↻ ɪɴꜰᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ʙʟᴜʀʀʏ ᴠɪꜱɪᴏɴ ↺
Jimin stands still, frozen cold as he watches his father's figure on the screen. The last time he saw him when he was alive was when he was only ten years old, but that doesn't mean that the painful and vivid images of him beating his mother are absent. And he watches with owlish, appalled eyes as his dad grabs a different woman by her head of hair, shoving her roughly to the ground.
He just hopes desperately that the lady in the security footage isn't Starling's mother. And with said man being on his mind, his eyes shift to the black haired male standing to his left. For the most part, his expression is unreadable despite the coherent clench in his jaw. His eyes bore into the projected screen with clear intensity and the teenager struggles to decipher what Jeongguk's true sentiments are regarding the footage portrayed.
And with fifteen seconds left to spare of the woman being brutally beaten, Jeongguk pulls the USB out of the laptop himself, chucking it across the room. The sound of it clashing against the wall causes Jimin to flinch and shrink. He looks furtively as the mafia leader threads his slender fingers through his black curly hair in evident frustration and the room falls dead silent as they await orders from Starling himself.
"This is fucking useless," he states in an irritated tone and Jimin curls his lips in, staring at the ground.
Why does he feel responsible for the woman's life? Why does he feel responsible for the death of Starling's mother? It's evident now that the Jane Doe in the clip isn't related to Jeongguk, however his stomach still turns at the thought that many other women were victims of his father's heavy hand. He couldn't help them because he was just a boy. He didn't know any better and he still doesn't. Why does this clip of his dad exist? Why was he beating other women?
He doesn't realize how lightheaded he is until he begins to stumble backward, hand pressed to his head. The objects in his vision begin to double and his posture capitulates to the static in his head, begging him to collapse to the floor.
"Jimin?" he hears someone call out to him, however the owner of the voice is indistinguishable. It's as if his name goes into one of his ears and right out the other.
"Jimin, you're pale," the voice calls out to him again and Jimin manages to catch the face of the velvety voice in his temporary moment of sanity. Jeongguk is staring at him with an amalgam of confusion and worry, arms seemingly open to catch him dare he fall.
"M-my head," Jimin says quietly and his delicate tone nears the sad timbre of a whimper.
Seokjin removes himself from his spot by the wall and is quick to be by the teenager's side, analyzing him closely. The boy blinks at him and stumbles into the doctor's arms, weighing him down.
"He needs to go to the infirmary, Gguk. You need to carry him," the doctor states and Starling looks at the duo, unsure of what actions he should take next. The expression on his face is blank until Seokjin yells at him firmly, pulling the mafia leader from his trance.
"I said fucking grab him, Gguk! He's passing out in my arms!" the doctor shouts and Jeongguk lunges forward, scooping the limp boy up in his arms. The rest of the men watch quietly as the scene unfolds before them, unsure of where they should be or what they should be doing. But as they watch the trio leave the conference room, there's clearly nothing left for them to do but wait.
Seokjin strides quickly through the halls, and Jeongguk isn't far behind. He holds Jimin against his chest, hands resting securely below the boy's thighs as a chin rests against his shoulder. He can feel soft puffs of air gust his ear and his grip tightens on the teenager's legs as he enter through the infirmary.
"Place him on the bed," Seokjin stresses and Jeongguk does as he's told, laying Jimin down gently on one of the beds. The mafia leader watches as the teenager shifts uncomfortably, his face contorting in pain. Audible whimpers are heard and the doctor is quick to unwrap Jimin's foot, gaping.
"His cut is infected, Gguk," Seokjin says and Starling stands still, unsure of what to do. The boy's face continues to pale and he proceeds to move around in evident pain as the doctor paces to the other side of the infirmany, grabbing some things in his arms.
"This is going to hurt," Seokjin states as soon as he unloads his gatherings onto a table, sitting on a rolling stool. He pulls up to the foot of the bed, grabbing Jimin's heel delicately in his hands as he examines the wound just above it, studying it intently. After doing so for a short impactful amount of time, he's quick at work, dabbing something benignly against the sole of Jimin's foot.
The boy yelps, eyes blowing up. His back arches in pain and he curls his fingers into the bed covers, biting down hard on his lips.
"I'm sorry, kiddo," Seokjin apologizes sincerely as he continues, only for the infirmary room to be filled with continuous cries of agony.
"You're hurting him," Jeongguk points out with furrowed brows and the doctor sends the man a pointed look.
"I'm hurting him? Don't even get me started on the shit you've put him through, Gguk. You're being a hypocrite," Seokjin snaps and Jimin cries out once again, tears streaming down his cheeks in response to the unbearable pain.
Jeongguk rolls his tongue into his lower lip, visibly undergoing conflict as he watches the scene playing out before him. He decide to approach Jimin's bedside fully, pulling one of the boy's small hands into his own.
"Squeeze if you need to, okay?"
"O-okay."
(・Θ・)
Jimin stirs beneath the covers, balled up fists rubbing at his eyes. The pain in his foot doesn't make itself apparent until he sits up against the headboard, hissing quietly. And he doesn't notice how Jeongguk's head rests against the mattress until his fingers brush some of the man's black hair by accident. Small snores emit from his parted mouth and the teenger wonders just exactly why the mafia leader is at his bedside, sleeping, rather than in his own bed.
His mouth is dry and his lips are chapped as he runs his tongue over them, feeling dehydrated. His head aches and he presses the heel of his palm to it, wincing but only by a whisper.
It doesn't matter how hard he tries to keep his gaze away from the mafia leader, because his eyes always somehow end up landing on his dormant figure. And how he looks so innocent when he's quiet. How mesmerizing his lashes are as they rest against his cheekbones. The way his pretty lips situate themselves into a pout as soon as he adjusts his sleeping position.
Typically, for most people, they'd stop staring as soon as the person they're admiring looks their way. But Jimin doesn't care. He continues to study Jeongguk's pretty face openly, even as the man peers up at him with a neutral expression.
"Hey," Jeongguk greets rather admirably and takes his own turn rubbing at his eyes, prompting Jimin to melt. Who knew a man as cold and blunt as Starling could be as cuddly as a puppy after just waking up. "Are you feeling better?"
Jimin's lips form a small circular shape as he sends the mafia leader a subdued look of shock.
"Why do you care whether or not I'm okay? I've done what you've asked of me and now I'm usless..." Jimin laments as he stares down into his lap and Jeongguk's soft morning expression changes rather quickly.
"At this point I'm just wasting all of your resources, staying here to heal. Just throw me back on the streets again. I don't care. I won't tell anyone. You guys have been good to me," the teenager continues and even as his chin is grabbed, he refuses to drown in Jeongguk's owlish brown eyes.
"Look at me," the mafia leader orders and Jimin makes a small noise of disobedience as he shakes his head.
"I said look at me, Jimin," the man demands a little bit more forcefully and the teenager finally gives in, staring into Jeongguk's eyes. He can't tell what he sees in them, or what message they try to reflect.
But what he does know, is that every single cell in his body begs of him to break down in tears. He can't remember that last time he's felt like he belongs somewhere. It doesn't matter the shit they put him through because they were always there, helping him in the end. They didn't leave him behind.
And before he knows it, despite attempting to bite back tears, his pleading eyes well with water as he stares into Jeongguk's eyes. Silently, he begs the man to keep him around. Until he's brave enough to open his mouth just to voice what tries to cling so desperately to his tongue.
"I don't want you guys to leave me. I'm tired of being left behind," the teenager laments as he thinks about his mother and her tender touch, wanting to feel it just one last time in this moment of uncertainty. He's so accustomed to being strong that when he needs a moment to crumble, he's not even sure how to do it properly.
Jeongguk having kept his mouth closed decides to finally move his hand, brushing away at Jimin's tears with the pad of his thumb while staring into his eyes harbouring immeasurable amounts of pain and fear of being pushed around and left once again. And unfortunately for the taller man, it's a feeling he can relate to. Despite his mother not leaving him voluntarily, her absence seems to haunt him each day. And the fact that her killer is still out there somewhere, alive and walking the streets, ignites a fire in his chest.
"You don't have to go, Jimin," Jeongguk says while pulling his hand away from the boy's shocked face. "But you have to pull your weight. You're useful," he states with a solid expression and Jimin proceeds to gape at him, unbelieving of the words he says.
"...What will the others think? I know they don't all like me," the teenager replies sensibly and Jeongguk shakes his head.
"They're going to have to deal with it. Somebody like you can be very useful," the mafia leader says and despite Jimin liking the idea of being 'useful', an evident however covert part of him wishes that he's wanted not because he's useful. But because he's wanted.
And his dismal expression is almost immediately caught by Jeongguk's wandering eyes. The teenager does everything in his power to avoid the mafia leader's strong gaze, keeping his eyes glued to his covered thighs. He absolutely detests confrontation and the consequences that follow.
"Hey," Jeongguk starts, wanting the teenager to look him in the eyes. However the brunette remains stubborn.
"I'm going to rest some more," Jimin says and decides to slide down the bed, turning his back to Jeongguk. He pulls the covers over his shoulder and cuddles up to them, eyes wide open.
"Your real training starts as soon as you're healed," Jimin hears, and then the door closes shortly after that.
He inhales, and exhales slowly.
At least he's not being forced back onto the streets.
At least he has a place.
(A/N): Okay but these are so fucking cute.
-