"Yes," I reply with a single word, and in this context, it carries a weight that few others do. But Jimin's eyebrows don't rise, and his eyes don't flash with fear.

"How does that make you feel?" he asks, his tongue running over his bottom lip, not with heat or desire, but with nerves. I take a moment to look at him, from his hands tucked under his cheek to the long, slender neck he exposes.

Damn it. Men asking such deep questions shouldn't be this attractive. I can't afford to be distracted, not while I'm working. This isn't how it's supposed to go. "You want the truth?" I ask, raising an eyebrow at him despite my exhaustion. It takes a considerable effort to move a single muscle, but when he nods, I know I can't put off sleep any longer. "It makes me feel numb, but I know I've never killed anyone who didn't deserve it."

The truth hangs between us, a heavy presence in the room. Jimin whispers, "How can you be sure?" His fingers twitch as if he wants to reach out to me. The desire for his touch stirs within me, conflicting with my better judgment.

"Because I've seen the evil of this world," I murmur, feeling exposed and raw as I recall the moments when I had to make those choices. "I've helped save people who mean a lot to me from a future I couldn't bear to think about."

Jimin's eyes droop, and he clears his throat. Apparently, talking about death and the weight on my conscience is enough to help him fall asleep. "And how does that make you feel? Are you happy?"

My breath catches in my throat. These questions delve deeper than anyone else has dared to go. Seokjin has avoided discussing my happiness in detail so many times that it's become a sore point. The only happiness I've glimpsed is through Seokjin and Alexi Nuna, and I can't fathom how anyone else could achieve that level of contentment.

I contemplate my answer and whether I should even give one. But once again, the words slip out of me. "Honestly, I don't know. You?"

"I don't know either," Jimin mutters, taking the bait. He closes his eyes and a faint smile graces his lips. "But I believe everything happens for a reason, even being here, despite the circumstances. And I can't say that I'm not happy about it."

My urge to reach out to him is overwhelming, and I gape at him in surprise. My heart races, but I force myself to relax and drift off to sleep, his presence beside me making me acutely aware of my surroundings. As I fall asleep, one thought dominates my mind.

I can't say that I'm not happy about it either.

Jimin's POV

A yawn escapes my lips, signaling that I'm awake and unlikely to fall back asleep. I'm acutely aware of the sleeping body beside me, the gentle rise and fall of his chest with each breath.

Jungkook.

He's a complete mystery, that's for sure.

I pry my eyes open and fixate on his features. Has the stubble on his face grown since the last time I looked at him? I can't help but find myself drawn to him, my curiosity about him growing with each passing moment.

I have no idea what time it is. All I know is that I had a nightmare earlier, a replay of the terrifying incident with Wade. Despite myself, a scream tore from my throat. To my surprise, the enigmatic bodyguard rushed to my aid for weeks he did that. Not only did he come to check on me, which is undoubtedly his job, but he stayed.

One thought keeps bouncing around my head like a hyperactive kid on a trampoline—his sexuality. The mere idea of it stirs my desire once again.

Embarrassment rushes up my neck, turning it bright red, and I take it as a sign that I should get up. As much as I want to lose myself in the books before me, I also want to let him sleep. That means I should turn to my other coping mechanism downstairs.

He doesn't stir as I quietly rise from the bed. Earlier, when I bombarded him with questions, I could see how tired he was. I don't even know why I asked those questions, but it felt like I couldn't breathe without knowing the answers. As soon as I stopped, he drifted off to sleep, and I followed suit. But the sleep I got earlier seems to have been enough to leave me wide awake now, despite my body's protests.

I tiptoe out of the room, making sure to be as quiet as possible, and head to the bathroom. After freshening up, I made my way downstairs for breakfast. I knew the servants would be there to prepare it, but I secretly wished I had come down early enough to beat their arrival. As I wished, the servants hadn't arrived yet. I walked towards the cupboards, hoping to find something suitable to make for breakfast. To my surprise, the cabinets and the fridge were fully stocked, just like they were the first-day Jungkook brought me here. I thought about making some pancakes with bacon, so I began looking through the cupboards to see if I could find all the necessary ingredients. To my utter joy, there was an entire cupboard stocked with everything I needed for my breakfast plans.

 With a sense of excitement, I pulled out the ingredients for pancakes and bacon. The thought of cooking and having a hearty breakfast was oddly comforting, especially in this unfamiliar place. It was a simple task, but it provided a sense of normalcy that I desperately craved.

I focused on cooking, sizzling bacon in a pan while the pancakes bubbled on the griddle. The aroma of breakfast filled the kitchen, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment as I flipped the pancakes and cooked them to a golden brown. I couldn't help but grin as I stood in the kitchen, flipping a batch of fluffy, thick pancakes. It was a simple pleasure, but it had been so long since I'd allowed myself to enjoy the little things in life. The genuine happiness I felt was a welcome change from the constant anxiety that had consumed me.

Lost in my own little world of pancake flipping, I miscalculated and nearly let one slip off the edge of the pan. In a frantic attempt to rescue it, I accidentally brushed my finger against the hot pan's side. "Fuck," I muttered, dropping the pancake back onto the stove as I waved my hand in the air, trying to alleviate the pain.

Quickly assessing the situation and making sure I hadn't ruined the food, I turned to the sink to run my burned finger under cold water. It was in that moment of discomfort that Jungkook burst into the kitchen like a man on a mission. I couldn't help but wonder if his hearing was that sharp, but I was more focused on cooling my burn.

The cold water provided some relief as I glanced over at Jungkook, who was now in the kitchen with me. His concerned expression was unexpected but oddly comforting. It was as if he had suddenly become my personal guardian. I stood there, my heart pounding in my chest, feeling like a deer caught in headlights as Jungkook's sleepy eyes met mine. His jaw was tense, and his gaze was intense as he assessed the scene before him. I couldn't help but freeze in place, my body reacting in a way that I definitely didn't want it to.

His eyes roved over me, and part of me hoped he was just making sure I was okay after my little kitchen mishap. But another, much more inappropriate part of me, read his gaze differently. I had to shift my stance discreetly to hide the fact that I was getting embarrassingly turned on. I was a grown man, damn it, not some horny teenager.

"I'm sorry I startled you," I mumbled, my cheeks burning with embarrassment. "I just burned my finger on the oven pan . I'll be fine in a second."

I expected Jungkook to nod and retreat, but to my surprise, he moved closer. Concern was etched all over his handsome face as he gently reached for my hand, keeping it under the running water. His touch was surprisingly delicate, and it sent a jolt of electricity through me."Are you alright?" he asked, his deep brown eyes locked onto mine. I tried to respond, to reassure him, but I couldn't find my voice with him holding my hand so gently.

This was messing with my emotions and my mind. What the hell was wrong with me?

"I-I'm fine, nothing I haven't done a million times before," I eventually managed to mutter, my gaze locked onto his. He nodded in understanding, but his grip on my hand didn't waver. We stood there, hand in hand as if we were the only two people in the world.

I had no idea how much time had passed, my heart pounding so loudly that it felt like it might burst out of my chest at any moment. Eventually, he cleared his throat, taking a step back and releasing my hand.

Damn, that was intense.

"What smells so good in here?" Jungkook's eyes shifted to the food on the countertop, and I couldn't help but feel a strange mix of disappointment and relief at the change in topic.