powerboys | Can't breathe in the sunlight

"He's not being mean, brat." Jiho huffed and pushed Tae a little when he got too needy, not wanting to be weak in front of Minjun. "You do whatever you have to do. I get it. It's never been in my hands anyway, nothing ever has been. Like Cheon always said to me. I just sit there and stay down, try to look good, be a good doll. I can do that. I'm good at it." He knew he just had to ride this shit out, get to the other end and hope he didn't die in the process.

"Minjun will do his best. He loved you both so much." Ten offered, getting up so he could put an arm around his lover before he got too worked up. He knew how hard it was for him. "He doesn't want to use anyone."

"I get it." He did. He gave Minjun a pained smile and then turned his head, looking at Tae. "You really should get yourself a present or Minjun-hyung will waste all his money on that gross, smelly stuff."

Tae placed a kiss on Jiho's shoulder before scuttling away again, trying to figure out what exactly they were talking about and, well, he was really unsure. He just knew that Jiho seemed unhappy, which automatically made him unhappy too.

"Jiho..." Minjun ran a hand through his hair. "Listen, I know I'm not suited for this. But I don't get a choice in it any more than you do. And I'd really like if you were with me, so you could help me. You know a lot about the business and you know about things that I'm terrible at. I don't want to have Tae and you with me just to use you politically, I want us to be together. As if I was your brother."

"You're not my brother." Jiho deadpanned because, well, he was a moody ten year old. He was hurting, tired and everything was a mess. Of course he was lashing out. He sighed and shrugged his shoulders, not wanting to admit yes to everything but kind of nervous and unsure about everything overall. "We'll probably be with you. The alternative isn't possible and besides, I dunno... you should do fine." Hopefully. "If you focus up, ditch the weed and stop screwing around."

"Oooh, he's strict." Ten whispered playfully to Minjun, trying to reassure him. He knew how anxious Minjun was.

"Could you, uh, could you give me some time alone with Tae and then we can talk again?" Jiho asked, looking at his little brother and then back to his cousin. "Then I'll say if I'm with you officially, okay?"

"Yeah, sure. I need to go and talk to Min Yoongi-nim, cause apparently I do that now." Minjun smiled at them both, while Tae eyed him with vague suspicion, very unsure what was happening. Minjun reached for Ten's hand as he got off the bed, leading his boyfriend with him to the door. "Just yell when you wanna talk."

He wished he could give him more time or even a proper option other than the one, but he didn't know how, so he just offered a smile and then walked out, leaving the two brothers. Tae immediately shuffled closer to Jiho again, wrapping his arms around him. He wanted hugging.

"Why are you sad, hyung?"

"I dunno. It's hard right now. I'm gonna be sad for a few, yeah?" He made sure the door was closed before he pulled Tae over carefully, holding him close and trying not to cry because everything was bad and it was stressing him out. He didn't want to leave his house, that was where all his memories of eomma were. And he didn't want to rule or help rule, he just wanted time alone.

"We got a choice and we should make it together, yeah? Cause we're a team now. Me and you. Got no one left but us." He gulped and tightened his grip on Tae a little. "We're team eomma, yeah?" Her favourite boys. "We have to make all choices together."

Tae nodded his head with a very serious expression, looking at his brother. "Yes, hyung." And since Jiho was holding him, he held him as well, snuggling close and nuzzling his head against his chest, wanting him to know that he wasn't alone. They were together and they would be brave and kick everyone's ass if they had to, just like they had with Kangwoo. "What choice do we have, Jiho-hyung? I'm sorry, I wasn't listening, I was talking to Ten-hyung a bit."

"That's okay, you don't have to listen. It's boring adult stuff. Not even I want to listen." Jiho stuck his tongue out, making an icky face so Tae knew how boring it was. He smiled a little and leaned back, caring his fingers through Tae's hair. "We can be with Minjun officially, he'll protect us and stuff. We works with the Min Clan, the people who keep Kookie safe." It was a good offer but something was holding him back, the looming fear of Kangwoo. "Or we don't join anyone and we just ... I dunno... we run, I guess. I don't know what else we could do."

He didn't even know where he'd run. "I think eomma's family had money set aside for us. Maybe I can find it. I dunno, what do you think? Do you trust cousin Minjun?"

"Minjun-hyung is nice and Ten-hyung is nice too and they are both funny." Was that something that meant that they were people he could trust? He wasn't sure how to know that. "I don't think they would hit or yell." At least they didn't seem like they would. They were happy to talk to them and he even had early memories of Minjun always being nice to them, so that was all very different from Kangwoo. He couldn't remember Kangwoo ever being nice to him.

"I think if we run, we might run out of breath, right? Cause you can't run forever."

"Yeah, you got a point. I guess they are our best bet for now, huh? And he is nice. Dumb and smelly but he's nice." Jiho smiled as he lay there for a while, unsure why he felt so weak and needed to cuddle his baby brother but he had to. He just needed it. "Then team eomma has decided to join Minjun-hyung. We'll have to take a picture with him, show we're on his side so you gotta pull the silliest face you can."

And then he'd try to make sure no one took pictures of Tae again. He wasn't going to be a pawn. "Hey, TaeTae?" He looked down at him, grinning a little despite the stress and pain. "We totally kicked Kangwoo's ass."

"We did! You did! You were so amazing, I was really scared, but you did so well!" Obviously he had known that neither of them stood a chance against Kangwoo, but just seeing Jiho go for it, it had been so inspiring, so amazing, he didn't think he'd ever forget it. He snuggled close to him, beaming up at him. His awe-inspiring big brother!

"I told him that he's dumb and that no one likes him and he smells." Tae giggled, knowing that Jiho had been there, but telling him anyway. "I knew you'd help me, you know? You are the bestest hyung and you saved me. That's why I never have to be all scared, just a little scared. Because I have my hyung."

"You're such a dork, I lost the fight... but it was fun to punch Kangwoo in his stupid face." Jiho slowly pushed himself to sit up, moving Tae along so he could properly have a seat on the edge of the bed, wanting to get up and just move a little. These pyjamas weren't his, they were soft and nice though. Cute too. They had stars on them.

"I want to get up and move, yeah? You wanna go out. We can see your little friend, Jungkook." He braced himself on the edge of the bed, hoping this went well. "I'm so hungry. I want to eat." Pushing himself up, he winced and braced himself on the wall, holding out a hand for Tae.

Tae nodded his head and got off the bed, reaching out to take Jiho's hand in his, feeling a little bit uncertain on his feet as well. He was still hurting a lot, but it was getting better and he agreed with Jiho. "I'm so hungry! I could eat like an elephant, eat all the things! Like the caterpillar!"

He knew literature references. The soup they had gotten had been very good and nourishing, but it had still only been soup. Today, Tae felt, chewing something would be nice.

"He ate a lot. I don't think you can eat that much." Jiho smiled, holding his brother's hand and carefully limping along to the door. He opened it slowly and peered out, pulling back a little because everyone was in the living room. His fear got the best of him and he wanted to back out but Ten saw him, smiling and gesturing over at them.

"Come over, you two feeling like exploring?"

Jungkook bounced up immediately, doing a little jog on the spot when he saw Tae and almost stomping on Yoongi's lap, which had been his seat a moment ago. "TaeTae!"

Jiho opened the door more, bring Tae in front of him. Kind of as a shield. It was easier to focus attention onto Tae. He just needed food and to talk to Minjun.

"We are hungry," Tae announced, so they would know. He stayed close to Jiho, because Jiho being nervous was making him nervous too, so he pressed himself against his brother's legs and clung to his hand, even as he waved at Jungkook. "Hi, Jungkookie."

"We'll get you food." Yoongi tried to coax Jungkook to get off him. "Go show Tae and his brother where they can sit down, huh?"

Minjun stayed next to Ten, trying to look at Jiho in an encouraging way.

"Sit here with me!" Jungkook climbed onto the sofa and eagerly patted the seat next to him, moving Dooly on the other side so he wasn't in the way. Then he felt bad and kissed Dooly. "You're not in the way, TaeTae just needs this seat."

Feeling Tae hesitate and pick up on his nerves, Jiho knew he had to push Tae forward and be brave for both of them. They'd come this far. He held Tae up onto the couch by Kookie and then sat down himself, awkward and unsure.

He tried not to look at Yoongi or Namjoon. Not that Namjoon noticed, he was reading and blocking the room out - it happened sometimes. He just needed a break from Dooly and drama. Jungkook held out Dooly for Taehyung. "This is my bestest friend, hyung."

"Oh, I see. Hello, Kookie's friend." Tae shook the doll's little arm, smiling politely. "I'm TaeTae, it's nice to meet you! Jungkook is the best, right? So brave."

Yoongi got up and headed for the kitchen, hitting the back of Namjoon's head slightly as he passed him so he would pay attention, just in case a fight would break out or whatever. One never knew.

Minjun meanwhile moved to stand by Jiho, smiling at him. "This is the first time I've ever heard you say you're hungry, I'll take that as a good sign."

"Still don't want a lot. Food is gross." Well, it was. Or it was to someone like Jiho, who had a very complicated relationship with food and only ate a very small selection of stuff. Still, he was in Min Yoongi's house - somehow, someway - and he would eat whatever he offered. He wasn't crazy. "You eat too much. Stoner."

"And yet he looks beautiful." Ten commented, beaming at Minjun. Namjoon rubbed his head, trying to keep an eye on things because yeah, anything could happen now and it was best to be safe.

Jungkook hugged Dooly and smiled at Tae. "Do you want to hold Ryan? He's a special bear but he gives good hugs. He belongs to Namjoonie-hyung and he's so cool."

"It's cause I regularly forget to eat." That and he did actually work out a fair bit. Hey, he wanted to look good. In general and in specific for his boyfriend. he grinned at him and kissed his cheek, then turned his focus to Jiho again. "Eating's healthy anyway. You look like you could use a good meal."

"Sure!" Tae was willing to play along with anything Jungkook wanted right now and, well, it wasn't as if Ryan didn't look adorable. "You have so many friends to play with now, Jungkookie. I still have your bunny, the one you gave me. He's in my bed now, he was in my pocket when we ran away."

"I have plenty of good meals, I just don't like them." He had a traumatic early birthday memory of eating too much food and throwing it all up, it sort of lodged in his head and cemented him firmly as a picky eater who was incredibly awkward always. He couldn't help it, some foods just triggered that feeling in him. "I'll eat today." He looked up at Minjun and bit his lower lip, unsure how best to tell him. "We, uh, we're in."

"I'm glad, he was special so you needed him." Jungkook set Ryan in Tae's lap and his bunny between them, happily snuggling up to his hyung. "Hyung, are you feeling any better? You still have an owie."

"Yeah?" Minjun smiled and then he leaned down to grab Jiho's hand for a cool handshake, figuring that that was the most appropriate way to celebrate this. "I'm glad. So glad."

He would have had to do something regardless, but it was good to have Jiho's collaboration. "I talked with Min Yoongi-nim and they are fine with you and Tae staying for now, while things are dicey. No one will dare touch you here."

He still didn't know who of his own people he could trust and all that. So much to figure out. But that was his issue, not his little cousins. "I want to tell people about you and Tae fighting Kangwoo and getting away. What do you think?"

Tae smiled and wrapped an arm around Kookie, nodding as he adjusted the bear on his lap. Such a cute bear. "I feel better. It still hurts a bit, but it looks worse than it is, you know? And I'm not so sleepy and dizzy anymore, so it's much better."

"Sure, whatever you want. It's your call, leader. Just don't let Cheon near Tae and you can do whatever. Actually, don't let a few people near Tae. Some guys are just ... bad." Jiho didn't know how else to describe it but sometimes he sat in with Kangwoo and Cheon talking because, well, they did it sometimes over the dinner table. Sometimes he sat in Cheon's lap.

"You should write a list." Namjoon spoke up, turning his head to look at Jiho. "We have a list we've been working on but to work out who is who in your gang would be very useful."

Jiho nodded, a little bit caught up in stage fright to add anything else. He just looked up at Minjun to show he would, trying to properly convey his feelings.

"I'm glad you're not sleepy and dizzy. I was very scared." Jungkook kissed Tae's owie very softly and then pulled back, nodding in approval. "Like eomma kisses! I can make it better. I'll kiss it every day."

"Ugh. I hate how many disgusting perverts there are everywhere. Cheon is the worst." He knew all about that already and dating Ten had driven the point home even more. "Jiho will help with the list, he's very organised."

He could answer for Jiho, giving him the thumbs up. He knew that Jiho just got nervous easily. "They will never get to be near Tae or you again. I promise."

"I'm sorry I scared you, Jungkookie! I remember how scared you were when we got here, but I was all worried about my hyung and then after the doctor looked at me I just fell asleep, so I couldn't go talk to you. But now I can!" He smiled and hugged him to make up for missing out before. "You have magic kisses. I told my hyung about it, he thinks you're so cool."

Or maybe Jiho had just wanted him to shut up, whatever.

"Cheon is pretty bad but he makes a lot of money. He has links with two over low level gangs and they're all working with the human trafficking ring. It makes a lot of cash." Jiho stated bluntly because he listened in a lot. He shrugged his shoulders. "Kangwoo doesn't like it but he likes the money. It's not about what it is to him, it's about the power and the money. Always."

Namjoon raised an eyebrow, mentally noting that away. Which low level gangs? He was going to have to talk to Yoongi later, find out what was what finally. He just didn't want to overwhelm Jiho with questions. The younger boy reached out and gently gripped the back of Minjun's shirt for support, embarrassed and hoping his cousin didn't draw attention but this was a lot. He needed someone older to just take over for a few.

"I'm cool? That's awesome." Jungkook beamed excitedly and bounced on the couch, pulling Dooly between them so they could both hug him too. "Do you wanna watch TV or we can do crafts or we can play cops and robbers where we run about and--"

"Kookie, kid, TaeTae is still sick. Chill. He can do running games later." Namjoon warned gently, trying to keep Jungkook from hurting Tae by accident.

Minjun sat down next to Jiho, leaning back and leaning just a little into him, knowing that he needed someone and knowing he was too old and cool for him to just take him into his arms. "I know a lot about Cheon from Ten and because Cheon's used me as a translator a couple of times. Jiho is right, he brings in the money, mostly by having no money. One of the gangs he's affiliated with is based mostly in Thailand." Not so surprisingly.

"Maybe we can watch TV? That's nice." Because his head did hurt a little and he wasn't sure how much focus he really had, but he wanted to do something with Jungkook for sure. "Where do you watch TV, Kookie?"

"He's not a nice guy, he's very cunning. Has a lot of connections." Ten knew that first hand, he'd been brutalised at Cheon's hand and, really, he hated to think about it. It made him feel sick. Cheon wanted him to be some kind of weird little boyfriend pet, not a person or a lover, just something to hurt and fuck. He couldn't be more thankful for Minjun. "I was very lucky."

"Is he your boyfriend or...?" Jiho didn't know, he never got much chance to talk to Minjun. Kangwoo deemed him a bad influence.

"We watch it in here or sometimes in appa-- erm, in Yoongi-hyungs room." He kept slipping up, he didn't mean to! Yoongi was like an appa and he wanted to call him appa but he knew he wasn't his appa. It was so hard! "We can go after food."

Can't breathe in the sunlight

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)