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How I married your dad
You must think that ten years of marriage and thirteen years of being together would have made Jungkook proficient in reading the mood of his husband and stop his mouth before the damage is done. Well, it would happen in a perfect world, but his reality is this: Jungkook isn’t the wisest of husbands and that’s why he needs to have this awkward talk with his kids or end up sleeping on their light pink sofa for the rest of the week.
He’d prefer choosing the sofa, but the death glare his husband is giving him from the kitchen forces him to choose the awkward talk.
“So… I guess it all begins when I met your dad?” he begins, looking towards his husband for comfort, but he only gets an arched eyebrow in reply, as if to say, “Are you stupid?”. So much for comfort.
“Are you telling us or asking us?” Yoonji, the supreme queen of their house even at age of twelve says, totally unimpressed.
“Can I go to my room now?” Yoongi, her twin asks. His cat-like face is almost as unimpressed as his sister’s.
God bless his soul, because he might die. And his husband, the jerk, can’t even hide his laugh. Jungkook throws him a stern glare. Jin tries to hide his plush lips behind his crooked fingers but his eyes have turned into soft crescents and it’s so adorable, even after all these years together that Jungkook wants to punch himself for being this whipped for his husband.
“No you can’t, shrimp boy.”
“One day I will grow up and be taller than you Daddy.” the child says with pride. Yoonji tries to hide her scoff by faking a cough but Yoongi hears it and crosses his arms in front of his chest, giving her the best indifferent face he can.
“Somehow I doubt it, Yoongi-chi.” Jin speaks from the kitchen, where he is cooking jjajjangmyun for them all. "You’re always avoiding your milk and skip meals way too often. I bet that the best you can do is get as tall as Jimin.”
“I’m not a shrimp! I can play basketball pretty well, right? And that’s a game for tall people!” the kid tries to rationalize. “Tell me one player who isn’t tall, huh?”
“There is that one from Space Jam…” Jungkook starts, watching as his son drops his smug attitude and pouts.
“Can I go to my room now?” the kid asks again gloomily and it’s hard for Jungkook to not laugh at how cute his son is. For someone so savage Yoongi is too adorable for his own well-being.
“Nope, I told you guys that I need to talk to both of you. Trust me, I don’t want to do this either, but your dad says so and everything is his fault.”
At that, the three of them send disgusted glares towards the man in the kitchen. The said man just blows a kiss to all of them in what he thinks is a manly way but is actually just plain embarrassing. If Jungkook was angry before, now he’s just as amused by his husband’s silliness and the exasperation on their kid’s faces.
“Okay, let’s begin this. How did you meet Dad?” asks Yoonji, in complete business mode.
Jungkook clears his throat and starts.
…………………………………….
The truth is this: when he was seventeen, Jungkook’s life sucked.
The Korean education system was only good for people that had no problems with math or were good at memorizing all the subjects without questioning anything. The problem had gotten even worse over the years because teachers and parents always wanted the best grades from their child and student. They weren’t interested in knowing if the poor kid understood that stuff. Grades mattered, how pressured you were didn’t.
Jungkook was an average student. His grades weren’t poor, but they weren’t comparable to his brother Junghyun. Junghyun was an exemplary student; he could touch the sky if he wanted, Jungkook on the other hand didn’t even know which course to pick in college, that is if he made it to college, and the decision was fast approaching him.
He was already stressed with school and the pressure from his family. He wanted to live without any more problems, it was all he asked for. But life had rejected his request.
Jungkook’s school held an annual day of activity where parents could come seen their children shine in sports and art events. Jungkook was good at both, brilliant even, but he couldn’t really sing in front of many people. It stressed him the most when people listened to his voice or looked in his direction. He was an introvert; it wasn’t possible for him match well in every situation he was thrown into.
So again more stress was thrown atop his shoulders and he was shaking. The cherry on top of the cake was when during one of the class activities a few teachers had found it funny to make the students play the game where they would pass a piece of paper around with their mouths. To make matters worse, while playing, Jungkook had accidentally kissed a boy. People had found it funny, but Jungkook was in shock for a completely different reason: he had liked it. He had liked it more than he should have, to be very honest. And it scared the hell out of him.
While the Korean school system also had a sexual education class on their schedule, none of his books explained a single thing about sex or about kisses with people of the same sex. Jungkook knew that there existed people who liked it. He knew they had a special tag on social media. He just didn’t know what to do now. Everyone seemed out of his reach. Neither could he talk with his family about it, nor with his friends at school. The other guys wanted dates with girls and they already had their crushes, their first kisses and their first times.
And suddenly Jungkook had too much to endure, too much to deal with at such a young age and all he thought about was dying. It would be better this way. His parents wouldn’t feel disgusted. He could be free from all the pressure on his shoulders. He wanted to fight the entire world, cause them as much pain as he was feeling. So even when a passerby bumped into his shoulder, he was the one who attacked first and got bitten in return.
He couldn’t even wish to go back home – not even his room felt like his own anymore. Jungkook realized he didn’t really want to die; he wanted to disappear off the earth.
He crossed the street and it was if time had slowed down. For a second, all he could see was the gray Prius coming towards him. The crying man driving the car was probably the most gorgeous person he had ever set his eyes on. It made him angry that above all things considered he had still noticed the man’s beauty. The car sent him flying, and as his head hit the concrete road, everything blacked out.
The next time he woke up he was at a different place, too clean. His mother was next to him and his father was talking with someone with white clothes. Outside the tiny infirmary was a pretty boy in a suit.
…………………………………….
“And then you met Dad and you fell in love and the story ends?” says Yoongi abruptly in a happy tone and jumps from the sofa. “Are we free now?”
“Eh, no. It was uncle Namjoon.”
“I never trusted him with a car. That’s a scary scenario,” Yoonji says, closing her eyes as if she was in pain while crossing her arms in front of her chest.
Yoongi sits back besides her, realizing that he’s going to be here for at least the next hour. He has that cute expression that makes him look like a quagsire. Jungkook laughs at his son’s frustrated face. In the interim, Jin’s singing something in the kitchen, probably a new ballad. His voice is sweet but not loud enough to cover the noise that Jjangu and Cloud are making.
“Oh darling you’re so wrong! Joon hyung was the one in the hospital. Bet you can’t guess who the driver was? I swear you won’t feel safe after hearing it. ” he says in a smug voice.
“It was me!” Jin shouts unexpectedly from the kitchen, glaring at Jungkook. His neck and ears have gone all red from embarrassment. “I was the driver that night and I had a pretty valid reason for why that happened! And you know about it, Jeon Jungkook! Kids! Don’t believe in the lies that this filthy mouth of your Daddy tries to say about an excellent driver like me…!”
“Ah hyung you weren’t complaining about it yesterday!” pouts Jungkook, talking about the taste testing he had done for Seokjin’s new recipes.
“Kids in the room! Kids in the room!” Yoongi yells, almost desperate. The boy covers his ears with his hands and now Yoonji’s passing judgmental looks at Jungkook. Wow that’s unfair.
“Please, let it be because it is that time of the year,” she says, without really believing it.
“It is that time of the year, Yoonji dear. What do you think I’m cooking all these delicacies for?” says Jin fondly.
“Yeah and you should thank me for trying that disgusting mango hell!”
“Darling, you could eat spoiled milk and it wouldn’t give you a stomach ache. You were the only one that was fine after the potato salad Namjoon made that made the three of us sick for the whole weekend. Frankly my poor mango rice didn’t have a chance against your hulk stomach!”
“Why did I marry you?”
“Because you fell for me!” Jin sends him a finger-heart. Jungkook is exasperated.
Meanwhile Holly, the children’s dog, takes his sweet time to walk until he’s sitting next to Yoonji and begs to be petted. Yoonji takes the brown poodle in her arms and Yoongi smiles at the dog. Jungkook can already foresee what’ll happen next.
“No dog on our sofa Yoonji,” he says sternly.
“But he asked so nicely!” Yoonji pleads.
Jin’s lips are pursed in a tight frown that only means trouble. “I won’t say it again!”
“Look at his face, dad! How can I deny him something?”
Well, Yoonji does have a point. Of the three dogs in the house, Holly was the sweetest. Jjangu was the oldest and he could only act cute if food is involved, pretty much like Seokjin. Cloud was Jungkook’s dog and a troublemaker who always annoyed Jjangu or scared Holly.
Maybe Taehyung was right when he said that a pet takes after their owner’s personality.
Yoonji’s still holding Holly and judging by his angry face, Jin isn’t having any of that. He stops whatever he was doing in the kitchen and begins to walk to the living room while cleaning his hands on a cloth.
“You’re in trouble!” mocks Yoongi.
“It’s not my fault Holly loves me more!” retorts Yoonji, pouting as she puts the dog on the ground before it’s too late.
Yoongi gives a judgmental glare to his sister. He sits down next to Holly to pet his fluffy brown coat. “It’s a lie, right Holly?”
The dog inclines his head and tries to lick Yoongi’s face. Yoongi smiles at his sister, Yoonji shrugs nonchalantly. Now in the living room, Jin decides to sit next to his kids and smiles softly at them. Jungkook makes a face at his husband who blinked again adorably.
“You punk.”
“What?”
“You’re so moody, hyung. I almost thought you would leave me at the altar just like Taehyung did on our wedding!”
“What?” the kids shouted surprised.
Holly gets scared and runs away. The twins share surprised expressions; they blink and then look at each other, conversing telepathically through their stares, probably trying to understand what Jungkook just said.
…………………………………….
After the accident, Jungkook’s life changed a bit.
Some things remained the same: he still had problems at school, still had a hard time figuring out which career he should choose and even which course he would graduate in. Sometimes he even considered not attending college, but then his parents would be disappointed in him that Jungkook discarded that possibility without further thought.
Other things too became troublesome. He had broken his leg in the accident and couldn’t walk for four months. The result? He failed that school year. Jungkook’s parents didn’t take it well and he felt bad for days.
Jungkook’s dad even tried to sue the flower boy who drove that night, a guy called Seokjin. But the boy who was at the hospital with them after the accident convinced them otherwise. His name was Namjoon and he patiently dealt with Jungkook’s parents. Seokjin even paid for the hospital bill, the crutches and then compromised his own schedule to drive Jungkook to and from school.
It was more of a problem than a solution.
See, Jungkook wasn’t a sociable person. He was shy. Way too shy. Every time Jungkook met a new person he would be really insecure and anxious, never really knowing how to speak or what to do with his hands. He had trouble reading people because he couldn’t figure out what they wanted from him.
Even so, there were many other things that had made circumstances more difficult for him. Seokjin was the prettiest person he had ever met and at the same time the man who was responsible for putting Jungkook in this odd situation.
Everything was weird.
His parents on Seokjin’s request had agreed to let him drive Jungkook to school. They cared more about his grades than what was under his skin. Nothing new there; his opinion hardly mattered in their home. Still, Jungkook tried to endure what fate threw at him.
Seokjin was always polite, didn’t force small talk and mostly paid attention to his surroundings. Jungkook could barely look at him directly and only snuck glances when Seokjin was distracted. For some reason something felt off about Seokjin, though he never asked for any. He wondered if he was imposing on Seokjin, since he had never once caught him smiling and on most days, he looked sad..
Their rides were always quiet until the day Taehyung tagged along.
Taehyung was Seokjin’s younger brother. He talked a lot, had an infectious smile and self confidence so high that Jungkook found himself envying the boy. In a journey of twenty minutes Jungkook discovered that Taehyung loved hamburgers, Van Gogh’s works, classical music and dated both girls and boys. The two exchanged numbers soon enough.
It was easy being friends with Taehyung, even if he had visuals as strong as his brother’s. Still, in Jungkook's eyes Seokjin was prettier than everyone else.
Being friends with Taehyung meant that he automatically became friends with Jimin. Taehyung and Jimin were an odd mix. Jungkook attributed this to his feeling of always being left out when he hung out with them, which didn’t really make sense because Taehyung always found a way to include Jungkook.
It was because of Taehyung that Jungkook gained confidence in his body, even if it was Seokjin who suggested that he should work out to increase his serotonin. Taehyung was a friend that he was completely comfortable being with. It was but natural that Taehyung was his first kiss, his first date, the first boyfriend, and then his fiancee.
And since all of it was indirectly because of Seokjin, Jungkook chose him to be his best man. At first Seokjin didn’t want to accept it. “It’s too soon and you’re both too young”, Seokjin had said. Jungkook was 19, still very indecisive about many things in his life, but not about Taehyung, not their marriage. In the end Seokjin had begrudgingly accepted his request.
The wedding was on a secluded beach in Busan. Just a few people had been invited, mostly Taehyung’s friends and family. Jungkook’s parents had refused to come; only his brother was there and not wholeheartedly. Like Seokjin, Junghyun believed that Jungkook would come to regret his decision, a prediction Jungkook was now determined to prove wrong.
So Jungkook stood proudly at the improvised altar, Seokjin was to his left and the authority that would officiate the ceremony to his right. Obviously Taehyung’s best man was Jimin, but none of them had arrived yet. Jungkook tried to not be nervous, as Taehyung was known to always be late.
After a good 40 minutes, Namjoon suddenly asked for Seokjin and they were gone. Jungkook tried to see where they went, but pretty soon they were out of sight. The sun was disappearing behind the sea. Some guests were looking at him pitifully, others with barely concealed irritation. Jungkook was slowly losing it. Taehyung wouldn’t do that to him. Before being a couple, they were friends and friends didn’t break each other’s heart like this.
Hope was the only thing he had, until Seokjin came back and asked Jungkook to follow him. Namjoon took his place and was talking something to the authority in hurried whispers. Seokjin guided him to a private place, with a bottle of wine in his hand for some reason. For a moment, Jungkook thought about how and why Seokjin had gotten his hands on the wine, then he saw the seriousness on Seokjin’s face and suddenly Jungkook didn’t want to be there.
“I am sorry, Jungkook. Tae...he’s not coming.”
Jungkook let that sink in.
“Tae wouldn't… I am sure he is just late like he always is! Are you sure something hasn’t happened to him? Maybe an accident?”
Seokjin shook his head regretfully. For a short moment, Jungkook wanted to believe that Seokjin was lying to him but then again, Seokjin had no reason to lie. Jungkook’s guts sank deeper and everything was spinning around too fast around him. He wanted to throw up. Jungkook could feel the tears well up in his eyes, even though he didn’t want to cry, not near Seokjin. He didn’t want Seokjin’s pity.
“He ran away with Jimin.”
“Fuck…” Jungkook said, cupping his mouth.
It hurt. It was difficult to breathe and he felt his body tremble with the humiliation of being betrayed by the two people he had trusted the most. Jungkook couldn’t stop the tears and he looked away from Seokjin.
“Look, I know how you are feeling right now and…”
“Oh, do you? Excuse me this once hyung, but I am pretty sure that you don’t know what I am feeling right now!” Jungkook shouted angrily.
He was not mad at Seokjin. Jungkook didn’t want to take out his frustrations on an innocent person. The problem was that he couldn’t control what he was feeling. It was like he had been poisoned and all he wanted to do was hurt anyone who crossed his path.
Seokjin was staring him with a morose expression.
“The night I hit you with my car was the day of my own wedding.”
Jungkook blinked in surprise.
“Well, you obviously didn’t go through with it.”
“Only because I saw my ex in an orgy hours before our wedding. And I had to call everybody and inform them that there wasn’t going to be a wedding. So, trust me, I know exactly how you’re feeling right now.”
Jungkook recalled that night. It all made sense now. Why Seokjin was always sad while driving him to school, why the older was so against the idea of Jungkook marrying so young.
Seokjin sat next to him and offered the bottle of wine to him to take a swig. Now the wine made sense and Jungkook felt grateful for Seokjin.
“Did you know this would happen?”
“I had an intuition, yeah. Taetae and Jimin always had this weird connection… it was only a matter of time. I am sorry.”
He felt that blinding anger once again. “Then why did you let me say yes to him? Why did you agree to be my best man?”
Jungkook hated how his voice sounded so broken and helpless. Seokjin smiled sadly and began to massage his neck in soft motions.
“Because sometimes we need to let people make their own mistakes. The important thing is to be there when they realize it and say ‘I told you so’. By the way, I told you so.”
Maybe it was the smugness in Seokjin’s voice, maybe the comforting hand on his neck, but Jungkook couldn’t help but smile.
“Fuck you.”
They fell quiet for a few moments. And it wasn’t like Jungkook’s problems had faded into oblivion, but now he felt like he could breathe again.
“I am an idiot. I should have seen it coming, I mean, do you know we hadn’t even consummated our relationship? I thought he was just being romantic, you know? Like when people say, ‘we will only have sex after our wedding because it will be more special’.”
“Well, now I am glad that Taehyung didn’t take advantage of you. Your first time should be special.”
It was too sappy and definitely not what Jungkook had expected in that weird moment. Without really realizing, Jungkook pouted and Seokjin’s eyes disappeared into soft crescents.
“Don’t be too hard on yourself. My ex, Hyosang, he was trouble. I never could see it. Namjoon always told me he was bad news but I couldn’t see it, and when I finally did it was too late.”
From where they were, Jungkook could hear the buzz of people leaving. Junghyun probably was happy and Jungkook’s parents would be even happier. Another failure they could throw in his face.
“What should I do now?”
“Now you’re gonna get in my car, I’m gonna drive us to my apartment and we’re gonna get drunk and watching shitty movies. We can order food too, my treat.”
Jungkook watched Seokjin stand up and dust the sand off his suit.
“You don’t have to do that.”
Seokjin gave him one of those smiles that made him look like the prettiest man on earth.
“No, but I want to.”
…………………………………….
“That’s…” Yoonji begins.
“… Too much,” Yoongi finishes.
Jungkook and Jin laugh at their children’s astonished faces.
“Yeah, I agree that your daddy and I have a weird story,” Jin comments, his distant eyes pretty much saying that he is reminiscing.
“Dad, you married the man uncle Taehyung almost married!” shouts Yoonji, scandalized. “It’s brotherhood’s law to not date the person your brother dated!”
“But uncle Tae left daddy at the altar and now Dad and Daddy are happy, so how does it matter?”
“Still. It’s not something someone should do.” Yoonji pouts.
Jin smiles and then hugs Yoonji. For once, she doesn’t protest when her dad pets her soft black hair. Yoongi looks around for Holly, but the poodle is nowhere to sight. Jungkook feels very soft watching his family. He doesn’t believe that he could’ve been this happy if he had actually married Taehyung.
“Uncle Taehyung used to think that too. He was very upset with me for a while, but uncle Hobi convinced him that he was only being petty. Taetae was the one who started all this mess after all.”
Jungkook recalls that night. Seokjin and he watched ‘’Friends’ all night; they ate junk food and spent time together. And it was so good that they did it again and again. At some point he fell for Jin and Jin fell for him.
They were official for a few weeks when Taehyung discovered, and then refused to talk or text Jin for a whole two months. Jungkook still was pissed with Taehyung and Jimin; watching Jin sad didn’t help. The one who suffered the most was Namjoon who was trying to make everyone friends again and failing hard.
Jin almost broke up with him because of Taehyung. Namjoon was like a lost puppy and if it wasn’t for Hoseok, maybe none of them would’ve been happy now. Hoseok was the one who convinced Taehyung how petty he was being since he had no rights to call Jin out when he was the one who had left Jungkook; It was Hoseok who convinced Jungkook to forgive Taehyung and Jimin now since he was happy with Jin and Taehyung was Jin’s family.
“Besides, it wasn’t as if Taehyung had feelings for me, or vice versa.”
The kids give a look at Jungkook. Jungkook sighs.
“A few days after the wedding fiasco your uncle Junghyun and I had a serious talk. I realized that my marriage was just a way to escape from the pressure your grandparents put on my shoulders. They wanted me to go to university but I didn’t want to.”
“That’s how you become a youtuber, Daddy?” Yoonji asks with her eyes closed.
“That’s how I became a youtuber. I don’t complain about my job, do I?”
“Just the other day you were complaining about your camera Daddy!” Yoongi accused.
“I don’t complain much about my job.”
And truth be told, Jungkook really couldn’t complain that much about his job. He loves it! Who wouldn’t be happy getting paid to play online games, eat delicious food, sing parodies and spend time with his husband? Jungkook’s channel ‘Nochu plays’ already had six million subscribers. Jungkook records at his small studio now that he can afford it. Jimin always helps him with editing and sometimes even Yoongi lends a hand for a little allowance in return.
“But wait, why did you think Dad wouldn’t attend the wedding Daddy?”
“Well.”
…………………………………….
This time it should be ok. It wasn’t a beach (Jungkook’s failed wedding three years ago), it wasn’t a garden(Seokjin’s failed wedding four years ago). It was in a proper place inside Seoul and they were paying per hour. Seokjin, his beloved fiancé and soon to be his husband, was late.
Seokjin was never late. Ever.
In the two years they were dating, Seokjin was the early riser. Not even sex could be a good excuse for Seokjin to be late for something. Trust him: Jungkook had tried. Seokjin was on time even if he was puking his guts out or with a fever. So something was definitely wrong.
Call it intuition, but Jungkook could feel it in his bones that something was not right. Jungkook’s mind automatically went to the worst-case scenario. The wedding process was tense and they’d had many disagreements over insignificant things like the color palette(in the end, Seokjin won and everything was bright pink);many unnecessary and hurtful things had been said to each other. But it had never crossed his mind to give up on Seokjin. Jungkook could only hope it hadn’t crossed Seokjin’s mind as well.
Jungkook tried to control his fear and trust Seokjin to come. He looked around the place they had rented and found Taehyung holding his sleepy baby, Han Sung. Jimin was by Taehyung’s side probably having baby talk with Hoseok, like they always did nowadays. Hoseok looked worried, his lips forming that inverted triangle that never meant anything good. His parents and his brother were at a table not too far from Taehyung’s. His mother looked worried but tried to smile when their eyes met.
God, it would destroy his heart if Seokjin didn’t make it. Jungkook’s pride wouldn’t survive this time. The damage would be too deep for him to forgive this time and not even Hoseok would be able to convince him otherwise.
Insecurity was eating him whole. Jungkook bit his lips, trying to conceal his despair. Suddenly, Namjoon gasped and by how huge his eyes got, Jungkook could assume that he had found Jungkook’s fiancé. Jungkook held his breath.
“Where are you? Everyone is here… Huh?” Namjoon spoke in a low voice so that only Jungkook could listen.
Jungkook watched Namjoon’s face go pale & eyes widen further. Something was very wrong and Jungkook could feel the tears stinging his eyes. Instinctively, he pressed his lips in a tight line, hands shaking nervously.
“Ok, I’ll pass it to Jungkook, ok? Be calm.”
Namjoon passed him the cellphone.
“Why aren’t you here?”
Jungkook hated how broken and whiny his voice sounded. In this kind of situation he should be more collected, more mature, but it was easier said than done. Seokjin sighed through the phone.
“Baby I love you; you don’t know how happy I am just to hear you again.”
“Then why are you not here? Where are you?”
A single tear trickled down his face as he spoke on the phone. Jungkook hurriedly wiped it before the guests could note how affected he was. Seokjin had decided that it was the right moment to stop talking.
“Say something you punk!”
“Promise me that you won’t overreact first.”
A new kind of anger possessed him then.
“I am fucking going to kill you if…!”
“There was an accident. I am at the hospital now and they kind of don’t want me to get out of here, but I swear that I am fine; I’ve just got a few bruises. You don’t need to worry so much...”
Jungkook froze, tuning Seokjin out. The mixture of emotions - embarrassment, relief, exhaustion, worry, guilt - all of it was hurting his head. Jungkook’s legs felt like jelly as he sat on the floor.
Namjoon was by his side, offering him a cup of water that Jungkook accepted with a small smile. He took a long sip.
“Baby? Are you there?” asked Seokjin.
“I will give the phone to someone responsible enough to drive me to you. I don’t want to be like someone else I know.”
“You insufferable brat! Why do I love you?”
“I don’t know Hyung, but I love you too.”
Jungkook gave the phone to Hoseok and let him lead the way;Hoseok and Namjoon explained the situation to the guests; Hoseok also asked Taehyung and Jimin to drive Jungkook to the hospital where Seokjin was. Jungkook quietly obeyed Hoseok.
The ride was almost quiet. Han sung woke up and was playing with him for the rest of the journey. For a moment, Jungkook could imagine himself and Seokjin in the future with their own children. He would like that. Actually, Jungkook would love that.
They finally arrived at the hospital and Jungkook proceeded to the infirmary where Seokjin was being treated.
He had expected many things, but not this.
Seokjin was lying on his back, his beautiful face pale and his eyes red from tears. Apart from the gauze around his head, he looked fine, at least physically. What was beyond belief was the the two scared toddlers Seokjin was holding close. One of the babies was a girl in a cute flowery pink dress, her tiny lips trembling. The tiny boy with the green jacket was eyeing him suspiciously.
“What…?”
“It’s fine, he’s my fiancé. Isn’t he pretty?”
Seokjin normally had a sweet voice, and when he was drunk it was even sweeter but right now it surpassed any memory Jungkook had with him. As if it was possible, Jungkook fell all over again for Seokjin. Jungkook watched the boy relax against Seokjin while the little girl just looked at him.
“Yeah…”
Then she just hid her face in Seokjin’s chest and Jungkook smiled.
“Who are these cuties?”
“They were in one of the cars. I saved them; I tried to help their mother too. She’s in surgery. They refused to go to any policeman, so I offered to take care of them. Are you angry?”
Finally Jungkook freed his tears and smiled reassuringly at Seokjin.
“Never.”
…………………………………….
“Your mother didn’t make it. It was an ugly accident. One driver was drunk and hit the bridge's security barrier. It was chaos after that,” Jin explains, his face falling dejectedly.
“Three cars couldn’t stop and got tangled. I was in the last car, that’s why I was almost fine. My first reaction was to check the others and your parents’ car was in front of me. Your birth father was already dead. Your mother only cared about you guys so I took you out of the car.”
A long pause follows. Jungkook hates it. Yoonji and Yoongi already know they were adopted and they had accepted it well. They could even be angels if it weren’t for Yoonji being lazy with her homework or Yoongi entirely skipping his meals.
Though they had agreed that this was the right moment for Yoongi and Yoonji to know the story behind their adoption, it still makes him anxious. Jungkook looks to his husband; Seokjin looks calm and it tranquilizes Jungkook a bit more.
“Is this why I have those nightmares Dad?” Yoongi asked without looking at Jin.
“I guess so.”
Yoongi just shakes his head in acceptance. Sometimes Jungkook wishes his son were more emotive. It would help him to understand Yoongi better and be there for him. Jin and Jungkook had agreed that they should explain the origin of Yoongi’s nightmares and maybe then they would be able to help the boy better.
“Ok. I’m going to look at our jjajjangmyun, Dad. I’ll help clean the dishes after.”
Seokjin nods and then Yoongi goes to the kitchen without a word further. Jungkook never can read Yoongi well and he gives an apprehensive look towards Seokjin. The other man has a tiny smile on his lips and his eyes are shining. Yoonji has a judgmental expression and suddenly Jungkook feels out of it. It’s clear that his husband and his daughter know something he doesn’t.
“Why he can’t just say ‘thank you’? It would be easier,” comments Yoonji while glaring at her brother.
Seokjin laughs.
“Your twin wouldn’t be himself if he doesn’t acts like a tsundere, darling.”
Jungkook watches Seokjin and Yoonji laughs. Yoongi’s ear perks at the small talk but he doesn’t say anything, probably as clueless as Jungkook is right now.
“Then, how does this story end Daddy?” asks Yoonji a little more cheerfully.
Jungkook forcefully tries to ignore the annoyance of being left out and recalls what happened next. The memory’s sweet enough for him to ignore what’s troubling him.
“Well, your Dad and I applied to adopt you both. It took a whole year, and right after that we got married at the farm.”
They married at an apple farm in autumn. Everyone was secretly apprehensive if it would go smoothly, but this time everything was perfect. The music, the colors (light pink and white, thank God), the food - It was probably the second best day of his life, the first being the day when they found out that Yoongi and Yoonji would definitely be theirs.
“You and Yoongi brought the rings. It was the day you become our queen. Do you remember Hyung?
The way Seokjin’s eyes shine says it all. He looks so beautiful and ageless. Jungkook feels his heart accelerate and he find himself falling in love again with the same person. Like he did when he saw Seokjin with the toddlers, or when Seokjin gave up working at his father’s business.
“How could I forget?” Seokjin gives that awkward laugh that Jungkook loves.
Jungkook remembers how grumpy Yoongi was that day, being forced to wear a tie. Yoonji looked absolutely adorable in her sparkly white dress.
“That day you had said, ‘why I should be a princess when a queen is cooler? I don’t want to be a princess; I want to be a queen!”
“Of course, even when I was a baby I knew what I wanted. I am a confident woman Dad!” Yoonji says.
“That’s for sure, darling.”
Jungkook smiles at them. After considering his chances, Jungkook goes to the kitchen where Yoongi is taking care of the pans. Casual, Jungkook should be casual and act cool. Except he almost falls when he tries resting against the wall. Yoongi looks at him with mild disgust.
Why parenthood doesn’t have a book?
“So… How are you doing?” Jungkook asks, scratching the back of his head.
“I’m fine, Daddy.”
Yoongi ignores him in favor of the pans.
“I am talking about the other thing.”
Jungkook bites his lip, trying to not look apprehensive and failing. Yoongi gives him an assuring smile.
“I am fine.”
“If you say so.”
Being a father is scarier than any horror game his subscribers ask him to play, Jungkook decides while he makes his way back to the living room. Before he can go too far, Yoongi’s voice stops him.
“If you want, I could help you with that game you were struggling to record the other day.”
Jungkook stops and looks back at his son, but the boy don’t even glance back. Yoongi’s still busy with the pans, but only now does Jungkook understand what Yoonji and Jin were so smug about.
Oh man, of all his traits he shared that with his son? It’s not fair. Yoongi deserves better than to have Jungkook’s inability to talk freely with people.
“ You don’t need to pay me this time.”
Jungkook smiles, even though his son can’t see him.
“We can work on it after dinner. What do you think?”
Yoongi looks at him and nods.
“Cool.”
When Jungkook makes his way to the living room, his eyes meet Jin’s. Jungkook nods and Jin smiles brightly. And in that very moment Jungkook feels like the happiest man on earth.
Their life hasn’t been easy and Jungkook doesn’t expect it to get easier either. He still struggles with being a father, lacks in many aspects, sometimes arguments with his husband happen.
But, maybe it isn’t important. In the end, what would really matter is if they can share more moments like this and take joy in just being together. It would be enough. More than enough: perfect.