Make It Right [BTS Mafia!AU]

Make It Right [BTS Mafia!AU]

Pairings: Jin x OC | Taehyung/Hoseok x OC | Yoongi/Jungkook x OC Genre: BTS Mafia!AU Warnings: Graphic Violence, Heavy Language, Angst, Smut, Slow Burn WC: 2923 “It’s always darkest before the dawn…” It’s a dog-eat-dog world in Seoul, South Korea. One has to dwell in the shadows in order to reach for the light. What are you willing to sacrifice in order to feel the sunlight on your face? What will it take to drag you back into darkness? How long will the journey be to make it right?

AO3 | WP

Chapter 09: I’m Fine

"I’ll keep telling myself, Even if I fall down again...I'm fine."

Raelyn rarely slept.

Then again, it came with the territory. Just because a person had a certain shift that they were given didn’t mean anything. There were few professions in the world that “never sleep” and working in a hospital was one of them. The other, from what she understood, was television news broadcasts. Just like news staff, hospital personnel were always on call.

She didn’t mind it. This was the occupation she chose, and she wouldn’t have traded it for anything. Not even for a few more hours or sleep. Or hell, even one more hour of sleep.

But there were times, very few times, where she would have made a deal with a demon if it meant getting just fifteen more minutes. Even five.

This was one of those mornings.

Raelyn didn’t know how long she’d been asleep, but she could recite exactly how many hours she’d been awake.

Thirty-six, to be exact.

The very minute that the car accident victim was wheeled in through the ER entrance, she knew she was in for the long haul. On a normal day, she would have had just one more hour until her shift was over. Throw in one of her co-workers calling in sick and well, that pretty much summed up the next day and a half for her. If she wasn’t running around gathering all the medical information on the patient, she was administering sedatives and making sure everyone else was taking the right number of breaks so that they didn’t pass out when they were needed in a pinch.

It got a little scary around the twenty-ninth hour. Some of her fellow nurses didn’t think the victim was going to make it through the morning, let alone through the night. A few morbid cynics were actually taking wagers. In this line of work, sometimes you needed to make light of even the worst situations to get through it all.

Otherwise a person would go certifiably insane.

Once everyone was dismissed and assured that the patient was, in fact, going to make it, Raelyn felt like her bones were going to turn into jelly. She’d collapsed into a chair, the physical and mental exhaustion finally taking its toll. A few of the orderlies made sure she was alright, asking her if she needed to take a quick nap in one of the employee rest areas. But Raelyn knew her body. She needed a cup of coffee; just enough caffeine to get her back home so she could pass out for the next twelve hours.

Crossing the threshold of her modest apartment, she barely remembered hanging up her coat or even stepping into her house slippers. She didn’t even really remember stripping out of her scrubs, throwing them into the hamper, or even taking a quick five-minute shower. The only thing that really registered through her body was climbing into her extra-large sweatshirt and falling into her bed face-first. If her phone died in the middle of her nap, so be it. She was off for the next two days as per the orders of her supervisor.

Like she was even going to argue.

Beep. Beep.

Raelyn groaned, rolling over onto her back while scratching her stomach. The soft beeping noise barely registered at the forefront of her mind. Exhaustion held strong, keeping her tethered to the bed and she pulled the mink blanket up across her body. Sometime in her sleep she’d pushed it off of her and instantly regretted it.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

That noise again.

That goddamn noise again.

Her eyes slowly opened and she moaned, her vision attempting to focus. The stream of moonlight that slid in through the bedroom windows helped her to see better in the dark. Was she dreaming? This had to be a dream. There was no way she fell asleep that hard only to be woken up by some damn noise she could barely even hear. That was just crazy.

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

It was the buzzer from the front door.

“…you’ve gotta be fuckin’ kiddin’ me,” she muttered, sitting up on her elbows to look around the room. Her eyes lingered to her nightstand, the digital clock’s red numbers mocking her of the time.

4:27 AM

She angrily threw the covers off her, almost tripping into her house slippers, before shuffling her way out of her bedroom and into the living room. Hands brushed up against the wall, attempting to feel for the light switch and the living room was flooded with a soft amber lighting. Raelyn had never been a fan of bright light and she had lamps everywhere – keeping the atmosphere ethereal and comfortable. It was easy on her eyes that way, especially when she didn’t have her glasses on.

Crossing the small distance to the front door, she reached up to the panel where the door camera was. Pressing the button, the screen lit up but all she could see was the top of someone’s head as they seemed to be leaning against the door. She watched as their hand lifted to press the door buzzer again and it was then that she noticed it was stained with blood.

Gasping, she unbolted the door and threw it open. A man practically fell into her arms and his sheer weight caused her knees to buckle slightly. Bracing most of her weight onto her back leg, she wrapped her arms tightly around the person before ushering them inside – her leg extending out to kick the door closed. When she heard the security lock latch and beep, Raelyn took a moment to see just who was in her house.

The silvery blue and black hair was unmistakable, and she nearly dropped him on accident.

“Taehyung-ah!”

He groaned, attempting to look up at her as he gave her a pained smirk. “Hey…Rae Noona…”

It was here that she was able to get a good look at him now that he was brought into the light. His right cheek was slightly swollen and showing tell-tale signs of bruising. There was a cut over his left brow, leaking a fresh red trail of blood down his cheek that began dripping onto the floor. Hand prints were left on his throat – angry red welts and small scratches from where nails had gotten hold of him.

The worst, though, was the injury around his stomach. The one he was clutching on to so desperately. Raelyn surmised that he’d gotten hit badly in his stomach. Maybe a group assault? She couldn’t be sure. She knew for certain that it wasn’t a gun. In South Korea, unless you were a police officer or military, civilians were prohibited from owning firearms.

That or if you were a hired assassin, but this wasn’t some damn action movie.

Hefting him up as best she could, she ushered him into the living room where she laid him down on the floor. His clothes looked a mess, like he’d been rolling around in the dirt. But his hand was still clutching at his stomach and she could now see the red stain blossoming across his shirt. Raelyn’s lips formed into a thin line and she stood up, making her way toward her bathroom where her emergency first aid kit was located. She then picked up her glasses from her nightstand and put them on. She was going to need her sight completely for this, she could already tell.

When she returned to the living room, she saw Taehyung attempting to sit up and she quickly knelt beside him – her hands on his shoulders and urging him to lay back down. However, as gentle as she was, her face spoke her anger in volumes.

“Lay back down unless you want to make my job harder,” she snapped once she was able to force him back down. “Let me see.”

Taehyung’s brows furrowed but instead of moving his hand, his fingers curled into a fist to grip even tighter into his shirt. Raelyn had to resist the urge to growl at him, instead focusing her attention on opening the first aid kid. She could feel the onset of a migraine right near her left temple.

“Boy, if you don’t move your goddamn hand, I’m going to make you.” She glared at him. “Now let me see.”

He seemed to be considering her words before he finally loosened his grip, his hand sliding off his stomach. She saw the injury and a wave of relief hit her. It was just a stab wound. Lifting his shirt up, Raelyn’s eyes inspected the wound before pressing two of her fingers around the cut. He hissed slightly, but that was to be expected. Thankfully, it wasn’t deep. But he was still going to need stitches.

Her stony expression remained. “I have to disinfect this and it’s going to hurt like hell. You want something to bite on?” She watched him shake his head as she soaked some gauze in rubbing alcohol. “Are you sure? This is your last chance.”

“Woman,” he grunted, half laughing as beads of sweat broke out across the bridge of his nose, “just hurry up and get it over with. I’m dying.”

Raelyn rolled her eyes. “You’re far from heading to your grave, I can assure you.”

Just as he opened his mouth to throw some other kind of smartass comment at him, she pressed the gauze to his cut and watched the bright white cloth immediately change to red. Taehyung yelled, clearly unprepared for her assault. But it served him right. She slept for maybe two hours before he showed up on her doorstep, bleeding all over her entryway. She wiped three more gauze strips over his stomach, moving his hand to cover the last one.

“Put pressure on this.” Raelyn began threading a needle. “Don’t move.”

“W-Wait a minute,” he protested, trying to sit up but she put her hand on his forehead and all but shoved him back down onto the floor. Taehyung coughed, clearly surprised by her strength. “Wow, your bedside manner is terrible, Noona.”

“Shut-up,” she said, her tone icy as she finished threading the needle. “You don’t get to bitch after waking me up in the middle of the night.” Dipping the needle in the rubbing alcohol, her dark eyes lingered on him for a moment. “Move your hand.”

“What?” He blinked up at her in disbelief. “You’re just going to go at it? Just like that?”

Her neutral expression didn’t waver. “You wanna bleed to death?” Needle still in hand, she pointed to her front door. “The door’s right there. Do it out in the hall.”

Taehyung coughed while trying to catch his breath. “You are so mean.”

Now she pointed the needle at his face, right between the eyes, causing his eyes to cross slightly. “Keep it up and I’ll sew your mouth shut.”

Holding his hands up in surrender, he turned his head so he wouldn’t see her work. Satisfied that he was going to keep his mouth shut, Raelyn began stitching up his wound with absolute precision. It only took about fifteen minutes, but it was fifteen minutes of silence she appreciated. Sweat dripped from her brow and she quickly lifted her arm up to swipe at it with the back of her wrist. The stitches needed to be tight so that the scarring would be minimal. The last thing she wanted to hear was Taehyung bitching about how his oh-so-perfect abs had been marred.

Once she was finished, she placed some gauze to the injury and secured it with medical tape. He sat up, taking note of her handiwork, and she set aside the bloody rags and dirty needle to be tossed out. Closing the first aid kit, Raelyn turned to look him square in the eye.

“You’re fixed. Now get out.”

Without waiting to hear him out, she got to her feet and made her way to the kitchen. She needed to wash her hands and probably splash some cold water on her face. Then she was going back to bed and she dared anyone to try and stop her.

Taehyung followed her. “Wait. That’s it?” She didn’t look at him as she threw the bloodied gauze and needle into the trash. “You just sew me up and throw me out?”

She didn’t look at him. “I’ll bill you later.”

Raelyn’s hand went to the faucet to turn it on, but Taehyung’s larger hand encircled her wrist before forcing her to turn around and look up at him. She could see her irritated expression reflected in his eyes as he, too, gave her an equally irate face.

“You’re not even gonna ask what happened?”

“I don’t need to ask. I’m not blind. I know exactly what happened.”

“And you’re just gonna brush it off like it’s nothing?”

“Like I said, I’ll bill you later.”

He frowned and while she appeared unaffected on the outside, Raelyn was infuriated from within. This was what she was talking about the last time she spoke with Taehyung. This was the kind of shit she was trying to keep away from her life. It was one thing to be a nurse and help someone who was bleeding out on an operating table when it was a stranger. It was a completely different issue when it was someone she knew. The life that Hoseok led, the life that the rest of them led, that violent path to claim dominion was something she quickly realized she didn’t want to be part of. It was undue stress. Especially since they were still trying to make a name for themselves.

It was why she broke up with Hoseok two years ago. He told her that it wouldn’t always be like this, but that was a risk she wasn’t willing to take. Her past held enough scars. She didn’t want to add more to it by worrying about whether or not the person she cared for would get cut down at any given moment. And she sure as hell wasn’t about to become a liability for them either. Raelyn wasn’t going to keep Hoseok from the path he wanted to walk, but walking that path beside him was something she didn’t want to do. She wasn’t ready to. Hell, she didn’t think she’d ever be ready.

And now Taehyung showed up, beaten up and bleeding in her personal sanctuary. Was he fucking crazy?!

“Look, Noona –”

“No, you look!” She yanked her hand free from his grasp, using it to smack his chest hard. He took a step back, blinking at her in surprise. “This is the kind of shit that I was trying to avoid the first time around, Kim Taehyung! Do you have any fucking idea what it’s like to wake up in the middle of the night and have someone bleeding out on your doorstep?!”

She smacked him again.

“Wondering when the hell someone you care about is going to kick the damn bucket? Huh? Do you?!”

This time she punched his shoulder, her lower lip quivering slightly.

“I lost count how many times Hoseok would come here, beaten up and bleeding all over the goddamn place. And like you, he’d just laugh it off and promise me that things would get better.” Raelyn angrily wiped at her cheeks. “Well you know what? I got tired of waiting for things to get better. I fuckin’ told you this already and you just won’t listen!” Not wanting to look at his worried expression anymore, she buried her face in her hands. “You’re such a fuckin’ asshole.”

Raelyn took several deep breaths, refusing to lose it or cry. She had to stand her ground on this. Because if she didn’t, she was going to have to admit to herself that she cared. She told herself a long time ago after ending things with Hoseok that she valued her freedom more than anything else. Raelyn couldn’t afford to waver. Not now.

Silence seemingly stretched on forever between them and then she felt Taehyung’s arms encircle her in a warm hug. Biting her lower lip, Raelyn had to remind herself not to cry. Instead, she took three deep breaths and lowered her hands, inhaling softly. Taehyung smelled like Curve for Men and rubbing alcohol. She sniffed, collecting herself. Taking a step back, she noticed that Taehyung’s hands were resting at her lower back. Warmth touched her cheeks and she could feel an ache inside of her chest - an ache Raelyn was desperately trying to ignore.

She took another step back, clearing her throat loudly before reaching for a rag on the counter and shoving it into his hand. He looked at it curiously and she pointed to the door. “Clean up that mess you left in the hallway before the cops show up wondering what the hell happened.”

Taehyung grinned, the color coming back to his cheeks. “Can I make you breakfast to make up for everything?”

“I don’t care. Do what you want.” She watched him turn to leave the kitchen and head to the front door. “I’m still billing you later.”

A ghost of a smile touching her lips as Raelyn heard him chuckle just as he closed the door behind him. Once it clicked closed, she sighed and pressed a hand to her forehead. This was going to be problematic. She could tell from a mile away.

Yet there was a part of her that just didn’t have the heart to turn him away. Not this time.

Make It Right [BTS Mafia!AU]

Pairings: Jin x OC | Taehyung/Hoseok x OC | Yoongi/Jungkook x OC Genre: BTS Mafia!AU Warnings: Graphic Violence, Heavy Language, Angst, Smut, Slow Burn WC: 2,771 Prologue 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 “It’s always darkest before the dawn…” It’s a dog-eat-dog world in Seoul, South Korea. One has to dwell in the shadows in order to reach for the light. What are you willing to sacrifice in order to feel the sunlight on your face? What will it take to drag you back into darkness? How long will the journey be to make it right?

AO3 | WP

Chapter 10: So What?

Anastasia cradled her cup of coffee in her hand as she sat at her desk in her upstairs loft. She scrolled through a series of emails, work and non-work related. On her days off, she normally didn’t indulge in busying herself with work things. But it was the third day and she was feeling antsy. This was her fourth cup of coffee and she was only just now starting to feel the effects of it.

There were a few clients she was planning on getting in touch with about a few ambitious business ventures that she was hoping to steer them clear from. Not that she was above taking a few risks in her life. She certainly wouldn’t have gotten this far in her own company had she not impulsively taken the plunge. But she also didn’t believe in going “all in” unless there was a guarantee that success would be waiting on the other side.

Her eyes lingered on the screen for a moment longer, a low groan issuing from her throat. Anastasia couldn’t stop thinking about the offer that Kim Seokjin put on the table for her. It wasn’t like it was some chump change he was throwing at her. While she had to get her hands on the actual contract for her to be sure, Anastasia never earned that amount of money in an entire month. Double the amount and she could remember that that was what she would make in a full year when she first started out with her company.

Who said “no” to that much money?

No one, that’s who, came the bitter thought.

She stood from her chair, picking up her phone while still holding her mug of coffee. Anastasia ignored the messy blankets on her bed. It was her day off and she didn’t feel like she had a need to straighten up. She’d already done laundry for the day and had every intention to lounge around in her pajamas all day.

In the back of her mind, Anastasia was hoping that Seokjin was just messing around. There was no way that he could afford to throw that kind of cash in her face. At least that’s what she wanted to believe. But then she thought back to a conversation she had with Jungkook back when they were still together. He’d been upfront about his association with the Golden Jackals. He was a gangster, plain and simple.

Blame it on her naivety, but she always believed that anyone associated with the mafia was rough around the edges, getting into street fights and being mowed down by guns. Sure, civilians owning guns outside of sporting and hunting was against the law in South Korea – something she was internally relieved and grateful for. People could get into brawls and, hell, if someone was persistent enough, they could kill with a set of metal chopsticks. But it curbed the violence significantly. When she’d started dating Jungkook, he always looked so put together and the rest of his friends, his “brothers”, were equally well-kept.

This was the glamorous side of the mafia, she guessed. Anastasia remembered the ridiculously large mansion Tony Montana had in Scarface or the deep family connections that were intertwined in The Godfather. But this wasn’t some movie or book or television show. This was the real-life Korean mafia she was dealing with and, frankly, it hadn’t been so bad. Jungkook had been a gentleman and was always sweet to her. However, the feelings only stopped to a certain point and they both agreed that they were better off as friends.

But even in that short amount of time, Anastasia had seen the boys struggle from time to time. Not as much as they probably let on, but she’d still seen it. At least from Taehyung, Jimin and Jungkook. She’d crossed paths with Namjoon and Seokjin by chance and she’d seen Hoseok at a glance. Yoongi was often gone, leaving on business trips here and there. Was that when things were starting to get better? When things were less dirty and leaning toward something more legitimate?

Jungkook told her once that they were trying to play it straight, but they just weren’t ready yet. It wasn’t time.

Is now the time? Is that why Seokjin offered that crazy deal?

Making her way down the stairs from her loft, Anastasia sipped her coffee – her mind focusing on what the motive could be. And why her? Why did he seek her out personally for something like that? Was it because of her connection with Jungkook from the past? But they weren’t even together anymore. Why would that even hold any bearing on wanting to hire her to handle something as important as money?

Beep. Beep.

Anastasia jumped, a soft squeak pushing from her throat as the door buzzer to her apartment sliced through her thoughts. For a moment, all she could do was stare at her front door and blink. She looked at her phone, noting the time but not seeing any notifications. No text messages. No missed phone calls. Not even any new email pings.

Maybe if she pretended not to be there, the person would go away. Besides, there was no way that Seokjin was able to put together a perfect contract in three days. She’d been in enough meetings and engaged in numerous business dealings to know that contracts were amended and changed until both parties were absolutely satisfied. Seokjin knew what he wanted from her, but that didn’t mean that he knew what she wanted from him.

A handful of seconds passed, and she sighed – her body pulling toward the kitchen so she could start a pot of tea. No more coffee. She’d had enough. It was time to wind down.

Loud banging issued from the other side of the door and Anastasia jumped again, dropping the cup into the sink with a crash. The ceramic cracked down the side and she frowned as her coffee leaked into the sink and slid down the drain. Her lips pressed into a thin line, brows furrowing over her eyes. A few strands of her hair fell across the bridge of her nose before she blew them off her face in frustration.

She stalked towards the door, feet heavy even in her house slippers, and wrenched the door open angrily. “What in the ever-living fuck?!” she yelled, not caring if her neighbors protested. Clearly, her unannounced guest didn’t care about them either, what with them banging on her door like that.

On the other side stood Seokjin. He seemed unfazed by her outburst, holding out a manila envelope out to her as well as a brown paper bag. He must have stopped by somewhere on the way. Smiling, he waited for her to take either one or both from his hands.

“Breakfast?”

Blinking at him, she wasn’t sure what to make of this. Anastasia was expecting a parcel, not a personal visit. Part of her was a little impressed with his persistence, but then a spark of irritation jumped near her temple as her cheeks flushed a soft scarlet.

She was standing around in her sleeping clothes while he looked dressed to the nine. Like always.

He shook both things in his hands, the noise bringing her attention back to him. He continued to smile while Anastasia frowned, attempting to look indifferent at how Seokjin was now seeing her in all her unkempt glory. She snatched the manila envelope from him, pivoting on her heels and making her way back into the kitchen. Seokjin would surely be behind her and the resounding beep of her security lock only confirmed it.

He slid the bag on the small island in her kitchenette. Anastasia filled the electric kettle with water, pulling out two mugs. She wouldn’t give him the pleasure of hearing her ask if he wanted tea. She’d just give it to him and dare him to be rude and not drink it.

Out of the corner of her eye, Anastasia watched Seokjin taking in his surroundings – as if he were appraising her interior decorating choices.

Say something, she thought, I dare you.

“I like your place, Anastasia,” he commented while folding his hands behind his back, still looking around.

“Thanks,” she muttered through clenched teeth. She’d never tell him that she appreciated his compliment.

The kettle whistled with life and she threw two oolong tea bags into the cups, pouring the boiling water over them. She set the steaming cup on the counter while cradling her own cup between her hands. Seokjin noticed the cup of tea and he smiled, reaching out for it as he bowed his head politely.

“Thank you for the tea,” he said, blowing the steam over the rim of the mug. Anastasia took a seat in one of the chairs at the counter and he sat next to her. “Enjoying your day off?”

She rolled her eyes. “Should I not be?” Sipping the tea carefully, she set it down off to the side so she could open the manila envelope. “I can’t believe you drew this up in three days.”

He gave an easy grin to her and shrugged one shoulder. “I’m a man of my word.”

“You gave me no such thing,” Anastasia responded with snark, opening the flap of the envelope and pulling out a stack of papers. Her eyes took note of how thick the contract was and she had to force herself to keep a neutral expression. “Jesus.”

“I left nothing to chance.”

She scoffed. “We’ll see about that.”

Reaching over the counter, she fished around the container where some of her kitchen utensils were until he fingers grasped the handle of something. Pulling it forward, she flopped back into the chair and lifted the magnifying glass up to her face. Anastasia could practically feel Seokjin’s eyes boring into the side of her head.

“…you actually have a magnifying glass?”

Whipping her head to glare at him, she raised a brow. “Why? Don’t you have one?”

Seokjin laughed. It seemed he was unable to hold it back and he held his hands up in surrender before reaching into the bag to retrieve a few containers. “Take your time then,” he said, setting out the containers of fresh fruit, croissants, jam and a carton of orange juice.

“I will, thank you.”

As he set himself to the task of putting breakfast together, Anastasia’s eyes moved back to the contract. All she needed to do was find one thing wrong and she could tell him to get to stepping. Sure, it was an offer that a person would be stupid to refuse. Anastasia wasn’t stupid. If anything, she’d been money hungry since she was a child. Her family kept pushing her to focus on a career that was stable – forcing her to ultimately give up on her dream to open her own restaurant.

Making money was easy, she learned. Managing money was a little more complicated, but not impossible. Maintaining a business that could see success for years to come? That was something she’d lacked when she first started out on the path to her dream. A path she stepped out onto faithfully and failed at walking on miserably. Business finance was her next step and she found that she had a knack for it and there was a darker side of her that loved the thrill of knowing how to handle large sums of money so easily – like they were handfuls of marbles.

Detail-oriented to the level of being a pest, Anastasia knew there was going to be a flaw. There was going to be a clause somewhere in that contract that wasn’t going to sit well with her. And when she finished stripping it down to the bare bones, she was going to send Seokjin packing.

But with each turn of the page, she felt her worries beginning to mount. Ten pages in and she hadn’t found anything misleading or dissatisfying with the terms of the contract. If anything, most of the details drawn up were in her favor. There was no penalty for breaking the deal once signatures were placed and if there was a breach of contract, it was the fault of the benefactor – the employer – and Golden Star would pay the price, as well as provide reparation and a hefty severance pay.

Overtime was given and any outside expenses were covered through Golden Star. Goosebumps peppered out across the back of her neck as a new realization dawned on her. From what the contract was stating, Golden Star was wanting to consolidate assets and merge several companies under a few umbrellas. They would invest in those ventures. All the companies were owned by people she knew.

They were all owned by the top-tiered members of The Golden Jackals.

“…shit.” Anastasia quickly slapped a hand over her mouth. She hadn’t meant for that to be said aloud.

Shifting her eyes toward Seokjin, he smiled as he handed her a plate with a croissant with cherry jam and a side of sliced apples and strawberries. “Something wrong?”

She hesitated at first before taking the plate from him, swallowing thickly as she set the plate down beside the contract. “No.” Her voice came out quiet and she turned to the last page.

All that was left was to sign her name. She looked to the left side of the paper to see that Seokjin had already signed his.

Seokjin leaned back in the chair, holding his mug of tea to his lips. “Is there anything not to your liking in the agreement?”

Anastasia set her magnifying glass down next to the plate, ignoring the soft clink it made when it hit the counter. She wasn’t sure she had enough words to properly convey what she was feeling. Hell, she didn’t even know what this feeling even was. She rarely needed to read something twice, but even if she did, she already knew that she would not find anything wrong with the contract.

It was perfect.

Dammit .

She’d lost and she knew it.

Worse still? Seokjin knew it too.

Lifting her head to look at him, he finished his tea and moved to stand. Anastasia remained rooted to her seat, watching him pick up her cup and heading into the kitchenette. The sound of running water barely registered until the clinking of glass brought her out of her inner thoughts. Looking at him, she saw him shrugging out of his blazer so that he could roll up his shirt sleeves.

“Wait a minute,” she began, rising to stand, “what are you doing?”

He picked up the broken mug and threw it into the trash, then set to cleaning the dishes. It didn’t take him long and she watched him set the mugs in the drying rack near the sink. Grabbing a clean kitchen cloth, he dried his hands and rolled his sleeves back down while looking at her.

“Enjoy your breakfast.”

Really? That was all he had to say after all that? No bragging, gloating, or rubbing into her face that he’d succeeded where she believed he would fail?

She watched him slide back into his blazer, fixing the lapels of the jacket. He brushed some of his hair out of his eyes and gave her a knowing wink, his legs moving toward the front door. He stepped out of the house slippers and put on his dress shoes, lacing them up swiftly and then turning to glance at her over his shoulder.

“So,” he said, his smile widening a measure, “I’ll see you in two weeks.” Seokjin’s eyes flitted down to the contract. “Bring that with you.”

And then she watched him leave her apartment. It wasn’t until the latch clicked and her security lock slid into place did she finally react. Anastasia fell back into her chair and stared at the breakfast he’d prepared, wide-eyed and amazed. Her eyes moved to the contract and that was when she snapped, baring her teeth and then grabbing the paperwork. She threw it into the air, a loud yell bursting from her lungs.

He’d gotten the best of her. Again.

Once she’d calmed down, Anastasia let out a long sigh. There was no reason for her to say no. There was nothing in the contract that bound her to the point of feeling like a prisoner. 

So, really, there was only one thing left to do.

Pulling out her phone, she began typing out an email.

She would need to schedule a meeting with her supervisor first thing tomorrow morning.  

“Wait a minute,” she began, rising to stand, “what are you doing?”

He picked up the broken mug and threw it into the trash, then set to cleaning the dishes. It didn’t take him long and she watched him set the mugs in the drying rack near the sink. Grabbing a clean kitchen cloth, he dried his hands and rolled his sleeves back down while looking at her.

“Enjoy your breakfast.”

Really? That was all he had to say after all that? No bragging, gloating, or rubbing into her face that he’d succeeded where she believed he would fail?

She watched him slide back into his blazer, fixing the lapels of the jacket. He brushed some of his hair out of his eyes and gave her a knowing wink, his legs moving toward the front door. He stepped out of the house slippers and put on his dress shoes, lacing them up swiftly and then turning to glance at her over his shoulder.

“So,” he said, his smile widening a measure, “I’ll see you in two weeks.” Seokjin’s eyes flitted down to the contract. “Bring that with you.”

And then she watched him leave her apartment. It wasn’t until the latch clicked and her security lock slid into place did she finally react. Anastasia fell back into her chair and stared at the breakfast he’d prepared, wide-eyed and amazed. Her eyes moved to the contract and that was when she snapped, baring her teeth and then grabbing the paperwork. She threw it into the air, a loud yell bursting from her lungs.

He’d gotten the best of her. Again.

Once she’d calmed down, Anastasia let out a long sigh. There was no reason for her to say no. There was nothing in the contract that bound her to the point of feeling like a prisoner. 

So, really, there was only one thing left to do.

Pulling out her phone, she began typing out an email.

She would need to schedule a meeting with her supervisor first thing tomorrow morning.

Hey everyone! How are you all? - P (Your secret admirer :D)

Why hello, oh mysterious secret admirer! We're quite well, thank you. How about you? 😁

Edge of Forever [BTS Space!AU]

BTS Space!AU [ ♧ ✪ ✿ ☆ ❂ ☾✘ ] “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.” The stage is set and the stars are the guide for the lost souls that have congregated to one point. A fixed constant in the universe for others to discover and fulfill their wishes but will it come to ruin for others?

Pairings: BTS X OC (s) Genre: BTS Space!AU Warnings: Graphic Violence, Heavy Language

AO3

Chapter 11- What I’ve done, PT. 2

"Put to rest what you thought of me While I clean this slate With the hands of uncertainty"

There was no denying it, Nyala could sense it closer now and was confirmed when Yoongi told her about the man in the cell. She, however, had to pause at his words because it was almost like he believed or was it because of something else? She had noticed that he became abrasive towards Vairuit and cold towards Jimin, which she knew about the latter since their… talk. She would have been a fool to dismiss the looks that she received from him since then. She still needed to talk to him about that particular skill that he had but the times had gone from slow to harrowing in the span of a couple of days.

So she obliged Yoongi in his request for her to go and investigate the man. Still, what she found even surprised herself. The man was waiting on them, hands on the now mended bars when she walked up. She took off the mask and his face went through the expressions of recognizing her species which meant that he’d been traveling around for a while.

“I expected the guy but not you Miss Ifrit. Can you tell someone that the repairs on this level aren’t cutting it? Every time they try a test, the systems nearly fail and I’m not allowed near any types of electronics or gear to fix it.”

“How do you know that?” Her eyebrows rose in surprise at his words, deep and cutting as he called them out. He scoffed and pointed at the lighting, Kibeth telling her in her earpiece that he was scrambling the sensors again since they had rebooted. The lights flickered as he did so and her face landed back on his as he put his hand down at the proof. The both of them looked at each other and nodded, acknowledging the man’s skills. However, there was still the matter of the Federation and the fact that the man actually wanted to stay in custody. Yoongi attempted to glean the information out of his mind, to actually use his abilities on the man but he was met with some rather violent actions.

The man suddenly reached out and grabbed Yoongi by the front, the unexpected long reach that he had and pulled him harshly against the new bars. Nyala grabbed onto the man just as soon as Yoongi hit the bars and attempted to loosen the hold. She was even prepared to show him what it was like to suddenly show violence but the man’s next words were enough of a warning for them all.

“The next time you want to use your abilities on me, Min Yoongi --I suggest you ask first. God, all of you are just the same. You fuckin’ take and take because you have the ability to. Well, what happens when your ability causes death or are you so high and mighty that it didn’t even occur to you?”

The man released his hold, throwing Yoongi away from him. Nyala scuffled over to help him up but he refused her help, jumping up to face him instead. His eyes were narrowed as he stared possible murder at the man before scoffing and throwing his hand up, leaving Nyala to deal with him. She sighed again, knowing that this third defeat at the hands of people who were practically strangers was a mighty blow to his ego. She could tell that he was a gentleman but the hard life that he had been living had warped that disposition greatly. Crossing her arms, she took another look at the man before saying anything. After all, the man knew who he was and would also possibly know who she was. That could put their whole operation into jeopardy, should he decide to flag an officer down.

“So you’re not just some random man who lives the life of crime but someone who is talented with his skills. You must know who I am by now.” He nodded, going back to his seat and watched her as she took another breath. “Well… I have a proposition for you.”

"No.”

Nyala stood there, mouth barely working when he vehemently made his decision before she even got to the proposition. How could he even deny her when she hadn’t even said what it was about? He stared at her again and waited for her to say something else but instead, she reached in her coat and pulled out the device the schematics of the Antares , tossing it to him. The device clattered to the floor and she left without another word to him. Curious, he reached out and picked it up with a frown on his face. The buttons softly beeped at him as he looked through it, eyes growing wide.

Still, she had left and he had precious information on him. His heart was heavy as he reviewed the data, not only of the ship but of an android that seemed to be a key part to the ship. The details also showed that the android was damaged and since it was a real piece of technology, they wouldn’t have any way of fixing it without someone either talented or knowledgeable. His heart hurt, remembering why he was even there in the first place and nearly threw the device against the wall. Something stopped him, a voice in the back of his head that whispered memories from people long ago. Those same people that he had killed, their blood on his hands. They told him to help, to not let it happen to others. They pleaded with him to not turn his heart away and to redeem himself in other ways instead of rotting away. He hung his head and his hands shook, the voices that had come back after a long while.

He’d been sleeping a dreamless sleep for a while but recently, the nightmares were back to remind him of what he’d done. Now the voices had come back again as well but they spoke different words to him that day.

For the first time in a long while, he cried.

Nyala stood there in silence as the console blinked at her. Why did she even do that? Just threw sensitive information about them to a prisoner, one that could just easily turn them in. She knew deep down that her words weren’t going to reach him, he had closed himself off so securely that not even prison would bother him. Yet, she could feel the pull on him as if someone was pointing to him. They needed him and whatever explanations she could have given, it wouldn’t have been enough so she hoped that a visual option would work.

Jimin had come back to the ship along with Yoongi, the tension still quite high between the both of them. But they had, at least, begun speaking to each other since they started to help the ship. Yoongi slinked off to Jin while Jimin assisted Kibeth as it was becoming more and more difficult to keep the act up. Their engineers and other officers were starting to catch on to the algorithm, their way of fighting back against the AI. They didn’t have too much longer, maybe another hour or so that they could figure.

On the other side, Vairuit and Jungkook were just finishing up the repairs. The Mao was in the engine room while Jungkook was near the bridge. With his final touches, their shields were operational and he could hear the nearby room cheer. Even the soldier near him clapped him on the shoulder with a grin but as soon as that happened, there rush of people that he could hear and they had started to talk animatedly about something. It was all going too fast for him, making the other near him look on in curiosity. Jungkook craned his head to see as well and realized that they all were staring straight at him.

He was about to question what was going on and if there was something else when he heard the click of weapons. They were all aiming at him, the major walking out in front while the others had come around to surround him.

“Well, it seems that we have a Pirate on board. What were you hoping to accomplish, to take our information? Our systems attempted to reboot and in those few seconds, the system managed to scan your face. Your crimes are longer than our prized possession, Kim Namjoon. You’d also fetch a good price and favors with the Demons along with your company. The files said you’d escaped with Jin Michikalos then caused more trouble. It’s time you stop fighting.”

Jungkook’s eyes went wide, looking around at his options. He was practically trapped and didn’t want to fight like he used to just to get out of the situation, but if he was cornered--then he would. The cold glint in his eyes was slowly returning at the threat, even more since he brought his old friend into it.

Meanwhile, Vairuit lifted the heavy piece for the engineers and placed it perfectly into place. She clapped her hands, getting some of the residue off of them when her ears picked up on it. There was talking nearby about how they’d managed to catch someone that the Federation was looking for. Her heart nearly leaped out of her chest as she thought about the others and turned around quickly. The two engineers looked at each other curiously before looking at their console. She could see them out of the corner of her eye that they had slowly reached for weapons, hoping that she wouldn’t see.

They turned around at the same time she did and had to laugh. The weapons they had pointed at her were just some simple pistols, making her put her hands on her hips.

“Aw c’mon. Do you really think that’s gonna hurt me? Let a bullet hit me !” Vairuit gave out a laugh at the end of her comment when they fired. The bullets hit her and she growled, picking up a wrench to give them a couple of good knocks on the head for that. They fell to the ground along with the bullets that hit her, the smushed bullets still smoking a bit from being fired. She was just about to leave when another man came up to her but he didn’t attack.

He was tall and had a full face, one that had his strong jaw set. He walked up to her and handed her a device, one that smelled like Nyala. Taking it, she gave him a once over as she noticed that he had on the prisoner jumpsuit on. Wary, she walked around him as she still eyeballed him but he was looking at the engines before turning to her. He gave a sigh before rubbing the back of his head, as if he was still deciding on something. She crossed her arms as she looked at him, waiting on him to say something or attack her. It was one or the other and they were pretty much caught now so she needed to go collect Jungkook. What she heard next had her confused until she remembered the scent on the device.

“I’m coming with you.”

Edge of Forever [BTS Space!AU]

BTS Space!AU [ ♧ ✪ ✿ ☆ ❂ ☾✘ ] “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.” The stage is set and the stars are the guide for the lost souls that have congregated to one point. A fixed constant in the universe for others to discover and fulfill their wishes but will it come to ruin for others?

Pairings: BTS X OC (s) Genre: BTS Space!AU Warnings: Graphic Violence, Heavy Language

AO3

Chapter 10- What I’ve done, PT. 1

In this farewell There's no blood, there's no alibi 'Cause I've drawn regret From the truth of a thousand lies

I am picking up a distress signal approximately 5 lightyears away. It would take us 30 minutes to get there should we decide to help.

Jimin patched the communications through to let them listen. It was from a Federation ship that had run aground and was attacked by some Pirates. The problem was because the area was so close to a cluster of pirates that were in the area, that if they were detected--they would have another fight on their hands. Nyala ran to her station since she had been in the cargo hold again, doing her check-up for the day on the crate. Upon reaching her station, she quickly did a long-range scan to find out more about the situation. As much as she didn’t like to stop and help, she couldn’t quite ignore the cry for help.

They were about to calculate their last jump to get to their destination, the planet Izanami and they couldn’t afford to get caught or even engage in battle. Not without trying to find an engineer, or at least get the rest of the supplies that they would need for a deep space run. Fate would only know where that path would be taking them and they had to prepare for the worst. Nyala and Jimin locked eyes from across the bridge, their thoughts starting to sound similar as they started to think the same thing. They both knew what could happen if they just left, or they could be detected after all. It was a gamble at this point and she played to win.

“Kibeth, plot a course. Maybe what we’re looking for will be on this path.” Everyone else started to protest her decision, especially Yoongi. She held a hand up to give her a moment to speak before continuing. “Look, I know that we’re showing that they’re the Federation but we might be able to use this to our advantage. We could use the information that they have and I don’t plan to have us fly blind when we’re dealing with the Armada.”

Her words rang true with everyone, no matter who didn’t like it. Yoongi’s face soured as he sat there in his chair, even more so when Vairuit cheered her decision. Jin and Jungkook gave each other uneasy looks before making up their minds. Kibeth had already altered their course at Nyala’s words, with a straight shot towards the distress call. And since they were a Vibrissa class ship, they would be able to help more than a standard ship.

“Nyala. I hope that you know what you’re doing because I don’t know if the Federation would show us any more mercy if we’re caught than the Pirates would.” Jin sighed, setting his jaw as he stared at the screen. She smiled at him, realizing what he was saying.

“At least, they won’t execute us on sight.”

On that, they all had to agree on that point. The Federation would at least take them as prisoners before declaring them fit for death for their outlaw crimes. There was more of a chance to escape with them than the Pirates. Still, no matter the obstacles that were in their way at the moment--there was something else that Nyala was sensing since they had been passing by the situation. It was something similar to the currents that she could sense between all of them and if it was someone that could help there amid all of that mess, then she would help them out as well.

Soon the time passed for them as they got closer to their target, tensions mounting as they dropped out of subspace. The scene before them was fairly bad, chunks of the ship was missing and debris was everywhere. Whichever sect of the Guild attacked them, they struck quickly and without any type of mercy whatsoever. And as of then, they did not care to get any closer and investigate with the Federation sitting right in front of them. They were there to help and get out quick before they could get their engines back to chase them.

“This is the SC Antares, we heard your distress call and have come offer assistance,” Jimin called out for the warship to hear. A garbled sound was heard instead, prompting him to try and pinpoint what was causing the disruption. They all held their breaths, hoping that they would call it off but when Jimin got it to work--they almost groaned.

We hear you Antares. We just need help stabilizing life support and reinforcing our hull to transport these prisoners safely.

“They must not want us poking around too much,” Vairuit commented, eyeballing the mess. “Even more so if they were transporting prisoners. They don’t want to run the risk of one of them escaping but it looks like they had no choice.”

“They most likely have facial recognition programs on board, so if we show our faces then we’ll run the risk of being handcuffed…” Yoongi mumbled but Kibeth heard the comment and offered a solution to that problem.

I believe I can disrupt those systems from here. I require a direct connection, however.

Yoongi stood up and started to talk with Kibeth on what he would need to do. Some of the cargo on board he had taken with him with the full intent of helping them get out of situations. He was pretty sure that there was something in there that he could use and the only person that could safely get in without too much trouble would be Jimin. Yoongi’s face was much too recognizable and would be pinged immediately on the scanners while the rest of them were being hunted by both sides. They had to play it carefully if they were to help, even able to get the information that they needed while Kibeth was connected to their systems.

Nyala would stay on board with the ship with Jin while the others would help. The pair would start the repairs since the arms on the ship could be extended as it was a Vibrissa class, the extenders that could be used for a variety of things. Including outer hull repairs, using what they had around them to help put together a suitable outer shell or weld together exposed parts.

Jimin smiled his way onto the ship, the man not really being recognizable as he didn’t venture out as much Yoongi did. He talked with the Captain, keeping things short and sweet until he was able to put the transceiver into place. Once attached to one of the consoles, Kibeth sprang into action and quickly taking down their systems. The encryption was a walk and a breeze for the AI, surprising Jin as he watched. He knew that the AI was pretty high tech but he truly didn’t realize how advanced it was compared to other things. Yoongi was the only one that wore a device that altered his face a bit so that way people wouldn’t recognize him too easily, the price of fame.

However, there was something off about the entire scene and Yoongi could sense it. Some of the criminals deserved to be there but there were also others in there that had no business being in there. Some caught in the crossfire and some were just being desperate in life. As he was passing a cell, someone’s thoughts caught his curiosity and as he peered into his broken cell--he saw a man sitting there. The man could have escaped and done some real damage to the ship but instead, he was content to sit there. Among all the chaos and the repairs, Yoongi crouched down and stared at him. He looked up, sensing that someone was there and his sharp eyes bored into his. It was animosity that he was staring back at him with and Yoongi began to feel a bit unsettled.

“Why are you here? Can’t you let me live my life out in prison alone?”

The more Yoongi looked at the man, he began to see what it was that Nyala was talking about. The words that Vairuit and Jimin threw at him had his head ringing. It burned him up inside that their words rang so true and they were even coming to haunt him in that perilous situation. Or was it that he still wasn’t over what they said to him? The bothersome feeling was there like a connection that got under his skin or someone that he really didn’t like was talking to him and he had no choice but to listen. He grunted at his raw words, the feeling of them almost like hot water on his skin.

“I’m not the one you need to be worried about. It’s the pigs on the ship and the ones they have locked up.”

“Aren’t you one that’s locked up as well?”

The man gave the barest hint of a grin and turned around, showing his back to Yoongi. His back showed that he was done talking but it also showed that there were abrasions and bleeding there that he didn’t care about at all. He’d been hurt in the attack but chose not to say anything. Yoongi turned away, eyeballing the cell one last time before moving on to what he was really there for. He made his way to the cargo hold, seeing how it was one of the places that took the brunt of the attack. Placing some spacial transmitters on some of the cargo, they were transported straight to the Antares’ own hold. After doing so, he went straight back to the cell and found that the guy was looking at him again.

“Can’t get enough, can you? I’m not leaving so just go away and do your repairs. This ship is going to make it with the minimal amount so you can be on your way.”

Yoongi paused at his words, realizing that he knew a little bit about that type of stuff. He gave the guy one last look before taking off again, straight to Nyala to confirm what it was he had been sensing from the guy. The repairs were going to take just a little while longer so he had the time to spare since his job was already done. It was time to see if he really was going crazy or just letting the others get to him.

I'm doing very well thank you! What have you all been up to recently? I really like the stuff you've been posting recently! I'm almost totally caught up 👀 - P

I’m glad you’re doing well! We’ve been bawling our eyes out over character arcs in our stories. What are your favorite stories so far?