"I'm not supposed to be talking to you. It goes against my custody agreement."

    "I know, I just had to see you. It's been months now."

Jeongguk rolls his eyes slightly as he walks into his mother's apartment. It was a nice place, he was glad she didn't go back to that house.

    "Come sit down. Are you hungry? I can make you something." Mrs. Jeon says leading him to the living room.

    "I'm not hungry. What did you want to talk about?" The ravenette asks taking a seat with his mom in the sofa. "I'm supposed to be heading to work in a little while."

    "Oh? You found a job?" She smiles softly. "Do you enjoy it? Is it what you wanted?"

    "Yeah, business operations." Jeongguk shrugs. "I don't have a big role but I could work up to management in a few months."

    "That's great, Gguk. I'm so proud of you." His mother chuckles happily. "That's all I ever wanted for you."

    "What'd you want to talk about, ma?" The ravenette asks looking straight ahead. "Or should I even call you that anymore?"

    "I'm still your mother. Don't be a dick." Mrs. Jeon says, obviously hurt by Jeongguk's words. "I don't want to do this again."

    "Do what? You don't want to get called out on your bullshit, is that what you're saying?" Jeongguk asks looking at her with a confused expression.

    "I asked you to come over because I was worried about you. Jihyuk told me that you were back on that side of town again~"

    "I don't have time for this shit." Jeongguk says standing to leave.

    "Baby, please. I'm just worried about you. Can't I worry about you?" Mrs. Jeon asks standing with him. "You're my son."

    "What do you want to know, ma?" Jeongguk asks throwing his hands up in aggravation. "Do you wanna know if I'm getting high again? Is that it?"

    "No~"

    "That has to be it. Since that's what everyone automatically assumes of me." The ravenette continues. "Instead of assuming that I'm busting my ass trying to get myself established for my kids. Despite where I'm living at the moment."

    "I just want you to be safe, Jeongguk. And you don't look like you're taking care of yourself." Mrs. Jeon says. "You look thin and exhausted."

    "I am exhausted. From working fourteen hours a night." Jeongguk says narrowing his eyes. "I'm working hard for my kids. No drug is going to come between that. So please, save your worry. It makes you look ridiculous."

    "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I'm sorry. I believe you, I swear. And I won't question you again." Mrs. Jeon says. "Can you just sit and talk with me?"

Jeongguk sighs as he sits down. Pushing his disheveled hair back out of his face. "I'm just tired, ma. And pissed off, for multiple reasons. It's not just you."

    "I understand. I just want to talk for a little while." She says sitting down beside him. "How are the boys? I know you don't see them as often as you'd like but how are they?"

Jeongguk sighs as he tells his mother all about the boys. Not sparing a single detail about their Saturday visits at the park.

Talking to his mother somehow relieves some of the stress he is feeling. He would never tell her that though.

He was so tired that he was on the brink of being delirious when he finally leaves his mother's house. But there's no time for a nap or food, he had to get ready for work.

Which, surprisingly, also served as a stress reliever.

~Saturday...~

Taehyung bites back his smile as he watches Jeongguk with Hanjae. They had met at the park for their usual Saturday meeting so they sat across from each other on a blanket spread across the grass.

    "Has he cried a lot today?" Jeongguk asks looking up at Taehyung. "Last time you said he'd been crying a whole lot."

    "Not yet. It usually happens in the evening. My mom says he's just colicky." Taehyung says looking up from Jaehyung. "He's supposed to grown out of it."

Jeongguk nods. "I'm sure he will."

    "Switch?" Taehyung asks, making Jeongguk smile a little as he nods.

    "I got him." He says taking Jaehyung and handing Hanjae over.

Taehyung sighs as he watches a few children run around the park with smiling faces and not a care in the world.

    "I started work this week." Jeongguk says, he hated the silence between them so he usually tries to fill it.

    "Yeah? What do you do?" Taehyung asks.

    "Business operations. It's what I went to school for." Jeongguk says tucking his hair behind his ear. He could really go for a haircut, he just never had time.

    "So you're a businessman?" Taehyung asks raising an eyebrow. "That's not very exciting compared to your previous line of work."

    "I'm not a businessman. I make sure the businessmen run an efficient and effective organization." Jeongguk corrects. "And I had no previous line of work. It's not my fault I was brought into the Jeon family."

    "Didn't we already have this conversation?"

    "Yeah. But you obviously weren't listening."

Taehyung rolls his eyes. "I've heard enough from you and Seokjin, trust me."

    "Then you get that I'm not a bad guy. Right?" Jeongguk asks looking down at Jaehyung.

    "Do you really want to spend your last ten minutes arguing with me, Jeongguk?" Taehyung asks. "We've had this conversation before. I get it, you don't think you're a bad guy."

    "I'm not a bad guy."

    "Putting my life and my children's lives in danger, and not telling me about. Kinda makes you a bad guy, Jeongguk."

Jeongguk falls silent, biting at one of his lip rings as he rocks Jaehyung.

Taehyung sighs. "That's why you should've dropped it when I said. I don't like arguing in front of them."

    "I'm sorry for not telling you. I thought I was doing the right thing by not involving you." Jeongguk says looking down at Jaehyung still. "If I would've told you in the beginning you probably would've went through with the abortion. And I didn't want that. I'm sorry."

    "Sorry won't change anything, Jeongguk." Taehyung  says. "The damage is already done."

    "My family~ Well, that family won't hurt you. Or the twins. They have no reason to." Jeongguk says. "They've completely removed me, Jihyuk's their only son now."

    "That's so comforting, Jeongguk. Really." Taehyung says sarcastically. "Just drop it. I don't want to end like this."

Jeongguk nods, falling silent as he looks at Jaehyung. He was going to miss the boys so much throughout the week. Saturdays were his daily motivation.

When work got stressful or he was just in a shitty mood, he reminded himself that he just had to make it to Saturday. He'd see his boys and he'd see Taehyung. Even if he was cold towards him the entire time.

    "You know I actually enjoy spending time with you, Tae. Even though you're an asshole half the time." He says with a teasing smile. "It gives me hope."

    "Hope for what?" Taehyung asks as he puts Hanjae in his car seat.

    "The future. Maybe we can be civil for the boys." Jeongguk says kissing Jaehyung on the cheek before putting him in his seat. "We can still be a family. Even if we aren't together."

    "Sure." Taehyung says dismissively as he stands. "Next week let's do one instead of twelve. I have an interview at the primary school."

    "You're kidding, really?" Jeongguk smiles as he stands. "You're gonna start teaching already?"

    "It's just an interview." Taehyung says folding the blanket they were sitting on. "It's not a big deal."

"It is." Jeongguk smiles, picking up Jaehyung's car seat. "I know it's something you really wanted to do. You'll get the job, they'd be stupid not to hire you."

"You're an idiot." Taehyung chuckles softly as he grabs Hanjae's seat. "I don't want to get my hopes up."

    "Well, I hope it goes well for you." Jeongguk says following Taehyung to his car. "You deserve it."

Taehyung sighs as they put the twins in the car. Making sure they are buckled in properly before shutting the door. "See you next week."

    "Yeah." Jeongguk nods before walking in the opposite direction of Taehyung's car. He was still working out his transportation situation so he was mostly walking and using public transit. He didn't mind it much after a while.

When he gets to Minjun's apartment he starts getting ready for work. Ignoring his friend and his girlfriend as they sit in the living room getting high. It was easier to ignore now that he was working most of the time. He didn't have to constantly be around them.

As he's getting dressed Sunhee barges into his room. Closing the door behind herself before taking a seat on his bed.

"What, Sunhee?" Jeongguk asks grabbing his shirt from the bed. "I already told you, I'm not smoking with you guys."

"That's not why I came in here." The girl laughs with an eye roll. "I just want to talk. Y'know...catch up a little. We never talk anymore, it's weird."

Jeongguk watches her for a moment as he shrugs his shirt over his shoulders. Picking up on her body language immediately. "I have to get ready for work."

"Do you want me to drive you?" Sunhee asks. "I've developed quite the skill of driving one-handed. I can show you on the way to that fancy office you work at."

"Screw off, Sunhee. Before you get yourself in trouble." Jeongguk says turning away as he buttons his shirt. "You're like a sister to me. Why would I ever let you give me a handjob? That's what's weird."

"I'm not a little girl anymore, Jeongguk. I've grown up a lot since we were kids." Sunhee says standing, walking over to Jeongguk slowly. "I can show you how much I've grown since then. Wanna see?"

Jeongguk grabs Sunhee by the wrists before she gets the chance to grope him. Pushing her away before continuing with the buttons on his shirt. "If you're horny go screw your boyfriend. I have to finish getting ready."

"I'm gonna break you some day, Jeongguk."

"Keep telling yourself that."

Sunhee laughs shortly before walking to the door. Glancing at Jeongguk one more time before she walks out of the room.

Since he's been here Sunhee has tried multiple times to sleep with him. It was weird considering she was like a sister to him so long ago. Sure she's grown up but he still sees her as she was when they first met in high school.

It made his situation extremely uncomfortable. That on top of the drug use and the constant drinking made Jeongguk even more eager to get out of the stuffy apartment.

It was hard to stay strong. Especially when all he wanted to do was numb all the pain he was feeling. His heart was broken, even after this long. Each and every time he started to piece it back together he'd see Taehyung and it'd shatter all over again.

He hates that he still loves him so much. He wishes he could just turn off his feelings when he was around the brunette. Even when Taehyung treated him like shit he wanted to be around him.

How could he still feel so much for the person that was trying to take his children away? The two people that he loved most in the world, his boys. How could he love Taehyung so much when he'd do that to him?

He didn't have any answers but he had a whole lot of heartache and pain.

Things weren't supposed to go like this. They were supposed to be happy. They were supposed to be a family.

It hurt that he'd never have that...