The Wrong Soulmate (BTS OT7)

Chapter 3.9-Jin

Jungkook told us what had happened with Yoona. I expected everyone to be jealous but was surprised to find that they were mostly excited for the good news. At the same time I saw something in Jungkook that I hadn't seen in a long time. He was proud of himself. There really was something about the opportunity to support Yoona that seemed to have the ability to draw us all together.

I was going to spend most of the day with Yoona and I was looking forward to seeing if she might share a bit more of her story with me. After we had eaten and gotten ready for the day I grabbed my phone to see if she might chat with me. A small nod of her head was all I needed to start typing.

I'm so happy you are back. Are you happy here?

Yoona hesitated for only a moment before nodding in agreement.

Can I ask how you lost your hearing?

Yoona reached for my phone to begin typing in response.

I was sick with a very high fever.

Oh my poor girl. I just held her tight knowing how frightening that must have been at the time. First to be that sick, then to discover you can't hear. And I had serious doubts that Hyunjin would have gone out of his way to support her in the transition.

How long ago did it happen?

Yoona scrunched up her eyes obviously in deep thought.

I don't know. Maybe six months?

So not that long really. I wanted to take her to see a doctor but knew she might not be ready yet. I knew she continued to be very nervous about anyone going near her ears and I'd all but abandoned trying to clean the area.

Did you lose your voice at the same time?

I could see her thinking. She paused so long I started to expect she wouldn't answer at all. But eventually she gave me a shrug of the shoulders and took the phone from my hand.

But she didn't start typing right away. She just stared at the device until finally she began to press the letters, seeming to stop before each and every word.

Hyunjin didn't like it when I talked after I lost my hearing so he helped me stop.

Helped her stop? First of all her speaking would make communication so much easier, it made no sense for him to think it would be better if she didn't. And how do you 'help someone stop' speaking anyway? Did that mean she could speak, or had he done something irreversible?

I could tell that Yoona was becoming flustered and I didn't want to push her on the topic further.

But there was one more topic I knew was critical for our soulmates to ask so I was at least going to ask.

Yoona, beautiful, what happened to the baby?

Yoona looked stricken. She began to shake her head no before she even had my phone in her hand.

The baby is gone.

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I loved being the one to take care of all of Yoona's personal needs. It ensured we were together often and it felt like a practical way to put some normality in all of our lives. We had fallen into simple rhythms during her baths. While I think she was a bit embarrassed by the whole situation, I worked hard to keep it gentle, but clinical in nature.

My soulmates and I had run our soapy hands over each other's bodies many times, often as a precursor to more intimate times together. But while I was sweet in our interactions, her comfort was and always remained my top priority.

I had just settled her in the warm bath water when she stopped me, threading her fingers through mine, palms pressed together.

I felt her gently brushing against me in the bond, trying to get my attention. I quickly opened up to her but held back, remembering Kookie's report on his own soul bond interactions with Yoona.

Yoona started slowly, but I could feel her inching closer and closer in our bond until she lightly poked me, seeing how I would respond. I allowed her to press into me, inclining myself toward her in a clear show of openness. I closed my eyes as I felt her bathe me in a feeling of gratitude and appreciation, something I never could have imagined.

I began to well up with tears and I'm sure Yoona could only feel one thing in response. Relief. It had been so long since I'd felt seen and valued by one of my soulmates. I hadn't realized how hard the last few years had been.

Wiping my eyes I returned to the work of carefully bathing our last soulmate. I could see that our efforts to help her regain her health were working. As I ran my hands across her I could feel her bones receding further away from the surface, beginning to be covered with more than just skin. And she could begin to support more of her own body weight for longer periods of time as her strength returned. I knew it was the effort of our entire soul group working together to see her heal. I began to wonder if maybe she would somehow heal us too.

After carefully drying her and brushing her hair, I carried Yoona over to Kookie's bed where she would sleep for the night. We originally agreed we would take turns but Kookie begged to be by her side every night and nobody had the heart to tell him no. So he had largely taken over her nighttime care.

Tonight after I laid her in Jungkook's bed I crawled in next to her, preparing to spend the night too. Jungkook was surprised to see me in his bed when he walked out of his bathroom, but seemed even more surprised that I didn't leave when he crawled in on Yoona's other side.

"Kookie, can I stay here tonight? I really want to be close to both my beautiful girl and my baby boy."

Jungkook's eyes widened in surprise at the affectionate nickname. "Of course Hyung. I've missed having you here." After he gave me a sweet smile he shuffled closer to Yoona so he could hold her tight. "Goodnight Hyung. Sleep well."

"You too baby boy."