Just For You Tae:My Best Friend Dad
1
A voice says right next to me, and I jolt, knocking my head against the trailer’s outside compartment I’m packing. Goddammit, that hurts. If I keep this up, I’m going to have a concussion. This isn’t the first time I’ve knocked my head while loading this camper up—or smashed my fingers in cabinets. I glance down at my black and blue thumbnail in frustration.
What’s next? My toes? My legs? My balls?
The things I do just to get to spend a little time with my kid.
Kim Taehyung/Tae
“Shit, Jungkook,”
Rubbing the back of my head while taking in my son’s best friend. He’s leaning against the side of the trailer, some of his dark brown hair slipping from his ponytail and falling against his shoulders, his dusky green eyes meeting mine. He has a slight flush on his cheeks, made more evident by his pale skin, and if I look really closely, I can see a smattering of freckles just across the bridge of his nose. The nose that has some kind of piercing in the front. Septum piercing, I think it’s called. Looks like it was painful. I don’t think I could manage having a needle pushed through my skin. I don’t even have any tattoos.
But then again, Jungkook is young—free and adventurous—so unlike me.
He probably doesn’t scream at the sight of needles.
I glance down at his faded blue jeans and gray t-shirt, his clothes smudged with clay. His hands are white around the knuckles. Ah, so he must have been working in the art studio again. I know that in the fall he’s planning to go to college and major in art. Jungkook is a sculptor.
I’ve never seen his pieces, but Hoseok, my son, says he’s really talented. When he talks to me, that is. Which is rare. Right now we communicate via text. Usually, it’s me texting Hoseok and him ignoring me.
Sometimes I go out into the backyard and try to telepathically communicate with him. Try to send up good vibes. Usually when I’ve been drinking.
Doesn’t work too well. Probably my ex blocking them with her negativity.
Go away, good vibes. We like misery and anger here.
Kim Taehyung/Tae
“Where’s Hobi?”
My eyes scanning the distance, waiting to see my son stride up. He and I are supposed to be leaving on a trip in a few hours, and he should be here any minute. Jungkook and Hoseok are connected at the hip. Well, at least I think they still are. Now that Hoseok has a girlfriend, he comes around even less, and I wonder if it’s also affected his relationship with his best friend.
I haven’t seen Jungkook much lately, actually. So maybe it has.
Jungkook fiddles with the silver hoop earrings in his left ear and shifts on his feet.
Jeon Jungkook/Koo
“Um, Hoseok is with Rose.”
I put my hands on my hips and sigh. I’m not surprised. Since they started dating a few months ago, Rose has consumed my son’s time. Young love and all that. I’m surprised he even agreed to go on this trip with me in the first place. I glance at Jungkook again, and he looks uneasy, like he has a secret, something he wants to say but can’t quite bring himself to.
Kim Taehyung/Tae
“What’s that look for?”
Jungkook stands up straight and takes a step toward me, the scent of him traveling across the space between us.
Jeon Jungkook/Koo
“He’s not coming, Tae.”
My eyebrows meet and my heart stutters in my chest. I mean, Hoseok and I aren’t that close—we never were, despite my best attempts—because Jennie and I were young when we had him, and I was so far in the closet that I didn’t think I’d ever come out. But I eventually gathered the courage, and after years of trying to make it work between us, we realized we were just two kids struggling with being teenage parents. While I loved her, I wasn’t in love with her. I could never be. How it ended between us years ago seems to have only made her angrier.
She’s always so mad at me.
In the end, I was forced to walk away, and Hoseok was raised primarily by his mother. Out of spite, she made sure I got very limited time with him.
Very little as in maybe once a month. I tried fighting, but she had the time, funds, and determination to stop me. So after years of losing, I just decided it was best to roll over and accept it.
But this was supposed to be our trip, our time to reconnect before he goes off to college in a few weeks in a different state. So very far away.
I pull my phone out and glance down at the message sitting there.
Authy 🖤
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2
Kim Hoseok/Hobi(Tae Son)
Sorry, Dad. Not going to be able to make it.
Well, at least there’s an apology. Still, my heart cracks and sinks. I had our trip through the UP—the upper peninsula of Michigan—all planned out. I know no seventeen-year-old wants to spend time alone with their parent, but I even bought a travel guide to make sure this would be fun and exciting. I didn’t want to disappoint him, didn’t want him resenting the few moments he spent with me.
But it was all for nothing.
This trailer I rented and my truck with a full tank of gas are going to be hauling my sorry *** around the UP—without him.
I’m going to spend the next two weeks alone—with my regrets.
Maybe I should get a dog so I’m not so lonely. We could have adventures. We’d be like Turner and Hooch, only doesn’t the dog die in the end?
Maybe not then. I’d cry like a baby. Maybe I’ll get a tortoise. Those live for ages.
Jeon Jungkook/Koo
“He wants to spend his last few weeks with Rose,” sounding apologetic.
He has nothing to apologize for. This is not his fault. He’s just a kid.
Kim Taehyung/Tae
“It’s fine,”
Closing the compartment and eyeing my son’s best friend, the guy who made an appearance when my son didn’t. But Jungkook often seems to do that—showing up unexpectedly.
This isn’t the first time he’s come by my place without Hoseok.
I think he feels sorry for me. I don’t blame him. I’m just a little pathetic.
Kim Taehyung/Tae
“It’s fine,” I say again, swallowing roughly. “No biggie.”
Jungkook takes a step toward me, those lips of his pulled between his teeth.
Jeon Jungkook/Koo
“It is, Taehyung. It’s a shitty thing for Hobi to do…”
I shove my hands in my pockets and roll back on my heels, feeling my eyes sting. How does this guy get me so well when he’s so much younger? He’s always looked so intently at me, like he’s peering into my soul…like he knows things about me that maybe I don’t even know about myself.
Jeon Jungkook/Koo
“Look, what if…what if I go with you?”
My eyes snap to his, and he holds up his hands, shrugging. Like, no big deal, I’ll just tag along on your two-week trip.
Jeon Jungkook/Koo
“I have nothing else to do. It’ll be fun.”
Kim Taehyung/Tae
“Shit, Jungkook. I can’t just tote you around Michigan without your parents knowing. You’re still a minor.”
Jeon Jungkook/Koo
“I’m nineteen.”
Kim Taehyung/Tae
“Yeah, but still…your parents. What would they think?”
I’m thirty-three years old, for f^^k’s sake. Yes, I’m an adult and capable of taking care of him along the way, but I’m a gay man. What would people think if they saw me gallivanting around with a kid half my age? Living and sleeping in close quarters? It would border on Creepsville. And no one likes Creepsville.
Jeon Jungkook/Koo
“You’ve met my parents, right?”
He huffs a laugh, and when I only raise my eyebrow, he pulls his phone out and then dials a number. I listen to the ringing on speakerphone, and then a minute later his father answers.
Mr Jeon
“Heyo. What’s up, son,” his dad says, sounding…preoccupied.
Jeon Jungkook/Koo
“Hey, Pops, can I go on a trip with Joshua’s dad through the UP for two weeks?”
Mr Jeon
“Why are you asking me? You can make those decisions. You’re an adult.”
Jeon Jungkook/Koo
“Eh, he wanted to be sure it was fine…"
Jungkook says, his eyes meeting mine and a smirk pulling those red lips up
Mr Jeon
“Well, no need to ask me. You do what you want. Just make sure you two have fun.”
Well, sh¡t. I knew Jungkook was independent, but I didn’t realize that the reason for that was because his parents gave him free rein. He’s always been…mature. More mature than Hoseok, that’s for sure. I always wondered how the two of them became friends…and then stayed friends. Jungkook always seemed to be the one picking up the pieces.
Authy 🖤
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3
And now here he was, picking up mine.
Jeon Jungkook/Koo
“Cool, Dad. I’ll keep in touch.”
Mr Jeon
“Sounds good, bud.”
Jungkook hangs up, shoves his phone into his pocket, and then shuffles on his feet.
I run a hand across the back of my neck, not quite sure what to do. I mean, really. What the hell do I do?
Jeon Jungkook/Koo
“We could swing by my parents’ and I can grab some shit.”
I glance at him, and he smiles softly at me. My heart flutters in my chest. Stupid coffee, making me all jittery.
Kim Taehyung/Tae
“Are you…are you sure? You want to spend two weeks…with me?”
Because my own son doesn’t even want to do this. Why the hell would Jungkook? I barely know this guy. Don’t teenagers want to spend time with their own kind? I’m like a dinosaur compared to him.
But Jungkook isn’t bothered. No, he just shrugs again, like it’s no big deal, and then takes another step toward me.
Jeon Jungkook/Koo
“Yeah, Taehyung. I think I’d really fu^^ing like that.”
Mrs Jeon
“So, you two are going to the UP,”
His mom states as Jungkook walks to his room to pack, leaving me to chat with this woman who seems completely unconcerned that her son is going on a trip with me.
I mean, not to parent-shame, but I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be comfortable with Hoseok going on a trip with an older man for two weeks.
Especially one I didn’t really know all that well. Not that Hoseok would listen to me. And not that anyone would either. She’d probably let him go just to spite me.
Kim Taehyung/Tae
“Yeah, if that’s alright with you?”
Mrs Jeon
“Jungkook can make his own decisions. He’s always been an old soul like that.”
, I let out a huff because yeah, I’ve noticed that about him. Two years ago, when Hoseok had blown me off on my birthday to go to a party, Jungkook had shown up at my place with a pizza and two cupcakes.
Kim Taehyung/Tae
“Why are you here and not with Hobi?”
Jeon Jungkook/Koo
“Meh, I’d rather sit here with you.”
We ate that pizza on the front porch because I was too afraid to let him inside. Of what that might look like to the outside world.
But that moment in time wasn’t anything but a lonely old guy and his kid’s best friend taking pity on him. The two of us watched the sunset and sat in companionable silence until he left.
It had made the abandonment I felt from Hoseok a little easier.
And yet still, I worried for weeks about his parents coming after me or accusing me of something, despite doing nothing wrong. But they never brought it up. I wonder if Jungkook ever told them.
Probably not. It seems like he’s free-range and has been for quite some time.
It also seems like his parents have no issue with Jungkook going camping with me for two weeks.
Kim Taehyung/Tae
Shit, they know I’m gay, right?
I shift on my feet, feeling awkward because how the hell does she know that? It’s a small town, but it’s not that small.
Mrs Jeon
“Jungkook told us. Said you were pretty upset about the breakup.”
Authy 🖤
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