UNCUT THORNS✔️

How you got here.

"This is so nice." Miyeon looked around their cubicle on the train they had caught. It was a sleek grey with dark blue cushions, poles present for when it was full. From London to Dursley it would take about two hours and that meant entertaining themselves.

Jimin was looking at Jeongguk's small IPad, now watching a movie in AirPods and his face was honestly blank with how concentrated he seemed.

Jeongguk was busy alright. His face was mushed against the large window, watching the city get left behind. His eyes were wide and glassy and he was quiet.

"That is crazy." He then leant back on his seat, his head back and showing his prominent Adam's apple.

"How so?" She smiled at him. He looked at her and then grinned. "I still can't believe I'm doing this." He shook his head in misbelief.

"Yes you are. You're a grown man Jeonggukie. It's about time. I'm glad you're happy." She took his hand underneath the table and squeezed.

"What should we do now?" He asked after a few minutes of tracing each other's veins.

"Questions? You can ask me anything." Miyeon said with a wide smile.

"Okay. I'm been dying to know what the tattoo means. The thorns." He asked, his eyes eager.

"Well, you know how roses are collected?" She said. He nodded. "Yes they remove the thorns from the stem to make it safer to hold." Jeongguk nodded.

"In my opinion, the thorns make it prettier. They keep the flower but cast aside the rest of it. Cut down an entire rose bush and leave all the other stems behind. I love roses but that hit me when Jimin and I got left here. They take the beautiful and powerful but leave the rest behind when it actually needs to be there to make one whole bush. They are all needed, but a certain part is cast aside." Jeongguk couldn't really do anything after that except hug her tightly.

"I also want to know how you got here, if that's okay." He mumbled. Jimin looked at them in confusion and mouthed All good?

She nodded and shooed him back to his movie.

"Jimin and I are from South Korea but I'm sure you guessed that." Jeongguk nodded. "Your names." He said in a self explanatory note.

"Yeah. Long story short our mother got pregnant with someone else and she cheated on our dad. She didn't want to leave him because he had..." She became quiet and it all clicked in Jeongguk's head.

"He had money." He breathed. She nodded sadly. "So she took to the docks at night and shoved us the next boat to London. Had a family member there. When Jimin and I arrived that person was long gone so we were just  trekking through countryside."

"That's how we found the perfect cottage that we wanted. The farmer who owned it was lovely. He adored Jimin and I immediately. He promised to keep the cottage we stayed in so we had a reason to come back. He had no grandchildren you see."

"We came to London to earn money quickly, but with no schooling or any academics, it was hard. It was only a couple of years ago that we resorted to actual... stealing. We don't like doing it but... we were desperate." Jeongguk looked at the siblings with an entirely new perspective.

"You two are amazing. Don't get me wrong, I don't approve of stealing. But the fact you're here and alive for this long is insane. I'm beyond proud of you for now being able to buy it." He smiled down at her.

"Thank you." She fidgeted with his rings gently.

"What about you?" She asked. "What about me specifically?" He said teasingly.

"Your parents don't look Korean at all but from your name I can tell you are." She explained.

"I was adopted by them, Christina and Jeremy Ashton, simply because they could afford to. They raised me yes but not like Tyler did. I was immediately put into learning everything from a young age. At five in the morning I had gym, then by seven I would have school. Afterwards I would have judo and boxing lessons and then I got home to study until who knows when." He chuckled darkly.

"I wasn't allowed friends. I tried making them but my parents drew them away because friends meant time away from doing all of these things. I then went into university early and graduated top of my class one year early with a business degree. That was last time I saw them happy, well, smug." He rubbed his eyes cutely.

"Tyler was the only one who actually raised me. Taught me everything. The person sitting with you now would probably not be sitting with you at all if he hadn't done anything."

"I don't know what to say to that except I'm also proud of you. For staying as this person." Miyeon said gently.

"Me too." They were silent for a moment, until Jeongguk looked like he had been hit by a sudden brainwave.

"Yeon." He looked as if he thought this question would be stupid and Miyeon narrowed her eyes at that.

"How old are you." He asked.

"You are not serious." She gasped in surprise. "I'm deadly serious." He said with a... serious face.

"You could be dating a minor and you wouldn't even know." She smirked. His eyes widened. "That serious Yeon! I'd need permission from Jimin for everything to do with you! He would be your guardian! I'm dating a child. Bloody hell Jeongguk what are you doing." He breathed heavily.

"Jeonggukie. I'm 19." Miyeon deadpanned. He froze, and looked at her in utter relief.

"Oh thank goodness, I thought I had sexually assaulted you for a moment." He laughed. She chuckled. "Would you have stayed with me regardless?" She grinned.

"I would've waited for you, yes. For as long as it takes I would've. I'm loyal like that." He smiled softly. "You're a sap." He smirked at her. "You love it." He licked he is lips teasingly.

"None of that while Jimin is right there." She chuckled. "What's he watching anyway?" Jeongguk looked at his friend and saw someone behind him, an older male in a casual outfit watching with rapt attention as well.

Miyeon stood up and sat next to him. "Woah." She became rapt as well. Jeongguk went around and looked over her shoulder. He squealed and pulled Miyeon away from there and sat her back on her original seat.

"No." He squirmed slightly. "But it looked interesting!" She mumbled. "365 Days was not interesting for anything but that." He rolled his eyes.

"Oh so you watched it? You aren't that innocent then aren't you baby." She teased. He looked at the window, and then she jumped slightly at the cool fingers laying dangerously high on her thighs, then suddenly brushing over a very restricted region.

"No I'm not." He smiled down at her, but it was a new smile.

It looked like he wanted to take her right then.

~E