Namjoon

"You're a buffoon, you know that right?"

I lie down in bed, as Ash takes my temperature, pressing her hand to my forehead. Today, it seems that Ash and I have swapped: She's feeling fine, whereas I feel terrible.

"Did you have to kiss me? You knew I had a fever."

I pout at her reprimanding tone, "You didn't stop me."

She rolls her eyes, even though her cheeks are decorated a light pink.

"To be honest, that wasn't really what I was thinking about at the time." She pauses, blushing even harder, "But this isn't about me. You're not allowed to be ill, Bang PD will skin me alive if you don't show up to work today. Also, I hate seeing you unwell." She says and I give her a weak smile.

"I can try to get up-"

Ash cuts me off quickly, "Absolutely not. You're staying in that bed until I'm sure your temperature has gone down."

I pout again, slightly perplexed at her immediate change in reaction, sinking down further against the soft pillow. It's evident that there's no way I'm going into work today. Ash sighs and gets up from her place at my side, making her way over to the bedroom door.

"I'll go tell the other's that we're not going in today."

I frown at her words, "Why aren't you going in? You feel better, don't you?"

She gives me a small smile.

"Joon, I'm not leaving you here alone by yourself. It's better if I stay at home, as I'm just a producer. They can't have two members of Bangtan not in work."

With that, she leaves the room. I stay there in the silence, staring at the ceiling, a headache building. It seems like it's been ages when she comes back and I'm close to falling asleep. Ash makes her way over to my side and strokes my head gently.

"Go on, get some sleep. I'll wake you up later."

My eyes slip closed and within minutes, I'm fast asleep.

I wake up again later, only to find Ash sitting next to me on the bed, reading something. I struggle to sit up, leaning against the headboard. She notices I'm awake and puts her book down on the bedside table.

"How are you feeling?"

I smile slightly, "Better, I think. What were you reading?"

She just shrugs her shoulders, "Something."

I sit up properly, my head feeling less painful and my limbs are less achy. Ash leans her head against my arm and I have a feeling that she hadn't really been reading that book. Something's on her mind and I wait for her to speak, knowing that it's coming.

"Joon, you know when I told you about my family? I've been thinking a bit about my father."

"You want to find him, don't you?" I finish off for her, having sensed what she was going to say.

She doesn't look surprised that I've read her mind, only sighs sadly. One of her hands finds mine above the duvet and she starts to play with my fingers, lifting them up randomly. I can tell that she's actually been thinking about this for a while, but has only now gotten the courage to say something.

"One of the reasons I decided to move to Korea, was because I thought I might have more chance of finding him here. He's Korean, so it would make sense that he came back to Korea after leaving my mother." She snuggles her head closer against my bicep, her voice becoming smaller as she carries on speaking, "I don't want to necessarily form a relationship with him, I just want closure as to why he left both my mother and me."

I smile gently and even though I know she's not looking at me, I know she can feel my understanding through our bond.

"I get it Ash. Do you want me to look into it?"

She sighs again, unsure, "I mean, that'd be nice, but I don't want you going to great lengths to help me."

"Ash, I'm your soulmate and boyfriend, I want to help you."

Ash moves back from my arm for a second, so she can look up at me.

"Are you sure?"

I nod my head, "I'm sure. Do you know his name or anything that might help?"

She leans her head against my bicep again and it's quiet as she thinks.

"His name is Lee Changwoo and he's probably around 55 or so now. That's all I know."

"Don't worry," I reply, "I can work with that."

***

The rest of the day passes relatively quickly. Ash stays next to me all day, playing with my hair softly as I doze and later on, she reads Charlotte's Web to me. I feel intently peaceful and something in me recognises Ash is now an irreplaceable part of my life. She completes me and supports me, something which I didn't think I needed so much. Just being with her makes me stronger and it makes me insanely happy that my family accept her as well.

Around 5 in the evening, there's a knock at the bedroom door and Seokjin peeks his head in.

"You feeling better Joon?" When I nod my head, he smiles, "Great. Don't go into the kitchen. Bye."

With that, he shuts the door, leaving both Ash and I completely confused. I turn and look up at my soulmate, who gives me a quizzical frown.

"What was that about?" She asks and I shrug my shoulders.

"Maybe he's going to cook something and doesn't want us to interrupt him?"

She shakes her head, golden hair framing her face.

"I don't think it's that. Anyways, you're up here in bed. Why would you go down into the kitchen?"

I chuckle, "It's not really my place of expertise, what with my terrible skill in cooking."

Ash smiles at my words and nods her head, "I agree with you. Just out of interest, what place in the house is your place of expertise?"

I think for a second, before answering.

"Sofa?"

Just as Ash laughs, the bedroom door opens and in piles the rest of the group. Jungkook seems to be physically dragging Yoongi, who has his arms crossed and a look of deep boredom decorates his features. Taehyung walks over and sits on the edge of our bed, looking at me, whilst Jimin and Hoseok choose to stand at the end of the bed. Seokjin is nowhere in sight.

"How are you Hyung?" Jimin asks and I shift so that I'm sitting up.

"Much better. Why do I feel like I'm about to be forced into doing something stupid and pointless?" Ash turns to me, confusion on her face and I explain, "Taehyung and Jimin once decided to come wake me up at the crack of dawn, just so I could watch them jump over the sprinkler in the back garden. And they had Jungkook make sure that I wouldn't leave halfway. Longest hour of my life."

My girlfriend turns to the Maknae Line, an eyebrow raised. Taehyung grins embarrassedly and proceeds to try and defend himself.

"It was Hyung's birthday and we wanted to put his presents at the end of his bed, so that he'd spot them and be surprised, but to do that, we needed him out of the room. Whilst we had Namjoon Hyung in the garden, Jin and Hobi Hyung were putting his presents in his room." He says and Ash turns to Yoongi.

"Where were you in all of this?"

"Asleep." He replies.

Jungkook shrugs his shoulders, "No one felt like sacrificing themselves to wake Yoongi Hyung up, so we just left him be."

"I think I was the only one to get proper sleep that night." Yoongi comments and Ash nods her head sagely to the Maknae Line.

"You made the right call, not waking Yoongi up. I did that once and he hit me so hard in the stomach, I keeled over."

Yoongi blushes sheepishly, "I've said I'm sorry for that, it was just a reflexive action!"

Ash shoots him a playful glare and I can't help but smiling. I love how accepting the group are of Ash. But that smile slips off my face, when I realise we still haven't found out what they want.

"Why are you guys here, apart from checking up on me?" I say, "Does this have something to do with Jin Hyung's warning not to go into the kitchen?"

Hoseok nods his head, "Doesn't it strike you as weird?"

"Even if it does, why do we have to go find out what's going on? Or more specifically, why do I have to as well?" Yoongi complains, his arms still crossed.

"Come on Hyung," Jungkook says, pulling on Yoongi's arm, "Aren't you even a little bit curious?"

Yoongi sighs, "Fine, I'll come with you guys. But only because I know that you won't stop pestering me until I give up."

Jimin smiles widely at Yoongi, before turning to the rest of us.

"So, Mission: Kitchen is a go?"

Ash tilts her head in bemusement, "Mission: Kitchen? Sure, we'll help out, won't we Joon?"

My eyes widen and I shake my head. I'm so comfy where I am in bed and don't feel like getting up, so I quickly come up with an excuse.

"Surely it'd be better to go without me, what with my destructive powers? I'd just give away what we're doing and Seokjin Hyung would hear us." I say hurriedly but Ash gives me a look and I crumble, "Fine, let's go."

I slowly make my way out of bed, the rest of the group going over to the door. Taehyung cautiously opens the bedroom door and checks the hallway for any signs of the oldest member. Then he beckons the rest of us out, Jungkook and Hoseok slipping out of my bedroom, hands up in finger guns, as if they're spies. Jimin goes after them, less gracefully as he's giggling quietly, evidently finding the other's funny. Then comes Ash and I, both of us moving quickly and lastly, Yoongi just strolls out, arms seemingly glued crossed together.

In this fashion, we make our way down the stairs and into the living room. Taehyung and Jungkook both do elaborate hand signs, Jungkook even going as far as a precise forwards roll. Hoseok has been taken captive by Jimin, who is positively bawling silently into his shoulder and is throwing his entire body on the taller. Ash and I just walk normally, but even still, we keep on glancing around, as if Seokjin is going to burst out of a cabinet. Yoongi looks like he'd rather be anywhere else, but the corners of his mouth are turned up in an amused smile at the younger's antics and I know that his infamous gummy smile is threatening to break out.

We reach the kitchen and Taehyung cautiously pushes the door open, popping his head in and checking. When he pulls back, he motions and the rest of us make our way into the kitchen, none of us spotting anything out of the ordinary. And then we see it.

"Chocolate cake?!" Jungkook's voice is insanely loud and everyone turns to him, eyes wide. There's no way Seokjin didn't hear that.

"Abandon mission!" Taehyung shouts and runs past us, to the door but stops short when he sees a familiar person in the doorway, hands planted on his waist. Taehyung backs up as Seokjin walks in, a mildly annoyed expression on his face.

"To be honest, I'm not really surprised." He states, as Taehyung sends him a sheepish grin, "But even still, I hoped you'd listen to me for once."

But Jungkook doesn't seem fazed that we've been found out and just points at the chocolate cake placed on the counter top.

"Hyung, why do we have a chocolate cake? Is it someone's birthday and I've forgotten? Is it my birthday?!"

Seokjin shakes his head and chuckles lowly, "No, it's not your birthday Kook, it's still June, or at least it was last time I checked. I bought the cake because today is the day we first met Ash. Well, four of us did."

A look of realization dawns over Ash's features, "You mean when I came into that dance practise, the one before your comeback?"

Seokjin smiles, "Yes, that's it. It's been four months I think?"

"Really, four months?" Hoseok asks, surprised.

"Seokjin, you didn't need to get a cake." Ash says but Seokjin brushes her words away.

"Yes I did. Besides, I wanted to eat cake so this gave me an excuse to buy one. But now the surprise is ruined, because none of you listened to me."

Yoongi just shrugs, "So what? We get to eat cake earlier."

Seokjin sighs, as the Maknae Line make a break for the cake and Ash turns to me.

"I'm happy I'm part of this family."

My smile has never been more genuine, "So am I."

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{You learn more from failure than from success. Don't let it stop you. Failure builds character - Unknown}

I just want to say thank you for 1.2K!

QOTD: Favourite Run BTS episode?

Mine is Ep.24 and it's also the first full Run BTS episode that I saw.

Alys xx