Days of youth

|Day 2|

72 hours before:

He had a bitter smile on his face as he caught sight of the familiar suitcase, thick layers of dust from over the years covering the top.

During the last eight years - even when moving dorms - he barely touched it. To him, it was Pandora's box, even touching it would bring bitter sweet memories to the surface. It was easier to simply push it further into the dark corner, no matter how tempting, he knew better.

'...But better is not enough' he thought, as he watched the members shocked faces stare at his unblinking one.

What you resist persists.

He should have known.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Do you have a name, or would you much rather prefer 'baby'?"  She raised her eyebrow, holding his cup out.

He was quiet when he took the cup, blowing on the surface and watching the ripples. He was quiet when he muttered out his name, gulping when she sat next to him. He was quiet when she shifted to sit crisscross, facing him.

He was quiet and she huffed.

"I knew I should have just put my clothes on." She mumbled, more so to herself, but he heard it.

After they calmed down from their laughing fit, she had gotten up to wipe them both clean, leaving Seokjin a little disappointed, though he would never admit it. Her laugh was awkward as she told him her plan to ease her habits in had failed miserably.

To which he reached out to wrap his fingers round her wrist, shaking his head. "I wouldn't say miserable."

Her eyes softened a lot to that and he continued, "You don't have to change your habits just for me."

So she flung on a long black robe, left it open and waddled on to make two cups of hot chocolate with practiced ease.

"What's your name?" He finally asked, breaking the silence.

"Faye. Faye Thorne."

Faye watched him with a curious glint in her eye before she spoke out again. "How old are you, Kim?"

"18, I turn 19 in three months." He looked up at her in a silent question.

"I turned 20 five months ago."

It wasn't entirely lost to either of them that they had slowly began to lean in now. Their chocolate breathes fanning each other.

"Came here for university?"

"No, though I've already been accepted back in Korea. I wanted to take a break before."

"Already accepted?" Their lips were brushing together now. "You've sure got things planned out."

"Barely." He said, breath hitching in his throat. "I hadn't exactly planned for..." he paused, not knowing what it was.

"Did you like it, though?" She stared into his eyes.

"It'd be a lie if I said I didn't." He flinched as she licked her lips, her tongue touching his lips in the process. "And you? Are you a university student?"

She shrugged, "dropped out."

He nodded, she didn't ask so he wouldn't either.

His eyes wondered down before he had any chance to stop them, noticing a tattoo on the side of her neck. From what he could see it was a beautiful, black rose, the rest hidden behind her robe.

He wondered if she had any more tattoos his eyes had completely overlooked, and then told himself that it didn't matter.

He wasn't one to ask first.

Their eyes met again, amusement laced in her eyes. He felt his face flush, ears burning, not knowing what to make of how vulnerable he felt; having to constantly remind himself that it was her who was naked and not him.

"Either side of you are two rooms, take your pick, Kim."

Faye closed the gap for a second, letting the feel of the light peck linger on his lips.

"I'll take the room opposite to yours." He managed to whisper out.

~~~~~~~~~~

It was already mid day when he settled in enough to feel a bit more comfortable. Noticing her bedroom door was wide open, he looked around the open place.

Faye was out on the balcony, leaning slightly over the edge. She nodded to him when he joined her, but didn't say anything.

Her robe was clasped around her tighter now, conscious of what he could only assume to be any unwanted eyes. Ignoring the weird feeling of pride he looked into the distance. Letting the silence wash over them.

That was until his stomach let out a loud grumble, shocking him. He hadn't noticed the hunger gnawing at his insides, but not being able to remember the last meal he had, he felt the noise was justified.

Faye seemed to think so too as she spared a glance at him, "you must be tired from the plane ride." She walked in, "I should have some left over pasta, we can reheat for now."

Seokjin turned on the TV and crouched down before her DVD collection, Just as he grabbed the one DVD that he was somewhat familiar with; Harry potter and the philosophers stone, Faye plopped down onto the sofa.

"Harry potter? Cool, there's no Korean subtitles though."

He pushed the disk in and sat next to her, "I don't need the subtitles." Even without looking at her, he could feel the amused look she was giving him. "The pasta?" he asked, noting her empty hands.

She reached out to her phone on the table, "turns out pastas don't live for that long, i'll order some chicken and I can get my beer out."

"But i'm not-"

"Legal? Here you are, unless you don't want to?"

Half way through the movie Seokjin was clear of two things. One: He obviously needed Korean subtitles and two: Faye obviously found his confusion more entertaining then whatever the hell was going on in the film.

He could get used to it.

The doorbell saved him from questioning what exactly he could get used to and it snapped Faye out of her trance. He got up with her to take the bag and set the table as she got the beer out.

Giving her a skeptical glance he tilted his head back, gulping down the cool liquid the flowed down his throat. It was nice, he concluded.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Hyung." His eyes snapped to Yoongi whose eyes dropped in guilt. "You never speak about that year, the kids were just curious."

Of course. Classic Min Yoongi behaviour. Defend and protect.

Something in Seokjin tugged at his heart - Yoongi felt the need to defend and protect the boys against him. He felt his eyes tear up but he swallowed it down.

He was the hyung, they didn't need to see.

So he painted a smile on his face, albeit a small one, and uttered the code he never forgot.

"1804"