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In the Middle of the Night: Ch 21

Chapter 21: "Whenever I Get Around You"

Chapters: 1 — 16(m) - 17(m) - 18(m) - 19(m) - 20(m) - 21

MASTERLIST

Pairing: Idol!RM/Namjoon x OC

Rating: M (language)

Warning: Familial problems, mother/daughter issues

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-Thanksgiving Day-

It was a good thing that Namjoon had his schedule full the days leading up to Thanksgiving. Their first show was in a couple of days and they were using every bit of it getting ready for it. Thankfully, they had been given Thanksgiving day off so they would be able to attend dinner.

The guest list was less than 20 and most knew each other, so I was sure everyone would be comfortable. My brother, Sebastian, was my writing partner and on most occasions when I wrote songs for the guys, he had assisted, so the guys knew Seb pretty well. Not to mention that on several occasions, my brothers and Ky hung out with the guys when they visited LA.

It was getting close to noon, the time I had told everyone to be there. My tia Jia and Jinny, her daughter, were helping me set up. The three of us had prepared all the food and we were finishing things when the first round of people rang the door.

It was the guys, always punctual. I welcomed them at the front door and they made their way into the house, eyes gawking over the place and commenting on how beautiful my home was.

Namjoon made his way to me, brushing his lips against mine. When I pulled away, those deep dimples threatened to turn me into a puddle of mush.

“I forget how huge this place is. It’s amazing how close you are to the beach,” Hoseok said, his mouth and eyes fully open.

“This must be millions of dollars,” Jungkook muttered, his head peaking to the backyard.

I didn’t comment, not comfortable with confirming how right he was.

None of the guys knew, not even Namjoon, but the reason I was able to afford this home was due to an inheritance left to me by my grandfather. When he passed, he had left a fortune behind. My mother gained a wealth of her own as a recording artist and hired a financial advisor who assisted in setting her children up for life. It was one of the few good things she did for me and my brothers. By the time I was 24, I had enough to buy my dream home: a house large enough to fit a large family comfortably with a beautiful view and proximity to the beach.

While I was raised privileged, I didn’t flaunt it. Another good attribute my mother instilled in us since childhood: being humble. While I owned this lavish house, the items inside tended to be pretty modest. I was more than willing to spend a good amount of money for a solid house with a breathtaking view, but I wasn’t about to waste money on luxurious furniture when I could buy something similar and cheap from IKEA.

“Do you still have the chairs on that cliff?” Yoongi asked almost excitedly.

“Oh, yeah. Can we go out there sometime today?” Namjoon looked like a little kid, ready to jump up in excitement.

The guys had visited the house a few times. Jungkook, Jimin, and Taehyung tended to gravitate toward the pools—one was outside and the other was inside and heated. Hobi was in love with the setup of my closet, Jin admired my wine cellar, and Namjoon and Yoongi were drawn to the cliff in my property that overlooked the ocean. It was actually my favorite spot in my home as well. I liked going out there with a good book, notebook, or camera.

“Yeah,” I answered them, smiling at their cuteness. “We can go now or right at sunset. It’s my favorite time of the day.”

“Can we do both?” asked Yoongi.

I was about to say yes when my tia Jia and Jinny came into view.

They all exchanged pleasantries with each other. Jinny had met the guys a couple of times, so she was shier than usual. The boys tended to be quiet at first meeting someone, so there was an immediate awkwardness. However, my aunt was quick to make everyone feel at ease. Everyone was laughing in no time.

We took the guys over to the appetizer area so they could start eating. Of course, we made sure there was a combination of savory and healthy food to choose from. They were getting ready for a show, after all.

As the guys chatted with my tia Jia and Jinny, Namjoon pulled me to another room.

At first, I thought he was wanting to find a secret corner to make out in, which I was totally up for. However, I was quickly disappointed.

“How did your brothers handle the news?” he asked curiously.

I frowned, not sure what he was meaning.

He looked confused by my confusion. “About us?”

The realization hit me. I had promised to tell my family about Namjoon by Thanksgiving. Yet here we were and I had failed to keep that promise. I silently cursed at myself.

“You haven’t?” he asked, a look of disbelief and almost concern on his face. “Why?”

I was at a loss for words. “I’ve been so busy with planning everything that it slipped.”

There was a flash in Namjoon’s eyes. One that I had rarely seen. And never towards me. He wasn’t just irritated, he was pissed.

It made my stomach become unsettled. “It was an honest mistake,” I tried to explain quickly. “I’ve told Ky, Jinny, and my uncle John, so it’s not like I’m keeping it a secret on purpose.”

The glare did not waver. “Kyong guessed it on his own, you said so yourself weeks ago. I’m sure your aunt is the one who told your uncle. It was only Jinny you told. And that’s only because her parents and brother knew—you felt obligated to,” he accused.

My heart rate picked up. I don’t know why I lied. It was an impulse—quick thinking to save my ass. I should have known Namjoon not only would have sniffed out the lie right away but be quick to call me out on it.

“I’m sorry,” I said defeatedly.

“About not telling them or lying to me?” he asked, his eyes digging into mine.

Suddenly, I could feel an inner frustration building inside me. But I wasn’t sure who it was geared towards: myself or Namjoon? I had acted stupid, not thinking before speaking and hurting Namjoon in the process. But I was also upset with him for not waiting until after dinner at least to discuss this. There was a group of people in the other room, soon more would be joining. Why bring this up now?

“Both,” I answered him, hoping he could drop this until tonight.

“Are you sorry for both, though?” he wasn’t letting this go.

He had pushed me to my own irritation. “Why are you picking a fight right now? There are guests out there. Did something happen that’s making you take your anger out on me?”

“You’re trying to turn the tables around and it’s not going to work,” he shot back.

God, he really wanted a fight. I closed the door, ensuring more privacy and giving me the liberty to meet his heat with mine.

“That’s not what I’m doing. If you want to discuss how you feel about my fuck up, I’m totally up for it. But we have people outside and I have a feeling this discussion is going to last a pretty long time. Is it really wise to have it now?” I wanted to snap at him fully. But I was trying to be calm and logical.

He had a lot to say, I could feel him holding himself back. But he saw my reasoning. He took a breath after a long moment and gave a short nod.

I took a breath myself and met his eyes. We looked at each other for a long moment. I could hear him telepathically letting out his frustration at me. And I took it. I deserved it.

He settled down after a while, his eyes softer, but the hurt and anger were still there.

I stepped in, feeling safe to do so. Placing my hand upon his face, I guided his head to bend to mine. Staring right into his deep, warm cocoa eyes, I made another promise. One I fully intended to follow through with. “As soon as they come in through the door—whether together or separately—I will be telling them.”

There was a hesitation in his stare. He didn’t automatically believe me.

And it felt like a stab in the stomach that he didn’t. “Ok?” I asked, sounding desperate.

Maybe it was my tone that moved him. He took my face in his own hands and caressed me, his features softening with concern. “Ok.”

How he immediately forgot his frustration and was now worried for me squeezed my chest. I wanted to apologize. Get on my knees and wish to take back making him feel sorry for me. That’s why he had forgotten his own emotions: my well-being had taken president.

His concern and consideration for others made him deserve everything good in this world. It was impossible for anyone who was blessed to get a chance to know him not to fall into his gravity. My soul was already pulled and now attached to his skin. And I was getting drawn in deeper. And I was scared to shit of it because I wanted to be fully engulfed in him. So much so that I didn’t care if I lost myself in him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the next hour, more guests showed up: Ky and his family were the next ones, followed by my Tio John, and finally, my brothers and their spouses arrived together. The ones missing were my parents. They lived 30 minutes away so I decided to give them some time before getting too worried. Plus, I had to do some damage control and speak to my brothers.

To show Namjoon I was serious about not being ashamed of our relationship, I made sure he was with me when I pulled my brothers aside to tell them about our relationship.

Not that I really needed to vocally proclaim it. As my brothers, Namjoon, and I made our way into an empty room, my brothers knew what was up.

“How long has this been going on?” My oldest brother, Seb, did a once-over on Namjoon as he motioned the two of us. He crossed his arms, purposely flexing his muscles. He was a couple of inches shorter than Namjoon, but he was a former boxer and still regularly hit the gym, so he was heavier set.

I could sense Namjoon getting a little nervous next to me, his eyes almost bulging out.

Vic smirked and followed our brother’s lead. He was slimmer and slightly shorter than Seb, but the countless tattoos on his arms, hands, and neck made him look intimidating as fuck.

I had to give it to Namjoon, he continued to keep his head high, even though I was sure he was internally shaking. Any other guy would have run to the door.

But I wasn’t about to let this game of my protective brothers continue too long. I stepped forward and pinched both of them in the arm.

Instantly, they turned into wimpy, little boys.

“Ow, that hurts!”

“Ayyyyy! Que mala!”

As they licked their wounds, I stood protectively in front of Namjoon. “We’ve been dating for a couple of months. Yes, it’s serious. No, not many know about us. No, I haven’t told Mamá y Papá. Yes, we understand the risks—both personal and professional. Yes, it’s worth it. And no, you cannot—and I repeat—you cannot take him to the speedway as a rite of passage. Any other questions?”

“What do you mean we can’t take him to the speedway?” asked Vic, looking appalled.

“How else do you suggest we get to know him if we can’t take him there?” Sebastian asked at the same time.

I gave them an incredulous look. “You’ve known Namjoon for almost a decade. You’ve hung out with him plenty of times.”

“That’s in the studio or when it’s all the guys together,” Seb reasoned.

“Then take him out for drinks—have dinner with him,” I suggested.

They continued to fight their case for the remainder of the day. They wouldn’t let it go.

I was pleased Namjoon found it more entertaining than annoying. He knew my brothers’ intentions were good. I had shared with Namjoon long ago that when first started dating, my brothers kept their noses out of my relationships. However, after my asshole ex damaged me, they became over-protective, always wanting to meet my boyfriends. I couldn’t be too upset about their method, especially when it seemed to work. The guys who tended to treat me well had been the ones my brothers gave full approval to. But I wasn’t about to admit this to them.

As the day continued, Bangtan and my brothers began to bond. My brothers weren’t as fluent in Korean as I was. They pretty much understood it but had trouble forming sentences. But this wasn’t a problem for them, all were enjoying the company.

I started noticing it was getting closer to serve dinner but my parents hadn’t arrived. I made my way to the kitchen to clean up a little, Namjoon joining me.

Namjoon did the dishes while I cleared and cleaned the counters. “How should I address your parents?” he asked, looking anxious.

“What do you mean? You’ve met them before. Call them by their names,” I said.

“That was before—and years ago when we were only friends. Things are different now,” he insisted. He was starting to bounce around on his heels, looking anxious.

I understood him; I remembered how stressed I was when I interacted with his parents during the online concert. “Just call them Mr. and Mrs. Luna. Be sure to use ‘sir’ when addressing my dad. You’ll have him eating out the palm of your hand. He always complains about how my generation seems to have lost its manners.”

“I thought it was Mexican custom to use their first name, not last. Shouldn’t I be calling him Señor Pedro?” he asked with a serious look.

He had such a thick accent when he said it, I couldn’t help the laugh that came out.

He gave a shy smile at my reaction. “Did I pronounce it that badly?”

I nodded. “You sounded really white.”

“I’m Korean!”

“Yeah, but you sounded like a white guy saying it.”

A brighter blush crept across his cheeks. “I should start learning Spanish.” He had a look in his eye like he was starting to make plans on hiring a private Spanish tutor once he got back to Korea.

I needed to squash the idea, quickly. I took his face in my hands so I could have his full attention. “Handsome, if you take on another hobby, it’s going to eat up the small amount of free time I have with you. Please don’t hire another tutor.”

He presented me with his dimples. “Ok.” He leaned in and claimed my lips with his.

“Thank you,” I said, giving him a kiss of gratitude.

“Get a room,” came a voice behind us.

Victor and his wife had entered with a couple of more dishes. I stuck out my tongue at him.

“We’re getting pretty hungry out there, sis. Any update from my mom and dad?” he asked.

I looked down at my phone for the 30th time in the last half hour. “Nope.”

“I’ll call them to see where they are,” suggested Victor as he took out his phone.

“I can do it. Go ahead and keep everyone entertained,” I told him. My middle brother tended to be the life of the party—a personality similar to Hobi’s. I would prefer he was with the guests, keeping the mood light.

He turned to his wife, Debi, and they shared a look.

“What?” I asked, catching it.

“You’re the host, Maya. It’s best if you’re out there instead of Vic. Let him handle it,” Debi said, trying to appear to be covering something.

I turned to Namjoon who looked as puzzled as I felt. I was glad to know I wasn’t the only one feeling something was off. And as much as I wanted to question my family about their odd behavior, I just wanted this taken care of.

“It’s fine. I’ll do it.” I got my phone out and selected my mom’s contact before anyone could intercept it. I headed to an empty room, closing the door behind me.

My mother answered after a few rings, “Bueno.”

“Hey, where are you guys? We’re getting ready to start dinner.”

“Oh, were we invited?” My mother’s tone was short and venomous.

I tried to ignore the fact that my skin was crawling. “What?”

“Here I thought you were having a small gathering with your friends for the holiday instead of having a proper meal with your parents.” The amount of bitterness that was coming out of my mother’s mouth was enough to melt my cell phone.

She constantly did this. Spoke in riddles when she was angry and expected me to know the reason for her anger. It was a game I always lost in.

Unlike the argument with Namjoon that I could push back until some other time, this argument with my mother couldn’t wait. I walked over to the restroom and closed the door, ensuring no one outside could hear.

“Madre, will you just tell me what you’re upset over instead of being passive-aggressive?”

“That’s a big word for you. Miss College Big Shot is putting her degree to good use.” It was snide comments like these that made me believe my mother resented me for leaving home so young to go to college. I had used the excuse that I wanted to better myself when, in reality, I had wanted to escape. College had been the way out. And my mother had taken college to mean I thought less of her because she had never gotten more than a high school diploma.

“Will you not dodge the question and tell me why you’re so upset with me?” I demanded. I had no time for her games. I had a room full of guests waiting for me, including a very excited boyfriend who was looking forward to meeting my crazy mother.

“Well, if you really must know…” she started. I could practically imagine the smoke coming out of her nostrils, she sounded so frustrated. “This is supposed to be a family holiday and you invited all those friends that we did not all agree to. Friends that you have chosen over your own blood these last two years.”

I finally pieced everything together. It was jealousy. It was resentment for me choosing to stay in Korea rather than coming back home. “Madre, I was in Korea for work.”

“You could have worked here. There is plenty use for a songwriter in LA,” she snapped.

“I needed a change in scenery,” I tried to explain.

“You wanted a change in not seeing me, just admit it. You were tired of me. You wanted as much distance between us as you could make.” She was trying to make me feel guilty.

But it wasn’t going to work. I had stopped feeling guilty a long time ago, but that didn’t stop me from getting upset myself. “I was dealing with a breakup, I hit a wall with my music, my contract was up, and a main executive felt me up in one of the label’s offices as he not-so-subtly suggested I do him a sexual favor if I wanted a better contract. So, no, it had nothing to do with wanting distance from you. I was busy trying to take care of my mental health.”

My mother went quiet. I wasn’t sure if she was going to respond and I honestly didn’t care to know. I didn’t have time to do this with her.

“I’ll talk to you later. I have a room full of loved ones waiting for me. I don’t have time to play this little game. Call me when you’re ready to talk face-to-face and have an actual conversation. If you choose not to, then I’ll see you for Christmas. Goodbye.” I hung up and took a deep breath, trying to settle myself down. I could feel a knot forming in my throat and my eyes begin to burn a little, but I blinked them away. I couldn’t do this right now. I couldn’t handle my mother and my issues right now.

Taking another breath, I settled myself and walked out of the room.

Outside, waiting for me was Namjoon. “Everything ok?” His soft, deep cocoa eyes looked gently down at mine.

I saw him reach out to me. I wanted to lean on him; let out the frustrated tears while wrapped in his embrace. It was so fucking tempting. His arms looked welcoming. However, the part of me that refused assistance with an emotional problem teamed up with my pride and held me back. I swallowed down the knot. “Just a miscommunication with my parents. I thought they would be going to Mexico next week but apparently, they already left. They should be back by Christmas, which is most important.” I needed to lie. I didn’t feel good about it. But telling Namjoon the truth felt embarrassing. And also, I knew he would insist on dealing with my emotions. And I couldn’t deal with his sweet and considerate nature right now. It would make me fall apart.

The look on Namjoon’s face was hurt. Instantly, I forgot about my frustration and felt his disappointment.

I reached up and touched his face. “I’m sorry. I know you really wanted to meet them. I was kind of excited for you to see them too.”

His eyes stayed on me, the pain still there. “I heard you arguing with her.”

I was confident he hadn’t heard any words, but just muffled sounds. I didn’t want to lie to him, but if I was honest, he wouldn’t let it go. “I was upset over the miscommunication. I’ll handle it with her later. I just really don’t want to talk about this right now.”

He wanted to insist, but held back and gave a nod, not saying another word.

We made our way back to the party and I tried to find the energy to fake some happiness.

We gathered in the round, turntable in the dining room, which seated us nicely.

For the next half hour, we all dug in and munched on the numerous dishes. There was plenty of praise I was receiving from my ceviche that I made with tilapia.

Talk of how good the fish tasted reminded me of something Jin had brought up a while ago. I turned to my uncle John. “Tio, Jin is the one who is interested in going fishing during his stay.”

One of the things Jin had wanted to do in the States was fish. I had mentioned my uncle John managed a fishing company that could take him fishing. Tio John immediately agreed to take Jin out to sea. With both of them present, it was the perfect time to have them discuss it.

My tio turned to Jin. “I would be more than happy to take you with us. Currently, yellowtail is what we’ve been catching.”

Jin gave a bow of gratitude. “I would be very happy with that. Thank you very much.”

My tio turned to me. “Mayita, you want to send him my information?”

I nodded, took out my phone, and messaged Jin my uncle’s number before I could forget.

“Maheeda?” Jin asked as he looked at me with confusion.

“Mayeeta,” I corrected him. “It’s what my family calls me.”

“That’s her way of saying you’re not allowed to call her that,” Jimin said to Jin jokingly.

“Yeah, just her family,” Hobi added with a smile.

I nodded, playing along.

Jin shook his head with a mocked sad look on his face. “Really, Maya. Here I thought we were more than friends.”

“More than friends?” Seb said with a look of shock.

“Is there something you need to discuss with your brothers?” Vic asked me. “I thought it was only Namjoon we had to square up—I didn’t think we had to intimidate two guys.”

Jin looked confused by what Vic said. He turned to Namjoon and asked for an interpretation. Jin understood English quite well, but Vic used some slang and spoke too fast.

Namjoon let Jin know what was said while trying to hold back laughter.

At hearing what Vic had said, Jin shook his hand vigorously, his face burning red in embarrassment. “No, no, no!”

“Wait a minute, wait a minute,” Beto, Seb’s husband, interceded. “Maya, are you and RM actually in a polyamorous relationship with Jin?”

“I didn’t have much of a choice,” I said playfully. “Namjoon is too much in love with Jin.”

Namjoon shook his head, didn't say a word, and took a sip of his wine. He turned to me, cocking his eyebrow at me and giving me a look that sent shivers down my spine. It managed to travel all the way down to my pussy. I was wet in that instant as he stared at me from the corner of his eyes.

The table laughed, paying no attention to the heated look Namjoon was giving me. I was more than grateful; I did not want my family to see me aroused. Awkward. I took a sip of my own wine.

We had fun with this for the rest of the night, never missing an opportunity to make Jin feel embarrassed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A couple of hours later, everyone except the guys left. The guys wanted to go down to the beach. Thankfully, not many were down there due to the holiday, so we were all enjoying most of the beach in private.

Currently, I was having a playful spat with Jin. He had just pouted about something.

“Why are you so whiny?” I asked, teasingly.

Jin continued to pout and looked insulted by my question. “Well, how should I react?”

“Like the 40-year-old that you are,” I said, not missing a beat.

Hoseok, Jimin, and Jungkook let out booming laughs.

This only made Jin let out an exasperated noise. “Ya, I just turned 30—in Korean years. How are you going to say I’m such an age?”

“Jagi, in less than two weeks, you’re going to be 31.”

“Can’t you let me enjoy it until then?!” He looked so red.

I couldn’t stop laughing at his reaction. I almost fell backward onto the beach. Thankfully, Namjoon’s arm caught me and kept me sitting up.

“I’m done sitting here with you.” Jin got up and went to join his youngest brothers along the water. Yoongi was off in the distance taking a lone walk and watching the waves in solitude.

It took a moment to realize Namjoon and I were sitting alone.

“So when did your parents leave?” asked Namjoon almost out of nowhere.

I frowned, confused by his question. “Leave?”

“To Mexico. When did they leave?” he asked, his face straight as he looked right at me.

It took a long second for me to fully understand his question and to respond. “Just yesterday. I think.”

“You think?” he asked, looking thrown a little off. “They told you they had left but didn’t tell you when?”

My heart rate picked up. “I didn’t get too many details. We mostly argued.” That last part was true.

Namjoon turned away, giving a slight nod. I quickly picked up on his clenched jaw and furrowed brows, but he looked the other direction before I could pick up his full mood. He looked like he wanted to say something. Was this still about my not telling my brothers?

I didn’t want to pick a fight just yet, especially with the rest of the guys present. I said nothing.

Thankfully, Jimin and Hoseok made their way back to us, sitting next to us on the sand. Jin and Jungkook were playing some sort of tag game as Taehyung took photos. I had no idea where Yoongi was.

“So, who’s going back to Korea right after the concerts?” I asked Jimin and Hoseok, wanting to cut through the tension. I could feel Namjoon’s cold energy radiating next to me.

“Jin-hyung, Jungkookie, and me,” Jimin responded. “I’ll be spending the holidays with my parents in Busan. But that won’t be until late December.”

“Who will be looking after your house?” I asked.

Jimin and his brother were roommates. Usually, when Jimin was gone for work, his brother or parents looked after his home. However, if they were all going to be in Busan, I wonder who was going to be looking after his home. He had several plants.”

“No one. I have a friend who’s going to check in from time to time and will look after the plants. It’ll only be for a few weeks,” Jimin explained.

I nodded, not knowing what else to say. The truth was my attention kept going back to the man next to me who seemed to be sulking. His back was now fully turned towards me. I felt something dig into my chest.

Doing my best, I pulled my sight away from him, wanting to give him his privacy.

There was a feeling someone was looking at me. I looked up and noticed Jimin’s and Hoseok’s concerned faces. They were staring at Namjoon and turning to me, worried.

I gave them a small shake, signaling them to not say a thing.

They gave a nod and turned away, respecting our privacy.

I felt a warm hand on my shoulder. Jimin’s warm eyes silently asked if I was ok. I gave him a smile and nodded, not wanting to worry him. He rubbed my arm softly, squeezing me kindly.

Chapters: 1 — 16(m) - 17(m) - 18(m) - 19(m) - 20(m) - 21

MASTERLIST

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