Third Person’s P.O.V.

“Look at her, she doesn’t want to stay here” Hobi spoke patting the child’s back, whose wide eyes gaped at everything around the new apartment as she clung to Jin.

Jin paid no attention to his whines anymore and guided Taehyung and Jungkook to arrange the stuff around the apartment, they had decided to turn the room where Jimin had stayed earlier into the baby room, and right away sat down to list whatever they’d need to make the apartment now home to them.

“We’ll go to the store to get a few stuff” Jin spoke grabbing Taehyung to drag him away from trying to acquire Soohee’s attention every chance he got. He seemed like a man on a mission to get his daughter to like him anyway possible while Soohee still denied to acknowledge him, clinging onto Hoseok and Jungkook.

It made Jin feel sympathetic but he was aware that it would take them some time to bond because although Taehyung cared for the child too much he was yet to learn how to cosy up to her or what she liked or disliked to make her favour him. But he knew it was a matter of time and they would get there, and it made a warmth run through him thinking about how sweet and beautiful it would be to build a home together, finally.

He wrapped his palm around Taehyung’s, letting his fingers fit perfectly into the gaps between the other’s as they walked into the store and went ahead to gather stuff to decorate their future.

“What about this?” Jin chose an ivory and mustard polka print pattern for the walls to match with the curtains that had little sunflowers on them.

“Looks nice” Taehyung nodded, smiling warmly to see Jin get instantly busy to search for pillows and accessories that would match.

He silently followed Jin around, keeping close as he tried to immerse himself solely in this new version of his life but it had been such a long time since he had stepped away from life as we know it that as he walked alongside Jin he couldn’t help but feel severely protective of him, everyone seemed to be dangerous and he moved a step closer to guard Jin from even a lingering gaze.

Jin noticed that Taehyung seemed a bit jittery as he kept his head low when people around them inquired about something and drew closer blocking others who showed any friendly gesture or tried to make light conversation with him.

“You okay?” Jin tried to talk him out of the anxiousness, his thumb softly rubbing against Tae’s realizing that being suddenly among people in such a crowded everyday place after such a long time was probably a bit too much for him although people barely knew about his tragic history and were unaware of his real identity.

However, that didn’t change the fact that Taehyung himself felt uneasily guilty of his own past and fearful how it could affect Jin and their child. It was a history he was yet to put away…n no matter how hard Jin tried to make him feel loved, it didn’t change the fact that the darker side was a part of Taehyung nonetheless.

No matter how poetic war is made to seem…all that violence, death and destruction is but real, just as real as the red of every drop of blood that had been shed

And Taehyung nodded again, knowing Jin would kiss away all the pain his past had inflicted on him but the scars would inevitably remain.

He pulled Jin closer and tried his best to curb the usual irritation he had to crowded places and people yelling and romping about, he watched parents rebuke and gather their loud kids, youngsters loitering about grabbing bags of junk and couples busy among themselves and strolled the aisles with the other who seemed focused on grabbing the stuff they had listed.

It was such an ordinary day for everyone that they barely noticed how overly unusual all of this was for him.

He had been restlessly waiting to start this phase of life with Jin, wanted to be a part of the life they had been hoping to live together and yet he was realizing now that regardless of the fact of how beautiful the ‘normal’ looked it was something typically abnormal for him, and as he watched Jin delightfully go about the place to gather things to piece the beginning of their future together, he silently promised himself that he’d try his very best to give him what he deserved and more. Even if it would mean he’d have to wash clean his own tarnished conscience and smile for him.

Jin deserved the best of him, and he told himself on more time that he deserved it all too…told himself that his little family was the silver lining to the clouded days he had braved through and lived.  

By the time they were back in the apartment and busily setting up Soohee’s room, he had again gone back to being the usual Taehyung with all of them arguing about where to put what, as Hobi and Kook took greater pride to voice how they knew what Soohee would want and Jin kept yelling against their suggestions and Taehyung was stuck going back and forth the entire place listening to their chain of advises as he tried to learn every little thing about his moody daughter.

He knew it would take him time to cope with everything but couldn’t resist urging Jin to let him feed Soohee, who was hungrily gobbling down a spoonful of baby formula. Jin knew it wasn’t a good idea seeing how Soohee’s face instantly scrunched and lips pursed with an incoming sob as she caught sight of Taehyung hovering around Jin.

“I think she’s gonna cry” Hoseok whispered to Jin seeing Taehyung delightedly get busy to feed her and earned a glare from Jin who then turned about to gaze at the two who seemed to be playing a game of tag. Hoseok tried hard to muffle his titters as he took his leave because of a call from Chief calling the two to report. Jungkook walked up to the two, her frown instantly dissolving as she smiled up at him and made grabby hands.

“She hates me, doesn’t she?” Taehyung sighed setting the spoon down and watched her completely disregard him as she mumbled to Jungkook, probably complaining.

Jin came to the rescue, grabbing Taehyung in a back hug “nonsense! She doesn’t hate you, it’s only been a day Tae-“ “Why don’t you take her to the park after lunch? Everything is too new to her, she’s just a child after all” Jungkook spoke caressing her head, stealing a short glance at Jin as he turned back to the child who had managed to grab at his arm to make him stay.

Taehyung noticed the sad smile Jungkook gave to Soohee, booping her nose with his thumb before he headed out of the apartment leaving the three together.  

The walk in the park turned out to be a delightful idea as Soohee’s mood seemed to have turned utterly jovial as she giggled at everything her eyes caught, wiggling in Jin’s arms to be let free although she had barely learnt to take a few faltering steps.

And Taehyung saw the chance and took it, “let me” he said urging Jin to set her on the grassy patch as he crouched down alongside her, a grin bursting out on his lips as he watched Soohee hold onto him for support to use her legs to waddle.

Jin watched them stupefied, a million images flashing through his mind as he reminisced those days when he had bitterly cried missing exactly this…missing Taehyung being a part of the family, missing Taehyung be a part of their daughter’s life. So, when Taehyung looked up at him with delighted eyes, to assure how happy he was to see Soohee beginning to accept him, Jin couldn’t help but reveal the teary smile he had been holding back.

“See…I told you she loves you” his voice broke as he giggled through his sniffles to see Taehyung crawl behind her to make sure she didn’t hurt herself.

As the afternoon slowly moved to evening and they sat watching Soohee enjoy in her own way and saw people roaming about the place, Taehyung caught sight of couples just like them enjoying time together in blissful show of affection to each other and felt stupid for being an insensitive block of nothing to Jin. He turned to see Jin busily preen Soohee of the dirt n dry leaves that had gotten stuck on her pretty peach dress and her dark tresses. He cleared his throat, leaning closer to Jin but abruptly stopped when Jin turned to him "I think I'll have jjajangmyeon for dinner, what about you?”

Taehyung realized he had forgotten what was going through his mind to see Jin stare at him with those big brown eyes.

“N-Nothing...I mean, me too” he cleared his throat again as he sat up straight, not knowing why suddenly showing his affectionate side to Jin felt so new. “Uh…it’s getting dark, let’s go home” he spoke unsurely looking around and hastily stood up.

Jin followed him, picking Soohee up as they walked back to the apartment.

He could tell something was going on in Taehyung’s head as he stole glances of the other who ordered dinner while he fed Soohee and right after that when he had set the sleeping child in her cot in her new room, he could hear Taehyung hollering for him to come and have his dinner.

“Wanna watch a movie?” Taehyung suggested startling Jin a bit, all this while as they kept falling deeper in love they had never had a scope to experience what having a normal relationship felt like. What dating each other would actually feel like, since dinner dates and movie nights were things far beyond their grasp to experience while they struggled to hold onto each other and pray for each other’s safety.

“Yeah…sure” he replied a little unsurely, grabbing the bowls as he headed to the couch and tonight as he watched Taehyung try his best to understand what the fuck all those fussy buttons on the remote actually meant, he smiled to himself again.

Jin barely knew what it was that played on the screen for his entire attention was on every movement Taehyung made by his side.

After finishing their food they had relaxed on the couch, and he unmindfully kept caressing the hand Taehyung coiled around him while his head rested on his shoulder. The only sound was the soft murmur of the dialogues playing in the background while their attention was caught completely on each other’s breathing. The comfortable warmth compelled Jin to lean into the other and Taehyung pulled him closer yet, softly nuzzling at the side of Jin’s neck.

“Can I ask you something?” Taehyung spoke threading his fingers through Jin’s soft hair.

“Mhmm” Jin nodded leaning closer to the touch, feeling ecstatic to be able to experience such soft sweet moments which he had forever been craving for.

“Can we begin again from the very beginning? Do it right this time…” his voice was heavy with emotion as he spoke against Jin’s ear making the other freeze, “I am a few years late but I think you won’t walk the other way if I asked you out this time” the smile was evident in his voice as he let his lips graze over Jin’s nape.

Jin’s eyes shot open before he was turning about to blink at him being confused and Taehyung cupped his face to press their noses together.

“I know I should have done this at senior prom but well…” he chuckled to himself hoping Jin wouldn’t catch the stupid heat on his ears “will you let me take you out on a date Jin?”

Jin felt his heart twinge with an unknown burst of emotion as he dug his teeth on his lip, and profusely nodded in agreement as he realized he had suddenly lost the ability to voice out his intention.

“Tomorrow?” Taehyung repeated chuckling to himself to see Jin hastily nod again and snuggle into him, embracing him more tightly “that’s surely a relief”.

“Like I’d ever say no” Jin mumbled still denying to let Taehyung see his face as he tried to do away the blush on his cheeks, this felt so amazingly new and touching even though they had been through more intimate moments.

“Okay then…I’ll remember that the next time I have something better to ask for” he caressed Jin’s back, eyes gently glazing over their home “no going back on your word later” he smiled pecking Jin’s head.

Their conversation had turned from sweet to syrupy when Taehyung kept reminiscing about those early days, when they were mere kids to realize how inadvertently fate had entwined them, when stealing a few glances was the only show of affection he was allowed while Jin would rigidly avoid to acknowledge him and Jin jokingly accused him of being a mannerless brat for kissing him out of the blue, informing him only now that it was his first kiss after all that he had stolen.

“To call it even I’ll give my last to you as well” Taehyung spoke right over his mouth making Jin smile at him, pink dusting his cheeks as he felt his lips gently set on his before he let their mouths mould in perfect sync.

They didn’t realize when they had fallen asleep being cosily snuggled on the couch, and it was probably hours into the night when Taehyung’s sleep broke to hear wails coming from Soohee’s room. He gently let Jin slide back onto the couch, careful not to wake him up and walked towards where his daughter lay crying. It was the first time she was sleeping alone in a room and to wake up and suddenly feel left alone scared her as she cried for her Appa to come and console her.

“Hey sweetheart…it’s okay…shh-shh…Dad’s here, don’t be upset now” Taehyung took slow steps, judging her watery eyes and fumbling lips as he softly brushed away her tears. He could see that her eyes still weren’t confident enough about him as she gazed around searching for Jin, gasping hiccups spilling out in between her whines as she complained against being apart from her Appa.

“Appa is asleep sweetheart” he spoke caressing her back as he leaned, hoping to console her as he edged closer to see if she was okay with him picking her up from the cot “let me help you go back to sleep” he spoke more to himself than to her as he felt a sense of responsibility to see her look up at him with pursed lips and teary eyes.

Jin’s sleep broke feeling cold air surround him and sat up being confused to see Taehyung missing. The apartment was calm and looked serene being draped only in one dimmed gold light in the living room and as he stood up from the couch, a narrow slit of light from Soohee’s room caught his eye. He tiptoed across to peer into the room, and his heart rejoiced to see the view inside as he stood smiling at the door.

Taehyung walked about the room patting Soohee’s back and softly hummed while the little girl had her head tucked into his shoulder as she slept soundly.

The world had fallen silent behind him as entire reality comprised only of the picture before him. It was the kind of silence Jin knew he’d never get tired of…to him this was what peace looked like.

It was as if the boulevard of a million broken dreams had finally ended to open to a new avenue where a million new dreams waited for them.

And when their eyes caught Taehyung gave him another overjoyed smile to boast how Soohee had accepted his plea to let him pick her up, his caring gaze at his little girl let Jin know that he was going to be there for both of them from here on and to play the part of a father to his daughter.

Jin smiled a bit wider remembering how Taehyung had implored to begin anew and he hoped for a new version of their story than the one they had to struggle through, assuring himself finally that it sure was a future worth looking up to.

á na márië

✨❤️ HAPPY V DAY❤️✨
☃️💜 BORAHAE💜☃️