thick as thieves || bts x mamamoo

twenty nine;

"Hey."

Jimin startles at the sudden sound of Hyejin's voice and she bites her bottom lip nervously. Maybe this wasn't the right thing to do. What if he wanted to be alone for a moment? However, she soon finds her worries dissipating as he turns and sees her, his eyes crinkling with warmth as he offers her a soft yet rather sad smile. "Hey."

"Mind if I sit with you?"

Jimin doesn't speak, but he scoots over to the right to make room for her. A silent invitation. Hyejin reaches down to tug the sandals off her feet before joining him as they sit at the edge of the ship, legs dangling over the side. The only thing preventing them from keeling overboard is the lower railing of the ship's taffrail which Hyejin rests her arms on, peering down and wiggling her toes happily as the crystalline ocean water splashes up against the ship's hull, spraying her toes with a light cold mist. The sun sits high in the clear blue sky, its rays shining down on them and keeping her feet warm despite the occasional ocean mist.

"Thank you." Hyejin murmurs gently, keeping her gaze trained shyly down at her feet as the breeze blows her long hair into her face. "For thinking of me. I mean it."

"It was out of line," Jimin's voice is filled with remorse and frustration. "I shouldn't have overreacted like that. I know you're fully capable of protecting yourself too. I just- He just suddenly ran at you and I-"

"Jimin-ah," Hyejin cuts him off, tucking her hair back behind her ear in an attempt to keep the stray wisps out of her face and give herself a chance to peek at his handsome side profile. "Don't you dare apologize. Any one of us would have done the same thing. We're family."

"I wasn't going to apologize," Jimin grumbles lightly with a pout.

Hyejin snorts. "You sure sounded like you were going to. Now, what's really on your mind? This is more than me almost getting taken hostage by some lame ass naval officer, isn't it?"

Jimin goes quiet for a moment and Hyejin briefly panics. Perhaps that was too forward of an approach. But she knows he can feel it too. That curious feeling that sparks between the two of them whenever they interact now, whether it be trading glances from across the room or simply lightly brushing shoulders like they are now. The indescribable feeling that makes her gaze linger just a little bit longer than before on him when he's nearby, makes her notice the small details of how he cares for his crew members and the other three girls around the ship as they go about their day. But with those same observations comes the other side of that coin, the moments when he thinks no one's looking and stops smiling for appearances, the moments when he breaks at the sight of those he cares for in danger- like when Taehyung had gotten hurt at the Siren's Tavern and like today's incident.

Just as Hyejin is about to open her mouth and apologize for trying to ask too much, Jimin finally speaks up. "I... I was the last one of the guys to join the crew, to join Bangtan."

Hyejin presses her lips together to make sure she doesn't accidentally interrupt, leaning forward so her head is resting on top of her arms on the railing, cheek pressed against her forearm as she stares at him with her undivided attention. He's still gazing out into the distance, a faraway look in his eyes as he continues. "I... It's stupid, I know, but sometimes I can't help but feel... feel like I don't belong. Like they don't need me."

He runs a hand through his hair in frustration. "I'm not as good at swordsmanship as Hoseok hyung, or- or smart and strategic like Namjoon hyung, I'm just... just me. Everyone in our crew has a role, you know? Seokjin hyung is the doctor, Yoongi hyung is our captain, Jungkook is the gunner, Taehyung is our navigator. And then there's me."

Jimin lets out a heavy sigh. "I...I've tried so hard, you know? I train in swordsmanship and combat and try cooking and cleaning and learning everything about ships just in case something goes wrong. I do everything I can to prove my worth, to- to convince them that I belong in Bangtan too."