#elphiej

[elphiej]

Be My Light - Chapter 4:   The Mad Leader

*Genre: Mafia, angst, eventual smut, slow burn

*Warnings: References to violence, minor assault, 

Author’s note: First off, I’d like to send a special Thank You to someone who was a huge inspiration to me and to this story. This is the chapter that really started it all and I was inspired by @bangtan-sonyeonddaeng  ‘s mafia reaction series. She is a fantastic person and was one of the first people I showed this Be My Light to when I was too scared to post it. She is a beautiful soul and wonderful writer. Thank you for the push. 

Another Big thanks to my editor for sticking with me all this time and into the future. And, of course, to all the people who are reading, commenting, and reblogging this. I can’t tell you all how much is means to me. Thank you all and I hope you enjoy this next installment of Be My Light. (P.S. I have a thing for RM in a long trench coat.)

Tag list:  @lolalalooo @bangtan-sonyeonddaeng, @barbikatherine , @mrsfortune1306 , @lovesick-heart0 , @iamnamjoonsbxtch , @deathkat657 , @deeepvibes , @sugamonster22 , @weiinihao, @hemmofluke , @rainbow-zebra-unicorns , @joyfullyobsessed , @elvencantation , 

                                   Chapter 4: The Mad Leader

              You stared at the cell phone clutched in your hand, your mind spinning with so many questions. Who were those people? Why did talking to this ‘RM’ make you feel like something bad was coming? With that deep, serious tone, were they just as dangerous as the man with the cane? And what kind of normal person calls themselves ‘RM’? Agust was already on the edge of interesting and odd as it was. Scanning over the still lit screen, you wondered what other names were in the contact list. Other than ‘God of Destruction’, the last few calls you could see without going through the device belonged to ‘Mochi’, ‘My Favorite’, and ‘Worldwide Pain in my Ass’. Based on those names, you couldn’t begin to imagine who was gonna match those names.

               It was safe to assume that this RM guy was concerned about the man in the suit trying to finish the job. The hospital had a good security team but you thought it best to talk to Doctor- Henry- to see if more could be done. Your hand paused as it went to put the cell phone back with Agust’s things; if RM or any of the odd named voices tried to contact you for an update, they would most likely call that, instead of trying to navigate the hospital switch board. Figuring it was the best option, you placed the phone safely in your scrub’s pocket as you moved to the bedside for one last check on the patient. Agust hadn’t moved again since right before the phone call and was still as could be. The monitors were all reading normally. There was a blood transfusion line in his arm to help replace what he had lost, along with another IV pushing fluids and medication. You adjusted his arm to make it more comfortable for him once he woke up.

               “I’ll be back to check on you as soon as I can,” you said as you fixed his blankets. “Please, try not to do anything until I get back.”

               You slipped out of the room and pulled the door shut behind you. There was an anxious feeling that crept back into your gut, the same one you felt when you had first heard the gun shots ring out from the silence of the construction site. Your mind had so many thoughts and scenarios running through it that you felt overwhelmed. Things like, ‘what if the man with the cane and rough voice came here? Would he shoot his way through the floors until he found Agust? Were you really as safe as you hoped?’ The hospital had been under a few threats but nothing had ever come from those except words. It would be best to stay as cautious as possible. You had too many friends and patients to not take your feelings seriously.

               As you made your way towards your station, you were surprised to see that Henry was already there leaning over the desk with the phone pressed up against his ear. He pulled a pad of paper from the other side of the desk and started scribbling something down as he nodded and spoke in a low tone to whomever was on the other end. That saves me from having to page him, you mused. Henry did a double take towards you when he noticed you out of the corner of his eye. He beaconed you over with an urgent wave of his hand. The calm yet awkward demeanor from earlier had been replaced with a more serious one. Once you were within an arm’s reach of him, he reassured whomever he was talking to that ‘everything will be taken care of’ and hung up.

               “Good,” he said, placing a hand on your shoulder, “I need you to help me.”

               “Henry, about that John Doe patient. I was able to talk to someone close to him. I think we may need to alert the security team about- “

               “I’ve already talked to them. The hospital is going on alert for any suspicious activity entering the hospital. And we are actually moving the patient to one of the private units upstairs. I just got off the phone with the director and we’ve got everything worked out for you so you’ll be safe,” he said over his shoulder as he started walking down the hall.

               “Wait, what does that mean? What do you mean by worked everything out?” You took extra long steps to keep up with his brisk pace.

               “The same person who demanded higher security for that patient requested that you be kept with him as his private staff until otherwise. Which means you’ll be in the secure ward with him in case anything happens. It’s gonna be for the best. You were the first one with him and it’s gonna be more comfortable if he doesn’t have to get acclimated to someone else after all this. Don’t worry, we’ve got it worked out with Jax already.”

               Henry led you back into Agust’s room and made fast work of disconnecting him from the machines that surrounded him. He pulled the IV bags down and placed them on the bed by the still form. Meanwhile, you were frozen at the end of the bed, feeling dizzy from how fast he seemed to expect you to understand what was happening. This wasn’t the first gang related case you had been assigned to since starting at Mercy, nor was it the first gunshot case; why did this sudden change to the routine make you feel ever more nervous? Never had you moved a patient into a secure wing designed from more severe or quarantined patients before just because someone had requested it. Henry called your name to shake you from your thoughts and motioned you to move to the side of the bed as he unlocked the wheels of the gurney and pushed the bed from the wall. As you helped guide it from the room, you couldn’t help but feel the tension grow.

               “So, I am just supposed to stay locked up in some room like a prisoner? And be someone’s private nurse? What about the rest of my patients here? I can’t just leave Amber to tend to them all alone. We are short staffed as it is,” you mentioned as you navigated everyone into the elevator at the end of the hall.

               Henry hit a button and the elevator started to move. He leaned close to look you in the face, his eyes filled with seriousness. “Listen, Y/N, I know this is strange but you just have to trust me. I don’t know all the details but someone particularly important has to be involved to make the director so quick to comply with whatever they asked. But no matter what, your safety is my priority, maybe a bit more than my patients. I’m sure the director thinks that too. Whoever it is must just want to make sure this guy has the best care possible. And when he gets here, he’ll probably want to hear from you what happened. And if whatever gang did this does try anything, I don’t want you to worry because no one is going to get to him or you. Only the director, you, and I will have access to this room or know where he is. Apparently, the man the director talked to said he would have a way to get a hold of you and prove his identity to gain access. I know how you are, Y/N, you are a great person. That’s why you’re so good at what you do. But don’t think that you are inconveniencing anyone; Jax has already rearranged everything and made some calls. I really need you to think about yourself now. And what is best is for you is to do what I am asking and not over think this right now.”

               Henry was being so sincere that you couldn’t find the voice to make any arguments. You gave him a weak nod and tried to take what he said to heart. As Amber had pointed out before, one of your qualities was that you put others well before yourself. Hence, why you were in this predicament. As the doors opened onto the new floor, you promised him that you would try.

               The door opened onto a floor where the more severe, long term patients were kept. This floor could, also, be used for quarantining or the more delicate of patients. At the moment, you knew it had only a few occupants: a coma patient, a patient suffering from extreme burns, and someone from the psych ward that needed more focused attention. To enter this ward, you needed a key card, making this more isolated than your full and frantic floor. Henry commented there was no record that Agust had been moved in any of the files. And if anyone tried to look him up, it would be like he never existed. The person who had called to make all this happen had said he’d contact you and that he and his colleagues were to say they were here to perform community service if asked by anyone else. Apparently, they deemed it as security protection. Henry had you swipe your ID to gain access to the floor and you made your way down the silent hall to the vacant room Henry had staked out for you to stay in. The room was bigger than the one you were used to on your floor. There was a small couch across from where the bed was to go, a private bath off near the entrance, and even a TV in the corner. There was, also, a small recliner near where the head of the gurney was to rest. You imagined you’d be there most of the time. Henry helped you set everything back up in the room and did a quick check on the patient after he was secured in his new residence.

               “Hopefully, he’s gonna wake up a bit soon. He’s reacting well to what I’m doing,” Henry commented as he checked Agust’s pupils constrict as he shined his pen light in them. He gave some instructions about his IV and transfusion processes. He gave you a quick run down of the floor in case you needed anything. “Until he wakes up, I guess feel free to do whatever in here. It can be like a mini vacation. You know, if you ignore all the weird stuff happening. You can watch some TV or order some food. The mysterious man said to spare no expense when it came to our patient or you. I promise by Friday this will be all over and we can go out and talk about nicer things. Okay?”

               Before you could stop yourself, you felt your cheeks get hot and you turned your eyes to the floor. This was not the best place for this, but you knew Henry did it to only ease the anxiety you were feeling. He was almost too perfect. Henry promised to check in once he had finished his rounds as he left from the room and pulled the door shut behind him. You heard the security lock click into place, knowing it would only open from the inside or if you had an ID card. You allowed yourself to drop into the recliner, allowing everything to wash over you. Paranoia was thick in the air as you tried to make sense of everything. Henry was right; whoever these people were they must just want to talk to you and this was easier than scouting the halls. But the thought did very little to chase the nervousness away. Your hands started to rub together out of tension, squeezing your fingers, cracking your knuckles one by one with your thumbs. You took a few deep breaths as you tried to force yourself out of the impending panic. Your eyes looked over at the bed. You tried to remind yourself that you needed to keep it together and be strong for him. Then your eyes landed on his hand. You remembered when you were hiding behind the counter when the man with the cane was getting closer and closer. And when Agust had reached over and squeezed your hand. In that moment, he gave you reassurance with such a small gesture, not thinking of himself. You remembered how genuine it felt. It’d be nice if you could do that now, you thought with a weak smile.

               Instead, you settled for forcing yourself to think of something else. You read through his charts, tapped through some news on your phone, and tried to people watch out the window behind the couch. The afternoon sun had started making its way towards the horizon; how quickly the day had ended up flying by. You had decided against turning on the television for now, thinking how awkward it would be for him to wake up to you watching some trash TV show. You tried walking around the room to get a sense of where you’d be staying for the foreseeable future. But all of that only killed twenty minutes and you were still stir-crazy. There wasn’t much you could do for Agust at the moment, except allow him to rest without you trying to hold his hand or anything else.

               Suddenly, there was a buzzing in your pocket; it was Agust’s phone. You were a bit ashamed at how quickly you reached for it. There was a new text message. It was from a new named contact: Sunshine. The preview of the message said, ‘To Miss Nurse’, making your assumption that the people on the other end would have expected you to keep the phone on you correct. And since it was addressed to you, you didn’t feel too bad about opening the phone again. You swiped open the text and tried not to scroll anywhere higher into their previous chats.

-          Sunshine: To Miss Nurse. if you see this, please take good care of our Hyung. And if he gives you any trouble, tell him I said to behave. RM should be almost there. He tends to speed.  

               There were a couple silly emojis next to it that made you smile. Surely, they can’t be bad people if this is how they communicate. They must be close friends. Though, you still wondered how they had gotten the director to do all this. Maybe there was someone else doing all of this? You shook your head and typed a quick message back, so not to have them worry.

-          I’ll take good care of him. That’s my job.

You really hoped Agust didn’t mind you messing with his phone. Though, you figured it was better to ask for forgiveness than permission in this scenario. There was no response which made you think that it was all he needed at the time. Gazing at the clock on the phone, you had wasted thirty minutes in the room so far. You thought of your backpack in the locker room a few floors down and some of your things at your stations that you could pass the time with. Since Agust was secure here, you thought it may be a good idea to gather some things to help you waste time until this RM shows up. It was unlikely that Agust was going to wake up yet, and you could be fast so he wouldn’t be alone for long. You slipped the phone back into your pocket and rose from the chair, heading for the door. You cast one more look at the still figure in the bed before dimming the lights and pulled the door shut behind you.

               You set off at a brisk pace for the elevator and took it down a few levels to where the staff locker room was kept. You raced in, pulled your bag from your locker, and left before anyone noticed you. You were sure since the director had put the whole hospital on alert that everyone was making rounds to keep eyes everywhere. You hoped grabbing your stuff from your station was just as easy; you weren’t sure about how to explain why you had suddenly deserted your station. Amber wasn’t there but you could hear her and Jax talking loudly from a back room. You wanted to talk to your best friend, to help ease some nerves and have her tell you exactly what you needed to hear. But you didn’t want to wait around or take her away from her new workload. You pulled open the drawer where you kept some personal items, incase of slower work days, and shoved them into your bag. You froze when your fingers hit against something that you knew, instantly, should not be in your bag. Peering into the opening, your eyes locked onto a metallic, black, studded object that you had seen earlier that morning.  

              The gun Agust had placed in your hand.

             How did that get in there? You didn’t remember grabbing it unless it had happened in the chaos of the EMTs and police rushing to assess the situation. Well, if you weren’t already anxious, this just made it worse. Let’s just add this to the ever-growing list of stupid things I’ve done today, you berated yourself. You brought a potentially loaded gun into a hospital. You needed to get back up to the room and get this out of your possession. Maybe when this RM got there, he could take it from you. You pulled the bag shut and slugged it over your shoulder, trying hard not to think about it.

            You moved away from the desk and down the hall towards the elevator. But as you stepped into the silent hall with all the doors closed, one was not closed as it had been when you left; the room where Agust had been. And there was someone looking inside. There was a man, tall and stocky, and dressed in a simple navy uniform. He wasn’t a part of the hospital staff and you didn’t think he was there to clean the room with the lights still off. Trying to stay as unnoticed as you could, you took longer strides towards the end. As you passed behind him, you peered beyond him into the pitch blackness of the room to just make out another figure lurking there. He wasn’t dressed in the same way as the man in the door. He was in darker colors that you couldn’t make out and wore what looked like a fedora on his head. What caught your attention as you passed, was the small peek of icy, blue hairs that were just visible on the side. A deep grumble that sounded from the room made your breath catch in your throat, and made you stop in your tracks. It sounded so familiar to the sadistic voice from this morning. The man with the cane had gotten into the hospital?! How, they upped security measures, hadn’t they? Maybe it was your imagination playing with you with all the stress. Not wanting to stick around to figure out if you were right, you tried to get away before they had noticed you.

            But, sadly, you weren’t that lucky.

           “Excuse me, nurse. Perhaps you can help me.”

           You felt your whole body stiffen as the voice was all to clearly the one that had stalked you from beyond the counter. The voice that dripped with crazed malice and venom as he called out for Agust, that had taunted and tried to lure him out. The voice that you were sure would haunt your dreams. It was the man with the cane, though he didn’t have it now. As you turned, he looked nothing like the half-crazed man yelling and destroying things around him. He looked almost normal, save for the fake smile he had plastered across his lips. He was no longer dressed in the light blue suit and fur coat you had caught a glimpse behind the counter, but in a simple dark blazer and trousers. The man who lingered in the doorway had come to stand next to him as they walked up to you, dressed in a police uniform. His uniform cap was pulled low to obscure his face, though you could see bruising and swelling through the shadows. Both of them gave a slight bow to you.

           “Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Inspector Taop, this is officer Chen. We are here following up on a patient that was supposed to be brought here. I’ve been looking everywhere, but no one has an answer for me whether he is here or not. And I haven’t seen a single worker on this floor.”

           He had never seen you at the scene so you knew he didn’t recognize you, or could see that you didn’t believe anything that was coming out of his mouth. That would help you, you decided. You took a deep breath and tried to hide the fear and nervousness. Just act normal. Try to stall until someone comes around.

           “Sorry, officer, we’re a bit understaffed as it is. What can I help you with?”

           “I’m looking for a patient that was brought here. Gunshot victim, a young man, brought in this morning?”

           “Can you be a bit more specific? We are a hospital. Do you know how many young men we have come in here with some kind of bullet wound? I had six this month.”

           You saw the smile slip and irritation rise in those cold eyes. He cleared his throat, trying to hold on to his polite composure. “This one would have come in this morning. There was a shooting downtown. He would have had multiple gunshot wounds. One nurse said he was brought in by ambulance this morning, but then another said that they found no record of him. And the last person I talked to sent me here. Please, this is very important.”

           “Can I see your badge, sir?” He looked completely off guard by the question. You, also, seemed confused. It had just jumped out of your mouth before you realized it. But it seemed like the right thing to ask. You continued, “There’s been a threat made to the hospital, you see, and I need to make sure that everything is in order. I would get in trouble if I gave such information about any patient to an imposter.”

           You could see the wheels in his head turning. But you didn’t expect him to nod his head, understandingly, and reach into his pocket to hand you a leather, bifold wallet. Was this psycho really a police officer? How could someone so vile be in law enforcement? You thought back to what little memories of your father that you had lingering in the back of your mind and couldn’t begin to imagine him doing anything like what this man had done, no matter how bad of a criminal they were. Before you could think, your body seemed to act on it’s own again and opened the wallet and your eyes started to dance across the metal shield. You weren’t entirely sure what you were looking for at first. Until your eyes caught it and something clicked in your mind. It was a fake, but an exceptionally good fake. Anyone else would have just taken it at face value but something in your mind flashed and screamed that this was a fake like the smile still on the ‘inspector’s’ face. In the reaches of your memory, you remembered running your fingers over your father’s badge, memorizing every detail. And you still did that when you were stressed out; you still had his badge and it was currently in the front pocket of your bag. And you seemed to recall your father teaching you how to identify a real badge from others.

           A sudden anger took hold of you that seemed to spur on some brave part of you. You closed the wallet and handed it back to him, keeping your face neutral to hide that you were even more sure of his act. Maybe it was the dishonor to officers like your father, or that he was trying to get to the boy you had risked a lot to save. And your hard work was not going to waste. “I’m sorry officer. But like I said, we have a few patients that could fit your description. None on this floor at all. And if the other nurses said they have no record of him, I’m not sure what I can do for you. Besides that, if we did have a patient come in with multiple gunshot wounds, I imagine that they’d need extensive surgery and wouldn’t be conscious to answer any questions you could have. And with no guardian to act in their place until they are awake to consent to a line of questioning about a traumatic experience, I can’t let you go any further. You should know that, Officer.”

           The smile was wiped from the man’s face. The uniformed man’s eyes got wide at your declaration and they shifted towards his leader in panic. Taop, or whatever his real name was, straightened up and took a step towards you. He towered over you and the energy radiating from him would have intimidated you into submission. Just like with your ex. But you needed to protect Agust. In any case, all you needed to do was scream and someone would be alerted. There wasn’t much this asshole could accomplish without being found out. But he continued to advance until he backed you up against the wall. Even still, you never broke eye contact with him.

           “I don’t think you understand the situation of this, little girl,” he said, rage tittering on the edge of his voice. “There are some really dangerous people and it would be a shame if you got caught in the crossfires. It’s in your best interest to answer my questions and tell me what I need to know.”

           “Then bring a warrant,” you challenged.

           His hand collided with the wall next to your head, making you jump. His face was so close to yours now, and there was the crazed man you remembered from this morning. Your heart was in your ears. He, suddenly, took a deep inhale then another before tilting his head to the side. “What a brave little girl. Tell me, where were you this morning? Something tells me you may be exactly who I need to talk to.”

           “Hey, back off her!”

           Both you and the man turned to look down the hall towards the elevator towards the source of the deep voice that had interrupted the line of questioning. The doors of the elevator were opened and from them stepped a young man with platinum white hair. His eyes were haunting and strong, like a dragon woken from his peace. He was exceptionally tall, taking long strides towards the scene. You couldn’t help but let your eyes take in the man who was coming to your rescue. Dressed in a dark trouser and a white buttoned up shirt gave him a classic handsomeness, and a long black coat with a hood drawn up that accentuated his height. As he approached, he slid the hood down and swiped his hand up to push the stray white hairs from his face. If you weren’t terrified, you would have appreciated how handsome he was. You glanced back at the man caging you; his body tensed as the newcomer walked up but his face never showed.

           He let out a sigh and a small smile reappeared, but it was not the same he had tried to charm you with. It was one of arrogance.  “Ah, Mr. Kim,” the inspector said, not moving from his position, “how nice of you to drop in.”

          “You’ve got some nerve,” the handsome newcomer said, his tone low and smooth. 

          “What for? Being too formal? Do you not like me using your surname? I’m not sure which name you prefer now; you change names so often, it’s hard to keep up after all this time.”

          “You’re one to talk. What name are you going by now, officer? Here to investigate a fraud? Or are you here to put yourself into more trouble?”

          “Such a negative attitude. Officer Chen and I are here on official business,” the detective flashed his badge at the so named Mr. Kim. “And this nice young lady was willing to help me out with some information. Isn’t that right, Little Girl?”

          “It sure doesn’t look that way coming from the elevator. I think you need to take a step back,” Mr. Kim ordered with a strong but suggestive tone that made you question what kind of power someone as young looking as him could possess.

          The fake detective made no sign that he was planning on heeding the newcomer’s words to move from your personal space. His eyes shifted from Mr. Kim back to you. His stare bore into you sharper than claws and made your breath catch. You weren’t sure if he was trying to scare you into agreeing with him or just threaten you. But Mr. Kim was having none of that; he gave the older man’s shoulder a hard shove and wedged himself in the space between you to keep you away from the other man. Mr. Kim reached a hand behind him and placed it on your arm, to keep you secure behind him and to give you some reassurance that he was not going to hurt you. You couldn’t help yourself, as you fisted your hands into the back of his coat and peered around his massive frame.

          “You always have to play savior, don’t you Rapmon?” The way he had said the name made it seem like he was trying to strike a nerve in Mr. Kim. But the other man gave no sign that he was bothered. “You make it seem like I was doing something unseemly to her. You and your broken boy scouts always turn things difficult. Speaking of, where are the others? Maybe they could answer some questions for me. There’s one in particular I’m interested in seeing. I’m checking up on a victim from a shooting downtown. Just making sure he’s doing alright.”

          “You’re really committed to this bit, aren’t you Choi? Oh, sorry- what name are you going by today? It’s so hard to keep track, isn’t that what you said?” Mr. Kim tilted his head to the side, eyes twinkling with a mischievous shine.

          “What a nuisance you are. I’m just trying to get information to make sure things go well. Though come to think of it, your boys may not know much. Word was that the victim was all alone. Left all by themselves, bleeding and hurt in such a dangerous situation. What kind of friends would let someone knowingly go into that situation alone? Now, I’d really like to finish my conversation with the little lady, Rapmon.” When Choi, as you figured his name actually was, took a step towards you, Mr. Kim moved the both of you to keep you behind him and further away from the other. “Well, since you seem hellbent on keeping me from doing something so simple, I could always ask you. Though to be honest, your being here may have answered my questions.”

          “My being here answers nothing,” Mr. Kim challenged. “Unlike you, I am here to do good for the community. And it’s a good thing I came by when I did. You’re already on thin ice after all the trouble you’ve caused. Imagine what would happen if you caused any problems while on Hallowed Ground. If you were to hurt anyone staying or working here, you would have more than my family looking for you. The rest of the Families would be looking to teach you a lesson. Imagine what most of them will think when they hear about the deceit you pulled this morning. After what I witnessed, you can be sure I’ll have eyes monitoring this place. You will not go against the Accords.”

          “Don’t you lecture me about the Accords, you psycho. I’ve been around just as long as they have and lived them. I taught them to you.”

          “And yet, you only follow them when they suit you. Just like your leader and his before him. But things are different now. They are gone, and your hold is slipping. I have enough pull now to ensure Accords are followed. And if you want to make a further spectacle of yourself, I’ll gladly show you I’m not that kid anymore that you ordered around. You saw what my boys can do when pushed. Try me.”

          Choi started to laugh, eyes shining in disbelief at the younger bossing him around. As you peered around Mr. Kim’s frame, you saw him go to say something to officer Chen, but couldn’t form the word. He raised his hand towards the white-haired man, but let it drop with a growl. Whatever look was set upon the elder made him rethink his next move. He settled for raising his hands in a surrender and jerking his head towards his companion to tell him they were leaving. It surprised you that he was giving up so easily after how he had acted towards you. You weren’t sure what Mr. Kim meant by accords and families, but it was more than obvious that it meant something to them. Glancing up at your protector, his face remained locked in the same stern and serious mask he had when he had appeared. His eyes, perfectly lined and accentuated with makeup that only made him more intriguing, followed the pair as they turned down the hall.

          But before they could get too far, Choi stopped. He turned enough to gaze at the two of you over his shoulder, the dark and manic gleam from that morning flashing like a warning sign. He chuckled before his teasing and taunting voice that had called out to Agust filled the hall like glass shattering. “Look at how far our little maniac has come. Really living up to the title of Mad Leader, aren’t you? He thinks he’s so big and strong that he can just order me around and act like a knight in shining armor to the weak. The Mad Leader’s trying so hard to put up a front, to hide who he is, to hide the other side of the looking glass. But lest he forget, I know things he wouldn’t want others to know. And I seem to recall,” Choi turned fully around and took a full stride back towards Mr. Kim, “you had an issue with places like this. You don’t enjoy being here. Are you falling down the rabbit hole? You even have an Alice this time it would seem. So tell me, Mad Leader, are the walls closing in on you yet? Are you feeling anxious?”

          You could feel Mr. Kim tense up at the name ‘Mad Leader’ each time Choi said it. He took a deep breath, trying to ground himself. He gave you a polite push away from him before fixing Choi with a glare that made officer Chen startle. You could almost feel the air change as he stepped up to be nose to nose with the thug.

          “Since you can’t seem to remember my name, asshole, let me spell it out for you. It’s RM, R to the M. And I’m a motherfucking monster. Keep pushing me. I dare you. You hurt one of my boys. You better pray that he makes it out of all this ok. Or you’ll see just how ‘mad’ I can get.”

          Chen seemed to realize that something bad was building as he took hold of his superior and pulled him away from RM, newly identified. Choi kept the taunting smile spread across his lips as he allowed Chen to lead him away. Before he got too far, he looked over at you and gave a nod, “We’ll be in touch, Little Girl.” And then he disappeared from the floor, leaving you in the presence of RM. You can’t say you had expected this person to belong to the voice on the other end of the phone, but it would seem like that was the theme of the day. The tall man took a few deep breaths and ran his hand through his white hair before turning back to you. The serious mask he had worn had slipped away and was more approachable. He straightened his clothes before returning to your side.

          “I’m sorry you had to see that,” he said, “But he shouldn’t be back. He talks a good game but he knows when he’s out done. Did he hurt you?”

          You shook your head. “I can’t believe he got in. The hospital is on lock down.”

          “Well, he’s been around a while. He has his ways. Now that he’s gone, I was hoping you could help me. I’m looking for a nurse called Y/N.” You locked eyes with him and gave him a nod of affirmation. He gave you a smile, showing off a pair of dimples in his cheeks that made him much more innocent and sweeter than the man who had gone nose to nose with the monstrous thug. “That’s a coincidence. Nice to meet you. Can you show me where to go?”

          “Prove that you’re who you say you are,” you said, taking a step away from him. Despite that you were sure he was the one you had talked to, it seemed like nothing was safe. He looked at you for a moment, before coming to a conclusion. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a cell phone before letting his finger glide across the screen. A moment later, Agust phone sounded off in your pocket. He glanced over at you with a bemused look as you pulled the phone out and saw the screen lit up with a notification.

-          God of Destruction: It’s me.

          “Sorry,” you said, feeling embarrassed by your sudden suspicion, “but after that guy flashed a fake police badge at me, I just wanted to be sure. Thank you for coming and for helping me. Are you Agust’s brother or a friend?”

          RM’s eyes narrowed when he heard you say Agust and gave you a strange look. His eyes seemed to dance about you, as if he was trying to figure something out. But as quickly as it appeared, the look disappeared and he smiled again. “We usually call him Suga. Only people who don’t like him call him Agust. I don’t think he’d want you calling him that. Can we go see him now? We’ve been worried about him.” You nodded and motioned him to follow you back to the elevator. As you waited for the doors to reopen, he leaned over and whispered, “Don’t worry, I won’t tell Hyung you had his phone.”

          “What? Does he have some embarrassing things on here,” you joked.

          “Maybe,” came the reply and heard RM chuckle as he allowed you to step into the elevator.

          You hit the button for the floor that they moved Agu- Suga to, the doors slid shut, and the lift jolted to a start. As the sound of the mechanisms filled the space, you caught a glimpse of the tall man flinch. It seemed odd, seeing as he had just faced off against the most frightening person you had ever seen. The taunting words he had said to RM before leaving came to mind, about not liking it in a hospital. It wasn’t uncommon for people to have bad experiences related to hospitals, so you tried to brush it off. Once you had made it to the secure floor, you led him down the hall. You explained that the floor was only accessible to a few people and how they had followed the directions as specified to the director. The entire time, RM listened very intently, eyes never leaving you. He was the picture of professionalism and sincerity. You swiped the two of you into the ward, and he held the door open for you as you led him down the hall to the room. As you neared the room, you wondered if you were going to survive the present of two very handsome men. Hopefully, the rest of his friends that you heard over the phone were somewhat average.

          As you both entered the room, RM came to a stop in the threshold of the door, his eyes staring at the bed. You could see the worry and panic that you had heard over the phone slip across his face. You reached out and touched his arm. He looked at you with an almost innocent gaze, like he was questioning if it was alright to get closer. You gave him a nod and he was beside his friend in a flash. He looked as if he was debating to reach out to Suga, as if he were made of glass, but settled for taking hold of his hand. RM let out a breath and looked relieved to have finally seen his friend. From your place at the edge of the room, you could see how much one meant to the other and all worries about them being as bad as Choi disappeared.

          “Is he going to be ok? What did they do to him,” RM asked, never taking his eyes off his companion.

          “Dr. Na took good care of him,” you said, reaching for the file at the end of the bed. “He was shot twice, once in the shoulder and on his left side. The gunshot wound on his side appeared to be at close range and the bullet went through. Thankfully, there wasn’t much damage done. The bullet was lodged in his shoulder, but Dr. Na was able to remove it and mend up some of the damage. We’ll know more when he wakes up, but he should have full range of motion after some rest. He, also, has some bruised ribs and a slight concussion. Along with bruising and defensive wounds pretty much everywhere. He, also, lost a lot of blood. He’s in the middle of a transfusion now. But he is responding well to everything and we believe he should be waking up soon. With enough care, patience, and support, he should make a full recovery in no time. Which is amazing; when I found him, I was worried with how much blood he had lost that he may have had a harder road to recovery.”

          RM flicked his eyes over to you. “You found him?”

          “They must not have told you. I was on my way to work when I heard the gunshots. I was the first to find him and get him to safety.”

          RM looked like he wanted to ask more questions, when a soft groan came from the bed and drew the attention. Suga took in a deep breath and his body shifted as if fighting to wake and identify the voices. After a tense moment, his body relaxed and his eyes opened slightly. From the edge of the bed, you could see the glazed and shiny effects of the medication still trying to hold him in the state of unconsciousness, and realized he may not fully be aware of what is happening. But you were sure the presence of RM had drawn him out enough to give them a sign that he was okay. RM called out to his hyung softly, drawing Suga’s attention as he gazed about the room.

          “Hyung, hey, can you hear me?”

          Suga’s eyes fully landed on RM. It seemed as if he was fighting his way to recognition before he gave a small, drugged smile back. “Joon,” his voice sounded exhausted and stained.

          RM laughed. “Yeah, Hyung, it’s me. You’re gonna be okay. You’re safe.”

          “Joonie, I think I’m dead. I saw an angel.”

          The whitehaired man reached out and ran his fingers, gently, through his friend’s hair. “No, Hyung, you’re only tired. That bastard messed you up but you’re gonna be alright now. Why don’t you go back to sleep? The boys and I will be here when you wake up.”

          “Oh,” Suga said, almost sounding disappointed as the drugs started to drag him back to oblivion, “too bad. It was a pretty angel. Prettier than Jiminie and Hyungie combined. But don’t tell them I said that.” And just as fast as he woke, Suga went silent and still again.

#bts fanfic #bts fic #bts imagines #bts mafia au #bts mafia fic #yoongi x reader #bangtan boys #ot7 x reader #min yoongi #kim namjoon #kim seokjin #jung hoseok #park jimin #kim taehyung #jeon jungguk #jeon jungkook #bangtan fic #bemylight #elphiej #badassNamjoon

[elphiej]

Be My Light - Chapter 5: We Are Bulletproof

*Genre: Mafia, angst, slow burn, eventual smut (?)

*Warning: None (Though my editor said excess sweating from cuteness overload)

Author’s Note: Hi Everyone! Sorry for the wait. I wanted to make sure I got the boys just right here. Let me know what you think? Can you guess what Iconic looks I’ve put in here? Once again, thank you to all those who had left me a comment or reblogged this. I never would have guest that I would have created something that others would have liked so much. Leave me a comment with what you liked. I love interacting with you guys. Love you all. Borahae!! 

Tag list: @lolalalooo @bangtan-sonyeonddaeng @barbikatherine @mrsfortune1306 @lovesick-heart0 @iamnamjoonsbxtch @deathkat657 @deeepvibes @sugamonster22 @weiinihao @hemmofluke @rainbow-zebra-unicorns @joyfullyobsessed @elvencantation @thefreddieman

                                Chapter 5:We are Bulletproof 

           “I appreciate all you’ve done,” RM said as he stood up from his friend’s bedside. He had sat for a long while after Suga had fallen back to sleep, holding his hand and whispering comforting things you couldn’t make out. You had seen interactions between patients and their families before. But something about these two seemed different, like there was a bond only they seemed to understand. “The others will be relieved. When he didn’t come home or answer our calls, they wanted to go racing back out to find him. It took a lot of convincing from my eldest and I to keep them put. They think with their heart first. It’s not a bad quality, just not the best time for it. They’ve been practically blowing up my phone since I got here.”

          “It’s understandable. They must be worried sick. It means you all are remarkably close, and it’s refreshing to see.”

          RM smiled. “Close is an understatement. We’ve all been through a lot together. But Suga-hyung and I have been together the longest. He’s been in my position plenty of times for everyone, so it’s nice for me to be able to return the favor. I feel like the others… would be more stressed. They’re all on edge with everything that’s happened. I was able to stall them, but only for tonight. I’ll do my best to make sure they don’t break down any doors.”

          You went to laugh, but the look he gave you made you feel as if he wasn’t joking about that. “Well, I’m sure someone like you can keep them in line. Before you leave, I’ll give you an access card so you’ll be able to enter this floor. Dr. Na mentioned the director had one made as requested.”

          “Thank you, Miss, for being so understanding. I know this is all very odd but I very much appreciate it.”

          “I’m just doing my job. If anything, I should be thanking you for what you did back there. You pretty much saved me from that creep.”

          “You seemed to be holding your own against him pretty well. There’s not many who would challenge him like that. Don’t worry; he’s not going to show up in here again if he knows what’s good for him. He’s dumb, but not dumb enough to break the rules of Hallowed Ground.” 

          “And what does that mean?”

          RM froze, as if he had said something he didn’t mean. There was a flash of regret and fear. But he cleared his throat, and recovered with another charming smile. “It’s a term used in our line of work. Nothing to worry about. It just means ‘safe place’. Places where no violent acts are allowed to take place like hospitals, schools, or churches. It’s to protect not just our people during a truce or such, but innocents who don’t need to be caught up in it.” 

          Line of business? You wondered if that meant the same line of business that the thug Choi was in. Could this handsome stranger and his companion be a part of some lowlife gang? They seemed nothing like that ruthless man who had threatened you. But if it was true, then what he said about no violence allowed in the hospital would mean that you had nothing to worry about. Though, you still felt that you should be cautious.

          RM caught sight of the bag that contained Suga’s effects on the end table and started looking through it. He shook his head at the few things that were in there. And it made you remember the gun, still tucked away in your bag. At this point, you wanted it out of your possession. And since RM had mentioned that he was heading out, it seemed like the perfect time.

          “When you say, ‘your line of business’, what is that exactly?” You made your way over to where you had left your bag against the couch.

          “I’m not going to assault you like Choi, if that is what you are asking. Just think of us as a balancing system for the city.”

          “So, you probably won’t tell me what he was doing there? Other than ‘just business’?”

          He shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe or maybe not. It’s probably for the best.”

          “Well, can I ask you for a favor, at least? Can you take this out of here?” 

          RM did a double take as he locked eyes with the black gun you held between your fingers. “How did you get that,” he asked as he plucked it from your grasp and gave it a once-over.

          “He gave it to me. When I couldn’t get us to the door fast enough, we were hiding behind a counter from that creep. I think he was planning on using me to help steady his shot for him. I must have picked it up in the chaos when the cops came swarming in.”

          His calculating eyes flashed up at you. His face remained unreadable, yet you could see in his eyes that he had some many questions buzzing through his mind. It was similar to the gaze he set upon you earlier, like he was trying to figure you out. You expected him to make some comment about how crazy you were. But he gave you a calming smile that gave you that butterfly feeling in your gut.

          “You really are something else. I truly want to hear about everything, but I feel like I should wait for the others to join us.  I know they’re gonna have a lot of questions, and I’m sure this is something you’d rather not relive multiple times.

          You shrugged your shoulders; he wasn’t wrong and you appreciated his consideration. Suddenly, he bowed low towards you, something you weren’t expecting. You had seen patients bow to their doctors, but you hadn’t seen them bow as low as he was to you. As he straightened back to his full height, his dimples were on full display.

          “Thank you, Miss Y/N, for everything. You’ve done more than you know. Jin-hyung will be pleased that he doesn’t have to replace this,” he said, motioning to the gun before slipping it in the waistband of his trousers behind his back.

          Before you could say anything, both RM’s and Suga’s phone began sounding off an obscene number of times. You caught RM rolling his eyes heavily, muttering something along the lines of ‘seriously guys’, as he pulled out his phone. You took Suga’s phone from out of your pocket to see the screen full of notifications.

-          Sunshine: Miss Nurse, send me a picture of Hyung so I can prove that he’s alive. The babies are getting restless.

 -          My Favorite: Please, can you let us know what is going on? They won’t tell me anything.

 -          Pretty Boy: Hi, can you tell us what is happening? Did Hyung get to you yet? Is Suga-hyung really ok? Can you tell him we’ll be there soon? Please take good care of him. He means a lot to us.

 -          Worldwide Pain in My Ass: Excuse me, sorry to bother you. But can you tell RM that if he doesn’t answer his phone, I WILL break him. I can only keep the Maknae line from breaking down for so long. And I can’t treat one of them correctly until he calms down, which will only happen if RM answers his damn phone. Thank you Darling.

           You assumed RM had far worse messages on his phone, based on the face he made. He leaned over to see what they had sent you before shaking his head. He typed a quick message and took a picture of Suga, sleeping soundly, before shoving his phone back in his long coat’s pocket.  

          “Since Suga-hyung is resting comfortably,” he said, “and he has such a dedicated professional, I think I should leave before a full-blown panic attack happens back at home. Our youngest is refusing to let us treat him until he is satisfied about what is happening with hyung. You don’t have to worry about anything else happening tonight from Choi or his cronies. I’ll have eyes on the hospital to ensure that.”

          “I appreciate that. Let me walk you down. The security desk should have the access key so you won’t have any issues when you come back. Just give me a heads up so I can prepare for the sudden invasion.”

          You placed the phone on the table and led him to the door. RM spared one last look at Suga before following you from the room. You showed him how the access card worked and gave him a basic layout of the floor. He promised, again, to keep his other friends under control as you made your way back to the main elevator. He started up a bit of small talk as you entered the lift, asking how long you had been at Mercy and how you liked it, or how your day had been otherwise. You found him quite genuine to talk to, especially for someone you just met. As the doors closed, it gave a sudden jerk, which you were used to. But your passenger was not. You remembered how he had flinched before: this time, he gripped hold of the handrails and took in a sharp inhale.

          “Not a fan of elevators,” you asked gently, trying to ease his discomfort, “or is it hospitals?”

          He let out an exacerbated noise. “Kinda both, mixed with a bit of claustrophobia that is made worse by being in a hospital. Let’s just say that I haven’t had the best experience when it comes to hospitals.”

          “Maybe I should show you where the stairs are, then?”

          To that, he let out a small laugh that seemed to calm him down enough to release the handrail from his death grip. The lift came to a stop and opened onto the hall that led to the main entrance. The hall was lined with doors that led to small office spaces, exam rooms, and overflow from the emergency department. There was a fair amount of people wandering about. You made your way to the security desk near the end of the hall and retrieved the card from the clerk. You and RM confirmed that he and the others were given easy access for, as Henry had explained it, ‘community service’ under your supervision. RM set to writing down the names of his companions for the clerk to add to the system. As the clerk handed over the card, you found yourself marveling at the impeccable professional manner RM exuded. From his politeness with the clerk, who was barely paying attention to the whitehaired man, to the way he turned back to you and waited for further instructions. You weren’t sure if you would survive another few minutes with him without doing something embarrassing.

          A loud ‘Yah’ broke you from your thoughts and made you spin towards the entrance to the hall. What now? Behind you, RM had slipped back into his protective mode, with one hand poised close to the gun concealed by his coat and the other to move you behind him. But when he saw who was making their way down the hall, his whole posture changed. Sauntering down the hall was one of the prettiest women you had ever seen. Her mere presence demanded attention, and she got it. She was a tall lady with an hourglass figure and a sharp face framed by an angular black bob. She was dressed in a black, cropped, high-neck sweater and low, baggy jeans that had several rips that exposed most of her thighs. Clearly, she was dressed for shock value and not the cold weather. Her red lips pursed as she locked RM with a stare that could rival any predator.

          “Hwasa?” RM came in front of you, his body relaxing with confusion. “What are you doing here?”

          “For someone who thinks they’re good at hiding, you’re really easy to track,” she remarked, her voice smooth like velvet. “You’re in big trouble, baby.”

          “Are you following me?”

          “Didn’t have to, you twit. Heard a hospital went on lockdown and figured I’d try here first. You ran out on our meeting. Not very gentlemanly.”

          RM was taller than her, but the power that oozed off her had him taking a few steps back as she continued to advance on him. “I told Solar something important came up, that’s why I left in a hurry. I left the goods before I left. What’s the problem?”

          Hwasa’s expertly lined eyes narrowed. “Well for one, you promised us a cure for the blues and left without sharing that little blissful adventure. And two, you didn’t give me a proper goodbye. So Unnie sent me so I could collect on both.”

          “Hwasa, I’m sorry, but I had a family emergency. You should understand that. I promise I’ll drop it by once everything is taken care of. Now is not the time or the place for this.”

          She seized him by the lapels of his coat and shoved him up against the wall, wedging her body up against his. You watched as he stared down at her with unsure eyes, the complete opposite of the strong, protective man he had been before. You felt like you should do something but you weren’t sure what.

          “I was so upset you left without saying goodbye. I thought you and I had something special. I think you should make it up to me. And here is as good as ever,” she purred before grabbing his face and slotting their lips together. RM’s eyes went wide in shock for a moment, body freezing. And Hwasa used that moment to keep control, threading her fingers through his hair to help her gain easy access as she slipped her tongue between his parted lips.

          You could feel your face growing red at the intimate display and you tried to focus your attention anywhere else. The sheer act and the attitude that radiated from her made it clear that she didn’t mind the attention. In fact, it was like she was claiming RM and making it known to all who watched. As you stared at the ceiling tiles, you berated yourself; it should have been obvious that someone as attractive as him would have an equally attractive girlfriend. The action, as well as what she had said, made it clear. You really needed to stop letting your hormones, that Amber kept trying to make you embrace, get in the way of common sense. Like someone like that would ever look at you that way, a voice said in the back of your mind. You caught sight of the desk clerk, the same one who couldn’t be bothered to spare much attention a few minutes ago, peering around you with heightened interest. You braved a glance as you heard a soft moan come from the pair; you saw Hwasa slip one of her hands down from RM’s lapels along the length of his torso, and slid into the front pocket of his trousers. Seriously, you thought, and cleared your throat exceptionally loud.  

          Whether she acknowledged you or not, Hwasa pulled away with a triumphant smirk at the dazed expression on RM’s face, wiping a bit of drool and her lipstick from his lips. She also withdrew her hand from his pocket. Her fingers were closed around something that you couldn’t see. She waved it in front of him, victoriously, before leaning forward to place a taunting kiss on his cheek.

          “There, now you’ve made it up to me. Though, I’d love you to keep making it up to me. I’ll let Solar know that you’ve been a good boy and our transaction is complete so she won’t expect you back. Unless,” she smiled, seductively, “you just want to stop by to have a bit of fun later.”

          RM seemed too daze to even hear what she was saying; it reminded you of when teenage boys get their first kiss and go all dopey.

          “Thanks for the present, handsome. I think someone will find your kindness absolutely… euphoric,” she remarked, shoving what was in her hand into her back pocket. “As much as I love an audience, I have other things to do. But don’t be a stranger.”

          Hwasa blew him a kiss before pushing away from him and turning back down the hall. Poor RM, still lost under her spell, couldn’t help but look after her like a lost puppy. He wasn’t the only one; the clerk, also, watched her as she swayed her hips and slipped through the double doors. As RM relaxed and pulled his attention back to the real world, he seemed to remember where he was and snapped his attention to you. His face took on a deep shade of embarrassment and you could tell he was trying to think of something to say. What a shame that his brain and mouth were not working together.

          “She’s just… I mean, that was…. Um… We’re not, you know, like that.”

          You decided to coin a phrase from Amber. “Sure, hun.”

                                                   ~*****************~

          Yoongi felt heavy and light all at the same time. His body felt numb as he laid in the void between consciousness and nothing. He could, vaguely, register voices around him, sounds he didn’t immediately recognize, someone talking to him. But he couldn’t understand anything. It was like they were talking under water. He had no idea how long he had been in this weird abyss. There was a constant beeping sound that was his only companion and timekeeper. What was he supposed to be doing? His mind felt all over the place. He had been with the guys, hadn’t he? What was he doing before this? What was with the beeping? It wasn’t his alarm. He wished he could move his arms so he could turn off that annoyance and let himself fall back into the inviting darkness. He tried to focus on what had happened. He thought he had heard Namjoon’s voice a bit ago. But he couldn’t make out what he was saying. Someone had held his hand, he thought. There was a dull pain that seemed to throb through his body, now. What was happening? There was another voice that had followed Namjoon’s; it sounded unfamiliar but calming and soft. But the only thing he could hear now was that awful beeping. He needed to wake up, needed to figure out what was happening.

          With much effort, Yoongi opened his eyes.

          He blinked a few times before he realized what he was looking up at. He was staring at a white tiled ceiling. He wasn’t in his room, or anywhere in the Manor. His eyes wandered about the room; it was sterile and white like the ceiling, with a pale trim around the edges. Dim fluorescent lights left the room in an odd glow. Finally, he caught sight of the source of the beeping and it clicked; he was in a hospital. He glanced down at himself to see a patient’s uniform and the long hospital bed. He let out a deep sigh. Things must have gone really wrong if he was here. Memories started to come back to him. The last thing he remembered was pushing Jungkook to run towards a fire exit as he drew Choi’s men to him. Then finding a girl who had rushed to his aide. If Yoongi was here, where were the others? Had they gotten out? He turned to look for a phone.

          As he turned, he caught a glimpse of someone seated next to him in an armchair, asleep. He froze. It wasn’t one of the guys, but the girl who had helped him. You were curled in an uncomfortable position, as if you had fallen asleep accidentally. Yoongi had no doubt you were the reason he was here. He saw your badge and scrubs, so at least you were what you had claimed and not a crazy person. From where he was, you didn’t seem hurt. Next to you, on a small table, he found his phone. He just needed to reach for it so he could call the others. Did the others get out alright? Do they know he’s alive? He went to push himself closer to the edge, when a sudden sharp pain erupted from his shoulder, causing him to gasp loudly and collapse back onto the bed. The sudden noise caused you to jolt awake and look about. Your eyes locked with Yoongi’s. And a wave of relief seemed to wash over you.

          “Hey, you’re awake,” you said, standing and moving closer to the bed. You noticed how he was eyeing you with uncertainty, so you moved slowly and deliberately. “You shouldn’t be moving too much or you’ll pull your stitches. Do you know where you are?”

          “Hospital,” he said, curtly.  

          “Good, yes, you are at Central Mercy. You had some severe injuries to your shoulder and side. But you’re going to be okay. Do you remember anything?”

          “I remember telling you to leave me so you wouldn’t get involved. Clearly, you don’t listen.” Ah, you mused as you hid your disappointment in his sharp response, there is that attitude from before. You should have expected he wouldn’t be as nice and friendly as when he was high on painkillers.

          “Yes, you did say that. But I told you that I was going to get you out of there and I did. Without me, who knows what would be happening to you now.” You made your way over to the workstation and started going through the medicines. “Judging by your demeanor, you must be in some pain. It’s about time for your next dose anyway. These will help make you more comfortable and less irritable.”

          “No drugs,” he snapped. He needed to be alert and fully aware if he was going to be alone in the hospital. Had he been home, in familiar surroundings with his friends to watch him, he’d allow Jin to dope him up with as much painkillers he was allowed to. But they weren’t here. “I can handle the pain. I just need my phone. And you can go tend to someone else.”

          You sighed and made your way back to his bedside, medicine and supplies in hand. “But you’re clearly in a lot of pain. And your friends pulled a lot of strings to make sure that you got the best care possible. They said to do whatever we needed to do.” His eyes snapped to you, clearly questioning the truth of that statement. “When you first got out of surgery and we moved you to a room, they called your phone, and I answered it. I didn’t mean anything by it other than to let them know you were okay. From there, they told us to move you to a private room without any trace in case someone came looking for you, give you whatever medicine you needed, and whatever treatments you needed to get better. They even made the hospital put me as your personal nurse until you’re released so we can limit the people who know you are here. They’ve been texting your phone since then, asking for updates and checking on you. I only replied, I didn’t go through your phone. RM came by last night to make sure we were doing what we were supposed to. You might not remember, because you were still out of it, but you had a small conversation with him.”

          His eyes were still tense and unreadable. It was like he wasn’t sure he could trust you, despite the fact that you had risked your safety to help him. Even without what he had gone through, waking up in a hospital with a basic stranger would put anyone on edge. You reached over and handed him his phone, hoping seeing the conversations you had with his friends would aid you in lowering his walls. He unlocked it and started thumbing through the text.

          “Listen,” you said, keeping your voice as calm and even as possible, “I don’t know what all is going on or what monsters are chasing you, but you don’t need to worry about it. RM told me that this place is ‘hallowed ground’ and he was going to make sure that you were protected. I don’t really know what he means by that, but I’m sure you do. We moved you in secret and there is no real record of you for anyone to look up. And he wanted me to do exactly what they asked. So, I don’t think your friends would be too happy if I wasn’t taking the best care of you that I can. I may be a tiny bit reckless when it comes to my safety, but I am a very good nurse and take my job very seriously. I don’t care what monster tries to get in here, I won’t let it stop me from taking care of you.”

          “And what if I’m the monster,” he asked, suddenly. “You know nothing about me. You don’t know what I’ve done, who I’ve hurt, or what I can do. What if I am a member of the most dangerous Mafia family in all of Central? Would you be so quick to help me then? Are you still so willing to help a monster like me?”

           You paused, letting his words sink in. Even though he had phrased it as a hypothetical, you were sure he had just confirmed what you had already been thinking; the business that RM had eluded to that he and Suga were a part of was Mafia related. You thought back to how he had comforted you back at the scene and how RM had protected you. And you felt conflicted. If they were a part of the Mafia, a part of the violence that had spread across the city, could they be the slightest bit good and decent?

           Suga must have taken your pause as a good enough answer. He rolled his eyes in a knowing way and looked back down at his phone. As he tried to move his injured arm to text, momentarily forgetting his wounds, he let out a sharp hiss that brought your attention back to the present. Despite how much of an ass he was being, or what he did outside the hospital walls, he was still a patient in pain in need of help. Your father’s words about always giving help to those in need no matter what came to mind. And all opposing thoughts about Suga stilled.

           Cemented in your resolve, you reached over and took his phone from his hands. He stared at you with a cold, confused look. He was clearly annoyed that you hadn’t taken the hint and left him. When he reached for his phone, you pulled it behind your back. The sudden movement had Suga hissing in pain as his body protested. He dropped back against the bed. You fixed him with a look that demanded his attention and left no room to argue.

           “I may not know anything about you, but let’s make this clear. When you enter this hospital, you are a blank slate. You are just like everyone else and I am going to do whatever I can to help you. Now, you can be a miserable jackass all you want but your friends pulled a lot of strings to ensure that you are stuck with me until you are released. I am not going to do anything to hurt you or put you in danger. I, even, stood up to that freak with the cane when he came looking for you. Besides, if I was going to hurt you, I had plenty of time when you were unconscious. You have two choices: we can do this the easy way or the hard way. What’s your choice?”

           Suga locked eyes with you in a battle of wills. He hadn’t been prepared for the way you talked back to him. Though, he supposed he should have expected it after you ignored him back at the scene. He searched your eyes for some tell-tale sign of deception. He prided himself on being able to read people. Of course, Hoseok chalked it up to him just not wanting to trust people. Fuzzy memories of the last moments behind the counter started to return to him; he remembered how you had stayed with him, tried to help, how your voice kept pulling him from the edge. No matter how he tried to find a hint of something, he couldn’t. All he could see in your eyes was the plea to believe you.

           He sighed. “I don’t want any pain killers. I don’t want to be anymore impaired than I have to be. Not until I’ve gotten ahold of some people.”

           “Then, why don’t I give you a lighter dose,” you compromised. “I can’t change the other stuff, but I can give you enough pain relief to make you more comfortable but not tired and doped up. It may, even, fix your attitude before your friends get here.”

           “Doubtful,” he groaned, shifting to make himself more comfortable. “Go ahead, do what you need to. I suppose if I’m stuck with you, I have little choice anyway.”

           “Well, Sunshine and Mochi told me not to let you bully me and gave me permission to give you exactly what you give me.” You noticed the way his ears turned slightly pink at the mention of the contact names from his phone. You started his medications and saw him start to relax as it took effect. “I can help you into a sling, too. That way we can keep you from accidentally straining it.”

           Once you had finished administering his medicines and eased him into a sling, you gave him back his phone. He was able to tap out a few messages before he alerted you that his friends were enroute. He didn’t say much else and went back to reading some more of the messages you had swapped with the others, snorting at a few. You weren’t sure if he found it amusing, being judgmental, or both. But, at least, he was doing better. You wanted to ask him what he was doing at the construction site. RM had been vague about telling you. It was fair to think that Suga would be the same. Maybe when the others arrived, they would be nice and give you some information to curb your curiosity. Suga, meanwhile, didn’t seem like he was quite ready to play nice. He was quiet and keeping to himself, focusing on his cell phone. Though, you did catch him eyeing you when he thought you weren’t looking. He would flick his eyes back to the screen when you turned towards him, then you could feel him staring again once you turned back to the crossword you had started in the silence. You were about to ask what he was looking at, when the hospital phone in the room rang. It was the desk clerk alerting you that visitors were there for ‘some kind of community service’ in that room. You remembered that was what they had been told to say when in the hospital to protect Suga’s identity. You thanked the clerk and gave him the all clear, smiling at the few whiny voices you heard in the background.

           “Your friends are on their way up,” you said as you hung up.

           “Best prepare yourself,” he said as he sat up straight in the bed, moving awkwardly due to the sling.

           You went to ask what he meant by that, when the sound of the access door to the floor flying opened and voices echoed down the quiet hall. You heard two voices: one light and airy, the other deep and smooth.

           “Is this the floor?”

           “I think so. I didn’t hear what room he’s in.”

           “Why didn’t you listen to hyung when he told us?”

           “Because I was following you, Tae! I thought you knew. Why didn’t you listen?”

           You saw a small smile slip across Suga’s lips, the first since he woke up.

           “Yah, you two!” A third voice rang out in a loud hiss, sounding out of breath. “We are in a hospital! Mind your manners and shush. You two flew up those stairs before the others could even get to the elevator. Give me those cards; I’m confiscating them since you can’t behave.”

           “Come on, hyung,” the light voice pleaded, “we’re sorry. We’re just anxious to see him. Which room is it? We’ll be good.”

           “If I open this door, will you wait for the others? Fine. Namjoon said it’s the fifth door down. They should be up in – Hey!”

           Once you heard the beep of the ward door opening, two sets of shoes came barreling towards the room. You figured it was best to open the secure door before whomever was coming tried to break it down. As you turned the knob, something heavy was already pushing against it and trapped you between the heavy door and the wall as a blur of blue, yellow, and grey dashed into the room. There was a duet of ‘hyung’ that rang in the silence as you watched two young men scramble atop the bed and wrap themselves around Suga in a tight hug, surprisingly taking care of his injuries while doing it. Suga looked as if this was not an unusual occurrence as he looked down at the two whiny boys with an amused look in his eyes. The smaller of the two had golden hair that stuck out in messy tendrils from under the hood of his fuzzy blue jacket. He had the most angelic face you had ever seen with large, shiny eyes that hid no emotion, and plump rosy lips. There was an innocence and childlike air about him as his grey denim clad legs straddled Suga’s and he snuggled into the elder’s chest.

           The other had lodged himself against Suga’s uninjured side. He was much taller than the other one, with lanky limbs that easily encompassed the others as he held on tight. As he asked a stream of questions, you discovered that he was the owner of the deep voice. And you were shocked since he definitely didn’t look as if he should have such a tone. He was definitely handsome, so much so that he made the yellow hoodie and blue denim overalls look expensive. Like his companion, his hair was messy like he had rushed right there from waking up. But even still, he looked incredibly attractive.

           “Hyung,” the tall one cried as he nuzzled his head into the crook of Suga’s neck, “thank goodness you’re okay! We were so worried about you.”

           The angel lifted his head up from Suga’s chest. “We did what you said. Those bastards chased us all over the place but we made it to the car. We waited as long as we could but you and Kookie didn’t make it out before they started firing at the car. So, we waited at the meeting spot for you but we were worried. We were to call for reinforcements when Jungkook came limping down the alley. Tae wanted to drive back and find you, but we could hear the sirens from there. I did what I knew you would want and took them to safety. But we should have found you. We should have never left you in there. We should have stayed together.”

           Suga freed his good arm from the tall one’s, Tae’s, grasp and wiped the tears that had started to run down the angel’s face. “Hey, none of that, Jiminie. You did good. I’m ok. I didn’t die so don’t cry like I did.”

           “Hyung, don’t joke like that,” Tae whined, trapping him in another bear hug. Suga grimaced at the look on the other’s face more so than the action, knowing his choice of words may not have been the best after all. “We didn’t know what had happened. Jungkook was so injured and exhausted that he passed out as soon as he saw us. So, we had no idea what had happened. We thought Choi had…”

           “Yah, you brats! Do I speak for my health?”

           A new body came into view from beyond the door, the person who had scolded the two earlier.  Seriously, you thought, is it a requirement to be insanely attractive in this friends’ group. Even with a glance of his profile as he stormed into the room, he was one of the most handsome beings to step into this hospital. He could, easily, be on any glamor magazine. He was tall with strong, broad shoulders. His face was striking, near perfect in every way, even with the annoyed look that danced within his eyes. Unlike the other two who looked like they had slept in their clothes, he looked meticulous and expensive. While the others were in sneakers, his leather shoes were shined to perfection. His dark grey trousers and white shirt were pressed, even his suspenders laid perfectly straight under a long, dark cardigan that looked more expensive than most of your wardrobe. What was almost as striking as his face was the bright pink hair that lay under a wide brimmed hat. Normally, you’d find the color an odd choice. But on him, it was stunning.

           “Clearly,” he continued, “I am the only one who recognizes where we are. I should drag you two down to the car and leave you there. Maybe then, you’ll learn to respect what your elder tells you.”

           “Can you do it anyways,” Suga asked, laying there helpless as they clung on to him again. He looked about done with all the attention.

           “How can you be so mean, Jin-hyung,” the angelic one, Jiminie, said. “We’ve been so worried about him. We weren’t sure if he was even alive. How can you expect us not to want to rush to his side?”

           “You knew he was alive when the nurse answered the phone, and when Namjoon came home last night. And you can clearly see that he is fine. Though, if you keep squeezing him, he may not be. I’m sure the nice people who work here would rather not have to restitch him because you two are addicted to physical contact. And you,” Jin pointed at Suga, “don’t think because you are in a hospital bed means that I’m not going to rip you a new one. Do you have any idea what we went through? Did you even think about us when you made those risky decisions? Don’t answer; I already know you don’t.”

           “Glad to see you too, hyung,” Suga said, giving the elder a smile.

           “You brat,” Jin said as he walked up to the side of the bed. Jimin slid off the bed at Jin’s motion and moved to the couch. The elder reached out and ruffled Suga’s hair. “You scared me. But I know you did what you thought was best to keep the others safe. Thank you. But do it again, and I will end you for giving my handsome face worry lines.”

           “Hyung, you told me you’d starve me for doing that. And it wasn’t even my fault,” came a cheery voice. “Why does he get a quick punishment and I don’t?”

           The owner all but glided into the room, his expensive sneakers squeaking against the tiled floor. Like everyone else, he was striking. He was tall and lanky, which was accentuated by his ripped skinny jeans and buttoned letterman’s jacket. Where Jin was dressed like the poster child for the most exclusive country club, this one was comfortable in street style. And it suited him just fine in your opinion. His hair was wavy and looked like it had once been dyed red, as it had since faded into a burnt orange color. He had a big, heart shaped smile and a laugh that lit up the room. If you had to guess, this was ‘Sunshine’ you had been texting since he exuded a warmth and happiness as he bounced over to the bed.

           “If I had to guess, I would think you are trying to steal my attention. You could have just asked. You didn’t have to go and get yourself shot,” Sunshine scolded in a mock tone.

           “You know how he is,” Jin said. “Has to be overdramatic.”

           “Well,” Suga shrugged, “I had to outdo Hobi somehow.”

           Sunshine, or Hobi, started to laugh as he climbed onto the bed and started to smother Suga with more attention. The victim just looked resigned to his fate, no longer struggling against either assailant. He just closed his eyes and groaned. But, deep down, you had a feeling he was happy. The way that everyone was laughing and joking made it hard to imagine them as feared Mafia members. Hobi didn’t torture Suga for long, but gave one final hug before bouncing over to the couch by Jimin.

           “Will you get off me,” Suga whined, looking at the still clinging, grey haired boy. “I’ve had my fill of hugs. Give me some space.”

           “No, you may disappear again. I am never letting go,” Tae replied, sweetly, as he threw his leg over Suga. Everyone started to laugh as the older growled and tried to push the younger, to no avail.

           Right as you were to try and slip out the door before anyone noticed you, to give them a moment, you noticed two more sets of shoes enter. You recognized RM, even though his face was bare and his hair hung loosely about his face. He was much more casual today, not as formal or fitting the image of a Mafia member as he had. In place of his long black coat and dark trousers was a white hoody under a tan jacket and baggy blue cargo pants. Behind him like a shadow was the youngest of their friend group, you assumed. He was almost as tall as RM, but it was his youthful face that gave you that impression, or the nervous energy he emitted as he rocked from foot to foot. His large doe eyes were cast down and there were bruises that spread across his strong jaw line. RM had an arm around his shoulder, otherwise you felt the boy may have disappeared into the darkness. Which would have been easy as he was dressed completely in black; black jeans, oversized black sweatshirt, chunky boots. Even his black hair was peeking out from under his black beanie.

           “I know you missed hyung, Tae, but don’t squeeze him too hard. Else, he may make you regret it once he gets home,” RM warned as he slipped further into the room. The shadow followed, eyes still downcast and his arms wrapped around himself. Unlike the others, he didn’t cross to the bed. But instead, he went to stand in the corner near the couch. You noticed he had a slight limp as he walked. It struck you as odd that he hadn’t gone to his friend’s bedside or said anything. In fact, he seemed like he didn’t want to be there. The others seemed to have noticed it too. But none of them said anything, letting him be for a reason you figured they knew.

           RM’s eyes fell on your bag by the chair nearest the bed. “Did any of you see the nurse when you barged in here?”

           Suga smirked before looking, pointedly, at the door. “She got pinned behind that when the 95’s came bursting in. Are you okay back there?”

            You took that as your cue to come out. RM reached over and pulled the door away, giving you an apologetic smile. You could feel everyone’s eyes on you. The angelic one’s eyes got big as he shot a look towards Tae. The other raised his shoulders, completely confused that you had been there. You felt awkward standing there, unsure of if you needed to be there. Yes, you wanted some answers. However, being completely surrounded by seven men made you feel nervous and you couldn’t seem to form any words. But RM had shut the door before you could think of an excuse to remove yourself.

           “Sorry about them,” RM said as he came up beside you. “I told them to behave. Are you ok?”

           “It’s alright. No harm done. It’s clear they were just excited to see him. Hi everyone, I’m Y/N,” you introduced.

           The oldest one moved across the room and shook your hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Darling. My name is Kim Seokjin, but you may call me Jin. Or you can call me Worldwide Handsome,” he said, winking at you. You could feel your cheeks warming as he called you the nickname he had given you over text.

           Sunshine waved at you from the couch. “I’m Jung Hoseok. But I go by J-Hope or Hobi. Whichever you’d like to call me is fine. Thank you for taking good care of hyung. I hope he didn’t give you too much trouble.”

           J-Hope reached over and smacked the blond next to him in the back of the head, giving him a pointed look. He and the one on the bed scrambled up and bowed low toward you.

           “I’m Park Jimin,” the angelic one said. “Sorry for hitting you with the door. We didn’t mean it.”

           “Yeah,” the taller one agreed, “we were just very worried about hyung.” He straightened up to his full height before fixing you with a charming smile. He brought his two fingers up to face in a ‘v’ shape. “My name is Kim Taehyung. But I go by V.”

           RM came around and sat on the edge of the bed, dimples on full display. “The name is Kim Namjoon. But RM is fine.”

           You nodded. It was nice to put names and faces to the people you had been texting. You gave them each a nod and bow in acknowledgement. Suga stayed silent. It would seem like he was fine with not giving you his name. He gave RM an unreadable look as the others were introducing themselves, like he was confused but he kept his silence. Your eyes landed on the shadow in the corner. He hadn’t moved or said anything. J-Hope loomed closer to him, peering up at him. The youngest tried to evade his eyes as best he could, but moving too fast made him cringe in pain. J-Hope snickered at him.

           “We promise he’s a real boy. And he can talk too. He’s just a little shy around girls, huh? Come on, we raised you better than that. Say hi to the nice lady.”

           He glanced at J-Hope from under his bangs, like a child being scolded. But the older was not backing down and tilted his head towards you. The other let out a sigh before you could hear him, quietly, say, “I’m Jeon Jungkook.”

           “Yeah, he’s our youngest,” J-Hope laughed as he reached out and pulled him into a hug, which Jungkook fought against as best he could. “He’s normally much more behaved. But he’s a bit sore. He’ll open up in a bit.”

           You looked at him, concerned, as J-Hope pulled him to sit next to him on the couch. “Are you hurt? Do you want me to take a look?”

           Jungkook’s ears started to turn a deep shade of red as he tried to burrow further into himself. Jin laughed. “Don’t worry about him, Darling. I may not have as much skill as you might, but I’ve been taking care of these guys for a long time. He’s ok. Just stubborn. If he had done as I had asked last night, he would be fine. The only thing is he may die of embarrassment,” Jin laughed again.

           You smiled as he and Hobi continued to mess with the youngest, trying to force him out of whatever mood he had settled into. It was interesting to see their dynamics with each other, showing how close they were. You looked over your shoulder at the door, before looking back towards Suga.

           “Is this the whole gang,” you asked him, making sure no one else would be busting through the door and into the crowded room.

           Jimin stopped smiling at Jin’s and J-Hope’s antics and looked confused. He turned towards Suga. “Hyung, did you tell her about us?”

           Suga snapped his head towards him, eyes narrowed. “No, I didn’t. Now shut up, loud mouth.”

           Jimin, instantly, looked like he said something he shouldn’t and regretted it. Jin and Hobi stilled. The whole room went quiet. The silence made you uneasy, like you were treading into something dangerous. Was this about what RM and Suga had alluded to? Did you really want to know the answer? How would it change your opinion about them if they admitted it? Jimin turned his eyes to RM, begging for assistance.

           RM sighed and held up his hand at Jimin, silently easing the panic that seemed to set in those crystal eyes. “It’s okay, Jimin-ah. Suga-hyung,” he turned toward the platinum blond, “Jin-hyung and I talked about this last night. I know you are most likely not going to like this. And normally, we wouldn’t do this. But with everything that has happened, and since Choi’s made an advance on her, we thought it would be best to be honest with her and tell her as much as necessary.”

           Suga’s dark eyes locked with RM, a deep exchange happening right in front of you. Everyone seemed to be on edge, waiting for one to break off. You could feel the intensity grow between the two. Neither seemed like they wanted to back down from their resolution. Suga was the first to break eye contact, snapping over to Jin. The pink-haired man’s face was stern as he gave a definitive nod. Suga huffed, apparently not liking what that had signified to him. He leaned back against the bed, eyes unhappily staring at the wall.

           “If you think that wise, mighty Leader, I won’t argue with your decision. Let’s get this over with.” Leader?

           “What’s going on,” you asked. “I don’t want to cause any trouble. I should leave so you all can talk about whatever it is.”

           RM sighed again, before standing up from the bed. “Y/N,” he said, his voice sounding as it did last night when he faced Choi, no longer as carefree, “you’ve done our family a great service. For that, we intend to repay that to the highest extent. First, I believe we should do a proper introduction.”

           “What does that mean?”

           “Dul, set,” he said before being joined by the other six voices in a strong synchronized greeting, all bowing in a well-rehearsed motion. “Bang! Tan!”

           “Annyeonghaseyo! Bangtan Sonyeondan-iminda!”

#bts fanfic #bts fic #bts imagines #bts mafia au #bts mafia fic #yoongi x reader #bangtan boys #ot7 x reader #kim namjoon #kim seokjin #min yoogni #jung hoseok #park jimin #kim taehyung #jeon jungkook #bangtan fanfic #bemylight #elphiej

[elphiej]

Be My Light - Chapter 3: Try to Stay Calm and Move on.

*Genre: Mafia, angst, eventual smut, slow burn

*Warnings: references to drug usage/ withdrawal, reference to sexual  situations/ sex work/ trafficking.  

Author’s note: Hi everyone! I hope you enjoy the next chapter. True to my style, it’s a little long but I think it flows well enough. Thank you for those who have commented on my previous chapters. I very much appreciate it. Thank you for your patients as well; work has been busy and I found out I had covid. I’m ok now but it did set me back a bit in finishing this. As always, please let me know what you think or let me know if you have any comments. I love them and all of you. Please enjoy!

Tag list:  @lolalalooo @bangtan-sonyeonddaeng, @barbikatherine, @mrsfortune1306, @lovesick-heart0, @iamnamjoonsbxtch, @deathkat657, @deeepvibes, @sugamonster22 , @weiinihao, @hemmofluke , @rainbow-zebra-unicorns

                              Chapter 3: Try to Stay Calm and Move On

                 Central Mercy was one of the largest and most active hospitals in all the city. And as you followed the EMTs through the trauma bay doors, the floor was full of medical staff moving about assessing patients. True to its name, Mercy didn’t discriminate and took in those that smaller practices were too scared to take: gang related cases. They feared retaliation. But Mercy was only interested in saving people. A team from the surgical floor came up beside the fast-moving gurney, listening as the EMT got them up to speed. You added some details, though your eyes never left the man on the gurney; he hadn’t regained consciousness since the police arrived and he seemed even paler than before. One of the nurses whispered that Doctor Na was waiting in the operating theatre. Henry Na was one of the top surgeons in all of Central and you felt a wave of relief knowing that the patient couldn’t be in better hands. But deep down, you knew you wouldn’t be at complete ease until you saw the young man awake and alright. And the fear of the unknown made you not want to lose sight of him.

               Before you could question why you felt so drawn to stay by the stranger, one of the nurses put her hands out in front of her and forced you to come to a stop right outside the OR doors. The doors slid shut and you were left alone in the hallway. And that is where the connection should have ended. Doctor Na and his staff would take good care of him, then he’d be transferred to another floor, and you would move on to your own patients. But you couldn’t stop the feeling of wanting to be near the stranger you found in the middle of a gun battle. But why? Could it be because you were a kind-hearted nurse or that you had just gone through a horrific experience together? You had asked him to explain what you had gotten yourself into after all. Perhaps on one of your breaks you could go visit? Was that weird? What would you say? ‘Hi, remember me? I’m the idiot who saved you after you got shot. Want to be friends?’

               Honestly, you didn’t think you were so desperate for companionship that you’d try to forge a friendship with some random guy who’s background you didn’t know. What were you expecting- a friendly relationship that could develop into something else? This wasn’t one of those romantic comedies you watched with Amber and, based on your track record, you weren’t that lucky. For all you knew, this guy was just as dangerous as the man with the cane. With the increase in U4-1A cases, was this a drug deal gone bad? It would be a shame if someone that handsome turned out to be a druggie. There were supposedly others that had gotten away; it could be a turf war. There were so many dangerous possibilities that ran through your mind. No, you sighed, it was best just to let it go. If you were meant to see him again, fate would make it so. Then, you would get some answers. But for now, it was time to get to work and move on.

               “I’m sure Jax is pulling his hair out by now,” you wondered, out loud. “Wonder what Amber’s going to say.”

               You didn’t have to wonder long, for as you turned on your heels, Amber was standing right behind you. Nerves still on edge, you couldn’t help but jump backwards. Amber was the definition of sweet but intimidating as her eyes bore into you. She was thin and lanky, completely swallowed by her baggy scrubs. She had a sharp face with short blonde hair that had been styled with an undercut. That, paired with her piercings and elaborate tattoos that decorated her arms, gave her a strong androgynous look that caught a lot of attention. She stared at you with a look of mixed anxious worry and anger.

               She crossed her arms over her chest. “Y/N,” she said, leaning in, “what the Pineapple?! Are you crazy or stupid?”

               “Is both an option,” you countered, trying to lighten the mood.

               Amber reached over and flicked her middle finger against your forehead. “I’m serious, dumbass, you really gave me a heart attack. You didn’t answer my text and I hear from the dispatch that you’re at the scene of a gang shooting?! I can’t begin to tell you the images my brain was coming up with! I thought I’d find you on a stretcher, covered in blood. I mean,” she gave you a meaningful look up and down, “more so than this.”

               You followed her gaze and, finally, got a good look at yourself. Your simple grey hoodie was covered in dark, splotchy patterns. The cuffs of your sleeves were dried dark from when you had tried to apply pressure to his wounds, there was a large stain on your side that had soaked through to your scrubs from carrying the young man behind the counter, and splattering decorated all over the rest of you. You were glad that the EMTs let you ride along in the ambulance; it would have made your bus ride more interesting looking like a slasher movie victim.

               You held up your hands, defensively. “It’s not mine. I promise, I didn’t get hurt. It’s from the real victim.”

               Amber sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. “Come on,” she said, ushering you away from the Operating rooms, “let’s get you cleaned up. I’ll tell Jax what’s going on after I get rid of these clothes. There’s no saving them.”

                ~*****************~

               Having skipped your shower this morning due to time, you were quite thankful for the warm water that eased the anxiety still rampant. Once Amber was satisfied that you weren’t injured, she brought you some new scrubs and bagged up your soiled ones to dispose of them. You were annoyed that you were losing your hoodie, since it was the only one you had since coming to Central and you hadn’t had time to go buy new clothes yet. At least you had packed the extra long sleeve shirt to help against the seasonal chill. Amber had left you a pair of grey scrubs that would help you blend in to your work shift. Once you changed, you made your way to your supervisor’s office. Jax was an older gentleman who always seemed to be on the edge of some emotion. The second he saw you, he flung himself at you and made you swear you were to never scare him to the point of turning his hair grey ever again. It took you promising five times before he let you head to your station.

               You weren’t surprised to see Amber sitting at the desk. However, you were surprised to see that she had surrounded herself with a wall of binders and notebooks while she typed away at the computer.

               “Are you preparing for an invasion?”

               “No, you have to stay away,” Amber cried in the most melodramatic tone she could muster. “You can’t come near me. Flee while you can!”

               You tried to contain your laughter with truly little success. “Okay? What happened since I showered? Were you exposed to something or are you just being weird?”

               “No, you just have to avoid me! I’m dangerous! I’m a girl with tattoos,” she exclaimed, holding her heavily tattooed arms out for display. “You have to avoid me!”

               You almost fell over from how strong you rolled your eyes. “You must have seen Mr. Young this morning.”

               “Well, someone had to since you decided to be an action star. And he was extremely disappointed to not see you.”

               You sat down in the chair next to her and wrapped your arms around her and rested your chin on her shoulder. “I’ll pop in on him later. For the record, I like your tattoos. I think they’re super cool.”

               “Don’t think you being cute with all those compliments are gonna distract me from your stupidity. What the heck were you thinking?”

               “I know,” you sighed, “I’m sorry that I worried you.”

               “Worried? That doesn’t even begin to describe that. You didn’t answer my call this morning. Then, I get a text from a random number, apparently you. Only to find out about the shooting. I had a feeling something bad was gonna happen this morning. Spill it, Y/N. What happened?” You gave your friend a quick recap from when you left your building to when the police found you behind the counter trying to keep the young man conscious. You decided to leave out the creepy encounter with the man with the cane and the encounter with the other gang member you had hit with the crowbar; you didn’t want her to worry any more than she already was. The entire time, Amber’s face was stern and she had crossed her arms over her chest. “See, this is why you should have just stayed with me at my loft. You’re all alone down there. Clearly I was right about it not being safe.”

               “Don’t be like that. I know you keep saying that you didn’t mind me staying with you, but it was time for me to start trying to live my life again. It may not be as nice as your place but it’s mine. And, this incident excluded, nothing bad has ever happened. It’s just that I couldn’t stop thinking about what I went through and being stronger than the bullies. You taught me that.”

               “Yeah but I didn’t mean going against a gun wielding psycho. It was a metaphor for the nightmares and that piece of shit you call an ex.”

               “I’ll remember that for next time.” You flashed Amber some pleading eyes and pouting lip. “I’m really sorry.”

               Amber groaned, but smiled back at you. “You’re lucky I like you. But I get one more bad feeling, I’m dragging you back and never letting you out of my sight.” She slid you a cup of coffee that you greedily took. You were sure that you had lost your tumbler somewhere at the bus stop, never to be seen again. “By the way, what was the random number you texted from? Did you get a new phone without telling me?”

               You almost choked on your coffee. You had hoped she wouldn’t have asked about that, knowing full well she was not going to be happy about the answer. You cursed at yourself for texting her from it. But with her staring at you, you knew you couldn’t get around it. You reached into your pocket and handed it to her. She, instantly, knew what it was and snatched it from you.

               “Why do you have this still? I thought you got rid of it?”

               “I didn’t mean to grab it. I was in a hurry this morning and it fell into my bag. I left the one you gave me at home and didn’t have time to go back up and get it.”

               “But you had time to run after gun shots?” She tapped around on the screen. “All the settings are back to normal. The locations and notifications are back on, too. Did he call you? Look at all the voice mails.”

               “I didn’t call him. The last message was days ago. I just texted you and read a couple messages. Don’t give me that look, Amber. I was just curious. I have no desire to call him or see him. I’m starting to get somewhat normal. Last thing I want is to fall back into a bad mind set. I just read a few texts to see what he was saying while I was walking. I swear, that’s all. Don’t worry about the settings. He’s not as smart or as tech savvy as you. He couldn’t grasp the concept of emojis, I doubt he’s gonna try anything you’re thinking of. I honestly just needed a phone for today. When I get home, it’s getting shut off and it’s going away for good.”

               “He’s such a scuzzball, trying to still contact you after all that.  This would be less stressful if you gave me his address. I’ll kick his ass up and down the coastline for what he did.”

               “I don’t doubt that. But I have to listen to the group’s advice and just let it go. And I think it’s time I try to focus on other things. That’s the way I’m gonna start to really get better, right?” You had been saying that for a while now, not really knowing how to move on or if you could. But something had changed. You couldn’t help but think back to the gang member, and how he reminded you of Daniel in those last moments you were together. There was a sense of relief and freedom that you just couldn’t help but relish in. It had almost been a cathartic experience that your body needed, the strength to take back yourself. To give back what you felt, to let all that rage and hate that you held deep inside out. It may not have healed you completely, but it was a start.

               The two of you started going over the case load for the day. Even as short staffed as you were, Amber had taken care of most of the early duties: checking on patients, dropping off medicine, and dealing with Mr. Young. You started going through the new files that were stacked on the station while Amber read the report from some of the other floors. It was interesting to see what was happening elsewhere in the ever-busy hospital. There was nothing about your gunshot victim yet, and you crossed your fingers that he was going to be alright. No news was good news, you figured. Amber had started talking about the new U4-1A cases that had been admitted since you were last there. There were four more cases since your last shift. And one of the new cases didn’t make it past 2 days. U4-1A was a highly addictive drug that played off of peoples’ want to feel good and exploited it to deadly consequences.

               “I can’t believe how many cases there are now.”

               “Tell me about it. It’s the new hot thing on the streets. Everyone wants to find ‘Euphoria’.”

               You gave Amber a confused look. “Find ‘Euphoria’? Is that what they call it?”

               Amber grabbed a paper and wrote it out. “Yeah, it makes sense when you look at it and read it out. Change the 1 to an I, and it says euphoria. It sounds better when you’re trying to score without drawing attention, I guess. Remember that one guy who was going through withdrawals at the underground club? He kept asking me if I could ‘help him find Euphoria’.”

               “Seems way too intense for a club drug. If it’s supposed to be like ecstasy and make you feel really good, why does it make you go through the worst kind of side effects and an even worse withdrawal?”

               “The theory the cops believe now is that it was made, primarily, for the sex trade industry.  Very little doses make you feel nice and all that. But pure U4-1A does all that and more. It needs to work its way out of the system fast else it causes heart failure and other bad things. Whoever made it added chemicals that affect the brain and senses, so the user loses all inhibitions and is in a constant state of intense arousal.  So much so that the user is willing to do anything to find a release with anyone. I heard Mary, the lady who’s been on the most U4-1A cases has had to do a lot of things just shy of actually fucking them. That considered, it makes sense that it would have started in the sex industry; a willing participant is better than one that fights in their eyes.”

               It was true that U4-1A, or Euphoria, made people feel euphoric and intensified the pleasure of touch. But from what you had heard from Amber and some of the other nurses, when the patients are under the influence of the powder, they beg anyone to do any kind of sexual act to help them chase the feeling. Whatever sick bastard who created it made it so the user couldn’t find relief on their own, either.  Another hospital had thought that if the patients were aroused that it should be enough to let them handle it on their own, since it seemed release was the way to increase the heart rate and move the substance through the system. But the first few patients were in distress for hours until their hearts gave out from the effects of the chemicals in their blood. Doctor Na had been trying to see if any kind of physical activity, outside of sexual, could be the key to rehabilitating the Euphoria addicts. But it hadn’t seemed to be working. With more cases rising, there didn’t seem to be a treatment unless you had only the smallest amount. And survivors from the withdrawal seemed to be just as slim. The patients went through intense fevers, tremors, breathing problems, and pain without the substance. One of Central’s patients didn’t last two days of withdrawals.

               “I’m telling you,” Amber went on, drawing you out of your thoughts, “I don’t care who or how many are rocking my world or how long since my last date. No orgasm is worth dying for.”

               You let out a small chuckle at her attempt to push away from a not-so-fun topic. You nodded your head in agreement, though you couldn’t really remember the last time you had experienced anything other than a kiss from your ex. You could feel Amber’s eyes on you as you shuffled through the rest of the files.

               “So, speaking of orgasms,” she segwayed, leaning over with an eyebrow arched, “since you seem to be ready to start making some changes in your life, when are we gonna get you out for a date night?”

               “I didn’t say I was ready for a relationship.”

               “Whoa, who said anything about a relationship? I’m just saying have some fun, get a dinner, meet someone and start getting more confident with yourself. I have some friends I could set you up with. All of them are sweet and know I would kill them if they tried anything.”

               You hadn’t really thought about dating or anything like that. You had been so focused on healing your mind and getting settled into a new routine that it hadn’t even crossed your mind. You want to tell her ‘No’ but you found yourself considering it. Maybe it would be a good idea to just try to hang out with someone other than Amber. “I don’t know…,” you mused.

               That was all Amber needed. “Let’s just imagine. What’s your type? I mean, besides the complete opposite of your ex.”

               “I don’t really think I have a type. I know that Daniel was my friend and we were always together, so I think that’s why we started dating. But I don’t think I have one other than being a nice guy.”

               “Okay, let’s think about this. How about my friend Bryce?” You made a face, remembering the one time you met Eric when Amber and you went shopping and he spilled his drink all over you. “Okay, maybe not. How about Lee or Michael?”

               “They’re nice, I think.”

               “Oh, what about Dean from the kitchen staff? He’s so hot!”

               “The guy with the guitar and the smooth voice? The one who flirts with everyone and shows off his tattoos? Yeah, he’s definitely hot. Maybe too hot for someone like me. I feel like you two would fit together better.”

               “Stop that, you are so cute. I’d date you. I’d even give you a kiss goodnight.” Amber moved in to kiss you on the cheek, only to find her rolling chair being pushed by your foot. “Fine, see if I kiss you ever again. How about Eric from the pediatric ward? I’ve seen you two talk and he’s really easy to be around. Ooh, or Chris? You know, the one with the cute accent and hot body to match? I think you two would be able to reach your own version of euphoria.”

               “Ok, I’m done with you. You are ridiculous. I have patients to get to. And, even if I didn’t, I would rather get hit on by Mr. Young than have you start talking about me and some random guy.”

               Amber busted out laughing as you grabbed some charts and all but ran from the desk. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep workshopping it. This is just the next project in the ‘make my precious friend feel normal’ plan.”

               Despite the way your day had begun, your shift was free of any real excitement. And to be honest, you were happy to have a normal shift. You handed out medicine when it was time, changed the dressing of a girl who had been in a car accident, and took the time to pop in on Mr. Young since he was so upset that you hadn’t been there that morning. You figured listening to the old man’s reveries from his youth was a good punishment for your tardiness. Though, as you sat there, you couldn’t help but let your mind wander to the blond man. You wondered if he was still in the O.R. or if he had been moved. Were his injuries as bad as you thought or worse? You wanted to go see if Doctor Na was out of surgery and if there was any news. Stop it, you scolded yourself, stop focusing so much on that. Just do your job. Stay calm. You pushed yourself to go through the motions of your job, putting your body on autopilot as you tried not to think about him anymore. For the most part, it seemed to work; every time you blinked, you were off to the next task. Even as Amber dragged you away for a quick lunch, you focused extra hard as your friend excitedly recounted her night of online gaming, and her ever continuing feud with Seagull-eye97. Based on the color in Amber’s cheeks as she complained about them snipping her during their last dual, it was a struggle.

               By the afternoon, you had enough distractions to not think too much about the blond stranger. Amber had found out that Dr. Na was no longer in the OR, and it seemed like everything was alright. You felt some relief from such small information. While the thought to check up on the stranger popped back into your mind, you decided to stick to your plan to let the universe decide if you were going to meet again.

               And the universe had it’s funny way of making that happen.

               You were back at the station helping one of the patients get discharged. She was a nice girl who had been in a car accident and was finally being released. You were printing out the doctor’s orders and getting her prescriptions in order when one of the girl’s friends, one you had seen during visiting hours often, came to take her home. As you handed the friend the paperwork, you noticed they had matching tattoos, a Roman numeral II, on different parts of their arms. They called them friendship tattoos and you thought that was cute. Though, you weren’t sure if you would get one with Amber anytime soon. Once the girls were gone, you sat back at the station to finish up your paperwork.

               A voice caught your attention and made you look up towards the hallway that led to the elevator. Doctor Henry Na stepped off with a few other nurses, talking quietly and laughing about something you couldn’t hear. You couldn’t help but find yourself smiling at the sight of him. And not just because it further proved that he had finished up the surgery. Henry was someone you had come to be friendly with, like with Amber. He was one of the nicest people you had been introduced to and he made a point to see you on your shift. He was tall and broad, with a smile that was just as kind as his demeanor. He had shared many coffee breaks talking about things, getting your mind from whatever was making it panic, never making you feel like he was just going through the motions. You couldn’t help but feel a certain way whenever he was around, something you couldn’t remember feeling before. A feeling of safety and happiness. Amber’s conversation from earlier seemed to pop into your mind about your type of man. Based on the excited feeling that crept up into you, you couldn’t deny that you liked him. But so did everyone else in the hospital and he probably didn’t see you that way. He had glanced over towards the station and gave you a little wave as he finished his conversation. And that butterfly feeling intensified.

               “Why do you look like that?”

               Amber had the strangest ability of just appearing out of nowhere at the worst moment. You felt yourself jump and heat rise in your cheeks. You tried to hide yourself in your hands but Amber followed where you had been staring at. And a teasing smirk appeared as she put the pieces together.

               “I guess I figured out your type. Look at you going for the most eligible bachelor in this hospital. I like it;  skip the boy and go right for the man.”

               “You are so embarrassing! We’re friends. He’s just nice to me. I’m sure he wouldn’t want to be with someone with such baggage.”

               “I don’t know. You should have seen the way he looked at you when you started blushing.”

               You went to shove her away as she started making kissy faces at you, when you noticed Na shaking hands with one of the nurses and starting towards the station. Your body acted on its own in an excited and nervous frenzy, as you reached into your pants pocket and pulled out a small bottle of body spray you had brought with you after changing and ducked down. You sprayed the lily scented water over yourself, trying to rid yourself of the sterile smell of your clothes. You froze when you felt Amber’s smug and judging glance. “What? I like to smell nice and I forgot to spray some this morning after I changed.”

               “Sure, honey. Hi, Henry,” she greeted and you sat straight up.

               “Hi Amber, Y/N,” he greeted back, his gaze fixed on you. “How are things going up here?”

               “Oh you know, same old stuff. Though, I think I left my pen somewhere. I should go find it. You two talk.” And she abandoned you, throwing you a thumbs up and some faces that you had to remember to beat her for.

               “Hi, Doctor Na,” you said, “did everything go ok this morning?”

               “I feel like I should be asking you that. I heard you ran into the building with an active shooter. That’s something I never thought I’d hear you doing.”

               “You and everyone else it would seem. I just wanted to help and let my body run on autopilot.”

               “Well, it was tough in there for a bit but, because of you, our John Doe is going to see another day. He’s responding well and I had him moved from post op. He lost a lot of blood and he’s gonna be in some pain for a bit. We have him on some pain medicine that’s going to have him out for a while. But he was responding to the outer stimulus. I think they’re moving him to the room at the end of the hall. Can you just promise me that you won’t worry me like that ever again? I don’t like the thought of someone as sweet as you doing something so dangerous. How are you feeling, honestly? Anxious at all? Anything you want to talk about? I haven’t had any luck identifying that prescription yet, and my friend in the pharmacy hasn’t gotten back to me yet. So, I just want to make sure you’re good.”

               He knew your anxiety had been active since you had come to him to try to find exactly what your medicine was. His calming eyes looked down at you with concern. “I’m alright,” you said, trying to control the color in your cheeks as you tried to maintain eye contact, “when I got here, I just jumped into work so I didn’t have time to think about anything else. I’m okay, thank you, Doctor Na.”

               “I thought we talked about you calling me Henry, remember? See that’s what I like about you, Y/N. You care so much about everyone else. You really are a good nurse. I just wish you’d do the same for yourself. I suppose I’ll have to make sure you’re really ok. How about we talk about it over dinner this week?”

               You’re sure you must have looked like a deer in the headlights. “What?”

               “Well, someone who risks their own safety to help others should get some kind of reward, shouldn’t they? Figured why not let me treat you for once. How about it? Maybe we can talk about other things, too. Not work related? Maybe get to know each other better?”

               You felt like the whole world had just turned upside down. Was the most handsome doctor who you had been friendly with over the last few months just asking you out? You, out of every other good-looking person in this hospital? Did he actually ask you out? The way he was looking at you, like he was nervous you’d say ‘no’, made it seem that way. He had been extra attentive recently. And Amber was always saying you were kind of oblivious when it came to flirting having not really experienced it. You, suddenly, found yourself too nervous to say anything, and nodded. His smile returned, all wide and excited, which made you shyly smile back.

               True to her fashion, Amber came slipping back into the conversation, which you were happy with, fearing you’d burn a hole in the ground with how hot your cheeks were. “Okay, you guys look far too cute over here. Time to get back to work. Did you have a reason for coming to our side of the floor, Henry, or are you just gonna make goo-goo eyes at everyone?”

               Henry cleared his throat, trying to hide his slight awkwardness. “I was telling Y/N that we moved that patient to this floor for recovery. He should be in the last room down that hall. And I was hoping she wouldn’t mind taking this to his room?” He placed a clear bag on the station. It had the patient’s personal effects in it. “I figured that since she was with him, he might be more comfortable with someone he recognizes.”        

               You nodded and took the bag from him. “I’ll keep an eye on him for you.”

               “I’d appreciate that. Umm… I’ll get back to my rounds now, before I’m banished by Amber here. I’ll talk to my friend about that prescription and see you later, Y/N.” He turned to leave with a little wave at you and Amber. Before he got too far, he turned over his shoulder. “Nice perfume, by the way, Y/N. It really suits you.”

               He made a quick exit as Amber made a funny noise and you were alone with her gaze on you and a smile on your face.

               “You two should really get a room. Like the one at your apartment or his. I can just imagine it.”

               “You are so awful. He just asked me to get dinner. It may not even be a date. He’s just being nice, I’m sure.”

               “Please, he wants to talk about non work related stuff. Plus, I saw the way he was looking at you. He thinks you’re cute. And you are still blushing. Trust me, I know.”

               ‘We’ll see about that.” You looked at the bag in front of you. It had ‘John Doe’ written on it. There was a wallet, cellphone, a watch, and a few pieces of jewelry. The EMT’s had cut his shirt open to get to his injuries, and you were sure the rest of his clothes were being held for the police, whenever they came to get evidence and statements. You thought it was odd you hadn’t seen any since you left the construction site. You opened the bag and pulled out the wallet, hoping to find some kind of name. The wallet was empty, save for a few dollars and a key card. You reached for his phone. It was dead. You reached into your desk and pulled out a spare cord and power bank. There had to be something on there to figure out who he was or get ahold of someone who did. You plugged it in and put it back in the bag. You pushed off from the desk and made for the room at the end of the hall.

               The room was dark when you entered, save for the dim light above the bed and the glow from the heart monitor. You pushed the privacy curtain aside, and were welcomed by the sight of the blond stranger that had occupied the edges of your mind. The bed made him seem so small and his pale skin made him appear so fragile. His eyes were closed, but the steady rise and fall of his chest gave you some relief. His hair was still damp from where the staff had rinsed the blood from his hair. There was a bandage near his hairline. The cuts on his face had been treated and the bruising was much more visible now. There was an oxygen cannula tube strapped across his face and nose. And you could just see the edge of bandages peeking out from under the patient’s uniform they had dressed him in. He looked awful but he was alive, and you were so relieved you thought you might cry.

               “So, this is the man you ran into gun fire for?” Amber followed you in with his chart in her hand. “I can understand why.”

               “I’m so happy he’s ok. He looked so bad when the ambulance came. I promised him he’d be ok, that I’d get him out.”

               Amber patted you on the shoulder, giving you a sympathetic smile. “He’s gonna be fine. Hopefully, he wakes up soon, then you can stop worrying so much. And we can get a real name for him. He doesn’t look like a John. We should give him a nickname. With hair like that, I’d rather call him ‘popstar’.”

               “I think his name is Agust. Someone kept saying they were looking for Agust. I assume that’s him.”

               “He looks more like an Agust than a John.” Amber took out her pen and started making some changes. “Agust Doe. No, that sounds weird. How about just Agust D? Sounds more like a pop star name doesn’t it?”

               You nodded your head; Agust D sounded better than a blank identity. Amber placed his file at the end of the bed, and patted your shoulder. You gave a reassuring smile before she decided to leave the room. And you were alone with the blond stranger, or Agust. You took a couple steps closer to the bed, worried that he might wake up. But he didn’t; he continued to sleep in the drug induced state. In this forced, relaxed form, you couldn’t deny he was more handsome than your initial thought at your first meeting. Leaning forward over his form, your fingers reached out to check the bandage near his hairline, moving some of the stray blond hairs aside. You had no doubt that the others had done an exceptional job, but an odd sense of protectiveness made you look at everything extra close. Must be because of what happened earlier, you had concluded. There was an IV bag hanging above the bed, along with a transfusion bag replacing what he had lost. Absentmindedly, your fingers had slowly moved across his hair and down to his cheek. You were glad that it wasn’t as cold and clammy as it had been.

               “See, I told you I was gonna get you out. Now, you need to make sure you get better soon so you tell me everything,” you said with a small smile. The boy in the bed inhaled deeply, before pressing his cheek further into your light touch. The sudden movement startled you. “Agust? Can you hear me?”

               But he was still again. And your question was overtaken by the soft beep of the instruments around him.

               Suddenly, a shrill ring exploded in the room, making you jump back away from the bed as if you had been shocked. You whirled round trying to find what was causing it. Your eyes caught the flash of light on the end table beside you. It was the cell phone. Had it turned on by itself once it had enough power? Odd as it was, someone was trying to get a hold of him and you knew you should make sure they came to be with him. Maybe they knew what he was doing at the construction site and who had attacked him. You reached into the bag and pulled the phone out. The screen was flashing with a contact name, ‘God of Destruction’, and with a notification that this number had called multiple times, as well as other numbers over the last few hours. You slid your fingers across the screen and brought the phone up to your ear.

               Before you could say anything, your ears were bombarded with multiple voices all speaking in a chaotic chorus. One voice, whomever had the phone, spoke loudly over the din. “Hyung! Finally, I was so scared. Where are you? Are you okay? Tell me what the bastard did and I’ll fuck him up so bad.”

Someone else had pulled the phone closer to them. “Hyung, I’m so sorry. We should have never split up..”

Another struggle for the phone and another voice that sounded older than the last rang in over the continuing strings of conversations they were all trying to have. “Yah! Where have you been?! What were you doing, getting a coffee instead of giving us some kind of sign that you were alive?! You prick!”

The first voice must have got the phone back, as his was the most dominant voice again. “Guys, shut up, I can’t hear anything. Hyung, say something. Where are you?”

“Hello,” you responded in a small voice.

The chaotic voices all stopped, and for a moment you were scared the call had dropped. The voice seemed to drop into a serious octave. “Who is this?”

“Umm… my name is Y/N. I’m a nurse at Central Mercy Hospital. We brought the owner of this phone here after he was involved in a shooting.”

“Is he okay?” It was a different voice, sounding genuinely concerned.

“He needed emergency surgery. But we have him stable now. But he’s gonna need someone here. Are you his family or someone who can get here?”

“You said Central Mercy? What level is he on now? Who’s the doctor who saw him?” You gave him what he had asked for. “Alright, listen to me very closely. I’ll be there as fast as I can. Stay calm but do exactly as I say and it’ll be okay. Do not let anyone enter that room but you or this Doctor Na until I get there, do you understand me?”

You felt a little annoyed that he was ordering you around, but there was something in his tone that gave you the sense that this was not a joke and something to take seriously. “And who are you.”

“Call me RM.” Then the line went dead.

#bts fanfic #bts fic #bts imagines #bts mafia au #bts mafia fic #yoongi x reader #bangtan boys #ot7 x reader #min yoongi #kim namjoon #kim seokjin #jung hoseok #park jimin #kim taehyung #jeon jungguk #amber liu #bangtan fanfic #bemylight #elphiej

[elphiej]

Be My Light - Chapter 2: Her Devil, His Angel

*Pairing: Yoongi X Reader

*Genre: Mafia, angst, eventual smut, slow burn

*Warnings: Language, violence, reference to physical / emotional abuse, blood 

Author’s note: Hi everyone. Thank you for sticking with me. I am also uploading Be My Light up on AO3 under the same username. I’ll link below. Please feel free to comment and let me know what you think or what you liked about it. I get really excited when I see what you guys like. I hope you like it. 

Tag list: @lolalalooo​ @bangtan-sonyeonddaeng​, @barbikatherine​, @mrsfortune1306, @lovesick-heart0​, @iamnamjoonsbxtch​, @deathkat657​, @deeepvibes​

                                  Chapter 2: Her Devil, His Angel

               Almost there, you thought as you quickened your pace to your bus stop. Nothing had passed you on the road, so you were sure there was plenty of time before the bus arrived just beyond the construction. But with the morning you were having, you wouldn’t stop worrying until you were seated at the bench. You felt yourself smile a bit as you drew closer and closer to the shopping center; it was so large, and you were sure there were so many surprises lurking inside. You hoped it wouldn’t be too long before you could go in and find something special. 

               A black car went racing past you as breakneck speed, from seemingly nowhere, leaving you shivering from the blast wind that trailed behind. I must not be the only one having a crazy morning, you thought as your eyes followed the SUV’s taillights. As you passed in front of the construction zone, you saw the gate of the fence that surrounded it had been opened, leading to the paved entrance. Could the car have come from here? You stopped walking long enough to look around; nothing looked out of place, at least to you, and there didn’t seem to be any vandalism. Did they go inside? The chain on one of the doors had been unlatched and left hanging from the handle of the propped open doors. Or it would have been one of the workers checking on things and needed to leave quickly? You supposed there could be a lot of conclusions; instantly thinking something bad had happened just because of the gang activity wasn’t the best thing to ease your anxiety. It was best just to keep going. The bus stop was in sight at the edge of the fence.

               Before you could sit on the bench, you heard a loud ‘popping’ sound from the building behind you. You wanted to say it was a car backfiring or a firecracker, but it was too rapid to be anything else. Ever since you had lived in Central, you learned how to tell the difference. You could hear some loud yells that sounded like it was coming from the other side of the building. But the shots were coming from inside the building. You should run away and hide somewhere safe; you know you should. And you started to back away, reaching for your phone to call the police. You heard more yells and footsteps heading your direction. There was nothing close by to duck into, so you hid yourself behind a trashcan on the other side of the bench. Peering around, you see two large men, both dressed in black suits, holding semi-automatic handguns. They were looking, wildly, up and down the street. You prayed they wouldn’t find you, not knowing what would happen.

               “They’re not here! I don’t see a car anywhere! They must have got away,” one of the men said, out of breath.

               “What did you expect after that fucking chase? Everywhere they ducked into was rigged with one of Vante’s traps! I can’t believe that fucker got in there and did all that with no one noticing him. My eyes are still burning from that pepper spray.”

               “Tell me about it,” the first one replied, “On the third floor, he set off another smoke bomb and had trip wires all over the place. I almost busted my ass! He had every floor rigged with some kind of stupid trap. Yao went into an empty shop on the third floor and the security door came rolling down and locked him inside; they’re still trying to get him out.”

               “Well, Vante and the blond are gone. And Choi’s going to have our heads. No matter how many traps we suffered through.”

               “Maybe, but there are still the other two. I heard them chasing someone above us when we were pepper sprayed. Chen had said one of them was shot twice; there’s no way he’s making it out alive. Fairly sure it’s the youngest that’s still running around. Choi would be pleased if he could lay one of them out and get that secretive maknae they’re always protecting.  If we can corner him and capture him, that teaches them not to mess with the Royals. Let’s go check around back and help corner the fucking brat. Bet he’s hiding in some stairwell.”

               “As long as there’s no more damn traps…,” the other man trailed off in a low grumble.

               The two men turned and ran back towards the side of the building. So, the speeding car must have been who they were looking for. No wonder they were driving like their lives depended on it, you thought. Whoever they were looking for must have wandered into a gang meeting? And there were more still in the building, hurt, being hunted down. You needed to leave, call the police, protect yourself. But you found yourself looking back at the building, and a thought emerged that really affected you. For much of the life you remembered, you had been bullied. You wished, back then, someone had stood up to protect you. Now, after all the therapies and hard work, you were trying to stand up for others like you. These gangs were nothing but bullies and the city was you, looking for someone to take a stand and help. You knew you were nothing compared to the men with guns and weapons, but there were people who needed help. The police would take too long, and you couldn’t stand the idea of letting someone die. Sometimes people need to do scary things to help people. Your father had always helped people; as a police officer he had ran into danger. You were a nurse; you could help them until the authorities came. All you needed to do was stay out of sight. Suddenly, the person Amber wanted you to be took over and that scared girl hiding behind the trash can disappeared, as you stood up and eased over to the open fence, peering around to see if anyone was there.

               You pulled your phone out and called 911, quickly telling the operator what was going on; you were a nurse at Central Mercy, there was an active gang shooting with possible multiple injuries, and that you needed an ambulance to Central Mercy along with police. You hung up after the operator confirmed that they were on the way and to stay away from the scene. There was no talking you out of it. Someone needed to help before someone lost their life unnecessarily. The area around the open fence was clear of people, but from inside you could hear people were running around and yelling. You ran to the door, and slipped in once you saw the coast was clear.

               Inside was dimly lit, and every noise echoed in the open concrete building. You couldn’t see anyone on the ground level; the noises seemed to be coming from the upper floors, where you could hear people yelling commands, breaking glass, and throwing things around. Whoever they were looking for must be hiding. You moved, quietly, into the open food court area, looking for some sign. This is stupid, you are so stupid, you kept chanting as you kept moving. On a box next to you, there was a crowbar and you snatched it up, holding it as if it was a bat. It may not do anything against a gun, but it made you feel a little secure as more shots were fired above you. There was a bunch of yelling; from the sounds of it, they hadn’t caught the young man the ones outside had mentioned. And you hoped they wouldn’t. But then, you heard someone yell, ‘He’s running towards the fire escape! Take him down’. It was quickly followed by more shouting, more shots fired, a scream, and the sound of glass breaking.  As you made it to the fountain in the middle of the space, really wishing you would get out of there, you heard someone running. It was closer than the ones that echoed above you, and you could hear heavy breathing getting closer and closer. You crouched down against the wall of the fountain, gripping the metal bar tighter and trying to keep your breathing as quiet as you could. The footfalls got closer and closer, and they were not even steps like the two suited men from outside, and the breathing sounded labored and strained.

               Around a corner, the owner of the steps came into your view. It was not a suited man, but a younger looking man with sweaty, blond hair, and a pale face. He was alone and swaying on his feet as he moved, with difficulty, towards the fountain. His breathing came in harsh gasps. He stumbled and hit the ground hard, hissing and struggled to get back up. From your hiding spot, you saw there was a massive blood stain on the red coat he wore from a bullet wound in his shoulder, with blood dripping from his limp hand. His other arm was wrapped around his waist and his black shirt seemed like it was wet, as well. As he tried to push himself up, you saw blood on his other hand, too. This had to be the one the two gang members were talking about, the one who was hurt. Instantly, you felt your heart break seeing someone so hurt. As he struggled to push up on his shaky arm, he tilted his head up.

               Then, he finally noticed you.

               Your eyes locked with his dark brown eyes. At first, he just stared at you, as if he couldn’t figure out if you were real or not. His eyes – you couldn’t help but think that they were so captivating and beautiful- kept searching yours for some kind of sign, like he was expecting you to turn into something else. But then, he realized that you were not a figment of his pain-induced imagination and that you were really sitting there. His eyes got bigger as he pushed himself to get to his unsteady feet, but his arm gave out and he dropped back to the ground. Some of the strands of his blond hair were stained red from an open cut at his hairline.

               Before you could move to him, you heard someone coming. The young man heard them too and tried again to stand up, only to fall again. He turned his eyes back to you. His lips moved but you were so focused on the steps that you didn’t hear him. A man in a black suit, like the ones from outside, came around the corner. He looked around before his eyes fell upon the bleeding blond. The smile that cracked his face made your pulse race in your ears. It reminded you of the smile Daniel had shown you when you said you were leaving. The suited man let out a chuckle as he stalked over to the young man.

               “There you are, you son of a bitch. Who would have thought you would have made it this far in your condition. Choi’s going to be so happy that he’s gonna get to finish you off.” He kneeled down next to his prey and fisted his blond hair, pulling him up to his knees. “And I’ll get such a reward for capturing you. And it’s only a matter of time before they catch your little friend. Last I heard, they cornered him on the second floor. He almost made it to the fire escape. I can’t wait to see your face when I smash his skull against the floor. After Choi has his own fun, that is.”

               You couldn’t stop the gasp from escaping your lips as the mental image filled your mind. Two sets of eyes slid over to you. The suited man seemed startled at your presence and it took him a moment to fully process you. Slowly, that predator look he wore slipped back into place. He, roughly, released the youth and rose to his feet. His steps towards you were slow and heavy. And with each step, his well-tailored suit changed to a pair of worn jeans and a whiskey-soaked jacket. With each step, he became your ex as he stalked you against the wall of your apartment. Then back to the suited gang member with a gun in his belt. The edges of your vision started to darken and get fuzzy from panic. You pushed away from the fountain, trembling fingers releasing the only weapon you could protect yourself with, and tried to crawl away from his gaze. But he grabbed you by the ankle and dragged you back to his grasp. He grabbed you by the collar of your coat and crouched on top of you.

               Just like Daniel had done after he backhanded you for asking why you couldn’t leave.

               “Well, what do we have here? A little bitch who wandered into the wrong place at the wrong time, maybe? Do you belong to him? Or were you trying to play hero? What a fucking joke! You should have minded your own business! Now, I’m gonna have to teach you a lesson.”

               You just couldn’t be the happy little bitch I asked you to be. You had to go sticking your nose where it didn’t belong. Guess I’m gonna have to teach you a lesson, Daniel’s voice echoed behind the suited man’s words.

               “No,” you gasp, not sure who you were responding to, “please stop. I’m sorry!”

               He pulled you up to your feet, fingers biting into your arms. “Sorry isn’t gonna help you. You’ve seen too much. I doubt the boss will want to keep you around for a quick fuck either; you’re not pretty enough for that.”

               You should be thankful someone like me even wants to be around you. You’re nothing but useless. You’re not even good looking. Not even pretty enough to call a girlfriend.

               Your heart was racing; all the emotions were flooding your mind. Suddenly, you were back in your old apartment wanting to leave to make everyone happier. Daniel was screaming at you, breaking down every shred of courage you had mustered to tell him you were leaving. His hands were bruising your arms as he was about to throw you against the coffee table when you moved towards the door. There was a crack echoing in your mind as your head contacted with the wood then the wall as he slammed you against it. No, this wasn’t happening again! But the suited man kept changing forms, both faces sharing that venomous smirk. You were gonna be a victim again, forever trapped by his words and actions.

You were useless.

               “No!” You squeezed your eyes shut and brought your knee up as hard as you could, hitting him right in the stomach. The man stumbled back and it gave you enough time to reach down for the crowbar and swing it up. It connected with Daniel’s face as he moved towards you again. You swung it again, and it hit the suited man in the back as he doubled over. With a surge of rage that had been hidden within all the fear and anxiety, you swung again and again.

               When the red in your vision faded, the suited man was on the ground, unmoving. You stared down at him, breathing hard. For a moment, you weren’t sure what had happened. Was he dead? How did that happen? The weight of the crowbar in your hand brought it back to you. You were protecting yourself the way you wished you had before. The suited man had triggered your memory so strongly that all that pent of anger Amber had always said needed to be addressed came surging out. You stared at the crowbar in utter shock. How did you do that? You glanced down at the unconscious suited man before you; you nudged him with your foot and let out a sigh of relief when he let out a moan. He may have been trying to attack you, but you really didn’t want to kill anyone. It went against your whole purpose of running into this hell hole.

Your eyes darted back to the bleeding man leaning heavily against the edge of the fountain. You dropped the crowbar, making a loud ‘bang’, and ran over to him, wrapping your arm around him and steading him. He, unknowingly, leaned his weight against you and his head pressed against your shoulder. You got a better look at his wounds; the cut on his forehead was long but not deep, and the gun shot wound in his shoulder was bleeding quite a bit. There was no exit wound, so the bullet was still lodged somewhere in his flesh. You reached down and moved his shirt from his side to see another gunshot wound, deep and heavily bleeding. He tried to push you away.

               “What are you doing here,” he hissed at you through clenched teeth. “Get out of here! They’ll kill you.”

               “I handled that one,” you said, nodding your head in the direction of the suited man, “didn’t I?”

               “Barely. I could have handled him.” Was he seriously dismissing your effort? “A few lucky swings aren’t gonna save you from a gunshot. You need to get out of here. Just leave me here. They’re coming.”

               You eased his limp arm over your shoulder, wrapped your arm around his back to his uninjured side, and pulled him to his shaky feet. “I’m not leaving you here. You’ll either bleed out or whoever is looking for you will finish you off. Come on, I’m gonna get you out.”

               “You shouldn’t be in here. What were you thinking?”

               “Are you really berating me right now? I am trying to save you, you know. From where I’m standing, my lack of skills would have fared better than you. Why are you here, anyways?

               Despite his weakened state, the man struggled in your grasp, trying to push you away. “Are you crazy?”

               “No,” you said as you lead the way towards the door, “I’m a nurse at Central Mercy. And I don’t like bullies. Just focus on staying awake, alright? I promise I’ll get us out of here alive. And when we do, I want the full explanation of who I just knocked out and what I got myself into saving you. Deal?”

               “Whatever-“

               “Look down there,” you heard someone yell from behind you, “I heard something! He couldn’t have gotten far.”

               You felt the man flinch in your grip at the sound of the harsh voice. The sounds of heavy steps sounded like a rolling thunder in the wide space. There was no way you were going to make it out the door before someone noticed you, especially with the way the blond man was stumbling with each step. He was losing too much blood, and whatever headwound he had sustained had him straining to keep conscious. You looked around for something to hide behind. There were some boxes and crates but that wouldn’t be good enough. With the steps and voices getting closer, you made your way to one of the food service counters, and crouched down behind it. The thunder of footsteps seemed to patter off into different directions, but one could still be heard walking into the space. There was the sound of something scraping behind them. You braved to glance around the edge of the counter to see. At the fountain, right where you had hidden yourself a few moments ago, was a tall, well dressed man in a light blue suit. While he seemed the type to take care of his appearance, he looked crazed and disheveled. In one gloved hand, he held a gun while the other was a silver, ornate cane. His eyes were locked on the fallen man; This had to be the big boss based on his attire, you assumed. He made a noise of disappointment before turning his attention to a small pool of blood from where the blond had fallen. He dipped the edge of the cane in the crimson liquid, and brought it up to his eyes. At first, you worried he was going to taste it, like some modern vampire. But he smiled and started to walk forward, dragging the cane behind him, leaving a red trail. The way he stalked through the space you couldn’t help but feel a sense of dread. Your heart was beating so fast; this was beyond terrifying, but you needed to focus. You felt a shaky hand reach over and grab hold of yours. He gave your hand a reassuring squeeze. The young man, despite chiding you earlier, was trying to keep you from falling too far into your fear.  

               “I know you’re here, Agust,” the chilling voice called out into the space. “Come out, come out, wherever you are. Still have some fight in you? You did a number on my man. I should return the favor.”

               The voice made a loud yell and a sudden crash exploded in the space. You brought your hand to your mouth to keep your gasp of surprise from alerting the walking embodiment of death. The man had brought his cane down upon the boxes you thought to hide behind, and smashed them. He kicked the shatter pieces out of his path and moved on, dragging the cane again. The steps were closer, and you figured he had come to one of the other food counters. You prayed he wouldn’t find you because you weren’t sure what would happen if he did. Suddenly, the blond let go of your hand and reached behind him. He pulled out a black, studded gun. You couldn’t begin to wonder what you had actually gotten yourself into. His hand was shaky too much and he pressed it into your hand before placing his over yours; was he intending to have you shoot him? Could you? Or was he using you as a steady when you were shaking just as bad as him? You stared at him with wide eyes, but he shushed you and moved your hands where he needed them.

               “Hiding like a scared child? I thought you were better than that. But we have the same problem as before; you still have a heart. You should have let your boy die, Agust. Then, you could have gotten away to face another day. But now, you’re bleeding out. You’re gonna die. Unless I find you.” The cane hit against one of the counters and scraped across it. The sound made you shiver. The blond held you hand tighter, his finger against yours near the trigger. His eyes were feverish, and he was getting paler than before. The voice continued to move closer. “I’m gonna take my time with you. I’ll make sure you don’t die yet. It’s a matter of time before we find your boy. I want you to watch while I unmask him and break him. And I’ll remind you how it’s all your fault as I make him scream. Only after I break him so no one can ever fix him, then I’ll take my time with you. I’ll make sure to take pictures to send to your friends. I’ll make sure they know who they’re dealing with.”

               The voice was so close now, you were sure he was only a few steps away. The footsteps stopped and you could hear the man taking a deep breath. Then, he was quiet. You were holding your breath, your lungs burning. The menacing man, then, took an audible sniff of the air. He did it again and again, as if he was a bloodhound. What was he smelling? Or was this just another tactic to try and scare them out of hiding. Another few steps and you were sure he was in front of your counter. The blond’s hand started to move, ready to use your hand to help him get a steady shot. The man beyond the counter started to lean over when-

               “Sir!”

               The man stopped and turned his attention away from the counter. “Chen, what did you find? Did you track them down?”

               The man, Chen, came up to him.  “No sir, the two escaped in a vehicle. They lost our men running through different levels and shops. They set up a bunch of snares and traps. I had men ready to chase them but Vante did a number on the cars. They’re long gone.”

               “What about the boy?”

               “We couldn’t catch him.” You felt the blond let out a sigh of relief. “He jumped through a window on the second floor.” That explained the broken glass sound you heard. “By time the men got out there, he had dashed into the alleyways and we lost his trail.” A cell phone rang, and for a moment, you feared it was yours, but Chen answered it. “Sir, we need to go. Police are on the way here. The men can hear the sirens. Someone tipped them off.”

               “Damn it,” the man snapped. He slammed the cane against the counter. “Did anyone find Agust?”

               “No, sir. He must have gotten out. The front door and gate are opened. He must have escaped. Maybe the two in the car swung back around and got him.”

               “No, he’s still here somewhere. I can feel it. He’s too hurt to have gotten away from me. There’s too much blood splattered. He has to be close by.” The man took another deep breath. “Do you smell that?”

               “Sir, I can’t smell anything. But we really need to leave. The police are close. Please, if he’s that hurt, he won’t make it until the police get here. You’ve won the battle, sir.”

               “Unless there’s a body, there is no victory.” You heard as he started to move away from the counter. “Grab that idiot over there. Tell the men to get us out of here.”

               You waited until the steps disappeared and the space was all quiet. In the background, you could hear the sounds of police and ambulance sirens coming closer and closer, and the fear you had started to ebb away. You glanced around the counter to make sure they were truly gone before dropping your hand and taking a deep breath. It was going to be ok. The young man’s hand slipped from yours and dropped to his side. Suddenly, your panic started to return. You dropped the gun and moved in front of him, tapping his cheek to keep him awake and checking his pulse. His eyes were glossy and unfocused, his skin so pale and cold. The blood soaked his clothes and wasn’t slowing. You shrugged off your backpack and stripped your jacket off, ignoring the chill of the space, and pressed the material against the wound to stop the bleeding. The man jerked and hissed but his body was too weak to fight it. The sirens got closer still, but it felt like an eternity for you to hear the rush of police calling out. You yelled out for a medic, alerting the police where you were and who you were. Then, you leaned close to the blond stranger.

               “Hey, you got to stay with me, alright? I’m gonna get you out of here, remember? We’re gonna get you to the hospital and patch you up. But I need you to stay awake. Remember, you promised to tell me what I got myself into.” His eyes couldn’t seem to focus on yours and kept slipping closed. You patted his check again, leaving bloody prints. You reached for his hand instead. You squeezed it as he had done not so long ago, trying to bring his focus on you. “Come on, stay with me. Can you squeeze my hand? Talk to me? Tell me your name. Tell me how dumb I am for running into an active shooting scene. Tell me I’m a hot mess. Anything, just stay with me.”

               His hooded eyes caught yours and he tilted his head to the side. He slipped his hand from yours and laid it against your cheek. “Angel,” he whispered, before his hand dropped and his body went limp.

#bts fic #bts imagines #bts mafia au #bts mafia fic #yoongi x reader #bangtan boys #ot7 x reader #min yoongi #kim namjoon #kim seokjin #jung hoseok #park jimim #kim taehyung #jeon jungkook #bangtan fanfic #Bemylight #elphiej

[elphiej]

I’m starting to post Be My Light on my AO3 account, under the same username. I will still post it here. If you want to leave comment or chat on either platform, I’m always open. Thanks to everyone who has liked it so far, I can’t tell you how much it means to me.  I’m working on the next chapter and hope to get it out to you as soon as possible.

#bemylightfanfic #bts fanfction #elphiej

[elphiej]

New chapter Alert

Hey everyone! The next chapter of Be My Light will be posted tomorrow! I hope you all like it. There will be a surprise guest making an appearance. Then, we get some OT7 therapy!! See you tomorrow!!!!

#bts fic #elphiej #bemylightfanfic

[elphiej]

Hi I really like be my light ! Do you have a rough idea for when you’ll post the next chapter? I’m really excited for it !

Hey there anon! I'm glad you like Be My Light. Sadly, I dont really have an idea when the next chapter will be done. I try not to let there be a long wait between chapters. I handwrite the whole thing first as a first draft before typing and editing. Work has become busy so I dont have time during work days to get far. I will always post updates of when I think the new chapter. I will say this next chapter has some background and some interactions between characters. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach put again.

-Elphiej

[elphiej]

Odd encounter... at work

It happened again. I want to preface this by saying that this was too funny to be made up. I work at popular zoo/amusement park in Tampa (You know the one) , and I like what i do. And because of my job, I get to encounter some strange people. The best by far was this guy and his grandma . I was hanging around the African penguin habitat, talking to guest about tours, when this guy and his grandmother came up. They hadn’t noticed me or they just didn’t bother to say hello to anyone other then the cute little guys swimming behind me. 

Let me paint what they looked like to you. The grandma was this frail looking woman in a wheel chair with an oxygen tank. The guy was about college age, and acted like someone from ‘Wayne’s World’. So... classic college stoner. And it seemed like he was out of it at 10:00 am. 

The grandma says “Baby look at these cute little guys. Ain’t they precious?’

The guy respond, in a Wayne’s World perfect voice “Grandma, I love penguins. They are my favorite animal. I am a penguin expert.”

I really wanted to see where this guy was heading. Alright genius, show me what you know. Please tell me that penguins only live in the cold. I dare you. 

The Grandmother noticed the ID tags on the penguins’ wing. “Baby, i wonder what that thing is?”

As I was ready to pop over with the whole spiel, the genius announced in full confidence, “Oh i know what that is. I know exactly what that’s for, Grandma. It’s so they don’t fly away!”

I was caught between being the professional worker and laughing my ass off. I couldn’t believe someone serious said that, not even making a joke, but fully believing that was the answer. I made ready to school this fool, to knock him so far down that he’d be in kindergarten again. But then the grandma said something that derailed me so quick. She goes “Oh hun, I am so proud of you.You’re so smart. You make me so proud every day.” And i couldn’t do it. All i could think of was, what if this was the lady’s last day on earth and i had to go and crush this woman’s opinion of her idiot, stoner grandson? In, hind sight, i should have done it.  

#strange encounters #odd #vger91 #elphiej #penguins #african #theme park #busch #gardens #funny