Taehyung is in a state of uncontrollable tears by the time he successfully lumbers back to his room, sleeve icky with snot and his nose and eyes alike a shocking shade of red.

He was fortunate enough to not have met any concerned eyes, feeling the need to be alone for now and hopefully carve the image of his partner's gruelling stare from his mind.

Maybe what he done wasn't the right idea? But then was he to let two people die on his behalf?

Even so, what had happened, had happened and there was no turning back time, instead he must come to turns to what he had done and overcome the throttling ball of guilt and betrayal that builds at his chest.

Sniffling, he lifts the covers to his chin, fingers curling at the remnants of rather soggy tissue as he stares openly at the smoothed floorboards of his room, body aching from his exerting actions that obviously his injured muscles were not too willingly to participate in.

Had his plan to save Baekhyun and Chanyeol even sufficed? Were the two even alive? If they were, were they well? Had they been tortured or treated like normal people? Or even, had they escaped somehow?

With queries swarming across the black abyss of his pounding mind, he falls asleep, cheeks wet with tears and breathing hiccuped and whinny.

&&&

He chooses not to share his accounts with mafia leader to his friends, Jin not commenting on the boy's flushed cheeks and swollen eyes as he redoes his dressings, instead offering the tempting idea of a sweet beverage and freshly baked sweets.

Jimin seems to catch on with the drift, pink lips lifted in a gentle smile as he spurts all sorts of nonsense to hopefully pull a grin at the boy's solemn expression.

Taehyung admires his friend's attempts to brighten his terribly sodden mood but the daunting expression of cold eyes that had once stated at him without utmost adoration, were now imprinted against his eyelids in the form of robust black ink.

"How 'bout we go down to the main hall, hm?"Jin pips up, lips rugged down into a frown as he peers pitifully at the dismal boy.

The silver-haired male shoots the elder a rather bemused expression, fingers intertwined with the blond's, "Main hall? Why?"

"Socialise? Maybe meeting new people would be good for you Tae? Get your mind of things?"

The blond is no mood whatsoever to plaster a fabricated smile to his lips and greet people he didn't really wish to engage with, but the hopeful glint in his friend's eyes and their continuous efforts to please him made him terribly guilty.

Begrudgingly, he lifts his head and offers a believable smile, "To the main hall we go!"

&&&

The whole prospect of 'socialising' as Jin liked to call it, didn't seem as the best idea. For one, there were too much suggestive eyes that loitered on the blond's naive figure and a rather fair share of envious glares.

The eldest of his friend's seems to be greatly eager to roam around groups of clustered men, occasionally halting to exchange a few words with a range of various hair-coloured men, some more intimidating than others. Jimin however, had swapped his adorable personality of eye smiles and cheeky giggles to a stone cold persona that terrified even Taehyung who he stayed glued to.

"Taeyong!"Jin suddenly exclaims, striding forward to embrace a red-haired male in a friendly hug, "How long has it been? Two months?"

"Three, give or take."the man grins cooly, gaze fleeting momentarily over the two males behind Jin, "Jeon gave me a few jobs, some more shitty than others."

The crude language has the blond pressing closer to Jimin's side, the said male wrapping a comforting arm around his waist, pulling him even closer as he smiles.

"And who must this beauty be?"the male teases, playful eyes dropping to examine the blond's meek expression, "Jimin's?"

"No."Jin snorts behind him, "Not even possible, Jimin's way too much of a sub to even dominate this fluff ball."

"Shut up. I could dominate anyone if I wanted to."

"Mhm, call me when you do."the pink haired man murmurs nonchalantly, eyes skimming over the tips of his nails.

Narrowing his eyes, Jimin offers a clipped, "I will."

"I don't think my dead body could comprehend such nonsense though."

Taeyong snorts, pierced lips curving into an amiable grin, fast to identifying the double meaning behind the elder's words.

The blond takes a sudden liking to the man then, the smile that graced his lips akin to one of excited puppy.

Tugging at the sleeve of Jimin's leather jacket, Taehyung awaits as the said man leans down to inch his ear closer to his lips before he speaks.

"Ask the guy about Baekhyun hyung."

Considering the 'betrayal' that the two males had participated in, any information, regardless of its internal worth or importance was not shared openly with the two, both of them feverishly pestering all those within their vicinity for an insight of what was occurring.

Dismissing the reprimanding side-glance thrown at him, he delivers a final insistence tug and a quick flash of his large, pleading eyes, "Please."

The elder huffs, fingers reaching at his forearm to pry off the blond's own, intertwining their hands between them.

"Fine, only because your cute."

Offering a blinding smile, Taehyung presses a sloppy kiss to the man's cheek, "Thank you!"

Both Taeyon and Jin don't take notice of their sweet engagement, too invested in a heated discussion of their own, about the suspicious lack of movement regarding a primal gang.

"Exactly! And I've been trying to tell Jeongguk that but the boy just tells me he'll have a look at it soon. It's been three weeks, mind you!"

Taeyong, visibly concerned, nods hurriedly at the elder's furious remarks, piping in his own opinion occasionally, "I guess, maybe he's just busy...with you know?"

Furrowing his eyebrows, Jin throws the man a bemused expression, leaning back to regard him with speculating eyes, "With what?"

As far as Jin was concerned, he knew more than Taeyong knew about Jeongguk, playing a father-like role for the said man, there couldn't be something he wasn't aware of.

Seemingly uncomfortable, the red-haired man shifts his weight to one side, eyes flickering to the floor as he hisses his reply, "You know!...Jieun and all..."

"What?!"

His shriek of surprise seems to catch the attention of many near him, men halting their conversation to speculate the group with inquisitive eyes.

Cursing silently, Taeyong curves his neck to murmur something seemingly intriguing into the man's ears, Jin's eyes widening comically at every word spiralling into his mind.

Leaning away to speculate the pink-haired man with a indecisive eyes, the elder returns the stare with wide, appalled ones of his own.

"This is terrible."he breathes out, eyes flickering momentarily towards the youngest's clueless frame, "Oh Tae.."

The pitiful glance thrown at the boy seems to connect the dots for the red-haired man, his eyes widening as he stares openly, "Wait, you're Jeongguk's boy toy?!"

Boy toy? Was that what others thought of him? Some ridiculous sort of entertainment for Jeongguk to play with when he was in need of pleasing? Was that what Jeongguk, himself thought of him?

Jimin, who seems to take note of the young boy's discomfort, tightening his hold within their clasped hands and offers Taeyong a firm glare.

"Taehyung isn't his boy toy, he's a lot more than that."he snaps, eyes narrowed in warning.

Casting the silver-haired male a rather dirty look of irritation, Taeyong dismisses the hidden threat in the man's words, "Aren't you the guy that went against us all anyway?"

Fire seems to ignite behind Jimin's eyes, tensed muscles evident through the thin leather of his jacket.

"Fuck off Lee."

A crude smirk curls at his lips, hooded eyes flickering with provoking mischief, "Defensive are we, huh fuckin' traitor?"

"Go fuck yourself, you pissbowl."

Internally wincing at the use of such vulgar language, Taehyung squeezes at his friend's hand warningly, eyes flickering towards Jin in a pleading desperation for him to stop the conversation before it got bloody.

"Hey, c'mon you two break it up."Jin hisses, shoving Taeyong backwards as a silent threat to back down, "Jimin's got a high rank here, don't get yourself into stuff you don't know."

Smirking, Jimin spits mockingly, "That's right, know where you stand, bitch."

Maybe, out of outmost respect for Jin's wishes of avoiding confrontation or fear of consequences if he dared lay a hand on one of the five leaders of the gang, the fiery-haired male huffs, bulging veins still present as he steps away.

"Um excuse me?"Taehyung squeaks, aware the his friend was in no condition to drop his pride and relish the blond of his itching yearn for answers.

Diverting his sharp gaze from the silver-haired male, Taeyong's expression morphs into one of gentle adoration as he offers the blond a boyish grin, "Yes princess?"

He feels himself flush lightly at the nickname, taking little notice of how the arm around his waist tightens.

"Do you know where Byun Baekhyun is?"

Narrowing his eyes at the mention of the infamous man who's name had been hissed around the walls of gang's hideout for weeks on end, he squints suspiciously at the young male.

"I can't really disclose that information to you princess, Jeon's orders."

Internally scowling with distaste, Taehyung chooses to not give up all hope just yet, instead jutting out his bottom lip into a trembling pout, caramel eyes enlarging to a pleading, kitten-like appearance.

"For me? I promise I won't tell anyone!"

Before him, Jin scoffs at the younger's manipulative actions although a flicker of mirthful mockery is present in his expression as he takes note of his friend's wavering demeanour.

"Oh stop it, you heard the man, he can't tell you Tae, maybe next time."

Pouting, Taehyung nods in defeat, his shoulder slumping as Jimin squeezes his hand in comfort. The pink-haired male throws him an apologetic smile before turning back to his companion and hurriedly wrap up his conversation.

"It was great catching up."Taeyong concludes, eyes clouded with sincerity as he returns the elder's firm handshake, "We should meet up later, with Joon and everyone."

"Likewise and of course, the man would be elated to hear that you haven't been blown to bits yet."

Snorting, he flicks his head back to remove the strand of fiery red that momentarily obscures his vision, "How caring, till next time then."

"Till next time."

With a final jerk of his hand, he winks teasingly at the flushed blond, choosing to ignore Jimin's presence altogether as he retreats into the mob of armed black.

When Jimin is certain that the male is far from the three of them, he turns to round on the pink-haired man, eyes narrowed in bemused suspicion.

"What was he talking about? About Jieun?"

Jieun. This was the name of the lady that had the blond insecure and doubtful of his relationship, surely it couldn't be so coincidental for her to be the very same woman?

Curling his fingers over the hem of Jimin's shirt, he tugs for the man to look down at him, pink lips settled into a huffy pout.

"Who's Jieun, hyungie?"

It was as if the boy's word had caught him off-guard, teeth nibbling on his bottom lip as he steals a pleading glance to Jin who appears just as distraught as himself.

Sighing, he cups the blond's cheeks, a displeased frown on his lips at the bitter taste of the words upon his tongue.

"Jeongguk's ex-fiancée."

~

double update to apologise for the slow updates. ♡