The Coven: Book 1

Chapter 53 - Breathe in, Breathe out

[Reupload because I missed a chapter]

The ride home was way more relaxed than the one that lead them to the refinery in the first place. On one car, Hoseok, Taehyung, Luna, Jimin, Mina and Namjoon, where Mina was basically wrapped around Jimin, sleeping soundly with her cheek pressed against her mate’s chest.

Luna had asked Hoseok to drive to Ellie’s house, wanting Namjoon to go check on the girl as soon as possible.
Back at the old factory, when Jungkook had tried to lift Amelia off the ground, the unhealed wound on his shoulder finally made its appearance and he shouted in pain. Emily had made a makeshift support for his arm with the shirt she had brought over her t-shirt and it had to be Jin to carry Amelia to her respective car.

To which Jungkook had frowned upon.
On the second car, Jin was now driving, Emily was leaning on Yoongi and Jungkook was trying to stay awake by the window. Lucy had decided to take her seat way in the back, to have Amelia’s head on her lap. It had been quiet for a few moments in the car. Jungkook had even looked back to Lucy to check if she had fallen asleep as well.

He had seen Lucy looking down at her sleeping apprentice, one had supporting her head as she looked down and the other smoothing Amelia’s hair on the girl’s chest and then brushing her fingers in her cheeks. She had a loving look in her grey eyes, one she would occasionally have when looking at her three apprentices.

The quiet had ended, though, the moment a soft, sweet voice filled the air. Lucy was singing, a slow steady song in a language Jungkook didn’t recognize. He did know the song, however, his brain picking up the melody and placing it back to when he had woken up after the female demon had attacked Amelia.

It wasn’t the same voice from that day, though. Lucy’s was a little lower, huskier in a way. It wasn’t perfect but it was still beautiful. Emily had relaxed even more into her mate, sighing in contentment.

It was a lullaby.

And he was now one hundred percent sure it had been Amelia singing to him.

Namjoon climbed up the stairs to Ellie’s apartment building, a long while after, a little tired and with his leg aching a bit. Hoseok had offered to pick him up later if he needed and this time he hadn’t even complained. Namjoon simply agreed.

It occurred to him that maybe Ellie wasn’t awake. It was six in the morning, now. As he was walking down the hall to reach her door, though, he heard a lock click. Hurried footfalls coming his way had Namjoon looking up.

Ellie was running towards him, a panicked look in her forest green eyes, hair all messy and in what he assumed was her pajamas. She had an old, large Placebo t-shirt that went all the way to the top of thighs and grey cotton short shorts. When she reached him, Ellie straight up jumped and tackled Namjoon, her slim legs wrapping around his hips and arms snaking around his neck.

Namjoon groaned when he put pressure on his injured leg and kept his hands up, not knowing where it was okay to touch her.

Ellie whimpered by his neck and sighed shakily.

“I was so worried about you…” She muttered weakly.

He was utterly dumbfounded, frozen in the middle of the hall with Ellie clinging to him like a koala.

“Uh… Ellie?”

She tightened her grip on him, this time bringing one hand to his hair and lacing her fingers there to find comfort. Namjoon figured he would get out of the hall and started to walk towards her apartment, wrapping one hand around her back. He closed the door behind him and then just stood there like an idiot, with her still wrapped around him.

“Are you okay?” She suddenly asked, fingers now moving slowly through his scalp.

“Yeah, everyone’s okay. Amelia got her powers back, too- “

“No, I'm asking you. Are you okay?”

Namjoon didn’t know what to think. Ellie had never acted this way with him and it was throwing him off entirely.

“Yeah, I’m fine... Ellie, look at me.” He cooed, bringing one hand to touch her short, smooth brown hair. Ellie groaned, snuggling her face in his neck like her life depended on it “Hey… I'm here, now. C'mon, look at me, kitten.”

She shuddered a bit but then slowly started to raise her head. He felt himself grow a little weak at her state. She was red eyed, cheeks stained with tears and her bottom lip was red from biting.

“I'm okay. I'm right here.” Namjoon muttered, brushing his fingers over the skin of her cheek “What happened? Wanna tell me what you saw?”

Realizing her legs were growing tired, he tried to pry her legs from around his waist, only to have Ellie shake her head and snuggle close to him again. Namjoon ended up moving to the couch and sitting down hugging her back.

“Every time I close my eyes I keep seeing those horrible gold eyes.” Ellie finally said, her voice cracking “Amelia was bleeding, and I couldn’t find any of you. And then that horrible woman was going to hurt Lucy…”

“Hey, no, no! It’s fine! Nothing like that happened! And me, the guys and the girls are gonna prevent anything like that from happening. Okay?”

She meekly nodded, pouting a bit and then burying her face on his neck again. Namjoon didn’t know what to do. Usually getting this close to a woman would mean he was already inside of her. Right now he didn’t want that, though. The sole purpose of him, at the moment, was to stay there, holding Ellie close to him and just wait for her to be better. He didn’t want to move, didn’t want to get her away from himself either.

He just wanted to make sure she was okay with this, though.

“Hum, Ellie?” He softly called, having her raise her head sluggishly and look at him through tired eyes “Don’t you wanna move to the couch?”

Ellie shook her head no instantly, scooting even closer.

“Are you comfortable like this?” Namjoon asked, a little giddy when she nodded “Okay…”

And so she stayed there, legs around his waist, sitting on him fully, arms wrapping his neck tightly and face snuggled into his chest. She sighed in relief when feeling his arms move to wrap around her torso, his big hands emitting a comforting warmth. His palms moved up her and down her back, in a comforting motion.

“Hey, Joon?”

“What’s up, kitten?”

“Do you still want that date?”

“Abso-fuckin-lutely.”

“I’d like that. Can we do that?”

Ellie finally raised her head, showing cheeks a little puffy and eyes still a little pink. Namjoon felt the way she was looking at him pull at his heart strings.

“No.”

Ellie’s bottom lip trembled “Why?”

“Because right now you’re sad and I don’t want to take advantage of that.” He mumbled, raising one hand to move a stray hair from her face “Why don’t you try to sleep? You were awake all night.”

“Can you stay here?”

“Sure. Just sleep, I'll be right here.”

Jungkook had tried to make his way upstairs as soon as he arrived home, trying to dodge Luna like the plague, but as soon as he placed his foot on the first step, the Alchemist was immediately shouting for him.

“You’re not going anywhere, young sir, I need to get that bullet out!”

He whined up at Jin, who was now taking Amelia upstairs in his arms. Jungkook was already upset he couldn’t be the one to do that, because of his shoulder, and now he also couldn’t make sure she was comfortable?! Jin snorted down at him and shook his head, continuing to move up the stairs, followed by Lucy.

“It’s alright, I’ll make sure she’s comfortable.” Lucy said, smiling reassuringly.

“That’s the thing, he wants to do that.” Jin snitched, smiling at Jungkook’s distressed expression “Just go get that taken care if, my man, she’s safe.”

Lucy patted his shoulder lightly before moving up as well, going straight to Jungkook’s room, where Jin was now taking Amelia. A push on his arm brought his attention towards his right. Luna was now tugging on his arm, urging him to move. Jungkook didn’t argue, but he sure as hell didn’t like this.

He ended up laying down on the couch, waiting for Luna to come with the first aid kit, frowning and with one of his feet on the floor, tapping incessantly. When Luna finally appeared, she brought a blood bag with her and seemed to be carrying a few of her many herbs and flasks of potions. The woman pulled the coffee table enough to be able to sit down and Jungkook glanced at her a bit bitterly.

His stare went a little soft, though. Luna looked like death herself. She was dead exhausted, eyes beginning to dull and darken with the need of sleep, with dark circles under them that made her look a bit sick. She had an ugly bruise on her apple cheek, a cut along it, that seemed a bit infected already, and the place was clearly starting to swell. Her hair was messy, but not in the charming, organized way she usually had it. It actually looked a bit like a bird’s nest…