Chapter 34: 33. Suspicions
Monday Afternoon, 30th. March. 2015
"Bag" Tae held out his hand, so I slipped it off and he took it, hoisting it over a shoulder and taking my hand in his free one.
"Thanks Tae," I replied.
"It isn't good for your posture to be lugging that thing around all day" Tae gave me a side glance. He looked so cool right now that I couldn't help but to break into a smile.
"Right, a girl as delicate as me shouldn't be subjected to such a thing! It's been so hard," I turned to him and put on a cute puppy eyed look, but he just laughed.
"Whatever happened to modesty, you're not even going to pretend to want to carry it yourself" he looked amused by my forwardness.
"What? It has been a long day, that's not a lie!" I laughed. Tae followed up the stairs behind me as we climbed to the top together.
"I know, I know. My sweet girls been going through a hard time lately," he said with a sigh as we stopped out the front of my door, patting me on the head affectionately.
I felt my brazen attitude melt at his touch. I snapped out of it and quickly took my keys out of my Jean's pocket and opened the door. He was the first to step inside.
Tae left my bag by my bed. I went straight over to my couch and collapsed into the softness of the cushions.
"Are you hungry?" Tae asked, striding over towards me.
"No.. not really," I said before a yawn interrupted me. Tae plopped down beside me.
"I take it you're tired then" he lay down on his side to face me. I gave a small nod. Slowly, he reached up to touch my hair.
I closed my eyes and let his affections soothe me. The humming of a soft tune followed as we lay there for a while.
"How do you feel about us moving across the street?" His question came. I didn't need to think about my answer.
"Happy, so happy. Why do you ask?"
"I just wanted to hear you say it," He hummed.
"Is there anything else you want to hear me say?" I asked. Wondering if he'd take the bait, if he'd say something more.
"That you miss me. And you want to be with me all the time. That you'll be mine forever" He said it all so easily. He didn't seem shy about admitting such things openly.
"You really are that keen on me?" Despite being the one that asked, I didn't really expect him to lay out his feelings like that.
"Did I not make it clear the last time we were alone together? When I made love to you. Or do I need to show you again how much I love you?" The depth of his sultry voice vibrates through me.
Just then, there was a loud pounding on the door. Tae let out an irritated sigh before getting up and going to answer it. I sat up to see who it was as he opened it.
"Tae Hyungie, where's Jia?" I saw Jungkook. He looked past Tae and gave a wave to me, but before Tae could answer, I saw Jin appear beside him.
"Alright, sorry to ruin your lil' fun time, but you need to go back with the other to help sort out the rest of the stuff at home," Jin explained.
"Ah, alright. Is Jiminie still here?" He asked, trying to peer over their shoulders. Jungkook's doe eyes were still looking over at me.
"Yeah, they're waiting for you," Jin told him. Tae turned back around and came over to me, followed by the other two.
"I have to go, try to get some rest" Tae lent down, brushed my hair aside to kiss my forehead. I lingered in the feeling. It was so sweet.
"Okay, I will. Get home safely" I gave him a small, tired smile, which he returned before going to leave. But he noticed Jin and Jungkook still waiting in my hallway.
"Huh? Aren't you two coming?" He asked. Jin looked over at me.
"Actually, we wanted to ask. Jia, would it be okay if Jungkook and I stayed over tonight?" He took a few steps closer and Jungkook explained further.
"It's just that it'll be easier if the both of us are here to get an early start on things tomorrow morning," he ran a hand through his dark hair, glancing from Jin to me again.
"I guess so. If it'll help, then sure. Make yourselves at home," I offered. Unable to find a reason to decline. They had taken me in during my time of need. I owed them much more than that.
"I knew I could count on you," Jin sighed happily. Jungkook also seemed relaxed after I said yes.
The two of them excused themselves for a moment while they went back outside to the others to let them know I'd agreed. Once they came back, they both had brought a bag which appeared to have some spare clothes and other essentials.
After the three of us took turns washing up and had dinner, we turned in for bed soon after. We all seemed tired after a long day and were keen to get some rest. Jungkook and Jin took the couch, and I crawled into my spacious bed by myself, which I kinda felt bad about seeing as they were both slightly too tall and their feet dangled off the side of it.
But they'd both insisted I should have my bed. Jin specifically saying he didn't want to intrude too much on my space and that I needed my beauty sleep uninterrupted. It was a sweet gesture, and he was right.. despite feeling bad. If either of them had snuggled up to me, it might've made it harder to sleep.
The room was dark, shadows reflected on the floorboards from the light of the moon. Both boys' faint snoring could be heard not long after we said goodnight to each other.
But sleep didn't come as easily to me. Instead, I lay there in the night's silence. My mind shifted to the nightmare I'd had the previous night. I vaguely recall Joon holding me on the floor. A gun..
Was it a gun? The sound had frightened me, the dread that had seeped into my heart on awakening still resided.
It must've been hours since I'd been lying there until I heard a rustling of sheets. I peeked the tiniest bit so as not to be seen. Jin had sat up, rubbed his eyes and looked around.
Was something wrong? I watched as he got up and went over to the hallway, but my curiosity stirred as I heard the front door open.
I'd thought he was just going to the toilet, but I didn't expect him to go outside. I glanced over to Jungkook, who seemed to be asleep. So, curiosity brimming, I quietly threw back my blanket and sat up. I was careful as I followed Jin after he had gone. When I reached the front door I practically felt like a ninja.
As I opened it the slight breeze prickled my bare legs and arms seeing as I was only wearing shorts and a singlet. However, I pushed past it and stepped out onto the balcony, being sure to close the door behind me as to not wake Jungkook.
I felt like I was doing something I shouldn't be doing. Sticking my nose where it may not have belonged. But I was already looking out over the balcony and across the street, trying to see where Jin had gone.
It didn't take long for me to spot him in the window of their new house across the street. The light was dim, which made it hard to see, but the figure was undoubtedly him.
I edged closer to the railing of my balcony to get a better view. That's when I saw a second figure, one I didn't recognise. Who was that? And what were they doing?
I watched, my insides swirling as I essentially spied on Jin and this unknown person talking. That's when I saw a glint as the man passed something that appeared to be small and metal to Jin, who, was quick to stuff it away out of sight.
"What're you doing?" Suddenly a hand slipped over my mouth, another around my waist, a sturdy body behind me. The voice, Jungkook's.
I nearly shrieked, but it was muffled by his hand, which after the initial shock, he loosened.
"Oh my god, what're you doing?! I nearly had a heart attack" I turned, still loosely in his hold. As I gaze at him, those big doe eyes flicker steadily.
"And whose fault is that? You shouldn't be out here in the middle of the night. Especially not wearing that. You'll catch a cold" Jungkook's eyes flickered down to my chest before he looked back at me.
"Wha.. what? Don't look you perv" I panicked, realising I was indeed wearing barely anything but Jungkook just snorted.
"You're freezing. C'mon, back to bed for you" before I could say anything more he hoisted me up in one arm, closed the door behind us with the other and then dropped me back into my bed. It'd all happened so fast I barely had time to protest. Instead, I just gave in to him.
"Jungkook, wait," I mumbled, turning over and scrambling to sit up.
"What's wrong?" He asked, contemplating me as he stood there beside my bed, still in his own pajamas, which were a baggy shirt and pants. Clothes always looked so perfect on him, no matter what it was.
"I… can't sleep." I admitted. I don't know why I did. It wasn't like he could do anything about it. He wasn't Yoongi or Jimin, or Tae…
"Does that mean you want me to stay here?" The question left him after a second pause, as though he'd needed a moment to figure out what I wanted exactly. I didn't know either. Was that what I wanted?
"If it is?" My voice became as quiet as a mouse. Jungkook sat at the edge of the bed before gently pushing me by the shoulder so I lay down, head resting on my pillow.
He pulled my blanket over me, hand resting on where the blanket reached over my shoulder.
"Is there a reason you can't sleep..? I mean, does it have anything to do with what happened at your old place?" Jungkook spoke softly, but with care. As though unsure of whether to even bring it up.
"I'm not sure, but even before the fire, I'd get nightmares. Some I remember, some I don't" I let out a small sigh. Jungkook was close enough that I could smell the body wash he used. I felt him gently rub my arm from over the blanket.
"Guess it's a good thing we'll be right next door from now on. You won't have to go through it alone anymore. One of us can be with you, or all of us," Jungkook spoke, and I lay there. His voice was like honey. His words was enough to melt my heart.
"Jungkookie, I'm really relieved you're here. It's hard to explain, but when you're around, I just feel…" I stopped, unable to find the words. I glanced up to see him smiling, shaking his hair aside before looking at me.
"Then trust yourself and don't run away from me anymore. Seriously, it only makes me more determined to chase you down" he raised a brow, as though reminiscent of something amusing. Was he referring to our.. kiss? The time I ran away from him?
"I… but.. about that.." I stuttered. Just then, the door opened and Jin quietly came back in. We both looked over and he saw us.
"Oh, you two are awake? What happened? Is everything okay?" He asked, taking a seat on the couch which was across from us.
"Yeah, Jia's fine. She just couldn't sleep. She's been having nightmares," Jungkook told him. Jin pouted for a moment before swinging his legs up and getting back into the spot where he was sleeping.
"Well, you know what would help?" he asked, lulling his head aside.
"What's that?" I questioned, wondering what made him look like he had the perfect solution.
"Cuddle up with Jungkookie tonight. He gives great hugs and he'll keep you perfectly safe" Jin chuckled before stretching out. He was now taking up most of the space on the couch.
There was a small silence. I had the feeling Jungkook was about to protest at my lack of response, but before he could, I wiggled back as to make some space for him beside me to lie down.
"Hm? Are you sure?" He looked at me as he noticed.
"Yeah, if it's okay with you…" I mumbled, maybe he felt too awkward and I'd made the wrong assumption. But, before I could regret my decision, he pulled the blanket up and slid in beside me.
"Goodnight, you two. Don't make me regret my suggestion by hearing any suspicious noises in the middle of the night," Jin teased before rolling over and giving a loud, sleepy sigh.
"Hyung! Shut up" Jungkook whined, grabbing a spare cushion from beside my bed and threw it right at Jin's butt and he let out a grunt.
"Joking! I was joking! Now calm down and go to sleep before I change my mind," Jin said rather hurriedly and heatedly. I couldn't help but chuckle as Jungkook huffed and turned over on his side, back to Jin, but now his face was only inches from mine.
"I'll get him back, don't worry," Jungkook whispered to me, a look of cheeky determination in his eyes.
"Shh, don't let him hear you or you'll lose the element of surprise," I whispered back, only for his bunny smile to shine through in the moonlit night.
"It won't make a difference. When I want something, I get it. No matter what," his smile melded into a confident statement. And the way he'd said it wasn't cocky, on the contrary. He'd said it so plainly, effortlessly, that in my heart I knew it to be true.
Jungkook took advantage of my silence and gently slid his arm around me and pulled me closer so that I was huddled into him.
"Jia, try to get some sleep. I'll be here so you don't have to worry about having nightmares. Got it?" Jungkook was so close, his voice barely a whisper in my ear. I felt so small and safe in his arms, and just like what he'd said about getting what he wanted, when he said I didn't have to worry about bad dreams, I believed him wholeheartedly.
I gave a small nod to his chest. The soft feeling of his shirt against my cheeks tickled a little. Never in my wildest dreams had I imagined I'd be here, cuddled up to him like this. But, admittedly, maybe that's because he just seemed too good to be true.
"Good girl, close your eyes" Jungkook hushed me, reaching to hold my head to him. I breathed out and felt my body relax.
There was no way I could have nightmares when falling asleep in his arms. In itself, it was a perfect dream come true.
Notes:
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