A Little Slice of Heaven [Namjin]

Chapter Twenty-Two: Deal

AN: Now we're getting somewhere!

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Namjoon stood on the small balcony, gazing out over the dark horizon. He told himself that he was trying to determine exactly where the sky stopped and the ocean began.

In reality, he was stalling.

In his left hand he clutched his cellphone, still powered off. The fingers of his right hand loosely held a mostly empty bottle of beer. It was liquid courage for acting on a decision he'd made before he even cracked open the bottle, but that he couldn't bring himself to do once faced with the task.

The events of that evening had reminded him - forcefully - that he couldn't play pretend forever. Reality reared up and slapped him right across the face.

Jongwoon had been right on time, disappearing into the building at six o'clock. Namjoon and the rest of the watchers had moved to hem him in, stationing themselves at strategic points near Jimin's door. They couldn't hear what transpired in the apartment, but it was nearly an hour before Jongwoon exited, his expression unreadable.

Concerned, the crew shoved their way into the apartment, relieved to see the other three sitting at the small dining table by the kitchen counter. Jimin was incredibly pale and Yoongi looked like he wanted to stab something, but Seokjin reassured everyone that it went well and that Jongwoon wasn't going to be an issue anymore. He didn't elaborate on that, though, because Jimin looked like he was about to vomit.

It wasn't long after that when Yoongi disappeared into Jimin's bedroom, only to return a few moments later with a lumpy duffle bag. He gently but firmly told Jimin to get his toiletries gathered. The younger would stay with him until Jongwoon had left the resort.

The Avengers dispersed once Jimin had finished packing. Yoongi took Jimin and Hoseok back to their apartment complex while Jungkook drove off with Taehyung. Jin had then offered to take Namjoon back to his apartment so the younger could back up his phone pictures to a cloud without Jackie knowing.

Overall, the apartment was similar to Yoongi's, sitting just off the Cheongug property. The kitchen opened into the living room via a large arch in the wall. There was a single bedroom, a bathroom, and a small office where Seokjin kept his desktop computer.

The living room had enough seating for the whole crew and more than one Nintendo gaming system. On a wall near the TV was a whiteboard set up with brackets and the names of their friends, outlining some sort of videogame tournament that looked to be halfway done.

The place gave off the vibe of being occupied by a bachelor who spent way too much time at work. The fridge was filled with soju, beer, soda, and - despite Seokjin's known cooking prowess - containers full of leftovers. There was a coupon sheet from a local pizza joint pinned to the fridge with a magnet shaped like a llama. Half a pot of cold coffee sat on the kitchen counter, untouched for who knew how long.

There was tiny dining table in the kitchen with two chairs. Both had multiple black ties hanging over their backs, identical to the ones Jin wore when he was in uniform. The table appeared to be a catch-all for mail and the daily contents of Seokjin's pockets. As if to confirm that, the moment the elder had gone in to get them drinks, Namjoon saw him deposit his wallet, keys, some spare change, a vending-machine sized packet of crackers, and a crumpled ball of tissue next to a scattered pile of open envelopes.

Seokjin had offered Namjoon the use of his office when the younger voiced his need to make the phone call. He almost took him up on it but decided that he'd rather be out in the fresh air after having seen the door to the balcony.

There was a slight chill on the breeze that ghosted across his face. He took another swig of the bitter alcohol, sighing as it spread warmth through his body. It was doing its job, both relaxing him and making him feel bolder.