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justoneday-namjoonii · 4 months

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It burns, doesn’t it? [Pt. 23] The Kiss of Death

genre/au: mafia!au, mature, fluff, angst, love triangle

warnings: mature, mafia activity, illegal business activity, non-graphic sexual content, brief violence, toxic relationships, mentions of drugs, smoking, character d*ath, language, suggestive language, an attempt at a slow burn. If you’re easily triggered, please proceed with caution or do not proceed♥️

pairing: jungkook x reader ; yoongi x reader

word count: 7k +

authors note: see m.list (pinned post) for other parts! enjoy <3 will edit later probably lol

summary: The mafia tore your life apart, if it wasn’t for your will to live, it would have taken you out a long time ago. After everything, the heartbreak, betrayal and lies, you’ve emerged with a purpose—you’re apart of a family now. They won’t let you lay down and die—no matter how much you want to.

Blood soaked the antique area rug.

The meeting was long overdue, the high-ranking capos were looking for answers after the commotion died down. The discussion took place in the old lavish board room, his father used to have it polished and cleaned like clockwork.

At some point in the discussion, Jin came up. He always comes up.

“He’s got his own business going on in that old territory, my men don’t touch it, it used to be a hotspot too,” The capo said, a cigar between his fingers, “did they tell you, boss?”

“I figured as much,” Yoongi replies, “that’s a small loss in the grand scheme of things.”

“We don’t want it back?” Jimin speaks up, and Hoseok looks over at him.

“No,” Yoongi said plainly.

“What about our shipping docks? I think they’ve been sneaking around over there.”

“I want to get most of our product here by a private shipping company overseas,” Hoseok says, “Akane has a few options for us.”

“Boss,” Ryan, a trusted capo looked up from his phone, “Jungkook’s been released, our mole just sent the court ruling to me.”

“Hm, I wonder how he managed that,” Yoongi tilts his head in thought, “get some details and let me know.”

“That motherfucker,” Hoseok makes a low comment to Yoongi personally, “I don’t know who the fuck used their pull to save him.”

“I don’t think we need to worry about him right now, whoever’s supporting him isn’t flashy.”

Hoseok scoffs, he has developed a strong disdain for Jungkook. Hell, he was happy when he was in prison, life seemed simpler.

“Sai,” Yoongi called the one who seemed to fidget constantly.

“Sir?” He peered up at Yoongi, and instantly lost a bit of light in his eyes.

“Are you fucking using? You haven’t been able to sit still since you walked in here,” Yoongi stood from his chair, calmly approaching the man while the others watched, “it’s distracting,”

“S- sorry boss, I guess it’s just been a while since I’ve seen you,” He laughs, swallowing his nerves.

“Cigarette?”

Yoongi offers it with a cold tone, not getting one for himself.

The man’s eyes widen at the gesture--he knew what it meant. Yoongi takes a seat in front of him and grabs the cigarette, the man assumes he’s meant to take it.

“No please,” He takes it between his lips and takes out his silver lighter, letting the flame dance to it, “allow me.” He takes a puff with closed eyes and blows the smoke into the man's face with a deep sigh.

“Here,” He pushes it in between the man's pursed lips, “this is the good stuff,”

Tension hung in the air as the room fell silent. The men looked everywhere but the scene before them, they knew they were amid a farewell.

In this world, you can be punished for many things. But the most heinous of them all? Betrayal. You pay for that with your life. Yoongi grappled with that for a long time. He believed that some people were redeemable, worth a second chance, and deserving of mercy. He really used to believe that.

Yoongi rose from his seat once the cigarette was finished. “How was it?”

Sai pleaded for mercy, for the ruthless leader to spare some compassion. Yoongi simply leaned down, offering a gentle caress to his cheek in all his begging. “You know what you did, you knew this had to happen.”

“But- But you let that fucker walk Scott free, for years! He betrayed all of us but you wouldn’t let Joon touch him! You’re a hypocrite if you do this to me! You played dirty, getting his fucking little sister, how can you honor the code now? Betrayal punishable by death- What about ‘family is off-limits’ You did that shit!”

He had a point.

But alas, he and his chair crash to the ground by an abrupt contact of a fist in his face. One of the guards rushes over to hold him down and Yoongi gets down, eye-to-eye.

All that time when Jin was plotting his rise to power, not caring what bystanders suffered in his wake. Yoongi watched it happen. That was on him. As the boss, he was upholding a standard that even he made exceptions to.

“Those your last words?”

A string of curses fell on deaf ears.

In that moment, all traces of his father, that he spent so much of his life running from came rushing into him like they had never left. It was hard to watch, even for the senior capos who had witnessed tradition unfold many times before. But to see Yoongi heartless, and brutal, was a reminder. He is capable of even the most despicable acts, it comes with the job. The sound of gunshots rang throughout the room, too many times.

“Consider this an act of repentance,” Yoongi stands to his feet, pulling out a handkerchief to wipe his bloody fingers. “have this cleaned up before the dinner,”

Once Yoongi is out of sight, Hoseok can’t hide his disgust for the blood splatter over the floor. “Ugh, did he have to be so goddamn messy?” He muttered. “I haven’t had to call in the cleaners in a while.”

“I didn’t realize he would still…” Jimin speaks up from the chair, where he had been frozen for the entire act. "Do it."

“Yeah, to be honest,” Hoseok dials a number, “neither did I,”

Yoongi’s quick exit from the scene was all so he could get somewhere private and try not to vomit.

“Fuck,” He unbuttoned a bit of his collar shirt and leaned against the sink to steady himself. When his eyes met the mirror, he looked away just as quickly. His disdain didn’t come from the blood on his hands, but the man in his reflection.

.━━━━༺❀༻━━━━≾

“Is this too much?”

You stepped out of the dressing room in he third sundress, one a bit out of your comfort zone. It had bright colors and a flattering mermaid shape, something out of a fantasy novel at first glance. But Yaerim insisted, she said it was ‘trendy’ right now, and everyone should have one.

“It’s perfect! Not enough if you ask me,”

These days, you and Yaerim go out almost every day. Ayeong will ask you where you’d like to go if you want some new clothes or want to take up a hobby. At first, she claimed Yoongi had nothing to do with the unlimited shopping sprees, the drivers at your beck and call, but you knew the truth. You just let everyone think you were clueless. Shopping isn’t free, it’s definitely coming out of his pocket.

Over the past couple of weeks, Yoongi hasn’t wanted anyone at the estate during the day. Ayeong mentioned the risks of having meetings with different people going in and out, anyone could connect the dots and make your whereabouts public knowledge.

“Alright, if you say so,”

With a shrug, you swipe the AMEX again, and again, and once more just for good measure. You buy a few things for Yaerim, you even get something for your aunt, something you thought she’d like.

Just when you thought you couldn’t buy another thing, you pass a pet store.

“Oh my goodness,” You gasped, “Yaerim, look at that kitten, isn’t it precious?”

In the window, the gray and white kitten naps peacefully against the glass.

“Let’s go see! Oh my gosh, I’ve always wanted a cat, you should get her Y/n- oh, I don’t know if the boss likes animals, you think he would?”

“Who wouldn’t love that adorable face?”

Now, along with a bag full of clothes and a couple of knickknacks, you have a kitten and everything you need to take care of her.

When Sal comes to pick you up, you show him your new prize possession. He smiles brightly and laughs, it’s been a while since he’s served someone so pleased by the little things in life.

Both you and Yaerim nap on the way back. Sal said no one needs to be home until 6, so you had no choice but to shop all day, you thought to yourself.

“Miss, I’ll take your bags up.”

One of the faithful staff ushers you inside, not giving you a chance to get the bags yourself. This time you oblige, but you hold your kitten close in her carrier. Yaerim went to the laundry room to finish her shift, while you went upstairs to get your new companion acclimated.

“What should I call you?” You gently take her from the carrier and hold her in your hands. “How about Poppy? Do you like that?” She gives you a sleepy blink and you take it as a yes.

When you walked in, you couldn’t help but notice the cleaning van outside and the sound of a high-powered vacuum. It never pays to pry into their affairs, but to deny your curiosity is painstaking.

“Miss,” Ana appears in your doorway, “you should start getting ready for tonight,”

“What’s happening tonight?”

“He didn’t tell you? The family dinner is tonight at the Min family restaurant,” She looks you up and down, “It’s formal, so I’ll help you get ready.”

“But I just got this kitten, I should probably stay and-”

“Yearim will take care of that, Min insists that you attend. It’s mandatory.”

“Alright,”

With only an hour or so to get ready, you run through the shower, and all the while, you wonder what this dinner will be like. And why he wants you to attend. When you step out in your robe, you see a black dress and multiple sets of jewelry on the bed.

“Do you like this? Min said to put you in something that suited you best since it’s a special occasion.”

“This is beautiful…” You pick up the dress, “gorgeous, where’d it come from?”

“The vault, he said to bring it all so you could choose whatever you’d like,” She grins to herself, “he was adamant about letting you choose.”

“Oh, wow,” You begin to open up the jewlery boxes, “this is a lot, I’ll choose once I get dressed.”

“Alright, the car is out front when you’re ready,”

When you do get dressed, you’re brought back to those couple of nights in Japan. They dressed you up like a dime piece only for you to sit around quietly and obediently. Jungkook revealed a lot of himself, he gave background on why he lived the way he did. You did’t look back at that trip fondly anymore, it reminded you of how scared you were, how helpless. Now it’s different. Even though this isn’t optional, you’re still being forced to go to an event that has no personal ties to you, you don’t want to test Yoongi’s grace for you. Not yet.

“Knock knock,” The knock is accompanied by a sing-song voice, “It’s me,” You open the door and let Yaerim in, “I heard I’m taking the kitten for the night! Y/n, you look so nice,”

“Thank you,” You scrunch your nose at the compliment, “I don’t know why he wants me to wear this, and all this jewelry,”

“Well,” She begins, petting Poppy as she naps, “I heard some of the staff talking…”

“Yeah? What were they saying…” You put your earrings on, one by one.

“He’s never brought a date to one of these before, it’s an important dinner, super traditional,”

“Really?” You look in the mirror, loving how Ana did your hair. “That’s interesting…”

When Yaerim puts your necklace on as a finishing touch, you step out of the room. The guard that had been waiting for you outside the door takes your hand and escorts you downstairs. Faithful Sal is waiting for you at the door, he gives you an endearing smile.

“Oh, I’m sorry, did I take too long?”

“Not at all,” He opens the door and helps you inside the car, “you look lovely.,”

“Wait!” All of a sudden, Ayeong is running up the stairs to meet you.

“Ayeong?” You gasp when she fully embraces you. “Oh, are you alright?”

“I’m- I’m fine,” she says in the crook of your neck, “I’m just about to get off and I haven’t seen you since breakfast, so I just wanted to give you a hug,” She smiles, and you swore you saw her fighting back tears. “I guess I just, I missed it all sweetheart.”

“Oh, I missed you too,” You smiled brightly, “I’m running a bit late, so I’ll see you in the morning, alright?”

“Okay, you have a goodnight Y/n, enjoy yourself!”

As the sleek black car glided through the city streets, your mind swirled with thoughts.

The evening air was crisp, filtering through the cracked window, carrying the faint scent of distant street vendors and the hum of urban life. The city lights painted streaks of gold and amber against the darkening sky, casting an enchanting glow upon the streets below.

Glancing at your reflection in the window, you adjusted the delicate necklace Ana had chosen for you, its shimmering diamonds catching the soft glow of the passing streetlights. In the front seat, Sal wore a calm expression, his hands steady on the wheel as he navigated through the bustling traffic with ease.

Along with your nerves, underlying tension hung heavy in the air. You couldn't shake the feeling of unease, knowing that this dinner was more significant than the other events you'd attended.

As the car turned onto a quieter street, the towering skyscrapers gave way to elegant townhouses and cobblestone pathways. The road exuded an air of exclusivity, with ornate wrought-iron gates guarding the entrance to each luxurious estate.

As you approached the restaurant, a historical building adorned with delicate stone carvings and overgrown ivy, a sense of apprehension washed over you.

But then you see Yoongi, walking in with the original entourage. Hoseok, Jimin, and Taehyung all follow Yoongi as he steps out of the car, each of them in perfectly tailored suits.

As the car came to a stop, Sal turned to face you, his expression unreadable. "We've arrived, miss," he announced, his voice tinged with a hint of concern.

Taking a deep breath, you gathered your composure. With a nod of gratitude to Sal, he helps you out of the car and Yoongi sees you from a mile away.

“Check her out,” Ryan nudges Jimin, “she cleans up nice,”

“I know,” He walkd over, assuming he’s on ‘Y/N duty’. But Yoongi tells all of them to head inside without him, and Jimin is left pondering thoughts over that.

That leaves you standing on the curb, waiting for the others to walk in. When the last member walked inside , he finally gave you his full attention. He eyes you like he wants to say something about your appearance, but he keeps it to himself for now.

“Stay with me tonight, okay? Don’t wander off with anyone,”

You nodded. Normally, you would inquire about his reasoning, but tonight, he seems a bit off, like one wrong word and you’re history.

Once you walked into the restaurant, you saw so many familiar faces. Some of these people worked at Namjoon’s base, particularly the women. Some you had seen working with Jungkook on those many nights out, making runs around the city.

The night went on like a true family dinner.

There was an undeniable buzz in the atmosphere, it was contagious. Laughing, and chatting about the past and the present. As you looked over the room, even the most stoic men were smiling at each other, enjoying the endless champagne and Hors d'oeuvres. Hoseok and Taehyung seemed to have mended the underlying strife between them, even for tonight. Jimin on the other hand seemed less than interested for the first half, but a couple of old fashions changed that.

Now it’s evident why is so important.

It’s a time and place where the true colors of the mafia come to light. In the day-to-day, where crime and violence monopolize their time, they need gatherings like this to unify their spirits. To remind them that this is family, this is what they traded their souls for.

Suddenly, you feel a warmth on your thigh. You glance over and see Yoongi’s free hand resting just above your knee, and he continues his conversation casually.

The more you think about it, the less his request for you to join him makes sense. Why did he want you here? Nothing to say, you’re only here for arm candy and the wondering eye to gawk over. You can’t help but wonder if that was his intention, to show you off.

“I’d like to make a toast,”

A hush takes over the room in seconds. All eyes are on the respected leader. His hand leaves you when he stands up, stem glass in hand.

“To Kim Namjoon,” He holds the glass high, and the room follows suit, including yourself. “May he rest in peace.”

The room followed his every command like a cult of loyal subjects, eager to please their king.

When he got up, he said he’ll be right back. You thought, does he think you’re just gonna sit here? He should know you well enough by now, to know you don’t like to sit still for too long.

“Hi,”

You look up at a towering figure in front of you.

“Hi,” You reply.

“I’m Jooyoung, I don’t know if you remember me but I remember you,” He gets cozy beside you, “you used to be the talk of the town, you know that?”

“I know,” You grit your teeth at that thought.

“It’s died down now, no one wants to get in hot water with the boss, he’s back to his old ways,” He sips from his nearly empty glass, “but I’m glad to see you’re doing well, really,”

“Uh, thanks,” You pause, finally processing his statement, “What do you mean his old ways?”

Just as he opens his mouth to answer, Yoongi begins to make his way back and he gets out of potential harm's way.

“You okay?” Yoongi rests a hand on your shoulder.

“I’m fine,” You nodded.

“How’s the food?” He stayed hovering over you, gaze lingering on you longer than you expected.

“It’s- it’s good,” You peer up at him, his expression hard to read. It’s something in between curious and slightly agitated.

“Do you want another drink?”

“I haven’t even finished this one-“

“I need another drink.”

You follow behind him to the bar where he orders a shot of something dark and what he called, ‘an Irish bomb. You’re taken aback when you realize both were for him when he’s already throwing back the second one.

“Anything for you, miss?” The bartender smiles kindly.

“Oh um, I’ll have the shot he had,” You say, innocent of what was in those glasses. The bartender quickly, and as soon as you get a whiff, you regret your decision. Despite your displeasure: you down it anyway. Within seconds, you cough after the burn of it going down.

“Ugh, that was bad,” You cringe, unable to hide your disgusted expression. Yoongi’s eyes linger on you momentarily and he flashes a knowing smile inwardly. With a firm touch at the small of your back, he leans closer to whisper in your ear. “How do you drink this stuff?”

“Come with me,”

You blink, “Oh, ok…” You exchange glances with the bartender who looks away. He grabs your arm and whisks you out of the restaurant's main haul and into a private room, likely meant for administrative purposes.

As soon as the door shuts behind him, he lets his guard down and relaxes. You observe quietly, folding your arms around yourself, as he takes off his suit jacket and drapes it over the office chair

“I meant to tell you about tonight,” He explains unprompted, “I’ve just been caught up,”

“Why did you want me to come?”

“I thought you’d enjoy a night out,” He walks up to you,“you don’t like it?”

“You didn’t exactly give me a choice; the staff said I had to come.” You cross your arms.

“Do you like the dress?” He intentionally gets in your space, making you to take a step back.

You scoff, glancing down at the gown. “Why? did you pick it out?”

He gives you a sly smile that you take it as a yes.

“It’s nice,” You feign being unimpressed, “but if you brought me here just to be an accessory, you could have just said that.” He steps forward, backing you against the wall

“Is that what you think this is?” He snakes an arm around your waist, pulling you close to him.

“Yeah,” You nod, “what else could it be? You want me to stay with you, not talk to anyone? I could have stayed back,”

“No, that’s not,” He sighs, taking in how dolled up you are and how this could probably be the least interesting thing you’ve done this week. “Honestly, I wanted to be around you tonight, I had a rough day,”

You feel a blush rise to your cheeks, still not used to hearing things like that from him still not accustomed to hearing such sentiments from his mouth.

Over the past few weeks, the space between you and Yoongi has become smaller.

He steps forward, hands resting on your waist so he could kiss you. And just like that, you two stay quiet while indulging in your little secret. He cradles the back of your head, presenting the right angle as he searches for the perfect blend of softness and firm. He always sets the perfect pace, and you feel yourself become pliable like water, spilling through his fingers.

“I've been waiting all day for this," he murmurs, his lips lingering close to yours, reluctant to pull away. "We should get out of here; get some privacy," he adds, his tone betraying his reluctance to stop kissing you.

“You’re the boss, don’t you have to stay?”

“I’m the boss,” he smirks, “I can do whatever I want.”

True to his word, he called a car and you two snuck out through the back. He helped you into the vehicle, ensuring you were secure before getting in himself. He tells the driver a location unknown to you. Once it's confirmed that you're en route, Yoongi lowers the privacy screen, continuing to kiss you, as if he had been anxious to do so.

He picks you up to sit you across his lap, eliciting a gasp of utter shock from you. It makes him giggle, the way you react to him as if this were all new to you.

When he finally pulls away from your lips, he buries his face in the crook of your neck, inhaling deeply. "You smell good, new perfume?" he murmurs between kisses on your chest, leaving damp imprints on your skin.

“Y- yeah.”

"It’s nice," He's feeling the effects of those drinks now because he’s tempted to say anything that comes to mind.

“Are- are you okay?” You manage to pull away, looking into his half-lidded eyes and noticing the red glow on his cheeks. He stares back at you, taking in your flustered expression and rosy cheeks.

“I will be,” He deadpans, breathing in and out.

“But where-” You pull away again and Yoongi huffs in frustration, “Where are we going?”

“Somewhere we can be alone, is that okay with you?” You nod, unsure if that's what you mean or if you’re afraid to say no.

“That’s- that’s okay with me…”

Unbeknownst to you, he made a hotel reservation just for the two of you. He planned to get you out of the house to bail on the oh-so-important family dinner. You would have never guessed that this was his cover-up plan. The thought alone made you feel all sorts of things—excited, anxious, confused. The idea that he wanted to be with you like this, so much so that he carved out a time and place just for you.

“I couldn’t be in that damn house tonight,” He said in the elevator, his hand resting in the small of your back, “My day has been too damn long just to have to sneak around for this,”

“This?" you questioned, urging him to expound.

"You," he flashed a snarky smile. "Sneaking around at all hours of the night, in my own home? I’m pretty sure some staff are starting to catch on."

“I hope not,” You scrunch your nose at the thought. Ayeong seemed to have a chipper demeanor whenever you found yourself close to the mafia boss.

"Do you think anyone is suspicious about us leaving together?" you asked, your curiosity veiled with unease.

"I’m sure," he answered honestly.

Eventually, you made it to the hotel room and everything was so grand and expensive. The bed seemed to have no end with pristine white linen, the bathroom was equipped with a large tub and walk-in shower. Yoongi discarded his jacket for the second time that night and gestured for you to sit wherever you’d like. You chose the chair near the French doors to the balcony, hands pressed to your lap. In Yoongi fashion, he had already ordered his alcohol of choice to the room and he went right for it.

"Are you trying to get drunk?" you asked the obvious question.

"No," he took another shot. "just trying to unwind." With a chuckle, he stalked over and kneeled in front of you. "How was your day, by the way?"

You sat tensed, eyes darting from your feet to his face. He lifted your ankle to rest on his knee so he could remove your heels. He meticulously unbuckled the straps, one hand under your ankle while the other worked on the clasp. When you failed to reply, he asked again.

"Well, how was it?"

"It was fine, I did a little shopping with Yearim," you swallowed, watching his fingertips linger on your skin despite your heels being long gone. "nothing too crazy."

He paused, staring up at you as if he was truly interested. He couldn’t be, he had to be humoring you. "You do a lot of shopping,”

"Yeah, is that okay?“ You laughed nervously.

"It’s fine," he placed his palms on your knees. "No one else is using all this money, you seem to make good use of it, so I don’t mind."

"You're really, um," you paused, searching for the right word, "talkative."

"Yeah? I suppose I am, just trying to fill your awkward silence since you're so tense," he said softly, meeting your gaze with a glimmer of desire in his eyes. “You want another drink? To take the edge off,”

You nod. “Sure…”

━━━━༺❀༻━━━━≾

“Sir, I lost all contact with him,” The agent paces in her office, “last time we spoke, we were supposed to arrange a meeting place for handoff tonight, I was sure we had this!-”

“You’re dealing with a criminal, Agent Ban. This may take longer than you think, I told you this wouldn’t be easy.”

“Okay, then what should I do now?”

“Get creative, that’s all you can do.”

━━━━༺❀༻━━━━≾

“Oh my God, they’re not letting this go.”

Henry read through the contract for the second time, attempting to understand how she managed to file a lawsuit against the family. Melinda was not backing down. You won’t be snubbed out of the will, not if she can help it. And Jin, for some odd reason, seems to care about your claim to the fortune.

“We need to get the authorities involved in this,” He closed up the envelope the severance was packaged in, “if she is missing or dead, there’s no sense in waiting around for her to turn up, we need to close this up.”

Jin made a mental note—your maternal family members are all stuck-up pricks, no surprise your mother eloped. As a form of making amends with some of his only flesh and blood, he’s decided to support Melinda in this battle. He has the power he’s always wanted, and a bit more even. His only wish now is that he can safely hide away his flesh and blood like his father once had.

Today though, he’s off to address a burning question of his. How did Jungkook get out?

Wei arrived with no information to report. All they know is that Jungkook left the courtroom a free man.

“Jin,” Melinda sits across from Jin at the upscale brunch spot, sipping a mimosa, “be honest, why did she choose not to come with you?”

“We weren’t on good terms, and a few people made it pretty difficult for me.”

“Can you find a way for me to talk to her?” She questions.

“Last night, there was an annual event within the organization,” He paused, “I had eyes in there, they saw her there, dressed up like a legitimate member. But I’ll have to see what I can do about contacting her,”

“So they make her attend events,” She shook her head in disbelief, “like a damn show pony.”

“She may have a choice.”

“Jin, do you know anything about your sister? You talk about her like-“

Suddenly, she gets an unknown call on her phone. Jin takes a glance from past glass.

“Who’s that?”

“Not sure,” She let it buzz a couple of times, before bringing it to her ear. “Hello?”

“Hi, is this Melinda West?”

“It is,” She glanced up at Jin with furrowed brows, “who is this?”

“My name is Lisa Ban, I'm an agent with the FBI and I’ve been working on your niece's case for a few months now.”

Melinda gasps, this is the first she’s heard of any law enforcement giving a damn about you. She puts the phone on speaker, giving Jin a look to start listening in.

“Why is this the first time I’m hearing from you? It’s been over a year since she was abducted.”

“I know Ms. West, and for that I’m so sorry. But the oversight of her case came from the sheer size of the organization she’s involved with. At first, she was a potential accomplice until I did some further digging. Now I’m using all of my resources to find her.”

Melinda lets out an exasperated sigh. “So why are you contacting me now?”

“Last night, the mafia boss who is holding her captive agreed to meet me and give her over-“

“You have her?!”

“No, not exactly. The meeting fell through, we had been contacting each other for weeks and confirmed that he would let her go. Last night he was supposed to give me a location to meet him early this morning, but he never did. In fact, he blocked my number and he likely used a burner phone, so I’m at square one.”

“Okay, what do you plan to do now?”

“I can’t say too much right, I want to meet you. I know it’s short notice, but can you meet me at Le Blanc Bistro at 7 tonight? Then, I can detail the entire case to you and maybe we can help each other.”

“Um,” Melinda looks to Jin who mouths for her to say yes, “Okay, yes, I’ll see you tonight.”

“Thank you, Ms. West. Take care.”

“When you go, don’t mention me but get as much information as you can,” Jin advises

━━━━༺❀༻━━━━≾

You thought this was all just to soothe the stress; that loomed over your head like a dark cloud. But when his voice broke against your neck, eyes focused but half-lidded in ecstasy, his grip tightenuntil his knuckles turned white. You had a front-row seat to his raw humanity, his soul bared in front of you.

When you opened your mouth to say something, you were silenced by a kiss. And it was his, not so subtle, way of telling you to shut up. But suddenly, you tasted something salty and warm hit your tongue—tears? That’s when you yanked your head away and touched your lips, to his displeasure.

"Y- Yoongi," you stalled all movement and his eyes shot open in surprise. "Are you okay?"

“Shit, Y/N,” he cursed, trying to keep the moment from shattering. “Why are you stopping to ask me that? I’m doing fucking terrific, aren’t you?” He was exasperated, sweat beading on his furrowed brows. You inspected his face with concern, not saying a word.

“What’s wrong?” he touched his cheek to feel the warm liquid.

“Fuck, fuck,” he combed his hair back and took a moment to catch his breath. You tried to move away but he pulled you back, holding you so you couldn’t move not an inch.

“No, no, don’t,” he took both your hands and kissed them. “I’ve had a few too many, that’s all, it feels so good you brought me to tears,” He flashed a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “I’m fine, please.. don’t stop.”

He’d never sounded like this before, so desperate. You chose continue as he watched intently, tonguing at his lips, taking it all in. And at some point, he ascended, went somewhere else, and dragged you there.

Once things settled, you lay on his chest and he resisted the temptation to smoke a cigarette, settling for combing a hand through your hair, delicately pinching the strands between his fingers. You peeked over at the gun on his nightstand; all these mafia boys were the same in the bedroom, vulnerable for a moment but forever guarded.

“Today, I had to do something I haven’t done in years,” he sighed, his voice rumbling in his chest under your ear. “And that shit has been haunting me, all fucking day…”

You glanced up at him, heart aching at his admission. “I’m sorry… what did you have to do?”

His sweet caresses came to a halt. It took him a while to open up, to say more than a couple of sentences. He felt a conflict; while he wanted to reveal his thoughts and feelings to you, he didn’t want you cursed with those images.

“I don’t want you to worry about that,” He pressed his lips to your brow, his breath warm and soothing, “I shouldn’t have to do it again for a long time.”

Little did he know, you saw the cleaning company come into the house…does what he did have anything to do with that? You choose not to pry despite your painful curiosity. Silence hung in the air for a good minute.

“Well,” you grappled for something to lighten the mood, “I bought a kitten today.”

He furrowed his brows, a small smile tugging at his lips. “Yeah?”

“Mhm, her name is Poppy, she’s cute,” you sat up on his chest, eyes brighter just at the mention of her. “Pretty quiet… from what I can tell.”

You sighed, absentmindedly tracing the tattoo peaking over his shoulder. In a moment like this, you can easily forget you’re an ex-prisoner, now a valuable collateral of the mafia.

“That’s nice babe,” He groaned, eyes growing heavy with exhaustion, “now get some sleep, we have to get up early…”

“Can I ask you a question?”

He sighed, giving up on trying to get some shut-eye. “Go ahead,”

“What does your tattoo mean?”

“I had to get branded when I joined the organization,” He answered plainly, “it’s a snake because my father had a code, the snake represents transformation. Snakes have to shed their skin to grow, to survive. If they don’t, they die.”

You continued tracing the intricate design, understanding dawning on you. “So, it’s about changing to survive?”

“It is,” he murmured, his voice a blend of bitterness and acceptance. “You have to shed who you are. The old you has to die so you can become who you need to be to survive in this world.”

“Wow, that's so symbolic,” You reply, “it’s big, it must have been painful…” You cooed, still tracing the small part you could see from his shoulder. “Was it?”

“It was,” He hums, “the healing process was the worst part, I couldn't lay on my back for weeks…” He took your hand, leading it to rest on his chest, where his heart beat steadily beneath your palm. “Now that I’ve answered your question, can we please go to sleep?”

“Yoongi…” You pursed your lips, feeling a surge of vulnerability. “How do you feel about me?...”

“Y/N, for the love of God,” His eyes flutter open, “let’s not get into that.”

“Why? Just tell me or I’m gonna think you hate me, that you’re just using me.”

“I don’t hate you, and I’m not using you,” He yawns, his guard slipping, “trust me.”

“So it’s just the sex then,” You conclude, half-joking but very much serious, “you keep me around for that, is that all it is?”

“Oh, stop. If that’s all it was,” Yoongi sat up, causing you to lift yourself and look at him wide-eyed, “rest assured, we would have been doing this a long time ago,” He brushed your cheek tenderly, “It’s a plus, but it’s not just the sex.”

“Oh,” You blushed, a small smile breaking through. “So it sounds like you’ve always been attracted to me then?”

“Are you on a vanity kick right now?” He pulls you into his lap, hands under your thighs, and the idea of sleep is long gone from his mind.

“Please tell me,” You comb through his hair, massaging his scalp, “when did you start to see me like this? Fine, I’ll go first,” You give an anxious smile, “after you were shot, I helped you clean your wounds and we talked, we had a real conversation…I thought about that a lot, we had so much more in common than I imagined and I realized you weren’t so bad, I started to like you…a lot.“

“Okay,” His hands glide up and down your sides, “you really wanna know?” You nod.

“When I first officially met you, you were a bratty kid obsessed with Jeon Jungkook,” He begins, “You were angry, scared of everything, impulsive, difficult to deal with, you couldn’t fight, still can’t-”

“Damn,” You scoff, "maybe I shouldn’t have asked-”

“I’m not done,” He playfully clasps his hand over your mouth, “you were all those things to me for a long time, and not only that but you were my best friend’s little sister.” He removes his hand, watching you bite your lips. “I had every reason not to want you…But I don’t know, I don’t have an exact time or moment when it started, maybe when you went batshit crazy at the auction and then kissed me in the bathroom,” He snickers at your growing blush, “you shouldn’t have done that, after that kiss I had a hard time getting you off my mind, I couldn’t even make any more excuses after that.”

“Really?” You swallow your nerves. “I’m flattered.”

“Yes really, and I see that you aren’t some kid…there’s so much to you, more than I realized. I take care of you because you are my responsibility, but it’s more than that, I like to take care of you, I like getting to know you, being with you…I wanted to have you, just like this.”

“What does all of that mean?” You press further, trying to pry out three words.

He presses his forehead against yours, knowing what you’re getting at. “I care about you Y/n,” He brushes your hair away from your face, just, “so much,” He presses his face into the crook of your neck. “

“Y-Yoongi,” You whispered, cupping his face to bring him eye-to-eye, your heart pounding in your chest. “You said we had to get up early, you shouldn’t be kissing anyone if you’re trying to go to sleep.”

He breathed in, his heartstrings giving way to any prior plans or limits he had for himself.

“Change of plans,” He placed his hand over the one you had on his cheek, his eyes locking onto yours. He smirked, “We’re sleeping in.”

Some people are true to the very end. Their path may change, their words may falter, but they remain true to their nature. Jungkook is like that. Amidst shifting dynamics and the ebb and flow of bonds, he stands resolute. He had no regrets from the moment he pledged his soul to this life, severing ties with his blood and swearing allegiance to an organization that masqueraded as family.

He would do it again and again, and again.

When he got a phone call from a man claiming to be his uncle, he understood more why he chose the mafia. After the smoke clears, someone will come to your rescue when you least expect it.

The phone call from his ‘uncle’.

“Namjoon left specific instructions, if anything were to happen to him, I’d treat you like my own, and that’s what I plan to do.”

The retired mafia kingpin sent all his resources and pulled every string to honor his son's wish.

So after a few weeks, when he appeared in court dressed in guilty orange, he didn’t so much as bat an eye.

His new legal team rallied around him, professing him as innocent and wrongfully prosecuted on baseless claims. And the judge? Somehow seen unfit to rule over this case, was replaced by a rookie, just barely out of law school. It all fell into place.

Junghyun sat in the courtroom, watching his brother sit back comfortably. It was a misuse of justice, a real shitshow if you ask him.

“The court rules, not guilty.”

The court was adjourned. Jungkook was uncuffed and Junghyun was the first to approach him.

“What the hell did you do to pull this off?” He stands almost eye-to-eye with Jungkook, and the smirk on his face says it all, he’s gotten away with murder.

Before Jungkook could answer, from the crowd his mother ran up and embraced him.

“Jungkook,” She squeezed her eyes shut, savoring the moment, “come home with us, please-”

“I’m sorry…” His expression saddened, “You know I can’t.” He, for the first time in years, looked at her with love in his eyes.

“Excuse me, Mr. Jeon, after you get changed, we have a car ready for you,” The man positioned at the back of the courtroom with a pressed suit and manicured appearance stands in waiting, “We should get going.”

He hugs her one last time, and she knows he’s saying he loves her. But he has to go, he had to make that choice when he was just a teenager and he has to make it now. Soon, he is checked out and escorted into a luxury vehicle with dark tints, and in the seat beside him lies the items he was booked with.

“Where am I going?”

“Master Kim’s residence.”

He doesn’t typically get anxious, but his nerves are getting to him today. Even though he’s out in the real world, feeling the sun on his skin and seeing the trees blow in the wind and the birds fly in the sky—there’s this eerie feeling. How did he manage this type of luck? What does he have to do in return for his freedom? There’s always a catch.

A butler of sorts opens the doors and leads Jungkook inside, calling him Mr. Jeon.

“Please, make yourself comfortable,”

He directs Jungkook to sit in the formal living room in the grand home, he remembers this well. Namjoon brought him here a few times when he was just a boy, he could just taste the silver spoon Namjoon had in his mouth. Privilege, wealth, power—Namjoon was born with it. He always admired that, he wanted to be like him, more than anything.

“I’m glad to see you made it out, Jungkook”

The elder Kim entered the room, commanding Jungkook’s full attention with just the sound of his voice.

“Sir,” Out of respect, Jungkook gets down on his knees in a full bow, “I’m in debt to you, thank you… This wouldn’t have been possible if it weren’t for you,’ He stays, headed fully facing the ground, “I don’t deserve this.”

“Favor isn’t deserved my child, it’s simply given,” He stood above Jungkook with a look of his endearment, “Have a seat, please.”

Jungkook does as he’s told. When he’s sat upright, he finally sees the mob veteran’s striking resemblance to his late son. He only recalls seeing him a couple of times in photos, but never in person like this.

“You know, my son spoke very fondly of you,”

Jungkook peeks up, resembling a timid little kid.

“He said you didn’t grow up with a lot, but had more potential and grit than anyone he’d ever met,” He continues, “I taught him to choose his family and regard them above anyone else, that’s the key to success in our line of work, you look out for your own,” He paused to sip his tea, “that’s why I chose to help you.”

“But I don’t understand,” He said, brows furrowed, “your son was killed because of me-’”

“Years ago, Namjoon asked me to do one thing for him, and that was to take you into the family,” He said sincerely, “he knew that if anything ever happened to him, he had to take care of you, even in death,”

“He…He arranged this?”

“Of course,” He laughs, “you were his favorite.”

Jungkook's mind raced as he processed the elder Kim’s words. The weight of Namjoon’s loyalty and sacrifice bore down on him, mingling with the relief of his newfound freedom.

“His favorite?” Jungkook repeated, still struggling to grasp the gravity of it all.

“Yes,” the elder Kim confirmed, his eyes softening. “He saw something in you, something worth protecting. That’s why I’ve pulled all the strings to keep you safe. Namjoon’s death was a tragedy, but his trust in you was unwavering.”

Jungkook looked down, the guilt gnawing at him. “I never meant for him to die, I don’t even know how it happened…”

The elder Kim shook his head. “In this world, things like that happen, Jungkook. But remember, Namjoon chose you. Honor his memory by living up to that belief.”

A heavy silence settled between them, broken only by the quiet ticking of a grandfather clock in the corner. “How do I do that?”

“Get some rest,” the elder Kim said, standing up. “Tomorrow, we’ll discuss your next steps.”

As Jungkook was led to his temporary quarters, he couldn’t shake the feeling that the test of his character was looming around the corner. The room he entered was lavish, a stark contrast to the cell he slept in the night prior. He sat on the edge of the bed, staring at his reflection in the mirror.

He saw the same face, but he knew he couldn’t be the same person. Not anymore.

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