Vipers in the Lake | BTS Gang x Reader

10. Midnight Library

The moon cast an eerie glow over the ceiling of your bedroom as you stared up at it. The bed was delightfully warm and soft around you, your brain foggy with the desire to sleep.

But you couldn't.

And you'd been laying here for hours. The house had long since fallen silent around you, and even the soft patter of rain hadn't been enough to send you off to dreamland. With a huff, you sat up, pulling the goose-down covers off your bare legs. They wouldn't mind if you had a wander around, right? Just to check out the library. You hadn't had a chance since Taehyung had mentioned it a few days earlier.

Your feet were silent on the soft carpet of the hallway and the stairs. Even in the middle of the night, with nobody around, the house still felt warm. Like a home.

Oh, this is going to be good. With this much money, I bet their library is huge.

The heavy door creaked quietly as you pushed it open, the wood cool beneath your fingers. Body almost thrumming with anticipation, you stepped inside.

A tall figure sat hunched over a small table strewn with paper, pen in hand and deep in thought. Namjoon didn't even realise you had entered the room until you spoke.

"Sorry," you mumbled. He pivoted quickly in his seat, one large arm raising to brace himself on the back of the couch. "I didn't realise anyone was awake. I'll just-" you pointed lightly toward the door, ready to excuse yourself.

"You," he exhaled roughly, letting out a small laugh. A pair of glasses rested lightly on the bridge of his nose. "You scared me." You nodded your head once in apology, hands grasping the lightly painted wood. "You don't have to go." He looked at you, waiting. 

Screw it. I really did want to check out this library. 

And, it didn't disappoint. Moving slowly toward the walls lined with bookshelves, you hummed appreciatively at the range of titles. Classics, contemporaries. They had a bit of everything. "You have a great collection."

"Thank you," he replied, and the sofa creaked slightly under his weight as he pushed himself up from his seat. Sock-clad feet hissed quietly against the floor as he came to stand beside you. "It's many years worth." He pulled a red leather-bound copy of Pride and Prejudice, turning it over in his hands. "Have you read it?"

"Of course," you replied, a shy grin taking form on your face. You took a moment to think, to try to pull your favourite quote forth from your memory. "'My courage'..ah, what is it?" You hissed, embarrassed at how foggy your brain was in the late hours.

"My courage always rises with every attempt to intimidate me." Namjoon's voice was calm and smooth as he ran his hands over the cover of the book fondly. "It's one of my favourites." A dusty pink blush rose on his cheeks.

"I would never have you down as a romance reader, Namjoon." It was true - with his cool demeanour and quiet authority. But somehow, seeing him now, glasses on and surrounded by literature, it made more sense. "Why are you still awake?" The question came out before you could stop it. You hadn't seen much of him over the past few days, and now you found him here in the middle of the night.

"Paperwork," he sighed, arm sweeping out to gesture at the pile of paper on the table. "We've been looking into a Japanese trafficking ring that have been migrating into Seoul. Trying to gather information." Respect rose within you, a sense of admiration for this man. Up in the middle of the night, working hard to try and make the world a safer place. Your attempts to keep these men at arms length were dissolving miserably in front of your very eyes. "Why are you still awake, Y/n?"

"I just couldn't sleep. Taehyung mentioned there was a library in here, so I wanted to come and see it." Your gaze travelled to the window on the other side of the room, where mist floated lazily by and raindrops spattered the glass. It was a peaceful sight.