The Suitors: A BTS fanfic

15

y/n POV

You had never felt like this before while waking up. Usually when you wake up naturally like this you'd be refreshed, calm, and at least a touch self-aware. But as you drifted into consciousness, if felt as if the world around you was imploding in on you. You felt dizzy and sick and fucking freezing. Your body was stiff and refused to move. You wanted to wake and see what possibly could be causing this feeling. You felt like you knew what had happened, the memory was so close. You just felt so awful.

Your ears felt like they were filled with cotton as you stirred, eyes refusing to open. Then, like a beacon in a tunnel of pain, you felt a soft hand on your cheek. Then, slowly, you began to perceive things again. A hard ground beneath you. A wet, frozen feeling dress clinging to your body. And voices. So far away but you could hear them. One sounded distraught and upset. Like they were crying.

"Is she ok?" The shaking voice whimpered.

You managed to open your eyes for just a second, the world being too bright for you to keep them open any longer. Then, the warm touch on your cheek again, easing your racing heart momentarily. Then a steadier voice. A coo in your ear. "Rest, princess. I'm going to pick you up now, but don't try and move."

You felt yourself being lifted off the ground, but then the darkness seemed to set back in. The coldness that enveloped your body was just too shocking. You couldn't stay conscious. It was just too difficult. So once again, you found yourself giving into the warm embrace of black emptiness.

***

Once again, the dizzy sick feeling intruded your body, but this time the cold didn't accompany it. Your eyes felt easier to lift, but still needed extra effort when it came to doing so. The room around you was lit by candles, only night shining through the windows on the wall. You were laying on a couch that seemed to have been pushed close to the roaring fireplace. Blankets were piled on top of you, giving you goosebumps as you compared your now warm state to the once freezing one.

You heard shuffling behind you. You pushed yourself up with a little struggle. Your body felt sore and ill but overall not horrible. You first noticed Noor sitting in the corner, flipping the pages of a book. Her eyes met yours when you sat up. Isabella puttered around the dim room, dipping a rag into a bowl of water and ringing it out.

"You're awake!" Noor stood up, tossing her novel onto the chair where she once sat.

Isabella swung around at her words and looked at you with concerned happiness. They both were at your side in a moment. You opened your mouth to speak, to ask what the hell had happened. Your mind felt foggy. When you started your words, though, you realized just how raw your throat felt. You had been sick many times before, but never had a sore throat this painful and disabling. All that came out was a croak and you close your mouth quickly in embarrassment. Noor giggled a little while Isabella shot her a stern look.

"The doctor said you throat might be a little tender, you shouldn't try to talk too much." Isabella explained.

You cleared your throat, frustrated that you couldn't talk. You searched your mind. Almost as if steam had filled your memories, you sifted through them. What had happened? You decided to start with what you knew. A horseback ride with Jungkook. It was fun and he was sweet. Your lips twitched, remembering his smile.

Then, something happened. Something not good. You remembered the fear that coursed through your veins. You remembered the yelling, the noises, the horse. Oh right, the horse. Something... had startled it. Oh yes, the tree that fell.

Then... you fell.

And now you remembered. You almost wished you didn't, though. You had fallen into the icy water below the bridge. The stream that had once welcomed you and Hobi with warm, calm waters had forced you under its waves and held you there. The once blue, refreshing water of your memories were now tainted and lived in your mind as black and glassy.

You remembered the feeling of your lungs on fire, making you take a deep, labored breath. But there was only blackness after that. How had you escaped? You were certain death had caught up to you and taken your soul. But here you were, back in the castle with Noor and Isabella speaking quietly to each other as you were lost in thought.

The fire next to you crackled and you looked up to them. You swallowed and demanded that words leave your mouth. "W-what," you stuttered with a voice that didn't sound like your own. "...happened?"

The girls looked to you. Isabella spoke. "You fell in the water under the bridge. You were stuck on something under the water. Sir Jungkook was with you but couldn't get to the shoreline quick enough as the horses were panicking, and the tree was blocking his way." Isabella hesitated. "However, Sir Yoongi had been passing by and saw your struggle. He went in the water after you and pulled you out." Your mouth slightly fell open. Isabella smirked ever so slightly at your reaction, remembering the talk the two of you had about Yoongi. "He carried you all the way back to the castle, y/n. He saved your life."

If you could have spoken you would have sworn, but the only noise you made was heavy breathing. Noor pipped up with an urgent tone. "I'm so incredibly sorry, y/n. I should have been there. I should have never left your side," she sounded very upset. "This is all my fault."

You shook your head, once again disobeying the doctor's orders to remain silent. "It's," you cleared your throat again. "It's no one's fault. Just a freak accident. I wanted to be alone with Jungkook." Your voice cracked, but you kept going. "If there's any blame it should be mine."

Noor's face softened at your words. "Thank you, y/n."

Isabella lifted the warm, damp cloth she held in her hands to your forehead, bringing ease to the headache you hadn't realized you had. "It was extremely lucky that Sir Yoongi was around when this happened." She spoke. "What a sight, though, y/n." She smiled. "Sir Yoongi walking in the front doors of the castle looking like a drowned cat with you in his arms. And Sir Jungkook trailing behind him in tears!"

The three of you giggled. After your laughs subdued, you shifted under your blankets, feeling better and more energized yet. "I should speak to Sir Yoongi," you said, placing your feet on the ground.

Noor placed a hand on your shoulder, pushing you into the couch. "You need to rest. Sir Yoongi will be there tomorrow."

Your mind remembered another thing. "Tomorrows the winter festival!" You looked up to them.

They nodded. "If you just sleep and get back your strength, I still believe you'll be able to attend. But you have to do just that, alright?" You sighed but nodded. Noor continued. "We'll leave you now, your dinner will be brought in and I expect you to eat every bite!"

Your heart felt warm. In that moment you realized you now had what you had secretly been longing for more of all your life. People that cared about you.