Parfait

Chapter Thirty-Six

Though she had fallen asleep in Namjoon's arms, Hana woke up in Seokjin's. At some point after everyone had piled into the nest for the night, she must have rolled over to him. But it looked like the head alpha had already woken up and left, as had the rest of the pack, so she did not have to feel guilty about her sleeping shift. Knowing Namjoon, he might have even encouraged it.

Seokjin stirred when she did, nuzzling into her hair sweetly. "Morning, princess."

"Good morning, my Jinnie." She curled up closer to him and drug her tongue over his collarbone, nosing aside his pajamas to do so. As more of his skin was exposed, she noted a dark patch, and pulled the shirt further over to get a proper view. "Oh, oppa, did I do that?" His shoulder was covered in bite marks of varying colors.

"Yes, you did," he chuckled. "You're a fierce little thing in heat, pretty girl. Definitely burned those calories you were worried about." He was gentle as he playfully palmed her hip, mindful that she still might be a little sore. "Which is almost too bad."

"Do you like me better that way?" she asked, her lips drawing into the lightest of pouts.

"No, I'm just teasing," he hurried to assure her. "My favorite size is whatever makes you feel healthy and confident. That's when you're especially lovely."

From someone else it might have sounded cheesy. Actually, coming from Jin it was still pretty cheesy, but that didn't mean that it was not truthful. He definitely valued her confidence, and many of his praises for her pre-heat softness had come in response to her own insecurities about it. Hana was suddenly struck by the memory of how intimidating he had been when she first arrived, just because it was in such stark contrast to the warmth she felt with him now. Of course he was still breathtakingly gorgeous, even with his hair tousled and eyes puffy from sleep. But his fond smile and gentle touch were what really set her heart aflutter. "Hey, Jinnie-oppa," she whispered, forcing him to lean in closely to hear her. She softly touched her nose to his, giggling when his eyes crossed a little in his attempt to stay focused on her. "I love you."

He was clearly caught off guard, jumping back just a little, giving her a clear view of his bright red ears. But after a moment to recover from his shock, he swooped back in and kissed her, his soft lips devouring hers like he could taste the sweet words she had uttered. "I love you," he finally murmured against her mouth, and she melted happily into another kiss.

When she was finally ready to get up, it did not go unnoticed. Jimin rushed over from the table where he had been eating breakfast. "Are you still sore?" he asked, reaching out to support her as she took some unsteady steps. Seokjin made sure that she was taken care of before he parted from her, heading for his room.

"Yes, a little," she admitted. "But I need to get moving today or else it will just get worse."

"You're right. But do be careful, okay?" Jimin tucked his arm under hers, not forcing her to lean on him but ready to catch her if she wobbled. By the time she had reached the table she was far more stable, and he felt comfortable letting go in order to pull out her chair. Once she was settled he gently placed his hands on her shoulders and his thumbs pressed into the tense muscles of her shoulders. "Make sure to tell me if it hurts," he said when she hissed through her teeth.

"It feels good," she assured him. "Just watch out for the bruises."

"There's a bunch of those, though. My pack mates were rough on you, the savages." Jimin giggled, proof that he was being silly, but across the table Taehyung seemed to take offense.

"I'm not the only savage. She gives as good as she gets," he said, tugging aside his shirt collar.

There was a messy cluster of hickies and teeth marks where his neck met his shoulder, and Hana winced. Seokjin had not been kidding about her fierceness. "I'm sorry, Taehyungie," she said softly.