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Jimin couldn’t concentrate, his heart beating wildly in his chest despite the stillness of the engineering deck, two other crewmen yawning as they played games at their stations. There was really nothing else to do.
He glanced at the status monitors for the twelve-hundredth time, the screens releasing happy little chirps as they measured the energy flux of the warp core. His hair was matted to his forehead with sweat as he practically vibrated with excitement.
Taehyung. He would get to see Taehyung.
The Ganghan was docked at a small waystation in Beta Quadrant to restock whatever the crew might need, most of them taking the opportunity to stretch their legs off-ship and throw a dancing party on the station’s main viewing deck. Jimin had volunteered to remain behind and monitor the ship, because Taehyung…Taehyung’s ship was supposed to dock the next day, and Jimin wanted to spend as much free time with him as possible.
It had been three months since he’d last hugged Taehyung, and he was itching to feel that warmth again, the graze of Taehyung’s nose against his cheek, the deep rumble of his laughter. He missed his best friend.
He was a little pathetic.
Maybe a lot.
He giggled.
“Captain Kim to Ensign Park,” his combadge announced, Namjoon’s deep voice resonating in the cavernous space.
“I read you, sir,” Jimin said quickly, fumbling to tap the combadge pinned to his chest in reply.
“Everything okay on Ganghan?” the captain asked, sounding a little out of breath. “I’m sorry you can’t be here with the rest of us—“ he was cut off by a yell and the slam of fingers against piano keys. Sounded like quite the party.
“It’s alright, Captain,” Jimin said sincerely. “I’m off duty tomorrow, and…and I have plans to meet with a friend from the Jihye. We were roommates at the academy.”
“Is that so?” the captain said. “Well, then, I’ll leave you to your work, Ensign. Have a good night.”
“Goodnight, Captain,” Jimin said, closing the link. He smiled fondly at the thought that the captain cared enough to check on him personally. That he’d even known Jimin had stayed behind.
He wiped his sweaty palms against the thighs of his uniform, the material made for absorbing and deodorizing, for which Jimin was eternally grateful. It was already embarrassing enough that it was skin tight, absolutely nothing left to the imagination. He’d had to get used to looking at people without blushing.
He sat up straighter when he heard the hushed voices from the hallway, easily audible over the low hum of the warp core, the heart of the ship. Were people back from the party already? More importantly, were they so drunk that they’d actually made it to the engineering deck rather than their sleeping quarters?
Jimin sighed and pushed out of his chair, rotating his arm to work the stiffness out of the muscles. Everything was completely repaired from the Klingon knife wound, or so the doctors said, but things still felt a bit tight when he didn’t stretch his shoulder for a while.
The door swished open as Jimin stepped in front of it, prepared to herd the drunken crew back to their rooms, but he was met instead by a broad, muscled, green chest.
“Wha--?” Jimin began, only to have a gigantic hand muffle his mouth and a large, black weapon that Jimin had never seen before press lightly against his temple.
“Shh,” the green man said, smiling coyly. He jerked his head, and half a dozen other green men crept into the room, moving stealthily considering their sizes. The green men were bald and bigger than the average human, but they still looked humanoid, mostly. Orions? Jimin tried to shake the hand off, pulling at it by the wrist as his brain desperately attempted to scrape together any pieces of information it could remember from his classes, but it was too late, his crewmates easily and efficiently knocked out with rough blows to their heads.
Jimin was so, so relieved that they didn’t kill them.
The hand was removed from his mouth and the weapon lowered with a warning look, the green man glancing around the deck before his eyes settled on the warp core, seemingly entranced by its filtered blue glow. “Take everything that you can pry loose,” he ordered his men, shaking his head as he looked away. As if having an afterthought, he reached out to rip the combadge from Jimin’s chest, sending it clattering to the floor.
Jimin swallowed audibly, eyes widening in realization. Thieves? Pirates?
“Y-you can’t just—“ Jimin said, voice pitchy.
“I,” the man said, pressing a bruising finger into Jimin’s chest, “can just.” He eyed Jimin up and down, from his boots to his hair, gears turning behind his gaze. Jimin felt bare under the weight of that look, the terror turning into something even uglier. He was easily twice Jimin’s size, two heads taller and doubly as wide. “Do you have any Trill in you?” the man asked suddenly. “Bajoran?”
“I’m human,” Jimin said timidly, hands held unthreateningly at his sides.
“Hmm,” the man said. “Shame. Would have gotten more if you were mixed.”
“More?” Jimin whispered, heart plummeting into his stomach.
The man froze, a startled look on his face, and Jimin didn’t understand what was happening until he heard Jungkook’s familiar cold voice. “Order your men to surrender,” Jungkook said, barely visible behind the man’s broad shoulders. “My phaser is set to kill, and I will not hesitate to end you, as I did the ones that attempted to subdue me.”
Jimin was filled with a brief, overwhelming hope.
The other men on deck had paused in their pilfering, but none of them even looked concerned, eyes drawn in curiosity to their leader.
“Oh?” the green man said, mouth curling into a smirk. “But if you kill me, what will happen to the little one when my finger goes lax?”
That didn’t mean anything to Jimin, but it seemed to mean something to Jungkook, who cursed heavily under his breath. “I cannot let you proceed,” Jungkook said, voice dropping to a rasp. “Withdraw from the ship, and we will not follow you.”
“Let me make your choice easier,” the man grinned, burying a hand in Jimin’s hair and yanking him forward, the weapon pressed painfully against his neck.
“Halt,” Jungkook said immediately, lowering his phaser with a pained expression. “Halt. Do not harm him.”
The green man’s grin seemed to grow even larger as he turned to fully eye Jungkook. “Harm?” One of the green man’s crew took Jungkook’s phaser from his stiff hand. “Oh no, not harm. I don’t damage my goods. I have a reputation to uphold.” He released Jimin’s hair, petting it back down in place as Jimin whimpered, the sound escaping unintentionally. So much for being brave.
Jungkook’s mouth twisted into a snarl. “Slaver scum have no place here, nor anywhere in the galaxy.”
“My hefty commission says otherwise,” the man said lightly, now scrutinizing Jungkook. “Bind him,” he directed to his crewman. “Here’s one made for the mines, or more likely the Coliseum. I think an audience will enjoy this face. My pockets certainly will.”
Jungkook resisted as his hands were wrenched behind his back and locked into place, eyes filled with hatred.
“Unlike your friend, here,” the man continued, looking at Jimin. “I don’t think he would do well in the mines. House servant? Perhaps a pleasure slave?” He seemed to find it funny.
Jimin felt the panic building, his mouth quivering.
No.
He was an officer of Starfleet.
He clenched his fingers into fists.
“Do not touch him,” Jungkook said, lunging forward to slam his shoulder into the man’s chest, sending the larger man stumbling back as Jungkook stepped in front of Jimin. “I will fulfill my duty,” Jungkook said quietly, as though speaking to himself.
Rather than anger, the man seemed to be in a perpetually amused state, laughing at Jungkook’s defensive display. “Don’t worry, kid. I won’t be doing any touching. That’s up to whoever pays for him.”
Jimin felt himself latching onto Jungkook’s hands where they were pressed against the small of his back, squeezing tightly. He couldn’t help it. When he was anxious or worried, he really needed body contact to ground him. Was this really happening? To his surprise, Jungkook squeezed back, as much as he was able.
Jimin sometimes forgot that Jungkook was even younger than he was. Jimin outranked him, and he knew that he should be the strong one, but…
But he was just an engineer.
Breathing heavily, Jimin felt his phaser jostle where it rested at his hip. They hadn’t disarmed him. Maybe they didn’t see him as a threat. Carefully, he slipped the phaser from its holster, using Jungkook’s broader body to hide behind. Unsure of what to do, but with the knowledge that he needed to do something, he slipped the phaser into Jungkook’s hands, where they immediately closed over it securely.
“Captain, we think we’ve got everything,” one of the men said, wiping at his forehead with the back of his arm. “Slim pickings in this dump.”
Jimin bristled. This was his ship, his baby, and these pirates dared to—
“Grab those two,” the green man said, pointing to the unconscious engineers. “Let’s disappear.”
Jimin wanted to cry out, to call for attention, anything as they moved swiftly through the corridors, but he couldn’t get his mouth to open and say a single word. He kept glancing at Jungkook, hoping the younger would give him some kind of lead to follow, but the young security crewman was like stone.
Always like stone, with the occasional fire.
The ship was empty, and there was no one to come rescue them.
The lift doors slid open before one of the men could press the call button, Lieutenant Commander Min Yoongi staring shocked at the pirate and prisoner entourage.
Jimin’s heart stuttered. What was Yoongi even doing on the engineering deck when everyone else was at the party?
Yoongi quickly drew his phaser, but it was knocked from his hands, sent clattering to the floor of the turbolift.
“Oh, good,” the leader grinned. “More money.”
“You fucking piece of green sh—“ Yoongi spat, before being clocked in the face with a heavy fist.
“Hey, don’t damage the merchandise!” the leader hissed at the one who’d struck Yoongi.
Yoongi hissed, clutching at his face with a pained moan. Jimin took an inadvertent step forward, only to pause when he noticed Jungkook shake his head slightly.
The took the turbolift in groups of three, Jimin noticing that they were headed to the cargo bay as he was squashed between two giant green bodies. Is that how they got in? Did someone leave the security system offline? But he should have noticed that on the diagnostics. It was his job to notice! Had he missed it somehow? Had he been too distracted by the thought of seeing Taehyung to do his one fucking job? It was all his fault, wasn’t it?
The pirate ship was ugly, but by the way she purred, Jimin knew she was well-maintained. He swallowed as he, Yoongi, and Jungkook were herded towards the doors. The green leader held them back for a moment, glancing at Jungkook.
“Boy, did you kill my men?” he asked, sounding curious but not angry.
“I am no boy. But, yes,” Jungkook rasped, eyes narrowing to slits. “They attacked me.”
“Good,” the man nodded. “Means I don’t have to go back for them myself.”
Jimin was confused.
“Orions won’t be taken prisoner,” Yoongi muttered, wincing as his jaw moved. “They succeed, or they die. By suicide, if necessary.”
Jimin winced, shaking his head. He didn’t understand that.
Hungry eyes followed their little company as they trailed through the ship. Jungkook’s hands were unbound as they were pushed into a holding area caged by thick metal bars, two dozen or so people already shivering behind it, the vestiges of the Ganghan crew who had either chosen not to attend the party or who had to work their scheduled shifts that night. There were no other security crewmen present, and it seemed as though Yoongi was the highest ranking officer captured.
Yoongi looked around the cage, eyeing his crew in concern as he checked for anyone who might be seriously injured.
“They said they didn’t want to hurt…the merchandise,” Jimin said quietly, wringing his hands together in front of him. “They’re going to sell us…I can’t believe anyone would—“
“Earth may have ended the practice several centuries ago, but not all planets did, especially fringe systems,” Yoongi said. He coughed, clearing his throat before addressing the crew. “For now, we need to hang on until the Ganghan finds us. If it won’t hurt you, do what they say, and don’t put up a fight. We’re outnumbered and out-armed here.”
Yoongi eyed Jungkook, standing idly where he’d been shoved, with pointedness.
A loud clang sounded as one of the Orion crew struck the bars with something. He grinned as his gaze roved over the prisoners. “Each of you, approach the bars one by one.”
Everyone seemed to glance at Yoongi in question.
Squaring his shoulders, Yoongi was the first to obey. The Orion sized him up and then reached inside the cage, shoving a bundle into Yoongi’s chest. “Change into these.”
///////////////
“This is disgusting,” Yoongi said, picking at the off-white shift and loose brown trousers he’d been given to change into. The shirt exposed his sternum and prominent collar bones, pale skin on display.
“Yah, are you seriously complaining right now?” Jimin said angrily, forgetting the command structure in his embarrassment. His hands were moving in poor attempt to cover the far too many parts of himself left exposed by the sheer, gauze-like fabric top piece that wrapped only around his middle, barely covering the space between his ribs and his belly button and thin, shiny material wrapped around his thighs, so many holes ripped in the fabric that Jimin felt obscene just having it touch his skin.
If anything, Jimin thought Jungkook had it the worst of them, his top half left completely bare and his legs enclosed in stiff, tight leather. But he never complained.
Yoongi stared at Jimin for a moment before nodding to himself, pulling the shift over his head and holding it out to Jimin, his pale chest on display and riddled with goosebumps. “Take it,” he said.
“L-Lieutenant commander, you’ll be cold,” Jimin protested.
“Both he and I have warmer blood,” Yoongi said, raising his chin at Jungkook. “We’ll be fine, but you’re the most exposed here.”
“I…I’ll only accept it for now,” Jimin said softly, gratefully pulling the shirt over the ridiculous getup they’d given him, its hem reaching to Jimin’s mid-thigh. “Thank you, lieutenant commander.”
“They are dressing us up for sale,” Jungkook said, derision sinking into his cold tone.
“I…” Jimin said, chewing harshly on his bottom lip, looking down at his body. “What that man said before, about me…I…” he swallowed, unable to get the words out.
“What is it?” Yoongi pressed, looking between Jimin and Jungkook. “Is it something I should know?”
“He said…they’d sell me as…” Jimin said, shuddering. “He implied it…would be for…”
“Sex,” Jungkook said bluntly, crossing his tense arms over his bare chest. “The lieutenant commander will probably be sold for the same thing. It is the nature of purely appearance-based judgment.”
Yoongi nearly growled at Jungkook for the stricken look that crossed Jimin’s face.
“It won’t get that far,” Yoongi said, resting an awkward hand on Jimin’s shoulder. “The captain will find us.”
“I did not kill them,” Jungkook said softly.
“Who?” Yoongi questioned.
“The Orions on the ship. I did not kill them. Stunned and bound. They will be discovered in the security office when the next shift arrives.”
“Okay,” Yoongi breathed. “Alright, so that makes our odds of getting out of here even better.”
“What should we…I mean…what do we do until then?” Jimin asked uncertainly.
“Survive,” Yoongi said grimly, ushering everyone into the same corner of the cage for warmth.
They were fed. It wasn’t much, but small portions of bread and water were shoved through the bars. It was a testament to Captain Kim’s crew that no one fought, and no one took more than their fair share of what was offered to them.
The problems began when the Orion crew started offering trades. A little more food or water, a blanket, pain medicine. For favors.
Yoongi refused to let anyone agree. If they wanted more food or water, he would give up his own. Jimin did his best to help treat any outstanding wounds from the initial raid, but there was only so much he could do for people who were suffering concussion symptoms.
Jimin pulled Yoongi’s borrowed shirt from over his shoulders, draping it over the curled-up lieutenant commander as he fitfully slept.
“He is wearing himself thin,” Jungkook observed, leaning his back against the cold metal wall. Jimin shivered, nodding in agreement. “Come,” Jungkook gestured. “Lieutenant Commander Min was not lying when he said my blood was warmer. The lie was towards himself. He is yet too human for the Vulcan part to make any significant difference.”
Jimin stared at Jungkook before frowning, wrapping the shirt more securely around Yoongi’s still form.
“Ensign Park,” Jungkook said, tapping the space next to him. Jimin offered him a wan smile and accepted the seat, brushing arms with Jungkook. He was startled when the security officer wrapped an arm around Jimin’s bare shoulders. His skin really was much warmer than Jimin’s, and Jimin let himself give in to the urge to press as close as politely possible.
“Truly, they did not clothe you,” Jungkook muttered.
Jimin flushed, wrapping his arms around his chest. “I don’t…I don’t think I could handle…being…” he admitted, voice soft so as to not disturb the rest of the crew, most of whom were sleeping.
“They will find us,” Jungkook said. “The Captain will.”
“But what if they don’t?” Jimin said.
“Then we will live, Ensign Park, until they do. Did you know, Captain Kim once told me that I could not die without his express permission?”
Jimin huffed. “That seems like something he would say.”
“I was bleeding out at the time,” Jungkook said, gaze faraway. “I had just been injured, and I was…afraid, in that moment. I had never been so afraid before.” He shook his head slightly, arm tightening around Jimin’s shoulders. “They call me a security officer, but I am a soldier, Ensign Park. I follow orders. I do my duty. And so I will not die without Captain Kim’s express permission. I will not let harm come to the crew while I am still breathing. While I am still able to act.”
Jimin stared, not knowing what to say. It was the most he’d ever heard Jungkook speak at one time.
“Hey, pretty human,” an Orion guard hissed, pressing his face into the bars, stare too focused to be addressing anyone but Jimin. “You look cold. How about I warm you up?”
Jimin flinched, instinctively pressing closer to Jungkook, who was now indisputably marked as “safe” in his mind. “I’m not interested,” Jimin said, voice pitchy.
“I will make sure to find out where you end up, human,” the guard grinned. “We may still become acquainted.”
“You will choke on your own blood before that happens,” Jungkook said calmly, the fingertips pressing into Jimin’s shoulders revealing his rage.
Jimin shivered again, pretending it was from the cold.
//////////////
Jimin didn’t know how long they were locked in that cage. There was no way to tell time or date, and the guards changed shifts at seemingly random intervals. If the amount of times they were fed was any indication, it was probably more than a few days.
“Taehyung-ah,” Jimin muttered, “I missed our date.”
Yoongi sat up sharply as a group of guards approached the bars, climbing slowly to his feet.
“Approach the bars one at a time,” a guard announced.
As before, Yoongi was the first to do so. He was pulled from the cage, and Jimin stood with a gasp, worried that they were going to do something to him. He watched as Yoongi’s hands were bound behind him, and he was pushed to the side.
“Next,” the guard said impatiently.
Slowly, they were all herded out of the cage and back through the ship, this time stepping out onto a loading dock similarly occupied by crowds of kidnapped, terrified people. It was all so horrifying that Jimin felt sick to his stomach, only the prod of a gun against his back keeping him moving forward.
They were taken to an area with smaller wooden cages, penned like animals for interested buyers to get a preview of the merchandise. The whole time, Jungkook and Yoongi had been at his sides, but Jimin was forcibly separated from them, shoved into a cage with the others who were considered for a certain category of sale. He watched with tears in his eyes as Jungkook was beaten for trying to get to him, only calming down when Yoongi hissed orders into his pointed ear.
Yoongi was caged in the structure nearest to Jimin, as well as most of the other crew, but he didn’t see where Jungkook ultimately ended up. He had to be okay.
They were left there all day to bake in the heat of the planet’s sun. The only bit of luck Jimin had was that his cage was covered more than the others, maybe to keep them looking their best for the…for the sale.
He was going to be sold.
They didn’t get to them in time.
Swallowing down a lump in his throat, Jimin closed his eyes. Now, he was in charge of surviving.
No one dared to speak, inside the cage. Everyone was afraid. A few looked almost comatose, like they were unaware of what was happening around them. Jimin didn’t know if that was better or worse, considering what was to come.
He jerked awake in the morning, when someone was shouting at them in a language he didn’t recognize. The people in Jimin’s cage were forced outside, huddled together next to a wooden platform that resembled a stage. A small group of well-dressed men and women stood in front of it, looking at the huddled people in amusement and interest.
A woman was pulled from the group and brought to the stage, made to stand there and turn around for the wealthy buyers. Numbers were shouted as the auctioneer controlled the bid, and then one was settled on. Just like that, a woman’s life was…
Jimin waited silently for his turn, heart pounding against his rib cage as he watched more people bought like they were objects.
A thick hand wrapped around his bicep, and Jimin was being pulled onto the stage. He hadn’t eaten in more than a day, and his hands were still bound behind his back, wrists sore from chafing. He looked down at his feet, afraid of what he would see if he looked into the eyes of the people willing to pay for him. He didn’t bother trying to cover up his exposed body. It wouldn’t have been any use.
It was bizarre, how calm he was in the moment. Even as hands turned him around in a circle, his mind was fuzzy and uncomprehending. It was more than denial, he just couldn’t believe that any of it was happening.
The auctioneer started the bids for him at 100,000 credits.
Jimin lost track as the number inched higher, and in his panic, he almost didn’t recognize the deep voice that shouted from the back of the bidders.
“One million credits!”
The crowd began to rumble, wondering who would spend that much money on a slave, even a pretty one. The person who’d called out the egregious number stepped forward, throwing his hood back dramatically. “Hee hee, just kidding!” Taehyung grinned, diving onto the stage as Starfleet crewmen seemed to emerge from everywhere, phasers drawn.
“Tae…” Jimin breathed.
“Jiminnie,” Taehyung said, both hands rising to grasp Jimin’s arms and pull him into a hug. “I was so worried,” he sighed, pulling back again. Nonchalantly, he kicked the guard who’d been approaching them in the stomach before stunning the man with his phaser. “When I heard that your captain had lost you, I wanted to give that man a stern talking-to!” He reached around behind Jimin’s back and loosened his bonds, rubbing sympathetically over his sore skin.
“Y-you’re really here…?” Jimin said, cheeks suddenly feeling very wet. He reached out to trace the vertical indentation in Taehyung’s forehead. “It’s you…”
“Yeah, I’m still the Acamarian with a stupid forehead, Jimin-ah,” Taehyung said indulgently. As if just realizing what Jimin was—or wasn’t—wearing, Taehyung pulled the cloak from his shoulders and wrapped it around Jimin’s torso. “Come on, let’s get you out of here.”
“No!” Jimin said suddenly, fingers latching onto Taehyung’s uniform. “Lieutenant Commander Yoongi and Jungkook are still—“
“If they’re here, we’ll find them,” Taehyung said. “But right now, we need to get out of the line of fire, okay?”
“O-okay,” Jimin agreed, managing to stay on his feet as Taehyung jumped from the stage and then reached up to pull him down from it.
“Shit, there are so many people to take into custody,” Taehyung muttered, watching as the whole operation was overwhelmed with chaos. “Slavery may be legal on this planet, but kidnapping Starfleet officers is illegal everywhere.”
Jimin didn’t answer, still more than a little dazed by what was going on.
Taehyung gently grabbed Jimin’s hand and started directing them through the fleeing, screaming mass of people. Jimin didn’t know where he was going, but he trusted Taehyung to get them out of there.
Taehyung jumped back as a sword embedded itself in the grass in front of him, phaser at the ready.
“Where are you taking him?” Jungkook asked, half of his face dripping with blood, though it wasn’t clear whose it was.
“Jungkook!” Jimin cried in relief.
“Where the hell did you get a sword?” Taehyung asked. “Can I have one?”
“Jungkook, Taehyung’s with us,” Jimin said, hoping to prevent any possible bloodshed. “Have you seen--?”
“I told you, I’m fine!” Yoongi said, shoving off the inquiring hands of medical personnel who were attempting to treat a cut on his cheek. “Leave me alone, so I can—“ his eyes latched onto Jungkook and Jimin.
“Lieutenant commander!” Jimin breathed.
“You two okay?” Yoongi asked, eyeing Jungkook’s bloodied state. “Jim—Ensign Park,” he prodded, when Jimin didn’t answer.
“I’m fine,” Jimin said tiredly. “I’m okay.”
“Who the hell are you?” Yoongi asked Taehyung.
“Ensign Kim Taehyung, from the starship Jihye, at your service!” Taehyung bowed. “Actually, right now my service is reserved for Jiminnie, but it’s available at a later date.”
“Whatever,” Yoongi waved off, noticing the blade embedded in the ground. He looked at Jungkook. “Where the hell did you get a sword?”
“Is that what is important right now?” Jungkook sighed, wiping at the blood with his forearm.
Yoongi nodded. “You’re right, let’s get the hell out of here.”
“Should I have them energize us back?” Taehyung said, pointing to his combadge.
“Do it,” Jimin slurred, leaning most of his weight against Taehyung’s side.
In the few seconds it took to energize to the Jihye, Jimin was unconscious.
/////////////
“I’m getting tired of waking up here,” Jimin mumbled, blinking his eyes open to the bright lights of the medical bay.
“I have to say, I’m not a very big fan of it, myself, Ensign Park,” Captain Kim said wryly, looking down at him.
“Captain…” Jimin said. “Sorry, I…” He didn’t even know what he was apologizing for, but he must have done something wrong.
“Are you feeling any better?” the captain asked in concern.
“I’m…” Jimin blinked. “I think so. I don’t know why I…”
“A large combination of things, I imagine,” Namjoon said. “Stress, malnutrition, fear, trauma. Sometimes it’s just too much for the body to handle.”
“Oh,” Jimin said, folding his hands on his lap in front of him.
“Jimin,” the captain gently. “You didn’t do anything wrong. You survived. You helped Lieutenant Commander Min keep everyone calm. You were brave, even when threatened.”
“I feel…like we’ve had this conversation before,” Jimin smiled thinly.
“That’s because I know that you’re the kind of person who would blame themselves, even if they did everything right. And so I will keep telling you that you are an important and valued member of my crew. And I would also like to offer an apology.”
“Apology? Captain—“
“No, Jimin, I owe it to every one of you. I let my responsibilities slack for a night off, and because of that, my crew was harmed. If anyone should claim responsibility for what happened, it’s me. And I’m truly sorry.”
“C-Captain…” Jimin stuttered.
“And should you feel the need, Commander Seokjin has offered his services to anyone who like to talk about what happened. He is…very good at keeping people sane,” the captain smiled. “But, I’ve taken up enough of your time. Your friend has been driving everyone on my ship crazy just waiting to talk to you.”
“Taehyung?” Jimin said hopefully.
As though conjuring a spirit, Taehyung appeared in the doorway. “Jimin! Captain Kim!”
“I’ll leave you two alone, unlike what Ensign Kim has been doing to everyone around him,” Namjoon said.
“I put in for a transfer,” Taehyung whispered loudly, hiding his mouth behind his hand. “I think he likes me!”
“Transfer?” Jimin asked uncertainly. “You mean—“
“To here! To the Ganghan! I don’t know if it will go through, of course, but I’m sick of us being across the galaxy from one another! And clearly these people don’t know how to take care of you! Hoseokkie was telling me all about how you got stabbed! Why didn’t I hear about that, Park?”
“I didn’t…want you to worry…” Jimin said weakly. “Who’s Hoseokkie…?”
“Never mind that!” Taehyung said. “Are…are you okay now?”
“I think so,” Jimin smiled weakly. “I guess all of it was just…too much.”
“I only approved of you being an engineering officer because I thought it was safe! So what is this nonsense? Stabbing? Kidnapping? Jiminnie, you can’t do that to me!”
“I didn’t exactly have much choice in either one of those—“
“And on top of that!” Taehyung gestured wildly. “I don’t approve of your choice in men!”
“What…what the—“
“That lieutenant commander has been giving me the real stink eye, and the other one just looks mean no matter what he’s doing! They can’t be with you! You need to be treated gently! Not—“
“Taehyung!” Jimin screamed, startling the technicians in the med bay. “Shut up!”
Taehyung’s eyes widened for a moment before he grinned, batting his lashes at Jimin. “I missed you, too.”