Kitty Gang

25

It felt like Maria had been shopping for hours, and she probably had been. She was stressing over finding the perfect dress for the big night. She did want her father to be shocked, and she wanted Jimin to be drooling, but most of all, she wanted to impress herself.

The innocent filter she once held was melting, and she wanted to show a powerful woman who was capable of surviving after the torture of her father.

She was sifting through more dresses on the rack as Iris was in the dressing room when she saw him. He was looking at suits, his hair gelled back yet his white polo shirt relaxed, as the first few buttons were undone. He must've just gotten off of work.

The sleeves of his dress shirt were rolled up to his elbows, showing off the tattoo sleeve travelling up his right arm, and she looked at them curiously.

And then his eyes flicked up to hers, and her breath hitched in her throat.

He walks over to her casually, one arm holding a few suits while the other hides away in his pocket.

"Maria," he greets, a small smile forming on his lips. "Fancy seeing you here."

"Jungkook," she smiles. "I'm dress shopping."

"Haven't had any luck yet?" he asks with a pitiful smile.

"Not yet," she says, shaking her head.

Jungkook hums, walking around the dresses and letting his fingers trail along the fabric before he stops on one. It was a beautiful red gown with a tight, lace corset and a leg slit.

"This," he says, rubbing the silk between his thumb and pointer finger. "Would look beautiful on you."

Maria blushes. "You think?"

"I know," he counters, holding it out for her to take. "What're you attending, anyway?"

"Oh, just another event of my dad's," she sighs, waving her hand dismissively. "At Le Cygne Parfait."

"Oh, really?" he asks, an excited smile on his lips. "I'm going too."

Maria blinks in surprise. "Oh?"

"The highest ranking police are being invited," he nods.

Maria's lips tighten. There was going to be more security than they expected.

She opens her lips to respond but was cut off by Iris coming out in a gown, the elder's smile dropping once she saw Jungkook.

"What are you doing here?" Iris snaps.

"I'm sorry?" Jungkook frowns. "Do I know you?"

"No, and you should be glad about it," she growls, grabbing Maria's wrist and yanking her back. "Go change, Maria."

Maria frowns. "But he-"

"Maria," Iris says firmly.

The younger's frown deepens and she spares one last look at Jungkook before walking away, leaving the two alone.

"I'm sorry, I really don't know y-"

"Taehyung has told me plenty about you," Iris spits. "Leave Maria alone, got it?"

"With all due respect, I've never done anything wrong to her," Jungkook defends, his jaw setting. "And what's between Taehyung and I doesn't concern you."

With that, Jungkook spun around and headed to the men's changing room, leaving a fuming Iris behind.

Maria, however, was looking at herself in the mirror with a small smile. She looked beautiful. She felt sexy, powerful, confident. All the things she was hoping to find in a dress.

Maybe Jungkook wasn't that bad after all.

***

Maria looks in the creak of the door quietly, watching Jimin's back as he types away at his laptop. She was nervous, twisting her toe into the floor and biting the inside of her cheek.

"You can come in, kitten," he says, making her flinch in surprise.

Maria slips inside and Jimin pushes himself back from his desk on his rolling chair so she could climb onto his lap.

"What's wrong?" he asks as she hides away in his neck, his hands supporting her ass.

Maria sighs, sitting up to face him. "Do you know someone named Jungkook?"

Jimin's eyes darken and he raises an eyebrow, pulling her closer. "How do you know him?"

"He approached me at the cafe awhile ago," she says, tugging at his shirt nervously. "And again today at the mall."

Jimin stays quiet, and Maria starts to grow scared. "W-we just talked! He said he knew you and Taehyung."

"And you didn't tell me, why?" Jimin growls.

Maria licks her lips and moves her hands off of him, curling her hands into fists instead to feel the familiar pain of her nails digging into her palm. "I don't know. I guess I just—I thought he knew you guys so I didn't think there was a problem. But Iris saw him talking to me and got mad."

Jimin hums, cocking his head to the side. "Why did you come to me about him then?"

Maria squeezes her palms tighter and gulps.

"He told me he's invited. To Le Cygne Parfait," she whispers, looking at him nervously. "Jimin, there's going to be more security there. He said the highest ranking officers are going."

Jimin looks away with a scoff. "You think some lousy cops are gonna stop us?"

"Well, I don't know," she murmurs, looking down with a shrug. "It just makes me nervous."

Jimin eyes her for a few moments before letting out a long sigh and forcing her fingers away from her palms. He looks down at the blood forming on her skin and runs his thumbs along the crescent moons formed from her nails. "It will work. Whether or not Jungkook was going to be there, we would've made it happen."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because," he smiles, bringing her hands up to kiss them. "This isn't our first rodeo, baby. And I know this is something you want. Haven't I told you how much I love spoiling you?"

Maria smiles a bit, her eyes shining with admiration.

"One more thing, kitten," he says, gently biting her finger. "If Jungkook ever talks to you again, you tell me right away, understand?"

Maria frowns, but nods nonetheless. "What did he do?"

"He broke off our friendship for a shitty position as a fucking cop," Jimin grits. "He threatened to turn us in just because he wanted to be like his old man."

Maria's frown deepens. "He's not like us?"

"No, baby," Jimin sighs, pressing his forehead to hers. "He's not sane like us at all."