BLOOD MONEY || bts mafia au

forty one.

Taehyung shook his head to clear it. He couldn't afford to think of such things. They would only end up hurting someone. Whether that was him, Jimin, or Jungkook was yet to be seen.

Jungkook...

Taehyung couldn't believe he was alive. Couldn't believe that this whole time, he'd been out there somewhere, in pain. Had he been wondering where his friends were? Had he been missing him? Did he think that they hated him? That they'd all moved on without him?

Taehyung didn't know what he'd say to him. How could he ever summarize the agony he'd been in ever since he'd heard his scream over the comms? When that building had exploded and Taehyung had yelled his name without an answer?

"Taehyung..." Jimin began slowly.

Taehyung immediately gave him his attention, noticing the slight rasp in his voice.

"I-I... About Jungkook... Do you think he could ever f-forgive me?"

Taehyung frowned a little. "Jimin, I'm sure that, no matter how much he hates Yoongi, he could never hate you forever."

Jimin let out a gasp-like sob, shaking his head violently even though he knew Taehyung couldn't see it. "No, not that. For leaving him there. The fire... I can only imagine..."

Taehyung's breath caught in his chest at the thought. Of course, the fire. The crumbling building. It was a miracle Jungkook had managed to survive it, but he couldn't imagine how he would've escaped it. He couldn't imagine the kind of damage something like that would leave behind... not only physically but mentally too...

All Taehyung had wanted since he forced them all into this stupid situation was for Jungkook to come back. But he suddenly wasn't sure if the Jungkook that would be returning was the one he knew. What if he came back an altogether different person? What if he decided he hated them? What if he blamed Taehyung for agreeing to the mission behind his back?

Jimin didn't seem to notice Taehyung spiraling, letting out another cry as he buried his head in his hands. "And what about Hobi? Who knows where the fuck he is? What am I gonna tell Jungkook when he gets back and wants to know where he is? He's going to see what a terrible leader I've been and realize he shouldn't have helped me all those years ago and just left me to die-"

Taehyung reached a hand for Jimin's arm suddenly, causing the other boy to pause. "Don't say such things. Jungkook would never think those things of you. You've been friends long before I even came here."

"And I betrayed him," Jimin whispered.

Taehyung was torn. His first instinct was to comfort his friend, who was clearly tearing himself into pieces. But there was a dark voice behind him that muttered that this is what he deserved. What did Jimin expect, sleeping with Yoongi? To sleep with his supposed best friend's murderer and not feel any guilt?

But Taehyung shook thoughts aside. It was no use in arguing over it. Any disputes would be taken care of by Jungkook himself. In the meantime, Taehyung could let himself simply let himself be Jimin's friend.

"Whatever happens, it's going to be okay," he said, shifting his hand up to rub it soothingly over Jimin's shoulder. "Okay? There's nothing more you can do about it, so don't think about it anymore."

Jimin tried for a smile but remembered that the effect would be lost on Taehyung, and said instead, "Thank you. For not hating me."

Taehyung squeezed his shoulder. "I don't think I could ever hate you, Jimin."

Jimin gave Taehyung's hand a squeeze in response, speaking again after a minute. "I guess we should start thinking of how we're gonna get him back-"

Jimin cut off as a soldier dashed into the room, startling both of them. "Reaper! I've been looking everywhere for you!"