366.

Grandpa's gift

Jimin woke up early as usual despite going to sleep late. Jungkook had his nose buried in the crook of his neck, body partially thrown over him, and pinned him to the bed as if he didn't want Jimin to leave the bed. Instead, the alpha grinned and embraced his husband.

Though he was fully awake, Jimin tried to fall asleep again. The bed was too comfortable, and his omega's scent wrapped around him like a fluffy blanket. He inhaled several gulps of air that were thick with their mingled scents. It was heaven.

Jimin let out a contented groan, pulling the sheets over their heads and sinking deeper into the bed. However, thirty minutes later, his brain and thoughts were wide-awake. He could hardly stay put. More than that, his stomach was growling in hunger.

After trying to fall asleep for a few more minutes, he gave up. Kissing his mate's head with a soft good morning mumbled into his hair, Jimin took another whiff and let out a contented sigh.

The alpha slipped out of the bed with great difficulty and then headed to the bathroom to freshen up. After a quick shower, he decided to grab some breakfast and check on his pup. However, Jimin ran into his pup and father-in-law in the restaurant. His heart warmed when he saw the scene unfold in front of him.

Minjun's delighted squeals greeted him first. Then, when he entered the restaurant where breakfast was served, he saw his pup sitting at the center of the table, clapping his hands and laughing out loud at something his grandfather said. Jungkook's dad looked several years younger, and the laughter on his face was contagious.

Jimin stood there momentarily, taking in the scene and committing it to his memory. Then, for a moment, he pictured his own father playing with his son and his mother spoiling him with treats she cooked herself.

He wondered how his life would have been if his parents had been a part of his pup's life. Jimin always thought his pup would grow up like a prince of the pack, but in the end, he was barely able to put food on their table every day.

The alpha exhaled, shoving those thoughts aside. He wasn't really angry at his parents. Instead, his wolf felt hurt and wished they had trusted him more. He made a mistake by trusting the wrong wolf. But things would have been far different if they had his back when he needed them the most.

On those nights when his pup fell sick or cried endlessly, Jimin wished he had his mom on call to tell him how to calm his pup. On days when he felt like he was failing his pup, he wished he had his dad to tell him it was going to be okay.

Then, he had to learn how to be a father all by himself. He met Seokjin because the doctor he was seeing recommended him as a specialist for his pup. Seokjin had helped him tremendously when he thought he was losing it all.

The alpha had filled in the role of both his parents when he learned Jimin was struggling. Maybe Jimin had broken down in front of him when he had to be admitted to the hospital for two nights, and his company wouldn't let him take a leave. Besides, Jimin was so scared that he would lose the pup that he was losing his sanity.

However, Seokjin had comforted him, saying his pup was safe and he had nothing to worry about. If not for the alpha, who took it upon himself to look after the pup even after his duty hours, Jimin didn't know how he would have survived those most challenging times.

Seokjin didn't just stop there. He continued to be a part of their lives. Jimin was grateful for everything Seokjin had done and doing. Life became so much easier when Namjoon and Hoseok came along. Without them, he wouldn't have come this far.

As Jimin watched, Jungkook's dad continued to feed his pup while telling him some stories, and the pup was seemingly enamored with it all. Finally, he approached them, catching the tail end of the story, and realized it was about something silly Jungkook did as a baby.

"Oh, hello, son, good morning," his father-in-law greeted.

"Papa!" Minjun climbed to his feet, jumping into his arms. The pup automatically went to bury his nose into Jimin's neck and nuzzled as a form of greeting.

"Hey, dad." He nuzzled into his son as well, scenting him gently. "Hello, sunshine. How is breakfast?"

"Yum, yum, yum." The pup bounced. "Grandpa is funny."

Jimin smiled, letting Minjun down so he could greet his father-in-law with a hug. "Thanks for looking after him, dad."

"Ah, stop being so polite." He patted his back. "It's my privilege as a grandfather. Don't you dare take it away from me."

"I wouldn't dare." Jimin chuckled. "When is your flight?"

"I'm not leaving," he informed casually.

They both took a seat, and Jimin filled his plate. "Change of plans?"

"After meeting my grand pup? Of course. I've been working all these decades, and for what? What good does it do if I can't spare a few days to be with my grand pup?" His father-in-law's attention switched to Minjun. "My pup is asleep, I suppose? He would never see the sun if not for his job." He chuckled fondly.

Jimin smiled. "Jungkookie loves to sleep in."

"He does," his father-in-law admitted. "So, any plans for today?"

Jimin checked his watch. "Waiting for Jungkook to wake up, and if he's in the mood, I thought we could go out."

"He won't be up before twelve," Jungkook's dad said. "How about we go someplace before he wakes up? There's something I'd like to show you."

"Sure." Jimin pulled up his phone to send a quick text to Jungkook before heading out with his father-in-law and the pup.

An hour later...

That someplace, in his father-in-law's words, was a penthouse in a high-rise building in one of the luxurious residential communities, which was conveniently close to his son's school.

Jimin didn't ask anything as he followed his father-in-law and a very excited pup, who held a new toy he had never seen before. It smelled richly of his grandfather, and a smile tugged at his lips. His pup was finally experiencing the presence of a grandfather in his life.

"I bought this place two weeks ago," Jungkook's dad said. "A good friend of mine mentioned this property in passing." So he unlocked the door with a lock code.

Jimin nodded as he followed him inside. The apartment opened to a small area to welcome the guests, complete with a shoe rack and a coat stand.

The narrow space opened to a wide, spacious, and bright living area that was separated from the kitchen with three-dimensional decorative tiled walls, which were elegant and contemporary spaces. There was another door that opened to a spacious balcony that could be decorated to fit their tastes.

The modern open-style kitchen was again spacious and fully equipped with state-of-the-art appliances. A dining table with eight chairs sat adjacent to the kitchen island. There was a guest toilet near the living room. The narrow hallway further led them to three bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms and a playroom that opened to a rooftop garden.

It was beautiful and reminded Jimin of his apartment gifted by his father for his eighteenth birthday. Of course, his son would have had all these luxuries if not for Jimin's poor decisions in life, but he took pleasure in knowing they both had a stronger bond than he ever did with his parents.

Now their family was complete with Jungkook in their life. He didn't think he could give his son a better gift than an understanding parent like Jungkook. And that was enough.

Minjun's excited squeal and occasional gasps echoed through the empty walls of the apartment. A fond smile tugged at the corners of Jimin's mouth. He went out to the rooftop garden that overlooked the city.

His smile widened when he saw the swimming pool and Jacuzzi. There was even a mini-bar adjacent to the pool. This place was perfect. Jimin could easily imagine himself living here. Maybe someday, he could earn enough to buy something like this for his family.

"Did you like this place?"

Jimin turned to meet his father-in-law's gaze. "It's perfect," he admitted. "I love this place."

The smile that spread on his father-in-law's face beat the brightness of the morning sun. "Awesome. I was hoping you would say that."

Jimin grinned. "Dad, are you planning to move here?"

Jungkook's dad shook his head. "Actually, I wanted to ask you something." He pushed his hands into his pocket. "May I have your permission to gift this to my grandson?" He suddenly looked nervous yet hopeful. "You're a very capable alpha, and I know I won't have to worry about my son anymore. But as a grandfather, I wish to spoil my grand pup if you allow me the honor."

Jimin's throat tightened. He understood the older man's hesitation. Wolves were prideful creatures, especially the purebreds, who might have more ego and pride than the others. However, his father-in-law's intention could be easily mistaken and misunderstood. It could be considered as if he intimated that Jimin was incapable of providing for his mate and son.

However, Jimin knew his intentions were genuine. Minjun wasn't his biological grandson. So he could understand his hesitation. Nevertheless, he wanted to be a part of their lives and took his role as a grandfather seriously.

"Also, ah, it's only fifteen minutes' drive to Jungkook and Minmin's school. Our office headquarters is just thirty minutes' drive," Jungkook's dad added calmly.

Jimin offered a tight nod. After a long time in his life, he was at a loss for words. "T-That's..."

Before he could respond, he heard Minjun's excited squeal again. "There's a swimming pool. Papa, look!" The pup explored the empty pool with a twinkle in his eyes.

He cleared his throat. "Thank you, dad," he said. Then, since he couldn't form more words, he stepped forward to hug the man. "Thanks for accepting Minjun. Thanks for everything."

Jungkook's dad relaxed, and his pine scent bloomed with happiness. He patted his back. "No, I have to thank you. Because now I have a reason to be happy and feel like I have something new to look forward to."

Jungkook's dad pulled back with another pat on his back. "I also have one more thing." He reached inside his jacket pocket and produced a few documents. "This is paperwork to add you and Minjun to the Jeon family tree," he said. "Now that you're married, this will allow me to initiate the pup as the Jeon heir. Also, you can claim the benefit of being a part of the family."

Jimin blinked. His mouth opened and closed a few times. "This...dad, I...I didn't do anything expecting this. I-I can't accept the benefits."

Jungkook's dad smiled with ease. "It's yours, son. You already accepted to become a part of the family business." He closed the distance between them to take his hands between his. "It's a gift from your dad. Won't you accept it? I have no one else to spoil. Let me do this, please."

Jimin could only nod. Even as he signed the paperwork after a quick read through, he was speechless. Kindness wasn't something he was used to. Not in these past six or seven years. Unless it came from his hyungs.

He felt choked up with emotions that were running haywire. The alpha discreetly wiped his tears. Then, as if sensing his turmoil, the older alpha just pulled him into another tight hug. He began to rub Jimin's back.

"My bun always says that I give out the best hugs," the older alpha said emotionally. "But that's a lie." He chuckled. "My mate gives out the best hugs, but probably he won't remember that."

Jimin nodded with a sniffle. He didn't remember the last time his father hugged him like this. Maybe on his birthday? But that hug lasted a total of five seconds. His mother hugged him longer, but that also felt like a distant memory.

"Maybe..." he whispered, inhaling the deep scent of pine. "But I have to agree with my mate. You give the best hugs."

***

This update was commissioned by Saku, Chris, Rumi & Anon. Written words over 6.2k

I'll be MIA for next two days because of my brother's wedding and I have guests around. See you later...