Word Count: 5,885 // angst (toxic relationship, friends to lovers, yandere behavior, possessiveness, jealousy, mention of physical harm, mention of neglect), smut (rough sex/slight dub-con, fingering, omorashi, asphyxiation, forced creampie), no fluff
Childhood friend!Taehyung X Childhood friend!Reader
Summary: You and Taehyung were inseparable once. When you come back to your hometown after three years, fate pulls you back to him. And this time, Taehyung won’t ever keep his eyes off of you.
“Accept it without arrogance, let it go with indifference” — Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
Anastasia felt a heavy sense of deja vu as she lay on the couch, staring at the ceiling while trying to figure out what was going on. She didn’t have terribly high expectations of the outcome this time, though.
She knew her relationship with Jungkook was worth a lot, enough that he wouldn’t drop her like a hot potato. Probably.But she was no longer sure if that was the best choice for him. She didn’t want to jump to conclusions and become some self-sacrificing burden, but she remembered the last time Jungkook chose to stay with her. For a while, she’d wondered if he’d ever make it out of the dark haze that overcame him. Whatever happened, she never wanted to see him like that again.
But this was all worst-case scenario, situations conjured up out of anxiety and a bit of ‘leave him before he leaves you’. If she looked at it realistically, the men all clearly loved each other and would likely work things out. After all, there was no way seven men were that close without having learned to put away their pride in favor of staying close.
Andbest-case scenario, the six were gone in a week and things could go back to their regularly scheduled program. Though she didn’t have high hopes of that coming true, nothing was ever that easy when it came to relationships, especially one as unique as theirs.
Because their relationship wasunique. She’d hardly spent any time with them, but it had already been enough for her to notice. They maneuvered through and around each other like the perfectly designed machine and she was the wrench that just got thrown in — derailing everyone.
She didn’t know what to think about that, honestly. Cleary Jungkook had had quite the life before her and he’d told no one. What was she supposed to think? A relationship too personal to share, but now he was forced to.
On one hand, these people were bound to come up eventually, if she and Jungkook were really to stay together as they’d always planned, but on the other hand, she found herself wishing it’d all been revealed in a better way. She imagined Jungkook felt the same because as much as he seemed delighted to have the six others with him, there was a hesitance to how he acted now. A fear of something — probably her reaction to howthey were so close and whothey were to him.
The curiosity burned inside her, but she would be patient. For Jungkook, she would be patient.
Her mind wandered back to what they were doing right then. How were they reconciling? When Taehyung had lunged at Jungkook earlier, the action, although filled with outrage, hadn’t seemed malicious.He hadn’t wanted to do any actual harm to the younger, only express the emotions inside of him. But the concern was…would that rage escalate?
Jimin had been ready to stop Taehyung, but would the others lend a hand? Or would they turn against Jungkook? She couldn’t predict the outcome.
An hour passed with these thoughts, then two. At the start of the third hour, there was a knock at her door.
Anastasia wasn’t sure she was ready to face what was on the other side, yet. She hadn’t decided what she wanted, what she was okay with, or how she should act.
Slowly and nervously she approached the door, peeping through the peephole just to be sure that it actually was Jungkook. What she found felt worse than if it hadn’tbeen Jungkook.
It was Jungkook and company.
Steeling herself, she took a deep breath and opened the door. Jungkook’s presence, as always, made her heart beat too fast and her stomach do flips.
“Hey, Taz,” he greeted sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck, a somewhat expected reaction from him.
“Hey, Kook,” she returned. “Taehyung, Yoongi,” she nodded stoically as they filed in after Jungkook.
They gave small bows in return. She probably should have been surprised at their polite demeanors, but as she hadn’t had any expectations of the turnout, she just…wasn’t. She did feel some relief that no one was trying to bite her head off anymore, though.
Cautiously, she eyed Jungkook’s body language, and, once again, shewas who he seemed most concerned about. But why?
Many possible scenarios crossed her mind, but she couldn’t confidently settle on one. What was he thinking? What was the secret?
They all stood in silence for a moment until Jungkook explained their presence.
“I, uh, mentioned that I was gonna bring some food over to you and Taehyung asked to come. He wanted to apologize,” He explained, the most confident he’d been the entire encounter.
Anastasia looked Taehyung up and down skeptically. She also wanted to ask why Yoongi was there, but she didn’t think it was important enough to.
If she was being honest, Taehyung wasn’t even the one she cared for an apology from. He hadn’t been particularly likable, sure, but that just seemed like a personality trait at this point. Jimin kissing her without permission was the thing most weighing on her mind, Taehyung not liking her felt pale in comparison. She appreciated the sentiment either way, though, however suspicious of his motives she may have been.
“Alright,” she didn’t know what else to say. In the back of her mind, she wondered if being so short would offset Taehyung, but there wasn’t much change in his expression.
“I’m very sorry for the way I’ve been behaving,” he began, his dark eyes meeting her’s straight on, “I hadn’t seen Jungkook in so long and it felt like you were trying to steal him away”
She had a hard time meeting his gaze, his body language and expression becoming submissive like a child’s. She had to keep in mind all the things she’d noticed about him up to that point, the biggest one being how manipulative he was. Jimin too. There hadn’t been a time since she met them that they hadn’t been playing the room to their advantage, even if it was for something as simple as a bite of food.
Knowing this, she wondered if she should still forgive him. If his apology was an implication that he would behave better (even if only on the surface for Jungkook’s sake), then it would be beneficial for her as well. Likely, after this, he would just avoid her entirely.
“I forgive you,” she decided, still keeping a somewhat straight face. She was aiming for civil, not friendly, after all. “That food?”
Jungkook grinned knowingly at the quick subject change and held up the bag of food, “Yup!”
**
Time passed quicker than she would have imagined and it wasn’t even an entirely unpleasant experience, what with everyone behaving themselves. It hadn’t taken very long for the other four to find their way over, probably following the food. Or Jungkook, she wasn’t sure what was more likely.
Things quickly became chaotic with the slowly growing company in one room, but she still managed to catch Seokjin quietly coming, placing her backpack silently by the door. Before she could comment on it or thank him, Jimin waltzed in with more elegance than any human had a right to possess.
She couldn’t help how she tensed up, the memory of his lips on hers feeling all too real. She was annoyed with him, she was, but she also found herself staring at him throughout the evening. For someone who insisted they didn’t like him, she was way too interested in the way the muscles in his legs flexed as he slowly lowered himself to the floor a few minutes later, distracted by whatever Namjoon was asking him.
She jumped when she felt a light hand on her waist, quickly diverting her gaze. Had she been caught staring?
“May we use your dishes for the food?” Seokjin asked politely, motioning to where Hoseok was already helping himself to her cabinets.
Her eyes widened and she rushed over, “Here, lemme help!”
“Thank you~” He sing-songed as she showed him where the plates were kept. She tried to ignore how endearing that was.
Pulling away to let him grab what he wanted, she noticed Yoongi fishing through her drawers for, presumably, utensils.
He was inches away from opening her junk drawer, where she shoved every miscellaneous screw, lightbulb, pen, paper, coughdrop, and even sometimes mail that she didn’t have a home for. Lunging for his hand, she yanked hard — too hard — causing him to lose his balance and stumble into her, sending them both to the floor.
It took her a second to catch her breath and a second longer to realize that he was on top of her with their legs entangled. Their eyes met and the world faded out for a moment until he unexpectedly dropped his forehead to her chest and muttered a low ‘fuck’.
The warmth of his breath danced across her clavicle, making her shiver as a thousand little bumps appeared on her skin.
She could feel the power in his arms as he pushed himself off her, a whoosh of cold air running between them. Hoseok, who had been laughing hardily at their expense, bent down to help them up.
It took Yoongi all of one second after they were both upright to leave the room and Anastasia had the nagging feeling that she should go after him and apologize, but she ignored it and turned to face Hoseok, who was still grinning ear to ear. At least his snickering had subsided.
“You okay?” he asked, unable to help the giggle that bubbled up as he brushed the hair that had fallen in her face back behind her ear.
“I’m great, thanks,” She rolled her eyes and swatted his hand away, far too embarrassed to be cordial.
“Don’t be upset,” He coaxed.
“I’m not, I just…I think Yoongi is,” She sighed, glancing in the direction he’d escaped.
Hoseok looked delighted by her confession, “He’s not.”
She huffed, not believing him for a second, and turned around to gather utensils from their respective drawer.
Yoongi was the only one that had seemed to remotely like her, or at the very least find her funny. She doubted he thought so anymore. She knew the whole situation with them not liking her wasn’t her fault, but did she really have to go and give them a reason?
Her eyes went wide, snapped from her thoughts when Hoseok threw an arm over her shoulder, resting it across her chest and pulling her into him.
“I’ll prove it if you want,” his breath was hot in her ear.
For a split, irrational second, she was tempted. But then she remembered they all hated her and this was probably just a follow-up game to Jimin’s pash sesh.
“No thanks,” Her tone came out harsher than she’d meant it to as she shrugged him off and walked away.
He didn’t stop her.
_____________
1/3 new chapter I’m about to post, lemme know what you think! :) So happy to be back haha
“Call me friend but keep me closer” — Billie Eilish
Anastasia stumbled over herself the next morning, the 2 hours of sleep, thanks to the boys, taking its toll. The hour was 6 in the morning and she had a class in an hour that she couldn’t afford to miss. Luckily, she’d woken up to an empty bed, no snoring Jungkook beside her. As much as she’d love to wake up to him, she knew it would only break her heart harder in the long run if she gave in to the fantasy.
When she’d walked out of her room to head to the bathroom, Jimin was spread out on her couch, phone in hand.
“You’re still up?” She croaked, afraid to look at herself in the mirror.
He hummed in confirmation, not looking up. Furrowing her brow, a thought occurred. How did none of them get jet lag? Unless delayed onset jet lag was a thing.
“Seokjin-hyung, Namjoon-hyung, Yoongi-hyung, and Hoseok-hyung all had schedules before coming to see me, so they’ve been here for like 3 weeks already,” Jungkook explained later, when they met up on campus for lunch, “Taehyungie-hyung wasjet-lagged and Jiminie-hyung always has a fucked sleep schedule”
She nodded, eyes following a group of people walking by.
“And Taz…” She turned back to Jungkook, who looked nervous as he fiddled with his lip ring.
“Hey, what’s up?” She leaned forward to let him know she was listening.
“The landlady was pretty adamant about you leaving,” He explained.
She nodded in understanding, “I figured”
“But! Hobi-hyung talked her down from pressing for repair money,” He looked more excited about this news. Anastasia was too, of course, but something was bothering her.
“Is she dumb?” She laughed, pulling back.
“Hobi-hyung is just veryconvincing,” Jungkook snickered with a wink.
Her eyes widened comically, “He slept with her?!”
Jungkook’s locks swished as he shook his head, “No, but he probably flirted enough that she thought he would”
Anastasia rolled her eyes, “He knows he didn’t have to do that, right?”
Jungkook’s smile fell as he stared intently at her, “And you know that if you’re special to me, you’re special to him, right? Whatever I’d do for you, they would too”
She pulled back, stunned, “Kook, I get that you guys have a unique bond, but that doesn’t mean you all feel the same things”
It was his turn to roll his eyes, “When you care about someone that much, when you lovethem, when you’d do anything for them…the people they love, you love”
“What are you talking about? Jungkook that’s… no,” She shook her head. “That’s not how it works”
He scowled, crossing his arms, “So you’re telling me you didn’t make the effort to get along because they were important to me?”
She paused. He had a point… Still, what he was talking about was beyond anything she’d ever thought about doing.
“You’re dumb,” she huffed, giving in. A genuine smile brightened his face and she reminded herself not to stare like a lovestruck fool.
“Oh, also,” He moved seats so he was closer and grabbed both of her hands. “Move in with me”
A startled laugh left her lips, “What?”
“Yeah,” He scooted closer so her legs were fully trapped between his. “You have to move anyway and I don’t want to be where you’re not, so it makes sense?”
“I can’t live in the building anymore, Kook” she pointed out obviously, forgoing mentioning all the other reasons why living together was a bad idea. Although it wasn’t completely unfathomable (they basically lived together already), there was something so intimate about officiallysharing a space. It was crossing lines they’d blurred for years and she wasn’t sure if she was ready to break her heart like that.
“Well, I was thinking we’d look at someplace new,” He blushed, playing with her hands. It never took much from him to make her cave, and she did just that. “Okay, let’s do that when we get home”
He beamed. “Great! Okay, I have to go, my class started like 15 minutes ago,” he informed, kissing her on the cheek before jogging off.
The two weeks following passed slowly, ritually. Anastasia got up, got ready, went to classes, did some homework, and then came home to search for a new place and pack.
She hadn’t interacted much with Yoongi beyond the occasional passing sly touch and she was pleased to find that there was no awkwardness between them. He more or less kept to himself, though, and she was much too concerned with finding a place to live to seek him out.
Hoseok and Seokjin had come over every day to help pack everything up and occasionally, Taehyung would show up too, although she’d quickly understood that he had no particular interest in actually helping. He played DJ and went throughher stuff, but didn’t do any work. She was thankful nonetheless.
“Where was this?” Taehyung asked from where he sat in her closet.
Anastasia finished placing the books she was holding in a box before walking over to see what he was talking about.
“Taehyung!” She gasped, “I justfinished packing that!”
There he was, sat in front of the box filled with all her photos. Well, it usedto be filled with photos, nowthey were scattered on the floor around him.
“His hair was so long…” He mumbled, brushing a finger delicately across the photo in his hand. The longing in his voice made her curious, which photo was he looking at?
Stepping over a few boxes to get to him, she peered over his shoulder.
Her expression immediately softened, “That was a few years ago, Christmas break. We visited my family’s farm, he really liked the animals,” she laughed at the memory behind the photo of Jungkook holding a lamb.
Noticing Taehyung’s frown, she thoughtlessly combed her hand through his hair.
“I’ll take you to meet the animals too if you want,” She offered, snapping her hand back when he leaned into the touch. She hadn’t meant to be so affectionate, it just came so easy with the pouty man.
He tilted his head back to look up at her with a smile but she was too lost in my thoughts to notice. She also didn’t notice when Taehyung grabbed another photo and grinned knowingly. It wasn’t until he started softly rapping “Baby Got Back” that she realized which photo he was holding.
“Okay! And that’s the end of that,” she quipped, snatching the photo from his hands. “Clean this all up, I’m going to go check on Seokjin and Hoseok”
“Neh~” He hummed grin never faltering, much to her embarrassment. And so with her face burning bright, she stalked off.
Expecting to find them in the kitchen, where she’d last seen them, she was confused when Hoseok was nowhere to be found. The box he’d been filling with appliances sat neatly on the counter, labeled and taped shut, the tape roller placed next to it. His keys and sunglasses, that he’d left on the table were gone along, with his shoes.
Why had he left without saying anything? She felt like an absolute idiot for being offended, it wasn’t like he was obligatedto report his whereabouts to her.
“What’s wrong?” Seokjin murmured in her ear, scaring her so bad she tripped over her own feet. He caught her easily, pulling her to his chest. “Hobi just went to get food, no need to make such a sad face”
“I wasn’t sad,” She denied petulantly, her back pressed to his front.
“No? Bummer, I wanted to make you feel better,” He sighed and she could feel his hot breath against her neck. And then he was suddenly pulling away, leaving her feeling cold and flushed at the same time. “Maybe next time,” he winked.
***
Jungkook hadn’t stopped pushing for them to move in together, which had initially made her heart beat fast, but then he’d implied that his entire entourage would be following as well and she didn’t know what to think. She couldn’t live with seven men. She couldn’t.
Throughout, all seven of the men kept approaching her with places to move to, which would have been great if they weren’t all in Korea.
“For the last time, I can’tjust get up and move to another country! Would you let it go, already?!” She expressed exasperatedly, dragging her hands down her face. She’d just come over to relax as most of her furniture was covered with boxes, but so far, things had been everything but relaxing.
“Whynot?You’ve exhausted all your resources, there are no other places here that you can afford! You have to move away anyway!” Jungkook hissed, losing his patience. The two had been arguing for the past 15 minutes.
Her jaw clenched with an audible noise as she took a deep breath, “Cause I don’t wantto!”
“Why.Not?!” He fumed, clenching his fists. He looked genuinely angry, something she couldn’t recall him ever directing at her (aside from one time, years ago, that she was caught snooping through his phone).
Letting out a shaky breath, she tried to convince herself not to do something rash like kick the glass coffee table or chuck his PS4 controller at the wall. “I do not speak Korean, how am I supposed to go to school there? I don’t know the culture, or what’s socially accepted! I don’t want to relearn how to live, Jungkook!”
An angry growl left his lips, “Then just stay inside! You have us, you don’t need anything else”
“Jungkook!” How could he say that? “Why are you so dead set on me moving to Korea? Did you really hate living here with me that much?!” It was a somewhat baseless accusation, but it’d been weighing her down.
“Why would I be trying so damn hard to convince you to come with me if I hated living with you? Don’t put words in my mouth,” He growled and she felt like a bucket of ice water had just been dumped over her head.
“Comewithyou?” She repeated, “You’re leaving?”
He rolled his eyes, “Of course, I’m leaving. My life is in Korea, there’s nothing for me here. I only stayed this long because of you and now you won’t even…” He cut himself off.
“Of course, I’m leaving”, His words echoed in her head, but what did she expect? Him to choose her over them?
“Do you know how that feels? Knowing I gave up so much time to stay beside you and now you won’t even considerme? Even though you have to transfer anyway, and your reason? You don’t want to .” He gripped at his hair. “And if you won’t move, what the hell am I supposed to do?!”
“It’s not —it’s not about you, I—”
“Itshouldbe about me. I shouldbe your priority. A little discomfort is all it takes for you to ditch me, huh? So every time you said you wanted to stay with me forever, that we’d grow old together, what you really meant was we could be together as long as it’s convenient for you”
“You like it here, you enjoyed being here,” she tried to rationalize, ignoring the guilt churning in her belly.
“I liked you,” he clarified. “Why would I like being away from my family?”
She shook her head, “Let’s talk about this later.” Seokjin and Yoongi had just walked in and she took the opportunity to escape. Jungkook didn’t try to stop her.
Pulling out her phone, she decided to call Beatrice for a shoulder to lean on.
“Hello?” She answered.
“Hey Bee, you got a moment?” Anastasia asked as she stepped into her living room.
Beatrice hesitated, “Actually, can I call you back in a bit? I’m right in the middle of something”
Anastasia agreed easily, ending the call. What now?
“Taz?” Hoseok’s voice met her ear moments before his head popped out from the hallway, his eyes meeting hers.
“Hoseok? What are you doing here?” She’d thought he’d left hours ago.
A mischievous smirk crept onto his lips, “Oh, nothing” he singsonged, disappearing back down the hall. She followed immediately, not trusting him, and walked into her room just in time to see him disappear into her closet.
On her bed lounged a comfortable Jimin, staring beguilingly at her. All thoughts stuttered to a stop for a moment.
“I was thinking,” Hoseok began, returning from her closet with something behind his back, “that we deserve to celebrate”
“Celebrate?”
He nodded innocently with closed eyes, “Our hard work. And look!” He pulled out what he’d been hiding. It was a calf-length fitted velvet dress, one she’d only worn once to her cousin’s wedding. The color was a deep purple and it had thin straps with a low back. “I found the perfect dress for you”
“That’s—” she laughed, taking it from his outstretched hand and holding it up to herself, “I don’t think I’ll even fit into this anymore. Besides, I’m not exactly in a spot financially where I should be out celebrating”
“I’ll pay, now go try it on,” Jimin shooed, rolling off the bed and pushing her from the room.
“Ah—wait—but!”
An hour later, she was out of the shower and successfully zipped into the dress. Although she was not at all in the mood to go out, she felt she owed Hoseok for all his help. If what he wanted as repayment was a fun night out with her and Jimin, she would do it.
Uncapping her lipgloss, her thoughts drifted back to Jungkook. Finding out that for all the years he stayed by her side, he’d wanted to be somewhere else, hurt. Why hadn’t he just been honest from the start?
He didn’t want to give you up. She knew it was the truth but that just made everything so much harder! Jungkook was always intense and overbearing, he liked to be in control, or at the very least in the loop, when anything had something to do with her. His attention to detail when it came to her was part of what had made it so easy to fall in love with him, but was she ready to move to a different country for him? He would meet someone and get married someday, then where would she be? Still, it was selfish to ask him to stay and suffer the same things that made her not want to go.
Saying goodbye though…that wasn’t something she ever wanted to do. Even the other six had unnoticingly grown on her.
Pulled from her thoughts by the doorbell ringing, she quickly finished applying her lipgloss and went to check.
Behind the door stood Jimin and Hoseok looking like a pair of gods and she felt herself stop functioning for a moment, her brain having trouble processing what she was seeing.
Jimin was in a flowy black satin top with a sinfully deep neckline and a matching scarf tied around his neck. He’d traded in his usual hooped earrings for long, thin, dangly ones and his hair was brushed back on one side, his makeup flawless.
Hoseok was the epitome of fashionable in his oversized blazer with a unique white trim and pearls adorning his neck. Tinted sunglasses, that held no real purpose in the dark night, rested low on his nose and his hair was curled to nicely fit the formal grunge style.
Feeling underdressed around them wasn’t an unfamiliar feeling to her, but at that moment she felt severelyunderdressed. They looked expensive, next to them she felt like river rock compared to diamonds and rubies.
Trying not to show her insecurity, she gave them a smile.
“You look beautiful,” Jimin complimented, his ever-present flirtatious smirk playing on his lips. Hoseok made a loud noise in agreement, making her laugh and suddenly she felt comfortable again. Well, as comfortable as she could while being overwhelmingly attracted to them. Who was she becoming?
“Let me just grab my bag and put on some shoes, hold on,” She said, dashing to her room to grab her things and buckle on some heels she’d dug out of a box.
When she returned, Yoongi and Namjoon had joined, talking in hushed tones to the other two. Noticing her presence, they quieted, sending her bright smiles as Hoseok held out his hand.
“Ready?” He asked, tilting his head.
“Uh, yeah,” She replied, taking his hand. What was that about? Had something happened?
Shaking it off, she let Hoseok and Jimin lead her out the door. It only took her the time it took to get to Hoseok’s rented car to realize she was not going out on some friendly outing, but instead on a date with two of the most beautiful humans on Earth. With the warmth of Jimin’s palm on her waist, seeping through the material of her dress, and Hoseok’s hand in hers, there really was no question. Butterflies erupted in her stomach.
“Where are we going?” She murmured, feeling like the atmosphere required a softer tone.
“It’s a surprise,” Hoseok winked, opening the passenger door for her. She ducked her head to try and hide the blood that was rushing to her face.
Why was she being so shy? She’d spent every day with him for weeks!
Settling into her seat, she let out a small squeak when Jimin bent down to buckle her up. No one else had ever buckled her up before, past the age of like 5, and yet he’d done it twice now. His smell surrounded her, making it hard to focus, his face just a hair’s breadth from hers. Even that close, the man did not have a single flaw.
He was probably in her space longer than necessary, but she couldn’t find it in her to complain, and when he pulled back, he turned his head ever so slightly so his lips brushed lightly over hers. She sucked in a sharp breath.
“Sorry,” he breathed, pulling away entirely.
It felt like intense deja vu, why did they all think it was okay to just do things like that? Mind and heart racing, she tried to make sense of her life. So caught up in her thoughts, she didn’t even notice Hoseok slide into the driver’s seat.
Jimin’s lips against hers brought back when he’d had kissed her in her classroom what felt like months ago. So much had happened between then and now, she’d forgotten all about it. Suddenly, she could recall, with perfect clarity, what kissing him felt like.
Soft music drifted from the speakers as the car pulled out onto the road and she might’ve actually enjoyed the drive and beautiful city lights if it weren’t for the confusion and over-thinking clogging up her brain. Jimin, Jimin, Jimin. Jimin…andHoseok. Did this mean they bothliked her? There was no doubt in her mind that she was on a date with them, but… how?How were they okay going on a date with the same person? Where did they see this leading? Did they think she would sleep with them?
Eventually, the car rolled to a stop in front of a beautiful restaurant by the coast. She had never eaten there before, only occasionally driven past, but it was exactly the kind of place Hoseok and Jimin seemed to thrive in.
Cool air rushed in when Jimin opened his door,
“I’m not sleeping with you,” She blurted before he could step out, gripping her seatbelt tightly, not quite confident enough to look up and meet anyone’s gaze.
There was silence until the rear door clicked shut again.
“You’re not… what?” She raised her head and took in Hoseok’s obvious bewilderment.
“I won’t sleep with you, so if this is all just some strategy to get me in bed with you before you leave for Korea, it won’t work,” She bit her lip hard, trying her darndest to keep her composure. At that moment, she needed to stay strong, despite Hoseok’s heavy gaze making her want to submit.
“And where, may I ask, did you get that idea?” He spoke low, clearly displeased with her accusation.
“J-Jimin…” She trailed off, losing her nerve for a second when she turned and saw the said man staring intently at her from the backseat.
“Jimin can’t help himself,” Hoseok interrupted, stealing back her attention, “He doesn’t mean to flirt, he just is.”
“But he kissed me,” She argued, not about to believe that that was an accident,“and you and Seokjin are helping me with my apartment even though you barely know me”
“Jagiya, I kissed you to make a point, not to come onto you,” Jimin rebuffed, coming forward to lean on the center console.
“What point?”
He frowned, “Jungkook thought we didn’t like you, that we weren’t trying to make you like us”
“…So you kissed me?” He wasn’t making sense.
He shook his head, “No, I kissed you because those girls were insulting Jungkookie’s intelligence. As if Jungkook would associate himself with someone that wasn’t worth our time,” he scoffed.
She wanted to tell him that that wasn’t sufficient reason to kiss someone without their consent, but she held back. She was afraid if she told him, he’d never kiss her again. Why thatmattered most, she didn’t know, but something in her thought; better safe than sorry.
“Jagi, we asked you to dinner because we enjoy your company,” Hoseok assured, interrupting her thoughts.
Studying his expression, she tried to discern whether or not he was being genuine. This was dangerous territory, she shouldn’t be making connections with them. They were Jungkook’s family and there was a chance she wouldn’t see them again when they left.
Despite knowing what she shoulddo (run and never look back) she let them lead her into the restaurant, wondering if she’d make it out of this with her heart in one piece.
As they made their way to the front podium, the hostess didn’t spare her much of a glance, but Anastasia couldn’t find it in her to take offense. She understood, she’d much rather look at Hoseok and Jimin, too.
Straightening her posture, the hostess gave them a warm smile, “Hello! Welcome, do you have a reservation?” She spoke directly to Hoseok, who’d waltzed in like he owned the joint.
“Hoseok Jung.” He announced loud and clear. It was obvious by his brief, dismissive tone that he had about as much interest in her as he had in Beatrice. Anastasia pursed her lips at his behavior, but as it wasn’t a familiar environment to her, so she kept her mouth shut.
The woman through the building and out onto the back deck where fairy lights lent their gentle glow and a live band played a soft, calming melody. Almost every table was filled, but they were spaced far enough apart that the quiet chatter wasn’t a disturbance.
Anastasia felt a rush of excitement, never having eaten by the water like this before. Hoseok was still handling any and all interactions, so she turned to Jimin with wide eyes. He returned her look of awe with a wink before motioning for her to sit in the chair he’d pulled out as Hoseok took a seat across the table.
They’d barely settled in and picked up their menus before a cute, doe-eyed boy appeared beside Jimin, introducing himself.
“Good evening, my name is Miloh, I will be your server tonight. May I start you off with something to drink?”
“Do you have a wine menu?” Jimin smiled politely in that enchanting way of his and Miloh just blinked owlishly at him for a moment. Jimin’s smile faded slowly as his eyebrows raised in question, snapping the poor boy out of his staring.
“Yes, of course, I’ll be right back with that.” Anastasia felt bad as the boy almost tripped over someone’s chair in his haste to retreat.
Neither Jimin nor Hoseok seemed phased, though, turning their attention back to their menus.
“See anything you like?” Jimin asked, looking up at her and nodding to the menu in her hands.
“O-oh. Right.” Jeez, she was no better than Miloh. Tearing her gaze away from him to scan the options, she bit her lip in contemplation. She’d never tried lobster before…
Glancing down at the price, her eyes bugged out. “Jimin, you’re paying, right?”
Both the men erupted in giggles. “Yes, we’re paying”
She smiled charmingly, “In that case, can I try the lobster?”
Jimin’s giggle broke out into a full laugh (that was somehow neither loud nor obnoxious). Hoseok looked thoroughly amused as well, but unlike his usual happy-go-lucky self, he was holding it together.
Her smile turned sheepish, but she was relieved to see that they hadn’t taken any offense at her cheekiness.
The night carried on smoothly after that. Miloh had collected himself and returned the epitome of professionalism, serving them their food and wine with practiced ease. Hoseok kept her attention most of the night, flirting and making her laugh with his effortless charm. Jimin stayed fairly silent, casually leaning back into his chair, sipping wine. He looked at ease.
By the end of the night, they were all tipsy, giggling their way down the beach, Hoseok with an arm over her shoulder, as usual.
“Awe~,” she whined, coming to a stop.
“What’s wrong, Jagi?” He hummed contentedly as he rested his head against hers.
“My shoes! They’ll be — oh!” She cut off, almost losing her balance when she lifted a leg up to take them off. Maybe she was more intoxicated than she realized.
“I’ll do it!” Jimin pranced over from where he’d been toeing the waves. He’d drank more than either Hoseok or her and was teetering on the edge of fucking drunk. Evidence of it showed in the way all his movements swayed.
Dropping into a crouch at her feet, he began unbuckling her shoes, biting his plump lower lip in concentration. She couldn’t help inhaling a sharp breath when he looked up at her with a dark grin after successfully removing the first shoe. When he finished, he tossed both of them carelessly to the side, letting himself tip backward onto the sand — landing like a starfish. She watched with a stupid grin as Hoseok took it as an invitation to jump on top of him and pinch his cheeks.
The two busied themselves rolling around in the sand, roughhousing, as she turned her attention to the waves, feeling the cool sea breeze envelop her. The air had just the perfect amount of chill in it.
A startled shriek left her when she was abruptly — and quite literally — pulledfrom her thoughts and down to the sandy ground. There was a moment of laughter between the two men and she couldn’t help but join in in their contagious sounds of joy.
The three ended up laying there for a while, just staring up at the black, starless sky. Anastasia didn’t know how long the comfortable silence went on before it was broken. It was a treasured moment of peace that felt like forever. Her thoughts hadn’t been that quiet in…she couldn’t remember how long.
“You look lovely in this dress,” Jimin murmured out of nowhere, brushing a strand of hair back behind her ear. She turned to look at him, wondering absently how long he’d been watching her.
Smiling, she returned the compliment, “You look ‘cutie, sexy, lovey’ ,” she teased, repeating what she’d heard him say a couple of times, but the amusement faded when she looked him up and down, “Maybe just ‘sexy, lovely’. ” she amended.
“Jagiya, why do you have to live so far away?” Hoseok suddenly huffed, leaning in to rest his head on her lap. The atmosphere instantly became more somber at his reminder.
“Hey, I’m not the one moving to an entirely different country.” She evaded, sitting up to boop his nose.
He scowled and pushed her hand away, sitting up to face Jimin.
“Jiminie, you’re so lucky, you got to kiss her!” He whined.
“I know.” Jimin sighed, a little too dreamily for her piece of mind.
“I —he—what?” she stuttered. What was happening? She was too drunk for this.
Hoseok cupped her blushing cheeks, staring intently into her eyes. “Can I kiss you, Jagi?”
Anastasia froze, unable to process the request. Her blood rushed in her ears, making it hard to think. Did she just nod her consent?
Eyes fluttering shut, she felt his lips gently land on hers. With his hands still cupping her cheeks, the kiss had to be one of the sweetest kisses she’d ever received.
Anastasia blamed the wine in her veins for her next move.
Surging forward as he began to pull back, she latched her lips onto his in a deeper kiss, stunning him for a moment. It didn’t take long for him to recover, his grip becoming firmer. They made out like that, awkwardly sprawled in the sand until an impatient whine beside them caught her attention.
Springing back from Hoseok, she covered her mouth. Shit. Shit. Shit!What was she doing?!
Jimin just stared seductively, his head tilted to the side almost erotically —like an invitation to mark up his neck.
She quickly shook the thought away. “No, no, no, I didn’t mean to do that.”
“Tasia, wait.” Hoseok rushed when she stood up to walk away.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have kissed you like that.” Shame enveloped her.
She was in love with her best friend, yet she went around kissing the people most important to him? What kind of person did that make her? Did Jungkook know she’d kissed Jimin? What would he think if he knew she’d now kissed Yoongi and Hoseok, too?
He would think she was a horrible, three-timing, bitch.And he wouldn’t be wrong, because allthe kisses were equally amazing and as much as she hated herself for it, she couldn’t bring herself to wish they’d never happened.
They were so different. Jimin was passionate and needy, lighting a fire inside her, Yoongi was cheeky, daring her to challenge him, Hoseok was sweet, but firm, gentlemanly but in charge. When they’d kissed her, it felt like she’d never been kissed before, like anything before them didn’t exist.
Stop thinking about it!
“Anastasia.” Something in Jimin’s voice made her stop, but she resisted turning around to face him. Slowly, he approached her, wrapping his arms around her waist and planting a gentle kiss on her exposed neck.
She didn’t dare react, but her body refused to pull away.
“I liked it.” His smooth, angelic voice murmured in her ear, “I like watching. You looked so good together, I just wanted to watch.” His arms wrapped tighter, a hand trailing up to rest just under her breast. “I wanted to see what you looked like, all flushed and stretched around him. Would you let me watch? Would you let me watch him fuck you dumb? I’d be good, I wouldn’t touch.”
She felt her eyes become lidded, “Ji-Jimin.” her voice trembled and it was all she could do not to moan as his warm hand palmed her chest, contradicting the promise he’d just made.
“Yes, Jagi?” He answered between gentle kisses and suckles on her neck.
“I…” she licked her lips, trying to force a coherent thought that wasn’t just Jimin.
“Jimin.”
They both startled at the commanding tone, Jimin sighing and pulling away. Anastasia instantly missed his touch.
“Next time,” Jimin promised when she turned to face him, his thumb wiping across her bottom lip.
They ended up taking a lift home, as none of them were in any state to drive and she was once again squished in the middle seat, Hoseok’s fingers drumming absentmindedly on her thigh as he stared out the window. But of course, jumping his bones would notbe a good idea. It wouldn’t.
Fuck, she was so pathetic.
When they arrived, she all but shoved Jimin out of the car in her rush to get out and he let out a grunt of surprise at the force with which she blew past him. Her whole body was flushed and she knew if she didn’t get away from them now, she would make a mistake she couldn’t come back from.
“Jagiya,” Hoseok hummed in a way that made her pause, against her better judgment, long enough for him to reach her and pull her into his arms. “We won’t fuck you tonight,” They both ignored Jimin’s noise of complaint, “so let us walk you in, yeah?”
Looking into his warm eyes, she couldn’t deny him. She knew—she knewhe was being manipulative. She didn’t miss his ‘tonight’, implying it wouldhappen another night, she wasn’t so naive to believe they had pure intentions for her, but she was dumb.So, so dumb that she nodded her head and let them lead her up the stairs and into her home.
“You can romanticize me all you wish, but the devil wrapped in silk is still the devil” - Unknown
***
Exhaling a shallow breath, Anastasia carefully opened her eyes, her head feeling like it would split open with every beat of her heart. It was dark and cold, and t he air felt so dry it was almost suffocating to breathe. Her knees were pressed uncomfortably tight against her chest and she struggled to form a coherent thought.
Disoriented, head foggy, she tried to remember where she was, but the loud whirring in her ears and the occasional jarring jolt made it hard to concentrate. The last thing she remembered, she was on the beach with Jimin and Taehyung, waiting for Seokjin and Yoongi to return.
Where was she? It was so cold.
She was in and out of consciousness after that, vague memories of indistinct voices, and moments of deafening silence the only thing she remembered. The ache in her bones, whether from the cold or something else, never left. In another moment of awareness, she felt her limp body being shoved into something, a car maybe? Fighting with what little strength she had to get out of the person’s arms, she didn’t win.
A car door slamming, voices, then nothing.
It must have been many hours before she roused again because her limbs were stiff and sore. Still groggy, though significantly less so than before, she struggled to sit up. The violent shivers, which no doubt also attributed to the soreness in her muscles, no longer wracked her frame. A small relief.
Disoriented, she flinched, not expecting his presence. He looked different from the last time she’d seen him, still angelic, but now he had deep purple bruising under his eyes and his clothes didn’t look as carefully picked as they usually did.
She could only imagine what she looked like.
“What happened, where are we?” The words came out in a raspy whisper, her mouth too dry for her vocal cords to vibrate properly.
Jimin smiled sweetly and handed her a glass of water, “Here”
Taking it, she greedily chugged it down, and when it was empty, she begged with her eyes for more.
He shook his head, “You’ll get sick. You need food first”
Clutching her stomach, she realized how hungry she was. Grinning, he said, “Thought so”
Taking in their surroundings — a plain room without a hint of personal touch, she repeated, “Where are we?”
Jimin hesitated, shrugging.
Cautiously, she pulled the covers up to her chin as if they would protect her, “Jimin,” she warned, “Where are we?”
“I don’t know”
A terrible thought occurred, “ Did you kidnap me? ” Where was Jungkook?
“Of course not,” He soothed, “ I didn’t kidnap you, I’m a prisoner here, too”
Somehow, knowing it wasn’t Jimin that had kidnapped her made everything so much worse, a cold sense of dread settling in.
“Who, then?” Worried for him, she leaned in, “Are you okay?”
Frowning, he stood from the bed, running a hand through his messy hair.
“It’s not me I’m worried about,” he admitted after a while.
Wide-eyed, she cupped herself, horrified at what he was insinuating. Catching her reaction, his hands jerked out, “Not you!”
Wracking her brain, she tried to follow him. Then it dawned on her that Taehyung was the only other person there with them on the beach. Frantic, she grabbed Jimin’s hand, “Where’s Taehyung?!”
Groaning, he gripped at the strands of his hair and fell back onto the bed, whining “They won’t tell me!”
“Who’s they?”
It took him a minute to respond, “I don’t know,” he mumbled, “probably some chaebols that want to stop Seokjin and Namjoon’s influence. We’re leverage”
Chaebols? Influence? What the hell was Jimin talking about? Anastasia felt the shock beginning to wear off and the hysteria set in.
“It’s a desperate move on their part, but I suppose I understand. After all, what other choices do they have? Shooting Taehyung, though —” It was harder to understand Jimin’s accent when he spoke so fast, but she picked out the most important part.
“Taehyung was shot?!”
Jimin jumped slightly at her outburst and the nervous shift returned like he was trying to hide how concerned he actually was, “He should be fine, it didn’t look fatal”
Should be. She didn’t like those odds.
“Don’t worry,” He cooed, brushing his fingertips against her cheek, “I’ll make sure you don’t get hurt”
“It’s not me I’m worried about!” That was a lie, but she was definitely worried more about Taehyung, “What if he bled out? Holy shit, what if he bled out?! ”
“Hey, hey, look at me,” Jimin gently commanded, cupping her cheeks and forcing her to meet his gaze, “He’s fine. The goal was to incapacitate him, not kill him”
Searching his deep brown eyes, she found sincerity. Licking her dry lips, she asked, “Why?”
Jimin tilted his head back and forth, weighing his answer, “To level the playing field?”
Level the playing field? What did he mean by that? There was a sinking feeling in her chest. Cautiously, not sure if she really wanted to know, she asked, “What does that mean?”
He deliberately avoided eye contact, a playful, knowing grin on his lips. Anastasia felt irritated with his behavior.
“You should take a shower, you’ve been out of it for a while,” He suggested, changing the subject.
“I don’t want to shower — why are you not taking this seriously? Jimin, we're captive , what is wrong with you?” She growled climbing to her feet, almost tipping over when the ground swayed beneath her feet.
Jimin hummed, gripping the tops of her arms firmly and guiding her back to the bed, “You’re right, showering might be too much right now. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of everything, okay? I promised, didn’t I?”
Anastasia didn’t really know what he was talking about, but she trusted him, letting him ease her back into the mattress and tuck her in.
“Just stay here until you’ve recovered, I’ll get us some food,” Jimin instructed, backing away and slipping out of the room.
Low voices greeted him, but she couldn’t understand what they said. Jimin’s brighter tone was easy to pick out, even through the closed door. It consoled her some that he didn’t sound distressed.
Greeting her with an easy smile when he returned, he informed her that the food was on its way. It was obvious now that Jimin had lied about not knowing the people holding them captive, he was way too comfortable. Why wasn’t she surprised?
“Jimin, you know who they are, don’t you?”
“I’ve made friends with the guards,” he smirked cheekily, plopping beside her on the bed.
Having spent enough time looking at his face, she could see through his near-perfec t façade. There was fatigue in the way he moved and she suddenly wondered when the last time he slept was. After they ate, she decided she’d insist that he got some sleep.
Taking some time to use the bathroom and wash her face, she tried to remember how she got into this situation. Leaning against the sink, bowing her head, she wracked her brain til a headache began to form. There was a blank spot in her memory, she could recall everything up to her frustration with Taehyung when he mentioned Beatrice, and then suddenly she was waking up here .
Giving up, she stepped back into the room to find Jimin sound asleep, having passed out with his legs still hanging off the edge.
Sighing, she went to the window on the far side of the room, pulling back the curtain to look outside. She hadn’t been expecting to recognize her surroundings, but to her surprise, she did. They were two cities west of where she lived.
Letting the curtain fall closed once more, she began to plan their escape. Jimin was chummy with the guards, he might be able to talk them into helping them, or at the very least distract them while she got help.
Her mind raced as she paced back and forth, biting her nails.
When the door to the exit of the room began to open, Anastasia jumped to stand in front of Jimin, prepared to protect him in his vulnerable state.
A tall man in a well-tailored suit entered, giving her a strange sense of deja vu stepped into the room. Just by the man’s expression, she could tell he meant business.
Tilting his head, he took in the sleeping figure behind her, smirking when she shifted her weight to block his view. “Follow me,” he ordered.
Shooting Jimin a concerned glance, she hesitated. If she left, would he be okay? Did she even have a choice?
Looking at the large bodyguards that stood there waiting for her, she knew she didn’t.
Stepping out of the room, cautiously taking in her surroundings, she realized they were in a suite. Why had they been brought to a hotel? An oddly luxurious setting to hold two victims. That brought her to her next question; why had she been taken in the first place? It wasn’t like she had anything to give.
The man in the suit sat on the couch, crossing his legs and resting an arm across the back. Silence ensued, Anastasia shifting awkwardly from foot to foot. What did he want? Was he going to hurt her? If she screamed would someone hear? What if he was super rich and owned the hotel and no one would help? He looked super rich.
Deciding to wait it out, the buff, muscley men standing at the exit incentivizing her to behave.
“Why am I here?” She asked lowly, making the effort to keep her tone non-confrontational.
The man smirked, “Sit down”
Hesitantly, she lowered herself onto the couch across from him, shooting the guards another cautious glance.
“Jeon Jungkook…” The man said her best friend’s name like he was reminiscing a memory, “He’s been missing for a long time, you know”
She furrowed her brow. Missing? Since when? Her mind began to race with so many possible explanations, but which one was correct?
“So imagine my surprise when I find him here, with you ,” He paused to pour himself a drink from the water jug on the coffee table between them. “At first I thought you were just a cover, someone to help him seem normal, but then the other six showed up and you’re still here”
She’s still here? What was that supposed to mean?
Nodding she agreed, “I was surprised by the other six, too” She was grasping at straws, trying to make it seem like she knew more than she did.
The man tilted his head to the side curiously, “And yet you managed to wiggle your way into their good graces”
Anastasia didn’t respond.
“That’s why you’re here,” he finally got to the point, “You’ve infiltrated a group of very dangerous people and I am very interested to know how”
“Dangerous people? They’re not dangerous, you’re dangerous! You shot Taehyung! Is he even alive?” She hissed, immediately composing herself when she caught a guard stepping closer out of the corner of her eye.
Leaning forward, the man studied her expression closely, “You have no idea who they are, do you?”
Licking her lips anxiously, she nodded, “I know who they are”
Shaking his head, he stood up, “I don’t think you do”
He walked over to the kitchenette, he grabbed a tablet that was on the counter, typing something in. “I’ll show you”
Sitting beside her on the couch, he pressed play on the video he’d pulled up, handing her the tablet.
The video began in her kitchen, before the fire, with Yoongi standing at her sink, filling a pot with water, and Jungkook leaning against her fridge, watching.
“You put cameras in my home?!” She exclaimed, standing up from the couch and backing away, her eyes never leaving the screen.
Yoongi turned off the tap and set the pot on the old gas stove, lighting it up. Stepping back, he stared at the pot for a moment, tilting his head to the side almost contemplatively before turning to Jungkook and saying something she couldn’t understand. Jungkook nodded and walked out of view.
Anastasia looked up at her captor, confused at what he wanted her to see. So far he was doing a very poor job at convincing her of any danger.
“Keep watching,” is all the man said, annoyingly cocky.
Returning her attention back to the screen, she was just in time to see Jungkook walk back into the frame, holding a folded towel that she knew he got from the cupboard at the end of the hall. Shaking it open he walked up to the stove and without hesitation, tossed it next to the fire.
Anastasia’s eyes blew wide in disbelief but she couldn’t look away.
It took a second before the towel erupted into flames and it didn’t take long after that for it to spread to the counter beside it. Throughout, Jungkook and Yoongi stood calmly, watching the flames eat up everything it touched.
It felt like hours before either pulled out their phones, Yoongi dialing 911 from what she heard and Jungkook calling… her.
“Taz!” Jungkook exclaimed frantically, his voice muffled through the sound of flames. “ I don’t know what happened! I just-I left to use the bathroom for like 2 seconds! That’s it! […]I won’t be after I tell you what happened […] I maybe, sorta, kinda…lit…your kitchen on fire? […] It was an accident, I swear!”
Anastasia felt sick to her stomach, tossing the tablet onto the couch, unable to watch anymore. It was all a lie, everything was a lie.
Beatrice had been right . She thought miserably.
“Do you understand now?” The man asked.
Clenching her jaw, she sat back down across from him, “You said Jungkook was missing, what do you mean?”
“I mean exactly that. Five years ago, after a certain altercation with a man that ended in the hospital, Jungkook disappeared”
Anastasia shifted, uncomfortable with the information, “The man ended up in the hospital or Jungkook?”
“The man. He was in a coma for two years before passing away”
Making a mad dash for the kitchen, she barely made it to the sink before retching, nothing but a bit of water and stomach acid coming up.
Spitting, she blindly turned on the tap, using the water to wash out her mouth. “You’re lying,” she rasped, suddenly unsure. This wasn’t the first time she’d run into Jungkook’s temper, there had been a few times throughout the years where he’d gotten into some serious fights. A few she’d been witness to, others she’d seen the aftermath. All of them ended in the hospital. But he’d given them concussions, broken noses, dislocated knees, he didn’t put people in comas, he wasn’t a killer .
Besides, it had been a long time since Jungkook got in a fight, even if the man was telling the truth, Jungkook wasn’t like that anymore, he was a good person who loved her.
Recalling the video she’d just seen, she wondered if maybe it was just that Jungkook had gotten better at lying. Lighting a kitchen on fire and taking someone’s life were two very different crimes, though, and she just couldn’t bring herself to think of Jungkook as a murderer .
Memories of Jungkook jogging up to her with a big smile, saying her name in that teasing lilt, she couldn’t believe that he was a bad person. Despite the evidence staring her in the face, she could only see his smile in her mind.
Her captor had made it out to seem like all seven of them were evil, but evil people didn’t care and if there was anything she’d learned about them in the time she’d known them was that they cared more for each other than she had ever seen anyone care. He was right about one thing, though, somehow, she’d managed to catch their attention, become someone they wanted to protect, and for as much as she felt betrayed, she would still rather be back in the room with Jimin than here with this man.
Stealing her resolve, she stood up straight, “Tell me who they are”
***
I have a question! I’ve tried not to project what I imagine Anastasia to look like into the book so you could imagine her in the way you wish, so I was wondering, what does she look like to you?
Summary: You are a genius, a billionaire, a morally flexible business magnate— And by absolutely no fault of your own, also roommates with a demon. A few demon(s).
Tags: Eventual smut, fluff and smut, domestic bliss, domestic fluff, moral bankruptcy, polyamory, slow burn, overprotective!bts, chaotic!bts, chaotically whipped bts, demonically petty bts, past infidelity
You wake up planted face-down on the couch. There is a dull ringing in your right ear and overhead, a mosquito circling your neck for landing.
Someone says, somewhere above you: “I heard humans need to eat every few hours.”
“But that Tibetan monk only ate every two weeks…”
You blink your eyes open, forefinger twitching.
“Yes, that is why you had to reap him, Jungkook.”
And you swiftly shut your eyes.
“Anyways, my point stands. We should feed the poor thing.”
There is a collective pause. Then, someone pipes up, politely, “Or perhaps not? We all saw what happened when you tried to feed Socrates, hyung.”
Seokjin huffs, affronted, guilty, “How was I supposed to know hemlock is not edible? Is it my fault humans have a shelf-life of two seconds? Did I create them? Am I god?”
The one they call Jungkook intercepts, nostalgic, “It’s been four hundred years since I cooked for a human.”
“More importantly, have you ever cooked a human?” Someone says, darkly, “The young ones can be pretty juicy.”
A weight presses into your back, warm and gentle and protective. “We are not cooking my toy, Taehyung.”
Taehyung hums. “Of course not, Jimin. But hypothetically, if some of us were starving…”
“If you lay a single finger on her, Kim Taehyung, I will snap you like a piece of candy and feed you to my dogs.”
“You’d do that to your own dogs?” gasps Jungkook, scandalized.
Not caring to hear more, you pass back out.
At 3AM on the dot, you wake. To be exact, you haven’t slept.
Without moving a muscle, you glance over your room. Dead quiet. No demons in sight. Silently, with the stealth of a battle-trained ninja, you poke one foot out of your blanket. Then another foot. Then, alert, scarcely breathing, you slip off the blanket, careful not to disturb even one corner. Still no demons.
You crouch beside the bed, peering into dark. All clear—
“What are we looking for?” comes a whisper beside you.
You promptly flop over, screaming so loud you hear it ricochet in your own head.
Beside you, the angelic face, too, squints into the dark, a conspiratorial hush over his voice, “What if this house is haunted?”
Sitting flat on your ass, you feel the corner of your mouth twitch. Out of fear, yes, but also because this situation is completely fucking ridiculous. “Are you joking me, sir.”
“No but,” the little angel says, urgent, eyes like a doe’s. “We could totally be standing on an ancient burial…”
You lift your brows.
Mainly at the fact that he’s wearing a suspiciously dramatic hood and holding a scythe the size of a lamppost. It smokes from the blade, wisps of white unfurling into the darkness.
“Oh,” he says.
“Yeah,” You say, pointedly.
“I’m Death, by the way. You can call me Jungkook,” he says, tailing you like a puppy as you amble back to bed. “Say, you’re kind of cranky. Did you have a bad day? What happened? Are you stressed? Would you like a warm beverage?”
You ignore him and gruffly kick your feet under the blanket, yanking it up over the top of your head, until all there is, is dark and quiet. You’re about to be demon dinner, anyways. The universe owes you at least one final moment of peace.
And, of course, Jungkook. He ghosts right beside you, nesting his face in the nape of your neck, until personal space has become but a thing of the imagination.
He says, grinning sheepishly, those beautiful eyes piercing into the side of your face, “Want to know a secret?”
“Not really at the oversharing stage yet, thanks,” You deadpan, screwing your eyes shut.
“I’m scared of the dark,” Jungkook whispers. “If you try to run away again, please aim to do it in the daytime.”
You’re not sure if you want to laugh or cry so you go ahead and do both.
There are only four of them.
It can’t be that bad. Nothing a plan won’t solve. And you, you are a master at planning.
So when Jungkook’s pager beeps and he disappears into the dark, you scramble to the desk and crack open your laptop, typing furiously into a document.
You stop for a moment, fingers flexing tentatively over the keyboard, staring unblinkingly at the bullets.
And then you crush your face into your hands because what the actual hell is this ridiculous clusterfuck of bullshit.
A voice snakes around your ear, low and smooth and honey sweet, “My weakness? I suppose I’m fairly ticklish, if that helps.”
You’re not terrified and you’re certainly not panicking. It’s just that your laptop decided to throw itself out the window.
“Did I scare you?” Jimin grins, straightening. He settles easily against the desk, looking every kind of attractive.
“No,” You lie flatly, heart pounding in your head, gaze fixed on anything but Jimin.
Jimin’s fine with that. He simply slips a finger under your chin and draws you towards him until you’ve met his eyes, a solid, unwavering line.
He looks down at you, smile warm and rueful and so so dangerous, “Good, because I wouldn’t want to lose you, darling.”
It takes you five tries, each with exponentially less vigor of spirit, to throw in the towel. On the fifth attempt, the only time you manage to physically leave the house, you make it all the way to the police station. It’s an old, rickety little place, with a single receptionist manning the front.
You declare, sweating bullets, door wobbling in its frame as it slams shut behind you, “I am possessed by—”
“Grab a ticket and take a seat,” the lady says, from behind a tall stack of papers.
You gesture wildly, incoherent, “But I’m being haunted—”
“Ticket. Seat.” She repeats, jabbing a finger towards the registration machine.
“NO BUT—”
“Or you can go out the way you came in,” She shrugs.
So you grab a ticket.
Except, behind the ticket machine, not too far away, someone is playing with the water fountain. Someone familiar.
Nope.
Nope nope nope.
“Can you buy this?” Taehyung asks, eyes twinkling as he turns to you, water spurting out in rhythmic pulses. He’s changed his outfit for the occasion, a glaringly bright green sweater and a weirdly repulsive trench coat. You’d wonder where he shops (a crematorium?) if you weren’t actually dying of panic.
“Um,” You start, cutting urgently to the receptionist.
She’s gone.
You squint, incredulous, whipping around in circles.
“She was rude to you,” Taehyung explains, like it makes all the sense in the world. “So I un-existed her.“
You freeze.
He continues, bright, “Anyways, can you?”
You check that there is no one else he needs to “un-exist” before answering, “That is not for sale, sir.”
“I’m sure you can do something. You drive a really expensive looking car,” He pouts.
You stare.
Taehyung repeats, mulish, “Buy it, (Y/N)-ah.”
Here’s the thing.
He’s a demon.
He’s a demon asking you to buy a water fountain.
Who on planet earth even wrote this shitty story—
“No, sir,” You say, equally mulish, because you’re already fucked anyways.
Taehyung broods, “It’s no, oppa.”
You absolutely refuse to engage. “So you’re not attached to the house?”
“I can be,” Taehyung shrugs, slinking away to explore the other trinkets in the station. Papers explode themselves out of the cabinet as he continues, disinterested, “But you’re more fun.”
“Fun,” You parrot, eyes totally dead, files raining down in clumps around you like the first snow of winter.
“Right?” Taehyung beams, sending all the papers back into the cabinet with a snap of his fingers. The receptionist, too, reappears in her seat as if nothing happened. “Also, did someone force you to wear that shirt?”
“No,” You squint, uncomprehending. “Why?”
“Don’t be mad,” He sniffs, rather diplomatically. “But it’s a tad ugly.”
“Next ticket,” The receptionist says, pushing her glasses up her nose. She turns to you, bored.
You glance at Taehyung, at that crooked smirk drawing over his face, and show yourself out the door.
“How’s your vacation?” Hoseok asks, your third week at the house. And like the devil, Seokjin manifests right across the dining table, chin cupped in both hands, smile angelic. He’s not threatening anything, and that’s the point.
He doesn’t have to.
“It’s perfect,” You answer, soulless.
There’s a pause on the other end. Hoseok says, hesitant, “Really?”
“Yes,” You sigh wistfully. “All I ever needed.”
The pause is even longer this time. Eventually, Hoseok says awkwardly, “(Y/N). It’s just a break up. You’re the leader of a trillion-dollar company. You are loved. You are needed. Please don’t think dark thoughts.”
“Are you suicidal?” Seokjin mouths.
You ignore him. “Hobi, don’t worry. I’m fine.”
“An eternal friend!” Seokjin says, pumping an enthused fist into the air.
“I’m just,” You pause, batting at Seokjin with an arm until he’s dissipated, “I’m just, dealing with some demons.”
“That’s good,” says Hoseok. There’s clicking in the background, the sound of people shouting over telephones, getting work done, deals brokered, making a difference. “Moldova wants to meet in person for the PR-42 demo. We discussed deferring it, but maybe it’s best if you could attend.”
“Who’s Moldova again?”
There is a pause. Hoseok sounds extremely confused as he says, “Moldova… the country? The army general? Hey, are you OK?”
Seokjin appears just long enough for you to toss your tea at him, and disappears again. “Right. No, I’m fine. Put it in my calendar.”
“Sure,” Hoseok says. Then, sounding a bit embarrassed, he adds, “I’m proud of you for doing this, you know. We all are.”
“Great,” You say, face burning, and hang up. You rub your forehead, a bit out of sorts.
“Army general?” Seokjin asks, floating back into his seat. “Are you super important or something?”
You’ve sat through more interviews than you care to remember, but that is definitely a new question.
Modestly, you answer, “I wouldn’t say important. I mean, I am the founder of the largest weapons oper—”
“That’s great, because I was afraid my handsomeness might intimidate you.”
He was a patient man. He wouldn’t mind to wait for the right time to reap what he thought he deserved.
He had lived in the dark for far too long, that happiness was such a foreign notion for him. Until you crossed his path and awakened something deep inside him.
Until he realized there was indeed glowing light on the other side of his world, just a flicker at the end of the journey he had to conquer.
Until the sunshine he had waited became you.
Pairing : Taehyung x Ballerina Reader.
Genre : Yandere, Mafia AU.
Warning for this chapter: Murder.
The age of consent in Italy is 14 - 18 years old, arbitrary case by case. No sex scene with underage in this story. Do adequate research before come at me and saying I support sex with minor. I won’t tolerate any sanctimonius remarks from uninformed readers.
Word count : 8K.
Full Masterlist and elaborate warning please read here.
Taehyung wouldn’t be the man on top if he didn’t implement control and discipline religiously. It was what he learned since the first month he started to live with his father.
Waking up at dawn, a few hundreds meters of track graduated to a few kilometers under the supervision of private coach, strength training, and shooting practice once he hit puberty, continued through his adolescence. The tiger parenting from his father was silently backed up by his mother, she never openly supported, but neither she opposed to his fierce coaching. As he grew older, the drill emphasized more in the firearm practice.
However, physical training became too habitual for him to break from the routine. He had an obsession over regularities, something to keep his brain focused, away from his occasional disordered thought.
But lately, the exercise started to lose its effect for him, no matter how hard he tried.
The dream visited his sleep again recently. Those empty eyes from bodies that had lost its soul, gaunt expressionless faces he couldn’t identify, tried to reach him with equally chilling voices haunting in his head. He had ended many lives in the last thirteen years, at some point he stopped caring. The numbers was a statement of his father’s absurd sense of victory. How he was so proud that his son was a legend feared by his name alone across the underworld.
He was antsy since the orange sun kissed the horizon at dawn, even after an intense morning run. Just a few hours before the flight to Milan, after Alessandro announced the green light to proceed from his flight crew. His restlessness partly coming from another episode of poor sleep, as well as the anticipation of your eventual meeting with Jimin.
He was pretty sure of the outcome, he knew Jimin so well, but a little part of him was still afraid of the possible unexpected turn of event. How vulnerable he was when you were implicated in his decision.
