Edge Of Forever [BTS Space!AU]

Edge of Forever [BTS Space!AU]

BTS Space!AU [ ♧ ✪ ✿ ☆ ❂ ☾✘ ] “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.” The stage is set and the stars are the guide for the lost souls that have congregated to one point. A fixed constant in the universe for others to discover and fulfill their wishes but will it come to ruin for others?

Pairings: BTS X OC (s) Genre: BTS Space!AU Warnings: Graphic Violence, Heavy Language

AO3

Chapter 10- What I’ve done, PT. 1

In this farewell There's no blood, there's no alibi 'Cause I've drawn regret From the truth of a thousand lies

I am picking up a distress signal approximately 5 lightyears away. It would take us 30 minutes to get there should we decide to help.

Jimin patched the communications through to let them listen. It was from a Federation ship that had run aground and was attacked by some Pirates. The problem was because the area was so close to a cluster of pirates that were in the area, that if they were detected--they would have another fight on their hands. Nyala ran to her station since she had been in the cargo hold again, doing her check-up for the day on the crate. Upon reaching her station, she quickly did a long-range scan to find out more about the situation. As much as she didn’t like to stop and help, she couldn’t quite ignore the cry for help.

They were about to calculate their last jump to get to their destination, the planet Izanami and they couldn’t afford to get caught or even engage in battle. Not without trying to find an engineer, or at least get the rest of the supplies that they would need for a deep space run. Fate would only know where that path would be taking them and they had to prepare for the worst. Nyala and Jimin locked eyes from across the bridge, their thoughts starting to sound similar as they started to think the same thing. They both knew what could happen if they just left, or they could be detected after all. It was a gamble at this point and she played to win.

“Kibeth, plot a course. Maybe what we’re looking for will be on this path.” Everyone else started to protest her decision, especially Yoongi. She held a hand up to give her a moment to speak before continuing. “Look, I know that we’re showing that they’re the Federation but we might be able to use this to our advantage. We could use the information that they have and I don’t plan to have us fly blind when we’re dealing with the Armada.”

Her words rang true with everyone, no matter who didn’t like it. Yoongi’s face soured as he sat there in his chair, even more so when Vairuit cheered her decision. Jin and Jungkook gave each other uneasy looks before making up their minds. Kibeth had already altered their course at Nyala’s words, with a straight shot towards the distress call. And since they were a Vibrissa class ship, they would be able to help more than a standard ship.

“Nyala. I hope that you know what you’re doing because I don’t know if the Federation would show us any more mercy if we’re caught than the Pirates would.” Jin sighed, setting his jaw as he stared at the screen. She smiled at him, realizing what he was saying.

“At least, they won’t execute us on sight.”

On that, they all had to agree on that point. The Federation would at least take them as prisoners before declaring them fit for death for their outlaw crimes. There was more of a chance to escape with them than the Pirates. Still, no matter the obstacles that were in their way at the moment--there was something else that Nyala was sensing since they had been passing by the situation. It was something similar to the currents that she could sense between all of them and if it was someone that could help there amid all of that mess, then she would help them out as well.

Soon the time passed for them as they got closer to their target, tensions mounting as they dropped out of subspace. The scene before them was fairly bad, chunks of the ship was missing and debris was everywhere. Whichever sect of the Guild attacked them, they struck quickly and without any type of mercy whatsoever. And as of then, they did not care to get any closer and investigate with the Federation sitting right in front of them. They were there to help and get out quick before they could get their engines back to chase them.

“This is the SC Antares, we heard your distress call and have come offer assistance,” Jimin called out for the warship to hear. A garbled sound was heard instead, prompting him to try and pinpoint what was causing the disruption. They all held their breaths, hoping that they would call it off but when Jimin got it to work--they almost groaned.

We hear you Antares. We just need help stabilizing life support and reinforcing our hull to transport these prisoners safely.

“They must not want us poking around too much,” Vairuit commented, eyeballing the mess. “Even more so if they were transporting prisoners. They don’t want to run the risk of one of them escaping but it looks like they had no choice.”

“They most likely have facial recognition programs on board, so if we show our faces then we’ll run the risk of being handcuffed…” Yoongi mumbled but Kibeth heard the comment and offered a solution to that problem.

I believe I can disrupt those systems from here. I require a direct connection, however.

Yoongi stood up and started to talk with Kibeth on what he would need to do. Some of the cargo on board he had taken with him with the full intent of helping them get out of situations. He was pretty sure that there was something in there that he could use and the only person that could safely get in without too much trouble would be Jimin. Yoongi’s face was much too recognizable and would be pinged immediately on the scanners while the rest of them were being hunted by both sides. They had to play it carefully if they were to help, even able to get the information that they needed while Kibeth was connected to their systems.

Nyala would stay on board with the ship with Jin while the others would help. The pair would start the repairs since the arms on the ship could be extended as it was a Vibrissa class, the extenders that could be used for a variety of things. Including outer hull repairs, using what they had around them to help put together a suitable outer shell or weld together exposed parts.

Jimin smiled his way onto the ship, the man not really being recognizable as he didn’t venture out as much Yoongi did. He talked with the Captain, keeping things short and sweet until he was able to put the transceiver into place. Once attached to one of the consoles, Kibeth sprang into action and quickly taking down their systems. The encryption was a walk and a breeze for the AI, surprising Jin as he watched. He knew that the AI was pretty high tech but he truly didn’t realize how advanced it was compared to other things. Yoongi was the only one that wore a device that altered his face a bit so that way people wouldn’t recognize him too easily, the price of fame.

However, there was something off about the entire scene and Yoongi could sense it. Some of the criminals deserved to be there but there were also others in there that had no business being in there. Some caught in the crossfire and some were just being desperate in life. As he was passing a cell, someone’s thoughts caught his curiosity and as he peered into his broken cell--he saw a man sitting there. The man could have escaped and done some real damage to the ship but instead, he was content to sit there. Among all the chaos and the repairs, Yoongi crouched down and stared at him. He looked up, sensing that someone was there and his sharp eyes bored into his. It was animosity that he was staring back at him with and Yoongi began to feel a bit unsettled.

“Why are you here? Can’t you let me live my life out in prison alone?”

The more Yoongi looked at the man, he began to see what it was that Nyala was talking about. The words that Vairuit and Jimin threw at him had his head ringing. It burned him up inside that their words rang so true and they were even coming to haunt him in that perilous situation. Or was it that he still wasn’t over what they said to him? The bothersome feeling was there like a connection that got under his skin or someone that he really didn’t like was talking to him and he had no choice but to listen. He grunted at his raw words, the feeling of them almost like hot water on his skin.

“I’m not the one you need to be worried about. It’s the pigs on the ship and the ones they have locked up.”

“Aren’t you one that’s locked up as well?”

The man gave the barest hint of a grin and turned around, showing his back to Yoongi. His back showed that he was done talking but it also showed that there were abrasions and bleeding there that he didn’t care about at all. He’d been hurt in the attack but chose not to say anything. Yoongi turned away, eyeballing the cell one last time before moving on to what he was really there for. He made his way to the cargo hold, seeing how it was one of the places that took the brunt of the attack. Placing some spacial transmitters on some of the cargo, they were transported straight to the Antares’ own hold. After doing so, he went straight back to the cell and found that the guy was looking at him again.

“Can’t get enough, can you? I’m not leaving so just go away and do your repairs. This ship is going to make it with the minimal amount so you can be on your way.”

Yoongi paused at his words, realizing that he knew a little bit about that type of stuff. He gave the guy one last look before taking off again, straight to Nyala to confirm what it was he had been sensing from the guy. The repairs were going to take just a little while longer so he had the time to spare since his job was already done. It was time to see if he really was going crazy or just letting the others get to him.

No Words, pt 8

Pairing: Taehyung x Jeongguk x Mention of OC [ft.  Namjoon x OC]

Type: Series

Rating:  18+ 

Genre: Idol, Poly, Interracial, Tall Female, Smut, Angst, Fluff [if you squint]

Warning: Dirty. A smidge of MxM interaction [I mean they should just do it, but they said not yet. So I’m not even in charge of this story anymore.], Sleepy Namjoon voice while he holds his girl, did I mention tired, groggy Namjoon voice?, Plotting. Best Friend threats [you know when you threaten the bf/romantic interest to take care of your bestie, or you die? Yeah, that.]

A/N - Don’t you hate getting wrecked by your own story? STG. Kim Namjoon. I might start dropping the spin-off soon? Cause the other Kim is ready to speak his piece. As always, thank you for loving this hot mess.

Words:  2195

—

Taehyung couldn’t help but smirk as the Maknae paced a hole into the wooden floorboards. Leaned back on both hands, that slight tilt to his head - that look wasn’t lost on Jeongguk. He knew it’s power well enough. Taehyung scoffed as he leaned back on his elbows. “Well, Gguk-ah?” A brow arched as he waited in that thick silence.

There was a muscle in Gguk’s jaw that seemed to throb with his pulse. His tongue prodding out the space of his cheek. A finger lifted toward the Visual as he approached. “Are you sure, Taehyung? Are you sure about this? About Her? You remember what happened, right?” He crossed his arms, watching that smug look melt away from Taehyung’s face.

It was replaced with something else, something…darker. Something that had Taehyung springing up from his comfy recline on the sofa. “Are you sure, Gguk-ah? Because I know what I want. I was sure two years ago, and I’m sure as hell sure now. I’m not letting her escape. Not this time.” Long spindly fingers clawed the air in front of Jeongguk’s face. “You know she feels the same way, Jeongguk.” He spoke between clenched teeth. “You knew it before, and you realized it at the Christmas party last year.” Taehyung’s mouth turned downward as Jeongguk sighed.

“It’s always been us, Tae.” The formalities dropped in this close private space between them. Jeongguk ran his fingers through the fluffy fringe of his hair. “What am I supposed to say? What am I supposed to do?” The other hand reached and tugged as he spun on his heel. Tae watched him, the frown deepened.

Taehyung sat on the edge of the couch as the maknae paced. “You need to find out for yourself, Jeongguk. I can’t make this decision for you. But, it’s obvious that you need to say and do something, Gguk-ah.” His lips pressed into a thin line as Jeongguk turned to face him.

“I love you.” The massive push of air through the maknae’s flared nostrils rattled the air. They met each other with lust blown pupils.

“I know.” Tae’s deep rumble cut through the tension. “I love you, too. But I also love her.”

There was something akin to a breeze that past between them as Jeongguk closed the distance. His hands wrapped around the back of Taehyung’s neck as their foreheads touched. Tae placed a hand on Gguk’s chest, right above the thundering beat of his heart.

The Visual smirked softly, “And you might love her, too.”

“What are we going to do?” Jeongguk’s lips brushed against Taehyung’s forehead, a soft sigh escaping. His eyes fluttered closed as he allowed himself to put all the puzzle pieces together.

Puzzle pieces? Right. It was always when you were just about finished - that one piece still went missing. So you gave up or chose to start a new puzzle. The boys all managed to keep their relationships, outside or with each other, secret. They were supportive of each other over heartbreaks - just like any friend would do. They were professional enough that private dalliances never affected their work ethic. They worked hard to get where they were, and they wouldn’t jeopardize that.

Sometimes you needed more, and some understood that - without judgment.

And that is what Jeongguk feared the most. “Love exists in as many forms as there are people.” He spoke quietly against the elder’s skin. Tae arched a brow as he tilted his head upward. Their noses brushed as he awaited an explanation.

“I..” Gguk looked sheepish as he scratched the back of his neck. “I might have mentioned, discreetly, about this..to Ki-Nam.” Tae groaned, his head rolling back as his eyes shut. “Now, hold on a second. I didn’t tell him who or what. I just asked a question, that’s all.”

“And that question was?” Tae’s fingers lingered at the pinched section of the maknae’s hip.

“Can you be in love with two people at the same time?” The younger muttered quietly. “And he said, that love exists in as many forms as people do. So, the combination that works for me might not work for others.” Tae’s brow ticked upward, shocked at such a mature - and logical explanation. “But, he said that I would know that combination - and that if I’m not careful? I..it could go away.”

Taehyung looked like a deer in headlights as that maturity came spilling out of Jeongguk. His gaze softened when those long fingers slid against the younger’s jaw. “Look at you, being an adult.” Gguk scowled, nipping at those invading fingers.

Taehyung was quick to remove them. The bunny bites could be…painful.

“So?” Gguk ruffled his hair again with a deep inhale. “I suppose we should plan something then, yes?” Turning to Taehyung, who was smiling wide - his wheels already turning.

“You need to get her alone, Gguk-ah. You have to let her know your intentions. You have to let her know that you’re serious.” Tae’s eyes darkened as he thought back to the karaoke room over a month ago. “I feel it’s typical that she feels the need to protect herself. But, she’s scared..and she’s stubborn.” Jeongguk smirked at that.

“I think that’s what I like about her.” The Maknae chuckled softly. “She comes across coldly, but the moment we need something? She’s there to worry about us. She really is sort of like family now, isn’t she?” He pursed his lips in thought as Tae nodded in agreement.

“She is. We know they had a difficult time when they got here. We’re not stupid - even if she and Tasha tried to keep it under wraps.” Taehyung let his fingers play over his bottom lip. “We’ve heard the stories, but to have that asshole just…”

“Taehyung, don’t.” Jeongguk’s voice turned raspy and deep. He remembered the way she looked, trying to scramble from the table. They were lucky to catch her before she found a cab. They both inhaled deeply before gazing at each other again. Taehyung tilted his face up as Jeongguk stood between his legs.

“You trust me, right?” Tae’s voice was quiet and deep. Gguk nodded quietly. “Then trust yourself, Gguk-ah. I do. My feelings for you will never change, even as we do. You’ll always be special to me. But, you know I can’t ignore these things.” He offered a slight smile. Tae has always been the odd man out. Still doing things on the far side of the typical path. He saw the world differently, and he acted upon it. Jeongguk was along for the ride, and it has taken them both places they couldn’t have found living in fear. They couldn’t have seen them if they weren’t living at all.

That thick muscle ticked in Jeongguk’s jaw as he held Taehyung’s gaze. His shoulders finally sagged, his head dropping in defeat. There was an energy between the three of them, this much was true. He wanted that sensation again.

Taehyung quietly watched the maknae process his emotions. He knew that pressuring Gguk would result in resistance. He considered it a blessing; he made the discovery on his own. It would be a higher chance of success with them working as a team.

“We’re supposed to do a late Thanksgiving get together.” Jeongguk’s voice was raspy, deep, and serious. Taehyung’s brows ticked upward with a nod. “But it’s not just our staff.” The younger’s arms crossed the broad expanse of his chest.

Taehyung sucked an irritated breath through his teeth. “That’s right. There’s supposed to be mixed in with one of the stations, right?” The younger nodded as he flopped down into a crouch. “That means the other students that either returned or stayed will be in the same space.”

“But, of course, we’re there for appearance sake, and then we’re off to do our own thing.” Gguk waved a hand haphazardly. “Maybe I’ll join you for karaoke this time.” Jeongguk lips lifted in a sly smirk. Tae tilted his head; the realization caused his eyes to pop wide open.

“You..” Tae stuttered as Jeongguk stood up, stretching with a smile.

“Hyungie, it’s a good thing that place was noisy,” Gguk smirked before moving to put on the coffee.

Taehyung’s growl wasn’t missed as Jeongguk couldn’t help smiling over the dig. The Visual wore a sour look as Gguk gleefully started breakfast. He glanced down to his phone, his fingers ghosting over a message he received earlier in the evening.

       Tash-Tash: I can trust you, right, Tae-tae?

       Tae-Tae: Of course, Tash-tash! Why would you question that now?

Jeongguk sang some melody as he cracked eggs and turned on the stove.

     Tash-Tash: Because my best friend is a moron and I can’t stand it anymore.

       Tae-Tae: Whaaaatt are you talking about, woman?

Taehyung stared at the message again - his eyes narrowing.

   Tash-Tash: Tae, I’m gonna be straight with you. If you don’t do anything? She’s gonna bounce. I can’t keep bouncing with her. I’ve gotten my Visa handled. You know how I feel about Joon. I’m not going to blow this. That girl loves you, she’s scared, and she’s being stupid. I can tell you now…she’s already booking plane tickets.

   Tae-tae: Thank you, Tasha. Thank you for trusting me and for telling me. I promise I’ll fix it.

   Tash-Tash: Good, I’d like us to spend New Years together. Plus, I know you’re birthday is coming up. Get on it, Kim Taehyung, or I’ll come and put my foot in your ass! <3

At that time, Jeongguk managed to throw together a cheesy egg toast. Taehyung turned the phone toward him as he chewed. He watched the maknae’s eyes darken and lift to him. “Our girl likes to run, doesn’t she?”

Taehyung smiled as he picked up his portion. “Good thing, we love a good chase.”

——-

The blue light of the cellphone illuminated in the darkness of the room as she stared at the screen. A set of forest green eyes settled on the thin space in the curtain. She could see the world changing as something like Winter set over Hannam-dong.

Thick fingers dragged up her thigh and along the curve of her hip. “Jagiya.” The raspy voice thick with sleep ghosted a warm breath against the nape of her neck. She couldn’t help the smile threatening to split her face. The taller form tugged her from her perch on the edge of the bed. The phone lost to the piles of clothes already on the floor. A forearm across her abdomen held her captive with a groan. “Are you still talking to Taehyung-ah?” Namjoon didn’t bother to open his eyes, but she could tell he was definitely awake.

Tasha looked over her shoulder slightly, his face obscured by the pillow and her shoulders. “I did.” Her gaze moved to the window again. “He said he would fix it.” She chewed the meat of her bottom lip.

“Tasha.” There was a stern set to his tone. She knew that tone, and already her eyes were rolling, but she knew he was right. “I know he cares about her. Trust us. Trust him.” Her fingers slid along the veins protruding along his arm. “Trust me.” She turned to find his eyes open, dark and dazzling - full of conviction.

Tasha turned fully in his embrace, her fingers dancing along the passionate purple blossoms under his collarbone. He encircled her fingers with his hand, his lips easing along the worry lines of her forehead.

“I don’t understand how she tells me to go for it with you - but she denies herself.” An irritated huff as Namjoon chuckled sleepily.

“You weren’t that easy either, jagiya.” Tasha ducked her face into his shoulder at that.

“I didn’t expect to…” He watched her fight to say the words.

“Fall in love?” He finished.

“…with you.” She added.

“I was just one of those people. Didn’t even believe in true love.” Tasha’s eyes widened. Maybe it was the sleep-thick rasp of his voice? Perhaps it was the lyrics? “All of my wonder. You are the answer..”

They stared at each other in that heavy silence before Namjoon pulled her closer. His head resting atop hers as he drew lazy circles along her spine. She fell asleep against the steady thrum of his heart.

Namjoon watched the world flutter by outside his window. His gaze lowered to the steady rise and fall of her shoulders. He fell back into that steady rhythm of sleep with her in his arms. A luxury that was rare and welcome.

Namjoon held Tasha a little tighter that night.

                                 Taehyung-ah, don’t give up.

Make It Right [BTS Mafia!AU]

Pairings: Jin x OC | Taehyung/Hoseok x OC | Yoongi/Jungkook x OC Genre: BTS Mafia!AU Warnings: Graphic Violence, Heavy Language, Angst, Smut, Slow Burn WC: 2923 “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?

AO3 | WP

Chapter 09: I’m Fine

"I’ll keep telling myself, Even if I fall down again...I'm fine."

Raelyn rarely slept.

Then again, it came with the territory. Just because a person had a certain shift that they were given didn’t mean anything. There were few professions in the world that “never sleep” and working in a hospital was one of them. The other, from what she understood, was television news broadcasts. Just like news staff, hospital personnel were always on call.

She didn’t mind it. This was the occupation she chose, and she wouldn’t have traded it for anything. Not even for a few more hours or sleep. Or hell, even one more hour of sleep.

But there were times, very few times, where she would have made a deal with a demon if it meant getting just fifteen more minutes. Even five.

This was one of those mornings.

Raelyn didn’t know how long she’d been asleep, but she could recite exactly how many hours she’d been awake.

Thirty-six, to be exact.

The very minute that the car accident victim was wheeled in through the ER entrance, she knew she was in for the long haul. On a normal day, she would have had just one more hour until her shift was over. Throw in one of her co-workers calling in sick and well, that pretty much summed up the next day and a half for her. If she wasn’t running around gathering all the medical information on the patient, she was administering sedatives and making sure everyone else was taking the right number of breaks so that they didn’t pass out when they were needed in a pinch.

It got a little scary around the twenty-ninth hour. Some of her fellow nurses didn’t think the victim was going to make it through the morning, let alone through the night. A few morbid cynics were actually taking wagers. In this line of work, sometimes you needed to make light of even the worst situations to get through it all.

Otherwise a person would go certifiably insane.

Once everyone was dismissed and assured that the patient was, in fact, going to make it, Raelyn felt like her bones were going to turn into jelly. She’d collapsed into a chair, the physical and mental exhaustion finally taking its toll. A few of the orderlies made sure she was alright, asking her if she needed to take a quick nap in one of the employee rest areas. But Raelyn knew her body. She needed a cup of coffee; just enough caffeine to get her back home so she could pass out for the next twelve hours.

Crossing the threshold of her modest apartment, she barely remembered hanging up her coat or even stepping into her house slippers. She didn’t even really remember stripping out of her scrubs, throwing them into the hamper, or even taking a quick five-minute shower. The only thing that really registered through her body was climbing into her extra-large sweatshirt and falling into her bed face-first. If her phone died in the middle of her nap, so be it. She was off for the next two days as per the orders of her supervisor.

Like she was even going to argue.

Beep. Beep.

Raelyn groaned, rolling over onto her back while scratching her stomach. The soft beeping noise barely registered at the forefront of her mind. Exhaustion held strong, keeping her tethered to the bed and she pulled the mink blanket up across her body. Sometime in her sleep she’d pushed it off of her and instantly regretted it.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

That noise again.

That goddamn noise again.

Her eyes slowly opened and she moaned, her vision attempting to focus. The stream of moonlight that slid in through the bedroom windows helped her to see better in the dark. Was she dreaming? This had to be a dream. There was no way she fell asleep that hard only to be woken up by some damn noise she could barely even hear. That was just crazy.

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

It was the buzzer from the front door.

“…you’ve gotta be fuckin’ kiddin’ me,” she muttered, sitting up on her elbows to look around the room. Her eyes lingered to her nightstand, the digital clock’s red numbers mocking her of the time.

4:27 AM

She angrily threw the covers off her, almost tripping into her house slippers, before shuffling her way out of her bedroom and into the living room. Hands brushed up against the wall, attempting to feel for the light switch and the living room was flooded with a soft amber lighting. Raelyn had never been a fan of bright light and she had lamps everywhere – keeping the atmosphere ethereal and comfortable. It was easy on her eyes that way, especially when she didn’t have her glasses on.

Crossing the small distance to the front door, she reached up to the panel where the door camera was. Pressing the button, the screen lit up but all she could see was the top of someone’s head as they seemed to be leaning against the door. She watched as their hand lifted to press the door buzzer again and it was then that she noticed it was stained with blood.

Gasping, she unbolted the door and threw it open. A man practically fell into her arms and his sheer weight caused her knees to buckle slightly. Bracing most of her weight onto her back leg, she wrapped her arms tightly around the person before ushering them inside – her leg extending out to kick the door closed. When she heard the security lock latch and beep, Raelyn took a moment to see just who was in her house.

The silvery blue and black hair was unmistakable, and she nearly dropped him on accident.

“Taehyung-ah!”

He groaned, attempting to look up at her as he gave her a pained smirk. “Hey…Rae Noona…”

It was here that she was able to get a good look at him now that he was brought into the light. His right cheek was slightly swollen and showing tell-tale signs of bruising. There was a cut over his left brow, leaking a fresh red trail of blood down his cheek that began dripping onto the floor. Hand prints were left on his throat – angry red welts and small scratches from where nails had gotten hold of him.

The worst, though, was the injury around his stomach. The one he was clutching on to so desperately. Raelyn surmised that he’d gotten hit badly in his stomach. Maybe a group assault? She couldn’t be sure. She knew for certain that it wasn’t a gun. In South Korea, unless you were a police officer or military, civilians were prohibited from owning firearms.

That or if you were a hired assassin, but this wasn’t some damn action movie.

Hefting him up as best she could, she ushered him into the living room where she laid him down on the floor. His clothes looked a mess, like he’d been rolling around in the dirt. But his hand was still clutching at his stomach and she could now see the red stain blossoming across his shirt. Raelyn’s lips formed into a thin line and she stood up, making her way toward her bathroom where her emergency first aid kit was located. She then picked up her glasses from her nightstand and put them on. She was going to need her sight completely for this, she could already tell.

When she returned to the living room, she saw Taehyung attempting to sit up and she quickly knelt beside him – her hands on his shoulders and urging him to lay back down. However, as gentle as she was, her face spoke her anger in volumes.

“Lay back down unless you want to make my job harder,” she snapped once she was able to force him back down. “Let me see.”

Taehyung’s brows furrowed but instead of moving his hand, his fingers curled into a fist to grip even tighter into his shirt. Raelyn had to resist the urge to growl at him, instead focusing her attention on opening the first aid kid. She could feel the onset of a migraine right near her left temple.

“Boy, if you don’t move your goddamn hand, I’m going to make you.” She glared at him. “Now let me see.”

He seemed to be considering her words before he finally loosened his grip, his hand sliding off his stomach. She saw the injury and a wave of relief hit her. It was just a stab wound. Lifting his shirt up, Raelyn’s eyes inspected the wound before pressing two of her fingers around the cut. He hissed slightly, but that was to be expected. Thankfully, it wasn’t deep. But he was still going to need stitches.

Her stony expression remained. “I have to disinfect this and it’s going to hurt like hell. You want something to bite on?” She watched him shake his head as she soaked some gauze in rubbing alcohol. “Are you sure? This is your last chance.”

“Woman,” he grunted, half laughing as beads of sweat broke out across the bridge of his nose, “just hurry up and get it over with. I’m dying.”

Raelyn rolled her eyes. “You’re far from heading to your grave, I can assure you.”

Just as he opened his mouth to throw some other kind of smartass comment at him, she pressed the gauze to his cut and watched the bright white cloth immediately change to red. Taehyung yelled, clearly unprepared for her assault. But it served him right. She slept for maybe two hours before he showed up on her doorstep, bleeding all over her entryway. She wiped three more gauze strips over his stomach, moving his hand to cover the last one.

“Put pressure on this.” Raelyn began threading a needle. “Don’t move.”

“W-Wait a minute,” he protested, trying to sit up but she put her hand on his forehead and all but shoved him back down onto the floor. Taehyung coughed, clearly surprised by her strength. “Wow, your bedside manner is terrible, Noona.”

“Shut-up,” she said, her tone icy as she finished threading the needle. “You don’t get to bitch after waking me up in the middle of the night.” Dipping the needle in the rubbing alcohol, her dark eyes lingered on him for a moment. “Move your hand.”

“What?” He blinked up at her in disbelief. “You’re just going to go at it? Just like that?”

Her neutral expression didn’t waver. “You wanna bleed to death?” Needle still in hand, she pointed to her front door. “The door’s right there. Do it out in the hall.”

Taehyung coughed while trying to catch his breath. “You are so mean.”

Now she pointed the needle at his face, right between the eyes, causing his eyes to cross slightly. “Keep it up and I’ll sew your mouth shut.”

Holding his hands up in surrender, he turned his head so he wouldn’t see her work. Satisfied that he was going to keep his mouth shut, Raelyn began stitching up his wound with absolute precision. It only took about fifteen minutes, but it was fifteen minutes of silence she appreciated. Sweat dripped from her brow and she quickly lifted her arm up to swipe at it with the back of her wrist. The stitches needed to be tight so that the scarring would be minimal. The last thing she wanted to hear was Taehyung bitching about how his oh-so-perfect abs had been marred.

Once she was finished, she placed some gauze to the injury and secured it with medical tape. He sat up, taking note of her handiwork, and she set aside the bloody rags and dirty needle to be tossed out. Closing the first aid kit, Raelyn turned to look him square in the eye.

“You’re fixed. Now get out.”

Without waiting to hear him out, she got to her feet and made her way to the kitchen. She needed to wash her hands and probably splash some cold water on her face. Then she was going back to bed and she dared anyone to try and stop her.

Taehyung followed her. “Wait. That’s it?” She didn’t look at him as she threw the bloodied gauze and needle into the trash. “You just sew me up and throw me out?”

She didn’t look at him. “I’ll bill you later.”

Raelyn’s hand went to the faucet to turn it on, but Taehyung’s larger hand encircled her wrist before forcing her to turn around and look up at him. She could see her irritated expression reflected in his eyes as he, too, gave her an equally irate face.

“You’re not even gonna ask what happened?”

“I don’t need to ask. I’m not blind. I know exactly what happened.”

“And you’re just gonna brush it off like it’s nothing?”

“Like I said, I’ll bill you later.”

He frowned and while she appeared unaffected on the outside, Raelyn was infuriated from within. This was what she was talking about the last time she spoke with Taehyung. This was the kind of shit she was trying to keep away from her life. It was one thing to be a nurse and help someone who was bleeding out on an operating table when it was a stranger. It was a completely different issue when it was someone she knew. The life that Hoseok led, the life that the rest of them led, that violent path to claim dominion was something she quickly realized she didn’t want to be part of. It was undue stress. Especially since they were still trying to make a name for themselves.

It was why she broke up with Hoseok two years ago. He told her that it wouldn’t always be like this, but that was a risk she wasn’t willing to take. Her past held enough scars. She didn’t want to add more to it by worrying about whether or not the person she cared for would get cut down at any given moment. And she sure as hell wasn’t about to become a liability for them either. Raelyn wasn’t going to keep Hoseok from the path he wanted to walk, but walking that path beside him was something she didn’t want to do. She wasn’t ready to. Hell, she didn’t think she’d ever be ready.

And now Taehyung showed up, beaten up and bleeding in her personal sanctuary. Was he fucking crazy?!

“Look, Noona –”

“No, you look!” She yanked her hand free from his grasp, using it to smack his chest hard. He took a step back, blinking at her in surprise. “This is the kind of shit that I was trying to avoid the first time around, Kim Taehyung! Do you have any fucking idea what it’s like to wake up in the middle of the night and have someone bleeding out on your doorstep?!”

She smacked him again.

“Wondering when the hell someone you care about is going to kick the damn bucket? Huh? Do you?!”

This time she punched his shoulder, her lower lip quivering slightly.

“I lost count how many times Hoseok would come here, beaten up and bleeding all over the goddamn place. And like you, he’d just laugh it off and promise me that things would get better.” Raelyn angrily wiped at her cheeks. “Well you know what? I got tired of waiting for things to get better. I fuckin’ told you this already and you just won’t listen!” Not wanting to look at his worried expression anymore, she buried her face in her hands. “You’re such a fuckin’ asshole.”

Raelyn took several deep breaths, refusing to lose it or cry. She had to stand her ground on this. Because if she didn’t, she was going to have to admit to herself that she cared. She told herself a long time ago after ending things with Hoseok that she valued her freedom more than anything else. Raelyn couldn’t afford to waver. Not now.

Silence seemingly stretched on forever between them and then she felt Taehyung’s arms encircle her in a warm hug. Biting her lower lip, Raelyn had to remind herself not to cry. Instead, she took three deep breaths and lowered her hands, inhaling softly. Taehyung smelled like Curve for Men and rubbing alcohol. She sniffed, collecting herself. Taking a step back, she noticed that Taehyung’s hands were resting at her lower back. Warmth touched her cheeks and she could feel an ache inside of her chest - an ache Raelyn was desperately trying to ignore.

She took another step back, clearing her throat loudly before reaching for a rag on the counter and shoving it into his hand. He looked at it curiously and she pointed to the door. “Clean up that mess you left in the hallway before the cops show up wondering what the hell happened.”

Taehyung grinned, the color coming back to his cheeks. “Can I make you breakfast to make up for everything?”

“I don’t care. Do what you want.” She watched him turn to leave the kitchen and head to the front door. “I’m still billing you later.”

A ghost of a smile touching her lips as Raelyn heard him chuckle just as he closed the door behind him. Once it clicked closed, she sighed and pressed a hand to her forehead. This was going to be problematic. She could tell from a mile away.

Yet there was a part of her that just didn’t have the heart to turn him away. Not this time.

Reblog if you write fic and people can inbox you random-ass questions about your stories, itemized number lists be damned.

Make It Right [BTS Mafia!AU]

Pairings: Jin x OC | Taehyung/Hoseok x OC | Yoongi/Jungkook x OC Genre: BTS Mafia!AU Warnings: Graphic Violence, Heavy Language, Angst, Smut, Slow Burn WC: 2,771 Prologue 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 “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?

AO3 | WP

Chapter 10: So What?

Anastasia cradled her cup of coffee in her hand as she sat at her desk in her upstairs loft. She scrolled through a series of emails, work and non-work related. On her days off, she normally didn’t indulge in busying herself with work things. But it was the third day and she was feeling antsy. This was her fourth cup of coffee and she was only just now starting to feel the effects of it.

There were a few clients she was planning on getting in touch with about a few ambitious business ventures that she was hoping to steer them clear from. Not that she was above taking a few risks in her life. She certainly wouldn’t have gotten this far in her own company had she not impulsively taken the plunge. But she also didn’t believe in going “all in” unless there was a guarantee that success would be waiting on the other side.

Her eyes lingered on the screen for a moment longer, a low groan issuing from her throat. Anastasia couldn’t stop thinking about the offer that Kim Seokjin put on the table for her. It wasn’t like it was some chump change he was throwing at her. While she had to get her hands on the actual contract for her to be sure, Anastasia never earned that amount of money in an entire month. Double the amount and she could remember that that was what she would make in a full year when she first started out with her company.

Who said “no” to that much money?

No one, that’s who, came the bitter thought.

She stood from her chair, picking up her phone while still holding her mug of coffee. Anastasia ignored the messy blankets on her bed. It was her day off and she didn’t feel like she had a need to straighten up. She’d already done laundry for the day and had every intention to lounge around in her pajamas all day.

In the back of her mind, Anastasia was hoping that Seokjin was just messing around. There was no way that he could afford to throw that kind of cash in her face. At least that’s what she wanted to believe. But then she thought back to a conversation she had with Jungkook back when they were still together. He’d been upfront about his association with the Golden Jackals. He was a gangster, plain and simple.

Blame it on her naivety, but she always believed that anyone associated with the mafia was rough around the edges, getting into street fights and being mowed down by guns. Sure, civilians owning guns outside of sporting and hunting was against the law in South Korea – something she was internally relieved and grateful for. People could get into brawls and, hell, if someone was persistent enough, they could kill with a set of metal chopsticks. But it curbed the violence significantly. When she’d started dating Jungkook, he always looked so put together and the rest of his friends, his “brothers”, were equally well-kept.

This was the glamorous side of the mafia, she guessed. Anastasia remembered the ridiculously large mansion Tony Montana had in Scarface or the deep family connections that were intertwined in The Godfather. But this wasn’t some movie or book or television show. This was the real-life Korean mafia she was dealing with and, frankly, it hadn’t been so bad. Jungkook had been a gentleman and was always sweet to her. However, the feelings only stopped to a certain point and they both agreed that they were better off as friends.

But even in that short amount of time, Anastasia had seen the boys struggle from time to time. Not as much as they probably let on, but she’d still seen it. At least from Taehyung, Jimin and Jungkook. She’d crossed paths with Namjoon and Seokjin by chance and she’d seen Hoseok at a glance. Yoongi was often gone, leaving on business trips here and there. Was that when things were starting to get better? When things were less dirty and leaning toward something more legitimate?

Jungkook told her once that they were trying to play it straight, but they just weren’t ready yet. It wasn’t time.

Is now the time? Is that why Seokjin offered that crazy deal?

Making her way down the stairs from her loft, Anastasia sipped her coffee – her mind focusing on what the motive could be. And why her? Why did he seek her out personally for something like that? Was it because of her connection with Jungkook from the past? But they weren’t even together anymore. Why would that even hold any bearing on wanting to hire her to handle something as important as money?

Beep. Beep.

Anastasia jumped, a soft squeak pushing from her throat as the door buzzer to her apartment sliced through her thoughts. For a moment, all she could do was stare at her front door and blink. She looked at her phone, noting the time but not seeing any notifications. No text messages. No missed phone calls. Not even any new email pings.

Maybe if she pretended not to be there, the person would go away. Besides, there was no way that Seokjin was able to put together a perfect contract in three days. She’d been in enough meetings and engaged in numerous business dealings to know that contracts were amended and changed until both parties were absolutely satisfied. Seokjin knew what he wanted from her, but that didn’t mean that he knew what she wanted from him.

A handful of seconds passed, and she sighed – her body pulling toward the kitchen so she could start a pot of tea. No more coffee. She’d had enough. It was time to wind down.

Loud banging issued from the other side of the door and Anastasia jumped again, dropping the cup into the sink with a crash. The ceramic cracked down the side and she frowned as her coffee leaked into the sink and slid down the drain. Her lips pressed into a thin line, brows furrowing over her eyes. A few strands of her hair fell across the bridge of her nose before she blew them off her face in frustration.

She stalked towards the door, feet heavy even in her house slippers, and wrenched the door open angrily. “What in the ever-living fuck?!” she yelled, not caring if her neighbors protested. Clearly, her unannounced guest didn’t care about them either, what with them banging on her door like that.

On the other side stood Seokjin. He seemed unfazed by her outburst, holding out a manila envelope out to her as well as a brown paper bag. He must have stopped by somewhere on the way. Smiling, he waited for her to take either one or both from his hands.

“Breakfast?”

Blinking at him, she wasn’t sure what to make of this. Anastasia was expecting a parcel, not a personal visit. Part of her was a little impressed with his persistence, but then a spark of irritation jumped near her temple as her cheeks flushed a soft scarlet.

She was standing around in her sleeping clothes while he looked dressed to the nine. Like always.

He shook both things in his hands, the noise bringing her attention back to him. He continued to smile while Anastasia frowned, attempting to look indifferent at how Seokjin was now seeing her in all her unkempt glory. She snatched the manila envelope from him, pivoting on her heels and making her way back into the kitchen. Seokjin would surely be behind her and the resounding beep of her security lock only confirmed it.

He slid the bag on the small island in her kitchenette. Anastasia filled the electric kettle with water, pulling out two mugs. She wouldn’t give him the pleasure of hearing her ask if he wanted tea. She’d just give it to him and dare him to be rude and not drink it.

Out of the corner of her eye, Anastasia watched Seokjin taking in his surroundings – as if he were appraising her interior decorating choices.

Say something, she thought, I dare you.

“I like your place, Anastasia,” he commented while folding his hands behind his back, still looking around.

“Thanks,” she muttered through clenched teeth. She’d never tell him that she appreciated his compliment.

The kettle whistled with life and she threw two oolong tea bags into the cups, pouring the boiling water over them. She set the steaming cup on the counter while cradling her own cup between her hands. Seokjin noticed the cup of tea and he smiled, reaching out for it as he bowed his head politely.

“Thank you for the tea,” he said, blowing the steam over the rim of the mug. Anastasia took a seat in one of the chairs at the counter and he sat next to her. “Enjoying your day off?”

She rolled her eyes. “Should I not be?” Sipping the tea carefully, she set it down off to the side so she could open the manila envelope. “I can’t believe you drew this up in three days.”

He gave an easy grin to her and shrugged one shoulder. “I’m a man of my word.”

“You gave me no such thing,” Anastasia responded with snark, opening the flap of the envelope and pulling out a stack of papers. Her eyes took note of how thick the contract was and she had to force herself to keep a neutral expression. “Jesus.”

“I left nothing to chance.”

She scoffed. “We’ll see about that.”

Reaching over the counter, she fished around the container where some of her kitchen utensils were until he fingers grasped the handle of something. Pulling it forward, she flopped back into the chair and lifted the magnifying glass up to her face. Anastasia could practically feel Seokjin’s eyes boring into the side of her head.

“…you actually have a magnifying glass?”

Whipping her head to glare at him, she raised a brow. “Why? Don’t you have one?”

Seokjin laughed. It seemed he was unable to hold it back and he held his hands up in surrender before reaching into the bag to retrieve a few containers. “Take your time then,” he said, setting out the containers of fresh fruit, croissants, jam and a carton of orange juice.

“I will, thank you.”

As he set himself to the task of putting breakfast together, Anastasia’s eyes moved back to the contract. All she needed to do was find one thing wrong and she could tell him to get to stepping. Sure, it was an offer that a person would be stupid to refuse. Anastasia wasn’t stupid. If anything, she’d been money hungry since she was a child. Her family kept pushing her to focus on a career that was stable – forcing her to ultimately give up on her dream to open her own restaurant.

Making money was easy, she learned. Managing money was a little more complicated, but not impossible. Maintaining a business that could see success for years to come? That was something she’d lacked when she first started out on the path to her dream. A path she stepped out onto faithfully and failed at walking on miserably. Business finance was her next step and she found that she had a knack for it and there was a darker side of her that loved the thrill of knowing how to handle large sums of money so easily – like they were handfuls of marbles.

Detail-oriented to the level of being a pest, Anastasia knew there was going to be a flaw. There was going to be a clause somewhere in that contract that wasn’t going to sit well with her. And when she finished stripping it down to the bare bones, she was going to send Seokjin packing.

But with each turn of the page, she felt her worries beginning to mount. Ten pages in and she hadn’t found anything misleading or dissatisfying with the terms of the contract. If anything, most of the details drawn up were in her favor. There was no penalty for breaking the deal once signatures were placed and if there was a breach of contract, it was the fault of the benefactor – the employer – and Golden Star would pay the price, as well as provide reparation and a hefty severance pay.

Overtime was given and any outside expenses were covered through Golden Star. Goosebumps peppered out across the back of her neck as a new realization dawned on her. From what the contract was stating, Golden Star was wanting to consolidate assets and merge several companies under a few umbrellas. They would invest in those ventures. All the companies were owned by people she knew.

They were all owned by the top-tiered members of The Golden Jackals.

“…shit.” Anastasia quickly slapped a hand over her mouth. She hadn’t meant for that to be said aloud.

Shifting her eyes toward Seokjin, he smiled as he handed her a plate with a croissant with cherry jam and a side of sliced apples and strawberries. “Something wrong?”

She hesitated at first before taking the plate from him, swallowing thickly as she set the plate down beside the contract. “No.” Her voice came out quiet and she turned to the last page.

All that was left was to sign her name. She looked to the left side of the paper to see that Seokjin had already signed his.

Seokjin leaned back in the chair, holding his mug of tea to his lips. “Is there anything not to your liking in the agreement?”

Anastasia set her magnifying glass down next to the plate, ignoring the soft clink it made when it hit the counter. She wasn’t sure she had enough words to properly convey what she was feeling. Hell, she didn’t even know what this feeling even was. She rarely needed to read something twice, but even if she did, she already knew that she would not find anything wrong with the contract.

It was perfect.

Dammit .

She’d lost and she knew it.

Worse still? Seokjin knew it too.

Lifting her head to look at him, he finished his tea and moved to stand. Anastasia remained rooted to her seat, watching him pick up her cup and heading into the kitchenette. The sound of running water barely registered until the clinking of glass brought her out of her inner thoughts. Looking at him, she saw him shrugging out of his blazer so that he could roll up his shirt sleeves.

“Wait a minute,” she began, rising to stand, “what are you doing?”

He picked up the broken mug and threw it into the trash, then set to cleaning the dishes. It didn’t take him long and she watched him set the mugs in the drying rack near the sink. Grabbing a clean kitchen cloth, he dried his hands and rolled his sleeves back down while looking at her.

“Enjoy your breakfast.”

Really? That was all he had to say after all that? No bragging, gloating, or rubbing into her face that he’d succeeded where she believed he would fail?

She watched him slide back into his blazer, fixing the lapels of the jacket. He brushed some of his hair out of his eyes and gave her a knowing wink, his legs moving toward the front door. He stepped out of the house slippers and put on his dress shoes, lacing them up swiftly and then turning to glance at her over his shoulder.

“So,” he said, his smile widening a measure, “I’ll see you in two weeks.” Seokjin’s eyes flitted down to the contract. “Bring that with you.”

And then she watched him leave her apartment. It wasn’t until the latch clicked and her security lock slid into place did she finally react. Anastasia fell back into her chair and stared at the breakfast he’d prepared, wide-eyed and amazed. Her eyes moved to the contract and that was when she snapped, baring her teeth and then grabbing the paperwork. She threw it into the air, a loud yell bursting from her lungs.

He’d gotten the best of her. Again.

Once she’d calmed down, Anastasia let out a long sigh. There was no reason for her to say no. There was nothing in the contract that bound her to the point of feeling like a prisoner. 

So, really, there was only one thing left to do.

Pulling out her phone, she began typing out an email.

She would need to schedule a meeting with her supervisor first thing tomorrow morning.  

“Wait a minute,” she began, rising to stand, “what are you doing?”

He picked up the broken mug and threw it into the trash, then set to cleaning the dishes. It didn’t take him long and she watched him set the mugs in the drying rack near the sink. Grabbing a clean kitchen cloth, he dried his hands and rolled his sleeves back down while looking at her.

“Enjoy your breakfast.”

Really? That was all he had to say after all that? No bragging, gloating, or rubbing into her face that he’d succeeded where she believed he would fail?

She watched him slide back into his blazer, fixing the lapels of the jacket. He brushed some of his hair out of his eyes and gave her a knowing wink, his legs moving toward the front door. He stepped out of the house slippers and put on his dress shoes, lacing them up swiftly and then turning to glance at her over his shoulder.

“So,” he said, his smile widening a measure, “I’ll see you in two weeks.” Seokjin’s eyes flitted down to the contract. “Bring that with you.”

And then she watched him leave her apartment. It wasn’t until the latch clicked and her security lock slid into place did she finally react. Anastasia fell back into her chair and stared at the breakfast he’d prepared, wide-eyed and amazed. Her eyes moved to the contract and that was when she snapped, baring her teeth and then grabbing the paperwork. She threw it into the air, a loud yell bursting from her lungs.

He’d gotten the best of her. Again.

Once she’d calmed down, Anastasia let out a long sigh. There was no reason for her to say no. There was nothing in the contract that bound her to the point of feeling like a prisoner. 

So, really, there was only one thing left to do.

Pulling out her phone, she began typing out an email.

She would need to schedule a meeting with her supervisor first thing tomorrow morning.

Make It Right [BTS Mafia!AU]

Pairings: Jin x OC | Taehyung/Hoseok x OC | Yoongi/Jungkook x OC Genre: BTS Mafia!AU Warnings: Graphic Violence, Heavy Language, Angst, Smut, Slow Burn WC: 3,967 Prologue 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 “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?

AO3 | WP

Chapter 12: The Truth Untold

"I can’t show you my weakness, so I’m putting on a mask to go see you."

Seoul – Myeongdong; Jung District South Korea

Eden felt her shoulder being nudged playfully and she groaned, her thick curls falling about her shoulders and ears as Raelyn grinned at her. The other woman practically bounced up and down in her seat, her glasses giving off a slight shimmer as the mid-morning sun hit the lenses. The taxi eased on down the road and she sighed, propping her elbow on the window and resting her cheek against her knuckles. As she watched the city go by, she could only grin as Raelyn chatted about all the things they were planning on doing when they finally stopped. After they ate, of course.

They could have driven to Myeongdong. Eden’s car could drive this week. Some might have found the odd-even license plate rotation law a bit of a hassle, but she could understand why. It cut out on heavy air pollution and on days when the air was bad and dust was more prevalent, the need for less vehicle traffic was essential. Raelyn insisted they just take a cab so Eden wouldn’t have to worry about parking. It was a fair argument and since Raelyn was offering to pay for the cab both ways, she wasn’t about to argue with her.

When the cab finally dropped them off at their destination, Eden stretched her arms over her head and rolled her shoulders back. She noticed that Raelyn took a moment to surmise her surroundings, as if she were looking for something. Eden watched curiously, stuffing her hands into her bomber jacket as she scuffed the heels of her Converse along the sidewalk.

Satisfied that she hadn’t seen anything, Raelyn smiled to Eden and quickly ran up beside her – immediately looping her arm through hers as they walked into the café. They both ordered their lunches and, of course, their coffee (extra milk and sugar because it was their day off and they could do these things).

The two of them sat down and talked idly about work. It was usually the first thing they did. Eden didn’t envy Raelyn’s job; not one bit. Overseeing people’s lives or having to be the one to tell a family member bad news didn’t sit well with Eden’s stomach. Cars and motorcycles were easy. They didn’t talk and if something went wrong, it was usually a mechanical issue that was out of her control. Machines weren’t built to last forever.

Then again, people weren’t either.

The conversation soon switched to lighter topics: what movies they’d seen recently and if they were caught up on the latest K-Dramas. The two women spoke English to each other freely. They rarely used it in their day-to-day lives. But when they were together, they shared conversations in their native language with smatterings of Korean. Eden remembered how relieved she was when she’d first met Raelyn. They were both transplants and while Eden was of Korean heritage, she was half African American. They’d both had rough lives and became fast friends. Their hours were a little weird compared to other working individuals, but they always made time for each other at least once or twice a week.

It was a nice friendship to gain after she’d been dumped by Yoongi shortly beforehand.

“So, what’s the latest?”

Eden raised her brows, tilting her head slightly. “Huh?”

“You know,” Raelyn said, smirking, “with the ‘Petty Mutt’ and all. How is that going?”

She rolled her eyes. “Don’t get me started.”

Raelyn laughed. “That bad?”

“It’s not bad, Rae Unnie. It’s just, fuck, I don’t know.”

“What’s not to know?”

“I didn’t want to get involved with anyone else after things ended between Yoongi and me.” Eden shrugged, lifting the cup of coffee off the table. “I just don’t think I’m ready to be with anyone like that.”

Raelyn’s brows furrowed as she looked at her. “It’s been almost two years now, Eden. You need to think about yourself and not worry about anything else.” She sipped from her cup. “He asked to be friends, right? Then that means that he’s drawn the line.”

Eden sucked her lips in between her teeth before releasing them with a pop, resting a hand to her temple as their orders were brought out to them. Raelyn was right. When Yoongi offered to “just be friends”, it was clear that boundaries were finally being set. He’d ended things on his terms and while Eden knew that things between them had gotten a little rocky, she just figured they would work through them like they always did.

Then again, he didn’t go out of his way to introduce her to any of his actual friends. Business colleagues here and there, but when they went out – just the two of them – it was usually sequestered away from the rest of the world. Eden always believed it was because Yoongi wanted to keep her all to himself; taking her to the mountains during Winter to a private cabin, out to the coast of Busan where they could relax at lovely villa. In the summer, they went to Jeju Island to enjoy the quiet and solitude.

They rarely went out in Gangnam and when they did, it was for dinner or a movie and then he would always crash at her place. She remembered how embarrassed she’d been when he first asked to come over to her house when she’d been feeling ill. She tried to tell him not to bother with it; that she’d be fine after drinking some soybean soup and sleeping. He’d brought her medicine, soup, and bought her an extra mink blanket to snuggle into since she lived in the rooftop apartment.

Had it all been a lie? Had it all been just his way of messing around with a foreign girl? He’d gotten bored with her and tossed her aside when he’d finished amusing himself with her?

Her fingers curled into the ceramic mug, her nails scraping along the surface. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

Raelyn must have known she’d struck a nerve because she instantly reached across the table to grab her wrist. Eden blinked back the angry tears that were threatening to spill out.

“Girl, listen to me,” she said, her voice gentle, “you are a catch, do you hear me? If he wants to let that go because of whatever excuse he gave you, then that’s on him. That doesn’t mean you have to deny happiness for yourself.”

Eden’s blurred vision righted and she gave a small laugh. “You sound like one of those cheesy self-help books, Unnie,” she teased.

Rae lifted her chin proudly and winked. “I have to find something to do when I’m working those extended hours at the hospital.”

“Wow, and she admits to reading cheesy self-help books.”

“Don’t knock it till you try it.”

Scoffing, she waved her hand back and forth as she picked up half of her sandwich. “No thanks.” The lettuce crunched when she bit into it and she waited for Raelyn to finish chewing before talking. “So, what about you? You haven’t dated anyone since you broke up with Hoseok.”

Raelyn snorted. “I’m not a fan of having work stress follow me everywhere I go.”

“It’s true though, right?”

“About what?”

Maybe she shouldn’t be poking at this topic, but Eden had always been curious. “That you were a mafia boss’s girlfriend?”

She watched Raelyn’s eyes go wide as she coughed loudly. Eden’s brows raised when she saw her friend waving her hands back and forth – like she’d spoken some forbidden phrase and now the floor was going to open beneath them; sending them straight to hell.

“W-Where did you even hear that from?”

Eden smirked. “I’ve been here longer than you, Unnie. Anyone who lives in Gangnam knows all about the Golden Jackals’ leader, Jung Hoseok.” She took another bite of her sandwich, savoring the surprised look on Raelyn’s face. “Rumor has it that he had an American girlfriend for about a year before things ended between them.”

Raelyn pouted. “Who said you could just know all that about me?”

She gave her a ‘yeah, right’ face before swallowing. “Do you even know where I work, Unnie? People talk and Koreans are the best sort of gossips. I never would have figured that you were that same Raelyn, though.” Eden watched as Raelyn stirred her coffee when another thought hit her. “Wait. Is that why you were looking around when we got out of the cab? Because you’re a former Hyungsoo-nim?”

The older woman hissed at her, telling her wordlessly to hush up. “Not so loud, would you?”

“If you knew that, why did you want to come here of all places to go shopping?!”

“Because I can’t let that be a brand on my back forever, Eden, okay?!”

Eden opened her mouth to tease her but saw how serious Raelyn was and closed her mouth.

“We already have enough shit to deal with in this country. You should know that better than anyone. Do you think I want that shit following me around like some dark rain cloud while I’m here? So some bastards can show up at my hospital and stir up chaos; at a place of healing?” Raelyn sighed. “I can’t stay trapped in Gangnam forever. I should be able to walk and shop and travel wherever I damn well please. I’m a free woman and that means I shouldn’t be scared to go into some other mobster’s turf.”

“Unnie…”

“I need to know if I still have my freedom, Eden.”

Eden knew what she was getting at. She understood it completely. The stigma that existed with their skin color and even their backgrounds made things harder for them in South Korea. It didn’t make them love the country any less. It was just a reality they’d come to accept. Eden had to thicken her skin up even more when she finally decided to move to the country of her mother’s origins. She needed to do it in order to survive in this place.

The two women managed to move the conversation back to lighter topics. Their phones pinged various notifications from others trying to contact them but both women chose to ignore the messages. They were out there to spend time with each other and that was all. They didn’t want any other unnecessary distractions derailing their day.

They visited a few shops, bought clothes and a few things at the electronic shops. Eden bugged Raelyn to stop by the nearest manhwa shop so she could buy a few more comic books to tide her over for the next week. Raelyn made a fuss, but she wound up purchasing all of The Bride of the Water God series for herself. Eden teased her relentlessly as they continued strolling through the heart of downtown Myeongdong.

After their matinee movie, it was getting close to dinner time. Neither of them wanted to go to an actual restaurant, opting to hit up a tent house instead. The women ordered beer and soju for their table, a side of pork belly with lettuce, rice and soybean paste. Eden busied herself with mixing their cups – half soju and half beer – before handing the older woman her glass.

“Cheers!” they said, clinking their glasses together.

The two drank, ate, and laughed loudly. They didn’t care if others were paying attention to them. This was one of the few times that Eden allowed herself to cut loose. However, their laughter was interrupted by the sound of cups slamming on a table clear on the other side of the tent house. All other patrons quieted their conversations and Eden looked over to where the noise came from.

Several men were seated at a table, drinking and eating just like they were. One of them had a clearly aggravated look on their face – his face a little pudgy and pink from the alcohol he had consumed. In fact, they all looked a little similar, though that might have been the alcohol in Eden’s system playing tricks with her. One face stood out among them, however, and he seemed unbothered by what was happening. His chestnut bangs fell over his brows and he lifted his shot glass to his lips, drinking quietly.

He looks like a woman, Eden thought bitterly before huffing to herself, her hands busying themselves with folding meat into lettuce once it was off the grill.

“You women are so fucking noisy,” growled the one who’d made all the noise. He spoke in English, attempting to sound intelligent and failing. She caught Raelyn rolling her eyes while she poured herself another drink. “Some of us don’t want to hear your stupid cackling. You sound like a couple of chickens.”

Eden stuck her middle finger up at him. “Then stuff your ears with cotton, you fuckin’ prick,” she fired back in Korean. A slow smile formed on her lips. “Better yet, go play in traffic, you wild boar.”

Two of the men shot up from the table, knocking their chairs to the ground. “What’d you say?!”

“Did I stutter? You got rocks in your ears?”

“You little bitch!”

“Knock it off,” said one of the men at the table. Eden eyed him and watched as the two men picked up their chairs and set them back upright. It was the one who looked a little feminine. “Making all this noise unnecessarily. It’s disgusting.”

They bowed their heads. “Sorry, Hyung-nim.”

The one they called ‘Hyung-nim’ looked at Eden and Raelyn, a lazy smile crossing his features. “Can I buy you ladies a drink?”

Eden scoffed, pouring what remained in her soju bottle into her glass. “No thanks,” she snapped, “we can buy our own.”

“It’s only polite. Especially since the Golden Jackal’s Hyungsoo-nim is present.”

A bottle crashed to the floor and Eden looked up to see Raelyn’s face reddening slightly, which was a feat considering her darker skin tone. She could see her friend’s face contorting between anger and worry and this infuriated Eden. The mixed girl cut her eyes to the man whose own facial expression hadn’t wavered. Not one single bit.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” he said sweetly, “I meant former Hyungsoo-nim.”

Eden’s hand slowly went into her jacket pocket, her fingers caressing the handle of her switchblade. The man clicked his tongue to the roof of his mouth, waving a finger back and forth as he continued to hold his shot glass.

“I wouldn’t try anything funny if I were you.” He shrugged, downing the shot and setting it down. “There’s no sense in getting hostile.”

“If you even think about touching my Unnie,” snarled Eden.

“I wouldn’t dream of it. It’s not like she’s tied to that group anymore.” His smile grew just a hair and he looked directly at Raelyn. “If she still were, well, we would be having a very different conversation right now.”

There was a long stretch of silence that permeated the tent house. Everyone in the establishment was afraid to breathe. At least everyone that wasn’t involved in the conversation currently passing between them. Because they all knew who was sitting at that table. Everyone knew whose territory this belonged to.

“So which Jade Fang are you?” said Raelyn calmly, breaking the silence.

He bowed his head politely toward Raelyn. “Yoo Kihyun,” he said before lifting his head up, “the Mongoose.”

“I see,” was all she said before standing up from the chair. “Eden, let’s go.”

Eden stood up quickly, almost knocking her chair over. “Rae Unnie, we can’t—”

“Let’s go,” she snapped, looking pointedly at her, “Now.”

She balked at Raelyn because she’d never spoken to her like that. Angrily, the mixed woman kicked her chair before throwing a wad of bills onto the table. Raelyn was the first one to leave but just as Eden was parallel to their table, she paused to glare down at Kihyun. He merely smiled to himself while pouring another shot of soju into his glass. However, he didn’t look at her.

“Watch yourself,” she said softly, her eyes shifting to look at the others. A few of them sucked in air through their teeth and she flipped them off again for good measure before following Raelyn.

She saw she was already hailing a cab and Eden started to protest. When she caught the look on Raelyn’s face, however, she quickly closed her mouth and got in the cab. Her friend gave the driver instructions to take them back to Gangnam and those were the only words issued the entire car ride back.

When they were getting closer to her place, Eden started to shake her friend who was beginning to fall asleep. Raelyn mumbled something incoherent and she sighed, shaking her head. Eden paid the driver after she was able to help her friend out of the cab, making a mental note to have her pay her back at her earliest convenience.

As she watched the cab driving away, Eden readjusted Raelyn’s body against hers – draping her arm over her shoulder as she stared at the stairs leading to the rooftop. “…fuck me,” she mumbled.

“You really need to stop swearing so much,” called a voice behind her, causing her to spin a little harder than she’d intended. “I guess I’ll have to pray harder for you.”

“Jimin-ah,” Eden said, smirking, “what are you doing here?”

She normally saw him when he came to visit her at the shop or when she finally took the time to attend church. Eden was aware of his ties with the underground circuit, but there were so many times when she forgot because of how soft his expression was and the kindness he showed to others so often.

He shrugged, the silver crosses dangling from his ears swinging back and forth. “Well, a certain someone wouldn’t stop pestering me since someone refused to answer his text messages today.”

Eden huffed a laugh, preparing to shrug off all accusations when she saw Jungkook step out from the shadows and into the light pouring down from the streetlight nearby. Her smile fell a fraction and she looked between the two men. How had it never occurred to her that Park Jimin and Jeon Jungkook were part of the same group? They both hung around Gangnam often and it was well-known that it was Golden Jackal territory.

Even so, it was still a little surprising to see them standing side-by-side like that.

Raelyn groaned, her hand moving to press up to her forehead. “It’s so loud,” she mumbled, lifting her head up to glare at the two of them. “Who said you punks could show up here?” She swung her head to look accusingly at Eden. “Did you invite them? How could you do that without asking your Unnie? Huh?”

Before Eden could answer, it was like Raelyn’s entire body was being pulled down by gravity. She stumbled forward and Eden let out a yelp, her fingers losing their grip. But Jimin rushed forward and caught Raelyn in his arms, steadying her back onto her feet.

“Hyungsoo-nim, are you alright?” His brows furrowed with concern and even Jungkook peered at the older woman curiously.

She smacked Jimin’s shoulder in drunken frustration. “I’m not your damn Hyungsoo-nim anymore, you got that?!”

Those were the last words she managed to get out of her before she lost consciousness. Jimin motioned for Jungkook to hold Raelyn upright long enough for him to turn around. Once he was, he motioned again toward Jungkook and he helped her onto his back, grabbing their shopping bags into his hands as well.

“Is she staying with you, Noona?” Jimin asked as he readjusted her so that her head could rest comfortably on his shoulder.

She nodded, fishing into her pocket to give him the key. “Yeah, just hurry and get her inside. I don’t want her to catch a cold.” He took the key from her and started making his way up the stairs. “There’s some Tylenol in the kitchen cabinet above the stove.”

“Got it,” he called back, his steps swift as he continued upward.

Eden watched, barely noticing that Jungkook was at her side. The two of them stood in companionable silence before he reached out to tuck some of her hair behind her ear. The action made her jump and she looked at him with wide eyes and he smiled.

“Since you were with Noona, I can see why you were ignoring my messages,” he teased, causing her to pout, “but you both looked like you had a fun time.”

“Yeah, until those stupid Jade Fang bastards showed up.” Even though she knew it wasn’t his fault, she couldn’t help but glare at Jungkook. “I know Raelyn isn’t with Hoseok anymore, but don’t you guys think you should do something about their fuckin’ attitude? They were completely disrespectful to Rae Unnie.”

“Well, some things happened and they’ve kinda been on our ass a little more these days.” He said it with a frown, as if he wanted to tell her the details but knew that he couldn’t.

Eden scoffed. “Whatever,” she snipped, fishing into her pockets for her cigarettes. Slipping one between her lips, she fumbled around for her lighter. When she realized that it wasn’t in her pocket, she let out an aggravated growl. “Goddammit.”

“No lighter?” Jungkook sighed, shaking his head. “You really should just quit.”

“And you need to get off my back.” She watched him smirk. “Go upstairs and get my lighter.”

He saluted. “Sure,” he said, turning to make his way toward the stairs.

She heard him take a few steps but then he stopped. Wondering if something had happened, she looked to her right and saw that Jungkook had only made it up one stair when he paused, looking down the sidewalk. Eden took the cigarette out from her mouth, her hand falling to her side.

“Jungkook-ah,” she called, but he wasn’t looking at her, “what’s the matter?”

“…Yoongi Hyung,” he said softly.

Eden craned her neck and saw Min Yoongi stepping out from the shadows, a lit cigarette between his lips. He wasn’t smiling like he normally did when he saw her. His expression was dark; a mixture of confusion and mild anger. She knew that look because he didn’t show it often. When she looked at Jungkook, she saw that he was still looking at Yoongi.

“Yoongi,” she said, her eyes shifting to look back at him, “what are you doing here?”

“Go upstairs, Jungkook-ah,” he said, ignoring her question.

Jungkook blinked, his head turning to look at Eden and she could see his confusion. She was just as confused but something was slowly starting to make sense. One thing was clear though.

The two of them knew each other. And they knew each other very well.

“Now, Jungkook.”

Jungkook bowed his head and quickly made his way upstairs. Once he was gone and Eden heard the door to her place open and close, her eyes moved back to look at Yoongi. He tossed his Zippo lighter at her and she caught it without thinking. Cigarette still between her fingers, she curled her hand into a fist and felt it break between her knuckles. A soft pat issued when it hit the pavement.

It made sense. It finally all made sense.

“You,” she began, her voice seething as her fists began to shake.

“That’s right,” he said, his expression as neutral as ever. Except for his eyes. There was anger swirling in his dark depths and this, in turn, enraged her. “I’m one of the Golden Jackals.”

She watched as the cigarette dropped to his feet and he crushed the ember out with the heel of his shoe.

“Min Yoongi, The Lightning Claw.”