ten chapters in what what!! also thank u for 3k!
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"Counting it in front of me is kind of obnoxious, you think I'd lie to you again?"

Namjoon raised an eyebrow, his hands pausing from flipping through the various stacks of bills Jungkook had handed to him a few moments prior. His dark brown hair was styled perfectly as always, and there were a few more piercings on his ears than Jungkook had last remembered. Tattoos swirled up the skin of his forearm all the way up to his bicep, disappearing under the sleeve of his t-shirt.

The last time Jungkook had seen Namjoon was just under a year ago, but the last time they had spoken was on the phone just a few days before the robbery. Namjoon looked just as sharp as Jungkook remembered, though the intimidating aura that clung to him had been intensified tenfold.

It had been nearly a week since he had acquired the debt he owed to Namjoon, and so he had decided that it was finally time to pay his old friend a visit (mostly because he was afraid Namjoon would raise the price again). Jungkook sighed, kind of wishing that he had never left Taehyung's house this morning.

After he had explained where he had gotten the money to Taehyung, his friend wasn't exactly pleased to have evidence from a bank robbery in his house, but he was satisfied enough with that information to let Jungkook stay over. He still hadn't told him about Jimin, or Yoongi, or anything related to them, and he hoped to keep it that way as long as possible.

Jungkook really didn't need the stress of Taehyung's questioning to pile on top of the mountain of emotions he was already feeling.

"Yeah, I do." Namjoon answered, going back to flipping through the last stack of bills before throwing it back into Jungkook's backpack once he was satisfied. "I'm genuinely surprised." Namjoon couldn't help but chuckle, an amused glint in his eyes as he looked back to Jungkook.

A few years ago, he would have immediately averted his gaze to avoid eye contact. Today though, he held strong.

In the past, the younger male always felt so small around Namjoon. It wasn't even that they were much different physically, it was just his demeanour. It was like he could command without even speaking, always assuming authority without asking. When Namjoon walked in the room, the atmosphere thickened, that's just how it had always been.

That was the reason Jungkook really ended up stealing from him after all, to adjust his leverage and knock Namjoon down a peg. Obviously though, that plan fell through, because Namjoon was still the one taking money from him.

"After two years I was starting to think you were just going to pack up and skip town." Namjoon's lips twitched up into a sly smile, holding Jungkook's gaze. "Even though that wouldn't have worked, anyway."

Jungkook really did regret some of the connections he made in life, and Namjoon was one of the ones he'd much rather be cut off.

Taehyung, though involved with a few sketchy activities, really never went further than selling party drugs to the people who wanted them. Namjoon ran what he did, like a buisness, and that was probably why he was so livid once he discovered just how much Jungkook had been costing him. Before then, Jungkook really hadn't thought of Namjoon to be all that dangerous.

He had started out as being tutored by Jungkook's older brother, but after a few times coming over to the house it was Namjoon and Jungkook who immediately clicked.

When they first met, Namjoon was cool. Or at least Jungkook thought that he was. He was older, he had his driver's lisence, and he would let Jungkook smoke at his house. There really wasn't much for the younger boy to complain about from his perspective, except maybe Namjoon's excessive need to be in charge just because he was older.

Soon enough though, Namjoon had taken the bad path Jungkook was going down and made it worse. The younger boy just wished he had realized that sooner.

"How'd you even get this kind of cash, Kook?" The older male asked, leaning back in his desk chair. The desk in front of him was surprisingly clean, various ziplock bags labelled and stuffed into plastic containers. "I know it's been two years, but I'm not going to lie, I was hoping to bring your price tag up a little bit more before you cashed in." He kicked the bottom drawer of his desk a few times, Jungkook knowing of the weapon that lay there. "Or you know, something else."

Jungkook scoffed, pulling his black zip up hoodie further over himself. Though he was afraid, the last thing he wanted was for Namjoon to know he was.

"It's none of your buisness." He answered curtly, a cold expression on his face. "You have your money, I don't owe you anything anymore. End of story."

Namjoon couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the younger boy's words, using his feet to kick off of the wall and send his desk chair rolling closer to Jungkook.

"Where did this..." The older man brought his hand up, drawing an invisible circle around Jungkook's face in the air. "Confidence come from?" He asked, Jungkook merely shrugging and blowing a few pieces of hair out of his eyes. "I don't like it."

Jungkook had to hold himself back from laughing.

"Well, do you think I care?" He quipped, watching Namjoon's eyes narrow.

The atmosphere was tense. It was clear that whatever power dynamic used to exist between the two of them had been upturned, and so the air felt thick around them as both males continued to stand their ground. Jungkook really hated being walked on, and Namjoon was the first person he had to deal with if he wanted to put an end to that.

"I think you should." Namjoon shrugged, his gaze intense as he stared Jungkook down. It took every single drop of the younger boy's willpower not to look away. "If you know what's best for you."

That seemed to be Jungkook's cue, the brunette merely shaking his head and sighing as he stood up. Namjoon was exactly the same as he had remembered him. Always throwing out empty threats to keep people on their toes. Jungkook knew though, that they meant nothing unless you actually owed him something. He now owed him nothing, and so the fear that Namjoon held over his head had been snatched away.

"Hyung, you don't know what's best for me." He answered, walking over to Namjoon. He picked up his backpack, dumping all of the cash onto the floor next to Namjoon's feet before swinging the empty bag over his shoulder.

An offended expression spread over Namjoon's face, obviously feeling disrespected as his gaze flitted between the money on the floor and the hard gaze that the younger male was giving him. "You think you do, but that doesn't surprise me. You think a lot of things that have never been true."

Namjoon couldn't form a response. He furrowed his eyebrows, scanning his gaze across the male who stood in front of him. Maybe Jungkook was right. He looked so much different than Namjoon last remembered. His youthful eyes held a story in them that had had never been spoken.

Something about him was different. He apologized for less, his body language now standoffish and unapproachable. Something had come through and changed him drastically. Namjoon knew that he would probably never find out what it was though.

"That look in your eyes." He spoke, making Jungkook freeze in the middle of a step while walking to Namjoon's door. "Where'd you get that money, Jungkook?" He repeated his question from before, the younger male not even turning around to acknowledge him.

"I already told you. It's none of your buisness"

—
a/n
currently it's 9:26 in the morning while I'm posting this ya girl is SLEEPY
what time is it where u guys are hehe

- Charlie :)