chapter is a lil bit shorter today cuz i injured my wrist rly badly at work & can barely type now cuz it's in a brace thingy and hurts ): i still try my best tho ❤

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It was the next morning that changed it all. Taehyung had went back to his bed after the bathroom accident, Jungkook even made sure to bring him some water so he wouldn't be too hungover the next day. Taehyung asked for dozens of kisses, always reaching for Jungkook's body to pull him in bed with him.
But in the end, Jungkook went back to Lyza, falling asleep pretty quick next to her.

His whole body wasn't tensed anymore, instead he felt refreshed, full of energy to conquer the world. Taehyung's touch was all he needed to feel better about himself, maybe that was the reason why it bothered him so much to think of letting his best friend go.
Losing him seemed worse than going a week without food or a life without showering, Taehyung was everything and so much more to Jungkook.

Yet the boy kept doing dumb things over and over again.

But at some point, mistakes always come for you to make you learn from them.
And that's exactly what happened this morning.

While Taehyung was already up, not hungover at all, he was feeding Taejeon apple slices, enjoying breakfast with the other three.

Lyza and Jungkook weren't there yet. The girl had packed all her things and his as well, sitting on a chair in the corner of the room. "Good Morning", he let out weakly when he woke up and saw her across the room.
"Come here-", Jungkook hummed, waiting for his morning cuddles. Lyza didn't give him them in a long time, but he forgot everyday and kept asking for them.

But they weren't 16 and in love anymore.

"Hello."
Lyza's voice seemed distant, a tone of disgust swinging along. Jungkook sat up in confusion, suddenly fully awake by her behavior. "Are you alright?", he asked softly.
The girl furrowed her brows, "You tell me."

She turned her head away, towards the packed bags. "I'll go visit my family for a week or two", she said bluntly. "You take the kid."
Jungkook nodded irritated, "O-okay", he said, not understanding anything.
The girl couldn't even look him in the face, her lips not forming a smile at all. She looked drained out, lost and so disappointed, but why?

"I don't want you to stay at our apartment during this time", she then said quietly. "I don't want you to sleep in our bed", the girl crossed her arms. "Not with him."

And that's when Jungkook knew what happened, she knew what went on last night. Oh gosh, Jungkook felt like collapsing--, she couldn't know that. Fuck, why weren't they more careful.

Thoughts spinning, his mind zooming out from the current situation. The boy didn't know what to say or do-. "Where else would I go?", he asked quietly.
"I don't fucking care", Lyza hissed.

"I'm sorry Lyza", Jungkook got up, rushing over to her to hold her hands. "Lyza I'm sorry! God, I'm so sorry it's not what it looks like! W-we aren't--"

"Oh shut the fuck up", Lyza said distantly, stepping back so he couldn't grab her hand. "Get out, Jungkook."

"No! N-no! Lyza, please I'll stop I swear I won't ever do it again, I'm sorry oh my--, Lyza please don't give up on me", he started rambling, tears falling off his cheeks. He couldn't help it, he was so damn afraid of losing his little family, his life, his future. Taehyung wasn't worth losing Taejeon, he simply wasn't. But Jungkook couldn't get this into his head because whenever he saw Taehyung, his mind blacked out and he couldn't think.

"I'm so tired of this", Lyza said emotionless, chuckling weakly. "I told you I can handle a kiss, I know you've always been like this, Jungkook. I'm surprised I didn't get it earlier that it's Taehyung who you cheat on me with. But you slept with him, Jungkook. You slept with a fucking boy", Lyza let out.

"I know, I'm sorry", Jungkook said in a small voice.

"You fucked up again, Jungkook. As usually I'm here, hurting while you did some stupid, reckless thing. You put me into a position again, where I have to fight the urge to just run away from you for the kid. I'm--, I really tried so hard Kook. All I ever did was loving you and Taejeon, yet you never did", she said, shaking her hair.

There were no tears coming from her, numbness filling her body up to her head.

"I'm sorry", Jungkook said quietly.

"Sorry doesn't change anything!", Lyza cried out.

"I'm your girlfriend. I'm the mother of your son. He isn't." She sighed deeply.

"Lyza", Jungkook whined, trying to step closer again. "Please stay, don't go, don't give up on me. It's not that easy to-"
"Tell me you're not in love with him. Look me in the eyes and tell me it's not Taehyung that makes you feel happiness. Tell me it is not him who showed you how love feels like. Look at me and say in all honesty, Taehyung is not the person you'd give up your life for. Tell me and I'll stay and forget about what happened."

Jungkook went silent, looking down. He couldn't, he wasn't able to say all of this because it wasn't true. This boy with his brown hair and his dark eyes, the boxy smile and his deep ass voice-, he was everything Jungkook craved for. The one thing that made Jungkook feel things.

"I can't tell you that, Lyza", he admitted, tears still falling.

"Yeah, that's what I thought", she nodded and rushed towards the door.
"No! Lyza! Are we over?!", Jungkook questioned, panicking.

"No not yet", she turned her head one last time while grabbing her bags. "We still have a kid to raise. When I'll be back I want you to never see him again or I'll take the kid and you won't ever see Taejeon again."

"You can't make me choose between Taehyung and Taejeon!"

"Oh watch me", Lyza said sharply. "Because whatever choice you'll make, you'll still keep one thing you love. While I'm stuck with a boy who's into boys or being single with a kid at 20. No matter what you do, it's not that bad for you. Stop making yourself the victim!"

Jungkook crossed his arms, biting his lips."You can't take away my kid!"

"Watch. me. Doubt your father will be able to pay off the debt you still owe to mine", Lyza snapped. She wasn't going to let him pull his shit ever again, what he did was too much and both of them knew that.

"You have two weeks to end it, Jungkook. It shouldn't be too hard if your kid actually means something to you."
With that she left the room and took the next uber to the train station so she'd get to her parents as soon as possible.

While Jungkook broke into tears all over again, knowing he fucked up so badly. But he deserved all of this. He couldn't even be mad at Lyza because she was so damn right with every word she said. Jungkook wasn't the one who had it the worst, there was a kid, suffering from the daily fights his parents had while being bullied at kindergarden at such a young age. There was Taehyung, being so in love with Jungkook that he'd take everything for him, probably even bullets. Yet he wouldn't ever be a real father to Taejeon no matter how hard he tried. Even when he'd get Jungkook, he'd never get the full package with being a parent.

And then there was Lyza, having a child with someone who didn't love her. She had not much of a choice than to stay. Or what options were there? Losing her little family and becoming a single mother or staying with a boy that would blame her forever for losing the one person he loved.

Yet he knew all of this, Jungkook felt like he didn't deserve to be the one who had to make such hard decisions. "I fucking hate this", he cursed quietly, tears staining on his cheeks.

"Daddy", a small voice made Jungkook look up. Taejeon stood in the door frame, wearing a hoodie he stole from Jungkook. It was so huge that it dropped halfway onto the floor, sleeves double as long as the tiny boy's arms. "Look I am as cool as Daddy now", he said with a bright smile as he walked closer.

Jungkook crouched down, "I'm not that cool", he hummed sadly, ruffling the boy's hair.
Taejeon wrapped his arms around Jungkook and hugged him. "When will you stop being sad??", he asked softly. "Daddy is sad for so long already!"

"Y-yeah", Jungkook nodded. "I-I'm sorry", he looked down, feeling worse for making it so obvious that he was going through all this shit. Taejeon shouldn't see the struggles he had to face. "Don't say sorry for being sad!! It's okay Daddy, Taejeon can cheer you up!", he giggled and stuck his tongue out playfully.

"Look! Now I've been bad!!", he grinned cutely. "Be mad at me, not at you!"

"Oh Taejeonie", Jungkook nuzzled his face into the boy's shoulders. "I'm so sorry."

"Nooo!", Taejeon squeaked. "For what??"

"For everything. Your life would be so much better if you had another father", Jungkook sighed. Taehyung should be his father, he never failed to make the boy happy. His simple presence was enough for the boy to get all excited.

"You're so dumb", Taejeon laughed. "If I had another Dad, then I wouldn't be me, and I think the world sucks without me!"

"It really does", Jungkook sniffled. "You're the best boy ever, Darling."

"I will tell Taehyung that I won the first place spot!", Taejeon squealed, turned on his heels and then ran out of the room. Jungkook looked after him and another tear escaped his eye.

*

"Where's Lyza?", Yoongi asked softly when Jungkook came back without the girl. "She left for two weeks", Jungkook answered bluntly. "Why?", Taehyung asked quietly, feeling the tension that came from Jungkook towards Taehyung.

"You should know", he said sharply.

Then he grabbed his son, "Let's go. We'll ask my Dad if we can stay there for a while", Jungkook hummed and then turned around. Taejeon looked confused and so did Taehyung. "My apartment is huge, you can stay there!", he offered softly.

"No thanks."

"Jungkook, it's almost Midterm week in college, you cannot just miss it, you know how close you are to failing classes for the third time. They'll kick you out", Taehyung reminded him. "You can sleep on the couch, I don't mind", he suggested carefully.

"I'm not sure why you're mad but--, don't lose your college reputation just because you're pissed at me."

"Why won't you stay at your place?", Jimin asked  irritated.
"Lyza forbid me. She doesn't want me to sleep in our bed anymore", Jungkook explained, eyes piercing through Taehyung. He got it, it made sense, Lyza found out and Jungkook blamed him- of course he did. He always did.

Jungkook never looked for the mistakes on his own, he learned it from the people he looked up to. Always blame the other ones. When he got bullied, his mother used to tell him it's because the others are having a bad day. If he wanted to kiss a boy, it wasn't his fault, he was just different and a little strange. Every test he failed, it was just too hard to solve. Jungkook wasn't at fault, ever.

Maybe his parents loved him a little too much. Maybe Jungkook should've fell on his nose once or twice to knock some sense into him. To show him that life wasn't always the other's fault; no actually most things are caused by your own self.

"Kook?", Taehyung asked slowly. "Can we talk for a minute? Alone?"

Jungkook nodded, "Sure."

With that the boys walked out of the room and stood outside for a while. Taejeon squeaked after him, "They go kissie kissie love love!!"

Taehyung took Jungkook's hands when they were outside, squeezing them tightly. "I'm so proud of you, you're doing great, Sweetie. Don't blame yourself or me for this, it's not our fault, yeah? You're a great Dad and Taejeon loves you so so much", Taehyung started to ramble lovingly.

Jungkook just kept silent.

"I don't like this look you had on your face when you walked in earlier. The way you glanced at me, fuck I knew I shouldn't have gotten into your room yesterday. But I can't help myself! It's impossible to stay away from you, gguk. Please don't be mad."

Jungkook nodded calmly, "Okay", he said softly, not wanting to argue.

"Okay?", Taehyung questioned. "I was so convinced you'd freak out or yell at me!"

"No", Jungkook shrugged. "I'm sorry I dragged you into all this mess. You deserve a boy like you are yourself. An amazing one, pretty and nice at the same time. I'm sorry I won't ever be that, I'll always have a kid and a girlfriend and no money and a horrible college degree, ugh I just suck."

Taehyung shook his head. He saw tears glittering in Jungkook's eyes. "Oh come on. You are pretty and nice. I love your kid and we can work on the rest, yeah?"
He pulled the boy into a hug, still surprised he didn't got angry or anything. Jungkook seemed so vulnerable right now, somehow broken.

He nodded as he pressed his face into Taehyung's neck. "She was so disappointed in me", he whispered. "I'm horrible, I cheated on the girl I'm supposed to share my life with-"

"Sshh", Taehyung mumbled. "It's okay, everyone does mistakes. Learn from them."

"That's the thing! I don't want to learn from them."

"Jungkook don't be silly. Cheating isn't the way to go", Taehyung said sharply. "And I don't really want to be your affair, I'm sorry. I'll rather stay your best friend without the benefits instead of being some affair that gets hidden in the dark. I've always been there for you, I deserve a little better don't you think?"

Kook nodded, "Y-yeah, sorry", he let out weakly.

"Let's go home, yeah? We'll figure out how to get your life back together in those two weeks, babie."
The younger nodded again. "Thank you", he whispered.

The others joined them so they made their way out of the small hotel, heading to the parking deck where their car was placed. "Taehyungie", Taejeon said suddenly. "Daddy said I'm his favorite boy. You lost you Loser!", he stuck his tongue out which made Taehyung only laugh.

"Not sure about you but I'm the one who gets cuddles all night, young man", Taehyung stuck his tongue out too as he looked down to Taejeon who was wearing big sunglasses, feeling so gangster.

"Aren't we staying at your house now two weeks? Guess who's sleeping between you!!!", Taejeon said enthusiastically.
Jungkook and Taehyung sighed at the same time, "Taejeon", Kook warned. "We need some alone time too-"

"I know you're kissing when you're alone. That's what the parents of the other kids do too. Mine are the worst!! I hear them talking all night and Taehyungie keeps telling Daddy how perfect he is!! Ugh!!", Taejeon ranted to Jimin who walked besides him.

"Yeah ugh. Your parents are horrible", Jimin agreed.

"Yeah, I think they are cringey! Mommy is so much cooler than they are."

"Cringey?!", Taehyung asked playfully. "Where am I cringey?!"

"Oh Jungkookie!!! You're so beautiful!!! Oh baby!", Taejeon imitated Taehyung's deep voice before he bursted into giggles. "Gosh, I thought they're not that lovey dovey", Hoseok mumbled amused.

"They are!", Taejeon laughed. "I have the dumbest parents ever."

While everyone was busy joining the conversation, laughing together and feeling so happy-, Jungkook was walking after them, smiling peacefully while his mind processed how Taejeon called Taehyung and him his parents while Lyza was just Mommy.

It gave him a spark of hope.

Maybe that's all it needed?
Or maybe that's all that's gonna cause the damage?

***