thick as thieves || bts x mamamoo

thirty nine;

"It's pretty, isn't it?"

Wheein startles at the sudden presence behind her, turning around to find Jimin, Jungkook, and Hyejin emerging from the hallway leading down to the ship quarters. "Oh my gosh, you all scared me."

"You never used to let anyone get the drop on you like that," Hyejin teases. "You've gotten soft ever since you met Taehyung."

"I have not!" Wheein protests. "I just- I was just thinking and got distracted."

"You better watch out, noona." Jungkook jabs a thumb to his chest. "If you're not careful, I'll be taking your spot and sailing off to do heists with Byulyi noona and Hyejin noona before you know it."

"You'd have to beat me in sparring first, you brat," Wheein laughs. "Speaking of heists, you and Jimin should go and rest up for your big day tomorrow. You guys will be getting plenty of action and experience tomorrow and it won't be like our fight with the navy. Heists require you to take the fight on their turf, and that in itself always draws a lot more uncertainty and potential for things to go wrong."

"We know, we know. Jungkook was too excited to sleep just yet, so I thought we'd visit you and Taehyung up at the helm." Jimin cocks his head ever so slightly in confusion. "Except... you're not at the helm. Everything okay between you two?"

"Hmm?" Wheein's brow furrows in her own confusion, before the meaning behind his words register and she rolls her eyes. "Everything's fine, Jimin. Just because we're not attached at the hip every waking second doesn't mean something's up. We're our own individual selves before we're a couple."

"I know, I know, I was just joking," Jimin grins. "I'm more surprised at the fact that Tae didn't manage to puppy eye his way into having you keep him company up there."

"He seemed pretty preoccupied with making sure we weren't drifting too close into Royal Merchant Guild territory and I didn't want to distract him. Apparently a lot more naval ships patrol that area so we need to steer clear of those waters but also get close enough to give you all the quickest escape if anything goes wrong." Wheein crosses her arms. "Besides, the last time I distracted him up at the helm, that one guy snuck onto our ship."

"That wasn't on you, noona!" Jungkook protests. "That guy even managed to sneak past whoever was keeping guard at the time too, and besides, Byulyi noona caught him anyways."

"I know, I just-" Wheein sighs. "We can't rely on Byulyi unnie every time something happens. Byulyi unnie has given Hyejin and I more than we could ever dream of having. She's protected and taken care of us for years, gave us a place and family to call home. I just want to be able to be strong enough to fight by her side and show her that all the years of training and effort she's put into us hasn't gone to waste."

"They haven't gone to waste," Jimin states firmly, reaching over to clasp Hyejin's hand in his own and intertwine their fingers. "Just look at you two. You managed to take Hoseok hyung and I on at our first meeting, and you've only gotten better since. I know for a fact that Byulyi noona couldn't be more proud to see how you two have grown up in her and Yongsun noona's care."

"Looks like you've got a sweet talker on your hands, Hyejinnie," Wheein giggles at the way her best friend's cheeks pinken at her statement. After all the weeks of teasing she got from Hyejin after her and Taehyung got together, it was only fair she got her revenge.

It doesn't last long, though, as Jungkook is quick to pipe up. "You say that as if Taehyung isn't a sweet talker too, noona! I don't even want to think of the number of times I've walked up here for my patrol shift to see him whispering some gross pick-up lines to you."

"Yah! See if I ever teach you how to throw knives again." Wheein says with an indignant huff.

"Wait, no, I take it back! I take it back!" Jungkook is quick to regret his decision, clinging to Wheein's sleeve pathetically with a look of utmost despair on his face. "Don't abandon me, oh great and wise master, I was wrong!"