Stuck In Between | ot7 | Six

 Pair: Sope x f!reader ; Ot7 x f!reader

Summary: What does it take for a life to be changed forever? For you it was running into one of Bangtan’s seven –the most powerful street gang in all of Gwangju. It was only supposed to be a steamy one night stand after night out, but after being targeted by Bangtan’s number one enemies, you find yourself interlaced with seven dangerous men. Can you get your old life back? Or will you stay stuck in between what you believe to be good versus bad? 

Chapter warnings: This one is pretty fun, if I do say so myself 😌

 WC: 6.6k  You were glad that you remembered to add your makeup bag to the list of things brought back from your house, as your post-drunk-nap-face needed some serious work to make you slightly presentable to have dinner at the table with seven very important –and painfully gorgeous– gang members. 

While the nap, and a long bath, did do wonders for your alcoholic state, leaving you as good as new, you were still awfully nervous about the prospects of tonight. You were smart enough to know that this was most likely a test, where the men could size you up and decide if they could trust you. 

Because, while you weren’t sure you could trust them yet, you couldn’t expect them to trust you right away either. 

You were inside the bathroom of Hoseok’s room, wearing a bathrobe on top of your bra and underwear, as you finished off your makeup, deciding not to do much with your hair as you didn’t want to seem like you were trying too hard. For the past ten minutes, you heard Hoseok moving around inside his room, most likely getting ready too. 

“Doll, are you alive in there?” came his hushed voice from the other side of the door. “I have something for you.” 

You put your makeup inside the small bag where it belonged and stored it in a drawer under the sink that had been cleared out for you, as you could already tell Hoseok liked his things to be neat and organized, only then meeting the man inside the bedroom. 

Hoseok looked gorgeous, and you hated him. 

It was really unfair of him to expect you not to stare at him all night and drool if he could look that fucking good in a simple light gray jumpsuit that looked baggy on him, but a Dior belt cinched his waist prettily. He also sported a thick chain around his neck and all that was missing was a pair of sunglasses and he’d be ready to walk Paris Fashion Week. 

And then he had that infuriatingly charming side smile that was trying to melt you from the inside out everytime you saw it. 

“You look pretty.” he complimented and you raised an eyebrow. 

“I’m in a robe.” you twirled the tie of said robe around and he laughed with a shrug. 

“Still the prettiest woman in the house.” Hoseok hooked his fingers under the knot holding your robe together and for a second you thought he might undo it. For a second you thought you would let him. 

Instead, he pulled you toward the steps that led to the platform where the bed was. 

“I’m the only woman in the house.” you pointed out to his smart ass. But then you paused. “Right?”

“Yes, you are the only Bangtan lady.” Hoseok beamed, sitting on the edge of his bed, legs spread as he pulled you to stand between them. 

You could already see a shopping bag with a designer logo at the front, but assuming that’s where Hoseok’s own clothes came from, you chose to focus on him instead. “Don’t call me that.” you grumbled, bottom lip almost being pushed into a pout. 

“Does it offend you, doll?” the man worried, letting go of the knot on your robe to gently hold your hips. 

“No, it doesn’t offend me. But it’s dangerous.” your hands rested on his shoulders and when your knees hit the side of the bed you realized your own body was betraying you and trying to get closer to the man. 

“Power might get to your head?” he grinned, but you shook your head. 

“It might give me the wrong impression.”

“And what impression is that?” Hoseok looked to the side, where your hand was placed on his shoulder, and kissed your wrist. 

“The impression that I belong here, with you.” could he really not see the weight his words carried? 

“Would it really be that bad?” when he looked at you again, Hoseok had a tiny line between his brows. 

“Hobi.” you sighed and it sounded like a whine of his name. “I can tell you have this idea in your mind, that I can just stay here for as long as I need, and for as long as I want. And it’s a nice idea, really. But it’s not real.”

“Did Taehyung or Jimin say anything to you?” you could feel his shoulders getting a little tense under your hands. 

“No, they were nothing but nice to me.” you assured him, and it was the truth. Both were playful and mischievous, yes, but you liked spending time with them. 

“Then where is this coming from?” 

Hoseok snaked an arm around your hips, gently turning you sideways and pulling you down to sit on top of his leg. Your heart was trying to leap out of your throat as the smell of him invaded you, the musk that triggered the memory of the two of you at the club, then at the penthouse. A mess of tangled limbs and ragged breaths. 

“Do you really not see how everything is awkward for me? How I don’t know who I’m bothering just by being here?” you confided, hoping you didn’t sound ungrateful. “How I’ve been stuck inside this room for three days, scared that making the wrong move, or taking the wrong step will get me kicked out?” 

“Doll.” Hoseok’s voice made you look at his slender face, his expressive eyes and naturally pink lips.

“And I’m not in a position that allows me to be kicked out. Not when I know bad people are after me.” you finished, letting your arm rest around his shoulders, your free hand on your lap. 

“I can promise you that, while I’m in Bangtan, you won’t be kicked out. No matter what happens, no matter what moves you make.” you could tell that he meant those words as his forehead rested on your cheek. “I know asking you to trust me is a leap of faith, but if you can find it in yourself to trust one thing that comes out of my mouth, trust that.”

“How do you trust me?” you enquired, and he chuckled. 

“Micky.”

“What?” you pulled a little further away to look at his face, wondering if he was joking. 

“That dog hates people, and he seems to love you.” he shrugged and kissed your cheek, so close to the corner of your lips that your whole face burned. “You can’t be that bad if he trusts you even after you stick him with needles.”

“So you’re putting your trust in me because of a dog?” you deadpanned, despite your butterfly filled stomach. 

“Yup.”

“You’re insane.” you were shaking your head as you got up from his lap. “Now will you help me pick something to wear? I’m under the impression Namjoon-ssi doesn’t like late runners.” 

Hoseok agreed with a nod, but before you could get down from the bed ledge, he held you by the wrist to keep you close and pushed the shopping bag towards you with a sheepish little smile. 

“What's that?” you raised a suspicious eyebrow. 

“Something for you to wear tonight.” he shrugged, as if you couldn’t see the DIOR written in gold foil against the white of the bag. 

“I asked you to help me pick something from the clothes I already have, not to buy me something else.” you chastised, but he only smiled with pearly white teeth. 

“I don't think you have something appropriate for a Bangtan dinner in the closet, doll.”

If you needed a damn Dior outfit to be presentable tonight, you might ask to never be invited to one of these ever again. 

Hoseok was watching you intently as you pulled the pretty box out of the shopping bag, smile growing as you took out the lid and carefully unwrapped the fine piece of clothing from the branded tissue paper. 

You lifted the off-white dress out of the box, it’s fabric heavy and smooth. It was beautiful, but thus far you already knew Hoseok had impeccable fashion taste. Not that you thought you could pull off half the things that he made look cool, but the Dior dress was a classic piece. 

“Well, this takes you calling me a doll to a whole new level.” you grinned, excited to put the dress on. 

“How so?” Hoseok laughed, pushing the box and shopping bag to the side so you could gently lay the dress down onto the mattress to admire it longer. 

“You know, playing dress up?” 

“I suppose it does.” he agreed with a new laugh and nod of his head. His fingers tangled on the knot of your robe as he teased: “But I think I have much more fun dressing you down.”

“Don’t do that–” you closed your eyes, exasperated, but you didn’t stop him, and you didn’t close your robe as it parted in the middle. 

“Do what?” he asked innocently as he got up from the bed to stand behind you. For a few seconds you both stared at the dress in front of you, but then nimble fingers pushed the robe off your shoulder and it slipped to the floor. “Didn’t you ask for my help to get ready?” 

“I'm trying to behave here.” you sighed painfully, but your body was responding. Annoying shivers making the little hairs of your body stand on end. 

“Where's the fun in that?” Hoseok’s lips were on your shoulders, his hands were on each side of you waist, and your new sigh had a whole different meaning. 

“It's not supposed to be fun.” you provided, but your shaky voice betrayed you. 

“Good, because it's not.” he mused, fingers dipping into your sides as his nose dragged up the column of your throat. 

“It's supposed to be the right thing.” you tried, but you were already leaning back against his front, the cold metal of his belt against your warm skin making you jump. 

“Doing what we want is the right thing,” he pointed out. 

Hoseok was pretty convincing and his touches, both from his lips and hands, were enticing. You were this close to agreeing to whatever he was suggesting happen now, but the robotic voice that filled the room warned: ‘Dinner is in twenty minutes’. 

That had you begrudgingly pushing away from him so you could get dressed. 

“That dress doesn’t go well with a bra.” Hoseok said as he picked up the discarded robe to store it in its rightful place in the bathroom. 

“I know, mister fashion guy.” 

Hoseok was laughing as he jumped off the steps of the bed area, giving you enough privacy to take off your bra and slip into the dress. Pulling the tight piece up from your hips was a bit of a struggle, but the hard fabric –that wasn’t exactly uncomfortable, you just had never worn designer pieces before– molded your body to accentuate your natural curves. 

The dress was light in color, but not in a wedding-dress kind of white. It had off the shoulder long sleeves, which made your shoulders, collar bones and cleavage more than a little obvious. The length of the skirt went to your mid-thigh and had a tiny slit on the side. 

“Need help with that?” Hoseok was back with you a minute later, warm fingers pulling the zipper at the back of the dress to close it up. “Now, let me see you.” 

You turned around and allowed him to see your front, noticing how his eyes lingered on your neck and chest and he licked his lips in appreciation. You smiled because you felt good, pretty and confident; exactly what you needed for a dinner with Bangtan. 

“There’s only one thing missing.” the man wondered out loud, tapping his finger on his chin. “Oh, I know.” 

Hoseok brought his hands to the back of his neck and unclasped the chain from around it, motioning for you to lift your hair out of the way. You did so, hoping that having something around your neck might distract any eyes from wandering over your chest. 

The metal of the chain was cold against your skin, especially with how tight Hoseok bounded it on your neck. It wasn’t hurting you, or choking you by any means, but it was a lot more snug than he used to wear it; usually loose and hanging on him. The excess chain from where he clasped it was resting on your back, between your shoulder blades. 

“Now you look perfect.” he smiled. “Shall we?” 

“Into the shark tank I go.” 

The dining room, which Hoseok explained was the formal dining room, was located right next to the kitchen; which you supposed made sense. You were still taken back with every new room you were introduced to, as you were never one to live in such lavish conditions as Bangtan did. 

Whether you’d be used to the lifestyle by the end of your stay or not, was a concern for future you. 

Just like the playroom, the formal dining room was split into two halves; one side was more of a lounge area, with dark purple velvet couches and armchairs, yet another bar shelf with bottles and glasses of all kinds, and a TV on the wall –which was turned off for the time being–. On the further side, with a sliding matte glass door that connected to the kitchen, was the big dining table made of heavy wood, with three chairs on either side and two more on the edges. You wondered if they had added one more chair for you or if that was their regular set up. 

When you walked in with Hoseok, you were more than a little nervous, as five of the seven men were already there. They were still missing Seokjin, the purple haired man you were yet to exchange a word with, so you were glad that you weren’t late. 

If you were expecting to make a grand entrance, you fell short. 

There was no world stopping in its axes, no slow motion filter, no one stopped what they were doing to regard you. Which you were extremely thankful for. 

With his hand on the small of your back, Hoseok guided you in, speaking quietly as he said:

“Come on, I want to introduce you to hyung.” 

Your heart skipped a beat and you tried to fix your bare feet on the ground to stop yourself from being moved. “Wait, Hobi– now?! What if he hates me?”

“Why would he hate you?” he chuckled, hand surprisingly firm and strong on your back to drag you along. 

“What do I even say?!” you hissed, noticing Taehyung and Jimin’s eyes on your tiny tantrum. 

“Hello is a good start.” Hoseok spoke as if it was easy. 

You had no time to run away as it got pretty obvious pretty fast that Hoseok and you were walking in the direction of the man standing near the bar, with a glass of gold liquid already in hand. Yoongi’s eyes went to Hoseok first, a tiny smile full of obvious fondness and something else you couldn’t quite name yet. 

Then his eyes landed on you and your stomach dropped in a way you weren’t sure you liked or not. Just because they were so intense, over the rim of his cup as he held it with his pinky folded, that you had to stop yourself from squirming. 

Yoongi didn’t scowl, didn’t walk away, didn’t tell you that you weren’t welcome there; all scenarios that went through your mind for once you were finally face to face with him. He didn’t really smile either, but you didn’t think he was the kind to just throw them around like party favors. 

What the man was wearing wasn’t as over the top as what you, Hoseok, and some of the others were wearing, but he still made it look appropriate for the kind of dinner you assumed was being held tonight; with a simple pair of black tailored pants, a white t-shirt and an open blazer on top. The perfect mixture of casual chic.

With a little push that should be encouraging, Hoseok had you stumbling into a stop in front of the man. 

“Hello.” you rushed out. 

“Hey, there.” Yoongi was amused to say the least. 

He was shorter than Hoseok, you realized, but still taller than you, which made you look up to his unnervingly good looking face. His eyes were sharp and almond shaped, a small round nose that shouldn’t make him look so cute, on top of a pair of pillowy, light pink, pouty lips. 

Teasingly, and with his hand still on your back, Hoseok chuckled: “See? Did that hurt?”

“What hurt?” Yoongi raised one of his dark and nicely shaped eyebrows as he brought the drink away from his lips, resting it on the top of the bar he was standing next to. His bottom lip was shiny with the last sip he took and you wondered what it tasted like. 

“She thinks you hate her.” Hoseok threw you under the bus, making you glare at his profile as if he just betrayed you. 

“Did I make you think that?” Yoongi’s voice was deep, raspy and low. A total opposite to Hoseok’s joyous and loud one. 

“Uh. No, sorry.” you shook your head, hands holding onto each other in front of you. “I guess with your, uh… situationship. I thought you might get the wrong impression of me.”

“So you’re afraid I’m gonna hate you because we’re sleeping with the same guy?” the shorter man asked with a cocked head and an amused smile that let you see his gums. It wasn’t lost on you how Hoseok’s hand was dragging up and down your back to further soothe you. 

“Well– I’m not sleeping with him.” you felt the need to clarify. “Actively.”

“Why not?” the question was more aimed to Hoseok than to you as Yoongi took another sip of his drink before offering the glass to the man standing beside you.  

“Because sometimes she’s not fun.” Hoseok rolled his eyes, accepting the alcohol to take a sip, then handing it to you. 

If Yoongi was bothered by the fact that your lipstick covered lips touched his glass, he didn’t show. The whiskey was rich and sat heavy on your tongue. You had no idea how both men didn’t even flinch when drinking it before you. 

“Or maybe you’re losing your touch, Seok.” Yoongi teased and Hoseok’s hand slid up to rest on the back of your neck. 

Not missing a beat, the man replied: “That’s not what you were saying last night.” 

“Maybe I’m easy to please.” Yoongi was shrugging, finishing off the rest of the drink in one go. 

Was Yoongi easy to please? Was Hoseok losing his touch? What did the two of them together look like? Did they switch? You couldn’t imagine Hoseok bottoming, but Yoongi didn’t seem like the kind of guy to easily give up control either. 

You couldn’t help but wonder about those very questions, especially with the way Hoseok and Yoongi were staring at each other, as if about to answer some of your questions with a live demonstration. 

And maybe you were still a little drunk from this afternoon, as the heat covering your cheeks and neck could not be natural. 

“I don’t know if this is weird or not–” you sighed, thinking out loud, but not really caring that they heard. 

“You haven’t told her?” Yoongi’s cat eyes were squinted as he leaned an arm on top of the bar, tongue licking at his bottom lip as if trying to enjoy the rest of his drink.  

“Told me what?”

“What was supposed to happen that night at the club.” Hoseok said sheepishly, making you turn to the side to face him. 

“What?” you asked again, but Yoongi was the one to answer:

“Seok is an asshole.” Yoongi told you, as if that was explanation enough. 

Hoseok’s hand dropped from your neck with the way you were standing sideways, to face both men, as they clearly knew a lot more than what you did. You crossed your arms to your chest, starting to worry about just what was supposed to have happened that night at the club; the night you were thrown into Bangtan’s world by sleeping with their Hope. 

“We were supposed to share you.” Hoseok finally explained, making your jaw drop. Literally and figuratively. 

To close it up, Yoongi lifted your chin, the small touch sending shockwaves through your skin as he made you look at him. 

“That night at the club, I was the one to spot you.” Yoongi explained, letting go of your chin, but thankfully you were able to keep your lips sealed. Even if your eyebrows were trying to join your hairline. “I told Seok to get you, bring you home with us.”

“Oh.” the two letters came off as a breathy exhale. 

“But the ass wanted you all for himself.” Yoongi said with a gentle push to Hoseok’s shoulder, who dramatically closed his eyes and pretended that it hurt. 

“Can you blame me?” Hoseok deadpanned, motioning to you, which made Yoongi’s eyes do a swipe on you. 

“Honestly, I might have done the same if I was the one to go after her.” Yoongi agreed with a new shrug. 

Before you could think more of it, you asked: “Why didn’t you?”

“Now now, doll, things would have happened very differently if he had.” Hoseok spoke and it sounded like a warning, his arm wrapping around your waist to pull you into his side. 

You were very aware of your own voice dropping and your hand resting on top of Hoseok’s chest as you mumbled: “How so?”

“For starters, you wouldn’t be wearing his claim around your neck.” Yoongi spoke with a tiny chuckle, but his words made your attention go from one man to the other. 

“His what–”

You touched your neck on instinct, fingers finding his chain sitting snug against your throat. Of course. The necklace, tied like a choker, felt like a collar. Your eyes widened once again as you pushed from Hobi’s embrace, but he had the audacity to laugh. 

“Looks pretty on you.” he teased, clearly proud of himself. 

“You really are an asshole.” you huffed, mimicking Yoongi and punching him in the same shoulder; only he didn’t even budge. 

“I don’t see you taking it off.” Hoseok pointed out, which was true. 

Still, you huffed and shook your head. 

This was too much, both of them were too much. You weren’t sure if it was a bad kind of too much yet, but you couldn’t decide it with the two of them crowding you like this. Both of their colognes complimented each other’s –Hoseok’s musk, and Yoongi’s floral–, and their overall presence made you dizzy. 

The chain around your neck was weighing heavy, but you didn’t feel the want to take it off. If anything, your body wanted to make it tighter. You wanted Hoseok to claim you, to mark you, to make it clear to his members that you belonged to him, so you couldn't be touched; as far as your protection was involved. 

But you also wanted him to share you. 

And these dangerous thoughts were too fucking much and you needed to breathe. You needed clarity before you said or did something you might regret. 

You didn’t need to say anything as you slipped away from the two of them, needing to sit down for a bit. And that’s when you saw him; sitting alone on one of the purple couches, pretty pout on his pierced bottom lip, so focused on his phone that he didn’t see you approach. 

“What’s up, Kook-face?” you chirped as you dropped to the cushion next to his. 

Jungkook jumped, which made you laugh as you thought a gang member –a hitman– should always be alert. “Oh, hey, noona.”

“What you got there, hm? Talking to a girl?” you teased him with your elbow against his ribs. 

“Ah, no, I wish.” he chuckled in that way that made you think of a bunny. “It’s my dog.”

“Your dog knows how to text?!” you widened your eyes, which made the boy laugh harder and scrunch his nose. 

“No, noona!” he shook his head, mint hair swooshing around. It was easy to forget what his role in Bangtan was as he looked more like a boy than a killer. “He’s coming home tomorrow. His trainer just let me know he’s dropping him off in the morning.”

“Oh, where has he been?” you smiled as you both settled. You had to be careful when crossing your legs to keep your modesty, as your firm dress was trying to ride up your thigh too much. 

“He stays at a training center a few days a week.” he told you, and you nodded. “All of our dogs do growing up, but Bam is… Special.”

“Yeah?” you smiled, as you could talk about dogs and animals for hours. You were curious about the ones in the property. “The dogs I see in the kennel? I hear them bark sometimes, must be big dogs.”

“They are dobermans, our guard dogs. We let them out at night to roam the grounds.” Jungkook sounded as excited as you were, especially when talking about his own pup: “Bam was supposed to be one too, but he’s too soft.”

“Being soft is not always a bad thing.” you assured him, reaching you to pat him on the thigh. 

Ignoring his own tinted cheeks, he agreed: “I know. But Bamie was the last one to be born, always the smallest pup. We knew right away he wouldn’t be cut for guarding anything, the other dogs would just beat him up.” he was almost pouting as he told you and you had cases like that before, where the runt of the litter didn’t make it to adulthood. “The hyungs suggested getting rid of him, cutting off the weak link.”

“Oh no.”

“I just took him for myself.” Jungkook said then, and you felt a little relieved. “He might not be a good guard dog, but he’s a great company dog.”

“I’m sure he’s the best. Dobermans are really loyal.” you smiled and he did the same, licking his lip ring and making it move this way and that. 

“You can meet him if you want.” Jungkook told you with a beam. “Maybe you could take a look at him too? Since you’re a vet and everything? I can pay you–”

“Oh, please, all of your dogs get free consultations for the rest of their lives.” you waved him off to stop him for trying to pay you anything. “It’s the least I can do, really. Might be a good way to pass the time, too.” 

“Bored already, little mouse?” a new body was throwing itself on your other side, sitting so close to you that you were engulfed in his lavender scent. Taehyung’s arm was on the back of the couch, long enough to reach Jungkook. “Weren’t we entertaining enough this afternoon?”

“You and Jimin were plenty enough, pretty boy.” you mused, moving your attention from Jungkook to him. 

Taehyung’s shirt was a little more loose fitting than the one from this afternoon, so you could see how his neck tattoo went further than you guessed, making its way down his chest too. 

“Wait, what did I miss?!” Jungkook wanted to know with a little fomo groan. 

“We had some fun in the playroom, didn't we?” Taehyung teased, most likely knowing how to get a rize of the youngest. “Got to know all kinds of secrets from noona.”

“Dammit, and I was out working with hyung?!” Jungkook complained, forehead tense and lips puckered. 

“I’m sure you did important work, Kook.” you tried to soothe the poor boy. 

“We didn’t even find what we were looking for, the lead we were following was a bust.” he openly said, which made you ask:

“A lead to what?”

“To Yun–”

“Now now, never heard the saying ‘curiosity killed the mouse’?” Taehyung interrupted, as you feared he might. 

“I think it’s ‘killed the cat’.” you corrected, gaze unconsciously lifting to where Hoseok and Yoongi were talking, both a lot closer than when you left them.

“Either way. Better not go sniffing what doesn’t concern you, okay?” Taehyung warned you with light fingers scratching your scalp. It sounded like a good advice, not like a threat, so you nodded. “If it’s something you should know, Hobi hyung will tell you.”

You were naturally curious, and you had a lot of questions. Besides, you barely knew anything about Bangtan, besides what Hoseok or the other boys had told you this far. You didn’t even really know what Hobi did in the gang in the first place! But Taehyung was right. It was much too soon for you to go snooping in what didn’t concern you. 

“Wanna see pictures of Bam?” Jungkook offered, which definitely brought the good mood back.

“Sure.” 

The boy unlocked his phone again and searched for a special folder on it, where you could see tons of pictures of a brown and golden god. After scrolling way back, he clicked on a picture of a tiny puppy sleeping, on his side, wearing a little white and gray shirt. 

“This is him as a baby.” he said the obvious, but you still cooed. Scrolling a little higher, he showed you a picture of a bigger dog, wearing a blue onesie with purple polka dots. “This was last year.”

“He’s so much bigger now.” Taehyung was also looking at the pictures, almost crushing you to be able to see the phone. 

Jungkook kept scrolling and showing you pictures of the dog in various funny positions; one of Tae squishing Baby Bam on a couch, another one of Bam sitting on Jungkook’s lap as both looked awkwardly into the camera, and even one of Namjoon –in gym clothes again– running with the pup in the backyard. 

When he stopped in a picture that looked like a selca of Jungkook and Bam with their faces smooched together, you touched his wrist for you to look at it longer. Bam was a gorgeous dog, and Jungkook had black hair. 

“That’s a cute boy.” you said. 

“He really is handsome.” Jungkook agreed. 

“I meant the one with dark hair, but the puppy is cute too.” 

Jungkook let out the mix between a wheeze and a giggle, shaking his head with a little muffled groan of ‘noona, please’. You didn’t have time to tease him for his pink cheeks and surprising shyness, as Mr. Baek’s helper called everyone to the table. 

Excited about the food –and the smell that was already hitting your noses, Jungkook was the first to get up from the couch and rush off. You were watching him cling to Jimin’s back on the way, when Taehyung removed his arm from your back and stood up too. Instead of walking away, however, he offered you both hands to help you up. 

You accepted it, letting him pull you in one swift moment that was either miscalculated or perfectly timed as it had you pinned against him with the force he used. 

“And you say we’re the dangerous ones, hm?” Taehyung asked in that deep baritone of his, clearly alluding to your flirting. 

“Whatever do you mean, pretty boy?” you tilted your head and arched an eyebrow, having to look up as he was one of the tallest men in the group. 

“Should I keep my eye on you?” it sounded like a threat, one you didn’t mind at all. 

“If you like what you see.”

You gave Taehyung a little shrug as you walked away from him, satisfied by the stunned expression on his handsome face. 

All that confidence faltered a bit when you reached the dining table and realized almost everyone was already sitting. A huge spread of food was placed right in the middle of it; from banchans to perilla leaves, from noodles to grilled cuts of meat. 

Both Namjoon and Hoseok were sitting at the head of the table, one on the right edge and the other on the left. Yoongi was sitting at Hobi’s left, and the seat right across from him was empty. There were also two spots next to Yoongi, but one of them was to Namjoon’s right and they couldn’t pay you to sit there. 

You also had no idea if there was a right place for you to sit. Realistically, you should sit next to Hoseok, but that would mean spending the whole dinner face to face with Yoongi and that felt like too much. 

Unfortunately, Taehyung beat you to it and took the spot next to Yoongi, sitting down to face Jungkook. So now you would either have to sit by Namjoon or facing Yoongi. 

“Come sit next to me, noona.” Jungkook called for you and you realized you were just standing there awkwardly, with everyone staring at you. 

“Yeah, thanks, Kook.” 

You offered him a thankful smile and sat down, finding a pair of dark eyes studying your every move. Hoseok reached for your hand on top of the table and gave you a supportive squeeze. 

The food was right there, but no one was moving to eat, so you waited. And then you realized the purple-haired boy was still missing. 

Seokjin was the last to join you, about two minutes after you were all sitting. None of them complained about the man being late, most likely used to it by now, but respecting him enough to wait for him before attacking the spread. 

To say you were intrigued by Seokjin would be an understatement. 

Hoseok had told you that he was their hyung, the oldest of the group, which explained why even Namjoon –their leader– respected him so much. Jimin had also explained what he did, which explained the heavy glasses he wore; sitting in front of a computer all day couldn’t be good for his eyes. 

He looked kinda nerdy, but in a cute way. 

“Hyung is a bit of an anti-social hermit, it’s nothing personal.” Jungkook whispered from your side, when everyone was already talking to each other and digging into the food. “You’ll grow on him.”

When you thought sitting in front of Yoongi the whole dinner and being under his attentive eyes would be your biggest problem, you couldn’t have been more naive. All seven of them –and you– were enjoying the food, sharing bites here and there, picking up food from each others’ plates like it was second nature; like they were young adults that knew each other for ages and were close like that. 

Hoseok would serve you more food every now and then, and Yoongi pointed out things that he thought you should try; even if he had no idea what kind of food you liked. Jimin would pout whenever someone ‘stole the piece of food he was about to get’ and Seokjin even cracked a joke or two. 

You should have known you were getting too comfortable when the man at the head of the table furthest from you took the opportunity to ask:

“Isn’t your family worried about you being gone for this long?” at Namjoon’s voice, the otherwise chaotic table quietened. 

“I was raised by my halmeoni, but she passed away not that long ago.” you told the leader, hoping he wasn’t about to interrogate you right now, but knowing it was probably coming. “She’s the only family I ever knew.”

“I’m sorry.” to your surprise, Yoongi was the one offering you his sentiments. 

“It’s okay.” you gave him a small thankful smile in return and looked at Namjoon: “I’m more concerned about my work. I’ve never gone so long without showing up, and since I don’t have my phone I can’t exactly call in sick or ask for vacation time.”

“Oh? Jin hyung didn’t get your phone back?” Namjoon asked the hyung, but something in his tone told you he knew damn well that you hadn’t gotten your devices back. 

It annoyed you a lot that he either didn’t care that you knew he was so blatantly lying to your face, or he thought you were stupid enough to buy that excuse of ‘making sure it isn’t tapped’. 

“I’m sorry, it must be on my desk somewhere.” Seokjin followed the leader’s cue, but he was slightly more awkward about it when he said: “I’ll get it to you asap.”

“I’m sure you will.” you chuckled, picking up your glass of wine –the second one you were having with your meal– and bringing it to your lips. But before even taking a sip, you stated: “While you’re looking through it to make sure I’m not a spy planted inside your home to find out all of Bangtan’s secrets, be careful about the photo gallery.” 

“Got something sketchy to hide there, little mouse?” Jimin was asking from the other side of Jungkook. You couldn’t properly see him, but you could imagine his small eyes and cheeky smile. 

“I’m a single woman in my twenties, try to guess what one may find in my photos.” you told the room, not really caring about what they might think. 

“Niceeeee.” Taehyung was laughing from the other side of the table. 

“Can we take a look at that phone before you give it back, hyung?” Jimin asked Seokjin, whose ears were a little redder than they were when he sat down at the table. 

Namjoon was the one to hush the two boys while Hoseok and Yoongi sat in silence, clearly observing everything. 

You knew neither of them would jump in to your rescue, not in front of their members and not if it meant disrespecting their leader. You didn’t expect them to, but after such a nice day out of your hide, you were suddenly feeling very alone again. 

“What about your friends?” Namjoon asked as he pretended to be more interested in his food. “Aren’t they worrying about you?”

“Probably, yeah. I mean, I only have one close friend, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s called the police about a hundred times by now.” at the thought of Ji-hun and how worried she must be by now, your heart clenched and you didn’t feel like eating anymore. 

“No wonder Dogsa made you such a target, huh?” the leader quipped, and you could hear a pin drop. “No family, no friends.”

“Does that make my life meaningless to you?” you asked him, point blank, holding his gaze, no matter how edged it was. 

“Not meaningless, just easily replaceable.” 

“Joonah.” Hoseok warned, which was surprising enough. His posture was fixed and his jaw was a little tense.  

“Don’t take this personally, mouse. I’m sure you’re wonderful and my members seem to have taken a liking to you surprisingly fast.” the leader ignored Hoseok in order to twirl the wine on his glass. “But I’m sure you’ve guessed by now what my role within Bangtan is. I have to put logic before emotion in order for this to run as well as it has been.” 

“I appreciate your candor, Namjoon-ssi. And one can admire what you do. You must be a great leader to have kept Bangtan where it is for so long.” if he could be underhanded, so could you. “But don’t take me for a scared little mouse that won’t bite back if cornered.” 

With a lift of his glass toward you, he stated: “I see we understand each other.”

“Perfectly.”