Our Yesterdays and Tomorrows

What Might Have Been

Notes:

T/N: KOREAN VOCABULARY LESSON!!! WOOHOO!!!!! Here are the new words we used this chapter!

• Yeogiwa: 'come here'

~oooOooo~

Mathan had waited long into the night for his contacts on the dark web to get in touch with him. Just as he was about to give up and call it a day, he got an email from an untraceable IP address containing images and information he never thought he would see.

For hours he sat and stared at his screen, unable to make heads or tails of what was contained within the communication he had received, finally realizing that if he wanted any information, he would have to go directly to the sources themselves.

Slowly pushing away from his desk, Mathan heaved a sigh, locked his computer down, and made his way to Bangtan's prison cell, bringing the morning supplies with him so the visit wouldn't look suspicious. As he entered however, he realized something was wrong.

Jin, Yoongi, and Jungkook roused when the door opened, the latter forcing himself to his feet, wobbling visibly, but determined to make the effort. Mathan had to admire that - Jungkook had spent a lot of time on his back, wrapped in the covers they had managed to scrounge up, zoned in and out of reality. He couldn't blame the man for wanting to clear the cobwebs from his brain. It was good... Mathan needed Jungkook to be alert. He was the one Mathan needed to speak to the most.

Taehyung remained in bed, perched on his good side. Mathan cast his eyes over to him and Jungkook waved him off. Taehyung was in a deep sleep - one that he needed desperately. Jungkook stepped forward, toward the middle of the room where Mathan stood, to make sure his voice didn't wake Taehyung out of his slumber.

As they all assembled in the center of the room, Mathan could feel the tension in the air. He thought he had caught a glimpse of something when he opened the door - Hoseok and Namjoon standing near each other, but pulling away... Hoseok's hand dropping from somewhere - his cheek? His neck? Mathan couldn't tell. Hoseok's face was stuck on surprise; Namjoon's held a smirk that Mathan hadn't seen yet. He sensed that something uncomfortable had passed between them, but Mathan didn't have the time to figure out what.

"Mathan," Jin said groggily. "What... wrong?"

Mathan looked at Jin, his hair all over his head, his eyes barely open. He was breathtaking. Mathan felt like he could stare at him all day.

Jin smiled crookedly under his gaze.

Mathan forced air back into his lungs.

"N-nothing's wrong," Mathan said hoping he didn't sound as flustered as he felt. He made himself make eye contact with Jungkook and hold it there. "I just came in to check on Jungkook."

He nodded at Jungkook and received one back in kind.

Namjoon took a deep breath and looked over at Hoseok, his mouth curving into a sad smile at the surprise he saw there. Hoseok cleared his throat, looked away, turned his back, looked over his shoulder at Namjoon again, before sitting back on his own bed and openly staring at the man. Mathan noticed all of this in the same distracted manner that he did Jin and Yoongi's return to their beds and Jungkook shuffling to a far corner of the room for his examination. But no, that wasn't entirely true, was it? He saw something in that interaction, something that made the hair on the back of his neck stand at attention as it danced just outside his understanding.

Taehyung shifted in his sleep, mumbled, furrowed his brow. Mathan took notice. There was no time to worry about whatever was going on with Hoseok and Namjoon now, not if he wanted to speak with Jungkook alone.