Hoseok and I slowly made our way back to Tennessee. We stopped at so many places that it took us a full week before we returned. Not that I minded. I was enjoying our time, just the two of us, and my school was still on winter break. We had a full-year school-year calendar that was being tried out in our district. The awesome part? We got a full month off.

It wasn't even Christmas, yet.

But we had done plenty of Christmas shopping on our road trip, so we were ready to go.

We were about 30 minutes from home when Hoseok looked over at me as I drove.

"Ellie?"

"What baby?" I asked, giving him, a smile. It quickly turned into a frown when I saw the nervous look on his face. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing...I just..." he let out a heavy sigh. "Did you tell your father about what happened?"

I shook my head. "No. It was nobody's business. And my dad and I don't really share stuff like that. I mean, yeah, we're close. But it's more out of necessity. If that makes sense. I only give him the bare minimum. I told him that we had a fight and I needed some time to myself."

He let out a breath. "Okay. Good. Thank you."

"Why would it matter if he did know?"

Hoseok shrugged. "He cares about. You say that the two of you aren't close in that way, but he loves you so much, El. You mean absolutely everything to him. You can see it shining in his eyes when he talks about you, or when you're in the same room. He's proud of you. I'm sure that you know that already, but my point is this: He liked me before. I think. And I would hate to have a father-in-law who despised me."

I reached for his hand. "I understand, Hobi. I wouldn't tell him anyway, but I especially wouldn't tell him with how you feel about it. Besides...we made up, right? Water under the bridge."

He held my hand in both of his and pulled it up to press his perfect lips to the back of it. "Only brighter days ahead for us, my love."

I gave him a smile, then pulled my hand away to grip the wheel with both hands, because the roads were wet and that made me nervous.

"Hobi...While we're on the subject of being nervous to go home..."

"What, Gongjunim? What's wrong?"

"The rest of the guys are what's wrong, dude," I told him, rolling my eyes. "You already knew that I was nervous about seeing them again."

"You don't have to be, El," he said, turning his body in the seat a little, so that he could see me better. "They feel so bad about what happened. They didn't know you when we made that bet, but even then, we shouldn't have done it, and they know that. We're not that kind of people. They want to make it up to you."

"Make it up to me how?" I narrow my eyes a little.

The thought of all 7 of them together kind of terrified me at the moment. I didn't trust them. Well...I trusted Hoseok, of course. And Yoongi. He was the only one of them that I had replied to. I'm not really sure why. Maybe because he was Hoseok's best friend. Something about Yoongi just seemed like he was trustworthy, despite what happened.

I probably should have messaged Jungkook, too. Hoseok said that his voice was the one that was defending me. But one of them was enough for the moment.

"I believe that a new car was discussed."

I frowned at him. "I have a car."

"And the possibility of buying us a new house as a wedding gift."

I turned my head to look at him so quickly that I was probably going to get whiplash. "Seriously?"

"Yes."

"That's fucking ridiculous," I told him. "Tell them not to do that."

"I already did, Ellie," he told me with a smile. "I know you, Princess. I told them that you wouldn't accept that."

"You're right about that one," I said with an eye roll. "Seriously. A house? What were they thinking?"

"I believe that they were thinking that I love you, and I'm going to marry you," he said, looking down at his hands in his lap. "And kinda like me with your dad, they don't want you to hate them. Tae was actually worried that you would ask me to quit BTS."

I frowned. "What? I would never do that. That's really what he thinks of me?"

Hoseok quickly shook his head no. "I don't think that he meant it the way that you're taking it, Ellie. All of the guys know how completely whipped for you I am, and that I would do absolutely anything for you. They've had a really long time where they didn't have to share me with anyone. It's an adjustment for all of us."

I chewed on my lip for a moment before answering him. "I get that. It makes sense. But to think that I would ask you to leave the group? That seems a bit harsh. I would never do that."

"Which every single one of the other guys was quick to point out to Tae," he said. Then he turned his head to look at my profile. "Especially Jungkookie. I know that you've been texting Yoongi, and you told me that the two of you were okay. But why not JK? I figured he'd be the easiest to forgive, since he was sticking up for you."

I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't know. I'm not even mad at him. I haven't been since I realized he was the one telling them to back off of me. I can see myself being really good friends with him. He's a sweet guy, and I love his energy."

"Are you sure that you wouldn't rather marry him?" Hoseok chuckled. "Should I be jealous?"

I shot him a look. "Jungkook is sweet and funny and energetic and constantly happy. Plus he's adorable. And loyal. He's like...a puppy."

When I said puppy, Rizzo's head suddenly invaded the space between us from where he was on the back seat.

"Wrong kind of puppy, dude," I said as I leaned over to kiss his soft, floppy ear. He tilted his head towards me and snuggled into my neck, making me giggle. "God I love you, Rizzo. You are the sweetest boy."

Hoseok reached over and scratched at Rizzo's forehead. "He is pretty great. Considering that he's the size of a pony."

"You know that I don't like little, yappy dogs, Hobi."

He laughed softly. "I know, I know. It's okay. I love your dog."

I leaned around Rizzo's head a little so that I could smile at Hoseok. "Our dog, baby."

Hoseok's entire face lit up with one of his beautiful, sunshine smiles. "Our dog. I like that."

Rizzo barked like he knew what we were saying, then he laid back down in the backseat. Once he was out of the way, Hoseok reached over to lay his hand on my thigh. I looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Sorry," he said, his cheeks turning pink. "I just like to touch you."

He went to pull his hand away, but I grabbed it and put it back where it was. "I like being touched by you, Hobi. Love it, actually."

I hadn't even noticed how close we were to my apartment until I was pulling into the underground parking garage. We got out and took Rizzo outside to do his business, then we loaded all of our luggage and road trip finds into the elevator to head up to my floor. I started pulling my rolling suitcase out of the elevator when hands from behind me started reaching in and grabbing our stuff.

"We've got it, Noona," Jimin's soft voice said from beside me. I hadn't even notice when all six of them walked up. "Sorry, Ellie. I forgot that Hyung asked us not to call you that." He ducked his head and started carrying stuff towards my apartment.

I was so confused. Why were they here? Had they just been sitting inside my apartment all day? All week?

"Hobi?" I asked, giving him a questioning look.

Hoseok shrugged his shoulders. "I told them that we were coming back today, but I didn't say when or where. I have no idea what they're doing here, Gongjunim. Do you want me to ask them to leave? I can be nice about it. Explain that we're tired or something."

I put my hand on his arm and shook my head. "No. It's okay."

I reached for another bag on the floor, but Jin's hand grabbed it first. "We've got it, Ellie."

"Yeah, you don't have to carry anything," Taehyung added.

"Would you just leave her be and carry everything down the hall?" Yoongi asked, then he smiled at me and held out his hand. "Welcome back. If you give me the key, I'll go and let them all in."

"Why would she give you the key?" Namjoon asked. "She could always give it to me."

I pulled my keys out of my purse and handed them to Yoongi with the key to my apartment sticking out.

Yoongi took them and cocked his head and Namjoon. "Because she obviously likes me better than the rest of you. And who could blame her?"

"You know, one of these days, that cockiness of yours is going to get you stabbed," Namjoon said in an annoyed tone.

Jin had just come back for another load and jumped into the conversion quickly. "Yes. Probably with someone's keys." he made a point to nod at the ones in Yoongi's hands.

"You're not fast enough to get them away from me, Hyung," Yoongi said, making sure to point out that Jin was older.

"Maybe not, but I bet that Jungkook could."

"You'd have to figure out a way to get him to come up here first," Namjoon added. "I don't see him leaving the car any time soon."

At this point, I hadn't really said anything besides a few 'thank yous' to the guys, but now I was curious. "He's downstairs in the car? Why?"

Taehyung popped back up behind me and looked at Hoseok. "You didn't tell her?"

"Tell me what?" I asked. Nobody answered me, so I looked back at my fiancé. "Hoseok? What's going on? Why is he downstairs in the car?"

"I told you that he was upset, El," Hoseok tells me. "He thinks that you don't want to see him. He tends to be a lot more sensitive than the rest of us."

I frown and look at the others. "Where's the car?" They tell me and I head for the stairs, since they're still unloading the elevator. We bought way more stuff than I realized.

Hoseok looks at me. "Do you want me to come with you?"

I smile but shake my head at him. "No. This is something that I have to fix myself."

Hoseok nodded and went back to helping the other guys, as I opened the stairwell door and started down the stairs. When I got back down to the parking garage, I found the two black SUVs right where they guys said that they were. I walked behind them, trying to figure out which one he was in, and seeing a black head of hair above one of the backseats.

I went up to the car, opened the door, and climbed into the backseat with him. His eyes were closed, his head was leaning back on the headrest, and he had earbuds in. His music was so loud that I could hear it from where I was sitting next to him.

I reached up and grabbed one of the buds and pulled it out of his ear. He jumped about a foot off the seat, almost hitting his head on the ceiling before turning to look at me.

"El...Ellie?"

"Hi, Kookie," I told him with a little wave.

"What are you doing here?"

I pointed up towards the building above us. "Ummm....I live here, dude. What are you doing here?"

"Waiting?" He said it like a question.

"Jungkook..."I started, cocking my head to the side a little to watch him. "A little birdie told me that you think that I don't want to see you."

He shrugged his broad shoulders and slumped back down against the seat, his eyes staring out the windshield, at the brick wall in front of the car.

"Why would you think that?"

He poked out his bottom lip in a pout. God, I swear, if I wasn't already marrying one of his best friends, this kid could do some serious damage to my heart.

"You didn't text me back." His voice was so soft, I could barely hear him. So unlike the Jungkook that I had come to know.

"I had some stuff to figure out in my head, Kookie," I told him. "I'm sorry."

"But you texted Yoongi-Hyung," he was still pouting, and it was about to make me cry. "A lot. I know you did. He's never on his phone that much."

"From what I hear, you don't even like texting people back."

He finally turned his head to look at me, his face still showing that he was hurt. "But I would have texted you back. You're not the same as the rest of them. I can't get away from them. They text me from the next room, then get mad that I just yell my answer back. It's fucking stupid."

I reached for his hand, holding it between both of mine. "Jungkook, I'm sorry. I should have answered you back. I wasn't mad at you, just the whole situation. I know that you were defending me during that whole intercom conversation. Thank you. It means a lot to me. You mean a lot to me."

He turned his body towards mine and wrapped his arms around me, hugging me close as he pressed his face into my shoulder.

"I thought that you hated me,"

I hugged him back. "As if I could ever hate you, Kookie. As if anyone could ever hate you."

He pulled back to look at me. "You're really not mad at me anymore?"

"I was never mad at you in the first place, honey," I told him. I noticed that he was crying a little, so I reached up to wipe away his tears.

"So we're okay?: He asked me.

"We're okay."

"And you'll text me back from now on?"

I laughed at him and nodded my head. "And I'll text you back from now on."

He smiled and pulled me back into another hug. I slid my hands up and down his back to comfort him.

"Ellie? Will you do me a favor?"

"Of course, Kookie," I told him. "Anything."

"Don't tell Hobi-Hyung that I hugged you this much. He'd kill me." 

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So....The next chapter, Chapter 30, might be the last one. I'm not 100% sure, yet. But it's possible. Thank you all for reading. Please comment and vote! 

Also....Have some sunshine.