𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐒 | 𝐊- 𝐏𝐎𝐏

𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗉𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝗈𝗇𝖾 𝗁𝗎𝗇𝖽𝗋𝖾𝖽 𝖿𝗈𝗎𝗋𝗍𝗒 𝗇𝗂𝗇𝖾

Chapter 30: Meeting The Family

He wakes several hours later to find her still cuddled close to his body, holding onto him and he smiles, feeling content. He runs his hand down her back, noticing she has panties on and she begins to stir. He kisses her, making her open her eyes and she smiles up at him.

"When did you get dressed?" he asks. She looks down and remembers.

"Your Manager came by and brought your clothes." He sits up surprised and sees the bag at the end of the bed.

"Oh, I meant to tell you..." He reaches for the bag and she sits up next to him.

"About the live session tonight?" she asks. He looks back at her.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, I was a little distracted." He grins devilishly and arches his eyebrow at her. She smiles but she bites her lip, concerned.

"But, your friends, if I go I will meet them," she says worriedly.

"You've already met Jimin, he wasn't so scary," he offers, laughing.

"But Taehyung, they're like your family, is it right for me to meet them now, what will they think?" He leans in to whisper to her.

"They all know about you already." He smiles. She looks at him surprised. "They had a lot to say about it too." He chuckles, remembering. "Well, except for Jin, his wife is about to have a baby so he's been out of touch for a while." He smiles at her. She's only partly reassured.

"I- I don't know what to do. What is my place at this recording?" He leans over and puts his arm around her.

"Your place? You are my guest so you are their guest. Everyone will welcome you." She smiles at him but she wonders if that can be true. He looks back into the bag at his feet. "I better get dressed." He pulls the items out of the bag that Sejin selected for him, dark pants and an assortment of shirts to choose from, several accessory choices and a toiletry bag. She wonders just how well the manager must know him to have made these choices, not to mention having a key to his home and his car.

He excuses himself to the bathroom and she realizes she needs to find something to wear to fit in with the nice clothing he has. Just one of the lovely shirts in his bag is likely worth more than most of her wardrobe put together. She never had much money for clothing but but she found her own style. She decides a classy, casual look is probably a good choice, just a skirt and lose top, some jewelry and maybe her best pair of heels. She sits down at the mirror on her small dressing table and begins to put on make up.

"You should pack a bag too. We can go to my place after the session," he calls from the bathroom. She stares at herself in the mirror thinking about how nice his home must be and it makes her feel shy about her tiny student apartment. He didn't say anything about the apartment itself. He only asked about a few of her personal things. She wonders now for the first time if he was surprised at how she lives. The apartment has always been comfortable enough for her alone, particularly since she is rarely home, always working or in class or at the library. She returns to her closet to choose a few options to take along.

***

Several hours later she sits beside him in the backseat of a large car with dark windows. They pull up to a building in the same luxury complex that he brought her for their first picnic. She recognized it as they drove past the spot near the green space where he had parked.

He jumps out of the car, leaving his bag, and taking her hand to help her out. She steps out, looking up at the large building, and wondering if she's ready for this. Only a few days ago she met him, and she never imagined that she would feel so connected to him already and be here, about to meet his family of brothers. She worries that the others will find it odd that she has come along, wondering if it's not too soon. She hopes they will be kind. He turns to look at her as they step on to the elevator, and he grips her hand a little tighter. She smiles back at him through her fear and tries to find her bravery.

"You are beautiful," he says, catching her off guard and bringing a real smile to her face. He leans in and kisses her, pulling her close to him. She lets herself get lost for a moment in the warmth of his kiss. Neither of them realize that the elevator has stopped and the doors have opened.

"Get a room," a deep voice says in English and they hear laughter. She pulls away quickly and turns her head to see six pair of eyes staring back at them. Taehyung holds her hand tighter as she blushes profusely. She is ushered off of the elevator as Taehyung seems to push her towards the group of men, all starring at her. Her body hangs back a little, reluctant to move from the safety of the elevator. She hears the doors close behind her leaving her with no escape.

He lifts her hand and kisses it as if releasing her to the group. Jimin steps up to greet her, being the only other person she has met.

"Hello Hana, it's nice to see you again." He bows and smiles broadly.

"Mr. Park, it's good to see you." Her first meeting with him was as a business man, a benefactor, and she can't shake her formality. It causes the others to laugh and one of the men slaps his back playfully.

"Call me Jimin," he says in a friendly tone. Taehyung turns her body toward another man.

"This is Namjoon." He bows. His smile reveals his dimples. "And Hoseok." He nods to her, his smile lighting up his face. "Yoongi." She bows at each person she is introduced to, wondering if she will remember these names. "Jin- hyung." He says, addressing him, and smiling. He bows to her, as Taehyung gives him a big hug. "How is Jangmi feeling?" he asks.

"She's feeling very anxious, and she wakes me up every night at 2am questioning the name we've chosen, or the color we painted the nursery." His face lights up with an enormous grin. She watches them holding hands, and speaking for a moment and then she notices a tall man step up to her. He clears his throat and she turns to face him.

"I'm Jungkook," he says, looking at her a little shyly from behind his heavy, dark fringe. He sticks out his hand to her, to shake it, in a more American custom. She takes his hand but bows to him. Taehyung notices Jungkook, and he reaches behind him to take hold of her hand again while his attention is turned to Jin.

"It's nice to meet you Jungkook. I'm Hana," she says. He smiles awkwardly at her.

"I've been told you don't know who we are." He looks at her suspiciously and she drops her eyes embarrassed. She looks down at her hand. Taehyung is tracing a path across her skin with his thumb while he continues to speak with Jin.

"I'm afraid that's true. I still haven't heard anything." His eyes narrow as he studies her.

"Taehyung didn't play anything for you?" He seems incredulous. Taehyung turns back to join them.

"We were busy." He smiles a big boxy grin, pulling Hana's body closer to his. Jungkook laughs uncomfortably at his implication.

"Well, this taping is going to be very strange for you then," he offers. She nods as they all turn to walk into the apartment together.

"So far it's all been strange," she tells him honestly. He laughs loudly, understanding what she must be feeling. He looks at her a little differently, friendly, but still studying her, unsure. Taehyung smiles, and winks at him as they continue into the apartment.

The room is filled with cameras and people, all milling about. It looks like an ordinary apartment, a large fancy one, but just a home, with furniture and a TV and a kitchen with a full assortment of appliances out on the counter. It doesn't look like a business office, but the people inside, all wearing black clothing, are definitely all working.

"Who lives here?" she whispers to him. He smiles at her.

"We all do."