"Do you think our dads fell in love at first sight?"

Yeosang stares at the stones he's kicking over on the ground, shrugging to himself, "I don't know."

"Oh come on, can you just imagine?" Hwanwoong beams, grabbing a puddle of dead orange leaves and throws them into the air as confetti, "Heart eyes, stomach in the butterflies -"

"Butterflies in the stomach -"

"Same thing," Hwanwoong waves off, facing him now, "Did they ever tell you how they met?"

Jungkook and Taehyung never told them how they met, ever. It's a rule they've set since they were beginning to gain a consciousness till now, and as blunt as it is, it's not something the two teenagers cared to ask either. They're together now, that's all that matters.

But now that they think about it, the subject coming into the air, how did they meet?

If the world doesn't know about people with aptitudes, how did they know of each other?

"I think they're silent about it because they're shy," Hwanwoong continues to say this time with a giggle, abruptly teleporting to hang upside down on a branch of a tree, looking down to his brother, "Do you think we'll ever find someone to love?"

Hwanwoong - a curious and socialistic eighteen-year-old boy. He's always inquisitive about everything, always asking questions, the type who needs to know information to the last detail and won't shut up until he gets his answers. His nature is more tender than that of Yeosang, and that probably has a lot to do a lot with being exposed to Valencia while growing up.

Karma and Valencia were very much around Hwanwoong than they have been around Yeosang, and who knows why, probably has to do with some assigned roles or something. Meanwhile Yeosang was more around Tigresa and Eden - who are vastly different from Valencia and Karma.

Valencia and Karma are like ideal mother and father - Valencia being caring and tenderhearted while Karma being stubborn and hardheaded on - quite similar to Hwanwoong's personality.

Tigresa and Eden are good cop/bad cop - Tigresa is first to act when something happens, attentive and assertive. Eden is when Tigresa's way doesn't work, then it comes to being manipulative and snarky - Matching a bit with Yeosang's personality if one thinks about it.

The only thing the two possibly got from Jungkook is Hwanwoong's responsible mindset. He's attentive to doing his job right and at a correct order, just as he taught him. He's not lazy, or leaves things for last minute. He's well disciplined, and always manages to make a smile tug on Jungkook's face. While for Yeosang is simply his colder demeanor. He does things quietly, prefers being alone and does what he can without so much noise. He's serious when it needs to get serious and tends to not goof off. In his head he always thinks he has to set an example for his brother, but it's easier said than done.

Two vastly different personalities, but somehow, they seem to tolerate each other to a certain extent.

"I prefer not thinking about it," Yeosang mutters, keeping his hands behind his back, "We're never leaving this forest, so why bother thinking of a possible love in the future."

Hwanwoong suddenly teleports beside him, "Well, I thought the same way too, but who knows? Maybe we will leave one day. If not in that case.... I'll marry you!"

"Yay, we love incest," Yeosang claps sarcastically.

"Hey, we're step brothers!"

"Brother is still in the equation," Yeosang slaps the back of his head, "Looks like this forest is already making you feel hopeless."

Hwanwoong crosses his arms over his chest, "For your information, I still have hope. I was joking."

Yeosang snorts a sarcastic chuckle, shaking his head to himself, "As you wish," And then he looks up, taking in the view around him slowly, "I feel like I've been walking for hours, are we going around in circles? I can't seem to recognize my surroundings."

Carelessly Hwanwoong looks around, humming to himself, "Let me look ahead."

Suddenly he disappears, leaving Yeosang alone.

And for who knows how long he'll be gone for.

The birds around chirped quieter around Yeosang now that Hwanwoong left, making a small genuine smile nudge his lips as he looks up and see a couple small robins land on his shoulders comfortably. No doubt these were sent by his father as security, making sure they're safe and not lost.

Both Hwanwoong and Yeosang have learned to communicate with animals while being here, but not because of an aptitude gene like Jungkook. They learned their language naturally, mainly by being around them so constantly. Animals here treat them like a herd, a pack, and they do the same in return.

That's why Yeosang wasn't scared when he saw a tiger emerging from the bushes, stalking towards him slowly. From another direction, a leopard also walks towards his other side - nodding to the way where he should be heading. Yeosang appreciated their presence, perhaps their company even, offering them a smile as he continues walking while having them be guards to him heading home.

Since the animals recognize them so well, they can tell when something isn't right. Jungkook instructed them to always keep their eyes open for them when they're alone in the woods, just for guidance or assistance.

And that they do, especially sensing danger.

The tiger beside Yeosang suddenly stops, growling under his breath while he looks to the side of them. Yeosang also stops mid step, glancing at the tiger and to the direction it was sensing something from. If the tiger is suddenly being protective, then it can't be something that isn't threatening. If it was a mere hare or bore, they wouldn't be this protective.

They sense odd, even the leopard too.

Yeosang furrows his eyebrows and glances to the leopard, who slowly crawls lowly towards the space by the bushes, having the tiger be posted beside Yeosang. Slowly the Leopard stops once it got a view.

It didn't move, so Yeosang took it upon himself, with the tiger beside him, to crouch lowly beside the leopard and carefully look through the bushes.

There he sees his father, Taehyung, in a far distance, seemingly to be walking through the trees - away from the direction of the cottage. He has his hood up, and holding something in hand before shoving it in his pocket.

Yeosang narrows his eyes, "What is that?"

The tiger growls lowly again and suddenly scratches Yeosang's forearm with his claw. The sudden attack immediately forced a familiar burn to trigger in Yeosang's body, hissing in pain while looking at the scratch of blood before looking at the tiger. He can feel his body growing hot, his cells acting up quickly, but the tiger nods to Taehyung's direction with a low whine and their head low.

Yeosang's heaves, confused now as he looks at the tiger's sudden reaction and to his arm, that's now bleeding from the scratch and then to his father.

Blood?

Blood....

His blood vitals....

His father took one of the vitals with his blood?

Yeosang tried to calm himself down as the thought goes away momentarily because of how fired up he grew, his teeth grinding together as he physically feels the radiation boiling up in his body - forcing him on his feet and scramble back and away from the animals.

He can't hurt them.

He has to get away.

Hwanwoong suddenly teleported towards him.

"Great news! I found - Oh no, again!?"

Yeosang screws his eyes shut as he heaves between his breaths, "I need to get out of here before I hurt any of the animals again."

Hwanwoong didn't even hesitate in latching onto Yeosang and teleporting him to the cottage, just as he was oozing gas from his lips. The second they arrived, Hwanwoong fell to his knees as his breathing grew whistled with his skin sweating and flushing red - the radiation gas attacking his lungs and chest immediately.

"DAD!" Yeosang screams out, just as he drops beside Hwanwoong and concentrated in taking the radiation out of his body like how he did before.

By the time Jungkook came to the scene, Hwanwoong was clean of radiation, but Yeosang felt like he was seconds away from exploding. Jungkook gets beside them, observing Hwanwoong frantically to see him healed of the radiation, but Yeosang was fighting with everything holding himself in.

"T-Tigresa," Yeosang growls, closing his burning orange eyes, "Too m-much."

Jungkook didn't waste a moment in grabbing his son in his arms, quickly going into the cottage but went into the basement instead of his room. Here is the place that separates their nature way of living to the modern world.

Room as large as the cottage, filled with high tech and computers surveilling the area intensively, while also being the same place where training is heavy. While growing up, the kids would be here most of their time to get used to their abilities, monitor them and see how they develop as time passes.

Once they reached teen years, they all stopped coming here in general - who knows why.

Jungkook quickly takes Yeosang to a familiar room of glass and lays him down inside, letting his eyes focus on the multiple cactus sprawled around inside.

"Let it out, and the cactus will absorb the radiation, just as planned," Jungkook instructed, not at all affected by the radiation, "I sent the distress call for Tigresa, so we have to do this for now okay?"

Yeosang didn't respond back, but grunts to the heat reaching his fingers. Jungkook took that as his leave before closing the sliding door behind him - securing it. Hwanwoong warped beside his dad, looking at him and then to his brother screeching in the room.

"I thought this room would be for emergencies only?"

Jungkook lips thinned tightly together, going onto the chair in front of the computer and typing immediately to demonstrate the activity in the room. Yeosang's radiation feels different this time around, and he needs to understand why.

And that showed on the screen.

A gasp escaped his lips.

Hwanwoong looks over his shoulder, seeing the numbers yet not understanding them in the monitor, but do understand the burning red light that's on Yeosang's body as it spreads to the room from the thermal scale.

"Sir, what does that mean?" Hwanwoong quivers, pointing to the numbers that said Category 5, 1,000 mSv - that's rising by the second.

Jungkook continues to stare at that scale specifically as it rises, a hand on his chin, "Before Yeosang would only reach 400 - 500 mVs - which is the amount of radiation one is exposed to. It's not so fatal, just give off sickness and sores. He has never gone past 500 before, and now he's a thousand - No.... It's rising up."

"It's three - thousand now sir," Hwanwoong says quietly, looking at his brother, "What happens once you reach that?"

Staring at it as it goes past three - thousand to seven - thousand, Jungkook feels his heart rate escalating, "If you go past one - thousand alone, it can be fatal for anyone from months, days, even minutes. It's a Category Five."

How did this happen? All so sudden for him to rise up like this.

Hwanwoong is moving between his feet, anxiously staring at his dad, "Why are the cactuses not working?! They're supposed to take in the radiation by now!"

"Because Yeosang is too active, something happened," Jungkook abruptly gets up and looks at Hwanwoong, "Did you see anything?"

"N-No I didn't -"

"Did something happen, or did you leave his side at any point?"

"I did because we got lost!" Hwanwoong squeaks, seeing the clear agitation in Jungkook's gaze, "He was fine-"

"AH!"

Both of them snapped their faces to Yeosang, who's on his knees now as he hugs his body, screaming against the floor with orange tears gliding down his cheeks. Every cactus in the room suddenly died of life, the room becoming hot and steaming from the boy - who angrily began to rip his clothes off his body.

Jungkook immediately knew what he wanted and pressed on the button by the room, pouring cold water inside like rain droplets of a fierce storm. Yeosang screeches to the sudden water on his skin, having it mellow down the radiation by two - thousand but it was still immensely high.

It's enough to mellow from the outside, but not inside.

"He has never gotten like this before," Hwanwoong rubs his neck, his hand trembling, "I don't want to lose my brother."

Slowly looking at him, Jungkook can see vividly just how worried Hwanwoong was for Yeosang, and that showed more when tears glowed his eyes as he fought to hold them back.

He fought to be strong.

To be the pillar when he's weak.

Jungkook placed a hand on Hwanwoong's shoulder, forcing him to look at his face, "He's going to be okay. He's just growing stronger with these abilities, but once he can find a way to control them, he'll be fine. Okay son?"

Hwanwoong clearly needed to hear those words because he found comfort in that reassurance, cracking a weak smile to his dad before the two look as Yeosang stopped reacting. Now he's sitting there with his wet black hair on his face and over his eyes - seeming to be in a trance of mediation to calm himself down.

As Taehyung taught him.

Yet his mind was fighting to reach only one person.

The only person who told him to use this method when he needs him immediately, even when he doesn't show his care often.

Eden.

Those were the only words in Yeosang's head, having it travel through the air, roots of the Earth, particles in the air, all the way to reach the ears and consciousness of a certain alter in mind space because of his ability to being able to hear voices reaching him.

"Eden."

Abruptly sitting up from the couch that Eden was laying on from mind space, being still momentarily to make sure he was not imagining -

"Eden, help."

Yeosang.

It's Yeosang's voice.

He mastered the way to reach him.

Oh no..

He needs help.

Quickly Eden moves through the apartment to reach the attic in a haste, where currently Valencia was inside since she was fronting at the moment while she gave the vital of Yeosang's blood to Seokjin. Just as Eden was about to go through the door to yank her out, a hand pushed him back.

"Don't even think about sabotaging this."

Karma, out of all days -

Eden sneers his teeth and looks at the red-haired man impatiently, "Yeosang reached to me, something has happened!"

Karma's guard immediately tensed up, looking at him roughly, "Don't you play around with me like that Eden -"

"WE NEED TO GO NOW!" Eden shouts, pushing him out of the way from the door, "Get Tigresa! I think Yeosang is going radioactive!"

The second Eden opened the door, it was as though he was suddenly pushed through water and sinking all at once. A moment so familiar as though he was swimming to the surface, the light, all the way until he finally reached it.

Blinking his eyes now, Eden finds himself in Seoul Forest Park - a place he hasn't been to in years. Seokjin is in front of him, analyzing the vital with a perplexed expression, nodding to himself and looks at him as they stand eye to eye.

And he did seem suddenly a bit taken back, curious more so to say.

"Eden?" Sly bastard always knows who's who, "You usually don't front unless it's - "

"Look I don't care, my son needs me right now," He retorts and glares at the vital, "Do your shit and get us some results! If I find out that you were only wasting our time or if this is a setup, I'll come to your dreams as a never-ending nightmare that you will never wake up from!"

And from there, Eden turns around, not bothering to look at Seokjin's reaction. His eyes flared a multi-color whirl unlike the darkness they'd have, and immediately had the ground swallow him up and take him back to where his son needs him.

Back home, Yeosang's radiation was consistent, not increasing nor decreasing, and that probably has to do with him meditating at this very moment. He's trying to keep his body calm, despite how he'd flinch or wince here and there, but he was still.

Jungkook was already growing impatient to Taehyung's absence for such a long time -

Erupting from the ground and into the lab, Eden makes his presence known, facing Yeosang directly before to Jungkook and Hwanwoong. Automatically Tigresa approaches the glass once they notice what's going on, hands up and focused on Yeosang's body.

The water all pouring from the drain attaches to Yeosang like a strong blanket, instantly relaxing his body in relief to the sudden aid. Jungkook quickly goes to the monitor to notice that the scale is going down, rapidly. Looking back to his son, Yeosang has his eyes closed as the radiation disappears from his body, piece by piece, all the way until it was gone - completely.

The second Hwanwoong noticed from the monitored that he was completely clean of radiation, he didn't hesitate in teleporting into the room and catching his brother in his arms when the water fell from his body - not bothering to care for both of their parents protest.

Yeosang just barely peels his eyes opening, looking at his brother, "H-Hwannie?"

"I got you," Hwanwoong whispers back, hugging him tightly with teary eyes, "Don't scare me like that again, you hear me?"

Took weak to respond, Yeosang only lays his head on Hwanwoong's shoulder, letting himself go numb.

Jungkook and Tigresa watches this from the other side of the glass, just as the youngest son teleports the two out of the room - no doubt taking the charge in looking after him now.

"I've never seen him like this before," Tigresa murmurs, "Hwannie that is. He's so careful about everything, but this time it seemed as though he didn't care whether he could've died in there, he went regardless."

"That's because he has a selfless heart," Jungkook says to them, sitting on the chair with troubled eyes on the monitor, "He loves Yeosang. He doesn't care if he has to jump into an active volcano for him, he'd do it."

The two brothers usually don't demonstrate that side of themselves openly, or at all. They complain about each other all the time, fight on a daily basis, and can't stand even breathing in the same room for a long time, but when it comes down to this - when one of them is weak, the other will be strong for both of them.

An unconditional love they developed for each other on their own.

"Which leads me to my question," Jungkook now looks at Tigresa, eyes sharp, "Where were you?"

Tigresa looks at him now, head tilted, "Patrolling, as I said -"

"If you were patrolling, you would've heard the distress call sooner. You would've been here sooner," Jungkook's voice remains calm, but his tone is firm, "Don't make me get Valencia to answer for you."

"Oh what a threat, I'm terrified!" Karma abruptly spits out, rolling his eyes, "At least we arrived, be grateful because this could've ended worse!"

Jungkook didn't not twitch a reaction, but he did rise to his feet and looks at Karma in the eye, "Where. Were. You?"

Karma glares back to him, also mimicking his calmness, "If you're developing trust issues, that's something you need to reflect onto yourself -"

"KIM TAEHYUNG!"

Now Taehyung is left facing Jungkook, looking around almost shocked and unsure to what just happened but he did startle back when he faced Jungkook's brutal stare, unsure how he even got here in the first place, "Woah, what did the others do -"

"I thought you had good connection with your alters, being able to exchange information every night before bed, knowing what happens or what will happen the next day," Now Jungkook is to his face, arms crossed, "Where were you?"

"I.... I was...." Taehyung can't lie to him, maybe Eden, Karma and Tigresa can, but Taehyung never can, not even Valencia. Sure, he can hide things, but that's just being vague, not lying, so his shoulders shagged, and he closes his eyes, defeated, "I.... I was in the city."

"Doing what?"

The voices in Taehyung's head raged loudly, mainly from Karma telling him to shut up, but with Jungkook's stare heavy on him now, he recalled their vows when they became husbands.

To be honest with each other, and no secrets.

He tried to stretch the truth, or just keep his mouth shut, but he just... Now having Jungkook staring at him like this, head on, he couldn't.

He doesn't want Jungkook to lose his trust on him.

So, he whispers, "To see Seokjin.... About Yeosang."

And at that moment, Jungkook immediately went into Sergeant mode.

He was now still, expression completely drained of emotions as he processes what Taehyung just told him, slowly sitting down on the chair.

Suddenly he motions him to the floor, "Down, now."

Here it comes.

Taehyung exhales heavily, getting down on one knee before him while looking at him at eye level. Jungkook watches him attentively, sharp and clearly only for business.

All affection completely faded away until Taehyung tells him everything.

And Jungkook knows how to tell from a liar.

"I want everyone present."

Taehyung gulps, sending the message across to all the alters to immediately have them present, that being told by the multicolors being displayed in his eyes.

Jungkook crosses his fingers, elbows on his knees as he stares down at all of them, "How much does Seokjin know?"

There's no time for games, they all know this, even Eden.

He hates seeing Jungkook looking at him like that.

"Only what he already knew," Valencia answers to him, "I've been the one communicating personally to him, he won't talk to the rest."

Jungkook clearly tries not to roll his eyes, "I don't doubt that. How did you communicate to meet with him? Assuming through Eden?"

Upon hearing his name, Eden answers, "In my defense, I was willing to leave the brat here -"

"Watch. Your. Words."

Eden bites his tongue, eyes strayed away, "Sorry sir."

"How did you reach him?"

"A dream, well, nightmare. Gave him instructions on how and where to meet."

"And was this your first meeting?"

"No, second."

"When was the first?"

"I don't fucking know - Three days ago," Tigresa answered back, looking at Jungkook in the eye now with a gentler stare, "Look, don't take this the wrong way. Seokjin knows how to manipulate abilities and we thought he'd help us find something for Yeosang if we'd pursue our dream in moving away -"

Jungkook raises a hand, silencing them, "Where did you guys meet?"

"Seoul Forest Park."

"Assuming it was during patrol duty?"

Tigresa frowns, "Jungkook -"

"I asked a question."

"..... Yes."

"So, the missing vital from our night boundary supply didn't just so happen to disappear magically, correct? You saw him today to give it to him," Jungkook's tone grew stiff, "You gave him his sample to study, and then give you an antidote."

"Wrong," Karma snaps, challenging Jungkook's stare, "He can't cure him, he can replace his aptitude instead, something easier to tame or for him to control."

"And not once did you think that this was something you should've consulted with me? Or Yeosang himself since it's his aptitude and he's eighteen?"

"You know the kid would take anything just so he can be able to feel something close to control in his life without Tigresa having to assist him daily!"

Jungkook twitches an eye, leaning to Karma's face, "You are talking about dealing with a being who can manipulate abilities from Orchid's empire, a mafia empire, to which you were part of," The words were like spitting fire through his lips, "You sure have some trust -"

"I don't trust anyone -"

"Then how dare you give our son's blood to someone who can easily use it to their own advantage, or possibly give you something to kill him instead!"

"He isn't like that!" Valencia defends fiercely, eyebrows twitching together, "He wouldn't do that to me!"

"Using his feelings for you as an advantage, right?" Jungkook retorts, his glare now grim, "We have tried hard to keep this family together, away from danger, and you just walk right into it -"

"I'm doing this for him, for us!" Valencia continues to fight back, "To give all of us a chance and for him to not feel like he's dangerous Jungkook! He deserves a chance to feel in control of his own life and his abilities."

"And you do that by dealing with a demon," Jungkook now leans back, shaking his head, "You're not seeing him again."

Now to his feet, Taehyung glares at Jungkook, fired up by the sudden statement, "You will not order me around on what I can and cannot do! I'm your husband! Not your soldier!"

Jungkook also stands to his feet, glaring at him at eye level, "Can't you understand that I'm DOING THIS FOR OUR PROTECTION! If our cover, or even the fact that we're not dead, is blown, they could find us AND KILL US!"

"I won't let anything happen to this family -"

"You cannot guarantee that Taehyung, and you know this!" Jungkook now has his hand fisted to Taehyung's hoodie, his glare now softening to maddening concern, "I was a soldier! I've done and seen things in my life Taehyung! And you were an assassin for an empire! We both know no matter how hard we try, they'll get their way, that's why we ran away and faked our death!"

Taehyung firmly places his hand on Jungkook's forearms, more so to assure him, "Don't forget who helped us do that Jungkook," The stressed lines on Jungkook's face softened, "Seokjin made sure we made it out of that empire safe, along with Jimin and Yoongi throughout that care chase. Look, I know you're scared of something happening, but trust me. We owe it to Yeosang to give this a shot for him. I know it's risky, but just think of it working. Jungkook.... We can do this, together."

Jungkook seemed to be registering these words in his head, the soldier mask fading away to reveal his husband, the father of his kids.

The man who'd do anything to keep everyone safe, and the same one being worried to what could happen.

"I want to trust this, but.... I don't trust boss," Jungkook whispers, his fist unfurling on Taehyung's shirt, "But... Yeosang deserves that chance."

Taehyung gives him the silence, a moment to truly think this through.

Then Jungkook lets Taehyung go, frowning, "I'm sorry Tae, but I'm not supporting this. Look, Yeosang has been reaching his full potential, maybe now as he's older he can learn to control it better but... This is too risky, and I'm not going to take it. I'm not going to trust Seokjin to not hurt our kids.."

Taehyung's face falls, just as Jungkook meets his eyes, "Please, I need you to promise me to not see Seokjin again."

"But Jungkook -"

"I mean it Taehyung," Jungkook says sternly, "I don't care how convincing this all is, but I'm pleading you, don't see Seokjin again. We'll figure something out together with Yeosang, but not like this, not to our past."

Taehyung wanted to continue convincing him, telling him that this is the only way Yeosang can be given an opportunity to be normal. Yet the longer he stares at Jungkook, the more he began to understand him and his fear.

If Jungkook were to have brought something up like that about anyone from his past, Taehyung would be stiff on complying so easily. They have fought against everything to be where they are now, and even though this is a good opportunity to take, Taehyung understands that it's difficult to trust knowing their circumstance.

So, defeatedly, Taehyung gives in, "Fine, I won't."

"Promise me."

"Kook-"

Jungkook stands closer to him, "Promise me Kim Taehyung."

Looking between his large doe eyes, Taehyung shags his shoulders and nods, "Promise, come here."

Now seemingly to be relieved by it, Jungkook allows himself to melt into Taehyung's arms, holding him tightly, "I want us to be safe Tae, please understand that."

"I know," Valencia responds quietly, pretending to be Taehyung, patting his back with her fingers crossed, "It's all going to be alright."

[Note]:

Who's ready for the downhill?

What are you guys thinking of this story so far? I hope it's all making sense.

Lots of love <3