btswrckd

[btswrckd]

Secrets and Lies

Mafia member!Namjoon x Fem!Reader

Summary: Part of the War of Hearts universe! You've spent the last 10 years not really knowing just who your best and only friend actually is or just obsessed he is with you, but when an unexpected threat emerges from your mother's past, he's given an opportunity that he just can't pass up.

Warnings: mentions of violence, mentions of guns and other weapons, mention of death, mention of obsessive behavior, Namjoon's kind of a prick to an old one-night stand

A/N: Ta-da!! It's here!! I'm sure there's more warnings I missed and I'm sorry!! As you guys may know, I've been working on 3 separate fics for the War of Hearts verse and I'm still working on them, but I wasn't sure whose story I wanted to put out first. As I'm bouncing back and forth between the stories, I've finally figured out the order in which I want to put them out. Please enjoy guys!

“Are you going to tell me what, exactly, we’re doing here?” Hoseok yawns from the passenger seat of Namjoon’s sleek black Hyundai. Why Namjoon thought of such a car as “inconspicuous”, Hoseok will never know. Honestly, he was pretty pissed that Namjoon had dragged him out of the house at 4 o’clock in the morning to watch random people come and go from some 24 hour diner that sits just before entering city limits. But when the door opens for the hundredth time and a pile of messy hair sitting in a bun atop the head of a beautiful girl comes bouncing out, he rolls his eyes. Now he knows what the hell they were waiting around for. 

“Seriously, Namjoon,” Hoseok groans and burrows into the heated seat. “Can’t you stalk your girlfriend without me?”

“Shut up,” Namjoon hisses at him. “She’s not my girlfriend.”

“But you are stalking her, correct?” 

“Hobi,” Namjoon warns again, “shut the fuck up.”

He doesn’t hear whatever it is that Hoseok mumbles under his breath, simply shaking his head and turning his attention back to the waitress who’d just finished a 12 hour shift. Without the top of a messy bun flouncing about, he’d have lost you in the mass of cars you were weaving through. You look tired, he notes, exhausted as you slump against the driver door of the beat up old car that you’d been saving up for. He never liked when you took the bus; too many strange men would look your way far too long for his liking. But he didn’t think a car like that would suffice either, even though it meant tracking you was a little easier. 

Your head thumps against the steel door of the small car you’d salvaged from a junkyard. “Still,” you remind yourself, “a junker car is better than no car at all. Definitely smells better than the bus.” It was the third 12 hour shift you’ve worked in a row and still had another 3 to go. To say you were exhausted would be putting it lightly. You’re worn out, both physically and mentally, but you have to keep going. Have to keep making money. Have to pay off the medical bills that only seem to keep racking up. The sound of an obnoxious ringtone blares in the dark parking lot and you jump in place as you recognize it as your own. 

“Shit,” you hiss, fumbling for your cell phone only to find the caller I.D. belonging to none other than your ex-boyfriend. It’s not that you’re ungrateful for him taking on the task of being your mother’s caretaker, it’s that you wish he’d stop trying to use her dwindling health as an excuse to try and get back together. “Minseok,” you answer, vexed. “What is it?”

“Good morning to you too, sunshine,” Minseok snaps back, taking a deep breath to steady himself. After all, catching an attitude with you when he’s trying so hard to get you back is not going to earn him any brownie points. “Hey, so, you just got off work right? Why don’t you stop by and we can have breakfast? Your mom’s been asking to see you.”

“In time,” is all you can say. It’s all you’ve been saying since you were a teenager. Your mother is all you have left and to keep blowing off chances to visit her breaks your heart a little more each time. You love her so much, but the thought of seeing the frail body in place of what once was a strong and healthy woman makes you want to cry. You don’t know how long she has left or why you keep avoiding her, knowing damn well that she’ll be gone soon. You only know that distracting yourself with work doesn’t make you feel as helpless as sitting at home waiting for the inevitable phone call. Minseok is babbling about something, but you don’t catch what it is when the sound of approaching footsteps has you reaching for the pepper spray attached to your key ring. 

Namjoon is amused when you whirl around, pepper spray at the ready even if it is with a shaking grip. He laughs as your shocked face morphs to one of anger and embarrassment. Clearly, you hadn’t expected to be snuck up on in the middle of the parking lot of your job, and that makes him uneasy. You should always be aware of your surroundings. “What are you doing with that, you nut case?”

“Shut the hell up, Joon!” You kick at the loose rocks on the pavement, sending them flying in his direction. “You scared the crap out of me, asshole. What are you doing lurking around a dark parking lot anyways?”

“I could ask you the same thing.” He tilts his head playfully, though there’s no hint of amusement in his tone anymore. You should have gotten in your car and left a long time ago, yet something or someone, namely Minseok, kept you from doing so. He recognized the look on your face when you’d looked at the phone screen. Even from across the lot, he knew who was stupid enough to bother you after a long week of working. With a roll of his eyes, he takes the phone from your hand and ignores your protests.

“Minseok,” he says into the phone, skillfully dodging your attempts to pry it away from him. “How are you?”

“I’m uh,” Minseok sputters, “good. I’m good, I guess. What are you um, what are you doing with Y/N?”

“Me? Oh, nothing really. Just came to pick her up from work. Yeah, she finally scrapped that heap of junk and decided to ride in style. With me. Goodbye, Minseok.” Namjoon ends the call, carelessly tossing the phone back into your waiting hands. Stuffing his hands into the pockets of his slacks, he nods down at you. “Heading home?”

“Trying to.” You prop a hand on your hip and he groans because he knows exactly what’s about to come. “You know I hate it when you do that. Getting under Minseok’s skin does absolutely nothing for you, so why do you do it? And you know he’s the primary caretaker for my mom. Stop trying to piss him off.”

“You never get after him when he pisses me off,” he points out. It was never a secret how much he despised Minseok, especially when you dated that little prick. Nothing makes Namjoon’s blood boil more than the image of Minseok taking you on dates, holding your hand, kissing your skin, touching you wherever he pleased and you allowed. “Anyways, I wasn’t trying to get under his skin. If he feels threatened by me then it’s not really my fault. And what the hell is he still doing taking care of your mom? Isn’t that a conflict of interest?”

“Not everyone at the rehab center knows we dated,” you explain, missing the flash of anger in his eyes. “He’s the only one that mom trusts.”

“You know I can take care of her too.” He braces his large palms against the car door, trapping you between the metal and his body. “I’ve offered a thousand times, Y/N, you always say no.”

“I’ve burdened you enough.” 

Namjoon sees the brief downward tilt of your lips, a frown you try so hard to hide from him. He won’t have it. Tucking his finger beneath your chin, he tilts it up to look you in the eye. “You’re not a burden. Neither is your mother. I’ve told you before that all you have to do is ask and I’ll give you anything you want, Y/N.”

“I just want her to be better,” you whisper, casting your eyes to the floor as they flood with tears. There’s no doubt in your mind that if you were to ask Namjoon for private care, he would gladly take care of it without expecting anything in return. That’s how it’s always been with him though. Always giving but never taking. According to his close friend, Hoseok, that’s how Namjoon’s grown up. You’re not entirely sure what his home life was like when he was a child, but his parents seemed to have done a wonderful job raising him. You can’t honestly say you’ve ever met anyone like him in all your 28 years of life. 

Namjoon’s finger becomes firm in making your eyes meet his once more. His mouth tightens into a thin line and you know he’s trying to hold back his frustration. When he met you in the hallway at the hospital nearly 10 years ago, you’d just learned of your mother’s diagnosis. To say you were distraught would be sugarcoating it. You were absolutely devastated. He remembers how 18-year-old you had slid down the wall with body wracking sobs, but you’d tried to hide it as your mother was just a few feet behind a closed door. You had wailed into your knees after drawing them as close to your body as possible. He had just rounded the corner of the hall, hissing into his phone about the absolute fucking disaster that was Hoseok’s assignment, when he’d seen you and he felt like time had slowed. Something about you, about the heart wrenching way your body curled up that made him feel…protective. It was his job to protect Taehyung, sure, but you were an entirely different story. You had nothing to offer him. No kind of incentive for his comfort. And yet, when he’d walked over and reached out his hand, you’d taken it. Taken it so damn easily and allowed yourself to be comforted by a complete stranger. It was always a mystery to him, how you’d melted into his body without noticing the blood staining his white dress shirt.

“Joon?” your voice cuts through the hazy fog that was his trip down memory lane. Blinking back your tears, you cup his face to bring him back to reality. It hadn’t taken you long to figure out that when Namjoon spaced out, it took a great deal to bring him back. But not with you. Never with you. Because, somehow, your voice and touch, and yours alone could bring him back in a matter of seconds. When his brown eyes finally clear, you smile softly at him.

“Ah, I’m sorry,” he says, taking your wrists in his large hands and running his thumbs along the veins of them. A smirk plays on his lips when he notices you shiver. Not from the cold, but from him. “I’m supposed to be the one comforting you. Not the other way around. What was it that Minseok wanted anyway?”

“To have dinner. Or breakfast. Or, I don’t really know, but I know it had to do with eating in the same vicinity as each other,” you sigh and slump against the cool metal of your car. “I’m not exactly up for it, but I guess I should go. He says mom’s been asking for me, but I–.”

“What an asshole,” comes a familiar voice. One you aren’t exactly expecting, so when you jump, Hoseok’s deep chuckle cuts through the parking lot. You always wondered how he managed to stalk around without making a single noise. You feel Namjoon tense and tighten his hold on your wrists. 

The taller man turns to his friend with a snarl on his face. “A little warning next time, jackass.” 

Hoseok shrugs and purses his lips in an innocent way that makes you giggle. A grin splits his face as Namjoon scowls at him for being able to make you laugh when he himself couldn’t. “It’s late. Or early. Or fucking…whatever. Can we just go now? We kind of have someplace to be, you know.” 

And by someplace, Hoseok means waiting outside of Choi Hyunwoo’s apartment to grab his ass and get back to Taehyung. He quirks his brow up at Namjoon, rolling his eyes when Namjoon ignores him to face you. He turns his back to give you guys some privacy, but fuck if he’ll stand there all day watching Namjoon make goo goo eyes at you. 

“Don’t let Minseok guilt you into seeing him,” Namjoon says, tucking a stray piece of hair behind your ear. “I understand that you feel it over not seeing your mother as often as you think you should. It’s why I’m more than happy to set her up with private home care. That way you can also cut down on your part time jobs. They’re wearing you down.”

“Real charming, Joon,” you snort and shove him away. “But you know I can’t take you up on that offer. It wouldn’t feel right if I couldn’t at least help you pay for her care.”

“Then, for the time being,” he says through grit teeth, “at least let me stave off Minseok.” He’s quick to wrap his arms around your waist and haul your chest to his. Your squeak of surprise makes him chuckle and you blush. “Hobi, do me a favor. Take a picture of this.”

You don’t have time to question what the hell he was talking about because he winds his fingers through your hair, tilts your face up, and pretends to slants his lips against yours. You inhale sharply at the contact, fingers digging into his jacket in a death grip, and oddly, found it far too easy to lean into his faux kiss. Your eyes meet the intensity of his brown orbs, bouncing back and forth as if searching for something. Reason, perhaps? Or signs of insanity. Because why the hell else would Namjoon go to such lengths just to get Minseok off your back? 

Namjoon’s gaze deepens, his pupils dilating from the proximity. He can’t seem to remember that it was meant to be fake. He was meant to look like he was kissing you, not actually doing it. But he’d be lying if he told himself he didn’t want to know what your chapstick tastes like. If it’s the usual, nauseating taste. Or if this is one of the rare times you’d reached for the strawberry flavored lip balm. He almost chuckles as he imagines you rummaging through your bedside drawer and plucking your least favorite flavor in your haste to get to work on time. He always tells you to toss the hated flavor in the trash, but you, for whatever reason, never do. Apparently, you only keep it in “just in case” situations. Situations such as running late for work and not having the time to turn your apartment upside down in search of the usual, worn down tube of chapstick. 

Distantly, you recognize the faint sound of a cell phone camera going off, but when Namjoon sweeps the pad of his thumb along your bottom lip, your thighs clench together as the feel of the roughly callused finger sets your body on fire. It’s such a simple gesture and yet, you find yourself unable to catch your breath. When he pulls on your lip as he traces a path down to grip your chin, you rise to the tips of your toes in anticipation. You’re far too ready to kiss him, and a part of you panics when a deep chuckle rumbles in his chest. You flush, embarrassed to have been caught leaning into his touch so shamelessly. You consider punching him as you usually do when he manages to fluster you, but then he presses in further, his own plump lips skimming across your mouth in an almost kiss that has you panting with need. Your eyelids become heavy and they close as pure, unadulterated desire pounds deep in your bones and your fingers card through his soft hair. You feel him shiver against the feel of your nails gently scratching the hair at the nape of his neck. 

Namjoon knows he has to gain control of the situation soon. It was spiraling, and quickly, and he was more than willing to allow it to happen. But he doesn’t want the first of many kisses to come, be one that stems from him trying to piss off your ex-boyfriend. Because there will be more to come. He will taste you properly and he will continue to do so until you say otherwise. You, and only you, have the kind of control over him that no one ever has. Not even Taehyung. 

“Namjoon,” you whisper and you swear an actual groan leaves his mouth because your lips bump against his as you speak. “Please,” you beg even though you’re sure this is an entirely bad idea. Heat pools in your lower belly as you press up against him, his thigh slotting between the apex of your legs, a noise of excitement leaving your throat as he leans in.

“I’m only going to stand here for so long to watch you guys pretend to swap spit,” Hoseok comments in irritation. “It’s hot, sure, but we’ve got more important things to do, Namjoon.”

When Namjoon parts from you, the both of you are panting, breaths mingling in the cold night air. His hand moves from the nape of your neck to slide down along the line of your jaw. His thumb sweeps across your cheek softly and he takes his time to look over your flushed face and heaving chest. Your eyes are still closed, making his chest swell with pride when one shift of his body makes your fingers tighten in his hair. 

You don’t even notice you’ve done it, not until you finally open your eyes to find that you are the one keeping him in place. Quickly, you release him and try to create some distance, but you only bump into your car door. You want to be angry with him. You want to question what the hell he was thinking. But most of all, you want to understand why it didn’t bother you nearly as much as you thought it would. You’d known him since you were 18 and never once had it crossed your mind that he’d ever find you attractive. The same couldn’t be said for you, though, because you’d always harbored a small crush on him. You’d thought dating Minseok would quell that ache for Namjoon’s attention, but it really didn’t and you kind of felt bad when a small part of you wondered what Namjoon’s hand would feel like in place of Minseok’s on your skin. 

“Send this to him,” Namjoon’s deep voice startles you while he holds out Hoseok’s phone. He watches, amused, as you stare at the picture on the phone. He can see your mind working in overtime as you process the seemingly loving embrace Hoseok managed to capture. “Minseok’s always thought you and I were together at some point, or even hooked up, so it’s not that odd to see us like this.”

“No, you can’t!” you squeak and try to snatch the phone from his hand. That attempt fails as he easily maneuvers out of reach. “Don’t send that, Namjoon!”

Hoseok snatches the phone from Namjoon’s hand and stalks off back to the car. He’s mumbling something under his breath that you can’t make sense of and slams the car door once he’s inside. Sinking down into the seat, he leans his head against the window to rest comfortably in hopes of getting some sleep. 

“I have to go.” Namjoon sounds reluctant to leave as he steps away. He knows Hoseok already sent the picture to Minseok so there was no backing out now. In fact, Minseok should be calling you any second and he wishes he could stick around for that conversation, but Hoseok was right. If he didn’t leave now, then they’d miss Hyunwoo and the last thing they need is Taehyung tearing into them for screwing up. “Minseok will be calling soon. Ignore it, go home, get some sleep. I’ll check on you later.”

“But, I–.” you try to protest as he walks off and right on cue, your phone rings with irritating familiarity. “Damn it.”

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“Why are you fucking with your own feelings just to piss off Minseok?” Hoseok questions Namjoon on the ride back home. He pays no mind to the muffled groaning coming from Hyunwoo lying on the floor of the van they’d swapped into later that morning. “It’s only going to get worse from here now. You know that, right?”

“Shut up,” Namjoon grumbles from the driver seat. He can’t say Hoseok’s wrong, he hardly ever is, but Namjoon isn’t willing to admit that. His grip on the steering wheel tightens as the memory of your lips and your touch, it all comes to the forefront of his mind and makes his chest tight. He had hoped that you did as he said and went home to get some sleep, but one quick peek at your Snapchat story revealed a breakfast plate filled with eggs and toast smothered in strawberry jam. Your mother’s favorite.

“You’re still pissed off that she went to breakfast with Minseok?”

“She didn’t go with Minseok. She went to see her mom.”

“Right,” Hoseok hums delightedly, “her mother. Who is currently being taken care of by who, again? Oh, right. Minseok.”

Namjoon uses the rearview mirror to glance back at his friend with a scowl. He knew he should have left his dumb ass back at home with Yoongi after he helped them pull the van from one of his family’s many junk yards. “You can join Hyunwoo in his misery, or you can shut the fuck up.”

Hoseok tosses his head back in howling laughter as Namjoon pulls through the security gates of Taehyung’s home. Pulling up to the front of the house, he gets out of the car to meet Taehyung and Yoongi at the passenger side door. He draws open the side door to reveal Hyunwoo bound, gagged, and covered in bruises. “Hoseok went a little…overboard.”

Yoongi’s low toned whistle makes him wince because he knows that Yoongi knows his lie was complete bullshit. “Damn, RM, you really did a number on this guy.”

“He tried to run,” Namjoon says as if it’s that simple of an explanation. When Yoongi shoots him a knowing look, he rolls his eyes towards the sky. That was, in fact, not what had happened and he had used it as a not so believable excuse to beat the shit out of Hyunwoo. It was a means to vent his frustration and Hoseok had let it happen without complaint. Then again, Hoseok never really complained about any  kind of violence. Save for the few domestic ones he’d seen over the years. Oh, he’d always let his knife or gun do the talking then. 

Taehyung climbs into the passenger seat and taps on the window as a sign for them to hurry the hell up before his wife comes storming outside. His phone rings while Yoongi jumps in the back with Hoseok and Hyunwoo. He answers it with a smirk on his face while Namjoon reclaims his seat behind the wheel. 

Namjoon isn’t entirely sure what the conversation is about but it was pretty amusing to watch Hyunwoo lose his shit. When Taehyung throws out an innuendo that clearly has his wife panicking, he tries to hide his smile as Taehyung pulls the phone from his ear and stares at it.

“She hung up on me,” Taehyung comments in disbelief. He really shouldn’t be surprised that Nabi would hang up on him after his little quip, or the fact that she hadn’t entirely forgiven him for their fight last night. But if there’s one thing Namjoon’s come to learn in the decades of friendship with his six brothers, it’s that they’re all the smartest people he knows…and the dumbest. It’s a good balance of brains and stupidity, it keeps things fresh. 

“I’m shocked she didn’t do more than yell at you last night,” Namjoon laughs. “Or that you didn’t kill Yoongi for being an instigator.”

“What good would it do me to be rid of him?” Taehyung catches Yoongi’s eye in the mirror. “But he is lucky I didn’t at least shoot him for it.”

“Jimin was the one who made it worse by giving you the spare key to your guys’ room,” Yoongi defends himself with a roll of his eyes. “Did it not get worse after you opened that door and Nabi nearly tore your head off?”

“Jimin’s not out of the woods either.” Taehyung scrolls through his phone, swiping through picture after picture that Hoseok had sent him earlier. Each of them include Hyunwoo stalking down various streets in his attempt to follow one of Nabi’s best friends. He thumbs through each one until…

“Is this a picture of you kissing Y/N, Namjoon?” Taehyung’s eyebrows shoot so far up that they nearly disappear into his hairline. 

“Hoseok!” Namjoon barks back at his friend. “I said send it to Minseok, not broadcast it to everyone we know.”

Hoseok shrugs from his spot in the back. “As I recall, I said I wasn’t going to stand around all day while you guys made out. But you made me wait anyway. So, that’s on you.”

“My god, Namjoon, you really didn’t hold back, did you?” Yoongi is too busy peeking over Taehyung’s shoulder to notice Namjoon holding up his middle finger. 

“Clearly, she didn’t either,” Taehyung notes, turning slightly so Yoongi can get a better look. 

“Stop it,” Namjoon hisses, reaching out to take the phone from Taehyung. “You guys are like fucking children. It’s a wonder how Nabi can stand the two of you.”

“You’re awfully angry for someone who kissed the girl he’s been pining after for 10 years,” comes Yoongi’s voice.

“I didn’t really kiss her,” Namjoon growls low in his throat and contemplates shoving Yoongi out of the moving van. “And I haven’t been fucking pining, you prick.”

“Someone’s pretty fucking testy this morning,” his senior hisses back, having had enough of Namjoon’s pissy attitude. 

“He’s just pissed that she spent the morning with Minsoek,” Hoseok not so helpfully supplies. “Apparently the picture didn’t do much to deter the poor bastard from asking her out again. Remind me why it ended between them again?”

Namjoon grips the wheel so tight that his arm shakes with barely restrained anger. Your relationship with Minseok ended on a relatively civil note. Something that always bothered Namjoon because it would have been easier for you to let go of him, or for Minseok to let go of you if things had just ended badly. But that hadn’t been the case. At least not from what you’d told him. You’d called him one night and, in an eerily calm voice, explained that Minseok had broken up with you. All of the time spent apart because of your part time jobs and having to tend to your mother had finally made him snap. You’d gone on to say that you weren’t really sure why you’d been so surprised. After all, Namjoon had been hinting at it for months but you’d never taken it seriously. It hadn’t bothered you that Minseok chose to part ways, maybe that’s why it angered Minseok when you didn’t want to reconcile. Maybe a part of him thought and still thinks that you didn’t care for him as much as he was led to believe. 

Good, Namjoon thinks to himself. Good, because fuck Minseok and fuck his selfishness for leaving you at your most vulnerable, and then turning around and hoping to get back together. Namjoon will be damned before that ever happens.

He tunes back into the conversation when it steers to Nabi’s best friend, Soyoung, whom Hyunwoo had been tailing. They inform him that Soyoung can be just as cruel as Nabi if not more, and Hyunwoo seems caught off guard. Namjoon finds it easy to fall into the cruel amusement his boss and friends have at Hyunwoo’s expense. That is, until Yoongi brings up the subject of what you and Minseok could have possibly been up to if you weren’t answering Namjoon’s calls or texts. Namjoon quickly shuts down once more, sneering at Yoongi’s reflection in the mirror.

“Damn,” Hoseok sighs and pockets his switchblade as they come up on Taehyung’s father’s building. “Now you guys have done it. He’ll be pissy the rest of the day now.”

“Us?” Yoongi hisses, pushing Hoseok’s shoulder roughly as they scramble out of the van. “You’re the one who brought it up first, dumbass.”

“You didn’t have to mention that she hasn’t responded, dipshit.”

“Enough,” Taehyung hushes them as they walk through the back doors of his father’s building. He doesn’t often use them, but given how they’re still holding Hyunwoo hostage, he doesn’t really have a choice now. “We’ll talk about this later,” he addresses Namjoon after stepping into the elevator.

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Namjoon thanks whatever higher power that keeps Taehyung occupied with the Seong brothers at lunch so he can thumb through his phone once more. He’s been waiting all fucking day for you to answer his call, which is yet to happen. He knows he said you needed to get sleep, but damn it, he wishes he could go and check on you. That, and the fact that he and Taehyung are still reeling from their earlier argument is on his mind. Taehyung’s plan to put Nabi and Hyunwoo in the same room as each other while giving Hyunwoo the freedom to move about honestly scares Namjoon. It’s clear that Nabi is capable of handling herself against any normal person, but Hyunwoo has grown up in the center of the mafia, being spoiled and coddled so much by his father that he believed he was entitled to anything he wanted. This included Nabi. It makes Namjoon’s stomach turn sour at the thought of putting Nabi in a situation that could potentially destroy her strong mindset. But Taehyung has all the faith in the world in his wife and Namjoon can’t blame him. Nabi is the furthest thing from timid and weak.   

Thunder crashes in the sky above and lightning follows, leaving their entire party to rush inside the cafe Nabi’s chosen to eat at. As they filter inside, Yoongi is hissing underneath his breath about getting caught in the rain while he shucks his jacket off to lay across an empty table. Jungkook and Jimin don’t miss the opportunity to piss him off further by shaking their hair about and spraying water everywhere. 

“Damn it,” Hoseok seethes at the two youngest, resisting the urge to slap one or both of them upside the head. “Can you two be any less civilized?”

“Jungkook!” Namjoon slaps his shoulder after the youngest wrings out his jacket over top of Hoseok’s head. As if Hoseok wasn’t one of the most dangerous men in the city. “Behave.”

Jungkook snorts in response and sets his jacket flat over the same table Yoongi has his splayed about. He’s the only one of them to not notice Taehyung drag Nabi off towards the bathrooms and Namjoon’s eye twitches when the Seong brothers do notice and 4 out of the 5 men move to stop them from following Taehyung and Nabi. It would be alot easier if Jungkook would pull his head out of his ass and get it together. 

“You can’t really expect us to stand here and do nothing?” Joongki, the oldest Seong brother and Nabi’s cousin, tries to shove past Namjoon.

“Unless you want to walk in on a very intimate moment,” Hoseok warns him while wrangling Jeonghan, Nabi’s other cousin, to an empty booth. “I suggest you sit the hell down and leave them be.”

“Nabi will be embarrassed enough without the two of you storming in there.” Yoongi grips Joongki’s shoulder and helps Namjoon shove him into the other side of the booth. “Know and understand this, Taehyung cherishes your cousin more than any of us here. There’s not a damn thing in this world that could stop him from giving her anything and everything she wants and needs. He will not hurt her, he will not coerce her into what’s happening, and he for damn sure will absolutely not touch her without her express permission.”

“Joongki,” Namjoon catches his attention, “I know you’re smarter than this. I know you would not have let Taehyung put Nabi under our roof if you thought we couldn’t keep her safe. None of us would let Taehyung hurt her. Jungkook nearly got himself killed multiple times just for stepping in between their arguments. Don’t lose your cool because you can’t handle that Nabi’s a grown woman.”

Finally, the Seong brothers seem to accept the words Yoongi and Namjoon speak, and Namjoon sighs in relief now that he can check his phone again. Still, nothing from you and it makes his blood boil. “Son of a bitch,” he grumbles, dialing your phone number and pressing it to his ear. “I swear to God, if you don’t fucking pick up…”

“Yeah?” Your breathless voice hits his ears like a symphony and all of the blood rushes to his groin. You’re met with absolute silence and pull the phone back to check if Namjoon had hung up. “Joon? You there?”

He coughs as his throat dries up and attempts to clear it in hopes of not sounding so gruff when he answers, “I’m sorry. Did I wake you?”

“Just a little,” you huff out another breathless laugh. “It’s okay though. I had to get up and get some grocery shopping done before my shift at the diner tonight.”

“You should have done that after your breakfast with Minseok,” he growls, letting his temper get the best of him. “Then you could have slept longer.”

“I slept long enough.” You know he can practically hear your eye roll. “Joon, I didn’t have breakfast with Minseok. I went to visit my mother and he was there. He does happen to work there, you know.”

“Didn’t seeing my tongue down your throat scare him off?” he snaps back in response. “Didn’t it piss him off the way it pisses me off that he really thinks he has a chance after I sent you to him wet and ready for me?”

“Namjoon!” you gasp, clenching your thighs together as you had earlier that morning. What had gotten into him? He’s never spoken to you this way and while it did get you a little hot and bothered, it also reminds you of the almost kiss you’d shared. Something that most definitely should not have happened. It left you wanting much more and knowing you can’t have it. It’s a line you swore you’d never cross with Namjoon, not when he was your oldest and only friend. It would complicate things and you couldn’t handle losing him if it tore the friendship apart.

“Fuck, I’m sorry,” his voice cuts through your thoughts, making your heartbeat skyrocket. “I’m so sorry, Y/N, that wasn’t okay for me to say. I’m just—.”

“It’s fine,” you cut him off, not wanting to hear whatever explanation he has for momentarily forgetting you were his best friend, not one of the usual girls he sleeps with. “Look, Namjoon, I have to go. It’s going to get late and I won’t be able to get everything done that I need to.”

“Y/N, wait. I—.”

“And don’t stop by the diner tonight.” You’re adamant in this because a few of your co-workers had spotted him this morning and texted you to ask if you’d been dating again. You don’t need them to think you’re attached to anyone, especially not Namjoon of all people. It would only make things awkward when he inevitably got a long time girlfriend and you were stuck having to explain everything. 

“Why the fuck not?” Namjoon tries his best to keep his voice down, but he’s not doing a very good job as Mr. and Mrs. Kim’s heads whip his way. “The area around the diner is dangerous, Y/N, I’ll be damned if anything happens to you.” He’s seething and it shows in his voice after hearing his full name from your lips. He’d learned long ago that if he made you angry enough, you would forgo his nickname in favor of his full name, and he never realized how much he hated hearing you say it until right this moment. “Where is this coming from?”

“People will talk, Namjoon,” you mumble, scooting to the edge of your bed in search of your pajama shorts. Your air conditioner has been on the fritz lately and it picks and chooses when to work. Today, it decided it did not want to work. Though it was still nice and cool outside, your apartment was like a damn furnace since the window latch had been broken. Admittedly, you don’t live in the greatest building with the greatest landlord. Or the greatest part of town. But it’s a roof over your head, so you can’t really complain. Namjoon had lost his shit time and time again when it came to your apartment so you decided to stop telling him all of its issues entirely. 

“So, let them talk,” he growls, turning away from Yoongi’s questioning gaze. His stare, in turn, had the rest of the guys and Taehyung’s parents staring as well. It makes Namjoon tense up when they notice he’s losing this argument. “Don’t take that chance just because I pissed you off, Y/N. Don’t push me away and shut me out because I’m being an asshole. That’s my fault and I’m sorry. But don’t…” he sighs heavily and pinches the bridge of his nose. He can hear the rustling of your sheets as you move about your bed. His throat bobs at the thought of what the hell you could be doing to make that much noise. “Just don’t, baby, please.”

Baby.

He called you baby and a part of you softens at the pet name. The other part of you gets angry that he would try to manipulate you by saying it. You’ve watched him charm girl after girl when he got bored enough and every single time, they fell for it. You hated it. Hated how they got to see a part of him he would never show you because of your friendship. Hated that he was using those same tactics now to manipulate you into forgiving him. Your chest feels tight and there’s a hitch in your breath when you tell him, “I don’t want people to think we’re together. It’s bad enough Minseok bought into the picture Hobi sent him. I don’t need my coworkers thinking I’m ready to date again. Especially not you.”

He takes offense to that. So much so that his knuckles curl into a fist, one that’s two seconds away from meeting the wall in front of him until Jimin taps his shoulder. It’s enough to make him look up and find that everyone was ready to go after the rain finally settled. Poor Nabi looks ready to combust, her entire face as red as a tomato, and Taehyung looks too fucking smug for Namjoon’s liking. He hangs up without bidding you goodbye because if he opens his mouth to say anything at all, it’ll only upset you even more. Especially not him? What the fuck was that supposed to mean? 

His life was never meant for someone permanent or special to be invited into. Not with the constant danger lurking around every corner, or the men he regularly spends time around because of Taehyung and his own family ties into the mafia. While his father treats his mother like a goddess, and Taehyung does the same with Nabi, Namjoon couldn’t see himself treating anyone with that kind of respect while you were around. You occupy too many of his thoughts. He’s aware that all of this falls on him. His unyielding thought process of never fully committing to someone because of you, is entirely his own fucking fault, and he knows it. His parents would be ashamed of him if he were to ever marry and be unfaithful. Then again, who would he be unfaithful with if not you? You’d never allow it. You have too much self respect to ever be the other woman. It’s one of the things Namjoon respects the most about you. Some women didn’t care if they were some man’s side piece in the mob. It meant expensive gifts, expensive trips, hell, some men even bought their mistresses homes in order to keep them happy. It wasn’t odd for it to happen, but Namjoon had taken great care to surround himself with people fully devoted to treating women as more than just play things. He never thought he’d ever actually find friends like that, until he’d met Taehyung, and then Yoongi, and Hoseok, and so on. 

He’s never told you what he does for “work” and you’ve never really asked. He can never truly tell you the truth unless he was willing to drag you into his life completely. Obviously, he really is ready, but you’d never plunge into this life head first without thinking of the consequences. It’s a dangerous line to toe and he knows he shouldn’t push, but clearly Minseok had said something to make you doubt him. Minseok had always made you second guess the things Namjoon did and said, and you’d cave under the guilty weight of taking Namjoon’s side over your boyfriends. Minseok had been able to weasel his way into your life and shove Namjoon out to the brink of Namjoon nearly storming to Minseok’s house with Hoseok and Jimin in tow. 

Damn. He has to get you away from Minseok. And soon. Because if he wormed his way underneath your skin, Namjoon would well and truly kill him this time.

Parting ways with Mrs. Kim’s car filled with Nabi, her cousins, Jimin, and Jungkook, Namjoon plopped into the driver's side of the van they’d arrived in. Taehyung, Yoongi, and Hoseok follow suit, all silently climbing into the car in a much more gingerly manner than Namjoon himself had. Taehyung, while still sexed out of his mind, still had the decency to ask if his friend was alright.

“Sounded pretty intense,” Hoseok said from the back seat, eyeing Namjoon’s rigid form. “What did Y/N say to piss you off so much? Because the last time I saw that look in your eye, we nearly wiped out the entire Lee family. They still haven’t forgiven us, by the way. Mr. Kim’s got them nearly beating down his door to get to you, Namjoon.”

The tall man pretends not to hear a word Hoseok says because of course he remembers. He’d gotten into a fight with you then too. He vividly remembers how you’d questioned his lengthy absence when you never had before. You’d always figured his business was his alone and you shouldn’t butt in. But that time, Minseok had managed to convince you that Namjoon simply didn’t want to be around because of Minseok’s presence. While that rang true, Namjoon couldn’t exactly tell you that he’d been sent on an assignment to the Maldives with Hoseok to deal with a shipment the Lee family was in control of. He’d been gone for almost an entire month when you finally called, only to ask if he’d tired of you. He could remember the sound of your voice cracking as you tried to hold back tears. He had tried to explain, tried to tell you that it was for work, but he could hear Minseok’s mousy fucking voice in the background, taunting you in a sickeningly sweet way that only he could. You’d said your goodbyes to Namjoon, almost sounding final, and Namjoon. Had. Gone. Feral. Absolutely apeshit and cut down a good portion of the Lee men because he’d been pissed. Later, he’d told Taehyung that the family was indeed skimming some of the product, which was why he’d been sent to the Maldives in the first place. He’d silently cursed Taehyung back then, well and truly hated the man that had become his brother, and for what? A stupid argument that Minseok had incited? 

Taehyung clocks Namjoon’s grip on the wheel and winces at how his friend is about to lose all self control and possibly kill what little is left of the Choi family. For Namjoon to completely lose himself again, means that whatever is bothering him has to do with you. Taehyung almost feels bad for him, and he would offer some advice if he didn’t have bigger problems at hand. What he can do is try to free up some time for Namjoon to work things out however he needs to. Though, if this is anything like the situation with the Lee family, Taehyung can’t imagine the hell Namjoon will rain down on the poor sucker stupid enough to even so much as slightly push the wrong button. It would be a bloodbath of epic proportions and Taehyung runs a hand down his face at the thought. They can’t afford for Namjoon to be distracted right now, but it was inevitable. Every so often, Namjoon loses focus and becomes completely and utterly consumed by you. Even if you don’t know it. 

Yoongi watches Hyunwoo raise a curious brow at Namjoon’s behavior and the tense silence compared to the friendly banter earlier. When he turns to meet Yoongi’s stare, Yoongi sneers at him so viciously that it makes Hyunwoo visibly recoil. He smirks and looks out the front windshield, watching the buildings pass by in a blur. He can see the cogs in the machine that is Namjoon’s genius brain turn and turn. Something had to have gone completely wrong with you if it’s gotten this bad again. He can see Namjoon’s pupils dilate with the rush of adrenaline he’s sure to unleash on Hyunwoo if he makes one wrong move. He’s quite sure that Namjoon almost hopes the Choi family fucks up so it’ll give him a reason to go nuts. Namjoon lives on fear and chaos, it’s one of the things that made him so frightening and dangerous. It’s one of the many things Taehyung had sought him out for as teenagers. By that age, Namjoon had quite the body count and truthfully, if he and Hoseok had to go toe to toe, everyone knows it would be pretty damn close. What makes him even more scary is that no one would ever be able to tell how much blood stains his hands because of his cool and calm demeanor. 

Hoseok almost pays no mind to Namjoon’s disheveled state as he plays with his switchblade, every so often leaning over to knick Hyunwoo’s skin. It was almost torture and Hoseok knows if anyone could appreciate it, it’s Namjoon. However, with Namjoon’s lack of self awareness, Hoseok finds that he must enjoy this by himself. Really, he’s worried that Namjoon’s going to go on a rampage again. It took them forever to clean up the mess in the Maldives. Not to mention the complete shitshow that followed and Mr. Kim had to sort out enough for there to be some sense of civility. Goddamn it, he really doesn’t need another disaster on his hands. The Choi family better pray for themselves because God only knows what Namjoon is cooking up in his head. 

Namjoon’s phone rings in the silence and actually makes Taehyung jump a little. He glances down to find the name “Hana” in bold letters taking up the screen. Namjoon lets it go to voicemail because Taehyung’s sure that it isn’t exactly the name he wants to pop up on his phone right now. He doesn’t know who the girl is, but if you catch wind of it, then it won’t be good. The phone rings again and Namjoon picks it up with some bite in his tone.

“What?” Namjoon snaps.

“Oh, hey,” Hana purrs back, giggling even though she can tell how mad he is. “Are you busy? I’m kind of bored and thought—.”

“We fucked once, Hana,” he sneers, “and it wasn’t exactly memorable for me, so find a different dick to suck.”

“Fuck you, Namjoon!” she screeches at his audacity. “You know, I don’t exactly remember you complaining when I sucked your dick, you asshole! Here’s a tip, Namjoon, maybe don’t be a complete prick the next time a woman reaches out to satisfy you. There won’t be many left if you continue on like that.”

“You’re a placeholder, Hana.” Namjoon smirks and the guys in the van inwardly groan because now some poor girl is about to get the brunt of his wrath. “I don’t want anyone else, just one girl, and she’s not you. Maybe some small, pathetic part of you had hoped you were special but you’re really not. I was drunk and bored and you were willing to spread your legs for me, so fuck off.”

Taehyung winces as Namjoon slams his phone back on the center console. Jesus fucking Christ, that was brutal. Namjoon’s not exactly a saint but he’s very rarely crude to a girl. Whatever you’d argued about must have messed him up good if he was speaking that way to someone. They reach the house just after Nabi’s car gets there and Taehyung basically leaps out of the van to usher his wife from the car. 

Namjoon locks eyes with Nabi for a second before he turns his glare to Taehyung because not only does he have to deal with the Choi family, he’s still steaming from his conversation with you. He doesn’t see Nabi frown, only concentrating on getting Hyunwoo into the house without her seeing. He shoves Hyunwoo harder than necessary when Yoongi has to prod him forward with a gun. God, he can only hope this was enough to release some of the tension simmering beneath his skin.

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You’re almost halfway through grocery shopping when a sense of dread settles in your chest. You don’t know what it is or how it was even brought on, but you know there’s something not right. You round the corner of the canned food aisle, determined to get away from whatever it was when you bump into a firm chest. Strong hands reach out to steady you while your breath catches. You look up to find a handsome stranger with the oddest smile on his face. It’s not menacing but it certainly isn’t friendly either. “Sorry,” you mumble, taking a step back to create some much needed distance. 

He only smiles wider, raking a hand through his dark hair and waving his hand dismissively. “Oh, it’s not a problem at all. It’s my fault, actually. I wasn’t watching where I was going. Are you alright?”

“Um, yeah, I’m fine.” You blink up at him, unsure of whether or not you should even keep talking to him. Namjoon always hated the way you’d become friendly with anyone, especially strangers. You’d called him out on it once, insisting that he was just being paranoid, but he didn’t budge. He always says no one can be trusted, but then you wonder what exactly makes him so trustworthy, or why he trusts you at all. The thought of your best friend sends a pang through your heart and you frown. Maybe you shouldn’t have been so harsh with him earlier. He was only trying to help, but you let your insecurities shine through and lashed out at him. 

“Kang Chunghee,” he says, offering his hand in greeting. He can see the apprehension on your face even as you take his hand in yours and shake it. Taking a step too close, he towers over you in a way that almost makes you cower away. His eyes roam down your body from head to toe, but you’re so busy looking everywhere but him that you don’t notice. Your hair, he notes, and face look so much like your mother’s that it’s a wonder why you hadn’t been spotted before now. Then again, his father wasn’t exactly looking to make trouble with the Kim family, but he’d found out about your mother’s illness and insisted on seeking you out. His hand tightens briefly, making you wince, as the memories of his own mother begging his father to leave “that woman” be and come back home to her. He never did, of course, and soon sent Chunghee’s mother spiraling into a world of drugs and alcohol. Both of which killed her not long after your birth. 

“Cho Y/N,” you reply with a hiss, trying to pull your hand from his. It takes a moment for him to realize he’d been holding on too tight and quickly drops your hand. You take this chance to scan his face and realize he looks vaguely familiar but you can’t quite place it anywhere. He could just be one of the many patrons that have come and gone from the diner. You meet so many people at your job that it’s not entirely out of the ordinary to run into someone while out and about. As if on cue, your phone rings and you scramble for it in hopes that it’s Namjoon and you can apologize, but you’re disappointed to find that it’s your manager instead. You give Chunghee a polite smile before stepping away to answer the call. She only asks if you can come in a bit early as one of the other waitresses has called in sick. You sigh and check your watch to ask for some extra time to go home and get ready. Throughout the entire conversation, you notice that Chunghee hasn’t left your side at all, and you tense up when he steps closer once more after ending your phone call. 

“Ah, I have to apologize,” he says and takes a step back to give you some space. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

“Um.” You shift on the balls of your feet, clutching your phone tight in your hand and contemplating calling Namjoon. You shake your head. No. His paranoia is simply rubbing off on you and this guy hasn’t really done anything to offend or scare you other than being a little too interested. You remind yourself that at one point, Minseok had been the same way before he finally worked up the courage to ask you out on a date. “I really should get going.”

“Oh, of course.” Chunghee gestures for you to go ahead and walk on, bidding you goodbye with a simple wave. Once you round the corner to the registers, his smile slowly fades into a grimace. If your mother is as beautiful as you are, then he can see why his father was tempted by her. His chest grows tight and bile rises in his throat that he has to swallow down. As a child he’d always wondered why his father could so easily cast him and his mother aside. Looking at you now, he sees exactly why. He’s only ever seen photos of your mother and none of you, but his father had told him it’s because he didn’t even know you existed. Not until your mother had grown sick and you’d somehow gotten tangled up in one of the notorious Kim family’s webs. Fool, he thinks of you. If only you had never come up on the Kim family’s radar then you never would have come up on his father’s. Or, he supposes, he’s your father as well. 

He gives you all of 2 minutes to get ahead of him before he stalks out of the grocery store to see you climb into a junker car that he can’t even fathom why it would even still exist. He slips into his own car, a much nicer one, and peels out of the parking lot just a little after you do. He takes turn after turn and a muscle in his jaw ticks when it dawns on him that you don’t even notice you’re being followed, and even worse, his eye visibly twitches after parking down the street from a rundown building that you seem to be living in. “For fuck’s sake,” he sighs to himself, running a hand down his face. He’s meant to hate you, to loathe your mother for stealing away his father’s attention and causing his mother to lose her damn mind. But a twinge of guilt eats away at him. His father was never the greatest man, but Chunghee’s certainly lived a much more lavish life than you have. His father may have laid his hands on him quite a few times during his childhood, but you’re so carefree that he’s actually envious, and even still, he feels bad that you’ve had to go nights hungry while he was gifted with so much food that he didn’t know what to do with it. He was 28 when he’d learned of your existence and by then you were already 18, living paycheck to paycheck and working yourself to the bone to afford your mother’s medical costs. Until that point, he and his father had always wondered where your mother had disappeared to. According to his father, she’d up and left one day, leaving behind most of her belongings for the obvious reason that she never wanted to be found again. She’d even changed her name and lived 18 blissful long years in the shadows. 

Chunghee can only wonder how she’d never figured out who his father was until it was too late. If he’s correct in his math, she’d already been pregnant with you when she skipped town. Which means she had to have found out that his father was both married and a dangerous man. He can commend her for wanting to protect you, which was far more than his father was willing to do for him. If you weren’t somehow tied to the Kim family, then Kang Himchan would have swooped in and stolen you away long ago. But with Kim Namjoon hovering around so often, the older Kang could only grit his teeth and turn a blind eye if he didn’t want to overstep and start problems. 

He’s pulled from his thoughts when you emerge from the building, basically running, and jump in your car to speed off. He looks at the clock on his dashboard, guessing that you took far longer than you thought you would to get ready. He gives you a few extra miles before he starts down the same road you’d gone, following along until he reaches the diner just before exiting the city. It’s far, he realizes as another glance at the clock shows that it took almost an hour to get there. He’d paid no mind to the time when he’d scouted out the diner last night. He’d come out on a whim, wondering if you were well and truly under the Kim family protection, and snorted when you’d gone the entire night without so much as a hint of the Kims around. When you’d left for the night, he’d gotten out of his car to confront you, but then Namjoon had shown up, and Chunghee had frozen in place. He’d been wrong because not only had the Kims been hidden in the literal dark, Jung Hoseok had been lying in wait as well. Anyone in this line of work knows who Hoseok is, and if he’s hovering around you, then this is going to be far more complicated than he first thought. He’s tempted to go sit in the diner, but after the disaster that was the interaction in the grocery store, he doesn’t want to give you a reason to contact Namjoon. So he waits. For hours. 14, to be exact, and he finds himself shifting in his seat every 10 minutes. Why the hell he feels so inclined to sit around for your entire shift, he doesn’t know, but you have to be tired out by now. How the hell would it look if he’s the one that’s exhausted when you’re the one who’s been running around on your feet all day?

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You can feel it. You don’t know what it is or where it’s coming from, but you know you’re being watched. It’s unnerving, and while you’re trying your best to get through your shift, you also want to find out who could be watching. Not wanting to let them know you’re on to them, you keep plowing through orders and customers, running hot plates from the kitchen, cleaning off tables and kitchen utensils, and itching to reach for your phone to text Namjoon. But he hasn’t reached out to you either, making a small part of you actually want to cry because you’ve upset him. It’s not often that he gets angry with you, but when he does, it never takes very long for you to apologize or for him to check on you even if he is mad. So for him to go the entire day without contacting you is terrifying. Especially when you know something is wrong. When your shift is finally over, you say your goodbyes to your coworkers and check your phone as you head to your car. Your shoulders deflate with disappointment, thoughts swirling in your head, so much so that they drown out the sound of approaching feet. Fingers tap on your shoulder, and you whirl around with an ear piercing scream, only to have someone slap their hand over your mouth.

Hoseok looks at you with a raised brow, a little concerned with your pale face and the sweat beading down by your temples. You’re scared and he doesn’t like that. He removes his hand from your mouth, watching as your bottom lip wobbles in an attempt to hold back a sob. He grips your arms tighter than he means to. “What happened?”

You heave out a sigh of relief, shaking your head to clear your thoughts. “Oh, Hobi. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scream like that.”

“You obviously had a reason to, so help me out here, and tell me what could have scared you so much.”

“It’s nothing,” you promise even though you know you shouldn’t lie. Hoseok’s always been good at telling when someone’s lying and you’re not entirely sure why you even tried. You watch him scan the dark parking lot anyways, fingers nearly bruising your skin with the force of his grip. You wince out loud, regaining his attention and he lets go of you. 

“I’m sorry.” He frowns, reaching up to pat down your messy hair. “I came to check on you. Namjoon’s been out of it all day and I know you guys fought.”

“It was stupid,” you whisper, casting your eyes to the ground in shame. Hoseok showing up on Namjoon’s behalf means that your best friend isn’t anywhere near ready to speak to you again. You really screwed up this time if he sent Hoseok all the way out here when he could have just called you himself. You feel awful that Hoseok even drove all the way out here in person just because you’re having a difficult time processing everything from the day before. The way Namjoon held you and looked at you, it was far better than you ever imagined, and you let your insecurities get the best of you. You’re doing what you’ve always done when someone gets too close. You’re pushing him away like you used to when you were dating Minseok. The two of you had fought more than usual while you were with Minseok, and this fight reminds you of those times. 

“It can’t be that stupid if you guys are this messed up over it.” Hoseok keeps petting your hair with affection, but he’s not fooled. Something else is going on here and you’re not being honest with him. He’s scared you before, albeit playfully, but even when he’d done it in earnest, you’ve never reacted that way. He’ll have to bring it up with Namjoon and hopefully it’ll be enough to pull his head out of his ass. After the disastrous confrontation between Nabi, the Choi family, and Taehyung, Namjoon had been even more on edge and left the house. Hoseok had assumed he’d come to tail you, but he wasn’t picking up his phone, so Hoseok drove out here to check. He’d grown worried when he got to the diner and didn’t see Namjoon’s car anywhere, so he’d gotten out to come ask you when his phone pinged with a message from Namjoon. He’d told Hoseok that he just needed air to clear his head and he was on his way back to the house. Hoseok was ready to leave it alone and go back himself, but his instincts had kicked in, and rightfully so. He considers memorizing the license plates currently in the parking lot to have Yoongi run when he gets back, but decides against it when he hears your car door open. 

“It is,” you remind him. “It’s a stupid fight over a stupid thing and Namjoon wouldn’t get it, and I said some things I shouldn’t have. I just want some space, Hobi, is that too much?”

“Yes,” he growls, holding out the car door for you to climb in. “It’s too much for Namjoon and you know that, Y/N. He doesn’t like space when it comes to you and this fight is affecting all of us. We’re his friends too, Y/N, and it’s out of the ordinary for us to see him this way.”

“Then space is exactly what we need.” You slam the door shut, leaving Hoseok pleasantly surprised by your outburst. You’ve never taken that much attitude with him and he’s a little amused by it. You’re careful not to run over his feet as you back out of the parking space, giving him a small wave before driving away. Peering in the rearview mirror, you watch him fade into the background and miss the way his body locks up.

Hoseok turns slightly, meeting the eyes of someone he’s not quite familiar with, before the person rolls up their car window. There, he thinks. That’s what, or rather who, was bothering you. He glares at his reflection in the window as the car drives away, pulling his phone from his pocket to dial Namjoon’s number.

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Namjoon sits in one of the lounge chairs in his small library at the house, his hair sticking up in every direction after running his hands through it. After the confrontation earlier with Nabi and the Choi family, he’d gone out for a long drive. He was tempted to drive up to your apartment, or even stake out the diner, but he wasn’t sure he could handle seeing you without forcing a conversation. The last thing he wants is to disrespect your boundaries, but his skin prickles at the thought of not checking up on you. He could never forgive himself if something were to happen to you. A light knock on the doorframe gets his attention and he looks up to find Nabi leaning against it. 

She gives him a soft smile when he gestures to the empty chair across from him, striding across the room to sit. “Are you alright?” “Shouldn’t I be asking you that question?” he snorts in response, pinching the bridge of his nose as the tension in his neck travels up to the base of his skull. “It was a hard day for you.”

She nods slightly. “Namjoon, can I…” she trails off, fiddling with her thumbs anxiously but he doesn’t push, only giving her the time she needs to gather her thoughts. “What I did today, with Hyunwoo, and the gun. How did it look to you guys?”

“What do you mean?” He’s obviously confused because she can’t really mean to think his opinion of her has changed to a bad one. 

“Did it look like I was hiding something from you guys?”

“No,” he answers immediately. “Nabi, Hoseok told us that he suspected you weren’t exactly timid a long time ago. None of us really thought you were to begin with. Taehyung didn’t scare you, Jungkook and Jimin didn’t scare you. Hell, even Hoseok couldn’t scare you off even when you know the kinds of things we do.”

She inhales sharply, taking his hand when he offers it in support. “Growing up in this life definitely hardens a person, but sometimes I think I take it too far.”

“We’ve all had to do some unforgivable things to survive this life.” Namjoon’s thumb skims across her knuckles. “I think the way you kept that part of yourself closed off was just a way to protect yourself. There’s nothing wrong with that, even if Taehyung was angry about it. I’m glad you opened up, Nabi, it means you trust us enough to be comfortable.”

“Comfortable enough to ask what’s going on with you,” Nabi quickly changes the subject, jumping right into what she came to the library for in the first place. 

“It’s Y/N,” he sighs, dropping her hand and sinking back into the chair. “I may have had Hoseok send a picture to her ex that made us look like more than friends, and she got angry with me. She said she didn’t want me hanging around the diner for awhile to avoid her coworkers asking questions. For whatever reason, she doesn’t want them to think she’s in a relationship with anyone, but before we could really get into it, I had to focus on the situation here and I haven’t called her since.”           

“Namjoon,” Nabi admonishes him, slapping his arm lightly. “First of all, as much help as you think the picture was, I can promise you, it wasn’t. Secondly, how do you think she’ll feel if you start showing up around her coworkers and she has to explain that you’re just friends even though they’ve seen more? Honestly, Kim Namjoon, did you even fully think of the consequences that picture could bring?”

Namjoon opens his mouth to argue when his phone starts to ring and Nabi takes that as her victory before slinking out of the room. He shakes his head, amused but doesn’t want to admit it, before answering Hoseok’s call. “What is it?”

“Y/N’s being followed,” Hoseok wastes no time getting to the point. He’s already in his car, speeding after you and your stalker, but he was too far behind to begin with. His palms begin to sweat with what he can only describe as fear when he has to slam on the brakes at a nearby intersection. “Fuck!” he curses, slamming his hands against the steering wheel, losing sight of your car. “I lost them.” “Where?” Namjoon is up and in the garage, car keys in his shaking hands as dread fills his entire body. 

“Not far. If you leave now, you should meet her just as she’s getting home.”

Shit, Namjoon seethes to himself. His hands tighten on the wheel as he speeds down street after street. Shit, shit, shit! He tries calling you, but you don’t answer, and he doesn’t want to panic. You’ve just worked another double, he reasons, you always forget to take a phone charger with you so your phone had to have died. That has to be it. For the sake of whoever is stupid enough to follow you, that had better be what happened. The automatic voice echoes in the car as he gets your voicemail one more time. “Baby,” he says after the beep, “I know you’re angry with me, but I need you to pick up the phone.”

Three more unanswered calls later, his body is wound tight as he pulls up to your apartment building, not seeing your car anywhere in sight. He jumps out the driver’s seat and bolts up the stairs to your apartment, pounding on the door, but he’s met with more silence. He has to call his father, has to get their men out there in search of you, he has to. Has to. Has to. Has to.

“Joon?” your voice reaches his ears, but you’re not sure he actually hears you. You take in his heaving shoulders and chest, the shaking of his hands, and lay your palm on his shoulder to get his attention. You gasp in pain when he rounds on you, shoving your back into the wall with his long fingers wrapped around your neck. Your hand wraps around his wrist to try and pry it away, looking into his eyes to find them nearly black with rage. “Joon! Namjoon, it’s me!”

Namjoon’s eyes finally clear, blood still roaring in his ears as he seems to recognize you. He glances down to find his hand around your throat, quickly releasing you. “Oh fuck, Y/N, I’m so sorry!” He holds on to your shoulders as you cough violently, trying to take in all the air you’ve lost, sliding down the wall as if to ground yourself. He falls to his knees in order to maintain eye contact, spearing his fingers through your hair to keep it out of your face, touching his forehead to yours. “I’m so fucking sorry, baby. Are you okay?”

The hold you have on his wrists never loosened, and you use it now in support as the spots in your vision begin to disappear. You’re gasping as you brace your free hand against his chest, unsure if you want to push him away yet. “Jesus fuck, Namjoon. What the hell?” 

“I’m sorry! I thought…”

“What could you possibly have thought?” You finally shove him away and stand up, fishing the apartment keys out of your pocket. You shove them in the keyhole, unlock the door, and throw it open as Namjoon follows you inside. Reaching up to your neck, your hand shakes as it feels around your sore throat. “As if Hoseok popping up wasn’t scary enough.”

“Hoseok scared you?” Namjoon’s body grows tense all over again, turning to close the apartment door.

“He didn’t mean to.” You shake your head, shucking off your jacket and tossing it onto the kitchen counter. “I was just a little off tonight, that’s all. Hoseok snuck up on me after work.” Making your way to the cabinets overhead, you pluck out a cup to fill with water. You stand facing away from him to gulp down the water. All day you’ve been wondering what you could say to him, but now that he’s here in front of you, all words are lost. It’s not just because you’re angry with what just happened, it’s that you don’t know how to even process it. 

“How many times can I say I’m sorry?” His chest presses to your back, the deep rumbling of his voice vibrates against it, your treacherous body leaning into him. He braces his hands on the counter, trapping you in place, and presses his forehead to your shoulder. “You didn’t answer your phone.”

“I put it on silent,” you whisper, turning your head so your lips skim his ear. The tips of his ears turn red even though you didn’t mean to be directly in his ear, you smile. “I forgot to put the ringer back on after Hobi scared me in the parking lot.”

He hums in reply, one arm sliding across your belly to hook around your waist completely, pulling you against him. The sun peeks through the window, having risen in the time he’s spent in your apartment. “Another late shift, then?”

“Mhm,” you confirm with a nod of your head. You meet his eyes when he raises his head to look at you. You glance down at his lips, tipping your head back just slightly and you swear he groans as he lowers his mouth to yours.

There’s nothing stopping him from kissing you this time. Not a damn thing stands in his way. That is, until there’s a knock on your door that has you jumping out of his embrace before he can actually do anything. He curses whoever is at the door, taking the cup you set on the counter to take a sip of water. His ears pick up the grating sound of Minseok’s voice, and he’s slamming the glass down on the counter before he can stop himself from getting even more pissed off. Striding to the front door, he reaches it just in time to watch you crumble to your knees, but he’s quick to stop you from hitting the floor. “Y/N?! What happened? What’s wrong?”

“She’s go–,” you sob out, tears streaming down your face endlessly. “She’s gone, Joon. She’s gone!” you shriek, gripping onto his forearms as your wails fill the apartment. Your throat is raw from screaming but you can’t seem to stop yourself. You knew it was coming, had always known, but you were never actually prepared for it.

Namjoon’s heart breaks with every body wracking sob you let out, and it hits him then just why Minseok was there. He holds you close, rocks you back and forth in hopes of soothing you, but it isn’t working. From the corner of his eye, he sees Minseok’s fingers twitch, trying to keep himself from reaching out to you, but Namjoon pulls you closer, refusing to allow Minseok to touch you.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Sometimes you think the skies know when to be gloomy. The gray clouds that loom over the funeral procession feel as though they’re mocking you. Your mother loved rainy days, something you couldn’t come to enjoy as you grew older. You thought they were depressing, always lending a hand in her dwindling health, but she flourished in the rain. She came alive when the downpour would drench her to the bone, and as a child, you would giggle and dance in the rain with her. You remember kicking up puddles, getting your feet dirty and clothes wet, and it was everything to her. Growing older, though, you found that with the rain came runny noses, horrid coughs, sore throats, and missed days of school. You came to detest them until she got sick, and it was all she’d ask for; to see the rain. 

People, mostly Namjoon’s parents and friends, and some of your coworkers, gathered around you in comfort. They only want to help, you know this, but they’re not. Most people welcome the condolences and the sympathy, but you can’t seem to. You feel overcrowded, lost in a sea of people that you don’t want to see you break down. So you hold it in. Sometimes your breathing grows ragged as you try to hold back, but you manage to compose yourself before they can gather what’s happening. Namjoon is by your side the entire time, along with his parents, and they’re the only comfort you can find. The only ones you can stand to be around right now. They truly are your only family. Hoseok, Jimin, Jungkook, Yoongi, Seokjin, Taehyung, and Nabi take their turns to cradle you close. They aren’t just Namjoon’s friends, they’re yours too even though Hoseok was really the only one you’d spent an extensive amount of time with. Recently though, they’ve been coming around to the apartment when Namjoon was busy, all of them doing their best to keep you distracted. 

You’re sat in front of your mother’s picture with your head resting on Namjoon’s shoulder while everyone else is lined up against the wall, giving you and Namjoon the space you didn’t have to ask for, they just know you need it. Namjoon grips your hand tight, linking your fingers together and bringing up your joined hands to kiss the back of your knuckles. You peek up at him through tear filled lashes, breathing easily when he drops his forehead to your own, but that serenity doesn’t last long. A commotion breaks out at the entrance of the funeral hall, people whispering and darting about in a hurry. Namjoon’s father grits his teeth and demands to know what could be going on, when your breath hitches at the next person who steps foot in the room.

Chunghee has the decency to look apologetic as he catches your eye, taking a moment to dip his chin in greeting before stepping aside to reveal his father, Kang Himchan. He sees Namjoon tense, standing to his full height immediately to back his own father. Chunghee steps towards them in hopes of gaining control of the situation, but Kim Taehyung is quick to meet him. “Taehyung,” he simply says as if this were at all normal. 

“Kang,” Taehyung says through clenched teeth, tipping his head in your direction. Jungkook and Jimin are the first to reach you, followed by Seokjin and Nabi. Hoseok and Yoongi take their place on either side of Taehyung. 

“What the hell is this?” Namjoon’s father levels Himchan with a look that would send most men running. “How dare you come here and disturb this girl’s grieving. Have you no sense of decorum, Kang?”

“I am here to offer my condolences, obviously,” Himchan keeps his voice steady. Your mother was unknowingly his mistress, but he had loved her dearly, and wants nothing more than to know and understand you. His eyes search the room, finally landing on you, and they soften. You are the spitting image of your mother and it makes him breathless for a moment. He forgets who you’re surrounded by, taking a step in your direction, only to be met by Namjoon’s hard glare. His hackles raise, face turning red with anger. “You dare keep me from my own daughter, Kim?”

All of the air rushes out of your lungs as you struggle to breathe. Your body begins to tremble, view being blocked by Jungkook’s body, but you catch his hand sliding into the back waistband of his pants. A gun, you realize, and look around to find that he’s not the only person hiding one. Hoseok’s hand rests on his hip, the holster becoming visible as his suit jacket moves with him. Jimin and Yoongi exchange a knowing look before they too reach for their hidden weapons. 

“I’ll do whatever the fuck I want when it comes to her,” Namjoon snaps back at Himchan, causing the older man to step toe-to-toe with him. He smirks at the older Kang. “That’s not a smart move.”

Before anyone can blink, weapons are drawn, all aimed at different people around the room as more men come barreling in behind Himchan. They surround their boss, standing in front of raised guns without a second thought. You scramble back towards the wall, as if pressing against it enough will make you invisible. Nabi is at your side, shushing you and squeezing your hand tight. 

“Enough,” Namjoon’s father bellows, throwing his hand up to stop anyone from actually firing. Putting his hand on his son’s shoulder, he pulls Namjoon back. “This isn’t the time or place, Namjoon. Go to Y/N. We’ve frightened her on an already stressful day.”

“Y/N,” Himchan repeats as though unused to saying your name, a smile playing on his lips at the sound. It was so like your mother to have picked something equally as beautiful as you are. His smile fades as he straightens himself up to look Namjoon’s father in the eye once more. “I’m well aware of her ties to you, Kim, but that is no more. She is my kin. My flesh and blood. It’s time she lives as such.”

“I don’t know you,” your voice cuts through the room, shaky and trembling. “I don’t know what the hell is even going on right now.”

“Y/N,” Chunghee finally pipes up. If he had known this would turn out to be such a shit show, he’d have never told his father about your mother’s passing. Ah hell, he knew it was going to be bad, he just didn’t really want to believe it. “Please, you have to believe us.”

“She doesn’t have to do a damn thing,” Namjoon roars and his friends tense, unsure of what he may do next. “You come here, Kang, declare her your daughter, and expect her to up and accept it? You’re out of your fucking mind. Even if we did believe this bullshit, I wouldn’t let her go anywhere with you.”

“You?” Himchan sneers. “You think you get any say in this? She’s my daughter, Kim. I’ve bit my tongue and kept my distance long enough, but now she needs us. Her mother is gone, her family is nowhere to be found, she is alone. But not with us.”

“She’s mine.” 

You let out a small gasp at Namjoon’s tone. You’d only ever heard him use it against Minseok when he was mad enough. You’re not sure what the outcome of this entire standoff will be, but you know you wouldn’t be able to stomach it if anyone got hurt. You’re able to wrestle out of Nabi’s hold enough to slowly approach Namjoon’s side, tangling your fingers with his. “Joon, let’s not do this, okay? Not here and not today. Please?”

Himchan’s surprise is visible on his face when Namjoon heeds your words, backing down almost instantly. He knew you were close to the Kim family and, up until recently, he was under the impression that you and Namjoon were just friends. Everyone else in the room seems to be used to this, and so he has to wonder when the change came about. Hope blooms in his chest as the gears in his mind begin to whirl. 

“We should go home for now,” Taehyung suggests, though as Nabi stands at his side, he’s pretty sure everyone knows it’s not his idea, but hers. He tries to hold in a sigh when Namjoon shoots him a glare. “Y/N will come home with us, Namjoon, don’t worry.”

“But I—,” you try to object, unable to accept anything more Taehyung has to offer. Not when he’d already done so much for you as is. 

“Hoseok and the guys will move your things in,” Namjoon interrupts, leaving no room for argument. He tugs on your hand and leads you out of the funeral hall, bumping his shoulder against one of Himchan’s goons. He can feel the reluctant pull of your arm, but he refuses to let go, not until the two of you reach his car where he buckles you in safely before sliding into the driver’s seat. 

The ride home is tense, the car filled with nothing but silence and what you suspect is grumbling coming from Namjoon even though he thinks you can’t hear it. He’s angry. More like pissed. This isn’t something any of them were prepared for. Hell, it wasn’t something any of them would have ever thought possible. Of all the people on this planet to be related to, the Kangs were the last ones anyone would have figured were your relatives. Not only that, but Himchan had forced Namjoon to show his hand, to show you a world he never should have dragged you into. He never thought he could come to regret befriending you in that hall so many years ago, but now he does. If only because he doesn’t really believe he could protect you from the power the Kang family holds. His own family is rather powerful, there’s no doubt about that, but if anyone could hold a candle to them, it’s the Kangs. 

“Namjoon,” you try to get his attention, “you’re angry.”

“I’m worried, baby, it’s different.”

“Because you think it’s true?”

“Because if it is true, then I don’t know if I can protect you,” he begrudgingly admits. 

You’re confused as you take in his words. What could you possibly need protection from? Even as you question it, the memory of everyone in there, guns drawn, comes to the forefront of your mind, and you know. You know Namjoon is hiding something. You’ve always known, but you could never have guessed it was to this extent. “Tell me,” you demand quietly and he strains to hear you. “Tell me, Namjoon, what all of that was about. What you’re hiding from me and what you’re afraid of because if there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s that if you’re scared, then I have to be too. So, please, tell me.”

So he does. Namjoon tells you everything, from beginning to end. What his life was like growing up in the mafia, what he’d had to learn in order to protect himself and those closest to him, and more importantly, why he had to distance himself during the 10 years of your friendship. The only thing he left out was how utterly obsessed with you he’d become. He sounded crazy enough as is, no need to tack on that he basically stalked you from the day you met him. You’re quiet after he’s finished, spending the rest of the ride home staring out of the window. Even as he pulls into the driveway, you only stare up at the giant house Taehyung had built for Nabi a few years ago. Once in the garage, you unbuckle yourself at an alarmingly normal speed, as if you hadn’t just been told that your best friend was in the goddamn mafia of all things. What’s more, all of his friends and family are part of it too, and he’s afraid you might fear Hoseok now, but when you step into the house and Hoseok is the first to sweep you up into his arms, you cling to him as you always have.  

“You’re not part of them,” Hoseok insists, mainly because from what little of his childhood he remembers, the Kangs were the driving force behind him becoming an orphan. “Even if you were, blood doesn’t make them family, Y/N. Himchan is wrong. We’re your family.”

“Do I have to go with them?” you ask honestly, pulling back to look up at Hoseok. He may not have been truthful with you, but he never lied or coddled you either. “If they come for me, Hobi, do I have to go?”

“Over my dead fucking body,” comes Namjoon’s deep voice and you gasp at the stark difference. How you were never able to differentiate his tones before is beyond you. Then again, you think you may have purposefully ignored the signs, wanting to believe he could do no harm. He snatches you out of Hoseok’s arms, pulling your chest flush against his own and raking a hand through your hair. “There’s nothing on this planet that can take you from me, Y/N, not even Kang Himchan or his son.”

“Chunghee,” you hum. Despite all of the commotion, the only thing he’d had to say was that you had to believe what his father had been saying. You could hear the plea in his voice, wondering why he hadn’t brought any of this up the day he’d run into you at the store. Then it hits you, the realization that he’d done it on purpose. Was he why Namjoon had been so scared that day after your fight? Did Chunghee threaten you somehow? 

“Speaking of the Kangs,” Taehyung says as he strides into the living room, dropping himself on the couch while Nabi gives him a stern look. “Princess, I’m tired, and I can bet everyone else here is too. Can I just sit for a second?”

Nabi rolls her eyes, cheeks turning a faint shade of pink at the pet name he’s given her since they’ve been married. She lets out a small squeal when he pulls her onto his lap. “You’re an idiot, Tae. But you’re right.” Turning to face you and Namjoon, she explains, “The Kangs are well known in our circle. Even my grandfather made a deal or two with them, and while they’d given us no reason to not trust them, they’ve made it clear that they’re not out to make friends. They’ve built themselves a solid reputation starting all the way down from Himchan’s great grandfather. They’re a prestigious family, Namjoon, not easy to break through, not like the Choi’s. If you want to fight them, it’ll have to be with some heavy artillery. I can ask my cousins for their support and they’ll grant it, but it’ll take more than that.”

“That’s hot,” Taehyung attempts to whisper in his wife’s ear but everyone still hears it and Jungkook audibly gags. He’s always loved how smart his wife is and he’s not ashamed to show it.

“Stop it.” Nabi swats at his hand, climbing off his lap to walk up to you. “Y/N, you have to understand what could happen if we go to war with Kang Himchan. I don’t want to scare you, but it’ll get bloody and it’ll get deadly, but you have to believe that if anyone can protect you from them, it’s Namjoon. I’m not saying you have to go with the Kangs if they come to collect you, but” –She raises her hand to stop Namjoon from butting in–, “you also don’t have to stay here. If you want to get to know your father and brother, that’s your decision. We won’t stop you from doing it and we most certainly won’t isolate you for their actions and wrongdoings.”

“War?” is all you can say. It’s the only thing that had really caught your attention. That and the blood and death. 

“War,” Namjoon confirms, tightening his hold on your waist. “The Kangs won’t let you go so easily, but neither will I. Give Hoseok your apartment keys. He’s taking Jimin and Jungkook to get your things. I don’t trust that they’ll pull some shit if they know you live alone.”

“I can’t just take up a room here, Joon,” you insist even as you hand off your keys to Hoseok.

“Oh, you’re not taking up a room,” Hoseok chuckles, taking the keys from your outstretched hand. “You’re sharing Namjoon’s room.”

------------------------------------------------------------------

“This isn’t happening.” You gawk at Jungkook and Jimin moving your things about Namjoon’s room a few hours later. They lug in a suitcase with a good portion of your clothes, most of which is jeans, t-shirts, and a bunch of pajama pants and shorts. Nabi had insisted on going with them to rifle through your clothes, throwing out the tattered pieces you’d shoved to the back of your closet and forgotten about. You turn to Namjoon lounging on his bed, looking as though a bomb hadn’t just been dropped on both of you. “You can’t be serious about this, Joon. I mean, this is your personal space, you can’t be happy about me invading it. The house is practically on full lock down, I’m sure there’s a spare room I can use.”

“No,” is all he says, reaching out to grab your arm and tugging you into the space next to him. “Taehyung’s taken every precaution to protect Nabi and I’ll do the same for you.” He looks as though he wants to say more but decides against it, getting up from the bed to slap Jungkook upside the head when he notices the younger man mocking him. 

“Nabi said Taheyung didn’t allow her out unless Jungkook and Jimin were with her.” 

Namjoon freezes at your words. Of course you’d ask Nabi what it was like living here, and of course Nabi wouldn’t spare any details. Jimin and Jungkook stare at him, waiting to take his lead and willing to downplay their roles as Nabi’s guards if necessary. He sighs and figures he’s done enough lying to you. He turns to see you with crossed arms and a look that says you already knew what to expect. “The same rules apply to you, Y/N. Until this situation is settled, you can’t go anywhere unless Hoseok and Jimin are with you, or I’m with you, or all three of us are escorting you somewhere. I’m not going to lie to you and say you’ll have everything you need here, but you’ll never be bored. I was going to have Seokjin or Yoongi assigned to you, but Jin’s helping Yoongi with something important and it’s taking all of their focus. Also,” he hesitates as you raise your brows, waiting for him to continue. “You can’t contact Minseok.” It’s entirely selfish of him to forbid any contact with Minseok, but it’s an opportunity he’ll take. 

With a roll of your eyes, you sink further into the bed, leaning back into his pillows. “Not that I want to talk to Minseok, but he did take care of my mom, Namjoon. I at least owe him a thank you.”

“Not right now,” he seethes, curling his hand into a fist, and Jungkook and Jimin take that as their cue to leave. Storming up to the bed, he grips your ankles and pulls you down to the edge. He smirks when you squeal in surprise, slotting himself between your thighs. When your squeal turns into a gasp, he knows it’s because you can feel how hard he’s gotten since you’ve been in the room. He plants his palms against the mattress, watching your eyes dart to the veins in his forearms, sliding forward until he’s nose to nose with you. “You can thank Minseok another time, sweetheart, but right now it’s best to keep your distance. If Kang thinks he can use Minseok to get to you, he’ll do it.”

Your brows draw together, regret settling in the pit of your stomach as you play with the collar of his black dress shirt. “My very existence is dangerous, isn’t it?”

“Not to me.” One of his hands comes up to brush the stray hairs from your face. “None of this is your fault. You didn’t even know who your father was until now.”

A light knock on his bedroom door lets him know that it’s Nabi and she’s going to give him about 10 seconds to be ready. He scrambles away from you just as she plows through the door, smiling sweetly before breaking the news. “Taehyung has accepted Kang’s request to meet with you, Y/N. I know we should have talked to you first, but I don’t want your decision to be based on emotion rather than rationale. Is that okay?”

You nod, grateful that she’s on your side and to have her as a friend. Sitting up as she approaches the bed, you note that she fusses over you like a mother would, righting your clothes and smoothing your hair down. You want to laugh, but then you remember that when you were little, your mother would have to step in to make you presentable when you’d been too rough on the playground. Your smile fades. “He’s here now, isn’t he?”

“Goddamn it,” Namjoon hisses, barreling for the door. “You could have given us a bigger heads up, Nabi.”

“That wasn’t my decision,” she barks back at him, and you blink at her in surprise. It’s not very often people can talk back to Namjoon and he’ll just let it happen. “Taehyung surprised me too when he said Kang would be here soon.”

“Let’s just go,” you sigh, getting up from the bed to follow Namjoon to the living room, Nabi not far behind. Your nerves shoot sky high as you get closer and closer to the deep voices of who you now know is your father speaking to Namjoon’s father. Two weeks ago, you’d been wiping down tables at one of your part time jobs, living off ramen noodles and sandwiches, and one more speed bump away from possibly losing the bumper to your junker car, but it had been worth it. You’d do all of it over again to take care of the most precious person to you. How your life got turned so ass backwards, you don’t know, and you’re not entirely sure you want to figure it out. 

“She hasn’t had to live up to traditions and customs,” Namjoon’s father sounds as if he’s on the verge of losing his temper. “You cannot throw this on her after she’s just learned of you!”

“That's why she should be moved under my roof!” Himchan snaps back at Mr. Kim and you pause at the entryway of the living room, neither of them even see you yet. “She can learn of those customs and traditions.”

“So you can pawn her off to some low life thug undeserving of her?” Mr. Kim scoffs. “I don’t think so. Y/N is as much a part of our family as she is of yours. Even more so since we’re the ones who have been there for her.”

“I didn’t even know she existed until Harin got sick,” Himchan mumbles, dragging his hand down his face as you finally come into view.

You sit next to Mr. Kim while Namjoon stands beside the couch and Hoseok parks himself behind it. You’re not sure where to begin or what you can even say given his position. If he’s as high up on the chain of command as Mr. Kim, then you’re pretty sure telling him to go fuck himself is off the table. You look around as if searching for something or someone, only to realize he isn’t there. “Where’s Chunghee?”

Himchan sits up straight as you finally address him, offering a polite smile in response. “Chunghee had some business to attend to overseas. As time goes on, I’m hoping your relationship will become less strained.” He frowns when you grow stiff, having misunderstood, though he’s sure the truth won’t be any better. “When I met your mother, Y/N, I fell in love with her at first sight. She didn’t know who I was or even that I was…married. My marriage had been arranged by my father, as his marriage was, and his father before him. In our life, it is rare to find and marry someone we’re in love with. We’re paired with someone we believe can carry a strong bloodline. Your brother is a product of a marriage neither I nor his mother had a true say in. He was only 10 when you were born, even younger when I started an affair with your mother. She didn’t know what kind of life I had and one day she was just gone. Somehow, she’d found out, and left town without telling me she was pregnant.”

“So, Chunghee hates me,” you gather from everything he’s said. “Because of you.”

“Yes,” Himchan admits, shame burning his throat.

Namjoon steps in front of you protectively, effectively cutting off any more access Himchan had. “Are you saying your own son is a threat? You want me to give her to you when your own son could hurt her?”

“I would never allow that,” Himchan insists, but it lands on deaf ears as Namjoon turns to take your hand, ready to drag you back to his room. “I only want a good life for her, Namjoon. I’ve only recently learned of her struggles, ones that you’ve allowed her to go through.”

“Allowed?” you question at the sheer audacity both of them have to treat you like an object rather than a person.

“I didn’t allow a fucking thing,” Namjoon interrupts and Nabi rubs at her temples in exasperation. “She wouldn’t let me help. She’s stubborn that way, but it’s what makes her so strong, Kang. Don’t think for a second I don’t know why you really want her under your roof. You already have someone lined up for her to marry, but that’s not fucking happening.”

“Oh, for Christ’s sake!” Nabi throws her hands in the air, stalking to the middle of the living room and commanding attention in a way that makes you envious. “Unless we’re all forgetting that Y/N’s here, I think maybe we should ask her what she wants. Mr. Kang, I understand tradition better than anyone here, but given that she hasn’t grown up in your care or home, you can’t implement traditional values without her knowledge of it. That’s dangerous and you know it.”

“Who is it?” your voice cuts through the room, stepping around Namjoon to face your father. 

Namjoon looks at you as if you’ve grown a second head, mouth gaping open in shock. “You can’t seriously be considering this.”

“I don’t know what else to even do, Namjoon!” You throw your arms up in frustration, turning away from him with tears in your eyes. “I don’t know how I’m supposed to deal with all of this.”

“Not by entertaining this stupid bullshit.” Namjoon’s hands curl into fists and Hoseok quickly takes up the space at your side in case his friend’s temper gets the best of him. 

“That’s what I was hoping to talk to Mr. Kim about today.” Himchan faces Namjoon’s father again, taking a deep, steadying breath. “I learned about my daughter 10 years ago, Kim, when she was 18 and forced into working job after job until her fingers bled, and through all of it, your son was there. From my understanding, my father and yours had meant to work together quite some time ago and those plans fell through.”

Namjoon inhales sharply. Is Kang suggesting what Namjoon thinks he is? Could he really be handed everything he’s ever wanted right here, right now? Would you even be okay with that?

“I want him to vet Han Youngjae in exchange for discussing a new business venture that could benefit us both,” Himchan continues, sending Namjoon’s world crashing down. “You know as well as I do that the Han family has been around far longer than either of our families. Youngjae seems to be a good man, but I trust your son’s judgment, especially when it comes to Y/N. I’ve worked with the Han family for awhile now and the arrangement for my son to marry their eldest daughter is being finalized soon.”

“Then why the fuck do you need more ties into that family?” Namjoon’s tone has gone dangerously low, sending a chill down your spine, but rather than fear it’s bordering on something else entirely. “You come into her life, our lives, after she loses her mother and you want to marry her off to a family like the Hans?”

“I want to give her time to adjust to the idea,” Himchan clarifies, searching for some kind of hope that you’ll just think about it. “I truly believe—.”

“I will not entertain this idea,” Namjoon’s father stops Himchan before he can explain any further. “Besides the fact that it’s entirely absurd, Y/N has already been promised to my son.”

“I’m so fucking confused,” you say aloud without meaning to, and Nabi giggles while looping her arm through yours. 

Himchan winces at your colorful language, sighing in disappointment. “Y/N, truly, you shouldn’t speak with such foul language, it’s unbecoming.”

“How my fiancée chooses to speak is none of your business,” Namjoon defends you, quickly growing used to the idea of calling you his fiancée. It makes his chest warm and body hum with need. 

You startle, bumping against Nabi’s embrace. Namjoon’s casual use of the word “fiancee” makes your throat dry. You rather like the way it sounds, but you have to remind yourself that it’s just to get your father off your back. But then, if that were true, what was all of that back in his room? Namjoon’s been acting rather odd lately, invading your space, holding your hand, kissing your cheek. It’s enough to convince even you that he might actually have feelings for you. You let out a heavy sigh while shaking the thoughts from your head. No, Namjoon was well aware of how much you cherished your mother. He was simply helping you through the grieving process, and now with the looming threat of your father, he’s doing what’s necessary to keep you safe. 

“It’s been quite the day,” Nabi’s smooth and commanding voice cuts through the men’s argument, effectively silencing them as they all turn to stare at her. “It’s late Mr. Kang, and while we understand your concerns for tradition and the need to keep up with them, we’ve taken your proposal into consideration and have deemed it unnecessary. As Mr. Kim has already stated, Namjoon and Y/N have been promised to each other. There is no need for her to marry into the Han family.”

“Now just wait a minute,” Kang says through gritted teeth. “Custom states that the engagement requires my approval, which I’m yet to give.”

“You’ve kept tabs on us all this time,” Namjoon reminds him with a wicked smile. “Surely you’re not so naive as to misunderstand just what we’ve been up to in the night’s I’ve stayed at her home.”

“Namjoon,” you hiss, cheeks flushing at his implication. True as it may be that Namjoon has spent a considerable amount of nights at your apartment, he really only slept on the couch and the one time he nearly slept in your bed, he’d conceded and left the room. “Stop it.”

“I’m stating facts, sweetheart, nothing more.” Namjoon turns to wrap his fingers around your free arm and tug you close to his chest. His arm snakes around your waist to keep you trapped against him. Your squeak of surprise makes him chuckle low and deep, making you shiver as he skims his lips across your cheek. 

Kang curls his fingers into fists at the display. While yes, he was well aware of Namjoon’s overnight stays, he’d never seen any open displays of affection. He’s not sure if it’s because Namjoon is truly a private person, or if this entire charade is a lie. Either way, he cannot allow the opportunity to tie more of his lineage to the Han family to pass him by. He breathes in deep and exhales slowly to calm himself. “Fine,” he says while straightening the lapels of his suit jacket. “I will let this rest for now, Kim. But be warned, should I find anything false about this ‘engagement’ of yours, Y/N will live under my roof and she will marry Han.”

“You can’t—,” you begin to argue, but Taehyung beats you to it by instructing Jungkook and Jimin to escort Kang to his waiting vehicle. 

“Understand this, Kang,” Taehyung seethes while he still has Kang’s attention, “I will not tolerate your persistence of taking Y/N from underneath my roof. If, and only if, she chooses to part ways with Namjoon, I will make sure she gets far away from us and you. Trust when I say this is not a war you want with me.”

“Is that a threat?”

“Take it as you wish,” Taehyung stands tall, sliding his hands into the pockets of his slacks as if to show your father that Kang isn’t nearly as in control as he believes. “But, much like Namjoon, I’m only stating facts. However, I will take into consideration another meeting with you and your son.”

“What?” Namjoon snaps, and becomes pissed when Taehyung holds his hand up to stop him from speaking further.

“I know that customs and tradition are being called into question, and while I don’t agree to forcing a marriage between the Han family and Y/N, it is my duty to consider it should any arrangements between her and Namjoon fall apart.” Taehyung frowns in your direction, knowing that all he can truly do is help Namjoon keep up appearances until this entire mess is sorted out. He can’t step in and completely dissolve whatever deal Kang has made with the Han family, but he can delay it until Namjoon can talk you into a real marriage. He hates it, and is well aware that keeping you from the Han family by forcing you into Namjoon’s family instead is rather hypocritical. He turns back to Kang and sighs in defeat, “I swear to you that I will consider it seriously. In the meantime, don’t hold your breath, Kang.”

Your jaw nearly drops to the floor with the way Taehyung dismissed your father like a child, and the fact that your father actually leaves after being waved away is even more shocking. You look to Nabi for some guidance, but she only shakes your head with a reassuring smile, leaving you to believe that things might actually turn out okay in the end.  

#kim namjoon fic #secrets and lies fic #war of hearts universe #bts fic #bts smut #kim namjoon smut

[btswrckd]

Guys let’s be real…the real enemies to lovers in Tahereh Mafi’s All This Twisted Glory is Huda and Kamran because their bickering is just top fucking tier. You cannot tell me that a vein doesn’t immediately pop out against that man’s forehead the moment Huda even so much as breathes. Huda quite literally called him an overgrown child and he did absolutely nothing after he himself admitted to killing men for lesser offenses 🤷‍♀️ They absolutely cannot fucking stand each other and it just hilarious when they interact

#tahereh mafi #this woven kingdom #all this twisted glory #they can’t fucking stand each other 😭😭

[btswrckd]

Hi, I hope your having an amazing week.

I was wondering if the chapter VII of Hunting A Hybrid will be the last or is gonna be an update soon?

I just want you to know how amazing your stories are, you are very talented and thank you, xoxo💜🫂

So there’s actually a sort of sequel that I’m working on but it’s taking forever 🥲 and I wasn’t really sure if anyone was even still interested in reading Hunting a Hybrid. My personal feelings are that a lot of authors and readers alike fell off of Tumblr and the amount of views and likes dwindled. On top of that, I have had some personal and family issues happening and I haven’t been writing nearly as much I used to. But I will start again! Please just stay tune!

#anon answered #anon asks #hunting a hybrid asks #hunting a hybrid fic #jeon jungkook fic

[btswrckd]

yay!

🥰

#anon answered #anon asks #war of hearts answer #war of hearts fic #kim taehyhyung fic

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I loved LOVEDDDD (giggling to myself loved) war of hearts! How are they all doing now? I miss them already

Awww!! I’m working on something new with the War of Hearts universe 👀 you’ll be hearing from them soon 😘

#anon answered #anon asks #war of hearts fic #kim taehyhyung fic #bts fics

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⚠️⚠️Spoilers ahead for Iron flame!!!⚠️⚠️

Rebecca Yarros redeemed Dain fucking Aetos because she knew we were gonna be pissed about Jack motherfucking Barlowe.

#the fourth wing #iron flame #rebecca yarros #xaden and violet #Jack motherfucking barlowe

[btswrckd]

Can we just…? I fucking love that Mira was the one to do this 🤣🤣

Spoilers ahead for The Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros!!! ⚠️⚠️

I really need the next few lines in Iron Flame to be Violet punching her brother in the face. Her brother being completely caught off guard but so damn impressed. And I need Xaden to be standing in the back, looking absolutely fucking smug as his future wife tries to annihilate her brother. Like, a la the Cullen family standing around watching a newly turned Bella just toss Jacob around and Edward’s all “she’s amazing, right?” That’s how I need Iron Flame to start 😭

Violet: Oh, you’re not dead? You want to be?

Brennan: Whoa whoa! Violet! Riorson, are you gonna just stand there or are you gonna help me?!

Xaden: *head over heels in love with his Violence*

Listen, I’m not saying Violet shouldn’t be ecstatic that her brother is both alive and standing in front of her. I’m just saying that she fought through that grief of losing him and then had to fight through the loss of her father, the one parent who gave a shit about her. Then their mother tossed her into a future she never envisioned for herself, where she nearly died everyday and no one thought she’d even make it past the parapet. She fought hard, bonded not just one dragon, but two, she’s a fucking lightning wielder, and the man she fell in love with just revealed the biggest fucking plot twist. She’s reeling from all of this, and now she’s just found out that her brother’s alive. All I’m saying is all of that pent up anger has to go somewhere and I, personally, would have swung on my sibling 🤷‍♀️

#fuck yeah!! #Mira’s the best lmao #and the sibling bickering? *chef’s kiss* #iron flame #the fourth wing #rebecca yarros

[btswrckd]

But also, can you imagine the fights between Sgaeyl and Tairn because Xaden and Violet are fighting 😭😭

Sgaeyl: Your rider has turned my rider into a fool!

Tairn: Hardly. I’d say your rider was a fool to begin with. Let’s not forget that it was my rider we nearly lost!

Sgaeyl: of course not!

Tairn: Let us also not forget that it was your rider’s lies that nearly cost her!

Sgaeyl: You bonded her! She’s your responsibility!

Tairn: Riorson chose her long before I did!

Meanwhile:

Brennan: Is that your guys’ dragons…?

Violet: *red faced* Yes. They’re fine

Xaden: They’re having it out because your sister’s angry with me

Violet: Can you fucking not!

Xaden: Oh come on, Violet! Those two sound like they’re about to level the entire fucking place!

Violet: And whose fault is that?!

Brennan: I am not at all surprised you two bonded a mated pair

#the fourth wing #tairn and sgaeyl #xaden and violet #I need the dragons to be so damn petty with each other #I need them to fight like a married couple #and their riders to do the same #we all know they’re not gonna make it easy for each other

[btswrckd]

Spoilers ahead for The Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros!!! ⚠️⚠️

I really need the next few lines in Iron Flame to be Violet punching her brother in the face. Her brother being completely caught off guard but so damn impressed. And I need Xaden to be standing in the back, looking absolutely fucking smug as his future wife tries to annihilate her brother. Like, a la the Cullen family standing around watching a newly turned Bella just toss Jacob around and Edward’s all “she’s amazing, right?” That’s how I need Iron Flame to start 😭

Violet: Oh, you’re not dead? You want to be?

Brennan: Whoa whoa! Violet! Riorson, are you gonna just stand there or are you gonna help me?!

Xaden: *head over heels in love with his Violence*

Listen, I’m not saying Violet shouldn’t be ecstatic that her brother is both alive and standing in front of her. I’m just saying that she fought through that grief of losing him and then had to fight through the loss of her father, the one parent who gave a shit about her. Then their mother tossed her into a future she never envisioned for herself, where she nearly died everyday and no one thought she’d even make it past the parapet. She fought hard, bonded not just one dragon, but two, she’s a fucking lightning wielder, and the man she fell in love with just revealed the biggest fucking plot twist. She’s reeling from all of this, and now she’s just found out that her brother’s alive. All I’m saying is all of that pent up anger has to go somewhere and I, personally, would have swung on my sibling 🤷‍♀️

#the fourth wing #rebecca yarros #violet sorrengail #xaden riorson #brennan sorrengail #violet and xaden

[btswrckd]

Sooo…Jungkook’s music video for Seven came out and can I just say…it was a mf masterpiece!! 😭😭 Han So-hee was so freaking pretty the whole video and when his ass popped up outta that casket, she was so done with him 😂😂

#jeon jungkook #jungkook seven #he out here doin dumb shit and looking good asf while doing it 🙄 #the fucking nerve 🙄🙄

[btswrckd]

Hi, how have you been?? Are you okay??

I just wanted to tell you that I just finished rereading "Hunting a hybrid" and it still gets me like the first time, I love it, you are such a good writer, can't wait for what happens next.

Xoxo

Aww thank you!! 🥺 I’ve been doing good, thank you for asking. I haven’t been able to work on the “sequel” because of some hiccups with my mom’s health, but I’ll get to it soon. I promise! Thank you for reading and enjoying Hunting a Hybrid ❤️

#jeon jungkook #bts smut #hunting a hybrid fic #hunting a hybrid asks #jeon jungkook imagine #jeon jungkook smut

[btswrckd]

Jang Uk x Jin Buyeon/ Naksu imagine

A/N:

Possible spoilers ahead!!

Ahsgdhdydgdhf the preview for episodes 5 and 6 got me wildin. Is he really just sitting there and watching her like that? 😭 He looks so damn good too. I know damn well that I can’t trust these previews but this got me in a chokehold

Once again idk what the hell I did here but I couldn’t get this shot out of my head. Please enjoy guys!

————————————————————————

People avoid him like the plague. It never bothered him. He likes the seclusion with the exception of the few people he cares for. Now, however, sitting on the bridge and watching his wife flit about the market, he wishes he could find it in him to want to join her without the concern of sending the crowd away. People like speaking to her, Jin Buyeon, even if it is just to peddle their goods and sell most of it off. They like seeing her and carrying a conversation. It’s one of the main reasons Jang Uk encourages her to walk around the market without him.

He sits and watches her reach out for a sweet cake, taking a bite and eyes lighting up at the taste. It surprises the merchant when she turns to her husband with a wide smile and beckons him over. “Uk!” she calls gleefully, waving her hand as people stop and stare at her as if she’s gone crazy. “Come, you have to try these.”

Jang Uk can’t help but smirk when men and women alike blink at her, wondering what the hell she was doing talking to a monster like him. All of Daeho knows they’re married, of course, but everyone had assumed he’d never venture out with her because he barely made any public appearances as is unless it was to kill a soul shifter. After their kiss though, he couldn’t seem to find an excuse to stay away from her anymore. So, here he was, watching his wife like a freaking stalker. Though he’s quite sure that she doesn’t mind.

“We should bring some home.” Buyeon beams up at Jang Uk when he reaches her. She isn’t sure how he feels about sharing, so she plucks a new cake from the tray and hands it to him to taste. A blush creeps up her cheeks when he gently grips her wrist and brings the already bitten sweet into his mouth.

“We should,” he agrees with a mouthful. “Maidservant Kim would love them, don’t you think?”

“Exactly!” she gasps with excitement at his words. “You read my mind!”

He chuckles, paying no mind to the people who have stopped what they’re doing to watch the couple’s interaction. He gives her a small nod of approval before she turns to the merchant and requests that he package up the remaining cakes.

The man scrambles to do so while Buyeon goes about browsing the rest of the table, mumbling to herself about what else maidservant Kim may like or what she can get for Mr. Lee. Maybe even pick up some of Yul’s favorites to take to him. Jang Uk’s keen ears pick up on Yul’s name and a small noise of indignation leaves him. He wants to wave away her curiosity when she blinks up at him with surprise, but he spots a bit of crumbs on the side of her mouth.

Buyeon opens her mouth to ask why he doesn’t seem too fond of her taking Yul some sweets, when his thumb reaches out to brush along the corner of her lips. She lets out a small squeak as he brings that thumb to his own lips to lick away the crumbs. “Jang Uk,” she scolds while her face heats up and eyes dart around to the stunned faces of the crowd. “People are watching.”

“So?” he smirks at her, reaching up to playfully pinch her cheek. “We are newlyweds, aren’t we? Isn’t it only natural for me to touch you?”

“Stop it!” she hisses and gives his arm a light smack. The last thing she needs is for rumors to spread to her mother that she’s become some sort of exhibitionist thanks to Jang Uk. “Are you trying to get us kicked out of the market before we find anything good for maidservant Kim?”

He clicks his tongue in disappointment, moving around so his chest presses against her back as he leans down and whispers, “What? Are you ashamed to have me as a husband?”

“Of course not!” Buyeon huffs, spinning around to face him, only for her nose to bump against his. Any argument she prepared dies on her tongue because Jang Uk gives her a quick kiss. In public. In the middle of the street. Where people aren’t exactly trying to hide how nosy they are.

“Should we find something for Dang-gu as well?” He tilts his head as if he hadn’t just publicly staked his claim over her. “Since you’re so keen on getting Yul his favorite cakes and all.”

“Yul is my friend,” she tries to reason, smoothing her hands down the front of her dress to wipe away the sweat gathered on her palms.

“Hey,” Jang Uk teases her, “how upset do you think Dang-gu would be if he heard you didn’t consider him a friend?”

“You’re twisting my words.” She pouts, knowing he’s only kidding but he laughs anyways when she does something like that. “I’m simply saying that I don’t know what Dang-gu likes.”

“Ah, so you’re that close to Yul?” Her husband nods solemnly, trying his best to get a real rise out of her. “Should I be worried, Lady Buyeon? Are you going to run away with him?”

She surprises him by cupping his jaw and bringing his face down to hers in a firm kiss, one much more gossip worthy than the first. Her fingers find their way into his hair while his hands settle on her waist gently. Her fingers move from his hair to trace a path down his jawline and a shiver runs through him while he pulls her flush against his chest. She laughs against his lips when they part. “No,” she says, touching their foreheads together, “you should not be worried, Jang Uk. Because I will stay by your side for as long as I can.”

It was his turn to blush and stutter out, “You were worried my small kiss was too much for the public eye. How can you go around kissing me like that so shamelessly, huh?”

“Should I do it again?” She bats her lashes up at him, sending him reeling back in disbelief.

“Buyeon,” he warns but is unable to get the rest of his words out before being interrupted.

“Uh,” the merchant clears his throat after finally returning with the cakes. He holds them out with shaky fingers for Jang Uk to take. He doesn’t make eye contact with the mage and simply bows his head in thanks when Jang Uk pays him.

Buyeon yelps a quick ‘thank you!’ to the man as her husband slips his hand into hers and hauls them through the rest of the streets. People steer clear, gaping at her as if she’s grown two heads. Meanwhile, she can’t be bothered to pay them any attention when her husband tightens his hold and gives her a small smile. She grins back at Jang Uk, keeping pace with his long strides without difficulty.

#alchemy of souls #alchemy of souls season 2 #Jang Uk and Jin Buyeon #alchemy of souls imagine

[btswrckd]

Jang Uk x Jin Buyeon/ Naksu imagine

A/N:

Spoilers ahead!!!

I uhhh don’t know what the hell I did here but I just finished watching episode 4 of season 2 and next thing I know, this came about. Really it’s just because I’m obsessed with this show, this couple, and the chemistry these two actors have together. So please enjoy! Much love!

———————————————————————

It was cold, Jang Uk realized, when a shiver swept through him. It’s not like it was something he wasn’t used to. Wraiths swarmed him far more often than not these days, so cold wasn’t something foreign to him. What was off was the empty space in his bed. Cracking one eye open, then another, he blinked against the sunlight until he was finally able to make sense of his surroundings. He reached across the space as if it were going to summon her. His wife. Jin Buyeon.

She must have left some time during the night, Jang Uk thought, No matter. He’ll go find her. She had to have been in her room. As he gathered himself to stand he found that he felt much more refreshed than previous nights. Odd. He hadn’t a decent night’s sleep in three years, but after visiting the cliff site where Mudeok had passed, he felt lighter. Guilt and sadness still lay heavy on his shoulders, no doubt, but the intensity had diminished.

With the bustling of servants milling about the house, Jang Uk was surprised to find himself smile just a little as he made his way to Buyeon’s room. She had stayed the night and comforted him. She had trusted him to keep her safe during the Queen’s banquet even after learning he’d only been nice so he could use her as bait for the soul shifter. She had been blindsided by his entire plan and still, Buyeon had played along as if she’d known the entire time. He had played her for a fool and gotten her hopes up and he winces at the memory of her smile when he’d called her pretty.

He stood hesitantly outside her room, wondering if maybe he should knock first or announce himself and then barge in. After all, she is his wife, and she’d certainly not been shy in her intentions with him. Just as his hand reached out, the door slid open, a stoic Jin Buyeon on the other side. He didn’t seem to notice as he allowed a grin to spread across his face at the mere sight of her.

“Good morning,” Jang Uk greets her. She only nods once without saying anything and he finds himself suddenly nervous. “Have you um, eaten yet? Maidservant Kim can have—.”

“Jang Uk,” Buyeon whispers his name and it makes him tense. “I…will be leaving for Jinyowon.”

His brows furrow and he wonders if maybe her mother sewed more of the tracking thread somewhere on her body and it was causing her pain again. It’s not possible though, because he destroyed that thread. Then again, Lady Jin always knew how to get what she wanted.

“Is your mother calling for you?” He asks with an exasperated scoff. “She really doesn’t give up. I’ll go speak with her and tell her that she can’t—.”

“I am choosing to go on my own.” She still doesn’t look at him. Rather, her eyes stay fixed on the wall behind his shoulder. Almost as if she didn’t want to see him at all.

“For how long? Maidservant Kim is preparing our wedding ceremony as we speak. I’m sure she’d love your help.”

Buyeon inhales sharply as tears sting her eyes but she refuses to show him. After he’d kissed her last night and then fallen back asleep, she couldn’t help but wonder if maybe he had imagined kissing his first wife. If he’d wished she had been Mudeok/ Naksu. If he’d simply tired of being lonely and used her once more as a distraction. Her heart beat wildly in her chest, almost painfully at the thought of never being who Jang Uk needed the most. “I’m not,” she hesitates and he steps forward, leaning in close to hear her better.

“Not what?” Jang Uk feels his chest seize in panic and he swallows roughly. Tired of being looked through rather than at, he gently presses his fingers underneath her chin to tip her head back. When she finally meets his eyes, his breath catches. She’s angry, he realizes, and upset, and looking at him like she’d rather be locked back up in that room in Jinyowon than be anywhere near him right now. “Buyeon.”

“I’m not coming back,” she clarifies with a solidity that makes Jang Uk step back as if he’d been slapped across the face. With the sudden loss of contact, she nearly falls forward but manages to catch her balance. She squares her shoulders and holds her head high. “I will go back to Jinyowon and live the life I was meant to. You…have finally found your peace, I presume, young master. We’ve caused so much trouble for selfish reasons, and we must restore order. We have to—.”

“What will you do then?” he snaps, interrupting her this time. His hands ball into fists and shake with anger. “Will you stay locked up in that room because your mother says so? Will you marry someone who will make you live a life in solitude and do nothing but bear his children?”

“My mother’s fear of losing me has already happened,” Buyeon reasons, “therefore I don’t believe that is the life she subject me to. She won’t take the chance of me running off once more. If she wishes to confine me in that room, she understands now how much I am willing to risk to be free.”

“Of course,” Jang Uk sneers and stalks forward, slamming the partition shut behind him as if it were going to keep the servants from hearing their fight. “And will you simply go on with a broken memory so long as you have your damn freedom? No divine powers, no memory, and only a shell of the priestess you’re meant to be. Is that the life you truly wish to have?! Then go! Be the heiress of the Jin family, but know this much, you will never really be free of your mother and that prison cell she calls your room.”

Buyeon rushes back as he takes heavy steps toward her until he finally crowds her against a pillar. “Jang Uk, you—.”

“You,” he seethes with heavy breaths, swiftly cradling her face and forcing her to look at him once more, “think I will stand idly by while your mother parades around Daeho like she’s succeeded in taking you from me?”

Her breath hitches. She’d known how fiercely protective Jang Uk was of his first wife, everyone told her as much, but for him to speak that way about her made her heart ache. He wants something from her, that much has been clear ever since they met. He needs her divine powers otherwise he wouldn’t be so adamant in her regaining her memories. “I’m nothing but a pawn to you, Jang Uk. I’ve known that since day one but last night when you used me as bait—.”

“You were never in danger, Buyeon,” he insists, pressing her back into the wood. “Park Jin went to your mother last night to make sure of it. I have my pride, yes, but I am more than willing to toss it aside in order to keep you safe. The Queen and Jin Mu are after something and they intend on using you to get it. I figured that out yesterday.”

“Was any of what you said yesterday at all true?”

Jang Uk is taken aback. Yesterday, Buyeon had been subjected to maidservant Kim’s antics of finding the perfect dress and finest jewelry for the banquet. He’d come home in time to catch her in one of the beautiful dresses the servants had helped her into. He’d called her pretty, been coy, and encouraged her to gloat about his affections for her, if only to get what he wanted in the end. But he had meant it. She had been beautiful in the dress, he did want her to wear the family crest, and he did want her to gloat to young lady Yun-Ok and the rest of the women at the banquet. Because despite his mistreatment of her after finding her with the Yin-and-Yang jade, and the way he lied to her face, she’d stood by him and his decision to use her.

“Goodbye, Jang Uk,” Buyeon says and shakes her head, shoving him away so she can leave. “Please tell maidservant Kim and Mr. Lee that I am grateful to them.”

“After everything, you will just walk away?” Jang Uk questions. “You can think all you’d like that you have the upper hand against your mother, but you know as well as I do that she will always be one step ahead. Okay, sure, let’s say you’re right and she doesn’t lock you away again. She won’t allow you to roam freely, nor will the man she intends to marry you off to. I may not be honest with you all of the time, but Buyeon, I will never restrict you. Not the way Jinyowon will.”

Buyeon spins on her heel, intent on telling him just how wrong he is even if she herself doesn’t believe it, when she collides with his chest, strong hands gripping her arms tight. She’s locked in place, frozen, as Jang Uk descends on her quickly, pressing his mouth firmly to hers. Just like last night, he kisses her with an emotion she not dare think him capable of feeling for her. But she kisses him back anyways, because his hands turn gentle as he cups the back of her head, tilting her chin up and forcing her to lean into him. Her hands rest on the sides of his waist and he knows. She won’t try to leave him again. Because if she really wanted to, she would reject him and make sure he knew how serious she was.

“Lady Buyeon, are you alright?” Maidservant Kim shrieks as she throws open the door. She gasps and puts a hand to her mouth, turning away from the couple. “Oh, my apologies. Mr. Lee said he heard shouting coming from Lady Buyeon’s room. I didn’t realize you were home, young master Jang.”

“It’s alright,” Jang Uk soothes her worries, dropping his hands from Buyeon’s face. He steps back to give her some room, fighting a smirk at the way his wife blushes. “Please have some food prepared for us. Lady Buyeon and I have much to talk about this morning.”

With that, he nods at both women and leaves the room while maidservant Kim and Buyeon both scramble about. He hears Buyeon stutter her way through an excuse while maidservant Kim tries her best to make it seem like catching a married couple together was no big deal.

#alchemy of souls #alchemy of souls imagine #alchemy of souls season 2 #alchemy of souls spoilers #lee jae wook

[btswrckd]

Why did nobody tell Joseph Crackstone and Laurel Gates that by bringing her ancestor back from the dead by performing a spell, basically makes her a witch? And that Crackstone using sorcery or magic or whatever the hell after he was brought back to life, basically makes him like every other Outcast? Like, why did nobody throw that in their faces? I would have 🤷‍♀️ He fucking said “What demon sorcery is this?” after Wednesday came back to life. Like, sir! Are you or are you not also back from the dead? 🤦‍♀️

#wednesday #wednesday netflix #wednesday addams #the irony #I would have been like damn guess we’re not all that different #just to piss them tf off 🤣

[btswrckd]

Hey!! How are you? Just wanted to say that I adore your writing, thank you so much for all your work and sharing and I was wondering if you are going to continue with Hunting a Hybrid?

Aww thank you!! 🥰🥰 I actually am working on a “sequel” to Hunting a Hybrid. I didn’t want to add on another chapter, idk why 😅 but I’m definitely working on an ending and trying to incorporate Jimin and Namjoon a little bit more into it. I just didn’t want to drag it out as long as Hunting a Hybrid so I’m trying to squeeze it all into a one-shot which may not happen. Stay tuned! Lol

#bts #anon asks #anon answered #hunting a hybrid asks #hunting a hybrid fic #jeon jungkook fic

[btswrckd]

Wrath: *to Antonio* My Emilia

Emilia: *thinks he’s just trying to piss her off*

Wrath: *is actually just jealous*

Emilia: What a douchebag

#kingdom of the wicked #prince wrath #emilia di carlo #princewitch #kerri maniscalco

[btswrckd]

Hunting a Hybrid VII

Black Panther!Hybrid Jungkook x Fem!Reader

Summary:  Four years after it’s made illegal to acquire hybrids as pets, you’re  approached by the daughter of your former employer to hunt down one that  had been gifted to her

Warnings: violence, mentions of past abuse, mentions of blood, the word suicidal is used once but only once and it’s near the end, angst

A/N: Guess who got a new laptop! This girl! I just want to thank the readers, you guys have really stuck by me and put up with my inconsistency. I love you guys! But you’re about to hate me. This is a long one and it’s pretty heavy near the end. 

The grumbling coming from your left side almost made you smile. Dragging him along wasn’t exactly the plan in mind, and he most certainly didn’t think that out of everyone in the room, he’d be the one to go with you. 

“Hyung,” Namjoon greeted as he slid into the booth across from you. When he got your call, it was sooner than he expected and he had to scramble to find a meeting place that neither hunters nor cops knew about. It was miles outside of the city but since you were willing to make the drive, then so was he. 

“Namjoon,” Seokjin nodded at him. He could see the confusion on Namjoon’s face and looked to you for answers because he was also confused as to why he was there.

“I didn’t think you’d be too keen on meeting two of the city’s most dangerous hunters by yourself,” you shrugged as if the explanation was that simple. “I figured in order to get you to trust me, it’d be easier if there was a familiar face between us.”

“But you don’t trust me, do you?”

“Not even a little bit.” 

Namjoon opened his mouth to ask what the difference was when the click of a gun caught his attention. He sat up straighter, eyes darting between yours and Seokjin’s but Jin didn’t seem too concerned. 

“Hey, come on.” Seokjin nudged your shoulder gently. There was no doubt in his mind that you wouldn’t actually shoot him but scaring Namjoon by having him think you would, isn’t going to leave a good impression. 

When you’d first proposed the idea of holding him at gunpoint under the table to Seokjin on the ride over, he was understandably reluctant. You had explained to him how your first encounter with Namjoon went and wanted to leave the detective thinking you could easily cut ties with just about anyone. It wasn’t hard to see why Seokjin trusted Namjoon and if there had been better news to share, then you might have trusted Namjoon too. 

“Some of your guys are looking for me,” you tell Namjoon. His head tilts in confusion and your eyes narrow at the action. You wonder if perhaps he had no idea about the manhunt sent out for your head. You knew he at least was aware of Suho’s men after you, but it’s possible that he wasn’t clued into his fellow police officer’s orders. 

“I knew they were after an active hunter,” Namjoon replied with a frown. As a waitress approached the table, he gave her a soft smile and ordered a cup of coffee, rolling his eyes when you dismissed the waitress quickly. 

“Are you saying you’re not in the loop, Kim?” you sneered. Damn it. If someone is leading a charge against you in that precinct, you need to find out who and take care of it as soon as possible. But first, there was the matter of Suho and the rumors he’d spread. 

“I’m saying that the cops in my precinct saw you leaving my office the other day,” Namjoon snapped back, curling his hand into a fist on the table. “And what they saw was a woman who resembled the description given to us by a retired hunter. Someone in there obviously questioned why I didn’t arrest you, so no, I’m not in the loop if they think we’re working together.”

Hesitation flashed in his brown eyes before his gaze landed on the cup of coffee being set down in front of him. He gripped the cup tightly and grit his teeth. “We’ve been finding mutilated hybrid bodies all over the city. I’m not talking one or two, I’m talking one after another after another in the span of almost a month. My partner and I asked around some old dive bars that we knew hunters frequented, they all said the same thing.”

“And what would that be?” Your voice was cold and sent a chill down both Namjoon’s and Seokjin’s spines. 

Seokjin isn’t used to this side of you, only knowing the part that cares for your friends and the love you have for Jungkook. Seeing it is certainly an experience and he wonders how Taehyung is able to handle it. Then again, Taehyung has spent more time with you than Seokjin has, so naturally Taehyung was able to adjust but still...it couldn’t have been easy. Nor could it have been easy for you to become this way. On the few occasions he’d been in the apartment, he’d seen how easily consumed you can become and how quickly regret takes over.

Namjoon cleared his throat, breaking Seokjin’s train of thought. “That they’ve only known of one hunter cruel enough to do it. That hunter’s you, isn’t it, Y/N? Killing hybrids and tearing their bodies apart like your grandfather did to your parents. Did he teach you that?”

“Namjoon,” Seokjin hissed, kicking his foot out to connect with Namjoon’s shin. “Watch what you say. You know better than that.”

“I’m a cop, hyung,” Namjoon tried to justify his line of questioning. “This is what we do, this is how we get to the truth.”

“The Mutilator,” your voice interrupted their argument. “Original, isn’t it?” you scoffed and gave Namjoon a wicked smile. “It was Sangchul’s nickname. Ripping hybrids apart piece by piece, it was his specialty. So yes, Kim, he taught me how to do it.”

Namjoon’s spine went rigid. In his time being a detective, he’d seen every different kind of criminal imaginable, but you...you actually frightened him in ways he didn’t think possible anymore. He isn’t sure if it’s because all he’s ever had to know about you is a picture from when you were a kid, still innocent and full of promise for a greater future than what you have. Now, staring into the eyes of the little girl turned cold blooded killer, and knowing just what you went through to get to this point, the things you had to endure and learn, the humanity you’ve had stripped from you, it reminds him of how easily deceptive appearances can be. 

“But those bodies you’ve been finding,” you reminded him of the reason you asked him to meet, “they aren’t my work. I haven’t done a dump job in years.”

“Why do the other hunters insist it’s you then?”

“They don’t know I haven’t taken a job in a while.” You shrugged your shoulders, grip loosening on the gun poking Seokjin’s side. You lowered the gun enough to settle it in the holster strapped to your belt. “My business is mine, detective, and those hunters? How reliable are they really? A bunch of forcefully retired, drunk, desperate for money scumbags are your source? I thought you were a better detective than that.”

Namjoon’s jaw nearly hit the table with how quick it dropped. To say he was insulted would be an understatement. Then again, he’d tried to get under your skin first and he’d clearly accomplished it if you were attacking his work ethic. He knew the hunters weren’t reliable, but he gave Jackson the benefit of the doubt if only to keep him from asking questions about why Namjoon was trying so hard to steer the investigation away from you. There’d been a good handful, if not more, of officer’s in his precinct alone that worked for Hyungsik, so Namjoon couldn’t afford to let anyone else in on the information you’d given him, even if it meant keeping things from his long time friend and partner. 

“I have to make the investigation seem as real as possible,” Namjoon relented to your sharp gaze. He nearly shrunk in on himself like a child before reminding himself that he was a grown adult. He sighed heavily and finally took a sip from what must have been cold coffee by now. “Suho, real name Kim Junmyeon. That’s the hunter we’re meant to be looking for, isn’t it?”

You shot him a smirk, impressed that he was able to dig up Suho’s real name when Suho’s own men didn’t even know it. Hell, it had taken you a good amount of time to find it yourself, having had to burn through quite a bit of resources while desperately trying to keep Suho from being alerted to your digging. “Suho was hired by the Nam family to find the hybrid currently in my possession. Nam Ye-jin hired the both of us in hopes that the hybrid would be found faster, plus she finds it’s easier to scam Suho out of money. Suho’s not a stupid hunter but he does have tunnel vision. Once he learned that I was hired as well, he turned it into a race and in order to slow me down, he’s killing hybrids like livestock.”

“The question is where is he getting them?” Namjoon pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation. “They have no identification, they don’t come up in our system as a missing person or otherwise.”

“Suho, like all hunters, has his own little supply,” you explained. “Expendable hybrids he’s collected over the years on the off chance that someone may want them some day. You don’t build a reputation as a hunter by simply taking on a job, no. You prove yourself and your skills, and to do that, you have to build a collection of diverse hybrids. Hunting them down is one thing, being able to take them down and keep them in check is another. The collectors that hire us don’t look at what we can do, they look at what we’ve already done.” Namjoon and Seokjin shuddered. Neither man was ever brought in on the “fundamentals” of hybrid hunting or the amount of work that goes into it. Seokjin has only ever dealt with collectors such as Hyungsik, and Namjoon only ever threw a hunter behind bars without ever going into detail about how their career started. Given the amount of hybrid bodies found dead, Namjoon felt the bile rising in his throat. That many bodies was a tragedy already, but to learn that Suho has even more made Namjoon’s skin crawl. 

“Did you have a collection?” Seokjin asked so quietly that it was almost a whisper. He turned his entire body to face you, blinking back tears as memories and thoughts of his wife and daughter come to the front of his mind. “Did you?”

“No,” you assured him. You knew exactly what he was thinking about and did your best to convince him you’re not as fucked up as he’s already seen. “No, my reputation came from Sangchul. Everyone knew how much he despised hybrids, so when he built his reputation it was through other means. Means that he taught me and so I never found myself needing a collection. I was one of the rare hunters whose skills alone were good enough.”

“Proud of yourself?” Namjoon snapped once more, earning himself another tear filled glare from Seokjin.

“A little bit, yeah.” You grit your teeth. No. No you were not the least bit proud, but if Namjoon wanted to believe you were as cold-hearted as Sangchul then so be it. It would be easier for him to accept that you’re a murderer than it would be for him to accept that you do have a heart. It would also be easier to cut ties with him after everything was over. 

“Stop it,” Seokjin warned in a low tone. It’s not often that he finds himself so angry, choosing instead to be completely neutral in any situation, but this time doesn’t sit well with him. The argument between you and Namjoon had his blood boiling for multiple reasons. One being that Namjoon wasn’t right in his assumptions or judgment. Another being that you’re content to sit back and allow Namjoon to make those assumptions and judgements. Seokjin’s seen first hand who you truly are, he only wants Namjoon to do the same if you’re going to work together. “We didn’t come to fight. We need your help, Namjoon, so get off your goddamn high horse and fucking help us. This isn’t about one hybrid, it’s about all the ones still left in Nam’s home.”

Namjoon blinked in surprise. He’d never heard Seokjin curse before or have an outburst like the one he’s seeing now. For his senior to take your side means there’s more to you than Namjoon was willing to admit and that you’re more than willing to hide a part of yourself that you deem vulnerable. He conceded and slumped back in the booth with a heavy sigh. “What can I do?”

“We need time,” Seokjin answered when you too were stunned by his reaction. “We also need space. We can’t make any moves out in the open with half of the city’s cops looking for Y/N. Suho needs to be out of the way. He’s unpredictable now that he’s had a bad encounter with her, it’ll make him desperate and irrational. He’ll make moves without thinking of the consequences and slip up. Keep an eye on him for us, please.”

“I can do better than that.” Namjoon reached into his pocket jacket slowly after seeing you tense up at the movement. He pulled out two photos and laid them across the table. “Oh Sehun and Byun Baekhyun, two guys from Suho’s crew. They were found dead three weeks ago, bullet wounds in their skulls.” He pulled out another two photos, laying them next to Sehun and Baekhyun’s. “Kim Minseok, also known as Xiumin and Kim Jongin, also known as Kai were found dead not long after. They had bullet wounds in their skulls as well. I can only guess what the pattern here is, but it would be helpful if you enlightened me.”

“Each of these men came after me,” you said, running your fingers gently across Sehun’s picture. He may have worked for Suho and proved how unloyal he can be, but he still warned you so you wouldn’t be blindsided. He was the real reason you didn’t die that night at Yoongi’s bar. It isn’t enough to be physically prepared for an attack, one has to be mentally prepared as well. If you had no clue that Suho sent his crew out after you, then Xiumin and Kai’s presence at the bar would have sent you into a panic and you wouldn’t have been able to fight them properly. You owed Sehun and he never got the chance to collect. 

“Y/N?” Namjoon questioned after your hand curled into a fist, nearly crumpling the photo in your hand. “Is that all?”

“No.” You shook your head to clear your thoughts. “Suho doesn’t like to lose, especially to me. On top of killing hybrids and leaving their bodies to be found, he sent his men after me. Well, more like Xiumin and Kai. Baekhyun and Sehun were just a case of wrong place, wrong time. Suho killed them out of spite, but Xiumin and Kai couldn’t kill me, so he killed them.”

Namjoon saw what looked like hurt flash in your eyes when you looked at Sehun's picture again. He was surprised to find himself feeling sorry for the loss, almost voicing as much out loud before the hurt was gone in a second. “Suho’s always been good at deflecting. He’s been brought in for questioning before but always manages to dig his way out. This will take quite some time to investigate and we hold him for questioning for about 24 hours unless he asks for a lawyer. Knowing him, that’s exactly what will happen. You don’t have a very big window to do whatever you have planned, but it’s a window nonetheless.”

A smirk plays on your lips as you look back at Namjoon’s face. “If you can find a way to connect him to those hybrids, there’s not a lawyer in this city willing to take his case. The new laws are still fresh, no smart lawyer wants to touch them. Hyungsik also pays for Suho’s lawyers, he pays for lawyers of every hunter he hires and now that he knows I’ve been slowed down by Suho, he’s not exactly willing to do Suho any favors. You have more time than you think.”

Namjoon almost smiles. As clever as you are, he almost wishes you’d been a detective rather than a hunter. The precinct could use someone like you. He could certainly benefit from having someone with your skills watching his back. He collected the photos, tapped them against the table, and then stuck them back in his jacket. “I know you won’t tell me, but I’m going to ask anyway. What are your plans for Hyungsik?”

Seokjin opened his mouth to speak but the gentle nudge of your elbow to his ribcage stopped him. He glanced at your passive expression and wondered how, after all Namjoon’s willing to do, can you still not trust him? It’s a silly thought, he knows it, because of your upbringing that you don’t trust as easily as Seokjin does. Still, it would help Namjoon relax and have more faith in you if he was brought in on whatever plans you had. Seokjin himself still didn’t know so he’d like to hear them as well to be better prepared for the aftermath. He inclined his head in a not so subtle gesture to fess up about the tricks you have up your sleeve. 

“Come on,” he coaxed with a little nudge of his own. “I vouched for Namjoon, Y/N, we can trust him. I promise.”

Rolling your tongue against the inside of your cheek, you relent. “I’m going to find a way into Nam’s home and get the hybrids out.”

Namjoon and Seokjin balked at your explanation. As if it were really that simple to just break into Hyungsik’s home and free the hybrids there. Namjoon scratched at his temple, briefly closing his eyes in exasperation while Seokjin dropped his head back, using his pointer fingers to rub at his own temples. 

“I’m--I--.” Seokjin sputtered, having no clue how to even begin to explain to Namjoon that you were well and truly the smartest person in any given room, when you’ve gone and thrown out a half assed plan like that. 

“Alright.” Namjoon finally said, nodding vigorously after giving it some thought. “I can get a search warrant for Hyungsik’s home, convince him that Suho flipped on him and told us everything we needed to know. It’ll make him panic, that’s our way in, but you have to wait for us, Y/N. Do you understand that? I can’t be worried about you while we raid the Nam home. Suho might be in custody but you won’t be in the clear yet.” “If those are the hybrids you hunted for him,” Seokjin added on, “then it might not go so well with you there. They might not cooperate and we can’t have that.”

It was true. Those hybrids were not your biggest fans and truthfully, if you were in their shoes, you’d hate the hunter who captured you too. You didn’t like it. The idea of sitting at the apartment while Namjoon risked his career and busted his ass on this case made you angry. It also made you feel useless. There has to be more that you can do, some way to help without getting caught or getting Namjoon in trouble. You might not like the guy, but he was a decent person who didn’t deserve the backlash that may come with taking down someone as powerful as Hyungsik. 

“I know that house better than anyone you’ll have with you,” you lied to Namjoon and Seokjin. “It’s not as simple as combing the rooms. There’s hidden doors in the linings of the walls and I know for damn sure that he doesn’t just have a room full of hybrids for just anyone to find. I can be in and out. Nobody will notice I’m even there.”

“There’s still the matter of how the hybrids may react to you,” Seokjin repeated, finding that he’s had to do so more often with you in the last 10 minutes than he has with his young daughter in her entire lifetime. “It isn’t safe.”

“Seokjin,” you huffed at him, “name one thing about all of this that is safe. My being there is our best bet. If nothing is found, not only will those hybrids be in even more danger, Namjoon might lose his job. Do you want that?”

“Of course not.”

“Then this happens.” You left no room for argument as you slid out of the booth, straightening the jacket hanging on your shoulders. Turning to Namjoon, you wait for Seokjin to get out of the booth. “Give the details to Seokjin and he’ll relay them to me. Everything, Kim, I mean it. Not a single thing gets left out.”

Namjoon doesn’t have time to respond before you’re dragging Seokjin out the door. His mouth still hangs open at your demands and soon his throat feels like it’s drying up until he finally clamps his lips shut. He pulled out his phone to shoot Jackson a text, telling him that he’s on his way back to the precinct after meeting with an informant about who’s actually killing off hybrids. He doesn’t know how the raid on Hyungsik’s home will go or if it will happen at all given his position of power. He has to try though, for the sake of the hybrids still locked up in the Nam home. And for you. Seokjin very obviously sees something in you that’s worth saving and for a moment so did Namjoon. He saw it when you looked at Sehun’s autopsy photo and again when you became adamant on being a part of the raid. Maybe you want to redeem yourself, or maybe you want to clear your own conscience, he doesn’t know. What he does know is that anyone fighting that hard as you are has something they’re desperate to protect, and nobody understands that better than Namjoon.

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Jungkook jumped at the sound of the apartment door being flung open. His excitement dissipated when Seokjin walked in alone. He hadn’t caught your scent but he still hoped you’d walk through the door. Deflated, shoulders slumped, and a frown on his face, Jungkook half heartedly greeted Seokjin. “Where’s Y/N?”

“She’s going to be spending some time in her office.” Seokjin frowned in return. The time you’ll be spending distancing yourself from Jungkook will make it hard on the panther, but Seokjin understands. After all, he sent his wife and child off long ago to protect them and he’d do it again if necessary. “The detective has a plan and Y/N needs to keep her head clear in order for any of this work, okay, Jungkook? This isn’t her abandoning us or you, it’s her trying her hardest to keep everyone safe. Everything will be fine.”

Even as Seokjin said it, everyone that was gathered in the living room knew he was lying. They didn’t have to be a hybrid to pick up on the change in pitch in his voice, or the way his chin dropped slightly in disappointment. Something was bound to go wrong, they all knew it, and despite Seokjin’s insistence on your stay at the office rather than the apartment being about safety, nobody believed him.

You had a reason for every move you made and Taehyung knew what this one meant. Though he wouldn’t say it out loud, Taehyung knew that you don’t think you’ll make it out alive. You left them at the apartment to force the heaviness of your absence because you don’t plan on coming back and you want them to get used to it. You’d done the same thing dozens of times before with Taehyung and usually he’s able to snake his way into your plans. This time is different. Taehyung can feel it in the pit of his stomach. He peered at Jungkook to see the panther’s hands twitching in hopes of doing something, anything other than just waiting around.

“What did Namjoon say?” Yoongi asked Seokjin. The others may not be up to speak about the weight of your absence, but he’s been through it long enough to not give a damn this time around. He has to know what the plan is, what your moves are, what the hell you’re even thinking by going at it alone. Years of not knowing anything about where you’d gone or what you’d been doing, and now that he has a front row seat to the action, you’ve shoved him to the back to protect all of them. But that can’t happen anymore. You need them and they need you, Jungkook especially. 

“He’s leaving it up to Y/N,” Seokjin said as he peered around the room. Hoseok raises his brow, Taehyung drops his head in his hands, Jungkook tilts his head curiously, and Yoongi…

“She’s going to get herself killed,” Yoongi seethed, curling his hands into fists. “She doesn’t have a fucking plan, does she, Seokjin? She’s going to charge in there head first without giving a damn about what she’s leaving behind if it goes wrong!”

“That’s not our call to make.” Seokjin shakes his head. He doesn’t agree with Yoongi out loud, but yes, you were dead set on doing whatever it takes to free those hybrids and Jungkook, even if it means losing your life. He locks eyes with Taehyung in hopes of understanding your actions, but even Taehyung seems floored. 

“Is she even really at her office?” Hoseok wondered aloud, all heads turning in his direction. “I just mean…she has to know that Jin would have told us she has no real plan. So, obviously she couldn’t tell him where she really is because what if we try to stop her?” Turning to Yoongi, he sighed heavily. “We often forget who we’re dealing with. She’s not a little girl anymore, that much we’ve already seen. She’s a killer, Yoongi, a good one and smarter than all of us in this room combined. She can’t risk us getting in the way. Wherever she is now, we’re not getting to her any time soon.”

“Hoseok’s right,” Taehyung said and bobbed his head. “All we can do is wait. Y/N might not have a plan now, but when she figures it out, she’ll be fine.”

Jungkook turned his head to the window, watching the storm clouds roll in and bolts of lightning streak across the sky. He doesn’t know how long you’ll be gone and something in his chest constricts. As he puts his hand to his heart, Taehyung and Seokjin rush to his side, both men having anticipated an oncoming panic attack. Thunder rumbles violently, rattling the windows and spiking Jungkook’s heart rate. His ears perked up, eyes shining that brilliant shade of emerald, and his canines elongated.

“He’s shifting,” Seokjin announced as if everyone else couldn’t see it happening. He hugged the panther tightly, trying his best to keep Jungkook calm. He whispered in the hybrid’s ear, “Relax, Jungkook, it’s alright. It’s just a storm. It will pass. Calm yourself now. What will Y/N think when she comes home to find you’ve hurt somebody? Stop now, please.”

Taehyung swung Jungkook’s other arm over his own shoulder and guided him back to the room he shares with you. It’s certainly harder than he expected, but he’s grateful for Seokjin’s help. He even dipped his chin in appreciation when Yoongi tossed the door open to make it easier for them to carry Jungkook to the bed. He plopped Jungkook on the mattress, feeling helpless as the panther curled up into a ball. Back in the forest when he’d first seen Jungkook shift, he hadn’t realized how painful it truly seems. He winced as Jungkook’s back bowed and his spine began cracking, along with the rest of his bones, and Taehyung gagged as Jungkook’s entire body transformed into a full fledged panther. He couldn’t imagine having his bones break and reset to accommodate an entirely different body frame. 

Jungkook’s claws tore into the sheets, causing Seokjin to grip Taehyung’s arm and slowly back him towards the door where Yoongi stood with his hand on the knob. He knows the door won’t hold an adult panther, but it will still serve as an obstacle and give them extra time to run. He’s never seen a full shifter and as amazing as the sight is, he doesn’t exactly welcome the circumstances in which he gets to see it now. He cursed under his breath while Jungkook began to rise on all fours, ready to pounce on them. From his understanding, Jungkook was in full control when he shifted in the forest, but now it seems as though Jungkook views them as strangers rather than the people trying to save him. This is his animal instinct, Seokjin realized, and with one more step backwards, he barreled towards the door with Taehyung in tow and an angry panther at their heels.

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Your heart skipped a beat and felt like it stopped for a moment. Gripping the holster to your gun, you gasped out a curse. You’d been traipsing around the forest you’d first found yourself in when looking for Jungkook. There’s an old abandoned cabin far enough away from the Nam’s home that you wouldn’t be detected. Hyungsik didn’t even know it existed, so it was the perfect advantage to stake out the house and get a look at Hyungsik’s patterns. 

But something was wrong. Something made your chest tight and the hairs stand up on the back of your neck. Your body felt painfully hot, like it was on fire, and your muscles as well as your bones began to ache as you fell to your knees. Dirt and mud are crushed beneath your palm when you curl your hand into a fist. Your head fell forward, chest heaved with deep breaths, but nothing can seem to soothe the ache, and you bit down on your forearm to muffle the scream you can’t stop.

The metallic taste of blood coated your tongue as you bite down even harder when another scream makes its way up your throat. The barely audible sound of rustling leaves and the downpour of rain are what keep you sane because it felt as though your brain was being scrambled, all instincts kicking into overdrive. Should you be calm? Should you be angry? What are you upset about? What are you aiming to kill though nothing’s provoked you? 

“Jungkook,” you breathe to no one in particular. There isn’t exactly an audience to your little fit. Something’s wrong with Jungkook and you can’t even go check because it would be another fight to make you stay. You’d turned your phone off after leaving Seokjin at the apartment to keep from being tracked, but now you’re wondering if you should risk turning it back on to call them. Another jolt of pain racks your body, knees giving in so you’re left with no choice but to curl into the fetal position. You bring the palm of your hand to your mouth, biting the flesh there while another scream surfaces. You don’t know how long you lay like that, or when you pass out from the pain, but when you wake up it’s to find stars blinking in the night sky. It takes a moment for your eyes to adjust before you inspect the self inflicted damage. You were drenched from head to toe from the storm, mud and leaves stuck to your body, and dried blood littered your forearm and hand. You have no clue what the hell happened. What you do know is that Jungkook was the reason for it. He had to be because you’ve never felt pain like that before, not even when you trained with your grandfather. 

Pushing yourself from the ground, you check to make sure the gun was still in its holster, though you’re sure if anyone had found you they would have done much worse than simply taking your gun. You limped, slowly, back to the abandoned cabin you were meant to be occupying, but the burning flame of a single candle in the window made you stop. With grit teeth and an uninjured hand readying your gun, you stalked forward and ducked beneath the window sill. You waited a full minute before peering into the cabin to find no one, and your brows drew together with confusion. Before you can question it all, leaves being crunched beneath heavy boots had you whipping around just in time to slap a pistol from the intruder’s hand. 

They grunted when you kicked your steel toed boot into their gut, knocking the air from them as they stumbled back. You don’t take the time to look before you rush up and tackle the person to the ground, both of you grappling for control before you finally pin them down.

“Fuck!” a familiar voice hissed when you raised your fist high in the air to strike. “It’s me! Jesus H Christ, woman!”

“Namjoon?” you panted and dropped your fist to his chest, not bothering to care that you’re straddling his hips. “What the fuck are you doing out here? How did you find me?”

“You want to get off of me first?”

“No,” you said firmly, pressing your knee to his chest instead and repeated, “How. Did you. Find me?”

“It wasn’t me,” Namjoon admitted with a grunt. “It was someone named Yoongi, alright? Seokjin hyung called me a few hours ago and said I needed to find you, that you could be in trouble.”

“You’re lying,” you seethed. Nobody could find you. You had taken every measure necessary to ensure it. 

“I’m not!” he wailed, kicking his legs up and towards himself to pin your arms down while his ankles locked together. He pitched forward and bolted up, his hand at your throat and the other slamming your wrist down before you could reach for your gun. “Yoongi pinged your location off a nearby tower. You turned your phone off too late, idiot, which makes me wonder if you were ever going to turn it off at all. You’re too fucking smart to make rash decisions like waiting until the last minute to ditch your form of communication.”

You were too busy rolling your eyes to notice the way Namjoon’s own orbs trailed over your forearm and palm of your hand. He was much heavier than he looked, you noted, or you were just feeling weaker than usual because you can’t seem to push him off despite your best efforts. Or his warmth was welcomed far more than you were willing to admit. You’d been in worse conditions thanks to the training sessions, but your recent stay at the apartment has spoiled you and you find yourself shivering in the cold night air. 

“He was right,” Namjoon observed with a frown, running his fingers along the teeth marks on your palm and then down to the same marks on your forearm. “What the hell happened?” 

 “I don’t know.” You shoved at his chest and it finally clicked that you wanted space as he scrambled back. Sitting up, you watch him stand and dust off his pants but it does no good because he’s covered in mud just as you are. When he held out his hand to help you up, you scoffed and stood from the ground by yourself. “Why did Seokjin want you to check on me?”

“Let’s get inside first,” he suggested. “I did bring more than one candle, but I didn’t want to attract unnecessary attention.”

“You held a gun to my head.”

“I didn’t know it was you,” he defended himself.  “It’s dark out here and I’d been looking for two hours without any trace of you, so you’ll excuse me if the last place I expected to find you was right back where I started. I figured you’d moved on already.”

He pushed past you to walk to the cabin, whether you followed him or not wasn’t his problem. Tossing the door open, he was actually relieved to hear the heavy footfalls of your boots. Ones that can cause some real damage, he reminds himself, and puts a hand flat against his abdomen. He watched you throw yourself on the worn out couch with a sigh, wondering why you’re suddenly so comfortable letting him set up the candles for more light. He thought back to the bite marks on your arm and bit back the urge to question them some more. It was simply the detective side of him, though he is curious as to why you’d bite yourself. He can recognize self-inflicted wounds from a mile away and this was no different. When he’d asked what had happened, he meant what could have caused you to hurt yourself, though he’s quite sure you knew the meaning behind his question. 

“You’re awfully comfortable for someone who doesn’t trust me,” he finally said and sat in a nearby chair that also seemed to be hanging by a thread.

“Why are you here, Detective Kim?” you sighed once more, pulling your knees to your chest as the breeze blew through the window. 

Namjoon reached for the backpack he’d brought with him, digging through it before finally producing a spare blanket and tossing it at you. “Like I said, Seokjin hyung asked me to come find you. Something about the hybrid you’re taking care of.”

“What happened to him?” you snapped immediately upon hearing that Jungkook wasn’t doing well. 

“He wouldn’t tell me, just that it wasn’t good and I had to find you.” He thrusted his hand into the pocket of his pants to pull out his phone. Offering it to you, he assured that no one was tracking him and that his colleagues believed he’d left for a family emergency so they wouldn’t be bothering him. “You might want to give him a call to find out what it was.”

“Pass,” you refused with a shake of your head. “I don’t really care what you think your colleagues believe, but I know better than to trust cops, Detective.”

“Look, I told hyung that I’d let him know if you were okay, so can I do at least that?”

“No,” you insisted. “You can go back into town tomorrow and let them know.”

“You’ll be long gone before I make it back into city limits, won’t you?”

You didn’t answer him, instead pulling the blanket to your chin and watching him like a hawk. You don’t need sleep, you’ve run an entire week without before, so one night won’t make a difference. Fatigue still hits you like a fucking brick wall, but you ignore it and Namjoon while he sprawls across the floor, having no qualms about catching some sleep in your presence. You want to be offended; after all, men and women alike feared your very existence like the boogeyman. But Kim Namjoon? This asshole doesn’t seem to be rattled by you. It’s a little admirable, you begrudgingly admit.

Namjoon doesn’t fall asleep like he’d let you believe. Instead, he’d kept listening to any movement you or anything outside made. When Seokjin had called him in a panic earlier, he didn’t know why he even agreed to look for you when you could have very well blown his head off when he showed up. But Seokjin doesn’t ask for his help often, so for him to beg for Namjoon’s assistance, then it had to be bad. He wasn’t nearly as truthful as he’d let on; he knew exactly what had happened to you but wanted to hear it from your own lips. Seokjin had told him that the hybrid you’re keeping safe is a full shifter and that Jungkook had gone full panther after learning you wouldn’t be returning to the apartment. Seokjin had also told him that Jungkook had claimed you, and that being claimed by a full bred is nothing like being claimed by a half breed. With the bond twice as strong, Jungkook shifting meant that you would feel it just as bad and could even be deadly for you. 

Oh, and Seokjin had even gone as far to tell Namjoon Jungkook’s name, which he of course immediately looked into. He’d found that Jungkook’s full name was Jeon Jungkook and that his family in America had been looking for him ever since his parents stopped contact all those years back. Namjoon doesn’t know what that means for your relationship, but if you’d truly meant harm to the panther then you’d have killed him long ago. So he deleted his search on Jungkook’s name from his computer with the intent to tell you as soon as everything else is sorted out. Jungkook had been so young when his parents died that Namjoon can’t fault him for not remembering he had family on the other side of the world. You, of course, only met the panther recently so you’re obviously not at fault for not knowing Jungkook had other family. The Jeon family’s search for Jungkook hadn’t reached this far and Namjoon had to do some real digging to find them, but guilt still weighed heavily on his mind. He should take Jungkook and give him back to his family before this whole thing with Hyungsik blows up. But by doing that, he’d only invite your wrath and he doesn’t exactly need you busting down his door, or laying waste to the precinct out of spite. 

The light thump of something hitting wood has Namjoon on high alert and he bolts up to find you’d fallen asleep. Seokjin said it would happen; the exhaustion of undergoing a shift even though you remained completely human. It takes a toll on a hybrid, so Namjoon can’t imagine what it’s done to your body. But according to Seokjin, you should be out for a good day, maybe even two. For Namjoon to find you mere hours after the incident, not only up and walking, but so alert that you could fight him off, simply means you’re far stronger than anyone realizes. He doubts even you know how special you truly are. Without any understanding as to what happened, your first instinct was to go back to familiarity and protect yourself with a ferocity Namjoon hadn’t seen in some time. “You’re remarkable,” he mumbled aloud before he could stop himself. A moment later, an entire bated breath, Namjoon relaxed when he realized you hadn’t heard him. 

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Light shined through the cabin window as you groaned and tossed the blanket over your head. You froze and scrambled off the couch, reaching for your gun and finding comfort in the weight of it. You swept through the cabin with no sign of Namjoon and you think he’s already left, which means you’re behind on time and Taehyung and Yoongi could already be close. “Shit,” you hissed through clenched teeth and moved for the door only for it to be thrown open, a freshly cleaned Namjoon standing in the doorway. He must have washed up at the lake, you realized and set your gun away, doesn’t seem like a bad idea right about now.

“You look like hell,” Namjoon deadpanned, shaking his head swiftly to get rid of the excess water in his hair. “I gotta say, Y/N, the bloodied and dirty look isn’t the best fashion choice.”

“Shut up,” you warned even as the dried mud began to flake off your clothes. Looking down at your arm, you wonder if the wounds have begun getting infected, but a salve on the bite marks covers them. Namjoon must have tended to them while you were asleep and it reminds you of Taehyung. Your heart squeezed in your chest at the memory but anger also flared up at the thought of so many people taking care of you when you’d gone so long doing it yourself. 

“A simple ‘thank you’ works, you know,” Namjoon’s deep voice startled you back to the moment. “Then again, I don’t really expect one. Solemn silence will do.”

A laugh threatens to escape but you clamp your mouth shut before it can. With a huff, you barreled past Namjoon to make the 10 minute walk to the lake. A change of clothes weighed in your arms as you stomped through damp leaves, why you’re okay with turning your back to Namjoon, you’re unsure. A part of you knows that if Seokjin can trust him, then you should too. Another part doesn’t even want to fully trust Seokjin, but he wouldn’t go through all of this trouble to hurt any of you. His wife and daughter are proof enough. Bitterly, you think he could have made up his entire family to gain your trust. Then equally as bitter, you conjure up an entire scenario in which Seokjin trapped and took advantage of a hybrid that resulted in pregnancy. No. Seokjin is not that kind of man, you’re sure of it. He didn’t send Namjoon out here to hunt you down, he sent the detective out to check on you. Namjoon was the one who decided to stay and tend to you. Seokjin has to be out of his mind with worry. You know that you’re definitely considering going back to check on Jungkook. 

Muscles sore and aching, you shed your clothes as soon as you reached the lake, dropping your gun just slightly closer to shore. The water was cold after the storm, clouds still taking over the sky and not allowing the sun to shine through and gift you a little bit of warmth. The mud was stubborn, leaving you to dunk underwater and scrub at your hair vigorously until you were surrounded by a cloud of dirt. When you finally pop back up, it’s to see Namjoon sitting next to your pile of clean clothes. “Holy shit!”

“Hyung said not to leave you alone,” he explained as you waded in the water at eye level rather than your entire upper body. “I only just got here, Y/N, I didn’t see anything. Besides that, I thought you might have drowned.”

You shot him a glare instead of a verbal response and glance at your gun that he’d left in place. No, he meant no harm to you. He would have hidden it or attacked you in the water. You’re becoming far too trusting, you scold yourself. 

“You shouldn’t sit in there too long.” He stood and turned his back to walk away to give you some privacy. “The bacteria in the water won’t do any good for those bite marks. They still need to be bandaged up.” 

You didn’t need the reminder, but wait for him to disappear through the trees before emerging from the water and dressing in a hurry. He must have called Seokjin after you left the cabin and the thought makes you uneasy. If Yoongi could track your phone, then he’d have no problem tracking Namjoon’s. Or worse, Namjoon might not have even actually called Seokjin but rather his partner. The thought hits you like a freight train and a sense of panic begins to rise, but then you reach the cabin to see Namjoon picking out the mud from both his and your boots with a pointed stick. You don’t like feeling rattled, especially around him, so you casually throw out, “Did you call Jackson?”

That made him pause but only briefly before he went back to cleaning the boots. “I’d ask how you know my partner’s name, but then you wouldn’t be labeled as one of the most skilled hunters around, would you? Well done on your homework, Y/N.”

“You seem to enjoy pissing me off,” you snapped back at him, “even knowing how easily I can kill you.”

“I didn’t call Jackson,” he chuckled. “I called hyung, like I said I did.”

“Shouldn’t you be at the precinct working on that warrant for Nam’s house?”

“I’ve got Jackson working on it,” he assured, dropping one boot and picking up a dirty one. “Don’t lose your shit just yet. Jackson hates Hyungsik just as much as the next person. He had no issue drawing up a warrant for the house.”

“Warrants take time,” you reminded him with a tilt of your head. “That’s what you said back at the diner.”

“I didn’t mention that they don’t take as long if someone’s been investigated before.” Namjoon smirked at you from the porch. “Hyungsik may have a perfect image on the surface, but on paper, he’s a person of interest in several different cases. Getting a warrant won’t be nearly as hard.”

“And you wonder why I don’t trust you.” You stalked into the cabin to rummage through the overnight bag you’d brought. You were going to return to the office in the next couple of days to pack more since you were in a hurry to leave in case Seokjin had told Taehyung where you’d be. Running a brush through your hair, you watched Namjoon from inside as his shoulders worked with the task of scraping out mud from your boots. “Why are you cleaning my boots?”

“If you plan on staking out Hyungsik’s home and sneaking in there, which I don’t doubt you’ll do,” he dropped another clean boot to work on his own, “then tracking mud through the house won’t help you any.”

“I hate cops,” you muttered and tossed the hairbrush on the couch before sitting on it, eyes never leaving Namjoon. Upon first meeting him, you knew he was smart. Looking at him now and the way he figured out your plans in a night, you know he’s fucking genius and that’s why he’d moved up the ladder in the precinct so fast. Despite a good night’s worth of sleep, you’re still tired and you don’t know why. Being away from Jungkook doesn’t help either.

“Jungkook shifted last night,” Namjoon hummed, remaining perfectly calm as you strode across the room in a flash and pressed your gun to the back of his head.

“Where did you hear that name?”

“Hyung told me last night.” He continued to work on his dirty boots as if you weren’t holding him at gunpoint. “He didn’t mean to but he had no other way of explaining the situation. He asked me to come out here because he was worried the effects of Jungkook shifting could have killed you.” He heard you cock back the firing pin, but still remained unbothered. “Being bonded to a hybrid is one thing, being bonded to a full bred shifter like Jungkook is another. It’s rare, but it does happen, Y/N. You’re not the first person hyung’s treated and you won’t be the last.”

“What else do you know?” Your free hand is shaking though you go through great efforts not to let Namjoon notice. Seokjin told him too much as is, now you need to know what else Namjoon was able to get out of him. “It’d be a shame to die without spilling what else Seokjin told you.”

“He told me what was necessary, nothing more.” Namjoon dropped the last boot, finally done with cleaning both pairs. “If he hadn’t then you very well could have died. I bet you don’t have anything in that bag to dress any wounds, do you?”

“Bites aren’t exactly the worst of my injuries.” 

“Drop your gun, Y/N. If I wanted to out Jungkook then I would have. He’s perfectly safe where he’s at, which you’d know if you called hyung.” He pulled out his phone and set it on the porch next to him. For a moment, he thinks you’ll actually do it, but then you drop your gun and turn to stride back into the cabin. You have to be one of the most stubborn people he’s ever met, and given his line of work, that’s saying a lot.    

“You’ve done what Seokjin asked.” You stood in the middle of the room, gun still in hand while the other rested on your hip. “Why are you still here?”

“Because your hybrid is unstable without you. If he shifts again while you’re out here, then you could hurt yourself again, maybe even worse this time. I don’t need a pissed off hybrid and hybrid hunter at my door because you were too stupid to let me help.” 

“I’m not a fucking child. I don’t need help or protection, despite what Seokjin said. This mess you’ve gotten yourself into, Namjoon, is going to end in blood whether you want it to or not. Hyungsik won’t go down without a fight and I plan on putting him in the ground one way or another. You’re better off distancing yourself now before it gets even messier.”

“What do you think’s going to happen to that hybrid if you’re gone?” Namjoon shot back just as viciously. “You think he won’t lose his fucking mind? You think he won’t go absolutely fucking feral on everyone and everything around him? This isn’t just about your pride or the need to take Hyungsik out. It’s about Jungkook and whatever hybrid is left in that house, and their safety. But Jungkook won’t be safe if you’re gone, Y/N. He’ll spill human blood and then what do you think will happen to him? Hybrids don’t get fair trials, you know that. They’ll kill him without a second thought.”

You were at a loss, hands shaking at your sides as your free hand balled into a fist. You hated to admit that Namjoon was right. Hated that he could get under your skin so easily by bringing up the simple fact that with you gone, Jungkook is still in danger. Namjoon’s assessment of a situation you didn’t even consider made your blood boil. Why you didn’t consider what could happen after the confrontation with Hyungsik, you don’t know. All you know is that he’s an obstacle you have to be able to overcome. Namjoon had to go as well. It did you no good to have him throwing ‘what ifs’ around, but it also did you no good to send him away either. He can get his people into the house and to the hybrids, leaving space for you to get to Hyungsik. 

“Did Seokjin tell you how Jungkook is now?” you asked the detective, hearing a heavy sigh leave his mouth. Gritting your teeth, you prepared yourself for the worst.

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“How’s he doing?” Taehyung asked Seokjin as they both squatted next to Jungkook’s sleeping form. 

“He’s still running a fever.” Seokjin frowned and used the wash cloth Taehyung had brought him to wipe away the sweat on the hybrid’s brow. “I don’t understand, he should be fine.”

“It’s the separation,” Yoongi said from the doorway of yours and Jungkook’s shared room. “He was stressed before Y/N left and stayed that way throughout the entire day until you got back and gave us the bad news. The second she decided to leave this apartment, his anxiety skyrocketed, taking a bigger toll on his body than we thought.”

“It’s not usually like this.” Seokjin turned to Yoongi. “Full shifters are able to control themselves after an episode like that. They may not remember it, but they can function normally.”

“Jungkook’s trauma probably adds on to it.” Yoongi shrugged his shoulders. “Hyung, he’s not exactly a normal shifter. Jungkook’s pure-bred. There’s a lot we still don’t know about them.”

“We need Y/N,” Taehyung growled. He’d been pissed all day. Pissed that you won’t allow him to help. Pissed that you’d leave Jungkook in the state that he’s in. Pissed that you’re willing to throw your entire life away over scum like Hyungsik under the guise that all you want is to protect Jungkook. He wants to call bullshit. He wants to find you, grab you by the shoulders, and shake some sense into you. He knows it’ll never happen though. You’re far too good at what you do, disappearing is basically second nature for you. The fact that Seokjin confirmed what they had all feared after getting a phone call from Namjoon ate at Taehyung more and more with each passing minute. The fact that Namjoon won’t tell them where you were either grates on his nerves. He should be the one helping you. He should be the one taking care of you. Him and Jungkook, and Seokjin, and Yoongi, and Hoseok. They should all be there and they weren’t, and he hated it. 

“Taehyung, relax.” Yoongi put a hand on his shoulder. He saw the tension in the younger man’s shoulders from a mile away. Having him on a rampage won’t help Jungkook get better, nor will it help you get the job done any faster. “We have to be patient. She can do this.”

“She shouldn’t be doing it alone,” Taehyung shot back, standing up straight and storming into the living room. Throwing himself on the sofa, he denied Hoseok’s offer of food. How he can even think of eating right now is beyond Taehyung, but in the back of his mind he knew he was being unfair. They didn’t deserve his pissy mood, and he knew that Hoseok meant well. But fuck, he couldn’t sit around on his ass while you were who the hell knows where, doing who the hell knows what. 

Seokjin and Yoongi made their way into the living room soon after Taehyung. Seokjin frowned when Hoseok shot a pleading look at him, eyes bouncing back and forth between him and Taehyung. He wrung his hands together nervously as Yoongi walked past him to settle on the sofa. “Jungkook won’t get better until Y/N gets back.”

“What if she doesn’t come back?” Hoseok asked what everyone was thinking even if they didn’t want to voice it aloud. 

“Shut up,” Taehyung hissed, preparing to launch himself across the room to strangle Hoseok if it got him to stop talking. He nearly accomplished doing so if Yoongi hadn’t tackled him to the ground. He wrestled with the older man, managing to put him in a headlock while Yoongi used all of his strength to keep Taehyung pinned to the floor. “Get off of me!”

“Calm your stupid ass down and I will!” Yoongi grunted, finally breaking free from Taehyung’s hold and gripping his shoulders to keep him in place. “You can’t do this shit, Taehyung! Fighting us, arguing with us, losing your shit, you can’t do it, okay?! You’re not the only one on edge here. We’re all worried about what could happen to either of them, but she left us here to take care of Junkgook. We can’t do that if we don’t stay calm. So stop it now.”

Taehyung wasn’t sure what was worse. Yoongi being the one to tell him to get some common sense, or that he had to be told to get some self control in the first place. For so long, it had only been you and him. The two of you getting into trouble and then him bailing you out or vice versa. Just the two of you living your lives whether it be in squalor or the few short months you’d managed to gain the both of you access to luxury. And then it hit him. He loved you. He loved you from the moment you saved his life in the dirty alley all those years ago. He loved you even when you were vicious and unrecognizable while other times it was like a complete 180, and you were the girl he owed his life to. He loved you even when he knew you could never love him back, and he would always be okay with that.

“It hurts,” Taehyung gasped through his tears that he didn’t even realize had been falling. Throwing his hands up to his face and pushing the palms of his hands into his eyes, he sobbed. Hard. His lip quivered, his chest ached, his throat burned, but he didn’t care. “It hurts so fucking much.”

“I know.” Yoongi’s voice softened as he let up and reeled back to fall on his ass. He knew from the second he’d seen Taehyung scold you that it was more than just friendship. Taehyung had done things for you that Yoongi hadn’t been able to since you were a teenager, and it filled him with a jealous rage he didn’t even know he was capable of feeling. But the one thing he could never do was fall in love with you, not the way Taehyung had. Yoongi was never what you needed, he’d always known that. Yes, he was the only escape you’d ever had, but he wasn’t capable of healing your wounds physically like Taehyung could, or mentally like Jungkook had. Still, he understood the way Taehyung’s heart felt like it was splitting in half. Because he’d felt it too. The day your grandfather had whisked you away left a hole in his heart that he was never able to fill. 

Seokjin could only stare at his feet while Taehyung bawled his eyes out. He spared Yoongi a glance to find his friend on the verge of his own tears. He knew now, the kind of effect you had on people. Yoongi had explained it to him one night and while he thought he’d understood perfectly well, he clearly didn’t get it as much as he initially thought. You were cruel, he knew that, but you were also fiercely protective, even for him and his family when you hadn’t even known him that long. You had no reason to trust him, but you did, and you’ve gone out of your way to make sure he didn’t fall too deep because you swore that he’d get his family back. Something constricted in his chest when he realized your determination to keep him and his reputation intact is because of his family. A family that you never had. A family that you don’t want him to miss out on. 

Hoseok was guilt ridden. He never should have asked what would happen if you don’t return safely. It did something that could never be undone. Taehyung was crumbling, Yoongi was fighting a losing battle as a few tears slipped down his cheeks, and Seokjin…well, Seokjin was known for keeping everything running smoothly but now he’d clammed up and bowed his head with a sadness Hoseok didn’t think anybody but Yoongi had felt in the years Hoseok had known him. He didn’t know the way Yoongi and Taehyung did, he only knew that you were precious to them and in turn had become precious to him as well, even though he’d seen you hold your own against any and all odds. You didn’t need to be taken care of or protected, but they wanted to do it. You were too important to all of them. They would lose a part of themselves if you were gone. He jumped when a knock sounded from the front door and moved to answer it since no one else could seem to gather themselves enough.  

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“I can slip in with your officers,” you said as you paced the length of the rundown cabin. When Namjoon didn’t respond, you looked over to find him grimacing at his phone screen. “What? What is it?”

“Hyung hasn’t called.” Namjoon drew his eyebrows together in confusion. “He said he would.”

“Namjoon.” You snapped your fingers to get his attention. “Focus. The sooner we get through this, the sooner we can check on him.” 

He grit his teeth but listened and shoved his phone back into his pocket. The slight twitching of your fingers didn’t make him feel any better though, because if you were nervous about Seokjin’s lack of communication, then he for damn sure should be worried too. There wasn’t much he could do except listen to this so-called plan you have. It’s not the greatest and it could end in disaster, but with no extensive knowledge about Nam’s home, then he’s left to rely on your and your word. When you were done explaining, he gathered up his things in preparation to leave. “I’m going back into town. Jackson should be done with the warrant. If you can, stay closer to Hyungsik’s home. Without a way to communicate, you’ll have to wait it out until we get there.”

You nodded in understanding while he made his way outside. He stopped to toss a look over his shoulder, a silent reminder to be patient and not storm Hyungsik’s home by yourself. When he was finally out of sight, you turned to a slightly dislodged panel of the wall. Namjoon hadn’t seemed to notice it and you blew out a sigh of relief when you pried it open to find another pack hidden within it. Pulling it free, you unzipped it to find more knives, a few more pistols, and more ammunition. All the years you’d spent hunting and you’d never been able to get your hands on any kevlar. It occurred to you to ask Namjoon, but then Hyungsik would notice the difference. Not once had you gone out of your way to protect yourself to that extreme, and having Nam pick up on it wouldn’t bode well. He’s a smart man, he’d make the connections too easily and it would leave you too vulnerable. You couldn’t risk it. 

Hours later, you found yourself stooped low behind a tree not too far from Hyungsik’s house. Nothing really prepared you for the flashing blue and red lights that came up his driveway. You knew it’d be coming, but it brought back memories you weren’t willing to relive. Jaw ticking, you powered through and slipped in behind a few uniforms as they barged inside with Namjoon at the front. Nobody seemed to notice your presence, or if they did they weren’t too concerned about it. While Yejin and her mother screamed in terror at the men sweeping through their home, you’d slipped into an entryway that you knew led to Hyungsik’s office. Either he hadn’t heard the commotion yet, or he was hiding there like a coward. 

Crouching low and planting your ear against the door, you could hear file cabinets being slammed shut and a slew of curse words leave an adult man’s mouth. With a smirk, you slowly crept into the room, hiding amongst the shadows and watching Hyungsik panic while searching his desk for something. Jungkook’s file, you realized, as he pounded his fist against his desk repeatedly and muttered about the black panther hybrid. Gun loaded, silencer screwed onto the barrel, you stepped into what little lighting there was and took aim.

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Namjoon had picked only the finest and most trustworthy officers to go with him to raid Hyungsik’s home, Jackson included. Back when he’d first gotten to the station, he’d pulled them into the briefing room and informed them that he’d brought in an outside source. He’d told them to pay no mind and keep searching for the captive hybrids, that his “hired gun” wouldn’t get in their way so they should mind their own while there. When he’d pushed his way through the doors, he noticed a few uniforms glance along the walls where they thought their eyes were playing tricks. But Namjoon knew better. It was you combing your own way through the house. A few of his officers were busy holding back Mrs. Nam and the daughter while the rest scoured the large house. Namjoon stayed in the middle where he could be seen if needed, and it was with a relieved slump of his shoulders when he’d been told the hybrids had been found that he felt himself smile triumphantly. With the hybrids safe and being led outside to waiting transport vehicles, Jackson congratulated his friend with a pat on the shoulder. He needed to find you, though, because he didn’t know what you were getting yourself into and the last thing he needed was a dead body on his hands. Creeping his way through the house proved to be rather difficult when his damn phone wouldn’t stop going off. He huffed out a curse and lifted the phone to his ear. “What?”

“Namjoon,” Seokjin’s frantic voice greeted him. “Something’s happened.”

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“I figured you’d be coming sooner or later.” Hyungsik didn’t seem nearly as frazzled as he was a moment ago. He looked you right in the eye and had the balls to smirk. “When I was able to track down Dr. Kim’s whereabouts, I knew this day would come. Clever one, aren’t you, Y/N?”

You tensed. He’d known? He’d tracked down Seokjin? What the fuck was going on?

“You led my men in circles,” Hyungsik chuckled darkly. “I knew what I was dealing with when it came to you. But when you went after Suho, I knew something was off. Even though you two hate each other, you’ve always managed to not cross paths with him unless you were forced to. At first I thought it was because of the money, and then I thought it was really because he was hindering the job, but then you made a mistake. You fought him.”

“He sought me out,” you hissed.

“Yes, but usually you let him go.” Hyungsik shook his head as if amused. “This time, however, you fought him hand to hand. Something in you snapped, and I knew. You had him, didn’t you? The hybrid I paid a pretty penny for.”

Had.

“What did you do?” The gun in your hand began to shake as fury built up in the pit of your belly, along with a striking fear you hadn’t felt since you were a child. When all he did was laugh in response, you cocked back the firing pin. “What the fuck did you do?!”

Nothing. He said nothing, admitted to nothing, but he smiled. Grinned from ear to ear and suddenly you were brought back to the days where your grandfather would give you the same sinister pull of his mouth. You pulled the trigger and Hyungsik jumped, looking over his shoulder to find a bullet lodged in the wall a few inches from his head. 

“I won’t ask you again,” you warned with a trembling voice. Fuck, this wasn’t how it was supposed to go. You knew it would go sideways, but you didn’t think someone like Hyungsik could get the drop on someone like you. 

“Y/N,” a smooth voice entered the room. Namjoon had his own gun drawn, aimed right at you and ready to fire if necessary. “Put it down.”

“Fuck off, Kim.”

“I can’t let you kill him,” Namjoon sounded desperate. “I need him alive for those hybrids to get their own justice.”

“What better justice than his death?” You set your jaw and adjusted your aim to right in the middle of Hyungsik’s forehead.

“You won’t find Jungkook without him.” Namjoon tried one more time, hearing an audible gasp escape your lips. “He has him, Y/N, I’m so sorry. He took Jungkook and we’re doing everything we can to find him, but Hyungsik has to live long enough to tell us.”

The last of your restraint snapped and you dropped your gun to rush Hyungsik, gripping the front of his dress shirt and shoving him into the wall with brute force. You cocked your fist back and drove it into his face, hearing the crunch of bones and knowing you broke his nose. Another punch and his teeth cracked together. Another one and his head smacked back into the wall. Another and another and another until Namjoon forced you away. 

He wrapped his arms around your waist and lifted you back as you clawed at his forearms. You were like a feral animal, he noted, and could only watch you struggle against his hold and snarl at Hyungsik. He looked at Hyungsik’s bloody face, feeling a bit of satisfaction when the older man slumped to the floor in both shock and pain. Clearly he’d never been on the receiving end of your fury and Namjoon could only hope that he himself would never have to endure it. Hauling your kicking and screaming form out of the room, Namjoon kept you from attacking the approaching officers, informing them of Hyungik’s condition and telling them to put him in cuffs. They rushed inside the office after sending him a worried look, but he simply waved them away and continued to drag you out of the house completely. 

“Let me go!” you screeched. There was a loud roaring in your ears as red painted your vision and you struggled against something solid. You couldn’t register Namjoon or the way he held you tight to his chest. “I’ll fucking kill him!”

“Y/N, stop it!” Namjoon’s voice boomed, catching everyone’s attention including Jackson’s. His partner stared at you two with wide eyes and took a step in your direction. Namjoon shook his head before shoving you up against his car. “Enough! You hear me? That’s fucking enough.”

Your chest rose and fell rapidly, eyes blinking away the hazy remnants of pure rage that clouded your vision. You broke, tears cascading down your face, and allowed Namjoon to wrap you up in his arms. A scream tore itself from your throat and vibrated against his chest, knees buckling and he did his best to hold you upright. If they’d gotten to Jungkook then there was no doubt that they’d hurt the rest of the guys. Taehyung, Yoongi, Seokjin, and Hoseok. They had to have hurt them all, or worse. Another piercing cry made its way out of your mouth as Namjoon shushed you gently, like a mother would a child. Like your mother did when you were a child.

“It’s okay,” he soothed, clutching onto you tightly. “It’s okay, Y/N. We’re going to find him, I promise. But right now we have to go back to Taehyung’s apartment. The guys are waiting for you there.”

“Detective,” an officer whose name Namjoon couldn’t bother to recall at the moment, approached him with a hybrid at his side. He hesitated but decided whatever he was going to say was important enough to interrupt. “The rest of our cars are full. You’ll have to take this hybrid with you.”

“Is there no one else?” Namjoon hissed back, tilting his head in your direction in hopes that the officer could take the damn hint. 

“No, sir,” the officer frowned and shook his head. “I’m sorry but we’re all full.”

Namjoon set his jaw and nodded. “Tell the captain I have one more stop to make and I’ve got a hybrid that we recovered with me.”

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Namjoon didn’t know what to make of the silent car ride. He glanced at you every few minutes to find that you’d been perfectly still in your seat. The shock must have finally sunk in, he figured, and checked his rearview mirror to see the red fox hybrid he’d been transporting in the back seat, silently watching and gauging you. This must not be one of the hybrid’s you’d hunted down for Hyungsik. Well, there’s one silver lining, Namjoon supposed. If you had been the one to track this poor guy down then this would have been an entirely different car ride. The city lights passed in a blur and Namjoon gripped his steering wheel tight. Whatever catatonic state you’d gone into isn’t good. He doesn’t know what, if anything at all, can pull you out of it, but when it does finally happen, he’s sure you’ll unleash hell on those around you. Finally pulling up to Taehyung’s building, he got out of the car and rounded it to the passenger side where he opened the door for you to get out as well. You moved mechanically, like a robot, but at least he didn’t have to hold you up anymore. He wasn’t sure he could do that and keep an eye on the hybrid in his care at the same time. 

You led Namjoon and the hybrid through the building until you finally reached Taehyung’s door. The keypad hadn’t been tampered with but the door was snapped off its hinges, meaning Hyungsik’s mean had barreled through once it was opened. Glass crunched beneath your heavy boot as you looked around the apartment. Furniture had been overturned, the tv smashed in, holes the size of fists littered the walls, and finally your eyes landed on a splatter of blood leading into the hallway. 

“Shit,” Namjoon growled and pulled on your upper arm to turn you away from the blood. From what he’d been told, none of the guys were hurt so where did it come from and where did it lead to? “Hyung?” he called out. 

“Here,” Seokjin answered tiredly, emerging from the hallway with Hoseok and Yoongi trailing behind him. He took in your state and rushed to you, cupping your face in his hands and watching your trembling lip. “Oh, Y/N.” He pulled you into his embrace, rocking you back and forth like he did with his own daughter when she was upset. “I’m so sorry.”

Yoongi’s hands itched to reach you. He wanted, no, needed to hold you. He needed to do as he’d always done, console you. Help you feel better. Take the pain away. Anything. But he couldn’t. He wasn’t who you needed at that moment. Who you needed was gone, taken, and they’d failed him. They didn’t fight back hard enough.

Hoseok couldn’t face you knowing that Jungkook was gone. He wasn’t a fighter like you were. None of them were on your level and part of him hates that you weren’t around to protect Jungkook like you’d promised to be. Part of him was angry that you could be so careless as to leave Jungkook in their less than capable hands. But he couldn’t blame you. All of them thought Taehyung’s apartment was safe. None of them were as prepared as they should have been. Footsteps caught his attention just as Taehyung emerged from his room dressed in a fresh change of clothes. Taehyung had fought the hardest, using skills that you’d taught him, but still…it wasn’t enough.  

“Taehyung,” you hiccupped from Seokjin’s arms, launching yourself at your best friend and nearly knocking him to the ground. “He’s gone, Taehyung. He’s gone and I–I–.”

“No,” Taehyung insisted, tightening his arms around your shoulders. “It wasn’t your fault. It wasn’t your fault, Y/N, you hear me?”

Tears poured down your face and you began wailing once more. It broke their hearts and reminded Yoongi of the night you’d lost your mother. Falling to your knees, Taehyung went with you, smoothing down your hair and kissing the top of your head. He’d seen you in a number of different states, but this was something else. This was heart wrenching. This was…this was you breaking. He’d never seen it to this extent and he hated himself for not being able to do more. 

“Taehyung?” a timid voice carried across the room. “K-Kim Taehyung?” Namjoon looked back at the hybrid he’d brought along, completely forgetting he was even there. Curiosity got the best of him as the red fox slowly approached you and Taehyung. It finally clicked that Taehyung knew this hybrid, and Namjoon looked to Seokjin while nodding in your direction. He was glad when his friend took the hint and gathered you in his arms instead.

“Jimin?” Taehyung breathed as Seokjin slowly peeled you away from him. Elation bloomed in his chest and sprung up from the floor to hug the red fox hybrid. “Holy shit, Jimin, it’s you. Oh my God, I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”

You stood blinking with confusion in Seokjin’s arms. Taehyung knew this hybrid? Taehyung had been looking for this hybrid? “Tae?”

“Seokjin, let her go,” Namjoon instructed the eldest. He recognized the anger swirling in your eyes. This wasn’t good. You were fresh off one betrayal and now that Taehyung had seemingly kept something so important from you, Namjoon had a feeling this wouldn’t end well. “Hyung, step. Away. From her.”

“What the fuck is this?” you seethed, jumping from emotion to the next as you so often did and everybody but Namjoon and this new hybrid were used to it. When Taehyung hadn’t answered, you blew up. “Kim Taehyung, I’m fucking talking to you!”

Taehyung tensed, slowly pulling back from Jimin and pushing his friend behind him as if to…protect him from you. Hurt flashed in your eyes and Taehyung winced because that wasn’t his intention. “Y/N, listen to me, please.”

“Listen to you?” you scoffed in disbelief. “What exactly am I supposed to be listening to, Taehyung?” your hands curled into fists as you stepped around piles of glass, slapping away Yoongi’s outstretched hand. “Don’t touch me!” 

“Y/N, please, just calm down.” Taehyung pled, stepping back every time you stepped forward. “Let me explain.”

“Oh, by all means,” your voice had gone cold, distant, and it sent chills up Namjoon’s spine to see such a stark contrast to the girl he’d comforted back at Hyungsik’s home. “Explain.”

Seconds felt like minutes. Minutes felt like hours. And you’d grown impatient, so much so that you’d plucked the knife strapped to your thigh and launched it across the room, everyone gaping at the way it lodged in the kitchen cabinet. “Fucking explain, Taehyung!”

“That night you found me,” Taehyung’s voice was barely a whisper, the red fox hybrid curling into his side, “I was left there by my father. He’d brought Jimin into our home as a slave, Y/N, and I didn’t like it. I didn’t like the way he treated Jimin, slapping him around and degrading him, so I stood up to my father. He’d gotten wasted that night like always, only this time.” He glanced down at his long lost friend and stroked behind his ear fondly, “this time he wanted Jimin to…”

Taehyung didn’t have to finish his sentence, he knew that you knew exactly what his father wanted from Jimin. Everyone in that room did, making their skin crawl. Tears pooled at your eyes, breath trembling as you waited for him to continue his story.

“Anyway,” Taehyung continued, “that night I tried to fight back. I pulled him off of Jimin so he could run away and when he was gone, my father turned to me and beat the shit out of me. Tossing me onto the street and never looking back. I hated him, Y/N, I always did but even more so when he mistreated Jimin.”

“And what?” you questioned, bottom lip quivering. “You went around hunting hybrids with me because…?”

“I thought eventually I’d find him,” Taehyung confessed, his face softening at seeing your tears again and he reached his hand out to grab yours, to comfort you and make you feel safe like he’d always done. “You’re the greatest tracker I know, Y/N. I thought---.”

“No!” You ripped your hand from his, making all of the guys flinch at your outburst. “No, Tae! You can’t do that!” Taking giant steps away from him and Jimin, you drew in a sharp breath, trying to keep your voice steady. “You...you knew what I did. You helped me, Taehyung, and did to those hybrids what your father did to Jimin. Was I a monster to you too, Tae?”

“Of course not!” He hissed in frustration and looked around to the rest of the room in hopes of getting some help. 

“What did you think of me, Taehyung?” you murmured, tears finally spilling over and running down your cheeks. “What did you really think of me?”

“I thought you were lost, Y/N, like most people were, like my father was. But I watched you tear yourself apart every time you delivered a hybrid, wanting so bad to take it all back and wishing we didn’t have to live that way. Your heart is bigger than you give yourself credit for and that’s why I never saw you as a monster. You’re my best friend and I wanted to help you find a better way---.”

“Oh, well fuck,” you let out a humorless laugh, “thank you, Saint Taehyung. Thank you for never mentioning how you felt about hybrids. Thank you for keeping that part of yourself from me and making me think that maybe I wasn’t as fucked up as I really am.”

“Y/N, please,” Taehyung pleaded with you and gently pulled Jimin from his side to try and approach you. “I would have died that night without you.”

“Oh fuck off!” you shrieked and wiped at the tears that seemed to be forever flowing, your skin becoming damp. “I saved you from a hybrid abusing alcoholic only for you to end up with another one. You saw the things I did, the things I said, the hybrids I doomed by giving them to the shittiest people alive, and you said nothing. You did nothing! You wiped the blood from my hands, the tears from my face, and the sweat from my forehead when I had nightmares and you didn’t say a fucking thing. You wanted to help me, Tae? You could have let me die with my demons the many nights I asked you to leave me and my bottle be.”

The room couldn’t have been more silent upon your confession. Only Taehyung knew you’d been suicidal throughout your hunting years. Only Taehyung had seen what could happen if he wasn’t around. And he hid this from you. All this time. 

“What would you have done if we’d come across him in a hunt?” you asked him, sidestepping Yoongi once more. Carefully, you circled your way around all of them until you were finally positioned by the front door. And Taehyung would usually notice, but this time he hadn’t. He hadn’t noticed and you finally saw yourself for what you were. A monster.

“Y/N,” Taehyung’s voice wavered this time. He never meant to hurt you this way, especially when you were already on edge from losing Jungkook.

“I should have known,” you whimpered, “you were too good of a person to be at my side. I really thought I just imagined you on some days. I didn’t deserve you in my life. I didn’t deserve anything. I’m tainted and everything I touch rots.”

“No, that’s not true!” Taehyung had grown frustrated, too frustrated, apparently because he’d caught on too late to what you were doing. He caught the small step you took in the direction of the door and lunged at the same time you bolted from the apartment. “No!” 

Thunder clapped as Taehyung sprinted after your quickly retreating figure, rain poured down against the windows. Everyone else seemed to be frozen, none of them able to move save for Jimin reaching out to Taehyung’s back. He didn’t want to stop Taehyung, far from it, but he wanted comfort from somebody familiar. Thunder boomed again and Jimin jumped in place, a small whimper escaping his mouth and was surprised to feel a gentle hand on his shoulder. He looked at Hoseok and allowed him to stay close.

“Damn it,” Namjoon cursed and ran a hand through his hair. “I have to go after them.”

“Namjoon, that’s not a good idea.” Seokjin stopped him from leaving. “Y/N’s too volatile for you to handle. Taehyung can do it.”

“She nearly killed him with that knife,” Namjoon snapped at him and threw his arm out to show the evidence of your anger. 

“All the more reason for Taehyung to be the only one to handle her right now.”

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Dripping wet, Taehyung stepped into a place he didn’t think he’d ever go back to. Or you for that matter. But this is where you were comfortable. This is where you could hide and feel safe. 

“Y/N,” he called out into the dark room. He had to admit he was a little scared. A bombshell had been dropped on you and if it’s one thing Taehyung had come to learn about you, it’s that you detested nothing more than unpredictability. You liked being ten steps ahead of anyone else, but tonight you’d been knocked down and kicked around. “Y/N, I know you’re here.”

“You should go,” your voice sounded far away but he knew you were hiding somewhere in the shadows. “Get the fuck out, Taehyung.”

“Only if you come with me,” he huffed. You were a fast runner, and he’d lost you once you’d made it out of the building of the apartment. But he knew exactly where you’d gone, sprinting the entire way to your old office. “I’m not leaving here until you are, you know that.”

The whoosh of a knife soaring through the air made his whole body lock up as it landed right next to his ear. You stepped into the light that filtered in from the neon signs outside. “I said get the fuck away from me.”

“You don’t get to be angry with me,” he argued through clenched teeth. You’d been mad at him plenty of times before, but you’d never physically attacked him. Even though he knew you would never actually hit him with a knife, the fact that you came so close was what pissed him off. “I didn’t intentionally withhold information about Jimin from you. I just forgot, okay? He was my best friend before you found me and yes, I thought I’d find him one day with your help. But over time, I lost hope that he was even still alive. It’s why I was never worried about crossing him during a job. I thought about him from time to time, I won’t lie about that, but they were just thoughts. I never dreamed I’d find him alive again. Only hoped.”

“And now he’s here,” you interrupted him, attempting to move around him as you had at the apartment. “How happy you must be. How fucking grateful you must feel to see him alive and well, Taehyung.”

“Don’t you fucking dare,” he snarled, standing tall and in your way because he’ll be damned if you get away from him again. “You’re not running away again. If you want to get past me, then you’re going to have to kill me. You want that?”

“I want to be left alone.” 

“Tough shit.” He stepped toward you, snagging you by the waist and lifting your feet from the ground before you could run out. He held on tight as you kicked off one of the beams and he flew back against the wall with a grunt. He moved his head just in time when you reared your own head back to try to connect with his chin, and still he held on for dear life. One of your legs flew forward and then came back to hit his shin. He grit his teeth, but didn’t let go, instead falling to one knee and shoving you face down to the ground. He pinned you by the shoulders and straddled your waist with only his partial weight. You may be a better fighter but he was bigger than you, it’s why you avoided physically fighting with him if you could. 

He loomed over you, dropping his forehead to the back of your head and whispering, “Stop it. Enough, now, Y/N.”

“I hate you,” you breathed. “I hate you with every ounce of my being, Kim Taehyung.”

“I don’t really give a fuck.” He did, actually. Hearing those words for your mouth with such conviction made him think that maybe there’s a little bit of truth to them. But no, you didn’t mean them. Not really. “You can hate me all you want, but you’re going back to the apartment. You’re going to listen to us and we’re going to come up with a plan to find Jungkook. One that doesn’t involve self-sacrifice, Y/N, because I know you. You’ll go in, guns blazing, and just hope you’ll come out alive. This fell apart because you weren’t with us. We should have been together, as a team, like we’ve always done.”

“I can’t!” you burst, body relaxing against the floor and turning around to face Taehyung with bloodshot eyes. It was then that he realized you’d been holding back this entire time. “I can’t, okay? I can’t go back there if he’s not there, Taehyung. You know what really scared me? It wasn’t the broken door, or the glass, or the mess, or even the fucking blood on the floor. It was walking into our room and not finding him there. It was being in there and realizing I never should have left. I left, Tae. I left him.”

Taehyung pressed his forehead to yours, wrapping his arms around your waist while your arms instinctively wound around his neck, and he lifted you from the floor to walk out of the office. He carried you the entire way back to the apartment, stepping into the foyer to find the rest of the guys cleaning up. He scanned the room for Jimin, spotting his friend on the sofa that had been righted. 

“Namjoon thought it was best for him to stay with someone familiar,” Seokjin explained, a broom in his hand that he was going to put down to check on you. Instead, he let Taehyung walk by him so he could set you on the sofa. 

Taehyung sat with you in his lap, facing Jimin and introducing you. “Chim, this Y/N, she helped save you tonight.”

You snorted into Taehyung’s neck. Saved was an overstatement. You’d gone in there with the intention of killing Hyungsik, it was the officers and Namjoon that really saved Jimin.

“Thank you,” Jimin’s melodic voice somehow soothed you and Taehyung smiled. Jimin always had a way of calming people, even now, after years of abuse, he was genuine in his gratitude. 

“You won’t thank me when you find out what I am,” you protested and Taehyung clicked his tongue in disapproval. You looked up at his face and huffed, “Well, he won’t.”

“Y/N’s a hunter, Chim,” Taehyung supplied. He prepared for the backlash to come from Jimin. He didn’t know what he’d gone through after escaping his father and the last thing he wanted was to push a button that could send Jimin spiraling. “A lot of those hybrid’s in Hyungsik’s home…she put them there.”

Jimin frowned at you. It was your first time meeting but from the way the guys spoke of you, and from what he’d seen, he could tell that you weren’t like the people he usually encountered. You cared and loved, but you were scared. Scared that every time something good happens there’s bad lurking around the corner, always living your life waiting for the other shoe to drop. He could feel Taehyung’s body vibrating with emotion, his best friend waiting patiently to see his reaction. He tilted his head and reached out, pausing briefly as your body tensed, and continued on until his fingers grazed your skin, gently running along your arm.

“You won’t hurt me,” he assessed. “I know that.”

You felt scrutinized under Jimin’s gaze, but it felt like a weight was lifted from your shoulders when he accepted you and what you are. You opened your mouth to thank him, for what you’re not entirely sure, when the juncture in your neck began to burn. You inhaled sharply and jumped away from Taehyung’s lap with urgency, rushing to the bathroom with all the guys barreling behind you. A flurry of ‘what’s wrong’ followed you as you burst through the bathroom door to look in the mirror. Jungkook’s bite mark was perfectly normal, the skin wasn’t irritated, but it still burned like hell. 

“Jungkook’s awake,” you puffed out and turned to them. You met each pair of eyes with determination. “It’s time to find him.” 

#hunting a hybrid fic #jeon jungkook smut #bts hybrid au #bts smut #jeon jungkook imagine #bts fanfic #jeon jungkook fanfic