I could tell that Seokjin sought me out, even if it was unconscious, noticing the small grin on his lips and light in his eyes whenever he said something funny enough to break past the barrier I kept up. Even if it was only a small giggle I could feel him looking at me like he won a game against a friend. He memorized my favorite snacks too, passing them down the line with my dad's every Tuesday for the next few weeks until their first cycle of treatment neared its end.

It was the coldest Christmas I ever experienced and honestly the worst since the Christmas after we lost my mom. My dad had everything planned starting at the top of the week, from the small bags of treats he'd packaged for every nurse and patient in the center we knew to the matching sweaters he insisted we wear during his last appointment. Seokjin's boisterous laugh sounded when he looked up from his usual recliner, joking that he had been left out of the bunch though he wore his own patterned jumper, cool tones that were the opposite of the bright colors my dad chose.

My dad planned to join Seokjin for the last appointment of his first cycle the following day while I looked forward to munching on popcorn and sipping hot chocolate while wrapping the last couple of presents left in my closet. His illness had other plans, treatment leaving him drained of any energy when I went in to check on him after my second alarm. He muttered through tired eyes as I coaxed him into taking his morning medication, a deep line in his brow that showed his frustration.

"Go sit with Jin for me." He paused to take a sip of water, aiding with the slight crack in his voice. "He should have someone there."

"I'm not leaving you here when you don't feel well." I protested, pulling the blanket to his neck as he snuggled back into the thin pillow he slept on.

He shook his head, eyes heavier with every moment that passed. "I'm just tired today. I'll probably sleep the entire time." He spoke through a yawn. "Go in my place."

"Dad." I challenged him in the same way I did when I was younger.

"Seline." He fired back, a small smile on my lips at the response he usually gave, now absent of as much authority.

I sighed, leaning over the bed to press a kiss to his forehead. "Promise you'll call if you wake up or get sick." I negotiated, watching as he nodded, only a second away from the start of a light snore.

The bag I always carried to their treatment sessions hung on a hook by the door, already equipped with a couple of spare snacks, the book I'd been reading, and every other random item usually reserved for my purse. I dressed in two layers of pants and my favorite sweatshirt before suiting up with the thick coat, hat, and gloves I'd become accustomed to wearing over the past month for the walk to the clinic.

I stomped as much snow off my boots as I could before entering the building, handing over my bag to be checked and giving a short greeting to a security officer I wasn't familiar with since I didn't typically visit on Wednesday's.

Upstairs Julia showed the faintest hint of surprise when she passed me on the way to attending to a patient, quickly flashing a smile and raising her eyebrows with wonder.

The curtain around the row of chairs we occupied two days every week was open, the typically lively corner quiet as Seokjin craned his neck up toward the TV.

He was entranced with the competition dating show on the screen, leaning forward in his seat until the swishing of my coat alerted him to my presence.

"Hi." He waved, watching me pluck off my gloves and hat with a question I was already answering etched on his face.

"He was feeling tired and asked me to come instead." I clarified, responding to his expectant gaze. "Hi."

I was conscious of the way he watched me as I plopped into the recliner that would surely be left with an impression of my butt at the end of this, combing through the stray pieces of hair that fell over my eyes and weren't quite secured by my loose ponytail.

He spoke again just as I reached into my bag to pull out my book. "If you're going to sit way over there and ignore me like you always do you should have stayed home." He snarked.

I looked up from the first word of the new chapter I was about to start, his chin pressed into his palm and eyes shifting toward the recliner next to him. "I don't ignore you. Anyway, you're my dad's friend and I don't usually befriend my dad's friends." I retorted, tucking my legs under myself as I moved into the seat beside him.

"I'm closer to your age than his." He noted.

"Not according to my secret theory that you're actually an old man." I said, his expression curious for evidence. "You tell horribly corny jokes, you're always doing those puzzles, and you do the same constant fussing and grunting that my dad does. Both of you just sit around telling bad jokes and complaining about nothing." I giggled at the observations I'd made in the few weeks of watching them interact.

He smacked his lips at me but wore a smile on them. "My jokes are funny."

"They're not." My rebuttal was quick, my tone holding a teasing edge.

"Your dad thinks they are." He replied.

Without thinking I'd turned my book over in my lap, sitting back in my seat. "You're only adding to my theory old man."

His laugh had always been noticable, contagious even, and as it sounded in response to my ragging him I couldn't help but join in.

"Let's pause this flirting for a minute so I can check on my patient." Julia stepped over from the row on the other side of us, sending me a wink as she moved past me to get to Seokjin. I tilted my head down to hide the blush on my cheeks and picked up my book again while she checked his port.

Our little corner went silent after she left, the murmur of the TV becoming background noise while I read. I got through four more chapters before his phone rang, calling both of our attention when he answered and greeted my dad by name.

"He was supposed to call me." I scolded in a whisper meant for Seokjin to relay. He did, letting out an amused chuckle at my dad's reply and another, louder laugh before saying goodbye.

"He said to tell you he still just feels tired, no nausea or aching. He's going to have a snack and probably another nap." He repeated the message given over the phone. "He called me because he thought of another joke."

I shook my head with knowing, seeing the glint in his eye that held the urge to tell me. "Go ahead." I snickered, raising my eyebrows at him.

"What's the difference between a piano and a fish?" He spilled the question out like it was waiting at the tip of his tongue.

While I took a moment to try thinking of the answer he seemed impatient, biting onto his bottom lip to keep from giving it away until I shrugged my shoulders.

He gave the punch line through his own fit of laughter, his reaction better than the actual joke. "You can tune a piano, but you can't tuna fish."

I rolled my eyes at my dad's equally bad joke and after he finished laughing we both reclined, a blanket pulled onto his lap. He turned his head so that he faced me, slender fingers reaching to touch the leather arm of my chair.

"Tell me about the book you're reading." He tugged at the edge of his blanket so that it bundled under his chin.

"It's not exactly a feel-good bedtime story." I glanced at the cover, displaying an image of a man surrounded by splattered blood and scrawled scratch marks.

He shrugged, urging me forward so I started from the beginning, with a zombie apocalypse and a girl in a prison. Every time I thought he was fully asleep, pausing my retelling of the story, he'd poke his bottom lip out or crack an eye open to let me know he was still listening. It wasn't until I was almost to revealing the first character death that his mouth drooped open a crack, the lack of response when I halted cuing me to stop completely. I curled up in my seat so that I faced him too, closing my eyes before his undeniably handsome features stopped me from being able to deny my feelings for him any longer.

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Author's Note: Wanted to express my appreciation to ya'll in return for the support I've received on this story. I get so excited every time I see someone vote or comment on a chapter and watch the read count rise. Thanks to you all Lifetime is only a hint away from 8,000 reads! Also, yes I shamelessly gave a little shoutout to one of my other stories in this chapter since Annihilation recently hit another milestone. All my love to you! <33