Lust And Hospitality || Rapline X Reader

Part 9 - Candlelight Confessions

At least when the lights are out you can hide the tear stains on your face. You would love to sit and talk and comfort your sister all night, but right now you need to take charge and take care of everyone else in the building.

Slowly you both gather yourselves enough to feel okay with parting. Pressing a kiss to the top of her head, and pull away from her.

Sniffing and wiping your tears, you clear your throat and take a deep breath.

"Okay, um- " Straightening the swirl of thoughts in your mind, you put on your best confident voice right now and start to delegate. "There are a bunch of candles in the storage room, I will probably need two of you." Through their flashlight beams you can see Hoseok and Namjoon nod solemnly. "Yoongi, were you able to make much dinner before the power cut?"

"Yes, enough at least. It's ready."

"Perfect, Thank you. Thank you all so much." Wrapping your arm around your sister you guide her into the kitchen, sitting her down at the table with the other two guests. "Sorry about the chaos tonight folks. Our extraordinary chef says dinner is ready, so please help yourselves, I'll let him guide you through that. We are going to bring out a bunch of candles to help with the lack of lighting in just a moment."

The guests express their understanding and you take Hoseok and Joon towards the laundry room where you keep the stash of candles.

They shine their phone flashlights along the hall as you walk quickly and quietly.

You open the door and they follow you in.

Neither of them say a word. Perhaps your little outburst scared them away, maybe they don't know what to say. You would certainly struggle for words if you were in their position.

Silently you pull at the box of pillar candles on the shelf above you, but it doesn't budge. You try again, yet still no movement.

You're not sure what you expected, usually you have to stand on a chair to pull them down.

"Please, allow me." Joon offers, stepping up.

Reluctantly you concede and take over holding his phone for light. Of course it's easy for him to pull down, with his height and muscles and all.

"Thank you, I suppose we can just carry the entire box out to the dining room." Guess you really only needed one of their help after all.

Taking up the heavy box, Namjoon carries it out the door, and you start to follow, but Hoseok tugs on your arm lightly, holding you back a little.

"Hey, are you okay? A lot has happened since we left the pond. I think you should sit and relax for a minute." You can barely see his face but you know his eyes are pleading you to take a second and breathe. You would love to do that right now, but you still have things to attend to like the other rooms he didn't lock the shutters on yet.

"I will.. Just as soon as I'm done taking care of everything else." You turn to leave him again, but his hand holds you firm. He's right and you know it. You would love to sit down and not worry about anything right now, but you can't.

"I promise, as soon as the candles are lit and I lock up the other shutters, I will relax."

That seems to placate him enough because he lets you go. You'll explain everything, just not right now. There are priorities, and talking through your trauma isn't very on the list.

Joon already had candles unpacked and Yoongi found the matches again. Putting a light on the knoll post at the top and bottom of each staircase, several on the dining room table, a few on the kitchen counter, others in the living room where they won't catch any of the draperies.