When Jungkook was seven years old, a bullet skimmed his leg. His dad's hitman at the time - an older, constantly smoking, bitter sort of man - had secretly despised the fact that Jungkook's parents merged gangs and turned on them one night. Jungkook couldn't remember much of the moment. Only that the man's skin looked like leather and his face wrinkled like the binding of an old book, but the memory of the hot-white feeling of the bullet searing his skin he could never forget. It had been blinding, causing white to flash behind his eyes and every thought to be replaced by that burning sensation. Kissing Jimin, kissing the boy who was a walking red flag, who was confused by kindness and looking for betrayal at every corner, felt identical to getting shot.

Jimin whimpered under the kiss, conflict racing through his system like his uncertainty was electrocuting him. Jungkook was about to pull back, a monologue of apologies and excuses starting on his tongue, but then Jimin relaxed. Then he started to kiss back. It was like a rubber band snapped inside him and with a small gasp Jimin's hand shot to Jungkook's hair, pushing him closer. His body arched into Jungkook, his lips desperate, and his eyes closed like he was savoring the taste of Jungkook just as much as Jungkook was savoring him.

Jungkook laughed, feeling Jimin smile against his lips. God how badly Jungkook had wanted this. Wanted Jimin. Jungkook rested his forehead against Jimin's, his hands going to his waist and holding him there like he was afraid Jimin might disappear. His touch was so careful, so hopeful, and he watched Jimin blinked back tears under the weight of it.

Jimin's hand climbed up the ink of Jungkook's tattooed arm. Jungkook leaned forward, kissing Jimin's neck as his hands left Jimin's waist. He placed one by Jimin's head on the couch as he caged Jimin's body underneath him, the other pushing up Jimin's thigh. The TV flashed again and the lights of the street bled color into the dark room, dancing across Jimin's face.

Jimin's thighs slowly brushed up against Jungkook's own before hugging Jungkook's waist. Jungkook moved a hand under Jimin's hoodie, taking the material off of him and throwing it on the ground. Jimin looked at the it, all crumbled up on the floor, tossed away like it was the least important thing in the room, and there was a new freedom in his eyes as he looked away from the hoodie and back to Jungkook.

Jungkook leaned back to take off his own shirt and the material covered the hoodie as it fell on the ground. Jimin's eyes lit up and his mouth opened at the sight of Jungkook. His wide shoulders, his abs, his scars and tan. Jimin leaned up and kissed Jungkook, a yearning sound escaping him and Jungkook melted into the kiss. His hands went to Jimin's waist, squeezing it as Jimin deepened the kiss, sucking on Jungkook's lip and pulling on the lip ring that pierced it.

"I never thought-" Jungkook started as Jimin's lips began to travel. He found Jungkook's neck and didn't just suck the skin, he started to bite it, trailing marks down his body that caused Jungkook to shudder. "I mean I'd hoped but-" Jungkook said, hands brushing up Jimin's thighs, his words trapped in a gasp as Jimin shifted his hips against him. Jimin grinned, the tears gone from his eyes, replaced with a burning hunger.

"Maybe I've just got a thing for mafia bosses." Jimin said, tearing away the last of Jungkook's clothes. He leaned forward, connecting their lips again, finding Jungkook's hands and begging them to roam. He pushed Jungkook's chest so that they switched positions with Jungkook slowly laying down on his back on the couch. His eyes darkened and danced on Jimin as he straddled him. Jimin grinned so wildly, so freely, that Jungkook nearly lost his mind. Jungkook swallowed, eyeing every scar and curve and definition of muscle that made up the architecture of Jimin.

"Maybe they've got a thing for you." Jungkook dipped a finger into the waistband of Jimin's boxer's, leaning up and sucking the skin above Jimin's waist causing Jimin to close his eyes and breathe deep as Jungkook tore the fabric down and off of him. Jimin lowered his hips and Jungkook swore as the contact rocked through his system, his head hitting the couch. Jimin's hands found Jungkook's own and placed them on Jimin's ass before he leaned down, sucking one side of Jungkook's chest while trailing his nails down the other. Each time his lips went lower, Jimin's nails started to dig deeper, and Jungkook's breathing grew more and more helpless.

Jimin grinned. "You're doing so good, Jungkook." He said in such a sweet, purposefully innocent, voice. Jimin's hand went to Jungkook's waist and his lips bit right where Jungkook's hip meets his inner thigh. Jungkook hit his head against the couch again as he bit back the moan. Before Jimin could go any lower, Jungkook reached for him and tilted his chin up.

"Should we go to your room? You deserve better than a couch." Jungkook said, surprised how pleading his voice sounded. Months of back and forth with Jimin, months of breaking down his walls, of being confused by him, of being messed with by him, of being saved by him. His entire body begged for Jimin like he breathed for him. Jungkook just wanted. Wanted Jimin's hands over him, wanted his body pinning Jimin down under him, wanted to hear him moan, wanted him near always. He wanted, wanted, wanted.

"Yea Jungkook." Jimin smirked. "We can go to my room." He said, sitting up. Jimin took Jungkook's hand in his, examining Jungkook's palm and fingers before wrapping it in his grasp. Jimin lightly pulled Jungkook up from the couch, turning his back on the hoodie and the letter as he led them to his room.

"But are you sure you want to?" Jimin asked as he opened the door to an incredibly well put together bedroom. The bed sheets were perfectly done, there was nothing cluttered on top of the dresser or night stand, no hint of personality or life. In fact, it barely looked lived in at all. Jungkook blushed at the question, running a hand through his hair.

"Yes." Jungkook said, pulling his hand back and using it to trail Jimin's bare back as he held him. He watched Jimin's eyes close at the sensation. Why was his room so clean? Was Jimin planning to leave?

Jimin smiled. He looked up, staring at Jungkook like he was watching something strange and beautiful and otherworldly. It resembled someone admiring the stars after too many cloudy nights. Jungkook looked at Jimin's body again, frowning at the shear number of scars covering it. So many were buried where no one could see, like they were intentionally placed where Jimin could hide them. Who'd done that to him? Was it The Kim's? Did Taehyung hurt him? Or Hoseok?

Jimin placed his hand on Jungkook's chin, tipping it up so Jungkook looked at him before he could ask any of the questions dancing on his tongue. There was that kindness from the other night with the Parks. There was no judgement etched into Jimin's features, no mocking glare or teasing laugh. The look Jimin gave him was warm, it was understanding, and just like the night before, Jungkook was overwhelmed by it. "I won't pressure you into this. We can stop here if you want. Because I also can't promise more than this, Jungkook. More than sharing tonight together."

Jungkook leaned in, trailing his nose down Jimin's neck and listening to the boy whimper at the touch. "Why do you keep me at arms length, Jimin? Every time we get close it's like you need to reinforce space between us."

Jungkook didn't add that it was starting to kill him.

It would take every single fiber of his being to walk away from Jimin right now, but it would break him even more to hear him call the whole thing a mistake in the morning. He needed to hear him say he wanted it too, wanted him. Jimin frowned and Jungkook tried his best to keep understanding showing on his face and none of the sinking disappointment at the silence. Maybe this thing between them had always just been in Jungkook's head.

"It's complicated, Jungkook. Really, it's so complicated." Jimin said, closing the door. He leaned against it, his lips swollen from Jungkook's kiss.

"Try me." Jungkook said, holding Jimin's waist. He brushed his thumb over Jimin's hips as he pushed him gently against the door. Jimin swallowed, his lashes flicking down to Jungkook's lips. Jungkook felt Jimin's breath deepen in his grip.

"Seoul has been ... confusing, for me. You guys just do everything differently here. You're friends with those below you and don't punish the people who work for you. Jungkook, everyone here laughs. Constantly. Like, no matter where I go with Yoongi I hear someone laughing. Just out in the open. It's, it's insane. People here are happy."

"And that's wrong?" Jungkook asked. Jimin put his hands over Jungkook's, his thumb rubbing over Jungkook's knuckles as he looked up at him.

"Yes. You're a mob, it's not exactly Disneyland."

"I beg to differ. Disney just hides it better."

Jimin gave Jungkook a look and Jungkook grinned.

Jimin sighed. "It's as if," Jimin started to explain, "as if I've always been swimming and the current just got stronger, if that makes sense? Like, I never had a reason to question why I was dumped in an ocean and not walking normally on land."

"Do you have a reason now?" Jungkook asked, swallowing. Jimin tightened his grip over Jungkook's hands. Jimin blinked down at Jungkook's lips again.

"I shouldn't." Jimin said. The exhaustion back in his expression. It dipped the corners of his eyes and sucked the color out of his cheeks. "I really, really shouldn't." Jimin said quietly, shaking his head and Jungkook's hand found his cheek, lifting his gaze up to find Jimin's dark eyes lined with frustrated tears.

"Let me in, Jimin. Tell me about Busan. Tell me what's keeping you from being happy here."

Jimin shook his head. "Jungkook. If you knew half the things I'm going through and trying to sort out, you'd run the other direction. So it can't be more than just sex between us. You deserve someone who can always be honest with you and who's healthy and mentally all there." Jimin put a hand on Jungkook's chest, watching his fingers as he made a slight fist, his nails digging into Jungkook's skin like they were wrapping around his heart. "I'm not that. You'll thank me later."

"Why do you feel like you need to have everything figured out before you let anyone get close to you?" Jungkook said, pushing some of Jimin's hair away from his eyes. "That's the point of having someone in the first place, to share the burden. And you don't have to earn affection, Jimin. It's not something 'deserved.' Anyone who taught you that you needed to earn kindness by being perfect was manipulating you."

Jimin broke. It was too much. It was always too much with Jungkook. Taehyung had never said something so gentle to him before. Their conversations were limited to the traumas of their days, of sex and of hardship. Jimin's body started shaking as Jungkook spoke to him, as he held him with such care. Jimin's hands went to his hair, his lungs struggling to regulate his breathing as his chest felt like it was crushing in on itself.

"Stop." Jimin sobbed. "Please, please just stop. I can't understand it. I can't understand you. Why, why are you kind to me?"

Jungkook crouched down to Jimin's level, slowly taking Jimin's hands away from his head. "Why can't you just trust me? Trust all of us that we won't hurt you? Why won't you tell me who did?"

"Because you can't be kind, Jungkook! You can't be. If you're kind and your gang is kind that means that The Kims were wrong. That it was a choice for them to be so cruel." Jimin said. His body was so tired. His muscle shook from the emotional exhaustion from Yoongi's brotherly care to Jungkook's soft gaze. From his questioning of Taehyung and of his fear of The Kim Don. Everything just hurt so bad.

"Tell me what they did to you." Jungkook said, brushing a thumb on Jimin's shoulder. His eyes glanced down again at Jimin's scars. "Please. Let me in. I don't know how to help if you don't."

"Don't make me say it." Jimin pleaded and murder danced in Jungkook's dark eyes at the broken sound of Jimin's voice. He would kill The Kim's for causing it. For whatever they did to make Jimin so terrified of anyone new. He'd kill them all.

Jimin swallowed, placing a hand over Jungkook's. The next thing Jimin did surprised Jungkook, just as Jimin always surprised him. He told the truth. "It means I was used Jungkook. If you're kind to me, that means my entire life I was being used and didn't even know it. I'm still being manipulated by them even now. It means none of the pain had a purpose. That I wasn't anything special to Taehyung or even to The Kim's. That Taehyung and all of them allowed me to think I was cared about so I never stopped killing for them."

Jungkook blinked, pulling back. "What?"

Maybe Jimin was simply tired, maybe he was done and didn't mind having a death wish brush down his spine, but again he reached for the truth. "I'm their assassin, Jungkook. I came here to kill you."

Jungkook froze. Seokjin was right. He'd been right all along. Jungkook dropped his hand away from Jimin. His eyes searched Jimin's face rapidly, trying to understand. Expect that it all made sense. Jimin's loose backstory. His incredible skill with knives. His efficiency to kill. Even more was put into perspective, like how slow Jimin was to trust. Jimin wasn't some heartbroken guy who ran from a failed relationship - he was a genuine threat.

"Well, will you?" Jungkook asked, staring at Jimin.

"What?" Jimin blinked.

"Will you kill me?" Jungkook asked.

Jimin let out a laugh that broke through a sob. "No." He said, laughing again. "I don't think I can anymore. You're the one person I think I could never kill. Ironic, isn't it?"

Jungkook nodded again. "That settles it then." He said and Jimin froze.

"Didn't you hear me? I said I was sent to kill you."

"Jimin, just get on the bed." Jungkook said and Jimin blinked.

"What?"

"I want you to turn your back to me and get on the bed. That requires trust, right? I want you to turn your back to me."

Jimin shook his head in disbelief but the longer he stared at Jungkook's determined face the more the shock fell. Slowly, so slowly, he turned on his heel. It felt like all of time and space passed between before finally Jimin turned his back to Jungkook. He waited then for something to happen, for a bomb to explode or knife to hit his back, and when nothing happened, he started to turn his head to look behind him.

"Just trust me. Get on the bed and don't look behind you." Jungkook said. "Trust that I'm not going to hurt you. You just told me you were sent here to kill me, let me prove that it doesn't matter. That I see the hurt and not the threat. Let me show you that I care about you, Jimin. You're no one's tool, you're no one's whore or blade, you're your own person who can make his own decisions."

Jimin looked forward and took a step towards the edge of his mattress. He waited. Then took another step. Then another.

"Bend over." Jungkook said and Jimin could hear his voice so close, feel him right behind him. Jungkook saw Jimin shiver and finally Jimin did as he was told. Jungkook trailed a finger down Jimin's spine, watching his back arch at the touch, and then he grabbed both of Jimin's hands and interlaced their palms and he leaned over him so his lips were right at Jimin's ear.

"Busan failed you, Jimin, not the other way around. I couldn't care less that you're some big name assassin. You were kind to me with The Parks. You saved us when you could have let all of us die. So say it back, tell me you're a Jeon."

Jimin swallowed. Jungkook kissed the side of Jimin's neck as he stared to push himself in and he felt Jimin curl his spine under him, shifting his hips.

"Or tell me to stop and I will. Tell me you're a Kim and we'll stop dancing around each other. I'll let you leave, no harm done to you. You don't even have to go back to Busan, we'll find you a safe house here if you need one, but I need you to tell me exactly what you want." Jungkook pushed himself entirely in and Jimin gasped, crumbling the mattress sheets in his palms. Jungkook leaned down, lining his lips right against Jimin's ear.

"Okay." Jimin said, breathing hard. "Okay. I want you, Jungkook. I never want to go back to Busan. I'm choosing the Jeons."

Jungkook kissed Jimin's neck again, sucking on the spot right under his ear and started to slowly draw his hips in and out of Jimin, listening as he started to moan underneath him.

"Good." Jungkook said, pushing in as deep as he could before drawing out to go again, watching as Jimin grasped the bed.

"Now tell me you want me again." Jungkook said and Jimin turned his chin so he was facing Jungkook, connecting their lips as Jungkook started to pick up his pace. The kiss was slow, purposeful, as Jimin captured Jungkook's lips on his own.

"I want you." Jimin said against Jungkook's lips, barely breaking the kiss to speak. Jungkook grinned against it, reaching for Jimin's hips and digging his hands into them as he pulled Jimin up, going harder and Jimin held onto the sheets even tighter, curling his back as he moaned. Jungkook melted into the kiss, finding Jimin's hands again and squeezing them tight so Jimin could feel that Jungkook was never going to let The Kims take Jimin away. That he wasn't alone, wasn't being manipulated and wouldn't be discarded. That tonight was a promise that Jimin would never be used again.

Jungkook picked up pace as Jimin started to drive his own hips, getting louder with each pulse. They kept going until words completely escaped them both, replaced only by the sound of their bodies, and when both of them couldn't go any longer, no words were shared then either. They showered silently, climbed into Jimin's bed, and fell asleep holding each other. Something had shifted, something permanent had slid into place, and there were no words needed to describe it.