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Jeongguk is tired.
He had never truly meant to get into this whole “supervillain” job, he was just curious by nature, and maybe lacked moral standards and some (emphasis on some , he’s not a hedonist) impulse control, but that isn’t relevant, what is relevant is that he is tired .
“Don’t you think it’s fitting,” Jeongguk asks the bound and gagged superhero who watches him from the corner of his lab with wide eyes, “that the word retired has tired in it? Because let me tell you, I’m done, spent, exhausted, empty, over it .”
“There’s no respect for brilliance in this industry,” he continues. “It doesn’t matter what I’m trying to do, you and your team always show up and stop me. Hell, there was that one time I literally baked cookies for a local volunteer group and you guys showed up and ruined my cookies, and my entire week after, I might add.”
The hero says something unintelligible, but it sounds a lot like, “You blew up a Mega Corp headquarters four hours before that,” and Jeongguk can’t help but roll his eyes.
“You know what your problem is?” He asks the other man, “Aside from a rigid set of morals and a sad lack of self-awareness? You’re deep in the capitalist's pockets, I’ve seen how much they pay you for protecting them. When was the last time you got a kitten out of a tree, or helped an elderly woman cross the street? How many volunteer hours have you clocked, huh? Probably zero, and that shit you did in highschool doesn’t count because we all know you did it to suck up to the science teacher.”
Yes, he knew the hero in high school. Yes, he’d rather forget about those years, those were dark times. Times he spent coming up with grand schemes he did not yet have the knowledge and connections to make real, that would come later, in college.
Jeongguk snorts and continues, “I, on the other hand, didn’t need to suck up, I was brilliant and that was enough.”
Jeongguk shoves the last of his notebooks into a suitcase and looks around; the lab is mostly empty at this point, all the irreplaceable, expensive equipment he has were shipped off last week, his weapons donated to a group of ragtag freedom fighters (all except for his favorite laser rifle, of course, you never know when you might need one), and the property rights had been signed over to a local animal rehabilitation group.
He stands in front of the hero, ruffles his hair with mock fondness, and chuckles when the other man growls, “I’d say I’ll miss this, but you know how much I respect honesty, so I won’t. Bye bye, asshole.”
He grabs his suitcase and starts wheeling it towards the door, the tiny squeak of its wheels music to his ears, but before he leaves he looks over his shoulder one last time at the lab, and his enemy, “Don’t try and find me,” he says, “I am very excited to never see you and your team again.”
He leaves, comfortable in assuming that the people from the rehabilitation group will release the hero when they arrive in the morning, and climbs into his beat-up but well-maintained, second-hand Hyundai. He thinks, as he looks at the horizon, that he’s going to have a very good year ahead of him.
💞🧪💞
One month into retirement and it occurs to Jeongguk that he doesn’t have any friends.
Sure, he has plenty of associates, rivals, and enemies, but friends? Not really, unless he counts the middle-aged woman who runs the tteokbokki stand down the road and the owner of the bodega he gets his groceries from, also the cat that lives at the bodega, whose name is Noodle and Jeongguk adores her.
“Am I lonely?” He asks himself as he sits on the balcony of his small but lavish two-story home (three if you count the underground laboratory). The sun sets before him, painting the horizon in shades of lavender and pink. He goes over the symptoms of loneliness in his mind as the sky darkens, a pout on his lips as he lists them out loud: “Exhaustion when trying to connect to others? Yes, absolutely… feelings of isolation? Hmm… I guess so. No close friends… or any friends aside from Noodle, really, well I guess that one’s obvious.”
He thinks about it for a while longer, until the sunset has faded completely and the night sky is swathed with stars, “Maybe I should get a dog,” he tells himself.
The next morning he heads to the local animal shelter and finds a litter of doberman puppies that the volunteer says were taken from a breeder who was neglecting their care. He picks out the runt, grinning as it licks his chin and cheeks and breathes all over him with its weirdly endearing puppy breath.
“Bam, loneliness cured,” he mutters as he straps the pup into its car seat ten minutes later, “But what am I going to name you?” He wonders as they stare at each other, then he grins, “Bam,” he says softly, and the dog’s ears perk up, “Bam?” He tries again, seeing the way the puppies tail starts to wag, “ Bam ,” he decides with a decisive nod, “Bam it is.”
Bam is very good at a lot of things, he’s good at making sure Jeongguk gets up in the mornings, good at making sure he gets outside every day, good at making him laugh and smile, and good at showing him lots of affection.
What he is not good at is conversation.
Not that it stops Jeongguk from talking to Bam constantly about anything and everything. He listens well, Jeongguk will give him that, every topic getting the same vested looks of interest be it quantum theory or today’s shopping list, but he has nothing to offer back, and while Jeongguk feels less lonely, he thinks he needs to find a way to end his loneliness for real, and hopefully for good.
💞🧪💞
Making friends is hard, and kind of annoying, Jeongguk concludes after several attempts.
Or maybe it’s just the kind of people he attracts? It doesn’t help that sometimes people recognize him as a super villain, which leads to them awkwardly shuffling backwards towards the nearest exit before fleeing in terror or immediately trying to get him to spill all his secrets (of which he has several, none of which he’s willing to share), or, and this is the worst, thinking they are on some kind of similar, evil wavelength.
Jeongguk does not consider himself evil, morally gray, yes, evil, no.
He grumbles to himself as he trudges away from the police station, having turned in his latest almost-friend for actually being a serial killer.
“We could have had so much fun!” The man had whined when he’d woken up after Jeongguk had knocked him unconscious. “Think of the people we could kill!”
“You’re wrong, we will never have fun,” Jeongguk had said back. “Do you know how intimate murder is? How much contact there is in it? Do you think I want that sort of relationship with people?” Sure he’s killed people, but like… remotely, from a distance, he didn’t have to be close to them when he did it, because honestly- ew.
“You said you wanted to be friends, though!” The man protested.
“Not with corpses or people who make them!” Jeongguk had snapped, then relented a little to add, “I’m sure you will find plenty of friends in prison.”
“You suck.” The man replied.
“No, you do.” Jeongguk replies, petulant.
Jeongguk pulls away from the police department with a scowl on his face, he’d never been good at making friends, which is one of the reasons he got into the whole “supervillain” thing, or at least that’s what his therapist says, though she’s much nicer about it to him than he’s currently being.
It’s not his fault everyone else was too slow for his quick wit, or too invested in silly things and spending all their money on shoes and puffer jackets. Jeongguk had priorities , at the time it was building a giant laser on the moon, now it’s less grand, though no less important–
He really wants a friend.
💞🧪💞
So here Jeongguk is, back in the lab and hard at work.
He’s in one of his armed suits, the sentient one, because it’s the best at helping him work, and in front of him is a tank full of blue, transparent liquid.
“I mean, it shouldn’t take too long,” Jeongguk mutters as he watches the tanks, “Maybe a few weeks? I’ve never grown a full human before.”
One of the extra arms pats his shoulder reassuringly before it returns to adjusting the settings on the tank. Another arm picks up a squeaky toy from the floor and hurls it with perfect accuracy across the more empty half of the lab, and Bam scrambles across the linoleum in hot pursuit.
“Do you think he’ll be nice?” He asks his arms, who all nod, except for number three, which is currently under the desk figuring out the tangled mess of cords that run from his supercomputer to the tank, “I don’t want to control him, you know? Free will is important, that’s why I let you go out whenever you want, even when it makes the neighbors scream…” he frowns down at his hands and bites his lip, “I just hope he likes me,” he adds in a whisper.
“I hope he doesn’t want me to change.”
💞🧪💞
Jeongguk works diligently, days and days worth of research, construction, more research, some theft, and the occasional midnight, snack-fueled, frenzy of brainstorming, until he has a tank full of bluish fluid and a dream ready to become reality, also a playlist of Whitney Houston’s greatest hits, which he sings along to with a great deal of enthusiasm.
Clock strikes upon the hour
And the sun begins to fade
Still enough time to figure out
How to chase my blues away
It takes three months for his future friend to grow to an approximation of someone in their mid-twenties, during that time he makes sure to feed them a solid education so they don’t come out of the tank completely clueless. He knows there will be gaps in their knowledge, this type of technology is both illegal and considered unethical, neither of which has stopped Jeongguk in the past, but he still can’t help but worry that the man currently curled up and floating in the tank before him will resent him for how he was created, and what it means to be brought into the world without family or a childhood.
I've done alright up 'till now
It's the light of day that shows me how
And when the night falls, loneliness calls
He watches him in silence now, the way the bubbles in the tank lift up his blond hair (an unintentional color but one Jeongguk doesn’t mind). His head is bowed, half obscuring a face that Jeongguk hasn’t been able to get a good look at, but he can make out a profile that implies a sharp but adorable nose, an equally sharp jawline, and full lips.
He knows he has to be careful, that he has to find a balance between becoming his creations' friend and his protector without smothering him or making him believe he is in any way inadequate.
He’s never been one to question his own judgment, but right now he’s doing just that, wondering if he’s made the right choice in creating a life that he will be responsible for. But there’s no turning back now, the man in front of him is nearly done growing, and soon he’ll be fully conscious and ready to emerge from the tank.
💞🧪💞
It happens a few days later.
Jeongguk has just returned from taking Bam to the park. The pup is cradled in his arms, fully asleep and snoring softly, because he’s still growing and outings, no matter how short, are exhausting.
He hears the faint sound of an alarm going off in his lab as he juggles his sleeping pup and the key to his front door, and his heart starts to go haywire, excitement coursing through him as he rushes inside and gently settles Bam on the couch. The dog snuffles and grunts a few times before stretching out and falling back asleep, but Jeongguk is already rushing down the hall towards the back of the house, where the entrance to his laboratory waits.
His suit is powered on and watching the monitoring system carefully, all six arms perking up when he enters and turning in his direction, arm four waving frantically for him to hurry up, “I know, I know!” He says as he jogs over to the tank, “I’m glad I came back when I did, no offense but I’d like him to see another human when he first wakes up.”
The suit clatters cheerfully as it bustles over to its charging dock, “You don’t want to be awake for this?” Jeongguk asks as it hooks itself up, “Maybe that’s for the best, some people find you very intimidating.”
Arm number three and five nod as the others settle into place, then it’s plugged in and shut down and Jeongguk is left to wait with baited breath as the man in the tank begins to shift and stretch.
He’s lithe, he’s lovely, all long legs and narrow hips and an ass that- stop it, Jeongguk , he berates himself, show some decorum!
“It’s time,” Jeongguk whispers excitedly, “Begin draining sequence,” he says to his computer, and slowly the tank begins to empty. Jeongguk bustles around the lab, grabbing towels and making sure the in-room shower has soap (strawberry-scented) as well as shampoo and conditioner (peach-scented), then he waits with bated breath as the tank finishes draining and the glass slowly begins to lower.
The man's slender frame lays on the floor, shivering a little as Jeongguk rushes forward and throws a towel over him. He’ll have no concept of modesty, but Jeongguk isn’t about to infringe upon it, awareness or no. He kneels beside him, excitement making him shake a little too as he holds his breath and watches the man roll over onto his back and blink and squint up at him, eyes dazzled by the brightness of the laboratory lights.
“Oh no, I made him too pretty.” Is Jeongguk’s immediate thought, followed by incoherent, silent panic as he scans the newly created human before him. He’s so beautiful, upsettingly beautiful, a unique balance of delicate and strong features that are wholly unique and incredibly emotionally devastating.
And he stares up at Jeongguk like he is his entire universe.
“Hello,” Jeongguk whispers after what feels like an eternity lost in that honey-brown gaze, “Welcome to the world, you can call me Jeongguk.”
Pretty eyes blink up at him, and those pretty pink lips turn down in a little pout that makes Jeongguk want to clutch his chest in physical pain, “Hello,” the man whispers, “do I have a name?”
The words are a little incoherent, his speech will need to be refined through practice, but he’s still remarkably easy to understand, and Jeongguk gives himself a mental pat on the back for giving his new friend a solid head start in mental development.
Jeongguk smiles, “I thought it best if you pick out one that you like.”
“Oh,” he says softly, then glances around at the laboratory, “what do I do now that I’m awake?” He wonders out loud.
Jeongguk’s smile turns into a grin, “Whatever you want,” he tells him, his dismay over how gorgeous he is mingling with the excitement of having successfully created the perfect potential friend, “but first might I suggest a shower?”
The man looks back at Jeongguk, “What’s a shower?”
“Seems like there are some holes in your knowledge,” Jeongguk says, more to himself than the man, but his face falls nonetheless, and Jeongguk rushes to assure him that it’s fine, “It’s okay! You’re brand new! But you’re very smart and very capable of learning so don’t let it bother you, everyone has to learn things, and the good ones never stop.”
“Okay,” he whispers, then asks again, “But what’s a shower?”
“It’s where water with an adjustable temperature falls from a fixture and helps you clean yourself of any impurities that might have collected on your exterior,” Jeongguk replies, thinking it’s best to be as literal and clear as possible, “They’re nice, and you’ll want the tank fluid off of you, I’m sure.”
Twenty minutes later and the man is clean, dry, and bundled up in a soft yellow blanket. He has a tablet in one hand and is scrolling through a list of names. He already has a habit of biting his lower lip when he thinks, and Jeongguk is already so enraptured with every little mannerism he can barely make himself look somewhere else long enough to order some take-out because he’ll be damned before he walks away long enough to make dinner.
“What about this one?” the man asks, beckoning him over with his tiny, adorable hands. The fingers didn’t grow quite as much as they could have, each one short and so cute Jeongguk wants to cry. Currently he’s using one to point at a name that he’s taken a liking to, it’s a common one, but when Jeongguk says it out loud it makes the other man smile so wide his eyes turn into crescent moons.
“Jimin, huh?” He murmurs with a smile he already knows is very fond, “That’s perfect.”
“I think so too,” Jimin whispers happily before putting aside the tablet and clambering up onto the couch next to Bam, who huffs and rolls over to bury his snout under the blanket, “But isn’t there other things I’m missing, I didn’t even know what a shower was… shouldn’t I know that?
Jimin looks so soft, his hair drying into a fluffy mop on top of his head, dressed in Jeongguk’s clothes for now because he wants Jimin to pick out his own clothes and dress how he likes.
Jeongguk is staring, he knows he’s staring, but it’s really hard not to, especially when Jimin stretches out and rests his head on Bam’s side, the dog snuffling into his hair for a moment before falling back with a happy sigh, “Well, there are some gaps in your knowledge,” he admits, “you grew at an accelerated rate, which means I didn’t have enough time to give you all the information you might need, but it’s okay! That’s what research is for!”
They still have twenty minutes before the food is supposed to arrive, so Jeongguk decides to settle down next to Jimin to wait, but before he can there is a knock on the door.
“Damn, that was fast,” Jeongguk mutters as Bam stumbles to his feet and leaps down from the couch, excited about the prospect of a (new) visitor. Jeongguk follows at a more sedate pace, and Jimin trails behind, eyes wide with curiosity.
“Down, you menace,” Jeongguk teases gently as Bam paws at the entry, he nudges him to the side and opens the door just a crack, peering through it with an apologetic smile, “Sorry, he’s just a puppy still and he gets really excited, how much do I owe–”
“ You .” He hisses the final word, eyes narrowing as he glares at the man on his doorstep.
“Jeon Jeongguk!” a deep voice proclaims, “It is up to the court of law to decide how much you owe your country for your crimes!”
“Who’s that?” Jimin asks from behind him, sounding more curious than concerned.
“I am… Monster Man!” The man proclaims, striking a pose that maybe would impress someone else, but most likely wouldn’t, and it certainly doesn’t impress the trio behind the door.
Jeongguk glances down at Bam and amends that, because the dog looks just a little impressed.
“Hmm…” Jimin says, Jeongguk glances over his shoulder to see him looking the hero up and down, eyes wide and innocent when he looks back up and asks, “Did you choose that name because of your sense of fashion?”
Jeongguk howls .
He can’t help it, he loses it completely, grasping the door frame as he laughs, because wow, even if Jimin didn’t intend to insult Monster Man, from the look on the hero’s face he certainly has.
“Who is this?” Monster Man snaps, “Another villain, an assistant?” His face twists in horror as he whispers, “A boyfriend ?”
“What’s a boyfriend?” Jimin asks.
“Okay!” Jeongguk says, clapping his hands to get everyone to focus, except for Bam, who gets very excited because he thinks Jeongguk is clapping for him, “As much as I would love to entertain you, dinner is going to arrive in about fifteen minutes and I really don’t have–”
Monster Man begins to transform into his monster form and Jeongguk heaves a heavy sigh, “Here we go,” he says sadly as the hero shifts, his suit ripping (which is such a waste, why wear them at all if he’s just going to ruin them) to shreds so that only a convenient amount of fabric covers his crotch and that’s it. The rest of him is furry, green, and massive.
He hears a clattering from down the hall and grins, “Jimin, do you mind taking Bam and standing several yards away from me?” He asks.
Without a word Jimin grabs Bam’s collar and tugs him gently away from the door. Bam goes easily enough, even though he’s barking excitedly and wagging his tale at Monster Man. Jeongguk makes a mental note to sit down with his dog later and talk to him about who deserves his love and who doesn’t, then his suit is behind him and arms two and four lift him up and several broad metal straps are closing around his torso and chest. Arms five and six launch him forward onto the porch, and he’s vaguely aware of Jimin peering at them from the door frame despite being told to stay back, eyes wide with wonder as Jeongguk and Monster Man begin to grapple.
It’s not really a fair fight, it never is when Jeongguk comes up against someone who uses brute force to get things done. Not that Monster Man isn’t smart, he is in fact a genius, but in this form he tends to rely more on brawn than brains, something Jeongguk doesn’t have to worry about because he has both of them, plus six extra arms that are self-aware and viper quick.
They wrestle for a while until Jeongguk has Monster Man pinned and is growling in his face, “I won’t say this again, but I am retired , which means I need you to leave me alone. Do you realize how many chances I had to kill you and your team, but I never have? Do you know how many times I’ve held your life in my hands, and how easy it would have been to snuff it out, crush you like the insect that you are? But heroes like you never learn, they don’t know when to leave well enough alone, you keep coming back, and yet I. Keep. Winning.”
He reaches down and grabs Monster Man by the neck, squeezing just enough to restrict his breathing, but not enough to stop it completely, “Leave me alone,” he growls, “Leave us alone, I’m done with you and your team of idiots, let me live my life!” He releases his grip and the hero coughs and sputters, chest heaving as he pulls in much needed air.
He moves back, standing on his porch and watching as his opponent struggles to stand, before stalking forward with an accusatory finger raised and pointing at Jeongguk, who watches impassively as Monster Man stumbles and catches himself on a lawn chair.
“You still haven’t paid for your crimes against humanity,” Monster Man growls, his massive form looming over him. “Don’t think for a second that you can get away and live your life peacefully.”
He throws the chair he’s holding, but misses wildly and it goes flying over Jeongguk’s shoulder, directly towards Jimin, but the arms of his suit are fast, and clever, and before it can get anywhere close to him, they snatch it out of the air and set it gently on the ground.
Jeongguk was annoyed before, but now he’s angry, because how dare Monster Man show up and attempt to hurt Jimin , even if it was unintentional. His arms, as furious as him, snake forward and grab Monster Man tightly, his limbs spread wide, and for a moment Jeongguk thinks about ripping him apart, but then he takes a deep, steady breath, counts to ten, and lets his anger go.
Well… mostly.
“My crimes against humanity are nothing compared to your crimes against fashion!” Jeongguk yells as he flings the superhero off the porch and out into the street, splintering the wood guard rail in the process, “And I’m sending you a bill for the railing!” He adds, then he turns back to Jimin with a delighted smile, “Okay, where were we?” He asks.
“Research,” Jimin says before pointing down the street where a wide-eyed delivery guy is standing outside his car with a bag of take-out and a look of horror on his face, “What’s that?”
“Dinner!” Jeongguk says happily, “I’ll be right back.” He lets his arms carry him down to the sidewalk, ignoring the groaning, prone hero and taking the bag from the now terrified looking delivery boy, “Thanks!” He says, arm number one slapping a tip into his hand, “Have a good night!”
💞🧪💞
“Okay, so where were we?” Jeongguk asks again when he comes back from throwing the empty take-out containers away.
Jimin lifts up a fist to count down on and Jeongguk holds back a groan at how cute and small it is. “We talked about autonomy, free will, cheese balls, and Bam’s feeding schedule.” He lists, frowning when he finds it difficult to raise his ring finger without lifting his pinky as well.
“Ah, right,” Jeongguk smiles as he settles beside Jimin, “So I created you, but I’m not going to try and control you or tell you what to do, I really want us to be friends, though.”
“What’s friends?” Jimin asks, tilting his head to the side in a way that makes Jeongguk feel physical pain in his chest. He ignores it, much like he’s ignored all forms of personal suffering for the last twenty-eight years of his life.
“Friends are people who are there for each other, who support one another and spend time together, having fun doing things they enjoy.”
Jimin nods, “But I don’t know what I enjoy, so how can I be a friend?”
“Well,” Jeongguk says thoughtfully, “I guess we’ll have to try a lot of things together and see what you like and don’t like, and if those things overlap with what I enjoy, we’ll do them together.”
Jimin’s eyes light up, “Okay, okay! Let me spend some time doing research and we can make a list?” His fingers fidget with the hem of his shirt and then fly delicately to tap against Jeongguk’s knee, “Can you help me? I’ve never done research before.”
Jeongguk grins, “Jimin, research is one of my specialties.”
“What’s a specialty?” Jimin wonders.
He can’t help but chuckle, incredibly endeared by his little human, “A specialty is something you’re really good at.”
“Oh!” Jimin wiggles in his seat, and Jeongguk’s too-large shirt slips off his shoulder, revealing his delicate collarbone (not that Jeongguk is looking), “I wonder what I’m good at, do you think I’ll be good at things?”
Jeongguk nods, “I know you will,” he promises, and pointedly continues to not look at his exposed shoulder, his long neck, or the delicate pulse that flutters there. Nope, not even a glance, not for a millisecond.
Instead he gets Jimin set up, introduces him to the concept of “bucket lists” and “goals” then retreats to take a shower and walk Bam one last time before it’s fully dark. The night is soft and warm around them as they stroll around the block. He'd been a bit nervous about leaving Jimin alone, but his suit had settled by the front door like a second, loyal, highly dangerous guard dog so he’d decided he could risk a ten-minute ramble with Bam.
He also hadn’t wanted to sway Jimin’s choices in any way, unconsciously or not, whatever Jimin wanted to do was fine by him, within reason of course. He doesn’t think he has to worry about coming home to find, “Become a superhero” or “Become a hedonistic, multi-millionaire, capitalist” on the list, there’s no way he would have created someone like that.
His guess is confirmed when he gets home and finds the list includes things like taking an art class and going to the beach, all attainable, all pleasant, and most of them relatively inexpensive.
“It looks like you have… a dozen things on your list.” Jeongguk says after he glances over it.
“No, there’s twelve,” Jimin says.
Jeongguk blinks, the holes in Jimin’s knowledge truly were random, “A dozen is just a fancy way of saying twelve,” he explains, “they mean the same thing.”
Jimin nods with a tiny frown, like he’s committing the information to memory, “I know a lot of things, but I imagine there’s a lot I don’t know,” his frown turns into a delighted smile, “That means I have a lot to learn!” He sounds excited, like the prospect of having a lot to learn is the best thing he’s ever heard.
“Oh my god he’s perfect.” Jeongguk thinks as he blinks at the other man, “I accidentally created the perfect man.”
He shakes himself free of his thoughts and goes back to the list, “So one dozen wishes, huh?” He says with a smile, “We’ll start working on them tomorrow.”
💞🧪💞
He shows Jimin to the bedroom he had spent the last three months preparing for him. Jimin is still holding on to his yellow blanket, it trails behind him as he peeks over Jeongguk’s shoulder, eyes wide, “This is mine?” He whispers.
“Yes,” Jeongguk says, “I know there isn’t much right now, but we can go out and you can buy whatever you want to decorate it.”
Jimin nods mutely before slipping past Jeongguk and padding around the room, opening drawers and the closet and peering under the bed with unbridled curiosity. Jeongguk just leans against the door frame and watches him, he is typically not a patient person when it comes to others, but with Jimin everything feels easy, and he’s only known him for one evening.
He’s in the bathroom brushing his teeth when Jimin joins him, watching him carefully as he goes through his pre-bedtime routine. Jeongguk understands that he has a lot of responsibility on his shoulders now, that he created a life and it’s up to him to both take care of Jimin and show him how to thrive on his own should he choose to leave or should something happen to Jeongguk, which considering his past is certainly a possibility.
He’s laying in bed a few minutes later, a book in hand and his reading glasses on. The room is softly illuminated by his bedside light, the glow of it soft and golden and the only sound that of the drag of page against page as he reads.
Bam is asleep in the hallway, having spent several minutes looking back and forth from Jimin to Jeongguk’s room before finally deciding that he needed to keep an eye on both of them, and settling on the floor with a decisive grunt.
He falls asleep shortly after, feeling content as he sets the book aside and flips off the light, only to be woken up by what feels like moments later by someone climbing into bed with him.
“Jimin?” He asks groggily, blinking at the blond man as he slips under the covers and curls up at his side, “What’s wrong?”
“It got lonely in the lab,” he whispers, “you were there a lot, but sometimes you weren’t, and I didn’t know you, I didn’t really know… anything, but… I knew when I was alone, and I didn’t like it.”
Jeongguk is awake in an instant, guilt-ridden for the first time in many years, he surges forward and pulls Jimin into a hug, and the other man goes willingly, curling up in his arms and pressing his nose into Jeongguk’s chest.
“This is my first hug,” Jimin whispers, “I’m glad it’s from you.”
Jeongguk’s arms tighten involuntarily, and he makes a silent promise to himself and to Jimin that he will do everything in his power to make sure Jimin has the best and most fulfilling life he can give him, and woe betide anyone who tries to stop Jeongguk from doing that. He knows already that he’s willing to watch the world burn if it means making Jimin happy, luckily for the world, that’s not what Jimin wants.
💞🧪💞
“It’s very cold,” Jimin mutters quietly when he takes his first lick of ice cream. His nose wrinkles cutely and he shivers a little despite how warm it is outside, “I know that the name implies cold, but it’s just… colder than I thought it would be.”
Jeongguk watches in fascination as Jimin takes another lick of his ice cream, vanilla, because Jeongguk had called it “basic” and Jimin had nodded sagely and said, “Well, I should start with the basics, right?” And it was so cute that he didn’t bother pointing out that sometimes basic means boring.
“Do you like it, though? The flavor I mean?” Jeongguk asks.
Jimin nods enthusiastically, “I do! It’s sweet and creamy but not like… too much of either, not like that stuff you bought for the coffee this morning.”
Jeongguk chuckles, “You aren’t supposed to drink creamer on its own,” he reminds Jimin.
“I was curious!” The other man protests
Jeongguk had woken up to Jimin sprawled out on top of him and Bam stretched out beside them, too warm but also too content to move a muscle because he’d never really imagined getting to wake up with anyone, let alone someone as endearing and delightful as Jimin.
He always knew being an evil genius paid well, he just never realized how well until he’d adopted a puppy and created a friend.
He watches in awe as Jimin licks a drop of ice cream from his fingers with a delicate, pink tongue and wonders just how long before he’s completely head over heels for this accidentally perfect person.
💞🧪💞
Jimin’s list is very simple, Jeongguk reflects as they walk through the zoo, which isn’t the biggest one in the city but it is the best in terms of animal care, environments, and rehabilitation and educational programs, because Jeongguk isn’t about to spend the day looking at caged animals without knowing that those who work here aren’t giving something back to nature with what they do.
Jeongguk feels like a bodyguard as he trails after Jimin from enclosure to enclosure. Making sure that no one cuts in front of him in the line to feed the giraffes or stops him from getting to pet the giant boa constrictor. He gets plenty of glares from parents who don't seem to understand that adults can be curious and want to learn too, but Jeongguk’s been held at gunpoint in the past, it’s going to take more than an annoyed mother with a bad dye job to intimidate him. He glares right back, hovering behind Jimin as he stares down every man, woman, or child who might try to stop him from doing and seeing what he wants.
Jimin, for his part, seems oblivious, though his manners are impeccable (Jeongguk isn’t sure where he got that attribute). He looks with wide-eyed wonder at every animal, no matter how small or strange. He is especially taken with the hyenas, giddy as he looks down at their large enclosure, absolutely enchanted as he reads off the facts listed on a sign in front of them, “Jeongguk! Their bite can have a psi of over one thousand ! That’s so cool!”
Jeongguk agrees, not realizing he has a soft little smile on his face as he leans over Jimin’s shoulder and follows his fingers as they trace over the information plaque.
They grab an over-priced lunch at a rainforest-themed cafe and Jimin delights in the options the menu provides, curled up in the corner of a booth and rattling off his order to the server with a grin.
They emerge an hour later and Jimin’s eyes are immediately caught by a large greenhouse surrounded by greenery, “What’s that?” He asks excitedly, grabbing Jeongguk’s hand and tugging him towards it without waiting for a reply. Jeongguk goes, still smiling, in fact he’s probably never smiled this much in his life, and it’s all thanks to Jimin.
The greenhouse turns out to be a butterfly exhibit, and it only takes him a minute to realize that Jimin is nervous around the brightly-colored, fluttering insects, some of which are very large.
“We don’t have to stay,” Jeongguk reminds him gently when Jimin makes a small squeaking sound and ducks behind Jeongguk in an attempt to avoid one landing on him.
“They can’t hurt me, right?” Jimin asks.
“No.” Jeongguk replies.
“And even if they could, would you keep me safe?” Jimin continues.
Jeongguk feels something in him melt, “Of course I would.” He replies.
“I want to see the rest then.” Jimin whispers, shuffling out from behind Jeongguk but grabbing one of his hands in both of his. He stays close for the rest of their time in the greenhouse, eyes wide in a mix of amazement and fear when a docent hands Jeongguk a little cup of sugar water and several winged insects land on his hand to partake.
“They are absolutely terrifying,” Jimin whispers when the docent is distracted by a little girl, “why are their mouths like that? And their eyes? I hate it.”
“We can still leave.” Jeongguk offers.
“Have we seen everything?” Jimin replies.
“Most likely,” Jeongguk says, “If we missed anything it’s because it’s hiding.”
Jimin nods and immediately starts making his way toward the exit, dropping Jeongguk’s hand in the process. He flexes his fingers at the loss of contact, his grasp has never felt so empty, and there was once a time he wanted to rule the world, so it goes to show just how much his priorities have changed since Jimin entered his life.
But there is someone standing at the exit, someone with a broad chest and broader shoulders and a face that screams actor or model or something similar to that… like a superhero.
“Oh, the irony of seeing you here, Birdwing.” Jeongguk says sarcastically, “To what do we owe this honor?” Jimin stands between them, gaze flickering nervously from the hero, to Jeongguk, to the swallowtail butterfly that is currently drawing closer with every passing second.
The superhero, sans his pink suit and fake wings, is handsome, tall, and imposing, even if his face is screwed up in disgust at the sight of Jeongguk, who just rolls his eyes and goes to step around him, Jimin close behind.
Sadly, Birdwing moves with him, and continues to block the exit.
“What are you doing in a place like this?” He asks.
“What do you think I’m doing?” Jeongguk wonders, gesturing around the glass enclosure full of plants and insects, “I’m enjoying a day at the zoo.”
What he is not enjoying is how nervous Jimin is, he just wants to get the other man out of the greenhouse and on to the next exhibit, he’d seen a sign for capybaras that looked very promising and would probably be the perfect thing to help Jimin forget about his experience with the butterflies.
“I don’t believe you,” Birdwing said, “And who is this?” He asks, “Why does he look so nervous? Is this a hostage situation?”
“This is Jimin, and no, he’s not my hostage, he asked to come here.” Jeongguk says.
“Then why does he look so scared?” The hero (Jeongguk thinks his real name is Woojin or Seojin or something with a “jin” at the end), asks.
“It’s the butterflies,” Jimin says quietly from behind Jeongguk, “they’re… sort of gross? And scary, definitely scary.”
Jin looks like he just watched someone kick a puppy, “Butterflies? Gross… Scary ?” He whispers.
Jimin nods enthusiastically, “Why are their mouths like that?” He asks again, “And their feet are… sticky ?” He looks distraught that Jeongguk has the sudden urge to eradicate all butterflies, “And did you know that some of them feed off of poop or dead animals?”
Birdwing now looks like he’s watched his own grandmother get mugged, his mouth hanging open, his face pale; his jaw starts working, but before he can say anything a shrieking, female child comes charging at him from outside the greenhouse, “Uncle Jin! Uncle Jin! It’s almost feeding time for the seals! Come on, come on, come onnn !” She tugs frantically at the hero’s hands until he finally gives in, casting one last suspicious glare over his shoulder at Jeongguk.
“I’ve got my eye on you,” he warns, “Don’t think for a second that I believe you’re actually retired, I know what you did to Monster Man.”
“Hey!” Jeongguk snaps, “He came to my house and almost hit Jimin with a chair !” He jerks his head towards his companion, “He’s lucky he got away as unscathed as he did!”
“And who exactly is Jimin?” Jin asks.
“I’m Jeongguk's friend!” Jimin replies happily, “He grew me in his lab!”
“He what?” Birdwing shrieks.
“Sirs, I’m going to have to ask you to move, the butterflies might escape, and also you are blocking the exit.”
“Uncle Jin!” The little girl whines, pulling frantically at his hand, “We have to go now !”
Jin throws one last, narrow-eyed look at Jeongguk before allowing himself to be tugged away by the child.
The rest of their visit is pleasant, free of both butterflies and heroes, and Jeongguk can’t help but think it’s the most perfect day he’s ever had, and it has nothing to do with the animals or the zoo, and everything to do with the man currently draped over his back, half asleep as Jeongguk piggy backs him back to the car.
💞🧪💞
Jimin sleeps with him every night, and Jeongguk doesn’t really have the heart to tell him to stop, that it’s not something friends necessarily do, that it’s making Jeongguk’s heart do things that cannot be healthy – like skipping beats and speeding up even though he’s just laying there, perfectly still (albeit covered in a second blanket that is actually Jimin, who somehow manages to end up on top of Jeongguk every night).
He smells like strawberries and peaches, which is logical because that’s the soap and shampoo he uses, but logic isn’t factoring into how it makes Jeongguk’s mouth water, doesn’t factor in to the urge to bury his nose in his hair and breath in the scent of it like he needs it to survive.
Logic has always been his ally, his friend when he has no one else, but now it seems to have abandoned him. Why else would he find himself melting at the way Jimin flaps his arms so that the sleeves of his sweaters cover his hands? Why else would he stand in the doorway to the kitchen with a smile on his face while watching Jimin muddle his way through a new recipe, whispering to himself as he looks over the instructions.
He lies in bed and stares up at the ceiling, watching the fan spin in lazy circles and doesn’t even realize he’s carding his fingers through Jimin’s hair until the other man shifts and curls around him, his soft lips suddenly pressed against Jeongguk’s neck in a sleepy kiss.
He’s lonely, he knows he’s lonely, even though he was reluctant to admit it to himself a year ago, that’s why he’s here with a dog and a friend he literally grew in a lab. He knows other people would see him as unhinged, and he’d have to agree with the assessment at this point, but what is he supposed to do? Jimin is pretty and perfect, smart and funny and kind and even though he learns a little bit more about Jeongguk’s nefarious past every day, it doesn’t seem to bother him in the slightest. He seems to think the best of Jeongguk, which he is decidedly not used to.
Maybe if someone had felt that way about him before, things would have been different.
But then he thinks about all the good he’s done through his so called “nefarious deeds” and decides that he’d probably still be this way regardless.
With a sigh he gently disentangles himself from Jimin, easing out of bed and slipping out of the room to settle on the couch. He rarely feels guilt or regret, and neither emotion sits well within him, but he feels like he’s taken advantage of Jimin’s innocence, that no matter how much information he pumped into his developing mind, there is still a naivety to the other man that make Jeongguk reluctant to let him get to close.
Maybe he’s given too much to this, maybe he needs to put a little distance between Jimin and himself. Not too much, he knows he brought Jimin into the world and thus it’s his responsibility to make sure he has the best life he possibly can. Jimin deserves everything good, and that includes a social circle outside of just a retired supervillain, his dog, and the sentient six armed assistant who lives in the basement and occasionally helps out in battles and in the garden.
But how will he go about making sure Jimin has friends, when he himself doesn’t have any of his own?
It occurs to him that what he did when he created Jimin was incredibly selfish, that even by his own questionable moral standards he has made a mistake, but it’s one he can’t undo, one he’ll have to live with for the rest of his life.
He sits in the darkness and thinks, trying to logic his way to a solution, but logic has become a twisted path he can’t seem to follow, not until he comes to a second conclusion. Here he is thinking about Jimin’s future without actually talking to Jimin about it. He can’t decide for the other man if Jimin is lonely, he can’t decide if he wants to broaden his circle of friends to include people who are “normal”, that’s all up to Jimin himself.
He still feels bad about sleeping in the same bed though.
He hears the sound of the bedroom door a minute later, followed by the shuffling of bare feet and the clicking of Bam’s claws on the wooden floors, then a sleep-tousled Jimin and a tired dog are standing at the end of the hall, blinking at him owlishly.
“Jeongguk?” Jimin’s voice is rough and tired, “Are you okay?”
This is uncharted water, this is a forest with no trails or paths, he’s forging his own way through the tangle of his choices, desperate to go the right way, even though he has no idea what direction he should be heading in.
“Jeongguk?” Jimin says again, concern seeping into his tone, “What’s wrong?”
He pushes himself up from the sofa slowly and the next second he has Jimin in his hold, the other man closing the distance between them without hesitation, wrapping his arms around his waist and resting his head on his chest, “I didn’t like waking up alone,” he whispers into the fabric of his shirt, “come back to bed?”
Jimin looks up at him, eyes wide in the shadows, face like a pale moon, full of light and wonder, and he nods.
“Okay,” he whispers.
He’s not sure what he’s saying okay to– Jimin, or the path he’s taking that feels just as right as it does wrong.
💞🧪💞
Jimin is wrestling with Bam in the backyard, grass stains on his shirt and leaves in his hair and it hurts, it hurts in a way that makes Jeongguk’s breath catch and his heart stutter. He sits only a few feet away, legs stretched out in front of him as he watches his two most important people interact and everything is beautiful and everything hurts.
He’s given himself a weakness, he realizes, one he hopes never comes back to bite him.
Breathless, Jimin stands and jogs up to him, Bam at his side, then collapses on Jeongguk’s lap, a pile of giggles and grins as he squirms around before laying on his back between Jeongguk’s legs, head pillowed on his thigh.
“Jimin?” Jeongguk asks.
“Hmm?” Jimin says softly, eyelashes fluttering.
“Am I… enough?” He asks, deep-seated and firmly ignored insecurities blinking awake in a light they haven’t seen for years, “Do you want… other friends?”
Jimin sits up with a frown, brings their faces far too close together, and Jeongguk stops breathing entirely.
“Why?” Jimin asks, “Do you?”
He shakes his head mutely, words having fled in response to their proximity and the scent of strawberries and peaches that floats around Jimin.
“Well neither do I!” Jimin proclaims, flopping back into the grass with a dramatic sigh, “You’re all I need. Well… you and Bam, of course. And you, too!” He calls to arms One through Six as they clatter around the rose bushes, trimming back the fading blossoms. Arm Two waves happily in acknowledgement before going back to work, Jeongguk isn’t sure when it took such a vested interest in gardening, but he appreciates it nonetheless, the yard looks immaculate.
Jimin wiggles back down until his head is resting on Jeongguk’s thigh once more, eyes closed against the sunlight and face flushed from exertion. Jeongguk allows himself a moment to stare, and wonders how someone as flawed as he is managed to create someone so perfect.
💞🧪💞
Jeongguk can hear giggling coming from the bedroom, it’s faint, soft, like Jimin is trying his best to keep it muffled enough for Jeongguk not to hear.
Curious, Jeongguk creeps down the hall on silent and socked feet, before reaching his half-open bedroom door and looking at his bed, which has a Jimin-sized lump under the covers.
Another soft giggle, followed by Jimin wiggling and curling up into a ball, and Jeongguk is so soft for his little wonder that he can’t help but smile, doesn’t even notice he is until his cheeks start to ache a little from his grin.
He gives in to indulgence, gives in to the whisper sweet song of Jimin’s little laugh, and creeps closer, tip toes for the first time in a very, very long time, and asks softly, just above Jimin’s head, “Excuse me? You wouldn’t have happened to have seen Jimin anywhere, have you?”
Another giggle, obviously muffled against the mattress, erupts from under the blankets, but Jimin doesn’t say a word, just does his best to stay still and quiet, though he fails at both very spectacularly.
“Hmmm…” Jeongguk says, “I must have been mistaken then, I thought maybe you knew where he was.”
Another soft giggle, another little wiggle, and Jeongguk thinks he must be broken with how much he has been grinning like a fool lately.
He holds his breath and draws a little closer, and carefully, slowly, reaches down until his fingers hover over Jimin’s body, poised and ready to strike.
He waits with all the patience he can muster, still smiling, until he thinks enough time has passed for Jimin to believe he left, and then he attacks.
He tickles Jimin’s side with a ferocity unmatched by anyone until that very day, digging without mercy into Jimin’s side and ribs and stomach until the other man is a writhing, breathless, happy mass, his fluffy head emerging from under the comforter and his eyes closed as he gasps for air and pleads with Jeongguk to stop.
And because Jeongguk is weak, for the first time in his life, he listens.
They stare at each other in the bright afternoon light and the world is a distant, ugly thing, but right here, right now, is bright and beautiful and worth protecting. Jimin blinks up from over the edge of the blanket, his hair in disarray, his cheeks flushed pink, his fingers clutching the sheets and his smile as bright as birdsong.
“Were you trying to hide?” Jeongguk asks, still smiling, “Because there are better hiding places.”
And Jimin beams up at him and says, “No, I was trying to be found.”
💞🧪💞
“I was thinking about getting a job,” Jimin says one day.
Today they are out on a picnic, which was number three on Jimin’s list of wishes. The day is gorgeous, and so far not a single superhero has appeared to ruin Jeongguk’s good mood.
But Jimin’s words make him frown.
He bites back the urge to try and convince Jimin that he doesn’t need a job, because that is not his call to make, but still, the idea of Jimin out in the world without him is frightening.
“Okay,” he says slowly, “Do you have any ideas for where you’d like to work?”
“I was thinking of an animal rescue,” Jimin replies quietly, picking at the grass on the edge of their blanket, “Something non-profit.”
Jeongguk chews on the inside of his cheek, staring out at the park with its happy families and couples in love, “I don’t… I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” he says after a moment.
“Why?” Jimin asks.
Jeongguk sighs, “Well, you’ve only been alive for a couple months or so, and I know you have a lot of knowledge and are capable of learning, but it will be different out there, as smart as you are, you don’t have a lot of life experience yet and–”
“How am I supposed to get that if you never let me experience anything in the first place?” He wonders, fingers now tearing at the grass, little fistfuls that are white-knuckled and shaking.
He sounds annoyed, and Jeongguk realizes with a frown that they might be on the verge of an argument. Jeongguk does not want to argue, get into a physical altercation and/or a battle of wills and wits— with a superhero? Sure, maybe, but arguments, especially with Jimin, are one of his least favorite things, not that he’s ever argued with Jimin but— he shakes his head and forces himself to focus on responding, “I’m not saying you can’t… just that… it’s all very sudden, you don’t even have proper identification, people will need a birth certificate, an ID, all sorts of things for you to get a proper job,” he glances at Jimin as he speaks, and he can see the annoyance fade away to something like resignation, the sadness evident in his eyes.
“Am I not a real person?” Jimin asks.
It feels like a knife to the heart, it feels like someone’s grabbed him by the throat and squeezed, cutting off his air and causing spots in his vision, “Jimin, no,” he rushes to assure him, “You are more real than half the people in this city, maybe more than half, maybe seventy five percent… ninety… nine percent.”
He wants to tell him he’s perfect, but he bites back those words and says, “I’m being selfish, Mimi, that’s what this boils down to. Of course you can get a job, it will take some time to get you the papers you need, but… after that, you can, and you should.”
Jimin looks up at him with shining eyes, “You mean it?” He asks, and when Jeongguk nods his face lights up and he throws himself on top of Jeongguk, laughing brightly (legs straddling his, chest pressed to chest— shut up brain), “Okay! Okay!” He says happily, “Thank you so much!”
Jeongguk chuckles weakly, arms coming up to hug Jimin to him, brain supplying the unhelpful information that they fit together perfectly, after a moment, Jimin pulls back enough to blink down at Jeongguk, eyes still shining brightly when he asks, “Did you call me Mimi a second ago?”
Jeongguk stops to think about it, then nods, “Yes, I did, is that all right, or do you prefer Jimin?”
“No, it’s wonderful! Now I have a nickname!” Jimin says before collapsing back onto Jeongguk, “I feel more and more like a whole person every day!” He says happily, and Jeongguk can’t help but hold him close, and wonder at how an act of selfishness is now forcing him to be more selfless than he has been in his entire life.
💞🧪💞
“What do you want?” Yoongi sounds tired, he always sounds tired, most likely because he is.
“Hello to you too, Yoongi,” Jeongguk says as he folds his laundry, his phone propped up in front of him as he facetimes the closest person he had to a friend before Jimin, “How have you been?”
“Alive,” Yoongi replies, “My suffering is endless and so is my work, to what do I owe the dubious honor of watching you fold your purple underwear to?”
Jeongguk doesn’t so much as blush, just keeps folding his briefs and smiles, “I need your help with a fake identity,” he says before calling over his shoulder, “Jimin?”
A moment later a fluffy blond head appears around the doorframe, “Hello, yes, I’m here!” Jimin replies before bouncing the rest of the way into the room, “Oh! Is this Yoongi? Hi, Yoongi! I’m Jimin!”
Yoongi stares with narrowed eyes at Jimin, who beams at him like a sunrise and waves his little cute hands and Jeongguk fights a mighty battle to hold back a heartsick sigh. It still escapes a little, but it’s quiet, small, and goes unnoticed by the other two men.
He is so royally fucked.
“Where did you come from?” Yoongi asks after a moment of silent contemplation.
Jimin glances at Jeongguk, who nods, “You can tell him the truth, he’s known me for years, he won’t judge me.” Jeongguk replies.
“Yeah, I wouldn’t go that far.” Yoongi mutters, “I judge everyone.”
Earlier in the week a woman had stopped to pet Bam while they were out for a walk and had asked them both where they were from, and Jimin, in all his knowledge and naivety, had said happily, “Jeongguk grew me in a lab!”
Once she’d walked away quickly, throwing nervous glances over her shoulder while she did, Jeongguk had explained that most people did not need to know that information, and that it was better to say a town or city name that was far removed from where they were now.
“Well, where are you from?” Jimin had asked after thinking about it for a moment.
“I’m from Busan,” Jeongguk replied, “It’s on the other side of the country.”
“Then that will be where I’m from too!” Jimin had decided, “We can say we grew up together, I would like that, I think,” he had frowned, “I wonder what being a kid is like?”
Jeongguk’s heart had clenched so hard in his chest he thought he was going into cardiac arrest for a moment, but then Jimin had smiled and grabbed his hand, “Doesn’t matter, if it weren’t for you I wouldn’t exist at all, so there’s no point thinking about that.”
Jeongguk still felt guilty, still feels guilty, he’s really starting to hate guilt and is glad he’d avoided it up until now.
“Jeongguk grew me in the lab,” Jimin admits, “But it’s fine!” He rushes to explain, “I’m very well adjusted and grateful to him for it, otherwise I wouldn’t exist and I never would have gotten to try ice cream or pizza or ramen... though I wish butterflies weren’t real.”
Yoongi says nothing, just raises an eyebrow and looks back and forth from Jimin to Jeongguk.
“There’s all sorts of nice things about existing,” Jimin continues, “Like sunrises and stars and flowers and picnics and bubble baths and banana milk and the way Bam looks at me when we’re playing—”
“Bam’s our dog,” Jeongguk interjects.
Jimin nods, “He’s a really good boy, obviously I haven’t met a lot of dogs but I’m pretty sure he’s one of the best.”
“All dog owners think that,” Yoongi says, “and they are all correct.”
Jimin beams, “I like you, you seem nice.”
Yoongi stares at Jimin for a very long time, “I am nice, but I would not say that I am kind,” his gravelly voice low and vaguely menacing.
“Haha, you must be a villain too,” Jimin says without a hint of judgment, he begins to help Jeongguk fold his laundry, not batting an eye when he grabs a pair of briefs and folds them neatly, “Do you also think we should eat the rich?” He asks conversationally.
“Yes,” Yoongi replies promptly, “Metaphorically though, literal cannibalism can lead to health problems.”
Jimin’s eyes light up, which happens whenever he’s presented with a piece of information he doesn’t know, “Really? What exactly happens? What studies were done? Are there any documentaries?”
He’s been watching a lot of those lately.
“Not to interrupt, but I did call you for a reason,” Jeongguk says gently, a faint smile on his lips when he sees Jimin push out his lower lip in a pout, “I need you to get documentation for Jimin, ID, birth certificate, all those things.”
Yoongi narrows his eyes but nods, “Okay, it’ll take a couple weeks, maybe a little longer considering this is a whole new human and not one who existed under a different name… what’s the surname going to be?”
“It should be something common,” Jeongguk says, “Something that won’t draw attention, like Kim or Park.”
Jimin nods, thoughtful, “Park sounds right,” he says after a moment's consideration, “I don’t know why.”
Yoongi hums, “There are thousands of Park Jimin’s in Korea, it’s a name that won’t draw a lot of attention, but why do you need it?”
“I’m getting a job!” Jimin says with all the enthusiasm of someone who has never had one and therefore doesn’t realize what a burden they are.
“Why?” Yoongi asks with all the horror and disbelief of someone who has had one and never wants to repeat that mistake again.
“Autonomy,” Jimin says, “Free will, a source of income with which to buy Jeongguk gifts,” his eyes open wide, “Oh, I wasn’t supposed to admit that.”
Jeongguk blinks, “Jimin, you don’t have to get me gifts,” he whispers, unable to stop how gentle his voice is when he says that, or the way his ears turn bright red in embarrassment.
Yoongi is smirking out of the screen, Jimin is looking at him like a deer caught in the headlights, and Bam is wagging his tail from where he’s laying on the rest of Jeongguk’s laundry, another pair of briefs caught on his tail and waving like a bright red flag.
“I know I don’t have to,” Jimin whispers finally, “But… I want to… I wouldn’t even exist if it weren’t for you, and you’re doing all these things for me, taking me places, teaching me about the world, and I just…” he trails off, and his eyes are shining bright with unshed tears, “Sorry,” he mumbles after a moment before fleeing the room entirely.
Jeongguk stands to go after him, completely disregarding Yoongi, who clears his throat and says pointedly, “Gguk, you need to be careful.”
Jeongguk stops halfway to the door and turns, “Why?” He asks, fighting the urge to ignore the other man entirely.
“Because,” Yoongi says as he leans forward to end the call, “You gave yourself a weakness. I’ll be in touch,” then he disappears and Jeongguk stands there for a heartbeat, but he’s too distracted to worry about what Yoongi said, not when he can hear a stifled sob coming from Jimin’s room.
“Jimin,” he calls quietly, the door is closed, but he’s sure the other man can hear him, “Jimin, why are you crying?”
There’s quiet then he hears the shuffling of fabric, the slow steps of someone who is reluctant to respond, then a soft whisper of a sigh before the door opens.
“Jimin?” Jeongguk says softly, he never spoke softly before Jimin, and suddenly he has Yoongi’s words on repeat in his mind.
“You’ve given yourself a weakness.”
“What’s wrong?” He asks instead of acknowledging the truth.
“I don’t like hiding from you,” Jimin admits, his cheeks shining with tears.
“Then don’t,” Jeongguk says back, bewildered and overwhelmed, “Then don’t.”
Jimin falls into his arms with a quiet sob, his face pressed into his neck
“I just want us to be equals,” Jimin whispers, “You give and give and all I do is take, and I want… I want to give you something Jeongguk, but I don’t know how!" His sadness is tinged with frustration now, and it hurts Jeongguk even more to know that Jimin is suffering at all, let alone because of him.
“Jimin,” he says softly, “You have already given me exactly what I need,” he pulls back and tries to meet the others eyes, but Jimin refuses to look up, sniffling and hiding his face until Jeongguk reaches down and tilts his chin up with gentle fingers, “I needed a friend, you remember how lonely you were in the lab?” He waits until Jimin nods before he continues, “I was lonely too, all the time, had been for years, even if I didn’t realize it.” He indulges himself and lets his touch shift to cupping Jimin’s cheeks, “You’ve given me so many things,” he’s struck with a sudden idea and can’t help but smile. “Come on,” he says, taking Jimin’s hand and tugging him toward the bed, where he sits them both down.
Jimin’s tablet is on the table so he grabs that and opens up the notes app, “Let’s make a list, okay?” He prompts gently.
“Of what?” Jimin asks, his cheeks still shining with tears.
“Of all the things you’ve given me,” Jeongguk replies; if someone had told him a year ago that he’d been sitting shoulder to shoulder with a beautiful man that he grew in his lab, making a list that includes things like—
Friendship
Smiles
Gimbap
Hugs
Nose Boops
He would have probably killed that person, or at least tied them up and used them as leverage for some nefarious scheme. But right now he’s not thinking of that, in fact he’s not thinking about much. He’s basking in the warmth that seems to radiate off Jimin, reveling in the sound of his giggles, in the sweet scent of his shampoo as his head comes to rest on Jeongguk’s shoulder.
After awhile they have a long list of things that Jimin has given Jeongguk, some of them physical objects and displays of affection, but as they near the end the list changes—
- Laughter
- Happiness
- Contentment
“There are twelve things here,” Jimin says softly, “Did you also have one dozen wishes?” He asks as he looks up at Jeongguk. His tears have long since stopped, though his nose is still a little pink from crying, and his smile is near blinding when Jeongguk replies, unable to look away.
“No, I just had one.”
💞🧪💞
Jimin gets his job at a local animal rehabilitation facility and it takes over a month for Jeongguk to stop randomly showing up at work to check in on him while glaring at his coworkers and muttering quiet threats under his breath when Jimin can’t hear. Now he only does it once a day, at lunch, bringing food and splitting it with the other man in the cramped little break room and having to fend off the scruffy, overweight orange tabby that lives there permanently and always wants to steal his ham.
The other employees seem to think they are dating, and if that means no one hits on Jimin and makes him uncomfortable, then Jeongguk is willing to let them believe what they want. It helps that Jimin is growing more and more affectionate with every passing week, and that he has started greeting Jeongguk by sprinting towards him and jumping into his arms with excitement after a long day.
He also recently discovered nose kisses, which has introduced Jeongguk to a whole new world of suffering and pain.
Having Jimin’s face that close to his cannot be good for his health, or maybe it is and he’s just not used to self care. Either way, his heart rate increases expediently every time Jimin’s nose brushes over his, skips beats when he feels his breath ghost over his lips, practically stops when Jimin’s eyelashes flutter and are so close to his cheeks that it feels like butterfly wings on his skin. Not that Jeongguk would bring up butterflies in this case, he doesn’t want Jimin to stop, after all.
Jeongguk has been tortured in the past, not even that can compare to the agony he feels whenever Jimin’s nose brushes over his skin.
“Am I developing feelings for him?” He asks Arms One through Six, it’s evening, he has to pick up Jimin soon, but right now he’s crouched next to his creation, helping it pull up weeds from the borders of the garden.
“Woof!” Bam says from behind him.
“That’s not helpful,” Jeongguk replies before he turns back to his suit, “I’ve never had feelings before, how do I know if I’m developing them? I can’t just like… go to a doctor and get diagnosed, can I?” He mulls over the question then shakes his head, “No, besides, all the doctors I know are evil or would call the police on me.”
Going to a regular physician does not occur to him.
“What am I supposed to do with all these feelings, anyway?” he asks, sitting back on his hands and glaring up at the sky, “What good do they do me?”
Arm Two flicks a weed at him.
“Hey!” he protests, “so rude, oh my god.”
Arm Four pokes him in the arm and with a resigned sigh, he goes back to helping, having gotten no closer to the answers he so desperately needs.
💞🧪💞
“Jeongguk, I want to try kissing.”
Jimin says it out of nowhere, Jeongguk is minding his own business, watching television while Jimin reads on the floor in front of the sofa, and he just says that, randomly, catching Jeongguk off guard and making him choke on his own breath.
“What kind of books are you reading?” Jeongguk asks instead of acknowledging Jimin’s statement.
“Kissing books,” Jimin replies.
Jeongguk frowns, “Where did— wait, nevermind, it was probably Minji who gave that to you, didn’t she?”
Minji is one of Jimin’s coworkers, and he’s fairly certain she knows they aren’t dating, and he’s also fairly certain she thinks they should be.
Jeongguk is in a moral dilemma and he’s never had one of those before, so his next move is fueled by chaotic desperation, not logic like it usually is.
“Okay…” he says slowly, trying to get his blank mind to provide him with anything remotely useful, “What kind of kiss do you want to try?”
“Every kind,” Jimin says firmly, a little pout on his lips as he nods to himself.
“Oh boy,” Jeongguk whispers, “Um… and do you have anyone in particular you’d… ah… like to kiss?”
Jimin looks at him like he’s insane, which is likely, but not for the reasons that are currently unfolding around them, “You, of course, who else is there?”
A part of him deflates at that, because when he phrases it like that, it makes it seem like he’s only asking Jeongguk because he’s available, not because he actually wants to kiss him. Which is something he’s never experienced, he reminds himself, so how does he even know what he’s asking?
Jeongguk pauses, raises a mental eyebrow at himself and asks an internal question, “Am I underestimating him?”
Because he knows Jimin is smart, knows that he understands far more than what they’ve talked about in the six months since Jimin emerged from the lab. Not to mention his realm of experience now extends outside his life with Jeongguk. He has a job, work friends, people he texts cat pictures and gifs to.
“Jimin… can I ask you, why… you want to kiss me?”
Now Jimin looks at him like he’s an idiot as well as insane, and while Jeongguk has long since been assured of his own intelligence, in the face of this gorgeous, lovely, flawless man, he is beginning to have doubts.
“Well…” Jimin says carefully, drawing out the words as he stares at Jeongguk, “You’re smart, handsome, charismatic, and I like you,” his expression shifts into a bright smile, “I like you a lot! And I said I wanted all my firsts to be with you, right?” He pauses and taps his lower lip in thought, “Though I don’t think I want to kiss anyone else, Lisa at work did offer though.”
“I’ll fight her,” Jeongguk says immediately, “And I will win.”
“It’s okay,” Jimin assures him, “I told her I wasn’t interested, she was the first person I’ve ever made cry!” He looks excited for a moment, then says, “I’m glad you weren’t my first for that one.”
Jeongguk smothers a laugh and shakes his head, “Yeah, me too,” he says.
“So, back to the topic at hand!” Jimin says excitedly.
“Kisses.” Jeongguk replies in defeat.
“Kisses.” Jimin agrees in triumph.
“Maybe we can start out small, slow,” Jeongguk suggests, swallowing at the sudden dryness of his throat, “Like… the forehead?”
Jimin pouts, and Jeongguk is concerned he’s learning how to weaponize the expression, “Do I need to start small? Everyone else I see is kissing here,” he taps his perfect, mochi cheeks, “or here,” and points to his perfect, plush lips. “So why can’t I?”
“Because of me?” Jeongguk says, floundering for a valid response and feeling like he’s coming up short.
“Oh? Have you never kissed anyone either?” Jimin asks, leaning forward with excitement in his eyes, “Do I get to have one of your firsts, too?”
Jeongguk flinches, he’s experiencing a lot of firsts with Jimin, up to and including all the people he’s kissed before. If he could erase them from history he would, just so he didn’t have to bear witness to the way Jimin’s expression falls when Jeongguk shakes his head and says, “No, I’ve kissed other people.”
“Oh,” Jimin whispers, his gaze dropping to his lap where his fingers are now twisted together, and it occurs to Jeongguk that he’s probably nervous, because god knows Jeongguk is.
Nervous because he’s never felt this way about anyone, nervous because Jimin is so good, and Jeongguk is… well, he’s himself.
“Jeongguk,” Jimin says carefully, he worries his lower lip between his teeth for a moment, eyes still trained on his hands as they clutch, white-knuckled to each other. Then he takes a deep breath, he looks like he’s gathering himself, his strength, and Jeongguk braces for impact, “Why do you keep underestimating me?”
“Damn it, he noticed!” Jeongguk thinks in a panic, he opens his mouth to respond, but Jimin has caused another first, and he finds himself speechless. Because he really has been trying to not do that, but here he is getting called out for it anyway.
“I know my existence so far has been short, I know there are so many things I have to learn, I know I’m innocent in many ways, but… but I’m not naive,” he sniffles a little, rubs at the tip of his nose until it is pink like the tips of his fingers and his flushed cheeks. Pink, pink, pink, Jeongguk wants to wrap him in bows and kiss him breathless.
“I’m not naive and I’m not confused, I know what I want, and it’s you, okay? It’s you and it has been since I first heard you singing Whitney Houston in the lab.”
“You heard that?” Jeongguk gasps, scandalized, “Oh my god.”
“You have a beautiful voice,” Jimin assures him, “but that’s not the point!” He waves his tiny hands and Jeongguk can tell he’s getting worked up now as he levels one at Jeongguk, “The point is that I like you, Jeongguk, as more than a friend, and I’m fairly certain you like me too, because you are doing things that my kissing books tell me are signs that you like me, so… just… listen to me!”
“I am listening, Jimin,” Jeongguk says softly, “I am, I just… I’m not used to feeling so much,” he admits, “And maybe I bit off more than I can chew in creating you, because I’ve never even had a friend before, let alone something more,” he drags a hand through his hair and sighs in frustration, “I don’t know what I’m doing… and that… I’m not used to that, I’m used to knowing every step of the plan, every nuance and factor, but this?” He waves a hand between the two of them, “This is all new, and I don’t know how to navigate it, I don’t know what the best choice is…” he trails off and looks at Jimin in desperation, “it frightens me, Jimin, because what if I make a mistake?”
The sadness in Jimin’s expression slowly fades to fond exasperation, “Then you make a mistake,” he says gently, “has the possibility of failure ever stopped you before?”
Jeongguk shakes his head, “I’ve never considered failure an option.”
“Then what’s different now?” The other man asks, he crawls across the floor and onto the sofa, so close that their legs are touching and Jeongguk can feel the warmth of Jimin slowly seeping into him like sunlight on a cold day.
But he doesn’t stop there, he keeps crawling until Jeongguk has him in his lap. He makes room for himself easily, nudging and pushing at Jeongguk until he’s settled between his legs like it’s his second home. He’s so close, close enough that Jeongguk can count the eyelashes that frame his eyes, so close that he can see the freckles that are starting to develop on his otherwise flawless skin.
Jeongguk is experiencing a lot of firsts right now, some subconscious part of his brain cataloging them for later examination. For instance, he doesn’t know what to do with his hands, so after some wild groping of the couch and himself, he ends up resting them on Jimin’s shoulders, but that feels awkward, so he lets them fall to his thighs, but that feels like too much, but before he can do anything about it, Jimin huffs out a little sigh, grabs them both and brings them to rest on hips.
“Here,” he says as he presses Jeongguk’s palms against his body and ignores the small, strangled sound Jeongguk makes in response, “Right here,” he narrows his eyes, “are you sure you’ve done this before?”
Honestly at this point, Jeongguk isn’t sure of anything, “Um?” he says lamely, blinking up at Jimin, who looks down at him for a long moment, then reaches out to brush the hair from his eyes with gentle fingers.
“Why are you so nervous, hm?” He asks, “It’s only me.”
“Yes,” Jeongguk thinks as his eyes trace Jimin’s features, “it’s only you, the most perfect person I’ve ever met, the only human in the world I care for,” Jimin’s hand combs through his hair, gentle fingers messaging his scalp for a moment before falling to cup his cheek, the other hand braced against his chest, and it feels warm, so warm, bordering on hot, like Jimin’s touch will light him and the entire world on fire.
Jeongguk would let it, he would let it and he would bask in the flames of destruction— hell, he would feed the fire if it made Jimin keep looking at him like that. Like something precious and worthy, like something to be worshiped and ultimately devoured.
It should scare him that he would let Jimin destroy him, would let himself be ruined by his own creation if it meant that Jimin was happy. But Jeongguk isn’t afraid, not anymore, he lets it go in the space between breaths, in the rapidly closing distance between his body and Jimin’s, where it falls and fades into nothing, and he is no longer frightened of what comes next.
Their first kiss is slow, careful, barely a brush of lips that leaves Jeongguk breathless despite the lack of intensity. He's surrounded by Jimin, by the strawberry and peach scent that clings to him, by his body as he leans closer and traps Jeongguk against the arm of the sofa. Jeongguk lets his eyes fall closed and marvels at the way Jimin seems to learn as he goes, how he tilts his head, how his kiss becomes firmer, more self-assured, with every passing moment.
Jeongguk doesn't really notice that he's stopped thinking, possibly for the first time in his life, and instead is just letting himself feel. He abandons logic, reason, the part of his brain that constantly calculates the next step— the next moment, has gone miraculously quiet; the only sound he can hear is the steady cadence of his heart, and the soft breaths they exchange a moment before he deepens the kiss.
Jimin gasps, a small thing, barely there when Jeongguk's tongue brushes over his lower lip, asking silent permission to take the moment further. He acquiesces immediately, lips parting to grant Jeongguk access, a little breathless moan escaping him as he does.
This may very well be the best moment of Jeongguk's life, he hasn't decided yet because he's not thinking about anything except Jimin, and it feels like he's finally found peace in the silence. He indulges himself now, runs his hands up Jimin’s sides, lets them slip beneath the fabric of his shirt to caress his soft skin, molds his fingers between the divots of his ribs, to trace patterns around the length of his spine. And Jimin blossoms under his touch, flushed even more, all carnations and peonies, summer sunrises and spring sunsets.
They pull back after a moment, and the smile Jimin gives him is so bright and big and sincere, so much joy spilling out that Jeongguk wonders for a dizzy moment how he even considered denying Jimin something that made him smile like this.
“Did I do well?” Jimin breathes.
Jeongguk knows he must look like a dazed mess, but he doesn’t care, not when the whole world has melted away and he’s holding heaven in his arms.
“You did so well, baby,” he whispers.
Jimin giggles, wiggles a bit in his lap, which makes Jeongguk immediately seize up because their hips are pressed together and the sudden movement is making things happen, but before said things can escalate or even come to Jimin’s attention the moment is shattered by a sudden crash coming from outside the house.
Then several things happen at once.
A window shatters beside them, and Jeongguk reacts immediately, years of having to dodge attacks coming into play as he rolls Jimin and him off the couch and onto the floor, where he shields the other man with his body as glass rains around them.
Bam comes careening down the hall, barking in a deep and aggressive manner that Jeongguk has never heard before, not even when Monster Man was at the door.
His suit also comes charging into the hall, knocking art from the wall in its graceless sprint towards him. Usually his suit has more tact, or at least more spatial awareness, and of all the things happening this is his sign that something is very seriously wrong.
He keeps one hand on Jimin’s chest to ensure he stays down, then sits up, peering over the top of the sofa to see a hulking form looming in the twilight outside.
“Mother fucker,” he mutters, because it’s not a member of the Fabulous Four or whatever they call themselves, and it’s not an old ally with a strange sense of humor, it’s his rival, whose name he can’t recall right now… or maybe he never bothered to know in the first place, he can’t be sure.
“You okay, baby?” Jeongguk asks Jimin.
“Oh, I like it when you call me that,” Jimin says, “Is that normal?”
Jeongguk indulges himself with another quick kiss, “I don’t know what normal is, but I’ll call you baby every day forever if you want me to.”
“Yes, please!” Jimin chirps.
Jeongguk grins and taps the tip of Jimin’s nose with his finger, “Okay baby, I’m going to go deal with this asshole and then we’ll pick back up on the kissing practice thing, okay?”
Jimin nods happily and Jeongguk rises, his suit is beside them, ready to strap onto his chest and carry him out into the yard, where the sound of several car alarms going off blares in his ears, loud and offensive and making Bam cower away from the open window and door.
“Jeon!” His rival bellows, and Jeongguk thinks that maybe his name is Jeong or Jiyeong, or maybe Daeho, “I’ve returned from the brink of death to unleash my vengeance upon you!”
Jeongguk sighs, “I’m busy, and also retired, don’t you have something better to do with your time, Kwan?”
“Who is Kwan? My name is Danger Doom!” the other man yells, looking very shiny in his armor and his visor that probably does something boring like shoot lasers, “Or Chal,” he adds quietly.
“Chal? Hah!” Jeongguk says, “It might not be Kwan, but it’s certainly not Chal!”
“Are you trying to tell me I don’t know my own name?” The villain asks, confusion written all over the parts of his face that Jeongguk can actually see.
“Yes,” Jeongguk says, “Now go away, I’m retired.”
They glare at each other until something behind Jeongguk draws Chal’s (Kwan’s?) attention. At first he goes still at the sight of it, and then he smiles, slow and devilish, “Who’s that, Jeon?” He asks, but doesn’t wait for a response.
Instead he rockets towards the house and shoots through the shattered remains of the window. There’s a crash, followed by a furiously barking Bam and a shout of pain that sounds an awful lot like Jimin.
Rage, immediate and intense fills Jeongguk, more than he’s ever felt before. Without a moment's hesitation he and his suit follow Doom, his six robotic arms bracing him as he takes stock of the living room, then launching him forward when he sees the villain looming over Jimin, who is kneeling on the floor, both arms wrapped around Bam as the dog barks.
“Finally,” Doom coos, “you’ve given yourself a weakness, Jeon, I’ve been waiting for a day like this,” he reaches down just as Jeongguk propels himself forward, but before he can reach the other villain, Jimin grabs Doom’s arm and twists.
There is the clean, distinct sound of a bone snapping, followed immediately by Doom screaming in pain.
“I would never be Jeongguk’s weakness,” Jimin whispers, barely audible over the wails of agony Doom emits. Jeongguk, completely caught off guard and very impressed, stops a few feet back from the pair, eyes wide and heart racing with love and adrenaline as Jimin stands up and punches Doom squarely in the face.
He collapses without a sound, crumpling to the ground in a heap of awkwardly bent limbs, his visor falling off in the process, “Oh my god,” Jimin says, “that’s Lee Chowl.”
“I’m pretty sure his name is Kwan,” Jeongguk says, brain latching on to something that he can comprehend, and not onto Jimin’s sudden display of super strength.
Jimin gives him a fond but exasperated look, “Jeongguk, you haven’t been paying attention to the television at all, I don’t expect you to know who Lee Chowl is, but he’s a hot-shot politician that rumors say is also incredibly corrupt.”
Jeongguk’s eyes light up, “Oh, there are few things in the world I love more than exposing someone like that. Like… there’s three things, and they are all in the room with me.”
“Rude,” Jimin sniffs, “Bam is not a thing.”
Jeongguk releases himself from his suit and crosses the room to gather Jimin into his arms, “You aren’t either,” he amends, “But you most certainly are,” he says over his shoulder to arms One through Six, which all nod in agreement. He sighs, ignoring the whimpering supervillain who is still writhing on the floor, his arm cradled to his chest as he cries, and kisses Jimin’s temple, “Since when did you have super strength, hm?” He asks as he buries his face in Jimin’s hair.
“Oh, since forever,” Jimin admits, “I just never needed it until now!”
Jeongguk thinks about all the times Jimin had pouted and asked for him to open up jars of kimchi and pickles, or had watched him lift heavy bags of soil for the garden, and shakes his head. Jimin has a sneaky little smile on his lips, like he knows exactly what he’s been doing this entire time, but it just makes Jeongguk feel even more fond.
“Not as innocent as you claim, are you?” He teases gently, and Jimin looks up at him with shining eyes.
“No, I am,” he promises, mochi cheeks so pink and precious that Jeongguk gives in to a very base urge and bites the apple of one of them gently, making Jimin giggle and swat at him in retaliation.
His suit is hard at work beside them, having disappeared into the lab to reemerge with some zip ties that arms Three and Four use to bind the now unconscious Lee (Kwan) Chowl Danger Doom’s arms with, gleefully ignoring the way one is bent at a horrid angle and how a bone is very nearly protruding through the skin.
“What are we going to do with him?” Jimin asks.
Jeongguk sighs, all he wants to do is go back to kissing Jimin, but now he has an injured super villain on his hands and a shattered window and a handful of curious neighbors, one of whom seems to be on the phone with the local police department.
Now Jeongguk will no doubt have to give a statement, and they’ll probably want to talk to Jimin too. Hours and hours stand between him and what he wants, and there are few things Jeongguk hates more than waiting.
But wait he does, sighing heavily throughout the entire ordeal, in spite of the way the cop who’s taking his statement keeps glaring at him. He supposes he’s lucky they don’t know who he is, because there’s no doubt in his mind that they would try to arrest him too if they did. But no, he’s managed to keep his identity secret from all but a select few, and he hopes that now that his arch rival is in custody, he might actually be able to enjoy some quality time with Jimin.
Once everyone is gone he jerry-rigs a forcefield in front of the shattered window, making sure to quarantine Bam while he works so that the dog doesn’t step on any of the shattered glass before his suit has a chance to clean it up. Jimin is in the kitchen, singing to himself as he makes them both dinner, and despite things not going quite as planned tonight, Jeongguk feels oddly at peace.
“Oooh, I wanna dance with somebody!” Jimin’s voice is bright and happy over the clatter of dishes and the hiss of food hitting a hot pan, “I wanna feel the heat with somebody!”
The future is bright, Jimin likes him, and his rival is currently under arrest.
“Yeah, I wanna dance with somebody!”
Life, at this very moment, may very well be good.
“With somebody who loves me!”
💞🧪💞
That night they go to bed together, Jimin has given up on the pretense of even having his own room, having decided without conversation that they will always share a bed, no matter what.
Before today, Jeongguk had grown used to the warmth and weight of the other man’s body beside him, but now it holds a promise, a horizon they have yet to cross. He watches silently as Jimin strips down to nothing but his boxers and throws one of Jeongguk’s shirts on before sinking into bed.
“Can we go back to kissing?” He asks before Jeongguk can turn the lights off and retreat into the relative safety of slumber. He is a weak man, and no one in their right mind would ever say no to Jimin anyway, not with the way his lips push out into a pout and he looks at Jeongguk with his eyes all big and pleading.
Jeongguk settles back into the pillows and opens both arms wide, “Come here,” he says gruffly, well aware that his ears are warm and probably flushed red, but then Jimin falls into his embrace with a happy giggle and the world melts away until it is only them and the steady pace of their lips and the slow unraveling of lessons they both want to learn.
Eventually though, Jimin grows tired, little yawns interrupting their intimacy, his lids growing heavy as sleep calls to him, and Jeongguk bumps their foreheads together gently, “Get some sleep, hm?” He whispers, one hand carding through Jimin’s hair.
“Okay, Kookie,” Jimin whispers, he settles down onto Jeongguk’s chest, cheek squished and lips pushed out and adorable beyond any vocabulary known to man. He’s asleep within minutes, leaving Jeongguk to stare at the ceiling and wonder what he did right to deserve a person like Jimin.
💞🧪💞
“I don’t think I like tomatoes,” Jimin says sadly as he looks down at his plate. They are at an upscale Italian restaurant, and the dining area is subdued, the only sound is that of soft conversation and the gentle clink of silverware against fine china.
Jeongguk looks up from his own plate of risotto to see Jimin pushing around his chicken cacciatore with a frown, pushing around the pieces like they are a puzzle he has yet to decipher.
Jeongguk goes to respond, but before he can he hears a woman whisper, “Oh my, isn’t that Jeon Jeongguk? The mad scientist that launched all those boats into space?”
Jeongguk grins at the reminder, a whole fleet of whaling vessels, launched directly into an eternal black void. He remembers that day fondly, and considers it one of his finer achievements. And now that he’s retired he regrets not doing it more often, but the hassle of getting ion engines for the launch had been time consuming and headache inducing. People don’t just give those things away, and he wonders idly if he should devote at least some of his retirement to developing better, easier-to-produce ones.
“It occurs to me,” Jimin says, still pushing around his food and eyes narrowed in the direction of the gossiping woman, “That this isn’t very anti-capitalist of us.”
Jeongguk shrugs, “You said you wanted to try Italian food.”
“Well, I tried it,” Jimin says, “And I’ve found it lacking.”
Jeongguk arches an eyebrow, and does his best to ignore the way it makes him feel when Jimin talks like that, “Do you want to switch plates?” He asks, “I don’t mind tomatoes.”
“I want to add something to my list, actually,” Jimin says, “I would like to dine and dash.”
Jeongguk’s eyebrow shoots higher, then he spares a glance at the fancy interior and the fancy clientele and the overpriced bottle of wine on their table and feels something delightful begin to bubble out of him.
He grins, rises, and gives Jimin a sweeping, Western-style bow before offering his elbow, “Out the front or the back?” He asks.
Jimin smiles that big, delighted smile of his, “I’ve never been in the back of a restaurant before,” he admits, mischief in his eyes. He stands and rests his hand on Jeongguk’s arm, and throws a cheeky smile at the rest of the diners, who are casting less than surreptitious glances in the couples directions.
“Enjoy the rest of your meal!” He says cheerfully before letting Jeongguk guide him behind the bar and through the swinging doors that lead into the kitchen.
They open to reveal unmitigated chaos, sous chefs and cooks and servers all yelling and harping on each other, complaining loudly about anyone and anything, including each other. But then someone looks up and spots the pair, and it’s like a ripple effect goes through the kitchen, leaving quiet in its wake.
Every pair of eyes is trained on them, and a massive man with a sweaty red face opens his mouth, looking fully prepared to scream at them to get out of the kitchen, but Jimin raises one of his tiny hands (Jeongguk wants to bite it, gently and lovingly) and waves happily, “Hello everyone, I’m sure you’re doing your best, we’re going to be heading out now though, thank you!”
And they do, leaving a shocked silence in their wake.
They end up at a local park several streets away, eating cheesy tteokbokki from a street vendor and cheering for a small group of skateboarding teens as the evening dwindles into night.
Afterwards, they wander for hours, just taking in the sights and chatting about nothing. It's soft, quiet, the sky overhead a washed out lavender and the moon a pale disk above them.
“You know,” Jimin says during a lull in the conversation, they’ve stopped on a bridge to watch the light dance on the water's surface, “we’ve kissed a lot.”
“Mmhmm,” Jeongguk replies, loving the way Jimin’s head rests so perfectly on his shoulder, that had never been part of his calculations, but he wonders now if some subconscious part of his brain was trying to create someone like this, someone to love.
“We’ve kissed a lot, and I think I’ve gotten pretty good at it,” Jimin continues, “Which means I’m ready for the next step.”
Jeongguk’s sharp intake of breath gets caught in his throat, and he ends up doubled over and coughing, tears streaming down his cheeks as he struggles to breathe, “What do you mean… exactly… when you say that?” He managed to gasp, peering at Jimin through tear hazy eyes.
“Okay, so I’ve been doing some research.” Jimin says excitedly.
“Oh no.” Jeongguk murmurs, “Is this more of your kissing shows?”
“I’m not sure I like the way you say that.” Jimin says with a pout.
“I’m sorry.” Jeongguk gasps a little and massages his chest, wishing there was more oxygen in his system because maybe he wouldn’t feel so lightheaded right now, “That was rude of me, what have you learned?”
Maybe it’s safest for his sanity if he just goes full scientist mode for this, if he just ignores his feelings and the tiny voice in the back of his head that is shrieking as loudly as it can.
“So!” Jimin looks excited, eyes all wide and lips curled in a delighted smile. “Touching, with clothes off!”
A mother walking by with her child throws them both a scandalized look, but Jeongguk barely even registers it, mind too busy conjuring dozens of (scientific, rational) scenarios that Jimin’s phrase triggered.
“Yes, okay,” Jeongguk replies, “touching, with clothes off, excellent, yes, okay.”
Jimin nods, “So you’re alright with it?”
“Um…” Jeongguk hums, eyes scanning the park, the buildings, the people around them that wasn’t Jimin’s brightly shining, sunshine face. “Yes?”
Jimin’s expression falls, “Oh, are you not ready to take the next step?”
“No! I mean yes! I mean…” He forces himself to look at Jimin and reply, but can only manage it after a couple deep breaths, “I think I am, I’m just a bit nervous.”
“Oh! Well that’s okay! I can tell you what to do.” Jimin promises.
That is not the problem here, Jeongguk thinks to himself as Jimin takes his hand and they begin to walk back to his car.
“I never noticed, but are those bloodstains in the back seat?” Jimin asks as they climb in.
Jeongguk glances at the stain in question and shrugs, “Maybe? I can’t remember.”
Jimin nods and doesn’t ask any further questions, and the radio plays…
I need a man who'll take the chance
On a love that burns hot enough to last
So when the night falls
My lonely heart calls
💞🧪💞
“Oh my god.” Jeongguk says, eyes trained on the ceiling as Jimin swallows his cock with all the skill of a seasoned pro, “Don’t you have a gag reflex?”
Jimin stops sucking him long enough to look up through his lashes, eyes bright with curiosity, “What’s that?”
“Not important.” Jeongguk gasps, “Carry on.”
💞🧪💞
They are laying in bed with facial sheets on when it happens.
“Come out, evil crime man!” someone bellows from outside.
“Not again ,” Jimin groans, “Couldn’t they at least have waited another…” he glances at the clock, “Seven minutes?”
“Self-righteous vindictiveness waits for no mask,” Jeongguk says with a sigh as he heaves himself out of bed.
“Tell them to go away, you owe me an orgasm,” Jimin says cutely.
Jeongguk shakes his head and tackles Jimin, mindful of the still damp mask and also Bam, who is stretched beside him with one eye open in annoyance, “You are insatiable,” he growls against his neck, nipping the soft skin of it gently, “what am I going to do with you?”
“All the things,” Jimin replies immediately and with great enthusiasm, “every one of them— oh! I should make a list!” He begins to count things down on his fingers, “blindfolds, restraints, roll play—”
“I see you’ve been doing research again.” Jeongguk says fondly.
“I have!” Jimin exclaims, “A lot! What are your thoughts on vibrators?”
“Excuse me!” The same voice calls, much closer now, as in right outside the bedroom window, which is open to let the cool, early autumn breeze in, “I can hear you talking! Why are you ignoring me?”
“Leave me alone!” Jeongguk says without looking away from Jimin’s bright eyes, thoughts very focused on vibrators and not on whoever the hell is outside, “I’m retired!”
“You don’t get to decide that!” The voice snaps back, it’s deep and vaguely familiar, and Jeongguk holds back the urge to throw something at it.
“No, I’m pretty sure I do,” he says, “that’s the way retirement starts, you decide you’re done with everyone's bullshit so you stop and buy a sports car.”
“You do not have a sports car.” Jimin says.
“Who is that?” The voice says, “No, you know what? I’m coming up!”
“The hell you are,” Jeongguk mutters as he stands, but he’s not quite fast enough because the next thing he knows, a tall, dark-haired man in a violet suit falls through the window. The suit is a little torn from the rose vines he had to climb over to get to the second story, and there’s a scratch on his cheek that is bleeding slightly. He lands in an ungainly heap on the floor and huffs out a weary sigh.
“Climbing rose arbors is much easier and romantic in the movies,” he lays unmoving for a moment with his eyes closed before heaving another sigh and pushing himself upright as Bam pours himself off the bed and approaches him, “Oh, who’s this good boy?” He asks, offering a hand for the dog to sniff.
“That’s Bam, and you’re trespassing,” Jeongguk says, “Please leave before I’m forced to make you.”
The superhero seems to recall why he’s there in the first place, and after a moment of scratching Bam’s ears he levels a finger at Jeongguk, “No! Evil scum! I will not be deterred!” His eyes widen slightly as he looks at Jeongguk, “Is that a sheet mask?”
“No, it’s a slice of pizza— yes it’s a face mask!” Jeongguk snaps, “Do you think skin just takes care of itself?”
“Who’s this?” Jimin asks, now sprawled on his stomach with his arms hanging off the edge of the bed, “The color of your suit compliments your skin tone really well.”
“Wow, do you think so? Also I’m Taehyung, but you should call me V.”
“Why?” Jimin asks.
“Because it stands for victory! Which I will enjoy after I finally defeat you!” He points dramatically at Jeongguk again just as the timer for their masks go off.
“Oh!” Jimin hops up off the bed and tugs Jeongguk towards the bathroom, “Time to rinse and moisturize!”
“Hey! Wait, I’m not done!” V says, trailing after them as they walk down the hall.
“No, but the masks are.” Jimin replies, “You guys are so rude, always showing up unannounced. Are you going to throw a chair at me, too?”
“Okay, so that was a mistake and Namj— Monster Man has expressed his regrets.” V replies.
“Well not to me.” Jimin sniffs as he peels the mask off, Jeongguk following suit. This is his first time wearing a face mask of any kind, since he typically doesn’t like how they restrict his vision, and he finds the strangely dry but tacky-feeling residue it leaves behind rather distressing, “Maybe he should apologize to my face.”
“He’s not allowed anywhere near you.” Jeongguk says.
“Ooh… are you getting possessive?” Jimin coos like it’s the cutest thing in the world before he turns on the tap and splashes water on his face, “That’s so you, babe.”
“Oh my god… are you two boyfriends?” V asks, “I know we just met but I think you are way too good for him.”
Jimin shuffles to the side so Jeongguk can rinse his face off as well and sniffs, “Well I think you should mind your own business— wait! What are boyfriends?” He turns to Jeongguk, eyes alight, “Are we them? That? Are we?”
“Well, I’m not in love with anyone else,” Jeongguk says with a shrug.
“You love me!” Jimin shouts! “I knew it!” He pumps one small fist in the air before grabbing a jar of rice water serum and trying to open it before giving up with a pout, “Can you open this please?”
Jeongguk grins and takes it, they both know Jimin could crush the jar in his bare hands, but neither of them care, “Yes, I love you, I know you weren’t actually sleeping three nights ago when I whispered it into the darkness of the bedroom with only the moonlight to illuminate our disheveled sheets and exhausted bodies.”
“So poetic,” Jimin sighs, “I love you too.”
“I never thought I’d walk into such domesticity.” V says, “I hate it here.”
“You could leave?” Jeongguk suggests as he passes back the serum to Jimin.
“Ok, but why don’t you leave with me?” V asks Jimin, “Is he keeping you captive? Is this Stockholm Syndrome? Also, I know this is sudden, but I think we might be soulmates— platonic soulmates.” He rushes to add when Jeongguk starts to growl.
“How the hell do you reckon that?” Jeongguk says as he swallows back the urge to keep growling and waits for the serum to absorb, “If anyone is Jimin’s soulmate it’s me!”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Jimin says politely, “I was grown in a lab, so I don’t think I came equipped with a soul.”
Jeongguk frowns, “Don’t say that, Mimi, you have a beautiful soul, I promise.”
Jimin looks at him with an unreadable, but soft expression, “What would you do if I left? Would you make another one of me?”
The idea makes Jeongguk’s blood run cold, “There’s no replicating you,” he says, his voice a little hoarse from the emotion he feels. “Nothing would compare.” They don’t have the time right now, but he promises himself to have a talk with Jimin about what he just said, because something makes him think it’s not the first time he’s wondered if he’s replaceable, but if Jeongguk has his way, it will be the last, “You came out perfect, there’s no one else for me.”
“Ew.” V says.
But Jimin smiles gently, “Oh, well in that case—” he bows to V and waves both of his cute, tiny hands, “You should probably leave, I’m going to stay with Jeongguk.”
“But he’s evil !” V protests.
Jimin sniffs, “He’s not, he’s just anti-capitalism.”
“Do you know how many people he’s killed? In the RD Factory incident alone he murdered a dozen of them.”
“A dozen is just a fancy way of saying twelve,” Jimin says sagely.
Jeongguk smothers a laugh and presses a kiss to Jimin’s temple, “You’re cute.”
“So you keep telling me,” Jimin replies with a grin.
“Can we please focus?” V asks in exasperation, “If you had proof of all this why didn’t you just turn them in to the authorities?”
“Huh…” Jeongguk says sarcastically, “You’re right! Why didn’t I ever think of that? Oh, wait… is it because the “authorities” we’re talking about are all as corrupt as the people that I “murdered”.
“Stop putting air quotes around everything!” V snaps, he goes to wipe the blood off his cheek and grimaces, “Murder can’t be a metaphor or an allegation, we know that you did it. I forgot that talking to you is infuriating, also can I have a bandage?”
“Better leave then!” Jeongguk sings as he pats another layer of moisturizer on, “And no, you can’t!”
“Unless you want to stay for what we have planned after this,” Jimin says with a mischievous glint in his eye, “You probably don’t, because it involves being naked and in bed. Here’s a bandage.” He adds, after a moment of rummaging through a drawer.
“And even if you wanted to stay, you can’t, please fuck off.” Jeongguk adds.
“Oh my gosh! You said please!” Jimin nudges him in the shoulder with a proud smile, “Look at you! This is, I think, what they call character growth!”
“Okay, no— you guys are right, I get it, I will leave, if only because I don’t think I can stay sane if I spend any more time around you two.” He levels a finger at Jeongguk, “But if we hear even a whisper of you returning to your evil ways, we will stop you!”
“Yeah sure,” Jeongguk rolls his eyes, “you said that about the last dozen plots I had too, and yet you were never successful.”
“Should we walk you to the door?” Jimin asks politely.
“That’s probably a good idea, considering what the roses did to my suit.” V looks down at the tears in dismay, “Birdwing is going to kill me when he sees this.”
An hour later, and they are alone, V has left, Jeongguk’s suit is outside playing fetch with Bam, and Jimin is straddling Jeongguk hips, his lips pressed to his collarbone as he kisses his way closer to his lips.
“Did I corrupt you?” Jeongguk wonders aloud, fingers tangled in Jimin’s blond hair as he sucks a mark into his neck.
Jimin pulls away long enough to meet his eyes, “Corruption is nothing more than a social construct.”
“Wow,” Jeongguk replies, “I love you.”
Jimin grins, “I know.”
💞🧪💞
They’re standing in line at the grocery store when they finally encounter the last member of the Fabled Four (Jeongguk is fairly certain it’s “Fabled” though it could also be “Fearless”, he’s pretty sure it’s not “Fantastic” though). Jimin is reading an article from a gossip column, giggling behind one dainty hand at the outlandish claims and rumors about people Jeongguk has only a vague cultural awareness of.
The line is long and slow moving, everyone has full carts and the lady at the front of the line has also brought along an entire folder’s worth of coupons as well as a beady-eyed terrier that sits like a toddler in the front of her cart and keeps staring at Jeongguk whenever its line of sight opens up. Its eyes are dark and soulless, which typically Jeongguk appreciates, but the overall effect is ruined by the little baby blue shirt that reads “mommy’s angel” in fancy script.
Jimin is laughing so hard at something he doubles over, and before Jeongguk can reach out to steady him, he steps backwards and onto the heel of the man in front of them, “Oh! I’m so sorry!” He gasps an apology out between his giggles, “I’ll be more careful!”
“It’s no troubl— the man turns and cuts himself off when he sees who’s behind him, and Jeongguk groans, because why does he keep running into these people?
“Doctor Jeon?” The man asks, incredulous, “What are you doing here?”
“Grocery shopping,” he replies, “I’m retired, please don’t cause a scene, Hope.”
Hope blinks, and then raises both hands in a show of nonaggression, “In the middle of a grocery store? I would never, it would take even longer for us to get out of here.” He gives a meaningful look towards the lady at the front of the line, who is now arguing about the validity of a coupon that expired over four years ago, “I don’t know about you guys, but I’ve got better things to do with my time.”
Jimin leans back against Jeongguk’s chest and tucks his head under his chin, “Are you a hero or a villain?” He asks.
Hope looks a little surprised at the question, then thoughtful, “I guess that’s a matter of perspective,” he admits, “I would consider myself a hero, but I’ve caused a lot of destruction over the years, so I assume there are a lot of people who don’t feel the same way about me.”
Jeongguk wraps his arms around Jimin’s waist and rocks him back and forth as he listens to his boyfriend (and best friend) talk, asking Hope questions with his usual bright curiosity and intelligence, content to simply stand there and hold the other man in his arms.
He loves him so much, sometimes he still wrestles with the moral quandary of it all, questions himself and everything that lead to this point. But mostly he has made peace with what has grown between them, his acceptance helped by Jimin reminding him gently and in various ways that he is his own person, and is just as capable of making decisions as anyone else is. He still amazes Jeongguk daily, not only with his intelligence and drive to learn, but with his kindness, his humor and his patience. Jeongguk doesn’t understand how he got so lucky, but he is so, so glad he did.
And the PA plays—
I need a man who'll take the chance
On a love that burns hot enough to last
So when the night falls
My lonely heart calls
Jimin starts to shuffle forward, not trying to break free of his hold but just trying to move the line along, and Jeongguk follows closely, no more willing to let go than Jimin is to be released, and there’s a metaphor there, but he is too content to dwell on it for more than a passing moment. Hope is paying for his groceries, using his super speed to unload the cart in an attempt to balance the cosmic scales after the disservice coupon lady did to the other patrons.
But before he leaves, he stops and looks back at Jeongguk, a little smile gracing his heart shaped lips, “Technically I am supposed to challenge you, but I know our track record isn’t great when it comes to actually fighting you, let alone winning those fights.”
“It’s better if you let him win,” Jimin confides softly, “he gets really grumpy when he loses.”
Hope chuckles, and Jeongguk thinks about protesting that he does not, in fact get grumpy, but instead he just presses a kiss to Jimin’s pretty blond hair and then rests his cheek there, not aware of the beatific smile on his face.
“You know… in all the years I’ve known you, you’ve never once looked happy,” Hope says as he looks at Jeongguk, “So you know what? You do you! Happiness looks good on you!” he flashes him a bright smile and shoots him a couple finger guns, “It was nice to meet you, Jimin-ssi!” He adds as he grabs hold of his groceries, “Take care of him, okay!”
“Okay! It was nice to meet you too!” Jimin says, waving happily as the hero retreats, “He’s really nice,” he says to Jeongguk as they begin to bag their groceries.
“Yes,” Jeongguk agrees, “I find it rather… disturbing.”
“Why?” Jimin asks, pausing with a box of dog biscuits in one hand.
“I’m much more used to him trying to kill me.” Jeongguk admits as they begin to unload their own cart under the weary gaze of the clerk.
💞🧪💞
Later they will be at home, in bed, legs tangled together and heartbeats slowing to a synchronized rhythm, and Jeongguk will wonder about what it means to be good, and what it means to be evil, and then he will discard those thoughts in favor of pressing kisses to Jimin’s cheeks and shoulders, he will let the quiet settle over him as he writes equations into Jimin’s skin with the tips of his fingers, mapping out all the places they fit together perfectly.
Jeongguk is tired.
Worn out from a day of laughter and discovery, from walking Bam and buying groceries and helping his suit tend to the garden. He feels full in a way he never knew was possible, feels content for the first time in his life. He has everything he needs, and nothing he doesn’t, and now, as he lays here with Jimin in his arms, he believes he has finally achieved something great. For as many factories as he destroyed, how many very not innocent lives he had ruined, how many whaling ships he’d launched into the vacuum of space, he hadn’t been happy.
But now he knows he is.
Fin.