Romancing the Tome

Part 6

"Holy shit," you whisper, unable to look away. "Yoongi – the mark, the one in the center. It was also on the treasure map."

"I know." Yoongi's voice is full of awe. "I see it, Y/N. This is it – we found it."

As the sun sinks towards the horizon, you glance at it worriedly and wonder how much time you have left. The tide comes and goes twice a day – eventually, Namjoon and his men will get free.

Reaching out, Yoongi lays a hand to the chest. "Damn," he mutters, still in disbelief. He looks at you and, despite the oddness since the kiss – and fuck, what a kiss – everything seems to fade. "Thank you," Yoongi says, all cockiness gone. "I couldn't have done this without you, Y/N. The credit is all yours."

Cheeks heating, you look away from his gaze. Gold glints between the slats of the chest, meeting your eye.

"No," you say, shaking your head. "This is your treasure, Yoongi. You deserve this moment – you've done a shit-ton to get here."

His lips twitch. "It's not often I'm complimented using the word shit-ton."

"Well," you say, standing from the dirt. "How did it feel?"

"Pretty fucking great," Yoongi says quietly, still looking at you.

You stare back for a moment, sweat trickling down your neck before you look at the road. "We should get the treasure out of here," you say quietly. "Before Namjoon and his men are free and figure it out."

Yoongi nods, trance broken as he dusts off his hands. "Okay," he grunts, adjusting his sleeves. "I'm going to need your help moving this thing, though."

Your smile disappears.

It takes nearly an hour to get the trunk loaded into the Jeep – lots of panting, sweating and countless maneuvers before the treasure is packed away in the car. You wince at the bullets embedded in the bumper, before slamming the door shut.

"Good to go," you call out, hopping into the passenger side.

Yoongi nods, sticking the key in the ignition and stepping on the gas. Wind blows through his hair as you cruise up the mountain – sometime between digging and the car, Yoongi removed his hat from his head. You keep glancing at the trunk as you drive, suddenly realizing you carry millions of dollars worth of treasure.

"What museum will you donate to," you ask, turning to Yoongi.

He stares at the road. "I'm not sure yet," he says, running a thumb over a ridge in the wheel. "I suppose that depends on what's in the chest."

Nodding, you settle back in the seat. Every muscle in your body aches, taut with effort and frustration. Not to mention the emotional turmoil of having a gun aimed at your head. There was a moment earlier when you weren't sure you would make it out alive – let alone find the treasure.

Shifting, you watch moonlight play over Yoongi's features. It makes him seem almost inhuman and you suppose he is, in a way. He's completely untouchable, in every meaning of the word – brilliant, gorgeous, fierce and your co-worker. Stomach sinking, you turn back to the road. You can't take one kiss as a sign anything has changed.

At least an hour passes before Yoongi sighs. "Y/N," he mumbles, stifling a yawn. "I don't think we're going to make it back to the city before dawn."

"Oh," you blink, staring out at the woods. "I see."

"We could stop?" Yoongi offers, sounding tentative. "We could find a motel, stay the night?"

Your shoulders are halfway to shrugging when in the corner of your eye, you see Yoongi yawn. His eyes droop, torso hunching and you sit suddenly upwards.