TEN YEARS LATER

"Right this way, Mister Jung."

His footsteps were far louder than Yoongi had imagined them to be as he followed the nurse across the hospital hallways. The place looked unrecognizable, but Yoongi hadn't been in the halls since he was a mere child, so everything could have changed without him knowing. Strangely enough, his heart thundered, and despite his best efforts to reassure Hoseok that he could handle the visit by himself, Yoongi now wished that he'd brought Hoseok along instead of making him wait in the lobby for him.

He hadn't wanted to come back to his small town. The last time that he'd been in this place had been in May of 2016, a bit after Yoongi and Hoseok had celebrated their first dance and graduation together. While Hoseok had been barred from attending St. John's prom, he had been more than welcome to attend Yoongi's prom, and so they went together. The night had been one to remember. It was Yoongi and Hoseok's first official dance together, and it was the first time that Yoongi had realized that there were many others like him who didn't care about who he was with. Namjoon had opted to go with Jimin to prom as well, and they all spent their time partying and dancing.

It had been one of the best nights of Yoongi's life.

Hoseok had graduated from St. John's with honors. They didn't let him walk the stage, but he made sure to show up anyhow, opting to run down the stage at the last minute, which stunned absolutely everyone, but it had been a complete moment of victory. After, Yoongi had graduated alongside Jimin, and he had been able to walk the stage, so he supposed he didn't miss much. Hoseok and Yoongi took their graduation pictures together, held a party to celebrate, and as luck would have it, Hoseok's mother was given an opportunity for an extremely well-paying job in Los Angeles.

She accepted it, and about three weeks later, Yoongi and Hoseok's family had all moved to the sunny, blue state of California, formally leaving everything that had hurt them in Texas. It worked out well in the end, too, as Namjoon and Jimin had decided to go to schools in California, which meant that they, too, would be heading to California very soon. Namjoon had managed to keep Jimin hidden from his family, and it wasn't until Namjoon was about to leave for California that he decided to come out to his parents with the intention of cutting them out of his life if they didn't accept him.

Surprisingly, his parents had been fine with it, going as far as apologizing for not letting him feel that he could confide in them, the complete opposite of what Namjoon had been expecting from them, considering how they had reacted to Yoongi being outed. Namjoon had introduced his parents to Jimin about a week later, and as far as Yoongi had heard, Namjoon's parents had absolutely adored Jimin.

"Yoongi, you look good."

Yoongi didn't smile at the words.

He thanked the nurse, who quickly scurried away, leaving Yoongi with his estranged father. His father was full of needles, and judging from the sickly expression on his face, Yoongi knew that his father didn't have much left to live. Strangely enough, his mother was nowhere to be found, but he thought nothing of it. It was possible his mother just didn't want to see Yoongi, and he was fine with that. If this were any other time, Yoongi would also be crying, but it had been over a decade since he'd spoken a word to his parents. He felt nothing for his father lying on his deathbed.

"You're married," Yoongi's father said, eyeing the gold band on Yoongi's ring finger. Yoongi grimaced but nodded. "To who?"

"Hoseok."

The brief pain in Yoongi's father's eyes was one that was fleeting but one that Yoongi noticed all the same.

Hoseok had kept his promise about marrying Yoongi, though not everything in their relationship had been easy. They'd gone off to college, and that's when Yoongi had started feeling the pressures of being labeled gay. Suddenly, he'd been surrounded by people who were incredibly comfortable with their label, who dressed a certain way, and who made Yoongi feel like he had to prove himself as someone who was gay. It had caused rifts in Hoseok and his relationship, mostly due to Yoongi's insecurities, but just like always, Hoseok had been patient. They'd had regular fights, as all couples did, and sometimes Yoongi feared that Hoseok would find someone better than him, but Hoseok had always been there to remind him that he didn't want perfect.

Hoseok had never wanted society's definition of perfect.

Not when Yoongi was Hoseok's definition of perfection.

Hoseok encouraged him to seek therapy. Even if Yoongi felt fine, it didn't mean that he didn't have anything to process, and in all honesty, Yoongi needed it far more than he thought. Even now, he would book an appointment just to keep himself in check. Would he have preferred not to have been scarred by his past? Of course, but was this the reality? It was, and all Yoongi could do was push through.

Once they graduated from Northeastern, Hoseok proposed, and the only answer that Yoongi could ever give him was a resounding yes. They'd gotten married about three years later— once Yoongi and Hoseok both finished law school. Yoongi had contemplated inviting his parents out of respect, but considering that they had made their choice years ago, he decided that he would spend his wedding in bliss with his real family. There was no use in trying to reopen old wounds. Yoongi had come too far for that.

Now that had been the happiest night of Yoongi's life.

Not everyone could say that they married their high school sweetheart, but here Yoongi was, married and living happily in California with Hoseok. Once they were legally married, Yoongi decided that he would abandon all ties to his family name, and Hoseok fully supported it (though he had suggested changing his name to Min just to piss off Yoongi's family and make it official that they finally had a gay couple in the family tree which Yoongi brushed off after considering it). Ultimately, Yoongi wanted to get rid of the name that held him back, and just like his family had abandoned him, he'd decided to abandon his name, taking the name of the new family he had.

"Is he here with you?" Yoongi's father asked. Yoongi nodded, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Why didn't he come to the room?"

"It was a precaution," Yoongi drawled, looking at his father annoyedly. "You don't have a gun in here to shoot him with, do you?"

His father flinched at the question and looked like he was about to scold Yoongi for talking to his father that way, but he seemed to think better of it. Good. His father couldn't pretend to try to be Yoongi's parent when he had purposefully abandoned him all those years ago.

"I don't know why you called me," Yoongi said, sitting down on one of the other chairs. He made sure to remain as far away as possible while still being able to see his parents perfectly fine. "I thought you'd disowned me almost eleven years ago."

"I'm dying, Yoongi," his father said. "It's terminal. I wanted to see you before I pass away."

So Yoongi had been right.

He didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"You don't deserve it. None of you do. You abandoned me. You threatened me with your gun. You could have killed me."

"If this is your attempt at getting my forgiveness for everything you have done to me, you're not getting it," Yoongi snapped, already regretting the decision to sit down. "You don't deserve it. None of you do. You abandoned me. You threatened me with your gun. You could have killed me."

"Don't bring God into this," he interjected. "God didn't tell you to disown your child. You did that on your own accord. You did so many bad things and have never ever once apologized for it. You didn't even try to contact me, and now I'm getting phone call after phone call telling me to come down to Texas, a state I haven't lived in years, mind you because you're dying and you want to absolve yourself of all the sins you've committed against me?"

The guilt in his father was evident, but Yoongi couldn't bring himself to care. His heart twisted in fury that after ditching Yoongi all those years ago, his father had the audacity to try to make amends with him. It was too late for that. They had both left Yoongi completely messed up, and if it hadn't been for Hoseok and his family's constant support, Yoongi knew that he wouldn't be in the same room as his parents now.

His parents had had every opportunity to try and make things right between them, but they had decided to wait until the last minute to try to talk to Yoongi. Why was it that Yoongi was only invited to his parents' lives when they needed something from him? Why would they wait until they were dying to fully come clean to Yoongi?

"You're still entitled to what I have, Yoongi," his father whispered. "I'm sorry for how vile I treated you all those years ago. You didn't deserve it. Hoseok didn't deserve it, either. Not a day went by that I didn't regret kicking my oldest son out of the house."

Yoongi rolled his eyes. "Like that's easy to believe."

"We tried keeping tabs on you, but you moved away after graduation," his father added. "But you turned out well without us. You even married Hoseok."

"It was because of Hoseok and his family's constant support that I'm still here," Yoongi spat. "They took me in. They never stopped supporting me, and they love me for who I am. You never could. Even now, I know that you two aren't happy that I chose to marry Hoseok. You would have preferred me marrying someone like Jess."

His father shook his head. "Jess's just like you, son. She dropped out of BC within her first year, and her family found out that she was dating a childhood friend of hers. Well, she was. They broke up really quickly, and from what they had told me, that's the reason Jess had decided to drop out of BC. She's still around these parts if you want to reconnect with her."

Yoongi scoffed. "Reconnect with the girl who singlehandedly ruined my life? Who ratted me out? If anything, I want to see how miserable she's doing, dad. I'm glad that her ex broke up with her. She was one the worst type of people to exist."

"Yoongi, don't say that," his father immediately said, rising to Jess's defense. "It's not her fault."

"It was her fault," Yoongi retorted. "She was constantly getting into people's business. She forced me to come out to her, and then the next day, she told you. She ruined my life. She ruined other people's lives too. If anything, she deserved and continues to deserve everything that comes to her."

The room descended into tense, uncomfortable silence for a couple of moments.

"Look," Yoongi began, breaking the silence. "It sucks that you're dying. I'm flattered that you decided to reach out to me now that you may not live to see another day instead of reaching out to me any time before. But I would be lying if I said I accept your apology because I don't. I will never accept your apology. You can die knowing your only child is never going to forgive you."

"You're my oldest, Yoongi," his father said, sighing softly. "Not my only child."

Yoongi froze. "You had another? Is that why mom isn't here? She's taking care of a child?"

His father stayed quiet.

"Your mother passed away three years ago, Yoongi," he whispered, unable to look at Yoongi's expression of disbelief and surprise. "During childbirth. You have two siblings. Twins."

For the first time since arriving at his father's door, Yoongi's eyes watered. He nodded once, finding no words. His body was stinging with betrayal at the thought of his mother having been dead for years now and that not once had his father tried to contact him about it. Sure, Yoongi wouldn't have been sorry, but he would have come to pay his respects. To find out that his mother had died while giving birth to twins, considering she was way older than the recommended age to have children to begin with.

How could his father keep this information from Yoongi?

Yoongi stood up abruptly, unable to look his father in the eyes. He could hear his father's pleas, begging Yoongi to stay so that he could explain himself, but Yoongi would have none of it. He walked out of that room, his heart breaking in his chest— something he thought he would be immune to from his father after all these years. As it turned out, his father still seemed to have weapons up his sleeves, and if his father had thought there was any chance that Yoongi could forgive him, it was gone now.

He wiped the tears from his face as he made his way toward Hoseok. Hoseok had only had time to look up before Yoongi completely collapsed in his arms. He immediately wrapped his arms around Yoongi, and ignoring the gazes of the people around them, Hoseok gently led Yoongi out. Yoongi silently sobbed in Hoseok's chest, and it wasn't until they had gotten to Hoseok's car that Yoongi finally said a word.

"I have siblings."

Hoseok's face morphed into shock. "He said that?"

Yoongi nodded, wiping his tears once more. "My mom died three years ago during childbirth. Three years ago, Hoseok and my father thought that he should tell me this once he's dying? I have brothers or sisters or whatever, but they exist, and they're real, Hoseok. I didn't think he'd stoop this low. He didn't even tell me about my own mother dying!"

Hoseok rubbed Yoongi's hands soothingly. "Your father's a shit person, love. Of course, he wouldn't tell you. He only had you visit him so that you could forgive him, right?"

Yoongi nodded slowly. "I told him I wouldn't. He can rot for all I care."

If his father had never told Yoongi about his new siblings, then it meant that Yoongi's father didn't want Yoongi to be in their lives. While he burned with curiosity at the thought of having siblings after being an only child, Yoongi knew that it wouldn't matter. He didn't have it in him to want to go back to his father. Some things would have to remain a mystery, and after all the suffering his father had done to Yoongi, he would rather have his siblings be a mystery.

"Let's get out of here," Yoongi mumbled, letting Hoseok's hands go to put his seatbelt on. "Maybe get some Whataburger. We haven't had that in years."

Hoseok reached out for Yoongi's left hand, and Yoongi let him. He kissed Yoongi's ring before brushing his fingers over Yoongi's knuckles and nodding at Yoongi's request.

"Your wish is my command."

🏝 

Three weeks later, Yoongi's father passed away.

Six weeks after that, Yoongi returned to adopt his siblings.

"Are you Yoongi Min?"

Yoongi pursed his lips, and with hands firmly interlaced with Hoseok's, he said, "Jung. Yoongi Jung."

The social worker only nodded, apologizing for her mistake. "Right this way. Currently, the kids are under the custody of Jess Davis, as she was assigned to them temporarily once your late father had been hospitalized. I understand she's an old family friend?"

Hoseok's hand subconsciously tightened around Yoongi's at the mention of Jess's name. Yoongi only nodded because, in all technicality, Jess was a family friend, even after the entire fiasco that occurred in high school. Maybe his parents had felt like they needed to make something up to Jess, which made even less sense if she admitted she was lesbian, because wouldn't that have meant that Yoongi's parents should have reached out to him a lot sooner?

It didn't matter.

Yoongi wouldn't be seeing Jess ever again after this.

Jess's smile was bright and cheery as Yoongi and Hoseok entered the room. The smile quickly soured once she recognized them, a scowl settling onto her face as she looked down and noticed Hoseok and Yoongi hand in hand. The social worker, Ms. Saunders, motioned for Yoongi and Hoseok to take a seat in front of Jess, unaware of the history between the three of them. If Yoongi could glare daggers, he would, but that wouldn't amount to the justice he deserved for what Jess did all those years ago. He'd never pursued anything legally because it hadn't been worth it, but that didn't mean he had forgotten.

"They're unfit to be parents," Jess immediately said. Hoseok pulled a number of files from his suitcase and wordlessly handed them to Ms. Saunders, who took them appreciatively. "Not even a hi? Right down to business, I suppose?"

"As I understand, you've never seen your siblings before, correct?" Ms. Saunder's asked Yoongi. Yoongi nodded.

"I wasn't informed my mother passed away either," Yoongi said, ignoring any remark Jess threw their way. "I'm surprised that I was asked by the state to take them. I don't think my parents would have agreed to this."

"Actually, Mister Jung," Yoongi noticed Jess fuming at the name, "Your father specifically wrote that he wanted you to get the chance to take custody of them if you wanted to. I'm sure you heard he left everything to you."

Yoongi had. He'd received the notice via phone call, and it was how this entire process had started. They'd informed him that should he wish to, he could adopt them, a conversation that extended hours with Hoseok. Hoseok had argued that it would be a risky process and that despite all the changes that had befallen Texas, there wasn't too much of a chance that they would recognize Yoongi and Hoseok as legitimate. Yoongi didn't owe his siblings anything, and they both agreed. Yoongi had actually agreed with Hoseok.

Hoseok and Yoongi hadn't really talked about the future yet. They were still paying their student loans off, and they'd been lucky that Hoseok's mother and the rest of Yoongi's in-laws had contributed to funding Yoongi and Hoseok's home. Despite everything, Hoseok and Yoongi were comfortable, but kids hadn't ever really been talked about between them. It wasn't that neither of them didn't want kids— they did, but Yoongi wasn't too sure how he'd feel seeing his siblings for the first time.

What if he hated them? Felt nothing for them? Did they even know that he existed? Did his parents ever talk about Yoongi to them? What would they think about Yoongi and Hoseok? Yoongi was a literal stranger, Hoseok moreso. How could they just take responsibility for two other kids and take them away from the only place they've ever known?

"But I've been taking care of 'em this entire time," Jess argued. "If anyone should have custody, it's me. Those kids know me. I'm like a mother to them. How do y'all even know that they can be good parents? I mean, a dad and a dad? Just look at 'em!"

"Statistically, children in same sex parent homes are more likely to live stable lives," Hoseok responded, lips curling up into a snide smile. "To adopt, you have to have proof of stable income, and fortunately, Yoongi and I have more than enough to take care of them. I'm flattered that you're concerned, though. Everything Ms. Saunders may need is in the files. If Yoongi decides to adopt them, he's well within his right."

Jess scowled. "What are ya, his lawyer?"

Hoseok shook his head. "We're both lawyers, Jess. I just happen to specialize in family law, which covers adoptions. What do you do for a living?"

Jess did not answer.

"Everything looks good," Ms. Saunders announced, smiling. "If you'd like to see them, Yoongi, they're at home. I told them that you would be visiting. They're excited to meet you."

"Sure."

Excited was an understatement.

Yoongi had never thought he'd be staring at spitting resemblances of him, but here they were. Eyes widened round, and bright, bright smiles lit their faces as they looked at Yoongi for the first time. It was strange, seeing that their faces and their body language signaled to Yoongi that his siblings genuinely wanted to be around him. There was no hatred in their eyes. Only curiosity with specks of childlike purity and innocence. He felt his eyes water slightly, and he blinked away the tears.

Could it be that they had not been taught anything hateful about who Yoongi was?

"Hello." Yoongi piped softly, crouching to their height. "I'm Yoongi. Your brother. Did our parents tell you about me?"

They hadn't.

Though it hurt, Yoongi knew there had been a reason why his parents shielded his existence. Not once had they reached out to him, not even for his mother's passing, and his father only contacted him because he had been on his deathbed and wanted to absolve himself. His parents had been full of resentment and hatred for him to the end, Yoongi knew that, but looking at his innocent siblings who had no idea they'd been born into an unforgiving, hateful family, Yoongi couldn't help but be glad that both of them had passed away.

Taking care of his siblings was an opportunity to make things right.

His gaze flashed to Hoseok, whose expression remained indiscernible. Still, he could tell by the way Hoseok's lips slightly twitched at the kids' excitement that he was genuinely considering taking care of them. The initial worries that he'd had slowly melted away, and the longer Yoongi connected with his siblings, he found himself wanting to remain with them. They got along with Hoseok remarkably well, too, and hadn't batted an eye when they'd learned that Hoseok and Yoongi were married.

Maybe they could do this.

His siblings were mere toddlers. They knew nothing of the world, and if anyone deserved to have an environment where they were raised with love and acceptance, it should be them. If his siblings remained in their small town in Texas, they would learn hatred and bigotry. If one of them were to identify as part of the LGTBQ+ community in the future, they would learn to hate themselves, and Yoongi had already gone through that. He couldn't bear the thought of anyone else going through what he, Hoseok, and countless others had to go through.

Looking at Hoseok, Yoongi knew Hoseok was thinking the same. They would still have to talk about it to make sure that they were on the same page, but Yoongi knew that they wouldn't have any conflict. The only person they could have a conflict with was Jess, and it was proven right when a couple of hours later, Jess approached Yoongi.

"Can I talk to ya?" Jess cleared her throat. Yoongi grimaced, looking for Hoseok, who was busy with Yoongi's siblings. "Alone."

Despite his guts screaming at him not to, he agreed.

"You can't take them away from me," she began, crossing her arms. "They're the only things I got going for me."

"Things?" Yoongi echoed. "They're kids."

"Ya know what I meant," she scrunched her nose. "Look, some of us ain't get as lucky as you and your boyfriend did."

"Husband," Yoongi corrected, pointing to his ring. "He's my husband, Jess."

"Whatever."

"What happened to your girlfriend?" Yoongi asked. "I thought you had it all figured out."

She hadn't.

Yoongi knew that. he should feel bad, but to him, it was karma. Things had ended roughly with Vanessa, not just because of the long distance between them but because Vanessa had heard about everything Jess had been doing down in Texas. They'd gotten into a massive fight over it, with Vanessa immediately wanting to break it up. She couldn't be with someone who hated people in the same spaces as her, and when Jess finally admitted that what she had done was out of pure jealousy, Vanessa had broken things off. She couldn't be with someone that could harm others to feel better about her situation.

Even with her family figuring out Jess's sexual orientation, she vehemently denied it. She would assure her family that it was a phase, something that she needed to get out of her system before getting back onto the right path— God's path, and with that, the few strings that could have saved her relationship fully fell apart.

Jess had no intention of ever truly coming out to her parents, which had been another reason why Vanessa broke it off. To Vanessa, it was as if Jess continued to live in denial. She loved her family too much to be true to herself, and Vanessa couldn't be with someone that would leave her in the shadows for the sake of keeping the peace with her family. Vanessa deserved better. She was better. So Vanessa left Jess, leaving Jess behind in the miserable little town that she'd chosen to stay at.

After her sob story, Yoongi's lips broke into a smile.

"You deserve far worse," Yoongi said, chuckling. "Did you think I would feel sorry for you? You ruined my life, Jess. You outed me, just like you outed Jimin before. Everything that happened to you you deserve. I had to move away because of you. My family cut me off, and if it wasn't for Hoseok's family's support, who knows where I would be? You shattered my fucking life, Jess. Now you want me to abandon my siblings— who I wasn't even aware existed, mind you because it's all you have? No, Jess. I won't."

"I'll fight ya for their custody," Jess threatened, balling her hands into fists. "Ya can't do this to me. I been by your family's side. I deserve to have them."

"If you try, I will sue you," Yoongi promised, smiling coldly. "You are not a good person, Jess. How many more kids have you outed? How many more will you continue to out because of your misfortunes? We have plenty of evidence and witnesses about what you did years ago. Do you think the courts will approve of someone like you adopting them? You're not family."

Jess's eyes began to water. "I am family. Your mama and daddy said so."

"They're dead," Yoongi answered coldly. "I'm the last remaining piece of the Min family, and you are not my family. You will never be family. Not to me, not to my husband, and especially not to my siblings, whom I plan to fully adopt. You'll never see them again. I'll make sure of it."

"Everything alright here?"

Hoseok strode to Yoongi's side, his arm already linking around Yoongi's waist protectively. Jess's eyes narrowed, and the few tears that managed to slip were angrily brushed away. The resentment was clear in her expression, but Yoongi found himself not caring. The scars of the past were just that— things that remain in the past. It was clear that he'd become far more successful than Jess in all aspects of life, and with how disastrous her life spiraled into, Yoongi couldn't help but feel satisfied.

It was everything she deserved.

"Jess was just leaving," Yoongi said, purposefully leaning onto Hoseok's shoulder. "We'll see you around, Jess, though not under favorable circumstances. Send Vanessa my kindest regards. I'm sure she'd like to know how well Hoseok and I are doing."

"I hate you, Yoongi Min," Jess sneered. "I hate you both."

Fortunately for Yoongi, the feeling was mutual.

He knew that he would never get an apology from her, but Yoongi had healed. He didn't need Jess to be sorry for what she had done. He knew she never would. As long as she could keep her victim mentality, it didn't matter what actual victims suffered. He couldn't let his siblings fall victim to her, no matter how much she claimed to take care of them. There was nothing in this world that would convince Yoongi otherwise. Someone who was incapable of admitting their faults, of internalizing that they were the problem all along, wasn't someone who deserved to have any support.

Yoongi was past what Jess did to him, but he would never forgive her. He would never forget how his life had been flipped upside down because of her jealousy and how low she had stooped to pressure Yoongi into coming out when he had not been ready. Jess Davis deserved nothing from the Mins, and with Yoongi being the only one apart from his siblings alive, Yoongi made all the executive decisions now.

"We'll never see her again," Hoseok reassured as they headed back inside Yoongi's late parents' place. "Our future is bright."

Yoongi laughed, kissing Hoseok on the cheek.

"It's because I have you."

Hoseok crinkled his nose. "When did you get so cheesy?"

Yoongi shrugged. "You made me like this. Your fault."

Hoseok pulled Yoongi to his chest and, with a victorious smirk, claimed Yoongi's lips as he had all those years ago.

"I wouldn't have it any other way, my love."

🏝

"There are not enough words in this world that can explain how ardently in love with you I am."

Yoongi gently kissed Hoseok's lips under the gaze of the stars. For old times' sake, they traveled to the old lake home, the one that was preserved with nothing but memories of their past high school selves. They didn't have to, but after everything, it felt like a full circle moment, and underneath the stars, Yoongi had never felt safer.

"I'm sorry it took me so long to openly love you," he murmured, cupping Hoseok's cheeks. "But I promise I will never leave your side. We were made for each other, you know. From the beginning, there was only one person, and it was you."

It's always been you.

As Hoseok's expression lit into the brightest of smiles, Yoongi leaned in once more, capturing the lips of the boy God had given him the opportunity to meet, grow alongside, and love for the rest of his days.

Hoseok Jung was the love of Yoongi's life. The reason for his existence, the motivation to get up every morning to, the highlight of his darkest days, and now they would be the parents that Yoongi never had.

"I love you, Hoseok Jung."

Hoseok's eyes crinkled with love, folding into crescents, as he pulled Yoongi to him so that they'd be as close as they physically could. He gently whispered kisses on Yoongi's earlobe, trailing down to the various parts of his face, before taking Yoongi's lips in his, kissing him until they could no longer breathe.

"And I love you, Yoongi Min."

"Jung," Yoongi corrected. Hoseok chuckled, kissing Yoongi's lips once more. "I'm yours in name, body, soul, and every fiber of my being."

Everything was perfect.

"Forever and always."

Completely and utterly perfect.

THE END.

Paradise Redefined: Refers to Yoongi making the conscious decision to spare his siblings from the potential trauma that he had to go through. Through his siblings' he was able to picture a life for them where they could be who they were, a place where they would be unconditionally loved and accepted. Of course, Yoongi knows he won't be able to save them from everything, but if he could have them so that they knew that family will always support them, then that is what Yoongi will do. He's giving them the love and attention that he should have received when he was younger, which introduces a new version of paradise, never seen before. He found his paradise, and now he's helping redefine future generations' paradises so that they don't hate who they are or hate others for who they are as people.

thank you so much for accompanying on this journey with me! i can't believe i'm finally done with this, and while it took me extra months than i thought, we're finally at the finish line. i hope this epilogue was cute enough, i couldn't get the thought of sope parents, and i wanted to give a fair ending (fuck jess lmao hope she rots), while also briefly outlining everything for them. it was shorter than intended, but i wanted to keep it short and sweet. this officially wraps up paradise in you, and i'm actually so sad.

this fic is very personal to me, and like yoongi, it took me a really long while to get used to my identity as a queer person. many of the religious traumas that yoongi goes through are some of which i have experienced, and the fears that he had over his parents are ones that i have over my family and though i am currently dating a cis, heterosexual man (so i'm lucky in that sense), i have made the conscious decision to not come out to my family until i am financially stable and can support myself. in a way, this is a comfort book, and me indulging in how yoongi eventually found his own happiness while accepting his status as a gay man and i hope that this fic has helped/comforted some of y'all.

again, thank you all so much for reading! i really appreciate you all, and i hope to see y'all in future fics <3

lots of love,

scar