Smoke Song

The Cost

Jungkook hated fighting.

He whipped around the obstacle, singing a few quick, loud notes and watching as the agents stumbled backward, dropping their weapons and clutching at their heads. He hated it. He hated the looks of misery and betrayal they gave him. He just wanted to stop, to fall to his knees and beg for their forgiveness.

But as long as they looked like they were down, Soomin wouldn't attack him. And he was the one Jungkook feared more.

Jungkook glanced at his partner, taking a deep breath, and forged forward. Soomin was already far ahead of him, singing boldly. Agents fell around him, screaming. Jungkook grabbed one of their weapons as he passed, fiddling with the volume dial. It was a small, old-fashioned speaker, and he wondered if the girl would miss it.

No matter. It would work for his purposes.

He turned the volume all the way up and set it down facing the approaching agents, quickly hitting the play button. The song exploded outward, bowling them over like so many leaves in the wind. Jungkook grabbed it and ran forward, searching. Where had Soomin gone?

One of the agents got to her feet, grunting, and rushed at him, screaming in fury. Jungkook threw the speaker at her and ran. The small buildings around him seemed to close in, trapping him. Soomin wouldn't leave him behind, would he? How many times had he promised that Jungkook was safe? Jungkook stumbled to a halt, breathing hard. No one had followed. He was alone.

He took a deep breath, looking around, and spotted a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye. He barely managed enough of a tone to put up a shield before the rap hit, slamming him into the ground. He let out a cry as his head bounced off the ground, then rolled over, ears ringing.

The rap didn't stop. Jungkook took a deep breath, pushing himself up against the pressure, and began to sing, desperately mixing tones and tunes in an effort to shield himself. It worked, for a little while-- long enough for him to spin around and look the rapper in the eyes.

Yoongi.

As their eyes connected, they both froze, and Jungkook's shield fell just as the last syllable of rap hit it, leaving them standing in shocked silence.

"You're actually with him?" Yoongi said, gesturing sharply to the plain white uniform Jungkook wore. Jungkook stepped backward, lowering his head. He felt so ashamed. He wanted to hide. To run.

But he'd been waiting for an opportunity like this.

He opened his arms, raising them in surrender, and looked Yoongi straight in the eyes, begging that Jimin wasn't the only one who'd learned to lip-read.

"Kill me."

Yoongi backed up, eyes wide. "What?!" he cried, his voice bouncing off of the surrounding buildings. "Are you insane?! How could you ask something like that?!"

"I can't get away." Jungkook stepped closer, hands still in the air. "Please, hyung. He's always there. I can't do this anymore."

"Then come with me, now," Yoongi said, anger and hope warring on his face. "Death isn't the answer, Jungkook. Come with me. We can figure this out."

"I don't want to fight anymore."

"You don't have to," Yoongi said. "I promise. Just--"

"Jungkook! Get away from him!"

Jungkook flinched, starting to back away, and heard a loud bang. His and Yoongi's eyes widened at the same moment, and Yoongi fell, one hand to his stomach. Jungkook stood, frozen, as Soomin grabbed his arm, yanking him further away. Yoongi didn't move.

Tears filled Jungkook's eyes, and he tried to call out, but just like always, the words wouldn't come. Soomin hugged him, turning him forcefully away from Yoongi's prone form, and patted the back of his head, running his fingers through his hair.

"It's alright. Let it out. He scared you, didn't he?"

Jungkook's chest heaved. He wanted to throw up. Yoongi's wide eyes were stuck in his mind, and he found himself sobbing, clutching onto Soomin because he was the only one there, the only one who could support him as he wept for the man who had tried so hard to help him, rough and rude though he was.

He didn't want him to be dead. He wanted to believe that Soomin was keeping his head firmly in his shoulder because he didn't want him to see Yoongi moving, that Soomin hadn't actually shot him, that it was all a mistake. But as Soomin pulled away, talking to him as if he were paying attention and dragging him in the direction of their escape vehicle, he looked back, and saw the prone form in the dirt. Tears clouded his vision and his legs threatened to give out underneath him.

It was all his fault. If he hadn't approached Yoongi, Soomin wouldn't have hurt him. He turned again, looking back, and thought he saw someone running to the form, crouching beside it. The stranger looked up, and Jungkook stretched out his hand, not even sure what he was trying to do, mouthing the word 'please'.

The figure turned away.