skin and bones | min yoongi | *HIATUS*

1« skeleton meets stranger

When I look back on it, I don't blame myself for what happened anymore. For the longest time, I knew nothing but the guilt that tore at my every heartstring. But I've come to understand that the most rewarding part of this chapter in my life, was knowing I helped him.
It wasn't the euphoria of finally kissing him for the first time, or the way my name slid off his tongue like syrup when he was happy to see me. It was that beautiful moment, as if the roof vanished just so the sun could pour itself over me, as if I could finally breathe again, when he finally said to me,
"You've changed me for the better."
And I could say the same back.

~~~

I still remember the first time I saw him. It was a beautiful morning, the flowers of spring in full bloom.
Hey, new beginnings, right?
I hoped so.
I was a nobody, a skeleton in a body that didn't feel like mine anymore. And everyone knew that.
Applying to be a waitress didn't work; as much effort as I put in, my ghostly appearance would only scare customers. Alternatively, I was a dishwasher, hanging in the back of the Garden Diner making minimum wage.
Jimin was the closest thing to a friend I had. He was a handsome waiter who shamelessly ignored my appearance, always loitering around the backroom and teasing me for not being able to reach the top shelf for extra dish soap. I think he just felt bad for me.
And today, like any other day, I hummed an optimistic tune as I worked, because even though the sun was out, my life was anything but sunny. God knows I needed to make some effort.
"Daniella! Phone!" My manager sounded overwhelmed as she called for me, so I bit my tongue and decided not to correct her on my name.
I tiptoed out, ignoring the usual stares from the chefs, and grabbed the phone from Sandra with trembling fingers. I was expecting the call.
The voice on the other end was low and gravelly. My landlord.
"Ms. Estes, I'm sorry, but I can't keep giving you extensions." My heart dropped.
Please don't say what I know you're going to.
I spoke softly and pleadingly,
"Mr. Wheeler, I promise you, I'm getting paid on Friday, if you could just-"
"Stop whining. I understand that you're in a difficult situation, Ms. Estes, but I can't keep giving you extra chances. I'm putting an eviction notice on your apartment. I expect you out by Monday."
"But sir, I-"
"Best of luck."
The end tone as he hung up was an anvil looming over my head.
I sighed, forcing a smile like I promised I would.
I knew this was going to happen eventually. I'll figure it out.
I approached my manager calmly, mustering the sweetest puppy dog eyes I could manage.
"Sandra, can I have permission to take the rest of the day off?" I bowed my head respectfully. "It's a family emergency, and today isn't extremely busy anyway. Jimin can cover for me."
Sandra, a tight-strung woman, tsk tsk'd at me just as Jimin peeked his head in at the sound of his name. "Yeah boss! I can totally handle the dishes for tonight. I'll even stay late if I have to."
"Don't make this a habit." With that, Sandra dismissed me and clicked away on her black heels.
I mouthed a silent thank you to Jimin before running to the back to grab my ripped and rugged green backpack, one of the few things I had to my name.
That thought made my stomach twist, and I noticed myself speeding up as I walked out of the restaurant, the tears already welling up in my eyes.
Smile through it, Smile through it, Smile through it.
But in my desperation to escape the cage-like walls and smug black and white tiles on the floor, I walked right into an incoming customer.
And what a beautiful stranger he was, his melanin skin a beacon of color in the dark and frankly melancholy restaurant. His messy black hair was long enough to cover his dark brooding eyes, but only just. I felt like a deer in the headlights as his piercing gaze hovered on mine. His eyes widened for a split second, with perhaps recognition?
But this frozen moment lasted only seconds before he stumbled back with a concerned frown. "Shit, are you okay?" Aside from the faint Korean accent, and the tiniest hint of a lisp, his voice was rough like that of a smoker. He sounded as if he hadn't slept in days, and my suspicions were confirmed by the purple bags under his eyes. His genuine concern calmed my rapid heart for a split second.
I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand, nodding with a sweet smile. "Absolutely, sorry about that!"
"Well, try to keep your head out of the clouds. You look kinda insane."
I dismissed the rude comment.
Everybody has reasons for the way the act. And besides, he's right anyway.
"For sure!"
I noticed the way he held himself, his back and shoulders hunched like a tired old man. It was an insecure stance for such a mesmerizing person.
Oh god, how long had I been staring at him?
"Well, sorry again. Have a good day."
My nerves escorted me quickly out of his way and through the door, rushing to my bike as fast as my tiny legs would carry me. My mind was already pushing the sexy stranger out of it as I ran down the vacant street; there were much more important things I needed to worry about.
But it wasn't until I turned the street corner and stopped to catch my breath, that I realized how kind that guy had truly been. Because unlike every other person, he sincerely didn't notice anything. He didn't stare at my hollowed cheekbones, or my sunk-in eyes, or my arms so thin you could wrap your thumb and pointer finger around them. I knew I was a terrifying sight, a skeleton, but he'd looked in my eyes when he spoke to me, nowhere else.
I sighed, shaking such clingy thoughts from my head.
That guy was an enigma, but I can't just sit here and fall in love. Frankly I just want to get the hell home.
As if I got to call it home for much longer.

~~~

{a/n} hi reader! Welcome to skin and bones! This is seeming reallllly angsty so far, but I promise the lighthearted fluff and romance is coming! I know this is an incredibly heavy subject to tackle, (even though you don't really know where it's going yet), but i always try to portray my characters and scenarios in the realest way possible, and I hope you as a reader and as a person can appreciate that. Thanks so much for taking the time to read my book, and I hope you enjoy it!

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As always, happy reading ❤️

-라나