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Word count: 2989
THE DAY HAD gone extremely well for Madeline. Her initial nervousness towards them soon evaporated and she found herself having a splendid time with them.
Yoongi and Taehyung were two very different characters. While Taehyung was loud, spontaneous, and open, Yoongi was very introverted, quiet, and wise. Still, they both showed their true characters to her, never lying to her. Their honesty was honestly admirable. She had dealt with people in the past who plastered fake smiles on their faces; saying one thing but meaning something entirely different.
She knew that her views on the whole situation were slowly changing. She couldn't deny that they were trying their hardest to make her believe they wanted her.
When she returned home, her three brothers hounded her for information. Slightly overwhelmed by the million questions thrown at her, she politely but firmly asked them to give her a minute to process what happened.
The boys had respected her wishes to not push her too far. Like Hobi and Jungkook, they asked her simple and light questions about what her favorite color was to what food she disliked the most. It was a good way to start getting to know her. She also learned a lot about them too.
Bonding with Yoongi had felt just as good as it had with the others. She shocked herself by not freaking out or running away. A part of her was relieved to have another bond secured. She liked feeling another presence inside of her soul. She was still wary of what was happening and wanted to continue to take it slow but she was also open to trying more.
They had gotten a toastie after the cafe and wandered around her town. The boys were always interested in what she had to say. Even when they didn't entirely understand parts of the history surrounding the town, they never stopped her from talking. She realized they just wanted to hear her talk freely.
She had asked them if they felt homesick. They both exchanged looks and laughed at that. Taehyung eventually informed her that since they traveled so often, they were used to being away from Korea. As long as they had each other, they never felt sad about being away from home.
It warmed her heart to know that they considered each other family. The fact they all shared a soul mate didn't seem to affect their relationship. In fact, it only brought them closer.
That night, she went to bed with a small, hopeful smile on her face. If they continued to act the way they had been acting, then she knew that she would fall easily.
Her dreams were full of them. They all caressed her face adoringly—looking at her the way lovers did. She couldn't get enough of the attention. She didn't realize how starved she was of loving attention until they made an appearance.
Every rule she was setting for herself was slowly being broken down.
If her mom knew the truth, she knew she would not be impressed.
When she woke up the next day, she could tell that the atmosphere in the house was different. Tentatively strolling down the stairs, she rounded the hallway to the kitchen and was met with the face of her mother.
Madeline's heart momentarily stopped at the sight of her nonchalant mother. She had barely seen her mom since she was admitted to the hospital. It hurt that her mom didn't visit once or contact her. Madeline wondered if she was even worried. Probably not, she thought bitterly.
"Mom," Madeline said her name in a dull tone. "W—what are you doing here?"
The next words that came out of her mom's mouth shocked her. "I'm here to take you home."
Home. She was referring to her cold, empty flat. Madeline hated living there. She always felt alone and lost when she stayed there. She spent most of her time avoiding her mom.
"Wait, what?" She rebutted; her surprise evident on her face. "I—why can't I stay here?"
Her mother sighed in exasperation, not wanting to argue. "You have imposed on your father long enough. It's my turn to look after you."
She sounded like looking after Madeline was a chore, not something she actually wanted to do. Clearly, her mother was there because her father must have called her up and demanded she pay attention to Madeline. He often did that whenever Madeline was sick or sad.
And now it meant her mother had to 'look after her' until she could go back to her dorm.
Madeline knew her mom would not be taking care of her. She was going to leave her to do whatever she wanted. Whilst she was allowed to because she was an adult, Madeline secretly longed for her mother to be maternal and comforting.
"I honestly don't think Dad minds me staying here. I know that you don't really want me back," She argued in a light tone.
"That's true but it's only fair I take you for the next few days." She replied in a bored tone. Madeline winced at her words, fighting back tears. "So, collect whatever schoolwork you need so we can go. I have work in an hour."
Begrudgingly, Madeline collected her things and said goodbye to her family. They all appeared worried for her. The only person who seemed less concerned was her dad who believed the mother of his child would never emotionally harm Madeline. If only he wasn't that naive...
The ride back to her mom's flat was quiet and tense. Dread bubbled inside of Madeline as they drew closer to her place. She suddenly wished her soul mates would appear and offer to take her in until she got the all-clear from the doctors. She'd rather stay with them than her mom.
"If you need anything, just send me a text. I won't be back until eight tonight. Don't do anything silly," Her mother warned her as they entered her small place. Her flat hadn't changed in the past ten years. There were no photos on her walls nor were there any decorations. It looked like a three-star Airbnb.
Madeline sauntered to her small room and closed the door behind her instantly. There was nothing special about her tiny room. There was a small single bed, a wardrobe, and a few photos of her dad's side of the family. Madeline didn't know if she owned a single photo of her mom.
Dumping her bag on her bed, she leaned against her wall and scrolled through her phone.
Just as her thoughts began to spiral, a text popped up on her phone. Eager to be distracted from her negative thoughts, she opened the message and was happily surprised to see a message from Kim Taehyung.
Since receiving their numbers, they had messaged her a few times. Thankfully, none of them spammed her. They sometimes pushed her for more information but still remained cautious.
[From Kim Taehyung] Hey, Madeline. I just wanted to thank you for a great day yesterday. I hope you enjoyed it as much as we did. We already miss you. I hope you are okay.
[From Kim Taehyung] Are you okay? I felt a flash of anxiety from your side of the bond earlier. I don't mean to pry but we're worried. We're here if you need us.
Butterflies erupted in her stomach as she read his sweet messages. He cared enough to reach out, knowing that it could make her feel uncomfortable with him talking about the bond. Was it that obvious? Could they all feel her dread when her mom took her to her flat?
Not wanting to worry her soul mates, she sent a simple albeit vague reply.
[From Madeline] Hi, I'm fine thanks. Nothing serious happened. Just something futile.
She paused as she debated whether to send the next message. Sending it would definitely insinuate that her thoughts were changing.
[From Madeline] I look forward to seeing you guys again soon.
There. Sent. There was no going back now.
Taehyung hopped onto his phone instantly and responded sweetly, claiming he would ask the others when they should meet. As long as her mom didn't find out about it, all would be fine.
Their texts went back and forth, talking about how their days had been so far. Taehyung had woken up late and had been playing video games by himself. The others were all doing various tasks. Yoongi was apparently producing music, though he wouldn't let anyone hear it. As for Jimin and Jungkook, they were both working out. The other hyungs were either enjoying some time alone or exploring.
Madeline could picture Namjoon venturing to a bookstore or a museum in the city. She knew he had a thirst for learning new things.
The urge to go outside came over her. She had the freedom too but her mom would not be pleased if she disobeyed her. Did her family think there was still a chance she could faint?
She had felt fine over the past few days. Sure, her body still felt weak and tired but she was improving as each day passed. Being around her soul mates helped. A lot. Every time they were in close proximity, she would regain her strength and feel brighter. She at least thanked them mentally for that.
It was her own fault she was stuck in this predicament. She should never have accepted Jensen's offer. Madeline knew Jensen meant no harm and was only trying to help but she should have listened to her gut.
Knowing that she had Freya, Jensen, and Billie also willing to keep her company, she told Taehyung she had to dash and stop messaging him back.
Madeline located Billie's contact first, wanting to speak to her new friend after a week. She just hoped her new roommate also wanted to talk to her.
"Hello?" She heard Billie's voice over the line. Something sounded different with her. Madeline's brows pinched together in concern.
"Billie? Are you alright?"
A gasp sounded on the other side of the line, "Madi? Oh, thank god. I've been so worried about you. Jensen wouldn't tell me what was happening. Are you alright? Where have you been?"
"I—" She didn't know how to tell Billie what happened over the phone. It would be better in person. Madeline swallowed thickly before answering. "Billie, do you think you can come to my flat? I—I think it's better I tell you everything in person."
There wasn't even a second between Madeline's request. Billie instantly accepted and asked Madeline to send her the necessary information. Madeline was going to put a lot of faith and trust in her new friend. So far, Billie had proven she was a good friend. She had been there for her when she needed it.
She just hoped her faith wasn't misplaced.
***
BILLIE ARRIVED AT Madeline's flat an hour later, bearing gifts. To Madeline's surprise, Billie threw herself at Madeline, embracing her in a tight, comforting hug. It was exactly what Madeline needed. Discreetly, Madeline inhaled Billie's fruity scent.
"God, I've been so worried," Billie murmured as she pulled away. She assessed Madeline from head to toe, no doubt noticing how thin and tired she looked. Then, Billie lightly punched Madeline on the arm. "How dare you go MIA. I've been worried sick. Jensen refused to tell me anything. What the fuck happened?"
Madeline sighed, "A lot. Why don't we sit down? I think you'll need to sit when you hear what I have to say."
Billie followed Madeline into the small lounge, surveying the room quickly before dragging her sharp gaze back to Madeline.
"Okay, tell me everything." She demanded, getting comfortable.
Madeline opened her mouth and began from the very beginning, starting with her mom. It took half an hour for Madeline to tell her everything, stopping whenever Billie had a question.
Billie's eyes widened as they got closer to the end of the story, especially when BTS was mentioned.
"—and so, that's about it. I've been meeting them in small groups." She finished, releasing a relieved breath when it was over.
"Holy shit," Billie murmured in disbelief. "Your...your soul mates are BTS. As in the biggest boy band on the planet? The one my annoying sister is obsessed with?"
Hesitantly, Madeline nodded her head. "Yeah, but you really can't tell anybody. If word got out...ARMY would probably have my head. They don't like the idea of BTS meeting their soul mate."
Billie made a cross over her heart, "I would never. I'm just blown away by this. So, you've known they were your soul mates when you came to college? And you thought they rejected you?"
She hung her head, "Yeah. I still don't know if what they said is true or not. I'm...wary."
"Madi, they flew to America to be with you. It was the company that fucked up, not them. Why are you so set on keeping them at arm's length? Why don't you believe them?" Billie tried to rationalize; her words were similar to what others had said.
Her words got caught in her throat. She knew that something was holding her back and it wasn't what happened in Seoul. Deep down, Madeline knew that the boys weren't at fault for that. She was the one who was reluctant and scared. She was pushing them away for another reason.
Madeline dug deep inside of her. The first thing that popped into her head was her mom. The root of the problem, from what she could gather, was her mother and what happened to her.
She didn't want to be dumped—left alone. She wasn't strong in the slightest, she couldn't face heartbreak. She had thought about this so much but had always reduced it to other things. Now though, with Billie's insistence that there was more to her fears, she could see it was this.
Madeline was afraid BTS would not want her in the future. She didn't want to be rejected after letting them in. She didn't want to give them everything and have it backfire. Being alone was safe. It always had been. Whilst she hated it, at least she could survive.
"I don't want to end up like my mom," Madeline quietly revealed, speaking her fears aloud for the first time. She had never shared this with anyone. Her brothers and Freya could probably guess this but they had never heard it from her.
Billie inched closer and took Madeline's hand gently, "You don't want to let them in and break your heart?" She guessed, hitting the nail right on the head.
Madeline tearfully nodded her head, "I—my mom has never gotten over being alone. She's depressed and lonely. I know that she wants to die. I see it written on her face every single day. She doesn't care about anything anymore. She's so apathetic...I can't be like that too. I can't accept them and let that happen to me. I'll die. I know I will."
Billie stroked her hand softly. It felt calming to have this kind of affection from a friend. "And what makes you so sure those seven men will do that to you? What makes you so sure they'll leave you in the future?"
Madeline considered her next answer. "I guess...I can't picture them actually wanting to be with me in the future. If you compare us, we're total opposites. I hate any kind of spotlight. I'm not talented like them nor am I that smart. I'm so average it's painful. They are...well they're BTS. They rose so high and now they are at the top. I...I don't deserve to be with them. Why should they have to share a soul mate? Someone as insignificant as me?"
Billie's eyes turned sad. Waves of sympathy rolled off her form. For once, Madeline wasn't annoyed. She knew that Billie was trying to understand and help her. She cared about Madeline.
"I don't know them personally but I'm sure they don't see it that way." She stated, sounding sure of herself. "There is a reason you were tied together. You were brought together for a reason, Madi."
Madeline wanted to believe that. But she couldn't get passed the fear that they would leave once they saw how boring she was. There really wasn't anything special about her.
Billie sensed that the core problem would not be solved by her. It would need to be attacked from all angles, by the people it was about.
"You have to tell them this. You'll never get rid of these feelings until you talk to them about it." She advised, tightening her hold on Madeline's hand. Madeline could sense the urgency in Billie's demeanor.
"I—I don't know about that," Madeline panicked. She barely knew them. How could she reveal her deepest insecurities?
"Madi, there are moments when you have to put on a brave face and do what you know is best for you. This is one of those times. You have to talk to them about this otherwise there will always be a wall between you. Are you hearing me?"
She was. She knew Billie was right.
"Madi, please say you will. If not for me then for yourself." She continued, pinning Madeline's shaky gaze down.
Like she was in a trance, Madeline could only nod her head and reply she would.
"Good. So when are you going to see them?"
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