"What is this about, hyung? I was on my way to a meeting?"

    "I know. Just give me five minutes."

Jeongguk sighs as Seokjin pulls him inside his apartment. He only came over because Seokjin said it was urgent and he needed to speak with him as soon as possible.

    "What was so urgent?" Jeongguk asks following Seokjin to the living room.

    "I said time-sensitive. Not urgent." He says sitting down before patting the spot next to him. "Sit down. We need to talk."

    "I really don't have time for this~"

    "You had enough time to come over. Can't you spare five minutes of your time?" Seokjin pouts dramatically. "I know I don't deserve your time after what I did~"

    "Shut up," Jeongguk says rolling his eyes as he sits down. "You didn't do anything wrong. I would've reacted the same way I guess."

    "I'm still sorry. Saebin's been dying to see you if that makes you feel better." The older says. "He even cried a little the other day."

Jeongguk shakes his head as he laughs a little. "Whatever. Where is he now?"

"Namjoon took him to get ice cream," Seokjin says checking the time. "They should be back any minute now."

"I thought Saebin hated going with Namjoon," Jeongguk says fidgeting with the piercing in his lip.

"He does unless there's ice cream involved." Seokjin laughs. "I don't get why he isn't comfortable with Namjoon. How is he more comfortable with you than he is with Namjoon?"

"You say that like he's supposed to be uncomfortable around me. I don't treat the little shit badly." Jeongguk says, obviously offended. "Maybe he likes me because I'm not fucking his dad."

"Saebin doesn't understand any of that, asshole," Seokjin exclaims hitting Jeongguk in the arm. "He only likes you because you let him do whatever he wants."

"Maybe you should ask him," Jeongguk says before the front door opens as if on cue.

"JK!" Saebin gasps excitedly when he sees Jeongguk sitting on the couch.

"SB!" The ravenette says back as the six-year-old rushes over to him. Laughing as he takes the boy in his arms.

Seokjin smiles, shaking his head as he watches as Jeongguk lets Saebin tackle him down onto the couch. "Don't be too rough, Saebin."

"Hey, baby," Namjoon says leaning over the back of the couch to greet Seokjin with a kiss. "He came."

"Yeah." The older chuckles as he kisses Namjoon briefly. "Take Saebin to the kitchen while we talk?"

"Yeah. Come on, Saebin. Daddy and Jeongguk are having an adult conversation." Namjoon says heading to the kitchen. "Let's go eat the ice cream you picked."

"No, JK is here for me." Saebin pouts hugging Jeongguk's neck tightly. "I don't want to go with you."

"You're choking me, kid," Jeongguk says tapping the six-year-old's arm.

"Go to the kitchen, please, Saebin," Seokjin says trying to pull him away from Jeongguk.

"No, no, no." Saebin cries hugging Jeongguk tighter. "I don't want you to leave, JK."

"I'm not leaving, jeez," Jeongguk says before tickling his sides to make him let go. Laughing at him as Seokjin sits him down. "Go to the kitchen. I'm gonna be here when you get back."

"I'm gonna be right back," Saebin says before rushing to the kitchen. "I'm gonna be back!"

"Okay!" Jeongguk calls after him before turning back to Seokjin. "That kid loves me for some reason."

"Maybe we should ask him," Seokjin says before changing the subject. "But I called you here for a reason."

"Right." Jeongguk sighs. "I'm guessing Taehyung told you."

"He did, but only because he was really upset. He was afraid he ruined things with you." Seokjin says. "Which I told him he didn't. Because I know you wouldn't leave him over something like this...right?"

"Of course I wouldn't," Jeongguk says looking down at his hands. "He's hardly looked at me since I told him so I thought he wanted to be left alone."

"Taehyung never wants to be alone. He just sucks at communicating when he's really upset." Seokjin says. "I thought you knew that by now."

"He's always drilling me about shutting down when I'm upset but he does the same thing," Jeongguk says rolling his eyes. "I don't bother him when he's upset. Because I hate when he bothers me when I'm upset."

"Well, I guess the two of you are alike and different in that way. But you both want the same thing in the end." Seokjin says. "You both want to make it better. And you can't make it better if you don't confront him about his feelings. And even if you don't confront him, don't leave him alone. It's just going to make things harder on the both of you."

"I know. But this is different, hyung. I can't expect him to just get over my addiction. I don't know if I would be able to if things were the other way around." Jeongguk shrugs. "I was a bad person and I did a lot of bad things. And I'd be scared too if I were him."

"He's not scared of you, Jeongguk. He's scared of losing you." Seokjin says. "Leaving him alone isn't going to combat his fear of losing you. But being there for him and not leaving his side, even when he's being distant. That's going to comfort him and make him feel more secure."

Jeongguk shrugs. "I'm not going anywhere, hyung. I don't understand why that's so hard to believe. I'm not on drugs anymore and I'm not going anywhere."

"I believe you~"

"Well it doesn't seem like it." Jeongguk snaps looking at the older. "It seems like you want me to prove it to you. Like any day now I'm gonna get strung out and leave Taehyung to take care of my kids."

"I'm not saying that~"

"Why do I have to prove myself to either of you?" Jeongguk asks. "I genuinely want to know why."

"You don't have to prove yourself to me." Seokjin says with a stern expression. "But if you love Taehyung as much as you say you do~"

"I do love him~"

"Then you'll prove yourself to him. Because he needs that closure." Seokjin finishes. "He loves you, and you should want to prove yourself to him. To make him comfortable."

"He talked to you about this? Needing closure?" Jeongguk asks, trying not to get aggravated.

"Yes. And he didn't want to tell you because he didn't want you to think he didn't trust you." The older says. "And he does trust you. He just needs the confirmation."

"You called me over here to tell me that Taehyung wants me to take a drug test?"

"Yes. And I don't want you to get upset."

Jeongguk closes his eyes for a second. Trying not to let the anger bubbling in his chest boil over. He knew telling Taehyung about his addiction would result in this. He knew he would want proof that he was clean. But that didn't change the hurt he felt.

"Why don't you trust me? Why doesn't he trust me?" He asks, keeping his eyes closed as he combatted the anger and the sadness threatening to overcome him. "I don't understand what I've ever done to make him doubt me~"

"It's not you, Jeongguk~"

"Yes the fuck it is, Seokjin!" The ravenette finally snaps, looking at his friend with tears in his eyes. "It is me, I'm the fucking problem in all this. He doesn't trust me. He's never believed anything I've said to him~"

"Of course he has, Jeongguk. He's not asking for the drug test because he doesn't trust you. He's asking because he wants to be able to trust you going forward." Seokjin says, completely shocked by the younger's tears. He's never seen Jeongguk even a little close to tears since he's met him. "He wants to make sure that you aren't betraying his trust."

"So you guys are just going to constantly treat me like an addict now? Do you know how fucking damaging that is for me?" Jeongguk asks looking at Seokjin. His eyes pleading for him to understand. "Do you understand how damaging it is for my recovery to be accused of using again when I never did?"

"No, I don't." Seokjin answers honestly, swallowing his own tears at the sight of Jeongguk's.

"Well it fucking sucks, Seokjin. And it just makes me feel like I'm back in that time of my life. And I fucking hate it." The ravenette says leaning forward and pressing the heals of his hands into his eyes as his elbows rest on his knees. "I thought telling him would make things better but it just made it worse."

"It didn't~"

"He won't even look at me, hyung. He won't talk to me~"

"Take the drug test, Jeongguk."

"Why should I have to do that?"

Seokjin sighs softly, falling silent for a moment. "Because things won't get better if you don't."

"I have to go." Jeongguk says shaking his head as he stands. "If taking a drug test is the only way to get him to trust me then I'll do it. I just hope he knows how fucked up it makes me feel."

"It's not about you, Jeongguk. It's about Taehyung. You'll do it if you love him." Seokjin says standing as well. "I only support Taehyung's decision because I care about you too. And I know it hurts you, I can tell it does. And I'm sorry, I wish things were different."

"Whatever." Jeongguk says shaking his head again as he turns to leave. "I think I need some space from you and Taehyung~"

"No, Jeongguk~"

"It's what I want, Seokjin. Since everyone's getting whatever the fuck they want now." Jeongguk says walking out of the apartment and shutting the door behind himself.

He wasn't just upset. He was pissed. He was pissed the hell off and he didn't know what to do with all the anger he felt. His mom would tell him to meditate, to feel and accept his anger, or some other spiritual bullshit that he couldn't even remember right now.

He didn't know what to do with his anger but he knew better than to go home and let it out on Taehyung. So he didn't go home. He didn't want to and he didn't have to.

Taehyung probably didn't want to see him anyways.

~Later that night...~

"This isn't working, this isn't working."

Taehyung sighs as he paces back and forth in the living. Downing another bottle of water as he does so. He was feeling contractions but they differ from the Braxton-Hicks that he's been feeling all week.

These were somehow worse. He couldn't pinpoint it but something made these more painful, and that worried him.

"Ah, no. No, no, no." He groans leaning over slightly as another wave of pain shoots through his abdominal area. He squeezes his eyes shut as this one lasts longer than the one before. Trying his best not to hold his breath as the pain continues.

Something wasn't right, these contractions weren't like the ones he had been having. And they were getting worse. Was he in labor? Was he actually going into labor right now?

"It's too soon." He tries to remind himself before pacing again. "It's still too soon."

But the pain doesn't ease up like a typical contraction. The pain doesn't die down like it did before, it's persistent. Taehyung continues to try to pace but the pain is almost unbearable.

The front door opens and Taehyung nearly breaks down when he sees Jeongguk but he tries to stay calm. Panicking wasn't going to help. "J-Jeongguk." He says through his heavy breathing.

"What's wrong?" He asks rushing over when he hears Taehyung's panicked voice. Panic rising in his own chest when he sees his tears. "What's going on?"

"I don't know, it just~ ugh...it hurts." The brunette says as another wave of pain crashes over him on top of the pain he was already feeling. "I think it's happening. I think it's happening now."

"Okay, okay. I'll call Dr. Song to tell her we're coming." Jeongguk says calmly despite his fear of the unknown. "It's gonna be okay."

"We need to go now. Like right now. I can't take this." Taehyung says ignoring his reassurance. "Something feels wrong."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Jeongguk says rushing up the stairs to get the hospital bag.

Taehyung sits down on the couch and tries to catch his breath. "It's too soon. It's too soon, you guys."

No matter how many times he repeated it, it didn't change how fierce his contractions were.

This was actually happening.