Awaken My Love

Brace Yourselves

Namjoon

It was time to tell Aster that we were all leaving to go back to Korea, and that she would be coming with us. No one left at HQ really knew what to do with her. She was too volatile and unpredictable to leave behind. Plus, she had absolutely no one she could lean on for support if something happened. No friends, no family. She was utterly alone.

Maybe I was just trying to make up an excuse to take her with us, but I really just wanted to believe there was no other option. To be perfectly honest, I didn't want her out of my sight. I couldn't deny how I felt about her, no matter how far down I had to shove those feelings.

I walked up to her door and knocked confidently. Taking a deep breath and adjusting my shoulders, I braved myself for the outburst I knew would come the minute I told her.

The door opened just a crack and I saw one of her bright blue eyes peeking through it.

"It's Namjoon, Aster. May I come in?" I watched her eye rake me up and down before finally opening all the way.

She said nothing as I walked into her quarters and stood in the center of the open living room. I looked her over as she walked past me and sat in an overstuffed chair, curling her legs under her, then gripping a pillow in her arms. She looked pale and maybe a bit green?

"Are you feeling alright?" I walked a bit closer.

"No. I'm not feeling alright. Your stupid doctor keeps dumping crap into my poor body and I've finally hit a stopping point. What do you want?"

Her voice was tight and clearly weary. She laid her head in her arms, and I heard a slight groan come from her.

"Let me call Jimin-"

"No!" she shouted, her head popping up quickly. "No. He will just think it's progress and be happy. I'm not about to make him happy."

I laughed softly to myself as her head slowly dropped back down to her arms. I didn't like seeing her suffer but her plucky attitude was still wonderfully present.

"I came to tell you that we're leaving." I sat down on a loveseat sofa near her chair and leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees.

"Good riddance," she groaned.

I licked my lips and stayed silent for just a moment before blurting out the news she didn't seem to want to hear. "You're coming with us."

Her head popped up, her eyes red and bleary looking, but fiery anger was flashing in them.

"No, I most certainly am not!"

I shrugged nonchalantly. "Aster, you have no choice in the matter. I can't in good conscience leave you here-"

"I can take care of myself! I am a grown woman, Namjoon!"

I was secretly pleased to hear my name on her lips but I wished it hadn't been said with such disgust. "You are. And I am sure you can take plenty good care of yourself. But you have no one here, Aster. No family, no friends, what if something goes wrong?"

"I will figure it out," she said, tears clouding her voice.

"And I'm sure you could," I said softly. "But I feel responsible for you. All of us in the BCU do. If I left you behind, my men would mutiny."

"I don't care. I'm not going."

"I already said you have no choice."

"I don't care what you said! You can't make me!"

"You sound like a child, Aster. Look at this as an adventure! Change of scenery! Anything positive will do."

"Nothing positive about being stuck in a foreign country with seven men I don't think I can trust."