The Tiger King (Chaelisa)

77| A New Deal

previously: 

>chaennie get a lift with jackson to go meet dasoni. 

>jinyoung moves to secure his dominance over tiger king.

On Jennie's insistence, Rosé tried to sleep, even though anxiety about potentially being nabbed by cops had her sleeping fitfully. Jennie had announced she'd keep watch during the drive, outlining her emergency plan in case they were apprehended at road blocks.

"If we're stopped, I'll charge out and start firing, that will draw them away from you two. And then Jackson will drive and you stay inside and—"

"Nobody's sacrificing themselves tonight. Stop the drama," Jackson said in exasperation, "we're just going to be taking a longer route. It's all handled, Dasoni told me. Buckle in and rest, you need it."

Jennie still refused to sleep though she finally gave in and wore Jackson's shirt. He had offered it to her with what Rosé deemed was a clever ploy to make her wear it.

"I know you don't trust me or want anything to do with me," he had begun as Jennie watched him suspiciously.

"That's putting it mildly," Jennie said.

"But do you really want to be walking around meeting people in your bra?" Jackson questioned. Rosé smiled when Jennie glanced down at her chest then glared at him before snatching the proffered shirt and shrugging it on, grumbling to herself. 

She hadn't complained a single time at all about walking around with her bare upper body save for her bra, but Rosé was relieved to see Jennie now fully clothed, hiding most of the horrid bruises covering her skin like a constellation. Jackson solved his own bare torso problem by casually slipping on a reflective vest that he apparently had lying around 'just in case I need to enter some place'  and at least it covered his chest. The night air coming off the mountain was fresh but it was summer so it was bearable enough as they drove towards Seoul.

 As much as she wanted to keep Jennie company during the ride, exhaustion quickly wiped away Rosé's resolve so she hunkered down as best as she could.

She slept fitfully, confusing nightmares of Taehyung chasing her, transforming into Lisa and attacking her making her spring awake each time with her heart thundering in her chest. Each time, she would force herself to think of happier times with Lisa, desperate to dash away the poison corrupting her memories and making her heart hurt worse.

Each time when her panic settled, she'd notice Jennie sitting opposite her, eyes pinched with exhaustion and sometimes dozing, but more often than not she was gazing out the tinted window intently. Jackson himself was quiet as he drove but he had switched on some music that Rosé didn't recognise right away until she heard him softly humming the lyrics to Frank Sinatra. 

That's life, crooned Frank, that's what all the people say...

The music was soft enough to lull Rosé back to sleep, drifting away to the memory of dancing with Lisa in the apartment, with the kittens gambolling amongst their legs, with Ella joining them too.

Lisa held her, so real and soft and tender as she laughed and danced with Rosé than pulled away to dance with Ella too, then picked up the kittens and rocked them in her arms like babies as well. And all Rosé wanted to do was kiss her and kiss her and kiss her.

But just before she reached Lisa, Taehyung appeared out of nowhere and destroyed everything in a rain of blood and pain, and he chased her, shouting as his body warped into a monstrosity that terrorised her, making her scream.

The third time Rosé jolted awake from such a nightmare, the music was gone and Jennie was speaking with Jackson.

"They got bathrooms where we're going?"