Would my reading of your Ody be correct in assuming that he would 100% have taken the trident as a trophy if he'd been pushed a little bit further?
Like. Obviously he was already batshit, but I feel like hearing Hold Em Down pushed him even further, and like, post-canon Ody would have totally kept the trident
how exhausting is it?
never living life because you always think you'll die?
☁ Warnings: Descriptions of violence (nothing too graphic), and mental illness
☁ A/N: Things are going to move a litttllleee fast in the first few chapters to give background before we get to the good stuff
☁ Word Count: 2,411
☁ Part: 1/?
22 hours.
Yoongi had been stuck in this small, dim interrogation room for 22 hours. He knew they could only hold him for 24 hours before they were forced to either let him go, or charge him. But those last two hours were definitely dragging along.
He had taken a job with one of the biggest bosses in town, pretty happy with the prospect of the paycheck coming his way.. but of course right as he was delivering this package.. they nabbed him.
Honestly, he couldn't believe he got caught.
He leaned back in the metal chair, picking at his cuticles as he waited. The officer who had been questioning him, Detective Kim apparently, opened the door again. He strode in with a sigh, dropping his case folder on the table in front of Yoongi.
The man ran his fingers through his dark hair as he sat down across the table. Yoongi looked up at him with an arched brow.
“You giving me a ride when you cut me loose?” He mused, pursing his lips.
“Dragged me all the way down here for nothing.”
“So you’re assuming you’ll be leaving in a few hours then…”
He was.
Detective Kim checked his watch.
“You’re thinking you’ll be out of here in two hours. Really, we’ll be booking you in two hours.”
“Excuse me?” Yoongi questioned, planting his feet on the ground and leaning forward-eyebrows furrowed.
“Let’s see..’ The other male started, opening the folder and flipping through the papers. ‘You’re looking at… at least 12 for the drug charges. 20 to life for the murder.”
“I told you I didn’t kill that guy!” Yoongi slammed his palm down on the table.
You walk into a house with a dead guy and suddenly you’re taking the wrap for a murder you didn’t even commit. Of all the people he’s killed, he’s about to go down for someone he didn’t even know. Perfect.
“Honestly, I believe you.” Detective Kim reasoned, leaning back in his chair and staring at Yoongi. “I don’t believe you didn’t know what was in the package.. but you’re not even who we want.”
Yoongi gave him a questioning glare.
“We’ve been trying to nab your guys for a while now..”
“They aren’t my guys.” Yoongi cut him off, huffing when the other male arched a questioning eyebrow at him. “No affiliation.” He finished finally.
Min Yoongi, or as the criminal world knows him Suga, is what you might call.. a man for hire. Gang leaders, mob bosses, drug peddlers.. they hire him to do their dirty work. Whether it was kidnapping, torture, murder, or simply delivering a package of grade-a cut heroin like this time, he was the man for the job.
But he definitely didn’t have “guys”, he was in no way going to be tied to any of these idiots when they went down. Or at least that was the plan.
“Well fine.. We know that Jaehyun hired you, and we’ve been trying to nab him and his guys for a while now.”
“Okay?” Yoongi droned, staring at him blankly.
“So I’ll cut you a deal..”
Yoongi was interested now.
“Tell me where Jaehyun meets and you’re off.”
“Off?” He half way didn’t believe it. “Just like that?”
“Just like that.”
Yoongi pursed his lips, thinking.
“Get me a lawyer.”
Hardly 10 minutes later a pudgy man in a suit walked in with Detective Kim.
“My name is Lee Daesuk. I’ll be representing you.” He seats himself across the table, opening his briefcase.
“He offered me a deal.. I just want to make sure he can’t switch it up when he gets what he wants.” Yoongi’s eyes flick to Detective Kim who is standing behind the lawyer.
“Well, paperwork has to be written up. But as soon as you agree and give him what he wants, we can get started on that.”
“No. Paperwork first. Everyone signs, and then I talk.”
Daesuk looks to the detective, who purses his lips, glaring down at Yoongi.
“Fine.” He says simply. Yoongi leans back in his seat.
After a few moments, the lawyer pushes a piece of paper across the table, handing Yoongi a pen.
“Just sign there.” He points. Yoongi signs. Deasuk moves the paper to the detective. “And you, here.” He points. Detective Kim signs. Daesuk signs his own space and then puts the paper back into his briefcase.
“Alright, lets hear it.” Detective Kim says instantly, leaning on the table with both hands.
“I met with him at his home.”
“Here in Seoul?” Detective Kim cuts him off, scribbling on his notepad.
“Yeah. Penthouse, top of Conrad.”
“The hotel?”
“That’s the one.”
Detective Kim leans in more, staring pointedly at Yoongi.
“You do know if you’re lying, you’re going to prison.”
Yoongi waves his hand in the air, rolling his eyes. “Why would I lie? I don’t care about him.”
The detective and lawyer share a look. Finally Detective Kim walks around to Yoongi's side of the table, crouching down and unlocking the shackle that had been tethering him to the table.
“Alright… you’re free to go.”
And with that, Yoongi jumps up.
“Thanks, gorgeous. Your company has been grand.” He winks at the detective, striding towards the door before the others have a chance to even move.
“He’s smart.” Deasuk mumbles after he’s left the room, earning an annoyed grunt from the detective.
It had been almost a week since Yoongi’s run in with the cops. He had been laying low, partly. Mostly he just wasn’t worried about working right now. Currently he was sat on his couch, idly scrolling through Twitter. Bored out of his mind.
He couldn’t help but jump at the knock on his door.
Yoongi stood up, padding across the hardwood floor to the front door and looking through the peephole. Instantly, he glared through the hole, pursing his lips and letting out a huge huff as he opened the door.
"Need me to solve another crime, Detective?" Yoongi spat, earning an eyeroll from Detective Kim.
"Save the sass, this is important."
He walked into the apartment, turning on his heel to face Yoongi again, who was looking at him half insulted and half confused.
"You can't just walk into my apartment like that! I'm a hardened criminal! What do they teach you at that stupid academy?"
"How to use a gun.. for hardened criminals."
Yoongi tilted his head to either side, arching his brows. "Alright.. fair. What do you want?"
"I'll be honest with you.. we've been keeping an eye on you. Got someone posted down the street."
"What?" Yoongi huffed, raising his hands in the air. "I haven't even done anything! I've barely left my house in a week."
"Yeah, I know. Proud of you." Detective Kim mused condescendingly.
"Fuck you.." Yoongi started, but before he could continue the detective was talking again.
"We're not the only ones who have been watching you though. Looks like Jaehyun figured out who ratted him out."
Yoongi was quiet now, trying to keep his cool demeanor about him, but he licked his lips nervously.
"Well, he's in prison right? Who cares?"
"Yeah, he's in prison. Until he makes bail, which he will. Plus, he's still got guys on the outside."
"And you think they're coming for me?"
Yoongi pursed his lips, turning this new found situation over in his mind. He could definitely hold his own.. but he knew how many guys Jaehyun had..... and he knew they weren't going to fight fair.
"We're putting you in witness protection." Detective Kim said far too nonchalantly.
"Excuse me? You can't just toss me somewhere else." Yoongi protested. "I'm pretty sure I have some say in this."
"You don't actually. It was apart of the deal you signed. Written in to help you, actually.. you're welcome."
Detective Kim heads for the door, pulling out his phone to let his captain know everything is in order.
"You leave in the morning."
Yoongi stared at the closed door for a minute... or two.. or five.
This was crazy. Insane. Ludicrous even.
Just like that, with hardly any warning, he was going to be carted off to god knows where?
He really should start reading contracts more carefully.
Yoongi couldn't sleep. At first it was because he was angry, but as the hours went on he finally accepted his fate. Now he couldn't sleep because he didn't know where the fuck he was being shipped off to.
As the sun rose through his living room window, his phone dinged with a text from an unknown number.
I’m picking you up at 7. You’re allowed to bring personal items but nothing too crazy. NO WEAPONS!!! -Detective Kim
Yoongi scrunched his nose up. This man might truly be the bane of his existence. Begrudgingly, he got up and started packing a bag.
He didn't really have.. personal items. Not the kind that Detective Kim was talking about anyway. So, he stuffed a duffle bag full of clothes and, disobediently, tucked a gun into the waist band of his pants. Just as he went to plop back down onto the couch, there was another knock on the door.
His door had never seen this much action. He was tired of the sound.
Walking over, he opened it to see Detective Kim holding two cups of coffee.
"Detective..." Yoongi started, smiling sweetly and grabbing the coffee before it was even offered to him. "I knew you had a sweet spot for me."
Detective Kim stared blankly at him. "Let's go." He said simply, watching as Yoongi went and grabbed his duffle bag. "That's it?" He asked, eyeing the bag.
"Not all of us are sentimental." Yoongi shrugged, walking out of the apartment. But, before he closed the door he froze. "Wait.."
Yoongi darted back into the apartment, stopping in front of his dresser he started rummaging. Opening every drawer, he dug through fake passports and IDs, stopping to wonder if he should bring the money he had for different countries. Finally, he found what he was looking for in the bottom drawer.
He pulled the worn, long untouched blanket from the corner of the drawer. It had been a very long time since he had looked at this.. held it in his hands. He ran his thumbs along the blue and white knitted fabric, considering putting it right back in the drawer.
He shoved it into his bag and walked back out the door.
"You ready?" Detective Kim asked when he returned, earning nothing but a nod from Yoongi.
They made their way downstairs and out of the building. As they walked out of the front door of the building Yoongi was greeted with a shocking sight, a regular ole' black car.
"What? You're not going to lock me in the back seat of a cop car this time?"
"Yeah that's a little suspicious considering people are trying to kill you." Detective Kim retorted.
Yoongi thought that maybe, if circumstances were different.. if they were different people, he could be friends with Detective Kim. Despite his painfully annoying personality and affinity for the law, he was pretty damn funny. Yoongi never had anyone to banter with. No matter how hilarious you are, you just can't banter with yourself.
"Listen, I'm not going to search you. But I'm trusting you.. no bullshit. No weapons, no drugs.. before you get in the car let me know."
"I'm clean." Yoongi lied, opening the passengers door when Detective Kim nodded.
"Hey wait, do I look like I'm on drugs?!" He questioned, half insulted.
"There are drugs that don't look like you're on them!" Detective Kim argued, starting the car.
"Nah. You can always tell.. just gotta know what to look for. You're not a very good cop, huh?"
"Sorry, I'm not an expert in drug addicts." Detective Kim glared, speeding down the street.
They had been driving for two hours when Yoongi finally gave in.
"Where the fuck are we going, dude?" He huffed, furrowing his brows at the detective.
"Busan."
"Busan?! You're going to drive me all the way to Busan? I don't want to go to Busan!" Yoongi groaned, letting his head fall back against the seat.
"One.' Detective Kim started, holding up his index finger. 'That's my job. We don't trust you enough to throw you on a train."
Yoongi resented that.
"Two.' He added his middle finger. 'It doesn't matter where you want to go."
Yoongi pursed his lips, glaring out the front window at road.
"Plus..' He began again, trailing off. If Yoongi wasn't mistaken, the detective was nervous. 'It gives me time to fill you in on everything."
"Fill me in on what? Do I have to get a whole new identity?"
"No, not exactly. You're not still.. Suga, or whatever..' The detective said the alias with a tone dripping in condescension and, frankly, annoyance. ' But, you're still Min Yoongi if that's who you want to be. You just can’t mention anything about your.. past life." He trailed off before looking at him quickly. "If you want to be someone else let me know soon.. that's a lot of paperwork."
Yoongi shook his head, grinning. "Nah. Nothing better than being Min Yoongi."
Detective Kim rolled his eyes, relaxing into his seat. "Anyway.. What I need to fill you in on. You're going to be living with someone else."
Yoongi's head shot towards him, his eyes wide. "What?! Why?! That doesn't even make sense."
"He's a witness too so this makes a solid story."
"What solid story? Roommates is not a solid story." He was suspicious.
"Yeah.. about that. 'Roommates'" Detective Kim chuckled. "You're going to be married."
Yoongi was silent, staring at the other man with wide eyes. Trying to find something to say. Or maybe considering jumping out of the door.
"Not legally of course. That's just the story."
"This..... is the most insane thing I've ever done.. and we met because I was trafficking drugs so that's saying something." Yoongi mumbled, sitting back in his seat. He heard a low chuckle come from Detective Kim.
"Would you consider me pointing a gun at you and arresting you as 'meeting' me?"
Maybe he was right.. maybe getting arrested for a gang related felony didn't classify as a meeting. Yooongi rolled his eyes anyway. He stayed silent for a good half hour, staring out the window as they drove further away from the city he was so accustomed to.. and honestly, loved.
"What did he witness anyway?" He asked suddenly, turning to look at the detective.
☁ Warnings: Descriptions of violence (nothing too graphic), and drugs
☁ Word Count: 3.9k+
☁ Part: 3/?
Part One ☁ Part Two
It had been three days since Yoongi arrived in Busan. He had learned that Hoseok had been there for nearly a month, but that was all he had learned.. and they definitely hadn't gotten more comfortable with each other. Hoseok seemed.. skittish. Especially around Yoongi. He didn't know if it was because he was afraid of him, or just because his life had been turned upside down.
He hoped it wasn't the former.
On top of their three days spent together, it was also Yoongi's first day of work. And he definitely wasn't looking forward to that. Detective Kim had gotten him a desk job, of all things.. a desk job. And, he had assured him that he was in no way able to turn it down. So now.. here he was, stood in front of the bathroom mirror combing his hair. Luckily, he had brought a button up shirt and jeans that didn't have holes in them, so maybe he could make this work for a few weeks until he went home.
Somewhat satisfied with his overall appearance he let out a huff and walked out of the bathroom. As soon as he set foot outside of the door he ran directly into Hoseok.
"Oh!" Hoseok jumped, turning to him and pausing in his tracks, looking him over. "Sorry."
Yoongi shook his head, waving his hand in the air rather than telling him it was okay. He started down the stairs, Hoseok following behind him.
"I can make you breakfast if you want." He mumbled as they reached the bottom of the stairs. He shrugged, running his fingers through his hair when Yoongi looked at him.
"Yeah, sure.. that'd be great." He nodded, following Hoseok to the kitchen. He seemed to be peppier immediately. He really did love cooking. Yoongi was bound to be a thousand pounds before he left this place.. he definitely wasn't used to eating this much.
The conversation lulled while Hoseok prepped his cooking and Yoongi sat in a bar stool picking at his cuticles. It was hard to talk to someone that might possibly think you're the embodiment of satan, and honestly that's how Hoseok looked at him sometimes. Like he was afraid Yoongi was going to do him in at any second.
Yoongi sighed to himself, staring out of the window above the sink and letting himself kind of daze over.
Suddenly, a loud banging pop came from outside.. a car backfiring Yoongi thought. It was loud enough to make him jump back into reality, but he brushed it off.
That is until he looked over to see Hoseok gripping the countertop in front of him, leaning forward slightly with his eyes squeezed shut.
Yoongi wasn't sure how to react at first, but he couldn't stop his feet from hitting the floor and walking to stand next to him.
"Hey. It was just a car.. it's okay." Yoongi looked at Hoseok’s hands, still tight on the counter, his knuckles white. Despite the grip he could see that they were shaking. "It's okay." He repeated softly, placing his hand on Hoseok's shoulder.
This seemed to snap him out of it and he quickly looked at Yoongi, his eyebrows raised.
"I'm sorry." He forced a chuckle, standing up straight now. "Damn, sorry. That was.." Yoongi cut him off by simply shaking his head, dropping his hand back to his side.
"Nah, don't worry about it. I don't... I don't know what happened. But Detective Kim told me you've been through a lot so.. it's understandable." He didn't know if he was overstepping. But he hated the thought of someone feeling like they needed to apologize for feeling anything.
Hoseok nodded, but stayed quiet. Yoongi offered him a small smile before walking back over to his seat, watching him as he stayed planted in his spot.
"There was..." He started, running his fingers through his hair. Nervous habit, Yoongi noted. "Someone was shot. So.." He trailed off.
"The noise.." Yoongi guessed, Hoseok nodded, laughing awkwardly.
"It's dumb."
"It's not dumb. That makes sense."
Hoseok let out a heavy sigh, walking over and sitting on the stool next to Yoongi.
"It is dumb." He argued, looking at him. "I'm just.. scared something is going to happen all the time. That's so dumb."
Yoongi chewed on the inside of his lip, looking into Hoseok's eyes.
"Don't worry." He said finally. " I know it's not that easy but... you're safe here.."
Hoseok nodded, looking away from him now and chewing on his fingernails. They were quiet for a moment, before Yoongi suddenly had the courage to ask a question he didn't truly want the answer to.
"Are you.. scared of me?"
Hoseok wouldn't look at him now, picking furiously at his nails. That was the only answer Yoongi needed.
He was between feeling hurt, mad, and understanding. He tried to push the understanding to be the most prominent feeling. He didn't know what Detective Kim had told Hoseok, but of course he was scared of him. After everything he had been through, he was then forced to live with a criminal. It was reasonable.
Yoongi sighed, flicking his shoulder lightly.
"It's okay.. I get it. I don't know what you were told but.. you don't have to be afraid of me."
Hoseok looked at him now, his lips pursed and his eyebrows knitted together.
"Like I said, you're safe here. I promise not to be a big bad scary guy."
Now, Hoseok smiled. Just slightly. But it was comforting to Yoongi.
"No offense, but I'm more scared of what my brain tells me about you than you yourself."
Yoongi's jaw dropped, a little dramatically. "You can't say no offense and then say something offensive. That doesn't cancel it out."
"How is that offensive?" Hoseok protested, crossing his arms over his chest. "Do you want to be scary?"
"I mean, yeah kind of! That's part of the job description!"
Hoseok rolled his eyes, but his lips turned into a smile.. just slightly. "You have to be at work in ten minutes."
"Guess I'm getting breakfast on the way then." Yoongi said, standing up. He turned to walk out of the front door, stopping before he made it out. He stood there for a second, willing himself to turn around.
"You can.. text or call if you need anything." He shrugged, huffing at a Hoseok whose expression was now much softer. "I just don't want you to be here freaking out all by yourself. Neighbors might think you're crazy." He said finally, turning and walking out of the door.
As he sunk into the drivers seat of his car, he smiled to himself. Happy that maybe, just maybe, they were finally getting more comfortable.
Inside, Hoseok got up to make himself breakfast.. grinning as he cracked an egg into the skillet.
It had officially been an entire week that Yoongi and Hoseok had been living together. Things were still strange, they were still adjusting to living with a person they just met. But after the little.. heart to heart they had a few mornings ago.. it was a little better. They still weren't friends or anything, Yoongi tried to stay out of Hoseok's way, spending most of his time in his room. But they were friendly at least, able to eat breakfast together and have the basic "how was your day" conversation before Yoongi headed back to his cave.
Things were, in fact, not better with Yoongi's job. He was sure he was going insane and waited every day for Jin to say he was free... or for a reason to quit and lay up in his temporary house.
After a particularly boring day at work, Yoongi walks into the house, hoping to have a drink and try to enjoy himself.. as much as he could manage anyway, considering the situation. But the scent of baked goods were overwhelming as soon as he opened the door.
He crinkled his nose. He never really liked sweets.
“Why does my house smell like the pillsbury dough boys ass?” He snarks as he stands in the entrance to the kitchen. Hoseok is bent over, putting a tray of cookies into the oven. He snaps up at the older males voice, obviously startled- he can’t help but to be on edge-but he rolls his eyes at Yoongi’s words.
“I’m baking.” He replies simply, closing the oven door and turning around to the island, facing Yoongi now, though he’s not looking at him.
“Why are you baking?” Yoongi asks, moving into the kitchen now. He places his hands on the island counter, watching as Hoseok mixes a bowl of melted chocolate. Hoseok sighs at the question.
“Someone was asking about where we moved from… our lives. I didn’t know what to say so I started talking about my cafe.” He shrugged, pursing his lips. “They roped me into making cookies for some kind of fundraiser.”
“You ever feel like we’re in a movie? Like this neighborhood is too... quaint. Who has fundraisers that need cookies these days? Just make a gofundme like a normal person.” Yoongi snorts. Hoseok can’t help but crack a smile.
“Kind of surprised they haven’t had a town meeting to decide what to do about the new gay couple.”
Yoongi laughs, actually laughs. Hoseok smiles more. Then something dawns on Yoongi and the he hums curiously, tilting his head to the side.
“I never thought to ask… are you actually even gay?” This makes Hoseok actually laugh too.
“Yeah.. I am.” He nods, looking up from his work now. “Are you?”
Yoongi nods as well, running his fingers through his hair. “They didn’t ask.. but it would have been weird if we weren’t, huh?”
“I don’t think they thought this through very well. We don’t even know anything about each other, or who we're supposed to be.”
“I guess they were in a hurry.” Yoongi shrugs, looking away now and picking at his cuticles as he thought of what their rush to get them out of Seoul must have meant for their situations. Hoseok only hums in reply.
Another awkward moment. As usual.
Yoongi stands there for a moment before pushing himself from where he was now leaning on the counter, but before he could walk away- Hoseok speaks.
“Hey.. do you want to help me? I need to get another batch ready.. it’ll only take a minute.”
Yoongi looks at him, tempted to say no.. but Hoseok offers him a wide, bright smile. So the older male sighs, rolling his eyes dramatically.
“What do you want me to do?” He asks, placing his hands on his hips.
“First, wash your grubby hands.”
“Grubby?!” Yoongi retorts, feigning offense, but still walking over to the sink.
“Who knows what you get into.” Hoseok shrugs, smirking as he takes the cookies out of the oven.
By the time Yoongi has washed and dried his hands, Hoseok has already laid the cookies out on parchment paper next to the stove.
“All you need to do is drizzle chocolate over them.” Hoseok chimed once Yoongi was standing next to him. He took the spoon in his hand and dipped it into the bowl of chocolate, smoothly drizzling it over a couple cookies. “Easy peasy.” He nodded, handing the spoon to Yoongi and going back to the island to work on the next batch.
Yoongi looked down at the cookies. This was an easy task.. these were about to be the best chocolate drizzled cookies anyone had ever seen, he nodded to himself matter of factly.
After dipping the spoon into the chocolate he moved his hand back over a row of cookies.
Nothing happened.
He shook his hand a little.
A big glob of chocolate fell directly on one cookie.
“Fuck.” He whispered to himself. Hoseok turned around when he heard the curse, holding back a chuckle at the sight of Yoongi trying to fix his mistake. How could he possibly have fucked up decorating cookies?
“So heavy handed.” The younger mused as he turned around, stepping behind Yoongi. “Like this.” He added, wrapping his hand around the others, guiding the spoon over the cookies.
Yoongi could feel the taller males chest against his back. Just his fingers wrapping around his made him flinch slightly-not that Hoseok had noticed. But feeling his body against his own made him shy away, turning his head to look up at the other.
Hoseok felt the others eyes on him, looking down at him before pulling away. “Oh.. sorry. I didn’t think..” He trailed off, stepping away from him.
Yoongi shook his head, furrowing his brows. “No.. it’s fine.” He assured him, laughing awkwardly. “I mean, we are married after all.”
Hoseok laughed, a chuckle that Yoongi thought sounded forced. He shook his head, clearing his thoughts. “I’ll finish this. That way it’ll be done right.” He teases, hoping that the joke translates properly. Yoongi glares at him, but the smirk on his lips tells the younger male he’s in the clear.
“You wanna… properly sit down and hang out tonight?” Yoongi says from the doorway once he’s given up his spoon and walked away. “You said we don’t know anything about each other.. least we could do is cover the basics.”
For some reason… Yoongi was nervous asking this. Like the other would reject him or something. But that didn’t make much sense.
Hoseok looked at him, offering a sweet smile. “That’s a great idea! I’ll even cook you dinner.”
“Damn.. I shoulda gotten married years ago.” Yoongi teased, bowing his head before walking out of the kitchen.
Hoseok had promised dinner, and everything Yoongi had tasted that he'd cooked previously had been great, but he was truly surprised by what he was offered when he finally came down the stairs to participate in the dinner he had initiated. Hoseok had an array prepared, the kitchen island nearly half covered with food.
Again, he was nervous.. and that didn't make sense. He wasn't an anxious person usually, especially not about things this trivial. It didn't click for him that Hoseok must be nervous too, based on the amount of cooking he had used to try and calm his nerves.
"You're showing off." Yoongi joked as he leaned against the counter, smiling at Hoseok as he pulled a bottle of wine from the fridge. "One more."
Hoseok rolled his eyes, grabbing another bottle of wine. "You're a bad influence."
"Imagine that."
The two of them sat next to each other at the island counter, having decided it was too much work to transfer the food to the dining table.
They seemed to talk aimlessly the whole while, and Yoongi thought maybe their awkwardness would never wear off.. he'd just have to accept his fate of living in misery for.. however long. They, or rather Yoongi, finished off one bottle of wine before the meal was even over. Maybe in an attempt to soothe his nerves or the growing bitterness about the situation.
Once they had finished their meals and Yoongi had a good minute or two to complain about eating too much he began gathering up empty dishes, taking them to the sink and turning on the tap.
"Come on. We'll do that later." Hoseok said. Yoongi turned to look at him, his brows etched together.
"We have a mission tonight. I'm not going to let you wash dishes and pout all night. Plus, I've got you boozed up.. it's time to find out all of your dirty little secrets." And with that Hoseok turned on a heel, making his way towards the living room.
Yoongi stood there for a moment, shaking his head in a bit of shock before following him. Sometimes this man was so soft spoken and.. shaken, and sometimes he was sassy and eccentric. Yoongi didn't know what to think of him.
"I don't pout." Yoongi said simply as he walked into the living room earning nothing but an eye roll from the younger male as he sat down on the couch.
"So are you slow at everything you do, or is it just walking?" Hoseok snarked as Yoongi plopped down onto the couch, earning a glare from the hyung.
"Pretty much everything." He smirked, rolling his eyes. "I prefer.. leisurely rather than slowly."
“So.. why are you here exactly?” Hoseok started suddenly, turning to face Yoongi completely. “I.. I know you’re a criminal or whatever but.. what’d you do?”
Yoongi stayed quiet, just looking at Hoseok. Wondering how much the boy really wanted to know. Or how much he wanted to tell him.
“Ohhh.. are you in like a gang or something?” Hoseok chimed, looking far more excited about this possibility than he probably should have been. Yoongi rolled his eyes.
“No. I’m not in a gang. Gangs are dumb.”
“Oh, so like the mafia?”
This was a joke. It was…. but Yoongi’s silence made Hoseok stop. Second guessing his joke.
“Oh my god, you are!”
“No! No. I’m not apart of the mafia.. exactly.”
“Exactly?”
“I’m not.. affiliated with anyone. I work for whoever pays me. A man for hire, I guess.”
Hoseok stayed quiet for a moment, chewing on his lower lip and staring at Yoongi.
“So like… why are gangs dumb exactly?” He asked finally.
“Because… all they handle is petty crimes and drugs.” Yoongi answered honestly, shrugging.
“So you’ve never worked with drugs?”
“I mean.. I’m not saying never. That’s technically why I’m here, I guess. But on a higher level than gang drugs… and that’s not what I’m known for.”
“You make it seem like you’re worried about what you’re known for. Drugs aren’t good enough for you?” Again.. this was a joke. But Yoongi stayed quiet, it was like Hoseok was hitting the nail on the head.
“What…. what are you known for?”
Yoongi continued his silence, his eyes locking with the younger males. Searching.
“Are you sure you want to know?”
“Yes….. wait no. No I don’t." He nodded, turning away from Yoongi and sitting back on the couch. That only lasted a second before he was up and staring at Yoongi again. "Wait! Yes! Yes I want to know. I want to know who I’m living with.”
Yoongi was quiet again for a while. Thinking about what to say.
“Kidnapping.” He said finally. Kidnapping was true… and torturous interrogation methods… and silent murders. But Hoseok didn’t have to know that.
“Oh..” Hoseok said, sighing a little. As if he were relieved. What a strange man, Yoongi thought. “That’s not that bad. I mean.. it’s not good. But it could be worse!”
“Yeah.. it could be worse..”
Yoongi wasn't entirely sure where his mind was after that conversation. But Hoseok was out of his shell now and easily got Yoongi out of his head. They talked for hours, more easily than either of them ever expected. Hoseok told Yoongi all about his cafe, about his friends and his favorite costumers. Yoongi didn't tell him anything else.. but he truly enjoyed watching his eyes light up as he talked about his other life. His real life.
“So.. about our marriage. We probably need a story about how we met. And like.. what what our life is life.” Hoseok mused, leaning with one arm against the back of the couch.
“Hmm.. that’s on you. I’m not creative enough for this.” Yoongi shrugged, earning a groan from Hoseok.
“Don’t leave it up to me! I’ll make it the most dramatic story in the world!”
Yoongi was the one to roll his eyes now, pursing his lips as he thought. “Ok ok.. how about…” He started, getting cut off pretty quickly.
“You came to my cafe everyday because of how cute I am.” Hoseok says dramatically, batting his eye lashes.
“Yeah, that’s the only reason. Food sucked.”
“Hey!” He slaps Yoongi’s arm as he laughs.
“Ok so, I came to your cafe everyday because you’re so cute. Eventually you gave me your number or something. The rest is history.”
“Hmm.. good enough.” Hoseok shrugs. “Who proposed?”
“Definitely me.” Yoongi nodded matter of factly.
“You?!”
“Why are you acting so shocked?” Yoongi insisted, arching his eyebrows.
“I mean… you seem a little…. non-committal..” Hoseok shrugged, fighting a grin.
“I am not non-committal!”
“Not affiliated with anyone.” Hoseok's tone was deep, mocking as he made a face like he was turning up his nose to all the gangs in the world.
“Okay, committing to a person and committing to a section of organized crime is a little different.” Yoongi argued, glaring at him.
“Ok… I guess that’s a fair point…”
“Plus.. the non-committal guy actually proposes? This is like a fucking Hallmark movie.”
Hoseok laughs, nodding in an 'ok you got me' fashion.
"What was the wedding like?"
"Court house." Yoongi stated, not giving the other a chance to start on a dramatic rant about the fairytale wedding. But this was not going over smoothly with Hoseok, who looked at him as if he had just insulted the other man, his mother, and his cat.
"I deserve better than that! You can't even pretend to be soft?" He insisted, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Hey, I came to your cafe everyday just to get your attention and I was the one who proposed. Thats soft." He shrugged, raising his eyebrows at his faux-husband. "It's either court house or Elvis impersonator. Marriage is about compromise, baby."
Hoseok stayed quiet for a moment, his face twisted into some sort of annoyed pout. "Fine." He said finally, glaring at the hyung. "Court house it is. But only because you couldn't wait one more second to marry me."
Yoongi didn't reply, just rolled his eyes and brought his wine glass to his lips.
Hoseok stays quiet as well, thinking about what his next question would be. His face turns serious after a moment and he looks at Yoongi with furrowed brows, but theres a mischievous twinkle in his eye.
“How’s the sex?”
Yoongi chokes on his wine, but gains his sarcastic confidence back quickly.
“Wild.” He retorts. “Who tops?”
Hoseok is the one to be embarrassed now, his ears turning pink… but it doesn’t stop him.
“Obviously me.”
“You?!” It was Yoongi's turn to be shocked now.
“Totally. I mean we could switch.. I guessss. But I can tell.. you’re such a bottom.” He smirks.
Yoongi gasps, sitting up straight now. “I am a hardened criminal!”
“Exactly. Someone’s gotta put you in your place, baby boy.” Hoseok was too cocky now, leaning back against the couch with a smug grin.
"So now I’m not only a bottom, but a sub?”
Hoseok beams, chuckling when Yoongi stands up.
“Oh my god. I hate this conversation. I’m going to bed.” Yoongi groans, setting the empty wine glass on the coffee table.
“The night is still young!”
“It’s 3am!” Yoongi argues, walking away from him.
“Dream of me!” Hoseok calls after him. Yoongi turns quickly before getting to the stairs, glaring hard at Hoseok.
“Dream of choking you.”
“Oh.. he is kinky. Knew it.” Hoseok smirks.
“Fuck off!” Yoongi groans as he bounds up the stairs.
Slowly... leisurely, Yoongi washed his face and undressed before crawling into bed. He shut his eyes tight for a moment before huffing and turning onto his back to stare up at the ceiling.
He and Hoseok had made a lot of progress tonight.. but he couldn't think about that, he could only think of their last conversation. Of what it would be like if they... Nope, no. Absolutely not. He shook his head and turned over again, burying his face in his pillow as he forced himself to sleep.
I have to admit, I always wondered what this part of Psalm 23 meant. I thought “He anoints my head with oil” was figurative language for God keeping the Psalmist healthy. I never knew this parallel.
Anoint my head with oil
“Sheep can get their head caught in briers and die trying to get untangled. There are horrid little flies that like to torment sheep by laying eggs in their nostrils which…
Flu vaccine failed to protect young leukemia patients during cancer treatment
New Story has been published on http://enzaime.com/flu-vaccine-failed-protect-young-leukemia-patients-cancer-treatment/
Flu vaccine failed to protect young leukemia patients during cancer treatment
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital investigators said the results reinforce the importance of hand washing and other measures to help protect vulnerable patients from influenzYoung leukemia patients who were vaccinated against influenza were just as likely as their unvaccinated peers to develop flu, suggesting that additional steps are necessary to protect high-risk individuals. These findings from the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital study appear October 16, 2017, in the Journal of Pediatrics.
The retrospective study looked at rates of flu infection during three successive flu seasons in 498 St. Jude patients being treated for acute leukemia. Researchers found the 354 patients who received flu shots, including 98 who received booster doses, and the 144 patients who were not vaccinated had almost identical rates of confirmed flu and flu-like illness.
“This is preliminary data. The annual flu shot, whose side effects are generally mild and short-lived, is still recommended for patients with acute leukemia who are being treated for their disease,” said lead author Elisabeth Adderson, M.D., an associate member of the St. Jude Department of Infectious Diseases. “However, the results do highlight the need for additional research in this area and for us to redouble our efforts to protect our patients through other means.”
Along with good hand hygiene, Adderson said at-risk patients would be wise to avoid crowds during the flu season. Patients may also benefit from “cocooning,” a process that focuses on getting family members, health care providers and others in close contact with at-risk patients vaccinated.
Flu and related complications remain a leading cause of death and hospitalization in the U.S. Children with chronic illness or weakened immune systems are at greater risk for flu complications than healthy children.
An annual vaccination with inactivated flu viruses is recommended for anyone 6 months or older by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the federal Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention Advisory Committee on Immunization. The advisory groups urged making special efforts to ensure that high-risk groups, including pediatric cancer patients and other children with chronic illnesses or weakened immune responses, were vaccinated.
Compared to healthy children, children being treated for cancer were known to mount weaker immune responses to the flu vaccine. However, previous research showed that following vaccination, 28 to 100 percent of pediatric cancer patients developed levels of antibodies considered adequate to provide protection.
Adderson decided to take a closer look at vaccine effectiveness when she noticed flu and flu-like illnesses in patients she knew had been vaccinated.
Researchers in this study reviewed the medical records of St. Jude patients in treatment for acute leukemia during the 2011–12, 2012–13 and 2013–14 flu seasons. Investigators found there was no significant difference in the overall rates of confirmed flu or flu-like illness between vaccinated and unvaccinated patients for either individual flu seasons or the entire period of the study.
A booster vaccine dose, which 98 (or 19.7 percent) of patients received, was not associated with a reduction in flu or flu-like illness. Also, vaccination did not delay the onset of confirmed flu or flu-like illness.
Patients in this study received the trivalent vaccine, designed to protect against three flu strains predicted to be in wide circulation during a particular flu season. A mismatch between the vaccine and circulating flu viruses can reduce overall vaccine effectiveness. However, the flu vaccines in this study were a fairly good match for circulating flu viruses during the flu seasons included in this analysis.
Pediatric leukemia treatment typically takes several years and often leaves patients with temporarily weakened immune responses. Adderson said the combination may help explain reduced vaccine effectiveness. She said additional research is needed to determine if a subset of pediatric leukemia patients or patients with solid tumors may benefit from vaccination, Adderson said.
The study’s first author is April Sykes, and the other authors are Elsie Gerhardt and Li Tang, all of St. Jude.
The research was supported in part by a grant (CA21765) from the National Institutes of Health and ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization of St. Jude.a infections
