I See You, You See Me

Tests of Endurance

Jimin had plenty of moments where he worried about Y/N's health and couldn't wait till dealing with Doyoon was over so Y/N could finally have some measure of normalcy. But he had never been more worried than when he and Y/N, fresh off their flight, walked into the hotel their first meeting was being held at and Y/N stumbled and caught herself on the automatic sliding door to the lobby. His hand shot out to help her and he looked her up and down, slapping at her pant suit when he realized the door had left a smudge. He'd have to talk to the hotel about making sure every part of the door was clean.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah..." He felt Y/N's leg give again and immediately tightened the muscles in his arms, keeping her upright.

"Sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me." She said wearily, suddenly perking up when they approached the hotel's counter. Jimin should probably be talking for her but he couldn't help but look her over nervously. They had four days of meetings to get through. Was she going to be able to?

-

"She's all bark and no bite." Doyoon eyed his wine glass as the other investors exchanged glances.

"I don't know, Doyoon...."

"She was directly challenged in a shareholder meeting and folded. Walked away. She's not fit for leadership. And she knows it." He took a sip, his confidence overflowing. "I really don't think there's going to be much of a fight after all." He said satisfied. "At least from her." He still wasn't sure how dangerous to consider Namjoon.

The other investors weren't as certain. But no one wanted to rain on Doyoon's parade. That was his problem. He wasn't surrounded by people who could give him a reality check. He was lost in his own little world of grandeur.

-

As the last person left the room after their second day of meetings and signings, Y/N pitched forward in her chair and flopped her arms and head onto the table.

"Are you okay?" Jimin whispered from beside her, exhausted from trying to keep up with the conversation. They had a translator, but he knew enough Japanese that his mind automatically tried to follow what was being said. He couldn't imagine how wiped Y/N's brain was, listening to one language she had a passing familiarity with being translated into another that still wasn't her first. "Hey, c'mon. Let's get you to bed." Y/N resisted his attempts to pull her up, and he sighed. He was tired too. He knew she spent a lot of time outside regular work hours tracking stocks and consulting with a financial advisor, but still. He was tired. "Y/N, please." He pleaded and she sighed, finally lifting her head and looking at him with wet eyes.

"I'm so tired, Jimin."

"I know. Me too. We have to get up early tomorrow, so we need to go to bed."

"Can't we sleep here?" She was being ridiculous, she knew, but she was so.....exhausted didn't even begin to cover it. Jimin shook his head, and she finally cooperated with standing up. He kept an arm around her waist, not fully trusting her to not fall asleep while walking and then collapse.

Despite his own exhaustion, when they arrived at her room Jimin made sure to tuck her in with lots of blankets. He took the pillows from her couch and a blanket he didn't need from his and fluffed them around her. He didn't bother helping her out of her clothes, they were both too tired to go through the normal motions of getting ready for bed. He was so glad the meetings had been at their hotel today.

He called down to room service and made a somewhat strange request. But they didn't question, just showed up at his door with some cartons of juice, bottles of water, and some still-wrapped packages of bread. Jimin worked them in with the blankets, letting a water bottle rest against Y/N's face so she'd know it was there. She'd fallen asleep but started awake when the coolness touched her skin.

"Oh. Thank you." She was actually really touched and thankful but too tired to express that at the moment. Jimin sensed it though.

"You're welcome. Good night." Jimin headed to his own room and flopped onto his bed, passing out immediately.

-

Namjoon looked like death. And he knew it. He stared at himself in the mirror, warm water dripping off his face and pattering into the sink. He might actually look worse than immediately post-kidnapping.

"What the fuck." He muttered, letting his head drop. He was tired all the time and weakening, no matter how much he practiced and worked out. He went to bed and woke up feeling weaker and more tired, wishing Y/N was there.

He was always wishing she was here. More and more, it was really bothering him she wasn't here. But he didn't know why. It was constantly on his mind though. That he'd barely seen her for weeks, that it had been a quick text from Jimin that told him they were out of the country. He knew Jimin was coming back for the competition, but was Y/N coming? He'd wanted to ask her but in person....and that just hadn't worked well recently. Did she even know about it?

It hit him suddenly, like a ton of bricks, and he groaned and shook his head. No. No, that couldn't be it. He knew they were together, she wasn't abandoning him, she just had a lot going on....

But did his instincts really know that? Were they developed enough to understand the intricacies of their relationship?

He doubted it. They mated, Y/N got sick, and then he'd barely seen her.

His body thought he was being rejected, or maybe that something had happened to her. It wanted her close, to be reassured that she was okay.

"She's not rejecting me." He muttered to himself, splashing his face again. "She's just busy. Once things calm down we can have a movie night. She's not rejecting me." He said firmly to the mirror. "And you're going to conquer this competition and show everyone that you won't be beaten." He said sternly.

Just hang in there. What was a couple more days?

-

Done. They were done. Y/N and Jimin looked at each other in the elevator and grinned.

"We did it." Jimin high-fived her.

"Way to go, Chairwoman." Y/N looked smug, ready to get on the plane and land in Korea. Wait for Doyoon to figure out how wrong things had gone for him and anyone who had sided with him. They packed hurriedly, Y/N throwing her clothes in her suitcase as she held her phone between her ear and shoulder, finalizing a few loose ends with her financial advisor. Jimin finished his and went to her room to see if she needed any help....

And then his phone rang.

When finished her call, Jimin was standing at the door to her hotel room looking absolutely crushed.

"Ito-san's secretary says there's a problem with one of the documents, and he has a question about the percentages we agreed on."

"Are you fucking kidding me." Y/N said, feeling like crying.

"He wants to meet up in two hours." Right when their plane was supposed to leave. Y/N closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead, feeling like they couldn't catch a break. She had had a near constant headache since coming here, and now she felt her pulse thudding in her ears.

"Okay. Okay." She said, trying to calm herself down. "Okay, call the translator and have them meet me at wherever he wants to go over this. Then catch the plane." Jimin had started dialing as soon as she said the first part of her sentence but stopped and looked up in surprise when she finished.

"What...?" Y/N looked at him firmly.

"If you don't you'll miss Namjoon's performance."

"But so will you."

"You've known him longer, and I don't absolutely need you to look this over. So just go on ahead, I'll book a flight as soon as I'm done."

Jimin considered protesting. But Y/N was giving him such a "don't argue with me" look and he was so tired and he also did really want to see hyung's performance because he knew it meant a lot to Namjoon....

His shoulders sagged.

"Okay."