Were Dripping In It

We’re Dripping In It

Chapter 7: The Untold Truth

Jungkook wakes up to a pounding headache and an aching back, there’s a harsh light shining in his face that makes him blink blurry until his vision comes into focus. He tries to move his arms to rub his face but can’t. Shaking his head slightly to clear the fog in it, he looks down to see himself tied to a chair. He twists his wrists experimentally, the tight rope burns against his skin binding them together behind his back.

A slow clap sounds through the room, making him jolt to find the source. A man steps out of the shadows, a smirk on his face as he drags a chair to sit on in front of Jungkook.

“So, sleeping beauty has finally graced us with his presence, I’m not a patient man you know.” He drawls, tutting and wagging his finger in disapproval.

“Well, excuse me for being knocked out cold.” Jungkook coughs up, his throat feeling dry and rough. The man chuckles at his boldness.

“Let’s see how bold you stay while I have you,” he muses, getting up roughly from his chair and pulling a cork-board out the shadows into view. Jungkook flinches as the metal legs drag across the concrete floor until it sits under the swinging lamp.

His eyes widen as he takes in the various candid photographs on the board. All of them are moments of him and Namjoon. The few times they met randomly on the street. Jungkook on stage at D-Town and Namjoon in the crowd looking at him, then sitting in the VIP section sharing a drink. Namjoon picking him up for their first date and then dropping him off with a kiss.

“Are you beginning to understand now?” The man asks, tapping lightly on some of the photos. “My men and I have been tracking you from day one, it's not often you get such leverage from someone so high in the ranks. But this just fell right in our laps, it was amazing!”

“Who are you?” Jungkook gaps in shock, desperately trying to loosen the ropes around his wrists as subtly as he could.

“Oh, have I not introduced myself? Forgive me,” he bows dramatically. “I am Bangchan, the leader of the Stray Kids Gang.”

“Never heard of you,” Jungkook scoffs, tossing his head back to get his hair out of his face as Bangchan sneers down at him.

“You really should have, I control your block after all. That path you walk to campus, mine. The building that you live in, mine. That alleyway that you dare cross every day, mine. I could own your very life, if I choose to.” Bangchan sneers, reaching forward to grip Jungkook’s hair and force his head back painfully.

Jungkook clenches his jaw to keep from spitting in the man’s face, “What’s it to me? I can just move.”

“Nobody leaves without my permission! Nobody!” Bangchan barks, tossing Jungkook’s head aside to stand in front of the board again. “You are going to tell me everything you know about the Rap Monster of Ilsan,” he jabs his finger into Namjoon’s smiling face, a photo taken with Jungkook’s back in view. “I need to know everything you know, then maybe we’ll have an edge when we meet him.”

“How is knowing his sushi order going to help you get leverage on him, exactly?” Jungkook asks, tilting his head at the man who nearly vibrates with anger at his words. Knowing full well that Namjoon hated seafood, but he needed to keep Bangchan talking while he tried to work on loosening the ropes.

“You must have something!” Bangchan barks, slapping Jungkook across the face. “Useless date information is nothing to me! I need to know his weakness! I need to know his strategies!”

Jungkook spits on the ground, his cheek stinging from the slap, trying to will the pain tears in his eyes away. He raises his head to look Bangchan in the eye, “He’s allergic to pine nuts.” He lies through his teeth, nearly getting his left wrist out of its hold.

Bangchan screams in frustration and raises his hand to strike Jungkook across the face again, Jungkook braces himself, only for it to be stopped mid-air by a firm hand.

“Strike him again and you won’t have a hand,” Namjoon growls, coming into view from the shadows. His hand tightens painfully on Bangchan’s wrist making the man whimper in pain.

“Namjoon,” Jungkook gasps in shock, taking in the sight of the man gripping Bangchan’s wrist with white knuckles. Namjoon’s jaw clenches as his eyes flicker over to Jungkook and catch sight of the small red mark on his cheek.

“How did you get it? My men…” Bangchan whimpers then yelps as Namjoon tosses him aside, he hits the cork-board before falling hard to the ground. Namjoon moves quickly to kneel behind Jungkook’s chair. He hears Namjoon’s slight intake of breath at the sight of his loose wrists before pulling the rope off completely.

“I don’t have time for your childish games,” Namjoon growls, tossing the rope aside and pulling Jungkook up from the chair and into his arms.

“Are you okay, little one?” He whispers into Jungkook’s ear, ignoring Bangchan’s moans of pain.

Jungkook can only nod as he takes a shaky breath and clutches onto Namjoon’s jacket. He barely hears Bangchan’s protests as Namjoon begins to walk them out of the dimly lit room, but he feels Namjoon’s rumbled reply.

“The next time you kidnap a leverage victim, you should check exactly who you’re stealing from. I entered your compound because I own it. I own everything that you are Bangchan of Stray Kids. The streets you walk and prowl on. This building that you meet in. The very supplies that you put on the streets. In just two words I can have your whole operation terminated and disbanded. So, don’t even try to think you have any leverage on me.” Namjoon growls, before sweeping Jungkook into his arms. He stops in the doorway and looks over his shoulder at the gaping man, “And one more thing, if I see any of those photos in the hands of any of my true rivals, you won’t even have a pot to piss in when I’m done with you.”

Namjoon’s long strides take them out of the warehouse and past the long rows of bowing men, Jungkook buries his head into Namjoon’s neck as they pass. He tightens his grip on Jungkook as he ducks them into the back of an SUV and barks an order to ‘drive’ as the door closes behind them.

Namjoon pulls Jungkook’s head away from his neck to look over his face, then takes his wrists in hand to check the damage as well. He breathes a sigh at the red marks on his wrists and the small blooming bruise on his face from the ring Bangchan had been wearing.

“How did they get you?” Namjoon asks softly, rubbing the marks with his thumb.

“I was walking home, they came up behind me and put a cloth to my face. It hit me so fast I didn’t have time to react, I gave them as much of a fight as I could.” Jungkook says softly, taking a shaky breath to calm himself.

Namjoon nods, a small smirk coming to his face before dropping it, “You did, you actually hit several men that jumped you. Gave one a bloody nose and a nasty bruise to another.”

Jungkook hums in acknowledgment and after a moment of hesitation, twists his fingers to be laced with Namjoon’s. Namjoon takes a shuddering breath as he squeezes Jungkook’s hand, he squeezes back twice as hard.

“If I hadn’t arrived when I did, what exactly was your plan after getting out of those ropes, little one?” Namjoon asks, running a thumb across his whitening knuckles.

Jungkook looks down at their joined hands, “I didn’t have much of a plan actually. Figured I could knock Bangchan out when he wasn’t expecting it and then find a way out of wherever he had taken me. How did you find me? How did you even know they had taken me?”

Namjoon smirks as Jungkook raises his gaze back to his face, “I wasn’t lying when I said that I own everything that man has, we also have a mole in their ranks. I was informed the minute you were grabbed, I would have been there sooner if they hadn’t taken an unexpected detour at the last second.”

Jungkook nods as he listens to Namjoon’s explanation, his brow furrowing as questions start to pop into his head. Who exactly was Namjoon?

“You have questions,” Namjoon says hesitantly, his eyes speaking to the nervousness that his voice doesn’t.

“Will you answer them? Honestly and without trying to cover the truth, no matter how grim it is.” Jungkook counters with his eyebrow cocked.

Namjoon nods, “I’ll give you nothing but the truth, I never meant for you to find out like this.”

“But you were going to tell me, eventually.” At his second firm nod, Jungkook presses more. “When exactly would have been the right time then? After officially becoming a couple? Moving in together? Our wedding day?”

Namjoon snorts and tries to control his laughter, “Have you really thought that far ahead with me?”

“Now is not the time Namjoon!” Jungkook scolds indignantly, trying to contain his helpless giggles.

Namjoon’s expression turns somber after a moment, “I never would have let it get to any of those points without telling you the truth,” he says seriously, clutching Jungkook’s hands like a lifeline. “I never wanted to lie to you about who I am or what I do. A relationship built on lies is no relationship at all. I’ve seen it time and time again, I refuse to repeat history. But I will admit to the lie of omission, I should have been clearer with you from the start.”

“We met in an alleyway with you beating up a man with bloody knuckles,” Jungkook deadpanned, leveling a look at Namjoon’s sheepish face. “I think I’ve had some idea of what you are and what you do. Even since the beginning.”

The mix of emotions on Namjoon’s face tells Jungkook that he's both pleased by this revelation but nervous about it. Jungkook is hopelessly endeared by the man’s confusion. He removes one of their joined hands to smooth the crease between his eyebrows.

“Stop thinking so hard,” he teases “you’ll develop wrinkles before you turn thirty.”

Namjoon rolls his eyes playfully, swatting his hand away before taking it in his again. They gaze into each other's eyes for a moment and Jungkook becomes very aware of how he’s sitting on Namjoon’s lap. He tries not to shift across the man’s thick thighs as Namjoon brings his hand to his lips and places a kiss on the knuckles.

“Can you hold off your questions until we get to my place? I’d like us to have privacy while we talk.” He whispers against his fingers, his eyes never leaving his.

Jungkook can only nod in response, his throat feeling oddly clogged for a moment. The overwhelming feeling of wanting to bury himself in Namjoon’s arms consumes him, but he feels hesitant to do so. Namjoon seems to sense his hesitation and moves a hand to cup the back of his neck. Jungkook gives into his need and lays his head against Namjoon’s neck.

“You’ve had quite the day haven’t you, little one.” Namjoon soothes, running a gentle hand down Jungkook’s arm as he brings his body closer to his own. Jungkook can only give a weak hum in reply, which makes Namjoon grip on him tighter. “Just lean on me for now, I’ve got you now. You’re safe.”

Jungkook lets out a shaky breath and clutches onto Namjoon’s hand like a lifeline. He squeezes his eyes shut and presses his face against Namjoon’s skin, trying to banish the images of that dimly lit room and Bangchan’s cold eyes from his memory. He takes slow, calming breaths trying to will the tears that threaten to fall away. Namjoon rumbles nonsense words above his ears, he barely registers them but it helps keep him in the present.

We’re Dripping In It

Namjoon/Jungkook

Rated: Explicit

M/M Mafia Romance

Word count: 255k completed

Chapters: 75/75

Summary:

Jungkook is just an ordinary college student when he stumbles upon a scene in a dark alleyway on his way to class.

His world drastically changes and things about his life are revealed about everyone he’s ever known.

If you can’t think of anything to say about a fic, writers also like to know:

- what time it is

- how long you’ve been reading

- how many chapters you’ve covered in the last 24 hours

- what you were late for because you were reading

- the woeful few hours you have left to sleep

- the emotional outbreaks you’re experiencing

- the inappropriate place you’re having said outbreak

- the general public’s reaction to your outbreak

- how much phone battery you have left

We Hid In the Shadows

Ship: Jin/Hoseok; hinted Jin/Hoseok/Jimin

Rating: Mature m/m

Word count: 17k

Kim Hoseok never put much stock in fate. His life had proved time and time again that one had to take ones own destiny in your hands to survive. Then Jeon Seokjin entered his life and changed everything.

Nobody else may care, but I realized today that I’m coming near the end of a fic that I’ve spent almost an entire year on. The series for this fic is far from over but the fic itself, the thing that started everything, is nearing its end.

It’s a bittersweet feeling.

I’ll be happy to complete such a long project and be able to move onto other new projects, but I’ll miss it too. Never thought I’d get to this point.

I hope the readers I’ve accumulated along the way will like to follow me for the rest of the journey.

We’re Dripping In It

Chapter 9: Begin

When the storm of emotion had passed from their hard conversation, Namjoon and Jungkook made themselves more comfortable across the couch. Jungkook held no hesitation as he laid himself against Namjoon’s side and started fiddling with the small buttons on the man’s white shirt.

It took a moment before Namjoon wrapped his arm around Jungkook’s shoulders and laid a hand on his arm. Then began to slowly run his fingers through Jungkook’s long hair while he asked all his questions about Namjoon’s hidden empire.

“Is anyone else I know evolved in this?” He asks, his head tilted against Namjoon’s chest to look at his face. Basking in the feeling of the man’s fingers running through his hair.

Namjoon chuckles, “Unfortunately most of the people you know are, given enough time we probably would have met under very different circumstances.”

Jungkook raised his head in shock, “Yoongi-hyung?”

“He’s my Second in Command.”

“Taehyung-hyung?”

“He’s the best hacker in the entire underground. If he wasn’t so attached to us, I’d have a hard time keeping the other companies away from him.”

“Surely Hobi-hyung isn’t involved.”

Namjoon nodded solemnly, “I’m afraid so, he’s our main trainer for new recruits. He puts everyone through the wringer, both on and off the dance floor. He’s also the best tracker in the business.”

“Jimin-hyung?” Jungkook asked hesitantly, groaning at Namjoon’s nod and thumping his head on the man’s chest.

“He’s our best scout, no one can get information from rival companies like he can.” Namjoon hummed, chuckling at Jungkook’s groan.

Jungkook lifted his head, “Then what is he doing at my campus? What? You send your best scout to get a contemporary dance degree for funsies?”

Namjoon chuckled and shook his head, “No, we got intel that one of the college professors at your school is an escaped operative from the company that killed your father. We may have taken over Seoul but there’s still a few stragglers that escaped the carnage. Jimin was sent to find him and gather information before we took him down.”

“And you thought posing him as a dance student would be the best course of action?” Jungkook asks incredulously, scrunching his brows. “Why not a computer major or a math major or something like that?”

Namjoon shrugs, “I didn’t choose his major, I just gave him the parameters of the mission. He must have seen some logic in the choice, or just wanted to have some fun while he was there.”

“What a life he leads to be able to go to college for fun,” Jungkook muses with a pout, making Namjoon laugh and pat his head consolingly.

“You have no idea how many times I nearly burst out laughing when one of your hyungs shot me a look over your shoulder.” Namjoon chuckles, running his fingers through his hair again. “I don’t know how they were able to keep the secret from you, they are not subtle at all.”

“Don’t make me feel worse about being the only one out of the loop?” He moans before joining Namjoon’s laughter at his childish whining. “What did Jin-hyung do when he was with you?”

“He was the best marksman we’ve ever had and an even better escape artist. If he hadn’t disappeared, he would’ve been in my Inner Circle and trained my men.” Namjoon says, a wistful pride in his voice. “It’s extremely fortunate that you made friends with my entire Inner Circle, before meeting me. They are twice as protective of you than they are of me. Yoongi-hyung gave me quite the earful when he learned I was meeting you. I’m just glad I didn’t get the shovel talk from Tae,” he shivered at the thought, making Jungkook giggle.

“That’s because Tae knows you won’t do anything, Namjoon-ah.” The pair looked up to see Yoongi standing in the doorway with his arms crossed, a deadpan look on his face. “He doesn’t need to give you the shovel talk, he’ll just get his shovel the day you truly fuck up.”

Namjoon gulped audibly, “Good to know, hyung.”

“The pair of you seriously,” Jungkook sassed, sitting up as Yoongi made his way across the room and sat down in an armchair. “I am not a child you know.”

“No, you are our child,” Yoongi countered, pouring himself a glass of whiskey, waving off Namjoon’s protests to pour it for him. Yoongi’s eyes dance over the small injuries on Jungkook’s face and wrists, then down to the medical box on the coffee table. He breathes a sigh of relief, “Good work Namjoon, on getting Jungkook-ah so quickly, I did not want to call on Tae just yet. He would have torn that place apart, I assume Joon has given you his self-deprecating speech about our line of work.”

“Asian mafia and cause of my father’s death, yes.” Jungkook said with a nod, grinning as he heard Namjoon choke on air.

Yoongi choked on his whiskey and stared at the pair with wide eyes, “Excuse me?”

“Jungkook is the second son of Jang-ssi,” Namjoon explains, pouring himself a glass of whiskey as well. “Seokjin is his older brother.”

“Ah, so your Jin-hyung is that Jeon Seokjin, guess we’ll never be completely rid of the bastard now,” Yoongi chuckles. “He’s not gonna be happy about this development.”

Namjoon groaned at the thought and took a sip of his whiskey, he offered one to Jungkook who shook his head. “How long do I have till he storms my doorstep to steal you back?”

“Jin-hyung is traveling at the moment, after our mother passed away last year he said he wanted to see a bit of the world before settling down somewhere.” Jungkook informed him, smirking at Namjoon’s sigh of relief. “I think he said he was in Morocco when we last talked on the phone.”

Yoongi and Namjoon both froze mid-sip of their whiskeys, looked at each other then at Jungkook, who eyed them both in confusion.

“You don’t think…” Namjoon started but cut off at Yoongi’s nod and groaned loudly, swallowing down his whiskey in one go. “Damn that man.”

“What?” Jungkook asked, looking back and forth between the pair of them.

“You tell him, I need something stronger.” Namjoon groaned, waving at Yoongi as he stood and walked over to his liquor cabinet and began sorting through the bottles of aged whiskey.

Yoongi sighed as he places his glass down on the table and starts to refill it before leveling a look at Jungkook, “Has Joon told you which territories in South Korea we operate in?”

Jungkook shakes his head, side eyeing Namjoon as he tosses back another shot of whiskey at the liquor cabinet without even flinching.

“We currently mainly operate within Seoul, but we also control Ilsan, Busan, Gangwon, Icheon, N. Gyeongsang, and Daegu. We also have contacts outside of Korea but no territories, mostly contracts with outside companies that sell and trade stock with us exclusively. One of those trades is in Morocco. Has Seokjin mentioned any other locations that he’s been to? How long has he been gone?” Yoongi asks, swirling his glass of whiskey in his hand.

“He only left last week, he only told me when he landed but he didn’t mention where else he was going to go.” Jungkook answered, the pieces were starting to form in his mind of where Yoongi was going with this.

“Good,” Yoongi nodded. “Then we haven’t been compromised yet, he probably hasn’t even started whatever he’s planned. What I’m guessing is that Seokjin went to Morocco with the purpose of shutting down our contact there. For what reason I could only guess, but we need to put a stop to it as soon as we can.”

“And by that you mean…” Jungkook eyed his hyung up and down to ascertain what he planned to do with his brother.

“Find him and bring him back here,” Namjoon interjected, returning to his seat next to Jungkook. “Alive, preferably in handcuffs.”

“I wouldn’t harm your hyung on purpose, Jungkook,” Yoongi said gently, running a hand through his blonde hair. “The man was irritating to no end, but in the loosest terms he was our friend. We’ll have less success with him not pulling a gun on us.”

“Why do you think he’s wanting to compromise your overseas contacts?” Jungkook asked, grasping for a reason why his brother would be over there in the first place.

Yoongi shrugged, “Seokjin was a vengeful motherfucker, perhaps he’s still not forgiven Joon for what happened to his, and your, father. And now wants to slowly dismantle his empire from the outside.”

“That doesn’t make any sense, it’s been years, no one can hold a grudge for that long.” Namjoon groaned, rubbing his face. “Please tell me that your mother didn’t die in a company related incident, Jungkook.”

Jungkook shook his head, “No, she had cancer. Stage four brain cancer, the doctors caught it too late but she passed peacefully in her sleep.”

Namjoon muttered a quiet ‘thank god’ before realizing what he just said and started profusely apologizing to Jungkook, who just laughed at the poor man and patted his shoulder.

“Don’t worry about it, babe, I’m glad you didn’t inadvertently cause another one of my parents' deaths either.” Jungkook chuckled as Namjoon blanched at him.

Yoongi chuckled, “Keeps you on your toes, doesn’t he Joon?”

“You have no idea,” Namjoon sighed happily, gazing adoringly at Jungkook before turning to his Second in Command. “We should start with contacting the Saharan Conduit and inform them to be on the lookout for Seokjin but not to engage. I’m sure they’ve had eyes on him as soon as he landed there.”

Yoongi nodded and pulled out his phone, “Should I call the rest of our boys as well?”

“Might as well, the sooner we deal with this the better. He’s already been there a week, that’s long enough in my opinion.” Namjoon sighed, pulling his suit jacket off and placing it behind him before rolling up his white suit shirt sleeves, exposing his firm honeyed forearms for Jungkook to ogle. “Hopefully we won’t have to go and get him ourselves.”

As soon as Taehyung entered the office, he was in front of Jungkook taking the younger man’s face in his hands as he inspected the red mark on it then gasping at the rope burns on his wrists.

“What the hell happened to my baby!” He exclaimed, his eyes turning deadly as he looked at Namjoon.

“I didn’t do it!” Namjoon yells at once, raising his hands in surrender, his eyes wide and fearful as he rushes to explain. “The Stray Kids Gang got a hold of him, I went and got him out.”

Taehyung fixes his eyes on Yoongi, “I want them disbanded by tomorrow. Our little experiment with them is over, they're lucky I’m not asking for their heads.”

Yoongi nods and steps over from his chair and places a hand on his husband’s shoulder, ignoring Jungkook’s whine at being babied by his hyung. “Namjoon-ah put ointment on them already, they’ll heal up in no time.”

Taehyung nods at his husband’s reassurance, taking a seat next to Jungkook on the couch, holding tightly to one of his hands. Yoongi sits on the arm of the couch next to Taehyung and runs a soothing hand through his husband’s hair. Jungkook squeezes his hyung’s hand in reassurance, reminding him silently that he’s safe.

Jimin and Hobi take seats across the couch, pulling their chairs closer to create a more intimate circle. They all look to Namjoon to start and the man clears his throat before speaking.

“Thank you all for coming at such short notice and late in the night,” He began gently. “A situation has been brought to our attention that needs immediate resolution. Jeon Seokjin has been in Morocco for the last nine days, near the Saharan Conduit. The objective is to bring him back to Korea alive and relatively unharmed.”

Groans sounded through the room at the mention of Seokjin’s name, Hobi got to his feet and grabbed himself a glass of whiskey before sitting back down. Taehyung glanced over at Yoongi and the two of them had a silent conversation with their eyes before turning back to the rest of the men.

“Has he been in contact with any of their members?” Jimin asked, the only one not to have a strong reaction to Seokjin’s name. Leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, his fingers intertwined under his chin as he gazed at Namjoon.

“No,” Yoongi answered, placing his phone on the coffee table for them to look at the messages he’s been sending. “Our contact said that Seokjin has made no move to speak with any of their members, even the ones that are undercover. Somehow he’s been able to evade all of their forces over the past nine days, but they have eyes on him. That’s all they have.”

“So, he’s rusty or he’s playing with them about his movements.” Hobi observed, tapping his chin in thought. “Do we know what his objective is?”

Namjoon shook his head, “We only have guesses at this point. According to our contact, Seokjin has made no demands or moves against their company, as of yet. They’ve only kept an eye on him because his name is on their records.”

“Are the Saharans making any demands on his capture?” Hobi asked, glancing down at the phone on the table but not picking it up.

“Yes,” Yoongi sighed. “They want an additional supply of one hundred kilos of Ecstasy in trade. As well as a member of the Inner Circle to deliver it to their doorstep and escort Seokjin off their hands.”

No sounds of protests were made to their demands, Namjoon simply sat forward and placed his chin in his hand as he thought over it. He looked over at Hobi, who nodded at the silent question in his leader’s eyes.

“Very well,” Namjoon sighed, leaning back with his arm across the back of the couch behind Jungkook’s shoulders. “Hoseok will be on point and deliver their demands, once they offer proof that they’ve apprehended Seokjin and have him under lock and key, unharmed. I want to make it clear to them that they lose ten kilos for every cut, scrap, or bruise they inflict on him. He’s going to put up a fight, but I don’t want him bleeding on my carpets when he comes.”

“And if they kill him?” Yoongi asks, glancing at Jungkook’s tense body. He reaches a hand around Taehyung to pat Jungkook’s shoulder lightly.

“Then they get the same fate as the Seoul Empire, be sure to remind them what happened to them when they crossed us.” Namjoon said coldly, receiving a nod from everyone around the room.

“Jungkook,” the room froze as Namjoon turned to the man sitting beside him. “Do you have anything to add or any questions?”

Jungkook looked as shocked as anyone to be addressed in such a serious matter. “Me?” He squeaked.

Namjoon nodded gently, a small smile on his face, “He is your brother after all, you more than anyone should be involved in bringing him home.”

“Oh,” Jungkook breathed, “If my brother is as good as you are alluding to, what is your backup plan for if he escapes and running loose in Morocco? At the moment we have the element of surprise, that’ll change after the Saharans confront him.”

Namjoon nodded in approval and hums from his other hyungs around the room made Jungkook blush from the praise.

“That’s why we are sending Hobi to deliver the goods,” Namjoon explains. “As the best tracker in our unit, he’ll be able to find him in less than 24 hours, even if Seokjin had a five day head start. Taehyung will be on point here at base to give detailed instructions as they’re needed. Cameras are the way of the world after all and Hobi will be taking our unmanned drones with him. This isn’t our first manhunt.”

Jungkook nodded, “Who's going to be the backup for Hobi-hyung in case he runs into trouble? I have a feeling that my brother is going to expect that you’ll send him first.”

“Without knowing the level of their skill sets, who would you suggest going as backup?” Yoongi asks, his expression open to whatever Jungkook had to say. It overwhelmed him a bit, to be so trusted with something so important as their lives.

“Jimin-hyung,” Jungkook answers after a moment and he gets nods of approval for it, even from the man himself who smirks in delight.

“Good choice, Seokjin has never met Jimin. He joined shortly after Seokjin left, so anything that Jimin does will catch him off guard.” Namjoon says proudly, placing a hand on the back of Jungkook’s neck and giving it a gentle squeeze. He smirks as he feels Jungkook’s small excited shudder under his hand before dropping it. “Any more questions or concerns? From anyone?”

Namjoon looks at each member of his Inner Circle as they give him gentle shakes of the head, no one protests their current plans.

“Very well then, get some rest, we’ll start tomorrow. The guest rooms have been prepared for you.” Namjoon says standing to his feet and offering his hand to Jungkook, smiling widely when the younger man takes it without hesitation.

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do, kiddos!” Jimin teases as Namjoon leads him out of the office and down the hall. A loud smack sounds in the room. “Ow, Hobi, that hurt!”

“Shut up Jimin, stop teasing Kookie.” Hobi grumbles, an indigent yelp is heard in reply.

“Hobi do we need to have another talk about laying your hands on Jiminie?” Taehyung asks sweetly, Jungkook could almost hear Hobi’s gulp before he was led out of ear shot as Namjoon tugs him further through the house.

Jungkook barely registers the long hallways filled with doors and wide windows that look out into the night sky. The adrenaline from the day is slowly starting to wear off and leaving him feeling sleepy as Namjoon’s warm hand guides him. They came to the end of the hallway with two matching doors on either side of a window nook. Namjoon opens the right door and gestures for Jungkook to enter.

The room is modest, but barren of character, the walls a warm cream with white drapes over the windows. The bed sits in the middle of the room and has an earthy green comforter on it. The only light eliminating the room are the two Tiffany lamps on either side of the bed. But all Jungkook cares about is how comfortable that bed looks right now.

“I know you must be dying to go to sleep, but could you give me a moment to grab you some clean clothes.” Namjoon says softly then points to the door to the right side of the bed, “That’s the bathroom, feel free to wash up. I’ll place the clothes on the bed. My room is right across from yours, if you need me don’t hesitate to knock.”

“Thank you Namjoon,” Jungkook whispered, turning to face the man in the doorway. “Thank you for everything.”

Namjoon smiles, his dimples popping beautifully on his face, “Of course, sweetheart, it's the least I could do.” Jungkook opened his mouth to protest but Namjoon held a hand up to stop him. “I’m sure you can argue with me all night long, but it's been a long day and you need rest. We can continue this in the morning.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” Jungkook swore, making Namjoon roll his eyes and mutter ‘I’m sure you will’ under his breath as he closed the door behind him.

Jungkook chuckled under his breath and made his way to the bathroom, he switched the light on and blinked in shock at the size of the room. There was a double sink, a free standing claw tub under a low window, and a glass enclosed shower. Jungkook whistles quietly at the white marble throughout the room, before turning on the shower. He stripped himself of his dirty clothes, dumping them in a pile before stepping into the warm water.

The tension in his shoulders instantly begins to melt as a heated blast of water hits his skin. He tilts his head to allow his hair to get thoroughly soaked, allowing the water to run down his face. He tries not to let the memories of the day run through his head as he washes himself from top to bottom, but the little reminders on his body keep it close to the forefront.

The rope burns on his wrists, the stinging of his cheek, and the slight burn in his nose from the chemical he had breathed in that knocked him out. His hands shake slightly as he remembers the harsh rope against his skin. The sound of dripping water that was in the background of the dank room. The scrapping of metal as Bangchan dragged the cork-board across the room. And those pictures, all those intimate moments between him and Namjoon, that had shaken him the most.

The memories weren’t exactly tainted, now that he knew someone had been watching him but he felt as if, even now, there was nowhere safe for him. He tries to shake the thought away as he turned off the water and stepped into the steaming bathroom.

Of course he was safe here, he reasoned to himself, this was Namjoon’s house, no one would dare enter without his knowledge. He ran a towel through his hair, repeating to himself that he was safe, safe in Namjoon’s home.

He kept the mantra going in his mind as he wrapped a towel around his waist and pulled a new toothbrush from under the sink. He stares at himself in the mirror as he rapidly scrubs his teeth, eyeing the faintly red mark on his cheek. He hoped the ointment Namjoon put on it would keep it from bruising too much.

His reflection in the mirror also showed how much he needed a good night’s sleep. There were dark purple bags under his eyes, too many nights of late studying on top of his performances at D-Town. And his skin was paler under the warm lighting.

He stepped out of the bathroom, towel still around his waist, to see a pair of sweatpants, a large t-shirt, and a clean pair of boxers on the bed. Jungkook’s stomach bubbled with warmth at Namjoon’s simple gesture, he pulled the clothes onto his body and was instantly covered in the man’s familiar scent. He placed the towel back in the bathroom, switched off all the lights, and slipped into the bed.

There was no clock to watch the minutes tick by in the room, all he could stare at was the dark canopy above him. Even with the heaviness behind his eyelids and the softness of the mattress just coaxing him into sleep, he couldn’t. He tossed and turned trying to make himself fall asleep.

Finally he huffed, sat straight up, and threw the covers off. He swung his legs off the bed, debating back and forth as he made his way towards the door. It opened without a sound and he looked out into the dimly lit hall. Namjoon’s door was slightly ajar, spilling a beam of light from inside out onto the floor. He stared at it for a moment, took a deep breath then walked towards it and knocked lightly on the door frame.

“Come in, Jungkook-ah,” Namjoon called softly.

Jungkook nodded to himself and pushed the door open, the room was everything and nothing like he was expecting. There was a record player under the window with piles of vinyls leaning against the stand and on the window seat. There were bookshelves lining almost every wall from floor to ceiling, covered in books of all sizes and colors. And plants, there were all sorts of little plants all throughout the room.

The bed, large with a dark green comforter, mirrored the spot from Jungkook’s room. Namjoon sat atop the bed, nearest the door, now dressed in loose sweats and a t-shirt with a book in hand and dark rimmed glasses on his face. He looked at Jungkook in question as he entered the room.

“Couldn’t sleep,” Jungkook explained, rubbing his arm nervously. “Could I…”

Namjoon patted the spot next to him on the bed wordlessly and Jungkook wasted no time crossing the room and burying himself under the covers next to him. He scooted as close as he dared to where Namjoon was sitting, already feeling much better in the man’s presence.

“Worried about your brother?” Namjoon asked, still flicking through his book slowly.

Jungkook shook his head, he wanted to tell Namjoon what exactly was bothering him but the words just wouldn’t come out. Namjoon blinked for a moment then set his book aside, pulling his glasses off as well and set them on top of the hard cover. He reached over and ran a hand through Jungkook’s damp hair.

“That warehouse really shook you up didn’t it, little one.” Namjoon guessed softly, exhaling gruffly at Jungkook’s nod.

“It was… it was the photographs that really bothered me.” He whispered, swallowing back the lump that was building in his throat.

Namjoon hummed in realization, “That bothered me as well, does it help to know that the man who took them will never be able to hold a camera in his life again?”

Jungkook grimaced at the implied image but nodded, “It does, oddly enough.”

Namjoon hummed, “How can I help you sleep, little one?”

“Can you… can you just… hold me, please?” Jungkook whispered, clutching the sheet tightly in his fists.

“Oh sweetheart, you never have to beg me for that.” Namjoon soothed, immediately moving to lay down next to Jungkook and pull him into his arms. “There we go, just let me be your strength for right now, you can let go. It’s just us here, just you and me.”

Namjoon’s soothing words broke the dam within Jungkook, he broke into wracking sobs and clutched onto Namjoon’s shirt like a lifeline. Namjoon’s arms were tight around his body and he stroked his hair as the tears flowed down his cheeks.

The last thing that Jungkook remembered before he fell into an exhaustive sleep was Namjoon’s plush lips pressing against his forehead and a whisper of ‘Sleep now baby, I’ve got you’.