Hana:

I stand out the front of Namjoon's apartment, hyping myself up to go inside. I know we are dating now, but I haven't dated someone before. Sure, I've had a few crushes here and there, but I haven't been in a real relationship before. Minho was my first-ever attempt at dating, and that did not end well.

As my courage builds, I enter the apartment complex and make my way up to his apartment. I type in the pin and slowly enter, trying to make as much noise as possible so he knows someone is entering.

"Hello?" I call out, closing the door behind me. I slide my shoes off and move further into the room, looking around for any signs of Namjoon. It is eerily quiet, but I can see his breakfast dishes on the edge of the sink as I enter the kitchen.

"Namjoon?" I call out again, frowning at the silence.

"Oh, good morning, Hana" I move towards the stairs, looking up towards the sound of his voice.

"Good morning, Namjoon – OH MY GOD!" I squeal, spinning around so my back is facing the stairs. He is standing at the top of the stairs brushing his teeth, a towel wrapped around his hips and nothing else.

"What's wrong?" I hear his muffled chuckle.

"You're naked again!" I snap, trying to ignore the warmth in my cheeks, "Go get dressed!"

I hear footsteps slowly making their way down the stairs. I tense, unsure of what to do or where to go. I try to shuffle towards the lounge room so I can get away from him, but I am halted in my tracks. I feel two hands wrap around my hips, the smell of spearmint permeating the air as he rests his head on my shoulder.

"What's wrong?" He asks again, grinning as he looks at me, a small blob of toothpaste at the corner of his lips.

"S-S-Stop being a perv!" I mutter, looking down at the floor so he can't see my red cheeks. I hear him laugh again as he lets me go, heading back up the stairs.

"I'll be down in a second,"

"O-Okay," I stammer, waiting until I hear the sound of his bedroom door closing. Once I hear the little thump of the door, I rush into the lounge room and sit down on the sofa. I grab a cushion and scream into it, letting out all the build-up of emotions.

I'm starting to think I'm the pervert, considering everything that has happened. I try to ignore my thoughts as pictures of him flash across my mind. He is quite toned for a university student, but what gets me isn't how he looks – that has never mattered to me. It's the confidence. Standing half naked at the top of his stairs, smiling down at me like that, knowing exactly how that makes me feel?

God damn.

I try to cool myself down, hoping my blush will disappear from my face before he comes back down.

A few minutes later, he is jogging down the stairs, a huge grin plastered to his face. He is wearing sweatpants and a plain white T-shirt. He rushes over, practically jumping onto the sofa to bear hug me. I cry out as he pulls me towards him, engulfing me in his arms.

"Hey, baby," He murmurs, pulling away to look down at me.

"Hi," I breathe, the blush returning immediately. I swear I'm going to have a stroke if he keeps making me blush like this.

He smirks, leaning forward to give me a quick kiss. He leaps off the couch and moves into the kitchen.

"Would you like a coffee?" He asks.

"Yes please," I smile, watching him bustle around.

"Oh, by the way," He turns to look at me, "Everyone is coming around today,"

"Why?" I pout. I thought we were going to spend the day together while the others try to finish their assessments.

"Well, Yoongi and Jimin will be here after lunch – they are handing in their last assessments this morning," Namjoon explains, "And the others will be here after university,"

"Okay," I give him a small smile, feeling a little disappointed. He must have noticed, because he moves towards me. He leans against the arm of the sofa, towering over me with a dark, sensual look in his eyes.

"Why? Did you have other plans?" He smirks.

"Huh? N-No!" I stammer. He places a little kiss on my nose, moving away to finish the coffee.

Jeez, he really likes kissing me, huh?

Not that I mind. I like physical affection. I could never date someone that doesn't like to be touched. I crave it, I need it, to feel loved. Luckily, it seems like Namjoon does too.

He brings the coffee over, placing it in front of us as he leans back on the sofa. He holds his arms out, giving me the big doe eyes as he pouts, willing me towards him. I giggle, crawling into his arms and getting comfortable. I hear him sigh happily, his heart beating hard in his chest. Knowing I have this effect on him gives me a strange sense of accomplishment.

"Want to cuddle and watch a movie while we wait?" He asks, holding up the remote. I look up at him and nod, humming in response. He gives me another little kiss before I lay my head back down on his chest, snuggling into him.

Seeking the truth and giving up the delusion was the best decision of my life.

. . . . . 

Namjoon:

"All right, why did you call us all here?" Yoongi asks as they finish greeting the others. They move into his living room, each finding a comfortable spot somewhere on the sofa or the floor in front of the sofa, waiting for him to explain. Hana looks at him, confused.

"Well, firstly," Namjoon smirks down at her, "Hana and I are finally dating,"

"WHAT?" Taehyung's jaw drops.

"Seriously?" Jungkook grins, looking relieved.

"Finally!" Hoseok cheers.

"Since when?" Seokjin asks.

"Who asked who?" Yoongi questions.

"Congratulations guys!" Jimin claps, leaning forward to hug Hana, who is sitting on the floor in front of him. She pats his arm happily, looking a little love drunk with her blushing cheeks.

Namjoon briefly explains why it took so long and how it happened.

"So, you didn't tell her about the dream?" Yoongi teases.

"Oh! That's right!" Namjoon smiles, a dark glint in his eye. Just as Yoongi starts to realise his life might be in danger, Namjoon quickly kicks his slipper off, hitting Yoongi in the chest.

"Ow! What the fuck!" Yoongi pouts, rubbing his chest as Namjoon comes to collect his slipper.

"That's for what you said," Namjoon grins.

"What did he say?" Jungkook asks, looking between them.

"I told him that I told Hana about a dream he had about her," Yoongi grins.

"Seriously?" Hoseok laughs loudly, "How did that conversation go?"

Hana and Namjoon explain the awkward conversation, leaving Hana blushing even more and Namjoon relaxed.

"I could tell her the contents of the dream, you know," Yoongi grins mischievously. Suddenly, much to Yoongi's surprise, it's Hana who hits him this time.

"NO!" She yells, "I don't want to know, I don't care to know!"

"Ow!" Yoongi sniffles, pretending to cry, "You two are so mean to me! I am the reason you got together!"

They laugh at Yoongi's antics, lighting up the room with laughter and teasing. Namjoon decides he needs to drop the final bomb: Z.

"Now, the main reason I called you all here is about Z," Namjoon says seriously, quieting everyone instantly.

"What about Z?" Seokjin mutters, folding his arms. He still has a lot of the panic that comes from being possessed by a god, and almost dying. He still has a limp when he walks, and he struggles with any intense physical movements. Out of all of them, Yoongi and Seokjin hate Z the most, followed closely by Hana, Taehyung, and Jimin. The rest of them are indifferent to his existence.

"He wants to return home," Namjoon says.

They all stare at him with varying levels of anger and annoyance. They are obviously not keen on this idea.

"Okay? Good for him?" Yoongi grumbles, "He's contained to that necklace for a reason. We gave him the option to return home and never come back and he decided to stick around and almost kill Seokjin,"

"I agree," Seokjin adds, "I don't know why you don't just bury that necklace,"

"Yeah, I think we should vote on it," Yoongi turns to address everyone. Before he can ask anything, Namjoon cuts him off.

"Hold on, that's a good idea... however," Namjoon gestures for Yoongi to hear him out as he opens his mouth to speak again, "Let me explain his reasoning,"

"What would be a good reason?" Hana asks.

"Z is sick of... listening to my thoughts," Namjoon smirks, "He's been stuck listening to me for a month and a half now without being able to turn it off,"

"So?" Jimin frowns.

"Oh!" Taehyung's eyes go wide, "Is it because..." He points to Hana. Namjoon nods in response, trying not to laugh.

"I don't understand," Jungkook asks, his eyes wide and curious. Taehyung whispers in his ear, making his eyes go even wider, "Oh... Oh!" He starts snickering with Taehyung.

"Huh?" Yoongi looks at Namjoon closely, trying to figure it out. Namjoon glances at Hana and raises his eyebrows. Finally, it clicks. He smirks, looking away so he doesn't laugh.

Seokjin and Hoseok look around at the silent conversations as it slowly dawns on them.

"I really don't get it," Jimin frowns, looking at all his giggling friends.

"Me neither," Hana pouts, looking from Namjoon to Jimin.

"Z has been stuck listening to Namjoon's thoughts," Jungkook emphasises, "Without being able to turn it off,"

"So?" Jimin demands, looking frustrated.

"And he finally had enough after Hana and I made it official," Namjoon continues, trying to hint at it so he doesn't humiliate himself and Hana.

Jimin continues to frown, his frustration building.

"God dammit, Jimin," Seokjin sighs, "He's been thinking about Hana! What sort of thoughts do you think would make Z angry that involve Hana?"

"Like... because he likes her?" Jimin frowns. Finally, it clicks, "Oh! Have you been having dirty thoughts about Hana?"

Silence.

You can even hear the crickets trying to fill the silence.

Namjoon becomes flustered, pinching his lips and burying his face in his hands. Hana blushes furiously, turning to hide her face in a cushion. The rest of them burst into laughter. Taehyung hits Jimin on the legs, chastising him for being too blunt.

"It's not just... those thoughts... that Z doesn't want to hear," Namjoon explains, bringing order to the conversation again, "I think about Hana a lot, and he's sick of it," Namjoon admits.

"How much do you think about her?" Hoseok wiggles his eyebrows suggestively.

"All the time," Namjoon says comfortably, "Especially when she was avoiding me,"

Hana looks down at her lap, pouting slightly. She looks sorry, yet happy to hear how much he thinks about her.

"So, you've tortured him with that?" Jimin surmises.

"Precisely," Namjoon nods, "He has decided to just wait for Hana to live out her life and ask her again when she dies,"

Everyone nods in agreement with this. Surely it would be Z's best move at this point. Be stuck listening to the woman you like dating someone else, constantly hearing his thoughts? Or go home and wait 80 years? 80 years in Z's life is barely anything to him.

Seokjin and Yoongi, however, don't look convinced.

"He could just be trying to manipulate you into letting him out," Yoongi suggests.

"He is pretty impatient," Seokjin says.

"How do you know he's being honest this time?" Yoongi snaps.

"I just know," Namjoon replies seriously.

"You just know?" Seokjin scoffs.

"Yes," Namjoon snaps, "You forget that I had him in me for my entire life,"

They go silent at this. He's right, of course. If anyone is going to know if Z is telling the truth, it's Namjoon.

Jimin, Jungkook, and Taehyung continue to ask some more questions about how he is going to ensure he can't come back or hurt them. Namjoon explains that they are all wearing protection necklaces so he can't possess them or read them. And if they are worried about their family, they can write the protection sigil on the back of their front door.

Hoseok and Seokjin talk quietly with each other, and Seokjin starts to look mollified by whatever Hoseok is saying to him. Hana and Yoongi sit in silence, listening to Namjoon talk.

"So, are we all in agreement?" Namjoon asks, "Let's take a vote, huh?"

"All right, hands up for yes, hands down for no," Yoongi declares, "3... 2... 1..."

Everyone puts their hands up, including Seokjin and Yoongi. Namjoon smiles and nods at Hoseok, thanking him for whatever he said. Hoseok returns the smile.

"We know this protection will work, right?" Seokjin asks.

"Of course," Namjoon smiles, "they work 100%,"

"All right, that's all I needed to know," Seokjin nods, happy with himself and the conversation.

Everyone nods along, in full agreement to let Xedysus out and send him back.

"Good," Namjoon grins, "When do we want to do this?" 

(A/N) 🫰🫰🫰