Chapter Text
Someone is watching Jimin. It’s been like this for days now. Every day he comes to work, and at some point during the night, the man appears and just watches him bartend. Jimin doesn’t truly even know how long it’s been going on. All he knows is that he noticed it a few days ago, but with the darkness that envelops that particular booth, it’s possible he’s been there for much longer. From this distance, Jimin can’t make out much about the man other than his platinum blonde hair and the weight of his gaze.
Now, Jimin has always been pretty. He’s no stranger to creepy guys pursuing him persistently, but this man feels different. He’s got a dangerous air about him. It’s something Jimin hasn’t really felt in a while, but it’s no less familiar or threatening. He’s probably a fool to not have done something by now, but he doubts there's much he could do if he wanted to. He’d also rather not give the man any more reasons or opportunities to do something to him. Besides, if the man works for who Jimin fears he works for, there’s no way Jimin will voluntarily talk to him.
It’s a busy shift, so Jimin lets out a sigh of relief when a coworker comes in, and he finally gets to go for a smoke break. He sends one last look towards the booth of the stranger to make sure he is still there before he leaves. The man is sitting where he always is, but from this distance Jimin can’t tell if he’s looking at him or not. Still, he can make a guess.
He pushes past the shitty back door of the bar to enter the secluded little alley he takes his breaks in. It’s grimy and small, but it’s often the only relief Jimin gets from the oppressive chatter of the inside of the bar. He didn’t even used to smoke, but if it gets him extra breaks, he is happy to poison his body a little.
He’s busy trying to fish his lighter from his pocket when he feels arms wrap around him, restraining him. There’s something cold and rigid pressing into his back. It’s familiar. Jimin knows the feeling of a gun being pressed to his skin all too well.
“Make a sound and you’re dead.” The voice in his ear is gruff and so close Jimin can feel the air of it against his cheek.
Jimin freezes. All of his martial arts knowledge is forgotten with the gun against his back. He doesn’t know how the man got here so fast. He was still sitting down when Jimin left the room, and their staff area is more maze than corridors. What’s worse, Jimin doesn’t know what the man wants from him.
“There you go,” the man praises when Jimin doesn’t do anything. “Now, you are going to–”
The man is interrupted by the backdoor to the bar opening. Another man steps outside. Jimin is surprised to see the same dark eyes and blond hair that has haunted him for days now, lurking in the shadows of his workplace. If that man is in front of him, then who the fuck is holding Jimin restrained? They could be working together, he thinks, though probably not based on the glinting metal of the blond man’s gun aimed at them. At the man holding him.
Now that Jimin gets a good look at the almost semi-familiar man, he’s far more beautiful than Jimin had thought. The color of his hair gives him an almost dangerous look, but he seems to be surprisingly slight considering the weight of his aura.
“Let him go.” The pretty stranger’s voice is much deeper than Jimin had expected given his looks. He has no idea why this man would care about him, but he’s not got much opportunity to question it.
The man holding him laughs. It’s an ugly, threatening sound. “Why would I, Haegeum?”
Haegeum . The blond man is a part of Haegeum. That could either be good or bad. He might be here to kill or kidnap Jimin, which wouldn’t be great, but on the other hand, he is defending Jimin for now.
“Because I’ve got a gun on you. Don’t be stupid, Jiho.”
The man holding him, Jiho, doesn’t let him go. Jimin’s brain is fully working again, now that the largest bit of the shock has left him. He still can’t quite find a way to get free unharmed, but he’s starting to think he doesn’t want to, yet. If there’s something to be learned about why this strange man working for a dangerous name is interested in saving him, he is going to let them talk. There’s no guarantee that Jimin’s going to be any better off with a Haegeum than whoever Jiho is.
When nothing happens, the Haegeum speaks again. “Hell of a risk to take for some teenage bartender, Jiho. Is the kid really worth risking your life?”
Jimin is a little offended. So maybe he’s nineteen, but he’s definitely not a kid. He hasn’t been for years. Besides, from what he can see, the Haegeum looks to be in his twenties anyway. It’s a little hypocritical if you ask him. Then the metal of Jiho’s gun digs harder into Jimin’s back and reminds him he’s got bigger issues to be worried about currently.
“Exactly,” Jiho says. “Why do you care about the boy anyway? This is Park territory. Our territory. You’re making as big of a risk being here as I am.”
Of course. Jiho works for Jimin’s uncle. That’s what Jimin has been scared of. Park Donghyun is a ruthless man without morals. But he is a man that made a promise to Jimin years ago that he would leave Jimin alone. If Jiho is here, that means that Donghyun has decided to break that promise. His insides freeze. That’s the scariest thought he’s had all night.
“Well, I’m here now. You’re not getting him.” The Haegeum leaves out the part where he’s been here watching Jimin for quite a while now.
“What do you care? He’s nothing to you.”
“I know what your people do to boys like him,” the Haegeum says sharply. Jimin shudders. He knows too. Though it’s a relief to think that that’s not what the Haegeum had been planning for Jimin, It just leaves him more confused as to why he was watching him, then. If he isn’t there for Donghyun, or for Jimin’s body, it doesn’t leave many options open.
Jiho must be either reckless or just not very bright. He laughs mockingly despite his obvious disadvantage. “Still pretending to have morals, huh? The oh-so honorable Agust D with his guns and righteous slaughters. You’re no better than the rest of us.”
Agust D . The leader of the Haegeum mob is here. The leader of the Haegeums has been watching Jimin for days now. It’s possible he’s found out about Jimin. But it wouldn’t make much sense for him to just not have killed Jimin with the numerous chances he’s had in the last week. If Agust doesn’t know about him, he could be even a good ally. The way he’s heard it, Agust has something personal against Donghyun and his ‘business endeavors’. A pretty name for human trafficking and probably even worse things that Jimin has been kept in the dark about. It wouldn’t be terribly surprising to Jimin if he found out Donghyun ate babies for supper. Anyone who’s willing to openly go against him is automatically higher in Jimin’s books.
It doesn’t answer all of Jimin’s questions, but it’s a good start. Even if Agust is here to murder him, at least it wouldn’t be Donghyun’s people.
He’s had enough with standing there, silent and helpless. Now that he knows who he’s with, he finds himself in a much better position. Knowledge is power, and Jimin is no longer helpless. Instead, he is pissed.
“What the fuck are you doing here, Jiho?” Jimin asks sharply. It obviously surprises Agust, who raises a brow at him. Jimin ignores him. “Donghyun promised me he’d leave me the fuck alone.”
“Jimin, shut up!” Jiho grits out the words into Jimin’s ear, clearly nervous now. That’s good. If he’s nervous, Jimin’s got the upper hand.
Jimin looks Yoongi right in the eye as he speaks. “Why? I’m not going back to Donghyun. I’ll die here before doing that.” It’s a little hyperbolic, but it seems to convince Agust, who looks almost approving.
“Jimin, please.” Jiho sounds almost desperate now. He lowers his voice to a whisper. “Seunghyun is dead. You need to come with me.”
No.
He hadn’t even considered that. Now he definitely can’t go back. There’ll be nothing but death and torture for him if he does. Donghyun won’t let him go. He’ll be forced into being his uncle’s perfect heir. Jimin knows his uncle’s methods. He’d rather die than experience that, meaning that he is now firmly siding with Agust.
He’s had time to think over his strategy to free himself, and the years of martial arts training are kicking in. Now that he knows that Donghyun needs him, he feels much safer to fight Jiho. The gun against his back is just for show. It has to be. Jiho wouldn’t risk shooting him now. Jimin knows the wrath of Park Donghyun, and he bets, so does Jiho. If Donghyun needs him, there is no way Jiho would risk shooting him.
It’s almost too easy to wriggle out of Jiho’s grip. The man isn’t expecting it, and doesn’t even realize it’s happening before Jimin is already free.
Jiho comes to his senses quickly enough to grab at Jimin’s shirt. It doesn’t last for long with Jimin kicking his knee out from under him and twisting his arm for good measure. He screams in pain. It’s bloodcurdling and terrible and it makes adrenaline pump through Jimin’s veins.
Jimin scrambles away as fast as he can but Jiho is moving to follow him, anger burning in his eyes. He charges to follow Jimin. It doesn’t last for long. There’s the loud bang of a gun way too close to Jimin and then Jiho drops. Jimin flinches hard, but the scream that would escape him is completely silent. Or at least he thinks it is. He doesn’t think he could hear it if it wasn’t through the sound of his heartbeat and gunshot ringing in his ears.
Blood is already pouring out of the hole in Jiho’s head. It pools around him onto the pavement next to the cigarettes Jimin had dropped when he was attacked.
It’s not the first time Jimin’s seen someone be killed, but the last time was so long ago that he had forgotten how dreadful it is. Watching the life leave someone is almost a religious experience in a horrible way. He can understand why human sacrifice has been a popular form of worship in so many religions. It feels powerful in a sick way. Jimin might throw up.
“Come on kid, we need to get out of here.” Agust grabs his hand and starts dragging him somewhere. Jimin is still shaken enough that he just lets himself be led away by the man. He’s probably right. If they’re in Park territory, it won’t be long until one of his uncle’s men comes to investigate the gunshot, and for now, Agust is probably preferable to that. Probably. Hopefully.
He lets himself be pushed into an expensive looking black car. Watching Agust start the car up and drive them to the main road gives Jimin time to think. While he’s thankful he’s not going back to Donghyun, he knows Agust D is no less dangerous. He’s still a mob boss, and he just killed a man with no hesitation or remorse.
However, Jimin needs protection. There’s no way in hell he’ll be able to avoid his uncle’s men on his own. The trouble is he’s got no guarantee that Agust D is willing to give him protection. It’s entirely possible that Agust will have him killed if he finds out the truth about Jimin’s connection to Donghyun, but without it, Jimin has no bargaining chips.
“You okay, kid?” Agust’s voice pulls Jimin out of his thoughts. He’s looking at Jimin questioningly. Jimin almost tells him to keep his eyes on the road while he’s driving, but he thinks that telling this mob boss what to do probably wouldn’t go down very well.
“I’m okay,” Jimin answers shakily. “Thanks.” He’s so nervous, it’s a miracle he is able to speak at all. The more time he spends in the car, the worse he feels about his decision. The adrenaline had dulled his sense of fear, but it’s slowly starting to bleed in.
“What did that asshole want from you?” Agust asks. It could be a trick, but Jimin doesn’t think so. Somehow, Agust doesn’t know about him. It doesn’t explain why he’s been watching Jimin, but he can’t focus on that at the moment.
Jimin feels so foolish trying to plead for his safety, but he has to try. “I’m important to Donghyun. He wants me around. Can you help me keep away from him?” Jimin tears up. He can’t tell if it’s real or just for show. He doubts he could tug on a mob boss’ heartstrings if he tried, but it’s not like he has a better plan. “Please. I’m scared. I don’t want to go back.”
Agust looks way too soft to have the job he has. He nods at Jimin. “Hey, calm down, kid. They won’t get you. I’ll make sure of it.”
Jimin nods, wiping away his tears with his sleeve. “Where are you taking me?” The tremor in his voice definitely isn’t an act for Agust’s benefit. He’s really quite afraid to hear the answer but he needs to know whether he’s going to be taken into the belly of the beast.
Agust hums in thought. “There’s a nice cafe I own on my side of town. We’ll be safe to talk there.”
It’s not the worst possible answer. Jimin nods.
The rest of the drive goes by in silence with Jimin privately freaking out. Eventually, Agust pulls into a parking space in front of a cute little cafe. The sign outside it says ‘Magic shop’ with the word ‘cafe’ in parentheses below it. It all seems very out of place for the cold terror creeping up on Jimin more by the moment.
Entering behind Agust, Jimin sees the cafe is empty, save for a man around Jimin’s age working the counter. Really, he’s more boy than man by the look of him, all unguarded expressions and wide eyes.
“Jungkook, could you close up for now?” Agust asks the young man. They are smiling at each other like they’re very familiar. It’s warm and it makes Jimin feel a smidge better. He doesn’t think Agust would murder him in front of this kid. Jungkook is pretty with a face way too innocent to be working under Agust D.
“Okay boss!” Jungkook says eagerly, wide eyes inspecting Jimin before he starts moving. Maybe not, then. Somehow, the kid is also a mobster. Jimin supposes it’s also possible that Agust is enthusiastic enough about his little cafe that the workers are on friendly terms with him too. Somehow, as absurd as it sounds, that seems like the likelier option than the boy being a mobster.
Agust busies himself with making coffee behind the counter while Jungkook locks the door and closes the window shades.
“I’ll be in the breakroom if you need me, hyung!”
“Thanks, Kookie.” Agust watches Jungkook exit to the staff area before gesturing for Jimin to sit down. He places a cup of coffee in front of Jimin and starts sipping on his own. Kookie . It’s a cute name that Jimin thinks fits the boy well, though it seems out of place coming from Agust D’s lips.
Jimin doesn’t drink black coffee, but right now he does. He’s good enough of an actor to not show the wince he would normally do at the bitter taste on his tongue. Besides, it’s a little comforting to have something to focus on other than the crushing pressure in his chest.
“You said you’re important to Donghyun?” Agust starts speaking gently. “How important? Will he try to get to you again?”
Jimin nods certainly. “Yes. There’s no universe that he lets go of me.” He is fidgeting with his hand, with his sleeve, with anything he can find.
Agust places one steady hand over Jimin’s, stilling the nervous tremors. Jimin feels like he should want to pull away, but he doesn’t. “Why does he want you so much, Jimin?” He probably senses Jimin’s hesitation. “I can protect you better if I know.” It seems to be at least a little true, though Jimin is sure Agust is trying to manipulate more information out of him. He doesn’t blame him. It’s what he would do, too.
There’s a very real chance that Jimin can’t read him at all and Agust is faking his concern. It seems too good to be true. Though, there’s something comforting about the man’s face now that it isn’t shadowed by the dim lights of a bar. Jimin has to stop himself from being lulled into a false sense of security by it. The thing is, he doesn’t have much of a choice in his current position. Even if Agust is just using him to get information before disposing of him, from what he has heard about Agust, the worst that he will do to Jimin is kill him. Just a quick death is preferable to what Jimin will go through if Donghyun gets to him.
“Will you promise not to kill me?” It’s a dumb thing to say, but Jimin has to try.
Agust smiles reassuringly. “I promise.”
Well, it seems Jimin is out of options. He could lie, but that feels even riskier than telling the truth. He thinks Agust would be able to tell immediately, even though Jimin is a good liar. The man just has an energy about him that Jimin doesn’t want to test. “Did you know that Park Seunghyun is dead?”
Agust goes still and eyes him with a little more interest. “I didn’t. How do you?”
“That’s what Jiho whispered to me before… yeah.”
Agust hums. “That changes things,” he says half-mindedly. He seems to be lost in thought for a while before focusing his attention on Jimin again. It makes him want to squirm. “Why would he tell you that, Jimin?” It’s unnerving to hear his name from Agust’s lips when they haven’t even properly introduced themselves.
“I made a deal with Donghyun years ago for him to leave me alone in exchange for helping him with a negotiation. I didn’t want anything to do with him and his enterprise. Still don’t. The problem is, my cousin is dead and… that means I’m next in line.” It’s out there now.
“Park Donghyun is your uncle?” Agust asks incredulously. This is it, Jimin thinks. This is where he dies. He steels himself, but manages it only partly.
“Yes,” Jimin confirms. “But really, I hate him. You said it yourself, back in the alley. Boys like me don’t do well around him.” Jimin’s starting to ramble in a panic, but he can’t stop. “I can’t go back! Please. I’ll do whatever you want. I’ll tell you all I know and… and I can be good! I’m really good with my mouth and I can–”
“Jimin, stop.” Agust says evenly, interrupting Jimin’s spiraling. “I told you I’d protect you and I meant it.”
Jimin is not at all convinced yet, but he can’t do much but agree. “What do you want in exchange?” he asks, voice more a whisper than anything else.
Agust takes a while to answer, seemingly weighing his words carefully. “Your cooperation would help.” Jimin must be making a face, because Agust continues. “I’m not interested in coercing sex out of anyone. Especially not out of a kid. Nor do I need anything else from you.”
They’re pretty words, that’s for sure. Jimin has no choice but to agree. “Okay. What now?”
“Now we get you somewhere safe. Donghyun is a persistent bastard and if you’re right, he’ll be after you. You’ll be safest at the HQ.”
Jimin gulps. The headquarters of a mob is the last place he wants to go, but as is typical for the past few hours, he’s got little choice. He takes a deep breath to calm himself, but in doing that, he is able to take a closer look at his arms. There are three bloodstains on his sleeve. He feels sick.
“Why aren’t you killing me?” Jimin can’t help the question.
Agust sighs. “I don’t kill innocents. Nor do I let little boys into the clutches of monsters.” Jimin wants to believe it, but even with the calming aura of the man, Jimin can’t quite yet. Agust hasn’t gotten this far by simply doing things for the goodness of his heart. Jimin has heard of the killings committed in the name of Agust D.
It seems either Agust is very perceptive, or Jimin is off his game, but Agust sighs again and speaks. “Look, kid. All of that was true. I’m not the type to just kill a person for who they are related to, but even if I was, you’re far more valuable to me alive. Does that make you feel better?”
Now, that Jimin can believe. He nods cautiously. “I’m sorry. It was hard to believe that Agust D would just help me out of the goodness of his heart.” He regrets the words as soon as they escape him. The last thing Jimin needs to do right now is insult the man who is holding his life in his hands. He doesn’t know where the courage came from to say it, but he wishes it hadn’t.
“Agust D might not, but Min Yoongi would.” Agust gives him a little smile and reaches out to shake his hand. “Hello. I’m Min Yoongi.”
Jimin takes the offered hand with two of his and squeezes it. “Park Jimin.”
“It’s good to meet you, Jimin. I’m going to keep you safe. For your sake and mine.”
If Yoongi benefits from keeping him alive and safe, then it’s a win-win. The knowledge makes him able to relax a little. “I’m nineteen. Not a kid.” It’s the first time Jimin’s spoken to Yoongi with any amount of levity.
Yoongi chuckles. “Whatever you say, darling.” It’s almost certainly meant to be a little condescending, but it just makes Jimin blush out of something other than embarrassment. Now that Jimin gets a good look at Yoongi under proper lighting, he looks a little older than he had originally thought. He is probably closer to 35 than 25. The signs of aging just make him look more handsome. The suit he is wearing doesn’t hurt either. Now that Jimin fully looks at him, he looks every bit the role of mob boss. Only, so far Yoongi is so different from the only other mob boss Jimin knows that they might as well be from different galaxies.
Yoongi watches him with a strange expression for a few seconds. It brings more heat to Jimin’s cheeks but he doesn’t give Yoongi the satisfaction of seeing him squirm. Finally, Yoongi seems to have found what he was looking for as he smirks. “Jungkook!” he shouts.
There’s the sound of rapid footsteps before Jungkook appears from behind his door. “Yeah?” he says, looking at them with his wide eyes. It’s almost cartoonish how innocent the kid looks.
“We’re going home.” Yoongi says.
Jungkook looks between Yoongi and him. “What about…?”
“Jimin is joining us. He’s under our special protection now.”
Jungkook’s mouth falls open. “ Special protection? No one gets special protection.”
“Well, Jimin does.”
“But why, hyung?” Jungkook whines, weaponizing his doe eyes. Jimin almost laughs at how it seems to almost sway Yoongi. Almost.
“Because I say so, you brat.” Despite the words, Yoongi is smiling fondly.
Yoongi leads them to his car, letting Jimin into the front seat next to him, while Jungkook gets the back seats.
“Is he like your long lost son?” Jungkook guesses from the backseat.
“What?” Yoongi says, “No!”
Jungkook hums thoughtfully. “You’re right. The ages don’t match. Brother maybe?” Jungkook continues guessing, unperturbed. Jimin decides he’s just going to let Yoongi deal with the questions, he doesn’t know what he should be answering anyway.
“No,” Yoongi says impassively.
“Cousin? Nephew? Godson?”
“No.”
Jungkook gasps. “Is he your boyfriiieeend?”
“Jungkook, stop,” Yoongi says, a little more forcefully this time.
It doesn’t discourage Jungkook, who seems way too excited. “He is, isn’t he?! What other reason would there be for him to be under our special protection?” The kid says ‘special protection’ like the words are almost unfamiliar to him.
Yoongi is silent for too long. “I knew it!” Jungkook exclaims triumphantly. Jimin thinks it’s too late for Yoongi to deny Jungkook’s claim now. It might work if he told Jungkook the truth, but Yoongi seems set on keeping that to himself. Jimin is glad.
Yoongi eventually parks the car next to a sleek looking apartment building. It’s in a relatively unfamiliar part of the city to him, only sometimes having passed through it. Jimin follows Yoongi and an almost bouncy Jungkook inside the building.
Whereas the building looks innocuous from the outside, once they enter, the vibe changes immediately. He is led through what looks more like an office building’s lobby, except with intimidating looking security guards instead of a receptionist. There is some sort of combination of a fingerprint sensor and code once they get to the elevator. Yoongi takes care of it and pushes the button for the highest floor.
It must be maybe two in the morning when they enter the apartment from the elevator, but all the lights are on. Jungkook immediately starts yelling. “We’re hooomee!”
All the response he gets is the sound of multiple voices continuing to speak in another room and a single set of footsteps coming their way.
“Finally!” The owner of the footsteps appears from another room, and wow. That is one gorgeous man. He is tall and handsome, with wide shoulders and an air of geniality. Jimin falls in love a little, he thinks. Gorgeous man keeps talking. “I’ve been expecting you! Food has gone cold and…” He trails off when he sees Jimin. “Are you aware you’ve dragged a blood-stained pretty boy into our home?”
“That’s Jimin,” Yoongi says. “He’s–”
“Yoongi hyung’s boyfriend!” Jungkook exclaims.
There’s a sound of clattering from somewhere. “What?!” a voice shouts from somewhere. It’s followed by multiple sets of footprints charging towards them. Suddenly, there’s three more people looking at Jimin. All of them are unfamiliar, but each of them are unreasonably attractive. Jimin wonders how these people are taken seriously as mobsters when they look more like models.
“Did you say boyfriend?” asks one of the male models incredulously.
“Yeah!” Jungkook says. “He’s under special protection .” Now, Jimin doesn’t know exactly what that entails, but he gathers it’s a big deal. If the men looked surprised before, they seem downright shocked now.
Gorgeous man is the first to recover. “Yoongi?” he asks. There’s something almost dangerous in his tone.
All eyes are on Yoongi now. That includes Jimin’s. He watches Yoongi debate between his options. He could keep with the lie that Jungkook has made so easy for them, or he could expose Jimin’s close connection to another rival mob to a room full of what Jimin assumes are high ranking mobsters. It seems Yoongi doesn’t find an answer, because he turns to look at Jimin questioningly.
It’s the first time during the night that Jimin feels like he’s got the power to make a choice that isn’t motivated by a gun against his back. He’s really glad that Yoongi is giving him the choice, even if it’s not much of a choice at all. Jimin doesn’t know how these people would react to the truth if it were to come out. They might be far less understanding than Yoongi is at least pretending to be. Jimin understands why Yoongi would hesitate playing his boyfriend, but at the moment, it seems like the only valid option for him. He reaches out to take Yoongi’s hand in his.
It seems to be all that Yoongi needs. “This is Jimin. He’s my boyfriend.” The words sound a little pained. “And yes, he’s under special protection. You all know what that means.”
Jimin now gets how these men are taken seriously as criminals. The way their eyes are burning him as they inspect him is downright scary. He’d almost forgotten who he’s dealing with amid all of Yoongi’s seeming kindness and Jungkook’s youthful enthusiasm. In fact, Jungkook is the only one whose stare doesn’t make Jimin want to squirm. It doesn’t negate the others. Jimin doesn’t quite know where the lines stand between himself and Yoongi, but he hazards a squeeze of Yoongi’s hand for comfort.
Immediately, Yoongi starts talking. “Okay everyone, gawking time is over. Jimin’s had a long day. Hence the bloodstains and protection.” Yoongi’s tone leaves no space for arguing.
“What happened?” says the tallest of the men. He seems to immediately be back into professional mode.
“The Parks,” Yoongi says. Suddenly, everyone else’s posture straightens up too. Yoongi starts walking towards another room, his presence so commanding that everyone just follows him. He leads them to what seems to be a living room with the largest couch Jimin has ever seen. Jimin sits down close to Yoongi, nearly touching him. It’s only partly for show. It’s absurd to think that this mob boss he had just met a few hours ago is now his comfort, but that’s the situation that Jimin finds himself in.
“The Parks are after Jimin. Jiho is dead.”
The tall man raises a brow in surprise. “Jiho? They really want him if they sent someone that important.”
“Yes. There will be retaliation,” Yoongi says.
“Why would you leave your boyfriend someplace where Jiho had access to him?” The tall man asks.
“I don’t know Namjoon. Why didn't you know that Park Seunghyun is dead?” Yoongi bites back. “Isn’t it your job to know these things?”
The room falls into silence again. Eventually, a confused Namjoon speaks again. “Are you sure, hyung? How do you know?”
Jimin doesn’t think that Yoongi had thought of how he was going to answer that when he retaliated to Namjoon’s original question. He doesn’t know if Yoongi has a clever answer, but Jimin goes into self-defense mode. The longer he spends with these men, the less he wants them to find out about him.
He feigns a shaky breath and takes Yoongi’s hand again. “Hyung, what’s going on?” It’s not difficult to make his body shake. He just lets in some of the terror he’s been reining in for the last few hours. “What did that man want from me? Where are we?” He might be overplaying it a little, but then again, he did just almost get kidnapped and was saved by Yoongi murdering a man. It’s fair to think he would be shaken up.
“Jesus, Yoongi. You haven’t told the kid?” says the gorgeous man.
Yoongi, thank fuck, plays along. “It’s not exactly an easy thing to bring up!” He turns to Jimin, wrapping both hands around Jimin’s. “I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t mean for this to happen.” Yoongi is a surprisingly good actor. Jimin would probably be fooled by the gentleness if he didn’t know better. “You’re safe here. These are my people and I’d trust them with my life.” Jimin has a feeling he has.
Jimin nods shakily. Glancing around the room, no one seems to be looking at him particularly skeptically. A couple of the men are even looking openly empathetic. He’s glad his earlier silence laid the groundwork for this. It’s hopefully easy for them to believe he was shocked enough to not have been able to speak.
“Hey,” Yoongi softly steers Jimin to look at him again. “I swear I’ll explain everything later. For now, you need some clean clothes and sleep.”
Jimin doesn’t have to fake agreeing to that. “Okay. I trust you.”
“You probably shouldn’t,” Yoongi says guiltily.
“You saved me, didn’t you?” Jimin gives him a small smile. The kind that you might give to someone you’re stupidly in love with. Emphasis on stupidly.
There’s an actual ‘aww’ from one of the as of yet unnamed mobsters in the room. It’s bizarre. This is not what Jimin had expected from these people. He’s not deluding himself into thinking that these aren’t dangerous people, but at least for now, they seem to be willing to let Jimin keep existing. That’s all he needs for now, the rest can be considered after he’s gotten some sleep.
“Are you tired, baby?” Yoongi asks. It’s clear what he wants Jimin to answer.
Jimin nods sleepily. “Please.”
Yoongi looks satisfied as he turns to face the rest of the room. “Namjoon, we need to talk today. As for the rest of you, I’ll see you in the morning.”
There’s only a little grumbling from everyone Yoongi dismisses. The rest, apart from the tall man named Namjoon, scatter into what Jimin assumes are their rooms, sending final curious looks at Jimin before they disappear from sight.
“I’ll be back once I’ve got Jimin situated,” Yoongi tells Namjoon once they’re alone. Namjoon looks at them curiously, but nods.
Yoongi’s room is at the end of a long corridor. They pass four other doors before Yoongi finally opens one. Stepping in, the room is suitably enormous. There’s a huge bed on one side of it, and on the other side, a TV setup with a couch that’s only marginally smaller than the one in the living room. There are two other doors leading out of the room, Jimin assumes a bathroom and a closet. The walls are decorated with various pieces of art and basketball memorabilia. The room seems to be a strange mixture between homey and barely lived in. Everything is in its place and spotless, even the bed is made perfectly, not a pillow out of place.
An awkward air settles in the room as soon as Yoongi closes the door behind them. Now that he doesn’t have to pretend to be tired, he realizes he actually is very tired.
“So I’m your boyfriend now, huh?” Jimin says, stifling a yawn.
“Apparently.” Yoongi’s voice is impassive but Jimin has a feeling that’s just what Yoongi’s like when he’s not pretending for others’ benefit. “We’ll talk about it when you’ve gotten some sleep.” Yoongi points to one of the doors that Jimin had noticed earlier. “That’s the bathroom. You can go take a bath or a shower. I’ll get you something to wear.”
“Thanks, hyung.” Oh. Jimin realizes that probably the only reason Yoongi had allowed him to call him hyung was to sell their relationship. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to–”
“You can call me that, Jimin.” Yoongi isn’t exactly smiling, but Jimin thinks there is amusement in his voice.
Jimin smiles, relieved. It would be an incredibly bad idea to cross the criminal who is currently holding his fate in his hands. “Thanks, hyung.”
“I need to do some work, but you can, uhh, make yourself at home.” Yoongi walks over to a nightdesk and removes a gun before closing it again. “Sorry. I don’t think you’ll do it, but I wouldn’t like to be shot in my own home.”
Jimin breathes out a small laugh. “If I ever shoot a gun again, it’ll be too soon.”
Yoongi gives Jimin a small smile as he goes to pick out some clothes for him. Then he leaves, giving the room one more glance before exiting. Now that Jimin’s alone, the thought does come to him that he’s in a position that could potentially allow him to destroy Yoongi’s whole operation, or indeed, murder him. It’s a confusing amount of trust for Yoongi to give to him, a total stranger related by blood to his rival. It seems foolish in a way that Yoongi almost certainly wouldn’t be. Jimin is way too exhausted to think more about it at the moment, however.
He walks into the bathroom, barely awake. It’s fittingly nice, clean and large. The bathtub calls for him, but he forgoes it in favor of a quick shower. As much as he would like a long bath, he knows he would just fall asleep in the tub. Therefore, he steps into the shower underneath the incredible water pressure. He has no idea where it’s coming from, but when he steps under the water, it flows red for a little bit before clearing up again. Lovely, he’s had more of a dead man’s blood on him than he’d thought.
It strikes him that he’s naked in a very dangerous stranger’s private rooms. Yoongi had seemed sincere about his motives, but Jimin can’t rule out that he’s lying. Besides, everyone else in the building thinks they’re dating. Maybe Yoongi has changed his mind about not wanting sex from Jimin.
He has to push the thoughts out of his head, he needs sleep, and worrying won’t do any good to him. If Yoongi decides to change his opinion, then Jimin will just have to deal with it in the moment.
The clothes Yoongi had provided for him are comfortable and intentionally oversized. Jimin puts them on and climbs into one side of Yoongi’s enormous bed. He momentarily feels bad for just laying down on a stranger’s bed, but it doesn’t last long when Jimin sinks into the softness of it. It’s probably just because of the day he’s had, but it’s the most heavenly thing he’s ever felt. That he could find such bliss in a place filled with killers is strange, but Jimin is rapidly falling asleep, and it doesn’t seem like a lie.