#yoongi teaching jungkook about whiskey?

[namsjooning]

Yoongi saw seokjin going on all those variety shows and said let me make one too, he'll have to come them

[theharrowing]

Collateral 🗡️ 17 - Making someone cry is a side-effect of being in love, I'm afraid

Your ex-boyfriend gets in over his head working for the local mafia, and Boss Min has come to collect his payment: You.

But was it simply a matter of being in the wrong place at the wrong time? Or has he always had his sights on you?

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🗡️ Yoongi x Female Reader x Namjoon, Jungkook x Female Reader 🗡️ word count: 15.6k 🗡️ mafia au, strangers to lovers, graphic violence, major character injury, poly, smut, angst, fluff, nsfw, explicit 21+ 

🗡️ chapter warnings: excessive drinking to numb/forget; so much fucking tension lolol; Hwasa (yes, that is the warning); new nickname for the bingo card (doll/dollface); Jeongguk is a flirty little shit & he got his eyebrow and lip pierced; mc learns to dance; use of "whore" (not derogatory but also kind of derogatory); smoking weed; mc confessing to "going all ways" (sorry straight readers, but i don't know how to not write a queer mc); mc has some complicated feelings and is doing her best; Jeongguk sometimes says the wrong thing but he is also doing his best; a healthy amount of crying; mention of dead moms; discussion of drug use & addiction; inexplicit discussion of sex (sorry lads, the smut is in the second half. it's worth the wait!!!)

🗡️ note: this chapter spans about three weeks, and there is no clear definition of time in between some scenes because mc is just kind of...dealing with the passage of time in her own way. so if it seems kind of disjointed, that is because it is meant to. also, as you may have seen, this chapter wound up being 30k words, so i have broken it in two parts and beefed up some of the scenes. i intend to post chapter 18 very, very soon. ok i love you, enjoy!

🗡️ beta read by @neoneunnajimin!

🗡️ posted on june 2023 | read on ao3

You love Yoongi; there is no question about it. 

Despite the hurt and confusion and pain, one thing that you are certain about, above all else, is that you love him. 

And that is why you drink. 

You drink to numb the myriad feelings. You drink to pass the time. You drink to forget. With a twinkling haze of intoxication, loud club beats, and bright lights, you drink, and drink, and drink. 

Jimin caves instantly on his insistence to not teach you how to dance, and you realize that he is not only a brilliant dancer, but that he seems to really enjoy having someone around to join him. Behind Paradise is a ballet studio that he owns and rents out to instructors. When he has free time, he goes there to practice in front of the wall of mirrors while some sultry melody plays on an old-fashioned boombox in the corner. 

Sometimes he throws on a hip-hop beat and does experimental moves with his body, contorting his limbs in square, jarring movements. Other times he drifts gracefully through the space to ballet pieces, muttering about Tchaikovski, Prokofiev, and other names of long-dead men that you struggle to pronounce. He is always magnificent—a true artist of his craft. 

It takes no time at all to become a friendly face at Paradise. Within just a few nights, the cocktail waitresses, dancers, bartenders, and regulars all seem happy to greet you. Jimin has introduced you to everyone as dove, a nickname you quickly warm up to, which is what everyone there calls you. 

Everyone, that is, except the new bar manager, Jeon Jeongguk. 

At Paradise, under the flashy red, purple, and fuchsia lights, he calls you dollface, or doll for short. And at first, you fucking hate it; the words stick like bile to your tongue, heavy and tacky. 

But the more he struts over with his black satin shirt unbuttoned just a little too low, hair slicked back, standing too close with his sticky-sweet whiskey breath and muttering shit like, "Looking gorgeous tonight, doll," you begin to warm up to it a little. 

"What happened to buttercup?" you teased the first time he tried the new nickname, and he rolled his eyes, chewing on a piece of pink bubblegum wide-mouthed like an adorable a fucking cow as he said, "That was the old me, dollface; I'm not the same person I was yesterday."

It should come as no surprise that Jeongguk is really beginning to grow on you. Now that he works the bar and you see him a lot more often, his attitude is much softer. He still teases you, and at times, it makes your fucking blood boil, but there is a softness to his gaze, especially when his smile stretches wide, that makes your tummy do a backflip whenever his presence lingers. 

All of this is extra dangerous in your current situation because the last thing you need while on sabbatical from both of the men who you continue to be in some unnamed but deeply romantic relationship with, is Jeon Jeongguk making you feel giddy. Try as you might to convince yourself that your feelings are purely a product of your loneliness, you know that is untrue; your feelings for Jeongguk had already begun to sprout, and, as time goes on, they continue to grow. 

You are also finding yourself charmed by Jeongguk's second-in-command, a wisp of a woman with a wide smile and even wider hips named Ahn Hyejin—stage name Hwasa. Hyejin is tiny, barely standing taller than Jeongguk's shoulder with her sharp stiletto heels on. But she commands a room, voice booming and deep when she needs it to be, making all the dancers do exactly as she says. 

Although you are surrounded by beauty in a place like Paradise, nobody steals your attention like Hyejin. Her beautiful diamond-shaped face is always made up with sharp black eyeliner and bright red lipstick. With wide, dark brown eyes that pierce into your soul, all it takes is one pointed smirk, and you are practically melting to her feet. She is always dressed a little revealing, showing enough skin that your eyes continuously trail back to her, just to get another glance.

You understand why men wage wars over love and lust. Hyejin is living proof of why so many sonnets and classic literature pieces are steeped in maniacal desperation over a woman some lonely man saw at a passing glance one time. 

Hyejin was once a dancer, too, but she worked her way into a management position, and all the family men who come to the bar treat her like a sister, including Jeongguk, who only reluctantly calls her Hyejin-noona because she is two years older than him and likes to insist on the nickname. 

She teases Jimin at times, too, being several months older than he is, and she uses it to her advantage when she wants him to do something for her. Jimin always grumbles, rolling his eyes while fulfilling her requests to make the stages and dress rooms better for the dancers, but he does everything out of love for her, and for his dancers, and he is grateful to have her on his management team, giving him advice on how to improve.

Hyejin is, in a word, amazing.

"I see the way you look at her," Jimin teases you tonight the moment she walks in sporting a red one-piece latex bodysuit with long sleeves and a deep v-collar, putting her thighs on glorious display. She wears matching red thigh-high boots, and her long, dark brown hair falls past her shoulders in waves.

Although you turn your head in the direction of Jimin's voice, your eyes stay on Hyejin as she struts over to the bar where Jeongguk is leaning forward on his elbows, getting his attention by draping herself over him and slamming her hip against his side. 

"Hmm?" you finally ask when seeing the two of them standing side-by-side has your cheeks feeling entirely too warm, though it still takes a few stray seconds to pull your gaze to Jimin. 

He has one perfectly manicured eyebrow raised, and he tongues the inside of his cheek, making you feel even more embarrassed. You are only human…what does he expect from you?

Tonight, Jimin wears silver shimmer on his eyes, with his brown hair styled off his forehead. His black satin button-up is undone to the center of his chest, and it is tucked into very tight, fitted black slacks, styled with black boots. 

Everyone at Paradise is honestly so breathtaking; it is no wonder the place brings in so many high-rollers willing to spend top dollar. Although you are determined to keep Jimin as a friend only—not that he has ever shown signs of wanting more from you—you still find yourself stunned by his beauty.

"Gonna start calling you fawn instead of dove," Jimin teases, and you snicker at the wordplay, unwilling or able to deny you have been fawning over Hyejin since the moment you met her. 

"I need a pet name bingo card," you tease, scrunching your nose to feign annoyance, despite finding it cute. 

You smell a familiar perfume—bright floral and lightly fruity—dance softly in the air before you feel an arm sling around your waist, and you take a fortifying breath before turning to find Hyejin's beaming red smile inches from your face. 

"Hey, dove," she greets in a deep, sultry tone that makes every little hair on your body stand up. 

"Hey, Hyejin," you respond as your cheeks become hot.

"What are you up to tonight?" she asks, giving your waist a squeeze before sliding her arm away but staying just as close. "Practicing any more of your dance moves?"

You giggle and shake your head, feeling nervous about talking to her, of all people, about dancing. Once Jimin let it slip that he was showing you floor moves, both Hyejin and Jeongguk began hounding you for a demonstration. 

"Ahhhh, probably not," you respond, sounding just as awkward as you feel. "I was planning on sitting here tonight and drinking all of Jimin's expensive whiskey for free."

Hyejin pouts and it sends your heart haywire, making you nearly cave. "I want to see your moves," she says in a sweet, baby voice that has you floundering for words—deciding that you would probably do anything to satisfy her. 

"Maybe once I feel more confident," you respond demurely, nibbling on your bottom lip. 

This seems to satisfy her, and she winks as she says, "Looking forward to it," before walking off to the dressing rooms to check on her dancers. 

"Holy shit," you mutter under your breath once she is gone, catching your breath as if you had just run a marathon. 

Jimin scoffs, teasing you as he says, "You are such a whore," and you laugh with him, rubbing your palms over your face. The effect that she has on you must be as obvious to her as it is to everyone else, and the prospect of that makes you nervous.

You have begun to dress a little nicer when you visit Paradise, starting from the first night Hyejn was introduced to you—wearing the more casual designer dresses that Jimin graciously brought from your room at the mansion, and letting him do your hair and makeup. She always gets a little too close when you have your cleavage showing, so you have been displaying it more and more lately.

"She's just so pretty," you complain as if it is an inconvenience, making Jimin laugh anymore. 

"Careful, doll," Jeongguk's voice speaks way too close to your right ear, causing you to gasp and flinch, turning in the direction of the sound. "Keep flirting with her and it might make me jealous."

You scoff and lean away from Jeongguk, who only crowds closer, teasing you with a grin. Recently, Jeongguk has gotten his eyebrow and lip pierced, both on the right side—your left—and he keeps his hair cut short with a sharp, dark undercut. Today, his hair is styled in a swoop over his forehead, and his delicate, floral musky scent is dizzying the closer he gets. 

Since working at Paradise, Jeongguk has begun to dress a little differently, and you find yourself unable to keep from sneaking glances at the slivers of skin he kept hidden behind buttons and t-shirts before. He continues to don his standard all-black attire, but he has also switched to satin, much like Jimin. His shirts are always unbuttoned to the center of his toned chest with no undershirt, and tonight he has several silver chains of various lengths and widths cascading from his neck. 

"I wouldn't dream of it," you tease as you take a step away from Jeongguk and spin on your toes, toward the bar. A sexy R&B song plays loudly, and you swish your hips to the rhythm, knowing without having to glance back that he is watching you. 

And although you tell yourself that you should not enjoy his attention so much—or anyone's attention, for that matter—you revel in the thrill it gives you. Yoongi and Namjoon have both encouraged you to pursue him, anyway…surely they wouldn't mind if you have a little innocent fun. After all, you have no idea when you may see the two of them again.

Nights at Jimin's house are lonely. His mansion is huge and empty, and you prefer not to spend much time there by yourself, which means you tend to be at Paradise from late evening to mid-morning most nights. At first, you thought your sleep schedule would adjust and you would become a night owl just like Jimin and Jeongguk, but as the days wear on, you find yourself exhausted, floating through a realm of half-wakefulness. The drinking likely does not help. 

But what other choice do you have? Despite the deep ache behind your ribs, it feels too soon to return to Namjoon. During a brief phone call shortly after returning from Paris, he mentioned Yoongi was in the countryside at a facility to help him get past the first three weeks of withdrawal. 

From time to time, you find yourself wondering how long it has been since you returned from Paris. It could have been weeks, but it could have been days; you have been disinterested in keeping track, finding the tangible passage of time too painful to confront. You figure the time will come when they are both ready to return to you and not a moment sooner; no use dwelling on it.

On the nights when all you wish to do is let go and forget, you either sit at the center stage and watch the strip shows with a drink in hand, or you head to the upper-level VIP section of the club and dance by the railings. When you are feeling outgoing, you find a group of drunk, friendly women by the back bar to become single-use friends with for the night and dance until bar close. 

Back when you first moved into the mansion, Paradise was apparently a dance club with a brothel beneath, just like Serendipity. But during the weeks leading up to your Paris trip, Jimin had been working on getting the space remodeled—hence why you had not seen him around much, for a while. There still is a dancefloor, but it is rather compact near the back bar; not too many people come to Paradise just to dance. 

The main room now consists of three stages—two smaller ones on either side of the room, and one large stage in the center, all equipped with a spinning poll. Everything is made up of dark wood, black leather, and chrome.

Beneath Paradise, there are still brothel rooms, but it is a very hush-hush affair that not too many patrons seem aware of. A patron can book any of the dancers for a private strip show and lap dance in a back room, but anything explicitly sexual is kept strictly to the lower level, and unless someone knows how to ask for it, they will get removed from the premises in a heartbeat. 

Jimin oversees all Paradise operations, but his main focus is on the activities that take place underground. Jeongguk and Hyejin oversee everything on the main floors, including the strip stages, the back bar and dancefloor, and the VIP bar upstairs, which is more or less just a mezzanine with a bar and booths that cost a pretty penny to use. 

Paradise is your oyster, and you more or less have free reign to do anything you would like.

During the nights when you do not feel like drinking, you go to the dance studio. Sometimes, Jimin goes along to let off some steam, either before he needs to run things at Paradise, or when he has a break in his duties. Other times, you go alone. 

You have been getting a hang of moving your body in ways Jimin has shown you, and in new ways that you are discovering on your own. And although you are nowhere near as flexible or fluid as he is, you are surprised by how your body can bend and move and stretch when you allow it patience and grace to learn how. You get why he, and the other dancers at Paradise, take so much pride in their craft. To the patron, it may just seem like stripping and ass-shaking for some loose notes, but to them, and to you, it truly is an art form.

On nights when you dance, the loneliness is not at all quelled, and you find yourself spacing out often and getting lost in your thoughts. But the more you move and let out all of your pent-up energy, the lighter the loneliness seems to feel. Some nights you are able to relax and feel at peace, rolling and stretching your body without a care in the world. It gives you hope that there truly may be a light at the end of this tunnel, no matter how long it takes for you to reach it.  

"Hey, pretty," a familiar sultry voice purrs, giving you goosebumps. 

It is some unknown night in the middle of the week, and you left a group of bachelorettes by the back bar to step outside and smoke a joint. It is rare that anyone is out here, and you are surprised to find Hyejin, of all people, leaning against the brick wall in this quiet, employees-only escape tucked away in a dark alley. This spot is nestled behind a tall fence, past which is a set of dumpsters and a narrow path out to the main roads.

Hyejin is beautiful as always, wearing a black long-sleeve crop top shirt and high-waisted short shorts, under which black garters stick out and are clipped to black thigh-high socks. Her hair is pulled back into a bun, slicked on the sides, and as she approaches, her mary jane heels clack against the pavement. 

"Hyejin," you mutter, swallowing thickly and abandoning the joint you had forgotten to light, cradling it in your fist. "Didn't realize you would be out here."

Tonight, she wears a nude lipstick rather than the red you have grown accustomed to, and her smile is not quite as warm. As she approaches, you are greeted by her lightly fruity, floral perfume. 

"Stepped out for a breather," she sighs, eyes falling to your hand before they meet your gaze. With a raise of her eyebrows, she adds, "Mind if I help you smoke that?"

Your brain has to reboot before you lift your hand to inspect its contents, and you remember what you came outside for, chuckling as you hold out the joint and lighter to her and say, "Of course. You can hit greens."

Every once in a while, Hyejin will smile shyly. She has a practiced shy smile that she uses on Jimin, Jeongguk, and plenty of her customers—honed to perfection to get just what she wants. But this one is soft and delicate, filling her beautifully golden-tawny-toned cheeks with a deep red blush. 

As she unfurls the soft smile that opens into a toothy grin, she reaches out both slender manicured hands and takes your offering, gently scratching her long, painted-black fingernails against your palms. The sensation sends a shiver through you, and you giggle, squeezing your hands shut before opening them again.

"That tickles," you admit when she looks curiously, laughing softly at you.

"You're easily ticklish, hmm?" she mutters with the joint cradled between her lips, then flicks on the lighter, giving her face a beautiful golden glow while igniting the tip and sucking in. 

Hyejin takes a slow inhale followed by a sharp one, then holds her breath and passes the joint to you. When she lets out an exhale, smoke plumes in front of her, and you take a nice, big hit and hold it in, just the same. 

The smoke is warm in your lungs and licks at your senses. As you breathe it out, you feel a small sense of release, letting your shoulders drop and your body relax. 

When you turn to hand the joint back to Hyejin, she is standing much closer, leaning on the sliver of brick wall between you and the closed back door. You instinctively take a step back but rotate so that you are facing her, with barely any space between you. This time, when she smiles, her eyes have the sparkle that you are used to, but there is still an unmissable hint of sadness swirling in their deep umber depths. 

"You know, you can always talk to me if you need someone," she offers unprompted as she takes a hit and hands the joint back. 

You nod and mull it over, unsure where you would even begin. You have no idea what Hyejin knows about your situation, and although you think you can trust her, there is a part of you that is unsure whether you really want to talk about it, especially right now. 

"Thank you," you say before taking a hit and holding it in. Hyejin turns her head to blow the smoke away from your face, then she reaches out one hand and gently rubs her fingertips over your wrist, snaking them into the sleeve of your black denim jacket and sending a tingling warmth into your bloodstream.

You turn your head to exhale, then hold up the joint, asking, "More?"

"I'm good right now," she responds softly, and you move your hand away from her inviting touch to pinch the lit end off onto the ground. In your pocket is a small plastic tube into which you slide the joint, placing a little plastic cap over the end so that its smell does not stick to your clothing, and then you return your arm to its spot and allow her fingers to resume exploring your wrist and hand.

"I appreciate the offer," you try, hearing the way your voice trembles as the weed settles over you and fills you with a heavy-weightless warmth, buzzing in a deep thrum that tenses and relaxes and relaxes and relaxes. Sheepishly, with a giggle, you add, "I don't…really know where to begin."

Hyejin's hand sides into yours, palm against palm, fingers wrapping and holding on tight. 

"That's okay," she responds with a disarming smile. "I just wanted to offer, just in case. I know you have Jimin and Jeongguk, too."

At this, you laugh and sink further against the brick wall, tilting your head to rest against the scratchy, unwelcoming surface. "I do have them…for better or worse."

Hyejin laughs in understanding, then she rolls her eyes and says, "Jeongguk is so possessive; I thought the two of you were dating when you first started coming around."

"Oh?" you respond, a bit surprised by this news. Admittedly, when you first began coming to Paradise, you thought there was something going on between the two of them. It took a couple nights to realize that the way Hyejin hangs off of and pouts at her manager is all an act. "We're…not…" you begin, trailing off, unsure what to say.

"He clearly has feelings for you, regardless," she adds, and you search her face and fidget in place. Hyejin seems genuine and sweet, but you are so used to women in this line of work having ulterior motives and using kindness as a tool to gain information and an upper hand. But that does not seem to be what she is doing, and you let out the breath that had gotten trapped in your lungs and nod, chuckling lightly. 

"Yeah," you admit, feeling your cheeks warm. "He…certainly does."

"Oh my god," Hyejin teases, squeezing your hand until you look at her wide, beaming smile. "You like him too, don't you?"

Try as you might to shake your head and mutter, "No," she mirrors the movement, laughing and practically shouting, "Yes, you definitely do! You are a terrible liar, dove!" 

"It's���complicated," you mutter, squeezing your eyes shut with embarrassment. 

A sweet giggle flits through the air like a flutter of butterflies, and you open your eyes to find Hyejin regarding you with the sweetest smile. 

"I won't judge you," she assures, giving your hand another squeeze. "I don't know a lot about your relationship, but Jimin has mentioned you are dating two men, which…honestly, sounds like a dream come true."

Your heart seizes a bit around the word dating, and you swallow thickly and nod, unwilling to go down that path. Nothing has ever been established, despite your confessions of love and the huge, expensive fake-engagement ring that sits in your dark, empty bedroom. Sometimes, if you allow yourself to dwell on it, both the distance and time spent away from them make you worry that things may have an end date that is sooner than you expect. 

But none of this is pertinent enough information to share at a time like this, so you smile as convincingly as you can while saying, "It has its perks."

Hyejin returns your smile and closes the already meager space between the two of you to press a kiss against your cheek. Her mouth is soft and warm, and you let your eyes flutter closed, smiling from the smell of bluebells and apple that fills your senses. As she pulls her lips back, she stays close, cradling your chin with her hand while opening her mouth to continue speaking. However, the back door flies open, cutting off what she was going to say.

The sight of Jeongguk looking around the corner makes you gasp and back up, kicking up a flurry of feelings in your chest. Despite nothing happening between you and Hyejn, this feels like too precarious of a position to be caught in suddenly. Daresay, it may appear somewhat intimate. 

Jeongguk's expression is wide and shocked, but it quickly melts to intrigue. He steps outside and approaches, slinging an arm over both your shoulder and Hyejin's. 

"Well, what have we here?" he asks with a tone that is far too gleeful for anyone's good. 

"I was just telling our dove that I am here if she needs anything, and then I gave her a kiss on the cheek," Hyejin says, turning to Jeongguk and standing on her toes to plant her lips against his jaw. 

Jeongguk looks affronted and gasps as she says, "There, now nobody is left out."

"Listen, I'm not here to break up whatever is going on between my favorite girls." Jeongguk says, gaze on you as he raises an eyebrow and adds, "I just didn't know our doll swings both ways."

Feeling indignant and a little claustrophobic, you shrug away from Jeongguk's arm and give his shoulder a shove. 

"For your information, I go…all ways…" you mutter with a grimace, trailing off because you do not owe him an explanation. Labels for sexual orientation may work for some, but they have never been your thing; you like people for people, and it is as simple as that. Defensive, you add, "But she was just giving me a friendly little kiss on the cheek, so it doesn't matter."

Jeongguk grunts unconvincingly, then leans in close to say, "But a kiss between friends can easily spiral into something more, can it not?"

With that, Jeongguk takes a step back, leaving you standing shell-shocked and ready to smack him. Jeongguk winks and says, "Hyejin-noona, when you're ready, I have some things I wanna go over with for tonight," then he walks inside. 

Hyejin holds out her elbow, asking, "Shall we?" and you lift a hand to slide against her soft skin, allowing her to lead the way. 

Once you are back inside, the bachelorette group is still at the back bar, drunker and louder than when you left them, and you wave Hyejin and Jeongguk off as you walk over and allow the women to pull you into their chaotic little group for shots. 

You wake up late in the evening with a hangover after hanging with the bachelorette group the night and morning before, taking shot after shot of overly sweet liquor that was far too strong for its own good. It feels like it has been ages since you have felt so awful, and the thought of having even a drop more of alcohol makes your stomach churn.

So, tonight, rather than go to Paradise, you decide to visit the dance studio to practice the floor moves Jimin has been teaching you. Although you are still certain you have no desire to dance at the club, practicing the moves has been cathartic. And it helps you slow down on drinking. Being a lush for a while has definitely been one way to handle your myriad tumultuous emotions, but the hangovers are too frequent, and after what you felt earlier today, you are eager to change your ways.

Dancing also makes you feel sexy. You enjoy watching the way your body can curve and flex, bending and swaying in ways you had never really attempted before. Tonight you alternate between taking moves slowly on the floor, facing away from the mirrors, before attempting to add speed and flow to them while watching your reflection. 

With the cassette mixtape that Jimin has scribbled Whore Mix onto playing through the boombox, you stretch on a dark purple yoga mat that sits in the center of the floor while a sultry voice sings and raps over a beat that begs your hips to move, with the mirrors to your left and the studio door behind you.  

The approaching click-clack of boots against the wooden floor that greets you does not strike you as odd at first; you have grown accustomed to Jimin and his affinity for boots. So you continue practicing without turning to greet him.

Anchored back on your elbows, sitting on the mat on your left hip, with both legs bent, you stretch your right leg straight and fan it out at an angle lifted in front of you. In the same fluid motion, you lift your left leg, creating a v-shape in the air. Then you curl your legs in, trying to perfect the graceful movement that Jimin is so good at, twisting until you are on your right hip.

Only when clapping echoes through the room do you realize that the boots had stopped moving and that the tell-tale frenetic energy Jimin always brings to the studio is missing. You turn with a gasp and find Jeongguk standing in the center of the room, wearing his standard all-black. His button-up is undone enough to show a dip of his chest, as always, with no shirt underneath, and it is tucked into black slacks that are so fitted, the material strains against his thighs when he shifts from one foot to the other. 

"My, my," Jeongguk teases, approaching before squatting beside you. "What have I walked in on?"

Instinctively, you lean away, feeling warmth flood your cheeks. You sit wearing a tight purple sports bra and very tight, very short black athletic shorts, making you self-conscious to be met with such a hungry stare, especially knowing that he had been watching you, just now. 

"Jeongguk," you mutter, having to clear your throat to get more sound out. "What are you doing here?"

"I was coming to see if Jimin was here. Wanted to run a few things by him."

You nod, feeling like a fish out of water with how your mouth hangs open. Jeongguk's cologne is stronger than usual and a little different tonight—musky and floral with hints of spice—and you find it incredibly intoxicating. 

"But what I found is far more enticing," Jeongguk continues with a smirk.

Silence falls between you, and you feel your hands prickle with sweat. All you can think about is that kiss in Hong Kong and the chemistry you found in his lips—how delicately he asserted control but never pushed or pulled too much, causing you to unravel in moments. You want to feel that again—want to feel him again—so much that it seems like a bad idea for you to be left alone with him, like this. Flirting in the club, with people around, is one thing, but here, alone, seems dangerous.

Jeongguk stands, and you let out a heavy breath, then swallow a lump, feeling relief wash over you at the thought of him leaving. But then he walks over to the corner, to where some black chairs are shoved together, and he grabs one. Anxiety washes over you when he begins to bring the chair over, boot heels echoing loudly against the floor as he places it beside you and has a seat. He spreads his legs and leans forward, resting his wrists against his knees, tattooed hands so close you could reach out to him. 

With his lips tugged into a sharp grin, he says, "Let me see that move again."

You must look as stunned as you feel, blinking up at him, because he chuckles and raises his pierced eyebrow, clearly amused by your lack of response. 

"Come on, dollface," Jeongguk teases, leaning even closer and dropping his voice far too low for comfort. "Don't be shy."

Even as nervous as you are under his piercing stare, you like the attention he gives you. But continuing what was started between you without Yoongi or Namjoon present feels wrong, and it stirs up guilt and shame, starting in your tummy and working its way to your throat. You want to show Jeongguk your moves and crawl to him, grind your hips over his lap until he calls you noona and begs you for more. But not here. Not like this. 

Luckily, the click-clack that actually belongs to Jimin's boots storms down the hallway and into the room, giving you an out. 

"I told you to meet me in my office," Jimin complains, approaching with his hands on his hips, one balled into a fist that holds onto a manilla envelope. "Why did you come here? To bother her?"

"I must have misread the text," Jeongguk responds, eyes still on you while they glimmer mischievously before turning his attention to Jimin. "Office…dance studio…same thing."

Jimin lunges forward and slaps the envelope against the back of Jeongguk's head, saying, "Not the same thing, and you know it!" before shoving the document into his hands. 

You watch somewhat stunned as Jeongguk's mouth falls agape, and he chuckles. Then, as he begins to open and read through the contents of the folder, you take your leave, rolling the yoga mat in your hands as you walk away. Draped over one of the black chairs in the corner is a black hoodie and sweatpants, and you pad over, set the mat onto a chair, and slink into the garments, keeping your hair tucked into the shirt and the hood pulled low over your face.

"Gonna head back to work," Jimin says in a flurry, exiting just as fast as he arrived with the folder in his hand. "Come to the club if you want. Or call me if you need anything."

With a nod, you turn on your toes and begin for the door.

"And just where are you going?" Jeongguk asks, stopping you in your tracks and pushing a sigh from your lungs.

"Home," you say before your lips flounder, and you correct yourself, heavy-blinking. "Jimin's place."

With a hum, Jeongguk stands and says, "I'll drive you," picking up his chair to bring it back to where he got it from. 

Although you have made no plans for a ride, you know that Hoseok was at the club earlier, and you had planned to call and see if he was around. Jeongguk giving you a ride would definitely be convenient, but is that something you want right now?

"You have work to do," you insist, shaking your head and feeling nervous at the thought of being in a vehicle alone with him. 

But Jeongguk sets the chair down, takes you by the back of the arm, and begins to usher you rather forcefully out the door. As your sneaker heels dig into the wooden floor, rubber squeaking with each step he makes you take, you feel petulant, and you are dragged to the dark hallway before you manage to yank yourself out of his grasp and take an uneasy step back.

"What the fuck are you doing?" you ask, feeling anger rise and fighting the urge to slap him. 

"What?" Jeongguk says through a chuckle, looming over you while he steps forward, closing the distance with each step you take backward until you hit the wall. "You're dancing like a whore now, so I figured you wanted to be treated like one, too."

Although you feel anger buzzing through you like a livewire, sending every nerve on high alert, more than anything, you feel deflated. Despite Jimin jokingly using that word to tease you, there is something about the way Jeongguk says it—something almost sardonic and mocking in his tone, met with how forcefully he dragged you out of the room. It settles like bile in your guts and makes you feel extremely uncomfortable. 

But, rather than put up a fight and challenge him, you storm away, shoving past his weak attempt to hold you back as you stomp toward the door. 

"Hey," Jeongguk calls, heavy footsteps trailing behind you. "What's the matter with you?"

Unable to hold in your rage, you spin on your toes, shoving your palms against Jeongguk's chest as you say, "What's the matter with you?"

Jeongguk hardly flinches, and when you step forward to push him again, he grips onto your wrists and holds you still, tugging you close to him but not in a way that is meant to be rough or suggestive. He almost looks worried, brows knit as he studies your face. 

"Hey, hey," he mutters, holding onto you just tight enough that you have no choice but to stop lashing out. 

Somehow it works. Maybe because you are exhausted, or maybe it is the floral, musky scent of his cologne—or a combination of things wrecking your tiny sense of sanity—but you hold still and let Jeongguk softly shush you while rubbing his thumbs over the knobby joints in your wrists.

"I don't like it when you talk about women that way," you say, feeling a swell of sadness fill your chest. You are aware that this is likely a trauma response to the way men have treated you in the past, but you need to at least attempt to establish a boundary. "I know we joke about it at the club, but the way you said it, I—" You close your eyes and shake your head. 

"When have I ever talked about women that way?" Jeongguk asks, voice sounding more defensive than apologetic. "Look, I was joking. I'm sorry."

"Just don't do it, okay?" you insist, yanking your hands away until Jeongguk relents and folding your arms over your chest. "I was a whore before, Jeongguk. Is it so terrible? Do you really need to make it sound so demeaning? Yoongi's mother was a whore, too, you know."

Jeongguk's face pales, and he appears angry for a split moment, but you do not attempt to argue. Perhaps it is out of pocket to bring up Yoongi's dead mother, but you were a part of the honey bees who came after her; you belonged to the same organization, come hell and high water. 

"You're right," he says, taking a step back and sliding his hands into his pockets. "I don't look down on sex workers, and I shouldn't talk as if I do. I'm sorry I offended you. I know that we make jokes, and I guess I got carried away. I didn't consider how even playful actions might bring up bad memories for you, and I get what that's like."

Surprised and unsure what to say, you rock on your feet a little before settling on, "Okay."

"My mother was a whore too," Jeongguk adds, stepping forward slowly. "I never held it against her. Even when it got her killed, I never thought badly about her."

There it is, once more—the taste of guilt.

"Jeongguk," you say, taking a step forward, but he holds up his hand and shakes his head. 

"I offended you. I'm the one apologizing. Let me make it up to you by driving you home?"

You nod, conceding. "Alright."

The walk to Jeongguk's black sports car is quiet in a way that feels charged and awkward, but as you settle in, you begin to relax. Silence continues to hang during most of the drive, and all the while, you think of Yoongi. As you stare out at the city lights that fade the further you get from the city, you wonder how he must be doing and whether he will return home soon. 

"Did you supply the heroin?" you ask without thinking, staring out at the dark roads past the city line. 

As silence stretches, part of you worries that Jeongguk might be offended by your question, and you keep your eyes on the shadowed hints of trees, refusing to acknowledge the expression on his face. 

Finally, Jeongguk mutters a simple, "No," and you allow yourself to regard him. 

Jeongguk's jaw is tense, and he stares ahead at the road, tonguing on the inside of his mouth while both hands tightly grip the steering wheel.

"I didn't think you did," you respond softly, watching as his pierced eyebrow raises. "I don't know why I felt compelled to ask."

Jeongguk's gaze flicks to you, then back on the road. "Because you overheard my conversation with Namjoon that morning outside your bedroom. And because I was the one in charge of the drug operations."

"Yeah," you respond with a shrug. "But I don't think you would be that careless."

With a hum from Jeongguk, silence settles once more. You relax back in your seat, watching the road curve and become a little hilly before evening out. By now, you are familiar with this stretch, anticipating the sight of the property to come into view very soon. 

Whenever you pass the mansion these days, it is dark and quiet. If not for the outdoor security lights, it would be nothing more than a looming shadow—a silhouetted remnant of lives at a standstill. Namjoon must sleep in his own home, and from time to time, you consider walking down the dirt and gravel path to his property to see him.

But everything feels off balance in a way that you struggle to reconcile, and you feel like you need a little more time. You fish your phone from your hoodie pocket and check his Instagram feed, sad to see he has not posted anything to his story. 

Namjoon likes to post his workout routines, what he is listening to, and shots from trips to museums. Lately, though, he barely shares anything, making the lack of his presence feel heavier. You nearly ask Jeongguk to drop you off at his place, but you cannot seem to open your mouth to get the words out.

Instead, you text him. 

You: It's hard to keep tabs on you when you don't post story updates.

The message feels stupid, and you chew on the inside of your mouth once you hit send, staring at the screen and hoping that when he sees it, he does not find it annoying. Is there a chance of him being offended?

Three dots appear and disappear, over and over, making the anxiety in your tummy frantically build and crash like a wave pool that has just been switched on. But then he sends a simple little sentence that stirs both immense joy and deep, profound sadness— 

Namjoon: I miss you too, sweetheart.

—and you stare down at it until your vision blurs with tears.

As you open your mouth to ask to be taken to Namjoon's house, the dots appear and disappear again, and rather than speak, you clear your throat and wait for him to say more. 

"What is it?" Jeongguk asks, and you turn your head to him, confused at first, then realize he may have taken the sound as a feeble attempt at starting a conversation. 

"Oh," you respond, "Uh, nothing."

"Alright," Jeongguk says simply as he begins to turn into Jimin's driveway, waiting as the metal gate opens and allows you entrance.

As you pull into the drive, listening to the gate close behind you, the urge to cry becomes more difficult to tamp down. You swallow thickly, blinking away tears as Jeongguk stalls in front of the door. 

"You good?" Jeongguk asks, and you turn to regard him, but as soon as you open your mouth to tell him you are fine, the sounds die in your throat, and you have to swallow everything back down again. 

"Th-thanks for the ride," you manage to mutter as you get out of the vehicle and run to Jimin's door, punching in an eight-digit code and holding your eyes open as wide as you can manage for the retina scan. 

Once inside the dark, empty mansion, you sink against the cold, wooden door, feeling your chest heave with emotion so deep, you become nauseated. Gripped in your fist, your cell phone vibrates, and you lift the device in a shaking hand, checking the notification—

Namjoon: I miss your voice. And your smile. I hope you're taking care of yourself.

—which sends you crashing over the edge as tears pour and your voice comes out in a loud, terrible sob.

Your heart pounds as you cry, feeling the crushing weight of how deeply you miss Namjoon. Although each breath that enters and exits your lungs is a storm, rattling and shaking you to the core, you sniffle and hold your phone tightly in both hands as you place a call. It is late, but Namjoon is responding to texts, so perhaps he is free to talk. 

Namjoon picks up on the first ring, and when his deep, surprised voice says, "Hey, sweetheart," you sob even harder. How is it that something so tiny could make his absence feel so much heavier?

"Hey," Namjoon says, sweet and alert, "are you alright? Where are you?"

"I'm okay," you cry, punctuated by a sniffle. "I'm at Jimin's. Everything is fine."

"Everything does not sound fine," Namjoon insists, and you smile softly at his concern, taking in a deep breath. "Do you need something? Can I…can I do anything?"

Namjoon still owes you an explanation, and it is not something you will easily let slip. But you are certain that you cannot continue to keep him at a distance, even if it means putting the much-needed conversation on the back burner. Although life with Jimin has been fun and a little exciting, the loneliness you feel from being away from Namjoon and Yoongi has a tendency to become excruciating. 

"Can I see you?" you ask weakly, like a child who is afraid of being scolded. 

The soft chuckle that proceeds, "Of course, you can," warms your heart, and you close your eyes and smile wide, clutching your phone tightly to your ear. "Give me ten minutes? I'll be right there."

With a wet, disgusting sniffle, you say, "Okay," and rub the back of your hand against your nose. 

"I'll be there soon," Namjoon says as he ends the call, and you nod to nobody as you drop your phone down and clench it to your heart. 

It takes effort, but you peel yourself from the floor and kick off your shoes before heading up the stairs to your borrowed bedroom, squinting as you switch on the light. The room is similar to your room in Yoongi's mansion, but the bedding and curtains are pinks and oranges—a permanent sunrise. 

As you cross the room to the walk-in closet, you pull off the joggers and athleticwear from earlier and find a cute, soft pair of pink sleep shorts and a matching, loose pink tee. Then you run into the bathroom to brush your teeth. Even though you did not drink anything tonight, you want to kiss Namjoon until your lips bruise, and you need to be minty fresh. 

By the time you are rinsing your mouth and wiping your chin off, you hear a loud knocking on the front door, surprised that ten minutes could have passed so quickly. You run out of the ensuite and find your phone on the bed to shoot off a message before heading down to let Namjoon in.

You: One minute!

Although the rest of the mansion is dark, Jimin also has security lights on outside, and they shine through the windows enough to cast a silver glow over the small mezzanine and down the steps. You scurry down quickly, feet carrying you light and fast, and when you get to the front door and fling it open, you hardly have a chance to take in the sight of Namjoon before he is crossing the threshold and lifting you into his arms. 

A sob quakes through you as you wrap your arms and legs around him, burying your face into his neck. He smells musky—a bit sweaty—but the bright cologne with gentle floral hints you are used to are present. Namjoon closes the front door, haphazardly steps from his shoes, and makes his way to the stairs, stepping slowly as he holds you tight. If you are not mistaken, it feels like his breathing shutters through him, and you wonder if he may also be crying. 

"I'm sorry," you find yourself muttering when the silence stretches on long and oppressive. 

Namjoon squeezes you harder. 

"No," he says softly, voice trembling, "sweetheart, you have nothing to be sorry for."

"I made you cry," you sob, feeling guilt and sadness fill your lungs until it hurts to breathe.

Namjoon chuckles and sniffles, reaching the top landing of the stairs and turning to the right, toward the only light in the home that is on. He says, "Making someone cry is a side-effect of being in love, I'm afraid," and your heart goes wild behind your ribs, bursting with affection. 

"I've missed you so much," you whimper against Namjoon's skin, and when he leans forward and attempts to put you down onto the bed, you tighten your limbs, clinging to him like a koala.

"Let me set you down so we can get comfortable," Namjoon suggests, and you shake your head, groaning as you hold on tighter. He sighs, and tries, "Come on, I want to see you. I want to kiss you."

Once his attempts are futile, Namjoon gets onto his knees on the bed and bends until you are lying on your back with him towering over you. You finally move your head away from his neck and heavy-blink as you meet his eyes—which are bloodshot and blinking back tears.

"I've missed you too," Namjoon says as he kisses you, soft and sweet and warm. "I'm so sorry for everything that happened. I should have told you about everything, but I was scared to."

Namjoon's kisses are salty and wet, and he trembles above you, gripping the blanket tightly in his fists on either side of your head. Finally, you concede to his need to get comfortable, and you press against his chest, rubbing your fingers over soft black cotton. 

"Hey, lay down," you say softly, pushing a little harder. "You were right, let's get comfortable."

Namjoon sighs through his tears and gets up onto his knees, then crawls over to the pillows and makes a feeble attempt at moving the bright pink and orange floral comforter away. You sit up and help him, then run to the door to close it before adjusting the dimmer switch, lowering the lights just enough so that you can still see him. 

When you turn back to the bed, Namjoon has figured out the comforter, which is bunched up at the end of the against his feet, and he is sitting against the wooden headboard with his hands in his lap, watching you with a soft expression while tear tracks shimmer against his cheeks. He wears a black tee and black joggers, with his legs extended out but one leg bent slightly at the knee, and he is breathtaking—just as you remembered him. Maybe even more so. 

He has gotten a haircut recently, just above his ears, making him look younger. And it is darker; a more natural color. Some time ago—maybe a few days, or maybe a week—Namjoon posted a mirror selfie of the cut, obstructed mostly by his phone, and you are happy to finally see it in person. 

As you get onto the bed, on your knees, Namjoon reaches for you, pulling against the backs of your thighs until you have no choice but to straddle his lap, giggling at his insistence. You settle and drape your wrists over his shoulders to rub your fingertips over the short hairs on his nape while Namjoon's smile oscillates between joy and sadness. 

"I want to tell you I'm sorry," you begin, without giving him a chance to speak. You have been thinking about this every sober waking moment of however much time has passed—and some intoxicated moments, as well—and you feel it is necessary to get it off your chest. Emotions rise as you gather your thoughts, and your next exhale comes out shaky. "I was angry in Paris, but the things I said to you and Yoongi did not come from the heart. I was hurt, and I still am, but…I don't understand addiction. I have no idea what Yoongi must be going through, and I—"

You choke on a sob suddenly as a flash of Yoongi's face comes into view. The hurt way in which he stared ahead, straight through you, while you screamed and cried and demanded to be taken home.

Gently, Namjoon rubs his hands up and down your back, covering you in comforting warmth. His smile is sad, but he does his best to show that he is listening and that he is receptive to what you need to say.

"I just feel so awful," you continue as tears fall. You are so tired of crying and hurting, but it is a necessary step in healing, and you do your best to let it quake through you and settle into your bones. "I love Yoongi. I don't want him to be in pain."

"He knows," Namjoon finally says, but you screw your eyes closed and shake your head. He may have an idea of what you are going through, but he needs to hear from you that you are sorry. You need to tell him, yourself. "Yoongi using again was a bit of a surprise to all of us. Although it is something I always fear may happen again, I really had no idea it would happen like that, especially on vacation."

"When is he coming home?" you ask, feeling hopeful.

"Less than a week," Namjoon responds, smiling sweetly as he lifts his hands to thumb away the tears on your cheeks. "I have cleaned out the mansion, and Jeongguk has made sure the team taking over his responsibilities knows that heroin and other opioids are off limits. Jeongguk was already avoiding selling either in the first place, but he has reiterated that fact, to be on the safe side."

"That day, outside my room, you said there was a package with what looked like heroin," you say, watching as Namjoon's face screws up with worry. You grimace, adding, "I'm sorry I was eavesdropping."

"That…I still don't have all the details ironed out," Namjoon responds sullenly, "but I am certain that Jeongguk had nothing to do with it. Yoongi admitted that he had sent for the package on his own, and it arrived from overseas with a bunch of tailored suits. I don't know how he got a connect in Italy, but I really shouldn't be surprised; Yoongi knows people everywhere."

You nod somewhat listlessly, waiting for the crucial detail where Namjoon tells you he threatened the Italian guy, or found some way to rough him up—whatever the case—in order to keep him from sending Yoongi junk again. But when he does not continue, worry and sadness sink into your tummy like a brick. 

"So…" you begin, heavy-blinking and feeling at a loss for words before settling on, "...how do we make sure he doesn't use again?"

Although Namjoon continues to smile, his eyebrows pinch sympathetically, and he returns to rubbing your back. 

"We just love and support him," he offers, which feels both gigantic and minuscule, all things considered. "We continue to be there for him and…hope that it is enough."

"That's it, huh," you sigh, defeated. 

"Yeah."

Silence hangs, and you let your vision blur, attempting to sort out what you could possibly do. What if loving Yoongi is not enough? What if the pressures of his lifestyle only continue to press and press on him until he sinks another needle into his vein, desperate for relief?

"I wish he could just…not do this anymore," you mutter, blinking Namjoon back into focus. "Maybe having all this power and responsibility is too much."

With a sad chuckle, Namjoon nods. "Yeah, well…the only way out of a life like his is death."

Although that is not the response you want, it is the one you expect, and you lean heavily into Namjoon, accepting it for now. There is not much more to say until Yoongi is back. 

"Can we sleep?" you ask, feeling your body become weighted down with exhaustion and warm with a comfort you have not felt in what has seemed like eons. 

"I would love to sleep," Namjoon responds sweetly, releasing you from his hold as you slide down to the bed and begin to reach for the comforter. 

Namjoon gets out of bed to turn off the light, and for a split moment, in the cold, crushing dark, you begin to feel anxiety rush over you. In the cold, crushing dark, you are alone, alone, alone, isolated and heavy and so terribly scared. But then the bed dips, and warmth slides into place beside you. Limbs settle with a familiar weight, and suddenly, the darkness feels and smells like home.

"I love you," you tell the darkness, gasping when lips graze your cheek, your nose, and finally, your mouth. 

"I love you, too," the darkness tells you sweetly as you begin to drift to sleep.

Tonight, you did not get to kiss Namjoon until your lips bruised, but you feel satisfied with the fact that you were able to lighten the burden of heavy sadness just a little. And, in a matter of days, when you have the same conversation with Yoongi, it may not go the same way, but at least the three of you can continue to take steps in the right direction, and that allows you to sink into sleep with a smile on your face. 

When you wake up alone, your first instinct is to panic. You sit up with a start and check for any sign of Namjoon, but the ensuite door is wide open, and there is no sound coming from inside. The spot where he had slept is cold, and you begin to worry that it was all a dream and that he was never here at all. 

Frantically, you begin to search for your phone, which is not on your bedside table where you usually keep it, feeling the overwhelming urge to cry take over. What happened last night, and why is there no trace of him to be found?

With a deep breath, you close your eyes and run over the events of the night. You came in and changed, then you messaged Namjoon to let him know you were going down to let him in. Vaguely, you remember tossing your phone to the bed, and you begin yanking at your comforter, desperate to find it. 

Your phone must have been wrapped up in the bedding, because after only a moment of tussling and searching, you hear a nice loud thunk against the floor, at the foot of the bed. You let out an exasperated sigh and crawl to the edge, draping your body over the end as you reach and search for the device that has managed to find its way just under the bed frame. 

As soon as it is in your hand, you turn on the screen, eager to find evidence of Namjoon's existence, with your torso suspended in air. As soon as you see a notification from two hours ago, you smile and wiggle backward into a seated position to properly read it.

Namjoon: Hey, sweetheart, I'm so sorry I left while you were still asleep. I tried to wake you, but you were out cold. I'll be visiting Yoongi this afternoon. If you want to come along and you see this before 2 PM, let me know. Otherwise, I hope to talk to you soon. Thank you for letting me in this morning; I slept better than I have in weeks. I love you. 

Although affection blooms brightly in your chest, you feel sadness squeeze you tight, like an old friend. You do want to see Yoongi. You want to see him so badly, it hurts. But you are not sure you want to see him before he comes home. Wherever he is staying, and whatever state he may be in…you are not sure that you are prepared for that. 

It is only 1:45 PM, so you decide to call Namjoon. Not only are you eager to hear his voice once more, but you are not eager to voice what is in your heart over text. 

He picks up on the second ring, sounding a bit winded when he says, "Hey, sweetheart."

"Namjoon," you respond brightly, smiling widely. "Hey, I just woke up and saw your message."

"Ah," he responds, breathing heavily, "what time is it?" After a pause, he shouts, "Oh, shit, Gguk, I gotta go!" 

You laugh as you hear them chatter lowly, then say their goodbyes, imagining how adorable Namjoon becomes when he is frantic—eyes wide and worried while he flails his muscular limbs around somewhat aimlessly. 

"Gguek and I were working out," Namjoon says as you hear the sound of a door open and shut. "Lost track of time."

You smile, nibbling your lip. "Good thing I called."

"Good thing, indeed. So, did you—"

You don't mean to cut Namjoon off, but there is enough of a break between his statements, that you say, "Listen, Namjoon, I'm—" then halt, realizing you had spoken over him.

"Go on," Namjoon urges, and you close your eyes, listening to the sounds of his breathing, of birds singing around him, and of feet walking somewhat frantically down the dirt and gravel path between mansions. 

"I don't think I can go," you finally say, feeling meek and embarrassed as your voice drops and comes out with a tremble. "It's just…I don't know what to expect, and it…it scares me."

Namjoon says nothing for a few moments, and it makes you worry. But then you hear him keying in the passcode to his home and let yourself breathe. He is probably too stressed to be multitasking while in a rush. 

"Can I call you back? Or maybe we can talk about this later?" Namjoon finally asks, and you let out an even deeper sigh in relief. "I don't blame you at all for not wanting to come, but it feels like there is more you need to get off your chest. I have to take the fastest shower of my life, though, so that I can leave soon."

"Yeah, no…yeah. That's…" you stammer, squeezing your eyes closed and allowing yourself to smile while hot tears run from your eyes. Namjoon is so kind and understanding—so caring and giving. Affection burns for him, and you want to hug him so tight and never let him go. "If you want to tell Yoongi that we talked, I think it might make things easier for me later, but do whatever feels right…I don't know."

"I'll tell him what we discussed," Namjoon responds breathily as feet storm up a flight of stairs. "I know it'll make him happy to hear how you are doing, and how you have been handling things. I'm bringing him home in four days, so we can all sit down whenever you feel ready."

Four days is not soon enough, yet it feels like no time at all. Looming and terrifying, yet promising. 

"Okay, sounds good. Thank you, Namjoon."

When Namjoon says, "I love you so much, sweetheart. Thank you for calling," your heart squeezes, and more tears fall, cascading like tiny waterfalls. 

"I love you, Namjoon. Drive safe."

"Will do. Bye."

You mutter, "Bye," but your finger is already pressing the end call button, giving Namjoon all the time and space he needs to get ready. And then you hug your phone tight to your chest and continue to cry. 

Somehow, the happy tears feel thicker and hotter than sad tears—more present and urgent. If Yoongi comes back in four days, that means it has been just over two weeks in Jimin's home. You heavy-blink in an attempt to conceptualize the time, feeling ashamed by how little of it you remember. Briefly, you worry that you may have imposed, but Jimin has never so much as hinted at that fact, so you allow yourself to let the idea go.

It is difficult, at times, to accept the many ways in which you are loved. It feels strange to look back on how you ended up tangled in this web, with these men. Part of you wishes you and Yoongi could start over—meet organically and fall together not because of proximity and a need to cure a deep, aching loneliness that had built over years, but because you simply want to.

But could you simply want to fall in love with the head of a crime syndicate? No, you think. Probably not. 

Still, how do you explain that to someone who asks? I was kidnapped as collateral, but we fell in love feels like a story not too many people would understand. Probably, the average person would ask if you were alright and attempt to help you find refuge. Probably, they would be in their right mind to do so. 

The next three days drag. Knowing that you will see Yoongi and Namjoon again soon has you a little on edge, but not necessarily in a bad way. Your dancing suffers for it, and you find your movements too stiff, too off-beat; your head and your heart are clouded, and you cannot seem to get your body to do anything. Still, you try. Wasting away drinking at Paradise does not feel like the best way to spend your lonely nights, but you want to wait for Yoongi's return before spending too much time with Namjoon. 

Although the three of you have different bonds and dynamics, you almost feel guilty at the thought of hogging Namjoon to yourself while Yoongi is out healing in the countryside. Despite knowing he would tell you not to worry—to be with Namjoon and keep him company. 

And, part of you thinks of this time as getting your last moments in with Jimin before moving out of his space. You have not voiced it, but you have been going out of your way to spend just a little more time with him after work, before the two of you crash for the morning and sleep, curled up on the couch with whichever anime he feels like playing in the background—currently, Chainsaw Man. 

Jimin is phenomenal company, and you have really enjoyed following him around the house while he cooks, practices impromptu dance moves around furniture, and talks about nothing and everything. Even in quiet, still moments eating ice cream in the glow of the television, you feel the bond that has formed quickly and effortlessly, thankful to have a friend and ally on your side.

Despite the budding friendship, Jimin remains a somewhat secretive person. You have learned that his upbringing was privileged and full of wealth, but his parents were not kind about his desire to chase his own dreams instead of taking over the family business, and they quickly cut him off when he went to school for contemporary dance. It took no time at all for Jimin to wind up houseless, using his beauty to sleep with wealthy men and women for a meal and a warm bed. 

When Yoongi's mother found Jimin on the streets, she took him in with the promise of a better life, but how he came to replace her is unknown. How long Jimin spent on the streets, the kinds of things he saw in that time…all of those details, he hides behind a bright, practiced smile, only given away by the sadness that pours from his beautiful, round eyes. 

"I see myself in you, dove," Jimin says often, usually accompanied by a side hug or a kiss on the cheek. 

And at first, it made you feel strange. Jimin has come so far that maybe, you had originally thought, he sees you as a pet project; someone who needs to be fixed and turned into something beautiful. But now, you know that is not true. You know that Jimin sees persistence and survival; he sees someone imperfect but caring who just needs a little push to understand and figure things out, at times. 

Everything he has, he gained with persistence and survival; nothing was handed to him. Yoongi and his men, and possibly Yoongi's mother, taught Jimin the skills he knows today, that make him who he is. None of them became this successful alone; all seven of them play a crucial role. Eight, now, with you. 

You feel sentimental tonight when you lean against the bar cradling a glass of whiskey that you have been nursing for the last hour. Tomorrow, Yoongi returns home, and although it has not been voiced aloud, you can tell that the prospect has Jimin and Jeongguk in a better mood. You even spot Seokjin, Hoseok, and Taehyung coming in and out of Paradise, and they all seem chipper. 

Jimin is done up with pink and silver stage makeup, with his eyes and lips bright and shining. He wears his standard black satin top tucked into tight, leather black jeans, and tonight, he has a thick black rhinestone choker around his neck. 

Jeongguk, on the other hand, is pattern-clashing in a way that is both alluring and confusing. As standalone items, his silk, long-sleeve, plunging neckline leopard print shirt, and tight silver and blue floral lurex pants are solid choices. The shirt's neck falls nearly to his navel, showing beautiful topography of his chest—dips and hills of muscle and golden-tanned skin, accentuated by several mismatched gold necklaces; and the pants shine brightly in every light that dares grace his figure, drawing the eye to his muscular thighs and perky, round ass. But they look so strange and mismatched together, you cannot help but question what on earth he was thinking. 

"You sure have a staring problem, tonight," Jeongguk chides as he walks by, sending an inviting wink that makes you laugh far too boisterously.

"Just trying to figure out what you have going on, here," you respond with an incredulous smirk. "Did you get dressed in the dark, Gguk?"

With a roll of his eyes, Jeongguk responds, "Both items are Dolce and Gabbana, but okay."

And, without missing a beat, you say, "Pretty sure Dolce and Gabbana also produce plain clothes that would match better than this. Your black satin shirts would look really good with those pants, and…well, anything else would look good with that shirt."

"I don't expect you to understand fashion," Jeongguk teases, raking his eyes over your form as he takes a step closer. 

"Black, Jeongguk," you say, chin tilted high. "You have a closet full of black that would look phenomenal with both pieces."

With Jeongguk stepping into your personal space, that damned cologne hits you, and you begin to lose your composure. He really is suitable for smelling like a bouquet of wildflowers, especially with the spicy musk underneath; it is perfectly him. 

"I don't expect someone in boring Vuitton rags to appreciate the nuance," Jeongguk teases, voice dropping lower as he towers before you. 

"This dress costs as much as both that shirt and those pants combined," you bicker more quietly than before. The dress you wear tonight is certainly less flattering or flashy than what he wears—a Louis Vuitton brown and black knit mini dress with glitter thread mottling throughout. It has a square, rolled neckline and thin straps, but it hugs your curves nicely, falling mid-thigh. You raise your eyebrow to add, "Boss Min happens to like the way I look in Vuitton rags."

At the mention of Yoongi, Jeongguk softens, and you know you have won this round. Jeongguk scoffs, then slams back the rest of his drink, spinning on his shiny black leather boots before stomping off to where Hyejin and the dancers are congregated behind the main stage, going over something pertaining to the newly installed dance cages on either side of the bar, judging by how she points to them. 

You watch as Jeongguk walks away, allowing your gaze to linger on how those gaudy, silver-blue pants shimmer when they hug his ass, thanking your lucky stars that his silly fashion sense has, at the very least, provided you with a good show. 

When you turn back to the bar, you drink the rest of your whiskey and ask for another. The night is still young; the club has barely just opened and only a few patrons linger during the hours before the dancers take to the stages, but you have a feeling you are going to need to at least have a steady buzz to handle whatever bullshit Jeongguk is on. 

Two hours into your night, you are proven correct during a very flirty conversation with Hyejin about the dance cages—about how she thinks you should make your Paradise debut in one, asking if you would ever let her handcuff you to the bars—when the bartender informs you that the boss would like to see you in his office. 

Jimin seldom calls you to his office, but he is the only one who properly has one, so you head toward the back of the main room, past a security guard, and into a hallway that leads to Jimin's office, the dressing rooms for the dancers, and a meeting room that Hyejin and Jeongguk use when they need to. 

As you make your way to the door, you can hear the sounds of dancers chattering and laughing coming down the hall, and you assume that Jeongguk must be giving them their nightly pep talk in one of the dressing rooms. You knock twice on the office door, then try the handle. To your surprise, when you enter, the room is empty. 

Jimin has allowed you in his space alone plenty of times, so you make your way to have a seat in the leather armchair just in front of his desk. You decide to check your notifications while you wait and pull your phone from a small black purse that is slung over your shoulder.

The door opens and closes behind you, so you put the phone away before you have a chance to turn the screen on. And, instinctively, you stand to greet Jimin, surprised when you turn to find Jeongguk closing in, fast. 

Before you have a chance to speak, Jeongguk has the armchair shoved away, caging you against Jimin's desk, leaning close and low with both of his hands gripping the wooden surface. You practically sit against the edge, doing your best to lean back and away from Jeongguk, but he is a persistent, towering presence, and he wastes no time dragging his lips over your neck, just below your ear, sending a rush of arousal tingling through you at the touch. The scent of his cologne has your senses simultaneously dulled and on high alert.

"Jeongguk," you gasp, attempting to twist away but finding you do not want him to stop. "We can't—"

"I know," Jeongguk responds, voice deep and silky, lips dipping lower, dragging across your throat and leaving only the faintest hint of a spit trail. "Just want to tease you a little; make you squirm."

"Why?" you breathe, leaning back to create more space. 

When Jeongguk does not move, you lift your hands and press against his chest, attempting to push him back, but your palms slide on the silk shirt, and you wind up rubbing over his nipples, feeling metal under the drag of skin, causing Jeongguk to hiss as you gasp. Arousal builds and builds, and you squeeze your tights together, desperate to stave off the effect he has on you; you are, admittedly, touch-starved and somewhat feral. 

"I know you feel it, too," Jeongguk practically groans, still leaning way too close, voice spoken beside your ear. "We have undeniable chemistry."

"Of course I feel it," you respond, closing your eyes in an attempt to get your bearings while your heart pounds dizzyingly fast. 

Jeongguk asks, "Do you know how fucking hard it is to keep my hands off you?" in a tone that almost seems steeped in pain.

"Yes," you mutter softly, nodding shallowly. "I think I do."

With a sigh, Jeongguk finally takes a step back, but he stays close enough that you have to crane your neck; there is no room for you to stand away from the desk. The two of you stare at one another, and then Jeongguk scoffs and shakes his head. 

"Seeing you around so much has been…god, you drive me insane."

You chuckle, though you feel somewhat awkward being faced with his admission. Although, truth be told, being in Jeongguk's proximity so much during the last few weeks has also made you want to see him more and more; you know that, once you return to your normal life, you will come to miss him a lot. Or, perhaps, you can continue spending time at Paradise; there is nothing saying you cannot. 

"Last night, when I dropped you off," Jeongguk says, reaching up to gently cradle your chin in his hand, surprising you with his shift in demeanor, "were you crying?"

Although you glance away to respond, shyness rises, you nod slightly and say, "Yeah."

"Was it something I said?"

Quickly, you nod and return your gaze to Jeongguk, who looks genuinely concerned. "No. I was crying because I was missing Yoongi and Namjoon."

Jeongguk hums, drops his hand away, and takes a step back. 

Suddenly, the silence feels heavy, and you struggle to identify his reaction. He very clearly knows your involvement with both men, so why tense up at the mention of them?

"What's the matter?" you ask, unwilling to let anything weird hang between you. 

Jeongguk shrugs, but his eyes are on the floor, and it is clear that something is bothering him. 

"Jeongguk," you insist.

He sighs, and, without looking at you, says, "It just sucks that when things become normal again with you guys…I just…it's been nice to see you here."

"Ah," you respond. And you get it; it has been great to be around here and see him, Jimin, and Hyejin regularly. 

"But Yoongi will return and demand all your attention—" Jeongguk practically snarls, and you tut your tongue at him, staring incredulously as he balks at the interruption. 

"Yoongi does not demand anything from me," you say, standing up straight now that there is some space between the two of you. You feel defensive, but you can understand where Jeongguk is coming from; you really have not had any independence since moving into the mansion, but part of that is not having any direction or much desire to venture out, finding comfort and safety behind the familiarity of those walls. "Honestly, I have been loving it here. It's nice to leave the house for no occasion and see other people. I consider Hyejin and Jimin friends, and it has been so great having friends again. I don't want to suddenly stop seeing them. Or you."

"Won't you have your hands full with both of your boyfriends?" Jeongguk teases, and you are glad to see his mood has at least somewhat lightened; his smile has returned, even if his gaze remains sad. 

"Oh they definitely know how to keep my hands full," you respond with a wink, watching as Jeongguk's eyes and mouth widen comically. "But it is also nice having some space. Although I hate how all of this came about, I think taking a step back and allowing myself to really miss them and think about the many facets of our relationship has been important. I needed it."

"So I might actually see you from time to time?" Jeongguk asks, stepping close once more, seeming hopeful. It still amuses you when Jeongguk is all soft edges after so much time spent bickering with one another. 

This time, you step in close and rub your palms over his chest, making sure to drag your hands over his pierced nipples, smiling when he shivers beneath your touch. 

"We still have to finish what we started in Hong Kong," you say, voice dropped low and intentionally sultry. "I just haven't wanted to do anything without the others present…we haven't really discussed that, and I would feel too guilty leaving them out."

"I understand," Jeongguk responds, leaning into your touch and surprising you with a very soft, very chaste kiss on the lips before he mutters, "Taehyung will fucking kill me if we do anything without him."

Warmth floods your cheeks, and you drop your hands while taking a step back. Even after such a tiny taste, the urge to kiss Jeongguk is too great to stay in such close proximity. 

"We're going to have an entire audience, huh?" you ask, feeling more turned on by the prospect than shy.

Jeongguk chuckles and says, "Sounds like we will."

It almost feels surreal to discuss the topic of you and Jeongguk having sex so openly. Although you have had enough whiskey to give you a steady buzz, you are still clear-headed enough to spiral just a little over the thought of his body, and having it all to yourself. That is, unless the others want to play, as well; you really have no idea what to expect, and you are not certain you would deny them if they wanted to.

As you search for a way to end this conversation and return to the main bar before someone begins to notice the two of you are missing, Jimin comes barging in with his brows knit. Although you have done nothing wrong, there is a split moment of panic over how this may look, with the two of you in Jimin's office alone. 

But he simply glances between you and Jeongguk, huffs out a sigh, and says, "Oh, thank god. I was hoping to find you two in here."

"What's up?" Jeongguk asks, and you straighten out, worried that something may be wrong. 

"One of the regulars came in piss drunk and started harassing Hyejin. He groped her ass and when she slapped him, he got in her face. Security was able to intervene, but I need you to take him out back and fuck him up. Let him know shit like that doesn't fly at Boss Min's lovely establishment." 

Anger spikes heavily in your chest, and when Jimin turns to you and adds, "Dove, if you don't mind, I think she could use a friend," you nod, determined to do whatever it takes to make Hyejin feel safe. 

"On it," you say, walking past the men, down the short hallway, and out into the bar. 

Loud R&B music with a quick, enticing trap beat plays, and you stomp in your overpriced patent leather chelsea boots to the beat, storming into the main bar room like you own the joint and scanning the room for your girl. 

Standing at the main bar with her arms pulled tightly over her chest, is Hyejin surrounded by dancers. As soon as you approach, a girl who goes by Lily backs up and opens her arm wide to welcome you into the space. Hyejin is shaking when you drape your arm around her, hugging it loosely across her chest.

"Hey, beautiful," you say, and she turns and melts into you, throwing her arms over your shoulders and letting out a deep sigh. "Want to go out back and have a smoke?"

Hyejin hugs you tight and shakes her head, and you rub your hands over her back, waiting for her response. The dancers begin trickling out, having to get ready to perform, leaving pats on your and Hyejin's backs and soft words of support and encouragement. Once there is more space for her to breathe, Hyejin stands up straight and lets out another deep breath.

She is not crying, though her eyes are red, and when she looks at you with a frown, you gently place your hands at her temples and thumb at the smudged mascara under her eyes before muttering, "Perfect," with a grin. 

"I hate men," Hyejin says with a fake snarl, and you roll your eyes and nod dramatically, making her giggle. 

"Wanna talk about it?" you ask, and Hyejin shakes her head and says, "No. I want to dance."

Sitting on the bar is a half-empty pint of something bright blue, and Hyejin chugs it back, then leaves the empty glass behind and takes your hand, dragging you to one of the dance cages. The floor of the cage is raised about three feet from the ground and is a glowing octagon of rainbow color. Hyejin, wearing only a black satin bodysuit with lace trim and black stiletto heels, walks around to the back of the cage, closest to the nearby wall, and opens a door that blends in with the bars, then she takes a step up and hoists herself onto the platform. 

You follow behind and step up and into the cage, moving to the other side of the space to allow Hyejin to close the door. Although you are no stranger to dancing in sight of others, being in an elevated cage has your nerves spiked, and you wish you had taken a shot or three at the bar before agreeing to follow her. 

Hyejin wastes no time closing in on you with her fists around bars on either side of your head, and she holds on as she drops her hips low and swishes back up, all the while keeping her eyes on you. You sway to the beat with slower movements than the ones you watch Hyejin make, feeling entranced by her beauty and struggling to actually move the way she does. 

"Are you shy?" she asks with a raise of her eyebrow, and you chuckle, letting go of some of your anxiety while you nod and mutter, "A little."

Hyejin spins with her arms still lifted, and wraps them over your shoulders, then dips down again, rubbing her ass against your thighs before standing up straight. You realize too late that you are frozen in place with your arms somewhat bent, like a Barbie doll, and Hyejin turns and immediately starts to laugh, bending and flinging her hair in front of her face. 

"I'm not apologizing for who I am," you whine as you join her in laughing, feeling embarrassed by your inability to act like a normal person around her. 

"I would never dream of asking you to," Hyejin says as she leans back against the bars across from you, swaying her hips with an amused grin. "But it is very cute how flustered you get."

You roll your eyes and smile, glad to at least be considered cute. Flirting and being flirted with is hardly an issue, and you would probably relax more around her if things were not so uncertain at the moment, in your love life. You are sure Yoongi and Namjoon would not mind, but it is a conversation you would like to have before you allow yourself to get carried away. 

Or, perhaps, there is nothing to allow. Probably, there is no way in which things could get carried away, but you are once again spiraling because Jeongguk has gotten under your skin. With a deep inhale, you remind yourself that Hyejin is likely just being friendly and that you are allowed to relax and have fun with her. 

So have fun, you do. The song changes to something with more of a club beat, and Hyejin begins to pump her hands in front of her chest while shaking her ass in overexaggerated movements, gyrating in a chaotic circle. With your hands pulled over your head, you begin doing some wiggle-shake move creating waves all the way down to your legs, laughing as Hyejin throws her hands over her head in an attempt to do the same. 

"What do you call this one?" She shouts over the music, and you shake your head and say, "I don't know! The overcooked noodle?" 

Hyejin practically throws her body against yours with laughter, and you trip backward, catching yourself with a hand on one of the bars to lessen your collision. There are definitely patrons behind you who have a view of whatever it is the two of you are doing, and you try not to feel too embarrassed. 

"Yah," Jeongguk calls, making you attempt to turn around, trapped in place by a hysterical Hyejin. He rounds the platform enough to come into view and grabs onto two of the bars as he teasingly says, "You girls are gonna scare away the customers."

You raise one hand toward him as if threatening to strike him, shouting, "Oh, shut u—" but the word dies as soon as your eyes fall to Jeongguk's knuckles, which are scraped and bloodied. 

"Jeongguk, what the fuck?" you ask, reaching for the nearest hand, which he slides away. 

Hyejin stands alert, then squats to be at eye-level with Jeongguk, and you fully turn, checking to make sure he has no other cuts or bruises, glad that he seems otherwise perfectly fine. 

"Relax," Jeongguk grumbles, tonguing the inside of his mouth while he cracks the knuckles of one fist against his palm, then switches to the other side. "This is nothing; scuff marks. That guy didn't land a single punch before he was lights out."

You sigh but accept that there is nothing you would be able to do to convince Jeongguk not to fuck someone up. It is, after all, something he has likely been trained to do and is celebrated for within the ranks of the family. Still, you hate to see his pretty hands bloodied. 

"Well, you know I don't condone violence," Hyejin says, reaching her hands between two bars, smiling when Jeongguk steps closer and allows her to grab onto his wrists. "But I really appreciate you sticking up for me."

"Of course," Jeongguk grumbles, smiling the soft smile that he does when he is attempting to hide the sweetness that festers inside him, threatening to burst. Cute. 

With a sigh, Hyejin lifts the wrist that Jeongguk wears his watch on, yanking it close while tilting her head to get a look. "I should go tend to the girls," she grumbles, releasing Jeongguk and standing to give you a kiss on the cheek.

You follow Hyejin's movements, watching which bars are part of the door, nervous that they blend in well enough and that you could be trapped in this cage for the rest of eternity, then you turn back to Jeongguk, who has two hands on two bars, and is staring up at you. 

"So," he says, stretching himself tall to speak to you, arching his back and tipping his chin upward. "I was wondering…"

Since you are already in the cage, and Jeongguk had already been a menace to your health and well-being earlier, you decide to take a page out of Hyejin's book and swish your body in an inviting wave as you squat, dragging your hands down the bars but keeping them lifted above your head. 

Jeongguk visibly swallows, losing what he was just in the process of saying, and you watch as his eyes trail to where your short skirt hugs your thighs, undoubtedly giving him a view of the black panties you wear underneath. And although you do not mind letting Jeongguk sneak a peek, you are glad that the lights are fairly dim in the club.

"What was that?" you ask, tilting your head to the side and giving a look that feigns innocence. 

The expression on Jeongguk's face flashes comically from needy to pained to frustrated, and he huffs out a sigh, shaking his head as if trying to rattle his thoughts free.

 "What I was going to say before you so rudely interrupted me, is that we should have dinner soon."

Jeongguk's offer takes a moment to compute, and you stare at him, heavy-blinking, trying to determine whether he is asking you on a date, or if we means more than just the two of you. 

"We, as in…"

"You, me, and our men."

"Ah," you respond; that makes sense. "Yeah, we should. That would be fun."

Jeongguk nods, letting his gaze fall once more to your legs before drifting slowly back to your face. "I'll talk to Taehyungah. Perhaps he can host, and I'll cook."

With an incredulous raise of your brow you ask, "Oh, you cook?" in a mocking tone of sheer disbelief. 

Jeongguk reaches up and holds his hands over yours, gripping firmly while he leans in, head between the bars and close. From here, you smell his cologne; from here you resist the urge to lean in close and kiss him. 

"I happen to be an excellent cook, dollface."

"Is that so?" you ask, voice much less confident than a moment ago.

"That is so," Jeongguk says, then he leans in somehow even closer, making your head spin. "So, it's a date?"

"Yeah," you respond, feeling your heart go wild behind your ribs. "It's a date."

What you did to me made me see the world differently Mis lágrimas se secan solos, solos Pues mírame a los ojos Dime si ves el vacío que deja amor perdido Yo no duermo hasta que mis sueño' están cumplidos Sé que estoy perdiendo, pero el juеgo no ha concluido

🎵 visit the playlist

ahhhh!!! how are we feeling??? i presonally really love this chapter. the next one containing the promised smut™ is coming very, very soon!!!! i promise. i was sad to leave Yoongi out of this chapter, and it was not my intention to have a full chapter without him, but it made sense to split the mega chapter this way, and it felt wrong to rush him back without mc taking time to sort her thoughts out and attempt to gain some independence.

thank you for reading!!! 💜💜💜 reblogs and comments make the world go 'round, and likes are nice too!!!

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[reflections-in-a-critical-eye]

Your thoughts on Yoongi and related ships such as Sin, Sope, Namgi, Yoonmin, Taegi, and Yoonkook? Curious 'cause he is my bias ☺️

Hm, let's see. I don't really think of Yoongi in terms of his ships. My knowledge on a lot of them is quite superficial as it's not something that I really focused on, although I have seen snipets of shipping videos for example, but not enough to fully understand the full individual ship package. So I'm just going to share some of my thoughts, which may or may not be completely accurate.

Jin/Yoongi - I was surprised to see them talk about each other as soulmates because I thought it came out of nowhere. But, I was also at the beginning of my BTS journey when I watched ITS so I didn't know that much. But their talk there was quite interesting to me. They're the oldest and closest in age and I guess that plays a big part in their friendship. I also loved how Yoongi said he doesn't care much about fishing, but Jin likes it so he indulges him. BFF behavior.

RM/Yoongi - I see more of a professional relationship than two dudes hanging out outside work. They understand each other, been together since the beginning and all that. This is really a ship that I don't know anything. I have no idea if people ship them romantically 👀

Hobi/Yoongi - SOPE! Yeah, the ship named by themselves and actually ship each other in a really funny way. They even have their own song. When I got into BTS, I remember seeing and reading that Sope is important and that Yoongi and Hobi are THE bffs, no questions asked.

Jimin/Yoongi - Oh boy, I do love them. I used to think that if I were ever a shipper, in the most basic sense of the word, I would choose Yoonmin. I love how Yoongi has a soft spot for Jimin, how he tells him he likes his voice and knows how to praise Jimin. But they also get a bit on each other's nerves, keeps the relationship interesting. I call Yoonmin the typical fiction ship. It has the perfect base for people to use in order to come up with good characters/relationship dynamic. But as real actual people (at least how I see them) I don't see Yoonmin as besties who hang out, but there is a lot of love there. Jimin calling and visiting Yoongi when he got surgery, spending time with him when they did Winter Package, etc. They were really sweet during the Grammys as well.

Tae/Yoongi - I always think of Bon Voyage season 2 and the handholding and Tae carrying Yoongi on his back or coming in his studio just like that to hang out.

JK/Yoongi - Oh, I loved how Yoongi played the older more experienced friend when they were in Malta and taught JK how to drink and went on a whiskey rant. That was hilarious. But there is one clip that is very dear to me which is something from their early days, 2013. BTS were doing karaoke and I don't remember who was singing, but next to them Yoongi was teaching Jungkook how to dance.

And now I'll just drop some Yoongi and Co photos I have in my gallery, in no particular order, so we can have some visuals as well. I forgot to mention that Yoongi was almost my bias wrecker at some point in the early stages, courtesy to someone who kept sending me tiktok clips, for whom I framed a collage of a Yoongi photo and some of his lyrics 😊

[taeyohonic]

stolen dances | chap. 9

summary: sometimes supporting the person you love is the hardest challenge you’ll ever face.

pairing: jeon jungkook x fem!reader

rating: m

warning: alcohol consumption

additional tags: f2l, ceo!jungkook, bestfriend!jungkook, shrink!yoongi, my best friend’s wedding meets 27 dresses (if the boss/secretary couple had happened), angst-y

words: 2400

links: prev. |  next  [masterlist]

note: lower case letters intended

chapter summary: first the lasagne, now the chicken

“i’m really uncomfortable right now, _____”, yoongi says as the both of you get into the elevator. he’s carrying one bottle of scotch – the pricy one – while you’re balancing a cheesecake in your hands. the doors close – trapped in the small space, you turn to your therapist.

“i value your feelings”, you answer him, to which he just snorts.

“but i still have to meet your friends, who do not care for me.”

“you’re my friend – i’m just merging friend groups”, you try to protest but yoongi’s raised eyebrow chastise you wordlessly.

okay, maybe taeyhung’s written song ‘plus tae(one)’ about why he should be your plus one instead of yoongi, was a bit over the top. still, it was too funny not to play in front of your therapist und your barista.

namjoon has gladly stayed silent about the whole debacle with jungkook, so convincing yoongi to join the movie night has been easier than anticipated. the both of them do idolize the hosts a bit too much, making music themselves.

the doors open and before you can step closer to jungkook’s penthouse, yoongi pulls you back. you nearly drop the cheesecake while you watch in shock as the elevator doors close again.

“yoongs”, you start flabbergasted, “uhm… i don’t wanne… you know… sound condescending… but … normally, one leaves the elevator when arriving at the desired floor.”

the man snorts again right in your face, but takes a moment to respond.

“_____, i just wanted to make clear that i won’t be your therapist for the next two and a half hours”, he explains in a soft voice and looks at you with sincerity.

“i’m not here to analyze your relationships or judge your behavior”, yoongi continues and squeezes your hand in a silent promise.

“this is highly unprofessional – but… you are my friend. so… just, let me be your friend tonight.”

if you weren’t madly in love with the person living in this apartment building, you’d marry yoongi in the elevator.

“understood”, you nod and gift him a smile in thanks. but a question remains.

“why did you say two and a half hours?”, you question and press the button to open the doors, again.

“because that’s the average length of a movie. it’s a movie night”, he explains to you like you’re the dumb one. oh, sweet, sweet yoongi.

“we’re not watching movies, yoongs”, you snort while you pull out of the elevator. jungkook has rented out the whole floor, connecting the two penthouses. still, you have to ring a doorbell.

“but it’s called a movie night”, he repeats. “i brought my computer glasses, ____.”

is that a whine leaving his lips?

“that’s just semantics, yoongs”, you answer and maneuver the dessert to one hand only to pat his shoulder softly.

“semantics are important, ____”, he argues and points to your cheesecake.

“that’s dessert because society decided it shall be eaten after dinner. imagine if people just started to eat it as a main course!”

“that would be upsetting – good for us that we’ll have the cake as an entrée”, a voice beats you to your comeback and you flinch, not having noticed the open door nor the man starring at you with interest.

“jimin”, you breathe and feel yoongi’s back straighten at the sight of the former idol. he smiles bright as he takes the cake from your hand.

“____, lovely to see you again!” jimin doesn’t say anything to yoongi and dances more than walks into the apartment.

“uhm – you are real, right?”, you ask yoongi in a whisper and your guest just shakes his head.

“like i said, they do not care for me”, he explains and pushes you softly into the penthouse.

“but i do care for you”, you respond as you remove your shoes and take your pair of slippers as well as one for guests out of the cabinet.

before yoongi can point out how your support won’t be enough to make his night comfortable, jungkook interrupts.

“and when ____ cares, i care.”

the CEO looks as cozy as possible, wearing an oversized dark green hoodie and some worn dark jeans. his socks scream at you – they are customized pictures of you and the guys making funny faces. it was seokjin’s prank gift to all of you for last year’s christmas. they look adorable and ridiculous and you love them way too much to be mad at your grimace on his foot.

“you must be min yoongi – it’s a pleasure to meet you”, jungkook says and bows for a millisecond, like he wants to say ‘see? i’m polite!’.

yoongi looks at him knowingly and bows a bit lower than necessary.  

“thank you for extending the invitation”, your plus one answers.

the hallway isn’t big enough for their combined egos and you’re happy to see taehyung skipping to you.

“HONEY!”, he yells excited and pushes past jungkook and yoongi to hug you.

“and YOONGI”, the former idol continues, leaving you whiplashed as he crushes a dumbfounded yoongi to his chest.

“so glad someone can save me from jungkook’s winning streak!”, he says gleefully and takes yoongi’s scotch while ushering the group further into the living area.

“i can’t beat jungkookie at mario kart”, you state as you see the big flatscreen connected to the playstation flashing the famous nintendo game.

“well, duh”, taehyung agrees, “but i won’t be last place anymore. think about my ego, ____. it’s as fragile as a butterfly.”

yoongi just looks between the group, not sure whom to address first.

“yoongi, hon, are you any good in the kitchen?” seokjin joins the group, wearing a pinkish apron. you guess it’s not jungkook’s.

“uhm” the man next to you is clearly overwhelmed while jimin already opens his gifted scotch to fill it into plastic cups. the group has collectively decided to forego jungkook’s expensive glasses. too many have been broken. they even make taehyung use a sippy cup when playing the playstation.

“my sauce just won’t lose the weird aftertaste. i don’t get it; i’ve done everything right… come on!”, seokjin tries again, not even introducing himself. as a famous singer he rarely has to.

a silent yoongi gets dragged to the kitchen by a still talking seokjin.

“hey! i can help as well!” you want to follow them only to see the remaining three guys look at you, unimpressed.

“what? just because of one over easy steak?”, you ask.

“jiminie got food poisoning, honey”, taehyung answers and jimin pushes a glass of scotch into your hand.

“let’s toast to meeting your uhm – friend!”, he exclaims and clings your glasses together.

“shouldn’t we wait for them to come back?”, you say – already seeing jimin ex-ing the liquid while taehyung grimaces at the taste. jungkook moves closer to you.

“jin-hyung’s recipe calls for whiskey. he’s been stealing shots for an hour. yoongi will be better off than you. my whiskey is really expensive”, your best friend explains and squeezes your shoulder in comfort. you want to argue that yoongi’s scotch is just as good, but it’ll look like you’re looking for a fight. so, you swallow down the comment as well as the shot and feel the warmth traveling down your body.

“how was your advanced training, ___?”, he asks and leads you to the sofa taehyung is already occupying.

you groan, remembering the day you just had.

“they made us do a first aid course as well, it was… so much talking, talking, talking, saving lives, talking and talking”, you explain and fall down next to taehyung.

“it must suck to work”, he acknowledges and you snort at his wording.

“hey, i work as well!”, jungkook interrupts, sulking from beside you. you coo at him and pinch his cheek.

“she saved lives – you design sport shoes.” now even you have to laugh at his betrayed expression.

“she just learned how to. she hasn’t saved anyone in the six years of teaching”, jungkook huffs.

“one could argue that i saved them by giving them education – the greatest help one can receive”, you voice only to feel a harsh push from jungkook, which makes you topple over taehyung.

“i employ over half a million people. i give them more than education, i give them money”, he sulks. with an afterthought he adds: “and i gave them music, lots and lots of amazing music. some fans even said i saved them.”

taehyung and jimin are still laughing and you feel taehyung’s shaking shoulders while pressed against him. jungkook grips your tight in mocked warning.

“you can’t win this, jungkook. honey’s job is the epiphany of honorable”, jimin states and before jungkook can list off his charity work, seokjin and yoongi enter the living room.

“dinner is ready – thanks to yoongi!”, the oldest announces and you notice the pink blush on both their faces. they have been sipping on the whiskey; good, yoongi will need some liquid courage to survive dinner.

taehyung’s body leaves you in an instance as he rushes to the table, making you crush into the soft sofa.

jungkook just strokes up your calf and you hum against the cushion.

“come on, honey!”, seokjin orders and you reluctantly pull away from jungkook’s touch.

your host moves to the table to take his seat at the head, while the others shuffle to their usual places. yoongi is giving the former idols time to sit, before deciding to take a seat next to seokjin. you really want to sit next to him, but your usual place at jungkook’s right is the only empty one.

“taehyung, move!”, you order and evade your eyes from the surprised stares of your friends. but you don’t have to look to feel the heat of jungkook’s emotions.

“huh?”, the man stalls, waiting for his friend’s approval. after a tensed silence, he gets up, leaving an empty seat across form yoongi. you don’t miss a beat and sit down, a victorious smile on your lips.

“i present to you a cheesecake with fresh-ish strawberries!”, you say way too happy. all men look at their dessert in front of them. your cake looks good, you know it.

“thanks, ____”, seokjin praises softly and begins to eat. soon, the others follow. only yoongi looks at you all like you’ve grown testicle on your foreheads.

“why are we eating the dessert first?”, he asks with caution as if he’s trying not to upset a child. while taehyung just chuckles around a spoonful of calories, jungkook answers.

“____ loves dessert too much, so we decided to start with it, making us all more sober and appreciative.”

“decided sounds like we had a choice”, jimin comments with a snort.

“like we really had an option after listening to honey’s one-hour powerpoint presentation”, seokjin agrees with his mouth full.

“the vote was secret!”, you defend yourself and see yoongi starting to dig into your cake.

“like any of us could say no to you”, taehyung snorts and cleans the plate with his tongue. it’s been only minutes. your therapist does look impressed.

“did she use her gif-making skills as well?”, yoongi chuckles, “that’s always my breaking point.”

jungkook’s eyes don’t look friendly as he answers.

“nah, that was way before i brought her a photoshop license.”

“jungkookie mentioned that you know the DJ, yoongi?”, seokjin chimes in and changes the subject rather abrupt. but your friend doesn’t seem to mind and answers with an honest smile.

“yeah, namjoon and i have been friends for over a decade. he’s really good.” yoongi doesn’t praise people often. it’s nice to see.

“his mixing is decent”, seokjin agrees and you look at him in shock. he researched namjoon? even yoongi can’t hide his surprise.

“jungkookie forwarded us your spotify profiles”, jimin explains and makes the first direct/indirect comment addressed to yoongi. but that’s not the part making you jitterish.

“profiles?”, you ask jungkook and push the empty plate away from you. your best friend isn’t used to have you this far away from him and he does not care for it. it’s difficult to read your emotions from the distance.

“of course, _____”, he admits, “that’s the only information you shared about your plus one. i’d be a terrible best friend if i hadn’t at least researched his work.” the accusation is thick, and you can feel it hanging between the both of you. before you can defend yourself, the oldest gets up.

“let’s get the chicken, jungkookie!”, seokjin exclaimes enthusiastically, while you still look at your best friend who doesn’t let you out of his sight as well.

“come on, let’s get it!”, he repeats and pushes against jungkook’s shoulder. reluctantly, the host moves from his seat.

the two of them collect your plates and disappear into the kitchen.

“your mixtape is better than namjoon’s”, taehyung says softer to yoongi, who still looks uncomfortable with the situation and jungkook’s unspoken accusation. at the compliment though, the rapper blushes.

“really?”, yoongi breathes and tries to hide his reacting behind the nearly empty wine glass. you want to coo at him.

“if you ever need someone decent for the ‘so far away’ refrain, i bet jungkookie or jiminie will be more than happy to re-record it with you!”, taehyung nods and makes jimin choke on his spit. looking at the short man next to taehyung, you can’t help but notice his silence. he’s not disagreeing.

“you don’t like the collab?”, yoongi asks curiously and you try to kick him under the table.

now jimin is the one who answers, while jungkook and seokjin arrive with the citrus chicken: “nah, her voice is way too untrained. it sounds half-baked.”

silently, jungkook moves closer to you to put down the main course as the oldest hands out the homemade pasta. your best friend smells way too edible with the chicken in his hands, carefully placing it in front of you. his chest brushes against your back and you feel him inhale deeply. he must really like the smell as well, you think, and get so distracted by your friend and food, that you are not aware of yoongi’s smirk.

“so, jimin, you think _____’s voice sounds half-baked?”, the rapper teases.

__

there’ll be a part two of the dinner date! thank you so much for the feedback! i love hearing from you! there are two of bangtan’s running gags and two song titles in this chapter – who found them?

i’m really liking taehyung more and more…

stay healthy and happy and feel yourself hugged from, dana

taglist:   @livewittykid  @thequeen-kat @kagami-s-void @goldenclosethobi @youwannabelostandnotbefound @jinsalpaca @bishuthot @laabellaavitaa21 @baekstans @jalexad​ @kimluvwoo​ @jinsearthh​ 

[youarejesting]

Dance is the celebration of the flame - MYG

[MASTERLIST]

Part one: Music is the spark that sets my soul on fire  Summary: Yoongi x reader story. Y/n is a 97 liner from Europe, she came to Korea to study Literature but to maintain herself in Seoul she works as a producer and songwriter and choreographer. BigHit hires her and while working with BTS they become friends and yoongi falls in love.  Request:

Pairing: Yoongi x Reader Warnings: None that I know of unless you fear  Genre: Romance, Comedy, Drama Words: 1.9k

You walked into the dance studio and looked at Jimin and Jhope teaching Jin the choreography and Jin concentrating to get the moves right. You smiled watching the boys spot you in the mirror. They ran over calling your name, Jin hugging you from behind, pointing at the two boys. He whined that they were making fun of him and they should have more respect, while hiding behind your smaller figure. “It’s been two years since we debuted and he still can’t body roll properly”

“Maybe you are terrible teachers, making fun of him won’t help” You turned to the door, dimming the lights a little. Taking Jin’s hand you lead him to the middle of the room and smiled explaining the fundamentals of body rolling and asking him to try again. He really was a little awkward and you sighed.  “Okay Jin, um you know body rolls are meant to be sexy and you shouldn’t feel any strain, so um if you trust me, I can help you but it’s a little um intimate. What I mean is imagine we are at a night club just dancing and you see someone you like and you start dancing together. Do you feel comfortable with me showing you how to body roll?”

He nodded his cheeks pink as you put on their title song I Need U and gently took his hips in your hands. You were an excellent dancer if you did say so yourself and though you had taught friends how to dance, you had never taught anyone like this. You sighed taking your time and helping him move. “Okay you want to smooth out your movements with ease not so drastic just minimal movements, you are improving already”

He was blushing and you tried to distract him, asking him about the new bakery he recently visited and he dove into a full discussion about the food. “And they had these tiny little cupcakes and they were delicious. Did you talk to Yoongi last night? He was smiling at his phone after dinner”

“I did and I thought we all agreed, not to talk about Yoongi and I” You huffed reliving the moment two months ago when his lips met yours and those two words that repeated in your head, ‘I’m sorry’. You both never brought it up again things were awkward for two days before everything returned to normal. However now there was another problem which was this tension between you both this heavy atmosphere that seemed to burn between you. Jimin who was practicing nearby spoke up.

“Come on you both are tip toeing around each other and flirting constantly. Don’t think we don’t catch you both giving each other the bedroom eyes” Jimin scoffed and you blushed stopping your dance lesson and Jin muttered a tired thank you before walking away to rest on a bench catching his breath. Jimin smiled at you teasingly “You both need to wake up and realize you are into each other”

“There is nothing there, we are both working professionally and definitely not flirting. And I do not give him bedroom eyes” you protested greatly. Namjoon stepped to the room putting down his bag and iced Americano.

“Who are you not giving bedroom eyes too?” He asked taking off his hoodie. You sighed finally someone with reason. You told him seriously that you and Yoongi were just best friends. He started laughing, holding his sides.

“sta 'zitto!” you smacked him and he laughed and Jungkook Taehyung and Yoongi entered the Dance studio and you frowned and stood between Jin and Namjoon and too them through the choreography. You were making sure that there choreography didn’t impede their singing ability. Every time any of the boys minus Yoongi past they would whisper in your ear how much you and Yoongi should be together. “Namjoon, I will kill you if you don’t shut your big mouth”

After practice Jungkook asked you if you wanted to come over to the dorm and play the new game smite you both had been talking about. Agreeing you went to the van, jumping in the back squished between Yoongi and Namjoon. The latter finding it funny to spread out as much as he could and pretend to fall asleep, making you lean into Yoongi. Once you arrived at the dorm, everyone seemed to be obviously trying to make up excuses to leave. Jungkook said he had a head ache and was going to go rest. Jimin Taehyung and Jhope began leaving the room giggling silently while mouthing good luck and making hearts behind Yoongi’s back.

Namjoon went to his studio saying he needed to work on somethings. Yoongi seemed to look around and spotted Jin in the kitchen filling his arms with snacks. “Yah, you put those down” he scurried over to Jin who repeated “Mianhae, Mianhae Yoongi Mianhae” as he ran off down the hall firmly shutting the door.

Walking into the kitchen you hummed looking in the fridge, and you looked at Yoongi with a grin. “They are trying to set us up” you laughed and he shuffled his feet. He mumbled what sounded like an apology. “But jokes on them they are stuck in their rooms, we should order some really delicious food and eat it without them, maybe watch that new movie Tae and Namjoon wanted to watch they will hate that”

Joining you on your plan you ordered a large range of food and rented the newest box office movie the boys had been talking about. Sitting in the living room you smiled eating and laughing together while watching the movie. The credits started rolling when you looked over Yoongi was staring at his phone, you saw a snap chat from Hoseok. It was you and Jin dancing. Yoongi’s jaw was tense as he watched and you smiled. “Ah I was helping Jin with his dancing because the boys were making fun of him”

“Yeah you were really helping him weren’t you” he muttered, blinking shocked he got up and started cleaning up, carrying the rubbish and cutlery to the kitchen. Following him you tried to ask him what he meant. But he was just clattering dishes and angrily cleaning. Asking him directly what his problem was, he turned seething. “God you know how much I”

You watched his mouth open and close before he sighed turning back to the dishes. And no matter what you said he ignored you. He pulled out a glass and filled it with a single malt whiskey. Snatching the glass as he turned away to put the whiskey back, you threw it back holding in a cough at the unfamiliar burn it caused in your throat. He turned back noticing his glass empty. Pouring another not turning his back as he replaced the lid you snatched it and drank this one too.

Placing the bottle on the bench he looked at you his tongue pressed to his cheek his hands on his hips in annoyance. You went to hand back the glass and took the bottle of whiskey and leaned back in your chair. He huffed watching you take a large swig before pointing at him. He saw the fire in your eyes again.

“Don’t you dare get in a huff for me helping a friend learn how to dance alright, you have no right to be mad. You want to know why? Because you are the idiot who not only called me his best friend but then YOU kissed ME and not only that you said ‘I’m Sorry’ and left. I thought maybe you regretted it sure, I won’t push it. Of course I like you Yoongi. But I am realistic, as an Idol your contract says you can’t date, and as a civilian, commoner, peasant whatever you want to call us regular people. I know you can have anyone you want. But that video was work taken out of context”

You were panting absolutely boiling with your anger, taking a long drink from the bottle. Yoongi was slowly processing your words and felt a little sheepish. He was waiting for you to bring up the kiss, so he didn’t seem to forward. He raised his eyebrows at the way you seemed to handle whiskey. One of his favorite alcoholic beverages. You looked at it and muttered “Even your taste in liquor is freaking amazing” thrusting the bottle of whiskey into his chest you went to grab your bag and phone. “Why are you so freaking perfect?”

“Wait, I will drive you home?” he sighed grabbing the keys and walking over to the door, handing you your coat. With your cheeks flushed pink already from the Alcohol, he wasn’t wanting to let you commute home. “Come on love, let me take you home”

The car ride was quiet and dark you laid back watching the street lights glow passing over Yoongi’s face, his mouth was open in concentration his thin frame glasses sat on his nose. You hummed turning away from him, “Why did you kissed me? This feels like a joke, that I don’t want to be a part of anymore”

“I kissed you cause I god damn wanted to. Did you ever think that maybe I fell in love with you? That you’re amazing and I have missed you. My best friend whom I am madly in love with” Yoongi lectured tensely not turning from the road as he went through town.

He pulled up at your house, turning to see you watching him. You both awkwardly starred at each other and shuffled around gathering your bag and coat and you took off your seat belt and he caught it before the strap could retract into the pillar loop. He pressed the seat belt back into the buckle and held his hand over it. Starring down between you he took a sharp breath that sounded more like a hiss. “I umm… I am sorry, for leaving you in the dark after kissing you. I am sorry I was too scared to admit my feelings. But I am not sorry for kissing you, having feelings for you because I think I actually love you. So say you love me too”

“I am probably going to be a little hard to handle sometimes. And we might disagree on somethings it’s expected. And if you-” Yoongi’s lips were on yours his hand sliding into your hair gently curling his fingers through the strands. Your heart sped up, all you could smell was his cologne and it was making your head spin. The kiss was so fierce you were running out of breath. Opening your eyes as you both pulled apart he was gazing into your eyes running his thumb gently under the soft pillow of your bottom lip. “Did you just kiss me so I would shut up? Because If you did I w-”

He pulled you in and kissed you once more. Turned completely in his seat, he kissed you with everything he had. When you broke once more he was breathing heavily and you hadn’t realized you had stopped breathing all together. His lips making a small ‘o’ as he breathed cool air against your swollen lips, the air hit you, and you couldn’t help but gasp automatically. He continued a jet of cool air against your inflamed cheeks.

You went to open your mouth and he placed his finger against your lips. “Please keep talking, I will happily, keep shutting you up until you stop over thinking this. I like it, you taste like whiskey” His tongue swiped across his bottom lip and he threw you a cheeky gummy smile. “ti amo, I love you”

[bts-fic-collection]

Hi there, so I kind of have two requests? I hope that’s okay, I’ve never requested before... 1) Do you have any long and complete YoonJin fics you could rec? and 2) Do you have any fics where a member is dealing with an anxiety/panic attack and another member helps to bring him down? NamGi, JiHope, JiKook, VMin, and YoonJin are preferred :) thank you for your time and if these are too specific and weird, thanks for all your hard work regardless!

Of course that’s fine! Don’t worry about it ^_^

Category 1: Yoonjin

you’ve got a Friend in me by tangowithsuga

Rating: M

Word count: 66,556

Summary: Seokjin’s starting his first year at university, and well- everyone seems nice and friendly. Everyone except one Yoongi Min.

Or, how Seokjin quickly upgrades virtually everyone he meets from Acquaintance to Friend, Drinking Buddy, College Bro, and so on, but struggles with finding the right category for his roommate.

Excerpt:

Seokjin watches as Yoongi pulls out a phone from his pocket and sticks some earphones into his ears. He climbs up to the top bunk and just- well. He doesn’t say a thing.

“Your mom seems really nice.”

“She is.”

Dead silence.“

I picked the bottom but-” says Seokjin, peering up at Yoongi. “We can switch. If you like. I’m open to both the top and bottom.”

Yoongi blinks at him. Then blinks again. “Nah. Ti’s okay,” he replies, sticking some earphones into his ears. He closes his eyes.

bang! by quinno

Rating: E

Word count: 66,356

Summary: even a perfect world has problems, if you step closer and take a good, hard look at it (something yoongi is about to learn)

Cadenza by jinandtonics

Rating: E

Word count: 102,335

Summary: Cadenza (kəˈdɛnzə)Noun1. a virtuoso solo passage occurring near the end of a piece of music, formerly improvised by the soloist but now usually specially composed.2. Slanga fit or tantrum‘

Because–’ Yoongi starts, but realises his tone is loud and harsh and that’s giving Namjoon exactly what he wants. So he takes a deep breath and another elongated sip of whiskey before starting again. ‘Look he’s a classical musician, right? They’re always dickheads. Just because their parents paid through the nose to get someone to teach them “Every Good Boy Deserves Food”. You can’t just buy talent. Fucking wankers.

’'Wait, didn’t you use to take piano lessons?’ Namjoon smirks.

‘Yes, but I’m a wanker with talent.’

Namjoon nods. ‘I know. I’ve walked in on you too many times. Impressive.’

Category 2: Anxiety/Panic attacks

You should check out this ask :)

Park’s Anatomy by littlekookiejar

Rating: E

Pairings: Jungkook/Jimin

Status: Complete

Word count: 71,182

Summary: Jungkook is a college student who consistently makes terrible decisions when he's drunk that somehow always end with him getting hurt.Jimin is a doctor that always seems to be stuck with the emergency room shift when a cute accident-prone college student shows up.

: A romantic comedy.

Why are you crying (You and I are the only ones here) by softsweateredjimin

Rating: G

Pairings: Taehyung/Jimin

Status: Complete

Word count: 3,020

Summary: Sometimes, Taehyung's mind is a carousel, and the only thing that seems to be able to stop it from spinning is Jimin.

remember me (for centuries) by SnowflakeFoxy

Rating: G

Pairings: Namjoon/Yoongi

Status: Complete

Word count: 4,476

Summary: What Yoongi hates the most about Namjoon is the way he handles everything, the picture of a calm leader. It’s no surprise Bang Sihyuk picked him from day one, because he seems to have no problems.

[babycallmenoona]

What I learned about BTS in Bon Voyage S3E3

Minjoon is the absolutely cutest. always. sweet as sunset.

Even Hobi is occasionally “up to a fingernail” embarrassed of Jin

Yoongi trying to teach Jungkook about whiskey is preaching to a horse

Joongkook’s face when drinking whiskey, but Yoongi is proud

Jin gets DECEIVED by Long Island Iced Tea

[thisisabitofme]

listen, as a fellow Whiskey Ho™ I too was v excited to see yoongi teaching jungkook about the superior liquor,, but everyone out here either as misinformed as he is, or purposely ignoring the fact he got bad taste in drinks. Irish bombs are problematic on so many levels and I can’t wait for the miracle when I can sit him (and now jungkook) down and explain why that drink can rot in hell.

[ravennest1342-blog]

BTS Fanfic Recommendations

Ok, so I don’t know if it’s considered weird to hype up other people when you write fan fiction and basically turn the attention away from yourself but IDK because I’ve been dying to share all my favorite fanfics with you guys! I hope you enjoy this, most (if not all) of these will be on AO3! A few will be from here, here being Tumblr. I’m such a dork, omg don’t look at me! But read! Read these beauties and leave me be!!!!! 😂Also, I’ll be putting warnings beside the ones that have smut/BDSM/or anything else that’s weird. A lot of these will have smut because for a long time I was really insecure about writing smut so I tended to read books that advertised it in order to know what the hell I was actually writing.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

The Songbird and the Sea

Author — MissterMaia (follow her on Twitter she’s actually hilarious and I love her)

Pairing — Yoonmin, with side Namjin and Taekook.

Rating— Mature (there’s smut in this so tread carefully)

Description — In a world where dominance of the sea is an endless battle between pirates and mariners, Park Jimin is content living in his little village on a small, uninteresting island by the eastern mainland. He wants nothing to do with the bloodshed of good and evil, the heartless killing of both innocents and condemned, the constant establishment and disruption of order. What he wants is peace, to live his life in the same town he was born in, to spend his days in the beautiful forest, and to use the powers of his Blessed Rune to nurture the home he loves so dearly. But when his island is attacked by pirates, Jimin will have no other choice than to do as they command and leave all thoughts of peace behind in favor of boarding the Agust, a pirate ship captained by the infamous Min Yoongi, Black Fox of the East.

My thoughts — omg, where do I begin? God this book was so beautiful. The character development! The plot! The ROMANCE! AH! It was such a perfect work of art! I never felt bored like at all and normally I get bored pretty easy on long chaptered books like this! She’s also getting the book published! (With different character names obviously and it’s like super edited.) I don’t know what else to say other than GO READ THIS!!! SHE IS THE QUEEN OF YOONMIN!! YOU WONT BE DISAPPOINTED!!!

Hidden Omega

Author — LadyPrussia

Pairing — Namjoon Centric

Rating — Explicit (there’s smut in this so tread carefully)

Description — At 21 Namjoon still hasn't presented leaving him as a dud, with the BTS pack having their own issues and not treating him like a real member a tragic event forces Namjoon's body to present as an omega. Is it really too late for BTS to win Namjoon's heart? Or will one of the 4 other packs steal it instead? Or maybe a darkhorse will appear.

My Thoughts — this book is great! Not only is it super long (over eighty chapters) and still being updated, but the character development is super refreshing. Forewarning though, the author has said that there is a good chance Namjoon won’t end up in the Bangtan Pack but a different one, and originally that made me upset, but with the way she painted the story I actually don’t care what Pack he ends up with; their all beautiful and it’s an amazing book! Lots of drama and angst for you angst lovers out there!

No Spell can Cure Shyness

Author — MissterMaia (seriously — I love her)

Pairing — Yoonmin, mentioned Namjin, Side Taekook

Rating — teens and up

Description — Yoongi really doesn’t expect the witchboy who sent him an accidental text to be the prettiest boy he's ever seen in all his life. Or the nicest. Or the kindest. Or just the best in every possible way. Painfully shy and (un)smooth as he is, Yoongi decides the best way to approach this Jimin person is in the form of a cat. A cat who can't talk. Great plan, Yoongi.

My Thoughts — The FLUFF!!! I can’t even begin to describe how much I love this book! All of this woman’s works are masterpieces that need to be appreciated! Yoongi is so shy it’s hilarious and he has the most extra reactions to like everything — and and I LOVE!!! YOU need to read it! Stop whatever your doing and go read it!

Saltation

Author — momora

Pairing — Yoonmin, side Taekook, and Namjin

Rating — explicit (there’s smut in this so tread carefully)

Description — Jimin had grown up watching his mother sort the point-oh-one percent beta defaults into the alpha-omega communities, but that doesn't make being a part of the statistic much easier. He'd be doing okay at this new omega thing if that watchful alpha Min Yoongi could stay out of the situation. He just wants to settle into his new life and finish his useless degree already. Instead, all hell breaks loose.

My Thoughts — This book is the one of the best a/b/o fics I have ever read in my entire life! Alpha’s and Omega’s live separate from Beta’s due to different instincts and Jimin was born in the beta community but presented as an omega. And it’s really funny because He keeps slipping up and doing/saying things that leave everyone else kind of like (0.0) The writing is fantastic! The characters are absolutely riveting as is the plot and the AUTHOR KEEPS TEADING ME ON TWITTER ABOUT HER NEXT UPDATE AND HOLY HELL IM BREAKING DOWN OVER HERE!!!

Jammed

Author — minverse

Pairing — Vmin, side Yoonseok, maybe Namjin?

Rating — explicit (there’s smut in this so tread carefully)

Description —The rational part of Jimin's brain screams at him to remember what his mother said about strangers and vans. But the rational part of his brain is no match for really bad whiskey and Kim Taehyung. ((au where Jimin gets stuck on the interstate in the middle of a blizzard and Taehyung lives in a van))

My Thoughts — this book! *wheezes from laughter* is so funny! Jimin is trying to make it to Yoongi and Hoseok’s wedding (which he is kind of dreading because Hoseok is trying to set him up with his own best man) and he gets stuck in a blizzard and boom there’s Taehyung! A renowned author that decided to live in his van and travel the world while writing his new book. This book was so funny you guys! I was dying, there was a smut scene and it was pretty great. The whole book was phenomenal and I loved it so much. Because I have literally no self control I’m gonna add a sneak peak.

NU ABO: A Memoir by Park Jimin

Author — decompositionbooks

Pairing — Jikook

Rating — explicit (there’s smut in this so tread carefully.)

Description — The world didn't think it was necessary to give him a guide when it shoved all of these omega hormones at him, so here it is, Park Jimin's handbook on dealing with heats, unrequited love, and Jeon Jungkook.

My Thoughts — this book was so good! Omega’s are really rare and Jimin is so against the stereotypes put on omega’s and he is CONVINCED that Jungkook thinks of him as a tiny child that needs protection and he’s such a little ball of rage and god it’s so funny and he’s so sarcastic and furious that he’s being forced into this cutesy image (that he refuses to admit he likes) and it’s so cute and hilarious.

In Your Eyes

Author — TrappingLighteningBugs

Pairing — Jikook

Rating — Explicit (there’s smut and light dim/sub in this so tread carefully)

Description — On nights where everything seems against him, Jimin wishes he could take Jungkook down a few pegs.

My Thoughts — I originally read this because I was trying to expand my view on what a dom!Jimin would look like for my Bunny Breath book but I actually really liked this a lot. The characterization was good, it wasn’t like most smut oneshots where the characters go at with like literally no push and seems to be mildly dubious consent. This was well thought out and I enjoyed reading it.

A Sheep in Wolf’s Clothing

Author — blimpish

Pairing — Junghope

Rating — Explicit (there’s smut so tread carefully)

Description — When Jeongguk decides it's time to live out his fantasy of being knotted, he determines that Hoseok is the best (read: least awful) candidate for the job.

My Thoughts — I read this book because I’m a hoe for Junghope. But it’s really good! I remember feeling mildly dubious about it until I got to this really funny scene when Jungkook (a beta) asks Jimin (an omega)if he knows any alpha’s that wouldn’t be weirded out bu having sex with a beta and Jimin’s just like “I know three but your not gonna like it.” And after that it’s a hilarious conversation of them deciding which of their friends would be the least cringe worthy for Jungkook to sleep with. Jimin admits that Hoseok is great and it goes from there. BUT THERE IS A PLOT LINE!!! ITS NOT JUST SMUT!!

Unfamiliars

Author— themarmalade

Pairing — Yoonseok (my library is mostly Yoonseok.)

Rating — Mature (I can’t remember if there’s smut and it’s a long book so I don’t want to go read through all of it. Fuck I totally will but that’s beside the point. Read the tags when you click on the link.)

Description — Hoseok rescues a kitty in a summer storm. Thanks to some weird magic, Yoongi is that kitty. In a tiny apartment full of plants and moonlight, a simple, aching happiness blooms. But with what Jungkook knows, how long can the happiness last?

My Thoughts — this is so cute! Yoongi is just minding his own business when he accidentally steps into a warlocks spell pentagram and gets turned into a cat by Jin, he positively freaks the fuck out runs away, gets picked up by Hobi and things go from there. It’s so cute and soft and ima go read it BYE!!!!

Bad at Love

Author — shooky__bear

Pairing — Yoonseok with side Namjin.

Rating — Explicit (there is smut and definite don/sub so tread carefully.)

Description —Yoongi was pretty sure he was straight. Pretty sure (And not remotely interested in love or Jung Hoseok.) Alternatively ; that fic where yoon thinks he's straight and he's a bit of a slut and keeps fucking girls tho he likes hoseok and seoks a Patient Loving Gay who waits and Supports yoon through his Gay Crisis.

My Thoughts — this book is full of so much emotion and general truth. I love it so much, I cried several times when reading and admittedly geared up at the end. Hoseok was so sweet and patient and he had to literally teach Yoongi that it was ok to trust him and crap now I’m crying.

Take Me to the Edge

Author — Nasobem

Pairing — Yoonseok

Rating — Explicit (there is smut and Don/sub undertones so tread carefully)

Description —Yoongi takes a pointed step backwards and glares at "Hobi". "What the fuck kind of name is that," he says, "and don't touch me." Namjoon makes a funny noise. Yoongi ignores it for the sake of eviscerating "Hobi" with his stare. It seems to be weirdly ineffective. Or Yoongi is hired to work Tech Support and Security for Jung Corp and it'd honestly be pretty chill if it wasn't for this one obnoxiously handsome dude whose life mission it seems to be to bother Yoongi until he breaks.

My Thoughts— I love this book. Yoongi is such an angry little bean and Hoseok literally just wants to make him happy — the Maknae Line are little shits but what’s new there? This whole book is amazing. I wish I could find a good Vmin/Vhope/Minjoon/Sugakookie book like this. *cries*

Our Burned Bridges

Author — tendershipping (nothing about her ships are tender! *sobs*)

Pairing — Vminkook (she’s the Vmin queen)

Rating — Mature (no smut but brutal themes so tread carefully)

Description —Agent Jeon Jeongguk is given a cover story and assigned to guard amnesiac Kim Taehyung. (Taehyung has nightmares most nights after he wakes, at first. He screams and cries names Jeongguk doesn’t recognize, always one in particular—Jimin.)

My Thoughts— I’m, I’m so EMOTIONAL!!! I read it and was a literal mess halfway through and IT JUST GOT MORE DARK and *chokes* Vmin we’re MARRIED and enter Jimin who seems so bitter and mean and sarcastic but he’s really just broken and angry about things and — go read this. It has a happy ending to so win win.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I have been so active tonight shit. Idk why. You know what. I’ma wait till tomorrow to upload this.

Is it tomorrow? It’s tomorrow. Have fun with this wonderful list of my FAVORITE FANFICS (only the Songbird and The Sea is my favorite lol)

[ao3feed-yoonjin]

Cadenza

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2MxDhbU

by jinandtonics

Cadenza (kəˈdɛnzə) Noun

1. a virtuoso solo passage occurring near the end of a piece of music, formerly improvised by the soloist but now usually specially composed. 2. South African slang a fit or tantrum

  ‘Because–’ Yoongi starts, but realises his tone is loud and harsh and that’s giving Namjoon exactly what he wants. So he takes a deep breath and another elongated sip of whiskey before starting again. ‘Look he's a classical musician, right? They're always dickheads. Just because their parents paid through the nose to get someone to teach them “Every Good Boy Deserves Food”. You can’t just buy talent. Fucking wankers.’

'Wait, didn't you use to take piano lessons?' Namjoon smirks.

'Yes, but I’m a wanker with talent.'

Namjoon nods. ‘I know. I’ve walked in on you too many times. Impressive.’

Words: 11809, Chapters: 1/6, Language: English

Fandoms: 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS

Rating: Mature

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: M/M

Characters: Kim Seokjin | Jin, Min Yoongi | Suga, Jung Hoseok | J-Hope, Kim Namjoon | RM, Park Jimin (BTS), Kim Taehyung | V, Jeon Jungkook, Bae Joohyun | Irene

Relationships: Kim Seokjin | Jin/Min Yoongi | Suga

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Rock Band, Alternate Universe - 1990s, Alternate Universe - Classical Music, I guess a British AU???, Slow Burn, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, established vmin, consider this about 5 tropes mushed together to make a whole NEW trope

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2MxDhbU

[bts-fic-collection]

do you know any new long yoonjin fics? and do you know any yoonjinkook? i haven’t come across many for them 3 i’ve only seen like one fic for them lol if u know anything pls send it my way!!!

Hi! I do ^_^

Category 1: Yoonjin

BŭRGŭNDí by justananpan

Rating: E

Status: Complete

Word count: 54,492

Summary: “Hyung, I’m just going to say: I know you don’t like it when people are too nosy about your life and even more so when they seem meddlesome, but really. Really. You guys seem like you’re already dating each other. I knew you guys weren’t, but this whole time I’ve been thinking that you’d go really well together. And honestly a lot of the stuff you guys do together is couple-y. Don’t make that face like you’re confused. You told me you guys were thinking about getting a puppy together—”

“Yeah, we were,” Yoongi emphasized the past tense.

“You’re only putting it off until next year so he can focus on making sure his new restaurant is good through Year One. You’re still getting the puppy at some point. Also, these days you won’t even come to get-togethers if he can’t go. One week you said you couldn’t because he had work. Another you said he was too tired, so you guys were going to stay in. I mean, you weren’t very big on outings anyway, but now it’s like you’re a package deal,” Namjoon sighed.

Cadenza by jinandtonics

Rating: M

Status: Incomplete

Word count: 62,171

Summary: Cadenza (kəˈdɛnzə)Noun1. a virtuoso solo passage occurring near the end of a piece of music, formerly improvised by the soloist but now usually specially composed.2. South African slanga fit or tantrum

‘Because–’ Yoongi starts, but realises his tone is loud and harsh and that’s giving Namjoon exactly what he wants. So he takes a deep breath and another elongated sip of whiskey before starting again. ‘Look he’s a classical musician, right? They’re always dickheads. Just because their parents paid through the nose to get someone to teach them “Every Good Boy Deserves Food”. You can’t just buy talent. Fucking wankers.’

‘Wait, didn’t you use to take piano lessons?’ Namjoon smirks.

'Yes, but I’m a wanker with talent.’

Namjoon nods. ‘I know. I’ve walked in on you too many times. Impressive.’

Tender at the Bone by moromi

Rating: E

Status: Complete

Word count: 59,522

Summary: Kim Seokjin, a loaded son of a fish magnate, wants to throw his cash at the up and coming genius chef, Min Yoongi by proposing that they open a restaurant together.

Will Yoongi sell his soul to this chaebol? Will he be ready to prevent Kim Namjoon from breaking all the plates? Can he handle the rowdy madness of the maknae staff? Will he survive the constant barrage of dad jokes? Should he have placed a clause to not fall in love with a global handsome icon?

Whatever happens, Yoongi knows he’ll have fun one meal at a time.

Stars Lost in the Sea by smiles

Rating: M

Status: Complete

Word count: 69,588

Summary: 2018In a desperate attempt to overcome his writer’s block, Kim Seokjin rents a cottage by the sea on a remote island in the southern part of Korea for the summer, intent on successfully completing a story.

1933Min Yoongi spends his nights tending the lighthouse, providing a light on the horizon for lost sailors to navigate safely, all the while feeling lost by himself, a lightkeeper without a guiding light.

There are some people who are meant to cross paths, even if it means time itself must bend to accommodate them.

Category 2: Yoonjinkook

Both Ends by SoftBottomYoongi

Rating: M

Status: Complete

Word count: 3,413

Summary: Having trial boyfriends was not for him,Yoongi wanted them both.

somewhere sunny by toastdogs

Rating: T

Status: Complete

Word count: 29,506

Summary: Mornings were something precious, something peaceful and, nowadays, very rare for him. Normally he’d rush through mornings, too busy to even enjoy the rising sun and the quiet it brought along because he had classes, he had stuff to do, a life to live. But today, this morning, it was special and it made Jungkook’s heart feel content and the flower sitting by his window bloom and he finally felt part of something. He wasn’t sure of what yet but, one step at a time, he would figure it out.

He wasn’t alone. Not anymore.

The three times Jungkook fell in love with Seokjin (and the one time he fell for Yoongi, too).

“Blue shorts. No shirt. Six pack. Heineken.” by RNA

Rating: E

Status: Complete

Word count: 13,839

Summary: a married couple spots a twink they like.

[bts-fic-collection]

Hi! Do you know of any good rock/band!aus?? Or just any good bad boy fics haha (I’ve got a thing for one of the parents like... forbidding?? them from seeing their boyf but they sneak out and see them anyway??) haha thank youuuuu in advance ☺️☺️

Hi! I do know some like that :) you’re welcoooooome :)

Category 1: Band au

this feeling (this everglow), by inkingbrushes

Rating: M

Pairings: Yoongi/Hoseok

Status: Complete

Word count: 17,613

Summary: Hoseok works at a bakery and Yoongi is 1/3 of the country’s biggest band.

Or: the one where they fall in love at a bakery and Yoongi ends up writing a song about it.

Cadenza by jinandtonics

Rating: M

Pairings: Seokjin/Yoongi

Status: Incomplete

Word count: 32,557

Summary: Cadenza (kəˈdɛnzə)

Noun1. a virtuoso solo passage occurring near the end of a piece of music, formerly improvised by the soloist but now usually specially composed.2. South African slanga fit or tantrum‘

Because–’ Yoongi starts, but realises his tone is loud and harsh and that’s giving Namjoon exactly what he wants. So he takes a deep breath and another elongated sip of whiskey before starting again. ‘Look he’s a classical musician, right? They’re always dickheads. Just because their parents paid through the nose to get someone to teach them “Every Good Boy Deserves Food”. You can’t just buy talent. Fucking wankers.

’'Wait, didn’t you use to take piano lessons?’ Namjoon smirks.

‘Yes, but I’m a wanker with talent.’

Namjoon nods. ‘I know. I’ve walked in on you too many times. Impressive.’

Celebrity Status by kyrifics

Rating: T

Pairings: Yoongi/Jimin

Status: Incomplete

Word count: 10,817

Summary: Ever wanted to be a K-pop idol?

“Let me get this straight.” Jimin crossed his arms. “You want me to join BTS? The idol group BTS?”

“Temporarily, yes.”

Jimin is just your typical kindergarten teacher. He’s not cut out for the stage. He’s never even dreamed of becoming a performer. But when his twin brother’s plastic surgery goes horribly wrong, Jimin gets scouted to cover up and substitute for him as a member of a famous idol rock boyband.

Category 2: Bad boy au

The things you make me feel by blueflowertaetae

Rating: Not rated

Pairings: Jungkook/Taehyung, Yoongi/Jimin, Namjoon/Seokjin

Status: Complete

Word count: 46,645

Summary: A colorblind Taehyung meets a bad boy Jungkook a few times. But is he really a bad boy?

Death Of Our Troubled Youth by lulublue1234

Rating: E

Pairings: Jungkook/Hoseok, Yoongi/Jimin, Namjoon/Taehyung

Status: Complete

Word count: 27,039

Summary: Jungkook doesn't want to be a plastic person anymore.Hoseok makes him feel real.

Or

Bad boy Hoseok gets a great amount of money to play the boyfriend of a rich kid who wants to show his parents he's a rebel too