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Word count: 2116
AFTER THEIR TALK, Madeline was lost on what the next step was. She had spoken to Billie about hashing out her insecurities but what came next? She was still nervous about things—it would take time for her to fully embrace being their partner.
Thankfully, her soul mates noticed her nervousness and eased her into a lighter conversation. They suggested cooking something as a group, barring Namjoon. Madeline had watched many Run episodes to know Namjoon was a disaster when it came to cooking. She felt bad that he often got banned from cooking but knew it was for his safety.
"What is your favorite food?" Jimin asked her shyly as they stalked towards the kitchen.
Madeline opened her mouth to reply but was interrupted by Taehyung, "Mac and cheese."
Jimin sent his friend a dirty look, "Madeline was supposed to answer that."
Taehyung replied with a cheeky smile, "Sorry, I couldn't resist flaunting my knowledge. She loves mac and cheese, hot chocolate, and the Brothers Grimm fairytales."
Namjoon perked up when books were mentioned. She found it mildly amusing that his whole attention would suddenly center around the topic.
"As in the classic, slightly gory books?" He queried with bright, intrigued eyes.
Madeline nodded her head. Taehyung and Jimin flanked her sides but remained silent, happy to listen to the conversation and learn more.
"Yeah, I think they are fascinating. Have you read them too?"
Namjoon appeared slightly disappointed, "Unfortunately, I only know bits and pieces. What made you so interested in them?"
She shrugged her shoulders. Nobody had really asked her about this before. Her dad bought them for her as a gift a few years ago and warned her that some of the stories were extremely dark. That didn't stop her from delving into the stories.
"Uh, well I grew up watching a lot of the Disney films. I liked them but they never really appealed to me. When I heard they were based on darker stories, I asked my dad for a few of them. I liked how peculiar and intense they were. I can't really explain why I enjoy them so much." She explained, gauging their reactions. To their credit, there was no judgment in their eyes.
Namjoon smiled at her softly. It was the kind of smile that warmed her heart. Namjoon was tall and could often be viewed as intimidating. But right now, she could only classify him as soft and gentle. He cared. That was obvious.
"Do you have any copies of the books?" He asked her, hoping to borrow one. She really liked the fact he was genuinely interested in reading them.
Madeline couldn't help but grin at him, "I do. Next time I see you, I'll bring them to you."
A strange pull suddenly drew her to him. It was as if gravity decided to work differently, pushing them together. Her eyes locked onto Namjoons and stayed. She couldn't look away. His soul called to hers. Was this what it was like for all soul mates?
"Sorry to burst your bubble," A new voice cut in, snapping them out of their weird pull. "But we should probably cook something before Jin chooses seafood."
Namjoon's eyes widened at Hobi's comment and Madeline swore his face started to turn green. She faintly recalled him stating he hated seafood.
"Good idea. Please don't let him make any seafood." Namjoon begged them.
Madeline couldn't help but giggle at his childish antics. It was a side she had only witnessed on videos. She felt blessed to be able to see it in person. At her giggle, the four of them beamed at her joyous sound.
"Okay, let's head in."
They found Jin, Yoongi, and Jungkook scouring the kitchen for ingredients. It was clear they hadn't decided what they were making yet since they had piled everything they had found so far on the counter.
"What on earth is going on?" Jimin asked the three of them as he entered the room. They all stopped—minus Yoongi—to address them.
"We can't decide what to make. Do you have any allergies, Madeline?" The sound of her name rolling off Jungkook's lips sent shivers down her spine. Her name sounded so smooth and divine.
"Um, just one. I can't eat anything with kiwi in it. I will have an awful allergic reaction if I touch it or eat it." She informed them, shuddering at the memory of when she was five. Her mom had given her some kiwi to distract her. When her mom left the room, she started struggling to breathe. Her airways closed up and splotchy red marks appeared all over her skin. Thankfully, her mom found her in time and rushed her to the hospital. It was one of the few—if only time—her mom had been so frantic over her child's well-being.
"We'll keep that in mind," Hobi winked at her reassuringly, pulling her back into the present. She thanked him and glanced over to Jungkook and Jin. Jungkook was busy quietly translating what Madeline had said to the eldest.
Seokjin was the last person to complete his bond with her. She wondered why he hadn't. She knew he wanted to be with her like the others. Was there something stopping him?
Before they could catch her staring, she bravely stepped forward and asked if she could help.
"Well," Taehyung began, bouncing his gaze around the room at the others. "Why don't you decide what to make? We'll eat most things except for seafood."
"And spice," Jimin chipped in. "Taehyung hates really spicy food."
She already knew that but she wasn't going to admit it out loud. She didn't want them to think she was a creep.
"Noted," She played along, hopping onto a stool. Immediately, Namjoon and to her surprise, Yoongi, nabbed the other two seats close to her. She hadn't even realized he had finished searching the cupboards.
"Do you have any suggestions?" She asked the two of them whilst the others sifted through the things they had found.
"I would recommend red rice cakes. It's always a hit. As long as it's toned down of course." Namjoon answered.
She wasn't too fussy about food. She'd eat most things.
"Sounds good to me."
After telling the others what they had decided, they all began working. They all divided tasks and joked around. Initially, Madeline remained quiet, happy to observe but the boys weren't going to have that.
"What do you mean? Rolling in the Deep is a classic. It's such a good breakup song." Jimin argued. Madeline wasn't sure how they managed to get into a conversation about Adele but they had wandered down that path and she wasn't going to back down now.
"What about Someone Like You? Slow and heartbreaking." Madeline countered.
"I don't know if I know that one but Rol—"
"Guys, we'll be here all year if we continue this. You guys aren't going to come to an agreement." Namjoon sighed, pretending to be tired. Behind his facade, Madeline could see the swirl of amusement in his eyes. He was enjoying it.
"He has a point. Plus, we all know Adele's best song is Set Fire to the Rain." Yoongi pitched in, evoking a cry of protest from everyone, including Madeline. He smirked at their reactions and continued to stir the rice.
"I didn't think you'd be so stubborn, Madeline," Hobi stated as he brushed past her to grab some herbs.
"It's a trait I inherited from my mom." At the mention of her mom, they all went quiet. Now that her soul mates knew had some insight into her mom, they weren't entirely happy with her. She was curious to see what would happen when they inevitably met. "Sorry. I shouldn't have said that."
"No, it's fine," Jin comforted her in a delicate and sweet tone. They were so close—she could feel his body heat. All she had to do was reach out and touch his hand. Yet, a thought at the back of her mind prevented her from doing that. It told her to wait like he was.
"We don't know your mom so rationally, we can't be upset. From what you've told us, we can be angry but that shouldn't stop you from talking about her." Yoongi explained, calmly. Madeline was beginning to admire how collected Yoongi was in tough situations. She wished she had that trait too. "We want to know more about you. So if that means talking about your mom then so be it."
The corners of Madeline's lips quirked upwards. She was starting to wonder why she ever doubted them. They were so sincere.
Twenty minutes later, the food was dished up and ready to go. They all cramped around their small dining table and dug in. Madeline moaned at the taste of the food they had made, in awe of their cooking skills.
"This is so good guys, thank you." She politely thanked them.
"No worries, darling," Jimin said, accidentally slipping the term of endearment out of his mouth. The others pretended not to notice but were eager to watch her reaction.
Madeline's heart fluttered at it. Not because of the word itself but the affection behind it.
"I'll have to get this recipe off you guys. I bet my brothers will love it." She breezed past it whilst smiling to herself.
"How are your brothers?" Namjoon followed her lead, curious to learn more about her brothers. Most of them had met her brothers on many different occasions. They hadn't gotten to know each other yet but she imagined they would get on pretty well.
"They're good. My youngest brother, Lemar, thinks he might have met his soul mate." She revealed, shocked she had revealed his secret. Since they don't have immediate contact with her brothers, she doubted it would get back to him.
Jungkook's lips stretched into a wide, joyful smile. "That's wonderful."
Madeline's shoulders slumped, "It would be but he's only fifteen years old. He won't know for another few years. Plus, he thinks his best friend is his soul mate. He's scared of making their friendship complicated."
"Oh," The youngest blinked.
"He's at a crossroads. He wants to see where his feelings will go but he also doesn't want to lose his best friend. I don't want to see Lemar get hurt. He can be...sensitive about soul mates." She elaborated, wanting to talk about her perspective with an outside party. They could even give her some advice.
"Love can be so hard to navigate when you're young. Especially when soul mates are involved. The only thing you can do is be supportive of him, whatever he decides to do." Taehyung murmured to her, his tone conveying his want to also help in any form.
Madeline thanked him. They couldn't give her the solution, not when they didn't know the situation. Truthfully, there was no right answer. Her brother had to decide whether he was willing to potentially lose his friend or not.
"I—I just don't want him to get hurt." She admitted.
"Nobody ever wants to see a loved one get hurt. But that's a part of life. Getting hurt is a learning experience, as harsh as it is. But no matter what, Lemar will have you and the rest of your family." Yoongi added, being true to himself and his thoughts. Some would say he was being blunt or cruel but she knew he was saying it because it needed to be said. Yoongi was protecting her in the future. "You're a good sister, Madeline."
Blinking away the tears, Madeline thanked him.
She couldn't help but apply Yoongi's words to herself. She was hurt by what happened in Korea but because of that, she's willingly opening herself up. Would she have done the same if things had turned out differently? At the time, she thought she would smoothly accept them wholeheartedly but now that she saw it from this angle, she realized she never would have done that.
The pain she felt sucked and would stick with her for a long time but it also nudged her in the right direction. She couldn't believe she was even going to think it but she was glad it happened.
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