Helsinki chapter 10: What was left in Shanghai.
Helsinki syndrome is a term sometimes used incorrectly in place of Stockholm syndrome. It’s use in literature is often ironic and deliberate and literally means when a captive refuses to cooperate with their captor.
Summary: A war of wits does have some rules too. But if one party refuses to acknowledge the sacred rule of leaving family out of it, the other must retaliate stronger to quell any such advances for the future… Or at least that’s what Min Yoongi told himself when he abducted Kim Namjoon’s younger sister. That was before he realized that this elaborate game of chess didn’t have just two players and before he had promised Namjoon he’d keep her safe, But also before he realized that one month was enough to leave his whole life in chaos.
Genre: MAFIA AU, slight yandere themes, smut, a happy sprinkling of fluff/comfort, and a truckload of ANGST.
WARNINGS: SMUT! (I added markers if you wanna skip) Making out, humping, fingering, jacking off, cursing, mutual masturbation, definitely something that might be regretted later, floof ball Yoongi NO ONE IS READY FOR HIM, Taehyung being vulnerable, a dam of memories bursting, massive meltdown, Yoongi ready to swing fists, Yoongi’s heart breaks (more than once), all the Tae enthusiasts might feel some type of way, a heartbreaking goodbye, did I miss anything???
Pairing: Main pairing: Mafia!MIN YOONGI X READER
Others include: Collegeboyfriend!Hosoek x reader + Mafia!Taehyung x reader + Kidnapper!Seokjin x reader.
Word count: 7.6k words
Helsinki Navigation
Author’s Masterlist
Feedback is always appreciated. Leave a comment, or let’s talk in reblogs!
A/n: Maybe a week or two’s break from Helsinki coz I have a new series to tease you guys with?
Taglist: @rosquilleta @parkdatjimin @gaeguuliii @bebejungkook @minniesvenus @themochiverse @darkafterhours13 @sugasbultornebae17 @silentkei @definetlythinkimanalien @zae007live @badbyeyoongi
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The next morning dawned fresh and bright. But when you went downstairs, there was no flower on the ornament table, and the dining room was gloomy and empty, the table set for only one.
“Ahjumma, is it okay if I have my breakfast here instead?” you stood in the kitchen doorway, hating the silence that engulfed the house.
“Ofcourse my dear,” Mrs Fen nodded.
After breakfast, you were gathering the plates to place in the sink when it dawned on you that you had absolutely nothing to look forward to the whole day. That made you feel sadder. And to think you had been looking forward to the day.
“Ms. Kim, I was going to take a day off since both the masters are absent. Is that okay with you?” Mrs. Fen’s voice snapped you back to reality.
You smiled weakly at her, “Of course! You’ve worked really hard. I’ll be okay.”
“There are extra bodyguards outside on Mr. Min’s orders. You’ll be safe, I’m just worried that you’ll be bored.”
Extra bodyguards huh? You shook your head. “I was going to take a nap. And I asked Taehyung if I could play with his playstation earlier, so I’ll be fine.” you assured her.
Mrs. Fen nodded contently, moving to wash the dishes as you wandered out of the kitchen, into the living room, and sat down on the couch, staring at the blank tv screen. Presently, you heard Mrs. Fen going towards her room and you decided to go back up to yours, in want of anything better to do.
Something that preferably involved a certain dark haired, cold hearted mafia boss.
You didn’t know when you had dozed off, all you knew was you woke up with a start, your heart beating fast. You had had a nightmare, but even as you tried to grasp onto the fading remnants of it in your mind, it readily disappeared from your memory. You rubbed your eyes, looking towards the clock that told you it was late in the afternoon. The house was still and silent around your ears, and suddenly you felt claustrophobic. Your room’s walls seemed to be closing in on you, the luxurious interior seemed to be eating away at your peace of mind and you felt your breath come in short pants.
You stood up, swiftly moving to the door, and throwing it open. Absent-mindedly, you made your way back downstairs, before something caught your eye. A giant bouquet of flowers sat on the ornamental table in the hallway, that had definitely not been there when you went up. Eyes wide, and mind distracted from the panic that had been setting in, you approached the table cautiously.
You recognized the flowers instantly. They were all the flowers that Yoongi had left you over the course of the week. Every single one of them showing off their wonderful bright colours and unique petals while still blending in with each other making a splash of colours and beauty and delicacy that held your eyes delightfully.
You cooed, lifting it off the table, mesmerized by it, before it dawned on you that there was only one person here that would give you flowers. “Yoongi…” you whispered, already running halfway up the stairs, the bouquet clutched to your chest.
Yoongi’s bedroom door shook with the force of your knocks. Immediately, you heard swift footsteps from the other side, a smug smile settling on your face at the urgency you had instilled in him. The door flew open and a wide eyed Min Yoongi stepped out.
“Are you oka-” he couldn’t even complete his sentence before he was smothered in a hug that he most definitely was not expecting.
“Hey…y/n…” he patted your back as you clung onto him, aware by now of what you had done and incredibly embarrassed of it, holding onto him, only because you were too red to face him right now. He chuckled, his shoulders moving under your arms, as his hands came to rest on your sides and pushed you off gently.
“It’s nice to see you too.” he nodded, his tone definitely teasing.
You rolled your eyes, but still shuffled a little closer, still trying to disappear somewhere that didn’t have him, which was ironic since you were waiting for him impatiently not a few hours ago.
He didn’t know what came over him, as he leaned lower, resting his head against yours. Shocked, you finally raised your gaze to meet him, something that made you gasp at the tenderness and longing you saw in his eyes. Had he missed you?
Yoongi, on the other hand, was fixated on the way your hands held onto the bouquet of flowers he had left for you. You looked so beautiful to him at that moment, his heart thudding in his chest at the proximity and intimacy of the fact that both of you were alone in the house.
Without thinking, his hand found its way under your chin, cupping it and holding it in place, as he bent down and placed a tender kiss against your lips. He opened his eyes when he heard your breath hitch, only to see your eyes closed, your head tilting forward, chasing his lips as he pulled away. The softest smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, he kissed you again, pulling you to him, a soft sigh escaping him as you kissed him back.
(SMUT)
Wordless, you both let your bodies do the talking, as your hands bunched his shirt above his strong chest, holding him close to you, pressing the flowers against his hard muscles as they were squished against both of you, and his hands held your waist tightly, holding you to him, his tongue licking across your bottom lip.
He started walking backwards, pulling you with him. He sat down on his bed, and you easily straddled his lap, your forehead resting against his, your mind silent and your heart working overtime to pump blood, something that the aggressive red tint on your face was quick to give away.
Both your heavy breaths mingled, Yoongi’s big hands roamed aimlessly across your back, soothing you strangely. You looked down at the flowers, smiling at them and placed them to the side, before they were completely ruined.
Your weight right above Yoongi’s crotch was not helping his restraint at all. He felt himself getting harder, the feel of your warm, soft body under his hands fuelling the lust that was easily clouding his brain. He blinked repeatedly, then looked up at you, who was staring at him with a storm of emotions raging in your eyes.
You kissed him again, taking him by surprise, and pleasantly cementing the suspicion that you had infact, missed him. He kissed you back, willing to take whatever happened, at your pace. But that idea was also quickly shot down as you grinded on his considerably hard erection. Yoongi pulled away with a gasp, biting his lip and regarding you with lidded eyes.
“Are you sure you can finish what you’re trying to start?” his voice was thick.
You nodded, wiggling your hips, the firmness in his pants feeling great against your own core, that was quickly getting wetter.
Yoongi wasn’t completely sure what had taken over you, but as long as he had your consent, he’d be willing to play along to whatever. Which is why, he wasted no more time, grabbing onto you and pushing you off him and onto the bed, hovering over you, gauging your expression before crashing down on your lips.
His deft tongue was quick to enter your mouth and steal away your breath, and whatever sense you had left was quickly robbed as his foreign but welcome fingers found their way between your legs.
You moaned softly, making his dick twitch, as he kissed along your jaw, holding your face to the side to give him room to have his way.
Your thigh was between his legs, resting right next to his dick, that was straining his jeans by now, as he humped your leg, a pleased sigh fanning against the wetness he’d left on your jaw.
His fingers still teased your wet heat from above your panties, which were quite damp by now. That had to change. You angled your hips, chasing his fingers for more of the welcome friction that he was getting from you but was denying you. “Goddamn it Min, I need to feel you.” You growled.
Yoongi smirked, but was willing to give you what you wanted. And soon enough, he had pushed your panties to the side and was running his fingers through your wet folds. “So damn wet.” He mumbled.
You sighed in pleasure at the soft sensation, arching your back against him as his fingers worked your slick across your clit, vibrating it, causing pleasant thrills to shoot up you.
It had been so long since you had had sex, something that your body was quick to remind you as you were already sopping wet and madly aroused by his fingers only.
The fact that both of you were still fully dressed, made the whole thing even filthier and forbidden in Yoongi’s eyes. His fingers, wet and coated in your juices, pulled back for a moment as he unbuckled his belt and unzipped himself, sliding his pants and boxers down, just enough to have his dick out.
You, who still had your eyes shut, and chest heaving, felt his hand guide yours to his length, which you grabbed onto willingly but refused to look at. You pumped him, feeling just how thick and long he was, but still would not look at him.
Yoongi didn’t care, he was aware that the situation that both of you had found yourselves in might well be a mistake that you’d regret later, and as long as he felt satisfied in the moment, he’d worry about later, later.
His fingers found their way back to your pussy, where he continued his ministrations, going crazy at the wonderful little sounds you let out. Soon, the both of you found a rhythm among yourselves, stroking each other in unison as you rocked your hips up against Yoongi’s touch, your eyes shut and breathing labored.
It was when you felt a finger ease into you that your eyes shot open and you regarded him.
“Is this okay?” He asked.
And just like that, you clenched around his finger, finding his ever readiness to ask for permission so goddamn sexy. Somewhere in the back of your mind, you wondered if he was this moral in his business affairs, but that was a question for another day.
Another finger entered you and you grabbed onto his dick tightly, feeling the stretch now. The strong grip you had on him, made his dick throb, something you felt in your hand, making you smirk. You increased your pace, breaking out of the rhythm you had created with Yoongi, determined to make him cum before you.
But the knot in your stomach told you another story as Yoongi scissored his fingers inside you. Your pumps became urgent and the pressure your palm applied increased as Yoongi bit his lip, catching onto what you were doing. “Easy there doll.” He warned you, his free hand pushing your thigh wider apart.
“Oh God…” you sighed as he caressed the inside of your thigh, his thumb circling your clit as the wet, lewd sounds of your pussy surrounded the both of you. Yoongi felt your walls clamp on him, and knew you were close. But so was he.
Was this a war of wits? He wondered, curving his fingers inside you to hit your g spot. You nearly screamed “Right there!”
He rutted his hips into your hands as he tickled your g spot, blood rushing to his head. “I’m gonna cum” you groaned.
“Me too.” He agreed, meeting your pumps with his hips and your hips with his strokes. The knot in your stomach tightened and your heart thudded, knowing what was coming, every muscle in your body was taut.
And then you were cumming, clenching around Yoongi’s fingers as raspy moans fell from your lips as Yoongi vibrated your clit, overloading your senses.
As you were still recovering and coming down, your hand still working, you heard Yoongi’s breathing become shorter. As you looked up at him with wide waiting eyes, he grumbled a prolonged “Fuuuuuck” before releasing his hot load right on your hand.
You smiled shyly at him, withdrawing your hand, taking the paper towels he handed you to clean it, you felt like your head was much clearer.
Yoongi let his weight fall, half on you and half on his pillows. “Safe to say you missed me?” He teased.
“Thank you for the flowers Min,” you said, snuggling upto him a little.
“You’re welcome sweet girl.” He petted your hair, making your limbs heavier and lids droopy as your breathing slowed.
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How you fell asleep again after literally just having woken up from a nap, was a mystery you would never solve, as you woke up once again to see the room dark and the space next to you empty. The bed wasn’t yours, that much you knew instantly, but it took a few seconds for the rest of your awareness to come rushing in, and realization to strike that this was Min Yoongi’s bed. One that he wasn’t in right now.
You groaned, hiding your face in the pillow you lay on, immediately being assaulted by his scent. As you lay there, limbs aching slightly, you wondered what to do now. Should you leave and go to your room without facing him? The idea seemed good, but you knew yourself. You knew you wouldn’t step out of that room from embarrassment until Mrs. Fen would come back and rescue you. But the alternative wasn’t very pretty either. Staying here and waiting for Yoongi to find you didn’t seem like a good idea either.
As you lay there, contemplating your choices, the warmth of the duvet and the chilly air of the air conditioning started working their magic on the haze in your brain, and before you knew it, you were deep asleep again.
.
You woke up with a start this time, honestly wondering if you had been drugged.
But you couldn’t think about it much longer because you had to bite back a scream as an arm tightened around your waist. Stilling your movements, you held your breath and looked to the side, to be greeted with a sight so soft, you had to remind yourself this wasn’t Heaven.
His eyelids fluttered, and a little gasp left his lips. You smiled involuntarily at the little frown that formed between his brows. And then you realized he was waking up, awkwardness flooding back into you, replacing the peace the soft moments had brought you. But before you could shift away from him, he had grunted and was pulling himself closer to you, until his face was hidden in your chest.
Yoongi was deep asleep right next to you, one arm flung carelessly across you, holding you to him, his lips parted slightly, his expression smooth and oh so peaceful.
You stared for god knows how long, a cacophony of emotions rumbling inside you. How could someone be this goddamn beautiful? How did he look so innocent when you knew full well the nature of the man he was when he was awake. You could stay here for an eternity, because this Yoongi that you beheld, was perfection. And you never wanted to lose sight of him.
At that moment, you swear you melted. And also, you were perfectly sure this was definitely not Min Yoongi. That, or this was a dream.
His arm loosening around you was all the permission you needed and you nearly jumped out of the bed, sprinting out of the room and back into your own, with a thundering heart and red cheeks, leaving a still sleepy, but fully aware Yoongi alone in his bed.
“Good morning.” a gruff, sleepy voice sounded muffled right next to your heart. Oh God, what was he doing to you? Why was this so uncomfortable, yet felt so right?
“Mornin’” you whispered back, and you felt him smile. Your heart felt like it would break. You had to get out of here. You squirmed, “I have to go to the bathroom.” you said, pulling the excuse out of the blue, just to have him release you.
.
You missed breakfast that day, even though you hadn’t eaten anything the whole day prior, you just couldn’t bring yourself to face Yoongi yet, and since Mrs. Fen didn’t come up to offer to bring it to your room, you figured, she wasn’t back yet. Another reason not to descend those stairs.
When you left your room later, you tiptoed to the kitchen, hoping and praying you wouldn’t find Yoongi anywhere. But if luck had ever been on your side, you wouldn’t be here in the first place, because Yoongi spotted you from the door of his study.
“Could you come in here after getting something to eat?” he called out, making you halt in your advances, facepalming yourself, something that effectively made Yoongi laugh, hiding his face behind his hand to muffle the sound. You were too damn cute for your own good.
When you came to stand in his doorway, he looked up. “I was thinking about how you said Greek mythology intrigued you, and we have some books on it. Taehyung went through a mythology phase once, and his study is quite stocked in texts about it. Feel free to grab a book you like.”
“Oh.” you said simply.
Yoongi rose, “Here, have a seat, I’ll go bring you some.”
You were about to object, about to say that you could go get them yourself, about to say that you’d rather read alone, but none of those objections came out, and Yoongi was gone, leaving you to carry your plate of food over to his desk and sit in one of the chairs, awaiting his return, a strange thrumming in your chest.
Presently, he came back, carrying a pile of leather bound books that he placed in front of you. “These are all I could find on the Greeks.”
And that’s how you found the activity you’d do for the coming week.
You fought back a smile. “Um, Thanks I guess?” you said, following him with your eyes as he sat across from you, his posture relaxed as he resumed whatever he was doing on his laptop earlier.
“Don’t mention it.”
It was on one of those days, that Yoongi wordlessly rose from his own chair, circling the table moving towards you. You didn’t think much of it, by now used to his habit of walking around the study to stretch his legs and ease his thoughts, but he came and sat next to you. You looked up from the book you were reading, holding him in a questioning gaze.
Your days after that seemed to be going so smooth, you sometimes found yourself admiring the domesticity of it all. Mrs. Fen came back later that same day, and had wordlessly accepted the companionship that you and Yoongi seemed to share.
And so, without judgment, you had immersed yourself in the battles that Zeus had fought, and the lovely food that Mrs. Fen cooked, and the comfortable silences that Yoongi extended between you.
“Would you like to talk to your brother?” he asked.
Your heart skipped a beat. In the back of your mind, there had always been this small thought festering that you should talk to Namjoon. The last time, you hadn’t ended on good terms, and this was the longest you had gone without talking to him, but it was so foreign to you that it didn’t seem to bother you anymore. In fact, you had seldom thought about your family members, in a way that would make you sad. Just like that day you had realized in the kitchen that the emotions of grief were muted, you found yourself reminiscing many memories, often fondly, but never sadly. So when Yoongi asked you this, you felt a little unprepared to answer.
“What’s gotten into you suddenly?” you countered.
“It’s just that, you’ve been following all the rules and have been such a little delight,” his hand extended and ghosted over yours, that still held the book. Your arm jerked. “And I wanted to reward you somehow.”
The word reward didn’t sit right with you. In fact the whole situation didn’t sit right with you. Your mind had been docile, your panic had been at bay these past few days. It had felt like you were being much kinder to yourself, and now suddenly, many intrusive thoughts came rushing back in. Namjoon wouldn’t want to talk to you after the way you’d hung up on him earlier. Why should you embarrass yourself by calling him and getting hung up on. You didn’t want anything to do with anyone at the moment. Unless it was… no, you wouldn’t think about him. You wouldn’t think about Hoseok because shutting him out of your mind had been the only way you had survived this long.
You shook your head, adamant. Yoongi frowned, but remained silent. Your reaction confused him. Shouldn’t you have been jumping for joy at the aspect of talking to your brother? What was this then. That’s when he noticed the little tremble in your hands. “Y/n, are you alright?” he asked, concerned.
Later that evening, Mrs. Fen excused herself because she had a headache, leaving Yoongi and you to your own devices, and announcing that she had already made dinner and that you’d have to help yourselves. When your stomach started grumbling, you decided it’d be a good idea to go in.
You slammed the book shut, rising swiftly. That was a mistake, as you immediately saw stars and braced yourself on the back of Yoongi’s chair.
“Hey, woah.” he stood up, holding onto your hand with both of his.
“Let go,” you snatched your hand away and made towards the door, escaping the stuffy study and walking out into the garden, the only area of peace you had here, a few stray tears leaking out of your eyes.
“You can tell me if you want to talk to him, on your own time.” he said.
As you stood in the kitchen, your plate of food ready to steal away to your room, Yoongi (who had been waiting for you to appear) made his way into the kitchen.
Wordlessly, he took your hand. You stood there for a moment, awkward and uncomfortable, but didn’t pull away, still feeling bad about the way you had snapped at him earlier.
Fixated on a spot above his left shoulder, you nodded.
“Y/n?” he called your attention. You looked at him at that. “Have you been crying?” He wasn’t a fool, he could see your wet lashes.
You shrugged. Yoongi’s heart clenched. “I–” he had no words. He couldn’t believe he was the cause of your suffering once again. And he had been trying to be nice this time. He didn’t understand what went wrong, and he wanted to make it better. But he knew his words wouldn’t be enough, since you never trusted the words he had to say.
But there was something about the way your red-rimmed eyes looked up at him that had him convinced that he had to make the hurt go away. Without thinking, Yoongi was leaning his head to kiss you. Your eyes widened, clearly seeing what was coming. Your heart thudded as you rose on tiptoe to meet him halfway, smiling a little when you felt the shocked little twitch of his lips when yours met his much sooner than he had anticipated.
The kiss was gentle and sweet, something that none of your numbered kisses earlier had been. It made your heart thud and your legs turn to jelly in the most wholesome way. The surety with which his big hands held your waist gingerly, and how his lips were impossibly soft against you, sent a couple of stray tears rolling down your cheeks. Yoongi pulled away at that, a tormented ghost of ache flitting across his eyes. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.
Yoongi pulled back, regarding you for a moment. “Well, we can’t have that. I think I’m annoying enough to frustrate you, why are you making it hard for you on top of that.” he lips quirked, “Am I not annoying enough?”
You smiled a watery smile, “Believe it or not, it wasn’t you this time Min.”
“Oh, yeah?” Yoongi sounded pleased, but then a little frown came back to mar his features, “Then what was it?”
“Me.” was all you gave him.
You giggled, “No, you’re plenty annoying, please don’t go and get more annoying, I think I might end it all at that.”
Something dark flashed across Yoongi’s face, before he gathered himself, and shook his head, “Just have dinner with me.” he tilted his head to the plate of food next to you.
“Sure.”
.
The next morning came cloudy and overcast. It was quite chilly, and you swiftly realized you didn’t have any jacket or sweater to fight it. Mentally cursing yourself and Taehyung for pretending to be so thorough with shopping and forgoing the very idea of warm clothes, you pulled on a full sleeved t shirt and some jeans, pulling the sleeves down over your hands as you made your way downstairs, accustomed to the routine by now. What you didn’t expect was a familiar booming voice coming from the kitchen. Taehyung was home.
And he had heard your footsteps even before you had appeared in the doorway. He rushed out to greet, “Hi y/n!” he said cheerfully.
“Tae!” you were genuinely overjoyed to see him.
“How have you been?” his long arm came to rest on your shoulder comfortably, which irked you for the slightest moment, before his bright smile and chaotic energy had swept you into the dining room without you realizing it.
“I’ve been well.” you smiled at him, as you caught Yoongi’s eyes, who was silently sitting at his usual place. “Good morning.” you nodded at him, to which he smiled softly.
After a fairly cheerful breakfast, where even Mrs. Fen joined you three at the dining table and Taehyung talked quite alot about things which you only half understood, mostly because it was full of chemical names for stuff you dared not think about, Yoongi rose and Taehyung followed suit. As Mrs. Fen began collecting the dishes, you were already on your way to Yoongi’s study, your comfortable armchair waiting for you.
Taehyung looked between your retreating back and Yoongi’s slightly smug face with wide eyes. The only reason that Yoongi missed the flash of betrayal on Taehyung’s face was because he was too busy looking at you fondly.
Taehyung clenched his fists as Yoongi returned.
But you had only just parked your behind cozily in your spot, when Taehyung cleared his throat in the doorway, “Y/n, would you mind giving us a few moments?”
You looked up with wide eyes, not confused, just processing. But Yoongi thought you had been offended. “We can go to your study Taehyung, she’s already comfortable.” he was quick to say. But you were already on your feet.
“No, it’s okay. I was thinking of going out anyways.” you said, making your way to the door.
“Wait!” Yoongi grabbed a black hoodie that lay on the couch and was swift on your heels, overtaking you in the hallway. “It’s chilly outside.” he handed you the hoodie, not looking you in the eyes, as you took the hoodie, smiling coyly.
The familiar fan-shaped leaves greeted you, casting shadows deeper than the grayness that the clouds overhead cast. The trees shook with wind that was playing with your hair too, and you would have been cold had the warm hoodie not been swallowing you up. You resumed reading the page you had left off on, settling against the thick trunk, the light just perfect.
You made your way out into the garden, cozy in your new pullover, which was currently making your mind work overtime because of how much it smelt like Yoongi.
You couldn’t help your mind wander to a few nights ago when you had been engulfed in his sharp cologne when you had hugged him so tight, when he had made you feel so good. A warm feeling tingled in the soles of your feet as you made your way over to your beloved gingko trees.
You were immersed in the lore of Hera, when you heard someone clear their throat above you. You looked up to see Taehyung smiling gently at you.
“Hey!” you said cheerfully, scooting over to make room for him.
He sat down next to you, “Hey.” he said. “I see you raided my bookshelves.”
“Not me, exactly, Yoongi got them for me.” you shrugged.
Something was bothering him, you knew that much. But would you have to coerce it out of him or would he tell you himself? “You’re… not talking as much. Is everything okay?” you asked. As soon as the words left your mouth, you were double-thinking yourself. He might easily just be tired. Not everything had to be so deep.
Even though you had called his brother by his name in front of him multiple times, Taehyung couldn’t help the pang of anger and slight jealousy that went through him.
“You’ve been gone for a while. Have you been well?” you asked him, placing the bookmark in place and putting down the book. Taehyung hummed, uncharacteristically silent.
“Yeah,” he sighed, “Just a little tired. And I’m not looking forward to the flight back.”
“Flight back? Are you going back already?” you asked, pouting slightly.
Taehyung smiled at you, despite himself. “No, not just me. We’re all going back.”
“Huh?”
“I’ve been scouting out places where you can stay in Korea. I know you’ve been homesick, and I think I found the perfect one.” he stopped to gouge your reaction. You were only staring at him with eyes wide in wonder. He had found a way for you to go back? You wanted to hug him as tight as you could muster, but you had a gut feeling there had to be a catch, so you waited.
“Please be good though, it took such a long time to convince hyung to move back, and I hope you won’t mess it up.”
You shook your head in disbelief. You had been on your best behavior, so why was Taehyung implying that you were some unmannered little kid that would bring disgrace. Not to mention the fact that he still hadn’t told why he’d gone to such lengths.
“Why though?” you asked.
“Huh?”
“Why did you work so hard to find a safe place for me to stay when I’m fine here?”
A hot flash of anger wrecked through Taehyung. That was downright ungrateful. You on the other hand, were sure you hadn’t shown many signs of being home sick, especially to him. Both of you felt their questions and actions were justified.
“Because…” he swallowed.
You raised a brow.
“Well, because I really like you. And I wanted to make you a little less miserable.” he said, looking you straight in your eyes.
You frowned. He really liked you? Did that mean what you thought it did? You pulled the sleeves of the hoodie over your hands, making little paws as you folded your arms across your chest. “What do you mean?”
“As simple as that. I really like you, and I know it might seem delusional at the moment, but I see myself with you. And I want you to give me a chance to show you how much I mean that.” he said, not a hint of a joke in his usual jolly nature.
Your heart dropped, your skin paling. This could not be happening.
“Tae… no.” you said softly.
Taehyung’s eyes snapped up to you, questioningly. “What do you mean no?” he asked, voice perplexed.
“I… I already have someone…” you mumbled, feeling the memories you had locked away leaking out slowly.
Taehyung also felt his heartbeat increase, for other reasons altogether. Yoongi’s fond gaze came back to him. Had his brother beaten him to another thing? He felt an overwhelming wave of breathlessness take over him. This couldn’t be real, but the way you were hugging that cursed hoodie was not helping his suspicions.
“Who?” his voice came out disgustingly meek.
Now, naming Hoseok would be signing on his declaration of doom. You could never do that to him. Hoseok’s loud, soul healing laughter rang in your ears after so many days. There was a stubborn lump in your throat. “You don’t know him.” you croaked.
You had a feeling Taehyung didn’t believe you. So, you gave him your most convincing power stare. He stared back, hopelessness flashing in his eyes. “He’s been my boyfriend for a long time. He’s probably worried to death about me.” With every syllable, you felt your resolve crumble. You broke eye contact, the hopelessness you had seen in Taehyung’s eyes settling in your heart. Please, let him believe you.
Taehyung, on the other hand, felt a little relief settle into his heart. So, his brother hadn’t gotten to you. The rest, he could handle. But for now, he had to be the considerate friend he knew you had come to trust. Only then, would you trust him with more information about this bastard that you seemed to have deluded yourself into thinking that he had some claim on you. And so, Taehyung smiled at you, his kindest, most understanding smile, mixed with the pitiful sad hints he could play so well.
“Oh…” he said.
“Y/n-ie, wait!” he called after you, but you were zooming across the garden, your breath coming in short pants. You stumbled on the stairs that led to the front door, falling almost onto the door frame, pushing it open with such force that the whole door shook.
Relief washed over you. He believed you.
“I’m sorry, Taehyung.” you felt like you needed to apologize for breaking his heart. It hurt you unexpectedly, his defeated expression. But before he could say more, you were already scrambling to your feet.
“Y/n?” Yoongi’s concerned voice called from the study, which you completely ignored. You rushed upstairs, banging open your door.
The walls of the room that was your safe haven all this time, suddenly seemed to be closing in on you like they did the first day you were here. You clutched your heart, in agony with how much it hurt. You could not get Hoseok’s image out of your head. His ready smile, and little dimples floated in front of you, his loud laughter seemed to be coming from the deadly silent walls, his lithe hands seemed to be intertwined with your own shaking ones. “Y/n-ie, I’m a patient man, I can wait.” he had said to you, whenever you had been scared of talking to your parents about marriage. He had always assured you. Reassured you. In every little step you took, he had been your soft place to land on. He had always urged you to be your own person. “After all, I don’t want you regretting stuff you didn’t do when we’re 80 and surrounded by our wild grandkids.”
“Why will our grandkids be wild?” you had been offended. He merely laughed, mumbling something about taking after you.
“It’s hard falling asleep if I don’t talk to you.” his cute voice reminded you. You clawed at your throat, struggling to hold in the scream that you wanted to let out.
“I love you, my little sunshine.”
‘Hobi… Hobii!’ you sobbed, collapsing to your knees. You missed him. How had you survived so long without him? It was ridiculous how you hadn’t thought about him all this while. You didn’t deserve a love this pure. Someone as selfish as you. ‘Hobi.’ you gasped, curling into yourself on the rug, trembling at the onslaught of memory upon memory that wrecked your heart. “I’ll be right here when you tell them.”
“Y/n…” the painfully familiar voice called you. You refused to open your eyes to meet the no doubt concerned gaze that you knew you’d see.
“Go away.” your voice was raw.
“What did Taehyung say? Did he hurt you?” Yoongi persisted.
But his concerned questions were background noise to you. You couldn’t focus on what he was saying. Not when you were being drowned in realization of another blasphemy you had committed. The memory of Yoongi’s lips on yours felt like acid being poured on your brain, forcefully corroding away those precious memories you held so close to you.
“Y/n?!” Yoongi’s voice was urgent, his fists clenched, his jaw tight. He would slap Taehyung to the other side of the world if he found out he had hurt you.
“Fuck you, Min, Leave me the fuck alone!” you cried, a hiccup interrupting you.
Yoongi gasped, lost as to what was happening. He felt panic rising up a storm in his guts. You were locking him out with no information. What had those ten minutes in the garden done to you? Because for the first time, Yoongi was positive he wasn’t the one making you this miserable. But you refused to even look at him, much less tell him anything.
All the while you sobbed as if someone had punched a hole through your heart, hugging yourself, the hold absolutely useless when it came to providing you with comfort. Yoongi felt his throat constrict. He scrambled to get up, before his emotions got the best of him, and he was rushing downstairs in the next instant.
“What did you do to her?” Yoongi’s cold, angry voice reprimanded Taehyung, who was just stepping in.
Taehyung looked at his brother with a mixture of fear and questions in his gaze. “I didn’t do anything.” he stated, truthful to his own knowledge.
Mrs. Fen, who had been organizing the bar, was also standing in the doorway of the drawing room, ready to step between both the boys if need arose. After all, the last time she had seen Yoongi this angry at his little brother was when Taehyung had blown up one of Yoongi’s favorite cars in a high speed chase and had barely escaped without burning himself.
“Well, apparently you did something wrong because she was alright when she stepped outside yet just now I left her crying as if you shot her family right in front of her. So I suggest you fess up.” Yoongi’s hands were trembling.
Taehyung felt a little roll of unease. Were you really that upset? Did the idea of being with someone like Taehyung repel you that much? Taehyung looked down at his hands, no doubt stained with so much blood of people he never bothered to know about. It made sense. He was a monster. But he’d never be a monster to you. Never.
Yoongi, on the other hand, mistook the gesture entirely, a growl ripping from his throat as he took another step closer to Taehyung.
“That’s enough.” Mrs. Fen stepped between both men, placing a firm hand on Yoongi’s chest. “If Ms. Kim is that upset, let’s go figure out why that is, instead of ripping each other’s throats out.” There was no room for argument.
“I don’t think she’d want to see me.” Taehyung mumbled, making Yoongi strain against himself again. This fucker probably messed up big time. And here Yoongi was, excited to see how you’d react to going back to Korea. The moment was, needless to say, ruined.
The elderly housekeeper was already on her way upstairs, to find you leaning against the foot of your bed, your knees pulled up to your chest, and face hidden in them. Her heart hurt. What had you done to deserve to be this miserable? She silently got to her knees next to you.
“Y/n?” she called gently.
“Of course, my darling.” she said, making the empty promise regardless of the fact that she had no clue what your future held, except for the blind faith she had in Min Yoongi’s heart. She raised her hand to cup your cheek, wiping away the wetness that sat on your cheeks, “You’ll be okay, my strong girl.” she whispered.
You looked up, eyes red and tear streaks fresh on your face. The innocence and heartbreak visible in your eyes tore the housekeeper’s heart. What exactly had happened?
“Will it ever be okay again ahjumma?” you whispered.
It felt like your mother was leaning in front of you, kissing your scraped knees after you had fallen down while playing, your brother the culprit, hiding somewhere in the house. Reaching to the small corner of comfort, you didn’t realize when your arms had wrapped around the older woman. You rested your head against her shoulder, crying loudly, as if mourning the death of a loved one, the ache in your heart starting anew as if an old wound had been ripped open again.
“I miss them. I miss them all ahjumma. Will I ever see them again?” you wailed.
Mrs. Fen remained silent, her heart screaming prayers that you would, her hands rubbing your back and you shook in her arms.
Yoongi, who stood in the door, invisible to both of you in your own bubble, felt himself crumble at your words. He disgusted himself, because he was the reason. Once again, he was the reason you were crying your eyes out. When would he learn? Every negative emotion you felt would lead back to him. He was the cause of your misery. He would remain that until he let you go again. An unfamiliar stinging in his eyes caused him to lean against the wall, and take a couple of shaky breaths. He’d make it better. He always wanted to. But this time, he’d actually try.
A heavy sadness sat over you too. You knew, if all went well, you’d never see Mrs. Fen again. And you were well aware, that if it hadn’t been for her, you would not have survived the weeks you managed to in this house. “I owe you more than you know ahjumma.” you said, voice hoarse.
A couple of extremely silent hours later, a suitcase filled with stuff you had gotten from here, sat in the entrance hallway, as you sat with Mrs. Fen in the kitchen, silently holding her hand.
“The boys will be back before I know it. At least Taehyung comes to visit often. It is you who I will miss so terribly.” the older woman said sadly.
She shook her head, “No, child. You brought innocence and happiness to a house riddled with evil. It is we who owe you more than you know. More than you ever will.”
“I wish we didn’t meet like this.” you said wistfully, not ready to say goodbye just yet.
“You met me when you needed me y/n. And you’re leaving because you don’t need me anymore. Every person in our lives brings something with them. And I, for one, know that you brought me companionship and a bond I had long forgone hopes of having.” she smiled at you. “So cheer up, because this may be farewell, but isn’t it special to have had something that makes saying goodbye hard?”
Tears fell down your cheeks silently. Indeed, this goodbye was harder than you had ever anticipated. Mrs. Fen reached out for your hand one last time, “You’ve been good for Yoongi. Selfish as that may sound, I had forgotten what it felt like to see Yoongi content with life. In the little time you’ve blessed us with, you’ve been good for him.”
You were too stunned to speak. Yes, Yoongi and you had established somewhat of a fellowship in the past few days, but you hadn’t noticed half the things the keen housekeeper had. You smiled softly, “I hope you take good care of him ahjumma. I don’t think I can continue being good for him after all the ratchet things I said to him earlier.”
She laughed airily, “He’s heard worse. But as long as you’re with him, take care of him for me will you?”
You nodded out of respect. There was no universe where Min Yoongi needed someone like you to take care of him. But the heart of Mrs. Fen was the heart of a mother when it came to the two men currently making their way to their cars, after Yoongi had loaded your suitcase into his own. You could atleast leave one person with an easy heart.
You hugged the housekeeper, who finally let a couple of tears fall, and kissed your forehead. You stepped out onto the front porch, looking out into the garden, your respite. Your safe place. The line of gingko trees next to the house, whose beautiful leaves had provided you with a canopy of fantasy to escape to, the soft, well kept grass that you had walked over barefoot many times. The garden was another thing you’d miss. Surprisingly, there seemed to be a lot of those things, for a place that had been your prison.
You turned away, and silently got in the car. Goodbyes were never easy, you reasoned.
