She Doesn't Like Flowers

Help Me Change

Now that Jimin mentioned it, it shouldn't have taken Y/N that long to change. Taehyung rapped on the bathroom door.

"Y/N?" No response. "Y/N, are you decent? Can I come in?" She hadn't locked the door and he opened it hesitatingly, not wanting to walk in on her in the middle of changing.

He needn't have worried. She was curled up next to the bathtub, clutching a towel around her. Her dress was in a pile next to the clothes he'd given her. There was fresh blood on her lips and some on the towel. He crouched next to her, unsure.

"Y/N?"

"I can't get it off." She whispered, looking down.

"Get what off." She wiped her lips. "The blood?" She shook her head. "What can't you get off?" She dabbed at her lips with the towel and held it tighter.

"It won't come off."

"What won't come off?" He was confused. Was she thinking straight? Idiot, she's just been through a trauma. Why would she be thinking straight?

"Him." The word was spoken so softly he almost didn't catch it.

"Him?"

"I can feel him. Everywhere." She closed her eyes, trying not to cry. "It won't come off." Oh. He took his finger and carefully ran it over her lips, coming away slightly bloody. She felt like Byung-ho's hands were still on her, all over, and she couldn't make it stop.

"Y/N, do you feel that?" He did it again when she didn't respond and this time she looked up at him. "That's me. Close your eyes." She did and he wiped her lips again. "This is me. Focus on me. I'm touching you. You're safe." Her breath came out in one long puff as she sighed in relief. "Better?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Can you get dressed or do you need help?" He wasn't actually offering. He offered cuz he expected a no. He just wanted her to know that he was here. So it felt like time had stopped for a moment when she curled up even tinier in front of him and muttered,

"Yes." Oh. Um...he glanced back towards the door. All his staff was off today. He didn't have anyone but him and Jimin here. Shit. Well...he had offered...

He closed the bathroom door and helped her stand up, purposefully keeping his eyes on her hair and reaching for her t-shirt. Despite that...his jaw clenched when he noticed the bruises already forming on her neck and arms. She lifted them and he slid the shirt over her head. He hadn't realized it but her bra was a darker color and he could still kind of see it through the material. He cleared his throat and held her jeans out for her to step into. She slid her arms around his neck for stability and he was thankful that Jimin wasn't here to see how bright red his face probably looked.

Because despite what she'd been through her body was gorgeous and she was an attractive person. And when he stood up she was close. Really close. He shook himself as she rested her face against his chest again. She'd just been through a traumatic experience. Now was not the time to be looking at her bra.

"You can sleep in my guest room tonight, okay?" She nodded. He took her hand and stepped back, forcing distance between them. She was vulnerable. She saw him as a friend. His heart needed to stop racing. 

"Call me if you need anything." He led her to the bedroom and closed door behind her, slumping against it, breathing evenly to slow down his pulse. He tried to let his mind focus on anger, anger at her attacker.  He had been justly and soundly beaten. If there was one thing he knew he could count on, it was his friends having the same definition of justice he did.  But still....

"How is she?" Taehyung cleared his throat again as he walked into the living room. Why couldn't he get it unstuck?

"Fine. She...fine."

"Why are you red?" Taehyung coughed and sat down on the opposite end of the couch from Jimin.

"Taehyung?" He could tell from Jimin's tone he wasn't going to let this go.

"She...she needed help changing." He said, fidgeting and not looking Jimin in the eye. When he didn't get a response he looked over to see Jimin smirking.

"What?"

"I knew it. We knew it."

"Knew what?"

"You like her." Taehyung knew what he meant.

"Of course, I have to like someone to have them as my friend." His eyes narrowed. "You being the exception."

"Don't change the subject, you know what I meant."

"I don't."

"You do."

"Don't."

"Do."

"Yah." Taehyung said, giving up and throwing his hands up in the air. "It doesn't matter if I do. She doesn't feel the same way."

"And yet you were the one she went to as soon as that door was opened."

"Because we're friends and Ryung isn't here." Taehyung grit his teeth in annoyance. Jimin kept smirking.

"If that's what you want to tell yourself." Sometimes his hyung was really irritating.