"Hi there, hello without being extra
Let's start, without introductions
No touching, back off back off
I like it like this, balance balance" – BBIBBI by IU, 2018

When they walked into the Ramen shop, Jimin almost immediately regretted it. The smell of seasoned pork, boiled eggs, and noodles filled his nose instantly and his stomach growled. He covered his stomach as he felt small hunger pangs. He hadn't eaten in a while but maybe this was too much...

Taehyung was hoping that taking Jimin to one of their favorite spots would open opportunities for a conversation... Hopefully, Jimin would open up to them a little bit more.

They took seats at the island and stared up at the menus.

Taehyung quickly ordered his favorite, the Shoyu Ramen and requested an extra boiled egg. Namjoon sometimes took him here if he was craving it, so he had grown even more fond of this shop.

Namjoon ordered Tonkatsu, made Hakata style. Taehyung had, at times, forced him in the ramen shop so he could get a taste of what he was missing out on. After four trips, he had begun ordering this specific version. Just something about the way it was prepared...

Jimin was taking a little bit more time on his order. He wanted to refamiliarize himself with the food since it had been so long.

"I-I'll have the Medium Miso Ramen... With an extra boiled egg..."

Namjoon and Jimin began to argue over who was going to pay. Jimin was going to pay, but then Namjoon interjected who insisted he wanted to pay. Then Taehyung slid some bills over the counter to give to the cashier.

"There! Dispute..." Taehyung crossed his arms with a smug smile, "Diffused!"

Jimin looked down at the table before slowly turning to Namjoon and Taehyung.

"So..."

Taehyung grinned, "It's been a long time, hyung..."

"Yeah... It's been a long time."

Taehyung frowned a little bit as he saw some of the cracks in Jimin's façade. When he was crying earlier, some of his makeup had been removed. His face had been thinned out even more by the makeup he had been wearing.

"Jimin..." Taehyung caressed the side of Jimin's face, almost flinching at how thin his face was, "Have you been resting well? Or eating?"

Jimin made a small noise, his tongue pressing into his cheek as he tried to distract the situation off of himself.

"I-I have... I've just been losing a lot of weight from dancing! It's ok, TaeTae..."

Taehyung gave him a sad look, "Jiminie... You look so much thinner than you did years ago..."

"I'm ok! Please, I'm here now..." Jimin said with a big grin.

Three bowls were placed in front of them.

"Oh, wow this looks so good..." Taehyung said, breaking his chopsticks open, "Let's eat!"

Jimin broke his chopsticks open as well, taking some noodles into his chopsticks.

"They taste just as good as I remember..." he said as he put some noodles in his mouth.

They ate in silence, with small remarks to each other every so often.

Jimin finished his bowl last while Namjoon and Taehyung finished close together, "I really needed that..." Jimin said, pushing his bowl away. One of the servers picked it up and took his bowl to the back. Namjoon had a grin on his face as they turned to each other.

"Hey..."

Jimin waved to him. Things were slightly less awkward, but there was still a thick tension between the group.

"So... What now?" Jimin asked softly, "We've had dinner... What happens now?"

Taehyung leaned back a bit in his stool, "Ma'am! Can we get some sake over here?"

Three shot glasses were sent their way along with a green bottle. Jimin was about to scold him when he realized Taehyung was intending to drink too, but if Namjoon wasn't going to say anything, he wouldn't either.

"Ah, TaeTae I can't drink..."

"Hm?"

"I've been sober for a while... I can't jeopardize that..."

Taehyung gave him a soft look, "A shame... I was hoping to enjoy a drink with two of my favorite people..."

"Besides, TaeTae, are you sure you should be drinking?" Jimin asked with genuine worry and concern all over his face.

"Jiminie, I haven't been pregnant for a while. I think I'm entitled to a drink or two~." Taehyung purred as he poured them drinks.

Jimin bought a juice from the vending machine against the farthest left wall. He poured a glass of apple juice so he could participate in the toast.

"To old memories?" Namjoon asked.

"And new beginnings!"

They clinked their glasses together before downing their drinks.

"Ah yeah, that's the stuff!" Taehyung said, putting his glass back on the counter, "I haven't had a good drink in a while since the children! This feels so good..."

Namjoon pressed a soft kiss to Taehyung's cheek, "Are you enjoying yourself, darling?"

"Of course babe~"

Jimin rolled his eyes as he poured himself some more juice, "You two are like soulmates... Joined by a single string that is inseparable."

"Mmm... Yeah, sounds about right."

Jimin missed them, even if he wasn't going to say it out loud. He missed Namjoon holding his hand in the way he did. He missed Tarehyung and his nights out when they would just talk... They would just talk about everything from love to life, Namjoon most of the time being the topic of conversation.

For two years he had tried to push them out his heart, but they just seemed to worm their way back in. His chest was pounding every time one or the other gave him a smile or a warm look. Taehyung was just upping the ante by simply holding his hand...

They were just so charming, so he couldn't help but acknowledge it... And it was making him feel all soft on the inside. Taehyung holding his hand, and Namjoon's blinding smile...

He wanted things to go back to the way they were, no matter how much he wanted to push it off and say it wasn't true. To lie to himself and say he didn't feel something for the two men that had changed his life for better and for worse, it would be to lie to his heart and lie to himself and say he felt nothing for those standing in front of him like they were only strangers.

Jimin squeezed Taehyung's hand, dragging his thumb over his soft, smooth skin.

"I miss you..."

Jimin didn't want to look desperate, or like he was looking for a rebound, but his feelings he had spent so long suppressing were rising back up to the surface.

"I'm sorry..."

Taehyung ran his hand from the front to the back of Jimin's head, cooing softly.

"Jiminie..."

This was the same method he used when one of the twins wouldn't go to sleep and they needed a lullaby or a story after a nightmare. He was usually the one to deal with the tears when dreams went bump in the night. Namjoon almost dropped both of the twins at nighttime, and Taehyung took control of the nighttime childcare from that point on.

"Motherhood has done him well..." Jimin thought as Taehyung repeated the comforting motion.

"We missed you too... And we've been wanting to see you ever since that day..."

Jimin was finally coming to terms with his feelings. He kept getting lost in those soft, chocolate brown eyes of Taehyung's. He hadn't seen anyone look at him like that in a long time...

He trusted those eyes once... Who was to say he couldn't trust them again?"

Namjoon's hand joined the fray and Jimin looked back up at him, "We blamed each other for you leaving... I understood why you felt like you weren't wanted, but the truth is, you really are loved, Jimin... You are wanted..."

Jimin's heart swelled at Namjoon's kind words. It reminded him of the day they first met at the club... That one other time Taehyung didn't show up and Jimin got to talk to him.

Jimin was ready to throw his caution to the wind and just embrace the two of them, peppering kisses all over them. But he felt it was too soon for him... Just a bit too soon.

"Give me some time, ok? I love you both, I still do, always have, but it's too soon for me... I just found my boyfriend of practically two years with one of my students in our bed together... I think I need a little bit of time to get myself recomposed and whatnot..."

"We understand, Jimin. No matter what, our arms will always be open to you."

Jimin gave them a soft smile, slowly pressing a kiss to each cheek.

"Until we meet again," Jimin said, the grin evident in his voice.

"Until we meet again."

"Still me, still me, no need to be surprised
I'm sure you're gonna say 'my gosh'
Your eyes are getting busy, checki checking
Like playing spot the difference, hashtagging" – BBIBBI by IU, 2018