Broken//Kim Namjoon

2; The Love Man

Unedited

Prrrring!

That was the bell for Athena's shop door, which was at the end of a long hallway, making it extremely hard to find, not that it mattered to her, for she took care of most of her clients through mail. But it was a nice change for Namjoon. This was his seventh visit to her, and he was planning on many more.

He walked right past the main room available to visitors and went straight to the back room where her workshop was. He saw her wearing her iconic double-lensed glasses, carefully working with a little golden statue on a platform. Upon seeing her in her natural habitat, he smiled, making dimples become visible. Namjoon snuck up on her an put his hands on her shoulders. She jumped a little and turned around, taking her glasses off.

"Namjoon!" she smiled widely, as if seeing me brightened her day. He really hoped that was the case, for that certainly was the case for him.

"Hey, Athena. How's the trophy doing?" I asked, referring to Jungkooks award sitting on her table.

"Well, I've got to admit, you've really managed to break it well. It's like you did it on purpose!" she scolded, although there was a smile on her face.

"I swear it was an accident! It's not my fault I tripped on air," he argued. She just shook her head, facepalming. Suddenly he became serious. "But are you sure you can fix it? I don't want to burden you or anything."

"Oh, no! Not at all. If it'll make you happy then I'm all for it," Athena said. Her tone was so caring, and it made him feel something that he'd never felt before. Without warning, Namjoon pulled her in for a hug, wrapping his arms around her whole torso. It was done in such a way that her arms were pinned to her sides, but she didn't mind. That's one of the many things he liked about her: she never seemed to mind.

"I'm so glad I met you," he muttered. Athena smiled, because she felt the same.

"Me too, me too," she said once he released her. "Anyway, I should be able to fix it within two weeks, depending on how busy I am. The arm is missing, but I can make a new one, I just need a little bit of metal, which I'll order tonight..."

She began to ramble on the process, which he didn't understand one bit of. All he saw was her emotions while speaking. Namjoon could listen to her talk about fixing things all day. There was a certain glow about her that he loved.

"... And I'll deliver it to your apartment when I've finished," she said, fiddling with a small knut in her fingers.

"Thank you," he repeated for the millionth time.

"No problem," Athena told him, going to her spiral staircase and climbing to the second story, Namjoon following behind her. The staircase ended at a small wooden flat, which had a large bay window overlooking the street below, where sun would be shining during the day. A stack of books rested there, next to a black and white pillow. On the opposite side was a small kitchen, which was held in by a bar, and behind that bar was the dining table, which had room for two. That's where they'd shared Soju a little less than two weeks ago. The far wall had two doors, one for the bathroom, and one for her bedroom. The rest of the space was a little living room, with a couch and television. The walls, like in her workshop, were made of a rich, brown wood, giving a sort of golden, cozy vibe to the place.

The two sat next to each other on the couch, Athena cross-legged and Namjoon with him feet tucked under him. It had only been a few days, but the two were already completely comfortable with each other.

"You want to watch something?" she asked, grabbing the remote.

"Definitely," he said, settling to the couch.

"So what you in the mood for? Miracle in Cell No. 7? A Tale of Two Sisters? A Werewolf Boy?" she asked, scrolling down.

"I've never seen a Werewolf Boy," Namjoon said. She nodded and opened the movie.

"Wolf Boy it is," she said. A few minutes into the movie, she leaned closer. "You want something to eat or drink?"

"You got anything with alcohol?" he asked (cuz ya know, it's all about the alcohol in Korea).

"You know it," Athena said, a smile appearing on her face, remembering their first day together when she said the same thing. She pulled two bottles of Soju out, and popped the caps. She handed one to him, pulling her hair out of her bun and laying next to him. They were sitting closer now.

Halfway through the movie, Athena began to get sleepy, her head bobbing. Her chin hit her chest, but she jolted, rubbing her eyes, attempting to stay awake.

"Are you tired?" Namjoon asked, putting his hand on her leg. She shook her head vigorously.

"No, no, I'm okay," she insisted, although she yawned right after. It was clear that Athena was tired. Dark circles could be seen under her eyes, and Namjoon knew that she had been working hard the past few days.

"Sleeeeep," he said, like a little child. He put his hand on her cheek and pulled her head towards his shoulder in an attempt to get her to rest her head on his shoulder. "C'mon, I'm not going to do anything."

She looked at him skeptically, but just put her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. After a few minutes, Namjoon looked over at her. She looked completely at peace, her face now completely free of stress or worry. He smiled and lifted his fingers to push some of her hair out of her face.

Namjoon could feel it; a little fire starting in his soul. It was a feeling that he'd felt before, but after last time he promised that he would never let it take over him again. Because everything he touches breaks. And he couldn't do that to Athena. So he'd try to push it down before it got out of hand.

But it sparked again, every time he heard her name, heck, if he even thought about her. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he loved her, even now, only two weeks after meeting her, she'd already fused herself with his thoughts, like a virus he could never clean out.

"What are you doing to me?" he asked quietly, stroking her cheek gently his thumb. In her sleep, she scrunched her nose in reaction to his touch. Even this little action made him blush.

"Oh god, I know you're trying to do," he said, as if talking to a child. Namjoon smiled, his face lighting up. "You're trying to make me fall for you!" He smiled, taking her hand in his, stroking it with his thumb. After a minute he came to a realization, and his smile dropped and he let go of her hand. "But I can't ever be with you, Athena. I'd break it, like I do with everything I touch." His heart ached, remembering his countless promises to himself. He wouldn't ever love someone again.

He looked at her, as if expecting her to respond, that she had heard the words he'd never be brave enough to say to her conscious face. But she made no such response, and continued sleeping. Namjoon sighed and watched the end of the movie silently.