Black Swan (Kim Namjoon x reader)

Chapter 24

The silence was deafening. Crickets could be heard loudly throughout the almost vacant house. He didn't come home last night. Hoseok called to let you know he was at the bar and that he would probably be spending the night there. You thanked him and went off to bed, unable to really get any sleep done. Going in and out of dreams, you saw the disappointment in his eyes when he saved you and just how his anger radiated from his back when he left. It was so shocking, you couldn't even cry. What's worse, you didn't have the right to cry in the first place. Even though you were confident that the Queen wouldn't have hurt you, there was no guarantee she would send you back home at all, let alone in one piece. Even so, you wished that he would trust you to handle yourself. You were more capable than the girl he met.

He came back early this morning while you were still sleeping and hid in the library. You left a plate of food outside the door for lunch and when you came back from doing laundry, it was still there. Untouched. It left a heavy mark on your heart but you tried to get on with the day. The nerve was ticking. Every minute passed was one closer to when you would have to go back to the palace for that ball the Queen was talking about. You couldn't imagine the kinds of horror and malice she has in store. But it looked like the boys were also invited, which meant you wouldn't be alone.

Namjoon still hasn't come out of the library. You wondered if he wanted to go at all. But judging from the Queen's command yesterday, he never had a choice. There was a knock on the front door. Namjoon heard the mind reader and controller entering the house and making small talks with you. They were tasked with delivering the materials needed to get you ready for the ball. He heard your laugh, a sound he dearly missed. Then it dawned on him that he didn't know what he was doing, or why. The anger from seeing you almost killed yesterday hasn't vanished. It was mostly to mask his inadequacy. He should have known something was wrong when you grew quiet and anxious that night. He should have known that you were lying about going to see Soobin. Most importantly, he should have recognized that you were doing this to save him and everyone else he held dearly.

Discipline was a big deal in Namjoon's family. Punishment was a way to coerce obedience and mutual understanding. Namjoon never loved his parents, he feared them. Whenever he did something wrong, they would punish him in the worst way possible. By not speaking to him. They know that it would tear him apart from the inside, to guess what they would do next, to guess when the actual punishment would come. It worked every time. He would go running to them and beg them for forgiveness. The endless tears always satisfied them. It was love, they told them. It was the only form of love he knew.

He balled up his fist and punched his arm. He was doing the exact same thing to you now. Shame and guilt flooded his body. Jumping out of his dark corner, he unlocked the door and headed outside. He found you still talking to Yoongi. You were thanking him for calling Namjoon yesterday.

"I'm sorry if I made you worried," you bowed.

"I wasn't particularly worried about you," he replied calmly. "I just know that if anything happens to you, Namjoon wouldn't forgive me."

"But it wouldn't be your fault. I went there on my own accord."

"It doesn't matter, we're tasked with guarding you with our lives."

You sighed, "I don't want anyone else getting hurt because of me."

"Then I guess you'll just have to make all of this worth it for us."

"I'm not even worth all of this."

The silver-haired boy cocked a smile, "Tell that to him then."

You turned around to see Namjoon approaching. Yoongi and Jimin retreated into the kitchen to steal some of the cookies you made earlier. As he got closer, you felt yourself getting smaller. You hadn't prepared what you were going to say despite the countless hours of wishing you could see him again. "I'm sorry," you began, it was the most obvious choice.

He shook his head, "No, I'm sorry, I was being an asshole for just leaving like that. I wanted you to know you're not alone but I probably made you think the opposite with how I reacted. It's just that when Yoongi told me where you were, I got this slight feeling that you don't trust me anymore, and that's why you went alone. I let my emotions get the best of me so I'm sorry."

"I trust you Namjoon, with all my heart," you assured. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have packed up my entire life and gone to another world with you. I'm sorry for rushing into things and making you worried. You've done so much already, I wanted to prove to you that I'm not this fragile girl that needs protecting all the time, I can help too."

Namjoon smiled and pulled you in for a hug. "I've missed you."

"Me too,"

"Okay, you can hug later but we have to get ready for this stupid thing," Yoongi groaned.

Namjoon pulled back but kept one hand on your waist, "Did you bring it?"

"Of course," Jimin answered.

You looked around, "Bring what?"

Namjoon snapped his fingers. The floor below your feet was glowing. From thin air, gold dust appeared and encircled your body. The clothes you were wearing right now evaporated and were replaced by a ballgown. The gown incorporated an off-shoulder neckline, a lace corset bodice, and plenty of fresh flowers on the skirt. Your eyes widened, it came right out of a fairytale. Your hair was also transformed in the process, with a low updo to elevate your neckline. Namjoon bit his lips to refrain himself, he couldn't hide his blush, unfortunately. Jimin made a face of disgust after making the mistake of reading Namjoon's mind. Something along the lines of wanting to see what's underneath the gown.

When the light show ended, Namjoon's clothes also changed. His white suit with a long tailcoat appropriately matched your dress. He let his hair loose. He took a step forward and extended his head. "Are you ready M'lady?"

You giggled as you took his hand. "If you're with me, I am."

He placed a gentle kiss on your hand, "Then let's dance the night away."