Its A Mafia Fic But Slightly To The Left Different - Tumblr Posts
We’re Dripping In It
Chapter 7: The Untold Truth
Jungkook wakes up to a pounding headache and an aching back, there’s a harsh light shining in his face that makes him blink blurry until his vision comes into focus. He tries to move his arms to rub his face but can’t. Shaking his head slightly to clear the fog in it, he looks down to see himself tied to a chair. He twists his wrists experimentally, the tight rope burns against his skin binding them together behind his back.
A slow clap sounds through the room, making him jolt to find the source. A man steps out of the shadows, a smirk on his face as he drags a chair to sit on in front of Jungkook.
“So, sleeping beauty has finally graced us with his presence, I’m not a patient man you know.” He drawls, tutting and wagging his finger in disapproval.
“Well, excuse me for being knocked out cold.” Jungkook coughs up, his throat feeling dry and rough. The man chuckles at his boldness.
“Let’s see how bold you stay while I have you,” he muses, getting up roughly from his chair and pulling a cork-board out the shadows into view. Jungkook flinches as the metal legs drag across the concrete floor until it sits under the swinging lamp.
His eyes widen as he takes in the various candid photographs on the board. All of them are moments of him and Namjoon. The few times they met randomly on the street. Jungkook on stage at D-Town and Namjoon in the crowd looking at him, then sitting in the VIP section sharing a drink. Namjoon picking him up for their first date and then dropping him off with a kiss.
“Are you beginning to understand now?” The man asks, tapping lightly on some of the photos. “My men and I have been tracking you from day one, it's not often you get such leverage from someone so high in the ranks. But this just fell right in our laps, it was amazing!”
“Who are you?” Jungkook gaps in shock, desperately trying to loosen the ropes around his wrists as subtly as he could.
“Oh, have I not introduced myself? Forgive me,” he bows dramatically. “I am Bangchan, the leader of the Stray Kids Gang.”
“Never heard of you,” Jungkook scoffs, tossing his head back to get his hair out of his face as Bangchan sneers down at him.
“You really should have, I control your block after all. That path you walk to campus, mine. The building that you live in, mine. That alleyway that you dare cross every day, mine. I could own your very life, if I choose to.” Bangchan sneers, reaching forward to grip Jungkook’s hair and force his head back painfully.
Jungkook clenches his jaw to keep from spitting in the man’s face, “What’s it to me? I can just move.”
“Nobody leaves without my permission! Nobody!” Bangchan barks, tossing Jungkook’s head aside to stand in front of the board again. “You are going to tell me everything you know about the Rap Monster of Ilsan,” he jabs his finger into Namjoon’s smiling face, a photo taken with Jungkook’s back in view. “I need to know everything you know, then maybe we’ll have an edge when we meet him.”
“How is knowing his sushi order going to help you get leverage on him, exactly?” Jungkook asks, tilting his head at the man who nearly vibrates with anger at his words. Knowing full well that Namjoon hated seafood, but he needed to keep Bangchan talking while he tried to work on loosening the ropes.
“You must have something!” Bangchan barks, slapping Jungkook across the face. “Useless date information is nothing to me! I need to know his weakness! I need to know his strategies!”
Jungkook spits on the ground, his cheek stinging from the slap, trying to will the pain tears in his eyes away. He raises his head to look Bangchan in the eye, “He’s allergic to pine nuts.” He lies through his teeth, nearly getting his left wrist out of its hold.
Bangchan screams in frustration and raises his hand to strike Jungkook across the face again, Jungkook braces himself, only for it to be stopped mid-air by a firm hand.
“Strike him again and you won’t have a hand,” Namjoon growls, coming into view from the shadows. His hand tightens painfully on Bangchan’s wrist making the man whimper in pain.
“Namjoon,” Jungkook gasps in shock, taking in the sight of the man gripping Bangchan’s wrist with white knuckles. Namjoon’s jaw clenches as his eyes flicker over to Jungkook and catch sight of the small red mark on his cheek.
“How did you get it? My men…” Bangchan whimpers then yelps as Namjoon tosses him aside, he hits the cork-board before falling hard to the ground. Namjoon moves quickly to kneel behind Jungkook’s chair. He hears Namjoon’s slight intake of breath at the sight of his loose wrists before pulling the rope off completely.
“I don’t have time for your childish games,” Namjoon growls, tossing the rope aside and pulling Jungkook up from the chair and into his arms.
“Are you okay, little one?” He whispers into Jungkook’s ear, ignoring Bangchan’s moans of pain.
Jungkook can only nod as he takes a shaky breath and clutches onto Namjoon’s jacket. He barely hears Bangchan’s protests as Namjoon begins to walk them out of the dimly lit room, but he feels Namjoon’s rumbled reply.
“The next time you kidnap a leverage victim, you should check exactly who you’re stealing from. I entered your compound because I own it. I own everything that you are Bangchan of Stray Kids. The streets you walk and prowl on. This building that you meet in. The very supplies that you put on the streets. In just two words I can have your whole operation terminated and disbanded. So, don’t even try to think you have any leverage on me.” Namjoon growls, before sweeping Jungkook into his arms. He stops in the doorway and looks over his shoulder at the gaping man, “And one more thing, if I see any of those photos in the hands of any of my true rivals, you won’t even have a pot to piss in when I’m done with you.”
Namjoon’s long strides take them out of the warehouse and past the long rows of bowing men, Jungkook buries his head into Namjoon’s neck as they pass. He tightens his grip on Jungkook as he ducks them into the back of an SUV and barks an order to ‘drive’ as the door closes behind them.
Namjoon pulls Jungkook’s head away from his neck to look over his face, then takes his wrists in hand to check the damage as well. He breathes a sigh at the red marks on his wrists and the small blooming bruise on his face from the ring Bangchan had been wearing.
“How did they get you?” Namjoon asks softly, rubbing the marks with his thumb.
“I was walking home, they came up behind me and put a cloth to my face. It hit me so fast I didn’t have time to react, I gave them as much of a fight as I could.” Jungkook says softly, taking a shaky breath to calm himself.
Namjoon nods, a small smirk coming to his face before dropping it, “You did, you actually hit several men that jumped you. Gave one a bloody nose and a nasty bruise to another.”
Jungkook hums in acknowledgment and after a moment of hesitation, twists his fingers to be laced with Namjoon’s. Namjoon takes a shuddering breath as he squeezes Jungkook’s hand, he squeezes back twice as hard.
“If I hadn’t arrived when I did, what exactly was your plan after getting out of those ropes, little one?” Namjoon asks, running a thumb across his whitening knuckles.
Jungkook looks down at their joined hands, “I didn’t have much of a plan actually. Figured I could knock Bangchan out when he wasn’t expecting it and then find a way out of wherever he had taken me. How did you find me? How did you even know they had taken me?”
Namjoon smirks as Jungkook raises his gaze back to his face, “I wasn’t lying when I said that I own everything that man has, we also have a mole in their ranks. I was informed the minute you were grabbed, I would have been there sooner if they hadn’t taken an unexpected detour at the last second.”
Jungkook nods as he listens to Namjoon’s explanation, his brow furrowing as questions start to pop into his head. Who exactly was Namjoon?
“You have questions,” Namjoon says hesitantly, his eyes speaking to the nervousness that his voice doesn’t.
“Will you answer them? Honestly and without trying to cover the truth, no matter how grim it is.” Jungkook counters with his eyebrow cocked.
Namjoon nods, “I’ll give you nothing but the truth, I never meant for you to find out like this.”
“But you were going to tell me, eventually.” At his second firm nod, Jungkook presses more. “When exactly would have been the right time then? After officially becoming a couple? Moving in together? Our wedding day?”
Namjoon snorts and tries to control his laughter, “Have you really thought that far ahead with me?”
“Now is not the time Namjoon!” Jungkook scolds indignantly, trying to contain his helpless giggles.
Namjoon’s expression turns somber after a moment, “I never would have let it get to any of those points without telling you the truth,” he says seriously, clutching Jungkook’s hands like a lifeline. “I never wanted to lie to you about who I am or what I do. A relationship built on lies is no relationship at all. I’ve seen it time and time again, I refuse to repeat history. But I will admit to the lie of omission, I should have been clearer with you from the start.”
“We met in an alleyway with you beating up a man with bloody knuckles,” Jungkook deadpanned, leveling a look at Namjoon’s sheepish face. “I think I’ve had some idea of what you are and what you do. Even since the beginning.”
The mix of emotions on Namjoon’s face tells Jungkook that he's both pleased by this revelation but nervous about it. Jungkook is hopelessly endeared by the man’s confusion. He removes one of their joined hands to smooth the crease between his eyebrows.
“Stop thinking so hard,” he teases “you’ll develop wrinkles before you turn thirty.”
Namjoon rolls his eyes playfully, swatting his hand away before taking it in his again. They gaze into each other's eyes for a moment and Jungkook becomes very aware of how he’s sitting on Namjoon’s lap. He tries not to shift across the man’s thick thighs as Namjoon brings his hand to his lips and places a kiss on the knuckles.
“Can you hold off your questions until we get to my place? I’d like us to have privacy while we talk.” He whispers against his fingers, his eyes never leaving his.
Jungkook can only nod in response, his throat feeling oddly clogged for a moment. The overwhelming feeling of wanting to bury himself in Namjoon’s arms consumes him, but he feels hesitant to do so. Namjoon seems to sense his hesitation and moves a hand to cup the back of his neck. Jungkook gives into his need and lays his head against Namjoon’s neck.
“You’ve had quite the day haven’t you, little one.” Namjoon soothes, running a gentle hand down Jungkook’s arm as he brings his body closer to his own. Jungkook can only give a weak hum in reply, which makes Namjoon grip on him tighter. “Just lean on me for now, I’ve got you now. You’re safe.”
Jungkook lets out a shaky breath and clutches onto Namjoon’s hand like a lifeline. He squeezes his eyes shut and presses his face against Namjoon’s skin, trying to banish the images of that dimly lit room and Bangchan’s cold eyes from his memory. He takes slow, calming breaths trying to will the tears that threaten to fall away. Namjoon rumbles nonsense words above his ears, he barely registers them but it helps keep him in the present.
We’re Dripping In It
Chapter 8: Awake
The car rolls to a stop after it’s climbed up a gravel road, the door opens to reveal a large mansion standing in front of a sunset sky littered with mountain peaks.
Namjoon keeps Jungkook in his arms as he exits the vehicle, taking long strides into the house. Jungkook glances around at the marble flooring and empty halls until Namjoon pulls a door open for them. The room looks like a private study with a large mahogany desk in front of a large window, bookshelves around the walls, and a small living room set up in the center of the room.
Namjoon doesn’t say a word to Jungkook as he sits him down on his couch. He walks over to a tall cabinet and pulls out a small medical box before kneeling down in front of him.
He places the box on the coffee table and pulls out a small bottle of ointment. Gently he takes Jungkook’s hands into his and spreads the ointment over the darkening rope marks on his wrists. He then takes Jungkook’s chin in his hand and tilts his head to the side before putting a bit of the cool liquid onto his cheek.
“That should help keep them from bruising too badly,” Namjoon murmurs as he places the ointment back into the box. He sits down on the couch next to Jungkook, keeping a respectable distance between them.
Jungkook takes a deep breath as he wipes the stray tears that had escaped against his will. Namjoon wordlessly hands him a tissue and waits patiently for him to gather himself.
“I’m not exactly sure where to start,” Jungkook murmurs with a dry chuckle, wiping his face before peering over at Namjoon.
Namjoon nods in understanding, “It’s not the easiest thing to explain either, but I promise to be honest about it.”
Jungkook nodded, sniffing a bit before plowing through his hesitations to ask the most burning question, “Who are you?”
“My name is Kim Namjoon, son of Kim Gong-Yoo the Goblin of Ilsan. I am the Leader of the Bulletproof Company, the Rap Monster of Ilsan and the RM of Seoul.” He answers in a commanding tone, it speaks to the power those titles hold even if Jungkook doesn’t understand them.
“And what exactly does that mean?” Jungkook asks, scrunching his brow in confusion.
Namjoon pursed his lips in thought, “The easiest way to explain it, is that I control the company that was started by my forefathers. And that company runs the underground crime network of Seoul, as well as other provinces around South Korea. There is nothing that goes on in the city that we don’t know about. Any imports of goods in and out has to be approved by us. Any company activity is heavily monitored and regulated. We are currently in the process of gaining full control of the drug cartels that run through the cities unregulated.”
Jungkook blinked, “So you basically run the asian mafia.”
Namjoon barks up a laugh, “I suppose that’s one way to put it, yes. Some of my men might see that as childish to call us a mafia but it's close enough to the truth.”
“This doesn’t seem to be a recent thing, you said your forefathers have been in this?” He asks, trying to put the pieces of this hidden empire together.
Namjoon nodded, “The company is old, has been around for centuries, probably since the creation of Korea itself, but my company has only had absolute power for the last eight years. Currently, there is no one more powerful within South Korea than me.”
“Do you control the government? The police?” Jungkook can’t help the shocked face he makes when Namjoon shakes his head.
“There’s more to power than just controlling what people can and can’t do Jungkook-ah,” he explains with a gentle laugh. “Korea cannot run without its supplies, no matter how much the government or police try to govern their people. If they have no food, no water, no clothes, they have nothing. We don’t need to control their every movement, or their laws, we just need to control what keeps them alive, what keeps them happy. I’ve worked long and hard to get us to this point. I’m proud to say that we’re at our most peaceful time in years. The company wars for territory and supplies have been near bloodless for the last two years. Words will always speak louder than broken bones. Even if you do have to get your hands dirty from time to time.”
Jungkook glances down at Namjoon’s hands, they flex slightly under his gaze, “That day in the alleyway, who was that man that you were… getting your hands dirty on?”
“Ah,” Namjoon ducks his head sheepishly. “That was the mole we had in the Stray Kids Gang. His name is Han and he wasn’t listening to orders. While my company has become the big fish in the ocean of Seoul we still have some small fry that will shake the waters. The Stray Kids Gang is one of them. He just needed to be reminded who he owed loyalty to.”
“Do you often do that yourself? Isn’t that dangerous?” Jungkook protests with a worried look.
“He was a special case,” Namjoon explained with a reassuring smile. “I trained the boy myself and set him on the mission personally, so I was more than a little disappointed with how he was behaving. The only way to get my message truly across, was to go myself.”
Jungkook nodded in understanding.
“Besides,” he added with a smirk. “If I hadn’t been there that morning, I wouldn’t have met you.”
“I suppose not,” Jungkook agreed, smiling slightly.
“Your reaction that morning, I still can’t quite understand it. I can’t even understand how you are still calm with everything I’ve told you.” He continues looking at Jungkook with a bit of awe in his eyes.
“Ah,” Jungkook rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment, “That might be because all of this isn’t quite a shock to me.”
Namjoon leans back against the couch and eyes him in interest, “Is that so?”
“Hmm, my father… his name was Jeon Jang Hyuk,” he pauses at Namjoon’s wide eyes and nods his head. “I see that you’ve heard of him, he wasn’t really around when I was growing up. He died when I was young, but he left me a journal when I turned sixteen. He never went into heavy detail about his missions or any names, but I could gather from it that he was a part of something big. And whatever it was had gotten him killed. The end of the journal detailed all the plans he had for me and my brother when he retired.”
Namjoon ran a nervous hand through his hair and took a shaky breath, “I didn’t know Jang-ssi had left a journal to his youngest son, or that he even had one. I only knew of your brother, Seokjin.”
“You know my brother? You knew my father?” Jungkook whispers in shock.
“I worked with both of them,” Namjoon says shortly, but then sighs to himself. “I promised to be honest with you, but I am not sure how you’re going to take what I’m about to tell you.”
Jungkook reaches forward and takes one of Namjoon’s hands in his, waiting for the man to meet his eyes. “Namjoon, please just be honest with me. How did you know my father?”
Namjoon stares at him for a moment then squeezes his hand before releasing it, “Your father was my father’s Second in Command and my mentor. He was set to retire at the same time as my father, but he wanted to oversee one last mission. My first mission as Leader of the company. It was on that mission that he lost his life, a member from a rival company we were negotiating with wasn’t happy with our demands and pulled a gun on us. He moved before anyone could react and shot your father right in front of me. It was the first innocent blood that was spilt on my watch, under my command, and I completely blame myself for his loss.”
Jungkook has no words and Namjoon can’t look him in the eye, so they sit in tense silence as the minutes tick by.
“My brother…?” Jungkook murmurs in question.
“When Seokjin learned of your father’s death he wanted revenge, he spent months training under my hand until we were able to bring the man who killed him to justice. The company that he was a part of was brought to ashes for his disgrace. They were the leading company in Seoul and our war with them brought new territory to us. When Seokjin finished his revenge he disappeared. But we heard whispers that he was working with other rival companies of ours from time to time.” Namjoon explained slowly, watching Jungkook with hesitant eyes.
Jungkook gives one swift nod as he takes in this information. He leans back against the couch until his head sits on the arm rest, stretches his legs out and places them on Namjoon’s lap. He crosses his arms over his chest as he thinks.
“Brother was in the mafia. Father was in the mafia. Was my mother involved as well?” Namjoon is quick to shake his head and Jungkook allows himself a sigh of relief. “At least I don’t have more family members lying to me. Do you think my mother knew anything about what my father did?”
“I didn’t even know he was married until Seokjin showed up at my door, demanding revenge for his father’s death.” Namjoon answers with a shrug.
“How did he find out then? If my father kept his life here a secret even from them?” Again all Namjoon could do was shrug and give a face of ‘your guess is as good as mine’.
“Your brother wasn’t exactly forthcoming on how he came to find us. Your father could have left a journal to him on his deathbed for all we know.” He mused aloud, allowing his hands to rest on Jungkook’s ankles when he made no move to remove them from his lap.
“That sounds like Jin-hyung, he likes to keep his cards close to his chest.” Jungkook mutters bitterly. “Did he blame you for our father’s death?”
Namjoon nodded, “When I told him the full story when he first came to us, he did. He made training and working with him very difficult in the beginning. His last words to me before he disappeared was that he’d never forgive me for what happened to his father. That he would always blame me for his death.”
“I don’t. I don’t blame you Namjoon. I don’t think my father’s death lies squarely on your shoulders.” Jungkook says after a minute, making Namjoon blink at him in shock.
“But I… I led the mission, I was the one in charge of ensuring our safe passage to and from the mission. And I failed. He died on my watch. He died… he died because he jumped in front of me… that gun was aimed at me and your father jumped in front of it.” Namjoon admitted hoarsely, swallowing harshly at the memory.
“Did you make him jump in front of that bullet?” Namjoon shakes his head. “Did you ignore his son when he asked for revenge?” He shakes his head again. “Did you already have plans of taking revenge before Jin-hyung showed up at your front door?”
“I had already started a war with the company before Seokjin arrived, no one left that warehouse alive that day. Apart from the man that killed your father, he slipped out before the carnage started.” Namjoon said, his expression clouding with anger at the memory.
“Then I don’t blame you Namjoon,” Jungkook said softly, making the man raise his eyes to him. “My father must have known the risks when he went on that mission. He must have thought there was a good reason for him to be there. He also made the choice to jump in front of that bullet. I don’t think he would have if he thought you weren’t worth the sacrifice. He must have seen what I do, you’re a good man Namjoon. I know he died without any regrets for dying for you.”
“You… you can’t know that for sure…” Namjoon whispers hoarsely, a stray tear falling down his face.
Jungkook sat up abruptly and moved himself to straddle Namjoon’s lap, taking the man’s face in his hands. “You are, you are a good man Namjoon. You’ve been showing me that since the day I met you and you put your jacket on some poor college student that was late to class. I do know that my father didn’t regret what he did, because he mentioned you in the journal he left me. Not by name,” Jungkook cut in as Namjoon opened his mouth to ask.
“He only mentioned the son of his boss that he was training. He always spoke about how kind you were. How, even in the anger of youth, you never took it out on people that had done nothing to you. He saw a great leader in you and felt privileged to be the one that helped build you into the man you are today. So no, I don’t believe he regretted dying for you, even if he was leaving my brother, my mother, and me behind.”
Namjoon sniffed and tilted his head back trying to stop the tears from flowing, but Jungkook pulled his head down to his shoulder and hugged him tightly as the sobs began to shake him. He held the man that led an empire but now cried over the loss of a man who had trained him, loved him, and died for him. Jungkook shed a few tears for the father he never knew but also sent a word of thanks to him for saving the man that was now held in his arms.