After Yoongi’s kid ends up at the police station at 3 am, he gets the chance to call a grownup to come pick him up. And instead of calling his dad, the boy decides to call Jimin, Yoongi’s ex boyfriend. #yoonminfest #ymfest_d4

i’ll finish the fake dating au before starting this one!!! so go read that one first :3

•please don’t reply since the thread could break. qrt instead! and please interact with the au:< •childhood friends to lovers to exes •mentions of underage drinking • homophobia (will tw)

•teenage pregnancy •yoongi had soobin when he was 16 •yoongi’s 31 now •jimin’s 29 •soobin’s 14

It’s around 2:15 am when Jimin’s phone starts buzzing under his pillow. It takes a few seconds, but the boy eventually stirs. He checks the screen with narrowed eyes, and sees an unknown number. He panics for a second, thinking his mom is back at the hospital. He picks up.

“Hello?” He croaks, rubbing the tiredness from his eyes. “Hyung.” Someone cries on the other end. Jimin frowns as soon as he recognizes that voice. “I’m sorry, hyung. I didn’t know who else to call.” “Soobin? Are you okay? Did something happen?” He immediately asks.

Soobin sniffles loudly. “I’m in trouble, hyung. I’m at—at a police station downtown. They won’t let me go home.” Jimin sits up as soon as he hears that. He suddenly feels wide awake. “Are you hurt? What happened?” “I drank a beer.” Soobin says after a thick silence.

“God, kid.” Jimin groans as he moves his covers to the side. He walks over to his closet, changing his pajama shorts for some sweatpants, throwing a hoodie on. “I’m gonna go get you, okay? Are you hurt?” “I don’t know where my friends are.” He cries harder. He must be scared.

“I’m on my way. Just, uh, don’t tell them anything. Not until I get there.” Jimin speaks quickly as he puts on some shoes. The call ends abruptly after that, which makes Jimin move faster. He grabs a bottle of cold brew, hoping it’ll be enough to wake him up for the ride.

He drives fast towards the only police station there is downtown. He hadn’t realized when he woke up, but it was raining heavily. He should have grabbed a blanket for Soobin. It always rains at the beginning of November and Jimin hates it, but they’re lucky there’s no snow yet.

He gets there at 3:03 am. The ride gave him enough time to fully wake up and think about what was currently going on. Soobin had always been obedient and polite, and also extremely shy. He's sweet. It’s not like him to be drinking out at night with other kids. He’s only fourteen!

Then again, it’s been more than a year since they last saw each other. Jimin frowns. He guesses a lot can happen in a year. Still, he was there when Soobin was born. He spent almost every day with him and Yoongi. He almost raised the kid. He's not like this.

The storm gets more intense, and Jimin runs from his car to the door once he parks his car. The yellow lights flicker, and there’s a thick silence in the room that breaks with the squishing sound of his wet shoes against the floor. A cop sits behind the main desk, on his phone.

Jimin clears his throat, but the man doesn’t look up. He’s skinny, and has a mustache. Jimin places his hands on the counter. “Excuse me. I’m here for Min Soobin.” He says. The cop looks at Jimin’s hands, and then up at him. He stays quiet for a while before asking “Who?”

“Min Soobin? He’s a kid. He said he was here with his friends.” The cop shoots Jimin a weird look. He glances down at the boy’s hands again. “That’s classified information.” “No, it isn’t. He called me so I could pick him up.” Jimin says before taking a deep breath.

He lowers his hands. “I just want to pay the fine and take him home, so—” “Are you his father?” Jimin winces at the question. “Uh, no. I’m a family friend, but—” “You can’t take him.” The cop deadpans. “The kid called me, not his dad.” Jimin tries once again.

“Then he’s a dumb kid. Only the legal guardian can take a minor home.” “Don’t call him dumb.” Jimin huffs, glaring at the cop. “Look, you’re wasting your time here. I can’t let you take him.” He says, clearly waiting for Jimin to give up on the matter. “You’re not related.”

Jimin pauses for a second. He didn’t want to do this, but it looks like he has no other choice. “I’ll call his father, then.” He mutters. “Can you please tell me more about the case? So I can explain it to him?” “No.” The cop simply replies before grabbing his phone once more.

Jimin stares at him with his mouth open. “Sir, Soobin-ah mentioned he was here with other kids. Where are their parents? He also mentioned some, uh, underaged drinking?” The cop sighs loudly. “It’s classified. You have to wait till the Chief of Police comes to handle the case.”

“And when are they getting here?” Jimin asks, getting irritated. “I don’t know. I’ve never met him, but I know he’s a busy guy. Might be hours.” Jimin sighs, rubbing his temple. “Can I see my kid?” he asks, making the cop raise his brow. “No, you can’t. He's not your kid."

“You can take a seat while you wait for the Chief.” Jimin figures he's right. He sits on one of the uncomfortable chairs, and looks around the station. He can’t help but to feel worried about Soobin. Last time they talked, the kid had mentioned he didn’t have many friends.

Jimin gave him some advice to help him out of his shell. He didn’t expect Soobin to start hanging out with… delinquents. He wonders how Yoongi let this happen in the first place. He sighs. He should probably call Yoongi now, though he doesn’t know how he’ll explain this mess.

Jimin really hopes Soobin will forgive him for telling his dad about his current situation. He grabs his phone, opens up the contacts’ list, and lets his thumb hover over Yoongi’s number. It’s been more than a year since they last spoke to each other.

He probably deleted Jimin’s number. Jimin couldn’t delete his. He feels a bit pathetic. He presses the call button. The phone rings, and Jimin feels his heart beating a little faster. Maybe he won’t pick up. He’s probably sleeping. He won’t answer to an unknown number.

It rings once, twice… five times, six. Jimin thinks he should hang up and try again. And just when he’s about to do so, Yoongi answers the phone. “Jimin-ah?” He asks with a husky voice. He didn’t delete the number. “Are you okay?” “Yoongi.” Jimin whispers. “It’s Soobin.”

Yoongi stays silent. And then, Jimin hears a chair against the wooden floor. Did he fall asleep while working? “What do you mean? Soobin’s at his friend's house.” “They were caught drinking, Yoongi. They’re at the station downtown.” “He said they were going to watch movies.”

Jimin closes his eyes. “Soobin called me, hyung. I came here to pick him up but since I’m not the legal guardian I can’t take him. They’re also not giving me any information about his case, so there’s not much I can tell you. But you should come here as soon as you can.”

“Fuck, okay. I’ll be there in ten minutes.” Yoongi groans before saying goodbye, and hanging up the phone. Jimin opens his eyes once again as the words start to sink in.

They broke up last year, in September. They hooked up once in October. And they haven’t seen each other since. And now all of a sudden Yoongi’s coming back to him. It will probably be awkward as fuck.

tw: homophobic comments

The minutes pass by slowly, and Jimin keeps checking his phone over and over again. He texted Taehyung to let him know what was happening, but his friend was most likely asleep, since he got no reply. With a sigh, he walks over to the main desk once again. “Excuse me.”

The cop glares at him once again. “Is there a vending machine around here?” The cop looks almost disgusted. “Down the hall, to the left.” It’s all he says. Jimin nods before he starts walking away. He feels the cop eyeing him up and down as he leaves. He walks a little faster.

Once Jimin leaves, the doors open. The cop glances, looking almost bored, but he straightens up as soon as he sees the man in an expensive suit walking towards him. “Sir.” He says with a polite bow. “Goodnight, officer. I’m here for Min Soobin.” He goes straight to the point.

“Ah, yes, the Min case. I’m glad you got here already, sir. You have no idea what it’s been like.” The cop sighs. “Has he been troublesome?” The man asks with a frown. “The kid? Nah, he’s locked without his friends. He’s been crying all night.” He replies, rolling his eyes.

The man looks stunned for a second. The cop gasps. “I didn't introduce myself! Sorry, sir. I’m Officer Han.” He bows again. “The problem isn’t the kid, is the… guy that came over to get him. At least I think it’s a guy. You can’t really tell these days, huh?” “Excuse me?”

“He looks like a girl. You’ll see once he comes back. He’s not even the kid’s dad, but he’s trying to take him. Seoul really has been infested with freaks, don’t you think? This guy even has his nails painted.” “What guy?” As on cue, Jimin’s voice echoes in the room. “Yoongi?”

The man turns around, eyes falling on Jimin’s small frame. He immediately walks closer to him, wrapping his arms around the boy and hugging him tight. “Jimin-ah. Thank you for calling me.” Jimin’s a bit surprised, but he eventually hugs back. He can’t really blame Yoongi.

He’s probably just shocked by the entire situation. “Hyung, it’s okay. Soobin’s fine, I think. The guy hasn’t told me much, to be honest.” Jimin tries to comfort him. Right, the cop. Yoongi turns around to glare at the officer, who’s looking at the two of them with wide eyes.

“You are, uh... I’m sorry, sir. I thought you were the Chief.” “And you thought you could make homophobic comments to get brownie points with your boss?” Yoongi glares daggers at the man. “Where the fuck is my son?” “You have to wait till the Chief comes.”

“Officer Han, right? You better start giving me some useful information about my kid or else I’ll file a complaint to this Chief clown about his—” “Okay, okay!” The cop huffs. Jimin bites his cheek to stop himself from smiling. “They were caught driving without a license.”

Jimin and Yoongi look at each other. “They what?” The cop types something on his computer. He reads over the case file while Jimin anxiously taps his fingers against the counter. Yoongi glances at his hands. The nails look trimmed, and they’re carefully painted. Looks pretty.

“Is the name Choi Yeonjun familiar to you?” Officer Han asks. Yoongi nods quickly. “Apparently he grabbed his mom’s car without permission. He was caught at 2 am with other four kids. Soobin among them. ” “For fuck’s sake.” Yoongi groans, covering his face.

“We found two cans of beer in the car as well.” The cop continues. Jimin has no idea why the guy is suddenly feeling extra chatty, but he won’t question it either. He runs his fingers through his hair, feeling frustrated.

He knows Soobin will be in big trouble. “Okay, fuck. I’m guessing there’s a fine to pay?” “Uh, yes sir. But we have to wait—” “I’m not going to wait here while you let my kid crying all alone. This is his first offense, so let me just pay the damn fine and take him home.”

“Yoon.” Jimin whispers. The cop looks between them once again before nodding. “I’ll make a phone call.” He murmurs. Yoongi shoots him a glare before the cop walks towards the back, trying to contact his boss. He sighs, and turns to look at Jimin. “Hey.”

Jimin sighs before offering him the bar of chocolate he just bought at the vending machine. “I got one for Soobin as well.” He informs him. Yoongi hesitates before grabbing the candy car. “He doesn’t deserve chocolate right now.” “He’s probably hungry.” Jimin retaliates.

Yoongi doesn’t argue. Instead, he opens the chocolate bar, offering Jimin half of it. He takes it with a little smile. “Go easy on him, yeah?” “Drinking and driving, Jimin-ah.” “I know. But he’s probably scared now. You can talk to him in the morning.” Jimin tries again.

Yoongi angrily eats, considering Jimin’s words. When he swallows, he glances at the boy. “It’s, uh, been a while.” He murmurs, changing the topic. Jimin suddenly feels a bit shy. “Oh, yeah. How… how have you been?” Yoongi scoffs. “Been better.”

“You look fancy.” Jimin points out, looking at him up and down. He looks handsome. “Did you fall asleep while working?” “Yeah. I managed to close the bridge deal, finally. I was finishing up with the paperwork and dozed off.” Jimin rolls his eyes, but he smiles. “That’s great.”

“What about you?” Yoongi asks after a beat. “I heard you, uh, became a teacher?” Jimin holds his breath when he hears that. One of his friends probably told Yoongi about it. He can’t help but to wonder if Yoongi has been asking about him, or if they just mentioned it to him.

Before he can answer, though, they get interrupted by officer Han. “I talked to the Chief. You can come pay the fine at the front desk and go home. They’re letting him out of his cell right now.” He says. Yoongi mumbles something under his breath before following him.

Jimin is finishing the chocolate bar when he hears footsteps, and then— “Hyung!” Soobin cries before running towards Jimin, wrapping his arms tightly around him. Jimin almost trips, but he immediately hugs him back. “Hey Bugs.” He whispers, rubbing the boy’s back as he cries.

“I’m s-so sorry, hyung. I will n-never, ever, do that again, I promise.” The boy sobs, and Jimin’s heart breaks a little. “Bugs, look at me.” He cups the boy’s face. His eyes are puffy, and his nose is red. “We can talk about it later, yeah? Don’t worry about it right now.”

The kid nods, cleaning his nose with his hoodie’s sleeve. “The—the police said my dad is here.” Jimin sighs. “Yeah. I had to call him, sorry kiddo.” “Is he mad?” Jimin glances at the front desk. “Well… yeah. I think he was really scared and worried about you.”

“That’s a first.” Soobin mumbles, making Jimin frown. He's about to reply when Yoongi comes back. “Dad, I—” “I don’t want to hear it right now.” Yoongi interrupts him. Soobin immediately deflates. “Now, apologize to Jimin for making him come here.” “Yoongi, there’s no need.”

Yoongi raises his hand to stop him. Soobin sighs, and he turns to Jimin. “I’m sorry, hyung. I just... I didn’t know who else to call.” He murmurs, shooting a glare at his dad. Yoongi only stares in silence. It’s easy to tell that things aren’t great between them right now.

“Well, I’m glad you’re okay, Bugs.” Jimin says, handing Soobin the chocolate bar, ignoring the way Yoongi clicks his tongue. “Will you stay with us tonight?” Soobin suddenly asks, making both adults turn to look at him. Jimin blushes, and Yoongi quickly looks away.

“Uh, I don’t think so, Bugs. I should go back home.” “But you live so far away, hyung.” Soobin whines. Yoongi places his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “You’re still living there? Your old apartment?” Jimin nods.

“Then maybe you should stay with us tonight. It’s dangerous to drive at this hour.” Yoongi mumbles, avoiding eye contact. Jimin hesitates, but he notices the way Soobin is looking at him with hopeful eyes. “Thank you. I appreciate it.” He finally agrees with an awkward smile.

It’s around 10:30 am when Jimin wakes up. He slept on the couch, though Yoongi insisted on letting him sleep on the bed. Jimin finally admitted he felt more comfortable in the living room, and Yoongi didn’t insist anymore.

After all, it’d be weird to sleep all alone in the bed they used to share. Jimin stretches in the sofa before sitting up. He can hear Yoongi humming in the kitchen, and the sound makes Jimin’s heart ache for some reason. It feels so domestic.

Before he can allow himself to dwell on that thought, he decides to get up and waddle towards the kitchen to see what Yoongi is doing. The second he walks in he sees Yoongi, shirtless, a towel around his neck. “Hey.” Jimin says with a husky voice, trying not to stare.

“Good morning.” Yoongi replies. “I’m making pancakes. And, uh, I made you coffee.” He adds, pointing at a cup on the kitchen counter. “Thank you.” Jimin mumbles as he grabs the cup. Yoongi added ice, a bit of milk and a teaspoon of sugar, just like Jimin likes it.

“Do they have chocolate chips?” Jimin asks, taking a step closer. Yoongi chuckles before shaking his head. “You used to ask me that every single time. It’s breakfast, not dessert.” Jimin rolls his eyes. “But I can make you some with chips. As a thank you for last night.”

“You don’t need to thank me. I didn’t really do anything.” Jimin mumbles, taking a sip of his coffee. “You answered your phone when he called.” Yoongi replies, opening a drawer and getting a small pack of chips. He adds some, and then puts them away. “That’s more than enough.”

“I thought he was in danger. Or that something had happened to you.” Jimin admits, moving to the kitchen aisle and sitting on one of the stools. “I was really worried. When he said he was at a police station I panicked.” “I did too, when you called me.”

They stay quiet for a little while. Jimin drinks his coffee while Yoongi focuses on not burning their breakfast. “Who’s Choi Yeonjun?” Yoongi sighs when he hears the question. “He transferred last semester, he’s a year older than Soobin but they have been hanging out.”

“And they were out with the others? Beomgyu, Tae, and Kai?” Jimin asks. “Yeah. Kai’s parents called me this morning. It was a mess. Yoongi huffs as he flips the pancakes. “I mean, drinking is one thing, but stealing your mom’s car while drinking? How do I handle this?”

“Do you want me to talk to Soobin about it?” Jimin offers. “No.” Yoongi replies immediately. They both stay quiet, feeling the tension bubbling up. “I’m his dad. I’ll deal with it.” He finally adds, but the words hurt Jimin for some reason. He guesses Yoongi is right.

After all, Jimin isn’t related to Soobin whatsoever. It still hurts, though. Yoongi sets a plate in front of Jimin, and he then places two pancakes on it. “Honey?” He asks, and Jimin’s eyes widen for a second. “Oh. Yes, please.” He murmurs with a blush.

He shouldn’t be there, it brings back too many memories. They started dating when Jimin was 23, Yoongi was 25. Little Soobin was only 8. It lasted five years. Even before that, Yoongi and Jimin were childhood friends. They had always been there for each other.

When Yoongi got Harin pregnant, the first person he told was Jimin. When Yoongi was choosing baby names, Jimin thought of Soobin. Even when Harin told Yoongi she didn’t want to be involved with the baby, Jimin hugged him and said he’d help him.

But yeah, Soobin isn’t his kid. With a pout, Jimin begins to munch on his ridiculously tasty pancakes. Curse Min Yoongi and his talented hands. “You’re frowning.” Yoongi calls him out. Jimin swallows. “Why are you two fighting?”

Yoongi raises his brows at the question. He didn’t expect Jimin to be so straightforward. “He stole a car and dr—” “No. There’s something else going on between you two.” Yoongi frowns before turning around, working on a second batch of pancakes.

“Did something happen?” Jimin asks again. “I’m handling it. We’re… both going to therapy now.” Yoongi says quietly. It’s clear he doesn’t want to speak about it. And yet, Jimin can’t stay quiet. “Why?”

“We don’t need a reason to go to therapy. It’s just healthy.” Yoongi replies, spreading butter on the pan. “I know that. But you guys are fighting, so something happened.” Jimin mumbles as he plays with his fork. Finally, Yoongi looks back at him, leaning against the counter.

“The therapist said it’s like a divorce.” He finally says, crossing his arms over his chest. Jimin frowns. “What is?” Yoongi scoffs when he hears him. “Us. The fact that we broke up. She said it’s like a divorce, so Soobin is sad, and he’s acting out. She says it’s normal.”

Jimin stares at him in silence. Yoongi sighs before turning back around, adding the batter to the pan. “Why is it like a divorce?” He whispers, but Yoongi hears him just fine. “Jimin-ah, you were there since the second he was born. Literally. You were at the hospital with me.”

“Even when we were just friends, the three of us would always hang out. I don’t know. I guess he just misses you.” Yoongi shrugs. “Ah.” “And, um.” Yoongi adds, looking back at Jimin. He then shakes his head. “That’s why he’s acting out.”

“Is there anything I can do?” Jimin asks. “I miss him too. I’d love to hang out with him.” Yoongi freezes once he hears that. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.” He finally says. Jimin runs his fingers through his hair, frustrated but Yoongi has the last word.

Yoongi finally turns around just as Soobin walks out of his room. He’s rubbing his eyes, and then sits next to Jimin. “Good morning.” He murmurs. “Morning, Bugs. Man, I can’t believe you’re almost as tall as me now.” Jimin says with a little smile.

Soobin chuckles as Yoongi offers him a plate of pancakes. “We will talk later about what happened. Jimin doesn’t have to deal with that.” Yoongi murmurs, and Soobin’s smile drops. It’s quiet between them, and Jimin hates it. It's like the way it was before they ended things.

“Hey Bugs, guess what. I talked to Hobi hyung and he gave me my own studio! Do you still need dance lessons?” He asks, trying to defuse the tension. Soobin’s eyes widen a little, making him look like a bunny. “Actually, dad finally allowed me to take guitar lessons!”

“Oh, that’s great! Who’s teaching you?” “Jungkook hyung!” Soobin grins again. Jimin smiles, though it doesn’t reach his eyes. Jungkook never mentioned it. “But I’ll tell Yeonjun hyung you’re giving classes.” Yoongi perks up when Soobin mentions his friend.

“He likes to dance?” Jimin asks, feeling like he’s entering a dangerous territory. Soobin nods. “He’s really good at it too. But his parents are really mean to him. They won’t let him dance.” “That’s not nice.”

Soobin shakes his head, focused on his pancakes. “They want him to be a lawyer. Like Grandma wanted dad to be an architect. That’s why I always tell him to be nice to Yeonjun, but—” “That’s enough, Soobin.” Yoongi interrupts. The kid immediately stops talking.

“I’m gonna go get dressed.” Yoongi sighs, turning the stove off before walking towards his room. Jimin glances at Soobin, who’s pouting now. “It sounds like this Yeonjun guy is a good friend of yours.” He tries. “Do you think he’s a good guy?”

Soobin doesn’t hesitate before nodding. “His parents are mean to him, but he’s still kind. He’s good.” “Then… well, what happened last night? Do you want to talk about it?” Jimin asks with a gentle voice. Soobin takes a deep breath. “I know things might not be great right now.”

“But you know I still care about you, Bugs. You know you can call me whenever you feel like it to talk about whatever you want.” Jimin promises. Soobin shyly looks up at Jimin. “Dad asked me not to call you.” He confesses quietly. “But last night I only wanted to speak to you.”

Jimin is stunned when he hears that. He glances at Yoongi’s room, and then back at Soobin. “Why did your dad say that, kiddo?” He asks, though he’s not sure he can handle the answer. Soobin swallows. “He said we should let you go. He said we would only get on your way.”

Jimin feels lost once he returns to his apartment. He knows he shouldn’t get involved in the Min family drama, but he feels that someone should help them out. And Jimin was there for Yoongi since they were kids. Sure, they weren’t dating anymore, but still.

He felt the need to do something, even if Yoongi asked him to stay out of it. Jimin can’t let Soobin think he’s just a burden. He doesn’t know why Yoongi would tell him that in the first place. It’s not like him at all. Yoongi is a good father. So, what’s going on?

He couldn’t properly talk to Soobin that day since Yoongi interrupted them again. After breakfast, Jimin only told Soobin to call him whenever he felt like it, but th kid hasn’t even texted him. Then again, maybe Yoongi took away his phone after what he did with his friends.

It’s been days, and Jimin can’t stop thinking about it. He knows he should probably let it go. He’s not with Yoongi anymore, and Soobin is not his responsibility. But knowing the Min boys are hurting is making Jimin feel restless.

He’s currently laying his head on Taehyung’s lap, complaining about the entire situation for the fifth time. Tae is threading his fingers through his hair, listening to him with a little frown. “That’s not Yoongi, you know? He would never, ever treat Soobin like that.”

“Mmh.” “And like, Yoongi knows how much our parents’ words hurt! He knows he shouldn’t be saying stuff like that to a kid! And you know, all this leaving aside the fact that now I look like the villain! Like I’m the one who wants nothing to do with Soobin.” “But you do.”

“Of course I do! You know I see Soobin as my own kid.” Jimin whines. Taehyung sighs as he hears that. “Maybe I should just step away. Am I being a little intense?” “I think you’ve always been intense.” Taehyung replies. “That’s why you and Yoongi worked so well together.”

“It’s like… The kite and the line, you know?” Jimin only stares at him. “You’re the kite, and he’s the line. You’re a creature of the clouds, and he’s a creature of the earth.” “I’m not following.” “You help each other. Without him, you’re untethered.”

“Untethered?” “You’re floating away. And without you, he’s crashing down.” Taehyung says solemnly. Jimin doesn’t know how his friend comes up with these weird metaphors. “Have you been hanging out with Namjoon?”

Taehyung rolls his eyes. “I’m just saying, you guys had a good balance. I don’t know if this whole meltdown you’re having is because of Soobin, or because you saw Yoongi after so much time, and you want to find an excuse to see him again.” Jimin gasps when he hears him.

“That’s not it! I don’t care about Yoongi, I only care about Soobin!” “Aish, don’t lie to me, Park Jimin.” Taehyung says, squeezing Jimin’s cheeks, making him look like an angry chick. “We’ve all been worried about Yoongi. Don’t say you don’t care.” He says before letting go.

Jimin stares in silence. “What do you mean you’ve all been worried. Who is?” He tilts his head. “All of us. Jin hyung, Namjoon, Hobi. I know you haven’t seen them in a long time, but… I mean, Even Jungkook is worried about him. He’s not himself lately.” “Huh?” “He’s sad.”

Jimin looks away when he hears that. When he saw Yoongi at the police station, he didn’t look sad. He looked… tired, and frustrated. “Has he talked to anyone about it?” Taehyung shakes his head. “He avoids me and Jungkook as much as he can, just like you avoid the hyungs.”

“I don’t avoid them!” Jimin lies, and Taehyung only stares at him. He eventually sighs. “It’s just hard, I guess. They’re his best friends. It’s weird seeing them.” “Look, Chim. I’m not judging. We all knew that your breakup would somehow affect our group dynamics.”

Jimin frowns when he hears that. It’s so weird to think that a simple breakup could affect so many people. One would think that it’d be just the ones breaking up, but now Soobin and their friends also got caught in the crossfire.

He wishes things were different. He wishes he could talk to Yoongi once again and maybe be honest this time. But it’s not so easy. This time, Jimin doesn’t have a plan. He doesn’t know how to get through Yoongi’s thick head. “What about Namjoon? He hasn’t said anything to him?”

Taehyung only shrugs. They hear the front door, and a second later, Jungkook’s voice fills the room. “Honey, I got the watercolors you asked for! I had to fight an old lady for them, but—” He trails off before walking in the living room, seeing the two best friends. “Jimin-ssi!”

“You fought an old lady?” Taehyung asks. “Forget about that. Why is he being dramatic on my couch?” “Our couch.” Taehyung corrects him. They moved in together last October. Jimin remembers their housewarming party. That’s when he hooked up with Yoongi.

“We’re just talking about Yoongi hyung.” Jungkook frowns when he hears that. He sits next to Taehyung, leaving his bags on the floor. “I heard about what happened with Soobin. I’m sorry, hyung.” Jimin sighs. “I just wish I knew what’s going on between them.”

The three friends stay quiet, thinking about the Min dilemma. Then, Taehyung gasps. “Well… Yoongi won’t talk to you about it, clearly, but… Soobin might.” He says. Jimin slowly sits up. “You said he was talking to you about it until Yoongi showed up, right?”

Jimins nods. “He might tell you more as long as Yoongi doesn’t interrupt.” “So what do you suggest I do? Kidnap the kid after class so he can tell me about his problems?” Jimin asks sarcastically. “No. You wait for him here till he has his next guitar lesson.”

Jungkook stiffens when Taehyung says that. He quickly glances at Jimin. “Hyung, I—” “It’s okay. Soobin told me.” Jimin smiles sadly. “Why didn’t you tell me?” “I didn’t want you to think I was taking Yoongi hyung’s side.” Jungkook pouts, and it makes Jimin chuckle.

“It’s alright.” Taehyung huffs. “Forget about that! Next time Soobin has guitar lessons, you can casually come over to visit me, and then you’ll see him here! I’m sure you two will be able to talk for at least a few minutes. That’s what you want, right?” Jimin nods.

Taehyung then turns to his boyfriend. “When’s his next class?” He asks. Jungkook hums softly. “Yoongi hyung cancelled this week’s lessons so… next Thursday.” “Can you make it?” Taehyung asks Jimin. The boy nods quickly. “As long as I get to see him again.”

It’s around 4:00 pm when Taehyung calls Jimin to let him know Soobin’s class will start in half an hour. Jimin knows he can’t be there at that exact time, since Yoongi might see him, and he might feel uncomfortable. Jimin doesn’t want to risk his time with Soobin.

So he decides to go later, when he’s sure Yoongi won’t be there. He waits till Tae texts him again, giving him the green light. When Jimin knocks the door, he hears Taehyung’s loud voice. “Oh my, I wonder who’s out there!” He says, making Jimin chuckle.

Tae opens the door, and he gives Jimin a playful wink before continuing with his obnoxious act. “Well look who it is! My good friend Park Jimin!” He says. Jimin smiles at him, and he playfully shoves him, shaking his head. He then looks over Taehyung’s shoulder.

He can see Soobin and Jungkook in the living room. They both look amused by Tae’s shitty acting. “Come on in.” Jimin steps inside the apartment, taking his shoes off at the door before following his friend to the living room. He smiles as soon as he sees the kid.

“Hey Bugs.” “Hyung!” Soobin says, showing him his signature bunny smile. “What are you doing here?” Jimin debates if he should be honest right now or not, but he thinks he owes Soobin some honesty. “I wanted to spend time with you. Is that okay?”

The look on Soobin’s face tells Jimin he made the right choice. The kid looks beyond happy as he nods. “Don’t let me distract you though. I want to hear you play.” Jimin smiles. Soobin looks both grateful and a little shy, but he’s definitely happy. Jimin missed him so much.

Although Jimin promised not to distract Soobin, he occasionally drops a comment of encouragement, a joke, or he sings along to the song the boy is playing. Sometimes Taehyung joins him as they sing, and Soobin ends up giggling while Jungkook tells them to shut up.

At some point, Jungkook allows Soobin to take a short break. Jimin immediately jumps at the opportunity. “Are you hungry? There’s a coffee shop down the street. I could buy you something if you’d like.” He offers. Soobin glances at Jungkook, and the boy nods. “15 minutes, okay?”

They rush to the coffee shop since Jungkook didn’t give them much time, and Jimin orders two chocolate milk mugs for them, and a cookie for Soobin. Once they get their food, they sit down. “You’re a great player, Bugs! I was so impressed.” “Thank you.” He says shyly.

“My dad was really excited too. He asked me to teach him everything after the first class.” The kid explains. Jimin chuckles softly. “And did you?” Soobin’s face drops a little. “He was busy with work so I couldn’t teach him everything, but yeah.”

Jimin hums softly. He doesn’t know what’s the best way to intervene, or if he should do it at all. “He’s been working really hard lately, huh?” Soobin sighs. “Yeah. At the beginning of the year he had a lot of deals cancelled. He had to sell his piano just so he could buy food.”

Jimin stares at him once he hears that. Yoongi sold his piano? If Jimin had known things were so bad then he would’ve definitely offered to help but… but he knows Yoongi is a proud man. He wouldn’t want to ‘inconvenience’ his friends. Still, selling his piano sounds like a lot.

“He said I could only have one guitar lesson back then. Jungkook hyung secretly met up with me to give me more free lessons.” Soobin admits, smiling to himself. Jimin tries to look okay, but he’s shaken by Soobin’s words. He makes a mental note to thank Jungkook for what he did.

“But things are better now, right? Your dad told me he closed the bridge deal! He had been struggling with that for a whole year.” Jimin tries to subtly change the topic. “Yeah. We are okay now.” The kid nods, taking a bite out of his cookie. “I’m glad, Bugs.”

“Me too… I don’t like seeing my dad like that.” “Sad?” “Tired. He works too much. Doesn’t have time for—” Soobin says, stopping abruptly. “For other stuff.” He finishes. Jimin knows what he was going to say instead. “Although I’m glad I don’t see him as much now.” he admits.

Jimin tilts his head at that. “What do you mean, Bugs?” Soobin hesitates before answering. He’s searching for the right words to explain to Jimin what he feels. “Well, after the whole car thing I’ve been trying to avoid him. He grounded me for two weeks with no phone.”

Jimin nods after hearing that. “Well, you knew he was going to do something about it, right?” “I knew. I just feel like…” He stops, playing with his mug instead. It’s clear that he’s really upset. “Yeah?” Jimin encourages him. “I feel like I’m always disappointing him.”

Jimin’s heart breaks when he hears that. He stays quiet, trying to find the right words to say. How do you tell an angsty teen that his dad isn’t disappointed? This just tells Jimin that he should really talk to Yoongi. He needs to get involved.

Jimin tries to comfort Soobin as best as he can, but he can tell that it just isn’t working. They eventually have to go back to Jungkook’s, so that Soobin can finish his lesson. Jimin decides to leave earlier, trying to avoid Yoongi. When he says goodbye, the kid hugs him.

“I really liked seeing you today, hyung. I missed you.” “I missed you too, Bugs.” Jimin replies, wrapping his arms tightly around him. “Hey… can I come to your next lesson too? I don’t want to distract you, but I liked hanging out.” Soobin smiles before nodding.

Jimin sits inside his car in the parking lot, but he doesn't move. He's still processing everything Soobin said. It sounds like they don’t have money problems anymore, but Jimin is still worried about them. Yoongi needs to comfort his kid, and Soobin needs to open up to him.

Even if Yoongi asked him not to, Jimin knows he has to meddle. He can’t let his Min boys feeling like this.

And so, after asking Soobin if he was okay with it, Jimin began to go to every single one of his guitar lessons. They’d all joke around, and then when Jungkook gave Soobin his break, they’d go to the coffee shop. Taehyung and Jungkook would join them sometimes.

Soobin has three classes per week. Without realizing, Jimin starts to look forward to his Thursdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Soobin always has new anecdotes to share, whether it’s something that happened last year, or something that happened that same day at school.

He tells Jimin about his friends, his classes, how much he hates math, the winter dance, how excited he is about next year’s talent show. He talks to him about the songs he likes, the anime he’s currently obsessed with. And Jimin loves to ask him about all of it.

Talking about Yoongi is still tricky, but once in a while Jimin will murmur encouraging words to Soobin that makes the teen smile sadly before he changes the topic. It’s slow, but Jimin thinks he’s making good progress with him. Still, he knows he should also talk to Yoongi.

He’s not looking forward to that. Right now, Jimin feels okay when he sees Yoongi because he has a project in mind, something that distract him. His ‘make the Min boys happy again’ plan helps him forget about the fact that Yoongi broke up with him. He doesn’t love him anymore.

Jimin’s heart breaks every time he thinks about it. Yoongi wasn’t able to give him an explanation, and Jimin decided to have some dignity and just leave. He wasn’t going to beg for an answer even if it was from the man he had been in love with since they were kids. But it hurt.

Soobin is currently telling Jimin about two classmates that got together weeks ago, and now they broke up. They made a whole scene, and Soobin is cringing as he talks about it. Jimin can’t help but to think about his own break up, even if it’s nothing like Soobin’s classmates'.

It doesn’t take too long before Soobin realizes Jimin’s mind is somewhere else. He tilts his head, wondering what’s inside the man’s head. “Hyung?” “Mmh?” Soobin clears his throat. “Do you ever miss my dad?”

Jimin’s eyes widen at the question. He quickly looks around the coffee shop, as if Yoongi had spies listening to their conversations. “Uh—Why’d you ask Bugs?” Soobin shrugs, avoiding eye contact. “I dunno. I think you two were… good together.” “Yeah?”

Soobin nods once. Jimin stays silent, not knowing how to answer the kid’s question. Finally, as usual, Jimin decides to be honest. “I do miss your dad. I miss him a lot. Not only as a partner, you know? I miss him as a friend too.” He sighs, and Soobin slowly looks up at him.

“I’m sorry I asked.” Jimin smiles at him before shrugging. “It’s okay, Bugs. You can ask me anything you want.” Soobin hesitates before going for it. “Would you get back with him?” Jimin’s eyes widen at that. “Has he… said anything to you about wanting to get back together?”

Soobin shakes his head, and Jimin has to admit it hurts a little. “I’m just wondering.” Jimin sighs once more. “I don’t know, kiddo. Maybe if we talked about what happened between us, and… I don’t really know. I do miss him.” He says, and Soobin stays quiet after that.

They eventually head back to Jungkook’s. Jimin wraps his scarf around Soobin, since the kid didn’t bring his own, and they walk quickly back to the apartment, trying to run away from the cold weather. Once they get there, Jimin opens the door without even knocking.

And there, standing in the middle of the living room, is no other than Min Yoongi himself. Soobin and Jimin both stay petrified, staring at the man. Yoongi raises his eyebrow, and Taehyung walks out of the kitchen holding a cup of tea. “Oh, look! They’re here.”

Jimin glances at Taehyung, and his friend subtly shrugs before handing the cup to Yoongi. Jungkook tells them all to take a seat. Jimin and Soobin walk to the living room, and the teen quietly sits next to his dad on the couch.

Jimin stays up, leaning against the wall. Yoongi eyes him up and down, and Jimin’s heart quickens. He hopes to look good. “I was just telling Yoongi you came over to visit and then ran into Soobin.” Taehyung says with a grin. Jimin frowns, glancing at his friend.

“Oh. Oh, yeah. Then Jungkook said he could take a short break, so I decided to go out with him. I uh, bought him a cookie.” Jimin mumbles. Yoongi rolls his eyes, and Jimin knows he’s not buying it. Still, Yoongi looks at Soobin with a warm smile. “Was it good?”

The kid nods immediately, and Yoongi chuckles. He then looks back at Jimin. “Thank you. I’m actually glad I ran into you today.” Jimin frowns when he hears that. “How come?” “I wanted to invite you to our house next week.”

Jimin freezes when he hears that. “W-What’s the occasion?” He asks. The conversation he had with Soobin a few minutes ago is still in his head, and even though it’s cold outside, his hands are clammy. “Well, It’ll be December 5th next Friday.” Yoongi says as if it were obvious.

“Soobin is inviting his friends over, so I’m inviting mine. You two are also invited, of course. And I already talked to Seokjin hyung, Hoba and Joon. It’s nothing too crazy. Just, you know, cake for them, wine for us.” Yoongi explains, ruffling his son’s hair, making him giggle.

Although Jimin feels happy to see them like that, his heart is still beating fast because of Yoongi’s invitation. Taehyung and Jungkook immediately agree to go and they tease Soobin about being so old and so tall. Jimin looks at Yoongi, but the elder quickly avoid eye contact.

Then, with a dry mouth, Jimin smiles. “I’d love to go, yeah. Thank you for the invitation.” He says before joining the other two in the teasing. He tries to ignore the way the corner of Yoongi’s mouth moves up, forming a shy little smile.

It’s almost time to go to the Min’s house for Soobin’s birthday party, and Jimin is still panicking about his outfit. He keeps changing, not knowing if he should try to look pretty, or a little sexy. He also doesn’t want to look like he’s trying too hard, because he shouldn’t.

He definitely shouldn’t care about the way he looks, and he shouldn’t be trying to catch someone’s attention, but Jimin can’t help it. He hopes Yoongi will find him pretty. He finally decides to go with a black button up shirt, tight jeans, and pretty accessories.

He uses his favorite flower earrings. The ones Yoongi got him two years ago. God, Jimin is so nervous about tonight. He gets a text from Tae saying he and Jungkook already got to the party. ‘The hyungs are here already. Yoongi hyung asked about you’ And Jimin melts.

He doesn’t know why, but he’s excited to see Yoongi. Maybe it’s the fact that after a very long year, they’re finally talking again. It’s still a bit awkward, but God, Jimin really missed him. He hopes tonight goes well. He fixes his hair, checks his makeup, and heads out.

It takes him a while to get there since they live so far away from each other, but when Jimin stands right in front of the door, he shivers. He can hear music coming from inside, and people talking. Taking a deep breath, he rings the doorbell, and waits patiently.

After a beat, someone opens the door. Hoseok smiles brightly when he sees Jimin, and he pulls him in for a hug. “Jimin-ah! I feel like I haven’t seen you in ages!” Jimin chuckles, hugging him back before stepping inside.

Before he gets the chance to say anything to Hoseok, Soobin runs towards him, giving him a bone crushing hug. “Hyung! You made it!” Jimin can’t help but to giggle because of all the hugs. “Of course I did! I wouldn’t miss your birthday for anything in the world.”

Soobin smiles once he hears that. “Come, I want you to meet my friend.” He says before guiding Jimin inside, walking pass Hoseok, who only chuckles, shaking his head. He guides Jimin to the small garden, where his four friends are. Jimin already knows three of them.

“Guys! You remember Jimin hyung?” Soobin says, sort of proud to stand next to Jimin. The kids all smile and nod before bowing respectfully. It’s been so long since Jimin last saw them. “Jesus, why are all of you taller than me now, huh?” The kids giggle.

Jimin then focuses on a boy with bubblegum pink hair. He doesn’t recognize him. “Hyung, this is Choi Yeonjun.” Soobin says. The other kid bows his head, and Jimin offers him a smile. He’s curious about him. “I told you about him, remember? He wants to dance, like you.”

Jimin nods. “Well, Yeonjun, if you ever feel like it then you can come check out my studio. I give dance classes. It’d be nice to have you.” Yeonjun glances at Soobin, and then back at Jimin. “Thank you.”

Jimin nods awkwardly once again before turning to face Soobin. The boy is only looking at Yeonjun, eyes a little wide and ears a little red. “Hey Bugs.” Jimin murmurs. “I got you something.” He changes the topic. Soobin gasps softly as Jimin hands him a small box.

“Jungkook helped me pick them. He said you were overdue for a change.” He explains once Soobin opens the box to find guitar strings. “Hyung!” “I also got you a case, but I’ll give you that one next week, okay?”

Soobin hugs him again. “You didn’t have to.” “Of course I did! You think I’d let you have a birthday without presents? What kind of monster do you think I am?” Soobin chuckles, and he then focuses back on the strings. "This is so cool."

Jimin feels someone's eyes on them, and when he looks up he catches Yeonjun staring. The boy immediately looks away, and Jimin clicks his tongue. “Anyways, I’m gonna go say hi to the others, okay Bugs? Happy Birthday!” “Thank you, hyung. I’m glad you came.” He smiles again.

Jimin leaves the teens in the garden before he makes his way to the living room. It’s funny to him being here a month after Soobin called him at 2 am. He sees Taehyung and Joon having a very philosophical conversation, while Jin and Jungkook are stepping on each other’s feet.

Jimin says hi, though he's searching for someone. There’s no trace of Hoseok nor Yoongi, and so Jimin decides to go to the kitchen. When he gets there, he hears Hoseok whispering. “—Maybe it is the right time to tell him?” Jimin frowns. What are they talking about?

He knows he shouldn’t be listening, hiding like that, but he’s curious. “It’s been a year since I last saw him, Hoba.” Yoongi replies, also in a hushed tone. “I don’t think he’d want to hear it.” Jimin holds his breath. They’re talking about him.

“I’m just saying, hyung. He’s finally back. You said you wouldn’t go after him and somehow your paths crossed again. Don’t you think that means something?” Yoongi scoffs. “It means my own kid was too scared to call me. It’s not like it was destiny or something like that.”

“You’re too bitter.” “And you’re too hopeful. Pass me that glass.” They stay quiet, and Jimin thinks it’s time to come out of the shadows. He clears his throat loudly, and then walks in the kitchen. “Oh, hyungs. Hi. I was wondering where you two were.”

Hoseok turns around quickly, and Yoongi only looks over his shoulder. “Jimin. You just got here?” “Yeah. I was saying hi to the kids. Is that wine?” Yoongi gets him a glass while Hobi excuses himself, running back to the living room.

“Where you listening to our conversation, Jimin-ah?” Yoongi asks as he fills the glass. He knows Jimin too well. “Heard something about it not being destiny.” Jimin admits. Yoongi frowns when he hears that, his mouth forming a thin line. “I see.”

“Don’t worry, hyung.” Jimin murmurs, grabbing the glass before taking a long sip. “We’re too old for destiny anyways. Besides… being friends is good enough, right?” Yoongi looks at him for a few seconds. “Yeah.” He finally says, smiling a little. “Friends is nice.”

Jimin nods, pretending he's okay after hearing that. “We did that for years, right? How hard can it be?” he says, and Yoongi clicks their glasses together before drinking. “So.” He tries to change the topic. “You saw the kids, huh? Yeonjun?” “I saw him, yeah.”

“What do you think?” Yoongi asks. Jimin hums before shrugging. “He seemed a little shy. But he’s polite.” Yoongi scoffs. “He has pink hair.” “Min Yoongi!” Jimin scolds him, playfully hitting his shoulder. “You’re not judging that boy just because he has pink hair, are you?”

“I used to have pink hair back in college! Are you saying you didn’t like it?” Yoongi immediately shakes his head, big gummy smile on his face. “I loved your pink hair. But that’s because you’re you! You’d look beautiful even if you were bald.”

He rolls his eyes. Although he's used to Yoongi’s silly compliments, he tries hard not to blush. “Stop talking. What I’m saying is, don’t judge the kid so quickly, okay? Believe me… There’s something going on between him and Soobin, I’m sure of it.”

Yoongi seems surprised by that, his eyes widen a little, and Jimin thinks he looks cute. “Did Soobin say something to you?” “Not really. But the way they look at each other tells me everything I need to know.” “Why’s that?” Yoongi asks, genuinely curious.

Jimin smiles gently at him before shrugging. “That’s how we used to look at each other.”

Hoseok walks back inside the kitchen before Yoongi gets the chance to reply. He jabs his finger at Jimin, poking his chest. “I’m mad at you!” Jimin gasps, and Yoongi watches them with curiosity. “You haven’t talked to me all night long! Yoongi hyung, I’m stealing him.”

Yoongi chuckles as Hoseok grabs Jimin’s wrist, dragging him towards the living room. The image of Yoongi’s gummy smile is the now printed in Jimin’s brain once again. “Hyung!” “No! It’s been months since we saw each other! You always turn me down when I wanna hang out with you.”

Hoseok pouts. He sits on the couch, next to Taehyung, and Jimin sits with him. He knows he deserves to be called out, so he lets Hoseok whine about it. “I took you to the academy and gave you your own studio! I thought we would see each other all the time!”

Jimin scratches the back of his neck. “I know hyung. I’m sorry. I’m really grateful about the studio.” Hoseok stares at him for a few seconds. He then glances at Yoongi, who just came out of the kitchen, and then back at Jimin. “I miss you, okay? Don’t be a stranger.”

The younger leans in, wrapping his arms around Hoseok, giving him a hug. “I pinky promise I won’t be a stranger anymore. I’m sorry.” “It’s okay. But you have to make it up to me by telling me about your new job, okay? Tell me everything.”

Jimin chuckles, but he complies. He tells Hoseok how hard it was to get kids to join his classes, but he now has a solid group. There’s some of them that have a lot of talent, but they all make Jimin proud with how hard they work. They’re so passionate!

Jimin rambles about the kids, the classes, the different dancing styles. He doesn’t notice, but his other friends slowly start to turn their attention to him. Hoseok sometimes asks a question or makes a sound effect that makes them all laugh.

Seokjin is the first one to say something once Jimin finishes. “It sounds like you’re really happy, Jimin-ah.” “I am!” He admits. “Took me a little while to find my footing but I feel like I’m finally getting there.” They all smile at him. All except Yoongi.

Unlike other times, when they make eye contact, Yoongi doesn’t look away. Maybe the wine is making him feel a little bold. He still doesn’t smile at Jimin. Instead, he looks at him with intensity, as if he had a lot of stuff running through his mind. It makes Jimin nervous.

Then, Yoongi takes a little step closer. “What about Paris?” He asks. Taehyung tenses, and Jimin feels his stomach tie up in a knot. Hoseok immediately slaps Yoongi’s arm. “Hyung!” Yoongi is still staring at Jimin, attentive of his response.

The blond-haired boy shrugs after a second, trying to smile. “Maybe I’ll try again in a few years. But I’m happy where I am right now. I like being a teacher here.” Yoongi finally looks away, and Jimin feels dizzy. He knows it’s not because of the wine.

Hoseok smiles brightly at him. “It’s okay, Jimin-ah! I heard it’s really hard to score a position at that Ballet School.” “Yeah, they’re the ones missing out.” Namjoon chimes in. Jimin smiles at his friends as he shakes his head. “No, no, I mean it. I’m happy here.”

They all look at each other before nodding politely, and then they change the topic. Jimin glances at Yoongi, but the other is more focused on his glass. Why would Yoongi ask about Paris out of the blue like that? After all this time? It made no sense, but Jimin didn’t like it.

He tries to forget about it once they start talking about Namjoon's new bike. When he finishes his glass of wine, he starts drinking water instead, though the others start drinking whiskey. He eyes Yoongi from time to time, but it seems like the other doesn’t notice.

The tension is soon gone, and Jimin is now trying to take care of his tipsy friends. At some point, Jungkook complains by the lack of cake, so Yoongi decides it’s time to sing Happy Birthday to Soobin. The adults cheer, excited for the cake.

Jimin goes back to the kitchen to get the plates, cups, the cake and the candles. He sets everything nicely on the living room, and makes his friends promise they won’t touch the cake till Soobin gets there. Once they all promise, he goes over to the garden to call the kids.

But there’s only three of them. Yeonjun and Soobin are nowhere to be seen. Jimin tells the others to go to the living room so that they can sing. As the kids enter, Jimin stops Taehyun. “Where’s the birthday boy?” He asks, tilting his head.

“He wanted to show Yeonjun hyung his guitar!” The kid says with a wide smile before running back inside. Jimin raises his brow, and he tries to fight off a little smile. When he turns around, Yoongi is right there, standing in the shadows. "Where did you come from?"

“Why do you look so smug?” He replies instead. Jimin can smell the whiskey in his breath. He shrugs. “I just love being right about stuff. You know that.” Yoongi’s shoulders move when he laughs because of Jimin’s answer. He takes a step closer.

“And what are you right about?” He asks, eyes landing on the flower earrings Jimin is wearing. He probably recognized them. “Your kid has a crush.” Yoongi’s eyes widen a little. He looks over Jimin’s shoulder, trying to find Soobin.

“Where are they?” “He wanted to show Yeonjun his guitar.” Jimin repeats what Taehyun told him. Yoongi nods slowly, glancing down the corridor towards Soobin’s room. The door is open, as it should be.

“It’d be wrong to interrupt them, right?” He asks, looking back at Jimin. “Min Yoongi, you want gossip?” “No!” Yoongi replies quickly. He then scrunches his nose. “Yes. It’s that bad?”

“It’s not. Just be quiet.” Jimin says before he starts to tiptoe towards Soobin’s room. Yoongi grins, and he then follows Jimin. Since he’s not completely sober though, he makes a lot of noise, so Jimin has to shush him several times.

When they’re near the door, they can hear faint voices from inside the room. Yeonjun is telling Soobin how cool his guitar is, praising him. Jimin peeks inside to see the boy blushing brightly. “They’re so cute.” He whispers back to Yoongi.

“I want to see.” Yoongi huffs, and he tries to move forward. Jimin tries to stop him, but he moves his hand too quickly, and Yoongi stumbles against him. They’re chest to chest now, inches away from each other. “You’re so noisy!” Jimin complains.

Yoongi’s eyes fall to Jimin’s lips. The blond blushes, just like Soobin did around his crush. “Don’t look at me like that.” He whispers. Yoongi looks back up, at the earrings. He gently raises his hand to touch Jimin’s earlobe. “You wore these for me?”

Jimin scoffs, surprised by how bold Yoongi is right now. “You noticed?” Yoongi slowly lowers his hand. “I’m glad you came, Jimin-ah.” Jimin’s heart is beating too fast. They’re still so close, and dammit, Yoongi’s cologne smells good.

They stay quiet, in some sort of weird staring contest. That is, of course, until Seokjin yells he wants cake, and everyone starts chanting with him. Soobin and Yeonjun run out of the room as soon as they hear all that noise, and they almost crash against Jimin and Yoongi.

“Dad?” Soobin asks once he avoids falling down. His cheeks darken even more. “What are you doing here?” Yoongi looks just as red as his son as he takes two steps away from Jimin. “We were looking for you! To, uh, cut the cake?” “Jimin hyung?”

Jimin only nods. The four of them avoid eye contact, clearly embarrassed. Jimin breaks the silence first. “Okay! Let’s not keep them waiting, huh? Come on Bugs.” He rushes towards the living room. The others soon follow him.

They avoid all the questions they get about their red faces. Yoongi lights up the candles, and then they all sing loudly for Soobin. The kid can't help but to laugh before he makes an awkward little dance as everyone sings. Taehyung soon joins him.

Between the cake and the bad jokes, the night ends on a cheerful note. The kids' parents soon come to pick them up, and Soobin thanks everyone else for the great birthday. He gives Jimin a tight hug before turning in for the night.

After that, Namjoon calls a taxi for him, Seokjin, and Hoseok while Jimin offers to give Taehyung and Jungkook a ride to their apartment. They all walk out of the house, but Jimin walks particularly slow. He turns around when he’s at the door, and Yoongi only stares at him.

Jimin hesitates before closing the space between them, wrapping his arms around Yoongi. “Thank you for inviting me.” He says. Yoongi moves his hand to the small of his back. It’s over just like that, but the hug stays in Jimin’s mind as he tosses and turns in his bed at night.

It’s been days since Jimin last saw the Min boys, and even though he should be focusing on his dance classes, he can’t stop thinking about them. He had to ditch Soobin’s last guitar lesson since he had to practice with his kids for the presentation they were having in January.

To celebrate the Seollal Holiday, the dance academy is holding a small presentation for the families. Jimin knows some of his students are planning to go on vacations, which is why they have to start preparing already. They learn the choreography pretty easily.

But Jimin makes them polish their moves, helps them dance in synchrony. He’s been busy, so he sees Soobin less and less. This week has been tough, and he misses the kid like crazy. He also misses Yoongi.

It’s still weird to him. He forced himself to stop thinking about Min Yoongi, but since Soobin called him that night, Yoongi is all Jimin can think about. He tries not to think about the break up, though. That still hurts.

Although he has been busy, Jimin still tries to meet up with Soobin. He managed to move his dance classes to the morning, so this Friday he’ll be able to go to his kid’s guitar lesson. When he gets to their apartment, Taehyung invites him in while Jungkook waves from the couch.

He got there way too early, but he’s no longer trying to hide from Yoongi, so he doesn’t really care. Ten minutes later, someone rings the doorbell. Jimin immediately jumps up and rushes to get the door. It’s been almost a week, and he misses them.

When he opens the door though, the first thing he notices is Soobin’s puffy eyes and his red little nose. Jimin’s heart drops. “Baby?” He whispers. Soobin looks up when he hears Jimin, and he then hugs him tightly. Yoongi is nowhere to be seen.

“Bugs, what happened?” Soobin isn’t crying anymore, but it looks like he was sobbing earlier. “I hate him.” The kid whispers. Jimin looks over his shoulder at Taehyung, who immediately goes inside the kitchen to get Soobin a snack.

“Come inside. Do you want to tell me what happened?” Jimin asks as he guides Soobin to the living room. Jungkook leaves his guitar next to the couch and he turns to face them. “What’s wrong, kiddo? Another fight?”

Soobin nods and sniffles loudly. “He’s so mean. Or maybe I’m too sensitive? It’s like— We have good days, or like, some weird, good tension? Then one day we end up fighting over stupid things.” It’s easy to tell who he’s talking about. “Was today’s fight about something stupid?”

Soobin freezes when he hears that question. He suddenly gets nervous, scratching his neck, and then his nose. “Um.” Jungkook glances at Jimin. “Do you want to talk about it? You know you don’t have to.”

He knows, but he feels awkward now. Soobin takes a deep breath. “It wasn’t something stupid. We were fighting about Jimin hyung today.” He mumbles, and Jimin’s eyes widen immediately. “What do you mean, Bugs? Did I do something wrong?”

Soobin stays quiet again. Jimin feels defeated. He thought the Min boys were doing better, but he realizes it was only temporary. Knowing that he was the reason why they fought only makes him feel uneasy. “Where’s your dad?”

Soobin scoffs. “He dropped me off. Said I could use this feeling as inspiration for my music.” He scrunches his nose, glaring at his own guitar. “He’s such an asshole.” “Min Soobin! Don’t say that about your dad!” Jimin scolds him.

Soobin wraps his arms around himself. “I don’t want to play the guitar today. I’m sorry Jungkook hyung.” “It’s okay, kiddo. Don’t worry.” Jungkook replies as Taehyung walks closer, offering Soobin a muffin and hot chocolate.

“Your dad is an idiot, yes, but you’re too young to say that about him. We can say it though. So yes, you’re right.” Taehyung says, and Jimin quickly smacks him. Soobin smiles a little before munching on his muffin.

“What did he do?” Jimin asks, tilting his head a little. Soobin stares at him as if it were obvious. “He destroyed our family.” He finally replies, and the three best friends are at a loss of words.

Ah, so that’s what it is. Soobin really thinks of Jimin as his own parent. And, in a way, Yoongi is right, this is like a divorce. Yoongi broke up with Jimin, so Soobin lost his second parental figure. Soobin misses Jimin as much as Jimin misses him.

“Oh, Bugs. Come here.” The blond says as he pulls his son in for another hug. Soobin’s eyes tear up again, and even Jimin feels like crying. “Even if your dad and I aren’t together anymore, that doesn’t mean we’re not family. I love you like crazy. You know that, right?”

“But if he stopped loving you then maybe you’ll stop loving me.” Jimin’s heart breaks just like it did when Yoongi asked him to leave a year ago. Taehyung and Jungkook share a worried look. “Can I tell you a secret, Bugs?”

Soobin sniffles again. “Even if your dad doesn’t love me anymore… well, I’m still head over heels in love with him. He’ll always be the man that I love the most. And you will always be the kid that I love the most. Even when you’re old, and wrinkly. You’ll always be my kid.”

Soobin pulls back from the hug to look at the other. “You still love him?” Jimin smiles sadly before nodding. “I do, Bugs. I think I tried to forget him but… I love him.” “But he doesn’t deserve it after what he did.” “Maybe not.” Jimin nods. “But I can’t help it.”

Soobin stays quiet after that. It’s clear he’s trying to understand Jimin’s reasoning, but how can you explain to a fifteen-year-old what real love feels like? He’ll understand some day. After a while, Jungkook turns on his play station, and he hands Soobin one controller.

They spend two hours like that, playing. Jimin threads his fingers through Soobin’s hair from time to time, and he catches the boy’s little smile. It looks like Yoongi’s. Jimin needs to meddle again. More specifically, he needs to talk to Yoongi once and for all.

It’s clear that they’re not the only ones that need closure, Soobin does too. And even though Yoongi has been an expert at avoiding the topic, Jimin will have to find a way to make him talk. He’ll probably come up with a dumb idea.

When the doorbell rings, Soobin’s smile drops immediately. He sighs, handing the controller back to Jungkook. Jimin stands up. “I’ll get it.” He announces, getting a weird look from the other three. After all, it's the first time Jimin admits he still has feelings for Yoongi.

Once Jimin opens the door, he forgets how to breathe for a second. Yoongi, just like his son, has puffy eyes and a red little nose. He doesn’t look surprised to see Jimin there. “Hey, Jimin-ah. Where’s Soobin?” “Getting his things.” Jimin mumbles, and Yoongi nods.

“Um, Yoongi, I uh…” Jimin tries. Yoongi looks at him with certain distrust. “I… wanted to invite you to my Christmas party.” He blurts out. Yoongi squints his eyes, confused. “Christmas party?” “Yup. Here.”

“Why not at your own place?” “It’s so far away, Taehyung already said I could do it here, so.” Bullshit. Jimin is improvising, and Yoongi can probably tell. “You can bring Soobin too, of course. And maybe one of Soobin’s friends so he doesn’t get too bored.”

Yoongi clears his throat, looking away. “Uh, I don’t know. I’m a bit busy with work.” “Please.” Jimin begs, looking at Yoongi with puppy dog eyes. “I would really like it if you could come. Um, both of you.”

Yoongi’s cheeks turn pink, but he eventually nods. “Okay, sure. Thank you for inviting us.” And then, Jimin feels the need to ask something else. “Do you want to bring someone else with you? A partner or…” “I’m single.” Yoongi replies.

It’s obvious that Jimin only asked that to check if Yoongi was indeed single, and the way Yoongi answered so quickly lets Jimin know he was thinking the same thing. Jimin can´t help but to smile. “Good. Me too.”

Taehyung gives him an unamused look as Jimin explains the situation to him. “You know I don’t like hosting parties after what /you two/ did last time.” He says, and Jimin has to beg him over and over again to let him throw the stupid Christmas party he made up.

After Taehyung makes him promise he’ll handle all the cleaning afterwards, and he’ll get them new sheets in case another… incident happens, he finally agrees. Jimin is both thrilled and horrified. He has less than two weeks to plan an actual party.

The first thing he does is text the hyungs, asking if they will be free that day. They all agree to come, and Hoseok even offers to help Jimin buy the things he needs. Jimin spams him with heart emojis after that.

He doesn’t see Yoongi again for days, and every time he tries to bring up the subject with Soobin, the boy manages to avoid it. It’s hard, but Jimin doesn’t push it. He just hopes the party will be enough to get closer to both of them.

Hobi calls him a week before the party, telling him he has a free day to go shopping, and Jimin immediately takes the opportunity to go out with him. They buy plastic cups, plates, stuff to decorate the place, booze, other drink for the kids. Lots of snacks.

They leave the bags inside Jimin’s car, and then they head out for lunch. As they eat, Hoseok decides to attack Jimin with thousands of questions. He asks how his mom is, how the classes are going, what they’re preparing for next year’s presentation, if they can split a dessert.

Jimin chuckles as he answers his friend’s interrogation. He also takes the chance to catch up with Hobi, asking him how things are going on his end. He tells Jimin that his classes are incredibly hard, but he’s close to getting his master’s degree, so he’s excited.

Jimin is happy for him, and he decides to pay for their lunch as a way to congratulate him, and to make up for the time they lost. When he brings it up, Hoseok’s smile falls a little. “I get that Yoongi hyung is my best friend, but it hurt to see you push me away like that.”

Jimin sighs softly, but he nods. “I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t have done that. Specially after everything you’ve done for me. I don’t… see you just as Yoongi’s friend. You’re one of my best friends as well! It’s just, sometimes looking at you reminds me of him. And it sucked.”

Hoseok pouts as Jimin talks. He eats a spoonful of ice cream, and then points at Jimin with the spoon. “Don’t do that again. I missed you a lot.” Jimin smiles. “I missed you too, hyung.”

Hoseok stays quiet, but it’s clear he wants to say something. Jimin knows him too well. “What is it?” “How are things?” Jimin blinks slowly. “With Yoongi.” “Oh.”

Jimin shrugs, hoping the other won’t notice the way his cheeks turn pink. “We still don’t talk a lot, but I think we’re going to try to be friends. I mean, we were friends for years before getting together, you know? I miss being able to talk to him about whatever.”

Hoseok nods. “Just friends, huh? Is that what you want?” Jimin looks up at him. “Well, I don’t know?” “Elaborate.” “He confuses me. My heart is his, will always be, but the way he dumped me just hurt me really bad.”

Hoseok hums as he hears that. “Do you think you’d be able to forgive him if he ever apologizes?” Jimin scoffs, playing with his own spoon and the melting ice cream. “I don’t think he’s ever going to apologize. He didn’t even tell me why we broke up.”

“He—wait, you guys never talked about it again?” “Not really. When Taehyung and Jungkook moved in together I tried to bring it up to him, but we didn’t, um, talk much that night.” Hoseok coughs.

“So wait, you still don’t know why he did it?” Jimin stays quiet. For the past year he came up with numerous reasons and theories of why Yoongi decided to break up with him, but he doesn’t know which one is the real one. He shakes his head.

“We had been having problems for a while. We didn’t talk as much, and when we did it would somehow turn into a fight, or at least into some weird passive aggressive argument. Then one day, he said he knew, and some other cliché stuff. ‘This is for your own good’ bullshit.”

Hoseok lets out a low whistle. “Wait, he knew? Knew what?” Jimin shrugs. “I don’t know. Knew that it was going to happen at some point? We were meant to break up.” “Well, a breakup isn’t always the end.”

Before Jimin can ask what he means, the waitress arrives with their bill. As promised, Jimin pays for both of them, and Hoseok gets a bag with their leftovers, saying Seokjin would like them. Finally, when they leave, Jimin turns to him. “Breakups aren’t the end?”

Hoseok frowns, looking down at the floor. “Well, they can be. But sometimes they can be… I don’t know, a pause?” “Wouldn’t that be just a break?” “Sometimes you don’t know you need a pause. You feel like you need a period instead of a comma.”

Jimin nods slowly. “So the period we used can eventually turn into a comma?” Hoseok smiles at him. “I think so. But if you want that, you guys would need to talk about what happened. I don’t think it is good for you to act like everything’s fine.”

“Yeah, I guess we should really talk about it.” Jimin mumbles, shoving his hands in his pocket. They had to park the car really far away, but the weather is nice, so he doesn’t mind walking. “But he won’t talk to me.” Hoseok bursts out laughing.

Jimin’s eyes widen, and he immediately gives him a playful push. “What is it?” “Well, you know Yoongi hyung! He avoids confrontation at all costs. Specially if it’s with someone he cares about. And whether you’d like to admit it or not, he still cares about you.”

Jimin looks away. It’s nice to hear that, but hard to believe. “Jimin-ah, you’re going to have to take initiative here. If you want that period to turn into a comma, and maybe fix what you guys had, then you’re going to have to make hyung talk.”

Jimin swallows. That’s easier said than done. But Hoseok is right. Even if they’re going to continue just as friends, they have to clear things up so that they can move on. Soobin too. But it’s going to suck ass.

“I don’t even know where to begin.” Jimin mumbles. He sees his car at the end of the street. “Do you remember when things started to get tense? What made it weird between you two?” Of course Jimin knows. It’s crystal clear. “When I started to apply to go to Paris.”

Hoseok nods. “I figured it had something to do with that. Hyung didn’t say much to me, but he did talk a lot about being worried. He was scared to see you leave for Paris.” Jimin nods slowly. It makes sense. “I should ask him about that, then?”

Hoseok shrugs. “That’s what I would do. But, um, maybe not at the party. I feel like it’ll be an ugly conversation, and you don’t want to ruin Christmas, right? You’d be a Grinch.” Jimin sighs once again, but he thinks Hoseok is right. Besides, he wants Soobin to have fun.

As they finally get close to the car, Jimin glances at the store in front of it. It looks old, but something in the front window catches his attention “Hey. What’s this?” He asks. Hoseok opens the car door before turning to look at the store.

“Hm? Oh! It’s a secondhand music store. Musicians sell their instruments here, or they buy them. You know, cheap prices and all.” He says before hopping inside the car. Jimin only stares at the window. Inside, a big, brown piano stands solemnly.

The Christmas party is a success. Maybe it’s because of the holiday spirit, or the soju, but they all have fun drinking and exchanging gifts. Soobin sent a gift for Jimin with Yoongi, but he decided to skip the party. Jimin was pretty bummed about it.

“I helped him choose it.” Yoongi mumbles as he hands Jimin the little box. When he opens it, he finds a silver necklace with a little daisy. “I think it matches with the earrings.” Jimin feels a faint blush on his cheeks that lasts all night long.

It also seems to be that all their friends are rooting for them. They find ways to make them both talk, even sending them to refill their drinks. They’re not subtle at all, but Jimin doesn’t mind. It’s clear to everyone that they need to fix their relationship.

Even if it’s just as friends. There’s no uncomfortable conversations, no awkward silences, but there’s a bunch of glances in the other’s direction, flirty jokes, playful touches. It’s nice. And God, Jimin is happy.

Yoongi also seems to be pretty happy. The soju makes him more brave, so he teases Jimin a lot. Just silly comments about his cheesy Christmas sweater, the cookies he baked, the gift he got. It makes Jimin’s heart swell.

At the end, Yoongi invites them all to his house for a New Years party. Jimin has a hunch that just like he did last time, Yoongi came up for the perfect excuse to see Jimin again. It’s their new thing, apparently. And they also start texting again.

Yoongi sent him a quick “Thanks for the party :)” and that was it. Jimin thanked him again for coming, Yoongi teased him about the burnt cookies once again, Jimin told him he hasn’t bakes in a while!! Yoongi offers to teach him. Jimin throws his phone far away.

Jimin feels like a high schooler, with a huge crush on Min Yoongi. He can’t get that gummy smile out of his head. And he's excited to see it again. Soobin is at the New Years party, and Jimin gives him a bone crushing hug before scolding him about missing the Christmas party.

Soobin chuckles. “Sorry. I was with Yeonjun.” Jimin only smirks, raising his brows. The teen blushes brightly, and Jimin can’t blame him. He’s also in love. “By the way, have you talked to my dad?” “Hm? About what?” “I don’t know, he just seems to be in a good mood lately.”

Jimin feels giddy. He really hopes that things keep going like this. Sure, he still has to talk about their break up and heal from it, but things are going great so far. Maybe he can push that talk for when they’re back together? Jimin really hopes they get back together.

It’s almost 6:30 pm., which means Yoongi will be here soon. The boy offered to give Jimin a ride back home today, and although Jimin is excited to see him, he’s also a little bit nervous. He’s wearing one of Yoongi’s old sweatshirts, and he wonders if the other will notice.

Jimin starts waving at the kids once the class is over. He smiles encouragingly, telling them to rest this weekend since their presentation is next Friday. He’s really excited about it! And he even got a few extra tickets, and he has an idea of who he wants to invite.

The kids all leave the room, and Jimin stays behind to clean up. Once he’s done with that, he begins to do some extra stretches, sitting down on the floor and reaching out to touch his toes. With his eyes closed, and his back to the door, he doesn’t see Yoongi arrive.

He stays quiet, leaning against the door frame, just watching Jimin stretch. He has a little smile on his face, and pink cheeks. Eventually, he clears his throat. “Hey.” he murmurs. Jimin immediately turns to face him. “Hyung!” The boy gulps. Yoongi's wearing a suit again.

Jimin jumps up to his feet. “I didn’t see you there. Let me just get my bag and we can go.” Yoongi only nods. When Jimin leans down to grab the backpack, Yoongi shamelessly checks him out. “Is that my shirt?” “You gave it to me!” Jimin whines. “You stole it.” Yoongi accuses.

Rolling his eyes, Jimin doesn’t even try to deny it. Instead, he walks out of the room, locking the door behind him. “Shall we?” Yoongi smiles before following him. “So? What do you think of the place?” “It’s pretty nice.”

Jimin smiles at the compliment. He feels very proud of his little studio. “Thank you. It’s really nice. The kids love it.” “I saw some of them on my way here. They’re pretty small, huh?” Jimin nods. “They’re adorable. You’d be surprised by the way they dance. They're great.”

“Well, they have a great teacher.” Jimin smiles again. He’s a sucker for compliments, and Yoongi knows that. The man guides him back to his car, and even opens the door for him. “Hey, are you hungry?” Yoongi suddenly asks. Jimin holds his breath for a moment. A date?

Yoongi offered a ride, but he didn’t say anything about having dinner together. “I'm starving actually. What do you have in mind?” Yoongi suddenly gets a little shy as he gets inside the driver’s seat. “I was thinking we could go for our usual. Remember?”

“Are you asking me if I remember the cheapest, most delicious ramen place two college students could afford? How could I forget?” Jimin says with a soft chuckle. Yoongi seems to feel more comfortable after hearing that. “Let’s go.”

Just like how they used to do, they drive up to a little restaurant near their old campus. When they get there, Yoongi gets two takeout bowls for them, and then they sit inside the car to eat. The radio plays an old song, and Jimin feels like he’s 23 once again.

They slurp their noodles in silence, and in a few minutes they’re joined by the sound of small raindrops hitting the windows. Eventually, Jimin looks over at Yoongi with curiosity. “Can I ask you something?” he notices the way Yoongi tenses. “Sure.”

“Why did you sell it? Your piano?” The younger asks. Yoongi seems caught off guard by the question, as if he had expected something else instead. “I needed the money to pay for Soobin’s school.”

Jimin frowns, clearly not okay with the answer. Yoongi scoffs when he sees him. “What is it?” “Why your piano? Why not, I don’t know, your car? Anything else?” Yoongi shrugs. “I need the car to work, to pick Soobin up from school.” “But you also need the piano.” Jimin states.

Yoongi blinks slowly. “What do you mean?” “It keeps your soul happy.” Jimin explains, leaning a little closer. “That’s more important than anything else. Music makes you happy so why did you push it out of your life?”

Yoongi looks stunned after hearing Jimin. It takes him a little while to reply. “I just… I had to. You know why. Soobin comes first.” Jimin bites his lower lip. He sort of knew that answer was coming. “I don’t think it’s this or that, Yoonie. It’s not Soobin or music.”

The elder just stares at him. Then, something changes in his eyes. He clenches his jaw. “Why did you give up then?” Jimin leans back, raising his brows. “Give up?” “Paris. Why did you give that up?”

It’s Jimin’s turn to stay quiet. Why does Yoongi keep bringing up Paris? “I didn’t give up, Yoon. I just didn’t get the job.” “Jimin.” The boy says sternly, making Jimin’s heart quicken. “It was your dream.”

He sighs softly before nodding. “I know. But dreams change, I guess. I’m happy here.” Yoongi smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “I’ll tell you why I sold it once you decide to be honest with me.”

Before Jimin can reply, Yoongi turns the car back on, and he manages to change the topic, bringing up the fact that Soobin and Yeonjun are getting closer. He says that at this rate, his son will have his first kiss soon.

And although Jimin wants to be happy to hear that, he can’t help but to feel uneasy about the conversation they just had. Paris. It all comes down to Paris. Jimin feels anxious just thinking about it.

When they arrive to Jimin's place, Yoongi walks him to the door, holding the umbrella close to the boy’s body. Once Jimin thanks him for the ride and the dinner, he offers him the two tickets. “My kids have their presentation next Friday. I was hoping you and Soobin could come.”

Yoongi looks down at the tickets, and then up at Jimin. “You’ll dance?” Jimin snickers. “Only at the end for a few seconds. This is about the kids.” Yoongi nods slowly after hearing that.

Unlike the last times they saw each other, Yoongi doesn’t hug him, nor does he kiss his cheek. He just takes a step back. “Been a while since I’ve seen you dance.” He murmurs before going back into the rain. Jimin only stares at him with a nasty feeling in his heart.

Jimin is facetiming his little brother. The younger one is lying in bed next to their mom, and Jimin is telling them about the presentation he’ll have in an hour. He’s already in costume, and he’s getting his makeup done.

Jihyun sighs softly, watching him. “I wish you could come back.” He suddenly says. Jimin immediately looks at him with worried eyes. “Is everything okay?” He asks, glancing at their mom. Jihyun only purses his lips. “I think you should visit whenever you can.”

Jimin nods slowly. Although they were allowed to take their mom back home, she’s still in a delicate state. Even speaking is hard for her. Still, the woman smiles warmly at her son. “Will someone record tonight’s presentation? I’d like to see you.”

“I’ll ask Yoongi to record it for you.” Jimin says before blowing her a kiss. He then focuses on his makeup again, missing the way Jihyun and their mom exchange a look. “Yoongi is going?” “Mhm. I invited him and Soobin.”

“Oh, Jimin.” The woman sighs. She then starts coughing loudly, and Jihyun moves the phone away. After offering her a glass of water, he turns back to Jimin. “You guys are talking again?” “Yeah. I’m trying to fix things.”

Jihyun scoffs. “If anyone should be trying to fix things, it isn’t you. I promise. That guy made you cry for months.” Jimin smiles shyly at his little brother. Of course he feels protective over Jimin. He’s the one who had to deal with all the tears.

“We’re working on it. Both of us. Just don’t give him a hard time when we get back together.” Jihyun raises his brows. “/When/ we get back together? You sound pretty convinced.” “Believe me, I’m not letting that man walk out of my life ever again.”

Jihyun makes a gagging sound while their mom only smiles fondly. Jimin wishes they could talk more, but the show is getting closer, so he has to say goodbye. He waves his hand at them, blowing one more kiss to his mom before hanging up.

After that, he gets a text from Yoongi, just a simple “heading out right now.” Jimin smiles dumbly at his phone. He asks Yoongi to record the third and the last song, and he gets two thumbs up emojis. Needless to say, things are still a little awkward between them.

But today’s a new day, and Jimin hopes things will get better. It doesn’t take too long before the presentation finally begins. Jimin whispers encouraging words to all the kids over and over again, helping them so that they’re not too nervous.

When it’s his turn to walk out on the stage, he can’t help but to smile brightly. It’s been so long since he has done anything like this. He quickly scans the crowd, but he can’t find the Min boys anywhere. Hopefully they’re watching. Jimin wants them to feel proud.

He pushes the thoughts aside as he spins around before raising one of the kids up high. The boy manages to do a great kick, and Jimin’s smile widens. At the end, the kids and the teachers bow towards the audience, who are clapping loudly.

As the show finally ends, all the parents walk near the stage, either to get their kids, take pictures of them, or thank the staff. Jimin is saying hi to a couple when he feels someone poking his shoulder. He smiles when he turns around and finds Soobin.

“Bugs! Did you like the show?” He asks as he pulls Soobin in for a quick hug. “It was so cute, hyung. I lost it with the little girl dressed as a ladybug. She was adorable!” Jimin chuckles with a nod before looking around. “Where’s your dad?” he asks.

For a second, he thinks Yoongi didn’t come. But that’s impossible, right? Sure, things were a little awkward last time they talked, but Yoongi wouldn’t miss this, would he? He remembers the text he sent early. Did Yoongi just drop Soobin off? “Jimin-ah. You look beautiful.”

Jimin’s heart skips a beat as he turns back around. Yoongi is standing there with a bouquet in his hands. The elder blushes slightly, scratching the back of his neck with his free hand. “Is it too much?” Jimin immediately kisses his cheek. “I love them. Thank you.”

Soobin has a little smile as he watches them, but he doesn’t comment. Meanwhile, Yoongi moves his hand up to cup Jimin’s face, examining his makeup. “You really do look gorgeous. Are these rhinestones?” he asks, pointing at the little shiny dots under Jimin’s eyes.

The boy nods, blushing slightly. He holds the flowers close to his chest. “It means so much to me that you came. Both of you. I’m really proud of my kiddos, and it’s nice to share that with someone.” He smiles.

Soobin subtly pushes his dad closer to Jimin. Yoongi hesitates, but he then clears his throat. “Actually, we were, uh, we were wondering if perhaps you’d like to come home with us? Have dinner?”

Jimin’s eyes widen a little, and he looks between the two boys in front of him. Finally, he lets out a relieved sigh. “I thought you’d never ask.” He admits before hooking his arm around Yoongi’s. “Lead the way.”

It doesn’t take them too long to get back to Yoongi’s apartment. He feels a little silly since he’s still in full makeup, though Yoongi keeps complimenting him over and over again. Still, he did change from his white costume to some tight jeans, and a loose shirt.

Yoongi only complimented him even more, making Jimin giggle uncontrollably while Soobin rolled his eyes. The three of them work together, making something good to eat, exchanging jokes, and talking about Jimin’s students.

And god, Jimin has never felt like this. He feels incredibly hopeful, like his family is almost back together. Maybe he should ask Yoongi out on a proper date tonight, although it feels like they’ve been out on lots of dates lately. Still, he’ll ask him out.

They sit by the table, ready to eat. “You really did great, Jimin hyung. Though I wish we could’ve seen you longer.” Soobin smiles. Jimin nods. “I know. Being a teacher means I have to share the spotlight.” He jokes with a wink.

Maybe it was then when Yoongi’s mood started to turn sour. He got more and more quiet, playing with his fork. Maybe if Jimin had noticed in time, things would’ve turned out differently.

You see, at this point Yoongi was just a time bomb. Ticking right under Jimin’s nose, though the boy hadn’t noticed. He kept chatting excitedly with Soobin about tonight’s presentation. How he missed learning a new choreography, missed the seconds before the performance.

He missed the stage, the lights on him, the applause, bowing with a big smile. He had missed the complicated movements that made the audience gasp. Oh, and challenging himself! Sure, this dance was challenging in a different way. It’s hard to teach kids.

“So you miss it?” Soobin asks once he finishes his dinner. “Dancing, I mean.” Jimin tilts his head with a little smile. “Well, I’m still dancing, aren’t I?” Soobin chuckles. “Well yeah, but I mean like… not little kids dancing. Actual dancing.” “Soobin.” Yoongi grits out.

Jimin glances at Yoongi, surprised by his tone. He then realizes his plate is still pretty full. “It’s okay.” Jimin says with a little smile. He then turns back to Soobin. “I do miss it, Bugs. But I’m happy with what I’m doing now.” Yoongi frowns when he hears that.

“You miss it?” Jimin looks back at him. “Well, of course. Dancing has always been my passion, it’s what I want to do till the end. I just, you know, I feel lucky that I can pass that on to young kids now.”

And then, Yoongi scoffs. Jimin glances up at him with a frown, a bit offended by the rude reaction. Soobin takes a deep breath, bracing himself for what’s about to come. He knows his father too well.

“Did you want to say something, Yoonie hyung?” Jimin asks, watching Yoongi take a long sip of wine. “Oh no, not really. Just, one would think you didn’t miss it after the decisions you’ve made in the past, that’s all.” Jimin tilts his head, a bit confused.

“The decisions I’ve made?” Jimin repeats with an awkward little smile. He looks back at Soobin, who quickly shakes his head, as if telling Jimin he should just drop the subject. Meanwhile, Yoongi takes a deep breath. “It’s nothing, Jimin-ah.”

And maybe Jimin should let it go, but he’s so tired of feeling like they dance around the subject instead of tackling it down. They won’t be able to fix things if they don’t talk about it. So Jimin decides to push for more. “No, I’d like to hear what you have to say.”

Yoongi looks at him with a serious expression on his face, sending shivers down Jimin’s spine. Maybe he fucked up. “Well,” Yoongi begins, “since you made the decision to stop pursuing dancing, I just thought you wouldn’t miss it.”

“I’m still a dancer.” Jimin replies quickly. “I mean a real dancer.” Yoongi says with a shrug. Jimin stays silent. He knows Yoongi doesn’t like confrontation, so he probably didn’t mean it in a rude way. Still, hearing that hurt Jimin’s feelings.

“Just because I teach little kids doesn’t mean I’m not a real dancer.” “Okay.” Yoongi says with a fake smile. “Whatever you say, Jimin-ah.” Oh. Well now Jimin is kind of pissed. He doesn’t need pity nor that fake ass hospitality.

“Aren’t you a real musician?” Jimin suddenly asks. Yoongi freezes immediately before looking at Jimin as if the man had just grown a second head. “Even after selling your own piano, or not playing for months. It doesn’t make you any less of a musician.”

They stay silent after that, with Yoongi just staring at Jimin. Soobin clears his throat. “The food’s really good.” He mutters in an attempt to dissipate the tension. “I’m not a musician, and you’re not a dancer.” Yoongi says coldly.

It’s Jimin’s turn to stare at Yoongi. “Wha—?” “A musician wouldn’t sell their instrument. A dancer wouldn’t give up on Paris.” Soobin flinches when Yoongi mentions the piano once again, probably blaming himself for that.

“Again with Paris, what is it with you?” Jimin asks, leaving his chopsticks on the plate. “Just don’t lie about what a musician or a dancer really are. It’s not that hard to be honest.” he says, rolling his eyes. “I'm honest.” Jimin huffs, mad that Yoongi is implying otherwise.

“You sold your piano because you had to.” Yoongi scoffs again. “It clearly hurt you, having to sell it. It’s like your second kid.” “Don’t say that. Soobin’s my kid. I’m not attached to an old piece of wood.” “Who’s lying now?” Jimin scoffs.

Jimin knows things are getting out of hand now. He opens his mouth to take back what he just said, but before he can speak, Yoongi bites back. “I only care about Soobin, not the dumb piano. Let it go.”

“Well, I’m sorry.” Soobin’s voice suddenly fills the room. The adults suddenly glance at the kid, who’s looking at them with glassy eyes. “I’m so sorry you had to give up your stupid piano just for me.” “Language.” Yoongi mutters.

“Fuck language.” Soobin suddenly speaks louder, making both Yoongi and Jimin frown. “Fuck your piano, and fuck you for making me feel bad about it!” “Min Soobin!” Yoongi scolds him as the teen stands up, scraping the chair against the wooden floor.

“Go to your room!” Yoongi says, standing up as well and pointing down the hall. “God, why do you have to ruin it all over again?” Soobin yells as one tear falls down his cheek. “To your room, kid.” “I wish Jimin hyung were my dad instead of you.”

Soobin stomps loudly towards his room, slamming the door harshly once he gets there. Yoongi slowly lowers his arm, still stunned by his son’s hurtful words. He tiredly rubs his face before sitting back down, defeated. Jimin only watches him.

“He’s just a kid.” He mutters. “He doesn’t know what he’s saying.” “You know what?” Yoongi says with an empty chuckle. “I’m so tired. I’m tired of being treated this way by my own son, just because I keep covering up for what you did.”

Jimin frowns. “What I did?” Yoongi runs a hand through his hair, desperate. “Yes, Jimin. Just because I don’t want him to think any less of you. That’s why I didn’t tell him.” “Tell him what?”

“The reason why we broke up.” Yoongi deadpans. Jimin stays silent, his heartbeat quickening after hearing that. “I— I thought you just didn’t want me anymore. You didn’t give me any explanations, just asked me to leave.” He whispers, remembering that night.

Yoongi looks away. “I didn’t think you deserved it.” Jimin closes his eyes. He remembers all the mean things his mind came up with, trying to find a reason as to why he wasn’t good enough. He remembers crying endlessly, obsessing over it.

“That was so mean.” He finally says, opening his eyes to glare at Yoongi. “You have no idea what this last year has been like for me. You were… I thought we were going to get married. And then you just kicked me out like I meant nothing to you. How dare you?”

“How dare I?” Yoongi repeats. “You disrespected our relationship. Our family. Soobin and I deserved better.” “Better than what? I don’t even know what the fuck happened!” Jimin raises his voice. “You lied about Paris!”

Jimin blinks, not expecting to hear that. “Huh?” Yoongi takes a deep breath before nodding. “You told us you didn’t get the job. You can drop the act now. They called while you were out one day. So you can imagine my surprise when I heard them begging you to reconsider.”

Jimin suddenly feels very, very sick. He’s pale, and his mouth is dry. Yoongi slowly shakes his head. “You told us you didn’t get it, but you just turned it down because of us, didn’t you?” he asks. Jimin doesn’t know what to say.

“So all this time I knew Soobin and I were holding you back. I knew that’s how you saw us. So I figured that I had to break up with you so you could chase your dreams. You didn’t come back to us, but you didn’t go to Paris either. It’s like you just lost track of everything.”

“We dated for five years, but you’ve been there for me and Soobin since the beginning. And it’s like… with just one phone call I realized how selfish I had been this entire time.” Jimin looks up and sees Yoongi’s eyes fill with tears, finally breaking down after a whole year.

“Soobin is my entire life. I wouldn’t be the man that I am today if it weren’t for him. But I had to give up stuff so that I could give him a good life, and I don’t blame him or resent him for it. I just want my kid to be happy. But you didn’t sign up for that, Jimin.”

“Sign up for…?” “A kid.” Yoongi sighs after a few seconds. “We were teenagers when I got Harin pregnant. And you just happened to have a crush on me. But you hadn’t thought about having a family. Maybe you didn’t even want kids in the first place.”

“What are you saying?” “I’m saying I don’t want to feel like I’m the one that kept you away from your dream. And that’s how I felt when I found out you lied about Paris, which is why I kept bringing up, hoping you’d admit to it. But you didn’t.”

Yoongi stays quiet after that. He takes a deep breath and rubs his eyes, cleaning the unshed tears. They stay silent, Jimin trying to digest all the new information, and Yoongi recovering from finally speaking up about what has been bothering for a year now.

Jimin knows he fucked up. He shouldn’t have lied about being rejected from the institute, but he had already made up his mind about not going. In his head, he was saving Yoongi the trouble of feeling bad about Jimin turning down the job, when in reality he just made it worse.

He shouldn’t have lied to Yoongi. He glances at the man, and finds him sniffling quietly, looking down. “I’m sorry.” Jimin whispers. “You’re right. I shouldn’t have lied to you. I… I wish you would’ve told me why you broke up with me, though.”

“I did have the chance to go to France, but I just… when the opportunity was right in front of me, I realized that I didn’t want to go.” He mutters, hoping Yoongi would look back at him. “I knew you would feel bad if I didn’t go. You’d blame yourself.”

“Do you realize that’s how Soobin feels about you?” Jimin asks, reaching out to set his hand over Yoongi’s. “What he said earlier. He feels like you had to give up your music because of him. Just like you feel like I gave up my dancing, although I didn’t.”

“It’s different, Jimin. Soobin isn’t the reason why I stopped.” “And you aren’t the reason why I didn’t take the job.” Yoongi gives him a knowing look. “You aren’t. My dream just changed. Don’t you think I would’ve gone once we had broken up?”

Yoongi stares at him. “You wanted to be a professional performer.” Jimin rubs his face. “Yes, Yoon. That was my dream when I was 23. And when I was 9 I wanted to be an astronaut.” “It’s not the same, Jimin.”

“Dreams change, Yoongi!” Jimin pleads, growing frustrated. “Dreams crumble and they collapse and then they change and sometimes they die and there’s nothing wrong with that! I changed my dream for a new one, but that doesn’t make it any less valuable!”

“I had been chasing that dream for years, and when I finally had it in the palm of my hand I realized it didn’t make my heart beat the same way it used to when I was younger. I realized I didn’t want to go. And I don’t owe anything to my past self, you know?”

“But you want to dance! You wanted to travel around the world.” “And I still do!” Jimin admits. “I want to travel around the world with the people that I love. And just because I teach little kids, it doesn’t make me any less of a dancer. It hurts that you think that way.”

“All I want is— silly arguments over who’s making dinner. I want to teach Soobin how to drive and make him go get the groceries whenever we feel lazy. I want my family back. That’s my new dream.” Jimin says, searching for Yoongi’s eyes.

The elder looks away, but Jimin doesn’t give up. “Do you believe me when I say I took the decision myself, and it had nothing to do with you?” he asks. “How can I?” Yoongi whispers, looking at their hands.

It’s been days since Jimin and Yoongi last saw each other. They haven’t texted, they’re waiting for the other to reach out first. But at the same time, they don’t want to talk. At least Yoongi doesn’t. He needs time to think about everything that Jimin said.

And right now, there’s a more pressing matter. Soobin. The kid packed a bag the night of the argument, and left without saying a word. Right when Yoongi noticed and began to panic, he got a call. Beomgyu’s mom told him that Soobin wanted to stay over for a few days.

Yoongi knows he has to talk to his kid, but he also wants to give his son some space. So he thanked her, and then sent her some money for the trouble. She soon sent the money back, telling Yoongi not to worry about it. After all, Soobin and Beomgyu are best friends.

Since the house is empty, it’s easy to feel lonely. Yoongi is laying in bed, late at night. He can’t sleep because the room is just so damn quiet. Eerily quiet. And his thoughts are so loud. Soobin hates him. Jimin lied to him. He’s all alone. He deserves it.

But he can't take it. With a groan, he shifts in bed and grabs his phone. It’s pretty late, but he has to do something. “Hey kid.” He types. After taking a deep breath, he adds “I was wondering if I could pick you up from school tomorrow? I miss you, and we should really talk.”

He then panics a little. Should he be more strict? Parenting is so fucking hard, god. Before he can think much about it, he sees Soobin typing. Yoongi quickly checks the time. It’s past midnight, on a school night. But maybe he shouldn’t scold him right now.

“I guess.” Yoongi stares at the two words for what feels like ages. Finally, he texts back. “Would you like to go for coffee, or should we talk at home?” he asks. He wants Soobin to feel as comfortable as possible.

“Home.” The kid replies after a few minutes. With a deep breath, Yoongi starts typing again. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then. I love you a lot, kid. Try to get some sleep.” Soobin reads the message, but he doesn’t reply.

The next day, Yoongi leaves work earlier so he can pick Soobin up from school. He feels nervous, almost nauseous as he remembers what his son said the day of the fight. Ironically, he could really use Jimin’s help right now. Jimin always knows what to say... when he's not lying.

When Soobin finally steps out of the school, Yoongi’s throat goes dry. He waves at his son, and he sees the boy take a deep breath before saying goodbye to his friends. He quietly gets inside the car, and puts his seatbelt on. Yoongi looks at him.

But Soobin doesn’t look back, he just mutters a quiet “Hi.” They drive in an awkward silence back to their place, and Yoongi feels his heart hammering inside his chest. He knows firsthand how much it sucks to fight with your parents and he doesn’t want to make his son sad.

When they get to their place, Soobin quickly runs to his room, but before he can close the door, Yoongi follows him. “Soobin, please.” He tries, looking around his son’s room. “Can we talk now?” He asks, offering the kid a way out.

Soobin hesitates, but he eventually shrugs. He sits on his bed, back against the headboard, and hugs his knees. Yoongi steps inside, sitting on the chair, near the desk. “Do you want to start, or should I?” he asks. His son looks up at him. “You.”

Yoongi nods. He stays quiet for a few seconds, trying to figure out how he should begin. Finally, he looks back at the boy. “I’m sorry.” He says, and Soobin’s eyes widen slightly. “I’m sorry for hurting you the way I did. It wasn’t my intention, but that’s no excuse.”

“You’re my kid. I should have noticed something was up. And I should have asked you about it, instead of pretending things were okay. I’m sorry that we kept having fights, and that I haven’t always been patient with you.” He adds, scratching the back of his neck.

Soobin quickly looks away, but Yoongi notices the way his eyes water. “You didn’t make me sell my piano, Soobin. It wasn't your fault. We were short on money, and… shit, I wanted to make you happy more than anything. I had to sell it, but it wasn’t your fault.”

Yoongi usually doesn’t swear, especially not in front of his kid, but right now he has to admit he feels as lost as he did when he first found out he was going to be a dad. “I’m sorry for making you feel like it was, kiddo.” He says with a soft sigh.

He moves a little closer and places his hand on Soobin’s knee. The kid is silently crying now. He sniffles, rubs his nose, and then clears his throat. “I know I was just— a mistake that happened when you were my age.” He begins, “And I’m sorry I ruined your life.”

Yoongi’s heart shatters when he hears that. He immediately moves from the chair to sit next to his son, wrapping his arms around him. “Oh, Soobin. That’s far from the truth. You’re my whole world, kid.” He admits, letting his son cry against his chest. “You’re not a mistake.”

The teen sobs loudly, clenching his father's shirt tightly. Yoongi rubs circles on his back. “You hear me, Soobin? You’re not a mistake. I wouldn’t change anything about my life. If I could do it all over again, I would. You saved my life, kid.”

Yoongi’s own eyes begin to fill up with tears. God. He really should have talked to his son a lot sooner. “I’m so sorry, Soobin. Fuck, I’m so sorry. I was so… focused on blaming Jimin for everything that I just stopped taking responsibility for my own actions and words.”

Soobin sniffles, trying to calm down a little bit. “W-what do you mean?” “Well… I thought that you were acting up because we didn’t have Jimin anymore. So I just blamed him for your behavior.” “My behavior?” He frowns.

“You do remember stealing a car and drinking beer a few months ago, right?” Yoongi asks, and the question makes his son hiccup. “I get why you were acting up. I get where all the mean words or strange actions were coming from now. But it was easier to blame Jimin.”

Yoongi’s heart feels heavy as he admits that. They went to therapy because the break up was almost like a divorce, but that wasn’t the only reason Soobin was acting rebellious. Yoongi just chose to ignore his shitty parenting.

He sighs softly, and continues to rub Soobin’s back. “I owe Jimin an apology as well, but I owe one especially to you. My main duty as your dad is to make you feel loved. I’m so sorry for failing you. But… But now that I know how you’ve been feeling, I can work on it.”

“But you’ll need to talk to me more, you know? I need to know that you feel happy, and that you feel loved. Think we can manage to do that?” Yoongi asks. His son sniffles, but stays quiet. Yoongi waits for a little while, but Soobin doesn’t speak up.

“Maybe we can try therapy again.” Yoongi suggests. “I think it’d be good. Doctor Kang can help us again. We can take it as an opportunity to open up about how we truly feel, you know? You can call me out again if you feel the need.” He says with a soft smile.

Soobin then looks up at him. “You’re not mad?” Yoongi considers the question before shaking his head. “It made me sad the way you treated me the day Jimin came over. Your words really hurt. You’re never ready to hear your kid say they don’t want you as their parent.”

“I’m sorry.” Soobin whispers, but Yoongi shakes his head. “I wish I had made you feel safe enough so that we could have talked about the way you felt. I made you bubble up your emotions until you exploded. It’s not your fault.” “But I shouldn't have said that.”

“I’ll call Doctor Kang.” Yoongi finally says with a decisive nod. “I want to be better for you. I love you so much, but maybe I don’t know how to show that to you. But I will learn, okay? I just ask you to be a little patient with me. Can you do that?”

Soobin nods slowly, again rubbing his little red nose. Finally Yoongi leans back just enough so that he can make proper eye contact. “And we have to talk about another thing. You can’t continue acting up, kid. Running away when you’re sad isn’t the answer.”

“Sneaking out at night, drinking, all that needs to stop, okay? If you need some time away, I understand, but you need to tell me beforehand.” He says, a little more sternly. Soobin lets out a choked little laugh before nodding. “I’m sorry.”

Yoongi smiles at him before scooting closer once again. “I know, kid. I’m sorry as well.” They stay quiet after that, feeling a weight off their chests. Yoongi really meant it when he said he wants to be a better dad for Soobin. He’s ready now.

Maybe he forgot his way for a few months, but Yoongi is a good parent. He just needs to get back on track. He’s deep in thought until Soobin speaks up. “So Jimin hyung really got the job at Paris, huh?”

Yoongi blinks, looking at him. “You heard that?” Soobin nods. “I… I guess we feel the same way. You feel like you’re the reason why hyung stopped dancing, and I feel like I’m the reason you stopped playing music.”

“But you’re not.” Yoongi quickly says. “You aren’t, really.” Soobin looks at him with a little frown. “Did you believe Jimin hyung when he said that to you?” He asks, and Yoongi just looks at his son. “He said it had nothing to do with you.”

“I know.” Yoongi replies. “He said his dream changed. And we were his new dream. That sounds to me like we did affect his decision.” “If you still believe he did it for you, then… how am I supposed to think you didn’t do it for me?”

“They’re different situations, kid.” “Are they?” Soobin tilts his head, searching for his father’s eyes. “We were hyung’s new dream. In a way, making me happy was your new dream.” Yoongi stays quiet.

Since when is his kid so damn smart? If he thinks about it that way, then maybe he can understand what Jimin meant when he said he had a new dream. “Although I still agree with hyung. It doesn’t have to be one or the other.” Soobin adds.

Yoongi smiles gently, glad that his son is talking so freely now. “What do you mean?” “For hyung, it’s not us or dancing. He found a way to get both. Well, until the fight.” He pouts. “And I think… I think you don’t have to choose between music or me, dad.”

“I don’t want you to feel like you have to choose. I… I also want you to be happy, you know?” Soobin shrugs, looking away. Even with all their similarities, Yoongi still manages to learn a lot from his son. He ruffled his son’s hair. “You just want me to make up with Jimin.”

Soobin screeches, trying to push his dad away. “Well, you don’t have to choose between me, music, or hyung! You can have all three if you stop being so broody.” Yoongi lets him go, and he feels happy to see his son smiling like that.

“I’ll call him when I’m ready, okay? Things have changed a lot between us and… I think we both need time. I hurt him as well.” Yoongi finally sighs. Soobin huffs, feeling frustrated. “Promise me you will talk to him. Please. He matters a lot to me.”

Yoongi glances up at the ceiling, thinking about Jimin’s pretty smile. “He matters a lot to me as well.” Soobin also looks up. “Thank you, dad.” He mutters. Yoongi looks at him. “For finally listening to me. Thank you.”

Yoongi offers him a sad smile. “I’m sorry I stopped listening for a while.” He replies. He’s about to add something more, when Soobin suddenly gets a phone call. The teen blinks a couple of times as he sees Yeonjun’s contact picture show up.

“He’s probably calling to ask me how our conversation went.” Soobin mutters, cheeks turning pink. Yoongi chuckles before getting up from the bed. “I’ll let you talk to him. He’s a good kid. Not sure if he’s good enough for my son, but—” “Dad!” Yoongi just chuckles.

Yoongi chuckles, making his way out of the room. He’s about to close the door, when Soobin suddenly tells him to stop. “I just… I’m really glad that you’re my dad.” He says shyly. Yoongi smiles at him. “I’m glad that you’re my son.”

When Yoongi calls doctor Kang to book an appointment, she tells him she would recommend having a session together, and then having separate times with each of them. Yoongi agrees with a groan. He knows mental health is important, but that doesn’t make it any easier.

The woman gives them some tasks to do. Just spending more time together, and choosing a day of the week to open up. They call these their “truth days”, in which they have deep conversations about how they’re feeling. It’s hard for both of them, but they’re trying.

Yoongi often tells Soobin how proud he is of him. And although the kid acts like it’s no big deal, it’s clear that he feels more at ease around Yoongi. Sure, it’s not all peaches and cream. Yoongi still has a hard time trusting Jimin, which makes it hard for Soobin to trust him.

But he has been working on it for weeks. Doctor Kang asks him questions that Yoongi can’t answer right away, but they make him think about it for a really long time. Did Jimin usually lie? No, he didn’t. Did it bother you that he lied or that he didn’t take the job? I don’t know.

Sometimes, he’s the one asking her questions. “Is lying ever justified? Is it okay?” And she only smiles, and asks what he thinks. Therapy isn’t easy, but Yoongi is glad that he’s going. Even if he has issues, it’s nice to finally let it all out.

At some point, Doctor Kang tells Yoongi he should try to talk to Jimin once again. Yoongi is not a fan of the idea, so she doesn’t push. But she planted the idea in his head and that was enough.

Yoongi felt as if they had just broken up once again. He kept checking Jimin’s social media to see if he would post. He would be constantly daydreaming about him. He would grab his phone at 3 am just to look at Jimin’s contact picture, wondering if he should call.

He misses him. Yoongi doesn’t know if he’s ready to forgive and jump back into a relationship just yet, but… but he knows he can’t let go of Jimin. He just can’t. So finally, on the first day of March, he decides he will properly work to trust Jimin once again.

His therapist seems proud of that decision, and although it took Yoongi a really long time to make up his mind, he feels ready to get his shit together. He doesn’t know where to begin though.

It would be kind of weird to just text Jimin out of the blue, right? Especially since things ended in such a sour note a month ago. He knows Jimin likes grand gestures, so maybe he can come up with something like that.

He’s deep in thought when Soobin suddenly walks inside the room. He just finished his guitar lesson of the day, and lately he’s been showing Yoongi what he learned. Yoongi smiles, scooting over the couch to leave some space for his son.

But before Soobin takes his guitar, he hands Yoongi a small business card. Yoongi tilts his head. “What’s this?” “Taehyungie hyung gave it to me. He said you have to call this number.” Soobin says. He’s just as lost as his old man.

Yoongi frowns as he takes the card. “Did he say what it was?” Soobin carefully leaves his guitar on his lap. “Just that it was an early birthday present.” The man sighs. Who knows what Taehyung is up to now. “Should we call?”

Soobin nods excitedly, amused by the little game they’re playing. Yoongi chuckles as he fishes his phone out of his pocket. He dials the number on the card, and then presses the speaker button so that Soobin can hear.

It rings a couple times, and then they hear an old man. “Gi-hyun’s music store, how may I help you?” Yoongi blinks. Why does that sound slightly familiar. Soobin pokes his arm. “Uh, hi… Someone told me I should call this number? My name’s Min Yoongi.”

“Min Yoongi?” The man asks. They can hear the rustle of pages. “Ah, yes. Someone made a deposit in your name a few days ago.” “A deposit?” Yoongi asks, raising his brow. Soobin looks at him with curiosity. “For what?” “Our Baby Grand Piano.”

Yoongi’s heart stops as soon as he hears that. Soobin also stays still, eyes glued to his dad’s face. “What did you just say?” “Someone paid for half of the piano on your behalf. You can pay the other half, or buy something for the same price they paid.”

“Who?” Yoongi asks, because he knows damn well Taehyung didn’t pull this off. He knows who did, but he needs to hear it. “They didn’t leave a name, sir. Just a note.” “What does it say?”

They hear more pages moving, and then a soft sigh. “My, um... my new dream is helping you achieve yours.” The old man says, and Yoongi’s eyes tear up immediately. Maybe he shouldn’t be so surprised. After all, Jimin always loved grand gestures.

“Can I see the piano?” Yoongi asks with a broken voice. The man says yes, and gives him an address, though there’s no need. Yoongi remembers it perfectly now. It’s the same store where he sold his old piano.

After a quick drive, Yoongi feels like he can breathe again the second he walks inside the store. The man behind the counter is getting up to greet him, but Yoongi immediately runs towards the brown piano on the window display.

Without a word, he drops to his knees, and looks under the piano. There, carved in the wood, he sees a small J+Y inside a tiny heart. The cheesiest thing ever. And that’s enough to bring him down to tears. Because fucking hell, he's still in love with Park Jimin.

Yoongi asks the man if he can have some time to think about it, but Soobin immediately intervenes. “Give me one good reason why you shouldn’t get it.” He says. He thinks hard about it, but at the end he realizes his son is right. They’re financially stable now.

Besides, it’s a birthday gift. And the note… Yoongi buys the piano, and the man tells him he should expect it at his house by the end of the week. The idea of getting his own piano back makes him incredibly happy. He really needs to thank Jimin.

Speaking of Jimin, it’s definitely time to talk to him. He needs to thank him for the piano, and he needs to tell him that he still loves him. God, Yoongi feels as if his life has become a rollercoaster in the last few months. But he feels hopeful.

He shoots Jimin a text later that day, but the boy doesn’t reply. Yoongi decides to give him time. But it’s been two days now, and Jimin still hasn’t replied, or answered any calls. Maybe he wants Yoongi to be more upfront? A text clearly isn’t enough.

He gathers up the courage to drive up to Jimin’s apartment on Friday. He’s still not sure of what to say, but he’s sure that Jimin will help him gather his thoughts and talk to him. He's really good at doing that.

Yoongi knocks on the door of the apartment once he gets there. It’s getting late, so he knows Jimin is already out of work, probably making himself dinner right now. He hopes Jimin will invite him in to eat together. But no one answers the door.

“Jimin-ah?” Yoongi tries, knocking once more. He frowns, and presses his ear against the door. He can’t hear anything, so he wonders if Jimin is gone, or if he’s mad and pretending he’s not home. Maybe he doesn’t want to talk to Yoongi.

“I bought the piano.” Yoongi blurts out. “They’re bringing it to my place tomorrow. I… I was wondering if perhaps you’d like to go? I’m kind of rusty but I would love to play a song for you.” He adds, looking at the closed door like a lost puppy.

“I know things between us got really messy.” He continues. “And I’m sorry it took me so long to reach out. I just wasn’t ready to let go of the past, I guess? And I didn’t want to face my current situation. With both you and Soobin. I’m sorry it took me so long.”

“But… but if you open the door, maybe we can talk more calmly now? I would like to hear more about what you were saying, about our dreams. And… And I would like to start over, if you think we still have a chance. I don’t want to lose you again, Jimin.” Yoongi sighs.

He feels a little silly, pouring his feelings like that for a guy who won’t even open the door. He presses his forehead against the cold wood. “Please...” He whispers, and then— “Hyung?” someone asks behind him.

Yoongi turns around quickly, eyes widening. “T-Taehyung?” The other looks at him as if he’s seeing a ghost. “What are you doing here?” he asks. Yoongi runs a hand through his hair. Did Taehyung hear all of Yoongi’s lame confession?

“I need to talk to Jimin. He’s not answering my texts.” Taehyung pouts when he hears that. He glances between the closed door and Yoongi. Finally, he takes Jimin's spare keys out of his pocket and gets closer. “Jimin isn’t here, hyung.” He says as he opens the door.

Yoongi follows him inside. Just as Taehyung said, the apartment is completely dark, cold, and empty. The windows are closed, and Jimin’s stuff is everywhere. It’s a mess, as if the boy had left in a hurry. Taehyung turns the lights on. “Where is he?” Yoongi asks softly.

Taehyung sighs, leaving his tote bag on the kitchen counter. He tiredly rubs his eyes, and then turns back to face Yoongi. “He went back to Busan two weeks ago. His… his mom isn’t doing great.” He finally explains. “He asked me to give you the card thingy. For your birthday.”

Yoongi slowly sits down on one of the stools. “Jisoo-ssi?” Taehyung nods. “What’s wrong with her?” “Jimin didn’t tell you?” Yoongi shakes his head, and then, “The cancer came back last year. They told them she didn’t have long, but that's what they say last time as well.”

“Fuck.” Yoongi whispers under his breath, hiding his face in his hands. While he was dealing with his silly crush drama, Jimin was spending time with his sick mom. Fucking hell. “But if they said that last time, she might beat it again, right?” Taehyung shakes his head.

They are the two closest to Jimin, and therefore closest to his family. Talking about Jisoo’s sickness hurts them both. “They say it’s a miracle she’s still alive. Jihyun has been taking care of her. He called Jimin a few weeks ago crying, and so Jimin bought a train ticket.”

“He didn’t want to regret not spending time with her. He’ll be staying there a while. He hasn’t really texted me either. I do know he feels lonely though.” Yoongi stays quiet for a few minutes, trying to digest all the new information. No wonder Jimin didn’t reply to his texts.

“So what are you doing here?” “Oh, I come by sometimes to water his plants. Makes me feel a little useful, I guess.” Taehyung shrugs with a sad smile. “What about you? For real.” Yoongi feels his cheeks darkening. “I wanted to thank him for the piano.”

“And…?” Taehyung trails off, raising his brow. Yoongi hates him a little bit. “And to tell him that I don’t want him to give up on me. On us.” He mutters the last part. Taehyung shoots him a kind smile. “Jimin would never give up on you. Or Soobin.”

Yoongi sighs softly. Tae starts making tea for the both of them. “If you want, you can help me clean up the place. It might be nice when he comes back to a clean house.” He says. Yoongi nods immediately, looking around the messy living room. “Hey Tae?”

“Yeah?” The boy says, getting two mugs for them. Yoongi glances at a framed picture of a small Jimin dressed up as a cow, and he smiles a little. “How much does it cost to go to Busan?”

It’s weird being back home. Jimin has been thinking about it for the past few days, how foreign it feels to be back in Busan. It's a weird mixture of melancholy and comfort. He knows the street’s names, smiles at their neighbors, goes out to buy milk, and it’s just weird.

He feels as if he has gone back in time. As if the entire city is locked inside a time bubble. And the only change he sees, day by day, is his mom getting worse. Weaker. The doctors allowed her to go back to their house after getting the last lab results two weeks ago.

They said she should be home when it happens. It’s a known fact, something that’s coming. Something looming over them. Jimin goes out every morning, when it’s still dark outside, and he just walks. Wanders around, trying to get lost in a city he knows far too well.

He likes to watch the sunset, feeling as if it’s the only thing that will show him that time is actually flying by. It’s freezing, but Jimin likes the way the cold hurts his toes, his nose, his ears. It’s a reminder that he can still feel things. Sometimes he wishes he didn’t.

But he’s trying to make peace with what’s happening. It’s not easy, but Jimin is trying his best. He waits until his mom’s favorite bakery opens up, and then buys some pastries for the three of them. When he goes back home, the first thing he does is check on her.

And then he just spends the days in her room, holding her hand. Every single day, for the past two weeks. She’s too weak to talk, so Jimin just talks to Jihyun about everything and nothing. Sometimes, the three just stay quiet, enjoying each other’s company.

Jimin hates the way he feels like there’s a giant countdown on her mom’s head, but he can’t see the numbers. He can’t do anything, just wait. He’s spending his life waiting. Waiting for the bakery to open, for Yoongi to forgive him, for the sunrise, for his mom to die.

He cries at night. Ever since he got his brother’s call, he’s been crying nonstop. He tries not to do it in front of his family, but he’s sure they can hear him at night, till late hours. He spends his nights crying and wandering around town. He feels helpless, and lonely.

He’s in the kitchen right now, making some tea for Jihyun, eyes lost as he waits for the water to boil. He lets out a quiet chuckle when he realizes he’s waiting once again. As soon as the kettle whistles, he turns off the stove, and then, he hears a knock on the door.

“One second.” Jimin says. Over the past few weeks, many neighbors have come to give them homemade food, fruit, or just encouraging words. It’s like everyone is already grieving Jisoo’s death. Shoving those thoughts aside, Jimin leaves the kitchen.

But then, when he opens the door, his eyes widen. “Soobin?” He asks, wondering if the lack of sleep is making him see things. “Hi hyung.” The kid answers, and holy fuck, this is real? “I- What the hell are you doing here? Bugs, please tell me you didn’t run away.” Jimin begs.

Again, he feels like he went back in time, when he got that phone call telling him that Soobin was in trouble. “Soobin, where’s your dad?” “Paying the driver.” “Huh?” Then, Jimin hears a car’s engine. And a beat later, Yoongi shows up, coming from the side of the house.

“Hyung.” Jimin breathes out, thinking that yeah, he must be hallucinating. “Baby.” Yoongi whispers, jogging -almost running- closer to him before he engulfs the younger in a big hug. “We came as soon as we heard.” He whispers.

After a second, Jimin wraps his arms around Yoongi, hiding his face against the crook of his neck. Yoongi hugs him tightly, and for the first time since he got to Busan, he feels warm. “We thought you would need your family's support.” Yoongi whispers, and God, he’s right.

“It’s… I’m getting kinda cold here.” Soobin suddenly mumbles. Jimin chuckles softly before letting go of Yoongi, hugging the kid instead. “Come inside, I was just making tea.” “Do you have cocoa?” “Yes, Bugs.”

Jimin closes the door once they’re all inside. Soobin heads towards the kitchen, but Yoongi grabs Jimin’s hand, keeping him close. “I’m sorry we came unannounced. You weren’t picking up my phone calls.” “I’m sorry. I don’t even know where my phone is.” Jimin admits with a sigh.

Yoongi nods, thumb gently rubbing Jimin’s knuckles. “We’ll be staying at a hotel for a few days. Just wanted to keep you company.” “You can stay here.” Jimin immediately replies, intertwining their fingers. “Please stay. I don’t want to be alone.”

Yoongi nods immediately once more. Jimin pouts a bit then. “Are you still mad at me?” With a fond smile, the elder shakes his head. “I’m not. I stopped being mad a while ago. When I tried to reach out, Taehyung told me what happened. How is she?”

Jimin lets out another soft sigh, and Yoongi squeezes his hand. “I’m losing her.” He mumbles, and he sounds so small, it just shatters Yoongi’s heart. “Is it okay if I see her? And Soobin?” He asks. Jimin looks up at him, a little lost, a little vulnerable.

“Well, she loves you both. I’m sure she would love to see you. She doesn’t talk much, though.” “That's okay.” Jimin smiles sadly before guiding Yoongi to the kitchen. Inside, they find Soobin and Jihyun speaking.

“Oh, hi.” The youngest Park says, glancing between Jimin and Yoongi. “I was wondering who it was. Been a while since I last saw you. Are you still a dick to my brother?” He asks, and Jimin immediately shushes him. Yoongi looks away, embarrassed, and Soobin fights off a smile.

“You made him cry a lot.” Jihyun continues. Jimin groans before going over to make some hot cocoa for them as his brother keeps pestering Yoongi. “I know.” The other replies, glancing at Jimin. “And we will talk about it eventually. I’m just here to keep you guys company.”

Jihyun hums, still not convinced. “Do you still cook?” He asks. Yoongi frowns a little before nodding. “Good. We haven’t had a decent meal in weeks. People keep bringing us the most disgusting dishes. It’s like they’re trying to bring us down even more.”

“They’re being nice, Jihyun.” Jimin scolds him. “They should try harder.” His brother replies. Jimin rolls his eyes, but he keeps quiet. What’s happening to Jisoo is clearly hurting both of them. Yoongi immediately steps in. “I’ll cook for you guys. Soobin will help.”

“You don’t have to.” Jimin says with a soft whine. “I know. I want to.” Yoongi promises. After getting their drinks, they walk back inside Jisoo’s room. The woman is peacefully sleeping at the moment.

When she wakes up though, Jimin lets her know who came over to visit. Her eyes widen for a second, before she smiles weakly, looking over at the Min boys. Soobin feels a little awkward, but he’s always so kind, so he places a soft kiss on her cheek.

He only saw Jisoo when he was younger, so he doesn’t remember much. Although sometimes he’d join whenever Jimin was talking to her on the phone, years ago. Yoongi, on the other hand, remembers the woman very well.

Since Yoongi and Jimin had been childhood friends, he had spent a lot of time in that house, with the Parks. Jisoo had been extremely supportive when she found out Yoongi was going to be a teen dad, and even offered to help. She was kinder than Yoongi’s own mom.

That’s why he gives her a gentle hug, and kisses her hand. As Jimin said, she’s very weak, but her eyes well up with tears as she looks at Yoongi. She then glances between him and Jimin. “I’m glad.” She mutters with a hoarse voice. It’s all Yoongi needed to hear.

At some point, Jimin and Jihyun leave the room to wash the cups. Yoongi glances at his son, who fell asleep a little while ago. Then, he moves closer to Jisoo. “Jisoo-ssi.” He whispers. “I would like to marry your son someday.” He says. “Do I have your blessing?”

Jisoo doesn’t look surprised. She gives Yoongi’s hand a soft squeeze before nodding, as if it had always been her plan. “He takes really good care of me.” The boy keeps talking. “And I promise I’ll do the same. I swear. I’ll do my best to make him happy.” Jisoo just smiles.

Busan is still cold, it feels colder every day. Jimin can’t help but to think that the weather is somehow connected to his mother’s health. He is surprised whenever Yoongi holds his hand… They’ve never felt so warm.

That first night, Jimin offered the guest room to Soobin, but he quietly asked Yoongi to spend the night in his room. Yoongi didn’t refuse. It was a little awkward at first, both of them staring at the ceiling, pinkies touching over the mattress.

Yoongi eventually asked if it was okay to cuddle. Jimin tried hard not to look too eager as he nodded. So now they’re spooning. Yoongi has his arms secured around Jimin, chest pressed against his back. They didn’t talk much afterwards, and eventually Yoongi began snoring softly.

But, as usual, Jimin couldn’t sleep. Having strong arms around him helps him feel somewhat safe, of course. And he can’t help but to notice how...muscly Yoongi is now. But still, his mind is going so fast, he can’t rest.

It’s around 1 a.m when Jimin carefully tries to get up. He has only moved a few inches when he feels Yoongi stirring behind him. “Min?” he asks with a husky voice, and Jimin is trying not to lose it. “Where are you going?” “I can’t sleep.”

“I think I’m gonna go for a walk. Sorry I woke you up.” Yoongi hums softly before letting go of Jimin. The younger one sits on the bed, but then his eyes widen as he feels Yoongi sitting as well, rubbing his sleepy eyes. “Hey, no, go back to sleep. What are you doing?”

“I want to keep you company.” Comes the caring reply. “You don’t have to do that.” “Do you want to be alone?” “I don’t want to bother you.” “That wasn’t the question. And you’re not bothering me. Do you want to be alone?” Jimin holds his breath before shaking his head.

That’s how they both end up with big jackets, scarfs, pajama pants, fluffy socks, and hot choco mugs. Instead of going out for a walk, they just sit on the porch stairs, enjoying the chilly air. It’s nice, sharing the silence. For the first time in days, Jimin feels calm.

He glances at Yoongi. The elder is gently swaying the contents of his mug, shivering a little bit, half of his face covered by the scarf. Jimin smiles to himself. Yoongi has always been sensitive to the cold. “What’s so funny?” He hears the other asking, and Jimin just shrugs.

“Nothing. I’m just-” He trails off before meeting Yoongi’s eyes. “I’m glad you came.” He whispers, but it’s so quiet outside that Yoongi catches the soft words. “I would’ve come sooner if I had known.” He assures him, but Jimin shakes his head.

“You’re here when it matters the most.” He replies, and Yoongi can’t help but to feel he means more than just this trip to Busan. “Thank you.” “Stop thanking me, Jimin-ah.” “Never.” Yoongi fights off a little smile.

They let silence settle in once more, but it’s nice. Jimin feels comfortable around Yoongi. He gets lost in the sound of the breeze rustling the canopies. A dog barks far away, and Jimin takes a deep breath. Then, he feels a lightbulb turning on in his head.

“You said Taehyung told you about my mom when you tried to reach out.” He says, repeating what Yoongi had said earlier. Jimin looks down at his drink. “You reached out?” Yoongi looks caught off guard by the question. His cheeks darken, but it’s too dark for Jimin to notice.

“I went to your apartment. I was, um… Anyways, Taehyung dropped by to water your plants, and that’s when he told me what was going on.” “What were you doing there?” Jimin asks, and Yoongi makes himself smaller. It’s kind of embarrassing to repeat all the cheesy stuff he said.

“I went there to thank you for the piano.” He says instead. Jimin clicks his tongue before nodding. “I didn’t want to pressure you into buying it. Thinking about it, it kinda feels like I did pressure you. I’m sorry. Should’ve gotten you a gift card instead.”

Yoongi chuckles softly. “I’ll accept a card next year.” He says, and Jimin slowly looks back at him. Will they be talking next year? He doesn’t know. “I did buy it. Wasn’t out of pressure, I promise. I… when I saw the piano, I felt like I could breathe again.”

Jimin scoots a little closer. “I think I would’ve bought it regardless. When I went to your apartment, well… I was trying to invite you over. Wanted to play for you.” Yoongi admits, meeting Jimin’s eyes.

They stare at each other for a few seconds, and then Jimin’s lower lip quivers at the same time Yoongi frowns. “I’m so sorry for what I—” “I’ve been such an asshole—” More staring, and then they both chuckle lowly, shaking their heads.

When the laughter dies down, the younger one reaches out to grab Yoongi’s hand. “Where did we go wrong?” He asks, making the other sigh softly. “I’m really, really fucking sorry that I lied to you about Paris, Yoongi-yah.”

“I’ve been thinking about it nonstop since we talked that night. I put you through so much, and I really hurt you, and I’m so, so sorry. I should’ve been honest since the beginning.” Jimin rambles, getting it all out now.

Yoongi feels a lump in his throat as he listens to the boy’s apology. He can see some unshed tears in Jimin’s eyes, and so he reaches out to cup the boy’s face. Jimin winces, and mumbles “your hand is cold,” making Yoongi roll his eyes with a fond grin in his face.

“I forgive you.” He finally whispers. “I… know that you had good intentions, though I think lying is never justified. But I know you, and I know you don’t have a single evil bone in your body. I know you were just trying to protect both me and Soobin.”

Jimin nods, leaning against Yoongi's palm. Then, the elder takes a deep breath. “I’m also very sorry. I was so angry, and I wanted to make you feel bad. And that’s so messed up. Maybe If I had told you why I wanted to break up, we could’ve fixed things right away.”

“I was hurting, and I treated you really badly. I’ve been punishing you for a single mistake for a whole year. I’m so sorry, Jimin.” Yoongi says, words filled with nothing but honesty and regret for what he did. “We both messed up.” Jimin mumbles. “I forgive you.”

It feels as if a weight was lifted from their chests. Now, they can’t help but to shoot shy glances at each other. And they can’t help but to wonder what will happen next. “I’ve been thinking,” Yoongi begins, tracing his thumb over the boy’s cheekbone.

“Therapy has helped me a lot. It’s also easier to talk to Soobin now, so I was wondering if, I don’t know, maybe we could go together someday?” He offers. Jimin frowns. “Like… couple’s therapy?” He asks, wanting to make sure that they’re on the same page.

Yoongi lets go of Jimin’s cheek in order to scratch the back of his neck. Even though it’s cold, he unzips his jacket, feeling a little warm. “It was just an idea.” “That's… a couples thing.” Jimin points out. “I know.” Yoongi mumbles.

Jimin slowly puts his mug down on the floor. “What exactly are you saying, hyung?” He asks. He looks up at Jimin, his gaze soft. “We can talk about it when we go back to Seoul. Don’t worry about it right now.”

Jimin nods slowly, but he knows he won’t stop thinking about it any time soon. “I don’t want to mess this up again.” Yoongi adds. “I’ve been thinking about what you said about having a new dream. It’s been so long since I’ve allowed myself to do that.”

“But I want to try it again. And I… well-” He looks at Jimin again. “I want you to be a part of that dream.” They stare at each other for a few seconds, before Jimin leans in. Yoongi’s lips are as soft as he remembers them.

Soobin went back to Seoul by himself the Monday before it happened, but Yoongi stayed with the Parks. He was there to comfort both brothers. It happened a few days later, on a Thursday morning.

Jihyun called a doctor to settle the time of death, the cause, and other practical things that Jimin couldn’t think about at the moment. It wasn’t easy. They returned to Seoul two weeks later.

Jimin asked to be alone for some time, and Yoongi respected that wish. He asked if he could still text the younger, and Jimin only shrugged. And so, Yoongi has checked on him from time to time. He tries not to go overboard, but still be there for him.

He asks Jimin if he has eaten, how he feels, if he feels like talking. Sometimes he gets short, one word replies. On better days, they get to carry out a small conversation. Usually though, he gets no reply at all.

Yoongi has talked to Taehyung and Jungkook, and he’s both glad and worried when he finds out that Jimin is giving them the same treatment. When he asks what they should do about it, Taehyung offers him a sad smile. “Let him grieve. We’ll be here when he’s ready.”

Days turn into weeks. Soobin also reaches out, sending Jimin short messages or instrumental songs that he likes. Jimin always thanks him for that. Eventually, three weeks later, Yoongi gets a call from him in the middle of the night.

“Jimin?” Yoongi asks with a groggy voice, checking the time on his phone. It’s 2 a.m. The line is silent, but after some seconds he hears a quiet cry. “Did I wake you up?” Yoongi’s heart clenches in his chest. “It’s okay. I’ve been waiting to hear your voice.”

Jimin whimpers. Yoongi gives him a moment before asking, “Are you safe? Are you at your house?” Jimin lets out a shaky breath. “I am. I just— couldn’t sleep. Was thinking about you.” Yoongi hums. “What were you thinking about?”

“How you went to Busan for me. You didn’t have to.” “We wanted to be there for you. I know we aren’t… together, but Soobin and I care so much about you. We didn’t want you to be alone.” Jimin keeps quiet once again before whispering a soft, “Thank you.”

“Actually, I was calling to ask for a favor.” Yoongi tilts his head, eyes glued to the ceiling. “Sure, what can I do for you?” “I— um. I was wondering if you could play for me? Your piano?” “Right now?”

“Of course not.” Jimin says with a fragile chuckle. The sound is enough to make Yoongi smile. “You’d wake up Soobin. And your neighbors. I’m not so sure they would find it very romantic.” “Would you?”

Yoongi hears Jimin take a deep breath before whispering a soft “Yeah, I would. But… Can I drop by tomorrow? To hear you?” “You can drop by whenever you want to, Jimin.” Yoongi can’t see him, but he can almost picture Jimin’s fond smile and red nose.

“I’ll be there tomorrow. And um… maybe we can talk more about what you had mentioned before? Couples therapy?” Yoongi’s eyes widened slightly. He didn’t know they would talk about that so soon.

“Sure, yes. We can talk about it as well.” “Okay.” Jimin replies. Yoongi hears a gentle ruffle of sheets. “Can we stay on call? It’s easier to sleep like that.” Yoongi closes his eyes. “Of course, Min.”

It’s a slow process, there’s no denying that. The first therapy sessions are draining for both of them, and sometimes they spike little arguments. Other times, it allows them to be vulnerable and open up to each other. It’s a seesaw, but they’re not planning to get down.

At some point, after weeks of nonstop therapy sessions, Doctor Kang says it would be good to start family sessions, with Soobin included. Jimin feels a little shy about the idea, but Yoongi agrees right away. And so, next time, the three of them sit on the couch.

They all get to talk about what they think, even if they’re a bit embarrassed sometimes. Jimin talks about how insecure he is about their family, since he isn’t Soobin’s biological dad. “I mean, I’m not even with Yoongi anymore.” He says with a sad chuckle. No one else laughs.

Yoongi stares at him for a few seconds, like he wants to say something. But he stops himself, and looks away. Soobin mumbles about the fact that sometimes it’s easier to talk to Jimin than to Yoongi, but he doesn’t want to hurt his dad’s feelings.

Finally, Yoongi admits he sometimes used to feel like a burden to Jimin when they were together, and that he tries really hard to listen to Soobin, but he feels like his son is tiptoeing around him.

It’s hard. Sure, it’s healthy that they’re all finally talking and trying to fix things, but it doesn’t mean things are okay now. Jimin goes over to the Min house more often. He listens to Yoongi playing the piano, and falls asleep to the gentle music.

He also invited both Soobin and Yeonjun to his dance studio one day. Hoseok tagged along, and he immediately offered to let Yeonjun join his classes for less money. That night, Jimin tells Yoongi he saw them kissing.

Yoongi isn’t as delighted, but Jimin kisses him until he stops frowning. They stare at each other for a couple of seconds, eyes wide as they realize what just happened. Then, they crash their lips together one more time.

It’s been six months since Busan. Six long months in which Jimin has mourned, and he has also changed. Worked hard on himself and on his family. And he’s finally starting to feel more at ease. He feels Jisoo looking out for him. He feels loved.

It's Wednesday when Jimin walks inside the Min house with the spare key Yoongi gave him. He hears the piano playing, so he quietly takes off his shoes before tiptoeing towards the living room. And then he sees him.

Yoongi probably got home from work a few minutes ago. He’s still wearing his fancy suit, and his hair looks styled. Jimin leans against the wall, watching him play. His eyes are closed, fingers flying across the keys with confidence.

He then stops abruptly, grabs a notepad and starts scribbling fast. The sight makes Jimin giggle, and Yoongi looks up, startled. “Hey! I didn’t hear you come in.” “I noticed. You were really into it, huh?” “Had a melody stuck in my head all day long.” “Can I hear it?”

Yoongi nods, moving on the piano bench. Jimin walks closer, sitting next to him. And finally, Yoongi starts playing again. He goes slower this time, and at some point he begins to hum along the piano. Jimin smiles lovingly.

He hears Yoongi’s song, and once it’s over he gently moves a hand to cup Yoongi’s cheek. As the boy turns to look at him, Jimin leans in to give him a soft, gentle kiss. They’ve been kissing more and more lately, getting comfortable with affection once again.

“What was that for?” Yoongi asks once they part. Jimin leaves a soft peck on the corner of his mouth before replying. “I love seeing you like this. You look happy.” Yoongi sighs softly before nodding. “I’m very happy.”

Jimin’s heart swells when he hears that. He can’t help but to lean in once more, and give Yoongi another eager kiss. It’s easy to lose track of time like this, with the slide of lips, the open mouthed kisses, the wet tongues and soft whines.

Pulling back to catch their breath, Jimin hadn’t realized he had Yoongi’s shirt in his fist, holding it tightly. He lets go, and tries to soothe out the wrinkles. “Where, um, where’s Soobin?” “Study group till 8.”

Yoongi leans in to leave a trail of kisses down Jimin’s neck. “We have some time.” He mumbles, and Jimin’s heart skips a beat. “Oh, yeah? To do what, exactly?” He feels Yoongi smirking against his skin. “Whatever you’d like.”

ahem

They move quickly, with hushed giggles and stolen glances. They lock the bedroom door just in case, and then stare at each other, holding their breaths. “So…” Jimin trails off, taking a few steps towards Yoongi. The elder smiles before setting his hands on Jimin’s waist.

One more stare. Jimin doesn’t know who leaned in first, but as always, they both meet in the middle, hungrily devouring each other’s lips. It has taken them so much to finally be here, enjoying this moment, and they don’t want to let go.

They stumble towards the bed, getting rid of their clothes. It’s a bit of a hassle since they’re still kissing messily, but eventually they fall down on the bed, giggling at their own eagerness. Jımın hovers over Yoongı, staring down lovingly.

He moves a hand down to brush Yoongı’s hair away from his forehead. The elder closes his eyes, and smiles. “You look beautiful.” Jımın whispers. They don’t want to be too loud, afraid that they’ll break the little spell they’ve created.

And then, Yoongı swiftly changes their positions, pressing Jımın down against the mattress. “Have you seen yourself?” He asks, leaning down to leave open mouthed kisses down Jımın’s neck. The other tilts his head, giving Yoongı more access.

“I’ve– fucking missed this.” Yoongı groans against his skin and Jımın chuckles. Yoongı would always swear a lot during sex, and frankly, it’s really hot. His voice would go deeper, restrained. He was so handsome. And god, Jımın missed getting fucked.

“I’ve missed you.” Jımın replies. It doesn’t take too long before Yoongı's reaching for the lube. “Should I– Do we also need condoms?” He asks with a small frown. Jımın’s eyes widened a little. “I haven’t– with anyone.”

Yoongı sighs in relief. “Me neither.” “Really?” “Why are you so surprised?” “Well… you’re hot. And there was a guy at your job that totally had a crush on you. I thought that, since we weren’t together…”

Yoongı shushes him with a quick kiss. He gets a good amount of lube on his fingers, rubbing them together to heat it up a bit before pressing the tip against Jımın’s hole. “Nothing happened because I have been in love with you since we were kids.”

And that’s all Jımın needs to hear. Because they’ve been irremediably in love for years now. They have been there for each other in the most important moments. They needed time apart to focus on themselves, but they’re soulmates. Fate wants them together.

Yoongı kisses Jımın as he starts opening him up. At some point, tears start rolling down, but Yoongı kisses those too. He distracts Jımın from the burn, the stretch, and it only takes a few thrusts of his fingers to have the younger moaning, asking for more.

“I don’t care if it hurts,” Jımın whined, looking up with pleading eyes, “just need to feel you. Please.” And Yoongı is so weak for him. Still, he’s careful, slowly sliding in and then giving some time for Jımın to adjust.

Once Jımın gave him the okay, Yoongı began to thrust in and out. Their grunts and moans mix together with the squelch of the lube with each roll of the hips. They pant into each other’s mouth, working together to get to that climax.

It’s slow but passionate, each thrust robbing Jımın of his breath, making his own cock throb. Yoongı reaches out, intertwining their fingers. “I fucking— I love you.” “God, Yoonıe. I love you too. Love you so much. Missed— Ah! Missed this.”

They find a nice rhythm, and take their time taking each other apart between kisses, tears, and moans. They confess their love for each other over and over again until they’re both panting, unable to form any words, just getting lost in each other.

They finish at the same time, making a mess while holding each other close before Yoongı finally collapses on top of Jımın. The younger giggles before sneaking a lazy hand up to play with the other’s hair. “Jımın?” Yoongı asks after some minutes of peaceful silence. “Yes?”

“I think it’s time we officially try again.” Yoongi replies before rolling over to the side so that they can look at each other. “Being a family, I mean. Getting back together.” Jimin isn’t phased. He had been thinking about it as well.

“Are you asking me to be your boyfriend right after having sex?” Yoongi scrunches his nose. “It sounds awful when you put it like that.” “That’s what you’re doing!” Jimin accuses with a giggle. Yoongi smiles before grabbing his hand, placing a soft kiss on his knuckles.

“I’m asking after a rough year, apart from this relationship. After months apart that we both spent miserably but also learning about who we really are and what we want in life. And I want you. Want you to help me raise my son, want to wake up next to you.” Yoongi smiles.

“I want to play the piano for you, and want you to dance for me. I want kisses, and bickering and making love and just laughing. So, yes. I’m asking you to be my boyfriend after all that.” Once again, tears roll down Jimin’s cheeks. “Right after having sex.” He teases.

Yoongi shakes his head before cupping Jimin’s cheeks, gently cleaning the tears with his thumb. “Be mine, Park Jimin.” With an airy chuckle, the younger nods, leaning in for a gentle kiss. He pulls back with a smile. “I’ve always been yours, Min Yoongi.”

It’s the last day of December. Everyone is at the Min’s house, waiting for the new year to begin. Jimin’s in the kitchen, preparing virgin drinks for Soobin and Yeonjun, who was allowed to join them for the celebration. He hears loud cackling, and realizes Hoseok just got there.

Jimin smiles to himself, adding two little umbrellas to the drinks for a bit of pizzazz. He walks out back to the living room, trying to find the kids in the middle of all the chaos. Jungkook and Taehyung are sitting by the piano, playing a song, already tipsy.

Namjoon was subtly trying to clean the couch from god knows what, while Seokjin covered for him, distracting Yoongi with a silly dance to go with the song. And on the corner, Soobin and Yeonjun sat on the floor, laughing as Hoseok tripped on his way.

Jimin heads over, handing the two drinks over before pulling his friend in for a hug. “Come with me. They’re already drinking soju but there’s some beer in the kitchen.” “You know me so well, Jimin-ah.” Hoseok says with a smile as he follows Jimin.

“We also have wine, if you’d like.” “Just a beer is fine. Something tells me those guys are gonna make me catch up in no time.” Jimin giggles as he grabs a beer bottle from the fridge. “You’re absolutely right. I’m surprised no one gave you a shot as a welcoming gift.”

“Don’t even. We’re not 20 anymore.” “Don’t say that! It makes us sound so old.” “We are old!” Hoseok giggles, taking the beer Jimin offered him. “What are you drinking?” “Some of Yoongi's fancy whiskey.”

Hoseok grimaces, and Jimin only clicks his tongue as he serves himself a second glass. “You don’t want to try it?” “Do you want to deal with a drunk Hobba before midnight?” Jimin shakes his head with a smile. “That’s what I thought. You know I can’t keep up with you two.”

“Speaking of which,” Hoseok begins, toying with his bottle, “how’s it going?” Jimin squints at him. He notices the way Hoseok’s ears turn red. “He told you!” “Wh— Told me? Who told me what? I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

Jimin scoffs, swirling the ice around on his new glass of whiskey. Hoseok clears his throat. “Okay, perhaps someone mentioned something about moving in together?” Although he shouldn’t, Jimin can’t help but to smile. “Starting in January.”

“Jimin-ah!” Hoseok says, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. “That’s so exciting! Congratulations!” “Thank you, hyung. It’s crazy, you know? Last year I was looking for excuses to talk to Yoon again and now we’re actually… okay. We’re more than okay!”

“It’s been so long since I’ve felt this happy.” “Man… I’m happy to hear you saying this. I know Yoongi’s extremely happy as well. He was almost crying when he told me.” “That jerk. He told me I wasn’t allowed to tell Tae!”

“To be fair, Tae would’ve told everyone else.” “Oh, like you won’t.” Jimin teased. Hoseok gasped loudly, before shrugging. “I guess I better not get too wasted tonight. Or maybe everyone else should get super wasted so they forget what I say.” He shrugs, sipping his beer.

“How did Soobin take it?” “Oh my God, Hobi.” Jimin says with a smile, placing his cup on the counter. “Sometimes he calls me dad! Not always. He usually sticks by ‘hyung’, but I’ve heard him calling me dad sometimes.” He says with bright eyes.

“Man. Things are getting pretty serious again, huh?” “It’s crazy. Like our break only brought us much closer.” “Our break, huh?” Hoseok asks with a smug smile. “Our comma.” Jimin replies with a proud nod.

Before they get to say anything else, Yoongi walks inside the kitchen. He looks like a deer in headlights when he sees the two friends. “Were you talking about me?” “Yes.” Says Jimin. “No.” Replies Hoseok at the same time.

Yoongi groans, while the other two just giggle. Hoseok thanks Jimin for the beer, and after patting Yoongi’s back, he decides to leave so he can say hi to the others. Jimin smiles to himself as his boyfriend walks closer, leaving a kiss on his cheek.

“Have I told you you look beautiful tonight?” Yoongi whispered, playing with the necklace Jimin’s wearing. “You’ve mentioned it once or twice.” The other says, pretending to be busy with his drink.

Yoongi leaves the necklace alone, and instead plays with Jimin’s earrings, then his shirt. He’s quietly asking for attention, and Jimin finds it endearing. “Hobi told me he knows.” Yoongi sighs. “Of course he told you. I’m sorry, it slipped. But hey, you can tell Taehyung now!”

Jimin playfully pushes him. He then notices Yoongi’s glass is empty. “Want another one?” “Mm, I don’t know. I think I’m a bit tipsy already.” “Huh? You? You’ve only had one glass.” “Then how am I seeing an angel in my kitchen?”

“Eugh! You’re disgustingly cheesy.” “I told you I had to make it up for the year that we lost.” Yoongi explained as Jimin grabbed his glass, filling it once more. “I don’t like saying that we lost it. I mean, we weren’t together, but we learned a lot, right?”

Yoongi groans again, hugging Jimin from behind, resting his chin on the boy’s shoulder. “I guess.” “Besides, Tae once told me we were— What was it? He said I was the kite and you were the line.” Yoongi blinks. “Meaning?”

“We complement each other. Breaking up helped us realize how good we are together.” “I still don’t get the kite thing.” Jimin huffs, turning around. Yoongi doesn’t move though, so they’re chest to chest.

“It’s something about clouds and you belonging in the dirt. I can’t remember.” Yoongi’s shoulders slump. “You sure know how to make a guy feel special.” He deadpans. Jimin giggles, wrapping his arms around the other’s neck.

He doesn’t know who leans in first, but that’s usually how all their kisses go. It’s slow, and gentle. An innocent kiss. Jimin moves his hand to Yoongi’s cheek. “What I’m trying to say is, don’t think of it as time we wasted. It helped us get here, where we are.”

“Very wise words, Park Jimin.” “I’m a wise man, Min Yoongi.” “Mmh, cocky one as well.” “And now you’ll have to deal with it for the rest of your life." Yoongi smiles softly before whispering, “can’t wait.”

The end!

Ah!! I can't believe it's over! but if im being completely honest, im already thinking about writing a sequel in the future Thank you to everyone that read, and interacted! for all the love and support! This was way bigger than I intended, but I had so much fun writing it!

If you have any questions about the fic or anything in general, feel free to ask! And again, here's my kofi in case you feel like donating something :] ko-fi.com/drtyroses Thank you for being there for me through my 2021! I can't wait to bring more stories for you on 2022 <3