A Little Slice of Heaven [Namjin]

Chapter Sixteen: The Dangers of Being Pretty

AN: Not 100% happy with this chapter.  I may have to do some rewriting of it.  Let me know what you think!

-----

"Fuck!"

Yoongi glanced over from the sauce he was stirring, frowning as Hoseok raced toward one of the sinks. Quickly, he removed his pan from the heat and followed behind the waiter, glancing at the chopping station Hoseok had been working at. There was blood on the board. With a sigh, Yoongi detoured to the first aid kit and set the box down on the counter next to the sink.

"You okay?" The older man took Hoseok's hand when the younger pulled it out from under the faucet. Yoongi inspected the slice on the other's pointer finger as blood started to well out of it. "It's not too deep," he murmured, wrapping it in a paper towel. He kept pressure on it with one hand, digging a bandage from the kit with his free hand. "That's the third mistake you've made since we started. Everything okay?"

Hoseok pressed his lips into a thin line before sighing. "Not really, no."

Yoongi tossed the paper towel into the garbage and started cleaning up the chopping board, scrubbing it with bleach. "We'll just stop, then. Try again tomorrow. I don't need you getting further hurt; today is going to be busy." They fell into a comfortable silence as they cleaned up the mess from Hoseok's cooking lesson.

When they were done, Yoongi brewed some tea and passed a mug to Hoseok, motioning for him to follow him into the empty dining room. Yoongi took a seat at one of the tables by the windows and stared out over the distance to the ocean. The Ciel may have only been on the fifth floor but the view was still stunning. From the corner of his eye, he watched Hobi fiddle with his mug. The younger man's expression looked miles away.

"So, what's eating at you?" Yoongi finally asked when his companion had yet to offer any information on his own. The waiter toyed with the mug for another minute before taking a sip of the hot tea.

"I'm worried about Jimin."

The chef's brows rose immediately. "Why? What's going on?" He set his own mug down and leaned forward slightly, fixing his gaze on Hoseok. Jimin had seemed fine last night; Yoongi had sensed nothing off with the younger man.

"He's got a hickey right here." The brunet tapped his own collarbone and ran his tongue along his teeth. "I hadn't noticed at the time but Namjoon said Jimin had acted really upset when we saw it. I'm trying to figure out why."

This was definitely news to Yoongi. "You're sure it's a hickey?"

"He said he ran into a cupboard knob." Hoseok rolled his eyes. "No knob leaves that kind of mark; it was definitely made by a mouth."

The older man poked his tongue out slightly, wetting his lips. "He's not... seeing anyone." It wasn't exactly a question but there was uncertainty in his voice.

"If he is, he hasn't told any of us." Hoseok took another swig from his mug. "He hasn't told you anything, has he?"

Yoongi shook his head negative. It was pretty common for Jimin to seek Yoongi's advice on things. The fact that this was the first he was hearing about something regarding his dongsaeng was abnormal. If there was something going on in Jimin's life, Yoongi was usually the first to hear about it. The young acrobat had told Yoongi things that not even the others knew. If he was hiding something now, it rubbed very wrong to the chef.

"I promised I wasn't going to ask Jimin more about it, but the more I think about it, the more it bothers me." The waiter set his empty mug onto the tabletop. "He hasn't said anything to you at all?"