Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Alright, when can you start?”

Jungkook blinked at the man before him, then at the paper in his hands. He had barely even glanced at it. He knew he didn’t have much on his resume, but it still should have taken the man more than two seconds to look it over.

“I… what? You’re hiring me? Just like that?” Jungkook stammered in shock. The man dropped his resume on the desk between them.

Nam Kyung-soo seemed to be a very laid-back man. Jungkook had noticed it the moment he’d stepped into his office for the interview. He had stood briefly to greet him with a polite bow but then had slumped back into his chair in a way that made Jungkook feel like he was wasting the man’s time. He’d been preparing himself for this to turn out like the four other interviews he’d had today.

He was a gruff looking man, age creasing the corners of his eyes and hair beginning to grey. His voice was rough and gritty but kind.

Nam raised a brow at him, “Are you trying to convince me not too?”

Jungkook quickly back pedaled and bowed, “No! No, thank you Nam-ssi. I can start whenever you have a shift available.”

Nam nodded and turned to check a calendar on his desk, “Tomorrow then, 8 am. Don’t be late. The other staff will help get you trained up.”

Jungkook mentally noted the time and bowed again, “Thank you sir, thank you so much,” he said sincerely. It had been a grueling couple of days of job searching wherever he could find anywhere that was hiring. Finding a job was nearly impossible with his track record.

He knew it looked bad. His high school grades were awful, he dropped out of college and not having an address in this world made a lot of people question his financial situation. That and having to ask to be paid in cash made it look… sketchy at best.

“You get one shot kid, don’t screw it up,” Nam said, waving a hand dismissively.

Jungkook nodded eagerly, he bowed again quickly and moved to the door, “I won’t sir. Thank you again.”

The moment the door clicked behind him, Jungkook couldn’t help but hop around in excitement. Finally! Finally, he had some sort of income again!

It was strange to feel this excited about it. Before, money had always only stressed him out. It was something he needed desperately and never had enough of.

Now, after everything that had happened, Jungkook didn’t necessarily need money anymore but he had a specific reason in mind.

It had been three weeks since he’d come back, since he returned to the others.

They were having a hard time still, though they tried to hide it, tried not to make a big deal of it.

Jungkook saw it when one of them would peak into his room randomly to check if he was still there. When he had been too quiet for a while, even if they were in the same room and they could see him, they would ask him a question. They would get him to speak if even for a moment and they would relax again once they heard his voice. He saw how they constantly glanced towards him during their meals, as if they were expecting to see the chair empty.

A few times they even hesitated to call his name. He’d hear them pause or their voice would break mid-way through.

The nightmares were bad too. They had all taken to sleeping in the large room with the big bed that could fit them all, if only because it saved them the run to Jungkook’s room after watching him die again in their dreams.

Jungkook himself had his fair share of nightmares, strange dreams of black voids and a crushing sense of fear that left him staring, paralyzed, at the ceiling some nights.

Jungkook did his best to ease some of their worries. When they called, he would answer right away, even going so far as to run on the way down the stairs. He talked a lot more, making his presence known even when he wasn’t around them, singing loudly in the shower, humming while he headed down the hall to the study, and checking in with them each at least three times a day.

He could see how hard they were trying not to cling to him. It seemed they were trying to act as if the whole thing had never happened and none of them wanted to restrict Jungkook’s freedom in anyway by tailing him constantly. Jungkook had expressed to them that he didn’t mind it, he liked the clinginess, but they were adamant that they shouldn’t form bad habits that might make Jungkook feel like he was being forced into a role within the relationship.

So, Jungkook wanted to take them out on a date.

Their first date.

Now that they didn’t have the impending danger looming over them, and Jungkook didn’t need to worry about being hunted, he could move freely throughout all three worlds with little issue. He wanted to show his lovers all the wonderful things about his world that he hadn’t gotten to before.

Except to take them anywhere, he needed money. Which meant a job.

He stepped down the small hallway and back out into the main part of the coffeeshop. It wasn’t overly packed with customers, a few sitting at the tables and two people waiting in line at the counter. It made it easy to find his boyfriend standing next to the windows casually. Jungkook couldn’t help checking the man out because he’d thought it before and seeing him in this setting he was thinking it again, Seokjin would make an incredible model.

He was wearing a pair of lightly tinted sunglasses; his eyes still weren’t fully used to how bright the sun was in this world and it also helped to hide the unnatural colour of his eyes. Though he could always just say he was wearing coloured contacts. He also wore a green and white striped shirt over a pair of pale blue jeans.

Jungkook had to pause briefly to take him in, his beautiful features and smooth skin practically glowed in the sunlight as he lifted his coffee up to take a sip, distracted by the world outside the window.

He wasn’t the only one aware of it though, a group of girls sitting at a table nearby seemed to have taken notice of his good looks as well.

Jungkook puffed his cheeks in annoyance for a moment before he put on a neutral expression and walked over to Seokjin.

His lover looked at him and perked up, smiling sweetly. “How did it go?”

Without a word Jungkook took his free hand and lead him to the door, grinning when his back was to Seokjin and missing the angels confused blink.

Once outside and away from the front of the coffeeshop, Jungkook turned back to face him, pivoting sharply on his heel. Seokjin looked at him in confusion as Jungkook very carefully moved Seokjin’s hand that held his coffee cup out to the side so it wasn’t between them.

His boyfriend just opened his mouth to question what he was doing when Jungkook leapt at him, throwing his arms over his shoulders and smiling happily, “I got it!”

Seokjin staggered, wrapping his free arm around Jungkook’s waist, holding the younger up off the ground. Realizing what he said, Seokjin gasped, “You got the job? Really? Kookie! That’s great!”

Jungkook laughed as he was spun around, “No more interviews,” he sighed in relief as Seokjin set him back on his feet, both ignoring the few looks they received from passersby.

Seokjin kept his arm around him, keeping him close and beamed, “I told you this would be the lucky one.”

“You said that about the last three as well,” Jungkook scoffed. “You were bound to be right eventually doing that.”

“I was still right,” Seokjin hummed. “I still don’t understand why you need a job though.”

Jungkook shifted away from him to take his hand, starting to walk down the street leisurely, “I told you, we still need medical supplies and stuff in case I get hurt, and we might need other things at some point. It’s just better to have some money.”

If Jungkook had been thinking before, maybe he wouldn’t have spent his entire bank account in one go. Not that he regretted it though. It had been fun. It was still one of his favourite memories with Jimin and Taehyung.

Seokjin took a sip of his coffee, “Have you and Joonie found anything off yet?”

“Nope, Yoongi-hyung helped us test some magic on me last night, I still repel it. I guess that means I’m still human. I pricked my hand helping Hobi-hyung in the garden the other day too and my bloods still red,” Jungkook swung their hands lightly between them.

Seokjin frowned a little but didn’t say anything about it. His silence drew Jungkook’s attention to him and seeing his expression he winced, mentally cursing himself.

“Sorry, I didn’t-”

He didn’t think.

It slipped his mind sometimes.

In a desperate panic one night, after waking up from a nightmare, Taehyung had clung to him crying and he told him about the after math. He told him about how much blood there had been, how pale and still he had been. Jungkook had thought the energy would have destroyed his body completely but it seemed to have only expelled from his weakest points, primarily the scar on his back.

Jungkook found out that they had buried him in the gardens past the greenhouse.

He had yet to go back there to see the grave. The thought didn’t sit well with him. It was strange to think that he was here, alive and well but his old body was there, underground and dead.

That grave was proof that it had all happened. His boyfriend’s had suffered for three months and he just popped back up one day good as new.

Besides that moment with Taehyung, no one had brought it up.

Seokjin gave his hand a squeeze and the older smiled at him kindly, “It’s alright.”

“How are you doing hyung..? With everything.”

Jungkook appreciated that Seokjin paused to give the question some thought, rather than just writing it off. “It’s... been slowly getting better. I still forget sometimes, that, that you’re back, but I can remind myself quicker now without having to see you in front of me.”

“I wish I could be in six places at once, that way none of you would have to worry,” Jungkook sighed.

Seokjin laughed a bit and shook his head, “What kind of life would that be for you though? We’ll be alright eventually, but you’ll have to be gentle on us and yourself for a while. No getting hurt or worrying us too much okay? Our nerves won’t be able to handle it.”

Jungkook nodded eagerly. He would do everything he could to keep his hyung’s from stressing about him more. He was grateful that they let him get a job at all and he had been purposely trying to go for a public service job that allowed them to hang out and keep an eye on him whenever they wanted too.

He hadn’t told the others but the day before, when he was out doing interviews with Hoseok, he had actually gotten an offer to work at a gas station. Upon finding out it was a night shift however, he had turned it down. It wasn’t that the city was overly dangerous, but he didn’t want to take any risks.

The job at the coffee shop was perfect though. And he was sure Yoongi would be thrilled to come see him everyday at work if it meant he got coffee too.

They walked in comfortable silence for a bit, Jungkook enjoying the warm air and the sun on his skin.

“Kookie, is there somewhere we could sit and talk for a moment?”

Jungkook blinked and looked at Seokjin, tilting his head a bit. “What did you want to talk about?”

“About your relationship with us, now that things have calmed down there was some things that I wanted to bring up,” Seokjin said calmly.

He might have been calm but Jungkook was suddenly freaking out internally, “Oh uh yeah, sure, there’s a small park just around the block,” he said swallowing down his anxiety the best he could as they began to head that way.

Jungkook wasn’t ignorant to the fact that they, taking out the time spent trying to save his life, had had very little time together. Basically only a few weeks. He knew that he loved them, he didn’t doubt that, but he couldn’t help the worry he felt when the little voice at the back of his mind told him that they would come to realize that they didn’t actually love him.

He knew they cared about him and he knew they wouldn’t do anything to hurt him intentionally, but he still feared the words ‘I love you’ on some level. He feared the day that they said it to him and it felt… empty. The day it felt like a lie.

They hadn’t done anything to make him think that could be possible but neither had his parents before they found out he was gay. That kind of deceit terrified him.

Now Seokjin wanted to talk about their relationship? Had Jungkook done something wrong without knowing?

By the time they had reached the park, Jungkook had worked himself up enough with overthinking that Seokjin took notice of his mood as they sat down on a bench next to the path. Jungkook looked at him when Seokjin set his coffee on the ground and took both of his hands. “You’re zoning out love, what’s got you going there again hm?”

The angel’s hands felt soft in his own, thumbs rubbing soothing patterns into his skin. “I’m ah- Sorry it’s just, usually when someone says ‘can we talk’ it usually means ‘hey its not working out, I want to break up’, so,” Jungkook cleared his throat awkwardly.

Seokjin’s eyes widened and he quickly moved his hands to Jungkook’s arms, rubbing them as if to calm him despite how he was visibly more panicked. “What?” he squeaked, “No! No no that’s- Kookie no I didn’t mean it like that, actually the complete opposite!”

Jungkook frowned and looked at him curiously, “The opposite?”

Seokjin nodded quickly giving his arm a squeeze before taking his hands again, “When we first talked about courting you, I mentioned that we would all want time to get to know you on our own, do you remember that?”

Jungkook nodded a little, tilting his head. He did remember him mentioning that vaguely, “You want me to spend more time with you individually?” He let himself relax and smiled a bit. Okay. That he could do. That he was more then happy to do.

“If you’re comfortable with that. We know you fit our groups dynamic perfectly, but we want to get to know you one on one. And so you can get to know each of us better too.”

“I’d really like that,” Jungkook said honestly and smiled more when Seokjin smiled. He really didn’t know a whole lot about the guys yet and he was eager to learn more about their lives and likes and dislikes. The little he had picked up in his time with them already only made him love them more.

Seokjin brought his hands to his lips and kissed his knuckles gently. He then tucked his hands under his chin and smiling fondly. Jungkook fought off the colour that rose to his cheeks. One of the things he had learned rather quickly was that Seokjin seemed to be an old fashioned romantic. He was very much the ‘push his chair in for him’ type and Jungkook had surprised himself with how eagerly he latched onto that kind of attention.

He’d always thought that the overly romantic stuff would annoy him or make him cringe. He thought he’d be the type to say ‘I can open a door on my own thanks.’

Yet when Seokjin looked at him like that, with such love and fondness and caring, how could he ever tell him to stop? And it wasn’t like Seokjin didn’t know Jungkook could take care of himself. He had proven that he more then trusted Jungkook over and over. He hadn’t stepped in when Hoseok and him had fought, he hadn’t tried to keep Jungkook from doing anything even when he thought it might be unsafe, he’d always let him be who he was and he knew when to let him handle a situation on his own.

It was as if Seokjin just wanted to give him a moment, no matter how small it was, where he didn’t have to take care of himself. A small break from always watching his own back and reminding him that he was there to take care of him too.

It was something Jungkook hadn’t known he needed.

“There was something else I wanted to ask you Kookie,” Seokjin seemed to hesitate on his words for a moment. “It’s about your-”

His phone beeped a few times and Jungkook reluctantly pulled a hand from Seokjin’s to pull it out of his pocket and swipe the alarm away, “Sorry hyung,” he looked at him apologetically for the interruption and nodded to urge him to continue.

Seokjin’s eyes traced over his face and flicked between his eyes for a moment. Letting out a breath and chuckling, he stood up from the bench, “It can wait. Minnie will be upset if we’re late.”

Jungkook stood and smiled lightly. He was curious about what Seokjin had meant to ask him but he figured the other would ask soon enough so he let it go. They both turned to look down the path at the door that sat there as if it had been the whole time. As reliable as always.

“I really have to try to convince him that doctors aren’t evil and out to cut people up for fun,” Jungkook sighed as they wandered over, stepping through the door into the Galaxy.

Seokjin laughed, “I doubt that will be easy love, he told me that reading those medical books was like reading a horror story. Do human’s really have to rebreak their bones if they heal wrong?”

“I’m gonna take that book away from him…”

The Galaxy had become such a normal sight for him now, a comforting beautiful sight and it took his breath away every time his eyes found the sky.

Now that the gem was gone, he no longer felt the pull of energy when he stepped between worlds. There was no more empty feeling in the human world, but it meant there wasn’t any warmth from the Galaxy either. The warmth he felt when he went there now was solely because he knew he was back home. Back where he belonged.

The purple door to the new world sat next to the other door, a constant companion to it.

They had started exploring the world slowly, starting with the field it opened up into. Hoseok had been thrilled to take small samples of the plants and a large portion of the greenhouse had been dedicated to researching them. At dinner he’d ask them to help him come up with names for them, giving them all a short description of the plant before they started brainstorming names. Jimin and Taehyung were helping a lot with the magical properties of each plant while Namjoon was meticulously recording everything.

Namjoon was almost spending more time in the greenhouse with Hoseok then he did in the study now.

Seokjin and Yoongi were testing the other uses for the plants, Yoongi’s knowledge of dark magic, curses and poisons helped Seokjin to figure out what was edible or potentially dangerous to consume.

Jungkook would always accompany them to his world (his world… a concept he still hadn’t gotten used too). Every time he did, he felt incredibly in tuned with it. He’d mentioned this to Namjoon, that he felt like he could still sense the gems magic, as if the sentience of the gem had transferred to the world itself.

He had theorized that there might still be some residual energy in Jungkook, especially after his body had been created by the gem and his soul had spent quite a long while trapped inside of it.

That was another weird thing to wrap his mind around.

When they stepped inside the house, Yoongi was just coming down the stairs. His eyes found Jungkook first and quickly looked him over before doing the same with Seokjin. It happened in less then a second but it was an action Jungkook had gotten used to them doing when he stepped in the room.

“Welcome home,” he hummed and stepped over to Jungkook, giving him a gentle kiss.

It still made Jungkook’s heart skip a beat every time they greeted him like that. It was just so, natural. So normal.

Yoongi moved to give Seokjin a kiss as well but paused seeing the coffee cup in his hands. He narrowed his eyes at it, slowly looking up at Seokjin.

Seokjin quickly held up a finger to explain himself, “I didn’t buy it, a woman bought it for me, otherwise I would have gotten you one.”

Jungkook puffed his cheeks. He’d figured that’s how he’d gotten it. Since Jungkook didn’t have money he had been a bit confused by that.

“No kisses for you,” Yoongi huffed and turned away, crossing his arms. Seokjin pouted and quickly wrapped his arms around him from behind.

“Awe don’t be like that, you can have what’s left,” he held the cup out in front of him and Yoongi took it.

Jungkook laughed a bit as he kicked off his shoes, Yoongi shaking the cup and scowling. “It’s empty.”

Seokjin laughed awkwardly, “… I thought there was at least a sip left.”

“Two days. No kisses.”

“Yoongi!”

“No.”

“Love?”

“No.”

“Lil meow meow?”

“Two weeks.”

“Oh come on!”

Jungkook laughed and took the empty cup from the phoenix, “Don’t worry hyung, you can come with me to work and get as much coffee as you like.”

Yoongi looked at him and perked up, “You found a job?” Seeing Jungkook grin and nod, Yoongi smiled and scooped him into a hug, kissing his lips, his cheek, the tip of his nose. “That’s great Kookie!”

Jungkook giggled and wrapped his arms around Yoongi’s waist, nuzzling his cheek happily.

Seokjin smiled and laughed a bit, “Don’t forget your appointment,” he said, making his way towards the kitchen. “I’ll get started on dinner, I’ll call you down when it’s ready.”

“I’ll give you a hand,” Yoongi called after him. He let Jungkook go after one more gentle kiss, slow and relaxed. “When do you start?”

“Tomorrow morning, do you want to come?” Yoongi nodded as Jungkook expected, though he was pretty sure his hyung would regret that decision when Jungkook had to walk him up extra early. “Make sure to get some sleep then. Don’t stay up all night hyung.”

Yoongi rolled his eyes and headed after Seokjin, “Yeah yeah. That’s what coffee is for.”

Jungkook shook his head in amusement. They might need to organize an intervention one day about Yoongi’s coffee obsession. He wasn’t too concerned though. It wasn’t harmful to Yoongi like it was to human’s.

Jungkook made his way upstairs to Jimin’s room, quickly checking the time to make sure he wasn’t in fact late. He stopped in front of the familiar door and knocked gently, smiling when the Fae opened the door with an amused expression.

“Kookie, I told you, you can just come in, you don’t have to knock,” Jimin laughed a bit and stepped back into the room.

“It feels weird doing that,” Jungkook admitted and closed the door behind him. He walked over to the desk chair that Jimin had already pulled out for him and sat down. “What if you’re changing?”

“All the more reason to come in,” Jimin raised a brow and Jungkook smirked a bit as the other leant over him and kissed him.

He tilted his head to deepen the kiss slightly and hummed against the Fae’s lips as the other pressed in. Too soon he pulled away and smiled, walked over to his desk and grabbing his book. “Any luck today?”

The medical textbooks had been practically glued to his hand since Jimin found out that Jungkook was still human. He was studying them inside and out and in order to help him, Jungkook had suggested these daily ‘check-ups’. It gave Jimin time to ask questions and try putting what he was learning into practice.

He’d gotten really good at dressing a wound and wrapping bandages for sprains, he’d also learned how to tie a tourniquet and stop bleeding. Jungkook had found a basic first aid app to download onto his phone and had shown Jimin how to use it in case he needed it in the moment and was too panicked to think.

Jimin had been startled by the long list of potential injuries and medical issues that could occur. They were taking it slowly though and Jungkook was being patient as he tried to understand so much new information.

“Actually,” Jungkook smiled when Jimin looked at him quickly, “I got hired at a coffeeshop, I start tomorrow.”

Jimin smiled excitedly, “Bun! That’s wonderful!” He paused for a moment, “How long will you be gone?”

Jungkook hummed, “It’s full time, so eight hours.”

The Fae gaped at him, “Eight hours?! That’s so long!” He pouted.

“I know,” Jungkook looked at him apologetically. “But you and the others can come see me at work whenever you like, and I’ll get two days a week off too.”

That seemed to appease Jimin a little. All of the guys had started getting used to being in the human world, coming and going with Jungkook pretty regularly now, they didn’t mind going through on their own but they didn’t wander too much outside of the places Jungkook had already shown them. Taehyung would sometimes go just to lay in a park and look at the sky.

“Alright Nurse Minnie, what did you want to cover today?” Jungkook hummed, smiling when Jimin blushed a bit at the name. Jungkook had to explain what a nurse was but Jimin seemed to like the idea of a nurse better then a doctor so the name stuck. Though, it certainly made it difficult for Jungkook because the idea of Jimin nursing him back to health was just… way too attractive.

Jungkook sometimes felt a little like they were roleplaying in these scenarios, as they would only pretend to use the medicines or supplies so they didn’t waste them. He had a hard time at first trying not to take it to more sexual levels but he knew this was important to Jimin and he was going to respect that the other genuinely wanted to learn this. He wouldn’t fool around.

Plus he was really cute when he got focused on something and Jungkook would indulge that all day if he could.

“I had some questions. You said that not all of the stuff in here will apply to you, so I wanted to figure out what does and what doesn’t, so I know what to focus on,” Jimin said, sitting on the edge of the bed across from him with the textbook and a pencil and paper.

Jungkook nodded, “Alright, like what?”

Jimin looked at the list he had written out. “The first one is allergies. I think you said before that you don’t have any but I wanted to ask again to make sure.”

“I don’t have any that I know of. There are seasonal allergies that make me sneeze or my eyes itch but it’s not a concern,” he said honestly, watching Jimin write it down before moving to the next one.

“Asthma?”

“Nope.”

“Diabetes?”

“Not likely.”

“Meningitis?”

“It’s something I can get but I’ve never had it before.”

“Migraines?”

“Yes, and headaches.”

Jimin frowned and looked at him, “What’s the difference?”

“Severity, and migraines can last longer. The pains a bit different too, migraines can make me physically ill,” he explained. Jimin’s brow pinched cutely like it did every time he was displeased with the existence of an ailment. “I don’t get them often, but they are common.”

His boyfriend nodded and made another note. “What are some other common things that might cause you pain?”

Jungkook thought about it carefully, “Burns, cuts, bruises, cold’s, choking, breaking bones, um… food poisoning, heat stroke, muscle strain especially if I don’t stretch properly after or before exercising, dehydration-”

“O-Okay! Okay,” Jimin quickly stopped him, “That’s- I’ll start with those,” he shook his head looking a little overwhelmed.

Jungkook chuckled a bit and reached over, coaxing the book out of his hands. Jimin blinked but let him pull him over to sit in his lap, straddling him. Jungkook cupped his face in his hands gently, brushing his cheeks with his thumbs. “You’re doing a good job hyung. Don’t stress yourself out okay?”

Jimin sighed, letting his eyes fall shut and resting his arms over Jungkook’s shoulders. “How are you so calm when everything can hurt you all the time? Even your own body randomly decides it’s going to hurt you.”

“It’s just something I’m used too. We have ways to take care of ourselves when things like that happens so it’s not the end of the world. You’re trying to learn an entirely foreign species’ physiology without using magic Minnie, you’re doing an amazing job.”

Jimin rested his forehead against Jungkook’s gently and they stayed like that for a long moment, Jungkook rubbing a hand up and down his back to ease his tension.

“Kookie? Can we try CPR?”

Jungkook pulled away to look at him with a frown, “Are you sure?”

When he had brought up CPR before, Jimin had adamantly refused to attempt it, or even talk about it. It didn’t take a lot of thought for Jungkook to figure out he must have tried to save him before by using it, so he let the subject drop quickly and spent time calming Jimin down from the near panic attack he’d caused. He didn’t think the other would willingly bring it up again so soon.

Jimin nodded slowly, “I want to try.”

“Alright Minnie. But if you need to stop, tell me okay? Don’t push yourself too much.”

Once more Jimin nodded and climbed off Jungkook to let him move off the chair and lie on the floor. As soon as he was laid down on his back, Jimin knelt next to him, hands shaking slightly. He could practically see the memories playing behind Jimin’s eyes and it killed him that the Fae had been so scarred by what had happened.

He reached out a hand to take one of Jimin’s wrists, “I’m right here. It’s just practice,” he moved his hand to press Jimin’s palm against his chest, over his beating heart. That seemed to relax the Fae a small bit.

“Can… can you keep your eyes open?” He asked tentatively and Jungkook nodded reassuringly.

“I will,” he promised.

From there, Jungkook talked Jimin through the basics, having press at about half strength against his chest. Jimin already knew most of what to do so while he practiced Jungkook kept speaking about when to use CPR and when to just do chest compression or to supply air as well. He also casually rocked his feet back and forth as he laid there, hoping the extra calm movement would reassure Jimin that he was alright and to keep his mind from dragging him back to that awful moment.

It was about five minutes later when Jimin had to sit back and tell him he couldn’t do anymore, the man clenching his fists in what seemed to be frustration with himself. Jungkook wasted no time and sitting up and taking his hands, giving him words of encouragement and reassuring him that it would take time.

Eventually they both decided that had been a major step for the day so they went to Taehyung’s room to cuddle in his bed and watch him paint until dinner.

Dinner was spent trying to convince the others that they didn’t need to all come and support him on his first day of work.

He managed to convince them to wait a week before all of them came in at once, giving him at least a little time to try and figure out his new job before he made a complete fool of himself in front of them.

“Sorry Kookie, you’re just going to have to get used to seeing us there,” Hoseok grinned from his seat across from him.

Jungkook sighed dramatically before smiling, “As long as you guys don’t get me fired then it’s fine, you can order whatever you want to try while you’re there, I’ll tell them to take it off my pay.”

“What exactly is the job?” Namjoon asked curiously between bites of his food.

Jungkook swallowed a piece of meat humming at the wonderful taste.

Apparently, while he’d been gone, Seokjin’s cooking had… well… not been as good. It had taken Jungkook by surprise when the others had attacked their first meal after he came back as if they hadn’t eaten in weeks. Now though they had settled back to normality where every dish Seokjin cooked was delicious.

“Serving drinks and food and stuff. I’m pretty sure they have a baker so I won’t be doing that but I’ll be making drinks for customers.”

“Which means… we get to watch you the whole time you’re working?”

Jungkook opened his mouth but Seokjin interrupted, “I already picked out a table with the best view of the counter.”

He looked at him in surprise, “You what?”

“I’ll take frozen moments! Jungkookie let me use your phone please!” Taehyung perked up, grinning.

“What? No guys, this isn’t that big of a deal,” Jungkook quickly waved his hands.

“We should celebrate with drinks when you’re done tomorrow,” Yoongi suggested, all of them ignoring Jungkook’s obvious embarrassment.

Jimin hummed and smiled, “Do you drink Jungkookie?” He asked.

“I mean, yeah but- I have to work the next day too, we should probably wait until the night before my day off.”

They looked a little confused by that but shrugged and agreed.

Hoseok leaned forward with his arms folded on the table having finished his food, “Are you nervous?”

Jungkook smiled and shook his head, “Nah, not really. I’m kind of excited honestly. I’m a little worried about getting along with my coworkers though.”

A bit of a heaviness settled over them as Jungkook picked at his food, thinking about Jiho. He hadn’t heard or seen him since the Guardian took him into its care. He hadn’t even seen much of the Guardian. He missed it but he understood that it had the Galaxy to look after.

Jungkook was lucky the world he was charged with protecting wasn’t inhabited yet.

A hand settled on his shoulder and he looked over at Seokjin who smiled reassuringly, “I’m sure they’ll be good people.”

“And if they aren’t we’ll take care of it,” Jimin smiled kindly with a rather intense undertone that was only emphasized by the way he stabbed a piece of food with his fork.

In that moment it occurred to Jungkook that he’d never seen Jimin angry before. Even finding out about Jiho, he remembered Jimin being more heartbroken and upset then angry. He didn’t think he ever wanted to see that.

“You just have to smile at them and you’re good,” Hoseok chuckled.

Jungkook blushed a bit and pursed his lips, “That’s your thing Hobi-hyung. That doesn’t work for me.”

Taehyung hummed, “He’s not wrong Hobi, you’re smile is like…”

“Like the sun in Kookie’s world!” Jimin helpfully supplied.

Namjoon took a bite of food casually, “It’s like a little miracle.”

“I need it for survival,” Yoongi closed his eyes and nodded.

Hoseok’s ears burned red and he shifted in his chair in embarrassment, “Okay okay, I get it,” he laughed and covered his face. “We were talking about Kookie’s new job remember?”

“I’m an angel and even I envy your smile,” Seokjin grinned ignoring Hoseok’s protests while watching his lover turn more red.

“This is unnecessary courting, you already have my heart,” Hoseok mumbled, and for the first time Jungkook could recall he looked shy.

“Doesn’t mean we can’t speak the truth love,” Yoongi chuckled, leaning back in his chair as the others voiced their agreement.

Licking his lips a little, suddenly feeling shy himself Jungkook leaned forward slightly, lips twitching up at the corners as he caught Hoseok’s eyes.

“Your smile feels like home,” he said sincerely.

Hoseok looked at him with something akin to astonishment and awe, gaze softening and Jungkook could have sworn he saw some moisture in his eyes before he blinked and it was gone, replaced with Hoseok’s radiant smile.

Yeah.

This was home.

Jungkook arrived at work right on time, dragging a very grumpy Yoongi behind him through the door which let them out in the alley next to the coffeeshop.

He laughed a bit as Yoongi slumped against his back the moment they stepped into the alley.

“Carry me.”

“Hyung, it’s four steps to the door,” Jungkook shook his head.

“Four too many.”

“I told you not to stay up late.”

Yoongi groaned as Jungkook stepped away to head around the corner to the door, dragging his feet after him. “You didn’t say we’d be getting up before the damn birds.”

Jungkook reached for the door just as he watched a girl turn the sign over to say open, he had to pause for a second and smiled at the girl when they made eye contact through the glass. The girl blinked and seemed a bit surprised before stepping away from the door to let them in.

Jungkook pushed the door open and bowed to her politely, “Good morning.”

She bowed back looking a little flustered, “Good morning,” the girl cleared her throat, smoothing out her apron, “Please, take a seat anywhere, is this um, your first time here?”

The girl was very pretty, her long black hair pulled back in a bun, bangs framing her face a bit longer at the sides. A pair of simple round glasses sat on her nose. She wore light but complimentary makeup and wore what Jungkook assumed was the work uniform with the logo on the front of the apron. She was maybe an inch shorter then Yoongi.

“Oh actually, Nam-ssi hired me yesterday, I’m supposed to start today,” Jungkook rubbed his neck awkwardly. It had been awhile since he’d done this kind of thing. The night guard job only required him to interact with Jiho and the construction job was busy enough that he didn’t really get to know anyone too well.

The girl’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped open, staring at him, “Y-You’re- You- You’re Jungkook-ssi?”

Jungkook blinked and nodded. “I’m… I’m not late am I?” He reached to take out his phone and check it but the girl quickly waved her hands.

“No! No, um, okay, hi, I’m ah, I’m Kyong Sumi,” she bowed again. “I’ll be training you Jungkook-ssi.”

Sumi stared at the man before her as he bowed again in greeting.

“It’s nice to meet you,” he spoke in a smooth pleasant voice before straightening up and smiling at her.

Oh. She hadn’t expected to be attacked coming in to work today.

Sumi had started this morning dreading having to teach a new employee how to work the espresso machine. The last person hadn’t lasted long before she caught her stealing money from the register.

The two men that had met her at the door had all but taken her breath away. Jungkook looked like he had walked out of an entertainment agency. His skin was flawless, his face extremely handsome, and his eyes were kind and boyish. He stood about a head taller than her and looked like he was incredibly well built.

She shifted trying to use the other man who came in behind him as a distraction but that only backfired on her. Despite the clearly annoyed look on the shorter man’s face, he was incredibly attractive as well. His dark hair hung just above his cat-like eyes, features soft yet somehow still intimidating.

“R-right this way,” she gestured for Jungkook to follow her, cursing herself for stuttering. What was wrong with her? So he was attractive, big deal. She had talked to plenty of attractive people before without an issue.

She watched him turn to look at the other man, handing him his phone and mumble something to him. The man glanced at her and took the phone as well as a pair of headphones that he offered to him before Jungkook followed her. The dark-haired man went to find a seat at a table.

She led Jungkook behind the counter and into the kitchen. Trying to be professional, Sumi stopped across from her coworker who was cleaning up after having prepped the morning’s pastries to display. “Jungkook-ssi, this is our baker Mun Jaeyong, Jaeyong-ssi this is our new coworker as of today.”

Jaeyong looked over at them as she spoke, and Jungkook bowed to which the baker returned it. “How old are you Jungkook-ssi?”

“I’m twenty-three,” Jungkook responded kindly and Jaeyong hummed and nodded.

“Twenty-five, we’re going to be working together a lot so there’s no need to be formal, feel free to call me hyung. Try and last longer than the last girl yeah?” Jaeyong said casually, smirking a bit.

Jungkook raised a brow, “What record do I have to beat?”

Jaeyong scoffed, “A week. Think you can handle it?”

Sumi tried incredibly hard not to stare at Jungkook as he laughed, a sound that almost made her instinctively smile. “I hope so or walking out of here is going to be embarrassing.”

Jaeyong grinned, the man standing back a bit to regard Jungkook in amusement. He crossed his arms and Sumi watched Jungkook’s eyes trace the sleeve of tattoos he had up his left arm to where his sleeves were rolled up. She was a bit curious of Jungkook’s reaction, seeing as most people scowled at the markings upon first seeing them. Jungkook pleasantly surprised her though when he looked more intrigued than anything.

She had a good feeling about this new employee.

For Nam’s sake she hoped Jungkook stuck around awhile.

“I like this kid,” Jaeyong said honestly and that alone surprised her. Jaeyong was generally pretty abrasive to people upon first meeting them. Maybe he got a good sense off Jungkook as well.

“Jaeyong-ssi there’s a customer out front, do you mind manning the counter while I get Jungkook-ssi up to pace?” She asked.

“Only if you call me oppa.”

She looked at him blankly, “Not happening.”

Jaeyong sighed dramatically before heading out towards the front, “Be careful around her Jungkook-ah, she’s quite brutal to newbies.”

Jungkook blinked and looked at her, Sumi stammered and flushed brightly, “I-I am not! Don’t spread lies Jaeyong-ssi!”

The baker only laughed before he left the room.

Sumi cleared her throat awkwardly and straightened her apron, “I’m um, I’m twenty-two.”

“Is it alright for me to call you Sumi-ah?” Jungkook tilted his head and Sumi bit down the extreme urge to scream.

Instead, she settled for a very tense nod and robotically turning on her heal, “The break room is through here,” she said in a higher tone then she meant to.

She cringed as she brought him to the small break room. It wasn’t much, just a table and chairs and a few lockers for their things. What was wrong with her? Her heart felt like it was going to beat out of her chest. Was she really this nervous because Jungkook was hot?

Shaking her head a bit (and hoping Jungkook missed the action) she stepped over to the locker she had put a fresh uniform in the day before and opened it, “Your uniform is here, you can change in the washroom over there and I’ll meet you back out front to show you how to use the register okay?”

Jungkook nodded and stepped forward to take the clothes, “Thanks Sumi-ah.”

Nodding she left the man to change and headed back to help Jaeyong in the front. When she stepped out behind the counter, a few other people had wandered in and she busied herself with making their orders.

Out of the corner of her eye she caught the man who had come in with Jungkook staring at her. She froze for a second, frowning at the intense gaze. What was with that guy? He looked like he was about to jump the counter. His body was extremely tense and despite her meeting his gaze, he didn’t look away. She narrowed her eyes a bit in suspicion before turning back to the put a cap on the drink she’d made. Sumi smiled at the customer as the woman thanked her and headed out.

“Hey, Jaeyong-ssi, did you serve that man yet?” Sumi leaned over to ask the man as he finished ringing up an order.

The baker looked at her before looking over at the intimidating man who now had his eyes locked on the door to the kitchen. Jaeyong shrugged, “Said he didn’t want anything.”

Sumi hummed, if he wasn’t mad that he hadn’t been served yet then what was with the look?

So distracted by the strange man and what he could possibly be glaring their way for, Sumi didn’t hear Jungkook approach and practically jumped out of her skin when the man called her name gently. She spun around and put a hand over her heart in surprise. “Holy-” she bit off her words barely stopping herself from cursing.

Jungkook held up his hands apologetically, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“It’s, it’s alright, I was distracted,” she breathed out trying to slow her heart rate. Taking a good look at Jungkook in the light coffee coloured shirt and the apron tied around his (thin, very huggable looking) waist really didn’t help though.

Blushing she quickly turned towards the coffee machine, “Alright so, have you made coffee before?” She asked.

Jungkook stepped next to her looking the espresso machine and the coffee makers over, “Only at home.”

Nodding Sumi began to explain how to use the machine, showing him how to use their coffee machine as well and walking him through how to make specific drinks. She was impressed by how quickly Jungkook seemed to pick things up. It only took him two tries to get the hang of adding the right amount of steam and pouring the milk properly.

As he worked on his third attempt, concentrating quite hard on it, Sumi chanced a glance towards the man that he’d come in with. He was no longer looking their way, his head tipped back against the back of the booth and his eyes were closed. He looked much more relaxed than he had a moment ago.

“How’s this?”

Sumi turned back and looked at the coffee cup. Jungkook had attempted to recreate the simple fan shape on top of the coffee like she showed him and she couldn’t help smiling, “That’s not bad for your third try. Are you sure you haven’t had experience with this before?”

Jungkook chuckled, “Unless you count watching videos of latte art, no.”

“Well then you’re a natural. It took me like twenty tries to get it right my first time.”

Jungkook smiled and looked towards the man sitting in the booth. She watched something soften in his eyes but she couldn’t quite place what it was. “Sumi-ah, could you take this coffee out of my pay?”

She blinked in surprise, “Sorry?”

“It’s for my… friend, would that be okay?”

“Oh uh yeah, that’s fine, but he told Jaeyong-ssi he didn’t want anything,” she informed him.

Jungkook seemed to find some amusement in that for some reason. “Yeah, he would say that. Thanks, I’ll be really quick.”

She watched Jungkook curiously as the man rounded the counter and headed over to the strange man. As if knowing he was coming, the man lifted his head and looked at Jungkook, holding out his hands to accept the cup before Jungkook was even fully at the table.

Sumi watched him take a sip of the drink and as if flicking a switch, his mood completely changed and he smiled at Jungkook, saying something that made her new coworker chuckle. Jungkook set a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it gently before making his way back over to the counter, leaving the man to continue to sip at his coffee.

Quickly making herself look busy so she wasn’t caught staring, Sumi looked up from the napkin pile she’d moved randomly four times as Jungkook approached her. “So what’s next?”

“I’ll uh, show you how to use the register so Jaeyong can go back to the kitchen.”

As they did just that, she watched and coached as Jungkook rung up the next few orders, each time conversing and speaking politely with the customers. She didn’t quite know what to think of the man. He was undeniably attractive, and he seemed like a nice enough person. Maybe it was just the other man’s strange behavior that made her feel like something was off.

After watching Jungkook ring up four more orders and move to start making drinks without her needing to say so, she decided that it wouldn’t be so bad working with Jungkook. His good looks might even get them enough business to keep this place running.

Chapter Text

“Here’s your medium coffee and two scones to go,” Jungkook said with a smile, setting the to-go box and the cup on the counter in front of the man.

The man’s shoulders sagged gratefully.

The poor guy had looked as if he had somewhere to be while he’d been waiting and Jungkook had decided to make sure to get the order to him as soon as possible, rushing a bit more then he had for the orders before.

He quickly pulled out his wallet and set a 5000 won note on the counter, “Thank you for being so quick,” he said before taking his order, holding up the coffee cup in a cheers motion and rushing out the door.

Jungkook looked at the note then towards the door, opening his mouth to call the man back but he was gone before he had the chance. Sumi laughed from beside him and he looked over at his coworker as she added more pastries to the front display.

“You’re allowed to take tips Jungkook-ssi, don’t worry, that’s yours,” she smiled at him and Jungkook couldn’t help smiling back as he took the note and stuck it in the pocket of his apron.

The café was quiet except for the murmur of conversation from the customers seated at the tables. Jungkook took a moment to look around, making sure the customers didn’t look like they needed anything. Sumi had told him to keep an eye on the floor in case someone needed a refill, which they offered the first of free and to make sure there wasn’t anything that needed to be cleaned.

Everything looked to be in order.

Jungkook’s day so far had been a lot of fun. He wasn’t sure if it was because he hadn’t been back in his world for awhile or if he had missed being around other human’s more then he’d realized, but he was having a wonderful day. The people had been kind and while they didn’t have an overwhelming number of customers at any one time, there was a steady flow coming and going. It was enough to keep him busy.

Now though, he took the moment of calm to look at Sumi. His new coworker seemed really nice so far. She was patient with him as he tried to learn, she didn’t rush him or throw him into anything without explaining it properly first. She seemed a little clumsy though. He had seen her accidently spill a box of napkins and knock over the sugar container when he was helping her reach for a box off the shelves in the kitchen.

He found it really endearing how flustered she got about it too.

“How long have you worked here Sumi-ah?” He asked as he watched her begin to wipe down the counter. She looked at him and blinked and Jungkook felt a little bad for pulling her out of her thoughts.

“Almost three years now,” she said, making circular motions along the countertop.

Jungkook hummed, “And Jaeyong-hyung?”

“About two I think, he started a little while after me.”

Jungkook wasn’t sure how to feel about Jaeyong just yet. He seemed pretty cool, the few times they spoke in passing he wasn’t rude at all. There was something about him though that told Jungkook he should probably stay on the man’s good side.

Jungkook reached over and lifted up a stack of business cards so they were out of Sumi’s way. She glanced at him briefly before wiping the spot under them. “Are you from around here Jungkook-ssi?”

Jungkook set the cards back down, “I was born in Busan but we moved here shortly after.”

Jungkook had often thought about how things would have been different if his parents had stayed in Busan instead of moving to Seoul. He sometimes wished they went back to visit his grandparents. He’d considered going to see them after his parents kicked him out, but he knew so little about them that he felt it wouldn’t be fair to drop himself on them like that.

The fear of them being just like his parents was very real to him.

“Are you in school?” Sumi asked curiously.

“I ah, I was taking a course in videography but I dropped out,” Jungkook admitted sheepishly.

Sumi hummed and nodded, “Just not what you expected?”

Jungkook felt his gaze drift over to Yoongi who was listening to music and staring out the window, comfortably sitting at the booth sipping on his third cup of coffee. “Yeah. Something like that,” he laughed a bit and smiled. “How about you? Are you in school?”

Sumi nodded and seemed to get a little shy, focusing intently on her task, “I’m studying mechanical engineering.”

Jungkook looked at her in surprise and amazement, “Really? You must have a mind for numbers then. How do you like it?”

Sumi looked at him as if she was waiting for something, he frowned a bit and tilted his head. After a slightly awkward moment the girl blushed and cleared her throat, “Um y-yeah I ah, I really enjoy it.”

“You’ll have to tell me about it sometime. I can’t promise I’ll understand a lot of it though,” he laughed a little.

Sumi smiled and came back around the counter, fiddling slightly with the cloth as she stepped around him.

Jungkook leaned back against the counter casually, stretching out his legs.

Sumi stepped into the kitchen for a moment.

“Kookie,” Yoongi’s voice had him jumping a bit and turning around. He smiled at his lover who stood on the other side of the counter.

“Need another cup?”

Yoongi nodded and slid his coffee cup over to him, leaning his elbows on the counter. Jungkook laughed a bit and went and got the pot. “If you’re bored hyung you don’t have to wait around here you know.”

Yoongi hummed and watched him pour the coffee into his mug, “It’s nice here. Quiet.”

Jungkook smiled softly. It made him happy that Yoongi liked this place too. It wasn’t the hustle and bustling business of mainstream coffee shops, the air was very relaxing. It kind of made him feel like he was in the study at home with Joonie and Yoongi when Seokjin would bring them drinks and snacks on occasion. The quiet music playing over the speakers kept a pleasant atmosphere.

“I get anxious too,” Yoongi admitted as he took his mug back, looking at the black liquid in it. “When I can’t see you. I get anxious.”

Jungkook regarded him carefully and felt his shoulders drop a little. He leaned forward against the counter and tipped his head a bit to catch his eyes, smiling when they met his. “Hyung, I know letting me work here was a really big step for you and the others. I’m honestly a little surprised they haven’t broken down the door yet.”

Yoongi chuckled at that, making Jungkook smile more.

“If we’re ever being too-” Yoongi tried but Jungkook shook his head.

“I’ll tell you. But you aren’t. I appreciate that you guys just want to make sure I’m safe.”

Jungkook reached over and put a hand on Yoongi’s wrist, rubbing his thumb along the back of his hand. It relaxed the phoenix almost immediately, a weary breath leaving the man as he gave Jungkook a fond smile.

“Can you play for me tonight hyung?” Jungkook asked tentatively.

Yoongi raised a brow, smiling still, “I played for you last night.”

“What’s that have to do with tonight?” Jungkook pouted.

Chuckling Yoongi took a sip of his coffee, “Aren’t you going with Joonie and Hobi to do more research tonight?”

“Yeah, but that will only take a couple hours. After I get back? Minnie told me he and Tae miss hearing you play too.”

Humming Yoongi shook his head fondly at the mention of their other lovers, “Fine. But you have to sit with me.”

Jungkook scoffed a bit, “Like it was an option not too?”

They grinned at each other.

Sumi hated eavesdropping.

She thought it was extremely rude to listen in on private conversations, especially ones spoken in confidence between two people. She always felt that if you weren’t told then it wasn’t any of your business and you didn’t need to know.

And yet here she was.

Being a hypocrite.

To be fair though, Jungkook and his friend were talking openly in the middle of the coffeeshop so it couldn’t have been that private of a conversation. Or at least that’s how she tried to rationalize it. So why did she feel so guilty about having her back leaned against the wall next to the door that led back out to the counter?

When she had heard them speaking she hadn’t thought twice about walking out, even had her hand on the door to push it open, but when she heard the deep calming voice of the dark haired man say that he was anxious, she paused.

Maybe it was because she wasn’t used to hearing people admit their feeling’s so openly to others? The statement had been very blunt and honest, it had taken her off guard.

She had stepped to the side then and waited to see how Jungkook would react. She still wasn’t sure of the nature of their relationship. Were they brothers? Or just good friends? The voice in her mind telling her that this was wrong was silenced by the curiosity and urge to get to know her new coworker better. Their short talk before had been pleasant and he seemed very open minded.

It was refreshing not to have someone question her schooling choice because she didn’t look like someone who would enjoy engineering. Jungkook had even asked her to tell him about it, which almost had her launching into a diatribe about her fluid mechanics class.

And maybe he was just being polite but it had made her happy nonetheless.

She was really intrigued by Jungkook, she wanted to get to know him more and learn what he liked to do and why he lost interest in videography and what he was thinking of doing instead. Hell, she even wanted to know if he liked cats or dogs, or if he was into sports or liked art or maybe even dancing (he looked like he could be a dancer).

She also felt it would be extremely awkward to ask all of that so soon after meeting the man.

Hence, eavesdropping.

She couldn’t make sense of most of the conversation, she figured the names they were mentioning were other people from their friend group, maybe family even. Jungkook asked the other man if he could play for him, did that mean he was a musician?

There was something about research that made very little sense to her but the words that stuck out to her were the ones about keeping Jungkook safe.

That caused her to frown. Safe? From what? Was someone giving him trouble? Or maybe he was sick or had a medical condition? Is that why he dropped out of school?

At the same time as she promised herself to ask him about that later, she cursed Nam for not looking more into the employee’s he hired.

She’d thought the same after Jaeyong had been hired. The man had used to be a carjacker for gods sake.

Though, when she had started working here, she had been rather naive to the world and like so many had judged the man off his appearance. After she had gotten to know him better, Jaeyong had told her a lot about how he’d gotten into it, about how he needed extra money to support his mother in the hospital whose health wasn’t very good.

His mother, bless her soul, ended up passing. From then on, he swore he’d live an honest life so he could be a son to be proud of. That heartfelt night of opening up ended with Sumi drunk sobbing all over one of the café tables after closing until Jaeyong called her a cab home.

From there she learned Jaeyong was just a giant teddy bear in a thug’s body. Baking was his passion and he wasn’t shy about admitting it, threatening anyone who tried to talk bad about it. Sumi had found herself under his protective umbrella more then a few times and while it could be overwhelming sometimes, she couldn’t have asked for a better friend.

She hoped to be good friends with Jungkook too.

Sumi didn’t want to make the same mistakes she’d made with Jaeyong and assume based off his looks.

Though, from her first impression and the time spent teaching him, he was a very kind person. His ‘retail smile’ felt genuine and he looked like he was having a really good time working.

He rarely stopped moving and didn’t need to be told what to do most of the time, on top of cleaning up after customers as soon as they left and even going over to engage with them if he had a moment to spare, even just to ask how their day was.

This was just his first day and he was already a better employee then half the people they’d hired before. Of course, he made a few mistakes here and there, but they were small and easy to fix. She thought he might be a perfectionist, so she had watched him carefully after he had distractedly forgot to change the coffee filter.

Instead of beating himself up over it, he seemed a little amused, shook his head and fixed the problem.

It was… admirable.

It was strange to listen to him interact with the dark-haired man. She was trying hard not to judge the man right away either. Her mind wanted to pigeonhole him as the dark brooding emo type but then she heard their conversation and he too seemed like a genuinely good person.

“What are you doing?”

Sumi jumped violently and snapped her eyes to Jaeyong who stood in front of her with his arms crossed looking all too amused. She hadn’t even noticed him approach, so lost in thought.

Why were her cheeks so warm?

“Nothing! Nothing, why, what are you doing?” She stammered, averting her gaze quickly and trying to speak in a hush so Jungkook and his friend wouldn’t hear.

Jaeyong leaned towards her and poked her cheek, grinning, “Why are you blushing so much Sumi-ah?”

She batted his hand away in annoyance and huffed, “I’m not. You’re delusional.”

“Uh huh,” Jaeyong smirked and stepped to her side, pushing the door open and leaning out it a bit, “Yah, newbie.”

Sumi’s eyes widened as he gestured Jungkook over, she flailed and smacked him multiple times on the arm, hissing quietly, “What are you doing?!”

Jaeyong looked at her and raised a brow, “I need him to come try something,” he smiled teasingly, “Why? Did you need him for something?”

Sumi wanted to bash her face into the wall as she felt her ears match the heat in her cheeks. Jungkook stepped through the door and looked at Jaeyong curiously before he caught sight of Sumi.

She quickly tried to appear casual and cleared her throat, giving a way too wide smile and a wave. “Nope! No, he’s all yours, I’ll watch the counter!”

Jungkook quickly stepped out of her way as she squeezed between him and the door, rushing out and missing his confused blink.

It wasn’t until she had stopped and took a breath to calm herself, a hand over her wildly beating heart, that she realized she walked into another awkward situation.

Jungkook’s friend was still at the counter, watching her as he took a sip of his coffee and she suddenly felt like he was looking into her soul. His blank expression made it impossible to tell what he was thinking and yet she felt like an open book when he looked at her.

Swallowing she straightened up and bowed a little as she approached him, “Could I… um, get you anything to go with your coffee? A pastry or something?”

The man opened his mouth and she could almost hear the ‘no’ before he said it, except something made him pause and instead he nodded, surprising her and making her perk up a little. “Anything you see that you like?”

The man followed her hand gesture towards the display of foods off to the side, stepping back to look at them. He thought for a moment before pointing at a strawberry shortcake.

Smiling Sumi went to grab a plate but the man spoke up, making her look at him, “In one of the boxes please.”

“You’d like it to-go?”

The man nodded and she grabbed a to-go box instead, as she prepped the cake, she tried to think of something to fill the silence. “You um, you and Jungkook-ssi are friends?”

The man regarded her with a look that seemed to be a cross between protectiveness and pride, “No we’re-” he stopped himself again, suddenly glancing towards the kitchen door. His jaw tensed a bit and he seemed a little uncomfortable before he nodded slowly, “Friends. Yeah. We’re friends.”

Sumi paused and looked between the man and Jungkook in confusion. That seemed like a bit of an odd reaction. Writing it off, she closed the box.

“I’m Sumi by the way,” she introduced herself and smiled at the man. He blinked at her, squinting a little.

“Yoongi,” he said eventually as she handed him the cake.

“It’s nice to meet you Yoongi-ssi,” Sumi said politely. “Are you going to be coming around here a lot?”

Yoongi nodded a little and shifted.

“Well, it’ll be nice to have a new regular,” she said honestly. While she wanted to ask why Yoongi couldn’t pay for himself, why his drinks were coming off Jungkook’s pay, she stopped herself. It would be extremely rude to ask something like that. He could be having financial difficulties.

“The coffee is good.”

“I’m glad you think so, Jungkook-ssi will probably be happy to hear that.”

“No, I mean, the coffee you made. It was good.”

Sumi blinked thinking back to earlier when she had given him a refill while Jungkook had been busy with a customer. She smiled at the compliment, “Thank you Yoongi-ssi.”

“Kookie’s is better though,” Yoongi said into his cup as he lifted it to his lips for another drink.

She felt herself splutter in surprise and gapped at him. When she saw the corner of his lips twitch she couldn’t help but huff out a laugh, “That’s a completely biased opinion.”

Yoongi smirked and left her to shake her head in amusement as he headed back over to his table.

She couldn’t help thinking it was going to be interesting having these guys around.

“Kookie… what a cute nickname…” she hummed quietly and blushed.

Jungkook followed Jaeyong over to the large metal table in the middle of the kitchen, curious about what the man could need.

He was still a bit confused about Sumi’s behavior a moment ago, wondering what Jaeyong had said to her to make her so flustered. Maybe Sumi had a crush on the older? Jungkook smiled a bit at the thought, immediately thinking of his own lovers at home.

He couldn’t wait to tell them about his day.

“How are your taste testing skills?” Jaeyong asked, drawing his attention to a plate on the counter. On the plate was a cinnamon bun and Jungkook took notice of the heavenly aroma that was settled in the room.

“If it means I can try that, then excellent. Top tear. I’m an expert,” Jungkook joked and smiled when Jaeyong laughed, pushing the plate over to him.

“I’m trying new recipes for the café whenever I get the chance, be honest,” the man said as he handed him a fork.

Jungkook took a small piece and brought it to his mouth. Closing his lips around the fork he pulled the piece off and was immediately assaulted with nothing but the taste of salt. Wincing at the taste he quickly swallowed it and set the fork down, covering his mouth with his hand as he tried not to make a disgusted face.

He glanced at Jaeyong who was leaning forward eagerly and Jungkook found himself facing a dilemma. Clearing his throat, then quickly regretting it as it made him cough, he looked at Jaeyong and decided to be honest.

And honestly it felt like he’d just tried to chug a box of salt.

“Jaeyong-hyung, it’s uh… I think you got the salt and sugar mixed up,” he wheezed, mouth extremely dry now.

Jaeyong burst out laughing and shook his head. He grabbed a pre-prepared glass of water that he had sitting off to the side and handed it to him. Jungkook bowed quickly, taking it with both hands and wasted no time in downing the glass in one go.

“Had to make sure you would be honest with me,” he chuckled and patted Jungkook on the back roughly. “Last girl ate just about the whole thing before she said something.”

“Was that a test?” Jungkook asked, getting more water and downing that as well.

Jaeyong grinned, “You passed. I need honest opinion’s when it comes to my baking or else I don’t know how to improve. I wanted to ask if you’d be willing to try some of my pastries from time to time.”

Jungkook glanced at the pastry on the table, “As long as they don’t taste like that sure.”

Jaeyong cleared the plate away and opened up a cupboard, pulling out a blue lollipop and holding it out to him, “This will help get rid of the taste.”

Jungkook blinked and raised his brow in amusement, “This feels like a doctor’s appointment. You just have a stash of those?” It made Jungkook wonder how often he did this to people.

“Do you not want it?”

Pouting Jungkook quickly grabbed it before he could pull his hand away, grumbling, “Of course I want it.”

Jaeyong smirked and shook his head, grabbing a red one for himself and closing the cupboard.

Jungkook watched him as he unwrapped the lollipop. Jaeyong was strange to him. He was very friendly and easy to talk to, but Jungkook couldn’t seem to get a proper sense of the man’s character. It was almost as if he half expected him to attack him but also wasn’t really surprised when he did strange things like give him candy.

It kind of reminded him of his interaction with Nam during his interview.

“I like your tattoo’s,” Jungkook found himself saying, eyes tracing the inked patterns on the man’s arms. Tattoo’s had always been something he would have liked to get, though he never had the money for it. Maybe after he had enough for his date with the others he could start saving up for a tattoo.

The thought of the other’s reaction to that had him trying to hide a grin.

Jaeyong looked at his own arm as well, twisting it to show him the dragon wrapping up underneath his sleeve and the intricate patterns around it. “Not many people do,” he chuckled as if that didn’t bother him in the least as he stuck the lollipop in his mouth. “You’re a strange one Jungkook-ah.”

“I’m strange? You just made me eat a block of salt. I’m going to have cinnamon bun trust issues now thanks to you,” he joked and stuck the sucker in his pocket.

“Not that kind of strange,” Jaeyong’s tone changed, enough to make Jungkook tense a bit as he found himself suddenly being looked over seriously. “I can’t put my finger on it, but there’s something off about you. You and that friend of yours.”

Jungkook straightened up at the mention of Yoongi, jaw tensing.

He wasn’t entirely sure what Jaeyong meant by that comment, but he figured it might have something to do with the magical air around them. Yoongi had told him that human’s mind’s couldn’t process magic very well and they would rationalize or use logic to explain slightly strange situations. But a large exposure of magic that couldn’t be explained by anything but magic, was enough to wake their minds to it.

Maybe Jaeyong was picking up on some of that energy subconsciously?

His time in the Galaxy and the other boys probably meant he had a similar air as them, though he was human.

Jaeyong hummed and pulled the sucker out of his mouth, “You’re not going to cause trouble for us are you?”

“I wasn’t planning on it,” Jungkook looked him over carefully. “If you think we’re going to have a problem Jaeyong-hyung, say so now. I’m not about the lying or behind the back gossip shit.”

He’d had enough lying in his life. He wasn’t dealing with this again and he had no qualms about turning and walking out right now if he thought Jaeyong and him were going to have a problem getting along.

But he didn’t. He honestly felt like Jaeyong was an alright guy, and he was appreciating the fact that he was being straight up with him right now. There weren’t any dirty looks or suspicion in his eyes, he spoke as if he was stating facts and nothing but. Jungkook could respect that.

Then again, he had thought similar things about Jiho. Look where that lead them.

He let himself relax if only slightly, when Jaeyong grinned at him, “I didn’t say that. I think we’ll get along just fine. Sumi-ah seems to like your work ethic too.”

Jungkook nodded slowly.

He wanted to be friends with both Sumi and Jaeyong. He liked them, from the little he knew of them. Something kept him from completely giving into that though. Something kept him from asking Jaeyong about his baking and asking Sumi more about school, to ask them what they wanted to do in the future, to ask if they wanted to go out for drinks later.

He wanted to feel like a regular twenty-three year old with a regular job and friends to hang out with.

But he was scared.

He was scared of getting them into a situation they shouldn’t be involved in. He was scared of taking away their normality and accidently exposing them to magic without their consent.

He was scared they’d be forced into the idea of magic like he had been.

Jungkook didn’t regret anything that came out of finding magic or that night the deal went wrong. Did he wish he’d had a choice? Sure. But it had led him to the guys. It took him to a family that he wouldn’t give up for anything. Even now he felt the urge to go and hug one of them, to kiss them, to hold them in his lap or have them play with his hair and marvel at it’s new colour for the millionth time.

He wouldn’t change any of that.

But that didn’t mean he wished that kind of situation on someone else. He would keep magic away from them as best as he could, keep them in the dark about it given the choice, but if they ever did get exposed… he wanted to ease them into it. He wanted them to see it as wonderful and amazing like he knew it to be now, not fear it like he had at first.

He shook his head lightly, giving Jaeyong a smile when the other looked at him curiously. He was thinking too far ahead.

He’d take it one day at a time.

“Did you get a chance to ask him yesterday?”

“Almost, but we had to get back for Jiminie’s lesson’s, we didn’t have time to get into it so I didn’t say anything,” Seokjin frowned, handing Namjoon another plate he’d just rinsed off.

Namjoon took it from him, starting to dry it with the cloth he was holding while he leaned his hip against the counter, “We really have to sit down and talk with him.”

“I know. But it’s only been three weeks Joonie, isn’t it a bit soon? Jungkook died. And I don’t think he’s fully come to terms with that yet.”

Seokjin started washing the next plate.

The day had been quiet, everyone keeping to themselves and working on their own things. But the closer it got to when Jungkook and Yoongi were supposed to come back, the tenser the air got. Even the house was feeling it.

They knew everything was fine, nothing was going to happen, but it was the first time since Jungkook had been back that he’d been out of their sights for such a long stretch of time. Their minds kept saying ‘What if he didn’t come back?’

Namjoon had to tug a little harder then normal to open the cabinet as he put the plate away.

“It’s also been three weeks that his family hasn’t known he’s alive.”

“You think they care?”

“Jinnie…”

“You heard what that bastard said. I’m being serious Joon. Do you think they care?” Seokjin turned and looked at his lover then, a fierce protectiveness in his eyes.

It had been on all their minds since Jiho had mentioned it in the theatre. The words the man had said rung loudly in their thoughts. They knew there was a good reason Jungkook didn’t talk about his family, but they didn’t know it was because his family was homophobic.

They didn’t know it was because his own family hated him for who he loved. It terrified Seokjin to imagine what Jungkook had dealt with. Jiho had mentioned something called conversion therapy. Seokjin didn’t know what that was, only that Jungkook had gone through it. That his parents had put him through it. What else had they done to the boy? Had they hit him like the man at the school did? Did they call him those awful names too? Their own son?

“We don’t know the whole story. Trust me, it took everything in me not to go after his parents. Not to find them and demand an explanation. Just facing his brother… I almost punched him,” Namjoon frowned, taking another plate from Seokjin. “His brother though… he didn’t seem like a bad person.”

“Which is why we need to talk to Kookie. I know. But if he doesn’t want to talk about it, or if he says he doesn’t want to see them again, we aren’t letting them anywhere near him. He’s ours,” Seokjin dropped a few more dishes in the sink roughly, anger making his actions jerky.

Namjoon caught his wrist and made him stop to look at him, sliding his hand into his lovers, not caring that his hands were wet. “We’ll respect whatever choice Jungkook makes,” he agreed.

Seokjin forced himself to relax a little and took the cloth from Namjoon to dry his hands, taking his time to dry his lover’s hand as well. “The last little while has been hard on us… I know Jungkook can see that, and I know he’s been doing what he can to help. But I’m concerned he’s not coming to terms with what happened. To him… he woke up in a strange place and came back to find three months went by without him.”

Namjoon tipped his head back slightly and pressed his tongue to the back of his teeth. “For us it’s been months since he died… for him it’s been weeks,” running his now dry hand through his hair, Namjoon breathed out sharply. “That pain must still be pretty fresh in his mind. I’ll talk to him tonight. It’ll be quiet in his world. We’re just going to get some samples of the trees nearby the door.”

Seokjin nodded. “Be gentle about it. Don’t push him to talk. Like I said, it hasn’t been very long.”

Namjoon hummed in agreement.

The heard the door open and Jungkook’s voice call out happily, “We’re home!”

They both smiled and the whole house seemed to sag in relief, a few of the cupboard doors swinging open on their own. Seokjin laughed a bit and reached up to close one above his head just as they heard Taehyung and Jimin come barreling down the stairs and Jungkook’s yelp of surprise followed by a warning from Yoongi to “Watch the cake.”

They had dinner, as delicious as always, and listened to Jungkook talk about his day. Yoongi chimed in every now and then as he spoke of his new coworkers, confirming that they seemed like decent people.

He told them how much he enjoyed working there already and they could only watch as he spoke animatedly about the different types of coffees and how nice the customers were.

Hoseok could do this for hours. Just sit and watch Jungkook talk and smile and be so entirely himself. It shouldn’t have taken losing Jungkook to make him appreciate these moments so much more. But it had.

And not just with Jungkook.

Hoseok had noticed that all of them were much closer with each other. Or maybe not closer so much as just more open about expressing the little things.

Jimin had helped him in the garden the other day, which wasn’t something he often did, and when Hoseok asked him about it, Jimin said he just missed him. That promptly led to Hoseok showering the boy in all the love and affection he had to give, eventually chasing Jimin into the greenhouse to have a little more fun.

He saw it everywhere in the things they all did now. Losing Jungkook had  one of the worst things they’d ever experienced. They were so so lucky they had the second chance with him. They weren’t going to waste it, with him or each other.

After dinner, and after trying the cake Yoongi had brought back, they managed to steal Jungkook away from Seokjin who was begging him to get the recipe from his coworker. They left Yoongi to remind Jimin and Taehyung they had promised Jungkook the time to get used to his new job before they went to the coffeeshop and that no, just because the food was good didn’t mean they could sneak in for more.

Namjoon, Jungkook and Hoseok headed to Jungkook’s door.

Hoseok carried a tray of small glass bottles and some scissors as well as a pencil and paper to label everything they brought back. Namjoon had his large notebook where he had started recording their findings and Jungkook had a backpack over his shoulder for anything bigger they might take.

“How far are we going to go today?”

“Just to the tree line,” Hoseok answered matching his pace with Jungkook’s. “I think I have samples of everything in the meadow. Still haven’t named them all though, that’s going to take awhile.”

“Which reminds me Kookie, have you thought of a name for this world yet?” Namjoon asked curiously.

Jungkook groaned and shook his head, “No. Everything I keep coming up with sounds stupid. I’m tempted to just call it Bob.”

“You can’t call an entire world Bob.”

“Why not?”

“Cause every time we go through the door we’d be ‘Entering Bob?’ and I’m sorry but I am a loyal man to my Set, I’m not going to walk around saying stuff like that,” Hoseok huffed.

Jungkook laughed and shook his head, “Fine fine, I’ll come up with something good eventually.”

Namjoon smiled in amusement and opened the purple door for Jungkook to step through first. Hoseok stepped in after, smiling in thanks at his lover who followed and closed the door behind them.

The world snapped into focus, the door opening to the now familiar meadow. It was evening now in this world, the sun low on the horizon and the lavender sky a deep velvety purple filled with even darker looking clouds. Looking up Hoseok could make out the twinkle of stars. It was so incredibly beautiful.

Jungkook shifted his backpack and Hoseok turned to look at him. The boy was looking up at the sky as well, a peaceful expression on his face. Maybe it was his connection with this world, but Hoseok had noticed Jungkook always seemed so much calmer here. Not subdued exactly, but it was a similar look to when he got lost looking at the sky in the Galaxy.

Jungkook had described the feeling of the connection to them as when you could tell who was in a room without looking up at the person. That sense of presence, or air of something that someone could just tell when someone else was around. He had told him it was like that, like he could just feel the gems magic around them as a comforting presence.

“I can’t wait to go over and check out the river. Maybe we can go swimming in it one day,” Jungkook smiled as they picked their way carefully through the meadow towards the corkscrew trees.

“Do you think there are fish?” Hoseok asked. “Maybe Seokjinnie can try cooking some.”

“There are,” Jungkook said distractedly as he watched some bird-like creatures fly by.

Hoseok looked at him, “How do you know?”

Jungkook hummed in question and dropped his gaze to Hoseok, tilting his head, “Know what?”

“That there are fish?” Hoseok traded a confused look with Namjoon as they stepped into the tree line. Had Jungkook not realized he’d spoken?

“Oh,” Jungkook looked a bit confused himself for a moment. “I don’t know, I just feel like there are. I mean if there are birds there are probably fish right?”

Namjoon opened his book and made a quick note, frowning a little in thought. They let it go pretty quickly when Jungkook started climbing the first tree he saw.

“Be careful love, don’t fall,” Hoseok warned as he crouched near the base of the tree.

The corkscrew trees were as beautiful as they were haunting. Their branches twisted up into the sky, the trunks straight and tall, wide enough that Hoseok couldn’t wrap his arms even halfway around them. The branches were thick towards the trunk, thinning out to an almost threatening point at the ends which surely would have looked more intimidating if the branch itself didn’t curl the way it did.

Jungkook laughed a bit but promised to be careful as he climbed to one of the branches at head height.

Setting down the tray Hoseok sat down and start taking samples. There wasn’t much grass under the trees and the exposed dirt was coarse and tinted slightly red. He made sure to get a sample of that as well.

They worked for awhile, not minding as the sun dipped behind the horizon as the sky was dim but still bright enough to see. Jungkook would point out things he’d find, even discovering a few new insect-like creatures crawling on the tree. Hoseok was glad the boy didn’t try to touch them, seeing as they didn’t know what was poisonous or not.

If he came up with a particular name he wanted to call something, he would tell Namjoon and the man would smile fondly and make note of it.

After a while of peaceful concentrated silence amongst them, listening to the occasional strange call of an animal they’ve never heard, Namjoon spoke up.

“Kookie? Could… Is it alright if I ask… what it was like?” Namjoon said, trying to keep his tone light. Hoseok glanced over from where he was sitting, putting a leaf sample in a jar. It didn’t look like it belonged to these trees, so he was wondering if there were more species of trees close by.

Jungkook hummed curiously and looked at him as leaned his back against the tree he still sat in, “What was what like?”

“Dying,” the immortal said, wincing at how blunt it sounded. Hoseok didn’t blame him, just the word made his muscles tense.

Hoseok looked up at Jungkook too, curious of his answer.

Jungkook licked his lips in thought.

“It… was weird. All I remember is, a lot of pain and then something… snapping? I guess? It felt like how it sounds when you break a stick. If that makes sense?”

Hoseok could sort of imagine the feeling he was trying to describe but couldn’t quite understand fully. Namjoon still nodded regardless though Hoseok didn’t think they would ever understand unless they felt it themselves and he hoped that would never happen.

Jungkook seemed to understand their confusion as he dangled his legs gently, “There was the snapping and then, this darkness. Like a void, and I remember being scared, and then I was suddenly waking up in this world. It felt really quick. I was super disoriented, I forgot how to walk for a solid minute. When I felt the warmth from the door, everything came back though.”

Hoseok sat on the ground, scooping up a sample of the dirt and a separate sample or some moss on a tree root protruding from the ground, “That sounds terrifying Kookie,” he said honestly.

Jungkook smiled a bit, “It’s hazy now, I’m not really sure about the details anymore. Like… like a nightmare.”

Hoseok looked at Namjoon then, seeing the man frowning once more while writing in his book. He made a note to talk to his lover later. He knew Namjoon was concerned about Jungkook, especially after finding out the boy was still human after everything.

Things didn’t seem to add up. Or maybe it just felt too good to be true. After that much exposure to magic, after having his body rebuilt by magic, they would have thought that something would be off, that something was different. But everything they’d tried just proved he was human.

Expect the little things that didn’t quite fit.

Like how Jungkook was able to feel the warmth of the door after he woke up, but wasn’t able to now? Or how he sometimes assumed or knew things about this world that turned out to be accurate? Hoseok had asked Jungkook if he thought a plant was dangerous and the boy had so confidently told him it wasn’t, but he couldn’t give him an explanation as to why he thought that.

Studying that very same plant later had proved him right.

Those little things were what they were trying to keep their eyes on. It might suggest they were missing something.

Jungkook seemed to notice Namjoon’s pinched expression and he pulled something out of his pocket before jumping out of the tree, landing next to Hoseok. Hoseok watched him fiddle with some kind of wrapper before Jungkook walked over to Namjoon, sticking the strange blue object in his mouth, a stick protruding from between his lips.

Namjoon looked up at him curiously from where he was sitting with his back against a tree as Jungkook carefully took the book from his hands, gently setting it to the side and placing himself in the man’s lap instead.

Oh. He liked where this was going.

Hoseok set the bottles he was holding to the side and leaned back on his hands, watching as Jungkook’s knees came to rest on either side of Namjoon’s legs. The immortal looked at the white stick in the youngers mouth, naturally dropping his hands to the boy’s thighs.

“Jaeyong-hyung gave me a treat today,” Jungkook said casually, almost too innocently.

Namjoon and Hoseok both scowled, Namjoon’s hands gripping Jungkook’s legs a bit tighter. Hoseok stood up and took his time dusting his pants off. “Who?” He asked calmly.

Jungkook twisted around slightly to look at Hoseok, “Jaeyong-hyung, I told you about him at dinner remember?”

Hoseok ran his tongue along his teeth as he walked over. He met Jungkook’s eyes and could see the teasing there, but also the hesitation, the doubt. Jungkook tilted his head in a way that seemed to ask, ‘Is this alright?’

Hoseok knew they hadn’t all talked yet about the rules of the bedroom when it came to their Set with Jungkook, so he appreciated how tentatively the boy initiated things. While they were all very open to a lot of things, there were some hard lines they needed to talk about and to talk about the dynamics and where Jungkook fit in with those, as well as if he had any hard lines himself.

Hoseok shot a look at Namjoon as he crouched next to them, rocking onto the balls of his feet, elbows on his knees. They both knew Jungkook was only trying to rile them up, not to make them doubt his feelings towards them.

The behavior was a lot like Taehyung’s who loved to tease them and make them jealous. Imagining what the two could do together… that was enough to have a heat rising in him.

“Hyung hm?” Namjoon said, voice deep and controlled. Hoseok watched Jungkook’s body twitch slightly at the sound. “You’re already that familiar?”

Jungkook rolled the object around in his mouth and Hoseok imagined his tongue swirling around it, biting back a growl at the idea of Jungkook getting ‘familiar’ with anyone else.

“He asked me to call him that,” Jungkook admitted, hand reaching up to take hold of the stick. He pulled the treat out of his mouth, drawing his lips over the blue round end and sucking a bit. His lips parted with a small pop that had Hoseok grabbing the man’s jaw firmly before he could put the treat back in his mouth.

Namjoon plucked the stick from his hand as Hoseok leaned forwards, watching Jungkook’s eyes flutter and feeling his breath against his lips as he exhaled. He refrained from kissing him. Instead, he looked the boy in the eyes as he ran his thumb along his parted lips.

“Do you always do everything strangers tell you too bun?” He asked, pulling his thumb away and watching Jungkook’s tongue poke out to trace it’s path, as if trying to taste him.

Jungkook attempted to shake his head, but Hoseok held him still, grip tightening on his jaw and forcing him to use his words, “No hyung,” he said shakily. Jungkook shuddered as Hoseok released his jaw and licked his thumb, tasting the sugary sweetness that had been left on Jungkook’s lips from the treat.

Namjoon shifted under him then, sitting up straighter and pulling Jungkook flush against him by the waist, slotting their hips together. Jungkook turned to look at Namjoon who now had the treat in his mouth. He hummed around it and pulled it out a moment later.

“It’s good,” he mused. “Why did he give you this?”

Hoseok shivered at the underlaying possessiveness in his voice and Jungkook must’ve liked it too as he arched into Namjoon more.

“H-He asked me to try his baking, but it was really salty so he gave me this to get rid of the taste,” Jungkook explained.

Namjoon clicked his tongue a bit, “How about we let Hoseokie try some too?”

Hoseok watched Namjoon lift the treat to Jungkook’s lips and understood what he was doing immediately. Smirking, Hoseok shifted so he was kneeling on one knee next to Jungkook, hand gripping the back of his neck to keep him still as Jungkook’s eyes fell partially closed and he looked down at Namjoon as the older traced the treat along Jungkook’s parted lips.

“Do we not treat you enough bun? Is that why you’re taking sweets from strangers?” Hoseok hummed in the boy’s ear. He pressed his lips to the skin below his ear with a feather light touch, reveling in the whine that he let out.

Beautiful.

So beautiful.

He leaned away slightly to watch as Namjoon slid the treat into Jungkook’s mouth, groaning slightly as Jungkook closed his lips around the stick and sucked, never breaking eye contact with Namjoon.

He sucked on it for a moment until Namjoon, eyes dark with lust, pulled it free with that wet popping sound that shot straight down past Hoseok’s stomach. Without needing to be told, which secretly pleased them both, Jungkook turned his head to look at Hoseok and gave him such a begging look that he couldn’t refuse if he tried.

Leaning in, he captured Jungkook’s lips with his, wasting no time in slipping his tongue into his mouth and tasting the treat, a tangy sweetness that had him deepening the kiss further. Jungkook moaned and mewled into his mouth. Hoseok felt his hand latch onto the front of his shirt.

He kissed him until the flavour faded, swirled their tongues together until all he was tasting was Jungkook. He pulled away then, taking in his swollen lips pridefully. “Delicious,” he whispered and by the way Jungkook’s breathing hitched, he understood he wasn’t talking about the treat.

Namjoon pulled away from where he had been biting and kissing at the younger’s exposed collar bones, his shirt keeping him from being able to dip down further, “We don’t like other men giving you treats bunny. If he tries to give you another, what do you say?”

“No, hyung,” Jungkook panted, “I say no, my hyung’s won’t like it.”

Namjoon cursed under his breath and leaned up, slamming their lips together as Hoseok chuckled, biting Jungkook’s ear lightly. “Good bun. Our bunny.”

Jungkook moaned and practically melted under their possessive grip.

Hoseok’s thoughts on all the things they could do to Jungkook were shattered when the boy suddenly jerked violently and yelped, straightening up.

Namjoon tensed and took his hands off him immediately, Hoseok pulling his own hands away as well too both worried they’d hurt him somehow as Jungkook flailed slightly in an effort to reach his back. “What the- fuck that was cold!” The boy exclaimed making them blink.

“Kookie? What was cold?” Namjoon asked quickly as Hoseok leaned back to see a damp spot on the boys shirt just between his shoulders.

The sound of the rain reached them before the actual rain did, giving them all of two seconds to dread what was about to occur next.

A downpour heavier than anything they had ever experienced slammed down on them making them all yelp in surprise. The rain was heavy, and they were soaked to the bone in seconds, the water as cold as ice.

Jumping up, they scrambled to grab their stuff, Hoseok almost losing sight of them in the few seconds it took to grab the tray of bottles. Namjoon grabbed his book and Jungkook’s hand, letting Hoseok lead as they bolted back towards the door.

It was hard to run with the water weighing them down but they reached the door in minutes and threw themselves through it, Namjoon quickly closing it behind them as they tumbled into the Galaxy.

They stopped to catch their breath in the clearing for a second, their clothes waterlogged, their hair matted to their heads and dripping down their faces. They all shivered from the cold as they traded looks.

Jungkook was the first to burst out laughing, followed quickly by Namjoon and Hoseok.

“Bob just cock-blocked us!” Jungkook wheezed hardly able to stand upright with how hard he was laughing.

“We’re not naming it Bob!”

Twenty minutes later found them changed into dry clothes and curled up in the study with the others.

Jungkook smiled, still shivering lightly despite the blankets wrapped around him and Seokjin’s warm chest against his back. The man huffed a little, pulling the blanket tighter around Jungkook, effectively cocooning him where he sat between his legs on the couch they’d dragged into the study.

There was a fireplace against the wall near the piano that was lit and burning away, warming the space. Jungkook couldn’t remember if the fireplace had always been there or not. Maybe the house had put it there just for them or maybe he just wasn’t very observant.

“You’re still shaking love, Minnie can you pass me that blanket?” Seokjin pointed to it and Jimin got up from his spot in Namjoon’s lap to get it.

The Fae gently draped the blanket over the two of them, leaning forward to press a kiss to Jungkook’s forehead, “Does this normally last this long?”

Jungkook hummed and nodded. He could feel the warmth seeping into him slowly, but the rain had been practically ice water. He was surprised it wasn’t hail with how cold it was. “It’ll fade out, we were in it for a bit so it soaked in a lot.”

Jimin nodded and ran a hand through his slightly damp hair before going back to Namjoon and tucking himself into his lap. The Fae had been annoyed that he couldn’t just use his magic to rid the water from him like he’d done with Namjoon and Hoseok.

Hoseok was cuddling with Taehyung on the ground next to the piano, swathed in their own blankets for comfort rather then heat. The two men had recovered pretty quickly from the cold after they’d gotten into dry clothes.

Yoongi looked over from where he was playing a quiet tune on the piano, the notes relaxed and soothing. “Do you want me to warm you up?”

Jungkook shook his head and snuggled closer to Seokjin to appease their worry, “I want to hear you play.”

Yoongi rolled his eyes but he couldn’t hide the found smile from Jungkook.

Seokjin pulled him up slightly so his head was resting back against his shoulder and Jungkook could tuck his head against the man’s neck, as well as drink his tea without choking on it.

“Did you discover anything cool today?” Taehyung asked, fingers playing with one of Hoseok’s hands gently.

Jungkook sipped his tea, feeling it warm him almost immediately, pushing out the last bit of chill he had and calming the shivers significantly.

Hoseok scoffed a little, “Only that Jungkookie is as big a tease as you are.”

Taehyung grinned and Jungkook pursed his lips a little indignantly, “I just wanted to share the sucker with you, you guys went and made it inappropriate.”

Namjoon laughed and shook his head, Jungkook felt himself smiling sheepishly, not able to take his words seriously either.

Jimin looked between them curiously, “What’s a sucker?”

“It’s a candy,” Jungkook answered before offering, “I can get you one if you want.”

“No you won’t.” Hoseok and Namjoon said flatly at the same time, making the others look at them in confusion and Jungkook snicker.

Seokjin hummed, “Jungkookie, we need to sit down and talk about that side of our relationship soon if you’re comfortable with that. Seeing as we would all very much like to go further with you.”

He said it so calmly with so much caring that Jungkook almost forgot he was talking about sex. Remembering that fact had him blushing and hiding his face in his teacup as he took another drink.

Jungkook had never really thought about ‘making love’. Actually, he’d never associated sex with love at all. It just, wasn’t something he’d ever experienced. His past with sex consisted of one-night stands and that was it. He never even had sex with Hosung when they were together and after the gang he’d been too busy to even think about it.

Hell, he’d lost his virginity in the bathroom of some dirty bar two nights after Hosung broke up with him. He couldn’t even remember what the guy looked like or the details of the night given how drunk he was at the time.

With them though… he knew it would be different. He knew it from the way they touched him and made him feel like he was more then just a fun night to forget about when the alcohol wore off later. They loved him. They cared about his mind as much as his body and he knew no matter what they did in the bedroom or if things got pleasantly rough, they’d be there to care for him afterwards.

They would be there in the morning.

Jungkook didn’t realize how much such a little thing meant.

“Kookie, we might use magic but we can’t read your mind love,” Jimin teased lightly.

Jungkook looked at him before realizing they were waiting for his response. Quickly he nodded, “I want to go further too. I’m ready to, whenever you guys are.”

They smiled at that and Namjoon rested his chin on Jimin’s shoulder, pulling him close.

Seokjin kissed his temple gently and Jungkook closed his eyes briefly to focus on the feeling.

Jungkook didn’t need a special occasion or candles or flowers. He just needed them. All six of them, no more and no less.

Yoongi’s playing stayed smooth and they could feel the love he put into each note, warming them as much as the fireplace did.

“Then we’ll talk soon about it, tomorrow night maybe,” Namjoon said, deep voice complimenting the music beautifully.

Jungkook looked at him, tilting his head, “Why not now?”

Taehyung snickered a bit, “Eager.”

Hoseok flicked the Fae’s nose gently for teasing and Seokjin shook his head fondly.

“There was something else we wanted to talk to you about tonight,” the eldest said calmly but Jungkook could feel his apprehension in the way he fiddled with the blanket.

Jungkook thought he had an idea of what he wanted to bring up and wasn’t sure how to feel about it. On one hand he didn’t want to ruin this perfect atmosphere with his sob story that would undoubtably upset them. On the other, he knew he should tell them.

“After you… after you died,” Namjoon said, the notes of Yoongi’s playing taking on a heavy feel to them though he didn’t miss a beat. “I went to see your brother like you asked.”

Jungkook hummed, knowing that they were trying to broach the subject carefully and he was fighting that side of him that just wanted to shut down the whole conversation. They deserved to know, especially if they were taking things further.

“How… how did he look?” Jungkook clarified when Namjoon gave him a confused look, “I mean, did he look healthy?”

This seemed to weigh heavy on all of them and he watched Jimin’s shoulders sag slightly, brow pinching in something close to fondness and pain.

“He looked healthy. He, asked about you, I told him you were my boyfriend and he seemed… relieved,” Namjoon explained, choosing his words carefully but being honest.

Jungkook smiled a bit. Yeah, that sounded like his brother. He meant what he’d said to Namjoon. He didn’t blame his brother for any of his parent’s choices. Did his brother make mistakes too? Yeah. But Jungkook was the one that pushed him away. So he couldn’t blame him for leaving.

He tried to picture his brother’s face when he found out Jungkook was dead, but found that he couldn’t. He had no clue how his family would have reacted to the news. Would his parents have cried? Would they regret what they did? Would they blame Jungkook for being such a problem child? Maybe they would just say they didn’t care, or maybe they forgot about him completely.

He turned his face into Seokjin’s neck and the man held him tighter.

“This story is going to suck you know,” he found himself warning, tone a forced lightness that they no doubt picked up on immediately.

“We want to hear it. If you’re willing to share,” Yoongi said, slowing the notes to something somber, using the music to sooth him.

Taehyung nodded gently, “Let us carry it with you?”

Jungkook licked his lips.

The love he felt in those words was enough to help him say his speak, to tell them what he hadn’t told anyone before.

Curled in Seokjin’s arms, in the warmth of the study, he told them his story.

Chapter Text

Jungkook had first mentioned his attraction for boys by accident.

It had been one evening when Jungkook was sixteen. His father was just sitting down to watch tv in the living room and his mother had been about to head upstairs to retire to their room.

Jungkook, in his eagerness to show his father the pictures he and his friends had taken, talking excitedly about the stupid things they did or said, had unthoughtfully let it slip that he thought one of his friends was really cute. He’d forgotten he was talking to his father and not his brother.

Jungkook could remember the sharp look his father had given him, the scowl that set itself into his features. “Don’t go around saying things like that Jungkook. People will get the wrong idea.”

His mother had looked over and huffed, waving a hand, “Don’t be so serious all the time, that’s just how kids joke around these days hunny.”

He didn’t know whose words hurt more.

Jungkook knew he was gay, had known since the year before. He’d heeded his brothers warning about their parents finding out, though he didn’t really know why it would be such a big deal. Their family wasn’t overly religious. His mother would go to church occasionally but it wasn’t much of a routine in their family.

To have his father say that to him had stung. But he tried to be understanding. He tried to justify it by convincing himself that his father was just not used to things like that. That he was just born in a generation where the ideas were different.

To have his mother brush it off as if it wasn’t even a possibility was a little harder to ignore.

Jungkook had been doing his research. He’d looked up more about the communities and how people were being more open. It wasn’t necessarily accepted yet but he felt like most of his friends wouldn’t care if he came out. They never spoke on the topic as if it were a bad thing and it had come up a few times. It was never slurs or insults or things said thoughtlessly, his friends were very respectful and tended to be curious about subjects like transgender, cross dressing and the queer community. They always asked questions and while not many of them knew the answers, someone would go home that night and research about it, much like Jungkook had learned to do when he was figuring himself out.

The more he learned (after weeding out the false information and misconceptions), the more he felt like he was discovering a group of people who understood him.

The more he became comfortable with himself.

The more he questioned why his brother thought it was so bad to talk to his parents about it.

He could help them understand.

It was weeks later, after the sting of his father’s words was forgotten, that Jungkook felt confident. Life was good. His parents didn’t act any different because of his brief comment, they always asked him how his day was and listened to him talk about school and friends and the rude teacher that was giving him problems.

Things were normal.

His father had sat down and helped him with his math homework for a few hours one night. They sat in Jungkook’s room at his desk talking about math equations intermingled with pleasant conversation and jokes here and there.

Jungkook felt too confident.

“Dad? What… what would you say if I ever got a boyfriend?”

The words were out of his mouth and his eyes were locked on his math notes, pen hovering over the paper as he sat in the silence that overtook the room.

It was like someone had vacuumed all the air out of the space.

Jungkook could feel his father’s sharp eyes on him, cutting into him.

“You’re not a faggot.”

The slur was unexpected and unwarranted, making Jungkook snap his eyes up to meet his father’s, his heart seizing. “Dad don’t say that. It’s really offensive,” he tried to explain with a dry mouth. It’s okay. His father was just new to this. He just didn’t know.

Expect the disgusted look on his face told him his father knew exactly what he was saying.

“Do you think you’re a fag Jungkook?” His words were harsh but his tone was harsher. He wasn’t yelling, but he didn’t need too for it to make Jungkook flinch.

“No. I’m not a, a fag dad. I’m gay. I like boys,” he said, watching the colour drain from his father’s face, replaced with fear and horror as the man sat back in his chair staring at Jungkook like he was a stranger. Jungkook rushed to explain, rushed to tell him that it wasn’t a big deal, that it didn’t change anything, “It’s not- I’ve known for awhile, last year I had a crush on this boy and-and I don’t feel anything towards girls, so- dad? Where are you going?”

Jungkook started panicking when his father stood, wiped a hand down his face and stormed out of the room. 

He slammed the door.

Jungkook’s bedroom door had never closed right after that.

The next day, nothing was said about it. Or the day after that. His father didn’t spare him a word or a glance.

Things happened slowly. It wasn’t until later, much later, that Jungkook would wish that his father had kicked him out right then and there.

At some point, in private, his father spoke with his mother. Told her what he had said.

Jungkook knew because she began to look at him with pity in her eyes. She started treating him like he was fragile, or that he had just been told he had a few months left to live.

He told his brother, when the other drove him home from school one day while he was visiting. His brother had moved for college and only came by once and awhile.

“They look at me like I have the plague hyung,” he told him, staring out the car window. The streets were busy, as always. Jungkook almost wished he’d walked. He didn’t want to get home so soon.

The sigh that left his brother was a tired one, weary, “They’re… stuck in their ways. Give them some time to come around.”

Even he didn’t sound like he believed his words.

“I overheard them talking last night. Mom asked if it was possible to ‘catch’ what I have. If there was a cure. And dad’s barely spoken to me, he won’t even stay in the same room as me for more than five minutes.”

“Shit Jungkook… I’ll try talking to them okay?” Ji-hun’s hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, “I’ll get you out of there soon. Just hold on for another year okay? I’ll be able to afford a place big enough for both of us then.”

Jungkook bit his lip. A year was so long when he felt like he could barely make it through a day. He was lucky he could at least go to school to escape it most of the time. He tried to stay out as late as he could most nights but the weather was turning. The air was crisp and biting.

Ji-hun did talk to them that night.

Jungkook knew because it turned into a screaming match that he could hear clearly from his room.

“He’s no different then the Jungkook you’ve loved and raised! So what if he likes guys!”

“I won’t have people disgracing our family because my son chose to be something so disgusting!”

“What’s disgusting is your bigotry! Jungkook is your damn son!”

“He’s sick Ji-hun!” His mother yelled, it was the first time he’d heard her raise her voice. “He needs help.”

“And what help are you being? You’re making him feel worthless!”

He blocked out the yelling with his headphones, curling on his side and hiding his head under his pillow. He felt the house shake when the front door slammed. He didn’t move, laying there in the dark until the tears ran dry and his mind was numb. His chest felt tight, his throat tighter.

No one came to check on him.

So many people making decisions for him.

He was sick of it. He was sick of people assuming what he needed or how he felt, he was sick of feeling like they looked at him and only saw his sexuality.

Jungkook wanted to prove to them that he could be happy with a man. It wasn’t a sickness. He was sure, so very sure, that if they just saw him happy with someone he loved, they would understand.

He asked Hosung out.

The other boy said yes.

For the first time in awhile, when Hosung held his hand for the first time, Jungkook didn’t feel wrong. He was confident his parents would see.

Jungkook never got the chance to show them though. He hadn’t even gotten the chance to tell them about Hosung. When he had gotten home from school that day, he was greeted at the door by his parents who were smiling at him.

At him.

After a long time of side glances, glares and disgusted looks, they were suddenly smiling.

Jungkook felt sick when the next words out of their mouth registered in his mind.

“We’ve found a way to fix you.”

The happiness in his mother’s voice, the relief on his father’s face, wedged into his chest breaking his heart just that little bit further. His stomach twisted and he felt like he was going to throw up.

“Jungkook, we’ve been doing some searching. We’ve found someone who’s willing to help coach us on how to help you. She said she can help us with reparative therapy,” his mother embraced him, hand coming to gently brush through his hair. “We can treat you right here, so no one has to know. There’s hope that you can have a normal life.”

He wanted to run.

It was the only thing on his mind, the rest of their ‘caring’ words became a blur. He wanted to turn and run. But where would he go? Anywhere he went would only be temporary. His parents would drag him back here.

He wanted to protest, to say no. He knew what conversion therapy was, he knew it was torture. Did his parents understand that?

His voice wouldn’t come out, Jungkook was sure he’d swallowed his tongue.

Why did they look so happy? Why was his mother’s voice so hopeful? His father looked almost proud.

They told him it wouldn’t be easy at first. They told him it would be a slow process but as long as he committed then he could be fixed. They spoke as if it was something he wanted. As if it were in his best interest.

The ‘sessions’ started that night despite his protests.

Maybe… maybe part of him thought this was for the best. Maybe it would work and his parents would be happy again. Maybe they would love him again.

He hated himself for coming out to them, he hated himself for being gay, so he had hoped as much as his parents did that it worked. But there was always that side that missed the confidence he felt when he was being him. Missed how nice it was to kiss Hosung and cuddle him without thoughts of ‘what would my parents say if they saw this’.

He knew deep down that it wouldn’t work.

But he hadn’t realized how much of a toll it would take on him.

It went on for a month. The longest month of his life.

It started with talking. They would ask him questions and if he answered wrong, if his answers weren’t ‘straight’ enough, they would throw slurs and insults towards him. They would scream in his face and if he moved, if he tried to talk back they would scream louder, they would grab him and shake him. It was terrifying.

That was the goal. To scare him straight.

It left him feeling broken and sick. It wasn’t so much the words, though they didn’t help, but who the words were coming from. He hated the looks of hope his parents would get before a session. Hated how he lied to avoid the aggression.

Yes, the woman in the picture was someone he’d like to date.

No, he didn’t feel anything looking at the picture of two men holding hands.

Yes, he liked a girl at school.

No, he wasn’t gay.

He wasn’t gay.

He didn’t like boys.

It burned every time the words left his mouth. But the onslaught of hate directed towards him from his own family was so much worse.

Then, when they seemed appeased by his ‘progress’ they started a different method that the therapist suggested over the phone.

They locked him in a room for hours. From the time he got home from school to midnight. They would give him some food and water and they would play an audio that the therapist had given them through the door loudly.

‘You are not attracted to the same gender. You only relate well to your gender. It’s natural to be confused at first. It is unnatural to be with the same gender. Being gay is a sin. You will go to hell.’

On and on it went and when it was done it would repeat. Jungkook could repeat every word from memory. He had no way to turn it off, no way to block out the voice. The first hour he could ignore it, even mocked it for how stupid it was, but it became deafening. The words felt like they were searing his skin.

He felt like he was losing his mind by the time midnight rolled around. He’d screamed and cried and yelled but his parents refused to open the door. He tried to kick it down, tried throwing himself against it, clawing at it until his fingers bled but the voice wouldn’t shut up. It wouldn’t stop.

There was only one and a half sessions like that. Because halfway through the second one, Jungkook was violently ill. The stress and anxiety had become too much for him. When his parents heard glass shatter, when they threw the door open just in time to catch Jungkook about to throw himself out the second story window, they stopped those sessions.

He hadn’t wanted to hurt himself. But the voice was too loud to escape. It had become his only option to get away from it.

His parents could see it. Jungkook knew they could see what they were doing was wrong.

It became real for them when they saw the vomit on the floor, saw the marks clawed into the back of the door, saw his torn finger nails and his pale skin and heard his hoarse voice.

His father yelled at the therapist on the phone as his mother had tried to put Jungkook’s broken pieces back into place. She tried to tell him that they truly loved him, that they were only trying to help. His father demanded the therapist give them another method, because this was too cruel.

His mother would hold him and cry, she would apologize and sob and Jungkook wouldn’t care. She would beg for their son to be healed; she would pray next to him every night. She fell hard into religion after that, to help banish the demons from her son’s soul.

His father would console her later, holding her and shedding a few tears himself as he reassured her, reassured himself, that this would help Jungkook. It would help their son.

They were still more concerned with ‘fixing’ him then letting him be who he was.

Ji-hun came home to visit again. When Jungkook came home later than usual, looking pale and drained, another fight started. His brother had taken one look at him and demanded an explanation from their parents. The fights just made things worse and Jungkook learned to dread when his brother would come home.

He would show up, play the big brother roll and then leave him behind. He’d run back to his perfect life with his perfect girlfriend and not think twice about the storm he left Jungkook to weather alone.

They fought a lot. Ji-hun tried to tell him he was just trying to help, Jungkook thought that was bullshit.

He told him to never come back. Told him he was only making it worse.

So Ji-hun stopped visiting.

Jungkook joined the gang not long after.

He lost touch with his friends.

He hardly spoke anymore at school.

Hosung was the only one who knew what was going on.

He spent as much time as he could out of the house, running from the yelling and the verbal abuse that slammed into him like a wall every time he stepped a foot through their front door.

Things in the gang got rough sometimes, he’d come home with bruises and cuts. He came home dragging a sprained ankle one day. His parents only ever spared him a glance, shook their heads and told him ‘If you weren’t gay, they wouldn’t beat you up’ or ‘You wouldn’t have this problem if you were normal.’

He called his brother when things had reached a point where his own mind was no longer safe for him. He licked a cut on his lip as the phone rang, feeling it sting.

He cried and broke and told his brother everything, all the things they’d said to him, how he had bruises from when his father forced him back in his chair, how he felt like he was drowning. Jungkook begged him to save him from this hell.

His brother was silent through it all.

“Jungkook… I’m… I’m moving to America.”

Jungkook felt his mind go blank. He must have said something, must have asked, because his brother kept speaking.

“My work transferred me, I’m moving to America tomorrow.”

“T-Take me with you. Hy-ung, Hyung, take me with you, you promised,” Jungkook sobbed, he sobbed and begged and scrambled out of bed. He grabbed his backpack. He started throwing things in it, clothes, his charger, his wallet, anything he could grab within reach that he might need. “I can- I can be there, I’ll take a bus, don’t leave without me, I’ll leave right now!”

“Jungkook…” his brother sounded like he was crying. “I can’t, I can’t afford- you’ll need school, and-and you don’t have a passport, Kookie- I’m so sorry, I’m so fucking sorry.”

Jungkook slowly dropped his hand from his bag, staring at his wall blankly.

His brother was abandoning him.

He didn’t need to take the job. He could stay here and help Jungkook. But he chose to leave. He was leaving him behind.

The next words out of Jungkook’s mouth were said without emotion, whispered into his room. It was just, realization. Fact. Empty fact with which he was suddenly coming to terms.

“They’re killing me.”

His brother sobbed. Maybe he said something. Jungkook hung up.

Things after that were a blur. Jungkook thinks he screamed. Screamed so hard that he could feel his vocal cords protest, could taste copper. His parents might have come to the door, asked him what was wrong, he threw something, a lamp maybe? It had shattered against the wall.

Yelling and more yelling. Always yelling. But this time it was from him. He couldn’t remember all of what he’d said. He remembered that he asked them if they could see what they were doing to him, if they cared at all about him or just their reputation, if they even loved him as their son anymore.

His mother was trying to calm him down, begging him to stop, he might have pushed her. His father stepped in, angry, livid.

The sound of the front door slamming closed was what he remembered vividly. As if it had woken his mind up, he found himself sprawled out on their front path with his bag next to him and a closed door in his face.

Silence.

Just… silence.

Jungkook sat on the yard for a while, cried silently, not daring to make a noise because he was so sick of the yelling, so sick of the loud noises. He just wanted quiet. Compared to his house, the street at night felt welcoming.

He stayed with Il-seong, a ‘friend’ from the gang, for a long while in his dirty small apartment. He took more jobs, got more reckless. Hosung had been the only thing he’d hung onto during that time, but even he could tell that the other was losing interest. When they broke up, Jungkook spent almost every night at a bar drunk off his ass.

He ignored his parents phone calls, ignored the calls and messages from his brother.

Eventually they stopped calling.

When Jungkook was eighteen he spoke to them again very briefly.

One morning, when he woke up in a stranger’s bed, sore and with very little memory of the night before, his phone rang.

The man groaned and grumbled out a curse at the sharp noise so early, burying his head further under the blankets. Jungkook didn’t even glance at him, rolling over to grab his phone. He didn’t bother checking the ID in his hungover haze. He figured it was just his work calling to fire him for being late for the fourth time. Grocery stores apparently didn’t like that from their employees.

“Hello?” He grumbled, resting the phone on the side of his head as he closed his eyes to sleep again.

“Jungkook..?,” his father’s voice, one he hadn’t heard in so long, made him jerk in surprise, had him sitting up quickly to check his phone and cursing himself for answering.

“What?” He bit out, throwing the blankets off him and grabbing his pants off the floor. He tucked the phone against his ear and shoulder as he pulled them on.

“Jungkook, please, don’t hang up. Please. God we’re so sorry. We’re so so sorry Jungkook. We didn’t know it was… we didn’t know what we were doing to you. Please. Son, please come home so we can talk.”

The actual guilt in his voice made Jungkook pause. He squinted slightly at the wall of the unfamiliar room, scoffing, “Talk about what?”

“Anything, everything, we can- let us fix this.”

Oh how Jungkook hated those words. He felt anger boil in his stomach as he pulled his shirt on, “Fix what? Fix me? Yeah you tried that.”

“We can… we can find some other way-”

“Don’t call me again.”

He hung up.

He didn’t speak to his parents at all after that.

His brother had called too, to which he answered. Told him that he was doing just fine on his own, that he didn’t need him or to go to America. His brother told him how broken up their parents were over this, how the guilt was eating them alive. How they were trying to change, to understand.

Jungkook couldn’t find it in himself to care. He blamed them for everything, ever bad decision, every time he did another thing he regretted, he blamed them. And maybe that wasn’t fair. But he didn’t care. They were supposed to be his family.

Now they wanted to listen? Now they wanted to understand? After everything they put him through?

He was lost.

Lost and so very alone.

And then he spent months in the hospital after being ‘shot’.

A doctor told him it was a miracle he was alive.

A miracle.

After that, he promised himself he wouldn’t waste his life. He didn’t want to die. He hadn’t before and he didn’t now. So this little miracle he’d been blessed with, he wouldn’t waste it.

He made a deal with the gang leader.

One more month of work and he’d pay off his hospital bills. It seemed odd, it seemed like the leader was trying to play him. So Jungkook tried to play him in return. He told the man double of what his hospital bills costed.

And it worked.

The leader paid him every won he’d asked for.

Jungkook paid off his hospital bills and used the rest to get into college.

Then on a chilly slightly tipsy night, he saw a door standing in the middle of a sidewalk.

“I never… I could never work up the courage to face them again. I’m not angry anymore. Really, we aren’t all that different. My parents and I made a lot of bad decisions thinking we were doing the right thing. I pushed my brother away, I basically let my life crumble apart and it took a brush with death to realize all the anger wasn’t worth holding onto.”

Jungkook had sat up part way through his story, putting his feet on the ground and resting his elbow’s on his knees. He felt like bringing this up while he was curled in Seokjin’s arms would somehow… taint the perfect moment. He had forced himself to separate from him if only to get the words out.

He had been tempted to stop many times. When he heard Yoongi stop playing, when Hoseok started crying, well, when everyone started crying. When they all had to ask him to stop for a moment, to give them a second after he told them he tried to jump out a window to escape the abuse.

When they didn’t look like they were about to explode in anger, in sadness, they told him to continue.

He pushed on and they didn’t interrupt after that. They listened. They carried it with him.

Jungkook felt… strange. He’d never told anyone all of this before. He’d never had anyone care enough to ask.

Sitting here looking at his six crying boyfriends, he felt kind of proud. Not for making them cry, of course not, he actually was really wishing they weren’t crying.

But comparing his past to his present, to this moment, he had come such a long way and had survived so much. He somehow even survived death.

It made his troubles back then feel small and far away. A distant nightmare. One that couldn’t hurt him anymore.

Not with them here.

“Guys…” He said, laughing softly and giving them a gentle smile. He held out his arms towards Jimin who was trying to hide his sobbing into the blanket wrapped around him and Namjoon.

The Fae jumped towards Jungkook, not even making it onto the couch, wrapping his arms around his middle and burying his face in his chest as he knelt between his legs. Jungkook hugged him tightly, running a hand through his pink hair.

“Fuck Kookie… I don’t,” Hoseok held Taehyung tighter who was trying to wipe his own tears away. “Fuck.”

“Don’t- Don’t you dare make excuses for them-those- people, they tortured you,” Namjoon growled, opening and closing his hands around the blanket in his lap.

Yoongi stood up from the piano bench and walked over, unashamed of his tear-stained cheeks. He took a seat next to Jungkook and Jimin and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, pulling him in to kiss his temple. “I want to kill them.”

Jungkook blinked in surprise at the contrast of his words to his tone. He said it lovingly, sweetly, like he wasn’t threatening somebody’s life. Strangely, it was more terrifying then if he were to say it with anger. Because Jungkook knew he meant it.

“How could they- how could they do something like that to you? To their son?” Jimin’s muffled voice made him look down at the Fae, only to again have his attention shift to Seokjin who cupped his face in his hands from his other side.

“Our sweet bunny,” Jungkook flushed at the words, that pride he was feeling swelling even further, encompassing and destroying any dredged up negative emotions he’d had. “Our kind, loving bunny. If we had known sooner...”

Jungkook swallowed.

He didn’t voice the threat but he heard it loud and clear.

Sometimes he forgot just how powerful his boyfriends were. He hadn’t even experienced the extent of their abilities yet and he knew that they were beyond powerful. It made him feel a pleasant heat in his stomach to know that such strong beings could be so gentle to him.

He didn’t doubt Seokjin’s words. Even if their magic didn’t work on human’s, he didn’t doubt they would still be unstoppable without.

Jungkook thinks that if he’d been telling anyone else all this, he’d maybe start crying too. It wasn’t a fresh wound, but it was a scar rooted deep. Poking at that scar hurt from time to time. But, besides feeling a bit open, a bit raw, he was surrounded by so much love and caring that it was hard to remember the pain from before.

Chuckling lightly, he shook his head.

“I wonder sometimes if they were actually trying to understand. Or if they just told me that to get me back home. I didn’t want to give them another chance, but sometimes I think maybe if I had… they would have been my family again, they might have accepted me,” he sighed.

“They shouldn’t have ever needed a second chance,” Namjoon said, voice hard and cold.

Licking his lips and smiling a bit at Seokjin’s quiet huff, Jungkook nodded. He knew he was right, that they were his parents and they shouldn’t have ever thought it would be okay to make him think he was anything less then a human being. But it had happened.

It had broken him for a long time. Some nights it still did. Sometimes the sound of a door slamming brought him back, sometimes yelling became overwhelming. Conflict had used to terrify him. Any form of aggression made him want to vomit back then. Instead of hiding from it though, he threw himself into it. He got in fights in the gang, some he started. He faced the aggression head on and learned how to hold a brave face instead of cowering.

It messed him up in different ways to handle his situation like he did, but he was confident that if he ever faced his father again, he could actually face him. He wouldn’t cower or flinch.

Jungkook had done the same when it came to his sexuality. The thought of being intimate with men or the attempts at being intimate with men became difficult. Every time he tried he’d hear the slurs and slander he was brainwashed to hear. So he threw himself headlong into one night stands and sex with strangers.

It wasn’t a healthy way to deal with it. He knew that. It was as aggressive as the therapy used to mess him up in the first place. But it was the only thing he knew how to do at that point.

He was so much better now, so much happier than he knew it was possible to be. He’d learned slowly that he was making his life worse by making the choices he was. And even though he was working two jobs and exhausted from school after the gem was shoved in him, it was a better life then he’d had before.

Now? Now it felt like he was exactly where he was needed, where he was wanted, and where he would always want to be. 

“But I have you guys now. You’re all the family I need.”

That had all of them cooing and crowding around, squishing them all together in a cuddle pile that might break the legs of the couch under their weight.

Jimin squished his face harder into Jungkook’s chest, so much he thought it might be hurting the Fae. “St-Stop! Stop be-being cute and per-fect! Let me be upset!”

Jungkook laughed and leaned down to kiss his head, “Sorry sweetheart.”

He only got a whine in response.

Jungkook thinks that Jimin was the first to capture his heart. Tae not far behind. He felt a connection to the two Fae’s, slightly different then what he felt with the others but no more or less passionate and beautiful.

Jimin’s words, back when they first met, still rung in his mind every now and then.

‘Healing shouldn’t hurt.’

God how those words had hit him. Jimin said them naturally, out of the blue as if they were simple fact. But Jungkook had felt like his mind had been rewritten. As if he was suddenly shown a path he didn’t know existed, a possibility of something kinder.

After so long of nothing but aggression, to have someone be so kind and gentle with him, a stranger no less, had been… almost painful. It was why he’d had such a hard time leaving the Galaxy the first time. It was just so gentle.

A place where the yelling was of cheerful chaos and nonsense. Where doors slamming was rare and accidental. A place where if there was a problem, they all talked. They had family meetings, they shared their hobbies and built each other up, encouraged each other. Loved each other.

For Jungkook, who had never known such things, it was too good to be true.

It was perfect.

“Jungkookie?” Taehyung spoke up and continued when Jungkook gave him his attention, “Are you going to talk to them again?”

Jungkook sucked in a slow breath and hummed. That was the question wasn’t it. He didn’t see much point in it. If his parents and brother thought he was dead then at least they didn’t have to worry about it anymore. There wasn’t much point in dragging up old problems.

“I don’t think so. I’m fine with them thinking I’m dead. It… sort of feels like I’ve cut ties with them entirely. Like I can start over and let it go. They would just be strangers to me now,” he said calmly.

They all nodded in agreement and understanding but still looked incredibly upset.

“You know,” Jungkook started. “If none of that happened to me, I wouldn’t have met you guys. And if anything it made me more sure of who I am and want I want. Sometimes I forget, that I’m not alone anymore, so… if that happens… I might need your help to remind me.”

Such a little thing, asking for help.

So simple in thought but so extremely hard in practice.

Seokjin reached around Taehyung and leaned in to kiss him. Slowly and calmly, as if they had all the time in the world. There was no slander or voices telling him this was wrong when they kissed him, when they touched him. Never with them. Not a single thing about being with them felt wrong.

When he pulled away he was smiling. “Jungkook, we love you so much. We will remind you every minute of every day if you need us too. You are ours. You aren’t ever alone for as long as you wish to be ours.”

Jungkook stomach flipped and twirled with butterflies, captivated by Seokjin’s words and his lingering kiss on his lips. “Yours. All of yours,” he agreed. The group hummed happily and he felt a few of them pull him closer protectively. He kissed Yoongi’s arm that had looped across his chest. “And… you’re mine. All mine.”

Taehyung groans and nods quickly next to his leg on the floor beside Jimin. “Yours Kookie. Always yours.”

The warmth and love settled around them, banishing the distasteful emotions that lingered from the telling of his past. It was comfortable and warm and it almost made him forget his whole life before this moment.

He had his concerns, his doubts, and his worries for the future. For his place amongst them.

But he had them, so it was okay. They would be okay.

Just as he was starting to drift to sleep, he couldn’t help but mumble, “Sex talk tomorrow?”

He was met with multiple laughs and couldn’t help grinning and squirming when someone poked him in the side.

They didn’t end up having the sex talk the next day.

Jungkook wasn’t disappointed though, he knew there was tons of time to get into that.

Plus, the guys needed to process everything he told them.

Yoongi was much more… cautious when he came to work with him in the morning. He barely took his eyes off him once. Jungkook was sure that he was lost in his own thoughts most of the time while he stared.

Though, it had been a little awkward to explain to a few customers who came up to him and whispered their concern for him that no, Yoongi wasn’t a creep, he was someone he knew just messing around.

When they got home that night, Yoongi had disappeared off somewhere.

It wasn’t until a column of fire the size of the house shot into the sky from the training grounds that Jungkook realized where he’d gone.

He’d noticed that everyone was taking it hard but trying not to show it. Jimin and Taehyung had spent the whole day locked in Taehyung’s room. Seokjin and Namjoon had left, leaving him with Yoongi and Hoseok.

After sufficiently bothering the phoenix into trying on a bunch of Jungkook’s clothes, then having to come to terms with the loss of one of his favourite shirts because the man refused to take it off now (despite how he practically swam in the thing which was too adorable for words), the pair went to spend time with Hoseok.

He was working in the greenhouse and smiled at them when they came in, looking Yoongi over, eyes tracing the exposed skin of his shoulder where the oversized shirt had slipped down.

Hoseok was all too willing to drop what he was doing to pull the phoenix into his lap, nuzzling against his neck.

Jungkook asked Hoseok where the immortal and angel had gone, slightly distracted at how good the two looked together.

“They just went to get some things, they’ll be back soon,” the dragon smiled at him. Jungkook chose not to think much on it, they came and went a lot so it wasn’t strange.

The day after that, his third day of work, things already felt calmer in the house. They had seemed to have let out their emotions on the subject of Jungkook’s family and everyone looked to be in much better moods in the morning.

Yoongi had come with him yet again to work.

On the way though, the phoenix had asked him if he’d like to have a day to himself at the café. Jungkook had been hesitant, asking if they were really okay with that. Eventually they agreed that the next day he would go to work by himself after Yoongi had explained that it might be good for all of them if they slowly got used to not being able to see Jungkook all the time.

They could take it slow, one day at a time.

Jungkook made him promise that if it became too hard or he got too concerned, that he would come see him at the café whenever he or the others needed too.

But that was tomorrow.

Today, Jungkook was having another pleasant conversation with Sumi behind the counter in between serving customers.

“Run that by me again, you have to calculate…?”

“Stress strains on welding points,” Sumi filled in with a giggle.

“Which lets you know…”

“Whether or not the welds can stand up to the pressure they’re being put under or if they’ll essentially explode. That and flow rates depending on the types of hoses used for the hydraulic piston.”

Jungkook shook his head as he wiped down a table in the middle of the café, “Okay, give me like an hour to process what you just said before you say anymore.”

Sumi shook her head in amusement and leaned her elbows on the counter, “It’s not as hard as it sounds Jungkook-ssi.”

“Coming from the engineering student,” Jungkook scoffed and pushed the chairs back into the table, shooting her a smile. She seemed to jump a little and he wondered briefly if she’d stubbed her foot on the bottom of the counter. He’d done that a few times now.

“Kookie, your phone is acting weird,” Yoongi said from his usual spot. He was moving Jungkook’s phone around and tapping the screen in confusion.

Jungkook looked at him and laughed a bit, going over and taking the phone. He tapped out of the multitude of apps he’d accidently opened and raised a brow, “What were you trying to do?”

“Get on the internet,” Yoongi huffed a bit.

Jungkook tapped into the browser and tapped the search bar before handing it back to him.

“Thanks,” he hummed and smiled at him. If Jungkook wasn’t in his workplace, he’d squish his cheeks then probably get his ass kicked by the phoenix.

It would be worth it.

He was too damn cute.

Who was he kidding, Yoongi would probably let him. He’d be grumpy about it, but he’d let him.

“What are you looking up?” He asked curiously, leaning over to try and see as the man started typing. When Yoongi quickly turned the phone to hide the screen he squinted suspiciously. That was odd.

“Nothing. Videos.”

“Is it nothing or videos?”

“Video’s of nothing.”

“Hyung,” Jungkook laughed when Yoongi scrunched his nose in a fake intimidating look, “Alright, I won’t ask.”

He held up his hands in surrender, heading back over to the counter to help a customer who just came in. Jungkook glanced at Yoongi once more to see the man typing away again. Shaking his head in amusement he greeted the customer with a warm welcome and a bow.

Sumi got the order started as he worked the till, overhearing the customers order.

He was getting to know more about Sumi slowly, though it was only his third day, he really enjoyed working with her. She took her job seriously but not so seriously that she wasn’t willing to have some fun. They had been playing a mock game of bottle caps with coffee lids when things were slow earlier.

 Jungkook looked towards the door as a woman came in dressed in a business suit and being tailed by an adorable little boy who couldn’t have been more than seven.

“Susu-noona!” The boy exclaimed and ran over to the counter. He stood on his toes, pulling himself up to see over the edge.

Sumi gasped and leaned over the counter in an exaggerated fashion, looking around. “Who said that?”

Jungkook watched in amusement as the boy pouted, “Noona!” the boy jumped and waved his hands above his head.

“Oh! Sorry I didn’t see you there Shorty,” she smiled as the boy whined and stomped his feet, complaining that he wasn’t short.

“Settle down Boseon-ah,” the woman laughed a bit, bowing to Jungkook and Sumi. She paused when her eyes settled on Jungkook and he returned a polite bow, standing behind the register. “Oh, hello! Goodness, aren’t you handsome.”

Jungkook stammered a bit and rubbed his neck in embarrassment, “Thank you?”

The woman smiled and waved a hand, “You must have just started, my son and I come in here often.”

“Just started a few days ago,” Jungkook said politely. “Can I get you anything?”

“A large coffee and piece of that delicious looking cake if you wouldn’t mind dear. Sumi-ah, how are you doing sweetie?” The woman said smiling.

Jungkook keyed in her order and stepped over to the coffeemaker to get it ready.

“I’ve been good, school is as busy as ever,” Sumi said casually. “Lots of meetings today?”

The woman sighed and checked her watch, “Only two, but the last one might run past closing, would you mind-”

Sumi raised a hand to stop her, “You know we love Boseon-ah’s company. It’s no problem. Besides I was planning to stay a bit to get some homework done so I can watch him until you get back.”

“Thank you dear, you don’t know how much this helps me, Thursday’s are always tough.”

Out of the corner of his eye Jungkook saw the little boy get rather bored of the conversation and start looking around.

He watched as the coffee brewed, intrigued when the boy stomped his way over to Yoongi.

A sharp tug to his sleeve drew the phoenix’s attention away from the rainbow flag on the phone screen to a… tiny human. A really tiny human.

He blinked at the expression the little boy was giving him, his large eyes narrowed and his brow pinched, nose scrunched up in an exaggerated way. Yoongi raised a brow.

The child stomped his foot, putting his fists on his hips.

“This is my table!”

Yoongi stared at the tiny person.

He opened his mouth and closed it again.

Looking up and around he caught Jungkook’s eyes over the counter and his lover was looking more than a little amused as he did something with one of the machines. A woman was speaking to Jungkook’s coworker and Yoongi could assume she was the boy’s mother.

“Hey! Ajusshi you have to move, this is my spot!”

Yoongi looked back at the boy, leaning his cheek on his hand, “I can’t move.”

The boy blinked at him, tilting his head, “You can’t?”

“Nope.”

“Why not?”

“Don’t want to.”

The boy puffed his cheeks and stomped his foot again. “My mom always tells me to sit here!”

“Really?” Yoongi asked in a bored tone.

Seeing him clearly disinterested, the boy got even more riled up. “You don’t want to make me angry!”

“Oh? What happens if I do?” Yoongi hummed, taking a sip of his coffee.

“I’ll attack you with fire! I’m a phoenix!”

The sharp inhale of surprise didn’t mix very well with the fact he was also trying to take a drink and Yoongi quickly found himself choking on it. He coughed and set his coffee down, grabbing a napkin to wipe his mouth.

“Boseon-ah! Don’t bother that man!” The woman hurried over from the counter and pulled her son away from Yoongi, bowing quickly. “I’m so sorry sir. Boseon, apologize.”

The boy, Boseon, pouted at his mother and whined, “But he’s in my spot!”

“You can sit in another spot today, don’t be rude,” the woman frowned.

The boy looked down looking genuinely upset before he bowed and mumbled an apology. Yoongi leaned back against the booth, watching the child with curiosity.

It had been a long time since Yoongi had dealt with children at all. Especially human children. He couldn’t even remember if he’d met a human child before now.

“I didn’t say you couldn’t sit here, I’m just not moving,” Yoongi clarified.

The boy seemed to perk up at that and he looked at his mother excitedly. The woman seemed hesitant but a quick glance at a device on her wrist had her nodding. “Alright you can sit with him but same rules okay? Don’t go anywhere until I come back. Sumi-ah will be keeping an eye on you alright?”

“Okay mom!”

“I love you sweetie, I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Yoongi had to look away when the woman kissed her son on the forward. His chest burned with something nostalgic and not entirely pleasant. He took another drink of coffee and found himself seeking out Jungkook once again.

He really did look incredible in everything. There wasn’t a moment Jungkook ever looked bad. Yoongi had seen his cute bedhead when he woke up from a nap with him once and if that wasn’t just the most adorable thing. Sleepy Jungkook had a habit of mumbling nonsense and getting really cuddly too.

And yet his own parents had the nerve to put him through hell, to cut him down with their words and make him think he was something disgusting?

The thought of his parents had a heat burning deep in his chest and Yoongi was quick to tamp it down. Jungkook wouldn’t appreciate him burning down his workplace.

He just didn’t understand how someone could look at Jungkook and want to do him any harm. How could someone look at those big doe eyes and not melt?

How could anyone hate someone for loving another? For finding who they were and being comfortable with themselves? It was absolute bullshit.

His boyfriend gave the woman her coffee and spoke to her briefly before she was heading out the door and Boseon was climbing onto the seat across from Yoongi.

Yoongi tore his gaze away from his lover to follow the girl, Sumi, as she walked over to them with a plate. The girl glanced at him as she set the plate down in front of Boseon. It had what seemed to be a dessert on it and judging by the child’s excitement, it was a treat he liked.

“Are you making friends Shorty?” Sumi asked, ruffling the boy’s hair.

“Yeah! He knows my secret now so we’re friends, right?” Boseon looked at Yoongi with a bright smile.

“Oh? You found out he’s a phoenix?” Sumi said in amusement, looking at Yoongi now.

Yoongi didn’t mind Sumi. He’d listened in on most of her conversations with Jungkook, just for something to do, and she seemed kind enough. Jungkook enjoyed talking to her by the smile he always wore. That was enough for Yoongi.

Though she seemed like she was trying to put an effort into getting to know Yoongi more as well and he wasn’t sure how to… do that? He really didn’t know enough about human customs to know when he was or wasn’t being rude.

Scoffing a little he went to pick up his coffee, only to find it pretty much empty, “And here I thought I was the last one,” he said blankly, frowning at his cup.

He ignored the slightly surprised look from Sumi.

Boseon started digging into his treat with all the eagerness in the world.

Before he could turn to get up and get another cup, he felt Jungkook’s soothing presence next to him, the boy’s hand on his back as he poured more coffee into his cup. Yoongi felt himself relax and he smiled gratefully up at the other. Jungkook had always had a way of making him feel calm just by being near him.

More so now after everything that happened. He felt anxious when the boy wasn’t in sight. But he had made a deal with Jungkook that he would give him tomorrow by himself. Yoongi knew he couldn’t shadow the man constantly, but he wasn’t ready to just let him leave everyday without seeing him.

Besides, he had something he needed to help the others with tomorrow.

Jungkook returned the smile, keeping his hand on his back as he looked at Boseon, “Are you really a phoenix?” He asked in a voice that Yoongi recognized from when Hoseok, Taehyung or Jimin played with the village kids. He’d never heard it from Jungkook though, and he felt his stomach flutter in the way it did when any of his lovers did something endearing.

Boseon put a finger over his lips and hushed him, making Jungkook put a hand over his mouth acting guilty but Yoongi could see him hiding a smile.

Why was he so damn cute?

“It’s a secret!” Boseon looked around and made sure no one else heard before nodding eagerly. “My dad says it’s what our family name means and that makes us phoenix’s.”

“His surname his Bong,” Sumi supplied helpfully, smiling fondly at Boseon as the boy dug into his treat. “He’s been saying this for weeks.”

“You and Yoongi-hyung will have a lot to talk about then, he’s a phoenix too,” Jungkook said and Yoongi thought he heard a hint of pride in the boy’s voice. Yoongi couldn’t help smirking a bit.

Boseon looked at Yoongi in amazement while Sumi seemed to look at Jungkook with something soft in her eyes. He knew that look. Yoongi sipped his coffee, paying more attention to the girl then to the small human currently bouncing in his seat in excitement.

Sumi seemed to feel his gaze on her and looked at him. She stood up a bit straighter and shifted. “Have ah, have you two known each other long?”

Jungkook hums, frowning in thought, “Only about two months… or five? Kind of?”

“Why did you say it like that?” Sumi blinked.

Yoongi shook his head in amusement knowing Jungkook wasn’t sure whether he should count the three months he was dead. He leaned back slightly into the pressure of Jungkook’s hand on his back and felt his thumb gently rub a spot behind his shoulder.

“It ah, just feels like I’ve known him a lot longer,” Jungkook chuckles lightly.

“We live together,” Yoongi said calmly, watching her reaction.

Sumi nodded in understanding, “I’ve got a roommate too, rent is crazy expensive.”

Yoongi just stared at her and she cleared her throat awkwardly.

Jungkook and Sumi both looked over when a customer walked in and Sumi patted Boseon’s head.

“Be good, don’t bother Yoongi-ssi too much,” she said as she headed over to the counter.

Jungkook turned back to Yoongi with a soft frown, “Hyung?” he asked quietly.

Yoongi shook his head, squeezing his hand reassuringly, “She’s nice. I like her.”

With a bright smile, Jungkook seemed to want to lean in to kiss him but pouted and gave his hand a squeeze instead before turning back to head to the counter with a little more energy in his pace.

Yoongi made a mental note to make up that kiss later.

“Can you use fire too?”

Oh.

Right.

The tiny human.

Slowly Yoongi looked back at the child across from him. His eyes were wide and incredibly innocent.

Yoongi sighed and resigned himself to no longer getting to enjoy his peace and quiet.

“Yep.”

“Can you show me?” Boseon got up on his knees on the seat, leaning his elbows on the table top excitedly. Yoongi shifted his coffee to a safer spot.

Not seeing much harm in it, Yoongi put his hand out on the table with his palm up. He waited a moment to make sure the boy was paying attention before sliding his thumb along the tips of his fingers and slowly uncurling his fingers, a calm flame burning in his palm.

Boseon’s eyes got impossibly wider, and he leaned forward on the table, his hands balled in little fists tucked again his chest as he watched the flame flicker. Yoongi searched the boys face. Human children weren’t much different than magical ones.

The only difference was at the rate they grew that he had been able to find.

Yoongi closed his hand and snuffed out the flame in favour of reaching for his coffee. Boseon looked at him with stars in his eyes and Yoongi shifted awkwardly in his seat.

“How did you do that? Can I do that too?” Boseon looked at his own hands then and back at Yoongi, holding his palms out to him as if to ask him to help him.

“You can’t,” Yoongi said bluntly, only to wince when the expression fell on the boys face. Crap. How did Taehyung do this? “You uh, can’t yet,” he amended.

Boseon blinked at him, “Yet?”

“Young phoenix’s can’t ignite their own flames until they’re older. They need adult phoenix’s to help them.”

That wasn’t a lie. A child phoenix was like an unlit candle. It needed help to get its flame going and it was a big moment in a phoenix’s life to be able to ignite their own flame for the first time. That day for Yoongi was one of the few he remembered from before the wars. He had a foggy memory of his father’s proud smile and the way he had scooped him up, swinging him around and laughing with his deep baritone voice that the inflection of had long since faded from Yoongi’s memory.

That was a very very long time ago.

“Can you help me?” Boseon asked with a voice that left little room for denial.

Thinking about the potential harm of letting the boy believe he was an actual phoenix, Yoongi decided the risk of messing him up for life was pretty low. Children were very open minded. What they saw they believed which meant that magic was easy for them to see. As Boseon grew older, he would lose that ability slowly. Very few human’s held onto their belief in magic.

Or at least, that was his working theory.

Sighing like it was a hassle, Yoongi took the boys hand in his. Both their palms faced the ceiling, Yoongi’s underneath the youngers. He paused only a moment to acknowledge that Boseon’s hand was barely the size of his palm.

Boseon, in his excitement, kept squirming around in his seat and Yoongi shot him a stern look. The boy settled quickly and swallowed.

Jungkook was a little distracted.

He knew Sumi was talking to him, telling him more about her classes, and while he felt a little guilty for ignoring her, he couldn’t take his eyes off Yoongi and the boy.

It was… a strange sight.

“We have to get that project done by the end of the month, and my group is doing a good job so far with scheduling,” Sumi was saying.

“Oh, that’s good,” he said as he watched Yoongi take the boy’s hand.

He could just make out their quiet conversation as he dried an already dry coffee mug.

Yoongi’s deep voice carried quietly over to him and he had to concentrate even further to hear, partially reading his lips, “Your name’s Shorty right?”

“No! It’s Boseon!” The boy puffed his cheeks in annoyance.

Yoongi nodded, “Right. Can you listen well Boseon? Because you have to do what I say for this to work.”

Boseon looked at their hands and nodded determinedly. Jungkook wasn’t entirely sure what they were doing, having missed the first part of their conversation but he watched intently, occasionally answering Sumi with a nod or a hum of agreement.

“Fire magic is about emotion, it’s very sensitive. It’s very easy to lose control over it. So if you get very angry or if you get very frustrated, it will do things you don’t want it too. Do you understand?”

Yoongi’s tone was so calm and patient, so gentle but he didn’t speak as if Boseon was a child, he spoke to him as he would anyone else.

“I think so…” Boseon didn’t sound sure.

“Your fire is going to start in here,” Yoongi reached forward with his other hand and gently poked the boy in the center of the chest, making him look down curiously. “You have to think about it in your heart. From there, imagine it going all the way down your arm to your hand.”

Boseon shifted and frowned, looking at their hands, “What if nothing happens?”

“Then nothing happens.”

Boseon scrunched his brow and Jungkook sighed a bit at Yoongi’s bluntness but the man surprised him when he continued.

“What does it matter if something happens or not?”

“I don’t want it to not work,” Boseon admitted. “I want it to work like you did it.”

“You don’t want to be disappointed,” Yoongi clarified. “Can you use fire right now?”

“No…”

“Then if nothing happens are you going to be surprised?”

Boseon pursed his lips but mumbled honestly, “Not really.”

“So why not try? You won’t lose or gain anything if it doesn’t work but if you don’t try you’re just making sure there’s no chance of it ever working. Isn’t that a bigger disappointment?”

Jungkook’s hands had stopped moving, now just holding the cup and cloth but he barely realized as he watched the two. Something warm was burning inside him. An intense love that he didn’t know he could even feel.

Boseon didn’t say anything but was looking at Yoongi in awe, to which the man just raised a brow, looking almost bored. “Are you going to concentrate now or do you want to give up before you’ve tried?”

“I want to try! I want to!” Boseon gasped and closed his eyes tightly to concentrate.

Jungkook watched, distantly aware that Sumi was helping a customer, as Yoongi smirked and closed his hand around Boseon’s. When he opened both their hands, a small flame no bigger than that of a lighters, hovered above the child’s hand.

Boseon must have felt the heat from it because his eyes snapped open and he jerked instinctively but Yoongi held his hand still, quickly reassuring him that he was alright and that it wouldn’t burn him.

The absolute wonder that overtook Boseon’s face was something Jungkook wasn’t soon to forget and he had to suck in a breath because he was pretty sure his heart just grew three sizes. Yoongi manipulated the flame gently to sway and mimic how he moved Boseon’s hand, making the boy think he had control over it.

“It’s pretty,” Boseon gasped and tried to touch it with his other hand, giggling when his hand went through without any pain. “Wow…”

Yoongi closed their hands after a moment before a couple walking past could see and the flame was snuffed out, he let the boys hand go and sat back, drinking his coffee like nothing happened. “Don’t go around touching fire though. It will burn you. This only works with phoenix fire, got it?”

Jungkook wasn’t sure if Boseon heard the other or not despite how he nodded slowly, staring at his hands in amazement.

Yoongi regarded the boy with a gentle look, something deeper than what Jungkook could understand just yet, something longing and distant.

The look was gone and replaced with his usual deadpanned annoyance not a second later as Boseon launched into a barrage of questions.

Jungkook could almost see the regret on Yoongi’s face as he flopped his head back while the energetic boy spoke a mile a minute.

“Jungkook-ssi!”

Sumi’s voice right next to him made him jump, throwing the cup in his hands and he quickly scrambled to catch it, stumbling into the counter as he managed to prevent it from smashing on any hard surfaces. Breathing out he quickly looked at Sumi who was blinking at him in astonishment.

“Are you okay? You were zoning out there,” she tilted her head.

“Ah yeah! Yes! Sorry, did- did you ask me something?” He quickly put the mug down lest he drop it again in his embarrassment for getting caught staring. Clearing his throat he tried not to blush too much.

“I was going to ask if you could help me move some boxes, we just got a delivery,” she gestured to the door where there was now a stack of boxes piled next to it and he kicked himself for getting so lost in what Yoongi was doing that he forgot he was even at work.

“Of course yeah, sorry,” Jungkook rubbed his neck.

As they headed over to grab the boxes to bring into the back, he couldn’t help glancing towards Yoongi who was now looking at him.

He relaxed a bit and gave Yoongi a small smile which was returned equally.

Jungkook thought he’d already fallen in love with his boyfriends, but it seemed he had a long way yet to fall.

Chapter Text

The next morning the others were… acting different.

There was this strange jittery air about the house as he got ready for work and at first he’d just chalked it up to them being nervous about him leaving alone. Until he caught Taehyung and Hoseok having a whispered conversation in the kitchen, which they immediately stopped when he walked in.

“Morning Kookie!” Taehyung smiled and bounded over to him, wrapping his arms over his shoulders and pecking him on the lips. Jungkook glanced between them suspiciously before smiling at Taehyung, resting a hand on his hip.

“Morning, everything okay?”

Hoseok nodded and leaned against the counter, “All good. Your lunch is here.”

Jungkook took the box from Hoseok who grabbed it off the counter and nodded in thanks. “Are you sure you guys are okay with this? You all seem a little… tense.”

Taehyung laughed and for a very brief moment didn’t seem to know what to do with his hands before he settled on crossing his arms, “Tense? What do you mean?”

Jungkook stared at him, flicking his gaze to Hoseok, “I mean what you’re doing right now. Also I just saw Namjoonie-hyung reading a book upside down in the living room.”

They all leaned to the side to look through the dining room, just in time to catch Namjoon quickly flipping his book around and sinking lower into his chair.

Jungkook raised a brow.

“Seriously, if this is too fast, one of you guys can come with me. I stand by not all of you until next week though.”

Hoseok waved his hands and walked over to him, “No no no. We need to try this. We can’t hover around you constantly and you need some space too. We don’t want you getting sick of us too quickly.”

Jungkook laughed a bit as Hoseok put a hand on his lower back, guiding him towards the front door, “Hyung, I don’t think that’s ever going to be a concern.”

Hoseok grinned at him and they stopped at the door so Jungkook could get his shoes on. Namjoon came over, leaning against the entrance to the living room.

“Guys! Kookie’s going to work!” Taehyung yelled.

Jungkook jumped a bit and laughed as the others left their spots around the house and all piled in the entrance way to say goodbye.

Jimin stepped over to him as soon as he stood up, leaning up to kiss him. Jungkook quickly cupped his face to keep the kiss going when he felt the other about to pull away making Jimin hum laugh against his lips and lean into him, smiling into the kiss.

“Have a good day today Kookie,” Jimin said after he pulled away, smiling sweetly at him. He fidgeted a little before Jungkook was distracted by Seokjin stepping over to kiss his forehead and the tip of his nose and then his lips.

“Promise us you’ll be careful love?”

Jungkook lifted a hand to absently fix the collar of Seokjin’s shirt, nodding. “I promise. I’ll be home around 5:30, I might be a few minutes late depending on how long it takes to clean up.”

They seemed to relax at the reassurance and Jungkook smiled, reaching to his back pocket to check the time. “Oh,” he paused checking his other pockets, “Have you guys seen my phone? I remember lending it to you last night Taetae.”

Taehyung cleared his throat and shifted, glancing at the others quickly, “Ah I ah, lost it?”

Jungkook blinked, “You lost-”

“Kiss goodbye!” Taehyung suddenly exclaimed and leapt at him, Jungkook scrambled to catch him around the waist, dropping his lunch in the process. If it weren’t for Hoseok’s quick reflex’s he would have lost it entirely.

Taehyung kissed him hard stealing his breath away. He groaned into his mouth when the Fae laced his fingers through his hair, tugging at the strands at the nape of his neck. Jungkook inhaled through his nose, getting lost quickly in the heat of the kiss, stumbling back a step as Taehyung pressed into him.

His back bumped the door and his head would have too if Namjoon hadn’t slid his hand behind his head quickly. He pulled away from Taehyung, blinking his eyes open and taking in the already heated look the man was giving him. Taehyung’s hands traced down his chest and he huffed a little, voice dropping to that deep smooth tone Jungkook loved, “Why do you have to be so good at that?”

Maybe it was how Taehyung started pressing his lips against his jaw and neck, or how the others watched with their own heated gazes unabashed, but Jungkook was really hating that he had to go to work right now.

Namjoon’s hand slid to his cheek, knuckles grazing his skin and he turned to look at the other man, giving Taehyung more access to press wet open-mouthed kisses down to the collar of his shirt. He stopped to suck and bite at the junction of his shoulder and neck.

Namjoon chuckled and leaned in to kiss him gently, much less heated but equally as intense. He pulled away a few times only to meet his lips again as if he couldn’t quite get enough.

“How late are you willing to be Kookie?” Seokjin asked slowly and Jungkook whined practically feeling his gaze lick across his body.

Jimin pulled Taehyung away and wrapped his arms around his fellow Fae, resting his chin on his shoulder, hands on his stomach and waist. “Let Jungkookie recover, we can’t let other people seeing him look so… delicious.”

Jungkook flushed and accepted his lunch back when Hoseok stepped over to him chuckling. “You do look incredible like this. But Minnie’s right, we want to be the only ones to see you like this bun.”

Hoseok kissed him and pulled away all too soon, leaving Jungkook wanting more and pouting when the other simply fixed his slightly messy hair.

Yoongi scoffed and crossed his arms, “If you look like that after a little kissing I can’t wait to see what more would do to you.”

Jungkook, still trying to compose himself, felt that challenging side of him rise up in his chest, that side that really wanted to tease and take the others off guard. Yoongi brought out that side in him with his taunting as well as Taehyung did with his teasing and Jimin did with his begging.

He stepped away from the door into Yoongi’s space, the other not moving or backing down. He leaned forward as if he was going to kiss him but leaned his head at the last moment, brushing his lips against his ear.

“I’m looking forward to finding out. This is a new body after all. Completely untouched,” he hummed lowly and smirked when he felt Yoongi tense.

He pulled back just enough to give him a quick peck on the lips before grinning innocently at his wide-eyed look of shock.

“F-Fucking-”

The others blinked in confusion, looking between them.

“I have to go or I’ll be late,” he said as if nothing happened, turning on his heel and opening the door. He bounded out to the porch and down the steps leaving a stammering Yoongi in his wake. “Love you guys!”

The others crammed into the doorway despite their confusion and waved, calling after him, “Love you Kookie!”

“Be safe!”

“See you when you get home love!”

“We love you!”

Jungkook was grinning the whole way to the clearing.

Once Jungkook was out of sight, Jimin and the others turned to look at a still flustered Yoongi who groaned and flopped into Namjoon.

“He’s going to kill me.”

The immortal wrapped an arm around him to hold him up, “What did he say?”

“He has a new body,” Yoongi said flatly.

Jimin blinked and frowned in confusion. “Okay? That’s not a new fact Yoongi.”

“He said he’s untouched.”

All of them understood at the same time. There was a collective intact of air.

Jimin turned pink at the implications. Oh. Wow. That… that meant that technically they would be Jungkook’s first wouldn’t they? For a lot of things. The first to mark him, the first to see and explore him, the first to have sex with him.

Imagery of the most tantalizing kind filled his head and he had to nuzzle into Taehyung’s shoulder to hide his flush. He wanted to be ravished by Jungkook. He wanted the man to order him around, to pick him up, throw him on the bed and make him forget his own name.

Then to watch him with the others… with Yoongi’s legs wrapped around him, with Hoseok shoving him to his knees, with Namjoon taking him, Taehyung turned into an absolute mess by him. Seokjin in no better shape, marks littering the man’s body as he mumbled nonsense and moans.

Fuck.

Hoseok’s groan, one that sounded nearing frustration, made Jimin look up and he knew by the looks on all of their faces, they were having similar thoughts. Taehyung’s hands came to Jimin’s arms, sliding along his skin and Jimin pressed a kiss to the back of his neck.

“Okay, okay. Everyone needs to think less about what just happened and more about what we need to get done before Jungkook comes back,” Seokjin tried to be reasonable but it was clear he was struggling to keep himself from grabbing them and dragging them to the bedroom. Hoseok’s hands gripping his hips probably wasn’t helping.

“Tae, you and Hobi are on decorations, Jimin you’re on drinks and the gift. Joonie and Yoongi are with me in the kitchen.”

They all nodded but none of them moved. Jimin separated himself from Taehyung and glanced towards the front door.

“He’ll… be alright. Right?” He couldn’t help but ask. It took a lot in him to keep himself from bolting after their boyfriend, but he knew they needed everyone here to get everything done in time.

He wiped his sweaty palms on his pants.

“He knows how to take care of himself. And he promised. He’ll be alright,” Namjoon smiled at him and pulled Jungkook’s phone out of his back pocket, handing it to Taehyung. “This will give us a good distraction. We all need this, and it will be good for Jungkook to get some time to himself out of the house.”

Jimin knew he was right. They’d all noticed how their behavior was putting a lot of stress on Jungkook. It wasn’t anyone’s fault but they were anxious and while Jungkook was being very understanding, they knew it was overwhelming for him too. Tonight, they wanted to give themselves all a night to just have so fun and not worry about the past. One party wouldn’t fix everything, but they hoped it’d be a step in the right direction.

This would be a good night to sit down and talk. Get to know each other better in a way they never really had time to do before with a looming threat hanging over them.

All of them set about to make this the best they could for Jungkook.

“Had a fun night last night?”

Jungkook blinked in confusion looking at Jaeyong next to him as they both tossed their stuff into their respective lockers.

“What?”

Jaeyong smirked and nodded towards him, eyeing a spot by the collar of his shirt. Jungkook looked down and felt his cheeks warm, just able to catch sight of the dark hickey Taehyung had sucked into his skin. Clearing his throat awkwardly he stumbled forward when Jaeyong laughed and smacked him on the back.

“Good for ya! From a special someone or a one nighter?” He asked, looking incredibly amused.

Jungkook thought about the morning, how everyone came to the door to say goodbye. While he hadn’t appreciated having to try and collect himself before stepping through the door, because the last thing he wanted was to show up to work horny, he couldn’t stop smiling. His face hurt.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jungkook said, closing his locker and triple checking his shirt was situated to hide the mark. He could almost feel it’s presence on his skin and the memory of Taehyung’s lips had him repressing a shiver.

Jaeyong huffed out a laugh, “Alright, play innocent all you want. I won’t ask. You have a mysterious persona to uphold after all.”

Jungkook sat in one of the chairs to slip on his work shoes, “Mysterious persona?”

Jaeyong closed his locker and tied his apron around his waist, turning to look at Jungkook, “Please. You can drop the act with me, I’ve got a hundred won riding on you.”

Jungkook scrunched his face in confusion as he sat up, looking at Jaeyong, “What? What act? Are you making bets on me? Why?”

“It started between Sumi-ah and I,” Jaeyong leaned to glance out into the kitchen before quickly taking the seat across from Jungkook. “I never told you this, but she thinks you’re an undercover idol.”

Jungkook stared at him, mouth opening slightly. Huh?

“Personally I think you’re either a rich kid with too much time on your hands, or in witness protection. Maybe you saw something you shouldn’t have. Did you see something you shouldn’t have Jungkook-ah?” Jaeyong whispered conspiratorially and leaned closer over the table.

“Hold on, wait,” Jungkook waved his hands, “When did you guys start this?”

“On your first day. Nothing super interesting happens here so we have nothing better to do. A few of the regulars chipped in too so the betting pot is pretty decent.”

“You got customers doing this?” Jungkook didn’t know whether to laugh or smack his head on the table.

“Yeah. So? What’s your deal?”

Jungkook shook his head and chuckled, “I’m not an idol, or in witness protection.”

“But that’s what they’d want you to say,” Jaeyong squinted, leaning back slowly.

“What makes you think any of that? Or that I’m rich?”

“Have you seen your face?”

“Uh, yeah?”

“Then there you go. That and the hair, and the fact that your ‘roommate’ comes in everyday with you, like a bodyguard. And how eager you are to work.”

Jungkook instinctively reached up to touch his hair almost self consciously before shaking his head. “What’s wrong with being eager to work?”

“Are you hearing the words coming out of your mouth right now? You work retail kid,” Jaeyong pressed his palms together and pointed his fingers in his direction before mumbling, “I’m adding clinically insane to the betting.”

Rolling his eyes, Jungkook stood up and folded his apron in half before tying it around his waist. He opened his mouth to respond when Sumi stepped into the room, hair and clothes a bit damp. Jaeyong looked her over and crossed his arms.

“Morning, forgot to take your clothes off in the shower again?”

Sumi puffed her cheeks and walked over to the lockers, “I regret telling you that. And no. It started raining on my way here from the bus stop.”

Jungkook tilted his head, “I didn’t know it was supposed to rain today.”

“There was a chance of a storm,” Sumi laughed a bit, “Hopefully it stops before tonight, I didn’t bring an umbrella.”

“It’ll probably be a quiet day then won’t it?” Jungkook mused. That was nice, a quiet day would be perfect today.

Sumi smiled and nodded, tucking a damp strand of hair behind her ear. She took her glasses off to clean them.

“Do you live far from here kid?” Jaeyong asked.

Jungkook opened his mouth, then closed it. Then opened it once more.

The pause was enough to have both Jaeyong and Sumi looking at him in confusion. Jaeyong raised a brow, “Do you, not know where you live?”

“Oh no, I uh, I live nearby. Sort of. I walk, so it’s not super far,” Jungkook tried, sounding not at all confident in his answer. To be fair though, he wasn’t sure if he could consider hopping dimensions as close or far. He could walk here in under two minutes but he would be shit out of luck trying to take a taxi.

“Alrighty then…” Jaeyong shook his head, writing off the strange response before standing. “Sumi-ah make sure you dry off before you start, you’ll get sick.”

Sumi nodded and set her things in her locker, “Um, Jungkook-ssi would you mind opening for me while I get cleaned up?”

Jungkook smiled and nodded, heading out into the kitchen, “No problem!”

Today, despite the rain, was going to be a good day. He had decided already that he would try and enjoy his time away from the others. Even though he couldn’t help glancing towards the table Yoongi always sat at as he stepped through the main café.

It would be fine.

He’d been on his own a long time, and they weren’t just going to disappear while he was at work. He’d see them when he got home.

Jaeyong watched Sumi watch Jungkook leave, and he didn’t miss the way her gaze dropped slightly to his backside before snapping back up and flushing.

The baker stepped over to Sumi and grabbed a water bottle off the break room table, holding it out to her as he leaned against the lockers. She blinked her large brown eyes at the bottle, looking up past the rim of her glasses at him and raising a brow.

As intimidating as the girl tried to be it didn’t make Jaeyong want to squish her cheeks any less.

“What’s this for?” She asked as she took the bottle.

“You looked thirsty,” he smirked.

She squeaked adorably and smacked the water against his chest, his hand coming up to catch it instinctively as he laughed. Sumi hit his arm a few times as she was usually prone to do when she was embarrassed and he pretended to flinch at the light baps to his bicep.

“Shut up! I’m not!”

“Please, you like him,” Jaeyong opened the water bottle and took a drink from it, watching the girl attempt to find a way to protest before giving up and sticking her head in her locker, her groan of defeat echoing inside the metal box.

Jaeyong didn’t mind Jungkook. He really didn’t. He seemed like a good kid. But he was wary of him getting too close to Sumi. He didn’t want to see her go through another shit break up and have her heart broken again.

He hated drama, hated beating around the bush to spare people’s feelings and he had no problem confronting people on their bullshit if needed. Sumi was the exact opposite. She was very introverted and like things to be organized and routine. She was hesitant to step outside her comfort zone, especially if it meant a possibly awkward situation.

Jaeyong could respect that.

“This is where you tell me I should just tell him right?” Sumi mumbled, barely audible.

“Nope.”

“Nope?” Sumi questioned and leaned back, peaking out of her locker and looking at him suspiciously. “Why nope?”

“You don’t know much about this guy yet. Maybe get to know him better first,” he suggested. “He could turn out to be an asshole.”

“He held an old woman’s hand and listened to her talk about her puppy for the entirety of his break yesterday,” Sumi deadpanned.

“Okay but that’s-”

“He pretended that Yoongi-ssi was a phoenix to make Boseon-ah happy. He hums when he works, he’s so nice to everyone and hardly ever isn’t smiling and-”

“Alright! Alright so he’s not an asshole, I get it,” Jaeyong exclaimed. “Look, I just think you should be careful is all. How people act at work is very different from who they are at home or with friends.”

Sumi considered this for a moment before sighing and closing her locker, “I know. It’s just a little crush anyway, I mean, I’ll probably be over it by the end of the week.”

Sumi was starting to think that maybe it wasn’t just a little crush.

She could be honest with herself, she had a few… bad habits. One, was assuming things. Another was telling Jaeyong anything about her that he could use to tease and/or blackmail her with later. Seriously, she needed to work on her lying.

A more troublesome one, was that she always fell too fast.

It was the same situation with her last boyfriend. He was really sweet and romantic but it turned out he was cheating on her with two other girls. She was as mortified as she was blind for not seeing it. Still, after one too many days eating ice cream on her couch and watching dramas she picked herself up and was ready to get back out there.

By ‘out there’ she hadn’t been thinking work.

The day was as slow as they’d predicted. Slower actually, as the slight drizzle had turned into a full thunderstorm. Rain batted at the windows of the shop almost loud enough to drown out the music. They’d only had one or two people come in all morning and rounding the afternoon, they had all run out of things to do.

That led to Jungkook and Sumi sitting around a table in the middle of the store with their own coffees and watching the lightning flash outside.

Sumi rocked her feet, slouched back in a most unladylike fashion in her chair as thunder cracked loudly. She flinched slightly and Jungkook chuckled from beside her.

“Don’t like storms?” He asked, nursing a coffee with his feet kicked up on a chair across from him.

She shrugged and watched the water flow down the road outside, the occasional car disrupting it as it drove past, “I don’t mind them, this one seems pretty bad though. You don’t seem very bothered,” she mused.

Jungkook smiled and she quickly looked out the window, bringing her cup up to her lips. He had such a wonderful smile. “They remind me of someone. I like storms.”

Sumi hummed in acknowledgement but decided not to pry. They settled into a comfortable silence, only broken up by the sounds of the storm.

“Yoongi-ssi didn’t come with you today,” she said after while, fidgeting with her fingers on her lap.

Jungkook looked towards the table Yoongi usually sat at. He had a look in his eyes that she couldn’t quite place. It was something heavy. “Yeah, he was busy today. Had another idol to look after,” he sipped his coffee casually.

Sumi whipped her head to the side to look at him with wide eyes, she opened her mouth to ask before she saw the teasing side glance he was giving her. Huffing she relaxed and laughed, “Jaeyong told you?”

“You guys know I’m not really that interesting right? I can’t believe you have customers betting on me.”

“To be fair, it’s only really Mrs. Gwan and her friends who meet for their book club here. Oh and that old guy who always comes in and sits in the corner. Never says a word. Just sits there.”

“Yeah I was going to ask about him. There’s a good example of a mysterious persona for you.”

Sumi giggled and traded a smile with Jungkook, watching him a moment longer then was probably necessary after he turned to look back out the window.

“Yoongi-hyung was just busy today, he’ll probably be here tomorrow,” Jungkook said.

“Ah, it’s your day off tomorrow Jungkook-ssi, you aren’t scheduled to work,” she reminded. “Yoongi-ssi was asking about that yesterday.”

Jungkook paused and looked at her, “Oh really? Alright.”

Sumi cleared her throat and shifted in her seat nervously, “Um, if you want we can trade numbers. If that’s ah- not for anything, weird- not weird, I mean, so I can um send you your schedule. If that’s easier. Sometimes you know, we close and stuff for holidays or work extra hours so it would be, or might be you know, better to know ahead of time and ah-”

She was rambling. She needed to stop doing that right about now before she said something even more nonsensical. Pressing her lips together she folded her hands firmly in her lap as if that would help hold back the word vomit coming out of her mouth.

Jungkook chuckled lightly, the sound all too pleasant. “I would like that, not for anything weird though,” he teased.

Sumi blushed and laughed a bit, “Promise. Nothing weird.”

“One of my… ah roommate’s kind of lost my phone, but I can put my number in yours. I have to warn you though, cell service where I live is literally non-existent, so I likely won’t get a lot of your messages until later,” Jungkook explained, taking his feet of the other chair and sitting to face her.

“Do you have a basement apartment?” Sumi blinked and pulled out her phone, tapping into her contacts before handing it over to him.

Jungkook set his coffee down and took the device, punching in his name and number. She giggled a bit when he lifted the phone to take a selfie for the contact photo before giving it back with a smile. “Something like that.”

“So it’s not just you and Yoongi-ssi then? You have other roommates?” She glanced at the photo and tried to hold down the squeal at the cute smile he was giving in the picture. Locking her phone and putting it in her pocket, she gave Jungkook her full attention.

Jungkook hummed and nodded, “There’s seven of us in the house.”

“Seven? Wow, must be a busy place then!”

“You said you had a roommate didn’t you?”

Sumi cupped her hands around her drink and nodded, “Yeah, she’s going to the same college for dance. She’s incredible too. Won a competition last month.”

“I’ve always admired dancers,” Jungkook took a sip of his coffee. “Do you get along well?”

Sumi smiled thinking about her crazy roommate. Chin-sun was her best friend. They’d been living together since the start of school and the girl was usually the reason Sumi found herself in the strangest situations. She was pretty sure Chin-sun would lose her shit when she saw the picture of the ‘coffee boy’ that Sumi hadn’t been able to shut up about for the last few days.

“Yeah, she’s very different from me. Very outgoing, and she loves going to parties and staying out late, but when it comes to dance she doesn’t let anything stand in her way,” she smiled just thinking about her friend.

“They say opposites attract,” Jungkook said.

She wasn’t sure what it was about Jungkook, but it always felt like he was interested in what other people were saying. He actually took the time and listened, asking questions and pushing her to elaborate on things. Sumi hadn’t met very many people who did that. She had to stop herself, like she forced herself to now, not to talk his ear off and risk boring him to death.

He was just one of those people you wanted to tell your life’s story to.

“How about you?” She asked, wanting to hear more about Jungkook’s life, as mysterious as they joked about it being. The simple questions seemed to stump Jungkook more then they should and Sumi found something very intriguing and suspicious about that. “Do you and your roommates get along?”

This pulled a laugh from Jungkook and he sat back in his chair, a blinding smile on his face, “Yeah. Yeah we get along just fine. I like all of them a lot.”

Sumi couldn’t help smiling due to his infectious mood, she leaned in a bit to ask more but paused when she noticed the smile turn into something… hesitant. Doubtful maybe.

She frowned, “Is that… not a good thing?”

Jungkook shook his head quickly and rubbed his neck, “No no, it is. It’s just, things have been tense lately.”

Fighting with herself, she tossed the thought of asking back and forth in her mind before settling on voicing her question, “I um… I wasn’t intending to listen in on your conversation the other day but I couldn’t help overhearing you and Yoongi-ssi saying something about you being safe,” upon seeing how Jungkook’s eyes locked on hers, a sharpness to them she hadn’t seen before, she put a hand out quickly in reassurance, “You don’t have to tell me anything about it. I just, I just wanted to ask if you have any medical or health issues that we might need to know about. In case of an emergency.”

Jungkook thought for a long moment, tapping his finger on the side of his cup.

“I was… I had an accident awhile ago. I ended up in a coma for three months.”

Whatever Sumi had thought he was going to say, it certainly wasn’t that. She felt her heart drop to her stomach and she brought a hand to her mouth in shock. “Oh my- god, Jungkook-ssi that’s… that must have been awful.”

It was the first time she had seen Jungkook looking so solemn. She didn’t like it. Her brows pinched together in concern. A coma? Maybe that was why the man seemed to get confused by simple questions sometimes. Why his roommate always came with him to work and why Yoongi-ssi watched him so intently. She wanted to ask what the accident had been but she felt like it had been hard for Jungkook to bring it up to her at all, she didn’t want to push it. He seemed really uncomfortable talking about it.

“I’m alright now,” he said after another quiet moment. “But it was really hard on everyone. I’m worried now that things have calmed down that they’ll realize they were better off without me. I mean I missed a lot of time so… even before I met them, they’ve know each other for centur-” Jungkook blinked and seemed to come back to himself, as if he was just realizing what he was saying. Shaking his head quickly he laughed it off and sat up straighter, “Sorry, I’m sure you don’t want to hear me complain.”

He moved to pull his hands off the table and Sumi snagged one before she was fully aware of what she was doing. They both paused and looked at their joined hands and then at each other. Sumi turned bright red and quickly pulled her hand away, the warmth of Jungkook’s skin still present when she folded her hands tightly under the table.

“It’s not complaining,” she said quickly, not looking at him out of embarrassment. “It’s not. And I’ll listen whenever you need to talk about it. That’s what- what friends are for right?”

Jungkook didn’t move or say anything and she chanced a glance up at him to see him giving her a soft look. Her heart pounded and he had her full attention when he opened his mouth to respond, “Sumi-ah… I should probably tell you, I’m actually-”

A large crack of thunder had them both jumping and looking up when the room suddenly got dark, all the lights going out.

“NO! MY BROWNIES!”

They both looked towards the kitchen, then at each other before bursting out laughing.

They laughed even harder when Jaeyong came storming out, promptly stole the rest of Jungkook’s coffee and flopped in the chair next to them grumbling and cursing about the stupid weather.

Sumi wanted to ask what Jungkook had been about to say but the moment had passed. She was content to see him smiling again. Jungkook was mysterious and the small look into his past already had her reeling.

But it also made her like him all the more.

Because Jungkook could go through something as tough as that and still smile that brightly when Jaeyong ranted about the consistent heat needed to make the perfect chocolatey treats.

It was… just a crush. That’s all.

When Jungkook stepped through the door into the Galaxy, he was soaking wet.

The rain hadn’t let up, though the power did come back not long after it had gone out and Jungkook had taken it upon himself to run to the corner store to get Sumi an umbrella for her walk to the bus stop. She had a lot further to go and he didn’t feel right about having her walk in the rain.

She had tried to convince him not to but he’d insisted and his clothes had suffered for it. He found it a bit funny that he’d gotten caught in the rain so soon after the time in the other world. At least it wasn’t as freezing.

He managed to shake some of the water out of his hair just before a hand covered his eyes from behind him.

In any other place, Jungkook would have shot his elbow backwards immediately to dislodge the person who had come up behind him, but here he knew he was safe. That and Jimin’s tiny hands were enough of a give away.

“Should I guess who or…?”

He had tried not to show it much at work, lest he look incredibly clingy, but he really missed them today. He felt off not having them around. Jungkook had just gotten so used to at least one of them being with him that being alone didn’t feel right anymore. He… really liked the change.

Jimin’s twinkling laugh came from behind him. “Kookie why are you soaking wet?”

Jungkook chuckled and went to move Jimin’s hand from his eyes but the Fae protested, keeping his hand there. “It was raining. Why are you covering my eyes exactly?”

“You can’t look at me.”

Jungkook frowned curiously, “That’s probably the cruelest thing you’ve ever told me to do.”

Jimin smacked him on the back and he snickered. “We have a surprise for you but you have to keep your eyes closed okay?”

Jungkook paused. A surprise? He couldn’t recall the last time he’d had a pleasant surprise so he felt nerves twist in his stomach. It wasn’t his birthday, and he was pretty sure he’d never told them when his birthday was anyway. Did they even celebrate birthdays in the Galaxy? Jungkook was only twenty-three and his birthday’s had become just another day, he couldn’t imagine it would be any better after hundreds of years.

Maybe it was a Galaxy holiday he didn’t know about?

“I can feel you frowning,” Jimin poked his cheek lightly. “It’s a good surprise. We just… wanted to do something for you after you opened up to us about your family.”

“Minnie, you guys really don’t-”

“I know we don’t have too,” Jimin interrupted and took Jungkook’s hand with his free one, squeezing it. “I think its… I think it’s better if you just come see, but don’t look until I tell you.”

Jungkook, in an effort to calm his anxiety, chuckled and squeezed his hand in return. He took his free hand and replaced Jimin’s over his own eyes.

“No peeking!”

“Alright I won’t,” he said honestly. He heard Jimin move around in front of him and found it cute how he could hear his hesitation, as if waiting for Jungkook to try and peak.

“Please tell me the surprise is at the house, cause I have a lake’s worth of water in my shoes right now,” he said as he was led by the hand up the path, keeping his eyes closed. As if to prove his point, his shoe made an audible squish sound every time he took a step and he could feel the water uncomfortably between his toes.

“It is, we have clothes for you to change into,” Jimin reassured.

That just made Jungkook all the more curious but he refrained from asking.

It didn’t take long for Jungkook and Jimin to reach the house though it felt longer because of the butterflies in his stomach and fact he’d almost tripped a few times.

He felt Jimin’s hands on his shoulders as the man guided him to a stop.

“Okay, stand right there, don’t move,” Jimin’s voice was giddy and Jungkook couldn’t help smiling at the Fae’s barely hidden excitement. Jimin’s hands left him and he heard his feet pad up the porch steps before there was a pause of silence.

“You can look now!”

Jungkook hesitated only a moment before he dropped his hand. It was another moment before he blinked his eyes open and subsequently felt his breath get caught in his throat.

“Surprise!”

All his boyfriends were standing on the porch, looking… absolutely stunning. They were wearing clothes Jungkook hadn’t seen before, a beautiful interlay of white and gold silk with accents of patterns around the cuffs of the sleeves. The outfits differed per person only enough to accentuate their personalities and unique style.

Their hair was styled and Jungkook was taken aback at the fact that Taehyung’s hair was now a natural brown instead of the blonde he’d gotten so used to seeing. It suited him incredibly well and he briefly wondered if there was a colour he couldn’t make look good. Jimin’s hair, no longer the cotton candy pink, was nearly platinum blonde and looked so incredibly soft the way he had styled it. ‘Angel’ was the only thing he could think when he looked at him.

Seokjin looked like a prince right out of a fairytale, he stood with a hand on Namjoon’s shoulder who had his arm around the man’s waist in return, both smiling in that loving way that made his heart forget how to beat. His hair was swept back revealing his forehead and there was an assortment of rings on his fingers.

Namjoon was wearing a loose jacket over a flowy shirt, the collar embroidered the gold patterns. The white of his clothes made his gorgeous tan skin stand out in the most complimenting way.

Hoseok, hair swept to one side so his bangs partially hide his left eye and giving him an almost fatal look, leaned over to Yoongi and flashed a smile in his direction, “I think we broke him.”

Yoongi nodded, watching Jungkook curiously but Jungkook was more distracted by the waviness of the phoenix’s hair, the soft locks falling around his face and making his cat like eyes look that much sharper and intense.

“Kookie, why are you wet?” Namjoon questioned. Most of the time, Jungkook would appreciate the concern but right now, the man’s deep velvety voice on top of the visual in front of him was making Jungkook question existence as a whole.

Jungkook opened and closed his mouth a few times as Hoseok stepped down off the porch and came over to him. “Wa-water…” was the intelligent response that came out of his mouth. To be fair, he was surprised his vocal cords could even work right now. God knew his brain had shut down.

Hoseok laughed and moved a strand of wet hair out of his face and it suddenly hit him that while his six boyfriends looked like they were the highest of royalties, he was standing in front of them in his work clothes looking like he’d just taken a dunk headfirst into a pond.

The sudden self-consciousness woke him up enough to form a coherent question, as stammered as it was, “What- You guys look- Wow,” he breathed and didn’t know who to look at so his gaze kept flicking amongst them. “What’s the occasion?”

Namjoon chuckled, “It’s called a Kaosado celebration, in Korean it loosely translates to a…” he paused and awkwardly cleared his throat. “A mating ceremony.”

Jungkook’s eyes widened and he felt heat rise to his cheeks as Hoseok quickly took his hands, “Not like that, or well, sort of like that but it sounds more formal then it is,” he rushed to say. “Kaosado is a celebration everyone has when they start courting someone else. It’s like… a celebration of finding someone and it gives the relationship good blessings for the future.”

Jungkook took in the information slowly. He nodded a bit, the nerves twisting his stomach disappearing with every word.

“We didn’t have much time to have it with everything else going on before and after you told us about your family we thought… we wanted to incorporate some of your worlds celebrations as well,” Taehyung said, playing with his sleeve nervously. Jungkook found the action incredibly endearing and couldn’t help smiling before his words registered.

“Our celebrations? What do you…” he blinked in confusion trying to think of something that equated to a ‘mating ceremony’ in the human world.

Hoseok took his hand and pulled him up the porch leading him to the front door. The others stepped out of their way and stood behind them as Hoseok took a small nervous breath before opening the door for Jungkook.

The first thing he saw was the flag.

It was pinned to the wall above the hallway that went to the kitchen, the colours of the rainbow vibrant and beautiful lined horizontally along the cloth.

The pride flag.

Jungkook felt his throat close up, tears springing to his eyes.

Oh.

The rest of the foyer was decorated in beautiful colours all meant to compliment the rainbow flag, a twisting band of soft glowing light wrapped around the banister of the stairs that looked as if it had no source, an array of flowers and plants situated about with every colour he could think of.

 The family portrait Taehyung had painted that hung proudly in the living room had a wreath of plants wrapped around its frame, seven Smeraldo’s interlaced amongst it and a smaller version of the pride flag hanging from the bottom of the frame.

Jungkook could only stare.

“Is it… is it okay?” Jimin asked and when he didn’t receive a response, he kept speaking to fill the tense silence. “We couldn’t find much about individual celebrations. Um, but we learned a lot about these things called ‘parades’ and they were really pretty. Yoongi read that the flag stood for um,” he paused trying to remember and Namjoon filled in for him.

“Self-acceptance, respect and pride for sexuality, gender orientation, and-”

“I love you guys.”

Namjoon stopped and Jungkook turned to look at them. They blinked at him and he didn’t know how to express- how to show them how much this meant to him. He knew that it wasn’t really common to get a celebration for coming out, but it was the fact that they tried to incorporate something from his world into one of their traditions.

It was the fact they were trying to incorporate him into their lives.

It was the fact that they were trying to make him feel like he could be himself here.

Jungkook looked at the flag and could almost see the message written on it.

‘We won’t shame you for being you.’

For once he looked at the flag and felt pride. Not the longing he was used too.

“I love you so much, I don’t- thank you. Thank you,” he breathed out shakily and wiped the few stray tears from his cheeks. “This is… beautiful. It’s beautiful. I can’t believe you guys did this for me.”

Seokjin stepped over to him and leaned his forehead against his, Jungkook sniffed and closed his eyes. Feeling the warmth of Seokjin’s skin on his he realized how cold he actually was at the same time the older did.

Seokjin clicked his tongue, “Let’s get you showered and changed, then we can eat alright?”

Jungkook smiled and it was returned in kind.

After a shower, which he definitely did not cry his way through (there was no evidence, no one could prove anything, his tears were washed down the drain), Jungkook got dressed in the clothes they left out on his bed for him.

Very similar to their own, the white and gold silky shirt felt incredible on his skin and the gold choker around his neck made the details of the outfit that much bolder. The pants were form fitting and hugged his legs snuggly.

He took the time to tidy up his hair, combing it back slightly to give it a windswept look and putting some earring’s in on one ear.

When he rejoined the others, he was met with multiple whistles and a flood of compliments which he mostly waved off in embarrassment.

Apparently, the decorations weren’t the only thing they’d been working on as he walked into the dining room and took in the massive amount of food that completely covered the table, and Seokjin was still bringing more plates out of the kitchen. Things he’d never seen before, some he had and some still incorporating the rainbow theme.

“Seokjin-hyung this looks incredible,” he said in awe.

Seokjin lit up and shifted some plates to make room to set another down, “Help yourself to anything you like. Yoongi and Namjoon helped me make all of our favourites. Yoongi is quite the cook himself he just doesn’t usually have the motivation to do it.”

Jungkook laughed a bit, “And Joonie-hyung?”

“He’s good at peeling.”

Snickering Jungkook looked over at Jimin as he came into the room. The Fae’s new hair colour kept taking him off guard when he looked at him.

Jimin came over to him with a fancy glass in the style of a chalice, offering it to him. Jungkook blinked and looked at the clear bubbly liquid inside. “What’s this?”

“It’s Bubble, you said you drink right? We only have it on special occasions, and Yoongi checked to make sure you didn’t work tomorrow,” Jimin explained as Jungkook took the glass.

Chuckling, he tried a sip of it and hummed pleasantly at the sweet nectar-like taste mixed with the familiar burn of alcohol. The fizz faded slowly on his tongue leaving an after taste of peaches and citrus. “Oh, wow, this is amazing!”

“Right? Drink as much as you like, we have plenty,” Jimin laughed and downed his own glass as if it were water. Jungkook stared as he took a green glass bottle off the table and topped up his glass and then another to hand to Seokjin.

Okay. He shouldn’t have found that so hot.

“Your hair looks incredible hyung,” he reached over and gently traced his fingers through his hair over the Fae’s ear.

Jimin reached a hand up to touch the blonde locks shyly, “I changed it because the pink didn’t really work with the outfit, Taetae changed his so I wasn’t the only one,” he admitted.

Jungkook stepped closer to him, resting a hand on his lower back gently, “You’re both beautiful.”

Jimin flushed cutely.

They eventually all made their way to the living room, bringing plates of food with them to snack on. Everyone sat down and Seokjin stood in front of the family portrait, quieting them down so he could speak.

“Normally, we would have more guests for a Kaosado but given Jungkookie is still technically seen as a dangerous being to most, we’ll have to make do with just ourselves tonight,” Seokjin chuckled and smiled at Jungkook who gave him a sheepish smile back.

Yoongi scoffed, “Oh no, less people. What a shame.”

Jimin smacked him on the chest and a few of them chuckled.

“That being said, we’ve made it through some… trying times the last few months. I think I speak for all of us when I say that losing you, Jungkook was, was one of the most painful things we’ve ever had to experience.”

Jungkook’s gaze softened and he looked at each of them carefully, apologetically. Hoseok’s hand rested firmly on his back, it’s presence soothing.

“But you came back to us. By some miracle. You came back. We won’t ever take a moment with you, or each other for granted,” Seokjin gave him a small dip of the head before turning to the wreath around their portrait and pulling one of the Smeraldo’s free. “These flowers have always been special to Angels. They symbolize the truth that couldn’t be told.”

Jungkook watched enraptured as Seokjin stepped over to Yoongi who seemed to know what to do as he set his glass down and stood up, taking Seokjin’s hand. “Yoongi, you’ve always been stubborn and impossibly strong. You speak with your actions and you always have our best interest at heart. You are reserved about your kindness but it doesn’t go unnoticed. You keep us steadfast and true.”

Gently Seokjin tucked the flower into his hair and Yoongi, who looked like he felt every word said to him, stood on his toes slightly to give the older a chaste kiss. They pressed their foreheads together for a moment before Yoongi sat back down and Seokjin went to get the next flower.

He went to Namjoon who stood as well and smiled gently at his lover who returned it.

“Namjoon, you risked so much when we first met, fighting for our side against your own. You’re incredibly smart and wise. You have a deeper understanding of people then most could hope to have. Because of that, and because of your gentle nature, you have always been the voice of reason for us. You have always been a guiding light to us when we felt lost.”

Namjoon reached a hand up and cupped Seokjin’s cheek brushing his thumb across his skin. Seokjin turned his head slightly to kiss his palm before tucking the flower behind his ear.

Jungkook felt like his chest was going to burst again. The shear love they had in their eyes when they looked at each other went deeper then anything Jungkook thought was possible. But, on a small level, he was starting to understand. As they shared a kiss and Seokjin went to get the next flower, he thought back to the little moments he’d shared with them.

He thought about Namjoon’s hugs, Jimin snuggling into his chest in the morning, the way Taehyung would just want to come and spend time in the same room with him even if it was silent, the way Seokjin made sure to kiss him before bed every night, the way Yoongi would stay up and talk to him about nothing if he had trouble sleeping, the way Hoseok could always tell when he needed a moment alone and would make sure the others didn’t bother him.

He could understand how he could one day be that deeply in love with them.

Hoseok stood up next, smiling almost proudly when Seokjin took his hand with a light chuckle.

“Hoseok, you are the purest person I’ve ever met. Regardless of your past or things you’ve done, regardless of the times you might feel down or exhausted, your soul is pure and good. You radiate an energy that keeps the rest of us going when we think we’re going to crash. You motivate us to be better and encourage us to never let go of hope even in the darkest situations.”

A kiss, a flower tucked behind his ear and Seokjin was stepping over to Jimin. Jungkook took notice of how he didn’t rush, how he spent that moment with his forehead pressed against theirs as if it were only them in the world. It was beautiful. Jungkook understood now why their relationship worked so well. Why there was so much trust and loyalty.

“Jimin, you have always prided yourself on keeping us and others healthy. Your tenderness and empathy give you such a big heart and you’ve always been someone we go to when we need some affection. Your kind-heartedness keeps us honest with ourselves and each other.”

Jimin smiled wide enough his eyes squinted closed cutely and Seokjin slipped the flower in his hair, making him giggle when he nuzzled against his cheek before kissing him. Their foreheads pressed together, a moment of silence between the two, a moment of understanding, and then he was pulling away.

Next he went to Taehyung.

“Taehyung, you are full of wonder and joy. You don’t only see things for what they are, but what they could be. You’re honest and sure of yourself, trustworthy and loyal. You pull us out of our heads when we get lost in them and you find joy in the things most people overlook. You bring us closer by reminding us to enjoy the moments we’re living in now.”

Taehyung threw his arms over Seokjin’s shoulders to kiss him. Once the flower was tucked into his hair and they had a quiet moment to themselves, Jungkook had to discretely dab a tear out of the corner of his eye with his sleeve.

It wasn’t until Seokjin was standing in front of him, holding a hand out to him that he realized he was being included in this. It hadn’t clicked in his mind. He looked at Seokjin with wide eyes, then at the others, wondering if it was really okay. Licking his lips nervously, took Seokjin’s hand and stood up.

He found it incredibly hard to meet the man’s eyes, feeling oddly exposed and vulnerable.

“Jungkook,” Seokjin said gently, lovingly. “You came into our lives suddenly. You have been through so much pain, and yet you remain trusting, kind, brave and true to yourself. You love with your heart on your sleeve, you find the impossible solutions to the impossible situations and you care. You care about others so much that you believe it’s selfish to wish happiness for yourself.”

Jungkook sucked in a shaky breath, searching Seokjin’s eyes carefully for any hint of a lie. There wasn’t. He didn’t know how to process the fact he was being so open and honest with him. Seokjin, possibly seeing his slight distress, cupped his cheek and smiled lightly.

“You were the one we’ve been missing for so long. You fill all of us in and make us complete.”

Jungkook closed his eyes to hold back the tears as Seokjin tucked the flower behind his ear. He felt the others forehead lean against his and he couldn’t stop himself from gripping the front of his shirt gently. He felt so accepted and loved and he was quite seriously beside himself with how to return it, how to make them see how much they meant to him.

Seokjin kissed him gently and only once he pulled away did Jungkook open his eyes again, as blurry as they were from unshed tears.

A hand pressed against his lower back and Jungkook looked to the side at Namjoon who’s lips curved up gently as he offered Jungkook the last flower. Looking at Seokjin’s flower, Jungkook somehow understood the weight of letting him be the one to give it to Seokjin.

Breathing out slowly he took the flower carefully, as if it were made of glass, and looked at Seokjin who was only smiling fondly.

“Hyung, ah, Seokjin-hyung,” he said nervously, looking at the blue and white petals before steeling himself. It wasn’t that he didn’t have anything to say, it was that he had too much to say. “You are loving. You showed me trust when I hadn’t earned it yet and, and you welcomed me into your home and amongst your family with open arms. You are supportive and strong and always understanding. You protect the ones you love fiercely and show mercy to the ones that wronged you. You… You hold everyone together.”

Namjoon put a hand on Jungkook’s shoulder and for a moment he thought he’d said something wrong. “Us,” he corrected. “You hold us together Seokjin.”

Jungkook bit his lip to keep it from wobbling as he nodded quickly in agreement and looked back at the Angel who was near tears himself. Carefully, Jungkook tucked the flower in his hair and pulled the man in for another kiss, as loving as the first and pressing his forehead against his once they pulled away.

Seokjin wrapped his arms around his waist to keep him close.

“One last thing,” Jimin said, pulling something out of his pocket.

Jungkook’s voice broke as he whined, “There’s more? How can there be more?”

They all laughed and Seokjin kissed his temple before releasing him so he could face Jimin.

Jimin sucked in a nervous breath and fiddled with what looked like a little box in his hands. “We, did some research on this too and I want you to know that we aren’t trying to rush things. We um, we have a tradition of gifting a Set insignia to the ones we’re courting, so others know you’re with us. That you’re one of us.”

Jungkook wiped away some stray tears quickly and watched as Jimin opened the box and showed him a beautiful silver ring. It was simple, just a band of shiny silver and engraved on it was a small symbol. Two black trapezoids side by side, their shorter sides perpendicular to each other, giving the illusion of an opening door.

“This is our Sets insignia, and it’s a way to remind you that we’re with you. Always. Even if we’re not there physically. The closest equivalent we could find in your world was a promise ring I think,” Jimin explained. “You don’t have to say-”

“Yes. How could I possibly- you guys are so-” Lost for words Jungkook let out a grunt of frustration that quickly turned into a laugh as he leaned forward and captured Jimin’s lips in a passionate kiss. Jimin kissed him back deeply and Jungkook had to put a hand on his cheek to gently coax him back or neither of them would have stopped.

Jimin smiled and took the ring out of the box, taking his left hand and slipping it onto his ring finger.

The silver against his tan skin looked beautiful, even more so with the mark standing out in the metal. Their mark. A promise. He wiped more tears from his eyes, the ring a comforting weight on his hand.

“Wow, I… underestimated how good it would feel to see you wearing that,” Namjoon took his hand to look it over and smiled.

The others all agreed and there were hugs and kisses traded for a few moments.

Yoongi handing Seokjin his glass and Jungkook took the hint and picked his up off the table. They stood in a circle around the coffee table, all smiling as Namjoon held up his glass first.

“To a bright future and to overcoming any hardships we may encounter along the way. We’ll get through it like we always have. Together.”

With that they all clinked their glasses in the center, “Together.” They all repeated before taking a drink.

It didn’t take long for the mood to switch back to the usual carefree atmosphere as they all settled back into their spots and started digging into the food.

It took Jungkook a bit longer to recover from such a beautiful moment, one he wouldn’t forget for a very long time, but Hoseok helped once he launched into a story about how they once accidently cursed a child’s toy and the creepy doll kept showing up in weird spots around the house.

Jungkook played some music on his phone for background noise, which Taehyung returned to him, apparently having needed it for references for the decorations. He didn’t mind the white lie at all. If anything it was just really sweet how much effort they put into this.

He couldn’t stop looking at the ring on his hand either, pride filling him every time he caught sight of it.

He figured out pretty quickly that the downside to Bubble being so delicious, was that it also went down incredibly easy. By his third glass he was feeling a comfortable heat throughout his body. It had been quite a long time since he’d been able to sit down and drink leisurely and the steady flow of conversation with the others was incredibly entertaining.

Hoseok’s story soon enough switched to a much less creepy one about another curse accident they had had.

“Joonie had to spend the whole day without depth perception until the curse wore off,” Hoseok laughed, sitting sideways on the couch next to Jungkook who was sitting on the floor with his back against it. “We think it never actually did wear off and left him permanently clumsy.”

Jungkook snickered and Namjoon set his glass down on the coffee table to grab some food, “You guys are just dramatic, I’m not that clumsy.”

“You once knocked over twelve bookshelves in the study,” Yoongi scoffed. “It took us days to put all the books back. Even with Taehyung bolting around.”

“Or that time you swallowed Hobi’s griffin whistle?” Taehyung laughed from next to Namjoon who shot him a betrayed look that only made him laugh harder.

Jimin giggled, tucked into Yoongi’s side and nursing his seventh glass of Bubble, “Everytime you breathed there was this cute whistle noise.”

“Okay! Okay, I get it, I’m a bit clumsy,” Namjoon conceded and shook his head, looking more amused then upset.

Hoseok leaned down next to Jungkook’s ear and whispered, “There were six griffin’s in the yard before we finally got it out.”

Jungkook clamped a hand over his mouth to keep from spitting out the mouthful of drink he had. Forcefully he swallowed before dissolving into a mess of laughter on the ground.

He was too tipsy to dwell on the fact that they had actual griffin’s here. Waving a hand he sat up, “Wait wait, I have a question!”

When he was sure he had their attention he took one more drink before scootching forward to reach the food, “How did you guys all meet?”

They seemed a bit surprised by the question before fond smiles and some laughs were traded. This only served to have Jungkook even more curious and eager then before as he bit into a fruit that tasted like a strawberry but looked more like a plum.

“Yoongi and Namjoon start, you guys have known each other the longest,” Jimin said, reaching forward for some food as well.

The two looked at each other and smirked, “Yoongi and I met when I was still human actually,” Namjoon started and Jungkook looked at him with wide eyes. He chuckled a bit. “I was born in the Goryeo dynasty and ended up becoming a Yangban.”

Jungkook tried to fully comprehend that sentence, “That was… so long ago, you’re-”

“That next word better not be ‘old’.”

“Handsome. Ten out of ten. Would kiss again.”

Hoseok and Taehyung laughed, Yoongi snickered behind his glass and Namjoon just huffed teasingly and continued, “Anyway, I was travelling to another village, I can’t really remember why-”

“Because he’s old,” Seokjin mumbled.

“It’s always the mind that goes first,” Yoongi shook his head as if it were a great shame.

“You are both older than me!” Namjoon protested, throwing his hands up.

Jungkook was trying not to drop his half-eaten fruit on the rug while he laughed.

It took them all a moment to calm down and let Namjoon finish what he was saying, “I ended up running into Yoongi along the way. He was heading the same direction so I offered to accompany him.”

“You always tell this wrong,” Yoongi huffed, “What actually happened was he almost ran me over with his cart because he fell asleep, then crashed and got his ass stranded in the middle of nowhere.”

“I like my version better,” Namjoon grumbled, popping a cracker like food into his mouth and pouting.

Yoongi chuckled, “I told him I’d help him get to where he was going if he taught me how to read. By the time we got to the village we were pretty good friends.”

“Did everyone know about phoenix’s back then?” Jungkook asked curiously.

Namjoon shook his head, “I had heard about them and other creatures like them through word of mouth and some rare written texts, but meeting Yoongi was the first time I’d ever encountered magic of any sort.”

Jungkook looked over at Yoongi, remembering what it was like to meet him and the others for the first time. He thinks he handled it pretty well, given how insane the whole situation had been.

“Were you guys cautious of human’s then?” He asked, tilting his head.

“We were on decent terms with humans but our kinds usually kept to ourselves. It wasn’t a fear like it is now though. Protection spells only became common place after the wars, before they were usually only used on young children. We did have some magical beings defect to the human’s side. Some voluntary, some not.”

Jimin rested his head on Yoongi’s shoulder and nuzzled against his neck.

A weighted air settling at the mention of the wars. Jungkook wasn’t drunk enough to be oblivious to the mood and he decided not to ask for details. He couldn’t imagine what they had to have gone through.

“That’s when I met them,” Seokjin stepped in, smiling. “I was a General in the war and they were both in my division.”

Jungkook snapped his gaze to him and spluttered, “A General? Seriously hyung?”

“Don’t look so surprised Kookie, Seokjinnie was the best there was,” Namjoon smiled proudly.

Hoseok nodded, “You guys were legends. I heard about you long before I actually met you. All the other division’s knew who you were.”

Seokjin waved a hand, playing with Taehyung’s hair absently as the boy slouched against him and threw a leg over Namjoon’s knee to get comfortable. “Most of it was rumors blown out of proportions. But Yoongi and Namjoon were two of the best men I had, they helped plan more then a few tactical missions. It was their idea to create the Galaxy.”

“Wait wait wait, slow down,” Jungkook said quickly, “You guys are the reason Galaxy exists? You created this whole world?”

Namjoon chuckled, “We didn’t do it alone, but it was technically our plan.”

“You’re acting like you didn’t create a whole world yourself Kookie,” Yoongi raised a brow smirking.

Jungkook stared at them for a second.

“Holy shit I created a whole world…”

The others laughed and Hoseok messed Jungkook’s hair lightly.

“Is that why Namjoonie-hyung and Seokjinnie-hyung leave to deal with treaties and stuff all the time?” He asked, alcohol distorted mind struggling to keep up with all this information.

“We did take over a certain level of responsibility once everyone was in the Galaxy. A lot of people look to us to keep the peace,” Seokjin hummed.

“Wow that’s… wow I didn’t think you guys could get any more attractive and yet,” he waved a hand in their general direction, almost knocking his glass off the table. He quickly caught it before it tipped over and brought it to his lips to down the rest, ignoring Hoseok’s quiet warning to be careful. “So then, that’s when Yoongi got separated from you right? When you came here?”

The others blinked and Hoseok chuckled a little, “I told him a bit about how Yoongi and I met,” he explained.

Nodding, Yoongi wrapped an arm around Jimin’s shoulders, “I got to know him really well in the time it took to find these two, after that he was stuck with us. That’s about the time we realized we all wanted to be more then friends. Not long after we formed our Set.”

Jungkook looked towards Jimin and Taehyung, “What about you guys? Did you fight in the wars too?”

They both shook their heads, “We were both born in the Galaxy. The wars were at least a century before our time,” Jimin said. “I was ah, actually arranged to be Set with someone else.”

“Like, an arranged marriage? They have those here?” Jungkook frowned when Jimin nodded.

“If I understand what your marriage is correctly then yes I believe they’re similar. It was an honour to link my family with another’s, and the man I was going to Set with wasn’t a bad guy. He was very kind.”

“So… what happened?”

Jimin shot Taehyung a look and the other just grinned proudly, “Taehyung happened. He tried to kill me.”

Jungkook’s mouth dropped open in shock and Taehyung laughed, which didn’t help his shock at all.

“There were a lot of Fae’s that believed the Setting would cause a lot of problems for the people, so I was sent to assassinate Jiminie to prevent it. It’s part of the Setting ritual that all parties drop any unnatural spells, as a show of devotion and trust,” Taehyung explained.

“To keep a long story short, he failed and ended up kidnapping me instead,” Jimin snickered.

Jungkook raised a brow and took a drink, the sweet alcohol no longer burning on the way down, “Assassination seems a little… extreme. I kind of thought that you guys had grown up together or something, you’re really close.”

“We are,” Jimin agrees and smiles fondly at Taehyung, “But we hated each other at first. Eventually though, I came to understand the people’s concern and I called the Setting off. We were both exiled after that.”

“Why were you exiled? I mean… if Taetae kidnapped you I understand that, but why you?”

Jimin pressed his tongue into his cheek and the others stayed quiet, apparently understanding it was a sensitive topic. After a moment Jimin just laughed lightly and got off the couch to refill his glass. “We’ll get into that another time.”

Jungkook nodded immediately. He was having a really good time and he didn’t want to upset Jimin or the others by digging into their pasts. Instead he watched Jimin pour himself a drink, “Minnie, you can seriously hold your alcohol, isn’t that like your tenth or something?”

Jimin looked at him then at his hand holding his glass. He paused and opened his mouth, brow pinching in confusion, “Hold my- Sorry? How do you hold it?”

This shouldn’t have been so funny to him but Jungkook dissolved into a mess of giggles, tipping to the side to lean against Hoseok’s leg.

“No! You know what I mean, your alcohol tolerance is really high!”

“Tolerance? Why would I have a tolerance or it?”

Jungkook stared at him for a long moment, letting his gaze flick amongst the others who still looked incredibly sober. Gasping, he sat his glass down on the table and got up on his knees, holding his hands out in a ‘wait’ motion. The quick motion was enough to have the alcohol shooting through his system and he felt himself sway dangerously to the left, putting a hand on the floor to catch himself.

Oh he was going to be in trouble when he stood up.

“You’re- You can’t get drunk? Seriously?”

Namjoon paused a moment, “Oh… oh shit…”

The others looked to Namjoon quickly, slightly alarmed.

“What? What is it?” Taehyung asked in concern.

“Why do you even drink?” Jungkook exclaimed probably louder then he’d meant too considering they all jumped. “What is the point of alcohol if not to get one wasted? That is the question. I’m seriously the only one drunk then?

Namjoon rubbed his head, “Yeah, Kookie sorry. I forgot the affects alcohol had on humans.”

“Okay, that’s fine, I forgive you. Next time though, we are all getting drunk cause I have theories on what kind of drunks you all are,” he waved his hand and takes another drink.

“Can someone fill us in here?” Yoongi sat forward watching Jungkook with a frown.

“Alcohol kind of… effects how a human’s brain works,” Namjoon said wincing when he was given looks of horror. “It can mess up coordination, behaviour, mood, stuff like that.”

Jimin quickly turned to Jungkook and took his glass away from him, setting it out of reach much to the boys protests, “Why would you drink it then?! Kookie, are you alright?”

“Wait hold on Jimin remember the spice-”

Jungkook felt Jimin’s hands on his slightly numb cheeks and hummed lowly, looking at the other. He watched the moment Jimin’s protection spell dropped and the alcohol hit the boy in one shot. His eyes drooped and dilated, and Jungkook barely caught him before he toppled into the coffee table. He managed to right him with a laugh and quickly let him go.

The sudden switch back to soberness had Jimin reeling and he quickly put a hand on his head to calm the disorientation that Jungkook knew must be intense right now. Jungkook wanted to reach out and touch him again, just to feel his skin on his own, but he felt like that was wrong. If Jimin didn’t want to be drunk he wouldn’t force him.

“Minnie you okay?” Yoongi put a hand on the Fae’s shoulder and Jimin, cheeks flushed a pretty pink, nodded quickly.

“That was… weird.”

Jungkook started to scootch away from Hoseok too but the man stopped him, swinging his other leg off the couch so Jungkook was sitting between them on the floor. “I haven’t been drinking, you’re okay.”

At the reassurance, Jungkook sighed and leaned back into him, leaning his head to rest on the inside of his thigh as the dragon ran his fingers through his hair. “Sorry Minnie, I forgot about the repelling thing.”

“It’s, It’s okay. That kind of… felt really good,” at the others curious looks, Jimin elaborated. “It was like, I got really dizzy and my balance was super off but everything felt really numb and really sensitive at the same time.”

Taehyung hoped off the couch and stepped over to Jungkook, crouching next to him, “Is it okay if I feel too Jungkookie?”

Jungkook snickered and held a hand out to him, Taehyung taking it and immediately having to put his other hand on the floor to balance himself. He stayed in contact with Jungkook and started laughing.

“Wow, it’s like my vision’s all,” he waved a hand in front of his eyes as if that would explain it perfectly but to Jungkook it did and it had him laughing his ass off. Getting up, or taking multiple attempts to try to get up with Hoseok’s help, Jungkook pulled Taehyung away from the coffee table and couches.

“Watch okay, so, drunk driving is a big no no, cause,” Jungkook repeated Taehyung’s hand action and the other nodded in complete understanding. “So if you do drunk while drive, I mean drive while drunk, you get pulled over by the cops, right?”

“Right.”

“And they make you blow in this thing-”

“They blow you?!”

Jungkook doubled over laughing and had to grab onto Taehyung’s shirt to keep from falling over, though it just made Taehyung laugh and both of them stumble.

“No! No,” he managed to get out. “They make you breath in this thing that says how drunk you are.”

“I don’t think I’d pass Kookie, I feel really weird.”

“You’re not too bad, Minnie drank a lot more but yeah you’d fail.”

“This is unjust! I want a re-blow!”

“You didn’t even-” Jungkook was going to pull something with how hard he was laughing. “Fuck stop! I’m gonna pee myself, listen! Listen. Alright, so they also make you do this thing where you walk in a straight line.”

“That’s dumb, I can do that, watch,” Taehyung huffed and held his arms out to the side, with Jungkook still holding his hand. He got two steps in and was suddenly staggering to the side, Jungkook catching him against his chest and laughing. “That was a fluke! That was a fluke, I bet I couldn’t even do it sober.”

“What is happening right now…?” Yoongi mumbled as the others just sat and watched the chaos unfolding in front of them.

“Come sit down before you hurt yourselves.”

Without thinking Jungkook let go of Taehyung’s hand and stepped over to sit in Hoseok’s lap, the other wrapping his arm around his waist immediately. He quickly apologized however when Taehyung almost faceplanted at the whiplash of suddenly being sober and lucid again. It took a second for him to get his bearings before he made his way to sit with Seokjin and Namjoon again.

“I agree with Jungkook, next time, let’s all get drunk because that was a lot of fun,” he grinned.

Jungkook whined and pouted, “No fair, you guys can just turn it on and off.”

His complaints left his mind rather quickly when he felt Hoseok’s fingers trace underneath the choker at the back of his neck, pulling it just a little bit tighter.

“You shouldn’t have drank so much then,” Yoongi chuckled.

“Just you guys wait. I’ll take you guys out to a club, we’ll drink and dance. Like this.”

Without giving him any kind of warning, Jungkook pressed himself down in Hoseok’s lap, rolling his hips and grinding against him. He smirked as he felt the other tense and huff a curse out next to his ear, Hoseok’s hands shooting down to grip his hips and still the motion.

“Fuck. Don’t start that bun.”

“Start what?” He asked innocently and found more joy than he probably should in the dark look Hoseok gave him over his shoulder. Suddenly remembering something extremely important, Jungkook perked up, accidently shifting sharply against Hoseok and making the man groan and thump his forehead against the back of his shoulder.

“Oh oh can we have the sex talk now?”

They all blinked and traded looks before Seokjin shook his head, “I don’t think we should when you’re not fully aware Jungkookie.”

Jungkook pouted at how amused he sounded, “Please?”

Seokjin blinked and opened and closed his mouth a few times, “Ah well…”

“No, no. No. Jungkook, stop it,” Yoongi pointed at him. “Put the pout away.”

That made him pout even more but a sharp look from Namjoon had him sighing and relenting. “Alright fine. Not now. Tomorrow.”

“We promise, tomorrow,” Jimin laughed a little.

It wasn’t long before Jungkook had them all playing a game of catching food in their mouths and they found out that Jimin was incredibly good at it, his record distance being from the far end of the dining room to the living room.

That somehow led into tipping the couches on their sides and having an all out food war between the youngest three and the others, though Yoongi was very much an unwilling captive on the other team so they had made it their mission to save him.

More drinks and more laughs were had, only two glasses got broken which was nothing short of a miracle, and everyone had learned the lyrics to at least three of the songs on Jungkook’s phone which led to belting the songs at the top of their lungs until their throats were sore. Well, Jungkook’s was anyway.

By the time the night was winding down, Jungkook had sobered up enough to walk properly and had given up on trying to seduce the others. After listening to their stories quietly for awhile, Jungkook felt himself getting tired, head resting on Hoseok’s shoulder and holding his hand in his lap.

Hoseok was tracing he’s finger absently over the ring on his hand, feeling the engraving, feeling where the silver met his soft skin.

The mood had turned more nostalgic and calm, a nice lull compared to the chaos that had been ensuing. The living room was a mess but none of them seemed to care much, or that their nice clothes were likely stained with remnants of food.

Jungkook was lazily watching Yoongi twist and manipulate a flame in his hand when he remembered something. Letting go of Hoseok’s hand briefly he slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out the lighter he’d bought when he was picking up Sumi’s umbrella at the corner store.

He ran his thumb over the plastic.

Looking at the others all crashed out around the living room talking casually he couldn’t help feeling like the distance was smaller now. They felt so much closer. The crevasse of distance felt more like a crack in the sidewalk.

Such a small gap and yet Jungkook wasn’t sure if he was ready to close it. There was something holding him back from taking the step over it.

He didn’t need to think hard to figure out what it was. It was him. It was that fact that, he didn’t know if he was still himself after everything. Didn’t know if having an entirely new body meant he was still ‘Jungkook’. Wasn’t Jungkook the one buried six feet under in the back yard? Wasn’t he the one who had died to save the others?

Jungkook felt… fake. Like a copy of himself.

He was scared the others would start seeing him how he saw himself.

“I need to see it,” he found himself mumbling, staring at the lighter in his hand.

Hoseok was the only one close enough to hear him and he turned to look at him curiously. “What was that Kookie?”

Jungkook didn’t respond right away and that drew the others attention, Jimin twisting to look at him upside down from where he lay on the floor with Taehyung’s head on his stomach.

He ran his tongue along his teeth and clamped his hand around the lighter.

“My grave. I want to see it.”

Chapter Text

The stone was smooth under his fingers as he traced the engraved name on the surface. The tips of his fingers dipped into the grooves that spelled out the familiar characters.

Jungkook had thought about his own death before. Like most, he wondered what it’d be like to die or what was waiting on the other side if there was anything at all. He had wondered who would turn up to his funeral, or if he’d have a funeral, and if people would miss him.

Looking at his grave, a polished stone plaque held up by roots wrapping it’s edges and a bushes worth of Smeraldos, he felt this was more then he deserved.

It was beautiful. Extremely well taken care of. The grass had grown over the soil that had been displaced to bury him. Jungkook wondered if Hoseok had a hand in speeding up the process. He hoped so. The idea that he had been gone long enough for the soil of his grave to settle made him feel sick.

Time had been a concern of his since he realized he loved the six magical men that came into his life. He knew he’d grow older, in a very short amount of time. He knew they’d have to watch him die again. It was a scary thing to think about when they were just starting out.

He had such a limited time with them, and even less now that he’d been gone three months.

Jungkook wanted those three months back. He wanted every second of them. But he felt that was too much to ask for. He should be grateful he was alive at all.

Running a hand through the grass where he sat with his legs crossed, he thought about his other body. It was directly under him. Three months rotted and probably quite grotesque. His face, his skin, his scars, his eyes. That was him under six feet of dirt.

Except he wasn’t him.

Not anymore.

It was just a body, an empty shell. A vessel that had gotten him through every hardship, every day of hard work, every injury, every sleepless night. For that he was grateful, so incredibly grateful, but it wasn’t him.

“I’m right here,” he spoke softly, voice loud amongst the sounds of the night. He placed a hand over his chest. “This is me. Right here.”

His hyungs, determined not to let him face this alone, were standing at a respectful distance behind him. Jungkook had been careful not to look at them. He didn’t want to see the sorrow in their eyes when they looked at the grave, didn’t want to see the pale looks they sometimes still got when they forgot he was back. As increasingly rarer as that was becoming, it still broke his heart.

They stayed silent, but he knew they could hear him clearly.

“I feel like you’re haunting us. Like you’re hovering over us, making sure we don’t get comfortable. I feel fake because of you,” Jungkook scoffed at the stone, reaching for the bottle of Bubble next to him and tipping his head back to take a swig.

There wasn’t a response, not that he was expecting one.

“I feel like a fraud. Like I’m not really me anymore. It’s that… that feeling you get when you go to a friend’s house and you can’t relax fully cause it’s not your home. I don’t feel at home in this body. You know?” He was rambling a little, he blamed that on the alcohol.

“I kind of hate you. It’s not your fault, or my fault, not really. It’s just a bad situation. But I can’t help hating you. Cause you hurt them,” he swung an arm around to point at his boyfriends. “I can’t forgive you for that.”

Jungkook got to his feet and stepped back away from the grave. Standing back and looking at it, he sucked in a breath of air, crisp and fresh in his lungs.

“Jungkook…?”

Hearing Namjoon’s voice, he finally turned to them, looking them each over carefully. They looked uncomfortable but not upset. A strange mix of reassurance and phantom grief. His eyes landed on Hoseok and he licked his lips tasting the sweetness of the drink on them.

“Hyung, can you open it?”

Hoseok stood up a bit straighter and looked at the others, as if searching for a confirmation or to make sure they were all okay with this. Jungkook was sure, if grave sites had any of the same meaning here as they did in his world, that they might not want to disrupt it out of respect. But did the same respect apply when he was alive to tell them it was okay?

Taehyung put a gentle hand on the back of the dragon’s shoulder and it seemed to be enough affirmation for the man to step forward next to Jungkook. Wordlessly he crouched and pressed his palm to the ground.

The ground shifted slightly as the soil separated over the grave, splitting apart and rolling back over itself into mounds next to them until there was a rectangular pit in front of the plaque, six feet deep.

No one said or did anything for a long moment, watching as Jungkook, a bottle in one hand, pulled out the lighter he’d bought.

Hoseok slowly stood. He turned to look at Jungkook.

Jungkook wondered what the others might be thinking, if they were upset or sad that he wanted to erase this part of their past together. No not erase… that wasn’t the right word. He wanted to move past it. Not to forget but to keep moving on. Jungkook wasn’t sure if he could do that knowing his body was buried here.

“Tell me not too,” Jungkook said, eyes flicking between them. “If you don’t want me to do this, tell me.”

The air was heavier than he was used to it being around them, but this felt like an important moment. This felt like the decider of how they were going to face everything they’d been through. A moment where he needed to be brave and put it behind him. To start over.

Yoongi spoke up calmly, arms crossed across his chest. “A phoenix is reborn in flames. If you need that too, we understand. We’ll be right here.”

Jungkook turned back to the grave. He didn’t need to think on it. Stepping to the edge he tipped the bottle, pouring it’s contents over the casket at the bottom of the hole, not dwelling on it further.

Flicking the lighter he watched the small flame for a moment before taking one last look at his casket and tossing it in.

They all found themselves sitting in a row side by side at a safe distance from the flames that burned up out of the grave.

Hoseok made sure to push the Smeraldo’s back to a safe distance as well, not wanting the flowers damaged in any way.

Jungkook sat in the middle of them, watching the fire with his elbows lazily rested on his knees. It was a strangely beautiful sight. If he wasn’t still really drunk he might have even cried.

Instead, while the flames flickered and roared soothingly in front of them he couldn’t help saying, “We kind of look like psychopaths right now.”

“This is one of the weirder things we’ve done yeah,” Namjoon nodded not looking away from the flames.

Yoongi nodded in agreement.

“Do you want me to take the stone out tomorrow?” Hoseok asked.

Jungkook sniffed and rubbed his nose which was numb from the alcohol, “No, we should probably keep it there so we at least know where the ashes are. The idea of another me buried under ground just freaked me out too much. I kept expecting it to come back to life or something.”

“You have a strange imagination Kookie,” Taehyung said casually.

“… You’re a weather Fae and you’re telling me zombies are far-fetched?”

“Stop using human words I don’t understand.”

“Stop being gorgeous.”

“What?”

“I thought we were saying unrealistic requests.”

“… I see what you did there and I’m a little annoyed but also impressed.”

Jimin sighed, “Next time we’re all getting drunk.”

The sentiment was shared by them all in a chorus of nods.

Jungkook’s head was pounding before he even opened his eyes the next morning.

He had all of ten seconds to groan and curse himself for not drinking enough water before he was scrambling over Namjoon in an effort to get to the bathroom before he puked all over the floor. This was probably the only time he’d curse the size of the large bed they’d all taken to sleeping in.

He managed to get the door closed behind him before he threw himself over the toilet and promptly emptied the contents of his stomach into the bowl.

When he was done he slumped next to the toilet for a few minutes to regret his actions before he needed to get the taste of bile out of his mouth. Flushing the toilet he dragged himself to the sink to rinse his mouth.

“Kookie? You alright?”

The knock on the door, though not overly loud, felt like a nail driving into the side of his head and he had to lean forward with his hands against the counter to wait for the pounding to stop. The only response he could give Seokjin was a sound mixed between a groan and a whine.

Hangovers weren’t an unfamiliar feeling but that certainly didn’t make them enjoyable. This one being particularly bad given that he didn’t think he’d even looked at any water the night before. He was usually pretty good at matching his drinks but he’d just gotten too caught up in the fun to care.

Opening his eyes slowly, squinting at himself in the mirror, he almost jumped away from the counter when he caught a glimpse of purple. A flash. The tail end of his iris’s fading from a vibrant lavender purple.

Pressing his eyes closed tightly and digging his wrists into them he looked once more, their familiar brown remaining unchanged. He sighed.

He didn’t want to deal with this right now.

Seokjin poked his head into the washroom, “That sounded like the exact opposite of okay,” he frowned. Upon seeing his expression Seokjin stepped over to him and turned Jungkook to face him. “Did you see it again?”

Jungkook nodded, rubbing his forehead with his hand to sooth the tension behind his eyes. Seokjin’s hand ran through his hair, his fingers dragging along his scalp helping immensely. He sighed and leaned into the touch.

“It’ll get easier soon,” he reassured. “We can have Namjoonie test you again if you like though.”

Jungkook scrunched his nose a little in consideration.

He’d been catching glimpses of purple in his eyes since he’d gotten back. It was a point he’d made sure to mention to Namjoon when they’d been checking to make sure he was still human. But because Jungkook was the only one who ever saw it, and it didn’t happen frequently, the had all chalked it up to being some form of post traumatic stress.

It certainly freaked him out when he caught sight of it walking by a mirror, or in the screen of his phone but he was getting better at ignoring it. He knew he was human. Magic still didn’t work on him, his blood was still red, his heart still beat and his body still reacted to things as it should.

It still made him wary though.

Shaking his head, he slumped forward into Seokjin, pressing his forehead against the other man’s shoulder. “Mmmm…”

“Are you feeling okay?”

Shaking his head again he pouted, “’m hungover.”

“Hungover?” Seokjin’s hand stroked up and down his back and Jungkook nuzzled into him, only groaning in response again. He didn’t want to explain, he wanted some water and a pill for his head and cuddles. Seokjin seemed to understand this to some extent and Jungkook could hear a light concern in his voice when he asked, “Do you need Jiminie?”

Nodding, Jungkook lifted his arms and hooked them over Seokjin’s shoulders, too lazy to carry his own weight right now. “Carry me?”

Seokjin chuckled and Jungkook knew he was being childish, especially given that he’d brought this on himself by being an idiot but he felt too sick to care about being needy for attention and love.

Without question Seokjin crouched to hook his hands under Jungkook’s thighs and lifted him easily, shifting his hands to support him better as Jungkook hooked his legs around his waist and buried his face in his neck. His stomach lurched in protest to the sudden action but it settled quickly once they were making their way back to the bed.

Jungkook didn’t look up but some of the others must have been awake or just waking up as he heard them shifting around.

Seokjin put a knee on the bed and Jungkook found himself being taken by someone else, arms coming around him and pulling him into their lap. He snuggled close as they got him situated.

“Jiminie, he’s not feeling well,” Seokjin said quietly.

There were more gentle hands on him. He opened his eyes and looked at Jimin who was pressing the back of his hand against his forehead, cheek and neck to check his temperature, frowning lightly.

“What’s wrong love?” he asked softly.

“Hungover,” he groaned. “Drank too much last night.”

“Ah, this is because of the alcohol?” When Jungkook nodded Jimin continued, “What are your symptoms?”

Jungkook knew that Jimin wanted to figure this out for himself. It wasn’t often he got to deal with Jungkook actually experiencing these things, they only ever acted them out. The real thing was more stressful and Jungkook could see the worry underneath his determination to help.

“Nausea, vomiting, dehydration, headache,” he listed tiredly.

Jimin thought for a moment, clearly going through everything he’d learned in his head. “You’ll need water then and…” he paused here, a little more unsure. “Medicine. Ibuprofen? That will help the headache?”

When Jungkook smiled and nodded, Jimin beamed and leaned forward to kiss his forehead. The next second he was taking off to go get the medicine and some water.

Seokjin made himself comfortable again on the other side of the bed where Yoongi and Taehyung were curled in each other’s arms fast asleep. Hoseok was sprawled out at the foot of the bed, hugging a pillow in place of Jimin.

Namjoon traced the tips of his fingers up and down Jungkook’s arms, making him shiver pleasantly. He leaned back more against the man’s chest. “You sure you’re alright?”

Jungkook hummed, “I’ll probably feel better by lunch if I eat a good breakfast.”

“Like I’d let you eat anything except the best,” Seokjin huffed quietly as he rolled onto his side.

“Sorry if I was too much last night,” Jungkook mumbled. He could remember most of it, not having drank enough to blackout, but it was a little hazy.

“You weren’t bun. It was fun, I think we all needed a night like that,” Namjoon kissed the back of his neck.

That he had to agree with. It was more fun than he’d had in what felt like years. Even after the slightly heavier end of the night, burning his old body, he had enjoyed himself. While he could do without the hangover, he really did feel… reborn. He felt light and free. Like he was himself again.

He’d almost fallen asleep when Jimin came back with the medicine, having read the bottle carefully and double checking with Jungkook to make sure it was the right amount before he handed him the pills. After washing them down with half the water he snuggled back into the warmth of his lovers.

Jimin curled up in front of him, tucked into his chest like he was made it fit there.

When he moved his arm to wrap around him, the band of silver on his finger caught his eye.

His heart jumped and despite the hangover aches in his body he couldn’t help smiling boyishly. He twisted his hand around every which way to get a look at the ring and bit back a giggle of sheer joy and pride. He was wearing their mark. This would tell other’s that he was theirs, that they were his. He wanted the whole world to know. All the world’s even.

He had the sudden urge to go and shout about it in the world he’d created.

When Jimin giggled at his actions and took his hand in his own to still him, he brought it to his lips and the Fae pressed a kiss to the ring gently, then to his knuckles before tucking his hand under his chin.

Jungkook felt the emotion mount even further in his heart, becoming something euphoric that he felt in everything that he was.

Euphoria…

That’s what this feeling was.

He hummed and closed his eyes, squeezing Jimin’s hand gently.

That sounded nice.

Waking up the next time was much less painful, his stomach still a bit queasy but his headache was gone.

Jimin made sure to police him on his water intake once they sat down to breakfast, reminding him of a waiter at a restaurant that never let his glass be anything less then full.

He just found it unbearably cute and Jimin was doing a great job taking care of him, which he made sure to mention and thank him for. The Fae had practically skipped around the house all morning because of that.

The more food Jungkook ate the less upset his stomach felt and he was able to enjoy the meal as he always did.

Until Taehyung suddenly blurted out, “I like spankings.”

Jungkook damn near swallowed his fork.

Coughing and trying to ignore the few amused looks that were shot in his direction, he whipped his head to look at Taehyung who was blinking at him innocently. “Where did that come from?”

“You said you wanted to have the sex talk today right?” Taehyung ate another bite of food and the mischievous glint in his eye was the only sign Jungkook had to tell that he knew exactly what he was doing.

Jungkook cleared his throat. He did remember making them promise but he’d also been drunk and a lot braver. He’d never had to actually sit down and talk about something like this with anyone, not in such a… casual way.

“Is this really a breakfast conversation?”

Seokjin, as calm and collected as always, smiled at him, “This is probably the best time since we’re all here. Are you comfortable with that?”

Jungkook licked his lips and thought about it. It made sense that they had to talk about this outside the bedroom. There were a lot of them in this relationship and the last thing Jungkook wanted was to cross lines they weren’t comfortable with. He gave them a nod, reassured in the fact that he was comfortable enough around them to get through this without blushing like a preteen.

Taehyung grinned, “Do you want to start Jungkookie?”

He blinked and shifted, “Well, ah, I’m not really sure if there are any differences between how you guys do things and how humans do. Does it… change depending on species here or..?”

Namjoon, instead of laughing at him like he half expected, took his question seriously and that alone gave Jungkook more courage. “Little things change here and there but overall, I believe it’s the same. We do have similar physiology in these forms to humans given what I’ve seen of you so far,” Namjoon smirked and Jungkook threw all hope of not blushing his way through this out the window.

“Wait what?” Hoseok looked between them quickly, “When did that happen?”

Jungkook shifted in his seat at the memory and took another bite of food just for the sake of doing something with his hands. “In the study after we found out about the gem.”

Hoseok leaned back in his chair and pursed his lips, “Shit I wish I was there for that.”

Namjoon chuckled and kept his eyes on Jungkook who’s skin felt warm under his gaze. “You think he looked pretty yesterday morning, just wait until you see him coming apart.”

There were a few groans and Jungkook was torn between smirking and crawling under the table to hide.

“You said you like giving and taking right Jungkookie?” Yoongi asked calmly, though his eyes were dark as he ate.

Jungkook nodded, “In my world we call it being top or bottom. Or if you like both roles then it’s switch. I like both depending on my partner.”

“I think it’s pretty obvious I’m exclusively a bottom,” Jimin laughed sheepishly.

Jungkook chuckled and nodded, “I got the sense you might be. I thought you might have a thing for strength too, right? You seemed to like it when I picked you up before.”

Jimin turned bright red, “H-How you did that with one arm and a bad shoulder still baffles me.”

Taehyung grinned, “Minnie likes it rough and being man-handled,” the Fae ignored the smack to the arm he received from Jimin. “But he also likes compliments a lot too.”

Jungkook knew that one already too. “Don’t you too Tae-hyung? You liked it when I called you-”

The Fae’s finger pressed against his lips effectively silencing him as Taehyung quickly shook his head. “Unless you’re feeling well enough to finish the job right now, don’t get me started.”

Pressing a kiss to his finger before he could pull away, Jungkook smiled at Taehyung’s small giggle.

“I do like praise, but I have to know I’ve earned it. I really like being ordered around or being punished if I misbehave.”

“Which he likes to do intentionally most times,” Hoseok chipped in, shooting Taehyung a playful look.

Taehyung winked at him before looking back at Jungkook who was trying incredibly hard not to imagine him in all sorts of situations. “Minnie is the only one I’ll top for too.”

“Fuck I’d… really like to see that,” Jungkook admitted.

“It’s an absolute vision,” Seokjin hummed lowly, resting his chin in his hand.

“So, what is everyone else in terms of tops or bottoms?” Jungkook tried to divert the subject slightly so he could focus.

Yoongi answered for everyone, pointing his fork in their directions as he listed them off, “Joon is exclusively top, Hobi too. Jinnie and I are both switches but I prefer bottom. I like to put up a fight for dominance and being in control but I enjoy the feeling of giving in eventually. I’ve topped a few times for Taetae and Minnie but it’s not a frequent thing.”

Jungkook thought about struggling for control over Yoongi, thought about the feeling after Yoongi finally gave in and let him absolutely wreck him until the man couldn’t walk straight the next day. He groaned.

Taehyung reached over and gave his knee a squeeze under the table, as if to be reassuring but the way he left his hand there gave away his teasing intents pretty quickly. Jungkook shot him a look which he returned with an innocent smile.

“Yoongi is also incredibly good with his tongue,” Namjoon said lowly and Jungkook had to rock his head back and huff to try and push through the wave of horniness he was suddenly experiencing. He really wanted to tell them they should show not tell, but he knew this was important, as turned on as he was getting. At least they didn’t seem to be in much better shape. The food had all but been forgotten by now.

The phoenix smirked at the compliment and Jungkook’s reaction.

“Namjoonie likes watching us together, Tae and Jinnie both particularly like being watched but I think we all enjoy it to some extent, Jinnie’s neck is also really sensitive,” Hoseok said, speeding through a few more things so they could get through this without jumping each other. “We all also like talking during. Praise, dirty things, teasing, nicknames, those are all good but we try and stay away from anything too degrading.”

Jungkook breathed out in relief, “I was going to bring that up, I should say that dirty talk is fine with me, but degradation is one of my hard lines,” he cringed a bit. “I’ve had a few partners take it too far and my parents didn’t exactly help with that so…”

That seemed to bring everyone back to full attention and Taehyung’s hand on his leg loosened slightly to be more soothing then suggestive. Jungkook could see the dangerous protective looks in their eyes again and he hated that he loved it so much.

“Good. That’s good to know Kookie. Thank you for telling us that,” Seokjin said and the praise made him feel warm inside.

“That um, that I like,” he cleared his throat and clarified when they gave him confused looks. “The praise, like Taetae and Minnie, I really like that whether I’m top or bottom. Also, the possessiveness is really… really good.”

There were a few groans and Yoongi had to shift in his seat, mumbling, “Fuck why are you so damn perfect.”

“You seemed to be enjoying yourself when Joonie and I had you to ourselves,” Hoseok smirked. “Do you like attention?”

Jungkook, now under all of their attention, couldn’t deny that was true. He nodded and swallowed a bit, trying to ignore Taehyung’s hand sliding up his leg casually.

Namjoon, eyes now darkened with lust pressed his tongue to the inside of his cheek, jaw tense, “Before we get off track, is there anything else you don’t like Jungkook?”

He thought about it and shook his head. “I’m pretty open to a lot of things as long as they’re safe and no one is getting hurt, emotionally or otherwise.”

They all nodded.

“How do you feel about choking or biting?” Hoseok asked, “Things like that are a bit different for us but we’re aware that it can really hurt you. I personally like having my hand around my partners throat, it’s a dominance thing for my species. But if it makes you uncomfortable I won’t.”

Jungkook shook his head, remembering when Hoseok had gripped him by the back of the neck before or by the jaw to control his movement. “I like it. As long as you aren’t pressing down so much that I can’t breathe. Same with the biting, I’m fine with pain as long as you don’t break skin or anything. Oh actually, I wanted to ask how you guys feel about pain in that sense. I know you’re not really used to it.”

“Love it,” Taehyung said quickly.

Jimin nodding quickly too. “Don’t hold back with us.”

Blinking at them he laughed a little and nodded. “Tell me if it’s ever too much though. I should have asked before.”

“We will,” Jimin reassured, “But honestly Kookie, when you ran your nails down my chest before, that was,” he breathed out and just shook his head as if he was at a loss for words. “You can do that again. I want you to do that again.”

“I think the rest of us are fine with it too, we don’t have much experience with it like you said so maybe ease us into it and we’ll tell you in the moment,” Seokjin said.

Jungkook hummed, “Safety wise, how does protection work here? Like do you guys use condoms or lube?”

“Lube yes, but I’m not sure what a condom is,” Hoseok blinked.

Jungkook opened his mouth then promptly snapped it shut. Holy shit. They all had protection spells. So they’d all be clean wouldn’t they? There wouldn’t be any risk of STD’s if they avoided using a condom. Also given that Jungkook’s body had never had sex before he knew he was safe. He leaned back and ran a hand through his hair.

“Ah wow okay. This might be a weird question, or not, I don’t know. How do pregnancy’s work here? I mean I assume it’s different per species?”

Yoongi hummed and nodded, “That’s a good question. None of us can get pregnant though if that’s what you’re wondering. There are some species where a male can get pregnant but none of ours. Breeding between species only works in some cases too.”

Jungkook nodded, “Okay, it’s the same for humans. Men can’t get pregnant.”

There was a moment of contemplative silence as they tried to think of anything they missed when Namjoon spoke up. “Besides degradation, there are some names we don’t like to be called but you shouldn’t have to worry about running into that problem at all. Also Yoongi and I both don’t like being restrained or hit in anyway.”

“The hitting thing, at least across the face applies to all of us, it’s an extremely disrespectful action here, though I’d imagine it’d also hurt if you were to do it,” Hoseok said calmly.

Jungkook scrunched his nose at the idea of hitting them like that.

“That being said, you being with us kind of adds a lot of new elements to sex that we haven’t experienced before Jungkook,” Seokjin leaned over and took his hand. “The sensations are different when we’re touching you so our preferences might change depending on how it feels with you.”

Jungkook nodded in understanding. There was a lot of things he figured the human world had access to that they didn’t in terms of kinks and toys so he figured he might get to show them some new things or help them explore others. He was looking forward to that. “Since you guys can’t feel pain, I should mention that ah penetration can hurt if you aren’t properly… stretched out first.”

Taehyung almost fell out of his chair with how quickly he whipped his head around to look at him, “Like good pain? You can have good pain there too?”

Jungkook smirked and the heavy look was back in Taehyung’s eyes as he bit down on his lip and gripped Jungkook’s thigh, shivering from the heightened sensation of his own teeth sinking into his skin.

“Any more questions or concerns anyone?” Seokjin said, standing up suddenly. For a moment Jungkook got excited, thinking they were about to head to the bedroom and put their conversation into practice. Instead, Seokjin nodded once when no one spoke up and clapped his hands, “Good. Then let’s get cleaning.”

All of them slumped in disappointment.

Taehyung whined, “Cleaning? But what about-”

“We made a huge mess last night and the living room is a disaster. If we don’t clean it now we never will.”

While he had a good point, the last thing Jungkook wanted to do was clean.

Begrudgingly though, they all set about their day as if they hadn’t spent all of breakfast talking about the things they wanted done to them and to do to each other. It didn’t help that he was tasked with helping Namjoon right the furniture they’d tipped over the night before while Jimin tidied up the glasses and plates left out.

By the time they were finished later in the afternoon, Jimin and Jungkook both found themselves staring at Namjoon who had rolled up his sleeves, exposing his arms as the man crouched and picked up the last out of place love seat, the muscles in his arms tensing.

Jungkook was pretty sure he was drooling at the sight.

“Are you guys going to help or just stand there?” Namjoon raised a brow but Jungkook’s mind had stopped working awhile ago. Between staring at Namjoon’s arms and Jimin’s ass as they worked he was basically running on one brain cell. His eyes traced up the man’s legs as he stood up, putting the chair back to where it should be.

“Guys?”

“Thighs…” was Jungkook’s very intelligent response.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Jimin nod, mouth hanging open slightly much like his own.

Namjoon chuckled.

A thump sounded from the hallway followed by a groan and not a second later Seokjin and Yoongi stumbled into view, kissing each other as if they wanted to devour the other. They pulled and grabbed at each others clothes as they staggered back into the railing of the stairs, almost falling over.

“Are you guys done cleaning?” Namjoon blinked as Yoongi pulled away from Seokjin’s mouth to bite and suck at his neck.

Seokjin groaned a sound that was all too sinful for an angel and turned his head to look at them, “Bedroom. Now.”

They didn’t need to be told twice.

Jimin spun around and grabbed Jungkook’s shoulders, using them to jump and wrap his legs around his waist. Jungkook caught him quickly, barely having time to find his balance before Jimin was crashing his lips to his fiercely.

Getting up the stairs was an ordeal with Jimin’s tongue pressing into his so deliciously and he would have fallen if not for Namjoon’s hand on his back guiding him.

When they got to the bedroom, Yoongi was already stripping Seokjin’s shirt off him, the man pinned under him on the bed. Hoseok and Taehyung were in a heated kiss, both their hair messed and their breathing ragged as they pressed and grabbed at each other.

Jungkook wasted no time in grabbing Jimin by the hips and tossing him onto the bed next to them.

Jimin squeaked and barely had a second to catch his breath before Yoongi was leaning over to kiss him in greeting.

Jungkook, distracted by the scene, didn’t notice Namjoon step up behind him until his hands were pulling him back to press flush against him. He traced the shell of his ear with the tip of his nose as they both watched Yoongi draw his own shirt off, exposing his smooth pale skin.

He could only see his back and he could make out more then a few scars, all faded with centuries of time. Jungkook wanted to give in to the urge to paint his skin in fresh marks and bruises, ones made with love and intent to pleasure, not harm.

Taehyung looked over at him and gave him such a lustful look he found himself weak in the knees, struggling to keep eye contact as Hoseok sucked and bit at the man’s bare chest.

They were so perfect, every inch of them in their own ways.

When Yoongi rolled his hips in a circular motion, ass grinding down onto Seokjin’s crotch, Jungkook shuddered as if he felt it too, pulse quickening at Seokjin’s moan intermingled with the wet kissing sounds.

Namjoon pressed an open mouth kiss below his ear, sucking on his skin lightly and leaving his skin damp and tender as he pulled away just enough to speak. “If it’s ever too much, tell us. We can be overwhelming when it’s all of us.”

Jungkook smiled warmly and turned his head to capture the man’s lips. He felt Namjoon’s tongue trace against his lip and he opened his mouth to allow the other to lick into him, meeting his tongue half way. It wasn’t long before Jungkook was lost in the kiss, twisting around in his hold to press closer, reach deeper.

His hands fisted his shirt and he felt himself being walked backwards towards the bed but was more focused on Namjoon’s hand’s slipping under his shirt and sliding against his skin as he lifted it up. Without hesitation he lifted his arms to allow the immortal to slide the fabric over his head a felt his skin flush when Namjoon took a moment to step back and admire him.

“I missed this sight,” he groaned.

Jungkook’s heart fluttered at Namjoon’s gaze, his skin tingling as if it were something tangible running over him, caressing him.

He was nervous. The slight twist of his stomach told him so. He’d anticipated this for so long but the wait just gave him time to come up with a million ways to mess this up somehow. He wanted to please all of them. He didn’t want anyone to feel left out.

A hand sliding up Jungkook’s back to his shoulders had him jumping a little, looking over his shoulder at Jimin who was kneeling on the bed. “So beautiful Jungkookie,” the Fae marveled and slipped his hands around in front of him to feel his stomach and chest while he pressed feather light kisses into his shoulder. “Touch me, Jungkook, please. I want to feel you.”

The words felt like a switch in his mind and he turned around to face Jimin, kissing him messily, teeth clashing, all tongue and wet heat and little control. He climbed onto the bed, guiding Jimin onto his back, slipping a knee between his legs and then pulling away to run a hand through his blonde hair.

“So needy sweetheart,” he hummed.

He watched Jimin’s eyes flutter and his chest rise and fall, chuckling lowly at how quickly Jimin squirmed to try and work his own shirt off. He struggled awkwardly, their position and his eagerness making the simple task rather difficult. Jungkook watched him for a moment before taking mercy on him and shifting his weight back onto his knees. He took the shirt in both his hands and sharply tugged in opposite directions, ripping the fabric down the middle.

Jimin yelped in surprise and looked at him with wide eyes, drawing the others attention to them.

Hoseok and Namjoon both swore sounding incredibly turned on, Yoongi was eyeing his hands that now sat on either side of Jimin, Taehyung practically whined and separated himself from Hoseok so they could both turn and watch them, Seokjin with his lap still full of Yoongi looked as surprised as Jimin.

“I sometimes forget how strong you are,” the angel admitted, looking at the tear splitting Jimin’s shirt in half.

“I’ll buy you a new shirt Minnie,” he promised but didn’t receive much response from the wide eyed Fae.

“Holy shit that was really attractive,” Hoseok groaned and hooked a hand through Jungkook’s hair to pull him into a passionate kiss. Jungkook moaned against his lips when he felt Jimin’s cock twitch against his thigh, pulling away from the dragon to look at the Fae beneath him.

“Excited sweetheart?” He leaned down, shifting his weight again to rest on one arm. He traced his nail from his cheek, down the side of his neck to the dip in his collar bone, watching the other shiver lightly at the sensation. “You said you liked when I did this didn’t you? Told me I shouldn’t hold back?”

Jimin whined as Jungkook teasingly pressed his nail into his skin, just enough for him to feel the slightly sharp pressure. The Fae arched into his hand, gripping the sheets underneath him as he dragged it down the length of his torso stopping just before his stomach.

He frowned a little looking at the unmarred skin. He was grateful there wasn’t a scar but that didn’t stop the memory of his hand pulling the trigger.

A hand laced through his hair again, this time Yoongi’s as the man climbed off Seokjin to kneel next to him. He leaned his forehead against his. “Let us take care of you Jungkook.”

Jimin’s hand covered his own and he pressed their hands over his stomach, where the wound used to be. He smiled up at him gently and Jungkook nodded a little in return. He was okay now. Everything was okay now.

“Tell us what you want bunny,” Namjoon instructed slipping out of his clothes until he was down to his briefs.

Jungkook moaned at the sight. God there were so many things he wanted right now with each of them. Too many for only a day. “I want… you inside me first hyung,” he said looking at Namjoon. “But I want, Seokjin-hyung to open me up.”

Both men came over to him, Seokjin kneeling behind him and leaning over him to press a kiss between his shoulders, trailing down his spine lovingly.

Taehyung stepped away for a brief moment to grab something off the table in the room, returning with a small glass jar which Jungkook assumed was lube.

Jimin tried to sit up and move out from under him but Jungkook pressed him back into the bed, “Ah ah. Stay right there Minnie.” Jimin hummed happily and relaxed back into the bed lifting his hips to allow Jungkook to slide his pants off.

Jungkook was a little surprised to see that he wasn’t wearing underwear, his cock hard against his stomach. “Fuck sweetheart, you’re so perfect.”

Jimin actually looked a little embarrassed and he tried to turn his head away, only to have Taehyung click his tongue disapprovingly and reach over to tilt his head back towards Jungkook. “Don’t be shy Minnie, thank Jungkookie for complimenting you. He wouldn’t lie to you would he?”

Jungkook watched, feeling Seokjin’s hands at his waist as the man took a hold of his pants and started shimming them down his thighs. He helped by straightening his legs as he watched Jimin swallow and breath out between wet swollen lips. “No, t-thank you Jungkook.”

Jimin was so fucking beautiful. He wanted to make him beg, hear him whine his name and plead for Jungkook to touch him more. He’d have to save that for another time though, as Jungkook didn’t know how long he’d last with all six of them around him like this. “Can I touch you sweatheart? Are you going to be good for me and hold still?”

Jimin nodded quickly, about to squirm with anticipation but Jungkook could see him clamp down and force himself not to move. Recognizing the self-restraint it must have taken, he leaned forward and kissed him. “Good, that’s it love, just be patient for a moment.”

Seokjin, who had been waiting for a moment to interrupt, placed a hand on his lower back when he saw he had Jungkook’s attention. Jungkook gave him a nod of permission and the man proceeded to slip his briefs off of him.

Jungkook sucked in a breath when he felt Namjoon’s and Seokjin’s warm hands knead the bare skin of his ass, both of them moaning at the sight. Jungkook felt wonderfully exposed to them right now and he felt his heart rate pick up.

“Shit, I want to taste you,” Namjoon bit out lowly and his voice alone was enough to have a pulse shooting through Jungkook’s cock. Moaning he shifted his weight, wiggling his ass in front of them and Seokjin grabbed his waist to hold him still in an almost bruising grip.

“Tell me what you need me to do bun,” he said and it was strange to him that the slight interruption and pauses in the pace of things only turned him on more. He past partners took what they wanted just as he did them in a flurry of drunken clumsiness. He’d never had someone ask for instruction on the best way to pleasure him or prep him. The goal had always been to get off and be done with it but right now he was holding back with everything he had so this would never end.

They had barely touched him and he was already so far gone.

Jungkook tipped his head down and tucked his forehead against the crook of Jimin’s neck, sighing pleasantly at the feeling of his hands lacing through his hair.

“Start with one finger,” he said, surprised his voice was so even given how hard he was trying not to rut down against Jimin to feel the slide of their cocks against each others.

He heard the bottle open and there was the wet feeling of lube being poured over his hole, when he felt Seokjin’s slick finger circle his rim he suddenly got an idea. “Wait,” he said quickly, breathing heavily as his heart pounded in his ears. Seokjin immediately stopped and Jungkook almost regretted the word, trying not to press back into him. “Pass me the lube.”

Namjoon handed him the bottle and Jungkook looked up at Taehyung, patting the bed next to him and Jimin. “Taetae, take off your pants and come lie down here.”

Taehyung perked up and hurried to do just that, barely giving Jungkook time to appreciate his tan skin and wonderful figure before he was laying down next to them. Jungkook poured some lube on his fingers and reached down, palming the man’s thigh. “Is this alright?”

Taehyung, understanding what he was doing, nodded and turned his head into Jimin’s shoulder, watching Jungkook with partially lidded eyes full of trust and affection.

“Okay Jinnie-hyung,” Jungkook said, the other’s name barely out of his mouth before Seokjin was circling his finger again. Jungkook mimicked the action on Taehyung, slipping his finger around the others rim and finally letting himself roll down against Jimin.

The stimulation was extreme and not what he was used too, so many area’s of his body being touched at once. Tingles of pleasure raced over his skin and through every bone in his body, Hoseok and Yoongi only adding to it by running their hands over his back and thighs, through his hair, occasionally tugging the strands.

Taehyung was gasping next to Jimin and who was grinding up against Jungkook in a steady rhythm.

By the time Seokjin pressed a finger inside him, Jungkook was starting to think he might come early. He grit his teeth, Jimin’s motions rocking him back against Seokjin’s finger. He barely remembered to slip his own finger inside Taehyung and the way the man arched and moaned loudly made it even harder to control himself.

He matched Seokjin’s pace inside of him with Taehyung, feeling the other clench around him. Jimin shuddered and gasped and grabbed at him desperately and Jungkook swallowed his sounds in a kiss.

“Look at you bun, pleasuring three of us at once, you’re doing so well for us. Do you think you can take another love?” Seokjin asked keeping a steady pace that wasn’t quiet fast enough to build him to release but certainly felt teasingly good.

Jungkook could only whine into Jimin’s mouth and press back into Seokjin’s hand eagerly as a response.

Another finger was pressed against his hole, Seokjin pausing his thrusts to ease the next one in. The stretch burned in a way that made him feel full, Seokjin’s fingers so long and reaching so deep.

He took Seokjin’s pause to let him adjust to look at Taehyung who was almost quivering in pleasure. “Hey, baby, look at me,” he coaxed knowing the new heightened sensation must be overwhelming.

Taehyung opened his eyes, unfocused and lost in blissful pleasure. “Kookie, feels good, feels so good,” he rambled and Jungkook silenced him with a peck to the lips.

“I know baby. Can you do more or do you want me to stop at one?”

He grunted when he felt Jimin’s hand slip down between their chests and wrap around his cock. Taehyung reached down at the same time and grabbed Jungkook’s wrist as if to prevent him from pulling out. “More. Fuck please more. Don’t stop.”

That was all the convincing Jungkook needed as he guided another finger to his rim and carefully slipped it in next to his other one, watching Taehyung bury his face in Jimin’s shoulder until Yoongi stepped in to draw him into a kiss, leaning over him.

Seokjin started up his pace again, Jungkook instinctively pressed back with each thrust and he moaned when that had Jimin stroking his cock in time. “H-Hyung, fu-ck.”

It thankfully wasn’t long before Seokjin added another finger and Jungkook could hear the man breathing heavily behind him. He wanted to turn and look to see what Namjoon was doing to him but he couldn’t risk it. He was trying so hard not to come.

“Namjoon-hyung, please, I need you inside me,” he begged. His arms almost collapsed when Seokjin slowly pulled out of him. Jungkook’s whole body felt alight, every nerve ending in tuned to the men around him. He slipped his fingers out of Taehyung carefully and slumped forward onto Jimin who was in a very similar desperate boat as he was.

“Come on love,” Yoongi helped Jungkook up off of Jimin and he was immediately wrapped in Namjoon’s familiar arms. His bare chest was warm against his back and his hard cock pressed against his ass.

Kneeling like this put him on full display to the others, where Hoseok had pulled Jimin into his lap, similarly facing Jungkook. Yoongi had sat Taehyung up and Seokjin moved over to help him support him as Yoongi kissed the boy lovingly.

“They’ll be able to see how pretty you are when you come like this bunny,” Namjoon groaned into his ear as he positioned himself at his hole. Jungkook gasped feeling the head of the man’s cock press against him, already covered in lube.

“Show him how much we love him Joonie, make sure he never forgets that he’s one of ours now. Our special bunny,” Hoseok hummed, arms hooked around Jimin’s waist, holding the other still despite his attempts at twisting his hips in his lap. “Jungkookie has to finish first Minnie, you don’t want to miss his pretty expressions. Then I’ll move and you can show him the sexy sounds you make.”

Jimin nodded between his panting and Jungkook understood that Hoseok must be sitting still inside of him right now. Lucky for Jimin, Jungkook didn’t think he’d be waiting long to finish. The coil in his stomach was wound tighter then it has ever been. Just from them. From their looks, their words, their hands, their presence. Everything about them.

He tipped his head back letting out a throaty moan as Namjoon pressed into him, the head of his cock sliding past his rim and plunging deep inside of him. The stretch was slightly painful but the pain helped a little to bring him back from the edge.

Namjoon must have felt him tense and held still for him, peppering kisses anywhere he could reach.

Fuck, he was big.

Jungkook felt the pain fade after a moment, leaving only the feeling of being so full and content. Namjoon was basically holding all his weight as he began to move, each movement picking up until he was thrusting into him deep and fast.

Namjoon’s hands were gripping his hips tightly, pulling him back in time to meet his hips. One of his hands slid up to the center of his chest, pressing his hot palm against his skin and Jungkook was sure he could feel his heart pounding. The man grunted next to his ear pressing wet kisses to his neck and shoulder.

“You’re so tight, fuck,” he all but growled, “Do you know how many times we’ve had to control ourselves around you? How many times we’ve all come with your name on our tongues?”

Jungkook grabbed at Namjoon’s hand on his chest, the ring on his finger a noticable pressure against both their hands. His other hand reaching back to grip the man’s hair, looking for something to hold onto as the words accompanied by the others all watching them with dark eyes made his cock twitch, precum dripping from the tip.

“Hy-Hyung,” he whined.

“Shit, Jungkook,” Yoongi moaned, crawling in front of him and sliding his hands up his sides to his cheeks. His skin was hot and clammy, glistening with sweat as Namjoon hit particularly deep with one thrust. He released Namjoon’s hair and pulled Yoongi in to kiss him hard.

He’d given up on technique, too fair gone to care that he was just moaning and whining into Yoongi’s mouth as the other did all the work. Jungkook reached down and wrapped his hand around Yoongi’s cock, using the lube still on his hand from fucking Taehyung with his fingers to help the slide as he pumped him quickly. Yoongi swore and threw his head back.

Jungkook leaned forward and rested his forehead against the man’s shoulder. This arched his back, allowing Namjoon to change his angle and slam directly against his prostate.

A gasp ripped out of him and his vision turned white. The coil in his stomach snapped and he felt every beat of his heart pulse through his body to his fingertips and toes. He felt hands grabbing his shuddering body as he came, supporting him as Namjoon slowed his pace to ease him through it.

His body slumped and his weight fell forward onto Yoongi who fell back onto the bed. Namjoon fell with him, keep his weight off them by using his arms as he slowly pulled out of Jungkook. He could feel his come inside of him and he sighed contently, body still quivering in the after shocks of his orgasm.

Under him, Yoongi groaned and he thought he should probably get off him before he crushed him, but only having the energy to roll most of his weight to the side, still partially on the phoenix.

He opened his eyes slowly and looked at Yoongi who looked like he was recovering from his own end and then he noticed the bite mark on his shoulder. It didn’t break skin but it was quite prominent and Jungkook winced, not having realized he’d bit into him.

“Hyung, I’m sorry, I-”

“You weren’t kidding about that being intense,” Yoongi breathed. “Fuck that felt good.”

Licking his lips he sighed in relief, shifting upwards a bit to press a kiss to the mark. Yoongi twitched slightly at the sensitive sensation but hummed pleasantly and gave Jungkook a satisfied smile.

He heard Jimin and Hoseok finish together, their moans and gasps reaching a peak, as Namjoon slid a hand up his back and curled up next to him. Jungkook put the effort into rolling over to face him, smiling tiredly when he saw the adoring look the man was giving him. He reached up and pulled him down for a chaste kiss that spoke all the things that Jungkook was too overwhelmed to say.

The kiss didn’t last long, very quickly interrupted when a very naked Taehyung jumped and body slammed across all three of them none too gently. Jungkook yelped followed quickly by Yoongi’s curse and Namjoon’s grunt but the Fae had little care as he grinned and squirmed to squeeze into what was very quickly becoming a cuddle pile.

“Taetae be careful,” Seokjin chuckled and shifted over to join them.

“How are you feeling Jungkookie?” Taehyung asked, smiling brightly.

Jungkook smiled too, running his hand through Taehyung’s hair, “Amazing. You guys are…”

“Amazing?” Hoseok raised a brow as he pulled Jimin over too, both still looking a bit shaky from coming. Jungkook snickered and none of them seemed to care how messy they all were, cuddling close unabashed.

Jimin reached over them and brushed Jungkook’s bangs off his sweaty forehead. “I’m holding you to buying me a new shirt. Maybe two. Cause that was really sexy.”

Jungkook laughed and nodded, snuggling into Namjoon’s chest and coming down from the high of sex. A kiss was pressed to his hair.

“I love you guys,” Jungkook found himself saying. His heart felt warm and his body loved. This was what perfect felt like.

And like always, they responded right away.

“We love you too Jungkook.”

“Okay round two!” Taehyung sprung up and was met with multiple groans and Yoongi shoving his head back down to make him lay down.

“Give us a damn second!”

Jungkook burst out laughing.

Chapter Text

Sumi loved working Monday’s.

Some people would likely call her weird for that, given that Mondays weren’t exactly favored amongst the working population. For her though, Mondays were the days before her day off. Mondays were boring. No one stuck around for long on Mondays, they get in and get out wanting the day to be over before it even started.

Mondays meant a lot of free time to talk to Jungkook.

Chatting with him had made a huge difference to her day. She looked forward to their conversations and she found she could talk to him about everything and anything. They’d even gotten into a conversation about make up brands. He seemed to know a lot about concealer in particular which she found strange. When she asked though he just laughed it off saying he used to work in a mall and would read the signs when he was bored.

She didn’t think signs would give that much information though.

The days that Jungkook didn’t work and she worked with the other staff member seemed to drag on forever. The girl wasn’t much of a talker and she kept to herself, preferring to listen to music in one ear then hold a conversation when things got slow.

To say she was looking forward to whatever strange topics they’d talk about today was an understatement.

It seemed that the good mood was contagious that morning as Jungkook came into the break room humming and smiling brightly.

“Morning!”

Sumi smiled at him and laughed a bit as she pulled her shoes out of her locker, “Good morning, you look like you’re in a good mood today.”

Jungkook chuckled as he stepped beside her to open his locker. “Today’s going to be an interesting day.”

“Do you have something planned?” Sumi asked curiously. Jungkook didn’t talk much about himself though she had heard quite a bit about his roommates. He’d told her that Yoongi was a pianist after she’d asked about it, and that he’d often play for all of them. Apparently one of his roommates was also an incredible cook, Jungkook had tried a few times to get Jaeyong to give him some recipes to bring home but Jaeyong refused every time.

Jungkook hummed, “Sort of, my roommates are all coming by to hang out.”

He said it with such an excited smile that Sumi found herself smiling verbatim.

“I finally get to meet the mysterious roommates? I’m surprised they haven’t been by before now,” she said. Given how protective Yoongi seemed she wondered if the others were too or if they were a little more lax.

“I asked them not to until I got comfortable here, they can be… rambunctious,” he said with all the fondness in the world. “I’m really looking forward to introducing you guys.”

Sumi felt nervous butterflies in her stomach and tried to laugh the feeling away, “The way you talk about them they seem like really nice people.”

“They’re the best,” Jungkook closed his locker just as Jaeyong walked in, a cup of coffee from the chain coffeeshop a block over held in his hands as if it were his life blood and someone was going to try and steal it.

“Ew. Morning people. There’s too much eagerness in this room right now,” the baker grunted and flopped down at the table.

“Good morning to you too hyung,” Jungkook chuckled.

“Shut it.”

Sumi rolled her eyes, “You work at a coffeeshop Jaeyung-ssi, why don’t you just drink the coffee here?”

“The other place is closer to my house. Getting my coffee five minutes earlier keeps me from killing you two. Don’t complain.”

Jungkook snickered. “Sumi-ah, can you take my roommates drinks and food off my pay today?”

Sumi looked at him and frowned lightly, “You said there were six of them right? Sorry if this sounds rude but… shouldn’t they be able to pay for their own drinks?”

Jaeyong nodded, “How do they afford rent if they can’t even afford coffee?”

“It’s just ah, a thing we all do for each other,” Jungkook said, his words a little rushed. “Jiminie-hyung and Tae-hyung own a shop and they treat us all the time for free.”

“You do you man,” Jaeyong sipped at his coffee. “It’s your paycheck.”

As they got ready, Sumi briefly wondered if meeting Jungkook’s roommates would answer any of her curiosities about the man or if it would only open up more questions.

“I have so many questions.”

“Why are you even looking at the manual? Shouldn’t you know how to fix this stuff?”

“I’m an engineering student, not an electrician.”

“It’s not that complicated, just smack it.”

“That’s just going to break it more!”

“No it’s not, watch.”

Sumi stepped out of Jungkook’s way so he could get closer to the coffee machine. He brought his hand down on top of it sharply, the sound of the smack making her jump as the machine rattled. Not a second later the power switch lit up and the coffee machine gurgled to life.

They both stared at it for a moment before Jungkook grinned and laughed.

Sumi clapped the manual closed and huffed. “You didn’t think that would work did you.”

“Not even a little.”

Shaking her head she turned and bowed at the customer waiting by the cash, “I’m sorry about the delay, it’ll just be a few more minutes, feel free to take a seat and we’ll get you your coffee as soon as we can.”

The customer smiled and bowed back, “I’m not in a rush, it’s no problem.”

She sighed and watched the customer go find a seat at a table. Mondays were supposed to be boring. So far though, it was turning out to be pretty hectic. This was the third thing that had broken already. The strange thing was that they couldn’t find a real reason for any of it.

Earlier the light in the fridge exploded when Jungkook had gone to get some more creamers. He luckily wasn’t hurt but it had been a mess to clean up. After that it was a coffee pot. Sumi had set it down on the counter for only a moment to grab a cup and when she looked back the pot had cracked and poured hot coffee all over the floor.

Then the coffee maker refused to turn on.

It wasn’t even lunch yet.

Any other day and Sumi would be at her wits end, but it was easy to ignore the little annoyances when Jungkook actually made them kind of fun. He was just so carefree about things like that. When she had freaked out about the fridge light and made a fuss about him almost getting hurt, he simply laughed it off, said he was fine and that it was a good adrenaline boost.

It didn’t seem like he was complacent, but he just didn’t dwell on the bad things too much.

Sumi thought back to the conversation she had with Chin-su the other day. She had shown her friend the picture Jungkook took on her phone and promptly went deaf with how loud the girl had squealed. Chin-su then made her regal every word of their conversation, which led to her beating her senseless with a pillow for ‘friend-zoning’ herself.

Today, she wanted to ask Jungkook to go to the movies with her.

She just… hadn’t found the right time to yet. It wasn’t because she was nervous, oh no. She was way past nervous verging on terrified, but the day hadn’t given them much of a chance to chat yet like she had hoped.

She supposed there was always the day after tomorrow… but she didn’t spend the whole day anxious for nothing. She was determined to get the words out.

She picked up a coffee mug that was next to the coffee machine with the intent of putting it away but she paused, fiddling with it for a moment.

Looking around the store now, things were quiet. There were only three customers, Jungkook had taken a cloth to wipe down the counter by the cash and nothing looked like it was about to fall apart. She waited a brief moment just to be sure.

Taking a nervous breath she opened her mouth to get Jungkook’s attention.

The bell over the door chimed.

She had only a second to slump in defeat before someone slammed into Jungkook’s side with enough force that would have had her flattened on the floor but Jungkook only stumbled slightly.

“Kookie!”

The man, that she was now processing wasn’t a threat, had his arms thrown over Jungkook’s shoulders in what looked like a bone crushing hug. Jungkook laughed as if this were the most normal thing in the world, while Sumi could only watch with wide eyes.

Oh. Oh! This must be one of his roommates!

“Hyung! You’re not allowed back here,” Jungkook chuckled and wrapped his arms around the other, picking him as if he weighed nothing and walking around to the other side of the counter before plopping him down.

When the man pulled away from Jungkook with a wide boxy smile, Sumi almost choked. He was one of the most attractive people Sumi had ever seen. Including actors and idols.

Jungkook smiled and they both looked towards the door when it opened again. Sumi watched the group of men walk in.

She was pretty sure her soul decided to take a walk without her body.

“Tae, what did we literally just say,” Yoongi, the only one she recognized, said with a deadpanned look.

The man next to Jungkook, who she assumed was ‘Tae’, blinked at them, “I don’t know, I wasn’t listening.”

There were a few sighs while Jungkook laughed.

As they exchanged greetings, Sumi played a game of trying to find a single, one, just ONE single flaw anywhere on the men. She couldn’t. Her brain felt like it had shut down while trying to figure out how it was possible to have literally seven different people look so uniquely different but all be ‘perfect’? What even was perfect? What was true beauty really? She didn’t know but she somehow felt like she was looking at the answer.

She thought that Yoongi and Jungkook had been flukes, like okay, two really attractive men are friends, that happens. That has basis in reality. But seven?! Seven of the hottest people she’d ever seen all somehow knew each other and lived together?

She only remembered she was holding a cup when it shattered on the ground.

Sumi turned bright red when suddenly all of their attention was on her, and even while most of them were wearing sunglasses, she felt their eyes like lasers. Squeaking she quickly dropped to the floor, hiding behind the counter.

“Sumi-ah, are you alright?” She heard Jungkook ask and watched as he hurried around the counter to her.

Quickly she reached up and grabbed the front of his shirt, tugging him down sharply next to her. He yelped a bit and looked at her in confusion. “What are-”

“You didn’t tell me they were models!” She hissed trying to be quiet even though her mind was telling her this probably looked really weird to his roommates.

Jungkook blinked, “They’re not- oh. No,” he chuckled and Sumi had the sudden urge to smack him. “They’re really attractive right?”

“Attractive is an understatement! How could you not tell me that?! I look like a potato!”

Jungkook wheezed out a laugh and it took him a second to respond, trying to calm down after seeing her panic, “Sumi-ah, you don’t- hahaha, you don’t look like a potato. Let me introduce you.”

Jungkook stood up and offered her a hand. She really just wanted to crawl under the counter and die but she decided that wasn’t a feasible choice so she tried to collect herself and took his hand. He pulled her up and she quickly brushed her apron down to smooth it out, not meeting anyone’s eyes as she quickly bowed in greeting.

Jungkook was clearly trying not to laugh at her expense and she shot him a little glare. This was the ultimate betrayal.

Before Jungkook could say anything though, she found hands reaching over the counter to take hers and she looked up in surprise. The blond man had a kind smile that pinched his eyes closed a bit when it widened, his features were as soft as his hands around hers. “You must be Sumi!”

She blinked and opened her mouth. She forgot how to breath. The only sound that came out of her was a pained squeak.

One of the others spoke up, a man with a naturally deep voice, “Minnie, you have to use honorifics remember.”

The man in front of her nodded, “Right, sorry, Sumi-ssi,” he corrected and shook her hands lightly before letting them go. “Jungkookie has told us a lot about you!”

Holy shit, she really forgot how to breath.

How does one breath?

In and out right?

Sucking in air she realized quickly that was the wrong choice as her lungs were already full and she dissolved into a coughing fit. Quickly turning to the side she cleared her throat before turning back. Her face felt like it was on fire but a quick glance up at the men she could only see kind smiles.

“Sumi-ah, this Jimin-hyung,” Jungkook gestured to the man who had been holding her hands. “You know Yoongi-hyung already.”

Yoongi gave a two finger wave regardless and she had to say seeing his familiar face certainly helped calm her down a bit.

“This is Seokjin-hyung and Namjoon-hyung, and Hobi- I mean Hoseok-hyung,” Jungkook corrected while the others smiled in amusement. “And Taehyung-hyung.”

“It’s nice to meet you all,” she bowed again, clearing her throat once more. “Um, Jungkook-ssi talks about you guys all the time.”

This seemed to make all of them light up and Hoseok reached across the counter to squish Jungkook’s cheeks, laughing. Seeing the man’s smile, for some odd reason, made her question why she had been nervous at all. Though that also meant she was now just staring openly at the visuals she was being blessed with right now.

“Awe Kookie, you’re so cute,” Hoseok grinned and Jungkook seemed rather unbothered by his face being squished, instead smiling and making it look even funnier. Hoseok pulled away snickering.

Sumi couldn’t help noticing the lack of honorifics and found that a little strange. Maybe they were just that close?

“Jungkookie told us that you’re taking something called engineering?” Namjoon asked politely, “I’d love to talk to you about that if you ever have the time.”

Sumi stuttered, playing with her apron, “You um, you like engineering?”

“I have a limited knowledge of the details of it, but I understand the concepts,” he said. “I’d really like to learn more.”

Aliens. They were aliens. They had to be.

“U-Um yeah, sure. If you guys want to stay after closing for a bit that’s fine.”

Taehyung perked up and leaned over the counter, “Really? That would be great! You’re really nice Sumi-ssi. How do you feel about doctors?”

Sumi blinked and looked at Jungkook in confusion. Her coworker just laughed a bit and smiled so she turned back to Taehyung, “Um I prefer not to have to go see them?”

Jimin grinned and held up a hand towards her, she hesitantly gave him a high five and was even more confused when his smile widened. Jimin looked at Jungkook, “She knows how to do the thing!”

Jungkook snickered and nodded, “I told you she was cool.”

“Alright,” Hoseok chuckled. “You pass.”

Yoongi smirked.

Sumi wasn’t sure what exactly she’d just passed but they seemed happy so she hoped that was a good thing. Her mind was more stuck on the fact that Jungkook had called her cool. He thought she was cool? That made her want to do a little happy dance but she’d embarrassed herself enough in front of his friends.

Yoongi ended up guiding everyone to the table he usually sat at and they piled into the booth seats, talking and joking around with each other. Taehyung had no qualms about sitting in Jimin’s lap briefly to get over to the middle of the seat and squish in next to Namjoon, who dropped an arm behind him over the back of the seat.

Jungkook waved a hand in front of her face and she jumped, looking at him quickly, her eyes finding the silver ring on his finger for a moment. Huh, had he always been wearing that?

Jungkook smiled at her and crouched to start cleaning up the pieces of the cup that she broke. “Still alive?”

“Barely,” she breathed and waved him away to clean it herself. “Go serve your friends, I’ll do this and then you can take an early lunch.”

Jungkook perked up, “Really? Is that alright?”

Sumi laughed a bit and nodded. She’d have to be blind not to see how excited he was to have them here. While she might not fully understand why she could respect that he wanted to hang out with them.

“Thanks Sumi-ah!”

She barely blinked before Jungkook was up making an assortment of drinks for them. He seemed to know exactly what he was getting for each person and she wondered if he knew them well enough to know their regular coffee orders off by heart or if he was just going with what he thought they’d like. He did say he’d only known them, or Yoongi at least, for a few months.

Jaeyong stepped out of the kitchen and was almost plowed over by Jungkook as he hurried by with a tray full of drinks. The boy laughed a bit and apologized quickly before heading over to a table full of guys who looked like they’d just stepped out of a magazine.

He watched them for a moment as Jungkook started handing out their drinks. They spoke animatedly and while some of them seemed rather laid back, content to watch the more energetic ones ask Jungkook a ton of questions, they all looked happy.

It was a strange sight to see on a Monday. Or any day for that matter. He got the sense that they weren’t even happy for any particular reason. They just seemed… content with life.

Humming, Jaeyong went to go refill his coffee cup at the pot, only to almost trip over Sumi who was crouched on the floor. He cursed and stumbled to the side to avoid hitting her.

“What is it with you guys?” He raised a brow. “What are you doing?”

Sumi looked up and stood with a hand full of ceramic shards, “I broke a cup. And Jungkook-ssi’s roommates are here.”

“Are those two things related?”

“Possibly.”

He stared at her for a moment and she rolled her eyes.

“Fine. Yes. But look at them, can you blame me?” She pouted and tossed the shards in the garbage.

Jaeyong grabbed the coffee pot and leaned his hip against the counter and refilled his cup, looking over at the loud table. Jungkook had pulled a chair over to the end of the table to sit and was leaning forward with his elbows on the table.

Jaeyong sipped his coffee, “See, still not entirely convinced they’re not some idol group. They already have fans too.”

Jaeyong and Sumi both looked over at the other customers, one table of two girls were talking in whispers and giggles and he was pretty sure one of them snuck some pictures. Another table of a man and a woman kept looking over curiously.

And the man that always sat in the corner silently was, well, sitting in the corner silently.

Sumi shook her head and took the pot from him, stepping away to help a customer.

Jaeyong’s attention drifted back to Jungkook and his friends just as his coworker lurched forward over the table to grab something from Yoongi. The dark-haired man smirked and held what looked like a lighter out of Jungkook’s reach as the other’s tried to keep their drinks from spilling.

“Hyung where did you get that?” Jungkook exclaimed, trying to grab the other’s arm to pull his hand closer.

“You had one the other night and I liked it so I asked some guy on street and he just gave me it,” Yoongi explained calmly as if he wasn’t at risk of being tackled.

“He probably thought you were asking to borrow it, not keep it,” Jungkook groaned and yelped when one of the others poked him in the side. He retreated back to his chair quickly and pouted. “I thought we agreed not to use the tickling thing against me.”

“I believe we said in a fair fight it was off limits, I wasn’t trying to be fair,” the man sitting to Jungkook’s right with the brightest smile he’d ever seen chuckled and took a drink. “What’s the big deal, it’s just fire in a container right?”

Jaeyong blinked at the odd description. He wasn’t necessarily wrong but there were easier ways to say that.

Like just calling it a lighter.

“It’s not fire it’s flammable liquid that you light on fire,” Jungkook grumbled.

“I’m flammable too,” Yoongi huffed, “What’s the difference?”

Jaeyong tuned out the very odd conversation when he found himself locking eyes with one of the men who had caught him staring. Outwardly, the man appeared calm, taking a sip of his coffee. His silvery hair swept to the side away from his forehead.

His eyes told a whole different story. Jaeyong had seen all kinds of people when he used to jack cars. Most of them not very friendly, though he tried to stay out of as much drama as he could, but he knew eyes like those. There was a threat hidden in them.

This man wasn’t someone he should mess with.

The part of him that had grown rather found of Jungkook in his short time working with him, felt a hint of protectiveness well up in his chest. The same protectiveness he felt for Sumi when the girl basically did anything when she wasn’t focused. Or when they had customers make inappropriate comments towards her.

It wasn’t his place to feel protective of Jungkook. He looked happy and comfortable, but there was that sliver of unease about how Jungkook had gotten mixed up with someone who could give a look like that as easy as breathing.

Jaeyong didn’t back down however, he met the man’s look evenly and confidently.

“Are you going to introduce us to him Kookie?” The man finally spoke nodding his head in Jaeyong’s direction.

Jungkook turned in his chair, interrupting whatever conversation they had moved onto and smiled at him.

He stepped around the counter after being waved over, stopping next to Jungkook, “On your break?”

Jungkook smiled and nodded, before launching into introductions listing each of their names then gesturing back to him, “Guys this is Jaeyong-hyung.”

They seemed to twitch slightly for a reason Jaeyong didn’t understand and he was very much aware of the intense scrutiny he was suddenly under. In that moment he realized, it wasn’t just the silver haired man, Namjoon. It was all of them.

They were dangerous.

Running his tongue along his teeth he bowed his head slightly in greeting. “Nice to meet you guys, Jungkook-ah has been great to have around. He’s a hard worker.”

Jungkook scrunched his nose a bit, “Why are you being so respectful suddenly?”

“You better take care of him here.”

Jaeyong looked towards the voice, if he recalled correctly the man’s name was Taehyung. His tone was light but there was a seriousness to it that he didn’t miss.

“That sounds vaguely like a threat.”

“I didn’t mean for it to sound vague.”

Jungkook cleared his throat and Taehyung glanced at him before sitting back, looking no less ready to fight should Jaeyong start something, which he had no intention of.

“No bullshit. I can respect that,” he sipped his coffee casually. “This place isn’t a front for the mafia or something, I don’t know what you’re so worried about happening here.”

Seokjin, a man who was too handsome for his own good, cupped his hands around his coffee cup and smiled politely, “Jungkookie is a little accident prone.”

“He attracts trouble,” Hoseok nodded and grinned.

Judging by how Jungkook didn’t even attempt to argue, he knew it was true too.

Namjoon leaned his elbows forward on the table, “You gave Jungkook a treat before right?”

Jaeyong raised a brow at the same time Jungkook tensed. He looked at his coworker in confusion before remembering. “Oh the sucker? Yeah, why?”

“Hyung…” Jungkook whined, actually whined, and Jaeyong could see his cheeks flushing.

Namjoon smiled politely, “Do you think we could have another one of those?”

Like a switch went off, the strange weight that had been in the air vanished immediately and Hoseok quickly shot his hand up, “One for me too!”

“Same!”

“Yes please!”

“I’ll take one!”

One after the other they all eagerly voiced their want for a sucker and Jaeyong was left standing baffled looking at the six men who had, not seconds ago, actually scared him a little now ask for a sucker like a preschool class.

Also for some reason Jungkook’s ears were bright red and he was hiding his face in his hands.

Clearly he was missing something here.

Not seeing the harm in it and not getting protests from Jungkook despite his clear embarrassment he shrugged and headed off to the kitchen.

Yeah… They were certainly strange.

After Jaeyong had come back and given them all suckers, which they immediately stashed in their pockets ‘for later’, giving Jungkook and each other some rather suggestive looks much to Jungkook’s admitted excitement, and slight bashfulness, he relaxed again.

He wasn’t too worried about his boyfriends getting along with Sumi and Jaeyong. If it ever came down to it, he’d pick his hyungs every time, no questions asked. But he didn’t think it would. They were both really cool people and as long as they didn’t try to kill him or destroy the world then he didn’t have much of a problem.

Jiho had set the bar pretty low for quality of coworkers and friends.

Jungkook spent the rest of his break talking to his boyfriends and trying to convince Yoongi to stop playing with the lighter. The phoenix had figured out pretty quickly how it worked and kept flicking it to watch the flame.

He supposed it didn’t really matter. If anyone knew how to handle fire it was Yoongi.

They talked until his phone alarm went off signaling that he had to go back to work and he reluctantly went back over to the counter. His hyungs reassured him that they weren’t going anywhere and Jungkook wasn’t above refilling their drinks as an excuse to be close to them.

Multiple times he could tell they had wanted to hold his hand or put their hand on his leg but they refrained for his sake. While it broke his heart that they felt they had to hide their relationship, he also understood their fear of exposing him. It was a fear he’d lived a long time with.

Now though, he didn’t care what people thought. He wasn’t the type to be overly affectionate in public and he wasn’t out to make anyone feel uncomfortable with PDA but if he was asked he wouldn’t lie about his sexuality. He just wasn’t exactly forthcoming with the information. So yeah, if Sumi and Jaeyong thought the guys were only his roommates then he was fine with that.

Though… he did plan to tell Sumi as soon as he could that he was gay. He wasn’t looking to try and mislead the poor girl and he wasn’t blind to the way she looked at him sometimes. He wanted to tell her in private, in case his assumption of her having a crush on him was right, he didn’t want her to feel embarrassed at all.

It was actually really flattering. Sumi was far from unattractive and she was absolutely brilliant when it came to numbers. She had a big heart by what he knew of her so far.

As Jungkook worked, helping the customers that came through, he listened to the voices of his lovers that reached him from their table. He could only make out every few sentences but just hearing their laughs and hum of conversation put him at ease.

Sumi stepped away to take her lunch, leaving him alone at the counter.

A few more customers came in, just enough to keep Jungkook busy and moving around. When he stepped behind the cash to help the last one the man didn’t respond right away when he asked him his order. Looking up Jungkook figured the man just needed another second to decide but instead of looking at the menu, he was staring directly at Jungkook.

“What can I get for you?” He asked again, trying to keep the politeness in his voice.

The man looked like he was in his thirties or forties and he seemed well kept, hair combed back, a bit of stubble on his jaw. Pristine suit tailor made to fit his frame. He looked like a man not many said no too. Jungkook knew right away that they weren’t going to get along well.

Smirking, the man stepped slightly closer to the counter, “A cappuccino, latte macchiato, two scones and your name.”

Jungkook casually punched the order in, repeating it back politely, “Cappuccino, one latte macchiato, two scones and an unsympathetic rejection. How would you like to pay?”

The man chuckled and pulled out his wallet, “You’re a feisty one aren’t you. It would be fun to train that out of you.”

Jungkook bit his tongue to keep from saying anything about that but couldn’t keep the disgusted look off his face. He handed the card reader over to the man as he pulled out a black card to pay.

Then he noticed how quiet the store had gotten.

As the man tapped his card he glanced towards his boyfriends to see them all silently looking over at them. He wasn’t sure if they had heard the man or if they had just seen how Jungkook’s mood had suddenly changed. To most people Jungkook was extremely good at hiding his emotions but they had always been able to tell when something was off, along the way he’d just stopped trying to hide it around them.

He met Hoseok’s eyes and gave a subtle reassuring nod along with a small smile. Hoseok returned the nod but that only made him switch his attention to glaring at the man’s back.

Jungkook reached to take the reader back, only to have the man lightly put his hand around his wrist, guiding the reader into his palm as if to control when he could take it. An uncomfortable shiver ran down his spine and he tugged his hand free with the reader and resisted the urge to glare at him.

The man just chuckled.

Maybe it was because he wasn’t used to people outside of his hyungs touching him since he got this new body but the feeling of his skin against his almost made him feel sick. It wasn’t like when Sumi had touched his hand, her intent was comforting, kind. This was… sleezy.

Without another word to the man he stepped away to get his order ready. Once he was sure the guy wasn’t looking he quickly rubbed the spot on his wrist hoping to get rid of the feeling.

Jungkook suddenly really wanted his hyung’s hand there instead.

The man sat at one of the tables in the middle of the room and Jungkook sincerely hoped he wouldn’t be staying. He made quick work of his order purposely putting everything in to-go containers, all the while very aware of the man watching his every move.

When he stepped over to the man’s table and sat the food and drinks down. “Have a good day,” he bowed slightly and turned to go back to the counter.

The moment he heard the cup hit the floor and the splash of liquid, Jungkook had to stop and take a slow breath. Of course it wouldn’t be that easy.

“Oh damn!” The man laughed, “So sorry about that, my hand slipped.”

Making sure to plaster on the fake smile again he turned back, barely glancing at the mess of drink all over the floor at the man’s feet. “Don’t worry about it.”

Jungkook wanted to punt this man through a window.

Crouching down he picked up the cup and the lid, only to have the man reach forward and grab his wrist again. “Oh let me help you,” he smiled and tugged his wrist sharply, making Jungkook lose his balance and forcing him to drop his knees into the spill to catch himself.

Jungkook’s breath caught.

Not because of the hot coffee he was kneeling in, or because of the fact the man seemed to be enjoying this on some perverse level, but because he was still touching him.

He didn’t want him to touch him.

His eyes landed on his ring just past the other man’s hand and then he had arms wrapping around him, familiar arms that he sunk into immediately as they helped him to his feet. Before he knew it the man’s hand was ripped away from his wrist and Hoseok was standing between them, not caring about the puddle of coffee he was standing in.

The man leaned back in his chair calmly and raised a brow, looking Hoseok over in a way that made Jungkook want to claw his eyes off his face. Seokjin pulled him back against his chest and gently, always gentle, took his wrist and ran his thumb over the skin. “Are you hurt?”

Jungkook shook his head, using his other hand to guide Seokjin’s to wrap around his wrist fully. It worked like a cool cream on a sunburn, the effect was immediate and relieving.

The scene Jaeyong stepped out of the kitchen too was definitely not what he was expecting.

Some of Jungkook’s roommates were on their feet, Hoseok had his arms crossed, standing in front of a customer who was lounging back in a way that made Jaeyong immediately think he was deserving of whatever they were about to do to him. Seokjin had Jungkook pulled away from them with his arms wrapped around him and Jaeyong quickly gave him a once over to make sure he wasn’t hurt.

They were no strangers to rude customers, some were worse then others and they weren’t especially common here, but things got out of hand sometimes. Jaeyong had to call the police on one man who refused to leave Sumi alone.

The knees of Jungkook’s pants were soaked and pairing that with the spill on the floor, Jaeyong could figure out a vague version of what had happened.

“Oh are you his protection squad? How cute,” the man hummed to Hoseok and Jaeyong almost gagged. He leaned against the counter and watched.

They clearly had this under control.

“We’re just saving him the trouble of risking his job to kick your ass,” Hoseok scoffed.

“That kid? Please. He looks better on his knees then he does behind a counter.”

Jaeyong straightened up at that and scowled, glancing towards Jungkook. The boy didn’t even react to the inappropriate comment. That made something nasty stir in his stomach.

Jaeyong watched as Yoongi stepped up behind the man leaning down over his shoulder to speak next to his ear. “Would you like to say that again? I couldn’t hear you over the flames.”

The man scowled and twisted to look at him as Yoongi stood back lazily flicking a lighter. Jaeyong’s eyes widened when he watched flames rise up the back of the man’s hair just before the man himself noticed it. He yelled and quickly started to smack himself to put the flames out, smoke and the smell of singed hair wafting into the air once he succeeded in stamping it out.

He jumped to his feet and whirled around on Yoongi, grabbing the front of his shirt. “What the fuck is wrong with you?!”

As a response, Yoongi held the lighter under the man’s arm, his suit catching quickly. Jaeyong stared with his mouth open as the man staggered away, sleeve flaring up quicker then he’d ever seen fire spread.

The heat and smoke was enough to set off the sprinkler system and everyone in the shop jumped or yelped when they were suddenly doused in water. Jaeyong heard the kitchen door open and Sumi ran into his back before quickly stepping beside him.

“Jaeyong-ssi? What’s going on?” She asked in panic watching the customers run out of the store.

The flames died down just as quickly as they formed and Jaeyong blinked in astonishment as the man bolted past the counter to the door.

Jaeyong looked at her, “Everything’s fine, can you hit the shut off valve?”

Hesitating, Sumi looked over towards Jungkook and the others before nodding and hurrying back into the kitchen.

Feeling the water soaking through his clothes he quickly looked back at the seven men who seemed to care very little about the water despite being completely drenched. Jimin hurried over to Jungkook, followed by the others.

There hadn’t been a lick of damage on the man’s suit to say he’d just had his whole arm catch fire.

What the hell had just happened?

Jungkook had squeaked when the water from the sprinklers hit him but it did nothing to stop him from laughing as the man bolted out.

He found himself surrounded by his lovers, Jimin’s hands cupping his face and turning him to look at him. Jungkook smiled at him reassuringly and tipped his head to press a subtle kiss to his wrist. “Thanks guys.”

“Of course love,” Hoseok snickered.

“I shouldn’t have used magic. I should have just let him burn,” Yoongi grumbled, glaring towards the door.

“Let’s not make a habit of burning bodies please,” Namjoon sighed and held his hand out to Yoongi.

Begrudgingly, Yoongi gave him the lighter and pouted.

Jungkook looked over to the counter, tensing at the look Jaeyong was giving him. Had he noticed Yoongi’s magic? Jungkook could tell by the damage to the man’s hair that Yoongi had only used the lighter for that, ‘natural fire’ for lack of a better term but he had controlled the flame when he lit his sleeve on fire.

Suits were flammable but they didn’t spread nearly that quickly. Would Jaeyong know that?

The sprinklers slowly turned off, their spray dwindling to a calm drip. The entire store was drenched and Jungkook didn’t want to think about what Mr. Nam would say when he heard about this. He just hoped there wasn’t too much damage.

Gently separating himself from Seokjin he excused himself to head over to the counter, clothes sticking to him and bangs plastered to his forehead. Awkwardly he stood in front of Jaeyong as the other folded his arms.

“I um, I can explain,” he started sheepishly.

Jaeyong shook his head, “I saw most of it. Don’t worry kid, I’ll back you up.”

Jungkook looked at him in surprise, “You aren’t mad?”

“The guy was a douche. You’re friends method was a bit… excessive but that was the most entertaining thing I’ve seen since I started here,” he smirked and laughed.

Jungkook breathed out and relaxed.

Sumi came back from the kitchen, ringing out her hair, “Is everyone okay?”

Jungkook smiled and nodded, his lovers wandering over to join him at the counter. Taehyung set a hand discretely on his lower back, standing next to him. “Sorry about flooding the place,” the Fae said sincerely, “We didn’t know that would happen.”

Jaeyong raised a brow, “What did you think would happen when you light a guy on fire inside?”

“You what?!” Sumi looked between them with wide eyes.

Yoongi shrugged, “He was talking shit about Kookie.”

“He what?” The poor girl’s tone changed from shocked to concerned and she looked a little overwhelmed. Jungkook didn’t blame her considering she had only been on break for twenty minutes and came back to a flooded shop. “Are you okay?”

Jungkook smiled at her, “I’m fine. Words are just words.”

“I heard what he said to you kid, that shit wasn’t okay,” Jaeyong frowned at him.

Taehyung’s hand slid up his back to his shoulder, fingers pressing in to gently massage the tense muscle there. “I know. I’ve heard worse. Plus, I’m not exactly scared with these guys around,” he laughed gesturing to his lovers who smiled proudly.

Jaeyong huffed out a chuckle.

Mr. Nam was called, as were the police.

They were all questioned about what had happened, Sumi honestly saying she didn’t know, Jaeyong lying about when he stepped out of the kitchen saying he only saw the man run out, and Jungkook, a better liar then Jaeyong had known, had told them that the man had been smoking in the store. He said he’d asked him to stop multiple times and that he refused only to end up running his hand through his own hair with the cigarette in it and catching it on fire.

“He might just be blaming us out of embarrassment,” Jungkook hummed to the officer.

The officer nodded and made a note of it, “Yeah we figured he was blowing it out of proportion. Says one of you lit his arm on fire. Yet his suit is in perfect condition.”

The confirmation of what Jaeyong saw rose a lot of questions in his mind. He knew he’d seen the man’s arm catch fire. The fire from his hair wasn’t enough to set the sprinklers off, so he knew what he saw was real. But there was no damage? That didn’t add up but Jaeyong wasn’t sure how to make it make sense.

Mr. Nam, who was standing next to Jungkook had his arms crossed tight over his chest and a scowl on his face. “Is that all you need?”

The officer nodded and bowed politely, “Thank you sir, we’ll get out of your hair.”

Jaeyong headed over as the officer left, walking past Jungkook’s roommates who were waiting with Sumi by the door.

When he stopped next to his boss, Mr. Nam took a look around the store and stopped on Jungkook who bowed quickly. “I’m so sorry about the damage. I’ll clean all this up.”

Mr. Nam looked him over for a moment. “Clean up as much as you can tonight. Don’t stay too late and make sure you change your clothes before you get sick. It’s too cold to be walking around like that. That goes for you two as well,” he grunted raising his voice so Sumi could hear.

She gave him a smile and an ‘okay’ sign.

Jungkook nodded and smiled, “Thank you Nam-ssi. I’m really sorry again.” With one more bow, Jungkook hurried away to go talk to Sumi and the others.

“If the cops ask, the surveillance tapes were ruined by the water,” Mr. Nam grumbled under his breath. Jaeyong turned to look at him, raising a brow. He knew as well as he did that the camera’s footage was sent to the computer in Nam’s office as well as his phone as back up.

“You watched it?”

“Keep lighters away from that kid in my store from now on,” Mr. Nam huffed, eyeing Yoongi.

Jaeyong chuckled and nodded. “Hey boss, I gotta ask, what made you hire him?”

Nam didn’t answer for a long moment as they both watched Jungkook talk with Sumi, “The kid’s related to an old friend of mine. His grandfather helped me a lot in the past.”

“You know each other?” Jaeyong blinked. He had been under the impression that they’d never met before.

“He doesn’t know me. I’ve only met him once,” Nam hummed, “His grandfather called me a couple years ago saying the boy was in the hospital. Something about him being shot. His parents have a restraining order on them, so they couldn’t come see him. Asked me to check in and see if he was alright.”

“Shot?” Jaeyong frowned looking Jungkook over as if he’d see a bullet wound he’d missed before. “Shit. Poor kid.”

“I only visited once and he was still unconscious when I was there, he checked himself out not long later. Colour me surprised when he turns up here of all places.”

Jaeyong nodded, “Small world.”

There was a lot he still didn’t know about Jungkook. This small bit of information made him wary of finding out more.

He watched Jungkook interact with the others, wondering what other trials and hardships the boy hid behind that smile.

At least it seemed genuine. He seemed truly happy right now and Jaeyong had no doubt his roommates played a big role in that.

The way they looked at Jungkook and each other was almost painfully obvious. It was in the way they stood close to each other, in the way they touched each other when they didn’t have too. A hand on Jungkook’s shoulder, Namjoon’s arm thrown over Yoongi’s shoulders casually, Jimin leaning back against Seokjin.

He might not understand the full nature of their relationship, or the logistics of who was with who or if it was love, but there was certainly something more there then friendship.

“Sumi-ah told me he mentioned he was in a coma for three months after an accident. Did you know about that too?” Jaeyong asked quietly.

Something changed in Nam’s posture, standing straighter, a little more tense. “He seems like a good kid. It’s not our place to pry into his past. Jaeyong-ah, if anyone comes here asking for him, send them away.”

Jaeyong frowned at that. It was a rather odd request but the weight it seemed to carry was telling. He nodded without hesitation.

Whatever Nam knew that he wasn’t saying must be serious, he trusted him like he trusted his own father.

He would help Jungkook run from his past if he needed too.

“Are you sure you don’t need any help Jungkook-ssi?”

Jungkook shook his head, guiding Sumi to the door, “This was our fault so we’ll clean it up. You head home and relax.”

The girl frowned and paused by the door, looking towards the others as they had already started cleaning up, clearing the tables and mopping up the water. Jungkook thought he’d have to force her out, Jaeyong and Nam already having left but eventually she nodded.

“Alright, um, I’ll see you on Wednesday then?”

Jungkook smiled and nodded, opening the door for her and waving as she reluctantly left.

Once she was heading off down the street, Jungkook closed the door and turned to the others. They all looked at him and he smiled at Taehyung, “Do you mind?”

Taehyung snickered and shook his head, casually leaning against the wall. Jungkook watched the lights flicker before turning off as Taehyung ran electricity through the building. Jungkook looked towards the cameras to see the small light had shut off.

“We’re good.”

Hoseok dropped the mop he was holding and stretched. “Well today was interesting.”

“So we decided we were going to hunt that guy down right?” Taehyung asked, jumping up to sit on the counter.

Jungkook chuckled, getting out of Jimin’s way as the boy waved his arms smoothly, the water in the room getting drawn to the center, collecting in a large ball hovering above the floor. “No, we told Kookie we’d leave it alone,” the Fae said, clearly concentrating on what he was doing.

Taehyung pouted and Jungkook moved over to him, standing next to him and putting a hand on his thigh. He watched in fascination as the water was pulled out of their clothes, rolling off of the others smoothly and leaving them dry.

To bad that didn’t work on him.

“I don’t like that he touched you,” Seokjin huffed.

Jungkook hummed in agreement and looked at his wrist, “I didn’t like it either. Thanks for stepping in when you did.”

Taehyung took his wrist and brought it to his lips, pressing a kiss into his pulse point. Jungkook smiled fondly.

Jimin changed his motion and the ball of water morphed into tendrils that he directed to the sinks and drains, letting the water run down the pipes. A moment later and the café was as dry as it should be. “I like Sumi-ssi and Jaeyong-ssi,” Jimin smiled and walked over to them.

“Especially after Jaeyong-ssi gave us these,” Hoseok grinned and pulled out his sucker.

Jungkook blushed and Jimin giggled, nuzzling into his cheek. “You should get out of those wet clothes Jungkookie.”

“We can help if you want,” Taehyung leaned forward to smirk at him.

Jungkook licked his lips, liking the sound of that.

“Even your door is insisting you go home now,” Hoseok laughed, jabbing a thumb towards the Galaxy door that had appeared in the middle of the shop. “See? The Galaxy gets it. Unlike ‘Bob’.”

Yoongi groaned, “Please tell me you’ve come up with a different name.”

Laughing, Jungkook nodded and smiled when they all perked up curiously.

“I was thinking I’d call it ‘Euphoria’.”

Seokjin smiled softly, “Euphoria… that’s beautiful. Why that name?”

Feeling slightly embarrassed he wiggled his nose and looked to the side, “Mmm… because that’s what I feel when I’m with you guys. And, it’s the same feeling I get when I’m there.”

When they didn’t say anything, he looked at them and shifted at the loving looks they were giving him. Jimin leaned forward and kissed him gently, slowly.

“Euphoria it is.”

“But Bob will always be it’s nickname.”

“No! No Bob!”

Chapter Text

Third times the charm.

That was the saying.

For a lot of situations it usually seemed to work out that way. For others not so much.

Apparently, it applied to Jungkook’s ability to avoid getting sick as well.

He had been drenched in ice cold water in Euphoria; didn’t get sick.

He got soaked in cold rain running to get Sumi an umbrella; didn’t get sick.

But the sprinklers go off in the café and that’s what finally does it.

Third times the charm.

It had been a long time since Jungkook had been sick with anything serious, so long as he didn’t count magical gem symptoms. He’d had a cold once or twice in college but it was never enough to keep him from going to school or working, it just made the day a little more annoying.

So he didn’t think twice about going to work two days after the café flooded despite feeling a little shaky in the morning. His stomach couldn’t seem to settle, even after eating breakfast and he had a chill that refused to leave, lingering in the back of his shoulders. He hadn’t really paid much attention to it though, it hadn’t even crossed his mind that he might be sick.

The guys weren’t coming with him to the café today, all of them having things they wanted to get done and they stood by trying to let Jungkook have time to himself as well.

Halfway through the morning shift, when the store was quiet and the customers happy, Jungkook wished they were here. He really didn’t feel good and it was starting to become difficult to hide from Sumi.

The girl seemed to be having a good day and he would hate to make it harder for her by leaving early. It was Jaeyong’s day off and he didn’t like the idea of her working alone. Especially after the trouble he’d caused for everyone the other day. The poor girl was going to start dreading working with him.

Sumi wandered over to him and he gave her a smile. It needed more force than it should have.

“I still can’t believe you got this place so clean in only a day. You and Jaeyong must have worked really hard yesterday. I feel bad that I didn’t help,” she pouted as she started refilling some of the salt shakers.

“You could say it was like magic,” he joked, knowing she wouldn’t understand how true that was. He coughed a bit, clearing his throat to try and settle the scratchy burn in it.

Sprinklers. Sprinklers got him sick. After everything he’d been through. It was just ridiculous.

“If only it were that easy,” she hummed and shook her head. “Could you imagine what it’d be like if magic existed? Like, I could snap my fingers and boom, this would do itself,” she laughed a bit as she awkwardly tried to pour the salt in the shaker. Some of the salt scattered across the counter and she puffed her cheeks in annoyance.

Jungkook chuckled weakly and smiled but didn’t respond. Every time he spoke he felt like he was letting out too much air, his head felt light and dizzy as a result. It didn’t help the nausea either.

“You’ve been really quiet today Jungkook-ssi, you okay?” Sumi looked him over, setting the salt down. “You don’t look so good… I mean, you do. Not like- you always look good I just mean-”

Jungkook raised a brow at her in amusement and she quickly clamped her mouth shut, blushing fiercely. As cute as it was to see her flustered, Jungkook couldn’t let this go on anymore. For her sake.

“Sumi-yah, there was something I wanted to tell you, I meant to tell you before but there wasn’t really a good time,” he started, turning to face her and leaning his hip against the counter. God his head hurt. He made a mental note to go to the convenience store and pick up some medicine on his break.

A nap sounded really good right now. He was aware that this probably wasn’t a great time to bring this up, not when he was feeling like shit and was admittedly in a terrible mood.

Sumi blinked and shifted, picking up on the change of tone, but nodded for him to go ahead.

He licked his dry lips trying to think of how to word this now that he had her attention, he’d never had to do this before. “Look, I really, I really enjoy working with you and I think you’re an amazing-”

“I like you!”

Jungkook blinked in surprise, slowly closing his mouth. Sumi was looking at him with determination, meeting his eyes with her hands balled up in front of her. Her cheeks were flushed and she looked like she was battling her embarrassment.

There was an awkward moment where neither of them knew what to say and Sumi smiled a bit sadly, “Sorry. I could hear the ‘but’ coming a mile away. I wanted to… I wanted to say it before you told me you weren’t interested or um, or that you have a girlfriend already. Which I should have figured because you’re really sweet and fun and really handsome so, I ah, I appreciate you trying to be nice about it. I just really wanted to confess first because if I didn’t it still would have bugged me for weeks and-”

“Sumi-yah,” Jungkook said quickly, chuckling a bit when she stopped talking right away. He could see the slight hurt from the rejection she knew was coming in the way she had curled back into herself, rubbing her arm awkwardly and no longer looking him in the eyes. “I’m gay.”

There was another pause and he watched the information process in her mind, slowly, as if she was doubting if she heard him correctly. Taking a small breath, Jungkook clamped down on his emotions, kept the façade up that he was currently using to hide how sick he felt, and braced himself for the worst.

“You’re… gay?” She asked slowly, looking him over with pinched brows.

“Yep.”

“Like, gay gay?”

“I like guys Sumi-yah,” Jungkook said flatly, not sure what ‘gay gay’ was supposed to mean.

“Oh… Oh! You like- ah wow! That’s- okay. Wow. I should have guessed, I mean no, not that you look gay or anything, or you do? I don’t- I’ve never talked to a gay person before, not that they’re different then normal people, no not normal people, wait I’m messing this all up,” she took a deep breath and in a rush of words asked, “Are you joking to mess with me?”

Jungkook looked at her blankly, turning back to face the counter to busy himself with fixing the displays. He was way too tired to deal with this right now. He should have brought it up another time.

“No! No,” Sumi quickly grabbed his sleeve and he looked at her, she looked more upset than he felt. “I didn’t mean it like- I’m sorry if I-” she huffed in frustration. “One second.”

Jungkook watched in confusion as the girl went over to the cash and locked the register. She then leaned over the counter and looked around the room at the patrons seated at the tables, spotting Mrs. Gwan and her book club.

“Gwan-ssi! Could you watch the counter for a minute?”

The little old woman held up a hand and waved in acknowledgement sending a smile their way. Jungkook blinked, “Uh is that really a good idea?”

“Come here,” Sumi grabbed his arm and dragged him into the kitchen. The sudden motion almost had him keeling over and losing his breakfast all over the floor but he managed to keep it down, staggering after her. Now really wasn’t the best time for this kind of conversation.

When they were in the kitchen Sumi turned to him sharply and bowed, taking him off guard.

“I’m sorry.”

“Sumi-yah?” Jungkook frowned baffled. He was waiting for the ball to drop. Waiting for the ‘I’m sorry you’re like this, it’s okay, you’ll get help’ or ‘Sorry you can’t work here anymore.’

“I told myself I wouldn’t make assumption’s when you started working here and that’s exactly what I’ve been doing. I did the same thing with Jaeyong-ssi,” she stood up straight and looked at him sheepishly. “I grew up in this part of the city. I went to school here my whole life, my family keeps to themselves and now I work and live here too. I haven’t really been exposed to much so… I’m going to say all the wrong things. I’m not trying to use that as an excuse, I shouldn’t have said that and I’m sorry.”

Jungkook slowly let himself relax. Oh, it wasn’t bigotry, it was ignorance that had her reacting that way. That was… that was okay. He didn’t mind if people were ignorant, hell everyone was ignorant to something. It was how people dealt with their ignorance that gave the word bad connotations. But just the fact that Sumi was admitting she didn’t know anything along these lines gave him hope that she was willing to learn before forming judgements and opinions.

Jungkook leaned heavily against the steel prep table in the middle of the kitchen, rubbing his forehead to try and sooth the headache that was only getting worse. “There’s really nothing you can say that I haven’t heard before. Like I said before, words are just words.”

“I know, but they can hurt. And I wasn’t lying, I really like you, I still do. That’s… not going to go away overnight,” she said in embarrassment, “But I respect your… choices..?”

The way she said the word carefully, tentatively, made him smile. He shook his head lightly and she winced.

“Preferences?” She tried and smiled when Jungkook gave her a thumbs up. “I respect your preferences.”

“That’s… thanks Sumi-yah. That was big of you to admit,” he said honestly.

“If I’m being honest it kind of makes me feel better to know that you aren’t interested in me because of my gender and not because I’m a dork,” she laughed a bit before hesitating. “It’s… not also because I’m a dork is it?”

“Please, being a dork is one of your best qualities,” Jungkook chuckled. He really needed to sit down.

“So… is it inappropriate to talk to you about the cute guys that come in the store…?” She asked hesitantly but a note of teasing to her voice.

Jungkook hummed and smirked, “Nope. But I don’t think my boyfriends would be entirely happy with me if I did that.”

“You have a boyfriend! Really? What’s his name? What’s he like? Does he treat you well? Wait did you say boyfriends?” She paused and blinked. “Like more than one?”

Jungkook rolled his eyes good naturedly and reached over grabbing her wrist. He tugged her forward and wrapped his arms around her in a firm hug. He felt her tense at first but she relaxed after a moment and hugged him back. “Thanks Sumi-yah… seriously.”

“Jungkook-ssi… you’re really hot,” Sumi mumbled.

Jungkook huffed out a laugh and loosened his arms so she could step away, only to blink when she pressed the back of her hand to his forehead.

“I mean you’re really hot,” she frowned in concern. “You feel like you have a fever.”

Jungkook took her wrist gently and pushed her hand away, “It’s not that bad. Don’t worry it’s just a cold.”

She didn’t look at all convinced and Jungkook himself was starting to think that wasn’t entirely true either. At this rate he could make it through the day without much problem though so long as it didn’t start getting worse.

After a little more insisting, Sumi took him on his word and agreed to let him continue working as long as he took it easy and let her handle the food and customers, and that Sumi would get him some medicine on her break. She shut down his arguing immediately saying she was returning the favour for the umbrella.

Taking the medicine did help, but it only took the edge off, though he managed to convince Sumi it worked better than it had.

It was only an hour to closing when Jungkook had to finally admit to himself that yes, he was sick. His head was pounding and the lights in the store seemed determined to burn through to the back of his eyes. His body felt shaky, the chill building to full shivering every so often and he was starting to regret eating lunch.

He was mostly too out of it to notice how awkward Sumi was being around him. How she would hesitate to ask questions or there would be some awkward silence after he spoke. Maybe his sick mind had misinterpreted her reaction to finding out he was gay, maybe she was just incredibly uncomfortable around him now. Either way, he’d deal with it another day. He just wanted to sleep.

Jungkook still didn’t think it was anything serious though. It just felt like a bad cold. As he worked he was careful to wash his hands often and put a mask on as an extra precaution, not wanting to get anyone else sick.

When it took Sumi four tries to get his attention, she finally had enough and told him she was calling him a cab home. He staggered and managed to grab her phone from her hands, ignoring her protests.

“I won’t work then, but I’m not leaving until closing. I’ll just lay down in the break room. Please Sumi-yah, I don’t feel comfortable leaving you to work alone,” Jungkook pleaded. Whether she said yes or no, he was going to fall over soon. His legs were shaking and his skin was clammy with sweat, he had no doubt his face was flushed too.

Sumi sighed and looked him over. Judging by the way she had her hands out as if to catch him should he drop at any moment, he didn’t look great. He didn’t feel great either and honestly laying down right now sounded like heaven, even if it was on the floor of the break room.

“You’re so stubborn,” she grumbled. “Fine. But try and get some sleep, I’ll wake you up when it’s closing. We only have an hour left anyway.”

Sighing, he nodded and regretted it instantly when he felt his world sway slightly. Clearing his throat he shoved down the nausea rising up, “Thanks Sumi-yah. Wake me if you need anything alright?”

“Stop worrying about me, you shouldn’t even have come in today. How did the others even let you out of the house?” She frowned.

“It wasn’t this bad this morning. It’s just a cold, a little sleep will help,” he mumbled and dragged his feet through the kitchen to the break room. Every step seemed like more work than it should’ve been, his legs protesting his weight and his stomach protesting the movement.

He didn’t put much effort into making a comfortable place to lie down, grabbing his sweater from his locker to bunch under his head and flicking the lights off before flopping on the floor. Immediately he let out a breath of relief, the cold floor feeling wonderful on his hot skin. He turned onto his side coughing.

This was just stupid. He hated being sick. He, not for the first time, wished that protection spells worked on him too. Then his hyungs wouldn’t have to worry about him all the time.

His mind drifted and what felt like an eternity later, he fell asleep.

Yoongi knew it was a bad day when Jimin and Taehyung came to him in the afternoon.

It was just after lunch, when Yoongi had been dealing with a client.

It wasn’t often that people ventured out to the house to come see him, given how far it was from town. Usually they came to visit the Magic Shop. Most of his business and favours were done through written word, as a short description of the curse someone was dealing with was enough for him to identify it and give them the spell to counter it. So he was a bit surprised when the man had knocked on the house door.

“I don’t know what to do, one of her friends has a negative affinity. She said it was an accident but it’s been days now and Elion hasn’t been able to walk. We thought it’d wear off,” the elven man frowned looking down at the little girl, ears pointed like his own, who was cradled in his arms.

Yoongi leaned against the post next to the steps of the porch lazily, “What’s her friends branch?”

The man turned back to him, “Chaos.”

Humming Yoongi nodded, “It’s just a simple relaxant curse.”

“I thought it might be… but I don’t understand how she could have been cursed if she had her protection spell on, we make sure to renew it every morning,” the man’s brow pinched in concern.

Yoongi sighed. This is why he preferred dealing with people through letters. They didn’t ask stupid questions. The number of times he’d had to answer this misconception was getting ridiculous.

“Protection spells only protect against things that can hurt you. Not all curses are destructive or cause harm. Ones like this are technically classified as healing spells.”

“Then why are they called curses?”

“Because they’re based in negative magic. That’s pretty much the only reason. It’s not often I deal with curses placed on people, usually it’s objects.”

Yoongi found his mind drifting to Namjoon and he quickly pushed those thoughts away. The man was the whole reason Yoongi had started researching negative magic and curses in the first place. He’d been trying to find a way out for his lover.

He hadn’t been successful.

Yoongi pushed the bitter thought from his mind as the little girl in the man’s arms smiled and played with her father’s shirt.

“You can help her though? We can pay you, just tell me how much, my Set and I should have enough saved up,” the man held his daughter close and looked at him desperately.

This was another reason he dealt in letters.

Yoongi heard the door open behind him as he nodded and used the sound as an excuse to look away from the man and the girl. His eyes found Jimin, holding Taehyung’s hand as he pulled him out the front door gently.

He could tell right away that he was having an episode by the blank look on Taehyung’s face, the way his eyes weren’t focused and he stared blankly at the ground, hand loose around Jimin’s.  Jimin caught his gaze and Yoongi stood up straight.

“Yeah it’s a simple spell. Jiminie, can you help him find what he needs in the shop for a relaxant curse?” Yoongi asked, ignoring the man’s sigh of relief.

Jimin hid the guilty look he wore behind a polite smile and nodded, taking Taehyung’s hand and sliding it into Yoongi’s instead. He gave his fellow Fae a gentle kiss on the cheek, not expecting a reaction as he turned towards the man and his daughter. Taehyung didn’t react to much when he was like this.

“Is this your daughter? Oh she’s beautiful!” Jimin said as he guided the man back down the path towards the Magic Shop. Yoongi heard the little girl giggle and the man tried once more to ask about price only to have Jimin wave him off.

Yoongi turned his attention to Taehyung who was still staring blankly at the wooden porch under their feet and he followed his gaze to see that Jimin had already taken his shoes off, leaving the boy’s feet bare. His eyes were a clouded grey, the colour of clouds before a rainstorm.

Taking the Fae’s hand in his, he guided him down the steps and his lover fell into step next to him, moving on autopilot.

They walked silently, Yoongi leading him down the path that went through the woods. They walked through the clearing where Jungkook’s doors sat, stepping past them and kept going. He walked slow, a calm stroll that suggested no destination and only the enjoyment of the outdoors. He didn’t speak or make a point of acknowledging Taehyung, knowing from past experience that it wouldn’t help.

When Yoongi was just about to start looping them around so they stayed within their property, he felt Taehyung’s limp hand turn in his own and wrap around his. He waited another moment for the boy to squeeze his hand to stop walking and face him. They’d done this so many times but the relief he felt to see Taehyung’s eyes clear again, his beautiful brown eyes focused on his own, was always just as raw as the first time he’d seen this.

“Hey love,” he smiled softly and watched Taehyung get his bearings, looking around them before settling on him again and his eyes filled with tears. Yoongi clicked his tongue and pulled him into a firm hug, Taehyung wasting no time in throwing his arms around him, burying his face in his shoulder. “I’ve got you, I’ve got you.”

Taehyung shook lightly in his arms and Yoongi hummed a quiet tune next to his ear. He wasn’t one for singing really, but he knew audio stimulation helped bring Taehyung back fully, gave him something to focus on that was real, that wasn’t in his mind.

“Atath… àll atath,” Taehyung sniffled against his shoulder, hands fisting his shirt.

Taking a small breath, Yoongi stroked his back gently, knowing this must have been a bad one if he felt the need to switch back to his native tongue. Though, the fact that Jimin brought him to him in the first place should’ve been more then enough clue to that. Usually the Fae was able to bring him back but he was also often the cause of him slipping to begin with.

“Outat ut adlat,” Yoongi reassured, brushing off his apology.

Taehyung nuzzled against his cheek and Yoongi brought a hand up to wipe away the tears he could reach without pulling away from him. He continued to hum, swaying them side to side calmy as his lover settled down. The shaking in his body settled and he let out a breath against his cheek, relaxing into him.

“Jacsàcèll adlat?” Yoongi asked, “Jiminie acha dlàsath ut ucucat?”

Taehyung shook his head and pulled away a little to look at Yoongi, who chuckled at the pout on his face, “It’s not his fault.”

Yoongi nodded and responded in Korean as well, his skills in speaking Acall were rather lacking, “I know love, it’s no one’s fault. Make sure you talk to him alright? You know how he gets after this happens.”

“I know… how long this time?” Taehyung scrunched his nose and scowled.

“About a half hour since Minnie brought you to me, I don’t know how long before that.”

With a deep frustrated sigh, Taehyung pressed his forehead against his temple and closed his eyes, wiggling his bare feet in the grass.

They didn’t rush on their way back and much like their walk there, it was silent between them. This silence was much more comfortable and it was really the only time Taehyung was ever this quiet. Yoongi didn’t enjoy this silence from him but he knew that the other needed this sometimes.

He’d much rather see Taehyung laughing and shouting, and while that could sometimes be too much for someone like Yoongi, who loved his peace and quiet, he wouldn’t change Taehyung for anything. The boy had been their youngest for so long before Jungkook had shown up, and he remembered how terrifying it had been when he’d first acted like this.

Had Jimin not have known what to do they would have made it so much harder on the Fae. Attacks that used to last hours or even days started lasting less and less and came less frequently once they had worked out a routine to handle them. It helped when they didn’t make a big deal out of it. It was something Taehyung needed to work through in his own mind and they could only be there for him when he came out of it.

They were nearly home when they saw the familiar colours of the Guardian pass overhead, the large whale circling them a moment before swimming down to hover in front of them. They both sank to one knee, putting a hand over their chest and bowing their heads respectfully.

The guardian bowed its large head in return, “Hello precious ones.”

Yoongi heard Taehyung suck in a calm breath as the soothing voice filled their minds and the last of his tension left his body. He placed a hand on the small of his lovers back as they stood up. “Guardian, it’s nice to see you again.”

The whale hummed in their minds and Taehyung smiled, “How are you? Is everything alright with Galaxy?”

“Everything is just fine precious one,” it chuckled, “I simply wished to see how you all were fairing. I sensed there was some unease. Allow me to accompany you home.”

They watched as the whale turned and laid its fin down against the ground in offering.

Taehyung perked up, “Really? Can I?”

A hum of encouragement from it was all he needed and Taehyung was climbing up onto the whale’s back, laying on his stomach against the Guardians warm skin and smiling contently. When the Guardian turned its head slightly towards him, Yoongi held up a hand politely declining the offer.

With one gentle wave of its tail it lifted off the ground and floated slowly next to Yoongi as the phoenix walked, Taehyung happy to take their time as he snuggled up on top of it. Yoongi chuckled fondly as he watched him.

“How are you all? Is the little one settling well?”

Yoongi stuck his hands in his pockets, “We have tough days, but we’re doing a lot better. Jungkook hides his struggles a lot still, though he’s opening up slowly.”

“That is good to hear. The Galaxy has been restless since the new world was formed. Many people felt the shock of whole energy that swept over the land. I encourage you to keep the doors hidden as long as you’re able.”

“I figured some rumors would start. We had gotten a lot of people asking what the source of the energy was. We haven’t given any firm answers yet. It’ll be bad enough if people find Euphoria before we understand it fully, but if they find out there’s a way in and out of Galaxy it could be catastrophic,” Yoongi said seriously.

“This is why we can’t have ones from the human world discovering it either, not until it’s time.”

“Until its time?” Yoongi frowned and looked at the Guardian. “You don’t think we can create peace with the humans again, not after everything.

The Guardian hummed, “You created peace with the little one did you not?”

Taehyung tucked his arms under his chin and frowned, “That’s different. Jungkook is different.”

“He is special,” the Guardian confirmed.

“Yeah, he is. He created Euphoria and saved two worlds,” Yoongi chuckled but was surprised when the Guardian shook his head.

“He has only set things in motion. The seven of you, together, will impact the lives of billions.”

Yoongi glanced at Taehyung to find the boy looking his way as well, sharing a matching frown. Hadn’t Jungkook already done that? Hadn’t he saved two worlds worth of lives and their futures? What more could they do? What more would they have to do? Yoongi knew this was the Guardians way of telling them that they weren’t done, that this wasn’t the end.

Maybe it was just the beginning of something bigger.

When they arrived at the house, Taehyung jumped down off the Guardian and bowed gratefully, thanking it for the ride. The Fae’s attention was taken by Jimin who was waiting on the porch with a sad smile and he excused himself to go and talk to him.

Yoongi smiled when he watched Taehyung greet Jimin with a gentle kiss before they were headed inside to sort it out. It took awhile for Jimin and Taehyung to get used to having to talk it over after one of his attacks, to reassure both of them that it wasn’t either of their fault. Jimin couldn’t predict what would trigger Taehyung, and some of his triggers he couldn’t do anything about. Sometimes it was just Jimin’s very presence that set him off.

“What didn’t you want him to hear?” Yoongi turned back to the Guardian who was still hovering next to him. He knew the Guardian was kind but he didn’t have the time to be randomly checking up on them like this, especially not if Galaxy was as restless as he said.

He had clearly not wanted to upset Taehyung further.

The Guardian turned to him, “I was asked to deliver a message.”

Yoongi raised a brow, “A message? From who? They couldn’t just send a letter?”

“It is a message from the lost soul.”

The Guardian’s tone, gentle yet knowing, didn’t sooth the anger Yoongi felt slam into him. Letting out a deep growl at the thought of the man, he spit out his name like a curse.

“Jiho.”

 Sumi almost had a heart attack when she stepped into the break room to wake Jungkook up.

She had tried twice, three times and then four to wake him and he remained unresponsive. Quickly she had pulled his mask down and felt under his nose to make sure he was breathing, sighing in relief when she felt his hot breath against her hand.

Jungkook looked awful. He was sweating, breathing in sharp inconsistent breathes and his brow was pinched in deep discomfort. His whole body was shuddering faintly and she cursed herself for believing him when he insisted it was just a cold.

She should have sent him home but even that made her uncomfortable, not because she was worried about working alone, but because she had no one to send with him to make sure he got there okay. She didn’t think it would get this bad in only an hour.

“Jungkook-ssi… it’s closing, you got to get up. Let’s get you home okay?” She said trying to be gentle, if this was a fever like she thought it was, his head probably didn’t feel any better than the rest of him.

Jungkook groaned in response and she put a hand on his shoulder carefully, “Are you awake?”

He rocked his head up and down slightly but kept his eyes pressed closed. Looking around she moved away to grab a cloth and quickly soaked it under the sink with cold water. Hurrying back to his side she laid the cloth over his forehead and apologized quietly when he flinched at the sudden cold. It only took a second for him to sigh and some of the tension left his expression.

“I need you to tell me your address Jungkook-ssi,” she knelt next to him and pulled out her phone, already dialing a cab.

“Galaxy…” he mumbled and she looked at him and frowned.

“What?”

“Galaxy… through the door…”

Sucking in a breath she bit her lip nervously. Maybe this was worse than a fever? Should she call an ambulance? It seemed like he was a bit delusional.

She backed out of her phone and looked around instead for Jungkook’s. It was sitting on the table. “Can I borrow your phone? I’ll call one of your roommates to come get you okay?”

When Jungkook mumbled something she took it as permission and took his phone into the kitchen. She’d already closed up the shop for the night so she didn’t need to worry about customers.

She should have seen it, how sick he was getting. By lunch he’d looked so much paler then when he came in. If she had just stopped worrying about herself and trying not to say the wrong things to Jungkook she would have known to send him home right away.

When he’d told her that he was gay she had… not at all been expecting that. She’d never known anyone who was openly homosexual, she didn’t know if there were things you shouldn’t say or do. Culture shock was the closest thing she could equate it too. It had distracted her all day with questions she wanted to ask but was too worried about offending Jungkook to do so.

Now he was sick and barely conscious on the floor because she was being dumb and worrying about things that probably weren’t that big of a deal.

Pacing nervously she turned his phone on and had to spare a brief smile at the home screen. It was a picture of Jimin and Taehyung, Jungkook himself in the background looking over like they’d just called his name, a piece of food sticking out of his mouth.

Shaking her head she swiped across the screen and was relieved to find there was no password. If she couldn’t even get his address out of him she didn’t even want to try with a password. Quickly going into his contacts she paused once more.

Hyung

Il-seong-ah

Jaeyong-hyung

Jiho-hyung

Nam-ssi

Sumi-yah

Only six. Six contacts. Three of them worked here and none of them she recognized as his roommates names. Hyung could be anyone but she figured since there wasn’t a name attached it was his brother. Though she didn’t know for sure if he had a brother. Hell she just found out today that the man was gay so that just goes to show how little she knew.

Jaeyong was right, they really didn’t know a thing about him.

Hearing Jungkook cough in the other room brought her back to the present and she decided to go another route. Locking the phone again she opened the emergency call screen and looked at his listed emergency contact.

Hyung.

Alright, Hyung it was.

Without hesitating she tapped call and put the phone to her ear, waiting impatiently as she bit her nail.

The call was received on the first ring.

Chapter Text

They had all moved through the home like it belonged to someone else since the funeral.

Like it wasn’t the home they’d lived in for years.

As if the walls chose now to talk and they spoke of the anger and fear that had been shouted through the rooms.

His little brother had been gone from this house for years. But he was never gone. There was always a chance he’d come back, always the hope that he’d walk up the front path and scream at their parents, yell at them for all they’d put him through.

Ji-hun had imagined that moment. How Jungkook would look, if he would be standing tall or if he would be terrified, hesitant and timid. He knew Jungkook. His cute little brother who always hid behind him when he was too shy to talk to people, who looked at him with those big brown eyes and thought he could do no wrong. His brother would surely cry, maybe he would try and beg for his parents to accept him.

Except he didn’t know Jungkook anymore. He didn’t know the man he’d grown up to be, how he acted with friends, if he was kind or an asshole, or if he still scrunched his nose when he smiled.

He wanted to know the man Jungkook had become.

That wasn’t something that could happen now.

Ji-hun didn’t speak much to his parents at first, despite moving back to Korea to take care of them. It wasn’t for lack of trying. They just didn’t have much to say.

He understood. What could you say when guilt was tearing apart every cell of your being just to have reprieve put you back together and do it all again. What could you say when your child died? Your little brother?

What could you say when you felt relieved?

Ji-hun hadn’t taken the man at his word, Jungkook’s boyfriend, when he’d told him the news. Of course he hadn’t. He wouldn’t just believe some stranger claiming to be Jungkook’s boyfriend saying that he was dead. He had gotten on a plane for Korea the next day.

Ji-hun spent a month looking for Jungkook and when he exhausted his own few resources, he called their grandparents for help. That led him to the mall, where Jungkook apparently used to work as a security guard. Speaking to the manager there informed him that Jungkook had been in a minor accident and had not long after quit out of the blue. His coworker left not long after him.

He checked the construction site he had also worked at but that gave him little information as well, the men only saying ‘People come and go all the time, that kid called in to quit and we haven’t seen him since.’

His college told him the same thing, that Jungkook had dropped his course halfway through and left.

After that, he had no idea what happened to his brother. No clue where he had gone, who he had been with, what he was doing. He didn’t know anything about his brother.

He wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to know what his brother had been involved in while he couldn’t be around to protect him. Jungkook had always been an emotional kid. He had cried once when he accidently stepped on a ladybug. He needed protection, and as his older brother, Ji-hun had failed him.

Now, Jungkook was gone and in his wake he left a torn family who had lost all hope of ever making things right.

Ji-hun found himself standing in front of his parent’s bedroom door, taking a small breath. It would be the same as usual. He knew that yet he still knocked and when there was no reply, he knocked again, “Mom, come get something to eat.”

There wasn’t much of a response besides the sound of the mattress creaking as the woman rolled over. Sighing, Ji-hun didn’t feel it in himself to go out of his way with effort today.

“I’ll leave the food in the fridge. Reheat it when you’re hungry.”

He didn’t wait for a reply or expect one. He stepped away from the door and paused, like he always did, next to the door to Jungkook’s old room. Or what used to be his room. His parents had renovated it when they realized Jungkook wasn’t coming back. It had been a guest room since.

Ji-hun could only imagine the hell Jungkook had experienced in this house. His parents had told him what the therapy was doing to the kid but they hadn’t gone into detail, their own guilt and regret kept them from speaking on the matter.

He wandered, drifted, his way back downstairs and into the kitchen. Wrapping the food and putting it in the fridge before he sat himself at the table with a coffee. He felt weary. Every bone, every muscle felt exhausted from the emotions that had been piled on him for months on end.

When he broke the news to his parents, they screamed. They cried and yelled and his mother very nearly passed out. Ji-hun didn’t know if it was because they had realized how far away they had pushed their son, how badly they had treated him, or if they were feeling much of what he was and were conflicted by their own emotions.

He didn’t care much to try and understand their feelings when he didn’t understand his own.

Thinking back on the words Jungkook’s boyfriend had told him, the words Jungkook wanted to pass on to him, Ji-hun wondered if maybe Jungkook had understood what was going on. Maybe he’d found out about everything. About their grandparents.

That was the only reason he could think of that Jungkook would have thanked him for protecting him, would have said that he never blamed him. Ji-hun knew what he had done. He knew how he had to do what he did but now that seeing Jungkook happy wasn’t an option anymore, now that he’d lost Jungkook entirely, it felt like it was for nothing.

At least his little brother didn’t have to suffer anymore. He thinks that was where the relief came from. As awful as he knew it was, Jungkook was free. Free from the greed of their parents and from the fate that would have fallen on him sooner or later.

Many people had gone to Jungkook’s funeral. Mostly friends of his grandparents and business men there to make deals rather then mourn the loss of a boy no one knew. It was a cold day. He didn’t shed a tear. Hadn’t since he’d gotten the news.

A selfish part of Ji-hun, the part he’d always pushed away in favour of looking out for his little brother, was relieved because once he was sure his parents could take care of themselves again, he could start living his own life. He could make a decision that benefitted himself.

But was that worth the cost of his brothers life?

No.

There were so many questions unanswered. How did Jungkook meet his boyfriend? Was he a good man? Why did Jungkook shut down his entire life here and where did he go? How did he die? His boyfriend said he’d saved countless lives, how?

He’d tried to track the man down as well, but without a name and only the memory of his face to go off of he wasn’t very successful.

He wasn’t sure if knowing the answers would make him feel any better.

The front door opened and Ji-hun glanced towards it, watching his father walk in.

Much like his mother, his parents both looked old beyond their years. The stress, guilt and regret were weighing so heavily on them that it showed in every forced breath, it showed in the bags under their eyes, the stiffness in their movement and the greying of their hair.

Ji-hun said nothing as his father dropped his suitcase by the door and dragged his feet to the table, sitting down heavily in the seat next to him. He slid his untouched coffee over to the man wordlessly.

His father looked at the mug and tentatively wrapped his hand around it, body sagging in the seat as the day settled on his shoulders with the ones before it.

Ji-hun didn’t ask how his day was. He knew it was like every other. Instead he waited for his father to start.

Six sips of coffee, Ji-hun counted every one, before the man spoke. “I did some more research today.”

His voice was as gruff and exhausted as the rest of him. Ji-hun said nothing, though the admission did surprise him a bit.

“About kids like him,” his father grunted.

“You still can’t say it hm.”

His father shot him a look that did little to bother him. He met it evenly. Ji-hun had stopped being scared of his parents a long time ago. He briefly wondered if Jungkook had ever not been scared.

More silence settled in the room as they both got lost in their thoughts. Ji-hun knew it was cruel, knew it was horrible to ask, but he had to know. He spent the silence debating if he should or not until he felt he was suffocating in the heaviness of the air and decided to voice his question if only so he could breath again.

“Would the money have been worth it?”

He father’s hand clamped around the mug and Ji-hun didn’t look away from him. He needed to know.

“No. Nothing was worth losing him,” the man voice was thick with emotion, tears unshed.

It almost made him laugh. The fact that it took Jungkook trying to throw himself out of a second story window for them to see that maybe money wasn’t something they should trade for their child’s life and happiness.

“Too little too late, huh.”

“Don’t. Ji-hun. Just don’t.”

Ji-hun got up and left the table, leaving his father to wallow in his guilt further. A bitter part of him hoped it crushed the man. His mother as well.

Stepping outside he pulled out a pack of cigarettes and stuck one between his lips, lighting it up just as he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He pulled a drag as he checked to see who was calling him.

Jungkook.

The smoke in his lungs burned, making him cough as he scrambled to hit the accept call button. Jungkook? No, Jungkook’s phone. Something, along with Jungkook’s body, they could never track down. Heart thundering in his chest, he put the phone to his ear.

“Who is this?” He coughed once more, clearing his throat. His ears were ringing and he had to concentrate to be sure he heard the person on the other end, the person who had his little brothers phone.

“Um, hello?” It was a female’s voice, she sounded young and hesitant. “I’m sorry to bother you, um is this Jungkook’s brother?”

“Yes. Who are you? How did you get his phone?” The words came out harsh and rushed, he looked back towards the front door and quickly moved away from it, stepping into the driveway.

“My name is Kyong Sumi, I work at the White Rose Café with Jungkook-ssi, um, you were listed as his emergency contact and it-”

Ji-hun’s mind blanked.

“Is this some sick fucking joke?” The words ripped out of him, anger flooding through him that someone thought this was funny. Was this one of his ‘gang friends’? Ji-hun knew Jungkook had gotten messed up in some underground stuff but he never told him about it in detail. Was that how he was killed? Were they trying to mock them?

“I-I’m sorry? No, I don’t… I’m calling because Jungkook-ssi has come down with a fever and I was hoping you could come pick him up? He’s really out of it and he won’t tell me his address.”

Was she being serious? She sounded almost panicked and in his shock he couldn’t tell if that was because of his own tone or because she was telling the truth. Could Jungkook actually be alive?

“Put him on the phone,” he demanded quickly, forcing himself to keep his voice low. “If he’s really there, put him on.”

He clutched his phone to his ear with both hands, cradling it as if it was his only lifeline. “Um, he’s very sick but I’ll try and get him to talk?” There was shuffling around on the other end and Ji-hun began to pace.

Fear, dread, and anger made him want to smash the phone on the ground, to hang up and pretend he’d never received the call. Jungkook was still dead. For his brother’s sake, he wanted Jungkook to stay dead. The boy had gotten free in the worst possible way and if he believed his boyfriend like he wanted too, he had been happy for at least awhile. Ji-hun wanted it to stay that way. He wanted it to end here.

But he waited, holding his breath until he felt light-headed as the girl on the other end mumbled something. He could hear more shuffling and a low groan, a tired and weak noise.

He froze, feet locking to the spot as he leaned into his phone as if that would help him hear better.

“Hyung?”

The voice, so familiar and yet so much more mature than he remembered it, slammed into him and he felt his knees hit the driveway roughly as they gave out. Ji-hun sucked in a breath and shook. He opened his mouth, but the words were caught, too many trying to force their way out.

Jungkook kept speaking, and he sounded awful. Tired, sick, just like the girl said. “Jinnie-hyung, please don’t be mad,” he whined slightly and Ji-hun’s mind skipped over the unfamiliar name in favour of realizing that, yes, Jungkook was alive.

Jungkook was alive.

“How can you ask that?” Ji-hun found himself whispering, because he was livid. He was so fucking angry right now. He wanted to throttle the kid for thinking it was okay to fake his own death. How could he not tell him? After everything Ji-hun had done for him? Given up for him? How could he just abandon him?

His mind caught up with his thoughts and he felt his blood run cold. Abandon him. What, like he had to Jungkook?

Biting his lip hard he stood back up and scrambled to pull his keys out of his pocket. “Jungkook. I’m coming to get you. Stay there.”

He only got a hum as a response and as he got in his car the girl spoke again, “Sorry, he’s not really attentive right now.”

Ji-hun gripped his steering wheel, “What’s the address? Where are you?”

The girl quickly told him and he threw the car into reverse, phone pinched between his shoulder and ear as he pulled out onto the road. He opened his mouth to tell her he was on his way when the girl let out a quiet, “Oh.”

“What? What’s wrong?” He asked quickly, barely paying attention to the road in his panic.

“Oh, um, sorry, his roommates just showed up. They can take care of him, I’m sorry to have bothered you, I’ll tell Jungkook-ssi to give you a call when he’s feeling better.”

Eyes widening he quickly grabbed the phone with one hand, “Roommates? Who- Hey! Don’t-”

The line went dead.

Yelling in frustration he threw the phone in the passenger seat and pressed the gas pedal down, slamming his hand against the steering wheel. “Fuck!”

Namjoon never found it difficult to get lost in a book. He loved the feeling of letting his mind explore a whole other world and letting himself experience the adventures alongside the main characters. While he loved reading things that were more informative and were based on philosophy and historical knowledge, he also loved a good adventure book every now and then.

He was halfway through one, following the trials and tribulations of a boy trying to find his way in life, and he felt he related a lot to the concepts and ideas.

When he sat down half an hour ago to read in the living room, he expected to let himself fall into that world once more.

Only, he couldn’t.

He would get two sentences in and forget what he was reading, or his mind would wander, or he would have to change his position on the couch because he just couldn’t get comfortable.

Something was wrong but he couldn’t figure out what.

He had a passing thought about dinner, which led to him glancing at the clock.

Bolting upright he looked at the time again. That couldn’t be right. It was nearly six o’clock.

Had he seen Jungkook come home?

He pressed his magic out against the houses and felt it press right back, confirming that no, Jungkook wasn’t home yet.

He bit down the panic, shut down the worst-case scenario’s running through his mind, and quickly stood up. “Jimin! Hoseok!”

Namjoon threw his book down and stepped into the entrance, sliding his shoes on as Hoseok came downstairs and Jimin wandered in a moment later from the kitchen, “What’s wrong?”

“Did Jungkook say anything about being late tonight?” He asked, looking up at Yoongi too who leaned over the banister at the top of the stairs, drawn out by his call.

They all frowned and Jimin leaned to check the time, his eyes widened and he quickly grabbed his shoes as well.

Hoseok blinked in confusion, “He didn’t say anything to me.”

Yoongi shook his head and Namjoon quickly put a hand on Jimin’s shoulder to calm his panicked movements. “He’s almost an hour late. Hoseok, Jimin and I will go to the café and see if he’s still there. Yoongi can you let the others know?”

Yoongi nodded with a deep frown and disappeared upstairs.

Hoseok opened his mouth, his expression telling before his words could and Namjoon cut him off to save some time, “Let’s not freak out. It could be nothing. He might just be talking with Sumi and Jaeyong.”

Jimin bit his lip, “Right. You’re right.”

Not wasting any more time, they hurried out of the house, despite trying to remain calm, they could all feel their hearts beating with adrenaline and worry. Jungkook was always so careful to tell them when he’d be home and where he was going. A few minutes, maybe even a half hour and they would be able to overlook it, but almost an hour? That had them scared.

They practically jogged their way to the door.

“We really need to figure out how to communicate between worlds,” Hoseok mentioned as they stepped through the door into the alley beside the café. Namjoon mentally agreed. He wondered if Yoongi and him could figure something out for Jungkook’s cellphone.

Pushing that thought to the side for later, they rounded the corner to the front door of the shop and found it locked with all the lights off. Jimin peaked into the window as Namjoon quickly knocked on the glass door.

“It looks like there’s no one here,” Hoseok frowned and looked around the street. The sun was setting already.

“Maybe he-” Namjoon started only to be interrupted by Jimin who perked up.

“Look Sumi-yah is still here!” He waved to the girl who approached quickly, pulling Jungkook’s phone away from her ear and hitting a button on it.

Why did she have his phone? Namjoon frowned in concern and the look of relief she wore when she unlocked the door for them didn’t help.

“Where is he?” Namjoon asked, waiting for Jungkook to walk out of the kitchen. He tried not to sound harsh, in case Jungkook really had just lost track of time and they were overreacting.

“This way,” Sumi said and that set of warning bells in his mind, they followed after her as she led them behind the counter. “I’m glad you guys are here, Jungkook-ssi wasn’t feeling very well today and it got worse, I think he’s got a fever.”

When they reached the room on the other side of the kitchen Jimin let out a cry of horror and rushed past them quickly, running over to Jungkook’s prone form on the floor.

Jungkook was curled up on his side, some sort of fabric covering his mouth, a cloth on his forehead. He was drenched in sweat and his face was flushed. Namjoon watched in concern as Jimin tucked his arm under his head and lifted him to sit up slightly. The Fae whispered some quiet words to the boy, adjusting the cloth on his forehead.

“What’s a fever?” Hoseok asked with a frown.

Namjoon glanced at Sumi who blinked in confusion but Jimin answered before he could say anything. “It’s an increase of the body’s natural temperature setpoint, caused by a number of things,” he rattled off, feeling the back of Jungkook’s neck gently. “When did this start?”

They looked at Sumi who jumped a bit at suddenly being under their attention, “This afternoon? That’s when I noticed it. He only got this bad in the last hour. He kept saying it was just a cold from getting soaked by the sprinklers the other day.”

“Why didn’t he come home?” Hoseok stepped over and crouched next to Jimin, reaching a hand out to touch Jungkook’s cheek. He winced and pulled his hand away quickly. “He’s really hot.”

Sumi sighed, “It’s just us working today, he didn’t want to leave me on my own. I don’t think he realized it would get this bad either though.”

Namjoon didn’t like this. Something didn’t feel right. Jungkook had explained to them before how easy it could be for a human to get sick and how many types of sickness’s there were. He’d even listened to Jimin read a bunch from his medical books and it was an extensive list. But if the sprinklers were what did it, why not the rain in Euphoria?

Jungkook had been shivering for twenty minutes after coming back from that day even with a ton of blankets and Seokjin cuddling him. He hadn’t even looked fazed by the sprinklers. That didn’t add up to him. Maybe it was just bad luck but something told him they needed to look into this.

“Jiminie, can you treat him?”

Jimin didn’t hesitate, nodding determinedly, “I know this one. I’ll take care of him.”

“Good, let’s get him home then,” Namjoon crouched and with Jimin and Hoseok’s help they got him onto his back after taking the cloth off his head and unhooking the fabric mask from around his ears. He held him under the thighs and hoisted him up slightly making sure he was secure before standing. Jungkook groaned slightly. “Sorry Kookie, just bear with it a little longer, we’ll get you back to your bed okay?”

Jungkook hummed and Namjoon could feel the heat of his body uncomfortably warm on his back. “Galaxy?” He drawled sleepily.

“Yeah, Galaxy,” Namjoon chuckled.

Hoseok gathered up Jungkook’s things and Sumi handed his phone to him, which he took gratefully, “Thanks for looking out for him, Sumi-yah.”

“Of course, I would have called sooner but he doesn’t seem to have any of your numbers in his phone, I ended up calling his brother,” she said laughing a bit.

The three of them froze.

They traded nervous looks.

“You called his brother?” Jimin asked carefully. “Did you say where Jungkook was?”

Sumi blinked and nodded slowly, seeming to pick up on the sudden tense atmosphere, “Yeah, he sounded… weird though. Frantic maybe? He thought I was joking for some reason.” She looked between them carefully, “Did I… did I do something wrong?”

Namjoon tried not to feel too frustrated with the girl. There was no way she could have known and she was only trying to help. This just might… cause some issues later. He glanced over his shoulder at Jungkook. The boy had expressed that he’d rather not see his family again but it seemed he might have to face them anyway.

“No, no it’s alright Sumi-yah. If he comes by just tell him Jungkook is safe alright?”

Sumi nodded, looking a bit unsure and followed them back to the front door.

“I’ll give him the next week off, and um, could you tell him to give me a call or text when he’s feeling better?” She said fiddling with her hands.

Jimin took her hands in his and smiled at her reassuringly, “Of course. Thank you so much for your help. Your friendship means a lot to Jungkookie.”

Namjoon chuckled when the girl blushed and squeaked a little in response before they said their goodbyes and they were hurrying around the corner through the door to Galaxy.

When they stepped through, Jimin and Hoseok ran ahead, Jimin already telling the dragon what they’d need to get ready to take care of Jungkook at the house. Namjoon paused in his steps when he felt Jungkook shift on his back and he looked over his shoulder to see the boy had lifted his head, looking off to the side.

He followed his gaze and landed on the door to Euphoria. Slowly looking back at Jungkook, he watched him carefully, “Jungkook?”

“Mmm…” Jungkook flopped his head back down against Namjoon’s shoulder. “Don’t feel good hyung.”

“I know bun, Jimin will take good care of you, be strong for us okay?” Namjoon glanced back at the door before continuing towards the house, hurrying but trying to keep his pace from jostling the boy.

Jungkook whined, “Jinnie-hyung’s angry.”

Frowning Namjoon got to the path in front of the house, “He’s not angry bunny, where’d you get that from?”

“Hyung sounded angry on the phone,” the boy mumbled sounding conflicted.

He forced himself not to say anything to that. Namjoon didn’t know anything about Jungkook’s relationship with his brother besides that he had left Jungkook in a house with people who tortured him with the goal to change part of who he was. That alone gave him some animosity towards the man.

When Jungkook had to face him again, he certainly wouldn’t be doing it alone.

Jungkook whined once more and fidgeted. “Hyung… gonna…”

Namjoon blinked and looked back at him, “You alright? We’re almost-”

He didn’t get to finish his sentence. The next second, Jungkook was pitching forward slightly almost throwing him off balance before he felt his body heave and with an awful sound Namjoon felt something hot and wet drench his shoulder and down the front of his shirt.

He stopped moving all together on the steps of the porch and forced himself to refrain from looking down at his shirt as the bile slowly soaked in.

Vomit.

Right.

Human’s vomit when they’re sick. Would have been nice had he remembered that a few minutes ago.

The smell hit him a moment later and he turned his head to the side. Taking in a breath through his mouth, he finished walking up the steps after hearing Jungkook groan, stepping into the house.

“Jimin and Hoseok are upstairs, you can take him- what in the name of the Guardian are you covered in?” Seokjin stared at him with wide eyes, taking in the state of his shirt.

“I think your cooking, but I really don’t want to talk about that right now,” Namjoon said, voice strained as he quickly made his way up the stairs and to Jungkook’s room.

They all winced at the smell when Namjoon came in and Jimin looked over quickly, Hoseok and Yoongi covering their noses.

“He threw up?” Jimin asked as Namjoon sat him down on the bed, guiding the boy to lay on his side for a moment.

Namjoon nodded and Jimin could see he was trying very hard not to think about the vomit that was covering his front, “I’m ah, going to go change before I add to this.”

None of them complained when Namjoon hurried out of the room to do just that. The others had all piled into the room but stayed back out of Jimin’s way as he took a cloth and gently wiped Jungkook’s mouth. The boy’s brow pinched and he opened his eyes a bit to find Jimin.

“Sorry…”

Jimin almost cooed at the little tired pout he gave, “It’s alright bun, you’re stomach not feeling good?”

Jungkook shook his head weakly and let his eyes fall shut, “Tired.”

“I know love, I just need to change your clothes and then you can rest.”

Taehyung came over to help him undress the boy, supporting him in a way that reminded Jimin of when they reset his shoulder. He repressed a shiver at the memory. That sound still haunted him. Taehyung looked at Jungkook in concern, “What’s throw up? Is he going to be okay?”

“It’s when his body ejects the contents of his stomach back out through his mouth, it’s common when a human’s body thinks there’s some threat of poison or harmful bacteria. Like a defense,” Jimin recalled. He was so incredibly glad that fevers and colds had been something he’d studied already.

It still didn’t make this any less nerve wracking for him. Seeing Jungkook in this state was awful, the boy couldn’t even keep his head up. He just hoped that he would handle this right. Jungkook was right, this wasn’t like when they pretended he had ailments. It was scary.

When he got his lover resting he was going to grab his books and reread the sections on sickness’s.

“That sounds painful,” Yoongi grumbled, watching Jungkook and shifting his weight from side to side. Jimin knew that they all wanted to help but he appreciated them keeping their distance. Crowding Jungkook would only make it harder.

“I don’t think it’s painful, but it’s not pleasant. Okay Taetae you can lay him down. Hoseokie can you grab something in case he has to throw up again?”

Hoseok nodded and stepped out of the room quickly.

Taehyung gently guided Jungkook’s head to the pillow after they had changed his shirt to a loose tee and took off his pants, leaving him in his boxers. Jungkook felt around blindly for something while Taehyung pulled the blankets over him. The Fae blinked when Jungkook whined, “What are you looking for love?”

“Cooky?”

Taehyung smiled and brushed his hair away from his damp forehead, “Cooky’s in the other room, want me to get him?”

Upon Jungkook’s eager nodding Taehyung hurried out too. Yoongi approached the far side of the bed watching Jimin wet a cloth in a basin of water on the nightstand and ring it out.

Jimin had noticed the phoenix had been tense since after he and Taehyung had come back from their walk.

Jimin had been surprised to see the Guardian with them and he figured the whale had said something to Yoongi, but he hadn’t found a good time to ask yet.

Today was chalking up to be a stressful one all around, starting with accidently triggering Taehyung when he’d yelped in fear after almost falling off the ladder in the study. By the time he’d gotten down and realized Taehyung had gone very quiet, he’d already slipped into an episode. Jimin had tried his usual tactics to bring him back, but when those didn’t work he resorted to getting Yoongi’s help.

When it got that bad, as much as it pained Jimin, he had to distance himself from his lover. He knew that it helped Taehyung to get away from anything that put him back in that day and sadly Jimin was a large part of the situation that had traumatized him. It wasn’t exactly a favourite memory of Jimin’s either.

They always spent time together afterwards, cuddling and reassuring each other that everything was okay.

Things were getting much better throughout the years and it rarely happened now, especially like that. Taehyung would occasionally lose focus and stare off into space, something similar to what Jungkook called ‘zoning out’ but even that was few and far between these days.

He reached over, gently laying the cloth across Jungkook’s forehead.

“Minnie?” Jungkook mumbled sleepily surprising him a little. He thought he’d already fallen asleep.

“I’m right here, do you need something bun?” He asked softly, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Jungkook opened his eyes, squinting at him, but Jimin could still make out the guilt in them, “Sorry for scaring you guys.”

It was Yoongi who responded with a huff, “It’s not like you did it on purpose Kookie. It was out of your control. Don’t worry about it and get some sleep.”

Jungkook lips twitched in an attempt to smile and he mumbled something that sounded like ‘grumpy fire-birdie’ before he relaxed and started letting himself drift off.

Jimin smiled fondly.

Ji-hun remembered the day he came home to find Jungkook had left.

It had been months since he’d stepped into their family home, he had forced himself to stay away. Jungkook had made it very clear that he wasn’t doing any good when he tried to tell his parents to stop, when he tried to step in. Ji-hun knew that he could never stay long, he knew that if he could, he’d never let his parents say another slur or curse towards him again.

But they didn’t do that when he was there. They acted like they never did. The only reason Ji-hun knew it was getting bad was because Jungkook told him. Every time he saw his little brother, more and more life had drained from him. He stopped smiling, stopped talking unless spoken to, didn’t have any energy.

Then Ji-hun found out he was being transferred.

That call had broken his heart. The company had made it very clear he was to go alone. He couldn’t bring Jungkook. Not yet. But he had planned too. He just needed a little more and he could give him the life he deserved. Always just a little more.

When he was able to fly back to visit, Jungkook was gone. His parents had given up on trying to reach him. He demanded to know what had happened. He wanted to know everything.

It was his fault Jungkook left, the night he told him he was going to America. The night he had abandoned him.

He remembered the day he saw for himself the room they’d locked him in for his ‘therapy’. He saw the scratches on the back of the door, the boarded-up window that had yet to be fixed, the torn bed sheets. He saw and felt the torture that had occurred there. It made him sick.

Ji-hun wanted to explain everything. He thought, maybe with the boys last words to him, that Jungkook knew. He understood. The new knowledge that he faked his death only affirmed that Jungkook did know why his parents had done what they did.

If he knew then he might forgive him.

But he needed to be sure.

He parked out front of the White Rose Café a half hour after leaving his parents house and rushed to the door, banging on it as hard as he dare. It was a cute café, cozy and calm. The lights were off inside and it was clearly closed.

He waited, pacing out front to see if anyone would turn up, to see if his brother would walk around the corner.

Silence and some strange looks from passersby was all he got.

The girl said Jungkook was sick, assuming that were true, and he was inclined to believe it was, he would take a few days off of work. He likely wouldn’t be in tomorrow but that didn’t mean he couldn’t get some information out of the staff. Maybe they knew where he lived.

Stepping back to look at the café’s sign, he pressed his teeth together, jaw tense.

One way or another, he’d find his brother.

And he’d make sure the boy knew to stay dead.

“You’re okay love, you’re alright, drink some water,” Jimin said calmly as he rubbed Jungkook’s back.

His lover groaned, lifting his head out of the bucket and let Jimin guide the glass to his lips. He rinsed his mouth a few times, spitting out the taste of bile into the bucket before he took slow sips. Jimin smiled reassuringly, taking the bucket and putting it to the side to clean in a moment.

This was the third time he’d thrown up since he’d gotten home and it was well into the night now. Jungkook couldn’t seem to get more then twenty minutes of rest at a time before he woke up coughing or fidgeting from the heat in his body.

Jimin was starting to get concerned, especially since he couldn’t keep anything down including water. The dry heaving was starting to exhaust Jungkook and he was left gasping with tears in his eyes from the force of it.

All of the medical books said that the fever usually would just run it’s course and it should break soon but Jimin was still worried.

He took the glass back from Jungkook when he was done and helped him lie down again, fixing the blankets up over his chest to keep him warm. Jungkook looked at him through tired, barely open eyes and Jimin was careful to not show his concern.

“Pretty Minnie,” he mumbled and Jimin laughed a bit.

“You’re not so bad yourself Jungkookie,” he smiled and leaned down to kiss his forehead gently.

Jungkook watched him fiddle with the blankets, “The first time I saw you was like this too. Do you remember?”

Clicking his tongue, Jimin sat down on the edge of the bed and thought back to that moment. How he’d been so amazed at seeing a human, let alone a human as beautiful as Jungkook. “Of course. You were so polite to us. Now you’re just a brat,” he teased, chuckling when Jungkook scrunched his nose.

“You were scared of me.”

His words, while true, almost hurt as much as they made Jimin want to laugh. At the time it made sense, but now, he couldn’t ever imagine being scared of the boy in front of him.

“I was. Were you scared of us?” He couldn’t help asking.

Jungkook coughed roughly and Jimin tried not to wince at the painful sound, watching the displeased expression on his face as he swallowed, “I thought I was in heaven. You are both so breathtaking.”

Jimin’s gaze softened and he took Jungkook’s hand in his own, stroking his thumb over his knuckles. “Still a charmer even when you’re sick,” he shook his head in amusement.

Jungkook’s eyes fluttered at the touch and he sighed, “I’mma marry you one day.”

Jimin smiled and hummed fondly, “Is that so?”

“Mhm. You and the others. A big wedding. And… and we should have kids,” Jungkook leaned into Jimin’s hand as he stroked his hair out of his face. “Mini Minnie’s.”

Jimin blushed and bit his tongue to keep from cooing over how cute he was, it didn’t help that the blankets were tucked right up under his chin and he was practically nuzzling into Jimin’s palm. “I think that’s a conversation for when you’re more lucid love.”

Jungkook scrunched his nose again, looking much like his given nickname, “Yoongles would be a good dad. Saw him with Boseon-ah at the Café. S’cute.”

“Who’s Boseon-ah?” Jimin blinked curiously.

“He’s a little phoenix, like hyung.”

Jimin paused for a moment before his gaze softened slightly, “Oh?”

Jungkook hummed, “Think hyung likes him a lot. He was really good with him. I fell in love with him twice.”

Jimin stroked a hand down Jungkook’s cheek. Yoongi hadn’t told them about a boy at the Café. Though, knowing Yoongi, he wouldn’t. Especially if the boy thought he was a phoenix. It must have been hard for his lover to hear that, but Yoongi was kind, and he knew despite not enjoying being around people all that much, he secretly liked kids.

“I think you’re right Jungkookie, I think he would make a good dad too,” he said softly.

Having kids wasn’t a topic they had really explored much in the past. It wasn’t that they didn’t want any, they just, never felt like it was the right time to look into it. They had discussed it in passing one day and the topic faded away again with a simple agreement of, ‘not yet’.

Now that they had Jungkook in their lives, Jimin realized the urge to have children hadn’t been there because they didn’t feel complete yet, though at the time none of them would have been able to point out that that was specifically why. Jungkook completed their Set and with that wholeness came the desire to move forward.

Jimin would love to have children one day. He wanted to raise kids with his lovers.

Jimin was pulled from his thoughts when Jungkook turned his head a little and bit down on the side of his hand. He jumped and looked at the boy who was gnawing on his hand, pressing his teeth into his skin gently.

“…Why?”

Jungkook made a strange noise as if that would answer his question and contently laid there with his hand in between his teeth.

More focused on trying to get Jungkook to release him, Jimin didn’t notice Yoongi standing in the doorway watching them with a fond, gentle look, before he stepped away and wandered down the hall.

Jungkook was still feverish into the next afternoon.

It was a long restless night and Jimin switched out with the others from time to time to get some sleep himself, but Jungkook’s temperature stayed roughly the same. The cold medicine Jimin had given him had helped to settle his stomach and headache though.

He was exhausted and barely awake through most of the evening, drifting in and out of sleep, but he was sleeping more soundly and for longer periods.

Seokjin had managed to spoon feed him some soup that evening and they’d sat him up, Taehyung taking advantage of the new position to climb in next to him and cuddle with him.

They all found themselves piled in his room for the majority of the time, talking quietly and engaging Jungkook whenever he was awake.

They had always known Jungkook was very honest and adorable when he was sleepy, and they were quickly learning that it only amplified when he was sick and sleepy.

“What’s your favourite animal Kookie?” Hoseok asked, laying on the bed near the others feet, smiling in amusement at Jungkook who had Taehyung wrapped up in both his arms and refused to let him go, Cooky crammed between them. Jungkook’s chin rested on top of the Fae’s head.

Jungkook mumbled tiredly, mind only half awake, “Brachiosaurus.”

“Oh my guardian you’re so cute,” Seokjin groaned and tipped his head back in the chair he’d brought in.

Yoongi laughed at that, “What even is that?”

“No idea but the way he said it was adorable.”

“Oh wait, let me ask one!” Taehyung grinned and nuzzled Jungkook’s neck making the younger squirm. “Who’s your favourite Kookie?”

There were a few groans mixed with protests but Taehyung only grinned.

“Hey now, don’t ask him that. You’ll be upset when he says me,” Seokjin waved a hand smirking.

“You wish, obviously I’m his favourite,” Hoseok grinned, playing along teasingly.

This started a back and forth between everyone that ended with Yoongi shushing them when it started getting too loud, “Guys, let him rest.”

“Tony.”

The room went dead silent.

They slowly looked over at Jungkook who nommed sleepily, none the wiser to the silence around him. “He’s th’ best.”

…

…

…

“Ex-fucking-scuse me, who?” Seokjin exclaimed, scandalized by the response.

Taehyung scrunched his nose, “Who’s Tony? Do we know a Tony?”

Namjoon crossed his arms and huffed, “No. We don’t know a Tony.”

“Jungkookie, who’s Tony love?” Jimin asked gently, eye twitching a little.

“A superhero, and super smart and he can fly and shoot lasers,” Jungkook listed, holding out a hand weakly and making what they assumed were laser sounds.

“I can fly too,” Yoongi grumbled, sinking down where he sat on the floor facing the windows with his back against the bed. “What’s so special about ‘Tony’?”

“I think I’m pretty smart…” Namjoon pouted. “I wouldn’t say super smart. That sounds a little presumptuous.”

“What’s a superhero?” Hoseok hummed, laying his head back on Jungkook’s shin.

“Someone who saves people. Or the world,” Jungkook explained in mumbles.

Taehyung perked up and smiled, “Like you then?”

They laughed lightly at Jungkook’s expression to that, “No. Jiho-hyung told me not to be a hero.”

There was a slight pause where they had to stop themselves from saying anything that might upset Jungkook.

Yet, Taehyung still grumbled a quiet ‘Who cares what he says,’ to himself.

“Actually,” Yoongi spoke up, twisting around and putting an elbow on the edge of the bed to look at them. “Speaking of the bastard that we won’t name in this household.”

Jungkook lifted his head squinting at him, his hair sticking out in odd angles off the side of his head, making Taehyung giggle as he tried to fix it. “Voldemort?”

“What? No, who?” Yoongi blinked.

Jungkook gave a small understanding nod and flopped his head back down.

Seokjin shook his head, “What about him love?”

“Guardian came with a message from him yesterday.”

Taehyung looked over, awkwardly turning his head as Jungkook refused to let him move. “I thought he was just checking in?”

Yoongi smiled apologetically, “He didn’t want to upset you, he told me after you went inside.” Taehyung pouted but didn’t seem too upset. Yoongi took that as the cue to continue. “He said he wants to talk. Don’t know what he could possibly have to say though.”

“To Jungkook?” Hoseok frowned.

Yoongi shrugged, “He didn’t specify. But even if he did I wouldn’t let him within a mile of him.”

Jimin scoffed, “He really thinks we’re going to talk to him after everything?”

“Did you say anything back?” Namjoon asked, scowling.

Yoongi shook his head, “He almost killed Jimin and DID kill Jungkook so, I didn’t think any of us were jumping at the chance to chat.”

Jungkook turned his face into his pillow and groaned, ending it on a whiny note.

Taehyung rubbed his arm soothingly.

Jimin shifted and glanced at Hoseok and Namjoon, “There’s something else you guys should know too. When Sumi found Jungkook sick she called his brother and told him where he was.”

Jungkook whined even louder into his pillow, interrupted by a cough. Jimin tried to coax him to drink some water but he pushed it away. "Just let me die," he whined. "Drown me in cuddles and kisses. I don't want to deal with people."

Yoongi closed his eyes and nodded sullenly in understanding.

Jimin snickered and set the glass down, "As wonderful as that sounds, it doesn't work like that bunny."

"You didn't even try..." 

Seokjin brought the conversation back before they strayed too far, “He knows Jungkook’s alive then?”

“If he doesn’t know for sure he probably at least suspects. We don’t know how he’ll react,” Namjoon looked over at Jungkook frowning. “Do you remember the last time you spoke to your brother Kookie?”

Sighing Jungkook pulled his face out of the pillow and had to take a long second to think, getting his fever ridden mind to function. “Mmmm… couple years ago. He called about trying to meet up but I didn’t want to. That’s who was on the phone then? Ji-hun-hyung?”

Jimin looked at him apologetically, “Yeah love. Do you, would it be so bad to try and make up with your brother? I don’t… agree with what he did but maybe he had a good reason?”

Jimin himself didn’t sound entirely convinced or eager to be suggesting the idea, but the others understood. No matter how they felt about the man, he was still Jungkook’s brother, and he deserved to at least tell his side of the story. It wasn’t like they had much choice now. His brother knew where Jungkook worked, he was bound to show up eventually.

Jungkook coughed again, chest jerking with the force of it. When he took a small breath, it came out as a sigh, “I’d like too. I don't want him to tell my parents but they probably already know now too.”

Jimin glared slightly at the wall at the thought of his parents, "We'll deal with them another time. How do you think your brother will take it?”

“He’ll be pissed. It probably won’t be a fun conversation.”

Yoongi huffed, “We’ll be there if things get out of hand. But we’ll stay out of the way. This is a family matter.”

Jungkook nuzzled against Taehyung hair and closed his eyes. “You’re my family. I don’t have their blood anymore. They’re just strangers.”

The others looked at each other with conflicting expressions. That was true, Jungkook’s new body was created by magic, it severed all genetic ties he’d had in relation to his family. They had never believed that sharing blood should be the only reason you call yourself family. Family were the people who had your back, loved you for you, and wanted you in their life.

Sharing blood was a factor, but it wasn’t the only thing that defined family.

Their Set was their family, where they loved and supported each other and where they all felt they belonged.

They felt a little guilty that there was pure joy running through all of them that Jungkook was no longer connected to the people that hurt him, instead being free to be with them and apart of their family. It also made them feel even more protective over the boy, as if a switch went off in their minds that nothing was holding them back from calling him their own now.

Not that they would let anything stop them before, but now it felt… official on some level.

The small smile on Jungkook’s face was all they needed to know that he was okay with that severance from his birth family. That he was happy where he was.

Taehyung smiled softly and kissed his cheek. “We’ll always be your family. No matter what.”

Jungkook’s arms squeezed around him gently, lovingly, “Mine.”

The others couldn’t stop the grins if they tried.

“Ours,” Seokjin agreed, reaching over to squeeze his ankle through the sheets.

Everyone settled into the comfortable silence around them, letting Jungkook fall asleep once more.

Chapter Text

“Your temperatures still a little high,” Jimin frowned as he looked at the thermometer.

Jungkook raised a brow and pulled it out of his mouth, looking at the digital display. “It’s 99.8, that’s not high hyung.”

“The book says it should be 98.6, you should rest longer.”

Jungkook chuckled and set the thermometer to the side. After two days of feeling awful, his fever broke the day before in the afternoon, finally relenting and letting him get some proper rest and food. Today he felt much better and he’d already spoken to the guys about going to the café to talk to Sumi and Jaeyong.

Though they were going to tag along too just in case his brother was there and to make sure he didn’t try to work. They had made it very clear he was going to take the full week that Sumi had given him off. He couldn’t argue much, he knew he’d scared them and if nothing else, they just wanted him close by and in good health for the time being.

“That’s the average temperature, everyone is a little different, and I literally just took a shower,” he explained to Jimin, his hair still damp. He’d gotten changed into street clothes with the intention of catching Sumi or Jaeyong on their lunch. It was still early though so he had some time to kill before then.

He knew that his boyfriends were probably more nervous for Jungkook to see his brother then he was. Jimin’s pout was enough of a tell.

Jungkook himself wasn’t sure how to feel about it. He didn’t feel stressed or anxious at all. If anything he just felt like he was going to meet someone he’d never met before. On one hand, it saddened him to think that he’d distanced himself so much from his brother but on the other, he was happy with his life the way it was now. Whether his brother wanted to be apart of that from here on out was up to him, but if he ever put it at risk, he’d have no regrets about cutting him out.

He had everything he needed right here in this home. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t make an honest effort though. His brother deserved that much at least. And he would really like to have his older brother back.

Jimin hummed disbelievingly, looking him over like he was trying to find something wrong, “Are you sure? Your headache is gone?”

“Yes Minnie,” Jungkook smiled fondly.

“And your stomach?”

“It feels fine.”

“How about-”

“Sweetheart,” Jungkook laughed and reached over to him, pulling him away from where he was sitting on the edge of the bed and into his lap. Jimin straddled him easily and hooked his arms over his shoulders. “I’m alright. I promise. I’ll be alright later too when I see Ji-hun-hyung. Know why?”

“Because you have six boyfriends who would kill anyone who hurt you and then snuggle you to make it all better?” Jimin guessed.

Jungkook opened his mouth and closed it again. “That sounded as hot as it did cute but that’s probably an exaggeration, right? I mean you didn’t try and kill…” the way Jimin quickly looked away and pursed his lips had Jungkook’s eyes widening. “Minnie. Did you guys try and kill Jiho-hyung?”

Jimin mumbled something and Jungkook pressed two fingers against his jaw to turn his head back to face him. Seeing his look, Jimin sighed. “The Guardian wouldn’t let us.”

“Holy-”

“He killed you! We couldn’t just let him get away with that! Plus there is no stopping Hoseok when he gets angry. If the Guardian wasn’t an all powerful being then…” Jimin shook his head not bothering to finish his sentence.

Jungkook licked his lips, “So those threats about killing my parents?”

Jimin’s look softened and he played with the hair at the nape of his neck gently, making Jungkook shiver, “We weren’t joking. But we won’t. Not unless you say it’s okay.”

“Oh, good. I’m glad you’ll ask permission before you try murdering my parents,” he laughed and pressed his fingers into Jimin’s sides, making him squeal and laugh. Jungkook smirked and tickled him, moving with him as he tried to squirm away. He ended up over top of Jimin, sitting on his thighs as he fought against the Fae’s hands which tried to push his away.

“Ha ha ha! Stop! Sto-ahp! Ha ha! I give!” Jimin squealed and Jungkook relented, leaning over him with his hands next to his shoulders. He grinned as Jimin tried to catch his breath between giggles.

There wouldn’t be a day that Jungkook would look at Jimin and not think he was the most beautiful person he’d ever met. Jimin looked up at him and smiled sweetly, cheeks flushed from laughter.

Taking a small breath Jungkook leaned down and pressed his forehead against Jimin’s, rubbing their noses gently. “Thanks Jimin. For taking care of me,” he spoke softly.

Jimin hummed and cupped his face in his hands, pulling him down to kiss him lightly. “Always love.”

Jungkook nosed his cheek gently, “You know, you’d look really good in a nurse outfit.”

“Oh? Would you like me to dress up for you Jungkookie?” Jimin smirked. Feeling his heart seize, Jungkook quickly pulled away and looked at him.

“Would you be willing too?” He asked hopefully, feeling excitement shoot through him at the thought.

Seeing that excitement, Jimin laughed and nodded, “I like looking pretty for all of you. Seokjinnie really likes it when I wear dresses. But I only wear them on special occasions.”

The image of Jimin wearing a cute summer dressed flashed in his mind and he groaned, thumping his forehead against the others chest. “Fuck me.”

“Alright.”

Jungkook paused and peaked through his bangs up at him, blinking owlishly. Jimin smiled shyly at him, blushing.

“I’d prefer if you’d fuck me though,” Jimin hummed, looking to the side out of embarrassment.

“Are you,” Jungkook sat up, Jimin pushing himself up too but still not meeting his eyes. “Are you sure? Now?”

“Do you want to?” Jimin looked at him then, there was no pressure, no begging looks or pleading eyes. It was a simple honest question and if Jungkook said he didn’t, Jimin wouldn’t question it or hold it against him.

There was no way in hell Jungkook would say no though.

“Yes! Yes, I want to, I’d love to, please?” He said quickly, the words coming out rushed and eager as he slid his hands down Jimin’s sides to his waist, lifting him into his lap and grinning at the little squeak the other let out.

Jimin huffed teasingly, hands coming to his arms and squeezing them, feeling the muscles under his skin and biting his lip. “Kookie, can I reword that request?”

Jungkook tipped his head back and met his eyes seeing a vulnerability there that he didn’t often see. He tilted his head curiously, Jimin leaning in to hover his lips over his own, breath ghosting over them, making them tingle with anticipation.

Jimin’s presence was almost overwhelming and in this moment he made up his whole world, the feeling of his thighs pressed on either side of his hips, the warmth of him in his lap and the trusting look he gave him, it was all enveloping his senses.

When Jimin spoke, his heart almost burst. In a soft, gentle voice filled with suggestion and arousal, he whispered, “Make love to me.”

Jungkook snapped, slamming his lips against his, all the love and passion he felt towards the other amplifying every movement, every twist and curl of their tongues, every press of their hands on each others bodies, it all felt heated and sensual in a way that Jungkook wanted to let himself drown in.

He felt himself falling into the haze of lust quickly and could tell Jimin was right there with him by the way he bit back his moans, rolling his hips down into him. Quick and desperate.

That wouldn’t do.

Jungkook slid a hand up and gripped his hair, tugging just enough that Jimin tipped his head to the side and could feel the slight sting against his scalp. The Fae gasped, body practically melting in his hands.

Jungkook’s other hand stilled his hips, keeping him from grinding on him. He felt Jimin try to resist him, seeking pleasure, but the hold of his hand was strong enough to keep him still. The groan he let out told him he was more then pleased with that fact despite not getting what he wanted.

“Patience sweetheart, you took such good care of me, let me take care of you now alright?”

He pressed his lips against Jimin’s pulse point having full access to his neck, sucking the skin there and feeling Jimin’s hands grip his shoulders. The Fae drew in a deep breath, twitching slightly as Jungkook grazed his teeth over his skin.

“You did such a good job you know that?” he said lowly next to his ear, letting his lips trace his skin without pressing down, his breath fanning over his neck. Jimin shuddered and arched into him. “Nursing me back to health. Remembering everything you learned.”

“Mmm, I had a great teacher,” Jimin looked at him through enticing eyes.

Jungkook groaned from deep in his chest, meeting Jimin’s lips with his own again.

He pulled away after a moment to press his thumb against his lips, tracing the sensitive moist skin, feeling his warm breath as he parted them. “Fuck Minnie, kissing you is addicting,” he breathed, kissing the corner of his mouth as he pressed into his bottom lip gently with his thumb. “I want to taste these beautiful lips until my name is the only thing you’ll say while I have you to myself.”

Jimin’s lips were impossibly soft and so inviting that the self-restraint Jungkook had at the moment was unmatched. The way he looked at him wanting, begging, shot a spark of electricity down his spine. When his lips moved ever so slightly against his thumb to whine, “Jungkook…” he had to close his eyes for a moment to keep from ravishing the other.

This was about Jimin. He wanted to make Jimin feel good, his own pleasure could wait.

With a strained voice, barely controlled, he spoke between nipping and kissing at the boys jaw, “That’s it sweetheart, just like that. You make my name sound so good.”

“Jungkook,” Jimin breathed again, trying once more to roll his hips. “Tell me what else. Tell me more.”

Chuckling lowly, Jungkook obliged, “I want to taste all of you. Every inch. I want you covered in marks. My marks. I want the others to find them on you and kiss and bite them just like I did.”

Jimin’s tongue darted out to wet his bottom lip, pulling it back in between his teeth to bite down on it gently and successfully making Jungkook question reality. The shudder he felt run through the boy in his lap told him that Jimin was taking advantage of his lack of a protection spell right now. Fuck. The thought of how gorgeous Jimin would look pleasuring himself in front of him, in front of them, struck him hard and unexpectedly.

Just knowing that Jimin found the sensations that Jungkook could cause by canceling his protection spell that arousing was enough to turn him on too.

Jungkook cupped the side of his neck, thumb tracing the line of his jaw to his ear watching with uneven breath as Jimin’s teeth pressed harder into his own lip and he mewled, eyes fluttering. “Does that feel good? Do you like how sensitive you are when I touch you?”

Jimin nodded and Jungkook felt his hands press and twist against his chest.

“Ah ah, words love. Let me hear your pretty voice.”

Groaning, Jimin looked at him, reluctantly releasing his lip. “It feels so good. Jungkook, it’s so, good. Please, I need you.”

Jungkook shifted his weight to slide his hand down his side licking his lips as Jimin looked at him through hooded eyes. He stopped at his hip and pressed his thumb into the soft skin there.

He began sliding his hands back up, taking the Fae’s shirt with them and helping Jimin pull it off over his head. Chest now bare, Jungkook leaned in and kissed and sucked his skin, making sure to leave multiple dark marks on his smooth skin.

Jimin’s hands falter in their attempt at taking Jungkook’s shirt off when he darted his tongue out and flicked it over his nipple experimentally. A gasp ripped out of the Fae followed by a delicious moan, “O-Oh fuck, that feels-” he was cut off by another sharp gasp when Jungkook pressed his tongue against it again, sucking and licking while his hand rolled and pinched the other.

Jimin threw his head back, hands gripping Jungkook’s hair and Jungkook groaned as he guided them back to lay on the bed, never once stopping his ministrations on the boy.

The way Jimin’s chest rose and fell, as if he were trying to force his breathing to stay even, yet losing the battle, shouldn’t have been as tantalizing as it was.

He pulled away fully, Jimin’s hands falling out of his hair to rest on either side of his head, panting and eyes hooded. His skin was flushed a pretty pink and the marks Jungkook had sucked into him were already beginning to darken.

He was an absolute vision.

Jungkook pulled off his own shirt, watching Jimin’s eyes run over his chest and abs, licking his lips as if he wanted to taste him. He slid his hands down Jimin’s chest, brushing his nipples and smirking when the boy twitched and whined under him. Leaning down, he trailed kisses down to Jimin’s stomach and found himself pausing.

Jimin felt it too, had likely expected it. It happened every time. Jungkook had tried to stop thinking about it, but every time he saw the spot, even as unmarked as it was, he saw the bullet wound. He saw the black blood of his lover pooling under him on the dining room table. Saw them digging into it to remove the bullet.

He felt the weight of the gun that had caused it in the palm of his hand.

It was only a flash, only a second, but it had him stilling, closing his eyes to try and will the memories away.

Jimin’s hand found his cheek, guiding his face to turn up and look at him, he propped himself on his elbow and offered him an understanding smile. Instead of saying anything, they’d said all there was to say on the matter, he simply took one of Jungkook’s hands and dragged it across his body up to his chest. He bent his head slightly to kiss his palm, causing a shudder to run through him.

Then he placed his palm over his heart, right where Jungkook could feel it beating heavily, charged with lust and love.

Taking a breath, he smiled and pressed a kiss to his stomach. A silent apology.

His smile turned to a smirk rather quickly as he kissed the skin just above the waist of his pants, Jimin’s eyes darkening once more when he slid both his hands down his thighs, then back up. He could see how hard Jimin was and he leaned down to press a kiss to him through his pants, Jimin immediately trying to buck his hips up, dropping back onto the bed.

“Mmmm Jungkook, please, no more teasing,” he begged and Jungkook was tempted to keep it going a bit longer but he didn’t think he could wait anymore either. He wanted to feel Jimin wrapped him.

“Alright sweetheart, lift your hips for me,” he instructed, hooking his hands on either sides of Jimin pants, tugging them down when Jimin lifted off the bed.

Namjoon had been right about things being a bit overwhelming when it was all of them. It had been amazing and Jungkook had no complaints about any of it, but getting to see Jimin one on one, having him to himself and getting to appreciate every little sound and expression was so precious to him. He couldn’t wait to be able to have these moments with all of them.

He was absolutely spoiled being with them.

Jungkook climbed off of him to reach over to the bedside drawer, grabbing some lube and pulling his own pants off, returning to Jimin just in time to keep him from touching himself. “I’ll make you feel incredible in a moment Minnie but I need you to be patient love, can you do that?”

Despite a little whine, he nodded and let Jungkook lift one of his legs, hooking it over his shoulder. He turned his head, kissing and biting the skin of his inner thigh as he opened the lube and poured some on his fingers rubbing them together to warm it up, tugging Jimin closer and looking at him for permission.

Jimin eagerly nodded, “Taetae, told me-” he sucked in a breath as Jungkook pressed his finger to his rim. “Fuck.”

“What did he tell you Minnie?” Jungkook hummed, sinking his teeth into his thigh then licking the skin to sooth the mark. His finger circled his entrance and he felt Jimin try and press down against him.

Jimin gripped the bed sheets above his head, stretched out beautifully, “H-He told me you’re fingers felt,” Jimin groaned loudly arching off the bed when he slipped his finger into him, “So good, fucking amazing. Jungkook please, more please.”

Jungkook hummed appreciatively and pumped his finger inside him a few times before adding another. He took it slower with two, knowing the stretch might burn slightly but the way Jimin clamped down on his fingers, the way he rocked into him and clawed at the mattress suggested that the burn only turned him on more.

Jungkook slid over Jimin slowly, keeping his leg over his shoulder and waiting to feel the resistance of his muscles telling him he couldn’t go further, only he didn’t feel that resistance until he had Jimin’s leg practically next to head. He blinked in fascination and looked at Jimin in awe. “Holy shit, you’re really flexible.”

Jimin laughed, grabbing his face and pulling him down to kiss him, moaning into his mouth as Jungkook picked up his pace once more, this angle allowing him to press deeper into him.

He pulled his fingers out, taking a moment to slick himself up with lube, pumping his hand over his cock a few times to make sure he was covered before he lined himself up with Jimin pressing his head against his rim.

He looked at the Fae and leaned down to kiss him gently, lovingly. “Ready?” He whispered, searching Jimin’s eyes.

His lover nodding lacing his hand through his hair, and hooking the other around his neck, pulling him close even with his leg still tucked between them. Jimin’s eyes held more emotion then Jungkook’s heart knew how to handle.

“Make me yours.”

The words made his breathing falter and together they both moved, Jimin pushing down to meet his hips and Jungkook pressing up. Their moans mixed together as he slid into him, Jimin feeling so sinfully tight and hot around him that he had to shove his face in the others neck to keep from moving right away.

When Jimin started rolling against him, he started thrusting his hips, pounding into him hard and fast.

Jimin’s moans were only cut off by the occasional curse and stutter of Jungkook’s name that sounded blissful to his ears. He groaned, the rhythm of his thrusts causing Jimin’s leg to slip off his shoulder, hooking down around his arm that supported him from crushing Jimin.

They were both sweating and Jimin was a mess of moans and drool by the time they reached their climax, Jungkook felt Jimin tense under him, muscles tensing and a moan catching in his throat as he clenched around him. Jungkook felt his cum against his chest, making a mess between them and it was only another second before his hips stuttered against Jimin and he came deep inside him.

“Jungkook, nghhh,” Jimin went limp under him, exhausted and spent and Jungkook chuckled fondly. He leaned down, lazily kissing the boy, pecking him gently and nuzzling his cheek.

“You okay? I didn’t hurt you?” He asked, gently unraveling from Jimin and sliding out of him. He tugged the other up towards the pillows tucking him into his chest and wrapping his arms around him.

Jimin let him move him easily, sighing contently against his chest and snuggling close. He shook his head, “Hurt me? You couldn’t.”

Scoffing slightly at the words, Jungkook kissed his head.

“Seriously though, you are, so good at that. Like really good. And uggghh your voice is just,” Jimin groaned against his chest, flopping an arm over his side. “Hoseok and Yoongi are goners when they get their hands on you.”

Jungkook blinked, “Why them specifically?”

Jimin hummed and traced his fingers along his spine calmly, making his skin tingle. “We all wanted to claim your new body in some way. To have one of your firsts.”

Breathing out, Jungkook pressed his cheek against Jimin’s hair and moaned, “You guys are so cute.”

He already knew they would have all of his firsts and lasts.

“Watch your back Kookie,” Jimin giggled, “They might jump you when you least expect it.”

“I’ll be sure too,” Jungkook laughed.

They happily cuddled for a long while, talking and teasing before they both had to get up and clean up so they could go to the café.

When they went downstairs, Jimin walking a little funny, Taehyung had berated them for details until they finally gave them up, only to be scolded by a teasing Seokjin for not letting them watch. They promised that they could next time.

Ji-hun didn’t recognize his brother at first.

But he recognized the face of the man who told him he was dead.

A bitter feeling twisted in his gut and made him clench his fists where he sat across the street in a bar. He hadn’t ordered a drink, though the temptation of numbing himself with alcohol had been there. Instead he’d ordered some food while he sat and waited.

He thought he’d know his brother right away. That he could pick him out easily even despite how long it had been since they’d seen each other. Apparently that wasn’t true.

He recognized the man claiming to be his brother’s boyfriend and from there, while he fought to stay in his seat and not race over, he looked at the others in the group with him.

They stepped around the corner of the White Rose Café and were laughing and carrying on like they’d known each other for years. Maybe they had. Jungkook was the third person his eyes landed on and he was about to move on to the next when it clicked in his mind who he was looking at.

The shock almost had him standing out of his seat to lean closer to the window. His little brother had grown up. That’s the first thought he had when he took in the boys blonde hair, the mature features of his face and the lean, strong build he could make out through his baggy black shirt.

He was handsome, and a swell of pride bubbled up in him when his little brother turned and grinned at one of the other men, saying something he couldn’t make out at this distance. The man, one of the shortest of the group with jet black hair, attempted to kick the back of Jungkook’s leg but the boy changed his step to dodge it.

His smiling face disappeared inside the café with the others.

Jungkook was… smiling. He was happy.

That was the most genuine smile he’d seen on Jungkook since they were still living in Busan. It made him want to cry seeing it again. He’d watched for so long as Jungkook’s smile slowly dwindled until it was gone entirely, until there was nothing for the boy to smile at.

What had happened to bring that smile back?

He could make out the group talking to the employees at the counter but couldn’t see much. The girl, Sumi, was very likely telling them what had happened the day before.

Ji-hun hadn’t meant to get so angry. He was at the end of his rope and sitting around the café waiting for Jungkook to show up had left him alone with his thoughts and fears for too long. When the girl would avoid his questions about Jungkook or answer with ‘We aren’t allowed to divulge employee information,’ he had lost it.

He’d raised his voice to her and before he knew it, the baker had thrown him out, threatening to call the police if he came back. Hence why he was sitting here instead.

That rage was still there, mixing in a disorienting way with relief at seeing Jungkook again.

The anger wasn’t towards Jungkook however, as he realized the moment he laid eyes on his brother’s apparent boyfriend. The thought had occurred to him that maybe Jungkook was forced into hiding. Maybe this man had found out about Jungkook and was somehow blackmailing him into hiding for some selfish, sick reason.

He didn’t trust him. Any of them. Whatever these people wanted from Jungkook, he wouldn’t stand by and watch them take it.

Ji-hun had tried to reassure himself that until he heard the full story, he was making up tall tales with little evidence to support them. It didn’t stop him from thinking the worst of the men who hid his brother from his family, but hopefully it would be enough to stop him from acting on it.

He wouldn’t risk pushing Jungkook away again.

His heart was pounding and nerves made his hands tremble by the time he saw the group step back outside and pause out front. He stood up, the intentions of leaving and running across the street to his brother making him take a few steps towards the door.

No. He paused. This wasn’t a good spot for this.

Eyes darting around at all the passing cars and people walking around the busy street he bit his tongue and pulled out his phone.

Quickly, as he watched the group across the street start to walk down the sidewalk, he tapped his brothers number and put the phone to his ear.

He watched Jungkook, frowning when the boy didn’t react to his phone ringing. Did he have it on silent? Had the girl not given it back?

Just when he started to panic, considering if he should run after them and moving outside the bar to see them better as they kept walking, he noticed one of them pause. A taller man with broad shoulders stopped and pulled something out of his pocket.

He must have spoken as the others looked over and stopped walking too. Ji-hun watched the man hand what he now could see was a phone, over to Jungkook who took it. For a moment he almost thought Jungkook wouldn’t answer as he stared at the phone but he had to suck in a breath when he heard the call accepted and watched him raise it to his ear.

“Hyung,” Jungkook’s voice, no longer ridden with sickness and fever, sounded so much more mature than he remembered. It was deeper but also smoother, confident and firm.

“Jungkook-ah…” was all he was able to say, voice choked with emotions he didn’t know how to express.

He didn’t take his eyes off his brother, watching him stand amongst the strangers who were all watching him as well.

“It’s been awhile. How about we meet up? Are you in Seoul?”

He almost couldn’t believe how even and casual his brother was speaking right now. There was a time where the boy had a bit of a stutter and he had sat down and practiced for hours with him to help him with speeches so he could say things evenly. Now he spoke as if he hadn’t been dead to his family for half a year.

“Yeah, yeah… let’s, let’s meet up. At the park around the block from your work.”

Jungkook hummed and shifted his weight, “See you there.”

With that, no goodbye, no answers, as if they got together every day, Jungkook hung up. Ji-hun saw him hit the button and drop the phone away from his ear. It took him another moment to drop his own hand, maybe because of how stunned he was by the short interaction.

He must know. That was why he was acting like this. Short and impersonal. Ji-hun couldn’t think of any other reason. Jungkook knew and he was running from it.

A boy next to Jungkook, hair a softer tone of blonde then his brother’s, put a hand on his arm as he spoke. They stood and conversed for a moment and Ji-hun refused to leave until they did, wanting to make sure Jungkook would actually follow through.

When they did finally start walking, he let them drift out of sight, wasting time by lingering with his thoughts outside the bar. How would this go? Would his brother be at all like what he remembered? From what he saw and heard, he was beginning to realize how estranged they’d become. The idea of finding out how much he’d missed of Jungkook’s life, terrified him.

Yet, after a good ten minutes, he finally built up the courage to follow the group to the park.

He wanted his little brother back.

And he wanted answers.

When he reached the small, secluded park, it wasn’t hard to find the group again. They’d found a bench off to the side of the main path and three of them were sitting while the others stood around them. Even without being a large group they’d all stand out. They were incredibly good looking men. They looked like they worked in some kind of media, whether that be fashion, music, entertainment or anything of the sort and it was strange to see Jungkook fitting amongst them naturally.

Jungkook had always been a rough kid not afraid to get his hands dirty and he wouldn’t have pictured him to end up around people like this.

All of the words he’d thought to say, all the things he wanted to ask, flooded out of his mind when Jungkook’s eyes found his.

He stopped not far from his brother and his friends, just down the path slightly. Jungkook separated himself from the others to meet him part way, expression unreadable but calm.

The moment he was away from the group, the others fell silent and Ji-hun found himself under the sharp gaze of them all. He straightened his back. If he wasn’t so astonished by his brother right now he would have felt incredibly intimidated.

Jungkook’s eyes were the wide innocent ones he used to look up at him adoringly with. Now, he was barely an inch shorter than him, eye to eye and Ji-hun saw none of that wonder and adoration. He couldn’t tell what exactly was behind those eyes.

Neither of them spoke for a long moment, just taking the other in.

Ji-hun found his voice eventually, “You… You’ve grown up.”

Jungkook tilted his head and raised a brow, sticking his hands in the pockets of his jeans, “That’s usually what happens hyung. Kind of how life works.”

The teasing tone took him off guard. Did he think this was a joke? Did he not care at all? Did he not miss him?

“Not when you’re dead,” he shot back bitterly, glaring at the younger sharply.

When Jungkook was younger, he used to hate getting in arguments with him. They didn’t usually fight and Ji-hun very rarely raised his voice unless it was for a good reason, so whenever he had, Jungkook would flinch. He’d cower and apologize and his eyes would fill with tears that would immediately make Ji-hun feel guilty for shouting.

This Jungkook, the Jungkook he didn’t know, only hummed and nodded. “True.”

Ji-hun snapped. “True. That’s all you have to fucking say?” He stormed towards Jungkook and grabbed the front of his shirt with both hands roughly, shaking the boy. The rage spluttered out for a brief second in favour of surprise at how solid Jungkook stood, barely moving as Ji-hun rattled him.

The boys that were sitting on the bench behind Jungkook all stood up, he could feel their eyes locked on him, watching his every movement as if they expected him to hurt his brother.

“What should I say instead? Are you expecting an apology?” Jungkook still looked unbothered, tilting his head slightly like he wasn’t the least bit concerned about the situation.

“I want a damn explanation Jungkook. I want answers. Now,” he all but growled in the youngers face, shoving him roughly. Jungkook staggered only a few steps and narrowed his eyes at him. It wasn’t the most ideal reaction but any reaction was better then the uncaring look he’d been giving him.

Jungkook wasn’t going to run from this like he did everything else. Ji-hun wouldn’t let him.

The man, the silver haired one that Ji-hun had a particular hate for, stepped forward and put a hand on Jungkook’s back. A new kind of anger flashed through him. Something toxic and hot and uncontrollable. He didn’t want this man touching his brother. Didn’t want him anywhere near him until he knew what the fuck was going on.

“Talk it out, Jungkook will explain what he can, give him a chance too,” the man said, his voice pissing him off. Who did this guy think he was? Who gave him the right to speak on Jungkook’s behalf?

“Stay the hell out of this. You are the last person I want to hear shit all from. Jungkook, do you realize the shit we’ve had to deal with? Do you realize how destroyed our parents are? How destroyed I was to hear you had died? After everything I did to try and protect you, this is what I get in return?! This is the bullshit you throw at us? If you wanted to run you should have found a better way! Or at least told me!”

Jungkook’s gaze turned sharp, angry, “You were destroyed? You? They tortured me hyung! They put me through hell and you were the only person I thought I could rely on. You left. You were the one that ran.”

“You think I left because I wanted too?! I couldn’t take care of you! I couldn’t afford to! I had a life too, and I had to give up everything for you!”

Ji-hun was yelling now, stepping towards Jungkook once more only to have the silver haired man hold him back with a hand on his chest. That was it. The moment he felt his hand touch him he lashed out.

He swung his arm hard, slamming his fist into the side of the man’s face, “Don’t fucking touch me!”

The man’s head whipped to the side, his body following a short second after as he grabbed his face grunting in pain.

Ji-hun wasn’t sure what happened in the moment after that. One breath, he was on his feet and the next his back was slamming into the ground, a hand clamped around his throat keeping him from sucking in the air he had just had knocked out of him.

With wide eye’s he looked at Jungkook over him, eyes no longer familiar, they held nothing but contempt and the promise of pain. His lips were pulled back, barring his teeth in an almost animalistic way, he knee pressing hard against Ji-hun’s chest.

This wasn’t the brother he knew. This was someone else. Someone who had seen too much and lost more. Someone dangerous.

Fear broke through any semblance of anger that still lingered in his body, petrified by the man above him. He wheezed to try and suck in air, clawing at Jungkook’s hand desperately as his chest burned.

Jungkook leaned in close, the shifting of his weight pressing his hand against his neck harder and Ji-hun choked, “This is between us. Keep it that way.”

The warning was spoken low and easily, as if he’d threatened people before. He stared into the eyes of his brother, and he knew the other wasn’t messing around. Jungkook would hurt him.

Jungkook looked him over for another second before releasing his neck, allowing him to gasp for air as he stood up and put distance between them. Ji-hun, left panting on the sidewalk, rubbing his throat and watching as Jungkook moved over to the man who already had two of the other boys by his side fretting over him.

There was no offer to help him up, no apologetic looks or sympathy or regret towards him. Yet when Jungkook took the other man’s face in his hands, his hard expression melted into one of concern. Back to the kind boy Ji-hun had known him to be.

Maybe his little brother really had died.

Jungkook checked Namjoon over, frowning when his lover winced as his hand brushed his cheek. Regardless, he smiled reassuringly and Jungkook gave a small nod, looking back over at his brother as Jimin made triple sure Namjoon was alright.

His expression turned steely and cold as his older brother clambered to his feet, hand massaging his throat and chest heaving for breath.

“Touch him again, or any of them, and I’ll make you wish I was still dead,” Jungkook spat, leveling him with a dark look.

It was one thing to take it out on him, but he wouldn’t forgive him for hurting Namjoon. That was crossing a line.

 Swallowing, Ji-hun slowly nodded, flicking his gaze between them before settling on Jungkook again.

“I’m sorry,” he had to clear his throat, voice coming out hoarse, “I’m sorry. Shit. I shouldn’t have done that. Just- please, you have to realize this isn’t a game Jungkook… why didn’t you tell me. I could have helped you hide. I’ve been trying to help you for years. Why did you just run away without saying anything?”

Jungkook regarded him with a deep frown, looking him over, “What are you talking about? What do you mean hide?”

Ji-hun seemed to pause, matching his frown, “From our grandparents.” He must have seen confusion on Jungkook’s face because his brow furrowed. “You don’t… know?”

Jungkook was so very lost. He’d expected this interaction to go roughly, he’d expected a fight, none of that was startling or surprising. What was confusing him was that Ji-hun made it sound like there was something more to this. What did any of this have to do with his grandparents of all people? He didn’t even know his grandparents.

He was getting a bad feeling though. That same feeling he got when he realized Jiho was behind everything with the gem. That overwhelming panic and disbelief of finding out there was more to the story then he ever knew.

This couldn’t be happening again. What more could there be that he didn’t know about his own life? What could there possibly that he’d missed? He went years without seeing or interacting with his family. There wasn’t anything to miss right?

A hand landed on his shoulder and he didn’t need to look to know it was Seokjin’s. “Hyung. What don’t I know.”

Ji-hun ran a hand through his hair and looked like he was going through his own crisis. “This doesn’t make sense. Don’t lie to me. If you didn’t know about them then what the hell was all of this for? Why go so far? You were already away from our parents! Why fake your death?”

Ji-hun was practically pacing and Jungkook was getting fed up, “Ji-hun. I didn’t fake my death on purpose. I actually died. What about our grandparents? What do they have to do with any of this? What do you know that I don’t?”

“You’re the heir to the family corporation Jungkook,” Ji-hun blurted, looking him in the eyes.

Jungkook stared at him.

He felt Seokjin’s hand squeeze his shoulder and he blinked.

“The family what now?”

Ji-hun sighed and appeared to sag slightly, calming down but looking oh so very tired. Jungkook could understand that. Though he had very little sympathy for him.

“The Wings Network, you’ve heard of it right?”

Jungkook nodded, “Of course. They do a ton of charity work don’t they?”

“Our grandparents own that company.”

So he hadn’t heard wrong. He wasn’t sure how to feel about that. Frowning, he crossed his arms, “You’re trying to tell me we’re chaebol’s?”

“We are. Jungkook, I’m not joking. Our grandfather built the company from the ground up after the war.”

Jungkook didn’t get the sense he was lying. So, assuming that were true, how does that have anything to do with him now? He said he was the heir, that didn’t make sense. The first born had rights to the inheritance, Jungkook wouldn’t be apart of that. Not only that but why was Ji-hun suggesting that his grandparents were people he needed to hide from?

“Kookie?”

Hoseok’s voice drew his attention over to his lovers who were looking at him in confusion. Seeing the questioning looks he turned slightly to face them and explained, “A chaebol is a rich family. He’s saying that our grandparents are pretty high up on the social ladder.”

Hoseok nodded and raised a brow, “Didn’t you say you used to use a rolled-up towel as a pillow?”

Jungkook snickered a bit and nodded.

“How does this affect Jungkook in anyway?” Seokjin asked Ji-hun, giving him a flat look.

“That’s what I want to know. If you’re serious about this hyung, you’d be inheriting wouldn’t you?” Jungkook looked back at his brother.

Ji-hun was glancing around at the others, a strange look on his face for a moment before it was gone. Jungkook shifted slightly in front of Seokjin. He didn’t think Ji-hun would try anything else, his brother wasn’t much of a fighter, but it made him feel better at least.

“Usually yes. For some reason though, after our parents got pregnant with me, our grandfather rewrote the deed of inheritance to say the company will be passed down to the second born,” Ji-hun explained. “We never knew why, they wouldn’t say.”

“I’m the heir to a multi-billion dollar company and you maybe didn’t think to mention this before? You or your parents?”

“Our parents,” Ji-hun corrected with a frown.

Jungkook gave him a flat look, “I didn’t mis-speak hyung.”

Ji-hun stepped towards him with a pained look and Jungkook felt the others tense up behind him but they didn’t move. The shift in the air was enough warning for Ji-hun not to get close though, as he slid his foot back again. “Our grandparents tried to have you kidnapped when we were living in Busan. That’s why we moved. Our parents put a restraining order on them after that to keep them away from you. They threatened to make it public if they tried anything else.”

This was too much to take in. He knew today would be emotionally draining but this was getting ridiculous. He licked his lips and leaned back slightly against Seokjin, feeling the man step closer. His presence worked to comfort him, settling his mind so he could think clearly.

“That still doesn’t answer why you didn’t tell me.”

“Mother and father didn’t want you being pulled into that life so young. They wanted you to have a normal childhood. But… they started getting anxious for the money. They became greedy in waiting for you to turn of age to inherit.”

Jungkook slowly started to understand what he was getting at. He turned his head away and wiped a hand over his mouth, “That’s why? That’s why they tried to convert me.”

“Jungkook, what is it?” Yoongi stepped forward immediately noticing the change in his expression as it became pinched and hurt. He took his hands, searching his eyes.

Jungkook sucked in a slow breath, old emotions running through him. So many things were coming back now, so many memories he didn’t want to remember this vividly. Understanding why his parents put him through that only made it worse. It only made him feel less then human. Since meeting his hyungs he hadn’t felt like this in a very long time.

“Gay people lose the right to inheritance. So when I came out to my parents…”

Ji-hun finished his sentence for him, giving him a heartbroken look, “Our parents tried to convert you so you could still inherit and they could bank off your wealth.”

“They did it for money,” Jungkook said blankly, looking down between his and Yoongi’s hands.

He suddenly didn’t feel so good again. It could be the cold still lingering but he had a feeling it was the realization that his parents had known exactly what they were doing. He’d tried to lighten the hits when he was younger by telling himself they were just misinformed, but that crutch had just been ripped away from him.

Yoongi cursed and took him by the arms, guiding him over to the bench and sitting him down. Taehyung followed quickly and sat next to him, wrapping his arms around him protectively and resting his head on his shoulder.

Out of the corner of his eye he watched Ji-hun try to hurry over to him, only to be stopped by Hoseok and Namjoon.

“Give him space,” Namjoon said in that tone that left no room for argument.

Ji-hun still tried, “He’s my brother.”

“And he’s our boyfriend. Back up before I put your head through the pavement,” Hoseok growled.

Jungkook’s brother quickly took a few steps back, looking at Hoseok suspiciously. “What do you mean ‘our’?”

No one humoured him with a response to that. Jungkook looked at Yoongi who gave him a gentle smile and brushed his thumb across his cheek. “Talk to us love,” he said quietly, low enough only he and Taehyung could hear. Seokjin and Jimin waited nearby but didn’t crowd, giving him some much needed air to breath.

“Just… overwhelmed. It’s not… it doesn’t change anything, it’s just, I never knew they did it because of money. I thought, in some twisted way, they thought I’d be happier if I were straight. Fuck,” he felt heat behind his eyes and he leaned forward to press his wrists into them.

He wouldn’t cry over this. They didn’t deserve his tears. He wouldn’t waste them on those people.

“Jungkook,” Ji-hun called over, making him lift his head and look in his direction. The annoyance from the others was palpable and Jungkook found it really sweet how upset they were on his behalf.

Yoongi’s eyes flashed gold for a very brief second. Jungkook put a hand over his that rested on his knee.

Though, Jungkook supposed he should take pity on his brother’s confusion and the man looked like he was about to break down if he didn’t get some kind of answers. He didn’t move away from Taehyung, not that he could if he tried, the boy had him in a vice like grip.

“You left me,” Jungkook said bluntly. “You promised me you’d get me out of there and then you left to America.”

“There wasn’t… there wasn’t anything I could-”

“And the hospital? When I was shot and dying? None of you showed up. I woke up alone. Not even a call from any of you,” he interrupted.

Ji-hun froze, “Shot? Jungkook what… what are you talking about?”

He watched his brother carefully, watched his wide eyes and the pain and sorrow and regret behind them. Oh. So he hadn’t known. Had his parents not told him? Did his parents even know? He couldn’t think of a reason why they wouldn’t, they would have been contacted by the hospital.

This wasn’t… this didn’t matter.

“It doesn’t matter,” he said quietly, more to himself. He looked at Yoongi in front of him who was holding his hand tightly, at Taehyung who was nuzzling into his shoulder and at the others who stood close, glaring at Ji-hun.

He smiled.

Right.

This was his family.

His past wasn’t his present. Those details, those realizations, the reasons people did what they did, they led him here. He could accept that. While he understood very little, he didn’t want to linger on it.

He wouldn’t let this destroy him like Jiho’s betrayal had. He was stronger now.

These problems paled in comparison to having a magical weapon inside of him that could have destroyed the world. It was almost funny actually. How the truth of him being some chaebol heir was the least surprising thing to happen in his life.

He made love to his Fae boyfriend this morning in their semi-sentient house. Then they joined his five other boyfriends for lunch cooked by an Angel.

Being a rich kid meant next to nothing compared to the life of luxury he was already living.

He guessed this meant Jaeyong had won his bet though. He’d have to tell him later.

Yoongi frowned at him and Jungkook couldn’t help smiling wider, letting out a bit of a laugh at their confusion. Gently he kissed Yoongi’s hand.

“We skipped introductions,” he tipped his cheek against Taehyung’s head momentarily before moving to stand. Taehyung released him in confusion and traded a look with the others.

Jungkook knew he might seem insane right now, the complete switch of demeanor might be slightly jarring to them, but he just… felt okay. Because of them. Because they were here with him and that reminder alone was enough for him to be okay right now.

Would he have nightmares tonight? Probably. Would he break down crying in the middle of dinner when everything caught up with him? Maybe. But they would be there then too. He’d be pulled into their arms and sweet nothings would be whispered to him until he calmed down, he’d be safe and warm with them.

Right now, he felt like he could take on an army.

Walking over to Hoseok and Namjoon, the two looked at him seriously and he could see the concerned questions in their eyes. Jungkook gave them a genuine smile and a firm nod, smile brightening when they relaxed.

“Hyung,” Jungkook said to Ji-hun who was looking flabbergasted at the sudden topic change. “I want to introduce you to the greatest people you’ll ever meet.”

Behind him, Jimin giggled and Seokjin let out a hummed laugh, the atmosphere already feeling lighter.

“This is Namjoon-hyung and Hoseok-hyung,” he put his hands on their shoulders, standing between them, he turned them slightly to point to the others, smiling at each of them proudly. “That’s Seokjin-hyung, Jimin-hyung, Taehyung-hyung and Yoongi-hyung. Guys, this is my older brother, Ji-hun-hyung.”

“Hey,” Yoongi crossed his arms, not relenting his annoyed glare.

Jimin waved a bit, “Hello.”

“I wish we’d met on better terms,” Seokjin smiled politely but Jungkook recognized it as the faux smile he used when he was strictly trying to be polite and nothing else.

Ji-hun looked around at them and swallowed, “Yeah um, it’s nice to meet you all? How do, how do you all know each other?”

“We’re dating,” Jungkook said easily, smirking when he felt Hoseok’s arm wrap around his waist protectively. He watched his brother’s eyes dart to his hand on his hip and raised a brow when the other frowned.

“You two are?” Ji-hun looked Hoseok over before glancing at Namjoon, “I thought you told me you were his boyfriend.”

“I am,” Namjoon chuckled.

Jungkook stumbled forward when Jimin jumped on his back, wrapping his arms over his shoulders and nuzzling his cheek against his hair, “So am I!”

“Me too,” Taehyung smirked, coming over to stand with them.

Yoongi came and stood on Hoseok’s other side, not complaining when the dragon put an arm over his shoulders and tucked him into his side. “Same.”

“We all are,” Seokjin laughed lightly, leaning against Namjoon.

Jungkook laughed at the expression on his brothers face, his mouth hanging open and eyes blown wide as he looked at all of them. He knew he must be overwhelmed. Being gay was one thing his brother had never been bothered by, but polyamory had never come up. To be fair, Jungkook had never thought he’d be in a polyamorous relationship either.

The amount of catching up they had to do was too great to handle standing in the middle of the park. Jungkook wanted to try. He wanted to put an effort in to understand his brother and his choices and maybe he could forgive him. They just needed to start over.

“We have a lot to talk about hyung, I’d offer to invite you to our place, but it’d take awhile to get there. Are you living around here?”

Jungkook pointedly ignored Taehyung’s snort of amusement.

Ji-hun took almost half a minute to respond, blinking slowly. “I have an apartment here when I'm not staying at our parents. You want, you want to talk?” He asked quietly, voice hesitant yet hopeful.

Jungkook nodded, “Believe it or not hyung, I don’t hate you. Never did. I want to hear your side of things.”

The tears that sprung to his brother’s eyes took him off guard. Jungkook didn’t get the chance to say any more before Ji-hun was roughly pulling him forward again and throwing his arms around him. He staggered as he was pulled against his brother’s chest, hugged tightly, desperately. Sucking in a breath, he tensed but Ji-hun only buried his face in his shoulder, hands digging into his back.

“You’ve grown up so much… Jungkook-ah, I’m so sorry. I’m so so sorry. I wasn’t there for you.” He cried hugging him almost to the point that it hurt.

Jungkook stared over his brothers shoulder.

Hesitantly, as if he expected Ji-hun to shove him away, he slowly lifted his arms to hug him back.

They had a lot to figure out, and Jungkook wasn’t near ready enough to forgive him.

But this was a start.

Chapter Text

Ji-hun stared at the men wandering around his apartment from his spot at his kitchen table.

“Does it work if you cover it?” Hoseok asked sitting next to Namjoon on the floor in front of the tv. Taking the TV remote out of Namjoon’s hands, he put his hand over the front, hitting the power button. The TV stayed on, some drama playing quietly on the screen that Yoongi was stretched out on the couch watching.

“Oh so it has to see the TV?” Namjoon nodded, taking it back and looking it over again, “What if you…” He hummed and pointed his arm out at an angle and hit the button again. They blinked when the screen went black.

“What? How does that make sense?” Hoseok looked at the remote like it was a puzzle they had to solve.

Yoongi smacked them both on the back of the head with a pillow and quickly snatched the remote from between them, “I was watching that! She was just about to confess!”

Fumbling with the remote for a moment to find the right button, Yoongi turned the TV back on slumping when he watched the main actress turn and walk away from the male lead. “No wait go back, what happened? Kookie!”

Yoongi ran over, jumping the couch with less effort than it should have taken and stopped next to a highly amused Jungkook who sat next to Ji-hun.

They had chosen to sit around the corner of the table upon Jungkook’s request so he could keep an eye on the others but still talk to him comfortably. Ji-hun had found that odd considering they were grown men, they didn’t need to be watched like children, but he was starting to understand why he wanted them in his sightline.

If Ji-hun hadn’t had more on his mind regarding Jungkook and their past, he’d have a lot of questions about the mental states of his brother’s boyfriends (more then one. Right. That was… something.)

As it were, his mind jokingly chalked them up to being aliens and left it at that.

He sipped his coffee and watched Jungkook, who’d been watching the men with a deep fondness since they sat down, take the remote and show him what button to press.

“Press and hold this one and it will rewind it, then hit this one to play again,” he instructed and Yoongi sighed in relief before leaning down to peck his brother on the temple as if it were second nature.

“Thanks love.”

With that he was back over to the tv where Namjoon and Hoseok perked up when the show started playing in reverse, “It goes backwards?!”

“How did you do that? What did you press?”

“Shush! I’m going to miss it again!”

Jungkook snickered next to him, and once more he had to marvel at how content with life Jungkook seemed. He looked calm and relaxed, a far cry from the man who’d been choking him not two hours ago. That lightning-fast switch of personality made him wary, cautious.

More then that though, it had him concerned. That behaviour, those actions and defense, were learned. What had Jungkook gone through to learn them so well? He knew the boy had taken Taekwondo and Karate as a kid, but they didn’t tend to teach choking.

When they had all gotten back to his apartment, the men had sat stiff and tense in the living room for awhile. It had been awkward and Jungkook asked if it was okay if they took a look around the apartment. He didn’t mind, he wasn’t one for personalizing his space much so there wasn’t anything he was concerned about them digging through.

“You seem… to be taking the news about our grandparents well,” Ji-hun observed, drawing Jungkook’s attention to him.

The younger hummed, “If you had told me when I was younger I think I would have freaked out. But I’ve seen a lot of strange things since then, so really, it’s low on the shock list.”

“What on earth have you been through?”

“Not much on earth actually,” Jungkook smirked and sipped at his coffee. Seeing Ji-hun’s raised brow he chuckled, “I want to hear your side of things first.”

The air around them became something somber, heavy. It wasn’t the anger and confusion and fear from before, but it was heavy in a way that made Ji-hun swallow the words he was about to say and rethink them. He had to be honest. With himself and with Jungkook.

“After I heard Mom and Dad were having another kid, I was ecstatic,” he started only for Jungkook to scoff a bit.

“Wow okay, we’re going way back.”

“This starts way back Jungkook. I was so happy when I found out but I remember there was a lot of conflict between our parents and grandparents. I never knew why, but our grandparents weren’t happy that they were pregnant again.”

Jungkook blinked and frowned, “But if they rewrote the deed for the second born wouldn’t they want an heir?”

Ji-hun nodded, leaning his elbows on the table, “You would think right? I couldn’t figure that out either. But it was like they were doing everything they could to keep from passing the company on. I tried asking about it, even more recently, but they never answer. They act like they never heard me ask.”

They looked towards the hall when they heard a loud bang from one of the rooms followed by a quick shout of “We’ll fix it!”

Ji-hun blanked slightly.

Jungkook, looking completely unfazed, took another sip of his coffee to give himself a moment to think. “Did Mom and Dad know why?”

“They say they don’t.”

“I’ll take that with a grain of salt.”

Ji-hun hummed understandingly. Their parents weren’t exactly open people. Who knew how many lies they’d been told growing up.

“So, wait. They spend my entire childhood protecting me from ‘that life’ even going so far as to put a restraining order on our grandparents and move us out of Busan, and then what? They just turn around one day and want me to inherit? Did they have money troubles? I always thought we were pretty well off.”

“I don’t think it was that quick of a decision. You're supposed to inherit when you turn twenty five, so they had a lot of waiting to do. They kept me out of the loop as much as they did you. The only reason I knew about their parents was because they were a big part of my life growing up. They always came to my birthdays and celebrations. After you were born that stopped.”

“Should I apologize?”

Ji-hun chuckled and shook his head, holding his coffee cup with both hands, “No Kook, don’t apologize for that.”

Jungkook seemed to freeze for a moment, cup halfway to his mouth. His expression changed slightly, a look of hurt and sadness in his eyes. Ji-hun frowned, hesitantly he reached over and tapped his wrist to get his attention. “Hey, I didn’t mean to make you feel bad or anything, I’m just… you’re taking this all really well so I keep forgetting it might be a lot.”

Jungkook frowned at him before sitting up straighter and shaking his head, “No, no it’s not that. Sorry, keep going.”

“You sure?”

“Trust me, this really isn’t that big of a deal to me.”

Trusting his word, Ji-hun nodded and took a drink of coffee before continuing, “I think Mom started on Dad about it. She started hanging out with Chaebol friends and once we were older the whole ‘I’m doing it for the kids’ thing kind of wore off. I think that’s where the pressure started. She wanted all the fancy things her friends had.”

They both watched as the three in the living room started tackling each other for the remote, Jungkook resting his cheek on his hand and smiled. Ji-hun glanced at him, shaking his head at the lovesick look in his eyes. He hadn’t pegged Jungkook as the sappy romantic type, but then again, he’d never gotten to see him go through relationships.

“Dad started getting sick of his job, started hating going to work and they kept saying ‘Wouldn’t it be nice if we didn’t have to work anymore’, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice to own a bigger home’, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice to go on vacation,’ things like that.”

Jungkook hummed to show he was still listening.

“I guess they came to the decision that when you were old enough they would tell you, hoping they’d easily convince you into it. Tell a kid he’s the heir to billions of dollars and a multi-national company and ‘no’ isn’t the answer you expect.”

“I wouldn’t have turned it down,” Jungkook agreed, smile dropping a bit. “But then I came out.”

Ji-hun nodded slowly, looking at his coffee, “Then you came out.”

Silence fell over them as they watched Hoseok dive over the couch with the remote, rolling into a crouch like some sort of trained agent and tried to sneak away while Namjoon and Yoongi were trying to pin each other, all the while shouting about what show they wanted to watch.

Ji-hun blinked owlishly as he watched Hoseok disappear down the hall and duck into his bedroom. “Seriously, where did you find these guys?”

Jungkook snorted, “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“Try me.”

“A magical world called an Echo Realm that we get to through a door that shows up when we need it.”

“…”

Jungkook gave him a challenging look.

“You’re more creative than I remember,” Ji-hun grumbled.

Jungkook leaned back in his chair with an amused look. He tapped his finger against the side of his mug and looked at it contemplatively.

“Hyung?” he asked hesitantly, tapping his nail in an even beat. “Why did you leave…?”

Ji-hun sucked in a breath and his brow pinched. He found it extremely difficult to look at Jungkook, afraid to see the hurt un his eyes. Shifting in his chair he ran a hand through his hair, “I wish… I wish I could say I didn’t want too.”

Jungkook stayed silent.

“I always tried to be a good big brother to you, I always tried to put you first. But… when I started realizing that I was more of your parent then our own… I thought it was unfair. I didn’t, I was just a kid and I wanted to have my own freedom to make mistakes and be stupid.”

“You didn’t want to raise me,” his brother nodded and Ji-hun opened his mouth to protest but Jungkook leveled him with a look. “You shouldn’t have had too. That wasn’t your responsibility. I’m just trying to understand hyung.”

Swallowing, Ji-hun nodded slowly, throat feeling thick with emotion again. “I just… Mom and Dad made me go into business, so I could support you when you took over the company. Be an advisor of sorts. My choices were taken away from me so that your future was set for you. I was… I started feeling bitter about it. Towards you and our parents. And then when you told me you thought you liked guys…”

Jungkook looked him over, “That day in your car? When you pulled over. It was the first time I saw you cry.”

Ji-hun chuckled humorlessly and nodded, “Yeah that day. I thought our parents might try something but I didn’t think they would go so far. I thought they’d just be disappointed, that’s why I told you to keep quiet. But… selfishly, I was also scared of everything I’d had to give up being for nothing. I was scared of realizing I’d wasted my childhood.”

Jungkook licked his lips, looking at the table. He was fidgeting with his fingers. That was the only sign Ji-hun had that this was more than just a conversation about the weather to the other.

Ji-hun pressed on, voice cracking a bit, “You started talking about what Mom and Dad were doing, I thought… maybe this was a way out. I wouldn’t have to give up more of my life. This would give me a way out. Then my company wanted to transfer me and it seemed like a good, a good excuse to get away. When you told me about the therapy, I think I secretly hoped…”

“That it would work?”

Ji-hun felt the press of tears behind his eyes and he ran a hand over his mouth, sitting back in his chair. He couldn’t say it out loud. As much as he wished he could separate himself from his parents, as much as he wished he could say he wasn’t like them, he couldn’t. He was all too much like them, just his greed was for life, not money.

“Jungkook, I’m-”

“I did too.”

Jungkook’s admission surprised him and he looked at him quickly, feeling a few tears slip down his cheeks. He stared at his little brother who smiled sadly, eyes becoming glossy as well.

“I hoped it would work. Hell I even prayed for it too,” he pressed his tongue to the inside of his cheek. “I thought it’d fix everything if I were straight. The therapy would stop, our parents wouldn’t hate me, you wouldn’t have to worry about me.”

Ji-hun wanted to grab Jungkook and pull him into a hug when the boy pressed his thumb and finger into his eyes to try and stop the tears. They escaped regardless, slipping past his weak smile. He sniffed and ruffled his hair, sliding his hand to his neck and rubbing it as he bent his head towards the table.

He reached a hand out, hesitating.

That hesitation was enough for another persons hand to take up the spot on Jungkook’s back. Ji-hun quickly pulled his hand away and followed the arm up to find Taehyung crouched next to Jungkook. He hadn’t even seen or heard the other approach.

“Bun?” Taehyung slid his hand up his back and rubbed the back of Jungkook’s neck, slipping his fingers into the hair at his nape.

Ji-hun wiped his own tears quickly when Taehyung looked over at him with an unreadable expression.

Jungkook sat back and looked at his boyfriend who immediately started wiping away his tears. The amount of care and gentleness in the action was unlike anything Ji-hun had ever seen outside of tv and over dramatized media.

“Thanks Taetae,” Jungkook laughed wetly.

Taehyung hummed and furrowed his brow, “You look tired Kookie.”

Ji-hun took a closer look at Jungkook and realized the other was right, Jungkook’s skin was a bit pale and the subtle way he held himself suggested he was drained. Shoulders slumped and just the barest hint of bags under his eyes. He wouldn’t have noticed if Taehyung hadn’t said anything but now it seemed obvious. He frowned.

Jungkook didn’t deny it, chuckling a bit and nodding.

“Let us know when you want to go home okay? Let’s not stay much longer,” Taehyung glanced at Ji-hun while he said this before leaning forward to peck his brother on the lips and stand.

Jungkook watched him head back down the hall before clearing his throat awkwardly. “Sorry, about the PDA, they aren’t exactly shy,” he laughed a little, wiping the last of the dampness from his eyes.

“You seem happy Jungkook,” Ji-hun observed, smiling softly, “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you smile like that.”

Jungkook blushed and Ji-hun was extremely tempted to tease him but decided he shouldn’t push it. One step at a time. Instead he just smiled. He was genuinely happy for him. If those guys made him this happy then they couldn’t be that bad. Jungkook had always had a good sense of character, even as a kid.

When Jungkook didn’t say anything he decided to push for some answers, moving his finished coffee to the side, “Can you… tell me what happened with you? Where you went?”

“I can’t tell you everything. But, well after I got kicked out I moved in with a guy from the underground. We worked as runners together. I spent a long time just fucking around, getting into shit and running drugs to get some cash. Long story short, a deal went wrong and I was shot in the back.”

Ji-hun cursed and leaned forward, “Holy shit Jungkook. Why the hell didn’t I hear about this?”

Jungkook shook his head, “Wish I knew. I’m starting to doubt the hospital actually called anyone. Anyway, the doctors said it was a miracle I survived. After that I made a few deals, got some money to pay off the bills and to get myself into college. I worked a few jobs to continue going and to pay rent.”

“The construction job, and the one at the mall right?”

Jungkook looked at him in surprise, “How do you know about those?”

“Did you think I would just take a strangers word that you were dead? I looked for you Jungkook,” he frowned.

His brother frowned too and searched his eyes for a moment before looking away. Did Jungkook actually think that he didn’t care about him? Did he think he wouldn’t be mourned and missed? Though… Ji-hun couldn’t really blame him for thinking that. It wasn’t like they showed him that they cared at all. And if he really had been shot and woke up from near death to an empty hospital room…

Fuck. Ji-hun needed to figure out why he hadn’t been called.

“I talked to your boss at the mall, he said you quit after you were in a minor accident. What happened?”

Jungkook scoffed, “Minor accident my ass…” he grumbled before shaking his head. “I don’t want to get into details yet. Let’s just say that accident led me to meeting them.”

Ji-hun looked over to Namjoon and Yoongi, the smaller of the two now sitting comfortably between the others legs as they both watched the tv, captivated by the show. They looked calm and content, not like they’d been a few minutes ago while wrestling.

“I fell in love with them.”

Ji-hun stared at him, amazed at how naturally he spoke the word. He didn’t doubt that love for a second. “And it… it works? With all of you I mean?”

Jungkook nodded and laughed a little, “It’s not always… easy. And we have our dynamics. But they’re my family. They’re everything.”

He might not understand the workings of a polyamorous relationship, but even a blind man could see how much they all loved each other. If it worked, it worked. Who was he to say something so genuine was wrong.

The word family stuck out to him, a hot jealousy boiling in him. He wanted to be angry at the men for taking his brother away. He wanted to blame them for everything if only to relieve some of the blame from himself. But he didn’t.

He fucked up. This wasn’t their fault, and he should be grateful they became something so clearly precious to his brother. That his brother now had the support he deserved.

Ji-hun might one day forgive himself, but right now, these feelings of guilt and regret were his punishment for his mistakes. He’d take them willingly and hope that one day his brother would trust him again.

“What made you fake your death? Why go to such lengths to disappear if you were basically off the map already?”

“I didn’t fake it. I told you before. I really did die. There’s a lot I can’t say or get into now. So there’s no point in me trying to explain. But it had nothing to do with our grandparents or whatever.”

Ji-hun wanted to believe him but there were so many things he wasn’t saying that left him doubting. Though, he supposed it was enough just to have his brother back.

“It’s… strange. Seeing you being so mature. You’ve changed a lot,” Ji-hun said lightly but the weight of his words were felt by them both. “I keep thinking I need to protect you.”

Jungkook looked at him and smiled, “I can take care of myself hyung.”

Ji-hun rubbed his neck and raised a brow, “Yeah, no kidding.”

Wincing a bit, Jungkook smiled sheepishly and rubbed his neck. He looked a bit embarrassed, “Sorry hyung, I shouldn’t have done that. I was out of line.”

“So was I,” Ji-hun looked towards Namjoon. “Do you think I could talk to them?”

His younger brother blinked at him curiously and tilted his head, “You don’t need my permission.”

Getting up and taking both their mugs to the counter Ji-hun chuckled, “Just wanted to make sure you wouldn’t throw me out a window or something.”

Jungkook laughed a bit and shook his head, getting up as well. They both moved to the living room, Namjoon and Yoongi looking over.

Ji-hun watched as they looked Jungkook over first, barely sparing him a glance as they stood up.

“Everything okay?” Namjoon asked.

Jungkook hummed and shrugged, “As good as it can be. What are you watching?”

Yoongi scrunched his nose, “Joonie wanted to watch this weird test show thing.”

Ji-hun glanced at the tv to see a popular show where people answered difficult riddles and questions. He’d watched it a few times himself but he rarely ever could answer before the contestants.

Jungkook sat down on the edge of the couch behind them, hands finding Namjoon’s silver hair and playing with it absently as he watched a bit of the show. It was such a domestic action and he did it without so much of a thought that Ji-hun felt his own heart warm at the sight.

Ji-hun tried to build up the courage to say something to the two, suddenly struck by just how intimidating they were. Not just because of their good looks, but also their demeanor. Even just lounged back casually on the ground they looked ready to jump up and attack at a moments notice.

Clearing his throat a bit, he found Namjoon and Yoongi looking at him with sharp critical eyes. “I’m um, I wanted to apologize properly to you. Namjoon-ssi right?”

Namjoon shifted, sitting up a bit more so his back was against Jungkook’s legs, pulling Yoongi with him to keep him against his chest. The skin on his cheek was starting to darken and Ji-hun knew it would be a nasty bruise.

“Can I get you some ice or anything?” He asked hesitantly.

Jungkook frowned and started trying to pull his legs up onto the couch out from behind Namjoon’s back. He only stopped when the other reached back and gave his ankle a squeeze, a small pout on his face. Chuckling, Namjoon shook his head, “I’ll take care of it when we get home. Thank you though.”

Jungkook stayed quiet while his brother tried to offer more help to which Namjoon just refused politely. Jungkook had a strange feeling in his stomach. It wasn’t unpleasant but it wasn’t something he was used to.

It was something jittery and nervous, a mix of what he might call excitement and possibly relief. Just watching his brother and his boyfriends interact was something new. He never thought he’d ever see this and he found himself hoping that Ji-hun liked them. That was the likely the little kid in him wanting to impress his big brother, but it felt nice to have that feeling again.

Talking to his brother, while maybe hadn’t cleared the air, had helped him understand a lot of what he’d failed to notice as a kid. It was a good reminder that his brother had just been trying to get by too. Jungkook had had Ji-hun growing up, and for that he was always thankful, but now he couldn’t help thinking if there was anyone who had been there for Ji-hun.

Ji-hun had always been protective. Ever since he could remember, his brother had always been the one he relied on most. His parents, before they found out, were distant but never cruel. They just carried an air of professionalism, even within their own household.

Ji-hun had been so much a part of his life, Jungkook had started looking at him as a second father figure growing up. He was always the one to play with him, comfort him, protect him. His father did too, on occasion, but he was busy with work and supplying for the family, Ji-hun had always made time for Jungkook.

They had used to be practically inseparable.

Until Ji-hun went to college.

Everything changed after that.

If his parents were really just as distant, apart from the expected parental behaviour, with Ji-hun as they had been with Jungkook, he didn’t blame Ji-hun for making the choices he did.

He didn’t trust him, and wouldn’t for a very long time. Not on the level that he used too. But he felt that they might actually be able to move on from this, to get past it.

Jungkook supposed he owed Sumi a thanks for this, as accidental as it was. He wouldn’t have tried to patch things with his brother without the push.

The urge to fix things was there, but the hope of it working out hadn’t been. That was why his emergency contact was still his brothers number.

Truthfully, Jungkook had actually just changed his emergency contact back to his brother not even a month ago. For a long time his contact had been Jiho. For clear reasons, he’d switched it but couldn’t bring himself to delete his friends number. Every time he tried, he was stopped by the memories.

There were times when Jungkook knew Jiho wasn’t pretending. Times when he knew his coworker didn’t have to go to such lengths for him if he really did only care about the gem.

He’d known Jiho for roughly a year, though the other apparently knew him longer. In that time, Jiho had been his friend. Regardless of his ulterior motives, or his twisted desires, he was Jungkook’s friend. He wasn’t ready to let it go yet.

Jiho… actually reminded him a lot of his brother. He had used to think they’d get along well if they knew each other.

The memory of the gun he’d held, the one used to shoot Jimin, the one he then aimed at Jiho, weighed on him heavily. He didn’t regret letting him live. If he had killed him, Jungkook was scared that he wouldn’t have been the same again.

But the look in Jiho’s eyes when he sat on the other side of the gun…

Jungkook’s mouth twitched at the invasive thought. Now wasn’t the time to think about that.

He could have left his emergency contact blank.

But he hadn’t.

Maybe he was hoping if a time like this ever occurred, where his brother was called because of an emergency, he would show up. He would come help him like he didn’t for some many years. Like he failed to do when Jungkook was lying near death in a hospital bed, though now he understood that hadn’t been his fault.

Jungkook was struck with the urge to tell Ji-hun all about the adventures he’d been on in the Galaxy, about the gem and Jiho, the Guardian, he wanted to tell him all about each of his boyfriends and rant about how wonderful they all were. He wanted to show them off and tell him all their quirks that made them so very them.

Just the thought of it made him smile.

Jungkook wanted Ji-hun to be apart of his life, and to be on good terms with his precious family.

Maybe one day he’d even show him the Galaxy.

He could show him Euphoria.

The thought of his world had him humming softly, a fondness filling his heart and soul so much he found himself having to express it outwardly. The world had been on his mind a lot and he had an itch to go back, like something was pulling him to go back. He felt it deep in his chest, this longing to see the lavender sky, to feel the breeze in his hair, to smell the flowers.

The longer he put off going, the more anxious he was feeling, he woke up a few times in the night with the urge to walk to the door, just to step through it for a little. Because he’d been sick though, he refrained, not wanting to worry the guys or push himself too much.

He hadn’t realized he’d leaned forward to rest his cheek on top of Namjoon’s head, arms draped over both their shoulders and resting on Yoongi’s chest until the phoenix brought a hand up to his arm, stroking it gently.

“You okay Kookie?”

He nodded and hummed again absently, eyes closed. Maybe they could pop by Euphoria when they got back to his world. Just for a quick second. He just wanted to see what the weather was like. While he was there he might as well check on the little bugs he’d found building a home in the corkscrew tree last time. He wondered if they were done yet.

“Ah, Ji-hun-ssi, could you go grab the others? I think we should get going.”

Namjoon’s sudden question had Jungkook frowning, he opened his eyes and sat up, noticing the strange tone he was using. He was about to ask what the rush was when he’s eyes found the reason.

Across the living room on the far wall was a very familiar purple door.

The door to Euphoria.

The affection he felt in his chest almost made his heart burst but the shock kept him from bolting over to it immediately. He leveled his expression to something calmer, glancing at his brother who was frowning in confusion but hadn’t acknowledged the door at all.

“You want… me to get them?” He asked awkwardly, unsure.

Namjoon nodded as Yoongi got up, neither of them looking at the door to not draw attention to it. “If you don’t mind.”

“No uh, okay, sure,” Ji-hun looked at Jungkook hesitantly and Jungkook gave him a reassuring smile before he headed down the hall.

The moment he was out of sight, Jungkook was on his feet, almost tripping over Namjoon to get to the door. He pressed himself against it and sighed when he felt like it reached back to him, wrapping him in warmth and a fond air that he felt when he was wrapped in any of his boyfriends arms.

“What in the name of the Guardian is that doing here?” Yoongi asked, keeping his voice hushed as he looked the door over, walking to it and putting a hand on the frame. Jungkook watched his shoulders relax slightly and he wondered what kind of feeling the door gave him, if it was anything like how he felt near it. He hoped so.

“I didn’t know it could move,” Jungkook pulled away from the door, keeping his palms against it and smiling ear to ear.

Namjoon stepped onto his other side, putting a hand on his back and one on the door, he let out a soft breath, “It feels so… welcoming,” Namjoon looked at him then curiously. “Can you feel anything from it Jungkook?”

He nodded eagerly and leaned his forehead against the solid surface, closing his eyes to focus on what he was experiencing right now. “It’s like… a hug. I think it missed me.”

The warmth of the door was filling him in like Galaxy’s energy used too. Pouring into him and filling this pit in his chest that he hadn’t realized was forming.

“It makes sense that the door can move like the others, they were all made from the gems energy. But why did it come here now? Why hasn’t it moved before?” Yoongi wondered.

Jungkook didn’t care how it worked, he was just happy it was here. He felt a pressure in his chest, like a gentle insistence and he shook his head against the door. He couldn’t go right now. But he would soon. Right when they got back to Galaxy.

He got the sense the door was whining at him.

Jungkook laughed a little.

They heard the others coming down the hall, Taehyung’s voice reaching them first. Quickly they all moved away from the door to the other side of the couch and Jungkook tried to glance at it one last time but found himself grabbed suddenly by the front of the shirt.

He blinked and looked at Yoongi who was looking at him with wide eyes, Jungkook barely had time to frown before Yoongi’s hand was hovering at the corner of his eye. It was shaking. Why was he shaking? “Jungkook your-”

Jungkook heard the others walked into the room behind them and Yoongi’s eyes flitted over his shoulder. The phoenix was pulling him down by the shirt, almost in a panic and pressing his lips against his.

His heart stuttered like it always did when he kissed him, arms wrapping around him and eyes falling shut instinctively.

There was a few snickers and a whistle from behind him but Jungkook paid little attention. He could feel how tense Yoongi was through the kiss and his brows pinched in confusion but when he tried to pull away the other just pulled him closer.

“We should, get going,” Namjoon cleared his throat. “I wish we’d gotten to meet under better circumstances but it was good to meet you Ji-hun-ssi.”

When Jungkook heard his brother’s very awkward response of “Oh uh, yep. Yeah. It was good to meet you all as well,” Yoongi finally pulled away, not before pressing one more peck to his lips that felt oddly apologetic.

He blinked his eyes open, frowning when Yoongi searched them carefully before nodding but looking no less tense. They both turned to look at the others and Jungkook did everything he could not to look at his brother, a heat rising to his cheeks.

He glanced towards where the door was, only to find it gone. He pouted.

An awkward silence overtook them and Jungkook shifted.

“Alright, well-”

“Stay dead.”

Jungkook blinked in surprise at the words, quickly looking at his brother, forgetting his embarrassment. He met Jungkook’s eyes pointedly.

“Jungkook I don’t… understand anything that you’ve been through. I hope too, eventually. But right now, I’m asking you, please stay dead. Don’t let our family know you’re alive for as long as you can,” he begged.

Jungkook considered his words carefully, “If I don’t?”

Ji-hun looked around at the guys and sucked in a slow breath. “As long as you’re dead, you’re free. No more manipulation, no more choices made for you, no more people using you. Just… hold onto what you have here,” he gestured to the guys who looked at him with something less stern, less aggressive than they had all night.

Seokjin wandered over and wrapped his arms around Jungkook from behind, tipping his cheek against his head lovingly. Jungkook put his hands on his arms and pulled them close, nodding seriously.

“I’m not letting anything take them from me.”

Ji-hun nodded firmly.

His brother turned his attention to his boyfriends, he got down on his knees.

Jungkook blinked, “Hyung, what are you-”

“Thank you,” Ji-hun said, bending forward in a full bow, forehead to the floor. “Thank you for taking care of him. For being the family we couldn’t be for him.”

Jungkook’s eyes widened in shock and he pulled Seokjin even closer, feeling that hot build up of tears again. He would blame it on being tired but right now, he didn’t feel that same tiredness he’d felt before.

He took a moment to look around at his lovers, all of them seemed to be regarding Ji-hun contemplatively, less of the suspicion and untrusting looks they’d given him before. Taehyung even smiled a bit, seeming a little impressed.

Jungkook also noticed that Taehyung had somehow acquired a bag of chips and was sharing them with Hoseok as they stood there. He looked completely elated by them and Jungkook found it adorable as hell.

“I just… If you’ll let me, someday, I’d really like to get to know you all. If that’s okay with you.”

When his brother got up and looked at him with hope and regret, he couldn’t find it in himself to say no. Smiling he walked over and held a hand out to his brother, “I can’t say I’ve forgiven you. But, I want to. So don’t go disappearing on me again.”

Ji-hun breathed in deeply and chuckled, taking his hand and shaking it firmly. “Same goes to you. No more dying.”

“Yeah I’ve made that promise a few times over now,” Jungkook laughed.

Ji-hun’s expression softened and he pulled Jungkook into a gentle hug. He hugged him back and despite the slight awkwardness of it, it felt nice. Jungkook had never been an overly touchy person before he’d met the others, but that was because he didn’t get much by way of that kind of affection. Now though, he always found a way to be in contact with the guys when he was around them. It felt wrong otherwise.

When he pulled away, Ji-hun patted his shoulder. “You weren’t kidding about them not being shy,” he teased.

Jungkook turned bright red and quickly stepped away, “Okay! Time to go!”

Ji-hun laughed, some of the others snickering too, and the sound alone was enough to have Jungkook smiling. This felt like they were kids again. This was the big brother he remembered fondly.

They all piled towards the door.

“I’m keeping these potato slices,” Taehyung said, voice leaving no room for argument as he shoved another chip in his mouth. Ji-hun raised a brow.

“Sure, all yours,” he said shaking his head in what Jungkook assumed was confusion.

Taehyung grinned and they started filing out of the apartment, Jungkook keeping an eye on Yoongi who seemed very fidgety. He kept trying to urge them out the door faster without being overly obvious about it. Something was wrong.

They were just waving goodbye when Ji-hun poked his head out into the hall and called after them, “Jungkook-ah! What was the name of the hospital?”

Jungkook paused and turned to look at him. He told him the name before frowning, “Why?”

“I want to look into what happened. I’ll let you know if I find anything.”

Jungkook nodded, “Sure. I’ll see you around hyung.”

A small nod from Ji-hun had him turning and following the others. The Galaxy door was waiting for them around the corner of the hall.

A moment later they were back in Galaxy and Jungkook only made it four steps before Yoongi was grabbing him again, spinning him to face him, hands on either side of his cheeks and turning his head every which way.

“Are you okay? How do feel? Does it hurt?” The phoenix’s panic had them all taken aback and Hoseok quickly moved to his side putting a hand on his shoulder.

“Yoongi?”

“I saw it. His eyes. They were purple,” Yoongi shook, hands moving to Jungkook’s shoulders as he tried to calm down.

Jungkook’s eyes widened.

The panic washed over all of them, dread and fear brought back from that day the gem created Euphoria and Jungkook felt his heart sink to his stomach. If Yoongi had seen it then it disproved their theory of it being in his head, it wasn’t a hallucination.

“I’m okay,” he rushed to say, hands reaching to grip Yoongi’s waist, glancing at the others with wide eyes. “I’m okay. I’m not hurting, I feel fine. I promise. I didn’t even- when? When did you see it? Before you kissed me right?”

Yoongi nodded, swallowing, and Jungkook pulled one of his hands off his shoulder to hold it, kiss it, anything to bring him some reassurance that Jungkook wasn’t about to explode suddenly. “Just after the Euphoria door showed up.”

They all looked to the purple door that sat innocently in the same space it always did next to the Galaxy door. Jungkook felt the urge to go there again, so strong he almost started walking without thought. Shaking his head he frowned.

Hoseok looked between them, “That’s what the energy was? The door showed up in your brother’s place?”

“We felt it from the other room but we weren’t sure what it was,” Jimin wrapped his arms around himself. “Jungkookie, are you sure you feel okay?”

Jungkook nodded, holding Yoongi close.

Namjoon looked at Jungkook before looking towards the Euphoria door, “I asked you before if you felt anything, you said it missed you. What did you mean by that?”

“I just… I don’t know. I can kind of understand its intentions? Like what it feels.”

Seokjin’s eyes widened, “You can feel its energy?”

“Wait, that shouldn’t be possible, he repels energy still right?” Taehyung looked between them quickly.

Yoongi stepped back a bit and held up his hand, flames engulfing it. Jungkook felt the heat from it and understanding what he was doing, he quickly put his hand over Yoongi’s. Fanning it through the flames. As usual, it did nothing except warm his hand slightly.

“This doesn’t make any sense,” Jimin groaned. “How can he be reacting to Euphoria’s energy but not Galaxy’s?”

Namjoon frowned in thought, “What if… what if you’re still physically human,” his lover looked up quickly. “But your soul isn’t.”

Jungkook had only half a second to let out a ‘huh?’ before Namjoon hurried to him and grabbed his hand, the others voiced their own confusion as the immortal dragged him over to the Euphoria door.

Without hesitation he opened it and the stepped through.

The warmth through his body sent shivers across his skin and he sucked in a sharp breath as Euphoria, his world, surrounded him. The field was still just as beautiful as the day he’d first seen it, the sky, nearing sunset was full of soft pastel colours and subtle stars peaking through.

Namjoon took him a little ways into the field, the others following quickly after.

“Joon, what do you mean his souls not human?” Hoseok asked, stopping not far from them as he watched with a pinched brow.

Jungkook was equally as confused but the sick feeling of dread and fear were gone now. It was as if Euphoria was telling him not to be afraid, to listen.

Namjoon turned to face him, standing an arms distance in front of him, “How many types of plants are here?”

“How should I-?”

“Don’t think, just answer, the first thing to come to mind,” Namjoon gave him an encouraging nod, looking almost eager and fascinated.

“Um…”

“How many rivers?”

“97,” Jungkook said, blinking at the random number. That was all it was right? Namjoon had told him to say the first thing to come to mind.

“How many blades of grass from here to the treeline?”

Jungkook looked in that direction, “63,354,592.”

“Tree species?”

“4,589.”

“How many types of birds?”

“3,263.”

“When’s the weather going to change?”

“Hyung I don’t-”

“Trust me. When?” Namjoon looked at him insistently.

Jungkook sighed, shaking his head and throwing his arms up, “A, thunderstorm, over that way, in two minutes,” he said thinking of something random to say. He genuinely didn’t see where this was going.

Namjoon looked towards where he pointed and nodded. “Okay. Hear me out,” he looked at the others who had been watching them like it was a game of tennis. “There are two kinds of magic Jungkook. There’s pure magic and natural magic. Which then can be either positive or negative, or now I suppose, whole magic too and then breaks down into branches but we won’t get into that.”

Jungkook blinked and tilted his head curiously. “Okay? I’m following so far.”

“Natural magic comes from our environment, it’s what the world naturally creates and gives off. Like how trees create oxygen. It’s why we can make potions as well, the ingredients have their own energy.”

Seokjin nodded, stepping in to help explain, “Dimensions and worlds tend to be one or the other. Galaxy is naturally positive, where the realm the Sorrow and Corpsewing come from is naturally negative. Earth has neither magics so it’s neutral. Euphoria has both, so it’s earth’s opposite in a sense.”

Jungkook looked at him and frowned. That made sense, but again, what did that have to do with his soul. Seeing him getting a bit frustrated, Namjoon put his hands on his arms gently. “The other type is pure magic, that’s the kind that we emit. Our bodies create pure magic, again positive or negative, just like your body naturally repels magic.”

“So when you say maybe his soul isn’t human…” Jimin blinked, realization that Jungkook wished he understood washing over him.

“Our bodies create our energy, but Jungkook’s body was destroyed,” Namjoon said, “His soul was contained in a gem that had unspeakable amounts of concentrated pure energy. If that energy merged with your soul, even just a little, it could potentially mean that you’re soul is connected to Euphoria through that magic.”

“His soul is emitting energy, not his body,” Yoongi blinked in fascination.

Jungkook stared at him with wide eyes, mouth hanging open slightly, “Wait, that… that actually kind of explains why I’m so comfortable here.”

Taehyung perked up, “That also explains why Euphoria feels like Jungkookie!”

“It does?” Jungkook looked at him curiously.

They all nodded, “We noticed the first time we got here, it has your presence,” Namjoon continued. “If the gem held onto your soul the whole time it was creating this world, I think you’re emotions have influenced its creation. In turn, I think it’s influenced your soul.”

This was a lot to take in.

Namjoon pointed at Jimin, “How many blades of grass between here and that tree line?”

Jimin blinked, “Was I supposed to remember that?”

“63,354,59…2…” Jungkook trailed off, realizing that Namjoon was right, he wasn’t just spouting random numbers. One some instinctual level, Jungkook knew the answers. Or he felt them. If he thought too hard about it, he’d be wrong, he’d second guess, but if he just let himself feel it then…

They all jumped when they heard the distant rumble of thunder, looking over in the exact direction Jungkook had pointed too roughly two minutes ago. He stared in wonder and awe as the clouds had darkened, flashes of lightening flickering through them.

They all looked at Taehyung who quickly held his hands up, bag of chips still clutched in one of them. “Not me,” he reassured.

“Holy shit.”

“If Jungkook’s soul is actually charged with Euphoria’s energy, it wouldn’t hurt him like it did before because now his body is created with the same energy. That still doesn’t explain why he repels magic though,” Hoseok looked at Namjoon.

“It’s only a theory but it might be that only whole magic can get through. The combination of positive and negative together. Of course, we’d have to find some way to test that and we might have natural whole magic here, but we have no way to control it,” he frowned.

Jungkook hummed, looking around at Euphoria. A light breeze ruffled his hair and he couldn’t help smiling. Despite the shock of the revelation, Euphoria was doing a good job keeping him calm. Now that he sort of understood why he felt that longing to come back, it almost brought even more comfort to him.

This was his world, and they were connected quite literally on a spiritual level. He wondered if this is the same way the Guardian felt about the Galaxy. Pausing he looked at the others.

“Would the Guardian know? It said I was this world’s protector maybe it understands the connection,” he suggested.

Namjoon nodded, “Next time we see it, we’ll ask.”

Jimin came over to him and hugged him around the waist, “Either way, as your nurse, I’m prescribing you with at least an hour in Euphoria every other day. That way you can recharge.”

Jungkook smiled and hugged him back, kissing his head. “Yes sir nurse Minnie.”

“So the purple eyes then? They don’t mean anything bad?” Taehyung asked.

Seokjin shook his head, “If it’s like us, it only shows a spike in his energy. Though, now that I think about it, wouldn’t that suggest Jungkook might be able to control the energy?”

Jungkook whipped his head around to look at him, eyes wide with excitement, “Like powers? I could have magical powers like you guys?”

Yoongi smirked smugly, mumbling something along the lines of, “Bet Tony doesn’t have cool powers…”

Jimin giggled and Namjoon laughed a bit, smiling fondly, “It’s worth looking into. We can start trying to train you if you like, at least work with you on the mental side of things.”

“Yes! Hell yes! That’d be awesome!” Jungkook pulled away from Jimin to jump around in joy. A strong gust of wind swirled around all of them, almost knocking them over.

It was as if Euphoria could feel his excitement and wanted to celebrate too. The others laughed, their hair getting messed and blown around.

Jungkook grinned brightly.

It was later that night, after they’d all had dinner and were settling down for bed, that Hoseok came into his room, knocking lightly before stepping in as he always did. He left the door open a crack, the sound of Yoongi’s piano flowing in quietly.

Jungkook looked over and smiled from where he stood next to the windows. Hoseok approached and wrapped his arms around him, resting his chin on his shoulder. “Are you here to jump me?”

Hoseok raised a brow in amusement, “What makes you think that?”

Jungkook shivered lightly at the low tone, just the lightest hint of a rumble that Jungkook could feel where his back was pressed against his chest. “Jiminie warned me you and Yoongi were on the prowl.”

Hoseok snickered and kissed his neck, humming pleasantly when Jungkook tipped his head immediately to let him. It always amazed him how intense Hoseok could be and how quickly he could flip back to being flamboyant and energetic. When he was like this, he made Jungkook feel like prey that Hoseok wanted to devour. It was wonderfully arousing.

Watching him with Jimin and Taehyung had been incredible and way hotter than it had any business being. He couldn’t wait to experience that first hand but he also enjoyed the chase of it. He’d thought that after their first time together, the sexual tension around all of them would lessen, yet it was the complete opposite. It was harder than ever to keep himself from jumping them all the time.

Just like now, when Hoseok pressed his hot lips just under Jungkook’s ear and pulled away with a quiet, “Not tonight,” he respected it and it only built up his anticipation for when he would get to have all of Hoseok’s attention on him.

He liked their attention. Sue him.

“It’s been a busy day,” Hoseok said softly, turning Jungkook away from the windows gently to put his hands on his hips. Jungkook put his arms over his shoulders, stepping close as they swayed gently to the music.

“Aren’t they always?” He chuckled a bit.

“We keep telling you, you attract trouble,” Hoseok smiled and pressed his forehead against his.

Jungkook could hear the silent question in his words. He could feel it in the way Hoseok brushed his thumbs over his hips and the way he took control of Jungkook’s movements, giving him a break from having to think about something so menial for a few moments. He was trying to ask if he was okay.

“I’m glad I talked to him,” Jungkook hummed.

Hoseok stayed quiet for a long moment before pulling his head back and looking at him. “You know, I wanted to hate him. But he doesn’t seem like a bad guy.”

Jungkook smiled a little, “He’s not. We both made a lot of mistakes back then.”

“Thank you for letting us be there with you Kookie,” Hoseok looked at him softly.

Heart feeling full and warm and oh so pleasant, he smiled and leaned his forehead against Hoseok’s shoulder. “I wanted you all there. Thank you for coming.”

He felt Hoseok’s hands move to his back, pulling him into a hug. A kiss was pressed to his hair and he had never felt safer. They listened to Yoongi play, looking out the window at the beautiful sky. “We’ll figure it out. This whole magic stuff. I promise.”

Humming a laugh he wordlessly lifted his pinky, feeling Hoseok chuckle as he hooked his own around it.

“Speaking of promises, I believe you owe me a date Hobi-hyung,” Jungkook pulled away enough to look at him and smirk.

Hoseok pretended to think for a moment before tapping his fingers under Jungkook’s chin, “I do don’t I.”

Grinning, Jungkook nodded.

“You have the next couple of days free, how about we go out tomorrow? Just me and you,” Hoseok rocked them gently.

“Here in Galaxy?” Jungkook asked eagerly. He’d been wanting so badly to explore more of their world, to understand it better, but he knew the risks of him going out and about, especially on his own. People weren’t supposed to know he was here. “Did you have somewhere in mind? Or just exploring?”

Hoseok smiled brightly, eyes crinkling cutely at the corners.

“Jungkookie, how would you like to meet my parents?”

Chapter Text

The scream pierced through the silence of the house, startling Jungkook awake so violently he almost threw himself from the bed.

It wasn’t the screams he was used too. It wasn’t the squeal of surprise from one of them when Taehyung woke them up by jumping on them. It wasn’t Seokjin scolding Hoseok for getting dirt all over the kitchen or Jimin’s full shrieking when Namjoon decided he was just going to carry him around all morning ‘for exercise’.  

This scream was bloodcurdling, the kind that ripped through vocal chords, leaving them raw and hoarse and didn’t stop until the lungs restricted, burned. It sounded like the last cry of a dying man. Pain and agony, desperation that had no hope.

It was horrible and chilling.

And it came from Yoongi.

He recognized the voice, as distorted and twisted as the screaming made it, he heard the resonance of Yoongi’s deep purring voice behind it.

Jungkook had never moved so quickly in his life, flying out of bed and slamming out of his bedroom into the hall. It was dark, but Jungkook knew the house like the back of his hand by now. His first thought was an intruder. Someone had broken in, someone was hurting Yoongi. The terror he felt at the thought trumped all other emotions.

He hit the wall of the hallway, failing to navigate the turn at the end, not wanting to slow down. He used it to push himself towards his lovers bedroom. The screaming was only interrupted by sharp gasps and growls, words mixed in but unrecognizable to his racing mind.

Jungkook reached for the doorknob only to have an arm hook around his waist, jerking him back and knocking the air from his lungs, halting him in his tracks. His fight or flight instincts kicked in and he threw his elbow behind him sharply to try and get his attacker off of him. He needed to get to Yoongi.

A hand blocked his elbow, gripping his arm, making Jungkook grit his teeth and resort to thrashing to take the person off guard. The arm tightened around his waist, dragging him back away from Yoongi’s door.

“Jungkook. It’s me.”

The firm familiar voice had him freezing, stalling his mind as he processed it. He looked over his shoulder and sagged against Seokjin’s arm when he saw his beautiful silver eyes. Except they weren’t the eyes he’d expected to see. They were cold, emotionless. None of the caring that Jungkook had come to know from the man.

Jungkook wanted to ask what was going on, what was happening to Yoongi, if he was okay. He wanted to ask why Seokjin was looking at him like that. If he hadn’t said his name, Jungkook might have thought his boyfriend didn’t recognize him.

He didn’t have time however. With an ungodly cracking sound the door to Yoongi’s room was ripped from it’s hinges, blown out from the inside and crashing against the wall of the hallway, an inferno of flames following it’s wake.

Jungkook gasped when Seokjin jerked him to the side the moment the door cracked. He felt his feet leave the ground for a disorienting second, his lover throwing him back down the hallway roughly. The jarring impact with the floor had him yelping, elbows and knees knocking against the hardwood enough to ensure bruises later.

He paid little attention to that, sitting up quickly, feeling the heat of the flames even from this distance and despite knowing it wouldn’t hurt him, everything in his body was screaming at him to run from them. The bright light was unforgiving on his unadjusted eyes, making them water and forcing him to squint to see.

Seokjin barely spared him a glance over his shoulder.

Namjoon bolted around the corner on the other side of the hall, not pausing for a second as he disappeared into Yoongi’s room which was now flooded in flames that poured out the door yet didn’t catch the wood of the houses structure. He heard Namjoon shout something but the roar of the fire drowned out his voice.

Hands were on him again and Jungkook jumped violently whipping his head up and to the side to see Taehyung. The Fae gave him a pained smile, brow pinched and eyes reflecting the flames down the hall as he quickly took his arm, pulling him to his feet. “Come on, this way.”

Jungkook looked back once to see Seokjin disappearing into the room as well.

His heart sunk.

“Taetae, what’s-”

“Not right now, bun. Trust me.”

Taehyung’s voice was strained, like he was holding back tears as he led him through the house. He stopped in the living room, movements quick and hurried. Yoongi’s screams suddenly becoming higher, more piercing, made them both flinch but while Jungkook stood and looked back at the stairs, Taehyung grabbed some blankets off the couch.

Jungkook accepted the blankets when they were handed to him, bundling in his arms tightly.

He opened his mouth to ask again, but the words weren’t there. His stomach was in knots, muscles so tense he was amazed he was even still able to move. This suddenly felt like a fire drill at school. Taehyung was moving robotically, tense but with purpose, like he’d done this before.

He had done this before.

Taehyung turned back and got some pillows before he was led through the kitchen and out the back door. His shock was giving away to more fear, dread caging his heart in a cold grip. He wanted to be back in the house. Back where the fire raged, Yoongi’s fire. The fire that only ever kept him warm and safe.

 He could barely keep his feet under him as they walked down the path in the gardens. Looking back at the house where one window on the second floor had completely shattered, the only thing he could see through it were flames.

He swallowed and bit down his lip to keep himself under control, mind and heart racing in a competition to see which could process faster. His lovers were in there. Where was Hoseok and Jimin?

“Tae, please, tell me what’s going on,” Jungkook begged, panting through his words as his adrenaline wore off the further they got from the house. He realized they were headed to the greenhouse.

Taehyung didn’t say anything, didn’t even look back at him and Jungkook was hit with the image of Seokjin’s eyes not a moment ago.

Cold, empty.

Distant.

He suddenly became very scared. Quickly he stopped and wrenched his arm away from Taehyung, his hands white from how hard he clutched the blankets to his chest, as if that would slow his hearts rapid pace.

Taehyung looked at him quickly, hand reaching to grab him once more before his eyes found his. His lover paused a moment and searched his face before taking a step towards him. The Fae’s expression melted into one of sadness and hurt, apology mixed in somewhere amongst it.

“Everything is going to be okay, Jungkookie, you need to take a deep breath,” he said and Jungkook frowned in confusion before he realized he was sucking in air too fast to do anything but make him light-headed. He focused on the short and erratic way he inhaled and exhaled, trying to slow his hyperventilating.

Taehyung, seeing the effort, gave a firm nod and took his arm again, “Minnie is waiting for us at the greenhouse. Yoongi is going to be okay. This happens sometimes.”

His lover wasn’t calm, regardless of his tone. The glossiness of his eyes and the near constant gnawing of his bottom lip gave him away. He might say this happens sometimes but clearly that didn’t make it any less terrifying for them.

Jungkook started walking once he felt he wasn’t about to fall over, unable to look back at the house once they started moving again. “What happens? He sounded like he was in pain Tae.”

“Nightmares. He just had a nightmare,” Taehyung’s voice was trying to be reassuring but he couldn’t tell if that was for his own sake or Jungkook’s.

This wasn’t an ordinary nightmare. Jungkook had seen Yoongi have nightmares. After his death he’d see them all have nightmares, waking up covered in sweat and gasping his name, sometimes jerking themselves awake, rolling and talking in their sleep with pinched expressions.

He’d never seen Yoongi have a nightmare like this.

Taehyung led them into the greenhouse, right to the back where Jungkook knew there was a small room that Hoseok sometimes slept in when he stayed out working late. Jimin was standing by the door and stood up straight when he saw them, arms wrapped around himself for some semblance of comfort.

“Let’s get comfy,” Jimin said softly, his smile tired and worried, “It’s going to be a long night.”

Jungkook waited to ask again until they were all crammed side by side in the small bed, sitting up with their backs against the wall and their knees pulled to their chests. He sat between Taehyung and Jimin, head tilted back against the wall as they sat in silence.

The room wasn’t anything special, a good size for one person comfortably, cramped for three.

It clicked in his mind why they’d come out here.

They couldn’t hear Yoongi’s screams.

The morbid thought churned his stomach.

“Shouldn’t we help? Shouldn’t we be there for him?” Jungkook asked, voice barely a whisper in the silent room, ears still ringing with his lovers cries. They likely wouldn’t fade for a long while.

Jimin shook his head, adjusting the blanket over them and pulling it under his chin, “We’ll just get in the way.”

“What about the others? Seokjin-hyung he…” Jungkook searched for a word but came up short. He was empty? He was emotionless? The way he’d looked at Jungkook had felt like a knife through his heart.

“They’re soldiers Jungkook,” Taehyung whispered, his head resting on Jungkook’s shoulder.

The reminder had his blood turning cold. Oh. That’s right. That’s what the look was. The look Seokjin had given him was the look of a soldier. A man thinking logically, not emotionally. A man who’d seen things he likely couldn’t even comprehend.

It was so easy to forget. They joked and laughed, smiling as if nothing was ever wrong. This house had become such a symbol of peace in Jungkook’s mind, he forgot that it wasn’t untouchable. Life could still get through it’s walls and attack them at their most vulnerable.

They had been on the front lines of a war well before Jungkook’s time. How much blood had they seen spilled? How much blood had they themselves spilled? How much had they lost? It was no wonder the three of them stayed with Yoongi. Jimin and Taehyung were like him, born after that time of bloodshed.

Jungkook closed his eyes, biting his tongue, trying to imagine Seokjin leading an army into battle. Tried to imagine the man having to watch the people under his command die.

He thought of Hoseok, Namjoon and Yoongi, all fighting for their lives and the lives of their people. Killing for it. Not sure if they’d live to see the next day.

He couldn’t. He couldn’t imagine the horror of it.

The adrenaline wearing off left him feeling exhausted, eyes burning with the need for sleep but mind refusing to give in. He felt liked he’d just had the nightmare. Everything happened so quickly and if he wasn’t in the greenhouse now he’d question if it’d happened at all.

Jungkook had been through his own shit. He had things that haunted and scarred him, things that kept him awake at night. It was why he kept his curtains open at night. It reminded him that there was a way out. When the noise in his head got to be too much, he’d stare out the window, sit in front of it, remind himself that he wasn’t trapped.

He wanted to run to Yoongi, hold him, tell him that he was safe. He wanted to give him a window to look out, to let him know he wasn’t trapped either. The thoughts didn’t own him, the memories were only ghosts, they could haunt him, torment him, but they couldn’t touch him.

Gently, he spun the ring on his finger, facing the insignia towards his palm and brushing it with his thumb. The simple design brought him comfort and he hadn’t taken the ring off since they’d given it to him. It was quickly becoming a habit to twist and spin it when he was feeling anxious.

“Do you know? What happened to them? How bad it was?” He asked hesitantly. He was cold, but it was the kind of cold even a thousand blankets couldn’t fix.

There was silence for a while before Jimin spoke, shifting next to him, “We only know what Hoseokie has told us. The other three won’t talk about it. You should ask him tomorrow, it’s not our story to tell.”

Jungkook nodded slightly, already having planned to do so.

“Whatever happened to them,” Taehyung sighed and shifted closer, sorrow encasing his words, “It destroyed them.”

Despite the words being whispered they echoed in his mind, repeating over and over, adding more despair with each pass. His heart ached painfully on behalf of his lovers but the helplessness of not being able to ease their pain, the trauma they’ve been dealing with for hundreds of years, was soul crushing.  

He could tell how tense Jimin and Taehyung were and knew this was just as heartbreaking for them. He wondered how often they had had to do this, hide in here until the hyung’s got things under control again. Wordlessly he wrapped his arms around them and pulled them close. The bed wasn’t big enough for them all to lie down but they made do with sitting up and propping up pillows.

None of them spoke another word that night, just as none of them got any more sleep.

Hoseok came and got them in the morning.

When he opened the door with an exhausted smile, Jungkook almost leapt out of bed. He would have too if his body wasn’t so stiff from the position he’d been stuck in all night. As it was, he slowly put his feet on the ground, giving his blood a second to rush back into them, wincing at the pins and needles.

“Is he okay? Are you guys okay?” Jungkook asked quickly.

Hoseok nodded, walking over to kiss his forehead and lace a hand through his hair as Jimin and Taehyung sat up too, Jimin rubbing his eyes tiredly. “He’s okay. He’s sleeping in today, so be quiet when you go inside.”

Taehyung stood and curled himself around Hoseok, hugging him tightly and hiding his face in his neck. Hoseok held him close.

“It was a bad one…” Taehyung mumbled.

“I know. Everything’s okay now though. How are you guys doing? Did you get any sleep?”

They all shook their heads and Hoseok smiled sadly.

“Seokjinnie is making something small for breakfast, lets get some food and you can go and get some rest,” he held a hand out for Jimin to take, which he did quickly. He held it firmly as he stood up off the bed.

Jungkook stood too, body and mind feeling exhausted but he shoved that aside, only wondering what kind of shape Yoongi was in. It killed him to think all he could do was sit and wait but he knew it was probably for the best, especially because he hadn’t fully understood the situation. He likely would have made it worse.

Together they walked back to the house.

It was quiet between them, the heaviness of the night and the sound of Yoongi’s cries still fresh in their minds.

Stepping in the back door, they found Seokjin at the counter. His shoulders were tense, pulled back stiff, spine straight as he put together a simple breakfast.

He glanced at them and his gaze softened, putting down his knife he turned and held his arms out, Jimin and Taehyung hurrying over immediately to accept the hug. They both threw their arms around him, snuggling against him.

But, Jungkook hesitated.

The looked Seokjin had given him before, the way he’d tossed him roughly, it made him doubt. Had he actually done something wrong? Had Seokjin been annoyed at him for getting in the way? Logically he knew it wasn’t true, that it had little to do with him and more to do with protecting Yoongi, that the angel had thrown him back because if he’d been in contact with Seokjin, he would have gotten hurt by the fire.

It made him wince. The reminder that he was still a weakness to them. It had been so long with things going so well, it was as if he’d been living in a bubble of perfection. A bubble that had erased the still fresh wounds in his mind, made him forget they had any problems at all.

With the first scream he’d heard from Yoongi, he felt like he’d been violently ripped away from that perfect make believe place that hardships couldn’t break through too.

When he first got to Galaxy, it was perfect in his eyes. An escape from the life that felt empty and numb. After everything with the gem, after Jiho betrayed him, he saw that the Galaxy wasn’t prefect either. Jungkook thinks, without knowing, the guys had become his escape. They had become that perfection that he for some reason thought existed.

It hit him then.

He’d become spoiled.

Jungkook had gotten used to this life, this wonderful life with the boys, that he’d come to expect everything to go well, to turn out in their favour. That mentality might have worked when seeing his brother, but it wouldn’t work against everything.

Things weren’t going to go right just because he wanted them too. When had he stopped putting effort in? When had he become so careless?

The threat of losing the guys was very real. What if it hadn’t been a nightmare? What if Yoongi really had been in trouble? It sounded obvious now that he thought it. Of course he could lose them. He had lost them.

No.

They had lost him.

That was the difference. That’s why Jungkook felt like his world was crashing around him and everyone else was taking this in stride. Staying calm.

Jungkook hadn’t dealt with the loss after he’d died. There wasn’t much to deal with, it felt like minutes. That was left to the people still living every waking moment of those three months. People who had lived through battles unimaginable to him and watched countless lives be lost including those they loved. They knew how strong each other were, they knew their limits.

Suddenly, that small gap between them wasn’t so small anymore. He felt like he’d just taken two steps forward and ten steps back. He felt immature, like a child who’d found his parents crying and couldn’t understand. Parents didn’t cry, parents were the ones that held you when you cried.

Jungkook had somehow formed this perfect image of his boyfriends, thinking they were invincible. They could do no wrong and they didn’t hurt and have bad days. He never got to see those days. They hadn’t let him see them.

How much had they been sheltering him from? Were they doing it on purpose? Or were they just not ready to be open with him on that level? While the thought hurt and made his chest feel tight, he understood it. What had he done for them since they’d met besides bring them heartache and grievances?

Seokjin’s hand on his arm snapped him out of his thoughts, not having realized how lost in them he’d become. He met the man’s eyes, searching for that soldier he’d seen before, but only met with concern. Part of him was disappointed.

He wanted to see all of them, know all of them, all the bad and the good. Jungkook didn’t want to see them as perfect strangers, he wanted to know them as people. People who had regrets, sorrows and flaws.

“Kookie, you’re zoning out love,” he said softly, sliding his hand down his arm.

Jungkook twitched as his fingers brushed over his elbow, it was enough to catch Seokjin’s attention who had already been looking at him intently. Frowning, Seokjin lifted his arm turning it to see the scabbed skin of a scrap on his elbow. It wasn’t bad, Jungkook had felt the sting from it last night after he’d calmed down, but it was no more than a little abrasion.

Seokjin however, looked at it and Jungkook could practically see his heart break, shoulders slumping and guilt obvious in the way he hovered his hand over it, as if scared to cause him more pain. “Was this- Did I…?”

Jungkook pulled his arm away, hiding the scrap from his view, “It’s fine. It’s just a scrap hyung,” he reassured.

It didn’t seem to appease any of them, Hoseok frowning slightly and Jimin stepping forward. “Let me take a look Kookie.”

It shouldn’t have made him angry, but it did. He knew Jimin was just being kind, but Jungkook didn’t want kindness right now. He didn’t want to be hiding in the greenhouse while Yoongi was in distress. Tamping down the anger, he shook his head, “I can take a tiny scratch. It doesn’t hurt.”

Perhaps he said it a bit rougher than he’d meant too, but he saw the confusion on Jimin’s face as he reluctantly nodded, stepping back towards Taehyung.

Jungkook licked his lips and looked away from them. He wasn’t angry with them, they hadn’t done anything wrong. He was angry with himself for becoming so overindulged and complacent.

The silence was awkward and Seokjin straightened up again, “We should eat. You can all wait at the table, it’ll only be another minute or two.”

They did as he said, heading to the dining room. Jimin offered to help quietly and Seokjin asked him to get some plates. Hoseok put a hand on Jungkook’s back on their way to their seats. He gave him a light frown but didn’t ask, Jungkook was grateful for that. He just shook his head lightly in response, not sure how else to tell him he didn’t want to get into it right now.

Namjoon joined them just after Seokjin brought the food out, he was still setting it on the table when the immortal came down the stairs, steps heavy. They all looked over and didn’t have to voice their question as Namjoon already knew what they’d ask.

“He’s sleeping soundly. I gave him some Idisirin. It’ll help,” he said sitting down in his usual seat.

Jungkook could see how tired he was, emotionally as well as physically. He wanted to ask what had happened in the room, but he could recognize that now wasn’t the time.

They ate.

Most of the meal was silent, Yoongi’s absence from the table leaving the food tasting bland and the conversation nonexistent.

When they started cleaning up, Hoseok brought up their date. “We can reschedule, last night took a lot out of us.”

Jungkook frowned looking up from where he was stacking plates to bring them to the kitchen, “Hyung, if you’re still up for it, I’d really like to go.”

If anything, he wanted to go even more. He wanted to get out of the house for awhile. Needed to clear his head. Just… get away from everything for a few minutes. Ideally, he really wanted to go and spend time alone in Euphoria. But the desire to meet the people who raised Hoseok was far too strong.

The dragon had also been extremely excited when he’d agree the other night, more then he usually got. He kept asking if he was sure, moving about and hugging him before pulling away like he didn’t know what to do with his body.

It was endearing to see him so eager.

There was also not much he could do for Yoongi, though that thought left a bitterness rolling through him, he knew he just needed sleep and people who understood him far better than Jungkook did.

Hoseok blinked and hummed, “I’m always up for seeing my parents. I don’t have a problem with going so long as you don’t need us here,” he said, aiming the last part towards Namjoon.

The immortal shook his head, smiling softly, “You guys go ahead. I’ve got Yoongi. He’s going to want some space after he wakes up anyway.”

Seokjin stepped out of the kitchen, walking over to them, “Don’t go until the afternoon. Both of you should try and get some sleep first. I have some extra pastries you can bring Oryrea and Phynelle.”

“They’ll be ecstatic about that,” Hoseok chuckled, moving some dishes to the kitchen.

“Tell them we send our love,” Namjoon smiled, calling after him as he stepped around the table. “I’m going to see if I can’t get some rest too. Yoongi should be out for a few hours.”

Jungkook closed his eyes when Namjoon hooked a hand around the side of his head, leaning in to kiss his chastely. He pressed their foreheads together for a moment before pulling away, Jungkook already missing the warmth of his hand.

He gave Seokjin a gentle kiss as well, lingering a bit longer, communicating silently. Seokjin sighed lightly when he pulled away and gave a tired smile. The immortal headed upstairs to his room.

Jungkook went back to cleaning up, about to pick up the stack of plates when Seokjin stopped him, a hand on his shoulder.

“Kookie, could you come sleep with me?”

The way he worded the question stood out to Jungkook. Perhaps it’d just been the realization that he’d become so reliant on them, when they weren’t relying on him nearly the same amount (which, he felt could be good or bad depending on how one looked at it), but the wording made it feel like Seokjin was asking for his own comfort.

He took a careful look at his boyfriends expression, could see the weariness and anxiousness behind his usually calm façade. Maybe he was asking because he needed that comfort right now.

Jungkook nodded and moved to finish cleaning. When they were done, Seokjin led him by the hand up to his room.

He’d been in Seokjin’s room only a few times, and it was much like Hoseok’s. There wasn’t much personality to it, not much to say that it was his own except some of the cookbooks Jungkook had gotten him sitting on the desk, as well as other books from the Galaxy, likely some left by Namjoon who practically left a trail everywhere he went.

The bed was also pushed up against one wall, like Taehyung’s room, leaving the space of the room free but for what, Jungkook wasn’t sure.

Still in their night clothes, they headed straight to the bed where Seokjin got under the blankets, lifting them for him. Jungkook followed suit, climbing in next to him and laying down on his side facing him.

He felt Seokjin’s arms wrap around him, attempting to pull him close, to tuck him against his chest but he frowned. No. This wasn’t what he wanted. Quickly he put a hand against the older’s chest, pushing enough to stop him. He felt him freeze, tensing.

Jungkook huffed slightly and frowned,

“Jungkook… I’m… I didn’t mean to hurt you,” Seokjin said quietly, voice more pained than he’d ever heard it. It sounded like he was on the verge of tears and Jungkook clicked his tongue.

Scootching up the bed slightly, he hooked an arm around Seokjin’s waist and tugged him closer, resting his chin on his head as he tucked him into his chest instead. His boyfriends hand landed on his hip, pausing in what Jungkook assumed was surprise.

Closing his eyes, because he really was tired, he breathed out, “You can’t hurt me hyung.”

The words Jimin always used with him held more meaning than Jungkook first realized. When he’d first said them he hadn’t understood, thought it was just a delusional wish born out of the stubbornness to pretend like Jungkook wasn’t actually a risk to them.

Except, he said it even after Jungkook had shot him. Nearly killed him. That was when he understood. It wasn’t that he couldn’t hurt them. Of course he could, physically he could hurt them. But he didn’t mean physically. Jungkook couldn’t hurt them because they trusted him. He couldn’t hurt them because they knew he would never do anything to them with that intention.

Physical wounds could heal and be forgotten, physical wounds were going to happen in the life they led. But the wounds Jimin was referring too, the ones that never healed, that left a rift between loved ones and damaged hearts and souls rather then flesh and bone, those they could never inflict on each other.

Now, seeing it from Jimin’s point of view and being the one to speak the words, it was also a way to comfort the inevitable guilt from these situations. A reassurance that they were still okay.

Seokjin seemed to understand this meaning, and Jungkook wondered if he was the last one to pick up on it. The angel silently slid his hand to his back, fisting his shirt and burying his face in his chest. His body relaxed as he let himself take the comfort he clearly needed.

Jungkook lazily played with his hair and said nothing as he felt the wetness of tears soak through his shirt. He said nothing as he felt Seokjin shake lightly against him.

They fell asleep in each others arms, no more words needing to be said.

Jungkook and Hoseok left around lunch, the dragon looking much more refreshed than he had earlier. The nap had done them all good, their minds awake and clear now that they were rested.

Yoongi was still asleep when they left, and despite Jungkook asking if he could quietly say goodbye, the others seemed to think it was better if Yoongi wasn’t disturbed. Jungkook would make sure to talk to him when they got home.

He wearing some of Taehyung’s clothes to fit in better. Namjoon assured them once more that Yoongi would be alright, they said their goodbyes and were off.

Hoseok told him it would be a bit of a long walk, probably taking them close to two hours to arrive but he promised they’d take a break halfway for some of the food that Seokjin had packed for them.

Jungkook didn’t mind, excited to spend more time in the Galaxy, even if most of it was traveling through forest and fields. Plus he got to spend more one on one time with Hoseok and that alone was wonderful.

By the time they’d left their property, Hoseok had talked about every tree that Jungkook questioned him on, finding out that a lot of the trees they themselves planted. He’d pointed out the specific stone marker that signified the edge of their land too. The Sets insignia, the same one on his ring, was carved proudly into it, letting travelers know whose land they were crossing onto.

“Do you get a lot of people coming onto your land?” Jungkook asked, shifting the bag on his shoulders that held their things and supplies for the trip.

“Our land,” Hoseok corrected chuckling, “We have people come and go frequently especially for the Magic Shop, but they know not to cause trouble and to stick to the paths.”

Humming, Jungkook nodded in understanding as he walked outside the property for the first time. The forest hadn’t changed much, but he could tell it was thinning out, the trees spaced out more and the species of trees becoming one specific kind rather then a whole bunch. He’d never get sick of the beautiful views.

The path was wide enough for four people to walk comfortably side by side and it looked well travelled.

“Were you scared?” Hoseok suddenly asked, making Jungkook look at him. He was looking ahead, eyes following the tops of the trees as they swayed in the breeze.

Jungkook looked at his feet, trudging along, step after step on the light brown dirt, compacted from others who’d walked along before them. “Yeah.”

“Me too,” Hoseok agreed.

Jungkook wondered how many times he’d seen Yoongi go through this. Yet he was still terrified on behalf of his lover. It made him give up hope of getting used to it, though, it wasn’t something he ever really wanted to get used too. The implications of that weren’t ones he liked to entertain the thought of.

“Were you in his room too?” Jungkook asked, realizing he hadn’t seen Hoseok at all last night until he got them in the morning.

Hoseok nodded, “I was sleeping in there with him.”

Hoseok had been right next to him and he hadn’t been able to stop Yoongi’s screams, which no doubt had startled him awake worse than it did Jungkook. He knew how close the two were. Hoseok must still be rattled from it, though he was handling it calmly.

“You can ask Kookie, I know Minnie and Tae probably explained a little,” Hoseok looked at him.

Licking his lips Jungkook shook his head, “Not much. Just that it had to do with the wars.”

“Among other things I’m sure,” he said softly. “But when it’s that bad, mainly it is.”

“Is that why Jiminie and Tae hide in the greenhouse?” he frowned.

Hoseok chuckled but it lacked his usual sunshine demeanor, “I wouldn’t call it hiding. They were protecting themselves and Yoongi. They didn’t take it well the first time it happened with them around. Those two have their own past experiences when it comes to nightmares so they reacted strongly. It took a few days for everyone to get back on their feet after that.”

Jungkook furrowed his brow, looking a head of them.

That was why Jimin and Taehyung had left the house. That situation, while they must have wanted to be there for their lover too, was outside their limits. It likely would have hurt them more to stay and Jungkook had to admire the strength it took for them to step away.

Being in a relationship wasn’t just about taking care of your partner, it was about taking care of yourself as well. You relied on each other when you were weak but you had to know when you needed to step back and let them handle it as well. Jungkook was still learning that.

It didn’t mean they cared any less. It meant they trusted the others to help him and knew that by not putting themselves in the situation that would have undoubtedly left them hurting and scared, they avoided pressing guilt on Yoongi who likely would have blamed himself for upsetting them.

It hadn’t been a matter of hiding the bad days from Jungkook like he’d originally thought. Perhaps, they were just unsure of what his limits were. What he could take and what would only cause him pain.

Jungkook had a lot to learn about relationships but he was trying and he’d be patient. He just hoped the others would be patient with him too.

Sucking in a deep breath of the fresh air he decided to ask about something that had been on his mind since Hoseok had asked him to meet his parents.

“Hyung, I thought… well, Yoongi said that you and him were the last of your kinds,” Jungkook said, leaving the question to hang in the air.

Hoseok nodded, “He’s right. The other dragons were hunted during the wars, but I didn’t know anyone else of my kind even before then,” his expression took a heavier look, that weight of an exhaustion deeper than he knew settling into his eyes. “For me, it wasn’t like what Yoongi went through. He lived amongst other phoenix’s, he had a family and people he knew and cared for. They were one of the first villages to be wiped out.”

Jungkook pressed his teeth together and looked at the ground as he walked. “Hyung you don’t have to talk about it.”

Hoseok shook his head, “The wars didn’t scar me like it did them. I was a foot soldier and the things I saw and did will always be with me. There’s really no letting go of it. I lost a lot of good friends and I certainly came out a different man then I’d gone in. But for them…”

The hesitation had Jungkook putting a hand on his arm and looking at him, “I mean it hyung, don’t talk about it if you don’t want to.”

Hoseok glanced at him, Jungkook finding a hint of what he’d seen in Seokjin the night before. A hint of the soldier. “I want you to know my story Jungkook, my life. If I’m honest, I had a much easier one then most of the guys.”

Jungkook nodded lightly, dropping his hand from his arm and not saying anything further, giving him the time to speak as he wished.

Twenty more steps and Hoseok lifted a hand to run through his hair, “I was drafted into the 23rd division. When the attacks from the humans started, we were one of the first on the field, our division was quickly moved to defense though. We were stationed at a village that had been evacuated and were using it as a base of operations.”

Hoseok sniffed a bit and stuck his hands in his pockets, “It was pretty quiet there. We didn’t see much action for a long time seeing as we were well within our lines. It got very wearisome though and people started telling these stories about the 1^st division on the front lines.”

“Was that Seokjin’s division?” Jungkook looked at him, remembering what the other had told him at the Kaosado celebration.

Hoseok nodded, “I kept hearing all these stories about the general and how all of his raids were successful, he had the lowest rate of casualties, he was kind but ruthless to the enemies,” he smirked with a sense of pride rolling off him. “A genius human and a phoenix started being mentioned too. They were like… hope for us. Hero’s that were leading the fight and were winning.”

His tone was light, but his eyes told Jungkook he was lost in the memories of that time.

“We looked up to them a lot. The stories of their successes gave us determination and made the days of waiting less dreary. I still don’t know how many of those stories are true. When I first met Yoongi he always just brushed it off saying it was exaggerated. But…”

Hoseok suddenly frowned, eyes darkening, “We got the news of the first division falling a day before our own base was attacked. Nearly half their division was slaughtered, though we never found out what had gone wrong. We held our base for two weeks before they broke through. Most of our division was killed too. I barely made it out with a few others.”

Jungkook ran a hand through his hair, trying to take in that information. He had nothing to equate to that kind of life. That fear they must have felt, even just the days of waiting for news and word from the rest of the army, the days of fighting and being overtaken in the end. God that sounded like hell.

“From what I’ve gotten from Yoongi over of the years, they were captured by the enemy. Him and Namjoon.”

He quickly looked at Hoseok with wide eyes.

Seeing his expression, Hoseok gave him a confirming nod, “For months they were in the enemies hands. Neither have ever said what had happened there. Seokjin I think… well, he was their General. He took responsibility for their capture and even now I’m sure he blames himself on some level.”

Jungkook didn’t know if he wanted to hear any more of this. It made him feel physically ill to think of what could have happened to them in those months. No wonder Namjoon had told him they couldn’t do anything related to restraints. Of course that must be triggering to them.

“Yoongi’s nightmares are from that time? When they were captured?” Jungkook asked hesitantly.

“I couldn’t say for sure, he doesn’t talk about them to anyone but Namjoon afterwards, but it’s a safe guess. Namjoon gets similar ones he just, doesn’t light things on fire when he does,” Hoseok joked lightly though the humor was lacking given the topic.

Jungkook frowned deeply, looking at the ground. They’d lived lifetimes that Jungkook couldn’t fathom, been through so much pain and sorrow. Now he understood why they held onto each other so desperately, why they were so reliant on each of them to keep them going.

Jungkook was new. He hadn’t found that place amongst them yet. He hadn’t completely closed that gap that separated them.

He wasn’t scared though. There was no doubt in his mind that he one day would be for them what they were for him. They’d saved him in so many ways. He wanted to help them too. Jungkook wasn’t naive enough to think he could solve all their struggles just because he showed up with good intentions. No, he wasn’t looking to solve anything. He just wanted to make it a bit easier on them. If even the smallest amount.  

He wanted to carry that weight with them too. Even at the risk of it crushing him.

Deciding to change the topic slightly to lighten the mood, he asked, “So, did your parents adopt you? You said you didn’t know any other dragons so I assume that means your birth parents too.”

Perking up a bit and smiling, he nodded eagerly, “Yep! They’re both Harpies. They found me in the forest one day, just an abandoned little egg,” he snickered and smiled.

Jungkook blinked, “An egg?”

“Well yeah,” Hoseok raised a brow in amusement, “This isn’t my natural form remember?”

“Oh, that’s right, sorry I just- I’ve gotten so used to seeing you guys like this I forget sometimes that you have other forms,” he said sheepishly.

He would really love to see those forms one day, when they were ready to show him. It would be amazing to see the mythical creatures he’d grown up hearing and learning about in their true glory. No misconceptions or skewed information. They were the real deal. It just, when they looked so human all the time it was easy to forget. Just like how he forgot how powerful they were, and how much they’d been through.

Jungkook made a promise to himself to be careful of that from now on. He wanted to appreciate and love every bit of them, every bad day and good. He wanted to be there for it. So he would have to properly acknowledge that they were so much more than just the cute boys who fought over tv remotes and marveled at the number of uses for his cellphone.

“You haven’t really gotten to see much of our world,” Hoseok acknowledged. “I wish you could wander freely here.”

Jungkook had to agree with that.

“Will your parents be okay with me being a human and all?” He frowned a bit in concern.

Hoseok laughed and Jungkook had to smile lightly. Despite the rough night and the tiredness, they both still felt the aftermath of, Hoseok could still light up a room by just being him. “You don’t have to worry. They’re going to love you.”

The reassurance helped calm his nerves slightly but he still felt antsy. He really wanted to make a good impression on his parents. Jungkook had never done the ‘meeting the parents’ situation before and he couldn’t help thinking what he’d do if they didn’t like him. Would they try and convince Hoseok to break up with him? Would they give him that disapproving scowl he’d grown used to from his own parents?

He knew it was unlikely, or he hoped it was. Given how excited Hoseok was to go see them, he hoped they were kind people like their son was. But overthinking was a curse of his and it liked to torture him.

“What are they like?” He asked, trying to keep the nervousness out of his voice.

Laughing, Hoseok slung an arm over his shoulders, making them both stumble slightly and making Jungkook smile for the first time that day. “Mom is really blunt, her and Yoongi get along really well and it’s fun watching them talk cause neither of them hold back. She might compliment you until you’re begging her to stop,” he laughed. “Mama is more energetic, she’s a hugger too so be prepared for that. Oh and if you think Seokjinnie is bad, just wait until they start trying to feed you. On that note we should probably skip that snack then…”

Jungkook smiled brightly. The more he talked about them, the more eager he was to meet them. He didn’t vocally point out that for him, Hoseok having two mothers was not something Jungkook was entirely used too. Hoseok likely knew that already. But in Galaxy it was completely accepted to have any sorts of relationships.

It made him feel warm inside knowing that he could walk into their home and not have to worry about getting thrown out or glared at or even hit because of his sexuality. If that were to happen it would more likely be because he was human. Which, admittedly wasn’t better but he’d take what he could get.

When they got closer to the village that Hoseok’s parents lived in, a village called Westfell, they started passing more people on the paths.

Hoseok held his hand once the village was in sight, waving and smiling at everyone they passed as if he knew them all personally. Judging by how they greeted him though, he probably did. Jungkook himself got some curious looks but Hoseok was quick to draw attention away from him with his contagiously vibrant mood.

Jungkook tried hard not to stare, marveling at the different races and features of the people that mingled and lived together peacefully. He remembered the first time he went to a village with Namjoon and Seokjin, and this amazement felt much the same.

That reminded him, he’d been meaning to go back and apologize properly to Theana.

“Master Hoseok!” A voice called out making them both look to a man standing off the side of the main path who was waving them over. Hoseok lit up and led Jungkook to the man who was fixing a sign on the side of a small house, he couldn’t read the language but he assumed it was a shop sign.

“Mastomi! Good to see you old man,” Hoseok laughed as they approached making the man squawk indignantly and raise his hammer as if to hit him. The man’s hair was greying, and he looked to be about fifty or so. Though he learned not to assume ages. His eyes were a striking pumpkin orange.

Instead he pointed it at them, “Still no manners I see. I was going to say it’s nice to see you too but I think you could stay away a little longer,” Mastomi huffed but Jungkook could hear the fondness in his complaint.

Hoseok snickered, “It’s just a short visit, here to see the folks.”

The man nodded in understanding, turning back to what he was doing, “Those two, without you to take care of they’ve practically adopted the whole village. Guardian forbid one of us works too late,” he laughed heartily. He lifted the sign he was putting up, adjusting it where he wanted it.

Jungkook stepped forward to hold up the other side for him so he could hammer it into place. Mastomi looked at him and smiled, “Why thank you,” he went about hammering the sign into place and once it was secure, Jungkook stepped back and took Hoseok’s hand once again.

Hoseok smiled fondly at him, “Mastomi, I should introduce you, this is Jungkook. Jungkook this is Mastomi, he’s a good friend of our family.”

“A pleasure Jungkook, are you a friend of Master Hoseok’s?” The man set the hammer down and dusted off his hands.

Jungkook glanced at Hoseok who let go of his hand in favour of putting it on his back reassuringly, “I told you it’s just Hoseok to you, and my Set and I are courting Jungkook actually,” he grinned proudly.

“Oh! Guardian’s protection why didn’t you start with that?” Mastomi lit up, bowing deeply.  “Never thought I’d see the day their Set would court someone else. You must be quite special. Where are you from?”

Jungkook spluttered a bit, taken off guard by his sudden excitement and even more so by the question, “Oh um,” he looked quickly at Hoseok for help.

Hoseok’s smile didn’t even twitch as he lied easily, “He’s from Levavin, came up this way to visit the Magic Shop. Stayed for the shop owners,” Hoseok nudged him and snickered.

Mastomi whistled, “That’s quite the trip. No wonder your skin is so beautifully tan, I hear the skies are brighter that way.”

Blushing a bit at the compliment Jungkook smiled sheepishly and rubbed his neck. Mastomi chuckled, “Don’t let me keep you, your mom’s are going to come after me otherwise. Just make sure to stop by on the way out.”

Hoseok nodded, “Of course, we’re aren’t staying too long, we’ll see you later Mastomi.”

Jungkook waved at the kind mind as Hoseok led him down the street where they were greeted by more smiles and friendly calls. The atmosphere was peaceful and happy, it instantly made Jungkook feel better after this morning.

“He seemed nice,” Jungkook said softly, holding Hoseok’s hand again.

Hoseok smiled at him, “He kept my parents safe when they were sent to Galaxy. It took me almost ten years to find them.”

Jungkook looked at him with wide eyes, “Ten years? That’s such a long time…”

Humming, his boyfriend nodded, swinging their hands gently, “Yeah. But I’m glad they were okay. I cried for days after finding them again,” he admitted sheepishly.

They walked through town, Hoseok often stopping to show him things, even stopping at a vendor and buying him a little clip for his hair. “You keep having to push it out of your eyes, this should help,” the dragon had said as he gingerly pinned his hair back then proceeded to fawn over how cute it looked.

Jungkook could only smile and laugh, touched by the consideration and how observant Hoseok was of something so small. After reassuring he could take pictures with Jungkook’s phone later, they walked the rest of the way to his parents house.

The moment the modest home came into view, surrounded by beautiful gardens and flowers that almost hid the entire house, Jungkook felt all the nerves come back. The home was right on the edge of town, wedged between two rolling hills and a stream running past, no deeper than his ankle.

Before they could walk up the path Jungkook quickly pulled Hoseok to a stop and blurted out, “What if they don’t like me?” The words came out rushed and Hoseok raised a brow at him, he quickly started rambling, “I mean, Theana was terrified when she found out, what if they’re scared of me too, what if they don’t approve of you courting me? Do you think they’d-”

“Kookie,” Hoseok laughed and pulled him close, hooking his arms around his waist. “Do you trust me?”

Jungkook nodded without hesitation.

“Then believe me when I say you’re worrying for nothing. The only trouble we’ll have is trying to leave,” he leaned his forehead against his and Jungkook took a small breath. The nervous butterflies in his stomach were still fluttering around but Hoseok’s confidence was helping.

After a moment, Jungkook nodded, “Okay. Okay. It’ll be fine,” he mumbled to himself. Hoseok hummed a laugh, making Jungkook pout. He was finding this too amusing. Didn’t he realize how important it was to him that he make a good impression?

These were Hoseok’s parents, he loved their son to the moon and back and it would crush him if his family didn’t approve.

Though, he’d forgotten one key detail.

These were Hoseok’s parents.

The moment the door opened, they were met with a shriek that had Jungkook flinching and hiding behind Hoseok quickly, the sudden sound obliterating any confidence he’d gathered.

Hoseok was tugged down by a short woman who threw her arms over his shoulders and hugged him tightly, “Hoseokie! My baby! Oh look at you, you’re even more handsome then the last time I saw you,” the woman exclaimed pulling back just as quickly as she’d hugged him to put her hands on his shoulders and get a look at him.

“Hi Mama,” Hoseok laughed happily, tension Jungkook hadn’t even realized had been there seeming to leave the dragon in the woman’s presence.

Jungkook peaked over Hoseok’s shoulder to get a better look at her. She was absolutely adorable in a mature kind of way, her body was heavy set and she looked strong and healthy. Her curly hair was a light auburn, framing her face and complimenting her soft features. A spattering of freckles decorated her cheeks and her eyes looked only kind and excited.

“We didn’t know you were visiting! You should have told us, we haven’t prepared anything,” she smacked Hoseok arm and he laughed.

“You always over do it when I tell you, so I thought I’d leave it a surprise.”

“Well don’t linger out there, come in come in! You’re looking so much better. Tell me all about- oh,” Hoseok’s mother paused as she caught sight of Jungkook who suddenly felt like he was standing too straight. Was he standing straight or was he slouching? He couldn’t tell. How do you stand properly again?

Shifting nervously he quickly bowed, “H-Hello.”

Damn stutter.

“Hello! I’m so sorry, I didn’t know Hoseokie had a guest with him! Who might you be dear?” She asked kindly and Jungkook stood up straight to see Hoseok crossing his arms, looking all to amused.

Damn boyfriend.

“I’m um, my name’s Jungkook, I’m-”

He never got to finish his sentence as he was interrupted by yet another shriek of excitement, he blinked owlishly as the woman waved her hands around in what he would think was a panic if not for the face splitting smile she wore. She turned back and forth between shaking Hoseok’s arm and looking him over.

“This is the boy?! He’s so handsome, oh my Guardian, please call me Mama Ory. It’s so wonderful to finally meet you, Hoseokie told us so much about you,” Ory said looking almost flustered with her own excitement, “Where are my manners? Please come inside, oh Phynelle will be so excited to meet you!”

She waved her hands towards Jungkook to come closer and he looked at her in amazement as Hoseok slipped a hand around his waist and guided him inside. They closed the door behind them and Jungkook took a look around as he slipped off his shoes.

“You must be exhausted from the trip, let me take those,” Ory quickly pulled Hoseok’s backpack off his shoulders and sat it next to the wall.

The entrance was small but opened up to a comfortable living room with two couches and a large window. The entire room was full of plants and flowers but it didn’t look overwhelming, it only served to make it feel that much more cozy. The walls had paintings hung up off all different sizes and of all different subjects.

Some were landscapes, one he recognized as the view outside of the rolling hills and the stream, another was a family portrait of Hoseok and his mom’s. He smiled when he recognized the signature at the bottom of most of them. “Tae’s paintings?”

Ory looked at the paintings and smiled brightly, “Aren’t they just beautiful? That boy is so talented, I keep meaning to get him to do one of Mastomi but he never could sit still, that man fidgets like a youngling at the dinner table.” She went to take his bag.

Jungkook quickly pulled it off his own shoulders and handed it to her, being careful not to touch her. Theana had not reacted well when she’d touched his hand. He didn’t want to shock the poor woman. “Thank you,” he said politely as she took the bag and set it to the side.

“Please please make yourself at home, I’ll go fetch Phynelle and make us all some tea,” she hurried off into the house, passing through a door he assumed was the kitchen.

Jungkook followed Hoseok to the living room and sat next to him on one of the couches, wiping his sweaty palms on his thighs. Hoseok smiled at him, “You okay?”

He nodded quickly, “Your mom seems really sweet,” he said honestly. There was no doubt in that, the woman had such a loving nature about her and Jungkook got that from just the short interaction. “I see where you get it from.”

Hoseok actually flushed at that and Jungkook couldn’t suppress his grin. He could see a lot of Hoseok’s personality in his mother and he suddenly wondered what he was like as a kid, if he’d always been this energetic.

“Yeah well,” Hoseok mumbled embarrassed.

Ory came back into the room, dragging another woman by the arm behind her. This woman was about the same height as Hoseok, hair as black as midnight and her face had sharper features then her wife but she was no less pretty. She had sharp eyes that very much reminded him of Yoongi’s cat like ones.

“Hoseok!” The woman lit up much like his other mom and held her arms, Hoseok standing off the couch to accept the hug, embracing her warmly. Jungkook stood as well and folded his hands in front of him to be polite. “My boy it’s been so long, how have you been? How is your Set?”

“I’ve been good, great actually. And everyone’s doing alright. I’ve missed you Mom,” Hoseok smiled, kissing her cheek.

“We’re glad to see you doing better, especially after your last visit.” Her attention turned to look at Jungkook, eyes scanning over him making him feel painfully self-conscious. He bowed a bit and mumbled a polite hello to which she only hummed.

“You must be Jungkook then, the boy who defied death itself.”

He swallowed nervously.

Chapter Text

Jungkook sat on the couch holding a cup of tea in his hands that Ory had given him. The aroma reminded him of clementine’s and sweet honey, a hint of spice intermingled with it. It was helping to calm his nerves, the clamminess of his hands now from the tea’s warmth rather than the anxiety he’d felt earlier.

Ory and Phynelle sat on the couch across from them, mirroring how Hoseok sat next to him with his own cup of tea.

Phynelle was an intense woman in the complete opposite way her wife was. She was no less kind and had a very charming smile, but Hoseok wasn’t kidding about her being blunt.

She had been straight upfront about telling him they knew he was human, and she immediately tried to wave off his attempts to explain himself. Instead, she’d simply smiled at him kindly.

“It’s not a problem,” she had said, “We were admittedly surprised but anyone who makes our Hoseokie happy deserves a chance in our books.”

Hoseok explained to him that he’d been telling his parents about him through the regular letters they sent back and forth, but he hadn’t told them he was human until after he had died and Hoseok came to visit them seeking the comfort of his family. Then he had explained everything in person.

“So Jungkook, tell us about yourself, how have you been settling into Galaxy?” Ory asked, leaning forward to set her tea on the coffee table and smile kindly at him. “The human world must have changed so much since we were last there!”

Jungkook rubbed his thumb along the rim of his teacup gently and nodded, “It’s very different now, there’s a lot of new technology. Galaxy is amazing though, I love it here.”

“Jungkookie shows us new stuff from his world all the time, it’s incredible what the humans have come up with. They’re so innovative,” Hoseok praised.

“We would love to go back one day,” Phynelle said fondly.

“Mom,” Hoseok gave her a slight warning look and she waved a hand.

“Yes yes I know, big secret and all. Don’t you worry Hoseok we haven’t told anyone. Believe it or not we don’t try to cause trouble for you,” she laughed a bit.

Ory smiled sitting on the edge of the couch as she sat a hand on her wife’s knee.

“If um, it’s alright to ask, you don’t… hate humans?” Jungkook voiced hesitantly.

Ory put a hand on her chest, “Guardian’s above, no dear. Though I suppose we can’t fault you for thinking we might. There are a few of us that still remember the kind human’s before the wars. We had many human friends that we were separated from because of those horrible times.”

Jungkook frowned, “I’m sorry… it must have been so hard.”

“The hardest part was letting our baby boy fight,” Ory reached over and held a hand out, Hoseok meeting her halfway and holding her hand gently, smiling reassuringly. “We kept dreading the day we’d get a letter saying he wouldn’t be coming home.”

“But you didn’t,” Hoseok pointed out.

Phynelle hummed, looking at Jungkook, “I suppose the wars were long before your time.”

Jungkook nodded, “Yes miss, my life hasn’t been affected by wars.”

“Something to be grateful for. Please call me Mama Phyn, ‘miss’ is too formal. We’re practically family,” she took a sip of tea, unaware of the warmth her words flooded through his chest. Jungkook smiled softly and looked at the tea in his cup.

Hoseok’s hand drifted around him and rested on his hip gently.

“Jungkookie works at a café in the human world, it’s a shop that sells tea and pastries,” his lover commented before perking up and standing to go to their bags. “Which reminds me, Seokjinnie made some treats for you. They send their love too.”

Ory folded her hands, “A café? What a charming name. Those lovers of yours, they really need to come by and see us again. It’s been so long since we’ve seen all of you.”

“His cooking would be a nice change of pace from our usual soups,” Phynelle chuckled only for Hoseok to scrunch his nose a bit and look over from where he was crouched next to the bags.

“Have you not been eating well?” He questioned.

“We’ve been eating just fine,” Ory waved a hand looking at Jungkook who smiled. “Nothing quite beats Seokjin’s cooking.”

Jungkook nodded in agreement, “His foods incredible.”

Hoseok wandered back over with the pastries wrapped in a cloth and laid them out on the table. Spreading the cloth open revealed a light brown coloured biscuit with what appeared to be a dusting of sugar sprinkled overtop. Jungkook felt his mouth water just looking at them. The walk had been long.

“Help yourselves,” Hoseok smiled and sat next to him, taking one of the pastries and offering it to him.

Jungkook took it eagerly, “Thanks hyung.”

Without wasting time he bit into the soft moist pastry and hummed lowly in appreciation as the taste of cherries encompassed is mouth. The filling was smooth and creamy making him take another bite as soon as he swallowed the first.

“Hyung?” Phynelle question curiously. “That’s an interesting nickname. Is there a story behind that?”

Jungkook blinked and looked at her, mouth still full. Quickly he brought a hand up to cover his mouth so he looked a bit less rude as he tried to speed chew his way through the bite. He looked at Hoseok when he dropped a hand on his thigh and would have pouted at his amused chuckle if he could.

Hoseok answered for him and he embarrassedly settled back to eating at a normal pace, “It’s a personal way to address someone in Korean. He adds it onto the ends of our names too.”

“It sounds very sweet, I suppose the language had changed as well, though I can vaguely recall using specific honorifics when we lived there I believe,” Ory hummed, looking up in thought.

Jungkook swallowed his food and tilted his head, “I’ve been meaning to ask,” he turned a bit to address the question to Hoseok as well. “Is everyone around here from Korea? You all speak Korean very well.”

Phynelle looked at Hoseok almost appearing affronted, “Have you just been letting the poor boy figure everything out on his own? Have you explained anything to him?”

Hoseok pursed his lips, “It never came up, Kookie’s good about asking if he wants to know about something,” he tried to defend.

Jungkook laughed a bit, “It’s true, I had thought it when I first got here but I forgot to bring it up. They’re really good about easing me into new information.”

He smiled when he felt Hoseok’s hand gently squeeze his thigh.

“To answer your question dear, magical creatures are from all over the countries of earth. There are many languages that we speak and learn out of respect to other species,” Ory explained. “Hoseokie was born and raised in Korea though so he’s native to speaking it.”

Hoseok nodded, “That’s right, Joonie and Yoongi are native speakers as well. Jinnie speaks Vieprada, the language of Angels. Minnie and Tae both are native to the Fae’s language, Acall. We can all speak ten or so languages in varying degrees of fluency but we’ve adopted Korean as our household language to keep things simple.”

Jungkook was a little awestruck at that. He struggled just trying to learn English and Japanese. It was incredible that they knew how to speak so many languages. Not that they didn’t have the time to learn it of course. It also explained why their Korean wasn’t entirely the same. If it had been centuries since they’d been to earth, the culture and evolution of the language would have changed it from what he knew.

He’d noticed that the way they worded things, the semi-formal speech, the lack of honorifics and the inflection of some words stood out, making up what he’d mentally started calling Galaxy dialect.

“So, Jimin and Taehyung’s names then? They’re very Korean, are they their birth names?” He tilted his head curiously.

Hoseok shook his head, “No, we gave them those names. They’ve let their Acall names go with the past.”

Humming, Jungkook wanted to ask what their names had been but he stamped that curiosity down quickly. A long while ago he’d run across the term deadnaming while looking into the transgender community. He’d understood it to describe when people used the name someone had before transitioning, knowingly or not. He didn’t want to deadname either of them, he respected them too much to do that even accidently.

Besides, it didn’t matter. They were Jimin and Taehyung, that’s what he’d always know them as.

“You picked good ones, they suit them,” Jungkook smiled.

Hoseok’s eyes softened, lips twitching at the corners. Jungkook wonders if he thought he’d ask, he wouldn’t blame him if he did. “Yeah. We thought so too.”

Jungkook missed the way Phynelle and Ory looked between them, gentle smiles adorning their features.

Jungkook stood looking at Taehyung’s paintings on the walls. He’d got the feeling they were his even before he’d seen the signature. Every brush stroke was done with care and purpose, all coming together to create a wonderful piece that displayed as much emotion as it did setting.

He really wanted to ask Taehyung to paint a picture for him so he could hang it in his room.

He already had an idea of what he wanted it to be of.

Hoseok and Ory were in the kitchen preparing something to eat before they went on their way. They had tried to insist they stay for the night to rest but Hoseok was adamant about heading back to make sure Yoongi was alright. Jungkook was itching to see the Phoenix too.

They had had a wonderful visit for a few hours, long enough for the sky to have begun to darken. He’d learned that Ory and Phynelle hadn’t been planning to have a child before they found Hoseok and had planned to take care of him until they could find him a home amongst his own kind. They’d never been able to reach out to any other dragons willing to take him and by the time he’d turned five, they’d fallen in love with him.

He was sure they would have brought out a photo album if they had had cameras in the Galaxy. Hoseok looked mildly embarrassed but didn’t try to stop them, only smiling fondly with his arm around Jungkook, keeping him tucked into his side.

Jungkook smiled faintly at the memory of the stories they’d told him about little Hoseok trying to learn to fly and ending up learning to swim after falling in the river, of him playing with the other younglings of their village and always leading the group into mischief but never failed to get everyone home before dark.

He’d almost gotten a cramp from laughing so hard at a story Ory told about Hoseok’s first time using magic where he’d ended up creating a crevasse in the ground and accidently rerouting the river to flow directly through town.

Apparently it had taken quite some time to fix that.

He felt a presence next to him and looked over to see Phynelle stepping up beside him, looking at the painting as well, “He was so sad that day you know,” she said calmly, and Jungkook looked back at the painting he’d been staring at. The one of their family.

Jungkook took in Hoseok’s expression in the painting, his eyes were bright, shining even. His smile was brighter, “Sad?”

Phynelle hummed, “It was the day after his pet passed away. A little Ludpian named Flicker. Such a cute little thing. He practically grew up alongside it. Flicker waited outside everyday for Hoseok to come home after he went to the war.”

Jungkook almost melted at the thought at the same time his heart crumbled. He heard stories about loyal pets like that, waiting for their owners to come back though most never did. While he didn’t know what a Ludpian was, he could imagine how much losing his pet and friend must have hurt Hoseok.

“He told me it took almost ten years to find you after Galaxy was made,” Jungkook said quietly, looking at her. “Did he wait all that time?”

She nodded and smiled fondly, “Ludpian’s don’t live nearly as long as we do, but Flicker would be damned to die without seeing his Master one last time. Hoseok found us and not a week later the poor thing passed in its sleep.”

“Hoseok must have been heartbroken…”

“Oh he certainly was,” Phynelle looked the painting over. “And yet he smiled as brightly as always. That’s the kind of man he is. That’s his strength, to smile in even the most difficult of times.”

Jungkook wondered how often Hoseok was going through his own struggles that he didn’t notice because of his smile. How often did he handle his hardships with no more than a grin and hope. It was as saddening as it was admirable.

He heard Hoseok’s loud laugh from the kitchen partnered with his mother’s protests and laughter as well. The sound filled the home and his heart.

“Take care of him for us,” Phynelle suddenly said, quiet and gentle, the voice of a mother who cared for not just her son’s health, but his happiness. The mother that felt her sons every pain, every hurt, every bump and bruise as if it were her own.

Jungkook licked his lips, looking between the smiling faces before him, “I will. But I’m sure there’s nothing I can give him that he doesn’t already have.”

It was true. Hoseok had two loving parents, he had people to come to who wanted to take care of him and over fed him and gave him hugs to feel better.

Hoseok had the guys. He had Yoongi who he could fight with and talk to about the war and who understood him on a deeper level. He had Namjoon who was a solid presence of logical reassurance, someone who could talk strategies as well as he could calm you with a simple hand on your shoulder. He had Seokjin who mothered him whilst his own mothers weren’t there, who kept him well fed and told him everyday that he was loved. He had Jimin who would dance with him and cuddle and take care of his health. Taehyung who made smiling in the hard times a little bit easier by just being himself, always seeing the possibilities not the hurdles.

And he had Jungkook.

But did he need him?

Jungkook felt Phynelle’s eyes on him for a long moment before she spoke, “Is that what you think?”

The words had his mind wandering away from its current track, he frowned, “I believe I bring them trouble when they could be living peacefully. After everything they’ve been through… I’ve only put them through more.”

“Hoseok told us they had decided to help you, a stranger, someone who could hurt them. Why do you think that was?” she turned to him fully, tucking her shawl around her and folding her arms as if to ward off a chill. Jungkook thought about grabbing her a light blanket from the couch but was distracted by her next words.

“You brought them life again.”

Her words left him speechless, not understanding the implication but somehow feeling the weight of them. He’d never known why they had decided to help him way back then. Why Namjoon and Jimin had stepped through that door into his apartment that day. Jungkook had wondered if they were just that kind, had even thought maybe they’d felt guilty on some level. Or even just because they wanted to study him, learn about him.

They could have just left it alone.

“I don’t… I don’t understand,” he admitted.

Phynelle’s lips twitched into a gentle smile, “Galaxy is peaceful and calm. It’s a place where species live in harmony and arguments are settled with words before fists,” she turned to look towards the kitchen, the light from the door casting across her features and softening them further. “They fought for that peace, but it’s that same peace that made them forget what it’s like to live. I’m sure you’ve found it strange, how pain has very little meaning here.”

“It was a surprise. It made me question a lot of my own life,” he agreed, listening intently.

“Magical creatures didn’t need protection spells before the wars. We lived, we felt pain, bled and died just as human’s did. But, Galaxy, in all it’s protection, has made us take that pain for granted.”

Jungkook could see what she meant. The memory of the first time he’d pinched Jimin and Taehyung coming to mind. He’d thought it was cute, the way they kept asking him to do it again. Trying to put himself in their shoes though, to not have felt pain in god knows how long, to suddenly find such a strange and wonderful and scary sensation… was that why they had reacted as they did?

She had said that he brought them life. Jungkook couldn’t imagine life without any pain. It was… a needed feeling. It kept you safe, it was a warning to your body that something was wrong, but beyond that, beyond just the physical feeling itself, it made you appreciate the times it was absent.

Pain was needed just as comfort was. Two sides of the extremes. Light and dark, positive and negative.

Just like magic.

He pressed his hand against his chest, thoughts drifting to Jiho. Had he seen how far Galaxy had tipped to one of the extremes? Is that why he sought to create the gem? A balance?

“You don’t believe you bring anything to their Set. If that were true, Hoseok wouldn’t have started sending us letters again after they had begun to dwindle. His words wouldn’t have described you in such detail I could draw you without ever having seen your handsome face,” she tapped him under the chin gently with her knuckle. “He wouldn’t have more life in his eyes then he’d had since he was little.”

Jungkook smiled a bit, but it was hesitant, still unsure. There were still doubts. “I’m worried I’ll never be able to catch up.”

“You already have my boy,” Phynelle put a hand on his arm. “Life isn’t measured by time spent sitting around a household in a world where the worst thing to happen was an argument between the Sirens and the Elves. You might have never fought in a war, but you’ve had your own battles.”

He bit his lip, “What if that’s all they keep me around for? What if it’s just because I can make them feel those things again?”

The sigh that left the woman was accompanied by a breathy chuckle, “Maybe that’s why they helped you originally. Maybe then that’s all it was. But now, can you really look at me and tell me they don’t love you more then they know what to do with? That they haven’t found a new love for each other as well?”

Jungkook looked at the painting again, not just seeing Hoseok, but the others as well, “No… no I can’t.”

They loved him so much. Human or not. He knew that. He knew it like he knew he had ten fingers and toes.

“They’ve been strong for so long. I think they deserve to be weak sometimes.”

He turned to the woman and smiled. He heard her. What she was trying to tell him. He heard the word. Maybe him being their weakness wasn’t so bad. Maybe it was okay if he brought them some pain, in moderation. Maybe he could balance them.

If what she said held as much truth as he knew it did, then Jungkook felt like a weight had been lifted, doubts disappearing in his mind and leaving a security that he hadn’t realized he’d been missing.

“Thank you, Mama Phyn, I… didn’t know I needed to hear that so badly,” he said sincerely.

Phynelle lifted a hand and patted his cheek gently, “You are always welcome here Jungkook. We might have just met you but the way Hoseok talks about you in his letters has told us all we need to know. Don’t get lost in that head of yours and miss what’s right in front of you.”

Jungkook nodded firmly, feeling lighter. Was this what a mother was? Was this the support a family could give? As painful as it was to see what he’d been missing, it also made him appreciate the taste of it he’d gotten today. He’d have to thank Hoseok for bringing him here, for sharing something so obviously precious with him.

Hoseok poked his head out of the kitchen and grinned, “Jungkookie, come help convince Mama not to pack the whole pantry for us.”

Jungkook turned red when he heard Ory’s voice from behind Hoseok, “Don’t be silly, you two can carry it, look at that boy, those muscles aren’t just for show!”

“Mama!” Hoseok laughed turning back, “Only we can look at his muscles.”

“Anyone with eyes can appreciate those muscles dear.”

Jungkook cleared his throat in embarrassment but couldn’t stop smiling if he tried. Phynelle hummed a laugh and guided him towards the kitchen, “We better go do damage control, she really will pack everything.”

They said their goodbyes, promising to visit again soon and started the trek home.

For the most part it was quiet, the sky darkened to its nighttime appearance yet still supplying enough diffused light to see without the aid of a lantern or flashlight. Jungkook held Hoseok’s hand the whole way. Their conversation ebbed and flowed naturally, sometimes settling into comfortable silence as they listened to the sounds of the night around them.

They were just reaching the house when Jungkook looked at him, looked at the calm relaxed expression he wore.

“Hyung?”

“Hm?”

“Are you happy?”

Hoseok’s expression turned to a curious one as he regarded him, “Of course I’m happy Kookie. Is there a reason you’re asking?”

Jungkook wiggled his nose a bit and kicked a stone up the path ahead of them, “No reason really. I just, thanks. For taking me to meet your parents, and for telling me about, about the wars.”

Hoseok gently pulled him to a stop on the front path, making him face him. Jungkook searched his lovers eyes, his beautiful dark eyes and almost melted at the gentle love there. He wanted to tell Hoseok everything on his mind, to spill all the doubts he’d been having and the fears and the worries. He wanted to ensure that Hoseok knew that if he needed anything, anything at all, Jungkook would be there for him.

He’d died for him already, now Jungkook wanted to live for him.

Instead, he smiled, bright and full and as happy as he could just like Hoseok in the painting. Just like Hoseok did everyday.

Hoseok seemed taken aback for a moment, eyes widened before his brows pinched in what could be disbelief, confusion or wonder. Jungkook laughed a bit and kissed his nose which worked to make the dragon grin as well.

Before either of them could say more, they caught a flash of light out of the corner of their eyes.

The large explosion of flames rising from behind the greenhouse had both Hoseok and Jungkook pausing in surprise. The warmth feelings and silent promises faded to twisting nerves and confusion. They watched the flames disappear behind the building again and traded matching frowns.

Hoseok sighed a little and changed his direction, walking around the house rather than to the front door. Jungkook followed quickly, a sense of dread still lingering from the morning flaring up in him again.

He hadn’t gotten to see Yoongi with his own eyes since his nightmare. An antsy nervousness crawled beneath his skin the urge to see him almost making him jog his way to the training grounds.

When they got there, they stepped up next to Namjoon who stood at the edge of the grounds with his arms crossed, leaning on the short wall that wrapped the area. His eyes tracked Yoongi down, standing in the middle of the arena and Jungkook’s eyes widened in amazement as his lover threw his arms forward forcefully, flames wrapping his arms and shooting out into the air with enough force that Jungkook wouldn’t doubt it could obliterate anything in its way.

He could practically feel the desperation, the frustration and anger behind the attack. Yoongi dropped his arms and the fire died down, a circle of flames surrounding his feet and flickering erratically. His boyfriend breathed heavily from exertion, practically soaked in sweat.

Jungkook watched in apprehension as he bent over and let out a yell, more angered and frustrated then his scream from the other night. Before Jungkook could step forward and run to him, he was once again throwing out attacks, punches that hit only air and left a very unsatisfying desire to destroy things that he was sure Yoongi felt too.

“How long has he been out here?” Hoseok asked Namjoon.

Namjoon’s tired sigh was enough to pull Jungkook’s attention to him and he took in his state. The immortal looked exhausted, he was wearing a thin white shirt that was damp with sweat and he had smudges of dirt all over him. “Hours now. I tried sparring with him but it doesn’t seem to be enough this time. Last night was really bad.”

“Hours?” Hoseok looked at him in surprise. “He’s going to run himself dry at this rate.”

Namjoon nodded, running a hand through his hair as Yoongi ignited fire around him, standing amongst it and tipping his head back as if basking in the energy flowing through him.

“I’ve tried to stop him, he just tried to fight me again.”

Jungkook frowned watching Yoongi practically run himself into the ground. He wasn’t new to this kind of outlet. He himself had used fighting to release pent up emotion. In the gang it was a good way for a lot of people to cope, sometimes all you needed was a good punch in the face to remind yourself that you were still human, that not everything was numb.

Hoseok had told him that Yoongi used fighting as an outlet as well, and the two would often spar together when he needed to blow off some steam. Hoseok had even helped Jungkook himself with the same method. So why wasn’t it helping now? Was Yoongi just past the point that it was useful? Was he that far lost in the memories and horrors of the past that the physical strain wasn’t enough?

Jungkook tried to put himself in the Phoenix’s shoes, tried to imagine the emotions he might be feeling. He remembered how much better he’d felt after his fight with Hoseok, after his body was bruised and burning and sore from the fight, his mind felt clearer than it had in weeks.

Punching the air left very little satisfaction. But hitting a wall? Feeling the ache and sting in your knuckles? Hearing the sound of the impact? That helped. That was what left you feeling like you were real.

What if that’s what Yoongi was missing? The pain?

Mama Phyn’s words ran through his mind, ‘They deserve to be weak sometimes.’

Licking his lips he glanced at Hoseok and Namjoon who seemed to be debating what to do. Would they understand? Would they try and stop him? He needed to trust them, he needed them to trust him.

“Where are the others?” Hoseok looked back towards the house.

“Inside. They’re getting things set up in case he has an energy crash.”

“Do you think it will really have to come to that? We can’t stop him before he- Jungkookie?”

Jungkook ignored him as he hauled himself over the short wall into the arena, Namjoon and Hoseok both looking at him.

“Jungkook be careful, he’s not in his right mind,” Namjoon stood up straight and frowned.

Jungkook didn’t say anything as he walked over to Yoongi, the heat of his fire could be felt long before he got to him but it seemed to peak at a certain temperature rather then continuing to build like it would if it were natural.

Yoongi turned to him, catching sight of him out of the corner of his eye. He reigned in the flames right away, most of them dying down around him despite him knowing it wouldn’t hurt a human. Jungkook kept a straight face as he stopped about two meters from him. Yoongi’s eyes were… sad. An anguish hidden deep behind the anger and frustration that had laced through every muscle in his body, keeping him tense and giving him a very aggressive air.

Jungkook felt as if he was approaching an injured animal.

“Are you aiming for something in particular?” Jungkook raised a brow, voice serious yet flippant.

Yoongi scowled, eyes sharpening. “Jungkook. Go inside.”

“I think I’ll stay outside thanks.”

“I’m not in the mood for messing around.”

Jungkook crossed his arms, “Really? Cause it looks like that’s all you’re doing.”

Yoongi practically growled, “Don’t act like you know shit,” seeming to recognize his own tone, Jungkook saw a flash of guilt before he turned his back towards him. “Go inside before I say something stupid.”

Jungkook watched him carefully, “Is this because of your nightmare hyung? Is that why you’re having a fit?”

Yoongi’s eyes snapped back to him so quickly Jungkook thought he might get whiplash. He saw Namjoon and Hoseok tense up out of the corner of his eye and they traded a nervous look. Jungkook hoped they wouldn’t step in.

They both needed this.

“A fit?” Yoongi growled, taking two firm steps towards him angrily before stopping himself from going further. “Don’t belittle me. What the fuck Jungkook.”

“Hoseokie told me you were some legendary hero in the war,” Jungkook went on, going so far as to pick at his nail in a bored manner.

Yoongi grabbed the front of his shirt roughly and Jungkook stood his ground, bracing for the hit that didn’t come. His lover leaned closed to him, biting through his words, “I know what you’re doing. Hoseok pulls this shit sometimes. I won’t fight you knowing you could get hurt Jungkook. So stop the bullshit.”

Jungkook scoffed, feeling genuine annoyance at the words, “I’m not made of fucking glass hyung. I thought we made that clear.”

“And yet you still died on us.”

The tone was cold, and the words colder. Jungkook narrowed his eyes at his lover. He shoved him roughly, making him stumble back and release his shirt. Yoongi looked a bit surprised for a moment before the anger was back tenfold.

“And even that couldn’t beat me,” Jungkook shot back. “You have one nightmare and you’re suddenly out here having a temper tantrum and worrying the others.”

“Shut the fuck up!” He yelled and Jungkook could see he was about to snap. One more push. Just a small one.

“I thought you were stronger than this.”

The flash of Yoongi’s eyes glowing brighter than he’d ever seen was the only warning he got as his vision was suddenly ingulfed in light and heat. The area around them flared, burning with flames he couldn’t see the tops of while inside them. It was a strange feeling, but it didn’t hurt.

“Don’t pretend like you understand anything that I’ve been through. Don’t act like you know what it’s like to watch your family be slaughtered. What it’s like to go to war for a phoenix. You’re fucking naive Jungkook,” his tone was only what Jungkook could describe as menacing.

Jungkook felt that thrum of energy rise up in him, that challenging streak that never knew when to keep his mouth shut and had gotten him into almost all of his worst fights. This wasn’t just for Yoongi. He knew that. It was for him as well.

Just like the others, he’d forgotten what it was like to live. He wanted the balance. He needed to find that balance.

“Naïve? When you think blasting your little flames around in a pretty light show is going to do shit all? What? Did you forget how to really fight hyung?”

The words left his mouth and he suddenly found himself teetering to the side, cheek burning with the blunt force of the punch landing across his face.

Jungkook rolled his jaw, putting a hand against it as he looked at Yoongi. The phoenix looked like he was trying to reign himself in again, the flames flickering down and disappearing, leaving them standing in the empty arena with none of the heat. More regret and agony came through the phoenix’s expression.

He was looking between his hand and Jungkook like he couldn’t quite believe he’d just done that.

Before he could get lost in his mind, Jungkook swung his fist at him, putting all his strength into the hit and Yoongi didn’t even try to dodge, taking it across the face and stumbling before dropping to his hands and knees.

Jungkook didn’t stoop to help him. He watched him carefully, eyes critical as he watched Yoongi lift a hand to his mouth, pulling it away with black blood on the tips of his fingers. The phoenix stared at it for a long moment.

It felt like an eternity by the time Yoongi got to his feet, eyes still locked on the blood on his hand. Jungkook glanced at his split lip, his own cheek throbbing in time with his hammering heart. Adrenaline was coursing through him, fueling him in a way that was almost intoxicating. It had been so long since he’d felt this kind of a rush, it had been awhile since he’d felt this alive.

He waited. He wouldn’t take the next hit. That was up to Yoongi.

Jungkook didn’t need to wait long however, as the phoenix’s eyes lifted to meet his and, oh, there he was. That was the look of a warrior. A man who fought to protect what was his. Yoongi locked eyes with him, his tongue darted out to lick the blood from his lip, and then he was lunging forward.

Jungkook dodged the first two swings, dancing away from him quickly but a flare up of Yoongi’s fire along his arms and his bodies natural instinct to avoid it had him faltering and taking the next hit to the stomach. He keeled over his fist, the air forced out of him.

He grabbed Yoongi’s shoulder, nails digging into his shirt and scratching skin. Desperately trying to refill his lungs he smirked. It hurt.

Yoongi wasn’t babying him.

Good.

Slipping his heel behind Yoongi’s he was able to tug his leg out, tripping him up enough to throw him off balance and allow Jungkook to slam him on the ground, his forearm across his chest while he shoved his full weight into him.

Yoongi grunted, face pinching in pain before he grappled with Jungkook and got his knee into his side, throwing him off.

Namjoon watched, knuckles white as he gripped the wall as his two lovers fought. Punch after punch, kick after kick, they looked as if they were trying to kill each other. None of their hits were pulled, all full force and aggressive.

This was the only thing that had Namjoon fighting with himself about stepping in or not. Usually they respected each others fights and stayed out of it, but this looked like it was more serious then that. The first sight of Yoongi’s blood dripping from the corner of his mouth nearly had him bolting over to stop them.

Hoseok’s hand on his shoulder kept him in place and Namjoon was sure by the grip he had on him it was for his own sake as well.

Yoongi slammed his fist across Jungkook’s face and neither of them missed the blood that splattered from his nose.

“Shit, are they trying to hurt each other?” Hoseok grit his teeth.

Namjoon paused at his words.

Oh.

That was exactly what they were doing.

He looked at Jungkook who kicked Yoongi hard in the ribs, making him cough in pain and stagger to the side before he grabbed the younger’s arm and tugged him sharply to throw off his balance so he could drive his elbow across the side of his head. Jungkook dropped to the ground, disoriented.

Namjoon heard the wall crack under his grip, instincts going haywire, but he forced his mind to stay calm and watch.

He watched Yoongi carefully, watched the way he moved and breathed. He was… focused.

For the first time since Yoongi had woken up, since Namjoon had found him writhing in his bed, blankets aflame, tears hot against his cheeks, Yoongi was focused and calm. He wasn’t fiddling with his hands anxiously like he had been when he woke up, he wasn’t staring blankly at the floor with blurred eyes and an empty expression.

Right now Yoongi wasn’t the man that he’d let himself love after the war, after they were safe and knew they had a chance of surviving to see the next day. He was the man he’d fought countless battles beside, killed beside.

Had been killed beside.

That Yoongi, as long as it had been since he’d seen him fully, had eyes that glowed like the flames of the sun on earth. They burned with protection and passion and life.

Namjoon felt Hoseok’s hand slip off his shoulder and he chanced a glance at the dragon. He saw it too. He hadn’t known Yoongi during the war, but he knew a warrior when he saw one.

Namjoon’s awe at the sight was overridden by his worry for the two as Jungkook took a particularly hard hit and went skidding across the ground on his back only to have Yoongi pin him down with a foot on his chest.

“You think strength lies in how hard you can throw a punch?!” Yoongi was yelling, his voice a practical growl. “You’ve died Jungkook. You know that pain. Do that a thousand times and then come talk to me about strength. Die over and over and over again and tell me if you still think you’re strong after.”

Yoongi crouched over top of Jungkook, digging his heel into his chest, making him wince in pain. Namjoon could see from here the fire in Yoongi’s eyes reflected in Jungkook’s. They weren’t done.

“Put the last phoenix on the front lines and you get a bright red target. You get people coming after you for the thrill of the hunt. I wasn’t always lucky. I didn’t always win. But death couldn’t beat me either.”

“I guess that means life did then.”

Jungkook’s words, as strained and wounded as they were, had them all freezing.

Namjoon’s hands went limp against the wood of the wall, mouth falling open slightly. He saw the surprise on Yoongi’s face as he leaned back a bit, pressure leaving Jungkook’s chest. It was enough to give the human the advantage, grabbing Yoongi’s ankle he twisted to the side and wrenched the other’s knee at an odd ankle.

Hoseok and Namjoon both flinched when they heard Yoongi yell in pain before Jungkook was on his feet and attacking again, giving him no time to recover.

Namjoon knew the significance of the words to Yoongi because they held a similar meaning to him. He knew how hard they must have hit the Phoenix because he felt like he’d just been slammed against a wall.

This wasn’t the war. They weren’t in the war surrounded by death at every turn. This was life. The life they had fought for.

Seokjin suddenly appeared beside him, running up and stopping himself on the wall as he looked at the fight, snapping his head to Namjoon and Hoseok who were still a little shaken by Jungkook’s words. “Why aren’t you stopping them? They’re going to kill each other!”

Hoseok slowly shook his head. “No… that’s not… that’s not it. It’s helping him.”

“It’s helping them,” Namjoon corrected. He could see the change in Jungkook as well, even as the boy had his face slammed into the ground.

Jungkook hadn’t known the guys before. He didn’t know their stories or what they’d been through entirely, but that also meant he hadn’t known how they’d been before he had showed up. Namjoon knew something had been bothering Jungkook for awhile, he had always thought it was the pressure they had been putting on him after his death. Making him feel like they were holding him back.

They’d been so worried about overly relying on Jungkook, Namjoon thinks they’d been scared of it since they’d met him.

The house used to be much quieter. The days were largely spent apart and while they still got together for breakfast and dinner, the time in between was more often than not spent doing their own things. They went to their spaces and didn’t speak much until the next meal.

They’d been living together and going through the same routine’s for so long that Namjoon thinks they’d started losing the passion of their relationship. They stopped appreciating the little things.

He’d seen the guys change so much just in the time Jungkook had been living there.

Little things started changing around the house, subtly so that he didn’t really notice right away. Jimin’s potion supplies slowly migrating to the greenhouse next to Hoseok’s workspace, Seokjin spending more time out of the kitchen because Yoongi would help out more often instead of hiding in the study, Taehyung would come see him in the study and ask him to read to him just so he could hear his voice.

Jungkook had taught them how to appreciate the life they had. There was no one thing that changed them either. It was the way he kept his curtains open, the way he made his bed every morning. He always finished every bite of food on his plate, and he didn’t ever forget to thank them for the meal. He went to workout every morning and came back tired but smiling.

Life had beaten them.

Namjoon felt like his whole world had been rocked upside down and when he put his hands back on the wall, it wasn’t to grip it out of concern, it was to steady himself. They had lost their drive. They had become so complacent in this life over hundreds of years, that they hadn’t ever planned for the future.

Before they lived everyday as the same day, while peaceful and safe and surely there was nothing wrong with that, but lacking excitement and adventure. Adventure. That was the word. Jungkook had shown them adventures. Not just in the weeks of figuring out about the gem. But in the days after, the days that could have been just like every other but weren’t because he made them more interesting.

It was never anything huge. The adventures Jungkook brought them came in the form of how he’d see how many pots he could stack in the greenhouse while helping Hoseok. It came in the way he would decide that he wanted to count the number of blankets in the house, just because he could and because he’d get to say hi to all of them as he did. His adventures came in the form of playing a game of ‘mystery milkshake’ in the kitchen with Taehyung and Hoseok, only to have them all get chased into the yard by an unfortunate Seokjin who’d accidently drank one.

It hadn’t taken a new house, or new jobs to work on, or new hobbies. Besides Jungkook joining them, nothing in the house had changed by way of routine.

All it had taken was a new perspective and an almost childlike wonder for the little things.

Namjoon chanced a look at Seokjin to see he was watching the fight critically, eyes sharp assessing every movement.

Silently, mind rattled, he looked back at his two lovers as they beat themselves to a bloody pulp.

The fight lasted twenty more minutes.

Jungkook’s body crumpled to ground mid punch, his arm swinging far left and missing Yoongi by a whole foot. He rolled, groaning, onto his back and splayed his arms out on either side of him.

Everything hurt. Even his pinkies hurt. His skin was wet with sweat, only serving to sting against the scraps and scratches he had here and there from hitting the ground. He was pretty sure Yoongi had potentially fractured his rib, his breaths coming out in small wheezes as he tried to minimize movement. He wanted to pinch his face in pained but forced himself to keep it relaxed as to not upset the bruise on his cheek.

The thump of Yoongi’s body hitting the ground next to him had him wanting to turn his head to look at the phoenix but he needed another minute before moving sounded like a possibility. He could here Yoongi’s heavy breathes and winced on the other man’s behalf when he coughed roughly.

“I win,” Jungkook panted, staring with partially open eyes at the sky as his heart continued to run on the adrenaline left in him.

There was a scoff to his side followed quickly by a pained groan, “You… fell first… brat.”

Jungkook felt his chest shake with laughter as it rose up in him, lips cracking a smile before he was chuckling. He ignored the flare up of discomfort through out his body and turned his head to look at Yoongi.

His boyfriend had a nasty split lip, a black bruise forming around his eye and more than likely a scattering of bruises all of his torso. Yoongi turned to look at him too as they laid side by side.

His eyes were glowing, but not in the magical sense. They remained their dark near black colour, yet they shone with mirth.

“You’re right,” Yoongi tipped his head back and looked at the sky, licking his lip, “I forgot what really fighting felt like.”

Jungkook looked at the sky as well.

Strangely it had never looked more beautiful.

“We’re going to regret this tomorrow.”

“Oh definitely,” Jungkook agreed.

They both burst out laughing then, the tension all taken out during the fight leaving behind only merriment and a slightly ridiculous air around them. They both groaned in unison at the pain and that launched a new wave of laughter that was as joyful as it was likely to make Jungkook pass out.

Later, when the others practically carried them inside, and Jimin nearly had an aneurysm at seeing their states, Yoongi would refuse any potions.

“I want to heal with him,” he’d say and he would take Jungkook’s hand and hold it. Jimin would try to insist only to be stopped by Hoseok who would smile his hopeful smile and reassure him they’d both be okay.

Later that night, Jungkook would be lying in Yoongi’s room, squishing the Phoenix between himself and Hoseok. He would kiss him gently and reassure him that he wouldn’t have another nightmare tonight. Yoongi would whisper a quiet ‘thank you’ feeling small and weak curled against his lovers.

Jungkook would think about the words Yoongi had told him and remember the day for all it’s goods and bads.

Jungkook would look forward to the goods and bads of tomorrow too.

Chapter Text

Yoongi fiddled with his mug as he watched the people walk by outside the café’s window. It was a particularly nice day, the sun shining bright and warm which meant his spot was comfortable but for the sake of his eyes he kept his sunglasses on inside.

He wished he’d taken Jungkook’s phone with him.

Sighing, he leaned back and once more regretted not asking for the device as music would have been helpful to calm his nerves. He wasn’t even entirely sure why he was nervous. He wasn’t even sure why he’d come here at all.

The café music was pleasant but not nearly prominent enough to drown out his thoughts, only supplying a gentle background ambience that matched poorly with his mind’s ramblings.

He really shouldn’t be here.

Glancing at his hands he shook his head a bit at the bandages that wrapped his wrist, peaking out from underneath the sleeve of his purple and black flannel shirt. Jimin had insisted on wrapping them, a compromise they’d come to after he’d refused the potions. He had similar ones wrapping his knee as well and Jimin had applied a cold cream to the bruises that littered his torso and face.

He lifted his mug and took a sip of coffee, feeling the cut on his lip press against the glass, wincing at the sting of it. It was a strange sensation. Unpleasant, but not necessarily unwelcomed. It grounded him. Gave him something to focus on.

That had been Jungkook’s intention after all.

Yoongi looked back out the window, thinking about the other day. Jungkook’s words kept repeating themselves over and over, the meaning of them hitting harder every time he’d considered it. Had life really beaten him? It seemed obvious now, how much they’d been lacking even while they thought they had everything.

The fight was brutal, neither had held back but neither was aiming to severely hurt the other. Jungkook could seriously throw a punch, many of his hits had jarred Yoongi to the point he had to stagger back to take a moment to collect his focus.

Seokjin had seen it too. Yoongi had noticed the look he’d given Jungkook during their fight. It was similar to the look he’d given Yoongi and Namjoon shortly after they joined his division.

Had Jungkook been alive back then, he would have made a great soldier.

Yoongi scowled, catching sight of his own expression in the reflection of the glass window. He shoved that thought out of his mind but the ones to replace it weren’t any better.

The nightmare that had led up to that, the whole reason he couldn’t get a handle on himself, had been… one of the worst he’s had in a very long time.

He wondered what had triggered it, why it had been so long, but he didn’t need to think much into that. It was Jungkook. Or, Jungkook’s situation. The purple he’d seen in his eyes had terrified him. He knew it had scared the others too but… Yoongi had seen this happen before.

A human getting involved with them, with magical beings, and losing their life in a horrible way only to be brought back and cursed with magic.

Namjoon had gone through the same thing. Yoongi had watched him die too.

They’d talked, in the privacy of Namjoon’s room, in hushed voices and gentle touches one night. About Yoongi’s fear of loving Jungkook. Another human. About his fear of losing him. Yoongi knew how precious a human’s life was to them. He hadn’t understood it at first, but he was a phoenix, he had hundreds of chances. Humans had one. One precious life that could be taken from them suddenly.

He’d watched Namjoon’s life be taken and tainted with magic with the intent to cause him suffering.

His hand clamped around his mug, wrist throbbing from the pressure as his own reflection morphed into the face of a different man. A man he wished he could forget but his features were engrained in Yoongi so permanently that he could see every disgusting detail of his putrid visage.

His laugh, his voice, the words he would whisper next to his ear, the smile he wore when he finally broke them, when they finally begged.

His hands on his skin. The pain they’d caused.

Yoongi tried to close his eyes, letting them drift shut in an attempt to avoid seeing the face but the darkness of his eyelids only made it more distinct. He saw the dream again, the mesh of reality and fears that had trapped him the other night. Namjoon, covered in that beautiful and horribly red blood. Slouched and limp, no energy left to even wince when the next hit came.

Then it was Jungkook sitting there. It was Jungkook tied to the chair, Jungkook screaming, Jungkook sobbing and calling his name when his turn came and they couldn’t reach each other, they couldn’t-

“Rough morning?”

Sumi’s voice had him jumping in his seat, eyes snapping to the waitress as she smiled kindly, refilling his mug with more fresh coffee. Her smile turned apologetic when she saw that she’d startled him and he relaxed quickly, the café coming back into view, the music soothing.

He hummed and nodded in thanks as she topped him up.

“I can’t believe you got into a fight,” Sumi shook her head, looking him over. The girl had almost had a heart attack when she’d seen him come in, which, in itself had taken Yoongi off guard. He hadn’t been prepared for her onslaught of questions regarding his wellbeing. “Honestly, what kind of trouble do you guys get into?”

Yoongi shrugged, “The complicated kind.”

Shaking her head, Sumi huffed a bit in disbelief, “You should put something on those bruises, they’ll take a bit to heal if you leave them.”

He lifted his mug to his lips, “Jiminie did already.”

Taking a drink he watched her pout. He didn’t mean to sound rude or to make her think he was shutting down her kindness, he just wasn’t entirely sure how to accept the kindness. If Taehyung was here, he’d already be her best friend.

As it were though, the three youngest went out to the mall to get more medical supplies seeing as they used a lot patching himself and Jungkook up. Seokjin, Hoseok and Namjoon had similarly decided to go out and get more supplies in Galaxy so they wouldn’t have to later.

Yoongi had refused their offer to come along. They’d been hesitant after the events of the last few days to leave him on his own, but he assured them he’d be alright. He told them he needed the space.

“It’s Thursday today,” Sumi hummed, her voice carrying something teasing.

Yoongi looked out the window lazily resting his cheek on his good hand, “Is it?”

“Mhm. I’m sure you knew that though.”

He could feel her smile on him as she tried to repress a full on grin. Yoongi refused to give her the satisfaction of teasing him. Pointedly he watched a woman hold up a hand on the side walk, a car pulling over for her to get in. “I don’t really keep track of days.”

“Of course, of course,” Sumi giggled before leaning closer, but not close enough to encroach on his personal space. “I won’t tell anyone, your secret’s safe with me.”

Yoongi looked at her then with a raised brow, opening his mouth to ask what ‘secret’ she meant, but she was already heading back to the counter to help a customer. Huffing he looked back at his full mug.

He really shouldn’t have come.

Why was he here? He should just leave.

His body made no effort to get up.

It was because the house had been quieter than he’d expected with everyone gone. He might like his peace and quiet but he also liked to know there was a person around he could hug if he so desired. Sometimes he just wanted a hug.

He’d decided to come to the café after an hour of hug-less silence, just for some noise. The fact that it was Thursday was a coincidence. Yoongi had only recalled that Boseon’s mother dropped him off on Thursday’s to go to her meetings after he’d already stepped through the door. He was just too lazy to go back and he wanted coffee.

Or so he told himself.

In truth, everything was too fresh, too raw. While he no longer had that pressure of emotions, that build up looking to tear him open from the inside with no release, his mind still felt as sore as his injuries.

The nightmare had brought back memories, ones he’d rather leave in the past, of his family. His parents used to hold him just as Jungkook and Hoseok did the other night when he was upset about something. He missed them. But missing them wouldn’t bring them back. He’d long since accepted that.

Then he’d remembered the little phoenix boy.

If the boy was allowed to pretend, couldn’t Yoongi? Just for awhile, to sooth the ache in his chest. Just for today, he didn’t want to be the last phoenix.

The chime of the door opening had him glancing towards it, as he had every time a customer came in. This time though, he watched the little phoenix burst through the door ahead of his mother, a big excited smile on his face.

Sumi lifted a hand to wave at the boy but blinked in surprise when he bolted over to Yoongi the moment he set his eyes on him. Yoongi was a bit surprised too, not having expected his immediate attention.

Boseon skidded to a stop right next to the table, putting his hands on the edge of it and looking at Yoongi with the bright shining eyes. The child’s scrutiny was admittedly intimidating and Yoongi leaned back in his seat with his coffee mug to attempt to avoid it.

“Ajusshi! I practiced tons and tons! Can you teach me more today?” Boseon bounced eagerly.

Yoongi raised a brow, not being able to pass up the opportunity to tease him, “Who are you again?”

Boseon puffed his cheeks looking over at his mother who was apologizing to Sumi for his rudeness. Sumi just laughed and waved it off, speaking pleasantly with her.

Seeing that they weren’t paying attention, Boseon quickly leaned over the table with a hand cupped around his mouth, “I’m a phoenix remember? Like you!”

Yoongi hummed, looking at the ceiling lazily, “What was your name?”

The kid looked absolutely affronted at his seeming lack of memory and puffed his cheeks in frustration, “Boseon, I’m Boseon!”

Yoongi furrowed his brow and leaned his elbow on the table pretending to be in deep thought as he regarded Boseon, “Mmm.”

The boy whined and hopped in place impatiently.

Finally relenting, Yoongi snapped his fingers calmly, “Oh right. Shorty, I remember now.”

“I’m not short! I’m the tallest in my class.”

“You must have a really short class.”

“Do not!”

“Settle down Boseon-ah,” his mother laughed a bit as she came over and put a hand on his head. She looked at Yoongi and smiled kindly before she caught sight of his bruises and her look turned to surprise. “Oh my, are you alright?”

Yoongi, never one to really feel self-conscious, nodded calmly, “Had a bit of an accident. It’s not as bad as it looks.”

Boseon’s mother put a hand over her chest and looked relieved. He wondered how kind of a woman she was if she was showing so much concern for a stranger. “That’s good to hear, I’m sorry, will Boseon be a bother today?” She looked down at her son with a small frown before looking back at him.

Yoongi shook his head and she seemed to relax at the answer, smiling gently again. She really did have a very motherly air to her, not just because she was one, but she seemed like a good one.

“I’m not sure what you told him last week but Boseon hasn’t stopped talking about you, he was really excited to come back and see you. I was worried you wouldn’t be here though. I’m sure you have things to do, but would you mind staying a bit to keep him company? I really shouldn’t ask but he was just so eager,” she looked apologetic and Yoongi had already had no intention of refusing but now he definitely couldn’t.

“I don’t have anywhere to be. I don’t mind,” he looked at Boseon who lit up and held his fists up in front of his chest excitedly.

“Oh thank you so much, you’re really too kind,” his mother reached forward and touched his arm gently, just enough to show thanks. She turned and crouched down, giving Boseon a big hug and a kiss on the cheek which Boseon whipped away in embarrassment before she promised to be back soon.

Before she left, she turned to Yoongi once more, “I’m sorry, I completely forgot to introduce myself, I’m Bong Joo-eun.”

Yoongi returned her politely bow with the slight nod of his head, “Min Yoongi.”

Joo-eun smiled once more heading to the door while giving Sumi a wave, “Thank you again Min-ssi.”

Boseon turned to him, quickly sliding himself into the seat across the table and looking at him with an expectant grin.

Yoongi raised a brow and stared at him.

Boseon stared back.

Yoongi took a sip of coffee.

The kid continued to stare.

Yoongi’s eye twitched, “What?”

“Teach me something cool!”

“Like what?”

Boseon paused a moment to think, looking around as if he’d find the answer somewhere on the table, “Mmm… Can you fly? Can you teach me that?” He gasped leaning forward excitedly.

“Yes I can and no I can’t.”

Boseon deflated back against the seat for a second before perking up, undeterred, “How did you get those bruises? Did you get in a fight?”

Yoongi nodded, a strange endearment warming his chest at how quickly the boys attention flip flopped.

“Did you win?”

“Nope,” he answered honestly, smirking against his mug. “Not even close.”

Jungkook had him beat the moment he stepped foot in the arena. Though, Boseon didn’t seem to like that answer very much, pouting and crossing his arms on the table.

“Awe, I thought you were strong!” He whined.

“Strong people lose fights too, that’s how they get stronger.”

“But losing isn’t fun,” Boseon grumbled.

Yoongi scoffed, “It’s not supposed to be.”

They went quiet for a moment as the boy seemed to consider that, looking out the window with his cheek resting on his arms. Yoongi let him think, content with the quiet, though it was short lived as he lifted his head once more.

“Your name is Yuyu right?” He asked tilting his head cutely.

“Not even close.”

“I like Yuyu, I’m gonna call you Yuyu.”

“That’s not my name.”

“Can I call you hyung? Since we’re both phoenixes?”

Yoongi rubbed his eyes, the silence of the house was looking real nice right now, “Do what you want.”

Boseon smiled, and he supposed that made him feel a bit better at least.

“Yuyu-hyung, can you tell me about the other phoenixes?”

There was a pause, where Yoongi had to process the question but not just that, the boy’s tone had turned to something softer, no less eager but not as chaotic and hyper. Like he actually wanted to listen, was ready to hear about others like him. Like them.

Yoongi swallowed, licking his lips and feeling the sting of his saliva on the cut on his lip. The slight pain cleared his mind but the weight in his chest was ever-present. He leaned back in his seat and rubbed his thumb on the side of the mug.

“Are you going to listen? Don’t interrupt with a whole bunch of questions.”

Boseon pulled his feet up to sit with his legs crossed on the seat and nodded twice determinedly, not vocalizing his agreeance as if to show him he was already listening intently.

 Yoongi chuckled lightly, lips twitching before opening his mouth.

He began to tell the boy a story about a colony of phoenixes just like them, about their strength and bravery. He told him a story he hadn’t spoken of since the wars, not to Namjoon or Seokjin or Hoseok or Jimin or Taehyung or Jungkook.

But for this boy, the only other phoenix left, he’d share the story of their kind.

“What if you have weather affinity like me?”

“I don’t know, I think he’s more of a water.”

“You just want to teach him water magic.”

“Isn’t that the same for you?”

Jungkook snickered as he listened to Taehyung and Jimin argue about his possible magical abilities. They didn’t even stop browsing the store as they bickered, interrupting the conversation occasionally to ask Jungkook questions about certain things.

They had already gotten the medical supplies they’d needed but Jimin and Taehyung had wanted to look around. He’d sheepishly told them that he couldn’t afford anything crazy right now but they assured him they’d just look.

They had found their way to a store that sold kitchen supplies and Jungkook was pretty sure they were making a mental list of things to get Seokjin later.

“Guys, we don’t even know if I have magic,” he butted in, knowing they wouldn’t get anywhere with the back and forth bickering.

Jimin looked at him, putting a spatula back on the rack with the others, “Your soul is possibly connected to a whole world, if you don’t have powers that’s just…” he trailed off looking for a good word.

“Wack!” Taehyung poked his head around the end of the isle and grinned.

A laugh burst out of Jungkook, “Where did you hear that word?”

Taehyung shrugged, “Some guys in the other store said it.”

Shaking his head, Jungkook watched Jimin regard a blender with the utmost curiosity. He had to admit, it would be kind of ‘wack’. The idea of it excited him as much as it made him nervous. He didn’t think he really needed magic, but he also felt it was a way to get closer with the guys, a way to relate and see things from their side.

“Hey, so, how many types of magic are there anyway?” Jungkook asked.

Jimin smiled at him as they continued down the aisle, “There’s sixteen that we know off.”

“Sixteen?” He blinked. That was a strange number. Oddly specific. “What are they?”

“It’s kind of like a branching system. Let’s see…” he hummed, counting them off on his fingers. “On the Positive affinity side, there’s Light which is like, super rare and kind of a standalone magic. Seokjinnie has that. Then there’s Fire, Water, Earth and Air.”

Jungkook nodded. He’d figured the four elements would be positive affinities.

Taehyung walked next to him on his other side, “Each element breaks down into a sub element. Like a… more difficult version. There’s Ice, Nature, Lava, and Weather.”

“Wouldn’t lava technically a combination of earth and fire?” Jungkook looked at him.

He nodded and smiled, “And Weather is air and water. That’s why they’re more difficult if you aren’t born with that affinity. I won’t get into that though, Joonie explains it better.”

“What about the other seven?”

Jimin folded his hands behind him as they left the store. They passed a group of girls who whispered quietly and giggled, glancing their way. Jungkook was pretty sure one of them took their picture. He shook his head in amusement. He wasn’t exactly photogenic right now.

He had a nice bruise along the side of his jaw and a scratch across his cheek bone, luckily not deep enough to worry about scarring. Jungkook’s torso was wrapped in bandages and a few patches, and while he thought Jimin might have gone a little overboard, he had gotten scrapped up pretty good. The ground in the training area wasn’t exactly soft.

Jungkook was feeling amazing though, sans the aching in his ribs and back. He had honestly not felt this good in awhile. The fight had been therapeutic and judging by how calm Yoongi had slept the other night, he hoped it had helped him too.

Neither had really mentioned anything after the fight. They hadn’t talked about it or apologized for the things they said. They didn’t need too, it was taken care of during the fight. It was forgiven in the way they held each other afterwards.

That didn’t prevent Jungkook from thinking about his words though. How he talked about having died before. Over and over, he’d said. The thought made him feel sick. He hadn’t really made the connection of him being a phoenix and being able to come back from the dead. Well, he had, he just hadn’t thought it had happened to his boyfriend. Especially not over and over.

Shaking his head slightly before he could start thinking about what he’d said about his family being slaughtered, Jungkook was gratefully listened when Jimin started talking, carrying on their conversation.

“The other seven are on the Negative affinity side. Like Light, there’s also Dark, which is equally as rare. Then there’s Chaos, Mind and Spirit. Those break down into Destruction, Manipulation and Control respectively.”

Jungkook whistled lightly, “Those sound much less friendly.”

Taehyung laughs a bit, “They’re not that bad depending on how they’re used. You can do a lot of good with them but they are a lot of the reason people come to Yoongi hyung for help.”

“They’re curses aren’t they?”

Jimin nodded, “Again, Yoongi would be better to ask on this side of things. He knows a lot about it.”

Jungkook thought about that. He never really did ask why Yoongi was so into dark magic. He had a positive affinity, fire, so he couldn’t use it right? “Is there a reason he looks into it so much?”

Jimin and Taehyung traded a look and for a moment Jungkook thought they wouldn’t tell him. Which would have been fine, now might not be the time or place to ask. Instead though, Taehyung smiled gently, “Yoongi-hyung has been trying to find a way to break Joonie’s curse.”

Jungkook blinked, “Has been? He still is?”

They both nodded.

Jungkook frowned and looked ahead of them. He’s been trying all this time to cure his immortality? Has Namjoon been helping him or had he given up? What would happen if they found a way to break the curse? Would it just turn him human or would he suddenly catch up physically to the age he was now? Essentially that would kill him right?

He wanted to ask Yoongi more.

“That’s actually how we met them you know,” Taehyung grinned.

Jungkook looked at him, “Really?”

He forgot that they had told him how the two of them had met but not how both groups came together.

“Uh huh! After we were banished we got the property we live on now and opened the Magic Shop. It hasn’t changed at all, but our house used to be just the space that’s now the living room. Yoongi and the others showed up asking questions about certain remedies and potions. They ended up becoming regulars at the shop.”

He found himself smiling at that. Jimin and Taehyung just had a way of getting people to come back. Whether it was their kindness or their way of making you feel like a long time friend, no one ever came to the Magic Shop just once.

Jimin’s sudden gasp had him looking quickly at the Fae.

“What are those?”

Before Jungkook could say anything, Jimin and Taehyung were both rushing ahead, disappearing into a store. He shook his head fondly, glancing at the store name.

Oh.

“U-Uh! Hold on guys!” Jungkook scrambled after them, fumbling with the bags he was carrying.

The two hadn’t made it far. Apparently what Jimin had seen was a lava lamp and Jungkook found both his boyfriends practically glued to the shelf as they watched the little blob of ‘lava’ float and morph into different shapes inside the glass. It was absolutely adorable how they tracked it with wide eyes, lips parted just the smallest amount.

The cuteness had him pausing and putting a fist to his mouth as he debated interrupting. He kind of wanted to see how long they could be entertained by it.

For science.

He discretely snapped a picture with his phone before tucking it back in his pocket, grinning as he watched their heads slowly tip upwards as the blob rose to the top of the lamp.

Sadly, they were interrupted by a staff member coming over, chuckling as he saw their interest, “Those things never get old right?”

Jimin and Taehyung looked at him and he returned a smile, “Can I help you find anything?”

Jungkook stepped forward, “We’re just looking, thanks though.”

The man nodded and turned to head back to the counter, giving Jungkook hope that he could corral the two out of the store without running into anything he’d inevitably have to explain, but that hope was crushed rather quickly when the man spoke in passing, “Let me know if you need any help, adult toys are in the back, party supplies on the left and there’s a buy two get one free on all graphic tees.”

Jungkook’s shoulders slumped. Welp.

Jimin looked at him as the staff member let them be, “Adult toys?”

Licking his lips and clearing his throat, he resigned himself to his fate.

He wasn’t a prude by any means. He had actually been to a sex shop a few times before (he’d experimented with some toys on his own, one-night stands were too much work sometimes) but he’d never had to explain them to anyone before. Everyone knew what adult toys were, some in more detail than others, and if they didn’t, they were probably too young to know.

“They’re uh, toys you use in the bedroom. For sex,” he explained blushing a bit when they lit up in amazement.

“There are toys for that?!”

Without warning, Jungkook found himself being dragged to the back of the store where the adult section was, kept out of view of the main part of the mall as to not expose innocent passersby to inappropriate things.

Along one of the walls was a floor to ceiling collection of sex toys, everything under the sun. Dildo’s, ropes, vibrators, whips, handcuffs, everything for every type of play and all the accessories to go with them such as lube and batteries. In the middle of the room was racks of lingerie, for men and women alike. A lot of frills, lace, strings and leather.

Jimin immediately went to the clothes while Taehyung went to the toys, leaving a flustered Jungkook standing between, conflicted on what he should do.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t had his fair share of fantasies about the boys in lingerie, because he had. A lot. Jimin would look good in anything but he especially enjoyed the thought of him in something pink and lacy. It would compliment his skin tone and his beautifully thin waist.

Taehyung, ugh god. Taehyung would look sinful in something mesh, see through, something with dark colours to bring out his beautiful tan skin.

Don’t even get him started on Yoongi’s legs in stockings… fuck.

Quickly he pulled out his wallet and checked how much money he had left. Biting his lip he glanced at Jimin who was holding a very short ruffled skirt up to his waist as if to imagine what wearing it would be like, and snapped his wallet shut.

He’d need to wait a bit longer for their date, but fuck it. This was worth it.

Walking over to Jimin he smiled a bit, feeling more shy then he should given that they were dating and he’d already seen the other naked and in some rather intimate positions. “You um, can pick something out if you like.”

Jimin’s smile became a look of eager surprise, “Are you sure?”

Jungkook nodded, “You’d look really pretty in any of this,” he busied himself with pinching on of the outfits between his fingers and feeling the fabric. Silky. His attention was on Jimin though who blushed a cute pink and smiled shyly.

“You think?” His boyfriend was clearly trying to hide a happy grin at the praise and Jungkook chuckled a bit, nodding once more.

Taehyung grabbed both of their attention as he held something up that he’d pulled off the shelf, “Kookie! What’s this?”

Jungkook hurried over to him and pulled his arm down so he wasn’t waving the butt plug around for the whole store to see. He blushed and quickly waved an apology at one of the other customers. “Tae, don’t wave them around!” He whisper yelled, huffing when Taehyung only grinned at him. “It’s, it’s a plug, it goes inside you.”

Taehyung looked at it fascinated, “Really? Does it feel good?”

Jungkook scrunched his nose a bit in embarrassment, “I mean, it depends on what you like.”

“Have you ever tried it?” Taehyung hummed, stepping closed to him and getting that look he always did when he knew he was being a tease.

Jungkook licked his lips and couldn’t help glancing at Taehyung’s own, eyes narrowing a bit. Like hell he was going to lose this. “I have,” he said casually, smirking when Taehyung blinked while he plucked the toy from his hand. “But this is better.”

He reached passed Taehyung, having to step in his space to grab the toy he wanted off the rack, not even glancing it as he slipped it into his hands. Taehyung didn’t look away from him, gaze a little more heated than it had been as Jungkook leaned towards his ear.

“It vibrates,” he whispered as if it were some delicious secret. He smirked when he saw Taehyung shiver, the man quickly looking down at the toy in awe. Jungkook wasn’t even sure he knew what that meant in this context but he certainly seemed eager to find out.

Of course though, just when he felt like he’d won this little stand off, Jimin cleared his throat behind them and when Jungkook turned to look at him he smiled innocently and held up an outfit. “I like this one Jungkookie.”

Jungkook had lost. Definitely lost.

“Good Guardian Minnie,” Taehyung groaned obscenely, not caring if people heard him. “You would look incredible in that. Why didn’t we know about these clothes sooner? Joonie’s going to devour you.”

Jungkook was currently going through it, eyes racking over Jimin, picturing him in the outfit he was holding up. Jimin giggled, too cute for such a dangerous outfit.

“If I even make it to him,” Jimin hummed and stepped closer to Jungkook. “You doing okay love?”

He really wanted to kiss the smirk off his full pink lips. Even more so when all he could let out was a sound close to a strangled whine.

Taehyung perking up next to him. “Can I pick one?”

Jungkook looked at him and nodded quickly. As if he’d say no? The hyungs were going to lose their minds when they saw these two dressed up.

Jimin threw his arms over his shoulders and kissed his cheek, “You should pick one too,” he whispered, nuzzling his nose against his skin gently. Jungkook blinked at him.

Him? In lingerie? He… honestly hadn’t thought much about it before. He wasn’t against it by any means, but he hadn’t considered it given that he had no one to wear it for. Besides he’d been more interested in buying something he could use practically with his limited money. It had come down to priority before.

Now though, he was honestly a bit curious. He wasn’t sure if lingerie was something he’d like, but he’d be lying if the thought of Hoseok or Namjoon’s reactions seeing him dress sexy for them didn’t turn him on.

Smiling shyly, he nodded and Taehyung and Jimin both grinned, dragging him to the racks so the two could pick something for themselves.

As they paid at the counter, he smirked when he noticed Taehyung had tried to sneakily put the toy in the mix. He glanced at the Fae who was looking anywhere but him innocently and laughed a bit as he wordlessly added a pack of batteries to the pile.

After they had all chosen their outfits, and picked up a little joke gift for Yoongi, hoping to cheer him up a little, they headed back out into the mall hauling their bags with them.

He was genuinely excited to go home and try on the outfit he’d chosen. Even if he didn’t end up liking it, he was curious about the others thoughts. And he definitely wanted to see Jimin and Taehyung in there’s.

They were deciding whether or not they wanted to keep looking around when Taehyung had quickly shut it down, just as eager to show off the outfits as they were. He started talking about how they should all show the older four together, wanting to have them stuttering messes, when Jungkook started feeling off.

He’d been mid chuckle, shaking his head but was forced to stop quickly when he suddenly felt a little vertigo. Surprised at the random dizziness he stumbled a bit into Taehyung, bumping his shoulder against the Fae’s. Taehyung quickly put a hand on his arm to steady him, still chuckling at something Jimin had said.

Jungkook could see him look at him and squinted as his boyfriends face blurred in his vision slightly. He could see enough to know he was frowning though. “Jungkook? You okay?”

He watched Taehyung’s lips form words but it was like his senses were shutting down, the other’s voice fading as if he was down a long tunnel until he could only hear a distant ringing in his ears. Clamping his eyes shut he tried to will the feeling away, pressing a hand to his forehead.

There was this strange sensation in his chest, not pain, but something verging on panic. Even that wasn’t quite right, Jungkook had had panic attacks, this wasn’t the same. It was this sense of someone else’s pain. Like dread watching someone get hurt. It made his throat close up.

It faded just as quickly as it had come on and Jungkook opened his eyes slowly when he heard Jimin and Taehyung asking him questions, calling his name.

“I-I’m okay, give me a second,” he reached forward and found Jimin’s arm, giving it a squeeze while he similarly found Taehyung’s knee beside him and did the same. They were sitting? He blinked a few times to clear his vision and noticed that they had guided him over to sit on a nearby bench. He frowned. He hadn’t been aware enough to have recognized that he’d moved.

They did wait, watching him collect himself and when they could see some clarity return, Jimin quickly asked, “Kookie what happened?”

“I don’t know, it was… weird. Dizzy and… I don’t know how to describe it,” he admitted frowning. “I feel fine now, it’s gone.”

Taehyung rubbed his back, holding his hand over his knee. “Do you think it was a magic thing?”

Neither Jimin nor Jungkook had an answer for him. That feeling of ‘wrong’ in his chest persisted, turning his stomach slightly. “We should head home,” he suggested. “I want to check on the others.”

They nodded and Jimin stood up in front of him, helping him to his feet to make sure the dizziness subsided. Carrying their bags, they walked until they reached a quieter hallway of the mall, turning the corner and expecting to find the Galaxy door as they usually did, waiting for them.

There was nothing. Just an empty hallway and a door to some washrooms. They all traded concerned looks.

“Maybe it’s too obvious here?” Jimin suggested but upon looking around and finding no one in plain view, he frowned deeply.

Jungkook was getting worried. He didn’t fully understand how the door worked, if it could discern whether or not a place was safe to expose itself, or if it just showed up when it wanted too. But it had always shown up when they needed it. What was different now?

Something really didn’t feel right.

They spent a moment waiting but upon realizing the door really wasn’t going to show up, they stood off to one side of the wall.

“What do we do? How do we get home now?” Taehyung asked, still keeping his eyes out for the familiar wooden door. “I can’t feel any magic.”

Jimin shook his head, “Neither can I. Usually the door has a really strong energy, so we know it’s not anywhere nearby.”

“We shouldn’t panic, let’s head back to the café, maybe it’s there? We do go there a lot so-”

Jungkook was cut off when Jimin and Taehyung both sucked in a sharp breath, whipping their heads around to look out towards the middle of the hallway. He quickly followed their gazes, eyes landing on the familiar purple door just as a warmth blossomed in his chest.

He looked at the Euphoria door in surprise.

“Why… why did you come?” Jungkook whispered, eyes wide. He stepped forward and put a hand on the solid surface. He looked back at his boyfriends who looked just as surprised and concerned as he felt.

“Where’s the impossible door?”

Yoongi finished the last sip of what he thought was his sixth coffee and set the mug on the table.

The café was quiet, most people having left as closing time neared quickly. He hadn’t realized how late it had gotten as he and Boseon had been talking.

The boy, in his excitement at learning how phoenixes could fly for days without rest and often had to, to find new homes, had moved to his side of the booth seat and tucked himself against his side. Yoongi had argued that he had a whole seat on his side and didn’t need to crowd him but had just as quickly shut his mouth when the kid yawned tiredly before urging him to continue.

Now, Boseon had been lulled to sleep with the tales, his head resting against Yoongi’s ribs, forcing him to keep his arm over the back of the seat to keep from squishing him.

Too much excitement he supposed.

He didn’t miss Sumi snapping a picture of them either. Her maniacal giggles were a dead giveaway.

Yoongi had entertained himself with watching people move about on the street outside the window for the past hour as the boy slept.

He thought about what the boy had said, resting his chin on his hand as he pushed away the pressure behind his eyes.

“We’re the last ones?” He’d asked, voice small and hesitant.

Yoongi had nodded, not having gone into detail about the war, not wanting to scar him, but not sugarcoating the facts either.

Boseon had looked at his hands in his lap, snuggling closer to Yoongi.

“It’s a good thing I found you! We’ve got to look out for each other!” He’d declared.

Yoongi had scoffed at the time, bugging the boy about how he planned to do that when he was so little, but Boseon had persisted.

“I’ll be a strong phoenix like you one day! So you won’t ever have to be alone!”

Closing his eyes, Yoongi shoved the words out of his mind, not willing to risk dwelling on the emotions they made him feel. He wouldn’t cry here. Not here.

Later, he’d sit down in front of the piano, he’d express himself through notes and the fluttering motion of his hands on ivory keys.

He had wanted to pretend when he’d first come here. But it almost made it harder now.

Still though, when he turned his head and looked back at the boy cozy and warm against him, he promised himself that he would save this one. If Boseon wanted to be a phoenix, then he was okay with him carrying their legacy. Human or not. At least, if anything were to happen to Yoongi, someone would know they weren’t a myth. They would be remembered for the amazing people they were.

Boseon’s mother came to get him at closing and she thanked him over and over for keeping her son company. Yoongi knew that if she could, she would be spending every precious moment with her son and he knew it must be killing her to have to leave him here all day. She tried to offer some kind of compensation by way of thanks but he turned her down, telling her that she had a really good kid.

Of course, she knew that already.

“Will you be here next week?” His mother asked and Yoongi, hesitating slightly before glancing at a sleepy Boseon who was rubbing his eye tiredly, he relented with a nod. He’d be here. Next week and the week after and the week after that.

Saying goodbye to them, Yoongi hadn’t expected the kid to turn and run back to him, giving him a big hug around the waist. It had taken him by surprise and he’d even taken a step back but the boy didn’t let him go.

Yoongi looked down at him and gently put a hand on his head, but that, even to Yoongi, didn’t feel like enough. So he crouched down on one knee and gave him a proper hug, all the while amazed that this boy had, in only two meetings, wormed his way into his heart.

He kind of reminded him of Jungkook.

Did all humans have this ability?

Boseon finally released him and gave him a big smile before hurrying back to his mom.

“Bye Yuyu-hyung!”

Yoongi huffed and rolled his eyes.

After he left, and after forcing Sumi into a vow of silence that he was sure she would break the moment she saw Jungkook again, he headed out of the café himself.

Pausing outside, he took a moment to breath the fresh air, thinking about the day.

It had been a good one, he’d decided. A really good one.

He’d been content on thinking that, would have loved to keep thinking that, but he felt that thought ripped from his mind the moment he stepped around the corner into the alley.

The Galaxy door, sitting where he’d left it, closed and sturdy as always, had been slashed. The knife used to do so was dug deep into the wood, stabbing into it as if to kill.

Deep, aggressive cuts through the brown wood, splinters chipping away from the exposed layers. Every line carved with intent. His heart dropped through his feet and into the ground, taking his stomach with it.

Two words.

Two horrendous words cut into what they had all come to see as a symbol of home, something they cherished, as if tainting it. Mocking them. Threatening them.

Two words, carved themselves into Yoongi’s mind just as they were in the door.

‘Found you.'

Chapter Text

Life was made up of moments.

Little moments, big moments, and everything in between. Moments that mean something, some that don’t, and some moments that you never forget.

There are some moments that act as a stone thrown in a still pond. A stone that hits the calm surface with a splash and sinks to the bottom, leaving ripples and ripples in its wake. It may have only hit one spot, but that stone, that moment, would disrupt the whole pond.

Yoongi knew this was the stone.

And someone threw it hard.

His knees felt weak as he walked slowly to the door, the warm door that was as much apart of their family as their home was. The door’s magic pulsed around him, slow and quick like erratic breathing. Yoongi felt it draw back away from him, it’s magic retreating from his own energy.

He slowed his step, lifting his hands instinctively as if to calm a wounded animal. He tentatively pressed his energy out, a comforting wave of magic, a reassurance. Yoongi had never seen the doors magic fluctuate like this. It had always had such a sturdy energy, always the same controlled aura emitting from it, flowing but never faltering. This was… painful.

Yoongi’s own heart was beating frantically.

The words were bold and very obviously meant to threaten. They did a good job of it. He glanced around the alley, trying to feel for any other magical energies around him but the energy from the door was too strong. It encompassed most of the area, including inside the shop. It would have hidden any other energies.

The positive and negative energy it was created with were constantly ebbing and flowing, moving around together like water and oil, sometimes one swelled over the other so it would have been impossible to tell if more of either was introduced from an outside source.

Had it been a human? A magical being? Had they found the door on the Galaxy side and stepped through? What about the others? Were they okay?

Shaking his head he tried to focus on the door itself.

He managed to get close enough to gently reach forward and place his hand on the wood. The door’s energy warmed, the touch helping calm it and he found himself whispering quietly, “It’s okay. It’s alright…”

His eyes traced the gouges and something acidic burned in his chest. Anger flared in him, his attention snapping to the knife sticking out of the door. Yoongi wrapped his hand around it, tugging it out. Wincing when the doors energy shrunk back again, he kept his free hand pressed to the wood soothingly.

The blade was about the length of his hand, not a knife someone carried around just for survival reasons. Though, this was the human world, Yoongi was pretty sure they didn’t need to carry knives at all. He knew Jungkook did, had since he’d started coming back to this world, but for good reason and even that wasn’t anything like this knife. ‘Dagger’ might be more appropriate.

There weren’t any discerning features or marks that he could see.

Turning back to the door he slid his hand to the brass handle, trying to open it.

It was locked.

He quickly tried again.

Again, frantically he tried to twist the handle, looking at the door. “No, come on, come on…”

Yoongi tried it once more, jiggling the handle slightly only to step back and run a hand through his hair. He paced slightly, away from the door and back again. This was his only way back. His only way home. Yoongi had left a note on the table telling the others where he would be, in case they got home before him, but if the door wasn’t opening on this side it likely wouldn’t on the other side either.

“Shit,” he cursed trying to think of what to do.

He remembered the Euphoria door appearing in Jungkook’s brother’s room. Could Jungkook send the door here to get him? They were in the human world too, which means he’d need to wait for them to get home and see his note before they came looking for him. Unless there was a way to contact them before they got back to Galaxy.

Yoongi quickly snapped his head up and ran back to the Café, almost running straight into Sumi who was walking over to lock the door. She squeaked, jumping back and dropping her keys on the floor.

“Sumi-yah, can I borrow your phone?” He asked quickly.

Jaeyong looked up from where he stood closing up the cash register. His eyes widened before he was suddenly jumping over the counter and hurrying to Sumi. “Hey! Man, what the hell?!”

Sumi blinked at him owlishly as she was tugged behind Jaeyong who gave Yoongi a look that could kill.

Yoongi frowned in confusion.

Sumi swallowed, chuckling nervously, “U-Um Yoongi-ssi, I promise, I’ll delete the photos of you and Boseon-ah, you don’t have to… um…”

He raised a brow not understanding for half a breath before realizing what was wrong. Quickly he looked at the knife he still had clutched in his hand before shaking his head, “No no, Guardian above, no I’m not threatening you, sorry,” he concealed the knife in the back of his pants, pulling his shirt over it. “Please, I need to call Jungkook, it’s important.”

“Guardian- what? Why do you have a knife?” Jaeyong looked him over, looking no less comforted by the fact he’d hidden the weapon.

Sumi looked at him for a moment before nodding, “Alright, here.”

Jaeyong gapped at her as she stepped around him pulling her phone out of her apron pocket and tapping into it. “Sumi-yah, he just came running in here with a knife!”

The girl waved a hand while she gave the phone to Yoongi, Jungkook’s contact on the screen, “It’s Yoongi-ssi, do you actually think he’d hurt us?” she asked, looking at Jaeyong like he was the crazy one.

Yoongi took the phone, pausing a moment to regard her curiously as she stooped to pick up her keys off the floor before he turned his attention to the device. He clicked the green button, assuming it would connect it with Jungkook’s phone.

He put it to his ear like he’d seen his lover do when talking with people and heard a strange buzzing sound. For a moment he thought he’d done something wrong but he sighed in relief when the buzzing was cut off and Jungkook’s voice reached him.

“Sumi-yah, sorry now’s not-”

“Kookie it’s me,” Yoongi rushed out, cutting him off. He glanced at Sumi and Jaeyong who were watching him curiously.

There was a short pause, “Yoongi-hyung? What are you doing with Sumi’s phone? Are you at the café?”

“Yeah. We’ve got a problem. Can you get to Euphoria?”

Yoongi wasn’t sure how much was okay for the two humans to hear, he knew they would have a lot of questions but this was more important then their confusion. He didn’t miss the way Jaeyong mouthed the word ‘Euphoria’ and traded a look with Sumi.

“The doors here. Hyung, are you okay?”

The urgency in Jungkook’s voice had affection blooming in his chest but he didn’t dwell on it as he answered. “I’m fine. I’ll explain later but I can’t get back home, it’s locked.”

“We’ve never used the Euphoria door to travel to this world… It might not show up for you if I’m not here. I’ll let Tae and Minnie go through first, they can get to Galaxy from Euphoria, I’ll take the bus to the café. I don’t want to risk you getting stuck here.”

“Thanks love,” Yoongi sighed in relief, feeling some of the panic simmer down to the foreboding that had sunk itself into his stomach.

“Hyung?” Jungkook’s voice sounded hesitant, concerned, “How bad is it?”

Yoongi pressed his tongue into his cheek, unsure of what to say. He was pissed. Beyond belief. Just when things were calming, just when everything was looking up, when Jungkook was just settling after only a month of being back, something or someone had taken that peace. But… wasn’t peace the problem? Wasn’t that what he’d just learned? Complacency comes with a perfect life and there was something to be said about how alive he felt right now.

“It’s not good. But we can fix it.”

“I’ll be there in about twenty minutes, sit tight.”

“See you soon love.”

Yoongi pulled the phone away from his ear fumbling for a moment with it before assuming the call had ended. He was glad Jungkook had thought of that, if they’d all gone to Euphoria there was no guarantee the door would link back to earth without Jungkook’s presence here. The only time it’d shown up before was in the room with the boy.

Until they got the door to relax again, they couldn’t use it. Hopefully Jungkook’s connection with it would be enough to calm it down. Then there was the matter of who’d done this in the first place.

He turned to give Sumi back her phone only to find the girl an inch from his face. Jumping, he staggered back, bumping into a table with wide eyes, taking in her excited expression. “Uh.”

“YOU’RE Jungkook-ssi’s boyfriend!?”

Oh. Oops. Shit. Did he just say something he shouldn’t have? Jungkook hadn’t told her anything yet had he? He handed her phone back nervously not denying nor agreeing.

Seeing his hesitation, Sumi took her phone and stepped back quickly giving him space, “Sorry! I’m sorry, I just, Jungkook-ssi told me he was dating someone. I should have guessed it was one of his roommates, I mean, you’re just all so nice and well you and Jungkook-ssi seem to really care about each other and it’s so sweet. That’s why you came in on his first day right? For encouragement, that’s so supportive awe!”

Yoongi once again found himself a little floored by this girl. He was certainly relieved that the relationship didn’t seem to bother her, not that he’d care if it did, but it would have made Jungkook’s time here harder on him. He was also surprised at how she seemed to genuinely be happy for them even though he knew the girl had had some sort of feelings towards Jungkook.

Not sure what to say, he chose not to say anything, content with letting her ramble on. Just as he started to relax, his eyes met Jaeyong’s and he tensed again. He met his sharp gaze with his own, narrowing his eyes challengingly.

Yoongi didn’t have much opinion on Jaeyong. Their brief introduction and the few times he’d served him coffee were all he had by way of character. That and the fact he’d covered for Jungkook when the customer had ‘mysteriously’ caught fire. Jungkook spoke fondly of him though, and he trusted his lovers judgement.

Still the look he was giving him was one of suspicion.

Rightfully so, he supposed.

Sumi had trusted him the moment the knife was out of sight, but Jaeyong must have noticed the practiced ease with which he hid it. As if he’d done it before. Which suggested the man had his own experiences with dangers like this. Out of sight was often more dangerous than in your field of view.

“Is there a problem?” Jaeyong asked, cutting off Sumi’s million and one questions about their relationship. She pouted but looked at Yoongi curiously too, brow pinched slightly behind her glasses.

“Jungkook’s on his way. It’s nothing you need to worry about,” Yoongi said steadily.

Jaeyong stepped towards him, crossing his arms, “You say that, yet both you and Jungkook-ah have caused trouble here on more then one occasion. You guys seem to think you can treat this place like a playground.”

Sumi put a hand on Jaeyong’s arm, “Jaeyong-ssi, I’m sure they don’t mean any harm. Accidents happen.”

“Running in here with a knife isn’t an accident. And it’s not something you should treat so lightly Sumi-yah,” Jaeyong didn’t look away from Yoongi as he spoke. “I know you two, and probably the rest of your friends, are involved in something dangerous. I won’t judge you for that. I think you’re decent people and I’ve taken a liking to Jungkook-ah. But I know dangerous people when I see them.”

“Jaeyong-ssi, you’re blowing this out of proportions,” Sumi tried again, frowning. “Jungkook would never-”

“You’re pretty observant,” Yoongi cut her off. He liked Sumi. He really did. But she was a little too innocent for her own good. Too trusting to be involved in the situations they seem to keep falling into.

“I like to think so. You guys don’t exactly hide it well. Things haven’t added up since Jungkook-ah started here. So what is it? Drugs? Gangs? You guys running from something? Owe someone money?” Jaeyong frowned, surprising Yoongi when he saw some genuine sympathy there. “How deep in are you?”

Yoongi kept his expression passive but he really didn’t want to answer these questions right now. These were Jungkook’s friends. He didn’t want to say anything that would damage their friendship. His lover always looked so happy when he came home talking about what Sumi had told him about her roommate or the treats Jaeyong let him try that day.

Beyond that, Yoongi was wary to trust them. After Jiho, but especially now, when they had a very clear message that someone was threatening them and no leads on who, he couldn’t be sure they weren’t involved in some way.

When he was only met with silence, Jaeyong’s frown deepened and he stepped closer, bending down just enough that they were eye to eye, “I know something’s up. Nam-ssi knows it too. Let us help you. Jungkook-ah’s our friend. What is ‘Euphoria’? Is it a place? A codeword?”

Yoongi pressed his tongue to the roof of his mouth. He really shouldn’t have come today. A few of Jaeyong’s words struck him though. Why had he brought up Nam? What did the boss have to do with this?

They both looked at Sumi when she spoke up, voice tentative, “Do you… also know what ‘Galaxy’ is?”

Yoongi raised a brow, “Where did you hear that?”

Had someone come in talking about it? No one should know about Galaxy on earth. Not unless… Yoongi swallowed down the feeling that tried to rise in him, shoving it so far down that it couldn’t be reached. No. He wouldn’t think about that possibility again.

“When Jungkook-ssi was sick, he kept saying something about a Galaxy. I thought it was just gibberish but he said it to Namjoon-ssi and he seemed to understand what he meant.”

The answer eased some of his worries but awakened others. Had the person who’d carved the door connected it to the café yet? If they had that could spell trouble with these two. Especially if they were heard talking about Galaxy. Except, it didn’t add up. Even if this person knew about Galaxy, no one knew the door itself existed except them and-

Jiho. Jiho had created the doors. Jiho had garnered the help of humans to keep researching, had exposed humans to magic. He said he’d killed the scientist that stole the gem, the one that put it in Jungkook, but who knew how many others he exposed and told about Galaxy. Was it one of them?

Looks like they’d be paying the bastard a visit after all.

Yoongi couldn’t have stopped the slight growl at his thoughts if he tried, glaring to the side in distaste. He saw Sumi cringe a little and take a step back but he didn’t try to apologize.

“If you don’t want to find yourselves involved, stop asking questions. It’s not my place to tell you. That’s Jungkook’s choice. But I’m warning you now, if you want your lives to stay the way they are, then stop asking.”

Yoongi’s tone was serious, enough to even make Jaeyong back off slightly and take on an air of doubt. The man frowned, contemplating his words before nodding slowly. Yoongi let his shoulders relax as he moved to sit at one of the tables to wait for Jungkook.

“Just,” Jaeyong’s voice had him sighing. “Just answer this one. The fire, on the man’s sleeve. How did you do that? Why didn’t it burn him?”

Yoongi flopped his head back and sighed, “It’s just a trick. An illusion.”

“What, like a magic trick?” Sumi tilted her head.

“Yep,” he chuckled a bit.

Jaeyong didn’t seem satisfied with that answer but didn’t ask further. He looked like he wanted too. Like he was trying to figure out if Yoongi’s warning was worth listening to or held any real grounds for worry. They slowly went back to closing up, Sumi trying to pry for more information on his apparent hobby as a magician (whatever that entailed) but he kept the answers vague and short.

The wait for Jungkook was spent anxiously fiddling with his hands, tapping his heel on the ground and watching the door like a hawk.

“What’s the patients name?”

“Jeon Jungkook.”

“Is this a patient currently admitted?”

“No, he should have been a patient a few years ago.”

“And are you family?”

“No. Friend of the families. I’m on a case regarding the patient.”

The nurse hummed and nodded, typing away on her keyboard behind the reception desk.

“Can I get your name and ID?”

Ji-hun watched from the waiting area, a magazine held uselessly in his hands as he listened intently on the conversation. The man at the counter had his back to him, not allowing him to see any discernable features even as he pulled out his wallet for ID.

He hadn’t expected this when he’d come to the hospital. The nurse had sent him to these seats to wait, apparently too busy to deal with him at the moment. Ji-hun hadn’t even been sitting there five minutes before this man showed up and flashed a badge at her.

Ji-hun hadn’t cared until he’d heard his brother’s name.

“Kwan Chungho,” the man told her, voice gruff. He seemed to be in his late forties, a tough looking man dressed in a nice suit. An expensive suit.

“We have had a patient by that name, admitted for a gunshot wound in the back,” the nurse confirmed.

“Could you tell me if he had any visitors at the time of his admission?”

“One moment,” the nurse hummed and started typing again.

Ji-hun frowned. What was this man’s business with his brother? Why was he looking into his medical records? Getting up, he tossed the magazine on the small table in front of him, heading over just as the nurse began to speak again.

“It says here he had two visitors.”

“Do you have the names?”

“Excuse me,” Ji-hun interrupted, smoothing down the tie of his much less expensive suit. The man and the nurse turned to him and he smiled politely, “Sorry to interrupt. I couldn’t help overhearing, you were asking about Jeon Jungkook?”

The man, now that he could see his face, was handsome in a rough sense. Very much the ‘down to earth, no nonsense’ kind of man. Or so he looked. His eyes were a faded brown, looking at him with an analytical precision yet his demeanor was relaxed. “You know him?”

“Knew,” Ji-hun said, squaring his expression into something more melancholic, something reminiscent. “I heard he past. He was so young… such a good kid.”

The man grunted, showing no signs of caring or sympathy, “Real shame.”

Ji-hun tried not to scowl at that, keeping up the façade, “You said you were a friend of the families, were you close?”

“Not to the kid. Just doing them a favour.”

“I thought it was confirmed that he’d died though, is there a reason they’re looking into it?” Ji-hun tried to ask casually, leaning against the counter next to the man.

“Who are you again?” The man turned to him, giving him a more intense look.

Ji-hun stood up straight and bowed slightly, “Oh sorry, that was rude of me, I went to college with Jungkook-ah.”

This seemed to peak the man’s interest and Ji-hun refrained from squinting. He said he was looking into Jungkook for the family, but Ji-hun knew that his parents wouldn’t be asking. They could barely leave their rooms half the time. Did that mean he worked for his grandparents?

“Really? What course?”

“We were taking videography together. Didn’t talk much though, different social circles and such.”

“Mm,” the man looked him over once more and turned away from him. “Know why the kid suddenly dropped out?”

Ji-hun pressed his tongue against the back of his teeth. He knew all of this because he’d gotten his grandparents help to look into Jungkook already. They’d already hired a private detective to help him track down his brother and had closed the investigation after it led to nowhere but dead ends. Hell, he’d worked personally with the man. And this certainly wasn’t him.

So who was he and why was he asking about him? His grandparents already had this information, they had confirmed he was missing and presumed dead, they’d been at the funeral as well. Why send someone else out?

Unless the man wasn’t involved with his grandparents at all. Someone Jungkook knew maybe? If that were the case why hadn’t the man just said he’d known him? He didn’t seem to care about Jungkook’s supposed death.

“No sorry, it was a surprise to everyone though, he was a good student,” he answered easily. “Are you a police officer? Is that why you’re looking into him?” He gasped a bit dramatically, “Do you think there was foul play involved?”

“Stay out of it kid,” the man said gruffly, turning back to the nurse. Ji-hun caught sight of a scar on the side of his neck, just below his ear. “The names please.”

“Nam Kyung-soo and Yu Jiho,” the nurse supplied, glancing between them.

One of those names sounded awfully familiar.

Ji-hun didn’t try to follow the man as he turned and left, only watching him leave with a deep frown. That was cause for concern. Turning back to the nurse, he smiled politely. “While you have that file up, could you tell me who that patient’s emergency contact is?”

The nurse sighed, “ID?”

He glanced out towards where the man left and pulled his ID out to show her, “I’m his brother.”

The nurse checked it before sliding it back to him, “His listed emergency contact is… Rang Seung-Hee.”

Ji-hun frowned, bowing his head slightly, “Thank you.”

Stepping away from the counter he headed towards the doors, already pulling out his phone.

It was their grandparents then. They must have called to have the contact changed to them. For what reason though? The restraining order would have kept them from being able to come and see Jungkook, so what purpose would they have to know about his health? It could be they were trying to keep the rest of them in the dark, but why though? Did they know Jungkook would get shot?

Ji-hun didn’t know enough about the actual event to know if that held any stock as a possibility, Jungkook had been vague when he talked about it. Was it reasonable to think they might be trying to kill Jungkook?

He shook his head to dispel that thought. What reason would they have? That would only hurt their family and their company.

Nothing his grandparents did seemed to make sense. Just as much as they seemed to want an heir, they also seemed to be trying their best to avoid it as well. Their actions were contradictory. His grandfather changes his will, then tries to kidnap Jungkook, then cuts almost all ties with their family, then changes Jungkook’s emergency contact without informing his parents. What was this accomplishing?

He would guess that they were trying to keep an eye on Jungkook but that didn’t seem to be the case either, seeing as they hadn’t known anything until he’d asked them to look into it. If anything they almost knew too little. Like they’d purposely been avoiding contact with Jungkook.

His grandparents would check in with him every once and awhile, just a call every few months to catch up, but any time he tried to bring up what Jungkook was doing or how his younger brother was, they’d change the subject. It was like they didn’t want to get to know him at all.

They distanced themselves yet still wanted to know if he ended up in the hospital? Another contradiction.

They could be lying to him of course, the whole ploy with the investigator could have just been for show, but he had a feeling that wasn’t the case. It had taken a lot of convincing to get them to even consider and still, it wasn’t until he’d mentioned that someone told him Jungkook had died that they suddenly changed their tune and sent him more then enough help to look into it.

Ji-hun stepped out of the hospital and called Jungkook. The phone went straight to voicemail.

“Jungkook-ah, it’s me. I just looked into the hospital situation. Apparently, our grandparents changed your emergency contact to themselves without us knowing. I’m going to do some more digging to see if I can find out why. Also… do you know the name Kwan Chungho? There was a man looking into your records while I was there. Wanted to know if you had any visitors while you were admitted. Call me back when you get this.”

He clicked the phone shut and contemplated what to do next. There was a few people he wanted to look into now. The first being this Kwan Chungho man, for obvious reasons he needed to find out what the interest was with his brother. The other was Yu Jiho.

Ji-hun had recognized the name as Jungkook’s coworker at the mall. He’d tried to get in touch with him, but much like Jungkook, he’d disappeared off the map. The head of security at the mall hadn’t alluded to the fact that Jungkook and Jiho had known each other before the job there but if he was visiting him at the hospital they must have.

It felt strange that this Jiho left the job only days after Jungkook did. He wanted to figure out if this man was an ally or an enemy.

There was a lot Jungkook wasn’t telling him.

Jungkook stared at the door.

Livid didn’t begin to describe how he felt right now. Not even close.

The seven of them stood in the clearing, all facing the door that had been a constant companion to them since Jungkook had discovered the Galaxy.

The words, the obvious aggression behind the action, it made him sick. Slowly, he walked up to it, reaching out to touch it. He couldn’t feel much from the door anymore, not the way he could feel the Euphoria door. It was faint if he focused enough, the warmth, but it was so subtle compared to how it felt when it first showed up.

“Who could have done this?” Jimin whispered, on arm folded across his middle and the other holding his own shoulder, crossing his chest.

When Jungkook had gotten to the café, Yoongi had steered him out with barely a greeting to Sumi and Jaeyong, guiding him away from the alley the Galaxy door had usually been in. That, along with everything else, had been a big red flag.

The others were already in the clearing looking at the door with serious expressions when they’d stepped out of the Euphoria door. The knife that was used to do it was held tightly in Seokjin’s hand.

Jungkook’s fingers brushed the grooves that tarnished the usually smooth wood and he pressed gently into one. Like hitting a switch, his vision blurred slightly, a small wave of dizziness washed over him and he quickly pulled his hand back.

“I felt it,” he whispered, turning to look at Jimin and Taehyung. “In the mall, that’s where the dizziness came from. Whoever did this, I felt it.”

Namjoon stepped forward wearing the same frown they all were, a mix of anger, concern and protectiveness. “Did it hurt? Are you alright?”

Jungkook nodded, “I’m okay. It was muted. Like my sense dulled for awhile.”

“When did this happen? Around what time?” Yoongi asked, looking between him and the door. Jungkook looked at him. It had surprised him when the phoenix had called saying he was at the café. He didn’t think the other would go by himself, he didn’t tend to purposefully go out to public places.

Jimin answered for him, “Maybe an hour ago, we decided to head home right after but the door wasn’t appearing for us.”

Yoongi frowned, “I was in the café an hour ago. I didn’t see or hear anything strange, but they must have just left before I found it.”

The anger in Yoongi’s voice was noticeable and Hoseok put a hand on his shoulder, a reassurance to calm the self-blame that they could all see there. “The doors energy is strong, if it was a magical being then you wouldn’t have been able to sense them that close to it.”

“Which means they likely wouldn’t be able to sense you either. Let’s hope they didn’t know you were there if that’s the case,” Namjoon said. Any other time, Jungkook would smile at the intense look of concentration on his boyfriend’s face. His brow pinched and his eyes darted around slightly as if working through equations that only he could see. Jungkook knew he could get stuck in that mindset for hours.

“That’s assuming it was a magical being. Is that possible? I thought they were all here?” Jungkook frowned and looked at them, brushing his hand down the frame of the door.

The others traded some looks, Seokjin’s jaw tensing. “It’s… possible.”

When he didn’t elaborate, Jungkook thought best not to ask further on it. He went to pull his hand away from the frame when his finger caught on a splinter of wood, pricking his skin. He winced and pulled his hand away, mumbling a quiet ‘ow’ that had Jimin at his side in an instant and the others all stepping forward.

He blinked in surprise at how fast they moved, distracted from the sting in his finger by their worried looks. Taking a small breath he smiled gently at them, though his chest tightened up.

Jimin took his hand carefully and frowned, inspecting the spot that blood beaded out of slowly.

He said nothing, letting Jimin do what he needed to, watching the others slowly relax when Jimin gave a small nod, deeming him safe. As endearing as it was to have them care so much over such little things, it broke his heart all the same. His death was still fresh, still very much real.

It was different when he got into the fight with Yoongi. That situation, while getting them both more seriously injured then a sliver, had trust involved. The people involved trusted each other and the others trusted them not to do any lasting damage. But it was different when it was from an outside source, when the source wasn’t something they trusted to know when to draw the line.

The easiest thing he could compare it to was siblings. His brother used to tease and pick on him sometimes but the moment someone else tried too, he was there to tell them off.

“Be careful love, seriously,” Jimin scolded, gently dabbing the blood off his finger with his shirt.

“Sorry Minnie,” he said sincerely, looking back at the door with a frown. The wood of the frame where he slid his hand had a section carved out of it, no bigger than a coin. He wouldn’t even have noticed had he not touched it.

That was strange. Had that just been an accident while the person was carving the words?

His attention was taken by a deep voice settling in his mind, his muscles relaxing and a breath forcing itself out of him involuntarily.

“Precious ones.”

They all looked up as the Guardian swam into view over the trees, coming down to curl around behind the door, as if sheltering it. He could have sworn he heard the door creak quietly.

Jungkook blinked when his boyfriends dropped to one knee and he scrambled to follow the action, mimicking Jimin as he put a hand on his chest and bowed his head.

“Guardian, I assume you know what happened,” Seokjin said, standing after a moment. The others followed as the Guardian hummed low in their minds, a sound that almost reverberated through Jungkook’s chest.

“I do. An unknown soul stepped foot into Galaxy.”

Hoseok’s eyes widened, “Wait, what? It wasn’t someone from inside Galaxy then?”

“Are they still here?” Jimin questioned quickly.

The Guardian’s fin brushed the frame of the door ever so gently, “They are not. It was very brief. I believe they went back only moments after stepping through.”

Jungkook looked back at the door and the words engraved in it so brutally. His chest felt incredibly tight, and he knew Euphoria was feeling a deep anger as well. It sat underneath his own confusion and concern, as if in the backseat while his emotions were driving. They were there, he felt them, but they didn’t influence him, didn’t cloud his mind like his own feelings often did.

He could recognize these feelings now. After Namjoon had suggested and proven that he had a connection to Euphoria, he’d been paying more attention to the feelings in him. Instead of dismissing them like he had before.

Euphoria was pissed.

Jungkook didn’t blame it.

“Could you sense what kind of soul it was?” Namjoon asked.

The Guardian lowered it’s head slowly, a gentle nod, “Human.”

This caused a silence to wash over them, Jungkook licking his lips. Yoongi crossed his arms and spoke after a moment.

“We only know one person who has exposed human’s to magic on the level that they would know what Galaxy was.”

Jungkook knew who he was talking about before he’d even finished his sentence. Jiho was the first person he’d thought of too.

“We’re going to have to go talk to him aren’t we,” Taehyung scowled.

Namjoon nodded slowly and looked at him, “Jungkook?”

Sighing, he ran his hand through his hair. It took less thought than it probably should have to decided what he wanted to do.

“I’ll go alone.”

“Not a chance.”

Jungkook looked at Yoongi who shot him a glare that, once upon a time, would have had him cowering. Now he couldn’t miss the obvious concern behind it. The reason for the look stood out more than the look itself. It’s not like he hadn’t expected that response either.

Before he could respond, Taehyung stepped towards him, “I’m with Yoongi. It’s not safe to go by yourself.”

“Guys, this isn’t like with my brother. This is more complicated than that. I need to talk with him on my own.”

“And if he tries something again? You fell for his tricks once before Jungkook, whose to say-”

“Tae. Enough,” Namjoon shot him a serious look and Taehyung backpedaled slightly, pulling away from the line he was about to cross. Jungkook watched the sharp regret hit him and found himself moving over to the Fae, taking his face in his hands like the others so often did to him.

“It’s okay. You’re right love. You’re right to worry. All of you are,” he glanced around at the others and looked back at Taehyung whose expression was set in a hard frown. He understood what they were feeling, he knew it was incredibly soon after everything for him to face Jiho again, hell he didn’t know how he’d react to seeing the person he’d once called his best friend.

Jungkook brushed his thumb across Taehyung’s cheek, feeling the smooth skin beneath his hand like velvet. He watched his lovers expression melt into something softer, nuzzling into the warmth of his hand, “This is… this is something I need to do.”

Taehyung lifted a hand and cupped it over his, sighing, “I just, I don’t want him to hurt you again. To hurt us.”

Leaning forward he leaned his forehead against his boyfriends and closed his eyes for a brief moment, dropping a hand from his cheek to pull him in close by the waist. “I know. Trust me.”

“We trust you Jungkook. But we’re scared,” Yoongi said firmly.

Jungkook, a little taken aback by the blunt admission, looked towards him. Yoongi had been adamant about not taking any potions from Jimin and that he wanted to heal along side him, but it hurt Jungkook to see him injured. He wasn’t used to it, they always healed so quickly and rarely did they get hurt at all. He supposed that was how they felt when he got hurt as frequently as he did.

“Yeah…” Jungkook said softly before smirking a bit. “Feels kind of good doesn’t it?”

Hoseok barked out a laugh while Jimin smacked his palm to his forehead. Namjoon pinched the bridge of his nose and chuckled as Yoongi scoffed, hanging his head a bit and shaking it in disbelie, “You’re such a brat.”

Jungkook grinned at the fondness the words were laced with.

Seokjin laughed lightly, “I wish I could disagree with you. And I wish a friend didn’t have to be hurt to elicit this,” he looked at the door sadly. “But he might have information we need. We’ll wait for you here and try to find a way to repair the door.”

“I will keep the little one safe, precious ones. You have my word no harm will come to him,” the Guardian said, voice alone enough to ease the tension caused by Jiho’s name.

Taehyung nodded slowly, sighing, and Jungkook pulled him into a proper hug, feeling the Fae wrap his arms around him tightly.

“There’s something else I don’t understand,” Jimin mumbled, frowning as he looked at the door, “Who’s it for?”

“Who’s what for Minnie?” Seokjin asked.

“The message. ‘Found you’, who is that meant for? I mean… we don’t know any humans. So was it meant for us specifically? Or just… Galaxy?”

Jungkook looked back at the door. He had a good point. They didn’t know for sure if whoever wrote it even knew about them, it could be unrelated to them and more related to the Galaxy itself. He wasn’t sure which idea worried him more.

No one had an answer for him and Namjoon shook his head, “Let’s focus on getting the door back up and running. Jungkook, are you okay to go see Jiho now? We should get answers as soon as we can.”

Jungkook pulled away from Taehyung gently and nodded, “Guardian, would you mind if..?”

“Not at all little one,” the Guardian hummed. “We will be back before the skies change.”

Seokjin walked over to Jungkook and held the knife out to him, handle first, “Take this. He might be able to recognize it.”

Nodding, he took the knife and paused to give Seokjin a smile, “I’ll be alright.”

The angel’s lips twitched and he leaned forward, talking a hold of his chin and tipping his head back, “I don’t want another scratch on you when you return love.”

“Not a scratch,” Jungkook agreed, accepting Seokjin’s kiss when he pressed their lips together softly. It never failed to make his heart jump in his chest. When he pulled away just enough their breath still mingled in the space between them, he couldn’t help asking, “Are you going to check everywhere?”

Clicking his tongue, Seokjin smirked and pecked his lips again, “Cheeky.”

“I’m not hearing a no,” Jungkook grinned.

Seokjin laughed, giving him one last kiss on the forehead before stepping back. Jungkook’s eyes drifted to Yoongi and Hoseok, the dragon resting an elbow on Yoongi’s shoulder. He stepped over to Yoongi, stopping in front of them.

“Hyung, you know, we have this saying in my world,” he started, smiling at the phoenix.

Yoongi blinked, tilting his head in question, “A saying?”

Nodding Jungkook leaned close to him, “Shit happens.”

“Kookie,” His boyfriend rolled his eyes looking a bit exasperated. Hoseok snickered.

“I’m serious. Shit happens. No self-blame stuff alright? We can all see your mind trying to play tricks on you.”

Hoseok stepped around behind Yoongi and wrapped his arms around him, pulling him flush against his chest, resting his chin on his shoulder. The dragon gave him a smile and Jungkook returned it, looking back at Yoongi who was relaxing into his lovers arms.

He nodded gently, “I’ll try. I know it’s not my fault but…”

Jungkook nodded in understanding, “Try is all I ask.”

Humming, Yoongi reached over and grabbed his shirt, pulling him forward to kiss him firmly. Jungkook hummed against his lips, licking his own out of habit after he pulled away. He didn’t miss the way Yoongi watched the action with a deadpanned look. “Be safe bun, we’ll see you soon.”

Jungkook said his ‘see you laters’ to the others, promising each of them he’d be careful as he climbed up onto the Guardian’s back. Waving at them, the Guardian lifted into the air and rose above the trees. They waved until they couldn’t see each other anymore.

Maybe it was unnecessary, the excessive goodbyes, but this wasn’t a little thing to them.  

When they were out of sight, Jungkook looked down at the knife in his hand, wrapping his fingers tightly around the hilt. They would figure out who did this. Hopefully before something else happened.

Something worse.

The door slammed open banging loudly against the wall.

The room went silent as a man drenched in sweat, breathe coming out in wheezes, stumbled into the room. He very nearly faceplanted as he rushed to the conference table, ignorant to the occupants sitting around it.

“I found it boss! I told you! It’s real!” The man cackled, nearly hysterical as he threw himself against the side of the table, holding something in both his hands as if it were a precious item. The table shifted, legs scrapping the ground making a horrific sound that had more than a few people cringing.

“Is he fucking insane?”

“Who’s going to clean it up this time…”

People grumbled and whispered to themselves as the man at the head of the table sat back calmly. The slight motion was enough to have the room silent again except for the fool who’d interrupted the meeting.

Unaware of the atmosphere, the fool opened his hands and let what appeared to be a piece of wood drop to the table, “You all said I was crazy! But I brought proof! It’s there! The door to the Galaxy, I told you it was real!”

Slowly, the boss reached over and plucked the piece of wood off the table, looking it over with apparent intrigue.

“I told you, you can feel it can’t you? Right? The magic? I saw it myself, the Galaxy, it’s incredible and now there’s a way to it! You believe me now don’t you? Ha ha ha!”

“You carved this from the door.”

The bosses voice, it’s smooth baritone, filled the room with a cold chill. It wasn’t a question, it wasn’t said with much emotion at all, but they knew where this was going by the look in the man’s grey eyes.

“Yes! Carved right into it, ha ha, told them we’ve found them, they can’t hide anymore! Those bas-”

The woman sitting next to the deranged man where he was leaning over the table couldn’t help the gasp that ripped out of her when the boss, without glancing away from the piece of wood, pulled out a knife and shoved it straight into the man’s mouth. The man’s eyes bulged, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth quickly began to pour out, coating his chin in a bright red and horrendous gurgling sounds coming out from the back of his throat.

She couldn’t see the blade but could imagine how it stabbed through the back of his throat. She felt her stomach curl but couldn’t look away, eyes wide.

“You talk to much,” the boss said lazily, twisting the knife so the blade forced his mouth open wider. The man attempted to scream, blood spraying, hands flailing as he tried to pull back away from the knife. He fell backwards when the boss released it, leaving it sunken between the man’s teeth.

“Meeting adjourned.”

The words had everyone calmly standing, all eyes anywhere but the man flailing around on the ground making ungodly sounds as he gripped the handle of the knife but made no move to pull it out, hands spasming too much and likely only driving it deeper with his own thrashing.

She went to get up as well, body waking up from the movement of the others. Her hands shook as she stood. Bile threatened to rise up her throat.

“Ms. Kim.”

She froze, slowly turning back to look at the man in charge as he stood up, adjusting the jacket of his suit. He gave her a charming smile and she felt herself grow cold, sweat forming on her brow.

“You have a little…” He pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket, and held it out to her, gesturing to her face.

Her hand was shaking so much she almost couldn’t grab the cloth he was offering. She slowly brought the white fabric to her face and wiped her cheek, pulling it away to see spots of red soaking into it.

The bile rose fast and unforgiving, forcing her to choke it down. She let out a horrified sob and turned, bolting out the door.

The boss chuckled, shaking his head as if fond of her actions. Now that the room was empty, he let himself relax, stretching his arms as he wandered to the man on the floor. Lifting a foot, he stepped down on the end of the hilt that stuck up out of his mouth, not putting any pressure and paying no mind to the man’s bloody hand clawing his ankle.

He inspected the piece of wood in his hand, humming. “Even after being handled by a human, the magic’s still present. Fascinating. I’ve never seen such potent magic before. You did a good job finding this, then you had to go and warn them? Honestly, the incompetence is as sad as it is entertaining.”

The only response he got was a gurgle and what sounded like a cough but only splattered more blood from the pool in his mouth that he was quickly drowning on.

“A door to the Galaxy hmm,” he smirked and his eyes glinted a sharp red.

He leaned his weight forward, the blade sinking in and stabbing into the floor on the other side of the man’s head. His body twitched for another minute before he went limp.

“Our game will start again soon my angel. Just wait for me a little longer.”

Chapter Text

“Guardian?”

“Yes little one?”

Jungkook rolled onto his stomach, the most comfortable position he’d found in the twenty minutes they’d been flying. That or his back, but it felt rude to face away from the giant whale while he spoke to it.

The Guardian hummed in amusement and he pouted.

“Do I even need to ask if you can already read my mind?”

“I may not be able to control the thoughts I read, but your thoughts are your own little one. Until you voice them, I will not speak on them.”

Jungkook smiled a bit. Even in the most stressful situations, the Guardian’s presence was such a pacifying one, it silenced the disquieted feelings in him. It was like being wrapped in a blanket burrito. Warm and safe, where nothing, not even the monsters in the shadows could touch you. Everyone knew that blankets were the ultimate shield.

“Did you know I was connected to Euphoria?” He asked. It wasn’t an accusation, just a genuine curiosity. As much as he was comfortable around the Guardian, he really didn’t know much about it. It was incredibly mysterious.

The gentle movement of the whale’s body under him was almost enough to start lulling him to sleep but he kept himself awake by shifting every now and then.

“I did. Your connection with Euphoria is deep and unbreakable. I feel the way it has changed your soul.”

Jungkook hummed, “So… what if something were to happen to Euphoria? What would happen to me? Would it kill me?”

The Guardian didn’t answer for a moment, contemplating the question.

“I do not think it would kill you little one, but I do believe you would no longer be yourself. A part of you is in Euphoria just as a part of Euphoria is in you. If one or the other happens to perish, the damage would be irreparable.”

Scrunching his nose, he rested his cheek on his arms, looking out at the horizon of trees in the distance. He could make out the tops of house and villages, smoke rising from chimney’s and mountains in the distance. They’d even flown over a canyon, grown over with plants and rivers pouring over the edge. The waterfalls turned to mist before they got anywhere close to the ground below.

If Jungkook knew any better, he’d say it rivalled the Grand Canyon in size. Though, he supposed that it might actually be this worlds Grand Canyon. Yoongi had told him that things that stick around long enough in the Human world sometimes have a way of popping up in their world. Did that mean they had the pyramids here? Or things like the Colosseum in Rome?

“Little one,” the Guardian’s voice pulled him from the direction his thoughts were drifting. He didn’t miss the amusement in the whale’s tone. “Does this bother you?” It asked, bringing back to the topic at hand.

“I don’t think so. Dying hurts the people you care about, that’s true in any sense. If anything happened to Euphoria…” Jungkook didn’t even want to entertain the thought. It was apart of him. Euphoria gave him his body, protected his soul, brought him back to his family. Regardless of the connection between them, if Euphoria suffered, Jungkook would too.

That was all too evident based on the emotions it felt towards the Galaxy door being hurt. That door was created from the gem, just like Jungkook was. They were all connected in some form or another.

“I feel much the same about Galaxy,” the whale hummed.

“How did you become the Guardian? I mean… did you live on earth before Galaxy was created too?”

“I am a creation of Galaxy.”

Jungkook looked at it in confusion, which the Guardian no doubt felt as it continued.

“In much the way Euphoria is, in the way your home is and the doors are, Galaxy is sentient.”

He was reminded about when he had first gotten here, when the Guardian had told him the Galaxy was its own entity. He hadn’t fully understood at the time, still processing the fact he was talking to a floating space whale. “It created you to protect itself?”

“Yes. You might find Euphoria doing the same one day. It’s not just about protection, but about presence as well. Magic is alive, it has personalities, it feels and learns just as you’ve discovered with whole magic. Unless it is given a solid form however, it cannot express.”

“The house then, that’s why it can move on its own and change sometimes right?”

“Precisely. Once it learns to express, it becomes something stronger, it can make choices. The Galaxy created me as its voice, to express its intent to its people. That is why the people care and trust it so.”

Jungkook thought about Euphoria having it’s own entity to express itself through, what it would look like and how it would act. He felt a warmth stir in his chest, as if Euphoria was almost purring at the fact that he was thinking about it. He laughed a bit and shook his head.

“Your world is not so different,” the Guardian said.

“Earth? We don’t have anything like you there,” Jungkook frowned a bit.

“Earth speaks quieter then Galaxy and Euphoria. We are young, children if you will. Earth is old and wise and tired. It doesn’t have the energy to create a physical being to speak through. It speaks through the soil, the plants, the air, the wind. It speaks to you everyday but many don’t chose to listen to what they can’t see. People don’t look for whispers in a world of noise.”

What would it be like if Earth had something like the Guardian? A physical entity that they could see and interact with? Something that didn’t require belief or evidence of its existence when it was clearly real, as real as the Guardian was to its people. Would they treat the earth better? Would they hear what it was saying then?

Then, on the flip side, what if Galaxy didn’t have the Guardian. Would the people be less inclined to care for the land? Would it be more like how earth was now?

“You’re making me question life,” Jungkook huffed accusingly.

The Guardian chuckled, “It’s good to question little one.”

“What will happen to you when Galaxy ends?” He asked quietly, knowing the Guardian could hear him regardless of how loud he was speaking.

“My time will come when Galaxy’s does. Just as yours will when Euphoria’s does.”

Blinking in surprise, Jungkook sat up, crossing his legs. “What… what do you mean?”

“Euphoria created your body with magical energy. Your cells do not age the way they used too. When you do pass again, it will not be because of age little one.”

That meant… that meant he could…

His eyes widened and he put a hand over his mouth, tears distorting his vision. He could actually have a life with them? A long life? He could be with them without worry of growing old before them or, or of them having to watch him wither away with age? He wrapped his arms around himself and with everything that he was, pushed his emotions into the backseat with Euphoria’s, envisioning wrapping the entity in a hug, tight and grateful and so desperately happy.

Not only had Euphoria given him life, it had given him a future with the people he loved. That, he could never repay. But he would damn well make sure it wasn’t in vain. Now, more then ever, he promised himself to protect Euphoria with everything that he was.

“Thank you…” he whispered, pinching his eyes closed and feeling that warmth in his chest flood to his body, a purring vibration humming through him. He got the impression it was dismissing the thanks, in favor of reminding him of what he taught it. He dismissed that all the same and Euphoria seemed to find some humor in that.

Now he wanted nothing more then to turn around and go back to the others, tell them that he could stay with them, that they didn’t have to worry about him leaving again, not for a very very long time. He knew it would come with it’s own struggles. That he would outlive his parents and his brother and Sumi and Jaeyong and whatever other friends he made.

He knew Namjoon had gone through the same things and he wasn’t going to say the thought of living for a hundred years or more didn’t terrify him, but he’d be living with them. For as long as they wanted him, he’d be with them. For now, instead of thinking into a future he thought was impossible, he focused on the day.

The knowledge that he could live that long didn’t change the fact that he could also very well die tomorrow. He wasn’t immortal like Namjoon, he was still human for all intents and purposes.

Which was why he was going to see Jiho alone in the first place. He knew that the others might not understand why he held very little hate towards Jiho. Jiho was incredibly smart. He had been a good friend too. Actually, the best friend Jungkook had every had.

That aside, he did understand him. Just like Jiho had said in the theatre when everything came apart, they were a lot alike. Jungkook wasn’t above saying he wouldn’t have done the exact same things as him. While he was angry at the lies and the betrayal and the fact that Jiho had made him hurt Jimin, those were the only reasons.

Knowing the Guardian was listening, he didn’t bother elaborating when he asked, “How is he?”

“He has been given much time to reflect. However his thirst for learning has not dwindled.”

“Yoongi told us he sent a message asking to talk. Was that something related to whoever hurt the door?”

The Guardian hummed in disagreement, “It was regarding the gem and it’s magic.”

Jungkook frowned, “Why didn’t you tell Yoongi that?”

“It is not in good practice to spread knowledge arbitrarily. Your opinions on the boy have been set, that information would not have deterred your decision.”

He couldn’t argue that. It was another reason he didn’t want the guys to come along. They had no personal connection with Jiho. All they saw was the man who’d hurt them and killed Jungkook himself. He didn’t blame them for that opinion, but he knew it would be difficult for them to understand his side of it when he’d gotten to see the side of Jiho they never did.

Jiho wasn’t imprisoned.

He wasn’t being kept within a barrier or restricted to the house that the Guardian had dropped him off at. But he was out in the middle of nowhere. Secluded. It looked like days of hiking before there was a village of any sort and the land around was at the base of a rocky mountain, the terrain rough and the air cool.

The cottage was only the size of one room, and as the Guardian lowered to the ground out front he couldn’t help looking around at how well kept it was. There was a few gardens nestled next to the house, a large plot of land with what looked like vegetables growing off to one side. Jungkook hadn’t really pegged Jiho as the gardening type but he supposed if he had to survive off the food in the gardens it gave some motivation. Then again, Jungkook didn’t really know much about Jiho’s life before he met him.

Sliding off the Guardian’s back, he landed on the ground in a crouch, eyes finding the small home. He should have guessed that Jiho wouldn’t be locked up somewhere or treated badly. It wasn’t something the Guardian would do. Even with the risk he’d put the Galaxy at, even with the misguided methods he’d used, he had had good intentions.

“I will be near enough to keep an eye little one, but I will let you speak freely.”

Jungkook looked at the Guardian and nodded once in thanks. The Guardian lifted up into the air and he headed to the front door. He licked his lips, spinning the ring on his finger with his thumb as he lifted his hand to knock.

His knuckles never made contact with the wood door, instead it swung open and a body slammed into him before either of them could react. Jungkook grunted, hand quickly reaching out to catch himself on the doorframe, grabbing Jiho’s arm to keep the other from falling too.

Jiho yelped and scrambled away from him almost faster than he’d hit him, staggering back and lifting the book he was holding above his head like a weapon. There was a pause, a very still pause where both of them just took the other in.

Jungkook watched as Jiho slowly lowered the book. He was wearing very simple clothes, nothing fancy. A plain shirt made of a material that Jungkook knew a lot of his hyungs clothes were made of, a simple grey colour over a pair of jeans from their- his- world.

“Kook?”

He had to tense to fight the instinctive flinch at the name. Besides his brother unknowingly saying it, no one had called him that in awhile. It had always just been Jiho’s name for him. To hear his friends voice again was strangely refreshing but the memories and the hurt came back along with it.

“Hyung,” he greeted, being very careful to steel his expression into something passive.

Jiho dropped the book on the desk behind him without looking away from him, eyes tracking over him carefully. At the time, Jungkook hadn’t been able to think much about it, given that he was in excruciating pain, but seeing Jiho here in the Galaxy was strange. Despite knowing that the other grew up here, and Jungkook was the outsider, it still felt like he was out of place.

“I… I felt the Guardians energy I didn’t know you’d-” Jiho swallowed. “You’re here.”

Jungkook looked around the room, staying in the doorway. It was very simple in terms of layout. A bed, a desk, a small wood burning stove and a window in the back wall. It was the chaos of papers and notes that caught his attention though. Scrawled, messy writing and drawings were pinned up all over the walls, books laying open on the floor and pages fluttering in the light breeze of the open door. There were small magically powered lanterns around the room as well as meats hanging to dry from the ceiling in one corner.

“You’ve been busy,” Jungkook heard himself saying into the awkward silence between them.

Jiho didn’t bother even glancing at the mess, eyes never once leaving Jungkook. Maybe it was knowing the reason Jiho had gotten to know him at all, but Jungkook felt as if he were studying him, “I’ve had a lot of free time,” he said monotonously before looking hesitant, “You’re not trying to kill me.”

Jungkook looked at him flatly, tongue pressing to the inside of his cheek, “Don’t tempt me.”

“Kook, listen, I’m sorry,” Jiho took a step towards him, rushing to say, “I know that means shit all. I know. But I just, I want you to understand why I did it. I’m not looking for forgiveness but I need you to know that-”

“I’m not here for an explanation hyung,” Jungkook said honestly, stepping into the room and having to step over books and papers. He frowned seeing a drawn image of a gem.

“Of course not, that’s okay but please hear me out,” Jiho seemed to be very twitchy, hands moving more then necessary as he spoke but his eyes were locked on his every movement. “It was never- I never meant to, shit, I had this practiced I, I wanted to explain properly hold on I wrote it down somewhere.”

Scrambling to the desk, Jiho started riffling through papers, trying to find what Jungkook assumed was supposed to be an apology letter of some sort. He shook his head a bit and licked his lips. This wasn’t the Jiho he remembered. This wasn’t the man that had always been so confident with himself. That had taught Jungkook to have confidence with who he was.

This man was being eaten by regret. To what extent or towards what, Jungkook wasn’t sure. But did it matter? When Jungkook looked at Jiho, he couldn’t see the person who had pointed a gun at him. He couldn’t see the person who had forced that same gun into his own hand and made him pull the trigger on someone he loved.

The paper’s on the wall drew his eye again as Jiho fumbled with books, accidently knocking a pile off the desk and cursing under his breath, rushing as if Jungkook was going to up and disappear before he could find what he was looking for. “Sorry for uh, this,” he waved a hand to the room distractedly. “I wanted to talk to you, since the Guardian told me you were alive, I mean, I thought I could, could help somehow with the gem.”

Obsessed seemed like an appropriate word to describe what he was seeing here. Every note and image was regarding the gem or whole magic. Most of it he didn’t understand, words foreign to him. Jiho was obsessed with this gem. This power. Jungkook frowned. No, that might not be right either. He might have fixated on the gem, but Jungkook didn’t think power was what he wanted.

He just wanted to learn.

Jungkook was pretty sure that’s all he’d ever wanted.

Seeing something out of the corner of his eye, he pressed his teeth together, considering for a moment before taking a step towards the object.

“Hyung.”

Jiho froze and looked at him quickly, “I swear it’s around here, just please, just give me one second please.”

Jungkook moved the book aside before picking up the deck of cards on the bed. He turned and looked at Jiho, holding up the pack and raising a brow, “How about a game?”

The way Jiho’s expression crumbled into something so painfully vulnerable had Jungkook’s chest tightening. The other nodded slowly, calming down slightly seemingly realizing that Jungkook wasn’t just going to up and leave before they spoke.

They settled on the floor in the middle of the room, Jungkook felt a bit like a kid hanging out at a friend’s place after school. Only, that friend had almost shot him and used him as an experiment.

Jungkook shuffled the cards carefully, feeling Jiho’s tension from across from him.

“I’m not here about the gem, it was destroyed when the other world was created, along with my body,” Jungkook explained, glancing up at him.

Jiho’s brow pinched but he didn’t look upset, “It, makes sense. It was an extreme amount of energy. More then I’ve ever seen or felt,” he leaned forward, “The new world… what is it like?”

Jungkook knew the other was failing miserably at keeping the fascination out of his voice and he couldn’t help shooting him a look of annoyance. Jiho clamped his mouth shut and leaned back, cringing a bit.

There was silence between them again as Jungkook dealt the cards.

“I wish it hadn’t been you.”

Jungkook looked at him, hands pausing on drawing the next card. “Would it have mattered who it was? An experiment is an experiment.”

Jiho looked away, shifting his weight where he sat with his legs crossed, “Yeah, but you’re too likeable.”

He could recognize his attempt at teasing, but it wasn’t much appreciated given the circumstances. Narrowing his eyes at the older, his voice was cold as he said, “Humans aren’t toys for your amusement.”

Jiho’s eyes snapped to him and he frowned, “I know that. You think I wanted the gem to be stolen? I didn’t choose to put it in you Jungkook. I had no power over that. If I had taken the gem back when you were in the hospital, you would have died right then and there.”

“Don’t pretend like you cared about that at all,” Jungkook shot back. “If you hadn’t realized it was getting stronger, you would have taken it and left me to die,” Jiho looked as if he was about to argue but Jungkook cut him off, tossing the last card for his hand to him. “That’s not why I’m pissed hyung. You didn’t know me then, we were strangers. While I don’t agree with what you did, I can’t blame you either.”

Jiho paused, looking at him in mild surprise. He glanced at Jungkook’s hands as he picked up his cards and organized them, fanned out in his palm. He mimicked it, picking up his own, “Then… why?”

Jungkook scoffed, “I don’t care that you used me to experiment with the gem or that you lied to me this whole time. I wouldn’t have believed you if you told me and my fate was sealed the minute that guy shot me with it. It’s the fact that, even after all that, after you claimed to be a brother to me, you used me to hurt someone I love. Everything else, I can understand. I get it. I hate it, but I understand it. But that? I will never forgive you for that.”

His hands were clenched around his cards so tightly they were starting to crease and Jiho stared at him for a long moment. The image of Jimin taking the bullet to the stomach was so perfectly imprinted in his mind that he sometimes forgot he wasn’t still living that moment. The paleness of his skin, the sweat on his lovers brow as they extracted the bullet, the black blood. It was horribly vivid.

Jiho looked down at his cards, “Why are you here? If you didn’t come about the gem?”

Jungkook tossed his cards down in front of him face down, leaning back on one hand, “Someone attacked the Galaxy door.”

Looking away from Jungkook’s cards with a frown, Jiho blinked, “Attacked it?”

“We found a knife stabbed into it and someone carved the message ‘Found you’. The Guardian said they stepped into Galaxy for a moment and that their soul was human.”

“Wait this happened in the human world?” Jiho asked in confusion. “That doesn’t… you think I had something to do with that?”

“Any fours?”

“What?”

Jungkook nodded towards Jiho’s cards, “Got any fours?”

The older looked at his cards before giving Jungkook a semi amused look and handing him a card. He took it and tossed it onto the other cards in front of him.

“Maybe not directly,” he said, carrying on the conversation calmly. “How many people did you expose to magic? You said you got the help of researchers.”

Jiho hummed, “Five, including the one who stole it. He’s dead though. I never told anyone about the door. I was the only one who knew about it. Until it started to show itself to you.”

Jungkook frowned ignoring the twist of his stomach at the implication of murder, “There’s no way they could have accidently seen it?”

His hyung shook his head, “I never even had it near me. It stayed stationary since I used it to escape Galaxy. Honestly, I didn’t even know it could move at all until I saw it in the mall.”

So, how did someone find out about it? Only Jiho, Jungkook and his hyungs knew about the door. Well, and Hoseok’s parents. Not even the people of Galaxy knew it existed either. Galaxy, as far as its citizens knew, was completely sealed and protected. That’s why Jimin and Taehyung had been so shocked to find a human on their front porch. Jungkook remembered how confused he’d been from their questions on how he’d gotten there and their hostility towards him.

“Any Aces?”

“Go fish,” Jungkook mumbled distractedly. Jiho’s eyes flicked between him and his turned over cards before reaching to the deck between them.

“My goal had always been to find a better life for the people in Galaxy, I wouldn’t have put it at risk by telling people there was a way in,” Jiho tucked the new card into his hand. “Maybe someone just happened upon it.”

“What, one of the four humans you exposed to magic just happened to stumble on the door in all of Seoul?” Jungkook raised a brow. There had been some really weird coincidences in his life, but Jungkook refused to believe that the chances of that happening weren’t near impossible. Especially if the men didn’t even know to look for a way in.

The look Jiho gave him then, a very careful and contemplative look, had him sitting up slightly and tilting his head silently asking for the reason behind it.

“You… know that there are other magical beings on earth right? Any one of them could have exposed other humans to magic,” he said carefully.

It was Jungkook’s turn to be surprised, “What?”

Jiho shook his head slightly, “They still haven’t told you everything huh.”

He bit his tongue hard and scowled at that. What hadn’t the others told him? Seokjin had said it was a possibility that it could have been a magical being, but he hadn’t really wanted to push that conversation then. Maybe he should have.

“You just said that no one knew about the door.”

“It’s got nothing to do with the door Kook,” Jiho sighed. “This goes back way further then that. When Galaxy was created. Not everyone made it through.”

Something inside of Jungkook went cold, a feeling that shot through his heart and gripped his spine, causing him to straighten. “What… do you mean? What do you mean not everyone made it through?”

Jiho fiddled with his cards casually, “Galaxy was formed quickly out of desperation for survival. I’m sure you know it was your boyfriends plan right?” When Jungkook nodded, he continued. “Well it wasn’t perfect. The magic was unstable to begin with, most of it was focused on creating a semi stable world. The entrance didn’t stay open very long. It’s estimated that almost twenty percent of magical beings were left behind in the human world.”

There were still people on earth? He felt numb as he imagined what it would have been like to have that hope of safety and freedom, knowing there was an escape to a peaceful world, only to suddenly have it snapped closed in your face. To leave you in a war-torn land. It made him feel sick to imagine the fear those people must have felt.

What about Seokjin? Had he known not everyone would be able to go through? Had he realized that he needed to make the choice of saving many at the expense of some? Jungkook ran a hand over his mouth, unsure how to feel but certainly not feeling pleasant.

He needed to focus. He could talk to them about that later.

“Then, what happened to those people?”

“They’re still there. Most are in hiding, living amongst humans secretly.”

This meant that anyone could have sensed the doors energy if they’d been close enough. Though, he kept forgetting, the person who did step through was human. How did a human find it? Needing a moment to think, he remembered their game and asked, “Six’s?”

Jiho sighed and handed him a card.

“Did you meet any other magical beings while you were there?” Jungkook asked.

“Only one.”

“Who?”

“The boss of the gang you were in.”

Jungkook blinked, “The one you killed?”

Jiho made a face, “No. That guy was just the head of the drug runners. I mean the boss of the full cartel. The man at the top. After I took over he came to have a talk with me, I guess he’d heard about me stepping into the position unannounced and wanted to have a word.”

He frowned when Jiho’s expression turned serious, a slight visible shiver running though him. “He just let you take over?”

“No. Not that easily. To keep that position I told him I was working on something. A new power that was stronger than anything they could imagine. He let me keep the job so long as I brought the ‘power’ to him once I figured it out. He was the one to mask my energy to keep me hidden. Only dark energy can do a masking curse.”

“That seems like a risky promise. You just up and ran away in the end, so what did he get out of it?”

Jiho narrowed his eyes, “Nothing. That’s what scares me. That man… there’s something very wrong with him. He’s twisted. I think the only reason he kept me alive was for fun. He must have known I wouldn’t hold up my end of the deal. Yet, he never made a move to come after me. Something tells me that wasn’t out of the kindness of his heart.”

Jungkook spun the ring on his finger absently. He had never really heard much about the gang outside the running side of things. He was the lowest of the low in the gang, they weren’t privy to much information. Could he be involved in this? What if he’d been searching for Jiho and one of his men had stumbled on the door? Did that mean the message had been for Jiho?

Seeing the look on his face, Jiho nodded a bit, “If you’re thinking he’s involved, I’d bet on it. I don’t know what his end game is but he’s not someone to mess with Kook. He has a dark energy, though I don’t know what his affinity is.”

The dark affinities that Jimin and Taehyung had told him about didn’t sound like something he’d want to mess with, especially in the hands of someone willing to use them against people. He didn’t know for sure if the gang was involved but it was the only lead he had. It was probably time to check in with Il-seung and Nara.

“They didn’t know about the gem?”

Jiho shook his head, “Nope. Didn’t tell them a thing about it or you.”

Jungkook nodded slowly.

Their game continued, and ultimately Jungkook won, tossing down his last cards. Jiho smiled lightly, “You always did have a knack for beating me at this game. Even without looking at your cards.”

“You were just never any good.”

Jiho hummed, watching him for a moment, “Kook… I reached out to you and the others for a reason. I wanted to talk to you about the gem.”

“Yeah, I can see you’ve been researching,” Jungkook looked around the room, raising his brow at Jiho.

He had the self-awareness to look sheepish at that, rubbing the back of his head a little, “I just… don’t like not understanding something. And I thought I understood the gem, but there’s something I’m missing. Something big. Has there been anything, anything strange since you came back?”

Jungkook considered for a moment what he should tell him. He didn’t trust Jiho. Not anymore. But he was really the only one who knew anything about the magic that he suddenly seemed to have a connection to.

He shook his head, ignoring Jiho’s expression falling, “No. Nothing strange.”

Jiho seemed to know that he was lying as he watched Jungkook stand up, following after him, “Kook, I don’t blame you for not trusting me. I won’t ask you too. But please, if you need any help, anything at all. Don’t hesitate to ask.”

“You seem very willing to help despite the fact I destroyed your gem.”

“The gem might be gone, but you did what I had been trying to accomplish for years. You created a world that can be a permanent home for the people of Galaxy. And… and you did it without hurting anyone. I mean, expect yourself,” Jiho chuckled a bit before clearing his throat. “I should have been a better friend to you.”

Jungkook frowned and sighed, “I wasn’t exactly a great friend to you either. I did just up and leave.”

There was a strange moment of awkward understanding between them, Jungkook glancing back to Jiho who was shifting his weight from foot to foot. “Call it even?” He asked jokingly.

“Not even fucking close,” Jungkook cracked a smile, though slightly bitter, was a smile all the same. Jiho gave him a half smile in return.

“Yeah, figured.”

Jaeyong knew dangerous men.

The way they cared themselves spoke volumes. The way they moved and talked, their eyes, no matter the person, if they’d seen the darker parts of the world, they held the same heaviness to them.

Jaeyong recognized when someone knew they could hurt a person and get away with it, to walk away from the scene and not be tracked back to it later. That kind of confidence had an air about it that was as cautious as it was attentive.

Jungkook had that air. So did his roommates. A group like that had to be into some deep stuff. That’s why he’d broached it with Yoongi. If they were already so casual about it around the café, allowing themselves to use the place as a hangout or even maybe some sort of cover, Jaeyong knew it was only a matter of time before him and Sumi were dragged into something.

He feared for his friends safety more then his own. She had such a bright and innocent view on the world, he wanted to protect that.

Jaeyong, thoughts already on what kind of trouble Jungkook might bring them, couldn’t help associating the man in front of him with his coworker.

The man was young, decently handsome and had short cut hair, shaved at the sides. He was wearing a nice suit. Looked expensive and well tailored. Not that Jaeyong knew much about suits. But he knew people. This man, just like Jungkook, was dangerous.

“I’m looking for Nam Kyung-soo.”

Jaeyong looked at him evenly, “He’s in his office.”

“Perfect. Mind if I head back?” The man asked with a polite smile.

He shook his head, gesturing his head towards the hall, “First door on the left.”

“Thank you.”

Jaeyong watched him head down the hall towards the bathrooms, hearing Nam’s faint voice as the door to his office opened and closed.

He thought about Yoongi’s warning about asking questions.

Was it really any safer not knowing what was going on?

Jaeyong had a lot of questions and he was starting to become desperate for answers.

Chapter Text

He ran.

His nose was numb, cheeks rosy as his breath puffed out in clouds before him with each pant. The tears in his eyes made it hard to see where he was going, runny nose making it even harder to draw in air.

Messily he wiped his arm across his face, sniffing hard to try and clear his nose.

People on the street gave him concerned looks, but he ignored them, looking around as he pulled his sleeves lower over his cold knuckles and fingers. Nothing looked familiar. Tears tracked down his cheeks again, burning hot against his skin.

His eyes avoided those of the strangers around him, locking onto the pavement of the sidewalk as he weaved around their legs.

There were too many. Going in all directions. It felt like a game to dodge all of them.

The game only made him feel even more lost. He slowed his pace and moved to the side by the road where he could see clearer around the street. Sniffling and rubbing his eyes, he looked for somewhere he might know.

The buildings made him feel smaller than the people did. Towering overhead like great concrete giants. That would be fine if they were familiar giants. Just like the strangers, he didn’t know these giants.

His shirt was too thin for the frigid cloudy weather. If his mom were here she would yell at him for not wearing a coat. He wanted her to be here. He wanted to go home.

The thought had his lip wobbling. No. He couldn’t go home yet.

Trees and sky could be seen over the small park nestled amongst the high rises one block up from him.

There. He could go there.

Just like his mom taught him, he was extra careful crossing the street, making sure to look both ways and wait until the light turned into the little walking man. That meant go.

When he got to the park he ran for the playground, crawling into a tube where he could catch his breath and press a hand against the stitch that had formed in his side. It was a bit warmer in there, but he still pulled his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around them.

It wasn’t fair.

His father’s stern voice and sudden shout was still ringing in his mind and he whimpered as he buried his head in his knees. He’d never heard his dad yell like that before. It scared him. Wasn’t he the one who told him he was a phoenix in the first place? Why was he so angry?

Boseon knew that he shouldn’t play with fire… his mom and dad always told him that. Yuyu had told him that too. But… he hadn’t been going to do anything with the lighter. He had just wanted to practice what Yuyu had taught him. His parents didn’t understand.

He thought that he could get them to understand if Yuyu explained it. His hyung was really smart and he’d be able to tell them that he was a phoenix! He was!

He had to be. Because if he wasn’t then….

Boseon cried, hugging his knees tighter. He hadn’t meant to get lost. He’d thought he’d know the way to the café from their house. But now he didn’t know where he was and it was starting to get dark. He wanted to find Yuyu. His hyung could fix this. He was strong and brave and he wanted to be just like him.

They had to look out for each other.

It didn’t take long for him to start feeling tired, eyes drooping and head nestled against his knees. He would take a small nap. Just a little one. And then he’d find Yuyu.

“Hyung, did you know there were others?”

Jungkook didn’t look up from washing the dishes, hand scrubbing a plate in a methodic circular motion before setting it in the other sink to rinse.

The answer that came was quiet, “Yes.”

Seokjin stood next to him, cloth in hand and drying the plates to put them away.

It had been a quiet day. They had all welcomed Jungkook back the night before but by the time the Guardian dropped him off the sun was already starting to set. Knowing it would be a lengthy conversation, Jungkook suggested they talk about everything in the morning and despite some weak complaints, they all let it be for the night.

Seokjin had stood by what they had joked about before he’d left, taking Jungkook to the large shared bedroom with the others in tow so they could thoroughly make sure there wasn’t a scratch on him. It hadn’t gone past some heavy making out and enthusiastic hands before they settled into a pile of cuddles.

They had a family meeting that morning in the living room where Jungkook told them everything Jiho had said. They weren’t happy that the gang was involved again, much less that the head of the group was a magical being.

The question had been bothering him since he’d found out, and he was glad Seokjin was at least being honest with him. It wasn’t that he thought they would lie, but it was their past, not his. He would understand if they didn’t want to talk about it.

“Did you…” he licked his lips, trying to think of how to phrase the next question.

Seokjin shook his head, “We didn’t know at the time. Not until after Galaxy was closed. There were… too many people unaccounted for.”

Jungkook watched the soap suds being pushed around as he ran his hands through them.

He had thought about it a lot on his way back the day before. He’d tried putting himself in their shoes. If they had found out that there was a strong chance that some people were left in the human world, Jungkook would immediately want to jump to finding ways to get them to the Galaxy. While Seokjin hadn’t had to make the decision to leave those people behind initially, he did have to choose to sit back and not risk the people who had just found security.

It still must have been a painful realization.

That was a choice that affected lives on a scale that Jungkook wasn’t used to. So he didn’t quite know what to say, though many apologizes in all sorts of forms were floating around in his head.

He was sorry he had to live through it, that he had been put in that position, that he lived with that knowledge.

“Taehyung and Hoseok did some repairs on the door. It’s not perfect but it looks better,” Seokjin said, changing the subject in lieu of Jungkook’s silence, “Joonie was hoping the two of you could test it after we were done.”

Jungkook hummed and nodded, “Is it really safe to be using it though?”

“We should be more careful about it’s placement, and we shouldn’t let it appear anywhere too close to the café anymore. We can hopefully assume that the person who did it hasn’t made the connection to us or the café yet.”

The last thing Jungkook wanted was to pull Sumi and Jaeyong into this. He’d made that promise to himself before, but it was more serious now knowing that there was still potentially dangerous people after their home. If he had it his way, they would never know about any of this. But he knew that things rarely worked as planned so he knew the possibility was always there.

Seokjin’s hand reached past him, over to the other side of the sink where Jungkook had set his ring to keep it from getting wet. Jungkook’s hands relaxed into the hot water in the sink as he watched Seokjin pick up the ring, his body moving behind him, chest pressed against his back crowding him against the counter.

Jungkook leaned back easily towards his warmth. Seokjin always had this comfort to him that was different then the others. It wasn’t like Yoongi’s warm fire, where it was sudden and sometimes abrasive. It was gentle. Like the warmth of lying in the sun.

Seokjin’s arms wrapped around him, chin resting on his shoulder as he brought the ring up in front of them, thumb brushing over the insignia just as Jungkook had taken to doing. It was quiet between them, but he was fine with that. He was learning that Seokjin liked the quiet, and sometimes it spoke louder then any words they could attempt to fill it with.

He tipped his head to rest his cheek against Seokjin’s hair, watching the other trace the mark gently.

Their mark.

Boseon woke up on his side, curled into a tight little ball against the hard warped plastic of the playground tube. The small bit of heat it provided from being warmed by the sun had faded, leaving him shivering.

If he could use fire like Yuyu could, then he wouldn’t be so cold.

The sun was almost gone and Boseon really didn’t like the dark. His mom always made sure to turn a night light on in his room because the dark was scary. As he poked his head out of the tube and looked around, he could only think about wanting to go home, to hug his mom and dad.

“Maybe it’s scared?”

“I can’t say I blame it. But is this anywhere close to the café?”

The voices made Boseon jump, quickly peaking out of the tube he looked around for the men talking. He knew he should probably go home, but the problem now was that he didn’t know where that was. Would these people be able to help? They could help him get home right? Or they could call his parents? He sniffed a bit, scrunching his nose as he found the two people on the other side of the park by some benches.

One man, a tall guy with grey hair, even though he looked as old as his dad, was standing on the path looking at a door. Boseon blinked. He’d never seen a door like that before. It wasn’t where doors usually were.

“I don’t think so,” the other man sighed and reached out to put a hand on the door. “Just the fact that we can get through it is enough. Let’s not push it too hard.”

Boseon squinted in the pale lighting as the man, who looked strangely familiar, paused and pulled out his phone. The tall man looked at him. “What is it?”

“A voice message from my hyung, hang on.”

As the guy put the phone to his ear, Boseon realized who he was. He was the nice man who worked at the café with Sumi-noona! The one who said he lived with Yuyu-hyung! All thoughts of going home were pushed out of his mind as he crawled out of the tube, limbs shivering enough that it was more difficult than it should have been.

They could take him to see Yuyu! He didn’t know the other man but the café man was really nice, and he had believed Boseon when he told him he was a phoenix, just like Yuyu did.

“What is it love?” The grey-haired man asked, frowning at the café man as he lowered his phone.

“Someone was looking into my records at the hospital. I’m going to call my brother back really quick,” Café man said and grey-haired man stepped towards him, guiding them both to sit at a bench next to the path with their backs to him and the door.

Boseon paused on his way to them, slowing down. He was calling his brother… would he call his parents if he found Boseon? He had to talk to Yuyu first, if the nice café man called his parents he might not get to see him. Frowning he turned to look at the door.

Was that how they got here? Did they live through there?

Quietly, like a ninja, Boseon tip toed his way towards the door, glancing towards the bench to make sure the two men weren’t looking. Being sneaky was his specialty. His dad had told him that he was as quiet as a mouse.

When he got near the door he looked at it, tilting his head curiously. It looked like it had been damaged at some point, banged up and some scratches on the surface.

“Hyung,” Boseon jumped and looked at the nice café man quickly as he talked into his phone. “I don’t know anyone by that name. Why was he asking about visitors?”

There was a pause and Boseon looked back at the door, reaching up to grab the doorknob.

“Wait, two? No, there should have only been one.” Another pause. “I know Jiho visited me, who was the other one?”

Boseon was surprised to find that the door was already partially open and he felt a breeze of warm air come through the crack, brushing against his cold skin like a friendly offering hand.

Café man suddenly stood up and looked at the other man with wide eyes, “Are you sure that’s the name? No. I know him. Thanks hyung.”

Boseon quickly snuck through the door, not wanting to get caught. The moment he did he let out a gasp of surprise.

The world around him completely changed.

“Woah…”

The sky was a galaxy of stars and planets like the pictures from his books about space. It was so much warmer and he shivered lightly as the chill drained out of him. Rubbing his arms to help the warmth sink in, he looked in all directions, eyes wide in awe.

His eyes found another door, a purple one and eagerly he ran over to it. It looked newer then the first door. Reaching up, he tried the doorknob but found it locked. Pouting a bit, his disappointment didn’t last long as he saw something move up in the sky. Curious he looked up at the planets and smiled brightly. Was that Mars? Or Saturn? His dad told him Saturn had rings around it.

Boseon gasped when he saw a shooting star flash across the sky, jumping on the spot and quickly folding his hands. He closed his eyes, scrunching his nose to make a wish.

No sooner had he finished his wish, he heard the door he’d come through open. Gasping, he quickly looked around for somewhere to hide, doing a super ultra-cool ninja roll and ducking down behind the purple door.

“-adds to the questions.”

Nice café man’s voice reached his ears suddenly, like someone had pressed play on a paused video and Boseon scrunched up smaller to stay hidden, covering his mouth with a hand. He always won at hide and seek. It was his specialty.

“I think you should talk to Nam. I wasn’t under the impression he meant any harm towards you but he might know more then he’s letting on.”

“He could have been hired to keep an eye on me. Which explains why he hired me so quickly. But I was just passing by the café, it wasn’t like they actively sought me out to hire. You don’t think he was the one who…”

“I don’t know why he would do anything to the door. He helped you out with the whole fire incident.”

“Yeah… I don’t get bad vibes off him, if he wanted to hurt us he would have had more than enough opportunity.”

“Vibes?”

Boseon poked his head out from behind the door, peaking around it. The guys were walking towards a path that led through the trees.

“Feelings? Sorta? Anyway if Nam knows about me being in the hospital, what else does he know, and do Sumi and Jaeyong know anything?”

The tall man put a hand around nice café guys shoulders and pulled him into his side, their voice were getting harder to hear the further they got.

“Yoongi said they were asking a lot of questions when he was waiting for you so I doubt it. He kind of ran in with the knife out in the open.”

Boseon perked up as nice café guy laughed. He should follow them, maybe they were going to their house. Yuyu would probably be there.

Quietly, he snuck after them, making sure to only follow close enough so he could still see them, hiding behind trees as they walked up the path.

He completely forgot to hide when they reached the house, stepping out from behind a tree as the two guys were just stepping inside the massive cottage like mansion.

“It’s like a fairytale!” Boseon bunched his hands in his shirt excitedly. The house was like the one from the princess movie his mom and him watched the other night. He walked around being careful of the pretty flowers in the gardens. Was Yuyu a princess?

He noticed a smaller building, a tiny house compared to the big one. Boseon decided to look for Yuyu there first, and eagerly he ran towards the little building. Holding onto the railing as he walked up the porch steps, he opened the door, peeking inside.

“Wow…” he breathed, looking at all the tiny bottles and strange objects on the shelves. A bunch of shiny stones caught his eye and he quickly abandoned the doorway to run over and look at them. Scooping a hand through the stones, he giggled as they sparkled in the light but his attention was soon grabbed by the jars next to it.

Picking one up, he gave it a shake with both hands, pressing his face against the glass to try and see into the murky looking water. Putting that jar back, he grabbed another and watched what looked like strange carrots float around inside.

“Gross,” he snickered.

He put the jar back, pausing when it clinked against another. Perking up, he tapped his finger on the glass, then the one next to it, grinning when the sounds were different. Boseon followed the path of the shelf, tinking his fingernails off each jar that he could reach and smiling brightly at the makeshift song it made. He sped up in some parts, because that’s what songs did, and slowed down in others.

Boseon stopped when he got to the end of the shelves, standing in front of another doorway that opened to a hallway. Eager to discover more interesting things, Boseon didn’t hesitate to hurry down the hall, only remembering halfway that he was supposed to be sneaking.

Quickly he slowed his steps and went onto his tip toes, peaking around the corner at the end of the hall. He could hear voices and jumped a bit when someone shouted, only for the shout to follow with a bunch of laughter. Were there a lot of people here?

Making his way around the corner, it opened up to a wider area. There was a set of stairs to the side and a living room across from him, the front door to his left. Blinking at the space, he could hear people talking down the hall on the other side of the stairs. He poked his head around the banister, seeing someone in what looked like a kitchen with their back to him.

Pursing his lips he hummed, that wasn’t Yuyu. Deciding to look upstairs, he started up them, putting his hands on the steps as he went.

Jungkook was at a loss.

So many things weren’t adding up with not only his family, but also the gang and whoever was after Galaxy. He’d just finished talking to the others about Nam and what his brother had told him. He couldn’t think of one reason Nam would have come to see him in the hospital, given that they didn’t know each other.

Not only that but now there was someone looking into his records?

He walked upstairs, running a hand through his hair and yawning. They needed to look at the next step to take, though with the limited information they had, they’d need to gather more before anything could be done. Humming to himself, he headed to his room, not bothering to close the door as he headed over to his closet to change into more comfortable clothes.

All of this was turning out more complicated than he could imagine. After the gem was destroyed, he thought that it was over. Jiho seemed less willing to kill a species for the sack of knowledge, though he didn’t seem entirely regretful about the intent. On top of that he might have powers now.

He glanced at his hand as he pulled a white t-shirt off the hanger. It was a bit disappointing that he hadn’t felt any change by way of abilities. It could have just been a false hope, after all, Namjoon had said it was only a theory, but the childish eagerness of the idea was there. Like finding out he was some sort of superhero.

Jungkook chuckled a bit at the thought, tugging his shirt off as he wandered to his bed. He’d been paying much closer attention to the feelings, as subtle as they were, that Euphoria felt. A few times laying in bed waiting for sleep to take over, he’d been able to close his eyes and imagine being in Euphoria.

It wasn’t like a daydream either, it was clear and vivid, as if he wasn’t remembering it so much as looking at it from the eyes of Euphoria itself. It was a strangely welcomed feeling. Euphoria had the same feeling as the boys did for Jungkook, in its purest form. Maybe that was because of the feelings he had for them when Euphoria was created, but none the less, it was one of them.

Bob was family.

Jungkook went to put his shirt on, pausing when he heard a loud shriek from down the hall. Blinking, he looked towards the door. Curiously he poked his head out just in time to see Taehyung burst out of his room looking livid.

“HOSEOK!”

Jungkook raised a brow as Taehyung marched down the hall towards him, “What’s wrong hyung?”

“The absolute disrespect!” He exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. “I let him use my paints once and he leaves them in an absolute disaster! Do you know how hard it is to get nice red paint? It’s difficult! The pigment has to be just right. Then to just leave them-”

Staring at his boyfriend, Jungkook watched him walk past, only for the Fae to back track and stop next to him mid rant. Without a word, Taehyung turned to face him sharply and Jungkook opened his mouth to question it, when Taehyung’s eyes drifted over his bare chest. The Fae nodded and hummed lowly in what seemed to be appreciation before spinning right back around.

“-on the floor! He didn’t even wash the brushes!” Taehyung continued off down the hall, storming downstairs to presumably go yell at Hoseok.

Jungkook laughed a bit and shook his head. He pulled his shirt on. Around this time of night it was always the rowdiest in the household. The last burst of energy before they all would wind down for bed. It usually happened naturally, everyone would quiet down without prompting.

For now though, Jungkook wanted nothing more then to find someone to cuddle so he could forget the chaos of questions running through his mind.

He snickered a bit at the swell of warmth in his chest.

“Sorry Bob, I can’t cuddle you.”

Boseon knew Yuyu would love his painting.

He’d stumbled on the art supplies when he’d been checking every door upstairs, opening them each and peaking in only to find boring bedrooms. When he’d seen the paints he’d gotten the idea to paint Yuyu a picture to give to him and he’d excitedly set about painting the perfect picture.

Now all he had to do was find Yuyu.

The house felt even bigger on the inside then what it looked like on the outside and he was pretty sure he was lost.

He clutched his painting in his hands, being extra careful not to hug it too close as the paint was still drying and he didn’t want to ruin it.

Boseon was also pretty sure that the house was haunted. But the ghosts seemed really nice because they kept opening doors for him and it had led him to a really cozy room that had nice couches and chairs and a fireplace that was lit. He had decided that the fire would help dry his painting faster so he was extra careful to lay the paper out in front of it where it was warm but not too hot.

He had stayed there for awhile, poking around but didn’t find anything interesting. His stomach grumbling had reminded him that he hadn’t had dinner yet, so, with a mission in mind he set out with his painting to find the kitchen. The house was so big he would need his energy if he wanted to find Yuyu.

It didn’t take too long to find the stairs again, but the ghosts helped a lot.

He was just about to take a step down, awkwardly trying to reach up and hold the railing without damaging his art, when the step suddenly collapsed forward with a creak. Boseon gasped in surprised and watched as one after the other, the stairs flattened out, creating a smooth slope downwards.

Eyes widening, he bounced on the balls of his feet grinning at the newly created slide. Giggling he sat down on his bum and scootched to the edge.

With one last shift he slid down the wooden slide and let out an excited laugh, clutching his painting close as he swooped down the length of the staircase. Boseon came to a stop at the bottom, the floor much less slippery and preventing him from crashing into the wall.

Clambering to his feet he laughed, “Thanks ghosts! That was fun!”

Boseon wasted no time and skipping down the hallway to the kitchen, not seeing the people he had heard before. Did they leave? His mom told him it was rude to take food without permission, but he hoped they wouldn’t mind. He was really hungry.

On the counter was a bowl of strange look foods. Boseon had just managed to stretch his arm up, fingers brushing the edge of the bowl when he heard voices. Squeaking, he quickly pulled his hand back, looking for a place to hide as he heard footsteps from the other side of the door at the back of the kitchen.

Hugging his painting, he jumped at a creaking sound, looking to find that one of the pantry doors had swung open. He ran over and hid inside just as the back door opened.

“I didn’t leave them like that,” Hoseok insisted, trailing after Taehyung as they stepped back inside.

The Fae wasn’t having it, ticked off about something he supposedly did, “The evidence says otherwise.”

“What evidence? I would never leave your paints like that!”

Hoseok grabbed Taehyung’s arm before he could leave the kitchen, pulling him back against him and wrapping him in his arms. Taehyung gave him a hard look which Hoseok met with a pout and sad eyes. He tried not to smile as Taehyung’s nose twitched slightly, the younger clearly at odds on whether to believe him. Ultimately he sighed.

“If it wasn’t you then someone used them without my permission. I’m going to have to go and get new paint,” Taehyung grumbled, crossing his arms between them.

Hoseok hummed and pressed his thumbs into his hips gently, “I’ll come help you clean up and then we’ll figure out-”

“You’re being unreasonable!”

Jungkook’s voice cut him off. The boy trailed into the kitchen after Jimin, both of them looking upset. Taehyung and Hoseok blinked at them.

“Unreasonable? Jungkook half the supplies don’t work anymore!” Jimin exclaimed turning to him as he headed over to the pantry, waving his hands. “Some of that was really hard to find, this is why I told you not to touch stuff in the shop.”

Jungkook waved his arms around looking exasperated, “I haven’t even been in the shop today! I was with Namjoon and then I went to my room,” Jungkook looked over at them and quickly pointed at Taehyung. “Tae can vouch for me!”

Taehyung blinked and nodded, “He was in his room a little bit ago.”

Hoseok stepped away from Taehyung and looked between the two, “What happened?”

Jimin folded his arms and frowned, “I went to lock up the Magic Shop and noticed some stuff was out of place. Half of the supplies are void of magic,” he looked back at Jungkook, “Just, be honest, did you trip and fall or something? If it was an accident I’ll understand.”

Jungkook ran both his hands through his hair and whined, “No! I told you I haven’t been in there.”

“Magic doesn’t disperse itself.”

“Minnie, it wasn’t me I swear.”

“Then who else could it have been?” Jimin huffed in frustration.

Jungkook took a few steps forward, tentatively at first, then hooking his arms around Jimin’s waist, “I don’t know but the punishment really doesn’t fit the crime here, and I didn’t even do the crime.”

Jimin squirmed and tried to peel his arms off, starting to walk towards the door, “Kookie do you know how rare some of those things were?”

“But I need your cuddles to survive! You can’t deprive me of them!” Jungkook sunk to his knees, holding tighter onto Jimin’s waist as the Fae tried to walk, only dragging him across the floor. Jimin grunted at his weight and despite himself he laughed a bit, trying to escape the boys arms.

“Kookie,” he rolled his eyes good naturedly.

Hoseok smiled a little though he was incredibly confused. He didn’t think Jungkook was lying but Jimin was right, if he didn’t do it, then who did?

Just as Jimin was able to free himself from Jungkook’s grip, the boy grabbing his ankle instead, they all heard a loud yelp followed by a thump.

Everyone paused and traded curious looks.

Jungkook got up off the floor and Hoseok stepped out of the kitchen to investigate. The others were close behind.

At the bottom of the stairs, Namjoon was awkwardly picking himself up off the floor, a book sprawled out next to him. Hoseok looked from him to the stairs and back, raising a brow.

“Joonie, did you fall down the stairs again?”

Namjoon blushed and stammered, “That- it wasn’t- the stairs were flat!”

They all looked at the very not flat stairs, then back at the immortal.

Namjoon scooped up his book and dusted it off, face red, “They were. House, what in the Guardian’s protection is going on?”

Hoseok waited for the familiar press of the house’s magic that would give them an idea on why it suddenly thought propelling Namjoon into a wall was a good idea. Except the magic never pressed back. Frowning he looked at the others to see they noticed the house’s odd silence as well.

Jungkook looked between them, “What is it?”

“The house is being quiet,” Taehyung supplied, humming.

“It only does this if its mad at us or it’s hiding something,” Hoseok tilted his head. “Unless it’s upset about the door being damaged too. Jungkookie, you said before that Euphoria was restless right?”

Jungkook leaned against the banister and nodded in agreement, “How much would a house have to hide?”

Namjoon chuckled a bit, “You’d be surprised. I’m sure there’s rooms we still don’t even know exist.”

“Where are Jinnie and Yoongi? Seokjinnie is good at getting it to tell us,” Jimin suggested.

“I think they’re in the study. They wanted to talk in private so I went to my room to read instead.”

“Is everything okay?” Jungkook frowned.

Taehyung leaned into him and rested his chin on his shoulder, “I’m sure they’re okay. They haven’t gotten a chance to talk after Yoongi’s nightmare. We probably shouldn’t disturb them though.”

They all agreed. Namjoon, Yoongi and Seokjin had lived a rough past together and if anyone would be able to understand what Yoongi had been dealing with, it was them. Hoseok didn’t blame them for needed time one on one to talk about it. Hoseok would be there when Yoongi wanted an outside opinion but sometimes you just needed someone to understand without words, and that was Seokjin’s specialty.

Yoongi had given Seokjin one single look and the man already knew what state of mind he was in.

Without a word, he had come over to where Yoongi was practically drowning in the big t-shirt he’d stolen from Jungkook and joined him on the couch. Meticulously slipping in behind Yoongi who had collected most of the blankets in the study to pile on top of himself and chosen one of his favorite books to read.

Yoongi had to very drastic ways of being. One, which he liked to be most of the time, where he wanted to be left alone and took some pleasure in the fact people thought he was intimidating. He liked being seen as a force to reckon with and would have no quelms putting people in their place that questioned that.

But then, he also liked this. He liked being swaddled in what Jungkook once referred to as a blanket burrito, with one or multiple of his lover’s arms around him and just feeling small for a little while. He liked wearing the other’s shirts because they hung off his shoulders and dropped down to his mid-thigh and the others would look at him like he was the most precious thing they’d ever seen. He liked feeling small with them sometimes because it made him vulnerable.

In the beginning that had caused a bit of conflict amongst them. They hadn’t learned how to tell what type of mood he was in and Yoongi hadn’t really been sure how to put the whole thing into words. Sometimes they would tease when he just wanted cuddles or sometimes they would treat him too gently when he was trying to be taken seriously.

They had all learned overtime where the balance was, even Yoongi himself figuring out that he only ever liked feeling soft when he was at his most comfortable, his most relaxed.

As Seokjin tucked him firmly against his chest, he didn’t miss the fond smile on his face as Yoongi didn’t hesitate to snuggle closer, tucking his head against the man’s neck as he flipped the page of his book.

They didn’t say anything for awhile, Seokjin carding his fingers through Yoongi’s hair gently.

“You’ve had the thought too,” Yoongi said eventually, quietly. There was a wonderful warmth surrounding him from not only the blankets but Seokjin’s chest behind him and his legs on either side of him. To most it might be to the point it was unbearable, but the hotter the better for Yoongi.

“It’s not him.”

Seokjin’s voice was firm and nearing harsh but Yoongi knew better then to think it was directed towards him.

“We can’t rule it out.”

“Yoongi-”

“We can’t. Not with Jungkook in the line of fire.”

Seokjin’s arms tightened around him and he felt the man bury his face in his hair. Yoongi knew Namjoon had thought the same as well after Jungkook told them what Jiho had said. The thought terrified them, that that man could be back.

“I hate it,” Seokjin whispered, his hand dropping out of his hair and tracing the skin of his neck so gently it caused him to shiver. His fingers followed the curve of his shoulder, down to his exposed collar bones before he pressed his hand against his chest and slid it down under his shirt.

Yoongi sucked in a breath body relaxing further under his touch. He closed his book and set it in his lap. “I know,” he breathed.

Seokjin hated that he had gotten away. That he had captured them to begin with. He hated that he’d destroyed them, ripped them apart brutally only to put them back together just to do it all over again. He hated that he laid his hands on them at all. Yoongi knew this, because he hated it too.

Yoongi turned his head to press a kiss against his bicep, running a hand up the outside of his arm. Seokjin tucked his head down and kissed the junction of his neck and shoulder, humming.

“You smell like him,” Seokjin mused, breathing in deeply.

“I like his scent,” Yoongi shuffled a bit feeling the soft fabric of the shirt drag up his thighs reminding him of what else he was wearing. “I may have stolen his boxers too.”

Seokjin hummed a laugh against his neck, pulling his hand back and instead slipping it under the blankets to slide up Yoongi’s thigh, “You look good in his clothes. I’m sure Jungkook thinks the same.”

Yoongi chuckled, finding Seokjin’s straying hand and pulling it up around his waist. The other didn’t complain, only hugging him firmly.

“Which one was it?”

“The dream?” Yoongi asked.

Seokjin nodded.

“The chairs. The knives,” he admitted calmly. He knew that Seokjin would know which one he was talking about. IT was always the first one, always the first few. The later weeks were a blur of pain and nothing else. The first week was the only part he had nightmares of because he was coherent enough for the rest of it. “It was Jungkook part way though.”

Seokjin said nothing, but the tension in his muscles spoke loudly.

“You know, if he finds out about Jungkook… about him being part of our Set…”

“This won’t be the same. I’ll make sure of it.”

Yoongi nodded slowly. He trusted Seokjin. He knew he wouldn’t do anything rash. But it was still a concern not knowing what was ahead for them. For all they knew, he wasn’t involved at all. Hopefully he was dead and gone.

Tilting his head back, he captured Seokjin’s lips with his own, chaste and loving. He wanted to reassure him. Seokjin had had to handle Namjoon and Yoongi’s capture on his own, he wouldn’t let that be the same this time either. If that meant facing his worst nightmare then so be it.

Seokjin sighed against his lips, lifting a hand to brush his fingers against his jaw. He pulled away slightly, tilting his head and leaned back in.

Before their lips could touch again, a sudden shout of “Gross!”, had them both jumping out their skin, Seokjin jerking to the side, tumbling off the couch and dragging Yoongi with him.

“What the fuck?!”

Yoongi sat up, partially on top of Seokjin and stared wide eyed at the familiar boy peaking over the back of the couch.

Boseon gasped, “Yuyu-hyung! That’s a bad word,” he whispered conspiratorially.

“Boseon?! What are- how did you- what?”

Seokjin sat up, blinking in surprise, “Yoongi? You know a child?”

Yoongi didn’t have time to get to his feet as Boseon rounded the couch and jumped at him, a rolled-up paper in his hands and red paint smudged on his cheek and fingers. He hugged him tight enough for Yoongi to grunt slightly as the air was forced out of his lungs and his still healing injuries flared up.

He wrapped an arm around the boy, lifting him enough so they could move off of Seokjin and setting him on his feet while kneeling in front of him. He pulled away enough to look the boy over, “Boseon what are you doing here? How did you get here?”

The kid grinned a big toothy smile, hands still gripping Yoongi’s oversized shirt, “I saw the nice café man at the park, and I remember you said you live together so I went through the door thingy. Yuyu-hyung this place is so cool! The ghosts were opening doors and there were all these bottles-”

Yoongi sat back on his heels and ran a hand through his hair, huffing out a breath as the boy rambled about his apparent adventure. He felt Seokjin’s hand on his shoulder and looked over at the other to see him smiling at Boseon softly.

“Your name is Boseon?” Seokjin interrupted his rant, catching the boys attention. He scrunched his nose and moved a bit closer to Yoongi, not letting go of his shirt. When he nodded, Seokjin held out a hand towards him. “My names Seokjin, it’s very nice to meet you.”

Boseon looked at his hand warily before glancing at Yoongi, apparently seeing that he wasn’t concerned helped make the decision to take Seokjin’s much bigger hand in his little one. He quickly pulled away though, tilting his head, “Are you hyung’s prince?”

Yoongi spluttered while Seokjin tipped his head back laughing, “Prince? Hmmm something like that.”

Yoongi promptly elbowed him, only making him snicker before his attention was back on Boseon, “Shorty, we need to get you home.”

Seokjin and Yoongi both got to their feet, Boseon not letting Yoongi take two steps without grabbing his hand. He paused and looked at the boy, frowning a bit at the happy smile on his face. What had he done to earn the boys trust so quickly? Was it really as easy as telling the kid a few stories?

Sighing he folded his fingers around the boys tiny hand and glanced towards Seokjin who was watching them with a strange look. Pocketing that to think about later, he led Boseon out of the study towards the living room.

He turned and picked the kid up under the arms, plopping him down in the middle of the couch and point a finger at him, almost bopping him on the nose. “Stay,” he said firmly.

Boseon tilted his head and Yoongi took a few steps back. Had he seriously just happened to be at the same park Namjoon and Jungkook had been sent to testing the door? Unless the door knew Boseon would be there?

Yoongi rubbed his forehead. It was going to be a long night.

Jungkook had certainly not expected to find a kid in the living room when Yoongi and Seokjin called a family meeting. He’d honestly expected that it would have something to do with their private conversation but instead, he walked into a very familiar boy nomming away on a sandwich.

“Yoongi…” Jungkook said carefully, stepping over to him without taking his eyes off Boseon. “I know you like the kid, but you can’t just bring him home with you. That’s kidnapping.”

Yoongi smacked his arm, “I didn’t, brat. He followed you here from the park.”

“Should we do introductions or?” Namjoon asked looking unsure. “How do you guys know him?”

Jungkook took it upon himself to answer, as Yoongi looked stressed to the nine’s, “Boseon is Yoongi’s phoenix friend from the café. His mom drops him off every Thursday so she can go to her meetings.”

A wave of understanding washed over them and Jimin cooed, “He’s such a cutie, how old are you?”

Boseon perked up, “I’m six. Mom says I’m almost a grown up now,” he turned to look at Yoongi with wide admiring eyes. “When I’m grown up like you I’ll be able to move fire too right?”

The look on Yoongi’s face was almost pained.

Taehyung reached his hands out and whined, “You’re so tiny and adorable. Six! I thought twenty three was young.”

Jungkook shook his head in amusement and stepped over to Boseon who looked up at him and smiled, kicking his legs excitedly off the edge of the couch. Taking a seat on the edge of the coffee table in front of the boy, he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

“Boseon-ah, why were you at the park? We didn’t see anyone else there. Where were your parents?”

Jungkook didn’t like the way the boys shoulders slumped and he curled into himself a bit, frowning as he watched all the excitement drain out of him.

“I ran away…”

They all paused and Yoongi stepped forward, crouching next to them, “You ran away from your parents?”

Boseon nodded, fiddling with the paper still rolled in his hands, “Dad got really mad at me cause I was trying to practice with fire. A-And he told me I wasn’t a phoenix like you so-”

Yoongi dropped his head in his hand, “Oh kid…”

“So I wanted you to tell them that I was! But I got lost,” Boseon shifted in his spot.

Seokjin frowned from where he sat next to Boseon, rubbing a hand on the kids back gently, “Your parents are probably worried sick about you.”

Jungkook looked at Yoongi, taking in the conflicted expression he wore. Neither of them really thought much on indulging Boseon’s fantasy of being a phoenix, not having foreseen it going this far. He wondered if Yoongi was going to tell him the truth. It would break the kids heart but if it would keep him from doing things like this, it was the safer option.

“Hyung,” Jungkook said gently, catching Yoongi’s attention. “Let’s get him home. His parents will probably be calling the police to search for him.”

Yoongi nodded and put a hand on Boseon’s knee, “Listen Shorty, you can’t do stuff like this alright? Your mom really cares about you, she’s probably very worried and scared. I’ll explain everything to your parents but you have to promise me you won’t do this again. You could have gotten hurt.”

Boseon stuck out his bottom lip slightly and nodded a little, “Okay.”

Sighing, Yoongi stood, “I’m going to go put some pants on, then we can go,” ruffling his hair, he stepped out of the room, heading upstairs.

Hoseok crouched down where Yoongi had been and tapped the paper in the boys hands, “What’s that Boseon?”

“It’s a picture for Yuyu-hyung!”

“Oh my Guardian, Yuyu, he calls him Yuyu,” Taehyung thumped his head against Namjoon’s shoulder, pressing a hand to his chest. Namjoon snickered.

“That explains your paints Taetae,” Hoseok laughed a bit.

Jungkook smiled, “And the supplies in the shop,” he grinned at Jimin, “I get cuddles back then?”

Jimin shook his head fondly, “I suppose.”

“That explains the houses silence too,” Namjoon hummed, glancing at the ceiling as Jungkook assumed the house responded in some way.

“Can I come back and visit?” Boseon asked shyly, looking around at them with his large innocent eyes.

Jimin cooed and couldn’t stop himself from crowding the boy, practically sitting in Seokjin’s lap to do so, as he ran a hand through his hair and licked his thumb to scrub the paint off his cheek. “Of course you can, but next time you need to make sure your momma knows okay? Otherwise you can’t come.”

Boseon, not liking the prospect of that, nodding quickly, turning to look at Hoseok when the dragon grinned, “That’s right, and you know, this place is a secret place. So you can’t tell anyone about it okay? Are you good at keeping secrets?”

“Yeah! I won’t tell!”

Jungkook leaned back a bit and smiled. It was strange seeing them interact with a child and it did nothing but warm his heart at how good they were with him already. Though, if they didn’t leave soon, Jimin and Taehyung might actually try and keep him. With that in mind, Jungkook stood up and offered a hand to the boy, hearing Yoongi coming back downstairs.

Boseon took his hand and stood up, following Jungkook as he led him to the door. Jungkook didn’t miss the way Seokjin’s hand hesitated to leave Boseon’s back but he didn’t dwell on it much.

Yoongi and Jungkook headed out, promising the others to be back soon. They weren’t even halfway down the path before Boseon was begging for a piggyback ride from Yoongi, all but crawling up the man’s leg. Jungkook tried to hide his grin when Yoongi caved easily and picked him up, grumbling about how heavy the kid was but not struggling in the least.

The door took them exactly where they needed to go, confirming for Jungkook that the door had in fact known that Boseon needed help at the park. He didn’t want to think about how long the boy had been there in the cold, or had he not have taken it upon himself to go through the door and they’d left him there.

They stepped out into a street that was unfamiliar to them, but by the way Boseon perked up and pointed towards a modest home, he knew it well.

Yoongi set Boseon down and they walked over, Jungkook knocking on the door. It flew open before he could even put his arm down.

Jungkook recognized Mrs. Bong though it was strange for him to see her outside of her usual business attire, the woman looked absolutely distraught and her eyes found Boseon in seconds, her body relaxing so suddenly Jungkook almost reached out to catch her instinctively as she sunk to her knees.

“Oh my baby,” she held her arms out and Boseon threw himself into her, hugging her tightly. She held him like he was about to disappear, a hand on the back of his head. “You scared me so much, don’t you ever do that again. Do you hear me? If something had happened to you-” she shook her head.

Jungkook felt a hand on his arm and he looked away from the mother and son to Yoongi. The phoenix gave him an asking look and Jungkook understood right away, stepping back a bit. He wanted to handle this.

Mrs. Bong called into the house for her husband and a man rushed out, phone to his ear, “Oh thank god,” he breathed before quickly speaking into the phone. “No, no everything’s okay, he just came home. Yes. Thank you.”

Hanging up the man crouched next to them and tuck Boseon by the shoulders, turning him to face him. “What were you thinking? You could have gotten hurt! You weren’t even wearing your jacket, you could have gotten sick.”

Yoongi cleared his throat gently, pulling their attention away from their sniffling son. Boseon had started crying, seeing his parents so distressed had made him realize how worried they had been.

Mr. Bong stood up, offering a hand to Yoongi and he took it firmly, “Thank you for bringing him home safe, I should have been watching him better, I didn’t think he would do something like this.”

The self blame and guilt was clear in the man’s voice, and Yoongi quickly shook his head, “I think I have a part to play in that. My name’s Min Yoongi, I met Boseon at the café.”

The man’s expression flashed with some recognition, “Boseon talks a lot about you.”

“I’m sorry, I’ve been indulging the idea that he’s a phoenix. He found his way to our house somehow so we brought him back right away.”

“He’s a phoenix like I am dad!” Boseon interrupted, running over and hugging Yoongi’s leg, rubbing his teary face over his pant leg. He looked up at Yoongi, “Tell them!”

Yoongi’s brow pinched and Jungkook bit his lip to keep from interjecting. He watched as Yoongi pulled Boseon back slightly and crouched on one knee, putting his hands on the boys shoulders. “Boseon, I need you to listen okay?”

Boseon nodded and Yoongi used his thumbs to wipe the tears off his cheeks as he spoke.

“I haven’t been entirely honest with you. You aren’t a phoenix like I am.”

The boy’s face scrunched up and he immediately protested, “Yes I am!”

“No Shorty, you’re not. You won’t be able to fly or use fire like I can,” Yoongi said bluntly, continuing quickly when he saw the boy go to protest again. “You’ve only got a tiny bit of phoenix in you. It’s not enough for you to have powers.”

Boseon’s shoulders slumped and his eyes filled with tears, lip wobbling, “B-But I want to be like you. If… If I’m not like you then that means, that means you’re all alone.”

Jungkook’s heart absolutely shattered at the boys words and he had to turn away, wiping a hand over his mouth. He tried not to look at Yoongi, knowing the impact those words would have on him and Yoongi’s reaction might just make him burst out in tears. Instead he glanced at Boseon’s parents. They clearly had no clue what was happening, but they were quietly listening.

“Fu- Kid. You,” Yoongi’s voice broke and Jungkook heard him quickly clear it. “I might be the last one, but I’m not alone. Did you see all the crazy people I live with? I’m not alone. You don’t have to worry about that.”

“B-But,” Boseon sniffed and Jungkook looked back over to see Yoongi pull him into a hug.

“You still got a little phoenix in you, that means you’re still my phoenix buddy right? But you’re also something much better than that. Do you know what?”

Boseon shook his head against Yoongi’s shoulder, “Mm mm.”

Yoongi rubbed a hand over his back, “You’re human. Do you know how cool human’s are? Human’s are the strongest species there is.”

The boy pulled away and rubbed his eyes with a fist, not looking convinced, “We can’t fly. Or use super powers.”

“That’s what makes them so cool. They don’t need stuff like that to be amazing,” Yoongi leaned in close to Boseon like he was going to tell him a secret, glancing over at Jungkook. “Nice café guy? He’s human too. And you know, he single handedly saved the world.”

Boseon gasped and looked at Jungkook with wide eyes, “Really?” he whispered.

Jungkook couldn’t take his eyes off Yoongi.

“Yep. And he did it without any super powers. Humans are amazing because they have big hearts and strong minds Boseon. They over come things that you hopefully won’t know about for a long time. So you should be proud to be a human.”

Boseon looked at him for a long moment before smiling and sniffing once more. Nodding once the boy tried to wipe his face on his arm.

Yoongi smiled a bit and stood up, shoving the boys head lightly and turning to the parents. Gently bowing he apologized to them again, but Jungkook was distracted by the words he’d just said.

It… was strangely something he needed to hear as well. Since meeting the guys it had been hard not to feel, inferior in a way. While it was a strong word, it was certainly accurate. They could do so many amazing things and in comparison he had felt more then a little mundane and average. Maybe that wasn’t because he was but just because of the perspective he had. He grew up surrounded by humans, he saw them all the time, talked to them, lived with them. Humans were his normal.

But from the guys perspective, wasn’t it the same for them? All these species living together, speaking different languages, using magic, all of that was their normal. Jungkook hadn’t given much thought about how the guys viewed humans as a whole now that they realized they didn’t need to fear them the way they used too.

Hearing Yoongi say that Boseon should be proud to be human had inadvertently made a little pride swell in his own chest. Humans were… pretty incredible weren’t they?

“Thank you, again for getting him home safe. He really does look up to you a lot, and it’s nice to finally put a face to the name,” Mr. Bong was saying when Jungkook tuned back in.

“He’s a great kid,” Yoongi said sheepishly.

Jungkook stepped over, standing next to Yoongi who gave him a small smile. They said their goodbyes and Boseon had chased after them before they could get far, remembering to give Yoongi his painting. After a quick hug, which Jungkook was a bit surprised to receive one as well, they watched to make sure the boy was safely inside before turning to leave again.

Jungkook glanced at the rolled-up picture in his hand, “Are you going to look at it?”

“When we get home.”

“It’s going to make you cry isn’t it.”

“Oh like a newborn youngling for sure.”

Jungkook snickered and bumped his shoulder against Yoongi’s, stopping them in front of the door to turn the phoenix towards him. He leaned forward and kissed him gently, hoping to somehow convey the love and adoration he had for the man that he didn’t have the words to express through the action. Yoongi hummed slightly and didn’t hesitate to kiss him back.

“Thanks hyung,” Jungkook smiled when he pulled away.

“For?”

“Just thanks.”

Yoongi shook his head lightly.

They went home.

Jungkook ended up cuddling his way to sleep in Jimin’s room.

When he got up in the morning and noticed the painted picture of what looked like two red chickens side by side, one bigger then the other, pinned to the cabinet in the kitchen, he could only grin with a heart so full it almost burst.

“The like-ness is uncanny.”

Taehyung got a smack on the back of the head for that one but Jungkook didn’t miss Yoongi’s smile.

Chapter Text

Sumi was flipping through social media on her phone before opening when she crossed a picture that took her by surprise.

It kind of took her off guard when she realized that the three faces in the picture were incredibly familiar. Intrigued, she scrolled down to the comments.

‘so handsome!’

‘Who are they?? Trainees??’

‘Are they idols?’

‘You shouldn’t take people’s pictures without permission’

‘The way I’m simping already <3<3’

‘wtf can I look this put together pls’

‘the middle one looks like he was beaten up’

‘who are they?’

‘why is everyone freaking out over random people’

Pursing her lips a bit, Sumi scrolled back to the top and looked the picture over. It was of Jungkook, Jimin and Taehyung walking through the mall. It looked like the attempt was made to take it discretely as it was a little blurry and at a low angle.

The picture had a startling amount of shares and likes. She shook her head. People would make the most random things go viral sometimes.

Despite herself she glanced at Jaeyong who sat across from her at the break table, half asleep and clutching a cup of coffee to his chest. She quickly liked the photo and kept on scrolling.

Jungkook walked in not long after, greeting them with a smile that made her perk up happily in her seat.

It was his first official day back to work after being sick and to say she missed him was an understatement. He had stopped by to see them, asking about his brother not long ago and again when he came to pick up Yoongi but it still felt like an eternity since she’d gotten to have a real conversation with him.

Sumi had been worried that her bad reaction to Jungkook coming out to her would put a wedge between them. Her sudden confession didn’t really help the awkwardness either. But she hadn’t gotten a chance to tell if that were the case given that he left that day. She’d been stewing in her own worries and anxiety since, hoping she hadn’t completely ruined their friendship.

He seemed pleasant when he’d been there earlier but she couldn’t be sure if it was just because his friends were around.

“How did things go with your brother?” Sumi asked while Jungkook opened his locker. Her coworker didn’t seem to be treating her differently so far and she really hoped he wasn’t putting up an act just to get through the day. It was hard to tell with Jungkook. He seemed the type to be able to hide all the worlds problems behind a smile.

“It was fine, sorry, I didn’t mean to pull you into my family stuff. I’ve asked him to come by when he can to apologize properly.”

Sumi waved her hands, “That’s alright. I’m sure he was just stressed or upset.”

Jungkook shook his head, “That’s not an excuse.”

Jaeyong opened an eye and glanced at Jungkook. Sumi could tell just by that lazy action that he was going to try and start something. Before she could attempt to interrupt though, Jaeyong simply closed his eyes again and leaned his head on the back of the chair.

That was odd.

She’d been noticing how tense Jaeyong was since Yoongi had run into the store with a knife. Truth be told, she hadn’t exactly been comfortable with that either, but she really did trust them. When Sumi had asked Jaeyong about why he was so sure that Jungkook was hiding something, he had simply answered with ‘I know his type.’

That may be true, and she did trust Jaeyong as well, but she was struggling to fit the image of Jaeyong’s past over Jungkook’s persona. Jungkook didn’t look like the type to be apart of something like jacking cars or anything undergound. Though, to be fair she also had assumed he was straight and look where that got her.

People had a lot of sides to them, she should know that just from her own experiences with being pigeon holed.

“Is Nam-ssi in today?”

Jungkook turned to look at her, slipping his apron on around his waist.

She gave him a nod, “He’s in his office.”

“Someone came in the other day asking to speak to him,” Jaeyong spoke up, not bothering to open his eyes.

Jungkook tilted his head, “About what?”

Shrugging, the baker lifted his head, “Dude didn’t seem like the friendly type though.”

Sumi watched Jungkook’s reaction carefully. It was just one of the many weird things that had been going on so she hadn’t thought much about it. Maybe the guy had been an old friend of Nam’s.

Jungkook only hummed and nodded, “I’m going to go talk to him before we open.”

Jaeyong didn’t open his eyes until he was sure Jungkook had left the room, meeting Sumi’s eyes and making her sit up straighter with a frown.

“Are you okay? You’ve seemed off for the last few days.”

The man leaned forward to rest his elbows on the table, leveling her with a serious look, “How much do you like Jungkook-ah?”

Huffing, she crossed her arms, “That’s a bit personal-” she attempted to joke only for Jaeyong to cut her off. His tone told her he wasn’t trying to tease.

“No. Not like that. We haven’t known him that long. How much do you actually trust him?” He clarified.

Sumi sat back, not sure where this was going but giving the question a fair thought. It didn’t take much thinking though, even as she tried to consider it on a deeper level, she still came back to the same conclusion. “He’s someone I think will be a big part of my life.”

Of course, she didn’t mean it in a romantic way and because she didn’t even know if they’d stay friends, she couldn’t say it in a platonic way either, but in some form of presence he’d was going to be apart of her life. She hadn’t really understood what people meant when they said things like ‘we’re soulmates’ or ‘we met in another life’ but there was just something that was… permanent about Jungkook.

Jaeyong looked at her for a long moment but there was no mocking or sarcasm when he took a breath and nodded, “Yeah. Me too.”

Sumi tilted her head as he sipped his coffee distractedly, his thumb rubbing along the tips of his fingers.

“Is there a reason you’re asking?”

“I think that we have to make a choice Sumi-yah. About whether or not we want to get involved in whatever Jungkook and his roommates are into. I don’t think Yoongi was kidding when he said it would change our lives,” he admitted.

Sumi looked at the table and thought about it. She… didn’t know if she could bank her possible safety on the fact that she ‘had a good feeling’ about Jungkook. That wasn’t something she was willing to base her decision on.

She thought about all the times she’d seen Yoongi and Jungkook together. All the times they seemed so loving or the times she would catch Jungkook staring at him across the café with a cute dopy smile on his face. She thought about what they must have gone through after Jungkook’s accident, how much the others obviously cared for them.

Their group, while she’d only seen them all together twice, wasn’t one that was temporary or weak. She could feel the bond between them just by watching them talk to each other, the small actions of a silent hand on someone’s shoulder or the way they all kept each other close. Those were bonds formed by experience, not solely by time.

They were a family, and Sumi, who had only ever really had a single best friend, was jealous.

The thought of Jungkook’s coma brought up a fierce protectiveness in her that took her off guard and made her take a breath to calm the fire raging through her. Something had tried to break those bonds, whether it was some higher being, some god, fate, an accident, or a person out to get them. That made her angry. Because if someone, if seven people, were able to find that pure happiness, support and love that were so painfully rare to find, and someone tried to ruin that?

They were the scum of the earth.

She knew what her answer would be.

To help Jungkook keep that happiness, on whatever level she could, she would do anything for her friend.

Jungkook stood across from Nam’s desk, the man sitting back in his chair and he was reminded of his interview for this job. It was much the same now, where he felt he was intruding given how intensely Nam regarded him.

“Glad to see you in good health,” Nam said casually, though there was something hidden in his voice that suggested a tension. Like he had words he was avoiding saying.

“Thank you sir. I’m feeling much better now.”

Nam grunted and it was the only response he got for one awkward moment before he decided to cut to the chase. He wasn’t sure what to expect from the conversation. Finding out Nam had visited him in the hospital was startling and it raised a lot of concerns. The man hadn’t tried anything yet, but Jungkook had learned to always be extra on guard when you weren’t sure which way things were going to go.

For that reason, he was intensely aware of the butterfly knife tucked into the front pocket of his pants, hidden by the apron around his waist.

“We haven’t met before have we Nam-ssi?” Jungkook asked carefully.

Nam scoffed slightly, crossing his arms, “I don’t like pussyfooting brat. Say what you want to say.”

“You visited me at the hospital a few years ago. Why?”

Nam took a moment to answer but didn’t look any less calm, expression changing to something contemplative. “I got a call from your grandfather, asking me to check up on you.”

Frowning, Jungkook looked at him suspiciously, “You know my grandparents?”

“It was a strange coincidence to see you applying here, especially after hearing that you had died,” Nam said rather than answering his question. “Yet you turn up completely fine and next thing I know I have customers being set on fire and a flooded café being cleaned up in less then a night,” he picked up a pen and tapped the end of it on the desk, spinning it before tapping it again.

Jungkook tensed. Did he suspect something? How much did he know? On what level did he know his grandparents? It was starting to get frustrating that everyone seemed to know his family except him. He couldn’t feel more like a black sheep then he did now.

Nam didn’t give him a chance to respond before he was speaking again, “On top of that I suddenly have old friends visiting to ask about you. So my question for you kid, is how the hell did you get yourself wrapped up with one of the most dangerous gangs in Seoul.”

Jungkook’s mouth went dry and he worked hard to keep his expression even on the outside while he freaked out internally. Did that mean that the person Jaeyong had said came to see Nam was from the gang? Why would they be looking for him if it wasn’t because of the door? He couldn’t think of any other reason, or how they knew to come to Nam.

“Do they know I’m here?” Jungkook asked, voice hard and knowing that he’d quit on the spot if that were the case.

Nam looked at him evenly, “No. Like you, they found out I went to see you in the hospital on behalf of your grandparents. They sent someone to see if I’ve seen or heard from you since.”

“And… you lied?”

“I don’t know what kind of monster you think I am but I know what that group can do. So what have you done to get the attention of people so high up?”

Jungkook licked his lips. He didn’t feel too apprehensive about talking to Nam. On some level, he gave him the same feeling as the Guardian did, in that protective, loyal sense. Letting his guard down somewhat, he ran a hand through his hair.

“I wish I knew. I was a runner for them for awhile, before I ended up in the hospital.”

The part that wasn’t adding up was why they were looking into him again. He could assume the man his brother had run into at the hospital was someone from the gang, given that he was looking into visitors, that was probably how he connected him to Nam. Jungkook wanted to believe that Nam was telling the truth and that they didn’t know he was working here.

Still that was a painfully near miss. They probably knew what he looked like, that wasn’t hard to find out, so if he had been working that day…

“How do you know them? You said he was an old friend,” Jungkook frowned.

Nam stood up, stepping out around his chair, “I used to work for them as well. That’s how I met your grandfather.”

“What does he have to do with all of this? I didn’t even know he existed until a week ago and now everything keeps coming back to him.”

Chuckling, Nam turned to the back wall behind his desk and adjusted a plaque on the wall, “I was assigned as your grandfather’s personal assistant for many years. He had this vision after the war. He wanted to find a way to help people get back on their feet, to remind people of the things that brought them hope and joy, help them repair their lives. Your grandfather built the Wings Network from the ground up, but he couldn’t do it alone.”

Jungkook stayed quiet, waiting for him to continue as his eyes drifted to the plaque, A symbol of four circles, each varying slightly from each other set in a square formation were engraved on the metal. He knew the symbol to be that of the Wings Network.

It was a well-known name. Jungkook had first run across it as a teenager. They were known for their multiple support systems, everything ranging from raising money for charities, suicide hotlines and therapy, support groups for grieving people, helping people with addictions, backing hospitals and care centers and so many more programs to help people who needed it.

Of course, they weren’t just that. Their main source of income came from their telecommunications systems that were already branching into other countries as well. They were one of the most influential companies in the eastern half of the world.

“When he got back from the war, he had next to nothing but the clothes on his back. That’s why he came to our group. They had already established an influence over the city. I was probably younger than you when I was assigned to work with him.”

“Why would they assign you to him though? What did he get out of working with a gang?” Jungkook asked.

“Money and power. I was told to keep an eye on him, though I was never told the nature of their deal. That was strictly between my boss and him.”

That brought up another question in Jungkook’s mind, “So, you worked directly under the boss? Has the gang ever changed hands?”

The look Nam gave him was a careful one. He leaned over and rested his palms on the desk.

“No.”

Oh.

“How well did you know him?”

“I told you, I don’t like pussyfooting.”

That answered everything Jungkook needed to know. He took a slow controlled breath, “You know he’s not-”

“Human?” Nam raised a brow acting as if he couldn’t tell that Jungkook’s mind was reeling at the admission. “Your friends there aren’t very subtle about hiding it either you know. Maybe try to keep the magic acts off camera and in the middle of an open café.”

Jungkook stared at the man. It was throwing him off how nonchalant he was being about all of this. He’d known all along that the others weren’t human? And he still hadn’t said anything?

“I owe your grandfather a lot. He was and is still a very dear friend of mine. But I’ve been out of that life for a long time so I’m not about to dive head first back into whatever business you’ve got going on with them. So I’m giving you a choice.”

“And that is?”

“You can quit now. They’ve come looking here once, if they find anything suspicious they will be back. So you can take your business out of here and not involve any of us,” Nam stepped around the desk and stood in front of Jungkook. There was no suggestion of taunting in his voice and Jungkook appreciated the straight up attitude about this.

The option did seem to be the logical choice. If he quit then Sumi and Jaeyong wouldn’t be involved if the gang tried coming back here. It wasn’t like he desperately needed this job and he wasn’t willing to put them in danger, it was what he’d been trying to avoid since the beginning. Of course he couldn’t have predicted that it would ever become this potentially dangerous, he’d just thought he was trying to keep them from being exposed to magic, yet now there were people tracking him down and who knew what his grandfather was up to.

So yes, the option did seem like the right choice.

“The other option?” He couldn’t help but ask.

Nam surprised him by dropping his hand on Jungkook’s shoulder, his touch firm and heavy. Jungkook glanced at his hand, looking back at him with wider eyes then he had intended, some of the wonderment bleeding through his carefully built expression.

“I don’t need to know the details of what’s going on to know that you’re a good kid mixed up in some bad things. Your grandfather asked me to check in on you once and I’d like to continuing doing so to make sure you’re not doing anything stupid. Such as leaving a magical door in the middle of an open alley for all to see,” Nam gave him a chastising look that felt almost… fatherly.

That alone had Jungkook swallowing heavily before opening his mouth to defend himself, only for Nam to raise a hand and silence him.

“Use the café as your safehouse here. You can continue to work, but I’ll assign you to kitchen duty with Jaeyong-ah. Sumi-yah is more then capable of handling the counter. You can hide that door of yours in the break room where it will be more secure.”

Jungkook shook his head, “How could I do that without Sumi-yah and Jaeyong-hyung knowing? They’d question why I never leave at closing.”

“Then tell them.”

Jungkook licked his lips and looked at the ground. At some point in their conversation he’d somehow relaxed enough to drop the ‘JK’ persona. It unsettled him that he couldn’t exactly tell when that had been. Nam had a rough kind of protective air about him.

He considered his words.

“If I tell them about magic it will change everything for them. I didn’t… I didn’t get a choice to find out. I don’t want to take that from them,” he said honestly.

Nam gave his shoulder a squeeze before dropping his hand, “Then don’t. Leave the decision up to them, explain what you can to get them to understand how serious it is and respect what they decide. But if they choose to help you, you need to commit to trusting them. Having ignorant people on your side does nothing but cause problems.”

The temptation was there, to take that option. Suddenly the first one didn’t sound nearly as logical. He could leave and through away his friendship with Sumi and Jaeyong, or he could trust them and possibly gain some allies in all of this. The idea of hiding the door in the café was a good one too. And what if Sumi and Jaeyong learned about everything they were, about everything they had done and could do, and they still chose to be his friends?

He knew the chance of rejection was there. But he’d always been the one to run first. He ran from his parents when they tried to seek him out and try to repair whatever was left of their relationship. He ran from Jiho to a more tempting option of living in another more ‘perfect’ world. Hell he’d even run from himself and his own life.

This time, he’d take the chance on them. This time he’d let them decide. Because of Jungkook decided to run, he would be doing the same thing he’d been trying to avoid. He’d be taking the choice from them.

“If you don’t want to be involved, why are you offering this?” Jungkook looked back at Nam, lips turned down.

Nam chuckled, though it lacked any humor, “I don’t think you realize how dangerous this man is. If I can do anything to help keep you off his radar I will.”

“Is there anything you can tell me about him? A name? What kind of affinity he has? What species he is?”

“I don’t know much about the magic side of things, only that he’s strong. Terrifyingly so. But he doesn’t use his abilities much by what I’ve seen. This was years ago granted. He went by Kim Ki-jung back then,” Nam hummed.

The name didn’t mean much to Jungkook but he filed it away to bring up to the guys later.

“So? What are you going to do kid?” Nam stepped around him towards the door, putting a hand on the knob and looking at him expectantly.

Jungkook tipped his head back and let out an exhausted sigh before chuckling in defeat.

Nam didn’t need more of an answer then that, giving a chuckle of his own and opening the door.

This would be a very long, very weird conversation, no matter which direction it went.

“We didn’t expect JK to get in touch, not after he disappeared like he did.”

Yoongi kept a stoic expression, sizing up the two people across from them. They didn’t look much different then the last time he’d seen them, if anything they looked a bit more worn down.

Il-seong, if he remembered correctly, had his arms crossed over his chest and was clearly trying to put on an intimidating front while the woman, who he couldn’t remember the name of, looked much like Yoongi assumed he did. Bored.

“He must be pretty high up in this new gang of his if he’s sending lackies to come talk to us. Couldn’t face us himself?” The woman scoffed, lips smacking as she chewed on something.

Hoseok, dressed in the clothes he’d warn the night at the theatre just as Yoongi himself was, put a hand on his hip, “I’ve heard you two were close with him.”

“Close?” Il-seong rolled his eyes, “The asshole barely paid his half of the rent.”

“We don’t get ‘close’. He was just one of the not so shitty ones.”

Yoongi leaned back against the concrete wall behind him, crossing his arms and kicking a foot up lazily. The room smelled of mold and oil. Dust could be seen floating in the rays of light casted by the streetlight outside the rooms window. It was empty except for a cabinet that had taken one too many hits from trespassers like themselves.

Jungkook had given his old gang buddy a call before he’d gone into the café, after a short discussion about needing to find out what’s changed in the gang since they’d been gone. They’d decided that Yoongi and Hoseok would be the two to go, not wanting to chance Jungkook being seen. Contacting them himself had been risky enough, but Jungkook promised they’d keep their mouths shut if he asked them too. So long as he promised them a favor in return. An eye for an eye after all.

Yoongi had already dealt with these two, so he was an obvious choice to go, and Hoseok had already been seen by the runner kid and gotten a sense of how to act in these situations. Jungkook had asked them to come up with alias’ too, figuring, despite not having a trackable record here on earth, it would be better to keep their names hidden.

“JK needs information, we’re here to get it,” Yoongi said flatly. “What’s been going on since the last boss left?”

The woman, her name started with an N, waved finger in his direction, “Nah nah nah, August was it? Let’s discuss what we want before all that. JK is willing to offer a favor in exchange for us spying yeah?”

“A favor within reason,” Hoseok squinted at her suspiciously.

Il-seong rolled his tongue in his mouth and nodded, “Then we want to join.”

Yoongi and Hoseok both paused and glanced at each other, “Sorry, join?”

“This new group JK seems to be running? We want in. Nothing could be worse than this. And JK has become somewhat of a role model for the runners. Man took out the tyrant after all,” Il-seong smirked, shoving his hands in his back pockets.

Yoongi wasn’t really sure what to say to that. Given that they’d be promising a chance to join a gang that didn’t actually exist. Though, there didn’t seem to be much harm in it, and the information was good to have.

Hoseok seemed to be thinking along the same lines, as he nodded and waved a hand towards them, “Deal. Only after the jobs done. Answer his questions.”

Yoongi tried incredibly hard not to keep stealing glances at Hoseok. He looked so alluring right now. The way he stood and the confident posture didn’t help. He had to remind himself not to drool over his lover in front of the new allies.

Nara, that was her name, spoke up first, “Things have been quiet on our level, though there’s word through the grapevine that something is stirring up the higher ups. We have a new boss but he’s pretty much a waste of space taking advantage of the product.”

“Does the name Kwan Chungho sound familiar?”

“Course, guy works up at the top, heard he’s got a short temper but he follows orders to the letter.”

So the man at the hospital looking into Jungkook was in the gang. That led to reason for concern but it didn’t explain why they were looking for him. Had Jiho lied about not telling them about Jungkook or the gem? Or had they somehow learned about it?

 He stamped down his annoyance for the constant smacking of the girl’s lips as she chewed whatever was in her mouth. It was getting obnoxious.

“Would he have any reason to be looking for JK?”

Nara shrugged, “Don’t know why he would. He’s a busy man, can’t see him wasting time on a former runner.”

“How about the man at the very top? What can you tell us about him?” Hoseok asked, voice a touch lower then usual and it was doing things to Yoongi.

Il-seong took over, but not in anyway that was helpful, “We aren’t allowed that info, honestly didn’t even know the guy was a dude until you said that. He’s never mentioned and he doesn’t deal with us small fry.”

Well that led to a dead end.

“Keep an eye on things. If anything changes or you hear anything, contact JK,” Yoongi said, pushing off the wall.

Il-seong and Nara both nodded.

“Don’t really know what you want us to be on the lookout for, but we’ll keep you posted man,” Il-seong said, heading for the door.

“Oh,” Hoseok spoke up, just as they were about to leave. “And if anyone asks. JK is dead.”

Yoongi expected some kind of questioning look but both of them just nodded as if in understanding and they left, leaving the two of them in the dingy room.

Hoseok looked at Yoongi, “So… how do we tell Jungkook he’s a gang leader now?”

Yoongi snickered, “I’m sure he’ll be thrilled.”

“Do you think everything went well with his boss today?”

They began making their way out of the room, traversing through the abandoned building until they found where they left the Galaxy door.

“I hope so. If he turns out to be setting Jungkook up I’m petitioning for him to never have a job again, lest his coworkers turn out to be evil psychopaths once more,” Yoongi grumbled.

Hoseok pulled him into his side and stooped down to kiss his cheek, grinning, “I don’t know about the boss guy, but Sumi and Jaeyong seem cool.”

“Yeah. I don’t mind them.”

“What is happening to you Yoongi? First you voluntarily hang out with a child and now you don’t mind people?” Hoseok gasps teasingly, earning a smack to the stomach from Yoongi which only made him laugh. “Seriously though, that kid melted my heart. He looked at you like you hung the stars love.”

Yoongi scrunched his nose sheepishly, opening the door gently (they’d all been very gentle with it, light pats and quiet reassurances going through) and stepping into the Galaxy, Hoseok not two steps behind, “I like him. He’s a cute kid.”

Hoseok took his hand, lacing their fingers together naturally, “You were really good with him you know.”

His tone was soft, endeared in a way that almost made Yoongi blush.

“I over heard Minnie and Jungkook talking about kids when he was sick,” he brought up hesitantly. “Have you ever thought about it?”

Hoseok hummed before nodding, “It’s crossed my mind, but… I kind of haven’t stopped thinking about it since see you with Boseon. And the way Jungkook and Jimin were with him too. Before now though…”

“It just never felt like the right time?” Yoongi guessed and looked up the path towards the house after seeing Hoseok nod. “Maybe, it’s um, it’s something we should bring up to the others. See what they think?”

Hoseok’s hand tightened in his hold, drawing his attention to him. He relaxed upon seeing his usual warm, loving smile and couldn’t help smiling back.

“I think that’s a great idea.”

Chapter Text

The light fingers in his hair were the first things Jungkook noticed when he woke up. He drifted back to the world slowly, gently, no sudden scares or alarms blaring on his phone. The grass beneath him was soft on his skin, caressing him with the motion of the breeze, mimicking the touch against his scalp.

Euphoria was a bit cold today, but the chill wasn’t uncomfortable enough for him to want to move just yet. His limbs felt heavy with sleep, not quite awake as he cracked his eyes open and looked at the swaying branches overhead, beyond them, the lavender sky.

Unlike Galaxy’s sky, which was an active swirl of planets and stars and colour, Euphoria’s sky was a gradient, fading from one shade to the next the closer it got to touching the horizon. It was a pastel lavender that looked as if it would be soft to the touch.

Jungkook let his attention drift to Taehyung, who laid on his stomach next to him, propped up on his elbows, sketchbook forgotten in front of him as he watched him intently. If it were anyone else, Jungkook might find the attention embarrassing, maybe even a little intimidating. Taehyung, though, had a way of making him feel like the center of the universe and proud of it. Like he was deserving of the look of adoration and love in his eyes.

Humming low, voice groggy from his nap, Jungkook tipped his head into Taehyung’s hand, “Were you watching me sleep?”

Taehyung’s lips pulled upwards, fingertips brushing across his forehead, touching his skin like he was something delicate. Precious. “I was drawing you, but I got distracted.”

The low tone of Taehyung’s voice was made for moments like these, calm and peaceful. Jungkook felt his eyes drift closed again. He was sure he could fall asleep once more but he wanted to stay awake to cherish this. “You’re supposed to be drawing Euphoria,” he teased.

“You’re more fun to draw,” Taehyung said, and Jungkook could hear the smile in his voice.

“Can I see?” He opened his eyes, about to make the attempt to roll onto his side to look at the paper. Taehyung shook his head, moving his hand to press his shoulder back down, resting his forearm across his chest. Jungkook pouted a bit but was too lazy to put up much fight.

“It’s not done yet.” Taehyung shifted closer, pressing against his side and bending himself to rest his upper body across Jungkook’s chest, hands propped under his chin. The warmth of his body blanketed over him, taking away the chill he’d felt and he sighed pleasantly.

Jungkook brought his hand up and ran it through Taehyung’s hair, watching him close his eyes. Fuck, he was so beautiful. He couldn’t find a single flaw on him. Taking in his features, he traced his thumb down the bridge of his nose, following his cheek bone, ghosting over his lips.

His boyfriend shifted up slightly, tucking his forehead into the side of Jungkook’s neck, cheek resting on his collar bone. Jungkook knew he could hear his heart beating in his chest, it was something the others started doing too sometimes, just listening for that consistent beat. That reassurance that he was alive.

Jungkook wished they didn’t have to leave this moment ever. Hell, they could go back, get the others then lock the door. Spend their days living here.

It sounded nice.

“Do you feel better?”

Jungkook drew patterns into Taehyung’s back lazily, “I felt fine before Taetae.”

“Minnie said you might feel tired if you don’t come here enough. You looked tired when you got home,” Taehyung’s voice was soft and Jungkook wondered if he had his eyes closed still.

“I think being tired is just a human’s natural state of being hyung,” he joked lightly.

Taehyung huffed a little, “It’s only cause you stay up late with Yoongi.”

“I don’t know how he does it all the time. Is that part of being a phoenix? Does he need less sleep?”

He felt the Fae nod against his chest, “All of us except Joonie can go awhile without sleep but it’s kind of uncomfortable.”

Jungkook thought about that for a moment before humming. There was still so much he had left to learn about the others. Not just about their pasts but about their individual species as well.

Taehyung’s weight shifted against him, curling closer. His hand fidgeted with the collar of his shirt, occasionally brushing his collarbones. He repressed the shiver at the touch.

“Hyung?”

For a long moment the only sound between them was the rustling of leaves overhead. Taehyung stayed quiet. Jungkook was just settling on the idea of leaving it alone, not asking if he was okay in case he didn’t want to talk about it, when the Fae spoke quietly.

“Do you like how I look?”

The question was asked so softly that his voice was almost carried away by the gentle breeze. As if fearing that would happen, Jungkook heard and felt Euphoria quiet down, the breeze dying and the air stilling the branches overhead.

Jungkook frowned, “Of course I do.”

He shifted to sit up, Taehyung moving off his chest to allow him to. Jungkook couldn’t imagine Taehyung thinking he would see him as anything less then stunning. He’d always thought that, since they met, and he often made sure that he told the Fae that. The sudden question, and the doubt that it suggested worried him.

“Why would you ask that?” He tilted his head and reached a hand forward to brush the corner of Taehyung’s lips, not liking that they were turned down ever so slightly. He wouldn’t meet his eyes either, looking intently at Jungkook’s thigh, hands fiddling with the exposed threads at the knee of his pants.

Jungkook’s hand slid down to rest on Taehyung’s knee, giving it a reassuring squeeze when he saw the hesitation to speak again on the others face.

“But you… know this isn’t how I naturally look,” Taehyung’s fingers twisted a thread back and forth.

“I know,” Jungkook confirmed. “Are you worried I won’t like what you really look like?”

When Taehyung nodded, Jungkook couldn’t do anything but smile. It wasn’t a worry he had. It hadn’t ever been a concern for him about what the others natural forms looked like. Would he be surprised to see them? Of course. Would it change how he felt about them? Never.

Seeing Taehyung shift at his smile he ducked his head down a bit to meet his eyes, taking his hand in his firmly, “Taetae, if you were going to scare me off, it would have happened when you kicked in my door like it was wet paper.”

Taehyung snort at the memory had him smiling wider and he cupped the man’s face in his hands, tipping his head up to look at him properly.

“I want… I want to show you,” Taehyung breathed, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth.

Jungkook, recognizing the seriousness of the admission, turned his body towards him to show he had his full attention. They’d all made it more then clear how serious it was to show their natural forms to people. Namjoon had told him that the only times Jungkook might ever see their natural forms, were in moments of great danger or moments they felt most safe.

His heart flooded with warmth at the thought that Taehyung felt that safe with him here, that the serenity and security he felt himself was returned by the other as well.

Jungkook went to remove his hands from Taehyung’s cheeks, to give him the space he needed, if he needed it. He wasn’t entirely sure how this worked or what would happen, which caused a nervousness to stir in him. Taehyung quickly grabbed his wrists and replaced his palms against his face, closing his eyes.

“Please don’t… don’t let go. Just stay like this,” he said, voice vulnerable and so so soft. Jungkook swallowed and nodded. This felt… intimate. More intimate then kissing, or touching or sex. More intimate then the Kaosado celebration or receiving the ring from them, which now pressed firm against Taehyung’s cheek.

Taehyung didn’t open his eyes again, but Jungkook could still see the nerves, could still feel how scared he was in the way he kneaded his thumbs against his wrists as if reassuring himself that Jungkook was still there.

Then, the Fae opened his mouth and let out a careful breath as a glow of gold light surrounded him. It was a soft light, but Jungkook still had to blink a few times to let his eyes adjust, to make sure he was really seeing it. Specks of the gold rose off him, floating up into the air above him like embers over a fire. Except it was slower than that, timid almost.

He felt the change first under his hands. Drawing his attention back to his lover, he watched in awe as his face reshaped before him. It wasn’t drastic, but it was enough to notice a large difference. Jungkook watched and felt the way his jawline softened, narrowing, looking almost feminine. He watched the way his nose tipped up slightly as the usually strong bridge of his nose sunk back and softened as well.

Jungkook felt his cheekbones shift under his fingers, felt the way the corners of his eyes tipped up, angling his closed eyes down towards his now button nose. He was almost too distracted by the subtle changes in his face to notice the changes in his body as well.

His ears angled back a bit more with the shifting of his jaw, the tips becoming gently pointed. His body seemed to lean out as well, becoming less muscular and fairer. The tan skin that Jungkook had become so familiar with, had paled to a near white, his form fitting shirt suddenly looked a few sizes too big for his now lithe looking form. He didn’t look weak by any means, but he seemed… graceful in a way.

Jungkook only realized he wasn’t breathing when the gold glow faded, all of it disappearing into the air above them and leaving Taehyung sitting before him, eyes pinched shut as if scared to open them.

Sucking in a slow breath to ease the burn in his lungs, Jungkook’s right hand twitched and pulled away. His eyes snapped to Taehyung himself instead of inspecting the features that had changed when the boy flinched, curling closer to his left hand and holding his wrist tighter.

His heart was pounding in his chest, lips parted as he took in the Fae as a whole. His button nose, his androgenous features, his porcelain skin, the pointed ears and the agile body. Taehyung’s hands had thinned out, nails growing just a bit longer.

He was ethereal.

It was the tear that ran down Taehyung’s cheek that had him snapping out of his entranced dazed, and he slowly shook his head, though the other couldn’t see. His tongue felt thick in his mouth, blocking the words he wanted to say. Instead, he lifted his right hand again, thumb brushing away that offending tear and his heart ached when Taehyung flinched at the action. He kept his hand there, firm as he trailed it up to his forehead, hand brushing his messy hair back. He felt almost unworthy to be touching someone so beautiful, so majestic.

And yet, not a moment before, Taehyung had looked at him like he was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. That made him feel… so loved. Not for a second did Jungkook think he could compare, but Taehyung seemed to think he was beautiful too. Beautiful enough to look at like he had. Beautiful enough to draw. The thought almost had tears coming to his own eyes.

Beyond telling him that he loved him, this was Taehyung showing him that he did.

“Open your eyes Taetae…” Jungkook whispered, his voice sounding so loud in the quiet between them.

Taehyung pinched his eyes harder for a moment, teeth finding his lower lip again, and Jungkook thought he’d shake his head in protest. Instead, slowly, ever so slowly, Taehyung opened his eyes to look at him.

The last of Jungkook’s breath was stolen the moment their eyes met. 

His eyes, angled inward and slightly bigger now, were a startling silver that mimicked the clouds of a storm brewing. His iris had expanded over the entirety of his eye, leaving nothing untouched by the metallic silver that seemed to still have no problem expressing the Fae’s emotions because amongst the silver he found worry, fear, desperation and all things that made his heart burn with a fierce protectiveness.

“Taehyung… you’re…” He struggled with the words. Each one he thought of seemed lacking, didn’t fit just right, didn’t express what level of beautiful he was. He gave up on words and instead, like he’d done before, traced his fingers over his features.

Taehyung held very still, and though he had no pupils to suggest it, Jungkook knew he was searching Jungkook’s eyes carefully.

They sat like that, in charged silence as Jungkook processed the being in front of him. Eventually, he leaned his forehead against the Fae’s, trying to convey the emotions he was feeling.

“Can I kiss you?” Jungkook asked, breath ghosting Taehyung’s lips. He knew they didn’t usually ask. Kisses were free game around their home after it was consented that it was okay to do so. But this was different. This was so much more then a good morning kiss or a kiss goodbye before work or a heated make out in the hallway when they both got too flirty one day.

Taehyung whimpered, a sound that had Jungkook almost cursing out loud, and nodded quickly.

Jungkook moved his hands and took Taehyung’s wrists instead, wrapping his arms around his shoulders, knowing the Fae might hesitate to touch him. He pulled him close, his hands feeling much larger against Taehyung’s lithe body.

After looking him in the eyes once more, he kissed him, backed with all the raw emotion he felt towards the older. Taehyung must have felt it, even just a fraction, because he gasped against his mouth and was grabbing onto him like his life depended on it, pulling him so close it was painful. Jungkook didn’t care. He’d feel all levels of pain if it meant this moment, full of love and acceptance and dispersing doubts, would last an eternity.

Was this how the others were feeling too? The fear of scaring him off with how they look? He knew it must not have been nearly this hard for them to show each other, but Jungkook hadn’t known their kind had even existed. Seeing it and seeing someone who looked human saying it, were two different things. So he understood the fear, as unneeded as it was, and he would give them the time they needed to come to him with it.

Taehyung pulled away first, just enough to look at him, just enough to put his hands on his face, his neck, sliding them to his shoulders then chest. They’d kissed for longer before, more heated and passionate, but Taehyung was panting and out of breath now. Jungkook imagined his heart was hammering as hard as his own.

“How did you find us,” Taehyung breathed, a wonderment in his voice that had Jungkook smiling. He’d asked himself that a lot too. How he was lucky enough to stumble into their lives, a total mess and something they had feared, yet they let him in anyhow. They loved him regardless.

“A door,” Jungkook answered cheekily and it was worth it to see the spark of electricity, like lightning, shoot through his boyfriend’s eyes and his face break out in a smile that echoed the name of the world they were in. He pressed a thumb against the corner of his mouth again, as if that would pin the smile there, keep it there always.

“Thank you,” he whispered, because he knew what this meant, what it took for him to show him this.

Taehyung breathed out a laugh and his eyes became watery, the silver darkening, “Don’t. Don’t thank me. I shouldn’t have been worried. But I wasn’t sure…”

“You don’t have to explain. I know,” Jungkook kissed him again, a chaste peck, struggling to deal with him being physically distanced from him.

Taehyung nodded and curled around him, hugging him tightly, ear pressed against his chest once more. Right over his heart. Only once he was in his arms, did Jungkook notice the wings.

They were sticking out from under his shirt, bent awkwardly along the ground and restricted by the fabric of the shirt. Taehyung must have felt his pause because he tried to pull away and look at him. Jungkook didn’t let him get far, keeping him close as he reached down to pull the bottom of his shirt up, over where the wings were connected to his back.

Taehyung tensed, freezing under him and Jungkook thought he might have done something wrong, realizing how inappropriate the action might have been. He didn’t know anything about Fae culture or customs, he didn’t know if it was rude to expose a Fae’s wings like that.

“Sorry,” he whispered, kissing Taehyung’s hair. “I just, they’re beautiful.”

Taehyung melted into his arms again and hummed, a sound verging on a purr. Shyly, he nuzzled his cute button nose against his neck, “You can, touch, you can touch them if you want.”

Jungkook licked his lips and looked back at his wings which were drooped in what he assumed was a relaxed position. They looked like the wings of a dragonfly, see through and delicate, shimmering with an array of colours as Taehyung shifted. “Are you sure?” He felt the need to ask.

Taehyung nodded against him, twisting so he was looking over his shoulder at his own wings, hands gripping Jungkook’s shirt. “Be gentle,” Taehyung whispered and he could hear the embarrassment in his voice. It led Jungkook to believe that this really was an intimate action he was allowing him. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt him.

Carefully, he reached a hand out, making sure a Taehyung could semi-see what he was doing in case he wanted to tell him to stop. The moment his fingers brushed the silky texture of the wings, they both gasped. Taehyung, pressing tight against Jungkook’s chest and burying his face in his neck, lips pressed against his skin, startled by whatever feeling the touch had caused. Jungkook gasped because of the twitch of the wings and how, if he wasn’t looking at his hand, he might not have known he was touching them at all.

They were that smooth and thin. Could Taehyung actually fly with these? He would absolutely love to see that, but he felt that they should save it for another day. The way Taehyung was shuddering against him as he slid his hand up the side of his wing, closer to where it connected to his back, was doing things to him.

“What does it feel like?” He breathed against Taehyung’s ear, fighting the desire to nip at the now pointed skin there.

He felt Taehyung’s hot breath against his neck and the quivering of his lips against his skin. “Good. Feels, really good,” he all but whined.

Slipping two fingers against his spine, between his wings, Jungkook pressed down and startled slightly when Taehyung went completely pliant against him, forcing him to shift his arm to keep him from sliding off his shoulder. Blinking in surprise he looked down at the pure bliss on the elder’s face, his eyes drooped and mouth partially open. “Fuck,” Jungkook breathed and groaned as he continued to massage that spot.

Taehyung panted and managed to turn himself enough to latch his mouth onto Jungkook’s neck. Sighing as the Fae licked and bit at him, leaving all the marks he so desired, letting out sinful noises of pleasure when Jungkook would shift his hand slightly, kneading the skin of his back and oh-so carefully touching his wings.

It was a pleasure that wasn’t just sexual. It was a mix of relaxation, trust, serenity all rolled into one. It made Jungkook think that maybe people didn’t get this close to Fae’s wings very often. Taehyung seemed to be enjoying this feeling like it was the first time in a long time that he could relax to this extent. To be the one doing that for him was a level of pleasure and pride Jungkook had seldom felt.

He was suddenly thankful that they were quite literally the only two people in the world right now. While he wouldn’t have minded the others being here too, he was grateful to have this moment with Taehyung alone. As he gently coaxed his hand away from his back, not wanting to abruptly end whatever high Taehyung was experiencing, he eventually looked at the man who had at some point stopped sucking on his neck and had instead fallen asleep.

Smiling fondly, he held him close and traced his fingers through his hair like he had done for him. He looked up at the sky and felt Euphoria’s warmth blanket over himself and Taehyung.

When they got home the others noticed right away that something had changed between them. Taehyung, while prone to being clingy, was hanging off him most of the night. He had changed back to his usual human like appearance before they left Euphoria and Jungkook hadn’t stopped blabbering out a million and one questions.

Apparently, Taehyung could indeed fly.

If that didn’t give it away, Jimin seemed to see, or maybe sense, something about Taehyung that had him gasping and throwing himself at the both of them, a mess of happy tears that had at first concerned Jungkook until he found himself being peppered all over with kisses.

They had a bigger meal then normal for dinner that night, though no one complained. Taehyung held his hand through out and Jungkook’s face hurt from smiling so much.

Their conversation turned towards more pressing things towards the end of the meal.

“How do you think they’ll react?” Namjoon asked, taking a bite off his fork.

Jungkook shrugged gently, “I mean… pretty shocked I think. But that depends if I can even get them to agree to coming here so I can prove magics real. Are you guys all okay with them being here?”

Seokjin nodded along with the others. “If you think they’ll make good ally’s then we trust you. It might take a little bit for us to fully trust them however.”

Jungkook respected that. He was happy they were willing to give this a shot. He had told them about Nam offering the café as a safehouse for them and they seemed to think it was a good idea as well, so long as they knew Sumi and Jaeyong were willing to be involved.

“Did he tell you anything about the boss? Your gang buddies didn’t know much of anything,” Yoongi said, shoving Hoseok’s hand away from some of the food on his plate.

“Only his name, apparently he went by Kim Ki-jung but Nam-ssi doesn’t know if that’s changed. The guy didn’t use his powers around him so he doesn’t know what species he is or what his affinity is. If the runners can let us know if things start changing we can…” Jungkook trailed off when his voice suddenly sounded too loud in the room. He looked around at the others, slowly taking in the frozen expressions on his hyung’s faces.

Namjoon was pale, staring at the table with wide eyes, his hand shaking and knocking most of the food off his fork back onto his plate. Yoongi and Seokjin had locked eyes with each other, both wearing blank looks. The others looked a bit confused, Taehyung frowning and trading a confused look with Jimin who put his hand on Namjoon’s arm.

Seokjin was the first to move, slowly setting his utensil down and sitting back in his chair, “He’s a Siren. He has dark affinity,” he answered in a heavy tone.

Jungkook’s brow pinched and he looked at him, “You… know him?”

Hoseok sat back and looked between the three who still barely moved. Yoongi was glaring at his plate now. Cursing, Hoseok ran a hand through his hair as painful realization washed over him. “He was the one who captured you.”

Jungkook felt his heart stop, quickly looking at Namjoon and Yoongi. Jimin covered his mouth with his hand and Taehyung gripped Jungkook’s hand so tightly his knuckles cracked. This boss, this was the man that they had fought against in the war? The one who had captured and tortured Namjoon and Yoongi?

Biting his lip, he looked back at Seokjin as the angel nodded.

There was silence again and it was heavy on their shoulders.

“I don’t like the idea of pushing you for answers,” Hoseok started, hesitating a bit as he put a hand on Yoongi’s shoulder. “But if this guy is after you, or Galaxy, we need to know what happened.”

Jungkook agreed with Hoseok. Nam’s words came back to him then. ‘Having ignorant people on your side does nothing but cause problems.’ It was true. If they didn’t know all the facts, they would make ignorant mistakes. This wasn’t the way he wanted to find out about this though. Like everything, he was willing to wait for them to come to him about it, he’d rather wait then have them forced to talk about something so clearly traumatizing. This made him uncomfortable.

Yoongi put an elbow on the table and looked at Namjoon as he ran a hand through his hair. The immortal gave him a small nod and dropped his fork to instead take Jimin’s hand in his own, seeking the comfort. It was strange to see, he was usually the one giving such comfort, but then again, Jungkook hadn’t seen too much faze the man.

“We probably should have told you a long time ago, but it’s… we all just kind of wanted to forget about it. Things had been so peaceful before-” Yoongi paused, realizing what he was about to say as his eyes darted over to Jungkook.

Jungkook gave him a reassuring smile, “Before I showed up. It’s okay hyung, I know I kind of threw a wrench in the works.”

Seokjin reached over and took his other hand, as if he were the one who needed comforting right now, “We needed it. We needed you.”

Shaking his head, Jungkook gave Taehyung’s hand a squeeze before letting it go, getting up and shifting over to plop himself sideways in Seokjin’s lap. The angel wrapped his arms around him immediately, a hand resting on his thigh. “If you don’t want to talk about this now, we can wait a bit longer. But… I think Hobi-hyung is right. Before we get in over our heads we need to know what we’re up against.”

Seokjin hummed and nuzzled against Jungkook’s cheek, “It’s not a pretty story.”

“None of us have very pretty stories,” Taehyung said softly, moving to Jungkook’s seat to be closer to them.

Yoongi folded his arms on the table, sighing at the touch of Hoseok’s hand against the back of his neck. “Kim was a General on the human’s side of the war. He was one of the many that defected and sided with them. We were on a scouting mission with a small unit of men when we were ambushed.”

Jungkook felt the tension in Seokjin’s muscles and leaned his shoulder against his chest, running his fingers through his hair at the nape of his neck. He could practically hear his thoughts of self blame. He’d been the one to send them on that mission. That had been his job as the General.

Namjoon ran his thumb along Jimin’s knuckles, trying to distract himself, “We hadn’t expected Kim to be there. He got us to submit with only a few words. We practically handed ourselves over to him,” he almost growled.

Jungkook licked his lips, trying to be careful of his questions, “I thought… I’m sorry, but I thought Sirens were only female?”

Jimin shook his head and gave him a gentle smile, “Sirens can be any gender. But it makes them no less dangerous. Their power of suggestion is one of the most feared. Most Sirens live by good morals and rarely, if ever, use it.”

“Kim is good enough with it that you wouldn’t even know he was using it on you,” Yoongi scowled. “He killed our unit in front of us and took us captive.”

Jimin wrapped both his hands around Namjoon’s and brought it to his lips, kissing his knuckles one by one.

“He would…” Namjoon started but hesitated.

Hoseok jumped in quickly, “You don’t have to.”

“I want to,” the immortal reassured, though he hesitated once more. “I was… I was human when he captured us. He kept us in the same room, and he would take turns so we had to watch.”

Yoongi grit his teeth.

Jungkook felt his stomach twist painfully.

“He would, go for hours, he kept… he would kill Yoongi, over and over. Slowly,” Namjoon stared ahead of him, eyes unfocused. “He would try and see how long he could go each time.”

Jungkook felt like he was going to throw up. He tried to imagine being in that position, watching Yoongi die and suffer. Watching any of them suffer. It would kill him. “I… how did, if phoenix’s can’t die…”

Hearing his unspoken question, Seokjin kissed his temple reassuringly and Yoongi took a short breath to ground himself. “We can. There’s a short period during our regeneration that we are very vulnerable. If we’re attacked again during it, it will kill us.”

Nodding quickly, Jungkook pressed his lips together. That meant that the man was torturing them for fun. He kept them alive purposefully like some kind of sick game.

“I didn’t make it two days before I was so near death I was basically unresponsive,” Namjoon said flatly. “Like Phoenix’s, there’s a short period after a human dies where there soul hasn’t left their body. It’s only a few seconds, but that short window makes human’s souls susceptible to magic. Because the body is what naturally repels it. Kim waited for that moment before cursing me.”

Jungkook covered his mouth, whether to keep back the horrified sob or keep himself from actually being sick, he wasn’t sure. He had wondered, how Namjoon had become an immortal if magic didn’t work on humans. But to know that this man had waited for that brief moment that a human’s soul was vulnerable to cast such a horrific spell.

Just for the sake of doing what he was doing to Yoongi. Play with them, kill them, and play with them some more.

He had to move around, had to do something with the strange energy burning in his chest, had to get it out somehow, so he got off Seokjin’s lap and began to pace. He felt sick and restless, and it was becoming harder to tell what was Euphoria’s anger and what was his own.

“Kookie?”

He didn’t know who asked, but he gave a distracted nodded and continued his back and forth up and down the length of the table, “I’m okay.”

There was a pause before someone must have urged them to continue. Yoongi took over this time, “We were there for months. Until Jinnie found us and got us out. We were… broken. It took years for us to recover enough that we could help with the plan for galaxy.”

Taehyung was crying silently and he didn’t hesitate to use his power to zap next to Yoongi, curling over his shoulders to hug him tightly.

Jimin wiped a few of his own tears away, trying to stay somewhat composed, “He got away?”

Seokjin’s jaw tensed and Jungkook only stopped his pacing long enough to hear his answer, “We fought. For three days straight. But he was stronger then I was. He escaped, but he was extremely injured. We had hoped he’d…”

Jungkook opened and closed his hands. He’d never felt this kind of anger before. This dread and hate was all encompassing and he felt like his heart was going to explode. His vision was tunneled on only the floor, teeth grinding together so hard he might’ve feared they’d break if he were clear minded.

“I worked for him.”

The words silenced the room. Jungkook could feel their eyes on him.

He had worked for that bastard. He didn’t care how small his position had been in the gang, how miniscule the profit he brought in for the man was in the grand scheme of things. It still meant he had worked for and benefitted the man who had tortured the only people in his life he had come to trust more then he trusted himself. People he loved so much it was almost unbearable sometimes to think they had to suffer any pain at all.

His fingernails dug into his hands, and there were hands on his shoulders. Jungkook recognized Seokjin in front of him, giving him a worried but soft smile. “You know you couldn’t have known love. None of us knew.”

Logically, he knew Seokjin was right. But try as he might, he couldn’t get rid of the festering burn in his chest. He pressed his tongue into his cheek, hoping Seokjin knew that his anger wasn’t towards him or the others. He felt Seokjin press a kiss to his forehead and another hand pressed to his back.

“Come on love,” Namjoon’s soothing voice said next to him, “Let’s go to the arena and spare for a bit.”

Not trusting that his words wouldn’t come out harsh, he nodded stiffly and was led out by the hand.

Fighting did help, though Jungkook insisted on starting with a dummy so he could let off some steam before he accidently hurt Namjoon without meaning too. He wasn’t naive enough to think he was a good enough fighter compared to Namjoon’s years as a soldier, but he still wanted a clearer head while fighting someone he cared about.

They fought for some time before they called it quits, both exhausted and ready for bed. The maknae’s collectively agreed that they were all sleeping in the big room tonight, making it seem as though it was for their sake when everyone knew that they wanted to be there to comfort the older three.

Jungkook went to sleep wrapped in Namjoon’s and Seokjin’s arms, exhaustion taking over quickly.

But that restless energy that stirred in his chest persisted, only slightly calmer than it had been. He spent too long trying to figure out if it was Euphoria’s emotion’s or if there was something wrong. Yet Euphoria remained quiet at his questions.

He hoped it would be gone by morning.

Of course though, it wasn’t.

The feeling in his chest, now a strange pressure that reminded him faintly of what it felt like to have an oncoming panic attack, refused to simmer down throughout the entire day at work. He was starting to think that it really was just his own emotions bundling up after the emotional day he’d had the day before. Taehyung showing him his true form (something he had had beautiful dreams about last night) and Yoongi, Namjoon and Seokjin opening up somewhat on what had happened with this Kim Ki-jung guy, had certainly been a lot.

But he hadn’t thought it would be more then he could handle. Sure he was pissed, and he felt a lot closer to them now, especially Taehyung, but he’d handled worse hadn’t he? Hell he was only hearing about the story after the fact, it wasn’t like he’d been there like they had. What he had been through never left him feeling this. So why was this feeling so annoyingly present still? It was making him jittery and anxious, like he wanted to run a marathon but also wanted to hide under his bed forever.

He could also blame it on the fact that he was possibly going to tell Sumi and Jaeyong about magic in less then an hour. That or quit if their answer was what he kind of hoped it was but also feared it would be.

He’d asked his coworkers that morning if they were busy after work, both said they were free so he’d hesitantly asked if they could stick around to talk for a bit.

They had both casually accepted and hadn’t been any the wiser to Jungkook’s mounting stress levels over the day. It felt like it dragged on forever and he thought of a million and one ways to start this conversation but none of them seemed right.

The others were waiting at home, they knew to expect them if Sumi and Jaeyong wanted to hear what he had to say. If they didn’t, he’d be going home alone.

Despite the whole day dragging by agonizingly slow, the last hour went by too quickly and before he knew it, Sumi was locking up the door and dusting her hands on her apron.

Jungkook had changed out of his uniform and was now just trying to kill time, desperately trying to think of how to start this conversation. Eventually though, Jaeyong smacked his hand down on the table he’d sat himself at. “Dude, we’ve been waiting for ten minutes, can we at least get some drinks or something?”

Jungkook jumped a bit and looked at him sheepishly, “Ah, sorry, sorry.”

Sumi smacked Jaeyong’s arm, “Don’t rush him. Take all the time you need Jungkook-ssi.”

Jungkook rubbed the back of his neck, “Okay, um. So, I wanted to talk to you guys about something important.”

“Yeah, we got that much judging by the pacing,” Jaeyong huffed and stood up. “Just be straight with us.”

Jungkook paused and opened his mouth, lifting a finger.

Jaeyong put a hand up and closed his eyes. “I’ll throw myself out the window if you make a gay joke right now.”

He slowly closed his mouth and put his hand down.

Sumi giggled before stepping over to him and putting a gentle hand on his arm. “Is this about whatever you’re involved in Jungkook-ssi?”

Looking at her, he licked his lips and sighed, nodding. “Look guys, I want the decision to be up to you, I don’t want you to get involved and wish I hadn’t told you anything. It’s… I can’t say much until you decide but it’s not a choice to make lightly okay? Things could get messy.”

Jaeyong looked at him for a long serious moment. Jungkook bit his tongue, watching them both carefully. Sumi was easier to read, her expression pinched and contemplative. He hoped they understood how serious this could potentially be. Maybe he was overreacting, but he hadn’t exactly been introduced to magic gently, and it ended up costing him his life in the long run. He didn’t want to bank on them being as lucky as he had been with Euphoria.

Especially now that they knew the man that was causing them headaches was the same man from Seokjin, Yoongi and Namjoon’s past. The same man that had no qualms about torturing them for months on end, even forcing a curse on Namjoon just to keep him alive to torture more.

“You aren’t giving us much to go on, but given that your boyfriend told us the same thing, I’ll believe you mean it’s not child’s play. All the more reason for me to help out where I can.”

Jaeyong’s words surprised him, and he found himself frowning deeply, “You might want to think about it a little more than that,” he suggested.

His coworker scoffed and shook his head, “Jungkook-ah, I know what it’s like to have no one on your side when you need it. You might have those roommates of yours, and Yoongi-ssi, but you’re my friend. Another pair of hands can’t hurt.”

As awkward as Jungkook often was with social interactions, he found this one especially hard. If it were with his hyung’s he’d be giving them a million kisses right now but he couldn’t very well do that with Jaeyong so he found himself not knowing what to do with himself. “That-wow. Um. That, thanks hyung, I just, are you sure?”

Jaeyong rolled his eyes and smacked him on the back none too gently, “I’m sure.”

Nodding slowly, Jungkook looked at Sumi who looked a little more unsure. He understood her apprehension. She hadn’t come from a life like Jaeyong and Jungkook had, she had told him that herself. But she too surprised him when she smiled and gave a firm nod. “I want to help too. I um… I just, if fighting is involved…”

Jungkook quickly shook his head, “I’ll keep you away from it. You won’t have to fight.”

“Promise?” Sumi shifted and held up her pinky, to which Jungkook wrapped his own around immediately.

“I promise.”

He would keep her out of the line of fire. Jaeyong too if he could. The seven of them should be more then strong enough if it came down to fighting. Though, Seokjin’s words about how Kim had been stronger than him had that anxious feeling stirring in him uncomfortably.

Shoving it to the back of his mind he dropped his hand and found himself faced with two expectant looks. Oh. Oh shit, right. Now he had to explain everything.

“Uh, so… first things first I guess, um. Magic is real,” he blurted out.

They stared at him.

Alright, he had expected this to be fair. Now he was a little frustrated that he didn’t have any powers to show off like the others did. He half expected Euphoria’s amusement or maybe even a mocking emotion to well up in him but it was strangely quiet. That tight feeling in his chest persisted.

“When Yoongi-hyung set the guy on fire? That was magic, that’s why he didn’t get burnt, because magic doesn’t work on humans,” Jungkook tried to explain further, still only getting blank looks.

“Um… Jungkook-ssi, Yoongi-ssi already explained that he likes to do magic. It’s his hobby isn’t it?” Sumi said hesitantly, as if she was breaking the news to a child that Santa wasn’t real.

Jungkook facepalmed before quickly waving his hands. “No! Not that kind of magic, like, energy and phoenix’s and mythical creatures, they’re real. They live in a world, an Echo Realm called Galaxy.”

Sumi perked up at the name, “Galaxy, you mentioned that when you were sick.”

“Yes exactly! I live there with Yoongi-hyung and the others,” he said, hoping to see some belief cross their expressions.

Jaeyong slowly nodded, “Okay, you uh… how long did that coma of yours last again..?”

Clearly explaining wasn’t going to work. Not that he entirely believed it would. He sounded crazy even to himself. Time to go another route then.

Turning to look at the Galaxy door, which had been sitting in the middle of the cafe since the beginning of the conversation, Jungkook walked over to it. Standing next to it, he crossed his arms. “This is the last chance to back out,” he warned, but couldn’t keep the grin off his face.

Sumi and Jaeyong glanced at each other, concerned and also extremely curious, before looking at him. “We aren’t backing out,” Jaeyong said firmly. “But you need to start making some kind of-” Jaeyong paused as Jungkook let himself casually tipped to the side until his shoulder thumped against the frame of the door. “Sense,” he finished weakly.

The angle he leaned against it clearly wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the object and he watched the moment that their eyes recognized the door’s presence. Sumi gasped and took a step forward, eyes locking onto the out of place structure in the middle of the room. “Wait, what, how did- that wasn’t-” she stammered.

Jaeyong rubbed his eyes and squinted, moving closer as well, “What the hell? How did you do that? How long has that been there?”

Jungkook snickered and stood upright, stepping around in front of the door, patting it fondly. “Since closing. This, is the door to Galaxy. My home.”

Jaeyong looked more then a little shell shocked, holding up a hand but seeming to get stuck between holding it in a ‘hold on’ motion or pointing at the door so it just hovered awkwardly.

Sumi stepped closer and stopped next to Jungkook, reaching a hand out and gently touching the door.

It was solid under her fingertips and Sumi gasped in surprise at the warm of the wood, tugging her hand back quickly and trapping it against her chest. She looked at Jungkook with wide eyes and found him smiling at her.

This was not what she had expected.

When he had first mentioned magic, she had honestly thought that he was trying to be funny, and when they were being so serious in trying to offer him help, it hadn’t been entirely appreciated. But then he’d mentioned Yoongi, and she thought, maybe Jungkook was just gullible? Maybe he thought that magicians magic was actual magic? Or perhaps he was just trying to be a supportive boyfriend and pretend?

She still hadn’t seen how that was relative to the conversation.

Then Jungkook had leaned against a door. A door that hadn’t been there before. It wasn’t like... like it had just appeared when he touched it, but it was like she was just now seeing it. Or paying attention to it maybe. Come to think of it, had she seen it earlier when they were talking? She wasn’t sure now.

Her mind was reeling with the ‘appearance’ of the door and it wasn’t just some illusion either, though Jungkook leaning his weight against it should have been the first clue. Sumi had to test it for herself. Sure enough, it was real.

“Is this, like a party trick or something? Is Nam helping you prank us?” Jaeyong asked, eyes scanning the door. “There’s no way that’s been here the whole time.”

Jungkook laughed a bit, “Human’s can’t see magic unless they look for it. Their minds logic their way out of seeing it, like you guys are trying to do right now.”

Sumi swallowed. He was right… she was trying to figure out how he could have possibly gotten this door in here without them knowing. There was just no way. But was he right that she was just not seeing it because she knew they shouldn’t be a door there? No that… that didn’t make sense. Magic, not in that sense, wasn’t real. There couldn’t be.

Jaeyong shook his head and pressed his palm to his forehead, clearly reeling as much as she was right now. “Can you stop saying ‘human’s’ as if you aren’t one? Or as if that’s even possible?”

Jungkook seemed to want to say something there but he kept his mouth shut. That alone made Sumi wary and a little nervous.

“Jungkook-ah,” Jaeyong said carefully, noticing his silence as well. “Are you human?”

The question seemed silly, absolutely preposterous. Completely out of the realm of possibility that he could be anything but. And yet, his answer had her heart racing.

“Yes?” Came his careful reply.

“That isn’t a question you should answer with another question,” Jaeyong deadpanned.

Jungkook shrugged, “It’s a long story. But, I’ll explain everything when you guys come to terms with this,” he gestured to the door, as if it held all the answers. Sumi supposed it actually might. Jungkook grinned then and put his hand on the doorknob, “Do you guys want to see something amazing?”

It was impossible and crazy to even entertain the thought that magic was real, that this place he was talking about, this Galaxy, existed. It went against everything she had ever known, everything she had ever been taught in school. It couldn’t be possible. It was foolish and stupid to even consider it.

So it was simple.

An easy question.

There really was only one answer.

Sumi smiled excitedly.

Chapter Text

Jaeyong would say he was a realist. If anyone were to ask, not that many did, he would tell them that he liked situations grounded in reality. He liked knowing his facts and not wasting time on imagining scenarios that seemed farfetched or unlikely.

That’s how his life had always been. Real. Real choices with real consequences. If he ever did want an escape from reality, that was what movies and books and the imaginations that others chose to share were for.

So when he stepped through that door that couldn’t possibly be real, and was so prepared to turn to Jungkook and raise a brow and ask what the theatrics were about, all whilst they still stood in the café, he was hit in the face rather quickly with everything except reality.

He distantly heard the door close behind them, but he couldn’t process the sound on top of everything else he was seeing. His first thought was that he’d been drugged. He must have been slipped something. Jaeyong had done his fair share of drugs in the past, but he’d never taken anything that would cause hallucinations this vivid.

His eyes, overwhelmed with the purple galaxy sky and the trees of every species crammed in one place and the planets overhead that he could almost feel the crushing weight of, found Sumi quickly. She was frozen in her spot, looking up at the sky. He quickly put a hand on her shoulder.

Sumi was real. She was real. That thought grounded him enough to drag his gaze over to Jungkook, who was standing to the side watching them carefully. He was smiling softly but there was a timidness mixed in that he didn’t usually see on the boys face. Jungkook was usually youthful and boyish around the café, happy for the most part and while Jaeyong hadn’t known him long enough to see them, he was just now realizing there were many more sides to the kid.

He looked at the sky again. It was beautiful, he couldn’t deny that. Absolutely stunning. A kinetic painting. No matter how long he felt he looked at it, it seemed like he could never quite process it all. Like the sky was so ever-changing that it became a new masterpiece with every blink.

They must have stood there a very long time because Jungkook was the one to break the silence and even though he spoke softly, his voice still made him jump. He could feel Sumi jerk slightly too.

“It’s beautiful isn’t it?” He asked, and Jaeyong looked at him to see him looking up with a fondness in his eyes. It was as if he were looking at someone or something he loved.

“I don’t… how…” Sumi whispered. Jaeyong understood her loss of words. “How is this possible? What, is this place?”

Jungkook looked away from the sky, making the action look easier then Jaeyong was finding it, “The Galaxy. We’re going to stay here for a few minutes so you can adjust. Then we’ll head to the house.”

Jaeyong looked around the clearing, letting go of Sumi’s shoulder to turn and take in the area. Jungkook was calm so he put his trust in him that they were safe here. He looked at the door they’d come through. They were just in the café. How could they suddenly be in… another world? Is that what this was? Where, how could this make any sense? Where was this world in relation to theirs?

“What the fuck.” The words fumbled out of his mouth before he could think to stop them and the rest followed just as quickly. “What the fuck? This isn’t possible. How are you doing this? This is an illusion right? Drugs? Projectors or something?”

He knew all of that was wrong. He knew there was only one answer, but his mind couldn’t wrap around it. All of his senses were telling him this was as real as anything he’d ever known. The warmth of the air, the smell of the grass, the sounds of the forest around them, it was real.

Holy shit.

This was real.

“You’re not, you’re not human? You’re actually not human?” Jaeyong spun around to look at Jungkook with wide eyes not giving him anytime to answer his first questions, regarding him with a newfound point of view. He tried to see past the very human like appearance. Was he an alien? Holy shit they’d been working with an alien.

Jungkook laughed, “I am. I was born human but a lot happened so it’s a little harder to say that now.”

Sumi ran her hands through her hair, taking in the area like Jaeyong was, she let her hands rest on her head, mouth open in awe, “It just, its amazing,” she breathed, “Magic is… real? It’s actually real? Like, wizards and potions?”

Jungkook smiled, “Potions yes, I’m not sure about wizards. More along the lines of mythical creatures.”

Sumi’s eyes snapped to him, wide and stunned, “When Yoongi-ssi said… he’s not actually a…”

“He is,” their coworker confirmed, smiling proudly. “He’s a phoenix.”

“Holy shit.”

“I need to sit down.”

Sumi started lowering herself to the ground and Jungkook hurried over to take her arm and steady her on the way down. Jaeyong followed too and they found themselves sitting facing each other. The grass was real.

He dropped his head in his hands and pressed his palms into his eyes. He opened them. The world was still there. “I’m going insane. You’re telling me, this, magic, phoenix’s are real? They’re actually real? How have people not found out about this? Do people know about this?”

“Not many. Centuries ago magical beings used to live with us on earth, but a war broke out between them and humans. They created this place, an echo realm, to escape and live peacefully.”

“A war? Something like that, there should be record of it shouldn’t there? Some kind of written history?” Sumi frowned.

Jungkook blinked, “I’m not sure, I haven’t thought much about that. Maybe it just got lost? Or purposely hidden? There is a lot we don’t know about history.”

Jaeyong shook his head. At this rate he was going to have an aneurism. He looked back at the door. Getting up again, he hurried over to it, quickly grabbing onto the doorknob and throwing it open. Looking through it, he could only see the other side of the clearing, exactly what you would expect to see. But…

He took one step through the door, forcing himself not to blink.

In an instant, he was back in the café. Like someone had switched a picture in front of him, he was back in the familiar space and he almost fell on his face in shock. Whipping back to the door, he put a hand through the open space. It didn’t disappear or go through any magical energy wall or anything, it was just him waving an arm through a doorway.

Yet when he took a breath and stepped back through, once more the image flipped and he was surrounded by warm air so suddenly it threw off his senses. Sumi and Jungkook were still sitting where he’d left them. Jungkook watched him with amusement, legs stretched out in front of him, rocking his feet back and forth like this was a totally normal day.

Jaeyong closed the door and stepped back away from it, rubbing his face.

“This kind of explains why you never gave us a straight answer on where you lived. I thought that was weird,” Sumi mumbled. Jaeyong was thrown by how calm she was being but the shaking in her hands and her wide eyes were enough tell that she was as shaken as he was.

“Where does that one go?” Jaeyong asked, pointing to the second door, a purple one that seemed to be in much better shape then the one they’d come through.

Jungkook looked at it and smiled. “That’s Euphoria.”

“Euphoria.”

“It’s another world. Let’s get you up to speed with things here first though,” Jungkook stood up and dusted off his pants, offering Sumi a hand.

She took it and stumbled to her feet. Jaeyong’s own knees were feeling pretty weak right now too.

“You guys are looking a little pale, how about we get some tea? Jinnie-hyung says tea fixes everything. Then we can talk more and I’ll answer any questions you have,” Jungkook looked them over sheepishly.

“That could take hours,” Jaeyong grumbled, unable to stop himself from looking at everything as they started following Jungkook towards a path.

The potentially not human chuckled, “At least the Guardian isn’t here, I don’t know if you’re ready to handle flying space whales.”

“I’m going to need you to just… stop talking… for like two minutes, or you’re going to be dragging me the rest of the way.”

“Where are we going Jungkook-ssi?” Sumi asked, sounding almost out of breath. Jaeyong stuck close to her side. She was what was keeping him from thinking he was absolutely insane right now.

Jungkook looked at Jaeyong, blinking in question and he couldn’t help rolling his eyes, “Obviously you can actually talk. Please talk. But there better be answers and not more questions.”

“I ah, can’t promise that, but we’re going to my house. Our house. Me and the guys live there together.”

“Your model friends?” Jaeyong raised a brow.

“They’re not models, but yeah.”

“Are any of them human?”

“Namjoon-hyung used to be.”

Jaeyong held up his hands. “Okay. Let me get this straight. You live in a magical world that no one knows exists and your boyfriend and roommates aren’t human and are supposedly magical beings.”

Jungkook gave him a thumbs up and a grin, “See? You’re getting it. Except-”

“Kookie!”

Sumi jumped at the shout and looked ahead of them towards one of Jungkook’s roommates, Taehyung. Just seeing the semi familiar face came as a welcomed comfort to her rattled mind.

When Jungkook had mentioned magic, she wasn’t thinking an entirely new world. That had been the furthest thing from her thoughts. Had she semi-hoped the door would teleport them somewhere? Of course. But she had been thinking more along the lines of across the city or maybe even to another country.

This was… better. So much better.

She was barely holding in her excitement, trying her hardest not to make a fool of herself by screaming and rattling off a thousand questions especially after the initial shock wore off. She wanted to know everything. How many centuries since the war Jungkook mentioned? How many of the mythical creatures were real? How did the magic work? What species were his other roommates? Why did they look human? Could they change forms?

The questions kept coming but she kept her mouth shut. Jaeyong looked like he’d just been hit by a bus mentally and she didn’t want to add to that stress. Though she might actually explode if she didn’t get answers soon.

It helped that Jungkook was being so relaxed about this. It really reinforced that he was used to this kind of thing. She kept looking towards him for that stability that her mind was so desperately looking for. It was strange to see someone she’d gotten so used to seeing at work in such a foreign environment and looking more comfortable then ever.

Taehyung raced down the path towards them and threw himself at Jungkook, her coworker catching him easily but still stumbling back a few steps. It reminded her of when the guys first came to the café. Did he always hug Jungkook like he hadn’t seen him in weeks? Did time move differently here? What kind of day cycles did they have? She didn’t see a sun in the sky, how did they tell when it was nighttime?

Shaking her head to rid herself of the questions, she looked back at Jungkook and Taehyung, only to squeak and blush fiercely.

Taehyung had unabashedly crashed his lips against Jungkook’s arms hooked over his shoulders. Covering her mouth she watched them pull away a second later and grin at each other.

“You were taking awhile, we got worried,” Taehyung hummed and kept his arms around Jungkook even as the younger set him on his feet. “You guys came!”

Sumi straightened up and quickly dropped her hand, bowing a bit in greeting when Taehyung grinned at them. She couldn’t help looking between them in surprise though. Wasn’t… wasn’t he dating Yoongi?

Seeing their confusion, which a quick glanced told her Jaeyong was frowning at the two, Jungkook cleared his throat awkwardly. “We’re ah, polyamorous,” he explained, looking a little embarrassed but not bothered when Taehyung nuzzled against his cheek.

It took Sumi a moment to understand what that meant, remembering the things she’d learned and researched after Jungkook came out to her. That was when someone was in a relationship with more then one person wasn’t it? Did that mean Yoongi and Taehyung were dating too? Or were they both just dating Jungkook?

Jaeyong seemed to understand easy enough and nodded, “That’s the least surprising thing going on here honestly.”

Sumi nodded quickly.

Jungkook smiled and laughed a bit, crouching down as Taehyung moved around behind him, hopping onto his back so he could carry him. They continued walking up the path as if it were the most natural thing in the world and if Sumi’s mind wasn’t eating itself trying to function right now she would have been completely enamored with the behavior.

“You’re, not human? Actually not human?” Jaeyong asked Taehyung, who rested his cheek on top of Jungkook’s head to look at him. His eyes seemed much more intimidating now that she knew they weren’t the eyes of a human. It was hard to not fall for the appearance though. He regarded Jaeyong for a moment before grinning.

“I’m a Weather Fae,” he said easily.

“Right. Of course. A fae. That’s a real thing,” Jaeyong grumbled, rubbing his forehead.

Taehyung couldn’t seem to be close enough to Jungkook, regardless of the fact that he was being carried on his back. He still pressed closer, still rubbed his cheek against his hair, arms wrapping his shoulders. It was more PDA than Sumi was used to seeing, and judging by the light blush on Jungkook’s face he found it a bit awkward too, likely only because it was in front of them. Yet he only smiled warmly and glanced over his shoulder at the other occasionally.

“Are dragons real too then?” Jaeyong asked, some sarcasm mixed into his voice.

Jungkook opened his mouth to answer but Taehyung beat him to it, “Of course. Hobi is a dragon.”

Jaeyong stared at them and Sumi breathed out an astonished laugh. A dragon. An actual dragon.

“Okay. Alright, from here on out I’m gonna need you to… you… you live, in a mansion. You live in a mansion?!” Jaeyong exclaimed throwing both hands forward.

Sumi looked up the path quickly and gasped at the house before them. Mansion wasn’t a stretch. The house was huge, yet somehow still held the homey feeling of a modest cottage. She looked over the beautiful gardens surrounding it, the porch and the windows, the vines climbing up one side and the crumbling stone chimney. It was… startlingly normal.

Actually, besides the fact that they had come here through a door that should have led nowhere and the sky looked like the most intricately beautiful thing she’d ever seen, everything was quite familiar. She could recognize trees and the house, while not one you’d find in Seoul or likely most of Korea, it wasn’t outside what she’d seen before.

Sighing in awe she felt herself relax slightly. The familiarity was helping her process the things that weren’t so familiar, like the sky and planets above them and the light teal colored tree they had passed earlier. It was like their world (a strange thought that was) but with more… oddities that made it so distinctly different.

Jungkook led them up the front porch, shifting Taehyung on his back so he could open the door. Sumi looked towards Jaeyong before following them inside. He looked back at her and let out a huff that sounded as astounded as Sumi was feeling. She could see him trying to come to grips with all of this, and he clearly knew she was in the same boat.

The slight hesitation caused her mind to drift towards doubt. She looked for any sign of the emotion on Jaeyong but the twitch of his lip upwards and the way his muscles were tensed like he had too much energy, told her he wasn’t regretting his choice. She was proud of herself for not regretting it either.

“Welcome home,” a voice drew their attention back towards the foyer, as beautiful as the room was, it was still within her realm of reality. The moment she walked into the house she felt a different kind of warmth. A home it certainly was.

Seokjin stepped out of a living area off to their right and smiled politely at them. His clothes weren’t like what she was used to, but even they didn’t stand out too much amongst the house. If anything they made him look like he fit perfectly in the space. Comfortable yet presentable.

“Sumi-ssi, Jaeyong-ssi, it’s good to see you both again.”

Sumi swallowed and bowed gently, “Hello. You have a really nice home, it’s beautiful.”

Jungkook chuckled off to the side as he set Taehyung down and the man immediately clamped onto his side. He seemed like an incredibly affectionate person.

“The house is happy to hear you think that,” Seokjin smiled. “Make yourselves at home but please don’t wander on your own and be careful of what you touch.”

The warning seemed odd until Sumi remembered that magic was a thing. Of course they wouldn’t want them touching things that they had no knowledge about.

Magic was a thing.

Did he say the house was happy?

Seokjin stepped to the side, gesturing towards the living, “I’m sure you have questions. Take a seat and I’ll make some tea for everyone.”

Jungkook watched his two coworkers move as if in a trance into the living room and sit carefully on one of the couches. Neither had turned to run for the hills yet so he would take that as a good sign. They did seem to be struggling to come to grips, however.

Jaeyong looked a bit pale, his eyes darting around like he kept expecting something to jump out and attack them. He’d noticed that the older had been keeping Sumi where he could see her as well. When Taehyung had run over to them, Jaeyong had almost grabbed the girl and tugged her behind him until he recognized who Taehyung was.

Sumi was being rather quiet, though she kept opening and closing her mouth as if she had so many things to say that she was struggling to say anything at all.

Jungkook’s stomach was twisting with nerves, still expecting either of them to turn around and walk away, to tell him that this wasn’t what they wanted, that they wanted nothing to do with any of this or with him. It made him feel nauseous to think about and he knew Taehyung could tell he was worried.

The Fae was being clingy, which was nothing knew, but it was a sillier type of clingy then the usual. He knew he was trying to help distract him and reassure him. It was helping a lot.

Just above that nervousness though, was the thick pressure in his chest that felt like it should make it difficult to breath but he was having no such troubles. It simmered and twisted there. It reminded him a bit of the feeling he had when he had the gem in his chest, except it was a fuller feeling, more all encompassing and less focused on a single spot. It’s presence didn’t help his nerves and he had half a mind to talk to Seokjin about it now, but he needed to keep an eye on Jaeyong and Sumi before they got into that.

Seokjin stepped over to them and greeted them each with a gentle kiss, brushing his thumb over Jungkook’s cheek before fixing Taehyung’s messy hair. Jungkook smiled at him, glancing at Sumi and Jaeyong in the living room. They were too distracted by the room to notice the exchange.

“The others are doing their own things around the house, but if you need any of us don’t hesitate to interrupt alright?” Seokjin said to them. He could see the angel was slightly uncomfortable with the two new people in the house and Jungkook figured he’d probably be sticking close by.

Nodding, he took a small breath, “Thanks hyung.”

“Is it okay if I stay with you?” Taehyung tipped his head to rest his chin on his shoulder, looking at him with his wide beautiful eyes.

Jungkook smiled and kissed his nose, “Yeah. I might need your help explaining.”

Looking more then happy with the answer, Taehyung turned to give Seokjin a kiss on the cheek before pulling him off to the living room. Jungkook chuckled, seeing how excited Taehyung seemed to be. He knew the others liked Sumi and Jaeyong well enough, though they were far from trusting them.

Sumi looked away from the painting on the wall of all of them as they took a seat on the couch across from them, “Are we, is, how long have- ugh,” Sumi put her head in her hands and laughed at herself, “I don’t know where to start.”

Jungkook looked at her understandingly, “Let’s just, handle one thing at a time okay?” He absently took Taehyung’s hand in his own, not even realizing he’d done it until he was lacing their fingers together. “You believe me though? That magic and all of this is real?”

Jaeyong choked out a half laugh and rubbed his hands on his pants, “Hard not to when the sky looks like something out of a sci-fi movie.”

He felt Taehyung tilt his head curiously but the other didn’t ask the question he knew he was thinking. He made a mental not to explain sci-fi to him later.

Jaeyong didn’t look comfortable, but he wasn’t freaking out yet, so that was something.

“Why did you, why are telling us about this now?” Sumi frowned. “I mean, why are you showing us this at all? Not that I’m not, I’m happy you did. Just, where does the dangerous part come in here?”

Jaeyong leaned forward with his elbows on his knees.

Jungkook licked his lips and felt Taehyung squeeze his hand, “I told you that not a lot of people know about the Galaxy. Even less people know there’s a way in and out of it. It’s supposed to be completely sealed,” he explained. “The door was attacked not long ago, a human carved a message into it. We think there are magical beings on earth looking to get into Galaxy.”

Jaeyong frowned, “I thought you said magical beings came here to get away from humans.”

“Not all of them made it over, some were trapped in your world.”

Taehyung shifted to look at him, Jungkook turned to look at him too, thinking there was something he wanted to add but found the Fae wearing a strange expression that he couldn’t quite read. He blinked, about to ask, but Jaeyong was speaking again before he could.

“What happens if they get here?”

“War most likely. The people here fear humans, and the magical beings on earth might be holding a grudge for being left behind.”

“They fear us?” Sumi blinked, “Because of the wars?”

Taehyung nodded, “Mostly.”

“None of you seemed very bothered at the café,” Jaeyong pointed out.

“That’s thanks to Jungkookie,” Taehyung grinned, “He taught us a lot about humans and how much they’ve changed.”

Jungkook chuckled a bit, “I’m still learning a lot about how things work here too.”

“How did you even find this place?”

“It’s a long story but, I was in the wrong place at the wrong time and was exposed to magic. The door started following me around and eventually I ended up coming through it to the Galaxy. Tae and Jiminie helped me out and I’ve basically been coming here since.”

Seokjin wandered in with a tray full of teacups, setting the tray on the coffee table and quietly distributing them as to not interrupt the conversation. Sumi said a quiet thank you when he gave her a cup and she cradled it close. “Do you know who is looking for this world?” She asked, tucking the cup under her chin.

Jungkook glanced at Seokjin for a moment before nodding, “Yeah. He’s the boss of the gang I used to run with. I didn’t know he knew anything about magic until recently, actually Nam used to work for them too.”

Jaeyong sat back, leaving his tea cup on the table as he looked carefully at Jungkook, “I thought it might have been something like that,” he said calmly while Sumi looked on in shock. “What were you into?”

“Running. I needed the cash. But I got out of it when I could. You?”

“Car jacking, same reason. Nam took me in and gave me another chance. I figured he had a past in it too, not many people are willing to take in delinquents like us. The meeting you had with him the other day, was that about this? Does he know?”

Jungkook nodded, “I didn’t know he knew about magic until yesterday but he worked in the same gang as me. He told me that the boss wasn’t human and he gave me the choice of quitting and leaving or telling you guys and having a safehouse to protect the door on that side.”

As Jaeyong thought, Jungkook shifted. He still wasn’t sure if he was making the right choice, but it was too late to go back now. He couldn’t just ask them to forget all of this, and while he was sure there might be a spell for that, he wouldn’t ever take their memories unless they asked him to. Even then he’d be hesitant.

“You were in a gang?” Sumi blurted out, staring at him with wide eyes.

Jungkook smiled sheepishly at her and Taehyung snickered next to him, poking his cheek, “He looks too cute right? Don’t let him fool you, his duality is crazy.”

“You’re one to talk…” he grumbled but was ignored as Sumi nodded quickly, almost spilling her tea.

“I’ve seen him get into a battle of politeness with a woman who refused to leave the café until she had the last ‘thank you’.”

“I didn’t do that.”

“It went on for twenty minutes and you only gave up because she threatened to tip you more.”

Taehyung rocked back on the couch and laughed, Seokjin shaking his head fondly and taking a seat on Jungkook’s other side, sticking close like he predicted. He reached over and messed up Jungkook’s hair lightly.

“Jungkookie is too nice for his own good sometimes,” he hummed, smiling at Jungkook’s pout.

He huffed a little but it was impossible to stay even jokingly annoyed when his boyfriends fingers had settled at the nape of his neck and kept ghosting over the skin there.

“Back on topic,” Jungkook insisted, smiling, “I really like working at the café with you guys, and um, I didn’t want to just leave without giving you the chance to decide.”

Jaeyong and Sumi looked at each other briefly before smiling at him and that alone had relief washing through him.

“I’m glad you trust us with this Jungkook-ah,” Jaeyong smirked. “If you had just ran off I would have been insulted.”

Jungkook figured that. Which was part of why he’d made the choice he had. If he had just up and left, it would have hurt both Jaeyong and Sumi. He wasn’t used to having many friends but he wasn’t going to hurt the ones he’d made. It also wouldn’t have guaranteed their safety at all. If they didn’t know what was happening they wouldn’t be able to make educated decisions.

“I do trust you,” he agreed honestly. “And I need your word that this world will stay a secret. For now at least. We don’t know who’s involved or who we can trust entirely. But it would help a lot if we have a place to keep the door so it’s not jumping around all the time and risking getting noticed again.”

“We can do that Jungkook-ssi, of course,” Sumi smiled. “I want to help however I can. Not just with keeping this secret, but anything else you need too. Just let us know and we’ll be there.”

It shouldn’t have hit as hard as it did. Given that Jungkook knew this was how friendships worked. But this was how his friendship was with Jiho before things went south. His mind couldn’t resist reminding him of that and it was a fight to push the thought away. They weren’t him. They wouldn’t do that to him and he wouldn’t let his own mind cloud his judgement on that. He trusted them.

If there was thing he wasn’t afraid of, it was getting hurt. He knew it would be awful, but he’d been through awful before. He knew he could come out okay on the other end, he just might need a little help from his family.

He nodded slowly, sucking in a breath, “Why…? I mean, why are you so willing to help? I haven’t done anything-”

“I’m going to stop you right there,” Sumi surprised him by holding up a hand and putting her cup down. “Jungkook-ssi, you are one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met. You’ve been kind to us since you started at the café, you were patient with me when I was being naïve, you got sick because you ran to get me an umbrella in the rain-”

“That wasn’t-”

The look Sumi gave him had him closing his mouth and blinking. This was the most assertive he’d ever seen Sumi be.

“I like working with you. And Jaeyong-ssi is right, I would have been really upset if you just left without an explanation,” she said smiling kindly.

Jungkook didn’t know what else to say besides, “Thank you. I don’t know if I can thank you enough for trusting me.”

“Thank us by answering the million’s of questions we have,” Jaeyong chuckled.

“That, I can do,” he snickered.

Seokjin stood up and stretched a bit, “I suppose I’ll start dinner while you talk.”

Jungkook looked up when the angel bent down and kissed his forehead gently, doing the same to Taehyung before heading out towards the kitchen.

“Maybe start with a house tour, I’m sure Jiminie would love if you stole him away from his work for awhile,” he called on his way out, unbeknownst to the two surprised guests and a very red Jungkook he’d left behind.

Taehyung looked confused at their expressions, looking at Jungkook for an explanation.

Jaeyong held up a hand slowly, “I have my first question.”

“Oh my god,” Jungkook covered his face with his hands.

“How many of them are you dating?”

Taehyung, beautiful, sweet, unabashed Taehyung, answered for him, even going so far as to wrap his arms around him and put his chin on his shoulder, smirking proudly, “All of us.”

Sumi squeaked and sat up straight, smacking both hands over her mouth.

Jungkook would be okay if the ground swallowed him whole just then.

Ji-hun pulled the key out of the ignition and sat back in the drivers seat of his car.

It had been almost three days and he’d heard nothing from Jungkook after he’d returned his call about the hospital and their grandparents. Jungkook hadn’t told him a single thing on that phone call, despite clearly having been clued into something when he’d told him about Nam Kyung-soo having visited him. All he’d gotten was a quick dismissive thanks and silence for days.

He couldn’t find it in himself to be too angry, but he was frustrated. He didn’t know what to expect after meeting up with his brother again after so long. Maybe something more heartfelt, maybe to be welcomed back with open arms, maybe for his little brother to rely on him like he once used too.

It was stupid to think that way and he knew it. That was a fantasy at best. Even if Jungkook hadn’t ‘died’, their relationship needed mending that would take possibly years. He was being impatient.

And yet, three days and he couldn’t stop thinking about his brother. He’d thought that maybe this was a way to show Jungkook that he was here for him now, to show him that he was willing to help him. He was someone Jungkook could come to for help.

One favour wasn’t going to prove that. Yet, Jungkook didn’t contact him again so he didn’t know what else to do. He felt… replaced.

That anger he’d felt towards Jungkook’s boyfriends was still there. It had turned into a strange jealousy over the closeness they clearly had with his brother. It just drove it home that Jungkook really didn’t need him anymore.

And whose fault was that but his own? He had run away.

The smile Jungkook wore when he’d first seen him walking into the café with those men haunted him as much as the look in his eyes did when he had his hand around his throat.

Jungkook might never be his brother again, but he would do what he could to repair the damage he’d done over the years. If helping Jungkook figure out what was up with their grandparents was the place to start then he was determined to get to the bottom of it.

Sighing, he got out of the car and headed to the front door. He could try calling Jungkook again later that night.

The front door opened before he could put his hand on the handle, causing him to jump slightly before his eyes snapped up to look at the familiar face that had opened it.

Ji-hun felt his heart drop into his feet.

“Excuse me,” the man stepped out onto the front step around him and bowed his head, not breaking eye contact for a moment as he smirked and walked past him. Ji-hun watched him, skin suddenly feeling cold as a chill ripped up his spine.

“What are you doing here.”

The man, the same one he’d run into at the hospital, the one who had been asking about Jungkook’s records, stopped and turned to him, “I told you to stay out of it kid.” His tone was anything but caring, if anything it was a little smug. “Different social circles huh?” He chuckled.

Ji-hun’s mouth felt dry. Had this man looked into him? Or had he just been following up on the family as a lead on Jungkook?

He could only watch as the man, Kwan Chungho, lifted a hand as a mocking wave and headed down the driveway. With each step he took, Ji-hun’s heart pounded faster and before the man was even out of sight, he spun around and bolted inside.

Ji-hun was just opening his mouth to call out for his mother when he very nearly ran into her in as she was just stepping into the entryway. She startled, putting a hand over her heart as Ji-hun grabbed her by the arms.

“Mom, what did that man want? Why was he here?”

“Ji-hun-ah, don’t scare me like that,” she chastised weakly. She rarely spoke with much conviction or emotion in her voice these days. He took in the way she kept her head down, the way her lips were pressed tight and how it looked as if she’d been crying, cheeks blotchy and eyes red.

“What did he say to you?” Ji-hun ducked down to try and meet her eyes but she was stubborn and kept them on the floor.

“He was a friend of, of Jungkook’s. He just wanted to give his condolences.”

He ignored the way she struggled to say Jungkook’s name in favour of pressing for more information, “Is that all? He didn’t ask questions?”

“He just asked how it, how he,” his mother closed her eyes and shook her head softly, unable to say the words. “I’m going to make some soup. Would you like some?”

Ji-hun recognized the robotic drop of her tone immediately and he knew she’d shut the thoughts out. His mother couldn’t reflect on Jungkook very often. She’d much rather pretend she had never had a second son.

“No. Thanks.”

He watched her disappear into the kitchen, running a hand through his hair.

Kwan had likely been still looking into Jungkook, so of course he would have come to the house at some point. He cursed himself for his awful timing though. He hoped that the fact Ji-hun had lied to the man about being Jungkook’s college friend wouldn’t spark any suspicions in him to dig further. Though, he supposed he still wouldn’t find much of anything.

It was still worth warning Jungkook about though. In their last call, Jungkook had said he didn’t know anyone by that name so that just made it more suspicious that he was looking for him. Had he been hired by someone? Or had Jungkook lied to him about knowing the man?

Pulling out his phone, he called Jungkook and forced himself not to sigh at having to leave another message. He kept it vague, very aware of his mother shuffling about the kitchen.

“It’s too normal.”

Sumi squinted at Yoongi, who was probably pretty fed up with her staring given the way he tapped his finger against the page of the book he was trying to read.

Sighing like it was a chore to respond to her, Yoongi asked, “What is?”

She gestured out widely with her arms at the yard behind the house. It was full of beautiful gardens and there was a greenhouse a bit further in the back, and from Jungkook’s tour she knew the training area lay next to it just out of sight. “This! All of this! The sky is the only supernatural thing about this place!”

Jungkook and Jaeyong were not far from where they sat, Jungkook trying to explain something to Jaeyong that she couldn’t hear. Her head was quite seriously hurting from the amount of information she’d been given the last hour or so.

Jungkook had taken them around the house and showed off the rooms like it was any other home. Like they were just visiting a neighbors place or something. Like they weren’t in an entirely different world.

It was mind boggling how seemingly normal the house and rooms were. She wasn’t sure what she had expected but it certainly wasn’t such normal household things. They even had a coffee maker here. Jungkook had mentioned a magic shop, but Taehyung and Jimin, who had tagged along, had refused to show it to them.

Something about the shop still recovering from last time. Whatever that meant. It had made Jungkook laugh though.

Jungkook had explained how the magic worked, about the different branches and energies and he’d told them about the other guys’ different species. That was a hard thing to wrap her mind around too, that she was currently talking to a phoenix. She’d served a phoenix coffee.

“Is it not magical enough for you?” Yoongi scoffed slightly.

Pouting she looked over to Jimin and Taehyung who had come outside with them too as they all waited for dinner. They were picking an arrangement of flowers to put on the table. She hadn’t seen Jungkook’s other two roommates, or, boyfriends, at all, even during their tour. She wondered if they were out.

“I don’t know, I thought if you had magic you’d use it all the time.”

“We do,” Yoongi gave up on trying to read and closed the book, looking at her with a raised brow.  

“How?” Sumi asked, frowning a bit. She couldn’t think of anything that she’d seen today besides the lights in the rooms that looked like it was magic.

Sighing once again, Yoongi looked over at Jimin and Taehyung, both crouched amongst the gardens and occasionally talking to each other, laughing and carrying on. “Every time they pick a flower they use a regenerative spell. It gives the roots enough energy to grow again so they aren’t killing the plant. The house and all of us have protective spells that keep us from getting hurt. There are fire spells on most of the furniture because some people are paranoid. Shall I go on?”

Yoongi clearly didn’t expect Sumi to nod, eyes wide with interest. Giving her a flat look, he looked around the yard. “Hobi knows what the plants need and gets Tae’s help to make it rain when they tell him they need some water.”

“He can talk to plants?”

“It’s not really talking. It’s more feeling. It’s understanding energy.”

“Jungkook-ssi was talking about that before. Everything has energy right?”

Yoongi nodded, “We can naturally control our energy, so if I wanted to get Jiminie’s attention all I’d have to do is,” he paused.

Sumi blinked, waiting for something to happen as she looked from Yoongi over to Jimin. To her surprise though, she watched as Jimin looked up from what he was doing and grinned in their direction. He blew Yoongi a kiss before waving at Sumi.

She waved back gently and quickly looked at Yoongi, “How did you do that?”

“Just because you can’t see some magic, doesn’t mean it’s not there.”

Jungkook and Jaeyong wandered over to them, finishing up their conversation. “Dude, so you’re married.”

“It’s not marriage, it’s like a promise ring,” Jungkook insisted, cheeks a bit red. “Yoongi-hyung, help me explain Sets.”

Yoongi chuckled from next to her and leaned back on his hands, “He’s ours.”

Sumi bit her lip to keep from squealing at the bold statement and at how flustered Jungkook got from it.

Jaeyong laughed, “Sounds like marriage to me.”

“That’s a vague way to explain it.”

“Accurate though.”

“Hyung,” Jungkook whined.

“Are you disagreeing?”

“Of course not,” his whine turned to a grumble, “What were you guys talking about?”

“Sumi-yah thinks the Galaxy is boring.”

Sumi straightened up, “I didn’t say that!”

Jungkook blinked and looked at her making her shift a little, “How come?”

“I didn’t say it was boring, it’s incredible,” she reiterated just to make sure he knew she wasn’t insulting his home. “I just thought there would be more, magical things.”

Laughing, Jungkook grinned at her. “Trust me, take it slow. You’ll see a bunch of cool things. Especially around these guys.”

“Speaking of magical things,” Yoongi suddenly said, standing up and looking around the sky. Sumi stood up as well, frowning when she noticed Jimin and Taehyung hurrying back over to them, looking a little giddy.

Jungkook seemed to know what was going on as he looked around too, “The Guardian? Is it here?”

Jaeyong looked between all of them, “What’s the Guardian?”

“It’s, well, the Guardian, it protects this world,” Jungkook gave a quick explanation, eyes searching the sky.

Sumi opened her mouth to ask for a little more elaboration when a shadow drifted over them, making her gasp in surprise and jump closer to Yoongi. Looking upwards her eyes locked on a large whale. A whale that echoed the colours of the sky. The same sky it flew threw.

Her jaw dropped.

Oh. Yeah that was certainly magical alright.

Chapter Text

Jaeyong grabbed Sumi’s arm and pulled her behind him away from Yoongi, not once taking his eyes off the giant creature in front of them.

That was a whale. An actual, flying whale.

The creature turned its massive body as if gravity didn’t exist to it, moving so gracefully that it barely made a sound.

“Guardian!” Jungkook exclaimed excitedly next to them, startling them enough that they looked over at him, only to snap their attention back to the whale as it lowered to the ground before them.

Taehyung, Jimin and Yoongi, who had stood up upon the whale’s arrival, all took a knee and pressed a hand to their chest. Jaeyong couldn’t remember if he even had knees, let alone think about bending them.

Jungkook cursed to himself and quickly followed the action, Jimin snickering and Yoongi shooting him an amused look as they all stood up again.

“Hello precious ones,” a deep voice spoke and somehow Jaeyong didn’t hear it with his ears, rather it reverberated through his mind, instantly calming and but no less startling. “I see you have guests.”

Jungkook grabbed Jaeyong’s hand, and he suddenly felt like a scared kid at the petting zoo, being dragged closer to the massive animal. “H-Hang-” he started to say but the words died when he came face to face with the creature.

God it was massive.

Jungkook let his hand go and ran up to it, smacking against it in an attempt to hug it. Jaeyong watched it’s eyes drift closed, pushing ever so slightly into Jungkook. “Hello little one.”

Jungkook smiled widely and pulled away. “We’ll let you talk. Thank you for coming.”

Jaeyong only registered his words when he turned to grin at him and Sumi, “Come inside when your done, dinner will be ready by then.”

With that, the three filed inside, leaving them standing dumbly in front of the intimidating magical whale.

Sumi squeaked behind him and he thought it might have been an attempt at speaking.

“You can relax,” the whale said in their minds, deep voice like the embodiment of comfort. “No harm will come to you here.”

Sumi, very carefully stepped out from around him, still clutching his arm tightly. “You’re…” She trailed off, words lost in awe.

Humming lowly, the Guardian rolled its giant fins, “Thank you, small human.” It said as if it had understood what she’d meant to say. “I came to welcome you to the Galaxy. I’m sure the little one has explained some.”

“Not enough,” Jaeyong mumbled, before cringing. Instead of upsetting the whale, it only chuckled.

“You have much to catch up on, take your time adjusting.”

“How are- what are you?” Sumi whispered.

“I am the Guardian. I protect this world and the souls that reside in it. You, are the first humans to set foot here since the little one discovered us.”

Jaeyong frowned a bit, “Jungkook-ah? He was really the first human to come here?”

“Humans are not viewed in a pleasant light in the Galaxy. This world was created to protect magic kinds from them. With that in mind, I urge you to stay within the property of the precious ones while here.”

Jaeyong looked at Sumi and she met his eyes for a moment before they both nodded. Jaeyong had dealt with racist people before, but not in terms of species. He wasn’t about to rush out and cause trouble when he had no clue what was even going on.

“Can we, can we come back? After today?” Sumi asked hesitantly, “Um, if it’s okay with you Guardian-ssi?”

It’s large fin bobbed in the air, “Just Guardian is fine small human,” it assured. “You both have very kind souls, I will not disturb you during your time here, so long as you do not pose a threat to this world. Whether you may come back will be determined by the precious ones. However, they have put much trust in you already, I don’t see them turning you away now.”

Jaeyong shifted, mind racing with the thought of coming back here. This was Jungkook’s home, he didn’t want to impose, but he also really would love to spend more time in this crazy fantastic world. “We trust him too.”

The Guardian hummed, “Do not take their trust lightly. The little one has had that trust broken before and it cost him everything.”

Jaeyong suddenly thought about the coma Jungkook had mentioned, remembering the way the others would watch him like hawks, or how they had so quickly pulled him away from danger when the customer had started being an ass. Had it really been a coma? Or was there something more going on there?

“We won’t break his trust. He’s our friend.”

The conviction in his voice surprised even himself.

But it was true. Somehow Jungkook had wormed his way into his heart and now he’d go to ridiculous lengths for the brat. Shit, when had that even happened? Shaking his head he sighed in defeat.

“Good,” the Guardian said sounding amused but pleased. “They will need you sooner then you think. Dinner is ready now, for tonight, enjoy your time. It was truly a pleasure meeting you both.”

Sumi bowed and Jaeyong followed not a second after, the Guardian’s presence so calming that Jaeyong didn’t even linger on the slightly foreboding words, turning to head back to the house.

When Sumi didn’t immediately follow, he turned back, pausing before saying anything as he watched her stare at the Guardian as if she were listening to it. After a moment she frowned in confusion before nodding and bowing again. “It was amazing meeting you Guardian.”

With the flick of its large tail, it swam over their heads and despite clearly being no where close to touching them, Jaeyong still felt the urge to duck. He looked at Sumi curiously after they watched the Guardian swim off over the treetops.

“What did it say to you?”

She looked at him and shrugged a little, “It just said I should come back with the others tomorrow. You couldn’t hear it?”

“No,” he shook his head. Speaking to the whale had been strange. It felt as if they were speaking to the president yet at the same time also speaking to a family member. Someone equal to them yet so intimidatingly more powerful and possibly centuries wiser. It was likely why he didn’t feel too upset that it had asked Sumi to return so soon and not him.

Though, he was definitely coming back as soon as he could.

Dinner had been a lively event.

Jaeyong was pretty sure that some of them spent more time out of their chairs then in them. The conversation swayed from one person to the next only giving each person enough time to take a few bites before they were talking again or adding to a story or making a point. It was a wonder they had eaten anything at all.

Yet somehow the delicious (seriously incredible food) was finished in a timely manner and not a thing was wasted.

Four arguments, three acted out past situations, and six times someone got up to kiss someone else on the head or cheek just because they could.

Speaking to a flying whale had been less jarring than the meal that had just occurred.

Jaeyong felt a buzz running through him, one he hadn’t felt in a long time. Except this wasn’t from drugs or alcohol, it was unadulterated, innocent happiness. His cheeks hurt from grinning and his stomach hurt from laughing, especially from when Hoseok had accidently smacked Seokjin in the face when he got too into the story he was telling and the other very nearly stabbed himself in the eye with his fork. Hoseok didn’t even notice, which had Jaeyong busting a gut and Sumi spraying her drink out of her mouth and promptly soaking Taehyung.

Even now, as Jaeyong helped clean up by bringing dishes to the kitchen, he couldn’t help chuckling.

He’d never been in a home that felt so alive. It was comfortable despite it being their first time here and they didn’t once exclude them from the conversation, listening intently to their own stories.

Seokjin looked over and smiled as he walked in, nodding towards the counter for him to set the dishes down with the others. He was tidying up the other spaces, putting away ingredients and Jaeyong leaned to try and see some of them.

“Is every night like this?”

Seokjin hummed a laugh and closed a cupboard above the stove as he wiped it down with a cloth, “Not every night. It’s been awhile since its been this rowdy, but we don’t get guests very often.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever had a meal like that before,” he added the plates he was carrying to the stack and leaned back against the edge of the counter. He’d lived alone for as long as he legally could. Before that he’d lived with his grandparents while his mother was in the hospital. The dinners they had together were pleasant in their own ways, and certainly good memories for him, but this was another type of wonderful.

“The food or the theatrics?” Seokjin said in amusement as he rested back against the stove, mirroring his stance.

Jaeyong chuckled, “Both. I’m willing to rethink giving you some of my recipes if you’re willing to trade.”

“I can’t promise you’ll be able to find all of the ingredients in your world.”

“I’m sure there are substitutes. Jungkook-ah said the door would be staying in the café, feel free to stop by and use the kitchen during working hours. Hell, after closing too so long as you keep it clean.”

Seokjin looked a little surprised by the offer but he nodded, “I would love that. Kookie said you’ve taken him on as a taste tester.”

“Yeah, he’s honest about my food so I trust his word,” Jaeyong heard some of the other guys laughing in the other room and found himself smiling at the sound. He could see why Jungkook loved it here so much, why he was so relaxed the moment he stepped through the door.

It was strange too, seeing them interact so openly. He knew only a little about poly relationships, and he’d heard a lot of times where they didn’t work out, but even searching the others while two of them were interacting, he found not even a hint of jealousy. They all fit together in their dynamics. So much so it felt natural to the point of being confusing.

He’d also expected the open affection to bother him, but it didn’t. They clung to each other a lot, but never so much so that it made him feel uncomfortable or that he was intruding on a moment.

Seokjin’s smile turned soft and fond just at the mention of Jungkook, “He’s eating well at work then?”

The question seemed a little odd to him, almost like a concerned mother asking about her kid, “As far as I’ve seen. Do you cook his lunches?”

The man, angel, he had to remind himself, nodded but didn’t say more. He looked content with his answer.

He was handsome, Jaeyong wouldn’t hesitate to say that, and it might be one of the only things leading him to believe that Seokjin was an actual Angel. That and his silvery eyes, which, now knowing they weren’t contacts, was a little disconcerting.

For a moment they just listened to the others move about the house before Jaeyong worked up the nerve to ask what he’d been meaning too since Jungkook told him there was a real Angel in the house.

“Can you…” he hesitated, Seokjin’s eyes on him making it hard to get the words out. He wasn’t often intimidated by people but this man was intimidating. It seemed like he already knew what he was going to ask. “You’re an Angel right?”

Seokjin tilted his head slightly and nodded once, “I am.”

“Can you, do you, help people move on? When they kick it?”

“Assuming that means when they die?” He shook his head gently, seeming to understand the heaviness of the question. “Angels are warriors. Jungkookie told me there are a lot of beliefs that my kind are messengers of God. But I’m afraid that’s a misconception. We are born just as any other species.”

Jaeyong frowned, “So what sets you apart from humans?”

If Seokjin found any offense in the question, he didn’t show it, “Besides the wings and abilities? Angels are monsters,” he looked towards the kitchen door with a heaviness in his eyes that Jaeyong couldn’t hope to comprehend the weight of. “Magical creatures may fear humans, but they fear us more.”

Jaeyong felt like he was treading dangerous waters and decided to pull the conversation back slightly, “Then, no leading people to heaven or anything?”

Seokjin tore his eyes away from the door and blinked away whatever thoughts he’d been getting lost in, “No, I’m sorry. I assume you’re asking because there’s someone you’ve lost?”

His voice was gentle and Jaeyong, used to a much tougher, harsher crowd of people, awkwardly shifted and cleared his throat, “Yeah. My mom. She ah, had cancer. Thought I’d try and see if I could let her know I’m doing alright.”

Seokjin stepped over to the sink near him calmly, turning the tap on to fill it, “She knows.”

Jaeyong’s brow furrowed in confusion, “How do you know?”

“Souls have more perfect memories then our minds ever could. When a body dies, the soul is left to drift, roaming amongst the energy of worlds until it finds an energy that compliments it. Then it is reborn as a new life.”

“Like reincarnation?”

“Similar yes, but not confined to a single world. There are thousands out there, worlds for every star and lives for every world. These concepts of Heaven and Hell that humans have created could very well exist as worlds with positive and negative energies. But they may not be all that different from Galaxy or Earth or Euphoria in their basic structure.”

Jaeyong looked at the ceiling because it was easier to pretend gravity was the reason for the pressure behind his eyes, “My mom could be out there somewhere then? Living a new life?”

“She is. Her mind may not remember you, but her soul will. It comes in the form of loving a particular smell, or feeling calm hearing rain. Habits we can’t entirely explain but we do because they make us feel something deeper. Souls tend to have a habit of crossing with ones they remember again. Maybe not for a very very long time, and maybe not in this life, but you might cross her path in another.”

He believed that was true. Seokjin said it with so much assurance that he couldn’t do anything expect believe him. Time healed the hurt of loss, slowly, it did. Sometimes though, it came back like it had happened just the day before. It felt fresh now, but it wasn’t the mourning agony he’d felt when he’d lost her, the realization that he’d never see her beautiful smile or hear her laugh again.

It was a hopeful feeling now.

Scoffing and turning his face away to discretely swipe away the treacherous tear that escaped, Jaeyong stood up straight and turned to help Seokjin with the dishes, “Yeah well, hopefully I’m smarter in my next life, cause she would kick my ass for the stupid stuff I’ve done.”

Seokjin only smiled and said nothing about the way his voice broke on his words.

Jaeyong was grateful for that.

 Jimin rested his chin on his hand, looking at Jungkook across the table where he sat tapping away on his phone. He pursed his lips slightly, nose scrunching in a way that made Jimin bite his lip to keep from grinning at the cuteness. He was pretty sure Jungkook didn’t know he did it, but he always made the same cute face when he was frustrated with something.

“Anything from Ilseong or Nara, JK?” Hoseok smirked a bit and snickered at the look Jungkook gave him.

“I know we agreed to use our cover names in the human world now, Hope,” he shot back pointedly, squirming away from the finger Hoseok jabbed in his side in retaliation, “But you don’t have to go out of your way to use it. It’s just a precaution.”

“I think you just prefer us calling you Kookie,” Namjoon hummed in amusement, sitting next to Jimin with his arm over the seat behind him.

The café wasn’t very busy, which was pretty usual but Jimin liked it like this. It was relaxing. It helped that Sumi and Jaeyong knew about them now too, and didn’t seem to mind. Though he kept catching Sumi shooting curious glances their way. He could live with that if it meant they wouldn’t up and abandon Jungkook. That was his main concern.

Jimin had half expected them to freak out and regret their decision when they had come through the door that morning, scaring Sumi with their sudden appearance, but she had only laughed it off, looking at the door with the same wonder and awe as it closed behind them.

“Of course I do. It’s a cute name,” Jungkook shifted shyly and turned his attention back to his phone. “It’s mostly just stuff from my brother.”

“What’s he calling so much about?” Jimin blinked. “Did something happen?”

“I’m going to give him a call back,” Jungkook made a move to get out of the booth but Hoseok didn’t move, just grinning at him and leaning back. Huffing a little, Jungkook climbed over him, pausing halfway to steal a quick kiss from him before heading just outside the café door.

Hoseok laughed and leaned forward to rest his elbows on the table. For a moment they just watched Jungkook out the window as he spoke on the phone.

“He’s been off lately.”

Jimin sighed, “You’ve noticed it too then?”

Hoseok nodded, turning to look at his lovers, “He was quieter then usual at dinner last night.”

“Maybe he’s just stressed? There’s been a lot going on. Even Seokjin has been looking pretty tense lately,” Namjoon taps his fingers on the table.

“How are you feeling Joonie? Sometimes I think Yoongi is more open about his feelings then you are,” Jimin teased but the sincerity was there. He knew finding out that the man that had caused them so much pain in the past was looking for Galaxy must have been hard to come to terms with. Namjoon was smart when it came to literally everything, but he often forgot to lean on them. If he saw them struggling he would push his own troubles aside to help them.

Namjoon’s hand found his far shoulder and pulled him close to his side. Jimin sighed contently as the warmth of his body enveloped him. Namjoon always made him feel so small and cozy in his arms. “I’m alright. Yoongi, Seokjin and I talked about it a bit. If we have to face him again… I can’t say Yoongi and I will be much help. We should focus on Kookie first though. There’s still a lot we don’t know about his connection with Euphoria.”

“You don’t think it could be something wrong with Euphoria? He did say he could feel what it does to some level,” Hoseok wondered.

Jimin hummed, “Tae said Euphoria seemed fine when they were there.”

“I can’t believe he showed him his natural form,” Hoseok smiled fondly, looking out the window as Jungkook paced lazily while listening to something his brother was saying. “Well, I can actually. I’ve been thinking about it a lot recently.”

“Tae said he didn’t seem scared or turned away at all by it,” Jimin scrunched his nose at the very thought of that. Every creature was beautiful in its own way. To even think of judging a person based on their physical features like that, it made him sick. But… he also knew that humans had trouble accepting what was different. It was the reason Jungkook was so scared to tell Sumi and Jaeyong his sexuality, and why his parents had been such horrible people to him in the past.

The more they had seen of that side of humans, the more worried they had gotten about showing Jungkook their natural forms. Of course, they knew he would be shocked, shock they could handle, but they weren’t sure if they could handle Jungkook looking at them with any kind of disgust or horror. That would break them. Especially over something they had always been fiercely proud of.

Jimin wasn’t used to feeling self-conscious. It was a new, very unwelcomed feeling. The thought of Jungkook accepting Taehyung so easily, dulled the worries. Taehyung had told him, while they had curled up in his bed, about how gentle Jungkook was with him. He told him about how he held him, how he looked at him like he was the most incredible thing he’d ever seen, how he had touched his wings.

That one had Jimin stunned. You didn’t touch another Fae’s wings. Not unless you were Set or the Fae trusted you to an unmeasurable extent. The fact that Taehyung let him, was a huge step. The fact Jungkook was so careful, careful enough to even have Taehyung falling asleep in that form was incredible and it made Jimin fall so much more in love with the boy. Jimin had had to work for years to reach that level of trust with his fellow Fae.

Looking back out at Jungkook, the boys nose scrunched up in that cute frustrated look again, Jimin felt warmth bloom in his chest and he snuggled closer to Namjoon to mix the two pleasant feelings.

Jungkook was an enigma. Jimin might never understand how he could so easily gain others trust and hold that trust like it was the most precious thing he owned. He would never understand how Jungkook didn’t see how amazing it was that he was still such a kind person.

“Oh, there was something else I wanted to bring up too,” Hoseok perked up, taking on an air of hesitation and shyness but also excitement. “Yoongi and I were talking and we’ve both kind of been thinking in terms of the future lately and um, we wanted to ask everyone how they felt about ah, about kids?”

Jimin immediately sat up, “Kids? Like having our own?”

Hoseok smiled at his obvious interest and nodded, “I mean, if its what we all want, then we could look into it right? Raising some kids?”

“It’s not very common for Sets as big as ours to have kids,” Jimin mused, “Not unless they designate a specific few to be primary parents.”

Hoseok shook his head, “I know, but I think we could do it. All of us equally parenting.”

Jimin smiled brightly. Jungkook’s mention of having kids with them had stuck with Jimin for awhile and the more he thought about it, the more he wanted that. Maybe not right now, of course not, given everything they still had to deal with, but after. When they were all okay and living peacefully again. They’d have to check to make sure it was actually something Jungkook wanted and wasn’t just sick ramblings.

Speaking of that though, Jimin turned to Namjoon, who had been very quiet and was surprised to find a tense expression on his face, lips turned down firmly.

“Joonie?”

Namjoon worked his jaw for a moment, as if forcing himself to relax it, “I think now’s not really the time to be talking about that.”

Jimin felt his heart sink and his shoulders slump a bit but as much as he was disappointed, he was more concerned. Hoseok frowned and reached over to take his hand.

“I thought you’d be really for it, you always look so happy when the village kids are around, and you’re really good with them,” Hoseok said softly, searching his expression carefully.

Namjoon shook his head lightly, “I’m not saying no. But let’s, let’s talk more about it when everything’s calmed down okay?”

Jimin watched him give Hoseok’s hand an apologetic squeeze, to which he smiled understandingly but the slight disappointment was still there.

Jimin, trying to change the subject a bit, spoke up, “You’re right. There’s tons of time to talk about it later.”

Hoseok sat back a bit with a pinched expression, “Well, Not tons. Jungkookie is going to grow up quickly remember?”

Namjoon and Jimin didn’t have time to let that sad thought settle before hearing a quiet gasp from next to them. They all looked over at Jungkook who was clearly just on his way back to the table, having stopped mid step with wide eyes.

Panic shot through Jimin, thinking the other had taken the dragons words wrong. Standing, he moved to Jungkook quickly, “Love, he didn’t mean that as a bad thing, he just-”

“We were talking about our future and I, well its true, but I meant it as like, we should cherish the time we have,” Hoseok rushed to explain.

“I’m such an idiot.”

Jungkook lifted a hand to his forehead and closed his eyes, sighing like he’d just come to a realization. Whatever that realization might have been terrified Jimin and he quickly shook his head about to tell him that he didn’t have to worry about that, that any moment they got to spend together was precious and they would still love him as an old man, no matter how old he got.

Jungkook stopped him before any of the words could rush out, surprising him into silence with a laugh and a grin. Blinking dumbly at his boyfriend, he let himself be led back to the table, Jungkook’s hand warm in his. So much wonderful warmth today

“I know what you meant Hobi-hyung, don’t worry. With everything going on and Jiho and the gang and Euphoria, I forgot to tell you guys.”

Jimin saw his own curiosity and confusion mirrored in Namjoon and Hoseok as they all traded nervous looks. They didn’t often get good news but from the way Jungkook was grinning ear to ear, he couldn’t imagine this news being bad.

“Forgot to tell us what?” Namjoon asked slowly.

Jungkook licked his lips (curse his habit) and squeezed Jimin’s hand, “I would wait until we’re all together but I might forget again. The Guardian explained a bit more about my soul and Euphoria. And, well, it essentially said that we can’t survive without each now. Euphoria and I need each other.”

Namjoon seemed to be the first to understand, his eyes widening and sitting back in his seat, running a hand through his hair in disbelief, “Then…”

“Then? Then what? What am I not getting?” Hoseok looked between them quickly.

Jimin waited, holding his breath as the next words left Jungkook’s mouth.

“As long as I don’t do something dumb again, I’ll live as long as Euphoria does.”

The air rushed out Jimin’s lungs and he stared in wonder at the boy in front of him. Now, no longer faced with the constant reminder that their time was limited, that Jungkook would leave them again like he had before, he saw a life flash in his mind. A life with the seven of them, kids, maybe a bunch of kids, walks in Euphoria, exciting dinners and nights of love and cherishing each other and knowing that tomorrow would come and be just as wonderful.

He felt like the countdown had stopped.

Hoseok reacted first, slamming into Jungkook and lifting him around the waist, ignoring all the curious looks they were getting. Jungkook yelped and laughed and it was the most beautiful sound he’d ever heard. And he’d keep getting to hear it. He didn’t want to ever lose that sound again.

Jimin fought down his tears, settling for releasing the torrent of emotions in his chest through laughter and a squealing that had a few people jumping.

They found themselves in a group hug that was only interrupted when Sumi came over and jokingly told them they were blocking the exit. They made Jungkook promise to tell the others that night, and they promised themselves that they would spend tonight spoiling the hell out of Jungkook.

Namjoon, Jimin noticed, was still very quiet despite being clearly happy that Jungkook seemed happy. This time though, he could make a guess as to why.

“My brother and I are meeting up today, he’s got something he wants to tell me but doesn’t want to do it over the phone. Hyung, do you mind coming with me?” Jungkook asked once they had settled back in their seats and calmed down.

Namjoon tilted his head, “I don’t think your brother likes me very much Kookie, I don’t think he’ll want me coming along.”

“I feel more comfortable around him when you’re there,” Jungkook admitted. “I think I would start another fight if you weren’t.”

“You’re going to have to talk to him alone eventually though love,” Jimin reached over and brushed his bangs back, tucking some hair behind his ear. Jungkook leaned into his hand, making him smile.

“I know,” their youngest sighed, “Next time?” He looked at Namjoon with those puppy eyes that immediately had them all nodding in agreement, despite Namjoon being the one in question. Grinning, Jungkook stood back up and stretched, “Let’s go then, he wants to meet on the other side of town so we’ll have to take the bus.”

Namjoon perked up at that, “Bus?”

Jimin pouted, “When are you getting back?”

“It’ll take a little while so you don’t have to wait,” Jungkook said.

Hoseok groaned and slumped in the booth, “What are we supposed to do all day? I don’t want to go back to Galaxy yet.”

Jimin had to agree. He liked getting to spend time in Jungkook’s world. Yoongi was usually the one to come and hang out here but he liked the quiet of the café, Jimin couldn’t sit here all day lost in thought like the phoenix could.

Jungkook seemed to think for a moment before pulling out his wallet, “You guys have never tried ice cream before right?”

That caught their attention, “Ice cream?”

Sumi giggled as she walked by with drinks for another table, “You guys will love it!”

Jungkook snickered and handed Hoseok some money, “There’s an ice cream place just down the street. It’s called Sweet Dreams, try not to wander too far though, it’s easy to get lost if you don’t know where you’re going.”

“Awesome! Thanks Kookie!” Hoseok grinned, putting the money in his pocket. “Minnie, how about a date?”

Jimin chuckled and took the hand Hoseok offered to him, “Sounds delightful.”

Namjoon’s mind hadn’t gotten much of a break most of the day.

He was sure if he was still human, he’d have gotten a headache a long while ago. The others didn’t mean to add to the stress, he knew that. But bringing up children now…

What surprised him most was that Yoongi had been the one to suggest it to Hoseok. Yoongi wasn’t big on kids, or so Namjoon had thought. Though, that could have just been because he hadn’t been able to see himself as a parent. After the war, they had all disliked the idea of trying to raise a child while they were still such a mess themselves.

That had changed clearly. Now they were more secure, dismissing current threats, they had a home and their relationship was stable and it made sense as the next step. Hell, Namjoon wanted kids. The thought of cuddling their child, watching Yoongi read them stories or playing music with them, teaching them magic, Jungkook playing with them, Jimin healing scraps and kissing away bumps and bruises, Taehyung making art with them that would no doubt be posted proudly on ever surface of the house.

But Seokjin…

“Your face is going to get stuck like that.”

Namjoon blinked and looked at Jungkook, the deep frown easing up a bit for sake of confusion. “What do you mean ‘stuck’?”

“If you frown too much, your face will get stuck that way.”

He had to stare at the slightly shorter man for a long moment, trying to read whether or not he was joking. Except he forgot how good at lying Jungkook could be when he wanted too. Getting nothing from his straight face, Namjoon was forced to speak hesitantly, “That doesn’t actually happen.”

He didn’t mean for it to sound so much like a question but it made Jungkook grin and that was all the answer he needed. Shaking his head, he bumped his shoulder against his boyfriends gently as they walked down the street. “How am I supposed to know?”

“Evolution hasn’t changed us that much hyung,” Jungkook said in amusement.

“I beg to differ, human’s weren’t as pretty back then.”

“You were human then weren’t you?”

Namjoon snorted, “What did you say the term was again? For compliments like that?”

Jungkook raised a brow, “Smooth?”

“Yeah,” he chuckled. “Smooth.”

They came to a stop next to a bench and Namjoon gave him a questioning look, prompting Jungkook to explain that the bus’s worked on a time schedule and they had to wait for the next one. There was a woman standing off to the side with a phone in her hand and those strange sound devices in her ears. Jungkook had a pair and had refused to let Namjoon take them apart to figure out how they work.

“What were you thinking about hyung?” Jungkook took a seat on the bench, Namjoon settling beside him, watching the cars go by. Was a bus like a car? He wasn’t sure if he’d enjoy sitting in one of those.

“You,” he said carefully. It wasn’t entirely a lie. His thoughts had been drifting around Jungkook as well. Learning that Jungkook’s life was tied to Euphoria now was startling. He was incredibly happy, selfishly, he was so happy that they didn’t have to worry about losing Jungkook to old age. That didn’t mean he wasn’t worried about what it meant for Jungkook though.

Jungkook hummed, watching a black car drive by, shaped strangely compared to the others. Namjoon wondered if it had a different name then ‘car’.

“You’re worried about my soul and Euphoria?” His lover guessed, playing with the sleeve of his sweater on one hand. 

Namjoon nodded, hands resting on the edge of the bench as he leaned forward slightly, looking Jungkook over. The sweater he was wearing looked a bit too big on him, making him seem smaller then Namjoon knew he was. The soft pastel colours complimented his blonde hair and he had lifted a hand to feel the soft locks between his fingers before he realized he’d done it.

Jungkook smiled softly and made no attempt to push him away but Namjoon didn’t linger long. The human world wasn’t like Galaxy. He needed to remember that. The last thing he wanted to do was bring any of them anymore trouble.

It didn’t go unnoticed how the girl on her phone glanced towards them.

“You didn’t get a choice,” Namjoon sighed.

Shifting a bit closer to him, Jungkook took his hand off the bench and wrapped it up in his own, sweater soft against his palm. “I know.”

When Namjoon was cursed, it had been the last thing he had wanted. He remembered the moment he had finally slipped, finally drifted off into the abyss where the pain couldn’t get to him, and suddenly he was back. Being ripped away from that salvation of death back into a world that was fogged with pain and the screams of someone he cared about more then himself, had been a nightmare beyond words.

Jungkook… much like him, didn’t get a choice in continuing to be human. He was put in a horrible situation where he had to make a horrible decision. They were lucky to have him back, but at what cost? Now he would live a life similar to Namjoon’s. A life of too much time and too many loved ones dying. A life of drifting away from everything you knew.

The thought of Jungkook going through what he had, trying to cope with that life, made his heart ache with a pain that his protection spell couldn’t work against.

“I’ll need your help,” Jungkook admitted, tracing his fingertips along the arches of his knuckles. “Later I mean. With figuring it all out. For now, I’m okay. But it might hit me some day, when I watch people grow up without me.”

Namjoon would be there. He wouldn’t let him go through it alone. None of them would. They loved him, and even if that weren’t the case, Jungkook had given up everything to save them and their world, along with his own. He shouldn’t have to give up anything else.

Jungkook seemed to understand his feelings on the matter without him needing to speak, something he was grateful for as a large box on wheels pulled up in front of them. It looked similar to a car, or at least he suspected that it worked in a similar way. It was significantly bigger and he had to bite back nerves when Jungkook stood up next to him.

Thankfully, his boyfriend didn’t let go of his hand. He held on tight, using that as his tether to keep him from being separated as they approached the supposed doors. They slid open and Namjoon didn’t get a chance to stop and contemplate how before Jungkook was pulling him into the bus.

Stumbling a bit, he looked around at the seats and surprisingly spacious aisle. How many people could fit on one of these? Did people use these a lot?

“Good thing it’s not too crowded,” Jungkook mumbled, leading them to the back and letting Namjoon sit next to the window, taking the spot next to him. There were only a handful of other people on the bus, a few more trickling in before Namjoon watched the doors ahead of them slide closed.

He didn’t expect the initial jerk of the bus rolling forward and instinctively his hand shot out and grabbed the back of the seat in front of him, his body tensing and eyes widening. His other hand gripped Jungkook’s thigh tightly like it would somehow secure the younger in his seat as well.

A couple sitting on the seats across the aisle from them jumped in surprise at his sudden movement.

Jungkook put a hand on his shoulder firmly, not looking the least bit bothered by the world sliding by outside the window. “It’s alright, it’s a little bumpy sometimes but you’ll get used to it.”

His assurance helped slightly but it was still a fight to get his muscles to relax. Prying his hand off the seat in front of him seemed like enough of a win that he could ignore that the rest of him was tense. “This feels so weird,” he couldn’t help saying, finding watching out the window a bit disorienting.

“What did you used to travel with?”

“Horse and carriage.”

“It’s not much different, just faster,” Jungkook smiled. “Technically it’s got horsepower.”

Namjoon stared at him, opening his mouth.

“Not actual horses.”

“Oh,” he mumbled, slightly embarrassed. He was about to start looking for the horses he’d somehow missed getting on. His eyes drifted towards the front where a man sat behind a large wheel. When he turned it, the bus seemed to follow. “That man just takes you where you want to go?”

Jungkook looked incredibly endeared and Namjoon was reminded of all the times he’d seen the boy scrunch his nose while trying to understand something about magic that he was explaining. He couldn’t help smiling a bit at being on the other end of the lesson this time. It was nice.

“Not that man specifically. They’re bus drivers, they get paid to drive a route and stop in specific places so people can get on and off where they need to go. You have to know what bus to take and what stop to get off at.”

Humming, Namjoon considered that. It seemed like a really good system. Distracted by his surroundings, he didn’t notice Jungkook shift until he felt warm lips press against his cheek. The kiss felt a little rushed, a little more shy then what Namjoon was used to from the other. Looking at him, he could see a dusting of red across his cheeks and while he held his gaze he seemed to be trying not to look away.

“You always give me a kiss when I finally understand something,” Jungkook mumbled in embarrassment to his unasked question.

He knew Jungkook was likely uncomfortable with being openly affectionate in his world, and given what he’d told them all about homophobia, Namjoon didn’t blame him. Even he felt anxious about the strangers around them, worried someone might start something like the boy at Jungkook’s school had. Taehyung and him hadn’t even been doing anything. That unprovoked hatred was terrifying and he couldn’t imagine how Jungkook felt dealing with the threat of it every day.

And yet, the sweet, wonderful boy sitting next to him, was still willing to risk that threat just to kiss him on the cheek as a reward for understanding buses.

Chuckling, Namjoon wrapped his hand around the inside of his thigh and pulled his leg closer, prompting Jungkook to shift over so they were pressed together. He could feel his lover relax against him and he smiled softly.

He found his mind drifting back to kids as he watched the scenery out the window, Jungkook’s head resting on his shoulder.

The ice cream place wasn’t hard to find.

Like Jungkook had said, it was just down the street from the café. Which should suggest an easy walk there and back.

Though, Hoseok quickly realized a problem when they were not even two building’s way from the White Rose.

Everything was distracting.

Neither of them had gotten much time to actually explore the city Jungkook grew up in, and now that they had the freedom too, the thought of whatever this ‘ice cream’ was, left their minds pretty quickly. Hoseok knew they wouldn’t go too far, deciding to keep the café in their sights and just explore around this street and its stores.

While he and Jimin were debating if you would call this a mall too, given how many stores there were, and staring at a moving picture on a wall of a woman flipping her hair around in slow motion, Jimin pointed to the other side of the street.

“Hobi look!”

He followed the direction his finger was pointing, looking away from the woman. It took him a moment to find what he was pointing out, vision being blocked by the cars on the road that would start and stop at seemingly random times.

Seriously, why didn’t they just keep going? Why were they stopping so much only to crawl forward an inch and stop again?

When he did find it though, he gasped, “Animals!”

One thing he had noticed a startling lack of was nature and animals. Hoseok was pretty sure humans actually designated sections for them, what Jungkook had called a park, but he wasn’t sure how he felt about that. Even when they were there he didn’t see any creatures.

This led them to their next problem.

How did they get across the road?

Hoseok looked around, trying to find someone who could possibly show them how they were meant to get across. The cars weren’t moving quickly, but something told him he didn’t want to stand in their way, so weaving through the spaces between them was probably a bad idea.

A little further down the street he noticed that a group of people were walking across a part of the road with big white lines across it, the cars all stopped and waiting. Perking up, he took Jimin’s hand, “Over there.”

The people had just reached the other side of the road as they were getting there, and not thinking twice, Hoseok stepped out onto the lined path.

The blaring sound from one of the cars had him jumping and yelping just as Jimin quickly tugged him back off the lines. He staggered, watching with wide eyes and a thundering heart as the cars started to move again.

“Are you okay?” Jimin asked quickly, taking his face in his hands and looking him over, as startled as Hoseok felt.

Nodding quickly, he took a quick breath and looked back at the road, “Why did they start going? Did I do something wrong?”

“I don’t know,” Jimin frowned, looking around. He looked towards the lights hanging over the road. “Those turned green.”

Hoseok looked at them too and tilted his head. “What about that one?”

Above the far side of the road across from them was a red glowing sign in the shape of a person’s silhouette. “It looks vaguely threatening.”

“What if it’s telling us we’ll die if we cross? Human’s blood is red,” Jimin blinked.

Hoseok took a step back, pulling Jimin with him as a car sped past. He swallowed. “Those other people crossed just fine though.”

"What if we have to stand like that?" Jimin suggested, standing straight backed with his hands to his sides. When nothing happened he pursed his lips. 

Hoseok waved his arms in the air over his head getting very concerned looks from people walking by, "Didn't you say the doors at the mall moved on their own? It could be like that, a sensor thing right?"

“Oh! Look, that one just changed,” Jimin gestured to the other light which had turned yellow. Hoseok watched the cars begin to slow.

“I get it, that one tells the cars what to do,” he watched and as if to prove his point, the light turned red and the cars came to a stop.

They watched as the sign with the red man turned into a green man in a walking position. They looked at each other and grinned but their first steps onto the road were hesitant, half expecting the cars to make the loud noise again.

When a man walked past them and gave them a strange look as he headed across the street, they deemed it okay to follow but it didn’t stop them from running to get to the other side.

Safely off the white lines, Hoseok took a deep breath and sagged with relief, giving Jimin a high five at their success of not getting killed.

“Humans are so strange. It’s like they like to remind themselves that everything kills them or something,” Jimin shook his head. “This is making me really glad that Jungkookie lives with us now.”

Hoseok nodded, taking Jimin’s hand to hold. “Don’t forget that the Galaxy could be just as dangerous for him though.”

He tapped his knuckled on the underside of Jimin’s chin, smiling at his little pout.

“Do you think it bothers him? That he can’t go out around Galaxy on his own?”

He thought about it for a moment. Jungkook never really talked about things when he was having a hard time. It was something they hadn’t entirely noticed before he’d died, but since then, it had been common for Jungkook to forget to tell them if he was struggling. There were a lot of times that they let it slide, knowing he was breaking a house rule but also knowing he had years of habit he was trying to break.

For the most part, they were really proud of him for talking about things when he did. He wasn’t actively trying to worry them and when he did remember to tell them, he was open about admitting how he felt on the matter. For that reason, Hoseok knew Namjoon would be having a word with him about his lengthened life span.

It was the little things he brushed off because he had a different definition of a ‘problem’ then they did, that made things a little trickier sometimes. There had been multiple times he’d been talking to the other while working in the gardens and noticed he had a cut on his arm that was bleeding lightly, or the mysterious bruises Hoseok noticed on his legs sometimes that Jungkook himself didn’t even know the cause of half the time.

It boggled his mind that he could be so used to some pains that he didn’t even notice anymore. Maybe it was a normal human thing, which was probably why Jungkook was so nonchalant with it, but it hurt his heart every time he saw a new scrap and watched the boy be genuinely surprised to notice it as well.

So yes, he did think that not being able to explore Galaxy did bother him sometimes. It was partially why he’d invited him out to see his parents. They didn’t want Jungkook to feel trapped in their house but they still had to keep him safe. Humans weren’t the only ones who didn’t handle differences well.

“I think sometimes it does,” he answered honestly, despite knowing Jimin knew the answer to his own question already.

Feeling the heaviness in the air, Hoseok remembered why they had risked their lives to get to this side of the street in the first place, and perked up as he urged Jimin over to the building they had seen.

Hoseok pressed his face against the glass of the window, breathe fogging it slightly as he stared at the most peculiar thing.

It was likely a good ten minutes before either of them said anything, just watching the strange creature through the glass.

“It’s so fluffy.”

“What do you think it is?” Jimin whispered in awe from beside him, hands pressed against the glass much like his own.

The little black eyes of the creature stared back at them.

“It kind of looks like a Turucoors,” Hoseok tilted his head. The fluffy thing mirrored the movement and Jimin let out a quiet ‘awe’.

“Turucoors aren’t that small. Does it even have legs? I can’t tell, it’s so fluffy Hobi.”

“It looks like there’s a bunch in there.”

Hoseok looked away from the creature, inspecting the inside of the shop. There looked to be shelves and displays much like what they’d become used to seeing in human shops but he couldn’t begin to guess what the store might sell. The animals were all in cages, some of them running around a fenced area of the floor with what he assumed were toys for them.

“Maybe it’s a place that heals animals?” Hoseok guessed.

“Look at its little tongue!”

“I think those are cats right? Like the picture’s Jungkookie showed us.”

Jimin spared a brief glance towards where he was pointing inside the store, “Yeah, the ones that look like Yoongi.”

“Huh… they really do…” He watched a little chubby cheeked cat yawn widely.

Something about the place felt wrong to Hoseok. Even if it was a place to heal animals, why the cages? He’d never even think to put an animal in a cage. Just the sight of it made him uncomfortable.

Stepping back, he took a look at the signs. The name was Great Tails, but that didn’t help much in figuring out what the place was for. His eyes landed on a sign just above Jimin in the window. He frowned.

“Minnie, what’s a dog?”

Jimin turned to look at him, following his gaze to the sign that read ‘All Natural Dog Food’. He stepped back to stand next to Hoseok and crossed his arms contemplatively. “I don’t think Kookie has mentioned a dog.”

They stood there for a solid minute before something clicked. There was something very wrong with this picture. Hoseok’s eyes widened at the same time Jimin straightened up slowly, arms going slack at his sides.

“You don’t think…”

“No… I mean, that would be… no…”

Hoseok’s eyes flicked between the sign and the little ball of fluff below it. The fuzzy creature was tiny and did in fact have legs, as they could easily see were now pressed against the glass, it’s little body wiggling in what Hoseok hoped was excitement.

Jimin shifted next to him, “We don’t, know, for sure, if it’s entirely friendly… it could be really dangerous right?”

“Right. Yeah. Of course. And… you know… nature and all, I’m sure these ‘dog’ things need to eat.”

“Hobi…”

Hoseok looked at Jimin, who was already looking at him with a pained expression and barely restrained energy. His lover let out a whimper that he could sympathize with. There’s no way this cute little ball of cotton could be actual food right? People didn’t feed these to dogs did they?

 They both slowly looked back at the little fluff ball and watched tensely as it ran in a circle in its cage.

“I’ll distract them.”

“I’ll get the locks.”

Jungkook squeezed Namjoon’s hand as they got off the bus at their stop.

The immortal stumbled a bit, legs looking a little shaky and he couldn’t help but smile in amusement. Pulling him out of the way of people trying to get on, he waited for a moment for his boyfriend to shake himself out and get his ‘walking’ legs again.

Jungkook was impressed with how calm he’d been most of the ride, given that he’d never been in a vehicle before, he’d done really well. Despite a few startles here and there when the bus would turn, or start, or stop, or hit a pothole, Namjoon hadn’t freaked out too much.

Once he was sure he wasn’t going to fall over, Jungkook started walking towards the address his brother and him agreed to meet. It was his idea to meet far from the café, just in case. The distance only gave him time to worry about what it was his brother was so pressed to tell him, though he wasn’t entirely looking forward to this meet up.

Ji-hun had sounded a bit annoyed on the phone, making rather passive aggressive comments about how Jungkook wouldn’t answer him before. It pissed him off. Did his brother seriously think everything would be fine after one meet up? Yeah it had gone decently well for the amount of baggage they had behind them, but that didn’t mean he would answer to his brothers beck and call again.

Jungkook was scared to be alone with his brother. The thought hadn’t struck him until he’d gotten off the phone with him. While his brother was never there when his parents put him through therapy, he hadn’t exactly been his saving grace either. In a way, Jungkook had lumped him in with his parents. Like he was the one standing guard on the other side of that wretched bedroom door, making sure he couldn’t leave.

Ji-hun had supposed to be his way out, but it had felt more like he’d pinned the door closed. Maybe that was unfair to put on his brother, but he couldn’t help how he felt about it.

He knew it was wrong to think that way, and after learning about his brother’s reasons, he couldn’t blame him for being upset for having to give up his whole life for Jungkook.

It didn’t stop the fear of being alone with him and falling back into his old self though. He was scared to rely on his brother again.

All of these feeling’s stirred the pressure in his chest and he frowned, putting a hand to it. It was worse than it had been before. Stronger.

“Hyung?” Jungkook licked his lips as they got closer to the spot they were meeting. It was next to a convenience store. Somewhere casual, inconspicuous.

When Namjoon looked at him his eyes flicked to his hand on his chest and Jungkook could feel the air change to something anxious. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s… There’s this weird feeling in my chest.”

Namjoon pulled them to a stop immediately, taking a quick moment to look him over before dragging him off the main sidewalk and to a quiet corner under the awning of a building. He turned to him and fished through his pocket quickly, pulling out a sewing needle. Jungkook knew what he was doing the moment he saw it, holding out his hand and nodding to his lover when he looked at him for permission.

Gently, Namjoon took his hand and pricked the tip of his finger, wincing as if he had hurt himself while Jungkook held still, barely feeling it. He smiled lightly at the apology the man mumbled, both of them watching as a bead of red bubbled up from his skin.

Jungkook simultaneously felt relief and confusion.

Sucking in a breath, Namjoon dabbed his finger with the hem of his shirt, before bringing it to his lips and kissing it gently. Jungkook knew that Namjoon hadn’t believed him when he said that kisses healed humans faster (though Taehyung, Jimin and even Yoongi swore by that method now), and yet he’d still indulge him every time they checked this.

His blood wasn’t black. Which was a good thing. But they didn’t know if it ever would be, given that whole magic seemed to work differently then their own. Still, it couldn’t hurt to check.

“Is it like before? With the gem?”

Jungkook quickly shook his head, not liking the fear he heard in the others voice, “I thought it was stress, or anxiety building. It feels like the edge of a panic attack. But it’s not quite the same. It feels like Euphoria.”

Namjoon’s brow pinched in confusion, “Could it be Euphoria’s emotions then?”

“I don’t think so. This won’t make much sense but… Euphoria always feels like it’s in the back, behind my own, I don’t know, self? Being?” Jungkook shook his head and frowned, “I can still feel Euphoria there but this is in front of all that. It feels like its building until it snaps.” The way Namjoon paused, Jungkook knew something he said registered with him and he searched his eyes for the answer quickly, “What? What is it?”

Namjoon put a hand on his chest, the other wrapping around to his back and he pushed his palm into him firmly, making Jungkook grunt slightly, “Is it like this? This kind of pressure?” Jungkook nodded, breathing out when Namjoon pressed his lips together before speaking again. “Do you remember how we suggested you might have powers bun?”

The nickname helped in calming him down slightly, “Yeah. Is that what this is? Magical energy?”

“I think so. If we don’t release energy it builds up inside and creates a pressure that eventually releases itself. It sounds like what you’re describing.”

“Then how do I release it?” Jungkook’s hands shook, thinking back to the last time his body released a copious amount of energy. It hadn’t exactly ended well for him.

Namjoon grabbed his arms, steadying him, “Hey, hey, it’s okay. It won’t hurt you. It’s your magic now okay? It’s yours. Your body was created to handle this now. It’s not going to hurt when you release it, it will actually feel really good, like setting down something heavy. But, without knowing what affinity you have, I can’t…” Namjoon shifted restlessly. “We should go back bun, this isn’t something we should ignore for long. If you’re experiencing negative emotions then-”

Jungkook frowned, interrupting him, “I have a dark affinity?”

He wasn’t entirely sure how to feel about that. He tried to remember what Jimin had said were dark affinities. Chaos, destruction… what were the others?

“You might,” Namjoon said honestly, but he didn’t look concerned with that at all.

Nodding slowly, Jungkook focused on the pressure in his chest, a strange swirling mass of energy that had no where to go right now. “Do you think it’ll be alright until after we talk to Ji-hun-hyung?”

Namjoon didn’t look thrilled by the idea, “How important is what he has to tell you?”

Jungkook could only shrug, “He didn’t want to talk on the phone. I think it’s serious.”

“Let’s try and make it quick then, but we’re leaving if it starts to get worse okay?”

Jungkook agreed and they started for the meeting place again, pace a bit quicker then before. He tried not to think about the fact that there might be yet another thing to set him apart from his boyfriends, who were all positive affinities. The thought made his stomach twist uncomfortably. The excitement at the prospect of having magic was dampened by the fact that it could be destructive. Wasn’t one of them Control? What if he accidently controlled one of the others without knowing?

What if he was just like the man that had tortured them?

Swallowing he shoved those thoughts aside. They had protection spells. They would be safe. And they wouldn’t let something like this change their relationship. The way they talked about dark and light magic suggested that they didn’t go hand in hand with good and evil. An evil person could have a positive affinity just as a good person could have dark. It didn’t make him evil.

Still, he walked faster, wanting to get home to figure this out as soon as possible.

“GET BACK HERE!”

“Hey! Watch i- what the hell?”

Jimin barely dodged the person walking down the street as he burst out of the building, Hoseok right behind him and a flood of animals on their heels.

“Be free!” Hoseok called out to the creatures as they ran out. There were loud honking sounds almost drowned out by the barking from the animals and the cars on the road came to a screeching halt as animals ran out, a very panicked store owner running out after them.

Jimin bolted, grinning as he tucked the brown fluffy creature against his chest, arms cradling it carefully. He attempted not to jostle the poor thing too much. His heart hammered in his chest, legs taking them away from the store. The man was clearly too distracted trying to catch the animals to bother coming after them so they only took two turns before slowing to a stop.

Hoseok stopped next to him, bending down slightly to try and get a look at the strange creature they had saved. The short sprint hadn’t taken much wind out of either of them but Jimin didn’t want to linger here long, still far too close to that awful place.

He felt the creature squirm in his arms and loosened his grip to give it room to twist around, it’s little paws pushing against his chest. Hoseok cooed and offered it a hand to sniff. It’s little nose wiggled before it licked his finger and opened its mouth, panting.

“No one is gonna make food out of you,” Jimin nodded once determinedly. “Guardian above you’re so precious.”

“It’s got some pretty sharp teeth,” Hoseok bent down, having no qualms about sticking his fingers in the creatures mouth.

“Be careful, it might be poisonous,” Jimin warned half heartedly. Hoseok knew his animals, and knew when animals were to be feared or not. If he was already this comfortable, Jimin wasn’t worried.

The creatures fur was just as soft as it looked and he lifted it up to smush his face into the side of it, feeling it’s little body heave with every pant.

“Come on, lets go back to the café before we get caught,” Hoseok snickered. “JK is going to flip.”

Jimin pouted, tucking the animal under his chin, “Do you think he’ll be mad? We saved it after all…”

“Nah, Jungkookie would’ve done the same,” Hoseok said confidently.

Smiling, Jimin started walked again but only made it three steps before looking around. “Um, Hobi? How did we get here?”

Hoseok paused and looked around, “We came from that street,” he pointed but his arm drooped slightly when he noticed another street a bit further down. “Or was it that one… wait did we cross the road?”

“Oh no…” Jimin groaned.

“Okay, let’s not panic. We can just use the door to get back.”

“Hoseokie, Kookie spent twenty minutes this morning telling the door to ‘stay’ in the café. I don’t think it’s going to leave there any time soon.”

They did the first thing they could think of.

They panicked.

Not only did everything look the same, they couldn’t exactly remember which direction they had turned in, only getting more confused the longer they stood there. Jimin huffed and held the creature under it’s front legs up in front of his face. He squinted at it.

“This is your fault.”

The creatures tiny tongue darted out and licked the tip of his nose.

Jimin stared at it.

“You’re forgiven.”

Nodding once, he cradled it in his arms again, the tiny thing fitting perfectly there as he discussed with Hoseok what they should do.

Eventually, it came down to wandering.

They figured, with no way to contact the others, their best bet was to try and retrace their steps. They hadn’t been running for nearly long enough to be that far from the café so they were bound to run into it.

Except, an hour later and they hadn’t crossed a single place that looked familiar.

Disheartened, they had found a bench along the sidewalk to flop into, both sighing in unison as they watched people walk by.

“What now?”

“The others are going to worry if we’re gone too long. I didn’t think the city was this big,” Jimin mused, holding the creature in his arms still. It had fallen asleep some time ago.

“Hey Minnie?”

“Hmm?”

“Namjoon was being weird before right? It wasn’t just me?” Hoseok turned to frown at him.

Jimin considered their earlier conversation, “Yeah. I thought he really liked kids too. I understand where he’s coming from though. Now’s not really the time.”

“I know, I just thought he’d be more excited. I think he’s more shaken up about this gang boss guy then he’s letting on. Yoongi too.”

“To think they went through something like that…” Jimin’s heart burned, trying to keep his mind from drifting to the horrid imagines it wanted to conjure up of his lovers being tortured.

Hoseok’s arm wrapped around his shoulders, pulling him close while trying not to disturb the sleeping creature. “We’ve all got our nightmares.”

“Sometimes I, sometimes Taehyung and I feel like we can’t be there for you in the way we want to be. We don’t have experience with the war like the four of you,” Jimin pointedly watched the fur on the creatures back rise and fall. “I can see it in Jungkookie a lot too.”

Actually, Jungkook was the reason Jimin had noticed it in the first place. That divide between the youngest three and the rest. It was when they had dragged Jungkook out to the greenhouse with them, while they sat in silence through Yoongi’s nightmare, that Jimin really understood that he was scared of the others pasts.

The war wasn’t a light topic, but they could speak about it without memories surfacing. They could mention it without flinching or having the faces of lost friends flash through their minds.

Jimin wanted to help, and he thought the way to do that was to ease their burden during times where those memories came back. That’s why they stayed away. But then, Jungkook came back with Hoseok, and Jimin watched from the attic window of the house, as he fought against Yoongi in the arena.

He watched them beat each other black and blue and pretended to be shocked at the cause of the injuries when they came stumbling in with matching grins on their faces. Of course, he hadn’t known how severe the injuries were until he could see them up close, but he’d seen the hits and how far they threw each other.

Jungkook helped.

That’s all Jimin had ever tried to do, he just never knew how.

Hoseok didn’t say anything and Jimin wasn’t brave enough in this moment to look at him, so he continued.

“I want to be strong for you, even if that means being weak with you.”

“Oh Minnie…”

“Next time, I’m not going to run away and hide,” he looked at Hoseok evenly. “So please trust us. All of you, trust us with your pain okay?”

Hoseok leaned forward and pressed his forehead against his, bringing a hand up to cup his neck. They sat like that for a moment before he pulled away and brushed a thumb over his cheek. “Okay,” he agreed, voice soft but firm. “I didn’t know you guys felt that way.”

“I think we’ve always felt a little like we couldn’t match up to you guys,” he admitted. “Not in our relationship, we know you all love us, just… in terms of strength mental and otherwise, I guess. Ever since you guys saved Tae…”

Hoseok stopped him there, clicking his tongue, “We’ve had this conversation before,” he said sternly, making Jimin laugh a bit.

“Yeah, yeah, ‘if I hadn’t called Yoongi’, I know. But still. Jungkook kind of showed me that I shouldn’t underestimate myself.”

Hoseok smiled, “Jimin, love, I’ve watched you take on four Hydras without breaking a sweat or getting your new clothes dirty. It was probably the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.”

Jimin laughed and bumped their shoulders together, falling into him slightly, “How can you say that knowing we’ve both heard Taehyung and Jungkook singing in the shower together?”

“Oh… you’re right…” Hoseok sighed happily at the memory. “Guardian knows their voices were made to be heard together. What was that song they were singing again? The one Jungkookie taught us?”

Jimin grinned and without embarrassment began to sing the upbeat song. Hoseok listened, smiling brightly at first before joining in at the parts he was more familiar with, drumming out a beat on his thighs. They watched each other as they sang, Jimin dramatically hopping onto his feet on the bench and dancing around, waking the tiny creature in the process. They both broke into a fit of laughter when the animal made a howling noise, as if it were singing with them.

For awhile, it as just them, the city shrinking down around them to the size of this bench and ground under it. They acted out the lyrics in some spots when they understood what was being said, some of the lyrics referring to things they didn’t know.

The first of the clapping had them snapping back to their surroundings as they ended the song with a high pitch howl from the animal. Jimin, having stood up to dance with the creature, hugged it close as he looked around with wide eyes at the crowd that had formed. He looked quickly at Hoseok, who was standing as well, looking just as confused.

Shrugging, Hoseok smiled at the humans and offered an exaggerated bow, which had some people chuckling. There were a few people pointing their phones at them and Jimin wondered if they were taking frozen moments.

A couple of people started handing them money, and flabbergasted by the action, Hoseok took it dumbly, not getting a chance to return it before they were leaving already. “Uh, wait, why are you-?”

A group of girls approached Jimin and he blinked at them, taken aback by their bright smiles, “You’re a really good singer! Are you a trainee?”

Jimin opened and closed his mouth, looking towards Hoseok for help but his lover had his own small crowd of people who seemed to be showering him in compliments. “Um, yes?”

Maybe that was the right answer, as the girls started pulling out paper and pens. “Oh my gosh, do you know when you’re debuting? Could you sign this?”

“Sign it?” He asked unsurely. Did they just want him to write his name? Taking the pen he awkwardly scrawled his name on the paper, tilting his head curiously at their excited reactions as he moved to the next one.

“Jimin-ss? Your name’s Jimin-ssi?” One girl perked up.

“You’re so handsome, and your voice was beautiful! Are you in a group?”

Group? That meant a Set right? Relaxing at a question he finally understood, he smiled brightly and nodded proudly. “Yeah, Hope and I are a Set with five others,” he almost fumbled on Hoseok’s name, reminding himself to use their alias’s. Jimin himself didn’t need one, no one in this world knew who he was.

“Hope? That’s a cool stage name! Is he a rapper?”

“A group of seven, I can’t wait! Do you have social media? Where can we follow you?”

“What company are you with?”

“Wait!” One of the girls gasped, “Aren’t you one of the guys that’s been trending lately?”

The other girls looked at her curiously as she pulled out her phone and showed them something, they looked between the phone and him.

“It is you! These must be your members then right?”

They showed him the phone and he was surprised to find a picture of him and the other at the café the day they had all went for the first time. He hadn’t known someone took a frozen moment of that. He wasn’t entirely sure why someone would want to. He nodded though, to answer her question.

“Can we get a picture with both of you?”

Hoseok looked over and grinned, taking this a lot more smoothly then Jimin was in their shared confusion. He hopped over and threw an arm over Jimin’s shoulders, making him stagger slightly but smile none the less. One of the girls whispering a quiet ‘oh my god’ had him looking back at them.

“Sure, you guys seem really nice,” Hoseok said, waving the girls closer and they didn’t hesitate to crowd in, one of them holding their phone at arm’s length to take the picture. Jimin made sure to smile and the next thing he knew the girls were waving goodbye, talking excitedly amongst themselves, thanking them for their time and wishing them luck.

He was left with Hoseok after the whirlwind of questions, dumbfounded.

“What… was that about?”

“Do you know what an idol is?” Hoseok asked.

Jimin shook his head, “Do you know what a trainee is?”

“Not a clue.”

“Human’s are strange…”

Hoseok nodded before grinning at him, “But, I got directions back to the café.”

Jimin looked at him quickly, “What really?”

“Yep! We aren’t that far from it actually. I think we’ve been walking in circles for the past hour.”

Jimin couldn’t do anything but laugh, the nice people who had been so kind to them having made a warm feeling rush through him.

That pleasant interaction might have just made his whole week.

Grinning ear to ear as they headed back towards the café, Jimin smushed his face into the tiny creature’s fur once more.

Chapter Text

Jungkook had a feeling that the meeting with Ji-hun wouldn’t be great.

Judging by how insistent he’d been over the phone, it wasn’t hard to figure out he didn’t have good news for him. But upon seeing Ji-hun pacing back and forth in the small, secluded street next to a convenience store, he felt his stomach drop even further then the twisting energy in his chest was pushing it.

There wasn’t anyone around, but Jungkook had picked this spot because of that. The convenience store was nearly abandoned, closed more often than it was open, and the street was simply too far out of the way from the busy city streets that everyone flocked too. He’d used it a few times when he was running, to camp out for the night or to steal a quick meal from the store.

He glanced at the closed sign in the door before looking back at his brother who had stopped pacing once he noticed them. For a moment, it looked like Ji-hun was about to smile at him, but his eyes found Namjoon and any attempt at a smile dropped from his features.

Oh good. This was boding well.

“Why is he here?”

“Hi to you too,” Jungkook rolled his eyes. “I asked him to come.”

“I thought he was your boyfriend, not your bodyguard,” Ji-hun grumbled in annoyance.

“I thought we reached an understanding last time we spoke,” Namjoon said calmly, if a little confused. Jungkook understood that. They’d parted on pretty good terms last time, and Ji-hun had seemed to be at least trying to make amends with Namjoon. The sudden annoyance was surprising.

Ji-hun pressed his tongue to his cheek and looked to the side, weight shifting from foot to foot, “Sorry. I was worried about you,” he said eventually, looking back at Jungkook. “You didn’t answer my calls.”

Jungkook frowned, “I don’t get cell service where we live. I can’t answer them. What did you want to tell me? Why couldn’t we have done this over the phone?”

Ji-hun scoffed a bit, looking genuinely hurt, “Seriously? You don’t want to see me that badly?”

Why did Jungkook suddenly feel like the more mature one? A bitterness curled through him, adding to the energy in his chest and he licked his lips nervously. Just the stress of meeting his brother had caused the energy to press up under his skin, pushing and prodding as if looking for a way out.

Maybe this was a bad idea.

“It’s not,” Jungkook sighed roughly, trying to calm down, to press that energy and annoyance away. “It’s not like that. We’ve got a lot we’re trying to figure out right now.”

Ji-hun looked at him for a moment before looking at his feet, “That guy I told you about, Kwan Chungho. The one I ran into at the hospital. He was at our parents house.”

Jungkook stared at him, taking a slow deep breath. He knew this guy was a gang member from the information Il-seong and Nara gave them, but they still had no clue why they were looking for him. The only reason he could think of was that they were under the impression that he took out Jiho, as seemed to be the rumors spreading around. Even then, if this man was as high up as they said, it still didn’t feel right.

Jungkook and Jiho were both easily replaceable in the gang. Even with Jiho’s position as controlling the drug running, there were tons of people who could take his place. Assuming that the boss, Kim Ki-jung, didn’t know he was affiliated with Namjoon, Yoongi or Seokjin, or even magic in general, why did he look into Jungkook’s death?

“Did he say why?” Jungkook asked carefully.

Ji-hun, once again gave him a look, as if waiting for him to react in whatever way he thought he should. Jungkook just raised a brow, wanting answers and then wanting to go home and hopefully find out what kind of affinity he had.

“That’s it?” Ji-hun shook his head in disbelief, “That’s all you have to- our parents could have been hurt! We don’t know who that guy is or what he wants!”

“Actually, I have a pretty good idea who he is, but it’s what he wants that I’m stumped on.”

Throwing his hands forward in frustration, Ji-hun looked about ready to pull out his own hair, “Are you even hearing yourself? Since when did you become so cold hearted. Do you not understand how dangerous- no- how terrifying it was, to come home to that man talking to our mother?”

This wasn’t good. This really wasn’t good. Jungkook felt a twinge inside of him, like the carefully constructed tethers he’d tied in place were starting to snap. He clenched his jaw. “Yeah hyung. Yeah I have some idea of how fucking terrifying that is. Don’t act like you know what I’ve been through. I’m not the sheltered five-year-old hiding behind you anymore.”

Ji-hun laughed, a bitter almost toxic sound, “No shit. You have your boyfriends to hide behind now.”

Jungkook took a step forward, his heart pulsing so violently he was pretty sure his whole body jerked from it. His open mouth snapped shut when Namjoon’s hand grabbed his arm, pulling him back and turning him sharply to face him.

He opened his mouth once more to protest but the look in his boyfriend’s eyes, that calculating focus that barely hid his concern, told him everything. Even if he couldn’t feel the energy crawling under his skin or the cold chill up his spine.

“Your eyes love,” Namjoon whispered, leaning close to his ear, his breath brushing against his cheek. “We need to go.”

Jungkook nodded, turning his head away from his brother, looking at the ground as Namjoon’s hand came to rest on his shoulder as he turned to look at Ji-hun.

“Did the man say why he was looking into Jungkook?”

“No. I didn’t have time to ask while he was threatening me. I’m getting really sick of you butting into things you have no business-”

“We have to go. We can talk about this another time.”

“Don’t fucking interrupt me.”

Jungkook heard Ji-hun storm up to them and felt him grab his arm, pointedly not looking at him despite it. He glanced at Namjoon, saw the set of his jaw, and licked his lips nervously.

“Hyung, please. If that’s all you had to say, we really need to go. I promise I’ll call you later and we can meet up properly. Just us. We’ll talk,” he said hurriedly. His mind was starting to cloud and the panic from the foreign feeling was only adding to the pressure building in his chest. He needed to de-escalate this as quickly as possible. At this rate he wouldn’t make it back to Galaxy.

His mild annoyance at being called all the way here for just that tiny bit of info that did nothing to help them wasn’t making this any easier. Shaking his head lightly he tried to look at it from Ji-hun’s point of view. His brother had lived a straight-laced life as a business man. So yeah, coming home to a man who was threatening his family would have shaken him.

The difference was, that Jungkook didn’t have much emotion towards those particular people. He’d cut them out. He wasn’t a monster, he didn’t want them hurt, but hearing what his brother said was no different then hearing about another robbery on the news.

“How can I trust your word? It doesn’t look like you care at all about me. No cell service? Seriously? I’m not expecting the world from you Jungkook, but I need you to give me something to work with. Let me help you.”

If Jungkook wasn’t battling a torrent of energy running through him he would have found the sincerity and desperation in his voice to be rather welcomed and endearing. Right now though, he could only groan and put a hand on his chest, bending over slightly and gripping Namjoon’s arm to keep himself on his feet.

“Ji-hun-ssi, please. I understand your frustration, but Jungkook needs to go. Now.”

The urgency in Namjoon’s voice seemed to be enough to break through his brother’s quiet anger and Jungkook felt his hand leave his shoulder briefly before settling on his back.

“What’s wrong? Is he alright?”

“H-Hyung,” Jungkook found himself whimpering, because suddenly, he was scared. He clutched Namjoon’s arm, breathing too quick, ears ringing slightly. He felt his lovers hands on his cheeks, heard his voice telling him to take a deep breath, but he couldn’t. The fear built and built, suffocating, his throat was closing up, he couldn’t see straight, couldn’t tell if his eyes were even open.

Then it snapped.

Jungkook’s vision went dark for a very terrifying second, his body lurching, spine forcefully straightening, a gasp ripped out of his throat. All the energy he felt inside him was forced out in all directions, slamming out of his body with all the impact of a wrecking ball to the chest. The ringing in his ears rose to a pitch he could no longer hear, leaving an empty silence in its wake.

Everything was dark, his body felt lighter than a feather.

Silence and darkness.

There wasn’t any pain, even the release of energy had just been intense pressure, not pain.

Peaceful. For a short, breathless moment.

His lungs burning was the first thing he felt but like a chain of domino’s everything else came back with it. Jungkook sucked in air, hands moving to his chest, pressing, feeling, making sure he was still there, still him. He tangled his fingers into the front of his shirt and coughed, rolling onto his side.

Oh he was laying down.

His back burned, head feeling a bit dizzy and he flinched at the loud clatter of a garbage bin falling over next to him as he shifted. Nothing seemed to work quite right and Jungkook felt as if he were drunk as he tried to move.

Looking at his hands, he put them under him to try and push himself up. He fumbled a bit, limbs feeling more like wet noodles. He groaned, giving up on attempting to move, letting himself crumble back down to the ground.

His unfocused eyes drifted closed, but not before catching sight of a person disappearing around the corner at the end of the street.

“What are you going to name it?”

Hoseok followed the directions the strangers gave them and was as amused as he was flabbergasted that it only took two turns for them to find themselves on a semi familiar street. All that wandering and they could have just asked someone.

Jimin had his arm looped through his, holding the fuzzy animal gently to his chest and cooing at it every now and then. The visual was sufficient in turning his heart into a messy puddle of goo.

“I’m not sure yet, I was thinking of asking Tae, he’s good at naming.”

That was true, their lover had named practically every plant in the greenhouse which Hoseok knew the plants secretly loved. They were always a little greener when the Fae came to visit, like they were trying to show off. It was cute.

“We’ll have to ask Jungkookie what it eats, we don’t really know how to take care of it.”

“I’m sure it’s not too hard. It can’t be worse than griffins.”

“Only because griffins don’t like you.”

“But this little cutie does,” Jimin said pridefully with a big grin on his face.

Hoseok laughed a bit. He really hoped the others were okay with a new member in their household, because prying the thing away from Jimin at this point would be a life or death battle.

Looking ahead of them for their next turn, Hoseok only saw the group of guys coming towards them a second too late to step out of their way, moving both himself and Jimin to the side but accidently bumping shoulders with one of them. Opening his mouth to apologize, he was met with a nasty sneer.

“You fucking blind?”

Hoseok raised a brow at the guy, wondering for a second if he was trying to act tough or if he had a sore throat. “You’ve got eyes too,” he commented, intending to leave it at that and continue walking but that wasn’t the case.

Maybe he was having a tough day or something because the guy took the comment to heart and grabbed his arm roughly, tugging him away from Jimin who scowled and took a step forward to pull Hoseok back, only to have one of the other guys drop an arm over his shoulders.

“What’s with the clothes? You gay or something?” The man, nearly twice Jimin’s size, laughed.

Hoseok’s jaw clenched at the words and the way Jimin tried to lean away from the man, scrunching his nose as if he smelled. If he smelled anything like the guy in front of Hoseok, who was now gripping the front of his shirt and leaning way to close to his face, then he could second that reaction.

There was something smoky on his breath but Hoseok couldn’t tell what, not that he particularly cared too. Instead, he grabbed the man’s wrist tightly, slowly squeezing tighter, “I’m sure you have places to be, don’t waste your time with us.”

“Shut up smart ass, have some respect. We’ll go where and when we fucking please.”

Hoseok could practically feel his intelligence dropping being in this guy’s presence. He squeezed harder still, until the guy was forced to release for fear of his wrist snapping.

His gaze snapped to Jimin when he heard him yelp, looking over to see the guys draped over him had grabbed the animal by the scruff and pulled it out of Jimin’s arms. The animal barked, small yaps coming from it, clearly distressed by its new position dangling in the air.

Jimin made a grab for it, “Don’t hold it like that, you’ll hurt it!”

Seeming to find this hilarious, the man held the animal higher, expecting Jimin to jump for it, “This thing? It’s practically a rat.”

Hoseok hissed. Bad move.

Jimin cracked his knuckles.

The man had no time to react as Jimin shot a hand out and sunk his fist deep into his stomach, hard enough that even Hoseok winced. The guy wheezed, folding in half over his arm before crumbling to the ground, arm dropping to grab his stomach, releasing the animal in the process. Jimin quickly caught it and hugged it close, sticking his tongue out at the guy who probably had some internal damage now.

The others gapped at them, giving Jimin enough time to move back over to Hoseok before they turned angry. There were four of them, minus the one rolled up in a ball on the ground. It was easy enough and Hoseok felt himself smirk.

“Big mistake brat.”

“Likewise,” Hoseok chuckled.

Before the fight could start though, a shout from down the street caught all their attention, their heads turning to look at two people walking their way, Hoseok paused. One of them was a kid, while the other looked a bit older, maybe around Jungkook’s age. They were both dressed in darker clothes, the older wearing a mask over his mouth, hair cut sloppily and falling unevenly around his face.

The kid though… was someone he recognized. By the wide eyed expression on the boy’s face, he recognized him too.  

Hoseok and Jimin looked back at the men in front of them as one cursed, “Fucking runners. They’re not worth the trouble. Come on.”

“You’re seriously backing down because of those street rats?” Another scoffed.

“Those street rats will run back to their boss and get us blacklisted you idiot. Let’s just go.”

Hoseok crossed his arms and watched curiously as the guys grabbed their friend off the ground and continued on their way, grumbling and bitching the entire time.

Looking back towards the two who had now reached them, Hoseok grinned at the runner kid, “Long time no see kiddo.”

Jimin looked at him in surprise, as did the older runner. “You know him?”

“Mm, sort of. He was the runner JK and I got information from about Jiho,” he said.

The kid seemed to light up, and now that he was seeing him during the day, he looked much healthier than he had before. Still too skinny, but his cheeks were fuller and he looked a tad cleaner than he remembered. “You’re still working for him then? Is he still alive? I, I didn’t thank either of you last time…”

Jimin cooed a bit and the boy blushed under his attention, looking away quickly and crossing his arms.

“I thought he was lying when he said he met JK,” the older runner admitted, looking at the boy for a moment before offering them a bow. “I’m Ace, this is Scout.”

“I told you I didn’t make it up!” The kid elbowed the other.

“Hope,” Hoseok introduced, “And this is Jimin. Thanks for stepping in. It would have been a hassle to fight them,” he pushed away the slight disappointment at not getting too though.

“Got nothing else to do honestly,” Ace shrugged.

Scout took a step towards them, “We heard JK is recruiting, is that really true?”

Jimin raised a brow and looked at Hoseok, putting a hand on his hip. Hoseok grinned sheepishly at his silent question of ‘What did you do.’

“Is that what’s been going around?” Hoseok asked instead, clearing his throat a bit.

Scout nodded eagerly, “Do you think I could join too? There are a lot of us who want out, right Ace?”

Ace, who seemed much more laid back then Scout, shrugged, sticking his hands in his pockets, “Depends. Are the rumors true? Did he really take down the last guy in charge?”

“He was… dealt with, sure,” Hoseok admitted. How humans could spread word so quickly about things was honestly impressive. JK seemed to be a living legend now. Hoseok suppressed a grin, thinking about how Jungkook would react to this. Yoongi and him had conveniently forgotten to bring up the whole ‘gang boss’ thing to the others.

“Nara-noona told us we should help you guys out if we ever saw you around. Said you were worth the effort,” Ace looked them over curiously. “I don’t know if it helps to know, but we’ve been ordered to keep an eye on this area. Didn’t say for what, just said to watch for anything weird.”

Hoseok traded a frown with Jimin, both of them thinking the same thing. They were looking for the door. Why would they send humans out though? Unless they weren’t looking all that hard, or hoping that numbers alone would be enough to catch something strange. Surely this guy had other magical being’s working for him.

It made Hoseok feel like the door was only a side goal, but what would the main one be then? If not finding Galaxy?

“Thank you, that is really helpful,” Jimin said sincerely, reaching over and brushing Scout's bangs out of his face.

Scout turned beet red.

Yeah. Jimin had that affect on people.

“I hope you’ll keep quiet about seeing us?” Hoseok asked, not being subtle about the warning in his voice.

Ace nodded, “Scout wasn’t kidding. There’s a lot of us that want new management. Put in a good word for us with JK and we’ll keep an eye on the streets for you. Just say the word.”

Hoseok hummed in thought. It wasn’t a bad idea. It would be good to have more people on the inside, and they seemed willing to do as asked with little information. He had to remember to treat them to a good meal as thanks, but it would definitely benefit them to have more eyes and ears then just Nara and Il-seong.

“If anything changes around here, let Nara know. She’ll handle it from there,” Hoseok nodded in agreement and chuckled a bit when Scout smiled brightly. That was how the kid should look. Not all tough and trying to be scary.

“We’ll spread the news, the others will help too!” Scout said excitedly as they started walking away.

Hoseok stammered, turning to try and call after them, “That’s! Not… necessary,” he smacked a hand to his forehead as they ignored him and turned the corner down the street.

Jimin stared after them, “So… we work for JK now?”

Hoseok laughed a bit at the amusement in his voice. “What, you don’t think he’d look great in a uniform? Boss JK?”

Expecting a laugh, Hoseok was surprised when Jimin gasped in excitement instead, “Oh I almost forgot all about them!”

“Them?” Hoseok blinked.

Jimin grinned mischievously and started walking again, chin held up smugly.

“Jiminie, what’s ‘them’?”

“You’ll have to wait and see!”

“See what?”

Jimin’s laugh, while usually beautiful and welcomed, only left him frustrated and sitting in suspense for whatever the younger had planned.

Jungkook laid still for what felt like an eternity in a state of semi-consciousness before the cloud in his mind dispersed enough for him to regain control of himself.

Trying again to push himself up, he succeeded this time in getting to his knees, breathing out at the strange fuzzy sensation all over his skin. Namjoon was right, he felt like he’d just dropped a large box he’d been caring, except the relief of pressure all over his body left him feeling weightless.

He almost felt the need to grip the ground tightly to keep himself from floating away.

Looking around he tried to spot Namjoon, staggering to his feet and using the wall of the convenience store for support. He paused and looked at the cracked wall under his hand. The wall? Had he been thrown that far?

His back twinged painfully as if saying that ‘yes, yes he had’ and he grit his teeth, reaching a hand back to touch it. It came back damp with a light red. Judging by the minimal pain, he was either still running on adrenaline or the injury wasn’t bad. It was likely just a scarp from hitting the wall, or the ground.

Wiping his blood on the thigh of his pants, he coughed a bit as he stumbled over the trash can he’d knocked down.

Jungkook noticed the damage first.

Swallowing shakily, he took in the shattered glass that littered the street, eyes tracing up to the building’s above him, every window broken in their frames. The convenience store looked like a bomb had gone off next to it, walls pressed inwards, windows blown out and shelves and products scattered everywhere. But what really caught his eyes was the massive crack in the pavement that split all the way up to the next road. Distantly he heard car alarms.

Stepping over the foot wide split in the ground, Jungkook couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

He’d done this?

The street looked like a war had raged here, his mind replaying a fight scene from one of his favourite hero movies.

His eyes dropped quickly, scanning the area in a frantic panic. Namjoon. Where was Namjoon?

Feeling the pace of his heart increase and fear course through him when he couldn’t immediately find the other, he staggered back to where he had been standing, turning in circles to look for his lover.

No. No. He couldn’t- if he hurt him- where was-

Jungkook’s eyes landed on a hand, limp on the ground, on the other side of a parked vehicle, almost completely hidden by the wheel. The windows of the car were shattered and the drivers side door was ripped in half like it had been clawed through by a monster.

Monster.

“Joon!” Jungkook gasped and bolted over to the car, running around it to find Namjoon sprawled out on his back, head rolled to the side and eyes closed. He dropped beside him roughly, ignoring the sting of pain in his back and knees.

Shaking, he hovered his hands next to his boyfriends face.

“J-Joonie? Namjoon? Please, fuck, fuck, please be okay, I thought- your spell- why did-” he was panicking. He knew he was panicking. His mind was racing too quickly to keep up with and none of his thoughts were being helpful. Calm down. Breathe.

His breathing was more like frantic panting but he’d take what he could.

Injuries, look for injuries.

Outwardly, besides a few scraps on his arms and a tear in his shirt, he seemed okay. He was breathing, he just wasn’t conscious. Gently Jungkook cupped a hand under his head, fingers lacing through his hair to feel for any bumps. If he hit his head, there could be a concussion.

Okay. Okay. He had to get them back, they needed to go see Jimin.

“Jimin, we need, I have to call, Sumi,” sticking right next to Namjoon with one hand on his chest, Jungkook scrambled to pull his phone out of his pocket and hit Sumi’s speed dial.

She picked up quickly but it didn’t feel quick enough.

“Jungkook-ssi, how is-”

“Tell Hoseok and Jimin to get back to Galaxy. Joon is hurt. I’ll meet them there.”

He hung up before she could respond. He’d apologize later.

Looking back at Namjoon, he fought off the rising emotions of horror at what had just happened. He’d hurt Namjoon. Fuck. He hurt him. This was just like Jimin all over again. This nauseous terror swimming through his stomach was becoming painfully familiar.

Whimpering, he gripped Namjoon’s shirt tightly, free hand moving all over, checking his pulse, checking for any more cuts, just touching him because he was still here and Jungkook needed to get his shit together.

Taking a deep, albeit struggling, breath, he focused on the now familiar feeling of Euphoria inside him. The welcomed emotions from his friend helped calm him, no longer hidden by the thick energy that had almost acted as a wall between them. When he looked up, the door was in front of him.

That beautiful purple door.

Jungkook was two seconds away from beginning to lift Namjoon when he remembered.

They hadn’t been alone.

His blood went cold and he whipped his head around the area, looking for his brother.

“Joonie-hyung, I’ll be- I’ll be right back,” he said quickly, though knowing the other likely couldn’t hear him. He hurried back out into the open, of the street, starting to see curious and concerned people looking his way, some walking towards them from the main street. “Shit, shit, shit.”

The sound of the glass crunching under his shoes was piercingly loud.

Just as the strangers were getting too close for comfort, Jungkook spotted his brother, laying on the ground not far from him, slumped next to a wall. He hurried to him, wincing at the cut on his head, blood dripping from his temple. “I’m sorry hyung, I’m so sorry,” he whispered quickly, checking his pulse.

Beating. Thank the Guardian he hadn’t just killed his brother. Okay. That he could work with.

“Hey! What happened? Is everything okay?”

A man jogged over to them and Jungkook quickly ripped his hands away from Ji-hun like a kid caught stealing something. He stepped back, trying to hide his own guilt, trying not to look suspicious. Quickly he started back towards Namjoon, still pretty well hidden behind the car. The door stood out above it but Jungkook knew the people wouldn’t be able to see it. “Call an ambulance! Please, he’s hurt!” He called behind him as more people started coming over.

Jungkook watched only long enough to see the guy hesitate, debating going after Jungkook or helping Ji-hun but he ended up crouching down next to the prone man while pulling out his phone.

Jungkook had to go. He couldn’t let other people find them. Going to the hospital would cause a lot of problems. Especially if the police got involved.

Quickly, he wrapped his arms around Namjoon’s chest and grunted as he hauled him up enough that he could drag him, pulling his limp body through the Euphoria door mere seconds before some people hurried past the car next to them.

Gasping when the calming air of Euphoria washed over him, he tripped and fell on his back, hissing at the painful sting. Namjoon’s weight almost knocked the air out of his lungs and he shifted him awkwardly to try and get a better hold.

Galaxy, they needed to get to Galaxy.

A warm breeze wrapped around them, like a reassuring hand on his shoulder, Euphoria seemed to be trying to tell him to calm down. It was hard to do in the moment.

A low groan had him freezing. Then, moving at a speed that would make even Taehyung jealous, he was darting out from behind Namjoon, supporting him from the side.

“Hyung? Hyung, please wake up, you have to wake up now,” Jungkook stammered, hand stroking his silver hair back. Holding him close, he kissed his forehead, his cheek, his nose, hand sliding to the side of his head as he searched his face.

Nothing could have stopped the sob ripping out of his chest as he watched Namjoon’s eyes flutter open. His eyes, his beautiful eyes, were unfocused for a moment, flittering around the sky above before pinching shut, brow tense as the pain must have hit him.

“Thank fucking god,” Jungkook sobbed, tipped his forehead forward and resting it on Namjoon’s collar bone.

“Kookie?” The immortal groaned, his voice rough and confused. “What’s- shit, ow.”

Jungkook jolted back from him and if he wasn’t supporting him, he would have pulled his hands away too. He was in pain. He was hurting. Jungkook hurt him.

“I’ve got you, you’re- you’re hurt,” Jungkook sniffed and quickly scrubbed his arm across his face. The tears kept falling but he forced himself to focus on the task at hand. “We’ve got to get back to Galaxy, can you walk?”

Namjoon seemed to be struggling to comprehend what he was saying, taking a bit too long to respond to his words. He frowned deeply, wincing in pain as he tried shifting his weight before nodding carefully, “Yeah.”

While his response didn’t sound confident, Jungkook would take it. Hooking Namjoon’s arm over his shoulder carefully, mindful of the minor scraps and cuts that were bleeding a steady flow of black blood, he shifted himself into a crouch.

“Alright, on three,” he didn’t take his eyes off Namjoon as he ignored the burning in his back. “One, two,” three never came, replaced with a grunt from both of them as they lifted themselves. Halfway up, Namjoon’s knees gave and they staggered forward, Jungkook heaving his weight up with all the strength he had in his shaky limbs.

“Okay, okay,” he breathed, not liking how hard it seemed to be for Namjoon to keep his head up. His chin kept rolling forward against his chest and the fear of how bad the damage might be had him hauling them both back to the door.

Barely able to free a hand to open the door, Jungkook all but fell through it.

Warm arms caught them before they hit the ground.

“We’re back!”

“Finally!”

Sumi looked towards the door as Hoseok and Jimin walked into the café, smiling at them as she handed a customer their order and waved goodbye. “I thought you were just going for ice cream, you’ve been gone awh- is that a dog?”

The little Pomeranian puppy was nestled into Jimin’s arms looking more then content being there. Jimin hugged it closer to himself and gasped, looking around quickly, “Where?”

“Right- you’re- where did you get a dog?” She said, baffled.

Hoseok blinked at her and looked at the puppy, pointing a finger to it, “Wait, you mean this? This is a dog?”

Sumi laughed a bit and nodded, holding her arms out, “Of course! Do you not have dogs in the- ah, where you’re from?”

Jimin traded a nervous glance with Hoseok who suddenly looked a little sheepish as he stepped over and gently passed the puppy over. Sumi cooed and scratched it’s head as its whole body wiggled in excitement. “Did you find it on the streets?”

There was a beat of silence.

“Ah, yep!” Jimin cleared his throat, tapping his hands on the sides of his thighs.

“Yep, definitely,” Hoseok was quick to agree, looking around the café casually.

“Just wandering.”

“Like animals do.”

“Just, um, completely off topic and not at all related to the current subject, what ah, what is Great Tails exactly?” Jimin swung his arms, rocking up onto the balls of his feet.

Distracted by the puppy, Sumi didn’t pay much attention to the strange behaviour, giggling when the animal licked her chin, “That’s the place down the street right? It’s a pet shop! They sell all kinds of animals there to find good homes.”

“Homes…?”

Sumi scrunched her nose up and lifted the puppy to boop it’s little nose on hers, “Oh you’re so cute! Are you a teacup pom? Hm? So tiny!”

Hoseok was making semi panicked hand gestures to Jimin who was frantically waving his hands back, whispering something that Sumi was none the wiser too.

“Ah,” she paused, unknowingly halting both boys and making them snap their arms back to their sides. “My phones ringing, I should see who that is.”

Jimin took the puppy back as she reached into her apron and looked at the name.

“Oh it’s Jungkook-ssi,” Sumi smiled. Answering quickly and giggling a bit at the way Jimin and Hoseok both took a step closer to the counter, “Jungkook-ssi, how is-”

Sumi paused at the hurried voice that reached hear ears, cutting her off.

“Tell Hoseok and Jimin to get back to Galaxy. Joon is hurt. I’ll meet them there.”

The phone went silent.

Staring ahead of her, she barely registered the words he’d said, more focused on how terrified and pained he sounded. Namjoon was hurt? What had- wasn’t Jungkook supposed to go see his brother? Had his brother done something? Was Jungkook hurt too?

“Sumi-yah. What is it.”

Hoseok’s firm voice forced her to stop staring at her phone, looking up at him and Jimin with wide eyes. Their happy expression’s were gone, sensing something was wrong from how quick the call was and she was sure her expression might be a clue as well.

“Jungkook-ssi, he said you two need to go back to Galaxy, Namjoon-ssi is hurt.” The words were barely out of her mouth before both of them took on an air she’d never seen before, a far cry from a few seconds ago when they were goofing around, their expressions turned hard and serious.

She opened her mouth to say something, maybe a reassurance, or words of comfort, but it never came out. Instead, she could only watch as they ran around the counter and into the back, bolting through the kitchen.

Sumi stood frozen for a moment until her mind caught up with her. The Guardian asked her to go back with them. It said they would need their help sooner then they thought. She didn’t dwell on the implications of this space whale knowing what the future held, or concern herself with what exactly she could be of help with, she just moved.

Running past Jaeyong, who was just about to step around the table in the kitchen to go after Hoseok and Jimin, she pulled the keys to the café out of her pocket and tossed them to him. “Please watch the café,” she said quickly, hurrying by him. There wasn’t time to explain. If an all-knowing whale tells you you need to help, it was best not to dawdle.

Jaeyong caught her arm and stopped her but before she could protest or explain quickly, she felt something being pressed into her palm. Looking down at it, she felt her mouth go dry at the sight of the paring knife. Sumi looked up at her friend with wide eyes.

“It’s not much, but just in case,” he said firmly, jaw tense. “Be careful. Call me as soon as you get back here, got it?”

Nodding once, Sumi sucked in a breath to steal herself, not sure what she’d face after stepping through that door. Jaeyong let go of her arm and she gave him one more nod of thanks before turning and heading to the break room, tucking the knife into the waist of her pants. The door sat flush against the back wall like any ordinary door. It was rather deceiving.

With only a beat of hesitation, she sucked in a breath and stepped through. Immediately the breath left her lungs as the warmth of the Galaxy flooded over her, throwing her off balance slightly and making her stumble.

Going to the Galaxy the first time had been shocking, but going there a second time was like getting punched in the stomach. The jarring realization that everything she’d convinced herself, about the Galaxy being a dream, about having been drugged like Jaeyong said, about it being not real, since they left the place were all lies she was trying to use to cope with this big truth.

The Galaxy was real.

The clearing was the same as when she’d first seen it, except now, Jimin and Hoseok were standing in it. Hoseok made a strange motion with his hand and Sumi gasped a bit as she watched the ground dip down, creating a bit of hole. Curious, she hurried over, peering into the hole and looking between the two. Neither of them acknowledged her, but she could tell they knew she was there. They were too highly alert not to notice.

Before her eyes, a patch of soft grass grew at the bottom of the hole, and with a fluid twist of his own hand, Jimin seemed to collect an orb of water out of thin air, hovering over his hand. He crouched and set the puppy down in the hole, directing the water to sit on the grass. The orb kept its shape, even as the puppy padded over to it and lapped at it.

Her amazement for the display of magic was short lived when she heard a voice from directly beside her, making her yelp and jump away from Taehyung who had appeared out of nowhere. “What’s going on? Did something happen?”

“Jungkook called Sumi at the café, Namjoon is hurt, he told us to come back here,” Hoseok explained quickly. “Are the other’s on their way?”

“Yeah, we felt your energy. What happened? Where are they now? Did his brother-” Taehyung stepped forward, a growl barely passing his lips before Jimin had him in his arms, hugging him from behind quickly.

“We don’t know anything yet,” Jimin mumbled against his shoulder.

“He said um, he said he’d meet you here,” Sumi supplied, trying to keep the majority of the shaking out of her voice.

“How did he sound?” Hoseok asked.

“Scared…” she whispered.

 They traded nervous looks. Sumi looked towards the door she’d come through, suddenly realizing something. “Wouldn’t they have to go back to the café first? Shouldn’t we have waited there?”

Hoseok shook his head and looked towards the purple door that stood next to them, “They’ll go through Euphoria. Jungkook can call the door to them, it’s faster.”

Sumi had a lot of questions about this Euphoria place but she knew this wasn’t the time to ask them. She looked towards the path when the others came into view, running over to them with much the same urgent and concerned looks as Hoseok and Jimin had in the café.

Yoongi’s eyes drifted over all of them, seeming to take stock of who was there before his eyes flashed a vibrant gold, “Where are they.”

“We don’t-” Someone started, but their attention was snatched by the purple door as it swung open. Before her eyes, Jungkook and Namjoon seemed to just step into existent which she only had half a second to realize was less of a step and more of a fall. Seokjin and Taehyung though, who both had incredibly fast reactions, caught the two before they could hit the ground.

Sumi gasped and covered her mouth with both hands at the state the two were in, staying back out of the way as they were lowered to the ground carefully. Jungkook was covered in smudges of dust and dirt, sweater ripped in some spots, his hair was all over the place and it looked vaguely like he’d been through a tornado. Tears were streaming down his face while he clutched onto Taehyung with one hand, the other arm still wrapped around a very limp Namjoon.

“Jimin,” Seokjin said urgently, voice firm.

Sumi watched them move like a well-oiled machine, eyes wide as she stood helplessly to the side.

It was all she could do to remember to grab the puppy before hurrying towards the house after them.

When Namjoon woke up, it was with a sharp gasp and Jungkook’s name on his lips.

He noticed Jimin first, sitting next to the bed, putting away his potions and ingredients into the fabric bag they were all very familiar with. The warm hum of whatever healing magic the Fae had used on him still lingered, flowing around his limbs calmingly, taking the ache from his muscles.

“Minnie, where’s-” he started, sitting up, already moving to get out of the bed.

A firm hand on his chest kept him where he was but it was the stern look in Jimin’s eyes that had him settling back against the headboard. They all knew not to mess with Jimin when they were his patient. Namjoon had to admit that it had been a very long time since he’d been on the receiving end of that sharp gaze.

“Jungkook is safe. He’s in the garden with Sumi-yah. The others are downstairs trying to keep Seokjin from cooking everything in the house.”

Relaxing a bit, he let his head thump back against the headboard, breathing out the last of the panic in his lungs. “How long have I been out?”

Jimin crawled onto the bed with him, finishing putting the last of his things away, and Namjoon welcomed him against him without hesitation. “Only about an hour since we got you back to the house,” Jimin looped his arms around his torso carefully. The potions and magic had healed him but until the full effects of the magic settled, things were a bit tender.

“Joonie…” Jimin continued, voice wavering. “You had two broken ribs and a concussion but… you also had magic abrasion. How did- What happened?”

Namjoon winced. Magic abrasion wasn’t common, given that their protection spells countered it. When a magical being was exposed to too much of another’s pure magical energy, it left abrasions, or even burns on their skin. Even without the protection spells, it wasn’t often that a magical creature released pure energy that willy nilly. It was always directed through a spell or had some kind of focused purpose.

But Jungkook…

His brow furrowed. Jungkook had used negative energy. He’d felt the swell of it seconds before it was released and only had the time to take a hasty step back before a wall of energy slammed into him. It was like being doused in ice water. The energy had swirled upon its release, twisting around Jungkook as if it were trying to protect him.

Namjoon had called his name, tried to reach out to him but had frozen when Jungkook looked at him. It was… haunting. His eyes were glowing that intense purple and for a moment, Jungkook just stood there, amongst the swirling energy. His heart was still pounding from the memory of how his lover had taken on a confused expression and slowly looked down at his hands.

He tried calling to him again, hoping that he could hear him, but Jungkook didn’t feel like Jungkook in that moment.  

The negative energy, took on the nature of what Namjoon knew to be a Chaos affinity. From there all he remembered was trying even harder to get to Jungkook, his own positive energy colliding violently with the negative around them. Then, nothing.

He couldn’t remember how exactly he got hurt, just that the negative energy seemed to pierce through him, and everything went dark.

“We should call a family meeting about this one,” Namjoon suggested slowly.

Jimin frowned but seemed to understand, lifting a hand to his cheek and leaning up to kiss him gently. It was sweet and chaste, but he could feel the anxiousness behind it. Namjoon pressed back firmly, trying to sooth that feeling in him. It worked if even just a little as Jimin pulled away with a relieving sigh.

“I don’t think Jungkookie wants to talk right now,” Jimin sighed. “He hasn’t said much since he came back. He just… kept apologizing.”

Namjoon’s heart ached and he took a steadying breath. They knew Jungkook felt bad for what happened to Jimin. Well, that was an understatement. The event had scarred him. Though he often wouldn’t talk about it, they knew he had nightmares just as frequently as they did.

He’d never once was concerned that Jungkook would ever hurt them on purpose (sparring not included). The boy went to extreme lengths to make sure that he didn’t even do it accidently, but now, he might not be able to avoid that.

It would be harder to teach him how to use the magic given that he had a dark affinity, but they could work with him on it. That wasn’t a problem. The problem was making sure that Jungkook didn’t blame himself, that he didn’t push himself away for fear of hurting them again.

They’d chase after him if he tried.

On top of that, there was the matter of his brother. That much energy was a harsh way to be exposed to magic, and Namjoon really wanted to know what had happened after he passed out. Had Ji-hun run away? Had he barraged Jungkook with questions?

It was another thing in the line of complications that seemed to be tangling into one big knot lately.

Sumi stood with her arms around herself not far behind where Jungkook had flopped down in the grass.

He sat with his legs pulled up slightly, heels dug into the ground and elbows resting on his knees as his hands fiddled with a blade of grass between them. Bandages wrapped his torso, so many that Jungkook hadn’t even bothered to put a shirt back on and Sumi would say it was a bit over kill but she’d seen the others reactions to his injuries.

They hadn’t noticed he was hurt until Yoongi had put a hand on his back to calm him when they’d gotten to the house, too busy trying to settle his near hysterics. When the phoenix let out a strangled noise, pulling his hand away, damp at the fingers with red, everyone had freaked out.

She’d say Yoongi was a naturally pale person, but he’d practically turned white at the sight of the blood, and Jimin, who rushed over to help pull Jungkook’s sweater and shirt off, had shaken so badly he’d dropped the first aid kit off the coffee table twice before finding what he needed.

The injuries weren’t bad by what she saw. It looked like road rash and a few minor scraps, but they were acting like he was on his death bed.

It had taken Jungkook reaching over to put a firm hand on Jimin’s wrist and even in his own emotional state, he was able to calmly reassure Jimin that he was okay. Even then, Jimin couldn’t seem to look at the injuries for very long as he wrapped the gauze around the boys chest and lower back.

He looked a bit like a mummy when he was finished.

Sumi had quietly volunteered to follow him out after Jungkook left without a word once he was sure Namjoon was okay. They had been clearly hesitant, and it was obvious every one of them wanted to go after him but even despite their reluctance, they trusted her to go.

That made her feel incredibly good but also incredibly nervous. She didn’t want to mess this up.

She stepped up next to him quietly, sitting down in the grass and crossing her legs. Glancing at Jungkook, she saw he was staring ahead of them, at a collection of beautiful blue and white flowers around a stone marker.

Sumi wasn’t sure what the marker was for, though she could see something written on it, she was more focused on the boy beside her.

They didn’t say anything for a long time. Sumi firmly deciding not to press for answers or ask questions. She’d leave Jungkook to his thoughts, but she was there if he needed her help.

Eventually, after her mind had wandered to a million and one different places, Jungkook spoke.

“We’re their weakness you know.”

Sumi looked at him, waiting for him to continue. Though her expression morphed into one of confusion.

“Humans. Magic doesn’t work on us. Which means their protection spells, they don’t work against humans. We can hurt them,” Jungkook said carefully, monotonously.

It was a strange concept. The question of ‘why’ settled on her tongue but she kept it there instead of voicing it. She could feel the guilt rolling off of the other, and while she didn’t know the details of what happened, all of his apologizing was a pretty good clue that he had been the cause of Namjoon’s injuries and possibly his own.

They fell back into a heavy silence before Sumi hesitantly reached over and pinched the skin of Jungkook’s bicep. He winced and looked at her in confusion pulling away and rubbing the spot to sooth the hurt. “Ow, why did you do that?”

She shrugged, “I can hurt you too.”

Maybe it was the wrong thing to say because the look on Jungkook’s face morphed into something she couldn’t really tell the emotion behind. Shifting, she hurried to continue.

“So what’s the difference between them and other humans then? Shouldn’t you just treat them like you would another human? It’s not like you actively try to hurt anyone right?”

Jungkook looked back at the flowers, “I know. I know that. It’s just…”

She waited patiently for him to continue, stretching her legs out in front of her to work out the cramps that were forming from sitting so long.

“I know I’m going to walk back into that house and they’re going to tell me it wasn’t my fault and I couldn’t have known and they’ll love me no less for it. Namjoon-hyung will probably spoil me for the next few days so I know it’s not my fault and that he’s not mad at me. And I’ll believe them. Because I know it’s not. Because they’re right. But….”

“You’ll feel like you don’t deserve the forgiveness?” Sumi guessed gently, smiling sadly when Jungkook bite his lip and turned his head ever so slightly so she couldn’t see his eyes. Leaning forward a bit, she asked, “Why do you think that?”

“What have I ever done to deserve them? I wasn’t, I was a shitty person, I still sometimes am. Hell, I basically left my brother half dead in an alley today and I don’t, I don’t even feel bad about it. I’m just happy I got Namjoon home. I don’t- I’m not a good person. I don’t deserve so much, and they’ve,” Jungkook’s voice cracked, “They’ve given me everything.”

“People aren’t things to be deserved or earned Jungkook-ssi. People choose to be apart of your life, sometimes whether you like it or not. That’s their choice.”

“Then I don’t understand why they chose me. I’m not, I’m not anything. I’m nothing. I feel like nothing,” Jungkook pulled his knees closer to his chest, the wobbling in his voice giving away the tear in his eyes. “I doubt myself so much, even after, even after everything we’ve been through I still keep expecting them to turn around and say ‘You’re too much for us.’ And then things like this happen, and I, I think that what if, what if I had killed him. What if I had killed Jimin, or Namjoon or Hoseok or even Theana? Just by being near them, just by touching them.”

Sumi stayed silent, biting her tongue at the heart ache she felt on his behalf. He sounded so desperate, so broken. Like he didn’t know which way was up let alone what path was the right one to follow. If he was doing too little or too much. She knew that feeling.

“I died,” he waved his hand forwards harshly, towards the stone marker and Sumi blinked, startled out of her thoughts as she really looked at the stone. Her blood went cold when she read the name on it.

Oh.

It was a grave.

“I died and it, it fucking hurt. It hurt so much but I, I came back and it,” Jungkook broke off, sucking in a breath as tears rolled down his face. “I’m so fucking scared of losing them all again. And I always seem to be the reason they’re in harms way. What if, what if me loving them is what’s going to kill them?”

Sumi reached over without thinking twice, pulling Jungkook against her and hugging him tightly. He didn’t hug her back, but that was okay, she just needed him to know she was here. He sobbed into her shoulder, tears that had been held back far longer then they should have been.

She didn’t understand, she didn’t know what happened. She didn’t know what to say or how to help. So she did everything she could. In this moment, it was just holding him. It was rubbing soothing circles on his back, mindful of his injuries.

It was saying those five words that she had wished on so many occasion’s that someone would say to her.

“You’re going to be okay.”

Jungkook cried harder, arms coming up to wrap around her, shoulders shaking and tears soaking through her shirt. All those barriers that he’d clearly been trying to keep together with tape and glue, finally crumbled and he just let himself feel it.

Before, she had felt so useless. Sumi had wondered why the Guardian had asked her to come back. She had only been able to stand off to the side and stare as the others did all the worked. She hadn’t been able to help at all.

But maybe, it wasn’t about helping. Maybe she’d gotten that wrong.

It was… about being there.

That’s all she needed to do. Just be there. Sometimes, she supposed, that was enough.

If he noticed that Sumi was crying too, he didn’t say anything.

Seeing them before, how they clung to each other as if they were the only things they had in the world, made her feel as if she’d opened a book to a random page and started reading. She didn’t know the whole story, she didn’t know how much those little actions meant to them. But she knew she wanted to keep reading. She wanted to see the happy ending.

Whether she was just a reader of their adventure or she was apart of their story, she would support them.  

Chapter Text

“Sir.”

Kim Ki-jung turned to look at the man that had just entered his suite. He offered him a smile and waved a beckoning hand, “Chungho-ssi, come in, come in!”

Chungho hesitated a moment before stepping away from the door where two other guards stood silently, hands folded in front of them. Ki-jung chuckled to himself at the man’s tense posture. All these types were the same, always on guard. That was why they worked the positions they did.

Chungho himself had shown great promise. He’d certainly earned his position. He was one of the few lackies that Ki-jung didn’t mind so much.

“I’m making some ramen, care for some?” He offered, grabbing a bowl from the cupboard.

Clearing his throat, Chungho politely declined as he stepped carefully over to the kitchen as if he was walking through a field of land mines.

“All business with you,” Ki-jung shook his head fondly. “I hope you have good news for me, people were really pissing me off at the office today,” he hummed as he took the pot off the stove, pouring himself a bowl of the noodles.

“Yes sir. I found the boy.”

Ki-jung twisted around to look at him, blinking with wide eyes. “Really?” He set the pot down with a clang and grabbed his bowl, dropping a pair of chopsticks in it before moving to the counter to see the phone Chungho slid over.

“Let me see, let me see,” he mumbled eagerly, resting his elbows on the countertop.

The picture was a slightly blurry close up of the boy’s face, set into a serious expression that only served to compliment his strong jawline. Whistling quietly, Ki-jung bit his lip, failing to suppress his grin.

“Your photography skills are shit Chungho-ssi, you should work on that.”

“Yes… sir.”

“Still, I could be looking at this in 240p and he’d still be sex appeal with legs. Blonde suits him,” Ki-jung smirked when Chungho shifted uncomfortably at the comment. “Where’d you find the pretty little thing?”

“I followed his brother. His behavior seemed strange when we crossed paths, so I tailed him for a while. They met to discuss something, but I wasn’t close enough to hear.”

Setting the phone down to slide his bowl in front of him, he stayed hunched over as he slurped some of the hot noodles into his mouth, eyes searching over the face in the photo.

Jeon Jungkook.

Who knew he’d grow up to be such a looker. The last photo he’d seen of the kid was his government ID. In that photo he was still quite boyish and had his natural hair colour. But the person in this photo looked stronger, more manly yet with smooth features that made his beautiful doe eyes stand out. His skin was blissfully unmarked.

Apparently being dead had done wonders for the guy.

To see those eyes, teary and begging, to hear his voice. He could only imagine how beautiful he’d be for him, how well behaved.

He licked his lips.

“I want him.”

“Sir?”

“Schedule me a meeting with the old man. He should have known better then to try and break our deal. I let him get away with it once, I won’t be so kind this time.”

“Yes sir,” Chungho said, hesitating. He reached over to the phone while Ki-jung slurped another mouthful of noodles. “There’s something else you should know sir. I believe that the boy is not human.”

Ki-jung glanced at him and raised a brow, mumbling around the food in his mouth,“Of course he is.”

Chungho twitched slightly at the behaviour, “The boys eyes turned purple just before he released a large amount of energy. He hurt the two others there. I was under the impression that magic had no effect on human’s sir, and I was pretty certain his brother was human.”

“Magic can’t hurt humans,” Ki-jung frowned curiously. “Are you sure? The idiot didn’t just hurt himself accidently or pass out from shock or something?”

Knowing Chungho wasn’t brave enough to lie to him he knew the man likely was telling the truth. If that were the case, his new treasure would be far more interesting then he thought. The idea of a human having magic was almost laughable, not to mention impossible.

Unless of course that little brat who thought he could weasel his way into the runner’s boss position unnoticed had perfected that power that he had promised him. Perhaps his treasure was a test subject. All the more reason the boy belonged to him. He’d have to start making preparations for the beautiful boy’s arrival. He only wanted the best for the pretty creature.

“I took a picture. Both men were thrown quite far.”

Ki-jung’s eyes flicked back down to the phone when he swiped to the next photo. Eyes widening, Ki-jung coughed, spitting the ramen in his mouth back into the bowl and ripping the phone off the counter. “Oh. Oh ho ho ho! No fucking way!”

Chungho tensed at the outburst, back straightening and mouth snapping closed.

Ki-jung zoomed in on the picture of the three men. Jungkook was clinging to the arm of a very familiar person and he couldn’t help but laugh joyfully. “What are the odds? My new toy is friends with my old one! Fuck how I miss him, him and that little birdie. You should have heard them Chungho-ssi, their screams were melodic.”

Ki-jung hugged the phone to his chest and leaned back against the counter behind him, looking up. Someone was looking out for him. Not only could he get this new beautiful treasure, he could get his favourite ones back.

“My angel,” Ki-jung whispered, grinning. “You can’t have this one. He’s mine.”

“Shall I… continue to follow the brother sir?” Chungho asked slowly.

“No, he’s useless. I want the pretty treasure in my hands before the end of next week,” he rolled his neck. Two weeks would be enough time to get everything he needed set up to welcome the precious thing. And, he was nothing if not kind, he had to give the old man a chance to redeem himself after all.

This little treasure of his might be just what he needed to find his Angel again. The thought was tantalizing and made a giddy excitement roll through his stomach. He zoomed in on the boy, taking in his expression of fear. He shuddered.  Beautiful. Perfect. Absolutely stunning.

What he wouldn’t give to be the cause of that fear.

“Two weeks treasure,” he smirked slowly.

Chapter Text

Ji-hun spent an hour staring at the ceiling of the hospital room before his mind could even begin to run over what had happened. When the events replayed themselves, scene by scene, all he could do was mumble a quiet, “What the fuck?”

Everything ached. His body throbbed and his muscles pulled and twitched in strange ways but his head hurt the most. The muted pain was almost more annoying than the full ache it had been after he’d woken up. The nurse insisted on giving him painkillers to help.

Now he felt sluggish and numb which didn’t help when his mind was trying to race a mile a minute through the thick, muddy drag of the pills.

A gas line blew up.

That’s what the doctor told him was the cause for his injuries.

That’s not what happened. Gas lines didn’t release black twisting something (Smoke? Could it have been smoke?). They didn’t cause cars to be ripped into seemingly without cause, they didn’t come from a person.

His brother.

His brother had purple eyes.

Glowing purple eyes.

Was it even his brother?

Ji-hun reached over and used the remote on the side of the bed to adjust himself to a sitting position, grunting slightly as his back was disturbed. The doctors told him that he had a mild concussion and significant bruising on his back. He was lucky his spine hadn’t broken.

He refused to believe it was a gas line.

But if it wasn’t then what the hell had actually happened?

His eyes told him Jungkook had done something. Or something had happened to Jungkook. But his mind told him that wasn’t possible. Whatever he’d seen wasn’t possible. He’d looked like he was almost in pain before. Now, Ji-hun had no clue where his brother or his brother’s boyfriend were. The doctors said that the police that had gotten to the scene hadn’t found anyone else injured.

Taking a deep slow breath, he tipped his head back against the bed. Jungkook had been so calm about everything. He’d taken the news of a stranger in their parents’ home as if it meant nothing. As if their parents meant nothing to him.

Could he really blame him?

Still, whatever Jungkook was involved with, wasn’t something Ji-hun was cut out for. This wasn’t something he understood. He hoped Jungkook would make good on his promise to call him. To talk to him about what’s going on.

The door of his room slid open and a nurse poked her head in, “Jeon Ji-hun? You have a visitor.”

Ji-hun pushed himself to sit up straighter, heart jumping. Was it Jungkook? Did he come back to check on him? Was he alright?

Instead of his little brother, a man walked in the door that he was all too familiar with. Except it only made him more confused. The man’s hair was grey, well styled but showing his age. His square jaw and straight nose made him look strong yet kind. The corners of his eyes adorned a spiderweb of creases, eyes themselves heavy with the lifetime they’d witnessed.

“Ji-hun-ah,” his grandfathers voice was fond, if a little relieved. The deep gravelly texture of his voice was as soothing as he always remembered it being.

“Grandpa?” he questioned, watching as the man stepped further into the room and stood near the foot of the bed. “What are you doing here?”

Instead of answering him, his grandfather looked towards the nurse and bowed gently, “Thank you for showing me the way dear, could we have some privacy for a moment?”

Returning the bow, the nurse gave him a polite smile before stepping out and closing the door behind her.

Ji-hun looked his grandfather over.

Rang Seung-hee was a gentleman if nothing else. He dressed in the finest of suits, likely worth more then what Ji-hun had made in the last year. He was clean shaven and stood with all the confidence of man of his stature should. He didn’t try and hide his age, didn’t wear makeup or dye his hair or get surgery to make himself look younger. He wore his age proudly. That was the sense he got whenever he saw his grandfather. A proud man.

“How are you feeling Ji-hun-ah?” Seung-hee asked carefully, hesitantly.

“Like I was just slammed into a wall. How did you know I was here?”

“The hospital called me,” he explained shortly, looking around the room at the equipment like he had some interest in it.

The hospital called him? Did that mean that he’d changed his emergency contact as well?

Seung-hee continued before he could ask, “Am I not allowed to visit my own grandchild when he’s hurt?”

If Ji-hun didn’t think he was being suspicious, he would have fallen for the almost heartbroken note in his voice. The way his shoulders dropped ever so slightly like the weight of the world pressed a little harder on him. Another thing he had to carry.

“Do my parents know you’re here?” Ji-hun asked, the headache he had pulsed, making him squint. Did the lights have to be so bright?

Seeing his discomfort, Seung-hee stepped over to the switch and used a thin wrinkled hand to dim the overhead lights a touch. “Of course not. You know your mother would prefer you have no contact with me. My daughter is stubborn in her ways.”

Ji-hun bit his tongue to keep from saying that she had certainly gotten it from somewhere.

“I wish I could say I was here strictly because I was worried. However, I wanted to discuss something with you Ji-hun-ah.”

“Discuss something?”

Seung-hee stepped next to the bed and took a seat in the chair that sat next to it, grunting quietly as he lowered himself into it. Sighing he chuckled weakly, “Never get old son.”

Ji-hun wasn’t entirely sure he’d get the chance if he kept getting involved with Jungkook. Holy shit, he… actually could have died. He gripped the sheets in his lap to hide the shaking of his hands. “Discuss what?”

“It’s about Jungkook-ah.”

“Jungkook? What about him?” Ji-hun had to remind himself quickly that Jungkook was supposedly dead. He looked at his feet under the thin hospital sheet. Why the sudden interest after being so against looking into him at all?

“Ji-hun-ah. I know.”

He raised a brow. “You know?”

His grandfather sighed, that heavy weight on his shoulders must be crushing, “I know he’s alive.”

Don’t react. Don’t panic.

As confused and annoyed as he was at the choices Jungkook was making and how little sense they made. He was still his brother. It was a little brother’s job to annoy the older. Even now, though they were adults and the situations were more serious. He knew that he couldn’t expect so much from Jungkook immediately. But his frustration was hard to push away. Regardless, he’d protect his brother anyway he could.

“We were both at his funeral. You know he’s not.”

His grandfather persisted, “I want to help. Jungkook is in danger. More then you know. Ji-hun-ah, you know me. Please, tell me where he is and I can keep him safe.”

“Like you tried to when he was a kid?” Ji-hun glared at him, rage running through him. On a normal day he would have kept his respect for the older. He would have heard him out. Today though, his head hurt, his body hurt, he’d seen some fucking weird shit and he had no clue where his brother was. So no. He wasn’t going to stop the rage that boiled inside him. “When you tried to have him kidnapped away from your own daughter?”

A pained look crossed the man’s face but Ji-hun wasn’t having it. He wanted some damn answers, from someone, anyone, because he felt nearly insane right now.

“You walk in here claiming to want to help Jungkook? You’re the reason we moved, you’re the reason Jungkook was forced through conversion therapy for that damn money, you and your fucking company,” he saw something in the man’s eyes but he ignored it, pushing on, nearly yelling, “I had to give up everything to study business and do all the hard work while Jungkook was left in the dark because god forbid his childhood was taken from him! You want to protect him? Bullshit,” he growled.

Ji-hun sometimes wished that his grandfather had succeeded in taking Jungkook. To no fault of Jungkook’s own, but he sometimes thought that maybe things would have been easier for everyone then.

“So why fucking now? Huh? I tried to get you to help for so long and you wouldn’t so much as let me tell you if Jungkook was healthy or not. You clearly don’t want anything to do with him.”

“Watch your language with me son. There is so much more going on then you know,” Seung-hee said evenly, though Ji-hun could see the restrained annoyance at being so blatantly disrespected. He leaned closer, “It wasn’t a gas line explosion was it.”

It wasn’t a question but it made Ji-hun’s mouth snap closed.

“You saw something that you can’t quite understand or explain, didn’t you?” Seung-hee said slowly, carefully, as if testing the waters.

He hated that he was right. He couldn’t explain what he saw. None of it made any sense. But why would his grandfather suspect that? How did he find out about Jungkook?

“Where are you getting this from?” He grit his teeth.

“I know I haven’t been there for either of you, and if I had known,” Seung-hee sucked in a breath, emotion heavy in his eyes. “If I had known that Jungkook was put through that, I would have… I want to make this right.”

Ji-hun looked away from him, “Why did you change Jungkook’s emergency contact? Did you do the same to mine? Is that why they called you?”

Seung-hee nodded, “Yes. I have my reasons for distancing myself from your brother, but I needed to know if he was ever hurt.”

“Because he’s your precious heir?” Ji-hun spat.

Seung-hee shot him a look that made him shiver, “Because he’s my grandson. Just as you are.”

Did he expect him to believe he was doing this for his family? Out of the blue? Restraining order or not, he could have done something sooner. Why hadn’t he approached him at the funeral? Why now of all times? Ji-hun felt it was too simple, too easy just to ask for his help.

This man had an entire company built and thriving on the business of helping people. The Wings Network was incredible in its acts of morality and good deeds. It had helped thousands of people. But when it came to his own family, that’s where Seung-hee fell short.

Ji-hun really didn’t mind his grandfather. He loved him. He was family. He even admired him as a business man. But he was getting sick and tired of the lies. Of being strung along down a path with a blindfold on, no way of knowing if he was heading towards a cliff or something wonderful.

“Jungkook is dead,” he glared at the man. He was firm, leaving no room for argument.

Seung-hee looked at him for a long moment before nodding once, diplomatically, and standing. “I hope you get well soon Ji-hun-ah. I will cover the hospital costs, stay as long as you need to get better.”

Ji-hun said nothing. Even as his grandfather paused to wait to see if he would. A hand rested on his shoulder, bony but warm. Comforting in a way that made him feel guilt twist in his stomach.

“I am… truly sorry Ji-hun-ah. Please take care of yourself. Don’t get further involved with all of this.”

He left without another word.

Ji-hun watched the door close. He sat in the silence left behind.

Something gnawed uncomfortably at his stomach. A bad feeling.

“Okay you little fluff ball. I won’t say it again. Get your tiny, dirty little paws off my piano.”

The dog, as Jimin had called it, stared at him. It tilted its head curiously in response to the glare of annoyance Yoongi was leveling it with.

Yoongi raised his brow and pointed at the ground forcefully, a clear sign of ‘get down’.

The dog yawned.

“I’m sure Jinnie could make you taste great,” he grumbled, huffing. Yoongi reached over to pick the animal up off the top of the piano for the fourth time but it dodged his hands, making him overextend and jab his ribs against the edge of the instrument.

The dog skirted around the top of the black polished surface, dirty paws leaving scuffs on the practically reflective piano and Yoongi squawked in horror. He quickly pulled his sleeve down over his hand and tried to rub the spots out. Unsuccessful he snapped his attention back on the culprit and lunged at it.

The dog yipped and jumped down onto the piano bench, then the floor, before padding away on its little legs. It’s fluffy head held high as if it were proud of the damage it had caused.

Yoongi growled.

He took three long strides towards the animal, eyes set on his target as he lifted his hand, flames covering his palm and fingers.

Before he could reach for it, the door to the study opened and Yoongi snapped his hand closed, snuffing out the flame and shoving his hand behind his back not at all suspiciously.

Taehyung came in and perked up upon seeing the dog. “Tannie! There you are,” he crouched and Yoongi scrunched his nose when the dog bounded over to him and let the Fae scoop him into his arms.

Yeontan, as Taehyung had decided to name it, had taken a liking to him right away. The pup was friendly to all of them but it seemed to really have an attachment to Taehyung. Yoongi would find it cute if he wasn’t so annoyed with being distracted by Tannie while he was trying to play.

Taehyung looked at him and grinned at the unimpressed look he was giving him, “Was Tannie bothering you?”

“Yes,” he said bluntly.

Taehyung snickered and stepped over to him, shoving the ball of fluff in his face. Yoongi leaned away from it, “Oh but look at him Yoongi, he’s so cute.”

“Adorable,” Yoongi looked at him blankly. “How do you even know it’s a ‘he’?”

Taehyung blinked at him, tipping to the side to see around the dog, “How do you know you’re a he?”

Yoongi opened his mouth but quickly shut it. Yeah okay, that was fair.

“Why did Hoseok and Jimin even get this thing? Has Jungkook seen it yet?” Yoongi asked instead.

Taehyung pouted and hugged the pup against his chest, “It’s not a ‘thing’ Yoongi, it’s Tannie,” he smiled and nuzzled his face into the creature’s fluff. The dog seemed indifferent to it. “Jungkookie is with Joonie right now, they went to talk after Sumi left.”

“So that’s a no then,” Yoongi sighed. He wondered what Jungkook would say about the animal. It would be hard to convince the others to bring it back to the human world. Even Seokjin had taken a liking to it in the short time since it’d been in the home.

He wasn’t surprised Namjoon and Jungkook were still talking. Jungkook had come inside with Sumi after awhile and told them everything that had happened. Jungkook was blaming himself, but if anyone could pull him out of that mentality, it was Namjoon. He’d done it for Yoongi himself a few times.

He had to admit he was concerned about this new development. Not because of the powers, that they had kind of expected. No, it was the fact that Jungkook had hurt not only Namjoon, completely nullifying his protection spell, but he also hurt his brother. A human.

If his magic was anything like theirs, that shouldn’t be possible. But it wasn’t. It was a new magic that they knew very little about. And that scared him. It made it unpredictable.

Taehyung’s finger tapped him under the chin and he looked at the other, his features softening once he noticed how heavy his frown had gotten. Taehyung smiled gently and stepped closer to him. “You have your stress face on.”

“I don’t have a stress face, this is just my face.”

“It’s stressed.”

“It has a reason to be stressed.”

“Jungkookie will be okay,” Taehyung hummed without a shred of doubt, all the confidence in the world. “He’s got us.”

It was a simple thing. A fact he already knew. Taehyung might as well have told him the sky was purple. Yet, it put him at ease to hear it. To be reminded. Chuckling a bit he hooked a hand around the side of Taehyung’s neck and pulled him close. Kissing his warm velvety lips with all the love he could give.

Taehyung smiled against his lips and pressed in close, deepening what was supposed to be something chaste and sweet. A shiver ran down his spine when he felt the Fae’s tongue brush his lip. Instead of letting him in, he slid his hand back a little further and gripped his hair in a tight fist. He knew it wouldn’t hurt the other, but he couldn’t help imagining what it would feel like if Jungkook were touching them.

Taehyung’s lips broke away from his as he tugged his head back, barring his throat and making the younger let out a gasp and a low groan. Taehyung was on another level of beautiful. No matter what expression he made, blissful, happy, angry, protective, even when he was sad, he was still beautiful. But this, this expression of longing and lust, might be one of Yoongi’s favourite expressions on him.

Humming lowly, he leaned in to kiss the others neck, wanting to taste his skin and even though he couldn’t leave marks without Jungkook there, it wouldn’t stop him from trying.

Before he could even press his lips against him, Yoongi felt something wet brush the underside of his chin making him jump in surprise and step back. Quickly wiping his chin and scrunching his nose in disgust he looked at the dog still tucked in Taehyung’s arms.

Taehyung laughed, despite the hooded set to his eyes and Yoongi huffed. The piano was one thing, but getting between him and a member of his Set was another. He wouldn’t stand for it.

Taking Tannie from Taehyung, Yoongi held it at arm’s length and walked towards the door with it, ignoring Taehyung’s slight protest. Plopping the animal on the ground he pointed a finger at it and narrowed his eyes.

“Listen here fuzz bucket. We will get along just fine if you keep to your space and I keep to mine,” he whispered sternly. “I don’t need you staring at me when I’m making out with my lover so go find Jimin or Hoseok to bother.”

Giving the very innocent looking dog one last pointed look, he closed the door and turned to find a more then amused Taehyung watching him with a raised brow.

“Not a word.”

“Are you jealous?”

“Those are words.”

“You’re jealous of Tannie.”

“And you’re still talking,” Yoongi huffed, stepping back over to the Fae, crowding him against the piano.

Taehyung bit his lip, a teasingly smirk making the corner of his mouth twitch upwards, “What are you going to do about it?” The Fae leaned close enough to brush their lips together but didn’t satisfy him with a kiss, instead whispering, “Hyung.”

Yoongi braced his hands on the piano, twitching at the word, gaze becoming dangerous. Taehyung though, was the one that practically purred, clearly liking the reaction. “You like when bun calls you that too? What if Minnie and I started calling you hyung?”

Rolling his tongue in his mouth to scrounge for some semblance of control, if only just to keep this heated tension for a bit longer, build it just a bit more before letting it snap and ravaging the other the way he wanted to. “If you call Joon or Hobi that, they’ll practically ruin you.”

Taehyung’s eyes sparked with that mischievous glint that always got him into some kind of trouble, “Do you think?”

Yoongi shook his head at the clear excitement in his voice and leaned in to kiss him. Without the dog in the way it was much easier for him to press flush against Taehyung’s body, feeling his warmth against him burning in a way his flames couldn’t.

The kiss turned into a heated mess of tongues and panting breathes, hands gripping clothes and hips grinding together with delicious friction.

Yoongi bit particularly hard into Taehyung’s neck when he let out a breathy “Hyung.” The word shot right through him, adding to the pleasure building low inside him. Fuck. It shouldn’t be that attractive coming out of Taehyung’s mouth. They’d gotten used to hearing Jungkook call them that, they’d become almost proud of the title from the youngest’s lips. To hear it from his lover, who had called him all the names of endearment under Galaxy’s sky, was a new kind of pride.

Knowing it was said with respect, and always with so much love and care from their newest lover, then to be used and adopted by the second youngest… it was a sense of unity and exclusivity that made his heart pound heavy in his chest.

Maybe it was extremely common in the human world. But in Galaxy? It was theirs. They were the only ones who were called that.

Taehyung groaned, licking into Yoongi’s mouth before pulling away and gripping his dark hair, “If you,” he panted, “like that, just wait until you see what we got for you.”

Yoongi blinked, “You got something?”

Taehyung grinned and nodded, cheeks flushed perfectly, “It’s a surprise.”

“What did you do?” He squinted suspiciously. The suspicion only grew when Taehyung kissed him fiercely instead of answering.

He dropped the thought entirely when Taehyung slid his hand down his chest to the waist of his pants.

He could worry about this ‘surprise’ later.

Namjoon’s body burned.

His muscles, his skin, his lungs, every part of him felt like it was aflame. The air was thick around him, torturous to breathe. For a blissful, treacherously short moment, it seemed quiet.

A yell.

Piercing through the silence, rolling across the battlefield and slamming into him like a solid force. Chills covered his skin, an uncomfortable contrast to the burning. Another heartbeat and Namjoon held his breath, waited for his lungs to ignite from the agony of it.

Then, the command.

Seokjin’s voice carried across the ranks, and if the enemies voice hit him like a punch to the gut, Seokjin’s ripped through his broken and bloody body and forced it to move like a willing puppet on strings. He yelled, voice adding to the sea of yells, as pained as they were resolved.

The ache through his body faded, mind shutting it out as he charged forward, armor heavy and clanging as he ran.

Suddenly, he was in the thick of it. He clawed his way through men, woman, magical beings of all sorts of species. His sword was unforgiving to them all. Blood was drawn, black and red alike. His stomach rolled, his teeth pressed so tightly together they might have cracked.

Ducking under a swing of a particularly vicious looking blade, he sunk his own into the gut of a young man. Practically a boy. He didn’t think. Didn’t feel. That wasn’t a luxury he was allowed here. Instead, he tugged his blade back sharply, pulling it free, catching the sight of red coating it. Human.

Out of the corner of his eye, a growling beast bounded towards him, its massive body taking out soldiers (friends) on the way. Namjoon had not even a moment to blink before he was diving to the side, narrowly missing getting caught in the creatures maw.

It spun on him, savage teeth barred, saliva flying, claws digging into the earth.

Namjoon had a half a thought. A half-formed idea that this was where he’d die. Another nameless body on the field.

Then light, a flash. He saw black spots in his vision for a moment, blinking frantically to rid them as the beast dropped dead. Burnt through with a blade of light so intense it was practically the sun itself.

The black spots cleared allowing him to look at the man that stood in front of him, armor as scuffed and dented and dirty as the rest of the troops. Seokjin wasn’t a man who would sit back and watch his men die without being in the fight with them.

Namjoon loved this man.

He loved him as he turned and grabbed Namjoon’s arm, hauling him up to his feet forcefully. He loved him as he told him to stop being an idiot and watch his back. He loved the concern in his eyes. He loved the power in his presence.

Namjoon loved him, but couldn’t.

Loving was feeling.

That was a luxury.

So he shoved it away and he nodded to his General and he fought until the numbers on both sides dwindled. The enemy backed down, retreated.

And Namjoon collapsed.

But he still didn’t feel. Not yet. Not until the war was over.

Namjoon wasn’t sure why the memories of that particular battle were coming back. It usually blurred with all the rest. That had been one battle of countless. While he had been given immortality, his mind was still that of a human’s. His memory as well. Those things faded with time.

He found his mind drifting through that particular time though. In such a quiet moment, after sharing so many reassurances with the human in his arms. Maybe it was because he was so free to express that love he couldn’t before.

Or perhaps it was because there was an unsettling feeling in him.

Something that felt vaguely like a warning.

Maybe the thoughts returned as a warning, like Seokjin had told him then, to watch his back.

He just didn’t know what he was watching for.

“I’m sorry,” Jungkook’s voice broke through his thoughts and he hummed fondly.

“I know bunny.”

“No, I’m really really sorry hyung.”

Chuckling, Namjoon kissed the top of Jungkook’s head, curled up in the younger’s bed with his lover laying half on his chest. “I know you are, that’s the tenth time you’ve apologized love.”

“I feel like it’s not enough,” Jungkook admitted in frustration, pressing against him a bit harder, as if that would emphasize his apology.

Namjoon stroked a hand up and down his spine calmly, trying to ease the tension that had built in his shoulders. “You feel bad because of everything that’s happened,” he guessed, feeling Jungkook go still quietly against him. “Not just about this, but about everything before. About Jiminie, and when Hobi got hurt. You still blame yourself for it love. But no one else is, you’ve got to let that go before it eats you up.”

Jungkook peaked through his bangs at him and it was all Namjoon could do not to coo at the large doe eyes that met his, full of doubt and worry and all the feelings that Namjoon knew all too well.

“It’s hard…”

“I know,” Namjoon said soothingly. “The others and I feel the same way you know.”

Jungkook’s brow furrowed and he sat up enough to see him properly, still leaning over him.

Smiling gently he lifted a hand to the others cheek and felt the soft skin there, took a moment to just appreciate him.

“You were forced into this life love, quite brutally. And while we weren’t the ones who forced you, it’s our world, our magic that made your life impossibly difficult. Made you make impossible choices. We feel responsible for that,” he tucked a strand of Jungkook’s hair behind his ear. It was starting to get longer again.

“That’s not- you guys had nothing to do with that. You only ever made it easier for me,” Jungkook insisted.

“So you don’t blame us?”

“No hyung of course not. Why would-” Jungkook cringed and sighed. “Oh...”

Namjoon hummed and pulled the other down to press their foreheads together, “It’s about perspective Kookie. If you don’t blame us for that, you can’t think we’d ever blame you for these things that you can’t control. Only worry about what you can control. If you ever doubt, talk to one of us. You know we’ll always remind you how much we love you.”

Jungkook sighed, breath ghosting across Namjoon’s lips, “Okay hyung.”

“Good bunny,” he kissed Jungkook gently, relishing in the way the other melted against him either at the words or at the kiss, he wasn’t entirely sure but it was adorable nonetheless. Jungkook was just, so good. Painfully good almost. He felt as if he might almost taint him just by touching him.

His hands had killed, viciously and unforgivingly. He’d had blood on them countless times. Like it had with Jimin and Taehyung, he felt wrong for touching them at first. It took time, but they showed him, reminded him of the things he had done that were good. He cherished the things and people he loved with these hands, protected the ones who needed it. Saved lives. Fought so others didn’t have too.

So as quickly as the worry of sullying Jungkook with his past came, he pushed it away. His hands came up to his lovers face, his body twisted to the side, flipping their positions and guiding Jungkook’s head back onto the pillows as if he were made of glass.

Jungkook flushed prettily, throat bobbing slightly as he swallowed and Namjoon marveled at how he still got so flustered at these little acts. Little things he should have always gotten the chance to experience but never did because the world was cruel and unkind in the worst ways.

Brushing his bangs back from his forehead, Namjoon leaned down to press a kiss there. Then a gentle one to the corner of his eye, taking his time, not rushing, enjoying the way Jungkook’s breathing became uneven from something small yet intimate. He kissed his cheek, then the tip of his nose.

That made Jungkook smile a toothy grin that made him look so much like the bunny they nicknamed him after. Namjoon thought that with centuries of loving and being loved by five men, he’d have no more love to give, but here Jungkook was, determined to prove otherwise.

“Hyung?” Jungkook licked his lips, the tip of his tongue barely peaking out before darting back again.

Distracted by the action, Namjoon almost forgot to make a noise of acknowledgement.

“We… have forever now. So, could you all stay with me for it?” Jungkook breathed.

“For as long as you’ll have us Jungkook. We’ll be here.”

Namjoon said it as a promise. A vow that went deeper then any magic or fate or situation could determine. He kissed a tear out of the corner of his lover’s eye before it dared to fall and his body followed the command of Jungkook’s wanting whine as easily as it had to Seokjin’s orders on the battlefield, drawing his lips against his.

A willing puppet on strings.

Except the only burning was passion, the only pain was restraint, and there were so many emotions.

There was so much love.

And Namjoon let himself feel all of it.

Chapter Text

Hi everyone!

So, I'm sorry this isn't a chapter, but I wanted everyone to know that I'll be taking a roughly two week break again. This is because of personal reasons as well as the fact that I feel like I've lost touch with this story a bit and I want to do some revising before I continue.

In the two weeks I'm going to be going back to edit the first book chapter by chapter. (I don't know if updating the chapters shows up in your email if you're subscribed to this story, if it does I sincerely apologize for possible spam while I edit). There won't be any major changes to the plot, mostly just fixing inconsistencies or Grammer and such. I hope to edit the chapters up to the current one in To You as well. If there are any major changes in the sequel I will let you know what it is that I changed.

You guys have been so wonderful and I want to make sure I give you good content to read.

Sorry for making you wait and thank you so so much.

Borahae everyone

To You will be back on Monday July 5th.

With love, Lilmochimoch

Chapter Text

“Okay, let’s try again, just like before,” Hoseok said, crouching down into a bracing position and holding up his hands.

Jungkook panted, wiping his arm across his forehead and licking his lips, grinning when the action made the dragon tilt his head to the side briefly. He held his own hands up and bent his knees. In quick succession, he threw two jabs towards Hoseok who ducked around them easily, shooting a few of his own punches back at him. Jungkook weaved around them quickly, backing up a step to give himself room.

The goal wasn’t to hit each other. Quite the contrary. Hoseok was well into a lesson teaching him how to properly dodge and recover without unnecessary movement. During a fight, those unneeded motions used up a lot of energy and effected the time it took to react.

An hour into the training and Jungkook had ditched his shirt, the warm air of the Galaxy only serving to make him sweaty enough that the shirt clung to him uncomfortably. Hoseok had done the same, because apparently it wasn’t a fair fight if only one of them was distracted.

“Watch your footing,” Hoseok warned and Jungkook was quick to correct it, but given that he was in mid swing, it put off his aim and he swung wider than he’d meant too. Cursing slightly, he was forced to lean too far to dodge a punch and a quick hook of Hoseok’s heel on the back of his own had him on his back in seconds.

Grunting he let his arms flop to the side, content to recover his breath on the cool grass that Hoseok had filled the arena with temporarily. After that last hit (and the countless others before it), he was grateful for the softer landing.

“You’re a quick learner love,” Hoseok praised and Jungkook tipped his head to see him leaning over him, grinning that beautiful smile of his. The Galaxy didn’t need a sun with Hoseok in it. “You’ve almost got it, you just keep forgetting to square your footing.”

“You’re a walking reminder of how gay I am hyung, it’s hard to focus,” Jungkook huffed, lips quirking up slightly.

Hoseok snorted and shook his head, offering him a hand up, which Jungkook took gladly. “You’re focusing better than those two,” he nodded towards Jimin and Taehyung at the edge of the arena.

Jungkook looked over at the Fae’s and laughed a bit at how blatantly they were staring at them. They had both dragged some chairs over and seemed to have been content to watch the entire time they were training.

Jimin had even put on a pair of sunglasses, lounged back as if they were sitting poolside in the sun as they sipped absently at a drink that Seokjin had brought out for them a little while ago. His and Hoseok’s own drinks sat next to them for when they were finished. He was pretty sure Jimin had forgotten he was even holding a drink, given that he hadn’t moved or even twitched since the last time he’d glanced their way.

Taehyung wasn’t in much better shape but he couldn’t seem to quite sit still, fidgeting like he wanted nothing more than to run out and tackle them. He probably would have by now too if Jungkook hadn’t been so adamant about taking this training seriously, which meant as little distractions as possible from his horny boyfriends.

Given that it had been almost a week since the discovery of his magic, he was impressed that they still had so much self-control. Then again, they did practically jump him after the training sessions and Taehyung had taken to showering with him more often.

Though, they also had Tannie as a distraction now. Jungkook had been extremely surprised to find that the two he’d sent out for ice cream came back with a dog and more money than they’d left with but they clearly loved the Pomeranian too much already and Jungkook wasn’t heartless enough to tell them to return it. He wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to know the whole story behind where they got it though.

It hadn’t been an easy week.

Jungkook hadn’t heard anything from his brother. He had left messages on his phone, hoping one of them would be returned the next time he went to the human world. He didn’t know if his brother was okay or not and if he was, he knew that he would have questions. If he was alright then he would have called wouldn’t he? Unless Jungkook had terrified him that much.

He didn’t even know what hospital he’d been taken too. So, short of going to his parents and asking, he wouldn’t know until his brother called him. It was a worry he tried to push to the back of his mind.

After Jungkook had explained everything that had happened to the others, Seokjin decided they needed to start teaching him how to use magic. They started lessons that day and the routine had been rather intense. Having gotten so used to a much more relaxed lifestyle, the first two days were the hardest to adjust, but he picked up his energy quickly after he started making a minor amount of progress.

The days started with meditation with Yoongi. Before the sky had taken on it’s lighter hues to signify daytime, they would sit in the study and Yoongi, in his purring gentle voice, would coach him through techniques to center his mind and emotions. They would sit in comfortable silence, lost in their own minds, until the first bang or shout or crash resounded from the houses other patrons.

The first couple of times, Jungkook would jump, losing all concentration and feeling himself jerk out of the almost numb state he’d fallen into. Yoongi wouldn’t so much as twitch at the sudden sound, only opening his eyes to chuckle and lean over to kiss Jungkook gently saying, “You know you’ve got the hang of it when you can focus with all of them around.”

Jungkook hadn’t reached that point yet. But he didn’t jump as much when the first of the morning chaos started. He called that progress.

They would sit down for breakfast together before Hoseok would take him out to train in hand to hand combat. Something that Hoseok said he was already great at, but it couldn’t hurt to smooth some rough edges. It had been years since he’d trained properly and because of the gang he’d adopted more of a street style of fighting. It wasn’t so much about a fair fight as it was survival.

“Let’s get a drink before you start with magic,” Hoseok brought a hand up to squeeze the back of his neck as he steered them towards Jimin and Taehyung before sliding his arm over his shoulder comfortably. They were both equally sweaty and gross so Jungkook didn’t mind the contact, finding himself leaning into the dragon as if he had just healed all the aches and pains with that single touch.

Taehyung hopped out of his seat and met them at the arena wall, offering the still cool refreshments to them. Jungkook took it gratefully, pounding back half of the lightly sweetened drink and sighing happily.

“You should take a break before you keep going bun,” Taehyung hummed, taking the drink back. “You have the time today.”

Jungkook sat the drink on the wall and shook his head, “I’m alright. I’m all warmed up now so it’ll be easier to focus. Yesterday I almost had it.”

They usually did magic lessons when he got back from work at the café, but today was his day off so Jungkook wanted to make use of the extra time.

Magic lessons included everyone. Though Seokjin did most of the teaching. Namjoon and Yoongi knew the most about dark energy so they could make suggestions on different methods, though it was difficult because none of them really knew the intricacies of the particular energy. Taehyung, Hoseok and Jimin were on protection watch.

Jungkook’s magic could hurt them and given that he had no idea how to use it, his three lovers were tasked with getting the other three out of harms way should things go south. The thought made Jungkook uncomfortable, thoughts drifting back to the destroyed street he’d left in his wake. But it also made him more determined. He would learn to control it.

The last few days of trying had produced next to no results. It was a lot of standing with his eyes closed, trying to focus like Yoongi taught him to and trying to channel that feeling he’d felt before. The problem was, that he couldn’t feel that feeling. That ball of energy in his chest had dispersed and left only the comforting presence of Euphoria.

Jungkook did end up taking a quick break to talk to the others while he waited for his hyungs to come outside and join them. He had a sneaky suspicion that they were late for that exact reason but they didn’t acknowledge it in the slightest when they finally walked over to them and entered the arena.

“You ready love?”

Jungkook grinned at Seokjin and quickly headed to the middle of the arena, ignoring their fond laughs at his eagerness. Yoongi and Namjoon stayed a bit further back but Seokjin walked right up to him and cupped his face in his hands gently.

Jungkook leaned into the touch and felt himself relax, knowing without having to be told that he needed to clear his head and steady himself. Seokjin smiled softly and Jungkook had to silence Euphoria’s fond purring so he could focus. Euphoria had been doing that a lot lately.

“Yoongi, Joon and I were talking, and we think we might have a way to help you bring out your magic.”

Jungkook looked at him curiously, “Really?”

Seokjin didn’t look all too eager as he nodded once and brushed his thumbs over Jungkook’s cheeks, “You know pure magic comes from your core, or in your case, your soul. It can be affected by strong emotion because of this.”

“Like when Yoongi’s eyes change when he’s angry,” Jungkook said, nodding.

“Yes. But Yoongi has practiced for hundreds of years to keep his reaction that small. Fire magic in particular is very hard to control. He used to accidently cause infernos when he felt high emotion,” Seokjin explained. “We don’t need to feel those emotions to use our magic, they only help to amplify it. We think Chaos magic might be similar. If you try to feel the emotions you felt when you first used it, it might help to bring it out so you can get a sense of what it feels like.”

Jungkook knew exactly what emotions he was feeling then. Fear. Frustration. Some anger. But mostly fear. Judging by the expression Seokjin wore, he also knew the emotions weren’t necessarily good. Nevertheless, Jungkook looked at him determinedly.

“I’ll give it a shot.”

Seokjin took a small breath but made no attempt to warn or dissuade him. Jungkook loved him for it. They knew that he knew what he could and couldn’t handle. And if he ever pushed himself a little too far, they were there to catch him. That kind of trust, in himself and in them, was something Jungkook never thought he’d have in his life.

Kissing him gently, Seokjin stepped back to join Yoongi and Namjoon.

“Just like before bun,” Yoongi said, watching him carefully. “Don’t think about releasing the energy, just try and find it. Ball it up in your chest and hold onto it. We’ll instruct you from there.”

Jungkook rubbed his fingers against his palms and took a breath to calm himself, letting his eyes fall shut. Slowly, one sense at a time, he took stock of the sensations around him. The sounds, the smells, the taste of the drink on his tongue. He recognized them, acknowledged them, and then let them fade away.

Euphoria always seemed closer when he focused like this. Like turning up the volume on a tv to drown out everything else. It’s presence was louder in a way he couldn’t quite describe.

Feel the feelings.

Fear.

Jungkook frowned, trying to think of a way to illicit that feeling in himself. It didn’t take long for his mind to help him with that though. He had many memories of terrifying times to choose from. The creature at the mall, the corpse wing, drug deals gone wrong, risky nights with strangers, hurting Namjoon, shooting Jimin, the list went on and on.

Those were too recent, too raw. Some more then others. He was only trying to train, he wasn’t about to destroy himself over things he hadn’t entirely healed from. So he chose a memory he knew he could pull himself back from easily. One he’d had to recover from hundreds of times. One that didn’t hurt as much now that time had numbed the wound.

One that still brought him fear regardless.

The memories of the room slammed into him so quickly it knocked the air from his lungs and his first instinct was to snap his eyes open, but stubbornness kept them closed.

The bedroom. The window. The bed. The scratches at the door.

It wasn’t enough to just imagine the room. His heart rate was picking up, but it wasn’t fear, it was panic. Despite that, he looked for the twisting energy inside him, throwing out lines to try and catch anything. Nothing yet. Just Euphoria.

“Breathe,” Namjoon’s voice, deep and calm. Safe. “Stop when you need too.”

Jungkook knew that, but the reminder was good. Fear wasn’t something to push away. Fear kept him alive. So he added to the memory. Added the sound, because there wasn’t much else going on at the time. That nameless, faceless man’s voice crackling through the stereo on the other side of the door.

He remembered the frustration he’d felt, not being able to shut the stupid thing up. He remembered the numbness that followed, the terror when he started believing the words, the fear of losing part of himself.

The desperation when he smashed the window with the curtain rod.

The fear when his father stopped him from-

There.

A spark of energy came to life inside him, bumping around almost clumsily as it tried to find it’s spot. The energy settled under his attention, twirling calmly once he focused on it. He ignored how sweaty his palms were and gave a stiff nod to his hyungs, eyes pressed tightly shut.

“Perfect love, now hold onto it. It’s part of you, it’s yours. Try to imagine it moving down your arm towards your palm. Picture it as vividly as you can in your mind.”

This was where Jungkook lost the feeling. Just when the energy began to move, Jungkook felt it fade and disperse, disappearing. The others encouraged him to try again, to bring it back. He managed too, barely, finding the excitement of the small success deterring the fear he was trying to feel.

The third and fourth times were the same, by then though, Jungkook was getting frustrated. It was like trying to catch a bubble without popping it. He might get it for a moment but it wouldn’t last.

Part way through the sixth or seventh try, Jungkook had to snap himself out of it all together when his mind started replaying a different memory. His frustration dredging up sharper, fresher fears. He flinched at the sound of the gunshot in his ears and had to seek out Jimin near the edge of the arena to make sure he wasn’t crumpling to the ground.

The energy in his chest flared before dying out.

“That’s enough for today,” Namjoon said immediately. Jungkook swallowed and looked at the ground as the immortal approached him.

He felt disappointed in himself. So close. He was so close. That feeling was there, he could feel it, but it’s like the energy didn’t want to move. Unlike from before, when it seemed so desperate to push it’s way out, building and building to push through the barrier keeping it in.

Jungkook frowned.

Barrier…

He looked up when Namjoon put a hand on his shoulder, seeing his reassuring smile.

“You did good. That’s a lot of progress for today, we shouldn’t push it.”

Jungkook had half a mind to nod but instead he pressed his lips together in thought. “Hyung… what if it’s not enough?”

Namjoon looked at him carefully, “What’s not?”

Jungkook looked down at his hands, hands that should have scars but didn’t. Hands that should be rougher and calloused but weren’t. “Do you remember what you said, in Euphoria? That it could be only whole magic that can get through my resistance?”

Namjoon nodded slowly.

“What if its not enough energy yet?”

“You think it’s too small of a quantity we’re working with?” The immortal hummed in understanding before looking to the side in thought. “It would be riskier to attempt to release more. It will mean it’ll be harder to control once it’s out.”

Jungkook wiped his palms on his pants and took a few steps back from Namjoon, giving him a nod. “I want to try.”

Namjoon twisted around to look at Seokjin who was watching Jungkook carefully as well. The angel gave them a nod.

“It will be a lot more aggressive the more energy you build up. We’ll get out of the way if it lashes out, but you’ll need to be the one to reign it in. Don’t let it control you.”

Jungkook took a slow breath and waited until Namjoon was at a safer distance again before closing his eyes. Don’t let it control him.

Within minutes he had that small ball of energy back in his chest. That golf ball sized swirling mass. He tried to reach out for more, tried to imagine that mass expanding. For a moment it felt like it was trying too, a tight coil building in his chest but it was met with resistance. It felt like trying to suck air through a plastic bag. All it did was seal closed and drew at nothing.

He needed more energy.

That meant more fear.

His brow pinched in concentration, and he sucked in a breath, letting his mind wander to that day in the theatre. The day with Jiho and the giant serpent creature and the negative door.

Then, like getting punched in the stomach, Jungkook’s mind slammed onto the memory of the door itself. That inky black mass of wood that brought more fear to him in the moments he was near it then anything ever had. His breathing stuttered and the energy in his chest swelled so rapidly he almost lost his control on it, fumbling with the powerful energy.

“That’s it Jungkook,” a voice broke through his thoughts, grounding him back to where he was. In the arena. Training. Focus. “Open your eyes.”

He listened to Seokjin, opening his eyes slowly and trying not to let the added job of processing what he was seeing distract from keeping a lock on the energy inside him.

The others were all standing straighter now, tense, ready to move at a moments notice.

“Can you feel it?” Jungkook found himself asking, voice barely loud enough for the closest three to hear.

Yoongi slowly shook his head, “We can’t feel any energy off of you. But your eyes…”

“Fuck, that’s as beautiful as it is terrifying,” Namjoon said carefully.

Jungkook knew he didn’t mean that Jungkook himself was terrifying. He knew that his eyes turning purple, like he assumed they were now, had been a very bad thing while he’d still had the gem inside him. That was what terrified them, their worry for him.

“You look so cool right now,” Taehyung said with barely concealed excitement. Jungkook’s lips twitched up before he quickly focused again, finding the energy slipping slightly.

“What now?”

“Move it towards your hand, slowly, don’t let it do anything you don’t want it too,” Seokjin instructed. “Once it’s there try releasing some through your palm. Again, just picture what you want it to do.”

Jungkook kept his eyes open, lifting his hand up, palm to the sky and tentatively prodded against the energy in his chest. Like liquid, with barely a thought to the action, the energy flowed down his arm into his palm and Jungkook gasped at the force at which it burst through.

A black energy shot out his palm, making his skin tingle before it exploded out into a foggy sphere, almost knocking him off his feet. It happened so quickly he didn’t have time to even think about keeping his control on it.

The ground around him shuddered and he staggered but it didn’t last long, the energy dispersed quickly the moment he lost his concentration, leaving him standing with wide eyes.

No one moved for a second and Jungkook slowly looked at his lovers who were all staring at him with similar looks of shock.

“Okay… we definitely felt that…” Namjoon said slowly.

Jungkook’s shoulders slumped and he let out a breathy laugh after assuring himself that they were all okay. The laugh turned into full blown excitement and he pumped his arms in the air.

“Yes! Yes! I did it! Did you see that?! That was so cool!” He exclaimed,

Taehyung laughed and the others joined in quickly, starting to make their way over to him.

Jungkook jumped around, grinning ear to ear at the progress. He’d actually done it! It was sloppy and uncontrolled but it proved that he could do it! If he could learn this, he could fight with his lovers, protect them better, protect himself better so they didn’t worry. Thanks to them he could be better.

Without warning, Jungkook felt something swell in his chest and shove the residual dark energy aside so roughly it made him gasp. A heat slammed down his arms and legs barely giving him a second to brace himself when light exploded around him.

He felt his feet leave the ground, the force of the energy ripping out of him throwing him back. Jungkook felt his back slam against the ground once before his world tilted and he was suddenly on landing on his stomach before rolling a few more times.

When he finally stopped, he stared at the sky above him before bolting upright. Flames flickered in his vision, and with a yelp he scrambled to snuff out the fire that was burning through the thigh of his pants.

There was a pregnant pause, filled with only the sound of his panting as he attempted to refill his lungs.

Slowly, he looked up, finding a path of charred grass in front of him, some spots still flickering with dying flames. His mouth opened but only a weak wheeze came out.

The others were frozen to their spots, eyes flickering between Jungkook and the spot he once stood that was now burnt and smoldering. He’d been thrown a good distance from them.

Seokjin was the first to move, and Jungkook hadn’t realized he had until he was crouched next to him, his hands searching his body with concern, “Are you hurt? Kookie, look at me. Are you hurt?”

When Jungkook tore his eyes away from the scene, his mind rebooting to catch up, he shook his head slowly even before he took stock of himself. He was pretty sure he’d be bruised to hell, but that wasn’t anything new. Nothing felt broken and despite the clear explosion that just went off, he didn’t feel any burns anywhere.

“You just,” Jimin stammered, eyes wide. “You just used fire magic.”

Jungkook let Seokjin guide him to his feet, the angel not resting until he had looked over every inch of Jungkook to make triple sure he wasn’t hurt. Jungkook felt himself turning to look at Yoongi, brain telling him that maybe it had been him.

The thought died quickly at the realization that that would imply Yoongi had tried to attack him, which he would never do.

But that meant…

He couldn’t quite read the expression on Yoongi’s face. It was surprise for sure, but there was something else mixed in.

They all hurried to him as the initial shock wore off and the questions started, Namjoon rattling off a mile a minute about how it made so much sense that he could use both positive and negative magic given that he technically had both sides making up whole magic. At the same time Taehyung and Hoseok were exclaiming their excitement at the development.

“Do you think you can use all kinds of magic?”

“If he can then do you know how powerful that would make him?”

“Jungkookie you might be the strongest being alive!”

“No ones ever been able to use more then one type of affinity!”

Jungkook wasn’t sure how to feel right now. Overwhelmed maybe? It was hard enough to wrap his mind around the fact he had powers at all and now he might be able to use more then one? Maybe even all of them?

He licked his lips and ran a shaky hand through his hair.

Yoongi stepped towards him and Jungkook locked on the movement, stumbling forward a bit when the phoenix hooked a finger in the waist of his pants and tugged him towards him, kissing him hard. Groaning, Jungkook grabbed the shorter man’s waist and pulled him close, mind shutting down for the time being.

The others chuckled around them and Jungkook suddenly didn’t feel so overwhelmed, feeding off their excitement and wonderment at the discovery.

When Yoongi pulled away, they were both breathless.

“Sorry,” Yoongi breathed, now looking more dazed then Jungkook had been feeling, “Your energy, you- fuck. It’s really strong.”

Jungkook blushed, taken off guard when Yoongi pressed against him, nuzzling into his neck and chest like a cat that just found cat nip. He shuddered when he started to nip and kiss at his skin and Jungkook was pretty sure he’d be purring if he could.

Seokjin hummed in amusement but there was a deeper tone that suggested something else too, “Your energy is so potent. It’s probably a good thing we can’t feel it all the time.”

Jungkook looked at him in confusion, hands finding the small of Yoongi’s back as the phoenix curled closer, hands sliding across Jungkook’s chest and shoulders, not seeming to care that he was sweaty and dirty. “Potent?”

Now that he looked at them, they all seemed a little dazed in that foggy way they got when he knew they were lustful or horny. He groaned a bit when Yoongi bit particularly hard into his neck before licking at it soothingly.

“It’s like…” Jimin started, moving to be closer to Jungkook. “It’s like adrenaline. When you were using Chaos energy it was strong but we don’t naturally run off it, so when you used fire magic it… it was like getting a boost. Yoongi’s reacting the strongest because it’s his type of energy.”

Jungkook went to speak but Yoongi caught his lips instead, pressing his tongue into his mouth. He gripped the man’s hips, trying to process that information while kissing his very attractive and eager boyfriend.

He knew that the others absorbed natural energy, just like how he had to go to Euphoria to recharge, they needed to be in Galaxy around positive energy to do the same. He didn’t think that they would be able to ‘feed’ off his energy as well and he made a mental note to ask Namjoon about it later.

He’d basically just gave them all a burst of pure energy and he wondered if that was like an endorphin high to them.

His thoughts stuttered to a halt when Yoongi rocked his hips against him and he forced himself to pull away while he still could. Yoongi chased after his lips, making him turn his head slightly so his kiss fell on his cheek instead. It didn’t seem to deter Yoongi much as he just trailed kisses along his jaw to his ear.

“Yoongi-hyung, I have to- to shower,” he groaned lowly when Yoongi sucked on his ear, pressing his teeth against his skin gently.

“Mmm,” Yoongi responded but didn’t pull away.

Jungkook huffed in amusement and looked at his other hyungs for help. Taehyung was already getting a bit handsy with Namjoon and the immortal certainly didn’t look apposed to it, pulling the Fae close. It was Hoseok who came over and peeled Yoongi away from Jungkook, despite his clear reluctance to interrupt.

Yoongi huffed but let himself be dragged back towards the house, all of them deciding that was more than enough training for the day seeing as they were all too distracted now to get much else done.

Jungkook laughed a bit and glanced back towards the charred ground.

He’d worry about what all this would mean going forward later. Right now, he was going to take the quickest shower of his life.

He’d barely shut the water off and stepped out of the shower before the bathroom door was opening and Yoongi was practically jumping him.

The towel he’d been attempting to tie around his waist fell to the floor as his hands shot up to catch Yoongi’s waist. Yoongi’s hair was disheveled and his lips slightly swollen, the visual making Jungkook curse. He wondered which of his hyungs had been keeping him busy while he was in the shower.

Jungkook didn’t waste anytime in picking Yoongi up, his small lithe frame easy to maneuver as he twisted around and roughly pressed him against the wall next to the sink. Yoongi grunted, hands scrambling to find purchase on his damp skin before they were kissing each other like they were starved.

“I was going to apologize because he got away from me,” Hoseok’s voice said from the doorway behind him. The dragon chuckled, “But it doesn’t look like you mind.”

Jungkook groaned in response, licking into Yoongi’s mouth and sliding their tongues together. He’d slowly gotten used to the expected voyeurism that came with dating six guys. It still made his skin flush with heat though, like he could feel Hoseok’s gaze trailing over his body as he ran his hands along Yoongi’s thighs, hating that the other was still wearing clothes.

Yoongi suddenly threw his weight forward, making Jungkook stumble back against Hoseok who had moved further into the room. The dragon wrapped his arms around him, one hand sliding up his chest as Yoongi dropped his feet back to the ground, not breaking their wet heated kiss once.

Hoseok’s hand wrapped around the front of his neck, making his heart race and his breathing hitch despite the fact that he only held his hand there, a light pressure but not squeezing.

“Did you really think you could get away with teasing us all day like that?” Hoseok chuckled next to his ear, voice low and firm, a drawl of pleasure rippling through his words. “Now it’s our turn.”

Jungkook was forced to pull away from Yoongi, lips wet with spit, as Hoseok slid his hand up his neck, making him tilt his head back. The dragons thumb and index finger pressed under his jaw, a pressure that he didn’t think he would love as much as he did.

He had to fight the urge to look down as he felt Yoongi’s hands slide down his chest to his stomach and coming to rest on his thighs. Hoseok tensed his hand around his neck but didn’t squeeze, “Ah ah, let Yoongi take care of you. You’ll come too quickly if you look at him right now. On his knees for you.”

Hoseok’s lips brushed his ear as he spoke, making him shiver despite the warm air in the bathroom from his recent shower. Fuck he really wanted to look. But the submissive side of him wanted to listen to Hoseok, to do what he asked, to be good. So he let his head fall back against the dragon’s shoulder, panting into the steamy air as he felt Yoongi’s mouth against his thigh, sucking a dark mark into the skin there.

Whimpering he swallowed roughly and the feeling of his throat pressing against Hoseok’s hand had the dragon growling in his ear and pleasure shooting through him.

“We’ve been wanting to get you like this for so long. Take more of your firsts for ourselves.”

Jungkook jerked when he felt Yoongi’s lips wrap around the tip of his hard dick, the wet heat sinking lower and enveloping him as he took him into his mouth. He squirmed and moaned, trying to stay still for him but finding it nearly impossible. Blindly, his hands found Yoongi’s hair, lacing through it and gripping the soft locks but being very careful not to press into him.

“Greedy,” Jungkook moaned, and he wasn’t entirely sure if he was talking about what Hoseok had said or if he was talking about how Yoongi wasted no time in taking him in as deep as he could, which to Jungkook’s amazement and pleasure, was until the base. He definitely wasn’t what he would call small which only made it that much more impression.

Hoseok chuckled in his ear while Yoongi swallowed around him, pulling back with a sinfully wet sound and rolling his tongue around him with a skill Jungkook didn’t know he possessed. “How does it feel bun?”

“So good, fuck, hyung,” Jungkook panted, Yoongi groaning around him and making him gasp. He wanted to look, he wanted to look so badly at his hyung. “Your mouth is so- ugh, fuck, so hot.”

Yoongi pulled away for a brief moment to press another kiss to his thigh as if thanking him, before he took him back into his mouth, licking across his tip and sinking him deep into his throat once more.

Jungkook almost pulled him back by his hair, knowing he wouldn’t last long if he kept doing that. “Shit, Yoongi-hyung, oh fuck.”

“Do you want to see how good he looks taking you? His lips wrapped around you? Hmm?”

Jungkook nodded and whimpered, not wasting a second to look down when Hoseok released his throat, though he missed the sensation as quickly as it was gone. His mind short circuited. Hoseok was fucking right. Jungkook almost came the minute he laid eyes on Yoongi, knelt down in front of him looking so beautifully small, looking up at him with tearful eyes as his lips stretched around him.

He wanted to freeze this moment, to never let it end, but knowing it would end way too soon if he let it keep going, Jungkook made a quick decision and tugged on Yoongi’s hair slightly to pull him off of him. Yoongi released him with a wet pop that had Jungkook’s already weak knees sink him down to the ground to be level with his hyung.

Jungkook pulled him into a hard kiss, tugging at the shirt he was still wearing. There was something about them being fully clothed still while he was completely naked that made him feel incredibly vulnerable in the best of ways.

Yoongi chuckled into his mouth and pulled away enough to look at him, one hand wrapped around the back of his neck to keep him close. “Too much?”

Jungkook quickly shook his head, licking his lips and sighing him Yoongi darted forward to kiss him again quickly, “No, just, want to last,” he stammered when they pulled away next. “God, you’re perfect. Hyung,” he whined and pulled a bit harder at his shirt.

Yoongi smirked and tugged off the offending cloth, giving Jungkook access to run his hands across his pale flushed skin. He hadn’t gotten much time to appreciate Yoongi’s body as much as he hoped to when it was all of them last time, but he took the time now.

He had more scars along his torso and chest, too many to count and each one he saw made his heart ache. How many had killed him? The ones over his heart, the large one on his side, the one on his ribs. Wounds that had inflected not just pain, but death. Yet Yoongi was here in front of him, with them, smiling at him fondly in a way that he used to believe he would never deserve to be looked at.

Jungkook kissed him.

He kissed him back, gently, caringly. Not the rough desperation from a moment ago.

“I always thought you’d be so perfect to take me, but seeing you like this makes me want to take you instead,” Yoongi mumbled against his lips, hand brushing his bangs back gently. “So pretty for your hyungs bunny.”

Oh.

That sounded too good.

“We can do both,” Jungkook found himself saying, cheeks flushing at the thought of being in either position with Yoongi. “I want both.”

Hoseok and Yoongi both chuckled, and Yoongi pulled away to smirk at him, “Now who’s being greedy?”

Before Jungkook could whine at that, Yoongi was shifting on his knees, turning them both to face Hoseok who had calmly leaned up against the bathroom counter, seeming content to watch them. Jungkook understood what Yoongi wanted the moment he looked up at his hyung and he didn’t hesitate to bring his hands up to the waist of Hoseok’s pants, tugging them down to free his hard length.

Hoseok shifted to help him reaching down to press his thumb against Jungkook’s lips, “Show me how good you are with your tongue love.”

It was Jungkook’s turn to smirk as he pulled his thumb into his mouth and nipped at the skin of his knuckle, rolling his tongue around and licking at the same time. He could see Hoseok’s eyes darken, pupils closing to slits for a brief second as a sign of the control he must have right now to hold himself back.

One day, Jungkook wanted him to let go of that control.

Yoongi bit his way up Hoseok’s thigh next to him and Jungkook made sure to keep in contact with Hoseok so he felt every bite. The dragon’s head rolled to the side slightly and he swore, sagging back against the edge of the counter, thumb popping out of Jungkook’s mouth.

Jungkook wasted no time in running his tongue up his length and taking him into his mouth. When he pulled back, Yoongi was there next to him, kissing and licking Hoseok who groaned deeply and laced his hands through both of their hairs, encouraging them.

They took turns taking him deep, Jungkook watching in fascination at how easily Yoongi seemed to be able to deepthroat. He even leaned down to kiss at the phoenix’s neck as he swallowed around Hoseok and the action made both of them shudder in pleasure.

Jungkook could tell Hoseok was close and with a small needy whine that had both Yoongi and Hoseok groaning, Yoongi leaned back so Jungkook could finish him off and the moment he had his lips on him again, Jungkook brought his hands to his thighs and dragged his nails down his skin, only hard enough to make some pretty red lines.

Hoseok threw his head back and gripped Jungkook’s hair so tightly it made his eyes water, “Oh fuck- bun, pull off, I’m gonna-”

Jungkook ignored the chance to pull away, sinking him deeper into his mouth and Hoseok moaned loudly. He didn’t hesitate to swallow as his boyfriend finished in his mouth.

He pulled away when Hoseok slumped back, groaning blissfully. Before he could recover from the hot sight, Yoongi was grabbing his face and kissing him, slipping his tongue against his, tasting Hoseok on his lips. Jungkook moaned, bringing a shaky hand down and quickly undoing Yoongi’s pants, shoving them down just enough to get his hand around him.

Hoseok watched them, panting as he came down from the high of his orgasm, “Shit, you two are going to kill me,” he crouched and wrapped his arms around Yoongi who hissed at Jungkook’s hand on him, hips rolling against his palm. “I’ll never get used to that pain, it feels so good. Are you close love, do you need a little push?”

Yoongi nodded franticly, Jungkook meeting Hoseok’s eyes over the phoenix’s shoulder. Hoseok smirked and clicked his teeth together in a biting motion making Jungkook lick his lips in understanding. Looking Yoongi over, he shifted and tugged his hyungs legs, making him fall back into Hoseok’s lap. Yoongi gasped and looked at him in surprise as Jungkook dipped his head to the inside of his thigh and sunk his teeth into the sensitive spot.

Yoongi’s hands flew up to grab Hoseok’s shirt above his head and his back arched away from the ground as he came with sinful moan, cumming over Jungkook’s hand and his stomach. Jungkook licked at the bite mark he left, knowing it might bruise but he was careful not to break skin. His boyfriend shuddered and tugged at his shoulders, pulling Jungkook back up to him.

Yoongi gave him a light peck before grabbing Jungkook’s hips and pulling him up to straddle his chest, leaving him face to face with Hoseok who smiled at him so lovingly it had his heart slamming against his ribcage. Hoseok kissed him while Yoongi took his length back into his mouth, skillful tongue making quick work and Jungkook had to reach down to tap Yoongi’s shoulder as a warning, whimpering into Hoseok’s mouth before he came.

Yoongi pulled away when he was finished and Jungkook rolled to the side so he didn’t crush him, flopping his arms over Hoseok’s lap and groaning. Hoseok laughed, sounding out of breath as he stroked a hand through his hair.

“Don’t fall asleep bun, you still have lessons with Namjoon.”

Jungkook groaned, pulling Yoongi against him so they were all in a semi uncomfortable cuddle pile on the bathroom floor. Yoongi kissed his forehead, humming in amusement.

“I’m telling him it’s your fault I’m exhausted.”

“Yeah like you didn’t suck my soul out through my dick,” Hoseok scoffed, receiving an embarrassed smack on the leg from Jungkook.

“Yoongi-hyung, you need to teach me that,” Jungkook mumbled.

Yoongi raised a brow and propped his head up on his arm, “Teach you what?”

“Deep-throating.”

Hoseok stammered while Yoongi burst out laughing, “Sure bunny, whatever you want.”

Jungkook snickered happily, cuddling close to both of them and basking in the warmth surrounding them.

Hoseok shifted nervously, “I should warn Namjoon… our little bunny is dangerous.”

Lessons with Namjoon were always wonderful. As Jungkook had just learned, they were even better after having an intense orgasm with two of his boyfriends on the bathroom floor.

The main reason for that being that Jungkook was pretty clingy after sex. It was a fact that he had always known but hadn’t really gotten to indulge himself in until after he met the guys. Aftercare only went so far with one night stands and Jungkook needed almost a full day of hugs and physical contact after to avoid the self doubts and anxieties setting in.

When he used to sleep around, he had just learned how to deal with those anxieties. Now, he got so much love and reassurance every day, even during the days that they didn’t do anything remotely sexual, that he had kind of forgotten he was clingy at all. It was just how the Set functioned and there was always someone around willing to give some affection.

Hoseok was one of the most openly affectionate of the group, on par with Taehyung. So It didn’t surprise Jungkook when the dragon and scooped him off the bathroom floor and insisted on helping him get dressed while humming happily and pressing kisses to his hair, forehead and cheeks whenever he so much as stepped near him.

It made Jungkook giggle every time and his face hurt from smiling even though his knees ached from kneeling on the hard floor.

Yoongi was very much the opposite with his affection, while it was as equally abundant, he showed it in much quieter ways. The whole time Hoseok got his clothes out and got him dressed, Yoongi was practically glued to his side, resting his chin on his shoulder and holding his hand with a cute little smile on his face that made his cheeks puff out. Jungkook had turned his head to the side a few times to kiss them because it was just too adorable.

They both walked Jungkook down to the study where Namjoon was waiting, leaving him with a few more kisses and apologies to Namjoon for tiring Jungkook out. Namjoon only seemed to find it endearing and just shook his head when they left, giving them gentle kisses of his own.

“They must have really put you to work,” Namjoon chuckled, catching Jungkook trying to conceal a yawn once he took his usual seat on the edge of the desk across from Namjoon’s chair.

He smiled sheepishly, “I’ll stay awake I promise.”

Namjoon hummed and got up, “Come here,” he mumbled as he stepped between Jungkook’s legs and hooked his hands under his thighs, lifting him up. Jungkook wrapped his arms over his shoulders, blinking in confusion as Namjoon led him over to the couches.

“Fall asleep if you need to, I’ll keep this short today,” he laid down on the couch, pulling a blanket over them and tucking Jungkook close. He sighed happily and took a deep breath, inhaling his familiar scent. “How do you feel after today Kookie?”

“Tired,” Jungkook chuckled.

Namjoon traced his fingers over his back, drawing nonsensical patterns through his shirt, “Besides tired?”

“Alright. The magic didn’t hurt at all.”

Namjoon didn’t say anything for a long moment and usually Jungkook would give him the time to think about what it is he wanted to teach him about that day, but Jungkook had a lot of questions about earlier.

“Hyung, can you all feel each other’s energy like that? Like how you felt mine before?”

Namjoon shook his head lightly, “Not like that, no. That was much stronger than we can usually feel. If I had to relate it to something, it was more like… how we feel stepping into Galaxy after being in the human world for awhile.”

Jungkook frowned and shifted to look at him, “It’s that strong?”

“Incredibly so. But, it felt very much like you. Like how Euphoria feels. I thought it might be possible for you to control both positive and negative energies, but I wasn’t sure until today.”

“What does this mean now? You guys said it took you years to learn your affinities, how am I going to learn all of them?”

“You’ve got all the time in the world love, remember?”

Jungkook paused before smiling softly. That was right. He’d almost forgotten again. He had tons of time now to be with them, to learn with them and explore magic. He could have a life with them.

They had told the others that didn’t know yet at dinner a few nights ago. Explained to them what the Guardian had told Jungkook about his now much longer life. They were thrilled and Jungkook had been lumped into a cuddle pile for most of the night, talk of future plans and things they wanted to do together and learn being shared by all of them.

“We’ll help you anyway we can, but it is going to take a long time. We should focus on seeing if we can draw out all of them first. We don’t know if you can control Light and Dark yet or the sub groups like ice or nature.”

Jungkook knew that this made things a bit easier but also infinitely harder. Because he could use positive affinity, the guys would have an easier time teaching him those. But that also suggested he could use all of the negative affinities too, and they didn’t have someone to teach him those.

Even then, it still wouldn’t be the same given that they didn’t know if whole magic, the two energies together, would be able to do anything. The thought was mindboggling to think that he had so many abilities. It was a lot to take in and he just hoped he could learn to control them before someone he cared about got hurt. Again.

“Are you guys going to react like that every time I use positive energy?”

Namjoon chuckled, “We’ll have to learn to adjust to it, but the more you use it the easier it will be for us.”

“Good, I don’t think I’d be able to keep up with sex everyday on top of training,” he joked.

Namjoon laughed, kissing his forehead.

Jungkook was also worried about using it in a fight if that were always the case. It was dangerous for them to be that distracted in a dangerous situation though Jungkook would be lying if he said he didn’t find some comfort in the fact that they would have to train a bit alongside him. It made him feel like less of the weak link.

“Jungkookie, can I ask what it was you thought about?”

Jungkook hummed in confusion.

“To bring on fear, what did you think about?” He clarified, voice soft and Jungkook heard the unspoken opening for him to not answer. He wasn’t trying to pry, and Jungkook knew that.

“I thought about my old house. About the room they kept me in, at first anyway,” he frowned.

“I saw you look at Jimin. It’s still haunting you isn’t it.”

Namjoon tucked him closer.

“I know it wasn’t my fault. I don’t know why it keeps coming back,” Jungkook sighed. “I know Minnie doesn’t blame me either.”

“It’ll take time. It hasn’t been very long for you since it happened.”

Jungkook didn’t miss the ‘for you’ in there. For them, it had been months. Jungkook kept forgetting that.

“Why was it fear that I had to feel?” He decided to ask, changing the subject slightly.

Taking a deep breath, Namjoon clearly recognized him attempt to avoid talking about it but went with it anyway. He was grateful for that. “I guess that’s what today’s lesson will be about.”

“Kisses for right answers?”

“As usual,” his lover smiled.

Nodding eagerly, Jungkook turned onto his stomach, resting his chin on Namjoon’s chest and waiting to learn more from the man he loved so dearly.

Brushing a finger across his cheek fondly, Namjoon looked at the ceiling, “Like Seokjin said earlier, magic can be easily affected by emotion because they both stem so closely from the same place.”

“That’s why mediation is so important right?”

“Exactly. You have to learn to separate your magic and emotions so they don’t interfere with one another. All emotions affect all types of magic, it’s just that some affect certain ones more then others. We call them the explosive emotions.”

“That sounds ominous,” Jungkook frowned.

Namjoon smiled, “Every magic has an explosive emotion that effects it more then the others. An emotion that makes the magic incredibly difficult to control if it interferes. For Chaos magic, it’s fear.”

“So… by making me feel that, it helps me bring it out more? Because it reacts stronger?”

Namjoon leaned down and pressed a kiss against his lips, slow and loving. Jungkook loved getting answers right. He grinned when the immortal pulled away and nuzzled into his chest, feeling Namjoon’s chuckle through his body.

“Cute,” he mumbled, “Yes. It exaggerates the magic, so for learning it helps. But it’s not practical on the field. Especially if your magic can affect humans and magical beings. Eventually you’ll be able to control it without having to get emotions involved.”

“What are the other explosive emotions?”

“Well, water magic’s is rage. So if Minnie were to feel intense rage very suddenly, or couldn’t control his anger, he would lose control on his magic and have a very hard time reigning it in. Much like you did in the alley but the damage would be… much more extreme for someone with his strength of magic.”

Jungkook cringed at the thought of Jimin getting that angry, and the thought of how horrible it would be for him to cause harm without control like that. Jungkook had hated seeing the destruction he’d caused, hated seeing his brother and Namjoon hurt and unconscious because of him.

“How bad would it be if it did happen?”

“Ever heard of a place called Atlantis?”

Jungkook blanked, “Atlantis exists?”

The immortal chuckled, “It used to be a popular trading city for magical beings until a strong water magic user lost control. Sunk the whole city. The mermaids took it over when it sunk, they’re very territorial.”

“That’s… wow. So, don’t piss off Minnie?”

“Don’t piss off Minnie,” Namjoon chuckled.

“I kind of would have thought that rage and fire magic would have gone together,” Jungkook mused, thinking about how grumpy Yoongi usually was or how easily he could be angered sometimes.

Namjoon laughed and shook his head, “Not every explosive emotion is a negative one. Fire magic’s is love.”

Jungkook blinked at him in surprise, “Love?”

“Mhm, it’s a large part of why fire magic is the hardest to control. Especially for someone in a Set like Yoongi. That’s why he’s the one teaching you meditation, he’s the best at keeping his magic and emotions separated. It’s also why he comes across as uncaring sometimes, especially to strangers. He just… has too much love to give so he has to pay extra attention that he doesn’t slip up.”

That was… as beautiful as it was sad. Yoongi loved them so very much and to have to constantly be aware of that emotion just waiting to affect his magic, no wonder it was such a hard one to learn to control.

Jungkook supposed he’d have to learn how too now.

“Don’t worry love, it’s second nature to him now,” Namjoon rubbed his thumb between Jungkook’s brows to ease the tension of worry there. “He doesn’t have to think about it anymore.”

“What about Seokjinnie-hyung’s? His light magic? He doesn’t seem to use it very much.”

“He uses it everyday Kookie,” Namjoon raised a brow, “Has he not told you this?”

Jungkook frowned, “Told me what? What does he use it for?”

Clicking his tongue, the immortal shook his head, “Honestly, it wouldn’t kill him to brag at least once in awhile,” he grumbled. “Seokjin controls the light cycles in Galaxy.”

Jungkook stared at him blankly before pushing himself up on his arms, “Wait what? What do you mean? Like he controls when it’s day?”

Namjoon nodded, “Galaxy doesn’t have a sun, where did you think the light was coming from?”

“Well gee hyung, my first guess wouldn’t have been Seokjin! It’s a magical universe, I don’t know! I didn’t question it!”

Laughing, the immortal hooked his arms around him and pulled him back against his chest, “It’s not as big a deal as you think. It doesn’t drain or tax him at all, he’s gotten used to it. That’s why he’s always the first one up and the last to go to sleep.”

“But what if he forgets? Or what if he’s not in Galaxy to change the light?”

“Then we have a slightly longer or shorter day,” Namjoon shrugs, “It’s not a problem so long as he doesn’t forget too often. There are crops and people relying on the light.”

“And here I thought Hoseok-hyung was the sun… it was Seokjinnie-hyung all along,” Jungkook flops his face against Namjoon’s chest. “I feel deceived.”

Namjoon patted his head gently, “Sometimes we forget that you haven’t been with us that long Kookie, I’m sorry if we forget to mention things we think are normal.”

Jungkook shook his head, “It’s alright, I do the same in the human world. I get it. I kind of wish that I had been here with you guys this whole time. That I could have met you way back then.”

“I’m glad you came into our lives when you did. We weren’t the same people back then.”

“I still would have loved you.”

Namjoon didn’t say anything to that, prompting Jungkook to look up at him.

“Do you think I wouldn’t have?” He asked carefully.

Namjoon’s hesitation was answer enough. He might be right. He might have been an incredibly different person back then. All of them. But Jungkook thinks he would have fallen in love with them anyway. He wasn’t sure if he believed in fate but if he ever wanted possible proof, he thinks that meeting them was the closest it would get.

“I don’t think there’s any life or dimension or alternate reality that I wouldn’t love you all in some capacity.”

Instead of saying anything, the immortal hugged him gently, like he’d break, or vanish or like he wasn’t real. Jungkook hugged him back to prove he was.

After awhile, Namjoon picked up the lesson again, telling him about the other explosive emotions and Jungkook made sure to remember to write them down later. They might all apply to him too.

Light magic’s, he was told, was trust. Weather magic was hate. Earth magic was sadness. Air was joy.

That’s about when Namjoon’s soothing voice started to take it’s toll on him and he felt himself drifting off to sleep as he explained the theoretical reasons behind the specific emotions. He must have fallen asleep for some time, because he woke to Namjoon’s hand massaging the base of his neck while he read a book, still in the position he was in when he drifted off.

Jungkook’s sleepy mind decided not to question where he got the book from, or how he got it without getting up. He was pretty sure Namjoon always had a book on him somehow.

Instead he mumbled to get the others attention, unintelligible words falling past his lips as he tried to move as little as possible. He couldn’t remember being so cozy before. Namjoon looked at him and smiled a bit.

“Go to sleep love,” he whispered softly. “I’ll take you to bed soon.”

“Mmm,” he let his eyes drift shut and pressed his cheek against his chest. “Joonie?”

Namjoon hummed.

“Th’ other’s all have their own languages right?” he slurred slightly.

Another confirming hum.

“M’kay…” he paused for a moment and he wasn’t entirely sure how long it was but he thinks Namjoon went back to reading in the time it took him to formulate his next question. “Coul’ you… teach me how to say ‘I love you’ in them?”

Namjoon seemed to freeze under him, but Jungkook was really too tired and warm for his mind to notice and react. He didn’t answer for a long time and Jungkook felt his hand slide to the back of his head.

“Yeah love. I can teach you that…”

Jungkook missed the few tears that ran down his lovers cheeks as he drifted off to sleep.

Jungkook loved working in the Café’s kitchen with Jaeyong.

Since he’d been moved to the kitchen, he’d learned a lot about baking and cooking that he’d never really thought much of before. Cooking had never really been a big thing for him, given that he couldn’t afford much food at all. Let alone anything that needed more than just boiling water or a microwave.

Jaeyong loved talking about his craft, and the more questions Jungkook asked, the brighter the older would smile as he went into the finer details of how to make pastries fluffy and not too dense.

There were even a few days that Seokjin joined them, listening in on the impromptu lessons and learning how to use human kitchen technology. He was pretty sure Seokjin was already making a list of foods to get Jaeyong to try from the Galaxy. It was incredibly endearing to watch them fawn over spices.

Today though, Jungkook had finally put the lessons to good use. He’d marched into the kitchen that morning with nothing but determination and told Jaeyong that he was going to make a batch of cupcakes to bring home for his six wonderful boyfriends.

Jaeyong had laughed, waving a hand towards the counter invitingly and told him not to burn the place down before leaving him to it.

His hyungs had been putting a lot of time and effort into teaching him magic and while he knew (they’d told him multiple times) that they were happy to help, he still wanted to do something nice to thank them.

So, cupcakes.

Jungkook tried to carefully recall everything Jaeyong had been teaching him. He wanted them to be perfect. He measured everything twice and triple checked the recipe. When he was sure the batter was well mixed, he poured it into a cupcake sheet and slid it into the preheated oven.

He couldn’t keep the grin off his face, fighting the urge to crouch in front of the ovens window to watch the cupcakes bake.

Instead, he set a timer on his phone for twenty minutes and sat it on the counter.

Before he could start cleaning up and begin to help Jaeyong with the actual work he was being paid for, Sumi poked her head in from the front.

“Jungkook-ssi? Could you watch the front for a few minutes? I really need to use the washroom,” she said sheepishly, fidgeting slightly.

He chuckled and nodded, wiping his hands off on his apron, “Sure. Sorry hyung, I’ll clean this up in a minute.”

Jaeyong hummed in acknowledgement but Jungkook wasn’t sure if he actually heard him as he was squinting in concentration, adding the finishing touches to a strawberry cheesecake.

Sumi hurried past and gave him a relieved smile as he stepped out to the front counter, “Thank you!”

He waved her off and stepped over to the cash, putting on his customer service smile and taking the waiting person’s order. Part of him really missed working in the front. It was nice to talk to some of the people, others not so much, but for the most part everyone was kind. He liked getting to catch up with the regulars too.

Even that quiet old man in the corner who never said anything.

Jungkook’s eyes found Taehyung right away as he started making a coffee. The Fae was sitting at their Sets regular table, Boseon sitting across from him practically bouncing in his seat in excitement at whatever amazing story Taehyung was regaling.

The little phoenix had practically launched himself at Taehyung when the Fae had come by to see how Jungkook’s day was going and likely to try and see if he could nab some of the pastries. He’d even tried convincing Jaeyong into letting him be a taste tester too. Jaeyong had humored him until Jungkook explained that he couldn’t taste spicy things after Taehyung failed to react to the amount of chili pepper Jaeyong had laced a butter tart with.

Taehyung had been a little more then upset at having to avoid touching Jungkook for the next hour after that.

Given how little time they’d gotten to spend together, Jungkook hadn’t expected Boseon to be so attached to Taehyung already. Though the boy didn’t seem to have trouble making friends and Taehyung had that same characteristic so he wasn’t too surprised.

Handing the customer their coffee and bidding them a wonderful day, he stepped back over to the cash to help the next person. He smiled politely at the man before him.

“Welcome to White Rose, what can I get for you?”

The man, who looked only a bit older then Jungkook with hair perfectly styled to flow back away from his forehead, gave him a sheepish smile in return, “Hi, do you guys do larger orders?”

Jungkook considered it for a moment, “It depends on the size of the order. We usually have people call ahead.”

The man shifted his weight from foot to foot and looked at him apologetically. “Sorry it’s so short notice. It was for me too,” he rubbed his neck. “Um, I’ll need ten coffees and two of everything on display if that’s possible… I don’t mind waiting, I’m not in a rush.”

Jungkook keyed in the order, glancing over at the display of pastries to see what they had. Two of everything shouldn’t be too bad. Jaeyong was about to put the afternoon treats out anyway. “That’s no problem sir,” he glanced up when the man twitched slightly, smiling, “I can get started on the coffees right away but in may take a bit. Feel free to take a seat and wait if you like. Is that for here or to-go?”

“To-go please,” the guy visibly sagged in relief and gave him a relaxed smile in return, pulling out his card to pay. Jungkook didn’t miss that it was a black card. A Chaebol then? Looking at him as he tapped his card on the reader, he took note of his chocolate brown eyes and his handsome features. Part of him wanted to drag the man over to Taehyung just to show him that they had unnaturally good looking people in the human world too.

There was something strange about the man though Jungkook couldn’t quite put his finger on it. Euphoria purred in his chest as he stepped away to start on the large order.

“Thank you so much,” the man said, following him down to the other side of the counter. Jungkook put on two pots of coffee before grabbing a few boxes to load up with the pastries. “I know you’ve probably already had a long day already.”

Jungkook chuckled and shook his head, “It’s been a good day, don’t worry about it.”

His eyes flicked over to Taehyung, who had finished his story and now seemed to be learning a hand clapping game from Boseon. Euphoria purred louder inside him as it must have felt how his heart melted at the sight. Boseon’s small little hands in Taehyung’s big ones was too cute.

Sumi returned to the counter and took over the cash again after Jungkook reassured her that he would finish this order before heading back to help Jaeyong.

The order did take awhile but the man stood off to the side of the counter the whole time he waited. He seemed rather interested in what Jungkook was doing, asking questions about how he remembered all the different types of coffee and how the steamer worked or why they steamed certain drinks and not others. Jungkook answered him easily, finding his excitement over barista work kind of nice. Most people just got their things and left.

“You seem really interested in coffee,” Jungkook mused, finishing up the last cup and putting it onto a tray with four other cups. “Thinking of being a barista?”

“It’s more of a hobby,” the man shrugged, smiling calmly with his hip leaning against the counter. “Coffee gets me through the boring parts of the day.”

As a ‘used-to-be’ college student, Jungkook definitely understood that.

Laying the order out on the counter he took one look at the four boxes and three trays of drinks and seemed to realize at the same time the man did that this wouldn’t work. The man rubbed his neck again and laughed sheepishly, “I guess I didn’t think this through. I’ll have to make two trips I guess.”

Jungkook bit his lip and drummed his fingers on the counter for a second. “Do you have far to go?” He felt bad that he would potentially have to do a lot of back and forth. If he was ordering this much, he must be getting coffee for his friends or colleagues. It seemed rude of them to send the man on his own without help but Jungkook didn’t know the story so he wouldn’t judge.

The man started picking up the boxes, stacking one on the other as he grabbed a drink tray with his other hand, “I just parked around the corner, it won’t take me long.”

Jungkook waved a hand and picked up the last box and balanced it on top of one of the drinks, taking the last two trays, “I’ll give you a hand.”

The man looked at him in surprise, “Oh, you, no it’s alright, you’re working, you really don’t have too.”

“I insist, it’ll save you the walk,” Jungkook smiled, stepping past Sumi and out from behind the counter. “I’ll be back in a minute, I’m just going to help him bring these to his car,” he told her.

Sumi looked at the man, partially distracted with the order she was tapping into the register and nodded, “Don’t be long okay?”

“I won’t,” Jungkook chuckled. He looked over to Taehyung who was already watching him, face set in a carefully blank expression. Jungkook gave him a reassuring smile, mouthing ‘be right back’ and holding up the drinks and food in a weak explanation.

Jungkook briefly heard the man chuckle as he stepped out the door first, catching the words “Don’t worry, I’ll bring him back in a second,” directed towards who he assumed was Sumi.

Jungkook turned to him as he stepped out of the café and the man nodded his head down the sidewalk, giving him a beaming smile. “I parked over here. Seriously thank you for this.”

“It’s not a problem, it’s almost my break anyway.”

“Do you like working there? It seems like a nice place.”

Jungkook nodded, keeping up the polite conversation as they rounded the corner. There wasn’t much traffic today, though it was just after lunch. The rush was over and everyone was back to working, leaving the roads busy but still flowing smoothly. He liked this time of day. A lot less honking.

“Here we are,” the man said, walking over to a black SUV that was as shiny as the man’s black card. They stopped next to it and Jungkook looked it over casually as the man put the boxes down on top of the car to pull out his keys. Once it was unlocked, he stepped over to open the back door. “You can set them on the seat there.”

Jungkook nodded and stepped over to the car, carefully putting the drinks on the pristinely clean seats, trying to situate them so they wouldn’t tip or splash. He ducked his head slightly to avoid hitting it off the top of the door as he pulled back to step away from the car.

“There you g-” Jungkook felt a hand grab his hair and tug hard, making him gasp in pain and stagger. His hands flew up instinctively and grabbed the man’s wrist. His hand was closed tightly around his hair, a sharp stinging flaring through his scalp. Forcefully, he was shoved into the vehicle, head hitting the top of the door he’d been so careful to avoid a second ago.

Jungkook’s leg hit the coffee’s he’d put on the seat and he grit his teeth as the hot liquid spilled, burning his thigh. He only had a second to twist onto his back before the man climbed into the vehicle, hand still gripping his hair as he pulled the door shut. Thinking quickly, Jungkook grabbed the knife from the back of his belt, flicking the blade open and stabbing at the man’s arm that held his hair.

The man chuckled and with reflexes faster then Jungkook thought he’d have, he grabbed his wrist with his free hand, clicking his tongue disapprovingly.

Quickly he snatched the knife with his right hand and swung it towards his side, aiming for anything he could hit. The man released his hair and grabbed his other wrist, throwing his weight into him and forcing Jungkook down against the seats, head roughly hitting the door as he was half propped up against it.

Fear and confusion fogged his mind. What the hell was happening? He should have known to be more careful. Jungkook was usually so good at reading people and the man had seemed nothing but kind. And to do something like this in broad daylight? On a relatively busy street? He was just asking to get caught.

Then again, no one was rushing to help him.

His heart hammered in panic.

Gritting his teeth, he fought against the grip on his wrists trying to get free, “Get the fuck off me!”

“Relax, they can’t hear you,” he chuckled, shifting to trap Jungkook’s kicking legs by partially kneeling and partially sitting on them.

For a brief moment of relief, he released Jungkook’s left wrist, but his relief turned to terror as he felt the man’s hand slide down his chest. Eyes widening, he tried to squirm away from him grabbing his wrist with his now free hand and trying to pull his hand away but it barely moved, pressing back against the door behind him even harder, “Hey, don’t- don’t fucking-” he stammered.

If he could just reach behind him, he could open the door and run. But he couldn’t from this position and despite his thrashing and kicking, the man didn’t budge, as if he didn’t notice it at all.

He tried to remember everything the others had spent so much time teaching him but his mind was blank with terror, the hand now resting on his stomach burning even through his clothes.

“I have better toys at home,” the man chuckled and Jungkook yelled in pain as the man twisted his wrist roughly, a sharp snap sounding from the joint. His grip went limp and the knife dropped out of his hand. Pain pulsed from the now broken wrist still held tightly in the mans grasp and he grit his teeth.

He lashed out, throwing a punch with his left hand, aiming for his face. The punch connected with his cheek and the man’s head whipped to the side. Jungkook used the brief distraction to scramble to pick up his knife, fingertips brushing it before he found his hand grabbed and pinned against the window above his head roughly. His broken wrist being crushed under the pressure as the man gripped it tighter and he swore he heard it crack again.

He bit his tongue to hold back a pained whimper.

The man smiled. It wasn’t the kind one he’d given him in the café. This was depraved and sick, he looked pleased with Jungkook’s fear and it made his stomach roll. Euphoria pulsed through him, echoing his panic. The ball of energy he’d practiced so hard to build up did so easily now, building and building to the point Jungkook feared what would happen if he let it go.

As Jungkook opened his mouth to shout for help, to call out to the people walking by on the street, to the cars driving by, to anyone, the man moved his wrists together, pinning them under one hand against the window and he used his free one to brush Jungkook’s hair out of his face. It was an action his lovers had done many times, but from this man, it felt disgusting, vile. He tried to twist his head away.

“Don’t fucking touch me,” he yelled and fought against the man with all his strength but it did nothing. The man didn’t move. Tae, he needed Tae. Tae was here. He would sense his magic if he released it, but if he released it he could hurt a lot of people. Fuck, this was bad. This was really bad.

“Oh wow…” the man said, sounding almost awe struck as he leaned over him, stroking a hand down the side of his face. “Look at those pretty eyes.”

Jungkook tried to throw his leg up and kick him in the chest but they were pinned under the man’s weight. Just when the fear spiked, he made the decision to release his magic. Consequences be damned, anything was better then whatever this man was going to do to him.

He just managed to have the thought when the hand on his cheek became much less gentle and clamped around his bangs. Jungkook found his head being slammed back against the door in one sharp jerk. Blinding white snapped across his vision. He felt the strength leave his body, limbs going weak as his brain jarred against his skull.

The white in his eyes was fading quickly to black and he wasn’t entirely sure which way was up.

The last thing he heard before he blacked out, was the light, amused tone of the man.

“Sorry treasure. I got impatient.”

Chapter Text

“Wow that’s incredible!”

Jaeyong nearly stabbed the tip of the icing tube through the top of the cake at the sudden voice. Quickly jerking his hands away to avoid ruining his hard work, he looked up at Jimin who smiled at him from the other side of the counter. He let out the breath he was holding, dropping his shoulders.

“Is one of your super powers stealth or something?” Jaeyung shook his head and set the icing tube to the side as the rest of Jungkook’s boyfriends wandered in from the break room. He didn’t know if he’d ever get used to this.

Jimin tilted his head in a way that Jaeyong had to admit was pretty cute and he chuckled.

“What are you all doing here?”

“Jungkookie asked us to come by on his break, he said you’d have some things for us to try,” Hoseok grinned and leaned on the metal table, reaching over to swipe his finger through the frosting of the cake he just finished. Jaeyong smacked the back of his hand and glared at him, ignoring Hoseok’s small yelp and pout.

“That brat. Offering up my food before I’ve even made it,” he grumbled, picking up the cake to move it to the fridge.

“I brought some more Efrire, I thought you might run out if we plan to work on pasta dishes tonight,” Seokjin held up a small burlap bag tied with twine and sat it on the counter. Jaeyong beamed at him over his shoulder as he closed the fridge.

“You really are an angel,” he said excitedly. “I was thinking of trying a blend with-” he was cut off by Jungkook’s phone going off on the counter, the standard alarm sound chiming through the room.

The others looked at the phone curiously as Jaeyong stepped over to swipe across the screen and silence it.

“Is that Jungkook’s phone?” Namjoon blinked.

Jaeyong nodded, “He set an alarm for his cupcakes.” Stepping over to the drawer he called out towards the door to the front. “Jung- fuck, wait, JK-ah! Your cupcakes are done!”

“Cupcakes? Is that what smells so good?” Jimin leaned forward, watching him as he opened the oven. The smell of fresh baking wafted through the room and Jaeyong laughed when he heard the guys sigh blissfully.

Carefully pulling the cupcakes out with an oven mitt, he set them on the stove to cool, turning the oven off, “Jungkook-ah made them himself just for you guys.”

He paused and turned to look at them, Crap, was that supposed to be a surprise? Jungkook hadn’t said anything about surprising them. Shit. Hopefully he hadn’t just ruined it for him. The lovestruck looks on all of their faces was as endearing as it was hilarious. They were so whipped.

Even the usually passive expression on Yoongi’s face had turned to a soft smile like his heart had just melted all over the floor.

Shaking his head he held a finger up to his lips, “Don’t tell him I told you, I don’t know if he wanted it to be a surprise.”

Namjoon chuckled, “We won’t.”

Sumi poked her head into the kitchen, catching their attention, “Oh, you guys are all here.”

“Sumi-yah!” Jimin exclaimed happily, hopping over and giving her a hug. She giggled and blushed a bit, giving him a shy hug in return.

“Hi Jimin-ssi, are you guys here to see Jungkook-ssi?”

They nodded and Jaeyong scoffed, “Why would you even ask? Go sit out there, you guys are crowding my kitchen.”

Shooing them to the door was like trying to herd cats while keeping Hoseok’s (and Seokjin’s) hands away from the food that was laid out to be put on display.

He grabbed a couple of trays to bring to the front as he followed them out, setting them on the counter as the others stepped around the other side of it.

Jaeyong smiled when Boseon jumped up from his seat, very nearly faceplanting on the floor as his feet got caught under him. He was spared the possible injury by Taehyung who jerked forward to catch him quickly. Boseon didn’t seem fazed in the least, continuing on his mission to jump at Yoongi.

The phoenix already had his arm out in anticipation for the kids hug, chuckling fondly and patting his head while Boseon squished his face against his stomach.

Hoseok flopped on the bench seat next to Taehyung, putting an arm around him and kissing his cheek in greeting. Taehyung smiled a bit.

“What’s wrong?”

Jaeyong looked at Jimin who sat where Boseon had been sitting. For a moment he wasn’t sure who he was talking to until Taehyung shook his head lightly, “Nothing, Kookie’s not back yet is all.”

Seokjin frowned, “Back? From where?”

Jaeyong glanced around the café and sure enough couldn’t find his coworker amongst the few customers at the tables.

“He stepped out to help a customer bring their order to their car. It’s only been five minutes, I’m sure they just got caught up talking. He seemed like the chatty type,” Sumi explained, clearly trying to ease the concern on their faces. It worked, if only a little.

Hoseok hummed, “I’ll go take a look around for him. Which way did he go?”

Sumi pointed him in the right direction and Jaeyong watched him reassure the others that he’d be careful before stepping out, calmly heading out of view of the café.

The group settled at the table, Boseon clambering across their laps to get to Yoongi but getting scooped up by Jimin halfway there. Jaeyong started putting the new pastries out, watching the interaction out of the corner of his eye.

“Hey! Let go!” Boseon squealed, trying to squirm out of Jimin’s grip. The man danced his fingers across the boy’s sides making him laugh and kick, accidently hitting Namjoon’s arm, though he didn’t seem to mind.

“We want attention too youngling, you’re spoiling Yoongi,” Jimin grinned.

“I’m his favorite, let me be spoiled,” Yoongi said grumpily.

Namjoon chuckled, “Do we not spoil you enough?”

“Yuyu-hyung is MY best friend! Get your own!” Boseon elbowed his way off of Jimin and plopped himself in the small space between Yoongi and Seokjin, huffing and glaring poutingly at Jimin. Seokjin blinked a bit in surprise, looking down at the child before smiling warmly. Yoongi calmly put his hand against the edge of the table while Boseon got comfortable, keeping the boy’s knees from hitting the edge.

Seokjin chuckled and put a hand on his chest, “Can I still be his prince?”

Boseon squinted at Seokjin and hummed for a long moment, considering it before nodding, “Yeah.”

Yoongi scoffed but clearly couldn’t hide his grin and Jimin flopped across the table, whining about how he wanted to be a prince too.

“Minnie, you are a prince,” Taehyung snickered.

Jimin only pouted more, explaining how that didn’t count, “I want to be a prince to you guys.”

“Technically-”

“Taetae if you say technically I am your prince, I’m going to have to remind you about that time when you had me tied up and I-”

“Little ears!” Seokjin rushed to say, waving his hands and quickly covering Boseon’s ears, shooting the two Fae’s a look.

Jimin smiled sheepishly.

Jaeyong didn’t know what that meant but he filed it away to ask about later. The prince thing, not the tied up thing. He’d really rather not know the details of that. He slid the trays of pastries back into place, laughing when Boseon finally gave Jimin the permission to be a prince too.

Sumi stepped around the counter and walked over to them to take their orders, laughing at their antics as well. They had a way of brightening the place up when they were here. It made working much more bearable.

Before Sumi could say anything though, Hoseok was all but throwing the front door open, rushing in while dragging a kid behind him. He was dressed in shabby clothes and not the cleanest, Jaeyong assumed a street kid right away.

“Seokjin.”

Hoseok’s tone set off alarm bells in his mind right away. It was serious. Very serious. Not the happy, cheerful, verging on too loud of a tone he usually had. It was very nearly emotionless.

The others picked up on it the moment they heard it, the laughter around the table dying to tense silence. Sumi looked at them, confused and concerned, trying to make sense of the sudden switch of atmosphere.

Seokjin looked at Hoseok, eyes flicking to the boy next to him.

It was Jimin who spoke first though, getting out of his seat, “Scout-ah?”