Red⛧Rum (ON HOLD)

IX

Taehyung woke up covered in sweat, he had four other bodies on top of him, of course, he was going to be sweaty. J-hope was cuddling into his side, and Yoongi and Jungkook were cuddling into one another. The blanket was smoldering hot, creating a sauna for the poor boy. He carefully moved away from J-hope's grip, managing to only make him groan from the loss of warmth. He stood, and popped his sore muscles, he stretched his arms as he walked to Yoongi's jacket.

He searched through the pocket with his tongue stuck out of his mouth in concentration. He released a small gasp in happiness when he found the pack of cigarettes and zippo. He packed down the smokes as he began to head to the door.

"Yah, where do you think you are going?" A groggy J-hope said.

"Oh, morning Hobi-hyung, I didn't mean to wake you," Taehyung said as he put a cigarette in his mouth, "I was going to go outside for a quick smoke."

J-hope stood and stretched his arms, "Mind if I join?"

"I could always use the company."

J-hope smiled at the younger, he put on his house shoes, tossing a pair to Taehyung as they headed to the cold air outside. The smell of dew on the grass filled the cold air, the small puffs of air as they breathed being seen. Taehyung lead Hobi to the place Jungkook had shown him before. Taehyung grabbed the ladder and ascended up, Hobi right behind him.

They sat side-by-side to create warmth, as Taehyung handed his hyung a cigarette. J-hope thanked the younger and grabbed a zippo he had in his pocket. He flicked it open, and a spark soon turned into a flame. He brought the flame to his face, illuminating his features in the dimness of the moon still high in the sky. J-hope provided the flame to Taehyung, the embers of the tobacco igniting making a small amount of smoke rise into the frigid air.

They smoked in quiet at first, soon small talk began with one another.

"How did you sleep Tae?"

Taehyung shrugged as he removed the cigarette from his mouth, "It was okay hyung."

J-hope furrowed his brows together and removed the cigarette from his mouth as well, "What do you mean by 'okay?'"

Taehyung looked at the ground before looking at the colors of the sun as it rose, "Well hyung, I think I've just been really sad lately. I mean, I just joined a murderous group and killed already at least fifty people. What if I get caught, what if I get killed? I just- I don't know.." Taehyung trailed off.

J-hope wrapped his arm around the younger, "I understand Tae, how you aren't sure if you'll be able to make it in this new lifestyle, it's pretty awful at first. When I first joined, it was just BIGBANG, Jin, Yoongi, and I. I was the last to join, the newest member being pulled off the streets, and I was put through the same things. Training, and immediately going through the whole entire killing people as well. It was the most traumatic thing I think I ever went through."

"I wanted to be alone at first, but I soon realized that I would just become lonely. I sat in seclusion after every heist we did, and the members grew concerned. But, I learned the people we had killed had done wrong." J-hope took a drag from his cigarette, "However, in the cops case, they didn't do anything bad they just wanted to protect this country and died trying. So, I understand why you are so upset about that."

"But, Taehyung, we won't let you get caught or killed in this lifestyle, we would die for each other the hyungs, or Jimin, Namjoon, and myself. Hopefully, you and Jungkook feel the same way. We are now your family, and we are going to act like one." J-hope finished, the moon and sun now at the same level, colors swirling through the sky.

Taehyung looked at his hyung, tears in his eyes. He put his face in his chest and just cried. He cried for all the lives lost, for how he got here, and just cried all his emotions. Hobi hugged him close, drawing shapes into his back, occasionally taking a drag from his cigarette.