Taehyung woke up to a series of knocks on his door, once again greeting a pissed of Seokjin on the other side, a covered plate in his hands.

He grinned nervously, already knowing he was going to receive an earful for skipping lunch time again.

But this time, it certainly wasn't his fault.

The brunette followed the fuming man inside his own room, stopping at the edge of the bed and fumbled with his fingers when he noticed the subtle glare thrown at him.

"I'm sorr-"

"Have you packed up yet?" The older cut him off, deciding to change the topic instead.

Taehyung hummed glancing at his small trekking bag that held all his belongings that technically weren't even his.

It was around 7 am in the morning when he and Jungkook returned to their hideout, the brunette successfully surviving through the series of mini heart attacks he used to get when the boss so much as glanced at him.

What happened back in the city, the violent explosion caused by an undecipherable petrol leak, which ended blowing up an entire building, completely rattled Taehyung out of his senses. But what was worse was the realization that the cause of that so called undecipherable petrol leak was sitting right beside him, casually driving them home.

The brunette had always known Jeon was crazy. A complete lunatic. But this? This was far right from the left field. Taehyung finally recognised the building he painted on as Stevie's coupe. The same place he'd tagged along with Jeon and his gang a few days back. He mildly remembered about the argument going on between the boss and the white man, and how pissed the former was getting on being rejected on the deal.

And this was how he paid them back.

If he didn't know before, now Taehyung definitely knew not to mess with the mob boss at any cost. Not if he wanted to lose his life blowing up like a ragdoll atleast.

But that's where the problem came in. Taehyung knew he was an idiot and a huge fuck up. He had a habit of fucking things up because of how nervous he got under pressure. Not to mention the number of times the ravenette got angry at him for doing or not doing something he was asked to. It scared Taehyung to the moon and back.

So the only option he could currently see was avoiding the devil of a man as far as he could. He knew it was going to be difficult considering the other's incomprehensible interest in him but it also shouldn't be that difficult, Taehyung concluded.

Jungkook was a busy man and he hardly saw him once a day and only for short periods of time. If Taehyung could manage avoiding him for those time frames, maybe Jungkook would eventually lose interest in him? As much as he heard about the mob boss from Seokjin, Jungkook sure did lose interest faster than a child with ADHD.
Sure some part of him would be a little disappointed from the lack of attention but he'd deal with it as long as he didn't end up dead in a ditch.

Afterall Taehyung did hope to return to his homeland someday. He couldn't die in a foreign place with no one to mourn him. That'd be just sad.

As soon as they returned, Jungkook summoned a gang meeting and informed everyone about their instantaneous reallocation to Los Angeles. Namjoon looked mad. Really mad. But didn't say much as he ordered the main boys to get ready to leave by afternoon. Taehyung, feeling more exhausted than he was, physically and mentally decided to take a power nap but ended up dozing off for the entire morning.

Luckily he had managed to stuff his temporary belongings into the small bag left behind at his door in time and had dressed himself in comfy travel clothes before dozing off again.

"Here's some toast. Eat up and come down within ten minutes. Don't be late Taehyung." Seokjin warned him before exiting the room. The brunette did as was instructed and quickly made to the parking, catching up with a jolly Hoseok who waved at him on his way.

Fortunately for Taehyung, the car that came to take them was a spacious 8 seater SUV instead of the crampy older one that had Taehyung adjusting everytime they went out. It was probably incidental but still the brunette couldn't help but feel as if that was done to include him into the group, more so because Jimin didn't give him the stinky eye this time he sat beside him and Hoseok on his other side.

Speaking of the short ravenette, he clearly wasn't as hostile as he was before but neither did he try to initiate a conversation or continue one for more than a few sentences with the brunette. But Taehyung was still satisfied. He was the type that wanted to be accepted if not loved by everyone.

The drive from Chicago to LA took them three days, the gang surprisingly passing through each security checkpoint on the way without much hassel. All they had to do was show Jungkook's ID as an estate owner in Los and the rest as his family or helpers, and they got the permit.

It amazed Taehyung how evil doers exactly knew their way out of things like this. How Jungkook skillfully dodged the eyes of every security camera that night and also how Seokjin even began chatting up a police officer on the supposed terror explosion in the apartment in Chicago as the police went through their car and luggage.

They found nothing, obviously because they were clean. The mafia didn't have to carry around their weapons. They already had new sets ready for them at their destination points. Taehyung realized that the police in America couldn't really pose as much danger to these gangsters as another enemy gang could, that being one of the biggest reasons for them to relocate. The remainder of Stevie's men were going to come after them.

The 8 seater SUV finally pulled into a residential quarter in uptown LA, stopping in front a medium sized house. Taehyung figured it was still in a better condition than the one in Chicago, but again not very flashy or eye catching. From the exterior it looked like a normal condo where a family or a group of friends would be ideally living, not a gang of mafia members hiding from their enemies.

From the interior it was smaller. Two floors, and four rooms. A kitchen and a living room, that was it. As soon as they stepped in, everyone shuffled into their rooms as if they'd already been allotted, Jungkook taking up the single room in the upper floor, while the rest stuck to the ground one.

Taehyung stood around in the living room, wondering where he should go. He wasn't alloted a room yet but he didn't feel like bothering anyone either. It was already night time and everyone looked exhausted. Should he sleep in the couch for the night then?

Pursing his lips, the brunette decided to see if anyone was awake and willing to help him out. He knew Namjoon and Seokjin were going to share a room like they always did, Yoongi and Hoseok already setting up their luggage in the one next to it... That leaves him with Jimin. And Jungkook.

Taehyung didn't even think twice before knocking at Jimin's door.

"What." The ravenette asked grumpily rubbing a fist over his eye.

"Ah, you see i-i wasn't alloted a room to stay in. And since you guys've brought me along... Can I share the room with you?" Taehyung asked hopefully, fingers clutching the strap of his trekking bag.

"No." Jimin replied, rolling his eyes as he slammed the door shut on Taehyung's face making him flinch.

So much for less hostility huh...

The brunette sighed walking back to the dim lit living room and placing his bag on the couch. Maybe he would ask Seokjin tomorrow.

"Taehyung?" The said boy paused and turned around sighing in relief when he spotted Seokjin emerging from his room, buttoning up his sleepwear.

"What are you doing here?" He asked confused. Taehyung frowned through his smile.

"You forgot to assign me a room hyung," the boy told him politely but the even more confused expression on the older's face, perplexed his own.

"Why would I assign you a room..." The older scratched his head, "Didn't Jungkook tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"That you're going to sleep with me kitty."

Taehyung froze on his place, face slightly paling when he heard the dreadful voice from behind him.

He slowly turned to look at the tatted boss, who was leaning against the wall near the staircase, his arms crossed, a subtle challenging glint in his eyes.

"Yeah, that." Seokjin confirmed smiling when Taehyung whipped his head to look at him with wide alarmed eyes.

No, no , no ! This can't be happening!!

"Since this condo doesn't have a lot of space room wise, Jungkook offered to share his with you. It's never happened before actually because he's as choosy and adamant as Jimin if not more but guess you're lucky Taehyungie," the older said cheerfully ruffling the boy's fluffy brown hair.

Yeah, absolutely very lucky to be sharing a room with blast master of the century--

"Alright enough with the talks, I'm tired. " Jungkook announced walking upto Taehyung and grabbing his frail hand, "Let's go get some rest shall we kitty?"

Taehyung gulped down the nervousness building in his throat, his stomach feeling queasy as he looked down at the boss's hard grip on his wrist. He smiled painfully as the older left them alone with a goodnight before he was being pulled upstairs, his bag already in Jungkook's custody.

The tatted ravenette dumped Taehyung's bag next to his in the closet and stretched himself out, cracking his neck and fingers while Taehyung checked the room out.

The room was surely more spacious than that of the others but didn't have much furniture save for a rocking chair near the small balcony on one end, and one double bed right at the middle. It was different from the seperate single beds he'd spotted in Hoseok and Yoongi's room but he saw it coming anyway.

"Will you keep standing there or..."

The brunette finally moved, turning his head around to look for the washroom to which ravenette raised a chin at. He moved at a slugs pace, trying to take as much as time as possible to think about what was going to happen if he shared a room with the mad boss. What was he going to do? So much for trying to avoid him... Ughgghgh.

Once Taehyung was done and changed into his comfy sleepwear, he stepped out reluctantly looking over at the boss who was smoking near the window.
Jungkook turned to look at him and smiled, snubbing his cig on the railing.

"Had fun that night didn't we?" He asked him, taking a few steps towards the bed.

Taehyung tried to nod but his anxiety that he tried to cover oh so badly, spilled out from his face in the form of cold sweat droplets.

Jungkook chuckled plopping down on the bed.

"Mm, I knew you'd have fun too. Especially the part with the fireworks. I wish I could've been there to see Stevie's face blow up like a squelched tomato," he grinned slapping his forehead at his own joke. Taehyung considered jumping out of the balcony down to his own death or crippling.

The boss stopped laughing, raking a hand through his hair as he stood up and made his way towards Taehyung, the latter trying his hardest to stand still.

"Ah, cat..." Jungkook's lips tugged up as he raised his hand and tucked a strand of Taehyung's longer hair behind his ear, his cold fingers teasing his skin.

"You did such a good job... I've yet to reward you for it," he then said, his voice cool and calm as if he was talking to a child from kindergarten but for Taehyung it felt like speaking with the reaper himself.

Taehyung's eyes followed the movements of the other's hand that now gently played with his hair behind his ear, leaving behind a burning sensation wherever he touched. His heartbeat raced against time, knees feeling like giving up any moment. But he held himself up, he had to be stronger than this. He had to be--

"But for now let's get some sleep." Jungkook withdrew his hand from his hair and stepped back, turning towards the bed, "You must be exhausted."

Taehyung let out the breath he was holding, his heart beat reducing a notch lower. He stood still watching the mafia boss slip inside the covers and switch off the lamp, turning to face away from his side.

He didn't know what tomorrow held for him, where his crazy fate would take him. But for now he was grateful he'd come so far and was still alive somehow. As time passed, that in itself appeared to be a big feat to him.

______________

( Surprise in the next chapter? Maybe?)