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mini-pretzel · 6 years ago

Text

the stranger 1

Genre: angst, fluff, light smut

Music: loser

Additional tags: mentions of smut, lots of angsttttt, mention of death

Word count: 10k

A/N: so this was supposed to be a oneshot, a simple one time story. but knowing me things escalated quickly.

In which a mint haired stranger is all that’s on your mind.

He was on your mind again. It’s gotten worse than before; how insistent your thoughts were about him.

At first it was only a few innocent questions floating around in your brain of how he was doing and what he was up to, then it grew into something along the lines of wanting to feel his body against yours again. To feel his cold fingers graze the back of your neck and down your collarbones, to feel his breath against the goosebumps on your skin, to feel a smile form against your cheek as he thrust into you that much deeper.

At this point it’s become quite bothersome how invested you were in this man. And, to be honest, what were you so invested in him for? You didn’t even known his name, or anything about him for that matter.

You had only met him once, weeks ago at a party you attended simply because Jimin dragged you there. The guy had gotten sick and tired with you always moping around. So, he had decided to kidnap you as his hostage for the night, his intentions being very clear: not one more sad and lonely night on your couch with a disturbing amount of alcohol, ice cream and take out boxes full of deep fried noodles. Not one. You were better than that. You were done with that.

But Jimin understood your predicament. Break-ups were shit - he knew that all too well.

And even though you had been dumped recently and for others that turn of events had come out of nowhere, deep in your heart you knew why it had to be that way and, sadly, it was of no surprise to you.

You were with your ex, Minhyuk, for a while and things were great at first. You got comfortable with one another pretty quickly. At some point it had even seemed as though you were going to make it in the long run, with your interactions filled with knowing smirks and inside jokes.

You both had wanted the same things, had similar aspirations, goals and you clicked. But, a couple months back, when problems started to show their ugly head, tension started to pile up and cause misunderstandings to arise--and it became difficult to see eye to eye--it hurt you. It seemed as though it started with the smallest of things that could be fixable, but quickly grew into larger, more serious issues that allowed no room for compromise.

For example, you had wanted to get a cat, meanwhile he hated cats with a burning passion, calling them demon spawns, and opted the two of you got a dog instead. You didn’t.

You wanted to travel the world and learn about different cultures, meanwhile he was already well-travelled and hated the idea. He had said the idea was too romanticized and impractical.

You wanted to save up for a house and it turned out he hated houses. He was always frivolous with his spending; much preferring to buy designer clothes and expensive foreign colognes that made your nose sting and eyes water. Your once quiet evenings were suddenly filled with passive-aggressive quips and choking tensions or full-blown fights with resolution in sight.

It was difficult to see your relationship deteriorate at such a slow pace with no way out. It felt like a car crash in slow motion that you couldn’t look away from, too entranced to unbuckle the seat belt fast enough to get out.

So when he sat you down at that coffee shop down the street from where you lived--the coffee shop you first met him at (funny how those things worked)--you already knew exactly what was going to be said and how much it would hurt.

You had loved him, despite all of his flaws and your incompatibility. And a part of you foolishly held onto the belief that maybe, just maybe, if you two stuck it out you’d get past your differences and would be able to make a life together that you both would be proud of.

In your head, you had built up the perfect life with him; a home full of love, a deck with flowers, a tabby cat that would somehow win over his heart when he follow him home, and maybe, possibly even a ring. The promise of forever. You had hoped for that, you had worked so hard to keep your relationship from shattering for that. That ideal life with him.

Unfortunately, Minhyuk did not share the same sentiment. He laid out his feelings about you very openly on the table. And at that moment, with you sitting in that awfully comfortable chair across from him--with coffee in front of you that you didn’t dare to touch because of the knots in your stomach--staring at into his eyes and knowing fully well that it would be the last time you would see his face, you felt a realization dawn on you. You realized how hopeless it all had been.

��“I just think it would be better for the both of us.” you heard him say as your image of him became a blur.

“Plus, I already have someone else I’ve been getting close to.”

And that was it. The straw that broke the camel’s back.

You felt the tears trail down your cheeks.

You cried over the failure that was your relationship, you cried over the years spent trying to fix what otherwise should have been signs that it would never work out, you cried over how you let him walk over you and your all-too-kind heart, you cried over always letting him win arguments because all you wanted was to be happy with him, and you cried over the fact that he had been completely not what you imagined, completely unlike the ideal imagine you had concocted in your mind.

The real him was sitting in front of you, stark different from the person you had created in your head.

And, finally, you cried over the life you would never get to live with him. The perfect, ideal life that was never meant to be.

After that, it felt as if something had been ripped out of your soul--your heart, most likely--and you didn’t have an appropriate way to cope.

So, you secluded yourself in your apartment, away from everyone in your life and threw yourself a pity party that lasted long enough for one of your closest friends, Jimin, to notice and grow increasingly concerned over.

So that’s why you were at that party that night, with a drink in your hand that was much more sweet than alcoholic, eyeing around the room in hopes of finding a quiet spot to slip away to and hide because you just did not want to be there…

That’s when he had caught your eye, or more like, his hair did. His mint green fluffy hair that looked too soft and perfectly styled, making you want to run your hands through it and tousle it into a fine mess. It was unusual, to see that colour worn so boldly, it had been evidently bleached by an expert and dyed to look the perfect shade.

You found yourself swallowing, you hands suddenly feeling extra clammy around your glass as the feeling of eagerness washed over you. You found yourself wanting to go over to start a conversation despite the nervous pricks in your stomach. You were ready to face the anxiety that usually held you back, just to hear what his voice sounded like. You bet it sounded gentle to the ear as his whole presence seemed calming and reassuring somehow.

And before your mind could register what you were doing--and stop you, like it always did, because this was not like you--you were on your way over to him, eyes glued onto his relaxed stature and the humble-sized biceps that were peeking nicely from under his loose tshirt.

You wanted a piece of that calmness he emitted. You wanted to feel that within you, for him to soothe the inner turmoil in your chest. Or maybe you just wanted anything he would give you. You would take anything as long as it was from him.

“Hey,” you had said and cursed yourself at how weak you sounded. You had wanted to make a good impression for some reason. Maybe because he was such a mystery to you and you were enthralled in piecing everything about him together. Figuring him out, who he was, how he worked. Uncloaking every little quirk that made up this mint tinted man.

He turned to you and once your eyes met his you knew you were done for. They were gentler than you anticipated; warm and held a depth that would take years to figure out, but you suddenly were willing to try.

“Hey, yourself.” he said and smiled, eyeing you from up down before meeting your gaze again. He had a gorgeous smile; albeit a little goofy with how his gums flashed so easily, but endearing enough to pull at your heartstrings.

You couldn’t remember what you talked about after that, there had been enough booze in your system to cancel out any information you could have gotten from him; like his age, hobbies or interests, or even his name. But you found yourself not caring, despite the fact you were so enthralled in figuring him out just moments before.

Maybe it was because you were still hurt and healing and all you wanted was company. Maybe because you were lonely and wanted to silence the dull ache with his laugh. Maybe because he was actually showing an interest in you and feeding that part of you that desperately craved that validation only another human being could provide. You didn’t know. All you knew was…

You took him home that night.

It seemed as though you didn’t even have to ask if he wanted to come along with you or not, as he had already made up his mind as soon as he started talking to you. And you didn’t mind that bold confidence or directness. In fact, you reveled in it. Your past few weeks had been so uncertain, so muddy, so bleak, dark and murky, that it was like a breath of fresh air to have someone so sharp and certain take the lead. He was a breath of fresh air, his whole presence was.

You had slept with him, and he took care of you throughout it. You didn’t remember much, that of being intoxicated so strongly thanks to the copious amounts of sugar in your cocktails. You did, however, recall that you cried and that he wasn’t creeped out or turned off by it in the slightest, which in turn made your chest feel even tighter.

He had called you sweetheart and dearest, and kissed you so deeply it felt like as if it meant something to him, like the two of you had been together for years. And all of that was a little too much for you to handle. He had been too caring to someone like you. Someone who was merely a one night stand.

You weren’t stupid, you knew that’s all that it was, all it had to be. Even if your heart was making grandiose leaps into the illusions, the possibilities of something much more.

Your mind was quick to tell your heart just how ridiculous the whole fantasy scenario was. Waking up the next morning to a cold spot next to you had proved it. However, there was something about him that seemed different and it made the thought of him stick with you. You knew there was something about him that made him different -- the perfect night sleep that came with sleeping next to him had confirmed it for you.

So now you were at another party, yearning, hoping to run into him again to see if you could get another taste of his skin. If you closed your eyes you could still remember the way his fingers trailed down your body, phantom touches that were a hazy memory of that intoxicated night. The way his temples got sweaty from going too hard, how his dark eyes gazed over you with a look that you couldn’t place, wouldn’t dare to ask, but wanted to know everything about. The way your bodies fit into each other in such a delicious, satisfying way.

You heard your name and jumped a little out of your skin, imagining it was him saying it like he had done so that night, in his low, gruff but somehow soothing voice. Sadly, this time it was not him.

“What are you so spaced out for?”

An arm snaked around you and you looked to your right to see Jimin’s concerned eyes trailing over your features. Your best friend always was such a worrier, especially when it came to you.

“Just have some work stuff on my mind.” you lied. He didn’t know about your nightly escapade with a mint haired stranger and you wanted to keep it that way. You weren’t ready to tell anyone about it, especially since it had only been just sex and just once. There was something about it, like that little anonymity that made you feel proud and confident, and outing it would break that little illusion for you. You wanted to hold on a little longer to the feeling the whole thing gave you. Maybe, in a few weeks, once you got over him and his charming ways you would come clean. But not now, not when it was all so fresh in your mind.

“Honey, you’re not at work right now. It’s okay to leave those things till later, they will all still be there tomorrow.” Jimin said in his soft voice as he massaged your shoulder which you hadn’t even noticed had become tense in your lie.

Jimin had always called you honey when he wanted to calm your anxiety down, that sweet word had served as your anchor in multiple situations in the past. Many people saw that as him liking you more than a friend or the relationship having connotations that ran deeper than just a normal friendship, but people saw a lot of things that weren’t exactly true.

You smiled, bringing your hand that wasn’t holding a glass of cheap whisky and coke cover his and giving it a reassuring squeeze. “I know, I just… It’s better to think about that than him.”

Jimin nodded knowingly and you felt guilt burn in your stomach because you knew that the two of you were on separate pages when it came to which him you were referencing. The him had changed since that night, but that update was only known to you.

“It’ll all be okay. It takes time, but you’ll be free of him.” Jimin said as he turned his hand to press his palm against yours and you held onto him a little tighter.

You will tell him. “Thanks, Jimin.” But not yet. “It means a lot to me that you’re here.”

“Always, honey.”

You smiled at his words, bringing the cold drink to your lips.

“Now,” your eyes met his and you saw mischief dancing behind them and raised an eyebrow, “Let’s see how many shots we can take before we fall over our asses.”

Your smile turned devious.

“You’re on.”

The next morning the first thing you remember is your consciousness slowly coming back to you from the dark haze of sleep and the undoubtable heaviness in your head.

You were in bed, not yours, but it was familiar. After a few moments of feeling around the fabric and inhaling the scent, your mind made the connection that it was Jimin’s. Which meant your best friend was probably nearby, possibly on the couch or possibly in the kitchen.

But you would have to peel yourself from the sheets to find out for sure.

You cracked your eyes open just enough to sort of make out the shapes of the furniture in the room as you sat up and stretched. You footsteps creaked against the wooden floor as you made your way across the room. After you opened the door, the smell of pancakes and bacon filled your nose. Jimin was definitely up, and definitely in the kitchen.

Hobbling over to the bathroom, you did what you needed to do and washed your face before staring at your reflection for a little too long. Taking in your messy hair, the dark circles under your eyes, that one pimple that Jimin swore was barely noticeable but to you was so prominent on your face you wished you could claw it off. You had no idea how you were attractive enough to land a one night stand, especially with a man as good looking as the mint haired stranger.

Would he even remember you if you met him again? Would he want to repeat that night, if you asked? A small voice inside of you sounded doubtful.

You shut your eyes and sighed deeply. You were not going to get anywhere if you started your day off picking yourself apart; you had promised to be gentler with yourself, especially after your breakup. Well, that promise was mostly because of Jimin and to Jimin. But you promised it to yourself as well, no matter how hard it seemed to be at some moments.

Throwing one last look at yourself in the mirror, your eyes staring back at you with disappointment, you exited the bathroom and made your way down the stairs.

When you got to the kitchen, you were greeted by a very hungover Jimin sitting at the counter and groaning into his palms, and a very chipper Seokjin making breakfast behind it.

You joined Jimin on the island table.

“Remind me again why last night was such a good idea?” you mumbled as you picked the sleep away from your eyes, your sight adjusting to the morning light.

“Because it was fun.” Jimin responded, looking pale in the face and like he didn’t even believe his own words.

“You wouldn’t think that looking at you now, Jimin.” Seokjin retorted and laughed when Jimin sighed dramatically at his quip.

“Shut up old man, you don’t even have the liver to handle the party we went to.” Jimin grumbled as if it was something to be proud of and crossed his arms before slouching in his seat, looking grouchy.

“We both know that’s not true, little man.”

At that Jimin pouted like a child and you used that as the opportunity to change the topic.

“What’s for breakfast?” you asked Seokjin, trying to peer over the counter to see what he was preparing. You could already smell some of it even when you were in the other room, but knowing Seokjin he would put something in there to spice it up.

“Oh you know, the standard,” Seokjin began, “pancakes, bacon, some sausage,” he paused and raised a plate of diced octopus, “and some fried octopi!” he looked so proud of himself you didn’t have the heart to tell him how weird that combination had sounded.

“That’s too much sodium, Jinnie.” Jimin complained in a high-pitched voice.

You nodded, sharing his sentiment. “Anything sweet?” you peered.

“Strawberries.” Jin said with a wink as he held up a large bowl of ripe and radiant looking red berries. You could practically taste them on your tongue - they looked that good.

“Tae would love those.” Jimin said after an audible swallow. “Speaking of which, where is that sucker?” Jimin said to himself as he peeled himself from the seat.

Before Seokjin could open his mouth to respond Jimin was already hobbling over to one of his many guest bedrooms. “Tae! Get your ass up! We’re having strawberries and fried octopus bits for breakfast!”

“He really shouldn’t call them octopus bits.” Jin tsked, “They’re just chopped tentacles.”

“Still doesn’t make it sound any less unappealing.” you admitted, but he just brushed you off and placed a loaded plate in front of you.

“Strawberries only after you finish your food.” he said in a motherly tone as he held up a fork. You rolled your eyes, despite an amused smile playing at your lips, before grabbing it.

“I don’t think I’ll be able to finish all this, Seokjin.”

“Call me Jin, please. We’ve known each other long enough for you to drop the formalities.”

“Okay, Jin it is then.”

Then a silence stretched, save from a couple of your muffled chewing noises and the sound of your fork scratching against the plate.

Jin went over to the fridge and took out a carton of orange juice and later a few classes from the cupboard. He unscrewed the cap and filled a few glasses.

“So, how are you holding up?”

You paused as you stared at him, mouth filled with a mixture of pancake, sausage and chopped octopus. It actually wasn’t as bad as you thought it would be. Jin knew how to put the right spices to make it work with the dish.

After a moment of confused blinking, you force swallowed the food awkwardly, almost choking and grabbed the glass of orange juice Jin held out to you.

“Thanks.” you breathed after you downed the entirety of its contents in one go. Your chest hurt after that amount of food going down at once. Wincing, you pressed your palm against it as if it would help ease the pain.

Jin shrugged as if his gesture meant nothing, almost as if it had been something that you should have expected for him to do. “So…?”

You stared at him, not knowing what to say. “Are you asking about my break up?”

Jin took a long drink of his juice and nodded. “That, and that mint haired guy you went home with a couple weeks ago.”

Crap. He knew. Oh, crap, Jin knew. If Jin knew that meant-

“Does Jimin-”

“I haven’t told anyone about what I’ve seen. Jimin was too drunk and busy sucking face with Taehyung that night to notice.”

You breathed out a loud sigh, relief filling your chest, but it was soon followed by guilt. You bit your lip, brows furrowing. You would tell Jimin about your one night stand, but not yet. You weren’t ready to deal with him questioning everything about the guy -- a guy you didn’t even know the name of.

“It’s not like that, Jin.” you said, setting the fork aside, suddenly not feeling very hungry. “I don’t usually sleep with guys I hardly know.”

Jin hummed, “I know that, even though I haven’t known you as long as Jimin has.” and something about that line made it sting for you. You repressed a wince.

“I was drunk and not thinking straight-” you began but Jin cut you off with a raise his hand.

“You don’t need to try to defend yourself with me.” Jin sighed, “It’s not my business what you do or who you take to bed,” he said, tone even, “But I do worry if you’re jumping into things a little too soon, or developing feelings for the wrong people while you’re in such a tender state after such a fresh breakup. That,” he said as he poked your nose gently, “is what I have the right to worry about. Especially since I don’t want to see you hurt again.”

“Thank you for being concerned, but I’m okay,” you smiled meekly, “I just think I’m going through the rebound phase, it should surely pass.”

Jin nodded, mulling over your words. “I understand. I’m sorry if I seemed too forward, I just don’t want you to start hoping for anything more than a one night stand with that-” his nose scrunched, “that guy.”

It was sweet of him, to worry about you like that. But you were a big girl, you knew it was just a one night stand for both parties that night. And even if you were curious about the man behind that gummy smile, it was still a little too much to-

Then something clicked in your brain and you narrowed your eyes at him before opening your mouth to unleash the words in a cold tone. “What do you mean, Jin? That guy? Why did you say that in that tone?”

Jin looked taken aback by your question and quickly averted his eyes. “Nothing you need to be concerned about. I’m just looking out for you.”

Your jaw clenched. “Bullshit.”

Jin sighed again. “It’s nothing, it’s-”

“No. Don’t bullshit me, Jin. Please. Not you.” you said, your voice steady, despite your hands shaking. “What do you know about him that made you say that? Tell me. You know something, Jin.”

Jin’s stare was heavy as he opened his mouth to say something, that’s when you heard Jimin stomping back to the kitchen.

“Tae is still asleep and it’s so hard to get him out of bed, that mother-” he stopped in his tracks as he surveyed the room and the uncomfortable atmosphere between you two. “Did I interrupt something?”

“No, you didn’t Jimin.” Jin said with a strained smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. You mirrored his expression.

“Everything’s fine.” your voice sounded off and you knew it.

He looked between the two of you with a concerned gaze, calculating, before shrugging, and dropped it. “If you say so.”

Just then a yawn erupted behind him, a tanned long slender arm wrapped around his neck and a sleepy Tae appeared from behind him with his hair sticking out in all directions. “Morning, peeps.” he said, stretching and rubbing his eye. “Breakfast?”

“Come and get it while it’s still hot.” Jin was back to his usual motherly persona, and you picked up your fork to move around the food on your plate.

“Sweet,” Taehyung grinned as he made his way towards the table, dragging a protesting Jimin with him by the neck, “I heard something about strawberries.”

“After you finish your food.”

“Yes, mom.”

Jin rolled his eyes as he handed him a plate.

You stole a glance at Jin before making conversation with Taehyung, inquiring about his activities last night.

At some point in your conversation you made eye contact with Jin again, your stare conveying one message and one message only.

You will definitely be finishing that conversation.

Just who was that mint haired gummy smiled stranger that got Jin so worked up?

Unfortunately finishing that conversation would prove to be an unsuccessful pursuit, at least for the past few days. As it turned out, Jin could be very good at hiding if the situation demanded it and he, of course, had no problem applying himself. The fact that he was so hard to get a hold of had set off further alarm bells in your mind. You had to get to the bottom of the situation. You had to find out what he knew and why he was so adamant on not telling you any of it.

Jin wasn’t the type to worry over nothing, so if he was troubled over your one night stand, then something was up. He wasn’t just showing concern, he was warning you about something. But he clearly seemed to be holding back in telling you the reason why. And come hell or high water, you were going to unravel that mystery.

“So yeah, you’ll be there this Saturday, right?”

You blinked, caught off guard before emitting an unsure ‘yeah’ into the receiver. You could hear Jimin sigh softly over the line and you smiled apologetically even though he couldn’t see you.

Your best friend was once again suggesting you attend another party with him. Somewhere between him telling you about his plans to play beer pong and do lots of body shots you got lost in your head over the truth behind that one night stranger. And technically you weren’t against the idea of going, you just didn’t like how depressed you got after too many tequila shots were flowing in your bloodstream. And there was that whole deal with Jin you still had to resolve. You didn’t want the resolution to be at a party.

“I swear, sometimes I think I need to upgrade my best friends list.”

You blinked, quiet for a moment, before letting out a weak laugh. “Sorry, Jimin. I just have a lot on my mind.”

“I can tell.” his voice sounded agitated, but empathetic nonetheless. “You know you can always talk to me, right?”

And there it was again, that ugly guilt forming as a lump in your throat you tried so desperately to swallow before you responded. “Yeah, I know, Jimin.”

Jimin was quiet for a moment.

“I have a preposition.”

“What is it?” you asked immediately, curiosity transparent in your voice.

“Let’s do what we always did when there was too much bothering us.”

A small smile grew on your face because you knew exactly where he was going with that statement.

“Let’s get shit faced and just vent all about our problems to each other, like we did in college.”

“Like about that guy that thought the perfect first date was to take you to a fast food joint?”

Jimin snorted, before responding. “What about that guy that you you were crushing on in your sociology class that told you you reminded him of his mother?”

“What about that shitty mark you got on your research paper?”

“I formatted it right! The professor just hated me cause my ass looked better than hers.”

Your heart squeezed in your chest, remembering those nights. They always held a special place in your heart. You loved them because it was just you and Jimin; two voices and thoughts that just understood each other without having the need to explain themselves too much. And there was no fear of expression or regrets. It was just emotion and encouragement. Jimin was a wonderful listener and an even better supporter.

The sudden rush of affection you felt for your best friend almost made you tell him about the one night stand then and there, but you held back. It would be better to do it in person, because that’s what made it so special. And a little alcohol always loosened the tongue too.

“Let’s.” you agreed, “That’s just what we need - a good rant and a good cry.”

“That’s just what you need, honey.”

You grinned so big the muscles in your cheeks were straining.

“I don’t deserve you.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m the best. You’re getting a bill for all the bullshit you make me put up with.”

That made you laugh into the receiver.

The night of the party came quicker than you thought. Unfortunately, not much has changed since you discussed your plans with Jimin. You were still planning on getting completely smashed and telling him everything that has been plaguing you for the past few weeks and you still had a situation to solve with Jin.

Except, Jin was still nowhere to be found. You texted him throughout the week and even called him a couple times, but it all went to voicemail. You couldn’t ask Jimin about him because that would raise suspicion. You wanted to make up with Jin on your own without having to explain everything to Jimin beforehand. Because of that, it really bothered you that Jin was making it difficult for you to communicate with him.

Your eyes trailed around the room, taking in the nameless bodies in the differently coloured hues. You knew no one, and you weren’t sure if that was a bad or a good thing. On one hand, it was good that you didn’t know anyone because all you wanted to do was slip away and find Jimin because you were itching to do what you had talked about on the phone. On the other, a part of you wanted to blend into the sea of people because, who knew, maybe, just maybe you would be able to run into him again.

The man that you had been unable to remove from your head for weeks. The man that had made a lasting impression. The man with the roughest of hands that had the softest of touches. The man with the charming gummy smile.

You knew it was probably a bad idea - he was a stranger, a one night stand for crying out loud. But a part of you had grown too attached to the memory of that night. And that made you unable to clear your mind of the way he made you feel. It wasn’t just the physical stuff anymore. He had comforted you when you were at your lowest. You couldn’t not have let that not have an effect you.

Just one more night and you would let it go. You had to have a taste of him again.

“I need to do this just once more, then I can start anew.” you said to yourself.

Like ripping off a band-aid.

And just like that, your decision was made.

With those words stuck on repeat in your mind, you stepped into the crowd. Your heard turned from one side to another in your little pursuit of the mint haired stranger. You weren’t completely certain you would run into him, but a naive part of you was foolish enough to try. Your mind knew that it was stupid and utterly desperate, but the desire to see him again outweighed the embarrassment that crawled through you as you searched.

His hair was the easiest indicator that it was him --- you had not met anyone else after him that had the exact same colour or haircut. That’s why you were sure the moment you saw it that it was him, even if it startled you at first into doing a double take.

You felt your mouth suddenly go dry as you studied it. It definitely was him. He was here. You found him. After weeks of obsessing, you could finally sate the thirst you felt for wanting to be in his presence and finally let him go.

And also learn why Jin had been so against him. You figured if Jin wouldn’t tell you, you’d find out from the man himself.

“Hey, stranger.” you said, a smile spreading on your face as you saw the hair turn and those familiar deep brown eyes survey you once more. “Come here often?”

He shared your smile. “Hey, yourself.” his eyes had been just as mischievous and deep as that night. He remembered. He remembered you. “How’s it going, beautiful?”

“Good. Better now that I ran into you.” you weren’t sure where this boldness had come from, you were usually more reserved. Then again, the last time you two interacted you had been just as forward, taking him home without much of a second thought. Without even bothering to remember his name.

His smile grew as his eyebrows raised up his forehead. “Really, now? Why is that?” he seemed amused, genuinely curious.

Now or never.

“Because I wanted to see you.”

He was standing closer to you now. You could feel his body heat against yours and realized how much you missed it. His smell had been the same as that night too, the cologne that was hard to place but immediately brought back the memories of sweat and heavy breaths. Your pillow had that same scent for a day after, too. It was a smell that was hard to forget.

“Really? Tell me more, beautiful.”

You leaned closer, your lips close to his ear and you knew he felt your breath because he shivered as you said, “Because I want to take you home again.”

Now it was your turn to feel his breath against your earlobe.

“Is that so, beautiful? And do what?”

Goosebumps formed on your skin even though you weren’t cold and strong shiver ran down your spine -- you loved every moment of it.

“And do something we both know is too obscene to talk about here.”

“Oh, I’m sure no one will hear you.”

Your hand had a mind of its own when it decided to slide up his torso, feeling the fabric of his shirt and the familiar outline of his body. He pressed closer to you, making your thighs and knees touch.

“A daring one, aren’t you, beautiful?” you heard his amusement in your ear.

“Completely different to last time, huh?”

“No, about the same. I liked that about you last time, and I like that about you now.”

Heat rose in your cheeks and you were thankful he couldn’t see your face and that it was dark in the room. You felt his nose press into your hair and didn’t want him to ever pull away.

“Besides, you’re more comfortable with me now.”

You weren’t about to disagree, after all, he was right. It’s much easier second time around, now that you had an idea of what he was like in bed -- how kind and gentle he was at making you come apart and piecing you back together. Knowing that made you daring in ways you hadn’t ever been before.

He was so close to you now, you could get a whiff of the faint smell of the detergent he used to wash his clothes. It mixed with his cologne so pleasantly you wanted to drown in it. It all was so familiar, his smell, his smile, his words. Even though originally your memory was foggy on the details, one thing was certain -- it was all coming back to you now, bit by bit. His strong presence, his alluring persona. A bit of a bite before the soft kiss. Everything that you committed to memory about this man.

And you realized, with a tightness in your chest that you needed him. Fuck, you really needed him. And you were so fucking desperate for doing so.

“Are you more comfortable with me?” you questioned, taking your time to enjoy the fabric of his shirt and the warm skin of his neck under your finger tips.

You felt his hand slide up the side of your arm and stop to cup your cheek as he leaned back to stare at you.

“I may be a little crazy for saying so, since we’ve only met once before, but yes.” he said and the words sounded so honest coming from him it made your heart squeeze.

“Want to get even more comfortable somewhere private?” you realized how needy you must have sounded to him, but you were far too gone to care. You needed him in your system, just seeing him again told you that.

His eyes, dark as they already were, somehow managed to become just a tad bit darker. “With pleasure, beautiful.”

And with that you felt the warmth of his hand enclasp yours and you were pulled out of the room, far from the crowd, the music and people’s eyes.

“By the way,” you started, looking at the back of his head as you trailed behind him. He looked back at you as he kept walking, close enough for your arms to be touching.

“What’s your name?”

A small smile flashed on his features as if there was an inside joke you both were in on. “Yoongi.”

Yoongi.

Now that was one secret uncovered. You felt yourself smile back at him, somehow feeling closer to him.

Maybe, just maybe it could be more.

Then, for a split second, your eyes caught Jimin in the crowd, looking around in a worried manner. Guilt pierced through your stomach.

“I’m sorry, Jimin.” you mumbled turning away to follow Yoongi out of the house.

You needed Yoongi.

And, you were getting your answers one way or another. No matter the cost.

When you got to your place, Yoongi did not waste any time pinning you against the wall and capturing your lips with his own. There was a quick ‘Careful, dear’ and a steady hold on your arm as you took off your shoes before you felt him close the distance between you and it nearly knocked the breath out of you. You whimpered against his tight grip, marveling at the hotness of his mouth and softness of his lips. You realized how much you remembered the feel of them, and how much you had missed them.

As you kept kissing him you felt yourself grow lightheaded. There was no room to breathe, and while that should have concerned you, the thrill that it sent with a shiver down your spine left you chasing the feeling. There was no turning back now, he was right there with you and, just for tonight at least, he was all yours. As yours as he could ever be.

“Bed?” you breathed out as he pulled away to trail wet kisses down your jawline, each damp mark sending electricity through your skin. You weren’t in the most eloquent state, your mind turning into mush thanks to his tactile abilities, but you were trying to speak in a way that communicated your thoughts.

“Please.”

You felt him hum against your neck in agreement and it felt so sensitive against your skin that warmth spread on your cheeks. God, you were already so weak in your knees. This was dangerous. Yoongi was dangerous.

As if in a trance, you lead him closer to your bed, stumbling over some things that were left by you on the floor carelessly. You really should have cleaned your apartment before you brought him home. Who knows what Yoongi thought of you now that he had bumped into the mess in the room. That thought momentarily scolded you, but Yoongi’s lips on yours made all worry vanish as quickly as it appeared.

You felt your calves press against the bed and your body caught against the solid build that was Yoongi. He was everywhere, all around you, his whole presence filled every little corner of your tiny living quarters. And with your arms around his neck and him tentatively working his lips against yours it suddenly felt as if he never left. All of the memories of that night were rushing into your head, like distant photographs.

He wasn’t a typical one night stand.

Yoongi’s hand trailed down your arm and grabbed a hold of your hip gently, then you were pushed into a sitting position on the bed, making it creak and sheets dip and crease from where you sat.

Once he pulled away from devouring your lips you heard him whisper something that sounded so faint and quiet, but you could have sworn sounded like your name.

A lump caught in your throat. “Huh?”

Yoongi said it--your name--again, before pressing his lips against the underside of your jaw and arms enveloping around you, creating a warm barrier that felt to innocent in comparison to the things that were sure to follow.

Something soft sprouted in your heart and you pulled him closer, bringing him to press his knees on the sides of your thighs and make him sit comfortably in your lap.

“You remember my name?”

He smirked, his face so close to yours that your noses were touching. “You’re a hard woman to forget.”

Oh, fuck. You tried not to think too much into those words, but your curious tongue spoke before you could catch it.

“Really? How come?”

Yoongi let out a dry laugh, his grin looking something akin to a Cheshire cat’s. “It’s not every day I meet a woman that cries on during a one night stand.”

Your cheeks were definitely on fire, the amount of shame you felt was palpable.

“Oh, sorry about that.”

“Don’t be.” his smile was gentler now, with less of a bite. “I enjoyed making you feel good, and comforting you after.”

You closed your eyes and tried to even your breathing. You really weren’t doing good with the whole one-more-night-and-then-I’ll-forget-about-him thing. No, definitely not. Instead, you were slipping more and more into Yoongi’s whole being, drowning in his touch, words and laugh and you were not sure you were going to make it out alive.

After a moment of silence, not awkward at all, just still and existent, Yoongi unwrapped his arms from you and moved to plop beside you, cocking his head to the side to look over you with a curious glance behind his eyes. “You have questions.”

“H-How did you know that?”

“I’m good at reading people.”

You avoided his gaze then. “Well, that must be useful.”

“Sometimes.”A pause. “What do you want to know?”

At that invitation, all the questions began fighting with each other in your head, all eager to be voiced and answered. But you settled on the most troubling ones.

“Do you know Kim Seokjin, by any chance?” You looked to him to see his reaction once hearing the name.

Something flashed behind Yoongi’s eyes, before a stoic mask covered his emotions once more. “I’ve heard of him. But I don’t know him personally.”

You weren’t really satisfied with that answer, as something in your gut was telling you that there was definitely something he wasn’t telling you.

“Really? It seems that he knows you.”

Yoongi raised his eyebrow at that. “Has he said anything?”

“Just that I should stay away from you.”

You heard him bark out laughter at that, looking like it was the best joke he’s heard in a while. “Interesting. Well, he’s not wrong.”

Your heart rate picked up at that. “Why?”

Yoongi smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Because I’m not a good person, beautiful.”

“What do you mean?”

“Perhaps you should ask him that yourself.” Yoongi said, looking way too relaxed in comparison to how wound up you were feeling.

What the hell was going on? All this was doing was creating more complicated questions for you.

“I would, but he won’t talk to me.” you frowned. “Can’t you tell me anything?”

Yoongi sighed at that, looking somber. “It’s not my story to tell, sweets. If you want to know it, you have to hear it from him.”

“But there’s always more than one side to a story.” you argued.

“That’s true.” Yoongi agreed, before fixing his gaze on you--a gaze which you returned--and contemplating something for a moment. “Tell you what, if you get him to spill our history to you, and then don’t hate me after - come find me and I’ll tell you my half.”

You mulled over his words, considering your options. So they did know each other. Something pretty bad must have happened for them to not be on speaking terms, and for Jin to avoid talking about him like that.

You were aching to know what it was.

Then, you felt Yoongi’s hand cover yours and blinked as his face itched closer to yours.

“You know, when you offered to get more comfortable with each other, this wasn’t what I had in mind.” Yoongi commented lightly, tone full of humour, making you break into a smile, despite the bits of information you got just now. There was something so disarming about Yoongi, that it was almost scary.

“Not what I had in mind either.” you admitted, mind still caught up in your conversation.

Yoongi’s face was so close to you now, his breath hot against your swollen lips. “What did you have in mind?”

“Something similar to what you did, I presume.”

He smiled, eyes twinkling. “What are we going to do?”

Your head was swimming, and in your recklessness, you leaned in closer until you felt your lips touch. “Let’s continue.”

He hummed appreciatively, curling his hand into your hair and pulling you closer.

You knew it made no sense, you knew this was a bad idea. You knew, you knew, you knew. Something deep inside you knew.

But when Yoongi looked at you like that you felt weak.

And you knew you were a weak, weak woman for Yoongi.

The next morning you were woken up by someone loudly, and, to be honest, quite rudely assaulting your doorbell.

You looked over to the side of your bed to find it empty - just like last time, and something heavy sank in your stomach. Yoongi was gone just as quickly as he appeared. Almost as if he were some sort of ghost - an enigma. It made it seem as if last night didn’t happen, as if it was all a dream.

But the marks on your thighs, and neck, though you couldn’t really see them but with just one simple touch could tell were there, told you otherwise.

You scrambled to get untangled from your sheets as your doorbell continued to shrilling in your ears. Whoever it was really needed to get your attention.

After pulling on a loose shirt you found lying around your floor, you finally got close enough to the door to yell who it was through it as you looked through the peephole.

“It’s Jimin, you fuck. Open up!”

Suddenly your stomach felt even heavier than when you noticed that the spot next to you in bed was empty.

Jimin. You had left him alone last night after both of you had agreed to spend the night getting drunk together. Shit. You really were a horrible friend.

You opened the door to find his face staring at you in disbelief and anger.

“Jimin, I-”

“I don’t want to hear it.” he said, sounding calm--too calm--despite the silent rage behind his eyes, as he raised his hand to stop you from talking. “I already know what happened and I don’t need to hear your excuses.”

You clamped your mouth shut, guilt choking you from where it pooled in your chest.

“What I want to know is, why the fuck did it have to be Yoongi?” Jimin asked, looking more offended over that then the fact that you ditched him.

“You know him too?” you asked, exasperated.

Jimin scoffed at that. “Uh, yeah. Everyone knows him. He’s the one that caused all that havoc two years ago.”

Something clicked in your brain just then and your mouth went dry. “Havoc? You mean he was the one that-”

“Yeah, he’s the one that set fire to Jin’s parents house.”

It was all so simple.

How could you have forgotten? It’s not like you didn’t know about the incident. It had been before you knew Jin personally, so all the information you had on it was from what you read about in the newspapers and saw journalists talk about on the news.

It had been a huge tragedy. Not only because the whole building burned down, but because Jin’s sister was still inside and was engulfed by the flames. By the time the firemen were able to put out the fire, all they found were the charcoal remains. The event had people terrified for months.

Your hands shook as they cradled the coffee cup for some kind of support. You couldn’t bring your eyes to look up.

Jimin sat next to you, shielding you from leaving the booth and Jin sat across from you, looking like he really didn’t want to be there.

“Well, this is certainly a predicament.” Jin said finally with a sigh as he stared at you from across the table.

You nodded, replaying your last conversation with him, letting the shame wash over you at how you treated him.

Jimin nudged you out of your thoughts before motioning to Jin with his eyes and you cleared your throat.

“I’m sorry, Jin. For the things I said last time. You didn’t deserve them.”

Jin nodded, eyes looking hollow, but didn’t say anything in return.

You swallowed a lump in your throat and licked your chapped lips. Where do you start? You supposed from simple questions.

“Can I ask about it?” you asked tentatively.

You looked at Jin’s hands playing with the pack of sugar as heard him sigh deeply. “What do you want to know?”

“How did you know it was Yoongi?”

“He was dating my sister at the time, and they were supposed to spend the weekend together when my parents were away on business and I was studying abroad.”Jin answered solemnly.

“What happened?”

“I wish I knew. All we have is his side of the story, because it was only him and Sooyoon that were there.”

You clenched your jaw absentmindedly and thought for a moment. “Did he go to jail?”

“Wasn’t enough evidence to convict him, since everything was burned in the fire.” Jin said bitterly before adding, “Besides, his father has connections to the criminal world, so it wouldn’t have mattered. My parents took him to court but he ended up walking free.”

You felt a cold hand grasp your heart and as you tried to hold back the burning in your eyes. “Why did he do it?”

“He said it was an accident, that he wanted to be romantic and lit up a bunch of candles…” Jin said, voice trailing off, before it came back full of resent. “But the firemen found traces of gasoline on the furniture and ashen floor.”

“I can’t believe it… Why did he-” you started choking on your words, the burning growing stronger in your eyes.

Jin looked at you, eyes softer now, more vulnerable. “My family is rich, my guess is that he wanted to gain access to our home so he could steal valuable antiques to sell on the black market through his father.”

“Then your sister caught him in the act?”

Jin did a sharp intake of breath, looking at the small pack of sugar between his fingers, the corners of the packet bent from his nerves. “Perhaps. Like I said, there’s a lot of unanswered questions in this. Things I wish to know myself.”

You furrowed your eyebrows as you set your coffee, now too cold to drink, aside and grasped Jin’s hands in your own. “I will find out.”

Jin’s eyes jumped up at that, staring at you incredulously. “What?”

“I’ll find out what happened.” you repeated, “I’ll ask Yoongi about it.”

Both Jin and Jimin made sounds of disapproval. “Are you serious?”

“Didn’t you just hear what Jin just told you?” Jimin asked, but you held firm.

“Yeah, I did. And I know that there’s more to this story than what we know. And I’m going to find out the missing pieces from Yoongi.”

“But you just found out that Yoongi has connections to the criminal world, doesn’t that scare you?” Jimin pressed.

You shrugged.

“You’re crazy.” Jimin mumbled into his facepalm.

“You’re really not scared?” Jin asked you, his hands still in yours.

You shook your head.

Jin stared at you, in both shock and amazement. “You are crazy.” you felt him give your hands a squeeze.

You stared back at him and hoped your gaze communicated just how determined you were.

“Maybe, but I also know how much this means to you.”

“You’re already steering closer to trouble just from taking home with you, twice.” Jin reminded.

“That was my decision. That was me being greedy. This is me fixing it.”

Jimin groaned beside you and said, “Jin, please tell her she’s way in over her head.”

“You’re way in over your head.” Jin said, but there was a smile on his face, a smile that you returned.

Jimin looked between the two of you and threw his hands up in the air. “I give up! If you want to rush head first into mobsters and gangsters and die early, be my guest.” he sighed dramatically before getting up from his seat, “I’m done, you hear me? Done!”

“Where are you going?” Jin asked as the blonde made his way to the back of the diner.

“Bathroom! You guys better come to your senses by the time I’m back!”

Both you and Jin snickered. All three of you knew fully well that wasn’t going to happen.

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