Work Text:
Hoseok walked into work that morning more chipper than usual.
“Happy Monday, Bonnie!” he greeted cheerily, as he walked past the counter setting down his bag under his chair.
“Hoseok! You’re unusually ecstatic for a Monday? Got a hot date tonight?” Bonnie teased, not looking away from her compact mirror as she adjusted her makeup.
Hoseok hummed, noncommittally, “Mm sure, something like that.”
Bonnie laughed, “Oh please, hun! Save the sarcasm. You turned down Clyde from the Loan Office on Friday. He’s been schmoozing up to you for at least 2 months.”
“Too bad! I wasn’t interested,” Hoseok laughed as he turned on his monitor logging onto the secure teller service.
Bonnie snapped her compact shut with a harsh click and turned to look at Hoseok.
“So what? You turned down a date over the weekend when Clyde asked you out just because you weren’t interested?” Bonnie asked, raising her eyebrows in shock at how the best looking man in the building somehow didn't tempt Hoseok.
“Relax, Bon,” Hoseok shook his head, reaching into his bag, pulling out his bright blue flash drive, and plugging it into the computer. He sighed as he waited for the popup to load. “You know I’m not interested in dating anyone. Married to my work and all that jazz.”
Bonnie laughed, lifting a perfectly manicured finger to point at Hoseok, “Please! You were literally crying on my shoulder last month about how lonely you felt waiting for your love or something, but the minute a relationship rolls your way you turn it down. I don’t understand you, Hoseok. You annoyed me to hell and back with your pining for a man, but you turned down Clyde.”
“Come on Bon! You know what I want: a warm smile, charming personality, soulful eyes, and sharp wit. Clyde couldn’t charm the socks off a statue, let alone a living person. You didn’t seriously think I would say yes.”
Bonnie smiled kindly, “Fine, we get it okay? Clyde is hot as hell, but can’t keep up in the personality department. But don’t you worry Hoseok, the day is coming soon when you’ll meet that man with a sharp tongue.”
Hoseok laughed, turning away from the computer as soon as the popup loads to look at Bonnie, “Soon, huh? You trying to set me up on another blind date, Bonnie? Or have you finally left your bank teller position to become a fortune teller instead?”
Bonnie laughed, flipping Hoseok off under the counter, “Shut up, I just went to go see Madam Jiang over the weekend and happened to ask her about you.”
“Are you sure it just happened?” Hoseok laughed, disbelievingly.
Bonnie ignored Hoseok’s interjection and continued, “She says you’ll be swept off your feet by a handsome man with a daring lifestyle and infectious laughter. Said that when the two of you meet, you’ll go through a major change in your life.”
Hoseok laughed off the fortune, “You rely too much on the mysticisms of Madam Jiang to find love. I think I’m better off not taking her readings into consideration.”
Bonnie rolled her eyes, “She’s never wrong, you know. She helped me find my last three relationships, and she was always right about how we would meet.”
“Yeah, and none of those relationships were toxic either,” Hoseok responded sarcastically. “I was around for the tail end of the last disastrous relationship you had. Didn’t you nearly get married to that piece of shit even though you’d only dated for less than three months?”
Bonnie grimaced, “Whatever, at least I have a life outside of work, Hoseok.”
Hoseok laughed, “Trust me, Bon, no one is jealous of your social life.”
Bonnie humphed in offense and turned back to her computer, as she watched the first few customers of the day trickle into the lobby as the reserve opened up for the day, “I’d like to see you do better.”
Hoseok shook his head and laughed fondly. Still new to Shanghai, Hoseok had only been at his job for just a little over 5 months—well, really 5 months and 21 days exactly—not that Hoseok had been keeping count. Despite all her eccentricities, Bonnie was not only his coworker but also the closest thing Hoseok had to a friend.
Sighing, Hoseok turned back to face the lobby. His eyes drifted past the edge of his monitor, his attention captured by an innocuous delivery worker who walked into the lobby. The delivery worker walked distractedly in the direction of the reception desk, his eyes glued to the ornate gold characters that read People’s Bank of China . It was only a matter of time before he ran into someone in the lobby.
Hoseok winced slightly as his prediction came true with a crash and the delivery man’s glasses were knocked to the floor. Maybe he could give Madam Jiang a run for her money. The delivery man smiled sheepishly as he picked up his glasses and put them back on in a rush, apologizing profusely to whom Hoseok recognized as Huang Jungguo from the security department.
Hoseok hid his amusement at the incident. He was still at work, after all, but he couldn’t help but drink in the way the glasses were now askew on the man’s face, his hat was off-centered a bit, plastering wisps of curly black hair to his forehead. Hoseok would never admit it to Bonnie, but maybe he was a bit endeared already. Hoseok’s eyes lit up ever-so-slightly as he watched the man grin widely, teeth on full display as he skipped past the disgruntled businessman he just ran into. Hoseok could stare at that squared off smile all day, reveling in the warmth that was blooming in his chest in response.
“Hoseok?” Bonnie interrupted his thoughts.
Hoseok turned to face Bonnie as she asked, “The reserves are being assessed at noon today, right?”
Hoseok nodded, recalling the debriefing he and the other staff members had received the other day, “Yeah, in about three hours? Why?”
“Damn it, that means everyone is going to be out of the office today. The girls are calling me out to a Monday pick-me-up lunch,” Bonnie huffed in annoyance, “I can’t step out, can I? Jungguo is out for a smoke break already, anyway!”
Hoseok laughed, “Security Protocol, Bon. You know the rules. Huang will have your head.”
“You should laugh like that again,” a deep voice joined the conversation.
“Fuc-” Hoseok nearly jumped out of his chair at the sudden voice, but immediately steeled himself as he realized the delivery worker from earlier had found his way to his booth, “Welcome, sir! What can I help you with today?”
The delivery worker leaned into the plexiglass, grin fully in place, making Hoseok’s job of maintaining professional composure extremely difficult. Hoseok’s eyes danced as they darted between the deep brown of the man’s pupils that seemed bright and full of infectious mirth, his dark lashes, and his prominent nose. Despite himself, he found himself lost in the man’s handsome face, a soft smile spilling onto his features.
“Hearing that laugh again would help me quite a bit,” the delivery guy winked.
Hoseok reddened slightly, stiffening as he cleared his throat and schooled his face. “Perhaps you will have the opportunity to listen to it later. Now, how can I help you, sir?”
Laughter be damned, Hoseok was a professional, and he was not going to let some flirty delivery man derail him. Besides, he was positive that if he gave into the delivery guy’s charm now, he would never hear the end of Bonnie and her meddling.
“The name’s Taehyung. You must be…” Taehyung glanced down at the name card, “Jung Hoseok. Ah! You’re Korean, too!”
Taehyung smirked, raising his brow, and tilted his head downwards, peeking between the top rim of his glasses and the brim of his dark hat. Hoseok couldn’t help but blush and pursed his lips, trying to keep the smile off his face. Taehyung’s toothy grin was doing little to quiet the furious pounding of his heart, and Hoseok wasn’t sure how much longer he would be able to maintain his professional attitude before he succumbed to either Taehyung’s charm or heart failure.
“Yes I am, sir,” Hoseok said tightly, “How can I help you, sir?”
“Hmm, how about your number?” Taehyung asked.
Hoseok flushed, feeling his resolve falter, “You are rather forward, aren’t you?”
Taehyung leaned up into the plexiglass further and winked, “I never do anything half-assed. I’m always all in.”
“You must be a terrible gambler,” Hoseok smirked, unable to hold back the quip.
Bonnie gaped at Hoseok’s bold-faced flirting, whispering to herself in a nearly silent exclamation of “Oh My God!”
“Oh, the absolute worst, drove my old boyfriend insane. Always lost during Friday night pool tables.”
Hoseok ignored Bonnie’s desperate whispers of “He’s telling you he’s single, Hoseok!" and "Holy shit, do something!” as he stared down Taehyung with his perma-grin plastered firmly in place.
“Your old boyfriend, you say? Maybe he had it right. They say to never trust a man with a gambling problem,” Hoseok said, sounding pleasant, but there was still a bit of an edge to his voice, almost like Hoseok was mad.
Taehyung’s eyes widened a bit in shock before he immediately fell back into character, “Relax, sweetheart, if you and I were together? Why, I’d never leave you again.”
“Hmm, is that what you told your old boyfriend, too?”
“Of course not, sweetheart! I told him I’d marry him the next time I saw him. But then again, he left, and it's been almost 6 months since I last saw him,” Taehyung winked.
Hoseok felt the color drain from his face as he realized what Taehyung said, only for the blushing heat to return more violently as the words sank in.
Heart beating wildly, Hoseok looked at Taehyung fondly, “A shame. If it were me on the other end of that question, I would have never turned you down.”
“So, darling? Is that a yes?” Taehyung asked, his eyes betraying his nervousness.
“You are quite the romantic, aren’t you, Taehyung-ssi? Proposing to me in the middle of the lobby when I don’t even know you,” Hoseok avoided the question.
Taehyung giggled, making Hoseok’s heart settle in his chest, letting out a wave of happiness that ran down the length of his arms. Hoseok felt himself falling further for Taehyung’s charm, sudden proposal be damned.
“Of course, darling. I’m a fan of large, seemingly random, romantic gestures. Especially when they involve star-crossed lovers, separated by a fate so cruel,” he motioned dramatically.
“What makes us star-crossed lovers?” Hoseok asked.
Taehyung slammed his hand up against the plexiglass, before swiveling his head to look at Hoseok with the most shit-eating smolder, and Hoseok found himself having to pinch his thigh to keep from breaking out into laughter. Bonnie, he noted from the corner of his vision, had no such qualms to keep quiet and busted out into peals of laughter.
Nonplussed, Taehyung continued, “This glass, of course, my love! It separates us from being together. I will come and save you, darling. We shall be reunited again.”
“Planning to be my Romeo, do you, Taehyung-ssi? Rescuing me from the entrapments of the teller box?”
Taehyung smirked, “No, of course not! You’ll come with me silly to this side of the godforsaken plexiglass. Besides, I’m more Persephone to your Hades, darling.”
Hoseok raised his eyebrows, “Do you see me offering you pomegranate seeds to keep you around for the winter?”
Taehyung rolled his eyes, “You know, Perspephone took those seeds knowingly. After all, she was just as in love with Hades as he was her.”
Hoseok looked at Taehyung challengingly, “Sounds like a case of Stockholm syndrome, if you ask me.”
“Maybe Persephone felt bad for Hades, trapped all alone in the Underworld. Anywhere Hades walks is where Persephone belongs. She belongs to the Underworld just as much as she belongs to Hades. She is light to Hades’ shadow of darkness.”
Hoseok, despite himself, reddened even further.“Well, if you rescue me from here, won’t you be taking Hades away from the Underworld? Isn't that not the way the story goes?”
Taehyung winked, “I write my own love story, Hoseok-ssi. I like to think that one day, Persephone and Hades will run away from Demeter and the Underworld to live happily together, holed up in a cabin in the mountains.”
Hoseok laughed heartily at Taehyung’s words, “You got a cabin in the woods somewhere, Taehyung-ssi?”
Taehyung smiled fondly looking into Hoseok’s eyes, almost like he could read the emotion behind his steeled mask.
“Something like that. Besides, Persephone could never take Hades completely away from the Underworld, for as much as he was lonely there, he loved taking care of lost souls–” Taehyung glanced briefly at Bonnie who was looking between Taehyung and Hoseok, gobsmacked at their interaction, “–isn’t that right?”
“Hoseok, he’s the one! He’s the one Madame Jiang was talking about. Sharp wit, charming personality, soulful eyes. What are you doing, Hoseok? Kiss him, you fool! Ask him out on a date already!” Bonnie whispered animatedly, nudging at Hoseok.
Hoseok pursed his lips, hoping to put an end to this before Bonnie started asking intrusive questions.
“Tell me, Taehyung-ssi? Are you a habitual flirt?” Hoseok asked, raising his eyebrow and throwing a judging glance over Taehyung’s uniform. “Or, is this an occupational hazard?”
Taehyung smirked, pushing his glasses up with two fingers, and never looking away from Hoseok’s eyes, “Darling, you know I only ever flirt with the handsome ones.”
“Oh, I know? Do I? What about your other men? The rest of your… handsome men?” Hoseok bit back a smile as he watched Taehyung retreat a little from the plexiglass, almost as if he were admonished.
“Well, you’d be the first of the handsome men, so I can’t say about the others...quite yet.”
Hoseok laughed, “I’m the first, am I?”
Taehyung nodded eagerly, tapping at Hoseok twice through the plexiglass, “You will always be the first, sweetheart.”
Hoseok couldn’t help but let the blush rise to his face before coming to a realization, “See! Now I know you’re lying. Your old boyfriend came before me, didn’t he? Didn’t you practice all your lines on him first?”
Taehyung smirked, “Oh sweetheart, it was all practice for you. In the end, I’ll be your last.”
“My last, huh?” Hoseok grinned barely clocking the way Bonnie’s eyebrows burrowed in confusion.
Taehyung smiled fondly, “Sweetheart, this trolley is headed to the end of the line, baby. You either get off the trolley now or come with me ‘cuz it's a one-way trip and the last stop is the cemetery.”
“Don’t quote Double Indemnity to–” Hoseok broke off when, without warning, Taehyung pulled out a pistol and pointed it directly in Hoseok’s face through the plexiglass.
Bonnie shrieked, catching the attention of the guards in the lobby who turned to help, but were immediately met with masked men who rushed into the lobby and held the guards at gunpoint.
“Taehyung-ssi!” Hoseok called out in alarm, “What are you doing?”
“This is a bank robbery. Now, darling, be a doll and open up the teller box.”
Hoseok nodded fearfully, reaching down to unlock the gate while simultaneously pressing the panic button hidden on the bottom of his desk before Taehyung barged into the teller box, gun pointed directly at Hoseok’s face. His face softened just slightly before Taehyung turned the gun to Bonnie, the flirty face from before completely wiped off and replaced by the hardened face of a criminal.
“Nice try, handsome. Don’t even attempt to trigger the alarm. The entire system is down. Here’s what's going to happen. If you want to get out of this alive, you are going to keep quiet and follow what I say, tie yourself up while Daprosy, Bad Rabbit, and Wannacry back there,” he gestured to the masked gunmen in the lobby as he tossed the zip ties to Bonnie, “take care of the rest of the other guests in the lobby. In the meantime, I’m going to take Mr. Handsome here to help us navigate to the vault.”
Bonnie nodded, paralyzed in place as she started to wrap the zip tie around her ankles. Hoseok groaned, “Your Madam Jiang strikes again, Bon. Another bust of a man.”
“So not the time, Hoseok,” she retorted.
“Sit tight, okay? I’ll be back in one piece. Follow security protocol, we’ll notify the police somehow.”
“It’s cute that you think you can get help, but there’s no system in the world Cryptolocker can’t hack into,” Taehyung smirked.
“I’ve got Daemon!” Taehyung called out, dangling Jungguo’s security badge between his delicate fingers. “Bad Rabbit and Wannacry, let’s move out. I have an office delivery to make for a Mister Huang.”
Hoseok felt the cold metal on his bare skin as Taehyung put the barrel of the gun back up against his temple, nudging him towards the security gates that lead to the liquid asset reserve. Hoseok was smart enough to know when he was being told to stay quiet. He made his way to the gate and punched in the security code, watching apprehensively as the door whooshed open. “Let’s do this, handsome. It’s a one way trip from here on out.”
Hoseok inhaled a deep breath, trying to maintain composure as his heartbeat raced underneath his skin. He could hear the two other masked men join Taehyung as he led them into the labyrinth that was the secured back offices.
As soon as the door closed behind them, the masks came off as Hoseok let out a sigh and immediately turned around to face Taehyung, who had lowered his gun and now had a shit-eating grin on his face.
“What the actual fuck, Tae!” Hoseok frowned, turning around and shoving his hands against Taehyung’s chest, a small part of him basking in the warmth that spread across his palms, “I can not believe you gave out your real name back there! And don’t even get me started with the fake proposal. You are an incorrigible flirt.”
Taehyung just giggled, eyes crinkling with gaiety, “I couldn’t resist, baby. You always are so easy to rile up when you’re undercover.”
Hoseok just blushed and tapped at Taehyung’s earpiece gently, “Even though Namjoonie was probably listening the whole time?”
At that very moment, Hoseok’s phone beeped from his pocket, lighting up with an alert message. He pulled his phone out to see a note sent from CryptoLocker that read:
Been listening the whole time. Had to vomit like twice from how disgusting you two are.
Hoseok rolled his eyes and flipped the bird at the nearest security camera, confident that Namjoon was still watching them over the feed and listening through the comms at that very moment.
Namjoon was in college when he ran his first job, under the name of CryptoLocker, quickly sequestering enough funds to pay off his student loans. Within months, he made a name for himself across the dark web as the famed CryptoLocker, who could infiltrate any secured government system with a simple, uncrackable, crypto trojan. After a rather hilarious decryption counterattack from Seokjin, the two quickly banded together for the very first heist that would be credited to the Gangtan.
Despite Namjoon pulling all the cyber-strings of the operation, Jin was the real brains behind the heist. After working as a trader at a brokerage for 5 years, Jin knew exactly how to exploit the modern banking system in his favor. Coming up with plans and scouting hits along with the help of the friendly neighborhood hacker, the two left a trail of untraceable havoc across major banks around the world until they met their first wrench in their plan: the Daegu Bros.
Interrupting his thoughts, Hoseok’s phone beeped again with a response from Namjoon. This time it read: Missed you too. You’re a real- followed by a series of expletives that made Hoseok’s ears turn red.
Namjoon always had a way with words.
Hoseok shook his head, laughing at Namjoon, before looking up at Taehyung, who had now pocketed his gun and was grinning like a loon, quickly followed by Jungkook and Jimin pocketing their own guns.
“Joonie hyung’s got the security cams looped,” Jimin informed everyone sternly before pulling Hoseok into a hug. “It’s good to see you, hyung.”
Hoseok wrapped his own arms around his thinner frame, “Missed you too, Jimin-ah.”
As one-third of the Daegu Bros, Jimin hadn’t taken kindly to Hoseok when they first met. Jimin was fiercely protective of Taehyung and gave Hoseok a hard time until a stray bullet and a long car chase during a con gone wrong left the two as begrudging friends. Eventually, with time, they had become best friends.
“Hoseok hyung, didn’t you miss me?” Jungkook whined, watching the two and pouting.
Hoseok laughed, brightly motioning for Jungkook to join the hug. Jungkook’s face lifted into a wide smile and he bounced over, sliding his arms under Jimin’s and pulling Hoseok into his own hug.
“Of course, I missed my baby bunny, too!” Hoseok cooed.
“I’m not a baby anymore, hyung. I turned 24 last month!” Jungkook pouted against Hoseok’s shoulder, hiding his face.
“You’re still a baby to me, kiddo,” Hoseok giggled, turning his head to press a kiss onto his temple.
Hoseok had met Jungkook when he was still a scruffy street kid, barely 15, trying to pick the lock to Hoseok’s rundown apartment. He had taken the kid under his wing: housing and feeding him, making sure he finished his homework, patching him up after a particularly bad fight at school. Jungkook had very quickly become a permanent part of Hoseok’s life; his family. That is until he met Taehyung.
Hoseok snapped out of his reverie just long enough to see Taehyung walk up to him, pouting, “Where’s my hug, baby?”
Hoseok’s face melted as he extracted himself from Jungkook's hug, quickly closing the gap between him and Taehyung. Taehyung’s gaze never left Hoseok’s eyes, brown and inviting, making him feel whole. His hands reached out to hold Taehyung’s face, bringing him impossibly close as heat pooled in his stomach. Taehyung tilted his head, waiting for Hoseok to make a move, and suddenly, he pulled his hands away from Taehyung’s face, wrapping one around his neck and the other tangling deeply into Taehyung’s curly hair. Holding his gaze for a brief moment of indecision, Hoseok charged forward with vigor, pulling Taehyung into an open-mouthed, needy kiss.
Warmth and wetness erupted as Taehyung’s tongue brushed across his lips. He barely recognized Taehyung’s arms as they wrapped around his waist tightly, pushing their hips together, too lost in the feeling of his boyfriend’s hot breath and soft tongue. Parting his lips just slightly to swipe his tongue again, Hoseok used the opportunity to latch onto Taehyung’s lower lip, sucking and biting gently at the plush, delicate skin. Taehyung immediately reciprocated, taking Hoseok’s upper lip between his teeth and pulling in response. Hoseok felt himself get warmer, Taehyung’s wandering hands doing little to help as they traveled along his waistband. Hoseok couldn’t help but let out a small moan from the stimulation, finally pulling away from Taehyung, breathing heavily.
“Fuck, I missed you. I hate having to be apart for five months every time because of the heists,” he whispered smiling against Taehyung’s lips.
Taehyung, equally as breathless, chased after Hoseok’s lips, giggling, “You been countin’ the days, baby? At least this is our final run. We can finally settle down, get married, start that family with those babies we always wanted.”
Hoseok just moaned again in response, making Taehyung immediately capture his lips in a quick kiss, before they heard Jungkook clear his throat.
“Not to break up a couple’s happy reunion, but the police have already been notified and are probably about to tap the building soon, so if the two of you could wrap this up? We still have a vault to open, and Joonie hyung’s been translating Yoongi’s cursing in my ear for two minutes already,” Jimin groaned, handing Hoseok an earpiece that would mold perfectly against Hoseok’s ear, practically undetectable in the grainy security footage.
Hoseok pulled away from Taehyung not before planting another quick kiss on his lips, and laughed, “Alright boys, let’s get this show started, shall we? Mask up. This is our final performance before we retire for good.”
Taehyung pouted, but pulled away from Hoseok as well, pulling his gun back out from his pocket while Hoseok hooked himself up to the earpiece that was keyed to the transmitter affixed to Taehyung’s back pocket.
“‘Sup Daemon!” Hoseok groaned as he heard Namjoon’s voice in his ear, “Thank you for finally taking your hands off Persephone. Netsky is parked up near exit seven. I expect the police to arrive and block off exits three through six within the next five minutes. We are working against the clock since the APB is already out.”
The codenames had been Namjoon’s idea while planning their very first heist as all seven. He said that all hackers operate under a pseudonym to remain untraceable. Finding it funny, Namjoon had quickly given each member a nickname based on his favorite malware and the names stuck.
Hoseok smiled, putting his persona back in place. For the next twenty minutes, he was going to put on the best damn show the past 5 months and 21 days had been leading up to.
Hoseok raised his hands up above his head as he felt Taehyung push the cool metal of the gun into the back of his skull as he led them to the liquid vault.
“Okay, the feed goes back live in three...two....one,” Namjoon counted down in their ears as everyone shuffled into position.
“Take us to the liquidation vault,” Taehyung demanded as his mask slipped back on.
“Look, sir, I don’t have the appropriate clearance to take you where you need to go. I’m just a simple teller.”
“You know the area well enough to lead, that’s good enough for us. If you value your life, you’ll take us to the vault. Persephone already swiped our means of access,” Jimin said threateningly.
“Alright Daemon, that’s your cue,” Namjoon said in Hoseok’s ear, “Take a sharp right after the third door on your left. The blueprints you gave me suggest that there is likely a hidden old work tunnel for the elevator that leads directly to a storage room in the vault wing.”
“Fine! Alright! Just don’t kill me,” Hoseok forced his voice to quiver a little to really sell himself as the hostage.
He led them down an empty hallway and followed Namjoon’s instruction until he pulled up to a dark blue door with a basic metal sign with characters that read Electrical . He tried to open the door, but it was locked.
“We're locked out, Crypto,” Jimin grumbled, “Bad Rabbit, you’re up, kid.”
Jungkook perked up from where he was hiding in the back of the group and nodded at Jimin.
“‘m not a kid,” Jungkook grumbled petulantly, but quickly picked the lock.
Jimin laughed under his breath. Jungkook was still a kid when he got into this life. Barely 18, he joined up with the Daegu Bros after Hoseok got accidentally pulled into the criminal world while helping Taehyung con Hoseok’s boss. Since then, with Hoseok as their inside man, the Daegu Bros became Korea’s most infamous con artists. That was, until the Gangtan and the Daegu Bros, by pure coincidence, decided to hit the same bank on the same day.
Jungkook whooped in glee, when the door unlocked with a pop, drawing the attention of the rest of the men. The group entered the electrical room, but are met with four walls of breaker switches.
“Netsky said there should be a false wall behind one of the panels. Wannacry, you’re up,” Namjoon informed them.
Hoseok watched Jimin closely as he began to investigate the walls of the room, finally stopping at the far wall and starting to unscrew the plates and wires. While Jungkook could pick any lock in front of him, Jimin could disarm any electrical system or grid with ease. The two were Daegu Boys’ best ground support for navigating through physical security systems. Yoongi, however, worked as an architect before turning into a con artist as part of the Daegu Bros. A certified genius, Yoongi had a photographic memory and, when given one look at a map or a blueprint, could map out every single path stemming from a single, given point without hesitation. While primarily engaged in planning heists alongside Jin, Yoongi also provided essential ground support, as he made an ideal getaway driver.
Within minutes, the panel was detached and Jimin quickly broke open the drywall to reveal the work tunnel, just as Namjoon had said. Jimin disabled the breakers and cleaned up the opening large enough for all of them to crawl through.
Jimin checked his watch “And with a minute to spare, we are officially ahead of schedule. Let’s go!”
The four climbed through the wall and into the cramped service tunnel. The tunnel was long and hardly wide enough for one person, so the team moved in a single file line, with Jimin leading the group. With no light to confirm, Hoseok grimaced as he felt wisps of what he was sure were cobwebs against his hands.
“I fucking hate this,” Hoseok complained in disgust, not wanting to know the full extent of dirt, grime, and cobwebs that he was now covered in.
“Eugh,” Jimin agreed from the front.
Hoseok calmed slightly as he felt Taehyung’s gentle hands on his arm, with a quiet whisper, “Don’t think about it too much, baby. We're almost out.”
It did little to quell Hoseok’s disgust, but the gesture was appreciated, “I know.”
The group quickly crossed the 15-foot long tunnel and opened an unmarked door that led directly into the storage room.
“Well, would you look at that! Crypto, we're in,” Taehyung informed Namjoon.
“Great! I need visuals, guys, there’s no security camera in this room. Horrible place for a blind spot in their security, I’ll be honest, but it’s the perfect backdoor for us,” Namjoon laughed at what seemed like his own private joke. “Tough crowd. Fine, I get it. I’ll leave the puns for Netsky, but seriously, someone needs to give me visuals.”
“It’s just a storage room, Crypto, I don’t know what you expect, there’s boxes and cleaning supplies,” Taehyung said shrugging.
“Fine, whatever, the vault is down the hall. Keycard should get you access, but without the right code, even if Bad Rabbit clears the keypad, Wannacry will have to disable the failsafe. Daemon, this is your last stop,” Namjoon explained.
“I know,” Hoseok responded, suddenly feeling sullen. He knew it was part of his cover, but this part was his least favorite of every heist. Because Hoseok was the daemon file, as Namjoon explained it, he was the harmless package that was sent into a system to infiltrate silently. But, as Namjoon put it, once the malware has been discovered, it remained important that the daemon file never be discovered so that the file can be used again to infect another unsuspecting victim. That meant, even after the robbery, Hoseok usually remained for another few weeks to stave off suspicion before turning in his letter of resignation and joining up with the gang again. Those last few weeks were Hoseok’s least favorite, not knowing if the boys made it out safe or if they were still alive. Hoseok hated every minute of it.
“Luckily, this is the last stop for a long while,” Namjoon said comfortingly, “By the way, thanks for the direct access to the internal network by the way. I’ve wiped the blue flash drive, so you can hand it over as evidence to the police if they ask. Hand Persephone the comm when you're ready. We’ll see you in two weeks. I’ll send you the encrypted coordinates to the cabin once we all arrive safely. Keep the burner on you just in case, but it should be smooth sailing from here. Don’t worry too much, we’ll see you soon, Hoseok.”
Hoseok bit his lip to keep from crying, but he knew he wouldn’t last long. Thankful that Jimin and Jungkook had already scurried off to disable the vault, Hoseok leaned heavily against Taehyung, burying his face into Taehyung’s neck. Taehyung’s hands instinctively came up to card through Hoseok’s hair as he was trying not to be affected by Hoseok’s muffled sobs.
“I know, baby. I’m sorry, but you know I have to go, love,” Taehyung said, his heart breaking with every word. “We’ll see each other soon. I still have a proposal to make, don’t I? And I never go back on a promise, baby.”
Hoseok nodded, pulling away from Taehyung, and wiped his tears with the knuckle of his index finger, controlling his quivering voice enough to say, “I love you.”
Hoseok hoped that by the grace of some deity he could borrow Yoongi’s photographic memory, just briefly, for this effervescent moment in time, as he tried in vain to etch Taehyung’s entire face into his memory as he lit up at the words.
Taehyung reached out to hold Hoseok’s head gently in his palms, eyes warm with desire, “I love you too, baby. It’s all yours baby, my heart that is so full of love. Please take it.”
Hoseok, unable to verbally express the elation that hummed through his entire body, just leaned in and pulled Taehyung into a delicate, slow kiss. Taehyung reciprocated almost immediately, giving into the heavy lure of lust as the kiss started to become more heated. Hoseok found his hands roaming across Taehyung’s ass and he felt his own back get pressed up against cool metal. Hoseok’s brain vaguely registered that he was likely pressed up against the door they just came in through.
“Daprosy says police are starting to arrive. He’s going to head out now through exit 2,” Namjoon interrupted sternly, “Netsky says the armored van is loaded up to go with the goods. Bad Rabbit and Wannacry are in position as well. Persephone, you need to wrap up if you want to get out alive. Now.”
Taehyung and Hoseok finally pulled apart, both of them breathless, staring into each other’s eyes and letting the heavy silence carry their quiet goodbyes.
Taehyung was the first to break the silence, face curving back into his signature smirk, “When I see you next, I’m going to ask you to marry me, baby.”
“You said that six months ago, too!” Hoseok laughed, “All I got was a crappy proposal in the middle of a heist, while undercover. Couldn’t even bother with a ring.”
They both know Hoseok didn’t care about a ring or the proposal. With their line of work, he would have dragged Taehyung to a courthouse right then and there if he were able. Hoseok sighed, pressing one last kiss against Taehyung’s lips.
“Take that one for the road, baby. It’s time for you to leave,” Hoseok said forlornly, handing him the comm and pulling out the zip ties.
Taehyung nodded once, his eyes wet as he turned around and exited the storage room without another word, leaving Hoseok tied up in the dark storage room completely alone.
Hoseok barely remembered getting rescued by the SWAT team, nor did he remember giving his statement to the police. He must have done so, because he was told very quickly he was free to leave. Hoseok was escorted by officers back to his single room apartment where he pulled out his pre-prepared letter of resignation from the nightstand and put it in his work bag.
The days following the robbery were a blur of security debriefs, reorganization meetings, and quiet whispers in the hallway every time Hoseok walked by. Hoseok found himself lacking his usual cheery demeanor, to the point where even Bonnie stopped trying to cheer him up at work.
It was on a chilly Tuesday evening, during the period of time Hoseok aptly named ‘Purgatory,’ that Hoseok was met with a calculating look from Bonnie as he walked back into the teller box after locking up the ATM room.
“What’s up, Bon? What’s got y–” Hoseok paused as his eyes fell on an open ring box waiting for him on his desk.
The diamond on the ring glittered comically under the harsh LED lighting in the teller box. Hoseok walked up to his desk, picking up the ring box, unable to speak without his voice catching in his throat. Hoseok let out a wet laugh as his gaze fell on the engraving on the ring box of “I even used a ring this time baby, ” written out in Taehyung’s writing.
“Guess who just got a special delivery...care to explain?” Bonnie pointed at the ring box in Hoseok’s hands, her eyes wide, desperate for gossip.
Hoseok, too stunned to respond, pulled out the ring from the box, revealing another set of words. “I’m waiting for you outside, baby ,” it read.
Hoseok’s mouth dropped and his eyes immediately turned to look past the lobby and through the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of Taehyung, even though he knew his boyfriend was probably nowhere nearby. Catching him completely off guard was a familiar shadowy figure, barely visible under the dark cover of night, waiting just beyond the glass doors of the lobby entrance.
“No…” Hoseok trailed off in disbelief.
“Hey Hoseok!” Bonnie followed Hoseok’s gaze and noticed Taehyung’s silhouette leaning against a dark car, “You don’t think it's that psycho who robbed us last month do you? The one who kept flirting with you? What was it the cops called him? Persephone or something?”
Hoseok just waved his hand, brushing her off as he quickly reached into his bag, digging until he found his letter of resignation that lay untouched on the bottom and placed it on his desk before he started rushing out of the teller box, “Tell, uh– you know what? Fuck it! Tell ‘em, don’t tell ’em, I don’t care. I’m going to head out, Bon. I quit.”
Bonnie frowned as the realization dawned on her. “Hoseok, what the hell! You aren’t seriously going to see that guy? He’s literally wanted by the police! Weren’t you the one who said Madam Jiang only sets you up with bad guys?”
“Maybe… maybe, bad guys are my type,” Hoseok winked, before turning around and running out of the lobby towards Taehyung, looking happier than he had in weeks.
“You know you’ll spend your time together always running from the law, right?” was the last thing Hoseok heard Bonnie say before the lobby doors swung close. Hoseok made his way to Taehyung, who was grinning brightly.
“You’re really here,” Hoseok said in disbelief, as his hand reached out to hold Taehyung’s cheek, gasping when Taehyung leaned into it.
“Of course, baby. Can’t propose with a ring without getting down on one knee,” Taehyung laughed as he kneeled in front of Hoseok, taking the ring box from Hoseok’s hand and holding it up “So, baby what do you say?”
Hoseok smiled, eyes shining brightly with happiness, “I’m with you, baby, ‘till the end of the line.”