(BTS FF) Ending Green

thirty-one ༘⋆ ꕥ sleepy experiences

Riya's POV

I walk down the stairs, telling myself to stay calm, to breathe, and to return to cookie-making.

I wanted to thank Jungkook for what he did on TV today, but I can't anymore—not when my friends are teasing me about flirting with him, not when I questioned him about it and his only response was that he cares about me.

He danced around the question—skipped around it while he looked at my lips, or was that all in my head too?

Is this all in my head?

When he licked his lips, I wanted them. I wanted him.

How do I tell him that? How do I muster up the courage to tell him I want to kiss him, but I'm unsure of what to do with what follows? If we would change or stay the same, and if not, am I ready to change?

I'm a coward. I wanted to ask him upstairs, but I couldn't. I'm afraid he'll reject me, and I'll never be able to hold his hand again, or hug him, or sleep in his bed, or laugh at 3 AM while we play video games.

I can't lose him.

Fear bubbles within me as I enter the kitchen, and Jin is the first to break me out of my daze.

"Riya," he says, his conversation with Hoseok and Taehyung halting. I look to see him examining my features. "Everything okay?"

I scowl, and before I can comprehend what I'm doing, I'm storming over to Taehyung and Hoseok. "What is your problem?" I hiss. "Why did you have to do that?"

Their eyes widen.

"We're sorry," Hoseok speaks up first. "We'll stop teasing the two of you, we promise."

"Yeah," Taehyung agrees. "For real this time. We didn't mean any harm."

"I don't care," I spit out. My muscles are tensing, and my vision is blurring. "The damage is already done."

"What do you mean?" Hoseok frowns. "What damage?"

"He's my friend," I return, my eyes flashing. "Mine. You don't get to ruin that."

Taehyung crosses his arms. "He's our friend, too."

"It's different." I glare at him. "And you're going to ruin it. I can't lose him. If you keep doing this, I'll—" The blurring worsens. "I'll lose him."

Jin cuts in, his tone reassuring but firm. "Let's calm down, all right? No one's losing anyone, and nothing is ruined." More to me, he questions, "Did something happen upstairs?"

"Nothing happened upstairs," I say with more frustration than I realize I felt. "Nothing. It was awkward and weird, and he's my friend—my best friend. It shouldn't be like that." My voice breaks. "How could you do this?"

Their expressions soften, and Taehyung is the first to voice, "Riya, hey, I'm really sorry. I know you're upset, and this might not matter right now, but trust me, he won't let things be weird between you. Maybe the conversation you had was awkward, but Jungkook cares about you, and he can tell you now because he's right th—"

Hoseok grunts. "He chewed us out when you left here."

"It doesn't matter," I refute, my chest rising and falling quicker than it should be. "It's all just a joke, and if it's not, it doesn't matter; I wouldn't know what to do with it anyway."

"Do with what?" Jin inquires.

"It doesn't matter." My voice heightens. "He won't talk to me, and I'm—I can't..." My mind is in a flurry. "I can't ask him."