Chapter Text
Chapter Warning: mentions/threats of rape/non-con (nothing graphic happens, but the threat is there, so please take care of yourself! I’ll add markers *** to tell you when it starts and when it’s safe. Love you all!)
-
Being Spider-Man was, in many ways, rewarding for Jungkook. He got great pics for his job at the Bugle, and kept the city safe from anything and everything.
But, sometimes, being Spider-Man proved to be terrible for his blood pressure.
Jungkook grit his teeth as he hid in the shadows, watching as a greasy man in a suit tried to coerce another, clearly-much-younger man, to go home with him. The younger man was laughing, but it was quite obviously nervous “I’m scared to blatantly reject you because you might actually hurt me” laughter.
“C’mon, Jimin-ah. Let’s have a nice night together, hmm?”
The younger man, ‘Jimin’, laughed nervously yet again. “I’m so sorry Gangwon-sunbaenim, but I really should be getting home. You know I have that project I need to finish for Mirae-noona—“
‘Sunbaenim.’ Jungkook frowned. ‘So the older guy is his superior? No wonder he hasn’t just kicked him in the nuts yet. He’d be out of a job. Better start the recorder, then, ‘cause otherwise bossman will never get convicted.’
Jungkook pulled out a small, silver mini recorder and pressed the circular red button in the center.
Gangwon scoffed at Jimin’s excuse. “A project? Mirae can wait, but I can’t. You know I’ve been wanting to do this for months now, right?” Jimin opened his mouth, but the older man rudely cut him off. “Besides, I’m her superior as well as yours. If she has a problem, she can talk to me and we’ll sort things out. Now, come on—“
A startled cry echoed through the alleyway as Gangwon yanked Jimin forward by the wrist, tugging him towards a black limo parked nearby. Jungkook scowled. How long had that limo been parked there? Why didn’t he notice it pulling up?
Was it because he couldn’t take his eyes off of the panic on this Jimin’s face?
******* // threats of non-con below, read carefully! // *******
”Sir, please, I really don’t want to—“
”I, quite frankly, don’t give a damn what you want, Jimin. Learn your damn place.” Gangwon hissed, pulling particularly hard on Jimin’s wrist, a sickly smirk appearing on his lips when he heard Jimin whimper in pain. “Mmm, can’t wait to hear more of that later.”
Jimin’s eyes widened, a sharp gasp escaping his lips when he realized what Gangwon truly wanted out of this.
”No.”
”I told you I don’t care what you want—“
”And I said NO!”
Before Jungkook could move a muscle, Jimin had raised his leg and hit Gangwon between the legs. The businessman sunk to his knees in agony, while Jimin tried to make a run for the front of the alley. But before he could get far, a man ran out of the limousine and tackled him, grabbing Jimin’s slim wrists and holding them against the small of his back.
Gangwon slowly stood up. Jungkook reflexively placed his fingers on his web shooters.
”You. Little. Bitch.”
Jimin glared at Gangwon as he approached him, squirming underneath the man holding him down. “Stay the hell away from me or I’ll scream.”
Gangwon snorted, kneeling before him. “You think anyone will help you? Please. I’ve got all of this damn city wrapped around my finger, including the police. They’ll walk right on by. But you know what will happen, Park Jimin?” He leant down further until his lips touched Jimin’s ear. “I’ll get you fired for physically assaulting me. The news will reach everyone hosting job interviews, and I’ll tell them all personally that you’re difficult to work with. And then, when you can’t find a job...”
Gangwon’s tongue darted out to caress Jimin’s ear, grinning at the way Jimin shivered, as he whispered, “...you’ll become my little sugar baby, my little sex doll, if you ever want to eat again.”
Jungkook had long since had fucking enough. Hell, he’d never felt the urge to kill before now. He would’ve stepped in earlier, but he couldn’t have gotten the recording — the evidence — he needed to keep Gangwon away from Jimin for good.
******* // you can keep reading now! Jungkook takes care of it. // *******
Now, it was time to tear Gangwon a new one. Jungkook stopped the recording and cracked his knuckles.
”Get the hell away from him you fucking punk.”
Gangwon rose up almost immediately. “Who‘s there? Come out, I dare you.”
Jungkook chuckled mirthlessly, “Nah pal, you don’t want that, trust me. I’m holding myself back as we speak.”
Jungkook dropped from his place on the alley wall, landing gracefully in front of the other three men. Gangwon and his cronie looked shocked, while Jimin expressed nothing but pure relief.
That did a little something to Jungkook’s heart, knowing he made this man he didn’t even know personally feel safe, but he quickly pushed that feeling aside before he lost focus.
“So, tell me ‘Gangwon’: what the hell do you think you’re doing with Jimin-ssi here?” Jungkook cocked his head to the side. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but assaulting someone and threatening to sabotage their job-finding efforts seems like a criminal offense to me. Definitely not a good flirting technique, but hey: I don’t speak slimy asshole so I wouldn’t know.”
Gangwon’s eyes narrowed. “You’re that Spider-Man kid. How is any of this your business? Aren’t you usually off helping old ladies cross the street?”
Jungkook’s eyes narrowed behind his mask. “Oh, greasy assholes like you are always my business.”
What happened next was a bit of a blur, if Jungkook was being honest. For the first time since he donned the mask and costume, he felt rage— and that rage led him to land some nice kicks to Gangwon’s rib cage, jaw, and balls before punching him unconscious and tying him against the wall. The limo driver had attempt to run away during the chaos, but Jungkook swiftly webbed him down to the concrete, not bothering to waste his breath landing any blows.
That was for Gangwon and Gangwon only.
“Thank you.”
Jungkook almost jumped at the sound of a light, airy voice. He turned away from Gangwon’s limp figure and saw Jimin standing there, smiling softly.
”No no, there’s no need to thank me—“
”You saved me, Spider-Man. If it weren’t for you, I would be in that damn limo on my way to Gangwon’s apartment and, and, he was gonna—“ Jimin shivered, pursing his lips and wrapping his arms around himself. Jungkook’s expression softened.
“Hey, hey, hey. You’re alright now, yeah?” He stepped forward and tentatively placed a hand on Jimin’s rounded shoulder. “I’m here. He won’t hurt you anymore, okay? I won’t let him.”
Jimin’s lip quivered, and Jungkook’s arms were already open by the time he burst into tears.
“Th-thank you, thank you so much—“
Jungkook pulled the slightly-shorter man closer, wrapping his arms protectively around him.
”Shhhh, it’s alright, Jimin-ssi. It’s alright. You’re alright. You’re safe.”
Jimin sniffled, “Th-thanks to y-you, I am.” He took a deep breath, snuggling further into Jungkook’s warm chest. “Sorry for... for this. For being so clingy, I mean. You don’t even know me.”
”But I sure would like to,” Jungkook mumbled under his breath. His cheeks immediately flushed bright red when he realized that, not only did he vocalize his thoughts, but Jimin had heard him, another small smile gracing his lips.
”Well, you do now. And I’m glad I’ve finally met you, too.” Jimin wiped the tears still glistening in his eyes away. “Someone so heroic, selfless, and kind really deserves a medal. Every time I do a story about you, I feel like I’ve regained faith in humanity.”
Jungkook chuckled, embarrassed. “Thanks, Jimin-ssi, but I’m not that special. I’m just—“
”But you are,” Jimin whispered kindly. He smiled, a bright, sparkling smile that Jungkook wanted to put in a bottle and keep with him forever. “We’re so lucky to have you here in Seoul, Spider-Man.”
Jungkook’s heart hadn’t felt so full, yet so light, in years.
”Thank you, Jimin-ssi. Really. It means a lot to me. Like, you can’t see it but I’m grinning ear to ear right now.”
Jimin giggled and Jungkook’s heart did yet another ‘thing’.
”Hey, um...” Jimin’s eyes dropped down to the concrete. He looked nervous. “This is going to sound weird, and I won’t blame you if you say no.”
’Trust me, I don’t think I’ll be able to,’ Jungkook thought dryly.
“I was wondering if I could have your, uh, number? Phone number I mean.”
Jungkook’s eyes widened. “My number? How-how come?” His heart was really losing it now.
Jimin pursed his lips. “I don’t want to tell anyone about this, because Gangwon has a lot of influence where I work. No matter who I tell, they’ll blame it on me rather than him, so I wanted your number in case he... tried something again.”
Jungkook scowled. “What? Why? What do they have against you that they’d blame you like that?”
”It’s more what Gangwon has against them.” Jimin let out a tired sigh. “Because he’s so powerful, he has something on everyone. For example, my best-friend Taehyung works there with me, and he’s bisexual. I’m gay. If either of us step out of line, Gangwon will tell everyone that and we’ll lose a lot of credibility.”
Jungkook hissed, “That’s disgusting, to use someone’s sexuality against them like it’s something criminal.”
Jimin seemed to brighten when he heard Jungkook agree with him, and the superhero didn’t blame him. Homosexuality wasn’t exactly widely-accepted in South Korea, and as a public figure in the form of Spider-Man, Jungkook was probably expected to condemn it — or, at the very least, not encourage it — as well.
But the joke was on society, because Jungkook was gay and couldn’t give less of a damn what they thought of him, whether he was Jeon Jungkook or Spider-Man.
”Anyway, um... do you think I could—“
Jungkook nodded without hesitation, accepting Jimin’s small notepad and pen with a smile. “Yeah, of course you can have my number. Call me or text me whenever you need me, Jimin-ssi.”
He handed the note with his number on it back to Jimin, who accepted it with a shy but grateful smile. And, although Jimin couldn’t see, Jungkook was smiling back.
Why did this feel like a new beginning?
—
Maybe because it was.