The Missing Piece

Chapter 33

As soon as Narae woke, she knew she was still being held close to another of her mates. But she also knew it wasn't Taehyung or Jimin. Nor Jungkook, or Hoseok or Seokjin.

Yoongi had arrived in her dreams, walking with her through the halls of buildings which were familiar to both of them, and leading her down corridors they both knew well. When she woke, it seemed totally normal to have him there.

Her nose was pressed into a pale, creamy bare chest and she was tucked under an arm and a shoulder to her right. Instinctively, she started nosing at the peppermint scented skin under her face before she even opened her eyes. The body holding her close tightened up to pull her in more securely and she felt a gentle pushing at the crown of her head as someone tried to get closer to her too.

Narae blinked her eyes open a few more times and twisted her head up to see Yoongi smiling down at her.

"Hi." He murmured quietly, keeping his almond eyes on hers. Up close, closer than she'd ever been, his skin was just as flawless as it looked from far away.

"Hi." Narae answered, wondering at how shy she felt. Yoongi had always seemed so imposing. Not someone who frightened her exactly, but someone who was definitely against her. Who held Taehyung and Hoseok protectively to him and out of her grasp. He looked soft now. She couldn't work him out.

Had he wanted her? All along or at any point leading up to this? Had he been one of the ones who'd fought against the idea right up until the end? Had he wanted her gone from this world as much as she'd wanted to be gone. Had he been disappointed when they'd found a way to save her?

Poor Yoongi, who hadn't done anything except for smile gently at her as she woke, couldn't know what was happening in her mind for her face to crumble in fear. Yes, he was here now, Narae thought. Yes, they were all here now, but really, what did that matter when she'd forced them into it. How could he feel anything but obligation and resentment when he held her?

"Hey, hey, it's okay. What's going on in there?" Yoongi asked gently, seeing how gutted she looked. "Do you want someone else? I can go?" He asked hurriedly and tried to untangle himself from her.

In spite of her fear, Narae couldn't let him go. He was the only one with her. She'd never touched him before – that she remembered anyway – and she didn't want to stop now. Even if he was going to be resentful of her, at least she could touch him now.

"No, please. Don't go." She begged, sounding broken.

Yoongi settled back but kept looking into her sad eyes with concern. "Okay. I won't go. I'm here."

Narae stilled, trying to calm herself. A little voice in the back of her mind told her that she might not need to be feeling this way. Hoseok had told her that her reactions weren't normal at the moment. If that was true, it would be hard for her to trust anything, and she didn't feel comfortable with that thought. But maybe, just maybe she was wrong about Yoongi. He was looking at her so tenderly.

Tentatively, Yoongi brought his hand up and brushed the back of his fingers against her cheek, once again wet from tears she didn't know how to stop. His touch was so light, so delicate. But his other arm gripped her shoulders firmly, stopping her from relaxing away from him for even a breath.

"It was me, wasn't it?" He asked, his voice low and rumbling.

"What was you?" She asked, surprised by his sudden question.

"It was me who smiled at you, in the hallway, before we all bonded."

Narae blinked at him in wonder. How had he remembered such a small thing? It was important to her, sure, especially in the context of her normal life before bonding. But for him it was such a tiny incident.