Gods of the Sea (BTS Vocal Line X Reader)

Ch 19 - Reunited

I looked down at my hands as they shook.

I should have been dead. I had been cornered by Seokjin's men, their swords drawn. They were ready to run me through.

And then Dagon...

You don't have to thank me, he said. I was just doing my job as your protector.

I couldn't form any words. I could only play that moment in my mind over and over again.

I had thrown two men overboard... at the same time.

This is only a small amount of the power I can give you, Dagon added. Remember that.

"I don't want power," I said, as if speaking out loud would make it true. "I want to save my family."

You have to save yourself first, don't you?

My hands shook harder. I needed to get rid of him. I needed to find a way to extract him before I--

There was a knock at the door.

It took me two tries to get my shaking hand around the doorknob to open it. Jungkook was on the other side, rubbing his lip with his finger and looking lost in thought even though he had just knocked on my door.

"What is it?" I asked, feeling sweat drip down my neck.

He continued to rub his lip. I glanced between him and the door as he did, realizing this was the first time he had actually knocked instead of barging in.

He eventually stepped in, not looking at me but instead at the swords on the wall.

"I spent a lot of time trying to figure out why you would teach her to fight," he finally said. "It seems really obvious now."

I swallowed my heartbeat. "What are you talking about?"

He looked over his shoulder at me. "Y/N. You like her, don't you?"

I laughed, far more awkwardly than I should have. "Of course not. I only --"

"I think she likes you too."

I froze at his words, not sensing any irony in them. He folded his arms, tapping his fingers in thought. I could only swallow again, no words coming to my lips.

"After all," he suddenly said, sucking in a breath. "I'm incredibly charming and ruggedly handsome, and yet, she insists on spending time with you. You treat her better, I'm guessing."

I shifted my weight. This was more uncomfortable than when he was being an idiot.

"And since when did you start caring about how you treat people?" I asked.

His shoulders slumped, and I nearly apologized. Most of the time, he was someone I didn't know. He was a reckless criminal, caring nothing for consequences. He had changed so much from my little brother who dreamed of following in my footsteps; far from the teenage boy who applied to be a privateer for the king and was rejected due to his weak physique.

Despite his shattered dreams, I had continued on into the navy without him. And in turn, he became an enemy of both me and the king.

"Treating people well isn't beneficial in my line of... er... work," he replied. "But it is in yours. That's probably why you have better foresight than me."

I laughed bitterly. Foresight, huh? If I had looked after him properly as the elder brother - training him for the navy instead of leaving him to ruin himself - then we wouldn't be where we were now.

He thought I was training Y/N to save her. In reality, I think I was just trying to find redemption for abandoning my brother.

"See saw right through me," he said, licking his bottom lip. "She knew how I..."