BLOOD MONEY || bts mafia au

thirty eight.

When Jungkook came to, Hoseok was awake.

He felt someone's gaze on him and turned his head to meet the eyes of his best friend. Jungkook nearly broke down into tears again as soon as he looked at him. "Hoseok..."

Hoseok's face conveyed everything, his eyes already filling up with tears as he lay in the bed beside the friend he once thought he watched die. "Jungkook," he rasped, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for leaving you back there. I'm sorry I didn't try harder to do something, sorry that I wasn't strong enough to hold it together for Jimin and Taehyung-"

"Hey," Jungkook interrupted, frowning now. "Don't say that. Okay? You were plenty strong, Hoseok. You found me after all, didn't you?"

Hoseok laughed but it was empty, turning his gaze to the ceiling as he blinked back the tears that had gathered. "But I relapsed."

Jungkook stretched out a weak arm, reaching to give Hoseok's hand what he hoped was a comforting squeeze. "You're here now. That's all that matters." Smiling sadly, he added, "If anyone should be sorry, it's me. I should've at least found a way to get word to you guys that I was okay-"

Hoseok shook his head quickly, grip tightening around Jungkook's hand. "I don't care about that at all. I'm just so fucking glad to see your dumb face right now."

That made Jungkook laugh, the movement making him wince a little as it jostled his injuries once again.

Hoseok noticed the shift in his expression, his gaze flickering down to the bandages on his leg. "What happened to you? Besides the obvious, that is," he added, something crossing his face as he caught a glimpse of the healing burn marks poking out from the collar of his shirt.

Jungkook grimaced. "Let's just say we had an unpleasant run-in with another gang."

"I'll say," Yeonjun scoffed from the doorway, causing both of them to jerk their heads toward the sudden sound.

A crooked smile crossed Jungkook's face. "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough to see your heartfelt reunion," he replied with a similar smile. Turning his attention to Hoseok, he offered a genuine smile. "It's nice to see you awake. I'm Yeonjun."

Hoseok didn't seem to know what to do with his friendly demeanor but attempted to return it nonetheless. "Hoseok."

"I better tell Beomgyu you're both awake," Yeonjun continued, starting to turn back to the hallway. "He'll be happy to see you're so talkative already."

Jungkook snuck a glance to the other side of the infirmary, empty except for where Taehyun was still fast asleep. "How is he?" he asked, not looking away from the red-haired boy's still form.

Yeonjun made a face. "He woke up while you two were passed out. He drank some water and attempted to eat something, but Beomgyu wasn't happy with the amount. But at least he's keeping it down."

Hoseok looked back at his boss, carefully studying his expression as it moved from the sleeping boy to the yellow-haired boy as he disappeared, searching for hints as to what he missed. Or maybe he was just glad to see his face again.

Hoseok's voice was soft. "What happened to you?" It was almost the exact same words as the question he'd asked earlier, but this time the meaning was different.

Jungkook stared up at the ceiling as he searched for the words. Deciding to ignore the question at last, he looked back at the older boy. "I... I've been meaning to ask... How are the others?"

Knowing exactly what he was asking, Hoseok tried for a smile, but it fell flat. "They made it out. But they... didn't take what happened to you - what we thought happened to you - very well. Especially Taehyung."