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: 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.

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: 3,496 Prologue 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 “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 13: Reflection

"But you know, sometimes I really really hate myself. To be honest, quite often, I really hate myself."

Seoul – Hannam; Yongsan District South Korea

When Yoongi got the call, he was on his way to the airport.

Seokjin managed to secure a personal financial advisor for their group so the next step that needed to be taken was to start consolidating their assets. Yoongi was one of the ones responsible for setting up accounts overseas and he wanted to get the business deals taken care of before the end of the week. He’d need a couple of days to adjust to the jetlag and then he would be in and out of office meetings for most of his stay. Americans were capitalists by nature and so they ultimately would try to get the biggest bang for their buck.

Yoongi was out to accomplish the same.

He’d packed his suitcase that morning. His flight was scheduled to depart in the late afternoon, and he would hopefully arrive in California first thing in the morning. He wasn’t planning on staying for more than three or four days, timelines depending. Yoongi wanted to get lunch with Eden before he left.

They’d agreed to be friends, after all.

Friends, he thought bitterly, staring at himself in the mirror as he adjusted the lapels of his gray blazer, who am I kidding?

It was an excuse. It was an excuse for himself.

Reaching out with the olive branch for friendship was his way of being able to stay close to Eden, but keeping her at arm’s length. He could lie to her every chance he could and he’d be a liar still if he didn’t feel a shred of relief when she’d accepted his offer for friendship. But there was a part of him that knew he had to keep the ruse up for as long as possible. The further he kept her from his life, the less entangled in the criminal underground she would get.

He’d been selfish to have maintained the illusion of their relationship for so long.

He sighed. Three years…

How could he have continued to lie to her for three years? It was one thing when they were just starting to get close while he was in the States. He never imagined she would travel all the way to South Korea. Yoongi wasn’t arrogant enough to believe she’d done it for him. He knew of her desire to learn more of her mother’s roots and to walk the same paths and see the same things that her mother had. She’d been an orphan for her entire life, but Eden always cherished that side of her heritage – even going so far as to learn the language and the culture long before he’d ever met her.

It was creeping closer toward mid-morning. He shot Eden a quick text, inquiring whether she had any plans for lunch. It was probably presumptuous of him to think she was just waiting around for him to call or text her. They met up one more time after he’d let a week slip by with no contact. Honestly, Yoongi spent those days contemplating if he’d made the right decision in wanting to maintain a friendship with her. Should he have just cut her out of his life completely and made the choice to stop making excuses to pull her into his orbit?

After waiting for her to respond and getting nothing back, he decided to leave it alone. He’d text her when he arrived State-side and let her know he was out of the country on a business trip. She was used to that, seeing as how he drew up his entrepreneur persona and maintained that guise for all the years he’d known her.

His phone rang and he answered, not bothering to look at the screen to see who was calling. He was already on his way out the door.

“Min Yoongi here.”

“Hyung, we have a problem.”

It was Namjoon.

“What’s wrong?”

Closing the door, he waited for the security lock to beep before he headed down the stone walkway leading out to the expansive front garden. Dragging his rolling suitcase with him, he fished for his keys so he could lock the front gate. Once it was locked, he rounded the corner of the building and headed out toward the street.

“It’s Hyungsoo-nim…”

Yoongi froze.

“What?”

“…uh, I mean, Raelyn Noona.”

He sighed, brushing a hand through his bangs in frustration. “Is Hoseok still having her monitored?”

“Look, Hyung, that’s not really important right now. You know how thorough Hoseok is. He just wants to make sure she’s safe and he always keeps his distance.”

“Whatever.”

“Anyway, that’s not the problem. The problem is that she was seen in Myeongdong today.”

Yoongi was about to take another step when he stopped. “She was seen in Jade Fang territory?” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “It’s not like she doesn’t know how those guys operate. Why would she risk even going there?”

“Well, she was out shopping with a friend. A mixed girl. I think her name is Eden?”

A lump of ice crashed into Yoongi’s gut.

No, he thought, a bead of sweat forming on his brow, how did I miss that?

But the answer was right there. He’d missed it because he always made it a point to keep Eden as far away from his world as possible. Which, in turn, caused him to be kept just as far away from her world and inner circle as well.

“Fuck.”

“Yoongi Hyung? Are you alright?”

“And we can’t send Taehyung to fetch her because he got caught fucking around out there, either.”

He heard Namjoon sigh on the other line.

"No. And I don’t want to risk sending any of the other boys out there. The Jade Fangs are probably itching for any excuse to start a skirmish.”

“God fucking dammit, Taehyung-ah,” he muttered. If he hadn’t blown his damn ability to sleuth around properly, this would have been a cake walk. “What about Jungkook?”

“With his reputation on the streets? They’d see him coming a mile away.”

“I know Seokjin Hyung is in Busan right now. What about Jimin-ah?”

Namjoon sighed again. He wished he’d quit doing that. It wasn’t helping his nerves in the slightest.

“He’s still not back from Jeju. He won’t be arriving until later in the evening.”

“Fine. I’ll go get her.”

“No, you can’t either Hyung. Just like everyone knows about Jungkook, they know about The Lightning Claw too.”

Yoongi hissed, clicking his tongue against the back of his teeth.

“And I can’t go running in there since I have to stay by Hoseok’s side. I’ve already had to convince him three times to stay put.”

This was getting stupid.

But Eden was with her. He knew that she could take care of herself and as long as they didn’t move against them, there would be no reason to stir up trouble. Hoseok wasn’t dating Raelyn anymore and, as a result, she was no longer the Hyungsoo-nim of the Golden Jackals. There would be no reason for them to push at her since she wasn’t tied to them anymore.

Well, at least not in that capacity. He couldn’t control what Taehyung and the others did.

“This is one giant fucking mess.” Yoongi spied the time. He’d have to cancel his flight. “Keep on them. And as soon as Jimin gets back, you let him know what the hell is happening. He’ll at least have an idea of what to do about this since he’s the only one of us who knows how to keep his foot out of his goddamn mouth.”

“Got it. I’ll let you know if anything changes.”

“Good.”

He hung up the call and immediately called the airport to cancel his flight. Yoongi dialed a cab and after five minutes, he hopped in and made a beeline for Gangnam. He didn’t know how he was going to manage it, but he had to keep an eye out and make sure that nothing crazy happened. He’d keep his ears to the ground for as long as he could manage it before calling for reinforcements.

Seoul – Cheongdam; Gangnam District South Korea

It was a fifteen-minute cab ride.

It felt like it took a hundred years to get to Eden’s street.

Arriving, he paid the cab driver and immediately made his way up the stairs. Once he reached the top, he fished into his pockets to retrieve his keys. He quickly plucked through them and saw the spare key.

He still had the spare key to Eden’s apartment and while he’d been meaning to give it back to her for some time, it just never came up. She never asked for it back. While he’d never encroached into her privacy, there were times he would swing by when he knew she was at the shop to make sure that she was at least eating properly.

She wasn’t, of course. She was always eating out – the tell-tale signs of Chinese takeout in her mini fridge.

Slipping the key inside, he unlocked the door and dipped inside. Kicking off his shoes, he slid into the spare house slippers and immediately began marching around the small space.

“Eden?” he called.

There was no answer.

The darker part of Yoongi’s mind that often dreamed up the worst scenarios immediately began to panic. His heart jack-hammered against his ribs and while her apartment was small, it felt like it took almost an hour to search. His legs frantically moved from one empty space and then to the other. She was nowhere to be found.

Dashing out of the apartment, he stalked around the rooftop – flinging his arms out to avoid being hit by the laundry she still had hanging out on the line.

She wasn’t there.

Fuck, came his angry thought.

Well, at least she wasn’t there bleeding out on the floor.

Shaking his head, he took a breath and quieted those dark thoughts – smothering toward the shadowy corner of his heart where they belonged. “She’s fine, Min Yoongi. Get it together.”

He tried calling her and texting her. The call went straight to voicemail.

Again, Yoongi attempted to quiet his frantic mind. It’s fine. Her phone just might be dead. You know how she barely keeps the thing fully charged daily. It’s fine.

Yoongi went back inside, deciding that he would wait for her. That was the best course of action to take. Falling onto the couch, he sank into it and felt like the weight of the universe had been thrust upon his shoulders; this being the first break he was able to take all day.

His phone began to ring and he answered before the first buzz got a chance to finish. “Hello?”

“Yoongi Hyung?” It was Jimin. “I just got back to Seoul. Is everything alright? Namjoon Hyung told me to call you as soon as I was able to use my phone again.”

“Are you still at the airport?”

“Yeah. I just picked up my bag.”

“Good. I need you to take a cab to Gangnam immediately. Raelyn was spotted in the Jung District.”

“Heaven help me, are you serious? Was she by herself?”

“No, Eden—” He paused, taking a moment. He could already tell he was about to sound way too familiar. “—her friend, Eden, is with her. At least that’s what was reported to me.”

There was a long pause and Yoongi looked at his phone to make sure the call wasn’t disconnected. “Jimin-ah?”

“Huh? Oh, sorry Hyung. I just got a bunch of texts from Jungkook. He’s bugging me about coming with him to check on someone. Hold on.” There was the distinct sound of street noises being heard. Yoongi heard Jimin hailing a cab and once he finished giving the driver directions, he returned to the line. “This boy. Well, it looks like I’m headed that way anyway, Hyung. Jungkook is up my ass about bothering Eden. If Hyungsoo-nim—I mean, if Raelyn Noona is with her, then I can kill two birds with one stone.”

Yoongi suddenly sat up. “Wait, what?” His eyes narrowed. “You and Jungkook both know Eden?”

“Huh? Well, yeah, Hyung. Jungkook met her a few months back when he brought his bike into her shop to get it looked at.”

“And you?”

“Hyung, I’m a Christian, remember? Eden goes to the same church I do.” He heard Jimin laugh. “Well, when she makes the time to come, anyway.”

He frowned. Had he even known that about her? Yoongi knew that she believed; that she was a believer, but he never remembered her attending church back when they were in the States. And she certainly hadn’t gone to church when they were still together.

But now that he thought about it, he was usually gone and when he wasn’t gone, he was with her and only her. He took her to various places away from prying eyes because he didn’t want to risk anyone recognizing him and tying her to him. The risk was too great; for her and for himself.

Yet she’d somehow managed to entangle herself in their world, regardless.

Yoongi got up and started heading toward the door. It was already dark outside. When had it gotten so late?

He took two steps out of the door, pulling it closed behind him. He locked the door just as the sound of a motorcycle roared to life from down the street. Yoongi moved to the other side of the roof, peering over the edge. Jungkook’s motorcycle could be seen from the other end of the street. He slowed his pace as he hit the wide turns as he peeled into the neighborhood. Yoongi spun on his heels and immediately went to the other end of the roof behind Eden’s apartment, vaulting over the edge and landing on the fire escape.

Descending the stairs, he hit the pavement in time to see a cab pulling up. Jimin stepped out from it but Yoongi remained hidden in the shadows. Part of him wanted to reveal himself to Jimin, feigning ignorance for why he was there. He was simply checking on Raelyn. Nothing more. He didn’t even know this Eden chick.

That was the lie he could have spun if Eden didn’t already know both Jimin and Jungkook.

He watched as Jimin and Jungkook met each other after parking, the two exchanging brief conversation and relaying to the other about the call from Namjoon. If the two of them were there, then that would be fine. He could leave things in their care and call it a night. He still had to fly out to the States tomorrow morning.

I’ll wait until she gets here, he told himself, pulling out his pack of cigarettes from the inside of his jacket pocket, then I’ll go.

He’d barely gotten a few puffs in before another cab pulled up. Yoongi spied that it was Eden with Raelyn in tow. She hefted the drunk woman up, barely able to keep herself upright as well. They’d been drinking a lot, it seemed. Eden managed to pull out a few shopping bags and paid the cab driver. When Jimin and Jungkook made themselves known to Eden, he was about to leave.

That is until he saw Jungkook brushing Eden’s hair behind her ear.

His legs remained rooted to the ground and a flare of heated jealousy exploded across his chest. While Yoongi knew he had no right to feel that way, the emotions pushed to the forefront. He recalled the conversation that he’d had with Jungkook a few days back about the “Stubborn Tiger” he was pursuing – how he’d stolen her number but was still willing to talk to him despite knowing that he was affiliated with the mafia.

And she hadn’t turned him away.

He took a step forward, away from the shadows and into the light. Could things have been different?

Yoongi watched as Jungkook started heading upstairs, only to stop when their eyes met.

“Jungkook-ah,” Eden called, but Jungkook didn’t take his eyes off of him, “what’s the matter?”

“…Yoongi Hyung.”

It was here that Eden’s eyes searched the darkness and when he appeared, he could see the confusion and surprise on her face. He did his best to ignore it, but he knew that his anger was showing all over his face.

“Yoongi,” she said, her eyes shifting to look back at him, “what are you doing here?”

“Go upstairs, Jungkook-ah,” he said, ignoring her question. His mouth felt dry all of a sudden and he knew it wasn’t because of the cigarette perched between his lips.

He watched Jungkook turn to look at Eden and this made his brow twitch. But when he turned to look back at Eden, he could see the wheels turning in her mind. And then that was when he watched her mentally put two and two together.

“Now, Jungkook.”

He waited until Jungkook was out of earshot before he tossed his Zippo lighter to her. She caught it easily. But he knew she wouldn’t light up in front of him. She was about to get angry. Her anger was about to rise to meet at the level of his own.

“You,” she began, her voice seething as her fists began to shake.

“That’s right,” he said, his expression neutral and his tone cold. But he couldn’t hide the throbbing behind his eyes – the way that his eyes seemed to shake with the heavy emotions swirling in his chest. “I’m one of the Golden Jackals.”

He dropped the cigarette from his lips and crushed the ember out with the heel of his shoe.

“Min Yoongi, The Lightning Claw.”

For a moment, nothing else was spoken between them.

And then he watched the tears form in her eyes, shining under the glow of the streetlight.

“You son of a bitch,” she muttered. Yoongi watched her reach into her pocket and she pulled out the switchblade she was always known to carry. “You fucking…SON OF A BITCH!”

Yoongi watched Eden run at him, and just when she was about to strike, he caught her wrist at the last second. Holding her arm high, he squeezed on the pressure point where her wrist was – forcing her to drop the knife. It landed on the ground with a loud clatter and she raged at him, her voice echoing off the brick walls of the residential housing in the area. He watched her left hand curl into a fist and when she tried to land a blow to his face, he blocked it with his forearm and gripped onto her wrist.

“You liar! You goddamn fucking lying sack of shit!” She tried to jerk free, but his grip tightened. “Let me go! LET ME GO!”

He braced most of his weight onto his back leg, spinning her around and forcing her arms up and over her. Once they were crossed in front of her, he held her tightly against him. He wasn’t sure if it was her heart or his own drumming mercilessly against his chest, but he knew that their breaths were coming out in rough huffs simultaneously.

“How could you lie to me? After all these years, you had me believing I was nothing to you!”

Eden shook violently, doing her damnedest to break free of his hold. But he wasn’t letting go.

“I did it because I didn’t want you wrapped up in this shit, Eden!”

She was practically vibrating now. “That wasn’t your choice to make! It was mine, you bastard! It was mine and you took it from me!” Eden tried her best to fight his hold, but he was too strong. He could hear a broken sob escaping her. “You never even let me make the choice for myself, you asshole.”

The sob was what did it and he finally released her. When he did, Eden whirled around and a loud crack issued as her palm connected with his cheek. Tears streamed down her face and he sighed, the pain of the strike nothing compared to the betrayal that was etched so perfectly all over her face.

“Is that why you finally decided to tell me the truth? Because you’ve figured out that I not only know Raelyn Unnie, but Jimin and Jungkook too? Because your little lie was finally going to come back full circle and kick you in the balls?”

Yoongi couldn’t say anything. What could he say? It wasn’t like anything she’d said was a lie.

He watched her angrily swipe at her nose and cheeks. “You’re a real piece of work, you know that, Min Yoongi?”

And without another glance his way, Yoongi watched Eden ascend the stairs. He couldn’t bring himself to go after her. Because what excuse did he have now? What leg did he have left to stand on?

Eden McGee, once again, managed to knock all the fight he had left out of him.

AN: So it's come to my attention that some of you might not know which honorifics I'm using. I've decided to go ahead and start by listing the honorifics in the story in notes so there is no confusion. -- Hyung - what a younger man calls an older man who they are close with or actually blood-related to. -- Noona - what a younger man calls an older woman who they are close with or actually blood-related to. -- Hyung-nim - what younger men call an older man who they are close with and also see as a mentor; can also be a term for rank, as in Hoseok's case. This can also be used in terms of "In-laws" when speaking to the older brother of their wife. -- Hyungsoo-nim - what a younger man calls his older brother's wife. In this case, since Hoseok is the leader of the Golden Jackals, his ex-girlfriend, Raelyn, was once called "Hyungsoo-nim" as a show of respect. -- Unnie - what a younger woman calls an older woman who they are close with or actually blood-related to. -- Name-ssi - a polite way to address someone deemed as an acquaintance or used in the workplace between fellow colleagues. -- Name-ah/ie - an informal way to address someone who is more than just an acquaintance; generally used between close friends and by older siblings to address their younger siblings. These are the ones that I use the most and will be the most prevalent in this fic. I figured I would go ahead and clear up the confusion. Hope this helps. I will update these as I go depending on which ones are used in the story.

Reblog if you write fic and people can inbox you random-ass questions about your stories, itemized number lists be damned.

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: 3,967 Prologue 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 “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 12: The Truth Untold

"I can’t show you my weakness, so I’m putting on a mask to go see you."

Seoul – Myeongdong; Jung District South Korea

Eden felt her shoulder being nudged playfully and she groaned, her thick curls falling about her shoulders and ears as Raelyn grinned at her. The other woman practically bounced up and down in her seat, her glasses giving off a slight shimmer as the mid-morning sun hit the lenses. The taxi eased on down the road and she sighed, propping her elbow on the window and resting her cheek against her knuckles. As she watched the city go by, she could only grin as Raelyn chatted about all the things they were planning on doing when they finally stopped. After they ate, of course.

They could have driven to Myeongdong. Eden’s car could drive this week. Some might have found the odd-even license plate rotation law a bit of a hassle, but she could understand why. It cut out on heavy air pollution and on days when the air was bad and dust was more prevalent, the need for less vehicle traffic was essential. Raelyn insisted they just take a cab so Eden wouldn’t have to worry about parking. It was a fair argument and since Raelyn was offering to pay for the cab both ways, she wasn’t about to argue with her.

When the cab finally dropped them off at their destination, Eden stretched her arms over her head and rolled her shoulders back. She noticed that Raelyn took a moment to surmise her surroundings, as if she were looking for something. Eden watched curiously, stuffing her hands into her bomber jacket as she scuffed the heels of her Converse along the sidewalk.

Satisfied that she hadn’t seen anything, Raelyn smiled to Eden and quickly ran up beside her – immediately looping her arm through hers as they walked into the café. They both ordered their lunches and, of course, their coffee (extra milk and sugar because it was their day off and they could do these things).

The two of them sat down and talked idly about work. It was usually the first thing they did. Eden didn’t envy Raelyn’s job; not one bit. Overseeing people’s lives or having to be the one to tell a family member bad news didn’t sit well with Eden’s stomach. Cars and motorcycles were easy. They didn’t talk and if something went wrong, it was usually a mechanical issue that was out of her control. Machines weren’t built to last forever.

Then again, people weren’t either.

The conversation soon switched to lighter topics: what movies they’d seen recently and if they were caught up on the latest K-Dramas. The two women spoke English to each other freely. They rarely used it in their day-to-day lives. But when they were together, they shared conversations in their native language with smatterings of Korean. Eden remembered how relieved she was when she’d first met Raelyn. They were both transplants and while Eden was of Korean heritage, she was half African American. They’d both had rough lives and became fast friends. Their hours were a little weird compared to other working individuals, but they always made time for each other at least once or twice a week.

It was a nice friendship to gain after she’d been dumped by Yoongi shortly beforehand.

“So, what’s the latest?”

Eden raised her brows, tilting her head slightly. “Huh?”

“You know,” Raelyn said, smirking, “with the ‘Petty Mutt’ and all. How is that going?”

She rolled her eyes. “Don’t get me started.”

Raelyn laughed. “That bad?”

“It’s not bad, Rae Unnie. It’s just, fuck, I don’t know.”

“What’s not to know?”

“I didn’t want to get involved with anyone else after things ended between Yoongi and me.” Eden shrugged, lifting the cup of coffee off the table. “I just don’t think I’m ready to be with anyone like that.”

Raelyn’s brows furrowed as she looked at her. “It’s been almost two years now, Eden. You need to think about yourself and not worry about anything else.” She sipped from her cup. “He asked to be friends, right? Then that means that he’s drawn the line.”

Eden sucked her lips in between her teeth before releasing them with a pop, resting a hand to her temple as their orders were brought out to them. Raelyn was right. When Yoongi offered to “just be friends”, it was clear that boundaries were finally being set. He’d ended things on his terms and while Eden knew that things between them had gotten a little rocky, she just figured they would work through them like they always did.

Then again, he didn’t go out of his way to introduce her to any of his actual friends. Business colleagues here and there, but when they went out – just the two of them – it was usually sequestered away from the rest of the world. Eden always believed it was because Yoongi wanted to keep her all to himself; taking her to the mountains during Winter to a private cabin, out to the coast of Busan where they could relax at lovely villa. In the summer, they went to Jeju Island to enjoy the quiet and solitude.

They rarely went out in Gangnam and when they did, it was for dinner or a movie and then he would always crash at her place. She remembered how embarrassed she’d been when he first asked to come over to her house when she’d been feeling ill. She tried to tell him not to bother with it; that she’d be fine after drinking some soybean soup and sleeping. He’d brought her medicine, soup, and bought her an extra mink blanket to snuggle into since she lived in the rooftop apartment.

Had it all been a lie? Had it all been just his way of messing around with a foreign girl? He’d gotten bored with her and tossed her aside when he’d finished amusing himself with her?

Her fingers curled into the ceramic mug, her nails scraping along the surface. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

Raelyn must have known she’d struck a nerve because she instantly reached across the table to grab her wrist. Eden blinked back the angry tears that were threatening to spill out.

“Girl, listen to me,” she said, her voice gentle, “you are a catch, do you hear me? If he wants to let that go because of whatever excuse he gave you, then that’s on him. That doesn’t mean you have to deny happiness for yourself.”

Eden’s blurred vision righted and she gave a small laugh. “You sound like one of those cheesy self-help books, Unnie,” she teased.

Rae lifted her chin proudly and winked. “I have to find something to do when I’m working those extended hours at the hospital.”

“Wow, and she admits to reading cheesy self-help books.”

“Don’t knock it till you try it.”

Scoffing, she waved her hand back and forth as she picked up half of her sandwich. “No thanks.” The lettuce crunched when she bit into it and she waited for Raelyn to finish chewing before talking. “So, what about you? You haven’t dated anyone since you broke up with Hoseok.”

Raelyn snorted. “I’m not a fan of having work stress follow me everywhere I go.”

“It’s true though, right?”

“About what?”

Maybe she shouldn’t be poking at this topic, but Eden had always been curious. “That you were a mafia boss’s girlfriend?”

She watched Raelyn’s eyes go wide as she coughed loudly. Eden’s brows raised when she saw her friend waving her hands back and forth – like she’d spoken some forbidden phrase and now the floor was going to open beneath them; sending them straight to hell.

“W-Where did you even hear that from?”

Eden smirked. “I’ve been here longer than you, Unnie. Anyone who lives in Gangnam knows all about the Golden Jackals’ leader, Jung Hoseok.” She took another bite of her sandwich, savoring the surprised look on Raelyn’s face. “Rumor has it that he had an American girlfriend for about a year before things ended between them.”

Raelyn pouted. “Who said you could just know all that about me?”

She gave her a ‘yeah, right’ face before swallowing. “Do you even know where I work, Unnie? People talk and Koreans are the best sort of gossips. I never would have figured that you were that same Raelyn, though.” Eden watched as Raelyn stirred her coffee when another thought hit her. “Wait. Is that why you were looking around when we got out of the cab? Because you’re a former Hyungsoo-nim?”

The older woman hissed at her, telling her wordlessly to hush up. “Not so loud, would you?”

“If you knew that, why did you want to come here of all places to go shopping?!”

“Because I can’t let that be a brand on my back forever, Eden, okay?!”

Eden opened her mouth to tease her but saw how serious Raelyn was and closed her mouth.

“We already have enough shit to deal with in this country. You should know that better than anyone. Do you think I want that shit following me around like some dark rain cloud while I’m here? So some bastards can show up at my hospital and stir up chaos; at a place of healing?” Raelyn sighed. “I can’t stay trapped in Gangnam forever. I should be able to walk and shop and travel wherever I damn well please. I’m a free woman and that means I shouldn’t be scared to go into some other mobster’s turf.”

“Unnie…”

“I need to know if I still have my freedom, Eden.”

Eden knew what she was getting at. She understood it completely. The stigma that existed with their skin color and even their backgrounds made things harder for them in South Korea. It didn’t make them love the country any less. It was just a reality they’d come to accept. Eden had to thicken her skin up even more when she finally decided to move to the country of her mother’s origins. She needed to do it in order to survive in this place.

The two women managed to move the conversation back to lighter topics. Their phones pinged various notifications from others trying to contact them but both women chose to ignore the messages. They were out there to spend time with each other and that was all. They didn’t want any other unnecessary distractions derailing their day.

They visited a few shops, bought clothes and a few things at the electronic shops. Eden bugged Raelyn to stop by the nearest manhwa shop so she could buy a few more comic books to tide her over for the next week. Raelyn made a fuss, but she wound up purchasing all of The Bride of the Water God series for herself. Eden teased her relentlessly as they continued strolling through the heart of downtown Myeongdong.

After their matinee movie, it was getting close to dinner time. Neither of them wanted to go to an actual restaurant, opting to hit up a tent house instead. The women ordered beer and soju for their table, a side of pork belly with lettuce, rice and soybean paste. Eden busied herself with mixing their cups – half soju and half beer – before handing the older woman her glass.

“Cheers!” they said, clinking their glasses together.

The two drank, ate, and laughed loudly. They didn’t care if others were paying attention to them. This was one of the few times that Eden allowed herself to cut loose. However, their laughter was interrupted by the sound of cups slamming on a table clear on the other side of the tent house. All other patrons quieted their conversations and Eden looked over to where the noise came from.

Several men were seated at a table, drinking and eating just like they were. One of them had a clearly aggravated look on their face – his face a little pudgy and pink from the alcohol he had consumed. In fact, they all looked a little similar, though that might have been the alcohol in Eden’s system playing tricks with her. One face stood out among them, however, and he seemed unbothered by what was happening. His chestnut bangs fell over his brows and he lifted his shot glass to his lips, drinking quietly.

He looks like a woman, Eden thought bitterly before huffing to herself, her hands busying themselves with folding meat into lettuce once it was off the grill.

“You women are so fucking noisy,” growled the one who’d made all the noise. He spoke in English, attempting to sound intelligent and failing. She caught Raelyn rolling her eyes while she poured herself another drink. “Some of us don’t want to hear your stupid cackling. You sound like a couple of chickens.”

Eden stuck her middle finger up at him. “Then stuff your ears with cotton, you fuckin’ prick,” she fired back in Korean. A slow smile formed on her lips. “Better yet, go play in traffic, you wild boar.”

Two of the men shot up from the table, knocking their chairs to the ground. “What’d you say?!”

“Did I stutter? You got rocks in your ears?”

“You little bitch!”

“Knock it off,” said one of the men at the table. Eden eyed him and watched as the two men picked up their chairs and set them back upright. It was the one who looked a little feminine. “Making all this noise unnecessarily. It’s disgusting.”

They bowed their heads. “Sorry, Hyung-nim.”

The one they called ‘Hyung-nim’ looked at Eden and Raelyn, a lazy smile crossing his features. “Can I buy you ladies a drink?”

Eden scoffed, pouring what remained in her soju bottle into her glass. “No thanks,” she snapped, “we can buy our own.”

“It’s only polite. Especially since the Golden Jackal’s Hyungsoo-nim is present.”

A bottle crashed to the floor and Eden looked up to see Raelyn’s face reddening slightly, which was a feat considering her darker skin tone. She could see her friend’s face contorting between anger and worry and this infuriated Eden. The mixed girl cut her eyes to the man whose own facial expression hadn’t wavered. Not one single bit.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” he said sweetly, “I meant former Hyungsoo-nim.”

Eden’s hand slowly went into her jacket pocket, her fingers caressing the handle of her switchblade. The man clicked his tongue to the roof of his mouth, waving a finger back and forth as he continued to hold his shot glass.

“I wouldn’t try anything funny if I were you.” He shrugged, downing the shot and setting it down. “There’s no sense in getting hostile.”

“If you even think about touching my Unnie,” snarled Eden.

“I wouldn’t dream of it. It’s not like she’s tied to that group anymore.” His smile grew just a hair and he looked directly at Raelyn. “If she still were, well, we would be having a very different conversation right now.”

There was a long stretch of silence that permeated the tent house. Everyone in the establishment was afraid to breathe. At least everyone that wasn’t involved in the conversation currently passing between them. Because they all knew who was sitting at that table. Everyone knew whose territory this belonged to.

“So which Jade Fang are you?” said Raelyn calmly, breaking the silence.

He bowed his head politely toward Raelyn. “Yoo Kihyun,” he said before lifting his head up, “the Mongoose.”

“I see,” was all she said before standing up from the chair. “Eden, let’s go.”

Eden stood up quickly, almost knocking her chair over. “Rae Unnie, we can’t—”

“Let’s go,” she snapped, looking pointedly at her, “Now.”

She balked at Raelyn because she’d never spoken to her like that. Angrily, the mixed woman kicked her chair before throwing a wad of bills onto the table. Raelyn was the first one to leave but just as Eden was parallel to their table, she paused to glare down at Kihyun. He merely smiled to himself while pouring another shot of soju into his glass. However, he didn’t look at her.

“Watch yourself,” she said softly, her eyes shifting to look at the others. A few of them sucked in air through their teeth and she flipped them off again for good measure before following Raelyn.

She saw she was already hailing a cab and Eden started to protest. When she caught the look on Raelyn’s face, however, she quickly closed her mouth and got in the cab. Her friend gave the driver instructions to take them back to Gangnam and those were the only words issued the entire car ride back.

When they were getting closer to her place, Eden started to shake her friend who was beginning to fall asleep. Raelyn mumbled something incoherent and she sighed, shaking her head. Eden paid the driver after she was able to help her friend out of the cab, making a mental note to have her pay her back at her earliest convenience.

As she watched the cab driving away, Eden readjusted Raelyn’s body against hers – draping her arm over her shoulder as she stared at the stairs leading to the rooftop. “…fuck me,” she mumbled.

“You really need to stop swearing so much,” called a voice behind her, causing her to spin a little harder than she’d intended. “I guess I’ll have to pray harder for you.”

“Jimin-ah,” Eden said, smirking, “what are you doing here?”

She normally saw him when he came to visit her at the shop or when she finally took the time to attend church. Eden was aware of his ties with the underground circuit, but there were so many times when she forgot because of how soft his expression was and the kindness he showed to others so often.

He shrugged, the silver crosses dangling from his ears swinging back and forth. “Well, a certain someone wouldn’t stop pestering me since someone refused to answer his text messages today.”

Eden huffed a laugh, preparing to shrug off all accusations when she saw Jungkook step out from the shadows and into the light pouring down from the streetlight nearby. Her smile fell a fraction and she looked between the two men. How had it never occurred to her that Park Jimin and Jeon Jungkook were part of the same group? They both hung around Gangnam often and it was well-known that it was Golden Jackal territory.

Even so, it was still a little surprising to see them standing side-by-side like that.

Raelyn groaned, her hand moving to press up to her forehead. “It’s so loud,” she mumbled, lifting her head up to glare at the two of them. “Who said you punks could show up here?” She swung her head to look accusingly at Eden. “Did you invite them? How could you do that without asking your Unnie? Huh?”

Before Eden could answer, it was like Raelyn’s entire body was being pulled down by gravity. She stumbled forward and Eden let out a yelp, her fingers losing their grip. But Jimin rushed forward and caught Raelyn in his arms, steadying her back onto her feet.

“Hyungsoo-nim, are you alright?” His brows furrowed with concern and even Jungkook peered at the older woman curiously.

She smacked Jimin’s shoulder in drunken frustration. “I’m not your damn Hyungsoo-nim anymore, you got that?!”

Those were the last words she managed to get out of her before she lost consciousness. Jimin motioned for Jungkook to hold Raelyn upright long enough for him to turn around. Once he was, he motioned again toward Jungkook and he helped her onto his back, grabbing their shopping bags into his hands as well.

“Is she staying with you, Noona?” Jimin asked as he readjusted her so that her head could rest comfortably on his shoulder.

She nodded, fishing into her pocket to give him the key. “Yeah, just hurry and get her inside. I don’t want her to catch a cold.” He took the key from her and started making his way up the stairs. “There’s some Tylenol in the kitchen cabinet above the stove.”

“Got it,” he called back, his steps swift as he continued upward.

Eden watched, barely noticing that Jungkook was at her side. The two of them stood in companionable silence before he reached out to tuck some of her hair behind her ear. The action made her jump and she looked at him with wide eyes and he smiled.

“Since you were with Noona, I can see why you were ignoring my messages,” he teased, causing her to pout, “but you both looked like you had a fun time.”

“Yeah, until those stupid Jade Fang bastards showed up.” Even though she knew it wasn’t his fault, she couldn’t help but glare at Jungkook. “I know Raelyn isn’t with Hoseok anymore, but don’t you guys think you should do something about their fuckin’ attitude? They were completely disrespectful to Rae Unnie.”

“Well, some things happened and they’ve kinda been on our ass a little more these days.” He said it with a frown, as if he wanted to tell her the details but knew that he couldn’t.

Eden scoffed. “Whatever,” she snipped, fishing into her pockets for her cigarettes. Slipping one between her lips, she fumbled around for her lighter. When she realized that it wasn’t in her pocket, she let out an aggravated growl. “Goddammit.”

“No lighter?” Jungkook sighed, shaking his head. “You really should just quit.”

“And you need to get off my back.” She watched him smirk. “Go upstairs and get my lighter.”

He saluted. “Sure,” he said, turning to make his way toward the stairs.

She heard him take a few steps but then he stopped. Wondering if something had happened, she looked to her right and saw that Jungkook had only made it up one stair when he paused, looking down the sidewalk. Eden took the cigarette out from her mouth, her hand falling to her side.

“Jungkook-ah,” she called, but he wasn’t looking at her, “what’s the matter?”

“…Yoongi Hyung,” he said softly.

Eden craned her neck and saw Min Yoongi stepping out from the shadows, a lit cigarette between his lips. He wasn’t smiling like he normally did when he saw her. His expression was dark; a mixture of confusion and mild anger. She knew that look because he didn’t show it often. When she looked at Jungkook, she saw that he was still looking at Yoongi.

“Yoongi,” she said, her eyes shifting to look back at him, “what are you doing here?”

“Go upstairs, Jungkook-ah,” he said, ignoring her question.

Jungkook blinked, his head turning to look at Eden and she could see his confusion. She was just as confused but something was slowly starting to make sense. One thing was clear though.

The two of them knew each other. And they knew each other very well.

“Now, Jungkook.”

Jungkook bowed his head and quickly made his way upstairs. Once he was gone and Eden heard the door to her place open and close, her eyes moved back to look at Yoongi. He tossed his Zippo lighter at her and she caught it without thinking. Cigarette still between her fingers, she curled her hand into a fist and felt it break between her knuckles. A soft pat issued when it hit the pavement.

It made sense. It finally all made sense.

“You,” she began, her voice seething as her fists began to shake.

“That’s right,” he said, his expression as neutral as ever. Except for his eyes. There was anger swirling in his dark depths and this, in turn, enraged her. “I’m one of the Golden Jackals.”

She watched as the cigarette dropped to his feet and he crushed the ember out with the heel of his shoe.

“Min Yoongi, The Lightning Claw.”

i have said it in ao3 and 'm here to say it again that I am so captivated by your story Make it Right. LOve the characterization , the plot and everything about it !!!

Oh my goodness, thank you so much! I truly appreciate it. It’s my first BTS fic for the fandom and I am happy that it is being well-received. It’s definitely going to get even better so stay-tuned and feel free to leave your feedback any time! I welcome it! ~ Admin E

Thought I’d upload this for y’all to reblog since this is so important. ♡