The concept of time has always been relative to Jin ever since he had lost his family. There used to be moments where he questioned as to why was he still living? His routine had become monotonous, wherein he would work, eat and sleep. All his happiness had been snatched away, the thrill to live and survive diminishing into the abysmal flames.

But Taehyung somehow makes it a whole lot different. Minutes now feel like days as Seokjin stares out blankly from the window of his and Taehyung's shared master bedroom while lying down on their bed. It's the month of December, his birthday just passed by two days ago. He exhales out heavily through his mouth, watching how his breath fogged against the glass pane. He's 35 now. Small wrinkles now crease at the corner of his eyes, flecks of grey hair flared across the sides of his undercut but overall, he doesn't look like he has aged a bit. Skin smooth as silk with the boyish visage still makes people swoon over his innocent looks.

He vaguely tries to recall the day he was brought in to the Tiger's den.

The day he was captured and tortured for what felt like hours at his cousin's house, Seokjin felt as if he was stuck in an endless loop of time. Seokjin till date can feel every tremor of their touches on his body and the shudders never left him. Even after 2 years of being a part of the lair, Seokjin never accustomed himself to the inhuman ways and rules that are strictly followed here no matter how much he tried. The screams in the dungeons, the stench of acids and burnt skin, the pleadings would echo feebly throughout the mansion every night. Every day is now a nightmare where he drowns in guilt of not being able to gather enough courage to just help. No matter how much he tries, he can never set a foot inside the dungeon where the betrayers are tortured to the point where they beg to die, and that too is not granted to them.

Taehyung's den is a gigantic mansion in the middle of nowhere with six bedrooms, a huge living room, a swimming pool and gigantic garage. He also has an underground den where most of the antisocial and inhuman activities take place. Seokjin till date doesn't know exactly where he is and when he had tried asking once, he was punished in the most humiliating way possible- he was made to wear the sluttiest lingerie possible. Jin is a man no matter his sexuality and he has the right to wear what he wants. He has never been inclined towards women fashion and the day he was forced to wear lingerie, he wanted to peel his hair off out of frustration and shame. He was absolutely out of skin that day and he cried with the way the three men were looking at him as if he was some sort of an enchanted goddess. And just when he thought they were going to ravish him like hungry animals, he was proven wrong.

They took him apart, piece by piece, in the most sensual way possible. They massaged every inch of his oil glistening body with such passionate touches, it had him writhing and panting with want. He was brutally punished with multiple orgasms, to the point where his body just melted like a puddle and he blacked out with immense pleasure that was assaulted all over his body, not an inch of his skin left untouched. Never had he felt so much passion and love with sex ever. They practically worship him.

That's how sex has always been when Taehyung happened to be part of the scenes.

But when it comes to Jungkook and Jimin, these two notorious duo love to explore all that is there to achieve ultimate pleasure through sex, whether it is bondage to extreme role play, these two just keep on going till they are satisfied to the bone. Jin still creeps out at the memory where he was forced to act out as a running omega wolf in the middle of nowhere and Jungkook and Jimin were two lust driven alphas who wanted to just claim their omega. Seokjin was literally ravished in the middle of the woods, brutal bite marks littered all over his body. They were sick to the core but who was he kidding? Jin would be lying if he said he doesn't anticipate their insanity, and that he enjoys the thrill when shivers rake throughout his body. He feeds over his own fear.

Seokjin remembers seeing the news on the television wherein there was huge chaos of him going missing and the assistant commissioner who oversaw Taehyung's case was found brutally murdered; some of the body parts were found scattered in the local drainage except for the head and hands which were still missing. People suspected that Seokjin would have met the same fate which made Jin scream from within.

For the first 2 months, Seokjin was held hostage inside the Taehyung's master bedroom where even his hands and feet were tied to the bed. He had to humiliatingly bear all that Taehyung did for him- from feeding him to bathing him. Even taking him to the toilet. Seokjin would scream, try to scratch anything possible. And when once he did manage to scratch Jungkook on the face, the man just sadistically smiled. He loomed over the poor quivering man who had instantly regretted his impulsive choice of action. That night if the guards had heard the agonizing screams of Jin, they had to gulp down the guilt, which felt like shards of glass, down their throat. If they so much so move an inch from their position, they know that their impending death will loom over them like a shadow. When Jin emerged from his bedroom the next morning, he looked as he was feasted by a ravenous hungry animal. He also had a bleeding wound on his shoulder blade that was sure to permanently scar- the symbols 'V', 'Jk' and 'Jm' were now permanently imprinted on his skin like a tattoo.

People might think he never tried to escape. Boy did he try- he tried everything he could. But they always managed to find him or catch him on the run trying to escape.

There was a point of time where Jin had gone hysterical for his freedom. It was his fifth attempt of fleeing from the den after being held captive for 5 months. He had managed to befriend an old house helper who genuinely pitied Jin's condition. She oversaw his meals and provided general information of what the masters were doing. Seokjin found solace while talking to her. At least someone in this house was humane enough to converse with. Otherwise, everyone else in the den are either terrified to look at him or are extremely lustful but they keep to themselves because who wants to dare touch the most prized possession of the tiger? Lee Kyung Mi was her name. And during one of their conversations, the grandma had complained about her lack of sleep and that she must take medicines to fall asleep. Seokjin ignores how she usually praises about Taehyung. Young master did this for us, he did that for us. Never had he heard her or any of the staff complain.

Days and nights went by but Jin couldn't forget about the sleeping pills the grandma takes. Slowly formulating a plan, he one day sheepishly requested the grandma to provide him with the sleeping pills because he himself found it hard to sleep at night. Not that it was far away from the truth.

Taehyung, Jimin and Jungkook have a habit of drinking warm milk before going to bed. The drinks come to Seokjin's bedroom exactly 5 minutes before the three men arrive from work. They all usually just drink the warm milk, touch and whisper sweet words to Seokjin as if he's some delicate doll and kiss him goodnight unless there is a scene planned by Taehyung himself. Jimin and Jungkook retreat back to their bedroom just adjacent to theirs. With shaking hands, Seokjin crushed the pills in his hands and dropped the powder in heavy doses in each of their drinks, hoping that the flavour of the milk doesn't change.

When they arrived, Seokjin had to look away from the dried blood splatters on Jimin's face. He scooted back till his back hit the headboard and he folded his legs to his chest, making himself look smaller. Taehyung took heavy steps towards the quivering man as he sat down and gathered Jin into his lap, tucking his nose into his hyung's neck, breathing heavily his natural warm scent. Work in the mafia is tough, especially when there's no one you could trust. The constant threats and the dangers associated with the work mentally exhaust the three of them. But when they see their beloved lover, it's as if they're back home. The purity and divinity associated with their Jin hyung makes them feel alive and fresh from all the filth outside in the world.

Taehyung didn't want to let go of his lover and so with one hand he picked up the steaming glass of milk, but in the process he accidently burnt his hand and jerked. Some of the milk spilt on Jin's night gown and the man hissed out in pain when his delicate skin came in contact with the hot milk. Immediately Jungkook sprung up as he took a towel from the bedside and rushed to wipe gently at the now red skin of Jin's visible chest. Taehyung genuinely looked sorry as he placed small kisses on Jin's crown and nosing at his cheeks.

"Go wash yourself up, put cold water on your skin Jin hyung" was all that Taehyung said...or rather ordered.

Seokjin was waiting for that moment because he doesn't think he'd be able to see the three drink the spiked milk without shaking furiously out of sheer fear and nervousness. It would make them suspicious. He nodded a bit too eagerly for his liking and when he raised his chin up to look at Taehyung's face, his breath hitched when he saw that the younger was already looking at him with the same expressionless face. Seokjin gulped. He felt exposed with the way Taehyung was looking at him, or rather assessing him. He saw how the younger's eyes lingered over his ears, which by now he was sure were red.

After spending some time in the washroom soothing his red irritated skin on his chest, he splashed some cold water on his face to awaken his nerves from falling numb with fear. He gave himself what felt like half an hour and he then slowly tiptoed his way out of the bathroom. Jin didn't know what he was expecting but the sigh that left his mouth involuntary made his body shudder with anticipation. There lay the three men dead asleep all tangled together on his bed.

Although his throat felt parched dry, Jin cleared his throat with intent to see whether they react to the sound or not.

They don't.

Excitement and fear thrummed vigorously through his veins as his heart thundered against his chest. With quick determined steps, he approached Taehyung and with shaking hands, he gently reached for his pockets where he knows the younger keeps the main house keys. Holding his breath for what felt like hours, he slowly pried the keys from the pockets. But before he was going to make a run for it, he hitched in his steps. Looking back, he let his fingertips ghost over the man's calm relaxed face, not quite touching but it was enough for Jin to feel heavy.

There was a fleeting moment where he imagined pushing a dagger through Taehyung's chest, and not once but multiple times. He wanted the man who killed his family to scream in pain and agony. With every stab, he wanted the man to feel what he felt when he found out how brutally his husband was killed. Taehyung was unconscious, surely he could do it right? There is no better opportunity than this because he knows that if he wakes up again, his life will be back to square one. But just as fast the thought came, it went away with the very same speed.

Was he hesitating? If so, then why? He doesn't know the answer and he doesn't want to know either. Even though he has been tortured with sex for days on, the three men were nothing but calm and passionate while handling him. They practically worshipped him, made Jin feel like he's the centre of their universe and the reason why they're alive. It gave him a sense of power knowing that he had it over them. With every soft caress of their hands on his body, as soft plush lips brush over the most sensitive parts of his skin, their aftercare just melts him into a mushy puddle. The stab wound on his thigh is mostly where they kiss and suck with the most tender gaze that has always made Jin pant with want.

Tears of frustration cascaded down his pale cheeks as he rubbed them raw from his face, not caring whether his long nails scratched his face or not. Jungkook liked them long because he loved how Jin would scratch the long expanse of his back when he would pound relentlessly into his tight heat, thick thighs wrapped around the younger's hips.

"I can't even kill you even when you're offered to me on a golden plate. You three have ruined everything for me" Jin seethed, teeth grinding out in anger and at the heaviness of his heart.

Wasting no more time, he made a run for it. The security gets a break for 15 mins but there are shifts. There is a tight gap of 5 minutes when the shift changes and that it the only opportunity Jin can get to flee without getting noticed. How does he know this? What else does he have to do besides looking pretty? He has been observing the whole mansion with hawk eyes, scanning for anything that would help him escape.

He had no shoes on and with soft padded feet, he ran down the spiral staircase, a small bloom of hope growing inside his heart. Once he reached the main gate, he fumbled into his pocket to grab the keys he had safely tucked into one of his small pockets.

His fingers tingled with want as he rummaged through, not one, not two but all his four pockets...but he couldn't find the keys.

"Looking for this... hyung?"

That was when Jin realized that he was holding his breath as he shakily exhaled to calm himself down.

He let out a humourless chuckle out of disbelief.

Taehyung was awake.

He had managed to fool Jin yet again.

And he made Jin realise that he could never escape this endless meander.

Heavy steps thudded across the room as the leader took one step at a time towards his lover, his eyes furious but a sick smile made it on his handsome visage.

Seokjin closed his eyes, wanting to become one with the pitch-black darkness and waited patiently till he felt the younger come close to him. Taehyung brought out the keys and shook them, the tingling sound of keys rubbing against each other echoing throughout the empty living room. It was a show, a mockery which had the elder fuming with revenge, for blood.

He felt the cold metal of the keys brush lightly from the crook of his neck, down to his exposed shoulders and arms which highly contrasted with the heat radiating off from the sturdy body that had attached itself to Jin's back. Warm lips latched onto the soft skin of Jin's nape, vibrations tingled down Jin's body as Taehyung hummed in delight.

"What more do I have to do hyung for you to understand that you cannot escape me? That you belong to me? That you are lawfully wedded with me?" Large hands grabbed Jin's slender waist in such a tight grip that had the older whimpering. It was sure to leave bruises. Taehyung was calm...too calm.

Nails dug deep enough to create crescents on Jin's skin, "Sleeping pills? Really? Did you think I wouldn't notice? Hyung, you're not a criminal. You can never hide-"Taehyung slid one of his hands from Jin's waist to hold the older's instead as he interlaced their fingers together, "These hands can never commit a crime baby. You were so scared to spike our drinks that you spilt a little powder on the table itself. Did you think I wouldn't notice that?"

Seokjin's eyes widened in horror at the revelation.

Each and every time he manages to mess something up unintentionally.

One thing's for sure- Seokjin knows he will go insane if he stays for even one more second in this house of madness.

"Why me? Why fucking me? You wanted sex, I gave you all three that. You wanted me to stay silent, I kept shut. I'm just so fucking tired. You broke me Taehyung, isn't that what you wanted?" Jin just wants to wither away into non-existence.

"Some things cannot be revealed hyung. The less yo-" Taehyung was cut midway through his sentence when he was pushed harshly against the main door with so much force it had the man grunting out in pain. The pain would have been bearable had it not been hurt earlier. One of his rivals had managed to slash his back while in a combat when he had caught them stealing expensive drugs from one of his warehouses. The men involved are not alive, but that's a story for another time. Taehyung had seen many phases of Jin's anger. But he had never seen Jin so broken and furious at the same time. Clutching the collar of his shirt hard into his fists, Jin growled, teeth bared as he seethed at the younger, who looked momentarily stunned at the aggression, "Stop. Saying. That! I'm so sick of your bullshit! Anything I ask, no matter how mundane the questions are, you three just keep saying the less I know, the better. Bullshit!"

The commotion had alerted the security in the mansion and it took hardly 15 seconds before the duo were surrounded by a hoard of armed furious men. But Jin never let his anger waver, no matter how terrified he felt.

"Boss!"

"How dare you?!"

"Aim at him!"

Jin held his breath but never once did he back down. He had managed to steal one of Taehyung's daggers while fleeing from his bedroom and now he has the man pushed against the door with a vice grip on his chest, the fine sharp edge of the dagger was placed right in front of Taehyung's Adam's apple. A very fine line of blood dripped down his neck. He refused to cower, even when he was cornered by almost 15 men.

"Release him you bitch! Do you know the gravity of what you have just done? Just see what I do with you" One of the men roared. And before Jin could do anything, he stopped dead in his tracks, eyes blown wide with fear when Taehyung without much so second thought drilled a bullet through the man's head. Everything happened so fast that no one was given time to comprehend what just happened.

The thud of the body that fell from the bullet was enough to make Jin's blood run cold. And it made it even more terrifying to see that Taehyung had never once taken his eyes away from Jin,

Taehyung's deep voice broke everyone from their stupor," No one, and I mean, no one dares to raise their voice at my husband. He does whatever the fuck he wants, only I will handle him. Anyone who steps out of line will face the same fate as that dog. I had clearly instructed you of this and I give no second chances. Now leave!"

The knife dropped from Jin's numb hands as they both kept on staring at one another- One in disbelief and fear while the other in anger and lust.

"Y-You just k-killed someone" Till date, Jin had always been grateful to the three that they had never killed someone in front of Jin. But it looks like today was the day he finally understood where his position lied. He had Taehyung, Jimin and Jungkook to protect him from the world. But who was going to protect Jin from them ?

Taehyung gave a sick smile that made Jin feel faint. Someone just lost their life because of him. Taehyung just killed someone in cold blood mercilessly. All because Jin thought he could escape. How could he be this stupid ?

The younger pushed himself off the door which made Jin take a couple of steps backwards- It only spurred Taehyung to stalk forward, face now completely unreadable as his feline eyes bore into the teary ones of his lover. But before the older could make a run, Taehyung grabbed Jin by his arms and pushed him harshly against the door, their faces so close it made Jin almost look at him cross eyed.

"And I'll do it over and over again. You're mine, only I can do whatever I want to you"

Taehyung swiped a finger against the fine thread of blood on his throat and smudged it only Jin's plump bottom lip, watching with utmost fascination the way the blood coated the lip. The last thing the older remembers is fainting to Taehyung's sadistic smile.

Seokjin was punished in a different way; in a way he wasn't absolutely expecting. He was held hostage once again inside his bedroom with all the luxury given, but this time he wasn't allowed outside that room for a little over two months. And to make things worse, he was cut from any human interactions, much less contact. Not even the house keepers were allowed inside the room. Food and water were provided when Jin would be dead asleep after crying himself to exhaustion. Jin almost went insane with nothing to do and no body to talk to. He could but only look outside the window restlessly. He couldn't even end his misery because there was nothing to help him with it. Even his mirror was taken down. He was not allowed to see his own reflection. Finally when Jin broke down and howled for Taehyung's presence, for anyone's presence, the leader came in instantly and soothed the hysterically crying man with gentle hands and soft words and praises.

After that incident, Jin had completely stopped trying to escape.

It's been 2 years since that.

Seokjin let out a tired sigh at the memory. As of now, he concludes, he doesn't exactly hate them anymore. The anger had gradually faded over time and their behaviour towards him was making it even harder to hate them. They're...just so sweet with him now. They even let him work nowadays. Their gang doctor, who had been serving them ever since the mafia had been formed, had died of drug overdose. Since then Seokjin, although unwilling at first, had agreed to become their doctor. He wanted them to abuse him, to force him, to give just one reason to rekindle the fire of hate and fury within him, but they gave none. Even sex became consensual from his side.

He remembers the first time he saw Taehyung smile at him- it was so bright with the childish enthusiasm. It made the younger look so pure and innocent with the boxy smile of his. Years of trauma and betrayal had forced them to mask down their emotions but when they're around the older, it feels like they could peel the suffocating mask off without any hesitation. Seokjin often wonders about Taehyung's past. He knows about Jungkook and Jimin's , the duo told him their story one night while cuddling in their bed post coital. Seokjin is bad with words but that night, they didn't seem like they needed any. They just wanted someone to listen.

Jungkook, at six had become an orphan. He doesn't remember much about his past or his parents, other than the fact that his mother was really beautiful and his father was a normal office worker. They had been run over by a truck in the middle of the night when his parents were returning home from a wedding invitation. None of his relatives wanted to do anything with Jungkook and therefore his uncle had dropped the child off at a random orphanage. That was also where he first met Jimin years later.

Jimin was a nobody. His mother was a prostitute and his father an abusive alcoholic. There wasn't a single day where his parents wouldn't fight, where his mother wouldn't cry and his father would leave for the whole night to sleep god knows where. Their days became better when Jimin's father was found dead on a railway platform, a deep wound on the back of his head and 3 deep stab injuries on his torso. Locals said that he had gotten into a fight with 3 other masked young men. But they never got to know who exactly the three men were, not when it was Jimin who planned everything and executed it with utmost proficiency. The murder of his abusive father was his first step into the crime world. Anger brings out the worst out of any man but Jimin considers it a boon, a power.

Jimin's family was poor. Hence to earn enough money, he willingly became an escort at a high-end club. Filthy rich men and women who do not understand the value of money and love, come there every day. Jimin knew he was attractive, and at the prime age of 20, customers would line up for him, be it men or women. Sex has always been physical and mechanical for him. It was so very easy to fake an orgasm since it was a rule to wear condoms every time.

Jimin had no problem being the bad guy, but he absolutely hates it when innocent people are dragged into situations that would scar them for the rest of their life.

That's why when one day his eyes landed upon a drunk underage girl who was crying when she was being forcefully touched, Jimin did not hesitate to punch the living daylights out of the man who dared to intoxicate the girl. In the club he worked, it was a strict rule that the sex workers must be sober when having sex and it has to be consensual.

The girl was an orphan, accurately assumed by Jimin who scoffed at the miserable girl. He had lent his jacket to cover the barely dressed shivering girl. She just wanted some cash to buy food for her three cats because they were all that she had. The orphanage does not abuse, but they don't treat them well either. Hunger can drive people mad.

When he had dropped the girl back to her orphanage, just when he was about to leave, that was when his eyes landed upon a young boy who looked mature for his age trying to escape by jumping over the fence at the backyard. The boy had multiple bruises all over his face and hands but it was the innocence, fear and determination in his doe eyes which made him halt and just look at him with an emotion he didn't know he could harbour in his cold heart. Probably because Jimin could relate to the pain and sufferings of the boy.

As if sensing the stare, the young boy looked behind and his eyes locked with the piercing curious ones of Jimin's. That was the moment Jimin knew he had to have him under his wing. And maybe judging by the way he looked back at Jimin with the same amount of curiosity, they both knew they were going to be meeting a lot in the future.

With the older's help, Jungkook started working as a part time bartender in the same high-end club. They would lure drunk old men and loot their cash when the men were long gone into unconsciousness.

The rest is history. When Jin had asked about how they met Taehyung, Jungkook shook his head softly a no. Jimin said that it was not their story to tell. Taehyung will tell everything when time comes... or maybe never, that was up to him.

"What is your pretty little head thinking about hyungie?" Jin gasped as he broke out of his stupor, his eyes meeting with the questioning ones of Taehyung, who by now was wide awake, his body latched onto Jin's own. For some unknown reason, whenever he looks at Jin with that unreadable facial expression, it makes Jin's heart beat faster.

"Just...nothing" Jin lamely says looking away, his shoulders shrugging loosely. Even after 2 years, Jin never managed to properly look into Taehyung's eyes because he was just so...intense. Sometimes, he wishes that the younger would never love him so much. Taehyung makes it too obvious that Jin is his whole world and that his life revolves due to Jin's mere existence.

After a few beats of uncomfortable silence, Taehyung hums a deep low rumble, as if he was reading Jin inside out. Jin squeaked out in surprise when he was flipped over to lay on top of Taehyung's sturdy body by strong hands which grabbed his thin waist.

"It's three in morning babe, sleep" It was not a request, but a command.

"L-Like this?" Jin stuttered out, not liking that Taehyung could probably feel and hear his thundering heartbeat.

Quirking an eyebrow in question, Taehyung looked at him as if he was daring Jin to suggest something else. But Jin knows that if he suggests something else, it will result into something more...intimate. The sturdy grip on his hips made him immobile but Jin won't lie and say that he hated them. He loves it when the three of them show physical intimacy- be it a pat on the head, a nuzzle into his throat or a tight grip when they cuddle. Till date none of the three have explicitly mentioned that they love Jin but the older knows to what extent their feelings for him stretch. They would take a bullet for him quite literally. They would also not hesitate to drill one into someone else's if they happen to even touch a single strand of hair on Jin's head.

Jin closed his eyes and sighed when Taehyung leaned up to softly kiss his cheeks. He has grown to love these soft moments when the younger wears down the high built walls around him and shows his vulnerable side to him. The hands which were once on the curve of his waist now have wandered down to his soft cheeks. With firm hands, Taehyung squeezed the soft but firm muscle which elicited a whispered moan from the older. Jin had his hands placed beside Taehyung's head as he tried to balance his weight on his elbows so that he doesn't crush the younger with his weight but Taehyung had other plans. He roughly pulled Jin more into him, so sudden that it had Jin slipping from the balance on his elbows. The kisses trailed down from the apple of his cheeks to the gentle curve of his jaw and Taehyung finally settled with sensual open-mouthed sucks on Jin's throat.

With a gentle but long chaste kiss on the lips, it didn't take them long to succumb to the moonlit darkness.

********************************

Taehyung used to have a fiancé. Jin met her one day by happenstance while at work in his personal lab that Jungkook had designed for him.

Choi Haneul was her name, daughter of one of the most powerful politicians of South Korea. She herself was the CEO of a high-end fashion brand and a fashion designer as well. She was beautiful, so much so it made Jin doubt as to why Taehyung would dump her for a simple regular man like him.

The three were out for work when she had barged her way in to Jin's office.

Seokjin was dumbfounded at first when he had recognised who she was at an instant. The daughter of the same politician who always gave promises of security and love, was directly affiliated with the king of Mafia. Jin chuckled mentally in disbelief. These red tagged criminals were always around him in open spaces, roaming ever so freely as if they never caused terror in the city. They were right under their noses and yet they could do nothing about it. It's honestly shameful since Jin was once directly involved with the police forces.

After a brief period of confusion, Jin was then highly disturbed to see how unbothered Haneul was, even in the presence of so many injured unconscious brutally bloodied men. It was as if this was a common sight for her.

Haneul pointed a sharp finger in Jin's direction, "You! I don't care who the fuck you think you are, but you need to fuck off and leave my fiancé alone" She seethed, face red with fury.

Fiancé? Taehyung had a fiancé? Jin doesn't even know who Taehyung's family members are and now suddenly an angry fiancé enters the scene. Jin didn't know what to say anymore. Each day something or the other happens. It's hectic enough to be always surrounded by hurt moaning patients, and now a random woman comes in...or rather barges into his lab and claims that she's Taehyung's fiancé.

Seokjin gave a vague shrug. He knew he felt a little disappointed deep down within but he's a man with a broken heart. His heart is beyond repair- So if Taehyung wants to stay with him, he can. If he wants to leave Jin, that too he can. It won't hurt him any more than when he had lost Namjoon and his son Soobin in the crossfire 7 years ago.

"Taehyung is a person of his own. What he wants, he does. You and I both know he listens to no one. I suggest you talk to him personally regarding this Haneul ssi. And next time ask permission before entering my lab. This is a highly delicate room that requires constant decontamination. Your presence can cause bacterial infections to the open wounds. I request you to leave" Jin answered as calmly as possible despite the irritation piling up from within.

"Do you know who you are speaking to like that!? I'm way above from the likes of you!" The woman shrieked out in both anger and disgust as if Jin's mere presence is a pain.

"I don't know what Tae sees in you but whatever he does, it's stopping from him seeing me. It's been months since we last saw each other and whenever we do see each other, it's always business! I'm getting married to him for fucks sake! You need to leave! You want permission? I give you one."

Jin could see why Taehyung prefers to stay at home than at parties and clubs.

Jin knows Taehyung doesn't owe him commitment since it's Jin who is his. Taehyung was never his to begin with. But ever since Jin came to live in their mansion, till date Taehyung had never given an inch of doubt that he might be sleeping with someone else. It had always been Jin. The older could see the crazed possessiveness and love the younger possessed for him miles away. Any invitation from other gangs to hang out in the posh strip clubs or the red-light areas were immediately turned down not only by Taehyung, but also Jimin and Jungkook.

Seokjin shook his head as he resumed back to his work in stitching the wound up of one of the men of Taehyung's gang, "Like I said, talk with Taehyung. Please leave"

"You bitch! Why can't you understand that he doesn't talk to me!?" Haneul screamed out so loud that it had two of unconscious patients wake up in terror and pain as they flinched. She had enough of the man's indifferent behaviour as if he wasn't uprooting her future with the man she loves since her childhood.

Jin did not have enough time to comprehend the situation as it had become too chaotic, but the pain that registered at the back of his head came in like a speeding truck. He choked on his scream as he cradled his head with his gloved hands, eyes squint shut and teeth bared open, waiting very impatiently for the pounding pain in his head to just stop.

Haneul just threw one of his paper weights right at his head, and Jin is very thankful that she threw one of his lightest weights. It was his pure luck that he had decided to bring out his smallest paper weight instead of his other heavier ones. Otherwise, it would have been his last day breathing. A small part of his mind whispered that it would have been her last day as well. Taehyung would destroy the world for him.

Jin felt his hand become clammy and he knew within a second that he was bleeding, albeit not too much that it would have his life on the line.

After heaving a few deep breaths to calm himself down and to stabilize his hazy mind, he straightened his back up slowly to stand up and face the angry woman.

Haneul scoffed as she furiously wiped away her tears from her bloodshot eyes. For a moment they both stared at each other. Seokjin hesitated- she looks so worn down and tired, so devastated and broken, possibly a little guilty and scared as well. Jin could vividly see how much she loves Taehyung. A love that he would never be able to give the man himself yet the younger always chose him.

She looked down at her trembling hands, tears streaming down her flushed cheeks, "Taehyung and I, we were childhood friends. Our parents were business partners and best friends. He was that quiet child that always sat at the back of the class, talked to no one, only minding his own business. But he always took care of me. My mother passed away when I was just 14 years. And when no one consoled me, he did. I had always known that I loved him and for a few years, I thought the love was reciprocated. But growing up I realised that he always looked after me as his friend, as his sister.

Taehyung went through hell under his father's guidance. From intense martial arts training to watching his father and his gang members mercilessly kill people, Taehyung never got to have the childhood every child wishes for. He was just 15 when he was forced to kill a man.

And things got even worse when his brother fled. His older brother was brave enough to speak up for himself and he ran away leaving his poor younger brother to fend for himself alone in this lair.

Who was there for him when he suffered so much of mental and physical abuse all through these years!? Me! I was. So who gave you the fucking right to just barge into his life and steal everything from me?" The last part came out as a plead, as a wail. The hurt in her heart was unbearable.

Jin gave her moment to gather herself up. Slowly striding up to her, he gathered a crying Haneul into his arms, who just stood there like a doll. She didn't hug him back, but she didn't push him away either, so Jin considers it a win.

Petting her hair down smoothly, he whispered softly, his chin resting on her shoulder as he stared at his white walls up in front, "My husband and son were murdered brutally by Taehyung. He took away everything from me. My family, my job, my life and even the will to die. I hate Taehyung, I do. But I only have him. I'll go insane if my heart breaks up again. I cannot handle any more pain. You don't understand how much I loved Namjoon; I still do. But I need Taehyung now. I know I'm pathetic and I'm sorry. But...if you can bring me my life back before I met Taehyung, please do. I just want to go home. I want to feel at home" Jin cried harder when he felt her arms wrap around his waist.

Jin felt her stiffen at Namjoon's name, "D-Did you just say N-Namjoon?"

Pulling back confused, Jin looked down at her in question, "Yeah, he was my husband"

"Kim Namjoon?"

"Yes?" Jin now was feeling a little nervous at the scared look that etched onto her beautiful visage, "W-What's wrong? What are you not telling me? And how do you know his full name?"

Haneul flinched back a few steps as she fetched out her phone from her pocket with shaking hands. After a few swipes, she shoved the phone screen into Jin's face, "This Kim Namjoon?"

The gasp that escaped Jin's mouth was enough confirmation.

She just showed him a picture of a young Namjoon wearing his graduation robes and cap and holding a flower bouquet. But what alarmed him the most were the three boys that were hugging his late husband tightly.

Jimin.

Jungkook.

...And Taehyung.

"Jin hyung!"

Jin wasn't given enough time to comprehend the situation when everyone in the room but Jin flinched at Jungkook's booming alarmed voice and within a few seconds, Jimin and Taehyung barged into Jin's office with panicked streaked faces as well.

Haneul's hands weakened at the mere sight of Taehyung's broken face and the fact that he had his eyes strained only on his beloved had her weeping from within. She dropped her phone as her fingers slipped from being numb.

She saw how everyone's eyes landed over the phone screen, tears now welling up in their eyes for different reasons. But one common reason- might be fear. Fear of being restrained and the fear of losing a loved one forever.

"Hyung" Taehyung brokenly whispered as he looked back up at Jin's face. He never wanted Jin to find out about his older brother this way, about his dark past, about everything. Taehyung was willing to bury his pain deep into the abyss if it meant to have Jin by his side, with him. He had already lost his beloved brother and he couldn't now offer to lose Jin as well.

This was possibly the second time Haneul had seen him look so weak, so broken in her life. The last time she had ever seen Taehyung look so broken was when his beloved mother had passed away at the mere age of 13.

Striding with heavy steps towards a frozen Jin, Taehyung did what everyone had never even imagined he would do.

Multiple gasps echoed through the silent room when Taehyung crumbled down on his knees and he grabbed Jin's bloodied hands into his very own large ones.

But not once did Jin look down.

Not even once.

How could he? When all the bittersweet memories resurfaced. The first time how they had stumbled against each other in the library, to their first awkward date, their first kiss, their first time together, their years together before they tied the knot. And finally, when they decided to adopt their little bundle of sunshine.

And then rushed in the traumatic nightmares of how he had to witness his family's death in cold blood. There were medics everywhere, police swarming the café and blocking people from witnessing the crime scene. Many fathers cried, many mothers cried, many friends who lost their batchmates cried. And Jin had screamed the most agonising scream that came deep down from within his shattered heart when he held desperately onto his son's lifeless body, one of his hands clutching his dead lover's hand. The police tugged on him from all sides but he kept on holding them with all that he had.

Namjoon, his Namjoon, was the first born of the Kim mafia clan. He was Taehyung's older brother. Jimin and Jungkook's best friend.

For 7 years, ever since he had met Jimin and Jungkook, he had been kept in the dark, lied to, made a fool of by not only these three, but also by his husband.

Taehyung's words were finally making sense.

"The less you know, the better you are"

Taehyung could see how he was losing Jin as seconds passed by. He cannot have that. If Jin leaves him, he will destroy everything to just have him back. He will even kill Seokjin if he has to and after that he would kill himself as well. They both are for ever and no one can come in between.

With numb shaking legs, Taehyung stood up and he immediately engulfed the man into his embrace, so tight that he could feel both them gasping for air. Vigorously shaking his head as he tucked it into Jin's neck, he wept, "Please give me a chance to explain hyung. This was not the way I wanted you to find out" Pulling back he cradled Jin's small face into his hands. Jin's eyes were distant, almost lifeless.

"Jin-"

Taehyung grunted when he was harshly shoved aside by such a strong force that it had him gaping in misery. The shove didn't hurt as much as the broken streams of tears on Jin's face did.

"Namjoon, my Namjoon, was he your brother!?" Jin demands, voice heavy with fear and betrayal.

Jungkook gulps down the pain as he struggles his way to Jin, gently shoving a panicked and nervous Haneul aside and grabbing his tiny face into his calloused hands, "Jin listen to me. Calm down baby-

Everyone in the room gasped out loudly when Jin straight out slapped Jungkook right across the face.

"Do. Not. Fucking. Tell. Me. To calm down" Jin seethed, fire aflame in his dark orbs, voice dripping with so much pain and anger that it had sent Taehyung spiralling down. They had never seen the oldest this angry. The three knew at some point that this day was inevitable. But that didn't mean they were prepared to handle the worst. They did everything to delay this day and now they're severely regretting it.

They should have never hidden it.

They should have never lied to their hyung.

The fact that it was never them who had killed Namjoon and Soobin.

And so they spilled everything to Seokjin.

It was their rival mafia gang, the Lee's who had open fired that day. They had somehow gotten to know about Namjoon's whereabouts after almost 10 years of him fleeing from the Kim clan. And when they did find out, they didn't waste a single moment before cruelly murdering him in cold blood.

Unknown to Taehyung's father, the two brothers always kept in touch because they couldn't live without each other. They were brothers in crime, they were literal soulmates. They always told each other everything.

And it angered Taehyung to no end when he found out that his brother was a married man who had a child as well. And the fact he found about this was when his brother was murdered and for the first time he had seen his spouse, Kim Seokjin wailing in despair, further fuelled his malice and pain.

For the first 2 years after his hyung's death, he had always blamed Jin for his death. If only Jin had not trapped Namjoon in his love, his hyung would have been alive. His hyung would have come back at some point but because of Jin, he didn't. If Jin lost a husband, Taehyung lost his blood brother, his soulmate, his everything. Namjoon was the only one who truly loved Taehyung.

But with Jimin and Jungkook's constant reports, he saw the real Jin, what made the older the Kim Seokjin. A man who truly loved Namjoon with all his heart. A family man who loved coming back home and spending time with his beloveds. A highly respected and educated individual, a man so smart and so beautiful at the same time. Taehyung slowly realized why Namjoon fell in love with the man.

His hate fuelled into desperate hunger to protect the man who became so broken after his husband and baby passed away. He knew that Namjoon would do anything to keep Seokjin safe...And so would he. The older deserved everything. And Taehyung knows that his brother would want the same thing.

The Lee's were after Jin, of course they were. After Namjoon's death, Jin was the next direct lead who had access to all the personal files of Namjoon's. Namjoon had shut almost all major go-downs of the Lee's that contained heavy shipments of ammunition and drugs. Taehyung hence assigned heavy security who kept hawk eyes on the older.

Taehyung knew that Jin had absolutely no idea about Namjoon's past and hence he took advantage of that. The less he knew, the safer he was. He made Jin target the Kim clan instead, channelled all the hate and anger towards himself while Taehyung did the dirty work for Jin. He brutally murdered Lee Jiwoong, the filthy leader of the Lee mafia.

Torture ranged from skinning the man alive to slowly chopping all his digits away so that he felt the rage of both Taehyung and the pain of Seokjin. The Kim mafia leader kept the man alive for a whole 17 days in absolute hell. He didn't even let Jungkook enter the dark clammy enclosed room. Horrifying screams would echo throughout the corridors and there was no one to hear his voice.

How could anyone hear? Jimin and Jungkook had made sure to burn each and every property down to ashes, burning the Lee mafia members alive till their skin crackled into the thick black flames.

No one messes with the Kim Mafia, No one.

Jimin and Jungkook kept the act going of being friends with Jin. But as years passed by, they slowly noticed how Jin was gradually losing his fight; He was getting tired of his life in general. The monotonous pace was slowly making the man crazy with grief and loneliness. They saw how Jin kept on running around in circles just to get clarity and revenge but he couldn't because of obvious reasons; They weren't the ones who killed Namjoon. And Lee did not exist anymore.

They saw how Jin wanted to move on with his life but heavily struggled to do so.

Taehyung's restraint finally broke when Jimin informed how Jin had tried to end his misery; They decided it was finally time to bring Jin home to them, safe and sound. Namjoon wouldn't want Jin to give his life away, a life that Jin built all by himself with so many compromises and struggles.

Anger and hate are aggressive emotions. Sex and torture keep the adrenaline alive, the will to escape becomes extreme, the will to survive reignites. They did everything to show Jin that being alive is a boon, a struggle itself, a wish.

The three wanted to scream at each stab they had felt in their lives, cry the blood they had to shed because they were forced into this dark world. None of them asked to be abused and thrown away like they were scum and that too at an age so tender, so young.

The pain and despair in Jin's eyes were something they wanted to protect. They wanted to be reason Jin cried, they wanted to be the reason why Jin wanted to live. They wanted their hyung to realise that a life as a human is a blessing itself and that death is an unknown fear with an abysmal end. Clutching onto that small spark of life is worth way more than letting go of it just for something we don't know.

They wanted Jin to gasp for the air that keeps him alive every minute. They wanted him to realise how precious his life is.

Taehyung initially never intended to tell Jin about anything of his past. But as months passed by, he saw how deeply in love his best friends had fallen in with the older. He was no exception; The older is a siren, a very powerful one. With just a gaze with his deep almond orbs, the three of them would fall on their knees for his hyung. Taehyung had always considered himself heartless. But Seokjin somehow makes his dormant heart beat faster and Taehyung cries every time he feels his heart thump loudly against his chest.

The fact when Taehyung realised that Jin is the only person that could make him cry was what made him fall in love with the older madly. And he was ready accept whatever was thrown at him, even at the cost of his life, if he had Jin by his side.

So, to see their lover so worn down and tired overall had the three spiralling down in panic.

"Jin hyung, please-"

"No! For the first time you listen to me!" Seokjin snarled, teeth bared out in sheer frustration, "I am fucking done! 7 years, I have been kept in the fucking dark not only by you but by Namjoon as well. Your brother, my husband, was the Kim Mafia's first son, the heir, the fucking Mafia. I have been fooled and trapped and taken advantage of! I come from a middle-class family of teachers and doctors. If I had known who Namjoon was, do you really think I would have affiliated myself with the likes of you?" Jin spat with so much venom that it had the three men inhale sharply at the stab in their hearts. Seokjin was clearly hurt; he wasn't conscious of what came out of his mouth. Taehyung knew how deeply Jin loved Namjoon, how pure his love was for him, that's why he tried to not let it hurt him when Jin spoke with so much hatred for not only him but for Namjoon as well.

"Because of you all I lost my son and I will never forgive you for it. Namjoon is equally guilty for it. I lost my sunshine, my life, everything because of what!? What did I do deserve this? Nah, tell me, I want to know! You all know so much, care to spill things now? Or are going to shove me aside as if I don't matter? The less I know, the better- Utter bullshit. You guys are nothing but cowards. Soobin was just 5 years old; he had his whole life ahead. We were going to give him that life. But you snatched it away from him, snatched my baby away from me"

Tears streamed down Taehyung's face incessantly. Jimin and Jungkook were no better. They were literally on their knees. They were wrong, yes. Namjoon was also wrong, yes. But what could've they done? They too didn't ask for this life of constant betrayal, bloodshed and evil. From a very young age, they have been nothing but abused, both physically and mentally. From getting beaten up with whips to getting stepped upon. If they did anything wrong, they would be beaten to the point they couldn't get up. They would be starved for days.

So, when each of them saw Jin, it was as if they were seeing the sunlight for the first time. Seokjin was like the first breath of fresh air, an aura of tranquillity surrounding him which made them feel at peace. Jin gave their stoned heart the warmth it needed. He gave them hope that there is positivity in this world of hatred and betrayal.

They wanted to be selfish for the first time in their lives, they wanted Seokjin.

Was it so wrong to want him? Was it so wrong to love him? Was it a crime what Namjoon did when he hid about his past from Jin?

Seokjin crumbled down on the floor, hands splayed wide on the polished marble as stains of red painted itself across the pristine white, "I beg you, let me go. I don't want to live anymore. Please" he sobbed. With every broken word that escaped his mouth, it broke everything within Taehyung.

"I can't go on like this; I'll become crazy. I-I can't-" Jin gulped his growing lump harshly as he shook his head, "I don't want to hate Nam- oof" He was brutally cut of when Taehyung lunged forward and crashed his body against a weeping Jin, who also clung onto him as if the younger was his only life source.

Burying his face into Jin's neck, Taehyung let out the most pathetic cry of pain ever that it had everyone gaping with eyes wide open. Years of trauma and longingness shattered whatever façade Taehyung had held up so strongly for so long. Jimin and Jungkook couldn't bare to see their beloveds so broken and hence did not waste a single moment before joining the duo in a tight warm embrace.

The four men poured their years of pain and agony into that tight embrace.

The hug, the tears, the confrontation, the resurfacing of all the buried memories from down within their broken hearts was very much needed, they all realized. For years, none of them felt alive. They were just breathing heartless corpses trying to drag through their everyday lives.

Trauma can be buried and covered with fake smiles; they can even be healed. But they can never be forgotten or forgiven. In case of these four men, they were just bruised and battered from within, they knew they were beyond repair.

These four men have suffered so much, they just had each other to heal because they know no one would understand them the way they would understand each other. Seokjin knows deep down that he had fallen in love with not only Taehyung, but also Jungkook and Jimin. Living with them for 2 years, he had seen what they were in reality. A beast on the outside, but a bruised and battered scared young boy in the inside. They just needed love to heal.

A few hours later, all four of them were huddled together as one on Taehyung's bed. Everyone in the mansion were dismissed from directly contacting them for the next five days. For the first time in 15 years, they were taking a break just for the sake of emotional stability.

While Taehyung was busy tending to the injury on Jin's head, Jungkook had laid his head on Jin's thighs and Jimin sat beside Jin, their fingers interlaced and his head on Jin's shoulder. The oldest ran his fingers through the youngest thick locks, occasionally tugging on them lightly or scratching the scalp eliciting a relaxed pleased groan from the latter.

Bandaging his head, Taehyung went to the washroom to wash away the bloodied cloth and to throw away the used cotton. The rest three kept quiet meanwhile; the silence wasn't awkward or painful. It was therapeutic, it was calm and serene. They just needed that physical touch to make sure that yes, they were physically present and not just a figment of their imagination.

All of their eyes were red rimmed and swollen- their head hurt and they were just so emotionally exhausted. Jin just blankly stared out the window with tear brimmed eyes. He was very much overwhelmed with all his emotions resurfacing. He wanted to scream, to run, to crumble down but he couldn't.

Jin's subconsciousness broke when he felt a gentle hand grab a hold of his right foot. Looking down in a tired daze, his eyes met with the endless orbs of Taehyung's, who gave him a small genuine smile back. The older felt awkward with how delicately he was cradling his feet and so he tried to fold his legs but before he could do so, Taehyung tugged on them stubbornly. The man was kneeling on the side of the bed, knees on the expensive carpet and elbows resting on the mattress.

"I don't know where to start, but an apology would be a good start I believe." The prompt made Jungkook sit upright and Jimin to tense. Jin had nothing to say but he held Taehyung's gaze with an unreadable face which made the latter fidget in anxiety.

"We...we were born and raised practically in hell. I have witnessed my mother's murder happen right in front of eyes hyung." Tears sprung at the brutal memory but he kept going; He doesn't want to lose Jin, "You have seen all my scars laid bare for you. From third degree burns to whips to stab marks. My father left no torture means untouched. He wanted to raise the perfect mafia heir who, when he retires, would take up the empire. Me and Joon hyung were just mere puppets. Hyung did everything to take blames for me whenever I did a mistake so that I wouldn't be beaten to death or starved for a few days. But he's human after all; he fled. Namjoon hyung couldn't take it anymore. He renounced his title and just fled far away from here, to start a new life.

But of course, father chased after him, tortured him to come back but this time hyung threatened that he would rather die than be a part of the mafia clan. That was for the first time I saw my father be a 'father'. He didn't want to lose his son and hence set him free. I was a coward. I could never defy my father and more so I could never bring it in myself to just kill myself. I...I wanted to fight my way through, make my father proud. I endured everything to become what I am today. I have always been proud of who I am."

Taehyung leaned forward and leaned his forehead to touch Jin's feet, who squeaked at the very, very intimate gesture, "I thrived on people's fear, loved killing people, loved hearing them beg and scream to spare their lives. I was obsessed with the power I had. Money bought everything I ever needed. I was so blinded with everything but the façade broke on the day I first saw you...at the café, crying holding your baby in your arms and Namjoon hyung lying just beside you."

Jungkook couldn't bare to see his best friend in so much pain; hence, he stood up briskly and draped his body over Taehyung's in a back hug, engulfing the quivering man completely.

"I felt your pain, your screams rung through my ears, your pleadings stabbed my heart over and over again. And I fell in love with that. I wanted to feel your pain, your happiness. Just have you in general. Namjoon hyung always used to brag about you whenever we met secretly because he was just so much in love with you. I envied him and I wanted what he had. But I knew in the back of my mind that I don't deserve any of what my hyung deserved. And I knew what would have happened to you had I left you alone. The Lee's would have done everything to get information out of you and at the end, when you'll give up, they would have discarded your body as if you are nothing but trash. I had to bring you into my world. And I'm not sorry for that."

Taehyung raised his head and Jin took a sharp breath in- the man looked so broken it hurt to just look at him. Tears streamed down his cheeks which dropped onto Jin's feet which Taehyung had held onto as if his life depended on them, "But, what I am sorry for, is keeping you in the dark. For keeping Namjoon hyung from you. For hurting you in the worst way possible. At this point, I don't even deserve your forgiveness. I deserve to go and just die, wither myself away because I hurt the man I love"

"Taehyung" Jin whispered in horror. This was the first time in 2 years that the younger had professed his love for the older.

Ignoring Jin, the younger continues, croaking the words out in pain, "I love you hyung. I just love you so much it hurts. I...I don't what to do with myself anymore. It's as if my existence doesn't matter anymore if you're not by my side. You breathe but I breathe for you. Your heart beats but my heart beats just for you hyung. I love you so much that sometimes I think I'll go batshit crazy. You're in my mind every fucking second, it chokes me. It feels like I will die without you hyung."

"Do you know how much I...we started to crave normalcy after we met you? We wanted to live in a small house, just us and no one else. Jungkook and Jimin had always wanted to open a dance studio and teach children. I always fantasised to become an artist. You would have been my darling muse. I wanted...peace with you three. I wanted the perfect dreamhouse with you hyung, wanted to be free from everything and just be with you. But everything's been ruined since the day I was born. My lifestyle, my upbringing would never allow me to be free from these shackles, not until I die or am killed. You can hate me all you want, you can call me obsessed and crazy. But please don't leave me like hyung did, like mom did. Please-"

Jin couldn't take it anymore and hence gathered the quivering sobbing man into his lap, who by now had no energy left to protest- the latter immediately relaxed in the tight hold Jin had on him, almost a bone crushing one but that was what made it easier for Taehyung to breathe. The soft gentle lavender scent of his hyung lulled the man to tuck his nose into Jin's neck and he let his tears drench the older's shoulder.

Jimin and Jungkook silently cried as they held onto each other for support.

Jin looked up at the false ceiling and let his tears run down his throat, he then croaked out, voice choked up from how much he wanted to cry, "I...I don't hate you. No matter how much I tried, but I-I couldn't. I didn't realize how much I needed you three to keep me sane, not until now. Namjoon was it for me, I always believed that. And I still love him. But...I love you three as well. I spent years hating you because I believed it was because of you three, my husband died. And you even staged everything to make me believe it. Seven years is a long time to keep that fire alive and it exhausts me to even think about it. You just needed to tell me all this, it would have saved us so much time. Namjoon always talked about his little brothers and how much he missed them. You were the brothers he talked about. I am just exhausted now, bone deep tired. I want to sleep and never wake up. I don't even want to see your faces anymore because it sickens me. But at the end of the day, I know what I need to keep myself from crumbling down, is you three. I'm the crazy one here" Jin grunts when Taehyung bites down on his neck in a poor attempt to muffle his cries.

Jungkook then leaned forward and cradled his hyung's tiny face into his large hands, eyes lovingly latching onto the doe like ones of Jin's," You're part of the Kim mafia. If we're not crazy, this business won't flourish on its own right?" He joked but when he saw Jin still looking at him with that unreadable visage, he dropped his small smile and seriously stared right back, "I want you leave home by early morning tomorrow. Your bags have been packed and your passport is ready. We-We bought you tickets to Japan where you can stay for as long as you want. We won't come to look for you because we don't know where you'll be there. No tracking devices, no spies. You're on your own. Take as much as time as you want, do whatever the fuck you want free of cost, we have your back. We'll support everything you'll do. And if you wish to never return, that too we'll re-respect hyung. But you need to leave before we wake up because once we catch hold of you, we're never letting you go baby."

"You're letting me go?" Jin whispered, voice just a feeble tremor and Jungkook wanted to scream a huge 'no' but instead the youngest nodded with a smile he hoped looked genuine enough. Seeing the hope shine in Jin's eyes made their heart flutter and shatter at the same time. They had always hit, now it was their time to take the blow. They were letting a huge chunk of their heart go.

That night the four of them slept huddled so tightly, it was as if they were afraid to let each other go; Taehyung laid on top of Jin, his face tucked into the crook of Jin's neck, sniffling every now and then and his large hands gripped onto his waist tightly. Jimin laid beside Jin, latching onto his side, face mushed against the older's chest. Jungkook didn't come to sleep immediately- He chose to sit at the corner of the bed and just blankly stare at the huddled bodies. When he came over to sleep, no one knows, but at the end, he chose to curl himself behind Jimin, arm stretched enough to lay on Jin's stomach. Three of them trembled with fear and feeble hope while one lay with questions and doubts...but he knew his decision. It was for the best.

**************************************

Jin left, not even a note left on his desk. But according to the housekeepers, Jin had kissed them goodbye while they were asleep, all three of them bone tired to even wake up from reflex. That did warm up their shattered hearts a little. But the happiness was short lived. As the day progressed, the three fought, they screamed at each other, they thrashed the whole mansion till the point it was unrecognisable. Expensive vases shattered, wine bottles stained the white walls purple or red. But when the day came to an end, they just had themselves to rely on. They cried their bleeding hearts out as they clutched onto each other for support. Everything crumbled around them as if a chunk of their heart was pulled out with sheer force; It hurt.

A month passed by and the three kept their hopes up. Their Jin loved them, they knew that for sure. He would return to them soon. He doesn't have to forgive them; they were ready to sacrifice their whole lives to apologise to their lover and treat him the way he deserves. They wanted to start their relationship all over again. The three have gone through several difficult phases in their life where they had to sit down and think them over. But this one? The prospect of losing Jin forever terrifies them to the core. Many people would say that it was for the best- It was time to let go and move on. But doing it is the hardest part as easy as it may sound. And they were not ready to let their lover go, no matter how selfish it sounds. At this point even if Jin didn't belong to them, they would always belong to him. Jin will be their last wish, their last breath of life.

The month soon became three, followed by a five and finally a nine. Jin never set foot inside the mansion. Taehyung dragged his life by just fulfilling his duty as the mafia leader; attending seminars, finalizing business deals, ignoring marriage proposals which were nothing more than a business transaction; taking care of the underworld was never easy. Jimin and Jungkook both busied themselves in the side businesses, often overworking themselves to the point they could barely stand. But till date did they ever let their hopes waver. They, for the first time, believed in hope and optimism. Even if Jin doesn't come back to them, they will always love and cherish him.

Seokjin on the other hand, was living a different life altogether. He was...confused. Wasn't this what he wanted? Freedom? Then why did his soul feel incomplete? The first month in Japan, he had rented a small studio to live in. For once he wanted to live in something small and not large empty spaces- The small studio comforted him like a warm hug. Jin loved taking long strolls along the river; he would just blankly walk for hours and enjoy the beautiful weather the city had to provide. The freedom felt priceless for some reason and for once he felt relieved- no malice in his heart, no fear in his mind. Only peace.

His landlady was a tiny crazy old cat woman who loved Jin like her own grandson. She would sometimes drop off her seven cats at his studio to babysit whenever she wanted to travel or go to clubs to party. Initially Jin hated the idea of so many cats in his small room. But they were just so cute and adorable, he couldn't resist his weak heart. Two months in, he always anticipated the cats' visits. Two were ginger cats who were absolute crackheads, two were completely night black and Jin would cry every time he couldn't find them, two were albino white blind cats and were possibly the calmest cats off all time and the last of the seven was a sphynx. Jin likes to call him Chicken because why not?

Time just went by- he loved cooking for his crackhead but kind landlady, loved it when she would include him in her trips with her friends- the old ladies loved Jin like their own and would often tease him for his beauty and strength. They made Jin carry their luggage and Jin wouldn't lie and say he hated it, quite the opposite actually. He taught his neighbour's children biology and chemistry. It was just so easy and fun to live alone.

But when the night came and it was time to go to bed, Jin would always cave in and silently cry. He was so lonely. He terribly missed Namjoon and Soobin. He would scroll through his gallery for hours end and just blankly stare at the pictures to reminiscent the memories which the pics held so dearly. But most of all he missed Taehyung, Jimin and Jungkook.

They were his life for around 7 years. Five years' worth of friendship and two years of what, Jin doesn't know how to label their relationship. But what he does know, that he is madly in love with the three of them that's for sure and for once he had finally decided to embrace his feelings. He doesn't feel guilty anymore and knowing that they were not his family's murderers made things easier for him.

He missed their touch, their whispers of affection, their overprotectiveness and their mere presence. He missed the anticipation he always felt whenever their eyes would meet. He missed how delicately they treated him, the cuddles and most of all, he missed their vulnerability. It always gave him peace to know that his lovers trusted him with everything. The men who never cried did actually cry, always in front of him. He felt needed, wanted and loved by them.

And now that the three of them had finally verbalised their feelings to Jin, it was like hitting the final nail to the coffin. His heart had completely surrendered to them. He needed them to feel complete. But at the same time, he knew that they needed this break- to realise what went wrong, to repent and to acknowledge. Seokjin knew that he would eventually return home to them but he doesn't want a repeat of everything that had happened. He is ready to forgive but he isn't ready to forget.

Hence after 9 whole months, Jin set his foot in Seoul. He felt re-energised and positive of his comeback. He even dyed his hair purple on his own, his bravery running wild the day he dyed it. Initially he felt insecure of his bold choice of colour but after seeing the awestruck faces of his landlady and her friends, he accepted that indeed he rocked the look.

He ran his fingers through his soft hair as he removed the strands away from his face- He missed his city. He promised his friend back in Japan that he would return to her eventually. As a token of remembrance, the landlady gave her only sphynx cat as a gift to Jin- she knew he had a soft spot for that cat. Seokjin had informed Taehyung's secretary of his arrival and he had also asked her to keep his arrival a secret from the three. The lady in question only blushed knowingly.

The drive to the mansion was filled with thoughts- Jin questioned their health, were they eating well, sleeping well. Then his thoughts spiralled down wherein he wondered whether they were angry at him or not, whether they still loved him with the same intensity or not, whether they would accept him back or not. Jin doesn't know what his next plan of action would be if they rejected him but he would accept their decisions with a good heart. He will try to move on with his life with all his good memories and his beautiful fur friend by his side.

Jungkook was busy gardening, while Jimin smoked a cigar by the swimming pool. Taehyung was in his office going through his gallery, his fingers raked over Jin's sleeping face, the man's face mushed on his shoulders and mouth ajar. He looked so beautiful to Taehyung it brought tears to his eyes. He still missed Jin so much but he was a man of his word. When he said he would give his lover the space he wanted for whatever period of time, he meant it.

All the three men perked up in high alertness when they heard a car enter the premises of their land. A sleek black limousine entered their vision and all of them gripped their guns tightly which they had hid in the back pockets of their pants. But questions swam in their minds when they recognised it was their car. And confusion gripped their minds when they saw their secretary and butler exit the car first.

Taehyung rushed down to the main gate, anger building up from within but stopped dead in his tracks the moment his eyes landed on the shaded windows- his eyes widened in sheer shock and disbelief. Even though the guest had not exited the car, he could clearly see the faint silhouette and his sharp eyes could never fail him.

He can recognise his Jin in any form, far or near.

The head butler stepped forward to open the door and finally there was the moment of truth; the fruit of their honesty and utter patience and perseverance- their Seokjin hyung.

Jungkook fell on his butt in utter shock when he saw their hyung ever so cautiously and nervously step out the limo. Jimin on the other hand couldn't move even when the cigar had started to burn his fingers. His vision had unknowingly started to blur but he kept on gaping as his eyes raked at every minuscule movement of his lover.

The purple hair had them weak on their knees. Jin looked so fresh, so youthful, just so perfect and healthy. Jungkook couldn't help but swallow his sob down when he saw his hyung wearing the blue kore sweatshirt that he had gifted Jin on his 35th birthday.

The secretary patted the three boys' shoulders reassuringly and both the staff members left them alone for their much-needed privacy.

Jin had tears streaming down his face and he hated himself for failing to keep his composure. He even couldn't remember his speech he had prepared with so much dedication, the paper crinkled in his pocket.

With trembling lips and voice feeble, Jin cried out, "I-I'm home"

No sooner did Jin say those words than Taehyung rushed forward with such speed, it had both the men staggering to the ground when they both crushed themselves into a bone crushing hug. Jin let out a groan when his back hit the green moist ground but his head was protected from the impact by Taehyung's large hand. Jin wrapped his arms around his lover's neck as he brought their lips into a ravenous desperate kiss. Soon their kiss started to taste salty as tears mixed with their saliva but not once did they stop feasting on each other's lips. Nine months, they were separated for nine whole months and nothing could fill in the gaps that had drilled itself in their hearts. They craved this intimacy, this touch, this reassurance that yes, they were finally together.

Jungkook and Jimin soon rushed forward and entangled themselves into the mess of limbs, warm bodies and wet kisses.

Jin was home.

They all were.