so, i updated all my fics now once, i'm officially continuing my hiatus now to pass my last final! i'll be back after monday i love you guys <3

***

5 years ago

Taejeon's head shot up as he heard sniffling sounds from the room next door. For a second, he felt like crying himself but then he got up and waddled over to his father's bedroom. "Daddy", he squeaked, tears boiling up.
Jungkook sat up, sobbing heavily as he opened his arms. "I'm so sorry", he sniffled. "I don't want to keep you up every night-"
The 6 year old shook his head and got into the bed, snuggling into his father's arms.

"It's oki", he sniffled, now crying as well.

Jungkook pressed his head into his son's neck. "I messed everything up."
But Taejeon quickly kissed his cheeks and then poked them with a sad smile. "Daddy please don't cry", he pleaded in a small voice.

"When Dad cries, Taejeonie's heart hurt. Very much."

Jungkook nodded, sinking back into the pillow with his son cuddled up to him.
"It's funny", Taejeon suddenly giggled. "When I was three, Daddy always came to me when I cried at night. Now Taejeonie comes to Daddy."

His father smiled tiredly, his eyes falling shut.

People say love is worth it all, they talk about meeting your soulmate and giving up everything for them. Books, movies, poems-, they all give off the impression that love is the one thing everyone lives for.
By that, meaning the love between two people who feel sexual attraction for each other.
Jungkook knew by now, it wasn't true.

The love he felt towards his kid was so much more than anything he ever had with Lyza or Taehyung.
When he saw Taejeon's smile, the world was alright. If Taejeon hugged him, the pain faded away like nothing. It's not the bond between two lovers that defines love, it's rather the bond you feel towards someone you care about.

For some, it may be their partner. For others it's their best friend. And for a parent, it'll probably be their kid.

With every day the small boy grew and became a little smarter, a bit wiser and his understanding of the world a bit broader-, with every day Taejeon turned more and more into Jungkook's safe place.

Sometimes, when the night was the darkest and Jungkook couldn't help but think of everything that went down, he used to calm himself down with thinking that what he had with Taehyung-, it was one of the sweetest yet most painful lovestories he encountered.

And lovestories aren't about the ending, they're about the story. What we learn from it, what we get out of it.
And maybe, just maybe- the moral of their story was that no matter how much you love someone, sometimes simply loving isn't enough.

Except for when you're a parent. Then it's all about loving your child and willing to sacrifice everything for their happiness.

There are far too many children out there not receiving the love of a parent they'd deserve, Jungkook swore himself to never turn into one of them.

Parents like Lyza's or Taehyung's-, he despised them.

He'd always will. 

**

"You said you're over it", Jimin said bluntly. Hands running through his pink hair as he kept biting his lips. "You said you're done with this whole story."

"I didn't think I'd see him again", Taehyung let out weakly.

"It's been 5 years, Taehyung."

The older nodded, eyes glued to his feet. "He seems so fine now."
"Exactly, he's fine without you. So are you."

Taehyung gulped, turning away as he sat down on their hotel bed. "Did you tell him?", Jimin asked quietly. His gaze wandered towards Taehyung's fingers. "N-no", the older said.

"You should."

"Jimin-"

The pink haired boy shook his head, tears sparkling in his eyes. "What is this? What are you trying to do?"

Taehyung shrugged, pulling off the ring he was wearing on his ring finger. Jimin's eyes widened, heart sinking down to his knees. "It's been 5 years, Tae. You cannot seriously forget about everything that happened and rush back into his arms."

"You were the one who forced me to run after him back on his wedding day. You told me we belong together-"

"You were too late, Taehyung-"

"You encouraged me, you s-said that I shouldn't end it like that! How can you blame me now, you always knew he's-.."

"He's what?"

"He's Jungkook. Come on, it's only two weeks, then life will be back to normal", Taehyung whined.

"Yeah, he's Jungkook. And what am I then? God you act as if you forget about everything that happened in the past five years, Taehyung!"
Tears were falling off Jimin's cheek when he saw Taehyung putting his ring off and placing it on the nightstand. "I'm sorry. You told me to fight for him back then, you can't blame me for doing so when I've got the chance."

"I said that before you and me got fucking married! God, Taehyung. I've always been there for you, how can you j-just-", he turned away, sitting down on a chair as he pressed his hands against his face. "I thought I'll never see him again, Jimin!"

"Yeah, whatever." Jimin got quiet, not looking at him at all. "It's not that I didn't know I'm nothing but the second choice. Funny how that was exactly what you didn't want to be to him, yet you're doing it to me now. Maybe you two deserve each other."

Taehyung gulped, feeling so bad about himself. "I just want to be honest with you. I can't promise that nothing will happen between me and him while we're here-"

"I don't want your fucking honesty right now", Jimin cried out. "I just want you."

Taehyung didn't respond, his eyes glanced away when he thought of how he lied straight into Taejeon's and Jungkook's face.

Are you single?

Is there someone else?
  - Not really.

"It's two weeks, that's all, Jimin."
But the older shook his head, tears sparkling in his eyes, turning his vision all blurry. "You're gonna cheat on me for two weeks, then expect me to be fine with it and go back to normal?"

"I wouldn't cheat on you. I just want to see him, spend time with him and-, a-and I don't know. I don't want to have restrictions while doing so. It's Jungkook."

Jimin tsked, "It's Jungkook. The guy who used you for his own pleasure, kept you a secret and was about to marry someone he doesn't even love rather than being with you. I totally see where he's worth hurting me. The one who's always been there for you."

Taehyung sighed. "What do you want me to do? Not talk to him?"

"I want you to be loyal to me. Don't turn me into Lyza back then. I don't want to sit in here and cry my eyes out because I know you're with him."

"Okay", Taehyung said bluntly.

Jimin looked down, "You were the one kissing me first. You asked to marry me. I never intended any of this, I was only being there when you needed someone."
Taehyung nodded, he was right.

Jimin was there when Taehyung needed someone, he made him let his guard down. He got used to be taken care of by the older, to always have someone to lean on. And no matter how much he loved Jungkook, he relied on Jimin a little more. Plus, Jungkook was fine without him.
And so was Taehyung.

"I want you to tell him about us."

"I won't do that", Taehyung immediately said. "Fuck off, Jimin. Stop pressuring me."

"I'm not pressuring you, I'm just-, is it so wrong of me to want a normal relationship with you?"

"Yeah. When it comes to Jungkook, I won't put you above him. Live with it." Taehyung groaned and then got up, packing his bag. "I'm sleeping somewhere else tonight."

"At him, right?"

"Probably."

Amd with that Taehyung left the room, slamming the door shut behind him. Jimin gulped, feeling dumb and empty while looking at the ring on the nightstand which Taehyung simply left like that.

As if none of it meant anything to him after all.

*

"You're here", Jungkook smiled when he opened the door, wearing his pink pyjama and some unicorn socks, hair still wet from showering.

"I wouldn't let you get away again", Taehyung let out, voice shaking as he walked in and turned to Jungkook.
The younger smiled, "I was about to prepare some late night snacks for Taejeon and me. Want some too?"

Taehyung nodded, breathless by how cute Jungkook looked like this. He seemed so comfortable with himself, wearing pink and smiling at 10pm at night. Taejeon however walked in as well, eyes glued to his phone where he kept texting his friends in a groupchat about Area 51 and the Aliens.

"Dad, we're about to storm Area 51."

"No you won't", Jungkook chuckled and then went back to the kitchen to cut some cheese and grapes and place them on a plate. "Oho, healthy much?", Taehyung smirked. Jungkook nodded, "Of course. We're doing a healthy month-"

Taejeon made vomit-noises. "Hate it."

Taehyung chuckled slightly and sat down at the kitchen counter. "It's good for you", he winked at Taejeon but the boy only rolled his eyes. "Thanks Taehyung, I'd love it if you would not support Dad with this."

Taehyung gasped, hearing Taejeon speaking proper sentences and calling him Taehyung instead of Dad or Taehyungie-, it was new.

Jungkook smiled and pulled orange juice out of the fridge which made Taejeon cry out. "I hope the Aliens will take me in once I meet them."

"Stop that, you won't storm Area 51", Jungkook laughed and ruffled his son's hair. "Watch me." Taejeon crossed his arms and poked Jungkook's arms. "Dad can I go out tonight-, my friends are doing movie night and they're watching Paranormal Activity!"

"That movie is scary-", Jungkook said worriedly.

"You're scary too, yet I live with you", Taejeon grinned. Jungkook tsked. "Yeah, after you've eaten something."
Taejeon stuffed his mouth with cheese and grapes and gulped it down with the juice, then ran out of the room.

Taehyung smiled a little.
"You two have grown so much closer."

"Well, he's been everything I had left for a long time", Jungkook smiled sadly. Taehyung nodded, "I'm sorry-"

"It's not my fault I tried to get over you by engaging with Lyza", Jungkook chuckled. "Learned from it, won't ever marry someone again who isn't you."

Taehyung felt that.

"Hungry?", Jungkook offered him food, but when Taehyung reached for it, Kook smiled and held his hand. Then he picked up grapes and held them in front of Tae's mouth, wanting to feed him.
Taehyung was overwhelmed.

Butterflies.
Mind dizzy.
Weak knees

Jesus, he didn't feel that since the day Jungkook left his life. He opened his mouth shyly and then ate the grape Jungkook gave him. And so they continued, Jungkook feeding Taehyung and giggling over it with every time Tae's lips somehow touched his finger.
"God, I missed this", Taehyung let out. Kook smiled, "I missed you."

They continued giggling and eating until the plate was empty. "When will you tell me why Jimin and you are here?", Jungkook asked after a while, completely interested in it.

"I got offered his internship from a guy called Mr Kim. I thought it's funny because that's my name too, so I said yes. Jimin just came along because he had nothing better to do-"

Jungkook's eyes widened. "Mr Kim?!"

"Y-yeah?"

"He got you here?!?!!?!??!!?"

"Yeah?", Taehyung was confused.

"This little fucker", Jungkook snickered. "He's my boss. You've got an internship at the company where I work-"
"You mean it wasn't coincidence?"

"None of this is coincidence", Jungkook sighed. "Holy crap, I love him. He brought you back to me."

Taehyung laughed softly. "Fuck, I hoped it to be fate so we can tell our children one day about it-"
Jungkook went quiet, "Our child already believes in fate between us-"

Taehyung blushed and Jungkook went shy.
"Our?"
Jungkook nodded, "There's no one in the way anymore, w-we can j-just raise him together now."

Taehyung's heart ached, "Right. There's no one-", he said quietly while Jungkook and him walked to the bedroom and laid down. "Absolutely no one."
The younger gave him a smile, then snuggled up to Taehyung and shut his eyes.

"I love this. Somehow I always end up back in your arms..."
Taehyung wasn't listening, his mind was drifting off to Jimin, thinking about how he was probably crying his eyes out right now, feeling bad and unworthy about himself. Like he always did.

Maybe-..

Maybe Jungkook and him weren't meant to be with each other. They probably simply had to be in love with each other forever, yet never getting their happy ending.

Timing was a fucking bitch.

***

dont hate me, remember how y'all said tae deserves someone better ):<