Chapter 3

The studio door opens with a flourish, sending a bone chilling wind into the room, and Yoongi swivels around lazily on his chair, already knowing who it was. And there so, Namjoon stands, panting and coughing.

Yoongi glances towards the digital clock displayed on the shelf. “Barely one minute on time, Namjoon. You could be late.”

“I know.” Namjoon plops down, fanning himself with a magazine laying conveniently around. “I had a long day yesterday.”

“Working?” Yoongi furrows his eyebrows. Being life-or-death partners in music production, Yoongi stuck around Namjoon long enough to know the man only ever got lazy on weekends, and swears himself off any sort of work. “You don’t work on weekends.”

“Not working,” Namjoon agrees. “But I went to the amusement park with my kids.”

Yoongi loses all sorts of composure. “Y-your what?”

Namjoon briefly recalls Yoongi’s memory of the infamous incident three years ago, and Namjoon picks up from there, explaining all that actually happened the night and what happened during the weekend.

Yoongi was silent for a minute after that, trying to process the fact that his closest friend (and by far the clumsiest and most work oriented he’s ever met, but don’t let Namjoon hear about this) had kids.

“Out of all the people...” Yoongi scoffs a bit and remembers an important question. “Who’s the other? I mean the one taking care of the kids now.”

“Seokjin. Kim Seokjin.” The name stirs a faint memory in Yoongi’s mind. “Do you mean- So he was your boyfriend back then!”

“I thought it was obvious to put two and two together, but yeah.” Namjoon shrugs, already moved on since, well, yesterday. “The guy who I supposedly ruined the life of, according to rumours.”

“So Seokjin doesn’t mind?”

“Not really, at least not that I know of.” Namjoon stands and stretches, yawning. “Let’s get back to work.”

-

Three days later, Seokjin receives a text from Namjoon, asking if he could visit the next day. He passes on the message to the twins, who are more than enthusiastic, and Namjoon gets a happy ‘yes!!!!’ as a reply.

Seokjin, with both Jimin and Taehyung in his arms, shuffle towards the door as Taehyung helpfully swings the door open for Namjoon, standing outside with a bag in his arms. Jimin reaches for Namjoon, who scoops him up easily.

“Oof, I haven’t sees you for five days and you’re already growing, Jiminie.” Namjoon ruffles Jimin’s hair fondly, heart uncontrollably swelling to its maximum capacity, maybe even more.

Jimin giggles, and points towards the bag in Namjoon’s arms as they enter the living room. “What’s in there?” He asks, little hands groping at the contents inside.

“Ah, this is where it gets interesting.” Namjoon settles down on the sofa, Jimin obediently letting go of Namjoon’s shoulder and sits on his lap, while Seokjin sets Taehyung and himself beside him.

Namjoon slowly opens the bag, and the toddlers ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ in wonder. Inside are two fitting costumes, one as a complete pirate setup while the other is a Peter Pan outfit, hat and shoes and all.

“So,” Namjoon tickles Jimin’s belly, “A little bird told me you two really wanted a pirate and Peter Pan costume for halloween.” Namjoon sends a mischievous wink at Seokjin, who had a funny smirk on his face.

Taehyung looks up at Seokjin for his comments, and Seokjin clears his throat, “Amazing. By any chance, is the bird named Kim Seokjin?” Jimin giggles, joining his brother in digging for other contents inside the bag.

“Exactly so.” Namjoon laughs, and pulls out the two costumes. The accessories are still inside the bag, but the clothes are extravagant enough to have the toddlers gape in wonder, running their fingers over the fabric and golden laces.

“You do too much.” Seokjin tells Namjoon. Their knees are touching, Namjoon’s long legs are warm against the coldness of Seokjin’s skin. Namjoon only coolly shakes his head, “I should.”

Seokjin is about to tell Namjoon he himself was just as guilty as Namjoon, but Taehyung had already uncovered the accessories and was screaming in excitement.

The pirate costume came with an eyepatch and a hook for a hand, and the Peter Pan one had clip on pixie ears and a wooden sword that Seokjin secretly thought would be awesome if someone gave it to him as a kid.

“Right, who’s gonna be Captain Hook?” Namjoon excitedly asks, and Taehyung raises his hand with the same enthusiasm.

“I’m Peter Pan!” Jimin announces, grabbing the sword and pretends to stab it towards Seokjin.

Seokjin can’t lean to his left, because there are photo frames and remotes, and he would definitely make a mess out of it if they all dropped, but he also can’t lean forward, because wood would still hurt like a ***** if you leaned on it with too much force, so naturally he does the stupid thing. He leans towards Namjoon, falling on his lap for maximum dramatic effect.

It’s in the midst of Jimin’s laughing and Taehyung’s clapping does Seokjin realise the position he’s put himself in, and his face is burning red as he pushes himself up, not daring to look at Namjoon.

Thankfully, Taehyung stabs at Namjoon, who falls to the ground in feigned agony as the wooden sword passes harmlessly in through the crook of Namjoon’s armpit.

Really, Seokjin thinks to himself, he can be so stupidly obvious sometimes.

-

Another three weeks pass, and Namjoon decides to announce some great news to Seokjin and the kids on Halloween.

Namjoon is elaborately dressed up as a vampire, complete with drawn on fangs and pale face paint. However, when Jimin opens the door happily, the big dimpled smiles plastered on Namjoon’s face is more than enough to not scare the toddler.

Taehyung runs out, butt *****, as he yells ‘RARRR’ at Namjoon, scaring the tall adult out of his wits instead as he’s presented with the ***** glory of the three year old.

Seokjin dashes out, pants and underwear in a hand as he scoops up a screaming Taehyung.

Jimin jumps into Namjoon’s arms, admiring Namjoon’s face paint as Namjoon struggles to put on Jimin’s Peter Pan hat with one hand.

Eventually even Seokjin is dressed as an Indian to complete the Peter Pan theme. Namjoon feels a pang of guilt in his chest as he stares at the three, who looked like they stepped out of the cartoon movie, but in the entirely wrong proportions.

“Should I change?” Namjoon asks.

Jimin looks at him, dead serious. “You can be Wendy, papa.”

“Very funny, Jimin.” Namjoon shoots the toddler a look, and Taehyung giggles as they form a circle on the floor.

“So,” Namjoon begins as he finally announces the news he brought. “I have officially earned enough money, and I’ve bought a flat that is quite large and cosy. In other words,” He looks at the expectant children and Seokjin, whose eyes were shining, and Namjoon almost stares back in a trance until he snaps out of it, “We can all live together by next month.”

Jimin’s mouth falls open cutely, and he shrieks, punching the air and hugging Namjoon’s neck so tightly, it nearly gave him asphyxiation; then did little Taehyung understand, looking to and from Seokjin and Namjoon.

Once Jimin breaks away to hug Seokjin, Taehyung leaps into Namjoon arms, whispering to him, “Papa?”

Namjoon rubs cheeks with Taehyung, totally forgetting about the face paint, “Yes, berry?”

Taehyung grins at the nickname, having developed a liking to it ever since he accidentally matched a berry shirt with patterned strawberry pants last week, and no one noticed, not even himself, but for Namjoon, who had eaten a full blown and heavenly raspberry cake thanks to Seokjin that day, and berries were all on his mind before he noticed Taehyung’s interesting dressing theme.

Taehyung buries his face into the crook of Namjoon’s neck, a habit he had whenever he was overwhelmed with feelings of all sorts, “Thank you for staying, papa. I love you.”

Namjoon’s going to sob, it’s a major breakthrough, the first ever verbal sign of affection. He finally allows himself to kiss Taehyung’s hair, “I love you too, berry.”

When he looks up, Seokjin is staring at Namjoon with something that fills Namjoon’s heart, something he’d been devoid of.

-

Namjoon wishes for the millionth he’d actually called Yoongi. Curse himself for being a collector, and those figures weren’t going to protect themselves and not drop on the ground anytime. He groans, and decides to save the figurines for last as he picks up a box filled with books and magazines, moving them into his already stuffed car. He’d just have to pack up the pillows and duvets, then drop them off at the new apartment that took him and Seokjin an entire afternoon to clean yesterday.

Namjoon groans once more at the work ahead, and he’s only halfway through. Which may be good, meaning he only needed to drive for two rounds.

Just then, the door knocks. Namjoon stifles a curse as he places down the heavy box, trying to wipe the pissed look off his face as he unlocks the door.

Much to Namjoon’s surprise and relief, there stands Yoongi, with a helpful amount of paper boxes and bubble wrap tucked under his arm. “I kind of guessed you wouldn’t be able to finish all these within a day, especially with all your dumb figurine collections, so Min Yoongi is here to save the day.”

“Thanks, man, I owe you big.” Namjoon sends his friend a smile as he tosses away old leaflets and worn out books from college.

Yoongi shrugs. “Just help me out when I’m moving in with who knows who.”

“Deal.”

Yoongi’s help sped up the process by a fraction, and somewhere around sunset, Namjoon loads the last of the boxes into Yoongi’s car. He motions for Yoongi to not start the car, and explains, “I want to say goodbye to this old place first.”

His best friend snorts, but waits anyways.

The apartment lost its homey scent, barren of furniture and inhabitation. As Namjoon trails in his home of four years, he remembers something he’d kept as a big promise to himself not long after he moved in.

Someday, when the time comes for me to leave this apartment, will I retrieve the most valued possession from its hidden protection ground.

Where the bed should have been in Namjoon’s once bedroom, now was left with a sad frame and nothing to indicate the life of its previous owner. Namjoon kneels down, in the middle of the bed frame, and pulls at a loose board.

Inside is a small velvet box protected by a transparent plastic bag, and furthermore inside, a delicate diamond embedded in silver that nearly cost Namjoon his life to buy.

Someday, before we get engaged, I’m going to get you a promise ring.

-promise rings are no different from engagement rings, joonie.

The promise ring will lock our future together. Engagements can be broken. Promises cannot. And I plan to break neither.

-really?

Really.

-maybe really can be our always.

Really.

-really, and i look forward to your promise ring, kim namjoon. i love you.

I love you more, now sleep.

It was a promise ring, and the promise ring was bought the day before the Night.

Namjoon never had a chance to give it to Seokjin.

But now, maybe he could. Maybe he must.

There’s a promise to keep, after all.

-

Seokjin and the kids still hadn’t arrived when Namjoon and Yoongi start to unload all the boxes.

“D’ you think I can stay for dinner?” Yoongi asks, the three boxes he was carrying blocking his view completely.

Namjoon holds the door open for him, balancing two boxes on his arm as he finds an empty space to put down his things. “Why’d you want to?”

Yoongi starts to carry Namjoon’s clothes inside. “Well, you did mention they were cute. I want to meet them in real life.”

Namjoon flings a gigantic bag of winter quilts to a side. “Sure, stay all you like.”

A silence passes through them, both being too exhausted to speak. Not wanting to move, Namjoon pulls out his phone, to find a message from Seokjin.

17:12 Seokjin: we’re coming!

17:12 Seokjin: [1 image attached]

The little selfie Seokjin sent him was adorable, Jimin holding the phone as they grin widely on top of a stacked up building made of boxes, while Seokjin smiles happily and puts an protective arm around their little tummies.

Yoongi peeks over and grins. “Aw, they are cute.”

Namjoon tucks the phone away and smiles. “Wait until you see them in person. You’ll melt inside your stupid Doc Martens.”

Ignoring the last statement, Yoongi looks over his shoulder and mocks, in English, “You’re cream.”

Frowning, Namjoon corrects him. “It’s you’re toast.”

“Definitely cream.” Yoongi faces Namjoon, a smirk laid across his face, “You’re absolutely whipped, my dude.”

-

For one thing Yoongi has never been a people person and his complexion is so pale it’s like he’s lived in a tomb all his life, but the kids like him at first sight.

So much, in fact, they’ve left their parents in the dust while they play with their Yoongi hyung and showed him their massive toy carpark collection one hour in when it took Namjoon like, a week.

So much that, in the middle of dinner, Chinese takeout on their laps with the twins on the floor once again with Yoongi, how surprising, Seokjin leans over and whispers to Namjoon, “On a scale of nope to they’re never seeing Yoongi again, how jealous are you?”

Namjoon whispers back, “I’m killing Yoongi tomorrow.”

Seokjin giggles and checks his buzzing phone. “Oh, Hoseok is coming with pillows.”

The kids yell happily, “Hoseokie hyung!” And run off, arguing what to show Hoseok first as they move empty cardboard boxes all around the house.

Seokjin turns to a perplexed Yoongi. “Hoseok’s my best friend. He’s helped take care of them here and then, and it’s been some sort of tradition that they build forts whenever he visits.”

“Which is quite often.” Namjoon adds, and Seokjin nods. “I think you’ll like him.”

Yoongi rolls his eyes. “I have no time for those kinds of things.”

Namjoon eyes him doubtfully. “You had flings for what, a year? How’s Sookwan doing?”

Seokjin grins. He knew about Sookwan, the poor boy who got dumped by Yoongi two weeks into a blooming relationship.

Yoongi’s face reddens. “That was nothing.”

“You are a terrible liar.” Namjoon concludes, and just then, the doorbell rings.

Seokjin yells, “Come in!” And Hoseok steps inside.

Hoseok looks around the still barren apartment and grins. “Not bad.” He looks in Namjoon’s direction, and upon noticing Yoongi, he asks, “Who’s this?”

“Yoongi, my best friend.” Namjoon explains, and Yoongi gives a small nervous smile.

“Nice to meet you, Yoongi.” Hoseok’s gaze lands on Yoongi for a second before turning in the general direction of the other rooms. Taking a deep breath, Hoseok shouts, “Alright, where are my favourite kids on earth?”

Taehyung whoops, followed by an excited yell from Jimin. Two toddlers barrel out of the room, leaping right into Hoseok’s awaiting arms. Jimin navigates Hoseok around the house, showing him all their rooms and the massive pile of empty cardboard boxes they’d gathered.

The rest are completely left in the dust before Namjoon clears his throat, “Yoongi, you’re blushing.”

“Am not.” Yoongi glares at Namjoon, with unconvincing pink cheeks, and Seokjin laughs.

Namjoon shrugs, standing as he says, “I’m going to grab drinks. You want some?”

Both nod, and Namjoon saunters off to the kitchen. Turning around, Seokjin faces Yoongi. “Hey, I know we haven’t met for long, but I need someone who’s known Namjoon long enough to talk over... things with me.”

Yoongi raises a polite eyebrow, surprised by Seokjin’s cautiousness. “Just in case you don’t know, Namjoon doesn’t mind all these one little bit.” Yoongi gestures around the apartment, a combination of Namjoon’s and Seokjin’s lives.

“He doesn’t?” It’s like Seokjin is speaking to himself, but he wrings his hands and looks at Yoongi full in the eyes. “But why is he so sorry?”

“But wouldn’t he be?” Yoongi asks, “Think from Namjoon’s perspective. He’d think he had dumped you for three years, leaving you alone with the kids, when in reality,” Yoongi smiles and shakes his head, “He had no way of knowing there were kids at all.”

“Then I should be!” Seokjin exclaims. “I’d been the one to start all this, and I ruined a perfect career!” Yoongi, at that point, realises the reason Namjoon and Seokjin fit perfectly was because they were both so alike. They both had the hovering anxiety, trying so hard to be considerate even when they were already being so, wanting the world to be a better place, even though life was already much, much, better with those two in it.

“But you’re happy now, aren’t you?” Yoongi asks, just as Namjoon comes back in, ginger ale in his hands.

The once hard to swallow problems now dissolve in the fizzy drink, washing away all the doubts that had been singing in Seokjin’s ear for the longest time.

Seokjin smiles to himself. Yeah. He was happy. Really, really, damn happy.

And it’s all that matters, isn’t it?

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