“Oh, welcome, welcome, please come in!” Sujin’s mother greeted warmly, ushering Suga inside and closing the door behind him. “I’m Sujin’s mother.”

He bowed and muttered hello, slipping off his shoes and searching for Sujin.

“Oh, look at you! You’re so handsome! Would you mind telling me your name? Sujin must have mentioned it but I can’t seem to remember,” Sujin’s mother gushed at him, urging him down the hall and to the dining room.

“Ah, I’m Su—er, Min Yoongi, ma’am,” he mumbled, already feeling out of place. Where the hell was Sujin? She’d said she wouldn’t let him feel uncomfortable, but he was feeling very uncomfortable.

“Oh, what a nice name! Yoongi—is it alright if I call you that?” She smiled widely at his hesitant nod. “Thank you, dear. Namhyun, come and meet our guest.”

A stately man calmly walked over and held his hand out. Suga grasped it and tried not to show his surprise at the firm shake he received.

“It’s, uh, nice to meet you, sir. My name is Min Yoongi,” he introduced himself, blushing a little. It had been a long time since he’d spoken so politely to an adult and used his real name. Even longer still it’d been since he’d last heard his name called so kindly. It was really weird, to say the least.

“Thank you for saving my daughter,” Sujin’s father asserted. “However, I would like to know your intentions toward her.”

“My—my what?” Suga blinked in puzzlement.

“Namhyun, let’s get to the dinner table first,” Sujin’s mother cut in, pushing Suga towards the table and nudging him to a seat.

“Thanks—thank you.” He coughed. “Uh, where’s Sujin?”

“Oh, she should be down soon,” Sujin’s mother reassured him with a smile. “I made her change into something nicer. Can you believe she was about to eat dinner with a guest in old jeans?”

He smiled awkwardly. “Uh, yeah.”

“Mom, Dad, don’t bother him with too many questions, remember?” Sujin appeared in the dining room, marginally out of breath from running down the stairs, for fear her parents said or did something unforgivable to Suga.

Her mom rolled her eyes and her dad frowned. “Yes, yes, sit down. You’re making us all wait.”

Pouting, she sat down next to Suga before turning to him and smiling nervously. “Hi, Suga. Sorry I’m late, my mom said I had to dress fancier.” She rolled her eyes.

She was wearing a white button-down shirt tucked into a dark green skirt. It was simple but flattering and Suga found himself glancing over her.

“You, uh”—he cleared his throat—“you look nice.”

She blushed and ducked her head. “Thanks,” she beamed bashfully. “You look nice too.”

“Ah, thanks to Yumi. By the way, did I give you permission to tell her where I live?”

She winced. “I’m so sorry, I know I should’ve warned you but Yumi said she wanted to surprise you.” She bit her lip. “I’m…well, I’m kind of a pushover so…you know…”

He smiled wryly and shook his head. “Whatever, it’s okay. Guess I should thank her or I probably would’ve come in my regular clothes.”

“I like your regular clothes!” she assured him quickly. “I wouldn’t have minded.”

He chuckled at that. “Glad to have your approval. Doesn’t matter now, Yumi already got me into this. Actually, I’m not sure where she found this shirt. I didn’t even know I had it.”

She giggled. “Magic! Well, now I know why she told me to wear green…” She glanced down at her skirt, then back up at his shirt, then blushed and looked away. Her eyes widened when she found her parents staring at them, one in fascinated amusement (her mom) and one in clear discontent (her dad).

“Oh, don’t mind us! Continue your conversation,” her mom eagerly encouraged while her dad practically growled and sat himself down across from Suga, glaring.

“Mom,” Sujin whined in embarrassment. “Dad, please stop. You’re making him uncomfortable. Can we eat now?”

Her mom began to move food to the table and Sujin got up to help. Suga stood halfway up before Sujin pushed him down gently.

“It’s okay, we’ll get it,” she smiled.

“I still want to know your intentions toward my daughter,” her father reiterated sternly and Sujin wanted to smack herself in the face and maybe fall into a coma forever.

“Dad!” she hissed from the kitchen. “I told you, we’re just friends!”

“Maybe that’s what you think,” he muttered and Suga didn’t know whether he should respond or just sit there like a blushing idiot.

In the end, Sujin and her mother brought out all the food before he could decide and they began to eat.

He literally could not remember the last time he had sat down at a dinner table with other people and eaten a hearty, home-cooked meal—it had been that long. The food was delicious and he ate slowly to savor the taste.

His chest twinged.

“Is the food alright?” Sujin’s mother fretted. “We weren’t sure what you’d like and Sujin said she wasn’t sure either.” She sighed.

“It’s delicious, ma’am,” he said honestly and she glowed at his compliment.

“So I’m curious,” Sujin’s father spoke up after eating in silence for a while. “Just a few weeks ago, Sujin told us you didn’t want to have dinner with us because you two weren’t even friends.”

“Dad—” Sujin began anxiously, but he stopped her with a look.

Suga smiled wryly. “We weren’t friends a few weeks ago. But we ride the subway together so we slowly became friends.”

“Hm. What about your parents? What do they do?”

Suga froze and Sujin followed suit, peeking at him uneasily. A second passed, then another, until the silence was definitely awkward, and Sujin was impatient to break it.

“They’re dead.”

Sujin’s parents stared at him in shock and Sujin frowned sadly, wishing her father had never brought up the sensitive topic.

“My mother died ten years ago and my…father died eight years ago.” He swallowed, his throat dry and voice hoarse.

He’d never spoken openly about his parents before and he wasn’t planning on divulging the details but this was still the first time he’d verbally acknowledged his parents’ deaths. He hated thinking about them, because the memories would reel through his head like a tragic movie, making him relive the worst moments of his life.

“I’m so sorry. We never should’ve asked.” Sujin’s mother looked teary and uncertain, wringing a napkin with her fingers.

“My apologies,” her father said regretfully.

“It’s fine, you didn’t know. Sujin didn’t know either,” Suga explained, not meeting anyone’s eyes.

“Are you…staying with a relative?” her mother asked carefully, surprised when Suga shook his head.

“I stayed with my friends’ families for a few years before I got emancipated. So I live alone now.” He clenched his hands and rested them on his legs, forcing himself to stay calm.

Sujin reached out under the table and brushed her fingers comfortingly over his fist and he simply reacted to her touch, opening his hand and gripping hers. She stifled her gasp and squeezed his hand, and his shoulders unconsciously relaxed.

“Oh. You must be very responsible then,” Sujin’s mother assumed, attempting a cheerful smile, and Suga had to physically hold back his cringe because responsible he was not. He was a violent gangster and there was no way he was going to tell them the truth.

So he simply nodded and her parents sympathetically dropped the issue.

The rest of dinner was vaguely uncomfortable but Suga endured. They didn’t ask him anything else too personal and Sujin’s father seemed to relax towards him. Suga and Sujin’s hands slackened and pulled away naturally so they could eat, but the two found themselves craving a new warmth in their palms.

After dinner, Suga helped clean the dishes, despite Sujin and her mother’s insistence that he was the guest and should not be doing manual labor.

“You really didn’t have to,” Sujin mumbled as she took the final plate from him and slid it into the dishwasher.

“Already done,” he said, wiping his hands dry.

“Will you stay longer? It’s rather late. Maybe you should just stay the night?” Sujin’s mother asked and immediately her husband objected.

“That’s hardly appropriate—”

“What do you mean, appropriate? I’m worried about his safety!” Sujin’s mother glared.

“It’s fine. I should leave now. Thank you for dinner.” Suga bowed and began walking towards the front door, Sujin and her parents following.

“Are you sure?” Sujin pressed. “It is pretty dark.”

He rolled his eyes as he pulled on his shoes. “Unlike you, I’m aware of my surroundings when I walk on the streets. I can take care of myself.”

She flushed. “I—I’m aware!”

“Hmm.” His tone was clearly unconvinced.

“Alright, well, be careful. Watch for cars!” Sujin’s mother called.

 “Be careful on your way home,” Sujin said as well, watching him with concern. The care in her voice weakened him and he thought his heart might have beat just a little faster, but maybe he imagined it.

“Don’t worry about me,” he reassured them. “Thanks. See you.”

He walked off, hands shoved deep in his pockets and admiring the darkening sky above him. The moon was full and bright and the stars seemed more dazzling tonight.

“Wait, Suga!” Sujin shouted.

He turned and saw her running to him, stopping a few feet in front of him. “What?”

“Um, I just wanted to say sorry for, you know, my parents and…their questions.” She peered at him worriedly.

He snorted. “You should be. I thought you were gonna make sure they wouldn’t make me uncomfortable?”

“I—I said I’d try! I didn’t know they would ask…that. I—I hope you’re not too offended.”

“What if I am? What’re you gonna do about it?”

“Huh?” She jerked back. “I—uh, well, I, um, what do you want me to do?”

He contemplated. “Make me food again.”

“O-okay. When?”

“Everyday.”

She started. “Every—!”

“Hey, you asked.”

“Yeah, but—I didn’t—I mean—fine! I’ll—I’ll bring you lunch then. Is that okay?”

Smirking, he shook his head. “Just kidding. You really would do it, wouldn’t you?”

“Well, yes. Are you sure you don’t want me to? I can, really! Unless—unless you already have food—” she stammered.

“Nah, I don’t eat lunch. No food at home, remember? Gotta save money.”

His nonchalant words tugged at her heartstrings and she rashly promised, “I’ll do it! You should eat. Don’t you get hungry? I’ll make you lunch. If—if that’s okay. I don’t know what you like! And my cooking—well, I don’t really know how good it is—”

He stared at her and then chuckled helplessly. “You’re so weird. Why would you do so much for me? Why are you friends with me?”

“Because—because I want to be. Because…I think—I know you’re a good person. Even if you hide it, I know.”

She lifted her eyes to his and tried to decipher the look on his face, the emotion in his eyes, but he was unreadable. Unreadable and oddly vulnerable, and her heart was aching for him and his sad past so she stepped forward and hugged him tightly.

He didn’t move.

“I’m sorry about your parents,” she whispered into his chest.

Slowly, his arms came up around her, holding her awkwardly. She clutched him tighter and he curled around her, enfolding her into his body, his face hidden in her shoulder.

They stood like that for a long while, no words, no movement, just them. He didn’t speak, but she understood.

A/N: Longest chapter to date! I couldn't help dragging out the dinner scene a little longer. Hope it didn't get boring!

I was actually gonna add some more but I didn't wanna ruin the atmosphere of the rest of it, so I cut it off here. I thought Sujin and Suga should have their time before I throw them into SPOILER bad . :D Yay!

I hope the conversation in this chapter isn't too awkward. TBH I wrote it at night when I was feeling really sleepy (though I get enough sleep???) so it might not flow as well as some other chapters. Also I hope the characters aren't OOC. They're just opening up to each other bit by bit; also kids are always differernt around their parents/adults so yeah.

BTW, I notice a few people asking about V and J-Hope. (They will appear in this story sometime.) They're already complete so I'll link them here. They'er short and fast reads so if you're curious: Because of You (V) / Airplanes (J-Hope)

Alright, enjoy! Have some sweet Suga and Sujin before SPOILER gets real!

skyblaze208, OUT!

© Copyright 2015 by skyblaze208