Make It Right [BTS Mafia!AU]

Make It Right [BTS Mafia!AU]

Plot: “It’s always darkest before the dawn…” It’s a dog-eat-dog world in Seoul, South Korea. One has to dwell in the shadows in order to reach for the light. What are you willing to sacrifice in order to feel the sunlight on your face? What will it take to drag you back into darkness? How long will the journey be to make it right?

Rating: NC-17 // NSFW

Genre: Series | Mafia!AU | Crime!AU | Angst | Romance/Fluff | Smut

Pairings: Jin x OC | Taehyung/Hoseok x OC | Yoongi/Jungkook x OC

Warnings: Graphic Violence (bloody violence), Heavy Language, Angst, Slow Burn, Smut

Additional Warnings: Graphic depiction of torture, graphic physical violence, captured/kidnapping, major character death

Previous Chapters: Prologue 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51

Links: FAQ || BTS Masterlist || Admin E’s AO3 || Admin E’s WP || [ REQUESTS ARE OPEN ]

Word Count: 5,133

Tag List: @prisczero​, @pinkpjmin​, @btsaudge​, @flowerwrites06​, @unoriginal-username15432, @halussali​, @shrimpmsg​​,

AN: And it all goes downhill from here, Ladies...

Chapter 51: Begin

“I can’t stand you crying. I want to cry instead, although I can’t.”

© thebiasrekkers (Admin E). All rights reserved. Reposting/modifying our work is prohibited. Translations are not allowed. Plagiarism/stealing is not tolerated by any means. Legal action will be taken in instances of theft.

Seoul – Samseong; Gangnam District South Korea

9:45 AM

Jungkook was three steps from heading to the insane asylum.

One step represented each day that he hadn’t been able to track Eden down.

He barely heard the words of comfort that Jimin was giving him. He knew that it had something to do with it not being his fault, but how could it not have been? He hadn’t heard from his wife in three days, assuming she got wrapped up with family affairs and was too busy to check in on the first day. The second day had him concerned that she’d gotten hurt. By the third day, Jungkook was at his wit’s end.

Only to find out that she’d been snatched up before she ever got the chance to leave for Daegu. He shouldn’t have put her second to his job. He shouldn’t have let her leave their house to go to the train station alone.

He shouldn’t have let this happen.

The image of Eden’s beaten form in the video clip was branded across the forefront of his mind. Hoseok was angry, determined to track down the Jade Fang members who’d done this. Jungkook was angry that they were still part of the equation. They should have been eliminated years ago.

It wasn’t like they weren’t aware of what Im Changkyun was capable of. They’d seen the vicious things he’d done while they were Jade Fang members themselves. He didn’t think it was necessary to attend district meetings, feeling the rest of the bosses were beneath his standards of proper mafia leadership. Hoseok was his only equal and it appeared that he continued to see him as such.

Divine Intervention prevented Jungkook from leaving the house that night and storming the stronghold of the Jade Fangs alone. He would have burned every single one of their businesses down; he was determined to do so. Jimin escorted him home that night and there was a parcel waiting at home for Jungkook. His brother made him a drink and when Jungkook opened the package, he collapsed on the floor and cried until he could barely breathe.

It was a gift Eden prepared for him for his birthday – a handmade model of his dream car. Seated in the car were miniature figures of Eden and himself. He didn’t remember passing out. He didn’t remember Jimin tucking a blanket over him. He could only remember Eden’s face, smiling as they shared breakfast together the morning she was taken.

“Jungkook-ah,” called Jimin, pulling Jungkook out of his inner musings. There was concern painted over his brother’s face and he took a breath, waiting for him to continue. “I think we’ve covered everywhere here.”

Jungkook said nothing. Instead, he pulled out the small notebook he carried with him and scratched out Gangnam from the list. For two and a half days, they combed every single section of Gangnam they could. There was a part of him that knew that the Jade Fangs wouldn’t be so arrogant to hold her hostage in their former territory. But there was also a part of him that could reason Im Changkyun doing something so ridiculous as a form of “poetic justice” against them.

To him, the Golden Jackals never disbanded.

“What about the others?”

Jimin sighed, leaning against the driver’s side door of the car. “They’re hitting the other areas. Hoseok called in some favors from the other district bosses to let us through.”

All Jungkook did was nod. There was something off about this whole situation. Very off. There shouldn’t have been a single obstacle in the way of the other district heads when it came to taking over their territories. Yongsan and Gangnam were completely up for grabs; Hoseok said as much. Jungkook could only guess that Changkyun’s influence prevented them from stepping a single foot into their turf. He more than likely was determined to get Hoseok and the others back so they could do a mass district takeover.

“I don’t like that Tae Hyung went off by himself,” he suddenly said, meeting Jimin’s gaze.

“Yeah,” he replied softly, “I don’t either.”

Jungkook frowned. “He still hasn’t checked in yet?”

“No.”

He didn’t want to prod any further. Jimin was probably more worried about Taehyung than any of them. While it was unsurprising that he went off on his own, it was unlike him to not have checked in by now. Taehyung wasn’t a morning person, which was why they all knew that he hadn’t slept while he was on the hunt.

Then again, none of them were really sleeping.

A soft ache throbbed at Jungkook’s temple. He pressed a hand to his chest, taking a small amount of comfort in feeling his wedding band dangling from the necklace chain. He didn’t know how much longer he could handle not knowing what was happening with Eden.

“Hyung, I—”

“She’s fine, Jungkook-ah.” Jimin’s words sliced through his own, as if he’d already predicted what he was going to say. When he met his brother’s gaze, he saw the reassuring smile tinged with just a hint of worry. “If I know her, she’ll make them regret the day they decided to take her.”

“Not before I do.”

Suddenly, Jimin and Jungkook’s phones chimed simultaneously – indicating they received a message. Both looked at their phones immediately and Jungkook felt his heart rate escalate. It wasn’t a matter of him losing hope as seeing the message renewed his vigor.

It was from Taehyung.

Taehyung: I found her. She’s near Namyangju in Gyeonggi-do. Somewhere in the Industrial District. I’m heading back now.

Jungkook looked at Jimin the same time he did. Without uttering a word, they flung the doors open to the car and hopped in. Jimin fired up the engine and punched it, speeding out of Gangnam. Jungkook stared at his phone as more messages came through from the others. It didn’t take him long to figure out that they were closer to that location than everyone else. It was a half an hour drive, traffic willing.

They’d get there first.

10:17 AM

Namyangju – Gyeonggi Province South Korea

Jungkook felt like it took them a hundred years to get to their destination. With every mile marker they passed, it brought him one step closer to finding Eden. One step closer to bringing her home. He clung to the smallest shreds of his willpower not to scream at Jimin to drive faster. They didn’t need to get into any kind of accident before they reached her.

Jimin swung the car into an empty street, the desolate district eerie even in the morning light. Jungkook tumbled from the passenger side, all but tearing his seatbelt from his body in the process. Jimin called after him, but he paid him no mind. His legs ate up the ground as he ran headlong into the central area of the decrepit buildings.

No one lived in the abandoned sections of the province anymore, but the government hadn’t bothered with tearing it down. His hope began to dwindle, realizing just how expansive the district was. It would take them hours to find her at this rate.

Resisting the urge to scream, he slowed to a jogging pace before stopping altogether. Running around blindly without a single clue as to where to look would get him nowhere. They were just wasting time. There was even the chance that the group would up and relocate themselves before they could even have a chance at finding them.

Eden would be lost forever.

He heard Jimin run up behind him, clapping a hand to his shoulder. Jungkook did his best to tether his scattered thoughts, chasing away the worst possibilities from his mind. He needed to calm down and think.

“There were a few cars parked near the back,” he said after catching his breath, “we might need to go up top to get a better idea of where they might be.”

Jungkook nodded, pointing straight ahead. “I’ll head to that building down there. Text me if you find anything.”

Just as he was about to take off, Jimin grabbed him – halting his movements.

“No, we stick together.” Jungkook opened his mouth to protest, but Jimin’s glare quickly silenced him. “If something happens, we won’t be able to do anything alone. We’re stronger together.”

While he wanted to argue, he knew that his brother was right. Even if splitting up would help them cover more ground, there was a good chance that they wouldn’t have a way to defend themselves if they got caught in a sticky situation. Jungkook did his best to push down his mounting impulsivities. Charging in blindly was foolish and would most likely get them killed.

“Alright, Hyung,” Jungkook said, relenting, “let’s go together.”

Not wasting another moment, they tore off down the center of the district – eyes rapidly searching in every direction their necks would allow them to turn.

10:32 AM

Minutes crept by at a snail’s pace.

Jungkook did everything he could to keep his head together. There were too many horrifying images playing rapidly in his head, like a flipbook that ended in blood splatters. Jimin stayed at his side, matching his pace as well as his fervor. Every so often, they would stop to peek into various buildings. They climbed up to higher vantage points to get a better lay of the area, dipping off to resume their search.

Everything looked so dead from the inside out.

A scream tore through the vast emptiness, causing Jungkook to trip over his own feet and he came crashing to the ground. Jimin was immediately beside him, grabbing him by the arm and hoisting him back up. Jungkook’s heart pounded double-time in his chest; it hurt. A cold sweat broke out over his skin and he couldn’t stop his body from trembling, even though Jimin rubbed small circles on his back.

“E-Eden,” he barely managed to croak, his legs shaking to the point where it was difficult to stand. Jimin continued to hold him up. “That was her!”

The sound was close.

Jimin said nothing. He continued to guide them along the path, turning around corners until he heard his wife scream again. It was even closer. They were almost to her!

He felt his brother release the hold he had on him and Jungkook involuntarily sagged against the side of a building. He didn’t know where they were or how deep into the district they’d gone. Jimin’s expression was focused and if he was feeling any sort of turmoil, it never showed. Not once.

The building they were pressed against was yellowed from age and neglect. Numerous cracks ran along the sides and bits of paint were peeling back; some pieces flying away from even the slightest gust of wind. The window had a long crack running from an upward angle to the corner of the pane; dirty and smudged. Jimin wiped a hand across the bottom to get rid of the dirt so he could see inside. Jungkook sidled up beside him to peek in as well.

He could feel Jimin’s vice-like grip on his shoulder, pinning him in place. Jungkook’s vision blurred momentarily before regaining focus, zeroing in on the image of his wife strung up like some animal. There were a few lackeys around and appeared to be bored – as if they were waiting for something interesting to happen. Jungkook felt the muscle at his jaw throbbing viciously as he clenched his teeth, grinding them in anger.

He wanted a gun. He would have emptied a clip into every single one of them.

Jungkook tried to move, but Jimin wouldn’t let him go.

“Hyung!” came his harsh whisper, but Jimin shook his head roughly.

“Wait, Jungkook,” he hissed back, finally letting him go, “just wait.”

“I can’t, dammit!”

“You can and you will.” Jimin’s words were final. “We don’t even know what kind of weapons they have in there. If Changkyun’s willing to play dirty like this, there’s no guarantee that his men won’t fill us full of holes with guns they obtained illegally.”

Jungkook wanted to protest, but he knew that Jimin was right. They needed to assess the situation fully before making a move. If they ran in there blindly without understanding what they were up against, there was a chance that Eden would die in the crossfire.

“So what now?”

Jimin continued to look through the window and he could see the wheels in his head turning. Strategy was his strongest suit so Jungkook did his best to be as patient as possible. A handful of seconds passed before he turned to meet his gaze.

“I’m going to go in from the front.”

“What?!” Jungkook gave him an incredulous look. “That’s crazy. Are you crazy?!”

“Shut-up and listen to me.” Jimin turned to look back through the window. “I’m going to draw their attention to me. This window is loose so as soon as I get them to chase me, I want you to go in and grab Eden and then get the hell out of here.”

He didn’t like this plan.

“There’s ten of them, Hyung. Maybe more. You can’t outrun them all.”

Jimin grinned, still peering into the building. “I can try.”

Jungkook grabbed his shoulder. “Hyung!”

He felt his arm being yanked off abruptly, causing him to take a step back. Jimin cast an icy glare in his direction.

“Do what I say.”

He wanted to protest again. He wanted to tell him that this was suicide. They should wait for the others. Wouldn’t that have been the smart thing?

But if they waited too long, then they may miss their chance. The Jade Fangs could probably swarm them, call for more men, and then overtake them completely. Jungkook knew that the plan was the best option they had right now.

It didn’t mean he had to like it.

Without waiting for him to agree or even disagree, Jimin turned and ran down one side of the building. He rounded the corner and disappeared on the other side, leaving Jungkook alone to wait. There was a distinct feeling of dread sweeping over him, telling him that there was danger to watch out for. But wasn’t that obvious? Didn’t they understand that, knowingly showing up to this place?

This was unavoidable.

A loud bang rang out inside the large interior. Jungkook peered over the bottom of the window, craning his neck as best he could. Light flooded into the dark space as he watched Jimin’s shadow stretching along the floor. All the men inside turned around, grabbing what weapons they had near them to launch an assault. Jimin immediately dispatched one of the lackeys close to the door before turning to run away from the building. All but two gave chase.

Now!

Jungkook thrust the window open, causing it to break further from the force. He leaped in through the opening and charged forward. Taking advantage of the momentary distraction caused by his entrance, Jungkook barreled into the man closest to him – taking him down with a swift grappling throw. The man landed on his head; a distinct crack heard from his skull smacking into the concrete.

He saw movement out of the corner of his eye, a flash of silver, and he dodged at the last second. Whirling his body around, he jumped back with his arms extended out as another man tried to hit him with a metal bat. Jungkook bobbed and weaved out of the way, moving just out of reach at the last possible moment. Pivoting on his back leg, he waited for the man to try to swing at him again before catching the bat in his hand and pulling it toward him. The man slid on his heels, the distance closing rapidly. Jungkook aimed a kick straight for his stomach and sent him flying.

He brought the bat down over the man’s head for good measure.

With the two men unconscious, Jungkook swerved around and ran toward Eden. He did his best to avoid looking at her injuries, not wanting to distract himself from the most important task he had: freeing her. As he looked at her restraints, he did his best to concentrate on her face. She was semi-conscious, the noise bringing her out of whatever fugue state she was in.

“J-Jungkook-ah?” She coughed. “Y-You shouldn’t be here…”

“Shh,” he admonished, his eyes flicking over her bindings, “save your strength.”

His hands moved with lightning speed, fidgeting over the ropes and chains binding her as she hung from a large hook attached to the ceiling. When he finally managed to loosen the ropes, he lifted her up by her waist so he could untether her from the hook. Her arms dangled limply around his neck; the chains clamped around her wrists jingling together with the sudden movement.

Her body lacked the strength to keep herself upright and she nearly collapsed to the ground. Jungkook held fast to her, moving her arms over his head so he could undo the chains around her wrists. He could tell she’d lost weight and she seemed almost a shell of who he knew her to be. He focused on getting her to safety – choosing to smother his fury into the pit of his stomach.

“Go,” she whispered as he held onto her, “get out of here.” She coughed again. “Leave me.”

“Not a chance in hell,” he snapped, draping her arm over his shoulder as he held onto her waist, “now come on.”

Jungkook wouldn’t hear anymore of this nonsense, even if it was coming from the woman he loved. She was barefoot, but there wasn’t any glass on the ground. If she didn’t think she’d be able to walk, he’d carry her on his back and dare her to say otherwise.

Shuffling toward the entrance, he could hear men yelling in the distance. But it sounded like it was getting closer. Jimin was circling back, probably to make sure that they’d gotten out. If they could hold out a little longer, the others would come and then they could cause a big enough scene to get the hell out.

Just as he reached the entryway, he turned to make sure the two men he’d dealt with were still on the ground. Satisfied that they weren’t going to be getting up anytime soon, he turned back toward the exit.

A shadow moved from the corner. Eden saw it before he did. Jungkook shuffled to the left. He was half a step short.

The pain didn’t register at first. All he could focus on was Yoo Kihyun who was now directly in his path to freedom. It wasn’t until he saw the older man take a step forward that Jungkook took a step back. But not of his own freewill. He was forced to step back.

The knife in his gut pushed him to move.

Eden screamed but he barely heard it. Jungkook nearly dropped her, but his stubbornness wouldn’t allow her to fall. Not in front of him; her captor. A chilling smile painted over Kihyun’s face as he tilted his head, peering into Jungkook’s eyes. It was like he was asking him what his next move would be without having to say it out loud. For a split second, Jungkook’s vision blurred.

Releasing the hold he had on Eden’s arm, he grabbed a hold of the knife and pushed back – pulling the blade slowly from his gut. Kihyun blinked in surprise at him, watching as he drew the older man’s arm away from his body while still holding his wife fast to him. Again, Eden screamed, but this time she moved with whatever strength was left in her body – arms reaching out in a feral manner.

She scratched her nails across Kihyun’s face, forcing him to reach up and cover his cheek. Jungkook stepped forward, pulling the knife completely from his stomach, before spinning it in his blood-soaked fingers to grasp the blade’s handle. Kihyun stumbled backward a step and Jungkook quickly closed the distance, plunging the knife directly into his shoulder and aiming a kick to his knee. He waited for him to hit the dirt before pulling Eden quickly behind him.

He didn’t have to express the need for urgency.

They both disappeared into a nearby cluster of reeds.

10:45 AM

Blood wept from the side of Jimin’s head as he rounded the corner of a building. He held onto a rusty metal pipe, clutching it at his side. He knew one of his ribs were broken, if not two, and there was a good chance he very nearly sprained his ankle hopping over a broken-down car to avoid being clobbered with a length of chain. He quickly did a tally in his head, making a note that he was able to knock down four of the eight that were chasing him. Two of them he tripped up along their pursuit and the rest were now trying to comb the nearby streets in search of him.

Hearing Eden’s scream forced him to double back toward the building where he’d left Jungkook. It wasn’t the sound of agony. It was of outrage. Something must have happened. He needed to get back to them and quickly.

Jimin wiped some of the sweat and blood from his head, spitting at the ground. Once his heart calmed down, he tried to ascertain his whereabouts. Just two buildings over and he’d be right back where he’d started.

Come on, Park Jimin. Calm down and focus.

His phone buzzed in his pocket and he fished it out, eyeing the screen. It was from Yoongi.

Yoongi: We’re almost there! Where are you guys? Give us a landmark!

Taking a moment to breathe, he turned his head in every direction to try and gauge a decent landmark for the others to follow. There was a cluster of blue barrels far away from the abandoned buildings, just toward the edge where a large field of reeds were. He quickly texted him back, letting him know the location.

He slid the phone back into his pocket, gripping the metal pipe in both hands. Now he just needed to get back to Jungkook who, he hoped, had Eden in tow.

His phone buzzed again; this time in succession. Someone was calling him.

Dipping into a nearby building, he hunkered down in a shadowed corner to look at the phone. It was Jungkook. He answered.

“Jungkook-ah?”

“H-Hyung…”

Jimin could tell something was wrong.

“Where are you?”

“T-The…the reeds…”

He had to refrain from cursing. There were reeds in every direction. He took a breath to calm his nerves.

“What else do you see around you?”

There was a pregnant pause and he wondered if something was happening with the call.

Jimin-ah?”

It was Eden. His heart practically jumped into his throat.

“Oh, thank God he got you out. Are you alright?”

“Never mind that. Jungkook’s hurt.”

He could hear the frantic tone in her voice. Jimin tried to smooth his voice out in a way that would help take the edge off for her.

“Okay, just breathe. Can you tell me where you guys are right now?”

“I can’t really see anything. The reeds are so thick.”

“Can you see any barrels around you?”

“Hold on.”

It was only a few seconds, but Jimin felt like he was losing years off his life as he waited for her to answer.

“I can see some blue ones. But they’re far away.”

He resisted the urge to smile. They weren’t that far from his current location.

“How far?”

“Several yards. They’re across that dirt path.”

“Okay, good.” His side screamed at him from the position he was in, but he ignored it. “I want you to meet me there, okay?”

It sounded like she was about to sob which unnerved him.

“Can’t you just come here? Jungkook’s hurt badly and I don’t have the strength to carry him.”

Jimin hissed quietly to himself. I told him to be careful… He took a breath. “Alright, I’ll come to you. I’ll be there soon.”

“Hurry!”

Ending the call, Jimin slipped out the back of the building and made his way around the next bend. Part of him wanted to throw the pipe off in a different direction, hoping the noise would distract others away from his path. But if they got flanked, he’d need a way to defend Eden, Jungkook, and himself. Especially if Jungkook was as hurt as Eden claimed he was.

This isn’t good, he thought, tearing through the back alleyway and heading up the side of the street to disappear into the thicket of reeds.

10:57 AM

Even though he knew he’d only traveled a few blocks, it felt like he’d been moving for miles. Each turn he made, Jimin thought he was getting more and more lost. Every so often, he’d turn his head to look over his shoulder and spy out the buildings – making sure that he was still on a straight path to the others. He heard some of the other men shouting at each other, trying to figure out where they’d gone, and each of these times, Jimin would pause so that he didn’t give away his position.

Just as he was about to resume his search, he heard a distinct shuffling sound off to his right. It was close.

“J-Jimin-ah? Is that you?”

It was Eden. She sounded exhausted and halfway to the underworld, but it was her. Jimin quickly darted in the direction of her voice, parting the reeds in front of him as he went.

A lump of ice dropped in his stomach at what he saw.

There, cradled in her arms, was Jungkook. A large blood stain blossomed from his shirt and he saw Eden pressing his jacket to his stomach and putting pressure on the injury. She was crying, doing her best to keep her sobs nonexistent so they didn’t alert the others of where they were. She looked up, relief and despair battling for dominance over her features. Jimin dropped the pipe in his hands, his legs slowly carrying him toward Jungkook just as he spit up blood from his mouth.

“J-Jungkook-ah,” he stammered, collapsing to his knees.

Despite the obvious pain he was in, Jungkook flashed him a smile full of blood-stained teeth. “H-Hyung,” he managed to get out, albeit garbled from a mouthful of blood, “what took you so long?”

Jimin didn’t have the energy to snap back. He felt like part of his soul just left him completely. His eyes roved over Jungkook’s body, trying to figure out the cause of his brother’s current state. He lifted his gaze to meet Eden’s.

“What happened?”

“It was Kihyun,” she said weakly while brushing some of the fringe off of Jungkook’s forehead, “he came out of nowhere and—”

“That doesn’t matter,” Jungkook interjected, causing them both to focus on him, “Hyung, get her out of here.”

Another piece of his soul was pulled away.

“W-What?”

Eden shifted him in her arms, clinging to him in desperation. “I’m not leaving you!”

“Yes, you are.” Jungkook reached up to his neck, grabbing the necklace and popping it off in one quick motion. He smeared blood over his skin and clothes, holding it up for Eden. “Take it and go.”

She emphatically shook her head and Jimin could tell that even doing this was zapping her of what strength she had left.

“You bastard,” she muttered, curling her fingers into the fabric of his jacket, “how can you expect me to leave you? Huh?” Eden lowered herself, pulling him against her body to hug him close. “Till death do us part, remember?”

Jungkook did his best to wrap an arm around her, coughing more blood out and staining her shirt. “…and this…is where…we part.”

Eden shot back, looking down at Jungkook as tears streamed down her face, dripping onto his cheeks.

“J-Jungkook,” she stammered, her bottom lip trembling as her voice shook.

Again, he smiled up at her. “I love you, Eden.” He grabbed her hand and placed the necklace inside her palm, closing her fingers over it. “If…if I’m reborn, let me love you in the next life too, okay?”

Jimin could hear his own heart shattering in his chest.

“Hyung…take her and go.”

“But Jungkook-ah—”

“Please.”

Tears leaked out of Jimin’s eyes. It took everything he had, but he stood up and crossed over to where Eden was. She continued to hold onto her husband, refusing to let go even as Jimin tried to pull her up and onto her feet. She fought him but even she knew that she didn’t have the strength to keep it up. Jimin held her against him and they both gazed at the satisfied and peaceful expression on Jungkook’s face. He nodded to them, mouthing for them to go.

Jimin turned, hauling Eden with him as she wailed silently into the crook of his shoulder.

I’ll come back for you, Jungkook. I won’t leave you alone out here...

11:05 AM

He knew that it was only a few minutes since he watched Eden and his brother leave. In those few minutes, Jungkook believed it was several lifetimes. In those few minutes, he thought back to everything that led to this very moment. All the choices he’d made, the road he’d traveled, and the people he’d traveled on that road with along the way.

He regretted nothing up until that moment.

The only thing he knew he would have to repent for would be leaving his beautiful wife behind alone. They’d had a few chapters written in their life together, but they were pages filled with hopes and dreams for an uncertain future. Life never gave guarantees. The only certainty for life was death. It was the same for everyone.

The sun was reaching its peak over the skies. There were very little clouds littering the pale blue blanket above him and he wasn’t sure if it was the bright light that was making it difficult to see or something else. Jungkook lost feeling to the lower half of his body nearly two minutes earlier.

Again, he coughed and more blood sprayed from his mouth. Tears brimmed his eyes, slipping from the corners to seep into his ears.

My brothers…

Jungkook could feel his eyelids growing a little heavier with each passing second, but he forced them to stay open.

Eden…

But the darkness began to creep around the corners of his vision, blurring out the light until it was a faint glow in his line of sight.

He wanted to keep feeling the warmth of the sun on his face until the very end.

…until we meet again.

Call You Mine [MYG]

Plot: "I never regretted the day that I called you mine..." 

A Min Yoongi/Agust D one-shot. 

That's it. That's the summary. I have nothing else to say. 

Happy Birthday Min Yoongi!

Rating: PG // SFW

Genre: fluff | romance | idol romance | one-shot

Pairing: Min Yoongi x Female Reader

Warnings: None

Links: FAQ || BTS Masterlist || Admin E’s AO3 || [ REQUESTS ARE OPEN ]

Word Count: 1,912

AN: Wee. It’s late. I’m late. I’m always late. Who’s surprised? Not me. Happy Birthday Lil Meow Meow! All reblogs, critiques/reviews, comments and affection are accepted! Happy reading!

© thebiasrekkers (Admin E). All rights reserved. Reposting/modifying our work is prohibited. Translations are not allowed. Plagiarism/stealing is not tolerated by any means. Legal action will be taken in instances of theft.

"Who are you?"

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"Your breathing shifted just now."

A low chuckle rumbled through his chest. That was how he always responded when you asked him that. Was it because you knew him so well? Or were you just anxious? Maybe it was a mixture of both. Either way, it was something you didn't want to admit aloud.

Not to yourself. Not to him.

"Does it matter?" he asked. 

Of course it mattered! 

You didn't respond, determined to get your answer first.

He flashed you a mischievous grin, a bit of his silver fringe falling along the bridge of his nose. "Why don't you guess?"

You felt your lips pulling into a pout, mustering what patience you had to not smack his bare chest with all the strength you could manage this late in the night. Even in the low light, he must have seen the disapproving look you were giving him. Lifting one hand up, he lightly poked your forehead and you whined at being teased. You knew he did this to get a rise out of you. He also knew how important it was for him to give you an answer.

It bothered you how much he always dragged his feet on this matter. The more logical side always reminded you to have patience. This was his own personal game that he liked to play with you. Sometimes he would win. Sometimes you did. 

No one was really keeping score anymore.

You didn't want to guess. You didn't feel like playing this game tonight. To showcase your intent, you roughly pulled from his side and flipped over on the bed to turn your back to him. This must have surprised him because he didn't start laughing at your reaction. In fact, the bed was absolutely still - your breaths barely audible in the dark.

Warmth touched the flare of your hip as he placed his hand there. You tried not to relish in his touch, but it was difficult. After everything you'd gone through to get to this moment, it was only self-inflicted pain to ignore him. Part of you knew to stand your ground. The other part was willing to give in to his advances.

Because you loved him so much. Because you loved all of him…so much.

“Hey,” he called softly, reaching over your stomach and pulling you close to his body, “remember when we first met? At that bar in that one town?”

You bit back a scoff. Like you could forget. He never made it easy for you to, even if you wanted to. 

You kept silent, not wanting to cater to his need to hear your voice. To hear how, even now, you found yourself in an endless loop of falling in love with him each and every single day. To him, you were a lifeline for survival. To you, he was the reason you pushed through your tiresome work week.

The bar was crowded that night. It was an average Friday evening. You were out with friends, hitting the town and it was the third bar on the stop of your group’s infamous “bar hops”. Nothing was special about that night. It was just the end of another long work week for you. Another end of being a faceless number down a long hall of cramped cubicles and endless phone calls. A moment’s reprieve from jittering printers and raucous fax machines.

Two days of escape from being a nameless paper pusher in a seemingly endless cycle of meaningless.

He walked through the doors with his entourage - exuding purpose and power. They were celebrating another successful performance and chatter about said performance was the first thing you heard as they burst through the door. You watched him go straight up to the bar and buy it out, saying everyone’s drinks for the rest of the night were on him.

You envied his smile. You envied his “can do” attitude that dripped from every square inch of his body.

But it was his freedom that made you jealous the most.

You weren’t wearing anything particularly fancy that night. A pair of acid washed jeans stuffed in combat boots, a loose sweatshirt that hung off one shoulder. Hell, even your hair was in a messy up-do. After all, you weren’t looking for an easy score that night. Your plans to get laid were the furthest thing from your mind.

Yet there was no mistaking the way he zeroed in on you. Out of all the patrons in the bar, you were the one he decided to nail his focus to. You were the one who somehow managed to get his attention.

So, what should have been a night of blissfully getting toasted with your friends turned into something much different.

Feeling his lips against the nape of your neck, you felt your breath hitch slightly as his mouth moved to speak. “I asked you what you were doing for the rest of your life.”

You couldn’t stop the laugh that burst from your chest, causing you to curl up into a ball as you covered your mouth. It was one of the most absurd questions you’d ever been asked. Who even asked something like that in this day and age? What you were doing tomorrow? Sure. What you were doing next weekend? Of course.

The rest of your life, however, held a different weight altogether.

“I don’t even know what I’m doing tonight,” came your amused reply as you lowered your hands from your face. You still refused to look at him. “That’s what I said.”

The memories were flooding in quickly. His looks. The low dulcet sound of his voice. Even the cute little lisp he had when he spoke excitedly about something. His hair was a different color back then; jet black with an undercut. 

Everything changed in that one conversation. 

Despite his big spending at the bar, you knew he wasn’t well off. Not yet. But he had big dreams. He had drive. Money didn’t grow on trees and his dream would yield fruit if it prospered. Music, however, was such a shaky basket to throw all of your eggs into. But his passion and determination made you believe that he was telling the truth; that nothing would stop him from succeeding. He was determined and there was a small part of you that wished for his success. Somebody needed to grow wings and fly.

But the conversation didn’t take long to reverse back to you. On to your current occupation and your overall distaste with how things were going in your own life. It was a dead end road. You knew this. Somewhere along the way, you even accepted it. Some people were paper pushers and others were the stars that people could admire from afar. You had no place in that world. Your meager complaints and tiny goals could hardly hold a candle to the strength of his burning ambition.

That’s what you believed in the beginning.

You should’ve known better. 

After his friends and yours all got together to finish the bar hop for the night, your groups eventually wound up near the outskirts of town at a park. The drinking, laughter and flirting continued. He was never far from your side and neither were you from his. Sometime in the wee hours of the morning, his hand found its way into yours, holding it close. Your lips touched soon after and it was a magical moment.

That was the beginning of the end for  you.

Days rolled into weeks. Weeks into months. You looked forward to the weekends not to escape the dreary worklife you found yourself trapped in, but to see his performances in underground venues and fringe shows. The energy he exuded from the stage was intoxicating and the cheers from the crowd as he pumped them up was contagious. It only took a few shows and you were screaming and hopping around like an idiot like the rest of them.

Afterward, your groups would meet again to drink and celebrate in the success of the show. It wasn’t embarrassing for you all to run through the streets, screaming and shouting as the thrill of the night cloaked you from head to toe. Bottles of beers in your hands, you ran through crowds and stumbled down stairs in hopes of catching the last train home. You both cuddled in a drunken haze together as everyone talked all over one another - wrapped up in their own conversations.

It was only then that it became apparent that the person you were slowly falling for had two personas. One for the stage and one for when it was just the two of you. Sometimes they bled into one another. Sometimes they were kept far apart from each other.

Agust D and Min Yoongi.

As his success continued to build, your anxiety mounted - worrying about where your place was in his life. More months passed and the venues started to change. You knew there was a chance you wouldn’t be able to go to a performance because it was in the middle of the work week. Or maybe it was too far for you to travel. You couldn’t risk taking off of work for something “trivial” like a concert performance. That’s what your managers would say. They would belittle you for inconveniencing the rest of your co-workers. 

You had an image to maintain.

When he showed up on stage with silver hair, you knew that it was time. Agust D was rising to a level of stardom you wouldn’t be able to compete with. Fans cheered and remained loyal. Fans who were willing to drop any plans they had to hit the road and support their idol. They’d been around far longer than you had; had been cheering for him during a time when you didn’t even know he existed. 

It was the life he’d chosen; one you knew was going to take wing.

How were you supposed to stay close beside him? How were you going to continue to nurture this thing that existed between you both?

Feeling his arms wrap around your bare stomach, he pulled you even closer. You could feel his heartbeat slowly bumping against your shoulder blades. Yoongi pressed a kiss behind your ear, one of your weak spots, before allowing his tongue to glide along the curve of your jaw. You resisted the urge to moan at how he made you feel, both in that moment and every moment before now.

“I never regretted the day that I called you mine…”

You felt tears welling up in your eyes, blurring your vision. Part of you wanted to curse him for his words. For his way with words. But that was how he always was. On the stage or off, it didn’t matter. It was his answer for any worry that threatened to smother you into a dark pit of no return.

Slowly, you turned in his arms. Yoongi’s eyes peered at you, his brows furrowing with concern despite the smirk playing on his lips. 

“Do you know the answer?”

That was the answer to your question. It was always going to be the answer.

Lifting your arms up, you wrapped them around his neck and leaned in, your lips barely touching his. “You’re Min Yoongi…” This time, you could feel your own smile tugging at the corners of your mouth. “...and you’re mine.”

Are we? or Aren’t we?

Good Evening Tumblrverse!

The BiasRekkers are back online - sort of.

First of all, we want to thank everyone for showing us love in likes, reblogs, crazy tag spazzes, and following us even while we crumbled backstage. 

There are things that we, as best friends, collectively attack and it’s been rough. 2020 wasn’t kind to any of us - but you’ve all made it this far! 

We have all made it to 2021. Be proud. Regardless of set backs, low seasons, emotions, or failures - we fucking made it. 

Happy New Year, let’s get it! With that being said? 

Here’s what’s in store for the BiasRekkers blog!

Series: 

Make It Right - Admin E has posted the next chapter installment to the BTS Mafia!Au Make It Right. The current chapter is 52 and the story will continue to be posted until its entirety. This story has actually been completed for its writing last year. Please make sure to read the author notes and trigger warnings from this point forward. We’re moving to the darker, more dangerous, and gut clenching moments of this saga.  Remember, feel free to scream at Admin E in the tags or replies. She likes it when you scream about your feelings. 

The current running series for this blog for the time being will be Make It Right. This gives us a chance to further evaluate the current upcoming chapters for other stories that have started or will be posted. 

Our little blog is 1 year old and we’d like to finish it with the first major series started! 

Drabbles, One-shots, and Off-Shoots, Oh my!:

While Make It Right is running toward the finish, we will start uploading requested drabbles, seasonal one-shots and minis that were written but not posted. This includes the requests for the 500 Follower Special! 

Again, please bear with us as we get caught up, back on track, and in the groove. 

To everyone that has tagged us in anything? We see you! We’ll get to responding to those as well. 

So, that’s it! We’re cleaning up, restocking the shelves, and trying to balance the books. 

To the followers new and old, welcome! 

We look forward to causing you emotional distress in the future. 

Thank You

First of all, I just want to take a moment to thank each and every person who has followed this blog in earnest. Whatever your reason for it may have been, be it recommended, random stumble, or as an avid fan of us and our works, I just want to tell you that we are so appreciative and thankful for everyone sticking with us. 600 followers is nothing to sneeze at and we certainly wouldn’t have made it without so many wonderful people cheering us on every single step of the way.

We were able to make friends with newcomers and we, ourselves, transformed from being fans to friends with other bloggers as well. I can’t tell you how much it’s been such a blast and support getting to know so many people from different networks and I hope we continue to meet, speak, and work together in the future on all the projects that are sure to come!

Make It Right is now completed. It was a long road and 62 chapters is an epic that I never actually intended for it to be. But the story, the characters, wrote themselves. I only take credit for placing their stories onto paper. As the months pushed into a full year, I found myself realizing closely as we approached the finish line that this wasn’t just their journey - it was my journey too.

I know the BTS Fandom has been around for awhile on Tumblr. I was anxious about writing such an ambitious story as my first fic for the fandom, despite having been ARMY for many years. I wasn’t sure how people would see this story and, also, how people would take to the term “mafia” when it came to our boys. I would like to say that I am truly blessed to be half Korean and to have been brought up in the culture, customs, and history of my ethnic background. It made writing the story a little easier than it would probably have been for most people who attempted it. Thank you for following it to its conclusion and cheering me on throughout all of my side works as well.

A lot of late nights and tears and screaming were involved in writing Make It Right and I don’t regret a single moment of it. It’s the first completed epic series on our blog and I’m happy with the end result. I hope you all were as well, bittersweet as it may have been for some of you.

What are you going to do now, Admin E? What is in store for the future?

Well, that’s certainly an excellent question. I hit a bit of a writing slump as most of you are aware. I took a break and lost myself in lots of books and video games at the time. But I think it’s time I got back into the saddle again, don’t you? For now, I’m going to continue working on my historical time-slip story, Shadow’s Birthright, and finish that saga as soon as I am able. I know there are a few people still anxiously waiting in the wings and screaming from the rafters so I shall be hopping back on that as quickly as I can.

In the meantime, please send me suggestions or ideas that you would like and I’ll try my damnedest to get it up and going. I have so many ideas piling up in my little workshop and I can’t wait to get started on them all. Some are BTS related and some are other K-pop groups that will be brought into the foray.

But that’s about it. Again, thank you everyone who has been supportive and huge fans of our works. Thank you for sticking with us and helping our numbers grow. And thank you for cheering us on when we feel low and don’t feel like our stories are up to par with others. You’ve helped us through the lows and highs and I hope you’ll stick with us for all the fun and shenanigans that will unfold in the future.

Sincerely Yours, Admin E

My Time is the Singularity for this era. Fite me.

Make It Right [BTS Mafia AU]

Plot: “It’s always darkest before the dawn…” It’s a dog-eat-dog world in Seoul, South Korea. One has to dwell in the shadows in order to reach for the light. What are you willing to sacrifice in order to feel the sunlight on your face? What will it take to drag you back into darkness? How long will the journey be to make it right?

Rating: NC-17 // NSFW

Genre: Series | Mafia!AU | Crime!AU | Angst | Romance/Fluff | Smut

Pairings: Jin x OC | Taehyung/Hoseok x OC | Yoongi/Jungkook x OC

Warnings: Graphic Violence (bloody violence), Heavy Language, Angst, Slow Burn, Smut

Additional Warnings: Graphic depiction of physical violence, captured/kidnapping, major character death

Previous Chapters: Prologue 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53

Links: FAQ || BTS Masterlist || Admin E’s AO3 || Admin E’s WP || [ REQUESTS ARE OPEN ]

Word Count: 2,882

Tag List: @prisczero​, @pinkpjmin​, @btsaudge​, @flowerwrites06​, @unoriginal-username15432, @halussali​, @shrimpmsg​​,

AN: We’re almost at the finished line and I’m going to hurt your feelings all over again. Trust me...I’m hurting pretty bad. Anyway, just know that I love you all. Please feel free to critique, review, and like! 

Chapter 53: First Love

“Don’t let go of my hand forever, I won’t let go of you again either.”

© thebiasrekkers (Admin E). All rights reserved. Reposting/modifying our work is prohibited. Translations are not allowed. Plagiarism/stealing is not tolerated by any means. Legal action will be taken in instances of theft.

11:22 AM

Providence kept Min Yoongi from behind the wheel. There was a good chance that he would have killed both Seokjin and himself in the process. Instead, he focused all his attention on his cell phone. There was an ever-mounting feeling of dread as they sped their way toward Namyangju. Jungkook and Jimin were closer when it came to distance so he knew that they would arrive there first. It was his own fault for being so stubborn. Yoongi insisted that Changkyun wouldn’t have been stupid enough to keep Eden so close to Seoul. But he also wasn’t dumb enough to put her on a plane and fly her off to another country when there were CCTV cameras all over the place.

Taehyung tracked Changkyun all the way to Jeju Island, persistent in wanting to keep his ear to the ground and figure out any clues. Again, Yoongi believed it to be a fruitless endeavor. The Jade Fangs were too smart for that. They wouldn’t give anything away.

Call him a fool when they all received the text from Taehyung with the location of Eden’s whereabouts. Of course, as luck would have it, Yoongi and Seokjin were a full hour away from Gyeonggi Province. Namjoon and Hoseok were an hour and fifteen. Even if they broke all traffic laws, they’d still get there late. Every hour and every minute counted.

She’d already suffered for six days.

Yoongi wasn’t a religious man, but he clasped his hands together – phone pressed between palms – and prayed that they would reach them in time. He prayed that the boys got to her first and they were already meeting them at their agreed location. What patience and willpower he had, he used it to keep himself from shouting at Seokjin to drive faster.

Sensing his urgency, he felt Seokjin push the car even faster. They were almost there, but it worried him that neither Jimin nor Jungkook replied to his texts. Additionally, why hadn’t Taehyung said anything? It was only an hour flight from Jeju back to Seoul. He should have at least landed at the airport by now. Unless there was something else happening that was preventing him from getting to his phone.

The minute they arrived at the abandoned Industrial District, Yoongi burst from the car and took off in a dead run. His eyes quickly scanned the area for the landmark that Jimin told him about earlier. He was thankful that his younger brother had the wherewithal to take a photo, otherwise they would have been running around for ages; a literal needle in a haystack of bullshit.

Seokjin paused near the edge of the road leading to the heart of the industrial district. Yoongi ran past him, pausing long enough to see that his eyes were trained to the ground. He slowed his run until he came to a complete stop.

“Hyung, what is it?”

He watched as Seokjin knelt on one knee to inspect the ground. “…there’s tire tread here.” He touched it. “It’s warm.”

Yoongi frowned. “Maybe it was the boys?” His heart hammered in his chest. “Maybe they got Eden out.”

Seokjin stood while shaking his head. He pointed further down the road. “Jimin’s car is there. They took a different route than us and parked as far out of sight as they could.”

“Then where the hell are they?” He growled out the question, even though he knew Seokjin didn’t have an answer.

Again, Yoongi pulled out his phone and jogged around various streets to locate the blue barrels by the reeds that Jimin mentioned. He was able to take a full five steps before a scream tore through the silence. Yoongi felt his heart plummet to his gut before it shot back up and into his throat. He glanced over his shoulder to his older brother, seeing the look of fear clouding over Seokjin’s face.

“J-Jimin-ah,” murmured Yoongi.

His legs felt frozen solid. He couldn’t move. Seokjin moved instead, tearing through the street and disappearing into the reeds.

What was happening?

What the hell was even happening right now?

11:26 AM

He tripped.

He tripped and fell into the grass.

That was how Seokjin found Jungkook’s body.

When he managed to recover from the fall, he had to rub his eyes furiously to make sure that what he was seeing was, in fact, reality. Jungkook’s body lay lifeless, but there was a peaceful expression on his face. He was smiling, despite the blood smears coated around his mouth and chin. Seokjin could see where stains of tears were dried around his cheeks and eyes.

His gaze lowered to the gash in his stomach. He could surmise that this was what caused his end. His jacket was bunched near his hip, presumably where he was trying to stop the flow of blood. Jungkook’s eyes were still open, as if staring into the sky and greeting someone before being pulled from life.

Seokjin crawled slowly toward his little brother, his hands shaking violently. He hadn’t even realized he’d begun crying until he pulled Jungkook into his arms, cradling him like a child. Seokjin slowly brushed his brother’s hair out of his eyes before smoothing his fingers down and over his eyelids, closing them. If not for the blood around his mouth, Jungkook would have appeared to be asleep.

He wrapped his arms around him, pulling his bloodied body against his chest. Seokjin felt a sound bubbling around his chest, a sound he’d been suppressing for several seconds. But as he held his brother’s cold, dead body, he knew he couldn’t hold it in anymore.

Seokjin lifted his head to the sky, releasing a sorrowful wail.

He screamed until his throat hurt.

And then he screamed again.

He cried until he felt like his soul was weeping inside of himself.

But he knew it would not be heard by any deity.

Because they’d already reclaimed what was theirs.

But that didn’t mean that it was fair.

11:28 AM

“Seokjin Hyung!”

Yoongi stumbled as he walked around, holding his phone as he continued to try to find the barrels near the reeds. He forced himself to remain focused, ignoring the painful cry that he heard coming from the inner sanctum of the reeds. Yoongi refused to follow, maintaining his current course. Jimin was reliable and he would never let them down. He was the steadfast rock; always present and always ready to have anyone’s back should they trip and fall.

“HYUNG!”

He heard Seokjin in the distance as he continued to cry. With every step Yoongi took, he felt what strength he had seeping out of him and soaking into the ground. For a moment, his vision watered and he quickly shook his head to regain focus. His hearing was muffled under the heavy thrum of his heart battering against his chest.

This was a nightmare.

This wasn’t real.

“HYUUUUNG!”

Yoongi could barely hear his own voice. He tripped over his feet and tumbled to the ground, catching the concrete under his palms. He didn’t care that he probably had cuts under his fingers. All he could do was curl one hand into a fist and pound it into his chest over and over. He tried to quiet his heart; to keep it from telling him the one truth that he had absolutely no desire to hear.

Something snapped in the brush, causing Yoongi to jerk his head in the direction of the sound. He reached toward his leg, retrieving his boot knife, preparing to strike anyone who dared to come at him in hostility. But as the reeds swayed back and forth, he heard desperate and labored breathing pulsing from within. Seconds later, Eden burst through the thicket – looking like the very image of one who was being chased by the devil.

She didn’t seem to notice him, her eyes darting in every direction before she started running across and away from him. Yoongi’s ability to speak was momentarily absent, his eyes moving along the path she was half running, half stumbling toward.

The blue barrels were several yards away.

Scrambling to his feet, Yoongi dropped his knife and sprinted toward Eden. It wasn’t hard to close the distance between them and he didn’t have to look at her long to see the state she was in. Her eyes were wild – practically manic. She had one thing on her mind and one thing only. No one would stop her, but he had to try.

Yoongi slammed into Eden, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close. She immediately screamed, flailing her arms and legs in every direction. Sweat ran in rivulets along her face and neck, mixing in with the dirt and blood that coated her body. Yoongi leaned back just as she swung to hit his face, to scratch and maim and perform every act possible to obtain her freedom; like a wild beast.

“Eden!”

She screamed harder, crying. She hadn’t heard him.

“Eden, it’s me!”

Eden ceased her attack for a handful of seconds, her body shaking as he watched the adrenaline wash over her. She craned her neck to look at Yoongi. The fear and anxiety that seemed to cloud over her eyes visibly lifted. Her dry lips parted, as though she were about to say something, but then tears formed, and she began to cry instead.

“Y-Yoongi-ah,” she hiccupped, curling her fingers into his shoulders, “Y-Yoongi…”

Yoongi felt Eden’s weight collapsing against him and with as frayed as his own nerves were, he couldn’t maintain standing for very long. His legs gave out, but he continued to hold Eden close as they both hit the ground together. Wrapping one arm around her waist, he held Eden in his lap – cradling her as she continued to cry into his chest.

He couldn’t say anything to comfort her. What could he say to ease her sorrow? Yoongi thought of something to say, but it all sounded so contrived in his head. So he simply held her, cradling the back of her head with one hand as he rocked back and forth on the ground.

His eyes focused on the frayed bits of fabric around her shoulder where bruises and welts remained. She trembled in increments versus constantly which, in a way, worried Yoongi. As she continued to weep into his jacket, his gaze shifted to the place she’d come from. There was a trail of blood that followed her - scattered between shaking footprints and droplets. He furrowed his brows, his eyeline moving back to her beaten and battered form in his lap.

What he believed to have been her tears soaking his clothing was actually her blood. He gasped, pulling Eden away to get a better look at her. Trails of crimson seeped along her legs and arms and as he pulled his hand away, he saw it smeared with blood that wept from her back. 

“Eden! Hey!”

Yoongi shook her gingerly and her head rolled back along her shoulder. He didn’t think it was possible, but her olive complexion appeared slightly discolored. Her mouth opened and closed, as if attempting to obtain moisture from somewhere. Yoongi had no water to give her and the weight of that guilt caused tears to brim around his eyes. 

The sound of another vehicle approaching barely registered to him. The tires squealed and two pairs of doors slammed and desperately thudding feet grew closer. He didn’t have to look to know that it was Hoseok and Namjoon. 

“Eden-ssi!” he heard Namjoon say as he skidded down to one knee beside them. Yoongi brushed some of her hair from her forehead. “Yoongi Hyung, is she--”

“I don’t know,” he said quietly, “Jin Hyung is somewhere in the reeds. I don’t know where Jungkook and Jimin are.”

“We’ll find them,” Hoseok reassured.

Yoongi barely heard them running off in the direction of where he’d heard Seokjin’s screams. They wouldn’t be greeted with anything pleasant. It would break them.

No. They were already broken.

“Y-Yoongi-ah…”

Eden’s voice, frail and raspy, sounded like a gong in his head - rattling through his entire body. He slowly turned to look down at her, blinking at the weak smile she gave him. Canting his head slightly, Yoongi found himself momentarily amazed at the look she was giving him. He couldn’t remember a time when she appeared so gentle - so unguarded.

She slowly reached into her pocket and dug around for something. He wanted to stop her, but her calm expression prevented him from doing so. Pulling her hand from her pocket, she held her fist out to him. Using the hand that wasn’t holding her upright, he moved to situate his palm under where her hand was as she opened it. 

In his hand was a bloody necklace chain, a single band looped through it. He didn’t understand the meaning behind what she was holding until he saw Eden’s hand move to her own neck. She pulled at the pendant dangling from the chain, breaking it, and then placed the item into his hand alongside the other one. It was a ring.

It was a pair of rings.

Absolute certainty crashed through Yoongi’s heart, shattering what remained. Her fingers curled into his palm and over the two rings; he could feel her arm shaking from the strength it took to perform such a simple action. His vision continued to blur with the onset of tears, watching her hand move from his to lift and reach for his face.

He didn’t have the mind to reach back.

“I...forgive you, Yoongi-ah,” she whispered gently, “I’m...sorry...I didn’t sooner.”

Yoongi coughed out the sob he’d been pushing down into his stomach. His tears fell in succession, the ache in his heart shifting fully to the front and twisting in his chest. He didn’t have to be told what was about to happen. But that didn’t mean he had to be accepting of it. 

“No,” he said, his voice barely audible over the sound of his heart jack hammering into his ribs, “Nononono...NO! You can’t!” 

Yoongi succumbed to the selfishness in his heart, pulling Eden hard against him as he resumed rocking her back and forth in his arms. Something akin to a death knell reverberated through his chest as he cried, burying his face into the crown of her head. The childish part of him, the part that drew up a sliver of hope as though from an empty well, believed if he clung to her hard enough that she couldn’t be whisked away. 

That she wouldn’t leave him to drown in the suffering that was sure to come.

He could hear Namjoon and Hoseok calling for their brothers. Seokjin didn’t call back, but something inside of Yoongi knew this was the end. This was the end for the brothers he lost in the reeds. What Hoseok and Namjoon would find would only result in the same sorrowful cry he heard coming from Seokjin earlier.

The same sound erupting from him as he practically crushed Eden into his chest.

“Eden, you can’t…” His voice was muffled in the matted mess of her curls. “...you can’t do this.” As tears continued to fall, he could feel oncoming sobs wracking through him while rocking Eden like a sleeping child. “You can’t forgive me for all the wrongs I’ve done against you. You can’t deny me the opportunity to make up for all the things I’ve neglected to do for you...to make it up to you.”

His hand slowly stroked along the back of her head, pressing his fingers along the nape of her neck. Even though he knew she was gone, Yoongi still spoke as if she could still hear him; that her spirit had not yet departed from this world.

Somewhere in the distance, he heard the anguished sounds of his brothers. They must have found their other brother. Yoongi shifted his body so that he could rest his knees on the ground. He refused to remove Eden from him, instead maneuvering his body so that he could lift her in his arms like a groom carrying his blushing bride from the festivities of friends and family as they left the chapel.

He carried her in the way he’d longed to carry her, but knew that the opportunity was granted to someone else. To his youngest brother that he knew was gone.

Yoongi walked away from the reeds, his legs heavy with guilt and not from the weight of the woman he loved in his arms. His first love; his last love. 

Jungkook-ah, he thought, eyes staring listlessly ahead as he moved, you decided to take her with you, huh? Yoongi’s eyes moved to stare at Eden’s face; her eyes closed and peaceful, as if she was sleeping. It wasn’t fair but he knew he didn’t have a right to complain. I guess I can’t blame you. Forgive your Hyung for not being able to see you off.

Just as he made it to the car, he paused to look up at the sky - the sunlight blinding him to the point where he was left with no choice but to close his eyes.

...until we meet again in the next life.