Criminal Next Door [Namjin]

Wakey Wakey

Seokjin woke on the floor as if a fire alarm had gone off, knocking over a half-full glass of red wine.

What the hell is that noise?

He shoved the heels of his hands against his eyes, blocking out the lamplight. A magazine clipping depicting a cat wearing sunglasses was stuck to one of his hands, and he ripped it off, letting it flutter to the floor. When his momentary fuzziness passed, he tried to piece together the last few hours.

Taehyung and Jungkook reuniting in the hallway. Jungkook staying for dinner. Seokjin watching Taehyung smile and laugh like he hadn't done in years while Seokjin plied himself with wine, lamenting the fact that he was now the only emotionally stunted brother in the room.

Check, check, and check.

He buried his head in his hands and groaned. When had the world shifted and left him sitting in the same spot? They'd been fine before, hadn't they? Two brothers against the world! Sure, they never discussed their hopes or fears, but they sure as hell had each other's backs. Now, Seokjin wondered if he'd been wearing blinders as his brother developed an entirely new facet to his personality.

He'd been the one to make the decision to leave Seoul for a new start, but the only thing he'd really changed was his location. Taehyung had found a way to move on from the past. Why couldn't he?

Namjoon wanted to talk to him tomorrow. The very idea of discussing a potential relationship between them frightened Seokjin. He didn't realize how impossible a task he faced trying to convince Seokjin to take that leap. Did he think a simple conversation could erase the previous twenty-five years he spent not trusting anyone but himself?

We're more than sex, Seokjin. Accept it.

Oddly enough, he had accepted it. Something very clearly existed between them besides their intense sexual attraction. Otherwise, he wouldn't be feeling sexually frustrated, sitting in a pool of cheap wine. He'd be with Namjoon, working out those frustrations in a far more entertaining manner.

He couldn't allow himself to succumb to those urges, though. Every second he spent with Namjoon made it harder to keep a comfortable distance. And even if he wanted to attempt a purely sexual relationship with Namjoon, the man'd made it clear that arrangement didn't work for him. Damn him for that. Because his restraint had accomplished far more than simply impressing Seokjin, which it had. It made the boy wonder if the man's intentions toward him really were genuine. If maybe a relationship could work if two strong-willed people, such as them, wanted it to.

What would Namjoon be like as a boyfriend? Controlling, possessive, challenging. Yes to all of the above.

He thought of the man he'd danced with on Saturday night. The humble, comforting Namjoon who admired his dad level sense of humor. The one who'd held his hand and stroked his hair. He'd barely scratched Namjoon's surface. Did Seokjin want to?

Yes and no. Yes, because people like him were rare. He wanted to know what drove Namjoon, made him who he is. To have all that seething intensity focused on Seokjin...it would never be boring, that was for certain.

No, because the more he knew about the man, the harder he would be to forget.

But Seokjin knew one thing. He missed the said lieutenant so badly his chest ached. The thought of letting Namjoon go without at least making an attempt at something more left him feeling empty.

Tomorrow, he'd listen to what Namjoon had to say. Then he'd decide.

Where is that noise coming from?

Seokjin peeled his hands away from his sensitive eyes and spotted his cell phone buzzing and dancing on the coffee table he'd been working on prior to passing out. His clock said 1:45 a.m. The screen of his cell displayed an unknown number with a Seoul area code. Who would be calling him at this time of night?