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crazy4myself · 1 year ago

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No Harm List | Pt. 14

Word count: 5.5k ish

Warnings: explicit language, violence, sexual themes

Summary: You live in a city where crime runs rampant. One day, you save a young boy’s life, not knowing that he is the most powerful crime lord's heir. And you have just been put on the no harm list.

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A/N: Hiii lovelies I know it had been literal years since I’ve properly updated. To avoid confusion you may want to go back a few chapters to refresh; I recommend part 12. Also some of the next few chapters may look familiar bc I re-wrote them. But I think you will like this version much better :)

“Why did you avoid me after we kissed?” you asked again, your voice clear. You did not make yourself elaborate. You didn’t tell him how you’ve felt lost and helpless these weeks. And if you could take it back, you would. But if you were honest with yourself, no part of you really wanted to.

You just looked at him expectantly and watched him squirm in the silence. “Because.. I’m a coward,” he offered, looking down at his hands.

Your silence was loud in the air between you, pressuring him to keep talking, “I was scared because BTS has already put you in so much danger already. I mean, we're not even dating, and you were basically held hostage.”

“Don’t pin this on me.” you cut him off. You knew it was a valid point, but it wasn’t his only reason for not talking to you. “Whether or not I endanger myself to date you is a decision for us to make. Why did you avoid me?” you asked again.

“I was scared. I was scared it was an impulsive or pity kiss after being shot. I was scared you didn’t have feelings for me, so I avoided the rejection.”

You quirked a brow in disbelief. Oh, sure, he was scared of you rejecting him. “It’s true!” he insisted.

“And I don’t even know if I could date you,” he added, and you felt a part of your chest ache at the confession.

“I don’t know if I'm capable of dating with my lifestyle. It's not only a safety hazard, but I don't know if I’m capable of giving you any more of myself than I already have. I think about you all the time. And I love spending time with you. But our friendship, where we were before that kiss, it’s all I know how to give people.”

He turned to you, eyes searching your face for any signs of hurt or betrayal, but he couldn’t read your expression as you quietly whispered, “And what if I told you that’s enough?”

Jungkook parted his lips but was at a loss for words.

“I’ve never really dated,” you explained, “And I don't think I know how to. And school is so stressful, and the program is only going to get more complex. I’m not sure I have time to learn and figure out the ‘right’ way to do it.” You paused as you saw his eyebrows furrow in confusion, and you realized how contradictory you were sounding.

“I like you, Jungkook. I like what we have, and I liked kissing you. But before now, I didn’t think I could date you. Not because of the whole ‘gang’ thing. But because I think-” your voice cracked, “I think something in me broke when I lost Daewon. I never,” You paused to swallow.

“I will never let anyone in like that again because it hurt so bad when I lost her. And we weren’t even together romantically. So, imagine how bad it would hurt to lose a partner?” a hot tear rolled down your cheek, and Jungkook reached up to wipe it. You leaned into the comforting heat of his touch as his callused thumb rubbed soothingly on your cheek.

“What I’m trying to say is we both clearly have boundaries and walls. And we both suck at keeping the other out of some of them. So what if we loved eachother in whatever fucked up way we know how and at least reap the benefits of having shitty partners?” You offered with a hesitant smile.

“The benefits being?” Jungkook asked with a quirked brow.

Mischief glinted in your eyes as you smiled at him before lifting onto your knees and crawling towards him on the couch. Jungkook knew this conversation wasn’t over. He knew he should stop you and assure you that nothing about you was broken for being cautious about who you loved. He wanted to tell you that you were good and kind and would make an incredible partner in any capacity, and he was worried he wouldn’t deserve what you were willing to give. But his mind went blank as you inched so close that he could feel your breath against his face as you murmured, “I can think of a few.”

You moved confidently but still grazed your lips against his in the softest touch as if asking for permission.

Jungkook leaned forward, capturing you in the kiss and pulling you into his lap. It was just as hungry as last time, as if he had been waiting to taste you again. Jungkook felt his body come alight at the joy of feeling you pressed against him. His hands rubbed eagerly against your thighs before wandering up your sides, your arms, and your shoulders as he took all of you in.

The touch wasn’t as much for pleasure as it was a claiming. But still, you skin tingled in response. A trail of goosebumps rose in the wake of every brush of his callused hands.

Finally, you broke the kiss to catch your breath. Pressing your forehead against his, you both smiled like idiots as you took eachother in.

Jungkook leaned in to kiss you again, softer this time. As if the raw desperation passed, he would savor every second now that he had you. His hands were firmly on your waist, and his thumbs rubbed in a soothing motion, lower, and lower as they crept under the hem of your shirt.

You felt core core turning molten and couldn’t reflect back on the last time you had been with someone in this way.

Jungkook’s mouth was hot against your neck, trailing down from behind your ear lower and lower, looking for the spot that made-

You gasped and arched against him in pleasure, your chest pressing harder against his.

There it was, his mind thought in primal satisfaction, as he bit down right above your pulse point, making you writhe against him further. He had been replaying the sounds you made during your last kiss in his head an embarrassing number of nights he was alone. He wanted to map your body right now and learn every spot that made you sigh and moan for him. His hands had migrated further up your ribcage, your skin flushing hot beneath his touch as his thumbs swiped just below your bra.

He was about to reach around to unclasp it when a cough from the kitchen cut his ministrations short. You both turned in shock to see Yoongi placing an expresso pod in the coffee machine.

“J-Hope is in the garage you might wanna,” he waved his hand in the air in a vague gesture to separate. “Or don’t,” he said with a shrug, “I think his reaction would be funny.”

You were scrambling off Jungkook's lap and shoving a pillow between the two of you. Your lips were swollen and bruised from the kiss. You straightened your shirt, which was more rumpled from your earlier fight than anything, and placed a pillow between the two of you as if to protect your chastity with seconds to spare before the sound of Hoseok’s footsteps echoed from the garage. You locked eyes with him as soon as he made it in the entryway. You could feel the anger radiating off of him as he entered the room.

“What happened?” He demanded.

Jungkook calmed his breathing, grabbing the pillow barrier to instead place on his lap as he reminded himself that the bakery was attacked. Hoseok had no clue that Jungkook was just kissing his best friend and that he was not in danger.

“Hobi!” you were up in an instant, ignoring his foul temper as you wrapped your arms around him.

He caught your embrace effortlessly, his eyes tracking you and then noting Jungkook and his new emotional support pillow as he squeezed you tightly before letting you step back.

“Are you okay?” you both ask in unison before cracking a smile.

“I’m fine I just had to lay low. What happened at the bakery tonight?” Hoseok pushed.

Your smile faltered for a moment. “There was an ambush, they didn’t touch me. I can’t say the same for them, but they’ll be fine.” you started.

Hoseok’s brow rose at your implication, “You took out four of the Black Tips best men?” he asked. He didn’t sound disbelieving, he sounded… impressed and maybe a little proud.

“Only two, and I wouldn’t call them the best. Why are you here if you’re in hiding?” you asked, ignoring the way his approval warmed you chest. “And why were you in hiding? And when did you dye your hair?” you pushed. Reaching up to touch the murky black locks. It was obviously box-dyed and barely covered the bright red it was days earlier.

Hoseok smiled tight-lipped before moving to the couch, “I’ll tell my story if you promise to tell yours when Jin and RM get back.” He offered.

You refrained from pointing out that the reason you were at the Den in the first place was to do exactly that. You were too eager to get some answers from Hoseok. Who quickly filled you in on the details of the fake assassination attempt that ended in a not-so-fake assassination charge. That led to Hoseok and Yoongi hiding out in some shitty safe house an hour outside the city, living off Raman noodles and re-dying their hair to more subtle colors.

By time Hoseok had finished, the other members of BTS began filing in. Hoseok told you they had only been called out of hiding so Yoongi could manage the video footage of the bakery and nearby security cameras for the police department and insurance claims. Jin wanted to edit out any evidence of a gang-related interrogation, or else their relationship was going to get a lot more complicated with the local authorities.

But apparently, there was no need. Yoongi was fuming when he returned from his office, informing the others that while the security cameras were able to stream live footage to their system, the memory had been wiped from BTS’s computers.

He still had to cover their tracks of abducting the Black Tips on any city cameras. But otherwise the gang was relying on you as the sole witness to the night's events.

Well, you and the four Black Tip members who attacked you. The men were currently stored away in a safe house under the greenhouse on the Den’s property. But with the excessive exposure to Jimin’s smoke, there was a chance their memories would be unreliable, if not nonexistent.

Jimin couldn’t even estimate a wake time for the men due to the level of gas they inhaled. It could be days before anyone could get answers out of them.

When Jin and Jimin finally returned from filing their reports to the authorities, everyone settled in the living room to hear your account. You recalled the night's events as detailed as possible, telling them how the man in the suit tried to buy your loyalty from BTS and describing him to the best of your ability.

To your relief, they all listened quietly while you spoke, and when you were done, it was V who helped you fill in any gaps you may have missed by prompting you with questions. His presence was steady and soothing, and you realized he was giving you a glimpse of the spider at work. The others didn’t dare interrupt him or ask their own questions, they trusted him to gather every drop of information.

What did the man in the suite look like?

Did he ask about BTS’s current movements?

What ‘sins against the city’ did he want to hold BTS responsible for?

What information did he want you to report back?

You didn’t have any answers to half of those questions, confessing you spent most of your time stalling and trying to get the man to reveal why he was bribing you of all people. You were convinced at the time that the alarm had alerted BTS of your situation and that they would arrive at any minute. The thought of the man getting away didn’t seem like a possibility.

And a small part of you, despite promising yourself you owed BTS nothing outside of your contract, couldn’t help but feel like this oversight was a failure on your part. Somehow, you let the gang down.

Jin clarified that the alarm had been disabled along with the cameras hours prior to the break-in. It was by luck and V’s intel that they managed to get to you when you did.

“And isn't that a big fucking problem?” Hoseok growled, unable to stay quiet any longer.

He stepped forward, glaring in Jin and Jimin’s direction, “Do you realize how irresponsible it was to schedule her on a closing shift alone.” He accused.

“Hobi, it’s fine I worked late all the time at my last job,” you started trying to diffuse the situation.

Everyone in the room refrained from pointing out how well that had gone for you.

“No, it’s not fine. This isn’t like your other job. What if they tried to get information from her at that moment, and she had nothing to give? What if V didn’t call in time? There are a thousand different ways this could have gone wrong. She is not a member of this gang,” Hoseok snapped.

You flinched slightly at his tone.

“She doesn’t have the tattoo. Debt and favors aside, she should not be this deep in BTS’s affairs. She should not be alone in our businesses. That bakery is a cover for Jimin’s lab and loitering drug money. Why the hell would you think it okay to leave her alone there?” He continued.

Jin’s face was like a stone as Hoseok lectured him, not wanting his own emotions to invalidate his brothers. “You're right.” Jin agreed, and you could see the full weight of tonight's events take a toll on him as his shoulders sagged and he turned to you with guilt in his eyes.

“I’m so sorry I put you in danger, Ella. We will never let it happen again.” Jin promised his voice was soft but earnest.

“It sure as hell won’t because she’s not working for you anymore.” Hoseok snapped.

“That's not your call to make,” you argued.

Hoseok turned to you, frustration evident on his face, “Do not fight me on this. You know tonight was too dangerous.”

“She was the dangerous part of tonight. She was fine.” Jungkook pushed, standing next to you.

“Stay out of this!” You and Hoseok snapped in unison.

Jungkook’s face puckered like he tasted something sour, but he sat back on the couch's arm.

“Tonight, you were lucky that man wanted you alive. He could change his mind at any point why can’t you see the danger in that.”

“I'm bound by contract to keep working off my debt,” you argued as you turned to RM for backup.

RM crossed his arms, taking in you and Hoseok as he contemplated his response.

“Blood debt runs deeper than civil law,” Hoseok said before his leader could voice his opinion. And a tense stillness fell across the room.

“Have you forgotten she’s on the No Harm List? That we are supposed to be willing to die for her.” he pushed. The whole gang's demeanor changed at the reminder Jimin downcast his gaze as his shame sank into his gut.

“I don’t want that,” you pushed, horrified, “Take me off the list I don’t - I did not ever want that.”

“Daewon, please, why won’t you let me protect you!”

The room fell quiet as his sister's name echoed through the room.

Your chest ached as understanding settled in, “Oh, Hobie,” you sighed.

“We’ll take a vote,” RM ordered, unable to stand another minute of this fighting. “We have damage control to take care of, and everyone is tired. We meet first thing, and we will decide as a team what we should do about Ella.”

Hoseok’s smile was mirthless at his boss’s half-ass attempt to placate him. “See you bright in early,” he said with a salute before turning for the garage.

You stared after your best friend, hesitant to follow him. “And do I get a say in that decision?” you asked RM softly.

RM sighed, “Your opinion will be considered when we vote. You will have full control over how we go about re-negotiating your contract if it comes to it.”

Assuming that was the best you could get, you sighed, eyes flicking over to Yoongi who flanked RM’s left, his arms crossed and his expression stoic.

“I guess I’ll go catch up with Hobi,” you offered hesitantly, not knowing what to do. Yoongi met your eyes but said nothing. Taking Yoongi’s silence as his answer, you squeezed Jungkook’s hand in a silent farewell before you followed Hoseok to the garage.

Hoseok kept his eyes forward as you approached his vehicle. He was sitting in his Porsche the engine purred a soft accompaniment to the rhythmic thump of his music.

“Can I catch a ride?” you asked, already settling into the passenger's seat and buckling before he could give an empty “Sure.” in response.

You didn’t ask where he was taking you as he sped out of the Den’s parking lot and into the streets of the seventh ward. His options were limited if he was still a wanted man, and you figured you would end up at your apartment by the end of the night.

“We need to pick up another box of hair dye. Whoever did yours did a shitty job,” you said, reaching to run your fingers through his hair.

The unique thing about your friendship with Hoseok was you two were forced to mourn together when you were getting close. Meaning you both had a talent for ignoring the elephant in the room and settling into a normal life where you talked around the big issue.

It wasn’t always healthy to ignore your problems like that. But for you and Hoseok, it worked. After big changes like this, you both had a habit of turning off your feelings for a while and giving each other space and time to process instead of forcing each other to talk about an issue before you were ready.

It’s what you did with Daewon’s death. It’s what he did for you when you first found out about BTS.

So tonight, you could make space for him. The two of you could go through the rest of the night without talking about the bakery or BTS at all if he didn’t want to.

You glanced out the window, realizing what street he was turning on.

“We’re going to see Dae?” you asked, surprised as he pulled to the side of the road outside the city’s botanical garden. The gardens were closed, which was no surprise considering it was close to one in the morning. But that was never a problem in the past.

“We didn’t visit her on her anniversary this year,” Hoseok said simply.

You both visited separately, though you wouldn’t point it out. At the time of Dae’s anniversary, you were still giving him the silent treatment for lying to you about BTS. You had visited Daewon’s grave on your own and saw that it had already been cleaned, and her favorite flowers decorated the small plot, meaning Hoseok had already beat you there.

At the time, you had felt guilty for the relief you felt in your chest. Visiting her that day came with the fear that you and Hoseok would cross paths before you were ready to face him. And you think Dae would have been disappointed to see the two of you arguing on top of her grave.

Because of that, neither of you had gone through with your tradition of robbing the botanical gardens.

Your freshmen year of college was filled with many adventures since moving to Alcor was still a novel experience, but it also came with many nights of being homesick. While Gautier was technically a territory of Kros, the country Alcor resides in, the cultures were very different. And the climate was shockingly different in the cold and wet port city where the smell of sea salt was on the breeze, you missed the clean and fresh scent of blooming heathers and rosemary in the spring, and the taste of sweet figs right off the tree in the summer time.

One night, when you were suffering from a rather nasty bout of homesickness, Daewon took you to the botanical gardens and taught you how to break in at night. At the back of the property, a mighty magnolia tree bloomed outside the garden's fence. It was almost too easy to scale the tree’s sturdy branches and dismount on the other side of the garden. The fences were lined with countless bamboo trellises fortified with different vine plants, making for an easy escape anywhere inside the garden.

You remember how your heart fluttered the first night the two of you broke in. You had to make an effort to hold in your nervous giggle as you scaled the magnolia tree and landed on the mossy lawn of the prehistoric trail, which was lined with ZZ plants and ferns with curling fronds. Sneaking your way through the trail and across the lawn of irsis leads you past the desert exhibit and to a greenhouse that honored the terrain of the eastern colony you called home.

The air was warm but much dryer thanks to the special ventilation system, but despite the heavy humidity missing from the air, the small shrub like plants thrived in the rocky soil, filling the air with the fragrant and aromatic scent of rosemary, lavender, and heathers.

You remember how a knot built in the back of your throat as you ran your fingers over the woody rosemary bush, taking in the earthy pine-like scent. Dae sat with you and listened to you go on about your childhood home for hours.

The giant rosemary bushes that were planted around your house were a staple in your kitchen and bathroom growing up. Your mother was always placing sprigs in her hair products, using it as her own perfume.

You told her the story of how your dad always tried to recreate your mother's french toast recipe on your birthday, but he always forgot to sweeten it so it just tasted like egg bread.

You told her stories of how your father courted your stepmom and how you watched them fall in love again, and build a new family together. One you didn’t fit into as snuggly, not for lack of love in your home, but because you were so much older than your siblings and you had your own dreams and life you were ready to find in Alcor.

Dae held you when you cried, then jokingly played the national anthem to Gautier on her cell phone. You guys laughed and danced around the greenhouse as she struggled to keep up with the lyrics.

The memory brought warmth to your chest years later, just like all the other memories with Daewon. But beneath the warmth, a sharp ache still lingered. Daewon wasn’t perfect by any means; she had a temper like her brother, and she could brood like no other.

But she was good. Daewon was good and fun and she loved so fiercely and encouraged and celebrated her friends. She was the type of person to buy you an ice cream after you failed a test and a cake if you passed.

She was the first person to encourage and support you in your adult life, even in scandalous situations like bringing you a spare set of clothes to the frat house so your walk of shame was a bit less shameful the next morning.

“God I miss her,” you sighed as you approached the magnolia.

“Me too. Every day.” Hoseok agreed quietly as he watched you scale the branches.

He was a worry wort and always made you go first in case you slipped.

“Did Daeown ever know? About BTS?” you asked curiously as both climbed higher in the magnolia tree.

“She knew some of it, like selling the spare car parts, and she could obviously guess some more once I got the tattoo, but she didn’t know everything.” He offered as you reached the branch just past the tall fence that protected the gardens.

‘She didn’t know I shot people,’ she could almost hear Hoseok say.

You ducked low as you approached the branch that led into the garden. Grabbing onto the limb above you to balance yourself, you carefully made your way forward as the branch dipped under your weight.

“Careful,” Hoseok warned.

“Whatever,” you said, rolling your eyes as you let go of the limb stabling you, tightening your core as you jumped from the tree. It was less than a 5-foot drop, but you kept your knees bent as you landed, feeling the impact reverberate back into your legs. You hissed as the pins and needles feeling swarmed the balls of your feet.

“You gotta tuck and roll,” Hosek laughed as you wattled out of his way.

You watched as he lowered himself on the branch the muscles in his body tensed before he sprung forward, extending his legs with his knees still slightly bent.

You sometimes forget the athleticism Hoseok hones in his body. You take for granted how smooth and precise his movements are. It was something you still couldn't quite replicate when you trained with Jungkook. But as you admired your friend, you wondered if he was responsible for training Jungkook to master his own smooth agility.

As his feet touched the ground, he pushed his momentum forward, curling into a ball and rolling across the grass.

“Ow fuck!” he exclaimed as he backrolled over a raised root of a nearby tree.

“And that's why I don’t tuck and roll,” you teased, walking towards him, the ach in your legs nearly forgotten.

You wandered out of the exhibit and towards the iris lawn. Dae’s favorite flowers were blue irises. She used to always pick a few of the flowers any time they visited the garden and keep a vase of them in the dorm room.

“You know they’re bulbed plants one day, we can go to the store and get our own,” Hoseok suggested.

“It’s not the same she says they smell better when they’re picked from the garden here,” you insisted.

“It’s not like she’ll be smelling these,” Hoseok grumbled under his breath but obliged when you held out your hand for his pocket knife.

The theft was quick and efficient. You cut loose five of the flower's long stems and returned back to the fence. Taking care that the flowers were unharmed as you shimmied up one of the trellises.

You were both back in the car within 15 minutes and driving down the road to her grave. The visit was a quiet one. Not tearful like in years past, and for a moment as the two of you kneeled and placed the flowers against the tombstone, you didn’t know if either of you were going to speak at all.

“Do you think you’ll ever leave the city,” Hoseok asked quietly.

You looked at him, startled, “You know my dream is to be a travel doctor,” you replied.

“Is that still your dream?” He asked.

You were quiet for a moment, your eyes searching his face for any indication of where he was going with this.

“Y/N, you were determined once. Focused. You lived and sacrificed for that dream and would never jeopardize it. And lately, you’ve-” You closed your eyes as you caught on to his intentions.

“Continued to sacrifice for it,” you interrupted him, “everything I’ve done, the debt I have isn’t so I can play gangster. It’s so I can finish school. The moment I graduate and the moment I pay off my debt, I’m leaving the city.” You assured.

“You could leave now,” he urged.

“Take a residency somewhere I know your grades are good enough for that accelerated program.”

“I can’t run out on my debt. They will find me.” You hissed.

“They won’t. Jungkook will pull RM off your trail, and they can’t send me after you. I would go with you. You’re the only family I have.” Hoseok pushed his voice urgent, “Things are getting bad. There’s a turf war brewing, and the Black Tips aren’t working alone. I don’t think that man who came after you tonight is from the west side. If power players from the East are involved, this whole city will go to shit. This isn’t a petty fight; people will die. The inner circle and whoever is affiliated with them will have a target on their back.”

“What about Yoongi?” You asked.

Your question was double-sided. You knew about Hoseok’s feelings for him and his unwillingness to move on from him over the years. Hoseok was always privet with the gang side of his life, but even before you knew of BTS, you knew of Yoongi and the web of feelings he carried with him. And you also knew of the second's ability to track down and find anyone. If RM wanted either of you dead, Yoongi would find you in a heartbeat and probably had the skill set to dispose of you himself, too.

Hoseok's eyes downcast “He would let us go.”

“You’re expecting a lot of loyalty from someone you plan to betray.” You pushed.

“You’re putting up a hard fight for someone who claims they don’t have a real reason to stay,” he pressed back.

You looked away from your best friend. The man who treated you like his own sister from the beginning. Who was ready to give everything up and run to make sure you were safe.

Why weren’t you willing to give up your fraction of this world in return?

“Perhaps things are more complicated than I give myself credit for. I kissed Jungkook, and I can’t just leave until I figure that out.” You admitted embarrassed. You braced yourself for the teasing or the anger. But Hoseok's face was calm as he responded his eyes ernst and urgent.

“I fucked Yoongi,” Hoseok countered. “If I don’t leave now. I never will.”

A/N: I haven’t updated in so long I totally forgot how tags and formatting work on this post. Hopefully it finds the intended audience… let me know if you read and enjoyed it!!! Xoxox

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crazy4myself · 1 year ago

Text

No Harm List | Pt. 13

Word count: 5k

Warnings: Violence, explicit language,

Beta reader: @punkisnotdead2318

Banner: @bangtanloverboys

A/N: hello lovelies I am back! And posting this from my cellphone so sorry if this formatting is shit I’m doing my best. I’m a married and working woman now so writing is a bit harder in my new phase of life but I hope to continue bringing you this story 💕

UPDATED 3/26/24

Masterlist

————————————————

✨Plz reread pt 12 for maximum drama✨

It was a quiet night in for Seokjin.

A luxury he planned to milk for all it’s worth as he settled into a recliner with the book he’s had for months, but never got around to reading.

Namjoon locked himself in his study tending to god knows what business, but with Yoongi hiding out for the next few days, he knew his lover could only keep himself busy for so long.

Maybe he could convince Namjoon to turn in early this evening, this was the first time in a long time they had the house to themselves.

Hoseok’s mission this morning was mostly a success, but the potential spotting by cops and their ability to trace the security camera’s signal disruption back to Yoongi had both men hiding in a safe house for the next few days. If he thought about it for too long, Jin was unnerved that Tate Hyde’s team bothered to trace Yoongi’s surveillance back to him and send out cops to hunt down Hoseok.

They had arranged for this event to happen after all, and while a wild goose chase made the event more believable, this goose chase wasn't wild at all, it was accurate. Suga and J-Hope planted strategic evidence to get the cops off their trail. But the investigators blew right past it and Jin’s sources confirmed both men were on the suspect list. They may have to actually find a shooter to use as a scapegoat if the cops don't end their digging.

Before Jin could even finish the book's first chapter, his phone rang. He sighed as he recognized the number from V’s burner phone and swiped to answer.

“Thank you for calling Domino’s” Jin greeted, partly as a joke, partly because answering the phone with “hello this is Kim Seokjin of BTS” would definitely blow V’s cover if he was caught.

“Pull in your men,” V ordered, breezing past any kind of pleasantries. He didn't even huff a laugh at Jin’s joke.

“Why?” Jin asked suddenly on alert.

V had been in deep cover in the Black Tips territory for the better part of two weeks now. And his involvement there had been vital for BTS to stay ahead and avoid any other major attacks while they were still recovering from the shooting at the Bulletproof.

“Fin sent out some of his top guys this evening, and they haven’t come back yet. And someone in his inner circle just bragged that they’re taking a hit on BTS tonight. Call in anyone on the street and warn Bulletproof to be on high alert.” V briefed.

“How long ago did his men leave?” Jin asked, already typing out a message to Jungkook and Jimin, both were out taking care of a big shipment of methamphetamines in the warehouse district this evening. If the deal went south, BTS would take a massive hit. But not as bad as if Jungkook or Jimin were hurt during it.

“Just over an hour ago. Tell Suga to have his eyes everywhere he can, but don’t have anyone on the street.” V continues.

Jin responded as he finished his text to Jungkook “Suga’s offline for the rest of the week.”

“What? Why?”

“He and J-Hope have to lay low, you don’t need any more details.” Jin explained as he reached for the tablet on the coffee table. There was no need for V to have any major updates on BTS’s plans while in deep cover like he was.

His cousin cursed under his breath, “Well, get Jungkook or someone on surveillance.”

“I’m on it right now, is that all you have to report?” Jin asked as he opened up the surveillance feed from the tablet, checking out the lobbies of the Bulletproof Casino first.

“Not at the moment. If they send a second group out to help clean up whatever damages they caused, I’ll try to get in on it and report back afterwards.” V responded, Jin could hear the tension in his voice.

“Don’t do anything too reckless, and don't worry, with this heads up I doubt there will be any messes,” Jin assured.

V grunted in agreement, not wanting to accept the pity praise his cousin offered him. He was about to give his goodbye and hang up when he heard Jin cuss.

“What is it?” V demanded.

Jin was silent for a moment as he took in what he saw on SugarDaddy’s security cameras. His heart sank at the sight of the wreckage.

“They’re in the bakery, it’s totally wrecked and it’s smoking like it might be on fire.” Jin explained as he moved to the cameras in the kitchen hoping they would still be in use. He was confused to see four men wandering around the kitchen, directionless, with no signs of wanting to leave.

“Shit.” V hiss, realizing he dismissed a very important asset. “Who closed?” V asked, already dreading the answer.

“Ella, but she must have gotten out because-” he cut himself off as he checked the final camera to the lab where he saw you pacing before taking a swig from a glass vial. “Taehyung, can you get out of there and to the bakery without getting caught?” Jin asked, his voice so serious it made V’s blood go cold.

“Yeah, I’m right on the edge of the sixth ward.”

“I’m heading there now,” Jin said, getting up and making his way to Namjoon’s office. “Jungkook and Jimin will be on their way. We’ll meet you there.”

And with that order, the line went dead.

------

The sound of the disoriented intruders rang clear through the bulletproof door to the lab.

You took a deep breath to steady yourself before pulling the trigger on another gas canister, opening the door, and launching it into the kitchen. The bakery was hazy with the smoke now, but you could see the silhouettes of four men in the clouds.

They grew quieter as the effects of the gas began to set in.

You made your way for the one nearest to you, he was swaying- lost to the influence of the smoke. If slight exposure made someone as disoriented as you experienced first hand, you couldn’t imagine what prolonged exposure at this intensity could do to them.

He didn’t even seem aware of your approach as you snuck up on him and made quick work of jumping on his back and wrapping your arm around his throat; pressing down on the back of his head while squeezing the column of his neck.

He let out a strangled sound of surprise at the attack, reaching up and clawing at your forearm.

The other three men were startled at the sound, but instead of coming to their partner’s aid they abandoned them and made their way back out to the kitchen.

You gritted your teeth, squeezing tighter in an effort to keep your grip. The man under you bucked, trying to throw you off him, growing more frantic as the pressure into his head grew.

You felt a rush as he tipped onto his back crushing you under him. Your vision exploded into stars at the impact, but you forced yourself to keep your grip even as his weight knocked the wind out of you.

Finally, his thrashing ceased and he went limp in your arms.

You ignored the ache of your muscles as you released the tension in your arms and crawled out from under the gangster’s weight. The towel you wrapped around your face already hanging limply around your throat. You pulled it off quickly before it felt like a phantom arm wrapping around your own throat.

It seemed that whatever antidote Jimin had made in his lab was working so far. Other than slight discomfort caused by breathing the thick air you were left unaffected by the effects of the smoke. You made quick work of getting up and taking in your surroundings, adrenalin still pumping through your veins as you look for your next target in the hazy kitchen.

A loud shout rang out from the front of the store, and a looming figure made its way through the kitchen doors easily maneuvering around the bakers’ rack. He wasn’t built like any of the others you saw this evening.

Did they send for backup?

Spine straight despite the thick smoke curling around him. He made his way towards you, his gait so confident it filled you with unease.

Was it possible for a member of the BlackTips to be immune to Jimin’s smoke?

You moved into a fighting stance, centering your weight as the figure got closer, reaching an arm out for you. You didn’t hesitate before wrapping your hand around his wrist, pivoting in place, and launching his body over your shoulder. You flipped the man onto the ground.

He landed with a loud smack but kept his grip on your own arm taking you down with him. You lost your balance, toppling on top of him and landed nose to nose with Jeon Jungkook.

“Glad to see you remember what I taught you.” He greeted, with a smirk.

—————

Jungkook and Jimin were already driving back to the den by the time Jin called. The deal had happened fast without any hiccups. And they decided to take the product back to the Den for safekeeping until they knew it was impossible for the warehouse to get breached despite the new security system.

They were just a few blocks from the downtown side of the seventh ward when Jin broke the news about Sugar Daddy.

Jungkook didn’t hear anything else once Jin mentioned you were still trapped inside. He pressed the pedal to the ground, tires screeching as he sped to the bakery.

For a moment, his mind was scarily quiet. Y/N was at the bakery, trapped in Jimin’s lab while some punks wrecked the area.

It seemed simple enough. Get there, take down the guys, and get to Ella.

Jimin’s lab was one of the most secure rooms Yoongi had designed. The door was bulletproof, as long as she was in there she was safe.

But a countless number of ‘what if’s’ began to creep into his thoughts.

Jimin stayed on the line with Jin, getting information on the men and the condition of the bakery before he ended the call and immediately reached to reload their guns.

“Did he say how many men were in there?” Jungkook asked as they pulled onto the road. Headlight shone behind him and he knew it was Jin and RM catching up.

“Four.” Jimin answered.

And that’s all he needed to know as he pulled up to the wrecked building.

The sound of screeching tires caught the attention of one of the thugs, the welcome bell chiming as he pushed the door open and tried to escape down the sidewalk.

Snatching the gun out of Jimin’s hand, Jungkook barely put the car in park before he was out and making a start to run after the deserter.

Suddenly, out of the shadows, V’s long form appeared, grabbing the man mid-run and pinning him against the wall in one hard motion.

“Marcus, you’re fucking dead.” V growled into the man's face.

“You got him?” Jimin called, making his way toward the two, gun pointed at the pinned culprit.

Considering that situation under control, Jungkook turned his focus back to the bakery, gun in hand as he made his way inside with Seokjin and RM.

Everyone knew Jin wasn’t one for violence. He avoided it when he could, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t capable of holding his own. He just had the most restraint out of the seven of them.

At the sight of wreckage, Jungkook watched a look of devastation flash across Jin's face as he took it all in before it morphed into a cold rage.

There was a large man behind the counter looking as if he was trying to break into the register.

The sweet smell in the air told Jungkook that Y/N laced it with some of Jimin’s gas. He grabbed the bandana that was around his neck and pulled it over his nose. This must be why the thugs were slow to react to their entrance.

“Stay alert,” Jungkook cautioned the others as he held his gun up at the man waiting for Jin and RMs orders on what to do next.

Jin stormed right past him, grabbing the man by his shirt and pulling him over the counter to his side of the coffee bar. The man flailed and his leg got caught, but with a feral grunt and a hard tug Jin slammed the man on the ground, before kneeling down and slugging the intruder in the jaw with all his might.

Jungkook and RM both winced at the sound.

The sound of Ella and a man's shout echoed from the kitchen and Jungkook was instantly in motion, he could barely open the kitchen door thanks to a bakers rack acting as a failed barricade.

The smoke in the room still hung thick in the air, but you were still visible as you pulled your body from under one of the fallen men who Jungkook realized was unconscious.

Jungkook sighed with relief and pride, both flooding his chest as he moved towards you; cautiously, not wanting to scare you any more than you already were.

He should have seen how that could have come off as intimidating, should have said something to reassure you that you were safe now.

So he was more frustrated with himself when you flipped him as hard as you did. He was honestly impressed with your technique and the fact that you were still awake with so much smoke in the air.

“What the hell are you doing here?” You snapped, pulling back in shock. Your hand was still curled into a fist, your breathing restricted to short pants.

“Saving your ass” he explained like it was obvious.

“Saving me? No, I needed saving 45 minutes ago. I'm handling the situation.”

He opened his mouth to argue when you heard another loud shout from the front of the shop.

“It’s Jin and RM. They’re outnumbered, but don’t worry.” Jungkook assured as you pushed yourself off him to get up. His body yearned for your warmth against him again.

He didn’t realize until this moment how scared he was.

But you were safe, and that's all he could think about.

You were safe. You were safe. You were safe. Not only were you safe, but you successfully protected yourself from four men.

He waited a moment, taking in your cautious expression as you hauled yourself up, eyes skimming over the destruction of the room. You stood to your full height and offered Jungkook a hand.

“Ella are you okay? How many were there?” He asked pushing up with you.

“Four, but I knew one of them.”

“Did they touch you?” He asked a fierce protectiveness in his eyes so unguarded it took her off guard.

“No I’m-“ you took a moment to glance at the unconscious man behind her, shocked to realize they hadn’t, not really. You won this fight. That reassurance steeled you and gave you the strength to look in his eyes. “No, nothing I couldn’t handle, apparently.” The concern didn’t leave Jungkook’s eyes and as he stepped towards you. You instantly pulled back, “I’m fine. I’ll be fine.” assured again, unable to handle any kind of comfort right now.

There was a low thud and a groan.

You and Jungkook both turned to see the fourth man who they didn’t even realize was still in the room leaning heavily against the countertop as he rose. He must have been hiding or the smoke knocked him near unconscious.

He was clearly disoriented, leaning heavily to his left like a drunk man walking with a tilt. But his face was determined as he reached for the gun strapped to his side.

It felt like time froze as you took in the situation. Instantly, Jungkook was reaching for his gun too, and fear spiked in your chest at the potential of either one of these men firing off a shot this close.

You slammed your shoulder into Jungkook, knocking him off balance as you reached for the broom against the wall. Jungkook yelled out in protest but in two quick movements, you secured the broom, stepped forward, and smacked the intruder’s arm that was supporting his weight on the countertop. He cursed as he lost his balance nearly collapsing. Another step forward and you kicked him onto the ground snatching the gun out of his belt before he had time to react.

“Stay down!” You ordered the man while pressing the end of the broom into his sternum, right between where his ribs met. You knew the pressure would be uncomfortable enough for him to not try to push up against it in his state.

The man lifted both his arms in surrender and laid flat on his back pliant.

Jungkook took in the scene with his mouth agape. He did not teach you that.

“Are you going to help?” You snapped at him.

He blinked rapidly before stepping forward aiming his gun at the man as he did.

“You’re in a room full of knives and you use a broom as your wepon?” he questioned teasingly.

“I thought you would be happy I kept my shoes on.” you teased back, “and put that thing away.” you ordered pointing at the gun, “You’re going to kill somebody if you shoot from this close a range.”

Jungkook held his tongue to keep himself from saying ‘That’s the point.’ and settled with “Can you go tell the guys to bring me some rope so I can tie this one up?”

You agreed before stepping out into the wrecked shop where Taehyung and RM were now tying up three unconscious men.

“Ella are you okay,” immediately you were wrapped into a hug from Jimin you stiffened before melting into his welcomed warmth and hugging him back. The weight of what tonight meant for your friend settling in your gut.

V stood up at your entrance, his expression unreadable, but after assessing that you were not physically hurt he pushed past you and into the kitchen to help Jungkook offering you a single nod as he passed.

“Jimin I don’t know what happened. I couldn’t stop them” you pulled away to turn to a sullen Seokjin “Jin I’m so sorry” your voice was thick but you refused to let tears well in your eyes.

The gang needed you to stay composed at this moment. You needed to keep it together for yourself. This was their safe space and it had been wrecked because you got too sassy with your interrogator.

“Y/N, stop,” Jin had his hands on both your cheeks as tears began welling in your eyes you began shaking your head no as if that could stop them. “Y/N. You’re safe and that’s all I could care about right now. Let’s get you home before you go into shock.”

“I’ll take her,” Jungkook said making his way out of the kitchen.

Jin hesitated.

“V is finishing up the guys in the kitchen, he said he was going to take them to the greenhouse with RM. You and Jimin should both work on damage control for this. Let me take Ella back to the Den so she can get a breather before you question her.” Jungkook negotiated.

Jin looked at you as if asking for permission and you nodded in silent agreement before following Jungkook out into his car.

“Adjust the temperature however you need,” Jungkook offered already reaching to turn on the heated seat. And you realized you were shaking.

You fiddled with the knobs silently adjusting the temperature the way you liked before settling back into the seat and looking out the window. You knew you should be scared and your thoughts should be racing a mile a minute. But your head was empty. Your adrenalin was crashing and you felt numb as if you were watching yourself outside your body. Not numb you felt defeated and powerless.

You had successfully protected yourself from four men, sure. But you felt helpless to the fact that a group of men could barge in at any moment to question you. You felt like it was out of your power to prevent something like that from ever happening again.

“Do you want to tell me what happened?” Jungkook finally asked breaking the silence.

“Not yet,” you muttered.

“Ella,” Jungkook sighed and you knew he didn’t want to push you, “I don’t want to pressure you. But you should be trying to remember everything you can before the effects of the gas really start to set in. You were exposed to a lot.”

“I took Jimin’s antidote and it worked. I don’t feel any different,” you replied but your voice sounded hollow even to yourself. You wanted to sound more alert, feel more alert after everything that's happened. A part of you wished that you could take an Adderall right now. That would wake you up and probably get you to be more responsive to what the gang needs. But your pills were in your purse which you left in the bakery. You left everything in the bakery: your purse, your phone, your keys.

“How much did you take?” Jungkook asked surprised. The antidote was something Jimin has been working on nonstop since the night of your graduation party.

“All of it I think.”

Jungkook kept his face neutral. He didn’t know anything about chemistry or how the chemicals would affect you. But made a mental note to ask Jimin about any potential side effects or if it was possible to overdose on the antidote.

“Still can you please tell me what happened? Try to picture this from my point of view,” he begged.

You sighed, you knew you should comply despite the way his request annoyed you. Everything about him annoyed you at the moment. You didn’t want to look at anything from his point of view, you were still mad at him for the way he’s been acting for weeks.

Seeing him in the bakery made you feel so much relief. You had been fighting for your life and he was a life preserver cast out in the water for you. A sense of safety. And for a moment everything felt natural the way he joked with you in the midst of a fight You had forgotten about the kiss or the way he tormented you these past weeks. But now that you were alone with him in the safety of his car you felt yourself being thrown right back into the seas of confusion.

But you couldn't let such petty things distract you right now he did deserve answers.

So you gave him a quick and dirty version, “Some dude came into the bakery to ‘talk’ with me. He offered to free me from BTS, pay off my debt, and some other pretty bribes in exchange for spying on BTS. I told him no and he had his goons wreck the bakery. They got a little excited and tried to come after me so I hid in Jimin’s lab and well you know the rest.”

For one peaceful moment, Jungkook was silent as he processed everything you said and turned into the main entrance of the Den. But as they approached the garage all the questions flooded out.

Who was questioning you?

How did they know you were affiliated with BTS?

What did they look like?

Did they say what their motive was?

Did they threaten you?

And your answer was “I don't know” for each one except the last, which to your shock was no. The man had not threatened you directly he only tried to bribe information out of you.

“Jungkook, I’m done for now.” you sighed as you followed him into the kitchen.

“You told the guys I get a breather before they question me and I want it.”

Jungkook bit his tongue to halt himself. He wanted to push you and tell you this information was very important for your safety and everyone else's. But you were right him finding out now versus him finding out in a few minutes when everyone gets back won’t make a difference.

With a sigh, he nodded “You’re right. So what do you want to talk about?” he asked sitting down on the couch next to you. It was important he kept you talking. He was scared if he left you to your own thoughts you would retreat in that little shell inside yourself. You always got quiet when you were stressed, but Jungkook knows from experience if he can distract you or keep you talking you can push past that defense.

He didn’t expect you to have an answer. So already he was wracking his brain for conversation topics. Something stimulating and engaging but also not too silly. He was taken completely off guard when he heard your soft voice ask, “Why did you avoid me?”

He looked at you surprised and you held his gaze as if you could read the answer in his eyes. He glanced away guiltily.

“Why did you avoid me after we kissed?” you asked again your voice clear.

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