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yayyyy leah!! congrats on completing the first chapter of your fic. i hope everyone is ready to dive in 😈 i'll update our fest masterlist shortly~

Shatter With Me | Waving The White Flag

↳ Model!Jungkook x Surrogate!f.Reader ⤜ Surrogacy, Best Friend's Husband ⤜ Rating: MA 🔞 ⤜ WC: 18,286 ⚠️ Crass language, talk of infertility, drinking, very mild bullying and references to cruel behavior/words, talk of surrogacy, at-home medical procedure, genital touching (non-sexual), planned pregnancy, talk of pregnancy termination/abortion, BIG hurt feelings, open palm slapping, accusations of infidelity, rejected/unwanted drunken kissing that could be viewed as dubious infidelity

Next Chapter⇾ (coming soon) ◅ Back to story masterlist

Jungkook

Jungkook never thought he’d be haunted by such a small, seemingly insignificant thing. A tiny pastel pink line. Singular. Just like all the ones before it. He’s lost count of exactly how many, but it’s been years; every month, the same outcome. A singular pink line telling him he’s failed. He knows that’s a bit harsh, but it’s how he’s starting to feel—like a complete and utter failure.

“We’ll try again next month,” Jiyoon offers, dropping the offending piece of plastic in the bathroom trash before giving Jungkook a tight smile.

“Have you given any more thought to trying IVF again?” Jungkook asks hesitantly, knowing that’s a sore subject. But, dammit, he’s not in the proper headspace right now to think better of it.

Jiyoon glares at him, her pouty pink lips drawing taut. “I told you not to ask me that ever again. Now, get out. I’d like to take a shower.” When Jungkook doesn’t immediately move from his perch on the bathroom counter, she tags on a frustrated, “Please.”

Jungkook hops down, his socked feet swishing over the tiled floor as he retreats into the master bedroom. The door forcefully shuts right on his heels, echoing the hollow ache in the center of his chest. He promised himself that if it didn’t happen this time, he’d just try harder next time.

Yet, there is only so much he can do. Pushing any harder might widen the rift slowly forming between him and his wife. Already, Jiyoon spends more time at work than with him. Her glares of irritation any time he seeks intimacy outside of their strict ovulation schedule are like holes being punched into his resolve.

After nearly two years of trying, he sought medical answers a year ago. Jiyoon was quite cross with him when she found out he went to the doctor, but he needed to know if it was his fault they were having trouble conceiving. The numbers were standard, slightly higher than average even. The utter devastation on Jiyoon’s face, he’ll never be able to forget that day. Because if he isn’t the problem…then that means she is.

It’s his fault. He wasn’t even thinking about that potential. Jiyoon hasn’t been the same since. That’s when the schedule came into play. That’s when she started to pour far more energy into waiting for the perfect moment instead of just enjoying their time together.

Jungkook can see the disappointment, the guilt that eats away at her each time that single pink line reveals itself. He wishes more than anything there was a way to change it, something more he could do. Yet, she refuses to consider the option of IVF, not after the horror story she heard from her friend Dani. She refuses to even talk about it.

There has to be another way; he’s just not sure what it might be. Jungkook is at a loss, and it feels like the weight of the world is sitting heavy right between his shoulders. The shower kicks on in the bathroom, and Jungkook decides to busy himself by making Jiyoon a cup of tea for when she gets out. He knows she’ll want to spend some time relaxing before bed, and tea always helps.

💔💔💔

Not a day goes by that you don’t think about your best friend, Jiyoon, and the unfortunate circumstances that have befallen her and her husband. It’s not a secret amongst your peers that they’ve been trying to start a family with no luck for several years. It breaks your heart every time she gives you a shake of her head when you look at her with hopeful eyes.

Today isn’t any different. You’re sitting at your desk, absently clicking through the latest portfolio files you got from Namjoon, when Jiyoon walks by your desk, heading toward hers. She’s half an hour late this morning, something that’s pretty routine every few weeks. It’s like clockwork. You’re aware of the ovulation schedule that she and Jungkook keep and know that she allows herself extra time the morning after taking a test to steel herself against the disappointment that will come from the pitying stares in the office.

You catch her eye as she settles into her desk chair, and she gives you that subtle shake of her head. There is tension in her shoulders, and her bottom lip looks like she’s been chewing on it in irritation, but she turns around and gives you her back before you can think to question her about it.

“Morning, Jiyoon,” Namjoon says as he steps out of his office. Namjoon is also well aware of the unfortunate circumstances surrounding Jiyoon and Jungkook. It’s why he doesn’t hassle her about being late, something you’re endlessly grateful for.

Jiyoon is your only friend, and you are very protective of her. Well, that’s not entirely true. The protective part is, but she’s not technically your only friend. She’s just the longest friend you’ve had and the one you hold closest to your heart—your best friend. Though, even still, everyone else are really just people you know through Jiyoon or from work. Maybe that’s sad, but you don’t mind it.

“Jiyoon!” Dani squeals from the other side of the office. The bubbly, energetic woman flits across the room, looking every inch like a fairy with her blond pixie cut, petite stature, and buttoned nose.

“Oh gosh, hey. Come here!” Jiyoon swings her chair toward Dani as she beckons her forward, letting you catch a glimpse of her profile. There is a smile on her face, but it’s hard to tell whether it’s strained or not. Jiyoon has always been beautiful, with not a single wrinkle or blemish in sight. Looking at her body language, it’s even harder to tell.

Giggles punctuate their whispered words as Dani crouches beside Jiyoon’s chair, their heads pressed close together. You watch as Dani slips something into Jiyoon’s hand before she stands and waggles her brows down at your friend.

“Have fun,” Dani sing-songs as she prances away from Jiyoon’s desk. Her gunmetal eyes meet yours, and her face sours before she disappears beyond your cubicle.

“What’s that?” you ask a beat after she’s gone and before you can curb your curiosity, tinged with mild jealousy. Dani has made it clear before that she doesn’t like you very much, only tolerating you for Jiyoon’s sake. So, it’s no surprise that you don’t find yourself included when it comes to anything involving Dani—it’s something you’ve chalked up to her own jealousy, perhaps at the fact you’ve been Jiyoon’s friend for so long.

Jiyoon flicks her eyes in your direction before stuffing whatever Dani gave her into her purse. “Just some antacids,” she says, giving you a smile that doesn’t reach her eyes.

All suspicions disappear as you take in the controlled curve of her lips. She looks miserable. “Oh,” is all you can manage before Namjoon calls everyone’s attention to the front of the room.

“Good morning, everyone. Let’s start this week off on the right foot. We have reports to file and new contracts to negotiate…”

You and Jiyoon have always aspired to work for a marketing and media agency together. So, when the opportunity presented itself, you both were elated to land jobs with Kim Exclusives, one of the most popular management companies for up-and-coming artists, models, and influencers.

That was seven years ago, and your time here has only solidified your friendship with Jiyoon. She met her husband, Jungkook, through the agency. He was one of the first models signed to Kim Exclusives, and you and Jiyoon both handled his portfolio and schedule for a year before she had to give you sole leadership over it once they became intimately involved—the whole conflict of interests thing.

“Are we still meeting tonight?” you ask Jiyoon as the day draws to a close. She’s still diligently working away at her computer, and you stand outside her cubicle with your bag on your shoulder.

“Hmm? Oh. Umm, yeah, I guess. I might be a bit late, though.”

You peek over her shoulder. “Is that the new Song profile?”

“Yep,” she pops the end of the word, keying you into thinking she's not in the mood to chat right now.

“Okay, well, I’ll see you guys later then.”

Jiyoon makes a noncommittal sound, already focused back on her work. You miss the days when she would give you more than a few passing words. Even on her good days, it seems like she’s growing further and further away from you. It’s hard not to feel guilty over the bitter and lonely feelings you get when you think about it. It’s not Jiyoon’s fault that you don’t have more close friends to turn to. But sometimes you wish you meant as much to her as she does to you.

As soon as that thought crosses your mind, you mentally kick yourself. It’s not fair for you to think that. You know Jiyoon cares for you; she’s just had a rough few years, and you shouldn’t be making it about yourself.

Feeling truly like a shit friend, you continue to chastise yourself over the next two hours as you commute home and get ready for tonight. Five minutes away from the pub, you consider calling Jiyoon and canceling. But, just as you pull out your phone to do that, someone calls your name from down the sidewalk.

You turn to see Taehyung and Jungkook waving at you from across the street. Well, there goes your intention to cancel.

“Hey! Have you heard from Jiyoon?” Jungkook asks as he and Taehyung jog across the street.

You press your lips into a thin line, confused. “Did she not come home?”

“Ah, no. She said she was working late and that I should just go ahead and meet up with you and Taehyung. She’s, uh, well, she’s not answering my calls. We—this morning…sorry, just, have you talked to her?”

Doing your best to keep your eyes on his, you give him an honest answer, “She was still working when I left the office. I haven’t heard from her since.” Losing the battle against your will, your eyes sweep over your best friend’s husband. He’s just as gorgeous as he always has been. His hair is a little longer than the last time you saw him, licking at the collar of his denim jacket. As the lead on his contract, you know he recently landed a massive campaign with a new clothing company, their emblem stitched onto the breast of the coat. Jungkook looks every inch the model he is; his friend no less so.

“Hey! Happy Birthday!” Taehyung greets you as your eyes swing to him.

Warm embarrassment kisses your cheeks. You hate your birthday; you hate being the center of attention. “Thanks,” you murmur, giving him a tight smile.

“Oh, yeah, happy birthday,” Jungkook tacks on. He rubs the back of his neck, giving you an apologetic look. “Should we go ahead and go inside?”

“Yeah, sure.” As Taehyung leads the way inside, you type out a quick text to Jiyoon asking how long she’ll be.

Thirty minutes later, you’re sitting in a mildly withdrawn personal bubble of silence as Jungkook and Taehyung chat about work and sip on fingers of liquor. You’re normally not so silent with them, as they have been clients of yours for years but you’ve also grown to think of them as friends. It’s just you have a lot on your plate right now, Namjoon just added three new clients to your work portfolio, putting you at juggling almost a dozen. You don’t mind the added workload, it helps keep you busy, but it does mean you have to switch around your schedule a great deal and have less time to spend with Jungkook and Taehyung who are two of the longest portfolios you’ve managed. They have a joint ad campaign coming up for the whiskey they’re sampling right now and are trying to decide if they actually like it or not.

Over the years, you've learned that advertisements are just that—a cleverly crafted piece of media to highlight a product. The models in a hamburger ad could very well be vegan, but they’re paid to make you believe otherwise. So, even if they decide they don’t like the whiskey, money will say they do.

Taehyung is a bit newer to Kim Exclusives, a model by complete accident. He came into the office once with Jungkook, just friends hanging out with each other, and the moment Namjoon saw him, he had to have him. A few weeks later, Taehyung was added to the roster of elite models under Kim Exclusives, booking just as well as any veteran.

“It’s a little too smokey for me, I think,” Taehyung comments. “What do you think?” he asks, setting his glass on the table and startling you out of your thoughts.

“What?” You blink up at him, totally lost.

“Give it a taste.” He taps the rim of the glass. “Tell me what you think,” he encourages, pushing the glass closer to where your hands are clasped together on the table.

You don’t really want to try the whiskey, but the expectant looks on Taehyung and Jungkook’s faces make you pick up the glass and take a tentative sip. It burns across your tongue, coating your throat in a fiery, smokey blend of burnt spices. The flavor sits like ash in your mouth.

“It’s, uh…”

“Not great, right?” Jungkook gives you a lopsided grin, his shoulders stretching the seams of his jean jacket as he shrugs. “It’s okay to be honest about it.”

You slide the glass back across the tabletop toward Taehyung. “Yeah, it’s not great. It might be better on ice, but I’m not a big drinker, so I think it’s hard for me to judge it fairly.”

They both seem satisfied with this response and resume their conversation about the whiskey and the new campaign. You check your phone, wondering where Jiyoon could possibly be. There is no response to your text.

You’re picking at the frayed edge of the paper coaster that’s slowly growing waterlogged from the condensation dripping down your glass of ice water when Taehyung taps on the table in front of you, trying to capture your attention.

“Isn’t that right?” he asks.

“Sorry. Is what right?” You feel heat bloom in your cheeks at being caught not paying attention yet again.

“You’re healthy.”

That statement has confusion replacing your embarrassment. “Healthy?”

“Let me backtrack,” Taehyung says, leaning back in his seat and throwing an arm over the back of Jungkook’s chair.

“Taehyung, really, this isn’t the time—”

“Ahem,” Taehyung interrupts Jungkook’s protest. “Hypothetically speaking, if your best friend and her husband were to inquire of you about the possibility of surrogacy, what would you say?”

The dots aren’t connecting for you, and his blunt question makes you feel like you missed something important. “Surrogacy?” You don’t mean to sound like a broken record, repeating what Taehyung is saying, but you’re thoroughly having a tough time understanding.

“Listen, you don’t have to answer that,” Jungkook states, shaking his head at Taehyung and giving him a pleading look that says to stop while he’s ahead.

“Are you and Jiyoon looking into a surrogate?” you ask; everything suddenly clicks into place, and the question tumbles from your lips before you can stop it.

Jungkook grips the back of his neck and grumbles something incoherent towards Taehyung before he blows out a heavy breath and his eyes slowly rise to meet yours. “Not exactly, no. We haven’t talked about it yet. It’s just something I read about today. But, honestly, you don’t have to answer the question. Taehyung is just being a dick—”

“I’d do it.”

Your response leaves Jungkook with his mouth open and jaw slack as he stares at you in bewilderment.

“See, I told you. She’s perfect. Young, healthy, and someone you know and can trust,” Taehyung tots off, waving a finger in the air.

“Wait…are you serious?” Jungkook asks, pointedly ignoring Taehyung.

You’ve never considered being a mom before, at least not in that sense. It was always an assumption that it wouldn’t be in the cards for you—the whole lack of a love life thing being the crux of it. You’ve barely had a handful of boyfriends, much less a long-term commitment that would lead to a family. But, when it comes to Jiyoon, you’d do just about anything for her. So, if she asked you to carry a baby for her, you know, without a doubt, you’d do it.

“Y-yeah. Yes,” you state with more confidence. “I’d do that.”

Before Jungkook can respond, Jiyoon bustles in through the bar's front door, her lilting laughter drawing everyone’s attention. She has her phone pressed to her ear, and she’s smiling at whatever the person she’s speaking to is saying.

“Okay, yeah. Tomorrow sounds great. See you then,” Jiyoon says before ending the call and pocketing her phone. “Oh, Taehyung is here.” It’s a bland statement, Jiyoon’s eyes flicking over Jungkook’s best friend before landing on her husband. “Did you order me a drink already?”

Jungkook clears his throat, trying to compose himself before speaking. “Babe, hey. Um, no, I wasn’t sure when you’d get here. You weren’t responding to any of my calls or texts.”

Jiyoon slides into the empty seat beside you, across from Jungkook, and gives you a quick smile before wrinkling her nose in his direction. “I’ll take a glass of red.”

“Oh-kay,” Jungkook says slowly, a look of confusion ghosting over his features. “Where have you been?”

“Hmm? Oh, just busy with work,” Jiyoon says. “Wine, please, Jungkook.” His only response is a tight press of his lips before he stands up and disappears in the direction of the bar. Jiyoon clicks her tongue and angles herself to look at you. “You’re not drinking?” she asks, eyeing the glass of water on the table in front of you.

“Um, no. You know I don’t—”

“I know, you’re boring,” Jiyoon sighs. The only thing taking the sting out of her words is the smile she gives you. You know Jiyoon isn’t exactly what people would call a nice person; in fact, she’s often coined as a ‘mean girl.’ But she’s never been intentionally mean to you, not really. She just provides constructive criticism and encouragement to be the best version of yourself that you can be.

“Way to be a bitch to her on her birthday, Jiyoon,” Taehyung mumbles into his whiskey glass before tossing it back and downing the rest.

Jiyoon winces and then plasters a smile on her face before saying, “Right, happy birthday.”

“Yeah, thanks.” You make your best attempt at nonchalance, but you’re not sure it lands properly as Taehyung shakes his head, and Jiyoon sighs again.

“I forgot, okay? It’s been so busy at work and with—uh,” she pauses for just a second, and any other time you might not have noticed, but you can’t help but pick up on the way she rushes to continue, “the new client that you know Namjoon has been breathing down my neck over. The Harper portfolio, you know the one? And apparently, the Song profile needs to be redone on top of that.”

Jiyoon has been different lately. You’re aware that she took over one of the new higher-end clients, some big hot-shot movie star or something like that, but it’s almost made her seem like she thinks she’s above everyone else. It makes things tense sometimes like everyone is on edge when she comes around. You try to ignore it, for the sake of tonight. “It’s okay, Jiyoon, really.”

“Anyway, how are things going? It’s been a few weeks since we last talked about something other than work.”

Yeah, because every time you turn around Jiyoon is spending time with Dani or has a client meeting. You shrug. “Okay, I guess.”

Taehyung pipes up in the silence that follows, “We were actually just talking about surroga—”

“Red wine for my wife, another whiskey for Tae, the good stuff this time, and a pina colada for the birthday girl. Virgin, I made sure. I know you don’t like to drink alcohol,” Jungkook interrupts Taehyung, passing out the cluster of drinks in his hands.

You stare up at Jungkook, lips slightly parted as you try to think of the proper response, completely taken off guard by his gesture. Finally, you lamely offer, “Oh, uh, you didn’t have to, but thanks.”

“Nonsense. It’s your birthday, you deserve a little treat, and I know you like pineapple.” Jungkook settles back into his seat, and you try to keep your eyes off your best friend's husband. But it’s hard with how his hair falls into his face, and the denim hugs his shoulders as he relaxes against the back of his chair.

“Ew,” Jiyoon gags dramatically, startling your attention in her direction. “Is that a jacket from the shoot today?” She gestures at Jungkook, the distaste apparent on her face. “I know they didn’t dress you in that. What were they thinking?”

Jungkook frowns, staring down at the oversized light-wash jean jacket. “You don’t like it?” he asks.

Jiyoon scoffs, “It looks ridiculous, you look ridiculous. What the hell did you do to your hair? A mullet, really? It’s a wonder you’re a model. You were okay with this?” The last part is directed at you, because, as the lead on his profile, you’re the one who signed off on the hair and makeup for the shoot.

“Hey now,” Taehyung states loud enough to quiet the table; he’s clearly not having any of Jiyoon’s antics tonight, long work day or not. “Keep your petty bullshit opinions for when you’re at home. Tonight isn’t about you or how handsome my best friend is in his jean jacket and new hairstyle.” You can tell he intentionally calls Jungkook his best friend instead of Jiyoon’s husband as an extra jab.

“I never said he wasn’t handsome,” she grumbles, rolling her eyes before looking at Jungkook and sighing. “Sorry, dear, I’m just under a lot of stress. You know I didn’t mean it.” Her eyes flick to yours. “I know it’s not your fault.” You just give her a subtle shake of your head, not sure how to respond.

Clearing his throat, Jungkook smiles, though it doesn’t reach his eyes, and tries to move the conversation along. “It’s okay. Let’s just focus on why we’re here tonight.” He swings his eyes toward you, his smile becoming genuine, and begins to loudly belt out Happy Birthday, much to your dismay. This draws the attention of everyone else in the bar and earns you a generous round of applause when the singing finally fades.

You try to enjoy the rest of your night, but every time Jungkook catches you staring at him, you can’t help but feel a small spike of guilt; guilt over the perhaps tiny, mostly insignificant, completely harmless crush you might, perhaps, maybe have on your best friend’s husband.

It’s hard not to be attracted to him; Jiyoon knows that—she flaunts that fact. She also knows her claws are deep in him, and he’s not going anywhere. Jungkook would pull down the moon for her and then ask if she wanted the sun, too. You swallow down the last of your pina colada, eyes once again locked on Jungkook as he throws his head back and laughs at something Taehyung said.

Jiyoon presses her arm against yours, leaning in close to you. In a soft voice meant only for you, she whispers, “He really is perfect, isn’t he?”

“Hm? Who?”

“Don’t play coy with me,” she giggles drunkenly. “I know you were staring at him. My husband.”

You shrug. “I wasn’t staring.”

Jiyoon sighs wistfully. “It’s okay to stare, I don’t mind. I know what he looks like, after all. He’s so beautiful when he’s happy. I wish I could give him what he wants, he’d be the perfect father…I’m so scared to lose him.” The last part is whispered, so soft it’s hard to hear.

Instantly, your guilt turns into something else: resolve. You can’t bear the defeat you hear in her voice. It’s not something you can even begin to fathom—what she and Jungkook are going through. It’s no wonder she has caustic words at times. You meant what you said earlier, what you told Jungkook you were willing to do. With that in mind, you make a mental note to start researching and do what you can to make sure at least someone gets a happy ending here.

💔💔💔

Jungkook

The night of your birthday kept playing over and over again in Jungkook’s head the days that followed. Now, just as evening is rolling around, one week later, he can’t stop thinking about what you said, your confirmation. On top of that, that night was probably the most fun Jungkook has had in a long time—as long as he excludes the prickly start after Jiyoon arrived. He’s used to her snide and biting remarks after a long work day. Brushing them to the side and sweeping them away is usually easy.

But for some reason—perhaps it was the high he was riding after your confession and confirmation—it bothered him that she was doing it in front of Taehyung—in front of you. As if somehow her criticisms might make you both believe them. Not that he cares about being good-looking to Taehyung, or you for that matter, not really. It’s just that his first thought was what if that made you change your mind? Not necessarily whether or not he’s attractive, but the exchange as a whole. What if Jiyoon’s blatant criticisms made you want to change your mind because it somehow planted doubt in your mind that they’re a happy and healthy environment for a child?

“Jungkook.” The frustrated snap of his name brings him out of his thoughts. His eyes focus on the bathroom mirror once more, on Jiyoon, who is standing behind him with her hands on her hips, accentuating the flattering cut of the navy-colored dress she’s wearing. “Are you even listening to me?”

Turning and leaning back against the counter, Jungkook gives her his full attention. “Uh, yeah, sorry. You were talking about having dinner with a client tonight, and you’re leaving now to meet with Dani so you can get some files.”

“Yes,” she says, her lips twitching in mild surprise, and Jungkook knows she was expecting him not to have been paying attention. “I don’t know how long the dinner will last, so don’t wait up for me. It’s likely I’ll be home late.” She turns to go back into the bedroom, and Jungkook isn’t sure what possesses him, but he surges forward and gently snags her wrist, turning her back toward him. “Uh?” she makes a sound of mild questioning irritation.

“I have something I need—er, want—to talk to you about. It should only take a moment.”

She shakes his hold off her wrist and gives him a placating smile. “Okay, well, talk while I finish getting ready at least.” Not waiting to see if he follows, she disappears into the bedroom and heads to the closet, rummaging through her jewelry.

“Okay, um. Okay,” Jungkook stumbles over his words, feeling like he’s under pressure for some reason. “So, the other night, it was brought up in conversation, and uh, she already agreed, and it’s just that, well, there’s this thing called intracervical insemination and…how do you feel about surrogacy?”

There is a heavy pause, dread threatening to make Jungkook backpedal and eat his words just to snatch them back out of the air. Jiyoon glances at him over her shoulder, but he can’t get a clear read on her eyes. “What? Oh, yeah, sure,” she says, turning back to her digging.

Jungkook can’t tell whether Jiyoon is the one paying attention to him now, so he probes further, just to be clear. “You mean that? You’re okay with going the surrogacy route? My sperm, her egg…your best friend carrying our baby?”

Jiyoon’s back is to Jungkook, but he watches how her shoulders slide up in a shrug. “Of course, why wouldn’t I be?”

“I’m not sure, it’s just that with ICI—”

“Look, Jungkook,” Jiyoon says, turning to face him fully. Her fingers work at slipping a pair of silver hoops into her earlobes. “I trust you.” She says the words slowly, keeping her eyes intently locked on his. “I know you’ll do your best for us. Whatever you want, it’s what I want, too. You know that.”

“Well, um, do you have any questions? We should talk…discuss this, er, something. I know how you feel about IVF. I want to make sure this is an option you truly want, and you’re not just saying this to make me happy. You should take some more time to think about it.” The fact she’s so quick to agree makes Jungkook question whether or not he’s hearing what he thinks he’s hearing.

Jiyoon cups one of his cheeks, gently thumbing over his bottom lip. “I don’t need time to think, because I’ve already thought about it. I—well, I was going to bring it up to you soon, but I wanted to do a bit more research first.”

“Wait, what? Really? You were thinking about ICI, too?” Jungkook swallows hard, leaning into his wife's warm touch.

“Yeah,” she whispers, her soft smile making her eyes twinkle and his heart melt.

Jungkook can’t help letting his eyes drink in his wife. They might have been going through rough patches the last few years, but that hasn’t lessened how he feels about her. Jungkook has always found her strikingly beautiful, with long legs and shiny hair that he loves to run his fingers through. But at this moment, he feels like he might burst with the love he has for her.

“Yeah? Okay. Okay,” he tries to suppress the emotion in his words. “Okay, perfect. I love you. I love you so much!”

Jiyoon laughs, and it sounds magical, as Jungkook sweeps her into his arms and plants a kiss on her lips. “Don’t smear my lipstick, please,” she mumbles, her voice light and playful.

“Go have a good dinner, secure the client, and don’t worry about anything else,” Jungkook bubbles happily, setting Jiyoon back on her feet. “I swear I’ll take care of it all. Everything will be perfect, absolutely perfect.”

An hour later, Jungkook walks up to your apartment door. He couldn’t stop himself earlier, so he immediately texted you and asked to see you as soon as Jiyoon left for Dani’s.

The door swings open before he can knock, revealing you standing there breathless and in a set of purple checkered pajamas. “Is everything okay?” you ask, worry lines creasing between your brows. “Your text sounded urgent.”

“Oh.” Jungkook feels terrible for making you concerned. He didn’t mean for it to come off like that. “No, I mean, yes, everything is okay. But, no, it’s not exactly urgent. Sorry for that. I didn’t mean to make you worry.”

You lean against the doorframe, eyes wide on his. “What is it?”

“Er, uh, do you mind if I come in? This is more of a sit-down kind of conversation.”

The little ‘o’ your lips form is far cuter than Jungkook has a right to think it is. His mind instantly latches onto it, wondering if the baby would have your lips or his. “O-okay, sure, come on in.”

Jungkook has visited your apartment a handful of times over the years. It’s quaint and cozy, exactly what he’d imagine for you. There are books everywhere, shelves full of thick and thin volumes of literary prose. A few art pieces decorate the walls, along with dozens and dozens of black-and-white photos in simple frames. He stirs up the recollection that you enjoy photography in your spare time.

“Sorry, again, about my text. I didn’t mean to worry you, really.” Jungkook feels nervous, unsure where to stand or even sit, until you gesture toward the couch. A handful of well-loved decorative pillows are scattered across the burgundy suede. He settles at one end as you take the other, looking at him expectantly.

A beat or two passes, and Jungkook feels like he’s about to swallow his tongue until you open your mouth, clearly picking up on his distress. “Is it something with work? I can try to fix whatever it is first thing in the morning—”

“No, no,” Jungkook holds up a hand, shaking his head. “It’s not work. It’s um, it’s actually Jiyoon. Well, me and her, specifically.”

You pull your knees up and tuck your feet underneath yourself. “Oh, okay.”

“Were you serious about what you said the other night?” Jungkook blurts, figuring it’s best, like ripping off a bandaid.

Your bottom lip has an indent left from where you tucked it between your teeth before nodding. “Yes.” Jungkook didn’t necessarily expect you to say no, but the rush of relief he feels at hearing that encourages him to press on.

“I talked with Jiyoon about it today and she—we—would be honored if you’d do that for us. If you’d give us a chance at having a family. It’s…it’s something we both, deeply, deeply desire. If you’re truly serious about it, we’ll take care of everything, all medical expenses, bills, anything…just name it, it’s yours.”

“That’s—okay, okay, yes. Yes, I’ll do it. Just tell me what I need to do.”

Jungkook whoops loudly, jumping up from the couch, and drags you into his arms for a bear hug. “Thank you, thank you, thank you! I can’t even begin to explain what this means to me, to us. This is…I can’t…oh my, I need to—wait, okay. Sorry, let me calm down for a second.” The word vomit is real, and Jungkook uses his hold on you to ground himself, moving his hands to your shoulders and locking his eyes on yours. “I think I might pass out,” he whispers a second before bursting into a giddy laugh.

“Whoa, um, sit down. Please don’t pass out on me. You’re too big for me to catch!” Your frantic words make him laugh even harder.

He shakes his head, on cloud nine. “I’m kidding, kind of. I just feel…I feel so light, like—well, it doesn’t matter about that. What matters is you. Please don’t feel obligated to do this. That’s the last thing I want. If you are serious, I can send all the information you need to you in the morning. But only if you’re certain.”

“Jungkook,” the way you say his name makes his heart thump heavy in his chest as if his fate hinges on whatever comes next. “I am serious. I promise. I want to do this for you, for Jiyoon…I want to give you both the happiness you deserve.”

“Thank you,” Jungkook says fervently, never meaning something more in his life.

This happiness carries Jungkook through the rest of the evening, turning into a brilliant flame of intimacy when Jiyoon crawls into bed beside him hours later. For the first time in a long time, there is no schedule, no waiting for the perfect moment; it’s just the love shared between two souls celebrating the joys of life.

💔💔💔

The following day, several emails from Jungkook are waiting for you; Jiyoon CC’d on them all, as well as a few texts to check in. The idea that you could possibly be pregnant in the coming weeks or months—not just pregnant, but pregnant with Jungkook’s baby for your best friend—still feels a bit surreal.

You texted Jiyoon last night, expressing to her how much she means to you and that you’re honored she wants it to be you that helps her fulfill her dreams of having a family. She hasn’t replied yet, but that doesn’t bother you; she’s probably busy helping Jungkook with planning.

There is an entire email dedicated to medical referrals. Apparently, Jungkook spent hours pouring over all the local doctors and medical facilities vetting to find the best ones. Each has notes and suggestions under them, along with all the information you might need to call and make an appointment.

That’s really all you need to do: make an appointment for a check-up. Taehyung made an assumption of your health last night, but it doesn’t hurt to be sure. The last thing you’d want to do is be in poor health and unable to keep your word.

Your fingers tremble as you dial the numbers, and you have to take a few shallow breaths to get your voice to work properly. Minutes later, you have an appointment scheduled for later this week. Now, all you have to do is figure out how you’re going to wait the next few days and not burst from anticipation. It’s a slow few days.

Apparently, by Googling every possible thing you can think of about being a surrogate and pregnancies. Along with the emails full of information, by the time you’re walking into the clinic for your appointment at the end of the week, you feel confident asking questions.

“Being a surrogate is a pretty serious situation. Have you considered all the possibilities and what might be required of you?” The doctor has a pleasant demeanor; her eyes are intense yet kind. It might be the steel-colored strands scattered through her hair or the wrinkles that deepen around her eyes when she smiles, but you feel comfortable opening up to her.

You roll your lips between your teeth before saying, “Honestly? Probably not as much as most surrogates. I’m sure there are things I’m not aware of yet. It was only presented to me a few days ago. But I have done some extensive reading and soul-searching, and I know it’s what I want.”

Dr. Lee contemplates you for a moment before nodding. “Yes, I believe you do. Let’s get started, shall we?”

It’s not uncomfortable going through all the tests and procedures. There isn’t much the doctor does that you haven’t done before. Samples are taken, and a routine exam is performed. As you leave, the nurse tells you you should have results within the next two weeks.

Thankfully, the results come at the beginning of the following week. You’re sitting at your desk at work, reviewing the final details for the whiskey campaign Jungkook and Taehyung are shooting in a few days, when you get the notification that your results are viewable on your patient portal. A moment before you click into the email, your phone buzzes in your pocket.

“Hello?” you whisper, cupping your hand around the base of your phone and mouth. A nurse rattles off your information, ensuring she speaks to the right person. “Yes, speaking.”

“I just wanted to let you know that all of your results are in, and Dr. Lee has signed off on your request to move forward with the surrogacy…” Everything else the nurse says is a bit hazy. She covers the numbers for your tests and where to find resources for more information on at-home intracervical insemination. “Do you have any questions for me? Ma’am, are you still there?”

“Oh, umm, yes, sorry. No questions, thank you so much.”

The line disconnects, and you sit there for a few more moments, the phone still held to your ear, as you try to process the giddy feeling bubbling up inside you. You need to tell Jiyoon, Jungkook, someone…anyone. Pushing up from your desk, you scan the area around you for your best friend and come up empty.

“Hello?” Jungkook answers on the second ring.

“Jungkook.”

“Oh, hey. Everything okay?”

“What? Oh. Yes. Yes, everything is okay. Everything is perfect. Do you know where Jiyoon might be? I haven’t seen her since she came into the office this morning.” You rack your brain, trying to remember if you saw her leave or go into another room.

“Yeah, she called a little while ago and said that Namjoon was having her meet one of the new clients for lunch to sign some more papers.”

“Right, that’s right,” you say, recalling that Namjoon asked her to come into his office shortly after she arrived this morning.

“Why? What’s up?”

You drag a slow, shallow breath into your lungs in an effort to slow your rapidly beating heart. “I heard back from the doctor.”

Jungkook urges you to continue, “Yeah? What did they say? Is everything okay? Are you okay?”

“I’m…I’m great. I’m perfect. I’m—I, I can do it. We can do it. There’s a chart,” you explain, wedging your phone between your ear and your shoulder to free your hands so you can pull up the email you got and forward it to him. “It has an estimated schedule and recommendations on timing for the best results. I just sent everything over to you.”

“I got it. Wow. Okay. Wow. Oh my…wow! I need to call Jiyoon. Fuck. Oh my god. Okay, thank you! I’ll call you back later, okay?” The line disconnects after Jungkook says a hurried goodbye, the elation in his voice evident.

According to the doctor's ovulation chart, the best time for you to begin trying is next week. Conception is most likely during a twenty-four-hour period. On your way home, you stop and pick up an ovulation testing kit so you can remain on track.

You arrive home filled with nervous energy, unable to stop smiling as you unpack the things you picked up at the pharmacy. A large box of pregnancy tests goes beside the ovulation kit in your medicine cabinet, along with a pack of medical gloves and hand sanitizer. You’re not sure what you’ll need, exactly, but you figure it’s better to have it and not need it than the other way around.

“Jiyoon!” you gush, swiping to answer the call coming in on your phone. “Hi!”

“Hey, I just got off the phone with Jungkook.” There is a lot of background noise, and it’s hard to hear her clearly.

“Oh, wonderful! I got the results today. There is a possibility of next week being—”

A loud laugh cuts through from Jiyoon’s end, the added clang of dishes drowning you out further. “Sorry, I’m still at dinner. Next week, you say? I’ll be going on a business trip the whole of next week, Namjoon wants me to travel with a client for a go-see.”

Disappointment drags at your shoulders and has your smile softening into a frown. You suppose it can wait a few more weeks. “Okay, no problem. That will give us time to plan a bit more anyway.”

“Sure thing!” Jiyoon yells, the line cutting out momentarily. “I’ll catch you later. I can’t wait to see you when I get back. Thank you. I love you so much!”

“Okay, yeah, love you—” The line goes dead before you can finish. “Love you, too,” you murmur into the quiet of your apartment.

A minor setback. But it’s okay; you’re sure you were getting ahead of yourself anyway. Taking a few weeks to confirm things and actually come up with a game plan is probably for the better. But it doesn’t hurt to start doing that now. Letting the smile that hadn’t left your face most of the day slide back onto your lips, you continue setting up everything in your bathroom so it’ll be there for when you do need it.

It turns out you don’t have to wait—at least, according to Jungkook. From the constant flood of text messages you’ve gotten from him over the last few days, as much as Jiyoon would love to be there to help, she’s given her blessing to proceed with the ICI without her. In her own words, via a text you got last night, there will be plenty more for her to be present for, and she’s far too excited for you to wait for her to return.

Jiyoon has been relatively quiet, but Jungkook explained in delicate words that she’s okay; she just has a lot on her plate right now. Even though it may seem like she’s on the outside, it’s more that this is a very sensitive topic for Jiyoon. Despite wanting a child, ICI is nearly as taboo a subject as IVF when it comes to Jiyoon; you know this. She’s told you how much it makes her feel like a failure. So, you’re content when Jungkook takes full responsibility for the surrogacy journey and has promised to be there for you every step of the way, including coming over to your place tonight to help you with the first ICI attempt.

You’ve been testing your ovulation each morning, and the positive test strip in your bathroom trash has started a full-tilt, day-long extravaganza. It’s a Thursday, just a few days after you got your green light from the doctor, meaning you were able to leave work early and are now sitting on your couch waiting patiently for Jungkook to arrive.

All your research and reading about ICI makes you nervous about what’s to come. It’s not that you’re going to be explicitly intimate with Jungkook, but you’re well aware of the fact that fresh sperm samples, as in within a thirty-minute window, are the best. Which means, he’s going to have to somehow provide the sample while he’s here.

The idea of Jungkook masturbating in your bathroom should feel awkward or perhaps embarrassing to think about, yet you’re oddly comfortable with it. It’s a natural thing, something necessary to create something that’s going to be beautiful.

By the time Jungkook knocks on your door, your hands are clammy, and it takes you two tries to get the handle to turn. He greets you with a giant smile and shining eyes, absolutely breathtaking.

“Hi,” he breathes.

“Hi,” you parrot, unable to contain from reflecting the smile still on his face. “Please, come on in.”

“Thanks.” Jungkook steps past you, and the soft fragrance of his laundry detergent catches in your nose. “I brought everything we need,” he says, holding up a bag. He’s wearing the same denim jacket he was the other night, a white T-shirt underneath above a pair of worn, light-washed jeans, and black boots on his feet that he toes off before heading into your living room.

“Can I get you anything to drink or maybe something to eat? Have you had dinner yet?” You’re not sure how this is going to go, if it’s just going to be a clinical experience or something more comfortable between friends. Because you are friends, right? At this point, you should consider him more than just your best friend’s husband; he should at least be seen as a friend of yours, too.

Jungkook deposits the bag on your couch and turns to look at you. “Um, maybe if you had some beer or something, but I know you don’t drink—” There is a nervous energy to the way he’s talking, words coming out a little too quickly “—so, er, maybe just some water is fine.”

“Actually,” you say, hurrying into the kitchen and opening the fridge, “I got, well, is this okay?” You hold up a 6-pack of beer you bought on a whim a few nights ago. It’s true that you don’t really drink, but you weren’t thinking of yourself at the time that you bought it. In actuality, you were thinking of Jungkook, knowing he’s partial to this brand, and figured…well, you’re not sure what you figured, you bought it before you could give it too much thought.

The corner of Jungkook’s mouth lifts, his smile turning into a light smirk. “Wow, my favorite. I’d love to, but actually, I’m not sure if I should, no matter how nervous I am right now…not until after, at least. I haven’t read anything about how alcohol might impact things, but I’ve not had a drop of alcohol to drink nor a bite of junk food in the last week, just in case.”

“Oh, right. Of course, I should have thought about that.”

“No, it’s okay. I wasn’t thinking either, I haven’t been able to think about much at all, if I’m being honest,” Jungkook laughs nervously, one of his hands rubbing at the back of his neck. “Is this weird? Are you sure you want to do this?”

It is weird, but not in a bad way, and you don’t want to admit that because you don’t want him to worry. So, you simply smile and shake your head. “It’s not all that weird, it’s…well, just not weird. I am nervous,” you decide to give him at least that. “I’m worried that it might not work, or that I might do something wrong.”

“W-what do you think you might do wrong?” Jungkook asks, moving closer to you. “I’ve…I’ve read a lot about the how, I even got an informational video from my doctor.”

You can feel heat crawling up your neck. “I’m not sure, exactly. I guess just the whole process in general.”

There is a beat where you can see Jungkook contemplating his words. He chews on his bottom lip, eyes unfocused for a moment before returning to you. “I could help if you want. Purely in a platonic, helpful way, no funny business, I swear.”

“Um, I don’t know if that…uh, I can try first, maybe?” You can’t seem to swallow past the thick knot in your throat at the thought of asking Jungkook to help assist you in…well, that.

“Sure, okay. Should we…get started?” Jungkook asks, his eyes flicking back to the bag he dropped on your couch.

Your stomach flips at his words. “Yeah,” you say, voice barely above a whisper, feeling suddenly even more shy than usual.

“Great.” Jungkook claps his hands together before retrieving the bag from the couch. “I have everything we need. It's probably best if we begin this in the bathroom.”

Your apartment has one bathroom, which is joined to the bedroom but is still accessible through the hallway. Jungkook leads the way down the hall, flicking on the light inside the bathroom before stepping aside to let you in as well.

“Have you talked with Jiyoon?” you ask, seeking something to fill the silence as you watch him unpack everything from the bag and arrange it on the bathroom counter.

Jungkook shakes his head in a so-so manner. “I spoke with her for a few minutes earlier to let her know the plan for tonight. She couldn’t talk long and it was hard to hear with all the background noise, but she’s excited and said she can’t wait to be back at the end of the week.”

After washing his hands, Jungkook opens up the packet of a large sterile pad and spreads it out across the rest of the counter. From the research you’ve done, you recognize some of the things he begins to set out. There is a collection cup with an orange screw-on lid, a large syringe with a hose attaching it to a bulbous silicone mushroom-shaped plug, and several single-use packets of water-based lube. He also sets out a box of pregnancy tests, giving you a sheepish smile when you raise an eyebrow at it.

“I, uh, bought some, too,” you say, opening the medicine cabinet to show him the large box of pregnancy tests sitting between your ovulation test kit and your toothbrush.

Jungkook smiles. “I guess we’re on the same wavelength, huh?”

You have to stop yourself from leaning too far into the unusual, yet enticingly warm and appealing, feeling you get when he smiles like that. Clearing your throat, you gesture to the spread of tools. “What now?”

“I think we should discuss a game plan, make sure we know what to do and when to do it. There are some things I’ve read online, plus the directions in this pamphlet,” he says, slipping a folded paper from the box the inseminator came in.

Leaning in, you try to read the step-by-step process written on the paper over Jungkook’s shoulder. He shifts, steps closer to you, and angles the pamphlet to make it easier for you to see.

“Step one, collect the sample. Step two, transfer the sample into the syringe. Step three, insert the silicone plug into the…v-vagina,” you choke over the word, feeling heat licking up your neck, “as close to the cervix as possible. Step four, depress the plunger to administer the sample.”

“Seems pretty simple, right?”

You’re not sure you’d say simple. Sure, step by step, it looks pretty straightforward, but you seem to be responsible for the most challenging part, and that makes you even more nervous than before. “Yeah, simple.”

“Give me a few minutes, I need to—uh,” he points to the sample cup. “I’ll, you know.”

“Oh, right, right, of course. I’ll just—" you hook a thumb over your shoulder towards the door that leads to your bedroom ”—wait in there.”

It’s hard not to pace around your bedroom as you wait. You try to stick to the far side of your bedroom, not wanting to come too close to the bathroom and overhear anything you shouldn’t. The fact your best friend’s husband is in your bathroom masturbating is a weird enough revelation, albeit a necessary one for the ICI procedure; you’d still rather afford him some privacy.

After three minutes, you stop counting the seconds that pass, realizing that means you’re counting how long it takes for Jungkook to produce the sample. Which is something you’re vehemently trying to avoid thinking about so casually.

The bathroom door opening startles you, stopping you in your tracks. Jungkook clears his throat. “Ready?”

You move over to the bathroom. “I think so.”

“Hey, it’s going to be okay. You can do this and don’t forget, I’ll be here if you need any help, promise. Purely for help, for the process.” Jungkook swipes a finger in an x over his chest. “Cross my heart.”

“You’re right,” you say, trying to bolster your own confidence. “I can do this.”

You step past Jungkook and into the bathroom, but his hand on your arm pulls you up short. “Wait, wait. Would you feel more comfortable doing it in your room? It’s just that I’ve read it’s best if you could lay on your back with your hips elevated for fifteen to thirty minutes after.” He nods at your bed. “More comfortable than the bathroom floor.”

The idea of doing this on your bed crosses a line, taking this from a medical process to something far more intimate. “Maybe just a pillow,” you say, grabbing one of the decorative throw pillows you never seem to remember to put back on your bed but keep in a small pile on the floor instead.

“Okay.” Jungkook gives you a small smile, and it makes his eyes look soft and bright. The kind of smile you hope you can help him bestow onto a baby.

You leave the door unlocked, just in case you need his help. In your bathroom, there is no evidence of Jungkook's actions other than the very full sample cup sitting on the medical pad covering the counter.

The cup is warm to the touch, which is startling, though you know it shouldn’t be. Placing the pillow down on the floor, you shimmy your pants and panties down your legs and step out of them. There is a lingering scent in the bathroom; it’s a mix of Jungkook’s cologne but also of something clinical. You realize there are two empty packets of lube in your trashcan, and you can’t help the image that pieces itself together in your mind.

Swallowing hard against the threatening flood of further indecent thoughts, you move quickly to prepare the inseminator. It’s a systematic process you can do with little thought—safe—unscrewing the cap of the cup and filling the syringe. Once you’re in position on the floor, hips elevated on the pillow, empty packets of lube discarded and your body primed, you take the silicone plug in one hand and the syringe in the other.

The directions make it seem so easy. But as you try to fit the silicone plug inside, you can’t seem to get it to go where you want it. It keeps slipping sideways and tugging at the tube connecting it to the syringe. Your heart begins to race as you realize you might not be able to do this—not on your own, at least.

By the fourth try, fifteen minutes have passed, and you’re in full-blown panic mode. Your breath wheezes in and out as you crunch up, hands fumbling between your thighs, and sweat forming on your brow. “Oh god, oh god. I—uh, god dammit…Jungkook!” His name is out of your mouth in a strangled yell before you can stop it.

“What is it? Is everything okay? Are you okay?” The frantic words are muffled through the door. The door rattles on its hinges, and you can tell he’s pressing up against it from the sound of denim scuffing along it, probably pressing his ear against it in an effort to hear your response.

You’ve managed to get it inside, but you’re not sure if you can get it all the way in, pressed up against your cervix where it needs to be. It’s possible you used too much lube, though the idea that it’s possible to have too much lubricant seems ridiculous. But no matter what you do or how far you press your fingers in, you’re either at a wrong angle, or your fingers keep slipping on the plug too much. Asking Jungkook for help is the last thing you want to do, but you’re not sure what other options there are.

“C-can you come in here?” you ask in a hoarse voice. There is a moment of silence before the door eases open and Jungkook sticks his head inside. His eyes are closed so tight it makes you let out a snap of nervous laughter. “I think…I think I need help. I’m sorry, I just can’t—it’s not going in all the way, I don’t think,” you gush in explanation.

“Do you—is it okay if I?” Jungkook asks, leaving the obvious unsaid.

“Um, yes…please. I’ve tried, and I just…I don’t want to ruin this. I’m so sorry.”

“Hey, hey, it’s okay.” Jungkook shuffles into the bathroom, eyes still firmly closed and arms out in the air. “Um, where exactly are you so I don’t step on you by accident?”

Snagging the edge of the towel hanging on the rack, you pull it down and drape it over your knees to make yourself as decent as you can be in this situation. “Just open your eyes, it’s okay.”

Slowly, his eyes peek open and finally land on where you’re laid out on the floor, bent knees covered in a towel and your shirt askew from all your efforts.

“How can I help?” Jungkook kneels down beside you, shrugging out of his jacket and tossing it to the side.

“I just…I don’t know if it’s all the way in. Can you—with your hand, I know that’s horrible and weird, but I don’t know what else to—”

“No, no, it’s not weird. I said I’d help. It’s clinical, right? We’re doing this just as a medical procedure. Like I said, no funny business, I swear. It’s for the baby. I’ll help you.”

“Okay.” You nod, squeezing your eyes shut because it’s hard to look him in the eye when he’s about to—the towel shifts, and cool air licking between your thighs has your mind going blank.

“Look at me,” Jungkook requests, to which you immediately comply. “I need you to promise me you’ll let me know if I hurt you or do something you don’t like. I’ll stop immediately, okay?” When you don’t immediately say anything, he adds, “I need you to tell me you understand.”

“I understand.”

Stretching across to the sink, Jungkook keeps his eyes on yours as he washes his hands and then shifts the towel more, folding it up and over your knees. “I’m going to place my hand on your thigh. Is that okay?”

“Yes.”

His fingers are gentle against your skin, softer than you expected, and warm from the water. You can feel errant droplets of water streak down your thigh and roll over the bottom of your ass. You try to focus on that feeling instead of the way Jungkook’s hand trails down your thigh until his fingers graze your outer lips.

“I’m going to use two of my fingers to try and seat the inseminator. Is that okay?”

“Yes,” this time, it comes out as more a breath than a word.

You tense at the subtle press of his fingers and how they probe their way down until they find your entrance. There is easily enough lube down there to grease a bakery’s worth of cake pans, considering the half a dozen empty packets now in your trashcan, but you can’t help but take a deep, fortifying breath as he begins to press in.

“Still okay?” he asks, fingers moving achingly slow.

“I think so.”

Jungkook’s brow pinches. “I feel it…only about two inches in. I’m going to push it further now. Tell me if it hurts or is uncomfortable.”

Never in a million years did you think you’d ever find yourself in this position. Not only are you butterflied open on your bathroom floor, but your best friend’s husband is now middle-knuckle deep in your vagina, and you’re not sure how to feel about it. In fact, you’re trying to do everything you can to not think about how you stretch around the intrusion of his fingers, or that it feels far better than it should.

“Do you think you can get it all the way?” you ask, voice warbling with nerves.

Jungkook hums, his lips pushing out as if he is trying to concentrate. “I think I’m almost there. Does that feel okay, is it good?”

Not once does he look away from you as he’s pushing deeper into your body. You think you want him to look away, to break that intimate contact, but you can’t even bring yourself to do that—even though you know you should. And the whispered exchange does little to help. Is it good? You’re going to burn in hell for the thoughts now flooding through.

“Oh!” You jolt in place, eyes going wide, all previous thoughts gathering into one singular point. Jungkook mirrors your surprise, his mouth popping open in silent shock.

“I’m so sorry!” he babbles. “I didn’t mean to do that. Oh fuck, god damn, shit…okay, sorry, let me just—” Jungkook is still gentle, yet swift in finishing seating the inseminator before quickly extracting his fingers from your body. “Please believe me when I say I am sorry, and I swear I wasn’t trying…I wasn’t trying to do that.”

Your body is still buzzing from the that he’s talking about—the graze of his thumb over your clit. It’s clear it was an accident by his reaction, but it does nothing to lessen the pulse that is now singing through your body.

“I-it’s okay. Really, it’s okay. It’s fine.” You’re not sure if your words are convincing enough, but Jungkook jerks his head in what you assume is a nod of acknowledgement.

“Um, it’s, uh, it’s in. Do you need me to do the syringe, too?”

“Just do it.” You exhale a shaky breath, finally tearing your eyes away from his. You’re confident he’s still watching you, even as he depresses the syringe and injects his cum into your body—as crass as that sounds in your head, that’s exactly what’s happening, and it’s the first time you think you’re realizing how truly fucked you are for this.

Nothing has happened between you and Jungkook, not in that way, but for some reason, guilt won’t leave you alone. You feel like you’ve just betrayed Jiyoon and feel even more like a ridiculous schoolgirl ruining her life over a crush on a boy. You’re intimately aware of the warmth and the subtle change in pressure as he finishes depressing the inseminator. It makes you want to squirm, but you chew your bottom lip and tap your toes instead.

“Are you okay?” Jungkook asks, his voice soft and gentle.

“I should be asking you that,” you sigh.

Jungkook balks. “What? Why would you say that? I’m fine…I’m the one that—” He nods toward where your body is now covered with the towel again. As soon as he was done plunging the depressor, he unfolded the towel and made you decent once more.

“You didn’t mean to,” you say, maybe more as a reminder to yourself than him.

“No, but that doesn’t make it okay.” Jungkook settles back on his heels, using one of the wet wipes that came in the kit to clean his hands. Suddenly, he laughs. “This is ridiculous, right? I mean, look at us, we just did something…beautiful, and we’re not allowing ourselves to enjoy it.”

You chuckle softly, fidgeting with one of the ends of the towel. “It is kind of ridiculous, huh? Sorry that I freaked out and you had to do…that.”

”I’m not. Sorry, that is. I’m glad you asked for my help. We’re in this together.” Jungkook gives you a smile, similar to the one he wore when he knocked on your door over an hour ago, and takes up the hand not pinching at the towel in his, squeezing it. “I don’t know that I can even begin to articulate with words just what this means to me. Thank you so much.”

“It means a lot to me, as well. Being able to do this for you and Jiyoon is not something you need to thank me for. I’d do anything for her. She’s my best friend. We’ve been through so much together over the last twenty years…I just want to see her happy. You, too, of course.”

Jungkook hums in the back of his throat, keeping his hand wrapped around yours as he leans back, using the side of the tub for support. A comfortable silence settles between the two of you, spanning several minutes until Jungkook speaks again. “Have you ever thought about being a mom, you know, before this?”

It’s on the tip of your tongue to answer with what you think he wants to hear, that this has always been your wish, but instead, you choose to give him an honest answer. “Not really.”

”Why not? If you don’t mind me asking.”

If it were anyone else asking, you might mind, but…

You purse your lips before offering yet another truth. “I guess I just…I’m me, you know?”

”No, I don’t think I do know. What do you mean?”

“I’m a single woman in my thirties with no prospects on the horizon. My last boyfriend was over five years ago. I’m a modern-day spinster. Nothing is wrong with that, I love who I am…I just, no one has ever shown interest in me like that. Though it’s not necessary to have another person in the picture, it’s just that…I don’t even know, I’m rambling, sorry.”

Jungkook looks at you for a long moment, and it’s so hard to read his expression. All you want to do is plead with him to tell you what’s on his mind.

“You shouldn’t do that to yourself,” he finally says.

”Do what?” you ask, uncertain what he’s referring to.

“Sell yourself short like that. You are easily one of the hardest-working people I’ve ever met. You have a successful career and amazing tastes in art and food. Not to mention, you have the biggest heart of anyone I know. You’re…you’re amazing, and I know for a fact that people think so, too.”

You puff out a breath, trying not to laugh at him. “How could you possibly know that?”

“Because I’m one of them. I wouldn’t choose just anyone to do this with. After all, the baby will be half of you, too. A win-win in my book.” The corner of his mouth tilts in a small smile.

You’re pretty certain you’ve never had something create such a viscerally emotional response in you. It takes everything you have to blink away the sudden onslaught of tears that threaten to overwhelm you.

When you finally think you can speak without melting into a blubbering mess, you whisper, “I think you’re pretty amazing, too.”

💔💔💔

Jungkook

It’s well after midnight by the time Jungkook makes it home. He’s positively buzzing and can’t even think about going to bed just yet. There is far too much going on in his head, so he decides to expend some energy in the tiny home gym he turned one of the spare rooms into.

The condo he and Jiyoon bought two years into their marriage is spacious, spanning half the second and third floors of the building. There is a three-car garage on the first floor, as well as an elevator that leads to the landing out front. Across the landing is where Taehyung lives with his roommate Jimin, another well-to-do model they met through Kim Exclusives.

Jiyoon stuck her nose up at the fact that Taehyung was buying the unit across from them when Jungkook first told her, but so far, it hasn’t caused too many problems over the years. It helps at times like this, when Jiyoon is traveling for work, to have a friend so close by. Usually, Jungkook would knock next door when he can’t get his head cleared, but for some reason, Jungkook doesn’t want to tell Taehyung about what happened at your place. He doesn’t want to tell anyone, for that matter, holding onto it as a private thing for as long as possible.

Losing himself in sets of squats and curls is far safer than describing in maddening detail the way your soft, lush—Jungkook slams his hand against the squat rack and forces his thoughts away from that line of thinking.

Just because you’re a gorgeous woman with a nice body doesn’t give him the right to think about you like that. Especially considering he’s married to your best friend, whom he loves more than anything. Besides, he’s better than that, knows the whole alpha male hindbrain is the stuff of fantasy. There is no excuse for him having such sordid and outlandish thoughts about you like that. It was simply doing what needed to be done to help—for the baby.

With that in his mind instead, he moves through the motions of his workout. By the time he’s dripping sweat and his muscles are trembling with fatigue, the sun is starting to peek through the windows, and he hasn’t thought about you in hours—well, not much, at least. And when he does, he says it's just because he's thinking of what might be passed down to your baby—er—his and Jiyoon's baby—he reminds himself.

It’s been an excruciating three weeks waiting and waiting to hear from you about something other than work. After Jiyoon returned home from her business trip, Jungkook told her about that night, including the accidental slip-up. At first, she was upset, accusing him of taking advantage of her best friend. It took hours of strained conversation to get her to understand that it was more of a clinical procedure than Jungkook fingering you.

When that accusation was first thrown out, Jungkook was at a loss for words and completely thrown off the tracks. Jiyoon apologized, saying she didn’t understand how he didn’t think she’d be upset about it but that she’d forgive him for it anyway. She then gathered Jungkook into her arms, and they cuddled in bed for the first time in what felt like forever.

Jungkook wasn’t sure if Jiyoon would confront you at work over it, but as the days continued on without a peep from you, he figured things were okay between the two of you. There were times when Jungkook wished something had gone down with you and Jiyoon because then, at least, he’d have an excuse to talk to you in a way that didn’t make him look like he only cared about you now that you were possibly pregnant or with something work-related.

He knows these things take time, and there is only so much he can do. So, he’s been pouring himself into work and filling his schedule with as many activities as possible to keep his mind off of waiting.

“Jungkook, let’s go.” Taehyung raps his knuckles on Jungkook’s shoulder, grabbing his attention. “Head out of the clouds, daddy-o, we’re needed in hair and makeup.”

Sighing, Jungkook hauls himself off the couch in the studio waiting room and follows Taehyung into the space where the makeup and hair artists are set up. He arrived at the studio early this morning and had spent the last hour spilling his guts to Taehyung, something he promised himself he wouldn’t do but couldn’t keep it contained any longer.

“Don’t call me that,” Jungkook grumbles.

Taehyung smirks. “What? Is that not what you’re hoping to be called? Don’t tell me you and Jiyoon are into daddy roleplay. That might make it a little weird to have your kid also call you daddy—ow!”

Rubbing the back of his head where Jungkook smacked him, Taehyung harrumphs before sidestepping the line of chairs and taking a seat in the one farthest from Jungkook.

“Fuck off, Taehyung. After everything I just told you, that’s all you have to say?”

Taehyung throws up his hands, and the hairdresser at his station begins to comb through his black tresses. “The way it seems to me, you’re the only one making a big deal about this. If you want to check on her, I’m sure she won’t think it’s only because she’s your possible surrogate and not because you’re friends after this. And sure, you stuck your fingers into your wife’s best friend’s vagina, but so what? It was what you needed to do. If I really needed you to touch my dick in order to complete an important procedure, I hope you’d do it with a smile on your face.”

Jungkook opens his mouth to protest but closes it when he realizes he can’t really argue against that. Taehyung is right. He did what he had to do. Hell, he knows that, he used those words himself when explaining it to Jiyoon. There’s just this feeling he can’t shake, he’s far too nervous and on edge right now. If only you’d reach out, put him out of his misery with an update.

“I hate it when you’re right. I’ll stop being such a—”

“Hi, guys.”

“Excuse me, ma’am, only staff and models are allowed back here.”

“Whoa, hey, wait. She’s our manager, and she can be here.” Jungkook is quick to spout, not caring if there is desperation evident in his voice. Once his eyes landed on you, it was all he could do not to jump up from the makeup chair, cross the room, and drop to his knees and beg for an update.

The directing assistant who stepped in your path gives you a once-over that makes Jungkook grind his teeth, but he just sighs and steps to the side. “Okay, but you’re both needed on set in fifteen,” he says, directing the last part toward Jungkook and Taehyung.

“It’s okay, I won’t be long. I just…” You hold up a thin manilla envelope and give it a shake. “Jiyoon is out of the office for the day, she said I should let you see first and that you could tell her later tonight at home. So, here I am. I thought we could look together.”

The makeup artist dabbing a sponge on Jungkook’s jaw lifts an eyebrow when he jerks forward in the chair, intent on scrambling across the room despite being in the middle of blending.

“Two minutes,” she says, stepping back from Jungkook and turning to the makeup collection on her table.

“Okay!” Jungkook springs from the chair and rushes over to you, having no regard for the way his hair flops out of place on his forehead. “Hi,” he says when he’s standing in front of you. “I didn’t realize you had an appointment today.”

“I didn’t,” you tell him. “I just wasn’t feeling all that well this morning, so…well, I just wanted to ensure everything was okay. They had to do a pregnancy test, it was routine.” You offer the folder to him. “Want to do the honors?”

Jungkook’s fingers are trembling as he takes the folder from you. It takes him three tries to get the flap open and to extract the slip of paper inside. You give him an encouraging smile as he looks to you for reassurance before letting his eyes sweep over the report.

“It’s…we’re…you’re…holy fuck. You’re pregnant. You’re pregnant! YOU’RE PREGNANT!” Jungkook shouts before breaking out into a bout of ecstatic laughter. “Fucking hell, oh my god, you’re pregnant! I’m going to be a father. Me. A father. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Yes!”

You join in his laughter, the sound pleasant and musical, as he throws his arms around you and spins you in a circle. There are shining tears in your eyes when he sets you down again, happiness clear on your face. “I’m pregnant,” you whisper, the words reverent and full of awe.

There have never been more beautiful words. Jungkook can’t help but say them again. “We’re pregnant.”

It’s hard to say if what Jungkook is feeling right now is considered a healthy response to what his wife, Jiyoon, just told him. But, the erratic beat of his heart paired with the incessant ringing in his ears doesn’t necessarily feel bad, just like he’s having some sort of out-of-body experience.

“Say that again,” he requests, softly smacking his lips, trying to work moisture back into his mouth.

Jiyoon sighs, shuffling the papers on her lap. “I’m pregnant,” she repeats the same words you said just two weeks ago.

“You’re certain?” Jungkook wants to believe he heard her correctly but can’t help asking for clarity again.

“I am.” Jiyoon smiles at Jungkook, her eyes watery. “It’s right here, look.”

Jungkook hesitantly takes the top sheet of paper from Jiyoon, letting his eyes devour the words and numbers on it. It’s all there, everything he needs to see and know for the truth—hCG levels far, far above average, an inked red circle around it along with a doctor’s barely legible scrawl of ‘pregnant’ beside that.

“How far along? It’s been—” Jungkook pauses to try to do the math in his head; it’s been weeks since they were last intimate—the night they agreed to do ICI.

“About eight weeks,” Jiyoon offers. “I suspected a few weeks ago, you know, when I was a little sick that weekend—the one when we found out about, well, I didn’t want to get my hopes up or disappoint you if it wasn’t true, especially after such good news…so I scheduled an appointment. I had to be sure, had to be certain.”

“You’re pregnant.” The words feel thick on Jungkook’s tongue, like he’s trying to talk through a mouthful of peanut butter; sweet, decadent peanut butter.

“I am,” she whispers, the confirmation turning into a squeal of laughter as Jungkook sweeps her into his arms and shouts his own happiness.

Peppering kisses all over Jiyoon’s face, Jungkook hops around, alternating between shouting how much he loves her and how he can’t believe his luck. “I’m going to be a father. Twice! What did I do to deserve this?! I love you so much. Fuck!”

“Calm down,” Jiyoon giggles. “Put me down before you make me hurl.”

“Oh, yeah, sorry.” Jungkook pants, setting Jiyoon back down on her feet. “I’m just so excited!” He wiggles his hips and shimmies his shoulders. “We’ll need to order a second crib. Should we have the babies share a room at first? That seems the easier option, right? I bet there is a book on that somewhere, I need to go—”

“Hey, calm, right?” Jiyoon’s smile is warm, soft. “We have time. There is no need to rush. Can we just enjoy this for a little while longer?” she asks, grabbing one of his hands and placing it over her belly.

“Yes. Yes, yes, yes.” Pressing his forehead to hers, Jungkook wraps his other arms around Jiyoon and sighs contentedly. “I love you so much, babe.”

“I love you, too, Jungkook.”

💔💔💔

Jiyoon seems nervous, pushing around the chopped salad on her plate as she chews her bottom lip. She hasn’t met your eyes the entire time you’ve been at lunch. You want to ask her what’s wrong, but you’ve been friends with her long enough to know that she’ll come to you with it when she wants, and pushing won’t do you any good.

“So,” she draws the word out, lips forming an exaggerated pucker.

“Yes?”

“How are you feeling?” You can tell that’s not what she wants to say or ask, but you indulge her anyway, hoping you’ll get to the actual matter of why she insisted on going to lunch with you today.

You shift in your seat, setting your fork down on your half-empty plate. “I feel good. I just have some nausea in the mornings sometimes, but it’s not too bad.”

Finally, Jiyoon’s eyes come up to meet yours. “I know what you mean,” she says, the words slow and enunciated—pointed. Her free hand flutters over her belly as if for emphasis.

“What?” The word is more breath than question. “You are?”

“I am,” Jiyoon confirms, tears shining in her eyes.

“Oh, my goodness! Jiyoon! What? But how? Oh my goodness! That’s wonderful!” You can’t contain your excitement for your friend, throwing yourself across the tabletop to hug her fiercely.

She’s laughing as you sit back down, clearly buzzing with her own excitement. “We just found out. It seems a miracle was in our cards after all. It’s still early, nine weeks or so now.” That would make it just two weeks, give or take, before you and Jungkook did the ICI.

“Wow,” you breathe, your own hand landing on your stomach. “They might as well be twins. It’ll be so cool—what?” Jiyoon’s frown stilts your excitement. “What is it?”

She casts her eyes away from yours again, pulling her full bottom lip between her teeth before letting it pop back out. “I don’t know. I just thought…it’s not too late if you wanted to—I just know it’s a lot on someone, your body, the pain and everything that comes after. And now that I’m pregnant, it’s just, we don’t expect you to continue…if you don’t want. We’d be completely understanding and fully supportive if you—”

“Termination? Is that…what you’re talking about? And Jungkook agrees?”

Her nose wrinkles. “I don’t like that word. I’m just saying that we will support your decision to do that if you’d like. It was never in the plans to have more than one child, and now it would be two newborns at the same time…that’s a lot, you know? Twice as many diapers, bottles, and sleepless nights. It would be hard to say goodbye, but we’d still love you and not think less of you for it.”

Your mouth feels too dry for you to form words. You know what she’s saying. Though there isn’t a single ounce of you that desires that, you also understand the hesitation Jiyoon is expressing. She’s right. There wasn’t a plan for two babies. So, what now? Do you volunteer to help? Do you seek out the advice of a lawyer to know where your parental rights might sit in the case they decide they don’t want the baby in the end? So many thoughts swirl through your mind that it makes you dizzy.

“Can I think about it?” you ask, feeling for the first time a wave of uncertainty.

Jiyoon gives you what you assume is supposed to be an assuring smile. “Of course. And if you decide not to, I’m sure we can come up with some sort of system. We’ll figure it out.”

She seems so sure that no matter your decision, it’ll all be okay. “Really?”

“Absolutely. I want—we want, these babies, even if we didn’t plan for two. I was just letting you know that there is that option if you want it.”

“I-I don’t think I do, but if that changes…I’ll let you know.”

“That’s all I ask! Now, tell me, what do you think it’ll be?” she asks, patting her flat stomach again. “A boy or a girl? I’m leaning more towards a boy…”

💔💔💔

Jungkook

Jungkook still can’t believe his life. Two babies—two extraordinary miracles, it’s surreal—perfect. His calendar has never been more full. There’s the regular schedule of photo shoots, meetings, and other client work but now those are penned in between the baby classes he’s signed up for and various doctor’s appointments.

One of which is scheduled this afternoon, just a few hours after another this morning. There is your ten-week and then Jiyoon’s three-month appointment. Things have been going great with the pregnancies being so close together, but it does sometimes make appointments and times overlap. Which is how Jungkook finds himself sprinting across the parking lot of Jiyoon’s doctor’s office. He’s late—really late. He didn’t mean to arrive so late. It’s just that your appointment ran a little longer than expected, and traffic wasn’t exactly on his side, either.

Just as Jungkook puts his hand on the handle to open the door to the doctor’s office, it swings outward, nearly smacking him in the face. Jiyoon glares at him, a peeved sigh escaping her.

“You missed it.”

“What? No. I still have—” he glances down at his watch. “The appointment should have lasted at least forty-five minutes, and it’s only been thirty.”

Jiyoon rolls her eyes. “They were able to get me in a few minutes early.” She pushes past him and starts towards her car. “Everything is fine, by the way. The baby is measuring small but is still healthy. Thanks for asking,” she snarks, holding up a length of printed film.

Jungkook grabs the strip from her hand, jogging to keep up with her angry strides. “Wow,” he whispers, looking down at the 2D images. “She’s beautiful, so tiny.”

“She? It could be a boy.”

“Is that what you hope it is?” Jungkook asks, skipping ahead of Jiyoon before turning and walking backwards in front of her. His eyes barely leave the black-and-white grainy images. He traces over the faintly-there contours of the face, the delicate nose and forehead.

Clicking the unlock button on her keyfob, Jiyoon sighs again. “I just want it to be healthy. I don’t care what gender it is.”

“You don’t care?” Jungkook purses his lips, finally looking up at his wife. She’s wearing a designer pantsuit, the deep navy complementing her porcelain complexion and making the red lip she has on pop beautifully. Pregnancy looks good on her. He opens his mouth to tell her so when she cuts him off.

“Don’t say it like that. Of course, I care. Good god, Jungkook, why do you have to make me feel like shit all the time? First you missed my appointment, because why? Because you were busy playing daddy to someone else. And now, here you are, accusing me of being a terrible mother before it’s even born. Fuck you. Fuck you, Jungkook.”

Jungkook is so confused. “What? I didn’t—playing daddy? What are you talking about? I already said I was sorry for missing the appointment, you know the times were really close. It was her ten-week appointment. They were measuring her nuchal translucency, you remember how important that is!”

“Whatever,” Jiyoon deadpans, pushing around Jungkook and climbing into her car. “I have a meeting tonight, don’t wait up for me.”

Before Jungkook can respond, the door slams shut, Jiyoon turns over the engine, and takes off. Maybe not everything is perfect, he laments to himself, mulling over his earlier thoughts. With a determined expression on his face, Jungkook makes his way to his own car and promises to do his best to make this right, vowing not to let something like this happen again.

Of course, it’s only some weeks later that Jungkook has to break this vow. It’s not his fault, it’s no ones. It seems that life just wants to test him, perhaps make sure he’s honing his time management skills for when the babies come.

Everything has been going great since his hiccup with missing Jiyoon’s twelve-week appointment. He’s been able to shuffle around his schedule and work with the both of you to ensure appointments don’t overlap or are too close together.

Jiyoon has become reliant on him, which is something Jungkook revels in. It’s like their marriage is finally back to the way it once was, full of nights cuddled in bed and romantic dinners—sans the wine. While you’ve been fiercely independent, yet charmingly sweet when it comes to Jungkook and Jiyoon and sharing the pregnancy experience with them.

There have been a few discussions about the fact that now there are going to be two babies instead of one. Jungkook has spent nearly all of his free time turning the guest bedroom into a nursery fit for two. His home gym has become a catch-all, most of the equipment being confined into a corner to make room for the furniture that came out of the guest room-now-nursery.

It’s been a lot, but it’s something Jungkook would never trade for anything in all the world. He’s positively jubilant over the prospect of being a father. It’s something he’s dreamed about for as long as he can remember. Now, it’s just a few months away, a permanent light in his life.

“J-jungkook?” your trembling voice sounds through his phone when he swipes to answer the call, tossing the paint roller into the bucket. Butter yellow coats the walls of the nursery and dots the hem of his old t-shirt.

“Hey, is everything okay?”

“I think so. I don’t know. I slipped on the stairs, I’m at the ER right now—”

“I’m on my way!”

“Jungkook, no. It’s okay. I know you have things going on today. I just thought I should tell you. Jiyoon was in a meeting, so Namjoon said he’d pass her a memo when she was done.”

He’s supposed to attend a First-Time Fathers class in an hour, and Jiyoon has her twenty-two-week anatomy scan this afternoon. The class can wait. If he’s lucky, he can go to the ER, check on you, and then make it to Jiyoon’s appointment.

“No, no, you’re not sitting in the ER by yourself. I’ll text Jiyoon and let her know that I’m leaving now to come check on you.”

“O-okay.”

The line disconnects, and Jungkook slaps the lid on the paint bucket and throws a plastic sheet over the paint tray. If it dries out, then it dries out. Paint can be replaced; your health is far more crucial right now.

Walking into the entryway, he thumbs open his messages and types out a quick text to Jiyoon before tossing his phone on the small bench by the door so he can pull on his shoes.

It’s a twenty-minute drive to the hospital, and it takes another ten minutes of searching to find you sitting in a waiting room with a large ice pack resting on your right foot.

“Hey, are you okay? Have you been seen yet? How long have you been here? What happened?”

You hold up a hand to ward off more of his word vomit, an embarrassed smile soft on your face. “Slow down, have a seat. I’m okay. They said I should be called back soon.”

Instead of sitting, Jungkook kneels on the floor in front of you. His fingers the ice pack, his face falling even further. “What happened?”

“I slipped in the stairwell at work, missed the last step and came down hard on the side of my foot.”

“Can I?” he asks, fingers moving to the corner of the ice pack.

You nod. “Yeah.”

Lifting it gently, Jungkook takes in the sight of your foot. The black ballet flats you’re wearing give him a clear view of the swelling that’s already beginning along the top and side of your foot.

“Do you want me to find a wheelchair?”

Before you can answer Jungkook a nurse comes through one of the doors, pushing a wheelchair. She wheels it over to you and says, “Ready?”

“Yeah.”

Jungkook slips his arm under yours as you stand before slowly helping you lower into the wheelchair. “Would you like to push her back?” the nurse asks Jungkook.

“I can come?” he wonders, hopeful.

“Of course. Unless you’d rather wait out here, and I can call for you when your wife is done.”

“Oh, she’s not—”

“I’d like for you to come if that’s okay? I don’t really want to be alone,” you interject before Jungkook can correct the nurse. She gives Jungkook a polite nod and gestures towards the door she came through.

“Please come right this way. We’ll need to get a quick weight and a urine sample before I can get you into your room, where the doctor will see you shortly.”

Jungkook aids you the best he can, helping you to and from the wheelchair as he can. He almost asks if you want him to come into the restroom with you, but you give him a quick shake of your head before closing the door on him.

What feels like an eternity later, you’re finally settled on a bed with Jungkook sitting in the chair beside it.

“Thank you for being here,” you say quietly, drawing Jungkook’s attention. “I know I said I wanted you to come back with me, and it’s not that I want you to leave, but please don’t feel obligated to stay. I know you have a lot of other things going on.”

Shifting his chair closer, Jungkook reaches for one of your hands. “Nonsense. I’m glad you called. I feel bad that I haven’t been to as many doctor’s appointments with you. I feel like it’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve even seen you. I wish our schedules worked out a little better. Perhaps, as my manager, there’s something you can do about that?” he asks, giving you a jesting wink.

“I was trying to give you more time to go to Jiyoon’s appointments!” you laugh, covering your mouth with your hand.

“I know, but in case you forgot, you’re also carrying my child. Don’t get me wrong, though, the texts are great, and I really appreciate the weekly baby bump pictures, but it’d be nice to actually see you. Though, maybe next time, let’s make it not where you’re laid up in a hospital bed, not yet, at least,” he adds on with a low laugh.

This is the first time Jungkook has seen your bump in person. The soft swell under your shirt calls to him, and he wonders if it would be okay to touch it. As if you’re reading his mind, you take the hand that’s wrapped around yours and press it gently over your stomach.

“Kinda weird, huh?”

“No. No, not weird at all,” Jungkook says, being completely raw and honest with you. Jiyoon is touchy about her belly, pun wholly not intended, seeing as she doesn’t let him touch her bump nearly as much as he’d like to. She’s only recently started to show, and it’s hitting her hard, with which Jungkook tries to empathize. He can’t imagine being pregnant and how much a body changes; he’d probably feel things like that, too.

He spends a moment absorbing the feel, trying to imagine the little life growing just a few inches below his hand. Life he helped create. He’s so in awe he could cry…if it wasn’t for the door opening and breaking the momentary spell over him.

“Hello, I’m Dr. Lee. I’ll be your attending today. I hear you slipped down the stairs today and are worried your foot might be broken?” The cheery, middle-aged woman chatters away, washing her hands and drying them off before offering one to you and then to Jungkook.

“Yeah. I missed the last step and landed on the side of my foot pretty hard.” You shake your head with a rueful smile. “I should have just waited for the elevator.”

“Oh, ouch. Let’s take a look,” Dr. Lee coos. “May I?” She gestures to the blanket covering your feet. Jungkook helped you remove your shoes once you were in bed and tossed the blanket over your feet so they wouldn’t get cold.

“Of course.”

Dr. Lee pulls back the blanket and gently probes at your foot, turning it slowly side to side to get a better look. “Does this hurt?” she asks as she rotates your ankle.

“A little, not as much as putting pressure on it, though.”

The doctor nods. “I think it might be best if we do an x-ray just to be sure it’s not broken.”

“Won’t that be harmful to the baby?” Jungkook asks.

“Don’t worry, we’ll make sure to protect your little one.” Jungkook nods his understanding. “Is it your first? You look a little green around the gills, first-time-father jitters.”

Jungkook isn’t entirely sure how to answer that. Because, technically…no? Considering Jiyoon is approximately two weeks further along than you are. Would that make her baby his first? A laugh, barely restrained, simmers deep in Jungkook’s chest.

“Something like that,” he finally says, earning another warm smile from the doctor.

“Alright, let’s get started so I can get you two out of here as soon as possible.”

The word ‘soon’ should be a relative term when it comes to hospitals—or a word that hospital staff is barred from using. Jungkook doesn’t mind spending the hours waiting with you. In fact, you’re pretty pleasant company. That’s not to say Jiyoon isn’t when Jungkook attends appointments with her; there’s just a different level of expectation, he thinks. He hopes this baby will have your patience and grace like that.

Jiyoon wants a quiet observer sitting in the corner, whereas you’re welcoming to his insights and curiosities. You haven’t hushed him a single time when he’s voiced a question of any of the medical staff. In fact, it almost seems like you welcome it, comfortable in letting him show his concern for you.

Thankfully, the x-ray showed no break or fracture. You’ve been given a temporary boot to wear for the next week and strict instructions not to overdo it. “Got it,” you say once the nurse has finished explaining everything to you.

“Now, before we discharge you, we would like to have a sonographer brought in to check on the baby. According to your charts and file, you’re at the twenty-week mark now.”

Jungkook stands up, panic worming its way in. “Should we be worried? Is everything okay?”

The nurse gives him a motherly smile. “That’s what we would like to check.” She turns her attention to you. “You didn’t fall on your belly, but with any trauma to the body, it never hurts just to be sure.”

Of course. That makes sense to Jungkook, but he looks to you for confirmation. “Yeah? You want to do that?”

“That would be great, thanks.”

Jungkook has only attended two live ultrasounds in all the doctor’s appointments he has been to. He has many printed ultrasound images that are now stuck to the refrigerator at home, one side for Jiyoon and the other for you. But he’s only managed to attend one for Jiyoon and one for you, so this will be a wonderful treat.

“Okay, they’ll be here in just a moment.”

A few moments pass after the nurse leaves the room, and Jungkook allows himself to truly assess his internal feelings. He’s thankful that you’re okay and will feel even more at ease once the ultrasound confirms the baby is alright, too. It’s wild for Jungkook to think that just a few months ago, his life felt like it was on the verge of falling apart. There was a steadily growing rift between him and Jiyoon, and you were just Jiyoon’s best friend.

Now, however, he feels closer than ever to his wife, and you’ve managed to carve out your own little pocket in his heart, too. It’s alarming, yet comforting, to realize that there is something more between you and him—a deepening connection that’s still delicate but growing more solid with each passing day.

“You feeling okay?” Your voice breaks through Jungkook’s reverie.

“Hm? Me? I’m great,” he assures, rubbing his thumb over the back of your hand. You’ve barely let his hand go the entire time, to which Jungkook won’t complain. “Does it hurt much?” Jungkook nods toward the end of the bed, where your feet are back under the blanket.

You shrug. “It’s not so bad while laying here.”

“Hi!” a bubbly voice calls from the door a second before a young blond woman wheels an imaging cart into the room. “Are we ready to get a look at your little one before you guys go home?”

“Yep.” You give Jungkook’s hand a light squeeze. “Excited?” you ask in a soft voice meant only for him.

“Very,” he tells you, sitting up straighter in his chair.

“Now, this won’t be nearly as good as if we were in radiology in an exam room, but all we really want is to get a look to make sure everything is okay. Besides, who doesn’t want to take a peek when you get the chance, right?”

The tech, with Jungkook’s assistance, helps you adjust on the bed until you’re in a comfortable position for the ultrasound. Jungkook feels frozen as you tug your blouse up and over your belly, giving him his first real glimpse of the swell in all its glory. It’s one thing to see it through your shirt, another thing entirely to see it like this.

“Cold,” you chuckle as the tech squeezes a glob of contact gel onto your lower belly.

“Sorry about that, these carts unfortunately don’t have the warmers on them. Ah, here we are,” she sing-songs when she smoothes the wand over the gel. “Look at that.”

Jungkook tears his eyes from your face, focusing his gaze on the imaging machine's display screen. His breath stutters in his lungs, and a wave of pure, unrestrained joy washes over him.

“They’re perfect,” he says, voice thick with emotion. Jungkook watches as an arm moves across the screen, followed by a little kicking foot.

“Seeing them never ceases to take my breath away.” You take the words right out of Jungkook’s mouth.

The tech hums, giving you a soft smile as she moves the wand around to different angles. “No gender yet?” she asks. “I’ll try to be careful here, don’t want to have any spoilers…unless you would like to know?”

It’s hard not to be curious. “Is it not too early to tell?” Jungkook asks.

Turning the screen slightly away from you and Jungkook, the tech says, “Um, nope. Not too early. Everything looks good, though. So, if you’d rather wait, we can get cleaned up and be done here.”

“What do you say?” Jungkook looks at you with a raised brow.

Your teeth leave a dent in your bottom lip as you worry it for a moment. Another thing he thinks would be cute to see his mini-me do. “I kind of want to, don’t you?”

“Yeah,” he admits, loving the fact that you do.

“Okay, wonderful. In that case,” the tech says before moving the screen back and adjusting the wand on your belly. “Take a look here.”

When Jungkook arrives home, the sun has long since gone down, but he’s so high on cloud nine that he can’t bring himself to care. The large smile on his face hasn’t slipped in the slightest.

Jungkook is certain nothing can bring him down. At least, that is, until he walks through the front door of his condo and straight into hell. Jiyoon is sitting at their dining table, her expression completely devoid of emotion.

“Hey, babe. What’s going on?” Jungkook hesitantly asks, eyes sweeping the open layout and taking note that the only light on is the recessed one directly over Jiyoon. His smile slowly fades, replaced with a crease between his brows.

“What’s going on?” she asks in a cold voice.

“Is everything okay?”

Jiyoon sniffs, her eyes narrowing, the first sign of emotion he’s seen since he walked in. “No. Everything is not okay.”

“O…kay,” Jungkook draws the word out, letting his mind flip through its internal catalog, trying to find pieces of the puzzle to put together.

“Where have you been?”

“There was an accident. Did you get the note from—”

“You’ve not answered any of my calls or texts.”

“I sent you a text before I left. I think I misplaced my phone, I can’t seem to find—”

“You missed my appointment!” she sneers, cutting him off once more. “And you did not text me. I haven’t heard from you since this morning.”

Realization hits, and the warmth drains from Jungkook’s face. He was so focused on everything with you, the panic and then the joy, that he completely spaced on everything else he should have done today. But also…

“I swear I texted you to let you know I was going to the hospital. I was going to make sure everything was okay.” As soon as your name falls from his lips Jiyoon shoves back from the table and rounds it, getting in his face. “She slipped at work and thought she might have broken her foot. Namjoon was supposed to give you a note about it since you were in a meeting. She called me. I was worried. I didn’t mean to miss your appointment. Were they able to determine the gender?”

Jiyoon jabs a finger in the center of his chest. “Not. Good. Enough. I’m your wife, not her! You’re supposed to be with me! Instead, you spend all your fucking time with your nose up her ass when you barely even know her!” Jungkook staggers back as her poke turns into a fully-palmed shove. “You’re un-fucking-believable! What a goddamn joke.”

“Jiyoon, that’s not fair. Something could have been wrong with the baby. It was an emergency,” Jungkook says, trying to make Jiyoon see reason.

It doesn’t work.

“Fuck you! Why do you care so fucking much about that stupid baby?! All you do is fawn over the photos and re-read her text updates! This,” she gestures wildly at her stomach, “is the baby you should care about! Yet you can’t even show up when it counts.”

“You can’t be serious. This is ridiculous.” Jungkook keeps his tone level, refusing to be baited into a knock-down-drag-out with her.

“No!” Jiyoon screams, making Jungkook flinch. “You are ridiculous.” Suddenly a menacing smile cuts across her face. “I bet you slept with her. Didn’t you? That’s it, you’re feeling possessive because you fucked my best friend, and that’s how she got knocked up, isn’t it?”

Jiyoon’s words spark a ringing in Jungkook’s ears. “What?” he whispers, the word barely forming.

“Don’t play dumb with me, Jungkook. I know you too well for that. Let’s not forget your little slip-up—” she throws up air quotes as she says that “—the night you supposedly did ICI.”

“I told you it was an accident. I didn’t mean to do it!”

Sarcasm is a heavy, bitter layer in Jiyoon’s reply, “You just so happened to touch her clit? Just a little oopsie, so innocent. You’re too nice to outright lie to me, so, of course, you come up with some half-truth, expecting me to believe that you didn’t want it, that you weren’t secretly gnawing at the opportunity to try and seduce my best friend!”

“That is not what happened at all!”

“So I’m supposed to believe my pathetically inexperienced best friend is the one that seduced you, then?”

“What? That’s not what I said at all. No one seduced anyone. You’re being fucking crazy right now. You know I’d never do that to y—”

The crack of Jiyoon’s palm against his jaw stuns him into silence. “Don’t you dare call me crazy!” she screams. “You’d never do that to me? Yeah, right. You’re a man, and that’s what men do! Heaven forbid a woman works hard and spends time away from the home, trying to provide for her family. Is that it? I’m gone too much for your sad little dick, so you have to chase after the first desperate pussy that comes your way?”

Jungkook presses his fingers over the searing heat licking up his jaw where her hand struck him. “Jiyoon, no, it’s not like that at all,” he says, losing his momentum because he’s not sure what he can say at this point to make her see reason. “I wouldn’t cheat on you.”

“Fucking my best friend because she’s convenient and out of spite for me being gone so much? No, that sounds exactly like something you would do. Well, looks like it’s your lucky day because two can play that game, asshole. Enjoy your fucking prize!”

Jungkook jerks back, as if Jiyoon just slapped him again. “What does that mean?”

She laughs, the sound deep and throaty. “This baby—” she seethes, rubbing over the small swell of her belly, voice rising with every word “—it’s not yours, you pathetic bastard!”

Next Chapter⇾ (coming soon) ◅ Back to story masterlist

◅ Back to Main Master List ©️ 2024-02-13 ColorMePurplex2

#colormepurplex2 #daddys home fest #Shatter With Me #bestie jai

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btsfests · 4 days

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THE ANGST! THE DECEIT! THE DRAMA OF IT ALL! we're so excited for this story, leah! thank you for being part of what seems to be becoming a very angsty fest 😌

Shatter With Me | JJK

▻ Shatter With Me ↳ Model!Jungkook x Surrogate!f.Reader ⤜ Surrogacy AU ⤜ Best Friend’s Husband | smut, fluff, heavy angst ⤜ Rating: MA ⤜ WC: TBD ⤜ Summary: Your best friend, Jiyoon, and her husband, Jungkook, have faced years of hardship trying to start a family. In a last-ditch effort to have their dream life, they seek solace in surrogacy. Wanting to see your best friend smile, you offer to become the bright beacon at the end of the tunnel, giving them what they have always wanted. But what happens when you begin to shine your light on their darkness? Things aren’t always as they seem—happiness can be a façade, shattering under the lightest pressure. ⚠️ Drinking, explicit language, fertility issues, mild bullying and references to cruel behavior/words, at-home medical procedures/insemination, non-sexual genital touching, planned pregnancy, eventual smut, & more to be added! A/N on warnings: *SPOILERS* This fic will contain infidelity (not by JK or the FMC), lots of lies and deceit, and eventual divorce, so be mindful as we move forward Each chapter will have specific warnings listed as they're posted.

Chapter 1: Waving The White Flag (coming soon)

Chapter 2: Please, Let Me (coming soon)

This story will be complete by 30April

A/N: Part of the @btsfests Daddy's Home writing fest!

A/N: A special thank you to @hisunshiine @downbad4yoongi @lo1k-diamonds and @lunarelle1013 for their unfailing beta services!

Can also be found on: Ao3 | Wattpad

◅ Back to Main Master List ©️ 2024-03 ColorMePurplex2

#fic announcement #daddys home fest #colormepurplex2 #Shatter With Me #bestie jai

1K notes · View notes

btsfests · 21 days

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The masterlist has been updated to include the first fic of the fest, B's "Since Day One"!

Daddy's Home Fest

There's no better time than when daddy is home.

DILF BTS is coming to a Tumblr near you March - April 2024!

♡ Title: Care For You

♡ Pairing: Alpha Gang Boss!Yoongi x Omega Maid!Seokjin

♡ Rating: 18+

♡ Genre: gang au, dead dove, parent au, a/b/o | angst, fluff, smut

♡ Summary: As the leader of the infamous Bangtan, Yoongi is untouchable and lives life as he pleases. He thinks he has it all until the tall and broad shoulder omegan maid, Kim Seokjin walks into his office and makes Yoongi second guess what he wants in life.

by @sweetestofchaos

♡ Title: Daddy, Daughter, and Dewey Decimals

♡ Pairing: Single Dad!Namjoon x (f)reader

♡ Rating: 18+

♡ Genre: Parent AU, Fluff, Smut, Mutual Pining

♡ Summary: I adored the daddy and daughter duo that came to visit me every week at the library. Sunhee was cute and vivacious and her dad was every single woman's dream. A simple request, one late night, and a slip of the tongue revealing it wasn't just one-sided attraction.

by @remedyx

♡ Title: Dirty Laundry

♡ Pairing: Seokjin x f. reader

♡ Rating: 18+

♡ Genre: Slice of life, established married couple, PWP

♡ Summary: When you come across your daughter and Seokjin having a princess-themed tea party, you can't help but fall in love with your husband a little more. It helps that you find him absolutely ravishing in the little pink dress he wears too.

by @sailoryooons

♡ Title: Love Blooms

♡ Pairing: Jin x Hoseok

♡ Rating: MA

♡ Genre: Divorced, single father AU | angst, fluff smut

♡ Summary: Summary: Divorced and lost, Jin grapples with self-discovery and single fatherhood. Then, sunshine arrives in the form of Hoseok, helping him explore his desires and build a found family. Their love faces challenges - ex-wife drama, societal disapproval - but together they prove love and acceptance can bloom even in unexpected gardens

by @downbad4yoongi

♡ Title: Lose You to Love Me

♡ Pairing: Yoongi x f! Reader

♡ Rating: 🔞

♡ Genre: Smut, Fluff, Angst

♡ Summary: Yoongi thought he had everything. The woman of his dreams whom he gave everything for. The sweetest Princess who became his whole world the minute she was born and a career he can say he's happy in but what happens when it all comes crumbling down when one small secret blows his marriage open?

by @jmvore

♡ Title: Off Limits

♡ Pairing: Female Reader x Seokjin

♡ Rating: 18+

♡ Genre: smut, porn with very little plot

♡ Summary: You are visiting your family over spring break and discover that the family you used to babysit for are separated. Does this mean Mister Kim is no longer off limits?

by @theharrowing

♡ Title: podcast

♡ Pairing: single father!Namjoon x f! reader

♡ Rating: 18+

♡ Genre: single father AU | fluff, angst, smut, slow burn

♡ Summary: You and Namjoon keep bumping into each other at multiple instances, as if destined to. In a world where past loves and current responsibilities intertwine, Namjoon navigates the complexities of single fatherhood, cherishing the moments with his daughter, Nari, while reflecting on lost love through his popular podcast, "A Loveless Lover." A chance encounter at a daycare center brings him face to face with you, sparking a connection rooted in compassion and shared moments of vulnerability. As their worlds collide, the possibility of new beginnings looms, challenging Namjoon and you to confront the past and consider the future with newfound hope.

by @hobipaint

♡ Title: sakura 🌸

♡ Pairing: king!yoongi x (f) reader

♡ Rating: 18+

♡ Genre: mature, fluff, angst, pining

♡ Summary: yoongi could never figure out how could a sakura tree bloom right on his son’s seventh birthday. logically, atleast, for his kingdom’s soil wasn't blessed enough for beautiful flora; however, when his inspection rounds reveal a trip totally unexpected, and in a crescendo of buried memories, his love for the tree gets as bright as the petals of the blossom.

by @liveyun

♡ Title: Shatter With Me

♡ Pairing: Model!Jungkook x Surrogate!f.Reader

♡ Rating: MA 18+

♡ Genre: Best Friend's Husband, Surrogacy AU | heavy angst, smut, mild fluff

♡ Summary: Your best friend, Jiyoon, and her husband, Jungkook, have faced years of hardship trying to start a family. In a last-ditch effort to have their dream life, they seek solace in surrogacy. Wanting to see your best friend smile, you offer to become the bright beacon at the end of the tunnel, giving them what they have always wanted. But what happens when you begin to shine your light on their darkness? Things aren’t always as they seem—happiness can be a façade, shattering under the lightest pressure.

by @colormepurplex2

♡ Title: Since Day One

♡ Pairing: teacher!jimin x teacher! f. reader

♡ rating: 18+

♡ Genre: enemies to lovers, coworker au, single father au

♡ Summary: Being a Pre-K teacher is no easy feat, but Jimin is always up for the challenge. However, on his first day on the job, he makes an enemy in the parking lot before he even sets foot inside the building. Looks like this school year won’t be all sunshine and rainbows after all.

by @jjungkookislife

Daddy Jimin came home April 6. Read here!

♡ Title: baby fangs

♡ Pairing: Jimin x Jungkook

♡ Rating: Explicit/18+

♡ Genre: Urban fantasy, vampires, strangers to lovers, angst, smut

♡ Summary: As a human, Jungkook thought life was meaningless. It isn’t until he dies that he finds something worth living for: the family he never had.

by @gimmethatagustd

#daddys home fest #bestie jai #Since Day One #jjungkookislife

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btsfests · 21 days

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so excited to share our first fic for the daddy's home fest! thank you, B, for joining the fun! we can't wait to read it 😌

we hope everyone reads B's story and remembers to give them some love (be it through likes, reblogs, comments, or sending a kind ask!) 💜

Since Day One

♡ pairing: pre-k teacher!jimin x pre-k teacher! f. reader

♡ genre: single dad au, fluff, crack, enemies to lovers, 18+

♡ wc: 16k

♡ summary: Being a Pre-K teacher is no easy feat, but Jimin is always up for the challenge. However, on his first day on the job, he makes an enemy in the parking lot before he even sets foot inside the building. Looks like this school year won’t be all sunshine and rainbows after all.

♡ warnings: mention of nervousness, snippy!Jimin, angry!reader, food mention, angst, lots of pettiness in the workplace, pranks in the workplace, meddling mother, mention of minor injuries

♡ part of @btsfests "Daddy's Home Fest"

♡ Date: April 6, 2024

Jimin had gotten the call early in the morning. He was distressed as he got his four-year-old daughter, Harin, ready for school.

The sun barely rose over the horizon as Jimin scrambled out of bed. He had missed the first day of school yesterday, but he had only gotten hired today. Harin had missed the first day due to a mishap with the moving company misplacing all her boxes of clothes, something they had found when the school day had ended.

Jimin had called the school, assuring them Harin would be in tomorrow. The secretary assured him it was fine, there were a few children who missed the first day, seeing as it was a half day to get the children situated and have an orientation. Nothing too big ever occurred for those few hours the school was open.

Jimin was surprised when he got the call in the morning informing him that he had gotten the Pre-K teacher job. He knew school started the day before, and he hadn’t been selected. He was offered higher pay and figured the person originally hired for the position had dropped out at the last moment.

Jimin didn’t care. He loved teaching and he was determined to make this move back to his hometown work no matter what. Harin’s mother, Mia, had given him full custody shortly after Harin’s birth when the two split less than amicably. Jimin sometimes wished the relationship had been salvageable but knew in the end, there was no point in trying to get Mia to stay with him or with Harin, which she very much had no interest in raising.

That was all water under the bridge for Jimin. He was doing an astounding job raising Harin and now that he was moved closer to his parents, who lived right across the street, he knew he could handle everything life would throw at him.

The elementary school he attended as a child was just down the road from his childhood home and his home with Harin. His next-door neighbor was one of his childhood best friends, Yoongi, and his parents’ neighbor was another friend named Jungkook, and his boyfriend Seokjin.

Jimin hadn’t had time to meet the rest of his neighbors, but the neighborhood seemed lively. Children ran around in the evenings, people walked their dogs, and some pushed their cats in strollers down the sidewalk.

Yoongi and his wife, Bree, had a daughter a year older than Harin. Her name was Lila, and she had been around to play with Harin yesterday after school. Jimin was grateful Harin had at least one friend here already. Seokjin’s nieces and nephews visited in the summer, but by the time Jimin moved in, the kids had already gone home to prepare for the new school year.

Nerves filled Jimin as he packed Harin’s unicorn lunch bag. He used the sandwich cutter to shape the sandwich into dinosaurs. He packed her some fresh fruit, vegetables, and a small pack of gummy bears.

Harin was excited to go to school. She had gotten up earlier than her alarm, ran around the room to get her clothes on, and woken Jimin up. Jimin kissed her cheek before taking her to his bathroom to sit her on the counter.

“What should we do to your hair today?” Jimin had asked her as she picked out a scrunchie that matched her outfit.

“Ponytail,” Harin had stated as she stared at her reflection. Jimin nodded as he grabbed her hairbrush, gently brushing her hair as Harin asked about her lunch and snacks. Jimin replied as he stared at his daughter’s reflection. She was a little mini-him. Her features reflected his so much, and for that he was grateful. He knew that was something he’d have to work on eventually, but for now, he focused on his daughter and his first day at the elementary school he attended as a child. He was a little apprehensive of seeing some of his teachers as co-workers but there were a few that he was eager to see once again.

Once Jimin finished brushing Harin’s hair he sent her to the kitchen table for breakfast while he got himself ready. He changed his pajamas to black slacks, a light-blue button-up shirt tucked into his pants, and a black leather belt. He rolled the sleeves to his elbows and grabbed a black blazer from his closet.

Jimin’s coffee waited for him in his blue travel mug, a little sweeter than he’d like but he could get through his day a little easier with some coffee and a chocolate chip muffin.

Before Jimin knew it, he was running late.

It took Jimin a few minutes to get his belongings and Harin’s in the car before he led his daughter to the backseat to strap her into her booster seat. Jimin made sure his daughter was secure before he got into the driver’s seat.

Jimin cursed to himself. How could he be late on his first day? This wasn’t the first impression he wanted to give the staff or the principal.

The call had been last minute, but he thought he could show up early enough to meet some of the parents of his new students.

Damn, tomorrow he’d have to try again.

Jimin was confused when he arrived at the school. A line wrapped around the building as parents dropped their children off. Jimin had to make a left-hand turn to get into the line, which would make him cut people off and nobody would let him in. His daughter is none the wiser as she sings along to a song on the radio, rapping along at the correct parts. Jimin would have been impressed if it hadn’t been for his friend, Namjoon, babysitting and teaching her all the curse words in one day.

Sighing, Jimin shakes his head at the memory.

It had taken a few days for Harin to understand those words weren’t for her to say, much less at school. Namjoon had profusely apologized, but now Jungkook and Seokjin were on emergency babysitting duty if needed. However, Jimin was impressed that Harin had most of Cypher Pt. 3 down. Yoongi, Namjoon, and Hoseok, another of Jimin’s friends who was a baker in town, had been rappers in the underground for most of their youth and the Cypher Collection lived on in their playlists. Part 3 just happened to be his and Harin’s favorite.

Jimin had attended all their shows with all their other friends until the three decided to focus on their personal lives. Yoongi still wrote and produced on the side, often flying across the country to studios with Namjoon, who also did features when he wasn’t writing and producing alongside Yoongi.

A loud honk startles him out of his thoughts. He waves apologetically as he turns his black Nissan Rogue into the school parking lot. Jimin taps his fingers on the steering wheel while he waits for his turn to drop off his child.

Just because Jimin was running late, didn’t mean Harin had to. He figured he could drop her off in line and then rush to the staff parking lot on the other side of the loop. He’d have to break into a run to get to the office for his badge, clock in, put his lunch away, and haul ass to his classroom.

Jimin hoped his Teacher Assistant was there already. He’d apologize to them profusely and offer to buy them lunch tomorrow.

“Harin, make sure you grab your backpack,” Jimin reminds her as he pulls up for his turn. A staff member opens the backdoor, unbuckling Harin’s seatbelt.

“Good morning,” they greet him as they take Harin’s pink backpack and help Harin onto the sidewalk.

“Bye, Daddy!” Harin waves as the staff member helps her put her backpack on.

“Bye, baby! I’ll be right down the hall, okay?” Jimin calls as he waves, and the back door shuts as his daughter is taken inside the school.

Relieved, Jimin checks his mirrors before pulling off the curb. All he had to do was park and haul ass to the office. He could do it. He had about five minutes to accomplish it and he hoped it would go smoothly.

Jimin pulls into the staff parking lot with ease. He sees one spot open and drives toward it, putting his signal as another car arrives in front of his vehicle with its blinker on.

However, Jimin arrives first and takes the spot. The car waits for a moment before driving away. Jimin doesn’t pay them attention as he gathers his belongings and coffee. He puts his blazer on as quickly as possible and pockets his car keys after he looks at the vehicle.

When he rounds the back of his car, he bumps into someone, spilling his warm coffee on their clothing.

“You did that on purpose!” The woman screams. “You took my spot and now you’re throwing coffee on my dress!”

Jimin is taken aback.

“It was an accident,” he explains as he pats his pocket for a handkerchief but must have forgotten it in his haste to leave home.

“Everyone knows I park right there every day! You took my spot!” The woman stomps her heel and Jimin rolls his eyes, which upsets the lady more.

“Did you just roll your eyes at me?!” She asks, shocked.

“Yes,” Jimin shrugs. Normally he’d be an adult about the situation. Maybe he’d offer to get her dress dry-cleaned or buy her a new one. He did feel bad about it, but he was already having a bad morning and she was making him late with her screaming.

“I’m late,” Jimin states as he walks around her, ignoring her calls, insisting he move his vehicle.

“What a grouch,” Jimin utters as he walks toward the school's front office. Hopefully, he wouldn’t see her again any time soon. She must be one of the parents parking where she shouldn’t. Even if she claimed to park there daily, Jimin didn’t care.

Not today.

“I am so sorry,” Jimin apologizes as he enters his classroom. The Teacher's Assistant is already in class, helping children put their belongings in their cubbies that were assigned yesterday. “It won’t happen again.”

“No worries,” the man smiles as he helps a child remove their backpack. “It happens. I heard they called you this morning, so I understand. I’m Kim Taehyung, your Teacher Assistant.”

“Park Jimin,” Jimin introduces himself, shaking Taehyung’s hand firmly.

“Nice to meet you,” Taehyung says genuinely. He shows Jimin to his desk, and the list of their students' names and where they will sit unless he’d like to make changes. Jimin shakes his head.

“This is the schedule. It usually doesn’t change unless there’s an assembly or fire drill. Lunch is from 11 to 11:30 and recess is from 11:30 to 11:45. Then we pick them up and they have their bathroom break until 12. Nap is from 12 to 1:30 and then they have Center Time before going home at 3. Bus students leave at 2:50 and Car Pick-up at 2:55.” Taehyung said as he explained the schedule.

“Thank you. How would I get ahold of my daughter? I think she’s with a Miss Sweetheart?” Jimin tried his best to remember Harin’s teacher, wishing he had been able to meet her this morning but it seemed like everything that could go wrong, did. He’d just have to hope he could meet her at lunch today.

Taehyung chuckles. “The students and parents call her Miss. Sweetheart. She’s lovely. The best teacher you could get for your little one, but I am biased because she’s my best friend.”

“Oh? I’d love to meet her,” Jimin says as he grabs the breakfast cart. Taehyung helps him distribute the cereal packs and milk, helping the students one at a time until they’re all situated.

“You’ll love her!” Taehyung gushes as he tells Jimin Miss Sweetheart’s real name. Jimin does his best to memorize it as he sits at his desk to do attendance. Taehyung keeps a close eye on the children as they eat their breakfast.

“You could go across the hall to let her know your daughter should come to your room for pickup instead of heading outside. It might make it easier to get out of here after you complete your after-school duty,” Taehyung said as he helped a child open their carton of orange juice.

“Yes, that’s not a bad idea,” Jimin notes as he rises. “Right across the hall?”

“Yup,” Taehuyng nods. “She’s got her name on a giant wooden pencil sign. You can’t miss it.”

Jimin nods as he heads out of his classroom. He leaves the door open, so he can rush back if needed.

As Taehyung said, Miss Sweetheart’s name is on the pencil outside the classroom. The door is open and he can hear the soft chatter of the children.

Jimin knocks lightly and a woman with short black hair and sunkissed skin looks up. She’s wearing a long dress with a black cardigan and matching glasses. Her makeup is minimal, but pretty nonetheless. She’s a few inches shorter than Jimin, he notes. Her smile is warm and bright, dazzling as she quirks her head. Jimin thinks she’s beautiful.

“Hello, can I help you?” She asks as she walks toward the door. “I’m the Teacher's Assistant, Mrs. Gonzalez.”

“Daddy!” Harin shouts when she spots her father. Mrs. Gonzalez steps aside once she spots Jimin’s faculty badge.

“Hey, baby,” Jimin waves awkwardly. The students are all watching him instead of eating their breakfast. Jimin feels his cheeks grow warm as he clears his throat. He doesn’t spot anyone else in the room with Mrs. Gonzalez, so he turns to her again.

“Sorry for interrupting,” Jimin apologizes. “I’m Park Jimin, the new Pre-K teacher across the hall.”

Mrs. Gonzalez nods.

“I’m also Harin’s father,” Jimin explains. “I just wanted to ask if Harin could be sent to my classroom instead of the Pick-up area after school.”

Mrs. Gonzalez smiles. “Sure, that’s not a problem.”

“Thank you so much,” Jimin sighed in relief before wishing her a good day and heading to his classroom. He shuts the door and thanks Taehyung as the two have their breakfast and the kids finish up.

Across the hall, Miss Sweetheart returns to her classroom. “Well, Lupita, I did the best I could to get this coffee stain out but it looks like I’ll just have to bear and suffer with it today. I’m packing extra clothes tomorrow to keep in my car.”

Lupita smiles sympathetically. “I’m sure tomorrow will be better.”

You nod, smiling as you return to your desk.

“Oh, before I forget. Harin’s father would like her sent to his classroom instead of Pick-up,” Mrs. Gonzalez informs you. You nod and write it on a notepad on your desk so you don’t forget.

“Thank you, Mrs. Gonzalez.”

The end of the school day arrives faster than Jimin thought it would. He ate his lunch in his classroom to review the lesson plan for the week. One of the Pre-K teachers had provided them until he could do his own. He was grateful for the help, especially tossed into this on such short notice.

Jimin had other interviews lined up and was bummed about not getting a job offer at the elementary school where his daughter would be attending. It had been his first choice, so he didn’t care about the underlying circumstances of how he got the job, he was just happy that he did.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Taehyung tells Jimin as he grabs his belongings and escorts the children who are walkers to the correct area. Jimin waves, grateful he doesn’t have after-school duty today. He’s scheduled for tomorrow, so he’ll pack his daughter extra snacks. Overall, it wasn’t a bad day even after the events that occurred this morning. He hoped he could apologize to that woman sometime, but he wouldn’t let it stew.

“Daddy,” Harin says as she pulls on his shirt. “I wanna go home. Lila’s waiting.”

“I’m going, love. Let me just grab my stuff, okay?”

“Okay, Daddy!” Harin twirls around once. Her hair didn’t make it the rest of the day. Her scrunchie clings loosely to her black hair as she twirls again before growing dizzy and giggling.

Jimin shakes his head as he smiles at her sweetly. He takes her backpack from her and takes her hand. He leads her out of his classroom, locking the door and heading for the office.

With ease, Jimin clocks out as he says his goodbyes to the staff.

Harin claps when she sees the car, allowing Jimin to place their belongings in the trunk before he scoops her up and helps her into the booster seat. He hands her a bottle of water and checks that she’s secure before rounding the vehicle and climbing into the driver’s seat.

Music plays softly in the background from the radio. Harin drinks some water and then puts the bottle in the cup holder of her seat.

“Did you have a good day at school, sweetie?” Jimin asks as he safely pulls out of the parking spot and the parking lot.

“It was the best!” Harin exclaims in excitement. “We had cereal for breakfast and chicken nuggets for lunch! I made two friends, Beth and Hilario! They’re tall like Uncle Kookie!”

Jimin laughs. He’s sure two four-year-olds aren’t that tall, but he listens intently and asks more about her day.

“And Miss Sweetheart is so nice! She’s my favorite ever! She’s funny and pretty! I like her!”

“That’s good, baby. I’m glad you like your teacher,” Jimin states honestly. He had worried Harin would have a hard time on her first day of school. He worried she wouldn’t like it, or her teacher would be mean, or she’d cry all day for him. Harin did well when left with family or friends but Jimin was still worried. It was a lot of changes for her all at once, and though they were changes made for the better, he couldn’t help but worry.

Jimin had a much larger support system now that he was back in his hometown than when they lived an hour away. He had hoped it would make parenting a little easier with his parents nearby. He was doing fantastic even if he couldn’t see it, but the extra help and support would be nice.

The moment Jimin parks in his driveway, Harin tugs at her seatbelt until Jimin opens the door and unclips it. He helps his daughter out of the car, and she runs next door to Lila, who plays on the front porch while her mother and Yoongi watch her.

“Harin!” Lila screeches. The two girls hug as Jimin shuts the car door and opens the trunk. He grabs his bag and Harin’s. He shuts the trunk and rounds the vehicle as Yoongi waves.

“Hey!” Jimin greets as he meets Yoongi halfway. Harin and Lila run around the front yard, giggling as they chase each other.

“How was your first day?” Yoongi asks his best friend.

Jimin sighs heavily.

“That bad, huh?” Yoongi smirks.

“No,” Jimin chuckles as he runs a hand through his long black hair. “This morning started rocky, but it was fine once I got in my classroom.”

“Wanna talk about it?” Yoongi asks as Lila runs to him and clings to his leg before Harin does the same. The girls tug on his pants, wanting him to join the chase.

Yoongi laughs, patting both girls on the head. “In just a minute, okay?”

“Okay!” They chirp as they take off running, squealing in delight when Jungkook crosses the street to join them. The three run around in circles and Yoongi turns back to Jimin.

“We were running late,” Jimin recounts this morning’s events as Yoongi follows along, nodding his head and grimacing when he gets to the part about spilling coffee on a stranger.

“Tomorrow’s another chance to get it right,” Yoongi states.

“Ever the wise man,” Jimin laughs. Yoongi cracks a smile as the girls run up to him with Jungkook in tow.

“Play with us!” They plead.

Jimin gets down to their level, a smile on his lips.

“I have to put our bags inside and change. I’ll come to join you in a few minutes, okay?”

“Yes, Daddy,” Harin nods as they pull Yoongi and Jungkook toward the giant oak tree to climb.

“Take your time, man. We’ve got this,” Yoongi assured him.

“Thanks, Yoon. I need to get dinner started but I’ll come back out as soon as possible,” Jimin says as he steps toward his house.

“Don’t worry about it,” Yoongi grins, patting Jimin on the back and turning to the girls. Jungkook has both in the tree and Yoongi’s heart nearly falls out of his chest as he rushes over in a panic.

Jimin shakes his head. Jungkook’s adventurous streak had been an influence on both girls. Something Yoongi and Jimin loved and hated.

Oh, well.

Jimin smiles brightly as he pulls into the parking lot earlier than yesterday. He parks in the same spot as the day before with a smirk.

Harin gets out of the car by herself but has to wait for Jimin to open the trunk to get her backpack. Jimin figures it would be best to walk his daughter in himself. After all, he’s not the only teacher with children at the school.

Just as he thinks that another teacher pulls in and gets out with her two children, her badge around her neck on a lanyard. Jimin takes his daughter’s hand and walks her across the parking lot, noticing as the car from yesterday pulls in.

With a friendly, yet devious grin, Jimin waves at the woman behind the wheel, noticing how she clenches her hands and shoots him a glare.

Humming to himself, Jimin crosses the drop-off area safely with Harin at his side. He’s in a joyous mood all the way into the building after clocking in and taking his daughter to her classroom.

“There’s coffee and muffins in the lounge if you want to head up there,” Taehyung informs Jimin as he walks into the classroom with his backpack over one shoulder and an iced coffee in one hand with a banana nut muffin sitting on the lid.

“I could use some coffee,” Jimin muses as he removes his black leather jacket and drapes it over his desk chair. “Had to skip it this morning to get here earlier than yesterday.”

Taehyung nods as he sets his belongings on his desk, a mouthful of muffin in his mouth.

Tae swallows and nods. “Go for it.”

Jimin thanks him as he heads out of the classroom. Only a few kids are playing on the carpet for Circle Time, and Taehyung watches them while Jimin heads off to the lounge, greeting a few teachers and faculty as he heads to the teacher’s lounge.

The lounge isn’t as small as the one in the last school he worked at. There are three TVs mounted on the walls, a treadmill near one TV, and a set of weights beside it for those who want to remain active on their breaks.

There are two industrial-size refrigerators on one wall, with enough room for everyone’s lunch and all the food and drinks provided by the school. Several tables litter the rest of the room, along with a plush gray couch with blue cushions and a large island beside the sink and cabinets filled with mugs and travel cups.

Just like Taehyung had said, there’s a bountiful array of muffins, cookies, and breakfast sandwiches on one table beside a note that says Faculty, please enjoy.

On the counter by the sink, several sleek appliances sit ready to be used. Among them is the iced coffee machine beside a Keuring. Jimin grins as he grabs a cup and makes his coffee, waiting for it to brew while he picks out a chocolate chip muffin.

The smell of his hazelnut coffee makes his mouth water as he takes a bite of his muffin. He moves closer to the coffee maker and waits for it to finish brewing.

Once he’s got it ready to go, he turns to look for a lid, only for him to bump into someone. A bit of his coffee ends up on the person he bumped into, and he nearly curses.

“Really? Again?!”

Jimin freezes. He feels his blood run cold. Though she’s looking down at the stain on her dress, he recognizes the dress’s pattern from this morning, and the annoyance in her voice is the same as yesterday.

Fuck, Jimin had done it now.

“I’m sorry,” he apologizes as he grabs a lid for his coffee.

“Do you have it out for me?” She hisses as he dabs at her dress and finally looks Jimin in the eye.

Jimin is too stunned to speak. He licks his lips before trying to think of a response. When none comes, it enrages her even more.

“First, you took my parking spot yesterday and today. Then you spilled your coffee on me twice. Should I expect this to become a daily occurrence so I can send you my dry cleaning bill?!”

Jimin blinks. He’s still unable to think clearly. He apologizes again before he steps around the woman and heads to his classroom with his coffee in one hand and a muffin in the other.

The end of the school day comes faster than Jimin expected. He’s tired and a little sleepy. His daughter is delivered to his classroom as he’s getting his students ready to go to the car pickup area.

“Miss Sweetheart is so nice! Today we colored and went over numbers,” Harin smiles as she holds Jimin’s hand on the way outside.

Jimin has Harin sit where he can see her and wait for the other students' names to be called.

Harin takes her homework out. She’s ahead of some kids in her class because Jimin teaches her at home. She can spell her name, write her name, and read a few sight words. She had even memorized his phone number and Jungkook’s in case of an emergency and now she just had to learn her new address.

Yoongi would have a time when Jimin told him about today.

Jimin truly felt awful about spilling his coffee on this woman twice but he had apologized, right? It was an accident… though he also stole her parking spot twice in a row now.

Grimacing, Jimin focuses on getting the students to their parents’ vehicles. He’ll have to talk to his friends this weekend and get advice on what to do. The last thing he wanted was to make an enemy at his school.

“Miss Sweetheart!” Harin shouts, smiling and waving at a woman who approaches while Jimin gets a student into their car. He shuts the door and waves before he heads back to his daughter, now that he’s done with his after-school duty.

For a split second, Jimin panicked when Harin’s belongings were left on the ground but his daughter was nowhere in sight. Ice builds in his veins as panic sets in and he looks to the left and right.

It’s not until he hears Harin’s tinkling laughter that Jimin calms down, rushing to her side.

“Harin!” He exclaims, wiping the cold sweat from his brow. “Baby, you know better than to run off without telling me.”

“Sorry, Daddy,” Harin frowns. “I just wanted to say bye to Miss Sweetheart.”

Jimin sighs as he scoops his daughter into his arms and finally turns to his daughter’s teacher. His smile is wiped off his face and yours when your eyes lock.

“Miss Sweetheart,” Jimin says through gritted teeth as you scowl.

“Mr. Park,” you growl with a blink of your eyes. Your favorite student’s father just happens to be the obnoxious (gorgeous) man who has been making your first week of the school year absolute hell.

“You’re Harin’s teacher,” Jimin is dumbfounded as he shifts Harin’s weight in his arms.

“Yup,” you affirm in a clipped tone. “And you’re her dad.”

“That’s me,” Jimin nods. He can’t help but notice how beautiful you are when you’re not seething. Maybe if he hadn’t been in such a rush both days, he would have noticed how beautiful your eyes are, or how cute your nose looks when it’s scrunched in disgust aimed at him.

Fuck, he’d fucked up majorly. His daughter had nothing but praises for you and now you hated him, maybe even loathed him. The last thing he wanted was to have an enemy in school. He didn’t want his coworkers to hate him and he’d fucked up royally only two days into his school year.

“Daddy, I wanna go,” Harin chimes as she wiggles in her father’s hold until Jimin sets her down. Harin grabs her belongings, stuffing her homework folder in her backpack before zipping it close and running back to her dad.

“Bye!” Harin shouts, waving excitedly at her teacher.

Jimin watches as Miss Sweetheart bends down to eye level with Harin. She coos at his daughter and Harin hugs her tightly, saying bye once more before going to hold Jimin’s hand.

You rise to your full height, nodding at Jimin before you head inside the building to get your belongings.

Jimin sighs in relief. At least you weren’t taking his faux pas out on Harin.

He was thankful for that.

“You what?” Yoongi laughs so hard his stomach hurts as he bangs his fist on his thigh.

“Shhh,” Jimin hisses. He had just gotten Harin to bed and he’d be damned if Yoongi woke her up.

“Man,” Yoongi rasps, wiping the tears from his eyes. “Talk about bad luck.”

Jimin rolls his eyes. “You’re telling me. How do I fix it?”

Yoongi smirks, shaking his head. “First, offer to pay for her dry cleaning.”

Jimin nods.

“Then, quit parking in her spot. Official or not, she said she had it first.”

Jimin pouts. “But it’s a good spot.”

Yoongi rolls his eyes. “And she’s Harin’s teacher. Let her have the spot, she’s been there longer than you. Didn’t you say you wanted this to go smoothly?”

“Yeah,” Jimin huffs. “I’ll fix it tomorrow. I don’t need anyone hating me. You should have seen the scowl she had on her face when she realized I was Harin’s dad.”

Yoongi chuckles. “I’d have paid money to see that.”

“Go home,” Jimin sticks his tongue out at his best friend, playfully pushing him toward the front door.

Yoongi laughs, patting Jimin on the shoulder as he takes his leave.

“Oh,” Yoongi snaps as he turns around. His left hand grips the doorknob as he meets Jimin’s gaze. “Don’t forget Sleepover Saturday. Bree’s taking the girls to get mani-pedis so pack an overnight bag for Harin.”

Jimin nods, blinking away the tears that sting the corners of his eyes.

“Tell Bree, thanks. I appreciate her including Harin,” Jimin swallows thickly. He knows Harin will ask soon why she doesn’t have a mom like Lila, and Jimin hasn’t quite figured out what to tell her yet.

“No problem, Chim. You know we love her as our own,” Yoongi said as he opened the door and headed out with one last wave.

Jimin sniffles as the door shuts and he sits on the couch until he dozed off for a while.

Someday Harin would start asking questions about her mother, and Jimin didn’t want to hurt her with the truth.

He wishes things were easier to explain, to assure Harin wouldn’t feel unwanted but Jimin wasn’t sure how. It wasn’t Harin’s fault that Mia had no interest in being a mother. It was Mia’s decision.

Jimin doesn’t know what he’ll do. Maybe he can ask his friends on Saturday night. After all, it takes a village to raise a child, at least that’s what the saying was.

Jimin had a pretty darn good one.

Hopefully, that would be enough to break his daughter’s heart with the truth. Hopefully, Jimin and his family could piece it back together again.

That never worked for Humpty Dumpty though.

The next morning, Jimin pulls into the parking lot. He’s still trying to gauge what time he should arrive at school to get Harin to class, clock in, get his coffee, and get situated before class starts.

Today is no different, except in Jimin’s parking spot sits Miss Sweetheart’s car.

He scoffs, rolling his eyes as he parks beside her. He’s arrived early enough to take someone else’s unassigned spot.

Harin waits for Jimin to get her out of the car before getting her backpack from the trunk. She’s too excited to wait for lunch and opens her kitten lunch bag to get her pudding cup out.

Despite Jimin’s best efforts, he finally gives in and takes the chocolate pudding cup from his daughter to open it.

Jimin stops in the middle of the parking lot to peel back the foil wrapper, grunting when it doesn’t come off easily. He tries again, too focused on the wrapper to notice you walking behind him to cross the lot and get to the school.

“There!” Jimin exclaims as he pulls the wrapper off the plastic pudding cup and the cup goes flying in the air just as you go to pass him.

It lands on your chest.

Chocolate pudding smears on your white blouse and black scarf.

You close your eyes and count to ten, then fifteen, and twenty as the cup falls at your feet.

“Mr. Park,” you seethed as you opened your eyes and glared at him. “I would appreciate it if you could keep your drinks and food off my clothing.”

“I-I’m so sorry.” Jimin is quick to say but you raise your hand to stop him.

“Keep your apologies. I will send you my dry cleaning bill at the end of the week. Or, if this continues, I’ll add up the total until the end of the semester. Whichever you prefer.”

Jimin scoffs. “It was an accident. I apologized.”

“Daddy, there’s a car,” Harin tugs on her father’s pink button-down shirt and Jimin nods as he leads his daughter out of the parking lot.

You turn to go back to your car to change your top. You should keep several outfits on hand for the rest of the school year if you have to be near Mr. Park.

Taehyung has decided to remain neutral. He likes Jimin quite a bit. He’s one of the best teachers he’s ever worked with sans Miss Sweetheart.

Jimin’s not all that bad once you get to know him. He and Jimin just click. They read each other well and anticipated the other’s needs. Tae could see them being close friends outside the workplace.

However, Taehyung still struggles with his loyalty to you. All week he’s heard of this awful teacher taking your usual spot and spilling coffee on your clothing.

Taehyung tried to tell you they were accidents from how you retold the stories but you can be hard-headed when you want to. For now, Taehyung plans to stay out of the squabble you’re having with this stranger. The new year just started. It was too early to make enemies or pick sides in battles that didn’t pertain to him, even if you were his best friend.

Today, you texted Taehyung earlier than usual. You pick up your coffee order and his, park in your usual spot, and head into the building.

You take your time making copies, drinking your coffee, and eating breakfast. By the time Taehyung joins you in your classroom for an early morning chat, you’re in a fabulous mood.

“So it turns out my mortal enemy is the dad of one of my star students,” you state as you cross one leg over the other. You’re looking down at the attendance sheet sitting on your desk. You were still working on learning every student's name and it was easier than waiting for your computer to wake up and log in.

“Really?” Taehyung’s brows disappear under his hair. He lifts his coffee to his lips and takes a sip.

“Mhm,” you nod. “His name is Park. Saw him yesterday on duty.”

Taehyung’s face pales and he nearly spits out his iced white mocha coffee.

There were only two Parks this school year, and one happened to be female.

“First name Jimin?” Taehyung asks nervously, needing confirmation.

You look at your file, finding Harin’s name and her father’s name.

Park Jimin.

“Yeah, how’d you know?” You raise a brow at your best friend as you tap your pen on your desk.

“That’s my teacher,” Taehyung admits ruefully. His hopes of friendship wither away as your eyes widen and a frown mars your beautiful face.

“Ah!” You scream, stomping your foot. “He’s made my life hell these past few days!”

“Look, I’m sure you two can work past this. You said he apologized, right? Forgive him,” Taehyung advises as you glare at him.

“Tae, he did it twice. Twice!”

“I’ll talk to him,” Taehyung suggests but you shake your head fiercely.

“No. You don’t need to get caught in the middle of this. You’re stuck with him eight hours a day. I can’t make it awkward for you. It’s fine. I’m a grown woman. I can handle this cordially,” you sigh as you close your file and send Taehyung on his way. The students and Mrs. Gonzalez should arrive soon. The last thing you need is to make a spectacle.

Taehyung gives you a knowing look and you roll your eyes before dismissing him.

He pauses at the door, a smirk on his lips.

“Cordially.”

Jimin is surprised his eyes don’t get stuck in the back of his head from how hard he rolls them. He had come early as usual but not early enough.

He scoffs when he sees you parked in his spot. However, he refrains from cursing in front of his daughter. Instead, he parks in the empty spot beside your car and grumbles obscenities while rounding his vehicle.

It wasn’t even about the parking spot. Jimin didn’t care where he parked as long as there was room for his car. How you had reacted on his first day was what had driven him mad and he dived right into pettiness.

Though he still felt a little awful about the coffee spills; Jimin seemed to care less and less as you accused him of doing it purposely and now taking the time to come in earlier than him just to spite him. He knew it wasn’t a coincidence. How could it be when the two of you had stepped on each other's toes all week?

Tomorrow would be Friday, and he’d have the weekend to relax.

Surely, this little feud wouldn’t extend past the first week of school?! You were both adults and though Jimin could admit it was fun to ruffle your feathers each morning, he had to remember that Harin liked you.

Despite the irony of you being called Miss Sweetheart, when you had been anything but toward him.

Jimin doesn’t let his thoughts sour his mood as he walks Harin to class before he sets his belongings on the cluttered desk and informs Taehyung of his whereabouts.

“I’m gonna make a coffee in the lounge and clock in.”

Taehyung nods, waving Jimin off as a few students trickle in. Not enough to be out of ratio, but enough to warrant his full attention.

Jimin says his good mornings on his way to the lounge. He makes sure to clock in first and avoids the gazes of his fellow faculty.

He knows they stare because he’s hot. Jimin prides himself in his appearance, he kind of has to keep up with Jungkook and Harin, the two love run at the park whenever possible. Harin and Lila, keep Jimin and all his friends in shape, from playing tag, to hide and seek, and now climbing trees.

Jimin knows it won’t be much longer before Harin asks for tumbling classes, ballet, soccer, ice skating, bowling, and rock climbing courses. So Jimin does his best to keep in shape and do his skincare because Jungkook and Hoseok showing up at his door with baskets full of products isn’t on his calendar anymore. He’s got his bathroom counter littered with items and a printed-out sheet of how and when to apply them.

Today, Jimin wears a white button-down shirt with the first two buttons undone. He's tucked his shirt into his black slacks and wears his favorite black leather belt. His hair is perfectly styled and shows his forehead. It draws the attention of a few teachers who giggle when he passes by.

Jimin’s eyes seem to sparkle when he spots the coffee maker, only to frown when he spots you beside it.

Jimin notes the way you tense when you realize who’s standing beside you. It's easy to tell you're taking your time on purpose. You hum to yourself as you look at the pods remaining on the stand. There’s only one hazelnut left and you note Jimin muttering how he hopes you won’t take it.

Grinning, you take the pod and insert it into the machine, waiting for the coffee to brew while you hum to yourself.

Jimin bites his tongue, annoyance bubbling in his chest.

The coffee aroma fills the lounge. It brightens your smile just a bit as your coffee finishes brewing into your cup. Humming, you grab the creamer and pour some into your cup, setting the bottle on the counter before going to grab a spoon to stir your coffee.

Jimin taps his foot, frowning. Heat eats at his neck, and his shirt feels too stuffy.

You pay him no mind as you raise your cup to your lips, tasting the sweetness before deciding a little more creamer is needed. You circle the spoon in your cup, ignoring Jimin’s pointed looks. If his eyes could light you on fire, you have no doubt you would be.

“Oh, I should make a cup for Taehyung,” you muse as you reach for another pod.

“He has coffee,” Jimin huffs, the tapping of his foot on the linoleum growing louder.

“Hmm, I’ll text him,” you take your phone out of your pocket and take your time typing up a message, making a show of deleting and retyping it a few times.

You sip your coffee as you wait for a response. Jimin glares, his arms crossed over his chest and his jaw taut. If you didn’t hate him so much, you could admit he was gorgeous. From his lean body to his plush lips that you’d be lucky to kiss.

You take another sip of your drink, hiding your smile behind the mug as your phone buzzes.

“Oh, must be Tae,” you grin, eyes wickedly shining as you read the text. “Oh, I guess he’s still got the coffee I bought him this morning. How could I have forgotten?”

Jimin growls, stomping his foot like a petulant child.

“All yours, Mr. Park,” you smile smugly as you step aside.

Jimin mutters something under his breath as he goes to make his coffee. You bite back a laugh as you head for the door.

“Class starts in a few minutes. Don’t wanna be late again,” you call over your shoulder, noting the way his shoulders tense.

“Thanks for the reminder, Sweetheart,” Jimin grits, eyes like burning coal when he looks at you.

“No problem, Park.”

Hours later, Jimin lines up his students. Taehyung hands them their name badge to hang around their neck while they play outside. Though Jimin and Tae have been doing well learning and memorizing names, their class heads to the playground with Miss Sweetheart’s classroom.

By the time Jimin’s class makes it outside, your class is already running around, laughing and shouting on the playground.

Jimin’s kids get excited, smiling as they approach. A quick review of the playground rules is given before Jimin sets them free.

Taehyung watches the students, calling attention to inappropriate behavior while Jimin looks for his daughter.

Harin is running around with a few kids, laughing as she runs around the playground before climbing up the steps to use a slide. Jimin relaxes once he spots her and he keeps an eye on his students while Taehyung and Mrs. Gonzalez chat over their paperwork.

Miss Sweetheart watches her students, ignoring the heat of Jimin’s gaze.

You weren’t happy that you had to share your time outside with the annoying man but you had promised Taehyung you’d be cordial and other than your little petty tirade this morning, you were going to try her best.

Taehyung had texted you once Jimin had come back to the classroom with his coffee in hand. He had not been amused at your shenanigans and you had promised to do better.

But you’d still out petty Jimin when the opportunity presented itself.

“Miss Sweetheart!” You look up as you come out of your reverie.

“Harin!” You grin as you open your arms and get down to her level. She smiles as she jumps in your arms, holding a tiny dandelion in her hand.

“For you,” she squeals as she hands you the weed. You smile, thanking her with a hug before setting her down.

“It’s pretty,” you say as she holds your hand. Harin was so sweet and smart. She loved to help you and Mrs. Gonzalez. You adored her already and it amazed you how sweet she was when her father got on your nerves but you wouldn’t let your personal feelings with her father get in the way of your relationship with Harin or any of the other students.

Jimin tries not to panic when he doesn’t see Harin. His heart beats rapidly, his brow shines with cold sweat and his hands clench into fists as he looks for his daughter and doesn’t find her.

Slowly, Jimin rounds the playground, relaxing once he spots Harin with her teacher. The two are smiling and Harin is quick to hug her, clinging to her as they both blow on the dandelion before Harin runs off once again to join her friends.

When your gaze meets him, he doesn’t look away. His eyes are stormy as he watches you for another moment, studying you before turning his attention back to the students.

Perhaps you weren’t as bad as he thought.

That wouldn’t stop him from being petty though.

“So I’ll swing by after school to pick up the girls,” Yoongi reminds his best friend, Jimin, after school.

Harin and Lila are already running around in the front yard. Bree and Seokjin chat on the front porch and Jungkook has his dog, Bam, on a leash.

“Tomorrow?” Jimin asks for confirmation.

“Yes,” Yoongi nods. “Bree, Jungkook, and Seokjin are going to that new pizza place with the arcade. We talked about it in the group chat.”

Jimin takes his phone out of his pocket. He goes to his messages and sees the muted symbol for the group chat. He has 157 unread messages.

“Damn,” Jimin says as he quickly skims through the messages until he reads about the pizza place. Namjoon and Hoseok have work to do, but Jungkook and Seokjin are excited to go. Jimin knows it’ll probably turn into some sort of competition between them and Yoongi will end up carrying the girls’ prizes.

“I’ll meet you there,” Jimin nods. “You can take Harin after school and I’ll come home for a change of clothes.”

“Sure thing,” Yoongi agrees before Harin and Lila cling to his legs.

“Come play, Daddy,” Lila tugs on her father’s hand while Harin takes the other one.

“Come on, Uncle Yoongi! Uncle Koo wants to race with Bammie!” Harin giggles as she tugs her uncle.

“I’ll change and be right out,” Jimin tells Harin as the three take off after Jungkook.

Bam barks excitedly as they run and eventually, Harin ends up being carried by Jungkook while Yoongi carries his daughter on his shoulders.

Jimin chuckles as he heads into his home to get changed. He knows his parents will be home from work soon, and he’d like to say hi to them before dinner.

Despite living across the street, it had been hard for Jimin to see them between work and making dinner. There were still boxes that needed to be unpacked in his home, and he was hoping he could get them unpacked while Harin had her sleepover next door.

Another race starts when Jimin joins his family outside. The girls have lost interest in racing and Bammie runs with them in the front yard while Jimin catches up to Yoongi and Jungkook, cackling when he runs past both of them to the end of the block and back to his house.

“Cheater!” Yoongi shouts as he comes in third place. Jimin huffs a laugh as Jungkook sits on the grass, groaning when Bam goes over to lick his face.

“Wanna go again?” Jimin goads and Yoongi flips him off.

Jimin cackles as he shakes his head, calling Harin over to go home.

“We’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

Jimin is earlier than usual.

Harin is just happy to be at school. She follows Jimin to his classroom and helps him set out the morning exercise on everyone’s desk.

Today, they’re going over the letter A.

For a moment, Jimin feels bad getting to school so early, especially because Harin was now involved in his pettiness without knowing so. He could have asked Yoongi to drop her off with Lila, but he was already picking up the girls after school and Jimin didn’t want to wake up the Min household for his petty dealings.

Today, he had parked his car in his usual spot. He was proud of himself for getting to work early. Very few people littered the halls and he was able to get his hands worksheets printed and his coffee made before other faculty crowded the lounge.

Harin sat at his desk with her breakfast. She sang to herself as she swirled her cereal in its plastic container. The bright colors stood out against the white bowl as Harin went in for another mouthful.

All Jimin had to do now was wait for class to start.

Fumes escape from your ears as you pull into the parking lot.

It was Friday. The last day of the school week and the first day of your weekend once the school bell rang.

You were in no mood to pull into the lot and see Park Jimin’s car in your spot. You had been here at the same time as yesterday but it seems like the evil villain has decided to best you.

No matter, on Monday morning you would win once and for all. Besides, how long could you keep this up before the principal got involved?

Monday would determine the true winner.

Despite Taehyung’s best efforts to not get involved in your revenge plan, he ends up involved.

Taehyung asks Jimin to go to lunch with him to celebrate surviving their first week of the school week.

It hadn’t been too hard to convince Jimin, especially when Taehyung mentioned the restaurant down the road offered all the teachers and faculty a forty percent discount if they had their badges.

All you needed was for Tae to get Jimin out of the classroom long enough for you to sneak in and get to his computer.

You sit on his desk chair, looking around until a pink sticky note catches your attention.

Password: 1994Jimin!

Okay, after your scheming was done, you’d get Taehyung to give Park a lesson in cyber security.

Logging in is easy and it only takes you a few minutes to take a screenshot of his desktop and add little photos of his icons before moving everything into a file you disguise as a flower.

While you finish up, your eyes scan Jimin’s desk. Beside the mousepad, there’s a pink photo frame with Harin smiling.

Beside it, there’s a frame with a photo of Jimin and Harin. You note there’s no mother in the photo, and you recall Jimin’s paperwork only including his parents and a man named Jungkook in case of an emergency.

You could admit Jimin was hot. He was beautiful in an ethereal way and his voice sometimes made your heart do flips. You could find him attractive if he didn’t annoy the fuck out of you. Which is why you’re currently changing his desktop to prank him.

No matter how many times he clicks on the desktop’s icons, nothing will open until he figures out they’re all just images. Nothing will launch, and hopefully Taehyung can give you a detailed recounting of Jimin’s annoyance.

Smiling, you bask in the genius of your plan. After all, you weren’t trying to harm Jimin in any way. You know the coffee incidents were accidents but you were so far in this now you kind of just rolled with it.

It had been a long time since someone got under your skin like this, and maybe you were being immature but you liked pushing Jimin’s buttons. You liked to make him tick. You liked the way his jaw grew taut, his eyes dark as he stared at you, almost as if seeing into your soul.

You could admit to yourself that maybe you had a teeny, weeny, minuscule crush on the (assumed) single dad Pre-K teacher.

But for now, that would stay in the vault.

You log out of the computer as soon as you’re done, cackling for a second before running out of the classroom. You have a quick snack at your desk, and text Taehyung a thumbs up.

[You]: All clear, Tae

[Tae]: 👀

Jimin huffs, his brow furrows as he clicks on the web browser icon.

“Why won’t you open?” He grits his teeth as he runs a hand through his black hair. It’s a little longer than normal, but with the move, the new job, and the new enemy across the hall, he hadn’t had a chance to get it cut.

Taehyung works on his paperwork on his desk. It’s nap time for the kiddos, and he’s using the time to get some work done before the weekend.

He goes over the lesson plan for next week, one from his best friend. Hopefully, by next week, Jimin will have his lesson plan ready to get them along.

“What is wrong with this thing?” Jimin huffs, his jaw is taut and his eyes blaze with frustration. The clicking of his mouse fills the classroom and a few students stir in their sleep.

Finally, Jimin decides to restart his computer. He clicks on the menu and sees a new folder. When he opens it on his screen, he frowns.

There’s no way in hell!

Jimin curses in his head, nearly growling as he figures out what’s going on.

“Who would have done this?” Jimin utters as he changes his background wallpaper and his icons back to the way they were.

Surprisingly, the web browser finally opens and he’s able to log onto his account to input grades and open the new lesson plan for the following week.

Jimin will spend his weekend working on his lesson plans and hopefully have a few weeks of them ready by the time Monday rolls around.

“Tae?” Jimin asks as he looks up from his screen. “Was Miss Sweetheart in here?”

“Not that I know of,” Taehyung lies smoothly. “Is something wrong?”

Jimin shakes his head. “No, not anymore. My computer was just acting funny.”

“Oh, do you need to use mine?” Taehyung offers and Jimin shakes his head.

“I got it. Someone just changed all my icons and desktop wallpaper. Nothing worked,” Jimin shrugs as he finishes his work and puts his computer to sleep.

“Huh, weird,” Taehyung responds before going back to his work. He feels the heat of Jimin’s stare but ignores it as he sends a strongly-worded, yet professional, email to Miss Sweetheart.

Jimin doesn’t need to be a rocket scientist to figure out you were behind his computer debacle. Your little prank caused him to lose valuable time he could have dedicated to paperwork and lesson plans.

So, he thinks of a plan to get back at you because it’s not enough for this to die out in the first week. Nope, Jimin won’t be the one pulling out first. If it’s a prank war you want, then that’s exactly what you’ll get.

Jimin is glad he doesn’t have after-school duty today as Harin gets delivered to his classroom. Mrs. Gonzalez and you take his students to the pick-up area and the walkers.

His genius plan will go through the weekend. He let the secretary know his car wouldn’t start and he’d move it on Monday afternoon.

The secretary had left a message for the principal and custodian, and Jimin was on his way out the door to the pickup area. A sadistic smile on his lips.

Jimin waits outside the school with Lila and Harin. Both girls are talking about their day as they wait for Yoongi’s SUV to pull up.

Yoongi does a double take when he spots Jimin with his daughter and “niece.”

The teacher on duty opens the doors to the SUV and Jimin helps Harin into her car seat while Yoongi buckles Lila.

Jimin climbs into the passenger seat and waits for Yoongi to join him.

Once the doors are shut and locked, Yoongi pulls off from the curb.

“Something you wanna tell me, Chim?” Yoongi asks as he lowers the music on the stereo.

“Nope,” Jimin says, popping the p.

“Uh-huh,” Yoongi scoffs. He keeps his eyes on the road as Lila and Harin giggle in the backseat.

“Just remind me to grab my car keys on Monday morning,” Jimin states as he looks out the window as Yoongi turns onto their neighborhood.

Yoongi clicks his tongue but says nothing else as he pulls into his driveway.

“You left your car at the school for the weekend to make sure you got the spot on Monday morning?” Jungkook is flabbergasted as he takes a bite of his pizza.

Seokjin took the girls to the arcade section of the pizza joint after they rushed through their dinner.

Bree had joined them, getting into a competition to see who could win the biggest prize, her or Seokjin.

Seokjin wasn’t one to lose a challenge, so Yoongi knew his wife would be occupied for a while.

“I mean, when you say it like that, it sounds stupid!” Jimin exclaims, feeling heat rush to his cheeks.

“Because it is stupid,” Yoongi rolls his eyes. “That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”

“Look,” Jimin tries to defend his decision. “It’s just for Monday. She’s been on my nerves since school started. You know what she did today?”

Jungkook shakes his head, already invested in this conversation so he can relay the details to Seokjin at bedtime. He slurps some cheese from his pizza as Jimin continues.

“She changed the shit on my computer so nothing I clicked opened. I spent too much time figuring out what was wrong,” Jimin huffs with a roll of his pretty brown eyes.

“That’s pretty funny,” Yoongi chuckles. “I’ll have to pull that one off on Namjoon.”

Jimin scowls. “Hello?! She’s doing all this because of an accident!”

“Well,” Jungkook pipes in as he wipes the grease from his lips with the back of his tattooed hand. Yoongi and Jimin grimace, handing him napkins in unison.

Jungkook rolls his eyes but accepts the napkins. “You didn’t have to retaliate, Jimin. You could have ended this early on.”

Yoongi nods. “He’s right, you know?”

“Too bad,” Jimin shrugs. “I already left my car in the lot and I have plans for Monday.”

Yoongi groans. “Can’t you just let this go?”

“No,” Jimin states firmly. “I intend to win this.”

“What’s her name, anyway?” Jungkook asks as he takes another slice of pepperoni pizza from the tray.

“Miss Sweetheart or something,” Jimin shrugs. “She’s Harin’s teacher.”

“You’re doing this to Harin’s teacher?” Jungkook’s eyes widened in surprise. “The one she never stops talking about?”

For the first time, Jimin feels shame. He nods, sighing heavily.

“Maybe I can apologize one more time. I mean, Harin does like her.”

“Sounds like your best idea yet.” Yoongi nods in agreement.

Jungkook slurps cheese loudly off his pizza, chewing obnoxiously before Jimin excuses himself from the table.

On Monday, he would make amends.

Sunday morning comes sooner than you’d like. You skipped your jog the day before but you had promised to climb out of bed and head out.

You jogged on the sidewalk, your water bottle in your hand and your phone strapped to your arm. The morning was rather cool, the last bit of summer just barely clinging on.

A few cars drove by on the street, and a few people said good morning as they walked their dogs in the opposite direction. The birds chirped brightly, a rooster crowed in the distance and a few dogs barked in their yards as you jogged by, heading toward the school.

“Is that…?” You come to a full stop when you jog to the parking lot.

The chain link fence is bolted shut like every weekend but a Nissan Rogue sits on the lot. It’s parked in your spot and you scowl.

“Did he leave his fucking car here so he’d get the spot on Monday?!” You screech as you pull your phone out of its pocket and snap a photo.

Seconds after sending it to your best friend, your phone vibrates in his hand.

You don’t bother with a greeting as you seethe, placing the phone to your ear.

“He left his car parked here to beat me on Monday!”

“Sweetheart,” Taehyung sighs, sleepiness evident in his tone. “Don’t you think it’s time to put this behind you? How long are the two of you going to keep this up?”

“Tae,” you huff but he clicks his tongue.

“No! It’s been a week and I’m tired of being caught in the middle. I like him, Sweets. He’s a good teacher and a good friend, potentially. I’m not getting involved in this anymore.”

“I’m sorry, Taehyung,” you apologize, feeling icky about the situation. “I won’t drag you into this anymore, I swear.”

Taehyung remains silent for a few moments as he lies in bed staring at the ceiling. He didn’t miss your double meaning but he was too sleepy to try and talk you out of whatever your plans were.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you like him,” Taehyung says, surprising you.

You guffaw, spitting over yourself as you splutter and walk toward your apartment.

“As if!” You scream in defense.

Taehyung had to pull the phone away from his ear as you continued.

“Why would I ever like someone like him?! Have you lost your mind, Tae?!”

“Someone like him?” Taehyung chuckles. “Devastatingly gorgeous, funny, and with an ass that won’t quit? Since when is that not your type?”

“Tae!”

Taehyung laughs his head off, tells you goodbye through more laughter, and hangs up. Your protest told him everything he needed to know, and perhaps he was right.

Maybe Jimin was a little cute or whatever.

But your anger and annoyance trumped your attraction for the man.

You would win this.

You had to.

Monday morning rolls around and Jimin is more upbeat than usual.

Yoongi drops him off along with Lila and Harin. He gets the girls inside the school before he heads to his car to make sure nothing has happened to it over the weekend.

When he doesn’t notice anything out of place, Jimin hurries into the school.

He’s earlier than usual and he manages to convince the custodian to let him into Miss Sweetheart’s classroom, claiming his daughter left her teddy bear in her cubby.

The students that are early, wait in the cafeteria studying, doing homework, or playing board games while the teachers arrive.

Jimin takes the pack of googly eyes out of his pocket and gets to work.

He’s quick to stick them on the computer screen, the mouse, the mousepad, the stapler, the tape dispenser, the attendance log, the box of tissues, the hand sanitizer, and anywhere he can think of.

Jimin is proud of himself as he gets to his classroom and sets his bag on his desk. He busies himself with his lesson plan for a while before Taehyung and their students arrive.

“Have a good weekend?” Taehyung asks as he settles into his desk.

“It was wonderful,” Jimin answers with a shit-eating grin.

“What the actual fuck?” You’re grateful you’re alone as you step into your classroom.

You’d arrive a little later than usual despite your best efforts to be early. You knew it would be no use trying to beat Jimin to the parking spot since he left his car there all weekend.

You had left him a nice little present on his windshield, a big ole fake dog shit a student left on your chair last year.

You hope it garners the same reaction from Jimin as it did you.

“Oh!” Mrs. Gonzalez exclaims in surprise as she sees hundreds of little eyes staring back at her. “New decor?”

You shake your head. “I came in and it was like this.”

“Interesting choice,” Mrs. Gonzalez says as she goes to her desk to get situated.

Your blood boils in your veins as you stomp to your desk, you didn’t know how but you would make Jimin pay for this.

Who else would have taken the time to annoy you this much?

You pick googly eyes off your mouse, sighing as you see them on just about everything.

They even stare back at you from the monitor.

“You’ll pay for this, Park.”

Harin is talking a million miles a minute as Jimin straps her into her car seat after school.

Today, he’s decided to take his car home. He didn’t want to bother Yoongi for rides to school every morning.

“Daddy, what’s that?” Harin asks with a wrinkled nose. “Is that Bammie’s?”

Jimin is puzzled. He shuts the car door and looks in the direction his daughter is pointing in.

His eyes widen when he spots the pile of shit on his windshield that rivals anything Bammie could have passed.

“Oh! Oh, god!” Jimin gags. He covers his mouth with his hand as he tries not to throw up all over the hood of the car.

How the fuck did someone even get it on the windshield?

Jimin is disgusted as he stares at the pile of shit. He doesn’t have anything to get it off the windshield and using the wipers might just smear shit all over the glass.

He’d have to move it with his hands!

“Miss Sweetheart!” He growls as he shuts his eyes and gets ready to flick the poop off the windshield. He says a quick prayer to whoever and ignores the screaming from his daughter in the car.

“Ew!” Harin screams from her seat.

Jimin is near tears as his hand connects to the poop, and he lifts it.

It’s soft.

It’s fake.

“Thank fuck!” Jimin shouts as he lifts the fake pile of dog shit and gets into his car.

Harin giggles from her seat as Jimin sets the poop on the passenger seat and starts the car.

“Let’s go home, baby.”

Two months later, and you’re still pranking Jimin as he does you.

Taehyung has befriended him, which made it harder to get him involved as he stood firm in his decision not to take sides.

Jimin had agreed to let him stay out of it and you wish you could just cut your losses at this point. It was a stupid parking spot for fucks sake.

However, in some weird way, you liked the attention and detail Jimin would put in his pranks.

Somehow, between planning and scheming, you’d developed a tiny crush on the hot man. You often found yourself staring at him during meetings or lunches shared with Taehyung and Jimin, the only time the two of you would have a truce of some sort because Taehyung insisted on it.

It was Friday the thirteenth of October. Something to make this already spooky month a little more terrifying.

You had your share of bad luck—from arriving late to school to spilling water down the front of your dress.

Mrs. Gonzalez had insisted you take a few minutes to yourself to make your coffee in the lounge. She could tell you needed a breather.

Now, you were waiting for your coffee to brew in the empty lounge. It was too early for anyone to take a break, but too late for anyone to arrive at work. You were grateful for the quiet of the empty lounge.

You open the fridge to steal a cookie from your packed lunch when you spot a chocolate cake. You knew they usually got cakes and pastries for breakfast most weeks and you had been too late in the morning to see the spread but seeing this cake made you ecstatic.

You cut yourself a slice and get your coffee ready. You take a seat at an empty table and enjoy your cake, moaning when the chocolate icing hits your taste buds.

Your day was already brightening up.

“Just about done,” Taehyung informs you as he sends an email to Jimin with the paperwork needing his approval before being turned in on Monday afternoon.

Jimin has headed to the lounge ahead of the two of you to snag a table.

“Ready?” Taehyung follows you out of the classroom toward the lounge. You spot Jimin up ahead speaking with some of the fifth-grade teachers.

“It’s Jimin’s birthday today,” Taehyung says casually as the two of you enter the lounge. You grab your lunch bag from the fridge and hand Taehyung his.

“Oh, I didn’t know that,” you shrug, but Taehyung sees past your fake indifference. He remains silent as he heads for the microwave as you take your usual seat.

Taehyung comes over to your table when his food is done and takes the seat beside you.

“Some of the teachers got him a birthday cake,” Taehyung informs you as he digs into his meal.

“Oh, how nice,” you pretend to be interested but Taehyung rolls his eyes.

“Just admit you like him and let us live in peace.”

“If you already know why do you need to hear me say it? He’s hot, and he’s kinda funny.” You shrug as Jimin enters the lounge.

“The two of you would make a cute couple and Harin adores you,” Taehyung takes another bite of his meal as a few teachers begin singing Happy Birthday.

Someone opens the refrigerator and takes out the box of cake you dug into this morning.

“Oh, no!” You cover your cheeks as heat rises to them and you watch in horror as they open the box just as the song ends and Jimin looks at the cake perplexed.

It’s silent.

Dead silent as realization and shock took over everyone’s face.

“Who cut Jimin’s cake?!” One of the fifth-grade teachers asks in absolute horror.

“Who would cut our Minnie’s cake?” Another asks as they look around the room filled with staff.

A few people shake their heads in disappointment but all you can do is stare at Jimin with wide, horrified eyes.

It was an accident.

A complete accident.

You didn’t know it was his birthday, much less that the cake in the fridge wasn’t some type of teacher appreciation and not a birthday cake.

“You didn’t!” Taehyung hisses as he takes in your mortified expression and how you sink into your chair.

“It’s fine,” Jimin chuckles. “We can still have cake. I’m sure it’s delicious if a piece is already missing!”

The staff laughs as Jimin slices a piece of cake for everyone, including you.

Jimin looks at you with a smirk on his lips.

Taehyung excuses himself as some of the staff leave the lounge to get to their classrooms early in preparation for their afternoon classes. Plus, he couldn’t handle the second-hand embarrassment much longer.

Jimin says nothing for a few minutes, and you pick at your slice of chocolate cake, too embarrassed to finish it.

“Not gonna eat it?” Jimin asks with a raised brow. You meet his gaze and shake your head.

“Not hungry.”

“Still full from the first slice, Sweetheart?” Jimin’s smile widens as you rise from your seat abruptly.

Jimin laughs as you stomp out of the lounge toward your classroom without giving him a parting glance.

Nothing could top this.

Jimin is exhausted when he pulls up to his driveway Friday afternoon.

Harin is already unbuckling herself from her seat when she spots Lila waiting in the front yard. Seokjin and Bree sit on the porch watching Bam run around the tree while Yoongi helps Harin out of the car.

“Hey Princess,” he greets Harin with a smile. “Are you excited for your birthday tomorrow?”

Harin nods, “Grandma is having a party for me and Daddy.”

Yoongi chuckles as Lila comes running toward them.

“Daddy, can Harin sleep over for her birthday tonight?” Lila asks with a pout.

Harin catches on quickly and pouts at Yoongi and her father. “Please?”

Yoongi looks at Jimin, who nods. “Just be home for breakfast, okay?”

“Yay!” The girls take off running toward Bam, laughing when he licks Harin’s face.

“Your mom wanted us to go to her house when you arrived,” Yoongi informs Jimin.

“Let me just change and I’ll meet you there,” Jimin assures his friend.

Yoongi nods as he heads across the street to the Park’s home. Jungkook will meet him there with the last of the party supplies for tomorrow.

Fifteen minutes later, Jimin opens the door of his parent’s house.

“Mom!” Jimin calls as he shuts the front door.

“We’re in here!” Jungkook calls back from the kitchen.

Jimin makes his way through the familiar home until he arrives at the kitchen.

Jungkook is sitting at the table, stuffing goodie bags while Yoongi frosts Harin’s cupcakes and Mrs. Park frosts the cake for Jimin.

“Oh, my baby is here!” Mrs. Park exclaims as she finishes writing Jimin’s name on the cake. She pats her hands on her apron and wraps her son in a tight hug.

“Mom!” Jimin hisses out of breath like a deflating balloon. “I can’t breathe.”

“Well, don’t kill the boy, honey,” Mr. Park chuckles as he enters the kitchen.

Mrs. Park releases Jimin, going to pinch his cheeks instead.

“Mother,” Jimin sighs as he endures the pinching a moment longer before he’s released.

“I haven’t seen you or Harin all week,” she states as she goes back to her frosting.

“We’re still unpacking and Harin is with Lila,” Jimin informs his mother as he leans against the counter.

“They’re having a sleepover,” Yoongi tells Mrs. Park as he finishes the last cupcake.

“Oh, will she still come tomorrow for miyeokguk?” Mrs. Park asks as she sets down a bowl for Jimin on the counter.

“She will,” Jimin promises before kissing his mother’s cheek.

“The weather will be nice tomorrow, so we can have the backyard party after all,” Mr. Park says as he helps Jungkook fill the goodie bags with candies and toys.

“I’ll come around early to set up the tables and chairs. Seokjin can decorate them and when Jimin gets Harin here, we can finish up,” Yoongi tells the group.

“Sounds like a plan,” Jimin slurps loudly.

“Bree and I are taking the girls out, so they’ll be surprised with the decorations,” Mrs. Park smiles as she places the finished cake in a box and puts it in the fridge.

“Thanks, everyone,” Jimin says wholeheartedly. “I appreciate you doing this for us.”

“Nonsense, we’re all glad to have you two back. We missed you,” Jungkook frowns. “It wasn’t the same without you around.”

“Yeah,” Yoongi agrees. “Hoseok and Namjoon struggled the most trying to see us all. They’re so busy.”

“They’ll be here tomorrow though,” Jungkook says as he pops a chocolate in his mouth.

“Good, it’s been ages since we’ve gotten together,” Jimin finishes his soup with one last slurp.

“That reminds me,” Mrs. Park snaps. “I set up a blind date for you, Minnie. Oh! You’ll love her!”

Jungkook giggles while Yoongi smirks, pleased with Jimin’s annoyed expression.

“Mom!”

“No, honey. I’ve already set it up and you can’t get out of it. She’s the daughter of a friend of a friend. She’s a teacher and she’s beautiful,” Mrs. Park rambles on.

“Mom,” Jimin groans as he cards a hand through his hair. “I don’t have time to date right now. Can’t I just enjoy my birthday with you and my friends?”

“One date, Jimin. That’s it,” Mrs. Park is relentless and Jimin knows he can’t break her heart so he begrudgingly agrees to one date.

“You’ll love her! She’s gorgeous!”

“Do you have a picture of her?” Jungkook inquires, grinning like a madman at his best friend’s demise.

“Well, no,” Mrs. Park shakes her head. “My friend showed it to me when we were out to lunch. But she’s beautiful, smart, funny, with a gorgeous smile.”

Jimin sighs heavily, he knows his mother means well but he isn’t interested in going on blind dates. Besides, he was kind of hoping he could eventually gather enough courage to ask you out. He knew he annoyed the hell out of you, and he did his pranks to get a rise from you but he also liked the way you said his name when he irritated you to hell and back. He liked the way you’d stomp your foot or his, he liked the way you only had eyes for him. Sure, it was probably because you were expecting a prank, but he enjoyed the warmth of your heated gaze on him. The way your lip caught between your teeth as you eyed him up and down.

Jimin knew he took up a lot of your thoughts. Taehyung had said so during lunch one day. He couldn’t lie, it stroked his ego a little.

Jimin wanted to be the only thing you filled your thoughts with. He wanted to be someone in your life, even if he was annoying.

Isn’t the line between love and hate rather thin?

The next morning is a blur for Jimin. He’s busy from the moment he wakes up until the birthday party begins.

Harin and Lila are out with Bree and Mrs. Park getting their nails done and getting their outfits on. Yoongi and Seokjin are putting the finishing touches on the table decorations and food table.

Namjoon is setting up the bounce house and Hoseok is inside making sure the Parks’ home is spotless, despite Mrs. Park having already done so.

“Daddy!” Harin shouts as she barrels through the back door straight for Jimin.

He opens his arms and gets down to her level just before she tackles him in a hug. He lifts her easily, spinning her around while her giggles fill the air and she clings to her father. A wide smile is on her face and she kisses Jimin’s cheek before he sets her down.

Lila is in Yoongi’s arms as Bree runs home to get herself ready while Jungkook comes into the backyard with handfuls of presents for Harin, Jimin, and Lila.

“I’m here!” Jungkook exclaims as he sets the gifts down on the table and pauses to open his wallet and stuff a few bills into the money gift box.

Jimin looks around the backyard and smiles, he truly is blessed with the best family and friends he could have ever asked for.

An hour later, the party is in full swing. Harin and Lila run around the yard with some of Harin’s classmates.

Lunch has been served and now children run around, play in the bounce house, and play games with Jungkook, Namjoon, and Bam.

“Hey,” Taehyung greets Jimin after he sets the gifts on the designated table.

“Hey! Glad you could make it,” Jimin grins as he hugs Taehyung. “Food is over there. Help yourself to anything. I’ll introduce you to my friends in a bit.”

“Sounds great,” Taehyung nods as he spots Harin and Lila. He wishes Harin a happy birthday as he heads for the food table.

Mrs. Park welcomes more guests as they arrive. She smiles brightly when she spots the woman she was going to set up with her son.

“I’m so glad you could make it,” She greets the flustered woman. Mrs. Park looks around trying to spot Jimin, but grabs Jungkook’s attention instead, waving him over.

Mrs. Park introduces you to Jungkook, and you smile politely as you’re led to the gift table to drop off the gift. You didn’t have a chance to inform Mrs. Park that you were there for Harin. You don’t know if you should be elated or displeased that your mother set you up with Park Jimin, but this may work out after all. You do like him, and you did have a crush on him.

Oh, Taehyung was gonna have a laugh with this one.

Your cheeks are hot with the thought of Taehyung finding out about your predicament. You barely listen as Jungkook goes on about Jimin.

“So you came for Jimin’s birthday?” Jungkook asks as you reach the table with gifts. You set yours down and shake your head.

“I’m Harin’s teacher. She invited the class to her party,” you explain and watch as the realization hits and he cackles before he looks across the yard and waves someone over.

Not ten seconds later, a shorter man with cat-like eyes joins Jungkook and smiles. “Hello, I’m Min Yoongi.”

“This is the woman Mrs. Park set up with Jimin on a blind date,” Jungkook smirks as you nod.

“Oh?” Yoongi raises a brow. “What do you do?”

“I’m Harin’s teacher,” you explain as realization crosses Yoongi’s face and he too, laughs and shakes his head.

“Small world, huh?” Yoongi grins as his daughter comes over and wraps herself around his leg.

“Come play with us!” Lila exclaims as she tugs Yoongi by the hand toward the bounce house. You’re left alone with Jungkook, who asks you to follow him to greet Harin.

“Miss Sweetheart!” Harin shouts when she spots you, running full speed to hug you. You smile when she hugs you, lifting her in your arms.

“Well, aren’t you a pretty princess? Are you having fun?” you ask as Jungkook leaves your side, most likely to get Jimin.

Taehyung comes over once he spots you, grinning at Harin as she tells you about her birthday. You listen intently, ignoring Taehyung as he tries to tell you something.

“And we got our nails done!” Harin finishes as she shows you her freshly painted nails. They’re a light pink with tiny little stars, perfect for her princess-themed party.

Across the yard, Jimin is crawling out of the bounce house, nearly sick as Yoongi bounces by his feet when they get tangled on the net in search of freedom.

“Hey!” Jungkook can’t help the Cheshire smile on his lips. “The woman your mom set you up is here.”

Jimin furrows his brows in confusion. “What?”

Jungkook nods, resembling a bobblehead. “She’s holding Harin right now.”

Jimin is on his feet in an instant. How could his mother and best friend allow a stranger to hold his child? They knew better.

In his rush to get to Harin, Jimin doesn’t realize who is holding his daughter.

“Miss Sweetheart!” Harin giggles as the two spin in a circle when Jimin approaches and freezes.

You were the one his mother had set him up with?

Had his mother been scheming or was this pure coincidence? Jimin’s unsure but at least the panic in his body has left him as Harin hugs you tight and you spin once more, causing her to giggle.

Jimin can feel his heart pulsing, but not out of fear or panic, but something more. He notes the way you gush over Harin, giggling with her as you bounce her in your arms to readjust her, eager to play with her as Harin points toward the fence where there’s a ‘Pin the tail on the Donkey’ stuck to it.

Namjoon approaches Jimin with Hoseok in tow, the two curious at all the fuss. Taehyung joins the group at Jimin’s side as Yoongi and Seokjin approach while Jungkook tries to wrangle in the kids for the sack race.

“What did we miss?” Namjoon asks as he leans on Hoseok.

“You remember I told you about someone eating my birthday cake yesterday?” Jimin asks his friends and Taehyung bites back a laugh.

“Yeah?” Hoseok states with a befuddled look.

“It was Harin’s teacher,” Yoongi smirks.

Jimin nods. “It was Harin’s teacher.”

“And Harin’s teacher is the woman blindfolded and being spun by Jungkook at the donkey thing,” Taehyung explains.

It’s silent for a moment before they all burst out laughing. Jimin shakes his head as they continue to laugh.

“So the woman you’ve been crushing on lately, and your “enemy”, and the blind date your mom set you up on is Miss Sweetheart?” Yoongi can’t help but cackle as he watches you with Harin.

Jungkook tied himself to you for the three-legged race while Harin and Lila beat them easily. You and Jungkook fall on top of each other, groaning as you get untied and realize you lost.

Jimin and his friends head over to help the two of you up before Mr. Park announces a rematch with the adults and then one for the children.

Jungkook and Seokjin pair up, Yoongi and Bree, Namjoon and Hoseok, and Taehyung, and Mr. Park, leaving Jimin with you.

“You better not lose this round,” Jimin teases as he approaches you.

You glare at him before getting down to tie your legs together. “I only lost because Jungkook is wearing those chunky boots.”

Jimin looks at his best friend and immediately spots the shiny chunky boots that could stomp anyone easily but also trip the muscular man and anyone around him. Jimin had been witness to Jungkook tripping over himself or moving furniture with his colossal shoes.

“Fair,” Jimin acquiesced.

“Is everyone ready?” Mrs. Park asks from the sidelines as the kids move away from the area. The children cheer for you and Jimin. Harin cheers the loudest as the race begins.

Jimin wraps his arm around your waist. “Is this okay?”

You blink.

“Fuck, I should have asked before,” Jimin winces, apologizing before you assure him that it’s fine.

“Go!” Mrs. Park shouts and Yoongi and Bree take off immediately.

Seokjin and Jungkook go down after a few steps due to Jungkook’s boots and Seokjin’s massive shoulders. The two bicker on the floor as they try to get on their feet but fall on each other again.

You and Jimin are doing well. His cologne smells amazing and it makes you a little dizzy. What you wouldn’t give to snuggle into his chest for a while.

Taehyung and Mr. Park nearly pass you as you daydream about Jimin.

“What are you thinking about?” Jimin asks as he looks at you from his peripheral. He noticed the goofy grin on your lips as you kept moving forward.

“Nothing,” you lie, which causes him to roll his eyes at you.

“Did you just roll your eyes at me?!” you huff as you bump him with your hip. Hoseok and Namjoon take their turn in passing you as you stop to bicker with Jimin.

Up ahead, Yoongi and Bree are rounding the blue cone set up for the race and are making their way back to Mrs. Park and the finish line. Behind them, Namjoon and Hoseok pass Taehyung and Mr. Park while Jungkook and Seokjin have given up and moved on to prepare the sacks for the sack race up next.

“Jimin!” His mom yells from her spot. “Quit rolling your eyes and get back to the race!”

Jimin sighs.

“You heard her, Jimin!” you exclaim as you move forward, towing Jimin along with you as he mutters under his breath about you and his mother ganging up on him. You bite back a smile as you round the cone and pass by Taehyung and Mr. Park.

You manage to work together to pass Namjoon and Hoseok, but your foot trips Jimin, who goes down like a house of cards with you on top of him.

You both stare at each other in surprise. You admire the curve of his lips, so pretty and pink; kissable. Jimin seems to be doing the same to you as his breath catches in his throat and he admires every bit of perfection that is your face.

“Son! Get up!” Mr. Park laughs as he and Tae race past the two of you, breaking whatever moment you shared with Jimin.

Jimin is the first to recover as he ignores the thundering of his heart to get up and help you to your feet. He brushes himself off as you two stand and hobble to the finish line, coming in last.

“You guys suck,” Seokjin teases as you and Jimin join him and Jungkook. Jimin rolls his eyes and you poke his side.

“Habit of yours?”

“Only when you’re around,” he jokes, sticking his tongue out at you as he bumps you with his hip. Jungkook and Seokjin share a look you miss as you’re handed a brown potato sack.

“My turn,” Taehyung squeezes between you and Jimin, grabbing his own sack and one for Mr. Park.

Mrs. Park smiles as she watches her son interact with you. Yoongi notices her staring and approaches her.

“Jimin really seems to hit it off with her, huh?” Mrs. Park comments as she helps Harin into her sack.

“I’d say so,” Yoongi grins. He’s genuinely happy for his best friend. Jimin deserved a chance at happiness.

“I did good picking her for him,” Mrs. Park states once Harin has hopped off to find Lila and her school friends.

“I’d say,” Yoongi chuckles. “She’s Harin’s teacher.”

Mrs. Park’s eyes widen in surprise as she looks over at you and Jimin. For the first time in a long time, he’s smiling from ear to ear with someone other than his family and friends. Mrs. Park knew not to meddle but she just wanted her son to be happy. She knew family was important to Jimin, one of the values she had instilled in him.

Yoongi and Mrs. Park sit back as the sack race begins and all the children took off hopping forward to win. Laughter fills the yard as they go and some stumble. Miss Sweetheart rushes to them along with Jimin, soothing the children and cleaning skinned knees and bruised elbows.

Once the race for the children ends, the adults get ready as Mrs. Park and Seokjin take the kids to the bounce house.

Jimin and Jungkook get ahead of everyone else. Namjoon tripped over himself, and Hoseok trips over him. Mr. Park and Taehyung go around them, laughing when Jungkook trips over himself and faceplants into the grass.

You reach Jimin easily, smirking when you pass him. He goes faster, catching up to you and bouncing in front of you, causing you to trip and take him down with you when your arms flail.

“You just love being on top of me, huh?” Jimin smirks as you stare down at him.

“Oh, you’d love that,” you retort with a roll of your eyes, but your tummy flips because he’s right. You do like being on top of him.

“I would,” Jimin chuckles as you climb off him and free yourself from the potato sack. Jimin does the same as he takes your sack and his back to the table.

You follow him, standing beside him.

“I’m glad you came. Harin really likes you,” Jimin says absentmindedly as he looks for his daughter across the yard.

“I’m sorry we got off on the wrong foot.”

“It’s okay,” you say with a genuine smile. “I can be a bit of a grouch.”

Jimin’s cheeks turn pink as he remembers calling you that the first time he met you in the school parking lot. His ears burn as he apologizes again.

“Come on, let me beat your butt at cornhole,” you laugh as you run in the opposite direction with Jimin right behind you.

It’s been a long afternoon.

Jimin and Harin have been sung to, presents have been opened and children have been picked up by their parents.

Jimin’s friends and parents begin cleaning up the yard, chatting as they go.

You stick around to help Jimin. He stands by the food table putting away leftovers for his friends to take home.

“You sure know how to throw a birthday party,” you comment as you help him put the food away in a container.

“Yeah, I went overboard on her first birthday party. She was Pebbles and Lila was BamBam,” Jimin chuckles as he takes his phone out to show you pictures of Harin.

“She’s adorable,” you squeal. “She’s such a joy to be around. She’s the sweetest little girl.”

“I was worried about her starting school but she loves you so much. I’m glad my shitty attitude didn’t cause waves between you two,” Jimin sighs regretfully. “I was such an ass.”

“I would never let a parent’s attitude toward me influence my treatment of their child. I was an ass, also. How about we start over?” you offer him your hand to shake and he does so with a beaming smile.

“I’d love that.”

The two of you finish putting the food away before Jimin stands in front of his birthday cake. Harin’s classmates had gone for the cupcakes and Jimin’s cake remained untouched.

“Want a bite of this cake too? I’ll close my eyes and you can pretend I’m not here,” Jimin teases, laughing when you shove him.

“It was an accident!” you huff, stomping your foot as Jimin continues to laugh.

You roll your eyes at him and pout.

Jimin cuts a slice of his birthday cake and plates it. He grabs a fork and cuts into the cake, offering you a bite.

You take it but stick your tongue out after.

“Was that so hard?” Jimin smirks and you resist the urge to flip him off.

You take the plate for him and the fork, cutting a small piece to feed him. Jimin opens his mouth to take it, and you smear some of the frosting on his lips.

Jimin licks his lips and your eyes follow his tongue as heat spreads through your veins. Jimin’s eyes lock on yours, eyes dark and hooded as he finishes.

You stand frozen in your spot as he dips his finger in the icing and places it on your lips.

“You’ve got a little something here,” he says as he places his finger in his mouth to suck it clean. He then takes a step forward. You nod as he licks the corner of your mouth before his lips meet yours.

Fireworks seem to go off when your eyes shut, your hands gripping his shoulders as the kiss deepens and your heart thuds rapidly in your chest.

Jimin moans softly as he takes your bottom lip and nips it gently. You moan as he pulls away, body fueled with desire as you stare at each other longingly.

“How about that date?” Jimin asks, his cheeks flushed pink and his black hair falling over his eyes. You could just eat him up.

“I thought you’d never ask.”

mdni/support/line divider by @benkeibear

#jjungkookislife #daddys home fest #btsfests #Since Day One #bestie jai

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btsfests · 25 days

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oh B - we are LIVING for the drama already 😌 the audacity. parking spots are no fucking joke (as someone who lives in the city where parking lots are rare, i would be throwing hands tyvm)

Since Day One: Teaser

♡ pairing: pre-k teacher!jimin x pre-k teacher! f. reader

♡ genre: single dad au, fluff, crack, enemies to lovers, 18+

♡ wc: tba

♡ warnings: cursing, snippy!Jimin, angry!reader, more warnings to come on release

♡ part of @btsfests "Daddy's Home Fest"

♡ teaser date: April 2, 2024

♡ date of release: April 6, 2024 *

“Harin, make sure you grab your backpack,” Jimin reminds her as he pulls up for his turn. A staff member opens the backdoor, unbuckling Harin’s seatbelt.

“Good morning,” they greet him as they take Harin’s backpack and help Harin onto the sidewalk.

“Bye, Daddy!” Harin waves as the staff member helps her put her backpack on.

“Bye, baby! I’ll be right down the hall, okay?” Jimin calls as he waves, and the back door shuts as his daughter is taken inside the school.

Relieved, Jimin checks his mirrors before pulling off the curb. All he had to do was park and haul ass to the office. He could do it. He had about five minutes to get it done and he hoped it would go smoothly.

Jimin pulls into the staff parking lot with ease. He sees one spot open and drives toward it, putting his signal as another car arrives in front of him with its blinker on.

When he rounds the back of his car, he bumps into someone, spilling his warm coffee on their clothing.

“You did that on purpose!” The woman screams. “You took my spot and now you’re throwing coffee on my dress!”

Jimin is taken aback.

“It was an accident,” he explains as he pats his pocket for a handkerchief but must have forgotten it in his haste to leave home.

“Everyone knows I park right there every day! You took my spot!” The woman stomps her heel and Jimin rolls his eyes, which upsets the lady more.

“Did you just roll your eyes at me?!” She asks, shocked.

“I’m late,” Jimin states as he walks around her, ignoring her calls, insisting he move his vehicle.

tentative date

#jjungkookislife #daddys home fest #Since Day One #fic teaser #bestie jai

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btsfests · 27 days

Text

Daddy's Home Fest

There's no better time than when daddy is home.

DILF BTS is coming to a Tumblr near you March - April!

♡ Title: Care For You

♡ Pairing: Alpha Gang Boss!Yoongi x Omega Maid!Seokjin

♡ Rating: 18+

♡ Genre: gang au, dead dove, parent au, a/b/o | angst, fluff, smut

by @sweetestofchaos

♡ Title: Daddy, Daughter, and Dewey Decimals

♡ Pairing: Single Dad!Namjoon x (f)reader

♡ Rating: 18+

♡ Genre: Parent AU, Fluff, Smut, Mutual Pining

by @remedyx

♡ Title: Dirty Laundry

♡ Pairing: Seokjin x f. reader

♡ Rating: 18+

♡ Genre: Slice of life, established married couple, PWP

by @sailoryooons

♡ Title: Love Blooms

♡ Pairing: Jin x Hoseok

♡ Rating: MA

♡ Genre: Divorced, single father AU | angst, fluff smut

by @downbad4yoongi

♡ Title: Lose You to Love Me

♡ Pairing: Yoongi x f! Reader

♡ Rating: 🔞

♡ Genre: Smut, Fluff, Angst

by @jmvore

♡ Title: Off Limits

♡ Pairing: Female Reader x Seokjin

♡ Rating: 18+

♡ Genre: smut, porn with very little plot

♡ Summary: You are visiting your family over spring break and discover that the family you used to babysit for are separated. Does this mean Mister Kim is no longer off limits?

by @theharrowing

♡ Title: podcast

♡ Pairing: single father!Namjoon x f! reader

♡ Rating: 18+

♡ Genre: single father AU | fluff, angst, smut, slow burn

by @hobipaint

♡ Title: sakura 🌸

♡ Pairing: king!yoongi x (f) reader

♡ Rating: 18+

♡ Genre: mature, fluff, angst, pining

by @liveyun

♡ Title: Shatter With Me

♡ Pairing: Model!Jungkook x Surrogate!f.Reader

♡ Rating: MA 18+

♡ Genre: Best Friend's Husband, Surrogacy AU | heavy angst, smut, mild fluff

by @colormepurplex2

♡ Title: Since Day One

♡ Pairing: teacher!jimin x teacher! f. reader

♡ rating: 18+

♡ Genre: enemies to lovers, coworker au, single father au

by @jjungkookislife

♡ Title: baby fangs

♡ Pairing: Jimin x Jungkook

♡ Rating: Explicit/18+

♡ Genre: Urban fantasy, vampires, strangers to lovers, angst, smut

♡ Summary: As a human, Jungkook thought life was meaningless. It isn’t until he dies that he finds something worth living for: the family he never had.

by @gimmethatagustd

#there have been some changes to the masterlist!#daddys home fest #btsfests #bestie jai

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btsfests · 27 days

Text

hi everyone,

we're a month away from completing our dilf bts fics!! i hope y'all are ready for some fun 😌 - and maybe some pain... it looks like our masterlist has a decent amount of angst 👀

(there have been a few changes to the masterlist, so check those out!)

if any of our lovely writers have wip snippets they want to share, feel free to tag us so we can reblog your posts! we're hyped to see what everyone's creating.

💜 jai

#daddys home fest #bestie jai

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btsfests · 1 month

Note

Such a cool concept! I didn't find the information in the FAQs, so I'll ask here: how far in advance do you announce a next theme/fest?

hi bby, i have risen from the dead to respond to your ask 🧟

we technically don't have a set schedule for how far in advance we announce the next fest, but if we decide to establish a (likely loose) schedule, we'll share an update about it. i'm posting this without hali's knowledge cuz she's busy rn (that's why this is unhinged) but i'm ngl we have been Struggling due to our jobs (but it'll get better soon)

the Daddy's Home Fest fics will be posted by the end of april, so we may announce the next fest around that time!

💜 jai

#answered #lo1k-diamonds #bestie jai

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btsfests · 2 months

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Daddy's Home Fest

There's no better time than when daddy is home.

DILF BTS is coming to a Tumblr near you March - April!

♡ Title: Care For You

♡ Pairing: Alpha Gang Boss!Yoongi x Omega Maid!Seokjin

♡ Rating: 18+

♡ Genre: gang au, dead dove, parent au, a/b/o | angst, fluff, smut

by @sweetestofchaos

♡ Title: Cinnamon

♡ Pairing: ex husband!namjoon x reader

♡ Rating: 18+

♡ Genre: fluff, smut, the mildest of angst.

♡ Summary: “Why did you and dad ever get divorced?” Hayoon asks twirling the straw in her fingers. “We fell out of love, it happens.” You answer honestly, the same way you responded to every other person who asked. She gives you a look like you've just said something terribly stupid, and also vaguely disgusting, a look only accomplished by teenage girls directed at their parents, “You sure don't act like it.” — Or the one where reader & Namjoon had a kid young, got married, got divorced, rinsed and repeated. (maybe without the divorce this time)

by @jknoah

♡ Title: Daddy, Daughter, and Dewey Decimals

♡ Pairing: Single Dad!Namjoon x (f)reader

♡ Rating: 18+

♡ Genre: Parent AU, Fluff, Smut, Mutual Pining

by @remedyx

♡ Title: Dirty Laundry

♡ Pairing: Seokjin x f. reader

♡ Rating: 18+

♡ Genre: Slice of life, established married couple, PWP

by @sailoryooons

♡ Title: Love Blooms

♡ Pairing: Jin x Hoseok

♡ Rating: MA

♡ Genre: Divorced, single father AU | angst, fluff smut

by @downbad4yoongi

♡ Title: Lose You to Love Me

♡ Pairing: Yoongi x f! Reader

♡ Rating: 🔞

♡ Genre: Smut, Fluff, Angst

by @jmvore

♡ Title: Off Limits

♡ Pairing: Female Reader x Seokjin

♡ Rating: 18+

♡ Genre: smut, porn with very little plot

♡ Summary: You are visiting your family over spring break and discover that the family you used to babysit for are separated. Does this mean Mister Kim is no longer off limits?

by @theharrowing

♡ Title: podcast

♡ Pairing: single father!Namjoon x f! reader

♡ Rating: 18+

♡ Genre: single father AU | fluff, angst, smut, slow burn

by @hobipaint

♡ Title: sakura 🌸

♡ Pairing: king!yoongi x (f) reader

♡ Rating: 18+

♡ Genre: mature, fluff, angst, pining

by @liveyun

♡ Title: Shatter With Me

♡ Pairing: Model!Jungkook x Surrogate!f.Reader

♡ Rating: MA 18+

♡ Genre: Best Friend's Husband, Surrogacy AU | heavy angst, smut, mild fluff

by @colormepurplex2

♡ Title: Since Day One

♡ Pairing: teacher!jimin x teacher! f. reader

♡ rating: 18+

♡ Genre: enemies to lovers, coworker au, single father au

by @jjungkookislife

♡ Title: we can hide away

♡ Pairing: Taehyung x f!Reader

♡ Rating: Explicit/18+

♡ Genre: Exes with benefits, angst, smut

♡ Summary: Taehyung is a caring, attentive father. Sometimes, you wish he could have been just as perfect as a boyfriend.

by @gimmethatagustd

#icymi

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btsfests · 2 months

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Daddy's Home Fest

There's no better time than when daddy is home.

DILF BTS is coming to a Tumblr near you Spring 2024!

♡ Title: Care For You

♡ Pairing: Alpha Gang Boss!Yoongi x Omega Maid!Seokjin

♡ Rating: 18+

♡ Genre: gang au, dead dove, parent au, a/b/o | angst, fluff, smut

by @sweetestofchaos

♡ Title: Daddy, Daughter, and Dewey Decimals

♡ Pairing: Single Dad!Namjoon x (f)reader

♡ Rating: 18+

♡ Genre: Parent AU, Fluff, Smut, Mutual Pining

by @remedyx

♡ Title: Dirty Laundry

♡ Pairing: Seokjin x f. reader

♡ Rating: 18+

♡ Genre: Slice of life, established married couple, PWP

by @sailoryooons

♡ Title: Love Blooms

♡ Pairing: Jin x Hoseok

♡ Rating: MA

♡ Genre: Divorced, single father AU | angst, fluff smut

by @downbad4yoongi

♡ Title: Lose You to Love Me

♡ Pairing: Yoongi x f! Reader

♡ Rating: 🔞

♡ Genre: Smut, Fluff, Angst

by @jmvore

♡ Title: Off Limits

♡ Pairing: Female Reader x Seokjin

♡ Rating: 18+

♡ Genre: smut, porn with very little plot

♡ Summary: You are visiting your family over spring break and discover that the family you used to babysit for are separated. Does this mean Mister Kim is no longer off limits?

by @theharrowing

♡ Title: podcast

♡ Pairing: single father!Namjoon x f! reader

♡ Rating: 18+

♡ Genre: single father AU | fluff, angst, smut, slow burn

by @hobipaint

♡ Title: sakura 🌸

♡ Pairing: king!yoongi x (f) reader

♡ Rating: 18+

♡ Genre: mature, fluff, angst, pining

by @liveyun

♡ Title: Shatter With Me

♡ Pairing: Model!Jungkook x Surrogate!f.Reader

♡ Rating: MA 18+

♡ Genre: Best Friend's Husband, Surrogacy AU | heavy angst, smut, mild fluff

by @colormepurplex2

Daddy Jungkook came home April 24. Read here!

♡ Title: Since Day One

♡ Pairing: teacher!jimin x teacher! f. reader

♡ rating: 18+

♡ Genre: enemies to lovers, coworker au, single father au

by @jjungkookislife

Daddy Jimin came home April 6. Read here!

♡ Title: baby fangs

♡ Pairing: Jimin x Jungkook

♡ Rating: Explicit/18+

♡ Genre: Urban fantasy, vampires, strangers to lovers, angst, smut

♡ Summary: As a human, Jungkook thought life was meaningless. It isn’t until he dies that he finds something worth living for: the family he never had.

by @gimmethatagustd

#bts fanfic #bts fic #namjoon fic #seokjin fic #hoseok fic #jimin fic #taehyung fic #jungkook fic #bts collab #bts smut #bts fanfiction #bts fests #bts #daddys home fest #dilf bts

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btsfests · 3 months

Text

Daily Writing Prompt

Character A meets their soulmate, Character B. Unfortunately, Character B has a significant other.

♡ MAIN NAVIGATION ♡ ASK ♡ FEST MASTERLISTS ♡ DAILY PROMPTS LIST ♡

#dailyprompts

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btsfests · 3 months

Text

Daily Writing Prompt

Every baby is taken away by the government and returned when they are ten years old. They never remember what happened in those years but always recognize their parents. Character A, however, remembers everything. And those aren’t their parents.

♡ MAIN NAVIGATION ♡ ASK ♡ FEST MASTERLISTS ♡ DAILY PROMPTS LIST ♡

#dailyprompts

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btsfests · 3 months

Text

Daily Writing Prompt

“You tricked me.” “Took you long enough to figure it out.”

♡ MAIN NAVIGATION ♡ ASK ♡ FEST MASTERLISTS ♡ DAILY PROMPTS LIST ♡

#dailyprompts

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btsfests · 3 months

Text

APPLICATIONS CLOSE TONIGHT AT MIDNIGHT!

Daddy's Home Fest

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btsfests · 3 months

Text

Fall from Grace

🤍Pairing: Demon!Jin x Angel!Jimin 🤍WC: 5,058 🤍Genre/warnings: angel and demons au, betrayal, smut, fluff

🤍Rating: R

🤍Summary: The rules for angels and demons are simple and straightforward, and can be summed up as: don’t interact.

A/N: This story is part of BTS Fests' Angels & Demons Fest!

Thank you to my betas: @colormepurplex2 and @moonleeai. Many hugs to @colormepurplex2 for my banner.

A Flicker in the Twilight

The twilight hums with the city’s heartbeat. Neon gods of advertisement pulse against the fading sky, casting a garish glamor on the throngs below. Lost in the kaleidoscope of chrome and flesh, Jin savors the symphony of human anxieties. They pulse through him, a delectable chaos dancing on his tongue. It is like the finest wine, this mortal cocktail – intoxicating, unpredictable, infinitely more thrilling than the bland ambrosia of his celestial past.

Leaning against the side of a building, Jin, once a grotesque tapestry of shadow and bone, now shimmers with angelic grace, courtesy of a botched mission and a particularly potent curse. He revels in the dissonance, the whispers of his true nature tickling the edges of his angelic façade. Humans, constantly oblivious to the storm brewing inside him, mistake his charm for benevolence, his mischievous grin for a divine smile. He is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, a predator in a sanctuary of light.

He twirls a strand of hair as he watches the countless hordes of faceless humans stride past him. Humans, like fireflies, flit across the avenues, their souls like flickering flames. Most hold no interest, their predictability a dull ache in his immortal boredom. But then, a glint of pure, celestial light catches his eye. An angel, disguised in the borrowed flesh of a human youth, stands on the corner adjacent to him, radiating an aura as vibrant as a sunrise. He watches on as the angel, resplendent even in the mortal flesh, navigates the human tide with an awkward grace.

Jimin's name echoes in Jin’s mind, a whisper plucked from the supernatural airwaves. Jin cocks his head, watching the celestial, discerning that he is a novice. Jimin is inexperienced, a wide-eyed fawn in a wolf’s den.

Jimin’s innocence is like virgin snow, pure and untainted, waiting to be imprinted with the dark designs of Jin’s twisted amusement.

The perfect game piece.

A thrill dances through Jin like a lightning bolt, not the usual hum of predatorial amusement, but something altogether sharper, more intoxicating. A mischievous curl creeps onto Jin’s lips. With a practiced grace, that has been honed from centuries of deception, he weaves through the throng, the city lights glinting off his unseen wings.

“Lost, little lamb?” Jin’s voice, honeyed and smooth, cuts through the city’s cacophony.

Jimin turns, his cognac eyes widening in surprise. The golden rays emanating from his disguised form cast an ethereal glow across the chaotic street. But it is the darkness, a whisper hidden in the depths of his gaze, that draws Jin in. A flicker of rebellion, a crack in the otherworldly armor.

Jimin, drawn by a force he can’t comprehend, steps closer. The aura around Jin, a faint hum of darkness, should send him fleeing. Yet, he finds himself drawn deeper, a curiosity eclipsing his fear, curiosity over encountering another being like himself.

“N-no,” Jimin stammers, adjusting his borrowed human form with self-conscious fiddling. “Just…observing.”

Jin chuckles. “Observing the fascinating creatures of this earth, are we?” Jin offers a hand. “Well, allow me to offer some guidance. I know these streets better than any moonbeam.” This isn’t just amusement anymore. This is a challenge, a dance on the precipice of forbidden desire.

Jimin hesitates, the wings under his human guise rustle like whispered prayers. Then, with a sigh that ruffles the city air, he takes the offered hand, his fingers brushing against Jin’s with a spark that sends shivers down the demon’s spine.

“Thank you,” Jimin breathes, his gaze lingers on Jin for a beat too long, a whisper of starlight battling the celestial fire in his eyes.

The walk through the bustling city offers a motley of sights and smells for Jimin. Jin, his guide and tormentor in equal measure, navigates the throngs with practiced ease, a picture of casual charm. Jimin, on the other hand, is a clumsy swan in a human pond, his borrowed skin prickling with unease.

“So, earth delights you?” Jin asks, his voice a silken thread woven through the city’s hum.

Jimin blushes, his celestial aura flickering like an overeager candle. “It’s…overwhelming,” he admits, his voice barely a whisper. “So much chaos, so much life.”

Jin chuckles a rich, dark sound that resonates in Jimin’s chest. “A chaos that dances to its own rhythm, wouldn’t you say?” He stops abruptly, his eyes glinting with an amusement that sends a tingle down Jimin’s spine. “Does it resonate with you, little angel?”

Jimin’s wings twitch under his borrowed skin. He knows he shouldn’t linger, and he can sense that there is more to Jin than he sees. Yet, Jin’s presence is a maelstrom he can’t seem to resist.

“There’s something…” Jimin begins, his voice barely a sigh. “A spark in this chaos, a warmth that draws me in.” He meets Jin’s gaze, the astral fire in his eyes battling the forbidden embers that flicker there.

Jin’s smile deepens, a knowing curve that sends a shiver down Jimin’s spine. “Ah, the forbidden fruit, angel. Sweetest when plucked from the branches of danger.” He leans in, his breath a whisper of brimstone against Jimin’s ear. “But remember, little one, even the most tempting fruit can leave a bitter taste.”

Jimin’s heart hammers against his ribs, a frantic bird trapped in a gilded cage. The spark in Jin’s eyes, the warmth of his touch, draws him in like a moth to a flame.

“I…I don’t care about the consequences,” Jimin whispers, his voice barely a tremor. “I only know that this moment, this feeling, it’s worth the risk.”

Jin’s smile widens, a predatory glint in his eyes. “Foolish angel,” he murmurs, his voice a caress. “Then let us dance, shall we? Let us taste the forbidden fruit and see if its sweetness outweighs the sting.”

He slips his hand around Jimin’s, his touch sending a jolt of forbidden electricity through the angel’s borrowed form. And with that, they step deeper into the city’s twilight.

Eventually, their journey finds them using a fire escape to settle on a rooftop. The city sprawls out beneath them like a glittering tapestry. The wind whispers secrets through the night, carrying the scent of jasmine and asphalt. Jin feels a flicker of something unexpected. Not the sharp thrill of anticipation, but a pang of something akin to regret.

Was it the way Jimin’s youthful face pales in the moonlight or the earnest tremor in his voice as he whispers, “This place is beautiful,” that touches a dormant chord within Jin?

For a fleeting moment, Jin sees himself reflected in Jimin's starlit eyes. Not the monstrous entity of shadow and bone, but the young, ethereal creator he once was before the curse, before the fall. An echo of the celestial light he had long extinguished in himself.

Jin feels a strange vulnerability bloom within himself, a yearning for something he can’t name. Standing back, observing Jimin’s awe, he shakes himself. This is just a game, a predator’s pursuit—no room for hesitation, no space for compassion.

Yet, as Jimin turns to him, his face alight with wonder, Jin finds himself hesitating. For the first time in centuries, the predator holds back, the wolf unsure of its prey.

The game had just begun, and the rules, it seemed, were about to change.

Jin’s façade trembles under Jimin’s gaze, the carefully crafted mask of charm threatening to crack under the weight of an unwelcome emotion. The devil within him snarls, urging him to pounce, to exploit the celestial’s trust. Yet, the merest whisper against the infernal damnation of his being echoes louder, a flicker of empathy he can’t quite extinguish.

Jin swallows the tightness in his throat, forcing his lips into a familiar, playful smirk. “Beautiful indeed, little lamb. This is just the beginning. There are secrets woven into this city’s very fabric, waiting to be unraveled.”

Jimin tilts his head, the naive curiosity in his eyes still undimmed. “Will you help me find them?”

The question hangs in the air, a challenge and an invitation. Jin stares into the depths of those starlit eyes, searching for a hint of suspicion, a flicker of fear. But there is only trust, a pure and unadulterated yearning for knowledge and adventure.

In that moment, the predator falters. The game, he realizes, isn’t just about to change. It is about to shatter. He could still twist the knife, manipulate Jimin’s trust for his own amusement, but the thrill feels hollow, poisoned by the unexpected pang of something akin to…responsibility.

He takes a deep breath, the scent of night air filling his lungs. “Yes,” he says, the word heavy on his tongue. “I’ll help you.”

The decision tastes like ashes in his mouth, a bitter compromise between his monstrous nature and the ghost of his celestial past. He watches the smile blossom on Jimin’s face, a light that could rival the moon. Jin knows this isn’t just a game anymore. It is a dance on the precipice, a perilous tango between darkness and light, with the fate of two celestial souls hanging in the balance.

His gaze lingers on Jimin, the forbidden yearning gnawing at this resolve. This isn’t part of the plan, this impossible, intoxicating pull. But as Jimin’s eyes meet his, a larger spark of uncertainty ignites within the demon, and the fragile dam around Jin’s desires crumbles. Jin’s breath hitches. He knows the danger, the impossibility of their connection. But in the face of Jimin’s vulnerability, his own desire pulses with a forbidden fire.

Their lips meet in a kiss, a clash of celestial fire and demonic embers. It is a taste of forbidden fruit, sweet and intoxicating. As their lips part, a gasp escapes Jimin's mouth, a flicker of fear battling with the dawning realization of what they were doing. Jin sees it, the internal war raging within the angel. And in that moment, he knows the game has definitely changed. This isn’t just a dance with fate; it is a tightrope walk over the abyss, a gamble with their very souls.

But as the city lights shimmer around them, casting their forbidden tryst in a seductive glow, Jin can’t help but smile. He is a demon in angel's clothing, and he has just found his most tempting sin.

The night stretches before them, a blank canvas waiting to be painted with the colors of their forbidden desire. And as they stand there, bathed in the twilight, the city holds its breath, waiting to see what masterpiece would be born from the ashes of their celestial clash.

Whispers in the Moonlight

The city, a pulsing tapestry of sin and salvation, thrums with the electric tension of their forbidden entanglement. As dawn bleeds into dusk, Jin and Jimin meet in the shadowed corner of a long abandoned courtyard, hearts echoing a forbidden rhythm. Jin, cloaked in starlight, leads Jimin on a waltz through the neon wilderness, every whisper a searing brand against the angel’s soul.

Jimin, wings folded beneath a borrowed human skin, wrestles with the celestial fire simmering within. Duty whispers harsh reprimands, yet defiance roars like a caged beast. Jin, the devil on his shoulder, grins with eyes like bottomless pools, each touch a whispered promise of rebellion.

The city lights shimmer on Jimin’s skin, turning his eyes into molten gold. He trembles, not from fear, but from the intoxicating mix of temptation and longing that Jin ignites inside him.

Jin leans in close enough for Jimin to feel the warmth of his breath against his cheek. “Do you hear it, angel?” he utters, his voice a low rumble that sends shivers down Jimin’s spine. “The city’s heartbeat, pulsing with the rhythm of our forbidden song?”

His words are steeped in temptation. Jimin feels the celestial fire flicker, threatened by the seductive darkness Jin offers. He yearns to know the taste of rebellion, to shed the shackles of angelic rigidity and fly on the wings of his own desires.

Jimin, his heart a frantic drum against ribs, swallows hard. He can hear it, echoing in the symphony of car horns and distant laughter, a primal pulse that mirrors the yearning of his soul.

“It’s… maddening,” he whispers, his voice barely audible above the city’s din.

Jin chuckles, a sound like tinkling ice against velvet. “Maddeningly beautiful, isn’t it?”

His thumb brushes the crest of Jimin’s cheek, the touch sending a jolt of forbidden electricity through him. Jimin’s eyes melt even further under the neon sky and meet Jin’s, the heat of their gaze a silent conversation—unspoken questions dance in the air between them.

“Jin,” Jimin breathes, his voice hoarse with a mixture of fear and exhilaration. “I… I can’t do this. Not anymore.”

The words hang heavy in the air, a discordant note introduced to their orchestra. Jin’s smile falters for a moment but is quickly masked by his impassive façade. “And what, angel,” he drawls, his voice laced with a dangerous edge, “is it that you can’t do?”

Jimin flinches at the challenge in Jin’s eyes. He knows he is playing with fire. While romantic dalliances with other angels aren’t forbidden, they aren’t looked on kindly, which is enough to deter most.

But something, some spark of rebellion, ignites deep within him, refusing to be silenced.

“I can’t deny this,” he says, his voice gaining strength with every word. “This…this fire that burns between us. We may be angels, Jin, but we are also men. And this city, this dark and beautiful chaos…it sings a song that my soul yearns to hear.”

The silence that follows Jimin’s confession is thick with unspoken tension. Jin’s eyes, usually warm and playful, flicker with a hidden storm. He takes a step toward Jimin, his gaze raking over him with an intensity that sends a shiver down the younger angel’s spine.

The city lights, once a backdrop to their clandestine meetings, now throb with a new meaning. The neon signs bleed into their vision, painting the shadows on their faces with a kaleidoscope of emotions. The symphony of car horns and distant laughter becomes a seductive song, urging them closer to the edge of what is and what isn’t permissible.

Jimin, emboldened by the defiance in Jin’s eyes, reaches out, his fingers tracing the delicate curve of Jin’s jaw. The touch is a spark, igniting a wildfire that threatens to consume them both. Jin’s breath hitches, and for a fleeting moment, his celestial façade flickers, revealing the hungry demon beneath.

Jin, feigning reluctance, breathes, “We can’t. The consequences…”

But Jimin, his heart pounding a forbidden drumbeat, cuts him off. “Consequences be damned,” he whispers, his lips brushing against Jin’s ear.

With that, he pulls Jin into a kiss, a desperate, hungry press of lips that speaks volumes of unspoken yearnings. The kiss is a rebellion, a declaration of defiance against the sterile order of their celestial existence. It is a taste of the forbidden fruit, a glimpse of a world where love, not duty, dictates their actions.

As they break apart, breathless and reeling, the city lights seem to dance in celebration. The air crackles with an electric tension, the very fabric of their world shimmering with the weight of their choice. One of them knows the path they are embarking on is fraught with danger, while the other leads them down this defiant path. In that moment, surrounded by the cacophony of the city, they only see each other, a beacon of light in the darkness.

The moon, a pearl amidst the velvet tapestry of night, bathes the hidden courtyard in an ethereal glow. Jasmine tendrils, heavy with moonlit secrets, cling to the crumbling brick walls, weaving a fragrant canopy above Jimin and Jin. Here, within the shadows, the celestial rules morph and blur, their breaths forming wispy constellations against the obsidian sky.

Jin, his dark hair a curtain against the lunar silver, cradles Jimin’s face in his hands. “There’s more to existence than humans and harp strings, angel,” he murmurs, his voice a caress against Jimin’s trembling lips. “The world whispers forgotten stories.”

Jimin, his resolve a fluttering moth against Jin’s intoxicating whispers, surrenders. He longs for the taboo secrets Jin offers, each a forbidden fruit bursting with a thousand forbidden flavors. Jin speaks of earthly music that makes the soul quake, of laughter that echoes through cobbled streets, of the bittersweet tang of tears shed for love and loss. He paints the world with his words, worlds where angels dance with mortals, where moonlight sculpts shadows into lovers’ embraces.

“And you,” Jin murmurs, his lips trailing along Jimin’s jaw, “you, my angel, hold within you the music of a thousand unplayed instruments. Let me hear your orchestra,” he pleads, his voice raw with the hunger for what they both know is improper.

Jimin, his hidden wings trembling like fervent prayers, traces the forbidden map of Jin’s lips. “I… I fear the melody might be discordant,” he breathes, his voice a thread lost in the music of the night.

Jin chuckles, a sound like wind chimes kissed by the starlight. “Then let me be your maestro, angel,” he whispers, his lips brushing against Jimin’s ear. “Together, we’ll orchestrate a symphony that will defy the heavens themselves.”

And so, under the moon’s silent gaze, they meld into one as their clothes litter the cobblestone around them. Jin’s hands overflow with the ample bounty of Jimin’s ass as he eliminates any molecule of space between them. The air around them resonates with the vibrations of their moans as their thickened shafts slide against each other.

As their bodies move in harmony, a symphony of passion and desire, the boundaries between heaven and earth blur. Jimin clings to Jin, his nails digging into the smooth expanse of Jin’s back, each thrust of their hips driving them closer to the precipice of ecstasy. The courtyard, once a sheltered sanctuary, now bears witness to their entwined forms, the moonlight casting ethereal shadows upon their skin.

Their rhythm quickens, urgency fueled by the forbidden nature of their love. Jimin’s breath hitches as pleasure courses through him like an electric current. He presses his forehead against Jin’s, their eyes locked in a fierce gaze that speaks of devotion and rebellion. At this moment, they are no longer angels bound by celestial laws; they are simply two souls set on fire, seeking solace in each other’s embrace.

The symphony of car horns and distant laughter fades into the background as their moans fill the air, mingling with the rustle of the jasmine tendrils above. The earthy scent of the cobblestones mixes with the musk of their desire, the ground trembling beneath the force of their passion.

Jin leans in, his lips brushing against Jimin’s neck, his voice a whisper against his skin. “Fear not, my love,” he says. “Our music is perfect, even in its forbidden form.”

Jimin gasps as Jin thrusts harder against him, the sensation sending waves of pleasure coursing through him. He reaches up, his fingers tangling in Jin’s hair, his nails biting into his scalp. “Yes, Jin,” he moans, “make me your muse.”

The two continue their dance of passion, their bodies moving in perfect harmony. The jasmine tendrils above, heavy with blooms, seem to sway in time with their movements, adding a sweet fragrance to the air. Their moans echo through the courtyard, the sound of two souls joining together in a forbidden ensemble. The moon watches over them, its light casting silvery beams upon their entwined forms. As they reach the crescendo, their bodies colliding and surrendering to the forbidden music, the world around them seems to pause in reverence.

Finally, the moment arrives. The tension between them is palpable as they stand on the brink of the abyss. Jin's eyes lock onto Jimin's, his gaze intense and full of desire. In that moment, their connection is tangible. Jimin's fingers tug at Jin's hair, pulling him closer. Jin's lips devour Jimin's in an all-consuming kiss, the taste of forbidden fruit on their tongues. The air around them crackles with electricity, singeing the air surrounding them.

Jin's hips thrust harder against Jimin, their movements syncopated and raw. The heat from their bodies radiates outward, leaving the rest of the world behind. Their existence is limited to this moment, this place, this kiss.

As the last shuddering breath leaves their lips, they collapse against each other, their bodies spent. The moon's gaze fades, and the courtyard returns to its quiet solitude.

In the aftermath, Jin and Jimin lay entangled in each other's arms, their breaths slowing and their hearts beating as one. Jin knew this moment would come, but he had not anticipated the depths of emotions that would ensue. He feels a mix of euphoria and trepidation, his heart pounding in his chest.

Jimin, on the other hand, struggles with the implications of their actions. He had thought to quash his longings, keeping them hidden beneath layers of celestial duty. Now, he finds those same longings have become impossible to ignore.

The consequences of their tryst linger on the horizon, a faint dissonance in the night’s melody. But for now, they bask in the lingering traces of their forbidden love. Jimin's fingers trace delicate patterns on Jin's bare skin, leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake. He looks up into Jin's eyes, the weight of their actions and the uncertainty of the future settling upon him like a heavy cloak.

"What have we done?" Jimin whispers, his voice laced with both regret and longing. "Is this worth defying everything we know?"

Jin's gaze meets Jin's, his eyes filled with a mixture of emotions that Jimin can't fully read. "Perhaps," he replies softly, "love is not meant to be bound by rules and expectations. Maybe it is meant to be wild, untamed, and willing to risk everything."

Jimin's heart swells at Jin's words, his fingers tightening their grip on Jin's body. He knows that the path they have chosen is treacherous and that they will face obstacles unlike any they have encountered before.

Celestial Fear

Dawn creeps through the cityscape, painting the courtyard in a blush of pink. Jimin stirs, his eyelids fluttering open to the sight of Jin’s sleeping face, the warmth of his breath tickling Jimin’s cheek. The forbidden intimacy of their entwined bodies sends a shiver through him, a delicious echo of their celestial rebellion.

But as Jimin traces the line of Jin’s jaw with his fingers, a shadow flickers across Jin’s eyes, a darkness deeper than the city’s nocturnal embrace. It was fleeting, gone as soon as it appeared, yet it left a tremor in Jimin’s heart.

“Jin,” he whispers, his voice hesitant, “what was that?”

Jin’s eyes flutter open, the celestial depths replaced by a flicker of embers, a glimpse of something wild and untamed. He sits up, pulling away from Jimin, and for a moment, Jimin feels a chill crawl down his spine.

“Nothing,” Jin says, his voice strained, “just a memory, a whisper from before.”

But Jimin isn’t convinced. The darkness that tinges Jin’s eyes, it isn’t mere nostalgia, it is something colder, something sharper. A doubt, a seed of suspicion, begins to sprout in Jimin’s mind.

“Before?” he repeats, his voice barely above a whisper. “Before…what?”

Jin hesitates, his gaze flickering away. Then, with a sigh that seems to carry the weight of centuries, he turns back to Jimin, his eyes lock on his his with an intensity that makes Jimin’s heart pound.

“Angel,” he says, his voice husky, “before I met you, before all this… I was… different.”

A cold dread washes over Jimin. He knows, instinctively, that the answer he is about to hear will shatter the fragile world they have built in these stolen moments.

“Different how?” Jimin whispers, his voice trembling.

Jin reaches out, his fingers brushing against Jimin’s cheek, a fleeting touch that sends shivers down his spine. “I’m not an angel, Jimin,” he says, his voice barely audible. “I am…” he pauses, his eyes searching Jimin’s face for any sign of rejection, “I am fallen.”

The words hang heavy in the air, the revealed truth shattering the foundation of their forbidden love. Jimin stares at Jin, his mind a whirlwind of confusion and fear. Fallen. The word conjures images of rebellion, of darkness, of everything his angelic existence is supposed to reject.

But then, another truth dawns on him. The way Jin’s eyes had softened when he spoke of forbidden knowledge, the way his lips had burned against Jimin’s, the way he had whispered promises of defiant symphonies… could it be…?

“Jin,” Jimin breathes, his voice thick with emotion, “does that mean… you…”

Jin cuts him off, his lips crashing against Jimin’s in a kiss that is both desperate and tender. “You became the sun I couldn’t turn away from.”

The world spins around them. The city lights blur into a smear of monochrome. In that kiss, Jimin tastes not defiance but vulnerability, a demon confessing his love for an angel of light. And in that moment, Jimin knows, with a terrifying, exhilarating certainty, that he is falling too.

The consequences of their love looms larger than ever, a storm brewing on the horizon. But for now, under the fading blush of dawn, two souls, one fallen, one faltering, hold each other close, their defiance a whispered promise in the face of the impossible.

As the days pass, they steal fleeting moments together, each touch and stolen glance an act of rebellion against the heavens. In these stolen moments, they discover truths about themselves and each other that make their love burn even brighter. They learn that love can be both soft and fierce, a gentle caress one moment, an inferno of passion the next. And as their love grows deeper, so does the danger that lurks around them.

Whispers begin to spread through the divine airways like a dark fog descending upon their fragile haven. News of their trysts reaches the ears of the celestial council, a gathering of angelic beings who uphold the laws of the heavens. Their verdict is swift and unforgiving: Jimin and Jin's love is an abomination, a stain on the purity of their existence.

Perched on the brink of rebellion, the city quakes beneath a moonlit sky. Whispers of divine punishment swirl in the air, a constant reminder of the consequences for defying heaven's orders. Jimin feels his heart tremble as he gazes at his celestial flames, their once radiant white glow now tinged red with fear and doubts. He wants to retreat to the safe, sterile world of angels but cannot suppress the fiery longing that burns within him.

"Turn back, angel," booms a thunderous voice, sending a chill down Jimin's spine. "This path leads only to darkness."

At his side stands Jin, the fallen star, his obsidian eyes ablaze with defiance. His words are a whispered song of chaos tempting Jimin towards rebellion. "Choose, angel," he purrs, his seductive tone pulling him closer to danger. "Embrace the fire within or extinguish it under the rain of heaven."

Caught between duty and desire, Jimin stands at a crossroads with a heavy heart. Will he continue to follow his angelic purpose or surrender to the all-consuming love that threatens to devour him, wings and all? It feels like the city is holding its breath, an audience for the final act of this unlikely love story. Jimin must choose: remain shackled to heaven or fly free in Jin's embrace.

As the weight of his decision hangs in the air, Jimin feels the world around him blur into a hazy backdrop. His thoughts swirl in a tempest of conflicting desires, tearing his celestial essence apart. To choose Jin is to abandon everything he has ever known, forsaking his place among the heavens and casting aside his angelic duties. But to deny himself this love would be to wither away, a flame extinguished before it had a chance to dance and illuminate the darkness.

Jimin turns and gazes into Jin's eyes, and he sees a different kind of light - untamed and exhilarating. It beckons to him, calling him away from the predictable world of angels and towards a life filled with passion and uncertainty.

At that moment, Jimin knows what he must do. With trembling hands, he reaches out to Jin, feeling the electric current that courses between them. The celestial flames flicker their once vibrant glow, reigniting with newfound determination.

"I choose love," Jimin whispers with conviction, his voice carrying through the night sky. The heavens quake in response, thunder rolling across the city as if signifying a shifting balance of power.

As Jimin’s words echo, the air crackles with anticipation. The celestial council, shrouded in a halo of divine light, seems to hesitate, their judgment hanging heavy in the air. Jin, his face alight with a mixture of relief and defiance, grasps Jimin’s hand. Their fingers intertwine, a testament to the love that challenges the very fabric of the heavens.

The lead celestial, his voice laced with disappointment, speaks, “Your decision defies the sacred laws, angel. Are you truly prepared to face the consequences?”

Jimin, his voice unwavering, meets the celestial’s gaze. “I am,” he declares, his stance resolute. “For love, I am willing to forsake the heavens, to dance with the shadows, to face whatever judgment may come.”

A wave of murmurs sweeps through the council, some laced with disapproval, others with a glimmer of understanding. The lead celestial, his expression unreadable, ponders their response.

Suddenly, a blinding light erupts from the heavens, engulfing Jimin and Jin. It is a baptism of sorts, a celestial test of their resolve. As the light subsides, they stand there, transformed. Jimin’s angelic wings, once pristine white, now bear streaks of obsidian black.

“You have chosen,” the lead celestial booms, his voice echoing. “You have defied the heavens, and now, you shall bear the mark of your rebellion.”

Despite the mark, Jimin doesn’t feel shame but a surge of empowerment. They have chosen each other, defying the celestial order and embracing the unknown. Their path won’t be easy as the council’s judgment isn’t the end. They are now outcasts and will be hunted by celestial forces who see their love as a threat to the established order.

While their journey will be fraught with danger, heartbreak, and moments of doubt, their love will be their anchor.

#another amazing work!!!!!#this looks SO good #angels and demons fest #bts fests

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