You knew you'd have to face the consequences, but you didn't think it'd be like this.

You sit in front of Taemin, the man seething and pacing back and forth. "So... you're telling me... this whole time you've been dating a fellow Hunter who happens to be a half-breed?!" he asks in disbelief. 

"I'm sorry, sir. I didn't mean to lie to you, but I didn't want him to become a government experiment like me. I did it to protect him." 

"I get it, Y/N. I'm not mad at you, I'm just fucking amazed! The half-breed meant to save the world is here right in front of us. The whole time." Taemin runs a hand through his hair and gazes down at you. "Are there any others?" 

Shit. As soon as you got back from Japan, the others begged you not to tell him about them. You can't betray their trust like that. 

"Not that I'm aware of. But if Jungkook's one, it's possible there are others out there. However, I'd be more convinced that he's the last since he's the half-breed. Honestly, it might be a fluke that I'm alive. Maybe he was supposed to be the only one left, not me," you explain. Surprisingly, he believes your answer.

He sits down and folds his hands together on his desk. "Has he told you anything about any others?"

You shake him off with your hand. "There were others, sure, but they died like the rest. Slowly but surely. He's been through a lot. I'd like it if we don't put him through any more." 

Taemin sighs. "Yeah. I'd like that too, but you know they won't take kindly to this." 

They. The government. The biggest they there is. Every country wants a jab at Jungkook now. Your injured, half-dead boyfriend. But of course he wouldn't get a say in this. Why would he? It's only his life.

"I'll protect him with my life," you say, not showing any signs of backing down. 

Taemin chuckles and pats the air with his hand. It's almost like with one gesture, he's trying to reassure you everything will be okay. 

"I can't guarantee his safety, but I can guarantee that I'll put in a strong word on his behalf. He's injured. He got injured fighting a damn class 5. That boy almost sacrificed himself to protect the people. If it were up to me, I'd let him do whatever the fuck he wants." 

You almost smile. Almost.

"I appreciate that, sir," you murmur, your eyes naturally falling to the mahogany of his desk. 

The squishy chairs help a little bit. They'll never be able to ease the agony your heart feels more and more with every beat. You might not admit it out loud, but you miss him. Yes, the badass warrior, last surviving Hunter for years, misses a boy she met not too long ago. Long enough that she formed a strong bond, but not so long that they should be getting married anytime soon. 

It's a lot to process. Even more to process when for years, you've been lied to. Funny how trauma works, huh? When adrenaline is high, you don't even feel it. Now that you're at the lowest parts of your life, you feel it in full.

With an almost painful expression, you meet Taemin's eyes. He sits back in his chair, motioning for you to speak. 

"We were children," you whisper, not hiding the cracks in your voice. "Children forced to fight demons for the rest of our lives because something came out and slaughtered our families. But no, we didn't get a chance to grieve or mourn. I became a science experiment and Jungkook went to hide since otherwise he'd end up like me." Your nails dig into the palms of your hands as you let yourself cry in front of your superior. "I was just a kid," you repeat in a whimper, shaking your head.

Taemin absorbs your words before shortly nodding. He leans down and opens his bottom cabinet with his key, taking out a small bottle of what you only assume is liquor. You haven't had it in years. Why would you? The adrenaline Hunter powers give you are better than whatever drunk makes you feel. Regardless, for the first time in a long time, you feel the need to devour it. Even though it's not your place, you want to ask for some. Maybe even beg.

The bottle clinks against the desk as he sets it down, and he pulls out two glasses with it. Wordlessly, he pours enough for the two of you, sliding a glass over to you. You eye him, but he still doesn't speak before raising the glass to his lips. You mimic his actions. 

"To the lives lost," he whispers, "and especially to the childhoods taken away." 

And then, you drink.

The burn doesn't hurt as badly as you thought it would. Whether that be from being older now or from the physical pain you've endured, you're not sure. It doesn't matter. 

When your glass hits the mahogany, he dryly chuckles and pours himself another. "You know... I never had a childhood either." At your raised brows, he chuckles once more. "My parents forced me into politics. They were big-shot lawyers, trying to get elected into a high position one day. I was never a kid. It was nothing compared to what you went through, but if it eases your pain for even a second, I want you to know I understand. Not fully—hell, not even partly—but I understand a fraction of what you went through." 

He lets out a breath, then adds. "And for that, I'm sorry." 

You stare at him, blinking slowly. He stares back and keeps his mouth shut. 

Without even opening your mouth, you reach forward and grab the bottle, pouring yourself another glass.

~~~

Griffin stares down at Jungkook's unmoving body with a frown planted on his lips. Apollo and Jayden are bickering in the background, Jin and Val hugging, Jimin and Raven kissing and staying close in the corner of the room. But he ignores it all. The only one he pays attention to is the man beneath him, resting, his eyes screwed shut. 

There's a rag on Jungkook's head. He got an infection from his wound, only making it worse. Hunter powers or not, he's still out for several days if not weeks. The thought makes Griffin's frown deepen.

Apollo huffs and blows a strand of his blond locks out of his face, Jayden watching with a look of disinterest as the older man backs away. Griffin's piercing blue eyes find theirs and gives them a warning look. Right away, Apollo softens his gaze and sighs, quietly and calmly talking to the man in front of him. Griffin almost snorts. He can't tell if those two are in love or the closest friends he's ever seen. Either way, it makes for an interesting dynamic.

His wandering eyes fall back onto Jungkook's sweating, pale form. Out of instinct, Griff leans forward and uses the towel on his nightstand to dab some of the sweat away. Jungkook may be unconscious, but getting rid of sweat is never a bad thing. Poor man almost lost his life. He's still fighting to hang on. The antibiotics they have can only do so much, Jungkook's body has to fight too.

This is really where the group has been all day. Tae, Namjoon, Hoseok, and Yoongi are out making plans and doing patrols, probably wondering where the hell Y/N is. Other than that, the rest have been piled in the infirmary. 

To Griffin's surprise, Valentina steps over to him and plops down in the stool next to him. 

"Finally took your eyes off Jin?" he jokes. He knows there's no humor in his tone, but neither of them comment on it.

"Maybe I'll take my eyes off Jin when you take your eyes off Jungkook," she says, a heavy weight hiding inside her tone. 

Strange. He's lived with her for years but is just now noticing she has a slight accent. Whether it be English or Australian, he's not sure. Such a trivial detail, but it matters to him. It'll always matter to him.

Val's similar to Griff, even if she won't admit it. She's the medic, after all. She's legally required to care about everyone and pay attention to all the details.

"You should take a break, old man," she says, patting him on the shoulder. 

He meets her eyes and studies the brown shade that stares back at him. Griffin's never saw any of the girls here as anything other than family, but he has to admit Val's beautiful. She has a deep gaze that can make anyone fall in love. Griffin finds himself smiling a sheepish smile, one that hopefully radiates how concerned he is.

"So should you," he whispers in a delicate tone.

She sits back on the stool, her hand dropping from his side as a sigh escapes her throat. "I'll take a break when I know he's okay," she mumbles in response.

"Now you know how I feel."

Their eyes lock one more time, a nod of respect gesturing between the two. Then, their moment of peace is interrupted. Y/N L/N comes bumbling inside the room, rage in her eyes.

"Those sons of bitches hurt my Koo," she says in a huff, marching over to his bedside. 

Oh lord. Griffin doesn't need high intelligence to know she's drunk. Half of him wants to cry, the other half wants to laugh. It's an amazing duality that pulls back and forth at his brain. What's he supposed to do in this situation? None of the group seems sure as to how to react. Meanwhile, Y/N's slurring out words and stroking Jungkook's locks, repeating 'I love you' over and over again. So she's an interesting drunk. Nice to know.

Griffin goes over to her and places a gentle hand on her shoulder. She jolts at the contact, then relaxes when she sees it's him. 

"Hey big bro," she says. His entire body goes stiff at that. She giggles at his reaction and pokes his cheek. "Why so serious? You'll get frown lines." 

Oh God. She acts and sounds just like his baby sister. The one he loved more than anything. 

His free hand instinctively goes for the locket hiding underneath his shirt, but he stops himself last second. Y/N's more important right now. Griffin loves his sister, but the fact of the matter is she's gone. Y/N isn't. If there's something he can do to keep it that way, he will. Without hesitation.

Y/N nearly falls over, slumping over the bed. Raven and Jimin glance at her in concern, frowns on their faces. 

"I'll take her back to her quarters," Griffin says, the others nodding their thanks. He shifts his attention to Y/N. "Come on, let's get you back."

She almost snores as she closes her eyes. So she's a stubborn drunk too, huh? He almost laughs. A badass warrior who's been through more pain than any of them here combined, yet she looks so cute and peaceful while trying to sleep. Griffin shakes his head and makes his decision: he carries her.

She's too tired to protest, if she even wants to. She rests her head on his chest while he wraps his arms around her. Griffin wants to speak to the others, but they're occupied with their own conversations. So, he departs the infirmary. 

Griffin takes the short trip and decides last minute not to go to her room. He goes to Jungkook's instead. As soon as they enter, her eyes flutter open, a groan passing her lips.

"Griff?" she asks. 

"It's okay, I'm just putting you to sleep," he replies without taking his eyes off Jungkook's bed. 

He feels her nod against his chest as he steps over, placing her down on the mattress. Jungkook's hoodie is on it, her hands instinctively grabbing it and pulling it up against her chest. She sniffs it and sighs. 

"Smells so good," she mumbles, nuzzling up in it. 

He can't tell if she's drunk, overly-tired, or a mix of both.

He adjusts the hoodie so she's holding it closer to her chest. Then, he pulls the covers over her and tucks her in, fluffing the pillows and guiding her head to rest on it. She mumbles something, Griffin's ears perking up to make out what she said. 

"What's that?"

"Thank you," she mutters loudly enough for him to hear. 

He brushes some hair out of her face and nods. "Anything for my baby sis." 

Her smile reaches her closed eyes, his heart fluttering with joy seeing her happy. She deserves it. He only hopes her source of happiness wakes up soon.

She keeps her eyes shut, her breathing slowing down. Looks like it's time to sleep. Maybe he should do the same—he's been sitting next to Jungkook all day, after all. 

He shuts off the lamp and strolls over to the door, opening it; however, he's interrupted by a small groan.

"Griff," she groggily says without opening her eyes. He steps out, only turning back to glance at her as the light of the corridor envelopes him in brightness. 

"Yeah?"

"Goodnight," she says. 

A smile blesses his lips. 

"Goodnight, kiddo. Sleep well."