Death Drive

xvi. Too Late

"What was that about?" Hoseok asked Namjoon in the next room over, astonished. Both Namjoon and Hoseok sat on Namjoon's bed, feeling uncomfortable about the situation which had just unfolded no more than ten minutes ago.

"Help me pack," Namjoon said abruptly, popping his knuckles and leaning backwards onto the bed frame, "I love Jin so much. I don't want him to be upset any more. I'll meet you guys in Oregon. Jin needs time away from me."

"You don't mean that—" Hoseok began.

"I do," Namjoon insisted sternly, "Now, help me pack."

Hoseok agreed, standing up and going to the dresser filled with Namjoon's freshly unpacked clothes and emptying out the first drawer.

★

Promptly, as the pair began to fold, Namjoon's bedroom door made a dreaded creaking sound as it opened. Yoongi wandered inside, with an ice-pack pressed against his lip, and a wrap of gauze balled up in his other fist.

"Smart move," Yoongi approved upon entering, nodding at the folded clothes that sat in Namjoon's suitcase.
Yoongi and Namjoon made eye contact as Yoongi tossed the plasters beside Namjoon. Hoseok darted over to Namjoon, and sat across from him on the bed. He began to wrap Namjoon's bloody knuckles with the bandages.
Yoongi put down his ice, picked up a pair of Namjoon's jeans, and started to fold.

"Thanks," Namjoon said to Yoongi quietly.

"Sorry I shoved you like that..." Yoongi apologized.

"Sorry I hit you like that," Namjoon replied.

"Don't apologize to me," Yoongi scoffed, "Apologize to Jin. He was the one you were aiming for. I chose to get hit," Yoongi reminded.

"You haven't been that mad at anyone in ages," Namjoon recalled, "I feel like I need to apologize to you."

"Then don't apologize for hitting me," Yoongi said, "Apologize for making me stop you from trying to hit your boyfriend."

"I'm sorry that you needed to step between Jin and I," Namjoon said quietly, "Y-you threatened me, you know," he added, reluctantly.

"I don't want to talk about it right now. I'm sorry about that. Let me help you pack," Yoongi said, gesturing for Hoseok to leave.

"Well I want to talk about it," Hoseok said, standing up for himself for the first time that evening, "What was that about?"

"I told you to stay in our room," Yoongi said angrily, "Why didn't you listen?" he asked, turning to face Hoseok, "I didn't ever want you to see that side of me!" he shouted, shocking Hoseok.

"What side?" Hoseok asked, trying to remain calm.

"It's nothing," Yoongi sighed, "I have some anger-management problems that I've been working on. This was just a relapse—an outburst. It won't happen again," Yoongi insisted defensively to both Hoseok and Namjoon.

"You don't need to hide it from me," Hoseok replied, "It's nothing to be ashamed of! I'm a wanted criminal, and I never hid that from you."

"Let's just not mention it, okay? It isn't going to happen again," Yoongi insisted.
"I'm going to take Namjoon to the airport. Call us a cab, would you?" Yoongi requested of Hoseok coldly.

"Of course," Hoseok smiled shyly and cowardly.

Glancing up and seeing the timid Hoseok broke Yoongi's heart into a thousand pieces—reminding him of previous times when his anger and coldness caused him to carelessly ruin his relationships. He only just realized what he had done.
Yoongi dropped everything he was doing and ran to Hoseok, hugging him and nearly pushing him against the wall. Yoongi's heart was racing at a mile a minute as he planted a kiss on the base of Hoseok's neck.