Charlie felt uncomfortable as they walked in, her eyes trying to avoid the half naked girls that were either dancing for the patrons of the club or walking around in scantily clad outfits serving drinks.
"I'm going to try to go find Raven, see if she's heard anything about that asshole we're looking for," Yoongi said, disappearing down a hall while Jimin grinned as he led the others towards a table in the back.
"Jin!" a girl behind the bar called, waving over at him and the rest of the group while Jin's face turned slightly red.
"Excuse me, I'll be right back," he said, eagerly approaching the gorgeous girl behind the bar, easily flirting with her while she giggled at him, playfully leaning across the bar before slapping his chest.
"Who's that?" Charlie asked.
"Jin's... friend," Jimin replied. "They have a mutual understanding about helping each other satisfy their needs," he added, causing Charlie to slightly scrunch up her nose.
"Alright, too much info," she replied as they all sat down at a table tucked into the back corner.
"How about some drinks? Sasha!" Jimin called, motioning for the beautiful woman to come over. She smiled as she walked over towards her boss, only to scowl when her eyes landed on the blue haired man sitting next to him. Jimin noticed the tension and cleared his throat, asking if he could get a round of shots for the table.
"Sure," Sasha replied, forcing a smile on her face before walking away, making sure to shoot Taehyung one final glare.
"So, she's still mad at me?" Taehyung asked.
Jimin turned towards him with narrowed eyes. "Of course she's still fucking mad Tae, what did you expect?" Jimin replied.
"Wait, what's going on?" Jungkook asked, confused about the whole situation.
"Tae hooked up with Sasha before," JImin shared, causing both Jimin and Charlie to glance at him while Taehyung avoided meeting their eyes.
"Well that doesn't sound bad-" Charlie started only to have Jimin interject.
"Oh, I wasn't done," he said. "He also hooked up with Luna, one of the dancers, not long after that," Jimin informed.
Taehyung could feel this heavy feeling resting on his chest, afraid to look up and see their reactions. He was most worried about what Charlie was going to think, especially since they had formed such a close bond. He knew that she disliked Jimin since he came off as a huge flirt, he didn't want her to think of him any differently because of his actions.
"So do all of you tend to sleep with the girls from here?" Charlie inquired while Jimin quickly shook his head.
"Like I said before, Jin and Trixie have a deal, just sex," Jimin shared. "Hoseok used to hook up occasionally with Brandi, but she doesn't work here anymore," he said while Hoseok scowled at him for sharing too much information, as always. Jimin ignored Hoseok's angry expression as he continued. "And Taehyung hasn't really slept with anyone else after the whole Luna-Sasha fiasco," he concluded. "But other than that, no one else really hooks up with the girls here."
"You mean to tell me that you've never slept with any of these girls?" Charlie asked, stunned at the fact that Jimin hadn't slept with at least half of the women here.
"No Charlie, I haven't. I have a rule, I don't sleep with any of the girls. Besides, it's my job to make sure they're protected," he stated, glancing back towards the bar as he tried to find Sasha, hoping that she would arrive with the drinks soon. Instead, he was thankful to see one of his closest friends walking towards them with a huge smile on her face, Yoongi trailing right behind her.
"Jiminie!" the woman shouted with outstretched hands as she stepped closer.
"Raven dear," Jimin greeted, standing up to embrace her. She appeared to be in her early thirties, but was very beautiful with hair so black that it glowed blue when the lights danced across it. She wore a skin tight, black dress that stopped just above her knees and very high heels that she elegantly walked in, something Charlie was amazed at. "Oh! This is Jungkook and Charlie. Guys, this is Raven. She manages the place and takes care of the dancers when I'm away," he introduced.
Jungkook stood up and held out a hand. "Pleasure to meet you."
"You really are boosting the visuals in that house, aren't you Yoongi?" Raven teased, turning slightly to Yoongi before facing Jungkook again, clasping his hand as she shook it, giving him a wink. Jungkook could feel his face heat up as he quickly sat in his seat next to Taehyung. Raven then turned to Charlie and had the sweetest smile.
"Charlie, it's so good to finally meet you," she said. Instead of a handshake, Raven pulled her into a huge hug. Charlie was surprised at first, but found it oddly comforting as she returned the hug. Raven set her hands on Charlie's shoulders as she pulled away, taking a good look at her, smiling as she looked at her outfit. "I'm glad to see that you like the outfit. I wanted to get you a dress, but Jimin insisted that something like this would be more your style," she commented. Before Charlie could respond, Raven released her and turned towards Taehyung with a serious look.
"Tae," she greeted with a cocked brow. Taehyung put his hands up and sighed.
"I'm just here to celebrate with my friends Rae, I promise," Taehyung defended. Jungkook felt bad that his past mistakes were brought up yet again so he patted him on shoulder, trying to comfort him. Raven leaned down towards him and Jungkook was a little worried that her dress wouldn't be able to keep everything in.
"To be honest, Sasha and Luna are a bit dramatic," she said with a smirk before turning back to Charlie.
"You boys have fun, I'm stealing Charlie away so I can introduce her to some of the girls," she stated, grabbing onto Charlie's hand before turning to Yoongi. "We have plenty of time to talk business later, have a little fun for once." She patted his cheek before dragging Charlie to the dressing room in the back.
Once Raven opened the door, Charlie was stunned as she looked around the room, noticing the girls who were sitting in front of lighted mirrors, applying make-up in order to accentuate their eyes while they wore revealing pieces that showed off their gorgeous figures.
A redhead sitting close to the entrance looked up as she heard the door open, grinning as she eagerly eyed Charlie, approving of the outfit. "Oooh, who's the new girl, Rae?" she inquired, walking towards them before getting a bit too close to Charlie, who took a step back, a bit intimidated by the woman.
Raven rolled her eyes before letting out a small laugh. "Easy Scarlet, she's a member of Bangtan, not a new dancer," she playfully said. "Scarlet is a veteran here. She's one of the originals who joined Cliff Hangers around the same time I did," Raven shared.
"A girl, with Bangtan?" Scarlet raised her brows. "And what's your role exactly?" she asked. Charlie knew exactly what she was insinuating and wanted to clarify things right away.
"I'm good with knives, care to see?" Charlie responded with a smirk. Scarlet laughed a little before grinning at her.
"I like you. Here, come sit down," she said, gesturing towards an empty seat in front of the mirrors.
Charlie glanced around the room and noticed two other women who were focused on her, fond smiles on their faces.
"This is Jade," Raven said, gesturing towards one of the women. She had short, dark brown hair, wearing fishnet stockings and a bright red one-piece with a plunging cut down the front. "She's been here for about a year, and this gorgeous, talented woman is Cherry, another veteran and my best friend," Raven shared. "The two of us have been through a lot together, isn't that right?"
"Yes we have, gone to hell and back. I wouldn't have made it out alive if it wasn't for Rae," Cherry replied, grinning while Charlie looked at her fondly. The way the two were close reminded her of the friendship she had with Jungkook.
"My goodness, you have gorgeous skin!" Jade commented, stepping closer as she gently stroked Charlie's cheek, causing the younger girl to let out an awkward laugh before thanking the older woman for the compliment. "You know, with a smokey eye look and some dark lipstick, you would look lethal darling," Jade added with a friendly smile on her face.
"Oh, well, I'm not really good with make-up, so I tend to do the bare minimum," Charlie admitted.
"Well we can't allow that now, can we?" Scarlet said. "Next time you want to dress up for a night out, you come to us," she added, playfully winking at Charlie. Charlie felt so overwhelmed with the attention and compliments that she didn't really know how to respond. Raven could sense her uneasiness and decided to take her somewhere a bit more quiet.
"Alright girls, let's give her some room to breathe," she suggested. "Jade, you go on in a few, so make sure you're ready. Charlie, follow me." She tilted her head towards the door as Charlie stood up, giving a small smile to the women as she walked towards the door.
"Fine mom," Jade teased, giving Raven a smirk. "Come back again soon Charlie! We should plan a girls night or something!" she called out while Charlie nodded before following Raven out of the room and down the hall.
They ended up entering a room closer towards the front of the hall. Charlie quietly observed and guessed that it was probably Jimin's office. There was a small, dark leather couch off to the side and a large desk with a computer on top of it. There were shelves behind the desk filled with books that were rarely read, but it brought a sophisticated look to the room so they stayed. Sometimes, on slow nights, Raven would pull one out to read, eager for a temporary escape.
"Have a seat," Raven said, gesturing towards the couch while walking to a corner where a small drink table was set up. "Want anything?" she offered while Charlie quickly shook her head, glancing at the woman as she poured herself one before walking towards the desk, sitting on the edge facing Charlie. She observed the girl in front of her, trying to read her, but it was quite difficult. Charlie was guarded, Raven was able to distinguish that much, and she was determined to break down those walls.
"So, tell me Charlie," Raven spoke, pausing as she took a sip from her drink. "How does a beautiful young lady like yourself get involved with one of the biggest mafia groups in town?"
"Jungkook and I got caught breaking into the casino," Charlie admitted, leaning back into the couch as the dark-haired woman chuckled.
"I already know that honey, Jimin told me. What I want to know is why you felt that joining a gang was the only option you had." Raven's eyes were soft, and while Charlie barely knew her, she felt as if she could trust her with anything.
"Oh well, I guess, you could say that we didn't have anywhere else to go," she replied. Charlie brought her hand to her ear and started to twirl the small silver stud earring, something that Raven noticed. She gave a reassuring smile before deciding to sit on the couch next to Charlie.
"And why is that?" Raven pushed further.
"What, Jimin didn't tell you?" Charlie questioned while Raven smiled, shaking her head in response. "Jungkook and I were living out on the streets, so it was either fighting to survive or joining Bangtan and having a sense of security... and a bed to sleep in."
Raven nodded her head, curious to learn more. "So I'm going to assume that the two of you either ran away from home or you're both orphans," she guessed.
"Foster kids," Charlie answered. "I don't know much about my parents and Jungkook's died in a car crash. We spent two years together in our last foster home and decided that once we turned 18, we would stick together." Raven smiled, remembering how Jimin told her about their close bond but left out the personal details of their shitty past since he wanted to respect both Jungkook's and Charlie's privacy.
"He seems like a sweet kid," Raven commented, noticing the way Charlie's smile widened.
"Yeah, he really is," she replied.
"You know, so is Jimin," Raven added, noticing the way that Charlie slightly tensed up. "He told me all about your argument and I just wanted to get a chance to talk to you about it since I know it's something that's been bothering him all day. I hope you don't mind me asking, but what's the issue that you have with him?"
"He's such a pervert!" Charlie exclaimed. "He just makes these comments and comes off as a complete ass for it," she vented before her conversation with Jimin popped into her head. She sighed, groaning as she leaned back on the arm of the couch. "But then he talked to me about it today and explained why he did it, so I really don't know what to make of him."
"And why's that?" Raven questioned, noticing the slight conflict present on Charlie's face.
"Because aren't all men supposed to be assholes who only want one thing?" Charlie asked, her gaze averting Raven's as she started playing with her stud again. The comment really put Raven off, and after noticing the girl reaching for her earring again, she knew there was more to that statement.
"What about Jungkook?"
Charlie hesitated before glancing up at Raven, who was patiently waiting for her response. "He's different, he actually cares," she mumbled.
Raven raised an eyebrow, her eyes still intently focused on Charlie. "And you don't think the other guys in that house care?" she inquired.
"I mean, they do, but with Jimin, it's just... he's too..." Charlie started, struggling to find the words to say without sounding too harsh. She could tell that Raven was defensive about Jimin and didn't want to say anything that might offend the woman or cause an issue between them since she already really liked Raven.
"Flirty?" Raven offered while Charlie nodded.
"Yeah, it's just too much sometimes, and it makes it hard not to think of him as an asshole who's only trying to get into my pants," she admitted, her voice soft. She was expecting for Raven to get mad or tell her leave, but she was surprised when she looked up and saw a small smile on her face.
"I know he may come off that way, but trust me honey, he's not like that at all. He's a natural flirt and is just drawn to people. Honestly, it's why he's so good at running this place. He always looks out for the people he cares for, that's one of the reasons why I love working here. Jimin makes sure we're all taken care of, and if something arises, he's the first one who pitches in to help. When Jade almost got evicted from her apartment, he was the one who spent hours finding her a new one and even helped her move in. When Cherry's ex came into the club one night dragging her out by her hair, Jimin was the one who stepped up, kicking his ass and making sure that he never came back again. I could go on and on, but it would take too long," she said, letting out a light chuckle. "Look, I know that you have your opinion of him, but all I'm asking is that you give him a chance honey, because once you get to know him, you'll see the amazing person that's hiding behind that tough and confident exterior."
Charlie took a minute to process the information, a heavy feeling settling in her stomach as she realized how little she knew about Jimin... But then again, she never made the effort to get to know him. She gulped down the guilt she felt before deciding to learn more about him through Raven. "So, you two are close?" she asked.
"Depends on what you mean by that," Ravan said with a smirk as she then took a sip of her drink. "Jimin and I have never been intimate and never will be, if that's what you're asking. We're great friends and colleagues. He has my highest respect and I would do almost anything for him. I know many of the girls here would say the same thing."
Charlie was happy to know that there were still good men in the world, and even happier when she realized that she was now living with seven of them. Both of their heads turned when they heard a knock on the door before Yoongi stepped inside.
"Sorry to interrupt, but Raven, you and I really do need to talk business at some point tonight," he said, the urgency evident in his voice. As much as Yoongi wanted to enjoy the evening, it wasn't an easy task since his mind was constantly centered around work. He had a lot of questions and needed answers, he couldn't just sit around and wait.
Ravan stood up and held out a hand for Charlie, which she eagerly took before smiling up at the woman.
"You go have some fun dear, I can tell you have been working hard these past couple of days." Raven lightly touched Charlie's jawline and gave her a sad smile. "We will need to teach you how to better hide these bruises," she commented. Charlie felt a little embarrassed at her lack of make-up skills and reached her hand up to hide her now red face. "You come by anytime you need, ok?"
"Thanks Raven," Charlie said, grinning at her before turning to Yoongi. "I'll do it," she confidently stated as he nodded at her, knowing that she was accepting the new role he proposed.
Charlie walked out of the office and into the blaring music and dancing lights of the club. She wandered around the main room, noticing that the table they were at earlier was unoccupied now. Her eyebrows furrowed as she tried to look for a familiar face in the room when she spotted Jimin alone at the bar and decided to walk over to make amends, a mischievous grin on her face as an interesting idea came to mind.
"That's a really great outfit," Charlie said, leaning closer to him. Jimin turned to her, opening his mouth to say something about the compliment, but stopped when Charlie cut in. "I bet it would look better on my floor." She gave him a wink and Jimin just stared at her with his mouth wide open. When Charlie started to giggle, the initial shock wore off as Jimin joined her, playfully shoving her away.
"Wow! That was terrible!" he said, laughing before trying to take another sip of his drink.
"10 out of 10 don't use it again?" Charlie asked as she flagged down the bartender, pulling her away from her conversation with Jin, who pouted as the gorgeous woman walked away from him.
"God no!" Jimin responded, still laughing.
An awkward silence fell over them as Charlie ordered a drink, trying to decide what to say next. All of Raven's words were swimming in her head and she now looked at Jimin completely differently. Charlie had a newfound respect for him, and even though she wanted to tell him, she didn't quite know how to put it in words, especially after the way she snapped at him earlier.
"Thanks by the way, for this," she said, gesturing to her clothing. "I like it a lot," Charlie added, giving him a small smile. Jimin turned towards her and quickly looked her up and down before meeting her eyes, a bright smile on his features.
"You look good in it," he said, thankful that she actually wore it and elated that she actually liked it. He felt proud of himself for picking something that suited her taste. Both of them turned towards the bar, sipping their drinks and enjoying each other's company for the first time as they easily fell into a conversation, trying to get to know each other a bit better.
After about ten minutes, a man who looked to be in his mid-thirties joined the bar, settling into the seat next to Charlie. She immediately noticed the way he stood way too close for comfort and tried to subtly put distance between them.
"Hey baby girl," the man said, his eyes roaming over Charlie's figure while she scoffed, ignoring the asshole who approached her while Jimin stood curiously on her other side, watching the interaction go down. "You know, I'd like to see you dancing up on that stage, or maybe you could give me a private preview instead," he attempted to flirt but Charlie only scrunched up her nose in disgust before turning towards the man, a glare on her face.
"Look asshole, I'm not interesting, so unless you want me to kick your ass, then back the fuck off," she growled, causing his eyes to widen at her harsh tone before putting his hands up, walking away from her while Jimin smirked at the comment as he took a sip of his drink, pride swelling in his chest as his eyes flitted towards Charlie.
"'Thanks for your help," Charlie said sarcastically, taking another sip of her drink before glaring up at him.
"You don't need my help, Charlie. You don't need help from any man," he commented, looking at her with a serious expression. "Well, except maybe sexually, but then again, I guess you could take care of that on your own as well," Jimin teased, winking at her.
"And he's back," she said, playfully rolling her eyes. Charlie couldn't help but to smile as she patted Jimin's shoulder before turning back around, scanning the room again as she finally found Taehyung and Jungkook.
The two were on the other side of the club, both of them seated at one of the dark velvet sofas. She noticed one of the dancers was sitting next to Jungkook trying to talk to him, but he looked extremely uncomfortable. Charlie couldn't help but to laugh at the scene while Jimin curiously glanced at her before following her eyes, chuckling at the sight as well.
Charlie had to admit that she had a lot of fun hanging out at the club. She got to know some of the dancers a little more as the evening went on, and even had a fun time with the guys. Most of the night was spent giggling with Taehyung and taking shots with Jungkook while Jimin watched them with a fond smile, enjoying the good company. She was glad to see that even Namjoon and Hoseok were smiling and having a great time. Yoongi finally joined them almost an hour after Charlie had left him with Raven. Even though he tried to let loose, it was still evident that he had a lot on his mind as he seemed to stare off into the distance, lost in his own thoughts.
It was getting really late and the club looked pretty devoid of patrons when Yoongi suggested they all head home. No one protested as they were all pretty tired and buzzed, some more than others. Jungkook drank a lot and started to stumble a bit when he stood, earning a laugh from both Taehyung and Jimin at his clumsy actions. Charlie quickly grabbed hold of him, putting an arm around his waist and a hand on his chest.
"Whoa there Hotshot," she said smiling at him as he giggled, his arm immediately wrapping around her shoulders for support. Charlie only had a couple drinks and made sure to spread them out throughout the evening, so she was more sober than her best friend was. She was still hesitant to be drunk around the guys since she worried about what sober thoughts would spill out into drunken words.
As they all headed towards the exit, Jimin heard his name being called, turning around to see Raven staring at him. She nodded towards the office before disappearing down the hall while Jimin's eyebrows furrowed.
"Hey guys, I'll be right back," he said, smiling before leaving his members behind as he went to his office to see Raven standing with her arms crossed, a serious expression on her face. He made sure to close the door, knowing that Raven probably didn't want anyone overhearing this conversation.
"What's up with Charlie?" she immediately asked, not wanting to waste his time tiptoeing over the topic.
"With Charlie? What do you mean?" he asked while she raised an eyebrow at him. He let out a small sigh before speaking again. "Why are you asking? You reading into something again?"
"I'm not sure, but... just keep an eye on that one," Raven said, unsure of how to explain the uneasy feeling she felt after their conversation earlier. She felt like there was more to her than she let on, especially after that whole talk about men being assholes.
"Always do," Jimin said before rushing back outside, noticing how everyone was waiting outside of the van for him. Taehyung cheered as he saw his best friend come out while Jimin scoffed, shaking his head before a small smile appeared on his face.
As they were all piling up into the van, Charlie looked around and noticed that someone was missing.
"Wait, where's Jin?" She spoke out and all the guys snickered, knowing very well where the oldest in their group went.
"Do you really wanna know the answer to that?" Jimin said, eyebrows wiggling playfully as he sat next to her while Jungkook was seated on the other side, his head already resting on her shoulder. Charlie remembered how excited Jin was to see the bartender at the club and recalled the information that Jimin shared, quickly shaking her head in response to the question he posed while Jimin let out a light chuckle.
When they finally got home, Charlie managed to help Jungkook up the stairs and into his bed, taking off his shoes and his shirt so he could be a little more comfortable. His eyes started to close so Charlie tried to tiptoe away and let him sleep, but he latched onto her wrist, gently pulling her back.
"So are you and Jimin good now? I saw the two of you talking earlier," he mumbled while she decided to sit on the edge of his bed, his grip gently falling from her wrist.
"Yeah, we're good Kook, now, how about you get some rest?" she suggested, gently brushing his hair back while a small pout formed on his face.
"Y'know, I really like it here Charlie, all the guys are pretty cool," he continued to mumble while she chuckled, the pout still on his face.
"Yeah they are Kook, but if you really like it here then what's got you in a pouty mood?" she asked, giggling as he struggled to stay awake, his eyes meeting hers.
"I'm just worried about you," he admitted. She knew that he was referring to her new role in the group and she sighed, reaching out for his hand before squeezing it lightly in reassurance.
"I know you are Kook, but you've just got to trust me on this. Besides, we've got a great team, right? As long as you guys got my back, I know everything will be just fine," she said, earning a small smile from Jungkook as he slowly closed his eyes.
"We've always got your back," he muttered before his body relaxed as he slowly started to fall asleep.
Thoughts so far?? --------------------->
Please go check out @GalxyDefendr She has been working hard on a Taehyung FF that I am OBSESSED with!! It's just the beginning of the story but oh my it's fantastic and it's going to get even I better!
Posting schedule for next week may be a bit different. Chapter 10 is very long and we don't want to break it up PLUS I will be gone all weekend so you may only get one chapter next week. Sorry!