27

Namjoon was starting to sober up sitting in front of Sunho. Normally, he would invade your space and cling to your side to feel closer and more comfortable, but with the latter staring at him, he had to restrain himself from getting too close.

"So, how did this..." Sunho pauses, gesticulating with his hand between you and Namjoon while maintaining eye contact with the man beside you. You're not sure why you're nervous for your boyfriend when his expression was anything but.

Namjoon is undeniably the most confident and well-spoken person in your life, and he has proven time and again that he can bring anyone together if he so wanted. It's the way your younger brother looks at him as if he were the man of the house (although that was your father's job). You've only really seen him act like this with Sooya when she was pregnant with the twins.

You still remember when that asshole left your sister with no explanation, Sunho did great damage to his car. Ruined the tires and everything.

It was your idea, but he carried it out.

The remnants - a filed case report that was discarded. His family was in politics. Said they didn't want any problems, so they decided against it.

A cough causes you to turn your head toward the man sitting to your right. Namjoon, who had stopped chewing his Naengmyeon to look at you, gives you a puzzled look.

"How did the two of you come to realize your feelings for each other?"

You forgot that Sunho knew about you two - not everything about the fast progress of your relationship with Namjoon, but the fact that you both liked each other. At least in your case. Your exact words were, "we're trying it out," and that it was more than just a "boss and employee" relationship.

"Uh, can we not?" You warn Sunho with a hopeful tone. Your eyes find Namjoon's as you squeeze his hand beneath the table, unaware of the clear vision your brother had in his peripheral. "We haven't really talked about it... y'know."

Namjoon places his glass of water back on the table and swallows the liquid down his throat. "Wait, ba - Y/N," he stops himself abruptly.

"Then let's talk about it now," Sunho suggests, his eyes focusing on Namjoon. "Settle this for good. Dad's not here, but I am," he pauses to look at you. "I'm sure he'd love to know what you're up to, Noona."

"Sunho," your tone becomes more vehement, clearly disagreeing. You have no idea where he's going with this or what he's trying to accomplish by sticking his nose into your business. "Let's have dinner first. Please."

As Sunho narrows his eyes, silence falls over the room. He never looks at you, instead pushing himself out of his chair in an oddly timid manner. "I don't think I should stay the night," Sunho says slowly, his gaze drawn to the door.

Namjoon places a hand on your knees and squeezes when he notices your frown deepening.

"Sunho, sit down," you order, to no avail. He's already moving across the room to retrieve his bag from the kitchen floor. His plate stays untouched as you watch him with gloom on your face. "You came all the way to Seoul just to leave like this?"

"Looks like I came at the wrong time. I didn't know you were expecting anyone."

"Look, I didn't know-"

"I'll stay at a friend's," he replies flatly as he stands in front of the door. "You don't have to worry about me, I'm not a kid anymore." Namjoon, like the person that he is, stands from his seat and trails with uneasiness on his face. He doesn't like seeing you like this. Helpless.

He doesn't know where this all started and he isn't sure if this is something that should stay between the both of you, but he just wants to try and fix things between you and your brother.

"Wait, Sunho," Namjoon calls out. You finally leave the table to follow them. "I have a penthouse downtown, you can stay there if you want."

Sunho turns slowly, and for a brief moment, you feel hopeful. But when he does, you almost wish you hadn't stopped him. "Are you trying to throw money in our faces? Like that would convince us to accept you?" You gape in disbelief as a bitter scoff leaves his mouth. But Namjoon's expression is the same. It's as if he expected such a reaction. You know that's not his intention.

"That's not-"

You step in front of Namjoon, raising a hand to stop him. Then, you shake your head. "Okay, then. Go."

Sunho seems taken aback by your response. You can see the cogs turning in that little mind of his. He expected remorse from his sister. And when he looks at you, it's not like when you were younger and all you could argue about was who gets the remote to the television. It dawns on him that it isn't all cat and mouse anymore. You've got someone else in your life now. Someone he believes is more important. Think he's lost his big sister.

"Babe, it's getting late..." Namjoon empathizes, inching to your side like a cat would its owner. His voice has faded into a light murmur. Like wind chimes in Spring. "I don't know what this is about, but you can both can talk about this tomorrow-"

His words get cut off with a thud. You blink, unable to suppress the tightness in your chest. You've never had a serious argument with any of your family members. When there were disagreements, it was never so severe that you had to walk out on each other and go days without speaking. So when Namjoon wraps his arms around you, you can't help but burst into quiet sobs.

"It's okay," he murmurs against the nest atop your head. Hibiscus fills his nose as he rests his chin on your head and gently caresses your back. He'd bury himself in you every second of the day if he could. He knew it was more profound than the last few years when he couldn't even imagine his future without you.

"You both need time." He reasons, but you're stubborn and would never admit wrong first. Not when he walked out on you first.

"It's not me that needs time. I didn't start it."

"Babe," the nickname Namjoon has for you causes a stir in your body. "He's your little brother. At the very least, hear him out."

"Are you seriously taking his side?" Your tone sounds accusatory. "You saw how he was acting-"

His chest rises and falls against his chest. "I'm not taking sides. I'm just saying... you need to understand where he's coming from. He cares about you, Y/N."

You fall silent, allowing your thoughts to overflowing and letting emotions pour all at once. "He was judging you before he even met you!" Frustrated, you exclaimed. "I don't have to explain anything to anyone, and he has no say in who I date. Tell me I'm wrong."

"Y/N..." he exhales loudly, enough for the both of you to let your emotions cool down.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help it. When he arrived later this afternoon, I knew something was off..." you tell him, tilting your head so your cheek was against his chest.

"Did he find out about us?" Namjoon's tone drops an octave.

"No - I don't know..." you let out, words jumbled. "I only told him that we may or may not have feelings for each other. And I didn't know if I should say that we were in a relationship. I didn't want to explain it to him," you wipe the tears pooling in your eyes and look up at him. "We haven't talked about letting people know about us. I mean, it isn't too early, right?"

Namjoon sighs, his fingers grazing your nape. "I told you I was okay with it," he tells you, sincerely. "I'm not afraid to tell people that you're finally mine."

You feel like a bitch. You feel guilty for not being able to stand tall as he does with you. "I'm worried if the media gets ahold of this and tries to use it against you. People will try to bring you down-"

"Over a dating news?" Namjoon laughs, but then stops when he realizes how serious you are about this. "People might talk for a while but it will eventually die down, babe. It's not going to ruin my reputation or my company. Trust me. I think you're overthinking this whole thing."

"I was your assistant for ten years, Namjoon." You emphasize the importance of this certain topic that can't seem to leave you. "It's hard to imagine how people will react to this," you break eye contact, only to gaze down at his lips, and Namjoon does the same.

His hands clutch your waist, your heart racing at his every move. Namjoon leans in and leaves a delicate kiss on your cheek and encircles your waist for the second time with his arms.

"Okay, yes, you do have a point," Namjoon never fails to acknowledge your point of view, as he believes that for this to work, he must value your words. "The backlash may affect you far more than I, but didn't we already agree to try this together?" Namjoon grabs your chin, gently. "That includes the hardships, Y/N..." He continues, "And I know you're scared for me, for yourself, and your family, but if we want this, we have to try. I really want this to work, baby."

When you look him in the eyes, you are met with sincerity and infatuation. There is no doubt in him that he wants this to work as much as you do. "Gosh," your voice comes out hushed as you close your eyes. "I've been waiting years for something like this," You say, unable to hide your delight at the thought of a future with the man in front of you.

A man no other than Kim Namjoon.

He tilts his head to look at you, bottom lip taut between his teeth. "I knew it," he chuckles, smirking as he does so. "I knew you had a crush on me all these years."

"Stop putting words in my mouth," you retract from his bulky arms, struggling to escape, but when you do, you softly swat his chest with a sheepish grin. "How fuckin' arrogant of you, Mister Kim."

A grin spreads across his features, and although he had been in the office all day with no breaks, the tiredness hiding beneath his eyes slowly dissipates with you in front of him. He hasn't heard your voice in almost three days, so he hopes it'll stay like this as long as you both let it. Hopes you won't ignore him and leave him in the grey whenever you two have disagreements in the future.

He's had his fair share of flings before realizing it wasn't for him. He wasn't the type to settle for a short-term relationship, preferring to date to marry that person. Namjoon got lucky, or would you be the one with all the luck? He doesn't have to deal with his parents' constant nagging about whether he went on all of the dates his mother set up for him. Turns out, you didn't even need to impress anyone for the matter, when his parents secretly wished you'd be the one to end up with their son.

It wasn't like tossing a coin and hoping it landed on either side because it had always been a bullseye. Your futures were both right in front of you. It just needed a little push - a leap of faith that you didn't need. You had woven a complex narrative of love in your head. Didn't believe it at first. Or you refused to believe it was right in front of you. Saw how your friends dealt with theirs, which poorly shaped the idea in your head.

You don't blame them. You're old enough to realize what's good for you and what isn't. Wise enough to know that there is no guarantee in the game. There is no guarantee that no matter how much of yourself you give to someone, they will reciprocate with the same intensity. Just gotta close your eyes and curl your fingers in prayer. That you're both in it for the same reason.

To feel loved and to be loved.

"Should I stay the night over?" He asks, his deep tone vibrating against his chest. He moves his fingers up the buttons of his dress shirt just to tease the hell out of you. "I'm feeling a bit... bothered," he mutters breathlessly.

"Uh-uh," you shake your head lightly, stopping him from moving further. "You better keep that on if you want to get out of here alive," you click your tongue, eliciting a deep chuckle from his chest.

Namjoon juts his bottom lip, displeased. "Wow. I came here straight from my work to see you, and this is how I get treated? How romantic of you."

Ignoring his words, you stand on your toes to press a kiss to his jaw, grimacing when you feel the stubble that is starting to show around his chin.

Namjoon lifts his brows as you quickly pull away. "Mhm. What's with the face, baby?"

"You're growing out your stubble?" You ask as he nods accordingly.

"Why? You don't like it?"

You shake your head, running your hands down the side of his face and down his neck. He has the softest skin for a man, but the texture around his faded acne marks elevates him. "Hm, not really. It irritates my skin, but it's not a big deal."

You don't mind at all, so you press kisses around the area to make him feel better and to keep his attention from being drawn to your words.

"I was going to let it grow..." Namjoon whispers sweetly against your cheek. Because of his height, you find it even funnier. Namjoon embodies everything a Greek God wishes to be. It's beyond your comprehension how he towers over you without making you feel threatened or uneasy about how easily he can just do things a man can do.

You're not the shortest; you're about a few inches above his pecs and reach par with his chin with heels or platforms. Your confidence does not lower, instead, it increases even more with Namjoon. He makes you feel powerful - not like you need a man to feel powerful - but you've seen what other men can do with women around you.

"But I'll shave it right when I get home," he inches closer to wrap a hand around your neck. Then, he presses his soft, plump lips against your cheek and lets it linger for a while. "I want your kisses more."

You grin slyly, shrugging past him in an attempt to head into the kitchen. "I'm hungry, though. Let's eat before the food gets cold."

Namjoon hums as he reaches for your waist.

You whine between his heavy arms when he bends down to hook them on the back of your thighs. Swiftly, he lifts you off the ground as your legs automatically snake around his hips. His smile deepens as he carries you towards the kitchen.

"I'm hungry for something else," his warm breath turns frigid down your throat. "Can I please skip to my dessert?" His lustful tone causes you to squirm around him. He playfully lets go of your leg and you hang onto him in a panic, wrapping your legs around his torso, only to have him press you firmly against his body.

"Namjoon." Your breath catches in your lungs when you feel the hardness of his pants poking your stomach.

"Hm?" he hums, shamelessly grazing your ass as if he was massaging it.

You slap his hand away, "Are you seriously hard right now?"

"I can't help it. I want you on the counter so bad."

"Well, then d—"

A vibrating feeling in your thighs catches your attention. "Do i-" you pause and dig in his pants with a frustrated sigh. "Mr. Song is calling you." You flash the lit screen in his face and he mirrors the exact emotion on your face.

"Ugh."

Namjoon holds you with one hand, amazement dancing in your eyes seeing his hard work at the gym paying off.

He swipes to the left, declining the call. "I'm sure he can wait downsta—"

It blares once more.

Finally, you get off him and let your feet on the floor. "It's fine. Just take it," you urge him with a small smile and he offers you an apologetic one anyway before pressing his phone to his ear and mouthing a 'thank you'.

Hi, I'm back with 2am updates 💤 just a filler chapter for those who are missing these two sexy-minded, intelligent beings.

college has been really hectic for me now & it's so so hard to find the time to write BUT I am not forgetting!

I hope you guys are doing well, mentally, physically. Take care of yourselves, just know if you need someone to talk to, my dms are ALWAYS open. It's the least I can do. Love you, muahhh <333