Like waves that rush in and out slowly, fingertips stroke gingerly over Jimin's bare upper arm. It offers the same kind of tranquility, especially as the sun bleeds in through the split curtain to submerge his soft complexion in warmth. It feels like he's lost in a dream but as a tender voice calls out to him carefully, he realizes that he's awake.
"Darling." Jeongguk's hand moves to the side of his face. A comforting palm flattens over his cheek, making him smile.
"How long was I asleep for?" Jimin questions with his eyes still shut. He nuzzles into Jeongguk's hand, mindlessly moving closer to the body that radiates heat and comfort.
"A few hours," Jeongguk replies, petting his hair. "How are you feeling?"
Eyes finally opening, Jimin rubs at them with balled fists, releasing a small yawn. He peers up at Jeongguk tiredly, reaching out with grabby hands. The latter smiles and maneuvers the submissive into his lap, resting against the headboard.
"It hurts a little, but you went gentle on me. It's been worse." Jimin cuddles into the crook of Jeongguk's neck and tucks his arms in front of him, exhaling, in peace.
"That's good, Darling." Jeongguk massages at Jimin's hips, rotating his fingers in a circular motion to help ease some of the built up tension. "How about mentally?"
"Mentally?" Jimin reiterates, gripping at Jeongguk's top. "I'm doing better. I like it here. With you. Better than the club," he answers honestly, placing a kiss against the man's neck.
"Yeah?" Jeongguk reaches for a black strand of soft hair and twirls it around his index finger, resting his chin on Jimin's head. "You seem to make everything better, little one. I haven't touched a cigarette in a very long time. You've become my new addiction."
Looking up at Jeongguk, Jimin blinks at him cutely with parted lips. "Really, Jeongguk? That's so exciting." He chuckles, flattening his small hands on the man's chest. "You're my first addiction, and you will be my last."
"That's good, because I never plan on letting you go." Jeongguk tilts Jimin's head downward, simply to land a sweet kiss on his forehead. The latter hums contentedly, like a cat would purr when being caressed.
Jimin chews on his bottom lip. "A lot of people have let me go. Iseul hasn't contacted me in a very long time. I'm not sure where we stand but I think you scared her pretty badly."
Moving beneath him, Jeongguk shifts to the point Jimin is no longer straddling him. He throws his legs over the side of the bed and the submissive frowns. He sits behind Jeongguk and rests his chin on his shoulder, in thought.
"Did I say something wrong?" Jimin mumbles curiously.
"Never." Jeongguk sighs. "I doubt that Iseul is scared, Darling. There's something that I need to tell you. It isn't good."
Jimin frowns, tilting his head to the side. "You're scaring me, Jeongguk. Is everything okay? What's going on?"
"Seokjin Hyung woke up. He talked to Hoseok Hyung and Namjoon Hyung about what happened last night. It's fucking messy." His tone comes off much sharper than he intends it to, and Jimin flinches but only softly.
"What happened?" he asks.
"Last night, that man got in because Iseul had seduced him. When he wasn't paying attention, she knocked him out and disabled the security system. The only way he could have gotten in without running into any bodyguards would be by the back entrance, the way that we come in. I'm sure she helped him get in the first time, too. We still don't know why she did it. She ran and now we're going to have to find her and get some answers," Jeongguk explains, tightening his hand over Jimin's knee.
But he can't even necessarily feel it. Or anything at all, mind you. He has become numb. Wondering why Iseul would go to such drastic lengths to have him killed. Why does she want him dead in the first place? Surely it must run much deeper than a simple grudge. Why is she helping Daeshim when he has hurt her in the past? None of it makes sense to him and his head starts to ache, just mulling over each possibility.
"We're going to visit them at the hospital and see if we can get more information. I'd have you stay to rest but as things are, I need you by my side at all costs. Do you have your collar, Darling? I need you to be a good boy for me and put it on." Jeongguk stands from the bed and tucks Jimin's hair behind his ear. "Get ready and I'll meet you in the kitchen."
Jimin nods his head and watches as Jeongguk vanishes from the bedroom. He sighs, looking down at his thighs. He wants answers but without enough energy to brainstorm, he settles with getting ready. He dresses himself in comfortable clothes and locates his collar, buckling it around his neck. It helps him feel safe.
After brushing his teeth, he meets Jeongguk in the kitchen. He's talking with somebody over the phone and Jimin assumes that it's either Namjoon or Hoseok. He hangs up and pockets his device, twisting on his heel to meet the ravenette's gaze.
"I told them we're on our way, Darling. After we visit, we'll get some lunch, how does that sound?" Jeongguk stands before Jimin, massaging his ass carefully. He kisses him on his lips.
"That sounds good. I am a little hungry." Jimin smiles, but a fraction of the gesture is forced. Jeongguk joins their hands and they leave the house, into the car that's parked in the driveway.
Jimin doesn't focus on the road ahead, rather the objects to his left. Warmth settles on his upper thigh - he can tell that Jeongguk knows that now, he isn't feeling the greatest. He's unable to brainstorm, but the subject itself just eats away at him from the inside out. To the point he can feel a headache coming on once more.
Soon, they reach the hospital and Jimin still has a little limp in his walk. Despite being in public, despite the judging eyes that watch them, Jeongguk isn't afraid to show off what's his. Their fingers stay connected as they walk through the bland hallways to Seokjin's hospital room. Jimin cuddles into the blond's side mindlessly, covering half of his face.
"I'm right here, baby," Jeongguk tells him quietly.
"I know," Jimin replies. "Thank you."
When they make it to Seokjin's hospital room, they find all but Hoseok and Yoongi. Namjoon is sitting on the foot of Seokjin's bed, along with Taehyung who sips on the straw of a koolaid packet.
"How's your head?" Jeongguk asks after he closes the door behind him. Namjoon and Taehyung look over their shoulders at the duo.
"If it weren't for the meds it'd hurt like a motherfucker. That bitch has a heavy swing." Seokjin's fingers drag over the bandage that's wrapped around his head.
Jeongguk raises a brow. "Don't get me wrong, Hyung. I want you to get better. But you let her seduce you and you let her into one of the rooms that are off limits to all regular customers. You fucked up," he states curtly.
"I don't need your bullshit talk down right now, Gguk. I need you guys to find her and fucking kill her." Seokjin looks at Jimin.
"Yoongi and Hoseok are already searching for her. Believe me, I want her dead just as much as you do. And my asshole brother. You're allowed to be angry, but you can't lose your fucking cool. Not right now. That's what they want. So pull yourself together and stop complaining."
"Go easy on him, Gguk," Namjoon chimes in, trying to settle the verbal dispute. "We're all going through a lot of shit right now. It's normal that we're all on edge. Especially Taehyung and Jimin. We can't turn against one another. Not right now."
"I'm sorry, you guys. I can't not take the fall for all of this. Wasn't it quieter when I wasn't here? All of this... is because of me, isn't it?" Jimin speaks up quietly with his head hanging low, visibly discouraged.
"That isn't true," Namjoon denies and Jimin looks up with parted lips, surprised to hear such from another person. "You've done so many things for us, Jimin. And if Jeongguk hadn't have taken you in, where would you be now? Daeshim is fucked in the head. You're safer with us. You belong with us."
"He's right." Taehyung plays with the empty koolaid packet in his hands. "You helped me when I was feeling really low. You were able to empathize with me." His lips are slightly pouted.
A hand snakes around his waist. With eyes that threaten to water over, Jimin peers up at Jeongguk who gazes at him with such fondness. "You have a family here, Darling. All of us care about you. Which is why we're going to do everything that we can to make sure this ends the way that it's supposed to."
"Do you promise?" Jimin asks, chewing on his bottom lip. He looks at Taehyung who appears to be just as hopeful with pretty puppy eyes looking up at Namjoon.
"I promise." Jeongguk places his palm against Jimin's cheek and smiles at him softly, caressing his white skin with his thumb.
"I'm sorry, Jimin," Seokjin speaks up from his spot. "I let my guard down and that's the one thing I'm not supposed to do when looking after the club. We'll make this right," he intones, dragging his fingertips over the bandage around his head.
"It's alright." Jimin smiles at him. "I'm okay, aren't I?"
"You may look the part, but I'm not taking my eyes off of you," Jeongguk cuts in, floating his hand on the small of Jimin's back. "You haven't eaten lunch, yet. Let's go out and find something. I'm sure you're hungry."
Nodding his head, they say goodbye to the trio and make their way out of the hospital. It's a nice feeling, somebody being concerned about how long it has been since he's eaten. Some days he would skip meals because of a certain someone. But now he's being reminded to fuel his body. There's something special about it.
As they wander through the hallways, people point and stare. Especially at Jimin, with such an obvious collar around his neck. He sinks further into Jeongguk's side and the man's grip around him tightens.
"Ignore them, Darling," he says quietly.
"I'm trying," Jimin mumbles, curling his fingers into Jeongguk's dress shirt. He keeps his gaze trained forward until they're out of the hospital and in the car. He loves attention, but is depends entirely on what kind it is and when he's receiving it.
"You're absolutely stunning. That's why they were staring, Darling." Jeongguk starts his car and places a hand on Jimin's upper thigh. One of smaller size falls on top of his and fingers bend between his own to obtain a state of comfort.
During the drive through the city, Jimin finds himself thinking about Iseul. He recalls their time as hairdressers - a time much simpler. Who would've thought they'd end up in a situation like this? From friends, to her confessing by an unsolicited kiss, to enemies. Although it was unsuccessful, she was responsible for his near death. The thought still makes his stomach twist. She never seemed capable but he supposes he never found the need to investigate beyond her soft beauty and her misleading, gentle tone.
And now he wants her dead. He wants all of them dead. Anyone who can possibly compromise his relationship with Jeongguk. He doesn't care what happens to them.
As far as grabbing lunch goes, Jeongguk chooses a small diner that doesn't seem to get as much business. Jimin trails behind him, glued to his back as they wander to the booth that's furthest in the back and vacant. They take a seat and Jimin keeps his foot against Jeongguk's beneath the table, just to feel secure.
A waitress approaches and Jimin orders something simple, alongside Jeongguk. She walks away with her notepad clutched tightly in her hand, squealing excitedly.
Jimin peers at Jeongguk quizzically. "Why do some people get so excited over us?" he questions honestly.
Jeongguk chuckles, tapping the table. "Just look at you, Darling. How can one not get excited?"
Jimin blushes, staring at his thighs. "You're so flirty, Jeongguk," he murmurs playfully.
The man's bright eyes turn over, slightly darkened, as Jimin tugs on his bottom lip and toys with the hem of his shirt. The action isn't completely visible from Jeongguk's position, but he can imagine small portions of Jimin's milky skin showing in contrast to his red top.
"What do you think you're up to?" Jeongguk's lips tilt into a smirk, driven by mirth.
Jimin shrugs. "I don't know. Am I getting you excited? I'm not trying to." His cheeks flush as Jeongguk's heavy gaze makes him shift against the booth.
"You're still recovering from last night, Darling. I suggest you play your cards right, otherwise you won't be able to walk." Jeongguk leans back and crosses his arms, cockiness veering heavy as Jimin visibly sits on both of his hands, trying to keep still. "But you would like that, wouldn't you? I know how you can get. You're cute and shy but when I get you started, you can't stop."
"J-Jeongguk." Jimin whines, pushing his foot up against the man's as a means to try and get him to stop. "The waitress is coming."
Their meals are placed on the table. She simply stands for a moment, looking at the both of them with admiration in her big eyes.
"Thank you," Jimin says, pulling her from her daydream.
"Oh!" she squeaks. "Right. You're welcome, sorry. You guys are just extremely cute." She goes to place her pen behind her ear, but ends up poking herself in the eye. She winces as her cheeks bleed over red. "Sorry, I'm so clumsy. Enjoy your food." She walks away while holding her eye, vanishing into the back.
Jeongguk and Jimin both look at each other and smile. "She's cute," the blond states.
"But I'm cuter," Jimin replies, scrunching his nose.
"You are. You're otherworldly, Darling." The compliment has Jimin smiling abashedly, as if he'd expect any other reaction to his statement. He digs into his lunch and shovels a chopstick of japchae into his mouth, moaning contentedly at the taste.
The bell hanging above the entrance door chimes in the distance. Mindlessly, Jimin looks up. Despite the preexisting pallid texture of his skin, it falls further ashen at the sight of the man standing six booths away. He places his chopsticks down and swallows the only bite of food he had taken, no longer in the mood to sate the tame grumbling of his stomach.
Jeongguk clearly notices, it's as if Jimin's sudden change in demeanor is a trigger. The blond is suddenly on alert, twisting around in his seat to find Chin-hwa staring at their booth from a short distance away. His belly is as prominent as ever, as are the rings encompassing his big fingers.
"Jeongguk, what's he doing here? How did he find us?" Jimin mutters, hardly able to get the words out due to the jitters vibrating his body.
"I don't know, Darling," Jeongguk replies.
It's when Chin-hwa approaches that Jeongguk stands up. Before the man can get any closer to Jimin, the blond blocks him.
"I promised myself that the next time I saw you, I'd put a fucking bullet through your skull," Jeongguk speaks quietly, just enough for the three of them to hear. But there's an unruly amount of agression behind it to make the threat sufficient.
"Settle down, Jeongguk. You really gonna blow my brains out right here? In front of all of these people? Sit the fuck down and get out of my face," Chin-hwa demands. His hand wanders below his belly to the gun sitting beneath his waistband, hidden behind his suit jacket. Jimin watches unsteadily.
Jeongguk catches glimpse of the firearm. His jaw tightens and a muscle pops into plain sight. "What do you want?"
"Boy, I want plenty of things," the old man says as his eyes wander to Jimin who sits stiffly, averting his gaze. "But that isn't the purpose of today's visit. I heard about what happened at Asphyxiation... only after I tried to get into the building, only to find out that it's been shut down because you shot someone in the fucking head?"
"Keep your fucking voice down unless you suggest we take this somewhere else," Jeongguk snaps, a fire burning bright in his eyes. "Of course I can't guarantee you'll live. I can envision the crater so perfectly between your eyebrows, you sick fuck. Get to the point or fuck off."
Chin-hwa breaks into laughter, however it's humourless. And it frightens Jimin. The way this man is so calm and seemingly unafraid of anything almost makes him scarier than Daeshim.
"I heard Jimin almost not only got raped that night, but also killed. Where were you, Jeongguk? He's your submissive. You're supposed to take care of him, are you not? What would you have done if you saw him naked and bleeding on the bed? Bet that image is gonna stick." It takes all of Jeongguk's power to keep his hands to himself.
Meanwhile Jimin's eyes begin to water over. They went to a quiet place to avoid the dreadful feeling of being overwhelmed. Thankfully the only other customers are on the other side of the diner.
"I'm gonna cut your fucking tongue off," Jeongguk snaps.
The old man smiles. "I'm sure you'd love to, but I have a proposition to make," he says and wanders behind Jeongguk, pushing his hand away, taking a seat next to Jimin. The latter digs his fingers into his palms, scooting as close to the wall as he can get, turning his legs away.
"Clearly, you're incapable of keeping Jimin safe. You can't even control who sits next to him." Chin-hwa toys with his jewelry, uninterestedly. "And I hear that your brother has gone haywire. He has never been able to do things successfully. There's no telling what he'll do next, where he is, who could be working for him... the list goes on. And unfortunately you don't have access to it."
"Oh, but you do?" Jeongguk cuts in swiftly. Uncharacteristically, his voice cracks.
"I don't. But seeing as Jimin is going to be in my possession shortly, I can't have him getting hurt. Therefore, I can gain access to the list. I have more people than you do. I have resources, plenty that you're lacking. I can find Daeshim and end his life," the man offers and Jeongguk burns with anger, watching his hand approach Jimin's thigh.
He can't take this. He grips Chin-hwa by the lapel of his suit jacket and tugs him off of the booth seat. He pushes him against the wall and audible gasps can be heard from the workers.
"You will never have him. He will never belong to you. Go fuck yourself, old man," Jeongguk grits.
"You're getting carried away again, Jeongguk," the man replies with a strained voice. "You'd like to know the truth behind your parent's deaths, wouldn't you?" he brings up.
Jeongguk's eyes waver. "What truth? Stop fucking lying. They got driven off of a bridge and fucking died. That's the truth."
"But who drove them off of it?" The colour of Chin-hwa's face turns back to normal when Jeongguk's strength falters.
"Stop fucking with my head." Jeongguk backs away, so overrun with emotion he needs to use the booth table to stabilize himself.
Chin-hwa's thin lips form a lopsided smile, one indicating victory. "Agree to my terms and my conditions, Jeongguk."
"And then I'll tell you."