BLOOD MONEY || bts mafia au

forty one.

Hoseok eyed Jungkook nervously, holding out a shaky hand behind his leader as he attempted to walk on his own down the hallway. Jungkook's steps were unsteady, lurching off-balance, but he waved aside Hoseok's help nonetheless. He'd insisted on walking to meet Soobin himself.

Now that Hoseok was here, now that Jungkook knew his friends were okay, that they needed him, he had rediscovered his motivation. Every second he spent here was another second apart from them, a moment longer where Jungkook didn't know if they were still okay.

Every night Jungkook fell asleep with Taehyung's name echoing in his mind, his face in his dreams. It was driving him crazy, especially with all Hoseok had told him. And what about Jimin? Hoseok said he hadn't been holding up well before, and Jungkook shuddered to think of how the silver-haired boy was handling the stress on his own.

But, even still, he couldn't just leave. Jungkook had made himself a promise to do all he could for Beomgyu and Taehyun. The right hand had been managing to stay conscious for longer intervals at a time, but still looked a sickly shade and was much too weak to stand. Jungkook couldn't leave in good faith without knowing that he was going to be okay.

Hoseok sent another anxious glance his way before they stepped forward into the now-lit room.

Soobin looked up at their entrance, a faint trace of surprise flickering across his face that morphed to incredulity when he noticed Jungkook was standing on his own. Setting down the papers he'd been looking at, he got up from his chair and approached them.

"What the hell are you doing, Vice?" he asked. "Shouldn't you be on bed rest still?"

"I don't need any more rest, I'm fine." Jungkook pulled himself up, trying to feel more like the boss he was. "We don't want to overstay our welcome and we definitely don't want to bring any more trouble to you, so we will be leaving within the next few days."

Soobin shook his head. "Be serious, you're not possibly fit enough to-"

Jungkook didn't budge. "We will be leaving. I cannot possibly thank you enough for saving not only me but helping Hoseok as well. But, before we go, I wanted to see if there was anything I could do to help Taehyun." He lowered his head to the floor guiltily. "I know it's not enough to erase my part in this, but I will do everything I can to make up for it."

At that, Soobin's expression softened a little. "Despite our differences, I am glad that you've become close with Beomgyu. And appreciative that you wish to help. But I don't know what more can be done for him. Beomgyu's already tending to him day and night. He spends nearly every night there."

Jungkook turned pleading. "Then tell me what I can do."

Soobin hesitated before speaking slowly. "Do you still have that hospital in the corner of your territory?"

• • •

Taehyung felt like he was close to screaming.

He didn't know how to explain the emotions warring inside him, only that he was exhausted and overwhelmed and the tears streaming down his face seemed to have no end. He was glad that Jimin had agreed to return to the Purgatory's den because he wasn't sure if he could hold himself together anymore.

Taehyung had made an unlikely friend in Yoongi's right hand, but that didn't mean he was comfortable staying there any longer than he had to. He hated it, being in a place he wasn't familiar with, a place where he didn't know where he was. He hadn't committed the Cobras' den to memory like had the Purgatory's. Here, he could breathe.

Jimin had barely spoken since leaving the Cobras' den and Taehyung couldn't help but wonder what caused him to hold his tongue. Was it shock? Guilt? Had Taehyung gone too far earlier? Or, maybe, could he already be missing the arms of a certain boss?