Stay (BTS x Reader-Polyamorous romance)

Chapter 9

Jin POV:

The transition with Hoseok had gone smoother than I expected.  When the four of us arrived at the apartment, Jungkook helped Hoseok set up his side of the room, the large beds taking up a good portion of the space.  While they took care of that, Namjoon and I moved my stuff into Y/N's room, putting my clothes away in the drawers she had cleared out for me.  The moment we walked into Y/N's, and now my bedroom, I could see the look of absolute bliss on Namjoon's face from the way her scent filled the air.  You could smell it throughout the apartment, but it was strongest here because of it being her space and I knew it brought him comfort in an otherwise unfamiliar environment. 

As Jungkook and Hoseok worked in the other room, I couldn't help but notice that Jungkook seemed a little off.  He smiled and laughed like normal but it wasn't nearly as happy sounding as it had been before.  However, I knew that if I asked him about it, he would just shut down.  When, or even if, he was ready to talk about it, he would. 

After we got Hoseok set up, we called in for take out, ordering from one of our favorite restaurants.  We sat there in the living room, getting to know each other, while we waited on the food and it made my heart full to see three of my mates here, smiling and happy, even if Jungkook's smile was a little dimmer than usual.  It got better as the evening went on, but I could still see there was something bothering him, something that he was holding in and refusing to share with us.  Part of me felt hurt knowing that my mate wouldn't confide in me, but the other part of me understood his need for space and time to process his own thoughts.

Once the food arrived, the conversation continued on, turning a little more serious when Jimin and Taehyung were mentioned.  I could see right away that both Hoseok and Namjoon had unpleasant encounters with the two of them from the way Namjoon's eyes narrowed and Hoseok's smiling mouth turned into a straight line, something I had not seen yet.  And seeing the reactions of the two around Y/N, I knew right away it had something to do with Jimin's comments about her and the knowledge of her being his mate.

"You know as well as I do that we can't force Jimin to accept her.  He has already made it clear that he is rejecting the bond."  I tried to keep my voice neutral, but I couldn't help but feel irritation that Jimin had this preconceived notion about Y/N, who was undoubtedly the most caring person I had ever met in my life, both human and hybrid.  It made me undeniably frustrated that he wasn't even willing to give her a chance, let her in and take the opportunity to get to know her.

Hoseok nodded, but I could see it was hard for him as well.  He had just met Y/N only a few days ago, but you could see the adoration for her in his eyes every time her name was mentioned.  "I know we can't force him and I would never try, but he won't give her a chance.  He won't even talk to her."  Hoseok sighed and I could sense the underlying sadness in his voice, the way his bushy tail dropped and his fuzzy ears laid flat on his head.  "I want... I want all my mates to be with me, happy with me, but Jimin won't let that happen and I just don't understand why."  His last words came out soft and he buried his face in his hands, letting out a small frustrated sob.

Namjoon moved over to sit next to him, gathering the sad fox in his arms, his own bushy tail wrapping around him in a sweet display of comfort, an action I was happy to see, knowing my mates already felt comfortable enough with each other to show this level of affection.  "I know you do.  We all do, but we have to respect his decision."  I was just about to agree when Namjoon's voice changed.  "And he will have to respect ours.  I don't want him near our mate."

My mouth dropped open at his words and I went to protest, but Jungkook jumped in first, surprising me since he had been quiet after the discussion about Jimin and Taehyung had started.  "W-what do you m-mean?  You can't do that.  She's his mate too."