Zero: A BTS AU (On Hold)

A painting and some plants: Ch 40

The car ride was stagnant. A tense silence squeezing the life out of any possible conversations before they were even born. A viper like grip that was just as unrelenting as Taehyung's hold on you.

He had been oh so hesitant to let you go as he placed you in your seat, but in the end he had to. To make up for the reduction of area of which he held in his arms, he had chosen to focus on his strenght, maintaining tight contact on your arm and hand throughout the whole ride. At one point your arm had gone numb so you tried to wriggle it awake, but the look in his eyes and the growl hidden in his throat stopped your movements.

Even then, as you resigned yourself to the pain of your numbing arm, you found no answers, couldn't even voice the questions. 'Why are you trying to kill my arm? What is with this mood? What do you want for dinner?'

So it was silence. An unplesent tension bombarding your mind and no where for you to run.

That was until the car stopped, at which point your mind regersted an opportunity for escape. Taehyung opened the door, his focus on you momentary reduced, and you bolted out without a second thought.

Headed for your house at a hastened pace, rummaging through your bag for keys, you slam into the hard door. Or not the door. Unless it grew arms. Cause it grabbed your shoulders in attempt to stabilise you. And it breaths. Not only the puff of air that shot out of it when you collided, but it keeps breathing.

'Who was at your door? Why?' You thought, before you remembered that you had eyes and if you just tilted your head up you would see- 'oh heck, lordy that beautiful face is too close for comfort. Not only is he beautiful, but that smooth skin, that aqua hair, well he looks familiar'.

And then you realised.

Holy heck it was Jimin.

And behind him, waiting at your door, were the other two members of BTS.

All of them, the whole gang, were here at your home.

Lè why?

"Oi, (y/n)! Why did you run? Oh? Hey Jin hyung, Yoongi hyung. You are here already?" Jungkook called as he aproached the door, the others following.

"Jungkook, why didn't you great me? I am your hyung too!" Whined Jimin.

His younger brother just glanced at him and smirked before looking back at you, "I think I heard someone, how about you (y/n)? Did you hear anything?"

You shook your head, "not really, though I seem to have smashed my head on an invisible object," you joked along with him.

Jimin looked shocked, offended even. The others laughed, and he shook you back and forth whining, "(y/n)! I am right here! Your mate is right here!"

Initially you didn't look at him, merely trailing your eyes to glance over his personage as if you were searching for something that was just out of reach. But as soon as the word "mate" tumbled out his pouted lips your head snapped up and your eyes connected with his gaze.

He smiled when you did, his worry and disappointment transforming into a smirk of pride, a gaze of triumph.

He was the only one.

Your face held confusion and intreage.

The other six held shock, concern and worry as they waited for you to respond.

"Mate?" You paused and rose your brows in amusement, "Mate? What, are you, English? Australian? Or perhaps did you pick up some vocabulary from your trip to New Zealand?" You laughed to yourself.

They let out sighs of relief.

And then you tilted your head in thought, 'wait? Mate, he meant friend right? Buddy, pal, my guy - friend. That is what he meant by mate yeah? So he thinks of us as friends already? Good enough to call us mates? Well... it is nice that he likes me that much, but really, we haven't done anything to get close. Not that I am complaining'.