I noticed the way my nerves awakened during my father's final round of treatment, his liveliness a contrast to the worst case scenarios I'd been imagining. They were both aware of the way my head turned every time he moved to rise from his seat in the clinic, lingering behind Seokjin and I to chat with other patients and staff. It became a habit of both of theirs over the next few weeks to utter reassurances that they were okay before I could ever ask.

"He's fine." Seokjin's fingers pulled at my chin, directing my attention back to his lips rather than to the partially cracked curtain that hid us from view. "He's only taking longer so we'll have a minute to do this." His mouth ghosted my jaw, pressing into my neck slowly and until the swish of fabric a few feet away let us know we weren't alone anymore.

I was comfortable in the routine we developed for the coming weeks, the top always spent between the clinic and caring for one or both of them. I switched off on spending nights at my dad's apartment and Seokjin's house depending on who needed me most.

Often, on nights when I opted to stay with my dad, Seokjin insisted on coming back to the apartment. I was left to deal with an extended day of their usual antics until my dad was worn down enough to venture to bed. Seokjin would only hold out until a millisecond after hearing my dad's snoring cue up, squeezing into my bed that felt a quarter the size of his to share the quietest of kisses.

On the evening after Seokjin's final treatment session they both crowded the kitchen. I opened a window to release some of the heat that filled the apartment, avoiding stepping within an inch of them as they made menbosha together for the first time through humorous teasing and soft encouragement.

Our chairs were divided evenly among the table so that I could see them both with the slightest glance to either side. We spent the first few minutes of dinner in silence outside of the clinking of utensils and sounds that affirmed the satisfaction of food, my dad finally breaking the silence when he raised his glass toward the center of the table.

"For good results." He nodded toward Seokjin, waiting to feel their glasses rest against one another. My dad's toast ended there, with their eyes locked on each other. In it I saw the chipper, strong front they'd been putting on for me fade, the momentary exchange an unspoken hope for the other as much as himself.

I held my cup on the edge of my lips, pulling a hand up to wipe away the tear that fell over my cheek. I was already taking a sip, but they still nodded toward me before tilting theirs back with a small addition.

"And for Seline."

It was rare that I woke before Seokjin but with my mind reeling at the anticipation of my dad's follow-up appointment, I had the perfect opportunity to study every handsome feature up close. I was gentle about brushing away the hair that hung over his forehead, letting the tip of my nose feather his until I could no longer resist the sight of his pretty, parted lips.

They were so soft that I wondered if he could even feel anything past the fullness. Still, he stirred awake, an arm reaching out to pull me closer and deeper into the early morning kiss.

"Let's go on a date." He said.

"I'm going with my dad to get his results today. Did you forget?" I asked though I was sure that he hadn't. He was rarely forgetful.

He made a point of clicking his phone screen so that it lit up with a display of the time. "You have a couple of hours until then. We'll go to a cafe and bring breakfast back for him."

Caffeine was always an efficient tool of persuasion. "I'm showering first." I uncovered myself from the bedsheet, climbing over him clumsily to get to the door. I reached into the linen closet on my way to the bathroom, leaving the door cracked to release steam from the shower.

"Are you trying to melt us?" I was startled by the sound of Seokjin's hushed voice, a miniscule change in the temperature of the air on my backside as he pulled the shower curtain back. He held a finger to his lips, knowing that I was about to scold him based on the look in my eye. "It's too early for him to be up. You just have to be really quiet." He spoke so that his mouth grazed the skin below my ear.

I was already being careful, chuckling inaudibly. "You're the loudest of us."

He didn't waste time denying the truth, occupied with kneading my waterslicken skin in his favorite places. I caught every breathy whine that tumbled from his lips into my mouth, shushing him through every mewl and tight-lipped groan until our skin was beet red from scalding water.

We dressed and left behind a note for my dad, strolling hand in hand to the small cafe on the corner of our block. I'd frequented enough for the opening staff to recognize me, one of the chipper baristas greeting me by name.

"Your usual?" She asked, a pen clasped between her fingers to scribble my order onto a notepad.

"Good morning and yes. Add two more donuts for me and an americano, two sugars." I took the initiative, Seokjin often leaving coffee-related decisions to me since he wasn't much of a drinker.

Richard was the grumpiest of the morning crew but made the best macchiato so I didn't let it bother me. He slid both drinks across the counter without spilling a drop, Seokjin catching them with a disapproving arch to his brow.

I lifted my drink from his hand, our fingers brushing together. "Don't, he's perfected the order to my taste. Plus, he snuck me an extra of the lemon donut they had every time I came last month so he's warming up to me."

He replied while I blew into the small opening in the lid of my drink, tipping it back to let the mostly sweet but slightly bitter taste of vanilla, caramel, and espresso coat my tongue.

His expression remained incredulous as he reached out, taking a short sip with a crinkle in his nose. I chuckled when his lips smacked together as if he were identifying every individual ingredient.

"I can make that." He muttered. I'd been so caught up in watching the way his bottom lip sucked into his mouth to clean up the droplet of my drink that was left behind, I missed Richard setting a small bag that held our donuts on the countertop. He was back to work before I could thank him.

Seokjin held onto my dad's drink, offering me his arm so that it was secure with my hand in the crook. It was warming up outside, but it still felt like Autumn in Minnesota despite it being close to the start of summer.

He led us from the cafe as if he already had a destination in mind. We strolled without rush, turning corners until we were just outside of the farmer's market being set up to open the following day.

There was a bench just across the street, providing us a place to chat and watch. Seokjin downed his donut in seconds, wiping at the corners of his mouth once he'd finished with a final bite of mine. A slew of workers moved back and forth from long white vans, setting up long tables to connect for vendors to display their goods.

We kept our conversation light and planned to revisit to shop over the weekend, returning to the apartment before my dad's coffee lost its warmth.

Seokjin dropped my dad and I off in front of the clinic after none of us could hold out any longer, me impatiently fiddling with everything in reach until I could get in front of my dad's oncologist and them fed up with my pittering about.

He let the car idle, stepping out to open both of our doors and leaned down to kiss my cheek, keeping my hand while he embraced my dad. My dad squeezed Seokjin's shoulder before letting go and I heard his voice lower, Seokjin speaking into my dad's ear so softly that I almost missed it.

At first, I suspected he was telling a joke, maybe one he didn't want me to hear. I wasn't very fond of times they made jokes about being sick. Instead, he breathed an affirmation as if it were a fact.

"It'll be good news."

And it was.

The breath of relief I released when Dr. Aguilar informed us that a procedure to remove one lobe of his lung would get my dad into remission told me that I'd been holding it in far too long. I wanted to squeal with delight. My dad did, bouncing up from his chair and reaching across the desk to shake his doctor's hand in gratitude.

I hadn't said a word, near speechless as my dad reclaimed his seat, pulling my hand across the small space between us so that I was enticed to look at him. He met my tear-filled eyes with a smile that broke mine so that it was a mirror to his.

Dr. Aguilar didn't rush us, observing our acts of joy before moving to his calendar, reserving slots for consultation, pre-op and finally surgery.

It wasn't until the elevator ride down to the floor where we'd complete consent forms that I turned into my father's arms. We both needed the hug, familiar arms wrapped around each other for the entirety of our descent. He pulled away when the doors did but I kept hold of his arm, clutching on to him the same way I had as a little girl.

I was far from that, evidenced by the natural way I managed logging every piece of information we were given regarding the procedure and speedy memorization of identifying data we rewrote on every form among the stack to be filled.

Seokjin's cheeks lifted and eyes crinkled over the ghastly large bouquet of flowers held in front of him. He was smiling underneath, having seen the spark of light in our expressions as we exited the building.

"I figured I'd be the one getting flowers!" My dad chided him as he deposited the bundle into my hands, Seokjin's laugh a celebration that followed.

Seokjin's hand clapped over his shoulder so that they were turned toward the car. "Oh, I've got something even better for you." He replied with an anticipatory cheer to his voice.

I nosed the soft petals, the cluster of multicolored flowers creating a fragrance I wished could be turned into perfume.

"I'll take those." Seokjin interrupted my appreciation, letting the delicate hued paper wrapped around the bouquet cradle in his arm. His free hand fell against the shape of my jaw, fingertips grazing the back of my neck. He knew me well enough to recognize that I wouldn't be able to settle fully into the glee of my dad's latest prognosis, my fingers still crossed for a second favor from the universe.

As much as I was in my head, bubbling with feelings I needed to move from pen to paper, Seokjin seemed to be too. He was uncharacteristically quiet on the ride to his house and though his scans weren't set until the following week, I wondered if he had a bad feeling.

I changed into a mid-length sundress that would be easy to lift for a slight tan on my legs as the sun peaked in the afternoon. Seokjin and my dad were out on the lake, eager to test out the fishing rod Seokjin gifted him. I sat on the dock, letting my legs dangle off the side so my toes brushed against the cool water.

The notebook I kept in my bag was filled with random scrawlings, notes and reminders about treatment, random quotes that sprung into my head and kept me going, and rushes of feelings interwoven with doodles. Today I chose the good things, listing my dad's appointment, perfectly paletted coffee, and bushels of flower buds under the date.

With the page nearly covered in black ink, tiny hearts scribbled at the borders of my words that surrounded my soulmate's name, I snapped a photo of Seokjin and my dad across the lake for a print to be placed in the empty corner. They were sitting close, ignoring their cast fishing lines as they looked at each other seriously. Seokjin held one of his hands out in an attempt to shake my dad's. He was instead pulled in for another hug. Their laughter echoed as if it were rippling through the air and when they turned to look at me in the exact same instant, I wondered what humor they made me part of.

I knew they'd stay out on the water until just before sundown. Never having had the patience for fishing, I headed back into the house to start on dinner.

Seokjin had spent an entire afternoon the previous week giving me tutorials on utilizing the high-tech features in his house. There was a small circle on the wall on every room that if pressed would project a screen to control lighting, temperature, and entertainment. There were more controls available but I focused on the one's I would be using, letting my recently played music stream through the kitchen and living room.

I recalled location of most items I needed from the kitchen cabinets based on days watching Seokjin cook from a seat at the island. The refrigerator was constantly stocked so that I had no problem gathering ingredients to recreate the chipotle chicken panini my dad's restaurant was known for.

"I know that smell!" He called through the house just seconds after they stepped inside. I smiled over the last sandwich, the other two still steaming on a plate next to the stove.

Seokjin was right behind him, leaning over the counter to get a closer inhale of the enticing scent. As soon as my dad stepped away to wash up he was behind me, fingertips brushing at the waistline of my skirt.

"Better?" He asked, mouth against the cusp of my shoulder and neck.

I nodded, leaving the panini in the press to turn so that I faced him. "Are you?" I replied. His energy felt lighter but I didn't want to assume.

He kissed me before answering, acknowledging that he'd worked through whatever thoughts were keeping him elsewhere with a hum against my lips. "Today was really good."

The last sandwich ended up a little darker than the others with him distracting me, but my dad always preferred his a little burnt, sure that I'd done it just for him when he returned.

"You have to save something for Jin to try for the first time when you visit me at the restaurant." My dad was already biting into his food while Seokjin changed clothes in the bedroom.

I stepped into the pantry for a bag of kettle chips, sprinkling some onto the side of his plate. "At the restaurant?" I questioned. Of course he was eager to get back.

"After the surgery." He confirmed. "I'll stay until I'm done recovering. The lease for the apartment is up in a couple of months so it'll be perfect for me to go back home."

Memories of the phone call I had with him before leaving Italy and him laughing in his recliner at the treatment center were suddenly vivid in my mind. I came here for him.

Apparently I was easy to read. I hadn't thought of the way our lives would change when his health improved. "You'll move in here, Sellie. Hell, Jin already calls it your house. He gave you a set of keys."

I was sure he couldn't hear us from the distance of the bedroom, but almost as if on cue, Seokjin came up the hallway with an apology.

"Did you have any more dirty clothes, Seline? I'm going to throw ours in to wash before dinner."