Make You Know Love

Art

"I stare at you because I appreciate art"

***

The bed bounced violently when Anastasia dove face-first onto it, letting out a guttural groan into her pillow.

"What happened?"

"I told you to fucking wake them up!" She seethed, whipping around to face Jungkook.

He stared back glassy-eyed, his face puffy from sleep and the creases of the pillowcase imprinted on his cheek.

"...What?"

Shoving her face back into her pillow, she let out a whine. All she wanted was to curl up and die so she would never have to face Jungkook's too-attractive friends ever again.

"Taz," He prompted clumsily in his still drowsy state.

"No~" She cried, refusing to lift her head.

"Anastasia."

"I elbowed Jimin in the dick, okay?" She snapped, knowing he would find out anyway. It was probably better that he heard her side of the story first.

"You-...what?" If he hadn't been confused before, he sure as hell was now.

"I'm never leaving this room again." She realized, ignoring the baffled man beside her.

"Taz"

"He hates me"

"Taz."

"Everyone closest to you hates me, I hate me"

"Anastasia!"

"Jungkook, I'm gonna move away and I'm never coming back, okay?" She ended, looking at him with glassy eyes.

He rolled his. "You're such a drama queen, no one hates you"

She guffawed, "Says you! I'm positive the six men on the other side of that door have opposing opinions"

He furrowed his brow, "Why would you think that?"

"Because! How could I not think that?! I'm pretty sure they all blame me for you not going back to Korea and I mean, are they even wrong? Am I the reason you didn't go back to your family?"

"Stop, whoa. Taz, no one hates you or blames you. I'm my own person, I make my own choices and they know that. They also know you're not the only reason I stayed."

Something down to her core disagreed with him, despite not having much evidence. It was in the way he acted so differently, so naturally letting the others into his space despite always having kept a firm boundary with all his friends in the past. He was softer, more trusting. He was showing a side he'd only ever shown her, but now he was doing it openly.

In the years that she'd known Jungkook, he'd never had much interest in other people, but now it was like he had no interest in anything other than them. Every conversation, every plan made, everything was about them. If he was this way with them before her and still chose to stay...the only reason that made sense was because of her. She was the reason the six of them had lost Jungkook and they were understandably holding a grudge over it.

She couldn't help but wonder if Jungkook had made the right choice. The way he was behaving now like all his stress had been lifted away, she wondered how much he'd actually been going through without her realizing.

In the short time she'd seen them interact, the seven of them operated like a couple with 50 years of marriage under their belt. It was without effort, efficient, and most definitely not independent. They were a match.