"No, I'm serious!" Taehyung huffs, stomping the ground like a toddler.

"Bullshit," Hoseok laughs, clutching his side. "I've known you for ten years. You do not have a banana hammock with Tata on it."

"Do you want to see a pict-"

"No!" you and Hoseok yell in unison.

Earlier today Nanami had helped check you out of the hospital and brought you back to Namjoon's. She stayed for an hour or two before having to leave for a family event. You were only alone for about twenty minutes when Taehyung and Hoseok showed up to hangout.

It's now been four hours of their banter and they're annoying as hell, but you're grateful for the company right now. The memories come flooding back when you're by yourself for too long — though it would be nice to have just a bit of time alone.

"Hyung!" V shouts as Namjoon walks through the door. "Tell her I have a Tata man thong. You've seen it."

Namjoon pauses in the front entryway, baffled at the conversation he just walked into. He snorts before bending down to take off his shoes. "Yeah he really does."

"No way!" Jhope yells, jumping from the couch. "You let Namjoon see and not me?"

"I told you I'll show you a pict-"

"No!" all three of you exclaim, this time Namjoon included.

"Fine," Taehyung pouts. "But [Y/N], if you change your mind I'm just a phone call aw-"

"Out," Namjoon growls, pointing to the door.

"Lighten up, you giant pound cake," Taehyung laughs, turning back to you. "But we actually do need to leave now. We have dinner plans with Jimin."

"Yeah," Jhope smiles. "Thanks for hanging out with us [Y/N],"

Your heart gets lodged in your throat. You know they came here to spend time with you so you wouldn't be lonely. They took time out of their busy schedules to stop by; you're willing to bet Namjoon had asked them to.

"That's my line," you grin. "Come by anytime, I'll be glued to this couch for a while."

You're able to walk around and do things on your own, but not for long. The doctor had instructed you to not put too much pressure on your right leg for a while, not wanting to risk the wound opening back up.

You wave to them as they head out, turning your gaze towards Namjoon's door. It sounds like he's hopping in the shower. You put your murder documentary back on and sink back into the couch, enjoying the peace and quiet.

Twenty minutes later Namjoon's door swings back open. "Did you eat? Do you need anything while I'm up?" he asks, heading for the kitchen. It's around 6:30pm, which is usually right before hangry [Y/N] kicks in.

"Just a banana milk please," you answer, eyes still on the tv. "I haven't eaten yet but I'm not hungry."

"Why is there banana milk in my fridge?" he asks, brows furrowed as he opens the doors.

"Taehyung brought them," you chuckle. "Apparently they're from Jungkook. He couldn't stop by but sent something with Tae."

"Ah," he nods, grabbing a mini carton and heading to the couch where you sit.

You're propped up against the L of the couch, your injured right leg stretched out on the outer edge with your left bent up to your chest. You're in the spot he's usually sitting in when you cuddle.

Namjoon's stomach drops when he gets around the couch and sees you. Your leg is still bandaged up but your wrists are not. The bright red indentations are still prominent — some parts of the wounds have started scabbing up, leaving some still raw and angry.

"Stop staring," you say as you notice what he's looking at. "The nurse told me to keep them aired out for a few hours. I have to put the bandages back on before I go to sleep."

He nods quietly before taking a seat at the edge of the couch and moving closer to your foot. He gently lifts up your injured leg to scoot himself underneath and rest your knee over his lap.

You can't quite read his expression as he stares down at your wrapped leg, lightly caressing the skin around the gauze with his right hand. You watch him for a while in silence, letting him brush his fingertips over your skin, causing goosebumps every once in a while. He leans more towards you, dipping his head down to press a gentle kiss onto the bandage, avoiding the sensitive area.

You gently comb your fingers through his hair as he places slow, tender kisses all over your thigh. He grabs the calf of your uninjured leg that's bent upright next to him, lifting up to rest his forehead against your knee; his left hand is cupping the underside of your bandaged thigh.

You feel his hands start to tremble and then it dawns on you.

"Ah, you watched the video," you murmur, running your hand through his hair again.

He nods his head, keeping his forehead pressed against your knee, gripping your calf a little tighter. You feel a couple tear drops hit your shin, making your throat tighten.

"Do you want to talk about it?" you ask softly.

He takes a few deep breaths before looking up at you. The anguish in his eyes almost cracks your heart in two.

"How are you so okay?" he mumbles, another tear escaping his eye. "How are you not completely broken after that? How are you okay being around me?"

You purse your lips together, trying to think of the right words. "You know when someone tells you not to do something and it makes you want to do it more?"

His brows furrow deeply as he stares at you in confusion.

"That's kind of how I feel," you shrug. "Her being a fucking nutjob didn't make me want to run from you. It made me want to cling to you."

You wipe a tear from his cheek and smile. "It was as I was lying to her about how I feel about you, saying I didn't even like you that much, that I realized I'm in love with you."

Tears begin flowing down his cheeks as he stares at you, eyes full of awe and adoration.

"Sometimes the memories come back and they make me shudder," you frown, looking down at your lap. "Sometimes I wake up in cold sweats from that ugly bastard ripping my clothes." Namjoon's hand squeezes your calf a little tighter and you meet his eyes again. "But this experience has also made me realize I'm constantly surrounded by love. I'm loved by Nanami, by my coworkers, by your band mates, and by you. Hae-Ran is not going to take that from me."

"Ugh," he groans, placing his forehead back against your knee. "You're so fucking cool. I want to be like you when I grow up."

You throw your head back in laughter. "Good luck, I don't know if you'll ever be this amazing," you joke.

Namjoon starts placing tender kisses against your knee, moving his left hand from your thigh up to your hip. His fingers slide under the hem of your shirt so his thumb can smooth over your skin, shooting chills over your body.

He lifts your injured leg up a little to pull it off him, bending your knee so your foot is flat against the ground. He crawls fully onto the couch between your legs, snaking his arm around your waist to gently slide you down onto your back, making sure to avoid hurting your ribs.

He places his left palm against the cushion next to your head to hold himself up as his right hand makes its way to your hip.

Your cheeks flush at the way he's looking at you; his gaze is so intense it almost makes you squirm. Your heart feels like it might beat out of your chest as your hands slide up his arms and around his neck.

He lowers himself to place a small peck on your lips before slowly trailing down your jaw and to your neck. His kisses are slow and sensual, sending waves of heat through your body.

His right hand slides up to your rib cage but he doesn't squeeze; he just traces his fingers over your skin, spreading goosebumps across your stomach.

"I love you," he whispers against your skin, his hot breath tingling your neck. You're covered in wounds yet it feels like your entire body is floating, your skin tightening every place his touch grazes. His mouth gradually travels back up to your jaw and meets your lips again, kissing you deeply and slowly. Oh so slowly.

His hand leaves your stomach to cradle your neck, gently easing his tongue into your mouth as your lips part. He hums as you delicately suckle his tongue, moving your hands back down to grip his shirt. His head tilts right as your tongue explores his mouth, your body shuddering at how good it feels to taste him.

This kiss is different from any other you two have shared. It's as if his mouth is slowly melting into yours, making your heart do backflips but also calming every single one of your nerves.

He pulls back for air and rests his forehead against yours, both of you breathing heavily.

"I love you too," you whisper, running your hands through his hair.

He moves his head to rest against your shoulder for a moment before pushing himself off of you, helping you sit up.

He gently tucks your hair behind your ear, flashing that gorgeous dimple smile. "I know you're not hungry, but I need you to at least eat something. I may not be a chef but I can make a mean bowl of ramen."

"I'd love some," you smile as he places one more peck against your lips.

He turns your show back on as he makes his way to the kitchen. You immerse yourself back into the show until he comes back over 10-15 minutes later.

"Food's ready," he smiles, extending his hand to help you up.

You gently swing both legs off the couch, taking Namjoon's hand to slowly ease yourself off the cushions, putting as little weight onto your right leg as possible.

"I'd carry you if I wasn't worried about your ribs," he pouts.

"It's okay," you laugh. "I need to use it here and there to avoid atrophy."

You lean on him while you limp over to the table, he makes sure to be careful as he helps you into the chair.

"Oh!" you chirp excitedly, clapping your hands together. "I wasn't hungry until just now. I can't believe I get to eat chef RM's cooking."

"It's literally just boiled noodles," he chuckles, handing you a pair of chopsticks. "Eat up."

You both casually chat about Namjoon's day at work, — avoiding the footage part — laughing with each other until you finish your meals. He collects the bowls and rinses them before returning to the table.

Scooting his chair a little closer to yours, Namjoon meets your eyes nervously as he bites the inside of his cheek like he wants to talk about something. You stiffen in your chair a little, his nervousness affecting you too.

"[Y/N]," he says quietly, taking both of your hands in his. "This isn't the way I wanted it to happen, but I can't wait any longer."

You don't know where he's going with this, but your shoulders relax slightly as he looks into your eyes.

"Please be my girlfriend," he blurts out, catching you off guard. He anxiously looks down at your hands wrapped in his. "I know this isn't romantic, it's probably not what you expected, and you might even be disappointed. But this whole thing has made me realize that I don't want to spend another second without being able to call you mine. I know what I want, and that's you."

Your breath hitches as he looks back up at you, giving you that same look as earlier. The look of someone staring at his whole world. You feel your face flush a new shade of red as you digest his words.

"I'm going to protect you," he says confidently. "I agree with what you said earlier. Hae-Ran doesn't get to take anything away from me, especially not you. I'm going to make her pay for what she's done, and you'll never have to wake up scared again."

Tears brim in your eyes at the sincerity in his voice. It's strong and angry, yet calming and assuring at the same time. You grip his hands back and nod, knowing you'll start crying if you try to speak.

His shoulders relax and his eyes soften as he sees you nod. "So you'll be my girlfriend?"

"Of course," you answer quietly, a small smile playing on your lips.

You watch his eyes light up the way a kid's does on Christmas morning before gently cupping your face to kiss your forehead.

"You still have to take me to that fancy steakhouse though," you laugh.

"It's a date," he grins.

_________________

Chappy 37 ~

A lot of y'all comment about the lack of Jungkook, don't worry he will show up I promise :)

I won't leave that precious bunny smile out of the story

Idk if any of y'all read Mutual Help but it finally updated after a while and GAHDAMN. That story is what inspired me to write my own slow burn. Read it if you haven't.

Ily Borabitches, don't forget to hydrate.