Chapter Text
There's always a first for everything.
Usually when you ask someone about their firsts, the things that comes to mind are date, kisses, love and sex.
It's the social norm really, whether you're a mid schooler gushing about a crush, a high schooler gossiping about others or a college student merely sharing some experiences with your friends, firsts are usually a go-to topic.
Namjoon though, along with more than half of his brothers, are hardly norms.
"What was your first kill like?" Isn't a question to usually ask someone, because it doesn't make sense, where murder and homicide are shunned away from and feared, its probably one of the last question that can appear in someone's mind.
But again, their group isn't exactly the norm of society, and thus question like these can often appear in the most random of times.
First are usually worn as badges or trophies for some, a memory that's usually to be cherished and even boasted about when done right.
There's a line sometimes that can't be crossed, curiosity isn't always welcomed in their society.
This line, Namjoon realizes, apparently doesn't exist for them.
When the crew starts playing spin-a-bottle, Namjoon isn't a hundred percent sure that its a good idea. It isn't to say that he's uncomfortable with spilling too much about himself, but Namjoon doesnt see the thrill when he already knows three-out-of-six of them like the back of his hand.
The kids seem content though, so Namjoon plays along, even if he feels that he already knows too much, way too much information, than was usually required among best friends.
The bottle points towards Taehyung, and an easy question slips out from Seokjin "first kiss?".
There's childish giggling from Hoseok that doesnt even stop when Taehyung sends a pout his way.
"Jiminnie" Taehyung answers, and the other 95-liner turns red at his own name being declared so loudly.
There's a chorus of "ohoho" and "awwwh" at the answer, and Namjoon can't help but join in the fun.
When Jimin tries his best to stutter out an explanation, he gets hushed by their leader with a finger to his lips.
"We were only 6!" Jimin protested, speaking through the pressure against his lips but stopping when their cooing turns into sly grins.
"Already so horny at a young age , Jiminnie?" Yoongi teases, and if possible, Jiminnie flushes even redder.
Taehyung spins the bottle before more teasing can continue, and Namjoon laughs because whilst Jiminnie was embarrassed, it seems that his counterpart was completely unaffected.
The bottle points to Yoongi, and Namjoon wonders if its karma that's taking reigns of their little game.
"When did you lose your virginity?" Taehyung chuckles darkly, and there's a blooming grin of mischieve on his face.
Nonchalant as always, Yoongi sighs, grabbing the bottle and spinning it before he even answers the question. The head lands towards Jimin's direction, and Namjoon hears the swear that leaves the younger's lips.
"14 maybe, or 15" Yoongi shrugs, before shooting a devil-intent smirk his victim's way, "how often do you finger yourself?".
Jimin curls into a ball then, hiding his face into Hoseok's shoulder in an attempt to disappear completely.
"Hyung.." Comes the whines, and Namjoon doesn't know if Jimin was pleading for Yoongi to change the question or for Hoseok to save him.
"Nope, answer it" Yoongi chuckles, no sign of mercy from him.
There's absolute silence while the others waited, and Jimin squeaks his answer from behind Hoseok's jacket.
".. week?" Comes a muffled reply, and Namjoon has to strain his ears to hear him.
"What was that?" Yoongi asks, smirk widening when Jimin lifts his head to glare at him.
"I said," Jimin grips, cheeks puffing up in anger as he repeated his words "once a week".
Seokjin rewards Jimin's bravery with a pat on his shoulder, and Jiminnie practically leans in like an eager puppy.
Jimin spins a bottle with a look of utter vengeance, and it spins wildly before stopping in front of Namjoon.
Jimin is sheepish when he looks at him, and Namjoon thinks that isn't a good sign at all.
"How many times have you jacked off to the thought of Seokjin hyung?".
If anyone ever thought that Park Jimin was an angel, they were utterly wrong, a devil this one was, less obvious than one Min Yoongi, but a devil nonetheless.
"More times than I can count really," Namjoon figures there's no point hiding, scratching at his neck sheepishly when Seokjin sends him a weird stare.
Hoseok guffaws at that, asshole, as if he didn't already know, and his little minions follow after.
"Shut it" Namjoon snipes, pointing menancingly at his friend when the latter doesn't stop. Hoseok merely grins at him before wiping the imaginary tear from his eyes.
"Don't break the bottle, Joon-ah" Yoongi says, and Namjoon feels like he's being mocked somehow from how sincerely Yoongi had said it.
He does as requested, and watches intensely as it swerves out of the centre and hits Jeongguk's boots before stopping.
"God, I don't need this" Namjoon sighs, palming at his face and wondering why Karma was still doing her thing.
"Oh oh, can I ask then?" Taehyung quips, boxy grin flashing at Namjoon along with his infamous puppy-eyes and its shameful how easily Namjoon caves.
"Ask away" Namjoon waves, resting his head on his knee as Taehyung does a little cheer.
"Mmmn" there's a loud humming as Taehyung does his little brainstorm, and Namjoon can see a light bulb pop up when he gets his answer.
"When's the last time you gave someone a blowjob?" Taehyung blurts, and Hoseok raises a questioning eyebrow at that.
Namjoon groans because he definitely doesn't want to hear this, he already knows too much, and neither wants nor needs to add on to his growing list of unnecessary Hoseok-knowledge. Taehyung just basically dug his own grave, and the younger doesn't even know it yet.
The smirk on Hoseok's face is a given warning, but Taehyung realises his fault a moment too late to stop the terror.
Casually, too casually for Namjoon's liking, his satan-incarnate friend turns to his other satan-incarnate friend, and brushes a hand up leather-clad thigh.
"When was it Yoongi? I don't remember" Hoseok offhandedly comments, flashing totally inappropriate bedroom eyes at his partner.
"Hmm, a week ago maybe? Too long really" Yoongi pretends to consider, trailing a hand up Hoseok's shirt and revealing the skin there as he moved upwards "how about now?" .
There's a squeak of protest that, Namjoon is sure, comes from Jimin , and the eldest takes pity.
"No, just no" Seokjin face-palms, stopping the two before things can escalate.
The youngest three have already turned cherry red from their display, while the two that were guilty of this crime indulged in their little victory. Horrible, absolutely the worst.
"Shameless" Namjoon narrowed his eyes at them, which only increased the tenacity of their joy.
"Why thank you" Hoseok grins, while Yoongi synchronised with a "we know".
"Okay just," Seokjin sighs, pretending to be exasperated but Namjoon can see the corner of his lips twitch with amusement "let's just continue shall we?".
"Truths? Or do we continue on to dares?" Jeongguk asks, recovering the fastest out of the three even though the tip of his ears are still pink.
"Can you guys handle the dares though?" Seokjin questions, and Namjoon is sure that the challenge that sneaks into his voice is a hundred-percent intentional. Namjoon wonders if he is the only one in their group that hasn't been raised from hell.
"Yes we can" its unsurprisingly Jimin that answers, the fire lighting in his eyes as he bravely accepts the challenge. The poor guy, Namjoon sighs.
Seokjin withholds the rising smirk , and nods the question to the other two.
"Yeah, let's go" Taehyung answers with a questionable amount of seriousness while Jeongguk silently nods.
"Alright then," Seokjin easily accepts, handing the cast-away bottle back to Hoseok "starting this turn round, the spinner gets to choose a truth or dare".
Jeongguk's eyebrow raises all the way to his hairline "isn't it usually the other way Hyung?". Innocent, too innocent.
"Change of game rules, Guk" Hoseok answers and spins for his next victim.
Jimin whines when Hoseok shoots him a heart-shaped grin.
"I'll go easy on you Jiminnie" Hoseok pats the younger on his shoulder in what seems like mock assurance "why don't you go replicate that scene with Taetae of when you guys were six".
There's an assured fire in his veins when Jimin crawls his way over to his best friend, but Namjoon can see him hesitate when he finally kneels in front of Taehyung.
"Have I ever told you guys how much I regret my life?" Jimin asks rhetorically, cheeks stained in eternal flush before he quickly leaned down to peck his friend on the lips.
"A round of applause for them, gentlemen and gentlemen" Hoseok snickers, and they follow through with his request by doing exactly that.
Taehyung's face seemed to have morphed into one of utter despair, and Namjoon can only shake his head in sympathy.
"Care to do the honours?" Hoseok grandly waves to the golden item in the centre when Jimin finally crawls back to his spot.
So the bottle spins, and the next victim is chosen.
"You have got to be-"
"Its your first time getting caught tonight Kookie, consider yourself lucky" Jimin smirks, apparently having already forgotten his embarrassment, now that he was safe.
"Okay hyung, go for it" Jeongguk nods, ever-steadfast.
"Since its your first round, I'll be nice this time" Jimin grins, and Namjoon can almost see the halo emerging from his head.
"You can choose to give me a hug, or lick Namjoon hyung on his cheek" nope guess not, no halo there.
It really should be a no-figure between these choices, but with the way Jeongguk's eyes are flickering between him and Jimin, Namjoon can't help but wonder why the youngest likes making things so difficult.
"Fine" Jeongguk grunts, pulling himself away from Namjoon's side to give Jimin a hug.
Jimin looks absolutely delighted, and Namjoon wonders if he should be insulted.
"Yahhhhh, too easy" Seokjin complains, smacking Jimin's bum in retaliation.
Namjoon thinks that maybe Seokjin should really keep those comments to himself, because it really seems like Karma is fixed on getting her thrill from them tonight.
"Seokjin hyung, why don't you lick Namjoon hyung on his cheek?" Jeongguk says the moment the bottle of doom lands on their eldest.
"Jeon Jeongguk, sleep with your eyes open tonight" is all that Seokjin says before he rises from the floor to squat beside Namjoon.
"Please tell me you've already washed your face for the night" Seokjin mutters, and he doesn't wait for Namjoon's reply before sticking his tongue out and leaning forward.
Namjoon can feel wetness before the rough of the tongue and he tries very hard not to cringe away. Try is the keyword, because the moment the tip of Seokjin's tongue breaks contact, Namjoon all but repels himself away like they were alike poles of a magnet.
"Why me" Namjoon berates, wiping away the saliva on his cheek with the sleeve of his shirt, and shuddering from the after sensation.
Jimin and Hoseok are cackling at him right now, while Jeongguk looks seconds away from choking on his held-back laughter. Horrible, the whole bunch of them.
Seokjin only sighs again, truly exasperated this time as he turns the abandoned bottle.
"Its going to be a long night", Seokjin comments, and Namjoon afterwards learns, that this was really just the beginning.
-
It started as a route of escape, a simple but sinful getaway from their stress and troubles. It was supposed to be a one time thing, when none of them had any money to feed themselves with, and the backs of their pockets spared no change.
Then one time became twice and twice multiplied into an endless count as the offences under their names increased. The route became an addiction , and then a ritual.
It was a cheap thrill, Namjoon knows, one that might cost them someday should they turn careless. But that was a thing for another time to ponder, because all that mattered now was the sweet relief in his veins as they ran into the crowd and out of sight.
Hoseok and Yoongi dashed ahead while Seokjin followed closely behind. Together, the four of them ran off into the night, laughters trailing behind them that echoed through the alleys.
"Shit, oh shit" Yoongi laughed, tossing his head back as he leaned against the pillar for support.
"I know right?" Namjoon giggled maniacally, sucking in as much air as he could into his lungs while also choking out from laughter.
Seokjin heaved up from where he was bent over, and Namjoon can see the flush of exhilaration on his cheeks that always appeared during their runs.
"Think we broke our record?" Hoseok grins, throwing himself down onto the sidewalk as he rummaged through their bags.
"Maybe," Namjoon muses, pulling a can of soda from his stash and handing out the rest.
They were mid cooling off their high when a police patrol car pulled up their side, and Namjoon froze up for a moment before he realised that they weren't here because of the heist.
"A little too late for you boys to be lurking on the streets don't you think?" one of the officers stepped out, and Namjoon tensed from the fishiness that was rolling of the man in waves.
Call it gut instinct, but when he sees Hoseok freeze in a sort of cautious manner, he knows his suspicions are proven right.
"We were just about to head back home, sir" Seokjin replies, eyes firm even as the two cops closes the distance between them.
There's obvious ill-intent from the way the officer smiles, all greasy in a way that Namjoon thinks is familiar to the ones that pimps try to pull when roping in clients.
"We could give you boys a ride back" The other says, and Namjoon can feel the back of his hair stand.
"We appreciate the offer sir," Seokjin answers back easily, "but no need for the trouble".
The greasy smile turns into a menacing scowl, and Namjoon feels the hostile shift in the atmosphere.
The four of them takes a noticeable step back when the two makes a forward, and just as Seokjin's hand twitches back to form a signal, the eldest gets slammed into the car hood by the one nearest to them.
"Don't you know it's rude to refuse a kind offer kid?" the officer sneers, pining Seokjin's arm down easily when their eldest starts struggling.
"Fuck you!" Seokjin spits, twisting and snarling in a way Namjoon has never seen.
When Namjoon breaks from his shock, anger floods his sytem instead. He runs forward, swinging wildly at the man and landing a lunch that almost has the guy tripping. Namjoon startles and thrashes when a hand grips him from behind and chokes him.
"Let him go, you piece of shit!" Yoongi growls, charging forward in blind anger.
Fear seeps deeply into Namjoon's veins when he sees Yoongi get pushed back with a harsh kick, the elder landing harshly on his side.
Hoseok manages to land a punch in the officer's throat before he gets shoved away, allowing Seokjin to slip from the officer's grip. Seokjin doesn't waste time, swinging down his legs until the officer was bent over on the sidewalk.
Yoongi lands a hit that successfully loosens the arm around Namjoon's neck and Namjoon heaves when the pressure is released. He sprawls on the ground gasping for air to go into his lungs when a sharp kick to his side sends him rolling on his back, and Namjoon nearly blacks out from the pain that erupts as his head collides with a fire hydrant. The officer rounds in on Yoongi, who was still laying in pain on the floor from where the officer had struck him.
"Get the fuck away from him!" He hears Hoseok growls, and Namjoon can vividly see the two barely holding the other officer down from his blurring sight.
There's a loud mocking laughter that's accompanied by the struggles as Yoongi thrashed under the man who had straddled his much smaller form.
'Move!' Namjoon pleaded for his limbs to cooperate, but the blurring in his sight was worsening and the corner of his vision was slowly tinting with black. Not now, not when his friend was in trouble.
"Please stop!" He hears Hoseok beg, and Namjoon wants to stop the useless tears that were forming from his eyes because he realizes how helpless he was in this situation.
"Somebody help us, please!" Seokjin yells out in desperation, hoping that someone, anyone would give them a hand.
"Someone please!" Seokjin's voice shakes, hands trembling as he held the other officer down.
Their cries echoes through the empty streets, ignored by the many who shut their windows and doors as their reply.
"Stop!... Please!.."
Comes the distinct sound of fabric ripping.
"Stop.."
Yoongi's yell tears through silence of the night.
"..stop".
Something snaps.
There's sharp glint of metal and the world goes black.
When Namjoon regains consciousness, its to a loud maniacal laughter that runs shivers down his spine.
"I told you to stop didn't I?" He hears the chanting, and there's a loud sloshing sound accompanied with each jab.
Yoongi had laid stunned, in awe as he stared up at the bloody mess his friend had made, his top half bare from where his shirt was hanging down in strips.
"I told you, I told you but you didn't listen", comes the chiding and Namjoon sees the red spilling with each twist of the blade in Hoseok's hand.
"..Hoseok?"
His friend shows no sign of acknowledgement, a blank look in his eyes as he continuously assaulted the corpse.
"Won't you beg?" Hoseok chirps, lips spread out in an unnaturally wide grin as he pulled up the blood coated blade from within the insides of the man's head "won't you beg me to stop?".
"..Seok?" Yoongi mumbles out, hands reaching forward to stop his friend from mentally breaking down.
Hoseok halts, blinking hard before he turns to Yoongi. He sees the gears turning in his head before the elder shakes himself awake.
Hoseok wipes his hands clean, smearing red over the blue uniform as he erased the grime from his skin.
"You're okay?" Hoseok asks, cupping gentle hands over Yoongi's cheek as the elder leans in.
"Yeah", Yoongi nods, letting out a shaky breath before returning a smile "I'm okay".
"You sick fucks!" Comes a terrified hiss, and Namjoon realizes belatedly that the other officer struggling under Seokjin's weight was injured, but still very much alive.
"Oh?" Namjoon watches the pure terror in the officer's eyes when Hoseok's attention snaps back to him.
Satisfied after his examination of Yoongi, Hoseok stands from his position, and slowly staggers over to where Seokjin was. A sense of sick pleasure shoots through Namjoon's when the officer trembles from his position and makes a desperate attempt to crawl away.
Seokjin's eyes are half-lidded as he watched the scene play out, the cop's vest and gun hanging from his hands as he took a step back.
"Thanks hyung" Hoseok grins, and Seokjin smiled serenely in reply.
There's whimpering and soft pleading when Hoseok bends down to the guy's level, teeth flashing in wide display as he wiped his knife clean on the officer's uniform.
"What did you say?" Hoseok asks, tapping the sharp edge towards the man's mouth when he doesn't reply.
"Please, I'm sorry" the man tears up, and Namjoon snorts loudly at that.
"Beg us," Hoseok tilts his head up, nodding towards them as he said this , "beg us to let you go".
"Please," the man stutters, shaking violently as he lowered his head "please let me go. I'm sorry, I won't do this again. I'm so sorry please. Pl-".
Hoseok doesn't bat an eye at that, expression falling into one that's merely unimpressed as he turned to them.
"What do you think, Seokjin hyung?"
"Kill him"
"Please no-!"
Hoseok shuts the man up by shoving the knife back down his throat.
"Namjoonie?"
Namjoon can't help the twitch on his lips as he shrugs, "slowly".
Hoseok nods, extremely pleased, before turning soft dark eyes at their last friend.
"Yoongi?"
There's a lingering look in Yoongi's face as he faces Hoseok, one thats almost dreamy, then steely eyes glance down emotionlessly at their captive and he blinks.
"Painfully".
Hoseok mock bows, pushing the officer's head down as he goes "your wish is my command".
The screams tear off into the night, and the shut windows and doors are their replies.
The sirens wail, and red, blue lights flicker, but by the time the cops arrive, the scene has already been cleaned down. Three momentos awaits the authorities; one with a bashed-in skull, the other with a long slit mouth and the third that was red and drying on the pale walls.
"Cypher", the bolded letters formed and their new ritual begins.
-
Donghyuk doesn't believe in love at first sight, not really. He barely believes in true love even, snorting whenever his friend Hunchul, brings up the topic with a sickeningly dreamy expression on his face.
What Donghyuk does believe in though, is attraction. So no one can blame him, no one can point accusing and nasty fingers, when he gets struck intensely by that mentioned attraction the first time an adonis-incarnate walks into his shop.
"How may I help you?" Hunchul had practically swooned, almost visually drooling at the taller male that was, Donghyuk has to admit, really damn attractive as well.
"Just trying to catch an idea of a design, really" the taller one had answered, smooth velvety voice that, Donghyuk knew, was Hunchul's weakness.
His eyes doesn't shift from the shorter of the two though, eyes roaming down and up appreciatively until he realises that the guy was staring back at him.
Donghyuk, hardly one with shame, stares back daringly until questioning eyebrows raise in curiosity.
"The name's Seokjin, by the way" the taller one introduces, briefly shaking hands with his enamoured friend and moving to introduce the other as well.
"This is Hoseok", said guy, Hoseok, breaks the eye contact with Donghyuk to nod in greeting.
"That's our tattooist," Hunchul waves him over, and Donghyuk drags his feet over from his resting place to where they were.
"Shin Donghyuk," he throws out, flashing a smile that he hopes is friendly.
"Pleasure to meet you" Hoseok easily smiles, and damn if that isnt one of the prettiest things Donghyuk has seen.
"Pleasure is mine, really" Donghyuk returns, truthfully.
The second time Hoseok appears, its with another male, this time with violet hair. Donghyuk wonders if all of Hoseok's friends are as attractive as the male himself was. (Maybe not, Donghyuk thinks, since in Donghyuk's very humble opinion, Hoseok himself was the best looking amongst them)
"Nice hair", Hunchul had commented and Donghyuk pauses in the middle of a sketch when he spots something(or someone) of his interest.
Apparently Hoseok was keeping his prettier smiles a secret. This time, with his lips quirked up into a full curve, the dimples are exposed and Donghyuk discovers that he has a new favourite.
The slight shake of shoulders and crinkle in his eyes shows the amusement that Hoseok tries to hide behind a hand when his friend sputters.
"Thanks!" Violet- hair guy replies with a impish grin, and Donghyuk wonders if the guy can teach him how to make Hoseok smile like that.
Donghyuk doesn't realize he was staring off into blank space until a shadow blocks off his source of light. He was about to complain ("fuck off Hunchul") but luckily managed to promptly zip his mouth when he realise that the person standing in front of him was not his annoying friend.
"What's up?" Hoseok asks, lips quirking the slightest when Donghyuk shakes out from his daze.
"Nothing much " Donghyuk shrugs, turning the sketch to Hoseok so the other could see what he was working on without having to squint "just working on a sketch for a client".
"Real cool," Hoseok chirps in interest, eyes trailing the pattern in the design before he lifts to meet Donghyuk's eyes "have many years have you been in this line?".
"3 years , or maybe my whole life" Donghyuk easily replies, curiosity inclining from Hoseok's expression "fun fact from Shin Donghyuk: this shop was passed down from his father".
Hoseok hums in thought, and Donghyuk wonders if the other male was a singer, because damn, those were beautiful vocals.
"Very interesting fact, that one" Hoseok finally replies, eyes twinkling and Donghyuk wondered who the hell thought it was fair to place stars in someone's eyes.
Shit, Donghyuk caught himself before anymore embarrassing thoughts could flow through his traitorous mind. (Too late).
Hoseok looks away before Donghyuk could reply, turning to the sudden emergence of the violet-haired guy when he tripped over... Nothing?
"Seriously Namjoon?"
"Hey, don't judge", Namjoon protests, scratching awkwardly at his nape when Hoseok continues to do exactly the opposite.
"Come here," Hoseok demanded, and Donghyuk couldn't help but let slip the chuckle from their antics.
Namjoon glances at him before Hoseok pats at his face for his attention. "Does it hurt?" Hoseok asks, fingers playing gently with the reddened ear lobe .
"No, but yes if you keep poking at it like that" Namjoon grabs Hoseok's hand to still it, and Donghyuk briefly wonders if this was a "moment", if he should look away to give them space, or complain for them to go get a room.
He's an asshole so he does the latter, which earns him matching inquisitive stares.
"..what?"
Hoseok snorts at that, which really should be unattractive and rude but somehow still looks absolutely appealing.
"A room with this guy? The worst I tell you. He snores like he's shooting thunderbolts out from his -"
Namjoon sighs really loudly to cover the rest of the words that were coming out from Hoseok's mouth, and cups his hand over them for extra measures.
"Sorry and thank you, we will just... Go" and Namjoon drags his friend out from their little parlour, leaving Donghyuk to question what had just happened.
The third time Hoseok appears, he's brought along two other people, Seokjin and one of whom he's never met. The boy (man? Bunny teeth, check. Wide cutesy eyes, check. Okay, Boy it is) who followed in last had looked so amazed by everything that Donghyuk was wondering if his humble little shop had suddenly been warped into a theme park without him knowing.
"Hey," Hoseok greeted easily, and Donghyuk is secretly happy that the other has become relaxed enough to flop back onto his couch like he owned the place.
"Hey yourself," Donghyuk returns, taking the other end of the couch where Hoseok wasn't sprawled over, "busy day?".
"Yeah, too busy", Hoseok replies, lifting an arm to cover his eyes from the bright hanging lights "errands, lots of errands".
Which brings Donghyuk back to the question of "what is it that Hoseok is working as, or better suited, involved in". There's a hint of dangerous element in the mix, Donghyuk had guessed earlier on, and he knows he isn't wrong.
A black lump lands heavily on Hoseok, momentarily switching Donghyuk out of his gaze. His focus realigns and he sees that the black lump was really just the wonderland boy, who had successfully laid himself out across Hoseok and was now staring at Donghyuk accusingly.
"Hmm?" Hoseok, apparently already used to the weight and behaviour, merely brings up his free hand to card through the boy's hair.
Donghyuk can only watch with envy.
"You're done looking around Kookie?"
"Kookie" nods his head, leaning his head onto the curve of Hoseok's shoulder for a more comfortable fit, all the while still glaring at Donghyuk.
"Are you going to pierce your ear again?" Hoseok asks, lifting the other hand off his face to stabilise the body stacked precariously on top of him and very near the edge of the sofa.
"Mmn, maybe one like Yoongi hyung's?" Jeongguk turns away, apparently content with, for now, the imaginary holes he's burned through Donghyuk's head with his eyes.
Hoseok sends a silent look to Donghyuk in apology, one that he easily waves off.
"Hyung, are you going to pierce your ear?" the younger one snickers, and Donghyuk wonders if there's some inside joke running around that's hidden behind that question.
The look that Hoseok shoots to the younger is scolding, like a giant flat "NOPE".
"Are you teasing your hyung, Jeongguk?" Hoseok asks unbelievingly, receiving an answer through smothered giggles. The cute little shit.
Hoseok retaliates by wrapping his legs around Jeongguk and aggressively compressing the younger by his sides.
Staring is bad, Donghyuk repeats silently in his head. Staring is really rude. But to stop staring at the thighs that flexed against dark leather pants would be a sin, and sometime maybe, Donghyuk would like to have a chance at accessing white pearly gates.
"Hyunggg," Jeongguk wriggles like a worm, failing to escape the "cocoon" that he himself had caused.
"What do you say?" Hoseok demands, locking his calfs tighter together when the younger refuses to give in.
"I'm sorry?" Comes a whine, but the answer seemed not satisfying enough for Hoseok.
"Who's your favourite hyung?"
"Namjoon hyung?"
"What was that?" Hoseok squeezes even tighter at the mischievous answer, and the younger finally pants out, laughing even when he's out of breath.
"Hoseok hyung", another tap out.
"Hoseok hyung what?"
"Hoseok hyung is my favourite hyung" Jeongguk confesses, this time truthful, judging by the light flush that reaches the tip of his ears.
Satisfied, Donghyuk watched as Hoseok unraveled himself from the boy, practically glowing from the way he was smiling. Donghyuk's heart definitely did not just leap, did not.
"Yah Jeon Jeongguk, I thought I was your favourite hyung", came a third voice, and Donghyuk tossed his head back to see Seokjin standing by the backroom entrance. The eldest looked all parts amused, rather than miffed.
"Sorry hyung, you're second in place?" the youngest tried to amend, which only earned him an eye roll.
"What are you two doing anyway, Donghyuk here doesn't even have enough space", Seokjin waves towards him, almost curled to the end of the couch,
"It's okay, hyung" Donghyuk laughs, and really, he doesn't mind having to balance on the edge if it meant he could get an up-close visual to those amazing smiles.
"Cut the cheese," Donghyuk silently remind himself, grimacing internally at his own thoughts.
"Well?", Seokjin raises a questioning brow when neither of the two on the couch made an effort to move "didn't you say you were going to get a piercing?".
Jeongguk flops around like a fish out of water for a moment before slumping back down onto Hoseok. Donghyuk withholds the laughter that threatened to spill.
"Come on, Guk" Hoseok nearly coos, pinching the boy's ear and successfully making Jeongguk move "you can show off your new piercing to Yoongi hyung later". Then with a final pat of his butt (Donghyuk's mind runs a hundred mile by the minute for that), Jeongguk finally makes his way to the backroom.
"You spoiled him rotten", Seokjin accuses, "tsk"-ing at Hoseok like he was utterly the one at fault here.
"Says you", Hoseok snides back like a sassmaster, which contrast his earlier actions of snuggling the boy "mister oh-let-jeonggukkie-sleep-in-for-the-day-or-my-poor-baby-will-be-so-tired".
Seokjin rustles up like an angry bird at that, and Donghyuk snorts in laughter from the image.
He immediately clams up when Seokjin turns accusing eyes at him "and what are you laughing at?".
"You obviously," Hoseok smirks, gleaming with self-proclaimed victory as he gives Donghyuk a peace sign.
"Don't sass me Jung Hoseok," Seokjin shoots him a look, which has little to no effect on Hoseok.
"You love me, hyung" Hoseok puckers his lips at Seokjin, blinking innocently when the elder reels back in mock disgust. Donghyuk thinks he'll like to take Seokjn's position any day really, if it meant Hoseok would make kissy faces at him.
"Unfortunately."
Donghyuk hears, which stirs even more confusion in his extremely tangled thoughts. And even two hours after the trio has left (with even more burning holes and blinding smiles), Donghyuk still doesn't know what to conclude.
-
With the past few visits that were spread between months, its amazing how warm it still feels whenever a certain customer (who has yet to receive any service himself) walks into his shop, bringing sunshine with him when he comes.
The seventh time he sees Hoseok. Donghyuk can clearly identify why it is that his heart beat accelerated to unhealthy velocity whenever the other was in the vicinity.
Donghyuk hears the sound of motorcycles coming to a halt outside his shop before anything else. When the door bell chimes at their arrival, Donghyuk catches the full grin at his doorway.
"Knock knock" comes the random greeting before the customary chuckle that follows pleasantly.
"Just a minute", Donghyuk mumbles from his bent over the position, mask covering a third of his voice.
It takes a little over ten minutes before the tattoo is completed.
"Come back in a month's time and we'll start the shading" he instructs, slapping harshly (a mandatory) on the freshly inked back before waving his client away.
When he finished cleaning up the workplace, he makes his way towards his favourite customer, wondering who it was that he'd brought along today.
When Donghyuk slides through to the entrance room, he nearly stumbles back from the shock of the familiar figure.
There, sitting quietly with pale skin that contrasted against his red velvet couch was none other than the infamous "Suga" of the street gang, Cypher.
Its not hard to recognise the man really, not with the paper pale skin and unmistakable sharp steely eyes. Also, it seemed that the reputable gang member had a liking for the most striking hair colours. He knows if Hunchul were present at this moment, the guy might get a heart attack on the spot.
He quickly hides his shock behind an easy smile when Hoseok notices his entrance.
"So what's it this time?" Donghyuk jokes, watching Hoseok's eyes flicker with amusement that he's learnt so well to read "are you finally going to be the one under the needle?".
Hoseok flashes him a grin, and Donghyuk catches a glance of sharp canines that reveal from pulled up lips.
"Yeah, I'm going to get my nipples pierced" Hoseok casually states, shrugging for an added effect.
Theres a loud snort from Hoseok's companion at that.
"Sure," Donghyuk plays along, "I think it'll suit you, maybe". Donghyuk stops before his imagination could run wild, pinching himself discreetly on the thigh to shake off the rising heat.
"Maybe," Hoseok nods in agreement, not knowing that the day he bares his skin to Donghyuk is the day Donghyuk dies. Dammed if Hunchul was their main piercer, damned if Donghyuk would let slip the chance to see what was under that shirt.
"Okay, no nipple piercing for now", Donghyuk shifts back to the bar stool, leaning against the counter as he anticipated his next task, "so what's its going to be?"
Hoseok's eyes smoulders at that question, and Donghyuk wonders what he said to cause such an abrupt shift in the mood.
"Do you think Yoongi here," Hoseok waves a hand in Suga's direction, a smirk appearing on sinful lips as he asked "would look good with a dick piercing?"
Donghyuk, luckily with years of practice, manages to conceal his choking behind a series of coughs.
"ERM.. I" Donghyuk's eyes shifts uneasily between the two "I wouldn't know, I mean, I've never seen his dick before. He-".
"Do you want to?" Comes the question fired at rapid rate, before Donghyuk can even hold his breath.
"What?"
"Do you want to?" Hoseok eyes goes into a half-lid he gestures again to Suga "see his dick?".
There's a bout of silence as Donghyuk stares incredulously before Hoseok's smirk breaks and the two watched as Hoseok started laughing crazily.
Obviously used to, and completely unaffected by Hoseok's sudden madness, Suga sighs out as he received Hoseok's slaps on his back. Donghyuk, even through his confusion, manages to catch the small smirk that Suga had on himself.
"Don't mind him," Suga finally says, speaking to Donghyuk directly for the first time since he's been here, "he's just like that sometimes".
Donghyuk smiles unsurely at that, eyes still wondering back to Hoseok who had contained his laughter but was now sprawled over Suga like a mat.
"Sorry," Hoseok sniffs, rubbing his happy tears onto Suga's shirt like it was his personal towel, "I'm just kidding there's no dick piercings either for today".
"Shame," Donghyuk chuckles at the flat tone in Suga's voice, obviously not remorsing that loss.
"Okay," Donghyuk clears his throat, "that's good I guess?".
Hoseok, a now-revealed sadist, seems to grin even wider at Donghyuk's uncertainty.
"Yeah, just a boring old tragus piercing today" Suga nods, standing up from his place on the couch and leaving Hoseok to topple onto the emptied the spot.
The process is simple. Its years and years of practice, so Donghyuk doesn't have to think even when the needle slides through the clear of the skin.
"Okay, done" Donghyuk stands back to admire his work, before he notices unwavering grey eyes were staring at him.
"I'm going to take it that you know who I am already", Suga starts, grabbing the mirror that Donghyuk reflexively passes to him.
Donghyuk nods, watching tensely as Suga peers up at him from behind the mirror.
"So?" Suga asks, "what's your move?" and Donghyuk knows to proceed cautiously.
The feeling that Donghyuk gets from Suga is a strange one. There's something terrifyingly depthless behind the way he stares. Its different from the many fights that Donghyuk himself has gotten in to before, an unreachable tier that his past opponents could only hope to reach, someone that Donghyuk isn't used to dealing with.
"If you want me to be frank," Donghyuk swallows, daring himself to meet the stare as he spoke "the only reason why I didn't pull out a gun or ran is because of Hoseok".
He thinks maybe he had said something wrong, because the moment those words slip his lips, Suga becomes amazingly still.
The aircondition blows cooly against the back of his neck, and a trickle of sweat drips down the line of his spine. Donghyuk becomes momentarily aware of everything for that few seconds, tensed and wary. There's a flicker in Suga's eyes before the corner of his lips pulls up dangerously, and Donghyuk knows he's safe.
"Interesting," Suga nods, pulling out a small thick envelope from behind his jacket and hands it to him "though I'm surprised you recognised me, but not him".
There's confusion swirling in his head as processed the words, but Suga doesn't give him time to think, instead choosing to continue on and piling him with more questions.
"Its a request," Suga says as Donghyuk pulls out the whole stack of pristine notes from the envelope "think about it".
Donghyuk stared blankly at Suga's back as he walked away, and the deep chuckle resonates like a dark melody in his head.
"Call me Yoongi, by the way".
Yoongi leaves him standing stunned in the backroom, holding the bundle of notes comprehensively.
Donghyuk doesn't believe in love at first sight, but he thinks Hoseok might come pretty close. He doesn't get to tease Hunchul about it now whenever Seokjin drops by, doesn't get to call him a sap because it would surely backfire. ("Sap" , "yeah says the one who joined a gang for his crush").
His life hardly ever changes, other than the increasing sales from a certain syndicate, and perhaps the lessened worries about monthly bills.
He still hasn't come to a conclusion from the visits he gets from Hoseok, but he likes to think he's a step closer to finding out his chances.
On the tenth visit from Hoseok, Donghyuk decides to take his first try.
"Hey, you want to go grab some grub with me later?".
-
Seokjin remembers their first loss, still remembers clear as day the bitter taste of defeat as he watched his plans and men slowly crumble and fall, overpowered and helpless as their lives met an end.
The plan was supposed to be flawless; every detail, every stroke, every route and possibility had been accounted for as far as Seokjin could tell. There was always precision and careful planning in each of their movements, a fool-proof and solid mapping that was supposed to be clear win for them.
But Seokjin now knows, fist clenched tightly at his side, now knows that the one thing that they hadn't accounted for, was the one thing that also led to their downfall.
"You fucker!" Seokjin could feel the vibration in his lungs as he roared, hands being pulled back by Namjoon and Hoseok as he tried to charge forward.
The person, the traitor, kneeled chained to the floor, lips pulled into a glassy sneer as he watched Seokjin fall apart before him.
"How does it feel?" Seokjin had growled, hands flying forward with intentions to tear "how does it feel to watch your own brothers die because of you".
There's a soft chuckle, one that sends hatred deep into the very fibre of Seokjin's body, before the sneer morphs into something downright ugly.
"Wonderful, Seokjin-hyung, absolutely wonderful".
Even as he relearns every bone, muscle and tendon in the body, relearns to dissect and bring the human brain to its maximum pain capacity without the life burning out, Seokjin still can't feel the satisfaction, can't wash away the bitterness that he tastes in his mouth.
The screams are loud and echoing in the empty room, but Seokjin still hears the ringing pleas of help before another gets cut down.
"You look more beautiful, insides out" Seokjin confesses, eyes trailing the veins that he'd manage to separate from the skin.
His teeth presses down, piercing into the rough skin and the warm liquid gushes out. Blood, Seokjin realises, the bitterness tasted like blood.
-
Yoongi was the first of their group to stray. If Namjoon was going to be more frank about it, he'd say that Yoongi was the true definition of a street child.
The elder had survived in the corners of the streets, growing up with abandoned buildings as his playground and broken pipes as his toys.
Having been found abandoned since young and brought into an orphanage, Yoongi has no recollection at all of the life he led before he was harshly casted away as a child.
"It doesn't matter" Yoongi had said, and Namjoon can see that there wasn't an ounce of pretense in his speech. Namjoon wonders if maybe he'd had preferred if his friend wasn't so uncaring of his past.
Through the meager government funding, the orphanage had managed to get Yoongi into the education system once he was of age to. The orphanage was a run-down place, its caretaker a small elderly lady with a heart bigger than the world.
Yoongi wasn't always known as a troublemaker, Namjoon had learned. If anything he was decent from head to toe and a true sweetheart at that.
Then comes the day when the orphanage had its last day of glory, and Yoongi was thrown into another orphanage like a mere object to be disposed of.
"Burdens of society is what they call us" Yoongi had said, and Namjoon never wanted to hug his friend more than at that moment.
The looks of disgust were a thing that Namjoon could never understand, always accompanied by scathing remarks that Yoongi has never done anything to deserve.
Namjoon never understood how even from young, kids had been taught the vilest of words.
"Things that no one wants, Trash" came the remark, and Namjoon had spilled his first blood while Yoongi stood motionless behind him.
Namjoon finally pulls away when Seokjin arrived to stop him.
"You know that's not true though, right?" Namjoon had insisted afterwards, placing a hand on the elder's shoulder in an act of assurance.
If anything, Yoongi was pure gold in this modern heap of garbage, Namjoon is sure.
Yoongi shrugs again at that, like he didn't believe that it could possibly be true. Namjoon's heart ached for his friend.
"Namjoon's right though?" Seokjin nods in agreement, and although their eldest hardly ever sweared, Namjoon is secretly gleeful that he had chosen this time to ,"fuck them and what they say about you".
Namjoon counts it as their win when a chuckle slips through Yoongi's parted lips, the sound like a beautiful melody to Namjoon's ear.
Then Hoseok leaps down from his seat on the fences, a serious expression on his face when he approaches Yoongi, and Namjoon holds his breath.
"Yoongi?" Hoseok nearly whispers, pressing soft fingers and trailing each curve of Yoongi's face with obvious affection. There's a orange tint in his squinted eyes, a reflection of the setting sun that faded easily into the background.
"Hoseok," Yoongi answers back, always, kissing the fingers tips that brushed passed his chapped lips. The expression is delicate, so delicate, and Namjoon can't look away.
"We want you" Hoseok leans in, lining their foreheads together,eyes never leaving the other's. The fingers slowly draws further back, pushing soft locks behind the curve of Yoongi's ear and thumbing his cheekbones.
"Okay" Yoongi nods, silver eyes that were normally so sharp, melted into glinting mercury.
Hoseok smiles, sending Namjoon's heart fluttering from the sheer softness and longing from it.
When Hoseok leans down to press his lips against Yoongi's, Namjoon finally looks away. The moment was intimate, not his to share, but Namjoon's heart beats with a new kind of feeling, pleasant.
The wind roars loudly against his ear, tossing his hair back fiercely against the sky, but even if it was a mere whisper, Namjoon could still hear the loud declaration, one that was to the world.
"I want you".
-
If there's a first for everything, Hoseok concludes, then surely there's a last as well.
Be it the last embrace you share with someone before the other drifts away, the last summer that you've spent with your parents on a holiday or the last person you see before you close your eyes each day, there's always a last.
Maybe its a bit of a cold world, where lasts aren't as spoken as much as the firsts, and one doesn't consider them memorable until the final second.
How many times has Hoseok heard of those phrases that were uttered in real life, on television shows during a dramatic point or turn of events?
"Give me one last chance", says the one who begs for forgiveness.
"Please make this the last time" is a forgiver who desperately clings for a change.
"I wish to be your last" is a promise and exchange for life and eternity.
Hoseok thinks that if he could choose, he would much prefer to remember each of his lasts rather than the firsts.
There's something beautiful in the way a last works. It leaves an open area, a choice, one that's to your decision whether to change or not. It's controllable to an extent, in more ways than a first could possibly ever be able to give.
"Yoongi?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you think Cypher will still be here, even after we.. You know"
"Die?"
"..yeah"
"Well I don't know, but it doesn't actually matter right?"
"Dont you think that's kind of sad? I mean..we did work pretty hard to get to where we are"
There's a soft exhalation, a laughter that bubbles out from the elder.
"Well, think about it like this. Once we die, we won't know what'll happen afterwards right?"
"Right"
"So why does it matter? Since you don't know anyways?"
"Well, that's true".
There's absolute silence as Hoseok let's the words float in his head. Then Yoongi laughs again, this time more a light exhalation than anything.
"Seok-ah?"
"Mmn?"
"Even if it gets torn down one day, even if it's just one out of the seven of us left..Cypher will still be alive until the very end, don't you think?"
Yoongi's hand is warm against his. There's a steady pulse at the wrist that hums against his fingers and Hoseok can finally breathe again.
Its okay, Hoseok realizes. Even if everything else falls around them, even if the world slowly turns and everything that they have ever fought for turns into ashes, its still here now, and thats the thing that matters.
"Yoongi?"
It's okay, Hoseok smiles. Even if the world burns and Hoseok has to take a final breath. Because Yoongi is here, and the last thing Hoseok will see is Yoongi smiling back, and that's more than anything that Hoseok could ask for.
"Hmm?"
So maybe the world isn't ending now, and the fire hasn't started yet, but Hoseok understands that every first will naturally lead to a last and vice versa
For a last to exist, its needs a first to begin with.
So he starts.
"Yoongi?"
"Hoseok?"
"I love you".