Bulletproof | A BTS Gang AU

Black Swan

A week passed before EXO's doctors determined I was well enough to leave my hospital room and go back home. Jungkook had brought me a backpack filled with clothes and other essentials and as I sat that in the floor just inside the front door of the mansion, I thought about everything I'd been through since I'd first walked in that room with Tae. The house felt different now. Everything felt different. Nothing would ever be the same again and I almost wanted to weep at the thought that all those fun, playful times might be something of the past.

Especially when they learned the truth about who I was.

Jin hadn't been hurt as badly as I'd feared and had been released from the hospital a few days before me. But he hadn't been to visit me once. Everyone else had been there, even Jimin, which made his absence all the more unusual. And painful. When I'd asked about him, the guys had just shifted their eyes away from mine and made noncommittal comments about him being busy trying to put out all the fires we'd lit. The Baron wasn't after us for the moment, but no one knew how long that peace was going to last, so we had to plan for defensive actions against the full weight of AT3. Especially if they decided to come for Hwasa, who was still being held by EXO - along with Wonho's body.

A trembling sigh left my body as I thought about Wonho. I couldn't believe he was gone, or that his death meant so much to me. I'd laid in my bed for days trying to understand it, but nothing made sense. One thing was clear, though. My memory problems weren't due to something AT3 had done to me. A sneaking suspicion had started to grow in my mind that maybe I had done it to myself. But for what reason, I had yet to learn.

I sighed and fixed myself a glass of water before grabbing my bag off the floor and making my way up to the room I still shared with Jungkook. For however long that would last. I was so lost in my thoughts, I didn't hear him walk in the room.

"Natalia." His deep voice made me gasp and brought tears to my eyes. Who knew one word could destroy a person so completely. When I turned and looked at Namjoon leaning against the kitchen counter, his face was painfully unreadable. I clung to the straps of the backpack like it was the only lifeline keeping me from breaking apart and blowing away on the wind.

"Joon..." my words failed me as I dropped my head to the side. He bit his lip and looked away. "How long have you known?"

"So it's true," he asked without looking at me.

"I think so. I still don't remember anything, but we have no reason to believe Hwasa or Wonho was lying."

He sucked his bottom lip all the way in his mouth like a child trying not to cry before looking down at his feet. He shook his head slightly before he, in the most confusing move, laughed and pushed himself away from the counter. In just a few steps, he was in front of me. He pulled the bag from my hands, dropped it on the floor, and took my face in his hands. His kiss was searching and desperate, but I gave myself over to it completely. I gave myself over to him.

It was several minutes before he pulled away, but the distance felt comfortable. His eyes searched mine and all I could see reflected back at me was relief and something that looked achingly like love.

"I thought I'd lost you all over again. I've had a suspicion since that night in my office, but to hear you say it out loud...I don't know the words to use to tell you how happy this makes me."

I couldn't control my tears anymore. The relief hearing him say that was palpable. "How, though? I didn't even suspect something like this."

"Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back."

I stared up at him with a furrowed brow as I tried to make sense of what he was saying. He laughed softly and shook his head again.

"It was the little things. Natalia...you...used to say that all the time. I'd never even heard the rest of that saying before you. And no one else has ever been able to go toe-to-toe with Jungkook or understand Taehyung or get through to Yoongi like you. When I sat back and looked at all the pieces, the puzzle just fit together. But it wasn't until Jin let his guard down with you that I really let myself believe it. You're back. My baby's back."