Chapter Text
Taehyung sighs as he checks the expiry date of the banana milk bottle before dropping it in his cart, and trudging to the next aisle. His phone rings, vibrating against his thigh in his trouser pockets. Fishing it out, his face blooms with the endeared grin that makes its way onto his lips.
The screen is illuminated with an alarm, blaring to him as a reminder for him: "DON'T FORGET ME"
He shakes his head pocketing his device after checking the time, continuing his shopping, he still has twenty minutes before he has to pick her up from taekwondo. Ryujin has been complaining about him being late to pick ups, but he hadn't known his twelve year old had devised a solution of her own to overcome the problem. She really is growing up.
He's pushing his cart into the only cashier that is open, when someone leans past him and puts down their own purchase. A family pack of choco-chip cookies--the ones with the crispy edges that crumble deliciously when you bite down. Bottles of banana milk, and chocolate milk. A small snack. Not for one person, maybe? Panting the voice asks over his shoulder, "I'm really sorry, but I'm in a bit of a hurry and really hungry. Can–"
The person cuts off as Taehyung catches their face, the exact moment they look up as well.
Taehyung doesn't want to make a drama, so he just nods, pulling his cart back. Yes. Just like he didn't know the guy who was staring at him with his jaw open. Just like he had no history at all with the Alpha who was now fumbling with his wallet. The cashier tells the total( with no care for the tensed air) in a bored voice.
Taehyung doesn't say anything as the Alpha steps out of the casier area, and stands there, thumbing at his phone. Taehyung doesn't say because he doesn't care. Taehyung doesn't care at all. Why would he?
It's not like he just bumped into Jeon Jungkook, the same guy who left him three months pregnant, after asking him to abort 'it', without a word. Right?
Taehyung takes his grocery bags and walks out, hyper aware of the man trailing after him. He doesn't hear anything. That is until he closes his boot and opens his car door.
"Tae?"
Maybe Taehyung did push the possibility of the man being Jeon Jungkook out of his mind. Well, up until this point. But as he hears his name– the nickname– just as it had sounded all those years ago —back then— he breaks. His facade and calm just explodes. He slams the door shut.
"YOU–" Taehyung clams his mouth shut, minding the public space, breathing deeply. He exhales —a very deep one— before addressing the man looking at him once again. "You have no right to call me that, nor any right to even come near me. Less talking to me." He decides to act the bigger man. "I'm gonna pretend this did not happen. You are gonna do the same and walk away."
He breathes again, to calm his erratic heart. And in an attempt to silence his hysterical Omega. "Good day, Sir."
He revs up the engine and is out of the parking lot, before he could let his memories drown him. He increases the volume of the bubblegum pop girl group song, singing along to it. "Taekwondo," he mumbles before driving to the martial arts center.
♥
"DAD!" Ryujin exclaims as she gets in. "You're finally on time!"
"That was what, two times?" Taehyung rolls his eyes, as he drives towards their home.
"No," Ryujin crosses her arms, adamantly, pouting. "You're always late. Uncle Chim is the only one who is ever on time."
"Okay, bun," Taehyung admits, smiling. "I'm sorry, yeah? I made it today. That has to count as something? Right?"
"Yeah," she mumbles, and then suddenly brightens, dragging her school bag up, and opening it. "I got an A++ on that essay! SEE!"
"WOW, bun." Taehyung is genuinely surprised at the news. "Congrats!" Ryujin had struggled with it so much, she had even sobbed for a full hour the night before submission, claiming it was not at all good. "I told you, see? You were just worried for nothing!"
She giggles, nodding, putting the essay back in her bag. "Can we get ice-cream, please?"
She has those innocent puppy dog eyes turned on. The very same one Taehyung uses all the time when he needs to get something done or to escape from something. And he can't exactly say 'no' to that, can he? He's only human.
Taehyung sighs, knowing it's gonna mess up her dinner. He probably shouldn't agree as a responsible parent. But hey, he's the parent, so who's gonna stop him? Taehyung agrees, checking the side mirrors before turning on the roundabout towards their favorite ice-cream place.
(Maybe Taehyung just doesn't want to face the night just yet, where he will have to rewind the day's events. But he isn't admitting to that, of course. That's just something Namjoon would say.)
♥
"So," Jimin begins as they sip on their wine a week later. "I hear about this new CEO of a successful company being back?" Jimin has an inquisitive face(one that is capable of digging secrets out of graveyard corpses. ) Taehyung may sometimes be the strongest soldier against Jimin. But with a glass of wine already down his system? Not a chance. He was very (very) much a victim.
"Who?" Taehyung replies. A move sober Taehyung wouldn't have done. But well, un-sober Taehyung is a bit (read:big-time, the epitome of) stupid.
"Oh, you know. This one Jeon Jungkook, 'Golden CEO of Golden Games'." Jimin even puts down his glass to do air quotes.
"He stole that name, the bastard," Taehyung scowls. "Stole my heart, and my genius name for him." He leans back on the couch, grumpily crossing his arms.
"Oh, yes your 'Golden boy,'" Jimin snickers. Receiving a slap to the arm from Taehyung.
"He had the guts to even call me 'Tae'!" Taehyung almost drops his glass,but only spills his remaining wine all over himself. "Shit!"
"WHEN?! WHAT?! WAIT!" Jimin staples his hands onto Taehyung's forearm, before the soaked Omega can get up.
"Oh," Taehyung shuts his eyes, a forefinger on his nose. Trying to recall all the details. "Ah, at the supermarket. I think?"
"And you didn't tell me?!" Jimin shakes Taehyung by the shoulder, exclaiming in a whisper. Neither of them wanted to wake up Ryujin.
Taehyung scrunches his brows in disgust as the wine begins to feel sticky and gross on him, and gets up. "Consider it payback for you never telling me about your crush on hyung."
And it's a bit too late, when he realizes what he just utters. He whirls around, a bit off balance, catching himself on the couch's arm, to find Jimin smiling sadly, nodding. "Oky."
"Chim," Tae catches Jimin's jaws, squeezing the cheeks. "I'm sorry. Forgive me? Please?"
Jimin just shakes his head, freeing himself out of Taehyung's palms. "It's nothing." He moves to fall back on the couch. "Forget it." Jimin arranges the cushions to his desire. "Anyways. I'm gonna crash here. Good night, Taetae!" Jimin's head hits the cushions. Before Taehyung can formulate anything else in his head, he hears Jimin snoring.
"As always, out like a light," Taehyung smiles. "Good night, chimchim."
Taehyung, though, rolls around in his sheets for a long time. Even half drunk and tired, his memories that had been at bay finally take over his mind, and he laughs wetly at his past self.
♥
Taehyung clung to the walls, like a wallflower. His hands were clutched in a vice grip on his cup of non-alcoholic soda that Yoongi hyung had fetched specifically for him. The same soda Jungkook had delivered personally, before going off to talk to the rest of the old-basketball team. He looked like a thumb painted by a trio of kindergartners sprinkled with everything glittery in a champagne glass.
Taehyung didn't belong in the setting. Not really. Jimin wasn't around, because it was a party specifically for Jungkook's friends. Somehow, Taehyung had landed on the list. Or maybe to be specific, Taehyung came under the special tag of 'Best friend's cute little brother.' Which Taehyung abhorred with all his being.
Taehyung wasn't little anymore. Taehyung was only a month less than eighteen. For heaven's sake, he was the first to present in his class, and so many people wanted to court him already. But to Yoongi hyung and Jungkook ? Taehyung was still 'little'.
Taehyung hated being a wallflower. He wanted to be Jungkook's center of attention, always has. Taehyung usually was never on the sidelines, anywhere. But in Jungkook's world Taehyung was just above the place of a pet. Jungkook knew him for too long as 'Taehyungie'. Taehyung's crush was invincible as air to him.
Yoongi hyung was dancing with his boyfriend from college, Hoseok hyung. The two were in their own little bubble, even deaf to the teasing .Wolf-whistles made Taehyung deaf as the Alpha couple kissed. Taehyung looked away, nursing his cup of soda, searching for the boy of the evening.
Jeon Jungkook had finally presented, as an Alpha. His friends had been adamant to celebrate it, despite the Alpha himself protesting. Taehyung had begged his brother to let him go as well, had used his puppy eyes, and was about to resort to black mailing. But as Taehyung was laying his ego down to get his hyung to agree, tragedy stuck. Jungkook had walked in and seen the whole thing, which had ended with Taehyung getting an invite from Jungkook himself.
"Oh, come on, hyung," Jungkook had laughed. "It's our little Taehyungie! Of course you can come, Taehyungie!"
Taehyung had considered not going, just because of the unbearable embarrassment. However, he had finally sucked it up, when Jimin had said, "When else are you going to show off yourself to him, huh?"
As Taehyung searched for the Alpha he realized Jungkook wasn't there at all. Well, Taehyung's purpose to come to the party itself was wasted if Jungkook wasn't there. So, Taehyung climbs the stairs of his house back to his room. Yoongi hyung had arranged the party at their house as their parents were away for the weekend, another reason why Taehyung was able to go to the party.
No one was even on the stairs. Yoongi hyung had made sure of that. Upstairs was off limits. Taehyung is about to open his room door, when he hears someone cursing from the bathroom
"Fuck," the voice said. "Who the fuck mixes cheese in the jam pastries?!"
It took Taehyung a minute to realize that it was Jungkook. "Jungkook hy–?"
"Who's that? Yoongi said–"
"It's me," Taehyung said, interrupting Jungkook's warnings. The door swung open.
"Oh, Taehyung-ah?" Jungkook blinked. Eyes wide. "I thought it was someone from the party." Jungkook raked his fingers through his hair, which let out a new wave of his fresh pheromones. A heady musky scent of rain. Something Taehyung just couldn't resist, that his own scent leaked through, mixing: Jasmines in rain.
Taehyung saw Jungkook's eyes fluttering shut as his scent hit the alpha. "Nope, just me."
"Yeah," Jungkook replied. A bit confused, maybe. Taehyung smiled as he asked, "Overwhelming party?"
Jungkook sheepishly nodded. "I love the guys, but this is just...um..."
"A bit too much?" Taehyung supplied, smiling sympathetically.
"Yeah...Just not used to being the center of attention," Jungkook sighed, as he slid down the wall and sat on the floor. Taehyung slid down, just beside him as well.
"But you're always the center of everything!" Taehyung said, suppressing a laugh, which turned into a chuckle. "You're the 'Golden boy' of Busan." He elbowed the Alpha.
"Wha– No?!" Jungkook's eyes widened as he looked at Taehyung in mock horror, and trying to hold back a smile at the title Taehyung just gave him. "Where did you even hear that?"
"YES!" Taehyung threw his hands up dramatically. "You're the perfect kid to ever live in Busan. Top student. Star Basketball player. Double major. What else is not there for you to be not perfect?!" He smirked, slyly. "And I made that up. 'Golden Boy.' Fits you." He tilted his head to the side.
Jungkook laughed. A full belly laugh. His nose scrunched up and eyes closed as his head hit the wall. He went 'OUCH!' rubbing his head, turning to scowl at the wall, and Taehyung couldn't help but burst out into laughter. Jungkook looked at him, pouting, which only made Taehyung laugh even more. Taehyung reached and pinched the elder's right cheek pulling on it, cooing. Which earned him a slap on the thigh.
"You're not innocent like you used to be!" Jungkook whined, pulling away from Taehyung's fingers.
Taehyung snorted. "Well, News Flash. I'm not little, or innocent anymore." Taehyung crossed his arms to emphasize his point. Jungkook raised an amused eyebrow at that, "is that so?"
"It is so," Taehyung leaned forward, staring right into Jungkook's eyes with mock seriousness. "If you say so," Jungkook shrugged, sitting back.
"Does that mean you don't like your fruity-star-cereal anymore?" Taehyung launched forward to deliver fake punches to the Alpha.
♥
Jungkook doesn't know what he had expected, but seeing Seoul as it was when he had boarded the flight to the states wasn't it. He isn't, never been familiar with Seoul. Well, except for the few months he had spent in his step-dad's house back then.
Jungkook sighs as he drags his suitcase behind him, and looks around for his hyung. Jin hyung had promised he would be here even before Jungkook landed. Jungkook fishes for his phone, when he hears the call of his name.
"JUNGKOOKIE!"
Jungkook turns to the voice. He all at once sees Jin hyung, his Mom, his step-dad, and little sister. All waving at him with big bright smiles. He chuckles at the dramatics, as his mother bursts forward and engulfs him in a hug, tears soaking his turtleneck.
"You're grounded from leaving the house for the next twenty years, young man," she sniffles in his neck, mildly scenting him.
He laughs at that. "I'm thirty two, Eomma. I'll be over fifty by that time."
"So?" She pulls back, glaring at him playfully. "I don't see the problem."
Jungkook is pouting, and about to retort something, when he hears giggles. "Oppa!"
He turns to the little girl, and sweeps her up in his arms, promptly ignoring the 'put me down's. "Seems like I'm grounded, are you too?" he asks as he puts her down.
"Nope!" She shakes her head, laughing. "I'm a big girl!"
"Oh, really?!" He mock gasps. "Hyung," he turns to Jin hyung, "when did this happen?!"
Yeji snorts, "I am. I'm thirteen." Jin hyung just laughs. Their Dad chuckles, reaching for Jungkook's suitcase, and brushing off the youngest Alpha's protests.
It isn't until they're settled in the car, Jin hyung driving, that it strikes him why he never came back, or why he wasn't in touch with his family as much as he would have loved to. Looking at Yeji fills his lungs with guilt. That poisonous liquid burning holes into his airways, suffocating him. The guilt of how he left a similar child and his love behind, just because he was scared. Still is scared.
And it hurt, that he knew that they were better off without him. That's what he is. He hurts those who he loves, those who love him. He knows even though they don't say it, his mother, his step-dad, Yeji they are hurt by him ignoring them.
Maybe, just maybe, he can start anew. Like Jin hyung had said, 'your roots are the best place to start over.'
♥
He had thought his mom had been joking about grounding. Oh Boi was he wrong.
"Absolutely not," his mom says, nodding to the maid to take Jungkook's luggage upstairs. "But," Jungkook tries, weakly, "I'm Thirty-two?"
"Jinnie Oppa is Thirty-five. So?" Yeji butts in sassily from the dining table, earning a glare from their mom. "Yah!" Jin hyung shouts from the kitchen. "No need to mention my age!"
"Alright," his step-father steps in. "How about, you stay here till you get your footing here? Just like Seokjin-ah?" Jungkook doesn't have the heart to refuse the man, and just agrees to the Beta's suggestion. Which follows a pair of squeals from the dining area.
♥
Jungkook is just out of his meeting and about to head home, really hungry, and on the verge of simply collapsing in the cab, when his mother calls. "Kookie! Can you be a darling and pick up Yeji from her Taekwondo class? We're stuck at a function, and I forgot about Yeji having Taek—"
"Yeah, sure, Eomma," Jungkook agrees. "Where?"
Jungkook still has around fifteen minutes, he can get a snack for the both of them without being late. He's browsing through the snacks aisle when his usually dormant Alpha rumbles to life within him. Jungkook doesn't mind it. He has read about wolves being unsettled after not having to run for long, while doing his reasearch sometime back anxious over his feelings and urges. Jungkook hasn't gone for a run since he landed in Seoul. That is for nearly two weeks. It's nothing un-normal, simply a natural reaction.
He picks milk bottles, banana for him and chocolate for Yeji, along with their favorite choco-chip cookies, the biggest pack of it. He sees a man with a cart full of groceries and knows he will have to wait a long while if he stands behind, and rushes to slide his three items before the cashier begins.
"I'm really sorry," he pants, "but I'm in a bit of a hurry and really hungry. Can–"
His already struggling lungs stop working as he looks up to meet those familiar eyes. Those sharp, mismatched eyes that he had fallen into so long ago. He gulps, trying to make his lungs get working. 'Anytime soon, you useless pair of air sacs!'
Taehyung just nods, stepping back. Jungkook hears his heart shattering at the indifference. It feels like Taehyung slapping him or screaming at him would be better than this.
Jungkook is robotic in his motions as the cashier takes the cash and bags the snacks, and gives it to him. All prior thoughts of being late are washed out of him. He just stands there watching the man who has always had his heart, even before he realized it. Maybe Jungkook is a masochist as he stands there hurting as hell. His heart pounds with cracks blistering against his lungs. It doesn't help at all that his Alpha is howling in misery.
He follows Taehyung out, trying to get his attention because even after all these years and things he has done he's still selfish. Selfish enough to want Taehyung to acknowledge him.
"Tae?" He used to call the Omega that all the time. Especially after he had been banned from calling the younger 'our little Taehyungie'. He had called him 'Tae' when he had kissed him. He had called him that when he had asked to...
"YOU–" Taehyung stops, before breathing and beginning again."You have no right to call me that, nor any right to even come near me. Less talking to me. I'm gonna pretend this did not happen. You are gonna do the same and walk away."
And Taehyung is gone, just like that, driving away in his car.
Jungkook shouldn't want to cry, he has no right to. Not after leaving him. Not after asking that. But he wants to. He comes back to reality, out of his head, as his phone rings. "Hello?"
"Jungkook-ah?" Jin hyung answers. "Where are you? Eomma wanted me to remind you to pick up Yeji, just in case."
"Yeah," Jungkook says, making his way to the waiting cab. "I was just stuck in traffic, I'm on my way." The cab gets caught in real traffic, and his eyes skim over the sidewalks. There is a pair of teenagers, giggling over ice-cream. He can't stop himself from being pulled in by the tide.
♥
"Hyung," Taehyung looked around warily, voice low. "Can we talk?" Jungkook rubbed at his nape, nervously. He didn't know how to handle this. He had never before fucked someone close to him. And seriously, what had he been thinking? His Alpha was restless as he nodded, and walked away from the ice-cream stall, waving off to his friends. Good thing Yoongi hyung hadn't come because he was busy with Hoseok hyung.
"Wait a sec," he said to Taehyung before jogging back to the stall and buying two cones, strawberry and banana.
"Here," he handed the strawberry flavoured cone to the Omega, who eyed it a bit nervously before accepting it. Taehyung looked cute in his denim overalls( the backside to the front) coupled with a yellow long sleeved oversized t-shirt. With Taehyung looking like this Jungkook always found it really hard to stay away from the younger boy.
"So," Jungkook said after a while of silently eating ice cream seated on the park bench side by side, thighs grazing. "I guess you wanted to talk about what we–" Jungkook was cut off before he could finish his slow drawl of bringing up the sensitive topic.
"I didn't get my heat."
Taehyung had barely touched the ice-cream, and it was starting to melt, and run down his thumb, staining the hem of his sleeves, which had little criss-crosses stitched into it in white. The white plusses were becoming colored, pink.
"Huh?" Was all that Jungkook could mutter.
Taehyung breathed deeply— a habit: he did it when he was nervous and had to talk. "My date was last Sunday. I haven't gotten it yet. I don't feel like pre-heat either."
They had sex last Friday. Shit. "But we- we used p-protection? Are you sure?"
"I haven't checked, yet." Taehyung changed the cone to his other hand. "Can you...just come with me? To the pharmacy? And stay as I...you know?"
"Yeah," Jungkook gulped. "Yeah. Sure. Just to check. Sure."
Taehyung had looked at him with a look in his eyes, that had Jungkook wanting to run. As if the Omega knew they were just getting proof what he already knew was there.
♥
"Oppa!" Yeji whines as soon as she sees Jungkook stepping out, stomping all the way up to him. "You're soooooo late!"
"I'm sorry, Angel," he crouches down to apologize to the teenager. "I got caught in traffic, but guess what I bought?"
Her grumpy frown tilts upward a bit at that, "what?"
♥
"KIM RYUJIN!" Taehyung shouts up the tree. "GET DOWN. RIGHT THIS INSTANT!"
"BUT, DAD," Ryujin shouts back down. "IT'S SO NICE UP HERE!"
Taehyung is looking around for the ladder, just to get his monkey of a daughter down on the ground. She surely inherited all the mischief there was available in her genetics. "I swear this girl is set on driving me crazy and making my hair gray, befo–" Taehyung's grumbling is cut off as someone laughs so loud he looks over, knowing very much who that is.
Kim Hoseok is clutching onto his stomach as he laughs leaning on his mate. Said mate, Kim Yoongi, is amused himself as he holds his hand to his other mate,Kim Namjoon, pulling him to himself. Namjoon joins the laughing fest as soon as he sees Taehyung heaving the ladder to the tree.
"Yah! Kim Namjoon, whatcha laughing at?" Taehyung calls, as a scolding.
"At your grumbling, and mumbling like a grandpa," Namjoon calls back. Before Taehyung can return his witty comeback that is right on his tongue, he hears shoes scratching on bark.
"UNCLE JOONIE! UNCLE SEOKIE! UNCLE YOONIE!" Ryujin is skidding down the trunk as if she was some terrestrial animal. Taehyung doesn't blame the kids at school for calling her a monkey (but he won't say that out aloud, of course!)
"Ryujin! Use the ladder like a normal human being, please?!" Taehyung says pointing to the ladder he had placed on the tree. He sees the dramatic eye-roll she does, even from this far away, before she steps onto the ladder. Still, she skips a step each as she hops down. After all she can't hear Taehyung's insticts scraming at him. Taehyung can feel his heart thump at each hop she does.
She's colliding into Hoseok before Taehyung can even make it to the house's poach. Taehyung grumbles to his brother, "why couldn't she inherit my normal amount of fear for height?" Yoongi hyung just shrugs, before patting him on the shoulder. "Haven't you been eating or what?" he asks as he grips Taehyung by the shoulders.
"Why are you acting like Eomma now?" Taehyung complaints, twisting his mouth. He has been busy, with the upcoming exams at SNU, and his research students. He might have not found the time to eat his packed lunches in between everything. That's only hand full of times, though. He's a responsible adult. And a parent, after all.
"Well, if you're not taking care of yourself," Yoongi shrugged, looking pointedly at him. "Some one has to." Namjoon finished the sentence for his mate. Taehyung turned around with eyes screwed up in scrutiny at the beta.
"You're my friend, before you're their mate," Taehyung poked Namjoon in the ribs, "don't forget that. Traitor."
"Yes, of course," Namjoon chuckled, shaking his head in that way, that made him appear the most mature person in the room (and maybe he is. But don't tell Joon that.)
♥
It's after dinner that Taehyung is disturbed of his happy life(doubtful, considering the past week and a half.) He is helping Hoseok hyung with the dishes, he is drying them as the Alpha washes them, due to the title of 'dishwashing fairy' being bestowed on the elder by Ryujin. Ryujin was already sent up to bed. His parents were enjoying a game of UNO with Yoongi hyung and Namjoon. As both Hoseok and Taehyung are weak at UNO, they had volunteered to do the dishes after singing hymns of praises about his mother's cooking leaving her flustered enough to forget that they are slipping out of game time.
"Taehyung-ah," Hoseok turns the tap off in the middle of the chore, and turns to him. Taehyung just hums. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah?" Taehyung carefully places the ceramic plate in the pantry above him. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"Oh, you know," Hoseok says, arching his eyebrow. "Because, the Times Korea just named one 'Jeon Jungkook' as one of the most eligible bachelors in Korea?"
"I see," Taehyung hangs a mug on the mug stand. Hoseok starts, voice imploring, "Taehyungie—"
"What, hyung?" Taehyung turned to the elder. "Do you want me to say how much it hurts? Or that hearing his name makes me wonder how it would be to be a happy little family with maybe some siblings for Ryu, and a mating mark?" he eyes the marks on Hoseok's neck. "Or how it hurts that he just acts as if he hadn't left without a word, after asking to abort our child, when he had agreed to co-parenting? Or do you want me to say how much I hate myself for still looking for him in the people I have the rare dates with? Or," he stresses on the conjunction, sarcastically, "how I am mad at myself for falling in love and handing my heart over to someone who didn't feel the same? Will never feel the same?"
"Tae– that's not–"
"'Cause, no, hyung. I'm over him. I grew up. I'm an independent person, who's proud of himself. I'm happy and proud of Ryu." Taehyung looks at the metal chopsticks he had clutched in his fist. Taehyung feels like he is spewing a list of things he memorized. Just like Ryu did with the multiplication tables when she was nine.
He feels Hoseok wrap him in a side hug, kissing the top of his head. Taehyung sniffles. "What's the use of remembering or feeling sad, when I'm not broken anymore? I'm absolutely fine!" Taehyung snorts,( though it sounds more like blowing his nose ) "Heck, there are people writing and looking up at me for being strong and advocating for things I believe in." Taehyung sniffles a bit more, wiping his nose with the inside of his wrist roughly. Something he learned from Ryujin. She does that when she doesn't want to cry.
"That's all true, Tae-ah," Hoseok says, gently. "But that doesn't mean you're not allowed to not be okay, okay?" Taehyung nods, sniffling again. "And we're here if you want to talk, yeah? Me, Yoongles, Joon, your parents, Chim, all of us are here if you want to talk, or walk, or just sit with, yeah?"
"Yeah," Taehyung nods.
"Now," Hoseok nudges Taehyung, "what will Ryu say if she sees her super-grumpy-strict-Dad all sniffling, red nose and eyes, huh? Let's go and lose some at UNO?" Taehyung snorts at that.
♥
"Why are the fish not taking the bait?!" Ryujin exclaims as she looks at the bait which is as she had thrown it in on the line. "Patience, Roo-roo," Yoongi calmly replies as he sits on his cloth chair with the shat perched on his head, and humming a tune to himself (Taehyung suspects it's something the Producer is coming up with as it sounds unfamiliar to him.)
"Dad!" She whines at Taehyung, stomping her left foot.
"What?" He asks looking up from his sketchbook.
"The fish are not getting caught!" She whines with her head thrown back, putting on a show.
"Patience, Ryu," Taehyung replies, before going back to his sketching. He chuckles as he hears her 'UGH!' which is follwed up with more grumbling and mumbling under her breath.
They're on their quarterly quality time. Something Yoongi had made a rule, after finding Taehyung struggling at SNU back in his undergraduate days. Today they were at the little area by the shore, fishing. Well, Yoongi was fishing. Ryujin was too hyper-active for the activity, and Taehyung opted to sketch instead.
It was peaceful, or in Namjoon's terms 'healing', as all their trips home tend to be. Despite the painful memories that Busan held for Taehyung, it was still his happy place and haven to retreat back to when life in Seoul got hectic. And it's good for Ryujin to have some nature days as well. They could go to Daegu, where his Grandma had left a whole property to them, but it was a bit lonely there. He didn't need more of that. Hence why he always opted Busan.
"Pop! Pop!" Taehyung's phone sang beside him. Ryujin must have changed it again. With a pointed look to his daughter he attended the call, which was from his father. "Appa?"
"I think you should come home, soon." His father said, as soon as he replied.
"Wha–why?" Taehyung had his voice even, not wanting to ruin the mood of his daughter.
"Just you, and don't bring Ryu."
"Okay?" Taehyung got up, packing his pencils and book. "Why though?"
"It's...don't panic, yeah?" Taehyung hummed in response. After a little pause, his father finally says, "It's Jungkook."