~𝟯~

(Third person, Jeongin's perspective)

A noise woke Jeongin in the night, making him sit upright in bed. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he looked at his alarm clock, the red numbers glowing 3:35. As he heard it again, he thought to himself that it might be Chan working out again, like he sometimes did when he couldn't sleep. And yet somehow Jeongin was compelled to still go check. He slipped out of bed, his feet padding softly along the cold floor. As he got into the hallway, he realized the sound was emanating from Ava's room, and not his older friend's room like he suspected. Curiosity getting the better of him, he pressed his ear to the door to investigate. Much to his dismay though, the door wasn't completely shut. He stood there like a deer in headlights as the door swung open, revealing Ava sitting up in bed.

"Are you okay? I heard noises coming from your room," he asked, his voice soft and slightly rough with sleep.

"Oh, I'm fine. Sorry if I woke you."

As she spoke, Jeongin could hear the emotion thick in her voice. His concern flared inside him for his new housemate. He slowly made his way to her bedside table, turning on the lamp to get a better look at her. His concern changed to shock, the yellowish glow of the lamp illuminating the tear stains on her cheeks. He didn't really know what to do in this situation since he had been living with guys for so long, so he asked the only question that seemed logical to him.

"Have you been crying?"

Ava smiled slightly at the young male's question.

"Yes, I have. I had a nightmare, but it's nothing to worry about. You should go back to bed."

"I can't just leave you like this. Maybe I should call Channie Hyung-"

"No there's really no need for that. Besides he's sleeping, I don't want to wake anyone else."

"Are you sure?"

"I promise I'm fine. Now go back to bed, otherwise you'll be tired tomorrow."

Jeongin looked like he wanted to argue, but he guessed that if she needed help, she would ask. He reluctantly nodded his head and stood up off the floor where he had made himself comfortable.

"I'll see you in the morning then. Goodnight Ava."

...

Jeongin didn't sleep any more after his encounter with Ava. His thoughts kept telling him to tell Chan, and yet his heart told him to keep his promise and keep the secret. At the breakfast table, he avoided both Ava and Chan's gazes, afraid that if he made eye contact with them, he would spill.

"You're quiet this morning, Jeongin. Are you okay?" Han asked, attracting a lot of unwanted attention to the younger male. Jeongin shifted around uneasily, looking at his hands.

"Jeongin? Are you feeling okay?" Chan asked, the one person he didn't want to talk to compelling him to look up and answer.

"I-" He wanted to say something to buy himself some time when his eyes met Ava's. She looked guilty, like she felt sorry for telling him about her nightmare the night before. His eyes sent her a silent question, and thankfully she understood, nodding ever so slightly.

"I'm okay, but Channie Hyung? Can I talk to you after breakfast?"

Chan looked slightly confused by the question but agreed nonetheless.

"Sure. Meet me in my room after washing up."

(First person, Ava's perspective)

After the happenings at the breakfast table, Jeongin pulled me aside after washing up.

"Are you sure I can tell Chan? He might come to talk to you after he's done with me."

"It's fine. He would figure it out eventually, seeing as his room is next to mine. Now go, before he comes looking for you."

As he left, my heart rate spiked. What would I tell Chan? No one has ever found out about my demons and I wasn't going to let a guy be the first. I wracked my brain trying to think of something, dropping my fork onto Felix's bare foot as I walked past him. He yelped in pain, making me jump. As I saw the fork glint on the floor, guilt washed over me. I rushed to pick it up and check the damage, not noticing him trying to do the same, making our heads collide with a thud.

"Crap, I am so sorry about that. I really should be more careful. Are you okay?" I asked, looking up at him as I touched the little red mark on his foot.

"I'm fine. I have a thick skull. The better question is, are you okay?"

He gently touched the area where our heads collided, careful not to hurt me. I smiled slightly and he helped me up.

"What's going on here? You two look cosy," Lee Know said, the smirk on his face bleeding into his words.

"You should just be lucky it wasn't you she attacked, Hyung. First, she throws a fork at me, then she almost bashes my skull in." He winked in my direction, giving away that he was joking.

"Oh, is that so? Well, in that case, I guess she needs some punishment, don't you think, Felix?"

Lee Know walked closer to me, his much larger body towering over me. I inched away, trying to get some distance. When he realized I thought he was serious, he pulled back.

"Hey, I'm kidding. I won't hurt you. Besides, you look like the type to kick ass if given the chance."

He smirked again and I could feel my cheeks heating up. Then he moved past me without another word. I was just about to let out the breath I was holding when he turned around and spoke again.

"I was just about to head to the training area. If you want, I can show you some things, or you can just show me what you got."

I thought about it for a moment before agreeing.

"I just want to dress into something more comfortable first."

"Sure. See you in there," he said as he turned around again and headed off. I let go of the breath I was holding when I noticed Felix still standing exactly where he had before. He had a slight smirk playing across his lips.

"Well, that was... Interesting. He usually doesn't warm up to strangers that fast. I guess you're different."

You have no idea, I added in my mind as I left to go change. Just as I reached my room, Chan opened his door, Jeongin following him out, both greeting me before Jeongin ran off.

"Ava, can I talk to you?" I heard Chan ask, and my heart sank.

"S-sure."

...

"Just breathe. I don't want you to feel like this is something bad. I just want to know if I can help with anything," he said as he saw how tense I was. He had accompanied me into my room rather than taking me into his. He had said it was to make me feel more comfortable. His brown eyes scanned over my face as he waited for me to relax.

"I don't really know what to tell you."

"Only what you feel comfortable with sharing."

Those words were like honey to my nerves, soothing the tremble in my hands. I was in control of the situation. And of how much I said or didn't say.

"I have been getting nightmares. Ever since my teammates left me. I guess I'm just not over them leaving yet."

That wasn't a complete lie. I wasn't over them leaving, and yet there was so much more that plagued my dreams at night. But that wasn't being shared any time soon.

"Okay, I can understand that. I have felt that too. For two years before I met Lee Know and Changbin, I was part of another team. Even though it was me leaving and not them, it still really hurt me. I also had nightmares for about a month after I left. But then I got used to my new team and everything fell into place again. I think it's just going to take a bit longer for you, seeing as you went from an all-girl team to living with eight guys. But the actual point is that if there is ever a time when you feel unsafe or unsure, or even just want to talk, you can come to me. Any time, day or night."

It really put me at ease to hear him say that, and even just him sharing his experience with me. No one had ever done that before, but I really appreciated it. I smiled at him before getting up and giving him a hug, much to my own surprise. He hesitated slightly before hugging back, but when he did, it felt good. To have someone to hug again.

"Thank you, Chan. For everything. I really appreciate you sharing with me. It means a lot to me."

His pale cheeks turned red as he pulled away, rubbing the back of his neck. I smiled at his reaction. Then he left and I could finally get dressed to go apologize to Lee Know for making him wait.