RIGHT PERSON WRONG PLACE

CHAPTER 76: COMFORT

But now,
without his mother,
he felt lost,
adrift in a sea of emotions he didn't know how to navigate.
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...and what do you want me to do...

Another week had passed since the death of Mejin, and Yoongi had isolated himself in the confines of his study, occupying his mind with cigarettes and alcohol, and if not that, busying himself with work.

He only came out of his study or spoke when Yoonji needed his comfort. And after that, he was back again to isolation.

He hadn't spoken to anyone since her death. Not Namjoon, not Jungkook, not even Hoseok...

Hoseok??

Yoongi sighed heavily, slumping into his seat. He felt like a jerk having ignored the omega for two weeks straight now. He knew the omega was also grieving, knowing he saw mejin as a motherly figure. But he just couldn't help it, he wanted to be alone for as long as possible, he didn't know if he could even face the omega now, knowing he had ghosted him for that long.

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Yoongi was right; Hoseok wasn't at all pleased with the way Yoongi had shut himself off from everyone, especially from him. Hoseok understood grief, knew it was different for everyone, but Yoongi's silence had cut deeper than he was willing to admit. Mejin's death had left a void in Hoseok's heart, and while he'd been trying to navigate his own sadness, he'd also been worrying about Yoongi-how he was holding up, or more accurately, how he wasn't.

For the past two weeks, Hoseok had tried to give Yoongi space, hoping that maybe, just maybe, the alpha would eventually come to him, that they could grieve together. But every passing day of silence felt like another door closing, and Hoseok was growing tired of waiting.

Standing outside Yoongi's study, Hoseok hesitated, his hand hovering over the doorknob. He knew Yoongi was inside, drowning himself in alcohol and work, anything to numb the pain. Hoseok took a deep breath, steeling himself before knocking gently. There was no answer, but he wasn't surprised. He twisted the knob, pushing the door open slightly and peeking in.

Yoongi was slumped over his desk, a half-empty bottle of whiskey and an ashtray full of cigarette butts beside him. The room reeked of smoke and stale alcohol, the heavy curtains drawn shut to block out any hint of daylight. Yoongi looked up briefly, his eyes bloodshot and hollow, before turning back to whatever document he was pretending to read.

"Yoongi," Hoseok called softly, stepping into the room. The alpha didn't respond, his gaze fixed on the papers in front of him, though it was clear he wasn't really seeing them. Hoseok closed the door behind him, leaning against it as he watched Yoongi in silence for a moment. The alpha's disheveled appearance, the empty bottles scattered around-this wasn't the Yoongi he knew. This was someone lost, someone drowning, and it broke Hoseok's heart to see him like this.

"Yoongi," Hoseok tried again, a bit firmer this time. "You look like a big mess." he stated honestly, scrunching his nose to the awful smell of cigarette

Yoongi finally looked up, his eyes narrowing slightly as if annoyed by the intrusion. But Hoseok stood his ground, his expression soft but unwavering. He wasn't going to back down, not this time.

"I'm not in the mood," he muttered, his voice rough and tired. He rubbed his temples as he picked an half drunk bottle of vodka, about to pour himself a shot, clearly exhausted and frustrated. "leave me alone."

"No," Hoseok said firmly, surprising even himself with the strength of his voice. He moved closer, his steps deliberate and measured, until he was standing right in front of the alpha, collecting the shot glass from him before he could raise the clear liquid to his mouth.

Yoongi signed, not making any attempt to struggle, too exhausted to even move an inch. He looked up to the omega with the same emotionless gaze, voice hoarse.

"What do you want?"

"To talk."

"Another time, I'm busy." The alpha stated, twirling his chair away from the omega.

"No! Now!" Hoseok said firmly, twirling his chair back again to face him. "You can't keep locking yourself out from everyone!"

Yoongi scoffed, leaning back in his chair with a bitter laugh. "And what do you want me to do! You don't expect me to pretend everything is fine and move on like nothing happened?" He enquired, voice raising with emotion at each word.

Hoseok remained quiet, letting him vent out. That was what he wanted, he was tired of seeing the alpha keep to himself, hiding all his emotions despite how painful it was

"Because of my carelessness, that fucking bastard got his way! I'm the reason why she's in that damn grave and you want me to go on with my life like everything is okay?!"

Hoseok couldn't help but flinch at the bitterness in the alpha's voice, but he refused to back down. He took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts, and took a bold move to straddle himself on the alpha's lap so they were eye level, his hands going around his shoulders, gently massaging his nape.

You're not the reason she's gone, Yoongi," Hoseok said softly, his voice filled with a quiet resolve. "Hungjae is the one who orchestrated this, not you. You did everything you could to protect her, to protect all of us. But this isn't the way to deal with it."

Hoseok's hands moved gently over Yoongi's tense shoulders, the contact meant to comfort rather than confront. Yoongi stiffened for a moment, but the familiar scent of Hoseok-a mix of vanilla and something uniquely his own-began to cut through the haze of alcohol and smoke. It was a grounding presence, one that Yoongi didn't realise how much he had missed until that very moment. Unconsciously, he placed his face at the crook of the omega's shoulder, signing contentedly as his sweet scent hit his nostrils.

Hoseok remained still, wanting to comfort the alpha as much as he could. His fingers traced to his hair, combing through them. His touch was gentle but sure, each stroke through Yoongi's hair a silent promise that he wasn't going anywhere. The alpha's shoulders gradually relaxed under the soothing motions, the tension ebbing away as the omega's presence enveloped him like a warm blanket. Yoongi let out a shaky breath, leaning further into Hoseok's touch, allowing himself to momentarily forget the crushing weight of guilt that had been suffocating him since Mejin's death.

Hoseok felt Yoongi's silent surrender, and he allowed himself to hope that maybe, just maybe, he was getting through. "It's okay to be angry, Yoongi," he murmured, his voice soft and reassuring. "It's okay to feel lost. But you can't stay here, drowning yourself in alcohol and pushing everyone away. We need you. I need you."

Yoongi's arms snaked around Hoseok's waist, his eyes shutting tight as he battled the storm of emotions threatening to break free. "I don't know how to deal with this," he confessed, his voice cracking under the weight of his own admission. "I keep seeing her face, Cupcake. Every time I close my eyes, I see her and I just-" He choked on his words, unable to finish, and the tears he had fought so hard to hold back began to spill down his cheeks.

Hoseok's eyes brimmed with tears, heart clenching as he held tightly unto the alpha. "You did nothing wrong." He kept assuring, failing to hold back his own tears that were beginning to fall on the alpha's shoulder.

Yoongi closed his eyes, letting the omega's words wash over him like a balm to his wounded soul. He didn't have all the answers, and the pain of losing his mother would never fully disappear. But with Hoseok's steady presence anchoring him, Yoongi felt a little less adrift, a little less lost. And for now, that was enough.

For the first time since Mejin's death, Yoongi allowed himself to lean on someone else, to share the burden of his grief. And in Hoseok's arms, he found a flicker of solace, a small but powerful reminder that even in the darkest of times, he was not alone.

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