Chapter Text
“You didn’t drive?!” Yoosung is standing in the centre of the rapidly emptying party floor, guests filtering out around him. His tone is so incredulous that a few turn to stare first at him, and then Seven. Perhaps one of the guests blushed at the spectacle. Or maybe it was just a reddening from the free wine the guests had been consuming all evening. Either way, Yoosung lowered his voice when he noticed the attention, reddening a little himself.
“But you always drive!” he whined at Seven, waving his hands to make up for the reduced volume. “How am I getting home nooooooooooow?”
Seven tugged at the bottom of his waistcoat. This wound up making it even more lopsided that it had been a second before. He matched it with an even more lopsided grin. Perfect. Seven looked down at the quietly panicking RFA member before him. “Yoosung my babe~ If I’d known you were expecting a ride I would have brought my sexiest car for you!”
Okay, one of the guests was definitely blushing now. Yoosung grabbed Seven by the elbow and dragged him over towards the drinks table. Jumin was there, still chatting to the winery owner who was gesturing very slowly and deliberately at a number of unopened bottles.
“SEVEN!” Yoosung somehow managed to combine both a hiss and a shout. Jaehee shot them a look as she moved through the remaining crowd, reminding the stragglers to ensure they visited the cloak room for any remaining or misplaced possessions.
The increasingly flustered boy’s eyes widened. “You… you didn’t drink, right? You never drink! That’s why I rely on you to get home! Seeeeeveeeen~”
“Yoosung, darling… you know I don’t touch the stuff.”
“DON’T DARLING ME YOU IDIOT- uh - no, no, we’re fine,” Yoosung paused to wave reassuringly at a waiter who was hovering with a tray of party food that was not quite cleared off yet.
He shook his head at Seven. “What were you even planning on-”
“If you’ll excuse me a moment.” Jumin’s voice rolled over their conversation. Seven turned to see the somewhat worse for wear businessman step back from his own conversation. The winery owner teetered over to a chair, nodding and smiling to one of the party staff who had immediately swooped in to assist.
Jumin moved to Seven’s side. “Yoosung. Don’t disrupt the guests after such a perfect party. You know I can have a driver available to pick you up within ten minutes. Ask Assistant Kang now and she can arrange it for you. Assistant Kang!”
Jaehee appeared silently from behind Yoosung. “Yes?”
Seven couldn’t help but grin at her, still so efficient this late into the evening “Oh no! So soundless! I-it can’t be?! Watch out, Yoosung! It’s a ghost robot!”
Jaehee shot him a dirty look.
“Oh no~! The ghost robot’s gonna get me!” Seven ducked behind Jumin, grabbing his shoulders and standing on his toes to look over at Jaehee with feigned terror.
Jumin didn’t move a muscle. “Assistant Kang. Please arrange with Driver Kim to have Yoosung taken back to his apartment.”
Jaehee didn’t bat an eye. “Certainly. Yoosung, Driver Kim is this way. Your address is already in his GPS, so please follow me.”
“O-okay, but-” Yoosung’s voice trails off as he is swept away by Jaehee’s incredible efficiency.
“You’re safe now.” Jumin intoned flatly. “The ghost robot has left.”
Not a trace of humour in his voice. But as Seven released his grip from Jumin’s shoulders, he could feel the faintest trace of laughter around them, somehow. Jumin rarely laughed out loud. Or visibly. Or at all. But… he could feel it.
“Jumin, thank you for your protection,” Seven quipped, hoping to provoke a smile all the same. The few times he’d managed it in the past… were precious. “Your spiritual and corporate powers combined! What a talisman!”
Jumin turned to face him, and at this range, Seven caught the faintest whiff of wine, layered over the faint remains of some earthy aftershave.
“Luciel,” he loomed. Loomed? How did he loom? He wasn’t that much taller, was he?
“I have decided it is time for me to return home.” He leaned forward, placing a hand on Seven’s shoulder. “I can take you…”
Seven’s eyes widened and the sounds around them faded back. W-what?! Personally? I mean, not him, right…? A driver, surely? I mean, he can’t even drive? Um? He felt warmth creeping from behind his ears. Confusion?
“Uh… but I’m not even…?” is all he got out at this short notice in a rare loss of words.
The faintest hint of a smile makes Jumin look ten times warmer. “You’re not on my way, of course, I know this very well. But, Luciel -”
Seven feels his face colouring further at the way Jumin’s voice makes his name sound, now. It sounds like you could just pour his name right out into a glass. And Jumin’d drink it in a heartbeat.
Jumin pauses a moment, a-and! Is that an actual, honest to goodness smile?!
“ - Luciel. I would appreciate a private conversation with you. In person. And I assure you, there is nothing more pleasant than a conversation while travelling late at night. You would know this already, of course.”
Seven recovers a little of his bluster. “Haha! What an odd request from a ghost whisperer! But sure! I’ll ride with you, lucky talisman!”
——oOo——
It takes less than five minutes for them to enter one of Jumin’s vehicles. Driver Kim has already left to return Yoosung home, but the driver waiting for them is just as polite and professional as all the rest. Jumin is all about perfection. Of course.
The driver holds the door open, and Jumin gestures for Seven to go first. He slides onto the padded, comfortable seating and mentally apologies for the indiscretion to his fleet of babes. You know I couldn’t drive you tonight, darlings, don’t judge me~
Jumin slides in beside him - right beside him! The door closes gently.
“It will be good to have a chat,” Jumin says, settling back into his seat. “These things can’t be said over the phone, especially not to you.”
Seven raises an eyebrow (he’d had to practice that in the mirror a whole day at college, but it was worth it, by God!)
Jumin ignores the expression. “The driver knows I need some time. I’ll let him know when we’re done. Don’t worry. You’re safer here with me than you are in your own home. You can trust me.”
Trust…? Seven leans forward, staring at the barrier separating them from the driver.
“Jumin, that’s nice of you to say, but. Thing one: no, I’m not, my house is infinitely more secure than a moving vehicle, even one of my babes!” He turns his head slightly, just enough to catch Jumin’s expression in the corner of his eye. Jumin’s lack of expression, anyway. “Thing two: … you know I trust you. You, and V, and all the RFA. You’re… well, I don’t need to say it, right? But I trust you.”
Jumin said nothing in response. Seven continues, wanting to fill the space.
“If there’s something bothering you, Jumin. Something I can help you with. You can trust me, too, you know? If you’re in trouble…” he laughed, then, realising how silly that sounded. “How you could ever be in trouble you couldn’t get yourself out of, though… you’d have to be up against some kind of super-villain, right? I mean, all you need to do is summon your slav-uh, assistant, she could take out any demon, right?”
Nothing.
“Y-you’re not really in trouble, are you?” Seven turned his whole body now, looking directly into Jumin’s face. “Or… your father? Did something happen?”
“My father is perfectly fine, I’m pleased to say.” Jumin’s voice is low and soft. “It’s… you. You are the one I’m concerned about.”
Seven backpedals in a hurry. “Okay, look, I know I swapped out your desktop that one time but I swear I’ve never hacked any of C&R’s servers other than that, uh, recently, so you-“
Jumin turns to meet Seven’s gaze, and for once, he looks… what. What is this? Afraid? Concerned? Seven has learned a lot of body language in his line of work, but he can’t quite pin down the emotion playing over Jumin’s features now.
“No,” Jumin lets the words out as if he’s been fighting them for hours. “I’m concerned… for you. Your safety, Luciel.”
“My…?” Seven thinks back, and can’t recall anything more than the usual number of attacks from Hackers Chasing Hackers and the like. Is there a threat he doesn’t know about yet? Unlikely. But…?
“Luciel.” Jumin pauses, repeats his name once more. “You know, don’t you? That V has been talking about stepping back from the organisation, as his eyes… grow worse. He’s been preparing me to take his place as leader. So he can relax. He’s been telling me… that is to say, I’ve learned more about your situation.”
Seven turned from Jumin’s gaze. He knew. Of course he knew. V was still refusing treatment, and even though the parties had started again, he was slowly letting go. He had assured Seven he wasn’t leaving RFA. That he wanted RFA to live forever. But. He was fading into the background, all the same.
These were complex feelings, and he wasn’t sure he could feel them safely in front of Jumin right now. Or at all.
“Luciel.” Seven shivered at the sound of his name spoken so kindly.
“I have a better idea about what you have been put through, now. I want… to help you. You’ve worked so hard for all of us. But you’re shackled. V might have thought this was for the best. But I won’t. I can’t.”
Seven’s entire body was tense now. He can’t think about this. If he thinks too hard about his work, his situation, the RFA, what could change, he’ll be overwhelmed. He’ll explode. He can only handle it in tiny pieces and Jumin is trying to make him look at it all at once.
Warmth against his cheek. A tear? No – Jumin’s touch?
“Luciel, please look at me. I want you to know I’m serious.” Jumin pulls his hand back and Seven can’t do anything but turn to face those eyes again, that expression. That impenetrable emotion.
“Luciel, let me protect you. I can save you from this. You can live… well, you’d never live a normal life, would you?” Jumin’s smiling again, just a little. A miracle. “But you could live one much closer to normal than you are now. I could do that for you where V could not. Let me do this. You only need to say yes, and I can begin.”
This is too much, but Seven can’t look away. He honestly… he honestly just wants to cling to Jumin and cry right now. God! His head… it’s like someone has dragged a magnet through his head! He can’t think, can’t speak.
He tries anyway. “No…” He ignores Jumin’s lost smile. “This is my place in the world, Jumin. I mean… I’m so happy to hear those words, but no one can really free me now, it’s too late… I won’t… I won’t let any member of the RFA suffer on my behalf.”
And you would suffer, Seven thought, his thoughts curling in on themselves even more. Anyone who gets too close to me will be cursed to suffer. It doesn’t matter how powerful they are. And none of them deserve that suffering. And he doesn’t deserve their help…
“You deserve all the help I could give, and more. Don’t even dare to think otherwise.”
Oh… did I say that last part out loud…?
Jumin was so close now, refusing to let Seven drop his gaze. “You don’t understand, Luciel. When I heard even the bare details V gave me, I wanted. I felt…” he searched the air for the words. “I felt like screaming.” How does he deliver such a line so intensely, but so quietly?
Seven felt like screaming too, but he didn’t know what he wanted to scream. This is too much. This is too difficult.
“You, Luciel. You are a fool. And you know it. It’s why you can’t stop doing such foolish things. But you don’t need to run this far and this hard on your own. I will chase you down. I will-“
“You realise-“ Seven chokes out – “if you push me any harder – if you!” He pushes his forehead against the barrier in front of him, the cool metal barely draining away any of the warmth from his overheating brain. “I’ll have to go! I’ve had to do it before! But the RFA, I don’t want – don’t make me leave to stop you from putting yourself, everyone at risk! Let me keep this!” Warm tears pooled at the base of his glasses. “Let me keep this life… this is more than I deserve, but I don’t want to lose it, Jumin! Don’t force me to lose it!”
Ah?!
He was already burning from head to toe, but now he’s near melting point. Jumin’s arms.
He’s in Jumin’s arms?!
A muffled voice. Jumin’s face is buried in Seven’s hair. “No. You don’t have to lose anything. Let me do this for you, Luciel. You are very important to all of us. But especially to me.”
The arms don’t relax but Jumin raises his head. “Let me speak clearly. You… I had my reservations at first, but while V has been our leader, you have been our soul. And you make me feel… happy. I… would be very dismayed should any harm ever come to you. I… want you to be safe. And ideally, I want you to be mine.” The arms withdraw.
“I won’t force you on that last part.” Jumin’s voice is even. “I just wanted you to understand the situation. You are free to choose to do what you wish when it comes to that. I apologise for pushing my feelings onto you so hastily. Take your time to consider them.”
His voice grows steelier. “However. You do not have any choice when it comes to refusing my protection… or burning away the history you have with myself and the other members. I reject your analysis of the situation. You cannot leave, and you cannot remain as you are. This decision I make for all of us. It’s selfish to refuse. Even if some of my reasons for offering… are selfish.”
Seven is still leaning forward, the metal against his head long having reached the same temperature he was. Right now, in this place, it was almost as if he could just melt into the car itself, run across the surface of the road, just keep moving… and not thinking.
“I…” his voice cracks. “Jumin. I have a lot to think about.”
“Yes.” Jumin moves as if to place a hand on his back, but retracts it again. “I apologise for before. I won’t touch you again if it upsets you.”
“No… it’s okay.” Seven sits up now, wipes off his glasses, and dabs at his face with his now somewhat damp cravat. “I need to think… but. But for now…I…”
As the light from the street lamps sweep rhythmically past the car windows, Seven leans into Jumin, and is surrounded again by a warm, uncompromising but… kind embrace.