The sound of each second slipping out of the palms of time and thumping against the ground, filled the whispers of silence between the two people sitting on the opposite side of each other. A single desk separated them from each other, yet their eyes were connected by an invisible string of emotion.
Jimin knew he had to say something to get rid of the silence between them, but somehow all of his words had been squeezed out by Jungkook's sudden appearance, and now they were engulfed by the fog of silence. Jungkook seemed a bit annoyed as he sat tensely in the chair in front of the desk, scowling and blinking back at Jimin- waiting for the mochi to open his mouth and speak.
But Jimin couldn't. He could only stare back at Jungkook with a scarlet red dust of embarrassment trailing up his milky skin.
A sharp exhale of breath made Jimin sit up straighter and press his lips into a thin line. He watched Jungkook shift around in the seat to make himself more comfortable, all while trying to ignore the trash littering the office.
"So..." Jungkook decided to speak up, twisting his head around and analysing the office with a scrunched up nose. His head turned back to Jimin and brows rose to his hairline, "Why am I here?"
"I'm trying to break out of the prison."
Jungkook's eyes widened in alarm and he immediately jumped up to his feet, the chair toppled over and hit the ground as Jungkook dashed towards the door to warn the guards. Jimin's own eyes widened at the sudden movement, he stumbled out of the chair and jumped over the desk before pouncing onto Jungkook's back and slamming the door shut before it could open the smallest inch.
Jungkook grabbed Jimin's thighs and tried to throw him off, but the mochi clung onto him tighter and pressed his hands against Jungkook's face, "Stop! Let me talk and explain!" Jimin hissed, pressing his soles against the door and kicking off the door in order to shove them both back into the office.
Jungkook yelped and stumbled back, his boot got caught onto the edge of the fallen chair, resulting in him stumbling back and slamming into the ground. Jimin screeched as they fell, followed by a sharp stab of pain in his lower back from his ass smashing into the ground.
Jimin untangled his arms from around Jungkook's throat and pushed them down to massage his aching back instead. He groaned and whined in pain, ignoring Jungkook's matching grumbles and hisses.
Jimin rolled his head forward and blinked down at Jungkook who was leaning against his chest- shoulder blades pressed against Jimin's abdomen and the back of his head leaning on Jimin's stomach. Jimin grasped Jungkook's face between his palms and leaned his head forward so that his face would be hovering over Jungkook's and their eyes would remain connected.
"I will explain everything, okay?" Jimin spoke slowly, dragging out each letter of the word as if he was speaking to a small child.
Jungkook huffed and shut his eyes, scrunching up his face into a grimace and sinking into Jimin's chest, "Fine, yes, shut up and speak already." Jungkook grumbled, pushing away Jimin's hands and trying to sit up instead. He raised his leg and pushed away the fallen chair before plopping down on his aching ass and turning around to face Jimin.
Both boys were sitting crisscrossed- hands laying in their laps and eyes piercing through each other's. If someone decided to come in, they'd think that they were doing some sensual meditation, or perhaps wordless flirting. But in reality, Jimin was trying to grasp for words that would explain the entire situation more gently to someone as skittish as Jungkook, while Jungkook was trying not to open his mouth and ask why Jimin looked so horrible, since the answer was obvious. He was in prison.
"Okay, so.." Jimin trailed off awkwardly, pressing his hand against the back of head head and rubbing the spot there, "Basically, I'm gonna give you a quick, easy rundown of what has happened- I wanted to escape this place since day one, and I found out that Min Suga..do you know him?" Jimin cut himself off mid sentence to make sure Jungkook knew who the gang leader was.
Jungkook's brows pinched together and nose scrunched up, he caressed the rips in his jeans with his fingers before bouncing his head up and down, "I've heard people talk about him."
Jimin hummed and intertwined his fingers in his lap, "Okay, so Suga, aka Yoongi, was about to escape the prison and I wanted to come with him. Yoongi and I made a deal and agreed to break out together. After a bit of fucking, kissing, dating, we ended up hating each other because I found out that he was a piece of shit liar, who was the reason I'm in here in the first place. Turns out that fucker was trying to get to my gang through me in order to kill them, talk about scumbags."
Jungkook looked like a lost deer after listening to Jimin ramble about what had happened. His lips parted a few times to try and release a sentence of words, but his tongue went limp in his mouth.
Beats of silence drummed in the rhythm of their pounding hears, and Jungkook, finally, cleared his throat, "I don't see how I should care whether Suga kills your gang or not. I hate them, Jimin."
"No, you don't." Jimin immediately uttered back with thin lips and an empty stare. He could feel his heart slam against his ribs and beads of sweat begin to form on his skin. Jimin knew the truth was about to be spilled, and he didn't know if Jungkook was ready to be submerged in the ice cold container filled with waves of truth.
The crease between Jungkook's brows increased and lips parted to speak, a thin string of saliva connected his thin lips, only to be swept away by Jungkook's tongue, "I hate them." Jungkook spoke through gritted teeth, not hiding the anger in his voice or the thin layer of tears glossing over his eyes, "Family may mean nothing to you, Park, but my brother was killed in an explosion that your gang caused!" Jungkook spat in raw grief and anger, he shoved his finger into Jimin's chest before stumbling up to his feet with a shake of his head, "We're done here."
Jimin quickly scampered after him and grabbed him by the end of his shirt. He pulled Jungkook back and ducked as soon as he saw the fist swinging his way. The heavy fist whooshed past Jimin's face, allowing the air to brush against Jimin's cheekbone. His honeycomb eyes snapped towards Jungkook and brows rose in amusement.
"You tried to punch me?" Jimin giggled at the dumbfounded look on Jungkook's face. He uncurled his fist and dropped his hand to his side, not looking at Jimin as he shuffled his weight from foot to foot, "Your brother wasn't killed in that store and the explosion wasn't caused by us, it was caused by a smaller gang. The police blamed it on us because the civilians saw my gang members near the place." Jimin told Jungkook, trying to speak as softly as he can to the younger one, all while observing Jungkook's expression carefully in case he would suddenly lash out.
"You know why they saw my gang near there?" Jimin manoeuvred around Jungkook and stood in front of him. He peered up at Jungkook- eyeing the way the younger chewed on the inside of his cheek and stared at the window over Jimin's head with a glare. Jimin exhaled deeply and reached out to slide his hand into Jungkook's. The younger police man flinched away and ripped his hand out of Jimin's- now staring directly into his eyes.
Jimin caressed the roof of his mouth with his tongue and muttered, "Because they saw your brother enter the store right before the explosion happened, just like they heard his cries for help. They were there because they got your brother out of the store and took him away to our gang."
A wave of tsunami carried the thick tension and flooded the office. Jungkook seemed to not be breathing as he stood completely still like an ice statue that would break at the lightest touch.
Jimin took a step towards a frozen Jungkook and slid his chubby fingers between Jungkook's longer ones. He held his hand firmly and rubbed soothing circles on the back of his palm, "Your brother never died in that explosion, Jungkook, he was taken to the Kitty gang and he healed in the span of three months. Our leader began to train him and offered him the option to join or leave.." Jimin's teeth nipped at the edge of his mouth and tongue swept away the blood gathered there. He looked almost apologetic that he had to be the one to tell Jungkook this information.
"Seokjin chose to stay."
Jungkook ripped his hand out of Jimin's and shoved him back by pressing his hands against his chest. Jimin slammed into the desk behind him with a yelp of pain, only for Jungkook to raise his finger and shout at him a second later, "You're lying! Stop lying about my dead brother! It's cruel, and slimy and disgusting!"
Crystalline tears gathered in Jungkook's eyes and clung to his eye-lashes. He whirled around on his heel and tangled his hands into his raven hair, "Seokjin would never do this to me, he'd never make me think that he's dead and leave me behind for so..some criminals." Jungkook stuttered under his breath, looking absolutely heartbroken and conflicted as he stumbled through the office on trembling legs.
A lump formed in Jimin's throat and he wrapped his arms around himself, wondering if he had done the right thing. Jin's only rule was to never involve his brother in the gang business, because he wasn't allowed to see his own brother- all the fault of Jessi's rules- so Jin wanted to be the first one to see him and tell him what had happened.
Jimin quickly realised that hearing that your dead brother was alive all these years, should've come from someone that Jungkook loved. Or perhaps Jimin telling him this and ripping the bandage off right away, was better than it coming from Jin himself. This way at least he'd be prepared to see Jin again.
Jungkook suddenly swerved around on his heel and marched towards Jimin. He pushed the smaller against the desk and grabbed him by his collar. Jungkook got into Jimin's face and glared down at him through teary eyes, "Tell me it's not true." Jungkook's harsh tone turned into a choked whisper. A stray tear escaped his eye and rolled down his cheek at Jimin's silence and the way his honeycomb eyes stayed glued to his shoes. "Pl..please." Jungkook croaked, squeezing his eyes shut and inhaling deep breaths to stop himself from crying.
"I'm sorry." Jimin breathed out, reaching out and engulfing Jungkook's trembling hands in his own. He lifted his head and stared at the raw agony painted across Jungkook's face by the brushes of the harsh truth, "Seokjin...he..he didn't have a choice. Our rules didn't allow him to visit you, but he supported you in the ways he could." Jimin mumbled softly, easing Jungkook's curled fists away from his collar and lowering them until they hovered between their stomaches.
"The scholarship to the police academy, the paid rent, the baskets of food by your door, the mysterious large sums of money in your bank account, it was all Seokjin." Jimin listed off all the things he remembered Jin doing for Jungkook. He had tried to help his brother out and compensate for his absence, but everyone, including jin, knew that no matter how much materialistic things he gave Jungkook, it would never lessen the grief of losing his own brother.
Jungkook shook his head, allowing his raven curls to sway back and forth. He pulled his hands out of Jimin's and pressed his sleeves against his burning eyes, "I..I.." Jungkook stuttered shakily, stumbling back a few steps, only to be caught by Jimin and get pulled towards the small kitty gangster.
Small hands wrapped around Jungkook's narrow waist and the warmth of Jimin's body engulfed his trembling body. Jungkook was struck into silence as the small kitty gangster clung onto him and caressed his back with the palm of his hand.
"Seokjin loves you, Jungkook, he wouldn't have left you if he didn't have a choice. Believe me, I have heard him cry at night when he thought about the pain you were in from him...dying."
And just like that, the walls around Jeon Jungkook's heart were shattered by Jimin's simple words. Yet the walls around him were the only thing protecting him from the bitterness of grieving his brother who was very much alive.
Heart-wrenching sobs echoed between the four walls of the office, Jungkook clung onto the only person who dared to tell him the truth and drag him into the life he was shut out from. The hurt and betrayal was raw in Jungkook's incoherent pleads for Jimin to confess that he was lying, but the mochi kept his lips sealed shut and arms wrapped tightly around the fragile body of Jeon Jungkook.
And with the silence from Jimin, Jungkook was forced to accept that his brother has been alive all these years and never came to see him.
≫ ──── ≪•◦ ❈ ◦•≫ ──── ≪
Jungkook and Jimin sat on the ground, leaning on the cabins in the office with their backs. Their sides were squished together, allowing the warmth of their skin to slip through their clothes and wrap around each other. Jungkook's legs were bent and the soles of his shoes were glued to the ground, his hands were hanging over his knees and head was tilted back to press against the cabinet behind him.
"Why would you trust me?" Jungkook murmured softly, referring to the plan Jimin had explained to him a few second ago. His red-rimmed eyes blinked up at the ceiling and another tear slipped down his cheek, only to be swept away by his sleeve.
Jimin shut his eyes and pulled his knees up to his chest, he rested his chin on top of his crossed arm and observed the size difference between his and Jungkook's shoes, "Because Yoongi is too powerful. He has driven me to the point where I had to seek out your help. I didn't even care that you could call the police and tell everyone about our plan. I knew that if you did, Yoongi wouldn't allow anyone to ruin his plan, not when he's so close to achieving his desired goal." Jimin grumbled back distastefully, thinking of Yoongi's ratchet plan.
"But if Yoongi wouldn't let anything ruin his plan, how do you know that this.." Jungkook gestured between them with his finger, "..will succeed?"
"Because I'm not trying to ruin his plan, I'm gonna hijack it." Jimin twisted his head around and laid the side of his face against his knees, he stared up at Jungkook's blotchy face and swollen eyes with a frown, "He's not expecting for someone to help me either." Jimin breathed out through a growing smile.
Jungkook rolled his eyes and tilted his head back, he pressed his hands against his face and dragged them down, "And what if it goes wrong?" He mumbled bitterly, thinking of all the possibilities of the plan failing.
"It won't-"
"Be realistic, Jimin, what if it goes wrong?" Jungkook demanded the answer by speaking sterner and colder than before. His narrowed eyes landed back on Jimin, earning himself a deep exhale of annoyance.
"Alright." Jimin huffed, pushing his legs out in front of him and slumping against the cabinets behind him. He bit at the inside of his cheek and glared at the wall on the opposite side of them, "You wait for the bus in your spot, and if you see...something black pressing against the glass, then that's a sign that you can come get us. If there's nothing pressed against the windows, it's a sign that the plan failed and you need to get out of there."
"Sounds good?" Jimin quirked a brow in Jungkook's direction- not looking bothered at the possibility that their plan could fail.
Jungkook exhaled deeply and nodded back at Jimin with a small bounce in his curls, "Sounds good." Jungkook grumbled under his breath, displaying the distaste in his words to showcase that he wasn't pleased with the situation.
A small giggle bubbled through Jimin's throat and his eyes scrunched up into crescent shapes. He reached out and ruffled Jungkook's ink hair before standing up and stretching out the cracks gathered between his bones.
"Don't sulk." Jimin beamed brightly, spinning around to loom over Jungkook and extend his hand down for the younger to grasp. The latter peered up at him with a sour scowl, his eyes dragged down to Jimin's palm and eyes narrowed at his wiggling fingers, "We're partners now, Jeon."
Jungkook smacked his hand into Jimin's and stumbled up to his feet, Jimin's grip loosened and fingers began to slip away, only for Jungkook's grip to tighten. Jimin yelped and stumbled into Jungkook as he was ripped forward by their joined hands. The younger glared into his eyes and curled his lip into an animalistic snarl, "If you're lying to me about this, Park, no gangs, prison or guns will protect you from me." Jungkook's grip tightened around his fingers to the point where Jimin thought his bones might snap, "I will kill you." Jungkook breathed out in a breezy whisper, his eyes pierced through Jimin's and searched for the hint of lie he might find.
"I'm not." Jimin grumbled, meeting Jungkook's eyes with a glare of his own and tightening his hand around Jungkook's in order to lessen the grip placed on his bones.
The tension between them rose and rose, until it all crumbled down by Jungkook releasing his hand and allowing it to drop to his side, "Good." Jungkook pushed his face mask back over his face and slipped past Jimin.
Jimin's eyes remained glued on the cabinets in front of him and hand stayed hovering in the air where it was gripped. Not even when Jungkook told him goodbye and left the office, did Jimin react or move an inch. The only thought on Jimin's mind, was where was Jin?
≫ ──── ≪•◦ ❈ ◦•≫ ──── ≪
The flame on top of the stick of white swayed its hips and performed delicate pirouettes. Wax dribbled along the side of the candle until it reached the bottom and stained the paper underneath the candle. The light licked at the soft features of Jimin's face and slid along the length of his exposed thigh.
Jimin laid in Yoongi's bed, his fluffy brown hair spilled over the white pillow and muscular arms gripping it. He pulled the pillow closer to his chest and tightened his legs around the comforter between his exposed thighs. Jimin wore one of Yoongi's shirts with only his boxers underneath, yet he was still hot, which led to him curling around the pillow and the comforter.
Sooner, rather than later, Yoongi entered the cell. His eyes immediately found their way onto Jimin as if he had sensed his presence before even entering his cell. Yoongi's brow rose as he took in the sight of Jimin's exposed skin.
Yoongi pulled the sheet over the door to shield them before walking over to the clothes he had left outside of his suitcase, "Mark left the prison earlier today, yet you still didn't come back." Yoongi stated suspiciously, all while pulling his shirt over his head and exposing his pale skin.
Jimin's eyes left the flame and flickered up to him. He eyed the way Yoongi's muscles clenched with each movement and candlelight slithered along his pale skin.
"Possessive." Jimin muttered through a yawn, turning away from Yoongi to lay on his back and stare up at the same ceiling he had watched when he tried to kill Yoongi. The snarl of a wolf tugged at Jimin's lips and his eyes rolled around in a circle, he wished that he had done it and ended this mess before it could escalate further.
"No." Yoongi snorted, pulling another shirt over his head and turning around to face the burning candle. He leaned down and puffed out his cheeks before blowing out the flame and turning it into a cloud of smoke. Yoongi straightened out and approached the bed, trying to blink away the sudden darkness boast upon them, "Just cautious of someone who tried to slit my throat in my sleep and seems to hate me more than anything in the world." Yoongi breathed into the darkness.
Jimin laid in the bed completely still, squinting his eyes to try and find Yoongi, only to fail miserably. He exhaled sharply and shut his eyes instead, succumbing to the sounds around him. Jimin could hear the puffs of Yoongi's breaths and the shuffle of his feet against the ground, followed by Yoongi taking a hold of the comforter and sliding into the spot next to Jimin.
"Can you blame me? You're trying to kill my family." Jimin asked without a hint of emotion, pulling his legs back to allow Yoongi to spread the comforter over their bodies and cover them entirely. He shut his eyes and pulled his knees up to his chest, trying to ignore Yoongi's presence as he snuggled further into the pillow.
"Yet despite that, you still allow me to sleep next to you and touch you." Yoongi huffed out a gruff laugh and turned around on his side to face Jimin better, "Just like despite you trying to kill me in this bed while we were sleeping, I still didn't throw you out the second I saw you here." Yoongi shuffled towards Jimin until his chest was pressed against his back and warm breath caressed the back of Jimin's neck, "So tell me...what does that mean?" Yoongi whispered, slipping his eyes shut and leaning forward to press his nose against Jimin's skin. He inhaled a lungful of Jimin's scent before extending his hand and cupping the swell of Jimin's waist.
Jimin momentarily tensed before melting against the blanket. An annoyed sigh left him and he pushed Yoongi's wandering hand away with a small grumble, "It means that you should go fuck yourself."
Yoongi's breath tickled Jimin's skin and flicked his hair, the bed creaked as Yoongi rolled away from Jimin and laid on his back instead, "And you should go to bed." Yoongi snorted back, missing the way Jimin huffed and squeezed his eyes tighter to submerge himself deeper into the oncoming slumber- unaware that once his eyes would open again, he would be thrust into a world of madness.