Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Chapter One

If things had gone to plan, you would never have been standing on that street corner in the first place.

If things had gone to plan, you would have either been taking in the sights of Korea, learning about your family's heritage or sitting in a class for the foreign exchange program you'd worked so hard to get accepted into.

But when had anything in your life ever gone to plan?

Never.  So why should it start now?

And so - not long after you arrived and got settled into what was supposed to have been your   'temporary' accommodations - somebody, somewhere in the world sneezed on the wrong person or forgot to wash their hands, and suddenly the whole damn planet shut down, leaving you stuck in a postcard sized flat with no exchange program, no income and no way back home.

Not that you actually had a home to go back to (or anyone waiting for you, for that matter).

So you - like most everyone else -  found yourself in limbo for months on end with not much to do except for reading, drawing and watching your already miniscule bank account slowly dwindle away to almost nothing.

So it was with great relief when things finally started opening back up that you noticed the restaurant across the street putting out a sign advertising for delivery people.  After checking that the job wouldn't  violate the terms of your temporary Visa,  you applied and were ecstatic to learn that you'd been hired.

Granted the pay was lousy, the hours weren't great and the free food you were offered at the end of each shift made you wonder how the restaurant even managed to stay in business but it was better than being stuck inside and eventually starving to death. 

It was hard at first, learning your way around a place you'd barely had the chance to explore before being locked down but you eventually grew adept at weaving your way through the main thoroughfares, back streets and alleyways of the surrounding area on the ancient motor scooter provided by your employer.

Things were going pretty well - all things considered -  until that day.

You were almost done with your shift.  You'd pulled over to verify the address of your next delivery when a small black and tan blur darted past you and into the street.

It took a split second for your brain to register that the blur was in fact a dog.  A  little Pomeranian to be exact, who had caught sight of a miniature poodle walking on the other side of the busy intersection. The canine had apparently broken loose from whomever had been on the other end of the rhinestone encrusted leash which was now dragging uselessly behind the animal.

Acting purely in instinct you dashed forward, just managing to grab hold of the dog before jumping back onto the sidewalk a mere angel's breath from the bumper of a taxi, whose driver expressed his displeasure with a sharp blast of his horn before barreling through the traffic light.

The fuzzy bundle began wriggling around in your arms in an attempt to lick your face, causing you to stumble over a bit of uneven pavement.  The next thing you knew you were flat on your back with a tiny dog dancing happily on your chest, still trying to give you puppy kisses.   As you fought to catch your breath, you heard the sound of pounding feet approaching as a man's frantic voice called out, "Tannie!"

Seconds later your furry friend was being snatched from your grasp by a man with dark curly hair wearing a baseball cap and face mask.

"Tannie!  Are you okay?"

The out of breath man clutched the dog to his heaving chest.

"You bad dog!  Don't ever scare me like that again!"

The dog's owner nuzzled his face into the animal's fur before turning to bow profusely in your direction.           

"Thank you!  Thank you so much!  Are you hurt?!"

"No.  I'm fine," you said, waving off his attempts to help you to your feet. 

"Are you sure?  I can call for an ambulance."

"No, really.  That's not necessary." 

You stood and removed your helmet, giving it the once over to insure it wasn't damaged.

"See?" you said, holding out the item for his inspection.  "Not even a scratch."

"Still I think  you should get looked at...."

"No, thank you.  I'm good.  Besides." you said, gesturing towards the scooter.  "The boss made it pretty clear when I started this job that if I can breath and move then I can still make deliveries."

You couldn't help but notice the man's eyes narrow ever so slightly when he saw the emblem on your scooter's saddle bag.

"You work for HeeSung?" he asked, his voice noticeably less enthusiastic than before.

"Yes.  For the time being at least.  Why?  Do you know him?"

"We've met a couple of times."

"Really?  Congratulations.  You've encountered him more than I have then.  I met him the day I got hired and haven't seen him since," you laughed.  "Is your dog okay?"

"Yes," the man said with a slight bow of his head.  "Thank you."

"Good.  Glad to hear it. I suppose I can get going then. Hope the rest of your day is less eventful."

Just as you were about to turn to get on the scooter the man asked, "Pardon me but I don't recognize your accent.  Are you Korean?"

"No.  Yes. I mean...Sorry.  It's kind of a long story."

"But you're not a civilian, are you?"

Your brow furrowed slightly at his odd choice of words.

"Of course I'm a civilian.  Not really sure how that works for females to begin with but since I'm technically not a Korean citizen I'm pretty sure I'm not allowed to serve in your military even if I wanted to.  Not that I'd be any good as soldier anyway.  Guns freak me out.  Can't get near the things."

The crease between the man's eyebrows became even more pronounced, making you wonder if your accent was making it hard for the man to understand you.   You were just about to repeat yourself more slowly when he said,   "Wait.  I'm confused.  If you're a civilian then why are you working for HeeSung?"

"I needed a job and he was the only one who was hiring near me?" you shrugged.  "It's not the greatest gig but it's better than going hungry and it gives me something to do until I find out if the school program I came here for is ever going to reopen."

"School program?  Are you a student or a teacher?"

"Both, actually.  Teaching English was supposed to be my side job here while I was completing the academic program I came here for."

"Teaching English?  To high school or university?"

"Neither.  My focus is on pre-school.  Kindergarten to be exact."

The man's eyes flew open wide.

"You're a kindergarten teacher?"

"Yep.  I mean, eventually my goal is to do that alongside art therapy for children who've experienced traumatic situations.  But until then I'm a delivery person."

At that moment your phone dinged, reminding you that you had a schedule to keep. Pulling the device out of your pocket  you tapped on the cracked screen before slipping it back inside your jacket.

"Except I won't even be that for much longer if I don't get a move on," you said,  strapping on your helmet as you hopped back on your scooter.  "It was nice to meet you, sir.   Have a nice day.  I'm glad your dog wasn't hurt."

Without waiting for a reply you started your engine and merged into traffic, the noise of the midday commuters drowning out the man as he shouted after you.

"Wait!  Stop!  What's your name?!"

xx

The next day you were puzzled when you saw that your first delivery was to an address well outside of your normal route.

You almost missed it at first as the residence turned out to be a free standing building surrounded by a privacy fence standing well over three meters, topped with wrought iron metal spikes interspersed with security cameras pointing both towards and away from the home, giving whoever lived inside an almost 360 degree view of the property.

Following the instructions printed on the order ticket,  you pressed the brass buzzer next to an almost invisible gate built seamlessly into the fence. There was a half second pause then a disembodied voice crackled through a speaker located above the buzzer.

"Yes?"

"Hi!  Uh...I have a delivery?"

Catching sight of a red blinking light on the nearest camera, you gave a tentative wave to whomever you were speaking to.

"Umm...Am I supposed to leave it out here or....?"

Instead of an answer there was a brief clicking noise beside you as the latch on the gate released just enough to allow you and your vehicle inside the heavily fortified compound.

"Well...this isn't creepy at all..." you whispered to yourself as you wheeled your scooter into a small but well manicured courtyard situated in front of good sized but surprisingly homey looking dwelling, complete with a covered porch with a white picket fence style railing.

You had just set the delivery on the top step leading onto the porch when the door opened and you were shocked to find man from yesterday standing in front of you, this time without a hat or a face mask concealing his handsome features.

He, on the other hand, didn't look at all surprised to see you standing on his doorstep.

Before you could say anything, the little Pomeranian rushed out to greet you, yipping happily at your feet, tail wagging furiously.

"Oh!  Hello, friend!" you said, kneeling down to pet the dog.  "It looks like you're no worse for wear after your little adventure yesterday."

"All thanks to you," said the man,  bowing deeply.

"Please forgive my utterly inexcusable lack of manners during our initial meeting.  My name is Kim TaeHyung and that little bundle of energy is called Yeontan."

"Not worries, TaeHyung-ssi.  I know what it's like to worry about a furry friend.  I assure you that any lack of social niceties didn't bother me in the least."

"Still," insisted the man in a deep baritone voice that you were certain could make butter melt.  "At the very least I should have had the common courtesy to ask the name of my baby's savior."

"Savior?  I don't know that I'd go that far, TaeHyung-ssi but if it makes you happy to learn it, my name is Y/N."

"Y/N...." The man's eyes twinkled as a boxy smile crept over his face.  "What a pretty name."

"Thank you.  It's not as nice as YeonTan but I suppose it will do."

The man leaned against one of the posts holding up the porch as you scratched YeonTan behind the ears.

"Do you have a dog?" he asked.

"No.  I used to but not anymore.  I can't have pets where I live now but I've been feeding the stray cats behind my flat."

Glancing towards yet another security camera, you lowered your voice and added, "But please don't tell my landlord that.  I - I might get kicked out and I really can't afford anyplace else."

The man nodded as he made a locking motion in front of his mouth before pretending to throw away a non-existent key.

"Trust me.  You're secret is safe with me, Y/N-ssi."

Just then the little dog flopped over, rolling around on his back so you could rub his belly.

"Wow...." said the man.  "Tannie must really trust you.  He's usually a lot more reserved when it comes to strangers."

"Ah!  It's probably because we've shared a bonding experience together, that's all.  Although, animals and small children do seem to like me," you said, giving the dog's stomach a vigorous scratch. 

"What about everyone else?" asked the man.

"Ah!  Big people...they're a bit trickier in my experience."

"How so?"

"You pretty much know where you stand with animals and children.  Adults  - for the most part - not so much."

"That's very true, Y/N-ssi.   It would seem that you are wise beyond your years."

"I'd hardly call myself wise, TaeHyung-ssi," you laughed.   "I just try to not make the same mistake too many times, you know?"

You gave the dog one final scratch before standing.

"Ah, as much as I would like to stay here with you Tannie, I'm afraid that duty calls. "

Bowing to the man on the porch, you brushed a few stray blades of grass from your trouser legs.

"Thank you for giving me a well needed puppy break, TaeHyung-ssi.  It certainly brightened my day.  I placed your order on the porch."

"Thank you, Y/N-ssi.  Please, before you go, I'd like you to have this."

Reaching into the back pocket of his designer jeans, he pulled out an envelope and handed it to you.

Thinking it was payment for the order you glanced inside and gasped.  It had to contain at least half a million won.

"TaeHyung-ssi!" you said, trying to hand the envelope back.  "You must have miscounted!  This is far too much money for your order!"

"It isn't for the order.  I paid for that online.  This is for you.  Consider it a reward for saving Yeontan.

"But, I would've done that regardless!  Please! I wouldn't feel right accepting an amount like this!"

As you stepped forward, the man took a step back.

"Then use it towards the therapy bills you'll incur dealing with the guilt," said the man, scooping the little dog into his arms.  "Goodbye, Y/N-ssi.  And please....stay safe."

And with that TaeHyung closed the door firmly behind him , leaving you lost as to what to do next.   Before you could step onto the porch to try and get the man to come back outside your phone buzzed, signaling that you were almost late for your next stop. 

Flustered, you shoved the envelope into your pocket and made your way back onto the street, your mind racing to try and figure out how best to deal with this predicament.

xx

That night you sat on the lumpy futon that served as bed, chair, sofa and dining table in your cramped one room apartment, staring at the envelope laying on the counter as if it were a bomb that might go off at any second. 

While it was true that kind of money would solve most - if not all - of your current problems you also knew that gifts like this don't come without strings attached and you'd sworn an oath to never end up in a situation like that again.  You'd managed to keep your word so far.  You'd hate to break it now.

After going over every possible scenario you could think of, you finally drifted off but slept fitfully and by the time you started out the door for work the next morning you'd made up your mind as to what you were going to do.

xx                                                          

Fate seemed to agree with your choice because the very first delivery on your list was once again TaeHyung's address.

You went through the same procedure as before - buzzing in at the gate then wheeling your scooter into the courtyard - except this time the person waiting on the porch wasn't TaeHyung but a tall, broad shouldered, impeccably dressed man with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. 

Even though he was wearing a simple cream sweater and tan trousers, this new man still managed to give off the aura of a model doing a photo shoot for one of those high end fashion magazines that you were too intimidated to even pick up while in line at the store.

Taken by surprise you blurted out the first thing that came to your mind.

"You're not TaeHyung-ssi."

"Nope," grinned the man.  "I'm taller and much better looking."

Seeing the blank look on your face the man's smile dimmed ever so slightly.

"At least I thought I was.  Damn....am I that disappointing? I knew I should have worn Gucci instead of Ralph Lauren for this."

"No! I mean, Yes!  I mean... "

You paused, taking a deep breath to compose yourself.

"I'm sorry.  You look very nice, sir.  I was just surprised, that's all.  I didn't know anyone else lived here besides TaeHyung-ssi.  I brought these for Yeontan."

Reaching into the basket on the front of the scooter you pulled out a large box of dog treats with an envelope taped discretely on the back.

"That whole thing is for Tannie?" chuckled the man.  "You have seen the dog, haven't you?  Black, tan, fuzzy, about this big?"

He held his hands close together to indicate the dog's diminutive size.

"Yah!  It was the only kind they had!"

Placing the box on the railing of the porch, you made sure the envelope was facing away from the man.

"I mean, I'm practically a stranger," you said.  "When I had a dog I was always uncomfortable if people I didn't know tried to give him treats so I just wanted it to be clear that the package hadn't been tampered with."

The man's eyes softened at your explanation.

"That...that was very thoughtful of you, Y/N-ssi."

Hearing your name you tipped your head in confusion.

"I'm sorry.  Have we met?"

"No, but I've heard all about the valiant young woman who fearlessly risked her life, leaping into oncoming traffic to snatch poor, defenseless YeonTan from the jaws of death itself!"

Clutching his chest with one hand, the man placed the back of the other against his forehead in an overly dramatic imitation of an old time damsel in distress.

"Well, I hate to be the one to burst your bubble but it would appear that tales of that event have been highly exaggerated."

"Maybe.  Maybe not," shrugged the man.  "Either way, I'll be sure YeonTan receives your most generous gift."

"Thank you, ....."

You paused, realizing you didn't know what to call the man.

"I'm sorry, sir.  You still have me at a disadvantage.  You know my name but I don't know yours."

"Aish! A thousand pardons! How terribly rude of me!  My name is Seokjin," said the man, bowing with an elaborate flourish. "And it is has been my very great pleasure to have made your acquaintance, Y/N-ssi."

"Thank you, Seokjin-ssi," you said, bowing in return.  "It was lovely making your acquaintance as well.  However, I'm afraid you'll have to excuse me.  The boss will kill me if I don't get the rest of my deliveries completed on time."

The man's jaw twitched almost imperceptibly at your choice of words before he quickly forced his face back into a neutral expression.

"Well, we certainly don't want that to happen now do we?  Who knows, perhaps we'll meet again soon?"

"Perhaps we will, Seokjin-ssi."

Wheeling your scooter out of the courtyard, you glanced back to find Seokjin still standing there, watching you.  He gave a cheery wave as you took off, waiting until the gate latched and he could hear your scooter driving off before picking up the dog treats and slipping back into the house.

xx

The next day you were surprised to find yet another delivery to that address

This time instead of TaeHyung or Seokjin, another man was waiting on the porch, this one shorter than the other two with sharp, catlike eyes and a decidedly less cheery disposition.

"So..." the man grunted, his gaze flicking up and down.  You had the distinct impression he was assessing your worth and that you'd somehow come up lacking. "You're the one."

"Pardon?" you asked, your hackles beginning to rise.  "The one what?"

"The one who pissed off Tae-ah and Jin-hyung with this."

He flung the envelope filled with money that you had attached to the dog treats onto the ground in front of you.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" growled the man, almost spitting to words at you.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me! Who the fuck do you think you are trying to return a gift like that?!" 

Something in the man's tone flipped a long buried switch inside you, causing you to lash out in return.

"Who the fuck am I?  Who the fuck are YOU?"

Snatching the envelope off the ground you hurled it at the man with all your might, hitting the him square in the chest.

"Now you listen to me, jackass!  You may be richer and more important and basically just much higher on the food chain than me but I'll be damned if I let the likes of you push me around just because I'm a lowly delivery person!  I have just as much right to exist as you do and that includes the right to decide who I will and will not accept money from, got it?!"

You dropped the package you'd been sent to deliver unceremoniously on ground before jamming your helmet back on your head.

"And don't worry!  I'll make sure my boss sends any future deliveries to this address with someone else from now on!"

Because I'm obviously not going to have a job after this, your brain helpfully added as you rapidly pushed the scooter out of the courtyard..

Before the man could respond to your outburst you jumped on the scooter and tore off, barely avoiding an oncoming luxury car along the way, cursing fervently under your breath as  you tried to determine how much money you'd have to make before the end of your shift in order to tide you over until you found a new place of employment.

xx

The next day - (after recovering from the shock of still having a job) you were glad to see that TaeHyung's address was not on your list.

Instead you were sent to deliver to a non-descript, one story office building a few blocks from the house you were hoping to avoid from now on.  Upon ringing the buzzer next to an unmarked glass door, a man immediately stuck his head outside, as if he had been waiting for you to arrive.

"Ah!  Y/N-ssi, I presume?" he asked. 

"Yes?  I'm sorry," you said, studying the man's face.  "Do I know you?"

"No.  I'm afraid I haven't had the privilege yet. Please allow me to introduce myself.   My name is Kim Namjoon."

As he spoke, the tall man stepped outside the building, dragging someone out behind him.

"And I believe you've already met my colleague and house mate, Min Yoongi."

He shoved the other person forward and your heart sank when you realized it was the man from yesterday.

"Oh..." you said in a flat voice.  "It's you."

After a brief awkward silence Namjoon elbowed his friend hard in the ribs.

"Ouch!" cried the shorter man, rubbing his side. "Right...Uh....Sorry about yesterday."

"Elaborate," you said.

Yoongi blinked in confusion.

"Excuse me?"

"What exactly are you sorry about? "

Yoongi glanced at his friend who raised his hands as he stepped away.

"Don't look at me, hyung.  You're on your own here."

Realizing that he wasn't going to get any assistance from his colleague, Yoongi turned back to you, huffing in frustration.  

"I don't understand the question."

Crossing your arms you fixed the man with a hard stare then began speaking very slowly,  as if you were explaining something to one of your kindergarten pupils.

"Are you sorry because you acted like a jackass or are you sorry your friend here found out and is forcing you to do this?  Please, consider your answer carefully as it will greatly influence whether I accept that half-assed apology you just offered me."

The one called Namjoon covered his mouth as he snorted his amusement causing the other man to shoot him an icy glare before clearing his throat.

"I'm sorry for speaking to you disrespectfully," he said in the same tone of voice you might use if you were presenting a well memorized piece in front of a strict teacher.

"And for giving the impression that I look down upon you because of your profession.  I can assure that is most certainly not the case. Please accept my most humble apology."

Ending his recitation with a full ninety degree bow, Yoongi then stood, waiting expectantly for your acceptance of his apology.

When you don't answer right away, Namjoon paused then took pity upon his friend.

"Y/N-ssi?  If you can somehow find it in your heart to forgive Yoongi-hyung, could we persuade you to continue making deliveries to the house?  Because, if not, someone might be sleeping on the sofa for a very long time."

His gaze cut over to Yoongi, who resolutely refused to look either of you in the eyes.

"Really?  Interesting.  How long are we talking about?"

"If Tae-ah and Jin-hyung have a say in it?  At least a month.  Maybe longer."

You studied both men for a long moment then sighed.

"Fine.  I accept his apology.  But only because I'm pretty sure it would be bad karma to force an elder to sleep in such uncomfortable circumstances for an extended period of time and the last thing I need in my life right now is any more bad luck."

"Elder?!" spluttered Yoongi, pulling himself up to his full height.  "How old do you think I am?!  For that matter, how old are you?!"

"Why do you want to know?  Trying to make sure I'm legal, gramps?"

Before the situation could escalate, Namjoon quickly shoved Yoongi back inside the building, making sure the door closed firmly behind him.

"Damn," he chuckled, shaking his head as he leaned against the outside of the building.  "Now I wish I would've asked  you to come into the lobby so I could've captured the audio along with the security cam footage.   The others would have paid good money to have witnessed that."

"Yah!  Who knows?"  you shrugged, "If I run into him again you just might get your chance."

You held out the white delivery bag which Namjoon accepted with both hands and a respectful bow.

"Y/N-ssi?" asked Namjoon in a tentative voice.  "At the risk of incurring your rather formidable wrath, could I possibly get you to reconsider accepting that money from Tae-ah?  It would mean a lot to him."

"No," you said with a firm shake of your head.  "I don't mean to be difficult, Namjoon-ssi but that kind of money puts you in debt to people and I...I don't like being in that position."

The man took a deep breath then nodded.

"I understand your reasoning however you did save Yeontan and in TaeHyung's eyes that puts him in debt to you.  You can see the predicament there, can't you?"

"I suppose I didn't think of it like that."

You fidgeted with the strap of your helmet as you tried to come up with a solution.

"How about this?  Tell TaeHyung-ssi to donate the money to the local animal shelter.  That way both our karmic debts are cleared and we save some puppies and kittens in the process."

"That seems like quite a reasonable compromise," smiled Namjoon.  "I'll present that as an option when I see him later.  But only if you promise to be the one making all the deliveries to our place from now on."

"That depends.  Are you housing any more grumpy cats for me to deal with?"

"Nope."

Namjoon's smile widened, revealing an impressive set of dimples.

"Besides the one's you've already met, we've got a ray of sunshine, a shy bunny and a flirty chick but just the one grumpy cat."

"Then we have a deal.  For the time being at least."

"Thank you.  Thank you very much, Y/N-ssi," said Namjoon, bowing again before reaching for the door.  "I look forward to seeing you again soon."

xx

The following day you were sent back to the house and this time you were greeted by two men - one with a bright, heart shaped smile and smaller man with sparkling eyes and pouty lips who you assumed had to be the ray of sunshine and flirty chick Namjoon had mentioned.

"Hello!  My name's Jimin and this is Hoseok!  Are you really the one who gave Yoongi-hyung the lesson on manners at the studio yesterday?"

"Guilty as charged."

"Wow!  Daebak!" giggled the one called Hoseok.  "Most people are too scared of hyung to call him out when he gets like that!"

"Aish!"

You waved  your hand dismissively.

"I've been left alone for hours on end in a room full of amped up three and four year olds.  It would take a lot more than your fractious feline friend to frighten me at this point."

"Good for you!" cheered Jimin.  "TaeTae was right.  You're really brave!"

"Really?  It's nice to hear that your friend said something complimentary about me.  I got the distinct impression from Grumpy Cat that both TaeHyung-ssi and Seokjin-ssi were incredibly angry with me."

"Nah!"  snorted Hoseok.  "Not angry just ... confused I guess?  It's been a long time since anyone said 'no' to them, that's all."

"Well, if I'm going to keep delivering here then I guess they'll need to start getting used to it."

Both men  stared at you incredulously before bursting into peals of laughter, the smaller one almost falling over in the process.

"Yah!  Y/N-ssi!  You're the best!" he gasped, struggling to catch his breath.  "Can I get you a drink?  We've got water, tea, coffee, soju....?"

"Thank you for the generous offer gentlemen,  but I still have at least a half dozen more deliveries to make before my shift ends.  Maybe some other time?"

"Absolutely," smiled Hoseok, wiping an amused tear from his eye.  "We'll hold you to that, okay?"

"You do that, Hosoek-ssi," you said with a polite bow.  "I'll look forward to it."

xx

Two days later you found yourself circling the block trying to find a spot to park so you could deliver to the house that was slowly becoming one of your favorite stops.

It was your final stop of the day, however when you arrived there were far more cars on the street than normal, forcing you to park at the corner instead of where you usually would. 

Dismounting your scooter you took the last white bag from your basket and headed off towards the gate.  As you approached a man wearing dark clothes and a balaclava suddenly jumped out from behind one of the parked cars.

"Give me the package," he demanded.

Unable to process what was happening you simply stared at the man.

"What?"

"I SAID give me the fucking package!"

The man waved his hand and it was only then that you noticed that he was pointing a gun at  you.

A real, honest to goodness gun. 

The kind that held real bullets.

This realization caused you to freeze a moment too long.

Before you could pull yourself together and hand over the bag, you heard a soft popping noise followed immediately by a sharp, burning sensation in your side.

The man grabbed the bag and took off, leaving you standing stunned and motionless on the sidewalk.

Acting on instinct you stumbled down the street until you reached the buzzer by the gate.

Shocked and disoriented, you managed to press the button. As the gate opened you staggered into the courtyard to find a young man with multiple piercings and a full sleeve of tattoos waiting on the porch.

The man's expression morphed from excitement to confusion to concern in a matter of seconds when you unzipped your jacket to reveal a crimson stain growing larger against your white work shirt.

"Excuse me..." you whispered, the edges of your vision began to turn black. 

"I - I'm really sorry to bother you but... I  - I think....I think I've been shot?"

And with that, you crumpled to the ground as everything around you went dark.

Chapter Text

Chapter Two

Floating along on a dark, peaceful, winding river, you noticed with only a mild interest when a pair of voices wafted through the shadows,  as if whomever was speaking was far, far off in the distance.

"Shouldn't we get her consent first, hyung?"

"Under normal circumstances I'd absolutely agree with you, Kookie.  However right now she's losing blood and I don't know what sort of internal organ damage she's sustained.  I'm afraid if I wait any longer for her to wake up the only way I'll get her consent is with a Ouija board.  So unless you want to apologize to her later via the spirit world  I would suggest you help me get her on the table.  Now."

A moment later you heard one of the voices again, now a bit closer.  It sounded vaguely familiar and for reasons you couldn't quite pinpoint you found it comforting.

"I'm so sorry, little one.  This should never have happened.  We'll make it up to you somehow, I promise.  But for right now you're going to have to trust that I know what I'm doing, alright?"

A sickly sweet aroma invaded your senses but before you could figure out where you smelled it before a deep mist swirled around you, enveloping you in a thick blanket of unconsciousness.

xx

Cast adrift on a vast ocean of emptiness, every so often more voices filtered through.

Joonie?  What did HeeSung say when you talked to him?

Not much.  I was too busy threatening his sorry ass for involving civilians to let him get a word in edgewise.  If he's smart then he'll steer clear of us and her for a long time.

Shouldn't we try to wake her up, Jin-hyung? 

Not yet, Hob-ah.  The longer she sleeps the more time her injuries have to heal. That's a good thing.

But she will wake up ... won't she?

Of course she will Kookie.  Have faith in hyung.

This is all my fault.

It's not all your fault, Tae-ah.  Each of us bears some responsibility for what happened but remember the vast majority of the blame falls squarely on HeeSung. Idiotic fucking bastard.

We should've said something to her sooner. Maybe then...

Shh....Minnie.... I know.  We'll find a way to make amends to her.  Hyung promises, okay?  Now go to bed.  I'll take the next shift.

xx

Gradually the cocoon of darkness surrounding you started to lift, the light growing brighter until you were forced to squint against it in order to see.  As your eyelids fluttered open, the room around you slowly began to come into focus.

The first thing you noticed was an IV line running from your arm to a bag of fluids suspended on a thin metal post next to where you were laying.  Beside that was some sort of a mechanical device connected to a series of electrodes - one just beneath your collarbone, one on your elbow and one on your wrist - which seemed to be monitoring your various vital signs.

The equipment appeared state of the art however the space you were in was decidedly more homey than any hospital you'd ever been in before and you'd seen more than your fair share over the years.

As you struggled to regain your bearings, the young man with the tattoos stepped into the room, yawning and stretching his arms.  Looking over at the bed he was obviously startled to find you gazing back at him.  He froze in his tracks, eyes widening to almost comical proportions before he turned his head to yell over his shoulder.

"HYUNG!  SHE'S AWAKE!"

There was a flurry of activity in the hallway then a flustered Seokjin appeared in the doorway.

"Shout a little louder next time, Kook-ah..."

The man rolled his eyes as he pushed his way past to reach  you.   

"I'm not sure the folks on the other side of the ocean heard you clearly."

The young man with the tattoos bowed his head, mumbling an apology as he hung back near the end of your bed.

"Hello, Y/N-ssi."

Jin spoke in a soft voice as he gingerly took a seat on the edge of the mattress.

"How do you feel?"

He studied your face carefully as he laid the back of his hand against your forehead.

"Honestly?" you replied,  surprised at how dry and raspy your voice sounded.  "I feel like utter crap."

"That's completely understandable.  Do you want to try and sit up? See how that feels?"

"Yes, please."

With the utmost care, Jin looped his arms under yours to help raise you into a sitting position.

"Kookie?  Shuffle those pillows around, would you?"

"Yes, hyung."

Darting forward, the young man rearranged the pillows behind you then jumped back,  as if he were afraid that by making contact with you he might spontaneously combust.

"She's injured, she's not radioactive, Kook-ah," teased Jin, slowly guiding you back onto the pillows.

"How's that?  Any better?  Easier to breath?"

"A little. Yes.  Thank you."

"Good.  Do you...."

Before he could finish his question a door slammed somewhere in the distance then the sound of pounding feet grew louder and louder until the remaining members of the household came charging into the room.

"Hyung!" panted TaeHyung, cradling Yeontan in his arms.  "We were outside and heard Kookie hollering that she was awake!"

"Of course you did.  It would be easier to count the people who couldn't hear the maknae bellowing our business to the entire neighborhood."

Jin rolled his eyes again but even in your weakened state you could tell there was more fondness than irritation in the man's tone.

"But before you all start crowding around I still need to finish my initial assessment, so you lot will just have to hold your horses a while longer, got it?"

He glared around the room, waiting until he received nods from all assembled before turning his attention back to you.

"Alright, now.  First things first.  Let's get you a drink, shall we?"

Handing you a cup half filled with water, Jin angled a plastic straw to make it easier for you to take a drink.

"Small sips at first, little one."

Once you'd drunk enough to suit him,  Jin ran through a few simple diagnostic tests, checking your pulse, heart rate, temperature, pupil dilation and visual acuity before leaning back.

"Well, everything seems to be okay so far.  Are you experiencing any sharp pains? Headache? Nausea?"

"No.  I  - I don't think so.  What - what happened?"

The seven men traded glances until Namjoon stepped forward.

"What's the last thing you remember?" he asked.

"Um....I was coming to your place to make a delivery.  It was my last one of the day.  The street was full so I had to park at the corner and walk down.  I was almost at your gate when..."

A jarring image abruptly popped into your mind, causing your breath to catch in your chest.

"Y/N?" asked Jin, laying his hand gently on top of yours.  "You okay?"

Inhaling then exhaling slowly to steady yourself, you nodded before continuing.

"I - I was almost at the gate when a man stepped out from between the cars.  H - he was wearing a ski mask.  It - it c-covered everything but his eyes." 

"Did he say anything to you?" asked TaeHyung, maneuvering himself and Yeontan into position behind Jin.

"Just that he wanted the food I was delivering to you guys."

"He specifically mentioned food?" asked Hoseok.

Your eyebrows pinched at the question.

"Actually, no.  Now that you mention it, he kept calling it 'the package'.  He got angry when I didn't hand it over right away but it was all just so surreal that I fr - froze.  Then I saw he had a g-gun and before I could do anything he...."

Your hands began trembling so Jin tightened his grip on them.

"Shh...it's okay," he said in soothing voice.  "You're safe now.  No one can hurt you in here."

"Y/N-ssi?  Do you remember anything else about the person who did this to you?" asked Jimin.  His voice was low and even but his fists were clenched so tight his knuckles were turning white.   "Anything at all?"

"No.  After he....sh-shot me...."

Even as you spoke them, the words sounded absolutely absurd to you. 

"I - I vaguely remember pressing the buzzer then making my way into the courtyard."

You looked up at the young man with the tattoos who was still hovering at the end of the bed.

"Sorry.  I remember that you were there but if you told me your name I didn't catch it."

"No worries.  We - uh -  didn't get that far."

The young man bit his pierced lip before bowing a full ninety degrees.

"My name is JungKook.  Nice to finally get to meet you properly. Sorry it's like....this..."

He stood, waving his hands around, obviously unsure of how what else he was supposed to say.   Tattoos and piercings aside, he came across as a shy kid and you found his awkwardness oddly endearing.

"Well, regardless of the circumstances, it's nice to meet you as well, JungKook-ssi."

JungKook gave a soft smile and you were certain he must be the bunny Namjoon mentioned to you.

You smiled back before glancing around the room.

"Um....Not to be rude but ... where am I?"

The men exchanged another round of nervous looks.

"That's... kind of a long story," said TaeHyung, shifting a fidgety Yeontan in his arms.

"How long?"

"Long," said Namjoon.

"And complicated," added Hoseok.

"Right.  Is it the kind of story I'll need to hear before or after I give my statement to the authorities?"

"Ah.  The authorities.  Right,"  said Jin, rubbing the back of his neck.  "About that....we didn't actually call them."

You stared at him blankly trying to make sense of what he was saying.

"Wait....If you didn't call the authorities then how did I get to the hospital?"

"Hospital.  Yeah...."

As Jin averted his eyes you noticed the tips of his ears turning red.

"You see... you're not technically in a hospital...."

You blinked in confusion.

"Well, if I'm not in a hospital then where the hell am I?"

Jin opened his mouth but before he could speak a deep, growling voice cut him off.

"Hyung...I still don't think this is a good idea...."

You turned your head to see Yoongi lingering near the doorway.  He'd been so quiet that you hadn't actually paid attention to the fact that he was even there until now.

"We have to tell her, hyung"  said Jimin.  "After all, it's her ass on the line."

"Excuse me.   Tell me what? What's happening?  What's going on?"

"It's okay, little one,"  said Jin.  "I'll tell you but before I start, I need for you tell us everything you know about HeeSung and his business."

"What's to know?  Like I told TaeHyung-ssi before, I met the man one time at my job interview.  All I know about him is that he runs a third rate chicken and barbeque restaurant and that he would do the world a favor if he went to see a dentist and bathed more frequently.  End of story."

"Think back," said Namjoon.  "In all the time you worked there, didn't anything about the business ever strike you as odd?"

"Only the number of people who placed multiple return orders after tasting his cooking.  He gave me mine for free and I still wanted my money back.  I mean, it was better than starving and everyone I delivered to seemed to be really well off financially so I figured it was true -  that the rich are just different."

"He has so many customers because they could care less about the food," said Jimin.

"What do you mean? I don't care how much money you have, why keep ordering from a restaurant if you don't like the food?"

"He means..." sighed Namjoon.  "That alongside the containers of badly prepared fried chicken and bulgogi, you've also been delivering drugs, guns, ammunition and small electronics for the mafia."

You almost laughed out loud at the absurdity of the statement until you looked in his eyes and realized that he didn't seem to be joking.  Whipping your head around to the others, you were dumbfounded to see that everyone else looked equally serious.

"WHAT?!  No!  No way!"

"Calm down!"  fussed Jin.  "The last thing I need is for you to start hyperventilating and break your stitches!"

Tears welled up in your eyes and your stomach lurched at the implications of what they were saying.

"I didn't know!  I swear!"

Agitated by the sound of your distress, Yeontan scrambled out of TaeHyung's arms to leap onto the bed.

TaeHyung went to grab his dog but Jin - sensing the animal's presence might actually help calm you  - stopped him.

"Shh... we know...." 

Jin rubbed his thumb gently over the back of your hand as Yeontan nuzzled into your side.

"But guys like HeeSung?  That's what they do.  They hire people they consider expendable so they can have someone to throw under the bus in order to keep their own sorry asses out of jail."

"But...why me?"

"Let me guess..." said Hoseok.  "No one else applied for the job, did they?"

"I think there was one other guy who interviewed the same day I did but they didn't hire him.  I heard them say he was over qualified?"

"That means they probably thought he was either a mole from another gang or an undercover cop," said Namjoon.

"But why involve me?"

"Because you fit the profile," said Jimin.

"What do you mean? What profile?"

The men all looked at Jin who grumbled something about always having to be the bearer of bad news under his breath before clearing his throat.

"Your full name is _______.   Date of birth _______. Making her older than everyone but me, so mind your manners and honorifics, okay?"  

Avoiding the confused expression on your face, Jin cast a stern look at the others before continuing.

"Born in Korea as the only child to ____ and ____ .  Moved overseas when you were three due to your father's job."

He focused on a spot just over your shoulder, carefully avoiding your gaze which was growing increasingly agitated the longer he spoke.

"Unfortunately, two years after you moved your father died a month after your fifth birthday."

You held your breath, praying he wouldn't bring up the details of that fateful day.  You released a sigh of silent thanks when he moved on without further elaboration of that event.

"Tragically, your mother passed away a few years later when you were thirteen.  Since both of them were only children with no family and you were underage this left you a ward of the state." 

Out of the corner of your eye, you noticed Jimin slipping his hand into TaeHyung's as Jin spoke.

"You bounced around various foster and group homes until you were adopted at the age of sixteen by a lovely woman you affectionately referred to as Mama B in the beautiful essay you wrote which helped win you a spot in the international graduate university program you came here to participate in."

He chanced a quick glance at you and smiled.

"I'm certainly no expert, but in my humble opinion that was an extraordinarily touching bit of writing.  If you ever decide to diverge from your chosen career path as an educator and therapist of children,  I'd encourage you to be an author.  You have a real gift for words."

He looked away again before continuing.

"Sadly, the woman you wrote so highly of passed away before you received your acceptance letter.  Following her funeral, you took the small amount of money she bequeathed you and came to Korea just before everything shut down.  Flash forward to a few months ago when - out of necessity due to your shrinking bank account - you took a job with HeeSung."

"This is all very enlightening," you said through gritted teeth.  "But I'm still not sure how it applies to my current situation."

"Don't you see?" said Namjoon.  "That's what bastards like HeeSung do. Hire someone with no clue about what's going on.  Someone who really needs the money with no ties to the community and no family to speak of.  That way if they need to cut them loose there's no one around who cares enough about them to make a fuss."

"Hyung!"  Jimin hissed, raising his eyebrows at the man standing next to him.

"What?  Oh!  Sorry!"

Namjoon's face flushed a deep crimson when he realized what he'd said.

"That...that d-didn't come out the way that I..."

As the man stammered,  Hoseok stepped in.

"What hyung is trying to explain is the reason we didn't call an ambulance or take you to an actual hospital is that they're legally required to report gunshot wounds to all appropriate governmental authorities  and that would not have ended well for you. "

"But why?  I'm the victim in all this!"

"YOU know that and WE know that..." said TaeHyung.  "But HeeSung - under the guise of being an 'upstanding citizen and small business owner' -  would have paid off whoever he needed to make sure YOU were the only one charged with a crime." 

"He's right," said Jimin.  "They would've painted you as someone out to make money at the expense of the 'law abiding' public.   They would've made sure you had an incompetent public defender and buried you under so much legal paperwork that you wouldn't have stood a chance at trial.  And that's if they'd even held a trial."

"So that's why we kept you here instead," said Jin.  "Thankfully, the bullet was a small caliber and it went straight through your side, missing all your vital organs, which meant I was able to fix you up here, thereby avoiding your untimely - and  most likely permanent - incarceration."

"You're lucky Jin hyung is so good at what he does!"  said JungKook.   "If I were you, I'd buy a lottery ticket!"

Internally fuming, you gave the man a tight lipped nod as you began struggling to sit up.

"Thanks for the tip.  I'll pick one up on my way home tonight."

"Hold on! Just where do you think you're going?!" 

Gently but firmly, Jin grabbed hold of your shoulders and pushed you back onto the pillows.

"You're still recovering from surgery.  That means you're not going anywhere for at least a week, maybe two."

"Hell, no!  If you think I'm staying here with a bunch of strangers who knew I was working for the fucking mafia without telling me and THEN took it upon themselves to invade my fucking privacy then you are sadly mistaken!"

You struggled in vain against Jin's hold but it quickly became apparent you were no match for the man's strength.

"Listen.  We're sorry we didn't warn you sooner about your employment situation but we had to be sure you were who you said you were before saying anything.  Tipping our hand to the wrong person could put us in jeopardy as well."

You opened your mouth to argue but Jin cut you off.

"This topic is not open for discussion, Y/N-ssi.  You are my patient and until I deem you no longer in danger and physically able to care for yourself on your own then you're staying right where you are for the foreseeable future."

"Your patient?" you huffed.  "Says who? Are you even a doctor?"

Jin's hands dropped from your shoulders as he leaned back in his chair.

"I have a medical degree."

"From where?  One of those off-shore mail order schools based in some island in the Caribbean?"

"Yah!" exclaimed TaeHyung.  "Jin-hyung graduated first in his class from the best medical school in Korea and he was one of the top residents at the National Hospital in Seoul before...."

"TaeHyung-ah!"

Yoongi snarled, cutting the other man off before he could finish his sentence.

"Before?  Before what?" you said.  "What happened?"

Your irritation grew when no one answered you.

"Oh...now all of a sudden privacy is a big deal?  Fuck that!"

You tried to get up again but this time a sharp pain in your side stopped you.

"Please, stop!" pleaded Jin, his eyes filled with concern. 

"I understand how upsetting this must be but I swear I'm not lying when I say that it is extremely important for you to rest as much as possible right now.  Any undue aggravation might cause internal bleeding or make one of your previous injuries flare up and neither of us want that, do we?"

At the mention of previous injuries your head jerked up.

"Great!  Is there any part of my life you haven't dug up?"

"Apparently I missed the section on how not to piss you off..."

Jin gave a weak smile but when you didn't return the gesture he swallowed hard before admitting:

"Despite the challenges you faced, you maintained an exceptional GPA throughout your entire time at school. You have a sordid criminal history dating back to your teenage years consisting of a parking ticket, a warning for underage drinking and a handful of overdue library books.  Other than that, nothing that bears mentioning at the moment..."

"Wow....I'm surprised you didn't look at my internet browsing history and my NetFlix queue."

Your jaw clenched when Jin ducked his head and blushed.

"Really?!" you exclaimed. You threw your hands in the air, which caused Yeontan to sit up and take notice.  "You've got to be fucking kidding me."

"Don't worry!" said Jin, trying to sound reassuring.  "We've seen much worse! At least you never downloaded certain videos that corrupted all the computers on the network with a shit ton of viruses."

Namjoon shifted his feet as everyone looked pointedly at him.

"It was just that one time...." he muttered. 

He looked so dejected that if you hadn't been so infuriated you almost would've felt sorry for the man.

"Look," said Jin.  "We're sorry we had to poke around in your private life.  Is there anything we can do to make it up to you?"

"You can start by answering some of my questions."

"Okay.  Like what?"

"You seem to know an awful lot about organized crime.  What's the deal?  Are you guys mafia as well?"

You meant it as a joke but when no one laughed or objected your heart sank into your stomach.

"Fuck.  Sorry.  Stupid question.  Forget I asked."

"It's okay,"  said Hoseok. "We're not mafia, per se.  More like ... mob adjacent?"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?  Are you like...undercover cops or something?"

"No," said Namjoon.  "I suppose you might say that we operate outside of any official channels."  

"If you think that clarification was at all helpful I hate to inform you that it was not," you snapped.

"Fine," said Jin.  "Without getting into too much detail, the easiest way to explain it is through each of our various areas of expertise, we provide assistance to those for whom official channels and / or forms of recourse are out of reach for a multitude of reasons."

"Oh.  Well," you deadpanned.  "Why didn't you say that in the first place?  That clears everything up.  Thank you."

"Hmm...." hummed Jin.  "I haven't known you long enough to know if you're trying to be subtle Y/N-ssi, but I'm pretty sure I recognize sarcasm when I hear it."

"Good.  I'd hate to have to explain it to you every time it happens, Jin-ssi."

When no one said anything for a long minute, JungKook tentatively raised his hand as if asking a teacher for permission to speak.

"Y/N-ssi?"

"Yes, JungKook-ssi?"

"Would you feel better if you had your special blanket?"

The younger man let out a small whelp of confusion when Hoseok smacked the back of the maknae's head as Jin let out a strangled groan.

"What do you mean?!" you said, your voice rose in both volume and pitch, causing Yeontan to snuggle even closer to you.  "How the hell do you know about my blanket?!"

"You may as well tell her, hyung," said Namjoon.  "She's already pissed. Better to get it out now rather than later."

"Tell me what?!"

His impressive shoulders slumping, Jin nodded in agreement with Namjoon.

"Okay.  See...we weren't sure if it was just the package the person who shot you was after or if they had a grudge against you specifically so while you were unconscious I sent someone over to your place to check it out.  You know, to see if anything there had been tampered with? So, when they got there they said the place looked a little dodgy and security seemed lax...."

"Lax?" scoffed Jimin.  "It was pathetic.  You could have blindfolded me and put me in a straitjacket and I still could've gotten in and out of there undetected in under three minutes. Five minutes tops."

Slinging his arm around Jimin's shoulders, Hoseok whispered,  "Baby?  I really don't think now is the right time to flex on that particular skill set..."

"Oh, right," said Jimin. "Sorry."

"You broke into my place and went through all my personal things?!"

"It wasn't that much," said Jimin, who began counting on his fingers.

"You had a one drawer of clothes, a woefully out of date laptop, three paperback books, a couple of photos, some subpar skin and hair care products and a handmade blanket.  I put it all in your duffle bag, zipped it up tight and brought it straight back here." 

Reaching under the bed, Jin pulled out the bag in question.

"See?  We put it under here as soon as he got home.  No one has touched it since." 

"If no one else touched it then how did he know what was inside?" you asked, pointing an accusing finger at JungKook.

"I provided Kookie and hyung with a written inventory like I always do," said Jimin.  "Just in case there were any questions later."

"How very thorough of you," you said, glaring at Jimin before turning your icy gaze towards Jin. 

"Fine.  If you didn't go through the bag then how did you get my laptop to read my essay?"

"Oh, he didn't have to touch the laptop to do that," said JungKook.

The young man paused, nervously checking to make sure no one was going to hit him again before continuing with his explanation. 

"You - your laptop automatically backs everything up into cloud storage and you haven't updated your password, your operating system or your security software in a really long time.  Any motivated middle school student with internet access and remedial hacking skills could've read it if they wanted to."

Pinching the bridge of your nose, you muttered under your breath.

"Un-fucking-believable."

"Listen," said Jin, leaning forward in his seat.  "I know this must be a lot to take in but I swear that everything we've done since you've been injured has been to keep you safe. I give you my word."

"Great.  Your word.  You'll forgive me if I find that less than comforting under the circumstances."

You tipped your head back against the pillows. Your eyelids were growing heavy and it was getting more and more difficult to think clearly.

"Y/N-ssi?" said Jin.  "Are you okay?  Can I get you anything?"

"I....I just need to be alone so I can think."

"Fair enough."

He reached over to gather up Yeontan, an action which caused you to instinctively pull the animal closer.

"No.  Please?  He...he's the only reason I'm not trying to walk out of here right now."

Jin glanced at TaeHyung, who was obviously conflicted by the request.  His eyes flicked between you and the dog before asking,   "Can...can I put his stairs by the bed and leave the door cracked so he can get out if he needs to?"

"Yeah...Of course.  I don't want him to be uncomfortable.  I...I just need his company for a while?"

"Sure.  I understand."

TaeHyung smiled and bowed before hurrying out of the room.  The others followed suit, all but Yoongi bowing and offering soft apologies as they each slipped into hallway.  Jin waited until TaeHyung returned , watching as the curly haired man placed the foam stairs beside the bed.

Once satisfied that Yeontan could come and go as he pleased, Tae gave the little dog a kiss on the nose, whispering, "Be a good boy for Noona, okay?"

He then bowed to you once again before leaving you alone with Jin, who asked,  "Can I get you anything else before I leave?"

"Can...Can I please have my blanket?"

"Of course."

Jin unzipped the bag, gently removing a worn and faded patchwork blanket that he then offered to you with both hands and a respectful bow.

"Here you go.  Please, try and get some rest.  I'll come check on you soon.  Maybe see if you feel like trying some solid food?"

"Okay.  Thank you."

He bowed again before slipping out of the room, leaving the door cracked just enough to allow Yeontan to exit if he wished.

You waited until you could no longer hear footsteps in the hallway before pulling the blanket close and burying your face in the dog's soft fur.

"Yah..." you whispered. "You got me into this, little guy.  What do you think I should do?"

The pomeranian gave an little squeak before twisting around to lick the tip of your nose.

"True," you said.  "You had nothing to do with me taking the job with HeeSung."

You couldn't help but smile as Yeontan huffed then turned around three times before curling up between your chest and neck.

"That's a fair point.  You do seem to be well fed and well loved.  I suppose that anyone who cares this much for you can't be all bad..."

You yawned, scratching the dog behind the ears as your body began to quickly succumb to exhaustion.

"But apparently my judgment hasn't exactly been stellar recently, has it..."

Yeontan gave a little sneeze as he wriggled even closer to you.

"Fine," you murmured, your eyelids growing heavier.  "If you say so, that's what I'll do...."

And with that you drifted off to a sleep that - for the first time in a long while - was blissfully free of dreams.

Chapter Text

Chapter Three

You briefly regained consciousness when Yeontan scrambled off the bed and out of the room and then once again when he climbed back up and snuggled in beside you  but other than that you slept soundly.

The next time you properly woke up you laid there, listening to the little dog snoring while petting his soft fur until you caught the sound of voices in the hallway.

"Any luck tracking down our culprit, Kookie?"

"I'm getting closer, hyung.  I've almost finished reviewing all the surveillance footage I pulled from the surrounding area.  I should have a definite location on the bastard later today.  Tomorrow morning at the latest."

"Good.  Keep me and Joonie posted on your findings."

"Got it, hyung.  Will do."

"Thanks."

There was a shuffling of feet then the door slowly swung open to reveal Jin holding a tray as an eager TaeHyung peeked over his shoulder.

"Ah!  You're awake!" said Jin.   "Do you think you're up to trying a bit of solid food?"

"Actually, that sounds nice.  Thank you, Seokjin-ssi."

"Good, because this porridge is a culinary masterpiece, if I do say so myself."

TaeHyung nodded enthusiastically as Jin placed the tray on the bedside table.

"He's not kidding either!  Jiminie and I used to fake being sick just so hyung would make it for us!"

"Until I figured out what they were doing and finally informed the little monsters that all they had to do was ask," huffed Jin.

"Sorry, hyung.  But before we came here, being able to ask for things like that was kind of a foreign concept for us."

"I know, Tae-ah," said Jin, ruffling the younger's hair affectionately. "Now, why don't you take Tannie for walkies while I check on my patient?"

He phrased it as a request but it was clear this topic was not open for discussion.

"Yes, hyung."

TaeHyung obediently scooped up the dog, who expressed his displeasure over being moved from his comfy spot with an indignant snort.                       

"Yah!  It's okay, baby," cooed the dog's owner.  "You can see her again later.  I promise."

As the pair exited the room Jin called out,  "TaeTae?  I left some porridge for you on the stove.  Best be quick though.  I cannot be held responsible for the actions of the others once they get the scent of it. "

TaeHyung flashed a bright, boxy smile as he scurried out the door.

"Thanks, hyung!  You're my favorite!"

"Yeah, yeah..." muttered Jin.  "I'll be the favorite until the porridge is gone."

He gave you a conspiratorial wink then held out his arms.

"Now, let's get you sitting up, shall we?"

He helped you into an upright position and after doing a quick check of your vitals he pulled a nearby chair as close as possible the bed then reached for the porridge.

"Alright," he said, dipping the spoon into the bowl before offering you a bite.  "Have a taste.  Tell me what you think."

"I can feed myself, Seokjin-ssi."

"Humor me for the first few bites.  Just until I'm sure you aren't having any problems swallowing, okay?"

You considered arguing the point but the porridge smelled really good and your stomach was reminding you just how long it had been since you'd had solid food of any kind, much less any with an aroma this enticing.

"Okay.  Fine.  Whatever,"  you said, opening your mouth like a baby bird.

"Thank you.  I appreciate it," said Jin.

You accepted the offering, taking time to savor the taste before swallowing.

"So?" asked Jin.  "What's the verdict?"

You stared at the bowl in his hands as if it had appeared from Heaven itself.

"That....is divine."

You reached for the porridge but Jin gently batted your hand away.

"Yah...your taste buds are just rejoicing because you aren't subjecting them to HeeSung's swill," he said, his nose crinkling in distaste as he scooped up another portion.

"It may have been a while but I do remember what actual food tastes like, Seokjin-ssi," you said, eagerly devouring more of what was being offered to you.  "And this is good."

"I'm glad it meets with your approval."

Jin fed you another couple of bites before you managed to pry the spoon out of his hand.

"Thank you but I can handle the rest by myself."

Jin conceded (albeit unwillingly) but remained close, keeping a close eye on you as you ate.

Once you'd devoured over half the bowl, he pulled your phone out of his jacket and laid it on the bedside table.

"Here.  Even though we firmly believe that staying with us is by far the safest option for you at the moment, we don't want you to feel like a hostage.  If you really want to leave, you have every right to do so."

"Hmm..." you said, eyeing the object with suspicion.  "Did you go through it as well?"

"No.  Other than taking it out of your pocket and charging it, we haven't touched it."

Jin chuckled as he shook his head.

"Although it's been killing Kookie to not upgrade it for you.    In his mind that thing is an abomination that belongs solely in a museum.  The only way you could have scandalized him more would've been if you'd owned a flip phone."

"I'll keep that in mind."

You took another bite of the porridge then asked. "So,  JungKook-ssi is an electronics expert?"

"Among other things," said Jin, reaching for the tray.  "Ready for a drink?  I have water, juice and tea.  Which would you like to start with?"

You noted how smoothly he pivoted away from the question about JungKook before answering him.

"Juice would be nice.  Thank you."

He exchanged the now empty bowl for the juice and adjusted the straw.  As he'd done with the porridge, he kept hold of the cup until he was sure you could handle it unassisted.

He finally let go and as you took slow sips of the juice he motioned towards the blanket in  your lap.

"That's beautiful.  I take it there's a story behind each of those bits of fabric."

"There is."

You could tell he wanted to ask more but to his credit he simply smiled and nodded.

"It's also very well constructed.  Whoever created it was quite talented." 

"She was indeed."

"Well, don't be surprised if you find Hoseok-ah lurking about trying to study the stitch work."

"Why?  Does he sew?"

"What aspiring fashionista doesn't?"

As you finished your drink, Jin returned the cup to the bedside table.

"Of course, he's not the only one obsessed with fashion.  The last time I had to suture Minnie he tried to get me to use embroidery thread and do some fancy embellishments on him.  I had the devil's own time explaining to him that the purpose of sewing wounds was medical rather than aesthetic.  Swore to myself that the next time I'd make sure my patient was unconscious before I worked on them.  Speaking of....May I check how your sutures are holding up?"

He waited for your consent before shifting the blankets, making sure to only lift your shirt just high enough to check his handiwork.  After studying the area carefully he tugged your shirt back down as he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Everything looks good so far but I'd really like to continue monitoring the wound for at least the next ten days just to be sure there are no signs of infection."

"That...sounds reasonable," you grudgingly admitted, pulling your special blanket back into your lap. "And Seokjin-ssi....I 'm sorry that I didn't say so before but...thank you for saving my life."

"Yeah, well....your life might not have needed saving if it hadn't been for us."

Seeing the guilt on his face you thought this might be a good opportunity to fish around for some background on your mysterious hosts.

"You know....In order for me to authenticate the validity of that statement, I think I'll need a lot more information, Seokjin-ssi."

"Such as?"

"You could start by telling me about yourself."

Opening his arms wide, Jin stretched his long legs out in front of him.

"Ask away.  I'm an open book."

You didn't even try to hide your snort of disbelief, causing the man to grin.

"Okay.... Maybe not an open book but you have to admit, if I'm any sort of book at all then the dust jacket is pretty damn appealing, right?"

"Hmm.... " you said, tapping your chin thoughtfully. "Once again, using humor as a deflection tactic.  How Interesting."

"Damn," said Jin, folding his arms in front of him.  "For a moment I forgot about your educational background.  I'll have to be more careful in the future."

"Or you could just tell me everything I want to know.  Save us both a lot of time and trouble."

"I could but my history is what you might call....complicated."

"That's okay," you said, snuggling back into the pillows.  "I've been told I'm clever and  - according to some smartass who claims I'm his patient - I've got nowhere to go for at least ten days. "

"Well..I suppose I can't argue with whatever genius told you that,"  said Jin, crossing his legs at the ankles.  "Where would you like me to begin?"

"Oh, I don't know.  I've always felt that all the best stories start with 'Once upon a time...'."

"Very well," said Jin, adopting a very professorial tone.  "Are you sitting comfortably, class?"

"Yes, Seongsaeng-nim!" you chirped in your best attentive schoolgirl voice.

Muttering the word "brat" under his breath, Jin took a deep breath before launching into his tale.

"Once upon a time the most adorable baby boy in the entire universe was born into a fairly well-to-do family."

"What a lucky and humble child,"  you said in a dry tone.  "Did he have a silver spoon in his mouth from the start?"

"Not quite.  I suppose you could say high quality stainless steel?"

"How fortunate for him."

"True.  Sadly, he'd be the first to admit that in his younger days he was not always appreciative of how blest he was to be born into such auspicious circumstances. "

Gazing at a hairline crack in the ceiling, a faraway look began clouding Jin's eyes.

"Unfortunately, when one doesn't face many struggles in their youth it makes it all the more difficult to navigate hard times when they actually occur."

"Really?  I wouldn't know."

"Touché."

Jin glanced at you with a wistful smile that gave a pretty good indication his story most likely was not going to end with the words "happily ever after."

"The boy knew from the time he was old enough to have such thoughts that he wanted to be a doctor when he grew up.  A surgeon, to be exact." 

"Why was that?" you asked.

"He loved the idea of helping people but - truth be told - there was also a bit of ego involved as well.  You see, to him, surgeons were the super heroes of the medical world - swooping in, saving lives, yadda yadda yadda..."

He waved his hands dismissively.

"So the boy poured all his energies into his studies and it turned out that he found that many of the concepts and theories came more easily to him than most of his fellow students.  He graduated early, becoming the youngest student ever accepted into this country's most prestigious medical school."

"Wow!  A Korean Doogie Howser!"

"Aish! Not quite that young but young enough to stand out amongst his peers.  After graduating at the top of his class he became a resident at the most highly ranked hospital in Seoul.  He did quite well there, soon finding himself under the mentorship of none other the world renowned Chief of Thoracic Surgery."

"Sounds like quite the charmed life. However I've got the distinct feeling it didn't stay that way.  What happened?"

"What happened was one night after a fourteen hour shift in the emergency room our intrepid protagonist walked outside to catch a breath of fresh air only to find the aforementioned Chief of Surgery - a man he both respected and idealized -  selling narcotics he'd swiped from the dispensary to a couple of teenagers in the parking lot."

"Ouch....That had to hurt."

"It did," Jin nodded.  "It did indeed." 

"So what did the esteemed surgeon have to say for himself when he realized he'd been found out?"

"He ordered me to forget all about it. Pretend it never happened."

At this point, Jin switched from third person to first, thereby dropping the pretense that this story was about someone other than himself.  If he'd done this on purpose, he didn't let it show and you weren't about to interrupt the tale to ask.

"I told him I couldn't do that but if he promised me that this was a one-time thing that wouldn't happen again and if he replaced the drugs he'd stolen  - at his own expense  - that I wouldn't report him.  He said that he would do that."

Pursing his lips, Jin flicked an imaginary bit of fluff from his sleeve.

"He swore to me that it was only a momentary lapse of judgment brought on by recent, unexpected family expenses.  Even thanked me for stopping him before he'd done irreversible damage to his personal life and career."

"And you believed him?"

"I did."

"Seriously?"

"What can I say?" Jin shrugged.  "I was young and naive.  I honestly thought if a person you held in high esteem gave you their solemn word that you could trust them to keep it."

"Oh, Seokjin-ssi," you sighed.  "As Mama B would say, 'Bless your heart.'"

Jin snorted and for a brief second you saw a genuine smile flash across his face.

"Yah! I've seen enough American media to know that means I was an idiot....and you're right.  It was not my finest moment."

"So what happened?  Did you catch him at it again?"

"If only it had been that easy...."

The look on the man's face told you his story was about to take a turn for the worse.

"I came in the next day only to be met at the door by two burly security officers.  I was then escorted to the Chief Administrator's office where I was informed that - effective immediately - I was not only fired but also permanently stripped of my privileges.  Barred from practicing any sort of medicine anywhere  - in this country or any other - for the rest of my life.  Legally, I can't even treat Tannie if he needed it."

"Why?"

"It would seem that they'd received an anonymous tip that very morning about one of the residents selling drugs to vulnerable, at risk youth in the community.  They immediately searched all the lockers and lo and behold!  They found mine filled with pill bottles stolen from the dispensary."

Your stomach lurched and you suddenly felt the need to punch a person whom you'd never met.

"After cutting him a break that son of a bitch framed you?"

"Yes, but he didn't stop there.  He needed to be sure that no one would ever believe my side of the story so he also alerted the media.  By that evening my face was plastered across every news broadcast and supermarket tabloid in the country. To hear them tell it, I was a drug dealer on the scale of Scarface.  Bastard even had the nerve to make a public apology, begging the community's forgiveness for not having noticed my nefarious activities sooner.  The only thing that kept my ass from being thrown in prison was the lack of evidence that I'd ever actually sold anything to anyone."

Jin tried to keep his tone light but the tension in his jaw and shoulders was evident.

"Even so, the resulting shame caused my family to both publically and privately disown me.  In the space of twenty four hours I lost my dream, my livelihood, my apartment, my car, my future and my entire support system."   

"Fuck.  What did you do?  Where did you go?"

"I spent that first night in a homeless shelter but by the next morning some reporters had managed to track me down.  After that no place would take me.  Can't say that I blamed them.  It turned into a damn circus whenever the media made an appearance."

Jin's voice and body language told you all you needed to know regarding his opinion of the media.

"I ended up sleeping rough for a while, moving around from alleys to city parks to underpasses until one night I found myself wandering along the banks of the Han River.  I was digging a carton of leftovers out of a trash can when this pudgy little middle aged man wearing wire rim glasses came over, asking if I wanted a real meal and a job."

Jin chuckled as he shook his head.

"I'm sure you can imagine what I though he meant by such an offer but in that moment I was so despondent that anything seemed better than where I was at.  So I said yes.  And damned if it was the best decision I ever made."

"How so?"

"Turns out he wasn't a creep.  He was a kind man who'd already rescued a few other strays.  He gave us a home and a purpose, taught us to work as a team in order to do some good for the world and ....well.... here I am.  Providing illegal medical assistance to those in need who can't go elsewhere."

"I think you skipped a few rather significant points there, Seokjin-ssi."

"Ah, well....you know.  Can't give away everything now, can I?  Otherwise you might lose interest and ..."

Pausing dramatically, Jin fixed you with a sexy stare that would most high fashion models would kill their own grandmothers to emulate before waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"I promise.  The best bits of me have yet to be revealed."

Even though you knew he was doing this to avoid answering any more questions, it was still a struggle to keep a straight face.

"Wow.  Even more deflection, only this time using innuendo and double entendres? Tsk, tsk.  I thought you'd be more creative than that, Seokjin-ssi."

"What can I say?" he shrugged.  "Cliché's are clichés for a reason, Y/N-ssi."

"Alright. Fine.  If you want to be coy then I can be patient.  For now."

"A patient with patience?  That's a first for me.  I'll have to note that in my journal."

"A journal,  you say?  My, my.  I'd love to get my hands on that."

Resting his elbows on his knees, Jin's eyes glinted with mischief.

"Play your cards right and it won't be the only thing of mine you can get your hands on."

"But what if I don't like card games?"

"Oh, I'm sure between the two of us we could come up with a game we both agree on."

"You mean like "Truth or Dare'?  Or maybe 'Twenty Questions'?"

Grinning, Jin shook a finger at you.

"Yah!  I'm not going to make it that easy for you."

"Ah, well.  You can't blame a girl for trying," you said.  "So....If your past is temporarily off limits, then I suppose it would be pointless of me to ask for information on the other 'strays'?"

"It would."

Leaning forward, Jin unexpectedly turned serious.

"Listen.   I understand how you would find the notion the absolute height of hypocrisy,  but I do hold the privacy of the people I care about in the utmost regard.  It's up to the other six when or IF to share their pasts with you but  - for what it's worth - I can tell you that I trust each and every last one of them with my very life.  Without hesitation.  No questions asked."

Searching his eyes, you could tell he genuinely meant every word he was saying.

"And while I know we've done nothing to deserve it, I feel I can speak for all of us when I say that we'd like the chance to earn your trust as well, Y/N-ssi."

Fidgeting with the hem of your blanket you thought carefully before reaching the decision that would end up changing everything.

"Okay," you said at last.

Jin cocked his head to one side, unsure if he'd heard you correctly.

"Okay....what?"

"Okay.  I'll give you a chance.  I mean, it's not like I have many other viable options at the moment, right?"

Smiling, Jin placed both his hands flat on his lap before bowing deeply to you.

"Thank you, Y/N-ssi.  I promise, you won't regret it."

"Careful, Seokjin-ssi.  Don't let your mouth write checks that your ass can't cash."

"Is that another pearl of wisdom from the estimable Mama B?"

"The one and only."

"Aish!  I really wish I could've met her."

"So do I.  Of course, you realize that she'd have already beaten the whole lot of you with her trusty pocketbook for leaving me hanging in the wind the way you did?"

"And she would've had every right to do so...."

Jin slapped his hands on his knees before standing.

"Okay!  I've talked long enough.  You need some more rest.  When you wake up again I'll remove the IV and then we'll see how you feel about a walk to the kitchen.  I don't want your muscles to start atrophying from disuse."

Taking the tray from the bedside table, Jin bowed once again before starting to leave.  He'd almost reached the door when you called out, "Seokjin-ssi?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For trusting me with your story.  For what it's worth - I'm very sorry that happened to you.  You... well... you didn't deserve that."

"Thank you, Y/N-ssi.  That means a lot.  For what it's worth, I don't think you deserve anything that's happened to you either."

He paused, then added, "And please, speak informally with me.  We are trying to be friends, after all."

And with that, Jin slipped out of the room, leaving you alone with your thoughts.

Chapter Text

Chapter Four

When you woke again Jin was asleep in the chair by the bed, so you took advantage of the opportunity to study the man's face during this rare, unguarded moment. 

After he'd left earlier you'd used your newly returned phone to do a search on his name but you only managed to skim the first article before almost throwing the device across the room.  Since you knew the truth of what really happened, reading the gross inaccuracies and outright lies spread by his former hero made you sick to your stomach.

Feeling guilty that Jin was now curled up in what had to be an uncomfortable position for a man of his stature, you were about to wake him when his unfairly thick eyelashes fluttered open.

"Ah!  Y/N-ssi."

Rubbing his hands over his face, he sat up and twisted his back.

"Sorry.  I came in to check on you and sat down for a minute.  Didn't mean to doze off like that."

"That's okay, Doc.  I just woke up myself."

Jin's eyes lit up at the nickname and even though he didn't explicitly acknowledge it, you felt a tinge of satisfaction in the fact that - in addition to appearing uncharacteristically flustered - the tips of the man's ears were bright red as he began removing your IV line.

After he'd finished, he helped you sit up so you could swing your legs over the side of the bed.

"There.  How do you feel about taking a short walk to the kitchen?"

"I'd like that but first would it be possible for me to have a trip to the lavatory and a change of clothes?"

You glanced down at the designer button up shirt and sweat pants you were currently wearing, which most definitely did not belong to you.

"Ah!  Yes!  Clothing...."

Jin blushed again, a sight you were finding increasingly endearing.

"I intended to mention that earlier.  My apologies but in my haste to treat your injuries I found it necessary to cut your original garments off." 

Before you could say anything, his eyes grew wide as he waved his hands.

"But don't worry! I can assure you that no one else saw you and your modesty was quickly restored via the donation of some of Jiminie's wardrobe." 

You wondered what these men's wardrobes looked like if they loaned out expensive lounge wear like this to their guests.

"Once he'd brought your things back from your flat it seemed only right to wait and let you go through them yourself and decide what you'd like to wear."

He rushed to pull your bag from its place underneath the bed.

"Here!  Still untouched.  I promise."

The earnest look on the man's face made it difficult to be cross with him.

"Thanks, Doc.  I appreciate that.  And don't worry about whatever you had to do with what I was wearing before.  The work shirt was provided by HeeSung and the jeans were from a second hand shop, just like most of my other clothes."

"Well, if you find yourself in need of anything to wear while you're here, please let us know.  The Wonder Twins and Yoongi-ah are close to your size and in a pinch, Hobi-ah can alter any of our clothing to fit you."

"The Wonder Twins?"

"One of our nicknames for Jimin-ah and Tae-ah.  The maknaes as a whole are 'the little monsters'.  You'll see why after you've been around them for a while."

Chuckling, he then gestured towards your bag.

"Go ahead and dig out a change of clothes then I'll help you into the lavatory where you can brush your teeth and splash some water in your face.  There's also some body wipes in there you can use but - due to the stitches - I'm afraid that a full shower or bath is off limits for at least another twenty four hours."

"I'll take what I can get at this point, Doc.  I'm sure I smell pretty ripe by now."

"Aish!  That's nothing.  You should smell Kookie's laundry basket after he's failed to wash his gym clothes in a week."  Jin made a face as he waved his hand under his nose.   "We've threatened to throw them into bio-hazard bags and burn them in the fire pit outside the next time he does it."

"Thanks for the warning but I'd rather not reach toxic levels if at all possible, Doc."

Unzipping the bag you pulled out some new clothes, amused to see Jin quickly looking away when you produced a fresh set of underwear.

Rolling everything into a bundle you moved to slide off the bed but Jin stopped you.

"Wait!  Hold on to me," he said offering you his arm.

Seeing that you were about to object, he added, "I know it seems excessive but you did lose a significant amount of blood and you've been off your feet for a while.  It will take some time for you to regain your strength and balance.  The last thing you need is to fall and hurt yourself so...humor me.  Please?"

You really wanted to argue but once again you had admit that he was probably right.

"Fine," you said, hooking  your arm through his.

You were glad for this when your feet hit the ground for the first time and - as predicted - your legs buckled underneath you.

In a flash, Jin caught you around the waist.

"Yah!  Watch it!" he said, pulling you close against him.  "If I let you fall then I'll be the one recovering from a gunshot wound.  And while I'm good at my job, I don't fancy suturing myself up, thank you very much."

As he waited for you to catch your breath he softly asked, "Are you okay, Y/N-ssi?  Want to sit back down?"

"Nah.  I'm good, Doc.  Just got to get my 'sea legs' back under me."

Once you felt steady enough to proceed you nodded.

"Alright.  Let's try this again, shall we?"

Carefully, Jin guided you across the room into the attached lavatory.  He waited until you were propped up against the marble sink before tentatively pulling his arms away.

Keeping his eyes trained on you, he motioned towards some items laid out on the countertop.

"There you go.  Cleansing wipes, hairbrush, toothpaste, toothbrush as well as various and sundry skin care items.  If you need anything else let us know."

He grinned at you, seemingly having regained some of his previous swagger.

"Including assistance in changing clothes.  Because if you need help I  - for one - am ready, willing and able to volunteer my services."

"Thanks, Doc.  I'll give it a shot on my own first.  But if I do need help, I promise that you'll be the first person I'll call."

"Be careful, Y/N-ssi..." Jin winked as he took a step back towards the door.  "I seem to remember a warning about mouths writing checks that other body parts can't cash."

"Thanks for the concern but I can assure you, Doc.  All my body parts are more than capable of fulfilling any promises the rest of me might make."

Seemingly surprised by that answer, Jin swallowed hard then stammered, "Ah.  Yes.  Good to know.   Meanwhile, take your time and please - all kidding aside, Y/N-ssi  - if you need help let us know."

Placing his hand on the doorknob, he was turning to leave when you said,  "Doc?"

"Yes?"

"Please.  Drop the honorifics with me.  After all, I thought we said that you and I are trying to be friends - right?"

Jin smiled so brightly you'd have thought you just told him Christmas was coming early this year.

"Right.  Very well.  As you wish, Y/N-ah."

And with that he left, pulling the door closed behind him so you could have some privacy.

It took more time and effort than you anticipated but once you were finally able to freshen up and change into your own clothes, you opened the door to find not Jin but Namjoon waiting for you.

"Y/N-ssi!"

The man hopped up from where he'd been sitting to give you a respectful bow.

"I hope you don't mind.  Hyung had to deal with something in the kitchen so he asked me to wait for you."

" I don't mind at all, Namjoon-ssi.  It's your house.  At least...I think it is."

You thought about dropping the formal speech with him but decided that might be considered rude since it hadn't been mutually agreed on like it had with Jin.

"It is my house, Y/N-ssi.  Well, our house since it technically it belongs to all of us but either way you are an honored guest in it."

He smiled warmly, giving you another glimpse of his devastating dimples as he bowed once again before offering his arm to you.

"Now.  May I have the honor of escorting you to the kitchen?"

"Of course! Who am I to refuse such chivalry?"

Looping your arm through his, you couldn't help but notice that the man was decidedly more muscular than you'd initially given him credit for. 

"Are you okay to walk?" he asked.  "Hyung said you were a little unsteady earlier.  If need be, I can carry you."

"Thanks,  Namjoon-ssi.  But I need to try this on my own.  Can I get a rain check on that offer though?  Just in case I can't make it the entire distance."

"Absolutely," he said.  "The offer is valid any time.  Unlimited usage, no expiration date and no restrictions apply."

"My! How generous of you!" you giggled.  "If you're ready, then let's give this a go, shall we?"

While it was only a short distance from your room to the kitchen it still took longer than you thought it would.  As you went along, you tried to glean some more information about the owners of the building but the corridor was devoid of any personal touches so it gave you no clues.

The kitchen itself gave you a bit more to work with.  In addition to the high end flooring, light fixtures and cabinetry, the space also contained a professional gas range, marble countertops and state of the art stainless steel appliances.

As you entered, Jin and Hoseok were working alongside each other - one at the stove and the other at the stove.  JungKook was digging something out of the refrigerator and TaeHyung was gathering teacups from one of the cupboards while Jimin laid out cutlery on a large table that took up the center of the room.  At the far end of the table, a tired looking  Yoongi slouched in a chair nursing an oversized mug that - going by the aroma - was filled with strong black coffee.

Guiding you towards the table, Namjoon asked, "Can I help with anything?"

A resounding cry of  "No!" echoed through the room.

"Yah! That was rude," you said, feeling bad for your escort.

"It's not rude," said Jimin.  "It's self preservation.  Hyung might have an IQ of 148 but he's hopeless in the kitchen.  If he's not accidentally breaking the china then he's confusing the sugar and the salt."

"148? Seriously?"

You looked at Namjoon with a mixture of surprise and admiration but he merely ducked his head and blushed.

"Yep!" said TaeHyung, pulling out a chair for you as Yeontan danced happily around your feet.  "We're sure.  We had him tested."

"And while I'm sure she finds all this fascinating," said Jin, shooing the others away from you with a dish towel.  "Can it please wait until she sits down?"

He helped you into your seat as Yeontan hopped into your lap.

"There," said Jin, scooting your chair closer to the table.  "Now, you get comfortable while we get you some tea, okay?"

"Okay," you said, booping Yeontan on the nose.  "Whatever you say, Doc."

The others took note of the informal speech as well as the nickname.

"Doc!" exclaimed Hoseok, pouring a kettle of hot water into an ornate celadon teapot.  "I like it!  Does that make the rest of us dwarves as well?  If so, I call dibs on being Happy!"

"While that would seem to suit you Hoseok-ssi,  I'm afraid the numbers don't work out for you being dwarves."

"What do you mean?" asked TaeHyung, scanning the room as if doing a quick headcount.  "There are seven of us after all."

As Hoseok placed the teapot and a teacup in front of you, you smiled at him before turning your attention to Yoongi.

"That's true but since Grumpy and Sleepy seem to be the same person I'd be left one name short for the rest of you."

The man in question scowled as the other six burst into laughter.  Even Yeontan yipped as if enjoying the joke.

"Aish!  Y/N-ssi!"

Jimin's whole body convulsed with laughter as he slumped against the refrigerator, desperately trying to catch his breath.   

"I think I'm in love with you already!  Will you marry me?"

"I don't know.  Ask me in a year."

This seemed to get everyone's attention. 

"Really?"  asked Jimin, who'd suddenly stopped laughing. "What do you mean? Why a year?"

You decided to play along, convinced by Jimin's reaction that he was joking with you.

"Because Mama B told me to never even think of marrying anybody until you've know them at least a year."

"Why's that?" asked Hoseok.

You reached out to fill your teacup, only to have Jin do it for you.

"She said that a year is about as long as most people can reasonably maintain a lie."

Hoseok opened his mouth to say something but before he could speak Yoongi beat him to it.

"Okay.  No marriage for a year.  What about sex?"

Six shocked faces snapped towards Yoongi but your kept your expression neutral.  Years of floating around the foster care system had taught you to recognize when someone was deliberately trying to establish dominance by making you feel uncomfortable and you weren't about to give Yoongi the satisfaction of getting a rise out of you.

"What about it, Yoongi-ssi?  Are you asking if I'm for or against?  Or is there a more specific question you have in mind?"

As Yoongi set his mug onto the table, Jin lowered the teapot and growled, "Yoongi-ah...."

If Yoongi caught the warning he chose to ignore it.

"How long do you have to know someone before that's an option?"

"That would depend greatly upon the circumstances and the person I'm considering having sex with but generally speaking?  Longer than most but not as long as some, I suppose."

"Spoken like someone who hasn't gotten any in a while," scoffed Yoongi.  "When was the last time you actually had sex?"

"Min Yoongi! That is enough! "

Jin slammed his fist down on the table so hard that Yeontan whimpered at the outburst.

"I will not have you disrespecting a guest like this in our home!" 

"It's fine, Doc," you said, taking a sip of your tea while giving the little dog on your lap a reassuring pat.  "I've answered far more personal questions posed by people whose opinions actually mattered to me."

As you spoke you made sure to maintain eye contact with Yoongi.

"I'm assuming you mean when was the last time I had sex with someone other than myself.  Am I correct, Yoongi-ssi?"

It was clear from the look on Yoongi's face that had not been the answer he was expecting from you.   Secretly pleased that you'd managed to render the man temporarily speechless, you pressed on.

"If that's the case then it's been over a year. And before any of you even think of offering to help me with my problem..."

Pulling a face you made air quotes around that last word.

"I don't consider it a problem at all.  As a matter of fact, I'd much rather take care of myself than waste my time and energy trying to explain to some drunk, self absorbed idiot that they're not even in the same postal code as any of my erogenous zones. Now..."

Sitting the teacup down, you gazed around room with a challenging stare.

"Does anyone else have any other questions for me?"

"I do!"

Jimin shot one hand into the air, using the other to type furiously on his phone.

"Yes, Jimin-ssi?"

"Gold, silver or platinum jewelry?"

You tipped your head in confusion.

"Excuse me? I'm lost.  What are you talking about?"

"I'm making a note in my calendar to propose to you exactly one year from the day we met and I want to  make sure I get a ring that you'll like," he explained as if it were obvious.  "Now... as far as diamonds go - do you have a preference for the cut or the number of carats?"

Before you could answer,  Hoseok jumped into the conversation.

"Hold on there, Jiminie!  It's obvious that Y/N-ssi is a woman with high standards." 

As he spoke, he pulled out his own phone and opened a search engine.

"And we all know that diamonds are notoriously difficult to source in an ethical manner. I'm guessing that she'd want a different stone altogether.  Rubies? Emeralds?  Sapphires? Or perhaps a combination?  Real or synthetic?  I'm fine with whatever you like."

There was a sharp, screeching sound of metal scraping against marble as Jin scooted his chair closer to yours.

"Oh, you poor, poor deluded children," he said, draping his arm around your shoulders.  "The two of you are failing to take into consideration a very important fact."

"What's that, hyung?" asked Jimin.

"I met her before either of you two, so by the time your one year dates roll around, the future Mrs Kim Seokjin and I will be happily ensconced in the VIP lounge on the tenth floor of the Tiffany flagship store in New York City, sipping champagne whilst she designs her very own bespoke ring to commemorate our nuptials."

Jin smiled smugly until Namjoon cleared his throat.

"Excuse me?  But did it ever occur to any of you that she might view rings as yet another symbol of an oppressive patriarchal society and would prefer something less misogynistic?  Say, for instance..."

Before Namjoon could finish his thought, Taehyung cut him off.

"Sorry,  hyung.  But before you launch into your TedTalk I feel that I should point out something."

"What's that?"

TaeHyung grinned as he waved his phone triumphantly at the others.

"I met her  - twice - before any of you,  so the future Mrs Kim TaeHyung and I will have already hired a wedding planner and placed a deposit on a reception hall before any of you even have a chance."

This set off a rather lively discussion between five members of the household.  Ignoring the antagonistic glares from Yoongi, you sat back and sipped your tea,  letting the good natured bickering go on until you noticed JungKook sitting quietly across from you.

"Yah, JungKook-ssi!" you teased.  "I'm a little offended that I haven't heard from you yet.  Don't you have an offer to put on the table?"

JungKook shook his head as he gave you a shy smile.

"I really wish I could but....everyone else met you first."

The young man sighed as he gave a half hearted shrug.

"I mean, I'm the youngest which means I'm pretty much always last anyway so...."

He looked so dejected that for a half second you actually thought he might be taking this nonsensical game the others were playing seriously.

"Jungkook-ssi?" you said, setting down your tea.  "Come over here, please."

The young man's face scrunched in confusion as you moved an unhappy Yeontan from your lap onto the floor.

"Pardon?"

"You heard me," you said, placing your hands on the table and pushing yourself up from your seat, trying not to sway too much in the process.  "Come here.  Please."

Bewildered, JungKook did as he was told and was as shocked as anyone in the room when he walked around the table only for you to wrap your arms around his waist.

"There.  You may be the youngest and you may have met me last but you're the first one to get a hug from me."

Unsure how to react, a stunned JungKook froze, struggling to figure out what he was supposed to do with his hands until he eventually hugged you in return.

As he did so, you gave the other six a fierce look.

"And anyone in this room who gives him a bad time about it will immediately get moved to the bottom of the list to get any future hugs I decide to bestow.  Do I make myself clear?"

When you didn't receive an immediate response, you repeated yourself -  this time using your teacher voice.

"I said - do I make myself clear?"

Like a group of meerkats, all but Yoongi sat up straight in their chairs and answered in unison.

"Yes, ma'am!"  

Just then you were hit with a wave of exhaustion.  In the months before you'd met TaeHyung, most of your conversations had been limited to "Here's your order" and "Thanks for the tip" so you'd forgotten how tiring prolonged interactions with people could be.

Feeling a little woozy but not wanting to go back to your room just yet, you turned to the man with the heart shaped smile standing by the sink.

"Good.  Now. You...."

It took Hoseok a moment to realize you were addressing him.

"What? Who?  Me?"

"Yes.  You," you said.  "I think I'd like a breath of fresh air.  Can you take me outside for a little bit?"

"Yes!  Of course, Y/N - Noona!"

Taking a step forward, Hoseok stopped short when he realized what he'd just called you.

"Oops!  Sorry!" 

He slapped his hand over his mouth as he bowed a full ninety degrees.

"Please forgive me, Y/N-ssi!"

"It's okay, Hoseok-ssi," you said, pulling away from JungKook to reach for Hoseok's arm.  "You can call me Noona if you like."

"Really?  Thank you, Noona!"

Hoseok practically beamed as he wrapped his arm around your waist for support.

"Hold on!" pouted TaeHyung.  "How come Hobi-hyung gets to take you outside and call you Noona?"

"Because  - so far he hasn't forced me to try and accept money after clearly being told NO, broken into my flat, gone through my things, read all my personal files, disrespected me or made me apologize to jackasses."

As you rattled off their offenses, everyone but Yoongi had the decency to look embarrassed.

"Now," you said, smiling at Hoseok.  "If you don't mind - I'd like to go outside, please."

"Absolutely, Noona!"  said Hoseok, ushering you around the corner towards a set of French doors with Yeontan following close at your heels.  "Right away, Noona!"

The others remained silent until they heard the doors click shut behind you.

"Absolutely, Noona!  Right away, Noona!"  TaeHyung crossed his arms as he pouted.  "When did hyung become such a suck up?"         

"Never heard you complain about his sucking before," teased Namjoon, who barely ducked in time to avoid the napkin TaeHyung crumpled up and tossed at his elder, causing Jimin to shake his head.

"Fine, while you two act like children can anyone recommend a jeweler that specializes in custom pieces?  Because  - regardless of Namjoon-hyung's thoughts on the subject -  I feel going the traditional route would be best and I don't want to wait until the last minute."

"Just use the guy who does all your stuff," said Jin, who was now scrolling on his phone.  "In the meantime, do any of you know how long it takes to design and manufacture a custom wedding gown?"

"Ask Hobi-hyung," said Namjoon as he typed the words 'non-traditional eco-friendly engagement options' into a search engine.  "He'll know."

"You're all assuming that she'll even forgive us for what happened to her," said JungKook, staring wistfully in the direction Hoseok had taken you.

"She did tell me earlier that she'd be willing to let us try and earn her trust," said Jin.

This information seemed to be the ticket to breaking TaeHyung out of his funk.

"What? Really?  She said that?  Those actual words?"

"She did," said Jin. "Of course she also said it was partly because she didn't have any other viable options but .... it's better than nothing, right?"

"It'll probably take a lot of hard work though," said Namjoon.  "'None of us put our best foot forward at the start."

"That's okay.  We can do that," said Jimin.  "Besides, maybe she's grading on a curve.  if so that might work in our favor."

"What do you mean?" asked JungKook.

"Think about it," said Jimin, throwing his arm around Yoongi.  "Compared to how Yoongi-hyung treats her, the rest of us are practically knights in shining armor."

As the irritated elder pushed the giggling younger away, Namjoon said, "You know, traditionally knights were yet another symbol of the...."

Leaping across the room, Jimin cut the taller man off with a big sloppy kiss on the cheek.

"Hyung?  We all love you to death but let it go...."

As if on cue, TaeHyung jumped up and began singing at the top of his lungs.

"Let it go!  Let it go!"

"Fuck!  Jimin-ah!"  cringed Yoongi.  "You know better than to give him an opening like that!"

"Sorry hyung, but even you have to admit..." 

Jimin mussed Yoongi's hair as he ran past to join TaeHyung.

"We sound great on this one!"

Grabbing Tae's hands, the pair began dancing around the room.  As the duo loudly harmonized about frozen fractals falling,  Jin took advantage of the momentary distraction to pull Yoongi aside.

"Yoongi-ah?  A word, if you please."

Tugging the sullen man to the other side of the room, Jin spoke in a low voice,  "You want to tell me what that little display earlier was all about?"

"What?" pouted Yoongi. "I don't get it.  You've only know her a few days and you're all acting like she hung the fucking moon or something..."

"Stop right there, Yoongi-ah."

Jin leaned into Yoongi's personal space and hissed,  "Do you and I need to go somewhere private and have a talk?"

For the first time, Yoongi seemed nervous.

"A talk, hyung?"

"Yes.  A talk.  You know - the kind where we review the concepts of hospitality and social niceties as well the potential consequences that might occur when guests are disrespected in this household." 

"Oh," said Yoongi, hanging his head.  "That kind of talk."

"Yes.  That kind of talk.  Because I promise you that another outburst like that to our guest will NOT be tolerated.  Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, hyung," mumbled Yoongi.

"Good."

There was a tense silence until Jin's voice and posture both softened.

 "Listen.  I get it.  I know this is hard for you, Yoongi-ah."

Placing two fingers under Yoongi's chin, Jin raised the other man's face to meet his own.

"But she's our responsibility now so you need to make the best of it.  Besides,  I think if you gave her half a chance you'd like her.  The two of you have more in common than you might think."

After pressing his lips against Yoongi's forehead Jin was just about to walk out of the room to check on you when JungKook's phone pinged.  The youngest glanced down at his screen then yelled, "Hyungs!"

"Yah!  Kook-ah!" winced Jin, rubbing his ear.  "We're all right here, baby!"

"Sorry, hyung but one of Jackson's crew just got back with me on a lead I needed checked out near them!"

"Okay,"  said Jin, clearly not seeing the connection.  "And that gives you a reason to rupture my eardrum because...."

"Because it means I was right," said JungKook, grinning triumphantly.  "I know exactly where we can find the son of a bitch that shot Noona."

Chapter Text

Chapter Five

As quickly as possible, Hoseok whisked you into a tranquil garden located in the back of the house.

To your surprise, it was an unexpectedly idyllic spot consisting of a immaculately kept lawn bordered by elegant cherry and gingko trees which served as a screen, obscuring most of the high wall you knew enclosed the entire compound. 

From some of the lower tree branches hung a series of brass bells and wind chimes, which provided a soothing aural backdrop while at the same time muffling the low hum of traffic outside.

In the middle of it all was a cobblestone patio, whose edges were lined by a tidy bed of flowers and herbs. The focal point of the whole thing was a low brick fire pit, encircled by a set of chairs and loungers.

The overall effect was one of genuine peace and tranquility, a feeling completely at odds with the bustling city lurking outside.

Guiding you to one of the loungers, Hoseok made sure you were comfortable before scurrying over to a large storage bin by the door.  Rummaging around inside, he pulled out a blanket and pillow before hurrying back to you.

"Here you go, Noona!"

Placing the pillow behind your head, Hoseok then unfolded a large purple fleece and laid it over your legs.

"Are you warm enough?" he said, tucking the blanket around your feet. "Do you want me to start a fire for you? "

"No, thank you.  I'm quite cozy, Hoseok-ssi."

As you snuggled in, Yeontan hopped up and began making a bed in your lap.

"This is lovely," you said.  "It feels like a whole other world."

"Thank you but to be honest  I can only take credit for the fire pit," said Hoseok, pulling up a chair next to you.  "Joonie did most of the work out here.  Trees and plants are really his thing.  Although we each contributed some part of the process."

"Well, you all did a fantastic job.  This would be a excellent place to do yoga or meditate."

"It is.  However, with this lot, getting everyone together and in the mood to participate in such activities at the same time can be challenging."

"I can only imagine," you chuckled.  "Think Doc will give me the okay to resume something like that any time soon?"

"With an injury like yours?  I think it'll be at least a week before any dog other than Tannie is facing downward but hyung should be fine with the meditation.  I mean, I've never seen anyone pull a muscle trying to do that.  Except maybe Joonie."

"Aw!" you pouted, feeling sorry for your much maligned host.  "Why are you all so mean to Namjoon-ssi?"

"We're not mean, Noona.  We're realistic.  Don't get me wrong, we love Joonie to pieces but he's like one of those big dogs. You know, the kind that are extremely cuddly but at the same time have no sense of spatial awareness that keep tripping over their own paws?"

"Yah!  He can't be that bad."

"Oh, Noona...." sighed Hoseok.  "I guarantee that if you placed a bull and Joonie both in a china shop at the same time it would be a toss-up on who would do the most damage.  But, like I said, we love him just the same.  No matter how many mugs and dinner plates we have to replace."

"Well, I guess we'll just have to keep an eye on him if he decides to join us then."

You scratched a contented Yeontan behind the ears as you studied your surroundings.

"You know, that fire pit would be a great place to make s'mores."

"S'mores?  What's that?"

"You've never had a s'more?"

"No.  I think I've heard of them but I can't say I've ever even seen one."

"Really?  And here I thought I was the deprived one.  A s'more is a treat traditionally made around a campfire. You put squares of chocolate from a candy bar onto sections of graham cracker.  Then you cook marshmallows on a stick over the fire before placing them in the middle like a sandwich.  The heat from the marshmallows melts the chocolate, turning the whole thing into this divine concoction of ooey, gooey sweetness."

"Daebak!  That's sounds amazing!"  said Hoseok, his mouth watering.  "If I ask hyung to put all that on the next shopping list will you give us a demonstration?"

"Of course.  I'd be happy too, Hoseok-ssi."

"Please, if I'm calling you informally then I insist you do the same, Noona."

"Very well.  If you insist.  Is there anything in  particular you would like for me to call you?"

Hoseok's face turned serious as he considered the question.

"Hmm.....I'd like it to be personal and mean something but right now I'm not sure what that could be."

"Alright.  Well, then....what do the others call you?"

"Mainly Hobi or Hob-ah."

"Then why don't I use that until we think of something just between us.  Would that be okay, Hobi?"

The man's face lit up and for a moment you thought his smile could warm you more than any fire - large or small -  ever could.

"I'd like that, Noona!  Thank you!"

All too quickly however his smile faded and his gaze dropped.

"But...I... don't know if I deserve it yet.  The others weren't the only ones who didn't do right by you.  I...I should have said something when I met you that day.  Maybe if I had..."

"Hobi?  Stop.  Please."

You shifted your body towards him, causing a disgruntled Yeontan to snort.

"Yes.  I wish I'd been warned earlier so I could've quit that damn job or at the very least been more alert to the danger I was in before I got hurt but I know whatever decision you guys made was to protect yourselves and I guess...well, I guess I can understand that." 

Keeping his eyes fixed on the ground, Hoseok shook his head as you continued.

"But I suppose what matters most is that you guys helped me after the fact when you could've easily tossed me back on the sidewalk where I probably would've ended up in either jail or the morgue."

Hoseok's head snapped up.

"We never would've have let either of those things happen to you, Noona!  Not then, not now,  not ever.  I swear."

"Thanks, Hobi.  I appreciate that."

Wringing his hands, Hoseok carefully weighed his words before speaking again.

"Noona?  What...what can we do to make up for our mistakes?  Please.  Whatever it is, just tell us and we'll do it."

"Honestly?  I'm not sure, Hobi.  Like I told Doc, I'm willing to give you guys a shot but ... trust ... it - it can be hard for me.  And if your story is anything like his, I think you can understand."

Hoseok's eyebrows lifted at that.

"Jin-hyung told you what happened to him?"

"Yeah.  I guess he felt a little quid pro quo was in order after digging around in my past.  And to reassure me that he hadn't tried stitching me up with no experience by using YouTube videos or something."

"Nah," said Hoseok.  "Unfortunately, hyung's had plenty of practice on all of us at one point or another."

"Is what you guys do really that dangerous?"

Before Hoseok could answer, you heard the door open behind you.

"Hobi-hyung?"

Turning your head, you spotted TaeHyung standing there holding a tray in his hands.

"I'm sorry to interrupt but Jin-hyung needs you inside to discuss a job."

"Without you?" asked Hoseok, rising to his feet.

"Yeah.  But it's okay," said TaeHyung.  "They don't need my skill set yet and Minnie will fill me in on anything I need to know later."

Hoseok bowed in your direction as TaeHyung approached.

"Sorry, Noona.  Duty calls.  Whenever you feel up to it, let me know and I'll start a fire out here for you and we can finish our conversation then, okay?"

"Alright.  Thank you, Hobi.  I look forward to it."

Starting towards the door, Hoseok waited until he was safely out of your line of sight before teasing TaeHyung by sticking his tongue out at the curly haired man, who returned the gesture before stepping forward to place the tray he was holding on the table beside you.

"Here.  Jin-hyung sent out soup, rice and dumplings for you to try, Y/N-ssi," said TaeHyung, settling into the chair Hoseok had just vacated.   "Do you need my help?"

"No, thank you.  I think I can do it, TaeHyung-ssi."

You picked up a spoon and took a sip of the soup, which tasted divine. TaeHyung waited until you'd made a good start on the food before speaking again.

"Y/N-ssi?"

"Yes?"

"I - I'd like to apologize for Yoongi-hyung.  He's really not a bad person.  It just...well, it takes him a long time to warm up to new people."

"Yeah, well...I have a feeling Hell will be selected to host the next Winter Olympics before Min Yoongi warms up to me."

Rolling your eyes, you set down the spoon and picked up the chopsticks to sample a dumpling.

"I know it can seem like that," said TaeHyung.  "He acted pretty much the same way towards Minnie and I when we first got here.  Even months after we got settled in I thought he was amb... amb..."

The man's brow furrowed as he struggled to find the word he was looking for.

"Damn it.  Joon-hyung just taught me that English word the other day.  It means having  mixed feelings or being uncertain about you feel about something."

"Ambivalent?" you offered, nibbling on a dumpling.

"Yes!  That's it!"   exclaimed TaeHyung, snapping his fingers.  "Y/N-ssi?  Would you mind if I came to you for help with English while you're here?  Don't get me wrong, Joonie-hyung is always willing to help but I feel bad going to him all the time."

"Sure.  No problem.  But only if you promise not to make fun of my Korean accent."

"I wouldn't dream of it.  It's charming."

"Thank you," you said, reaching for another dumpling.  "Now...what were you saying about Yoongi-ssi being ambivalent towards you?"

"Oh, right!  So, even after Minnie and I had been here a while I thought hyung was ambivalent towards me at best.  That he didn't really care whether if I was here or not.  Then he proved me wrong."

"How did he do that?"

"He risked his life to save mine."

"Really?" you said, laying your chopsticks down in surprise.  "What happened?"

"We were investigating a slum lord suspected of  - among other things - intentionally mistreating his elderly tenants to try and force them into moving.   On that particular day we were all at different properties impersonating building inspectors in order to get a firsthand look at the living conditions in each place."

TaeHyung paused to pour you each a cup of tea.

"I'm not sure how much you know about the kind of fuel used to heat buildings here, but in its natural form its odorless and colorless. Distributors are required by law to add a chemical which allows  you to smell it so leaks can be detected before they become dangerous. Unfortunately, even though the cost to do so is minimal, some people will do anything to make money - even if it means putting innocent lives at risk."

Handing you a cup he waited for you to take a sip before continuing.

"Anyway, turns out the basement I was inspecting that day was full of gas but since it hadn't been treated, I didn't realize until it was too late.  I was just about to pass out but before I lost consciousness I managed to hit the first number on my phone which just so happened to be Yoongi-hyung."

"You must have been really scared."

"I would've  been even more scared if I'd known that reason the place was full of gas to begin with."

"Why?"

"We didn't know that the landlord had gotten tipped off that someone was looking into illegal practices at all his properties.  Since the building I was in had the worst violations and was currently unoccupied he decided to cover his tracks by burning the place to the ground.  He'd been there earlier and lit a bunch of candles on the first floor before tampering with the valves regulating the gas flow in the basement.  His plan was that when the vapors eventually reached the open flames...."

He sat down his cup before making an exploding motion with his hands.

"Boom.  No more building.  No more evidence."

"No more TaeHyung...." you added as he nodded.  "Fuck.  But Yoongi-ssi got you out?"

"Yeah.   He raced over, ran inside, wrapped his shirt over my face to keep me from inhaling any more gas then carried me out.  We'd just reached the sidewalk when the others pulled up.  Hyung threw me in the van and we were about a block away when the whole damn place blew sky high.  If hyung hadn't gotten there when he did or hesitated for even a second about going in after me...."

As if understanding the story, Yeontan began to fidget and whimper.

"It's okay, Baby.  Daddy's fine," whispered TaeHyung, reaching out to pat the dog on the head. 

"When we got home, I asked Yoongi-hyung why he did it and he just muttered something about how he'd gotten used to pouring seven cups of coffee every morning and he'd hate to waste any of it by having to pour the leftover down the sink."

As Tannie settled down, the man again picked up his tea cup.

"Hyung acted like it was no big deal but for the next couple of weeks if I woke up during the night I'd find him asleep in my bed, with his arms wrapped around me.  Things were different after that."

"Wow...."

You were struggling to fit this new picture of Yoongi into the framework of the man you'd experienced when a butterfly swooped past Yeontan's nose.  With an excited yip, the little dog jumped off your lap and began chasing it around the garden.

As the pair of you sat and watched, TaeHyung asked, "You said you had a dog before?  What was their name?"

"What?  The debriefing of my life didn't include the name of my first pet?"

Seeing the man's shoulders slump, you immediately felt bad about the outburst.  While you still felt a little salty about the group invading your privacy you had to admit that  - to your knowledge at least - none of them had yet taken unfair advantage of the information they'd gleaned.

"I promise," said TaeHyung. " Anything Jin-hyung or Kookie found out while checking your background they kept to themselves.  The rest of us only know what he said in front of you after you woke up.  Honest."

"Really?"

"Yep.  All he told us before that was that we could trust you.  So we did."

"Not all of you," you grunted.  Yoongi may have saved TaeHyung but in your mind that was still not an excuse for how he'd treated you so far.

"Listen, Yoongi-hyung may not trust you yet..." said TaeHyung. "But he trusts Jin-hyung.  We all do.  And if Jin-hyung says we can trust someone then we trust them. End of story. "

"You really look up to the Doc, don't you?"

"I look up to all the hyungs," said TaeHyung.  "And Kookie - but please don't tell the maknae I said that.  Even though we're practically the same height, he'll still find a way to make a short joke and that will trigger Minnie and none of us will hear the end of it for days."

"Got it.  I promise.  My lips are sealed, TaeHyung-ssi."

Making a locking motion in front of your lips, you threw away an imaginary key before picking up your chopsticks again.

"And I'm sorry for snapping at you.  It's just... privacy was a rare commodity after I entered foster care and having someone dig around in my stuff - literally or figuratively - without my consent is kind of a sore subject."

"Of course.  As it should be.  That's completely understandable."

Digging into the rice, the pair of you watched Yeontan scamper happily around the yard until you blurted out:

"Mister Wiggles."

TaeHyung looked at you in confusion.

"Excuse me?"

"The name of my first dog.  It was Mister Wiggles."

Clutching his chest, TaeHyung's face lit up with a big boxy smile.

"Mister Wiggles!  Oh, my heart!  I love it! What kind of dog was he?" 

"He was a five year old dachshund.  We got him from a shelter not long after we lost my Dad."

Laying down your chopsticks, you fixed your eyes on a bird perched on a nearby tree branch.

"We'd talked about getting a dog before Dad died and Mom thought having something around that required our attention would help to motivate us.  You know, to keep going on the days we didn't want to get out of bed?  So we went to the shelter and looked at a lot of puppies but nothing really clicked.  Then we saw Mister Wiggles."

The bird hopped to the end of the branch, tilting its head to try and figure out what to  make of the bronze wind chime hanging there.

"The lady who worked at the shelter told us that his elderly owner had just died and no one in the family wanted him.  I marched straight over to his cage and said, "This one, Mommy."  When she questioned why I wanted an older dog rather than a puppy I said, "Because he needs us.  He's lost someone he loves just like we did.  Can't you tell?  You can see it in his eyes."

"How old were you again?" asked TaeHyung in a soft voice.

"Five.  The same age as Mister Wiggles."

"You were remarkably insightful at that young age."

"Yeah, well...." you said, turning away from the bird to reach for another cup of tea. "Kids understand a lot more than big people give them credit for sometimes.  That's part of the reason I wanted to pursue a career involving them."

Giving up on his attempt to catch the butterfly Yeontan trotted back over as TaeHyung topped off  your drink.

Sensing he was about to ask another question about your childhood, you decided to take a page out of Jin's playbook and tried a little deflection of your own.

"So, how did you acquire YeonTan?"

"Funnily enough, his story is kind of like Mister Wiggles," said TaeHyung, scooping up the little dog.  "He belonged to an elderly lady that we helped.  She didn't have any family to speak of so I kept visiting her even after the job was finished.  Tannie was only about a year old when she went into hospital for the last time  so she asked me to take him home with me.  He's been with me ever since."

Just as you were about to ask for more details into the type of 'jobs' they took on,  you heard the door behind you open once again.

"Tae-ah?" called Jin.  "Sorry to interrupt but JungKook-ah needs your help with something.  ASAP."

"Oh.  Okay.  Come on baby," cooed TaeHyung to the little dog.  "Let's go help Uncle Kookie."

Yeontan wriggled in his arms, obviously conflicted between wanting to stay with you or go with his owner.

"Yah.  Calm down.  I promise you can spend time with Y/N-ssi later, okay?"

As the pair started for the door, you called out,  "TaeHyung-ssi?"

"Yes, Y/N-ssi?"

"Please.  Call me Noona.  I - I think Mister Wiggles would want it that way."

You couldn't help but giggle as TaeHyung let out a high pitched squeal while rubbing noses with Yeontan.

"Did you hear that, Tannie?!  We have a Noona!"

Jin rolled his eyes as the curly haired man began doing a little happy dance around him.

"And who knows?  Maybe I'll get a nickname one day as well!"

"Well, I promise you'll get called something if you don't go help Kookie," said Jin, giving the younger a good natured smack on the rear.  "Now, please.  Got it?"

"Got it, hyung.  Bye, Noona!"

"Bye, Tae-ah!"

As the door closed behind him, you could hear the man shout, "Did you all hear that?!  Noona called me Tae-ah!"

Your eyes caught Jin's and after a moment you both burst out laughing.

"Well...you've certainly made his day," chuckled Jin. 

"Happy to be of service," you said, bowing as much as you were able from your current position in the lounge chair.

"Was the food to your liking?" asked Jin, studying the almost empty tray beside you.

"Wonderful as always, Doc.  What the medical world lost, the culinary world has gained.  If you ever decide to open your own place, you'd easily put half the city's restaurants out of business."

"Aish!  You're too kind, Y/N-ah."

Jin pursed his lips as you tried to hide a yawn behind your hands.

"And too tired.  Let's get you inside, shall we?"

Normally you would protest but you had to admit that you were beginning to feel sleepy so when Jin reached out you willingly allowed him to help you up.

As he wrapped his arm around your waist you asked, "Doc?  If it's not too much trouble, do you have anything to read around here?  I've already read the three books I brought with me enough times that I can recite them backwards."

"Are you asking if we have anything to read in this house?" snorted Jin.  "Oh, little one...hold on tight.  I'm about to become your new favorite person."

xx

Once inside, Jin lead you down another short hallway into a large room that literally took your breath away.

On every side of you were tall wooden shelves , jam packed with more books than you'd ever seen in one place outside of a public library.

Along one wall was a bay window, lined with pillows to form a comfy reading nook and on another was a fireplace with a pair of well worn, overstuffed wing back chairs.

Turning in a slow circle, struggling to process everything you were seeing, you tried to speak but all you were able to get out was a hushed,  "Whoa..."

"I take it the space meets with your approval?" asked Jin.

"Can I just move my bed in here?"

"Only if you don't mind Joonie wandering through at two in the morning," chuckled Jin, smiling as you trailed your finger along the spines of the books nearest you.

"To be this close to this many books?  I could live with that....OH!"

 You gasped as you snatched one of the volumes off the shelf.

"Doc!  This is the latest book in the Dream Shield series!  It's not supposed to come out until later this year!  How in the world do you have this already?!"

"That?"  Jin shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant.  "We did one of the security guards at the publishing house a favor so he acquired an advance copy for us."

"Get out!  Really?!  May I take it back to my room and read it?!  Please?!"

"Of course you can, little one.  Just don't tell Joonie or Hobi until you've finished it.  They're terrible about letting plot spoilers slip."

"Oh, thank you Doc!"

Jin was momentarily caught off guard when you darted forward to throw your arms around his neck but he managed to compose himself long enough to return the hug, even going so far as to pick you up and swing you gently around before setting you back down on the ground.

"Aish!  If I'd known that's the kind of reaction I'd get, I'd have brought you in here much sooner."

As you grinned up at him, something on the wall behind him caught your attention.

"Doc?  Who is that?" you asked, pointing at an oil painting of a man hanging over the fireplace.

"Take a guess," said Jin.

Stepping forward, you studied the man's likeness carefully.

"Hmmm....Middle aged, portly, wire rimmed glasses... My guess is he's the gatherer of strays you were telling me about."

"Ding ding ding.  Right in one.  Give the lady a prize."

While Jin tried to keep his voice light, the humor didn't reach his eyes.

"He looks very kind," you said.  "What's his name?"

"His name was Bang SiHyuk."

It did not escape your attention that Jin used the past tense when speaking of the man.

"So...what's his story?"

"His story?" sighed Jin.  "His story is complicated and time consuming so for now I'll give you the condensed version.  The origin story, if you will."

Gesturing towards the chairs in front of the fireplace, Jin waited for you to take seat before he did the same.

"I suppose the most important thing to know is that SiHyuk-hyung came from a well to do family.  A very well to do family."

"Better off than yours?"

"Much better off."

"Wow.  Chaebol?"

"That's putting it lightly," scoffed Jin.  "Chaebols could only aspire to the kind of wealth and power that his family controlled."

"That must have made for a pretty sweet childhood," you said.

"You'd think, wouldn't you?"

Jin shook his head as he leaned back in his chair.

"But everything has its dark side, little one.  And quite often the more something glitters on the outside,  the uglier the inside of it is."

"I suppose that's true.  So what was the dark side of his glitter?"

"He grew up extremely sheltered and privileged - so much so that he never really thought about just how his family acquired their good fortune."

"I'm assuming it was not via strictly legal, moral and or ethical means?"

"Hardly," scowled Jin.  "Hyung's father wouldn't have known legal, moral or ethical if it marched up to him wearing a neon sign and slapped him across the fucking face."

"And I take it your friend in the portrait learned that the hard way?"

"He most certainly did."

"What happened?"

For the first time since entering the room, Jin took a long, hard look at the portrait.

"When he was a young teenager a new kid started at his school.  A scholarship student named Sejin.  Most of the others either ignored him or bullied him for being poor.  Hyung really didn't pay much attention to him until he noticed a button on the kid's backpack that changed everything."

"What was it?"

"It was for an obscure little indie band that hyung was obsessed with.  Later that day he starting talking with Sejin at lunch and found out the two had loads in common.  Before long they were as thick as thieves.  Loved each other like brothers.  Would've walked through hell blindfolded for each other if need be."

"And yet I'm guessing that their bromance didn't have a happy ending?"

"Far from it." 

"Why?  Did your friend's Dad find out and forbid them from seeing each other?"

"If only it were that simple. No...it was the utter randomness of the whole thing that made it so fucking tragic."

Even though you'd never met the man in the portrait, the look on Jin's face made your heart hurt for SiHyuk and Sejin even before knowing how their story ended.

"You see, Sejin's family ran a small business in a rundown part of town.  It wasn't much but it had been in their family for generations and they took great pride in it.  So when someone decided that area was prime for 'economic development', Sejin's father politely but firmly declined their offer to buy.  This went on until the developer got impatient and turned from aggressive negotiation to...other means of persuasion."

"That sounds ominous.  I'm assuming you mean it got physical?"

"It did.  But that only made Sejin's father more determined not to sell.  So the buyer upped the ante."

"How so?"

"Late one night the building caught fire.  Whole place burned to the ground before emergency responders even got there. Sadly, Sejin and his family lived upstairs."

Jin swallowed hard before adding, "There were no survivors."

"Damn.  Your friend must have been devastated."

"He was.  Even more so about a month later.  Hyung got home early from school one day and inadvertently overheard his father and his business associates having a meeting.  That's when hyung learned who was responsible for the harassment and the fire."

"Fuck...his father?"

"Yep.  And what made it even worse was when hyung confronted him about it, his father showed absolutely no remorse - fucker even had the nerve to say he did the world a favor by ridding it of a few 'insignificant cockroaches.'"

"Bastard.  So what did your friend do?"

"The only thing he felt he could do.  That night, he packed a few things in a duffle bag and left.  Went to live with his maternal grandmother who never cared for the Father to begin with.  Walked away from everything and started from scratch.  Made a promise to himself that he would spend the rest of his life making sure folks like Sejin and his family had people looking out for them.  People who would stand up for them when they couldn't stand up for themselves."

"Good for him.  And I assume part of keeping that promise involved adopting a group of 'strays' that would help him carry out that mission?"

"It did..." said Jin, suddenly standing from his chair and extending his hand towards you.

"But that's another story for another day.  It's getting late.  You've got your book.  Let's get you to back to your room so you can read a few chapters before falling asleep, shall we?"

Realizing that was all the information you were going to get out of Jin for the time being, you took his hand and let him help you from your seat.

You were never entirely sure about what happened next.

Maybe it was your imagination.  Maybe it was the trick of the light.  But as Jin began guiding you towards the door, you glanced back over your shoulder and for a split second you could have sworn that the man in the painting winked at you...

Chapter Text

Chapter Six

After Jin had left you settled in your room, you'd thought about searching for additional information regarding the mysterious Bang SiHyuk on your phone, but when you realized you'd be doing the exact same thing you'd been angry with your hosts for doing you decided against it.

Instead you dove into the much coveted book you'd snagged from their home library, reading until you could no longer keep your eyes open, no matter how hard you tried.

You weren't sure how long you slept but when you woke the book was sitting on the bedside table next to a tray full of food along with a note from Jin instructing you to eat well and that someone would be in to check on you soon.

You enjoyed the food but upon finishing, you ran your hand through your hair and immediately decided you weren't going to wait another minute to get in the shower, with or without Jin's permission.

Slipping out of the bed, you only managed three steps before stumbling into the bedside table, sending your china teacup crashing to the floor.

Before you even had the chance to react, the door to your room burst open and a frantic Jimin came charging in.

"Fuck!  Noona!" he cried, sweeping you into his arms.  "Are you okay?!"

"I'm fine, Jimin-ssi.  Just lost my balance that's all."

Struggling to catch his breath, the man guided you back to the bed.

"What the hell do you think you're, trying to walk on your own?!"

"I wanted to take a shower.  Doc said it was okay."

"Oh.  Really?" huffed Jimin.  "And if I call Jin-hyung he's going to tell me that he gave you the all clear to be up and about with no assistance whatsoever?"

"Well...I mean..." you muttered.  "Maybe not in so many words...."

"That's what I thought," said Jimin, helping you back onto the bed before starting towards the door. "Sit down.  I'll be right back."

Before leaving, he stopped and pointed an accusing finger at you.

"Do. Not. Move.  Do you hear me?"

"Aye, aye, Captain."

You gave the man a half hearted salute, trying to infuse both the action and your voice with an appropriate level of sarcasm, all of which Jimin deliberately ignored.

Instead, the man gave a sharp nod before dashing off, returning moments later carrying a fluffy white bathrobe and a large basket filled with plastic bottles.

"Alright," he said, placing the basket on the end of the bed.  "Here's how this is going to work.  I'm going to help you into the next room where you will take a bath." 

"But I want to take a shower," you whined.

"You couldn't even walk five steps without falling, Y/N-ssi!  You honestly think you can stand in the shower long enough to properly clean yourself and wash your hair?"

As  you spluttered, Jimin shoved the bathrobe towards you.

"Exactly.  As I was saying, once you're done with your bath you will dry off then put on this robe. After that I will help you wash your hair using the detachable shower head.  Got it?"

You started to argue with him but he silenced you by placing his forefinger firmly against your lips.

"The only other alternative is for me to join you in the shower for the entire process.  It's your choice, Y/N-ssi.  I'm quite happy with either option."

The two of you engaged in an intense staring contest that ended when Jimin finally removed his finger to ask, "So...which is it?"

You glared at him before reaching for the bathrobe.

"I don't need to be babied," you grumbled.

"Maybe.  Maybe not," shrugged Jimin, offering his arm to help you walk across the room.  "All I know is that I'd like to live long enough to see tomorrow.  Something that will not happen if Jin-hyung found out you fell while under my supervision."

"Where is Doc anyway?"  you asked, reluctantly accepting his help.  "I thought he was the chief warden of this place."

"Hyung went on a house call and the others are either at work or out running errands, which leaves me as your personal assistant."

Reaching the door to the bathroom, Jimin opened it with a flourish.

"Yay, me," you responded in a flat voice.

"Yah!" fussed Jimin.  "Get in there.  And here - take this."

Reaching into the pocket of his designer hoodie, he produced a pale pink sphere, roughly the size of a tennis ball.

"What is it?" you asked.

"A bath bomb."

You took the item from his hands, holding it up to the light to inspect it. 

"Huh... That's one of those fizzy, smelly things that dissolves in water, right?"

Jimin's jaw dropped and he looked at you as if you'd suddenly begun speaking ancient Greek.

"You've never used a bath bomb before?"

"Nope," you said. Tentatively sniffing the object, you were pleasantly surprised by the delicate aroma of rosemary and lavender.   "Those are luxuries which fall under the heading of 'disposable income'.  Something I've never really had."

"Well, that stops now," said Jimin, taking you by the arm and practically frog marching you into the room.

Before you could question what he meant by that statement, he sat you on the edge of the tub and turned on the tap.

"Now, adjust the water to whatever temperature suits you.  I'll be right outside the door if you need me.  When you're done give a shout and we'll start on your hair, okay?"

"Aye, aye Captain!"

Giving him another mocking salute, the man only laughed as he backed out of the room.

"If you think you're insulting me, you're not!"  he called out, closing the door behind him.

Sighing, you managed to get undressed and slip into the warmest water you'd bathed in for a very long time and - although you hated to admit it -  the bath bomb did end up making the whole experience infinitely more enjoyable than you'd imagined.

When the water eventually started to cool, you got out and carefully dried off before wrapping yourself in the softest, fluffiest bath robe you'd ever felt in your entire life.

You had just perched on the edge of the tub and were about to call out for Jimin when there was a soft knock at the door.

"Y/N-ssi!  Are you decent?"

"Wow.  I don't know.  That's a rather difficult question to answer, Jimin-ssi.  After all, decency is kind of a subjective term.  My body is covered up.  Anything beyond that I suppose is up for discussion."

Jimin peeked his head around the door and grinned at you.

"Y/N-ssi?  If you ever decide to debate philosophy with Joonie-hyung, please let me know ahead of time.  I'll want to make popcorn and sell tickets, because that will be show I don't want to miss."

Carrying the basket from earlier, Jimin entered and began laying a series of bottles on the counter.

"What's all this?" you asked.

"All this is the Park Jimin hair and skin care starter kit.  First off..."

He picked up a tube, flipped open the cap and squirted a clear liquid into the palm of his hand.

"...Is scalp scaler."

"What's that?"

"An exfoliating product," he said, rubbing his hands together.  "You work it into dry hair like this..."

Without hesitating he dug his hands into your hair and began working his fingers along your scalp.

"Then wash it out and follow it up with the remaining steps."

"Steps?" you asked, immediately feeling your body relax as Jimin worked the product in along your hair line.  "There's more than just this and shampoo?"

"Of course!  The process is Scalp Scaler, Shampoo, Conditioner, Hair Mask, Treatment then Toner.  We may not do all the steps today.  We'll wait and see how things look after the deep conditioning mask."

"All that just for hair?"

"Yep!" said Jimin, giving your scalp one last vigorous rub before wiping his hands on a nearby towel.  "Once we've done with that we move on to skin care."

"How many steps is that?" 

"Depends.  More than hair though."

"Get out of here!  Really?"

"What?" teased Jimin, reaching for the detachable shower head.  "You think we all look the way we do without any effort?"

"I think you all look the way you do because God plays favorites," you grumbled as Jimin motioned for you to lean over the tub.

"Yah!  Be careful.  Flattery will get you everywhere with me, Y/N-ssi.  Now.  Close your eyes please."

With a practiced hand, Jimin tested the water temperature then quickly rinsed out the scaler before starting in with a shampoo that smelled like you were on a tropical vacation.

"So..." you asked, inhaling deeply with your eyes still closed.  "Does everyone in this house adhere to such a highly structured beauty regimen?"

"Yes, but some of us are more conscientious about it than others." 

"Interesting.  Who's the most diligent?"

"Hmm...probably a tie between me and Jin-hyung - although we all enjoy pampering ourselves," said Jimin.  "Keep your eyes closed.  I'm going to rinse again then I'll apply the first round of conditioner."

He thoroughly rinsed out the shampoo then started working in the conditioner.

His hands felt like magic and when he finally pulled away you immediately missed the sensation.  You were about to peek and see what was going on when you felt him dab your forehead with a soft, terrycloth towel.

"Okay, you can open your eyes now.  We need to let this conditioner sit for three to five minutes before rinsing it out and applying the hair mask."

Following his instructions, you opened your eyes only to find his face mere centimeters from yours, and you were stunned to realize that - as improbable as it sounded - he was even more beautiful close up.

You had to concentrate to keep your eyes from dropping to his full lips, so to keep your mind from wandering into dangerous territory, you quickly asked,  "Jimin-ssi?  Doc told me how he came to be here.  May  I ask how you joined the party?"

"You can," said Jimin, draping the towel he'd been using on a nearby hook. "But I'd rather wait until TaeTae was here.  It doesn't feel right to tell the story without him present.  We're kind of a package deal."

"So I've heard.  Doc called you the Wonder Twins."

Jimin laughed and you realized the sound was quickly becoming one of  your new favorite things.

"Trust me, Y/N-ssi.  That's one of the nicer things TaeTae and I have been called over the years."

"Had it rough, did you?"

"You could say that.  What else did Jin-hyung tell you?" 

"Not much.  Just that he also called  you, Tae-ah and JungKook-ssi 'the little monsters'."

"He does," grinned Jimin.  "All the hyungs do, actually.  Did he tell you why?"

"No.  Just said I'd find out if I stayed long enough. What did he mean by that?"

"Yah!  I can't just tell you," teased Jimin, tapping the tip of  your nose.  "I guess you'll just have to stay around long enough to find out, won't you?"

"Oh, you'll have kicked me out long before that happens, I'm sure."

The thought of your eventual departure from this place had you feeling unexpectedly self conscious so you looked away.  Your gaze fell on a hairline crack in a floor tile beside so you acted as if it were the most interesting thing you'd ever seen.

A second later Jimin's hand cupped your chin before slowly raising your face towards his.

"No one is ever going to kick you out of here, Y/N-ssi," he whispered, his eyes dark and serious.  "I promise you that.  If you ever leave us, it will be your choice and only because you insist upon it."

He held your gaze until you cleared your throat and shook your head, trying not to put too much importance on the fact that he'd said "if" in regards to you leaving instead of "when".

"Oh...well...then... thank you...."

Jimin sat back on his heels, obviously taking your sudden shyness as a personal victory.

"So.." he said.  "Before I rinse out this conditioner, do you have any other questions for me?"

"As a matter of fact, I do," you said, trying to regain some semblance of composure.   "If I can't ask about your origin story,  then may I ask what your job is within the group?"

"You may ask that.  I am the acquisitions portion of our research and acquisitions team."

"So  -  you steal things?"

"No!"

Jimin gasped, as if you'd just implied that he ripped candy from the hands of babies while simultaneously kicking puppies and mugging elderly women.

"Stealing implies the taking of an item or items in order to provide financial gain for the person taking said items.  I, on the other hand, am in charge of gaining entry into hard to reach places and then liberating and relocating certain objects - ideally without the knowledge of the person, persons or institutions currently in possession of said objects - at the request of the individuals or groups who have the legitimate and moral - if not strictly legal - claim over them."

As he spoke, he crossed his arms and puffed out his chest .

"See?  There's a big difference between that and stealing. Huge, actually."

"Yes.  Of course.  I see.  My most sincere apologies, Jimin-ssi," you said, folding your hands in your lap and bowing your head respectfully.  "I stand corrected.  Or, sit corrected, as the case may be."

"Very well," Jimin sniffed.  "I shall accept your sincere and heartfelt apology. Now, close your eyes so we can rinse, please."

"Yes, Jimin-ssi."

You could hear him chuckling as he rinsed out the conditioner.  Once finished with that, he had you sit up before he began applying the hair mask.

"Jimin-ssi?"  you said in a soft voice, as he worked the product in with a comb.  "Thank you."

"For what, Y/N-ssi?"

"For taking the time to do all this."

"All what?"

"This.  Washing my hair and stuff..no one's ever done something like this for me before.  Not since my Mom when I was a little girl, I mean."

"Really?"  Jimin grabbed the front of his hoodie in pretend shock.  "You mean the media has lied to me?! I thought this type of thing is what all young girls did at slumber parties.  You know, along with manicures, pedicures and learning to kiss on pillows."

You giggled as he pursed his lips and made a series of exaggerated kissing sounds.

"I wouldn't know about any of that, Jimin-ssi.  I never got invited to a slumber party."

Hearing the wistfulness in your voice, Jimin paused before resuming the work of combing the mask through your hair.

"Ah..." he said.  "I take it you had it rough as well, huh?"

"Yeah.  I - I guess I did."

When you didn't elaborate further, Jimin simply nodded.  He finished applying the deep conditioner then pulled a shower cap from out of the basket.

"Now, we let this sit for about fifteen to twenty minutes," he said "Then we'll rinse it out and decide what we'll do next."

Tucking the last few strands into the cap, he sat back and winked at you.

"See?  Asking for help isn't so bad, is it?   In the future, please call one of us for help before you go stumbling around."

"I can only yell so loud, Jimin-ssi."

"Which is why we have phones, Y/N-ssi."

"True," you countered. "But phones only work if you have the number of the person you want to talk to, Jimin-ssi,"

"Fuck!"  groaned Jimin, smacking his face with his palm. "We're idiots! I'm so sorry, Y/N-ssi!  Hold on. Let me grab your phone."

Jumping up, he scampered out of the room, returning in the blink of an eye with your phone in his hand.

"Unlock it please," he said, holding the device out to you.

You did so and handed it back, only to have him stare at it.

"Jimin-ssi?  What's wrong?"

"I can't decide what to put in for my contact name."

"Here's a crazy idea.  Why not, Jimin?"

"That's boring," he scoffed.  "I want a cool nickname like Jin-hyung."

"Okay.  Like what?"

"Ideally?  Husband but even I know that's a bit presumptuous at this point."

"What about...Captain?" you offered, ignoring his previous statement.  "Or Cap for short?"

"Cap...Huh....I like it,"  Jimin nodded as he began tapping on the screen.  "We'll go with that for every day.  You can call me 'yeobo' on special occasions and 'jagiya' when you're incandescently happy with me."

You raised an eyebrow as he finished inputting his information then sent himself a note from your phone so he had your number as well.

"Cap?  Did you just hit  me with a Pride and Prejudice reference?"

"Yes!  Good catch!"  he beamed, handing the phone back to you.  "And before you correct me, Joonie already gave Tae and I the lecture about that line not being in the novel when he overheard us reenacting that particular scene from the movie in the backyard."

"Reenacting?  Really? Do tell, who was Mister Darcy and who was Elizabeth in that scenario?"

"That particular day?  I can't remember.  Sometimes we switch.  Neither of us has a problem with that."

He leaned back against the wall, as if waiting to see if you picked up on what he was saying.

You thought you understood but decided to ask a follow up question for clarification.

"Do that often, do you?"

"What?" countered Jimin.  "Quote movies, role play or switch?  Because the answer to all three is yes."

"I see.  Just you and TaeHyung-ah?"

"Nope," replied Jimin, popping the last consonant.  "All of us."

You couldn't say that you were surprised by the fact the men were involved with each other, given the amount of skin ship you've noticed between them but you were surprised by the unexpected tug of disappointment you felt in  your chest. 

Stop being silly, you silently chided yourself.  You knew they were joking before.  It's not like any of them would have been seriously interested in you romantically anyway.

"Do you have a problem with that?" he asked.

His question was enough to pull you out of your thoughts.  Shoving the unwelcome emotions swirling around internally aside, you decided to distract yourself by teasing him a little.

Keeping your expression as neutral as possible you answered,  "As a  matter of fact I do have a problem with that, Jimin-ssi."

His face dropped and his shoulders tensed until you extended your leg to kick his foot playfully with your own.

 "I mean...honestly!  Who do you think you are - keeping six good looking men all to yourself!  That's rude!  Leave some for the rest of us, why don't you?!"

You immediately regretted your attempt at humor when Jimin leaned forward and smirked.

"Six good looking men, you say? Besides me?  Yah!  If I didn't know better, I said that you're including Yoongi hyung in that assessment, Y/N-ssi."

Mentally cursing your choice of words, you huffed, "Yeah... well... he's alright .... I guess .... until he opens his mouth, that is."

"Ah!  But you wouldn't believe what he can do with that mouth, Y/N-ssi..."

Before you could even attempt to formulate a response to that, Jimin lifted one side of his hoodie to reveal the word "Nevermind" tattooed across his ribs.                                           

"Pro tip - if you really want to turn Min Yoongi on?  Have one his lyrics engraved on your skin."

Your mind was struggling to process not only the tattoo but also the man's bare chest and ridiculous abs, so it took a moment for the full impact of Jimin's words to filter through.

"I - I'm sorry.  His lyrics?"

"Yeah.  I thought you knew about that since you delivered to their studio."

Thankfully, at that point Jimin dropped the hem of his shirt, freeing up some computing space in your brain to try and follow along what he was telling you.

"Studio?  No, I didn't know.  When I delivered to them they met me outside the building."

"Oh, that makes sense, I suppose.  They might have been recording that day.  They get funny about visitors then."

"They sing, too?"

"Nah.  Joonie and Yoong-hyung own the studio and are the main writer-producers."

"Huh!  Interesting.  Have they written or produced anything I might have heard?"

"Probably.  They've had a bunch of hit songs.  The tattoo is from my personal favorite but Yoongi-hyung's most recent success as a writer / producer was a song called People Part 2."

If your brain had been a computer it definitely would've required a reboot at this information.  That particular song's lyrics about loneliness and hope had resonated deeply with you over the past months.

"Wait. Wait.  Are - are we talking about the same Min Yoongi?  Dark hair?  About your height?   Allergic to smiling? That Yoongi wrote that song?"

"Yep," said Jimin, pride evident in his voice.  "I know he comes across as a hard ass but deep down he's really a big softie.  He's just been burned quite badly by people he thought he could trust in the past and that makes him a bit ... reticent to open up to new people."

"Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster and yetis are reticent to meet new people, Jimin-ssi," you snorted.  "Min Yoongi is on another level altogether."

Jimin burst out laughing, his eyes turning into crescents.

"Ah!  Y/N-ssi!  Jin-hyung was right!  You do have a way with words!  Now the next time I see Yoongi-hyung I'll be picturing him standing between a Yeti and a sea monster!"

He wiped an amused tear from his eye as he tried to catch his breath.

"But I get it," he said.  "Tae and I both felt the same way about him when we first got here."

"That's what Tae-ah said.  Then he told me about Yoongi-ssi saving his life."

"Yeah.  Yeah, he did."

At the mention of that incident, Jimin abruptly turned serious, his lip quivering as his voice grew thick with emotion. 

"And if that were the only thing Yoongi-hyung ever did,  I'd still be forever in his debt."

Without thinking, you reached out and took his hand in yours to comfort him.

"You and Tae-ah are really close, aren't you?"

"He's been my best friend and soul mate for as long as I can remember," he nodded.  "I'd walk through hell blindfolded for him.  For all of them, if I'm honest."

Jimin squeezed your hand then pulled it closer, squinting at your fingernails.

"Oh, my!  Look at these cuticles!"

His demeanor shifted and you instinctively knew that was the end of any serious discussions between the two of you for the time being.

"Now... let's deal with these nails before rinsing your hair out, okay?"

xx                             

By the time you were done with the entire Park Jimin beauty regimen (including manicure and pedicure) he was calling you Noona and you were both speaking informally with each other.

He was just adding a touch of mascara to your lashes ("You're lucky, Noona.  You don't need much product because you have what I call 'make up optional' skin.") when his phone pinged with a text message.

"Yes!  Jin-hyung is almost home and he's bringing chicken!"

Helping you to your feet Jimin led you out of the bathroom where you spied a pile of clothes folded on the end of the bed.

"Cap?  What's all this?"

"Just some extra stuff Tae and I had lying around," he said.  "I gathered it up while you were bathing.  Thought some of it might fit you."

Picking up the two shirts on top of the stack you gasped when you saw the labels.

"Cap!  This is Gucci! And this is Louis Vuitton!"

"Yes, they are.  Is that a problem?   Are you more of a Celine girl?  Tae-ah thought you might be a Celine girl.  I'm sure those one of those in there if that's what you prefer."

"I'm not a Celine girl!  I'm a thrift shop girl!"

"Oh.  Okay.  We can take you to one of those as well, I suppose," said Jimin, obviously not thrilled with that prospect. "But for now you can just use these."

Eyes narrowing, you dropped the shirts back on the bed and reached for your bag, only to find the few clothes that had been inside mysteriously gone except for your underwear.

"Cap?  Where are my clothes?"

"In the laundry.  Sorry.  I was doing a load and needed a couple of more items.  Can't run the washer only part full.  Bad for the environment, you know."

The smile Jimin gave told you he was less concerned about the environment and more concerned about you accepting his thinly disguised gift.

"Now, you go ahead and change," he said, waving his hands.  "I'll wait out in the hall for you.  Shout when you're ready for me to come back in."

Before you could argue further he slipped out of the room, closing the door behind him.  You briefly considered remaining in the bathrobe until your stuff was out of the laundry just to be difficult - until you realized the robe was a designer brand as well, so the action would be rather pointless.

With no other practical options available,  you reluctantly changed into the matching Louis Vuitton hoodie and sweatpants, ignoring the triumphant look on Jimin's face as he escorted you down the hall.

Entering the kitchen you found Jin and Hoseok putting away groceries and JungKook setting the table while Namjoon discreetly slipped what looked like street maps and building schematics into a manila file folder.

"Ah!  Noona!"  smiled Hoseok.  "You look very well rested and refreshed!  Did  you do something different with your hair?"

Before you could say anything, Jimin answered smugly.

"She did," he said, winking at you as he held out your chair.  "I saw that she was struggling with the shower so I volunteered to help."

"That's right," you said, picking up on what he was trying to do.  "And in the process Cap upgraded my beauty routine."

Everyone else froze and the room went silent except for the sound of the chopsticks  JungKook had been holding clattering onto the table as the papers Namjoon had been gathering so carefully slipped from the folder and drifted aimlessly onto the floor.

"I - I - I'm sorry," stammered Jin.  "Who - who saw you when and did what?"

"You heard the lady,"  smirked Jimin, running his fingers through your hair.  "The future Mrs Park Jimin required assistance so I offered my services and provided some .... deep conditioning."

It took everything in your power not to burst out laughing at the bewildered looks on the other four men's faces.  Jimin was also enjoying the show, letting his house mates stand there for almost a full minute before speaking again.

"Joonie-hyung?" he said, using his most innocent voice as he reached across to pick up the chopsticks.  "I think you dropped something."

The taller man shook his head to try and gather his thoughts before rushing to scoop up the documents on the ground.

As the other three resumed their previous activities, JungKook made his way over to the sink where you heard him whisper to Jin, "Hyung ... is - is Jimin-hyung talking about hair care or something else?"

"Shhh....Not now, baby..." said Jin, patting the younger on the shoulder while giving you a look that told you he'd be expecting answers in the very near future .  "Hyung will explain it to you later."

Chapter Text

Chapter Seven

After explaining that Yoongi and TaeHyung (accompanied by Yeontan) were still at their respective jobs and wouldn't be joining you for the meal, everyone else settled down and the six of you enjoyed the chicken and sides as Jin regaled you with tales of his trip to the market.

"Honestly!   I consider myself the absolute picture of forgiveness and flexibility but any reasonable person ought to know that if the register is marked "10 items or less" that means ten items total not ten items of each product you are purchasing!"

He shoved a bite of chicken into his mouth before washing it down with a swig of beer.

"And don't even get me started on whoever they have inputting bar codes into the self check scanners these days!  They could blindfold me and have me type with my toes and I would still be more accurate!"

"You know, hyung," said Hoseok, reaching for a dumpling.  "If it bothers you that much, one of us could take over the shopping duties for you."

"What!" exclaimed Jin, looking offended at the very prospect. "No way!  I love shopping!"

Grinning, Hoseok winked across the table at you as JungKook passed him the kimchi.

"Joonie-hyung?"  asked Jimin.  "You're kinda quiet.  Is everything okay?"

When Namjoon didn't answer right away, Hoseok nudged him with his elbow.

"Huh? Excuse me.  Sorry. Did you say something Minnie?"

"Yeah.  I was asking if everything was okay.  You seem a little ... distracted."

"Oh.  Sorry.  It's nothing. I'm just working on a translation that's giving me fits."

"English to Korean?" asked Jin, placing an extra dumpling on your plate.

"Yes.  Normally it wouldn't be a problem but there's so much emotion and nuance in the original text and I just want to make sure nothing gets lost because of me, you know?"

"I'm sure you'll work it out," said Jin, giving the younger man an encouraging smile.  "You always do."

Namjoon gave a distracted nod but his face still looked troubled, which made you feel sad for some reason.

"I - I could try and help," you said, hoping your offer wouldn't offend the man.  "If - if you like, I mean.  I did live in an English speaking country for most of my life."

Your concern turned out to be misguided when Namjoon's eyes lit up at the proposal.

"Really?!  Would you mind?  I could really use another set of eyes on this."

"Sure.  No problem." 

"Excellent!" said Jin, clapping his hands.  "You need translation help and Y/N-ah needs a bit of exercise and fresh air.  The two of you can walk and talk in the back yard together after we've eaten.  Problem solved!"

True to his word, you'd no more swallowed the last bite of your meal before Jin was shoving you and Namjoon outside.

"Get some exercise but don't push yourself too much, Y/N-ah!  Joonie, make sure she rests if you see her getting tired."

Before either of you could answer, Jin closed the french doors, waving at you before walking away.

"Not exactly subtle, is he?" you said, taking hold of the arm Namjoon extended to you.

"He can be when he wants to be," chuckled Namjoon. "But my guess is his need to grill Minnie on what happened between you two earlier is outweighing his manners at the moment."

"What about you?"

"What about me?" asked Namjoon as you began walking slowly around the perimeter of the yard.

"Don't you want to know all the gory details about what happened with me and Cap?" you teased.

"I figure you'll tell me whatever you want me to know whenever you want me to know it," said Namjoon.

The two of you walked in contented silence, enjoying the peace of the garden and the soft tinkling of the wind chimes until you spoke again. 

"For the record, it was nothing salacious."

"What wasn't?" asked Namjoon.

"What happened with Cap and I.  I just tried to make it to the bathroom on my own for a shower but I fell before I got there."

You felt Namjoon's strong hand tighten around your arm and when you looked up his dark eyes were filled with concern.

"Are you okay?" he asked.  "You didn't hurt yourself, did you?"

"No.  I'm fine," you assured him.  "Didn't even hit the floor.  Just stumbled into the bedside table and broke a teacup.  Which reminds me, I still need to apologize to Doc about that.  I hope it wasn't a priceless artifact or something."

"Ah!  Don't worry about it," said Namjoon.  "They stopped using the really good stuff ages ago after they figured out that I manage to break at least one cup, mug or plate a week.  And that's without the excuse of recovering from an injury."

"Still and all, I hate to be more of a bother than I already am."

"You're not a bother at all, Y/N-ssi," Namjoon insisted.  "No matter how  many cups you might break, got it?"

The sincerity in his voice was so touching that all you could do was nod and smile in return.

After a moment, Namjoon asked, "I hope you didn't try and clean up the mess yourself?"

"No.  Cap must've taken care of it.  He came running in as soon as he heard the cup breaking and declared the shower off limits for the time being.  He drew me a bath and gave me a robe then waited outside until I was done.   He then used the detachable shower head to wash my hair before running me through the entire Park Jimin beauty experience."

"Absolutely unnecessary," said Namjoon.  "Given that you were beautiful already, but I'm glad Minnie was there to keep you safe and to give you a bit of pampering.  You certainly deserve it after all you've been through."

Even though you knew the compliment was simply your host being polite, it still made you blush.

"Oh...uh...thank you," you said, trying to think of a way to move the conversation onto safer ground.  "So....Cap tells me that you and Yoongi-ssi write and produce songs?"

"Oh he did, did he?" said Namjoon, arching an eyebrow.

Not sure if you had just gotten Jimin in trouble, you hurriedly added, "Yes but only because he was trying to explain his tattoo."

"Really?  Which one?"

"Which one?" You said, stopping dead in your tracks.  "He's got more?"

"He sure does.  I'm assuming you're talking about hyung's lyric on Minnie's ribs."

"Yes.  What else does he have?"

Pursing his lips, Namjoon tilted his head to one side as you both began walking again.

"Hmmm.....I could tell you but that wouldn't be any fun.  Besides, I'm sure you'll see them soon enough."

"Why?"

"Because the only reason Jimin-ah wears clothes to begin with is so he can take them off later," laughed Namjoon.  "I'm honestly surprised it took this long for you to spot any of his ink.  Jin-hyung must have given him the speech about not walking around naked while we've got company in the house."

It took a deliberate effort on your part not to choke on thin air.

"I - I'll certainly keep that in mind."

Trying desperately not to conjure up that particular mental image of Jimin, you tried once more to redirect the conversation into less dangerous territory.

"So...music?  I take it that's what you need translation help with?"

If Namjoon noticed your rather clumsy transition he had the good manners not to mention it.

"Yes.  Hyung and I not only own the company we also have a hand in most of the songs the studio produces.  That includes translating an artist's lyrics when necessary."

"Wow!  You guys actually own the company?!  That's pretty impressive, especially given your ages.  What's the name of the studio?"

"RGL.  It stands for 'Rkive Genius Labs'."

"Again...wow!  Decided to bypass even an attempt at humility there, huh?"

"Hey...." shrugged Namjoon.  "In the words of the great American baseball player Satchel Paige, 'It ain't bragging if you can back it up'."

"And can you?  Back it up, I mean."

"We think so.  Between the two of us, hyung and I have produced over two hundred songs, including over a dozen Melon award winners.  We've worked on albums that have charted in over 100 countries and just this year alone we've produced three songs that ended up on Billboard's hot 100."

"Damn!  Why haven't I heard your names before now?"

"Because hyung and I deliberately keep a low profile.  We keep our names off most of the work and when we have to claim credit for legal reasons, we both use pseudonyms."

"Really?  I thought it was the dream of all artists to see their name up in lights."

"For some it is, I suppose.  For the rest of us, the work itself is its own reward," said Namjoon, pausing briefly to fix one of the wind chimes whose strings had gotten tangled. 

"Besides, if fame and the approval of others is your only form of validation,  you'll always be chasing someone else's dream - writing what you think other people want to hear instead of what's in your heart."

You thought for a moment before nodding in agreement.

"You're right.  As Polonius said to Laertes in Hamlet,  'To thine own self be true.' "

It was then Namjoon's turn to abruptly stop walking.

"Y/N-ssi!" he exclaimed, his prominent dimples now on full display.  "Are you trying to seduce me by quoting Shakespeare?  Because if you are...it's absolutely working."

"Yah!" you said, playfully smacking his arm.  "And to think - I was just about to commend you on your eloquence, then you go and resort to cheesy pick up lines.  I'm so disappointed in you, Namjoon-ssi."

"Damn.  I guess I'll just have to try harder next time, won't I?" said Namjoon, shaking his head as he started walking again.

"I guess you will.  You can start by showing me this translation you've been struggling with."

Pulling his phone out of his pocket, Namjoon opened the notes app before handing you the device.

"The chorus was pretty straightforward," he said, pointing at the screen. "But the verses are a lot trickier.  I was hoping you could shed some light on some of the slang terms.  I looked them up online but they seemed to have multiple meanings and I want to be sure I'm choosing the correct one."

"I'll do my best.  I just hope my wonky accent won't be too much of a problem for you."

Namjoon's brow furrowed.

"Wonky?  I'm sorry.  I'm not familiar with that word."

"Right.  Sorry.  It's a slang term from where Mama B grew up.  It means something that is off center, doesn't work properly or is just plain unattractive."

"Well then.  While I don't know what the opposite of wonky would be, I can assure you that I find your accent utterly charming."

"Thank you, Namjoon-ssi.  You're pretty charming yourself...when you want to be."

Keeping  your eyes focused on the words on the screen, you pretended not to notice how Namjoon's chest puffed up at the compliment.

You were puzzling over the lyrics when he asked, "Y/N-ssi?  Was it difficult to retain the language when you were living abroad?"

"At times.  Especially after Mom died and I didn't have a native speaker to talk with anymore.  That's where the local library and the exquisite visuals of Lee Minho came in handy."

"Lee Minho?" laughed Namjoon.  "Okay.  I'm intrigued.  What do you mean by that?"

"Someone introduced the lady in charge of my local library to Boys Over Flowers and she developed a massive crush on Lee Minho," you explained. "So she began stocking the shelves with DVDs of K-Dramas, particularly those starring Lee Minho.  Watching them helped keep the language fresh in my mind."

"That's funny.  I practiced my English by watching a box set of Friends."

"Yah!  Look at us!" you said, trying your best to sound like the character of Chandler.  "Could we be any more alike?"

Noticing that your pace was starting to slow, Namjoon began gently maneuvering you towards a small bench you'd spotted earlier tucked in amongst the trees.

"Y/N-ssi?  Do you mind if we sat down for a bit?  I think I've got a pebble in my shoe."

Certain the rest was less for him and more for yourself, you nonetheless appreciated the effort on his part.

"Of course, Namjoon-ssi."

Settling down on the wooden bench, you continued studying the lyrics while Namjoon made a good show of untying both shoes and shaking them out before slipping them back on and lacing them back up.

When he was finished you handed him the phone, showing him the first pass you'd made at the translation.

"What do you think?" you asked.

"It's really good," he said, nodding with approval.  "But what if we change this to...."

The two of you continued like that, fine tuning the meaning as you went until you both felt you'd successfully conveyed both the artist's literal meaning as well as the subtext.

As Namjoon typed the final version into the app, you turned your attention to a small brass plaque on the back of the bench bearing the name "Bang SiHyuk" along with a pair of dates that you assumed signified the man's birth and death.

"Doc says he brought all of you together," you said, running a finger delicately over the etching.

"He did."

"Who was his first recruit?"

"Ah.  That would be me," said Namjoon, slipping the phone back into his pocket.

"Really?  He find you wandering around in a park as well?'

You'd meant it as a joke and were surprised when Namjoon shivered then nodded.

"Kind of."

"Oh.  Sorry," you said, regretting that you'd brought the subject up.  "I didn't mean to pry.  If you don't want to talk about it that's okay."

"Nah.  It's alright," sighed Namjoon.  "It's just....it's kind of hard to admit all the stupid mistakes I made back then.  Not to mention the repercussions that followed."

"Hey, I mean - I won't even pretend to know your story.  But if we're talking about stupid mistakes, I think I've got a pretty good shot at understanding.  Either way, I'd be willing to  listen if you want to talk about it."

Leaning back, Namjoon stared up into the clear blue sky as he gathered his thoughts.

"I was always good at school," he said after a long pause.  "I liked studying and learning things - especially languages.  My goal was to work hard, get into one of the top universities, do well then get a job with a big, international corporation.  You know, corner office.  Name plate.  Briefcase.  The whole thing."

"Sounds like a solid plan.  What stopped you?"

"At first?  Money.  My family didn't have much and even with scholarships, attending one of the schools that those companies recruit from meant that I would have to move to the city and that meant expenses like rent, transportation, food...."

"And that isn't cheap," you said.  "Even if you're willing to eat crap food like HeeSung's."

"Exactly.  I got a job but even then I couldn't make ends meet.  Then I met a guy who offered to loan me the money at what I should have realized was a ridiculously unrealistic rate."

"Bang Si-Hyuk?"

"I wish," snorted Namjoon.  "No.  This guy was nothing like hyung.  This guy waited until I was in too far over my head to ever dig my way out and then sold my debt on to someone else.  Someone who more than tripled the interest rate and established an aggressive payback schedule."

"Meaning?"

"Pay it back in less than three months or else."

The tone of Namjoon's voice gave a pretty good indication about what the or else might entail.

"When it became clear that there was no way for me to ever pay them back  - much less in the allotted time frame - they gave me two options.  Either work for their organization or they'd track down my family and get the money from them.  By force if necessary."

"And I take it the work they were offering you was ... less than legal?"

"Yes.  I mean, at first it wasn't too bad.  Translation work mostly.  They gave me a few test jobs at first and decided that I showed some promise with languages..."

"Promise?  Tae-ah said you've got an IQ of 148, Namjoon-ssi!  I'd say that's a hell of a lot more than promise."

"Oh, yeah?!  Fat lot of good it did me!"

In frustration, Namjoon kicked a nearby dandelion, scattering tiny white bits of fluff across the otherwise well manicured lawn.

"I didn't even realize I was borrowing money from a fucking loan shark!  I mean what kind of idiot gets involved in organized crime without even..."

The words were already out of his mouth before he remembered who he was talking to.

"Fuck!" he cried out, as he began rubbing his hands and bowing repeatedly in your direction in an attempt at begging forgiveness.  "I'm so sorry, Y/N-ssi!  I didn't mean to imply..."

"Yah!  Stop!  It's okay, Namjoon-ssi!"

Reaching out you grabbed him by the shoulders, forcing him to look at you.

"It actually makes me feel better to know I'm not the only one to make that kind of mistake. I mean, if a literal genius can fall into a mess like I did, then I don't feel so bad."

"Really?"  he said, his dark eyes still filled with guilt.

"Really," you said, taking his hand in yours. 

"Okay.  Thank you."

"No thanks necessary," you said, giving his fingers a squeeze.  "Now, may I ask what happened next?"

"Without getting into all the gory details, let's just say that the longer I worked for them the more unsavory the jobs became.  It finally came to a head when I realized that the latest set of  documents I was translating dealt with human trafficking. Drugs and guns were bad enough, but people...."

Namjoon swallowed hard at the memory.

"I didn't know what to do, so I shoved all the papers into my backpack and when the others went out back for a smoke break, I crawled out a side window and made a run for it."

"What did you do then?"

"I thought about going to the police but I was convinced they wouldn't listen to me given that I'd been helping these guys for months, you know?  So I ducked into a back alley, scribbled out as much of the translation as I could on the papers then looked up the nearest charity dealing with human trafficking.  Once it got dark, I pulled my hoodie as far down over my face as possible to try and hide my identity and slipped the documents under their door." 

"Did that work?  Were they able to alert the authorities?"

"Yes, thankfully.  Two days later, I saw on the news that the police had intercepted a group of women and children being held against their will at the exact same place listed on the papers I'd made off with."

You were about to congratulate him on his efforts when you noticed the distinct lack of joy on his face.

"You did a good thing, Namjoon-ssi," you said.  "Why don't you look happy about it?"

"Because about an hour after I heard the news is when my former employers finally tracked me down."

"And I take it they were not in a forgiving mood?"

"Hardly.  Not only had I betrayed them, I'd also cost them millions in profit.  There's no coming back from something like that."

"So what did they do?"

Namjoon silently lifted the hem of his shirt just long enough to give you a split second glimpse of the myriad of scars littering his back and side. 

It took everything you had to not be sick to your stomach at the thought of the beating Namjoon must have endured to inflict that kind of damage.  Even though you'd only known the man for a short time, the very idea of anyone hurting this gentle giant in any way was enough to fill you with a mixture of sorrow and rage.

"They beat me until I lost consciousness then dumped my body along the river," he said, once his scars were no longer in view.   "They thought I was already dead so they didn't bother to hide me.  I guess I was supposed to serve as a warning to others."

He kept his voice calm and even, as if he were relating the day's weather forecast and not an account of how he'd almost lost his life. 

For some reason, this made his story even more heartbreaking.

"Thankfully , SiHyuk-hyung decided that night would be a good time try a different path for his stroll along the river.  The doctors said if he'd found me even fifteen minutes later there would've been nothing they could've done."

Using his shirt sleeve, Namjoon reverently wiped a tiny smudge off the plaque bearing his savior's name.

"Hyung rushed me to a hospital and paid all my medical bills before I'd even regained consciousness.  He didn't know a damn thing about me or how I ended up in the shape I was in.  He simply saw another human being in need and did everything in his power to help them, regardless of whether they deserved it or not."

"He sounds like good people," you said. 

"He was.  Not many like him out in the world these days."

You considered the man beside you carefully before speaking again.

"I know it can seem like that but Mama B used to tell me, 'Don't give up on humanity, baby.  There'll always be assholes in the world but there are loads of good folk as well.  They may not yell as loud as the others but they're around just the same.  You just gotta be willing to look for them, that's all.' "

Leaning over you nudged him with your shoulder before adding, "And after spending time with you and your friends?  I'm inclined to believe her."

Smiling softly, Namjoon nudged you in return.

"Thank you, Y/N-ssi.  And for what it's worth?  I think your Mama B and SiHyuk-hyung would've gotten on really well together."

"From what I've heard about him so far?  I think you're right."

You couldn't help but laugh as you pictured the imaginary meeting of two such formidable personalities.

"Although, he'd have had his hands full trying to convince Mama B of that.  I asked her one time how she'd managed on her own for so many years and she said, 'I did just fine because I never had a man around to worry me to death.'   I honestly would've loved to have seen her with all of you guys.  I'm sure it would've been quite the show."

You both watched as a sparrow hopped past in search of a meal.

"Namjoon-ssi?" you asked as the little bird cocked his head to one side.   "What - what happened to the people who hurt you?  Did they ever pay for what they did to you?"

"Not directly.  Hyung had a friend on the police force who took my statement anonymously then released a story to the press about a body being found by the river.  Most of the people involved in the attack are in jail for other things and the rest just think I'm dead."

"But what about your family?"

"They think I'm dead as well.  It was the only way I could ensure their safety."

"That must have been really hard for you."

"It was but it was easier than worrying all the time that someone might use me to get to them or vice versa."

Whatever had caught the sparrow's attention must not have been interesting enough.  The tiny bird flapped its wings and took off, landing on a branch not far from you.

"Kookie keeps tabs on them for me.  So far no one has bothered them.  That's good enough for me."

You couldn't imagine having to make that choice.  It was bad enough that everyone you'd loved had been taken from you.  The idea of willingly walking away from them was unthinkable.

"Besides," he said, winking as he made finger guns at you.  "I've got enough on my plate trying to help Jin-hyung wrangle this lot while also being an incredibly successful studio executive."

The abrupt change in his demeanor told you this was the end of any serious discussions for the time being.

"Oh, of course!" you said, returning the finger guns motion.  "As a matter of fact, I'm flattered you were able to work our little tete-a-tete into your busy schedule at all!"

Namjoon gasped then grabbed the front of his shirt as he pretended to swoon.

"Yah!  Y/N-ssi!  First you hit me with Shakespeare, then Friends and now you're speaking French?!  There's only so much one man's heart can take!"

"Get used to it, Namjoon-ssi," you said, dramatically tossing your hair over your shoulder.  "I am a woman of many talents."

"I'm sure you are,"  he said, bowing his head toward  you.  "And I look forward to discovering each and every one of them."

Just then the little sparrow chirped loudly and took off from his perch.  As you watched it fly away you decided to chance one last question to Namjoon.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, Namjoon-ssi ... but what I'm getting so far is that Bang SiHyuk brought all you guys together and then formed some kind of an Avengers-esque  Robin Hood type organization, am I right?"

"Aish!" groaned Namjoon.  "Please don't tell Kookie you think we're the Avengers.  He'll insist on being Iron Man."

"Nah.  JungKook-ssi is obviously Peter Parker.  Doc is Tony Stark.  Jimin-ah is Captain America."

"Hmm....I can see that," nodded Namjoon.  "Especially Minnie.  He definitely has the ass to be Captain America."

You both laughed in agreement then Namjoon asked, "So, what about me?  Who is my equivalent in the Marvel Universe?"

"You?  That's easy.  Bruce Banner."

"Banner, huh?  I like it.  I'll take that."

"Is that what you want me to call you?"

Namjoon thought for a moment then shook his head.

"No.  If you ever get to the place where you're comfortable speaking informally with me I'd be happy with Joonie."

"Okay.  Joonie it is."

You held out your hand and you both shook on it. 

"You know...." said Namjoon, slowly withdrawing his hand.  "If we went with the Robin Hood angle instead of the Avengers,  then I could call you Maid Marian."

"Only if you realize that even from her earliest appearances in the stories Marian was never depicted as a helpless, swooning damsel in distress. She was one of the first strong female characters in English literature,  highly respected for her courage, her independence and her loyalty.  As a matter of fact,  in one story from the 17th century she even goes out disguised as a man and manages to beat Robin in a fight."

"Wow!" exclaimed Namjoon, raising his eyebrows.  "You're pretty knowledgeable about Medieval Literature!"

"And there it is," you huffed, blowing a strand of hair out of your face.  "Always the tone of surprise..."

"Aish! Noona!  Did you just quote Harry Potter to me?!"

"Yes.  Why?"  you challenged, crossing your arms in front of you. "Are you going to try and shame me for liking so called kids' books?"

"Only if you try and shame me for my Naruto collection," retorted Namjoon, copying your posture.

"Of course not.  That entire series is a masterpiece and I'll fight anyone who says otherwise."

Namjoon's jaw dropped before pulling out his phone to open a search engine.

"What are you doing?" you asked.

"Looking at flight options for the month my calendar says I get to propose.  How do you feel about London as a honeymoon destination?"

Amused that he was carrying on the joke from earlier you decided to play along.

"I don't know.  Can we visit the British Library while we're there?"

"Of course. That's a given.  We can even do the Harry Potter studio tour if you'd like. Interested?"

"That depends... What Hogwarts house are you?"

"Uh..." scoffed Namjoon.  "Ravenclaw, what else?  You?"

You sat up as tall as you could and lifted your chin.

"Hufflepuff and proud of it, thank you very much."

Namjoon slumped back against the bench, sighing in relief.

"Oh, good! For a second I was afraid you were going to say Gryffindor."

"What?  Don't like lions?"

"Oh, no!  They're fine.  Matter of fact, JungKookie is a lion.  It's just I've noticed that Gryffindor tends to be the default answer for people who have watched the movies but have never actually read the books."

"Ah...you mean the 'who is Peeves' crowd?"

"Yeah!  What's up with that?"

You leaned against each other, both giggling at the shared joke about the feisty poltergeist that played a key role in the books but was then left out of all the films.

"So..." said Namjoon, holding up his phone.  "I take it London's an option?"

"Sure.  Why not?"

"Excellent!"

He tapped on the screen then slid the device back into his pocket before standing to offer you his arm.

"Now, may I have the privilege of escorting you once more around the yard before we retire indoors, Lady Noona?"

"You may, Sir Joonie."

"Sir?" grinned Namjoon, helping you to your feet.  "Have I been knighted already?  That's pretty impressive."

"Yah!  Don't get cocky," you said, rolling your eyes as you started walking arm in arm towards the house. 

"I was just trying it out.  I've decided the honorific will only be used on special occasions.  We'll use Noona and Joonie for everyday and we'll work out what we'll call each other when we're incandescently happy later."

"Aish, Noona!  Did you just hit me with a Pride and Prejudice reference on top of everything else?  Because if you did, I cannot be held responsible for my actions."

"Yeah, well...Looks like you're just going to have learn to exercise self restraint, Joonie.  And before you give me the same speech you gave Cap and Tae, I already know that line wasn't in the book."

You'd almost reached the halfway point in the yard when he asked, "Noona?  Before we go inside, do you have any tips on how to make you incandescently happy?"

"Huh...I'm not sure but...sharing access to the library with me would be a really good start."

"Alright," said Namjoon.  "As you wish."

"Aish, Joonie!" you cried, imitating his outburst from earlier.  "If you're trying to seduce me by quoting The Princess Bride then I have to tell you ... it's absolutely working."

"Good," said Namjoon, his eyes sparkling.  "I'll certainly keep that in mind for future reference."

He then stopped, reaching down to take your hand before bowing deeply, pressing his lips against your fingers as he did so.

"But we're going to have to figure out the name to use when we're incandescently happy very soon," he said as he stood to loop your arm through his.

"Why?"

"Because that's how I feel whenever you smile at me."

And with that, he began walking again.  Unable to formulate a coherent response, you simply followed along,  your stupid heart fluttering like the wings of a little bird inside your chest as you tried hard not to envision what life would be like if these men actually meant the things they said to you.

Chapter Text

Chapter Eight

Once inside, Namjoon asked, "How about a quick trip to the library?  I think I've got some special editions that you'd really enjoy."

Excited to see what other treasures the room held, you were just about to agree when you glanced in that direction only to spot Yoongi standing in the hallway, scowling at you as if your very existence was offensive to him.

Abruptly feeling drained, you decided that after hearing about Namjoon's past trauma you just didn't have the emotional bandwidth to deal with Yoongi's negative energy at the moment.

"Uhh...I really appreciate the offer but .... no thank you, Joonie.  I - I think I need a nap now.  Can I get a rain check on it though?"

Namjoon's eyes narrowed until he spotted Yoongi standing between you and the library.  He gave the other man a pointed look and opened his mouth to say something but then obviously thought better of it.

"Of course Noona," he said, deftly maneuvering you around so Yoongi was no longer in your field of vision.  "It's like the other offer I made you.  Valid any time, unlimited usage, no expiration date and no restrictions apply."

"That's very generous of you, Joonie.   I will most certainly take you up on it when I've got a bit more energy."

Walking the rest of the way in silence you were so caught up in your own thoughts that you missed the discreet signal Namjoon shot Jimin and Jin when you passed by the kitchen.

After getting you settled back in your bed, Namjoon was getting ready to leave when you called out,  "Joonie?  Would - would it be too much trouble to have something bring my own clothes back as soon as the laundry is done?"

"Sure, Noona," answered Namjoon, noticing that you'd suddenly begun picking on the sleeve of the designer shirt Jimin had given you.  "I'm not sure if they're ready yet but I'll check with Minnie right now, okay?"

"Thank you.  I appreciate that.  And, Joonie?"

"Yes?"

"It might have sounded like I was kidding but I meant what I said before."

"About what, Noona?"

"I really do appreciate you spending time with me today.  I know you're a busy guy with a lot on your plate but you made room in your schedule for me and .... that was really nice of you."

"I will always, always make time for you, Noona."

Namjoon pulled himself up to his full height before bowing a full ninety degrees.

"And make no mistake about it - the pleasure and privilege of spending time with you today was all mine."

xx

After assuring himself you were comfortable, Namjoon closed the door softly behind him before hurrying back to find Jin.

He was just entering the kitchen when he overheard Yoongi snarl, "What?  All I said was it didn't take her long to get her hands on some Louis Vuitton  now, did it?"

"Fuck!  Did you say something to her, hyung?" growled Namjoon.  "Is that why she's suddenly so anxious to get her old clothes out of the laundry?"

"What?! No!"

Jimin cried out as he slammed the refrigerator door shut.

"Damn it, hyung!  Why do you have to be so mean to her?!"

"I'm not being mean!" snapped Yoongi.  "I'm trying to protect you!  If she's taking advantage of you to get things like..."

Yoongi spun around to continue his tirade but froze when he saw tears streaming down Jimin's face.

"She didn't take advantage of anything!" sobbed Jimin.  "I worked really hard to get her to accept those clothes!  I had to throw everything else she had in the laundry while she was in the tub just to get her to take them and even then I had to practically beg her!"

Jimin's breath was now coming in short, shallow pants as he wiped the back of his hand across his face.

"And now you've gone and ruined it!  Just when it was finally gonna be my turn!"

Jimin knees buckled and he slumped against the refrigerator.  He began slowly sliding towards the floor but thankfully Jin managed to catch him before he hit the ground.

"Minnie?!"

The eldest member of the group scooped Jimin into his arms then carried him to the nearest chair where he sat, cradling the crying man in his lap.

"Shhh....Minnie?  Baby?  I know you're upset but ..."

Jin traded looks with Namjoon and Yoongi who both seemed as lost as he was.

"But we don't understand what you mean.  Your turn for what?"

"To take care of someone!  To make them feel welcome and included like you did for me and Tae when we first came!"

Jin's heart clenched as the words came tumbling out of Jimin's quivering lips.

"Everyone else got to do that for someone when they got here! Even Tae got the chance when he adopted Tannie but I never had the chance until now!"

"Oh.  Oh, baby...."  whispered Jin, motioning for Namjoon to grab some napkins from the table.  "I - I never knew you felt like that." 

"Yeah, Minnie.  I didn't know either,"  said Namjoon, handing the napkins to Jin who began tenderly wiping Jimin's face.  "You take such good care of all of us.  Have we been neglecting you, sweetheart?"

"No.  You guys are great," Jimin sniffed, trying to get his breathing under control. 

"It - it's just...well... everyone was already settled in here when Tae and I arrived.  And - and it meant so much when each one of you reached out to us and formed that special connection and .... I .... I always thought it would be nice if I could do that for someone as well but we were the last ones and I  never thought I'd get the chance but then Noona showed up and I th - thought this could be my chance to finally make a difference."

"Finally make a difference?"  asked Yoongi, kneeling down in front of Jimin.  "What do you mean, Jagiya?"

"You know,"  said Jimin,  biting lip his lip as he avoided looking Yoongi in the eye. 

"You, Joonie-hyung, Hobi-hyung and TaeTae all have jobs that help fund what we do, Jin-hyung provides all our medical care and Kookie .... fuck ...he's good at everything so I thought that helping Noona feel welcome could be something I was good at."

"Oh.  Minnie.  Sweetie."  Yoongi's voice cracked as he reached out to run his hand gently through Jimin's hair.  "Baby, you're good at lots of things."

"Like what?" pouted Jimin.

"Oh, I don't know," teased Yoongi, tapping the tip of the younger's nose.  "For starters, how about managing to access places none of us could ever dream of getting into?"

Jimin scoffed as he tried hiding his face against Jin's neck.

"Don't laugh," huffed Jin, nudging Jimin with his shoulder.   "We couldn't function without you!  Can you imagine me trying to slip through that tiny little tunnel we used to access the underground bank vault in Ilsan or even worse - Joonie trying to maneuver his way through that sea of laser beams at the Museum in Daegu?  Egad, what a disaster that would've been!"

Jin, Namjoon and Yoongi all visibly shivered as they tried to picture those scenes in their head.

"And even without that..."  said Namjoon, turning Jimin's face back towards them before running a finger down his tear stained cheek.   

"You are the absolute heart and soul of this home, Minnie.  It makes me sad to think of what our lives were like before you and Tae got here and I don't even want to imagine life without you now."

"He's right, Min-ah.  You're irreplaceable," said Yoongi, taking Jimin's hands in his. "So, please.  Please don't cry.  It hurts my heart to see you cry, Baby."

As he spoke, Yoongi raised their joined hands and began pressing kisses on Jimin's fingers.

"Hyung is so sorry that he did anything to make you sad, Jimin-ah.  I promise, if being nice to Y/N will make you happy, then hyung will do it, okay?"

"No."

Jimin spoke firmly while shaking his head, which clearly confused Yoongi.

"Wait,"  said the older man.  "I'm lost.  You don't want me to be nice to her?"

"Yes!  No!  I mean ..."

Jimin groaned in frustration.

"I'm saying don't be fake with her hyung.  If she's anything like me then there's only one thing that feels worse than being outright rejected and that's being patronized or pitied.  Just .... just don't be so mean to her, okay?  She's a good person.  Just give her a chance.  For me.  Please."

"Okay.  Whatever you want, Minnie.  I promise," said Yoongi, kissing the inside of Jimin's wrist.  "Now....Are we good?"

"Yeah," said Jimin, giving Yoongi a soft smile. "We're good.  Thank you, hyung.  I - I'm sorry for yelling at you before."

"No apologies, Jagiya," said Yoongi,  pressing one last kiss to the back of Jimin's hand before standing. "I guess I deserved it."

"Alright!" announced Jin, rising to his feet with Jimin still in his arms.  "If we're all good for the time being then let's get Minnie cleaned up before Tae-ah gets home and we all get an earful from him about upsetting his soul mate."

xx

You must have been more tired than you thought because you'd dozed off right after Namjoon left the room.  You'd just woken up and were trying to work out how much time had passed when Jin peeked in to check on you.

"Ah!  Hello, little one.  I'm sorry.  Did I wake  you?"

"No, Doc.  I actually woke up right before you opened the door."

"Oh, good.  I just wanted to see if you felt like joining us in the kitchen for dinner in  little while?"

"Actually, I'm kind of beat," you said, stifling a yawn.  "Is it okay if I stay here instead?"

"Of course," said Jin, reaching to smooth out a wrinkle on the comforter near your feet.  "Whatever feels right for you.  The last thing we need is for you to push yourself too far beyond your limits while you're still healing."

"Thanks.  And Doc?"

Jin glanced up to see you nervously twisting the hem of your special blanket between your fingers.

"Yes, little one?"

"I - I don't know if Cap mentioned it but I - I accidentally broke one of your tea cups this morning.  I - I'm not sure how much it cost but I promise I'll do my best to reimburse you in a timely manner."

"Nonsense!" scoffed Jin.  "You'd have to break an entire cabinet full of crockery before you'd even begin to catch up with the damage the others have caused!  Between Joon's inherent clumsiness and the Little Monsters tendency to re-enact scenes from their favorite films while washing the dishes - and don't even get me started on the time Hob-ah decided he wanted to learn to juggle plates after seeing circus performers at a street festival..."

Jin's eyes rolled so far back in head at the memory that you thought they might make a complete circle inside the man's skull.

"I now buy all of our day to day breakables in bulk from a discount wholesale shop.  So you can put any thought of reimbursement out of your mind, little one."

You were just about to point out his repeated use of the endearment "little one" when he reached down to pick up a brown paper bag sitting on the floor.

"Now,  before I forget," he said, placing the bag next to you.  "I hope you don't mind but I took the liberty of picking up a few personal items for you while I was at the store."

"Personal items?"

"Yeah.  I wasn't sure about the timing of your menstrual cycle and didn't want you to get caught unprepared so I got a few different things to tide you over until you could go shopping for yourself."

As he spoke you opened the bag to find an assortment of pads, tampons, a diva cup and even some period panties.

"If there's specific brand or product you prefer let me know.  I can grab them next time or ..."

He stopped short when he saw the stunned look on your face.

"Y/N-ah?  I - I'm sorry.  Did - did I over step?  I didn't mean to offend you." 

"No.  You didn't offend me at all, Doc.  Sorry.  I feel stupid.  It's just...."

You coughed in an attempt to clear the lump that had formed in your throat.

"It's just the last guy I dated ...I .... I called him one time because my cramps were so bad I could barely get out of bed.  I asked him to pick some of this stuff for me and he ... he told me that buying 'gross girlie stuff' wasn't his job."

"You have got to be fucking kidding me," growled Jin.  "A grown ass man actually said that to you about a perfectly normal bodily function?  One that made his very existence possible?!"

"Wait!  It gets better.  He then proceeded to tell me that I should stop whining,  'man up' and go get them myself."

"Oh, for the love of....," said Jin,  pinching the bridge of his nose.  "Please, please tell me you punched the ignorant son of a bitch in the face the next time you saw him."

"Had I actually seen him in person again I probably would've," you chuckled.  "Instead I made do with breaking up with him over the phone before hanging up and blocking his number.  Never spoke to him again."

"Good girl.  Although that was far better than the misogynistic bastard deserved."

Jin forced a smile before taking the bag from you.

"Since I'm up, I'll put these in the bathroom for you. Can I get you anything else while I'm here?"

"No, Doc.  You've done more than enough for me already."

"Rubbish.  Now, you get some rest, little one.  You've had a big day. One of us will bring you that laundry you asked for as well as some more food later, okay?"

"Okay.  Thanks, Doc."

In the bathroom, Jin placed the bag and its contents in the cabinet under the sink before taking a quick mental inventory of other items you might need.  Finding you already asleep when he stepped back into the room,  he slipped out as quietly as he could so as not to disturb your well earned rest.

Making his way down the hallway he replayed your conversation in his head, trying but failing to conceive of how anyone could treat a person they were in a relationship with - much less someone as special as you - in such an ignorant and dismissive manner.

Regretting the promise he'd made to himself about not digging any further into your past so he could track down the idiot who'd treated you so disrespectfully and ruin his pathetic little life, Jin decided instead to keep finding even more ways to make your time with them as enjoyable and as pampered as you would allow.

xx

The next time you woke, Hoseok was sitting in a nearby chair,  carefully inspecting the frayed seam of a large, black hoodie.

You laid there, quietly enjoying his intense concentration until he looked up and saw you were awake and watching him.

"Noona!  I'm sorry! I hope I didn't wake you!"

"That's okay," you said,  yawning and stretching your arms.  "It wasn't you.  It was nature calling."

"Oh? Oh!"

Hoseok hopped to his feet, casting the hoodie aside when he realized what you meant.  Helping you out of the bed, he then wrapped one arm around your waist.

"Then let's not keep Mother Nature waiting, shall we?"

He ushered you to the bathroom,  pausing to make sure you were steady on your feet before closing the door to give you privacy.

"I'll be right out here so let me know if you need help, okay?"

"Okay, Hobi.  Thank you."

As promised, once you were finished with your morning routine,  Hoseok helped you back into bed then placed a tray laden with food in your lap.

"Here.  I'm under strict instructions from Jin-hyung that you're to finish at least half of everything before attempting any further physical activities."

"What happens if I don't?" you asked, surveying what in the recent past would have been an entire day's worth of food  - if not more - for you.

"I don't know and I really don't want to find out so please..." he said, glancing over his shoulder as if an irritable Jin might suddenly  materialize out of thin air.  "Give it your best shot, will you?"

"If it will ensure your health and safety?  I'll do my best, Hobi."

"Thank you, Noona!"

As you began eating you gestured towards three large laundry baskets sitting next to Hoseok.

"What's all this?"

"Hyung said you wanted your laundry.  Here it is."

You almost choked on your juice.

"I asked for my laundry.  Not the laundry of a small country!"

"Yah!"  teased Hobi, sticking out his tongue before picking up the few familiar items laying  on top of the nearest basket.  "Fine.  Is this what you were looking for?"

"Yes, thank you."

Hoseok regarded the small pile in his hands with a raised eyebrow.

"Wow.  Minnie was right.  You really don't have much in the way of material possessions."

"The less stuff you own the more freedom you have," you shrugged, popping a dumpling in your mouth.  "Mama B said most people spend the first two thirds of their lives acquiring stuff and the last third trying to give it all away.  I'm just trying to get a jump on the process."

"Hmm....She's not wrong.  So while we're on the topic of giving things away..."

He gave you his signature heart shaped smile as he motioned towards the other baskets.

"A few of us recently did a closet purge.  Thought we'd give you first crack at the results."

"Hobi ..." you sighed, laying your chopsticks aside.  "I know you mean well but ... I'm uncomfortable with all this fancy stuff.  I'm used to getting my things at a second hand store."

"Then you're in luck.  Technically, everything here is at least third hand - some even more!"

He leaned over to pluck a shirt from the top of pile and draped it over the end of the bed.

"Take this for example.  It was mine, then it was Tae's, then Jimin-ah 'liberated' it from his closet."

Hoseok counted off the stops of the shirt's journey on his fingers as he spoke.

"Then he set it aside for donation so now it can be yours.  See?  Fourth hand.  Much better than second hand."

"It's not the same."

"Alright.  Let me ask you this.  If you found this shirt in a second hand store at a price you could afford, would you buy it?"

You hated to admit it but the soft purple sweatshirt he was talking about was the exactly the sort of thing you would have chosen for yourself if given the chance.

"I....I guess so."

"There you go.  If you weren't here that's where this particular garment would've ended up.  You've just saved us a trip to the shop which - if you think of it -  also makes it environmentally friendly." 

Hoseok sat tall in his chair, looking particularly proud of that bit of logic.

"So don't think of it as accepting a gift.  Think of it as saving the planet for future generations!"

Seeing you still had doubts, Hoseok resorted to begging.

"Please?"

He picked up another item - this one a light blue dress shirt that judging by the size  must have formerly belonged to either Jin or Namjoon.

"If nothing else, give me some practice doing alterations on real clothes for someone other than the guys.  It's been ages since I've got my hands on a woman."

As soon as the words left his mouth he stopped and made a face as you unsuccessfully tried to stifle a laugh.

"Wait.  That didn't come out right, did it?"

"I suppose that would rather depend on the truth of the statement now, wouldn't it?"

You both scrunched your noses and made funny faces at each other like a couple of kids.

"But it's not like being in a shop," you said, turning serious again.  "I haven't paid for it."

"The opportunity to brush up on my tailoring skills is worth much more than money to  me, Noona," Hoseok countered.

"But..."

You started to argue the point but Hoseok cut you off.

"Okay. How about this - you let me practice tailoring and you tell me the story of one of the squares on this beautiful blanket of yours."  he said, gazing with admiration at the object folded up next to you.

"Which one?"

While you weren't opposed to sharing some stories with them, there were others that were still too painful to contemplate.

"Any one.  You decide."

"Okay... " you said, breathing a sigh of relief.  "But only if I can ask you something as well."

"Fair enough.  What do you want to know?"

Not wanting to appear too desperate for information on his past you decided to approach the topic from a side angle.

"How about you tell me how you got started sewing?"

"Deal," he said, holding out his hand.  "You finish eating and afterwards I'll tell you the story while I take your measurements.  How's that sound?"

"Sounds like a deal to me," you said, shaking his hand before resuming your meal.

You hurried through your meal then Hoseok had you duck into the bathroom to change into a t-shirt and leggings so he could get accurate measurements.  Once you'd done that, Hoseok had you step onto a low stool as he produced a tape measure, a small notebook and a pencil from his pocket.

"Right.  Where to start?"

"On me or on the story?"  you asked.

"Both, I suppose," smiled Hoseok.

"Then I suppose the answer to both is - wherever you like." 

"Okay.   Then hold out your arms,  please."

As you did so, Hoseok placed one end of the tape measure on your shoulder, extending the other end to the tips of your fingers.

"I guess the first thing I should do is ask if you're familiar with the term foundling?"

"You mean like a child that's been abandoned as an infant then found and raised by others?"

"Yep.  Ever met one?"

"I don't think so."

"Well...You have now."

Hoseok bowed with a flourish before recording the measurement he'd just taken into his notebook.

"According to the official records I was found in the back pew of a Catholic Church in Seoul after that year's Easter services.  The doctor's best guess was I was not quite two months old so the Nun that discovered me proclaimed me a 'gift from heaven' and gave me her birthday - February 18th."

He moved to the other arm, repeating the procedure and noting the results.

"After making sure I was healthy I was sent to an orphanage where I was promptly adopted by an older woman who lived by herself in Gwanju."

"Is that a common practice here?  Where I lived the preference would have been to find a young couple to care for an infant."

"Same here.  I obviously didn't question it at the time but as I got older I began to think that she was probably a blood relative.  Possibly even my biological grandmother." 

Hoseok had  you lower your arms before measuring between your shoulder blades.

"She lived in a nice house and while we didn't live extravagantly,  money never seemed to be an issue so I suppose she was well off enough to 'grease the wheels' of the system to ensure an adoption ruling went in her favor if she wanted."

"Did you ever try to find out for sure?"

"Nah.   Kookie offered to run my DNA through the system or hack into the official database and access the original documents for me but.... I decided I'd rather not know.  Either way it wouldn't change how I felt about her."

"I guess I can understand that," you said as Hoseok wrapped the tape measure around your waist.  "Did she treat you well?"

"Yeah.  She was great.  When I first showed an interest in dance, she signed me up for lessons at the best studio in town."

"Really?  I didn't know you were a dancer, Hobi!  What kind?"

"While I can appreciate all kinds of dance, my specialty was hip hop."

"Cool!  Are you good?"

Hoseok shrugged as he noted the waist measurement and moved on to your hips.

"I was alright, I guess. Won first place in the National Competition one year."

"Get out!" you gasped, twisting around to face him.  "That's amazing!  Do you still dance?!"

"No," he answered, gently but firmly turning you back around so he could retake the hip measurement.

"Why not?"

He sighed before lifting his trouser leg to reveal a long white scar starting mid calf and disappearing somewhere over his knee.

"Took a nasty fall trying a new move a few months after I won Nationals.  One of those freak things.  Every muscle, bone and tendon turned just the wrong way at just the wrong time.  I had surgery and while I healed okay I was never able to move this leg quite the same way again, thus ending my performance career."

"Oh, Hobi.  That sucks.  I'm sorry."

"That's okay.  It was a long time ago."

"Just because something happened a long time ago, it doesn't mean it can't still hurt."

"Yeah...I ... I  guess you're right."

Shaking his head as if to clear his thoughts, Hoseok resumed his measurements.

"Worst part was it happened right after the woman who raised me passed away.  She'd left me a little money but after the estate was settled it was obvious that if I wanted to remain in the city I'd need to get a job here."

"Staying there was really important to you, huh?"

"Yeah.  The only thing really tying me to Gwanju was her.  Once she was gone I ... I just couldn't stomach the thought of moving back there alone."

"I can understand that."

Your mind flashed to the tiny home you'd shared with Mama B and how empty it had felt after she'd passed.

"Thankfully," said Hoseok, recording the length of one outside leg. "There was sweet little ahjumma I'd met through competition circuit that created costumes for all kinds of dancers  - ballet, contemporary, hip hop...  Over the years I'd learned enough basic sewing skills to be able to fix any last minute wardrobe malfunctions that might occur during competitions so when she found out what happened she offered me a job doing alterations and fittings for the people I'd formerly competed against. "

"Was that hard?  Being around that world without being in it?"

"I guess it was at first but at least it made me feel like I hadn't lost everything I'd worked so hard for."

"So what changed?  Why are you here and not still with her?"

Hoseok's expression turned dark before answering.

"Things were going well until a certain organization within the neighborhood decided they needed the building her store was in for themselves.  When she refused to sell they got angry.  Burned the place down."

"Damn.  That's starting to sound familiar.  Was she hurt?"

"No.  Thankfully no one was in the building at the time but it scared her enough that she retired and moved back to Ilsan to be near her children and grandchildren. I still send her a Christmas card every year."   

You relaxed slightly hearing that.  You were glad that - at least so far - Hoseok's story didn't include a beating or an untimely death.

"Not long after she left, this pudgy little middle aged guy tracked me down.  Said he was an old friend of my former employer and that he needed some last minute custom alterations done on a suit for a special event the next evening. I needed the money for the rent so I said sure.  Stayed up all night but I managed to get the work done for him."

"Wait.  Let me guess.  It was our old friend Bang SiHyuk?"

"The one and only," grinned Hoseok.  "He must have been happy with what I'd done because soon after he invited me to meet with him to discuss another project." 

"Another suit alteration?"

"No.  Funny thing.  Due to some, shall we say unforeseen circumstances,  he'd recently acquired a night club and needed to find a manager for it.  As it happened, he was looking for someone that understand dancers that could properly look out for the talent."

You were trying so hard to keep your focus on the story as Hoseok deftly measured your bust that it took a moment for what he said to sink in.

"A night club with dancers....Wait... are you saying that you run a strip club?"

Hoseok gave a rather indignant huff as he folded his arms across his chest.

"I prefer to think of my establishment as an upscale entertainment venue where both male and female exotic dancers can hone their craft in a safe environment while at the same time earning a sustainable living."

"Wow..." you said,  bowing your head in respect.  "And Cap said Yoongi-ssi was the one who was good with words."

"Well, I suppose something of him must have rubbed off on me after living together for so long.  I guess I should be glad it was his way with words and not his talent for making first impressions."

You held each other's gaze for a second before you both burst into laughter.  When you were finally able to breathe again you asked, "So...that's how  you ended up with these guys?"

"Not right away.  After I'd worked for SiHyuk-hyung for about a month, he asked if I wanted to be a part of something bigger.  He told me about a few friends of his that were banding together to help people.  It would seem that they'd deemed my particular skill set handy, especially when it came to creating disguises from time to time." 

He shrugged as he draped the tape measure around his neck.

"And, since I didn't have anything better to do it seemed more productive than sitting around bemoaning two dashed careers so...here I am."

He smiled again but this time it seemed a bit forced.

"Sorry if my story isn't as dramatic as the others."

"Didn't know it was a competition," you said.

"No.  I suppose not."

He stood quickly, brushing a bit of nonexistent lint from his knees.  As he made another note in his book you asked,  "Hobi....did you ever take time to grieve?"

He glanced up, confusion evident on his face.

"Grieve what, Noona?"

"Your dancing."

Hoseok tipped his head to one side, tucking his pencil behind one ear.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, in my experience losing a dream is just as traumatic as losing a person and deserves to be processed as such.  Grieving the idea of what might have been is just as valid as grieving a lost love one."

"Huh....Wow....I...I never thought of it like that."

The room fell into silence until you spoke again.

"Hobi?  I'm sorry.  I didn't mean to over step or upset you..."

"No!  You didn't upset me!  It's okay.  Really.  It's ... it's actually a good thing to think about.  Thank you."

The smile he gave you was far more genuine than the previous one, giving you the courage to venture one last query.

"Hobi?  May I ask one more question?"

"Sure, Noona.  What is it?"

"Are you happy?"

The smile in answer to this question reached his eyes and seemed to brighten the entire room.

"Yeah.  I really am.  Thank you for asking though."

"Good.  You deserve it."

"So do you, Noona.  So do you."

He gazed fondly at you then cleared his throat as he motioned towards your special blanket.

"Now," he said, deftly changing the topic.  "Which little fabric mystery are you going to reveal to me?"

You pondered for a moment before pointing to a square of faded blue flannel.

"This one.  It was one of my dad's work shirts."

Hoseok reached out but stopped just short of touching the blanket.

"May I?"

"Yes. Of course."

He gave a nod of thanks before running a finger lovingly over the piece of fabric.

"Wow.  It's very soft." 

"Yeah.  It was one of my favorites.  I loved snuggling in his lap when he wore it."

"You said it was his work shirt?  Was he a laborer of some kind?"

"No.  He worked an office job but his hobby on weekends was puttering around the garage, tinkering with engines.  To this day the smell of fresh motor oil still makes me think of him."

"Ah!  Then he would've loved spending time with Kookie.  He rebuilds old cars and motorcycles in his spare time."

"I thought JungKook-ssi was a computer guy."

"He is.  He's one of those people that are good at everything.  And I mean everything."

"Really?"

"Yeah.  Honestly?  If we didn't all love him so much it would be really freaking annoying."

Hoseok grinned before turning his attention back to  your blanket.

"I take it all of these have a story then?"

"Yeah.  They do."

"Did you sew them together?"

"No.  That was Mama B.  In a pinch, I can replace a button or repair a torn hemline but she was the real seamstress."

You ran your fingers over a piece of pale pink silk fabric next to your father's work shirt.

"My mother starting keeping scraps of clothing that meant something to her before she ever got married.  She didn't even know how to sew but her dream was to someday learn so she could make something like this but she never got the chance."

Seeing the emotion on your face, Hoseok reached out and took your hand in his.

"Thankfully, the bits of fabric she'd collected were some of the few things I was able to take with me when I entered the foster care system and when I finally ended up with Mama B she made it her mission to turn my Mom's dream into a reality.  And she did."

"Well, she did a beautiful job.  Her chain stitches are exquisite and those are not easy to do."

"Thank you.  She'd have been pleased that someone who understands the time and effort these things take had admired her work."

"No, Noona.  Thank you."

"For what?"

"For sharing that story with me.  It - well, it  means a lot that you trusted me with that."

He squeezed your fingers then stood, sliding the notebook and pencil back into his pocket.

"Now.  I think I have enough information to make a start on what I've got in mind.  Are you up for a walk around the yard with me?  It's a beautiful day outside."

"Sure, Hobi.  I'd like that.  I'd like that a lot."

xx

Maybe if you'd had some sort of warning, you would've reacted differently.

As it was, when you and Hoseok stepped into the yard you were completely unprepared for the sight that greeted you.

Not two meters from the door, in the soft grass that bordered the patio paving stones, lay a motionless TaeHyung, his dark eyes staring blankly up at the sky.

Your heart froze as you assumed the worst.

"Tae-ah?  Tae-ah!"

From somewhere far off in the distance you could just barely make out Hoseok's voice saying words like okay, sleeping, always, eyes open and he's fine but it was being drowned out by a loud buzzing noise and an almost inhuman scream echoing around the yard.

It didn't register with you that the last sound was coming from you, because in that moment you were no longer seeing TaeHyung. 

You were in a different garden with a different man whose bright, sparkling eyes had turned cold and unseeing.

When you eventually drifted back into the present you were on the ground, sitting in Hobi's lap, his strong arms gripping you tightly as he rocked you back and forth.

You could hear someone sobbing and it took while before you realized that was you as well.

"Can you hear me,  Baby Girl?"  pleaded Hoseok. "Breathe for me, sweetie.  I need for you to breathe for me."

As your vision slowly came back into focus, you were able to make out a desperate TaeHyung cupping your face in his trembling hands.

"Jagiya?  Are you with me?" he whispered.  "Nod if you can hear me, okay?"

It required a conscious effort on your part but after a couple of tries you were finally able to give him a weak nod.

"Good.  That's good," encouraged Tae.  "Do you know who I am?"

You took a couple of deep breaths before stammering,  "T-T-TaeHyung."

"That's right.  Good girl.  You're doing great.  And who's holding you right now?"

"H- H- Hobi is."

"Good.  Right. And who's this?"

He glanced down at the little dog snuffling anxiously around your legs.

"T-T-Tannie."

"Yes!  That's it!" smiled TaeHyung. "Now - can you name three colors you can see around us?"

You swallowed hard before forcing yourself to look away from Tae's face.

"Uh...b-blue sk-sky.  Gr-green gr-grass.  Wh-white sh-shirt."

"Wonderful!  You're doing so well, Jagiya.  Can you tell me three things you can hear?"

"Y-your v-voice.  T-tannie.  W-wind ch-chimes."

"Excellent!  Now - tell me three things you can feel, okay?"

"Y-your h-hands on m-my f-face.  H-hobi's arms a-around m-me.  T-tannie's n-nose on my wrist."

"Right.  Right," TaeHyung kept whispering assurances as he brushed his fingers across your cheek.  "You're good.  I'm good.  We're all good, see?"

Not sure if you entirely believed him, you managed to give another shaky nod of your head just the same.

"Okay," he said, glancing at the man behind you.  "Hobi-hyung is going to carry you back inside now, alright?"

Without waiting for an answer, Hoseok scooped you up and started for the house.  As he neared the door, Tae moved as if to dash forward to open it but you grabbed hold of his sleeve, holding on as if your life depended on it.

"No!" you cried.  "D- don't g-go!"

"Shh!  It's okay, Noona," Tae said, placing his hand over yours.  "I'm not going anywhere!  I was only going to open the door for you.  Honest!"

"Do-don't leave me.  P-please," you whimpered, tightening your grip on him.

"Okay.  okay.  I won't.  Look. Look.  I'm here.  I'm not going anywhere, see?"

Somehow Hoseok managed to get you inside and back to your room with you still clinging to TaeHyung's sleeve and YeonTan hot on your heels.

Placing you on the bed, Hoseok whispered something to TaeHyung then handing him YeonTan before rushing out of the room.

TaeHyung placed the dog on the bed before crawling in to join you.

"Don't tell Jin-hyung I did this," he said.  "He'll fuss."

"W-why?"  you asked, as TaeHyung wrapped himself around  you from behind.

"He has a thing about people getting on beds wearing outside clothes."

Snuggling in as the big spoon, he whispered as if someone else was in the room to overhear.

"He says it's a hygiene thing but we think he just likes watching us strip when we want to get in bed with him."

You gave a soft chuckle and you could feel TaeHyung relax a tiny bit at the sound.

"I - I'll keep that in mind," you said.

As YeonTan turned in circles, trying to find a spot to get comfortable, TaeHyung spoke in a low voice.

"Noona? I'm sorry."

"F - for what?"

"I didn't mean to scare you.  I'm so used to everyone here knowing that I sleep with my eyes open that it never occurred to me to warn you about it.  Especially if I was going to take a nap in the garden. That was very irresponsible of me."

"Th- that's okay.  I - I'm s-sorry I o-overreacted." 

"Don't say that.  You have nothing to apologize for, Noona.  Nothing at all."

Just then, Hoseok scurried back into the room, a tea cup in his hands.

"Here you go, Baby.  Sit up and drink this for me, okay?"

"W-what is it?" you asked, as TaeHyung helped prop you up on your elbow.

"Valerian passion flower tea with honey.  Jin-hyung makes it for us when we have nightmares.  It's really good.  Give it a try?"

Since your hands were still shaking, Hoseok held the cup as you took one small sip and then another.

"That's it," he said.  "Drink up."

Once you'd finished it all, Hoseok placed the cup on the table before brushing a few strands of hair from your forehead.

"Good girl.  Now.  Close your eyes and rest.  Tae-ah will stay with you."

"That's right,"  said Tae, pulling you back down beside him.  "I'm not going anywhere.  I promise."

As your eyes fluttered shut, Tae nestled his face into the crook of your neck and began to softly hum a song that sounded vaguely familiar but you fell asleep before you could remember what it was called or where you'd heard it before.

xx

As TaeHyung comforted you, the other members of the household convened around the kitchen table, all of them rushing home from their various jobs and errands after receiving a panicked "SOS" text from Hoseok.

Once everyone had settled in, Hoseok recounted what had transpired, complete with the security video from the back yard that he'd asked JungKook to bring up.

"We all freaked out the first time we saw Tae like that, Hobi."

Yoongi tried to sound unaffected but it was clear even he found the images troubling.

"Yes, but look at her, hyung!"  said Hoseok, pointing to the still frame of you collapsed on the ground.   "The way she reacted when she saw him - it was more than just shock or worry or even fear.  It was...it was...."

"Some kind of repressed trauma response," said Namjoon.

"Trauma response?"  asked JungKook.  "What's that mean, hyung?"

"It means," said Yoongi.  "That at one point in her life she's probably either found a dead body or watched someone else die.  Most likely someone close to her."

"Is that true, hyung?" asked Jimin, his big dark eyes turning to Jin for answers.

"I can't say, Minnie," replied the elder.  "I'm sorry but .... I can't."

"But there's a specific reason she wanted to work with traumatized children, isn't there?" asked Hoseok.

Jin paused then nodded.

"Yes.  Yes, there is."

Before anyone could ask another question, Jin pushed away from table.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to peek in and check on my patient."

As he quickly exited the room, Jimin leaned across the table and spoke in a low voice to JungKook.

"Kookie?  You dug up all her files.  Do you have any idea what's going on?"

"No," said JungKook, sadly shaking his head.  "I downloaded them but I didn't actually read most of them before giving them to Jin-hyung.  Pretty much all I knew is what he told us when she first woke up."

Gnawing his pierced lip, the youngest of the group turned and wrapped his arms around Namjoon.

"Hyung?  What - what do you think happened to her?"                    

"I don't know, baby."

Namjoon gave JungKook a hug, then pressed a kiss into his hair.

"But no matter what it was, it was in the past and we can't change that.  All we can do is be there for her now.  Just like we do with each other, okay?"

JungKook sniffed and nodded as everyone else sat lost in their own thoughts - each of them trying to imagine what kind of demons were lurking in your past that still impacted you so deeply.

Chapter Text

Chapter Nine

When you woke up, you felt so warm and snug that you wondered why hadn't you'd invested in a weighted blanket sooner.

It took a while for your sleep addled brain to process the fact that the protective layer wrapped around you wasn't a blanket at all but in fact a lightly snoring TaeHyung, face snuggled into your neck, arms wrapped around your waist and one leg thrown over yours for good measure.

As you grew more awake the memories of what happened earlier began rising to the surface of your mind, slowly pushing into your consciousness as if fighting their way through layers of the thick molasses Mama B had used when making her famous Christmas cookies.

Something about that mental image, combined with the memory of seeing Tae lying in the garden caused another tidal wave of emotion to crash over you.  Biting your lip hard, your breath hitched and you struggled to steady yourself lest you start crying again.

You realized you'd been unsuccessful when TaeHyung stirred behind you.

"Noona?" he murmured, his voice deep and raspy as he pushed himself up onto one elbow.

"What's wrong?  Are you okay?  How do you feel?"

"How do I feel?" you sniffed, staring at Yeontan sleeping next to you in an effort to avoid looking into TaeHyung's eyes.  "I feel stupid.  Humiliated.  Embarrassed.  You know - the usual."

"Why in the world would you feel like that, Noona?"

"Why?  Because I had a full-fledged, fucking mental breakdown over a man taking a nap outside with his dog, that's why."

"Oh, Noona..." sighed TaeHyung, resting his hand gently on the side of your face.

"I hate to be the one to break it to you but if you think you're the only person in this house to ever have a meltdown, you're sadly mistaken.  We've all had them.  Hell, my first one happened the second night Minnie and I were here.  I had a nightmare and screamed so loud that Jin-hyung swears I took three years off his life.  So you have absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about."

As he spoke he used his thumb to wipe a tear from your cheek that you didn't even realize had fallen.

"So...Do you want to talk about what happened?"

"No," you said, shaking your head as more tears threatened to fall.  "I'm sorry but..."

"Shh... It's okay.  No apologies.  If you don't want to talk about it then we don't talk about it.  End of story."

He shifted his weight, causing a sleepy Yeontan to glare at his owner through one half opened eye.

"But just know - if you ever do decide you want to talk, I'm always willing to listen.  No pressure and no judgments.  Ever. Got it?"

"Okay.  Thank you."

Just then the door opened and a concerned Jin peeked inside.

"Ah!  You're both awake.  Good.  I bring sustenance."

He entered the room carrying yet another tray laden with goodies.  You were beginning to  wonder when the man had time to do anything other than prepare the seemingly endless supply of food offered to you.

Before you could say anything Jin placed the tray on the bedside table and tutted softly.

"Aish!  Tae-ah!  You know better than to let someone go to sleep without removing their makeup."

Darting into the bathroom, Jin returned seconds later holding a package of facial wipes.  He lifted your chin with one hand while carefully wiping off the smudges of the mascara Jimin had applied what now seemed like ages ago.

"Sorry, hyung.  We fell asleep before I thought of that.  We only just now woke up so I was telling her about my second night here."

"Ah, yes.  The ear piercing screech that caused me to sprout not one but two grey hairs!  It's a good thing I love you enough to forgive you for that, Tae-ah .... even if you are in a bed wearing outside clothes."

Pursing his lips,  Jin arched a disapproving eyebrow at the man laying beside you.

"So am I," you blurted out, unwilling to let TaeHyung get in trouble for comforting you.

"Yes," said Jin, giving you an indulgent smile.  "But it's your bed, little one.  You can do whatever you like in it."

"Even have guests wearing outside clothes in it with me?"

Although it wasn't meant to sound sexual, you couldn't help but notice how red the tips of Jin's ears turned at the question.

"Umm...well... yes... if you so desire..." said Jin.  He cleared his throat to compose himself then made a funny face at TaeHyung as he added,  "I suppose there's no accounting for taste."

You and Tae traded triumphant glances before Jin waved his hands at the younger man.

"But for now, I need for Tae-ah and Tannie to vacate the bed so you can eat.  We all know how exhausting incidents like this can be.  You'll need plenty of fuel in your belly before you face the day."

TaeHyung pouted, giving you another fierce cuddle before reluctantly climbing off the bed.  He gave Jin a big sloppy kiss on the cheek then picked up Yeontan who let his feelings on being moved be known with an offended snort directed at the eldest member of the house.

"Yes!  Yes!  I know!" said Jin, addressing the little dog as if it were a human infant.  "Uncle Jinnie is a big old meanie pants!"

"Yah!  Noona!" giggled TaeHyung, grinning as he headed towards the door.  "If anyone asks remember, hyung said it - not me!"

Taking Yeontan's paw in his hand, both man and dog waved goodbye before leaving you alone with Jin.

Shaking his head, Jin turned, sternly motioning at the tray in front of you.

"You.  Eat.  Now," he commanded.

"Yes. Doc.  Thanks," you countered, imitating his tone and facial expression as you picked up your chopsticks.

As you tucked into the food, Jin fussed around the room, straightening a few odds and ends before asking, "How are you feeling, little one?"

"Like I told Tae-ah, I'm fine.  Just embarrassed and humiliated."

"And I hope he told you that there was no reason for feeling that way?  That we'd all experienced moments like that before?  Offered you a safe space to talk if you wanted?"

"He did.  All of that."

"And did that help?"

"Kind of?  Sort of....Maybe?"

You pushed some rice around in the bowl.  You could tell he wanted to ask more but was holding himself back in order to make you feel more comfortable.

"Hey," said Jin, lowering himself down next to you on the bed.  "I get it.  When it's happening to you it can feel very isolating.  But I assure you, everyone here understands.  And all of us are willing to listen if and when you decide you want to talk."

"Thank you.  I'll keep that in mind."

You took a sip of your juice then added, "And thank you for not pushing me to explain.  I know you all mean well but that ... that's a story I'm not ready to share.  Not yet at least."

"Of course," said Jin.  "I understand how protective you are about your past and I promise to respect your wishes in that regard."

"Thanks, Doc.  I appreciate that."

Jin waited until you resumed eating then asked, "Little one?  I know you're not ready to talk but is there anything we can do to help you if and when this happens again?"

You thought for a moment then nodded.

"As a matter of fact, there is."

Jin's eyes lit up and he rubbed his hands together in anticipation.

"Excellent!  Whatever it is, just name it and it shall be yours!"

"Aish! Doc!  You don't even know what I was going to say!  I thought we'd covered this whole 'mouth writing checks the rest of you can't cover' business."

"Yah!  I've already offered you champagne and jewelry at Tiffany's.  I think I can live up to whatever request you've got for me this time.  As long as it's not immoral or illegal.  And even if it is ... I'm sure we could work out a reasonable compromise."

He looked so sincere that if you didn't know better you might have believed that he meant every word.

"Well, hopefully this is a bit easier," you laughed.  "All I was going to ask was if you had any spare art supplies lying around.  You know, pencils.  Scrap paper.  That sort of thing?"

Jin stood, lacing his fingers together and cracking his knuckles.

"Oh, little one.  That is one wish we most certainly can grant."

xx

Once you'd eaten enough to suit him, Jin took the tray the left to give you a chance to freshen up.

When you'd finished your morning routine and changed clothes, you exited the bathroom to find - not Jin - but instead a nervous JungKook waiting for you.

As soon as you stepped through the door, the young man snapped to attention and gave a formal bow.

"Hello, Y/N-ssi!  Jin-hyung said I should take you to get some art supplies."

"Oh!  I don't want to inconvenience you like that, JungKook-ssi!  Like I told Doc, some scrap paper and a pencil is all I really need."

"Oh, no!" 

JungKook's eyes widened as he shook his head furiously.

"We can do much better than scrap paper and pencils!  It's just ..."

He swallowed hard as he shifted his feet.

"Well...it's just ... kind of easier if I show you?"

Even though you really didn't want to put anybody out, the young man's doe eyed expression made it impossible for you to refuse.

"Alright, JungKook-ssi.  If that's what you think then that's what we'll do."

Looking incredibly pleased with himself, he hesitated before awkwardly offering you one of his heavily tattooed arms.

"Thank you, Y/N-ssi.  May I please have the honor of escorting you to my studio?"

"Of course, JungKook-ssi," you said, trying hard not to laugh at his earnest expression and formal tone.  "Thank you very much.  I would be honored to accompany you wherever you want to go."

You looped your arm through his, making sure to keep a respectable distance between the two of you since he still seemed quite self conscious when you got too close. 

He lead you past the kitchen and through a formal sitting room then out the front door and across the courtyard to another building that you hadn't really  paid much attention to when you'd been making deliveries.

He keyed in an access code to unlock a door that opened into a large garage currently holding two cars, an SUV and a cargo van alongside a couple of vintage motorcycles.

"Wow!"  you gasped.   "This place doesn't look anywhere near that big from the outside!   Are you guys using some kind of time lord technology or one of Hermione Granger's Undetectable Extension Charms or something?!"

"I wish!" grinned JungKook.  "Having a Tardis or the power to cast spells like a real wizard would be so cool."

As you peered around you spotted your delivery scooter, standing in stark contrast to the other, more well kept vehicles parked beside it.

"Oh, crap!  I hadn't even thought about the scooter!  Do you think HeeSung is angry that I haven't returned it yet?"

"Angry?  About that piece of crap?" snorted JungKook.  "Hardly.  Besides, once he realized  how pissed the hyungs were with him, he knew not to even ask for it back."

"Still and all, it did belong to him..."

"Yeah well, not anymore!  He said we could keep it so, I took it apart, gave it a tune up and some upgrades.  I'm almost done with the exhaust system.  After that I just need to give the tank a new paint job.  If you let me know what your favorite color is I'll use that and when I'm finished you can have it back."

"Oh, I couldn't accept something as expensive as that, JungKook-ssi!"

Seeing the look of disappointment in his eyes, you gently nudged him with your elbow.

"But Hobi was right.  You and my dad would've gotten along famously.  He loved doing stuff like that as well."

The favorable comparison to someone you'd been close to visibly lifted JungKook's spirits.

"Really?  Was your Dad a motor head too?"

"He was.  He didn't have much spare time but when he did, he loved tinkering with engines.  He said he found it relaxing."

"So do I!  Did he have a favorite project?"

"I don't know if it was his favorite but Mom said before I was born he rebuilt an old Honda DAX 50 he found covered with hay inside a barn near some little village just east of Busan.  Apparently he was really proud of it and was sad when he realized he couldn't take it with them when they left Korea."

"Wow!  Those are super rare!  I would've loved to have seen that!"

JungKook gave another big bunny grin that abruptly vanished when he looked over your shoulder.

"Oh! Crap!   I forgot!  Uh...the - the studio is up there." 

You turned to see that he was referring to a set of stairs located in the corner of the room.

"Are you okay with trying the steps or should -  should I carry you?"

You decided right then and there that you would crawl up that stairway before you made this poor man anymore anxious than he already was.

"I think I'll be okay, JungKook-ssi but I'll let you know if I start having any trouble."

"Please do.  I may not have as many muscles as Namjoon-hyung yet but I can carry you.  No problem."

Jutting out his chin, JungKook puffed out his chest (which - to your eyes - seemed  every bit as muscular as Namjoon's) as if to prove his point.

"Thank you, JungKook-ssi.  I'll definitely keep that in mind."

It was slow going but you managed to make it up the steps without the assistance of JungKook, who hovered beside you the entire time like a new father watching his child take their first steps.

Reaching the top of the stairs you were surprised to find a large art studio with an entire wall of windows that bathed the space in natural light.

You took a moment to inhale the old familiar smell of turpentine and paint before you began scanning the multitude of canvases and sketches lining the walls.

Your eyes fell on a nearby easel holding a canvas featuring a half finished portrait of Namjoon sitting in a overstuffed chair, gazing out a window with a open book on his lap.

"JungKook-ssi!  Did - did you do this?!"

"Yeah...." shrugged JungKook.  "I mean... it's obviously not done yet but I think it might turn out okay."

"Okay?!  This is amazing!"

Staring in wonder at how well he had captured Namjoon's thoughtful expression, you spun around as a sudden realization hit you.

"You!  You painted the portrait of Bang SiHyuk over the fireplace, didn't you?!"

JungKook nodded, rubbing the back of his neck.

"That was a while ago though and it was only my second attempt at using oil paints.  I could do it better now."

Your jaw dropped somewhere in the vicinity of your knees.

"Better?!  How?!"

"You know.  More lifelike."

"More lifelike?!" you scoffed.  "If that thing were any more lifelike I'd be afraid that he'd walk off the canvas and introduce himself!"

Shaking your head in disbelief you then caught the artist in question off guard by poking him hard in the chest.

"And you lied to me, Jeon JungKook!"

The young man's eyes flew almost comically wide as he tried to figure out what he'd done wrong.  Before he could panic too much however you grabbed a nearby paint brush and waved it around the room.

"You said you couldn't do spells and yet just look at all the magic you've created with this wand!"

JungKook ducked his head, blushing a deep crimson at the compliment.

"I mean look at this!"

You gestured towards a vibrant landscape propped up against the wall.

"Look at your use of impasto in this piece!" you cried, referring to the technique of applying paint thickly on the canvas so that it stands out to create a texture.

"Your brushstrokes are so confident!" 

You leaned forward to examine the work even more closely.

"I struggle with that," you admitted.  "I keep worrying that I'm doing it wrong.   I suppose that 's why I mainly do pencil sketches.  It's easier to correct all the mistakes I make."

"Oh!   But you have to remember, Y/N-ssi!  There are no mistakes!  There are only ..."

"Happy accidents," you said, finishing the quote originated by Bob Ross, the late American painter whose televised step by step art lessons had encouraged millions of people all over the world to try their hand at painting, many for the first time.

JungKook's expression lit up like a Christmas tree and he bounced excitedly on his toes.

"Yah!  Y/N-ssi!  You know Bob Ross?!" 

"Oh course I know Bob Ross!  It makes sense seeing where I used to live! The question is -  how do you know him?!"

"Are you kidding?  Bob Ross, my middle school art teacher and the books I got from the public library are how I learned to do this," said JungKook.

"Nah.  They may have shown you the techniques, there must have been a tremendous amount of natural born talent at play as well, JungKook-ssi.  You have a real gift.  Truly."

"Oh.  Well.  Thank you."

He tugged his shirt collar before adding, "You know... if - if you ever want to practice your brushstrokes I have plenty of paint and extra canvases for you to use.  Or any of these ..."

He reached over and opened a cupboard to reveal that it was jam packed with more paints, brushes, pencils and sketchbooks than you'd seen outside of an actual art supply store.

"Wow!"

"Yeah...once the hyungs found out that I liked art they kinda spoiled me."

"Rightfully so.  They obviously know talent when they see it as well."

He opened his  mouth to speak and you could see his mind racing before he sighed and slumped against the cabinet.

"I'm sorry, Y/N-ssi.  I - I haven't really spent a lot of time around girls so I - I'm not really sure how I'm supposed to act or what I'm supposed to say."

"I get that," you said, remembering all too well the feeling of insecurity each time you had to switch schools or foster homes. 

"Would it help if you thought of me as a friend that just so happens to be a girl?  Then you can treat me like you do the others.  Except maybe not whatever you did to get Doc to call you, Tae and Cap the 'little monsters'."

JungKook giggled and you counted it as a personal victory.

"A friend who happens to be a girl?  I - I think I'd like that, Y/N-ssi."

"Great! In that case, the first order of business is for us to start speaking informally with each other and for you to call me Noona.  I mean, that's what friends would do, right?"

"Ye - yeah.  I suppose they would."

"Excellent!  Now, what should I call you?"

"You - you can call me Kookie.  If you like."

"Alright,"  you said, sticking your hand out.  "Put it there, Kookie."

JungKook hesitated then took a deep breath before returning the gesture.  After the pair of you had shaken hands you turned back to the cupboard.

"Good.  Now.  Show me where you hide your spare sketchbooks and then you can give me my first lesson on impasto."

xx

You'd meant to try and learn more about the young man's past during your time together but you both got so caught up in your art lesson that Jin finally had to call JungKook to remind him that you needed a chance to rest before your next meal.

As soon as he ended the call JungKook hastily escorted you back to your room to wash up and when you exited the bathroom you were surprised to find Jin waiting for you.

"Ah!  There you are!  Did you enjoy your time with JungKook-ah, little one?"

"I did, Doc!  Kookie is so incredibly talented!  And look - he gave me a sketchbook and some pencils to use!"

Jin's heart warmed at your enthusiasm as well as your use of JungKook's nickname and your acceptance of the gift.

"Excellent!" said Jin, handing you a thick manila envelope.  "I don't want to take up too much of your rest time but this arrived from HeeSung and I wanted to give it to you right away."

"From HeeSung?  What is it?"

"Your final wage packet including two weeks of severance plus a little something extra he threw in as hazard pay."

Jin deliberately avoided revealing how much 'persuasion' the group had used to ensure hazard pay had been included in the equation.

Opening the envelope you staggered backwards onto the bed, almost fainting when you saw the amount of cash inside.

"What the fuck, Doc?!  On what planet is this kind of money considered severance for a part time delivery driver?!"

"Please.  You earned every bit of that,"  scoffed Jin.   "While we bear a portion of the responsibility regarding what happened to you, remember that bastard HeeSung was the one who hired you in the first place with absolutely ZERO regard for your safety and well being.  You got fucking shot while working for him!  You deserve to be compensated for that."

"No.  No.  This - this -this is too much."

You flung the envelope away,  as if it caused you actual, physical pain to touch it.

"Aish!  Why is it so difficult for you to accept this, Y/n-ah?" said Jin, retrieving the money from where it landed on the floor.  "It's yours after all."

You grabbed your blanket, clutching it in your lap, all the while keeping your eyes fixed on the money as if it might fly from his hand and bite you.

Jin froze upon seeing your reaction.

"Little one?  This - this is more than just not wanting to be in debt, isn't it?"

When you don't answer he took a hesitant step forward, as if he were approaching an injured animal.

"Please, little one.  I don't want to keep upsetting you so ... help me understand, will you?"

He waited as you tipped your head back and stared at the ceiling, giving you time to gather your thoughts.

"After my dad died," you said after a long pause.  "One of his co-workers who lived a few streets over from us offered to help us out financially.  The company didn't offer much in the way of life insurance and Mom didn't work outside the home at that time so money was tight. She was really grateful at first but ..."

When you fell silent, Jin slowly lowered himself into the chair beside bed and placed the envelope on the table next to you.

"But what, little one?"

"But then everything changed." 

"How?"

You twisted the hem of the blanket around your finger as you tried to work out the best way to explain the situation.

"You have to understand, Doc.  I didn't find out the truth about what happened until after she died.  I was going through her things and found her diary from back then.  I figured it wouldn't hurt to read it since she was gone."

"That sounds perfectly reasonable.  What did it say?"

"It turns out that not long after the man gave her the money, the bastard said he wanted a return on his investment."

"You mean he wanted to charge your Mother an exorbitant interest rate?"

"Oh, he was interested all right.  Just not in money."

It took a moment for your meaning to sink in.

"Fuck," whispered Jin.  "He thought that giving her the money entitled him to certain ... physical privileges with your Mother?"

"Yes.  And when she refused - in no uncertain terms -  he apparently insinuated that if she wasn't willing to cooperate then perhaps I could repay the loan instead."

Jin's stomach lurched violently.

"How old were you again?" he asked, choking down the bile rising in his throat.

"Five."

By now he was gripping the armrests of the chair so tightly that his knuckles had turned white.

"What did your Mother do?"  he asked, fighting to keep his voice as calm as possible.

"She went straight to the bank, emptied the account, gave the miserable son of a bitch every last cent back - plus a little extra so he couldn't try and claim she owed him anything ever again.  She then contacted a realtor and packed whatever we could fit into the car. We left that same day.  She drove as far away as she could just in case he decided to follow us." 

You traced one of the bits of fabric on your blanket with a trembling finger as you spoke.

"We stayed in the car a couple of nights until a nice lady at the rest stop saw Mom trying to clean me up in the public bathroom.  She got us in contact with a local charity that found us a place to stay until the money came through from the sale of the house and we got our new place."

You smiled at the memory of the woman's kindness as you gazed at a small square of pink terry cloth sewed next to the piece of your father's shirt.

"Of course at the time, I didn't know why any of that was happening.  Mom made it sound like we were going on an adventure, like in one of the books Dad would read me before bed.  Then as I got a little older I just figured it was how she dealt with the grief over losing Dad.  It wasn't until I found the journal that I learned the truth and by then it was too late to ask her anything else about it."

"I'm so sorry that happened to you, little one.  Did that despicable excuse for a human ever try and contact her or you ever again?"

"No.  Not that I know of at least.  If he did she didn't keep a record of it."

Jin relaxed his grip on the chair ever so slightly.

"Thank heaven for that, at least."

You nodded your agreement before glancing at the envelope full of money on the table.

"So, you see ... I - I have a bit of an issue accepting things like that from people.  No matter how nice they might seem at first."

As the implication of your words became clear, Jin groaned and dropped his head into his hands.

"Fuck.  So when we - a group of men you'd just met  - suddenly kept insisting you take a large sum of money from us...."

"It ... was a little triggering.  Yeah."

Mentally kicking himself over the bad memories they'd inadvertently caused you to relive, Jin rubbed his hands roughly over his face.

"I promise you, little one.  This is money that you earned - fair and square - and you should feel no reluctance whatsoever about accepting it.  If nothing else, you having it keeps it away from HeeSung and the lowlifes that order from him."

"Lowlifes?  Really, Doc?"  you chuckled.  " Have you forgotten that we met because you were ordering from him?"

Jin brushed your comment aside.

"Technically we met because Tae wanted to thank you for saving Tannie.  But - to address your point -  I assure you that we only order from creeps like HeeSung when we find out there are items for sale that have the potential to cause mass casualties that we want to get off the market... "

He paused then abruptly switched into what you had begun to think of as his 'flirt mode'.

"Or to meet new and interesting people," he said, winking at you.   "Either way, this money is yours to do with as you please.  Absolutely no strings attached."

He pushed the envelope towards you, sighing when you still refuse to touch it.

"Fine.  How about this?"

Opening the drawer in the bedside table he dropped the envelope inside.

"I'll put it in here, where it will stay until such time as you decide what you'd like to do with it.  Does that work for you?"

You stared at him as you considered the offer.

"On one condition."

"What's that, little one?"

"You take out enough to cover all the expenses you've incurred caring for me thus far."

"But there haven't been any expenses, little one!" insisted Jin.

"Oh, please.  What about my medical care?"

"I can't charge for that!"  huffed Jin.  "I'm unlicensed.  That would be both illegal and unethical."

"What about my food?"

"Cooking for eight is no different than cooking for seven."

"Clothes?"

"The stuff Hobi and Minnie gave you?  We were donating those anyway."

He leaned forward, eyes twinkling, obviously delighting in the game you were now playing.

You - however - were determined to get him to accept something.

"What about the hair and skin care products Cap used on me?  That stuff is high end.  It must be expensive."

"Please!  We all share stuff like that around here.  Besides, the time it would take to calculate the cost of three squirts of shampoo from a half empty bottle would far outweigh any financial gain that might be realized from the attempt."

"Kookie said he rebuilt the scooter.  That would require parts and labor."

"First off the scooter didn't actually belong to you.  It belonged to HeeSung who graciously donated it to us so any expenses incurred wouldn't be your concern.  And even if it did, Kook-ah has an entire shed full of spare parts and working on engines is his hobby - not his occupation."

"What about the sketchbook and pencils?"

"You saw how much stuff he has.  We buy it in bulk the same we do the crockery.  If he wants to share it that's his business but I assure you it would be purchased whether you were here or not."

"Well - the period stuff you bought definitely concerns me as I would be the only one here using them."

You sat up tall,  crossing your arms, convinced he couldn't counter that argument.

Except - infuriatingly - he did.

"I had coupons and they were on sale," he replied with a smug smile.  "I used our store rewards points to cover the remainder.  They didn't cost us anything at all."

He gave a triumphant grin when you threw your hands up in frustration.

"At least take something for the fucking teacup I broke then!"

"All right," said Jin, fluttering his eyelashes at you.  "If you insist."

Reaching into the drawer, he made a show of pulling a single note of the lowest possible denomination from the stack.

"Doc!" you whined.  "That would barely cover a bag of chips at the market!"

"I know," he fake sighed as he slid the bill into his back pocket.  "It's too much.  Sorry I don't have any coins on me.  I'll give you the change later."

He stood and bowed before heading towards the door.

"Now, get some rest before joining us to eat.  And be sure to bring a jacket or layer up.  We're going to sit outside and make s'mores for dessert afterwards."

xx

It took a herculean effort on his part but Jin managed to maintain his composure until he got outside the house.  Stopping by the fire pit, he took a couple of deep breaths, clenching his fists before stalking around the perimeter of the yard, his mind racing as he went. 

Moronic ex-boyfriends refusing to buy tampons were one thing but this....what your Mother had endured and what might have happened to you if she hadn't acted as she did ...

This he could not let stand.

Pulling out his phone he sent a quick text to JungKook using the number they only used for emergencies.

meet me out back.  asap.  urgent.

Barely two minutes elapsed before the youngest member of the house came barreling out the door.

"I - I got your message, hyung!"  he panted. "What is it?  What's wrong?"

Jin kept walking, forcing the younger to jog in order to keep up with him.

"Kookie?  Are you still in possession of the access codes that allow you to do a little more international snooping?"

"Yeah.  Sure.  Why?"

"I need you to dig up information on someone for me.  I don't have a name but I have some rough parameters to go by.  Where he used to work, the time period he worked there, general neighborhood where he lived.  Think you can you do that for me?"

"I can try.  Who is it?"

"Someone from Y/N's past."

JungKook's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"But hyung... I - I thought we weren't going to do that anymore."

"We weren't.  But this guy... this guy needs to learn a lesson about karma.  even if it is far too many years overdue."

"Why?  What did he do?"

"Bad things."

"What kind of bad things?"

When Jin didn't elaborate JungKook got a sick feeling in his gut.

"Hyung?  Did - did he .... hurt Noona?"

The younger's eyes fill with concern as they dart back towards the house.

"Physically?  No.  But trust me, Kookie.  It was bad just the same."

JungKook started to ask another question but Jin cut him off.

"I'm sorry I can't say anything more than that, sweetie.  I didn't ask her permission to share the details with anyone else.  Hyung is already breaking one promise, I don't want to break another unless it becomes absolutely necessary."

Squaring his shoulders, JungKook nodded his understanding.

"Then give me whatever you got, hyung.  I'll track the son of a bitch down.  No matter what it takes.  I'll find him just like I found the guy that shot her.  I promise."

"Good.  I'll text you everything I know here in a few minutes.  And Kookie?"

When JungKook looked up, Jin's eyes were cold and hard.  The youngest  hadn't seen that look in a very long time but he remembered it and if he didn't already despise their intended target for whatever he had done to you, the maknae might have almost felt sorry for them.

"When you come up with a name," snarled Jin.  "You call me right away.   I have plans for this guy."

Chapter Text

Chapter Ten

You weren't sure of the reason -  maybe it was the story of your breakdown or maybe Jin had relayed the information you'd shared with him earlier to the others - but you could tell as soon as you walked into the kitchen that all the occupants of the house were walking on eggshells around you.

Even the normally recalcitrant Yoongi was trying to act pleasant - even going so far as to attempt what you assumed must pass for a smile where you were concerned.

Whatever the case, the longer the forced pleasantries went on the more it gnawed on your nerves so when Namjoon politely asked how your day had been you decided now was the opportune moment to try and cut through the tension.

"It was very nice!" you said, adopting your very best school girl demeanor.  "Kookie showed me his studio then demonstrated how well he could use his wand.  It was very enlightening."

Your effort was rewarded when everyone except JungKook began choking on their food.

"Ex-excuse me?" stammered Jin, grabbing for a drink to try and dislodge a clump of rice from his windpipe. "What - what was that, little one?"

You smiled,  pretending that you didn't notice the stir your words were creating.

"He even gave me pointers on how to use my strokes more effectively to achieve the desired effect."

The rest of the table traded shocked expressions as JungKook nodded eagerly.

"Yeah!  She was really tentative at first but by the end she had a lot more confidence!  I even took some pictures of the final result!  Do you want to see?"

You weren't sure if JungKook was actually that oblivious or if he was just playing along.  Honestly,  at this point you didn't care.  It was worth it either way to watch the others try to figure out what the hell was going on.

"Oh!  That's a good idea, Kookie!" you said.  "Show Doc what I was able to do after you helped me practice!"

Before a terrified Jin could avert his eyes to avoid seeing whatever it was he was imagining, the maknae shoved his phone in his elder's face.

"See!  Didn't she do a good job, hyung?"

Jin stared for a moment before collapsing back into his chair.

"P-paint!  P-paint-painting!  It's a painting!"

He glanced over to find you biting your lip to keep from laughing.

"Brush strokes," he said, glaring at you over the phone.  "Kookie was helping you improve your brush strokes on a painting."

"Yep," you said, flashing him an overly exaggerated smile.  "I've never tried that particular technique before but I think I'm starting to show real promise.  What do you think, Doc?"

"I think you're a menace, that's what I think," muttered Jin, handing the phone back to JungKook, who still seemed blissfully unaware of what had just transpired.  "And I think the monsters just acquired a new recruit."

Mumbling under his breath about people 'deliberately trying to give me fucking heart failure' Jin took a long swig of soju while the others turned their attention back to their food.

As JungKook continued praising your efforts at impasto, a delighted Jimin caught your eye, giving you a discreet wink and a thumbs up before passing an equally amused TaeHyung another dumpling.

xx

As promised, after dinner you all gathered in the backyard to make s'mores.

While the others gathered the supplies and made their way outside, TaeHyung held back, quietly checking with you first to make sure you'd be okay returning to the scene of 'the incident'. 

After assuring him you'd be fine, he then proudly escorted you onto the patio, where Hoseok had already gotten the fire started while the rest were busy arranging a variety of chairs and loungers in a circle around the fire pit.

TaeHyung insisted on placing you in a lounger nearest the campfire, tucking a warm, fuzzy blanket  around your legs before asking for your help organizing the ingredients for the s'mores in the proper sequence.

As you ran through the process with him, Jimin began passing out drinks to the group from a large plastic cooler.

"Here you go, Noona," he said, handing you a bottle of soju.

"Oh, no thank you, Cap..." you said, shaking your head. "Just water for me, please."

As Jimin reached for the water, you offered the bottle of soju to Hoseok.

"Here, Hobi.  You can have th- ..."

Before you could finish your sentence Yoongi snatched the bottle from your hand.

"We don't let Hob-ah drink," he said in a gruff voice.  "It makes him sad."

Something about his tone immediately set you on edge.

"What if he wants to be sad?" you snapped.

"Don't be ridiculous," scoffed Yoongi.  "Who wants to be sad?"

"It's not so much a question of wanting to be sad as it is acknowledging the fact that we all sometimes get sad."

"But we don't like to see Hoseok-ah sad," insisted Yoongi, glowering at you as if this entire exchange was pointless.

You hadn't meant to start a row but something about arguing with Yoongi made you feel more in control than you had since your meltdown. 

Besides, you thought,  if Hoseok wouldn't defend himself, then I'll damn well do it for him.

"Alright, then," you challenged.  "Make up your mind.  Which is it?"

"What do you mean?  Which is what?" asked an increasing flustered Yoongi.

"Do you not want him to BE sad or do you just want him to pretend he's never sad to make you feel better?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what I said  - why is it so important to you that he not show you he's sad?!"

"Be - because he deserves to be happy, that's why!"

Yoongi's grip on the bottle intensified and even though you thought he was dangerously close to flinging it at your head you were too deeply entrenched in your position to back down now.

"I agree with you!"

By this point you were both on the verge of shouting.

"BUT if he IS sad then he has a right to express that instead of feeling like he has to hide it because YOU can't handle it!"

Throwing aside the blanket TaeHyung had wrapped around you, you were just about to get up out of the lounger when Namjoon finally stepped in between you,  hoping to deescalate the situation.  

However, before he could say anything, Yoongi spun around to address Hoseok.

"But we don't do that, do we?!  Go ahead!  Tell her, Hob-ah!  Tell her we don't do that!"

Yoongi seemed genuinely shocked when  - instead of immediately answering in the affirmative - Hoseok hesitated and looked away.

"Hobi-hyung?"  said Namjoon, suddenly even more unsure about the situation than he had been to start with.  "D- do we do that?  D-do we make it difficult for you to honestly express your emotions?"

Hoseok shifted his feet and shrugged, still avoiding everyone's gaze.

"I mean...not on purpose but I can tell it makes everyone uncomfortable when I'm down so - you know..."

For a long moment all that could be heard was the soft tinkling of the wind chimes and the crackling of the fire.

"Damn..." said Jin, draping his arm around Hoseok's shoulders as the others gathered around.  "We've put such an emphasis on you being happy all the time that we stopped considering how you might actually feel.  We're so sorry, Hob-ah.  That was really shitty of us."

Hoseok, seemingly unused to this sort of attention, tried unsuccessfully to brush off their concern.

"It's okay.  Really.  It's not a big deal."

"But it is a big deal, hyung!" cried Jimin, throwing his arms around Hoseok. 

"Yeah, Hobi-hyung," said JungKook, wrapping his elder in a back hug.  "You deserve to feel however you want, whenever you want."

When they were finally able to pry the two maknaes off him, each member of the household took their own turn giving their sincere apologies to Hoseok.

The last one in line was Yoongi who - after hugging Hoseok and promising to do better in regards to allowing him to express himself - offered him the bottle of soju with two hands and a respectful bow.

"Here, Hob-ah.  I'm sorry about before.  You can have this if you want."

"No, thanks," said Hoseok, shaking his head.  "That's okay.  I appreciate the offer hyung, but I don't really feel like drinking tonight."

"Is that how you actually feel or is that what you think  what we want to hear?" asked Jin. 

"It's what I really want, hyung."

Seeing the look of doubt on Jin's face, Hoseok struggled to find the right words to reassure him.

"I'm fine right now, Jin-hyung.  It's just some days are...."

"Blue."

All eyes cut to TaeHyung, who had been sitting by the fire the entire time, calmly placing marshmallows onto metal skewers for roasting.

"When Hobi-hyung is sad his aura is blue," he said in the same matter of fact tone of voice one would use if they were describing the color of a person's shirt.

"But right now, his aura is bright and soft and purple.  Like a field of lilac and lavender on a warm summer day.  It's nice."

To your surprise, all of them - even Yoongi - seemingly accepted this statement as gospel. 

"Good.  I'm glad," said Jin, leaning over to press a kiss onto Hoseok's temple. "But you promise to talk to us in the future, okay? No matter how you feel, we'll always be there for you.  Got it?"

"I got it, hyung.  I promise I'll do that.  Thanks."

Jin gave the younger another hug before stepping back and clapping his hands.

"Alright, little one!  Now is the time for you to teach us how to make these delectable treats I've heard so much about!"

As the others moved to claim their marshmallow topped skewers, you grabbed hold of Hoseok's sleeve.

"Hobi?  I - I'm sorry.  I don't know what got into me.  I didn't mean to make a scene like that.  I...."

"Hey.  Stop right there, Noona."

Hoseok's voice was firm but kind as he cut you off.

"You may not have planned it but .... It - it was a good thing, okay?  I've been meaning to say something to the guys for a while but just never worked up the nerve or thought it was the right time.  So, thank you." 

Crouching down beside the lounger he took your hand in his.

"Actually, I've been meaning to thank you for something else as well."

"For what?"

"For what you said to me when I was taking your measurements.  About grieving the loss of dancing?  I realized I've never done that.  I've just been pushing those feelings aside rather than dealing with them and that's not healthy.  For me or the group."

He smiled fondly at the six men gathering around the fire before turning back to you.

"So don't worry.  You didn't do anything wrong."

"Really?  You -  you don't hate me?"

"Hate you? Oh, Noona...." he sighed, kissing the back of your hand before standing.  "I couldn't hate you if I tried.  None of us could."

Your eyes flicked to Yoongi but before you could dispute Hoseok's last statement JungKook was calling your name, asking you how long the marshmallow was supposed to burn before it was done.

xx

The act of roasting the marshmallows and constructing the s'mores allowed the group enough time and space to temporarily set the situation with Hoseok aside and soon everyone was in high spirits.

The s'mores themselves were a resounding success.   Jimin proclaimed them the best thing since kimchi jiggae and even Yoongi said they 'weren't bad' which, given the reaction of the others, must have been the equivalent of a five star review.

So for the next couple of hours you sat back and watched them relax and interact with each other in ways you hadn't really had the opportunity before.

Perhaps the most enlightening was seeing the change in Yoongi as the alcohol partially lowered the emotional wall he'd constructed around himself - at least when you were around. 

He was still keeping his distance from you (both physically and otherwise) but after his third bottle of soju you couldn't help but smile as you watched him carry on an animated conversation with Yeontan.

Obviously wanted to sit in Yoongi's lap the little dog stood on his back legs, whining and pawing to get the man's attention.

"Well...come on.  Jump! Jump!"  said Yoongi,  patting his lap in encouragement.  "Don't be a coward!  You can do it!"

After the canine's third failed attempt, Yoongi sighed and picked Yeontan up, sitting him in his lap before wagging a mildly disapproving finger at him.

"Yah!  I thought I taught you better than that, Tannie! You have to represent for the vertically challenged amongst us, like Minnie."

"We're the same height, hyung!"  shouted Jimin, popping a marshmallow into his mouth.

"If you say so, jagiya," said Yoongi, nuzzling his face into Yeontan's soft fur.

Giggling at their antics,  you felt someone nudge your arm.  You looked up to find Hoseok holding two mugs, one of which he offered to you.

"I made some hot chocolate.  Would you like some?"

"Oh!  Yes, please!" you said, making grabby hands.  "I love hot chocolate!"

"Great!  Do you want me to get us a couple of marshmallows to add into it?  You know, before the little monsters finish them all off?"

He tipped his head towards the three youngest who were now taking turns trying to throw marshmallows into each other's mouths from increasing distances.

"I'm not sure it's just the maknaes you need to worry about," you said, pointing at Jin who was doing his best to intercept the marshmallows from their intended targets by jumping up to try and catch the treats in midair with his mouth.

"Yeah.... we often refer to Jin-hyung as the 'true maknae'," said Hoseok.   "But that's okay.  We love him just the same."

After managing to snag a few of the marshmallows, Hoseok was just settling in next to you when Jimin flopped down into a chair which promptly collapsed beneath him.  JungKook rushed over but in the process of trying to help his hyung off the ground he tripped over the chair and landed in the grass next to him.

As the pair lay there, laughing hysterically at themselves, you glanced over at Hoseok.

"Do we need to cut Cap off?"

"Nah," grinned Hoseok.   "He's fine.  He actually has the highest alcohol tolerance level of all of us.  It's just chairs.  Even when he's dead sober, they're his arch-nemesis."

"Arch Nemesis?"  you laughed.

"Yeah.  It's funny.  Minnie can slip in and out of the most heavily fortified buildings in the world undetected through a fucking mouse hole but sometimes when you get him around chairs it's like he forgets how gravity works and suddenly he makes Joonie look like Baryshnikov."

He motioned towards a drunken Namjoon who was engaged in an intense conversation with an equally inebriated Yoongi.

"All I'm saying,"  slurred Namjoon.  "Is that we dress like skeletons at Halloween but  - what if - during the rest of the year, they are dressing like us?"

Before you could hear if Yoongi had an answer for that, you heard TaeHyung yell, "Chicken fight!"

Turning to the lawn you spotted JungKook and Jimin squaring off, each standing on one leg while grabbing the other ankle.   On TaeHyung's signal they began hopping towards each other, trying desperately to knock their opponent off balance.

The others began cheering them on, shouting instructions and encouragement to first one participant and then the other until finally JungKook gained the advantage, knocking Jimin onto the ground.

In one swift athletic move the smaller man leapt to his feet, ripping off his shirt as he shouted, "Rematch!"

You choked on your hot chocolate when the action revealed more of Jimin's tattoos, a series of moon phases going down the center of the man's well toned back.

As Hoseok tried clearing your airway by thumping his hand between your shoulder blades, Jin - realizing what had happened - gently fussed at Jimin.

"Yah!  Min-ah!  Put your shirt back on!  You'll catch a chill!"

"But, hyung!"  whined Jimin.  "You never said that before!"

"Well, I'm saying it now!"

Huffing and pouting,  Jimin slipped his shirt back on as you finally regained the ability to breath normally.

"Honestly," he grumbled.  "I swear..."

Not wanting to be the reason that the mood got spoiled once again you decided to try and provide a distraction.

"Oh, Cap!  No!"  you called out in a dramatic voice.  "Swear not by the moon!  The inconstant moon that monthly changes in her circled orb, lest that thy love prove likewise variable!"

"Jin-Hyung!"

You whipped around to see Namjoon stumbling across the patio towards you.

"Jin-Hyung!" he cried, falling to his knees before throwing his arms around your legs.  "She's doing it again!"

Looking perplexed, Jin crouched down beside Namjoon.

"What's that, Joonie?"

Resting his chin on your lap, Namjoon gazed up at you with big puppy dog eyes.

"She's quoting Shakespeare, hyung!  Correctly!"

"Oh, my!  How dare she?" said Jin, clasping his hand to his chest while winking at you.  "Does she not know what that does to you?"

"I told her but she didn't believe me,"  sulked Namjoon.  "She didn't believe me when she spoke French either.  French, hyung!  With the right pronunciation and everything!"

"French?" asked Hoseok, looking impressed.

"It just one phrase ...." you shrugged, genuinely surprised the Namjoon even remembered your use of the term tete-a-tete during your time in the garden with him.  "I mean, it wasn't like I started singing Lady Marmalade or something."

"You know the lyrics to Lady Marmalade?" asked Hoseok.

"Of course.  Who doesn't?"

"Hmm.... Good to know," said Hoseok, raising his mug in your direction.  "If you decide to bless us with a performance of that, make sure to give me a heads up first.  I'll definitely want to catch that show."

"Jin-hyung!" interrupted Namjoon, who'd been hanging on your every word.  "Did you hear that?!  She knows the lyrics to Lady Marmalade!"

"Yah!  Poor Baby!" said Jin, ruffling the younger man's hair. "If the idea of her speaking French is getting you this worked up then I'm guessing that I shouldn't break out the Italian now, should I?"

With that, Jin jumped up, throwing his arms open wide as he burst into an acapella rendition of an old classic by the American singer Dean Martin:

When the moon hits your eye
Like a big pizza pie
That's Amore!

Swaying around the patio, Jin continued to sing loudly in an overly exaggerated Italian accent.

When the world seems to shine
Like you've had too much wine
That's Amore!

Dancing to the side of the yard he began using the wind chimes as accompaniment.

Bells will ring
Ding a ling a ling
Ding a ling a ling
And you'll sing
Vita Bella!

He kept singing and by the time he'd reached the end of the song everyone - even Yoongi and Tannie - had joined in, bellowing at the top of their lungs.

THAT'S AMORE!

The group erupted into cheers and applause and as Jin took a series of bows, Yoongi began to shout:

"TaeHyung-ah! TaeHyung-ah!"

A bemused TaeHyung , standing not two inches away, let his hyung shout a couple of more times before lightly tapping him on the shoulder.

"Yes, hyung?"

"Oh, good!" nodded Yoongi, making finger guns as he flashed the younger a big gummy smile.  "There you are.  Sing the song for me."

"Which song, hyung?"

"The song.  You know.  About...that round thingie....in the sky ... and the water stuff."

A bleary eyed Yoongi waved his hand vaguely through the air until TaeHyung worked out his meaning.

"Ah.  Got it.  Okay.  For you, hyung?  I'll sing about the round thingie in the sky and the water stuff."

The younger man kissed Yoongi on the forehead before stepping back. He then started to sing a ballad you remembered from one of the jazz albums Mama B liked to listen to on the vintage turntable she'd inherited from her late aunt.

Moon River
Wider than a mile
I'm crossing you in style
Some Day

His voice was so beautiful that - for a moment - it seemed like the stars themselves had stopped to listen.

Oh, dream maker
You heartbreaker
Where ever you're going
I'm going your way

Just when you thought it couldn't sound any better, suddenly Jimin joined in to make it a duet,  his high and delicate voice providing an exquisite counter point to TaeHyung's silky baritone.

Two drifters
Off to see the world
There's such a lot of world to see

Gazing up at Tae, Jimin rested his head on the other's shoulder as they continued to sing.

We're after the same rainbow's end
Waiting round the bend

The pair then knelt before Yoongi, each taking one of his hands in their own as they reached the song's conclusion.

My huckleberry friend
Moon River
And me.

As the last note faded from the still night air, you stared in wonder as everyone else burst into applause.

The duo jumped up, bowing several times before ducking back inside the house to get more drinks and ice for the cooler, dragging JungKook along to help.

When you were finally able to think straight, you nudged Namjoon, still curled up at your feet.

"Joonie!  They're amazing!  Have you ever recorded them?!  I'm sure loads of people would pay good money to hear that.  I know I would!"

"We tried.  Hell, the first time Yoongi-hyung heard them sing together, he actually cried."

He gestured towards Yoongi who now sat with his eye closed, seemingly fast asleep in his lounge chair, the very picture of peace and serenity.  You tried to commit the image to memory, filing it away for future reference, since you were certain you'd never get the chance to see him like that again.

"If you both like how they sound so much, then why not record it?" you asked.

"Because they refused,"  answered Namjoon with a deep sigh.

"Why?"

"They said if they started doing it for money they were afraid it would become a job instead of something they loved and singing together meant too much to them to take that risk.  So, we respected their decision and instead we just enjoy the occasional private concerts they gift us with, like that one."

He looked up at you, squinting as he pressed his finger to his lips.

"But don't get them started on Frozen unless you want to hear them sing 'Let it Go' at least ten times in row."

"Did someone say Let it Go?!"  shouted TaeHyung who'd slipped back into the yard along with Jimin and JungKook without anyone  noticing.

Before anyone could stop them, Jimin and TaeHyung shoved the drinks in the cooler, looping  their arms around each other as they burst into song.

The snow glows white on the mountain tonight
Not a footprint to be seen!

While JungKook dumped the ice over the drinks,  Jin and Namjoon groaned as an exasperated Yoongi yelled, "For fuck sakes, Joonie!  Why?!"

As Jimin and Tae spun around the yard, you and Hoseok cackled with the kind of heartfelt, raucous laughter that you hadn't experienced in a very, very long time.

xx                                    

The next morning you awoke to find Jimin sitting cross legged on the floor by your bed, tapping on his phone, looking none the worse for wear after the previous night's activities.  Apparently Hoseok hadn't been exaggerating when he described the man's tolerance for alcohol.

"Cap?"  you yawned, rubbing your eyes.  "What are you doing here? Is everything okay?"

"What?" he said, smiling just a bit too brightly.  "Do I need a reason to check on my new favorite person?"

Remaining silent, you gave him a skeptical look as you sat up and stretched.

"Okay.  Fine!" he admitted.  "Besides wanting to make sure you were okay, I'm also bored.  Hobi-hyung and TaeTae are at work, Jin-hyung is making a house call and the other three are sleeping off their hangovers so I thought now would be the perfect time for a jail break."

"Excuse me?  What do you mean by a 'jail break'?"

"You know.  Get you out of the house and off the property for a little while.  I know it doesn't take long for me to start going stir crazy whenever hyung puts me on lockdown due to an injury."

"Does that happen a lot?"

"Eh...Often enough," he said with a non-committal shrug.

Pursing your lips, you studied him through narrowed eyes.

"How do I know this isn't some test and you aren't just setting me up to get in trouble with Doc?"

"Noona!  You wound me with such accusations!"

He gave an indignant snort as he stretched his legs out in front of him.

"Besides, in the highly unlikely event of us getting caught during our outing,  I'll be in way more trouble than you will.  But lucky for us, like I said hyung is making house calls meaning he'll be gone for hours.  So...what do you say?"

While you really did want to take him up on his offer, there was still one major concern lurking in the back of your mind.

"Is - is it safe?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean is the guy who shot me still out there... you know... trying to eliminate a witness?"

"Oh!  Him!"

Jimin scrambled to his feet, shoving his phone into his pocket.

"Damn, I'm sorry! I think Hyung was going to tell you when he got back but I suppose it's not really a spoiler, so I can inform you that particular threat has been neutralized."

"Neutralized!"  you gasped.  "You - you killed him?!"

"No."

Jimin sighed with obvious disappointment.

"Hyung wouldn't let us.  Kept talking about some kind of hippo promise he made when he entered med school?"

It took a moment for you to decipher that last part.

"You mean his Hippocratic oath?"

"Yeah!  That's it!  Apparently that says you can't just kill people because they're assholes. Unless it's in self defense but as hard as I tried after we tracked the fucker down I couldn't get him to take a swing at me so..."

He shrugged again.

"Instead after we verified it really was just the items you were carrying he was after and not you specifically we then persuaded him that his life would be longer and happier if he resided elsewhere.  For instance ... Japan."

Crossing his arms, Jimin grinned as leaned against the bed.

"We even offered to help him pack but he declined and did it himself. Then Kookie and I personally drove him to Busan to make sure he didn't miss the ferry to Osaka.  By now he's probably made his way to Tokyo and is looking for work on the Ginza."

Seeing you were still hesitant he placed one hand over his heart and held the other in the air.

"Come on, Noona.  You can trust me.  I solemnly swear I am up to no good."

Something about his choice of that particular phrase from Harry Potter convinced you to take the chance and trust him.

"Looks like you found the magic words," you said, tossing your blanket aside and swinging your legs off the side of the bed.  "Lead the way, Cap."

Chapter Text

Chapter Eleven

After rushing to clean up, get dressed and grab a quick bite to eat you then found yourself once again in the garage, this time slipping into the passenger seat of a surprisingly nondescript two door sedan.

Seeing the look on your face Jimin asked, "What? Is something wrong?"

"Nothing!" you answered, fastening your seatbelt.  "I suppose if you'd asked me what kind of car you drove I would've guessed something a bit more .... flamboyant?"

"You're not wrong," he laughed, reaching for his sunglasses. "But given the work we do its best to keep a low profile in regards to our vehicles.  My dream car would be a Porsche Panamera GTS but I can't really justify the expense for something that would just sit in the garage gathering dust most of the time."

He checked his hair in the rearview mirror before putting the car in gear.

"My first choice for today would actually have been one of the motorbikes but my life wouldn't be worth living if we'd had an accident and you got hurt again on one of those.  And because those kind of injuries hurt like a mother."

"Have you been in an accident like that before?" you asked as he opened a large overhead garage door leading onto the street.

"Me?  No."

Pulling into traffic, he used a button on the steering wheel to activate the sound system before selecting a playlist marked "Traveling Tunes",  effectively shutting down that line of questioning.

You didn't mind though,  as this meant you got to watch as Jimin began bouncing in his seat, humming along to a catchy, upbeat pop song.

"Cap?  I don't think I told you last night but you and Tae-ah sound really beautiful when you sing together."

"Aw!  Thank you, Noona!  Maybe next time we can convince Kookie to join in.  The three of us do a pretty good version of End of the Road by Boyz II Men -  even if I do say so myself."

"Get out!  Kookie sings too?!"

"Yep!" grinned Jimin,  flipping on his indicator before making a right hand turn.  "His falsetto is gorgeous and his breath control is ridiculous."

"Damn!  Computers, motors, painting and now singing?!  Is there anything he can't do?!"

"Well, until recently I would have said 'talk to women' but seeing as how you got him waxing eloquent about wands and strokes at the dinner table it looks like I can cross that one off the list."

He shot you a saucy wink over his sunglasses as you hung your head and blushed.

"Was that mean of me?  It - it's just everyone was being so fucking polite all of sudden and I just couldn't take it anymore."

"Mean?  Ah... maybe a little. "

Checking both ways, he turned left onto a street you were unfamiliar with.

"But was it fucking hysterical?  Absolutely!  My only regret was not knowing ahead of time so I could have recorded the look on everyone's face." 

You snorted back a laugh at the memory.

"Doc's expression was pretty funny, wasn't it?"

"Pretty funny?!  It was PRICELESS!  I haven't seen hyung that flustered since Kookie heard a song on the radio and asked him what 'champagne confetti' meant while we were standing in a crowded check outline behind a group of elderly women at the party supply store."

As you wondered how Jin answered that question, Jimin began circling a lovely little city park, lined with quaint shops and cafes.

On his second trip around he finally found a parking spot that suited him.  He'd no sooner stopped the car and engaged the emergency brake than he had hopped out, rushing around to open your door with deep bow.

After helping you from the vehicle he made sure it was locked before escorting you into a shop with the words "V's House of Destiny" in deep purple around the emblem of an all-seeing eye painted on its heavy glass door.

It took your own eyes a second to adjust to the change from the bright sun of the outdoors to the muted lighting inside the shop.  As you blinked to try and bring your surroundings into focus, you inhaled deeply, enjoying the calming aroma of sage and sandalwood and the soft strains of Enya wafting through the air.

Along the wall next to you were a series of bamboo shelves filled with items of all shapes and sizes - some rather ordinary, some definitely more exotic.   Seeing you lean in to examine a simple but elegant looking bronze bowl, Jimin sidled up next to you, his face beaming with pride.

"That's nice, isn't it?  I won that in race."

Before you could congratulate him on this achievement, TaeHyung's voice rang out from somewhere in the back.

"No you didn't!  You stole it from a shop then got chased by the owner and two police officers!"

Rolling his eyes Jimin harrumphed before calling back.

"First off, the guy that owned that place was ripping off the sick and the elderly in his community who couldn't travel to any other shops by marking up essential items FIVE times over retail, so I prefer to say that I did an impromptu adjustment on his inventory!  Second, I outran everyone behind me  - which means I won the race!"

"They didn't have much of a chance!" countered TaeHyung, his voice growing nearer.  "You clambered over a locked, one and a half meter high security fence before they could catch up to you!"

"So?" challenged Jimin.  "All that means is that I also excel at high jump.  Or hurdles.  Either way, I won!"

On the other side of the room a curtain of beads and tiny bells hanging from the ceiling dramatically parted to reveal TaeHyung, dressed in an elaborated patterned robe, carrying a large crystal ball in his hands.

"Ooo-de-lally....Ooo-de-lally...." he chanted, peering dreamily into the highly polished orb as he sashayed towards you.  "I foresee a long 'talk' with Jin-hyung in your very near future if he finds out you've taken Noona out of the house without his permission."

"Aish!   We don't need to consult the crystal to know that, Tae-Bear," scoffed Jimin.  "Besides how do you know I didn't get hyung's permission?"

"Because," TaeHyung answered, gently placing the crystal ball onto an elaborate mahogany stand in the middle of a small table in the center of the room.  "There haven't been a hundred messages in the group chat from him containing warnings about what he'll do to us if anything happens to Noona, that's why."

Jimin's face fell slightly.

"Oh, yeah.  There's that."

"Yeah," said TaeHyung, adjusting one of the dozens of multi-colored silk scarves acting as tablecloths.  "That."

He gave you a warm smile before motioning for you to take a seat.

"So this is what you do?" you asked, still gazing around the space as you settled into a chair with crushed red velvet cushions.    "Pretend to be psychic?"

TaeHyung clutched at one of the many strands of beads draped around his neck.

"Pretend?! How do you know I'm not for real?"

"Well...I don't claim to be an expert in such matters but I'm assuming most real psychics don't conjure spirits by using lyrics from Walt Disney's Robin Hood."

Waving your hands in the direction of the crystal, you began repeating his chant of "Oooo-de-lally...."

TaeHyung pursed his lips and sniffed.

"First, in my defense most of my regular clients are elderly halmeonis who aren't nearly as well versed in classic Western animated films as you are.  Second, I have never claimed to be psychic."

With a flick of his wrist he produced a business card, seemingly from out of thin air.  As you tried to work out how he did that, he extended it towards you.

Accepting it with both hands and a respectful bow, you read the words printed in embossed gold leaf out loud.

"V's House of Destiny. Auras and Tea Leaves Read. Private Consultations Given."

"There? You see? Since I don't claim to be psychic I cannot be accused of impersonating one."

With a self satisfied nod, TaeHyung made his way over to a beautiful copper samovar, reaching for a tea set as Jimin came over to help.

You watched as the pair moved in what was obviously a well established routine, taking it as an opportunity to work up the nerve to ask a question that had been bothering you ever since the topic had been brought up.

"Tae-ah?  You talked about auras last night.  Does - does everyone really have one?"

"Pretty much," he said, pouring steaming hot water from the samovar into what appeared to be an antique celadon tea pot.  "Certain substances or psychological conditions can affect them but they're almost always there."

"And you've always been able to see them?"

"Yep."

He swirled the water around, warming the pot before emptying the liquid into a nearby basin.

"When I was younger I thought everybody could.  I was almost ...."

He paused, glancing over at Jimin who finished the sentence for him.

"Seven, Baby.  We were seven."

"Ah, yes.  I was seven when I realized it wasn't considered normal and it definitely wasn't something most people wanted to talk about."

"So, everyone has them and you can tell how people are feeling by just looking at them?"

"Most of the time.  But I try not to."

Squinting he carefully measured out a level scoop of aromatic, bright green leaves before sprinkling them into the teapot.

"Why?" you asked.

"Auras are just like any other kind of thoughts or feelings.  People have the right to decide when or if they want to share them and who they want to share them with."

"So that's why you didn't tell the others whenever you saw that Hobi's aura was sad?"

TaeHyung sighed as he nodded.

"I thought it should be up to him to say something, so I just tried to be a little extra attentive to him on those days.  Made sure he knew someone was there if he needed them."

"That was very sweet of you Jagiya," said Jimin, kissing him on the cheek.

TaeHyung blushed and you were unsure if it were from the overt display of affection or the steam from the hot water he was now pouring back into the teapot.

Once it was full he replaced the lid on the pot then sat it on a black enamel tray as Jimin began gathering a set of cups and saucers.  

"Tae ..." you asked, already nervous about his answer. "Have - have you been able to see my aura this whole time?"

"Yes - but don't worry," he said, placing the tray with the teapot on the table. 

"It's not like I can read your mind or anything.  It's more like .... a mood ring. I might be able to tell you're sad but I wouldn't know why."

Picking up a small hourglass from the counter behind him, Tae turned it so the tiny grains of sand began running into the glass container below.

"It's the perfect steeping timer," he said by way of explanation.  "Not a harbinger of doom."

"Oh.  Thank goodness for that.  For a second I thought I my aura was giving an unfavorable indication regarding the state of my mortality."

"No," he said, taking the seat across from you.  "Auras only reflect a current state of being.  They can't predict the future."

"But tea leaves can?"

"Hmm....Maybe not so much predict as give a fairly accurate indication," he said, nodding his thanks to Jimin as he placed three white teacups and saucers in front of Tae.

"What do you mean?"

"Everything a person does is created twice," said Tae. "Once in the mind and then again in real life." 

"Care to elaborate on that?"

"Sure.  You can use almost anything - tea leaves, ink blots, cloud formations - as sort of a Rohrshach test," said Tae.   "What people tell you they see gives you a window into what's happening in their minds.  And since what we spend the majority our time focusing on is what usually shows up in our lives, those observations can serve as a pretty solid base for doing a reading." 

Jimin nodded his agreement as he took his place between you and TaeHyung.  You were glad to see that this chair  - as opposed to the one from last night - seemed to bear the man no ill will.

"For example," said Jimin.  "If someone looks at the leaves and says they see a dagger or a knife - a common symbol of betrayal - while anxiously twisting their wedding band, it's a pretty good bet that they think their partner is cheating on them." 

"That's what a lot of people who claim to see the future do," said TaeHyung.  "Ask a few targeted questions, listen closely to what the person seeking answers has to say and then tell them what they want to hear."

"I think I understand what you're saying," you said, watching the light refract against the crystal in front of you.  "So - are all psychics fake?"

"I don't know," shrugged TaeHyung.  "I haven't met all of them."

"Yah! Tae!" you pouted.  "I'm being serious!"

"So am I!  I haven't met all of them, so I can't say for sure!"

He glanced over to see how much longer the tea had to steep before continuing. 

"But to your point -  of the ones I have met - the majority are like me.  Just regular people who are a bit more intuitive than most.  Sadly, however, there are a fair number who are just out to scam people."

As he watched the last grains of sand drain into the bottom of the glass, you tried to work out the most non-offensive way to ask your next question.

"Tae?  Please don't take this the wrong way but ... if you're not really psychic then what's the difference between what they do and what you do?"

You held your breath in anticipation of an outraged rant but to your great relief, he didn't seem at all upset by your query.

"It's a valid question, Noona.  The main difference is that I don't claim to have the ability to see the future or to contact dead relatives.  I simply act as a guide, helping people to be honest about their feelings so they can access the power within themselves to move forward with their lives in the most authentic way possible."

"He's too humble to say it but another huge difference is his ethics," said Jimin.

"How so?"

Jimin leaned forward as TaeHyung picked up the teapot and began filling the cups in front of him.

"Okay, here's a common situation.  A little ahjumma comes in,  convinced all her problems stem from the fact that one of her deceased loved ones isn't resting peacefully in the afterlife.  Some dishonest practitioners would tell her that she needed to do some elaborate and - here's the kicker - ongoing ritual that would take weekly - maybe even daily - sessions with them at whatever price she could afford until they'd drained the poor woman's bank account dry."

TaeHyung snorted angrily as he set the teapot down with more force than necessary.

"Aish!  What I wouldn't give to see where those fuckers end up when THEY find themselves in the afterlife!"

"You and me both, Baby," said Jimin, as Tae picked up one of the cups and saucers and offered it to you.

"I agree," you said, accepting what you were offered with both hands and a bow.  "So what do you do?"

"I tell them what will give their dearly departed loved ones the most peace in the afterlife is knowing they are okay," said Tae, picking up the second cup and saucer and offering it to Jimin.

"I then give them some sort of ritual to do as well.  Something that helps them start processing the loss they've experienced.  I charge them a nominal fee for the supplies and the reading, simply because I found out early on that if you do something for free people for some reason think it doesn't count."

He shook his head as Jimin took the cup and saucer from him.

"Anyway, once they've completed the ritual, I then read their aura, using that as a vehicle to give them whatever support and encouragement they need.  Then as they're leaving I tell them that - because of their new found good energy - they will soon receive an unexpected blessing that will appear through no effort of their own."

Clearing his throat, Jimin sat up tall in his seat.

"Then I, a couple of days later, just so happen to bump into that same little ahjumma on the street or at the market.  I apologize profusely for the inconvenience - maybe even compliment them on their hair or their scarf - and later when they get home they miraculously find extra money in their purse that just so happens to equal the exact amount they paid Tae."

He pretended to look shocked before clinking his teacup against TaeHyung's in a sort of congratulatory toast.

"But do they end up coming back to you after that?"  you asked.

"Sometimes," said TaeHyung.  "But if they show up more than three times with the same problem or if I get the impression that someone in their life is trying to intimidate or manipulate them then I give Kookie and the hyungs their particulars.  They do their thing and if they find out the person is in fact being mistreated or abused then they do whatever they can to step in and protect them from being taken advantage of any further."

"That's all very sweet," you said, "But that doesn't sound like a sustainable - much less profitable - business model."

"I do alright selling teas and incense to the public at large.  Plus I charge a nominal fee for readings and consultations," said Tae, taking a long sip of his steaming green tea.  "And - if a person disrespects me or pisses me off  - I sometimes charge a little extra to make up for the readings that I 'refund' through Minnie."

"A practice we lovingly refer to as the 'asshole tax'," added Jimin.

"Sounds like you guys pretty much have this down," you said.  "Have you been doing this long?"

"As a profession?" answered TaeHyung.  "A few years."

"And before then?" 

"Before then?" TaeHyung sighed.  "Before then is another story ...."

He looked towards Jimin and you watched as an quick, unspoken conversation took place between them.

"Go ahead," urged Jimin.  "It's part of the reason I brought her here."

"Alright," said TaeHyung.  "What have you already told her?"

"Just that we're a package deal," said Jimin, reaching over to lay his hand on Tae's.  "Not much after that.  I wanted you to be around.  After all, it's both of our stories, Jagiya."

"It is indeed."

Picking up Jimin's hand, Tae placed a gentle kiss on his fingers before releasing him to turn his attention back to you.

"So, Noona.  What do you want to know?"

"Whatever you're willing to tell me, I guess.  Like - how did you two meet?"

"Where did we meet?  Ah!  You'll appreciate that, Noona!"

TaeHyung grinned as he winked at you.

"We met in kindergarten!  In the class of the dearly departed Kim YoungOk."

"She sat us side by side on that first day and told us that she had a feeling that we'd be good for each other," said Jimin.  "And she was right.  May she rest in peace."

You were incredibly touched as both men solemnly raised their cups and blew a reverent kiss towards the sky.

"She sounds lovely.  I take it she had a big impact on you both?"

"She did indeed," said Tae.  "Besides being the reason we met, she was also one of the first - "

"And only!" interjected Jimin.

Tae solemnly nodded his agreement.

"And only people who stood up for us when we were young  - even against our own families."

"What do you mean?"

Leaning back in his chair, Tae paused to stare into his teacup.

"First off you should know that Minnie and I are originally from the same small town in a very rural province.  The kind of place where men - particularly eldest born sons - are expected to possess a significant amount of ... machismo."

Jimin chuckled under his breath but there was no humor in it.

"So when two little boys who were more of the ... how did she word it again, Tae-ah?"

"I believe 'children of a more creative and artistic persuasion' was the term she used," answered Tae.

"Ah yes!  When two awkward little boys of 'a more creative and artistic persuasion' appeared in her classroom she fought to make sure that those aspects of our personality were nurtured rather than suppressed.  She even did her best to kept an eye on us after we'd left her class - right up until we moved from the primary school to the middle school."

Your heart sank at the implications of their words.

"Was that a problem?" you asked.  "Suppression, I mean?"

"To be honest neither of us came from 'ideal' family backgrounds," admitted Tae.  "My parents were caught in a cycle of domestic violence with each other.  That's one of the reasons I got so adept at 'reading the room' as it were.  I had to learn early on how to tell when the shouting was going to evolve into ... something else."

Your grip tightened on the delicate bone china of the teacup.

"Were they ever violent with you?"

"No.  Not physically - but part of that was due to the fact that I knew when to remove myself from the situation by hiding in the bathroom or a closet until they calmed down.  Later on - when I got a bit older - I would sneak out of the house altogether and go to Minnie's to spend the night."

"Was your house quieter?" you asked Jimin.

"Oh, as far as I was concerned it was very quiet."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that once my parents realized that I wasn't going to be the son they expected it was almost as if I didn't exist."

He placed his teacup back on its saucer, running one finger around the rim as he spoke.

"Don't get me wrong. They did the bare minimum to maintain their status as good parents as far as the outside world was concerned.  They provided food, shelter and education but beyond that?  I was more like a ghost or a barely noticeable family pet than a child."

Your heart almost broke at the matter of fact tone in Jimin's voice.

"A family pet would've received more love and attention than you did, Jagiya," whispered Tae, reaching out to clasp Jimin's hand in his own.

"Yeah, well...." Jimin forced a smile as he squeezed Tae's hand.  "That's why the universe gave me you, TaeTae."

The pair gazed fondly at each other before Tae turned back to you once again.

"Anyway, when I turned thirteen the fights between my parents got so bad that the neighbors finally called the authorities.  I was removed from their custody and went to live with my grandmother, who thankfully lived close enough that I could still see Minnie every day."

"She lived nearby and yet she'd allowed you to live like that?"

If Tae noticed your critical tone he chose to ignore it.

"I don't blame her," said Tae.  "She was elderly and my Mom worked hard to keep her in the dark about how bad the situation actually was."

Releasing Jimin's hand Tae reached for the teapot to refill his cup.

"The best part about living with her was the fact that now it was safe for Minnie to come over, even if he did have to sneak out of his own house to do so."

"That was okay," said Jimin, offering his cup to Tae.  "It gave me the chance to start honing my skills at slipping in and out of places."

"How long did you live with your grandmother?" you asked.

"Until we left school.  She died not long after we graduated so we took what little money she left me and made our way to the big city."

"And how did that go?"

"It was rough at times, " confessed Jimin.  "But we managed to eke out a living working a variety of jobs.  Got into a few scrapes but we managed to escape the worst of it by utilizing our combined skills.  Tae is good at picking up on when a situation is about to go bad while I'm pretty adept at finding the nearest available exit in case we need to get out quick."

As with their childhood, you got the distinct impression that they were both glossing over the more difficult parts of their stories but given the circumstances (and how much you were still holding back from them) you felt it would be incredibly hypocritical of you to call them out on that fact.

"So how did you end up with the others?" you asked, praying that their stories didn't involve fire or violence.

"Ah!  That was all because of Jimin!"  Tae exclaimed.

"Really?  How so?"

"I got a job at Hobi-hyung's club," said Jimin.

"He's a dancer!" beamed TaeHyung, nearly bursting with pride.  "Self taught but still better than most people that attend those expensive dance academies!  Remind  me to show you the video of his fan dance!  It's amazing!"

"I'm sure it is," you said, trying hard to push aside the image of Jimin as an exotic dancer, with or without fans.  "So... you met the others because of your dancing?"

"Not exactly," said Jimin.  "I did build up kind of a following though, so after a while I asked if TaeTae could set up a table in the back of the club to do some readings.  You know, to make a little extra money to help pay our bills?  After assuring Hobi-hyung that we weren't out to scam anyone he agreed to allow it on a trial basis."

"And that's when things ... happened," said Tae.

"What do you mean?  What kind of things?"

"A month after we both started working there someone began sending notes to one of the female dancers,"  said Jimin.  "It started off innocently enough at first but then the messages took a really dark turn and before long it had turned into a full blown stalking situation." 

"Hobi-hyung knew it had to be one of the customers but even using the security footage he still couldn't figure out who - so we offered to help," said Tae.

"How?"

"By utilizing Tae's background and the power of suggestion," said Jimin.

Seeing the look of confusion on your face, TaeHyung explained.

"Besides sending threatening notes, whoever was responsible had somehow managed to steal some of the dancer's personal items.  We made sure that word got around that she'd hired a shaman to place a curse on those objects.  A curse that would cause a series of increasingly unfortunate events to befall whoever had taken them."

"Did she?"

"No," said Jimin, shaking his head.  "She didn't have to.  We just had to put the idea in the guilty party's mind so whenever anything went wrong in their life, they'd wonder if it was the curse or a coincidence."  

"And - sure enough," said Tae.  "Pretty soon one of the Tuesday night regulars starts asking me a bunch of questions about how to lift a curse - purely for a friend, of course."

"So that night I got the bartender on duty to memorize the guy's address when they checked his ID," said Jimin.  "And the next time he was in the club, I 'called in sick' and went to take a look around his apartment." 

Jimin's face darkened with uncharacteristic anger.

"I found an entire fucking shrine he'd made with stuff he'd stolen from her dressing room along with all kind of pictures he'd taken of her around town.  So I took a bunch of photos of my own.  I sent them to Hobi-hyung, along with a copy of documents I found lying on the guy's desk proving the ID he'd shown at the club was a fake. He was using an alias." 

"And for good reason, " said Tae.  "Turns out under his real name he was banned from being within five kilometers of any sort of entertainment venues or nightclubs because he'd been convicted twice already for similar instances of stalking and harassment of exotic dancers."

"We never found out exactly what Kookie and the hyungs did with that information," said Jimin. "But by the end of the week, the guy was brought up on charges again - only this time they locked his sorry ass up."

"Good for you guys," you said.  "I'm sure the dancer appreciated that.  Hobi as well."

"He did," said Tae.  "As a matter of fact, it wasn't long after that when hyung came in early one day before we opened.  He was with this short, portly guy with wire rim glasses..."

"Ah!  The ubiquitous Bang SiHyuk, I presume?"

"One and the same," grinned Jimin.  "It turns out while we were digging into the past of the stalker, hyung was digging into our past.  He must have liked what he saw because he sat us down and gave us the broad outlines of what he was trying to do then asked if we'd be interested in joining the group." 

"We were a little leery at first," said Tae.  "They all seemed to good to be true but by that time we'd come to trust Hobi-hyung so after few long, sleepless nights we decided to take a chance.  And here we are."

Just then TaeHyung's phone dinged.

"Damn it!  I forgot!" he cried, jumping to his feet.  "I need to clean up for my next appointment!  Oh!  And I wanted to do a reading for you!"  

"Can't you do it now?" you asked, offering him your tea cup.

"I could but I really don't want to rush through your first one.  Can we please do it another time?"

"Sure, Tae-ah. It's nothing that can't wait, right?"

The answer to that question must have been 'yes' because seconds later you were on your feet, engulfed in a whirlwind of hugs and kisses as TaeHyung hurried you and Jimin out the door.

"I'll see you when I get home! Take care!  Love you! Bye!"

Finding yourself out on the sidewalk, you and a giggling Jimin decided to take advantage of the unseasonably warm weather by enjoying a brief stroll around the park before heading home.

You passed by a vendor selling Tteokbokki and after finding an open table you and Jimin spent the next few minutes eating spicy rice cakes while making up elaborate back stories about the people wandering by.

You'd just finished your food and were starting off in the direction of Jimin's car when a black SUV raced up and came to a screeching halt in the parking spot right next to where you were standing.

The front passenger door flew open and on instinct you spun around, placing yourself between Jimin and whoever was inside.

Before Jimin react you heard a familiar voice.

A decidedly unhappy familiar voice.

"Both of you.  Inside.  Now,"  snarled Jin.

"Hyung!"  cried a startled Jimin, doing his best to appear excited to see his elder.  "Hi! Fancy running into you here!"

"Don't  'Hi, Hyung' me right now, Minnie."

You'd never heard Jin sound like this before and you immediately decided it wasn't an experience you were keen to repeat.

"But..." started Jimin.

"We'll talk about it inside, Jimin-ah."

"But - but my car's over there," said Jimin, pointing weakly over his shoulder.

"I'll send Kookie and Hobi over for it later."

"But ...."

"I said inside NOW, Min!"

Ducking his head, Jimin swallowed hard and nodded.

"Yes, hyung."

Gesturing for you to go first, you both quickly and quietly slipped into the back seat of the SUV.  You groaned internally when you realized Yoongi was the person sitting in the driver's seat.

"Hyung, listen.  I ...." said Jimin, reaching for his seatbelt.

"No!  You listen!  What were you thinking, taking her out like that without telling anyone?!"

"But we were fine, hyung!  You know that we already took care of..."

"I don't care what has or has not been taken care of, Jimin-ah!" shouted Jin.  "You know how many people we piss off with what we do!  What if..."

Before he could finish you cut him off.

"It wasn't Cap's fault.  I forced him."

Jimin's head snapped towards you.

"Noona...." he whispered.

You ignored him and kept going.

"It's true.  I told him I was going stir crazy and said if he didn't go with me that I'd sneak out and go roaming around on my own."

You kept a close watch on Jin's face,  banking on the fact that he couldn't call your bluff without outright calling you a liar in front of the others.

You breathed a little easier when he closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Even if I believed that," he said, both his face and voice indicating that he found your claim dubious at best. "Minnie still should've contacted one of us and told us where you were going."

"You're right, hyung," said Jimin, nodding repeatedly.  "I'm very sorry.  It won't happen again."

As he spoke, you caught Yoongi eyeing you in the rear view mirror with an indecipherable expression on his face.

"Fine," sighed Jin.  "I accept your apology but next time ... do better, Minnie.  You scared the fucking life out of me!"

"Yes, hyung.  I understand, hyung.  I promise."

With that, the tension eased enough for Jimin to venture another question.

"Jin-hyung?  H-how did you know where we were anyway?" he asked.

"Tae-ah," said Jin.  "Poor thing was nearly frantic.  Said he tried to call you a bunch of times right after you left his shop and when you didn't answer he called me."

His brow creasing in confusion, Jimin pulled his phone from his pocket.

"Huh.  That's weird.  Battery's dead.  I must have forgotten to charge it last night.  Damn.  I hate that I scared him.  Can I borrow yours to let him know we're okay, hyung?"

"Here.  Use mine," you said, handing over the device.  "That way I can have his number as well."

"Okay.  Thanks, Noona."

As Jimin began apologizing to Tae, Jin shook his head.

"So ... little one.... did  you enjoy your excursion?"

"I did, Doc.  It was kinda nice to remind myself of what the outside world looked like."

You hadn't meant for it to sound quite so accusatory and felt an instant pang of regret when Jin winced at your words.

"Ah.  Yes.  Well.... I'm sorry I was so cross with you but .... it's just .... I care about what happens to you.  All of you.  And when I thought you and Minnie were in danger I ...."

"I know.  I'm sorry, Doc.  I promise, I won't scare you like that again."

Jin rolled his eyes and snorted.

"Yah!  Have you forgotten my thoughts regarding your ass and it's somewhat dubious check writing ability, Noona?"

"Yah!" you cried out in mock indignation, angling your body around in your seat to look at your own backside. "And you still haven't told me what exactly it is about my ass that you find so deficient, Doc?!"

The reaction of both Yoongi and Jimin to this exchange was more than worth the scolding you'd received.

Yoongi started to cough, as if he'd choked on a breath of air, while Jimin stammered into the phone.

"T -Tae?  B-Baby?  I - I'm sorry.  We - we'll talk more when you get home, okay?  Love you..."

As you and Jin continued your good natured bickering, a flustered Yoongi threw the vehicle in reverse and pulled out of the parking lot, none of you noticing the dark figure staring after you from behind a nearby tree.

xx

When you got home, Jin escorted you back to  your room, wanting to check your incision site to make sure you hadn't pulled any stitches during your little outing.

Once satisfied you were still in one piece, he then gave strict instructions for you to change clothes and get back in bed to rest for the remainder of the day.

You hated to admit it but the outing had been much more tiring than you thought it would be and you ended up dozing off almost as soon as your head hit the pillow.

Given his intense concern over your condition, you were more than a little surprised when it ended up being Jimin who arrived with your food instead of Jin.

When you expressed this to him, Jimin blushed as he placed the tray on your lap.

"I begged him," he said.

"Why?" you asked, picking up your chopsticks and popping a dumpling in your mouth.

"Because I had to ask you something.  Something important."

"Okay.  What?"

"Why did  you do it?"

"Do what?  Tell Doc our little escapade was my idea?  That was the truth.  I'd thought about wanting to get outside.  You just mentioned it first.  Besides, he was going to go easier on me.  I'm still an invalid, remember?"

Setting down your chopsticks, you pouted and balled your hands into fists, placing them on the sides of your face in the cheesiest aegyo you could think of.

"No," said Jimin, trying hard not to smile at your antics.  "Before that."

"I don't know what you mean."

Jimin sighed as he plopped down on the edge of your bed.

"When the car pulled up, you put yourself between me and it."

"Yeah? So?" you shrugged.  "It was just Doc and Yoongi."

"But you didn't know that!" cried Jimin.  "It could have been anybody!" 

He ran a hand roughly through his hair.

"Hyungs right!  We piss people off all the time!  Bad people, Noona!  That could've been someone out to hurt me!  So why did you do that?!"

The sheer force of this unexpected outburst caught you off guard.

"Oh....uh ... To be honest, Cap ... I - I didn't really think about it.  It was just my first instinct."

He stopped short, his voice dropping so low you could barely hear him even though he was sitting right beside you.

"Your - your first instinct was to throw yourself between me and an unknown danger?"

"Yeah.  I guess ..." you said, struggling to keep up with the emotional whiplash of this conversation.   "I mean, I don't have a lot of experience in such matters but that's what friends do for each other, right?"

Seeing tears welling up in his eyes, you quickly stuck out your hand, pinky finger extended.

"Hey!  It's okay!  We were up to no good and nobody got hurt so...Mischief Managed, right?"  you said, calling back to the Harry Potter reference he'd made before you left the house that morning.

Jimin stared at you for a long moment before linking his little finger with yours.  When he finally released you he then pulled out his phone and began typing.

"What are you doing now?" you asked, picking up your chopsticks.

"Just making a note to be sure and have those words engraved inside our wedding bands," he said, slipping the phone into his back pocket.

Chuckling you nudged him with your foot, popping another dumpling in your mouth as you wondered just how long they intended to keep that joke running.

xx

You weren't sure of the exact time but it had to have been well after midnight when you woke up to find an anxious Jimin standing at  your bedside, gently shaking your shoulder.

"Noona?"

"Cap?" you mumbled, eyes half closed.  "W-what's the matter?  What - what's wrong?"

"I - I had a bad dream.  Can I sleep with you?"

"Are you naked or wearing outside clothes?"  you asked, still more asleep than awake.

"Excuse me?" he squeaked.

"Joonie says sometimes you walk around naked and Doc doesn't like outside clothes in bed."

You yawned and a strand of hair fell into your mouth.

You heard a soft giggle as Jimin pushed the hair back, tucking it behind your ear.

"I'm wearing pajamas and they're for indoor use only.  I promise."

"Oh.  Okay, then."

Scooting over you felt the mattress shift as Jimin crawled over to snuggle in behind you.  Wrapping his arm around your waist he curled up, pressing his face between your shoulder blades.

"Noona?" he whispered, his voice a mere wisp of air along your neck.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you for trying to protect me today.  From now on,  I'll do whatever I can to protect you.  I swear it."

"Okay," you said, patting his arm as you drifted back off to sleep.  "Thank you.  That's good."

The room fell into a warm silence and you were almost asleep again when Jimin spoke once again.

"Noona?"

"Hmmm?"

You felt his arm tighten around you.

"Saranghae,"  he whispered.

"Oh.  That's nice.  Nado saranghae, Cap."

And with that, you were out like a light.

Waking up the next morning you found yourself all alone in the bed, so you wrote the entire thing off as just another pleasant - if somewhat vivid - dream before rolling out of bed to start your day.

Chapter Text

Chapter Twelve

You took your time getting ready and when you exited the bathroom you found Hoseok waiting for you.

"So ..." he said in a playful tone.  "I heard you got in trouble yesterday.  I heard Jin-hyung had to use his stern voice.  And not his sexy one."

"Having no basis for comparison I'll defer to your expertise in that matter Hob-ah," you replied, pushing aside the thought of Jin's voice in that context for your own sanity if nothing else.

Instead  of laughing at your comment as you'd expected, Hoseok's expression turned unexpectedly serious as he stepped closer to inspect your face.

"I suppose the more important question is how are you feeling, Noona?  Are you okay?  You didn't hurt yourself, did you?"

"I'm fine, Hobi.  Cap and I just decided to go on a field trip and didn't think to inform Doc beforehand.  That's all."

"That's not what I heard.  I heard that you once again risked life and limb to save a member of this household."

"Aish!  Cap and Tae-ah should start writing for television!  They have a flair for making things sound far more dramatic than they actually were."

You rolled your eyes, taking the arm that Hoseok offered to you.

"Maybe.  Or..." he said, leading you into the hallway.  "Perhaps somebody has a tendency of continuously downplaying their own actions."

"Really?  Who might that be?" you answered in the most innocent voice you could muster.

"Yah!  Listen to you!" teased Hoseok, gently hip-checking you.  "Jin-hyung was right!"

"Of course I was!"

Jin's voice rang out from the other side of the kitchen as you and Hoseok entered the room.

"But just out of curiosity, what topic was I correct about this time?"

"About Noona, hyung."

"Ah!  Of course."

Jin smiled as he gestured for you to take a seat at the table.

"Do I even want to know how I became the topic of whatever discussion this was?" you asked, narrowing your eyes at them.  "Or what was said about me?"

"Oh, little one.  If you want to know, I'd be happy to elucidate you on the subject," said Jin.

Leaning seductively over the table, he focused the full force of his gaze upon you, deliberately turning the smolder factor in his eyes up to its highest level.

"Shall I recount the conversation in slow, minute detail?"

In what had to be one of the finest acting jobs you'd ever delivered, you (just barely) managed to keep your own expression relatively neutral.

"Maybe some other time, Doc.  It's probably unwise to have conversations like that on an empty stomach, don't you think?"

You must not have been quite the actress you thought you were because Jin smiled in triumph, giving you a cheeky wink as he stepped back.

"Very true, little one.  So let's get you fed, shall we?"

As he and Hoseok laid the three places at the table, you looked around the room.

"Where's everybody else this morning, Doc?"

"Ah!  Yoongi-ah had an early meeting at the studio, Tae-ah and Minnie had errands to run, Kookie is working on a project and Joonie is working out downstairs in the gym."

"You guys have your own gym here?"

"Among other things," said Hoseok, offering you a cup of coffee.  "Would you like to see it later?"

"Yes but don't feel like you have to," you said, suddenly worried that you'd overstepped a boundary as a guest.  "I - I don't want to intrude into your private areas."

"Nonsense!"  said Jin, eyes still twinkling with mischief.  "You're more than welcome to inspect all of our private areas any time you like, little one."

Rather than dignifying that comment with a reaction you instead turned to Hoseok.

"Is he always like this, Hobi?"

"Oh, no!" said Hoseok.  "Sometimes he's shameless."

"Yah!  Hob-ah!" fussed Jin.  "I'm still your hyung.  It wouldn't kill  you to show some respect."

"Sorry, Jin-hyung."

Clasping his hands together, Hoseok directed some next level aegyo at his elder.

"I hope you can forgive me."

"Aish!" sighed Jin, taking the seat next to you.  "Do you see the antics I have to deal with, little one?"

"Oh and I'm sure you never do anything like that to them," you laughed.  "Does he, Hobi?"

Before Hoseok could answer, Jin pointed an accusing chopstick at him.

"Yah!  If you want to continue eating my cooking you'll think very carefully about how you answer that, Hob-ah!"

 Hoseok quickly picked up his own utensils.

"Hyung is an angel, gracing the earth with his presence," he said before shoving a dumpling in his mouth.

"That's what I thought you were going to say," Jin nodded as he handed you a bowl of rice.

"Aish!  You're both shameless," you said, accepting the bowl from him.

Placing one scoop of rice on your plate you set the bowl aside.  Before you'd even reached for anything else, Jin was already placing a second helping beside it.  You thought about protesting but one look at his face told you this was an argument you would not win.

Instead you decided to try switching the focus of the conversation.

"So...Speaking of a gym, when can I start exercising again, Doc?"

"That depends," he said, instantly flipping into physician mode.   "What sort of exercise are we talking about?"

"Nothing too crazy.  I mainly do a bit of quigong along with some basic yoga I learned from watching public television."

"Hmm...." said Jin, tapping his chin.  "Quigong sounds harmless enough ...."

"The palliative care team had Mama B try it whenever she felt up to it," you said.  "It seemed to help so I got in the habit of doing it along with her.  Now it's not only a way to keep active, it's also another way for me to still feel close to her."

As he pondered your request, you mentally crossed your fingers,  hoping that bringing up the sentimental aspect might sway his decision.

"Palliative care?"  asked Hoseok.  "You mean like in hospice?"

"Yeah.  Mama B had cancer."

Hoseok nodded knowingly. 

"The doctors had my adopted Mom do something similar after she was diagnosed.  I think it helped her too."

"Did she have cancer as well?"

"Yeah.  Breast.  It was stage four and had already metastasized when they found it." 

"Mama B's was pancreatic.  Same thing as far as diagnosis, though.  By the time they caught it had already spread too far to respond to treatment.  The medical team said all they could do was to give her the best quality of life possible with the time she had left."

"And were they able to do that?" asked Jin.

"Yeah.  I mean, as much as was possible I guess."

"Same with my adopted Mom," said Hoseok.  "Still sucks though, doesn't it?"

"Yeah. It does."

The pair of you traded the kind of melancholy smile that only those who'd walked that road really understood.

The room then fell into silence until you asked, "So, what do you say Doc? Can I start exercising again?" 

Jin took a sip of his coffee, seemingly torn about the request.

"You're incision has been healing well but I'm hesitant to let you attempt anything too vigorous.  I don't want to risk a setback."

"Please?" you pleaded.  "I'll be really careful.  I promise."

Sighing, Jin glanced at Hoseok who shrugged then nodded.

"How about this?" said Jin. 

"What if the three of us roll out our mats together in the backyard?  Hob-ah is sort of our de facto physical therapist around here anyway, so he can monitor your form and make sure you don't overextend while I keep my eye out for anything that might cause an issue with your recovery.  Would you agree to those terms?"

"Sure.  Except for one thing."

"What's that?" he asked.

"I don't have a yoga mat. I usually just work out on the floor."

"No worries.  That's easily fixed.  We can grab an extra one of ours while you change."

"Change?"

"Ah!   That's right.  You don't have any yoga pants, do you?"

"Nope.  I mainly just wear sweats, like these,"   you said, gesturing at the sweat pants and hoodie you were wearing.  Jin frowned slightly when he realized they were your own clothes and not ones they'd gifted you.

You deliberately didn't mention that you'd never purchased yoga pants because : a) buying clothes that were meant to be worn only while exercising was a luxury exceeding your budget and b) you were a little insecure about how you might look in public wearing something that form fitting.

"That's fine," said Jin.  "What you wear isn't as important as how you wear it, little one." 

He waved dismissively but you thought you sensed something lurking behind his smile.

"Now, eat up.  Once you're done we can get started, okay?"

xx

A short time later, the three of you were in the backyard.

"So, little one," said Jin.  "Show us how you usually start."

You ran through a series of gentle standing warm up moves, most of which Hoseok was already familiar with, before moving onto the mat.

It was the first time you'd ever used one and you were surprised at the difference the additional padding provided.

Without thinking you said, "Wow!  This is much nicer than being on my hands and knees on a hard floor."

Hoseok let out a short squeak as Jin began coughing as if something had gotten stuck in his throat.

"You okay, Doc?"  you asked.

"Yes.   Fine.  Just fine," he said, taking a sip from his water bottle.  "J-just a stray bit of pollen, I think."

"Are you sure?  Do we need to stop?"

"No!  No!  Keep going!  I'm fine!"

"Okay.  If you're sure..."

After determining neither man was in any serious physical difficulty you went on to the next move in your routine.

"This one is called Cat Cow," you explained.  "It's simple but I really like the stretch it gives your back.  You start on all fours - wrists aligned with shoulders and knees aligned with hips - almost like a table.  You then slowly alternate between flexing your spine up and down.  Hence the name.  You either look like a cat arching its back or a cow with its udders hanging down.  Like this."

You demonstrated the move, then turned to find the men were just staring at you.

"I'm sorry," you said.  "Did I not describe it well enough?"

The pair flinched as if they were children who'd been caught plundering the cookie jar.

"No!" exclaimed Jin. "I mean, yes!  I mean..."

Seeing his elder flounder, Hoseok jumped in.

"What he's trying to say is I was just checking your form while hyung was making sure he understood the instructions correctly."

"Oh.  Was my form okay, Hobi?"

Hoseok's face lit up.

"It was perfect, Noona.  Absolutely perfect."

"Okay. Thanks.  Good to know.  Well, why don't you give it a try then?"

The men complied, following along as you led them through a few more moves including extended puppy posture - pausing occasionally when the pollen once again seemed to adversely affect one or both men's breathing.

Since you were moving more slowly than normal it took a bit longer than usual to run through the basics of your routine.  Reaching the end, you'd just lifted your hips up into the downward dog pose when you heard a strangled whine from behind you - as if someone had stepped on the tail of an elderly, asthmatic cat.

Glancing over your shoulder, you spotted a wide-eyed Namjoon slumped against the door frame.

"Ah, Joon-ah!" exclaimed Jin, his voice practically brimming with glee.  "Your timing - as always - is impeccable!  We're just finishing up, aren't we little one?!" 

You nodded, giving your back one more big flex before standing.

"Perhaps you might like to join us tomorrow, Namjoon-ah?" said Jin, grinning at the still dazed expression on the younger man's face.

"I think we're going to include a bit of meditation during our next session.  Really contemplate the experience.  What do you think, Hob-ah?"

"I agree completely, hyung!" said Hoseok.  "I know today's session has given me lots to think about."

Namjoon gave a distracted nod, his eyes still fixed on you.

"Joonie?" you said, reaching for some water.  "Doc says you've got a gym here.  Would you mind showing it to me sometime?"

This request had the effect of snapping Namjoon back to reality.

"Yes!  The gym!  Downstairs!  Yes!  Sure!  We can go right now if you like!"

He reached for your hand but Jin stepped between you.

"Yah!  Namjoon-ah!" said the older man, deliberately positioning himself in Namjoon's line of sight.

"You can show her the setup but she's not to exert herself at all, got it?  This has been her first workout since she got hurt so we need to take things slowly, okay?  I will not have her re-injuring herself, understand?"

"Yes, hyung!  I understand, hyung!  Whatever you say, hyung!"

Namjoon nodded vigorously, craning his neck to get a better look at you bent over, rolling up the yoga mat.

"Are you ready, Noona?!  If so, let's go!"

"Are - are you sure, Joonie?" you asked, handing the mat to an amused Hoseok.  "I - I know you're usually busy around this time.  I don't want to cause any disruption to your schedule."

"No!  No disruption!  I'm free!  Absolutely free!  Nothing at all to do for the rest of the day!" he said, mentally clearing his calendar for the next week  - hell, the next month - if necessary.

"Oh.  Okay ... if you're sure ..."

"Yep!  I'm sure!  Come on!"

Within seconds you were back in the house.  Whisking you past the library and a couple of other rooms you hadn't entered yet, Namjoon led you down a flight of stairs into a large, well lit hallway.  To your right was an open door and even from a distance you could hear the sound of boxing gloves hitting leather in a quick, rhythmic fashion.

Following Namjoon you entered the room and saw a shirtless JungKook pummeling a heavy bag.

You knew he had a lot of tattoos but hadn't realized that they not only spread up both arms but also covered his back and chest as well.  You were glad for the artwork as it provided at least some distraction from the sight of his toned and sculpted bare torso.

"Hyung!  What are you doing back?  Oh, Noona!  Hi! What are you doing here?!"

"Noona wants to start exercising," said Namjoon.  "She heard we had a gym and wanted to see it."

"Yeah!" you said, your eyes deliberately scanning the room in attempt to not openly ogle the younger man.  "I did some yoga with Doc and Hobi this morning and it felt good to get moving again so I thought I'd see what else you guys have to offer."

Jungkook's face fell.

"You did yoga?  This morning? And nobody told me?"

"It's okay, Kook," said Namjoon.  "It would seem that Jin-hyung and Hobi-hyung left all of us out of the loop on this one."

Unsure of why both men seemed irritated, you suddenly felt the need to stick up for Jin and Hoseok.

"In fairness, I did kind of spring it on them over breakfast.  Although, I had mentioned it to Hobi once before."

This information did little to pacify JungKook who crossed his arms and pouted.

"Hyung says since she exerted herself this morning she can't do anything else today," said Namjoon.  "But I thought I'd show her our set up and maybe between the two of us we can structure a workout for her that hyung approves of for in the future?"

At this, JungKook perked up, obviously excited to be involved in the process.

"Sure!  What would you like to do, Noona?"

"What do you mean?"

"What are your goals?  What would you like to accomplish with your workouts?"

Thankfully at this point, JungKook picked up a towel, wiping the sweat from his chest before slipping on an (aptly named) muscle shirt.

"Oh.  Wow,"  you said,.  "I - I hadn't really thought of any specific goals.  I just didn't feel like I was sitting around doing nothing." 

You stood for a moment, trying to regain the ability to form coherent thoughts.

"Maybe increase my upper body strength and stamina?  You know, I got to be able to take on those kindergarten kids eventually."

"Okay!  That's a really good place to start!"

You could almost see the gears turning inside JungKook's mind.

"Joonie-hyung and I can come up with some light weights and core exercises to begin out with and maybe then work up to some boxing.  That would include cardio as well as strength and self defense.  What do you think, hyung?"

"Great idea, Kook-ah!" said Namjoon.

JungKook preened at the compliment and soon both men immediately were trading ideas for specific exercises to include in your workout.

You couldn't help but smile at the passion each man had for the topic.

"Wow!  You guys sure know a lot about this stuff!  Have you both always been this interested in physical fitness?"

"Not really," said Namjoon.  "I think we both kind of got into it for ... secondary reasons."

"Like what?"

"Self defense mainly," said JungKook.

Your heart sank remembering that each of these men had a story to tell and so far none of them had been happy ones.

"Oh.  Sorry.  I didn't mean to ..."

"No.  It's okay, Noona," said JungKook.  "It's not a big deal.  What I went through isn't nearly as bad as what happened to ...."

"Kook-ah!" said Namjoon.  "What have we told you?  Don't downplay your experience.  That's not healthy."

The younger man nodded, draping the towel around his neck.

"I know.  It's ... it's just there are so many other people who've gone through worse things than I did, that's all."

"Joonie's right, Kookie," you said.  "Your pain isn't any more or any less important than someone else's.  It isn't some kind of pissing contest.  There are no winners in the pain game.  Trust me."

"Well said, Noona," said Namjoon.

He gave you such a warm look that it made that little bird flit around inside your chest again.  You pushed the feeling aside to concentrate on JungKook who seemed to be seriously contemplating what you just said.

"Thanks, Noona.  I - I never thought of it like that.  I guess just always saw myself as a stupid kid who kept screwing up."

"Yah! Kook-ah!"  Namjoon fussed at him, but there was no animosity in his tone.  "That's not true!  Not at all!  You did the best you could with the cards life dealt you. That's all anyone can do."

You nodded in agreement.

"Yeah.  I mean ... I don't know your story Kookie but from what I've seen?  You are by far one of the most intelligent, artistic and accomplished young men I have ever had the privilege of meeting."

JungKook blushed deeply as Namjoon elbowed him in the ribs.

"See?  And that's from a totally unbiased source."

"But she doesn't know my story," said JungKook.

"That's true ..." you said. "And it's up to you whether you want to share it or not.  But I'm willing to wager that when and if you do want to tell me, I'll still feel the exact same way about you."

JungKook glanced at Namjoon who nodded encouragingly.

"It's up to you, Kook-ah.  I can't make that decision for you but I can tell you that she's a really good listener. I know I felt better after talking to her."

He smiled at you again and it occurred to you that those dimples were more deadly than any of the contraband you'd unknowingly delivered for HeeSung.

"Okay," said Jungkook.  "If you really want to know then I'll tell you."

"Kookie , I'm happy to listen to whatever you want to tell me but please know that you don't have to if you don't want to," you said, hoping  you hadn't unduly pressured him to open up about something he wasn't ready to talk about.

"No.  If hyung can share his story then I can share mine."

He plopped down onto one of a pair of weight benches, wiping his forehead with the edge of the towel around his neck.

"Where should I start?"

"Wherever you want."

"Okay.  Well ... my parents divorced when I was six.  My birth dad ran off and abandoned us. I barely even remember him now.  Last I heard he was living in Japan with a new family.  "

He shrugged in an attempt to seem like this fact didn't bother him.

"I guess he liked them well enough to stay."

"Oh, Kookie," you said, ready to swim to Japan if necessary to kick JungKook's errant father's ass.  "That sucks.  His loss, though."

"Yeah.  That's what hyungs said."

"Well then I agree with them.  One hundred percent."

You sat on the other weight bench and Namjoon joined you.

"Thanks," said JungKook, blushing before resuming his story.

"Anyway,  things were pretty rough after he left.  Financially, I mean.  Mom got really depressed about everything.  Got really down on herself.  I think that's why she eventually ended up in the situation that she did."

"What kind of situation?" you asked.

"She was working as a waitress when this customer started hitting on her."

The expression on his face told you more about this customer than words ever could.

"I take it you didn't like the guy?"

"No.  Something always felt ... off about him.  But I was ten and my input wasn't taken into consideration."

Leaning forward he rested his forearms on his knees.

"I mean, things started off okay but his attitude changed once they got married."

"How so?"

"At first everything was fine.   But eventually he started drinking more and more.  After that came the verbal abuse, then throwing things then shoving then ..."

He exhaled deeply, blowing a bit of hair off his face.

"My mom's self-esteem was so low that she believed the bastard when he'd tell her it was her fault whenever he lost his temper.  Which happened more and more frequently as time went on."

Your stomach clenched at the very idea of anyone being cruel to JungKook.

"Fuck.  Did he ever do anything to you?"

"No.  But only because by the time things got really bad I was almost as big as him and could hold my own in a fight.  So he just settled for calling me every name he could think of.  I wanted to punch his lights out when he'd start yelling at Mom but whenever I tried to stand up for her he'd just wait until I left the house for school or work then take his frustrations out on her even more so I figured it was better for everyone if I just stayed out of the way."

"What did your Mom have to say about all that?"

"Nothing.  She just wanted to keep the peace, you know?  Do whatever it took to keep him calm, even if that meant siding against me.  I suppose it didn't help that apparently the older I got the more I looked like my birth father, which I'm sure had to be painful for her."

"That still doesn't excuse her inaction, Kook-ah," said Namjoon.

"I know."

JungKook sat up and stretched his legs out in front of him.

"Anyway, as I got older I did whatever I could to rebel.  I started with the normal teenage angst - breaking curfew, underage drinking, tattoos and piercings.   Then  I moved on to other stuff = street racing, fighting, graffiti... "

"Ah!  Graffiti!  Artistic even then!"

"Yeah ... Art was one of my few constructive pastimes.   That, using the computers at the library and working out.  I cleaned the local gym in return for boxing lessons and the use of their equipment.  Anything to stay out of the house, really.  I thought if I wasn't there to see what was going on that I could pretend wasn't happening."

You recognized the look on his face.  It was the look of someone who couldn't unsee things they desperately wished they could forget.

You should know.  You saw it every time you looked in a mirror.

"So, as soon as I graduated,  I moved out," said JungKook.

"I couch surfed for a year or so, trying to save enough money to get a place of my own.   Then one night, I ran into my stepdad. He was roaring drunk.  Came at me outside the bar.  Called me some really foul names.  I tried ignoring him like usual.  I was walking away when he started talking shit about my Mom. Something in me snapped and before I really knew what was happening I was beating the crap out of him."

"How bad was it?"

"Bad."

"Did he .... ?"

"Live?  Yeah. But he ended up staying in the hospital for a couple of days.  Broken nose and fractured rib among other things."

"Ouch.  What happened to you?"

"Me?  I was arrested and charged with first degree assault.  Thankfully they dropped the attempted homicide charge because they couldn't prove I wanted him dead."

"Wow.  That's serious stuff.  Did your Mom speak up for you at the hearing?"

"No.  She didn't even show.  Probably for the best given her condition."

"Her condition?" you asked.  "What do you mean?"

"I didn't know it at the time but she'd just found out she was pregnant.  With twins. So - in her mind - it became more important than ever to keep the peace around the house."

"Damn.  So, what happened to you?"

"A violent assault charge on top of all the other crap I'd gotten in trouble for, combined with the fact that I was now a legal adult meant I was going to do some serious time unless someone stepped up, paid my bail and hired me a damn good attorney.  And I knew that wasn't going to happen."

He let out a short laugh but there was no humor in it.

"So, there I was - sitting in a holding cell, facing a very bleak future when I was told I had a visitor.  I thought at first it was my Mom, you know?  Turns out it wasn't."

"Wait.  Don't tell me - it was a little pudgy guy with round glasses, right?"

"Yeah.  He introduced himself and said he wanted to meet the kid who'd recently managed to hack into the Ministry of Education database.  I almost denied it but then I decided, what the hell?  Might as well take credit for the accomplishment.  It's not like my life could get any more screwed up,  you know?"

"Why'd you hack into MoE database?"

"This rich kid whose older brother took boxing lessons at the gym I was cleaning found out I was good at computers and offered me a month's worth of his allowance to change his grades." 

"How much did he give you?"

"Let's put it this way.  It was more money than I'd ever seen in one place in my entire life."

"Sweet!  So what happened?"

"I changed the grades for him.  Would've gotten away with it too if he hadn't been so damn greedy."

"Greedy?  How?"

"The kid could barely do basic math but he insisted on getting perfect scores.  In every class.  Including advanced calculus."

"Oh, my.  That was .... ambitious."

"That's one word for it," scoffed Namjoon.  "Another would be fucking idiotic."

"Exactly," said JungKook.  "The school councilors took one look at that transcript and knew something was wrong.  I'd covered my tracks well enough to avoid detection but then they offered him a deal. "

"Which was?" you asked.

"If he gave up who'd hacked into the system they'd let him take extra classes and re-sit his exams - after his Dad made a generous donation to the school, of course."

"Of course," you said.  "You can cause all the trouble you like as long as you've got the money to get out of it, it would seem."

Both Namjoon and Jungkook grunted in agreement.

"Anyway, after talking about computers for a while, SiHyuk-hyung asked what I wanted to do with my life.  I started to give him one of my standard, smart ass answers but for some reason I blurted out, "I want to feel safe and make a difference." 

The young man's face beamed at the memory.

"SiHyuk-hyung said, "Alright.  Let's see if we can make that happen."  Next thing I know he's signing a bunch of papers and handing the court official an envelope filled with cash.  All charges against me were dropped, I walked out of there a free man and I've never looked back."

"Good for you, Kookie.  Ever hear from your Mom or stepdad after that?"

"Nah.  I reached out to her a couple of times when I first got here but never got an answer.  Last time I checked they were still together. Three kids - the twins and then another one after that. "

You really didn't like the sound of that.

"Are they okay?  The kids, I mean."

"So far.  I hope so at least.  I've got Mom and the kids' names and id's tagged in the system.  If they ever end up receiving any kind of medical care that would indicate abuse,  I'll get a notification so I can check it out.  If turns out he's hurt them the hyungs said they'll take care of it."

"That's really good of you.  All of you," you said.

JungKook once again tried to shrug things off.

"Hey.  They might never meet me or even know that I exist but they're still my little brothers and I want to make sure they're okay.  That's what hyungs do.  Right, Joonie-hyung?"

Namjoon couldn't have looked prouder if he tried.

"That's right, Kook-ah."

You stared at the younger man for a moment before moving to sit beside him.

"Kookie?  I'm sorry.  I lied to you earlier."

"You did?  About what, Noona?"

"I said that nothing you could tell me would change my opinion of you."

Jungkook bit his lip and started to look away until you grabbed his hand in yours.

"Before I thought you were a pretty great guy.  But now?  Now I think you're even more impressive." 

He turned to you, his big dark eyes filled with equal parts  hope and doubt.

"You - you do?"

"Yep.  You're a hell of man Jeon Jungkook and it's a damn shame that your little brothers have missed out on the opportunity of getting to know you."

"You - you really think so?"

"Nope," you said, squeezing his hand.  "I know so."

"Thanks, Noona."

He squeezed your hand back before clearing his throat.

"Right," he said, rising to his feet.  "Enough about me.  Let's get the rest of this workout plan figured out, okay?"

xx

Thirty minutes later you were leaving the gym with a customized work out plan and a promise from JungKook to join you for yoga the next morning.

Namjoon led you back up the stairs and when you were passing the library you asked, "Joonie?  I finished the latest book in the Dream Shield series that Doc let me borrow.  Do you have any books by similar authors you could recommend?"

His eyes lit up as he ushered you inside the room.

"Yes!  Have you read anything by Julian Carax?"

"No.  I never heard of them.  Are they good?"

"I think so.  I've got a copy of his book Shadow of the Wind in here somewhere.  If you enjoy the Dream Shield series I think you'd like his stuff as well."

Scurrying to a specific bookcase he immediately began plucking volumes off the shelves for you.

"Here's the Carax!  Oh!  And here's one by S. Morgenstern you might like!  And I'm sure I've got a couple by Kilgore Trout around here somewhere..."

As he searched you flipped over the first book he'd handed you to read the blurb on the back.

"Wow!  Joonie!  This sounds amazing!  How come I've never heard of this author before?"

"I think that was the only book he ever wrote and they only printed a handful of copies," said Namjoon, still scanning the shelves.  "I found it by accident when I was playing Bookstore Roulette."

"Bookstore roulette?  What's that?"

"A game I invented.  I'll teach it to you sometime.  Oh!  Here's one of the Kilgore Trout's!"

As he continued his search, you took the opportunity to ask a question that had been niggling at the back of your brain.

"Joonie?  Doc's the oldest of you guys, right?"

"Right."

"What's the age gap between him and Kookie?"

"Four years and nine months."

Glancing over he caught you doing the mental math in your head.

"I'll save you the trouble.  Kookie was twenty when he first came here and even then things remained platonic for a while.  Anything that's happened between all of us has been both legal and consensual - even by Korean standards."

You hung your head, clutching the books to your chest.

"Sorry.  I didn't mean to imply..."

"Hey." 

Namjoon's voice was suddenly much closer and when you looked up you were surprised to find him hovering over you.

"It's okay, Noona.  The fact that you cared enough to ask it ... well, it speaks highly of your character."

"I don't know about that.  I just hate to think of anyone taking advantage of him, you know?"

"I do.  And again, your concern for him tells me a lot about you."

He smiled as he handed you yet another book.

"You know ... Kook opened up to you faster than anyone other than SiHyuk-hyung."

You followed his gaze to the painting above the fireplace.  Since he hadn't gotten angry about your first question you decided to chance a second one.

"Joonie?  Were ... were any of you involved with him?"

"With hyung?  Romantically, you mean?  No.  Never.  He was a father figure to all of us." 

In his eyes you saw a familiar longing - the wish that you could speak with someone who was now sadly out of reach.

"You really miss him, don't you?"

"Yeah.  I really do."

You hesitated before chancing another question.

"Can ... can I ask what happened to him?"

It was impossible to miss the subtle but unmistakable shift in Namjoon's demeanor.  The stiffening of the spine.  The tensing of the jaw.  How his fingers tightened around the book he was holding.

"A job went wrong," he said.  "Hyung got hurt.  By the time one of us found him it was too late."

You simply nodded, experience telling you that was all you were going to learn from  him right now.

"I'm sorry," you replied.

"Yeah.  Me too."

Shaking his head he smiled at you as if the last bit of the conversation had never happened.

"So ... do you have enough books for the moment or should I find you some more?"

"What do you think?"

His smile widened, attacking you once again with those dimples.

"Alright.  More it is!"

xx

When you finally made it back to your room TaeHyung and Yeontan were waiting for you.

"Wow!" said TaeHyung, gesturing at the stack of books in your arms.  "I can guess who you've just been with."

"Yah!  If hanging out in your library with Joonie is a crime then lock me up, Tae-ah."

Laughing, he helped you set the books on the bedside table before surprising you with a deep, contrite bow.

"Noona?  I came to say I'm sorry for getting you and Minnie in trouble with hyung.  When I was cleaning up I saw something in Minnie's tea leaves.  I got scared and tried to call him and when he didn't answer I panicked."

"Don't worry, Tae-ah.  It's okay but I'll admit that now I'm a bit confused.   I thought you said leaves couldn't predict the future?"

"They can't.  I - I'm sure I was just projecting.  It - it was silly of me."

He picked up a shopping bag sitting on the bed and shoved it in your direction.

"Anyway, here.  I got these for you as an apology."

You opened the bag to find it filled with yoga pants and sports bras from one of those high end brands worn by celebrities and social media influencers.

"Wait?  How did you know about the yoga?"

He grinned, clasping his hands behind his back.

"What would you say if I told you I saw it in the crystal?"

"I'd ask who called you - Doc or Hobi?"

He made a series of faces at you before finally admitting,  "Both.  Jin-hyung with the idea and Hobi-hyung with your sizes."

"That's what I thought," you said, handing the bag back to him.

"I appreciate that the thought but I can't accept these, Tae-ah.  They're brand new and they're expensive."

"Sure you can!" he insisted, pushing the bag away from himself. "It's a birthday present."

"It's not my birthday," you said.

You now found yourself engaged in a sort of odd, reverse tug of war, where neither of you wanted to be the one left - quite literally - holding the bag.

"It's a belated one since I missed it," said TaeHyung.

"You can't miss a birthday you knew nothing about.  Try again."

"I.... I can't return them without a receipt."

"What happened to the receipt?"

TaeHyung's gaze darted around the room before landing on Yeontan.

"Tannie ate it?"

As if realizing he was being used as a scapegoat the Pomeranian growled softly while giving his owner an offended side eye.

"C'mon buddy," TaeHyung whispered.  "Work with me here."

In response the little dog stuck his nose in the air, turned and laid down with his back towards the man.

"Seriously?  Fine.  Try ignoring me when you treats, you little traitor," muttered Tae before facing you again.  "Okay, then.  I can't take them back because ... they were on sale.  Non-refundable.  So if you don't use them they'll go to waste."

You were about to refuse again when TaeHyung cut you off by dropping to his knees.

"Please, Noona!" 

He began rubbing his hands together while bowing repeatedly.

"Please!  If you don't accept them I can't clear my conscience about getting you in trouble.  And if something happens to me while my conscience is unclean then I might be cursed to wander the afterlife for all eternity.  You don't want me to wander the afterlife - lost and alone -  for all eternity, do you Noona?"

You made a mental note to apologize to Jin for ever doubting his word when it came to the maknaes.

"Oh, alright!  Alright!  I'll accept them on one condition."

"Really?" said TaeHyung, bouncing onto his feet. "What's that?"

"You have promise you'll to donate them to a woman's shelter or something when I leave."

The corner of his eye twitched at the mention of you leaving.

"Is that the only way you'll take them?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Then you've got a deal.  Whenever you leave us I'll donate them."

"Okay.  Thank you," you said, finally accepting the bag with both hands and a respectful bow.

As you went to place the gift on top of the dresser, TaeHyung asked,  "So ... do you  have anything planned right now?"

"No.  I'm supposed to rest until dinner.  Doc's orders."

"Could resting include curling up and watching a drama with me?"

He tipped his head towards a laptop sitting in the chair.

"I have access to practically every streaming service available.  Even a couple that technically don't even exist."

"Hmm.....That depends."

"On what?"

"Whether you have anything starring Lee Minho on there."

"Of course I do!"

"Even Legend of the Blue Sea?"

Clapping his hands, TaeHyung squealed with excitement.

"I do! All twenty episodes!"

"Then what are we waiting for?!"  you said, scrambling onto the bed.  "Queue up episode one!"

xx

You finally got to sleep after Jin shooed a petulant TaeHyung from your room ("You can watch the remaining episodes later, Tae-ah!  She needs to rest!") and when you woke the next morning you  got suited up in your new yoga clothes, choosing a long tunic to go over the pants in order to maintain some sort of dignity.

You were a bit uneasy about your appearance but when Jin came to collect you he was obviously pleased with what he saw.

"Yah!  Excellent!   It's good to see that TaeHyung-ah understand the assignment!"

You did your best to look cross with the man but his enthusiasm made it a challenge.

"So I heard.  We'll discuss that later, Doc."

The man didn't even try to hide the smirk on his face as he handed you the yoga mat from yesterday.

"I look forward to it, little one."

You followed him outside to find everyone else already there.

TaeHyung, Jimin, Hoseok and Namjoon were all doing stretches while JungKook sat on the ground with his sketchbook, working some rough figure drawings of them.  Off to the side in one of the lounge chairs sat Yoongi, sipping a cup of coffee, seemingly disinterested in the goings on.

"Doc?" you said, the surprise evident in your voice.  "I didn't realize everyone would be joining in."

"I think you've inspired the others to become a bit more diligent in their practice, little one."

He gave you an indulgent pat on the head as Jimin called out, "Yoongi-hyung?  Will you be joining us?"

"Me?  Hell, no.  I'm just enjoying my coffee outside like I usually do."

You watched as the others traded amused side glances but before you could ask to be let in on the joke Jin was calling the group to attention.

"Alright you lot!  Gather around!  We're going to start with a guided meditation to get us in the right frame of mind before Noona leads us through the routine."  

You all rolled out your mats, taking a moment to get situated before Jin started the meditation.

"Is everyone sitting comfortably?  Good.  Cross your legs and take a few deep cleansing breaths - like this.  In and out.  In and out."

He demonstrated the action and once everyone's breathing had slowed he continued.

"Now.  Imagine yourself in a big, beautiful meadow filled with wildflowers in full bloom on a bright, clear midsummer day.  Feel the warmth of the sun on your face.  Feel the breeze wafting through your hair.  Hear the sound of the birds singing happily around you.  Smell the ...."

"Pungent aroma of manure from the herd of cows grazing nearby," interrupted Yoongi.

"Hyung!" whined Jimin.

"What?!" said Yoongi.  "I've been in the country.  That's what it smells like!"

"Just ignore him," said Jin, glaring at Yoongi who simply smiled and waved in return.

The eldest took a moment to center himself again before continuing.

"Smell the scent of the wildflowers.  Hear the soft buzz...."

"Of the flies as they swarm over the piles of cow manure," said Yoongi, clearly pleased with himself.

"Yoongi-ah!" growled Jin through gritted teeth.

"What?  You said to visualize!  I'm simply providing some pertinent contextual details to enhance the experience!"

"Come on, hyung," said Namjoon.  "You can sit quietly for hours when you're writing. "

"Or sulking," added Hoseok.

As the others fussed at Yoongi you nudged Jungkook, gesturing towards his sketch book.

"Kookie?  May I please borrow that?"

The younger man was confused but nodded.

"Sure, Noona.  You can have it if you want.  There's nothing in there I can't recreate."

"Good. Thank you."

Grabbing the book and the mechanical pencil JungKook had been using, you stood and stomped over to where Yoongi was sitting.  Snatching the mug from him you slammed it down on  the table beside him as you shoved the book and pencil into his hands.

"Here! They said you can sit quietly when you're writing, so write!"

"Wr-write what?" he stammered, clearly caught off guard by this turn of events.

"I don't know!  I don't care!  You're the fucking lyrical genius!  Think of something!"

You spun around our your heel, missing the way his chest instinctively puffed up at your back handed compliment.

You marched back to your mat and took a seat, the others staring at you with varying degrees of awe and respect until Jin regained his composure enough to restart the meditation, which this time went off without a hitch.

You managed to complete the rest of the exercise uninterrupted, except for the occasional pollen attack which affected the breathing of each of member of the group at one time or another.

(You wondered briefly why Jin hadn't prescribed some over the counter decongestants for the guys this time of year, since they all seemed to be suddenly struggling with allergies to some degree.)

The distraction of writing proved effective for by the time you were finished, Yoongi was so lost in what he was doing that he didn't seem to notice when you all quietly rolled up your mats and went inside,  leaving him utterly absorbed in his work.

xx

Later that day you were in your room reading one of the books Namjoon had recommended when you received a text from Jin.

I'm on a house call.  Need your help.  Got a patient that could use your expertise

You stared at the screen in confusion for a moment before answering.

Okay.  What exactly do you need from me?

Jin's reply was immediate.

easier to explain it in person 

Before you could type a response another message popped up.

problem is there are only 2 people at the house with you right now and Joonie can't drive.

You'd just started to type a reply asking who the other person was when the door to your room opened, revealing a stone faced Yoongi standing there holding a set of car keys.

You quickly backspaced and typed a different message

You're fucking kidding me, right?

There was a brief pause before two words appeared.

no.  sorry.

You responded with the eye roll emoji followed by 'this better be important, doc.'

Again the reply was immediate.

It is. 

Very. 

Please.

Something about the way he phrased that gave you pause.

Okay.  On my way.

You grabbed a jacket and slipped your phone in your pocket.

"Looks like your my chauffer, Yoongi-ssi."

Without a word, Yoongi turned and walked off, leaving you scrambling to keep up.

You soon found yourself once again in the passenger seat of the dark sedan.  You rode in uncomfortable silence until you decided one of you should be a grown up and make an effort to engage in civil conversation.

"So...." you said, trying to sound cheerful.  "Where are we going?"

"Jackson's place."

You thought you'd heard one of them mention that name before but couldn't place where or in what context.

"Okay.   And who's Jackson?"

"A guy we know."

When it became clear that was the only answer you were going to receive you tried again.

"Alright.  This Jackson guy.  Is he like you?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean is he a good guy or a bad guy?"

Yoongi gave a half-hearted shrug as he checked the mirrors.

"He's a guy."

You decided to make a game out of his unwillingness to talk, counting backwards from 100 to see how long it would take for him to speak again.  You got to 27 before your curiosity got the better of you and you asked another question.

"Is he dangerous?"

"Who?"

"Jackson."

"Not unless you piss him off," said Yoongi, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel as he waited for a traffic light to turn green.

"Have you?"

"Have I what?"

"Pissed him off?"

"Not yet."

He checked the mirrors once again as he engaged the turn indicator and stepped on the gas.

"But you have met him?" you asked.

"Yes."

"On more than one occasion?"

"Yes."

"And you haven't pissed him off yet?"

"No."

Satisfied, you leaned back in your seat.

"Oh.  Good.  That means I'll be perfectly safe."

You could have sworn you saw the corners of Yoongi's mouth twitch into the almost imperceptible ghost of a smile but convinced yourself it was simply a passing shadow or a trick of the light.

He remained silent for the rest of the drive so you rested your head against the passenger side window, staring out through the glass, wondering what situation Jin could have possibly found himself in that required your assistance.

Chapter Text

Chapter Thirteen

Eventually you arrived in front of another highly fortified privacy fence topped with a multitude of cameras and some rather lethal looking rolls of barbed wire.  

Yoongi sent a text consisting of nothing except a series of numbers before issuing three short blasts from the car horn. Seconds later a gate slid opened and you pulled into a courtyard not unlike the one at the place you were currently residing with Jin and the others.

The house contained by all this security was an older style building, complete with a curved multi-level roof system constructed of ceramic tiles however it wasn't the impressive architecture that was commanding your attention at the moment.  It was the two men - roughly your age - who were walking toward the car, both with guns prominently strapped to their waists.

"Is it safe to get out?" you asked Yoongi.

"Depends on  your definition of the word 'safe' I suppose," grunted Yoongi, releasing his seat belt and opening the car door.

"Thanks," you muttered, exiting the vehicle.  "Ever so helpful, as always."

As one of the men began patting down Yoongi to check him for weapons the other approached you with the same intention.

"Oh, hell no!" you said, stepping away from him.  "If you think my showing up here gives you a free pass to feel me up you're sadly mistaken.  You aren't getting that kind of action without at least buying me dinner first, buddy."

The man froze momentarily, obviously caught off guard.

"But ... we're supposed to do that with everyone."

"Then do him twice," you said, tipping your head towards Yoongi.  "Who knows?  He might actually enjoy it."

The man dealing with Yoongi stopped what he was doing, clearly amused by this turn of events.

"What if he doesn't?" he called out.

"Then I'll enjoy it," you retorted.

To your surprise the man next to Yoongi broke into a fit of contagious laughter.

"Yah! SeokJin-ssi!  Where've you been hiding this one?  I like her!"

You turned to find Jin walking out of the house alongside two other men.

"Yah!  YoungJae-ah!" said Jin.  "Back off!  She's here on official business."

"Really?" said one of the people with Jin.  "In that case what time does she get off work?"

"Can it, Bam!" snapped the other man standing beside Jin.  "You can flirt on your own time."

"That's what I'm trying to do, Jackson-hyung!

The man who seemed to be in charge reached over and smacked the back of Bam's head as you frowned at Jin.

"Doc?  Why am I here?  My specialty is children - not grown men who act like them."

"Ouch!"  said the one called YoungJae.  "SeokJin-ssi!  Do you have any aloe vera in your medical bag?  Because I think we all just got burned."

Shaking his head in exasperation, the one who'd smacked Bam stepped forward, bowing deeply at the waist.

"My apologies for their behavior, Seonsaeng-nim.  My name is Jackson and we have a situation that SeokJin-ssi thinks you can help us with."

You bowed respectfully, appreciating the man's tone and demeanor.

"Pleased to meet you, Jackson-ssi.  My name is Y/N but I'm sure Doc already told you that.  May I ask what exactly is the situation you find yourself in?"

Jackson stood, studying you carefully.

"You may but first I need to warn you.  This is highly irregular for us.  We don't open our home or our personal business to outsiders and I do not take lightly the duty of care regarding my group so  you need to take that it seriously as well.  I am not someone you want to cross in such matters, Seonsaeng-nim.  Do I make myself understood?"

In that moment you knew that if you showed any sign of fear or weakness it would not work in your favor. So instead of backing down you stepped forward, leveling him with the stare you usually reserved for people who cut you off in traffic or left shopping carts in the middle of empty parking spots.

"And I - choice of friends aside - am not a idiot, Jackson-ssi," you snapped. 

"I am fully aware that people who live in fortified compounds and openly carry weapons are not people to knowingly piss off.  However, what you need to be aware of is that I take children and their care very seriously and you do not want to cross me in such matters.  Do I make myself understood?"

Jackson locked eyes with you for a long moment before allowing a slow smile to creep across his face.

"You do, Seongsaeng-nim," he said, surprising everyone by bowing to you a second time.

"Good," you said, breathing a sigh of relief that you hadn't gotten yourself shot again. 

"Now, I repeat my question to whoever can answer it.  What am I doing here?"

Jackson paused, taking the time to measure his words carefully.

"We have a child here who's been through a ... traumatic situation."

"I've given him a cursory physical examination," said Jin. "But I'm hesitant to go further without his consent.  Which is difficult considering he's apparently been mostly non-verbal since his experience."

"Okay.  What exactly happened to him?" you asked.

"That's the problem.  We're not entirely sure," said Jackson.  "We know that he was present when his mother died but we don't know how much of the incident he actually witnessed first hand."

"I'm assuming the mother died from unnatural causes?"

"You would assume correctly," said Jackson.

"How recently?"

"A couple of weeks ago."

"And you're just now having him looked at?"

"The incident itself happened a couple of weeks ago," clarified Jackson.  "He only got here three days ago.  He mainly slept the first day and we thought he'd earned the rest.  We've tried to get him to talk to us since then but other than a few short sentences here or there, he pretty much just sits and draws."

"Where is he now?"

"Inside."

"Is there a spot where I can observe him first without him seeing me?"

"Sure can," said YoungJae.  "He's in the front room.  We've got cameras there."

The man pulled up what appeared to be a live feed from a security system on his phone and held it up for you to see.

In the center of the image was a little boy sitting at a low table, seemingly engrossed in his artwork.  As you watched however you noticed that he kept sneaking glances over at two men talking on the other side of the room.  You then leaned in, squinting to try and make out the subject of his drawings.

"So, Little One," said Jin. "Do you have any ideas on how best to approach this?"

"One but I'll need help to make it work."

"Anything," said Jackson, without hesitation.  "Name it."

"When we go in there I need you guys to be squabbling with each other.  Nothing too serious or heated. Just enough to be annoying.  Can you handle that?"

Bam snorted as YoungJae laughed.

"I think that is well within our skill set, Seongsaeng-nim.  Anything else?"

"Yes.  Ignore me.  Act like I don't exist."

You turned to find Yoongi standing much closer than you expected.

"I know at least one of you can manage that," you said, shooting the man a tight smile.

"Okay," said Jackson.  "If that's what you want we can sure do it but ... what will that accomplish?"

"Hopefully?  Exactly what I need it to."

"Alright.  You're the trained professional," said Jackson.  "You got a topic in mind for us to squabble about?"

"Fuck, I don't know..."

A few eyebrows raised at your language but you didn't have time to worry about anyone's delicate sensibilites right now.

"How about .... what goes in the bowl first - the cereal or the milk."

Those words had no sooner left your lips than Yoongi and Jackson both spoke at the exact same moment.

"Milk," said Yoongi.

"Cereal," said Jackson.

The pair stopped, staring at each other incredulously.

"Are you serious?" said Jackson.

"Of course!  It only makes sense!" countered Yoongi.  "As a matter of fact, the American rapper Kendrick Lamar made an entire YouTube video on the subject."

"So!  Just because the guy can rap doesn't mean he knows fuck all about breakfast!"

"It doesn't mean he doesn't know about breakfast either!"

And with that they were off, each man presenting his own impassioned opinion on the subject.

You looked over at Jin who just smiled and raised his hands.

"Don't look at me, Little One.  You started it."

"Oh ... Shut up and help me get them indoors where this nonsense will actually serve a purpose, Doc."

It took some effort but you managed to guide the squabbling pair into the room where the boy was sitting.  As more of the group began to take sides in the discussion you tried to provide input but - whether because they'd been instructed to do so or they genuinely were so caught up in their debate that they didn't hear you - they did a brilliant job of ignoring you.

Finally you gave up and began wandering around the room until  you ended up by the low table where the boy sat drawing.

"Excuse me?  May I please join you?" you asked.  "My friends are ignoring me and it's starting to piss me off."

The child's eyes flicked upward briefly then he shrugged to indicate it didn't matter to him where you sat.

"Thank you."

You sat cross legged on the floor, carefully gauging the distance between you and the boy.  You wanted to be close enough for him to hear you without raising your voice but far enough away that he didn't feel closed in by your presence.

"Would you mind if I drew as well?" you asked.

At your request he stopped, regarding you with mild suspicion, as if he were trying to determine something about you. 

You must have passed whatever mental test he subjected you to because a moment later he shrugged again except this time he slid a blank piece of paper and a few of the colored pencils he wasn't using over in front of you before returning to his task.

"Thanks."

You took your time selecting the appropriate pencil to use for a rough sketch.

"I guess I should be grateful that they're not talking about me this time,"  you said.   "You know, I wish they'd spend half as much time talking to me as they do talking about me.  I swear, it's like they forget I'm in the same room sometimes."

The boy eyes didn't leave his paper but you caught the barest hint of a nod in response.

After that you remained silent as you began drawing the face of a little girl with her eyes closed, crying.

The child didn't speak but you noticed out of the corner of your eye that he was paying close attention to your work.

You both continued without speaking until you looked at his picture and hummed approvingly.

"You're good.  Bold use of line and color.  I like it."

This time the boy gave you a shy smile as he murmured a quiet, "Thanks".

You smiled in return then you resumed drawing until he said in a soft voice, "Your - your picture is good too."

"Thank you.  Drawing is one of the things I do to help me calm down and sort out my thoughts when I'm struggling with big feelings."

You kept drawing until the boy spoke again.

"Why is she crying?"  he asked.

"Who?  The girl in the picture?"

The boy nodded.

"She's crying because she's sad. And scared," you said.

"Why is she sad and scared?"

"Lots of reasons.  But mainly because of stuff in here," you said, tapping the side of your head with the end of your pencil.

"What kinda stuff?"

"A bunch of things.  Bad memories, mostly."  

You set the pencil down to search for another color, ultimately selecting a pale lavender to use as an accent on the girl's tears.  

"She's me," you said. "In case you were wondering."

"The girl in the picture?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"You were sad and scared?"

"Yeah.  And lonely.  Still am sometimes."

You paused, using the tip of your little finger to blend the blue and lavender together.

"A lot of times, if I'm honest."

"Really?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"A lot of reasons."

Reaching over you picked up a light pink pencil to use on the girl's lips and cheeks.

"I suppose one of the main reasons is that when I was a little girl, I saw something bad happen to someone I loved.  It was really scary."

"You did?" said the boy, leaning forward.

"Yep."

"Who?"

"My Dad."

"What happened to him?"

"He died."

The boy's eyes widened.

"He died?  And you were there when it happened?"

"Yeah.  Yeah, I was."

"How old were you?"

"I was five."

"Oh."

The boy sat, fidgeting with the navy blue pencil in his hand.

"I'm eight," he finally said.

You looked at him then nodded.

"Eight.  That's a good age.  Suits you."

There was another long pause as the boy stared at the table.

"Miss?" 

"Yes?"

"What's your name?"

"Y/N.  But you can call me Noona if you like.  What's your name?"

"My name is Yugyeom."

"Yugyeom.  That's a good name.  Nice to meet you, Yugyeom."

You held out your hand and the boy shook it with all the seriousness of a state official greeting a foreign dignitary.

He released you then scooted ever so slightly closer.

"Y/N-Noona?  Did....did you ever feel like....like you should have been able to do something? To stop the bad thing happening to your Dad, I mean?"

"Yeah.  As a matter of fact, for a long time I thought it was my fault."

"Why?"

You gripped the pencil tighter to keep your hand from shaking.  Even after all these years it still hurt like hell to relive that day but this boy needed to know he wasn't alone.  That other people had experienced a similar pain at a young age and survived it.  So  you took a deep breath and then jumped in.

"When it happened, I was home alone with my Dad,"  you said.  "Mom was at the store.  It was a pretty day and I kept begging my Dad to play outside with me.  He said he was too tired and just wanted to read but I kept pestering him until he finally gave in and joined me."

You kept your eyes trained on the paper in front of you, hoping your voice sounded steadier than you felt.

"We were playing tag in the back yard when all of a sudden he fell down.  I thought maybe he'd tripped or was trying to get me to come close so he could tag me.  I don't know how much time passed before I realized he wasn't playing.  That something was wrong."

"How could you tell?" asked Yugyeom.

"He didn't move, even when I shook him real hard and begged him to sit up.  Then I ran inside to get the phone but I was so scared that I couldn't remember the emergency service number right away.  By the time I did and the ambulance got there it was too late.  He was gone."

Across the room someone swore softly and only then did you realize that the guys had quit squabbling and were listening to your conversation.  You pushed that knowledge aside to focus on Yugyeom who was now nodding solemnly.

"That would've been really scary.  'Specially for a five year old.  You were just a little kid."

The boy spoke as if the gap separating five from eight were decades instead of three short years.

"Yeah.  You're right.  I was."

You smiled at him before continuing.

"So for a long time, I blamed myself.  I thought if I hadn't asked him to play outside or not made him run so much or remembered the number for the ambulance faster that he'd still be alive.  Then one day someone told me something really important."

"What was that?"

"That my dad loved me very, very much and no matter how he died, the last thing he'd want me to do would be to spend my life being mean to myself about something I had no control over.  that he'd want me to be happy, even if he couldn't be there to see it."

Yugyoem bit his lip as he turned those words over in his mind.

"You know ..." he said after a few moments. "I think whoever told  you that was pretty smart."

"Yeah.  I think so too.  But it can still be hard to remember stuff like that.  Even for big people."

The boy remained quiet after that however he did scoot a little closer before he resumed drawing again.  A few minutes passed until he spoke again.

"It was my mom," he said.

"That got hurt?" you asked.

"Yeah.  Some bad men got angry with my dad.  They showed up at the house when he wasn't home.  The angry men were banging real loud on the door so Mom told me go in the back room, lock myself in and hide under the bed. She told me not come out unless she, my Dad, Miss Lee or a police officer came and got me."

"Who's Miss Lee?"

"The nice ahjumma next door.  i stay at her house sometimes if Mommy has to work late."

"Oh.  Sounds like your Mom had a good plan then.  Is that what you did?"

"Yeah.  There was lots of shouting and stuff.  It got really loud and I was scared so I shoved my fingers in my ears and hummed all the songs I knew to try and drown out the noise.  I don't know how long I was under there until Miss Lee found me.  She picked me up and told me we were going to play a game."

"What kind of game?"

"A counting game."

"A counting game?"

"Yeah.  I had to close my eyes and keep them closed while counting to one hundred by threes.  You know - three, six, nine - like that.  If I messed up I had to start over.  By the time I got it right we were sitting inside Miss Lee's kitchen."

You hoped to one day have the opportunity to hug the woman who's quick thinking kept the boy from seeing the worst of what must have happened to his mother.

"Later a nice police lady came and told me that Mommy was in heaven with my grandparents. She said I couldn't go back to my house for a while but that I could stay with Miss Lee until they could contact someone in my family.  Then a few days ago my uncle JB and his friends came and got me and now I guess I live here."

Your felt your heart break at all this poor child had endured in such a short period of time.

"Yugyeom-ah?" you asked.  "Do you like it here?"

"Yeah.  I guess.  I mean, Uncle JB let me bring all my toys and books with me and everyone's been really nice it's just ..."

You watched as the boy struggled to find the words to express himself.

"It's different and that can be scary too, can't it?" you prompted.

The boy sighed and nodded.

"I get that," you said.  "I've had to move around a lot.  As matter of fact I just had to move into a whole new place with a bunch of new people myself recently."

"You did? Really?"

"Yeah.  Sure did."

"Was it hard?"

"Yeah.  It's always overwhelming at first, you know?  I mean, you don't know where things are or what you're allowed to touch or if you sitting in someone's spot..."

"Yeah!" said the boy.  "Or if you're allowed to ask for an extra piece of dessert after dinner or if you can fart around people..."

"Exactly!  I mean, nobody ever discusses fart etiquette so there you are, trying to figure it out on your own, right?"

Yugyeom covered his mouth as he giggled in agreement.

"On the other hand," you said.  "Before this last move I was all by myself for a really long time and that was scary too.  But now I've got people around to help me when I'm having a bad day.  And one of them even has a dog."

Yugyeom's eyes lit up.

"Oh!  Youngjae-hyung has a dog!  His name is Coco!  And my Uncle JB has FIVE cats!"

"Wow!  I love cats!  Do you think I can meet them someday?"

"Sure!"

The boy smiled but then it slowly faded from his face.

"Noona?" he asked.

"Yeah?"

The boy's voice broke as his lip began to quiver.

"I - I keep thinking if I'd helped my Mom that she'd still be alive.  That she's upset that I didn't try to save her."

"Hey.  You did what your mom told you to do.  I know she's happy you followed her instructions."

"B - but how can you know that?"

A tear made it's way down the boy's face followed by another then another.

"How can I know that?  Because that's how I would feel if I had a little boy and I were in her position.  I'd want him to be safe.  No matter what."

"Really?"

"Really.  One hundred percent.  No questions asked."

You reached into your jacket pocket, glad that Tae had given you a packet of tissues while watching the drama last night.

You gently wiped the boy's tears then placed tissue over his nose.

"Blow," you said.

The boy obediently did as he was told.

"Good job," you said.

You finished cleaning him up then looked for a place to deposit the used tissue. Not finding one you simply shoved it back into your pocket.  You'd emptied bedpans before so you reckoned a little pediatric mucus wasn't going to kill you.

"Noona?" sniffed Yugyeom.  "Do - do you gots any kids?"

"No.  No, I don't."

The boy shook his head as he shuffled a little closer.

"That's a shame.  I think you'd be a good Mom."

"Thanks, Yugyeom-ah.  Who knows?  Maybe one day I'll get to find out."

You reached over and ruffled the boy's hair.

"Until then.... you want to draw some more?"

"Yes, please."

"Okay.  Can you please hand me the green pencil?"

You resumed drawing until Jin walked over and surprisingly addressed you instead of Yugyeom.

"Little One?  I want to apologize to you."

"Okay.  For what, Doc?"

"A couple of things.  First, I was ignoring you earlier.  I'm sorry.   I was so busy trying to talk that I forgot to listen. That was rude of me.  I hope you can forgive me."

"Thank you, Doc.  I'll be honest.  When you didn't listen it hurt my feelings but I know you didn't do it on purpose."

"Of course not, little one. I care about you.  I would never want to hurt you on purpose.  It's just ... sometimes we get so caught up in what we're doing that we forget how it might make other people feel." 

"Like when I first arrived at your house?" you prompted, hoping he'd catch on to the connection you were trying to make about Yugyeom.

"Exactly," said Jin.  "That's actually the other thing I wanted to apologize for.  We were so focused on trying to make things a certain way when you came to us that I think sometimes we pushed too hard or forgot to take your feelings into consideration.  And for that I'm also sorry."

"It's okay, Doc," you said, glad that he was picking up on what you were doing.  "I know you meant well.  It's never easy when stuff starts to change.  Everyone handles things like that differently but it's okay now."

You couldn't help your gaze from darting briefly over to Yoongi.

"For the most part at least," you added.  "There are still a few bumps in the road to even out though."

"True," said Jin.  "But as long as we work together then everything should be okay, shouldn't it?"

The look on Jin's face was so genuine that you wondered how much of this conversation was real and how much was for Yugyeom's benefit.  You decided you'd answer truthfully either way.

"You're right.  It should, Doc."

Just then one of the men who'd been in the room when you entered walked over and knelt down next to the boy, laying his hand on the child's shoulder.

"Hey, Kiddo ... I'm sorry, too.  We all love you and want the very best for you but .... sometimes we just don't know what the right thing to do is. I'm sorry if we pushed too hard and screwed things up."

"It's okay, Uncle JB," said Yugyeom, placing his little hand on top of the man's larger one.  "I - I know you mean well.  All of you.  It - it's just all new and scary."

As the boy and his uncle began to talk you and Jin slipped to the other side of the room to confer with Jackson and the others.

The man opened his mouth to speak but before he could get a word out you pushed him against the wall, jamming your finger hard into his chest.

"You!  Before I go any further I want a straight answer!" you hissed.  "Did you or anyone in this house have anything to do with what happened to that little boy because if you did I will fucking end you myself."

Fearing for your safety, Jin tried to pull you away but Jackson waved him off.

"It's okay, SeokJin-ssi.  The fact that she's this angry tells me I was right to trust your assessment of her."

Locking eyes with you the man placed one hand over his heart and raised the other in the air as if taking an oath in court.

"I swear on my life SeongSaeng-nim, none of us had anything to do with what Yugyeom went through.  His mother was JB's sister.  His father lost his job and made .... unwise decisions regarding who he associated with in an attempt to get out of debt.  They in turn pissed off the wrong people so Yugyeom's father and his new buddies decided to bug out."

Your forehead creased in confusion.

"Bug out?"

"It's a military term," said Jin.  "Used to describe what happened when a unit had to leave a location quickly."

"And by quick he means quick,"  said Yoongi.  "During the war an entire unit consisting of over one hundred military personnel could be packed up and gone in just a few hours - tents, equipment and everything - as if they'd never even been there in the first place."

"Okay but then why didn't Yugyeom's Dad take him and his mom along with him when he 'bugged out'?"

"Good question," growled Jackson.   "I'd like to ask him that myself."

"Does his father even know what happened?" you asked.

"Not sure," said Jackson.  "Like I said, we've got no way to reach him to find out."

"Yeah," said Bam.  "You don't leave forwarding information when you bug out.  Kind of defeats the purpose."

You shot the man a pointed glare and he did you the courtesy of shrinking back.

"What about the people who killed Yugyeom-ah's mother?" you asked.   "Even if he didn't see anything, if they find out there's a potential witness..."

"Oh, don't worry. Them we found,"   snarled Jackson.  "Trust me, we took care of that situation before we collected Yugyeom-ah and brought him here."

"Yeah," said YoungJae.  "Can you believe it?  Fuckers were stupid enough to leave a calling card.  Guess they thought they were being clever.  Trying to intimidate rival groups."

"Instead it led us right to them," said Jackson. 

"I'm assuming you went scorched earth on them," said Yoongi.

"Absolutely.  Fucking Thermo-Nuclear.  Even left a open grave just in case anyone else out there was harboring any other bright ideas."

Jackson's eyes darted from you to Jin as if he was wondering if he'd said too much.

"Don't worry,"  you assured him.  "As long as Yugyeom-ah is safe then I don't care what the fuck you did with the people who posed a threat to him."

"Good," said Jackson.  "And thank you.  He's talked more about it to you than he has to anyone since it happened."

"You do realize what happened here is just the first step, right?" you said.  "You need to find him a licensed professional therapist with lots of experience dealing with pediatric trauma.  He's got a lot to unpack and it will take a long time and a whole lot of patience and effort on the part of whoever is going to be his long term caretaker."

"Understood," said Jackson.   "In the meantime, do you have any advice on how to act around him?  To be honest, none of us have much experience with kids at all, much less one who's been through this kind of situation."

"Well, unless you were all fucking miracle babies then you were all children once, weren't you?"

Jackson chuckled as he grinned.

"Yes.  Yes, we were, Seongsaeng-nim."

"And did you grow up in a perfect world filled with unicorns and rainbows?"

"Not even close, Seongsaeng-nim."

"Alright.  Then just treat him like you wish you'd been treated at his age.  He's a little boy, not an exhibit at the fucking zoo.  If you have questions, ask them in an age appropriate way but don't try and pretend like nothing is wrong.  Kids come equipped with enhanced bullshit detectors and it pisses them off to be lied to, just like it does anyone else and they hear a hell of a lot more than you think they do."

Without breaking eye contact with Jackson you don't even raise your voice as you asked, "What did I leave out, Yugyeom-ah?"

The boy answered without looking up from his new drawing.

"You left out the part about how annoying it is when people talk about us instead of talking to us."

"And why did I leave that part out, Yugyeom-ah?"

"So they could see what it looked like because you were all just standing there talking about me while I was still in the room and none of them noticed?"

"That's right.  Thanks, buddy."

"You're welcome, Noona."

You smiled at the group who were standing there, shell shocked by the exchange.

"Did you get that?" you asked.  "All of you?"

The men pulled themselves up to their full height then bowed to you.

"Yes, Seongsaeng-nim," they replied in unison.

"Good.  Are there any other questions?"

"Just one," said Jackson.

"And that is?"           

"I know you said we need to locate a licensed therapist for Yugyeom-ah and we'll certainly do that but until we can find the right one, would - would you mind checking in from time to time? Just to make sure we're doing right by him?"

"I'd be happy to, Jackson-ssi."

"Thank you, Seongsaeng-nim."

xx

As you waited while Yugyeom allowed Jin to do a more thorough examination to ensure he'd not experienced any physical trauma from his harrowing experience, Jackson introduced you to the other two members of his makeshift family - Mark and JinYoung as well as a little white dog named Coco and two of the aforementioned five cats.

Once you got past the fact that everyone except the pets were all openly carrying firearms (and to be honest you were unsure about one of the cats) you found the guys surprisingly easy to talk to and you watched with amusement as they engaged in a similar bantering as the seven men you were currently living with. They'd even started playing the same flirting game with you as the others when Yoongi abruptly stepped forward.

"There's Jin-hyung," he said gruffly, pointing down the hallway.  "It's time to go."

"But I wanted to say goodbye to Yugyeom-ah," you protested.

"Ah, I'm sorry little one but he fell asleep in his uncle's arms as I was finishing my exam," said Jin.  "However, I'm sure Jackson-ssi will have no objection to a future visit?"

"We look forward to it," said Jackson.

"All of us will," added Bam, laying on the charm.  "I for one will be counting the minutes until you return, Seongsaeng-nim."

Brushing off his attempt at humor, you completely missed the irritated side eye he was getting from both Jin and Yoongi.

"Then be sure and get Yugyeom-ah to help you," you said.  "Because I'm pretty sure he can count higher than you."

While Bam stammered in protest his friends burst into laughter as you bid your farewells.  You walked across the courtyard and when you reached the cars you realized you were standing in between the one Jin had arrived in and the one Yoongi had driven.  Unsure of what you were supposed to do you shot Jin a beseeching look.

Before he could say anything Yoongi said, "I've got errands to run.  I'll see you both back at the house."

With that he got in his car, slammed the door and pulled away leaving you standing there with Jin.

"Looks like I'm riding with you," you said.

"Yah!  I hope that's not disappointment on your face," teased Jin.

"Not in the least, Doc."

Slipping into the passenger side of Jin's vehicle, you fastened your seatbelt as Jin placed the key in the ignition and put the car in gear.

"Thank you for your help, Little One," he said, following Yoongi out of the enclosed courtyard, pausing to make sure the gate closed securely behind you before driving off.

"Happy to help, Doc.  I'm just sad my services were necessary at all."

"As am I, Little One.  It's bad enough when willing participants get hurt but when civilians get pulled into things - especially children - it ... well it becomes rather difficult for me to retain my professional objectivity."

"I don't know about that, Doc.  But I can say that you're the best physician I've ever dealt with and I've sadly seen more than my fair share."

"I know," said Jin.  "And I suppose that's what makes your approval all the more special to me, Little One."

He reached over and patted your hand before asking,  "So, how did you know that whole squabbling thing would work on my young patient?"

"I wasn't sure but I saw the way Yugyeom-ah kept looking at the people talking near him.  He knew he was the topic of conversation but wasn't being included in the conversation.  So I thought if he saw someone else struggling to be heard he might feel a connection."

"Of course.  That was very astute of you," said Jin.  "Tell me.  What other clues did I miss?"

"Well, I saw that most of his drawings were of women even though he was in a house full of men.  I figured that was an indication of who he'd mainly been around until now so I thought he might feel more comfortable opening up to me instead of you or one of the other guys."

"Ah!  You are indeed most perceptive, Little One."

"I don't know about that, Doc.  I'm just glad it worked, that's all."

The pair of you rode for a while in contented silence until you spoke again.

"Doc?  Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course.  Ask away."

"I think I understand what Jackson-ssi meant when he talked about 'scorched earth' but what did he mean by 'leaving an open grave'?"

"Ah. Yes.  Open grave is a term derived from an old adage commonly used amongst groups who regularly engage in less than legal operations."

"Translation - gangs and mafia types," you said.

"Mostly," admitted Jin.  "Anyway, the point of the adage is something along the lines of - when you set out on a journey of revenge you should dig a grave and leave it open.  Then when you exact your revenge you leave the bodies of your enemies in a pile on the ground around it."

"What's the point of that?  If you aren't going to put bodies in it then why go to all the trouble of digging a grave in the first place?"

 "The empty hole isn't for burial.  It's to send a message."

"Okay.  And the message is ... ?"

Jin's eyes turned cold as he tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

"The message is that those who cross you do not deserve the comfort of a grave." 

"Oh." 

You sat quietly before deciding to chance another question - one that you weren't entirely sure you wanted answered.   

"Doc?  Did - I mean have you guys ever..."

Jin saved you the trouble of finishing that thought.

"Once," he said, eyes flicking between the car's rearview and side mirrors.

"Did it work?"

Jin took a deep breath before answering softly.

"I hope so, Little One.  I sincerely hope so."

xx

You got back to the house and as Jin parked the car in the garage he asked, "Little One?  I know how difficult it was for you to share what you did with Yugyeom-ah today.  However, since you have told the story in front of people would it be okay if I shared it with the others?"

Seeing the hesitation in your eyes he added,  "I wouldn't normally ask but we all communicate with Jackson and his crew on a fairly regular basis.  I'd rather they hear your story either from you or I rather than an outsider, however I will abide by whatever you decide on the subject."

He sat patiently as you stared at the dashboard, considering your options.

"I - I guess you're right, Doc."

"Are you sure?  I don't want to force you."

"No.  It's okay.  I - I can't keep asking you to withold information from the others.  That's not healthy for your relationship and I don't want to mess things up between the seven of you."

"You won't, Little One.  Whatever you decide, we'll accept.  I  just think it would be  helpful to have them to fall back on.  They'll understand.  Some of them better than you might think."

He didn't elaborate on that statement and at the moment you didn't have the energy to press him on it.

"Alright but ... can you tell them after I've gone to bed, Doc?  I don't think I have it in me to go through it again today."

"Of course.  We'll handle this whenever and however you want."

"Okay but...can I ask for two things from you?"

"You can ask for whatever you want, Little One.  What do you need?"

"First - can you ask them not to make a big deal out of it?  All that tiptoeing around and forced politeness after my meltdown made my really self concious.  I don't want to go through that again."

"Understandable.  Consider it done.  What's the second thing?"

"I know you probably read the report of my Mom's death and what happened with me afterwards.  Can - can we keep that between us for the time being?"

"Absolutely, Little One.  I would never dream of sharing anything so personal without your express permission first."

"Thanks, Doc.  That means a lot to me."

"No worries."

He took your hand in his and gave your fingers a squeeze.

"Now, let's get you inside.  You've had quite the day.  I think you could do with some rest."

He walked you from the car to your room then lingered in the doorway.

"Do you want some company, Little One?  I'd be happy to stay with you if you like."

While part of you desperately wanted to say yes you also knew there was a very high likelihood of you crying yourself to sleep and you didn't want an audience for that.  Not tonight.

"No.  Thank you, Doc.  I appreciate the offer but I think I need some alone time right now."

"Okay.  Would you like me to bring Tannie to you?"

"As a matter of fact, yes.  If Tae-ah doesn't mind, I think having Tannie around would be nice."

"I'm sure he won't mind at all, Little One.  You get ready and get in bad.  I'll be back soon with a few snacks and Yeontan."

After getting you settled in with both the dog and some food, Jin sent a note to the group asking for a meeting.  Once all seven were assembled around the kitchen table Jin filled them in on the events of the day.

"Oh!  Poor Noona!" cried Jimin upon hearing what happened with your father when you were a child.  "The poor little thing must have been terrified!"

"Fuck," whimpered TaeHyung.  "No wonder she reacted the way she did to seeing me lying on the ground like that."

"Is she okay, hyung?" whispered JungKook.  "Can we go see her?"

"I'm sure she's asleep by now, Kookie," said Jin.  "She was pretty exhausted by the time we got home."

"But should she be by herself right now?" asked Hoseok.  "I hate the thought of her being all alone if she's upset."

"It's what she asked for Hob-ah," said Jin.  "And if it's any consolation, she's not entirely alone.  I made sure Tannie with her."

"At least that's something," said Namjoon, glancing down the hallway.  "And while I understand abiding by her wishes, I'm with Hobi-hyung.  I'd feel better if it were one of us with her."

"I'm glad you mentioned abiding by her wishes, Joon-ah," said Jin.  "Because she had another request."

"What's that hyung?" asked Jimin.

"She specifically asked that we not make a big deal about this.  You saw how she reacted to how we handled things the morning after her meltdown.  I think she's afraid that we'll treat her differently and she doesn't want that."

"So what should we do, hyung?" asked JungKook.

"Just treat her like we have been," said Jin.

Seeing the petulant looks on Jimin and TaeHyung's faces he added, "However if someone wanted to give her an extra hug or some random cuddles here and there I'm sure I could turn a blind eye to it."

Chuckling at how that idea significantly brightened the pair's expressions, Jin stood and clapped his hands.

"Right!  Now if you'll excuse me, I've had a long day myself.  I'm going to take a quick shower.  If someone wants to order takeout from that lovely little ramen place around the corner for us to eat tonight I would be eternally grateful to them."

As the others scampered out of the room in an effort to be the one taking care of their dinner arrangements, Yoongi remained seated at the table.  When it was just the two of them left he paused then asked Jin, "Did you know all that?"

"All what, Yoongi-ah?"

"About her."

Yoongi jerked his head in the direction of your room.

"About her father."

"I knew the bare bones of the story," said Jin.  "None of the details."

"But you knew she watched one of the most important people in her life die right in front of her."

"Yes.  Yes, I did."

Yoongi sat, tapping his fingers on the table.

"Is that what you meant when you said she and I had things in common?" he finally asked.

"It was one of them, yes."

Yoongi leaned forward, his hand going still.

"What do you mean - 'one of them'?  What else is there?"

"I'm sorry, Yoongi-ah."

Jin sighed as he started to walk out of the room.

"But I'm afraid that's another story that's not mine to tell yet."

He gave the younger a sad smile and then he was gone, leaving Yoongi alone, staring into space, trying unsuccessfully to put a name to the roiling vortex of confused feelings swirling around his mind.

Chapter Text

Chapter Fourteen

The next morning after breakfast you all again gathered in the backyard for yoga.

You were grateful that everyone appeared to be abiding by your request to not make a big deal about the former day’s revelation.  Apart from a few more hugs from the maknaes, an extra helping of rice foisted upon you by Hoseok and the appearance of a new stack of books on your nightstand when you’d exited the bathroom, things seemed pretty much status quo.

Funnily enough, the biggest difference was with Yoongi.  Throughout breakfast he gave you a polite smile but otherwise remained strangely silent.  Afterwards he moved to the bench at the end of the garden with a guitar where he sat working on something, seemingly oblivious to the activities that he’d previously taken great pleasure in ridiculing.

Because of this you all finished the exercise with minimal disruption.  Pollen still seemed to be an issue - particularly near the end of the garden where Yoongi was sitting.  You meant to mention your concern to Jin but as you were rolling up your yoga mat your phone dinged with an email notification.

You opened the message and as you read it, you heard Jimin ask, “Noona?  What’s wrong?  Your face is all scrunched up like you’ve smelled something rotten.”

“What?  Oh.  Sorry, Cap.  It’s about my travel visa.  Apparently if the university doesn’t resume the program I came here for in the next thirty days it will be revoked.”

“Revoked?” squeaked TaeHyung, the color draining from his face.

“What does that mean for you?” asked JungKook.

“It means I'd have to leave,” you said.

“Leave?!  No!”

Dropping his yoga mat, JungKook threw his arms around you and shouted, “HYUNGS!  Stop them! They’re trying to make Noona leave!”

The three older men, who’d gathered at the other end of the yard to discuss something with Yoongi, came running back upon hearing this outburst.

“What?  Who’s trying to make Noona leave?!” panted Hoseok.

Jimin snatched the phone from your hand and thrust it towards Namjoon.

“They are!”

Namjoon took the phone and began scanning the message as Jin said, “Back up,  Minnie.  Who’s they?”

“The Consulate General,” said Namjoon, his eyes fixed on the screen.

“But I don’t understand,” whimpered TaeHyung.  “Your parents were Korean.  You were born here.  How can they make you leave?”

“It’s kind of complicated,” you said.  “You're right.  I was born here but my Dad decided when we moved that it would be best for all of us to become naturalized citizens of our new country.  Since I was only three all it took was my parent’s signature on the forms.  And since Korea doesn’t allow dual citizenship as soon as those papers were filed, in the eyes of the government I stopped legally being Korean.”

“One could make the argument that – given your age – you were technically too young to have consented to that decision and thereby ask to have it overturned,” suggested Jin, who was peering over Namjoon's shoulder.

“I brought that up during my visa interview process,” you said.  “I was told that I would have to file a formal petition that would then be taken under advisement by all the appropriate governmental agencies.”

“What does that mean?” asked Jimin.

Hoseok snorted in disgust.

“It means they’d make Noona fill out a mountain of paperwork, charge her an exorbitant ‘processing fee’ then string her along until it was too late to do anything before refusing it and sending her back anyway.”

 “Unfortunately, Hobi-hyung is probably right about that,” said Namjoon.

“Then we’ll just have Kookie hack the system and fix it for her,” said TaeHyung.  “He could do that, couldn’t you Baby?”

“As tempting as that sounds, those databases have all kinds of safeguards in place,” sighed Namjoon.  “While I don’t doubt Kookie could get in, even the slightest hint of a file being tampered with could get Noona kicked out immediately with a mark on her record making it impossible for her to return.  Ever.”

“No!” cried JungKook, tightening his grip on you.  “Then I won’t do it!  I promise!”

“Then what can we do?” pleaded Jimin.  "We can't just let them take her!"

“The first step is to look into the scholastic program that sponsored her visa application,” said Jin.  “Meanwhile, Joon-ah can do his thing.”

“His thing?” you asked.  “And what, pray tell, is that?”

“Oh, Little One,” said Jin.  “You happen to be in luck.  We have at our disposable the King of Utilizing the Fine Print.”

“Sorry.  I don’t understand.”

"He means that if anyone can find a legal loophole, it's our Joonie," stated Hoseok.

“Yeah!  You know that little window that pops up asking you to accept the Terms and Conditions when you use a website?” said Jimin.  “Well, Joonie actually reads it!” 

“All of it!  Every time!” said TaeHyung.

“They're right!” JungKook nodded frantically.  “If anybody can find a way around this, it’s Joonie-hyung!”

“I’ll certainly do my best,” said Namjoon, handing you back your phone.  “Noona?  Can you please forward me that email along with any other correspondence you have regarding your visa and immigration status?  Anything at all, no matter how inconsequential it might seem.”

"Are you sure?  That sounds like a lot of work and I don't want to take up a bunch of your time..."

"I'm very sure," said Namjoon.  "I will solve this for you, Noona.  No matter what it takes.  You just send me that information, okay?"

The look in his eyes and the set of his jaw told you it would be a waste of time debating the issue.

“Oh.  Okay.  Thank you.  I’ll do that as soon as I get back to my room.”

“Right!” said Jin.  “Kookie and I will get started on the scholastic side of things.  The rest of you keep your phones close in case we need to pull you in on this.”

And with that, everyone took off, no one noticing the conflicted expression on Yoongi's face as he watched the proceedings from the other end of the garden.

xx

After forwarding Namjoon every scrap of information you could think of, Hoseok, Jimin and TaeHyung made it their personal mission to distract you from the problem.  The four of you spent some time playing in the garden with Tannie  until after lunch when you all curled up on your bed to binge watch more of Legend of the Blue Sea.

As you waited for the next episode to queue up, Hoseok noticed you running your finger over piece of pale pink fabric on your blanket.

"That's pretty," he said.  "Is it silk?"

"Yes.  It's from my Mom's wedding hanbok."

"Really?!" squealed TaeHyung, leaning in to inspect it more closely.  "How romantic!  Where were they married?"

"Ilsan,"  you said.

"Is that where they were from?" asked Hoseok.

"Mom was born and raised there," you said.  "Dad was born in Daegu but his family moved to Ilsan when he was seven."

"Aw!  Did they meet as children? I'm a sucker for stories about childhood sweethearts," cooed Jimin, placing a tender kiss on TaeHyung's cheek.

"No.  They lived in different cities and went to different schools until they were fifteen."

"Was it love at first sight?" asked TaeHyung.  "Those are my favorite stories."

"For Dad it was," you giggled.  "Apparently it took a little while for him to persuade Mom that he was serious.  But once he'd convinced her of his intentions then there was no one else for either of them.  Ever."

Your smile turned wistful as you stared at the remnant of silk.

"When I was twelve I asked her if she ever thought about getting married again.  She said, 'No, aegi.  Once you've had the best there's no point looking anywhere else.'"

"Oh!" cried Jimin.  "That's so sweet - and sad."

"Yeah, Cap.  I think so too."

"Have you visited any of their special places yet?" asked Hoseok.  "Where they lived, where they went to school, where they got married?"

"No," you sighed.  "That was actually one of the main reasons I applied to the program here but right after I arrived everything shut down, then I ran out of money and now....now I might have to leave before I get the chance."

"You will get the chance," stated TaeHyung, taking your hand in his.  "We promise you will.  Don't we?"

The other two men nodded with such conviction that you couldn't help yourself from hoping that this promise was one that they might actually mean and be able to keep.

xx

After dinner you went back to your room alone to read for a while before turning in for the night.

You weren't sure how long you'd been asleep when you felt someone shaking you by the shoulders.

"Little One?  Get up.  I need you to come with me.  Now."

You cracked open your eyes to find an agitated Jin standing over you.

"Doc?  What's going on?" you yawned.  "What's wrong?"

"I'm not sure.  Jackson just called.  Everything was a bit muddled but he was clearly frantic.  All I know for sure is something has happened with Yugyeom-ah."

Hearing that boy was in trouble had the effect of instantly snapping you to full attention.  You lept from the bed wearing the sweat shirt and sweat pants you'd fallen asleep in and grabbed your jacket.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go."

Rushing through the kitchen you came across Yoongi raiding the refrigerator.

"What the hell?  Where are you two going at this time of night?"

"There's an emergency at Jackson's," said Jin, grabbing a set of keys from the rack on the wall.

"What kind of emergency?"

"Don't know.  They just said it was a code red involving Yugyeom-ah and to get there right away."         

Tossing the banana milk he was drinking in trash, Yoongi snatched the keys from Jin and started towards the door.

"Yah!  Where do you think you're going?" asked Jin.

Yoongi answered without breaking his stride.

"If you think I'm letting the two of you run into an unknown situation - alone - on someone else's turf in the middle of the fucking night then you don't know me half as well as you think you do, hyung."

Before you knew it you were in the back seat of the sedan, Jin texting on his phone as Yoongi raced to Jackson's place,  ignoring most (if not all) the posted traffic regulations along the way.

When you arrived YoungJae and JinYoung were waiting on either side of the open gate.  Yoongi pulled in and you were no sooner out of the car than JinYoung was dragging you to the other side of the house as YoungJae hung back to make sure the gate closed behind you.

Jin began bombarding the man with questions but as you rounded the corner JinYoung shushed him while pointing upwards.

"Quiet!" he hissed.  "You might wake him!"

You were just about to ask who you were in danger of waking when you looked up and gasped.

There, on the very corner of the highest point on the edge of the curved roof, illuminated by security lights, sat Yugyeom, casually dangling his legs over the side.

"What the fuck?" whispered Yoongi.  "How the hell did the kid get out there?"

"We're not sure," said YoungJae, who'd slipped in behind you.  "There's a drainpipe that runs past his bedroom window.  He think he slid down that then somehow balanced along the ridge of the roof until he reached where he is now."

"Why in the hell would he do that?" asked Yoongi.

As you stood, trying to gauge the distance from Yugyeom to the concrete patio directly beneath the child, something odd suddenly struck you about the boy's posture and expression.

"I don't think he made that decision consciously, Yoongi-ssi," you said.

Before Yoongi could ask what you meant Jin cursed under his breath.

"Fuck.  Nobody told me the child had a history of somnambulism."

Confused, Jackson's men turned to you for a translation.

"Somnambulism is the medical term for sleepwalking," you explained, your eyes fixed on Yugyeom.

"Oh, well that's because we didn't know either," said JinYoung.  "Or we would've made damn sure to keep a closer eye on him."

"Don't beat yourself up about it," you said, sensing the guilt in the man's voice.  "You can't be held responsible for information you didn't have.  The more important question now is, how long has he been up there?"

"Not sure," said YoungJae.  "He went to bed at his normal time.   Later JB-hyung went to check on him and found his window open." 

"Our first thought was that someone had managed to breach our security and grabbed the kid for some reason," said JinYoung.  "But nobody knows he's here and none of the alarms had been tripped.  So we came outside to see if he just decided to take a walk without telling one of us and that's when we spotted him on the damn roof."

"Okay," you said, trying to remain calm.  "Where are the others?"

"Upstairs in Yugyeom-ah's room," said YoungJae.  "Jackson-hyung said to wait at the gate and bring you here first so you could see what we were dealing with."

"That was a good idea but can you take me to them now?"

"Sure. Come on."

You followed them inside, hurrying through the front room you'd been in earlier then up a long flight of stairs to the home's elevated second floor.

At the end of the hallway was a room where the rest of the group stood engaged in an intense, hushed discussion.

"Ah!  Seokjin-ssi!  Seongsaeng-nim!"

With a hushed cry, JB ran over then dragged you to the window, almost tripping over himself in the process.

"Please help us! Please!"

"We will, JB-ssi,"  you said.  "We will but I need you to breathe for me first, okay?  You can't help him if you pass out."

As you tried to calm the frantic man, Jackson came over and bowed.

"Thank you all so much for coming," he said. "Sorry to bother you this late but we - we didn't know who else to call."

"It's not a problem," said Jin.  "The guys have given us a summary of the situation.  Can you tell me what steps you've taken to try and extricate the boy so far?"

"We've just tried to be as quiet as possible," said Jackson.  "I remember when I was little there was a kid in our neighborhood who would sleepwalk.  One time he ended up on the side of the highway. When whoever found him woke him up he got startled and darted into traffic.  He damn near got killed.  I didn't want to risk doing something wrong and having Yugyeom-ah get hurt."

"You did the right thing, Jackson-ssi," you said.  "Dealing with sleepwalkers can be tricky, especially if you don't know how they react to being woken up."

"Yeah, well between that and the roof situation we figured it was best to call in someone who had the first clue about how to handle this," said Bam.

"Wait.  Hold up," said Yoongi.  "What roof situation?"

Jackson shook his head and sighed.

"Unfortunately we've been meaning to get that particular section of roof repaired for a while but since it's just covering the patio we kept putting it off."

"Repaired for what?" asked Jin.

"Some of the tiles are cracked," said JinYoung.  "Rain water has been seeping in so the support beams have started to rot."

"Meaning they can't safely hold as much weight as they used to," added YoungJae.  "We figured it wasn't a priority to fix it until closer to winter when we'd have to worry about snow."

"How much can it hold at the moment?" Jin asked.

"Honestly?"  said Mark.   "We don't know.  There's actually a couple of spots that I'm surprised even held Yugyeom-ah's weight."

"Do you have a ladder?" asked Yoongi.  "That seems like the quickest and safest way to bring the kid down."

"Not one long enough to reach where he's sitting," said JinYoung.  "And we didn't want to wait until the hardware store opened to try and find one that would work."

You were about to ask why they hadn't just called the fire department when you it occurred to you that Jackson and his crew probably had the same aversion to involving civic authorities as Jin and the others.

Mentally reviewing the options available, you internally cringed when you arrived at what you felt was the only logical conclusion.

"Right.  Okay," you said, slipping off your jacket.  "I'll go out there, get my arms around him, wake him gently then help him back inside."

"No.  Absolutely not," said Jin.  "You could tear open your stitches.  I don't want you reinjuring yourself."

"I'll be fine, Doc.  If I can do yoga I can do this."

"But ...."

"But nothing.  I'm going out there.  So either help me or get the hell out of my way."

Jin peeked out the window, muttering more curses under his breath.

"Fine.  But I'm going with you.   Sliding down a drainpipe is one thing but hoisting the boy back up to the window is another.  I don't care how good of shape you may be in.  You'll need help to do that."

"No.  You need to stay here in case something goes wrong and one of us needs immediate medical attention."

Before Jin could protest again, JB stepped forward.

"I'll go with you, Seongsaeng-nim.  He's my nephew."

"Wait," said Mark.  "I'm the one with climbing experience.   I'll go.  We can use my rock climbing harnesses.  That way if Seongsaeng-nim or Yugyeom-ah slips they'll be tethered to something."

"Good idea," said Yoongi, rolling up his sleeves.  "Except I'm going with her."

"Excuse me," said Mark.  "Do you rock climb?"

"No. But I weigh less than any of you which means less strain on an unstable roof.  Besides I've watched Minnie climb in and out of more buildings than you can count.  I know how its done."

Seeing as how Yoongi weighed at least five kilos less than anyone other than you, no one could really argue with him on that point.

"Listen, I don't give a fuck who goes with me," you said.  "But whoever it is we need to get started.  Every minute we waste arguing is another minute Yugyeom-ah is in danger."

Jackson nodded sharply.

"She's right.  Mark, where's your climbing gear?"

"Downstairs.  Hall closet."

"Got any extra rope?"

"Yep.  In the garage."

"Good.  Bam, go with Mark and get the harnesses," said Jackson.  "JinYoung-ah?  YoungJae-ah?  Run to the garage, grab as much rope as you can carry and get back here double quick."

As those four raced out to collect the necessary items,  Jackson turned to those of you left in the room.

"Everyone else.  Help me maneuver the bed closer to the window.   We'll tie the end of the rope to it for extra security."

You got to work moving the bed an in less than five minutes everyone had returned to begin rigging the ropes and harnesses.

As they hooked you and Yoongi together you whispered to Jin, "Doc?  I - I suppose now's not the ideal time to let you in on a little piece of information that I'm pretty sure wasn't in any of my official medical files."

"Really?" said Jin, double checking the harness around your waist.  "And what's that?"

"I'm scared of heights.  Terrified of them, actually."

Jin stopped what he was doing to stare at you.

"You're wrong, Little One.  This is most definitely the correct time to disclose that information."

Before he could say anything else Mark said, "That's it.  They're ready to go."

Shrugging at Jin, you made your way over to the window, saying a silent prayer before throwing one leg over the sill.

"You alright, Little One?" asked Jin, grabbing hold of your arm.  "I can still take your place if you want." 

"No, Doc.  I'm good."   

You pasted on your best fake smile then waved at him.

"See you in a few, okay?"

"I'm taking that as a promise.  So don't break it and make me get cross with you," Jin said, his gaze flicking from you to Yoongi.  "Either of you."

"Wouldn't think of it, Doc."

Closing your eyes you slid down the metal drainpipe followed immediately by Yoongi.

"So ..." you asked, swallowing down the panic clawing its way up your throat.  "How do you propose we do this?"

"Your choice,"  he said.  "Which way feels more secure to you?  Walking or crawling?"

"Honestly?  Neither of them sounds ideal."

"Okay.  Then lets think about it rationally.  If we crawl we'll be spreading our weight over a wider surface area, which gives us a better chance of not overstressing any weak support beams.   It would also be easier to maintain our balance because our center of gravity would be lower."

"Translation - crawling means less of a chance of plummeting to our deaths, right?"

"Right."

"Then I vote for that option."

"Agreed," he said, as he began lowering himself onto the cold, terracotta roof tiles. "Crawling it is."

You tried not to look down as you slowly crouched down beside him.  Once settled you worked to control your breathing.

"Okay," you said.  "Step one accomplished.  What's next?"

"Next, we start crawling towards Yugyeom-ah,"  said Yoongi.

"How? On our hands and knees or sitting upright and scooting on our butts?"

Yoongi tested the surface beneath you by sliding his hands along the smooth, thick ceramic tiles.

"There's not a lot of traction.  If one of us slips it will probably be easiser to brace ourselves if we're on our butts ."

"Alright.  Butts it is. "

"Okay," said Yoongi as you both maneuvered into the agreed upon position.  "And remember, go slow.  It's not a race.  And stop the second you feel the roof start to give in any way.  Got it?"

"Got it."

Tentatively you eased one foot forward then the other.

"Here we go.  Let's do this, Yoongi-ssi."

Yoongi huffed as he began moving behind  you.

"You may as well speak informally with me, Y/N.  I mean, seeing as how we're probably going to plummet to our deaths together any minute now."

"Aish!  Yoongi-oppa!"

You forced a chuckle while emphasizing the informal honorific.

"If I'd known you had an Oppa Kink I would've leaned into that much sooner."

"First off Noona, you're older than me so that designation doesn't apply in our situation. And for the record..."

He grabbed your shoulders to steady you as one of your hands slipped on a wet tile.

"Jin-hyung is the one with the Oppa kink, not me."

"Ah!  Good to know," you said, struggling not to look anywhere but straight in front of you lest you remember how far off the ground you were.  "I'll file that away for future reference."

You wiped your hand on your trouser leg before replacing it on the roof.

"That is, if I even have a future," you added.

"Hey," he said, suddenly turning serious.  "I will not let you fall, okay?  You have my word on that."

"Promise?"

He reached his hand forward, little finger extended.

"Pinky promise."

You stared at his outstretched hand before linking fingers with him.

"Want to know something funny, Yoongi-ah?" you said, squeezing his pinky before releasing it to begin creeping forward once again.  "I  - I think I actually believe you."

"You should.  If for no other reason than the fact that I can name at least twelve and a half people that won't hesitate to murder me in my sleep if I let you fall."

"Twelve and a half?"

"Yep.  The six we live with plus Jackson's crew," he said, brushing aside a strand of your hair blown into his face by the cool night breeze.  "Yugyeom-ah is still a munchkin so I only counted him as half."

You knew that he was just trying to keep you talking to distract you from your current predicament but since it was working you played along.

"Yah.  Yoongi-ah.  You do realize that even at eight the kid is almost as tall as you and Cap?"

"Yah.  Noona," growled Yoongi.  "Don't make me rethink the whole 'not letting you fall' plan, okay?"

Slowly but surely you made your way along to the place where the pitched roof met the decorative swooping eave Yugyeom was perched on.

You gingerly placed your weight on first tile on the overhang and it creaked as it gave way ever so slightly under the pressure.

"Yoongi-ah?   I ...uh ...found a weak spot," you said.

"Fuck," growled Yoongi.  "Okay.  Don't panic.  Let's think."

"Nothing to think about.  This section clearly won't hold both of us and Yugyeom-ah so you stay here while I crawl out and get him."

"No.  You stay here.  I'll do it."

"No," you hissed.   "I weigh less than you so I've got the best chance of reaching him safely."

You could see the gears frantically turning in Yoongi's mind.

"You know I'm right," you said, as much to convince yourself as to convince Yoongi.  "But it's okay.  There's enough rope between us for me to make it out there.  You just need stay here to brace us if something goes wrong."

Yoongi stared at you for a long moment, an indecipherable expression on his face.

"Noona,"  he finally whispered.  "Are you sure about this?"

"No," you said, inching forward onto the overhang.   "But looks like I'm doing it anyway."

Sliding onto the precarious overhang, you softly began counting to one hundred by threes in an effort to keep yourself from thinking about everything that could possibly go wrong.

"Three....six....nine....twelve....fifteen...."

By the time you reached 'forty eight'  you were close enough to reach the still oblivious Yugyeom.

You took a deep breath then quickly wrapped your arms and legs around the boy, leaning back as far as you could as he began struggling against you.

"Shhh...It's okay, buddy.  It's me.  It's just me."

You kept whispering in his ear, rocking him gently back and forth in an effort to calm him.

"Yugyeom-ah?  It's me, Noona.  You're okay.  You're okay."

As you continued your reassurances the child's thrashing gradually began to slow down.

"Good job, Yugyeom-ah.  Now,  I need you to pretend you're outside in a garden surrounded by lots of pretty flowers.  Can you smell the flowers for me?  Like this."

You inhaled deeply through your nose.

"Then after you do that I want you to blow some bubbles with me."

Pursing your lips you exhaled through your mouth like you were blowing soap bubbles, the puff of oxygen creating large wisps of steam in the brisk night air.

"Come on.  You can do it, Buddy.  Just like me."

It took a couple of tries but soon the boy began copying your actions.  When his breathing was finally under control he slowly turning his head, blinking at you in confusion. 

"N- Noona?  What - what's going on?  Where - where are we?"

"We're on the roof, Yugyeom-ah," you said, as if it were the most natural place in the world to be sitting in the middle of the night.

"What - what are we doing up here?"

"I think you must have had a dream about the stars and decided to try and see them up close."

"I did?"

"Probably.  Do you like looking at the stars?" 

"Yeah.  I do.  I used to have stickers of them on my ceiling back home.  They glowed in the dark.  It was cool."

"See.  That's what happened then."

Glancing over your shoulder you gave Yoongi a nervous thumbs up.

"When we get back inside we'll ask one of your hyungs about getting you some more stickers to put up.  Maybe even get you a telescope.  Be a lot easier and more comfortable to look at the stars from your bedroom, don't you think?"

Still a little befuddled from his nocturnal wandering the boy nodded his head.

"Yeah.  It probably would be."

"Good.  Now that you've gotten a proper look at them, are you ready to go back inside?"

"Yeah.  But ..."

The boy looked around, the uncertainty of your situation slowly dawning on him. 

"How do we do that?"

"Easy peasy.  We're gonna crawl.  Like this."

You started edging slowly backwards towards the spot where Yoongi was waiting for you.

"See?  Just like a .... like a ...."

You tried to come up with some sort of comparison but your brain wasn't exactly cooperating at the moment.

"Like a caterpillar?"  said Yugyeom.

"Yes.  Exactly.  We're pretending to be a caterpillar. Come on.  Try it.  Look.  It's so much fun my friend came out here to do it with me."

Gripping the front of the boy's flannel Dooly the dinosaur pajamas with one hand you used the other to maintain your balance.  As you scooted along, the boy asked, "Noona?  What kind of caterpillar are we pretending to be?"

"Gotta be honest with you, Yuygyeom-ah," you said, risking a quick peek over your shoulder to see how close you were to Yoongi.  "I don't know much about caterpillars.  What kind do you think we're pretending to be?"

As the child pondered that question you finally reached Yoongi who immediately grabbed you around the waist for support.

"I think we're pretending to be a backwards wigglebutt," said Yugyeom.

"Huh?  I don't know anything about backwards wigglebutts," you said, leaning against Yoongi's chest as you fought to bring your pulse under control.  "Why - why don't you tell me about them?  How big are they?"

"They're not big.  They're small." 

Yoongi caught your eye, giving you a discreet nod to let you know that he was going to begin crawling again.

"Oh.  Small.  That's good to know," you said, nodding to signal Yoongi that you understood. "Anything else?  What do they look like?"

"Umm...they've got five eyes, three antenna, twenty seven legs and they're covered with spots."

"Big spots or little ones?" asked Yoongi, starting to make his way back towards the window.

"Big ones," said Yugyeom, with the air of someone that would know such things.

"And what color are the big spots?" Yoongi asked.

"They're all different shades of purple."

"Wow!  What a coincidence!" you said, finally regaining the ability to speak.  "Purple's my favorite color!"

Just then one of the support beams beneath you gave way, causing all of you to pitch precariously to one side.

As your life flashed before your eyes, Yoongi leaned sharply in the other direction, tightening his legs around you.

"I got you," he whispered, hooking his chin over your shoulder.  "I got you.  Smell the flowers for me."

He inhaled deeply through the nose, waiting for you to follow suit.  When you did so he whispered again.

"That's right.  Now blow some bubbles."

Pursing his lips he exhaled slowly, again waiting for you to copy him.  When you did so he gently nudged the side of your face with his.

"Good job," he whispered.  "Ready to keep going?"

As you gave a shaky nod of the head he called out, "Yugyeom-ah?  You forgot to tell Noona the most important fact about backwards wigglebutts."

"I did?  What's that?"

"That their back legs are really, really strong," said Yoongi, starting to crawl again.  "As a matter of fact they're so strong that the backwards wigglebutt never, ever gets scared.  Not even if they slip every now and again."

"They don't?"

"Nope.  Never,"  said Yoongi, continuing to creep towards the window.  "They know their back legs won't ever let them fall so they don't have to worry." 

"Not even a little bit?" asked the boy, for the first time sounding unsure of himself.

"Not even a little bit," said Yoongi.

"Oh.  That's good.  Isn't it, Noona?"

"Yeah.  Yeah, Buddy.  That's really good."

Making your way along the boy then said, "Mister?"

"Yeah?" answered Yoongi.

"You know my name but I don't know yours."

"Yah!   I'm sorry.  I was having so much fun out here that I didn't introduce myself, did I?  My name is Yoongi but you can call me hyung if you want."

"Really?  That'd be nice.  I never had any hyungs before I came here and now I have a whole bunch of them, don't I Noona?"

"You sure do, Yugyeom-ah,"   you said, praying that you were getting near the window.  "Hey! Do you remember my friend, Seokjin?  The doctor?"

"Yeah.  I do.  He was nice."

"Well, he's inside right now and I bet we can talk him into convincing your Uncle and Jackson-ssi into letting you have some ice cream when we get in there."

"Really?  Ice cream?  Before breakfast?"

"That's right.  But you have to listen and do exactly what we tell you, okay?"

"Okay, Noona."

Seconds later you felt Yoongi stop and realized you'd reached your destination.

"Yugyeom-ah?" said Yoongi.

"Yes, hyung?"

"We're going to stand up now.  First me, then Noona and then you, got it?"

"Got it, hyung."

Yoongi rose to his feet then leaned down to loop his arms under your shoulders.

"Ready?" he asked.

You closed  your eyes, putting your full trust in him, taking some comfort in the idea that the others would beat the crap out of him if he let you fall at this point.

"Ready."

He pulled you to your feet, wrapping his arms around your waist to steady you as you then helped Yugyeom up.

"Good job," the man said.  "Now, I'm going to shift over here...."

To your surprise, Yoongi pivoted out of the way, balancing perilously on the side of the pitched roof, guiding you until your back hit the wall.  He made sure your footing was secure before swinging around to the other side of Yugyeom, effectively sandwiching the boy between the two of you.

"Now, Noona and I are going to lift you and you're going to grab hold of your Uncle and Jackson, okay?"

You looked up to see both men hanging out of the window, their legs being held by the others who you could only assume were tethered to the bed inside.

"Can - can I reach that far?" asked the boy.

"Sure you can," said Yoongi.  "After all, you're almost as tall as I am."

He quirked an eyebrow at you and in that moment you weren't sure whether you wanted to hug him or shove him off the roof.  However, before you could make that decision, Yoongi reached his arms towards you.

"Give me your hands," he said.  "We'll make a cradle then boost him up."

Taking a deep breath, you linked hands with him, interweaving your fingers together.

"Yugyeom-ah?" said Yoongi.  "Brace yourself on Noona's shoulders then put your foot in our hands, okay?"

The boy did as he was told, giving you an anxious smile as he did so.

"It's going to be okay, Buddy," you said, forcing yourself to sound confident.

"She's right," said Yoongi, adjusting his grip.  "Backwards wigglebutts never fall, remember?"

"I remember, hyung."

"Good man.  Now, on three we'll boost you up.  Your job is to reach as high as you possibly can, grab hold of JB and Jackson and hang on super tight. Show Noona how strong you are.  They'll do the rest. Got it?"

"Got it."

"Excellent.  On three.  Ready?"

"Ready."

"Alright.  Here we go.  On three.  One ... two ... three... Now!"

On his signal you forced your back against the wall, lifting Yugyeom as high as you could.  Jackson and JB managed to grab hold of the child, quickly hoisting him back inside to safety.

"Got him?!" shouted Yoongi.

"Got him!" shouted Mark.

As both you and Yoongi breathed a sigh of relief, Jin called out, "Give us a second to reset then we'll bring you two up, okay?!"

"Okay!" yelled Yoongi.  "We'll need some time to reset as well!"

"Reset?" you squeaked.  "What do you mean, reset?"

"It will be safer for you if I'm braced against the wall when I lift you."

"Wait.  What?  What do you mean, when  you lift me?"

"How else did you think you were getting back inside?  Do you have experience rappelling that I don't know about?  Because if that's the case, now would be a really good time to share that information."

"R - rappeling?  You - you mean climbing up walls using a rope like Batman in that old TV series?"

"Right.   I take it from your description that it's not a hobby of yours.  Bringing us back to the lifting thing which - as I said - will be safer for you if I'm braced against the wall." 

When you just stared blankly at him, he added, "Translation - we have to change places."

Seeing the abject look of panic on your face as it finally hit you what he meant, he sighed, cracked his neck, averted his eyes then muttered, "Oh, fuck it.  Sorry.  You can hit me later."

Before you knew what was happening, Yoongi pulled you towards him, one arm gripping your upper back and the other your waist then spun around until you'd swapped positions.

As you stood, breathlessly trying to process what he'd just done, he leaned his head back against the wall.

"Okay," he said.  "The next step is for you to move back a little bit so I can get my hands in position to boost you the way we did Yugyeom."

It was only then that it dawned on you that your body was pressed tight against Yoongi's in a very intimate fashion. Under normal circumstances this fact would have made you extremely self-conscious.  However since the alternative was standing unsupported on the high roof you decided embarrassment was definitely the lesser of the two evils.

"Do - do I have to?"

"Yah, Noona.  If I knew you had a danger kink, I would've leaned into that sooner," smirked Yoongi, repeating your words from earlier.

Knowing that he was deliberately provoking you to get you to move past your fear, you somehow managed to find the strength to smirk back.

"Sorry about your luck but danger isn't one of my kinks, Yoongi-ssi."

"Yoongi-ah."

"What?"

"We're speaking informally with each other now, remember?"

"Oh.  Right.  Sorry, Yoongi-ah."

The man gave a gummy smile that under different circumstances you might have thought was actually genuine.

"That's better.  Now, if you'll shift back just a little bit we'll get you inside.  Sound good?"

"Sounds great."

Summoning every last bit of courage you possessed, you shuffled away from the safety of his arms to give him the room he needed to get into position.

"Hang in there.  It's almost over," he said, making a cradle with his hands.  "Now, we do this just like with Yugyeom-ah.  Brace your hands on my shoulders.  When I count to three I'll boost you up, then the guys will grab you and pull you in.  You're attached to a rope and a harness, remember?  So there's nothing to worry about.  Got it?"

"Got it."

"Good."

Pressing his back against the wall he called out, "You guys ready up there?!"

"Ready!" yelled Jackson.

"Okay! I'm sending her up! On three, just like before!"

Glancing back at you, Yoongi gave you an encouraging nod.

"It will help if you look at Jackson.  Focus on him and you'll be inside and safe in no time.  I promise."

You swallowed hard, gripping his shoulders for support.

"You want to know something funny?" you said.

"What's that?"

"I - I think I believe you."

With that you looked up and locked eyes with Jackson as Yoongi yelled out, "One...two.. three...NOW!"

As Yoongi shouted you surged upwards and almost immediately you felt Jackson and Mark grab you by the wrists.  You then flew through air and seconds later you were inside where Jin snatched you into a bone crushing hug.

"Are you okay, Little One?" he cried, staggering back from the window.

"Y-yeah, D-doc.  I'm f-fine," you said, sounding anything but fine.  "S-sorry if I'm sh-shaking too m-much though."

"Are you?"  said Jin, burying his face in your neck.  "I didn't notice.  I must be shaking too."

Clutching you to his chest, he called out, "Mind his shoulder, please!" as Mark and Jackson began hauling Yoongi back into the house.

Once inside Yoongi waved off all offers of assistance, instead kneeling in front of Yugyeom-ah, who was still wrapped in his uncle's arms.

"You okay, kiddo?"

"Yeah.  Thanks, Yoongi-hyung."

The man winked as he ruffled the boy's hair.

"You're welcome, Wigglebutt."

Yoongi didn't even have the chance to stand all the way up before Jin was pulling him into the hug alongside you.

"Aish!  Hyung!  Cut it out!" the man half-heartedly protested.

"Shut up, Yoongi-ah," said Jin, tightening his grip on the pair of you.  "I will hug both of you whenever and wherever I want and will continue to do so at random intervals for the foreseeable future. So just deal with it."

Yoongi grumbled but allowed his hyung to do as he pleased.  When Jin finally let you both come up for air that's when Jackson's crew descended upon you, lavishing you with praise and thanks until Jin stepped in, tugging you back in between himself and Yoongi.

"What can we ever do to repay you, Seongsaeng-nim?" sobbed JB.  "Name it. It's yours.  You too, Yoongi-ssi."

"You got any whiskey around here?" drawled Yoongi.  "And I mean the good stuff.  Not that watered down crap Jackson buys at the convenience store."

"Of course.  How many bottles do you want?"

"I don't need a whole bottle," chuckled Yoongi.  "If it's the good stuff then two fingers - neat - in a lowball glass will be fine with me. To start with at least."

"Consider it done.  What about you, Seongsaeng-nim?"

"I'll have the same.  But make mine on the rocks."

"Then right this way," said Jackson, making a sweeping gesture towards the door.  "The bar is now open."

You indulged in a glass of whiskey (while watching Yugyeom enjoy two scoops of ice cream) before Jin announced that you were heading home, shooting Bam a rather savage side eye when the man swooped in to plant a kiss on both your cheeks.

"We are forever in your debt, Seongsaeng-nim!"

"Then we'll send you a bill Bam," said Jin, pulling you back while giving the amused man a tight smile.  "With interest."

Laughing at their antics, you stopped to give Yugyeom a hug before you left.

"You!  Go to bed and stay in bed, young man.  Promise me?"

"I promise, Noona.  Will - will I see you again soon?"

"You bet," you said, tapping the boy on the nose.  "We've got star stickers to put up, don't we?"

"Yay!" the boy shouted, throwing his arms around your neck.  "Noona is the best!"

"Aish!  First ice cream, now stickers," teased Jackson.  "Anything else you've promised the kid that I need to know about, Seongsaeng-nim?"

"Ah!  Yeah, about that...." you said, grinning at the man as Jin guided you towards the door.  "You might want to start researching telescopes...."

xx

When you got back to the car, Jin paused to speak with Jackson about something as you slipped into the back of the sedan.

As you fastened your seatbelt, Yoongi caught your eye in the rearview mirror.

"Noona?"

"Yeah?"

The man gave a short nod of approval as he placed the key in the ignition.

"You did good."

Something about hearing those three words from the normally taciturn man made you feel irrationally proud of yourself.

"Thanks, Yoongi-ah.  You did good too."

Before anything else could be said, Jin got in the car and the three of you pulled off, heading back to the place you were beginning to think of as home.

Chapter Text

Chapter Fifteen

Upon reaching your destination you had no sooner stepped from the garage when you were set upon by the others in the courtyard where both you and Yoongi were swept into massive bear hugs while at the same time being lavished with praise.

"Aish!  Not that I don't appreciate the sentiment," you said, finally wriggling free from the almost suffocating embrace enveloping you and Yoongi. "But how the hell do you know what happened?"

"Jin-hyung texted me right after you guys left," said Namjoon.  "I texted back but when I didn't get a response right away I got worried so I woke Kookie."

"Why Kookie?" you asked.

"When Jackson-ssi decided to update his security cameras last year I installed the system," explained JungKook. "I left a backdoor in the code so I could fix things remotely if necessary.  When hyung woke me up and told me where you guys were going I hacked in and pulled up the live feed." 

"Yeah!" exclaimed Jimin, barrelling back into your arms.  "We watched the whole thing!"

"Well, most of us did."

TaeHyung winked as he nudged Hoseok with his elbow.

"Some of us hid behind Joonie-hyung and just listened as we described what was happening."

"Okay!  Fine!   I'm terrified of heights!" grumped Hoseok.  "I can't even watch complete strangers do trapeze or walk the tightrope at the circus much less people I care putting themselves in danger!  Besides, it's not like I'm the only one!  Yoongi-hyung doesn't like heights either!"

Surprised by this information you turned to Yoongi who waved off the comment.

"They're not that bad," he muttered.

"What do you mean 'they're not that bad'?"  said TaeHyung.   "Don't you remember when we were at Lotte World Tower? When you and Joonie-hyung lost the best and had to go out on the Seoul Sky Bridge by yourselves? You were not happy about that."

"Once I got up there and got settled I was fine," insisted Yoongi.

Seeing how uncomfortable Yoongi was with the attention, Jin stepped in.

"In all fairness, Lotte World Tower is 555 meters high, Tae-ah.  It's one of the tallest buildings in the world and there are big fucking openings in the grating that make up the Sky Bridge walkway," said the elder. "So leave him alone, why don't you? It's been a long night and these two need sleep."

A chastened TaeHyung hung his head before stepping forward to place a big wet kiss on Yoongi's cheek.

"You're right.  I'm sorry, hyung.  I was just teasing.  It doesn't matter how tall the building is, what you did tonight was really brave.  Both of you are heroes in my book."

Much to a grumbling Yoongi's dismay, this admission set off another round of hugs that lasted until Jin shooed everyone back into the house.

Finally getting back to your room, you ran a hot bath, throwing in one of many bath bombs that had mysteriously appeared next to the tub while you'd been gone.  (You made a mental note to discuss this with Jimin in the morning.)

Soaking in the steamy, scented water you did everything you could to avoid thinking about the sheer number of ways things could've gone wrong tonight, eventually resorting to ducking your head under water in an attempt to quiet the clamoring voices in your mind.

Once you came up for air you toweled off, slipped on a clean shirt and sweatpants then crawled into bed.  Exhaustion quickly began to overtake you and you were just nodding off when you heard a knocking sound so soft that you almost thought you'd imagined it.

"Come in?" you said, on the off chance you had heard something.

The door swung open to reveal Jin wearing a set of pale blue silk pajamas, clutching an oversized Ryan plushie in his arms.

"Doc?  Is everything okay?"

"Yes.  No.  I - I mean...I - I fell asleep but I then had a bad dream so I needed to come check on you."

You waited but when he didn't say anything else you asked,  "Was - was the bad dream about me?"

Jin gnawed his bottom lip before nodding his head.

"And Yoongi-ah?" you asked.

He remained silent but gave another nod.  You didn't press for more details.  If the dream had to do with you and Yoongi and it had upset Jin this much then you had a pretty good idea what it had involved.

Instead you asked, "Did you check on him already?"

"Yes.  He's in the back yard with his guitar."

Jin shifted his bare feet, eyes darting around the room.

"Little One?  I - I'm sorry.  This - this might sound strange but may ... may I please touch you?  Just for a second .... just to make sure you're really here and safe and I'm not dreaming it?"

Having experienced nightmares that seemed all too real in the past you readily agreed to his request.

"Of course, Doc.  Here."

As you held out your hand Jin stumbled forward to grab hold of it.  He pressed the backs of your fingers first to his lips and then to his forehead all the while murmuring something you couldn't quite make out.

"Doc?" you said when he failed to let go.

"What?  Oh.  Sorry.  I ... I didn't mean to overstep or upset you ..."

Quickly releasing your hand, he looked away, the tips of his ears turning bright red.

"No!  It's okay!" you rushed to reassure him.  "I - I was just wondering - would you sleep better if you stayed in here with me tonight? I - I know that having company sometimes helps me when I've had bad dreams."

Jin's head popped up, eyes filled with relief at your offer.

"Yes, please?"

"Come on then," you said, scooting over to make room beside you.

Without hesitation Jin scrambled onto bed, thrusting Ryan into your arms as he slipped in behind you, wrapping his arms around your waist.

"Is this okay?" he asked.

"That depends.  Are you comfortable?"

"Yes.  Very."

"Then it's okay."

Snuggling in with the large plushie, you asked,  "Is this your Ryan?"

"No.  It's Joon-ah's," admitted Jin.  "He let's me borrow him when I have trouble sleeping.  Normally under those circumstances I'd just stay with Joonie but I - I needed to check on you and Yoongi-ah anyway so he gave me temporary custody for the night."

"Temporary custody?  Aish!  Can you guys be any more adorable?"

You chuckled as you glanced over your shoulder at Jin.

"So... Did Yoongi-ah let you hold him to make sure he was real?"

"For a bit, " sniffed Jin.  "Then he said I needed to loosen my grip because he was trying to work out the bridge to a new song and I was 'suffocating his muse'."

"His muse?  Yah.  Fuck that bitch. You obviously get first dibs when it comes to one of your men."

Jin giggled and your heart felt lighter at the sound, glad to have been able to help ease some small part of the anxiety he'd experienced following what must have been a pretty intense nightmare.

"Thank you, Little One," he whispered, burying his face in your hair.

"For what?"

"For being you.  For being here."

His voice cracked, betraying the emotions he'd been trying to hide.

"For not dying today.  Or before."

"Don't thank me, Doc.  That was all your guys doing.  Both times."

"We don't deserve thanks for that," said Jin, shaking his head.  "You wouldn't have been in danger either time if it weren't for us."

"Hey," you said, gently elbowing him in the ribs.  "You read my files.  You know better than anyone that I was perfectly capable of getting injured long before I met you guys."

You laughed softly as you gazed down at the comical expression on the Ryan plushie's face.

"At least now the odds are less likely that I'll die alone."

You'd meant it as a joke but it obviously didn't amuse Jin, who tightened his grip on you to the point where you suddenly felt sorry for Yoongi's oxygen deprived muse.

"You won't die alone, Little One.  You won't die at all.  Not if I can help it."

You were just about to point out the cold, hard fact that death comes to everyone eventually when you realized that wasn't what Jin needed to hear at that moment.

Instead you patted his hand and whispered, "Okay, Doc.  If you say so.  Now go to sleep. Like you said earlier, we've all had a long day."

"Yah..." he said, trying unsuccessfully not to yawn.  "I'm the one that's supposed to be taking care of you, making sure you don't get hurt, telling you to sleep and eat right and stuff...."

His voice began trailing off and you could feel his breathing start to even out.

"That's okay, Doc,"  you yawned in return.  "I'll make you a deal.  We'll take care of each other.  How's that?"

His lack of response to that told you he had already drifted off and soon afterwards you joined him, both of you sleeping so soundly that neither of you noticed the procession of six figures - the last one being Yoongi - peeking in to check on you before heading off to their own beds.

xx

The next day you once again woke up alone but this time there was a Ryan plushie, a bowl of fruit and a note on the bedside table to let you know this time your nocturnal companion hadn't been a dream.

Little One -
Thank you for letting me with you stay last night.  I had to attend to something but Ryan promised he would watch over you in my absence.  Stay in bed as long as you want.  I've left some snacks for when you wake up.  Please rest well.   You've more than earned it.
xoxo
Doc

Smiling, you popped a few grapes in your mouth before placing a kiss on the Ryan plushie's nose.

"Yah.  Just my luck.  I finally found a man that stays the whole night and doesn't hog the blankets and it turns out he's inanimate," you whispered, cradling the stuffed figure as you burrowed back under the covers.  "Oh, well.  I suppose beggars can't be choosers.  Remind me to discuss shared custody with Joonie later, okay?."

xx

As  you were curling up to grab another few minutes of sleep, Jimin and TaeHyung were cornering Namjoon as he sat on the bench in the garden.

"Have you figured it out yet?" asked Jimin, plopping down next to him.

"Figured what out yet?" asked Namjoon.

"How to keep Noona from being sent away!" cried TaeHyung, squirming in on the other side of Namjoon.

"Oh.  That.  Not yet."

Namjoon shook his head sadly.

"I've got an idea that looks promising but I'm still working out the details.  I'm actually waiting on a call back to confirm something right now, so fingers crossed."

"Is it a fake marriage?" asked Jimin.  "That's what they do in all the dramas."

"He's right!" said TaeHyung.  "And if that's the case then I volunteer as tribute!"

"Me too!" seconded Jimin, waving his hand in the air.

"No!  It's not a fake marriage!"  said Namjoon, looking scandalized at the very idea.

"Oh, please," scoffed Jimin, lowering his arm.  "Don't give us that look.  You know that you thought of it."

"Okay...maybe I did but ...." Namjoon pouted before looking at them defiantly.

"But when someone asks Noona to marry them it should be sweet and romantic and ... real! Not some last ditch effort to keep her in the country!  When someone proposes to her it should special and... and mean something and be in a place filled with flowers and candles and fairy lights and little paper hearts with all the reasons you love her written on them scattered around along with rose petals and...."

"Oh, hyung," said TaeHyung, pressing a finger against the older man's lips to stop his rambling.  "You've given this a lot of thought, haven't you?"

"Oh, like you two haven't?" challenged Namjoon.

Jimin and TaeHyung shrugged in synchronized agreement.

"You're not wrong," said Jimin.

"Yeah.  Touche," said TaeHyung.

Seeing the look on Namjoon's face at the use of that particular French word, TaeHyung giggled then bowed in apology.

"Sorry, hyung.  Speaking French right now was a low blow.  I'll make it up to you later."

Smiling, he leaned over to whisper in Namjoon's ear.

"How about I sing a couple of Edith Piaf songs around the fire for everyone after dinner?"

Namjoon's eyes lit up at this suggestion.

"Really?  You would do that for me?"

"Of course I would do that for you, hyungie."

"Even La Vie En Rose?"

TaeHyung winked again as he placed a feather light kiss on Namjoon's cheek.

"Even La Vie En Rose."

"In that case, apology accepted," said Namjoon, dimples now on full display.

"Great," said Jimin.  "Now that Tae has indulged your language kink, enlighten us.  If it's not a fake marriage then what is it and how can we help make it happen?"

"Sorry, Minnie.  I don't want to jinx it by speaking too soon but if all goes well I should have a plan in place before the end of the day."

Just then Namjoon's phone rang.

"Maybe even sooner than that.  Excuse me."

The pair watched as he jumped up and quickly answering the call as he scurried back inside the house.

"Do you think he can do it?" asked Jimin.

"Of course, he can," TaeHyung stated with conviction.  "Hyung's never let us down before.  He won't start now.  Especially since it involves Noona."

"You're right.  If anyone can find a solution it will be Joonie-hyung."

Jimin smiled as he wrapped his arms around TaeHyung.

"In the meantime, I think you should practice for tonight.  It's been forever since I've heard you sing La Vie en Rose."

xx 

When you eventually made it to the kitchen you found Jin, Namjoon and a formidable pile of papers waiting for you at the table.

"Um....hello...what's all this and how many trees had to die to make it happen?"

"Sit down," said Jin, pulling out a chair.  "We have something to tell you."

"Oookay," you spoke slowly as you followed Jin's instruction.  "My.  This doesn't seem ominous at all..."

"Oh!  It's not!" exclaimed Namjoon.  "It's good news!"

"Good news?  About what?"

"This," said Jin, pushing the stack of papers towards you.

"We've filled out the paperwork involved with the formal petition to have your original citizenship reinstated.  We just need you to review everything for accuracy then sign it so we can get the process started." 

"So - that's it?  That will fix the problem?" you asked.

"Not entirely," confessed Namjoon.  "While we wait on that process to run its course  - which honestly could take a while - we still need to find a way to get your temporary visa extended as long as possible."  

As you eyed the mountain of forms in front of you, wondering when they'd found the time to complete such a herculean task,  Jin jumped back into the conversation.

"It turns out the most straightforward and least complicated way to do that is to find you a job where we can argue that you are the most qualified candidate, regardless of citizenship."

"My first thought was to hire you as a translator for the studio," said Namjoon. "But when I checked the employment websites there were a lot of qualified applicants listed so it would be difficult to argue that you're the only viable candidate for the job.  Besides, then there'd be the relationship power imbalance to take into account and that comes with way too many issues."

He pressed on, not giving you time to fully take in the implications of that last statement.

"But then I reviewed your initial entry application again and I got an idea. So I talked with both Jin and Jackson and I think we've found an solution that should work."

"What's that?"

"You were originally granted entry to participate in the educational program and teach English to children while you were here, correct?" asked Jin.

"Correct.  But now that my visa is up for review it looks like the program will be cancelled and since the school year has already started all the English teaching positions have been filled."

"All the positions in the schools may have been filled," said Namjoon.  "But what about private tutors?"

"What do you mean?"

"Yugyeom-ah," said Jin.  "We obviously can't list you as his therapist since you aren't licensed but we CAN make a very compelling argument that you'd be perfect as his English tutor."

Seeing the look of confusion on your face he clarified.

"Think about it.  Like you said, the school year's already underway.  We can make a perfectly valid argument that the emotional stress of Yugyeom-ah starting a new school in a new province mid term would be overwhelming considering everything he's gone through.  And who better to tutor him in English than someone fluent in both languages that also has training dealing with traumatized children and already has an established trust relationship with him?"

"When I talked to Jackson he said that the boy was testing far above his grade level in all subjects before everything happened," said Namjoon.  "So it's not like he'd fall behind by not being in an actual school.  Hell, we could all jump in and teach him things if necessary.  In the long run it will probably be better for him than being in a formalized educational setting."

Jin nodded his head eagerly.

"Joonie's right!  It's a win-win situation.  You get a job that will keep you here until they figure out your immigration status and Yugyeom-ah gets someone he knows and trusts to help him with his schoolwork until Jackson and his uncle can find him the proper therapist and enroll him a good school.  What do you say?"

"I don't know," you said, trying to take it all in.  "I'd have to talk with Yugyeom-ah about it first.  Visa or no visa, I refuse to do anything he's not comfortable with."

"Absolutely," said Namjoon.  "That goes without saying.  But from what I've heard I'm sure he'd love the idea."

As you considered the proposal, Jin leaned forward in his seat.

"However, there's one thing you need to know about this arrangement, Little One..."

"What's that, Doc?"

"For this to work you have to be employed.  Actually, legally employed.  Which means you'll have to accept a salary.  A legitimate one  - complete with a paper trail - comparable to what they'd pay if they were hiring a stranger."

Anticipating your reaction and ignoring the confused expression on Namjoon's face, he plowed ahead.

"Now, before you say anything, hear me out.  If you like, we can handle that money just like we're doing with the settlement from HeeSung.  You don't have to touch it if you don't want but it will be there if and when you need it.  Would that be an acceptable compromise for you?"

"I - I don't know," you said.  "While I love the thought of helping Yugyeom-ah, I hate the thought of taking money for something that I'd gladly do for free."

"But isn't that the definition of a great job?" asked Namjoon.  "Getting paid to do something you love so much that you'd do it for free if you could?  I mean that's how Yoongi-hyung and I feel about music but we still cash the checks people write us."

"I suppose so," you said, still unsure of your feelings on the matter.  "I guess the bigger question is how would this all work on a practical level?"

"Ah!  I'm glad  you asked!"

Sitting up straight Namjoon began shuffling through another folder filled with paper in front of him.

"I've started a spreadsheet detailing all the pertinent information right here..."

xx

It took a while but after hammering out the fine points of your employment then reviewing and signing all the appropriate paperwork regarding your citizenship, Namjoon hurried back to his office to put things in motion, leaving you alone with Jin.

"Thank you for all the work you guys have done on this, Doc.  I can't imagine how much time and effort that took."

"Nonsense.  It was nothing," said Jin.  "Did you sleep well?"

"I did.  Thank you."

"Good.  I'm glad to hear that.  So did I, thanks in large part to your understanding and generosity."

"That was no problem, Doc.  Trust me, I know about nightmares."

"I thought you probably would."

With an apprehensive smile, Jin reached out to take your hand in his.

"Little One?  I may be overextending myself after last night but may I ask another favor of you?"

"Is this about Ryan?  If so, I feel I should warn you that I'm already drafting a three way custody agreement to present to Joonie."

"As long as we all split the time fairly I'm sure we can reach an equitable arrangement," said Jin.  "But no - in this case the favor involves not the sharing of Ryan but rather the sharing of information."

"Sorry?  I don't follow."

"I'm sure you could tell that Namjoon-ah was confused about our conversation regarding your reluctance to accept proper compensation for your employment.  I would like to let he -  and the others -  know why this is such a sensitive topic for you but obviously I wanted to seek your permission before doing so."

His thumb rubbed soothing circles on the back of your hand as he spoke.

"I understand completely if the answer is no.  Please don't feel pressured to oblige me.  I understand your desire to keep certain aspects of your past private.  I simply thought if everyone were aware of the circumstances we could avoid any unpleasant situations which might be triggering for you.  However, if you are uncomfortable with the idea I shall  put it aside and never mention it again."

You stared at the table as you considered his request.  The thought of continuing to ask Jin to withhold things from those closest to him was becoming less and less comfortable for you. 

You had to admit that part of your previous reluctance to share things with the group had centered on your uncertainty regarding how Yoongi might possibly use the information against you but after last night you were beginning to think that worry might not be quite as great as you'd initially thought.

But while you still weren't entirely at ease around the man yet it didn't seem fair to penalize Jin and the others who had made such efforts to prove themselves worthy of your trust.

"Thank you for checking with me first, Doc. I - I think ...."

Holding your breath you decided to take a leap of faith.

"I think that if I've made the concious decision to share something with one of you then that person can feel free to share it with the others.  It only seems right, given your relationship."

"Are you sure, Little One?  Anything?  That's a big step."

"Yeah.  If I've told one of you I can't expect that person to keep secrets from the rest. But ... the other stuff?  The stuff in my files?  Anything I haven't talked about yet?  That ... that can stay between us for now, right?"

"Of course.  Absolutely.  That information remains private until you decide to share it.  IF you decide to share it, that is."

"Thanks, Doc.  I appreciate that."

"No.  Thank you.  Your trust in me - in us - is a gift that we shall not take lightly, I assure you."

"Yeah well..." you said, trying to sound light hearted.  "If I can't trust Tony Stark and his band of Merry Men then who can I trust?"

"Pardon?  Sorry but now I'm the one who doesn't follow."

You couldn't help but laugh at the bewildered look on Jin's face.

"Ask Joonie," you laughed, playfully nudging one of Jin's impressive shoulders.  "He'll fill you in."

xx

Soon after your conversation with Jin the three youngest members of the household commandeered you for play time with Yeontan in the backyard which lasted until they all received simultaneous text messages, whereupon they all quickly excused themselves with multiple apologies to you.

Assuming it had to do with one of their mysterious 'projects' you assured them it was fine, that you were perfectly content curling up on one of the lounge chairs with a novel and your sketchbook.

Once alone you settled in, quickly losing track of time as you read, sketched and began working out some ideas for preliminary lesson plans for Yugyeom.

Unbeknownst to you the 'family meeting' that had been called was so Jin could inform the others of your decision regarding information sharing.  The group sat around the table, fists clenched as Jin recounted the story of the man who's actions had affected your and your Mother's lives so deeply.

When he finished a heavy silence hung over the room until Hoseok snarled, "I want a name, hyung.  I want a fucking name and I want a fucking address and I want it now."

"We're working on that," said Jin tipping his head towards JungKook.  "Any progress, Kookie?"

"I was able to hack into the parent company's mainframe and finally managed to locate the human resources directory.  Unfortunately it's a huge company and whoever was in charge of record keeping back then did a shit job of organizing things," said the younger, who now looked visibly ill upon hearing the story behind the project. 

"On top of that, a lot of people who worked there lived in or around Noona's neighborhood, so that hasn't made the process of elimination much easier. I tried combing through the files manually but that was taking too long so I created a new algorithim and it looks promising.  I set it to run this morning.  It will take a while but I'll find him."

"I don't care how long it takes," said Jin.  "I just want to make sure we get the right person."

"Because once we do, we end him, right?" said TaeHyung, looking around the table.

"Of course we do, baby," said Jimin matter of factly.  "Isn't that right, Jin-hyung?"

Jin nodded solemnly.

"Once we're certain of the fucker's identity I will personally ensure that he feels every last bit of the fear and anxiety that Little One's mother must have felt all those years."

There was an ear-piercing squeak of chair legs scraping against marble flooring as Namjoon abruptly rose from his seat.

"Excuse me.  I'm going down to the gym.  I have an overwhelming need to hit something right now - hard and repeatedly."

"I'll join you," growled Hoseok.  "It's been a while since I used the heavy bag.  Now seems like a perfect time to resume the practice."

"Let me double check on how my program's running then I'll see you two there," said JungKook.  "You coming, Jimin-hyung?"

"Nah," said Jimin.  "I think I'll head over to the shooting range.  Get in some target practice."

"I'll go with you," said TaeHyung.  "My sniper skills are a little rusty."

"Mine too," said Yoongi, speaking for the first time.  "I'll drive."

"You all realize this bastard most likely lives somewhere that will prohibit any of us from coming into physical contact with him, right?" said Jin.

"Yeah, well," shrugged Hoseok. "We can dare to dream, can't we?  You want to join us, hyung?"

Jin shook his head.

"No thank you.  I'm going to stay here in case Little One needs anything.  I'll use the time to work on my rather extensive list of things I have planned for this scumbag."

As the others began filing out of the room, JungKook paused.

"Hyung?  Are - are you going to tell her?  That we're searching for this guy, I mean."

Everyone looked to Jin, who considered his words carefully.

"Eventually.  When I tell her, I want to be able to give her the full story.  She's suffered enough anxiety because of this sorry fucker.  When she learns his name I want to make sure we can refer to him in the past tense."

And with that they all nodded their agreement before leaving the elder to his plans.

 xx

Completely unaware of the murderous conference going on just a few meters away, you kept working on Yugyeom's lesson plans until the light began to dim and the shadows began to lengthen.

Heading inside you were surprised to find a freshly showered Namjoon sitting on your bed, cradling Ryan in his lap while paging through one of the books you'd left on the side table.

"Joonie! Shit!  I'm sorry!  I forgot to return Ryan to you!  You're not going to have me deported for violating the terms of the custody agreement, are you?"

Laying the book aside, Namjoon glanced at Ryan while doing his best to look serious.

"Hmm....That is a rather egregious offense but I suppose we can work something out.  Hold on.  Wait.  What? What's that?"

Holding Ryan up to his ear, he paused as if listening to the plushie.

"You want to spend more time with Noona?"

He listened again.

"Oh...I see.  You want to make sure she feels safe here so that she'll stay a long time.  That makes sense."

Extending Ryan towards you, Namjoon gave you a hopeful look.

"He says ...."

"I heard what he said."

Plucking the stuffed character from Namjoon's hands, you settled in beside him on the bed.

"Okay, Ryan," you said, addressing the plush directly.  "Why don't you tell me what your Dad is really trying to say?"

Holding Ryan up to your ear you listened for a moment then sighed.

"Ah.  Doc told them why I had problems feeling indebted to people, didn't he?"

You arched an eyebrow at Namjoon, who awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck.

"That's what I thought.  Well, please tell your Dad and the others not to make a big deal out of it or start acting all weird around me because of that, okay?"

You handed Ryan back to an embarassed Namjoon.

"I hate to be pedantic," he said. "But given the people who live here, I feel I should probably ask what your definition of 'acting weird' consists of."

You couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"I suppose that term was a bit broad," you said, bumping your arm against his.

"How about this - Can you just not treat me like I'm some fragile, breakable ... thing? I've taken care of myself for a long time.  I'm fully capable of continuing to do so in the future."

"None of think you can't take care of yourself, Noona," said Namjoon.  "It ... it's just that we don't think you should have to do everything on your own anymore.  We ... we care about you and that means we want to help you - in whatever capacity you need.  Can ... can you see the difference?"

Pushing Ryan back towards you, it dawned on you that he was offering you more than just a stuffed animal.

You stared at the plush for a long moment before accepting it.

"Thank you, Joonie.  I - I guess I never thought of it that way," you said.  "And in fairness I suppose I should tell you that I feel safer here than I've felt anywhere since Mama B died."

"I'm glad," said Namjoon.  "That means a lot to me.  To us."

He tapped Ryan's nose then yours before sliding off the bed.

"I'll leave so you can get ready for dinner.  Don't want to be late.  I have it on good authority that Tae-ah's got something special planned for all of us afterwards."

xx

After dinner, you made your way out to the fire pit where the others were waiting next to a table holding eight empty glasses and four bottles of wine.

As you approached, Yoongi began handing out glasses, pausing when he came to Hoseok.

"Hob-ah?  Will you be partaking tonight?"

"I think I will," said Hoseok, accepting the glass with both hands and a bow.  "Thank you for asking, hyung. "

"Of course, Hob-ah.  My pleasure."

Everyone smiled and as Yoongi distributed the last of the glasses, Jin turned to you and asked, "What may I pour for you, Little One?"

"Sorry, Doc.  I know very little about wine.  Would you  mind choosing for me?"

"It would be my privilege.  How about this nice Sauvignon Blanc? It's crisp and elegant, not unlike myself."

At the mention of the wine, Namjoon whimpered, causing Jin to snicker.

"Aish!  Joonie!  If you're getting this worked up over the name of the wine how will you survive Tae-ah singing Edith Piaf for us tonight?"

"Edith Piaf?" you gasped.  "I love her music! Mama B had three of her albums!"

"Really?  Did she now?" said Tae, a mischevious glint in his eyes.  "What exactly did the two of you like so much about her music?"

Realizing he was giving you an opening, you decided to play along.

"I can't really put it into words, Tae-ah.  I suppose you could say Edith just has a certain je nais se quois?"

Everyone  - even Yoongi - laughed at the strangled whine Namjoon produced at those words.

Feeling guilty about the teasing he was about to receive you decided it was your job to defend him.

"Yah!  Everyone!  Leave Gomez alone!"

Jimin let out an undignified snort as he doubled over with laughter.

"Aish!  She's right!  With his language kink, Joonie-hyung is totally Gomez from the Addams Family! "

"Ah!  You understood my reference!" you said, raising your glass to Jimin.   "Oui! Tres bon, Monsieur Jimin!"

"Wait! " giggled Hoseok.  "If Joonie is Gomez wouldn't that make Noona Morticia?"

Hearing this,  Namjoon rushed over to grab your hand.

"Yes! It would!" he cried, doing his best imitation of the character you'd compared him to.  "Tish!  You spoke French!  I've warned you I'm not responsible for my actions when you do that!"

He then began trailing a series of enthusiastic kisses up your arm.  As he drew nearer to your face you were beginning to wonder how far he would take the joke when at the last possible second Jimin popped in to claim the final kiss with a loud 'MWAH'!"

"Yah!" you teased as Namjoon stepped back and pouted.  "I knew you were a thief but I didn't know you stole kisses as well!"

"I'm sorry Noona," said Jimin, puckering his lips in your direction.  "I'll return it to you if you want."

Jimin leaned in but before he could make contact Jin scooped the younger man off his feet and swung him around like an overgrown toy.

"Okay!  Playtime's over!  Everyone take your seat so Tae-ah can sing!"

While Jimin whined and Namjoon sulked, Yoongi picked up some sort of remote control and seconds later soft jazz music filled the air around you.

Their antics forgotten, everyone scurried to take a seat as TaeHyung cleared his throat and began to sing.

Des yeux qui font baisser les miens
Un rire qui se perd sur sa bouche
Voila le portrait sans retouches
De l'homme auquel j'appartiens

The rich food, the fine wine, the warm fire and Tae's soothing baritone proved to be a magical combination and before long you had nodded off with Yeontan in your lap.  You were sleeping so soundly that you remained unaware of the giggles, the whispers and the strong arms that carried you back to your room.

You awoke the next morning to another note propped up on the bedside table- this one in  Namjoon's distinctive handwriting but signed from someone else.

Noona -

Hope you slept well.  Thank you for trusting Joonie-Appa and my six goofy uncles.  They screw up a lot but they always mean well.

xoxo,

Ryan

"Yah.  You are one lucky boy," you whispered to Ryan.  "I hope you appreciate what you've got here."

With that you slipped out of bed, trying hard not to imagine how Namjoon and the rest of the group would look if they were fathers to something other than stuffed animal and a Pomeranian.

xx

After breakfast (and another round of pollen infested yoga) Jin checked your sutures and seemed pleased with how you were healing.

"So do I have the all clear to start more vigorous exercising?" you asked, tucking your shirt back in.

"Slowly and with great caution," said Jin.  "Nothing too strenous at first.  Ease into it.  And you should continue to avoid lifting heavy objects for at least another two weeks."

"Define heavy, Doc."

"No more than ten kilos at most until I'm sure everything is one hundred percent healed.  And again, ease into it.  Do I make myself clear?"

"Got it, Doc. No more than ten kilos until you say otherwise."

"Good.  Now, I've got an obligation I cannot reschedule but I've arranged for Yoongi-ah and Kookie to drive you to Jackson's for your meeting with Yugyeom-ah.  They'll be ready to leave whenever you are."

Not wanting to inconvenience anyone, you suggested going to Jackson's by yourself on the scooter or taking public transportation alone but those ideas were met with the same horrified expression you imagined Jin would have if you'd proposed walking there stark naked in the middle of a blizzard.

"You'll do no such thing!  We have a garage filled with perfectly sound vehicles and six people fully capable of driving them."

Your initial reaction was to push back but you were slowly learning to pick your battles and you decided this one wasn't worth the effort.  Besides, while  you still weren't entirely sure about Yoongi, the idea of seeing JungKook and Yugyeom together seemed rather appealing.

You changed out of your exercise clothes and soon the three of you were on your way.  As Yoongi drove JungKook expressed his disappointment that the special sensor he'd ordered to install on Yugyeom's window hadn't been delivered as promised.

"It's so annoying, Noona!  I paid for expedited shipping and it showed 'out for delivery' then it just disappeared from the tracking system!"

Commiserating with JungKook about the reliability of the postal system, you arrived at Jackson's place.   Pulling up to the gate, Yoongi went through the same process as before - texting what appeared to be a random set of numbers and honking the horn a specific number of times then waiting to be allowed entry.

He pulled the car into the driveway and the three of you exited the vehicle.  You were almost to the porch when the door burst open and an enthusiastic Yugyeom came charging out.  Reaching the top step on the porch the child launched himself at you, only to be caught midair at the last minute by Yoongi.

"Yah!  Wigglebutt!" the man fussed.  "Be careful.  Noona's recovering from an injury and isn't supposed to lift anything heavy. That includes you."

Yugyeom peered at you and frowned.

"Noona has an owie?"

"Noona has an owie," said Yoongi, shifting the boy so he rested on the man's hip.  "So be gentle with her, okay?"

"Oh.  Okay.  I will, hyung.  I promise!"

Biting his lip the boy then asked, "Are - are you going to be okay, Noona?"

"I'm fine, Buddy.  Doc fixed me.  I just can't pick  you up or play any contact sports for a little while."

"No contact sports?" said Bam, leaning against the doorframe. "Damn.  That's a shame.  And here I had plans for us."

"Did you Bam-ssi?" asked JungKook, sidling up beside you. "I guess I'll just have to take her place in whatever game you had in mind."

As JungKook slung a muscular arm around you shoulders, Bam's bravado faded and he muttered something about hearing YoungJae calling him before slipping back into the house.

JungKook grinned in triumph as Yugyeom regarded him with warily.

"Hyung?"  the boy whispered to Yoongi.  "Who's that?"

"Who?  You mean that overgrown bunny rabbit standing next to Noona?  That's our maknae.  His name is Jeon JungKook but I bet if you compliment his tattoos he'd let you call him hyung."

Yugyeom's eyes widened.

"Really?"

Yoongi gave the boy a nod and a wink.

"Try it and see."

The boy looked to you for confirmation and you gave him a thumbs up.

Gathering his courage, Yugyeom tightened his grip on Yoongi's shirt before speaking.

"J - JungKook-ssi?  I - I like the flower on your wrist.  It - it's really pretty."

"You do?  Thank you!"

JungKook beamed, rolling up his sleeves to reveal the intricate designs trailing up both arms.

"What do you think about these?"

"Wow! You got even more tattoos than Jackson-hyung!"

Hopping down from Yoongi's hold,  Yugyeom carefully approached JungKook and before long he was in the other man's arms, inspecting the artwork around his neck.

"Well, that was fast," you said in a low voice to Yoongi.  "I wouldn't have expected him to warm up to Kookie so quickly."

"Aish!  You think he's good?  Wait until you see the Wonder Twins around kids," chuckled Yoongi.  "Tae-ah especially.  Whatever language the little buggers speak, Tae is fluent in it and Minnie isn't too far behind.  It's kind of amazing actually."

"You seem pretty good with kids yourself.  Get much practice?"

Yoongi gave you an exasperated side eye.

"I live with six overgrown children masquerading as adults.  Does that count?"

"I suppose it does," you laughed, gesturing towards JungKook and Yugyeom.  "So - want to help me get those two children inside?"

"Only if we do rock, paper, scissors to determine who has to wrangle Kookie."

"Fine.  You're on."

xx

Your rock beat Yoongi's scissors but even then it took some doing to pry Yugyeom away from JungKook long enough for you to speak privately with the boy, Jackson and JB about the proposed tutoring arrangment.

After receiving Yugyeom and his uncle's enthusiastic agreement to the idea, the boy grabbed your hand and began dragging you towards his room.

"Come on, Noona!  The hyungs got me glow in the dark star stickers for my ceiling but I told them I had to wait for you to help me put them up!"

You dutifully trailed after the boy, followed by Yoongi, JungKook, Jackson and JB.  When you reached the boy's room he ran to his desk and retrieved two pieces of paper that he thrust towards you and Yoongi.

"Noona!  Hyung!  Look!  I drew pictures of Backward Wigglebutts for you!"

"Wow!" you said.  "These are great!  Aren't they Yoongi-ah?"

Studying the colorful drawing with all the seriousness of an art critic at the opening of a major exhibition, Yoongi announced,  "I can honestly say I have never seen a more accurate depiction of a Backwards Wigglebutt in my entire life."

"Does that mean you like them?" asked the boy.

"Nope!  We love them!"  you said. 

"She's right," Yoongi said.  "As a matter of fact, we're going to frame them and put them up when we get home.  Aren't we Noona?"

"Absolutely!  I already know where I'm going to put mine.  Right by my bed so I can see it everyday."

The boy puffed out his chest with pride until he remembered JungKook was standing there.

"Oh!  JungKook-hyung!  I'm sorry! I - I don't have a present for you."

"That's okay, Yugyeom-ah.  After all, we just met."

JungKook smiled warmly as he knelt down beside the boy.

"But you know what I would like?"

"What's that?"

The man crinkled his nose as he pointed at the ceiling.

"I'd like to help you put up your star stickers."

"Really?"

"Yep.  I always wanted some when I was your age.  Helping you would be the next best thing to having them myself."

"Yay!"

The boy cheered as he ran to his closet, returning with arms loaded with dozens of plastic packages, each crammed full of glow in the dark stars.

"Aish!  Jackson-ssi!" you laughed as Yugyeom began tearing open the bags. "I thought he said stars not galaxies!"

"Ah...yeah..." Jackson blushed as the boy began emptying the contents on the bed. "We may have gone a little overboard when we placed the order."

"Ya think?" drawled Yoongi, snorting at the growing mountain of stars being created on the mattress.

As the others began helping Yugyeom sort the stars by size, you sat on the edge of the bed, searching various constellation maps on your phone.

"I'll go grab the step ladder so we can start putting them up," said Jackson.

"No need," said JungKook, holding up two stars to compare sizes.  "I can hoist Noona up on my shoulders."

Seeing your back stiffen at that suggestion, Yoongi glared at the younger man.

"Yah!  She will not!" the older exclaimed.  "Jackson-ssi?  You and JB get the ladder.  Yugyeom-ah?  Show me where they hide the juice and banana milk around here.  World building is thirsty work.  JungKook-ah?  Stay here and keep sorting."

As everyone else left the room, JungKook gave you a bewildered look.

"Noona?  What - what did I do wrong?"

"Nothing, Kookie.  I don't think he meant to be rude it - it's just I'm scared of heights."

The maknae dropped the stars he was holding onto his lap.

"You are?"

"Yeah.  Terrified of them.  To be honest, I don't even like being on step ladders if I can help it so I'll probably serve in more of an advisory capacity today."

JungKook took a moment to process this before pushing the pile of stars aside so he could scoot closer to you.

"But... if - if you're scared of heights then why'd you volunteer to go out on the roof like that? "

"I don't know ... I guess my fear of what would happen to Yugyeom-ah if I didn't go was greater than my fear of heights."

Looking up from your phone you found JungKook gazing at you as if you had hung the actual stars in the sky.

"Noona?" he said in a soft voice.  "I - I wish I'd had someone like you in my life when I was younger."

"What do you mean?  Someone like what?"

"You know.  Someone willing to be brave when I needed help."

"Oh, Kookie.  I wish you had someone like that back then as well.  You deserved to have someone willing to fight for you.  You still do."

JungKook's eyes filled with emotion as he inched even closer and took your hand in his.

"Noona?  May I please..."

Before he could finish Yugyeom came charging back into the room with Yoongi, holding a basket overflowing with drinks and snacks.

"Noona!  Guess what?!  Yoongi-hyung says we can look online and find out the exact position the stars were in the night I was born and we can put these stars up the same way!  Isn't that cool?!  It would be like having my birthday all the time!"

"Wow!  That is cool!" you said, rushing to help Yoongi with the basket.  "Yoongi-ah sure knows some stuff, doesn't he?"

"Yeah!  He does!" exclaimed the boy.

Placing the basket on the desk, you suddenly turned to JungKook.

"Oh!  I'm sorry, Kookie.  You were about to ask me something.  What was it?"

"No worries, Noona," said the maknae, going back to sorting the stars.  "It wasn't important."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive.  It can wait 'til another time."

"Okay.  If you're certain."

"I am," he said with a smile.  "For now, let's get these stars hung."

xx

It took the better part of the afternoon but eventually the stars were hung in the closest possible approximation to how they'd appeared in the sky on the date of Yugyeom's birth.

Along the way you learned that JungKook had enjoyed bouncing on a mattress as much if not more than Yugyeom and that Yoongi had an almost encyclopedic knowledge on virtually any topic (accompanied by the rather infuriating habit of almost always being right when you and the others began peppering him with trivia questions).

"How did you know that?" you asked after he correctly answered one concerning regarding the purpose of the Maginot Line in France during the Second World War.

"Aish!  Always the tone of surprise!" he said, handing some of the leftover stars to Jackson.  "You and Joonie aren't the only ones who read books, you know."

As everyone stood back to admire their handiwork, Yugyeom brought up the idea of you spending the night so you could see the stars glow in the dark - an idea that Jackson's crew quickly endorsed but Yoongi and JeonKook just as quickly shot down.

"Maybe another time, Wigglebutt," said Yoongi.  "Who knows?  Maybe next time all seven of us can be here with Noona."

"Really?  More hyungs?  Yay!" cheered Yugyeom.

"All seven.  Yay... " echoed Bam, but with far less enthusiasm.

Chuckling at their shenanigans, you went to hug Yugyeom goodbye.

"Alright, Buddy.  You get some rest so we can start our lessons tomorrow, okay?"

The boy stood up straight then bowed a full ninety degrees.

"Yes, Seongsaeng-nim!"

"Aish!  How polite!" you said, pulling a face at Bam before bowing to JB.  "He must get that from his uncle."

As the others laughed Jackson stepped forward, bowing to all three of you in turn.

"Our thanks to all of you for your help today.  Seongsaeng-nim, I will get with Jin-ssi this evening to coordinate the logistics for tomorrow."

"Thank you, Jackson-ssi.  I look forward to it.  And be sure to feed Yugyeom-ah a hearty breakfast in the morning.  Mama B used to say 'empty stomachs make for distracted minds'."

"You know," said Yoongi, starting towards the door. "Studies show that breakfast isn't actually the most important meal of the day.  Historically people only started eating breakfast as we know it about two hundred years ago..."

Trailing behind you glanced at JungKook and whispered, "Kookie?  Why do I have this strange feeling that I'm going to miss the time when he didn't talk to me?"

xx

The next day Jin accompanied you back to Jackson's where you played a series of games with Yugyeom to determine where he stood academically. 

As you'd been told, he was ahead of the curve in all subjects so on the way home you and Jin began developing a list of possible subjects that the others could cover in order to supplement his English lessons.

That night around the dinner table it was decided that in addtion to English you would work with Namjoon to develop a comprehensive reading list for the boy to broaden his literary horizons in both languages.   Jin would teach him cooking as well as basic first aid and JungKook would collaborate with you on art lessons while also teaching basic computer coding and small engine repairs.

Hoseok offered to teach the child how to prepare a budget and mend his own clothes while working with Jimin to teach him how to dance.  TaeHyung announced he would be in charge of Music Appreciation  (with special emphasis on Jazz and Classical) as well teaming with Jimin to teach the boy what they called 'useful real world skills'.

"That wouldn't include anything illegal, would it?" you asked. 

"Noona!" TaeHyung gasped.  "We would never!  Why the merest thought hadn't even begun to speculate about the slightest wisp of a possibility of crossing our minds."

"Yah!" you said, wagging an accusing finger at the curly haired man.  "Methinks thou dost protest too much, Kim TaeHyung!"

"Aish!" cried Namjoon, throwing his arms around you.  "Tish!  You quoted Shakespeare!"

"Sorry, Gomez," you said, patting him on the shoulder.  "I'll make sure you're not home when we cover that part of the curriculum."

"Covering Shakespeare without me?" Namjoon huffed, tightening his grip on you.  "Not a chance."

"Yah!  Namjoon-ah!" fussed Jin.  "Let her breath!  The boy won't learn anything if you suffocate the teacher!"

Mumbling an apology, Namjoon reluctantly released you as Jin turned to Yoongi.

"So?  Yoongi-ah.  What will your contribution be to the boy's education?"

"Bring him by the studio," said Yoongi.  "We'll let him look around, see if he's interested in learning an instrument.  If so, I'll handle those lessons."

He then surprised everyone by turning to you and bowing his head.

"If that's okay with you, Noona.   After all, he's your student."

"Considering the sum total of my instrumental musical knowledge consists of one song I learned on the piano when I was seven, I shall defer to your expertise on the subject, Yoongi-ah."

As you and Jin started writing down a schedule for the various lessons, the attention of the others kept shifting between you and Yoongi, almost as puzzled by the new dynamic burgeoning between the two of you as you were.

xx

The next day you, Jin and Namjoon met Jackson, JB and Yugyeom-ah at the local public library. 

You got the child set up with a library card then spent the rest of your time together showing him how to use the numbers on the spine of the books to find whatever information he wanted.  You did this by turning the activity into a scavenger hunt type game, where you gave him a topic in English and he had to track down a Korean language book on that subject.

The next day you all met at the studio where you got your first look inside, quizzing Yugyeom on the English words for all the instruments you found there.  While expressing a desire to learn to play all of them, it quickly became apparent that the child had a particular interest in the piano, so Yoongi promised they would begin lessons right away.

This became the routine, each member of the household teaching the boy something new while you incorporated English as much as possible into the lessons. 

It wasn't until the end of that first week that you learned an important piece of information about your hosts.

It happened on the day JungKook was giving Yugyeom his first tour of the garage, showing the boy how an internal combustion engine worked by using a model he'd built just for the occassion.

As the boy tinkered with a piston, you took a short break, stretching your legs in the courtyard with Jackson and JB.

"You guys want to come inside?" you asked.  "I can make us some tea or coffee if you like."

The two men shared a look of confusion.

"We can't," said Jackson.

"Why not?"

"This is as far as we go," said JB, pointing at the porch.

"What do you mean?"

"Those are the rules," said Jackson.  "Outsiders are occassionally allowed in the courtyard but NO ONE goes in the house."

"Honestly, I was surprised they let us in the garage today," said JB. 

"You and me both," said Jackson.  "For as long as I've known them, it's been an indisputable fact.  Gravity causes things to fall, the sun rises in the East and no one other than the seven men who live here and Tae-ssi's little dog crosses that threshold."

Thinking they were kidding  you almost laughed until you noticed neither of them seemed to be joking.

"Wait.  You guys are being serious right now?"

"Absolutely," said JB.  "No one gets in there.  Especially since SiHyuk-ssi passed." 

"He's right," said Jackson, both men bowing their heads in respect at the name of the late leader of the group. 

"There's a better chance of Bruce Wayne inviting a perfect stranger to hang out in the Bat Cave than those guys granting someone other than themselves entry to this place."

Sitting on the top step of the porch you tried to get your head around what they were saying.

"But .... they let me in."

"Exactly," said Jackson, taking a seat next to you.  "That's the main reason I gave Jin-ssi permission to let you visit Yugyeom that day.  If he trusted you enough to grant you entrance to the Fortress of Solitude I figured you must be something special."

"Huh..."

Momentarily  unable to come up with a more coherent response to this information you opted to fall back on one of Jin's favorite conversational tactics - diversion to an entirely different topic.

"What do you know?  References to both Batman and Superman.  I never figured you for a DC guy, Jackson-ssi."

Looking around, Jackson dramatically shushedyou before speaking in a loud whisper.

"Yah! Seongsaeng-nim!  Don't say anything Jungkook-ssi!   He'll threaten to turn off the internet access at our place if he finds out I prefer Batman to Iron Man!"

"Yah!  Fear not!" you said, extending your pinky finger to him.  "You're secret is safe with me, Bruce."

"Thank you, Seongsaeng-nim," he grinned, linking little fingers with you.  "I appreciate that."

"Aish!  No need to be so formal, Bruce," you said, releasing his pinky.  "You can call me Selina if you like."

"Not if he wants to live," laughed JB.  "But now that we've determined the secret identities of Batman and Cat Woman, let's get back to the garage before your Peter Parker and our Robin get bored working with models and start taking apart the engine to my car."

xx

You actively participated in all of Yugyeom's lessons with the guys, using every opportunity  you could to work in some English practice. 

The only exception was the boy's piano lessons. During those times you would sit quietly off to the side, usually sketching or making notes on future lessons as Yoongi patiently taught the boy how to play, starting with scales before progressing to some basic tunes which the boy quickly memorized.

Given how your relationship with Yoongi had begun, you'd expected these times with him to be awkward but you ended up actually enjoying listening to Yoongi's deep, calm voice as he went over things as many times as the boy needed.

As a matter of fact, you found it so relaxing that on more than one occassion you'd fallen asleep on the studio couch, only to find a blanket draped over you or a pillow tucked under your head when you woke up. 

One day as you sat drawing, Yugyeom asked, "Noona?  Do you play any instruments?"

"No, Buddy.  That's not my thing." 

"Liar!" said Yoongi.  "You told us you'd learned one song on the piano."

"You remember that?"

"Of course I do," said Yoongi, motioning toward the bench.

"So.  Come on.  Let's hear it."

"No.  No way. I'd only embarass myself."

"Please, Noona?!"  begged Yugyeom, bouncing up and down.  "Pretty  please?  Pretty pretty please?!  You've heard me play!"

You looked to Yoongi for help but unsurprisingly found none.

"You could say no," he shrugged.  "Of course, that would mean that you hate children."

"Okay. Fine," you grumbled, making your way to the piano.  "But don't make fun of me.  It's been a long time and I wasn't very good to begin with."

"We wouldn't dream of making fun of Noona, would we Wigglebutt?" said Yoongi.

"I would never make fun of Noona!" exclaimed Yugyeom, making a slashing motion in front of his chest.  "Cross my heart!"

"Thanks, Buddy.  I appreciate that."

Sitting down on the bench, you took a moment to try and access the memory of that long ago lesson before you started slowly and deliberately plunking out the opening notes to Heart and Soul.

You were only about three bars in when you felt a broad chest press against your back as a pair of arms reached around you.

Glancing up you saw Yoongi silently counting to himself before his elegant fingers began playing an elaborate counterpart to the simple bass line you were providing.

It took every last bit of focus you had to concentrate on the task at hand but you managed to finish the song with only a few minor mistakes.  When you reached the end you were startled by a round of applause from behind you, causing you both to jump.

You turned to find Namjoon, Jimin and JB cheering and clapping along with Yugyeom.

"Aish!  What are you guys doing there?" said Yoongi, leaning against the piano.  "You about gave me a damn heart attack."

"I guess that can happen when you get distracted," teased Namjoon.  "But in answer to your question, in case you've forgotten, I work here."

"And I'm Yugyeom's uncle as well as his ride home," said JB.

"Fine.  What's your excuse, Minnie?" said Yoongi.  "Why are you here?"

"Me?"  grinned Jimin.  "No excuse.  I'm just lucky, I guess."

"After witnessing that performance I think we all are," said Namjoon. 

"Agreed," said JB.  "Ready to go, Yugyeom-ah?"

"Aw! Do I have to go now?" whined the boy.

"Yep!"  said his uncle, scooping the child up.  "Come on!  Let's get your stuff ready.  You can come back tomorrow, okay?"

"Promise?"

"I promise."

"Can Noona come home with us?" asked Yugyeom, wriggling in his uncle's arms.

"Sorry.  Not tonight, Buddy," you said, collecting your sketchbook.  "But I'll help you gather up your things, okay?"

"Okay.  I guess," sighed the boy.

"I know," you said, grabbing your jacket.  "It's a tough life."

You followed the others out of the room, leaving Jimin in the doorway, smirking at Yoongi.

"The two of you were making some beautiful music there, hyung.  Interesting song selection too. Yours?"

"What?  That old thing?" huffed Yoongi, straightening up the sheet music he'd been using with Yugyeom.  "Not my choice. It's the only song she knows how to play."

"Really?  How convenient."

Smiling so broadly that his eyes turned into little crescents, Jimin shoved his hands in his pockets, singing loudly as he danced off down the hallway.

Heart and Soul
I fell in love with you
Heart and Soul
The way a fool would do madly
Because you held me tight
And stole a kiss in the night

xx

The more time you spent with Yoongi, the more you found the tension between the two of you gradually easing.  There were even a few rare instances when you thought you caught him smiling fondly at you as you worked with Yugyeom but each time you convinced yourself that you'd imagined it.

Until the day in the house library.

Perusing the shelves under the watchful gaze of the painting of Bang SiHyuk, you hadn't even been aware of Yoongi's presence in the room. You were trying to remember the name of the author Namjoon had mentioned at dinner the night before when out of the corner of your eye you saw a book fly across the room followed by a string of colorful curse words.

Rounding the corner you found an irate Yoongi now standing over the the book in question, seething at it as if it had personally insulted his ancestors.

"Yah!"

You snatched the item off the floor to find it was a English - Korean thesaurus. 

"What the hell is your problem, Yoongi-ah?!  What did that poor book ever do to you?"

"What's my problem?!  My problem is that I've been trying since last night to come up with a fucking English word that describes a fucking atmospheric condition that's hot and sticky while at the same time sounding sexy and it's fucking impossible!"

"Aish. Is that all?" you said, dusting the book off with your shirt sleeve.  "And here I thought it was something serious."

"It is serious!" snapped Yoongi.  "I've got a deadline to meet in less than three hours and I'm not going to make it because the word I need doesn't fucking exist!"

"Don't be silly.  Of course it does," you said, opening the book to smooth out the pages.

 "Sultry."

Yoongi made a weird choking noise, like a cat trying to clear a fur ball out if its throat.

"Wh - what did you say?"  

"I said, the word you're looking for is 'sultry'." 

Yanking his phone from his back pocket, Yoongi rapidly typed the word into a search engine then read the definition out loud.

"Sultry. Adjective. Definition one -  oppressively hot and humid weather.  Definition two - suggesting or expressing a passionate or strongly sexual nature or attraction."

He slowly looked up, blinking at you like some sort of disoriented owl.

"I - I honestly don't know whether I want to hit you or kiss you right now."

"Yeah, well... I've been told I have that effect on people."

Satisfied that the book hadn't suffered any irreparable harm you reshelved it before continuing the search for the one you'd originally been looking for.

"Let me know when you reach a decision on that so I can prepare myself for either eventuality."

Without speaking, Yoongi turned on his heel and marched out of the room.

"You're weclome!" you called after him before settling down into one of the plush chairs in front of the fireplace, the incident fading from your mind as you got lost in the story you were reading.

xx

You weren't sure how much time had passed when Yoongi reappeared, finding you in the same spot.

"What are you up to?" he asked.

"Page 394," you answered, trying your best to ignore him.

"I mean what are you doing?"

"I'm reading."

"Reading what?"

"A book."

"Which one?"

"This one."

"What's it called?"

Without looking up you responded through gritted teeth.

"It's called Harry Potter and the Incredibly Slow Painful Death of the Unlucky Person Who Persisted on Interrupting Me While I Was Trying to Fucking Read. "

Leaning against one of the bookshelves, Yoongi didn't even try to hide the amusement in his voice.

"Huh.  I must have missed that one.  Is it any good?"

Your patience quickly evaporating, you slammed the book shut and leapt from your seat.

"Oh, for fucks sake!  If you want the room to yourself, just say so, why don't you?!"

As you began storming towards the door Yoongi blurted the words,  "I figured it out."

You hated to give him the satisifaction of an answer but curiousity got the better of you.

"Alright," you said, spinning around to face him.  "I'll bite.  Figured what out?"

"Whether I wanted to hit you or kiss you."

"Yeah?  So what's the verdict?"

When he took a step forward you instinctively flinched, causing him to stop dead in his tracks.

"Fuck," he said, the blood draining from his face.   "You - you actually thought I was going to hit you?"

Realizing what you'd done, you shrugged in what you hoped looked like a casual manner.

"Yes.  I mean, no.  I - I mean, that's always a possibility. I guess."

Yoongi seemed geniunely disturbed by that response.

"No.  No, it isn't.  Why would you think that?"

"Past experience," you said, fidgeting with the book in your hands.  "And because you hate me."

Yoongi's jaw dropped.

"O - okay.  Wow.  I promise we'll circle back to the whole 'past experience' comment eventually but I'm going to overlook it for right now only because the second part of what you just said is what needs immediate correction."

"Why?  It's true, isn't it?  You hate me.  Have ever since the day you first laid eyes on me."

Yoongi squinted, studying your face, sighing at whatever he found there.

"Wow.  You aren't kidding.  You seriously haven't figured it out yet?" 

When you still looked lost he scoffed and shook his head.

"Damn.   And here I thought you were almost as smart as Joonie."

"Sorry to disappoint you.  What is it exactly I'm supposed to have figured out?"

"I don't hate you, Pabo. I'm scared of you."

"Wait.  What?  That makes NO sense. Why on earth would you be scared of me?"

"Why?  Why?  Hell, I  don't know!"

Running a hand through his hair in frustration, Yoongi grew increasingly agitated as he spoke.

"Maybe it's because you came crashing in here, completely disrupting my carefully constructed little world with your stupid kindness and humor and intelligence, forcing all seven of us to rethink everything we thought we knew about each other and making me feel things I haven't felt in I don't know how long and I didn't have the first fucking clue what to do about that!"

"Well, what do you want to do about it?!"  you shouted, slamming the book you holding down onto the empty shelf next to you.

"Something that scares the absolute shit out of me!"

His chest heaving Yoongi took another - smaller - step towards you, eyes dipping to your lips as he did so.

"You - you can't be serious," you spluttered.

"Why not?" he asked, sliding cautiously nearer.

"B-because you're gay."

"I am?" he said, quirking an eyebrow at you. 

"Yes.  I mean, Cap said you were.  All of you.  And I've seen you together."

"Minnie said those exact words?  He said we were all homosexual?"

Taking a step back, your spine pressed against the end of one of the the bookcases as you replayed the conversation you'd had with Jimin in your mind.

"No..." you admitted.  "I suppose he didn't use those exact words.  But you're all in a relationship with each other."

"That's true," nodded Yoongi.

"A romantic one?"

"Yes."

"And you're all men."

"Last time I checked."

"So I'm confused."

Yoongi chuckled as he inched closer.

"Listen, we can talk all day about labels but I personally think those are for soup cans not people. So no matter what arbitrary designation society wants to pin on us  - pan, bi, demi - the bottom line is that for us, love is love is love and we don't let subjective boundaries like gender norms dictate our hearts or our actions. As long as all seven of us agree on something, then it's fine."

Slowly drawing nearer he added, "And you just happen to be a subject we all agree on..."

By now he was close enough for you to count the faint freckles on his cheeks and the proximity of his body to yours was making it difficult for you to think straight.

"I swear to you,  Min Yoongi," you said, trying to keep your voice steady.  "If this is your idea of a joke it's not fucking funny."

Reaching out he took hold of your wrists, moving one until your hand rested flat on the left side of his chest while placing the other on the side of his neck over his carotid artery.

"Is this the pulse rate of someone who's joking?"

You couldn't deny that the heart and pulse you felt under your trembling fingertips seemed to be racing just as much as yours in that moment.  As you tried sorting through the storm of conflicting thoughts and emotions swirling inside you, he caught you off guard by shifting even closer.

"Noona?"  he whispered, his breath soft and warm against your face.  "May I please kiss you?"

He gave you time to think and when you didn't respond right away, he gently nudged the tip of your nose with his own.

"Words please, Pabo.  Yes or no.  I'll respect either answer but I really can't afford for us to misunderstand each other right now."

Swallowing hard, you finally found your voice.

"Only if you swear to me this isn't a prank, because if it is, so help me...."

Sliding one hand to the side of your face, he tenderly swept his thumb over your cheek.

"It's not a prank, Pabo.  Not even a little bit.  I swear."

He leaned forward, giving you every chance to change your mind until his lips brushed gently against yours.

It was a sweet, soft kiss - more like a promise of things to come than anything else - but underneath that was an powerful undercurrent of something else - something deep and fierce - as if he were holding  himself back for fear of scaring you by going too fast too soon.

Feeling you start to respond, the kiss began to build in intensity but before either of you could get carried away,  Yoongi pulled back, resting his forehead on yours.

"Do you believe me now?" he murmured.

Part of you wanted to say yes.  Part of you wanted to believe him more than you'd wanted to believe anything in a very long time.

But the vicious chorus of self doubt inside your head could be really loud, especially during moments like this so you decided the truth was your best and only option.

"I ... I don't know ..."

You held your breath in anticipation of his response, relaxing slightly when your answer didn't seem to make him angry.

"That's fair," he said.  "I suppose I haven't really given you a reason to fully trust my intentions yet.  Again, I can respect that. How about I start proving it to you then?"

"How - how would you do that?"

"Dinner."

There was a long pause and when no other details were forthcoming you couldn't help but fall back into sarcasm.

"Dinner?  What about it? If you're asking if I'm for or against it..."

"Aish!" he said, shaking his head.  "Stop.  You know what I mean."

"No.  No, I don't.   You see, I'm not the one who can read auras and tell what people are feeling.  That's Tae-ah. You're the one insisting on words so if you want to ask me something be clear about it."

"Fine.  Alright.  How's this?  I'm asking you on a date. Dinner. With me. Tonight. At 7."

"Seven?" you asked, glancing at clock on the fireplace mantle.  "That's less than twenty minutes from now."

"Yep," said Yoongi, popping the 'p' on the end of the word.  "Is that a problem?"

"Nope," you said, emphasizing the last letter as well.

"So...that's it? You'll go out with me?"

Looking him square in the eyes you took a deep breath then nodded.

"Sure. Why not?  Mama B always said it's better to regret what you've done than the opportunities you missed." 

You hoped that your voice sounded more confident and empowered than you felt at the moment.

"Any specific dress code for the evening?"

"Not where I have in mind. Actually what you have on now is perfect," said Yoongi, refering to the plain white long sleeved t-shirt and faded jeans you had on.   "Wear your riding boots instead tennis shoes, though.  And I'd grab a jacket in case it gets cold later but that's up to you, I suppose."

"Okay. I'll go do that and then I'll see you by the front door at seven o'clock?"

"It's a date.  See you at seven."

Yoongi stepped aside to let you leave and you'd almost reached the door when you stopped.

"Yoongi-ah?"

"Yes?"

You wanted to believe what he'd said.  You wanted to think he wouldn't be deliberately cruel to you but you'd been burned often enough in the past to make the alternative a distinct possibility.

"Just so we're clear.  If this is some sort of prank, if you're just doing this to make me look stupid then I will leave this house and I will never come back.  Never.  I will pack my things and take the first flight out of the country and you'll be the one explaining to Yugyeom-ah and the others why I left.  Understand?"

Looking back over your shoulder you found an odd mix of tenderness and sadness in Yoongi's eyes but you weren't sure if it was meant for you or for him.

"I understand.  But it's not a prank, Pabo.   I swear it.  Please give me the chance to prove it to you."

Gripping the doorknob you said,  "Okay.  I'll see you at seven then."

xx

At precisely four minutes to seven,  Yoongi strolled into the kitchen where the others were gathered, preparing the evening meal.

"Ah! Yoongi-ah!  There you are," said Jin, digging around in the pantry.  "Do you have a preference on what we're having for dinner?"

"No.  Sorry, hyung.  Change of plans.  I'm eating out tonight."

"Really?  Where are you off to?  Late business meeting?"

"No.  I've got a date."

"A date?" Hoseok's eyes darted around the room, as he counted then recounted the number of people present. "With who?"

Yoongi checked his reflection in the window before answering.

"Noona."

Everyone froze, staring at the man fixing his hair as if he hadn't just dropped a bomb in their midst.

"Ex - excuse me?" stammered Jimin.  "Did - did you say a date?"

"Yes.  Yes, I did," said Yoongi, adjusting his shirt collar.

"A date with Noona?" asked JungKook.

"That is correct, JungKook-ah."

"You mean like a date date?"  asked Namjoon.

"Yes, Joonie," answered Yoongi.   "A date date."

"What?! When did this happen?!" spluttered TaeHyung.

"About fifteen minutes ago." 

Yoongi paused for effect before adding,  "Right after I kissed her."

Anticipating what was to follow he held up his hand and continued.

"And before anyone asks - yes.  It was a kiss kiss.  And for a first kiss it was a pretty damn good one, even if I do say so myself."

They all stood - as if someone had hit the pause button - until the room erupted with six voices speaking at once.

"Wait! "

"What?!"

"How?!"

"Where?!"

"Nobody said it was okay to start kissing!"

An amused Yoongi leaned against the counter, watching the chaos build to a crescendo until you came around the corner.

"Hey, guys.  What's all the fuss about?  Is everything okay?"

The room fell silent as all eyes turned to you standing there holding a faded denim jacket.

"Oh, everything is just dandy Pabo," grinned Yoongi.  "These guys were just debating current events.  You ready to go?"

"As ready as I'll ever be, I suppose."

"Excellent," he said, offering you his arm. "Right this way, then."

Ushering you out of the room, he called back over his shoulder.

"We'll be back later.  Much later... so don't feel like you need to wait up."

The others stared in disbelief until they heard the front door shut behind you.

The stunned silence lasted until Hoseok finally said,  "That - that actually happened, right?  I - I didn't imagine it, did I?"

"I'm not sure.  Maybe you did.  Or maybe we're having some sort of shared hallucination," said Namjoon.  "Did anyone else have mushrooms for lunch?  I've heard that ingesting certain species has the potential to trigger mass delusions."

"I didn't eat any mushrooms and I saw it," said TaeHyung.

"Same here," said Jin.

"Are we dreaming?" asked JungKook,

"There's one way to tell," said Jimin, holding out his arm.  "Kookie?  Pinch me."

The maknae obliged, causing Jimin to yelp.

"Ouch!"

"Oh, don't pretend like you didn't enjoy that," teased Hoseok.

"That is beside the point right now, hyung!" fussed Jimin, rubbing his arm.

"Well... " said Jin, slowly lowering himself into the chair next to him.  "My, my, my ... what an interesting and unexpected development this is..."

"Call it whatever you want, hyung  but it's on now,' said TaeHyung, rolling up his sleeves with a determined glint in his eyes.  "Yoongi-hyung might have gotten the first kiss but we're going to show Noona the datingest dates that have ever been dated!"

"Yah," sighed Hoseok, resting his chin on Jimin's shoulder.  "I must really love him.  I actually understood that sentence."

"That's funny.  So did I," said JungKook.  "And I usually have to ask one of you guys for help when he talks like that."

"Well, I always understand him," said Jimin, placing a kiss on Hoseok's cheek before wrapping his arms around JungKook's waist.  "And in this case, I one hundred percent agree with him."

"I think we all do," said Namjoon,  grabbing a chair as he looked expectantly at the others.

"Well?  What are you all waiting for?  You heard Tae-ah! Pull up a seat and let's start planning!"

Chapter Text

Chapter Sixteen

As you walked arm in arm with Yoongi to the garage you were still trying to convince yourself this wasn't a dream.  When you'd gone back to your room after the kiss in the library the first thing you'd done was to splash a sink full of cold water on your face as a test.

When that had didn't seem to wake you,  you'd changed into your boots as Yoongi had recommended before grabbing your jacket.  You even thought up a plausible excuse for what you were wearing in order to give the others just in case you got to the front door and Yoongi never showed.

But you were pleasantly surprised when you'd reached the kitchen to find Yoongi already waiting for you, wearing a clean shirt and jeans with his hair slicked back and a smile on his face.

After leaving the house you entered the garage where Yoongi handed you a helmet.

"From what little I saw, you seemed pretty adept on scooters as a driver," he said.  "How are you as a passenger?"

"I don't know.  I've never been one on a scooter before."

Yoongi grinned.

"Wow.  I get to be your first time?  Lucky me."

Rather than grabbing your old scooter that JungKook had just finished painting, Yoongi slung his leg over an understated but newer model scooter instead.

"The process should be fairly self explanatory," he said, slipping on his helmet.  "Saddle up behind me and hold on.  If at any time you feel uncomfortable or unsafe just tap my right leg and I'll pull over.  Okay?"

Fastening your helmet you slipped on behind him, resting your hands on his waist. 

"Yah!  You can do better than that, Pabo," scolded Yoongi.

Grabbing hold of your arms he pulled them around him until your hands were on his stomach.

"Hold on as tight as you like.  I won't break."

Once he was satisfied with your position he started the scooter.

"Ready?" he asked.

You responded with a nod and a thumbs up.

"Ready."

"Alright then.  Here we go."

And with that you set off.  You were immediately impressed with how well he handled the scooter, gliding in and out of traffic with an ease you knew must have come from years of practice.

It was nice being the passenger for a change.  It allowed you to experience the trip in a way you wouldn't have otherwise (even if it did mean that you had to continually work to distract yourself from letting your mind drift to your current physical proximity to Yoongi.)

You were enjoying the ride so much that you were almost disappointed when you reached your destination, an out of the way side street teeming with locally owned shops and restaurants.

Parking the scooter next to the sidewalk, Yoongi removed his helmet and asked,   "So? How'd I do?"

"Other than the ride not being long enough?  I'd give it a 10/10.  Would definitely recommend."

Yoongi's chest puffed up with pride as he took your helmet from you.

"Excellent.  I'll work hard to make sure the rest of the evening receives an equally enthusiastic rating." 

He motioned towards an unassuming ramen place nearby.

"Starting with something to eat."

Grabbing the helmets with one hand he placed the other on the small of your back.

"Come on.  There's someone I'd like you to meet."

He guided you towards the large opening which allowed an almost unobstructed view of the inside of the establishment which had a large, handpainted sign out front reading simply "Eonni's Noodles."

From what you could see the interior seemed just as unpretentious as the exterior.  The menu was written in chalk on a board above a counter that had a line of people that stretched down the sidewalk waiting for takeout orders.  What seating there was inside the dining area consisted of mismatched tables and chairs, most of which were filled with what looked to be local customers.  

What the business lacked in curb appeal however it more than made up for with heavenly aromas.  Your mouth started to water as you approached and you were just about to comment on it when two small children came charging towards you.

The bigger of the two - a boy who looked roughly the same age as Yugyeom - rushed at Yoongi with arms outstretched.

Yoongi was barely able to hand the helmets to you in time to catch the child as he leapt into the man's arms.

"Yah!"  roared Yoongi, swinging the boy around.  "Look out, Soo-Oh!  You've been caught by a tickle monster!"

The boy giggled furiously but then scampered off as soon as Yoongi set him down to greet the younger child - a girl about five years of age - who was bouncing up and down, make grabby motions with her hands.

"Oppa!  Oppa! I've missed you!"

"Hello, Munchkin!  I've missed you too!" said Yoongi, picking up the child and resting her on his hip.  "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine, Oppa.  Who's this?"

"This?" said Yoongi. "This is Y/N."

"Oh!  Hello, Y/N-ssi!" waved the girl.  "My name is Ji-Eun and I'm five years old.  That was my brother, Soo-Oh.  He's seven and he's kind of shy around new people."

"Hello, Ji-Eun-ssi!" you said, bowing politely.  "It's very nice to meet you!  And I completely understand about your brother.  Sometimes being around new people is hard."

"Thank you.  It's nice to meet you too, Y/N-ssi."

Turning back to Yoongi the girl said, "Oppa!  She's pretty!"

"I know," said Yoongi, winking at you as you blushed.  "I think so too."

"Do you think she would let me braid her hair sometime?" asked the girl.

"Maybe another day, Munchkin," grinned Yoongi.  "But tonight I brought Y/N-Noona here on a date.  Do you think you can help me impress her?"

"Yep!  Of course I can!"

The girl nodded enthusiastically then stopped and squinted as if concentrating very hard.

"Except ... what does 'impress' mean, Oppa?"

Before Yoongi could answer you leaned in and whispered,  "It means he wants you to make him look good so I'll go out with him again."

The girl's face scrunched into an adorable look of confusion.

"But Yoongi-Oppa already looks good, doesn't he?"

"Yeah," you said, winking at both Yoongi and the child.  "Yeah, he does."

As Yoongi winced at the compliment,  a middle aged woman bustled out, good naturedly fussing at the little girl.

"Yah!  JiEun-ah!  You and your brother are supposed to be in the back helping me peel burdock root!"

"But Auntie!" said the child, burying her face in Yoongi's neck.  "I had to greet Yoongi-Oppa!  If I didn't he'd be sad!"

"She's right, MaeOk-ssi," said Yoongi.  "I'd be very sad if I didn't get my welcome hugs.  Why, I'd probably even lose my appetite and that wouldn't be good for business, would it?"

The woman rolled her eyes as Yoongi and the little girl adopted matching exaggerated pouts.

"Aish!  Min Yoongi!  My life is challenging enough without you encouraging these rascals!"

"Auntie!  Be nice to him!" said the child, happily swinging her feet.  "Oppa is on a date so we have to help him impress her!"

Hearing this, the woman turned her attention to you, looking you up and down carefully.

"Yah!  Where are my manners?" said Yoongi.  "Chu MaeOk this is Y/N.  Y/N? This is Chu MaeOk. the owner and proprietor of Eonni's Noodles."

"Greetings, Ma'am," you said with a deep bow. "I'm very honored to meet you."

The woman's face remained impassive as she gave a short bow in return.

"Hmm... " she said, studying you with a sharp, appraising gaze.  "Is this your first time here, Y/N-ssi?"

"Yes, Ma'am.  I've never had the pleasure before."

"Then tell me, Y/N-ssi.  What are your initial impressions of my establishment?"

You got the distinct feeling that your answer to this question would determine more than just whether or not you would get served.

You could also tell a woman like this could smell bullshit a mile away so you stood tall and looked her in the eye when you answered.

"It seems like the kind of place where the food speaks for itself, Ma'am."

"Really? Is that so?" said the woman, raising an eyebrow.  "And what does that mean?"

"Well, Mama B used to say that if a place served good pork then they didn't need to waste time putting lipstick and high heels on the pig."

The woman held your gaze as the edges of her lips twitched upward into a smile.  She then waved towards an unoccupied booth tucked away in back of the restaurant.

"Alright then.  Follow me."

As Yoongi set down JiEun, you followed MaeOk across the scuffed but scrupulously clean linoleum to the only space in the establishment that afforded any sort of privacy.

Sliding into the bench across the table from you, Yoongi set the helmets on the seat between him and the wall then asked, "Y/N?  Is it okay if I order for both of us?"

"Since you seem to have the inside scoop around here, go ahead.  I'm sure it's all excellent."

"You are correct in that assumption," smiled Yoongi.  "We'll have two number ones please MaeOk-ssi.  What would you like to drink, Y/N?"

"I don't know.  Beer?"

"Good choice.  Two beers please, MaeOk-ssi."

"Coming right up, Yoongi-ah."

With a smile and bow, the woman headed into the kitchen.

"Okay, tell me the truth," you said, watching her walk away.  "Is my food going to be poisoned or not?"

"Definitely not," chuckled Yoongi.  "As a matter of fact, I'd be willing to bet my next three residual checks that you're getting extra helpings."

"Whew!  That's a relief," you said, slumping back in your seat.  "You seem close with all of them.  Are they your family?"

"As close as I've got any more," shrugged Yoongi.  "Other than the guys, of course."

"What do you mean?"

"I hit a bad patch before I met the others.  In addition to a paycheck, MaeOk-ssi also fed me in exchange for making deliveries and helping out around the place.  There were some days when her generosity was the only thing that kept me from starving."

"Making deliveries?  You?"

"Yes," said Yoongi.  "That's why your comment about me looking down on you for your profession cut so deeply.  At first I thought that's what he meant."

"What who meant?"

"Jin-hyung.  When you first came to stay with us, he said you and I had things in common.  I thought he meant we'd both been delivery drivers.  Then I realized he meant something else."

"Like what?"

Before he could answer MaeOk returned with a tray holding your beers along with two large steaming bowls of ramen.  True to Yoongi's prediction the woman placed the one containing significantly more noodles in front of you.

After you'd both praised the woman for the dishes appearance and aroma, MaeOk excused herself, saying she'd be back later with more.

Before eating Yoongi took out his phone and sent a quick text.

"Sorry," he said, slipping the device back into his pocket.  "Just letting Jin-hyung know where we are.  It makes him nervous if any of us go 'off grid' for too long."

"Yes.  I'm all too aware of that fact," you said.

"Ah.  Right.  Your outing with Minnie," chuckled Yoongi.  "Well, now that we've set his mind at ease, please.  Dig in."

Motioning for you to go first, you picked up your chopsticks to taste the ramen. When the flavors hit your mouth you let out a loud, unbridled moan that sounded far more sexual than you'd intended, causing Yoongi to nearly choke on his beer.

"Hell and damnation, woman!" he coughed, desperately trying to clear his throat.  "What's a person got to do to get you to make that noise again?"

"Apparently the answer is 'feed me this glorious ramen'," you said, enjoying the food far too much to be embarrassed about the sounds it provoked.  "No offense to Doc or Mama B but fuck... this is the best thing I've ever tasted in my life!"

Yoongi continued staring as you slurped down another mouthful of noodles.

"So, is feeding you this ramen the only thing capable of provoking an encore performance of that sound?"

"It's the only thing that's worked so far."

Reaching for his chopsticks, Yoongi quirked an eyebrow at you.

"All right then.  Challenge accepted."

Now it was your turn to blush.  Taking a sip of your beer to steady yourself you tried redirecting the conversation back to where you'd been before the food arrived.

"So... we have things in common, do we?  Care to elaborate on that?"

"Ah.  Yeah.  Right.  It ... it might be easier if I started at the beginning."

"Start wherever you want, Yoongi-ah.  It's your story."

Yoongi nodded,  fidgeting with his chopsticks as he tried to get his thoughts in order.

"I should start by saying that all I've ever wanted to do, from as far back as I can remember, is to make music," he said. 

"It was the only thing that ever meant anything to me.  From the time I could speak or form complete thoughts, I spent every free minute I could find writing lyrics and creating beats.  As I got older I worked hard to improve my craft.  I even won a province wide poetry contest when I was thirteen."

"Wow!  Thirteen?  That's impressive!"

Yoongi brushed off the compliment as he took a slow sip of his beer.

"I'm glad you think so.  My parents sure didn't."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that my family viewed such pursuits as 'frivolous' at best.  They put up with my 'hobby' until I entered high school when they made it abundantly clear that such foolishness would no longer be tolerated.  I tried working on my projects in secret but...."

His voice trailed off as he gazed at a faded travel poster hanging on the wall next to you.

"But what?" you asked.

Yoongi sighed, running a fingertip along a worn, discolored ring on the wooden tabletop left by a drink from long ago.

"When I was seventeen I came home from an underground rap battle to find my parents had gotten rid of all my music stuff - sound board, speakers, everything.  They'd also taken my computer to a repair shop and had them wipe the hard drive back to factory settings which erased all my files.  Thankfully I had my guitar and lyric notebooks with me that night.  If not I would have lost everything I'd ever created up to that point."

"Fuck.  That must have been devastating.  What did you do?"

"I lost it.  Starting screaming at them.  Said a lot of things that you can't take back, you know?"

"As a matter of fact, I do.  How did it end up for you?"

"Long story short?  I was given two options - either forget this music 'nonsense' once and for all or leave their house and never come back."

You were fairly certain you already knew the answer but you asked the question anyway.

"And which option did you choose?"

"The second.  I packed a few clothes, grabbed my guitar, my notebooks and what little money I'd earned from doing odd jobs around the neighborhood and left."

"Bold move.  Especially at that age.  Where'd you go?"

"Some people from the underground scene were nice enough to let me couch surf for a while.  Then group of guys I thought were my friends made me what sounded like a great offer."

"Which was?"

"Partner with them.  Go to Seoul.  Write and perform our own stuff.  Make a name for ourselves.  Take the music industry by storm.  All the standard pipe dreams and clichés." 

"Sounds great," you said.  "What was the catch?"

"The catch was they wanted to be famous more than they wanted to make music.  I mean they were okay but they didn't have the drive.  The passion. The fire in their belly.  But they did have something I didn't have."

"And that was?"

"A safety net.  They all came from well off families that were more than happy to indulge their fantasy of letting them live like street kids for a while."

"How generous of them,"  you said, voice dripping with sarcasm.  You'd encountered people like that during your journey through the system.  "So what happened?"

"What happened was that it turns out the road to global superstardom isn't as easy as the movies would have it appear."

Yoongi shook his head while taking another drink.

"I told them up front it was going to be rough.  That it was going to take a lot of time, effort, sacrifice and hard work to make it in the industry but they had less realistic expectations."

"So what did they do?  Turn tail and head home when the going got tough?"

"I wish.  That I could've coped with."

Just then MaeOk reappeared,  setting down two more beers and two more bowls of noodles before bustling away.

"See?  What'd I tell you?" grinned Yoongi.  "She only does that if she likes you."

"Aish!  I'm pretty sure you're the favorite around here," you said, tucking into the fresh bowl of ramen.  "Hell, for all I know she treats all of your dates like this."

"I wouldn't know.  I've never brought anyone here to eat with me before."

"Excuse me?" you said, stopping mid slurp. 

"You heard me.  The guys and I order delivery from here a lot and each of them have come with me at one time or another to grab some takeout but you're the first person I've ever brought here for a sit down meal."

Unsure of how to feel about this honor you once again resorted to an attempt at humor.

"Wow.  I get to be your first time?  Lucky me."

Hearing his words from earlier repeated back to him Yoongi laughed,  nudging your foot under the table.

"Yah!  Have I mentioned that you're a brat?"

"It may have come up a time or two in conversation," you said, nudging his foot in return.  "Now, what happened with you and your crew?"

Yoongi's smile quickly faded.

"Right.  Them.  Well, after three months they'd had enough and decided to take a short cut."

"Which consisted of?"

When he hesitated you reached across the table and placed your hand on his.

"Hey.  I'm sorry.  I - I didn't mean to push.  If you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to."

With a grateful smile, Yoongi flipped his hand over so he could squeeze your fingers.

"No.  I'm fine it - it's just not a time I care to revisit very often."

"Trust me.  I get that."

"I know you do."

You don't know the half of it, you thought as he released your hand to pick up his chopsticks again.

"Right.  Where were we?" he said.  "Oh right.  One night, about three months after we arrived in Seoul, I was out busking to pick up some extra cash.  I did alright so as a treat I stopped on the way back to pick up some ice cream for all of us but when I arrived at the shitty one room apartment we were sharing, they were gone."

"What do you mean - gone?"

"I mean that they left and took almost everything that wasn't nailed down with them - including my lyric notebooks.   I found out later that they'd already copied one of my songs then used their parents connections to go behind my back and sell it, claiming they'd written it themselves."

"Those fuckers!" you said, slamming your beer down on the table.  "What did you do?"

"What could I do?  I tracked them down and tried to make them admit the truth but their families circled the wagons around them.  And since I'd never filed for a copyright and didn't have possession of the notebooks to prove I was the original writer there wasn't a damn thing I could do about it. "

"Couldn't  you take them to court?"

"With what?  Lawyers cost money and without the notebooks it would have been my word against theirs. Besides, all those guys would have to do is copy all my stuff in their handwriting then burn my originals and say they'd written them in the first place." 

"What about your family?  Surely they could've helped." 

"Helped how?"

"I don't know!" you fumed, indignant over the injustice done to the man.  "Loaned you money for a lawyer, testified that was your writing, something?"

"Yeah right," scoffed Yoongi.  "I tried to calling my parents once after I left.  My mother answered. When she heard my voice she told me in no uncertain terms that I must have dialed incorrectly because she didn't have any children. She then proceeded to hang up and block my number." 

"Damn.  That's harsh."

"Oh well.  It is what it is," he said, trying to sound indifferent.

"Anyway, there I was.  No support system, no money, no songs and the rent due in less than a week.  Thankfully, besides my guitar I also had my old scooter so I was able to pick up extra work as a delivery driver.  It wasn't great money but it was enough to pay the bills, you know?"

"Again, I do actually know."

"Ah yes.  Touché."

"Watch it with the French," you teased.  "Joonie might hear you."

"True.  Honestly, I wouldn't put it past him to be lurking around here somewhere," replied Yoongi, who then made a show of checking under the table.

"Nah.  All clear!" he announced when he sat back up.  "Funny you should mention Joon-ah though."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean he'll be entering the story very soon."

"Oh!  Intriguing!" you said, leaning forward in anticipation. "By all means, proceed."

"Right.  So to make ends met I was making deliveries during the day while busking and writing lyrics at night.  I thought I was doing okay - until the day I was out making a delivery and this guy swerved to avoid hitting something on the street in front of him."

Yoongi unconsciously reached up to rub his shoulder as he spoke.

"I was in his blind spot.  When we made contact I came off the scooter and went skidding across the concrete.  Thankfully I was wearing a helmet so the accident wasn't fatal but I was pretty banged up.  Ended up in the hospital.  My left shoulder took the worst of it. They said I tore all the tendons and cartilage around it."

"Ouch!"  you winced.  "Those injuries hurt like a bitch."

"Sounds like you have first hand experience."

Realizing you'd inadvertently disclosed more than you'd meant to, you brushed the comment aside.

"Yeah.  I - uh -  was in a car accident once."

Fearing that he might ask a follow up question you quickly asked, "So, is that why Doc was concerned about your shoulder when Jackson was hauling you in from the roof?"

Yoongi nodded.

"It was.  Even though it was a long time ago, hyung is still cautious about the possibility of my reinjuring it.  A preview of what you have to look forward to, I suppose."

"I'll keep that in mind.  How does it feel now?  Your shoulder, I mean."

"The pain is almost completely gone now. Not like before.  Back then I couldn't afford the surgery to properly repair the underlying injury or to get the prescription for your pain meds refilled.  It was ... rough."

"That sucks.  How did you cope?"

"I didn't.  Not well anyway.  I tried powering through it at first but eventually the pain got so bad I pawned my guitar but even then I could only afford a two week supply of the meds.  That's when things got bad.  Really bad.  I ended up spiralling into a very, very dark place with no idea how to get out."

"Ah, yes.  The joys of being trapped inside one's own amygdala.  I know it well."

Yoongi's head snapped up at your comment.

"What did you say?"

"Sorry.  It was nothing.  Just this random fact I learned in school.  The amygdala is this little almond shaped mass in your brain that acts like a processing center for your emotions, particularly fear and anxiety.  One of its functions is to help your brain remember all the bad stuff that happens to you,  so you can recognize when something is dangerous so you can try and avoid it in the future."

Yoongi stared at you in shock.

"I know what the amygdala is," he said.  "I've been thinking of using the concept in a song but I hadn't mentioned it to anyone.  Not even Joonie.  Hell, I - I hadn't even written it down yet. It's just been a vague idea floating around in my brain."

"Huh.  Wow.  I guess it's true what they say then - great minds think alike."

You'd meant the comment as a joke but instead of laughing, Yoongi's eyes filled with something akin to pity.

"Oh, Pabo," he said.  "If the inside of your brain looks like mine then you've got even bigger problems than I thought."

"Yeah, well...."

Not wanting to venture any further down that particular conversational trail, you flipped the conversation back to him once again.

"So ... did you ever get your guitar back?"

"I did.  Thank you for asking.  As a matter of fact, that's where Joonie comes into the story."

"Really?  How?"

"Turns out he had noticed me busking around town. For whatever reason he liked my work, so when I didn't turn up in any of the usual spots for a couple of weeks he got curious and started asking around.  By chance he spotted my guitar in the pawn shop window one day and bribed the guy for my address."

Yoongi sighed and shook his head.

"I don't even want to think about the state I was in when he knocked on my door.  He took one look at me standing there  - dirty, tired, in the same clothes I been wearing for at least a week and said, "Wow.  Okay.   Take a shower.  Open a window.  Change into something that doesn't smell quite as strong. I'll be back soon."  Then he turned and walked away.

Yoongi chuckled at the memory.

"And damned if I didn't do what he said.  To this day I don't know why.  I had no idea who this guy was.  Hell, I didn't even know his name but after he left I took a shower, put on the least pungent shirt and jeans I owned then just sat and waited.  I'd almost convinced myself I'd dreamed the whole thing when he came back with an armload of groceries and my guitar."

He took a long, slow sip of his beer before quietly admitting,   "Up until that point I couldn't have told you the last time I broke down but that night after Joon left?  That night I curled up on the floor and cried like a fucking baby."

"That's okay," you said, holding your beer out towards him.  "Happens to the best of us."

You clinked the bottles together in a sort of sympathetic toast before he began speaking again.

"I thought it was a one off.  A single random act of kindness - until the next day when Joonie came back with a refilled pain prescription.  A couple of days after that he turned up again, only this time he wasn't alone." 

"Wait.  Don't tell me.  This time he was accompanied by a pudgy, middle aged man wearing round glasses?"

"Ding, ding, ding!  Right in one.  Give the lady a prize."

This time it was Yoongi's turn to extend his bottle towards you.

"Since you've heard the others stories I won't bore you with the details of that conversation,"  he said, clinking the bottles together.

"Suffice it to say that it took a lot of time and effort on their part before I was convinced they were serious about their offer but it turns out that pain, hunger and desperation can be highly motivating factors so I eventually gave in, took the risk and moved in with them.  They ended up paying for my surgery and once I recovered I helped them start the studio and yadda yadda yadda here we are."

You were about to point out the sheer volume of pertinent plot points he'd just skipped over but realized that would leave you open to further questioning as well so - once again - you deflected.

"I'm glad things worked out for you.  What happened to the guys who ripped you off?"

"Them?  About what you'd expect.  All but one quit the music business once they had exhausted my lyrics and to actually write their own shit and realized it wasn't as easy as they thought it was.  Last I heard they were all working low paying, mind-numbing, soul-crushing office jobs somewhere."

"Sounds like a well deserved hellscape for them," you said, cringing at the thought.  "You said all but one quit.  What happened to him?"

"You mean the guy I ultimately found out was the ring leader behind the whole idea of ripping me off?  Funny thing about him ..." said Yoongi, leaning back in his seat with a self satisfied smirk.

"Eventually, somebody managed to hack into all his private communications - texts, emails, DM's, browser history - and leaked it to the media." 

"Did they now?"  you said, trying but failing to look surprised.  "My.  How curious.  I take it there where things included in those messages that painted him in an unflattering light?"

"You could say that.  He found out pretty quickly that the public doesn't take kindly to folks who indulge in his particular brand of recreational activities.  Especially the ones involving minors." 

Yoongi's eyes narrowed as he spat the words out.

"Even with his family's money that fucker couldn't buy a shovel big enough to dig himself out of the hole he found himself in.  Took a jury less than three hours to convict his sorry ass of 'predatory behavior'.  The whole process financially ruined him and there's not a studio on this planet that would touch him with a fucking ten meter pole."

"Good," you said.  "Glad to hear it. I hope the good citizen that exposed him got a medal."

"He got something better," said Yoongi.  "He got revenge."

The look on his face and the tone of his voice served as a reminder that  - despite his changed behavior towards you and the kindness the others had shown - these were men that you crossed at your own peril.

Suppressing the shiver running down your spine, you reached for your drink and asked,  "So ... we're both former delivery drivers who fell on tough financial times and were both involved in accidents.  Is that what Doc meant about us having things in common?"

To your surprise, Yoongi averted his gaze and began biting his lip.

"Um.  Yes.  I mean, no.  I mean ... that's not all we have in common."

Unsure what brought about this sudden bout of discomfort,  you rushed to reassure him.

"Hey!  What I said before still stands," you said, feeling bad for having asked the question.  "If you don't want to talk about something that's fine.  Really."

"No.  It's okay," said Yoongi, waving you off.  "It - it's just this part is a lot more ... recent and ... raw." 

He began tearing the paper label on his beer.

"First, I - I  suppose I should ask what you know about SiHyuk-ssi."

"Not a lot," you said.  "Doc told me a little bit about his background - about his friend Sejin, the fire, finding out about his family, his determination to help others. Then he and the others told me how they each met SiHyuk-ssi and what he did for them.  That's pretty much all I know."

"Did anyone tell  you how he died?"

"Not in any detail.  All Joonie said was that a job went wrong, SiHyuk-ssi got hurt and by the time one of you found him he was gone."

"He told you hyung was already dead when he was found?"

You thought carefully, trying to remember the exact words Namjoon had used.

"No ... now that you mention it what he said was by the time one of you found him it was too late."

Yoongi nodded slowly.

"Fuck..." you said.  "Does that means that one of you ...."

You stopped midsentence as the truth hit you like a wall of bricks.

"You.  You were the one who found him.  You ... "

"Held him in my arms as he died?" said Yoongi, his strained voice no more than a whisper.  "Yeah. That ... that was me."

Without thinking you slipped out of your seat and slid into the spot next to Yoongi before wrapping your arms around him.

"Oh, Yoongi-ah.  I'm so sorry."

"Yah...Pabo, you don't have to..." he squirming under the attention.

"Shut up.  I don't have to hug you.  I want to, so just accept it, okay?"

You half expected him to put up at least some token resistance to the embrace but instead he wound his arms around you, hugging you in return.

You sat in silence until he whispered, "Listen.  I'm sorry but ... do - do you mind if I don't get into the details of what happened that day right now?"

"Hey.  I'm the last person to pressure you to talk about that."

"Thank you," he said, tightening his grip on you before continuing.

"Anyway, when I heard about what happened with you and your father I realized that's what hyung meant.  That both of us had watched someone we loved dearly die in front of us."

As you sat there, trying to decide if you wanted to delve further into that topic, Yoongi kept talking.

"Hyung also insinuated that we had other things in common but when I asked what he said that wasn't his story to tell.  That we'd figure it out eventually."

"Then I guess we will," you said, making up your mind to push that topic off until later.  "But let's leave that for another day, shall we?"

Thinking he would release you instead he surprised you by resting his chin on your head.

"Pabo?  I also need to apologize to you."

"For what?"

"I don't think we have enough time tonight for the whole list.  But I want to start by apologizing for the way I treated you when you first arrived - especially after you were ... shot."

He had to force the word out, as if it caused him pain to even think about it - much less say it.

"I thought I was being protective of the others but in reality what I was actually doing was lashing out. Projecting my past, my issues and my insecurities on you and you didn't deserve that."

"Thank you.  Now I can understand where you were coming from.  I wish I could say it was the first time that had ever happened to me when I arrived in a new place but if I did that then I'd be lying."

"Then I'm sorry for that as well."

He pressed a soft kiss onto your hair before relaxing his grip on you.

"Right.  Enough serious talk for the moment.  If you're done eating I've got somewhere else I want to take you before it gets too late."

xx

As you excused yourself to visit the ladies room, Yoongi settled the bill with MaeOk but when she went to hand him his change he refused it.

"Keep it," he said, pushing her hand away. 

"Yah!  Yoong-ah!  You don't have to do that," she insisted.

"And you didn't have to feed me when I was hurt and couldn't work. So keep it.  For me.  Please."

They pushed the money back and forth a few times until the woman reluctantly accepted that this was an argument she wasn't going to win.

"Fine. But only because it'll make up for the deadbeat who left a few minutes ago without paying," she huffed.  "I don't mind when the occasional person whose obviously down on their luck does a runner but if you're wearing a watch that nice, you should pay your damn bills."

"You're kidding.  What a jackass!" huffed Yoongi.  "There are plenty of cameras on this street, MaeOk-ssi.  Want me to have Kookie hack into them and track this bastard down for you?"

"Nah.  I'll save my favors for when I really need them.  It's not like the old days.  A bowl of noodles and a glass of soju won't break me."

"Alright.  Whatever you say but just remember.  You have unlimited favors with me, okay?"

"Thanks, Yoongi-ah.  I'll keep that in mind," she said, tucking the money into her apron pocket then smiled.  "So ... the girl."

She looked over at you, crouched down, listening intently while JiEun excitedly explained something to you as her brother peeked out from around the corner to watch.

"Yeah?  What about her?" asked Yoongi.

"She's polite.  Straight forward.  Cute.  Doesn't seem to take your shit and she eats well.  I like her."

Without warning the woman then reached out to smack the back of Yoongi's head.

"So don't fuck it up."

"Yes, Ma'am," said Yoongi, bowing as he rubbed his scalp.  "I'll try not to."

xx

After assuring JiEun that you'd try and come back soon, you again climbed on the scooter for the short trip to your next destination.

Pulling up in front of what looked like a run of the mill coffee place, you spotted a glowing neon sign outside which read "Central Purrk".

Dismounting the scooter, as you took off your helmet you caught a glimpse of movement inside the front window and gasped.

"No way!  Yoongi-ah!  Is this a cat cafe?!"

"Yes," he said, appearing relieved at your reaction.  "Knowing how much you enjoy spending time with Tannie I kinda hoped you might enjoy checking out some cats as well."

"Are you kidding?!"  you squealed.   "I love cats!"

Grabbing hold of his hand you all but dragged him inside, where you found yourself in a warm inviting space, decorated with furnishings meant to resemble the coffee shop depicted in the TV show Friends.

"I wasn't allowed to have pets at the place I lived before so I made do with feeding the strays that lived around the building!"

Plopping down on a red, overstuffed cushion on the floor you grabbed a fishing toy from a nearby basket as an inquisitive little calico approached to see what was going on.

"Be careful," teased Yoongi, pulling up another cushion so he could sit next to you. "That's Brandtly.  Once you start playing with him he'll demand your attention for the duration of your visit."

You dangled the small felt fish in front of the cat who crouched and studied it before pouncing.

"That's okay," you said as the cat rolled over, sinking its tiny claws into its prey.  "He can have all the attention he wants."

As you continued to play with Brandtly, Yoongi began introducing some of the other felines.

"That's Mandu.  And that's Mochi.  And two little black ones are siblings - T'Challa and Shuri."

"Wow!" you laughed as the one called Mochi tackled Brandtly in an effort to claim the fish.  "Look at you, being on a first name basis with them all.  Come here often do you?"

"Yeah.  It's a good place to destress and unwind."

"Well, they sure seem to like you."

You watched with amusement as Mandu crawled into Yoongi's lap as Shuri climbed up his back to perch on his shoulder. 

"So why haven't you adopted one yet?"

"I'd love to," said Yoongi, scratching Mandu behind the ear. "Hell, I'd probably take them all home.  Unfortunately Minnie's allergic. So coming here on the regular is the next best thing."

"I get that.  My dog Mister Wiggles died not long before I had to enter foster care.  After that I bounced around a lot which meant I couldn't have a pet of my own so once I was old enough I started volunteering at the animal shelter whenever I could."

"Did you like it?  Volunteering at the shelter?"

"I did.  Thankfully it was a no kill shelter so the worst thing I had to deal with was watching an animal try to figure out where their people had gone. That was hard because you couldn't explain what had happened and why they were suddenly alone.  I knew what that felt like so I guess it made me especially sensitive to them."

Before Yoongi could delve deeper into that part of your  past, you spotted a fluffy grey cat tucked into a nearby corner.  It was hiding behind a potted plant - eyes wide, muscles tense, whiskers bristling - as if it were going to dart away at any moment.

"Hello, friend," you said.  "What's your name?"

You cautiously extended your hand but the cat shrunk back with a low hiss.

"Ah.  That's Jitters," said Yoongi.  "She's a new addition and she's still really skittish.  She was a stray.  They don't know her story but they think she might have been abused before she came here."

"That's terrible!" you said, making sure to keep your voice soft and your movements slow. "It's okay, Jitters.  You're safe now."

As Yoongi watched you try and coax the timid cat out of its hiding place he said, "Y/N?    I have a question for you."

"Okay," you said, still focusing on the frightened feline.  "What is it?"

"Back in the library I asked why you thought I might hit you and you said, 'Past experience.'  Care to elaborate on that?"

You sat back and sighed.  You'd hoped he'd forgotten about that.

"Oh.  You know.  Same old story," you said, trying to make it sound like no big deal.  "After my Mom died I was in a bad place mentally and emotionally which lead me to me making some bad decisions over the years - particularly about the type of people I got into relationships with."

"I get that," he said.  "My question is, how many of those 'bad decisions' hurt you?"

Realizing he wasn't going to let you sweep this under the rug you quietly admitted, "Psychologically?  More than I care to think about.  Physically?  Two. "

Yoongi's jaw tensed.

"That's two too many."

"I agree.  Thankfully by the time the second one turned violent I'd become secure enough to know that was a deal breaker and walked away immediately."

"Good for you.  What about the first one?"

"That was ... another story," you admitted.  "But at least the experience eventually lead to something positive."

"How so?"

"That's how I ended up with Mama B."

"Sorry?  I don't follow."

You shook your head as Mochi - who'd given up on the fish - began rubbing his face against your knee in a bid to get your attention.

"I had just turned sixteen," you said, running a finger lightly down the cat's back.  "One day I was in the park with this guy I was dating when he got angry about something. To tell the truth, I don't even remember what started it.  But whatever it was, he slapped me then pushed me hard enough that I fell down." 

"Had he done that before?" asked Yoongi.

"It was not a new occurrence."

Yoongi remained still but his posture was now stiff and you could see the muscles in his neck constricting.

"Anyway, as I was trying to get up he went to hit me again when all of a sudden this angry, middle aged woman comes from out of nowhere and starts clobbering him with her purse. She was moving so fast it took me a minute to recognize her as one of the cafeteria workers from my school." 

Looking into the basket of cat toys, you selected a cat nip mouse and dangled it just out of Mochi's reach.

"I wish you could've seen it, Yoongi-ah.  She beat the living shit out of him, then made him hand over his wallet.  She took out his ID and memorized it before throwing it back at him. 'Now I know where you live, tough guy,' she said.  'And if you think I'm pissed now, you just wait and see what happens if this girl turns up with another bruise on her, you hear me, you little chicken shit?' "

As Mochi stretched his little claws to try and grab the toy, Yoongi closed his eyes and clutched his chest.

"Damn.  I never met her but I am in love with this woman.  What did Chicken Shit do when she said that?"

"The first sensible thing I ever saw him do.  He ran like hell and never spoke to me again."

"Good.  What about Mama B?  Did she get in trouble for attacking him?"

"I asked her about that as she was helping me up.  She laughed and said, 'Don't worry.  He ain't going to do anything.  You think he's gonna go admit to all his friends and relations that he just got his ass handed to him by a lunch lady?'"

"Sounds like she had a pretty good understanding of how bullies work."

"She had a pretty good understanding of a lot of things."

Mochi tumbled over backwards and to his delight you dropped the mouse on his chubby tummy.

"Anyway, once she determined I didn't need medical attention, she asked me, 'Do your parents know what that boy's been doing to you?'  I told her No because I didn't have any parents.  Then she studied me real close and said, 'Grab you stuff and come with me.  You look like you need a good meal.' "

As Mochi fiercely attacked his new found prize, Brandtly stomped over and began loudly protesting the lack of attention being paid to him.

"I followed her back to her place and she made me something to eat.  When she found out how many foster homes I'd been through in the last three years and how I was going to have to leave the temporary shelter I was currently in soon she just said, 'That's okay.  You're home now.' "

To silence the animal's caterwauling you scooped Brandtly up and placed him in your lap.

"First thing the next morning she went straight to the court house and filled out all the paperwork to be a temporary foster Mom.  There was a shortage of people willing to take kids my age so they rushed her application through."

"That's good," said Yoongi.  "Sounds like you needed someone on your side."

Brandtly huffed indignantly at being moved before turning in circles in an attempt to get comfortable.

"You're right. I did.  And I wish I could say that once I moved in with Mama B I got my shit together and never made another bad decision  - relationship or otherwise - again but ... at least I had someone on my side to help me pick up the pieces when I screwed up."

"Sometimes that's the best we can hope for," said Yoongi.  "Either way, I'm glad someone was there for you when you needed it.  I'm just sorry it took a situation like that to get you the home you deserved."

"Yeah.  Me too."

As Brandtly began kneading your leg with his paws, Yoongi pushed himself up from his cushion.

"Want some coffee?  It's actually pretty good here."

"Sure.  But decaf, please.  If not I'll be awake all night."

"Decaf.  Got it."

When Yoongi returned with the coffees he found you laying on your stomach, your hand extended towards Jitters who was sniffing it tentatively from her spot behind the plant.  When she spotted Yoongi however she darted back into her hiding place.

"Sorry," he said, placing your coffee on the table next to you.  "I didn't mean to scare her."

"It's not your fault," you said, trying to dislodge Mandu and Mochi who'd climbed onto your back when you'd been lying down.  "She's obviously had a tough time.  It will take a while before she trusts again."

"You're right.  It will."

As you tried to extract Mandu from your hair and Mochi from your shirt you heard a clicking sound and looked up to find Yoongi pointing his phone at you.

"Texting Doc with our current location?" you asked, wincing as Mandu refused to let go of the clump of hair he was holding on to.

"No.  I did that when we first arrived.  Now I'm sending photos to the group chat."

"Pictures of what? The cats?"

"No.  Of you, Pabo."

"Why?"

"So the others know they can cross this place off the list for their first dates."

"Dates with who?" you asked, finally extricating Mandu from your hair.

"You, Pabo."

"Excuse me?" you asked, almost dropping Mandu in surprise. "What are you talking about?"

Yoongi laughed but stopped when he saw the look on your face.

"Holy hell.  You're serious," he said.

"Serious about what?"

"You honestly don't know?"

"Don't know what?" you asked, setting Mandu and Mochi back down on the floor.

"Shit!" cackled Yoongi.  "Oh, man!  They're never gonna believe this!  And here they all thought they were being too obvious!"

Shaking his head, he sat down before taking a sip of his drink.

"They're all crazy about you, Pabo.  Hell, most of them have already proposed marriage to you."

"Those were just jokes," you said as Mandu began stalking Mochi's tail.

"Aish, Pabo.  For someone so smart you can be incredibly slow on the uptake sometimes."

"What do you mean?"

"Good grief.  Fine.  Apparently I need to spell this out for you as if you were one of your kindergarten students."

Setting aside his drink,  he leaned forward and began speaking slowly and distinctly.

"Everyone in our house likes you.  As in 'likes you' likes you.  As in 'want to kiss you' likes you."

By now even the cats - even Jitters -  had stopped what they were doing to look at you as if you were dense.

"Everyone in our house is over the fucking moon about you," continued Yoongi.  "As a matter of fact, the other six lost their shit when they found out I was the first one to kiss you.  The only one of them that isn't absolutely green with envy that I'm the one out with you right now is Tannie and I'm not sure I can even rule him out."

Pausing to let those words sink in, Yoongi leaned back to retrieve his coffee before concluding with, "And the sooner you get that through your thick skull the easier this whole process will be for everyone involved."

Staring at him as if he'd just spoken in ancient Greek, you tried to process what he was saying but it simply could not compute.

"Wait .... wait..." you said, when you finally regained the ability to speak. "Even if that were true  -  and I'm not saying I believe that at all  - I can't even get my mind around how that would even work?"

"That's because you're thinking of it as ordering from an ala carte menu when you should actually consider it as an all you can eat buffet."

Yoongi stretched his legs out in front of him, clearly proud of himself for the analogy.

"Listen," he said.  "Trust me.  I get it.  For the longest time I thought I'd never find anyone, only to end up in a relationship with six other people?  It's a lot to take in."

He took another sip of his coffee as Shuri hopped onto his knee.

"I'm not saying it's easy.  Like any relationship it requires commitment, communication and a lot of intentional planning."

He chuckled as the little cat used her new higher ground position to bat at her brother's ear with her paw.

"Speaking of planning," he said.  "I'd be willing to wager that Joonie has already created a spreadsheet organizing all the future date nights they have planned, sorted at least three different ways."

"Yeah right. Now I know you're talking out of your ass."

"Care to bet on that?" he said, setting aside his coffee.  "Or are you afraid that your mouth might have just written a check that your ass can't cash?"

"Not a chance," you snorted.

"Fine.  If you're so sure then bet me."

The smile on his face should've been your first clue that you were about to make yet another bad decision.

"Come on," he said.  "I'll even let you pick the penalty."

"Penalty?"

"You know.  The outcome.  What the loser has to do to when they're proven wrong.  We always have one when we wager on things."

You looked at him warily.

"What kind of penalty?"

"Normal stuff.  Nothing too crazy."

"Really?  What's one that you had to pay up on?"

"Besides the Sky Bridge thing?"

He rolled his eyes as Shuri leapt down and began wrestling with Mandu.

"I lost a bet to Hob-ah and had to wear Minnie's clothes for a week," he admitted.

It took everything you had not to spit out the coffee in your mouth.

"Get out!  Seriously?!  What did you end up wearing?!"

"Anything Minnie picked out for me, which mainly consisted of tight jeans, chelsea boots and fluffy pastel sweaters. Worst part was the barista at the coffee shop near the studio thought I had an identical twin with better fashion sense visiting from out of town.  They actually told me to tell my 'twin' that I should stop dressing like an out of work vampire." 

"Oh, that is glorious!  Please, please tell me photos exist of this."

"No."

When you fixed him with your best stare he hesitated the relented.

"Alright.  Fine.  Maybe a few pictures exist.  In a locked vault at an undisclosed location. But they shall never see the light of day again unless I'm stupid enough to wager against them. Which I'm not, thank you very much."

You continued to laugh as Mochi climbed into your lap.

"Okay.  So ... let me get this straight.  You actually want to bet that Kim Namjoon has spent his precious post dinner reading time constructing a spreadsheet for a bunch of purely hypothetical dates that you think the others want to take me on AND he has sorted it more than one way?"

"Yep," said Yoongi.  "At least three."

"And I get to be the one who decides what happens to the loser of this bet?"

"Yep.  Just keep in mind that it will probably be you."

You thought for a moment then nodded.

"Okay.  I got it."

"Good.  Here."

Reaching into his pocket he pulled out his ever present notepad, which he handed to you along with a pen.

"Write it down but don't let me see it."

"Don't you want to know what it is?"

"Nope."

His casual acceptance of whatever penalty you'd decided on should have been the second clue that you were making a mistake.

"We'll let Joonie open it after we get home and you find out that I'm right."

You scribbled the penalty into the notepad then handed it back to  him, certain in your victory.

You couldn't have been more wrong.

xx

You spent another half an hour playing with the cats before heading back home.  Upon entering the house with Yoongi you were the only one surprised to find everyone else waiting around the kitchen table for you.

"Welcome home, Little One!" cried Jin.  "Please, join us."

You paused by the refrigerator, unsure of what was going on.

"What - what are you guys doing?"

"Waiting on you, silly!" said Hoseok, patting the empty chair next to him.

"Yes, please!  Take a seat!" said Jin.  "We've been busy in your absence.  Show her, Joon-ah."

Cautiously taking the seat beside Hoseok, Namjoon began pulling out several sheets of paper from a file folder in front of him.

"As I'm sure you're aware," he said, ignoring Yoongi's snort of laughter. "The rest of us harbor similar feelings as Yoongi-hyung and since he has taken the initiative to get the ball rolling we were thinking ...."

"Aish!  Hyung!" whined TaeHyung.  "Don't waste time with speeches!  Get to the good stuff!"

As Namjoon spluttered, Jimin jumped in to the conversation.

"What these two are trying to say is that we've got our first dates with you all planned out and hyung was nice enough to put them all into a spreadsheet to make it easier for us to keep track of."

Seeing the color begin to drain from your face at the mention of a spreadsheet,  a delighted Yoongi interrupted.

"Sorry, Minnie,"  he said, not even trying to hide the glee in his voice.  "I hate to be rude but before you go any further I need to ask.... Joonie?  Can you please tell me how many different ways you've sorted that data?"

"Four," answered Namjoon, causing your heart to sink.  "After taking you out of the equation I sorted the rest of us once by our ages, once by the order hyung found us, once by the order we met Noona and an utterly random order selected by a spirited - and highly contested - round of rock, paper, scissors."

Everyone looked at TaeHyung who simply replied, "Hey!  It's not my fault I think outside of the box."

Before you could find out how lateral thinking impacted a game of chance, Yoongi was reaching into his pocket.

"Thank you, Joon-ah.  You never fail to come through when I need you."

He took the paper you'd written on earlier and handed it across the table.

"Hyung?  What's this?" asked Namjoon.

"Open it and read it to yourself," said Yoongi.  "But don't let anyone else see what it says. Not yet anyway."

"Okay."

After obeying the instructions Namjoon looked up in confusion.

"I - I don't understand."

"That's okay.  She does."

Eyes gleaming with satisfaction, Yoongi leaned back in his chair.

"Pay up, Pabo."

"You can't be serious," you said.

"Oh ...I can and I am."

When you remained motionless, he tutted softly.

"Come on, Pabo.  You thought up the penalty.  And from the look on your face, it must be a really good one."

"You - you're evil," you hissed.

"Maybe but would you have made me do it if I'd been wrong?"

Since you couldn't argue with that statement, you resorted to bargaining.

"Fine.  Can I at least skip the part about standing on the chair when I do this?"

Yoongi thought for a second then nodded.

"Given the circumstances, I'll allow it.  But the rest of it  - whatever it is - stays as you originally wrote it."

Everyone watched with interest as you reluctantly stood and moved to the center of the room.

"Yoongi - hyung?" JungKook whispered.  "What's going on?"

Keeping his eyes fixed on you, Yoongi held up his hand.

"Hold on, Kookie.  Wait for it ...."

Trying not to dwell too much on your imminent humiliation you cleared your throat then found a spot on the ceiling to stare at as you started to sing.

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine!

You make me happy, when skies are grey!

You'll never know dear, how much I love you!

Please don't take my sunshine away!.

When you'd finished there was a brief silence before the group erupted in applause.

"How poetic," said Yoongi, grinning as you glared at him.  "Your mouth not only wrote the check, it ended up having to cash it as well."

As you made your way back to your seat, Yoongi asked, "Well, did she fulfill the penalty, Joon-ah?"

"With the exception of standing on a chair?" said Namjoon, handing him the paper.  "She did.  Now can know what the bet was?"

"That's simple.   She wagered that you'd rather read than work out this," said Yoongi, gesturing towards the papers fanned out in front of Namjoon as he pocketed the bet once again.

"Oh...." said Namjoon, shooting you a guilty look.  "Sorry, Noona."

"It's not your fault Joonie," you said.  "This one's all on me."

"Well, now that we've enjoyed that lovely little concert," said Jin.  "Let's get down to business, shall we?  We're all quite eager to share the ideas we've come up with for our dates."

And with that the floodgates opened and you were bombarded with their plans, which included things like shopping sprees, extravagant trips and meals at fancy restaurants with names you couldn't begin to pronounce.

Feeling yourself getting overwhelmed you finally cried out, "Stop!"

As the room fell silent you asked, "Don't I get a say in any of this?!"

"Of course you do, Little One," said Jin, bowing apologetically.  "We didn't mean to imply otherwise.  This was just us brainstorming.  Your consent and approval is paramount to us at all times."

"Good.  I'm glad to hear that." 

You then turned to Yoongi and held out your hand.

"Yoongi-ah?  Where's your notepad and pen?"

Thrown off by the request, Yoongi stammered before reaching into his pocket.

"Um... they're right here.  Why?"

"I want you to write down how much you spent tonight.  For everything.  All of it."

Doing as he was told, Yoongi totaled up his figures.

"All done?" you asked when he seemed to have finished.

"Yes."

"Thank you.  Hand it over, please."

He tore the page out and you quickly reviewed it for accuracy before placing it in the center of the table.

"Rule Number One," you stated.  "No one spends more than this amount on any date with me."

"Total?!" squeaked Jimin when he saw the figure listed.  "For the whole thing?!"

"Total.  For the whole thing."

"You're kidding!" whined TaeHyung.

"No," you said, crossing your arms across your chest.  "This point is non-negotiable."

"But..." started Hoseok.

"But nothing.  You either abide by this rule or no date.  End of story."

Before anyone else could protest Jin intervened.

"She's right.  We let ourselves get carried away, thinking more about how we wanted to treat Y/N rather than how she wanted to be treated.  We're sorry, Little One.  We hope you can forgive us for such an egregious oversight.  We won't let it happen again, I assure you."

"Yeah, we're sorry, Noona," said Namjoon, hanging his head.  "Please forgive us?  Again?"

"It's okay, Joonie," you said, hating to see them all looking so dejected when they'd been so excited earlier.  "It - it's just kind of a lot.  I'm still not convinced any of this is real so maybe just ... dial it back a notch?"

"Fair enough.  We shall abide by your wishes - beginning with your financial requirements," said Jin.  "Besides, we are nothing if not creative.  In the meantime, are there any other guidelines you want us to take into consideration, Little One?"

You thought for a moment before glancing at the youngest member of the group who was sitting quietly next to Yoongi.

"Just one," you said.

"And that is?"

"If you really all want to do this then you can go in whatever order you want but Kookie can't be last." 

The maknae looked up in surprise as Hoseok asked, "Okay but ... why?"

"Because he said that since he's youngest he's always last and I don't want that to be the case this time."

JungKook blushed as he smiled shyly at you.

"Thank you, Noona."

"You're welcome, Kookie."

As the others gazed fondly at the pair of you, Jin said, "Done.  No matter which schedule we use, Kookie will not be last in the line up.  Is there anything else?"

"I - I don't know," you said, your mind still refusing to believe any of this was happening.

"That's okay," said TaeHyung, reaching out to take your hand.  "You're right.  This is a lot.  We know.  We've been through it as well.  How about rule three is that you retain the right to add or amend the rules as we go along - up to and including the right to refuse anything that makes you the least bit uncomfortable.  Would that be alright?"

"Thank you.  I appreciate that."

"No, Noona," he said, squeezing your fingers.  "Thank you."

Glancing at the clock on the wall, Yoongi pushed his chair back from the table.

"Alright.  I think that's enough for right now.  It's been a rather eventful day, so if you'll excuse me, I'm going to walk my date to her door."

"Pardon?" you said as he reached for your hand.

"What? Haven't you ever heard of chivalry?"  he said, helping you up from your seat.  "A gentleman always sees his date safely home."

As Yoongi began leading you out of the room, Hoseok called out in a teasing voice, "Oh, so you're a gentleman now, hyung?"

Without turning around Yoongi held up one hand, flipping Hoseok off as he replied,  "Yah.  Unless you want me tagging along on the end of your date to provide commentary,  I'd consider my next words very carefully Hob-ah."

Hearing the others start to laugh, Hobi rushed to add, "Sorry, hyung! You kids have fun! Enjoy the rest of your evening! "

Rounding the corner Yoongi sighed as he gave you an apologetic look. 

"And there you have it," he said.  "A snapshot of what this whole process will look like.  At least you can't say you weren't warned."

As you giggled at the absurdity of the whole situation, Yoongi wrapped his arm around your waist.

"And I'm sorry about before,"  he said.

"For what?"

"Making you go through with the bet."

"Hey,  I lost fair and square.  And you were right.  I definitely would've made you go through with it if I'd won."

"So you aren't angry with me?" he asked.

"No.  Just embarrassed that everyone had to hear my awful singing voice."

"It's not awful."

You stopped and gave him a skeptical look.

"I mean, true .... you aren't going to be releasing an album anytime soon," he conceded.  "But ... I'd listen to you sing that again."

"Yeah, right," you scoffed.  "You'll hear that song again over my dead body."

As you resumed walking towards your room, Yoongi nudged you with his shoulder.

"So....any particular reason you chose that song?" he asked.

"It was the first song I learned in English.  My Dad looked so proud of me the first time I got it right that I kept singing it. Over. And over.  And over.  After a while I'm sure he regretted ever teaching it to me."

"I'm sure he loved every single performance.  I know I would've."

Upon reaching the door you stood, awkwardly shifting your feet.

"Um...It's been a long time since I've been on a first date with anyone," you said.  "I ... uh ....I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to do here."

"It's been a long time since I've been on a first date as well," admitted Yoongi.  "But - unless things have changed significantly since I last did this - I believe a good night kiss is the most prevalent option.  However it isn't mandatory so ... it would depend on you, I guess.  Is that something you would be okay with?"

"Oh - okay.  Yeah.  I guess."

"Wow," deadpanned Yoongi.  "That was a ringing endorsement.  Was the date that bad?"

"No! It wasn't!  It wasn't bad at all!" you said, fearing you'd just managed to ruin what had been a very positive experience.  "It was great!  It was ...."

Your breath hitched as you dropped your head to stare at the floor.

"Actually?  It - it was the best first date I've ever been on.  Hell, it was the best date I've ever been on."

For a moment all you could hear was the sound of your own heart racing then you felt Yoongi's fingers under your chin, slowly lifting your face back up.

"Well, considering what little I know about your past relationships, that seems like a fairly low standard to exceed," he said.  "However, I'm glad you had a good time.  I know one evening isn't enough to make up for all the doubts I've put in your mind but I'd like to think it's a start."

Moving closer he rested one hand one your waist and the other on  your cheek.

"Now, as I said before - unless you object -  I would like very much to kiss you again.  If you object, please say so now.  Otherwise, please nod indicating that I may  proceed?"

You swallowed hard, trying to tamp down the nervousness rising within you before giving a shaky nod of your head.

"Thank you, Pabo," he whispered, drawing your face closer to his.

Before you'd been caught off guard  but now the anticipation of what was about to happen caused a flurry of butterflies to take flight in your chest.

This time when Yoongi kissed you it was different.  While still soft and restrained, now he seemed more confident, the movement of his lips lingering and deliberate as if he were savoring the moment.

All too quickly he was pulling away.

"Good night, Pabo," he whispered, his fingers tracing a line along your jaw before stepping back.  "Thank you again.  Sleep well."

As he moved to turn away you stopped him.

"Yoongi-ah?"

"Yes?"

"Can - can I please have the piece of paper I wrote the bet on?"

"Of course," he said, reaching into his pocket.  "But just out of curiosity, may I ask why?"

"Sorry.  It's stupid it's just..."

You blushed as he handed the scrap of paper over to you.

"If - if I don't have it when I wake up I'll think I dreamed all this."

"Well, we can't have that, can we?"

As you took the paper from him, he leaned in to press another quick but firm kiss on your lips.

"There you go, Pabo.  Proof positive," he said, taking a step back.  "And may any dreams you have tonight be sweet ones."

"Thank you," you said as you slipped into your room.  "Good night, Yoongi-ah."

Once you'd closed the door behind you Yoongi leaned against it, running his fingers over his lips, unaware you were on the other side doing the exact same thing.

Chapter Text

Chapter Seventeen

You woke the next morning to find the piece of paper propped up on the bedside table, right next to Yugyeom's wigglebutt drawing, where you'd placed it before going to sleep.

Even with that bit of tangible, physical evidence, you were still wondering if you had dreamt the whole thing when you noticed you'd received a text notification from Yoongi sometime during the night. 

Opening the message you were greeted with file captioned 'Proof' containing a series of photos of your time at the cat cafe, including one of you trying to extract Mandu out of your hair that Yoongi had marked simply 'my favorite.'

Confronted with further confirmation that yesterday's events had actually occurred you grabbed hold of Ryan and whispered, "Holy crap, Ry.  What the hell have I got myself into?"

Looking down at the exasperated expression on the plushie's face, you poked him on the nose and made a face of your own.

"Yah.  Not helping, buddy."

You got up and went through your morning routine before walking nervously down the hall, unsure of how the events of the prior evening might have affected things around the house.

Entering the kitchen you found Jin and Namjoon sitting at the table with half drunk mugs of coffee in front of them, obviously waiting for you.

"Ah!  There she is!  Good morning, Little One!" exclaimed Jin, rising to greet you.  "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes.  Yes, I did," you said, eyeing the pair cautiously.  "Thanks for asking?"

"Excellent!  I'm most happy to hear that!"

Jin practically beamed as he ushered you towards your seat.

"Now, you get settled and I'll bring you something to eat, okay?"

"Okay...."

Taking your place at the table, you shot Namjoon a questioning look as Jin began bustling around the room.

"Don't worry," Namjoon grinned, taking a sip of his coffee.  "Hyung always gets like this when we add someone new to the group.  It's like a kind of nesting ritual for him.  He'll calm down eventually."

"Joon-ah?  You do know that I can hear you," said Jin, setting a plate overflowing with food in front of you.

"Of course I do, hyung," replied Namjoon.

"Then mind yourself or you'll be making your own coffee for the foreseeable future."

Jin arched an eyebrow at the other man as he handed you a mug of said coffee.

"Sorry, hyung.  I was just trying to reassure her that nothing was wrong."

"Wrong!  Of course nothing's wrong!"  Jin's head snapped around towards you.  "You didn't think anything was wrong, did you?"

"Well.... To be honest ...." you said as Jin looked pleadingly at you.  "I ....I ..... Don't really know what's going on right now so...."

Unsure of what else to say, you took a sip of your coffee to buy yourself some time, in the hopes of not offending anyone.

"Nothing's wrong, Little One!" Jin rushed to assure you.  "On the contrary!  From our standpoint at least, things couldn't be better!"

"What he's trying to say," said Namjoon.  "Is that - as we stated yesterday evening - we are all extremely happy and grateful to have the opportunity to further our relationship with you and hyung and I thought now might be a good time to discuss that in a bit more detail."

"Yes.  That's why it's just Joonie and I for the moment.  We didn't want to overwhelm you," said Jin, eagerly gesturing at your plate.  "So, please.  Begin eating while Joonie gets started.  Don't want you getting into things on an empty stomach!"

Knowing from past experience that Jin wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer on this, you started on your breakfast as Namjoon picked up a legal size notepad covered in writing.

"Forgive us in advance if this sounds like simply running down a check list," he said.  "But since we've been through this multiple times already, we've found it to be the clearest and most transparent way to begin setting some basic ground rules that can hopefully head off any unnecessary complications down the road."

He looked over at you, checking to ensure you were following what he was saying.

"Oh well," you said, still uncertain what exactly was going on.  "If it's your normal procedure and it's worked before then by all means, proceed."

"Thank you," said Namjoon, adjusting his reading glasses before consulting his list.

"Right.  First on the agenda is the clarification and approval of your living arrangements."

He spoke with the efficiency of a seasoned HR professional on-boarding a new employee, instead of a man discussing a romantic relationship.  It would almost seemed comical but the mention of living arrangements struck a chord with you.

"My living arrangements?" you asked.

"Yes.  While we of course want you to continue staying with us, we are also aware that it could seem like a power imbalance, so we need for you to understand that your residence here is in no way, shape or form dependent upon you dating one, some or any of us.  It is a completely voluntary arrangement that - for our part - we wish to carry on just as it has done since day one."

"Exactly," interjected Jin.   "But if - for any reason, you ever begin feel that the situation has become awkward or uncomfortable in any way for you, we ask that you tell us immediately so we can help you obtain safe and comfortable alternate accommodations."

"Alternate accommodations?"

"Yes," said Namjoon.  "If you don't want to stay here we'd want to make sure you were somewhere with what we would deem as adequate - especially in regards to security."

"Such as?"

The pair shared a glance before Jin reluctantly said, "In that case our first choice would be procuring you a spot at Jackson's."

"Oh.  I see," you said, laying aside your utensils.

While you knew they were speaking in hypotheticals, you felt your throat constrict at the knowledge that they already had a plan in place regarding your departure.

You dropped your gaze to the table, memories of being ejected from multiple foster homes on short notice swirling through your mind.

"Is - is that what you want me to do?"

"Want?! NO!" cried Namjoon, almost dropping his notepad.

"Absolutely not!" echoed Jin, reaching forward to grab your hands.

"We desperately want you to stay with us, Little One!  More than anything in the world!  We just didn't want you to feel as if you had no choice in the matter."

Namjoon nodded fervently.

"Like hyung said, we all WANT you to stay with us but we don't want you to feel like you're trapped here simply because you don't have a viable alternative.  We know that feeling like you owe a debt to anyone makes you uncomfortable and we never, ever want you to feel that way about your place here."

"Namjoon-ah is correct," said Jin.  "While your safety is always going to be our number one priority, it is followed closely by your comfort and happiness.  As long as those three conditions are satisfied we will abide by whatever decision you make, regardless of our personal preferences.  Does that  make sense?" 

"I - I think so."

"Good," said Namjoon.  "I'm sorry if it sounded like you weren't welcome here, Noona.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  So, please, know that our first choice is  - and always will be - for you to be with us."

With a hopeful smile Jin squeezed your hands and asked, "So... what do you say, Little One?  Will you stay here?"

Raising your head to finally look him in the eye you hesitated then nodded.

"Yes, please?  If it's okay with everyone, I would rather continue staying here."

"Excellent!" said Jin, leaning back as both he and Namjoon released matching sighs of relief.  "Then here you shall stay!"

He kissed your hands then released them, giving you the chance to start eating again as Namjoon consulted his notepad.

"Right.  Great.  Moving on.  Now that we have that sorted, while relationships obviously consist of more than just the physical aspect, it would be remiss of us to not broach that topic so we can determine up front what boundaries you are comfortable with."

"Boundaries?" you said, raising a scoop of rice to your mouth.

"Yes.  I know that we've already established your one year time limit regarding the consideration of marriage," said Jin.  "But just to clarify, how long do you typically wait before you feel comfortable considering a sexual relationship with a new partner?"

You stopped mid-bite, thrown off by this abrupt turn in the conversation.

"A sexual relationship with a new partner?" you said.

It occurred to you that you were beginning to sound like a parrot, constantly repeating back the last words the men said to make sure you'd heard them correctly.

You popped the rice in your mouth, buying yourself a little time to formulate an answer.

"Um ... I guess the answer is - it depends?"

"Okay.  Depends on what?" asked Namjoon, peering over his glasses.

"Various factors, I suppose." 

Despite the initial awkwardness of the conversation you decided that - given the circumstances - the best option was to just jump in feet first.

"To be honest, I haven't had the healthiest of experiences in the past so I'm not sure I'm a very good judge of such things." 

"Ah.  Yes.  Yoongi-ah mentioned that you had shared some of your 'past experiences' with him last night," said Jin, his voice taking on a slight edge.  "I hope you don't mind.  You did give us permission to share information if you had willing talked about a subject with one of us."

"No.  I don't mind.  I told you it was okay and it is easier than repeating the same story over and over again."

"Thank you, Little One.  I appreciate your understanding.  And while I shall want to speak with you in more detail regarding those 'experiences' at a later date we'll put them aside for the time being."

Both men were doing their best to act like the knowledge that you'd been treated badly in prior relationships was just another fact about your life but it did not escape your notice that their posture had stiffened at the introduction of the topic and that Namjoon's grasp on both his pen and his notepad had tightened to the point where his knuckles were white.

"So ...." the man said, forcing a bit of lightness into his tone.  "If you don't have a hard and fast rule on the subject, do you perhaps have a current preferences in that regard?"

"You mean about being ready for a sexual relationship?" 

You thought for a moment before turning towards Jin.

"I don't know.  What's the longest you've ever waited for someone to be ready, Doc?"

"The longest I've waited to have sex with someone after establishing a romantic relationship with that person?" he asked. 

You nodded and he did a quick mental calculation before answering.

"I'd say about two months," he said.

"Okay.  What about you, Joonie?"

"Me?  About the same.  Maybe a little longer.  Like you said, it would depend on the circumstances."

Armed with that information you decided now was as good a time as any to test the waters and see how serious they were about this whole thing.

"Then check in with me in three," you said.

Anticipating that they would either laugh or protest such an extended timeline for intimacy, you were surprised when both men nodded as if this was a perfectly reasonable response.

"Three months. Got it," said Namjoon, scribbling on his notepad.

Seeing the look on your face, Jin asked, "Little One?  Just out of curiosity, what would you have said if I'd told you the longest I'd ever waited was two weeks?"

"Then I would've known you were lying and I would've told you to see me in six months."

Jin's face broke out in a broad smile.

"Excellent answer.  Good girl."

Looking up from his notes, Namjoon blushed and said, "Noona? I'm sorry.  I should have asked before we got started but is this making you uncomfortable?  If so, we can stop."

"No.  It's okay, Joonie.  Besides, Mama B used to say if you couldn't talk about sex with a person then you shouldn't have sex with that person."

"Yah," sighed Jin, shaking his head.  "Once again I wish I could've met the woman.  Her wisdom seems to have been both practical and boundless."

"It was.  I only wish I had applied her words more often."

"Oh, I believe we've all had those kind of regrets, Little One.  But in the end I suppose the best we can do is live and learn."

"Exactly, hyung," said Namjoon.  "So.  Just to recap - you're staying with us and no sex for at least three months.  Correct?"

"Correct."

"Fine.  What about kissing?"

"Kissing?" you asked.  "What about it?"

"Is that on the table or is that something else you would prefer to hold off engaging in as well?"

Thinking back on your encounter with Yoongi in the library and again after your date the prior evening you blushed and said,  "Oh.  Um... I suppose if anyone is interested that would be okay."

Both men slowly looked up, staring at you in disbelief.

"Ex- excuse me...." said Namjoon.  "But did you just say 'if anyone is interested'?"

"Yeah.  I mean ... I don't want anyone to feel like they have to or anything ...."

"Like they have to?" squeaked Jin.

Exhaling slowly, he ran his hand over his face.

"Oh, Little One.  I believe I can speak for all parties involved when I say interest is not a going to be a problem. However, to make sure we don't overwhelm you I think it would be best if we instituted the same policy that we did each time we added a new person to the relationship.  What do you think, Joon-ah?"

"I think you're probably right, hyung.  It would make things a lot simpler."

"Okay.  What is this policy?" you asked.

"No kissing until at least the first date," said Namjoon.

"That's right," said Jin. "We found that to be the best option.  Otherwise it can make it difficult to come up for air at first, especially when the Wonder Twins get started.  So, would that be acceptable for you?"

"Oh....uh... sure...." you said, trying not to dwell too long on that particular mental image.

"Wonderful," said Jin.  "So I believe that just leaves the grey area in between kissing and sex to cover on today's agenda.  Do you have specific rules in place already for that or would you prefer to determine such things on a case by case basis?"

Still trying to process the absurdity of your current situation you found yourself struggling to form a coherent response.

"I guess case by case?" you finally offered.

"Got it.  Case by case," said Namjoon, adding the note to his list.  "While we're on the subject, do you have a specific safe word established that we should know about?"

"Safe word?  No."

"Really?" said Jin.  "May I ask why not?"

"No reason," you said, hoping your answer wouldn't provoke follow up questions about an experience you weren't prepared to discuss just yet.  "I .... uh ... just in the past I never found them to be particularly ... useful."

You could tell both men wanted to pursue that comment but perhaps sensing your reticence, they held themselves back for the time being.

"Right.  Well, that's entirely your choice," said Jin.  "But if you do decide to institute one, please let us know.  In the meantime, are you familiar with the traffic light system?"

"The red light, yellow light, green light thing?  Yes, I'm familiar."

"Excellent.  In place of a specific safe word please utilize that system at any time.  And not just in a romantic or sexual context.  Please feel free to invoke it even in conversation if necessary, even if you simply have a question or just need to pause and collect your thoughts.  No one here will ever get upset with you or judge you in any way for doing so.  Okay?"

"Okay."

"Thank you.  And keep in mind that, just as Tae-ah said last night,  you have the right to change your mind about anything at any time.  Just say the word, okay.  No means no, regardless of what stage of the act you are engaged in.  Understand?"

You nodded but Jin wasn't having it.

"I'm sorry, Little One but for something as important as this I'm going to need for you to provide a verbal response."

"Oh.  Alright.  Then, yes.  I understand."

"And could you please let know what it is that you understand?" persisted Jin.

"I understand that I can change my mind at any time about anything."

"Excellent," said Jin.  "Thank you for indulging me in that.  I think that means we've covered almost everything."

Before you could say anything, Namjoon raised his hand.

"Hyung? Before we adjourn I think we need to bring up the Yoongi-hyung thing."

"Ah.  You're right, Namjoon-ah.  Thank you.  I'd almost forgotten about that."

"Yoongi thing?" you asked.  "What 'Yoongi thing' would that be?"

"It may or may not happen but we should probably warn you that he might seem a bit stand-offish or distant around you for the next couple of days," said Namjoon.

"Why?  Does he regret asking me out or ....?"

"No!" said Jin.  "Not at all!  It's just how he sometimes reacts after making himself vulnerable.  He can start over thinking things and that can lead him to withdraw from the person he opened up to for a short period of time."

"And if you are anything like the rest of us," said Namjoon. "The temptation might be for you to feel rejected, causing you to pull back as well, but I would suggest you not do that."

"Joonie's right but don't push too much either," added Jin.  "That could cause him to retreat even further." 

"Great.  Then what am I supposed to do?"

"Just ... be there for him," said Jin.  "He'll come around as soon as he realizes that you aren't judging him for what he shared with you."

"But how will I know if I'm doing the right thing?  Will he tell me?"

"Probably not," said Namjoon.  "Hyung isn't good with words in these situations."

"Not good with words?  But he's a songwriter."

Namjoon sighed as he shook his head.

"I'm mean, sure.  Give hyung enough time and space to process what he's feeling and he can write a fucking symphony about his emotions.  But in the heat of the moment and off the cuff?  Not so much."

"True," said Jin.  "For the most part our Yoongi-ah prefers to express himself in less obvious, mainly non-verbal, ways."

"Like how?"

"He'll do things like showing up unannounced in the middle of rough day with your favorite snacks then act as if he didn't know you liked them," said Namjoon.  "Or making sure you wear a jacket when it's cold outside." 

"Or insisting you take an umbrella with you if it looks like there's even a chance of rain in the forecast," said Jin.  "Or filling the car with gas when he knows you have to leave early the next morning.  Actions like that are how he conveys his feelings when words aren't comfortable for him."

"Oh.  Okay.  I'll keep that in mind."

"Thank you, Little One.  We know how fond Yoongi-ah has become of you and we just didn't want you to think otherwise simply because he's getting in his head."

Jin smiled as he reached for your now empty breakfast plate.

"Well, I think we've covered quite enough for the moment.  We'll circle back around soon to see if you've thought of any other questions or concerns but for now why don't you go grab your yoga mat before we all meet outside?"

Thankful for a little bit of time and space to try and process everything that had just happened you pushed your chair away from the table.

"Alright," you said, standing to leave.  "Whatever you say, Doc."

Making your way out of the room, you had almost reached the hallway when you stopped as another thought occurred to you.

"Oh!  Doc?  I know you're the trained medical professional and all but there's been something I've been meaning to bring up."

"Yes?  What's that, Little One?"

"Have you all been tested for allergies?"

"Allergies?" asked Jin, rinsing off your plate in the sink.  "No.  Why?"

"Every time we do yoga in the back yard it seems like you all have trouble breathing.  I don't really notice it so much when we're in the house or outside at other times so maybe it's something in the garden that only blooms in the morning?"

Jin started to laugh but when you didn't follow suit he stopped abruptly and cleared his throat.

"Ah.  I see.   I ... uh ... hadn't noticed that.  How negligent of me.  Thank you so much for bringing it to my attention, Little One.  I will certainly try and be more observant in the future." 

"No problem, Doc.  I just wanted to make sure you were all okay."

Feeling better about having finally mentioned the topic,  you headed back to your room, missing Jin's whispered comment to an amused Namjoon.

"Allergies?  Allergies?"  he said, slumping against the counter.  "Fuck, Joonie!  I swear, that woman is going to be the absolute death of me."

xx

The yoga session went pretty much as normal, with the exception of Jin now seemingly taking great pleasure in pointing out when one of the others experienced an issue with the pollen.

Other than that, nothing seemed to have changed too much with the exception of Jimin and TaeHyung being a bit snugglier than usual with you.

You were glad about Jin and Namjoon's warning regarding Yoongi as the man was quieter than normal. Taking their words to heart you made sure to not draw attention to yourself as you thanked him for the date and the photos, earning you a soft smile and a mumbled "you're welcome" in return before he slipped away.

Afterwards you'd returned to your room and were just about to change out of your workout gear when you heard a tentative knock at your door.

"Come in?"

The door swung open to reveal Hoseok holding a basket of clothes.

"Noona?  Are - are you busy?"

"No, Hobi.  Come in.  What do you need?"

"Nothing.  I mean ... I don't need ... I mean ....oh .... here."

Abruptly shoving the basket towards you he then stood, waiting expectantly.

"What's this?" you asked.

"It's the first batch of the clothes I altered for you,"  he said.  "I - I hope you find them acceptable."

Seeing how nervous he looked almost caused your heart to break.

"Oh, Hobi!  Thank you!  I'm sure they're wonderful," you said, accepting the basket with both hands and a deep bow.  "But you really shouldn't have gone to all that trouble just for me!  This must have taken you a tremendous amount of time and effort!"

"Nonsense," he said.  "Like I said when I took your measurements, I wanted to do it and the practice was good for me.  I just hope you find the end result to your liking."

"Well, I'm sure everything will be great.  Really."

You set the basket on the bed and began going through its contents.

As you held up the various items to marvel at his handiwork, Hoseok suddenly blurted out, "Noona?  Are - are you busy tomorrow?"

"Not the whole day," you said, admiring a button down shirt he'd somehow managed to transform into a vest.  "I've got a lesson with Yugyeom-ah and Kookie in the morning but we should be done before lunch time.  Why?"

"I - I wanted to know if you'd like to go on a date with me." 

He looked down, scraping the toe of his house slipper across the floor.

"I mean ... if you want to.  Of course, you don't have to ...."

"Yes."

His head popped up.

"What?" he asked, as if he'd misheard you.

"I said, yes.  I'll go out with you."

"You will?  Seriously?"

"Absolutely.  I'd love to go out with you, Hobi."

His face lit up and once again you wondered at the warmth it caused within you.

"Wow.  Really?" he asked.

"Of course!  Where would you like to go?"

"Well.... I have a couple of ideas in mind but ... can they be a secret? I - I kinda want to surprise you."

"Okay but ...you promise you'll abide by the rules, right?"

"Oh, yes!  I promise!  Look!  I'll even pinky swear!"

He eagerly held out his hand, little finger extended.

"Oh, well then I suppose I can trust you," you laughed, linking pinkies with him.  "Is there any special dress code I should keep in mind?"

"Not really.  Actually, this with jeans or leggings would be perfect."

Reaching into the basket you were surprised when he bypassed some of the fancier designer things he'd tailored for you, instead selecting a simple, long sleeved lavender tee shirt that he'd turned into a tunic with an asymmetrical hem line, with one edge hitting mid thigh and the other reaching just below your knee.

"Oh, Hobi!  That's so pretty!  Thank you!"

"You're welcome," he said, blushing at the compliment.  "I'm glad you like it."

"I don't like it.  I love it."

The light pink blush spreading across his cheeks turned a bright red as he tried to hide his face behind his hands.

"Aw, Noona!  Stop!  You're embarrassing me!"

"Well, get used to it, Hobi.  I haven't even looked through half of this stuff yet and I can already tell these are the nicest clothes I've ever had the privilege of wearing."

"Oh,  I can assure you the privilege was all mine, Noona.  Really."

Taking a step back Hobi bowed before standing to give you a shy wave.

"I'll let you go so you can try some stuff on.  Let me know if I got the sizing wrong.  Then I'll text you later so we can work out a time for tomorrow?"

"Sounds great.  Thank you, Hobi."

"No.  Thank you, Noona."

As soon as he was gone, you flopped down on the bed, where you gazed at the basket of clothes for a long time before gathering Ryan into your arms.

"Ry?  Promise me something.  If this is a dream, don't you dare wake me up, okay?"

Glad that no one else was present to see you speaking with an inanimate object you shook your head then made your way into the bathroom to change.

xx

The next morning after YugYeom's lesson, you were sitting on the porch with Jackson , JB and the boy, reviewing that day's vocabulary words so the guys could help reinforce them when they got home.

"We can't tell you how much we appreciate all your help, SeongSaeng-nim," said Jackson.  "What say we treat you to lunch today as a thank you?"

Before you can answer YugYeom piped up and said,  "She can't today.  She has a date.  I heard the Jin-hyung and Kookie-hyung talking about it."

"Oh, does she now?" said JB.

As both men leaned forward with interest, Jackson said,  "YugYeom-ah?  Could you please ask JungKook-ssi if he needs us to get any special art supplies for your next lesson?"

"Sure thing, hyung!"

As soon as the boy darted towards the garage, the men fixed their eyes on you and you suddenly felt like a mouse being watched by a pair of hungry cats.

"Alright, Seongsaeng-nim," said JB.  "Spill."

"What?  I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, come on, Seongsaeng-nim!" pleaded Jackson.  "Please put us out of our misery!" 

"Yeah!"  said JB.  "At the very least tell us which of them pulled their head out of their ass first and finally made a move."

When you hesitated, Jackson clasped his hands at his chest and began rubbing them together in supplication.

"It was Seokjin-ssi, wasn't it?  Please, please tell me it was Seokjin-ssi!"

"What?" you said, thrown off by the urgency of his questioning.  "No.  It wasn't Doc."

"Damn!  Then who was it?"

Realizing they weren't going to let up until you shared the information you rolled your eyes and said,  "Fine.  Since you'll probably hear about it eventually from YugYeom-ah... it was Yoongi."

"Yes!" exclaimed JB who pumped the air with his fist before sticking his hand out to Jackson.  "Pay up, hyung."

"What?!"

Your jaw dropped as Jackson reluctantly dug out his wallet and jammed a wad of banknotes into JB's outstretched hand.

"You guys were betting on this?" 

"Of course we were," sulked Jackson, shoving his wallet back into his pocket.

"Wait.  Wait.  I don't understand. Why would you even think there was something to bet on in the first place?"

"Why?" asked JB.  "Because we are sentient beings with functioning eyesight, Seongsaeng-nim."

"Yes and this sentient being is going to have words with Seokjin-ssi because he just cost me a bundle," huffed Jackson. "I was sure he'd be the first!"

As JB gleefully counted his winnings, Jackson asked.

"So you're going on a date with Min Yoongi?"

"Actually.... I already did."

"Really?  Damn.  Way to go!" said JB, pocketing the cash once he was satisfied it was all there.  "Did you have a good time?"

You couldn't help the smile that spread across your face at the memory of your date.

"Yeah.  I really did."

"Excellent," said Jackson.  "Glad to hear it.  So, who's next?"

"What do you mean?  What makes you think more than one of them would ask me out?"

"Again ..." sighed JB. "Sentient beings with eyes...."

"Okay but even if they did ask, why do you care?  Do you have a bet on that as well?"

"No," shrugged Jackson.  "It will just be fun to irritate whoever selected that person's name in the pool."

Crossing your arms you rolled your eyes at the pair.

"You guys are absolutely insufferable."

"Yeah, yeah whatever..." said JB.  "We've been called much worse. So, come on.  Who's the next lucky contestant on 'I Get to Date Noona'?"

You tortured them by waiting for a moment before finally admitting,  "Hoseok."

"Oh!  Mark's gonna be pissed!" crowed Jackson.  "He just missed out!"

As the two men gloated over this information you hesitantly asked,  "So - you guys don't think badly of me?"

"For what?" asked JB, genuinely confused by the question.

"For dating more than one person at the same time?"

"No.  Why would we?" asked Jackson.

"He's right," nodded JB.  "After all, given the circumstances,  it would be pretty hypocritical if we did."

It took a moment for his meaning to sink in.

"Wait  ... you guys are all in a relationship as well?"

Jackson looked at you as if you'd just sprouted a second head.

"Uh... yeah.  You didn't know?"

"No. I mean I figured a couple of you were but I didn't want to assume anything beyond that."

"Well, we are," said JB.  "Does that bother you?"

"Does what bother me?" you asked.

"That we're all involved with each other."

"No.  It doesn't.  It would be pretty hypocritical of me if it did."

Seeing the door to the garage open, JB smiled as he rose to his feet.

"Thanks.  And Seongsaeng-nim?  You'll be fine.  But if you need any help navigating things, let us know.  We'd be glad to share our insights and experiences if you think it would be helpful."

"Thanks.  I appreciate that.  Really."

As JB walked over to scoop up his nephew and confer with JungKook, Jackson winked and added,  "And Selina? At the risk of endangering my own life, please let us know if these guys ever royally fuck things up.  Because if they do, I'm sure I speak for all of us when I say that we'd be willing to make an offer as well."

"Thanks, Bruce.  I think I've got my hands full at the moment but I'll certainly keep that in mind."

"Please do, Seongsaeng-nim," he said, standing and brushing off his trouser legs.  "Please do."

xx

After lunch you ended up in the car with Hoseok, setting off towards a part of town you weren't familiar with.  Before long you pulled into the parking lot of large, two story brick building with a sign out front reading "Community Center".

Curiosity piqued, you turned to find Hoseok fidgeting nervously with his seatbelt.

"Hobi?  You okay?  What's wrong?"

"Nothing.  I - I'm just worried," he said.

"What about?"

"I - I thought this sounded fun when I planned it but now I'm afraid you'll find it stupid."

"Hey. If you planned it then - whatever it is - I'm sure it will be great."

"Okay," he said, both his voice and posture indicating that he didn't quite believe you.   "If you say so."

"I do say so.  So come on.  Show me this surprise of yours.  I'm dying to find out what it is."

"Alright," said Hoseok, unbuckling his seat belt.  "But don't get your hopes up."

Once out of the car he took your hand, guiding you into the building where you were greeted by an elderly man working the front desk.

"Hoseok-ssi!  How good to see you!  What brings one of our favorite patrons here today?  And with such a lovely companion as well!"

"Hello, SooChang-ssi," said Hoseok with a polite bow.  "Good to see you as well.  This is Y/N and she and I are taking one of MongHee's introductory classes this afternoon.  I signed us up online yesterday so we should be on the list?"

"Ah, yes!  Of course!" the man said, squinting at the computer screen in front of him.  "I see it now!  That's in room 3C.  End of the hall on the right."

"Thank you, SooChang-ssi.  I appreciate your assistance."

"My pleasure, Hoseok-ssi!  Have fun!"

After giving the man another bow and a cheerful wave, Hoseok lead you down the corridor, passing numerous rooms filled with people along the way.

"A class?" you asked.  "Fun!  What kind of courses do they offer here?"

"All kinds," said Hoseok.  "The center has loads of volunteers who teach a variety of subjects - from art to cooking to computer science." 

As you walked, Hoseok gestured towards hand lettered posters on the wall giving the dates and times for different upcoming classes.

"The first one is always free so residents of all ages and economic levels can try different things.  There's a nominal fee for the more advanced classes but we sponsor scholarships so even if someone can't afford it they can still pursue their passion."

"Hobi!  That -that's amazing!"

"Yah.  It's the least we can do," he said.  "It was one of the first programs SiHyuk-ssi instituted so it's kind of special to us."

"Well, I think it's great," you said.  "So what have you signed us up for today?"

Just then you reached Room 3C where you were greeted by a petite young woman with her hair piled up in a messy bun wearing a white shirt and denim overalls.

"Hoseok-ssi!  Hello! I was so happy when I saw you had signed up and were bringing a guest with you!"

With a smile so wide it made her eyes almost disappear, the woman bowed deeply in your direction.

"Hello!  My name is Jung Mong-Hee.  Welcome! We're so happy you joined us today!"

Her enthusiasm was infectious so you smiled and bowed in return.

"Thank you, Mong-Hee-ssi.  My name is Y/N and I'm excited to be here!"

"I'm glad to hear that!  Please take a seat.  We'll be starting in just a few minutes."

As the woman scurried off to greet the next person, you and Hoseok found a table in the back with two open seats and settled in to find a bin filled with plastic beads, rolls of elastic cord and thin wire, a pair of wire cutters and some glue

"Hobi!  Are we going to learn to make jewelry?!"

"Yeah," said Hosek, ducking his head.  "Nothing fancy, mind you.  Just simple beaded bracelets.  If - if you don't like it we can go do something else ..."

"Jung Hoseok, if you even think of trying to get me to leave before I've made something I swear I will glue you to that chair!"

You brandished a tube of glue at him, causing him to giggle.

"Okay, Noona.  We'll stay the entire time.  I promise."

"Good," you said, pushing the bin containing the beads at him.  "Now - help me find enough purple ones.  I want to make something to match my new shirt."

xx

Fifteen minutes later Hoseok was muttering to himself as he dug through the beads.

"Damn it..."

"What's wrong, Hobi?" you asked.

"We don't have the right letters to spell out our names.  I wanted to personalize the ones I was making."

"That's okay.  Let's just see what we can make out of the letters we have then."

Gathering up all the beads with letters on them you began shuffling them around into different arrangements to see what words you could form.

After a few unsuccessful attempts you finally said, "Here.  We've got enough to spell this twice.  One for each of us."

Hoseok looked at your solution then tipped his head in confusion.

"Borahae?  I'm sorry.  I've never heard of that.  What's it mean?"

"Honestly?  I don't know either,"  you admitted.  "It's just the only thing that works with the letters we have,  so I guess it can mean whatever we want it to mean."

Hoseok nodded thoughtfully.

"So it would be our very own word?  Just between us and nobody else?"

"Yeah.  I suppose.  Something like that."

With a decisive nod, Hoseok reached for one of the beads.

"Just between us.  I like it.  Borahae it is then."

xx

By the end of the class you'd each fashioned two bracelets a piece and made plans to buy supplies of your own so you could teach YugYeom how to make them as well.

After thanking your instructor, you and Hoseok walked across the street to a small stand selling fried chicken then sat down on a wooden picnic table to enjoy your meal.

Just as you were finishing up a young man across the street spotted Hoseok and began jumping up and down while waving frantically.

"J-Hope Sunbae-nim!" he cried.  "J-Hope Sunbae-nim!  I'm so glad to see you!  Please!  Wait there!  I have news for you!"

While the young man waited for the light to change so he could cross safely you looked at Hoseok and asked, "J-Hope?"

"My old stage name," he explained.  "That's SangMin.  He started off as a scholarship student at the Community Center.  Now he's...."

Before he could say more the young man came sprinting towards you.

"J-Hope Sunbae-nim!" he panted.  "Guess what?!  I just heard - I passed the audition!  I'm officially a trainee!"

Hoseok couldn't have looked prouder if he'd been the boy's own father.

"Oh SangMin!" he said, jumping up to embrace the excited young man.  "That's wonderful!  Congratulations!" 

"Thank you, Sunbae-nim!  I couldn't have done it without you!"

"Nonsense," said Hoseok, pulling back to give SangMin a hearty pat on the shoulder.  "You're the one who put in the time and the effort!  The credit is yours and yours alone."

"But if it weren't for your inspiration I might never have pursued dance at all!"

The younger turned to you, eyes wide with admiration.

"Sunbae-nim was one of the first people who showed me what really expressing yourself thought dance looked like!  His Boy Meets Evil performance literally changed my life!"

"Boy Meets Evil?" you asked.   "What's that?"

"What?!  You mean you've never seen it?!" gasped SangMin.  "Oh!  You have to!  Sunbae-nim won all kinds of awards for it!"

Before Hoseok could stop him the boy whipped his phone out of his pocket.  He tapped quickly on the screen then shoved the device in your face.

"See!"

The next few minutes forever changed  how you viewed Hoseok.  While the man dancing in that video physically resembled the Hobi you'd come to know the vibe was completely different.

Instead of the shy, quiet, self-effacing man you currently shared a house with, the man in the video was raw, confident and erotic.  You were glad  you'd remained seated when SangMin arrived because if you'd been standing while watching that performance your knees absolutely would've buckled at Hoseok's sensual hip thrusts and body rolls.

As the video ended all you could manage to get out was a breathy, "Wow...."

"It's great, isn't it?!" proclaimed SangMin.  "Sunbae-nim was the best!"

You glanced over at Hoseok, who was looking everywhere except your face.

Just as SangMin started to say something else, his phone rang.

"Ah!  That's my little brother!  Sorry, but I have to go, Sunbae-nim!"

"No worries, SangMin.  I hope to see you again soon when you have more time to fill me in on the details about being a trainee.  Until then, please keep me posted on your progress, okay?"

"I will Sunbae-nim!  And thank you again!"

Giving another enthusiastic wave, SangMin rushed back towards the Community Center.

"He seems like a nice kid,"  you said.

"He is.  He's worked very hard.  I'm glad to see it paying off for him," said Hoseok, lowering himself back into his seat.

"And that video of you .... That- that was amazing, Hobi."

"Yeah," he said, shrugging as he started to gather up the used plates.  "I was something back then."

"Hey!"

You grabbed his hands and he seemed startled by both the action and your tone of voice.

"You still are something, Jung Hoseok."

The look of sadness and disbelief on his face suddenly made you irrationally cross. 

"Yah!  Let me ask you this - if something happened to where Yoongi couldn't make music or... or Kookie couldn't paint or fix things, would you refer to their worth in the past tense?  Would you make derogatory comments about them or look down on them?  Would you love them any less because they couldn't do what they'd done before?"

"No!" said Hoseok, clearly offended by the very thought of doing such a thing.  "Of course not!"

"Why not?"

"Because I don't love them for what they can or can't do.  I love them for who they are."

"Exactly.  So why can't you do the same thing for yourself?"

The two of you held eye contact until Hoseok slumped forward and sighed.

"That - that's easier said than done, Baby Girl."

"I know.  I get it.  Really.  I do,"  you said.  "But please know that I mean it when I say that as incredible as that video was - the man I'm getting to know is even more incredible - whether he can still dance like that or not."

Hoseok stared at you for a moment before saying, "Noona?  How do you keep doing that?"

"Doing what?"

He shook his head as if in wonder.

"Making me feel better about myself."

"I don't know.  I guess the same way you do it for me."

Just then Hoseok's phone dinged.  With an irritated huff he pulled it out of his pocket then made a face.

"Damn it!"

"What?"

"It's a text from the general manager at the club.  They say they need me to pop in for a minute to take care of something in person.  Give me a second.  I'll send a quick note and tell them to figure it out themselves."

"No!  It's fine.  We can go."

Hobi's head snapped up, obviously taken aback.

"You - you'd want to go to my club?"

"Sure.  I've been to Tae's shop and Yoongi and Joon's studio.  It would be nice to see where you work as well."

"Really?"

"Really."

"You're sure?  You - you remember where I work, right?"

"Of course I do.  If I recall correctly you run 'an establishment were both male and female exotic dancers can hone their craft in a safe environment while at the same time earning a sustainable living'," you said.  "And yes, I'd still like to go."

Hoseok laughed upon hearing his own words repeated back to him.

"Okay then.  If you're sure.  I promise it won't take long."

After clearing the table, Hoseok walked you back to the car and before long you arrived at a swanky establishment in an trendy, upscale part of town.

Parking in a reserved spot you were then granted entrance into the building by possibly the largest person you'd ever seen, a serious looking man who seemed more like a brick wall wearing a tailored suit than an actual flesh and blood human being.

"Greetings, Boss-nim," the man said in a deep voice as he gave you both a low, respectful bow.

"Greetings, ChulSoon-ssi," answered Hobi, bowing in return.  "How's it going today?"

"I've had no troubles so far, sir."

"Excellent.  Glad to hear it.  Keep up the good work."

"Will do, Boss-nim," he said, opening the door for you.

Once inside, you couldn't help but gape in astonishment.  You weren't sure what you'd expected but the sight that greeted you most certainly wasn't it.

Given how such places were normally portrayed in movies and dramas you'd pictured something dark and seedy but this space was clean and brightly lit with polished marble floors, gleaming chrome fixtures and walls covered in swirls of dazzling - almost psychedelic  - neon paint that somehow managed to be vibrant without being garish.

"So, what do you think?" asked Hoseok.

"Wow.  It's certainly more colorful than I imagined."

"Yeah," chuckled Hoseok.  "SiHyuk-ssi gave me carte blanche to redecorate once I took over.  The paint is a specially made form of day-glo so it looks really cool when we dim the lights for a performance."

"Speaking of, will I get to see any dancing while I'm here?" you asked, glancing at a set of opulent burgundy velvet curtains on the other side of the room that currently concealed a stage of some sort.

"No.  That's later in the evening.  Until then we just serve food and drinks, mostly to wealthy retirees and salary men out to impress clients, who appreciate our extensive collection of beers, wines and liqueurs."

As he spoke he pointed towards a massive bar that stretched the entire length of the far wall.  It was backed with mirrors and clear shelves and it appeared to be lined with every form of alcohol known to man.  In the center of it all in pride of place was a large, glowing purple neon sign spelling out the word 'Daydreams' in a swooping retro font.

At the moment there were only a handful of patrons being served there, so Hoseok guided you towards the end where no one was currently seated.  As he approached he addressed the person tending bar, a woman in her mid-thirties with short choppy hair with dyed streaks almost as colorful as the walls.

"Hello, NaNa!  I got your message.  What seems to be the problem?"

"Aish!  I'm so, so sorry Boss-nim," she said, bowing apologetically. "I didn't want to bother you on your day off but the new sales rep from the catering company showed up and insisted on dealing with you and only you."

"Why?  I made a special point of telling them when we negotiated the contract that as manager you had full authority to handle all such matters in my absence."

"Yeah, well.... once he saw me I got the distinct impression that he felt I didn't have the necessary component parts to make those kind of decisions."

Pulling a face, the woman gestured towards her crotch causing Hoseok to seethe.

"Fuck!  Seriously?"

"Yep,"  said the woman, rolling her eyes.

"Did he come right out and say that or did he just imply it?" asked Hoseok.  "I mean, I'm going to tear him a new asshole either way.  His attitude will just determine the size of the orifice I'm about to leave him with."

"He didn't come right out and say it in so many words.  He just called me sweetheart then said he'd wait until he could talk to the 'real boss'."

"Yah!  For fucks sake!  What century are we in?"

With a low growl, Hoseok scanned the room, trying to spot the culprit.

"I'm so sorry you had to deal with that, NaNa.  Where is this idiotic Neanderthal anyway?"

"Table four.  And I'm pretty sure he thinks his drinks are going to be comped because he specifically instructed me to be sure I only used top shelf stuff when fixing his cocktail."

"Oh, hell no...." snorted Hoseok.  "Start that fucker a tab.  And don't even think of giving him the vendor discount.  As a matter of fact, apply the asshole tax.  Wait.  No.  Double it."

"Will do, Boss-nim."

"Thank you.  In the meantime, would you please take care of Y/N for me until I get this sorted?"

"Sure thing, Boss-nim.  Is she a new employee?"

"No.  She's a friend.  A very good friend.  Of all of us."

Snaking his arm around your waist he pulled you close as he introduced you.

"Y/N?  This is Yoon NaNa, first-rate general manger and the best damn bartender on the planet.  NaNa?  This is Y/N."

The woman wiped her hands on her bar towel as she bowed deeply.

"A pleasure to meet you, Y/N-ssi.  Please, have a seat."

"Thank you, NaNa-ssi.  It's nice to meet you as well."

As you settled onto the bar stool, Hobi said, "Noona?  I'm sorry.  This won't take long and then we'll be on our way."

"That's okay, Hobi.  Take all the time you need."

"Thank you for your understanding, Baby Girl."

With a sharp flick of his wrist he signaled another member of security, roughly the same size as the bouncer, who immediately responded.

"Yes, Boss-nim?"

"JunHo-ssi?  Would you please escort the occupant of Table 4 into my office?"

"Sure thing, Boss-nim." 

As the man started to walk off Hoseok added, " And JunHo?  If he gives you any trouble whatsoever, feel free to trip him."

"Whatever you say, Boss-nim."

As Hoseok walked towards his office, the woman behind the bar smiled warmly at you.

"So?  Y/N-ssi?  How do you know Boss-nim?"

You hesitated, unsure how much information was appropriate to share in Hoseok's place of business.

"Um.... Sorry. I - I don't mean to be rude it's just... kind of ... complicated?"

To your relief the bartender didn't seem to be the least bit offended by that answer.

"Don't worry," she laughed, draping the bar towel over her shoulder.  "Around here, everyone's story is.  How about I get you something to drink while you wait?  On the house, of course."

"Thank you," you said, overwhelmed by the sheer volume of bottles lined up behind her.  "But have you got anything non-alcoholic?  I don't know what Hob-ah has planned after this."

"Sure thing!  How's about a Shirley Temple?  I don't get to make those very often.  It would be good practice for me."

"If it's not too much trouble.  Thank you."

"No trouble at all, Y/N-ssi." 

As she reached for a glass you asked what you hoped sounded like an innocent question.

"So, does Hobi bring many .... friends here?"

"Other than his six ridiculously hot boyfriends?  No.  You're the first."

She stopped what she was doing, suddenly looking unsure of herself.

"You ... you do know about those guys, right?"

"Yes.  I do.  Thank you, though.  It would've been quite a shock if I didn't."

She leaned against the bar, clearly relieved that she hadn't committed an inexcusable breach of etiquette.

"No problem.  They're all great, by the way."

"Yeah.  I think so too."

"Especially the two who used to work here.  What sweethearts!" 

"Jimin and Tae?  They really are."

"Just out of curiosity, have you seen Jimin-ssi's fan dance yet?" she asked, filling the glass with ice.

"No.  I've heard about it though.  Apparently there's a video but I haven't seen it yet."

"Aish.  While I'm sure the video is great, you should really see it in person.  The Jimin effect would go off the charts in here every time he performed it!"

"The 'Jimin effect'?"

"Yeah.  I mean, I'm ace but damn .... "

She grinned, picking up a bottle of grenadine and pouring it over the ice.

"Even the hardcore heteros would be rethinking their life choices by the time he'd finished with that performance."

"I can only imagine," you laughed.

As she began adding ginger ale over the grenadine you asked, "So, what's it like working here?"

"Great!  By far the best job I've ever had."

She opened a jar of maraschino cherries, selecting the largest one and placing it on the drink.

"Some places turn a blind eye to all sorts of bad behavior towards the staff - especially the dancers -  but not here.  Boss-nim doesn't tolerate shit like that.  He takes care of all of us.  He's good people."

She sat your drink on a coaster shaped like a brightly colored flower then pushed it towards you.

"Here you go.  What do you do for a living?" she asked.

"Me?"

You took a sip of your drink before giving her a definite thumbs up.

"I'm in kind of a holding pattern right now. My educational background is teaching kindergarten as well as using art therapy to help kids who've gone through rough times.  One day soon I hope to resume both of things but for now I'm an English tutor."

"Wow!  That's really great!  Maybe Boss-nim could book you for a shift.  A therapist would certainly come in handy around here."

"How so?" you asked, taking another sip.

"You'd be surprised at how many conversations in a place like this turn into unlicensed therapy sessions.  Isn't that right, JongSeo-ah?"

Turning to see who she was speaking to, you spotted a pretty young woman roughly your age dressed in a tastefully fitted shirt, tight jeans and precariously high heels.

"Aish!"  sighed the woman, dropping onto the seat beside you. "Don't get me started.  If I got paid half as much for listening to the trauma dumps of drunk middle aged men as I do for serving drinks and dancing I could quit school and retire already.  Who wants to know?"

"This is Y/N.  She's a friend of Boss-nim," said NaNa, pouring the woman a soda.  "She's a kindergarten teacher as well as a child therapist.  Y/N, this is Jun JongSeo.  She's a law student who dances and waits tables here whenever her busy schedule allows."

"A law student?  Wow!" you said, genuinely impressed.  "That's a lot of work!"

"Damn straight it is.  That's why I was glad to get the job here."

"What do you mean?"

"Are you kidding?"  she laughed, graciously accepting her drink from NaNa.  "I mean the money.  I can make three times as much in a day dancing here as I could working in a shop for week."

"Damn.  Good for you."

You clinked glasses then each took a drink.

"So you're a teacher and a therapist?" she said.  "That's wonderful.  Got any tips and tricks I can use on our customer base?"

"Sorry.  Like she said, my focus is on children."

"Yah!  Trust me, with as many 'mommy issues' as I run into, it's the same difference."

"Alright then," you grinned.  "If I come across anything that I think might be applicable I'll be sure and let Hob-ah know."

"Thanks!  I appreciate that." 

Leaning back, she gave you the once over before nodding with approval.

"You're cute.  Do you dance?"

"Who, me?  No.  An ex once told me that for the sake of humanity I should avoid the dance floor."

"Yah!" she scoffed.  "Fuck whoever told you that.  Sure - some people are born talented, but dance is still a skill a person can learn, just like anything else.  If you want, I could teach you a few moves sometime?"

"That sounds fun but when I prove to be utterly hopeless, let the record show that I warned you."

"The record shall so reflect,"  she laughed.

Just then a man with a unkempt beard and mustache wearing a rumpled jacket and a shirt with sleeves that hung just a bit too long approached you.

"Hey, pretty lady," he said, his speech slightly slurred.  "Can I buy you a drink?"

"No, thank you," you said, trying to keep your voice polite.  "I'm happy with the drink I have."

"You'd be happier with a different one."

"I don't think so."

"Please?"

"I said, no. Thank you."

"Well if you don't want a drink," he said, swaying unsteadily. "How about your name and a phone number then?"

"No," you said, starting to get very annoyed while at the same time not wanting to cause a scene in Hoseok's workplace.  "You're not getting either of those things so please go away."

"You heard the lady," said the bartender, cracking her knuckles.  "Now go back to your seat or I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"Why can't we just exchange information?" said the man, continuing on as if he hadn't heard either of you.  "What's the harm in that?"

As you spun your stool around to face him,  JongSeo began reaching for her purse.

"Because she said NO. That's why," snapped the dancer.

"Oh, come on.  Don't play hard to get."

The next sequence of events went by as if in slow  motion.

Without warning the man made a grab for your wrist,  but you managed to jerk your arm out of his reach before he made contact. 

Out of the corner of your eye you spotted the security guard Hoseok had spoken to and the bouncer from the front door charging in your direction. At the same time  JongSeo pulled a canister of mace from her purse as NaNa wrapped her hand around the neck of a nearby bottle.

Before any of them could intercede, however,  Hoseok appeared seemingly from thin air, seizing the man's arm then using his full body weight to whip him around and pin him hard against the bar.

"Maybe you didn't hear her, jackass," he snarled.  "But the lady clearly said NO."

Jerking the man's arm up and back, Hoseok twisted the drunk's wrist behind him until he yelped with pain. 

"Now," hissed Hoseok.  "Get the fuck out of here before I lose my temper."

He gave the man's wrist another hard twist before shoving him into the waiting arms of the bouncer.

"ChulSoon?  Throw this fucker out.  And I do mean throw."

"With pleasure, Boss."

As the mountainous man hoisted the protesting drunk off his feet, Hoseok asked, "You okay, Baby Girl?"

"I'm fine, Hobi.  Are you okay?"

"Me?  I'm just fucking dandy."

He exhaled slowly, keeping his eyes trained on the bouncer as he dragged the man who'd harassed you towards the exit.

"NaNa?  You ever seen that fucker before?"

"No, Boss-nim.  And you know how I am with faces.  He's definitely a first timer. "

"Well, now he's a last timer."

Once assured the man had been ejected Hoseok flexed his shoulders then turned to face the bartender.

"Right.  NaNa?  You shouldn't have any more trouble with that misogynistic vendor.  I spelled out my views regarding his attitude towards my employees in general - and you in particular - in a most thorough and meticulous manner.  To both him and his superiors." 

Under different circumstance, the malicious glint in Hoseok's eyes would've almost made you feel some sympathy towards the man who'd obviously just got his ass handed to him on a silver platter.

"There should be no such misunderstandings going forward.  If there are, I've made it known that they will not only lose the contract but they will all experience my unfiltered displeasure.  In the meantime, be sure and deduct whatever tab he ran up today from their next invoice."

"Will do, Boss-nim. And I'm sorry about what happened with your friend."

"Not your fault, NaNa.  But could you do me a favor, please?" 

"Sure.  Anything.  What do you need?"

"Have security pull the video footage - inside and outside.  Print that guy's photo and make sure everyone on staff gets a copy - including the valets and cleaning people.  From now on, that fucker never so much as casts a shadow on the sidewalk for two blocks in any direction of this place.  Got it?"

"Of course.  Consider it done, Boss-nim.  And I'll call a meeting with the wait staff.  I know I only fixed that jerk one drink at the bar.  I want to know who kept serving the guy for him to be that drunk."

"Thank you.  After that, give yourself an extra day off this week for having to deal with all this shit. Both of you," he said, tipping his head toward JongSeo.  "With pay.  Including whatever you'd make in tips.  And make sure ChulSoon and JunHo know the same goes for them as well."

"You don't have to do that, Boss-nim!" said JongSeo.

"I know I don't have to.  I want to.  Good employees are hard to find.  I want mine to be happy.  Besides I need you to finish that law degree on time, JongSeo.  Never know when I might need representation, especially if I ever run into that handsy fucker again."

"I'd be happy to serve as your legal counsel, Boss-nim."

Both women bowed respectfully as Hoseok took your arm and motioned towards the door.

"Now...Ready to go, Noona?"

You nodded then waved at your new friends while still trying to process the many sides of Hoseok you were witnessing today.

"It was nice to meet you both.  Hope to see you again?"

"I look forward to it, Y/N-ssi," said the bartender. 

"Same here.  And don't forget my offer, Y/N-ssi!" said JongSeo.

"Don't worry!  I won't!" you laughed.

Both the bouncer and security guard made a point of escorting you and Hoseok all the way to the car, remaining on high alert until you'd pulled safely out of the parking lot.

Stopping at the first traffic light, Hoseok reached for your hand.

"Are you sure you're okay, Noona?  That bastard didn't hurt you, did he?"

"What?  Oh, no.  I'm fine, Hobi.  Don't worry.  I've definitely been through much worse experiences in a bar."

"Just because you've been mistreated before doesn't make a repeat performance okay, Baby Girl.  Especially not on my watch."

His jaw tensed as he gripped the steering wheel.

"I'm so sorry.   I really wanted you to have a good time today."

"I did.  I am.  The class was great, the chicken was delicious, your young dancer friend got great news and everyone you work with is really friendly.  Hell, JongSeo-ssi even offered to teach me some dance moves."

"Did she now?  Is that the offer she mentioned?"

"It is."

"Huh.  Are you thinking of taking the stage?"

His voice was playful as he deftly shifted gears but you sensed a current of something else bubbling underneath.

"Yeah, right," you snorted.  "Like anyone would pay to see me dance  - especially in a place like yours."

"I would."

"Would what?"

"Pay to see you dance," said Hoseok, glancing over at you. "But I'm hoping that won't be necessary."

Unsure of how to respond to that comment you did what you did best -  changed the subject.

"Hobi?  Thank you."

"For what, Baby Girl?" he asked, checking his side mirrors.

"No one has ever stood up for me in a situation like that before.  Hell, one time when I was in college my date got mad when I refused free drink from a jerk like that.  "

"Your date got mad at you?  Why?"

"He said I should have accepted it.  Said it would have saved him the money of buying me one himself."

"Fuck.... " muttered Hoseok, flipping on his indicator before changing lanes.  "You really had shit taste in men, Baby Girl."

"I know it. It's better now though."

"Damn straight it is," he said, hitting the button to activate the sound system.

"Right!" he said as the strains of an upbeat pop song from the 1980's filled the vehicle.  "Let's put all that unpleasantness behind us and have some fun."

"I thought we already were having fun!  You mean there's more?"

"Yah!" he said, winking at  you.  "Hold on, Baby Girl.  The best is yet to come. We still have another stop to make."

Chapter Text

Chapter Eighteen

A short time later Hoseok pulled into an empty parking lot.  You looked at him in confusion as he helped you out of the car and began guiding you towards a business where the illuminated sign in the window clearly read "Closed".

"Hobi?  What are you doing?  This place isn't open."

"It is for us, Baby Girl."

After pressing a series of numbers into a keypad mounted on the wall next to the entrance, he pushed open a glass door with the words Secondhand Chic painted on it, causing a bell to ring somewhere in the back.

Stepping inside you gasped upon realizing that you were looking at the largest vintage clothing store you'd ever seen.

Inhaling the familiar and comforting slightly musty scent of old fabrics and aged leather, you jumped when a voice called out, "Hoseok-ssi!" then turned to find a elegant, impeccably dressed woman making her way over to greet you.

"GyuYoung-ssi," said Hoseok with a bow.  "Hello.  Thank you so much again for doing this."

"Yah!  When you told me about your adorable idea, how could I say no?" 

The woman gave you a genuine smile as she bowed in your direction.

"Greetings!  My name is Park GyuYoung.  Welcome to my humble establishment."

"Greetings, GyuYoung-ssi," you said, bowing in return.  "My name is Y/N and your shop is - well, it looks incredible."

"Oh!  You flatter me, Y/N-ssi!" blushed the woman, before making a sweeping gesture with her arm.

"Please!  Enjoy yourselves and let me know if you need anything. Anything at all."

"We will, GyuYoung-ssi.  Thank you," said Hoseok.  "We'll try not to stay too late."

"Stay as long as you like, Hoseok-ssi!  I have nowhere else to be so take your time! " said the woman, politely backing away.  "Feel free to peruse at your leisure and while you do that,  I've got some goodies I'll set up in the changing area for you!"

As she scurried away, you whispered, "Hobi?  What's going on?  Why are we here if she's closed?"

"What's going on is you and I are going to play a game." 

"A game?  What sort of game?"

"We're having a fashion contest, Baby Girl.  And we're the only ones here because I wanted you to feel comfortable, so I asked GyuYoung-ssi if we could come in after hours and she graciously agreed." 

Taking your hand he began leading you towards a rack filled with various types of evening wear.

"The guys and I did a favor for her a while ago.  That - and the amount of business I send her way by recommending her to all my employees - meant that she was more than happy to give us free rein for as long as we like.  At no charge, of course."

"Really?"

"Really.  And before you say anything, I offered to pay her for her time but she turned me down.  Firmly and repeatedly.  So we are still well within your budgetary restrictions.  Now ... what do you think about this?"

He held up a red velvet, halter top style dress that dipped dangerously low in the back.

"Hmm...." you said, tapping your chin.  "The cut suits you but I'm not sure about the color...."

"Funny!" he said, draping the dress over his arm.  "Alright, just because of that comment this is definitely going to be one of your selections."

"My selections?  My selections of what?"

"I told you, we're having a fashion show," he said, rummaging along the rack.   "I'm going to pick five outfits for you and you're going to pick five outfits for me." 

Plucking a rhinestone encrusted jacket from the rack, Hoseok studied it closely before shaking his head then hanging it back where he'd found it.

"We each have the ability to reject one option but you have to at least try on the other four.  We'll take pictures of us in each outfit and send them to the group chat.  Whoever selects the outfits that receive the most votes will be declared the winner."

"Oh, really?  And what does the winner get?"

"I was going to let you decide that, Baby Girl."

"Me?  Oh, no!  The last time I did that it bit me in the ass."

"It did? Huh?  From where I'm standing it seems to have recovered quite nicely."

Glancing around at your backside, Hoseok grinned as he waggled his eyebrows.

"But if you won't choose the outcome, then I will."

When you hesitated a bit too long Hoseok made good on his statement.

"Fine," he said, checking the size of a brightly colored mini-dress before putting it back.  "The winner gets to select and purchase one item for the loser, who then has to wear said item to the function of the winner's choosing."

"But it won't be an expensive item, right?"

Hoseok placed one hand over his heart, holding the other up as if he were taking an oath in court.

"I swear we will not exceed your budget during this outing."

You studied his face carefully before nodding.

"Okay then but what happens in the event of a tie in this contest of yours?"

"In the highly unlikely event of a tie, we'll then let a neutral third party decide the winner."

"And who would that be?"

"Good question..."  Hoseok pursed his lips as he thought for a moment.  "What about YugYeom-ah?"

Confident that the boy wouldn't let you down you nodded.

"Alright.  Deal."

You shook Hoseok's hand then asked, "Now - where's the menswear section?"

xx

After prowling around the shop's vast and seemingly endless array of options for the better part of an hour, you and Hoseok finally decided upon your selections for each other.

Confident in the outfits you'd chosen for him to model, you followed him to the changing rooms to find GyuYoung waiting next to a table filled with a wide variety of fruits, crackers and a chilled bottle of champagne.

"GyuYoung-ssi!" exclaimed a stunned Hoseok.  "You shouldn't have!"

"Please!"  she said, taking the items you'd each chosen to hang on wheeled racks.  "It's the least I can do! Without you and your friends, this endeavor of mine would never have been possible!"

Popping the cork on the champagne, the woman then poured two glasses which she offered to you and Hoseok with a formal bow.

"Here.  And if you even think of refusing my token of gratitude, I shall consider it a personal insult."

Apparently unable to decline without offending your hostess, both you and Hoseok accepted the woman's offering with two hands and a bow.

"Thank you, GyuYoung-ssi," said Hoseok.  "This is well and truly beyond any expectations I had when I asked this favor from you."

"Yah!  Exceeding expectations is a professional benchmark I continuously strive to attain," said the woman, wheeling each of your racks into separate adjoining changing areas.  "Now I shall leave you two alone so you can have your privacy but feel free to shout if I can be of any further assistance."

As the woman made herself scarce, Hoseok turned to you with pleading eyes.

"Baby Girl, I swear to you that I didn't ask her to do any of this extra stuff.  Please don't hold it against me or my budget, okay?"

You could see from his worried expression he was telling the truth so you decided to cut him some slack.

"Okay but ... Damn, Hobi!  What did you guys do for this woman? Rescue her first born child from a marauding band of blood thirsty ninjas or something?"

"Nah.  Nothing that dramatic, " said Hoseok, sipping his drink.  "I can't go into too much detail but let's just say that when the last will and testament of her late husband - an abusive piece of shit on a good day - was finally located, GyuYoung-ssi was very well taken care of."

Finishing his champagne, he popped a grape in his mouth then motioned towards the changing room nearest you.

"So ... are you ready to see what I've chosen for you?"

"As ready as I'll ever be, I suppose."

"Great!  Take a look then select your first outfit.  We'll meet out here when you've changed?"

"Sounds good to me.  I look forward to seeing what you think of my choices for you."

Entering your designated changing room, you pulled the curtain tight behind you before walking over to inspect the rack holding Hoseok's selections.

Your heart sank when you saw the first item - a quintessential little black cocktail dress with a shrug style jacket.

It wasn't that you didn't think it was pretty or even inappropriate. 

The problem was the length.

As you contemplated how to best handle the situation, your hand unconsciously reached for your right thigh, to the long, jagged scar that you'd managed to keep hidden from everyone except Jin.

A dress this short would certainly expose at least part of that grim reminder of your past and you weren't sure you were ready to deal with that right now. 

Setting that particular garment aside for the moment, you instead picked up the next item on the rack.  It was a safer option - albeit one that was definitely more risqué than what you normally would wear.

The outfit consisted of a pair of dark, acid washed, low rise jeans that Hoseok had paired with a black crop top with a mesh overlay and half dozen necklaces of varying lengths - creating an overall effect reminiscent of pop singer Madonna in the 1980's.

Laughing to yourself at that mental image, you'd just slipped off your own jeans and were reaching for the hem of your shirt when you heard Hoseok let out what could only be described as a blood curdling shriek of terror.

Without stopping to think about how you were dressed, you rushed into the changing area next to yours to find your date cowering in the corner wearing nothing but a pair of navy blue boxer briefs.

"Hobi?!" you stood in front of him, eyes darting around in an attempt to locate the danger that had prompted such an extreme reaction.  "What's wrong?!"

"What's wrong?!" cried Hoseok, pointing a trembling finger towards the furthest corner of the room.  "What's wrong is that - that eight legged monstrosity over there getting ready to attack me!"

Squinting in the direction he was indicating, you finally spotted a tiny, dark speck crawling along the wall.

"You mean that little spider?" you asked.

"Little?!" squeaked Hoseok, pushing his body even further against the wall to put as much distance as possible between himself and the perceived threat.  "Little?!  That's a fucking tarantula!"

As you made a mental note to ask one of the others for more information regarding Hoseok's apparent arachnophobia,  you heard GyuYoung call out, "Hoseok-ssi!  Is everything okay in there?"

"Everything is fine!"  you answered, trying your best not to sound too amused by the situation so as not to embarrass Hoseok.  "Just a ... misunderstanding, that's all."

"Oh, good.  I was worried something terrible had happened."

"No. No.  We're all good.  Thank you!"

"Very well.  Please let me know if you need anything."

"We will.  Thank you again, GyuYoung-ssi!"

Glancing at the man still curled up in the corner, you lowered your voice and asked,  "Hobi?  Would you like me to take care of it for you?"

"Yes, please!" he said, nodding fervently. "But - but be careful!  I - I don't want you to get bit and end up with some deadly disease or unwanted superpowers or something!"

"Okay, Hobi.  I'll be careful.  I promise."

Grabbing a tissue from a box sitting on a nearby stool, you picked up the spider as gently as you could.

"Sorry, little dude," you whispered.  "I'll try not to hurt you but do us all a favor and stay out of sight until we leave, okay?"

Lifting the lid on the trashcan next to the dressing room mirror, you tossed the tissue inside then securely replaced the lid and turned to find Hoseok staring at you.

"Wow...."  he said, rising shakily to his feet.  "I honestly didn't think I could find you more attractive Baby Girl ... yet here we are."

In that moment two facts simultaneously registered in your brain.

Fact one - Hoseok was standing in front of you nearly naked.

Fact two - While you obviously knew he was attractive, you hadn't realized that Hoseok was physically fit in such a way that ought be declared illegal (or at the very least come with a warning label.)

Your eyes began trailing down his lithe, sculpted chest but before they could stray any further south you caught yourself and whipped around to face the opposite direction.

"Damn.  Do I look that bad?" asked Hobi.

"Bad?  Are you kidding me?  Why are all of you in such ridiculously good shape?"

It was then a third fact dawned on you. You were only wearing a shirt that - while mostly covering the scar on your right side, still exposed more of your skin than he'd ever seen before.

Grabbing hold of the changing room curtain, you wrapped it around your bottom half as quickly as possible.

"Shit!  Sorry!"

"You have absolutely nothing to apologize for, Baby Girl."

The corners of Hoseok's mouth twitched up, his earlier confidence returning now that the arachnid menace had been removed.

"But why are you hiding from me?  Because I find your shape incredibly appealing."

Drawing nearer, he reached out to brush a strand of hair from your face, causing you to look away.

"Hey...Y/N?" he asked in a soft voice.  "Please, tell me the truth.  Am I making you uncomfortable right now?"

"No.  Yes.  Maybe."

Now it was Hoseok's turn to try and not to look amused.

"I'm gonna need a bit more clarity than that, Baby Girl."

"Sorry ... it ... it's just ...."

Hoseok waited patiently for you to put your thoughts in order before gently urging  you to continue.

"It's just what, Noona?  It's okay.  Whatever it is, you can tell me."

"It's just ... I - I know that I don't look like the kind of people you're used to being with."

"Sorry?  I don't understand.  What do you mean by that?"

"I mean .... come on.  Let's face facts here.  The other six are all incredibly attractive like you are and I .... I'm not."

You kept your eyes fixed on the floor, afraid to see the look on Hoseok's face as you blurted out some of your pent up insecurities.

"Not to mention all the other gorgeous people in your life.  I - I don't look like any of them either and I ...."

Before you could say anything else you felt Hoseok gently cup your face in his hands.

"That's right," he said, his voice a low hum.  "You don't look like any of them. You look like you."

He tipped your face up but you keep your eyes downcast as he spoke.

"And that's a good thing.  Because they aren't the ones I'm using every last shred of self control I possess to keep from kissing right now."

"Why?"

"Why what?" he asked.

"Why - why don't you want to kiss me?"

"I never said that," said Hoseok,  moving even closer.  "Right now I want to kiss you more than anything in this world.  I'm just not sure I've earned that right yet and I'd crawl through an entire valley filled with spiders before I ever try and force you to do anything you aren't ready to do."

"But ... what if I was?"

"What if you were what, Noona?"

"What if I was ready for you to kiss me?"

"Then I would ask that you either say 'yes' to clearly indicate that wish or push me away right now because I only possess so much restraint Baby Girl and we are starting to severely test the limits of what it can withstand with no cold showers in sight."

Finally daring to look up, your eyes met his as you whispered, "Yes."

"Yes?" he whispered back.  "You're sure?"

When you nodded he released a ragged breath as he tugged you towards him.

"Thank fuck. I wasn't going to last much longer."

And just like that, he was kissing you.

In contrast to Yoongi's tender restraint, Hoseok kissed like he danced - bold, sensual and rhythmic - his lips sliding across yours in lingering, purposeful movements that left you dizzy.

When you finally pulled apart, Hoseok rested his cheek on the side of your head and panted,  "Baby Girl?  As much as I desperately want to continue this, in the absence of the aforementioned cold showers I think it might be best if we get back to our originally scheduled activities before things get out of hand.  What do you think?"

"I - I think you're probably right," you unwillingly admitted.

"Good," said Hoseok, pressing a gentle kiss onto your forehead before taking a step back.  "Just give me a little time to collect myself and try on one of these fabulous outfits you've chosen for me then we'll meet by the mirrors, okay?"

"Okay.  Will do."

Unwrapping yourself from the changing room curtain as carefully as you could, you hurried back into your area, snapping your own curtain closed behind you before slumping against the wall where you stood for a good minute just trying to catch your breath.

When you were fairly confident that you could stand on your own again, you tried on the outfit you'd been looking at before Hoseok had screamed.

Once dressed you checked yourself out in the mirror.  The jeans were definitely more snug than you usually wore but even you had to admit that they fit in all the right spots.

"Are you ready yet, Baby Girl?" called Hoseok.

"Almost!  Just need to do one more thing."

Flipping your head over you used your fingers to fluff up your hair to complete the 80's vibe you thought Hoseok had been going for.

Checking your look in the mirror you straightened the necklaces then reached for the curtain.

"Okay," you said.  "Ready or not, here I ...."

You stopped mid sentence when you caught sight of Hoseok leaning against the wall wearing an outfit you'd found tucked away in a corner of the shop - a red leather shirt with long sleeves that he'd rolled up to his elbows and flared denim pants that accentuated his hips in a downright sinful way.

"Damn...." you muttered.

"You took the words right out of my mouth, Baby Girl," said Hoseok, pushing himself off the wall.

He strolled forward and began circling you like a shark in the water, checking out your outfit from all sides.

"Maybe later you can put them back where you found them," he added with a flirtatious wink.

Seeing him like this your mind went to some of the other - more provocative - clothing selections you'd made for him and you realized that in trying to win the game, you may severely miscalculated your own self restraint in the process.

"May I make one small adjustment before we take our first photos?" he asked.

"Um....sure.  I guess?"

"Thank you."

He adjusted the neckline of your mesh overlay top so it hung just slightly off one shoulder, letting his fingers linger on your neck a bit longer than necessary.

"There.  Perfect," he said, pulling his phone from his pocket.  "Now, pose for me."

"Pose?  I ... I can't do that kind of stuff, Hobi."

"Of course you can.  It's easy.  Just imagine a scene in your head and act it out."

"Like what?"

"I don't know .  How about you pretend like you're cross with Jin-hyung about something.  Imagine you're giving him  your best 'how dare you' look."

"Seriously?"

"Sure.  Why not?  Try it."

"Okay.  But if I look stupid you have to promise to delete the picture."

"I promise," said Hoseok.  "Like I said, just give it a try.  I'll give you a three count."

Closing your eyes you took a deep breath and imagined how you'd react if Jin tried to keep you from your daily yoga routine.

"One ... two..."

On three, you opened your eyes, placed your hands on your hips and glared menacingly in Hoseok's direction.

You heard the rapid fire sound of the camera on his phone clicking multiple times before he looked up and grinned.

"Yes!  Excellent!  You're a natural, Baby Girl!"  he cried.  "Now, here.  You take one of me."

Trading places, Hoseok handed you his phone.  As you tried to center him in the frame he shot a smoldering look into the camera lens that almost caused you to drop the device on the ground.  Working to make sure your hand didn't shake too much you were able to get a few decent photos before handing it back to him.

"Great!  Now let's get one together," he said.  "We'll stand back to back, like Charlie's Angels!"

Grabbing a high stool with a padded back, he balanced the phone on it and set the timer before running over to you.

The pair of you managed to get in place and strike your pose just in time and when Hoseok checked the results he cackled with glee.

"I love it!  That's definitely going to be one of the ones I send to the guys."

He quickly uploaded one solo photo each of you and himself along with the two-shot to the group chat and within seconds his phone's notifications began going off.

Minnie
Damn!  Forget 'Desperately Seeking Susan' - I'm Desperately Seeking Noona!

And if she ever wants a tattoo, I've spotted just where I'd like it to go....

(Oh - you look great too, Hobi-hyung. :) )

Kookie
If Noona wants a tattoo, I'll design it for her!

(I already know where your tattoo is,  hyung. :) )

Jin Hyung
Aish!  A little warning before you attack me like that, Little One!  (Also, please tell me both those outfits are coming home with you.  Leather suits you, Hob-ah...)

Joonie
Wow!  Tres chic, Tish!  (you too, hyung!)

TaeTae
Noona, if the 80's call, hang up because we're not giving you back. 

(We aren't giving you back either, hyung.  Just.... you know...)

Yoongi-Hyung
Looks nice, Pabo.  <thumbs up emoji>

Hob-ah...stylish as always.

"Wow..."

Pausing from reading the comments, Hoseok looked genuinely impressed.

"Yoongi-hyung must really like that outfit on you."

"What do you mean?  He didn't seem nearly as enthusiastic as the others to me."

"Are you kidding?  Responding right away AND using an emoji?!  Hyung never does that!"

Shaking his head, Hoseok slipped the phone back in his pocket.

"I am so going to win this."

With a wicked grin he motioned towards the changing room.

"Come on, Baby Girl.  It's time for Round Two."

xx

Slightly emboldened by the positive response to the first outfit you'd tried,  you decided to go a bit more daring with your second choice - a tea-length, long sleeve emerald green wrap dress made from a soft jersey fabric that Hoseok had paired with a pair of black velvet shoes with kitten heels.

Stepping out of the changing area, your mouth went dry when you spied Hoseok wearing the vintage, three piece Gucci suit that GyuYoung had offered to take off the mannequin in the front window as soon as she spotted you considering it.

On the mannequin it had looked impressive.  On Hoseok it looked as if the designer had tailored it specifically for him.

"Yah!  Baby Girl! That color looks amazing on you!" said Hoseok. "Tae-ah is going to lose his damn mind when he sees you in that.  Green is his favorite."

Leaning in to whisper in your ear, Hoseok's warm breath on your skin caused you to shiver.

"And I must say, it's rapidly becoming my favorite as well..."

Gesturing with one hand, he raised his phone with the other.

"Now let's try a different type of facial expression for this one.  This time imagine that you're watching the cats crawling all over Yoongi-hyung at the cafe."

"Okay, but how do I stand and what do I do with my hands?" you asked.

"Just stand as you normally would and for your hands ...."

Digging around in a nearby basket filled with various vintage accessories, Hoseok plucked out a small leather clutch with a snap closure in the shape of a letter "H" and handed it to you.

"Here.  Hold this."

Placing one foot slightly in front of the other like you'd seen confident women do when walking a red carpet, you held the bag with both hands then closed your eyes and pictured Mandu crawling up Yoongi's back as Mochi balanced on his shoulder.

"That's it," said Hoseok.  "One, two, three....Now!"

On three you opened your eyes then heard the quick, repeated sound of the camera going off followed by Hoseok's animated, "Yes!  Perfect!"

Handing you his phone you switched places and once again fought to keep the camera steady as Hoseok struck a pose of his own, one hand in his pocket while the other adjusted the paisley print silk neck tie GyuYoung had suggested when you picked the suit.

You managed to get the shot then handed the phone back to Hoseok who propped it on the stool.

"Alright.  For this one we'll stand side by side," he said, adjusting the timer.  "Only this time I want you to close your eyes and look down and to your left."

"Like this?" you said, trying to approximate the action he was requesting.

"Yes!  Exactly like that!  Now, part your lips just slightly and don't move, okay?"

You heard a quick rustling sound then felt Hoseok's body press up beside you, his arm wrapped around your waist.

"Just stay still," he whispered and even though you couldn't see what he was doing you could tell his face was incredibly close to yours.

You remained motionless until you heard the tell tale sound of the camera.  You paused but when Hoseok didn't move you assumed something must have gone wrong.

"Hobi?" you asked softly.  "Did - did we get the picture?"

"Oh, right.  The picture," he chuckled.  "I think so.  If not, I guess we'll just have to do it again.  Damn."

As you opened your eyes and forced your heart rate back into a normal rhythm he moved away to check the phone.

"Aish!  If Jin-hyung thinks we attacked him before, they might want to have an ambulance on standby for this."

He held the screen up and even you were taken aback by the image. 

As you were looking down and towards him with your eyes shut and lips parted, Hoseok's face was almost buried in your hair - his eyes dark and hooded - one arm pressing you close to him while he ran the index finger of his other hand seductively across the top of the clutch you were holding.

It looked for all the world like one of those paparazzi photos of a couple caught having a clandestine affair, the kind tabloids paid a fortune to plaster all over the front page of their magazines.

Before you could even properly take in the photo, Hoseok quickly typed the words:

Consider yourself warned.  Incoming!

He quickly attached three photos - one each of you alone as well as the steamy two shot - then hit 'send'.

Three seconds later he received his first reply.

TaeTae
asdfghjklgkhjas!

Joonie
I don't know what word Tae-ah was trying to spell but whatever it was, I agree wholeheartedly with the sentiment he was attempting to convey.

Minnie
Sigh - can someone please explain to Joonie-hyung what a keyboard smash is?

Meanwhile,  DAMN!  I hope GyuYoung's smoke alarms are working properly because you 2 just set that place on FIRE!

Kookie
I agree with Minnie-hyung!

(And I"ll explain keyboard smash to Joon- hyung)

(While I'm doing that can someone check on Jin-hyung?  I'm worried about his heart)

Jin Hyung
If that was a crack about my age, Jeon JungKook then we shall have words later....

As for you, Jung Hoseok, if you think *that* constituted an appropriate warning then we will *definitely* have words later.

But for now all I will say is that I 100 % concur with Minnie's assessment.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need a drink and a quick lie down, thank you very much.

Peering over Hoseok's shoulder, you read the texts while Hoseok doubled over with laughter.

"These are priceless!" he said, wiping an amused tear from his eye.

Just then another message popped up on the screen.

Yoongi-Hyung
Hob-ah?  Are you using a timer to take these photos or is someone in there with you?

"Why is he asking that?"

"Ah.  Hyung has a bit of a protective streak.  That question is his way of making sure we're safe," said Hoseok, typing back to the elder.  "As well as ensuring that we're controlling who gets to see these pictures."

Timer, hyung.  Don't worry.  The only other person in the entire building is GyuYoung-ssi and she's not in the changing room with us.

Almost as soon as the message was sent, Yoongi's response popped up.

Yoongi-Hyung
Good.

Followed quickly by:

Yoongi-Hyung
And you both look stunning. <heart emoji>.

"Damn!" exclaimed Hoseok.  "Another compliment for both of us AND a fucking heart emoji!  And we aren't even halfway through!"

You burst into laughter as your date literally wriggled with excitement.

"Right!" he said, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.  "Let's change it up a little this time."

"What do you mean?" you asked.

"I looked at your selections for me and if you don't mind wearing the blue outfit I picked out for you, I think we'll have a set that will go together very nicely."

When you realized what he meant you nodded eagerly.

"Oh!  You're right!  Let's do it!"

"Excellent!  Thank you!"

With matching grins you both scampered back into your changing areas.

Once inside you quickly stripped off the green dress and reached for the sky blue hanbok Hoseok had picked out for you.

You hadn't had the opportunity to wear anything like this since before your Mother had passed and you were excited to experience this bit of your culture again after so long.

Slipping on the long white undergarment, you clasped it in the front before lifting and turning it so the opening was now in the back.  You then wrapped the ribbons that were now behind you around to your front and tied them so they met in the center of your torso.

Taking the pale blue jacket off the hanger you put it on over top of the undergarment, clasping it in the front as well, taking care not to damage the beautiful silk embroidery on the sleeves in the process.

The next part was trickier and you ended up resorting to a quick search on your phone to remember how to properly tie the decorative ribbons attached to the jacket.  It took a couple of attempts (and a few muttered swear words) but you eventually got it to look somewhat like the example on the screen.

Once that was finished you donned the white socks and colorful flat shoes provided to complete the outfit. Standing you smoothed out your skirt and looked at your reflection.

What you saw caused a lump to form in your throat.

You never really thought you looked much like your mother but in that moment it was if she was peering back out at you from the mirror.

You must have made some sort of noise because immediately Hoseok's concerned voice was heard on the other side of the curtain.

"Y/N?  What's wrong?  Are you okay?"

"Yes.  Sure.  I - I'm fine, Hobi."

You managed to speak the words but even to  you they sounded insincere.

"Baby Girl?" said Hoseok.  "Cover yourself if you aren't dressed because I'm coming in, okay?"

Seconds later the curtain was jerked open and the worried man rushed inside and grabbed hold of your shoulders.

"Noona?  What's happened?  Are you hurt?"

"No.  I'm fine, Hobi.  Really."

"You don't sound fine, Baby Girl."

Pulling you into his arms, Hoseok swayed side to side, rubbing comforting circles on your back.  You allowed yourself the luxury of enjoying the comfort of his embrace for a moment before eventually stepping back.

"Sorry. I'm good.  It's stupid but ...." you sniffed.  "I - I...I looked in the mirror and when I saw myself dressed like this it - it just reminded me of my Mom, that's all."

"Stop.  It's not stupid," he said, brushing his fingers across your cheek.  "And I'm sorry for putting you in that situation.  I should've realized..."

"There's nothing to be sorry about, Hobi.  It's not a bad thing.  It just ... took me by surprise, that's all.  So don't worry, okay?"

"Alright," said Hoseok, clearly not believing you.  "But if you want to skip this one I'm perfectly fine with that.  It won't even count as your hard pass.  I can go find something else.  It's not like there's a shortage of options out there."

Hoping to alleviate some of his guilt you reached out and took his hand.

"No.  I'm okay.  Honestly. Besides, I really like this outfit.  I just ... had a moment.  That's all. I promise."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive."

Now a bit more composed you were finally able to properly take in how handsome he looked,  sporting the dark blue hanbok with intricate silver embroidery you'd found for him to wear.

You were about to compliment his appearance when you noticed something in his other hand.

"Hobi?  What's that?"

"Oh! These?  Hair pins," he blushed, holding up a pair of long polished ebony sticks.  "I thought it might be a nice accessory but if you don't ...."

You didn't even let him finish.

"Yes, Please!" 

Caught off guard by your own excitement you ducked your head before adding,  "But you'll need to do it.  I'm rubbish at doing my own hair."

Happy that you seemed to like the idea, Hoseok smiled as he motioned towards the mirror.

"Okay then.  Spin around for me."

Doing as you were told, you marveled at how quickly and efficiently Hoseok was able to twist your hair into a sleek bun and secure it with the hair pins.

"Well," he said, making one final adjustment.  "What do you think?"

"What do I think?" you said, slowly turning your head to admire his handiwork.  "I think that I will never stop being impressed with how many skills you have, Jung Hoseok."

"Yah.  There you go again.  Embarrassing me with flattery."

"Yah.  Get used to it.  Mama B used to say 'what's good for the goose is good for the gander'."

Seeing the look of confusion on his face you giggled then explained, "It means that if one person in a relationship can do something so can the other.  So if you can flatter me then it's only fair that I get to flatter you."

"Ah!  I see."

Taking one of your hands Hoseok bowed and raised it to his lips.

"You know, back in the old days in this country, the giving of a goose was an obligatory wedding custom.  For a second there I thought you were proposing to me. Then I remembered I still have a few more months before that's a possibility."

Winking at you he laced your fingers together and led you into the shared area for the next set of photos.

"Now, stand here and hold....."

His gaze flitted around until it fell upon a small crystal vase filled with white lilies.

"These!"

Taking care not to spill the water on you he handed you the arrangement then gave an approving nod.

"Perfect!  Okay, look at them and when I say 'three' look at the camera and imagine something that makes you really, really happy."

I won't have to imagine it, you thought.  I'll be looking at it. 

Through an act of sheer will you managed to keep those words to yourself, staring at the flowers as Hoseok gave you the countdown.

On 'three' you looked up, gazed directly at Hoseok and smiled.

"Aish!" cried Hoseok, clutching his chest once the photo was taken.  "Now I know how Jin-hyung felt!  You attacked me, Baby Girl!"

Relieving you of the flowers, he handed you the phone then snapped his fingers.

"Wait!  I almost forgot something!"

Scurrying into his dressing area he returned a second later holding a gat.

"Can't forget this!" he said, placing the large flat black hat on his head then tying the ribbons under his chin.  "It shows that I'm a nobleman."

"You are a noble man no matter what you wear, Hob-ah," you said, causing his cheeks to flush a deep pink.

"Yah!  You're doing it again, Baby Girl,"  said Hoseok, covering his face with his hands.

"Yah!  Get used to it, Hob-ah,"  you answered, sticking your tongue out at him.

You immediately regretted the action when you looked through the camera lens to find Hoseok licking his lips as he stared down the lens.

"Don't tease me with that tongue unless you mean it, Baby Girl."

Then - quick as a flash - Hoseok's demeanor shifted as he adopted the stance and expression of a Joseon era lord of noble bearing. 

"How do I look?" he asked.

Before you really considered your answer you said, "Like a man who knows what he wants."

"Good.  Because right now, I most certainly do."

Gripping the phone to keep your fingers from trembling, you wondered at the speed with which he could shift personas.

"Excellent!" he said, checking the shot after you'd finished.  "Now our together shot."

Taking you by the elbow he began guiding you into place.

"I'd originally thought of having us face each other but now I'm thinking this might be better."

Once you were in position he went to set the timer on the camera.

"Okay," you said.  "How do you want me to look this time?"

"This time I want you to pretend we're in one of those historical dramas.  You know that scene at the end where the couple - after overcoming all obstacles - finally gets to stand before everyone that doubted them to show how they've overcome and prevailed?  When they give each other that 'we got this' look as the music swells in the background?"

"As a matter of fact, I do know the kind of scene you're talking about," you said as he rushed over, straightened his hat then took your hand.

"Good.  Here we go .... one, two, three, now!"

Just as the camera clicked you looked at each other - chins lifted and shoulders back as you squeezed each other's interlaced fingers.

It was with evident reluctance that Hoseok stepped away to review the photos but what he saw obviously pleased him.

"Aish!" he said.  "I'm not even going to warn them this time!"

Attaching three more pictures to the group chat he hit send then leaned back to wait.

He didn't have to wait long. This time it was Namjoon who reacted first.

Joonie
asdfjgjkeigjerf

Minnie
Wow

Either Kookie taught Joonie-hyung to keyboard smash or hyung's having a stroke

Either way I can see why.  Damn!  You guys look amazing!

TaeTae
Someone call NetFlix!  We just cast my new favorite historical drama!

(And hyung!  Your aura is so bright I can even see it in the picture!)

Kookie
Is that what history actually looked like? If so now I *really* want a time machine!

Jin Hyung
You're both lucky I was still lying down.

(And Hob-ah?  I'm going to need you to clear time in your calendar in the very near future for you and I to review the meaning of the word *warning*...)

Also, those better not have been wedding flowers.  If you've moved up the timeline for proposals without telling me I shall be very cross...

Yoongi-Hyung
You won't be the only one.

But as far as the pictures go - the only word that comes to mind is 'exquisite'.  <two heart emojis>

"Wow," muttered Hoseok.  "I honestly don't know whether to swoon over the fact that Yoongi-hyung used two heart emojis or tremble in fear of the scolding I'm going to get from Jin-hyung."

"Is there any law that says you can't do both?" you asked.

"No.  I suppose not," shrugged Hoseok, his eyes now twinkling with mischief. "So....if I'm going to get in trouble for attacking hyung anyway, why not pull out all the stops?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, there's a red dress on your rack that I'm really hoping you'll consider modeling for me."

You knew what outfit he was referring to and under normal circumstances you might have said no but with your confidence bolstered by the positive reactions you'd received so far you surprised even yourself by nodding.

"Okay.  Sure.  Why not?"

"Yes!  That's the spirit!"

Hoseok planted a big wet kiss on your cheek before bounding into his changing area.

Returning to your own, you undressed and removed the hair pins. You then carefully hung the hanbok back on the rack before reaching for the form fitting red velvet evening gown Hoseok had selected when you'd first entered the store.

You zipped yourself in then fastened the halter top with the rhinestone clip fashioned in the shape of a butterfly. 

(At least you hoped it was a rhinestone. There were no price tags on anything in the shop.  You hadn't asked about this but you got the distinct impression that was part of Hoseok's arrangement with the GyuYoung and not the normal practice for the store.)

Also on the hanger was a black satin bag containing the shoes Hoseok had selected for this outfit but when you looked inside you realized there was a problem.

"Hobi?" you called out. "We've got an issue with the shoes for this one."

"Why?   Did I get the wrong size?"

"No.  The size is fine.  It's just .... I never really learned how to walk in heels as high as these."

Carrying the crimson stilettos in your hand, you opened the curtain to find Hoseok standing there wearing the burnt orange leisure suit with mustard colored shirt you'd selected.

While you tried to process how anyone could make that outfit look as sexy as he did, Hoseok's jaw dropped as he took in the sight of you.

"Fuck, Baby Girl.  Wearing a dress like that, you don't need to walk.  I'll gladly carry you wherever you want to go."

You could feel your face grow warm and if you'd checked the mirror you would've seen your cheeks were roughly the same shade of crimson as your dress.

Hoseok must have noticed the reaction his words provoked because he looked incredibly proud of himself as he led you to the center of the room.

"Let's get you situated and we'll put the shoes on last if that's a concern, okay?"

"Okay, but if I sprain my ankle in these things you'll answer to Doc."

"I swear I won't anything happen to you, Baby Girl.  You just stay right here."

Centering you in front of the mirror, Hoseok took stock of your appearance before reaching back into the basket of accessories.

"Ah!  Here they are.  Try these on for me."

He handed you a pair of elbow length black satin gloves but before slipping them on you removed the bracelet you made earlier.

"Hold this for me, please?"  you asked.

"Of course."

Once the gloves were in place you took the bracelet back from him and put in on over the gloves.  Seeing the quizzical look on his face you adjusted it and shrugged.

"I know it might not match the aesthetic you're going for but I've worn it in all the others and I  - I  don't want to take it off yet."

"Why?" asked Hoseok.

"Why?  Because we made it together.  That means it's important to me."

Hoseok stared at you as if searching for words to express something then gave up, instead opting to press a brief but determined kiss on your lips.

He then whispered, "Wait here" before dashing out of the changing area, returning seconds later with a long, thin cigarette holder, the kind you'd seen glamorous starlets holding in the old black and white films you and Mama B used to watch on television.

"Take this," he said, handing you the object before kneeling to help with your shoes.

"Cross one foot in front of the other," he instructed.  "That will help with your balance."

Doing as you were told, you tried not think too much about how Hoseok's hands felt as they slipped your feet into the precariously high heels.

"Got it?" he asked, eyeing you cautiously as he stood.

"I think so," you laughed.  "As long as you don't need me to move from this spot I'll be okay."

Holding one arm to make sure you didn't tip over, he guided your other hand to your hip.

"Now, raise the cigarette holder up like this," he said, removing his hand from your arm to demonstrate the posture he wanted you to mimic.

"Like this?" you asked, doing your best to copy him without falling over.

"Yes!   Now pick something stationary in front of you to stare at and keep your head still.  That will help you stay steady.  In dance it's called 'spotting'.  It's how ballet dancers keep from getting dizzy when they do all those pirouettes."

"If you say so, J-Hope."

Your eyes were fixed on the top left corner of the mirror but you didn't need to see Hoseok to picture the expression on his face.

"Yah!  I know you're teasing me Baby Girl but that's the EXACT look I want you to have so don't move a muscle!"

He didn't actually need to give that instruction because before you could react you heard the now familiar click of the camera going off.

"Did you get it?" you asked, staying still in case he needed to try again. 

"Oh.  I got it," said Hoseok, his voice a low growl.

"Is it okay?"

"Yep.  Much better than okay actually."

"Good. Then can we go ahead and do our together shot?" you asked.  "Because I don't know if I can get in this position again."

"You won't have to," said Hoseok.  "You won't be standing in the two shot."

"What?  What do you m-"

Before you could finish the word Hoseok picked you up and swung you around, depositing you on the high stool he'd been using as a stand for the camera.

"Sit here to take my picture.  Then I'll show you what I have in mind for our combined shot."

Taking advantage of your position on the stool, Hoseok crouched down then tilted his head up towards the camera, biting his lip and winking as he flashed a sideways peace sign beside his face, holding the pose until he heard the shutter sound.

"Great!" he said, leaping to his feet with ease.  "Give me just a second..."

Grabbing a lushly upholstered wing back chair that had been tucked in a corner, he pulled it forward and positioned it in front of where you were sitting.

Once satisfied with the angle and lighting he reached for you.

"Can you stand for a minute?"

"I can if I hold on to you.  Is that okay?"

"Of course it is."

You slipped off the stool, wavering slightly before catching your balance by placing your hand on his shoulder.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"I'm fine.  Like I said, this is just a skill I never learned.  Maybe I should have JongSeo-ssi teach me how to walk in heels instead of how to dance."

"And like I said, if the need ever arises I will gladly carry you wherever you want to go."

To show that he meant business, Hoseok set the timer to its longest setting then wrapped one arm around you.

"Like this.  Put your arms around my neck."

You barely had time to comply when he picked you up bridal style, one arm under your knees and the other supporting your back.  He then took a seat in the wingback, maneuvering your body so your legs draped across his lap and over the side of the chair.

As soon as you were situated Hoseok pulled something shiny out of his jacket pocket.

"I saw this by the cigarette holder," he said, holding up an antique silver lighter.  "GyuYoung-ssi said it still worked."

"Why does that matter?  You looking to set something on fire?"

"I am.  The camera lens, Baby Girl.  And with it, the hearts of six people eagerly awaiting the next picture we're going to send.  Now hold out the cigarette holder while looking at the ceiling.  Maybe loosen one shoe so it's just dangling by your toes?"

You were almost in position when Hoseok gently poked you in the ribs with one hand while flicking the lighter with the other.

"Aish! Stop!" you cried, bursting into laughter just as the shutter sounded.  "That tickles!"

 "Sorry," said Hoseok, sounding anything but sorry.  "I didn't know how else to get that kind of spontaneous reaction from you."

Lifting you gently he got up then ran to check the picture as you removed the heels of death so you could walk over and see the image for yourself.

Peering over his shoulder, you were once again stunned by the results Hoseok was able to achieve.  In the past any photos you'd (reluctantly) been the subject of had looked forced and awkward but in all the ones he'd taken you seemed completely comfortable and at ease.

This one looked like one of those old cigarette ads from a 1950's magazine -  the kind depicting an elegant couple lighting up after returning home from some sort of upscale dinner party - where the man gazes lovingly at his wife as she laughs wholeheartedly at whatever inside joke they've just shared.

"What do you think?" he asked.

"I think it doesn't look like me," you admitted.

"You're wrong, Baby Girl," said Hoseok, pressing a kiss on your cheek.  "That's exactly the way I see you.  The way WE see you.  You just need to learn to see yourself the same way."

As you blushed at the compliment, Hoseok uploaded the next batch of photos to the group chat. 

The first response had both you dissolving into tears of laughter.