The Secretary

Cindi and Jin, Chefs

Sorry for the delay.

"You don't look like you can cook." Cindi said grudgingly, giving Jin a once over. He looked at her, royally offended.

"Yah, just because I look like a pin-up model doesn't mean I don't have a brain." Cindi stared at him, spatula in hand, processing that.

"Who said you look like a..."

"Yah, the pancakes!" Her attention was diverted momentarily as she quickly flipped them.

The kids were hungry and Jungkook had refused to cook, leaving as soon as Taehyung arrived to relieve him. Yoongi had woken up and 'offered' (I.e. told) Jin it was his turn to wait up for Y/N. They were both slightly concerned by the words she'd said, especially when Hoseok revealed she'd said the same thing to him. He'd be swinging by that night but, in the mean time, Jin decided to put his superb cooking skills to use. Cindi had told him she'd be helping, something about not trusting him to not poison them all. Despite her bad attitude and snarky comments, Jin found he actually enjoyed being around her. She was a lot like her sister in some ways.

"Breakfast for dinner?" They had heard the door slam and Hoseok poked his head in. "Mmmmm, can I have some?"

"When they're done." Cindi said icily. She wasn't going to let any of them forget that the reason Y/N was here was because of them. She didn't know what was going on but she didn't need to to make their lives miserable.

Hoseok let her tone go, as long as he got his food he didn't care.

"Yoongi's upstairs." Jin said before he could ask, the bacon sizzling in the pan in front of him. He heard Hoseok mutter something about being a mind-reader before there were gentle clomps up the stairs.

"You have a nice house." Jin's eyebrows shot up and he looked at the teenager suspiciously.

"Yes, I do."

"Must've cost a bunch."

"It did."

"Was the money legal or illegal?"

"Okaaaaay, you know what we're not talking about that."

"So...illegal." Cindi pursed her lips, a triumphant look on her face. Jin narrowed his eyes.

"You're so much like your sister, it's disturbing." He grumped. Then his eyes widened. "Yah, stop trying to get information out of me and watch the damn pancakes!"

-

"He seems happy." Hoseok said by way of greeting as he plopped into the chair next to Yoongi's. Yoongi just sighed.

"Yeah, he and Cindi have been going at it all day but I think they're both secretly enjoying it."

"Has she woken up again?" Yoongi shook his head, biting his lip thoughtfully.

"I won't blame her if she hates me after this."

"She won't hate you." Hoseok said confidently, eyeing Y/N's sleeping form.

"This all never would've happened if I'd just been more careful that one night..."

"And if we'd never hired her. And if she hadn't left her purse a couple nights ago. We can go around and around and say 'what if' but it changes nothing." Hoseok said firmly. Yoongi sighed.

"I'm going soft, Hobi."

"Deh. But....I don't think it's a bad thing. I know..." Hoseok chose his next words carefully. "I know Kristy kinda ruined relationships for you. But honestly it's been nice to see you have a female friend around. I think it's good for you. And..."

"Don't." Yoongi cut him off. "I don't need anything beyond that. And besides..." He dropped his voice and looked towards the door. "I think someone else is changing too. He just doesn't realize it yet. I won't get in the way of that." Before Hoseok could ask they both heard a groan from the bed.

"Y/N?" Hoseok crouched by the bed, gently rubbing her arm as she opened her eyes.

"Mr....Jung..."

"Now, now, we've talked about you making me feel ancient like this." Hoseok said teasingly. "How do you feel?"

"Like someone dragged me down into a basement and sucker punched me."

"Well...I mean...I guess that did sort of happen..." Hoseok heard Yoongi's melodramatic sigh and felt Y/N freeze. "Hey, shhhhh, it's okay."

"You hung up." There was silence, her words accusingly hanging in the air between them.

"Yeah, I did." His words were flat but Yoongi's face was one of pain as he stood up and leaned over the bed, looking her in the eyes.

"This is your fault." Yoongi closed his eyes and didn't say anything, just nodded.

"I made a mistake a long time ago, Y/N. And you paid the price for it. I am so sorry."

"You hung up." She whispered and Hoseok gently squeezed her hand.

"Yeah. I did." Yoongi opened his eyes and looked down at hers. "She likes to hurt me, Y/N. If I stayed on the phone she would've hurt you even more because she knew it'd hurt me. But..." He looked away, guilt still gnawing at him. "I'm still sorry for leaving you."

"He's not lying." Hoseok said quickly. "That woman is sick. We were hoping that at least she'd kill you quickly..."

"Hoseok!" Yoongi's eyes were open again and he glared down at his brother.

"Sorry."

"I wish she had."

"No, no, no, dear. Don't say that." Hoseok reached up to gently touch her cheek.

"But I wish she had." Y/N's voice cracked and she closed her eyes, trying to hold back tears.

"But your siblings..."

"I'm tired. I'm so tired. I just...fighting isn't worth it..." To the complete shock of both men the woman in front of them completely broke down, pulling her hand away from Hoseok's to cover her mouth as she sobbed.

"Y/N, Y/N, come here." Hoseok bent forward and carefully wrapped his arms around her, being extra cautious with her broken arm. "It's okay, you're safe."

"I want to leave....I don't want to be here..."

"Shhh, shhhh, we can't let you leave until you're safe." Yoongi looked away, mentally cursing at himself. She was strong. She had survived so much. But a human can only take so much before they break. Y/N might be stronger than most but even she could crack. "We'll take care of you, you're not alone anymore, Y/N."

"I'm always alone, Mr. Jung. Always." She sobbed into his shirt.

"No, no, no, we're here."

"You're men." Both knew she wasn't exactly in her right mind, both knew her past, but it still felt like a bit of a slap in the face to hear that. No differentiation between them and those who had actually harmed her. Just a ram-shackled label slapped across their foreheads.

"We're your men." Yoongi said quietly.

At one point Taehyung knocked on the door to see if they needed food. Yoongi left with him to get it and returned with three plates.