushes down my hair, tucking strands behind my ear, then following the curve of my spine.
"Shhh, Baby, don't cry... Everything is going to be okay... Shhh, my love..." he whispers, calming me down.
"Will you hold me..." I whisper into his leg where my head is resting.
"Of course I will! Do you want some water first?"
"Yes, please. That sounds wonderful..." He brushes the hair from my face one more time, lingering before I straighten up to lay back on the bed. While I lift my free hand to my face to figure out what's going on with my eyes, I listen to the soft whisper of clothing moving around the room, then water being poured over ice, then the sound of feet on a tiled floor coming back to me. He pulls my hand from my face gently by the wrist, only to place a cup against my palm and wrap my fingers around it. Then I hear him moving away again. As I lift the cup to my mouth and sip the cold, refreshing water, I hear water being turned on across the room, then after a moment, it's turned off again.
I've emptied about half the cup of water when Jimin returns, sitting on the bed again.
"Are you done with the water, love?" I nod my head, holding it out to let him grab it. I hear it get set on a table next to me then his hand is on my cheek again. "I have a cool cloth for your eyes because they look swollen. Are you ready?"
"Yes," I reply and he picks up my free hand, placing it on the wrist and back of the hand holding the cloth so I know when to expect it. He cups my cheek again and then our joined hands are moving and although it's cold on my face, it doesn't surprise me like it could have. He holds it on first one eye for a few minutes then gently wipes across the eyelid before repeating the process on the other eye.
When he takes it away, I try to open my eyes, surprised that I can crack them a bit. When my eyes focus a little I see he's facing to the side, leaning to drop the cloth on the table next to the cup. When he turns back, I see the look of worry on his face. When he notices me looking at him though, his face breaks into a huge smile that lights up his features and softens everything. I smile up at him, happiness on my face.
I scoot over on the bed so that he has room. He positions himself next to me, stretching out on his side with his arms open for me to snuggle into, which I do. But before he can settle his arms around me, I press my lips to his, pouring all my love into the kiss, then I lay down wrapped in his embrace and close my eyes. The sound of his heart beating and the feel of his warmth surrounding me relaxes me enough to doze for a while.
"How are you feeling, Ms. Cho?"
I open up my eyes to a handsome doctor staring down at me, face mask covering the lower half of his face, round gold rimmed glasses perched above, dark hair styled back, wearing light blue scrubs and a white lab coat with Dr. Kim embroidered on the pocket. A nurse stands off to his side near the computer at the head of the bed, hair tied back in a ponytail at the nape of her neck, also sporting a mask but wearing dark green scrubs.
I yawn, trying to cover it as quickly as I can. I look over and feel a moment of panic when I see Jimin is gone. I sit up quickly, holding the blanket up to my neck while my gaze sweeps across the large, private room, and my panic swells. I take a deep breath trying to tamp it down.
"I'm sorry, what?" I ask politely as my gaze stops on the doctor again, my brain trying to process the situation.
"How are you feeling?" he repeats patiently.
"Oh, um, tired, I guess," I say as I stifle another yawn behind my hand. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to be impolite."
"That's fine, Ms. Cho. We did wake you up. I just need to do a quick check and ask you some questions."
"Okay..." I respond, and as they proceed through the questions, I answer them as best I can.
Halfway through, the door opens and Jimin comes back in, a few bags of snacks in his hand, followed by Namjoon, Jungkook, Jae-sung and Anaïse, who all pause in the doorway when they see the doctor and nurse. I wave for them to come in, feeling relief.
Jimin comes to the other side of the bed, bowing low to the doctor and nurse, then setting the snacks on the table only to take my free hand. Anaïse and Jae-sung follow, stopping to stand slightly behind Jimin, bowing then watching the doctor and nurse with a close eye. Namjoon and Jungkook bow then stand at the foot of the bed and smile at me, concern still etched on their faces.
The doctor just continues with his questions as if there had been no interruption. I watch as the nurse checks the IV attached to my right hand, changing out the nearly empty bag with a new one, then entering some stats in the computer near my head. As the doctor continues to ask questions, the door to the room opens again. I look past them to see Hobi, Taehyung, and Yoongi standing there, surprise on their faces. I wave them in and they slowly make their way around the end of the bed to stand in the space between Jungkook and Anaïse, bowing as well.
When I look back at the doctor, I see he has an eyebrow raised.
"They're my family..." I say as way of explanation. I look over at the nurse and see her staring. I frown and clear my throat, her gaze whipping to mine, and her attention goes back to the computer, but I see her still glancing up several times.
The doctor clears his throat. "Let's have a listen to your lungs and heart, shall we? Please sit up straight." He places the earpieces of his stethoscope into his ears, taps on the other end then proceeds to place it on my back. "Deep breath in, let it out. Again... And again..."
Once he's done listening to my lungs, he holds it to my chest, listening to my heart and I try to breathe normally. Once he's satisfied, he slings the stethoscope back around his neck and lifts up my wrist, finding my pulse, counting while looking at his watch. He tells the nurse the numbers as he lets my wrist go.
"Well, Ms. Cho, when you arrived you showed signs of dehydration, and the blood work we took shows that is the case. It sounds like it's most likely due to the nausea and vomiting you've been dealing with the past couple weeks. And we were told you've lost weight from it?"
"Yes, although I didn't realize it. Sometimes I can keep food down, especially if I drink tea first. But that doesn't always work."
"You need to stay hydrated. Unfortunately, it's easy to get dehydrated with vomiting, which can cause something called hypovolemia. It's a condition that could, if not watched and managed, turn into hyperemesis gravidarum, which is severe. It's possible you're already showing signs of it with the weight loss," the doctor explains.
"And how do I combat the nausea and vomiting?"
"Most of the time, it resolves on its own. You can help it by figuring out what the triggers may be and avoiding them. Eating small regular meals can help as well. Staying well hydrated. However, if those things don't help, you could try medications, but for obvious reasons, that isn't an ideal option. Do you have a primary doctor?"
"No, I just moved here from America...in fact, we arrived this morning. I haven't had a chance to look into it and we received confirmation just this past Monday."
"Well, we're going to keep you here overnight for observation. We'll push the fluids, and you should try to eat. It might be a good idea to try something bland and starchy, like crackers to start. If there's still nausea and vomiting with that, we can try an anti-nausea med. Once you find a doctor, they'll more than likely put you on a vitamin specifically designed for your condition so you'll still get the extra nutrients needed for development. Do you have any questions?"
I shake my head, looking up at Jimin, who also shakes his head.
"I'll come back in the morning to check on you, see how things went overnight. If there have been no issues, we'll try our best to get you out of here by mid-morning."
"Thank you." We all bow as the doctor and nurse walk out, leaving the room in silence behind them.
Jimin leans over and kisses my temple. When I look up at him, I still see the worry around his eyes. When I look to the others, there's concern etched on each of their faces.
"What condition was the doctor talking about?" Hobi demands to know. "Why are you vomiting and getting dehydrated, little sister?"
I look up at Jimin in surprise, then at Jae-sung, Anaïse, Jungkook, then back at Jimin. "You didn't tell them?"
"No, I wanted to wait so we could do it together."
"Oh!" I reply in surprise. "I guess this is going to happen without doing the dinner, huh? Should we call Jin, so he hears it at the same time?"
"Good idea. Namjoon hyung, could you video Jin? I think I left my phone at home when we rushed out."
"Of course, Jimin-ah." We wait while the connection is made and pleasantries are completed.
"So, why are you calling?" Jin asks, confusion on his face seeing all of us standing around my hospital bed. "Little sister, are you in the hospital??"
"Yes, Seokjin oppa. I am."
"Why?"
"Well, we have some news to tell everyone, Jin hyung," Jimin says next to me with a solemn expression on his face. I move over and pat the bed where he had been before, needing him close, and he settles in next to me while Jae-sung and Anaïse move to stand where he was, Jae-sung enveloping her in his arms from the back. The others shuffle around to surround the bed on each side while Namjoon stays at the foot. "Only a few people know so far. Our families, Jae-sung hyung and Anaïse noona, and Jungkookie because he was there shortly after we first suspected it."
"Why are you being so cryptic, Jimin-ah?" Hobi complains. "Just tell us! Are you going to be alright, little sister? Is it serious? You're not dying...are you??"
I can't help but shake my head at the panic in Hobi's voice and the wide-eyed look on his face. Internally I'm smiling, but externally I keep my face serious as I look at Jimin and wink so no one sees.
We both look back at the family surrounding us, holding their gazes before we look back at each other. Jimin smiles at me, placing his hand over my belly. I settle my head on his shoulder and cover his hand with mine. I watch the faces of those surrounding us as I hear Jimin speak again.
"We're expecting..." he trails off, resting his cheek on the top of my head.
"Expecting what?" Taehyung says after a moment. There's silence in the room for a moment longer as everyone digests the news. Then the only sound is the phone clattering on the tile floor, having slipped from Namjoon's hand and the voice of Jin muffled.
"Hey, hey, pick me up! Namjoon-ah! Namjoon-ahhhhh!!"
Then it's utter pandemonium when Hobi, Namjoon, and Yoongi start talking all at once, making no sense at all. Taehyung just stands there, a perplexed look on his face, as he looks between the three talking.
"Hey, Namjoon oppa?" I call quietly into the room, making the three stop talking to look at me. "Maybe you should pick Jin oppa up..."
We can still hear him yelling from under the bed as Namjoon bends down to pick up his phone.
"Sorry, Jin hyung..." he says sheepishly once he's retrieved the phone and looks at Jin who is still flustered and railing at Namjoon for rudely dropping him.
"Did Jimin-ah just say they were expecting?" Jin's voice can be heard as soon as Namjoon apologizes again. Namjoon flips the phone back around so that we can see Jin. "Jimin-ah! Jimin-ah! Did you say you're expecting?!?"
"Yes, Jin hyung, that's what I said." Jimin kisses the top of my head.
"Well, damn! Our first Bangtan baby! Whoever thought it would be Jimin?" Jin rushes on. "But why are you in the hospital, little sister?"
"I fainted tonight after getting sick. I've been having a lot of morning sickness for over a week, and the doctor says I'm dehydrated. We suspected the day we came back from the seaside cabin after the wedding because I got sick a few times. But we didn't get confirmation until we returned to New York. We wanted to tell everyone at the same time over a dinner, along with Bang PD-nim, but I guess that won't happen now."
"Don't say that, Baby, we still have to tell Bang PD-nim!"
"And we have to celebrate!" Hobi exclaims. Everyone starts talking again at the same time trying to figure out schedules. I look over at Anaïse, watching her wide-eyed look as she tries to decipher what everyone is saying and how chaotic it is with them in the same room. I chuckle at her look, and Jae-sung starts to whisper in her ear. I reach over Jimin and touch her hand to get her attention, and when it's on me, I smile.
"You'll get used to it, Anaïse unnie. Trust me. You'll get used to it," I chuckle when her gaze goes back to the chaos surrounding us.
I hear my tummy grumble above the members' voices, and apparently so does everyone else as the talking dies down and they all turn to look at me. I feel my face heating up under their stares, then it's chaos again when everyone starts laughing at my embarrassed expense. I sit up, faux anger on my face.
"Hey now! Don't you be laughing at the pregnant lady when she's hungry! She might just bite you out of spite!!" I growl at them. That sobers them up really quick until I start laughing at the looks on their faces, and when they realize I'm joking around, smiles break out. Once the laughter and talking dies down once more to a manageable level, my stomach growls again.
"You really are hungry, aren't you, little sister?" Yoongi asks.
"Yes. I had one meal today because of the flight, which I ended up...well, you know."
"And even that meal wasn't much, love. What would you like?" I sit and think for a moment when it dawns on me.
"Ugh, what I wouldn't give for a greasy American cheeseburger cooked medium with fries right now!"
"Taehyung-ah, where's a good place that makes cheeseburgers?" Jimin asks, and I see Taehyung thinking then pulling out his phone to look something up.
"The best place I know of is already closed. But the second best place...is still open. Who's hungry?" And pandemonium and chaos ensues.
*************
Sunlight is streaming through the blinds and straight into my eyes when I wake the next morning amid various pitched snores echoing around the room. When I turn my head and take in the scene around me, my eyes widen when what I see is what I can only equate to old eighties American movies depicting the aftermath of a Friday night high school party when the parents are away for the weekend. All the members are sleeping, sprawled out on either the couches or chairs, Jae-sung and Anaïse are snuggled together in the recliner next to us, and Jimin is wrapped around me in bed. To-go containers, empty bottles and plastic cups litter every table top or counter space I can see.
I look up when I hear the door open, seeing a new nurse walk in then stop suddenly, taking in the scene as well. I lift my finger to my lips as I glance at the clock on the wall, seeing it's barely seven in the morning. She gives me a quick nod before coming over to check the bag of IV fluids, logging into the computer to make some notes of the vitals she takes, then she switches out the old IV bag for a new one, adjusting the drip time to be slower than it has been.
Watching her makes me feel the need to use the bathroom, and I ask her quietly if I can do that. Extricating myself from Jimin's embrace takes some time because I'm trying not to wake him, and once I'm able to swing my legs off the side of the bed, the nurse helps me walk to the bathroom with the IV, hanging it up on a hook inside the room. When I'm done and have washed my hands, I open the door, noticing Anaïse is awake and watching from her place within Jae-sung's arms. The nurse hurries over from the computer to help me back to bed, hanging the IV bag up on its stand behind me.
When I'm settled back next to Jimin, the nurse leaves, closing the door quietly behind her. I look over at Anaïse.
"I didn't mean to wake you, unnie," I whisper.
"You didn't, NaeYeong. I've been awake for a while, just laying here with my eyes closed listening to the snoring. They're chaos even when sleeping, aren't they?" she whispers back, a smile on her face.
"I guess so. This is the first time I've seen, or should I say, heard this." I grin back at her. "How was your first day in South Korea?"
"Kind of crazy. I have this friend who likes to keep things interesting..." she grins at me.
"Unnie!" I stick my tongue out at her in response.
"What does that mean? I heard you call me that earlier."
"It means big sister or older sister.. That's what I consider you."
"Oh! And last night Jimin said..." she pauses, scrunching up her nose as she thinks before continuing, "noona? I think? Before you guys told everyone the baby news. What does that mean?"
"It also means big or older sister."
"Then what's the difference?? This is confusing." She frowns when she says this.
"Noona is used by a male talking to or about an older female who they consider to be family but may not be related by blood. Unnie is used by a female in the same instance," Jae-sung whispers, and we both look at him. Neither of us had noticed he was awake, watching us.
"Then what about oppa and...what's the word?" she asks.
"Hyung? It's the same as unnie and noona but as big or older brother. Male to older male is hyung, female to older male is oppa," I respond.
"Huh. Okay. How do you keep everything straight?" she asks, and the three of us talk quietly while the rest of the guys continue snoring softly in the background. Around eight-thirty, the doctor walks in followed by the nurse from earlier, and everyone starts to wake up from the noise.
"Well, Ms. Cho. It looks like you had no issues during the night." The doctor repeats the process of listening to my lungs and heart again. As he puts the stethoscope back around his neck, he asks, "Did you eat last night?"
"Yes, seonsaengnim. I had a cheeseburger cooked medium and fries because I was craving it."
"Did it stay down?"
"Yes."
"Good. Your body is probably craving iron right now. I would suggest staying away from things that are too spicy for a while. Concentrate on foods that are milder in spice or bland, then if that helps with the nausea and vomiting, then think about incorporating a little more spice. Find a primary or obstetrician soon. Let's get you some breakfast, then get you out of here if it stays down." And with that, he's out the door on the way to his next patient and the nurse is asking me what I would like to try for breakfast, giving me the options and I give her my choice before she leaves.
*************
It's finally early evening and we're curled up cuddling on the couch with the television playing in the background at low volume. I was discharged from the hospital before noon, and as soon as we got home, we took a nice hot shower together, which felt really good after being hooked up to an IV for twelve hours. We've been sitting here talking most of the afternoon, occasionally making out with slow, deep kisses. We've eaten a few times and I feel content and happy because things have stayed down all day.
I sit up and stretch, reaching my arms up over my head. Looking at Jimin, I lean over to him and place a soft kiss against his lips, pulling back to see his bedroom eyes looking back at me. I stand up before he lures me in.
"Where are you going, Baby?" he asks as he grabs my hand in his, halting me from taking a step away.
"I was just thinking I need to figure out my clothes situation and get my suits hung up. Tomorrow is going to be here before we know it, and I want to make a good first impression, and wearing wrinkles is not the way to do it. Plus, I have to prepare to have a hard discussion with the office manager about what transpired yesterday and what she put in the letter I received."
"What did she put anyway? You sounded really pissed off when you were reading..." he says, rubbing his thumb across my inner wrist lightly.
"Where did my briefcase end up?"
"It's on the desk in the study, I think."
He lets me go so I can walk into the other room. I grab the envelope out of my briefcase, bringing it back in the living room and handing it off to him. As he opens it, I go to the kitchen to grab some water, taking a long drink to calm myself before filling the glass back up and returning to sit at his side on the couch. I see he's still reading the letter, so I look out the window at the view. I know when he's reached the end of it when I hear a muttered "What the f*ck!"
"Exactly. That's what pissed me off yesterday. I can't even fathom what she was thinking putting that in writing!" I exclaim, anger rising again. I hop off the couch and start to pace in front of the windows. After a few times of going back and forth the length of them, I stop with my hands on top of my head, staring outside, legs planted shoulder width apart, a frown on my face. My body is practically humming from the anger.
After a few moments, Jimin's arms wrap around my torso, settling beneath my br*asts and I feel the anger dissipate as quickly as it came. I drop my hands to cover his, as he places a kiss on my neck. I sigh, resting my head back on his shoulder as his lips continue to feather across my skin, making goosebumps run from my scalp down my spine and back up, and I shudder as I feel my body awaken to his touch. He feels the change in me and moves his hands up to cup me through the fabric of my cropped pajama tank top. I feel him starting to get hard behind me, and I feel an overwhelming urge to feel him moving inside me.
"Make love to me, Jimin..." I breathe out, and that's all it takes for him to pick me up and take me to our bedroom.
*************
I wake early the next morning, feeling content and relaxed next to my love. It was a long night of slow love making, and I never did get to figuring out my clothing situation for today. With that thought knocking around in my brain, I creep out of bed to go to the bathroom, then spend some time in the closet, rooting around in my suitcases. Not finding what I'm looking for, I put my pajamas back on and go to the room where my boxes are stacked up. Opening them one by one, my search finally ends. Shaking out the fabric, I'm relieved to see it's not too wrinkly and should be fine if I hang it up in the bathroom when I take my shower. Stacking the boxes back up the way they were, I head back out to the kitchen to make some tea, dropping the clothes on the back of a chair at the table.
Looking through the fridge while I'm waiting for the water to heat, I find a few things to nibble on cold, making sure to take my time as I prepare my cup with the loose tea leaves. I hear a notification coming from my phone, realizing that I forgot it on the table in the living room. When I check it I see it's from Anaïse.
A: Jae-sung and I will be at your place by eight fifteen to pick you both up. I guess Jimin has to be to work this morning around nine-thirty for some content filming. So, they're going to drop us off at the office and head to theirs.
N: Sounds good. Jimin didn't say anything about it and is still sleeping. I wonder if he knows...I'll make sure he's up and ready by then.
I check the time on my phone and see it's not even six yet. I text another message.
N: What the heck are you doing up so early anyway???
I have to chuckle when she sends back three blushing emojis as her response.
N: OOOOHHH unnie! Early morning nookie, huh??
A: Shut up (laughing emoji face)
N: That's okay, unnie. I was up late last night... (blushing emoji, hot sweating emoji, biting lip emoji)
A: You are so naughty!!
N: HAHA! Takes one to know one! Talk to you in a few hours!
I smile as I set an alarm for seven fifteen while walking into the study to grab the travel phone charger from my briefcase that I had picked up for the trip to Busan and plug it in to charge at the desk while I get ready. When I get back to the kitchen, the water is just starting to whistle, and I put a quick stop to it. Settling the tea ball in the cup, I leave it to steep and take my clothes to the closet, finding a spare hanger to grab, then hanging them up in the bathroom so they can be steamed during my shower after I'm finished with my tea. Walking back out to the bedroom, I see Jimin has turned over toward my spot, hugging my pillow to his face. I feel the love swelling in my heart as I carefully get up on the bed, leaning over far enough to brush the hair off his forehead before pressing a soft kiss there. He barely stirs as I move again, heading back to the kitchen.
Grabbing my cup of tea, I turn off the kitchen light and walk over to stand at the windows in the living room, watching the sky slowly lighten up as I drink my tea. As I finish the last of a second cup of tea and the golden rays of light hit my face, I feel lips touch my neck and arms slide around my waist.
"Mmm, good morning, my love," I say quietly.
"Good morning, Baby," he breathes into my ear.
"Did you sleep well?"
"Yes, did you? How long have you been up?" he asks as he trails his lips down my neck and across my shoulder, lightly biting there, then swirling his tongue over the spot.
"I slept wonderfully and woke up before six. What time is it anyway?"
He holds up his wrist so we can both see that it's a quarter to seven on his watch. Instead of dropping his arm back down, he gently grasps my face by the chin and turns my head, capturing my lips with his, kissing me deeply as his other hand slides up my stomach under the tank, cupping my br*ast and teasing the n*pple with his fingers. I moan into his mouth at the touch, feeling the rush of warmth heating me from the inside quicker than the hot tea I just consumed. Breaking the kiss, he grabs the cup from my hand and sets it on the floor next to us. Turning me around, he leans me up against the window as his mouth descends on mine again, his tongue invading.
I moan as his hands push up my tank, baring my br*asts as his hands cup them, teasing both n*pples before his mouth trails down to tease with his tongue. My hands grasp his hair, holding his head there as a hand slides down under the waistband of my pajama bottoms. I gasp then moan loudly as his fingers slip into my wetness, curling into the heat, my head leaning back against the window. His thumb rubs circles gently around my cl*t, making my hips move against his hand as he quickly brings me to the peak. I moan his name as I org*sm, stiffening and arching my back and his mouth sucks harder on my br*ast, the n*pple getting teased and nibbled on by his teeth while the other one is teased by his fingers. As I come back down, he straightens up, bringing his fingers up to his mouth, licking them thoroughly before slipping his tongue back in my mouth to tangle with mine. I can taste myself and it makes me want to taste him.
Breaking the kiss, I move his hands so that they're placed against the window just above my head. I trail my hands down his bare chest, allowing my lips to follow, kissing, nipping, licking everywhere, taking my time tasting him. Licking his n*pples for a while, I move further down, kissing his tattoo then sliding down the window as I move lower. When I reach his belly button, I tickle him with the tip of my tongue, dipping in and circling. Satisfied that I've teased us both long enough, I pull the waistband of his bottoms down just far enough to reveal his hard, throbbing c*ck, and I lick my lips and look up at him. I see he has his eyes squeezed close, leaning his forehead against his forearms on the window. When I take his hot, hard member in the palm of my hand, wrapping my fingers around his girth, I watch as he bites his bottom lip.
I kiss my way up his length until I reach the head, flicking the tip of my tongue there, teasing and tasting the drops from his response. Then I slowly glide my mouth over him, pulling him in as I use my tongue to tease. He groans in response as his hips buck slightly, pushing him in a little further. I make an adjustment to my stance, bracing my back against the window as I take him deeper. His hand falls to my head, pulling the hair tie and dropping it to the floor. Then his hand is back on my head, sliding his fingers through the silky strands until he's supporting the back of my head so I don't hit it on the window as I bob back and forth, taking him in even deeper each time. Using my hand, I massage his b*lls and rub with my fingers as my other hand grips his firm *ss, using pressure to set the pace.
I hear him moan again as I increase the pressure of my hands and the tempo of my mouth sliding on him, wanting him so badly. Soon he takes the lead, chasing his release with a muffled shout, and when I look up, he's biting his hand as his hard org*sm makes him stiffen as I swallow him deeply. He pulls out right away still holding my head as I cough slightly and drag a deep breath in.
"I'm so sorry, Baby. Are you alright?" he asks as he drops to his knees in front of me. As my breathing evens out, I look him in the eyes, seeing the concern residing there. I grin devilishly, leaning forward to kiss him deeply, my tongue sweeping inside his mouth to coax a response from his. When I finally get it, I slow my attack and just kiss him deeply before I break it, nibbling my way across his jawline to his ear.
"God, that was so f*cking hot and delicious. Was it good for you, my love? Because I know I had a second org*sm when you had yours..."
He pulls back from me when he hears those words, surprise on his face. When he sees I'm serious and have a very satisfied smile on my face, a grin spreads on his own face and he nods.
"Good, because that won't be the last time, I can guarantee that!" I whisper, just as my phone alarm goes off. "Oh sh*t, we need to start getting ready, love. We only have an hour before Jae-sung oppa and Anaïse unnie will be here to pick us up."
I pull my tank down and fix his pajama bottoms before I get up to turn the alarm off.
He follows me into the study, a confused look on his face. "What do you mean, they'll be here to pick us up?"
"I guess Jae-sung oppa told Anaïse unnie that you had to be at the office by nine-thirty for some content filming." I follow him into the bedroom and watch as he checks his phone, reading something for a few minutes.
"Sh*t, I missed the schedule notification. It was buried in my email..." he says as he grabs my hand and heads to the bathroom, turning the shower on and stripping while waiting for it to heat up.
"Well, I'm glad Jae-sung knew about it then," I smile as I pull my own pajamas off, staring at his sexy body standing in front of me. As the steam starts to pour into the rest of the bathroom, I turn to close the bathroom door, then step in behind him, waiting for him to finish washing his hair. When he's done, he moves me under the spray so I can work on mine while he lathers up. While he waits for me to be done with my hair, he starts to wash my body. As soon as I'm fully rinsed, I get out and start towel drying, my gaze lingering on his body as he rinses, watching the play of muscles under his skin.
As I'm getting done and wrap the towel around my body and securing it, he turns off the shower and opens the door. I have his towel ready, and he smiles at me when he grabs it and starts rubbing the glistening drops from his body. I feel my core clench, and I squeeze my eyes closed in fear of starting something we don't have time for. Turning around slowly, I walk carefully to the vanity and grab my comb, dragging it roughly through the tangled strands, grimacing when it pulls. I look up as his hand stops the rough attack on my hair. He's smiling as he takes the comb from my hand. Stepping behind me, he starts to detangle the wet lengthy mess, starting at the bottom and working his way quickly and efficiently to the top.
Tossing the comb back to the counter, he turns me around and lifts me to the edge of the counter, pushing my legs open and stepping between them, gliding into my body as his mouth captures mine briefly. With fast, hard thrusts, he has me screaming my release just before his moaning one, his teeth biting down on my shoulder when it happens. With a quick kiss to the love bite, he pulls out and uses the towels to clean us up before tossing them in the hamper. Without a word, he leads me into the closet, and I grab the pink and black underwear set that he got me and I wore for the first time the day after his birthday and slip them on. Searching quickly through my suitcases, I find what I'm looking for. When I look up, he's watching me, holding his own clothing. He shakes his head before pulling on his own boxer briefs, trying to adjust The Beast, who is still awake. I go back in the bathroom with the few things, licking my lips with a last lingering look at him. Biting my bottom lip, I start blow drying my hair a bit and then brush my teeth before pulling my suit down and getting dressed, the pale pink satin blouse and mid-calf black pinstripe pencil skirt looking flattering on my figure while still being very professional with a don't-f*ck-with-me attitude.
With my hair still slightly damp, I twist it into a tight chignon at the base of my skull, using the cherry blossom hair sticks to finish the look. Stepping back, I grab the matching short suit jacket, checking my reflection one more time and adjusting a hair stick quickly. Making my way back into the closet, I notice it's empty so grab my black satin stiletto heels and carry them to the study, setting them down by the desk. Walking back to the bedroom, I quickly make the bed, then head back to the study.
Grabbing my phone, I check the time and see it's just reaching eight o'clock. Putting my charger back in the side pocket of my briefcase, I check the contents, verifying I have my new credentials in it along with my old badge, my wallet, the envelope from the office manager, and the Baxter-Buxton file. Slipping on my jacket and buttoning it, I proceed to pick up my phone and shoes, throwing my briefcase strap over my shoulder and walk out. Jimin is in the kitchen taking a drink from a bottle of water, facing the open door to the refrigerator. When he hears me walk out, he turns around and chokes on the water when he sees me.
Dropping my shoes on the floor and the briefcase and phone on the dining table, I rush over to him to smack him on the back a few times as he leans over the sink, coughing.
"Oh my god! Are you alright, love? What happened?" I ask as I start rubbing him on the back instead when he's able to take a breath in, the coughing subsiding. He turns his head to look at me, a serious expression on his face.
"You did..."
"What?" I ask, confusion lacing that one word.
"God, you look so powerful, and it was a bit of a surprise to see you looking so sexy and f*ckable... God, that came out wrong..." He shakes his head as he clears his throat. When he looks back at me, he shakes his head again when he sees me smiling.
"I wish we didn't have to go anywhere right now..." I whisper, just as a notification text lights up my phone. The smile drops a bit. "But we have to. My guess is that's Anaïse unnie."
As I say that, his own phone dings from inside his pants pocket. "Yeah, that'd be Jae-sung hyung. I guess we'd better get going."
We both move at the same time, and I stop to grab the things I'd dropped while he grabs his keys and wallet from a bowl on the counter. I lift an eyebrow in his direction as I hadn't noticed it there before. He shrugs and responds, "It made sense because this is the first place I stop when I get home, and the last place I'm standing in before I leave."
I just nod my understanding as we reach the door and I slip my feet into the heels as he slips his own shoes on. Grabbing a coat and a bag from the closet, he puts it on before holding the door open for me to go through first.
We make it down to where Jae-sung and Anaïse are waiting by the back doors to the car. I see Anaïse is in a new fitted black pantsuit and white button down shirt, open at the throat. Her hair is slicked back an inch from her forehead and pinned there, the rest of her hair hanging in tight, soft curls.
They each hold a door open for us and we slip into the backseat, getting comfortable as we get moving. I have my briefcase set across my lap, my hands on top of it as I watch out the window as an eerie calm settles over me. Jimin places his hand over mine, squeezing before lacing his fingers with mine. I look over at him, smiling.
"Are you ready for this, Dragon Lady?" he asks, knowing what's going through my head.
"I believe so, my love. I'm ready for this battle...I just want to get this first meeting over and done with. Then we'll see if I still have a job after that." I chuckle briefly when I say that, a small smile lifting up the corners of my mouth.
"I'm sure you won't get fired," he says passionately as the vehicle pulls up in front of our office building. "Kick some corporate *ss, Baby," he whispers as he leans over to give me a kiss, which I deepen because I'm feeling like my world is starting to tilt on its axis and I need him to ground me. As we pull apart, we see out of the corner of our eyes Jae-sung and Anaïse also kissing, and we grin at each other while we wait for them to be finished.
We look at his watch and see it's ten minutes to nine, and in silent agreement, we both clear our throats, making them jump away from each other in surprise. We both laugh as they look back at us, mirrored scowls on their face until they realize why we did it and they grin also.
With a final smile and peck on the lips, I turn to the door as Anaïse opens it for me. Getting out, I straighten out my skirt and jacket, setting the briefcase strap over my shoulder. Turning one more time, I look into the vehicle with a small smile and I want nothing more than to crawl back in and stay in the safety of his arms. He sees the look on my face and blows me a kiss and I place my hand over my heart and tap twice. Then I touch two fingers to my lips, kissing it and blowing it back to him. I see him do the same with his hand, placing it over his heart and tapping twice.
I turn as the door is closed quietly behind me, and I tip my head to look up the side of the building like I did two days prior. When Anaïse joins me, I square my shoulders and walk forward, head held high as I step through the heavy doors.