J H O P E
When I woke up Namjoon was gone, before I could start to panic I saw a note on the counter saying he was at the gym.
I decided to start breakfast so maybe it would be done by the time he got back. We had to work today but we still had another hour. When Namjoon got back breakfast was ready and we ate in a comfortable silence before getting ready for work.
Work was easy and as boring as it always is. When we got back home I started packing my bag because I'd be leaving after work the next day.
There was a small knock at my door and I turned to see Namjoon standing at the door, "Do you want to go to the gym with me?"
I nodded, "Yeah, just let me change and we can go."
Once we were in the gym I stretched with Namjoon and he ran a few laps while I lifted some weights.
I was just about to finish my last set and go find Namjoon when someone yelled "Jhope!"
"What?" I asked setting down the weights, noticing it was Showun.
"Namjoon is kicking someone's ass," he said, half humored half worried. As he said that I noticed a crowd forming in the corner of the gym.
"What why didn't you break them up?" I asked as I started jogging toward the growing commotion with Showun.
"We tried but he just turned on us. He's a good fighter, you taught him well, maybe a little too well," he laughed and I noticed his busted lip.
I ran over to Namjoon and ripped him off of the bloodied man. Namjoon elbowed me in the ribs and face before I could get him under control.
"Calm down," I whispered as I fought to keep him from going after the man again and from hitting me.
Once he calmed down I let him go and helped up the bloodied man who shoved me away from him when he was on his feet.
"Sorry about that," I apologized on Namjoon's behalf, keeping down my own urge to punch the man. Thankfully he just hobbled off without saying anything.
The crowd dispersed after that and I took a look at Namjoon. He might have won the fight but that didn't mean he didn't get hit. His eye was swelling, his lip was busted and bleeding down his chin, his jaw would have a nasty bruise in the morning, and his knuckles were cracked and bleeding. And that was just the viable damage.
"Namjoon?" I asked, slowly approaching him, not wanting to set him off again. He was looking down, refusing to look at me, "Are you okay?"
He nodded, "Sorry."
"It's okay, let's just go back." I said and walked home with him.
When we got back Namjoon sat down on the couch and clinched his hands together and started moving them as if rubbing lotion in them.
"Namjoon ," I said gently hoping he would stop, he was only making his chapped knuckles worse, smearing the blood across his hands.
When he didn't stop I couldn't take it, I crouched down in front of him and placed my hands on his, making him stop. He looked up at me and I asked, "Want to talk about it?"
He was silent for a while, just staring at me but not really staring at me, I could tell he was in his head but I let him take all the time he needed, my hands not moving from his.
He looked back down at his hands and answered, "He said something about you. He was trying to antagonize me," he spoke so softly I almost didn't hear him.
I held back my laughter, "You didn't have to kill the guy for talking shit."
Namjoon looked back up at me, "If I don't hurt him how will he learn?"
I could see Namjoon was serious about this and decided I'd let him feel however he wanted to about it, "Just try not to kill anyone else while I'm gone, okay?"
Namjoon's lip twitched with the hint of a smile, "I can't make any promises."
I smiled and he studied my face, gently touching my cheek where he elbowed me, "Sorry about that." Once he realized his hand was on my cheek he pulled it away.
"It's fine, want help cleaning up?" I asked gesturing to his hands and face.
He shook his head, "I got it."
He went into the bathroom and cleaned himself up and when he came out his face was clear of blood and his hands were cleaned, leaving the cracked and swollen flesh of his knuckles visible. I handed him some ice to put on his hands for the swelling and offered to wrap them when we took the ice off.
After a while we ate leftovers and Namjoon complained that he couldn't play violin because of the swelling and then realized that he had a lesson tomorrow and wasn't sure if he'd be able to play.
"You can cancel if you have to, Jason will understand," I told him.
"Hopefully the swelling will go away and I can still play," he said, opening and closing his hand slowly to test the tenderness.
We were silent for a while after that and I decided to break the silence, "I think you should see your therapist while I'm gone, I think it'll be good for you."
Namjoon was silent and kept his eyes on his hands but after a while he nodded, "And you can call me if you need anything," I offered, we had a phone in case of emergencies and I hoped Namjoon would use it if he needed it.
"Okay," he said lightly.
After a few parting words, I took a shower and got some sleep, not so ready for the next day when I would have to leave Namjoon. I was worried about him, he had started lashing out a bit more since he briefly lost his stuffed bunny. And I was worried about leaving him alone, but I had already asked mark and Showun to check up on him for me. So he would be fine, right?