#18 YEARS OF FAST AND FURIOUS THANK YOU FOR THE MEMORIES SHIRT

[maiyami]

𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝐿𝑜𝓈𝓉 𝒮𝑜𝓊𝓁𝓂𝒶𝓉𝑒

𝓚𝓮𝓲𝓰𝓸 𝓣𝓪𝓴𝓪𝓶𝓲 𝓧 𝓕𝓮𝓶𝓪𝓵𝓮 𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓮𝓻

𝓡𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰 18+

𝓦𝓪𝓻𝓷𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓼: 𝓢𝓶𝓾𝓽, 𝓯𝓵𝓾𝓯𝓯, 𝓼𝓸𝓾𝓵𝓶𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓼, 𝓵𝓪𝓷𝓰𝓾𝓪𝓰𝓮, 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓶𝓸𝓻𝓮.

𝓐𝓵𝓵 𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓪𝓬𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓼 𝓪𝓻𝓮 18+

(Themes of mental recovery, mentions of suicide, and more. Fair warning.)

You tried to push down everything that happened to you when you were a child. Why would you want to remember such dark times? Being raised as a killing mechine, at the order of someone who was just using you to get what they wanted, and to become the best “hero”. What a load of shit. However you were perfect for the job, fast, intelligent, quick learner, and your skills were well beyond your years.

After being in the Commission for so long, you basically went into hiding. You worked for various agencies, either as a spy or to get work done quickly for them. The money was good but it was like you never existed. The sound of your name is now foreign too your own ears. That’s how the Commission wanted it, so that’s how you had to live. You weren’t exactly thrilled with your hero name, Raven. How basic you thought, just because of your big black wings they give you a boring name. Whatever, not like it matters anyways. You’re just a soldier, waiting to be called to battle at any moment. That’s how you treated it.

It had been such a long time since you came back to your hometown, it doesn’t even feel the same too you anymore. But at least you were back to somewhere you called home at one point in your life. Later you’ll realize that it was the best thing that ever happened too you.

Hawks was flying in the sky, doing some patrolling when he saw this women walking on the street. The way her hair flowed, those beautiful y/e/c looking around at the building, and not to mention how confident she walked. He was taken back a little, feeling like he had never seen someone so beautiful before. There was something about you, he couldn’t put his finger on it. He swear he had seen you somewhere before, maybe in a past life he thought. He just watched you a bit from a high building, taking you all in.

You were standing at the crosswalk, waiting for the light to turn. A little girl next to you ran out into the street chasing after her toy she had just dropped. She was so small that the cars didn’t even see her step out into the street. Quick thinking, you pushed your wings through the back of your shirt. Flying to her, catching her into your arms before flying straight over the oncoming car. She was crying, her mother was crying, but they both thanked you so much for getting her out of the way of the car. You slowly descended to the ground, giving her back to her mother.

Hawks saw the car coming as well, he quickly dove down towards the girl but you were faster. He was shocked, looking over your wings. “She’s fast.” He thought to himself before descending down to the street as well. As he watched you speak with the girls mother, that’s when it hit him. There was a girl who was in the commission with him while he was there. Similar quirk, just as fast as him, and maybe even smarter than him. They had told Hawks that she died on a mission, he never saw her again after that. What was her name? It was something beautiful. Then it clicked. “Y/n.” He said softly to himself but you heard it.

While you were talking to the mother, you heard it. You heard your name, your real name. Your eyes shot over to the man standing on the sidewalk. You looked over him, there was only one person who had wings as bright as he does. Hawks. Hawks the number two pro hero, and he knows your real name? That can’t be possible you thought to yourself. You were quick in the air, explaining that you had somewhere to be and were off. Weaving through the buildings as fast as your wings would carry you, but you heard him behind you. “Fuck he’s fast.” You thought to yourself.

When your eyes locked with Hawks, he felt something inside himself. Something he had never felt before. Like butterflies in his stomach, or seeing someone for the first time in a while. But as quickly as you looked at him, you looked away then we’re in the air. He just had to talk with you, just to hear your voice and make sure he was right. That it was you, that his mind wasn’t playing tricks on him. So he was in the air following you. “Wait!” He yelled after you.

As you were both flying in the air, he couldn’t help but smile. You were fast, and it was a rush trying to catch up too you. Once he caught your wrist, you both lost a little bit of momentum in the air. Soon you were both falling ontop of a building, you landing right ontop of Hawks. You quickly got to your feet, pulling a feather out to harden it. “What’s the big idea!? Why would you hit us out of the sky!” You yelled at him. But Hawks just stood there wide eyed. “It is you.” He said.

Right when the feather sword was out, he knew he wasn’t just seeing things. He knew you were the girl that kept him somewhat sane while you were both at the Comission. You just gave him an odd look, you didn’t understand how the number two hero would possibly know you. Someone who is always in the shadows. “What are you talking about?” You asked him. You narrowed your eyes at him, even your pupils were in slits. “I taught you how to do that. You’re “y/n” or what the Comission named you Raven. Do you not remember me?” He asked, a little bit of hurt in his voice.

You looked down at your sword, then back at him. “He taught me this? No fucking way.” You thought to yourself. I learned how to do this on my own, didn’t I? You were completely confused, then it dawned on you. He really did say your name, a name that you haven’t heard in years. A name that was practically forgotten in your own memory. “Y/n.” You said back to him, it just sounded weird coming from your own lips. “I haven’t been called that in years, how do you know it?” You asked. Hawks started to walk up too you, you decided it was harmless to put your feather back into your left wing.

“Because you were the one that told me to never forget who we are. But it seems like you forgot your own words.” He said softly. You just kept looking at him, trying to figure out how the hell he knew it and how he knew you from the past. You sighed, letting your wings slip back into your back. “When did we meet and where?” You questioned him. “We were kids, and we were put into the “program”. He said. You almost half laughed at him. “Program? You mean the Comission? I have tried to push all my memories from when I was a child out of my head. I’m sorry, I really don’t remember.” You said back at him.

He shrugged, then he pointed out your wings. “I was the one that told you to never hide your wings. I thought they were pretty.” He said softly. Your eyes widened a little, looking over him. Sure he seemed familiar but you’ve seen him on the news countless of times. But maybe it was something more, maybe something deeper. “What’s your name then.” You asked back. That’s when Hawks stepped back a little, he has been asked so many times what his real name was but he had never told anyone. “We both know I can’t say it.” He muttered.

You smirked, looking over this man in front of you. “You know mine, only seems fair.” You said back. He rolled his eyes at you. “Come on, little bird. You know I can’t.” He said back a little more serious. You shrugged, stepping up on the ledge of the building. “Fine, I guess I’ll see you around then. Pretty bird.” You said back before diving off the building.You didn’t push your wings back out, you were just free falling. Hawks rushed over to the edge. His eyes bugging as he watched you drop to the street. He quickly spread his wings, flying down to catch you.

You were playing a game, wanted to see if he could get you too you. Which he did, gripping onto your hand to pull you too him. He was holding you tight, probably tighter than he should have been. Once you were hovering in the sky, his eyes looked furious. “This wasn’t fucking funny when we were kids! It isn’t funny now!” He yelled at you. Your smirk went away, looking at how mad he actually was. You’ve seen this look before, you could feel it.

You decided to open that can of worms, bring those horrible memories back into your mind. Not all of them, but just enough. Just enough to put those golden eyes to that handsome face, then that handsome face to a name. A name that had been pushed far back for many years. “Keigo.” You said softly. All the anger washed away from Keigos face, his eyes softened a bit as he searched your eyes. “You’re name is Keigo.” You said once again. You pushed your wings back out, pushing away from him so you could hover in the air also. “You remember?” He asks.

You smiled softly, shrugging a little. “Only a little, like I said before I try to push my time in the Comission out of my mind.” You said back. You shot him a soft smile before flying away from him a little. “Where are you going?” He asked, slight disappointment in his voice. You looked over your shoulder, a smile big on your lips. “Got places to be, pretty bird. Don’t worry this isn’t the last time you’ll see me...maybe.” You said then were off. Leaving Hawks hovering in the sky. He didn’t move, he didn’t chase after you this time. He went back over to the building, sitting down on the edge.

While he sat there he just thought about you, bringing memories of you when you were both younger back into his mind. He never had forgotten about you, just pushed it back a little. It was painful to think about how the Comission took away one of the lights of his life for so long. He recalls a memory of you both, something that had been on his mind ever since he was a boy. It was about soulmates. He had asked you one day. “What’s a soulmate?” He questioned you. You almost beamed at him, sitting closer to him. “My sister told me that it’s like a best friend but more. Like you have known this person for all your life, even if you had just met them. Someone that gives you this feeling deep within your heart that no one else can, that’s a soulmate.” You said back at him.

“How do you know you found that person?” He questioned back softly. You just smiled. “When no one can ever live up to that person, when you don’t get that feeling with anyone else.” You said back. You stood up, stretching your wings a bit before looking back at him. “I have that feeling with you.” You said with a smile on your lips. That memory always stuck with him. You were children but way more mature than any adult. Keigo thought he has lost his soulmate many years ago, that all his relationships would just be flings. But his soulmate had just come back into his life, but she doesn’t even remember that good times that they had actually spent together.

It actually hurts him inside that you pushed even the good memories out of your mind. He wants you to remember, it’s going to hurt but he will help you through it. He wants to be there for you, and just give you everything he has to offer. He understands your guarded and you put walls up but so has he. He wants to break them done with you, he wants you to remember that he is your soulmate. The person that makes you feel something you never felt before. Because you’re his and he doesn’t want you to slip away from him again.

You put on the fakest smile you could before flying away from Keigo. Your heart was beating like a dum, you could practically see it coming out of your chest. Once you were a far enough distance away, you descended onto a building. Catching your breath before looking at the sky. “Why do I feel like this?” You wondered to yourself. Why does this man have this weird affect on me. You sat down and buried your face into your hands, soft tears coming to the corners of your eyes. You feel off but not in a bad way, in a way that you can’t describe. Almost like you were finally brought back to the love of your life? No. That can’t be it. You pondered over the thought of Keigo in your mind while you watched the sun set in the distance.

It had been a few weeks since Keigo had saw you last, he even asked around about you. No one seemed to know you, which didn’t surprise him. You were supposed to be dead. So he decided to look for you himself. He didn’t know how he was going to do that, but he had to try. He searched every high bridge, every tall statue, and skyscrapers. Then he finally found you, ontop of an abandoned building. You were just looking over the city, a sense of peace in your eyes. Then quickly you dove down to the street, so he followed.

There was a high speed chase going on, you sent one of your smaller feathers to cut through the tiers. Then you noticed the villain was going straight into a family, you quickly grabbed the two smaller children. Looking back at their parents but Hawks was there, grabbing them before the car hit them. You didn’t even notice he was around you, but you were thankful. The police arrived and arrested the villains. That’s when you over heard the parents talking to each other. “If I had lost you, my soulmate...I don’t know what I would have done.” The mother said to the father. Their son pulled on your hand slightly, you knelt down to listen better. “What’s a soulmate?” He questioned you.

Hawks was near you, listening in to the conversation. A small smile coming to his lips, he walked over. He was going to give the explanation but you beat him too it. You laughed softly at the boy, a smile on your lips. “Well, when I was younger my sister told me that it’s like a best friend but more. You feel like you’ve known that person for all your life even if you just met them. A person who gives you this deep feeling in your heart.” You said then poked the small boy in the chest, which he giggled at. “That’s a soulmate, kid.” You said again. This child was beaming at you, Hawks couldn’t take his eyes off you.

“How do you know if someone is your soulmate?” He questioned again. You smiled, rubbing the top of his head. “When no one else can live up to that person. When no one else can give you that feeling.” You said then you looked at Keigo, there was a little sparkle in your eyes as you looked at him. Keigo just stood there dumbfounded at you. His heart was beating so fast, he didn’t know what to do. You gave him a soft smirk before patting the kid on his back, telling him to go be back with his parents. You slowly stood up, nodding at Keigo to follow you. Then you took off into the sky.

Keigo nodded back, taking flight. He followed you back up onto the building. You sat down, waving him to come sit next too you. You both just sat their in silence until you turned to look at him. “Why’d you look at me like that when I was talking to that kid?” You asked him. Keigo sighed a little bit, rubbing the back of his neck. “Because you’ve said that too me, when we were kids.” Your eyes went a little wide, did you really push out so many memories of Keigo. Before you could speak Keigo said something under his breath. “You said you felt that way about me...” he muttered. Why did you forget all the good memories, you were kicking yourself for this.

Keigo just looked up into the sky, watching the sun start to set. “I always thought about you, missed you, and the talk about soulmates always ran through my brain.” He spoke softly, not wanting to meet your eyes. “Of course the Commission took the only good thing out of my life, lied to me saying you were dead.” He was trailing off now, he was hurt and you understood why. “Keigo, they didn’t fully lie too you.” Your voice broke through Keigos rambling thoughts. “What?” He questioned back. “I actually did die. For about ten minutes.” You said back. Keigo didn’t know what to say, his mouth just hung open.

“I went on a mission, it wasn’t suppose to be anything extremely dangerous. But this person had a crazy quirk. They could control the earth, like rock, dirt, wind, all that kind of stuff. He threw these big holders at me, I was quick but inexperienced. One of them had hit me in the back, I broke my left wing because of it. And while I was trying to get back down to the ground, another hit me in the chest. It knocked me out, I fell about eight stories to the ground. When help came, I didn’t have a pulse. They didn’t expect me too. I was dead for ten minutes, until the paramedics revived me. I had to go into extensive care after that.” You said, Keigo was finally looking at your face.

“I had to get my wing back in order, and become stronger. So they moved me, and I never went back to the place we were at.” You said softly. You felt bad, bad that someone had to suffer this long. Believing you were dead, when you weren’t. “I didn’t mean to forget you, Keigo. I really didn’t. I just had such bad memories from there, they got my sister killed and I didn’t know how to cope with it all.” You said with some tears coming down your cheeks. Keigo moved over, putting an arm around your shoulder. He pulled you to him, softly cooing at you to calm down. “I’m not mad, y/n. I’m just happy you’re here now.” He said back.

You brushed the tears from your cheeks, looking down at your hands. “I want to remember.” You said bluntly. Keigo stiffened a little. “You do?” He asked back. “Yes, I do. I claimed you to be my soulmate at a young age, and I get this feeling deep inside my heart when I look at you. I want to remember, even if it brings back the bad memories.” You said softly. Keigo pulled you in closer, he places a soft kiss on your temple. “I’ll help you get through it. I’ll be there for you no matter what.” He said. You sighed, leaning into Keigo. “What if I lose who I am right now, trying to bring it all back?” You said softly.

“I’ll be here no matter what, you’re everything to me.” He said back. He pulled you into him, letting your back rest against his chest. He softly ran his fingers through your hair. He leaned in the softly whisper into your ear. “I won’t lose you again, love bird.” It made you smile, just knowing that someone could actually love you for who you are. You turned slightly, leaning up to press your lips against his. Keigo stiffens a little but relaxes into your touch. He kisses back, that’s when it all hit you at once. All the memories that you pushed down deep into the back of your mind. Memories of him, of yourself, and of the commission. It all came flooding back in.

Your breath hitched in your throat, heart beat going a mile a minute, and tears coming down your face. Someone happened within Keigo also, it was more than butterflies. It was a warm feeling that radiated over his whole body, like he was whole again. The first time he had felt safe in a long time. But it broke his heart that you were going through such pain. He gripped your face and made the kiss deeper, showing you that he wasn’t going to run away. You pulled back, putting your face on his shoulder. He let you cry as much as you needed too, you’ll talk about it when you’re ready.

As the months passed, it wasn’t easy for you. You barely wanted to get out of bed, only time you would is when you were called of to spy or do something that was “hero” work. But you’d be right back in bed the moment you came home. Keigo was there, he tried very hard to get you to talk about it. But you were empty, a shell of yourself. It actually made Keigo cry to a friend about it, asking for help. This friend of Keigos was a healer but in a different way. Healer of the mind, they could slip into your memories and help you through them.

As you sat there and talked about each memory, the one when you got hurt came up. You were only nine at the time, but you had never felt so alone. Your sister was already gone, you didn’t have Keigo anymore, and you just had nothing to live for. You told her that you thought about ending it all. The commission couldn’t use you if you were dead. You even talked about how you would do it, Keigo just sat in the corner of the room. Soft tears coming down his cheeks as he listen to you talk about how you wanted to end your life. Here is the thing about soulmates, if one of them dies you’ll never be able to love someone fully. You would just go through the motions of everyday life without a soulmate. Which he thought was going to happen to him.

Finally as you had talked with Keigos friends for weeks, she asked you about your favorite memory. Something that keeps you going, keep you here. You picked your head up and looked at Keigo. “When we flew together for the first time.” You said more at Keigo than his friend. She smiled at you, asking you to talk about it. “We were I think seven at the time. It was a cooler day, the Commission let us go out into the courtyard. We had to practice anyways, and I hadn’t really got the hang of my wings just yet. Hawks told me to think about pushing wind under my wings. He showed me how he did it, and he was up in the air within seconds. He reached out for my hand, I was hesitant but took it anyways. Seeing the joy that filled his eyes as he was hovering above me just made me smile. He talked me through it, helping me as much as he could and then we were flying in the air. I don’t think I ever had as much fun while I was there until that day.” You said and you never took your eyes off him.

Keigo sat there and recalled that moment in time, the pure happiness in your face made him know right then and there that you were perfect for him. You might have been kids, but you know when someone is going to be your soulmate. A small smile came to Keigos lips, when he looked back at you. You were smiling back at him, a smile that he hadn’t seen in months. Then sessions continues for a little bit, you slowly started to feel like yourself again. You held onto the wonderful memories you had made with Keigo when you were younger and the ones you had made in the present.

Keigo came home one day, he half expected you to be in bed. But much to his surprise you weren’t, you were in the kitchen. You were making dinner for him, knowing he had a long day and needed it. Keigos heart was beating so hard that you could hear it. It put a soft smile on your face. “I just wanted to show you how much I appreciate you being here for me. I know it’s been hard, I am sorry.” You said as you plated food in front of him. He shook his head, getting up from his seat. He took your hands into his. “Don’t ever apologize too me, I knew this was going to be hard on you. I love you, I just want you happy.” He said back.

You smiled at him, not a meek smile that you had to force. But a genuine smile, a smile that was only reserved for Keigo. You wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him down for a kiss. He returned it, letting his hands grip your hips tightly as he melted into your lips. “I love you, pretty bird.” You said back. Keigo had never felt loved before, he was going to be greedy. He deepened the kiss, pulling you so your were flushed against his body. It didn’t take long for him to lift you up onto the counter top. You wrapped a leg around his back, pulling him in closer. He broke the kiss off, looking over you.

Your cheeks were flushed with red, your feathers were shaking a bit, also shiny, and you seemed to have a bit of sweat on your brow. You leaned in to kiss his neck, that’s when Keigos eyes drifted over to the calendar. You had circled a date on there, the day leading up to your rutts. They were so close, Keigo had almost forgotten about it. But nature sure had its way of reminding you. “You’re rutt is soon, you’re going to trigger it early.” He whispered at you. You leaned back and looked over his face, his pupils were in slits, his nails had gotten longer, and you can see a shine on his forehead. “So are you, why not trigger it early?” You questioned him.

There was something so lustful in your eyes, the way you were looking at Keigo. It started to make him hard, plus the scent you were giving off was driving him nuts. He wanted it so bad, but he wanted to make sure you’re alright with it. “I want you to be comfortable with doing this with me.” He said softly. You leaned up, letting your hands hang over his shoulders. Your fingers just touching the top of his wings. “This will be my first proper rutt, with someone I deeply love. Of course I’m comfortable with it. So please?” You sounded like you were almost begging. Keigo let out a soft cooing noise from the back of his throat. “Let me get some stuff prepared, okay?” He asked back.

You nodded at him, kissing him quickly. You were out of the house for the rest of the day, letting the Commission know that you had to take your mandatory time off. Which they didn’t object too, then you went to get some things. You bought a bunch of fluffy blankets, big pillows, and a lot of lube. It had been around four hours since you left home when Keigo called you. “I’m ready, come back to the house baby bird.” He practically moaned over the phone. It made you chirp with delight, quickly making your way back home. Once you arrived back, the living room was completely different.

You wouldn’t say messy because it wasn’t. It just looked so safe. Keigo moved your extra large bed into the living room, there were dozens of blankets around the room, and not to mention yours and his feathers everywhere. Your clothes along with his were all over the bed, you laughed to yourself. Throwing the blankets and pillows you got over a chair near the bed. “Something to use when we are done.” You thought to yourself. You threw the lube onto the bed, then quickly stripped yourself out of your shirt, leaving you in just leggings. You jumped onto the bed, letting your arms glide over the soft blankets. Taking one of Keigos shirts into your hand, bringing it up to your nose.

While you were smelling his scent, Keigo had walked into the room. His eyes were narrowed down on you, already sporting a hard erection through his sweatpants. Oh god how he looked feral, causing a knot to form in your stomach. You smiled at him, holding your hand out towards him. He walked over, taking your hand into his. He slowly kneeled on the bed in front of you, you sat up so your were face to face. He chirped at you and you cooed back. Your wings shaking behind you, as he laid you onto your back.

With one quick motion, his nails cut through your leggings. Exposing you, you weren’t wearing any panties. Keigo nearly hissed at the sight, leaning down to spread your legs open too him. He was pleased by how wet you already were, leaning in closer to lick up your slit. You moaned loudly in response, causing Keigo to groan. He quickly rid himself of his sweatpants, exposing his harden cock. It was angry red, just waiting to disappear into your hole. He pushed your legs up to your chest, giving him complete control over your body.

He looked you right in the eyes, there was lust and love in them. You nodded at him to continue, you wanted to feel him so bad. He teased his head at your entrance, causing you to loll your head back. “Keigo...please..” you moaned too him. He snickered at you, yes snickered. You looked at him with narrow eyes. “I’m going to fill you up, baby bird. You sure?” He said back in the most sassiest voice you ever heard. “Yes. Please fill me.” You said back, you couldn’t even pretend to be mad at him, he is all you want.

He bit his lower lip as he started to push into you, the stretch was painful but so pleasurable at the same time. Once he was fully sheathed inside you, that’s when the real fun began. His thrusts were relentless, he was pounding you so hard into the mattress that you were seeing stars. He was hitting you in just the right spot, he leaned over so his forehead rested against yours. His hot breath fanning over your face and he completely destroyed you. It gave you the opportunity to lift your hand up, catching the base of his right wing. You tugged on it, hard.

Keigo damn near lost it when you did this, moaning so loud that it echoed through the house. He moaned too you, all breath. “Touch them again.” He said. Which you did, you were pulling on his feathers. Making him lose it everytime he thrusted into you. He moved his head from yours, putting his face into the crook of your neck. When you gripped his wings hard again, he bit into your neck. It sent you right over the edge, you moaned loudly. You clamped down onto his shaft, your high escaping you. It made Keigo shutter, shooting his release deeply into you.

He was panting above you, slowly slipping out of you. He watched his cum drip from your entrance, keeping him rock hard. “I need more.” You whispered at him, pushing him back a little. Keigo nodded, sitting back against the headboard. You got off your back, straddling him. You slowly lowered yourself back onto this length. You gripped the headboard tightly, quickly bouncing on him. He gripped your hips with super human strength, causing the skin there to turn white. He leaned up, quickly latching onto your harden bud. It made you moan loudly, throwing your head back. You quicken your pace, bouncing harder down on him.

The room with filled with the sounds of skin slapping together, sweet nothings, and moans. Your wings were twitching wildly as you came close to your high once more. Keigo leaned up more, gripping both of your wings to thrust up hard into you. Each time he thrusted upward, he pulled your wings down. The sensation was amazing, it felt like your whole body was on fire. You looked down at Keigo, letting your hands now fall into his hair. “Breed me.” You whispered too him. He groaned, pushing hard into you a few more times. He was losing it, moaning out too you. “Mine, all fucking mine. I fucking love you.” Before he thrusted into you hard once more. Painting your walls white, as you fell over the edge.

It didn’t stop there, you went at it all night. It was perfect, it was something that brought you closer together as a couple and as soulmates. It was starting to become morning, still just dark enough but the sun started to poke through the sky. You both just laid in each other arms, watching the sun raise. You were laying between his legs, blankets covering you both. Keigo rested his head on your shoulder, kissing your neck softly. “Sing to me?” He whispered too you.

You smiled, thinking about how you used to sing Keigo to sleep when you were kids. “Want your favorite song?” You asked back. Keigo smiled, holding onto you to tighter. “If you remember it.” He said back. You laughed softly, starting to hum too him. Then you started to softly sing too him, and old lullaby that Keigo had claimed was his favorite back in the day. It just made Keigo smile, rocking with you as you sang too him. After you were done, you leaned back into his shoulder, looking up at him slightly. He was glowing, so happy you remembered. “Perfect.” He said back then kissed you.

Soulmates, something that very few people find in their lifetime. Someone that Keigo thought he lost a very long time ago. But as he sat there with you, not thinking of the past anymore but his future he sees with you, he can’t help but he perfectly happy with his life. You were so happy to be with Keigo again, the universe has a funny was of bringing people back together.

𝓞𝓷𝓮 𝓨𝓮𝓪𝓻 𝓛𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓻:

It was still in the house, you could hear a pin drop if you listened hard enough. Then crying, oh how you got used to the crying. You quickly were out of the bed, walking into the next room but you stopped in the door way. Keigo was already there, rocking your son in his arms. Making the cutest of faces at him, you decided to take it all in.

As you watched Keigo with your child, he started to hum to him. Trying to get him back to sleep with that lullaby. Then you started to hum with him, standing next to him while you looked over your son. God was he the spitting image of Keigo, bright red wings and all. Keigo smiled at you, then back at your sleeping child. He carefully put him back into his crib, then both of you quickly hovered out of the room.

You smiled at each other, closing the door softly. While you both sat on the couch, Keigo was rubbing circles onto your thighs. “I want another kid.” He said softly against your hair. It made you smile, turning over to look at him. “Oh yea?” You questioned him. He nodded at you, pushing a piece of hair out of your face. “Yeah, I love our son. I love you, and I want to make a bigger family with you.” He said. You smiled at him, pushing your face into his chest. “Okay, let’s try to have another baby.” You said back. Keigo beamed at you, pulling your face up to kiss you deeply. “I love you, Keigo.” You said back too him.

[axwalker]

Tears in Heaven 3: Again

Tears in Heaven 3: Again

Synopsis: Alexis O’Brien is about to get married but memories of her old life are coming back to haunt her.

MASTERLIST

Pairings: Liam x MC Drake x MC (TRR)

Warnings:  NO ONE UNDER 18 should read this story. This is an 18+ blog. N*FW

This story will deal with very dark subjects such as death, severe depression and suicide attempt (among others) if you’re triggered by any of those issues, PLEASE DO NOT READ THIS STORY

A/N: The story will go back and forth between three different periods of time (2009 / 2015 / 2019)

A/N: I  used Grey’s Anatomy prompt # 16 , requested by @burnsoslow (in bold in the story)

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Pixelberry.

Word count: 4,957

Songs inspiration: Tears in Heaven by Eric Clapton

THANKS TO:  @burnsoslow  Thanks for beta reading and correcting so patiently 🤣🤣    @pedudley your comments and encouragement are the best. LOVE YOU BOTH! ❤️

June 2015

Liam sat at the hospital bench with his heart still racing. He had barely made it on time. He didn’t want to think what would have happened if he had taken that last call in his office, or if he had come across more red lights on his way to her house.

The doctors had told him that with the number of pills she had ingested and how weak her body was, she wouldn’t have survived much longer.

When Liam had arrived at her apartment that night, he had knocked several times with no response. Something was not right. That morning, she had seemed different: more serene, more at peace. He thought about the expression on her face when she had said good-bye, and it all made sense.

He didn’t lose any more time knocking. He took three steps back and ran at the door, slamming against it with his shoulder. When it opened, he ran to her room, to find her unconscious on the bed. He didn’t think twice; he would be much faster than an ambulance, so he scooped her in his arms and took her to the emergency room in his car.

When he arrived at the hospital, a nurse laid her on a stretcher and took her away from him.

After waiting the longest two hours of his life, a doctor had come out to tell him that she was sleeping, but she was going to be fine. Mainly due to his fast reaction.

He had called Olivia and Maxwell, who had rushed to her side, and the three of them sat together waiting for her to wake up.

Liam couldn’t help but feel furious. She had been selfish and had forgotten about her friends. About Max and Liv. About him. Liam knew his death had been devastating, but she had no right to leave them like that. He couldn’t imagine his life without her friendship, without her.

When he was finally allowed to see her, his anger had faded. She seemed so fragile and small in the bed that all he felt was a deep sadness - for her and for everything that had happened. He sat next to her and took her hand, all his feelings for her rushing back.

She stirred in the bed and opened her eyes to see Liam smiling softly at her.

“Hi, Alexis.”

“I’m in the hospital.” It was more of an angry statement than a question.

“Yes. I came back to check up on you, and I barely found you in time.”

“I didn’t want you to save me, Liam. I just …” She sighed, unable to finish her sentence.

“What?” He stared at her, angry again.

Alexis refused to talk anymore, so she turned her back to him, but he wasn’t going to let her get away with it so easily. He walked around the bed to face her.

Liam needed to confront her; maybe he had coddled her too much. “Say it. If you’re so determined to really give up, if you really think that’s what he would have wanted, then at least have the courage to say it. You wanted to die.”

“I would never know what he would have wanted or not.”  Her eyes filled with tears. Why couldn’t Liam understand that she was already dead? “Leave me alone, Liam. Please, I beg of you, just let me go, let me die. I’m just not strong enough.”

He sat on the edge of the bed. “It doesn’t matter how tough we are. Trauma always leaves a scar. It follows us home; it changes our lives. Trauma messes everybody up. But maybe that’s the point - all the pain and the fear. Maybe going through all that is what keeps us moving forward. It’s what pushes us. Maybe we have to get a little messed up before we can step up.” He rubbed her forehead softly. “I’ll never leave, Alexis. We’re going to fix this. I swear.”

He took his jacket off and hung it on the chair behind him. “You should sleep a little. I’ll stay here.”

She closed her eyes and fell asleep almost immediately. Liam pulled out his phone and started to look for the best clinic available. He was determined to save her.

September 2009

Drake and Alexis were excited to spend their first weekend together. The annual Derby in Portavira had been the perfect excuse. She had told her father that she was staying with Liv at Penelope’s house, but she was going with Drake to Portavira for the race, and after, they were going to escape to a little cabin on the beach for the night. Their first night together.

They had agreed to meet at Olivia’s house. When Drake parked in front of the estate, he saw her walking down the stairs towards him. She looked gorgeous in a simple white midi dress and a fedora.

“Hi, Drake.” She looped her arms around his neck.

He kissed her, grinning. Fuck, he was crazy about her. “Hi, O’Brien. I can see you’re not wearing a big feathered hat.”

She beamed. “Olivia tried to lend me several, including one with a dead bird on top of it, but it wasn’t really me.” She lifted her face coquettishly. “Do you like this one?”

He rubbed her cheek, smiling. “You look beautiful, Lexie.”

“Thank you. You look very handsome too. I like that white shirt.”

Drake blushed and smiled as a reply to her compliment. He put her bag in his trunk and they left for Portavira.

They arrived at the racetrack three hours later and easily accessed the infield where the nobles’ tents were located, thanks to the special pass Liam had given him.

Alexis shook her head at the swarm of reporters and photographers waiting for the celebrities and the nobles. “I would die if I had to spend my day thinking about my outfit and talking about Cordonian apples.”

Drake chuckled. “Come on, O’Brien. Let’s go to the tent.” He placed his hand on the small of her back and guided her to the Rhys’ tent. “I’ll go get something to drink. A lager pint?”

“Yes, please.” She winked at him playfully before turning to enter the tent.

He grabbed her wrist, pulling her against him for a kiss. “You look so cute when you wink at me like that; I couldn’t resist.”

She shook her head smiling sheepishly.

“I’ll be back in five minutes. Just go inside; Li is already there.”

When she entered, Liam was there alone in a high chair facing the racetrack. He was reading a horseracing magazine.

“Hi, Li!”

Liam’s heart skipped a beat when he saw her. “I didn’t see you there, Alexis.” He smiled kindly.

“Sorry, you seemed awfully focused.”

“Heh! I was trying to decide which horse to bet on. Drake has won two years in a row, but this year he’s going down,” he joked.

She laughed. “I should have guessed that you two liked to compete against each other.”

“I hardly call it a competition; Liam loses all the time.” Drake entered the tent holding their three beers.

“I don’t know, Drake,” she teased him as she took her cold drink. “Li has been researching, and he feels extremely confident.”

“Is that true?” He sat next to Alexis, his arms encircling her waist.

Liam nodded excitedly. “You better start warming up. I’m positive that Mirabelle will win.”

“It’s not a bad prediction, but this is Twilight’s year. You’ll see,” he said with a smug look in his eyes.

Liam extended his hand. “The usual?”

Drake shook his hand in agreement. “The usual.”

“What’s the usual?” Alexis asked, intrigued.

“Ever since Drake and I were kids, we bet each other with push-ups,” Liam explained, his eyes crinkling at the memory.

Drake raised his finger. “Well, they aren’t just any push-ups - they are push-ups using only one hand.”

“That’s so cute,” Alexis answered, smiling. She loved their friendship.  

Drake frowned. “It’s not cute;, it’s rugged and manly.”

Liam frowned too. “Yes, very tough, I’d say.”

“Sure, of course. My bad!” She giggled.

“Except that I think we should change the bet a little; it would be incredibly rude to leave Alexis out. She should bet against us, too,” Liam suggested.

Drake looked at his girlfriend. “What can you do instead of push-ups?”

“I don’t know.” She thought about it. “But I want to play, too. Maybe I can eat something really spicy, for instance.”

“Nice try, Lexie. You love spicy food.” Drake squinted at her, thinking for a few seconds. “But I do have something in mind.” He turned to Liam. “Can you believe she has never watched any Indiana Jones?”

Liam’s eyes widened; he and Drake had watched all the movies more than 20 times since they were kids.

“Alexis, how can you live like that? It’s like you had no childhood,” he said, horrified.

She shrugged.  “What can I say? I just wasn’t interested.”

Drake shook his head in disbelief. “Well, if the horse you choose doesn’t win, you have to watch all the movies with us. But better beware that we know all the dialogue.”

She laughed, picturing the two of them being excited about Harrison Ford.

Liam tried to ignore how much he liked her contagious laughter. He cleared his throat. “Just so we’re clear, there’s only one winner. The other two losers have to accept their punishment.”

Alexis clapped her hands. “There we have it, then.” She looked at the magazine with the horse’s information for a few minutes. “I choose Bolt.”

Loud trumpets announced the start of the race, and the three of them turned to look at the track. All three of them were leaning forward, absorbed. Alexis, especially, was rapt. Drake leaned over to kiss her bare shoulder; he loved the passion she put in everything she did.

“Twilight takes the lead,” Drake smirked. Twilight was being closely tailed by Marabelle’s Dream, Bolt, and another horse.

“Race isn’t over yet. Go, Marabelle!” Liam urged the horse.

The horses reached the point that was further from their tent, making it hard to distinguish much. They could, however, see a white horse still in the lead.

“They’re rounding the third bend …” Liam said quietly, almost to himself. It was a nervous habit he’d always had during the races.

“Come on, Bolt. You can do it!” Alexis was shouting with everything in her.

“Catch them in the final furlong.” Drake’s hands were balled into tight fists.

“They’re neck-and-neck!” shouted Alexis excitedly. Marabelle’s Dream had finally caught up to Twilight and Bolt and they galloped together, their jockeys' legs almost touching. They were coming around the bend and getting closer to where the three sat.

“Come on …” Liam pushed.

At the very last moment, a mere foot from the finish line, Marabelle’s jockey gave her one final push, and they broke the finish line seconds before the other two horses.

“And there goes Marabelle! Ha! I knew it!” Liam pumped his arms triumphantly and gave Drake a gloating smile. “Drake, I believe you’re up, and if you think I’m enjoying this too much,” he chuckled, “I totally am.”

“I must’ve done something very wrong at some point for you to be my best friend,” Drake replied.

He took off his shirt and crouched into the push-up position. “Well, here we go…”

Alexis couldn’t help but admire Drake’s ability to do the push-ups using only one hand. It seemed extremely difficult. And he looked extremely handsome.

When he finished, he put his shirt back on. “Never let it be said that I’ve ever backed out of a bet,” said Drake as he buttoned his shirt back up.

Liam laughed. “You better get used to it, Drake.” He checked his phone; he had a date but wasn’t very excited about it. “Are you going to the beach then?”

Drake nodded. “Yes, we’re leaving now. This was fun, Li.”

Alexis smiled at him too. “Very fun. I owe you two an Indiana Jones marathon.”

Liam grinned. “Don’t worry, Alexis, neither of us will let you forget it until you pay up.”

She laughed. “I’m sure of it.”

The ride to the cabin was silent. Alexis plugged her phone in the stereo and played the playlist she had prepared for the trip, lost in her thoughts. She was well aware that she wasn’t nearly half as experienced as Drake was, and that made her really nervous. They had been waiting for more than a month, so their makeout sessions, intense and passionate, always left them incredibly frustrated. Her heart raced just thinking about their night ahead. She shook her head, trying to focus on the road ahead of them.

Drake knew she was nervous even if she was too stubborn to confess it, and he had to admit that he was a bit nervous himself. He wanted to give her a perfect trip. A perfect night. He grabbed her hand for the rest of the ride.

The cottage was hidden in a corner of a sandy beach. It was a small, charming house made with grey bricks. It had red wooden doors and window frames, a chimney, and a small white hedge surrounding the property. It looked alive and welcoming. The sea was only a few meters away. Alexis smiled, completely captivated by the place. The inside was equally cozy: rustic furniture, fluffy yarn rugs, a small kitchen, and a large fireplace. It was perfect.

“Drake, this is lovely.” Her eyes were brightening the way they did when she was particularly happy.

Drake sat on the large couch and pulled her into his lap. “I’m glad you like it, O’Brien. Bastien bought it, and the three of us remodeled it when we came here during the summer. He was going to move here when he retired, but he met Andrea and moved to Spain instead. Now he rents this during the holidays.”

“Well, it’s beautiful.” She grinned again, locking eyes with him.

He cupped her face and kissed her hungrily; he was dying to be with her, but they had all the time in the world. He rubbed her face softly. “I was thinking that we could go to the beach and swim a little now; the water gets too cold later.”

They spent a few hours in the water swimming and snorkeling, and later on the sand, kissing and playing poker while they drank the bottle of wine. At 6:00, the temperature dropped several degrees, and they decided to go to the local market to get something to eat.

The market was colorful and filled with spices, fruits, vegetables, and lots of fish. Alexis had promised to cook, so she went from stand to stand asking questions and choosing ingredients for her mysterious dish. She had even found Mexican tortillas which, apparently, was a miracle in Cordonia, because she had almost kissed the man at the stand.

Back at the cottage, Alexis cooked as Drake started a fire, and set the table. “This smells incredible, Lexie.” He circled his arms around her while she poured a creamy red sauce over the chicken wraps.  He buried his nose in her hair, inhaling the scent that drove him crazy. He needed more. He pushed her hair aside and gave her soft kisses on her neck. Alexis swallowed hard, thousands of goosebumps appearing on her arms. Her soft moans encouraged him; his kisses deepened. She threw her head back, lost in him, unable to keep doing whatever she was doing before him.

He turned her and searched for her mouth, desperate to kiss her lips again. “I can’t wait anymore, Alexis.”

She shook her head, speaking with a low, sultry voice. “Me either.”

“Fuck, Lexie, come here.”  She jumped into his arms, straddling him. He carried her over to their bed, leaning forward and easing her down onto it. He laid next to her and traced her jawline with his thumb softly. “Are you sure about this, Lexie?”

She was unable to speak, feeling his fingers wander around her face and neck, his warm breath so close to her. He took her chin, making her look at him “I need you to be sure about this, baby.”

She nodded.  “I’m more than sure, Drake.”

“You have no idea how much I want this, Lexie.” He could barely get the words out through the surge of desire that rushed through him.

Her mouth opened, and then her tongue was on his, and he was so far gone. His hands roamed her back before settling on her hips, which he gripped hard. She’d been running her hands through his hair, but now she moved them to his chest. She grabbed and bunched up the fabric of his shirt, trying to get him closer than physics would allow.

Drake broke the kiss, feeling like he had to come up for air. He was breathing as heavily as if he’d just run a marathon.

Then he kissed her ear, her cheeks, and slowly, softly, bit her neck. Alexis was dizzy and giddy; she felt a heat travelling from her chest to her core that made her feel like she was going to self-combust.

He knew he was torturing both of them with his slow movements, but it was their first time together. He wanted to take his time, make her enjoy every second of it.

He looked at her, letting his hands play with the front buttons of her dress. He undid one by one; kissing each portion of skin exposed to him, until she only had her lace underwear left.

“You’re a goddess, Alexis.” With the tips of his fingers, he made a path on her bare skin from her jawline to the hem of her underwear. “You deserve to be worshipped.” He put his hand on her back and unclasped her bra, carefully taking down one strap, then the other, while he kissed both shoulders, finally taking it off. He kissed her breasts, gently sucking her buds, rubbing them with his fingers. “Fuck, baby, I want to kiss - to feel - every single part of you.”

She tried to unbutton his shirt, but her fingers were shaking.  She was too nervous and excited and unable to function while he kissed her like that. He sensed her nervousness and moved to kiss her lips again.

“Look at me, Lexie.” She fixed her dark eyes with his. “Are you okay, baby?’

She nodded, smiling; her heart was beating too fast. He kissed her gently, cupping her face; he hadn’t told her yet how much he loved her, how lost he was for her, so he kissed her as deeply as he coul, to make her understand. She kissed him back hard, sure that he was going to drive her crazy.

He lowered himself to pepper her stomach with kisses, letting his tongue explore her. He caught the hem of her underwear with his teeth and pulled it down, painfully slowly. She was completely bare, exposed to him, and he allowed his gaze roam all over her exquisite body. He took his shirt, jeans and boxers off and lowered himself to kiss her again: first, her long legs that drove him mad, then her thighs and sensitive inner thighs and finally, the skin around her core. He felt her shiver underneath him and raised his face to look at her. She was completely lost, a pretty blush creeping up her neck to her cheeks, her lips parted, her hair a complete mess, her fists clenching the sheets. She drove him completely wild. He kissed her soft skin, letting his tongue enter her and tease her nub as she gasped and writhed underneath him. She had never felt anything remotely similar to the electric feelings he was producing in her.

While his tongue continued to discover her, he easily plunged two fingers inside her, pumping slowly at first and then mercilessly as she arched her body, moaning his name, oblivious to everything around her. She felt the wave of heat wash over her, catching her off guard. Her whole body convulsed, and a final cry left her throat. He removed his fingers, drenched in her juices, and licked them clean.

“You’re so fucking sexy.” He ravaged her lips again. She groaned as she felt his weight settle down on top of her for the first time, his hips pressing into hers, his broad chest barely meeting her body. He’d propped himself up on his forearms, and she felt his hands moving through her hair even as his mouth kissed her repeatedly. It felt like she was covered in him almost head to toe. It was overwhelming.

He held her steady and moved his hips, feeling himself slide into her gradually, giving her time to adjust to him “You’re so beautiful, baby.” She moaned, and he couldn’t hold himself back anymore, thrusting his hips and leaning forward. “God, Lexie, you’re so fucking tight baby; you feel amazing.” Her hands desperately clenched the sheets again; she fought to keep her eyes open, but she could barely think. She could only feel him. He was inside of her, thrusting. He was ravaging her neck with his lips. He was holding her and caressing her lower back, her ass. He was talking to her, telling how beautiful she was. She arched her back when a jolt of pleasure invaded her. “Oh, my God, Drake … Drake,” she moaned endlessly.

He saw her writhing under him, her back arched, her eyelids shut, her full lips parted almost screaming. She’s mine; this gorgeous girl is mine.

“Say my name again, O’Brien,” he growled as he quickened the movement of his hips and she cried out, indiscernible sounds at first.

“Dr … Drake …”

He leaned into her. “Look at me, baby.” She seemed unable to do it. He pulled her back against him and whispered in her ear. “I want to see your beautiful eyes looking at me when you come.”

His words made her gasp, and she complied, locking eyes with him. He moved his hand, using the tip of his finger to circle over her core, as he pounded her faster without taking his eyes off of her. “Lexie you’re driving me insane.” He was about to explode.

She moaned his name over and over again until a wave of pleasure invaded her. “Drake … I’m … Fuck, Drake! I’m close.”

He felt his own release not far off, the pressure in his stomach growing as her movements sent pangs of heat shooting all over his body.  “Come with me, Lexie.”

“D-Drake …”

He crashed his lips against hers as she moaned against his mouth. He felt her stiffen against him, muffling her cries against his mouth.

“Drake!” She sobbed his name as her muscles clenched around him. The sensation of her around him and his name on her lips sent him over the edge with her, producing a grunt from him as he filled her completely.

He collapsed on the bed, pulling her against him as they floated down from their high.

He never wanted to move. Ever. He just wanted to stay here, with her, exactly like that, forever. He lazily trailed his hand up and down her back as she sighed contentedly, nuzzling his neck.

“That was …” She shook her head. “There are no words.”

He kissed her head. “For me either, Lexie.”

A few hours later, famished, they went to the kitchen to eat the dinner she had planned for them.

“I only have to put the dish in the oven for 30 minutes.”

Half an hour later, they sat in front of the fireplace with the cold wine.

“Lexie, the smell is incredible.”

“They’re called enchiladas. It’s a bit spicy. I really hope you like it.”

She was looking at him, biting her lip expectantly. She was so adorable that he couldn’t help but kiss her before tasting the dish. It was amazing.

The tomato sauce was a bit spicy and it mixed heavenly with the grated cheese and the chicken.  “Fuck, Lexie. This is delicious.”

She was eating, too, a pleased expression on her face. “I’d like to be polite enough to say it’s not. But I actually really liked it, too.”

He chuckled. “Love your modesty.” And I love you too.

When they finished their dinner, they drank and talked about their lives. Soon enough, their desire became impossible to ignore. They made love again in front of the fireplace for hours, consumed in each other. They fell asleep on the yarn rug until Drake’s phone alarm woke them at 6:00 in the morning.

Alexis took the phone angrily. “Do you have a death wish, Walker?”

He laughed. “So, not a morning person. Noted.” He kissed her bare back, making her moan again. “I would love to have time for that, baby, but I want to show you something.” He stood up, extending his arm to her. She took it and stood up as well, still drowsy.

He helped her down the stairs and told her to wear a thick jumper and her jeans. He took a couple of blankets and prepared a thermos with hot coffee.

They got out of the house and walked a short mile. When they arrived at the spot he was looking for, he spread one of the blankets on the sand, and they sat on it facing the sea.

“There’s not a better spot to see the sunrise in all Cordonia,” he stated, simply passing her the coffee thermos.

“Drake, it’s gorgeous.” She looked around, admiring the splendid pink lights.

He pulled out the other blanket and covered the two of them with it.

She cuddled against him, enjoying the incredible view.

“Bastien used to take me and Savvie here when we couldn’t sleep after my dad died,” he said, with a bit of nostalgia in his voice.

She raised her hand and stroked his cheek. Thinking about him, as a little boy sad and scared, broke her heart. She couldn’t believe how much she loved him after only a month.

He turned to look at her; her expression was serene, beautiful. He loved every single side of her, and he couldn’t think of a better moment to tell her than that one right then, with the sun rising.

He locked eyes with her, an earnest expression on them. “I know we only met a month ago, but I love you, Lexie. You have no idea how much.”

Her eyes watered, and she felt overwhelmed for a second before she could respond. “I love you too, Drake. I’m crazy about you.”  She knew they were meant to be together, she had never felt surer about anything in her life.

April 2019

Liam was waiting for Alexis in the living room with a glass of Scotch in his hand, lost in his thoughts about the past, about what he had done. It had seemed a logical thing to do back then, but now he wasn’t so sure anymore. He had betrayed his own values. She came down the stairs, still holding her phone. She put it on the table and sat on the couch next to him, twisting her engagement ring nervously.

“Did you speak with Rashad, love?”

“Yes, I did. I have to go there myself, Liam. It’s better.”  

He placed his glass on the table and leaned over to hold her in his arms. He hated the anxious look in her eyes, her sad expression.

“I’ll go with you. We’ll face it together, Alexis.”

She laid her head against his chest. “You know that I have to go by myself, Li. I’ll be fine, I promise.” She checked the time on her phone. “I better leave now; I don’t want to drive at night.”

Alexis kissed him and left the house, trying to show him a strong façade. Sometimes she felt that worrying about her was a full-time job for Liam, and she blamed herself.

She looked at her reflection in the rearview mirror of the car. Five years after his death, and she still could see the emotional scars in her face, in her eyes. The closer she got to the house, the antsier she felt. She was going to open old wounds, to stir the past, and it was too painful; it hurt too much.

Even after all those years, just thinking about her life before the accident brought her to tears. Of course, it wasn’t perfect. They fought, frequently; they were both incredibly stubborn. They struggled about money, they had had too many sleepless nights and worries, but their love had been so deep, so powerful, that nothing else had really mattered.

Or so she thought.

She parked her car with her heart racing. Her hands were shaking, and her breathing had quickened considerably. She tried to take a deep breath to calm herself, but it was useless. After a few minutes of raising her hand to knock on the door and regretting coming there at all, she finally gathered some courage and did it.

When the door opened, she gasped. He had barely changed in almost five years. A few white hairs, more wrinkles, but he was still the same handsome man she had fallen crazily in love with.

He was preparing to go out when he heard the knock at his door. When he saw her standing at his doorstep in front of him, his heart stopped. He froze, completely unable to move or speak for a few minutes. Finally, his breathing steadied, and he was able to mutter her name.

“Alexis.”

“Hello, Drake. We need to talk.”

[surveys4ever]

25.

Section 1 – Who were you?

Think back as far as you can. What is the first memory you have? I think meeting my (now) dad for the first time when he and my mom were dating. I was very upset because he was short and that’s not what dads were supposed to look like in my 3 year old eyes since my bio dad was super tall.

What is something you remember enjoying very much as a small child? Playing Barbies, watching Barney, Happy Meals, being with my grandma.

How old were you, when you made your very first friend? Probably preschool.

Are you still friends with this person today? Facebook friends, yeah. Real friends, no.

Was there a story somebody read or told you that has stuck with you? No one ever read to me after I learned to read for myself so one day I was sick and I came home and curled up with my mom on the couch and asked her to read me a Little Mermaid book I had and she did, even though I had to get up to go shit myself halfway through and it meant a lot to me at the time.

What is something you get an immense feeling of nostalgia from? Hannah Montana for some reason. It was my favorite show and we didn’t get the Disney channel so whenever we went to a hotel, nobody could tell me fuckin NOTHING because we were watching Hannah Montana whether they liked it or not.

As a child, were you a sore loser or a sore winner? I was the only child for 8 years and then the oldest after that so I never lost at anything and now when I do, I feel like I'm the biggest piece of shit loser there’s ever been. So that’s fun.

Did you go through the "naked phase"? I learned that you didn’t have to sleep in pajamas and you could just sleep naked so I did it for a while but then realized that I much preferred pajamas.

Which television shows do you watch the most as a child? I loved TV so basically all of the 90′s/early 2000′s shows there were.

Did you play with siblings, neighbourhood kids or by yourself? Either with neighborhood/school kids or by myself. I didn’t ever really have siblings who weren’t my kids, if that makes sense.

Is there something you really miss from your childhood today? I miss back when everything was simple.

Section 2 – Likes and interests  

Would you ever like to try competitive pinball playing? Ummm, no.

Do you knit, crochet or cross stitch? I’m trying to teach myself to crochet.

Have you ever, or would you like to attend a gaming or comic convention? No thx.

What's your opinion on online multiplayer games? I really liked Among Us for a while there but I don’t really enjoy how rude everyone is on online games.

Do you like to go cycling? If so, where? Uh no.

Have you ever tried woodturning? If not, would you like to? Never tried it, don’t really have any desire to, but it can be relaxing to watch!

Do you enjoy drawing? If so, what do you usually draw? I do! I usually draw graphics for YouTube videos or doodle over Instagram photos, draw things to put on shirts with my Cricut, etc. I use my iPad for so many things.

Have you ever attended a painting class? If so, what did you create? I haven’t but I would like to!

How about a creative writing course? If so, did you get any feedback? I took Creative Writing literally every year it was offered in high school and I always got awards for having the top marks in the class.

What is your favourite form of exercise? No thank you.

Section 3 – People  

Who is the most important person in your life (besides yourself)? My husband.

Do people generally approach you easily? I think so!

Do you get along with people well? If not, what's the problem? Yeah! I’m pretty friendly and easy going.

Do you enjoy being in crowds or do you prefer your own company? I would much prefer my own company than crowds.

Which one of your friends have you known the longest? I still talk to the girl I was best friends with in the 6th grade on occasion so like 17-18 years?

Do you find it easy to make friends now? If not, what makes it difficult? As an adult who works from home, making friends is hard as fuck. 

What is something about people that annoys you? Something I've noticed in recent years is just how entitled and greedy everyone is. Everybody wants something from you or for your skills to benefit them without them putting in any work or paying you for your time. It’s just gross.

What is something about people that you really like? We have really, really harsh winters and if you ever find yourself in the ditch for whatever reason, there will be a lineup of cars stopped behind you to help you push it out or let you chill in their car while you wait for a tow truck. On the really bad blizzard days, there are groups of men in big trucks that literally L I V E to go around and help pull people’s cars out of the ditch. It’s the only time I feel like there’s actually a sense of community around here.

If you live alone, what would be your criteria for a roommate? I honestly would never have a roommate because they could either be your friend or a stranger and living with friends is a good way to ruin a friendship if your living styles aren’t similar and living with a stranger just sounds like a nightmare.

How about criteria for a spouse, if you're single? I am married but my criteria was honestly that I just wanted him to be kind and funny and I got that tenfold with my husband.

In general, what's your attitude towards people? I can’t stand to be around grumpy people. If all you do is gripe and complain about literally everything, I’m out. No thank you. Why is your hobby being angry? Take up knitting or something for christ’s sake.

Section 4 – Habits

What is something you do every day without fail? Baby talk the dog and snuggle with Beebs.

What is your typical breakfast? I’m a leftovers for breakfast kinda gal but lately I’ve been having a bagel and watermelon.

Which article of clothing do you like to wear the most? I loooove me a good baggy T-shirt and booty shorts.

Is there a TV show you watch habitually? We’re currently watching Unhhhh while we eat dinner every night, haha!

Where do you usually spend most of your day? I really only sit in 4 places--bed, the couch, my makeup/work desk, or my sewing desk. Depends on the day which one I’m at.

Is there a product that you do not want to run out of? Moisturizer. I’m a dry son of a bitch.

What is your preferred mode of transport? Car!

Do you usually have something playing in the background when you're home? Nah. I’m in silence a lot of the time.

Where do you usually get your groceries? Walmart for the bulk of it, a local grocery store for the specialty items, and Target if we ever run out of something midweek because I cannot handle Walmart more than once a week.

How often do you go to your local park? Like once or twice a month in the summer!

Which of your hobbies do you indulge in most often? Sewing and Sims currently!

Section 5 – Favourites and dislikes

What is your favourite fruit? Watermelon!

How about your favourite berry? Strawberries are the only berry I like.

Which food do you highly dislike? Fish. It’s all disgusting.

What is your favourite song, and why? I hate this question. Who can pick one definitive favorite song out of the bajillions of songs that have been written??

What is a movie you cannot stand? Anything with Seth Rogen in it, any movie that's got a 3+ after it (looking @ you, Fast & Furious), and all the fuckin’ superhero movies that have the same ‘ah yes, this undefeatable bad guy that we have absolutely no chance against and will undoubtedly kill us all--but we’re going to pull through at the last second with the power of friendship!’ plot line.

Which trait in a person do you find most appealing? I don’t know how to describe it--certain people just have that spark and you can always tell right away if they’ve got it or not and those are my favorite kind of people.

Which trait puts you instantly off? If they’re religious it’s an instant no from me, dog.

Who is an actor/actress who you dislike so much you can't watch them? I really, really dislike Tom Holland. I honestly think he’s a terrible actor.

What colour are your favourite shoes? White!

What is a smell that disgusts you to no end? B.O., on me or others. I just can’t deal with it.

Which door handle/door knob do you like the most in your home? They’re all the same.

Section 6 – Culture

What is something very typical to the culture of your home country? Apple pie and baseball are the only things coming to mind atm.

Do you enjoy art? If so, which form of art is the most enjoyable? I do! But I prefer art that you can look at and know the artist is incredibly gifted and/or has put in a ton of time and effort to master their skills. None of that million dollar paint smear on a canvas shit.

What is something about another country's culture you don't understand? I feel like other cultures take their family and their family’s approval way too seriously. That might be rich coming from someone who doesn’t have a very good relationship with their family but I just don’t understand what the point of making yourself miserable to make your family happy is.

Do you ever attend the theater? If so, which play did you see last? Last thing I saw in a theater was Shangela perform a drag show, haha!

How about the opera or the ballet? Nope.

Which dance troupe do you enjoy, if any? ...they still do that?

Do you attend concerts or gigs? If so, which band did you see last? Not as much as I’d like to as no one good really comes here very often. Last band we saw was X Ambassadors and Paramore!

Are you interested in foreign food? I’m not uninterested but I’m not super interested either.

If so, which country's cuisine do you enjoy the most? Chinese...albiet probably a very Americanized version of Chinese.

Do you enjoy stand-up comedy? If so, who is your favourite comic? I doooo! Bo Burnham and Drew Lynch are my favorites.

Do you contribute to culture in some way? If so, how? I try to? I’m an influencer so I definitely have a platform of a couple hundred thousand people. Not sure what exactly I contribute tho.

Section 7 – Charity

Do you volunteer your time to anything charitable? If so, what? Newp.

Do you donate money to any charities? If so, which ones? No. I don’t trust a lot of charities, to be quite honest. A lot of them are very shady and I’d rather donate money directly to someone who needed it rather than it getting tied up in a charity where it might never actually see the people they claim to be helping.

If you have pets, are any of them rescues from shelters? We adopted our dog from one of my husband’s coworkers but she probably would have gone to the shelter if we didn’t take her.

Do you donate your old clothes, linen etc. to charitable organizations? Yes! We almost always have a bag of donations in our trunk that we always forget to take to the thrift store when we go.

If someone you know is in need, is it in your nature to offer help? If I can, yes!

Have you ever donated Christmas presents to children of poor families? We used to do that when I was a kid.

Have you ever had to rely on other people's charity? One Christmas when I was really young I remember my parents signed up for a sponsorship through the Salvation Army where a family adopted us and bought us Christmas presents and Christmas dinner or whatever.

How do you feel about donating to charities endorsed by celebrities? I would never donate to a charity simply because it was sponsored by a celebrity but I guess its the easiest way for a charity to get the word out that they need donations.

Is there a charity you absolutely never ever will not trust? PETA, Salvation Army, Goodwill, and that breast cancer one with the horrible CEO.

Have you ever donated to a cause that had a person going door to door? No. I extra wouldn’t if someone came knocking on my door asking for money.

In general, what is your opinion on charity? I already did my rant about them, haha.

Section 8 – Entertainment

Which was the very first video game you remember playing? Ocarina of Time I believe!

Which was the very first film you remember watching? That I don’t remember. Maybe that Barney movie with the magic egg?

What is your go-to form of entertainment? TikTok usually.

Do you have a large collection of DVDs/Blu-Rays? Nah. We have a drawer but we usually stream everything.

How about music albums? Beebs collects vinyls!

Do you prefer to have your music on vinyls, tapes, CDs or digital? I prefer digital and Beebs likes vinyl.

When and where do you like to entertain yourself usually? Either the bed or the couch.

Do you ever binge watch shows? If so, what are you binging now? Usually! I’m sadly in between shows rn.

What kinds of books do you like to read, if any? I honestly don’t read anymore.

Is there a book series you're currently collecting? ..

Is entertainment something you prefer to enjoy alone or with someone else? I have my shows and then we have shows we watch together. So there’s a time and place for both!

Section 9 – Internet 

Do you always have access to the Internet, wherever you go? If not, why? Yup!

Which website do you frequent the most? Website website? Google. App website? Instagram or TikTok.

Which search engine do you prefer and trust the most? Googs.

What do you use the Internet the most for? Social media or entertainment.

Do you judge people who have their phones out all the time? If so, why? Random people? None of my business. But if we’re spending time together and I’m trying to have a conversation with you and you're not paying attention to me because your nose is glued to your phone, I’m gonna be pissed.

If your connection goes down, what do you do? Go do something that’s not on the internet?

Is there something you wish you could do online that isn't possible yet? I still wish you could smell things through the internet.

Do you remember the first time you used the Internet? When was it? Yes! I believe the 2nd/3rd grade?

What was a website you used to frequent that doesn't exist anymore? I loved the Disney website with all the games.

Do/Did you ever have your own website? That was the thiiiing back in the day.

Isn't it great how much knowledge and info we have at our fingertips? It’s great but also overwhelming.

Section 10 – And finally...

What is something you consider to be highly controversial? Politics, apparently.

What kinds of jokes do you like the best? I love a good pun.

Is there a person who makes you laugh effortlessly? Oh definitely.

Which part of your body do you like the least? My eyes.

What's something random, out of context you remember from your past? I don’t do well with really vague questions.

Do you wear shoes indoors? No, I’m not a heathen.

What's the silliest thing you've worn on your body in public? I don’t think I usually wear silly things.

What's the most important thing in your life right now? Just spending time with my fam. Trying to get over this anxiety.

What is the most distant point on the planet that you've been from home? Florida.

Do you enjoy trivia games? If so, which one's your favourite? We love some Trivial Pursuit in this house!

Are you more logical or emotional? My emotions take over and then my logic brings it back in. Equal parts, baby.

[coneygoil]

The Home We Built Together, part 30

Two young Vikings. An arranged marriage. Hiccup always wanted to win the girl of his dreams, but not like this. Now he and Astrid must learn to live together and maybe one day, learn to love…

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9| Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29

Writer’s note: The 19th marked one year that I first posted this fic!! It’s amazing to see how far it’s come! 

Her breathing was even now.

Astrid had fallen asleep against his side, her head resting upon his slender chest. Hiccup hadn’t loosened his hold on her. He couldn’t, not after almost losing her.

His heart had plummeted to the bottom of his stomach when he realized Astrid had fallen from the saddle. There was little comfort when he looked back to find she’d landed on a ledge. The red dragon had instantly sensed her presence there.

“We gotta go back, bud!”

Toothless didn’t hesitate firing at the red dragon. He aimed for its most vulnerable part – the eyes (and Night Furies never miss) -- and the dragon retreated, furious and snarling. The short window gave them enough time to rescue Astrid.

There was a lot to be said and discussed. A plan to formulate. A village and a whole fleet of dragons to protect. But now was not the time.

Hiccup had noticed Astrid’s behavior after the rescue. She was clearly shaken and upset, but when she collapsed in his arms sobbing uncontrollably, it was then that Hiccup realized how deeply it had affected her. Astrid was a pillar of strength, and to see her in such a state of distress had jarred him.

A new commitment welled up inside him. A fierce need to protect that he’d never experience before.

Hiccup was always the one in need of protection. He was the talking fishbone that could barely lift a weapon. He never had to worry about anyone but himself, really. But now? There was more at stake than just his puny well being.

Hiccup squeezed Astrid’s sleeping form a little closer against him, planting a tender kiss to her golden crown. He kept his lips pressed in her hair and whispered the three words he wished to utter aloud, “I love you.”

As if his confession stirred her from slumber, Astrid shifted in his arms. Her hair brushed his jawline as she lifted her head to sleepily look at him. Hiccup waited with bated breath. Had she heard his confession? Would she return the endearment? The first signs of daylight were peeking on the horizon, and the lamp continued to burn low on the bedside table. She blinked her eyes, still puffy from the breakdown she’d had not even a couple hours before.

Astrid cupped his cheek, her fingertips brushing softly on his skin. Hiccup nuzzled into her palm. He’d never had the chance to feel a loving touch before. He never knew his mother and his father only held him as a young boy. He’d longed for something his skin had never experienced. But now, he could have it and he closed his eyes to savor the caress of Astrid’s hand upon his cheek.

He was pleasantly surprised with a soft kiss that he returned in sweet pecks. They continued to plant little kisses on each other’s lips as Astrid pull him with her to sit up on the bed. They’d both gotten better at kissing, having lots of practice as of late. Hiccup was thankful they’d gotten passed the awkward dance of shyness of expressing their affections.  

With hand upon the back of his neck, Astrid drew him into a deeper kiss. A kiss that told of unspoken need. A kiss that told of unspoken of love. Astrid broke away, though only mere inches from Hiccup’s face. Their heavy breathes warmed each other’s faces. He longed to capture her lips with his once more, to pour out the love that were overflowing inside of him.

Then Astrid spoke the words that made his heart soar, “I want to be your wife in every way.”

He searched her face, the reassurance of her gaze leading him on. This was what he’d longed for. “I want to be your husband in every way.”

***

Rap. Rap.

Hiccup’s face scrunched at the loud noise banging in his head.

Rap. Rap. Rap.

He groaned at the noise banging faster. He rolled over to hide under his pillow, or at least he would have if he wouldn’t have been held down. He blinked away the blur in his vision to find an arm strapped over his chest. The golden crown of his wife was cushioned against his shoulder, and her leg was thrown over his. She was cuddled up to him like he was an oversized stuffed toy.

“Hiccup? Astrid?” the all-too familiar heavy lilt of Gobber called from outside.

Why was Gobber at their front door? Hiccup peered out the window, eyes widening in realization. It had to at least be lunchtime!

“Astrid!” he hissed, taping her arm splayed over his chest. She’d never slept this deeply before, and Hiccup wondered why she was so tired-

Oh.

The thoughts of their union just a couple hours ago suddenly slammed into his memory like a magnificent, engulfing wave. The innocent exploration of each other’s bodies. The awkward positioning as they figured out how to fit together. The satisfying pants on one another’s faces at the height of pleasure that hit all too soon. The odd thought that, yes, there was blood afterwards mingled in just as Astrid had said on their wedding night. Heat flushed on his face when Hiccup remembered they didn’t bother redressing and were sleeping against each other in their birthday suits.

Astrid rolled off him, eyes slit open just enough to see him. “Huh?”

Hiccup jumped out of bed. “Gobber is here looking for us. I think it’s lunchtime already!” Glancing down at himself, he flushed at his bare skinny body. No time to linger on the fact that he was completely nude in the middle of the day in front of his wife. He fumbled with his shirt that had been strewn on the floor, shivering at the chill of it on his warm skin. Not bothering to put on undershorts, he tugged on pants, nearly falling over in the process. He dashed down the stairs to the bottom floor, dodging furniture on the way to the front door.

Hiccup yanked open the door, revealing Gobber with hook hand half raised to knock. “Hey, Gobber,” he greeted, slightly winded. Hiccup tried to look casual as he leaned against the door, planting the other hand on his hip and giving a toothy smile that wasn’t fooling a yak.

“Hiccup, you and Astrid missed dragon training this morning. I was wondering if one of those beasts had eaten you two for breakfast.”

Hiccup focused a chuckle, trying to hold up his pants that he carelessly tied on while stumbling down the stairs. “No. Me and Astrid had a long night.” He feigned an exaggerated yawn. “We uh… just overslept.”

Gobber narrowed his beady eyes suspiciously then the older man’s bushy eyebrows lifted into his forehead. His mustache spread into a wide smile. “Oh, I see.” He leaned in close as if there were people around that might hear. There was actually no one nearby. “Did you two finally decide to take your honeymonth?”

If this was anyone besides Gobber, Hiccup would have been terrified of the consequences. But even so, he went stock still.

Gobber chuckled lightly. “Oh, don’t worry, Hiccup. Your secret is safe with me. It’s okay that it didn’t happen right away. You two are young and still discovering your bodies. Ye just needed to get some practice in before the big event.”

Hiccup raked twitchy fingers through his hair that was most likely disheveled more than usual. As much as he wanted to sink into a hole talking about the private matter, he was thankful it was Gobber as the listening ear. Gobber was probably the only one in the entire village who’d take an understanding to their decision to wait. “Yeah, I guess we did.”

Gobber straightened as he stood back. “You two kids take all the time ye need. I’ll see ye back at work when you’re ready.” He winked before lumbering off in the direction of the forge.

Hiccup stood there in the doorway wondering if that conversation actually just happened. They’d been a bit of controversy about him and Astrid not taking their honeymonth (but when was anything involving Hiccup not met with controversy). It was never addressed to them face to face, but Hiccup overheard hushed tones around the corners of buildings and passing conversation in the Great Hall. Why was the Chief’s son not spending the time with his new bride? But their consummation had been confirmed (though a little deceitfully), and they’d had permission from the Chief to continue their duties only because of the fast approaching winter months and the need to train the newest warriors for Berk’s defense against dragon raids.

Shaking himself out of his bewildering contemplation, Hiccup shut the door.

“Did Gobber give you an earful?”

Hiccup spun around to find Astrid at the top of the stairs. Dressed in a red tunic. His red tunic. With pale, bare legs extending from the hem. He stared, awestruck, mouth slightly gaping. He’d never seen her in red, but he knew instantly he wanted to see her in that color more often.

Hiccup swallowed. “He let us off the hook.” He gravitated toward Astrid descending the stairs like she was a magnet pulling him in. As if just the sheer act of kissing her wasn’t enough to make him think he was living in an amazing dream, his mind shifted once again to their marriage bed. How his lips yearned to kiss the column of her neck and beyond. “Somehow he figured out we hadn’t yet…y’know—” Hiccup laced his fingers together.

Astrid laughed softly. “If you wouldn’t have acted so obvious whenever he brought it up.”

“How am I supposed to act when talking about…that?” Most Viking men talked quite bluntly and with no shame about the makings of their marriage bed. If Hiccup was supposed to start talking that openly about his and Astrid’s privacy, then he’d rather stay in his perpetual awkward state.

Astrid sighed with a little grunt and met him in the middle of the room. “I don’t know.” Her hand found his shoulder while her other lingered on his chest, teasing the skin between his loosened shirt ties. “I’m happy we became husband and wife completely.”

Hiccup felt the breath in his lungs shudder in delight. His hands found her hips. Astrid snaked arms around his neck as he drew her closer. “Me too.” He couldn’t help the soft smile that crossed his lips. “Gobber excused us from our duties.”

Astrid grinned, twirling a lock of his hair around her finger. “That means we can—”

“Go fly Toothless farther again--Ow!” Hiccup retreated into a defensive position when Astrid’s fist smacked his shoulder. “What was that for!?”

Astrid crossed arms over her chest. “Sometimes I wonder if I’m competing with a dragon for your affection.” Her mouth was an unamused straight line, but her eyes still held a twinkle.

“Toothless can’t give me this,” he replied in a deep suave tone. He pulled her by the biceps, planting a gentle peck on her lips. He shrugged a shoulder, looking thoughtful. “I mean, he could but it’d be way slobberier.”

Astrid’s grin was back. “I can hit you again, if you’d like?”

They dissolved into laughter until the moment had passed.

“What’re we going to do about the dragon’s nest?” The question sobered the mood and laid a heavy blanket of burden around them.

Hiccup frowned. “I don’t know. Not yet, at least.” The fear that clinched his heart when the massive dragon emerged from the pit returned, but that was nothing compared to losing Astrid off the back of Toothless. He could still feel the sensation of her sobbing in his arms and the fierce need to protect her that had awoken inside him.

Caressing her cheek, he vowed to her with all that was inside him, “I promise, I’ll protect you.”

Astrid search his eyes then shook her head, determined and strong as the Astrid he knew. “No, Hiccup. We protect each other.”

They held each other there in the middle of the living room, the promise bonding them together. Hiccup never knew he could feel this intensely for anything, but as they stayed there, he knew without a shadow of doubt that he’d formulate a plan to protect Berk and the dragons and Toothless. But most of all, the girl that he loved.

***

Writer’s note: It finally happened! I’d gone back and forth ever since I started this fic with whether I’d have them consummate the marriage during this fic. As the story progressed, it felt like it should happen. I’m not completely satisfied how some of this chapter came out. There were two moments that I’d been working up to and I felt I didn’t emphasize them enough. But I’ve been working on this chapter for like nearly a month now and if those parts hadn’t improved yet, then they probably weren’t going to. I’m happy with how the story is playing out and there’s so many more big things that are about to happen!

Thank you to all y’all who are keeping up with this story! I really hoped y’all are getting the same enjoyment I’m getting from writing it <3

Tags:  @martabm90​ @chiefhiccstrid @drchee5e @celtictreemuffin @hey-its-laura-again

[kpopaeipathy]

When the Curtain Falls (BTS Oneshot)

Pairing: No Romantic Pairings

Genre: Angst (NC-17)

Summary: Taehyung is a non-professional tagger. His stepfather, who is a police officer, uses that to incriminate him for burglary and send him to a reformatory where he meets the other members of BTS. The boys leave the reformatory one by one before Taehyung, who only leaves when he’s about to turn 18. Upon returning home, he finds his stepfather beating his mother and reacts violently. This makes the stepfather even more furious with Taehyung, who runs away and gathers with his friends (BTS members) to get around the situation. While the stepfather incriminates Taehyung his violent act, the boys seek evidence to clear Taehyung and perhaps save his mother.

Word Count: 26k

Warnings: Graphic depictions of violence, underage, hyyh typical violence, implied/referenced child abuse, youth violence, physical fighting, domestic violence, blood, framing.

Playlist

A/N:  This is for @hyyhbigbang and it is co-written with @dihcorrea. We're sorry that the end is kind of fast but we were struggling to get it done in time, or else it'd be a giant story. We hope you like it. Moodboards and playlist were created by the amazing @hungline (We loved them all, thank you so much <3). Crossposted on AO3.

----

"Won’t it be weird to be out there again?" Yoongi asked. Unlike the others, he was the only one staring at the door where Seokjin and Hoseok would be leaving soon.

"Probably," replied Seokjin, smiling at how his friend was trying to conceal how worried he was about saying farewell. Of all the friends he made at the reform school, Yoongi had been the first and the most different from him. It was still hard for Seokjin to believe that they had become great friends simply because they shared a room and respected each other's space. "But I’ll manage it," he finished, finally attracting Yoongi's gaze.

If there was something that Yoongi knew all too well, it was Seokjin’s adaptive nature of Seokjin. The older boy knew full well how to use his beauty and charm to make things easier for him. Everyone knew that it was that "skill" that had put him in the reform school, but Seokjin had never seen it as a bad thing; it was simply the way he had found to live the life he’d had before entering the reformatory. Even then, inside the facility, his ability had helped everyone he had become friends with. Mainly Hoseok, since it was Seokjin’s charm and Namjoon’s intelligence that revealed the true culprit of the crime for which he was incriminated for.

"I can’t believe I'm not gonna see you again," Jungkook complained. The troublemaker was the youngest in the group and was practically adopted as their mascot, but he liked to treat others as if they were the same age as him.

"I wouldn’t worry about that," Seokjin replied. "We’re not the best influence for a kid like you."

"I'm not a kid," Jungkook complained, slapping the older boy's hand just as he was about to mess up his hair.

"Actually," Hoseok interrupted, holding Jungkook by the neck to mess his hair too, "I think the kid’s right. Why don’t we try to keep in touch after we get out of here?"

It was not exactly a bad idea. After all, everyone had entered the reform school so young, and for some reason everyone had become good friends, perhaps even best friends. For some of them, those boys were the only true friends they ever had in their lives. Keeping in touch after they separated seemed to be worth it. Besides, some of them were so troublesome that they might need help even outside the reform school.

It was what Yoongi thought as he looked back at the exit door. But this time he was not the only one who looked at that door with concern. Taehyung was also afraid to get out of there and go back to his own house. As bad as the reformatory was, he had found good people there--people who counseled and helped him. Outside, he had practically only seen violence and pain.

"Whatever," Seokjin shrugged, grabbing a business card inside the backpack he was taking with him out of the reform school and placing it in the Taehyung’s hand, startling him. "This is the gas station telephone next to my house. Just call and ask for me. They'll find me."

Seokjin's complacent smile and the fact that he had put the paper in Taehyung's hand made the younger boy uncomfortable. Everyone there knew, including him, that he would be the most likely to seek help from others, but Taehyung did not like to think he would be weak again. If he were to meet his friends again, it would not be out of fear, but for nostalgia.

"Since I have no pen here," Hoseok said, "Someone's gonna have to remember my address."

Automatically, everyone looked at Namjoon, who simply raised his eyebrows and complained, "The fact that I'm good with computers doesn’t mean I have the best memory."

Regardless of what his friend had just said, Hoseok spoke his address aloud for all of them to hear. If Namjoon did not remember everything, surely the others would be able to help. When he turned back to the hacker again, however, Namjoon simply nodded, proving that everyone was right to think he would be able to remember the address without difficulty.

Hoseok simply smiled. Namjoon was very intelligent, but extremely modest. Hoseok did not care about it, since he only cared about the health and freedom of his friends. He had been unjustly imprisoned as well as half of the others, but it was Namjoon who had helped him find his own freedom, so Hoseok would do anything to help the others too, regardless of the crime they had committed or not.

"I wanted to know if they're going to be sad when I leave," Jimin commented, tapping Jungkook's arm, who seemed to be on the verge of tears. Jungkook sniffled, still trying to appear tough in front of his hyungs even with snot dripping down his nose. The younger could be brave and quarrelsome, but he was very emotional.

"I'm leaving first, so they’re gonna miss me more," Yoongi commented.

Snorting, Jimin shrugged but said nothing else. He also did not like goodbyes and would miss all the friends he had made in that place.

"Time to go!"

They looked at the guard who waited for Seokjin and Hoseok with the gate open. After a year forming a bond that seemed too strong to be broken, it was finally time for them to separate.

Everyone was sad to see the two friends leave, but that was only the first of the farewells. Three months later, Yoongi would be holding his own bundle of clothes, ready to leave the place that had kept him safe for a few years.

Again, he stared at the gate while the others complained and talked about how they would miss him. Yoongi was not afraid of leaving, or at least that was what he had thought during the three months between Seokjin’s and Hoseok’s departure and his own. He was not afraid of the world outside the reformatory. In fact, he was afraid of what he would do while he was out loose in the world. He had already erred once, even if unintentionally, so what would keep him from making a mistake again?

"You don’t have to worry," Jungkook's voice made the older man turn to him. "When you think of strange things, just remember what I told ya."

Yoongi smiled as soon as Jungkook finished speaking, which elicited an even bigger smile on the young man's face. Jungkook, when he was welcomed by the group, felt that he had a new family, so he did not regard others simply as his friends, he considered them all as older brothers. They were the ones who had helped him overcome his anger and feel free even though he had been locked away. So whenever he had the opportunity, he also tried to help the others.

The advice he'd given Yoongi was more of a reminder than advice. When he discovered that Yoongi was a pyromaniac, Jungkook tried to think of the best way to prevent his friend from becoming fascinated with the fire again. "Fire, in any situation, is like me when I’m angry. It’ll only destroy everything in its path," he had said, making Yoongi smile whenever he was reminded of his fascination and of Jungkook.

"I'll never forget," Yoongi assured the younger. Then he handed his phone number to Jungkook and said that he and the others could meet him at the shelter. That was the best he could do to keep in touch.

Again, the farewell was sad, but it was not the last. Another three months and Jimin was prepared to return to the world outside the reform school. This time, Jungkook could not hold back the tears.

"Hey, boy," Jimin called to him and wrapped his arms around the younger man's shoulders, "We’ll see each other again, so why’re you crying?"

That made the youngest cry harder. Jimin smiled. He knew the exact reason for Jungkook's tears. It had been Jimin who had supported him and had taught him to control his anger. It had been Jimin who had made him use his knowledge of muay thai for good. Jimin was also afraid to leave the young man alone, but he knew that Jungkook was strong and could move on.

"You'd better give your phone number or address to this boy soon, before he leaves your shirt drenched with so many tears," Taehyung grumbled.

He did not want to get rid of Jimin, but he was also curious to know where the one who looked like a playboy lived. Besides, he did not like to see Jungkook crying. If the strongest of them, despite being the youngest, was able to cry so easily, how would he endure it when it was his turn to return to the real world?

Taehyung still stared nervously at the gate every time his friends left. But he had not yet decided whether he was afraid of what would happen outside or whether he was afraid of what would not happen. Thinking that he would never find the only friends he had ever done in his life was difficult.

"Tae is right," Namjoon agreed, "You better show him right away that you'll see each other again."

Jimin continued to smile and did as he was told. The address of one of the city's most expensive condominiums was put into Jungkook's hands, but the younger one soon lost the paper to Taehyung, who was afraid he would eventually wet it with his tears.

Each time it seemed worse to see the friends going away, especially to Jungkook and Taehyung who were always left behind. When Namjoon was leaving six months later, the two young men seemed to be losing the last healthy limb of their bodies. Namjoon had never seen the two of them with a more sad countenance, though they were holding back the tears very well.

"It looks like someone's dead," Namjoon commented, trying to make a joke, but could not get a smile from either of them. "Hey, I'm just leaving you guys alone for a few months. Why are you like this? It's not like you’ll be alone. You still have each other."

That made Jungkook smile slightly. It was good not to be completely alone in that place. Ever since he had appeared there with a black eye and a great deal of anger to overflow, he had been welcomed by the group, which was not yet fully formed. Although he was the most competent in fighting, the elders always protected him against the other children in the reform school and against himself. Always being with them was a relief.

"I don’t know if this is a good thing," Taehyung grumbled, catching the attention of the two friends. "He's just gonna have me to hit now."

Namjoon laughed, but Jungkook felt a little offended.

"Like I hit you often," he muttered between his teeth.

Namjoon laughed even harder. Of course, Jungkook did not beat them up with anger or quarrel with any of them, but the boy was crude by nature and even his displays of affection could hurt sometimes. Even so, everyone was so fond of the youngest that all the generous "pat" pardoned.

"Just try not to leave him with any bruises," Namjoon managed to say between the laughter.

As it was very rare to see the older man laughing like that, Jungkook ended up joking. He slipped an arm around Taehyung's neck and pulled him against his chest, giving his friend a light chokehold.

"I can’t promise anything," he asserted as Taehyung tapped his arm and tried to break free.

And it was in that spirit that the two young men endured the last two years of their sentences in that place. One protected the other, one taught the other, one confided to the other. At the end of their stay, Jungkook and Taehyung felt that they knew everything about each other. In addition, they set out to record the information on how they could find their friends and promised to continue talking when they were outside. Even if they could not talk to the others, they would not miss each other.

The day they left the reform school, they stood for a long time in front of the gate. Jungkook was not worried because he was sure everything would work out. He was being incredibly optimistic, especially after all he'd learned from friends in the reform school.

Taehyung, on the other hand, was still afraid to take a step forward. He knew he would keep the promise made to his friend to find him and the others. As for the rest, he was not sure of anything.

"Hey, are you okay?" Jungkook asked, seeing Taehyung's worried face.

Shaking his head to get away from the bad thoughts that were beginning to invade his mind, Taehyung smiled at Jungkook and stated that everything was fine.

"Do you wanna go home with me and wait for the best time to come to your house?" Jungkook continued, still surprised by Taehyung's reaction to the exit from the reform school.

Shrugging, Taehyung replied, "I don’t think there's gonna be a better time than this. He must be at work and my mother must be alone at home. I think if I get there now, she'll think of a way to tell him that I came back."

Although Taehyung finally seemed optimistic, Jungkook felt apprehensive. Taehyung was now of age and any quarrel with his stepfather could lead him to jail rather than to reform.

"Well, if you need anything, you can call me," Jungkook said when he heard the horn of his mother's car for the second time. "I gotta go."

"Don’t worry, I’ll be okay," Taehyung smiled as he shook hands with his friend and told him to go his way.

He could not deny that he was a little jealous of seeing Jungkook's mother picking him up from the reform school. He knew that his friend was a minor and needed a responsible person to get him, and that he was already of age and did not need this kind of authorization, but still, he wished his mother had come to see him.

Did she remember that he was leaving that day? Was she all right? Was she still thinking about him? Was she still alive?

All those questions passing through his head made Taehyung swallow hard. There was only one way to know the answer to all that. He only prayed that he would find her alone at home so she could respond.

Taking a deep breath, he went his own way, forgetting his friends as he thought of everything he might end up finding when he got to the apartment where his mother and stepfather lived.

Could he stay there? Would his stepfather let him stay? Would he willingly accept him or would he be drunk and aggressive as he usually was? And if he could not stay, how could he find another place? Where could he get a job? Where were he going to sleep?

All the friends he had made in the reform school offered him their own houses to stay in, but Taehyung knew that half of them could not help him because they still lived with their parents, and the other half was probably as stressed with money as he could get.

It seemed that all the worries he had left aside while he was with friends in the reform school bombed his head as soon as he set foot outside the facility. When he stopped in front of the door of his stepfather's apartment, he was already having a headache and biting his lips with concern.

He took a deep breath and held the doorknob, making sure the door was not locked. He planted a smile on his face, knowing that his mother would like to see him cheerfully, and opened the door to the scene he hated most in the world.

His stepfather's hand cut the air like a sharp blade and struck the left side of Taehyung's mother's face. The force of the blow was so great that the woman went off balance, tripping over her own feet and falling to the floor on one arm while using the other to shield her face in a reflex.

What happened next didn’t last more than a minute.

Taehyung saw his mother's face turn red, contrasting with other old, dark bruises on her neck and arms. Taehyung's own vision reddened with fury and he took a deep breath as he looked around the room.

Beside the door, above the shoe rack, which contained his stepfather's many shoes compared to a single pair of his mother's high heels, there were three empty beer bottles. Without thinking twice, Taehyung took one of them and advanced into the room, toward his stepfather who still ignored his presence and was now kicking his mother's ribs.

With a movement practically reflecting the stepfather's first blow, Taehyung cut the air with the bottle and struck it at the top of the stepfather's head.

Taken by surprise, the man took a second to realize the seriousness of the blow, and his own brain had a slight delay in switching adrenaline for pain, making the man slightly dizzy and disoriented.

When he noticed that his stepfather turned away from his mother, Taehyung, still blinded with anger, reflected another blow from the aggressor and hit his stepfather's belly with what was left of the bottle in his hand. With that blow, the man was completely disarmed and looked deeply into Taehyung's eyes as he swallowed and held both hands to Taehyung's hand that still held the shard of the glass bottle against his body.

Taehyung was also looking into his stepfather's eyes, which were no longer higher than his own since they were now about the same height, and could not help notice when they suddenly clouded. Blinking, Taehyung seemed to regain consciousness. His eyes widened and he tried to drop the shard of the bottle, but the hands around his prevented it.

As he looked down, he came across the blood. Blinking rapidly a few times, Taehyung's lips began to tremble, as well as his hands, when he used his free hand to remove his stepfather's hands from over his.

Once free, Taehyung stepped back, staring in amazement at his red-stained hands.

He then heard a groan of pain ahead of him, and glanced at his stepfather in time to see him try to step back and trip over his own foot, falling to the glass coffee table and splintering it beneath himself.

Taehyung was still struggling with his own conscience to help or not the fallen man in front of him when he heard his mother's battered voice utter his name behind him.

Turning quickly, Taehyung ran to his mother to help her up.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, her nervous eyes searching her son's face for any injuries. That usual gesture of fear and worry hurt Taehyung far more than the fact that his mother had forgotten that he would leave the reformatory that day.

"Mom…"

He didn't have time to clear the lump that was formed in his throat to finish the sentence, as his mother looked behind Taehyung and saw her husband lying on the broken glass of the coffee table, blood staining the police uniform that he wore.

“What happened?” She looked back at Taehyung, who began to shiver again as tears welled up in his brown eyes.

The anguish and fear he saw reflected in his mother's widening eyes only served to make him tremble even more as he looked back at his bloodied hands.

"You have to get out of here," his mother insisted, pushing him toward the door, "Go!"

He tried to refute and stuck his feet on the floor so she wouldn't get him out of the apartment, but his respect and love for his mother prevented him from using any kind of force against her. Although feeling a coward, Taehyung let his mother put him out. Once the door closed between them, tears finally trickled down Taehyung's cheeks and trembling lips.

Then, he ran.

***

Jungkook's parents were more disappointed than sad when their son was arrested for assault. They hoped that Taekwondo would relieve Jungkook's explosive genius rather than burn it down, and when the latter happened, they only asked the divine that the punishment Jungkook would receive was enough to do what taekwondo couldn’t do for the boy.

Since they hoped that their prayers would be answered, Jungkook's parents prepared a welcome party at their home. This was a party Jungkook had not expected and could not enjoy, for his mind was still caught in the expression of doubt on Taehyung's face as they left the reform school.

As much as he wanted to feel good about being free and to have fun listening to his old friends tell him about what happened to them while he was in the reform school, Jungkook was easily distracted by the feeling that something bad would happen to Taehyung.

When his cell phone rang, Jungkook answered hurriedly, and when he heard Taehyung's breath and choppy voice on the other end of the line, he was sure his intuition was right.

"Hyung, what's up?" Jungkook asked worriedly. The sense of foreboding escalates as the hesitation from Taehyung's end worries Jungkook even more. If Taehyung asked, he is sure that he would drop everything to help his friend.

"I just wanted to know if everything was alright out there," Taehyung said. “Was everyone happy with your return?”

As much as he wanted to believe his friend, Jungkook knew something was wrong. Of course, they had promised to keep in touch, but neither of them believed they would talk anytime soon, especially if it was just to ask if all was well.

“Are you sure that's all? It sounds like you’re running,” Jungkook asked and heard another pause in the older boy's response.

"I'm fine," he replied, "Mom asked me to go buy something to celebrate my return, so I'm running."

It wasn’t just the breathless running that was upsetting Jungkook, but also his friend's lies; Jungkook could practically hear the lump in Taehyung's throat and hear the tears fighting to leave his eyes.

"Hyung, please," he insisted, "Tell me what's going on."

One more pause, “It’s nothing, I promise. I'll call you later.”

With that, Taehyung ended the call.

Jungkook didn't know what to do. He knew something was wrong and that Taehyung had just lied to him, but he could do nothing but call his friend and try to find out what was going on, or at least find out where Taehyung was running to. However, he did not believe Taehyung would say even if he insisted.

Because he couldn't rush out of the house and roam the streets looking for Taehyung, Jungkook decided it was best to talk to someone who could make Taehyung talk. Jungkook searched for the new numbers he had saved on his cell phone as soon as he got it back from the reform school, and as soon as he found Seokjin's number, he called his friend.

As Seokjin had explained to them upon being released, the gas station attendant answered the phone. Quickly, Jungkook asked for his older friend and the attendant promptly replied that he would talk to Seokjin to return the call.

Without really having anything to do, Jungkook hung up and waited for Seokjin's call while pretending to be interested in the party his parents had prepared for him. It wasn't that he didn't want to have fun with family or old friends, but one of his new - and more troublesome - friends was in trouble and he would rather help him than stay there pretending like nothing was happening.

So, just to do something, Jungkook tried another of the new numbers on his cell phone and called Yoongi. Unfortunately, his friend was also absent. The shelter girl who answered informed him that Yoongi was out working and would not be back until later, but she would deliver the message and Yoongi could return his call. Jungkook gave his cell number to the shelter girl and hung up.

Jungkook would wait. He would tell his friends everything as soon as they return his calls, but he needed to find someone who could act faster. Much faster. So he looked again at the new saved phones and called Namjoon, which would be his last hope. If his friend did not answer and none of them return his call within half an hour, he would change tactics and go to Hoseok’s or Jimin's house for his friends to help him.

***

The “No Unauthorized Entry” warning was not enough to stop Taehyung from breaking into the abandoned building, let alone the lock that secured the gate grilles. Since the chain was wide, the opening Taehyung got by pulling one side of the gate was enough for him to pass through. At that moment, he didn't care about the illegality of his act; he just wanted to hide for a moment.

After being thrown out of the apartment by his mother and making the unexplained call to Jungkook, Taehyung still ran a couple of blocks until he found the abandoned building.

He wasn't thinking straight when he called Jungkook. Luckily he managed to hold back and not ruin the big reception that was going on at Jungkook's house.

When he saw the abandoned building, Taehyung didn’t think either. He had nowhere to go, so that building seemed like a good place to hide from what he had just done. However, Taehyung had sat down to collect his thoughts for only a minute when he realized that he had been foolish to think that he would forget his sins.

His hands were still bloody and it made him despair again. He started rubbing his hands together, but he realized his clothes were also stained with blood. Fortunately, he had not found anyone on the way from his house to the abandoned building, so no one had noticed that he was so bloody.

Taehyung continued rubbing his hands and clothes, trying to remove the blood that kept him from forgetting that he might have killed his stepfather - and even if he had not, he had certainly hurt him badly. Regardless of whether he did that to protect his mother, it didn't change the fact that he'd attacked someone. Nothing would change the fact that he, for a moment of fury and insanity, had become what he hated most: a violent person.

It was only when his cell phone rang, echoing on the unfinished walls of the empty building, that Taehyung stopped trying to wipe off his stepfather's blood.

He glanced at the display to see who was calling, but he couldn't see anything because his eyes were already watering. He answered anyway, thinking it might be his mother or Jungkook. He needed to tell everyone that he was fine.

The voice he heard on the other end, however, had nothing to do with his mother's delicate, feminine voice or Jungkook's soft, husky voice.

"Taehyung, where are you?"

That call was the last straw for Taehyung. Tears streamed down his cheeks again, and even if he tried to control his sobs, he knew that the moment he answered he couldn't hide anything from the person on the other side.

"Hyung," Taehyung said, his naturally strong voice was weak and even he could hear the lump in his throat, "I miss you."

After that sentence, Taehyung said nothing more. He simply cried. It was as if each tear fell for a different reason. He cried because he really missed the only friends he made in his life; he cried because he wanted to be with his mother, because he wanted her to be safe, because he wanted not to attack his stepfather, and because he didn't really regret it - his mother's security was much more important.

Taehyung cried for a long time and his friend on the phone said nothing, just listened to him cry until the sobs stopped and Taehyung's breathing settled. He still gave Taehyung time to calm down, and only then did he repeat the question with which he initiated the call.

"I'm in an abandoned building three blocks from my house," Taehyung replied, rubbing his face to wipe away the remaining tears on his skin.

After giving his stepfather's apartment's address to his friend, Taehyung hung up the phone with the promise that he wouldn't leave until his friends showed up to see him. Since he had nowhere to go, Taehyung didn't find it difficult to make that promise, much less keep it. But it wasn't until the next morning that Taehyung had other news from his friends.

It was the noise of the gate chain that woke him up, and for a moment Taehyung thought that the contractors had decided to resume construction right now that he needed the empty building. That’s just my luck, he thought. But when he heard the voices of the people coming in and apparently teasing each other, Taehyung let out a breath he didn't even notice he was holding, and his muscles immediately relaxed.

"Taehyung, where are you?" Seokjin's baritone voice reverberated on the walls, and Taehyung smiled.

Watching his friends together again reminded Taehyung of the year they spent together in the reform school strengthening that bond of friendship, and he almost forgot why everyone was there. However, it would be impossible to forget what had happened the day before, at least for a long time.

As soon as they saw him, Taehyung's friends reacted differently; trying not to freak Taehyung out, they controlled their surprise and worry, but Taehyung could see one thing was shared in all expressions: empathy. With a weak smile, Taehyung tried to hide his own feelings. It was that empathy he was afraid of; it was because of that empathy that he was reluctant to contact his friends after what he did.

Jimin sat on the floor next to Taehyung, though "throwing himself at Taehyung’s side" was a more appropriate expression. Though he was unable to smile from his swirling thoughts and feelings, Taehyung struggled to show his friend a funny expression.

"Here," said Seokjin, coming closer and extending something wrapped in paper towards him. "I thought you might be hungry."

Taehyung curiously opened the package and found some muffins and stuffed breads. Jungkook approached and sat on the other side of his friend, knowing that Jimin would not walk away. In a natural, almost unconscious gesture, Taehyung held out a muffin to the younger, like he always did in the reform school.

One by one, everyone set on the dirty floor.

"How are you doing?" Yoongi asked, leaning forward.

Taehyung looked up from the muffin he was eating, his mouth full and cheeks prominent as he chewed. Taehyung’s brown eyes were as confused as those of a child hearing the signal indicating the end of recess.

"Did you get hurt?" Yoongi asked again and this time pointed to Taehyung's bloodstained clothes. The younger one blinked twice before responding with a forlorn nod. Of course, his friends would worry that he was injured, and Yoongi wouldn't simply ask if he was fine soon after seeing him bloody waking up in an abandoned building. It was obvious that something was wrong, but the second oldest in the group seemed to be content with the silent answer.

"We won’t ask what happened," Hoseok comforted, "You don't have to tell us if you don't want to."

"You can tell us when you feel ready," Jimin said, but corrected himself as Taehyung's eyes shifted from Hoseok to him, "I mean, if you feel ready." He emphasized the word "if.”

"Or we can just set fire to the house of the people who did this to you," Yoongi commented, shrugging as if that were a normal suggestion. But it was the scolding look of the other boys that made Yoongi tell Taehyung to forget what he had just said.

If his stepfather's apartment were not the same as his mother's, perhaps Taehyung might even have considered that idea, but thinking that it might come out worse than the attack on his stepfather, he preferred to be quiet and let his friends refute Yoongi's idea.

"I..." Taehyung looked at all the faces around him. No one had expected him to talk so fast, not even him. But as soon as the first word came out of his mouth in a deep, husky voice, a flurry of words ensued. It wasn't like the night before when tears created a lump in his throat and he could do nothing but cry. No – this time, the words seemed to have a life of their own and came out without him having to think about them.

Taehyung told them how he got home and how much he wanted to meet his mother again, and how he almost stopped breathing when he found his stepfather assaulting her. He told them that he couldn't think of anything but how much he needed to stop his stepfather and his own actions, those thoughts had also gone muddy in the whirlwind in his mind.

He re-lived every second and, as if in a trance, he began frantically rubbing his hands together to try to wipe away the now-dried blood.

Jimin took one of his hands while Jungkook took the other, trying to stop him from rubbing them, but he barely noticed. When he finished speaking, his breath came out as if he had run all the way back there.

"Ok. At least now we know what happened," Jungkook said, just to break the silence.

"But, guys, I..." Taehyung started, but was interrupted by Jin.

"No, you don't really know what happened after you left," commented the eldest, "And it doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is that you're here and you're fine, and we'll take care of you."

"Which brings us to another matter. Taehyung can't stay here," Namjoon said and looked around, but everyone waited patiently for him to finish. "This place is not even a little bit appropriate for living. There is nothing he might need and..."

"I can't go home," Taehyung fussed. "All that blood and... if he's dead, I..."

Everyone else shushed him together, putting a finger to their lips in a gesture to tell their friend to shut up.

"Who says you’re going to your house?" Namjoon asked. "That's not what I was talking about."

In a second, the younger ones started to play and mock, teasing Taehyung and the older ones. Then everything seemed lighter and simpler, as it only seemed when the seven of them were together. For a while, Taehyung allowed himself to enjoy his friends' presence even though he couldn't forget everything else. At least now his friends were there and he felt stronger knowing he had their support.

None of them paid attention to the time. At one point, one of his friends had loaned Taehyung a coat so he could get rid of the bloody clothes, but no one could tell how much time had passed before or after that.

“We must find a decent place for you to take a shower and get rid of the rest of this blood,” Hoseok said before they left the building. Taehyung felt lighter and freer knowing that he could open up to his friends.

The seven walked the city streets as if they had no worries in the world. The day was sunny, the sun was so bright that it seemed to be helping the boys cheer up Taehyung.

Even with the small breakfast Seokjin had provided, by that time everyone was hungry again, but no one paid attention to it despite the growling stomachs.

Despite the busy hours and streets, people walking around at their lunch hour didn't notice or simply didn't care about the seven young people walking around.

They talked, laughed, and joked, and Taehyung had finally started to interact more, putting his worries aside with some effort. The walk to Namjoon's house was not difficult in the company of friends, even though Namjoon did not exactly live near Taehyung's house.

No one noticed when Jungkook stopped walking and almost stuck his nose in the window of a store, so close his breath was steaming up the glass. It was a large electronics store, and in the front there were several large TVs with crisp, bright images.

Jungkook wasn’t interested in buying a TV or any other electronic product. He didn't have to be glazed to the window of such a store if he wanted something. His family was not as rich as Jimin's, but his parents had enough money to buy whatever he asked, and he didn't have to covet a TV like that since he had a very similar one at home. No, Jungkook was not interested in the devices, but in the images that were shown on each of them.

"Hyung," Jungkook called without even looking at the others. His black eyes didn't leave the screens on the other side of the glass. He did not want to miss any part of the news.

Of course the others had no way of knowing which one Jungkook was calling, since they were all older than him, but no one cared or asked any questions. Everyone turned at the younger boy's voice, as they would have done even if he called someone's name. When they realized that they had already walked a few steps, they approached him, alternating glances between Jungkook's serious face and the window.

Jungkook pointed to the glass-exposed TVs without saying anything else. He didn't need to say anything, he thought. The pictures would say for him.

On all TVs, the images were the same: the news. At first no one seemed alarmed or surprised. They were only curious because Jungkook had found something interesting enough to call them, but that was before they heard what the reporter was saying.

"After being found injured in his own home, the policeman was taken to the nearest hospital, where he spent a few hours in surgery. Doctors reported that there was no complication during the procedure and the patient spent little time in the ICU because he woke up quickly after the effects of the anesthesia had passed. His condition is not critical at the moment, but he will continue to stay at the hospital for further care." The reporter's well-trained voice came out strong and calm, despite the macabre content of the news story.

Taehyung felt his heart skip a beat, his brown eyes wide and his mouth half open, but he didn't believe he could really express what he was feeling. A mixture of relief and panic invaded him like an avalanche.

He didn't need to hear the cop's name to know that the woman was talking about his stepfather. Nor did he need to watch the pictures on TV to know what the cop's house was like when he was found, because it was all etched in his mind, the most vivid memories he wouldn’t like to have.

But if the man was alive, it meant that Taehyung did not have to carry the weight of his life (or death) on his shoulders. He could handle the guilt of injuring his stepfather in a moment of fury and desperation to defend his mother, but he was not a killer.

Relief brought tears to his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. He had cried too much that morning. Besides, what would happen now? His stepfather wasn't exactly the most understanding person in the world, and judging by the things he'd already done, he wouldn't avoid a chance to tell that it was Taehyung who had hurt him. The same fear that had made his heart skip a beat now made it beat faster.

Taehyung forced himself to ignore his own thoughts and pay attention to what was happening on the screen.

Images of the hospital had changed, and now everyone could see a couple in a studio, sitting behind a half-moon table of polished wood and marble with a big screen behind them that read "POLICE ATTACKED AT HOME."

Taehyung swallowed hard. He had a strong feeling about how this was going to end.

"According to the victim’s testimony to the police this morning, the attack’s perpetrator was his own stepson, who allegedly used a broken glass bottle to injure him in a sudden attack of rage," the reporter explained.

"The victim states that the stepson has a history of violence and an aversion for rules, and the police are engaged in the investigation and search for Kim Taehyung, the victim's stepson," continued the other reporter with a blank expression. 

A picture of Taehyung appeared on the screen as the reporter spoke. The brown hair was a little shorter in the photo than it actually was, since it was an old photo. Then the image changed and a blond man who was in his late thirties appeared on the screen wearing a police uniform.

"We are not going to let such an attack go unpunished," the blond policeman spoke harshly. "An attack on a police officer is, in addition to a crime, a disrespect to the authorities of this city. If this continues, no one else will be safe. A troubled young man can't go around doing whatever he wants," his voice was louder now, more angry. "Let's do our colleague justice by protecting this city."

Taehyung couldn't believe that they were distorting everything! These journalists just passed on the information they received, but they were not right. They had been modified or were incomplete, and the police were saying the same things as his stepfather. Taehyung knew that, but he couldn't help feeling frustrated. His stepfather was a police officer and had enough power to influence the entire department. The police, in turn, were contaminating the media. Taehyung understood that the consequence of all this would be that no one else would believe him, much less want to know his side of the story. Now everyone would see him as a troubled, violent young man who hurt people for no reason.

These thoughts were only reaffirmed when the TV image changed again, this time showing his picture on one side and the reporter on the other.

"Kim Taehyung was convicted of theft just over three years ago and has just left the reform school, his departure coinciding with his 18th birthday. As an adult, Kim Taehyung seems to have become more violent. We ask that you be careful, but if you see him or have any information that can help with the investigation, please contact the police. Your identities will be protected and you will not be in any danger from such contact." Just as the woman finished her sentence, the aforementioned phone number for the police appeared below the screen.

"Investigation my ass!" Jungkook was outraged. "I doubt they want to investigate anything. They've decided to blame Tae for everything."

"I said we should set his house on fire," Yoongi said in a serious tone. He didn't seem to be kidding, and his friends knew him well enough to know it wasn't even a joke. Everyone looked at him very seriously. "What?" He continued. "I doubt he’d be doing all this if he had to put out the fire of that cowardly ass."

"Maybe they don't know what kind of people they're dealing with," Jimin thought aloud. "Maybe he lied to his colleagues in the police department and they don't know who he really is."

"Regardless, it's no longer safe for Tae to be on the street. Anyone can decide to report him. We need to get him to a safe place and think about what to do," Hoseok concluded.

As soon as Hoseok finished speaking, the door to the electronics store opened, accompanied by the sound of a bell ringing. A salesman came out wearing jeans and a blue polo shirt with the store logo stamped in his left pocket. The seven young men struggled to act naturally, but those who knew them would know that it was unnatural for Yoongi's small eyes to be so wide open.

"Can I help you?" The man asked with a smile, and Namjoon knew he didn't suspect a thing. Either the man was not good at remembering faces or had not seen the news. Anyway, Namjoon chose not to risk it.

"Not really. Thank you," Namjoon replied with a small forced smile that showed his dimples. "We were just looking." To his friends, he whispered, "Let's go."

They had better get out before the salesman recognized Taehyung. And there they were again, heading for Namjoon's house.

Maybe it was the fear of someone recognizing Taehyung wandering the street, but the boys practically ran to Namjoon's house. They arrived exhausted, hungry and thirsty. It was no surprise that they decided to eat and drink before they started talking about what was going on. Besides, no one really wanted to get back to the subject. Each of them was thinking of a less intrusive and disturbing way to bring the issue to Taehyung and remind him of everything that had happened to him. Taehyung, on the other hand, didn’t want to involve his friends more than he had already involved in his problems.

This was a delicate moment and no one was in a hurry, after all, no one wanted to make it worse. So, they silently ate the food Seokjin and Yoongi prepared for them. There was no joke or attempt to improve the mood, as had happened until they found out what had happened after Taehyung left his stepfather's house.

Finally, after everyone had finished their meal and was having some beer - except Taehyung who simply looked at the beer bottle in his hand and remembered what he had done - Hoseok decided to say something.

“I think we should do something to bring out the truth.” It was rare to see Hoseok so serious, as he was usually the most excitable out of all of them. “We can't let Taehyung be incriminated for something he didn't do.”

"As if that hadn't happened before," Taehyung grunted, but his comment was ignored by the others.

"Hobi hyung is right," Jimin agreed, "It's not fair for Tae to be arrested for something so serious when nothing they are saying is true."

"It makes no difference," Taehyung grunted again and was ignored.

“Maybe I have an idea on how to do that,” Namjoon said, causing everyone to look hopefully in his eyes, except for Taehyung, who kept analyzing the beer bottle as if it had been the bottle he had used for hurting his stepfather.

"Tell us." It was Seokjin's turn to grumble, but he wasn't as discouraged as Taehyung, so he wasn't ignored.

"We know Taehyung has been wrongly accused before," explained Namjoon, "and that it was all a trick of his stepfather."

"It's true," Jungkook agreed, remembering all the stories he had heard from Taehyung about the case that had taken him to the reform school. “He was charged with theft by one of the owners of the house he was hired to graffiti on.”

"Exactly," continued Namjoon.

"And what does this have to do with the present case?" Yoongi asked. Although he was playing with his lighter and not even looking at his friends, he was paying more attention than they could imagine.

"It has to do with the fact that they’re using his past against him," Namjoon explained. “Having a police record is always a high point in becoming a suspect. With that and the fact that he has his stepfather against him, Taehyung doesn't have much chance of having someone by his side. If we can prove that he was wronged in both cases, he’ll have a chance to be heard.”

“I might know someone who can help us,” Hoseok added, “if we can get this evidence.”

All of Taehyung's friends began to agree, seeing in Namjoon's suggestion the perfect, though incomplete, plan to rid Taehyung of that accusation and possible imprisonment, or of a life in hiding.

"I told you it won't work!" Taehyung shouted this time, as his grumblings were being ignored. The bottle in his hand hit the table hard, but fortunately he didn't break it and wasn't hurt by the gesture.

Everyone looked at him in astonishment, but all Taehyung saw was empathy returning to his friends’ eyes. He was fed up with that empathy.

"Don't you get it?" He complained, his eyes once again filling with tears and his hands shaking. “None of this will work! No one will believe me, no one will doubt my stepfather's word! Do you think I never tried to report him for assaulting my mother? Do you think I didn't try to say that I had done nothing wrong when they accused me of theft? No one ever believes me if he's on the other side accusing me. None of this will work!”

Taehyung wanted his friends to understand and move away. He didn’t even want to stay at Namjoon's house, because if he were ever found, his friend would be accused of hiding a criminal. He believed with all his might that he had no chance against his stepfather, and seeing his friends try to help him, knowing it would be in vain, was difficult for him to see. His friends' startled glances made Taehyung feel even worse.

"And stop looking at me like that," he grunted again and went back to analyzing the beer bottle; he was getting tired. “You don't have to feel sorry for me and think I'm scared or something. I just don't want you to get involved in this anymore than you already are.”

A silence fell over the room, along with a tension so thick that a knife could cut through it.

“Are you nuts?!” Yoongi's voice cut the tension and startled his friends, including Taehyung who stared at him wide-eyed.

No one had ever seen Yoongi be so incisive. Usually the second oldest in the group seemed to be thinking of something else, always with a neutral expression and eyes wandering as he watched the fire or the horizon. They knew their friend paid attention to what they said, but he never did anything but make a quick suggestion or ask a question that urged others to speak for him. That outburst of indignation was new to everyone.

"No one here is sorry for you," Yoongi said, his voice louder than usual. "Of course, what’s happening is not fair, but we’re not sorry for you because we know you’re able to get over it with your head held high, as you did last time."

"We’re your friends, Tae," Seokjin added with a slight smile on his thick lips. He was the only one who could dare to interrupt Yoongi, such was their trust in each other because they were cellmates - and the fact that Seokjin was older also helped a little. “We’ll do everything we can to help you through this, as you did everything you could to help us when we were in reform school.”

“Besides,” Namjoon added, “we're already tangled in it, so there's no point in running away or pretending there’s nothing happening.”

Taehyung was still shocked by what Yoongi said, so he didn't have the nerve to interrupt his friends. Besides, he knew that if it was any of the others in his situation, he would do the same and feel the same way, so he couldn't blame his friends or stop them from helping.

"Tae," Jimin called, causing his friend to finally stop staring at Yoongi, who was still looking at Taehyung with an annoyed expression. "I know how you feel. I know fighting this is tiring and it seems better to let it go. But you, like all of us, know that hiding the truth is harmful not only to you but to others as well. What will happen to your mother if you keep quiet and get arrested again? What will happen to us if you don't speak up this time?”

Taehyung frowned as he considered what he had just heard. He didn't want to involve anyone in his troubles, but remembering what he saw his stepfather do to his mother while he wasn't around made his heart clench in his chest. Jimin was right; hiding the truth would not only harm him, as Taehyung first believed, it would harm his mother and friends, the only people who liked him and protected him.

"We can do it, Tae," Hoseok said cheerfully, trying to relieve the stress and irritation from his friends. “I know someone who’ll listen to you and make others do the same. We just need to find the evidence, and I know we can find it for your cases like we did for mine.”

"And now that we're out here," Jungkook added, "it will be even easier than when we were stuck in the reform school."

Hoseok's lawyer was brought up then. He had believed in Hoseok when the young man was arrested, and as soon as Namjoon and Seokjin got into the reform school computer room and got the evidence to acquit Hoseok, the lawyer helped release him. If they got the evidence, that same lawyer could believe Taehyung and help him be heard and prove his innocence.

Seeing friends so keen to think of a way to help him, Taehyung could no longer reject their help. He had only three options: being arrested for assaulting his stepfather, living on the run, or proving his own innocence. He had a hard time believing he could succeed in the third option, but as he listened to his friends' explanations and reasonings, he was beginning to think it might be worth a try.

With no further objection from Taehyung, his friends understood that they had the freedom and consent to plan what to do next and how to help Taehyung.

Once again, Taehyung spent most part of the night awake, if not listening to his friends' ideas and plans, then thinking about all the decisions that were made that day and the possible consequences.

It was agreed that they would be divided into 3 groups. The first group would go to the house whose owners accused Taehyung of theft to retrieve camera images that could prove that Taehyung did not enter the house to steal it. The second group would go to Taehyung's mother to talk to her and ask her to help and testify against her husband, telling the truth: that Taehyung was simply protecting her. The third group would go to the police file to try to get the files from the previous case to prove that everything was orchestrated by Taehyung's stepfather to incriminate him.

At first, they wanted to keep Taehyung hidden in Namjoon's house, but as the young man refused to stand still while the others helped him, it was decided that he would go with Namjoon to the house he supposedly stole, where he would be less likely to get caught, while Jimin and Hoseok would go to his mother, and Jungkook, Yoongi and Seokjin would go to the police file.

Taehyung could see the logic of the plan and was willing to try it, since he knew his friends would do it anyway, even without him. If he compared his own attitudes with those of his friends, he would know that they were doing nothing that he would not do. However, he couldn't stop thinking about the possible consequences of what they were doing.

First, Namjoon accompanying him to a place where Taehyung had already been wrongfully accused was very dangerous. If the owners of the house saw him, they would surely report him to the police and Namjoon would be taken as his accomplice. In addition, he could be accused of attempting to steal from them again, for revenge or whatever reason his stepfather or the homeowners might invent.

Second, talking to Taehyung's mother made Taehyung's chest tighten. He was aware that what his friends would ask of his mother was extremely disturbing and painful. Besides not being able to go to her because the police would be waiting for him, Taehyung refused to put his own mother against the wall, asking her to do something she was afraid of. Taehyung knew that his mother had never reported his stepfather because no one would believe her and so she would be even more vulnerable at the hands of that rascal.

Third, breaking into the police file was extremely dangerous and highly unlikely. He still couldn't believe his friends would try to do so. Still, if anyone had a chance to do that, it was Seokjin, who had been able to convince the reform school guards to release Namjoon's access to computers, even though “must stay away from computers” was clearly written on Namjoon’s sentence. The oldest in the group had a way of convincing people that even his friends couldn’t understand. But if they were caught, they would be arrested for sure and their sentences would not be soft, and they had no reasonable explanation for doing so.

Taehyung feared for himself, but he feared much more for his friends and his mother. Even if he was arrested again, this time for much more than three years, he would rather take it than see his friends being arrested again, or seeing his mother suffer more than she was already suffering.

When he finally managed to close his eyes to rest, Taehyung had no good dreams, as they all involved everything that could go wrong with their plan. When he woke up, Taehyung was even more apprehensive than when he went to sleep, but he was aware that he could do nothing to stop his friends, so he could only wish them luck and ask them to be careful when they all left Namjoon's house to put the plan in motion.

***

After everything had been cleared up and the groups were set to put all parts of the plan into action, the boys considered leaving Taehyung at home. He would be in danger if he walked the streets now that he was wanted by the police, so staying at Namjoon's house would be safer. But the truth was that Taehyung was still a little nervous and very agitated with all the decisions his friends were making, and there was no denying that all the other six guys were afraid that if they left Taehyung alone at that moment, he might do something stupid that would endanger the whole plan.

So since letting Taehyung's emotions run wild trying to convince his mother to help didn't seem like a good idea, and getting him close to a police station was out of the question, there he was, following Namjoon's long strides.

The older one usually worked alone, it had always been that way. He didn't really need help and it was usually easier to concentrate if there was no one around, but he didn't care about the company.

Namjoon didn't say much along the way, but Taehyung didn't seem to notice. The younger one spoke almost nonstop, his voice low and hoarse, but he didn't seem to expect any response from Namjoon.

It was obvious that Taehyung didn't notice, didn't even pay attention, but Namjoon watched him from the corner of his eye from time to time. Even though he knew Taehyung's generally lively, chatty nature, the elder knew that at that moment it was all just a facade. The younger one was more nervous than he wanted to admit and talked nonstop to try to cover it up, but his friend knew him too well not to notice.

Taehyung hadn't talked this much since everyone was in the reform school together. Namjoon would have to live under a rock to not notice his friend's behavioral changes, which, as Namjoon had imagined, changed again when they got to where they were going.

Taehyung was suddenly completely silent.

Namjoon could almost hear the beating of both hearts. His own was calm and steady since he was no longer intimidated by the work he had to do. He was used to all that: the adrenaline, the care he knew he needed to be. Taehyung's heartbeat, on the other hand, though Namjoon couldn't really hear it, was racing and out of step. The almond eyes were wide.

It was no surprise. Taehyung knew every part of the plan as well as the others - not that it had been easy to convince him that it should be done. No. His eyes were wide with the shock of recognition.

He did not expect to return there. After a year in the reform school, this was the last place he expected to be.

The drawing on the high wall with the white background caught his eye. Every well done detail demonstrated the zeal with which it was made. The bold colors expressed joy and movement as it should be. The images, the represented children, seemed to dance without worry, as he had once done, at a time that seemed too distant to be precise.

It was his work. The design, the colors, even the small signature on one corner of the wall where the work ended, had been carefully done by him.

Contrary to what many might think, graffiti was a type of art and had nothing to do with vandalism. Also, some people might not like it, but Taehyung had talent. The art on the wall showed it. It also showed that his talent was recognized. Or at least it had been before he was arrested.

That was how it had started. Of course, by the time things happened, Taehyung had not linked one thing to another, but he had enough time to do it in the reform school.

He had been hired by the family who lived there to do the art on the wall. The family liked graffiti and had discovered his talent. It had been a good and satisfying job. Unfortunately, it had also happened on the same date the family was stolen from.

After that, Taehyung had been accused, without much of a chance to defend himself, of being the perpetrator of the theft. He found himself in a quick, confused rush to prove his innocence, but nothing seemed to work. Even his lawyer looked at him with suspicion, and with the influence of the family that had been stolen, it was not long before Taehyung knew the inside of the reform school.

Luckily, he also met his friends, which was why he was currently looking at the art that was still on the wall and remembering it. Because his friends believed in him more than himself and were willing to prove they were right.

Since Taehyung trusted and believed in them, he must also believe that they would get what they wanted, he had also seen their efforts to clear Hoseok out of charge and the positive results of it. But even so, he hoped Namjoon would take the first step.

Namjoon, in turn, had decided to give his friend some time to get used to the idea and accept, react to it, but he was already getting nervous from all that silence. Since Taehyung said nothing and shed no tears, Namjoon decided it was time to act. After all, the longer they spent there, the more likely someone would pass them and recognize Taehyung.

"Well, let's go," Namjoon finally said and Taehyung nodded.

The two of them approached the wall. They were going to break the law again. In fact, almost the whole group would do it and there was no innocent one this time. Convincing Taehyung's mother to help would be uncomfortable and probably difficult, but it was the only thing within the law they would do. The other two groups had to be more careful.

But at that moment, Namjoon was not worried. The possibility of breaking the law would only keep him on the alert. He wouldn’t have suggested attempting to acquit his friend if that were a problem. For him and Taehyung, however, the illegal part would only start later. For now, the biggest concern was not letting the youngest of them be recognized.

Despite the little movement of people on the wide, well-lit street, Taehyung kept his head covered by the hood of his sweatshirt. Shorter and more agile than his older friend who had a tendency to be clumsy, he offered to climb the wall while Namjoon watched the street.

The eldest of the pair looked around, happy to let the younger help. Normally he could do everything on his own, but it didn't hurt to have an assistant. He also knew from Taehyung's concentrated expression that having something to do was comforting.

Taehyung balanced the best he could on the wall and climbed up, trying not to think that he could be recognized at any moment by someone walking down the street, or worse, that someone could leave the house and see him there. Instead, he kept his focus on the small camera in front of him.

Namjoon had asked him to get technical information about the camera over the garage wall of the fancy house that was filming the graffiti, the exact camera he was looking at, at that moment. Taehyung had not asked questions before and was not asking now. He knew that his friend had it all planned and chose only to trust him. Namjoon's skills had worked to get Hoseok out of the reform school. It was hard to believe, but they could work now, too. After all the discussion with his friends and the scolding he took, Taehyung was trying not to be pessimistic.

It was easier said than done, but he could at least not disturb his friend.

Namjoon jotted down quickly and accurately all the information his friend passed while clinging to the high wall like a koala. The camera’s brand, as well as the model, the year and, lastly, the trade name of the company that managed the recordings. Rich people like those who lived there weren't the kind who ran their own security. They hired other people or companies to do this kind of work for them.

When he was over, Taehyung jumped off the wall and landed easily on the sidewalk. He waited until he received an affirmative signal from his friend and climbed back up the wall, this time with the main entrance gate to help him lean. He repeated the procedure and gave Namjoon the same information about the second camera, which was positioned to film the entrance to the house.

Namjoon made another positive sign and saw his friend skilfully climb down the wall for the second time. He himself had already noted the location and position information for each camera. He might need them or not, but he didn't want to risk it. To save his friend, every detail was important.

He patted Taehyung's shoulder and started to walk away, putting his hands in his pockets and acting casually, knowing that Taehyung was doing the same behind him. The first stage of their part in the plan was complete.

***

Jimin and Hoseok were not as satisfied with their role in the whole plan. Although it seemed like they got the easy and least dangerous part, they believed they actually got the worst part of the plan. They were certainly the best option for doing what was in their charge, but they would not like it at all.

After all was decided, while they were on their way to the hospital where Taehyung's stepfather was hospitalized, Jimin and Hoseok were silently wondering what they would do to complete their task. They were undoubtedly the friendliest and happiest people in the group (aside from Taehyung who wasn't very excited lately), so it's no fairer than them to be responsible for the most socially interacting part of the plan.

Listening to others talk about what they should do, anyone would think the task would be simple, but they were not fooled. Regardless of having the group's greatest social skills (apart from Seokjin who would use his talents for other purposes), they thought they fell far short of the task they were given. Convincing Taehyung's mother to do something she feared would not be an easy task.

Like the others, Jimin and Hoseok believed that Taehyung's mother would eventually give in to the opportunity to help her son, as they knew she loved Taehyung. They spent at least a year listening to their friend speak well of his mother and fondly remember all the good times they had together. They heard all about how she was willing to marry Taehyung's stepfather so she could support and give her son a father. They knew all the suffering and pain she had to go through while she was married. All because she loved her son and believed that staying with Taehyung's stepfather was the best way to take care of her son, even if she needed to catch up with the man who supported them.

Regardless of the marriage, Taehyung's mother's primary goal was to take good care of her son, and when the boy was arrested, she had no chance to help him because she was injured and the whole case was quickly closed. Jimin and Hoseok would appeal to the fact that this time she could help her son and escape herself from the pain this marriage caused her.

When they arrived at the hospital, it was not difficult to find out which room Taehyung's stepfather was in. Nor was it hard to find out that Taehyung's mother was practically trapped inside the room to take care of her husband and only went out a few times to eat. So Jimin and Hoseok had to wait in the hospital cafeteria until Taehyung's mother showed up to eat.

As bad as it sounds, the two friends were not surprised when lunchtime was over and Taehyung's mother didn't show up. If Taehyung's stepfather was as bad as Taehyung had said, he would surely deprive Taehyung's mother of some meals. They just couldn't understand how it could happen inside the hospital, where nurses and doctors would notice if someone was starving.

They were still patiently waiting for Taehyung's mother when a man wearing a blue coat came to them and called them to talk to him in his office. Because they were afraid of missing Taehyung's mother, Jimin and Hoseok resisted the doctor's invitation a little, but as soon as the elder said he wanted to talk precisely about the person they were looking for, the two friends followed the doctor to his office.

As they entered the office, both boys looked around the room. Each reacted differently to the new environment. Jimin remembered the time he had accompanied a friend on an appointment, but remembered very little about his own appointments with a doctor, so the place looked like any room that was clear and looked sterile. Hoseok, on the other hand, remembered very well the consultation he had had when he was arrested, when they thought he was on drugs to steal a cop's gun, so he felt a little nervous inside those walls. Even so, the two sat in front of the doctor's desk, as requested, and waited.

After finally hearing what the doctor had to say, they felt their faith in humanity being restored. Apparently, when he visited Taehyung's stepfather's room for a consultation on the patient's condition, the doctor noticed that Taehyung's mother had some unhealed wounds and some bruises that were still apparent. Seeing other women in this situation, the doctor ended up asking no question to Taehyung's stepfather about the matter and waited for the woman to leave the room unaccompanied to question her about her injuries. Unfortunately, the woman said she was very clumsy and kept hurting herself, banging on furniture and falling. Despite continuing to suspect of aggression, the doctor could not say anything if no one reported the aggressor.

However, the doctor's suspicions fell on the person they least expected: Taehyung. After exposing the fact that he was worried about the policeman's wife who had been assaulted by his stepson, the doctor expressed fear that Taehyung had not only assaulted his stepfather, but had been assaulting his own mother.

Jimin and Hoseok couldn't be more outraged by the doctor's suspicions, but they couldn't say they were surprised either. As Namjoon had said, Taehyung was all too likely to be accused at that moment, and anyone would suspect that he would be the most violent person in the family.

Even so, Jimin and Hoseok responded similarly to the doctor's accusation, tightening their lips in a thin line and clenching their hands into fists. They wanted to defend their friend and shout to the whole hospital to hear that it was not Taehyung who was the perpetrator of his mother's aggression, but his stepfather. If it depended on Taehyung's friends, even the doctor could be attacked at that moment for talking such bullshit.

Fortunately, the two boys were not stupid, so they did nothing against the doctor, nor told the truth that few knew. They simply said that they also suspected that Taehyung's mother had been abused for some time and so they wanted to see her, to persuade her to have an exam and to have documented that all her injuries were a consequence of the beatings she had taken, for only with such a document she could expose her attacker. At no point, however, did they imply that they knew who was responsible for it.

Noting that the young men were trying to help a woman they knew and apparently appreciated, the doctor proposed that they talk to Taehyung's mother, and if she agreed to take the exam, he would arrange for everything to be done correctly and discreetly, and yet would sign and stamp the report so that it would be taken to the police to make the complaint.

With someone else on their side, Jimin and Hoseok practically celebrated the unexpected advance in their plan. They just didn't do it because they still had to talk to Taehyung's mother. Hoping that they would succeed, they went back to the cafeteria and waited for Taehyung's mother once again.

Once again, the two friends spent a long time waiting for Taehyung's mother. Enough time to be concerned (again) about how they might approach the subject and persuade the wife to do an extensive and intrusive examination and to testify against her own husband. It was only when Jimin and Hoseok lost their smile of excitement that the confidence had put on their faces after talking to the doctor that Taehyung's mother entered the cafeteria.

Figuring the woman might be starving for skipping lunch, Jimin and Hoseok waited for her to grab the food and sit down for them to approach.

"Excuse me," Jimin caught the eye of Taehyung's mother, who seemed quite surprised to be approached by the two young men, but then smiled when she saw the sincere smiles on their pretty faces. Seeing that she was willing to listen to them and was not afraid of them, Jimin continued in a low voice so that only she could hear, "We are friends with Taehyung."

This time the woman widened her eyes and turned her head from side to side, looking for any sign of her husband or any other police officer. Then, making a hasty gesture with her hands, she asked them to sit down.

"How is he?" She asked immediately, lowering her voice as Jimin had done and leaning over the table to get closer to her son's friends. “I asked him to run away and I didn't hear from him anymore. When I saw what Minsuk told the police on the news this morning, it was too late for me to explain what really happened.”

Jimin and Hoseok looked at each other with frowns, finding the statement strange.

"What do you mean?" Hoseok asked as they looked back at Taehyung's mother. “Didn't the police get your statement about what happened?”

Taehyung's mother sighed and stared at her own food for a few seconds before looking up and answering:

"Minsuk told them I wasn't home," her voice was altered by the lump that formed in her throat and her eyes filled with tears. “According to his testimony, I only arrived after Taehyung rushed out of the house and he was already lying on the floor when I arrived. I also asked them if I needed to testify, but Minsuk was able to convince them that taking my statement would be a pain for me because I had to testify against my son. They made sure to stop me from talking, as if I could collapse at any moment.”

Seeing a tear that Taehyung's mother couldn't keep from running down the beautiful woman's pale cheeks, Jimin and Hoseok were sure they could convince her to help Taehyung in this case. It was obvious to them that she wanted to testify in favor of her son, but was being held back by her husband and the police who believed in Taehyung's stepfather.

Unfortunately, her statement that Taehyung was simply trying to defend her that day would not be enough. Jimin and Hoseok remembered this as they sighed and looked with sorrow and compassion at the wounds of the woman in front of them. Taehyung's mother was a woman as beautiful as her son, with perfectly aligned facial features. However, all this beauty was marred by the dark circles under the almond eyes, the pale skin, and the bruises of different colors due to the different dates on which they were made. It was time to do their most difficult task, and Jimin and Hoseok wished not to do much harm to it.

Once again the two friends looked at each other, expecting the other to take responsibility for the task and perform it. Jimin rubbed the back of his neck and Hoseok cleared his throat before speaking.

"Ma’am," the eldest of them said gently, "in fact, we came here to ask you a favor."

Taehyung's mother raised her eyebrows and tilted her head slightly.

"We're helping Taehyung prove he's innocent," Hoseok clarified, looking around as he pronounced his friend's name to make sure no one could hear him. "But we need your help."

For a moment, various emotions crossed the woman's face. Taehyung's mother was afraid for her son who could be discovered if they were heard there, she was relieved to know that someone was trying to help Taehyung, she felt pain for not being able to help him at such a time, she was hopeful that she could finally be useful to her boy, and finally she was afraid to know that she would have to face her fears.

"What do you need?" She finally asked, gathering all her remaining courage and all the love she felt for her son. As always, she was willing to do anything to take care of Taehyung.

It was then that Jimin and Hoseok understood why Taehyung had always said his mother was brave even though she had never done anything to stop her husband's aggression. It wasn't a matter of having the courage to say what needs to be said, but it had to do with the courage to do whatever it took to help the one she loved. Fortunately, this was Taehyung, so both friends could breathe a sigh of relief.

It didn't take long for them to explain what Taehyung's mother needed to do, including the forensic medical examination and the future statement she would need to give. They didn't miss out on the fact that the doctor who had operated on Lee Minsuk, Taehyung's stepfather, would be responsible for her examination, and Taehyung's mother smiled slightly as she remembered that the doctor had approached her to ask about her injuries.

While Jimin and Hoseok explained what she needed to do, Taehyung's mother seemed several times worried, tired, or doubtful, but at no point did she interrupt them or express any thoughts against what they were asking of her. Taehyung's two friends could see the apprehension seize the woman, but were amazed at her prompt agreement.

“Are you sure everything is okay?” Jimin couldn't hold back the question. They hoped to find more resistance in explaining everything she should do.

The smile on Taehyung's mother's face reminded Jimin of his time in the reform school with Taehyung, when Taehyung smiled without difficulty. The drawn lips made the cheeks swell and the joy reached the brown eyes without restriction, as if that face were made for that expression of happiness. The tears that had once again accumulated in her eyes did not change the fact that they were happy.

“All I've done,” she explained, “all I've ever wanted is for Taehyung to be happy, have good friends, and live a good life. It shames me to know that it took him to be arrested to find someone he could trust, but I'm glad nonetheless. No matter what price I have to pay, I just want my son to be happy. What you ask of me does not seem to be a price high enough to compensate for all the harm I caused him by choosing this life we ​​have lived for so long.”

It had been a long time since Jimin and Hoseok had been sad enough to shed tears. Not even when they ended up in the reform school did they feel so sad. Seeing a mother say that she had to pay more, in addition to all that she had already suffered, to make up for all the effort she had taken to care for her child, was like someone trying to tear their hearts out.

Jimin and Hoseok struggled to smile and tell Taehyung's mother that she had already paid dearly, that she had already paid a price beyond due for a wrong choice she had made a long time ago.

Trying to shed the weight of all those bad energies and negative emotions, they escorted Taehyung's mother to Lee Minsuk's doctor's office. As they had imagined, it had not been easy to talk to Taehyung's mother, but fortunately she was exactly the angel Taehyung had described.

***

The trio of Seokjin, Yoongi, and Jungkook were the most eclectic of all groups. Someone who knew each of their personality would think they would find it difficult to mingle and would fall into an uncomfortable silence on the way to executing their part of the plan. But if this person really knew them, they wouldn't think that. After spending enough time getting to know each other while in the reform school, the seven young men were united as if they had spent their entire lives together, and these three demonstrated it in an endless conversation on their way to the police’s file.

After a little debate, Seokjin had taken the car out of the garage for the task, not only because it would be easier to drive back and forth with it, but also because his task was a little farther than those of the other groups. Then, shortly after Namjoon left with Taehyung heading the house whose wall Taehyung had graffiti three years earlier, and Jimin and Hoseok left for the hospital, the two oldest of the group and the youngest of all were accommodated in the SUV Seokjin had bought a few weeks earlier, with Jungkook nudging Yoongi insistently to get him to join the conversation while he and Seokjin talked about sports.

The concerns that plagued the others did not even seem to cross their minds because they were so confident. Poking around files and information that they shouldn't see wasn't exactly something they hadn't done before and they knew they could do what they needed without getting caught. After all, they had a plan. More or less.

At least they had agreed before leaving Namjoon's house that Yoongi would control his mood swings and wouldn’t try to set fire to anything, and if he tried, Jungkook was tasked with stopping him. After all, it would not be easy to explain and get away with it if the police file center suddenly caught fire. And Jungkook would try hard not to get too angry about anything and use his muay thai skills, but the youngest had been learning to control those impulses with Jimin's help since he was in reform school, so Seokjin wasn't really worried about that.

The oldest of them was in charge of opening the way and allowing the other two to access the files they were looking for. Seokjin would use his skills so that the stewards of the police file would not bother Yoongi and Jungkook while they did their part of the job.

He'd been trying not to use his good looks and good conversation to get what he wanted since he'd left the reform school. It was hard to resist, but he was trying hard, since he had learned from his friends that he had other qualities and didn't need to resort to that. However, he could not deny his help in the plan to acquit Taehyung. If this was the specific skill they needed, that was what he would use, and everything else that was needed. After all, his friend deserved it.

Yoongi's eyes were half closed, silently plotting an effective way to restrain Jungkook's tireless finger, which was constantly poking him, so that he could finally take his nap in the SUV's passenger seat when the younger man suddenly fell silent and jumped on the backseat, his hands gripping the two front seats firmly for that.

For a second, Yoongi thought he would finally get some sleep, so he closed his eyes again, but opened them at once when he felt the wind move near his face and tried to avoid widening them when he found Jungkook's hand five inches from his nose, pointing to something in front of the car.

"There it is, there it is! We’re here," Jungkook said with his cheerful voice and a huge smile on his face. Seokjin smiled as Yoongi mumbled a nod that was ignored by the other two.

Yoongi knew that his friends often ignored his moodiness and he didn't care. They paid attention when it was important and enjoyed it when he was in a good mood. That's what mattered, especially since no one was to blame for him being bipolar, literally. The others had just learned to live with it.

The police file center was a huge building that looked more like a post office shed than a police station. In fact, it wasn't really a police station. There was a police station a few blocks away, with police working to handle all kinds of complaints and making rounds. No, the file center was a warehouse type. That was where all evidence of all investigated cases was taken and filed. That's why it had that name.

Seokjin stopped the car just before the file center. He didn't want anyone to link the car to them if something didn't go as planned and they had to get away. It was not the first time for any of them doing something they shouldn't and he wanted to be prepared.

As the responsible young man, despite his explosive temper, Jungkook straightened as he got out of the car. This was no time for jokes, and after the trio walked closer to the center, he waited outside with Yoongi as Seokjin entered, just as they had agreed. They would wait for a signal from the eldest to sneak in and do their part. For now, it was Seokjin's turn.

The older one took a relaxed stance as he walked through the door. He felt confident and the smug smile that spread across his full lips as he watched the counter ooze charm.

It was perfect. Well that was just perfect. The file center parlor looked like a very simple reception, with a few waiting chairs and a high counter that could hold three computers, but only one of them was being used by none other than a beautiful brunette with straight brown hair stuck in a ponytail and a flawless blue police uniform. The atmosphere seemed very favorable to him.

Seokjin straightened his broad shoulders and shoved his hands in his pants pocket as he approached and rested his free elbow on the counter. His words were almost sweet as he greeted the woman with a simple "Good afternoon," but when the woman looked away from the computer screen to him, his dark eyes had a seductive glow.

He saw the policewoman swallow hard and he knew he had already gotten what he wanted. With the hand that was in his pocket so far, he made the gesture that he knew his friends outside would see through the door's glass. The woman would see nothing but his handsome face for a while.

"So, we meet again," Seokjin said with a slight tone of surprise in his voice.

The policewoman raised her eyebrows and tilted her head as she studied Seokjin's face, swallowing once more as she noted his beauty.

"Do we know each other?" She asked huskily, then cleared her throat and straightened in her chair trying to hide that she was rocked by Seokjin's appearance.

With an exclamation of surprise and a complete change from cheerful expression to one of wounded pride, Seokjin put a hand to his chest and asked if she didn't remember him. Looking concerned that she had somehow managed to hurt the handsome man in front of her, the woman simply said no.

"Gee, I thought you noticed me at the academy as I noticed you," he explained as soon as he got her answer. Then he looked away to the hand drawing abstract drawings on the counter, as if brooding over a thought. "It seems my interest in you is not reciprocal."

Suddenly the woman sucked in her breath and completely forgot to try to pretend she wasn't interested in Seokjin. She waved both hands in the air and nodded before answering.

"No, no!" She vehemently denied it. “Surely the interest is reciprocal.”

"Are you sure?" Seokjin asked frowning and leaning over the counter to get closer to her. "You don't even remember meeting me at the academy."

"You mean at the police academy?" The policewoman asked huskily again as she blinked nonstop and stared straight into Seokjin's dark, deep eyes. He simply nodded as he pouted his lower lip, drawing the policewoman's attention to his mouth. "Of... of course... I remember you."

Seokjin smiled at that answer. To the police officer, it sure seemed that he was glad she remembered him, but he was really happy because she had stammered to lie to satisfy him.

"So, you remember me?" He looked suddenly excited, his baritone voice rising a tone and drawing the cop's attention back to his mouth. "You don't know how happy that makes me."

Seokjin's response, both physics and the one that came out of his lips, was enough to make the cop relax and smile as she looked back into the dark eyes.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, more likely to go back to work now that the mess was over. Besides, it was obvious that she would do everything she could to keep Seokjin talking to her.

Shrugging, Seokjin ran a hand through his hair, disguising himself to watch the camera the woman should be watching and that was showing exactly how Yoongi and Jungkook entered the building through the side door.

"To tell you the truth, I kind of lied to you," he admitted, scratching the back of his neck and lightly pressing his lips. "I knew you were assigned to work here, so I thought I'd come see you, or rather meet you again."

Nothing Seokjin could say would have put a bigger, happier smile on the woman's face in front of him. The possibility of having a man like Seokjin interested in her seemed like the best thing that happened to her that day (or any other day of her life). She was not even aware that she had never seen that beautiful face in her life, or that she had never met those beautiful round dark eyes. Just knowing that as a simple policewoman who kept the police file and was not much watched by men like that, Seokjin being interested in her was enough to distract her from her work, which she didn't even think was that important.

That's what Seokjin focused on while he was there distracting her so that Yoongi and Jungkook had the peace and time to look for what they needed to clear Taehyung. Always remembering his false interest in the brunette in front of him, Seokjin asked her why she had been assigned to this work, if she enjoyed her job, why a beautiful woman like her was still single, why she was there alone during the day, among others. If his role in the plan was to get a girlfriend, Seokjin would have had enough of her by the time the day was over, as the policewoman answered each of his questions as if she had really known Seokjin for a long time and as if she didn't need to hide anything from a suspicious boy that was blatantly distracting her from her own work.

Not once did the brunette look from Seokjin to the monitor with the cameras she must be watching, or care that her co-workers were returning to their posts. However, as soon as Seokjin noticed the first policeman appear beside the woman, he checked the security cameras and saw that his friends were already heading for the exit. Not wanting the new front-desk occupant to watch as two intruders fled the file center with a stolen file under their arms, Seokjin extended his charm to the new cop.

"Good afternoon," Seokjin said as he reached for the policeman who was watching him with a frown. Seokjin's relaxed smile and charm were enough to make the man shake his hand and smile back. "I'm Yun Taewon," he lied, "a friend of Nanjeong from the academy." Of course, she hadn't said her name during the conversation, since she thought he knew her, but he had no trouble reading it on her badge and making sure to record it for that moment. "I just came to say hello to her, since I found out she's working here."

"It's nice to meet a friend of officer Jeong," the policeman chuckled as he sat down and patted the brunette on the shoulder beside him. "She doesn't talk much."

Smiling in Nanjeong's direction and winking at her, Seokjin made it clear that he knew the advantage he had over the other cop, since the woman had been talking to him for at least half an hour. Chuckling, Nanjeong did not deny what the policeman said and was glad to have Seokjin realize that she was really interested in him.

"I think I better get going," Seokjin said as he looked at the clock on his own wrist. Then he looked back at the brunette and added, "Why don't you give me your phone number so we won't lose touch again?"

The cop didn't even think twice. She took a pen and paper, wrote down her own phone number, and quickly handed it to Seokjin, who made a point of stroking her fingers and blinking back at her as he took the paper.

"Why don't I have your phone number yet?" Seokjin heard the other cop ask while he was leaving, and he didn't even have to fake a smug smile as the policewoman answered that the other cop didn't deserve her phone number.

Seokjin knew it was not right to use people to get what he wanted, but he could not deny that it was pleasant to know that he had conquered a beautiful woman and that he could do it again whenever he wanted. Nothing could inflate his ego more than that.

***

Namjoon and Taehyung didn't talk to the other boys. They hadn’t. Each group had their part of the plan to complete, and at the end, when they had everything they needed, they would gather the information and evidence they had gotten and move on to the next step. But for now, one task didn't depend on the other, and it might be even safer not to keep in touch at the moment.

So, the hacker and his friend went on to do just that, hacking. At that moment, the illegal part of their task would begin. Climbing the wall of a house, especially one that was supposedly stolen by one of them before, to see camera specifications could be a suspicious act, but it was not against the law. Illegal was what they wanted to do with that information.

Unsurprisingly, Namjoon knew the companies that did this kind of service. His curiosity and his gift for computers had led him to get to know them a little deeper. He had even ventured into the systems of some of them years before, when he was discovered and arrested. But it hadn't been that long before and he was convinced he still knew enough about these companies not to go wrong.

That's why he had almost smiled when Taehyung read the company name to him from up the wall. The hacker didn't want to overestimate himself. It was not good for any hacker to be overconfident or arrogant because it made them make mistakes. Mistakes made them leave marks that in turn made them get caught. But Namjoon trusted his skills just enough and needed. Besides, he could now also say that he knew the company he was dealing with.

The confirmation that his information about the company was not outdated was that it was completely empty of people when the pair arrived. Namjoon had done time and transport calculations hoping to find it just like that and smiled at Taehyung, showing his dimples in response to his friend's surprised exclamation.

Of course, he could try to hack into the company system that monitored the cameras from his own home and his own computer, as he had done several times before with other companies. But he knew that if he did that, he would be risking finding blocks and not finding the files he wanted for several reasons. But the matter was too important for him to risk not achieving his goal by silly details. Besides, the sooner they could gather all the evidence, the better, and he had an ace up his sleeve prepared especially for it.

So, there they were, already inside the company, walking around the rooms and cubicles until they found the office he wanted and where he knew he would find the files.

It was a small, dark room with a large computer whose keyboard had many buttons attached and several monitors on the wall in front. Namjoon sat in the high-backed padded white chair and took a good look at everything before letting his fingers work on the keyboard as if they had a life of their own and knew exactly what they were doing.

Taehyung let his friend work while looking around. He no longer looked, and didn't feel, as nervous as before. Perhaps his task of verifying camera information had helped more than he expected, and now the silence in the room was comfortable rather than a palpable tension.

It did not take long for the methodical and focused Namjoon to make some images appear on the monitors in front of him, catching the eye of Taehyung, who turned away from the door, where he was watching the rest of the office, to pay attention to his friend's work.

Gradually Namjoon was getting closer to what he wanted. He used the information Taehyung had given him to get to the right camera. He would check the wall camera first, the one that filmed the graffiti wall. He would do one thing at a time, with calm and detail. He couldn't afford to let anything go unnoticed. So, already fiddling with the log files, he concentrated his search on the approximate day and time of the police charge.

Taehyung saw his own image appear on the screens before him and searched for a chair to sit on. He didn't want to admit it, but the feeling of seeing himself on the monitors, as he had been three years earlier while graffitiing the wall, was a bit odd.

In the pictures, he wore light clothing. Faded jeans and a plain white shirt whose hem he had tucked into the waistband of his pants, which was complemented by an equally white belt. He would take the spray paint cans out of a black backpack he'd left on the floor near the wall and wouldn't let a single splash of paint get on his clothes as he made the shapes appear on the wall with serious expression and focused eyes.

Namjoon slightly increased the speed of the video, just enough so that they didn't take so long but without missing any detail, after watching how Taehyung's talent made him paint a beautiful picture on the wall, as well as the satisfied look on his face at his complete work before gathering his graffiti material, storing it all back in his backpack and slinging it over one shoulder as he walked away. A few steps further, Taehyung's recorded image stopped again and took one last look at the graffiti before nodding, as if approving his own work, and walking away from the wall, far enough to go out of the camera's range.

The hacker advanced the video until hours later, and even when several people stopped to watch Taehyung's art on the wall, the artist did not return to the scene, wearing that or any other outfit. Then, as a precaution, he replayed the recording even before his friend arrived with his backpack full of paint cans, and analyzed each moment. Thoroughly, he watched every minute of the video until he got to the previous day's recording, yet he found no other image of his friend. There was simply no record of Taehyung made by that camera the day the graffiti was made, the day the house was stolen and Taehyung was charged with committing the crime.

Neither reacted to that, however. Not yet. But Namjoon was careful to save the entire file of the graffiti-specific day recordings on a flash drive he had carried with him in his jeans pocket.

With the next camera, which was filming the entrance to the house, Namjoon was even more careful and detailed. He began by watching the early hours recordings of the morning, or rather at dawn, and proceeded from there. He didn't want to miss anything, didn't want to leave any breaches that could be used against Taehyung. He and all the other boys knew the graffiti artist was innocent, but they would need more than certainty to prove the truth.

Both Namjoon and Taehyung knew the time when the house had been stolen. Police had made a point of disclosing this information when they accused Taehyung of theft. But the two friends ignored the alleged evidence that the police had presented years before and resisted the urge to advance the recording. Instead, they watched, almost calmly, the many hours of video that were playing at the same slightly hurried speed as the previous one.

Nothing unusual happened throughout the day and no one but the residents themselves entered or left the house until the time of the robbery.

The pair watched the camera-recorded image of a man walking through the gate and into the house, and Namjoon slowed the image so they could see it in real time. He wore dark jeans and a very dark brown sweatshirt, with a hood that covered his head over the cap he wore.

The two friends frowned. It was obvious from everyone's clothes that had been filmed by both cameras that the day was hot. So why was this man dressed like that? Besides, it was clear it was a man. As much as the clothes covered his whole body and he kept his face hidden from the camera as he tried to keep it behind him as he entered the house, his height and walk made it clear that the person was a man. More than that, he was incredibly big and strong to be mistaken for a woman.

Namjoon said nothing. He didn't want to say anything until he could prove it, but the unarguably suspicious man who dressed in an absurd manner for the weather was incredibly big and strong to be mistaken for Kim Taehyung himself.

Taehyung was tall, but although his slender body showed some muscles, he was nowhere near what they saw on the monitors.

But neither of them said anything and Taehyung held his breath for a moment. This time his nervousness made him quiet rather than chatter.

No one broke the silence as they waited for the images to pass on the monitors, and as the man in the sweatshirt stepped out the front door of the house, looking around cautiously and holding a small box in both hands, the adrenaline made Taehyung jump from the chair. He controlled himself shortly thereafter, but his expectation was visible in the hand that clutched the arm of the chair so hard it made his knuckles white.

Namjoon straightened a little to get a better look. As the man approached the gate, Namjoon could see that the small box he held was unmistakably the family jewelry box that had been stolen that day, for which Taehyung had been charged. But the face the man was trying to keep down so that his cap and hood could hide him could not resist looking up. He knew exactly where the camera was and had deliberately avoided it when he entered the house, but at that moment, with the item stolen in his hands and feeling confident, the thief looked straight at it.

Taehyung gasped.

The face that appeared on the monitors was tanner than his own, perhaps only a few years older, but surely the features were tougher and the eyes, so light brown that they were almost green, had not had the slightest hint of kindness.

The thief, the man who had been shot by the security camera leaving the house with the stolen object in his hands, did not even look like Kim Taehyung.

Namjoon gave his friend a small smile and gave his shoulder a slight shake. Taehyung showed him a square smile before they both controlled themselves and looked back at the recording.

They saw the owners of the house return, saw when the couple's wife left the house, obviously desperate, and when she returned as her husband called her. They saw when the police arrived, spent a lot of time talking to them, taking notes and watching the camera as Namjoon and Taehyung had done earlier. They also saw when the police left and the woman was crying at the door of the house hugging her husband who had an angry look.

But they saw no sign of Taehyung in the recording.

Namjoon saved that file the same way as the previous one and got up. The pair had already got what they had fetched there.

Taehyung followed his friend out into the street and back to his friend's house, his hands never stopped shaking as he fought a smile all the way there.

***

It was hard to tell who was more nervous on the way to the doctor's office, but Hoseok and Jimin had already settled for the fact that they had a job to do. As hard as it was to believe how easily and quickly Taehyung's mother had agreed to help, neither friend could deny that this was exactly what they wanted.

They both tried to have a neutral conversation with her to try to calm her down, or at least make her think of other things so as not to be even more nervous about the examination she was going to have.

The doctor was at his desk typing something into his computer when they entered, but he immediately stopped what he was doing and stood up when he saw them. The man glanced at his watch and then smiled, thinking that the two young men had managed to convince the woman faster than he had imagined, but deciding not to comment. He didn't want to change the woman's mind.

"Do you know why you're here, Mrs. Lee?" Asked the doctor, looking away from her to Jimin and Hoseok and then back to her as he waited for the answer.

"You will examine me," the woman replied in a calm, firm voice. If she was nervous, as Jimin and Hoseok knew she was, she didn't want to show it to the doctor, or maybe it wasn't the examination that made her nervous. "You'll record all my injuries and bruises in a report that I can use to report who did this to me."

Her eyes met those of Jimin, who nodded, then Hoseok's, who grinned. Neither of them had mentioned it, but it seemed she knew she didn't need to mention who was guilty and innocent in the whole story. After all, the woman had seen the news and knew exactly what version the whole population was listening to. She was unwilling to cause further confusion until her son's friends had enough to acquit him.

"Are you ready then?" The doctor asked. When she answered with a nod, he asked her to accompany him to the small room next door, where he examined the patients. He asked her to take off most of her clothes and took some instruments while she did as he asked, the doctor's gaze on her expressing nothing but professionalism and concern.

If it was impressive to see how many marks she had on her body when she was dressed, the boys would have made many disgusted faces if they had seen her at that moment. It was not just her face and arms that had bruises and cuts, but her whole body.

When Taehyung's mother was dressed only with her underwear, she finally looked down at the counter and realized that there was a camera along with utensils the doctor had put there. She widened her dark eyes almost involuntarily, completely amazed at the possibility of being photographed like that.

“No. Please don't be surprised!" The doctor exclaimed quickly, extending both hands to her with his palms facing forward to show that he would do nothing. "I want to ask your permission to photograph the wounds."

As she blinked twice but said nothing, with both hands still covering her breasts, the doctor went on.

"I'm not a coroner. I want to help and I will do my best, but the exam that I am going to take cannot be considered a forensic medical examination. It can, however, be used by a coroner as a support for a forensic examination, and as we don't know when a coroner will be called upon to examine you, or how many of these injuries and bruises you will still have by then or what they will look like, I need to be thorough."

"Are you saying your exam won't make any difference to the investigation?" Mrs. Lee asked with her expression finally changing from startled to confused as the frown replaced her wide eyes.

"I'm saying my exam may be the exam used by the coroner if some bruises have already left your body when you meet the coroner," he replied and then was surprised when he received the shadow of a mocking smile from her.

"I'm not sure if this is a possibility," Taehyung's mother said more to herself than to the man who stared at her.

She was not mocking the situation. She would not dare to mock the beatings she had taken in recent years or the marks, visible or not, that the beatings had left on her body and mind. But she couldn't help but find the doctor's suggestion that the marks could disappear to be naive. She had been living with it long enough to know that the bruises were slow to display all their profusion of color and tone mix until they finally disappeared. In fact, usually when they disappeared, others replaced them. Mrs. Lee had a hard time remembering what her skin was like without the marks, or what it was like to lie on the pillow at night without crying before falling asleep.

"That's where the camera comes in," continued the doctor as if the woman had said nothing. "If I photograph everything and attach the photos to the report, the coroner will have a more specific and realistic view of how you are now and will be able to attach everything to the report itself for the expert and the police. Then the evidence against the perpetrator will be even more concrete."

Mrs. Lee saw in the doctor's eyes who he thought had assaulted her like that. She saw that and was filled with indignation, but made an effort to control herself. Arguing with the doctor who was trying to help her would be of no benefit. Then she focused on the words of Jimin and Hoseok, who were waiting for her on the other side of the door. They were doing their best to exonerate her son and needed her help.

She needed to work hard. She had waited until that moment to face her fears and to help her son. This time, keeping quiet and letting herself be examined might be more useful than speaking.

Then she nodded as the man took the camera again and took pictures of most of her wounds and bruises. He brought the camera closer to her skin but barely touched it. After that, he looked at each bruise from various angles and touched them lightly, earning a few moans and pained expressions from the woman. The man mumbled as he continued his examination and wrote in a small notebook he had left on the counter, but Mrs. Lee could understand nothing but a few words: "dark," "sensitive," "recent," "a week" were some examples.

She stopped paying attention. She didn't need his words to know that she had very purple bruises from the night before, some that had already begun to lighten, but still had a strong shade of yellow that indicated they weren't that old, and others that could hardly be seen. All of them still ached, and she could almost remember the moments when they had been made. Almost because, in fact, many of the beatings were so similar that she sometimes confused them.

The doctor finished examining the bruises and moved on to the wounds. Most were small cuts made by strokes. Some, near the eyes and lips, had obviously been made by punches, but when they ached and burned, they were not so different from those in her legs and arms. In fact, after the doctor examined them, she herself realized that the ones on her face seemed more open, since the skin was more sensitive, but they were not so deep.

She herself had never stopped to think so much about her wounds. Taehyung used to do that, which is why he was so angry with his stepfather when that sort of thing happened. That's why he had such a hard time accepting the situation his mother was in.

When she felt a tear roll down her face, she forced herself to think of something else. It wasn't her job to brood over those feelings and regrets. This was the doctor's job, who despite the babbling, remained focused. Her job at that moment was just to let him examine her. She had finally found a chance to help her son and had grasped it bravely, trying to ignore the chills it caused her. That was what mattered, nothing more.

The silence, however, lasted short. She bit her tongue quickly trying to stifle the scream she couldn't stop but it only turned it into a moan. The doctor had raised her right arm over her head. She didn't understand why, as she had stopped paying attention to what he was doing, but the sharp pain that engulfed her upper arm brought her attention back to him.

Wide-eyed, the doctor jerked away. "What happened here?" he asked.

Taking a deep breath to try to get used to the pain, she lowered her arm again and almost managed to shrug. What had happened to her arm anyway? A baseball bat or a push against the wall of the house? She didn't remember exactly what had made it start to hurt like that, she just knew it had been that way for a while.

At her vague answer, the doctor examined her aching arm a little further and she managed not to scream again, though she was panting when he was done.

It was not long before the two returned to the office where Jimin and Hoseok were and where they both covered Taehyung's mother with questions as they realized how pale she was while the doctor accurately typed in his report and added the photos he had taken to the file.

The man saved a copy on his computer, as he did with all his patients' files, but handed over an envelope with the printout of the written report and the photos in Mrs. Lee's now shaking hands.

Then they said goodbye to the doctor, who was now satisfied that he had done his duty to help the woman who had obviously been mistreated for much longer than he had imagined.

Jimin and Hoseok remained concerned even after the color began to return to Mrs. Lee's face (the good color, not the purplish bruising one), and made sure to accompany her to her husband's room even when she said several times that it was not necessary. They walked slowly beside her and made no comment on the times she had to stop to breathe before she continued walking, and when she stopped in front of the hospital room door to look at them with a loving smile on her bruised face. Neither of them could, nor did they want to avoid smiling back.

"I'm very happy to hear that my son has friends as good as you," she said and handed Hoseok the envelope the doctor had given her. The young man held it carefully while his friend answered.

"He deserves even more than that, Mrs. Lee."

They knew she was still in pain after the exam, which although they hadn't seen it had obviously been difficult, so they didn't try to hug her, but they felt very proud when they kissed her cheek at the same time and made her smile again.

Using this as a farewell, the two waited for the woman to enter the room to move away and walk quietly to the hospital entrance before opening the envelope and reading what the doctor had written. Jimin's almond-shaped eyes were wide as he turned his head to find Hoseok smiling at him.

The doctor had recorded everything in detail, including the fact that Taehyung's mother had injuries just a few weeks or months earlier. The man suspected that Taehyung had caused these injuries and did not seem to have changed his mind when he handed the report into Mrs. Lee's hands, but now the boys knew that he had not stopped to analyze what he was writing while he bothered to report everything. Because if Taehyung had been in jail for the past three years, something that all jailers could attest to, how could he have injured his mother just a few months earlier?

Jimin and Hoseok replaced the report and photos inside the envelope and carefully closed it before leaving. With or without such a forensic medical examination by a coroner, the report was enough to show that Taehyung's stepfather was lying when accusing him of Mrs. Lee's injuries.

***

Meanwhile, just as Seokjin had thought, Yoongi and Jungkook saw the gesture he made with his hand as he approached the counter, and set off. They had researched the building a little before and knew that the front door was not the only entrance.

They had prepared, of course, with Namjoon's help for what they knew they would find. On the side of the police file center building was a little-used door that served more as an emergency exit than anything else, but it was a direct entrance to the shed where the evidence was stored. They got all this information and a copy of the master card that was needed to open that door with Namjoon, who had already broken into the police file before. But the hacker had not imagined when he entered the public system before, that he would need this information later to save a friend.

As they pushed the heavy iron door on the side of the building together, they knew they were right about something else too: because it was lunchtime (and they had chosen to arrive there at that specific time on purpose), the woman who was completely enchanted by Seokjin at that moment was the only person there.

Since the warehouse was not a police station and did not have the same functions as one, it did not have to have the same number of officers working together, and when lunchtime came, most of them would leave and only one or two would stay to attend the public if necessary. After all, it was just an hour of lunch.

But one hour was enough for two young men like Yoongi and Jungkook to find what they needed. After all, they were not like any other youth and had acquired some interesting skills in their teens, and had learned some things from Namjoon. Not to mention that, fortunately to them, it wasn't two cops who were working at the file center at lunchtime that day, but only one, and at that moment she was so enchanted by their friend that she wouldn't even notice if Yoongi really burned it all down.

They soon found the main warehouse area and entered. It was because of this place that the building appeared to be a shed from the outside, because it was actually a shed from the inside, too, that the police department had partially transformed to house all its evidence of closed and open cases, whether solved or not.

The pair spent a few moments just looking at the large shelves over five meters high where evidence boxes and folders were located. Yoongi raised an eyebrow as he raised his head to see how far the shelves were going, wondering how the police expected to reach upstairs, but lowered it with a shake of his head when he saw a ladder as high as the shelves.

Jungkook was the first to move, and it was not long before he found a computer on a small white table near the door, almost hidden behind a rack of boxes. He promptly went back to the door, called for Yoongi, and made him sit in the padded chair in front of the computer.

He was more agitated than his older friend (in fact, probably anyone in town was more agitated than Min Yoongi, but Jungkook wouldn't start a discussion on this matter voluntarily) and he knew that the other would be annoyed if he had to figure out the filing system of the shed and to search folder by folder until he found the evidence of the theft case that Taehyung had been charged with and convicted three years earlier. So, the youngest made sure Yoongi was comfortably typing commands into the computer before starting to search for what he wanted among the shelves.

Yoongi didn't even grumble a complaint when the younger one did it, because he was already wondering what was going on in his head. He was slightly grateful for his friend's consideration when he began to search the digital files of the theft case, but of course he would not admit it.

Jungkook thought it would make more sense if everything was stored by date or last name of the accused. It was a simple, easy-to-follow logic for those who have been working on it for years as well as for novices, and the police intended to make it easier for police officers across the city to access those archives, not to fool curious intruders. Mainly because they didn't believe any curious intruders would get to that warehouse with the cops in the front room. Of course, they were not prepared to deal with those intruders specifically, but Jungkook shrugged as he began searching for the date Taehyung had been charged with theft.

As he passed the shelves, he wondered how well Taehyung was holding up, even though he was only two years older than Jungkook himself, the youngest of the group. Of course, he had been overwhelmed and wept with his friends in the morning when they found him sleeping alone in the abandoned building, but who wouldn't do it while taking on so much pressure. If it were with him, Jungkook thought, he would have tried to unload his emotions by punching something, or someone.

He realized that he was right about the evidence storage criteria and that they were archived by date and by name. He followed the very large "K" he found near the date of the robbery and then found a folder where he could clearly read "Kim Taehyung."

He glanced around to make sure Yoongi was still busy searching the digital evidence of the case among the files saved on the computer, and then opened the folder. Taehyung hadn't told them much about the theft charge and the police investigation because he didn't know much about it himself. All he knew was that he had been accused of stealing the house of the family that had hired him to graffiti a wall, and the police seemed to have sufficient irrefutable evidence that the lawyer, who the state provided because Taehyung could not afford one, had not much to do to defend him, even though he was innocent.

So Jungkook thought it was worth taking a look at such irrefutable evidence that the police had against his friend to know what they were dealing with. After all, there was a big difference that tipped the balance a little more to Taehyung's side this time. Unlike the state attorney who had allegedly tried to defend him three years earlier, all his friends trusted him completely and would do everything they could to exonerate him. After meeting and spending a year together in the reform school, neither of them had reason to lie to others, just as neither of them was willing to go around judging the others. They knew each other's character.

The first pages in the folder were pages of printed reports that had been written by the officers who worked on the case. The young man knew that Namjoon and the other boys would want to carefully analyze every word of those reports, so he turned the pages carefully.

Soon he found what appeared to be a transcript of a telephone call, which he read more carefully, line by line. He frowned when he realized what that transcript meant. Taehyung had been denounced by an alleged witness who quite conveniently did not want to identify himself, but reported seeing the tall young man with brown hair and almost black eyes entering the house after finishing the graffiti on the wall and leaving with a box of jewelry that belonged to the housekeeper.

Jungkook pursed his lips to a thin line. That was a big lie, because Taehyung had never entered that house. Taehyung himself had told them this, and once again, they had met in the reform school, where most of them were not innocent of the charges that had brought them there. Taehyung had no reason to lie and didn't like to do it, not even when he needed to.

But Jungkook kept looking at the documents in the briefcase, calming his own explosive temper with the thought that these people didn't know Taehyung as well as he did. It was one of the things Jimin had taught him to do to avoid the urge to want to settle things violently.

He found no evidence, or even a hint that such a stolen jewelry box had been found among Taehyung's belongings, even though he knew and read from the record that his friend's house had been carefully searched by the police.

By the time he reached the last sheet of the folder, Jungkook already believed that he would find nothing as relevant as the transcript of the anonymous denunciation call, and almost didn't read what was written on it. But thanks to Namjoon's insistent recommendation that they be thorough, it was just almost. His pretty eyes widened so much that they were almost perfectly round as they ran through the sheet.

All the information about a video on the evidence list was recorded, including date, time, duration, even the folder, code and name of the video file that was saved in the police database with an acronym, which indicated to which case the case belonged. In addition, from what Jungkook could see in the record, he had been sent just as the call that denounced his friend had been made. It had not been taken from the database of the security camera company that the stolen family hired, but sent anonymously.

Jungkook's once wide eyes suddenly narrowed. How had the police not found this strange and not investigated further? It was as if they didn't want to discover the truth behind what was obviously a frame. Because it was clear that it was a frame, and Jungkook didn't think so just because he was Taehyung's friend and wanted to get him free of the charges.

He closed the briefcase with a quick flick of his hand and didn't even think before turning and hurrying along the corridor. He had no way of making any copies of those files and he knew his friends would want to see them, so he couldn't just put them back in place. In addition, he needed to show Yoongi that last page to help him find the video in the database. Because, Jungkook thought with a smile on his face, they could make a copy of the video and save it on a flash drive for Namjoon to watch it later.

As he approached Yoongi, however, Jungkook noticed that his friend's eyes were glued to the computer screen, already observing every detail of the video that was described in the folder. He knew it was the same file thanks to the name and code that appeared at the top of the screen.

Since Yoongi did not look away, even though he realized that his friend was beside him, Jungkook observed the monitor as well, noting that there was no sign indicating that it had been recorded by a security camera and that it didn't even indicate the date and time of the recording, as this type of file usually contained.

Without saying a word, the two friends watched what was left of the video, which showed the outside of a very beautiful and elegant house, focusing on the front door and a path that looked more like a garage cutting through a beautiful, but simple garden. When, after a few moments, the recording showed a person carefully walking out the front door of the house holding a small box with both hands, Yoongi frowned and Jungkook moved closer.

The image was a little out of focus, perhaps because of how far away the person was from the camera, but they could see the size of the box, which they knew to be a jewel case because of the accusations and file Jungkook still held tightly. It was strange because the image looked slightly less blurred in the hands than in the thief's face, but the face that appeared on the screen was Taehyung's.

The duo didn't question that. It would be even stranger if there was no evidence pointing directly to Taehyung as the thief, especially because of the incredible speed with which everything happened to get him arrested in the reform school. For that very reason, those two were already hoping to find something more incriminating in the police records.

But that didn't stop Yoongi from squinting in the direction of the video while the screen image showed Taehyung looking at the camera proudly, as if he knew he was being filmed and that was exactly what he wanted. This was not Kim Taehyung's way at all, Yoongi knew well, but that was not what he was paying attention to.

Since the image was more blurred in his eyes, Yoongi gave his full attention to the thief's hands, which were the only things besides his face that were not fully covered on that obviously hot day. As much as Yoongi seemed not to pay attention to things around him most of the time, he was actually very observant. He just didn't like to show it. Nor did he show at that moment, not even to Jungkook that was right next to him, for they would both have time to discuss this when they joined the others.

Because Yoongi was sure they would all be very interested in discussing how the hands holding the box looked bigger and grosser than Taehyung's beautiful hands, even though the face in the video evidence was his. The graffiti artist's fingers were long, but nowhere near as hardened as shown in the video.

The pair left after that, with the evidence folder on Jungkook's firm hand and a copy of the video saved on a flash drive that Yoongi carried in his back pocket. They walked to the car without looking back and waited for Seokjin inside as they controlled the unrest caused by the work done.

***

It was late when everyone managed to get back to Namjoon's house, so it was no surprise when they decided to spend the night there. Also, after their seemingly productive day, Taehyung's friends wanted to cheer him up again, ignoring the problem and spending the night as if all was well.

Since everyone was excited about what they had achieved during the day, the subject was basically about what had happened to each group. Namjoon and Taehyung told about the videos they had found at the security company, Jimin and Hoseok talked about Taehyung's mother and the help they received from his stepfather's doctor (in addition to complimenting Taehyung's mother for being so brave and beautiful, despite the injuries), Seokjin told how he managed to distract the policewoman and still get her phone number (which generated some jokes and innuendo), and Yoongi and Jungkook told about the evidence they got from the police file center.

It was the information Yoongi and Jungkook gave about the video they found that caught the most attention and made the others find it very suspicious, but it was Namjoon who expressed their friends' thoughts.

“Why would the police use an anonymously sent video if they could just get the original video from the security company?” Namjoon asked, but received only a shrug as response.

As if it were a movie night, as everyone was relaxed at the time and very interested in what they were going to watch, Namjoon played the video that Yoongi and Jungkook found in the police database. It didn't take long for him and his friends to realize, just as Yoongi had already realized when he first watched the video, that the video was tampered with.

Because they saw the original videos from the security company, Namjoon and Taehyung noticed something in the police video that Yoongi didn't notice but suspected. The images were all in the original videos, but not as they should be. In the video sent anonymously to the police, the man who came out of the stolen house with the jewelry box in his hands had Taehyung's face when looking at the camera, but Namjoon and Taehyung knew that that face was not in that part of the video. In fact, that face was in the other video, the original video of the wall where Taehyung had graffiti. Whoever sent that video to the police had gotten their hands on the original videos and mixed them together, making it look like Taehyung had stolen the jewelry box when in fact he had never entered the house.

After explaining this to his friends, Namjoon added a note about finding out who sent the video to the police. Understanding nothing, his friends asked how he would do that.

“Just as I'm going to trace the origin of the anonymous call you found transcribed in the case file,” he replied, but it still seemed a mystery to his friends.

Knowing that it would be much harder to explain than to do, Namjoon didn't go into too much detail, he simply grabbed his own computer and started opening some programs that showed a bunch of code that no one else understood but him.

That ended the night for everyone. Maybe it was because they were full of adrenaline as they did everything they needed to do to get the evidence to help Taehyung, and when they finally relaxed they were exhausted, but they all fell asleep fast and each lay in a corner, sleeping scattered around Namjoon's house, who was the longest awake, as he was fiddling with his computer trying to find the origin of the anonymous video and call.

The next day, when everyone woke up, including Namjoon, who was the last to wake up for he had been much of the night working on the video and call research, it was obvious that none of them had anything to do until Namjoon was able to finish his research. So, they had breakfast and each went their own way. Hoseok, Jimin and Jungkook went to their homes, Seokjin and Yoongi went to work, and Namjoon called to let his boss know he was missing the day, and then stuck to the computer again. Taehyung was the only one who stayed at Namjoon's house even though he had nothing to do.

He had spent the entire day before in the street, exposed to the curious eyes of others who could recognize him at any moment. So, it was decided that he would be hiding that day.

Fighting boredom, Taehyung tried to do several things while waiting for Namjoon to finish what he was doing. First, he tried to understand what Namjoon was doing by watching him work. But it was clear that he could see his friend on the computer all day (or his whole life) and not understand how his friend's head worked, much less the program he was using, or the codes he was typing.

Then he decided to fight his conscience to call his mother to find out how she was feeling after the exam his friends had asked her to do. Like his friends, Taehyung was pleased and proud that his mother had the courage to do it for him, but he was also sad that she had to go through another suffering before it was all over. Unfortunately, as he had arranged with his friends when they first met at Namjoon's house, Taehyung should keep his cell phone off to prevent police from using GPS to locate him.

Without many options, Taehyung tried to watch some TV at low volume so as not to disturb his friend, but he found he did not want to see his face plastered behind journalists who knew nothing of the truth and accused him of being violent and fugitive.

Finally, he gave up on anything and took out a notebook and pencil to draw on. While Namjoon was concentrating on the computer, Taehyung made several drawings in the notebook he had found on Namjoon's desk. Some of the drawings were of old graffiti he had made before he was sent to the reform school, other drawings were of graffiti he wanted to have made before going to the reform school, but one particular drawing was what he had decided to do after go to the reform school.

After meeting his friends, Taehyung began to create in his head an image he would love to create to put on a very large wall. Finally, he had the opportunity to draw what was on his mind: seven young friends talking and having fun. This was Taehyung's new family and he didn't regret at all how it had been formed. He could only be grateful for having it at that moment.

It was only in the evening that Taehyung ceased to feel lonely even though he was at home with his friend. Namjoon finally finished his research and was resting, so Taehyung prepared ramen for both of them and they sat together to talk.

As much as he wanted to ask what Namjoon had discovered, Taehyung knew that his friend would not want to tell the same story twice, so he would have to wait until everyone else arrived to know his answer. The closer they came to revealing the truth, the more Taehyung felt excited again. If everything went as his friends said it would, he could soon see his mother and live a quiet life as he had not lived for a long time.

Fortunately, the other five arrived not long after, with Jimin and Jungkook bringing food to the others coming straight from work. They wanted so much to hear the news, understand and reveal the truth, that they didn't even think about stopping somewhere to eat, they already called the younger ones for help.

When everyone was sitting in the room, fed and rested, Namjoon decided it was time to explain what he had done and how. In fact, he would not explain exactly how he had tracked the video and the call, since none of his friends would understand what he was talking about. But he would be as accurate and clear as possible in his speech.

“As you know,” he began, and everyone was silent paying attention (no one wanted to lose any part because they might not understand the rest), “the video was sent anonymously to the police, just as the call was made to them." Everyone nodded. “First, I'll explain how I managed to find the caller.”

Then followed an almost endless monologue. Namjoon's friends were so afraid of missing some detail of what he was explaining that they dared not ask any questions.

Almost without stopping to breathe, Namjoon explained that the call, despite being identified as anonymous, had a phone address (“almost like an IP address,” he explained to those who knew a bit more of computers than the others). All lines can be tracked as long as the call takes long enough for the tracking program to run, which happened in the denunciation call against Taehyung. Once Namjoon had found the address of the public telephone from which the call was made, he had no problem breaking into the city's camera system and pulling up the files from the date the call was made to see who had used the phone that day. After getting the image of the person's face, Namjoon ran a program that was linked to the civil identification system and quickly found the name, address, and identity of the person who made the call. With the name of the person in hand, it was not so complicated to find the person's private telephone and get the conversations by message and the calls exchanged between the person who made the denunciation call and someone who could incriminate Taehyung.

"Are you saying that in what, less than 24 hours you were able to link the person who made the anonymous call to Tae's stepfather?" Seokjin asked, wide-eyed just like the other boys, who were also gaping.

"In less than 12 hours," Namjoon replied with a shrug, "I did that last night."

Since no one asked another question like that, Namjoon thought everyone had understood and accepted the fact that he was very fast, and continued with his explanations, this time about how he had tracked who sent the video.

What Namjoon didn't know was that no one there had understood how he had done it so fast. It seemed extremely complex that he had access to all those systems and made such fast searches. But then Namjoon's friends remembered that he had been doing this for a long time and that when the police caught him for breaking into their system, he had already broken into several other systems around the city. He probably still remembered how to do that, or still had some kind of hidden access stored on his computer.

Namjoon's explanation of video tracking didn't seem as unlikely as call tracking, but it was just as absurd. According to Namjoon, the flash drive he inserted into the security company's computer to copy the original videos had a virus that he himself had created and put on the flash drive. By the time he connected the USB flash drive to the company's computer, the virus was in charge of replicating all of the company's system information, including online server network access passwords. Since he had already noticed that the person who sent the video to the police had actually tampered with the original videos, he simply accessed the security company files with the passwords he had copied and found out who had access to the original videos. That was when Taehyung's stepfather's involvement in the situation became even clearer.

“The truth is, the police went looking for the original videos,” Namjoon explained, lowering his voice as if someone could hear them through the thick walls. This was, in fact, a reflection of his discovering on Lee Minsuk's most important secret and the key to Taehyung's exoneration. “But who got these videos from the company was Lee Minsuk.”

"My stepfather?" Taehyung asked in amazement.

"But there's no claim to that in the case report," Jungkook intervened, amazed that something had happened and no one had registered.

"That's because he did something for the cops to forget about the original videos and his involvement in the case," Namjoon explained. "We have no way of knowing what it was or how he did it, but he did, and any jury or judge will come to that conclusion after seeing the company records saying it was him who took the videos."

"So, he was the one who tampered with the images?" Hoseok questioned.

"Not really," Namjoon replied, cracking a smile that let the others see his dimples. “Like I said, I have all the phone and message records of the caller who, believe it or not, was the same person who tampered with the video.”

"Did Lee Minsuk hire someone to incriminate Tae and was stupid enough to leave evidence against himself?" Yoongi asked, chuckling mockingly. “There really is no hope for the police in this city anymore.”

"Maybe he didn't know," Namjoon argued, speaking low again. “The messages I retrieved had been deleted. Perhaps he thought that by erasing the records on the phone, he could do the same on the phone company server registry. But he doesn't know this is no use and that all companies keep track of the last five years of all phones.”

"Glad he only got three years in prison, then," Jimin joked, making everyone laugh, including Taehyung who was extremely relieved to have his friends helping him out like that.

"Now we just need to figure out a way to send this to the authorities so they can reopen both cases and acquit Taehyung," Hoseok added. He was more than eager to contact his lawyer to begin the process of acquitting Taehyung.

"Wait a minute!" Jungkook almost shouted, getting up to place his two legs crossed under his body on the couch where he was already sitting. “How are we going to send this to the authorities if we can't trust the police? Because after all this tampered evidence, and they didn't even take Tae's mom's testimony about what happened at the house, even when she found Lee Minsuk there, we can't believe they'll do the right thing.”

Seokjin thought of the policewoman who was so enchanted by him that she forgot to watch the warehouse camera. Of course, that was exactly what he wanted, but it was another indication that they couldn't trust the police, not even the cops who wanted to do the right thing.

"I don't think we can count on your lawyer this time, Hoseok," Namjoon said before anyone else gave any opinion, because no one would deny that Jungkook was right. Neither of them was willing to risk letting the police tamper with the evidence again.

"But why...?" Hoseok asked.

"Because he won't be able to use any of our evidence," Namjoon replied, looking sad but resigned. “All of our evidence is authentic, but almost all of it was obtained in ways… let's say… well, illegal. With the exception of Mrs. Lee's examination and the complaint she promised to make, we broke into places and systems to get everything else. The lawyer cannot rely on stolen evidence, and he will not be able to do anything without it.”

“So, we're back to square one. We've got it all, but we can't use it, and meanwhile Taehyung is still being sought and that news is being relentlessly repeated on the news,” Seokjin said.

"Maybe not," Jimin said suddenly. His eyes were a little unfocused and he didn't seem to be looking at any of his friends, or anything specific to tell the truth. Jimin seemed to be in another world as he spoke, several possibilities running through his head, but when all eyes turned to him and no one said a word, he knew he must explain what he was thinking.

"Maybe we're not back to square one," Jimin said again. “Maybe we can use one of the weapons Lee Minsuk used against Taehyung. Of course, we're not going to tamper with anything, and we don't even have to, but let's make everyone realize what we perceive, that Tae is innocent and the previous evidence is false.”

"And how do you suggest we do that?" Yoongi asked.

"We can divulge it," Jimin replied with a shrug. “On the internet and on some television station. They accept almost anything as long as it's a good story.” Jimin saw that everyone else was slightly widened, but as they said nothing, he continued. “We can send a note explaining what we want to do and we don't have to say who we are. They also accept it if it's anonymous, as long as the content is good and not a lie.”

“This will make someone, if not everyone, more interested in a second investigation and perhaps this time the police will investigate properly and use the right evidence. Or maybe they'll even have another team investigate, a team that is not close to Taehyung's stepfather and is not influenced by him. There must be someone honest and competent in the police,” Hoseok said as soon as he realized what Jimin wanted to do with that plan.

They all smiled at each other. That was a good plan. It wasn't exactly what they wanted, especially since it would take Taehyung some time to be completely cleared, but for them, what mattered most was that their friend wouldn't end up behind bars.

They got up and prepared everything that would be needed. Namjoon wrote a brief note indicating what this was all about, and the others packed their evidence: copies of the files in the police evidence folder, flash drives with the original and tampered videos.

Before doing what they had just agreed to, Jimin called Taehyung's mother, wanting to explain to her what they would do and how it would help her son, which he knew Mrs. Lee wanted with all her strength. Once more surprised by the woman's courage, Jimin heard Mrs. Lee say that she didn't care how they would acquit her son as long as it happened. As if it were a prize for the woman's courage and kindness, Jimin let her and Taehyung talk (conversation that lasted more than half an hour due to the emotion of the two interlocutors), and Mrs. Lee agreed with her son that, as soon as the news with the information Taehyung's friends found came out in the media, she would go to the nearest police station and file the complaint against her husband.

Within hours everything was delivered to the studio door of a major television station, the one that was responsible for the most watched news in the country, the same one Lee Minsuk had used to spread the word about Taehyung.

The seven friends huddled in Namjoon's living room to watch the evening news, some even with fingers crossed in anticipation, and they felt a mixture of satisfaction and disbelief as they heard the reporters talking about the evidence they had sent.

Some footage of the video the station had received was broadcast on TV as reporters inquired about the truth and what was really going on in this case, which they now realized seemed to begin three years earlier, or even more, judging for Mrs. Lee's injuries that the doctor's report indicated. Reporters did not know where the evidence had come from, or whether it was true or legal, but they released it nonetheless, inciting (almost demanding, in fact) a further investigation. Almost exactly as Jimin had imagined would happen.

The young man was right about the population too, he realized. As the days went by, the population itself put pressure on the police, who assigned another team to reinvestigate Taehyung's case, now linking the three-year-old theft case with the current assault, involving all abuses of Lee Minsuk.

The seven friends could still hardly believe that they had finally been able to do justice when they saw policeman Lee Minsuk being handcuffed by his honest colleagues into a car.

Well, he was no longer a cop now, since he lost his badge. He had been found guilty of all charges, including harassment, personal injury, obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and a few others that Taehyung could not remember the exact words to say. Now Minsuk would serve an even greater sentence than he intended Taehyung to serve when he accused him.

Taehyung, who at that moment was hugging his mother with all his friends surrounding him as they watched his stepfather's arrest, had been cleared of all charges against him, with assault on the police being regarded as a legitimate defense of others. He didn't know before, but the definition of that term was exactly what he had felt and done the moment he used the bottle against his stepfather.

The young man decided not to give any kind of interview when the TV stations that were covering the arrest of the former policeman approached. He didn't need the visibility that could bring him. Now that he had gotten his freedom, he just wanted to enjoy it with his friends and his mother. After all, now that the seven were free and out of trouble, they could finally resume their lives. The right way this time.

[claryaastark]

The Fragments of Him

082819

I gritted my teeth as I saw him running towards my direction. He seems scared but he still manage to tease me with a seductive smile and a wink — and that made me more furious. I rolled my eyes, heaved a sigh and calm myself.

“You’re 30 minutes late” I said calmly but with diction.

“Woah chill, I’m sorry, I need to finish my stuff first” and he smiled awkwardly while holding his ears.

“Don’t lie to me, what is it this time?” I said while raising one of my eyebrows.

“Hehe, my friends forced me to join them on a gig”

“And?”

“That’s it.”

“I know you, tell me!”

“And hehe, we drunk a little”

I picked up my stuff and rose from the grass then I walked away from his direction. He grabbed my arms and hugged me.

“I’m sorry” he whispered with a very gentle tone.

I cried because I know for a fact that I couldn’t resist this man, not ever. Instead of saying a word I just let myself cry on his chest.

“I’m sorry for keeping you wait, I won’t do it again, promise!”

“Promise?” I pouted my lips.

He gently tapped my head and smiled.

“Promise”

He held my hand then we went to our favorite spot. It was on a highland, where we have the chance to have a perfect glance on the city below. The wind is cold, and it almost touches the inner layer of my pale skin. During the eve, you can hear the deafening nights of silence. This place is very peaceful, there are no stress and problems to chase you. And I feel free.

I don’t have the chance to see him everyday, for a certain reason ; he always disappear literally. I still find it weird that we only have the chance to see each other every 4th day of the month. And luckily, the 4th day this month is Sunday. We’re not busy, we don’t have school, acads, and shits like those we encounter every weekdays.

I was 18 when I met him. He came to this place out of nowhere. He talked about random things, and I answered him. I do not know as well, how he found my little paradise since I was a child. But it doesn’t matter anyway, at least I found a friend in the middle of nowhere. And I’m not alone, that’s one thing for sure.

Because of my little drama about him, being unpunctual, I didn’t notice the violin that he was holding. We sat on the mattress, along with the basket of fruits, bread and milktea! And we talk, we laugh, he played the violin and he sang for me. He held my hand like he doesn’t want to lose me. 4th day of the month serves as my escape. There are lots of things that’s been bothering me, and I don’t wanna talk about it, not ever again. And he is my rest and my escape in this life of shit.

The sun is setting, and time literally flew so fast. He is dashing along with the rays of sun. He smiles like a morning sunshine, and talks like a dancing ocean waves — calm and assuring.

He was hugging me from behind while we cherish the moment of silence. I felt a pang of pain in my chest after I closed my eyes. Then I count, from 1-10.

“5, 4, 3...2”

“I’ll be back, I won’t leave”

“...1”

That’s the last thing he said to me and, he disappeared.

It was September and today is the 3rd day of the month. I’m on my room. I was flipping a 5-peso-coin while tapping my fingers on the wooden table. Here I am again, calculating the possibility of his uncertainty. I miss him so much, it was a month since I last saw him. Since we talked, since I touch him. I miss his silly jokes, his sweet remarks, his attractive perfume, his calm voice and his sunshine-like smile. Damn it!

I kicked the chair and I anxiously walked around the room, seriously, I’m so excited to see him again tomorrow! I looked myself in the mirror and I can’t help but smile. I got a lot of stories to talk!

I heard a loud consecutive knocks from the door and I opened it enthusiastically, I saw her again, the sweet woman in a color white casual gown.

“Tomorrow’s the day, you should sleep early my love!”

She smiled gently — my mom.

“Yes mom, thank you!” I jumped and we almost fell to the floor when I hugged and kissed her cheeks.

“Good night, my love!”

And I slept early, despite of uncertainty inside my mind.

This time, I was the unpunctual one, I was ten minutes late. Blame my closet, I had a hard time on choosing what to wear today. Today’s 4th day isn’t just an ordinary day of the month, it was our 24th meeting, our second anniversary. I saw him playing the guitar strings. I tiptoed and cover his eyes from behind.

“Happy 24th day!” and I kissed his cheeks.

I felt him smiled.

“I miss you so much” he said with a sad and excited mixed tone. He pulled a bouquet of colorful roses beside him, and a box colorful rolled paper.

“Read this once you’re home” he said naughtily.

He asked for my hand and we dance under the morning rays of sun, I buried my face on his chest and I let myself be drowned on the happy moment. I don’t wanna lose him, no and not ever.

We spent the day by eating, dancing, singing, laughing, and sharing each other’s story.

It was the sunset again, and it was the hardest and painful part of the day for me. Today’s farewell seems different.

He’s just staring at me, and he’s holding my hand thoroughly. I felt awkward but I didn’t ask. He kissed my lips and a drop of tears fell on my cheeks.

“I’m gonna miss you so much, I’ll be back!”

I did the same routine of counting from 10-1 and then again, he disappeared.

Seasons have changed, and time flies. It was the winter season and today’s 4th day seems gloomy. The rain pours and I was standing under one of the trees on our favorite spot, while holding my umbrella. I saw him walking towards my direction wearing his white hoody.

I smiled. The sun is nowhere to be found but he still has the dashing aura, like he glimmers around and he’s the only thing that I see.

“You seem cold” he removed his hoody revealing his color black shirt.

“Wear this, and let me hold the umbrella” I let him hold the umbrella for us, and half of the day, we just spent our time on watching the raindrops.

During the afternoon, I escaped and I run under the rain.

“Baby! You’ll catch a cold”

His face frowned. But I laugh instead.

“Who cares about cold? Come here! It’s fun”

I can see a hesitation on his face, but he still run towards my direction. And we danced, and kissed under the rain. I closed my eyes, and I put my head on his chest.

“I got to go”

I was shocked, we still have few hours before sunset.

“Why?”

“It’s time to go” he said expressionless.

“Are you kidding me, we still have few hours!”

“It’s time to go”

“Baby, stop it, stop joking! The sun haven’t set yet”

“It’s time to go!”

His hand are slowly disappearing, and he keeps on repeating his word.

“What’s happening?” I was crying hard because of sadness and confusion.

“Don’t leave please, please” I begged, but to my dismay, his body is turning into fragments, into pieces of dust in air.

“It’s time to go!”

That’s the last thing I heard before I closed my eyes, and he disappeared in front of me.

I opened my eyes, and I saw her. My mom, still wearing a white casual gown with a stethoscope on her shoulder.

“It’s time to go, my love”

She smiled. I looked at the calendar, and it’s the 4th day of December. I was wearing a hospital gown, and there are lots of apparatus in my head. I am also wearing a dextrose.

“She’s slowly recovering, the effects of her cognitive behavioral therapy is quite improving. Just let her regularly take her meds, and see you on next session, on January 4th. Advance happy new year!”

Mom smiled on her fellow doctor and we were left alone on the room.

I cried, and mom hugged me. She knows, she knows so well that I built a world inside my head.

I looked at my sketchpad and I saw him, I saw his smile, his golden aura. I saw him playing the guitar, the violin, I saw him hugging me and kissing me.

He is just a fragment of my imagination. My escape from this illness. I created him, I created us.

I was on the process of treating myself, and mom is my personal Psychiatrist. I suffered from traumatic disorder, after I lost dad on a car accident when I was 17. And I am taking meds, hallucinogens to be exact. It distorts my sensation and it produces a dream-like state experience.

I tossed a coin, that represents the uncertainty. The uncertainty of things between me and him. The uncertainty that I might not see him again, even on my imagination. The probability of being left behind even on the own world that I created inside my head. But I trust him, I trust that he will never leave, and he will consistently be with me.

But what happened on today’s 4th day of the month, is different. I let him flew away and turn into pieces of dust. Maybe, the doctor is right. I decided to leave my world of fiction and imagination and face my reality.

He is gold, and I’m colorblind. But still, I fell in love with a man that I created, I fell in love with a fragment of my own imagination and I’m glad that I did.

That time, I let myself cried.

2 years have passed. And I’m glad that I am finally leaving Illinois, my place of healing. And today’s the day, that I’m going home to the Philippines. 4th day of August. I smiled with the bittersweet memory inside my head.

“Calling all passengers of flight 416 bound to Philippines”

I held my luggage and hand carry. And we went inside. I’m not knowledgeable when it comes to airplanes but I am seeing a Boeing 737-200 in front of me. And this is where we gonna ride.

I put my earphones the moment I sat, and brought out my sketchpad. I smiled as I saw him, but this time, he is alone on my sketches. I felt a man who sat beside me but I didn’t even throw him a glance.

I started sketching again inside the plane.

Someone poked me, I got irritated and I removed my earphones to look at the man beside me, and I almost throw myself when I saw a real life representation of him, of my imagination. And he is in front of me.

“Miss, excuse me, why are you sketching me?” He asked half confused and half mesmerized as he stared on my artworks.

I didn’t speak a word. And I just let myself stare on him. Still shocked. He is real, and he is in front of me. This isn’t a dream or hallucination.

My heart is beating fast and I’m keeping myself from crying. Nervous, I still got the courage to ask for his name.

“Who are you?” I asked.

Half confused, he still answered me.

“My name is Roya”

[frozentee]

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18 Years Of Fast And Furious Thank You For The Memories shirt

We have a lot of norms that were 18 Years Of Fast And Furious Thank You For The Memories shirt . These need to be codified into law. And we need to bolster the checks and balances to ensure that laws just can’t be ignored because the ruling party doesn’t like them. Reminds me of the unproven claim that Reagan was diagnosed with. Alzheimer’s while still in office. And his aides had an unspoken agreement to keep quiet about it. And Reagan would spend time wandering around the Oval Office private garden confused, staring at leaves for hours at a time as if unsure of where he was. He literally acts like he’s on Adderall if he’s actually doing drugs its definitely that. 18 Years Of Fast And Furious Thank You For The Memories shirt, hoodie, sweater, longsleeve and ladies t-shirt I can probably go into 18 Years Of Fast And Furious Thank You For The Memories shirt . He stumbles and grinds his teeth around kinda makes it obvious, especially considering how much he slurs and the kooky faces he makes. One was from the hippie doctor who admitted Trump wrote the “all positive results” letter. The other was kicked out of the office for corruption a few months after performing his exam. That’s 0 for 2 on the real medical exams. He’s hiding something, and the symptoms are apparent. He has dementia of some kind. His bringing up syphilis in interviews gives me an idea. I do believe that nearly everyone in this administration is dropping little Easter eggs for themselves. Read the full article

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18 Years Of Fast And Furious Thank You For The Memories shirt

We have a lot of norms that were 18 Years Of Fast And Furious Thank You For The Memories shirt . These need to be codified into law. And we need to bolster the checks and balances to ensure that laws just can’t be ignored because the ruling party doesn’t like them. Reminds me of the unproven claim that Reagan was diagnosed with. Alzheimer’s while still in office. And his aides had an unspoken agreement to keep quiet about it. And Reagan would spend time wandering around the Oval Office private garden confused, staring at leaves for hours at a time as if unsure of where he was. He literally acts like he’s on Adderall if he’s actually doing drugs its definitely that. 18 Years Of Fast And Furious Thank You For The Memories shirt, hoodie, sweater, longsleeve and ladies t-shirt I can probably go into 18 Years Of Fast And Furious Thank You For The Memories shirt . He stumbles and grinds his teeth around kinda makes it obvious, especially considering how much he slurs and the kooky faces he makes. One was from the hippie doctor who admitted Trump wrote the “all positive results” letter. The other was kicked out of the office for corruption a few months after performing his exam. That’s 0 for 2 on the real medical exams. He’s hiding something, and the symptoms are apparent. He has dementia of some kind. His bringing up syphilis in interviews gives me an idea. I do believe that nearly everyone in this administration is dropping little Easter eggs for themselves. Read the full article

[bantamsquash]

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Fast And Furious 18 Years 9Movies Thank You For The Memories Shirt A beggar can’t believe his ears. There is no reason for the richest person in the country to beg for a beggar’s rice butter. In a remote part, there are rumors that the prince of the country will visit the village. People who are always considered black people, the lower class in the village are happy because they thought this…

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Fast And Furious 18 Years 9Movies Thank You For The Memories Hoodies

Fast And Furious 18 Years 9Movies Thank You For The Memories Shirt A beggar can’t believe his ears. There is no reason for the richest person in the country to beg for a beggar’s rice butter. In a remote part, there are rumors that the prince of the country will visit the village. People who are always considered black people, the lower class in the village are happy because they thought this…

[savesgu]

Fast And Furious 18 Years 9Movies Thank You For The Memories Hoodies

Fast And Furious 18 Years 9Movies Thank You For The Memories Hoodies

Fast And Furious 18 Years 9Movies Thank You For The Memories Shirt A beggar can’t believe his ears. There is no reason for the richest person in the country to beg for a beggar’s rice butter. In a remote part, there are rumors that the prince of the country will visit the village. People who are always considered black people, the lower class in the village are happy because they thought this…

[tophalloween-blog1]

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