Pretty Boy (Jin X BTS)

-35-

There was nothing but black. A comfortable, all consuming black.

Jin blinked himself into consciousness. He heard some kind of incessant beeping and chatter – too much chatter. He was tired. He wanted to sink back into the comfortable darkness of sleep and stay there. He didn't want to wake up. A voice in his ear stopped him, though. It made his mind skip uncomfortably. It was a voice he knew, one he had wanted to hear for a long time. He finally opened his eyes, the feelings of the world around him finally seeping in. he was somewhere bright and uncomfortable, itchy sheets digging into his skin. He cringed. These weren't his sheets. He wasn't with the gang anymore.

He looked around wildly. It almost seemed too good to be true and at the same time, a pang of distraught rang through him. Where was Hoseok? Hoseok said he would protect him and make everything better. He had promised. Hoseok wasn't there. He wasn't anywhere in sight. Jin began to panic. There were several people standing around him but he didn't let his eyes linger on them. He needed Hoseok. Or Taehyung – god, even Namjoon. Where the hell was he?

"Seokjin, calm down..." a heavy hand was laid on his shoulder. Only a few people called him by Seokjin.

Jin jumped, his heart race increasing even more when he saw who it was. His step-father... could it be? No, Jin had to be dreaming. Be blinked a few more times when he saw his mother seemingly materialize beside him. As if she hadn't been there the whole time. Jin could only let his mouth drop open. He noticed then that his family was around him. His aunts and uncles and his mother and step-father. Out of the corner of his eye, he could just make out his best friend, Jiho, standing by the door as well.

Jin breathed out. This was too real to be a dream. The drafty hospital room and all the monitors were all too real. He was hooked up to a drip and there was another bandage, a fresh bandage, over the cut Yoongi had given him. He let his thumb run over it cautiously, taking in the feeling of the gauze with intense eyes. He was safe now. He was back with his family.

They hadn't killed him. Yoongi hadn't injected him with poison. They must have just needed Jin to be unconscious for some reason. But they hadn't lied. They were not trying to kill him. He was back with his family...

And yet it didn't feel right anymore.

Jin stayed like that, in the hospital bed, going through all the motions. He answered the doctors and nurses questions. He didn't mention anything about the six men who kidnapped him. He didn't even know why he lied for them when a female police officer bustled in the room to take his statement. Jin said he had been blindfolded most of the time and they had always wore masks around him. He was somewhat honest when she asked if he had overheard anything. Jin said yes, but it had all been in English and he couldn't understand.

His parents, family and best friend fussed over him, asking him questions. Jin answered as little as possible, even lying when he felt like it. He wasn't even sure why he was lying. But Jin felt the need to protect the gang members. Almost as if they were his own friends. They had, of course, made a lasting impression on Jin but Jin still felt the need to keep them safe. He wasn't going to sell them out. Not yet anyway. He wanted to understand himself more. They had helped him with that. Jin had never looked inwards like he had when he was with the gang. He never knew he liked certain things. He was always midline, never doing any wrong and never straying far enough to do any sizable right, either. There was nothing notable about Jin. And it was at that point Jin realized he had been alive for twenty-five years but he had never truly lived or even felt alive until that day at the bank.

It was getting late and the doctors had decided Jin needed plenty of rest. He was told he could go home tomorrow but he would have to stay overnight and if he wanted, the week for psychological evaluation. Jin wanted to go back to the comforts of his home. He declined the evaluation, much to his mother's disliking. But a weak smile was all it took to calm her right back down. The doctor then had everyone but Jin's mother leave, giving her alone time for a quick goodbye before Jin could go to sleep.

"There was a note with your clothes," Jin's mother handed him the envelope. Surprisingly,  it was unopened. Then again, his mother was never one to go through his things. Jin nodded his thanks, waiting until he was alone to open it. His mother gave him a wan smile, bending down to press a kiss to his forehead, "I'm so happy you're safe now, Seokjin. We love you and I'll see you tomorrow, ok?"

Jin smiled and nodded. He gripped his mother's fragile old hand in his and gave her a tight squeeze before letting go and seeing her out.

When she was gone, Jin looked back to the envelope. There were no markings on it. It was simply a plain, white envelope. Jin ripped open the sealed envelope open with his teeth, his hands shaking far too much to open it correctly. There was a note inside and Jin was quick to pull it out, unfold it and read it.

Dear Jin,

We're sorry for the stress we caused you and sorry will never be enough but it's all we have in this moment. Things weren't supposed to play out like that. We all remember seeing you in that bank, though. You were so beautiful even though you were scared. I think, in a way, we all became far too attached to your lovely face and everything about you. We all wanted a piece of you and wanted you to love and accept us. Too much, I suppose. We lost sight of what was important. You are important, Kim Seokjin. Please don't forget us and know that we love you and we'll miss you for years to come. You certainly are a special man and maybe, one day, we'll meet again under different circumstances. But for now, it's goodbye for a while, pretty boy.

With all the love our black hearts can give,

Kookie

Suga

J-Hope (Your hope, your angel)

Jimin

RM

And V

Jin folded the letter back, placing it in the torn envelope and then hiding it under his pillow. It hurt in a way. Goodbyes always did and he supposed those criminals had grown on him, too. A fire lit in Jin's stomach. The words he had read playing through his head in a loop. Goodbye for a while? Jin was determined for that while to be as short as possible. He smiled. Their next meeting would be different. Jin would be in control.

He whispered to himself, still running his fingers over the envelope under his pillow, "See you soon, boys,"

Fini

==================

please comment and vote! 

So, this was the last chapter of Pretty Boy! The word count is around 56,450. I'm very proud!!!

The sequel, Bad Boy, will have its first chapter posted on BTS's comeback day (I think it said in the US the 17th but I could be mistaken)

Thank all of you who gave this book so much love! I appreciate it so much! But don't worry, this isn't the end -

We're just getting started