aria did just as jungkook told her to. she took the meds as soon as she got home, changed out of her dress and crashed in her bed, without caring for the brother who laid in the living room couch, playing a movie and chatting with his wife. he did ask aria how her meeting with the in-laws went, to which aria just hummed, shrugging her shoulders and told him to lock the door if he leaves while she's still asleep.

the nap, three-and-a-half hours long, was definitely healing and much needed after eveything that happened within the span of a few hours. and when aria woke up again, her major concern was that jimin was still in her apartment. he's sleeping right now, sprawled on the couch, his phone on the table and cans of soda and empty packets of chips under the coffee table. aria should've known that he's not here for nothing. he just needed a place where he can doze off without having to worry about food and the mess that he creates. his clothes are out of place too, just wearing the jeans he came in, while the t-shirt is thrown on the couch across him and even the belt is lying on the floor.

aria takes a deep breath, rolling her eyes at her brother and heads to the kitchen, putting on an apron to start preparing the dinner. as she's busy washing some vegetables, thinking about everything jungkook said to her. it makes her smile to herself, imagining herself with him in a different living their lives happily. the bubble pops, interrupting her anticipation for a solid plan as a phone rings in the living room.

she wipes her hands, heading towards the sound which doesn't even bother the sleeping brother, making her sigh. the caller id reads 'mom' and aria shakes jimin lightly, "wake up, mom's calling you." she says.

jimin hums, turning the side and pushes her hand away from his shoulder as though she was being the biggest inconvenience to him at the moment. "fine, i'll answer." she shrugs her shoulders, picking up the phone and jimin grumbles in response.

"tell her i'm sleeping."

aria shakes her head, answering the call of their mother and says, "hello, mom. it's aria, jimin's sleeping."

"oh? aria, is he at your place?" she asks and aria hums in response, "ah okay, let him sleep. he must be tired."

"yeah," aria says softly, "did you have something important to tell him?"

"actually no, just wanted to make sure that he wasn't starving himself these days, since yoona is in incheon. don't you think she should understand her responsibility as his wife to take care of him? what kind of people are her parents..." mrs park clicks her tongue in disappointment, "who lets their daughter stay at home for this long, leaving her husband alone?"

aria gulps down her own voice, not saying anything to her mother. but her eyes do glance at jimin for a second, and she sighs softly, "it's okay, mom. jimin doesn't have a problem with it."

"it's all because of that girl. she's got him wrapped around her finger. my boy wasn't like that. you know him too, right? your father and brother—"

aria coughs a little, turning away from jimin and goes back to the kitchen, for she doesn't want him to hear anything that might upset him. he loves yoona a lot and aria knows that it bothers him how their mother often complains about yoona visiting her parents the second time already since their wedding last year. one thing that has been confirmed for aria, watching jimin's wife, is that she won't be welcomed at her parents' house after marriage. not for more than a few hours.

"aria? are you listening to me?"

"yes, mom." she hums, "actually i'm cooking dinner for us. so just got a bit focused."

"oh of course. make something your brother likes, okay? he must be really stressed with work and then his wife not being here for him."

aria rolls her eyes at that, accidentally spotting jimin in the process as he looks wide away now, heading towards her. "what are you cooking?" he mumbles.

"is he up?" mrs park asks.

"i guess," aria smiles sarcastically at jimin, putting the phone on speaker. "you're on speaker, mom. jimin can hear you." she says, placing the phone on the counter towards jimin as she stands near the sink, resuming her job from earlier. jimin frowns at her, giving a glare, his hand gesturing towards the phone, but the mother is speaking already.

"jimin? are you sure you're doing okay by yourself, darling?"

jimin sighs deeply, massaging his temples, "yes, mom. can you please stop asking me that all the time?" he says, knowing what it must be about.

"i can't help it, son. i'm worried for you. now tell me, at least someone has to be there for you right? it's not a good thing to—"

"i've said this before and i'll repeat myself for you," aria stares at her brother, watching how he actually looks disappointed with their mother's behaviour, especially since it's about his wife. "yoona went to her parents because she missed them. i told her that she should go. it's not a big deal, relax."

aria knew that jimin loves yoona a lot and often steps up for her because she doesn't. but what's new here, is that mrs park actually shuts up. aria watches jimin not showing any interest in talking with the mother and soon ends the call without much exchange of words. oh how aria wishes she could do that. she blinks a few times, looking down at her hands, washing the carrot she has been holding under the faucet for about five minutes.

yoona got lucky and found a good husband. not everyone is born with a silver spoon, though. it's funny how one of the biggest decisions of a person's life is taken by their families without any consent. you might get lucky if you've done any good deeds in this life or the previous one, or you could end up being beaten every day and night, treated like a puppet with no respect and existence of your own.

aria prays that she turns out lucky.

"the carrot looks fine to me." jimin says, standing beside the sister, leaning against the counter with his arms casually resting back on the counter top behind him. aria puts the vegetables down, washing her hands for a minute and finally grabs a towel, hissing to herself at the loss of cold water on her skin. "you good?"

"yeah," she nods, "you can go and sit. i'm cooking for us."

"i'm good." he hums, opening the fridge, then pauses to take a glance back at the things she has brought out to prepare dinner. he closes the door of the fridge and picks up a pan, flipping it in the air and catches it with a smile, "move aside. let me show you how good of a cook i've become. yoona taught me some of her best recipes."

aria looks at jimin, a subtle frown appearing on her brows, scrunching them together in confusion and jimin nods, "yeah, you don't believe me?" he chuckles.

"she taught you?" aria mumbles, "you cook at home?"

"sometimes." he hums, pushing her aside and turns on the stove, placing the pan on it. to aria it all feels wierd for she had never seen jimin work at home, nor their father. males in general aren't made to work in the kitchen for what she has seen and learnt ao far. even jungkook, despite liking the skill, doesn't cook at home because he also has a mother who pampers him and doesn't even let him pick up his cups with his hands.

"why?" she asks, "yoona doesn't cook..?"

"she does. she's amazing. but just to help her sometimes, or when she's on her period, or she doesn't feel like working, y'know? we have those days when we want breakfast in bed." he chuckles. "she loves that."

aria blinks a few times, staring at jimin and nods slowly, letting out a breathy surprised laugh, "wow. that's very... new..." jimin's smile turns sadder, glancing at his sister and nods his head, opening his free arm for her. aria steps closer, hugging his taller frame from the side and looks up, "i didn't know men work in the kitchen too... or that wives got to relax?"

"i'm sorry," he hushes out, "it's our fault."

"no, i'm— i mean, do you really do that? you help yoona?" she stares at jimin, tears welling her eyes without even realising for one single memory floods her head, making her sniffle quietly and close her eyes, hugging jimin tighter, "remember when dad asked me to make him a cup of tea, and i didn't wanna do it. so i asked you...?"

of course, he remembers. he was sixteen and aria was twelve. she knew how to make tea but didn't realise until then, that she wasn't supposed to say no. she was busy completing her drawing assignment when it happened, she asked jimin to make their father the tea he wanted, which unfortunately both the parents saw. their mother taught her that day, that if she's asked to do something by her parents, father especially, brother, and husband and his family in future, she must do it. it was weird how a she was shamed for asking her brother to do the task instead of doing it herself.

jimin had said that he didn't mind, but considering that he was busy too at the moment, he would've asked someone else to do it. maybe one of the maids, or even the mother since she liked treating her husband like he was some god. but being young, jimin never actively spoke up for aria, which he realises was his mistake back then. supporting her wasn't enough, he needed to tell the parents too.

"do you think i'll be lucky like yoona?" she asks.

"yeah," jimin nods, cupping aria's face and leans down to kiss her forehead, "you will get the best man out there, who will love you more than anyone else and show you what you've been missing out."

"i feel like i'm missing out on so much, jimin. i'm always so nervous. it's scary— the thought that i might mess up and then you guys will be unhappy. dad will be unhappy... i don't want him to be mad at me."

jimin stares at her with a soft gaze and makes her look at him directly, "you can tell them when you don't feel like doing something, ari. you can voice up, they'll listen eventually."

"no. they'll lock me up," she sighs, massaging her temples, "you won't understand, jim. you're not me... you've never been me. if i say anything against them, they'll lock me up at home until the wedding day and give me off to the kims. and then i won't even be welcomed hre because suddenly that place wouldn't be my home anymore..."

"it will always be your home." jimin emphasizes, "you can come back and stay for as long as you want, whenever you want, ari, as long as i'm alive— as long as your brother is alive. that mansion is yours just as much as it is mine. no one can change that, okay?"

"it's not..." she shakes her head, "i grew up with mom and dad continuously reminding me that i don't belong there. they did everything to have me look pretty because they didn't wanna be disappointed or ashamed when i met people. everyone wants a pretty daughter-in-law... remember how mom and dad selected yoona out of so many girls for you. i've been selected for taehyung now... just imagine, if i had a scar or acne or anything like that on my face? that would ruin me, jim. that would be so disgusting, and mom and dad didn't want that because then nobody would marry me and they'll have to keep me at home like a useless daughter."

jimin shakes his head, cursing under his breath, mentally at his parents for messing up their daughter's life this bad. "it's not like that. you've been lied to, ari. all your life— all this time. mom and dad are—"

aria's phone rings, making her flinch and rub her eyes quickly before picking it up to see who it is. taehyung. she sighs softly before answering the call, "hello, taehyung."

"hey, gorgeous. i'm sorry i couldn't call you earlier, i was in a meeting with dad. jungkook told me that he dropped you off."

"yeah, he kept insisting and said that you told him to." she agrees.

"yeah, i thought you shouldn't face any problem." he hums, "so, how did it go with mom and jungkook?"

"it went well." aria says briefly, avoiding speaking anything extra and finds jimin staring at her with concerned eyes.

"that's good to hear. hopefully it stays the same. i don't want you to face any problem with the family, y'know? it'll be great if everything can run smoothly."

aria finds herself nodding at that, because it sounds like a reminder that taehyung might not fancy her if she makes a wrong move either on him or his family. of course aria was aware that she should abide by the rules for her own betterment and for the sake of both the families. it takes a lot of effort from inside her to produce a voice under the man she's apparantly going to marry. or not, if jungkook can really stick to his words. but till then aria shouldn't try to piss anyone off.

"so, what are you doing?" taehyung asks, his usual cool tone of voice filling aria's ears, leaving her to wonder if he's actually that calm and composed all the time. for everything she has seen till date, taehyung never loses temper and stays within his walls with the same generous smile for the people he cares for. he's hard to read even, with his contained expressions and eyes holding the depth of the oceans, words which seem like he spends at least a second in his head pondering over the consequences, and his strategic actions. he is for sure someone aria cannot read like an open book and that makes him a lot more intimidating than he might actually be.

aria gulps down the dryness of her throat away, playing with the knife against the carrot while answering, "i'm cooking right now."

"hm, nice. what are you making? i can't wait to eat the food you cook." he lets out a deep chuckle, sending goosebumps on aria's body, staring right from her neck beneath the ear that she's holding the phone close to, and spreads all over her body in different directions like a wave.

"teobokki and uhm, fried rice i guess..." she steals a glance around the counter for the ingredients.

"okay, so ari likes teobokki? noted."

"well, jimin likes it." she clears her throat.

"oh, he's still there?"

"yeah," aria hums, sparing a glance to her brother who has busied himself as he already started cooking. but the mention of his name makes him look up, arching up a brow questioningly if taehyung was asking about him. aria nods and jimin gestures her to put it on speaker.

"hey, taehyung-ah." jimin says with a smile spreading on his lips, hearing taehyung laughing lightly on the line.

"jimin, how're you doing, man? i see you've gotten very busy these days."

"yeah. just having quite a packed schedule these days." jimin chuckles, shaking his head, "anyway, tell me about yourself? ready to be a husband?"

"of course! i'm counting days, literally."

jimin laughs at that, glancing at aria, who finds none of it funny and stays quiet, letting the men do the talking. "great, great. you have like a month, tae. learn how to cook, so my sister doesn't have to bother for you."

"ah, i'm not stepping in the kitchen. i'll do everything else she asks me to. but please, kitchen and me together? nah." taehyung grumbles. although it's mostly said in a humorous way, which has jimin mocking at him. "okay okay, let's meet up?"

"yeah, i sure. i was thinking we need to get a drink."

"definitely." taehyung agrees, "see you then."

"alright, text me when you're off." jimin hums before hanging up and slides the phone back towards aria. "i guess, you'll be alone for dinner."

"that's okay," she lets out, putting the knife and takes the pan off the stove, getting a frown from the brother. aria ignores the look on his face if she had seen it anyhow, and clears off the counter, going to living room and sits down with her phone.

"ari?"

"hm?"

"why're you not cooking?"

"because you're going out?"

"yeah, but what about you?"

"i don't really have dinner. unless i'm starving." she says, shrugging her shoulders. "don't worry i'm not hungry."

jimin sighs softly, leaning near the couch and ruffles her hair, "you can always talk to me, okay? you probably won't believe me, but i do understand what you might be going through right now. yoona did change me a lot ever since she came, and i'm glad it is that way."

"thanks," aria nods subtly, still scrolling through her phone and jimin just decides to leave her alone for a while. the gesture is appreciated by aria, for she too, heads back to her room and lays down for a while, as though she didn't have the longest nap of her life today.

staring at the ceiling, there are many thoughts that keep her up. of course, she's not sleepy right now, rather curious to see what will happen in the next few days when her romeo will take her out of this mess, somewhere far away from the families, where they can just be in love and live their life. that sound beautiful and makes aria smile into the pillow that she tucks under her chin, hugging it close to her body.

although the next second, she forces herself up from the bed, walking over to the closet from where her hand pulls out her boyfriend's t-shirt that he left when he was over a few weeks ago, and aria never planned on returning it back to him. her own shirt passes over her head for a split second and takes a moment to inhale the scent of her lover on his t-shirt, closing her eyes under the known feeling of warmth and security that he always provided her with.

aria puts on the fabric quickly, stripping of her pants as well and slips under the covers of her bed again, feeling much more comfortable and cozy this time. she had no idea she could ever be so in love with someone that the mere thought of them would make her smile like an idiot.

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a/n: i hope you enjoyed the chapter. if you did, please don't forget to vote and comment ❤️✨