1 Complicated

5 years ago (2014)

"Why?"

Lee Jimin turned to face the two most important people in his life, not knowing how to respond to his younger brother's question. He watched them for a few minutes before turning around to face the wall behind him.

"Look at me!" Namjoon grabbed his brother by the shoulder and spun him around to face them. He tightened his grip on the older man's shoulders, wanting desperately to shake some sense into their middle brother. "Why would you sign with King Records, hyung? You know Tae hyung and I were planning to start a record label to help you. So why would you do something like this?"

Jimin moved out of arms reach and turned to face the window. He studied the city skyline, taking a few minutes to ready himself for the confrontation he knew was coming. The timing could have been a bit better, they were still at work after all. But this was an unavoidable confrontation. Taking a deep breath he turned around to face them.

"Joon-ah..."

"You promised you'd never do it. So why did you? Did your promise to us mean nothing to you?"

Jimin cast a quick glance at his much taller elder brother, who hadn't said anything yet. But from the look on his face, Jimin guessed that he agreed with their maknae. Jimin looked at his younger brother. Despite his protests, Namjoon wore his heart on his sleeve. Jimin could clearly see the look of hurt and anger on his brother's face. Jimin had been so preoccupied with his thoughts that he hadn't noticed that Namjoon quietly had sent a text.

"I am sorry you had to find out this way. I didn't want to. But if I don't, people I care about will get hurt. I would rather work for your abeoji than let my person get hurt."

I could fight for you." Taehyung said, speaking up for the first time. "I still have my seat on the board and my best friends are members of the board. We can protect your person. You don't have to sign the contract."

"It's already done, hyung." Jimin said softly. "I am sorry."

Namjoon let out an inhuman yell and, grabbing a paper weight off the table, threw it at the window. Taehyung grapped him by the waist and pulled him close when he tried to grab Jimin by the collar.

"Let me go, hyung."

"Not until you calm down."

Namjoon fought to get out of his eldest brother's arms but Taehyung held on until his bother calmed down. After several minutes of unsuccessful struggling, Namjoon turned around in his brother's arms and buried his face in the crook of Taehyung's neck, giving in to the tears he had been holding in.

"Please make him stay. You know what abeoji will do to him." He whispered. "I don't want hyung to go."

"I know." Taehyung looked at Jimin over Namjoon's shoulder. "We'll figure it out."

A sudden the ringing of a cell phone broke the uneasy silence that had filled the room.

Namjoon pulled away and answered his phone "Yeoboseyo?"

"Hyung, you need to check your email right now!"

"What's going on?"

"I found out who your abeoji threatened to get Jimin hyung to cooperate. And you aren't gonna like what I found. Check your email and call me."

With out a word Namjoon walked out Jimin's office as his brothers watched on, worry for their baby brother and frustration at the situation clearly written on their faces.

"Did abeoji threaten Daebak?" Taehyung reached out to hug his brother but Jimin neatly sidestepped both the question and Taehyung's attempt at a hug. he knew that if he let Taehyung comfort him, he would tell him everything.

Taehyung dropped his arms and frowned. There were only a handful of people Jimin would sacrifice everything for.

"Did abeoji threaten us? Is that why you are doing this?"

__________________________

"I don't want to do this." 16-year-old Kim Dongwoo said as he reached out to pull apart the tie his younger brother had helped him put on. "Just because Ianto is our guardian...

"We have to make an appearance," The 14-year-old said softly sending a wave of calm through their bond. "You might find your Arion today."

"And if I don't?" Dongwoo's voice had a note of insecurity in it " I have to find them, Minjun. My mark has started to grey out. And if I fail to find..."

"Hyung, a gray mark doesn't mean they are dead. It just means that it'll be harder for you to find them. You have enough time to find them. Besides, you won't fail, Hyung. I know it." Minjun set Dongwoo's tie in place and batted away his hands as he tried to reach for the tie. "Be glad you aren't an oddity like I am."

"You aren't an oddity, Jun-ah. You're unique." Dongwoo tried so hard to forget Minjun's screams the day his Arion mark disappeared.

Minjun had been born with an Arion mark and a panther that liked to prowl around his left shoulder. On Minjun's eighth birthday, he woke them all up with his screams. Dongwoo had been forced to watch as his little brother patted the now immobile panther, begging him to wake up. After he calmed down, he pulled up his sleeve to check his Arion mark and started to sob when he discovered that it was gone.

It took two weeks for it to reappear and the day it turned grey, he got a second Arion mark with a cat over his heart.

The doctor told him losing his Arion mark and soul mark a second time would kill him and quietly recommended that they find an Ethayan to remove his soul mark. It would give him a fighting chance. Ianto refused. And so began the resurgence of the Vestigo Alcan - an age old tradition of bringing together potential arions and life partners.

It exactly five years later that they had to relive what was the worst night of their lives as Minjun lost his second Arion mark and soul mark and the Kim siblings found out that their father had sold Minjun to the Darkness in order to become the Shade Demarc. From that day, he stuck like glue to Minjun's side, often to his brother's immense irritation.

Minjun refused to look up, his eyes welling up with tears. He had promised himself that he wouldn't ruin this for his brother. Dongwoo had always looked after him without expecting anything. If he had even an inkling that Minjun wasn't happy about going he'd refuse to go and insist they make an unauthorised trip to Korea in an attempt to make him happy.

Dongwoo watched as his brother tried to hide miserable this was making him. He reached out and pulled his brother into his arms.

"Whether or not I find my Arion today, you will always have me." He softly whispered.

"Why can't I be normal, hyung?" Minjun whispered as the tears he tried so hard to hold back came cascading down his face.

Dongwoo pulled away to look his brother in the eye. "Who said that?

"Does it matter?" Minjun borrowed into Dongwoo's chest. "Everyone says that it's a good thing my Arions are dead. That they didn't live to see that their Arion was the Son of the Shade. It was better for them to die than to be bonded to someone like me."

"That's bullshit and you know that. Everything will work out, Jun-ah. You said it yourself. A Gray mark doesn't mean your Arion is dead. You'll find them soon. Just have faith in the All Father's plans."

There was a knock on the door "Jun-ah?"

Izzy quickly pulled away and wiped his tears. "Come in Malec."

The 16-year-old walked into the room and could feel that something was wrong. He stood next to Minjun, taking a minute to make sure there was nothing physically wrong with his Hoktar. Knowing he wouldn't get a straight answer from Minjun, he turned to face his Hoktar's brother. "What's wrong with him?"

Dongwoo sighed "It'll be better if I showed you. But not now. Ianto is expecting us. It's best not to keep him waiting."

Dongwoo grabbed Minjun's hand and waited for Malec to lead them out of the room. He said a quite prayer to the all father, praying that today would go smoothly for Minjun and that he would find his arion today.