James x fem!reader(established relationship/live alone together)
Yâall why is he such a bias wreckerđĽ´
The apartment was quietâexcept for the faint hum of the fridge and the occasional sound of cars passing outside. The light in the bedroom was off, the door cracked open just enough for the dim hallway glow to spill in.
You were curled up under the blanket, phone on the nightstand, notes half-finished from studying before bed. Sleep had finally claimed you hours ago, though not peacefullyâyouâd stayed up worrying when James hadnât come home on time again. Practice had been running late lately, and you tried to trust that everything was fine. Still, the knot in your chest never quite went away.
It mustâve been close to one in the morning when a voiceâlow, rough, and unmistakably hisâbroke through the quiet.
ââŚthatâs not safe, do you even understand?â Jamesâs voice carried from the living room, sharper than youâd ever heard it. âWe canât just brush this off. Someone couldâve gotten hurt.â
You blinked awake slowly, the fog of sleep still clinging to you. For a second, you thought you were dreamingâuntil another voice crackled faintly from a phone speaker, a man yelling something back.
You pushed yourself up, confused, heart thudding softly in your chest. He was home. You hadnât even heard the door.
Sliding out of bed, you tugged his oversized hoodie tighter around you and padded quietly down the short hallway. The carpet muffled your steps, and as you got closer, his words became clearer.
âNo, I donât care what PR saidâitâs not about our image, itâs about the groupâs safety. Thatâs supposed to come first.â
He sounded tired underneath the anger, his voice heavy with frustration. You could imagine the way his brow would be furrowed, his jaw tight.
You hesitated near the end of the hallway, peeking around the corner into the living room. The space was dimâonly the lamp by the couch was on. James stood with one hand braced against the back of the sofa, the other gripping his phone, tension radiating from his shoulders.
You took a small step forward, voice soft and sleepy:
He turned instantly. The shift in him was immediateâthe sharpness in his face softened, his eyes flicking to you like heâd just been pulled out of a nightmare. You looked small and a little dazed in his hoodie, hair messy, voice barely above a whisper.
âHey,â he breathed out, running a hand through his hair. âDid I wake you up?â
You shook your head, rubbing your eyes with your sleeve. âI heard you talking. It sounded seriousâŚâ
The man on the other end of the call was still yelling something unintelligible, but James didnât hesitate.
âYeah, Iâll call you back,â he muttered, cutting the call mid-sentence. The sudden silence left only the low hum of the lamp and the sound of his sigh.
He sank onto the couch, resting his elbows on his knees. âSorry,â he said quietly. âDidnât mean for you to hear that.â
You stepped closer, voice small. âItâs okay⌠I justâare you okay?â
When you asked, your tone wasnât probing or demanding. It was soft, genuineâlike you were more worried about him than about whatever had happened. He looked up at you and saw the faint crease between your brows, the sleepy concern in your eyes.
His chest tightened. He didnât deserve how kind you were.
âIâm fine,â he said after a pause. âItâs just some things with the group. Donât worry about it, okay?â
You hesitated, fidgeting with the sleeves that hung past your hands. The worry didnât leave your face, but you nodded anyway. You never wanted to push him when he looked that tired.
After a long moment, James sighed softly and leaned back on the couch, his expression easing just a bit. Then he looked up at you again.
You blinked, still standing near the doorway. âHuh?â
He tilted his head, voice gentler this time. âCome here, baby.â
You walked over, and before you could ask why, he reached out, took your hand, and pulled you lightly onto his lap. You let out a tiny surprised sound, hands bracing against his chest as he chuckled under his breath.
âThere,â he murmured. âThatâs better.â
You could feel the warmth radiating from him, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat beneath your palm. He wrapped an arm around your waist and let out another quiet sigh, eyes softening as he looked at you.
âDonât worry about me so much, yeah? Youâve got enough on your plate with your studies and everything. Iâll handle my end.â
You looked up at him, your voice barely above a whisper. âI canât help it. Youâre an idol, James. Youâre always out there, surrounded by people and cameras andââ you stopped for a second, cheeks warming, ââand youâre really dear to me.â
His lips parted slightly. For a moment, he just looked at you, something fragile flickering behind his eyes. Then, quietly, he smiled.
âYouâre too sweet for your own good,â he murmured. He brushed a loose strand of hair from your face, his touch lingering. âYou know that?â
You looked down shyly, the softest smile tugging at your lips. âMaybe.â
He let out a small laugh, then tilted your chin up gently with his fingers until your eyes met again. His gaze held yours for a long, quiet second.
âI love you,â he said softly.
Your heart seemed to skip. âI love you too,â you whispered back.
The world outside felt distant, muffled by the warmth of that tiny apartment. He pressed a kiss to your forehead, lingering there for a moment before resting his chin on top of your head.
âGet some sleep, yeah?â he whispered against your hair. âIâll come to bed soon.â
You nodded sleepily against his chest, curling into him, the tension in his shoulders slowly melting away as he held you close. The argument, the fear, the exhaustionâall of it faded in the quiet comfort of that moment.
And when you finally drifted off in his arms, the last thing you felt was the soft rhythm of his thumb brushing circles on your back and the faint hum of his voiceâsinging something only meant for you.