Black Swan (Kim Namjoon x reader)

Chapter 19

Early the next morning, Namjoon woke up to blasting music. He would be annoyed by it usually, but he liked the group and also the fact that you were singing to it. Getting out of bed, he slowly made his way to the kitchen where the music and your singing were coming from. He dipped his head from out behind the corner. His hands went up to cup his mouth as he watched you mop the tile floor while attempting to dance to the choreography.

"Pose," you sang and followed the dance move laid out by Red Velvet. Even in a magical world, cell phone reception and mobile networks still worked. To pass time while cleaning, you liked having music on for you to sing along to. Not only does it make you happy but it reminds you of a simple life before. And besides, no one was around to hear it. So you sang as loud as you could. When you spun around, the singing turned into a scream when you saw Namjoon behind the corner. Your feet slid from underneath you and you fell. The handle of the mop landed on top of your face while the bucket was tipped over. On the way down, your hand hit the counter and you could feel your wrist bruising up.

Namjoon's feet moved before he could register what just happened. He pulled you up and helped you to the nearby chair. The floor was still soaking wet where you just were. "Are you okay?" he asked. He looked up and down at your wrist, it was starting to get red. His eyes showed signs of worriedness. From the freezer, he grabbed an ice pack and held it gently against your swelling wrist.

"I'm okay," you replied. Your attempt to regain your arm was useless. He held it gentle enough for you to not feel any pain but tight so that you wouldn't swarm away.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he frowned.

"No, it's okay," you looked away, hoping he wouldn't notice the rosy colors of your cheeks. "I just didn't think you would still be here." Normally, he would only stay the night if he had a show and it was running late. It would take too much energy for him to portal back to the human world so it was easier for him to come back to the cottage. "But what am I saying, it is your house after all so you should stay here for as long as you like." A nervous chuckle escaped your lips.

Namjoon returned the gesture, "I'm planning on staying here every night from now on."

"Every night?"

"Yes, every night," he repeated. "I figure it would help make you feel less lonely. And besides, I'm starting to get tired of having Seokjin as a roommate."

"Don't let him hear you say that, I'm surviving off of his cooking."

Namjoon laughed, he'll definitely miss Seokjin's cooking but he can still sneak by to steal some leftovers. "I guess we'll just have to learn to cook even better food."

"We?"

"Well, yeah, I'm not just gonna let you do everything around here. I have to start pulling my weight." He was talking about the cleaning, laundry, tending for the garden, and occasional cooking when he is here.

"You're letting me stay here and keeping me safe, it's the least I can do."

He shook his head, "That's final, I'll help you out. You're not alone. And besides, you're hurt right now." He stood up and grabbed the mop from the floor. "Stay seated and I'll finish the rest."

"Namjoon,"

"You'll need your energy for later."

"What's later?"

"You're going to spar with me," he winked. "I have to see how much you've improved in one month." The wink did something weird to your heart but the thought about fighting him made your palms sweat.

"But I'm... hurt?" You held up your arm, the one he was just worrying over.

Namjoon replied with a shrug, "Don't be a big baby, it's just a bruise." He began mopping, occasionally spilling more water than he intended. It was odd watching a man with his tall and built stature clean a house. He was almost too big for it.

As he said, it was just a bruise that went away after half an hour. You debated whether or not you should hit it against something else to maybe bruise it again or maybe even a sprain. By the time Namjoon was done cleaning, you chickened out. With a snap of his finger, he changed his pajamas into appropriate fighting attire. The clothes on your body changed as well. Namjoon suggested doing it outdoors. "In case you want to send me flying again,"

"I said I was sorry," you whined.

He laughed, but then got into a sparring stance. His hand gestured for you to come at him. You made a quick prayer before complying. Your shoulders relaxed as you dashed forward. All he had to do was tilt his head to the side to dodge your kick. He flashed a smirk as he grabbed your hand and tossed you over like a sack of potatoes. You landed on the ground with a thud. "Again!" he yelled.

Rising to your feet, you took a deep breath. And once again, he easily took you down. Every time you landed on your back, you picked up a few of his habits. In the next round, you felt more confident. Instead of aiming for his head, you raised your foot to his knee. He was caught off guard and went down without knowing. You grabbed his wrist and rotated him around your body. He laid face-flat on the grass. "Got you," you exclaimed.

The corner of his mouth lifted. He spun around, catching your leg and swooping it underneath you. Just like this morning, you landed on your butt. But unlike this morning, he was also on top of you. His hair fell over his face and his lips were parted. His eyes so brilliantly blinding in the midnight sun. But you wouldn't look away. He flaunted his victorious smile. For a moment, he was just a young boy staring at a pinned-down girl. Her hair intertwined with grass and her face with dirt. She looked confused and dazed. He hadn't seen anything so fragile yet so dangerous before. When he realized what he was doing, it had been a full minute and he was only a few inches from your face.

He quickly scrambled to his feet. "Sorry," he breathed out, covering his face with the back of his hand. "Good job today."

"Thank you," you said hesitantly. Are you okay?"

"Yeah," he answered quickly. "That's enough for today. I'm gonna do some studying in the library now."

"Okay."

"You can join me if you want," he added, the breeze combing through his hair. "I got a few new books from that author that you like."

You smiled, "Okay."