Warning: Brief mention of implied almost attempted non-con? Not between jjp. 

~~

2:33AM, the entry to a particularly abandoned looking alleyway. The streets were still damp from the rain showers earlier in the night, but already, the moon was starting to peek through, casting shadows on the pavement from the surrounding buildings.

They were still technically in the city, but close enough to the outskirts that this time of night was especially peaceful in these neighborhoods, lacking the neon strobe lights and perpetual hum of music that filtered out of windows and into the streets in the inner city. No one stood at the corner smoking or chatting away drunkenly with friends, or more likely, strangers. No glinty eyed men stalked the streets, making strange hand signals at each other and no scantily clad girls (or boys, they were quite common too) sauntered outside of pubs, making eyes at the passerbys.

In other words, they’d chosen the perfect location.

Despite the roads being nearly abandoned, it had only taken a patient twenty minutes before they spotted their ideal target.

A sudden screech of tires, a dull thud. The headlights of the car were momentarily blinding and Jaebum had to squint in order to make out the crumpled figure on the pavement, his heart thudding as the adrenaline in his bloodstream increased. The adrenaline was a good thing, because heightened senses and faster reflexes were always welcome. But there was still another nervous knot curling in his stomach, unease stemming not from apprehension but from worry.

Not matter how many times they did this, Jaebum still couldn’t quite manage to brush off the concern of “what-if.” If anything, as time had gone on this phenomenon had worsened, but that was a matter to be tackled a different time, if ever.

And then, the bright headlights were no more as the loud engine of the car spluttered out to silence. A man emerged from the driver’s  side, panicky and fearful as he approached the person he’d apparently hit.

“Oh my god oh my god are you okay?”

With the man’s attention completely focused on his victim, Jaebum knew it was his time to act. Creeping out from his hiding spot, it was almost too easy as he silently slipped into the car from the door that had been left wide open in haste. As he peeked out over the dashboard, he caught a glimpse of that familiar wide-eyed face. Pale, pupils dilated, and expression dazed, he was the perfect image of an innocent child, confused by his surroundings and situation as he slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position, wincing delicately as he brought a hand up to his head, eyes screwed shut in what appeared to be pain.

Jaebum almost snorted; the first time, he’d fallen for Jinyoung’s act as well. Now, he knew better.

What Jaebum would never admit, however, was that quick glance also brought the only reassurance that could loosen the knot in his stomach.

Turning his attention back to the task at hand, Jaebum quickly began rummaging through the center console, the glove compartment, and the bags scattered around in the backseat. Throwing everything of value into his own backpack, Jaebum then peered into the trunk of the car, face splitting into a wide grin.

Bingo.

Two minutes later, Jaebum had slipped out the car, backing away into the shadows and out of sight.

It was ten minutes later that Jinyoung finally managed to get away as well, cash clenched in hand while a second wallet and phone now occupied his back pocket. It was always rather tricky, the manipulation piece; everyone reacted differently, and it had taken a while for him to perfect the art of gauging each individual by a single glance and then choosing how to act within seconds.

There was a balance; Jinyoung knew he needed to appear injured enough to be able to demand compensation, but not so injured so that those rare, overly kind-hearted people would insist on taking him to the hospital themselves.

Thankfully, the man tonight had clearly been more nervous that Jinyoung would call the police, and had barely protested when Jinyoung asked for a small sum to go to the hospital on his own. His panicky state had only made it all too easy for Jinyoung to swipe his phone and wallet right out of his back pocket.

As soon as the the tail lights of the car disappeared into the distance, Jaebum stepped out from the shadows, greeted by a grinning face that mirrored his own.

“He had a laptop,” Was Jaebum’s first words, and Jinyoung pumped a victorious fist into the air. That, they could sell off second hand for at least a couple hundred.

“He also had over two hundred in cash,” Jinyoung added, fishing out the wallet from his back pocket and dangling it in front of Jaebum’s face. “We really hit the jackpot tonight, I was starting to think people only carried cards these days.”

Credit and debit cards were great in theory, but they weren’t stupid; attempting to use either would almost assuredly result in an investigation for their location. Besides, they were petty thieves, not cruel or heartless. They’d established long ago that cash and hard goods were the way to go.

“Ramen tonight, or something more special to celebrate?” Jaebum asked, slinging an arm around Jinyoung’s neck to shake him playfully. When Jinyoung winced slightly, however, but Jaebum immediately let go, alarmed. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, nothing!” Jinyoung was quick to deny, rolling his eyes at how serious Jaebum had instantly become. “I said nothing’s wrong, don’t look at me like that!”

Jaebum only squinted at him suspiciously, but under the faintest light of the moon filtering through the clouds, the only thing he could make out in the darkness was the earnest shine to Jinyoung’s eyes and the slight upward curve of mouth.

“We’re going home first, then,” Jaebum finally said decisively, wrapping his arm around Jinyoung’s shoulders again as he began to lead him away. Although this time, his motions were deliberately more gentle.

“But I wanted ramen…” Jinyoung mumbled under his breath. Jaebum shot him a dark look, eyes narrowed warningly.

“All the restaurants and stores are closed now, anyways.” Jaebum said dismissively.

Jinyoung sighed, disappointed, but didn’t protest further.

~~

As it turned out, Jaebum’s suspicions weren’t unfounded.

“Yah Park Jinyoung, I thought I told you not to overdo it!”

Even under the dim light of their shabby rented apartment, it was all too apparent Jinyoung was far from completely unscathed. The outside of both his right leg and arm were bloody messes, bits of gravel still embedded in his flesh. Under Jaebum’s withering stare Jinyoung also reluctantly stripped his shirt off, revealing an already purpling bruise coloring the expanse of his hip.

Suddenly remembering the pained look on Jinyoung’s face when he’d touched his head, Jaebum immediately stepped forward to hold Jinyoung’s head in place, cupping his cheeks firmly as he peered into his eyes, checking his pupils for dilation or any other signs of head trauma.

“No no no I’m fine, really, I’m fine, I swear I’m not concussed!” Jinyoung tried to reassure him. “That was just acting, I promise!”

Jaebum only ignored these protests, taking his time to assess Jinyoung’s condition for himself. When careful fingers began to run through his hair and skim across his scalp, Jinyoung sighed, finally resigning himself to his fate and allowing Jaebum to examine to his heart’s content.

Finding no bumps or broken skin and noticing no sign of pain, Jaebum finally backed up reluctantly, sufficiently satisfied that Jinyoung indeed had not hit his head.

“See, told you I’m fine,” Jinyoung placated, voice softening at the way Jaebum’s shoulders had sagged visibly with relief.

Jaebum humphed, still disgruntled as he walked away, only to return moments later with the first aid kit. Shoving Jinyoung to sit down in a chair, Jaebum situated himself on the floor by Jinyoung’s leg, rolling up his sleeves.

“I knew I shouldn’t have agreed to this, we’re never pulling this trick again,” Jaebum grumbled, displeasure rolling off of him in waves as he began dabbing Jinyoung’s scrapes with rubbing alcohol. His movements were gentle, though, and Jinyoung couldn’t help but smile at the sight of Jaebum looking so concentrated, eyes narrowed into slits even smaller than usual and his brow doubly furrowed.

“Hey, don’t make this all about me. As if I’m the one who takes the most risks, these are just scrapes. You--”

“I don’t care,” Jaebum cut Jinyoung off, glaring up at him through his messy bangs. “You’re never getting hit by a car again.”

Jinyoung wasn’t quite able to hold back his laugh; despite Jaebum’s words being completely serious, taken out of context, one could only find this situation to ludicrous.

“What? I’m being serious here!” Jaebum chose this time to mercilessly pluck out a pebble from Jinyoung’s leg, causing him to hiss at the sudden sting.

“Okay, okay, okay,” Jinyoung quickly conceded, petulant as he smacked Jaebum on the shoulder. “But only if you promise to stop roof jumping!”

“That’s something completely different!” Jaebum was immediately on the defensive.

“Yeah, sure, it’s different… in that you broke three ing bones different! And you’re getting upset with me about scrapes?!”

“Fractured! I fractured three bones, there’s a difference!”

~~

The incident where Jaebum broke, or rather, “fractured,” three bones was something they could both joke about now, but then, they’d nearly lost everything.

~~

+

“Aw .”

The loud curse reverberated all too clearly through the thin walls, jerking Jinyoung out of his light doze. With a soft sigh, he rose from where he'd been curled up on the couch, tugging the heavy blanket he had around his shoulders even more tightly around himself.

“Jaebum? What are you doing up?”

There was a worried sort of exasperated to Jinyoung’s words; Jaebum had somehow managed to get himself sick with strep throat a few days ago (at least, they thought it was strep, after looking up symptoms with the free wifi of the coffee shop next door), and had been running a low fever for a couple of days now. It wasn't anything serious, it was more annoying than anything else, so at this point all Jinyoung really wanted was for Jaebum to recover so he could sleep in a proper bed again.

It had been a mutual decision; Jaebum had refused to share a bed with Jinyoung while sick for fear of transmitting his illness, and Jinyoung refused to make an ill person take the couch. So, Jinyoung had been spending his last few nights on that scratchy old piece of furniture in their cold as living room.

“Hey, get your sick back to bed,” Jinyoung said as he turned the corner, stopping outside the bedroom door. Jaebum was standing in the hallway, facing the wall next to the door, and even from a few feet away Jinyoung could hear Jaebum's angry mutterings under his breath.

“Yah, did you hear me?” Jinyoung was starting to get irritated himself, toes curling in his socks that did absolutely nothing to protect him from the freezing tile floor. As he moved closer, however, he realized that Jaebum was fiddling with the thermostat on the wall. “What's wrong?”

“I think our heating got cut…” Jaebum finally turned to Jinyoung with a sigh, shoulders sagging in defeat. “Our bill for this month was due last week…”

“…” Jinyoung bit his lip, a shiver running through his body as a corner of his blanket slipped off his shoulder. He pulled it back up absentmindedly, taking in Jaebum’s pale countenance with concern.

“No wonder it’s been so cold...Either way, let’s get you back to bed. You’ve just started to take a turn for the better, and we really need to get some cash soon.”

Jaebum sighed heavily again, but put up no resistance to Jinyoung’s gentle push towards their bed. He himself was beginning to shiver as well, despite being clothed in his warmest sweats.

“Hey, you’re not looking so good either…” Jaebum finally voiced once he was securely cocooned under the covers. When Jinyoung gave him a wan smile as an attempt at reassurance, Jaebum only frowned, reaching out to clamp a hand onto Jinyoung wrist.

“Seriously. You better not be getting sick too, after all the precautions we’ve been taking. Your immune system even worse than mine, and like you said, we need to get some money soon…” Jaebum trailed off, his eyes still fixed on the heavy dark circles under Jinyoung’s eyes. “You know, I don’t think I’m contagious anymore, and you know the whole thing about sharing body heat…”

This managed to get Jinyoung to crack a smile, and before he knew it, he’d been forcibly pulled under the covers and into a strong, but oh-so-warm hold.

All protests immediately died on Jinyoung’s lips, a satisfied moan escaping instead. Resigned to the situation, Jinyoung slipped one of his legs between Jaebum’s, cuddling in close and closing his eyes.

+

Jaebum should’ve known better than to give in to his momentary weakness. Sleeping together did allow them to stay warm, but by morning it happened to be more than just a little too warm.

Jaebum woke to an armful of a very feverish Jinyoung.

“.”

Jinyoung was still asleep but his rest was fitful, his lips chapped and breaths shallow. Jaebum immediately reached for the thermometer on the bedside table, something he’d been using routinely in the past few days.

Fortunately, Jinyoung’s fever wasn’t too high, but there was no question that he was in no condition to leave the house. Which was a pretty big problem, given that they really really needed to pull together some money, somehow, to pay their bills. And food. And by the looks of it, medicine too.

To top it all all Jaebum still felt pretty crappy himself, a dull ache settled behind his temples and his throat still dry and sore.

Jaebum slowly sat up, easing his arm out from under Jinyoung’s head as gently as he could so as to not wake him. He shivered the moment he slipped out from under the covers, though, coughing wetly.

Sensing the loss of warmth, Jinyoung also shifted, a quiet whine leaving his lips as he to his side, eyelashes fluttering as they struggled to open.

“Shhhh,” Jaebum immediately soothed, voice scratchy as he reached out to smooth out Jinyoung’s sweaty bangs. But Jinyoung was already awakening, eyes opening blearily as he tried to focus on Jaebum’s face above him.

“. I’m sick, aren’t I?” Jinyoung’s words were slightly slurred and he leaned into Jaebum’s touch, relishing in the cool sensation of Jaebum’s palm against his hot skin.

“Yeah, you are,” Jaebum sighed, flipping his hand around to press the back of it against Jinyoung’s burning cheek. “Now what are we supposed to do? I’m sick, you’re sicker, we have no heat, and no cash. I think the fridge is nearly empty, too.”

Jaebum didn’t exactly mean to spill all his inner ramblings aloud, but such things happen when you weren’t in your right mind. In response, Jinyoung frowned, pushing himself up onto his elbows as he tried to force himself awake.

“I’m fine, we can, I don’t know, try staking out an ATM or something, we’ve been pretty frugal with utilities so if we get lucky we might be able to pick-pocket enough to--”

“No, you’re staying right here in bed,” Jaebum didn’t even let Jinyoung finish his sentence, pushing him back down firmly by the shoulders. “That’s probably our best bet right now though, I agree, but it doesn’t take two to pick pocket. I got this, I’ll go.”

“But--”

“I know, I know, but I’ll be careful, I promise,”

+

In the end, Jinyoung wasn’t able to put up much of a fight against Jaebum’s ultimatum of confining him to the indoors. And Jaebum was glad, because it was ing cold outside and he couldn’t even get his teeth to stop chattering.

After some minor internal struggle, Jaebum finally decided to go with the ATM plan. They usually tried to stay away from this particular tactic, what with the guilt that always followed them a good while after each time. It wasn’t hard to let their imaginations run wild, after all; what if they just stole from someone who’d really needed the money? What if, by some terrible of luck, they’d completely ruined someone’s life? Or career? Or relationship?

There was very little they could control when it came to pick pocketing; the best they could do was to gauge the appearance of their intended target, and hope they would be able to afford a bit of “charity.” But again, they never really knew exactly what they were getting until after the fact. More often than not they ended up with a lot less than they’d originally hoped for, but there were also a few memorable cases where the amount of money they’d come off with had made their stomachs churn with nausea.

But desperate times called for desperate measures, and Jaebum didn’t really have the luxury of time (or energy) to pull of one of their usual department store heists.  

When it came to large supercenters or malls, their guilt was nearly nonexistent. They knew these large corporations could more than afford these losses, and so when at all possible, they’d made them their target. But again, Jaebum didn’t have the time to deal with re-selling goods. He needed the money now.

It took a good three hours of waiting before Jaebum managed to zero in on the perfect target. A man, mid-thirties, and disgustingly well dressed. From top to bottom, everything was designer, and it wasn’t hard to deduce that he was someone from a high position simply from the way he carried himself.

Jaebum edged closer when he confirmed the man was indeed making a cash withdrawal, waiting for the exact perfect moment to pounce.

+

“Thief! Thief! Thief!”

Jaebum was running a constant internal monologue of profanities as he shoved his way through the crowds, blindly forging ahead and away from the frantic yells from somewhere behind him. Well, given how out of breath he already was, it wasn’t like he could’ve uttered anything out loud even if he wanted to.

Jaebum could’ve blamed it on bad luck, poor timing, or a number of other things, but regardless of cause that was just one of the most pathetic steals he’d ever made. His attempt to extract the money from the man’s coat pocket unnoticed had become an immediate failure due to his shaky hands and the shiver that had run through his body that very instant.

On the bright side, when the man had turned around to catch him right in the act, Jaebum had been able to complete his motion of swiping the envelope from that toasty warm pocket, and even got a solid two second head start before the man registered he was being robbed.

And that’s when the yelling started.

Throwing a haphazard look over his shoulder, Jaebum swore out loud this time; police must’ve been in the area already, because there were already two of them sprinting after him as well. That was just pure bad luck.

Legs pumping and lungs burning, Jaebum tried to get a grasp on his surroundings as he whipped past building after building. Making a quick snap decision, he ducked into an alleyway, hoping he wasn’t running himself into a dead end. After taking a second right though, luck was proved to not be on his side.

“ !” Jaebum skidded to a stop, ears straining in an attempt to place the distance between him and his pursuers.

There was no time to turn back.

the thick envelope in his pocket, Jaebum took a deep breath, and surveyed the tall walls surrounding him on three sides.

They were brick, not quite dilapidated but still rather worn looking buildings. Rushing over to one of them and trying the door, Jaebum kicked it angrily when it refused to budge. Turning his eyes upwards though, he noticed an open window.

Jaebum backed up, steeling himself, before rushing at the wall, jumping and then pushing off the brick surface with his legs at the last possible moment to propel himself upwards even more. His hands scrabbled for purchase, and he let out a sigh of relief when he managed to catch onto the sill of the window. It took him only a few more seconds to hoist himself up and inside, and just when he started to hope...

“He went up! There!” he heard just as he slammed the window shut.

“, just couldn’t be two seconds slower,” Jaebum muttered, already taking off. At this point, they surely would’ve called in back-up, and knowing that he was in a building, they’d probably be working on surrounding it before trying to confront him.

Meaning the only way he could go now, was upwards.

Jaebum was gasping for breath by the time he reached the roof, each inhale setting his lungs on fire. He slowly spun in a circle, scanning the surrounding buildings, trying to find an escape, any possible way out. The cold wind was making his eyes water, and he wiped at them furiously in an attempt to see clearly.

Stumbling over to the railing, Jaebum’s heart dropped.

The closest rooftop was far, much further than anything Jaebum would attempt to leap across on a good day, much less when he was already run down, exhausted, and sick.

Again, his fingers found their way to the envelope in his pocket. It was hefty, thick, and even slightly warm.

Jaebum closed his eyes, trying to calm his heartbeat even as yelling became audible from below.

It was now or never.

Jaebum reopened his eyes, backing up slightly.

He took a running start.

And leaped.

+

“Hey, Jinyoungie, if you had all the money in the world, what would you do with it?”

A shrug.

“Oh come on, what would you want most?”

“What’s the difference between all the money and enough money? I just want enough.”

“Enough to do what?”

“What do you think?”

“I asked you first.”

“Enough to live comfortably with you. And maybe travel. And to never have to steal again.”

“...that’s such a boring answer. Why so serious? Lightly, lightly remember?”

“Well what did you want me to say? A pet elephant?”

“Ahhh so now that’s your secret desire!”

A dull thump.

“That actually hurt!”

“.......”

“Okay, maybe not.”

“Pft. Okay then, what would you want?”

“....exactly what you said.”

“YAH IM JAEBUM YOU HYPOCRITE!”

+

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

The quiet beeping was the first thing that managed to infiltrate Jaebum’s consciousness, slowly but persistently piercing through the muddled darkness.

The next sensation to penetrate through the nothingness was the sharp scent of sterilized air.

So even before Jaebum managed to muster enough willpower to open his eyes, he knew exactly where he was.

.

When Jaebum finally managed to crack open one eye, the brightness from the white walls surrounding him immediately forced it shut again. But apparently, that small motion hadn’t escaped the attentive eye of the male sitting next to his bed.

“Im Jaebum, you’re a ing idiot, you know that?”

At this, Jaebum was forced to fully open his eyes to a very, very upset looking Jinyoung.

Oops.

“I’m...sorry?”

This sheepish apology only served to make Jinyoung more aggravated, and he leapt up out of his seat, ears flushing with anger, cheeks still burning with a fever that hadn’t yet cooled.

“You’re sorry? That’s it?! Do you know how terrifying it was for me when you called telling me you were on some rooftop with extremely vague directions, and then ing fainted on me?! And when I finally found the right rooftop, I find you crumpled on the ground unconscious and just-”

Jinyoung’s voice broke, eyes shining with what could only be tears. He swallowed, clearly trying to regain his composure.

Jaebum felt a lump grow in his own throat.

“I’m sorry, I really am, Jinyoungie.”

Jaebum wanted to reach out to touch him, to hold him, but with a single shift of his body he was wincing, brain finally seeming to register the fact that damn everything was sore as hell and Jinyoung was immediately back by his side.

“Don’t move you idiot!”

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” Jaebum quickly tried to placate the younger male, reaching out with the arm that didn’t hurt as much to grab onto his nervous, hovering hands.

Seeing that Jaebum wasn’t in too much pain, Jinyoung relaxed slightly. The anger was gone, and now he simply sank back into the chair, sighing. But he didn’t let go of Jaebum’s hand.

They sat there like that for a good couple of minutes, each trying to sort out his own thoughts.

“...How much...did it... cost?” Jaebum finally asked weakly, tentatively breaking the silence.

Jinyoung’s grip on his hand tightened to the point of being crushing.

“Everything you had in your pocket. And we still need to pay for your meds.”

“. Jinyoung, you should’ve just-”

“Should’ve just brought you home?! Are you seriously going to say that now?” Jinyoung cut him off almost immediately, his anger flaring up again, though perhaps it’d never actually completely dissipated. “Damn it, Jaebum, do you even know what you did to yourself?! You’re concussed, and you have three fractured bones. Three! You landed on your right side, so both of your right forearm bones and also your right leg, your tibia or whatever it’s called, are fractured. That’s going to take anywhere from a month and half to two months, if not longer, to heal. And you’re saying I shouldn’t have taken you to the hospital?!”

Jinyoung was breathing heavily by the end of his rant and Jaebum dropped his head, a feeling of helplessness welling up inside.

The tension in the room was crushing, the burden of their future weighing heavily on both of them.

They’d already been backed into a corner, but now, what did they even have left?

“Let’s just...let’s go home.”

+

Jaebum had a bad feeling the moment Jinyoung stepped outside their bedroom to make a phone call, which was unfortunately confirmed to be warranted when Jinyoung marched back in ten minutes later with a determined look on his face, making a beeline towards their closet.

When Jinyoung pulled out a pair of black, ripped, skin-tight jeans and a semi-sheer top, the first thing that ignited in Jaebum was fury, fiery hot anger that nearly made him lash out with thoughtless words because goddamn it they’d said never again, never ing again.

But as Jaebum was about to stand, ready to march over and shake some sense into the younger male, cold reality effectively doused those flames.

How could he forget? He couldn’t even get off the bed on his own right now because his entire right side was wrecked. They hadn’t even been able to afford crutches, not that Jaebum would’ve been able to use them anyways due to his fractured arm.

He had no one to blame but himself.

“Jinyoung, you’re not doing this,” Jaebum finally gritted out.

“We need money.” Jinyoung’s reply was brisk, matter-of-fact, and Jaebum clenched his fists in an attempt to sound just as calm, though he was doomed to fail regardless.

“Jinyoung, you are not doing this.”

“And how are you going to stop me?”

The dismissive tone with which the words were spoken usually would’ve infuriated Jaebum, but this time Jinyoung was right; Jaebum couldn’t stop him. He couldn’t do anything at all, not the way he was right now, immobile and completely useless.

A sense of helplessness began to take over, dread settling in his gut.

“Jinyoung, you can’t.” Jaebum forced himself to sound authoritative, despite his building panic.

“Hyung, I’m doing this.” Jinyoung responded just as forcefully, with no hesitation. By this point, he was completely dressed, and had settled in front of the mirror to style his hair.

This was enough to reignite the white hot anger in Jaebum.

“Park Jinyoung! Do you not remember what happened before? Why you ing quit in the first place?!”

“Hyung!”

Finally, his words seemed to have gotten to Jinyoung, who whipped around, eyeliner in hand, to glare back at him.

“Hyung, I’m not that kid anymore! You think I want to do this? We need money, a lot of it, and fast. I know what I’m doing!”

“This isn’t the only way! It’s not safe!”

“Then what? Huh? What other better ideas do you have? Go rob an ATM? And would getting arrested or jumping off a roof be safer?”

Jaebum’s jaw snapped shut, finding himself at a loss for words because where was the lie? Everything Jinyoung had said rang true. Too true. And Jaebum had no alternatives to offer up.

Perhaps that was why it hurt so much.

With their heated argument suddenly brought to a standstill, Jinyoung finally checked himself, a hint of regret in his expression at losing his composure. He took a shaky breath, eyes fluttering shut briefly to recompose himself.

When they reopened, they were lit by a newfound determination.

“Hyung, I know you’re worried. But I can do this, I’m not that sixteen year old kid anymore. I can take care of myself, and honestly, being an isn’t all that bad. Besides, did you think I was just going to rely on people tipping well?”

Jinyoung smirked slightly, eyes flashing with something dangerous that was gone again in the blink of an eye.

Jaebum, inexplicably, felt slightly less anxious.

But only barely.

+

Jinyoung’s lips curled slightly in disgust as he stepped into the club, fists clenching reflexively as he was hit with the familiar barrage of noise and musky scents. He inclined his head slightly towards the manager by the door, receiving a knowing smirk and a quick squeeze of the back of his neck as he walked past. Jinyoung forced himself to maintain a neutral expression, but his insides were curling.

Shooting a convincing smile at the bartender, Jinyoung made his way to the corner of the club, out of the way of all the flashing lights and grinding bodies. There, he descended down a rickety flight of stairs, carefully sidestepping all the pairs of bodies stumbling around, too caught up in groping each other to pay attention to their surroundings.

The lower level was slightly less chaotic and supposedly more sensual, the music playing less harsh on the ears. Couches were littered across the space, and overall dim lighting replaced the spastic strobe lights.

Jinyoung immediately made his way to a corner, tucking himself away in the shadows to observe.

He hadn’t just been bluffing, when he said he wasn’t that kid anymore and that he could take care of himself. Jinyoung wasn’t going to passively wait for someone to choose him, and he sure as hell wouldn’t let himself be backed into a corner like before.

No, Jinyoung was going to choose his own target.

+

Jaebum was about to go out of his mind with restlessness and worry. The clock read 2:47AM, meaning he’d been confined to the bed with only his overactive thoughts for nearly 4 hours.

Jinyoung had wished him good night before departing, but they'd both known Jaebum wouldn't be getting a wink of sleep until Jinyoung arrived back home, whole and safe.

Rationally, Jaebum knew Jinyoung was right. He wasn’t that helpless kid anymore. For better or for worse, their desperate way of survival had forced them both to pick up the necessary skills to maintain their current lifestyle.

And yet, he couldn't help but to think back to that one night. How despite being constantly vigilant, just one singular moment of inattention had allowed someone to discreetly slip a pill into Jinyoung’s drink.

Jaebum had managed to get there in time, tipped off by the a concerned bartender who knew Jinyoung didn't provide those types of “services.” It was after that incident that they’d both decided never again.

And yet here they were.

Jaebum shivered, anxiety making each and every second feel like agony.

Worst of all, he couldn’t move, couldn’t even get up and pace to rid himself of some of the tension.

But then again, if he wasn’t injured they wouldn’t be in this situation in the first place.

Jaebum almost jumped out of his skin when he heard the front door open, but relief was immediate to follow. It swept through him like a wave, leaving him feeling washed up and drained.

“Hyung?”

Jinyoung’s voice was quiet, tentative as he stepped into the bedroom, unsure if Jaebum was still awake. An exasperated yet resigned smile appeared when he saw Jaebum had indeed stayed up waiting, and in two steps he was by the bed.

Jinyoung looked exhausted, eyes slightly bloodshot and feet dragging slightly. But he was completely in control of himself, and a spark of triumph shone in his eyes.

Jinyoung sat down on top of the covers, waiting patiently for Jaebum’s eyes to finish assessing him. Finding that Jinyoung was indeed in one complete piece and undamaged, Jaebum’s anxiety finally settled completely.

The next second, Jinyoung was squeezing him into a tight hug, arms wrapping around his midsection tightly as he buried his face into his neck, a light breathy laugh escaping and tickling Jaebum under his chin. Jaebum’s arms came up naturally to reciprocate the gesture, even the injured one, and he inhaled deeply, simply absorbing the warmth and solidness he now held in his arms.

They simply sat in a still embrace for a while, breathing and heart beats syncing up with each other.

Finally, Jaebum slowly pulled away. Jinyoung clung on stubbornly for a few moments longer, but eventually let go as well.

“So?” Jaebum finally asked as Jinyoung sat smugly in front of him. It was obvious he was trying to appear stoic, but Jaebum knew him too well; the younger was practically vibrating in excitement.

Jinyoung didn’t say anything in response, but rather, reached inside his jacket pocket and pulled up a large wad of bills.

Jaebum only sat there and gaped in stunned silence.

+

In the end, they managed to pay all their bills, get pain meds for Jaebum, and then some.

After getting over his initial shock, however, Jaebum had immediately become concerned at how Jinyoung had managed to pull it off.

Turns out, Jinyoung had simply gotten the richest looking guy he could find absolutely hammered, then on the way to the man’s house, half-seduced, half-sweet talked (okay fine he just completely manipulated) him into handing over his card and digits for a “small tip.” They stopped at an ATM, Jinyoung withdrew the maximum amount the account allowed, and by the time they got to the man’s penthouse, the dude was totally passed out.

Jinyoung had paid the taxi driver to get the man inside, and then proceeded on his merry way home.

When Jaebum still seemed anxious, Jinyoung also relayed the bank account’s total balance that he managed to glimpse, and Jaebum’s worries immediately disappeared. The amount Jinyoung had withdrawn, as impressive as it was to them, was probably just a rounding error for the other man.

Regardless, he still forbade Jinyoung from doing it ever again.

+

~~

When Jinyoung stepped out from the bathroom, freshly showered and hair still dripping with a towel slung uselessly over his shoulder, Jaebum was sitting cross-legged on top of the bed, hunched over their laptop. His brow was furrowed and a corner of his lip was curled upwards in such utter contempt, Jinyoung almost laughed out loud.

“Wifi signal being sketchy today?” Jinyoung asked as he made his way over to the bed, flopping down beside Jaebum on his stomach. Jaebum hmph-ed in response, not looking up from the keyboard he was currently attacking rather aggressively.

Taking that to be a yes, Jinyoung shook his head slightly, scattering droplets of water from his hair all over the bed, Jaebum, as well as the computer screen.

“Hey, you--” Jaebum snapped with annoyance, but he quickly broke off upon making eye contact with the younger beside him, expression morphing from one of annoyance to one of fond exasperation instead.

“What did I say about drying your hair?” Jaebum tried to sound scolding, he really did, but it was clear he didn’t quite succeed by the way Jinyoung simply beamed up at him before promptly dropping his head in Jaebum’s lap.

“Hey! You’re going to make it look like I wet myself!” Jaebum half-heartedly tried to shove Jinyoung off, before resigning himself to his usual task of drying Jinyoung’s hair himself. He yanked the towel out from under Jinyoung’s shoulder, plopping it over the wet strands.“You know, for someone who’s always nagging others to take better care of themselves, you do a pretty bad job of doing it yourself.”

“I could say the exact same thing to you.” Jinyoung’s voice came out slightly muffled, what with being facedown in Jaebum’s lap and all. “If the wifi’s crappy just give it up for tonight, it’s an ungodly hour so you probably won’t be able to get in touch with our usual buyers right now anyways.”

“Don’t change the subject,” Jaebum rubbed his knuckles over Jinyoung’s scalp roughly, earning a yelp and a slap on the stomach. But a few moments later, he conceded anyways, shutting the laptop and putting it aside.

“Okay, okay, good enough,” Jinyoung finally pushed Jaebum’s hands away after a few more minutes, sitting up and combing through his hair with a couple of fingers. Jaebum squinted at him, judging, but after deeming his hair to be of a satisfactory level of dryness, allowed Jinyoung to take the towel out of his hands. Jinyoung tossed it over towards their laundry basket, cheering when he successfully made it in, and then promptly started to arrange their blankets.

“I meant what I said earlier, by the way. Let’s cut down on our more risky tactics from now on.” Jaebum said seriously as he watched Jinyoung reposition their pillows. “It’s not worth it.”

Jinyoung paused in his movements, looking over at Jaebum thoughtfully. He nodded once, before pulling open the covers and sliding in underneath, tugging at Jaebum to join him.

“Hey, I’m being serious here!” Jaebum refused to budge until Jinyoung responded.

“I know,” Jinyoung finally said softly, before pulling on Jaebum’s sleeve insistently once more. Seeing an uncertainty in Jinyoung’s eyes and sensing he had more to say, Jaebum finally gave in, letting himself be pulled down and under the blankets. They both rolled over onto their sides, curled in so they were face to face.

They were close, so close they could probably count each individual eyelash on the other’s face.

“So?”

It was a loaded question, and it took a few seconds for Jinyoung to respond, especially under the weight of Jaebum’s gaze.

“I was just...thinking. I agree, you know. I know you don’t like seeing me hurt, and I don’t like seeing you hurt, either. And I think neither of us want a repeat of that time. But, at the same time, I mean....”

“Our past attempts to straighten out have been pretty pathetic,” Jaebum finished wryly, earning a dry laugh from Jinyoung.

“To put it lightly, yeah.”

It was true. They’d tried before, multiple times. But even high school and college graduates had trouble getting jobs these days, not to mention two barely literate “street rats” with no proof of an education to speak of. They didn’t even have official papers, which made things infinitely more difficult.

The only businesses that were ever willing to hire them were pretty shady, and of course, never paid or treated them well. So was it really unexpected that time after time they’d turned back to these “dirty” and “immoral” ways?

It was all they’d ever known, after all. Abandoned on the streets, abandoned by society- could they really be blamed for turning their backs on the system altogether? When then, at least, they could usually afford a roof over their heads, clothing, food, and warmth?

The only thing they’d ever been gifted with by the world was each other.

“But, how long do you think… I mean, we still both have clean records,” Jinyoung finally spoke again, tentatively.

“We do,” Jaebum agreed, nodding slightly. “But how will things be different from before, when we’ve tried?”

Jinyoung’s eyes flitted off to the side slightly and he swallowed, steeling himself for what he was about to say next.

“I could...go back to...you know. I mean, yeah there were close calls but at least I’m legal now, and the last time I actually managed to--”

“No, that’s not up for discussion.” Jaebum cut Jinyoung off as soon as he caught onto what he was talking about, a hint of anger seeping into his voice. “You are never, ever going back to that. That last time was an unavoidable, desperate situation, and besides, you got lucky. What if the guy had actually gone looking for you afterwards, or--”

“I know! But what else is there?” Jinyoung’s voice rose to match Jaebum’s, eyes finally snapping back to re-establish eye contact. “We’ve tried safe and legal, multiple times, but it’s just not enough! And I don’t want to keep doing what we’re doing now either, because I know one day, one day one of us will slip up, or both of us will, and god, Jaebum, I don’t- if you went to jail, I’d-”

Jinyoung broke off, shivering and eyes moist. He averted his gaze again, ducking his head as he tried to regain control over his voice.

“I don’t know what I’d do,” he finally whispered brokenly.

Jaebum clenched his fists, his own eyes growing red as he inhaled shakily. Every single one of Jinyoung’s words hit home, drilling straight into his own heart.

These fears, these worries, these insecurities, they weren’t Jinyoung’s alone; they belonged just as equally to Jaebum. These were the things that composed their most terrifying nightmares, haunting them at night and persistently lurking in the shadows of their minds during the day. They’d been through the rough and the terrifying already, but they’d always been together.

If they were ever forcibly separated, Jaebum didn’t know if either of them would survive.

“Jinyoung, I…” When Jaebum finally spoke, his voice was hoarse, and he coughed slightly to clear it. He reached out for Jinyoung’s hand, squeezing it tightly and forcing him to look back up at him.

“I don’t know what I’d do either,” he admitted in a whisper, and with that statement Jinyoung practically threw himself at Jaebum, chest bumping into chest as his arms came around to wrap tightly around Jaebum’s torso, clinging on in a desperate embrace. Jaebum immediately returned the gesture, one arm wrapping around Jinyoung’s waist as the other came up to cradle the back of his neck.

“Let’s try again. Please? One more time?”

The words were barely audible, desperate, and yet, possessed something with the barest resemblance to hope.

Arms tightened, resolve and mutual need bringing them even closer together.

“We can always keep trying.”

A breathy, shaky laugh.

After all, what did they have to lose with each additional attempt? Only perhaps each other, if they didn’t.

“Yeah, we can.”

A/N: Do leave me a comment if you enjoyed <3