─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

SEASON 2 EPISODE 13

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Location:

System: Olympus

Faction: None

Planet: Thalassa

Place: Scanner Anomaly

A/N: Remember to vote for clear skin.

☆☆☆

Y/n

"Jimin, no."

"Jimin, yes," the accused man said with an eye smile on his face. He was shirtless and wearing black sweatpants as he stood in the middle of the empty gym.

Y/n and Jimin were in the UC Vanguard training area while Jungkook practiced his shooting in the range. It was after hours, or midnight by New Atlantis standards, so just higher-ups had access to the lower levels of the MAST skyscraper. Commander Tuala had granted all three of them access even though Y/n was the only one who could technically be there.

They had been working out for the past three hours, and Y/n had all but given up on strength training and resorted to cardio. Jimin had watched her and said he was going to... ahem... flip her in front of Jungkook. Obviously, she had said no. It was hard enough to show Jimin her body, let alone Jungkook. He had been joking, of course, but that didn't change how she wanted to groan at him sometimes. He was super goofy.

Super, super goofy.

"Oh c'mon, take me to Thalassa... with Jungkook. Please," he said with puppy eyes, and it was difficult to deny him, but she had to. Yes, he could fly himself there, but it was the principle.

Jungkook was a trusted ally and friend. He had been through more than the average person, and he had a strong reputation as a pirate slayer and intelligence officer. Commander Min trusted him and even forgave him for stepping inside the Archive's vault when he had been instructed not too.

However, that wasn't enough. At least not for what Jimin was asking.

Thalassa was a moon in the Olympus system, which was uncontrolled space near the UC, but not monitored by it. Vladimir had found another temple on that moon; Jimin was going to get another power. Seeing as they had been doing Vanguard work for weeks on end, receiving a new power would be a nice change of pace and an upgrade for Jimin. On the other hand, he was struggling with enough, and Jungkook wasn't ready to witness the powers. It wasn't like Y/n thought he would tattle on them, but all of Constellation knew. Jin knew. A random UC researcher with a murderous father knew before other trusted allies, like Commander Tuala, who Y/n still planned to tell... at some point.

If Jungkook went with, they couldn't keep him in the dark anymore. Jungkook could be stupid at times, but not that stupid. He wouldn't allow them to land on a moon without knowing exactly why they were there. Jimin, being the blabbermouth he was, would spill the beans. Was Jungkook ready for that? She didn't think so.

"I asked him to join our crew because I knew he could handle it," Jimin said as if reading her mind. "Baby, let's face it: we're going to Londinion soon. There's no way we can fight that many Terrormorphs without my powers. One day, he's going to find out, whether we tell him or he finds out in a desperate situation. It's better for him to find out in a situation we control."

Jimin was, overall, a pretty stupid guy who made rash decisions, most of which in pursuit of Y/n's approval. However, she had to admit he had a point and was being smart for once. A controlled environment would be far more manageable than, say, if they fought Terrormorphs on Londinion and Jimin needed to use his powers to save them.

She placed her hands on her hips and huffed. "You know it's bad when even you make sense."

He pecked her cheek and grinned. "Exactly! So let's tell him."

As if summoned, Jungkook strolled into the room with thick black earmuffs wrapped around his neck. His dark locks were flat against his head thanks to the sweat swimming down his skin. Any curls that had been in his hair was replaced by dangly half-waves that parted near his forehead and showed off his doe eyes. The way the lighting hit him displayed the mole under his lip. It didn't help that he pursed said lips upon seeing Jimin and Y/n staring at him.

"Am I that hot?" Jungkook asked.

Jimin groaned. "You sound like Jin. Or worse: me."

Y/n got between the two and facepalmed. "If my boyfriend can be serious for more than ten seconds, we have something to explain to you."

"Babe, I can be serious, but it might kill me."

Jungkook bounced on the tips of his feet and clapped his hands. "Yes! Let's try that!"

Y/n pondered if taking the guns from the back room and shooting herself was an option, but seeing as she had a job to do, she concluded it wasn't and decided to instead sit near the lockers with her head pressed against the metal. Jimin and Jungkook joined her after they were done bickering over whether or not Jimin should live. By the time the dynamic duo plopped down on either side of her, she found out how she was going to tell Jungkook.

The solution was ripping it off like a band-aid.

"Jimin has superpowers," she said, and Jungkook rolled his eyes.

"Okay, I don't need to hear about your bedroom life-"

"No, he has actual superpowers. Haven't you ever found it suspicious that one man went against two Crimson Fleet commanders and won?"

If there was any amusement left in the atmosphere, it faded as soon as Y/n said those words. Jungkook shut his mouth and glanced at Jimin, who, wordlessly, lit up his palm with a particle beam that allowed his eyes to shimmer a sky blue.

"It's Sunday," Jungkook said, holding up both his hands as if that emphasized his point. "Midnight on a Sunday, and you're dropping this on me now? Shit, I... you're serious?"

Jimin scoffed. "Am I not glowing like fucking Neon right now?"

He closed his fist, and the color faded from his irises. His hand, that had appeared to be burning, went back to its normal shade; however, the sweat was gone thanks to it being burned off.

"Well, I'll admit I thought it was a miracle you survived two commanders," Jungkook said with a sigh and slumped shoulders. "I know you're a talented fighter, but not that talented."

"Hey!"

"Jimin," Y/n interrupted, and Jimin pouted and started sulking. She ignored him and paid attention to Jungkook. "He's only in Constellation because he found an artifact while on Vectera. Ever since, he's had a strange connection to the universe, and it granted him powers. We're about to go find him more, and we want you to come with us."

Jungkook's eyes almost jumped out of his head. "Me? Hold up, how am I supposed to react to this? Why did the universe give Jimin powers? No offense, but he's a criminal. Why him?"

"That's what we're trying to figure out, but we haven't made much progress. Maybe we'll find something new today. What do you think? Wanna come get Jimin a new power?"

"I..." Jungkook trailed off and kicked at the ground. "Look, I believe you. It's kind of hard not to when Jimin can glow, but I'm not cut out for these types of missions. I joined your crew to kick pirate ass, battle Terrormorphs, and find a new purpose. This is..."

"Your new purpose," Jimin said, and Jungkook went quiet at that. "You can't fight pirates forever, Kook."

Jungkook rubbed his lips together and avoided eye contact. "What if I want to?"

"You know, I thought the same thing not too long ago." Jimin paused to click his tongue, and he winced when he continued. "I thought crime was the only life for me. Hell, I still do, but Constellation is giving me a new chance. As much as I'd rather get flayed than praise the UC, I have to admit the Vanguard is too. There has to be more to life than just one thing. I'm more than Neon, and you're more than pirates. I believe that. Show me you are."

"I'm not good enough, Jimin. I'll disappoint you."

Jimin softly smiled. "Then show me that too."

Jungkook pressed his hands against his face before shooting up and taking off the earmuffs. He tossed them on the ground and ran a hand through his damp hair before meeting Jimin's eyes. Then, he smiled like a bunny.

"Fine. Let's do it."

☆☆☆

Thalassa was drier than Y/n's skin.

Earth, where humanity had originated from, was a wasteland of sand and dust. Still, she imagined it looked better than whatever the flip Thalassa had going on. Every step she took, she heard a crack from how rocky the terrain was. There were no trees, no birds, no sounds other than the rushing wind that was more like a sandstorm—it was one of the harshest environments she had ever gone to. For a place named after the Greek word for ocean, there wasn't much water.

Or any, for that matter.

Thalassa was in unaffiliated space. The UC, Freestar, and Va'ruun had no jurisdiction there. No civilians or colonies were there, but hey, if they were, Jimin could steal from them with no consequence in the major factions.

Although there was no nature blocking the horizon, the sand clouds were thick enough that it was hard to see far past her hand. They relied on their suit's scanners to guide them down the right path. Since the wind slammed against them, all of them held onto one another. Jimin led the way, followed by Y/n gripping his shoulder, followed by Jungkook holding up the rear and clinging to Y/n for dear life. If Jimin felt jealousy, he didn't show it.

"Only fifty meters!" Jimin said in a shout. Considering they were speaking through their suits and not the open air, his voice was far louder than it needed to be. Their helmets were insulated enough that, even though the wind was loud, it wasn't so awful that they didn't have room to think.

If Y/n didn't have room to think, she'd go insane. Or maybe the thoughts were the things driving her insane. Either way, she needed quieter environments to fall into her mind. Maybe it was from a life of growing up a Universal, where everyone stayed quiet, or maybe she just hated loud noises.

The fifty meters became ten, and Jimin walked into the temple wall. Jungkook laughed so hard, he fell over and almost got thrown away by the storm. Y/n and Jimin had to drag him back.

Finding the temple was easy, but in the storm, the door would be the difficult part. Their scanners could pick up on where the building was, but not where the door was. However, by shimmying down the side of the wall, Jimin located it. It lit up when Jimin stopped in front of it. Stars glowed on the surface, and the metal bars slid down to reveal the circular entrance waiting for him. He pushed it open and gave Y/n and Jungkook a peace sign before entering.

When Jungkook went to follow, Y/n placed a hand on his arm.

"He has to do it alone... I think. Don't wanna risk screwing it up. The door only opens for him anyway, so don't bother trying. All we can do is wait."

Jungkook agreed and leaned against the wall as the winds smashed against them. It wouldn't take long, but long enough for Y/n to feel pressure on her chest from the heavy atmosphere. If it weren't for her helmet, she'd be getting smacked in the face with stale dust that tasted like salt and smelled like sewer water.

"You're taking this better than I expected," she said, and Jungkook stayed quiet for a beat longer than she expected.

"Back home, there used to be this cartoon about Mr. Unstoppable. It was one of my home planet's only shows, and every episode, he'd use his powers to save the day from the mustache-twirling villains. Watched it all the time when I was a kid, and when the pirates came, I thought he'd come to save me." He trailed off and stared at the door Jimin had gone through, and although she couldn't see it, she knew he was smiling. "Looks like he has."

She didn't press any further. Instead, she nudged his shoulder and grinned behind her helmet.

"What would you do if you had superpowers?"

"I'd go home and hunt down any pirates that are left. Maybe I'd even raid the Red Mile and shut it down for good."

Jungkook's home was Porrima-III, an unaffiliated area and one of the most infamous places in the galaxy. With a gambling den, the Red Mile, dominating the upper half of the planet, that meant evil lurked around every corner. Crimes ran rampant, maybe even worse than Neon. If the pirates were hiding anywhere, it'd be there. She was half-surprised Commander Min didn't advise Jungkook to go home and raid it. With Jungkook no longer working in UC SysDef, he could do it without much reprimand.

"What about you?" he asked. "What would you do with powers?"

She tilted her head back and forth, then clicked her tongue. "Hm, maybe go to Narion and destroy all those mech graveyards. One particle beam and I can melt through half those ruins..."

"Particle beam?"

"Ah, you haven't had the crash course on Jimin's powers yet, that's right. He has four, but I guess five after this. He has a particle beam that melts through all materials and can burn people alive, a freezing power, a life steal power that heals him but hurts whoever he targets it at, and the ability to turn invisible."

Jungkook plopped his hand over his helmet as if facepalming. "The universe gave the criminal the power to turn invisible?"

"I know, it's stupid. We're all wondering why."

"Has he used it to rob any banks?"

She went to say no, but the truth was, with Jimin, one never knew. He could spend his free time pickpocketing and she'd never know. As much as he was her boyfriend, they had their individual activities. Pickpocketing was likely one of Jimin's favorite hobbies.

She slumped her shoulders. "I don't want to know."

Before Jungkook could answer, Jimin reappeared. It was like he teleported into existence and dropped right outside the door. Sparkles of white light bounced off his lower body, and he coughed as he staggered to his feet.

"I would test it here, but let's be honest, no one wants to be on a desert planet any longer," Jimin said, and Y/n couldn't help but agree.

Together, the three of them returned to the ship, took off their suits, and flew to the neighboring planet, Erebus, that had a breathable atmosphere. Unlike Thalassa, Erebus had a rocky but flat surface. There were no mountains, no trees, no birds—it was as plain as Luna back in the Sol system, only the air was far more pleasant.

When they touched down, Jimin was the first to bounce off the ship with his mag boots on so he wouldn't go flying into the sky thanks to the low gravity. Jungkook and Y/n geared up with shotguns strapped on their backs just in case, but no suits on. The air smelled of burning concrete, though it was relaxing, in a way. No harsh winds dared brush by, and the two suns shined over the land. One was a dark orange while the other was closer to white than any other color. The shades blended together to create an amber shadow that cloaked the gray rocks in gold.

"Let's see what this bad boy can do," Jimin said, his black hair bouncing on his head thanks to the way he skipped down the surface. She had to admit it was impressive how he could skip while wearing magnetic boots. Then again, that was Jimin she was talking about. He found a way to do the silliest things imaginable.

Jungkook scratched the back of his neck. "Is this safe?"

"No, so stand back," Jimin said.

Jungkook and Y/n obeyed. Jimin kept his distance before lighting up his hand, and a warping hole of darkness, almost like a black hole, appeared in his grasp. He fired it at the ground a few feet away, and a wham! sound filled the sky. Sparkles flew off the surface, but unlike Jimin's sparkles, they were more of a green tint than a white. The power caused Jimin to lift off the earth, and he yelped and flailed his arms around.

"Woah woah woah, when I said I wanted to fly, I didn't mean like this! I'm wearing mag boots, how is this possible?!"

The terrain shook and made a creaking sound as Jimin went higher and higher. Then, the sparkles disappeared, and Jimin slammed down. Luckily, he landed on his feet, but that didn't stop him from lurching over and falling to his knees.

He wheezed and held his chest. "Ow! Jesus, I don't get paid enough for this!"

"Are you okay?" she asked, and Jimin grunted but shook her off.

"I'm fine... other than a sprained ankle."

"We'll get you a medpack. Why don't you try it again but farther away?"

Jimin whipped around to face her and pouted. "Great, my wife is trying to get me killed from my own powers. Awesome. Wonderful. Thanks, babe. Love you too!"

Jungkook glanced between the two. "Wife? Since when are you married?"

"I haven't proposed yet, but..." Jimin trailed off and winked. "She's my girl for life."

Jungkook gagged. "Ew. If I knew signing up for this crew meant obnoxious romance, I would've shot myself in fifteen different ways instead of joining."

Jimin grinned but didn't reply. The dimple on his cheek showed as he swiveled around and fired another burst of his new power, only that time, he did it farther away. He didn't go flying. Instead, rocks soared and danced in the open air for a few seconds before crashing back down.

"Not a flying power," he said, wincing as he kneeled and felt the rocks that had flown. "It's gravity. It's like I remove the gravity from certain areas for a short amount of time."

Her eyes widened. "Holy moly. Jimin, that might be your most useful power yet. It makes any target vulnerable, especially if it overrides mag boots. Imagine fighting Terrormorphs with that."

"Looks like we're set for Londinion." Jimin clapped his hands together and beamed, facing them. "What color does it turn my eyes?"

To demonstrate, he activated the power again, and his eyes lit up. Every inch of them—the whites and all—shifted into a brilliant, bright green that glowed more than any of his previous powers.

"Green," she said.

Right away, Jimin shut his fist, and his jaw slacked. He stomped his foot like a toddler and kicked several rocks before pulling at his hair.

"Oh come on!"

☆☆☆

They were on a streak, weren't they?

Y/n strolled down the bustling streets of New Atlantis with Commander Tuala by her side. Eventually, she had to tell Tuala about Jimin's abilities. Seeing as his physical had come back with readings off the charts, it was only a matter of time before Tuala questioned her. He had been patient thus far, and Y/n had no plans to take that for granted. Tuala had always given her space to gather her thoughts and tell him what her problems were, but she knew it had been long enough.

It had been months since Jimin had joined the Vanguard, and he had gone on over twenty missions since then. Between the Terrormorphs, whatever top secret mission he had with the top secret person he hadn't told her about yet, and blowing up Ecliptic in UC-controlled space, Jimin had done more than the average Vanguard recruit. That was because the Cabinet didn't trust him, and they punished him for it. His workload was far more than any other Vanguard, even her.

And she was a commander.

Though she sometimes got referred to as Captain L/n due to all Vanguard pilots being the captains of their respective ships, commander was her more common title. She had a feeling she was only called Captain L/n by those who hated that she was a Universal. At least Tuala never did. In fact, he had been the one to promote her, which had gone against the Cabinet's wishes.

"Can I ask you something?" she said as they went through the shopping district.

Chatter overwhelmed her senses to the point where she'd rather be on Neon. It was Saturday in UTC, which meant it had almost been a full week since Jimin received his last power. Since then, he had flown two Vanguard missions under Y/n and Jungkook's supervision and did more training at the gym. His body had always been incredible, but with the exercises mixed with a stronger diet, his weight had been redistributed to his biceps and quads.

Oh, and of course, his booty looked better than ever.

Commander Tuala grinned, and it showed off his perfect teeth. "Anything."

A few people bumped into her. Crowds never appealed to her. Maybe that was a trait passed down from her parents, who were introverts beyond belief. Going out made them want to die. Any mass of people made them want to die even more, and Y/n had that same dislike. Too many civilians led to problems, and she saw that firsthand as she strolled the sidewalks with her superior. Half of the voices expressed concern over the Terrormorphs while the other half protested the UC's handling of the situation.

There were more demonstrations and protests than usual, and most of the stores were closed and boarded up. It didn't matter; almost every window she saw had shattered glass. Graffiti painted the doors with graphic art of citizens urinating on Cabinet members, particularly Logan. Part of her wondered if Jimin partook in it.

"Why didn't you tell me I was voted out?" she asked, referring to how the Vanguard had voted her out more times than she could count, according to Commander Min.

He sighed. "Great, now I have to punish Jimin."

"Huh? Why?"

"I thought he wouldn't tell you."

Despite being in a giant area with broken water fountains (thanks to protestors) and shouting coming from those demanding answers for the Terrormorph attacks, Y/n stopped, causing Tuala to stop with her.

"Wait a second, Jimin knew?" she asked with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Uh... who told you?"

"Commander Min, back on Narion. Why does Jimin know?"

"I ordered Jungkook to tell him as a test to see his loyalty. If Jimin told you, we would demote him and put him on gym-only duty until I was convinced he'd be a trustworthy Vanguard. If he didn't tell you, then I guess I don't have to punish him."

She expected to feel anger that Jimin kept such a secret from her, but truth be told, she didn't care. Jimin couldn't keep his mouth shut to save his life. If he hadn't told her, she trusted there was a good reason for it. Based on Tuala's words, she was glad he didn't spill the beans, otherwise it would have resulted in an unfair punishment.

"You realize how messed up that is?" she asked, her voice nearing a shout so she could be heard over the other noises. It smelled of sweat mixed with vomit from how often the protestors got sick. They had stood out there for days on end, meaning they hadn't gotten much in the way of nutrition and hydration. "You set my boyfriend up against me. What if that hurt our relationship, and all so you could test him?"

The urge to scream my husband pranced around her lungs, but that wasn't the time to be all gushy and in love. She'd save it for later, when she was in Jimin's arms and tracing his scars with the tip of her finger, asking about Neon and being both horrified and giddy to hear his childhood stories.

"I know. I'm sorry, kid. You know I didn't want to hurt you, right? It's just... no one trusts Jimin, and the Vanguard voted him out."

"Seriously? Already?"

Tuala held up the fingers of his real hand. "Four times, too. He's only still in because of a classified individual's interest in him. If he messes up again, he's out of the program."

"Well, at least we have something in common: we're only still in because of other people keeping us safe. Do you have any info on this classified person and why they're so interested in Jimin?"

"Who is above my clearance, but I know why. Jimin has skills no other Vanguard has with the whole lockpicking and hacking thing. He's also one of the only Freestar Vanguard, and definitely the only Neon Vanguard. Don't even get me started on his colorful history. Y/n, you know I love you, but why him? He's..."

"Obnoxious?" she asked, and he nodded with a toothy smile. "I love him. He's my goofball, and it takes every fiber of my being to call him my boyfriend instead of my husband."

"Shit, really?" He paused, then chuckled and pulled at his ear. "Sorry, I mean... crap, really? I didn't realize you were that serious."

"Well, we've been together for a while. I know what I want, and he knows what he wants. With all this Terrormorph stuff going on, we may not get many chances to get married in peace. Might as well do it soon, right?"

"That's a fair point. I'm happy for you, kiddo."

She giggled and nudged his shoulder. "Thank you. What about you? When are you getting a girl?"

"I don't need one. I already have a perfect family right in front of me."

At that, she hugged him, and he hugged back. Ever since she had joined the Vanguard, Tuala had always been the only one in her corner. For every time she fell from the pull-up bar or got mocked by fellow Vanguard, he was there, holding out his hand and helping her to her feet. He had protested her going to Londinion under the reasoning that she had been a child and way too young for such a battle. The Cabinet hadn't cared and sent her anyway, and to compensate, Tuala had made her stay behind him the entire time.

"Thank you," she said as she pulled back. Her voice sounded muffled under all the roars of the crowd. More protests and demands for transparency raged on. It wouldn't matter. "Can we go somewhere private?"

Seeing as they weren't wearing any identifying Vanguard clothing, they were safe from the protests as long as they didn't get too close. Tuala's prosthetic hand was hard to ignore, but at least they avoided red and black as if it were going out of style. For the first time in years, Y/n opted to wear her Universal headwear and traditional white Universal robes. Meanwhile, Tuala wore a tropical button-down and beige shorts. It was as if Paradiso had personified itself in him.

"Of course. Back to MAST?"

She tugged on his arm to direct him toward the NAT. "No. The Lodge."

As much as her and Jimin had spilled the beans for Jungkook in the Vanguard training room, she didn't want to press her luck any further and decided to go where it was safest. Plus, Constellation adored Tuala, particularly Sarah, who had served with him when she had been in the UC.

They rode the NAT in silence. Well, not silence. More protestors demonstrated on the NAT. Not even the public transportation provided a moment of quiet, and Y/n had to cover her ears. Tuala helped as best he could with his one real and one fake hand. It was better than nothing.

When they arrived at the Lodge, Sam was out front playing catch with Cora, who didn't seem the outdoor type. However, seeing them in the warm weather of New Atlantis caused her heart to swell in her chest and a smile to form on her face. As soon as Sam spotted them, he went over and held Cora's ears.

"If it isn't the UC's number one dick rider," Sam said with a whistle. Despite the profanity, he grinned, and Cora giggled and pretended not to hear her father's potty mouth. "Tuala, you look great. How ya doing?"

Tuala was probably the only UC official Sam could tolerate. In fact, Y/n had a sneaking suspicion Sam had a soft spot for the man.

Tuala returned the pleasantries. "I'll be better once Y/n tells me what's on her mind."

Sam snorted. "Let me guess: you're gonna talk about Jimin's... condition."

"Well, yeah. He deserves to know," she said, but before Tuala could question it, she led them inside and took him to the basement.

Downstairs consisted of research tables and crates of various minerals gathered from their countless voyages across the stars. Barrett had spare parts for VASCO down there along with more flightsuits. Who needed that many, Y/n didn't know, but she didn't bother questioning it.

Unlike outside, coldness skimmed by her skin. The air conditioning creaked and bumped as it spat out puffs of cool air. Any sweat that pressed against her skin faded away and replaced itself with goosebumps. Gray walls and floors awaited her, and the room remained barren. An extra bedroom waited in the back, but no one had used it in years.

"Wow, it's..."

"Boring?" she asked, but it was more of a statement. No decorations lingered around the area. No Vanguard posters, no weapons, no couches—nothing. Other than research tables and crates of rocks they sold for extra creds, the basement had about as much personality as a cucumber.

Dang. Y/n wanted a cucumber.

"I was trying to be nice," he said with a chuckle. Then, he leaned against the nearest white table, which had the only splash of color in the vicinity. "But don't distract me. What'd you want to talk about, and why is it always about Jimin?"

"Well, I mean, can you blame me? He's hot."

Tuala sighed. "Y/n."

"Sorry. No joking, got it. Not a good place to joke anyway, it's serious. What I'm about to tell you is true. Please believe me."

"I'll always believe you, kid. What's going on?"

His gaze rested on her, and he didn't go to speak again after that. He waited there without moving or saying another word. That gave her the permission she needed to explain.

"Jimin has superpowers," she said, holding up her hands to signal him to stay quiet. "I know how that sounds, but it's true. You know how Constellation has been researching deep space? We found artifacts, and by we, I mean Jimin. Ever since, the universe has been granting him powers. That's why his physical came back so wonky. Even we're stumped, and we're scientists."

Tuala crossed his arms over his chest and tapped his metal hand against his elbow. She tried to think of more to say, but no words came to mind. Instead, she kept her mouth shut, praying he wouldn't explode in laughter or tell her the story had to be bs.

"Well..." He trailed off and cleared his throat. "That wasn't what I was expecting. I thought you were gonna ask me to go to your wedding or something, not... this."

"I'm sorry to drop this on you, but you needed to know. If we're going to Londinion like I fear, then I want my commanding officer to know that going in."

Tuala hung his head. "I... I'm sorry, kid. I tried to fight it."

Her lower lip quivered. "We're really going to Londinion, aren't we?"

"Yeah. You're being split into squads, and they're letting me choose them. Who all knows about Jimin's powers?"

"Constellation, Jungkook, you, Jin."

"Okay, I can work with that. I'll keep you, Jimin, Jungkook, Jin, Kaiser, and myself in one squad. They might assign a few other members, but with that many advanced fighters, they may deem it unnecessary. You okay with the robot finding out about Jimin's powers?"

"Whatever we have to do. Any idea why we're going to Londinion?"

"Jin found the solution to our Terrormorph problem but needs something from Londinion to finish it," Tuala said with a shrug. "I don't know all the details, so you'll need to go see him yourself. Don't worry, you still have time. A siege of Londinion doesn't happen overnight. If I can get you out of the mission, I'll-"

"No." She paused to suck in a breath. "If Jimin's going, I am too. He already fought a Terrormorph on his own because I couldn't. I won't let him do that again, not because of my failure."

"Hey..." He placed his real hand on her shoulder. "You're no failure, L/n. Do you know how many make it to your position as a Vanguard commander?"

She sniffed. "I don't know."

"One. You're the only one, Y/n. I'm commander of the navy, Yoongi's for SysDef, and you... you're it."

Without another word, she hugged him once again. He had the softest arms. Despite his giant frame and muscles that were larger than her entire body, his skin was smooth and lacked cracks even through his decades of service. She burrowed herself against him and wondered if she could disappear.

Two minutes passed. Then, footsteps sounded off, and they parted in time to see Jungkook entering with Jimin behind him. Jimin popped the last piece of what appeared to be a sprinkled donut into his mouth. Jungkook sipped from a Terrabrew coffee she knew Sarah had to have ordered.

"Sam said you guys were down here," Jimin said through his mouthful of donut. "Talking bout me?"

Tuala hummed. "Your powers."

"I'm so hot, right?"

"Oh good lord."

Jimin snickered at that and licked his fingers clean as he approached. He pecked Y/n's forehead, and she felt chocolate smear on her. Then, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her up against him.

"If you don't mind, I need to steal her for a bit. Got important business."

Y/n tilted her head. "What is this important business?"

"Uh..." He paused and turned away. She swore she spotted a hint of pink creeping up the back of his neck. "You'll see."

"And I need Commander Tuala's help," Jungkook said, leaning against the wall and swirling the liquid inside his coffee cup. "I need some modifications to my spacesuit. You have access to the Vanguard's armory. Mind coming with?"

"Sure thing." Tuala ruffled Y/n's hair as he walked by. "Take care, kiddo. Thank you for telling me. And, uh, Jimin, do you have proof of these powers? Just so, y'know, I don't think I'm going crazy?"

With a smirk, Jimin lit up his hand with green sparkles, and his eyes burned the same color. "This enough?"

"Ooh!" Jungkook said while bouncing on the tips of his toes. "Turn invisible!"

Tuala facepalmed. "The criminal has the power to turn invisible?"

As if on cue, Jimin activated his void ability and shut his fist, disappearing from sight. Tuala's lips parted to form an o shape, and his eyes bolted around every corner of the room. Seeing as she felt Jimin's hand around her, he hadn't moved an inch. Her theory got confirmed when he reappeared next to her, just as Jimin as ever.

"Wow. I need a pacing break," Tuala said as he departed the basement. Jungkook snorted, waved to Jimin and Y/n, and followed his superior out of the area. That left Y/n with Jimin.

Great.

Right away, he kissed down her neck and let out a sharp breath against her. "Fuck, I want you."

"Jimin-"

He pressed her up against the wall and kissed her, shutting her up real fast. His mouth pleasured hers and sucked on all the right spots, and his hand gripped her thigh and brought it up to wrap around his hips. From there, he moaned and teased her by biting on her lower lip.

"I want you," he repeated in a pant. He trailed open-mouthed kisses up and down her collarbone, tugging at her robes in the process. "Please, it's been so long. Please tell me we're there again."

"Of course we are, goofball, but really? In the basement?"

He didn't answer. Instead, he got on his knees and glanced up at her. His puppy eyes met her gaze, and they were wide as beads of sweat dripped down his face. Wordlessly, he took off her Universal robes and revealed the plain shorts and white t-shirt she wore underneath. His fingers looped around the waistband of her pants and took them off. Then, he grabbed her leg and rested it on her shoulder, shutting his eyes and groaning as he kissed up her thigh and took his time to massage his tongue over her skin.

"You're so fucking..." He paused to heave and make eye contact one more time. "Jungkook locked the door. I told him to."

She gripped his hair and pulled hard enough that he huffed. "You told him to?! Were you planning this?"

"Obviously. The bed gets boring, don't ya think? Plus, it's nice down here. Less sweat." He winced. "Hopefully."

She glanced over at the staircase and hesitated. Any protests she had were cut off by Jimin latching his lips onto her, and she yelped at the sudden contact.

"Park Jimin!"

He chuckled and blew cold air against her. He got up and kissed her one more time. As he pulled away, he traced his fingers up and down her hips.

"I want you to cum all over my face," he whispered, and she trembled at that. "Then I'm going to fuck you against this wall like the good girl you are. Do you understand?"

Whenever she had thought of the devil's tango, she thought of boring, basic, vanilla loving. Even within her relationship with Jimin, most of it was vanilla with a total of maybe three different positions they had tried thus far. It wasn't that Y/n was uncomfortable with it, more that she felt embarrassed. Insecure. She wasn't good enough for him, the one with experience. Their break from sex had given her time to think about it, and she hadn't liked a single thought that came to mind.

"I love you," he said, placing his hand on her cheek. "And I want you. All of you, every single part you'll let me have."

"But what if I'm not good enough?"

He smiled and booped his nose off hers. "Then I'll fuck you until you think you are."

"Jimin!"

He snickered and gave her a quick kiss. "Am I good enough for these powers? For Londinion?" At her wide eyes, he hummed. "Yeah, I know we're going to Londinion, it's obvious. Do you think I'm good enough for all that? For the Vanguard?"

"Of course you are."

"Then why wouldn't you be good enough, Commander L/n?"

"I just..." She squeezed her legs together and averted her gaze.

"I will get on my knees and propose right now if that proves how much I love you. Y/n, I burp in your face like it's my religion and you're still with me. You could fart so loud you break the sound barrier and it'd only make me love you more."

"That's... oddly specific," she said, and he beamed at that.

"But true. Hey, seriously, I know how hard it's been recently between the Terrormorphs and you going to Narion, but I was there for all that, wasn't I?"

She nodded.

He kissed her nose. "We fought Terrormorphs together. Bitches who fight Terrormorphs together stay together, okay? In all ways except legal, you're my wife. I refuse to call you my girlfriend anymore. We're gonna have a cute garden wedding with lots of booze and lots of making fun of Barrett. What do you think?"

"I love you," she said without hesitation as tears welled up in her eyes. "You always make me feel better. I want to slap you for it."

"Please do, I'll moan."

She laughed, and he joined in before embracing her and carrying her to the bedroom in the back of the basement. He kicked the door shut and locked it, then pressed her up against the wall.

"There," he said with a chuckle. "Does the extra door make you feel more comfortable?"

"Yes, thank you."

"Good. Can I eat the shit out of your pussy now? Your cute little eyes are driving me crazy."

She playfully rolled said eyes. "You're horny as heck, Minnie."

A toothy grin blessed his lips. "Is that a yes?"

The bedroom had dim lighting thanks to no one ever caring enough to keep anything other than the backup lights on. Like the rest of the basement, it was barren, but she couldn't focus on that. All she could see was Jimin's freckles that were like constellations on his face. His hickory irises filled with speckles of dark brown. Maybe even a hint of light chestnut, making for tiny imperfections she couldn't stop studying. His body's heat blended with hers, and she took off her Universal headwear and tossed it into another dimension.

"Yes."

☆☆☆

A/N: Sorry this chapter is a little late! I'm eager to get to the end of s2, just got a little busy, and you guys can probably tell these chapters aren't easy to make, so if I get behind, it can hurt.

Anywhozzles, I already did major work on the next chapter, so you can expect weekly updates as promised!