Alex had been back in the states for a week. Every few days she and Ji-Hoon would have a Zoom meeting with the other staff to go over edits and details. The first three episodes were almost complete, and everyone was excited with the results so far.

The guys had been out and about during their free time, hanging with friends and visiting with family. Alex kept up with their Instagram to see what they had been up to. Even though she enjoyed being back home, she couldn't wait to get back with the group to continue the tour. She was finishing up her notes from the latest meeting when her phone vibrated.

Nuna! What are you doing, we miss you!

LOL, I just got done with a meeting

Have you been enjoying your time off?

Yes! Its been nice to just relax.

Yoongi hyung has been hiding in his studio since you've been gone.

You know how he is, you will have to force him out

I think he misses you

Don't tell him I said this, but I miss him too 😊

I can't wait to get back and see all of you!

Us too!

It's late for you, sleep well!

Alex smiled as she put her phone on the charger next to her bed. Adjusting to the time change had been a struggle, she was use to Korea time still, and working at night was the only option to meet with the HYBE staff while she was away. She applied a beauty mask while she surfed social media. Yoongi hadn't been posting anything, no surprise there. She hadn't heard much from him since she first arrived back home. She didn't want to bother him if he was busy in the studio. She knew he would text when he was ready. She took a selfie in her mask and posted it to her Instagram. Ten seconds later she received a notification, Yoongi had liked it. Then a second notification, Yoongi commented, "That's a personal moment". She giggled to herself as she massaged the rest of the mixture into her skin. She thought back to the night in her hotel room, looking hideous in that beauty mask in front of him, and he had asked her not to share personal moments with anyone else. Yeah, he was missing her.

________

Yoongi had been busy in the studio for two weeks trying to keep his mind off Alex. He was failing miserably. Every couple of hours he would check his phone to see if she had posted anything new on social media. He fought the urge to message her too much, because he didn't want to seem needy. The guys had been sending him messages trying to get him to go out with them, but he had been putting them off. He was still making progress in the studio and didn't want to stop the flow. At least that's what he told himself. If he was being honest, he knew the guys would want to talk about him and Alex, and he didn't know what to tell them yet. But, he was reaching the point he needed to get things off his chest, and he needed the other members to ease his mind.

He had just gotten home and let Holly out of his kennel. He looked over on the kitchen counter and saw the pen Alex had given him, he picked it up and played her message again. He just missed hearing her voice. He shook his head. He was being ridiculous. He should just call her. He grabbed his phone out and dialed her number.

"Hello?" She answered sleepily.

Yoongi did a mental forehead slap. He didn't even think to check the time. It was 5am there. "I'm sorry for waking you."

"S'ok. I was waking up soon anyways."

"Why so early?" Yoongi picked up Holly and took him back to the bedroom to lay on the bed with him.

She stretched and yawned into the phone, "I get up early every morning with my mom and we have coffee on the back deck".

"Isn't it freezing there right now?"

"Yeah, but we have a heater out there. The farm is pretty after it snows and we got over a foot yesterday."

Yoongi pictured her cuddled in a blanket, sitting on the porch sipping coffee while watching the snow covered field. He wanted to be with her right in that moment. "That actually sounds nice."

Alex was starting to doze off again but just barely kept herself awake. "It is, you guys should come here some time, I think you'd like it. It could be like a small vacation, roughing it in the sticks."

Yoongi chuckled, "That actually sounds like a good idea. Maybe after the tour is over."

"Mm hm," Alex yawned again. "So, what are you doing?"

Yoongi looked down at Holly and pet his back, "Laying in bed with Holly."

"Lucky pup."

Yoongi let out a low throaty laugh, she had no filter when she was half asleep, just like when she was drinking. "So, what are you wearing?" Alex was silent for several moments. "Lex? You still awake?"

"Yes, I was just trying to decide if I should lie or if I should tell the truth." She let out short laugh. "Sadly, I'm just wearing flannel pajama pants and a t-shirt."

"What would the lie have been?" Yoongi was smiling to himself.

"Something lacey and provocative."

Yoongi's brain went blank for a second. The though of Alex warm in bed, wearing something lacey and provocative was not helping with his show of bravado while she was away. "Alexis Lynn, do you have something lacey and provocative?" His voice had gone husky.

The change in Yoongi's tone suddenly woke Alex completely out of sleep. For some strange reason she felt shy lying there in her bed even though she was alone. She pulled the covers up to her chin as if that would stop him from imagining her there. She put her mouth closer to the phone and whispered, as if someone in the house would hear her, "Maybe."

She heard Yoongi let out a long sigh on the other end of the line. "How much longer till you get back?"

"I'll be back in a week."

"Good."

Alex bit her lower lip. She didn't know what "good" meant, but the way he said it sounded like a promise. She felt tingles rush from her head down to her toes.

"I'll let you go have your coffee with your mom, I'm going to take a nap with Holly now."

"OK, give him some pets for me. I'll talk to you later."

"Bye, Lex."

She hung up the phone. Her body temperature had shot through the roof when his voice went all sultry. She suddenly felt the need to go take a cold shower.