freckles

* chapter seventy four *

"Are you sure Kook?" Jimin asked after Jungkook announced his plan to everyone, carrying Claudette.

"She's clearly exhausted." Jungkook turned around, carrying Claudette. It was like a reverse piggyback, their chests pressed against each other, Jungkook supporting her from beneath her butt. "And I don't mind going to bed now either."

"Look." Hoseok stood in the kitchen, staring at the counter. "Look what she did."

Plates full of deserts on the countertop. She found Korean and French recipes, making a variety of treats for the boys. And a note on the counter pointed them in the direction to dinner she prepared that sat in the crockpot.

Hoseok whirled around to glare at Taehyung, Taehyung freezing like a deer in the headlights.

"This was you." Hoseok pointed a finger at Taehyung, Taehyung's eyes burning as he tried to stop himself from crying. "This was-"

"Calm down." Jimin stood on his tiptoes as he stood in front of Hoseok. "Just drop it. He knows what he did."

"She did so good." Jin whispered as he stirred the contents in the crockpot, the smell absolutely amazing, filling the whole kitchen. Their house smelled like a bakery, the kitchen slowly being engulfed with the chilli.

"I'll help you." Yoongi followed Jungkook back to his room. "You go ahead and shower real quick and I'll get Claud in bed."

Jungkook sat Claudette on his bed carefully before hurrying into his bathroom and hopping in the shower. Yoongi untied her shoes and sat them aside, taking off her socks as well and tucking them inside her shoes. He sat behind her and took off her jacket carefully, taking her phone and setting it on the bed table.

The next part was the trickiest. And that was taking her hair out of the hair ties. He didn't want to pull out any hair or wake her from her deep slumber.

But that's exactly what he did.

"Ow." She groaned softly, Yoongi closing his eyes as he cringed. "Where am I?"

"Hey Baby." Yoongi hugged her, startling Claudette. "We're home now, in Jungkook's room."

"How was practice?" She mumbled, laying in his arms, not able to keep her eyes open.

"It went really well." Yoongi held her tightly, not wanting to ever let go. They sat and laid in silence for a while, Yoongi's chin on top of her head, Claudette holding onto his arms, opening her eyes.

"Were you trying to get me ready for bed?"

"N-no?"

"My socks are off."

"No."

"My hair is in a knot."

"It certainly is not."

Claudette sat up, Yoongi whining once her warm body left his, Claudette giving him a teasing look as she took out her hair tie, struggling a bit after Yoongi messed it up. "Am I with Jungkook tonight?"

"We figured it'd be best." Yoongi nodded, trailing his fingers across her knee. "After all that's happened, we thought you'd find the most comfort with him."

"I find comfort with all of you." Claudette put her hand on Yoongi's knee, Yoongi slowing his drawings of circles on her knee. "... Jungkook and Taehyung aren't going to sleep together tonight, are they?"

"They talked briefly, and they deemed best if Taehyung stayed with himself for a little while." Yoongi withheld the truth from her, talking in simple terms to reassure her that it wasn't as big as it seemed.