i. partner in crime | vkook

46. forest fires

jungkook non-verbally greeted him, glaring subtly as namjoon exchanged an egotistical nod.

jungkook cleared his throat, trying to change the conversation, even though everyone was aware who had just entered the building.

everything in jungkook's heart didn't want to leave taehyung, but he knew he had to go. "you need anything?"

"no," taehyung whispered, brushing jungkook's cheek as he held his breath.

jungkook took one last look at taehyung, who could only be described as beautiful and handsome all in one. he wanted to keep that image in his head for the rest of his life.

the glittery movie-moment ended as quickly as jungkook disappeared from his hands.

as jungkook headed to the dressing room to change out of his suit, jin and hoseok took taehyung under their wing to their seats in the highest row in the back.

jin sat down in his seat with his bag of buttery popcorn. "feel the vibe?"

"if there's a vibe to feel, then yeah, sure," taehyung's bashful eyes looked down at his lap as he replied soft and quietly. he couldn't understand how everyone was so casually eating and drinking; all he wanted to do was throw up from anxiety.

-

jungkook's figure glistened under the fluorescent lights as the talking came to a hush. namjoon stood opposing him, squinting eyes blazing with tenebrosity.

face gleaming with anger and anticipation, jungkook halted the start of the fight. the crowd collectively gasped as he took off both of his burgundy boxing gloves.

"man to man, namjoon, so don't be a pussy," jungkook growled through gritted teeth. 

"i'm not about to be that stupid," namjoon simply grinned, hitting jungkook, catching him off guard and causing his body to follow suit, stumbling to the sidelines. his ears rang in pain as his previous injury throbbed.

wiping off sweat from his aching forehead, jungkook looked up through narrow eyes and gained his composure, his fist colliding into namjoon's face. everything in him was ready to kill him.

the crowd hollers with every hit. jin is cheering excitedly as taehyung bites his nails. he wants to scream or cry or tell jungkook to stop, but he stays silent.

namjoon stops in his tracks as soon he realizes the blood on his face. with that, he sent his fist hurling, only for jungkook to block and counter him, never ending punches bloodying namjoon's body.

eyes watering from being punched in the noses and bodies drenched in perspiration, skin crashed as jungkook bit his bottom lip.

memories of nights long ago burned like forest fires. the wad of cash, the heat of the barrel of the gun, the cherry red blood, the clicking of his shoes as he walked away, the unbothered neighbours smiling and waving at him, leaving his father to die alone. the same man in the clouded photo, forever gone.

"we're going to have a long overdue talk now," jungkook gritted as he held his arm against namjoon's. no one but then was able to hear their conversation.

"nothing hurts more than giving up the one person in your life for you, yet i had to keep my promise." jungkook desperately yelled as he delayed namjoon's attempted hits, driving every word home. "he was my only fucking person."

"oh, i'm sorry," namjoon grinned as blood cascades down his lip. "maybe you thought that, but tell me one instance where he loved you. tell me one. you can't. he was miserable just like you."  

"everything is a business transaction for you," jungkook gritted as he stood over namjoon. "life is a business transaction for you."

jungkook never did any of it.

he took the heat for namjoon and pretended to take the last straw of killing his own father.

memories. getting on that train. escaping. trying to start anew. having to keep up the facade.

"if you had convinced him to put me in charge, maybe i wouldn't have had to killed him," namjoon smirked, his tan dimples gleaming. "then maybe i wouldn't have given you that little scar on your face. don't you see how everything is utterly your fault?"

his head raced and anger pounded like dark shooting stars racing across a doomed sky.

"you said it was in my blood, to be a murderer, but who's the fucking murderer? you. but who's name didn't end up on anyone's conspired dead body? yours. when you get caught in the middle of things, it'll get fucking messy."

namjoon just grinned as blood continued to stream across and up and down endlessly. knots tied deeply in jungkook's chest began to unravel.

"i'm ending this. i'm sick of giving up my life for you."

lights beating down on him, jungkook took one last breath and sent namjoon's heavy torso to the ground.

the bell dinged as namjoon tapped out.

cheers filled the auditorium as the as the white lights beat down on him, battle scar bruises decorating face, his raven hair slick with crystal sweat and body glimmering, bathed in some sort of twisted glory.

jungkook took one last glimpse as the darkness faded in on him, pain intoxicating his veins, collapsing against the ice cold ground, announcers and men in suits running towards him, polished shoes crowding his dimming vision.

his last recollection was smiling even though it hurt like hell, knowing it was all over.