Chapter 6....

...Seconds after stumbling upon each other, they stood five feet apart, both of them not knowing what to do with their hands....

...Jimin forced an awkward cough. He was embarrassed beyond words....

...“Uh, are you sure you’re… okay?” Yoongi asked for what felt like the tenth time that day....

...“Yes, I’m fine.” Jimin said, trying to recover from the butterflies in his stomach. He needed to calm down....

...“Are you sure? Because, I noticed you standing weird. Do your feet hurt? Are your ankles swollen? I heard that’s common in pregnancies.” Yoongi asked, to Jimin’s surprise. He didn’t think he would notice that....

...“To be honest, yeah, they’re a little swollen…” Jimin said shyly and looked away.....

...“Do you need help walking? I could help you,” Yoongi said in a hurry, looking down at Jimin worriedly. He couldn’t stop himself from noticing just how much delicate Jimin appearing for his eyes with that barely noticeable baby bump under his white hoodie. For a second Yoongi thought about just getting Jimin out of there, taking him home and wrapping him in a fluffy duvet like a burrito, giving him a nice and warm home-cooked meal and cuddling him to sleep. Wait, what....

...“No, it’s okay, I can walk on my own. But thanks.” Jimin smiled awkwardly. His ankles were hurting but it wasn’t that bad....

...“Can I take you home?” Yoongi asked, and at Jimin’s surprised look he realised his sentence sounded weird, “I mean, can I drive you home?” Yoongi said and then quickly added, “Because, you know, these people made you come here, and I feel bad for the inconvenience, and, I would feel really bad if you had to pay for another ride to go back home now…”...

...Jimin thought about it. Actually, he had been planning on stopping by Jin’s bakery after this, just to kill some time and eat candies to his heart’s content. His hyung would probably be busy, though....

...But, if he accepted Yoongi’s offer, it would be the perfect opportunity to talk to Yoongi about his invitation to have dinner with his family in Busan. He was hesitant to tell Yoongi about his parents’ wishes because, in the end, he didn’t want Yoongi to go and see how simple his family’s house was, in a suburban area. His parents didn’t earn a lot, and definitely weren’t rich like Yoongi’s....

...But Jimin knew his mother wouldn’t leave him in peace until he at least invited the man who got him pregnant to have dinner in their home and meet them....

...“Oh, if that’s really not a problem, then I accept.” Jimin said quietly, looking down and playing with the hem of his hoodie, “But are you sure? My house is kind of far from here.”...

...“I’m sure.” Yoongi said....

...-------...

...And that’s how Jimin found himself at the underground parking of the building with Yoongi....

...Before he could do anything, Yoongi stepped ahead and opened the car door for him. Jimin went to the passenger seat and murmured a shy “Thanks…”...

...He didn’t know how to act around Yoongi. At least not anymore. Not after everything that had changed between them....

...Yoongi started driving. They were silent. Jimin was too shy to think about anything to say, and Yoongi didn’t say anything, at first....

...Jimin rested his hands on his baby bump and watched the city go fast through the window....

...“I… I’m really sorry for the incompetence of that management team, and,” Yoongi started saying, “I just wanted you to know that I will take care of all these issues for you, if you let me. I’m chief of the economy department, but I have a say in PR too.”...

...“But you don’t have too much work already?” Jimin asked, unsure....

...“Don’t worry about it. This is nothing, really.” Yoongi said. As an afterthought, he said in a lower voice, “You can trust me.”...

...Hearing those words, Jimin turned to look at Yoongi, curious....

...“I… I trust you.” Jimin admitted, quietly, but Yoongi still heard him....

...------...

...When they arrived at Jimin’s home, Yoongi parked the car by the sidewalk in front of the door on the tall gates of the house....

...In silence, Jimin turned to Yoongi one last time. He cleared his throat before saying, “Thank you.”...

...Yoongi had a hand loosely resting on the steering wheel. He had also turned to face Jimin in the car, eyeing him softly. “No problem.”...

...Jimin smiled shyly at him then turned to open the door....

...Still distracted by their quiet exchange, Jimin didn’t pay attention to where he was stepping and stumbled, falling on his side on the hard concrete sidewalk....

...“Jimin!”...

...Yoongi opened the driver’s door and jumped out of the car in a hurry....

...He ran to where Jimin was, knelt to the ground and started frantically holding Jimin in his arms, looking for injuries. And then he saw blood....

...“Oh my God.” Yoongi whispered to himself, wide-eyed....

...“The baby is okay, I’m okay!” Jimin immediately reassured him, as they were both kneeling in the sidewalk. When Jimin realised he was falling, he instinctively put his arms in front of him to protect his baby, and by a result scraped the underside of his forearm and his elbows were both bleeding a bit, even though he had been wearing a long-sleeved hoodie. He also could sense that his knees would get purple and hurt a lot, later....

...Yoongi was still all over him looking scared, and said,...

...“I-I’m taking you to the hospital-”...

...“No, I’m fine! I said it’s fine, just… Can you help me get up?...” Jimin asked shyly, and Yoongi immediately held him delicately in his arms when he tried to get up....

...They walked back to the front door with difficulty, Yoongi holding him in his arms bridal-style. Jimin’s knees were really hurting, besides his ankles. They unlocked the door and Yoongi slowly sat Jimin on the sofa,...

...“Wait,” he said and ran to the kitchen to get a wet cloth to his blood. Yoongi couldn’t help but notice how Jimin’s house seemed to be so… empty, in a way....

...When he came back, Jimin was still seated on the couch. Curled in on himself, Jimin held his scraped, bleeding elbows in his hands....

...“Let me see,” Yoongi said quietly, kneeling in front of Jimin. The orange-haired blushed slightly and held his arm out for Yoongi to see....

...Yoongi took his elbow in his hands very gently and looked at the scrapes on the skin....

...“I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have…” Yoongi said, frowning....

...Jimin just tilted his head, confused. Why was Yoongi apologizing?...

...He didn’t get an answer because Yoongi just started tending for his small injuries. Jimin didn’t have any kind of medicine for that in his home, so water would have to do, for now....

...The younger would often stop his breath every time Yoongi’s strong hands and long fingers held his skin and tend at it with the wet cloth. It looked so intimate, for some reason, to have Yoongi kneeling in between his legs like that…...

...Then, Yoongi stood up and started taking off the black blazer of his suit. Jimin could only look up, embarrassedly aware of how much the sight affected him, and watch Yoongi throw the blazer in the sofa, and then loosen the tie around his neck. That brought memories to Jimin, from when they used to meet and Yoongi would come back from work and do exactly that, before they went to bed together. Jimin remember he would always jump Yoongi when he saw the other doing that, he used to be so attracted by that move....

...He still was....

...Yoongi then sat beside him on the sofa and kept pressing the cloth to one of his elbows to stop the bleeding. He looked deep in thought while he did that, and Jimin felt shyly attracted by him. He was handsome, his black hair falling over his eyes as he looked down, and Jimin felt like his touches burned his skin, slowly....

...Jimin gulped. He couldn’t even concentrate on the pain of the scratches on his forearms. He was suddenly so aware of their positions, and also self-conscious of his own appearance. He knew he wasn’t the same lustful man that used to drive Yoongi crazy with his body in bed. His abs were long gone, his cheeks were a lot puffier, his tights that once were firm with muscles were now soft and bigger....

...Yet, Yoongi appeared different, too. There were bags under his eyes that didn’t exist when they were “together”, and he looked a bit skinnier too. He didn’t look up from Jimin’s elbow once, and the other took the opportunity to allow himself to stare at Yoongi to his heart’s content....

...Jimin also remembered that he still needed to talk to Yoongi about his parents plans. He cleared his throat to catch his attention, but Yoongi didn’t look up. Jimin then moved his elbow in Yoongi’s soft hold....

...Yoongi eyed him in surprise, and Jimin said it quickly before he got too shy to utter the words,...

...“I actually needed to talk to you about something.”...

...“What is it?” Yoongi asked, curious. What could Jimin possibly want to say to him?...

...“Uh… My parents, they… they want to meet you.” Jimin hesitantly said, his voice dying at the end. He was unsure of himself again, and suddenly he regretted his choice of words. Maybe he should have danced around the topic a bit more....

...Yoongi gasped when the meaning of the words finally sank in, and he started coughing....

...“A-are you okay?!” Jimin made to raise his arms in the direction of Yoongi, but the quickly said,...

...“I’m okay, d-don’t worry!” he coughed a bit more and Jimin felt his heart sink. He would be lucky if Yoongi didn’t bolt out of his house at that moment. He was probably pitying him and trying to think of a way to let him down more gently, and probably just because he was pregnant....

...“They want to meet me?” Yoongi wanted to confirm it, and Jimin could only nod dumbly. He was silent, bracing himself for Yoongi’s rejection to the invitation,...

...“Then I must meet them. When would it be?” Yoongi answered firmly, with his hands on his knees and his back straight. Jimin’s lips parted in surprise....

...“You’re saying… you are going?” Jimin thought he must have gotten it wrong, but Yoongi frowned and asked back,...

...“Going where?”...

...“To their house. They want to… Uh, they are inviting you to have dinner at their house. In Busan. That’s what I meant. They want to meet you that way.” Jimin explained fully, and he could swear he saw a flash of nervousness go through Yoongi’s eyes....

...Yoongi straightened his back even more and nodded....

...“I see.” he said, in a serious voice, “Tell them I accept. I’ll be there.”...

...-------...

...After that, Yoongi stayed in his house for some more time. Not that Jimin was complaining, he was actually enjoying the company and the talk they were having....

...“They live in Busan, right?” Yoongi asked when Jimin was lying on the couch. Yoongi had suggested Jimin lied down and even went upstairs to get his pillow for him. Now, Yoongi was seated beside Jimin’s feet, for some reason eyeing them (Jimin thought it was probably his pink flowery socks)....

...“Yes.” Jimin said, looking at the ceiling. Now that he had lied down he was starting to feel just how much his junctions were hurting because off that fall....

...“We could go by plane, I can schedule a ride for us in a private jet.”...

...“I’ll need to talk to my doctor first,” Jimin said absentmindedly, and missed the way Yoongi turned his head at the mention of a doctor....

...“Do you have an appointment?” Yoongi asked, and Jimin answered,...

...“This week, actually. Tomorrow morning.” Jimin said, “And the dinner with my parents is next weekend.”...

...“Will Taehyung… go with you? To the doctor?” Yoongi hesitantly asked. That wasn’t exactly what he wanted to ask, but he didn’t know how to approach the topic....

...“No, he’ll be busy. I think I’m just going by myself.” Jimin said....

...“C-can I go?” Yoongi uttered the words nervously. Jimin raised his head from the pillow slightly to look at him, confused....

...“To the prenatal appointment?” he asked and Yoongi just nodded, looking at him with a faint blush on his cheeks, as if he expected to be reprimanded by the other....

...But Jimin just smiled cutely....

...“Of course!” he exclaimed, “But, are you sure you don’t have work tomorrow morning?”...

...“Don’t worry about it. I’m going.” Yoongi said, recovering from the shyness he had a second earlier. “I’ll stop by to pick you up and drive you there.”...

...“No, you don’t need to-”...

...“I insist.” he said, final, and Jimin decided to let him be. He wouldn’t deny a ride like that, anyways....

...After a moment of silence, Jimin felt Yoongi’s hands moving his feet to his lap. Jimin was about to look away from the ceiling to ask what he was doing when he recognized the movements of Yoongi’s fingers....

...Yoongi was silently massaging his feet and ankles....

...Jimin felt his face go red with embarrassment, and something else, like the butterflies in his stomach. He looked intently at the ceiling then, and tried not to to any brusque movements. He couldn’t believe it. Yoongi was doing a massage for him?! Yoongi, with the sleeves of his white button up shirt pulled up to his elbows, the black tie loosened around his neck, was gently massaging his ankles. The big and silver rolex watch on Yoongi’s wrist looked like it belonged there, perfectly. His fingers, thick and calloused, touched Jimin’s skin so warmly. Jimin felt like he could combust at any movement....

...It was so ridiculously domestic and simple, and gentle. Something that Jimin hadn’t even let himself dream of, before....

...They stayed like that, Jimin trying not to acknowledge what Yoongi was so solemnly doing, and slowly he felt the sleep get to him....

...“Does anything else hurt?” Yoongi’s low and deep voice came out to ask him, and Jimin thought about it. Should he be honest?...

...“Please be honest.” it was just like Yoongi had read his mind. Jimin sighed before admitting,...

...“Sometimes my back hurts, I think it’s because of the weight of the baby.” Jimin said quietly....

...“Let me help.” there was a slight plea in Yoongi’s voice that Jimin didn’t quite understand. But he wasn’t denying a back massage, principally after he found out Yoongi was actually really good with those, in his opinion. Maybe he had a natural talent for it....

...Jimin sat upright again and slowly turned his back to Yoongi. He was wearing only a white oversized t-shirt that moment, because he had taken off his hoodie since it was warm enough inside the house....

...He looked ahead and jumped slightly when he felt Yoongi’s hands on his shoulders. He couldn’t help but think about how the last time Yoongi’s hands touched his shoulders and back like that, it was to press him to the bed while they had sex - It felt like so long ago, but only a few months had passed since then....

...Jimin shut his eyes and tried to just relax his muscles. Yoongi was trying to help, the minimum he could do was to try to cooperate. He needed to get over those hot memories, they would probably never do that kind of thing ever again, if he was being honest with himself....

...He felt Yoongi’s thumb gently pressing his shoulder blades, and his upper back. It felt hot where he touched, and Jimin couldn’t concentrate. It seemed like Yoongi was taking his time on trying to ease the stiffness from Jimin’s muscles, genuinely worried about doing it right. Jimin kept his eyes closed and bit his lower lip quietly....

...Jimin didn’t understand why he was so shy around Yoongi now. They used to be so bold with each other, always going straight to the point, and now… Something changed and Jimin was suddenly acting like a blushing ******....

...“Is it helping?” Yoongi asked in his deep voice, quietly....

...Maybe it was unintentional - it was probably unintentional, Jimin thought - but since Yoongi was right behind him, his lips were close to his ear. Yoongi had whispered the words so intimately, his breath softly hitting Jimin’s nape, that Jimin had to think hard to remember what the question even was about....

...Jimin shuddered quietly. He gulped, and tried to concentrate on finding the words to answer. How to speak, again?...

...“Yes.” Jimin finally said, trying to keep his voice normal. Yoongi was still slowly massaging his shoulders while he spoke, “...Thanks.”...

...“Should I stop now?” Yoongi asked in a low tone, his tone innocent enough, but their proximity was making Jimin feel actually hot under his clothes....

...“Y-yeah. I feel better now.” Jimin said, out of breath....

...When Yoongi stopped touching him, Jimin turned to smile reassuringly at him. But, when he did, the smile fell off his face when he saw the way Yoongi was looking at him....

...Jimin blushed. Yoongi’s eyes were intense but hesitant at the same time, as if he felt too much and was afraid of letting Jimin know the true depths of his feelings....

...They were close enough to feel each other’s soft breaths. Jimin watched Yoongi’s eyes go through his face, from his eyes to his cheeks and his lips - and stayed there....

...Jimin wanted it too. But, he wanted it so much that he was afraid one kiss would reveal too much and leave him ***** in front of Yoongi, in more ways than one....

...Jimin turned away from Yoongi and cleared his throat....

...-------...

...Later that day, Jimin found himself lying in bed with at least two comforters above him, with his stomach full from a home cooked meal Yoongi had quickly made with what Jimin had in his kitchen....

...Jimin was lying on the bed under the warm comforters, and Yoongi was sitting at the very corner of the Jimin’s bed, near the door that was in the opposite wall of it....

...“What happened with your heater?” Yoongi asked, and Jimin shrugged, not caring about it enough when he was so comfy in his bed....

...“It’s not installed in the bedrooms yet.” Jimin said, “But it’s okay, I was thinking of sleeping downstairs, because I can’t take the stairs, sometimes.”...

...Yoongi understood what he meant. Jimin was only up there because Yoongi had practically carried him there, with his ankles swollen and his knees hurting....

...They were in silence for a moment....

...“Go back to work, Yoongi.” Jimin mumbled, sleepy. Yoongi looked at the bedside table where a mug he had brought upstairs....

...“I made you tea. It’s camomile.” Yoongi said and Jimin’s head peaked out of the duvet. He was frowning, with a slight pout on his full lips, his pastel orange hair adorably messy....

...“You made tea? For me?” Jimin mumbled, squinting his eyes sleepily....

...“Yes. Drink it while it’s still warm. It’ll help you warm up.” he said, and with a sigh, stood up from the corner of the bed. He should just let Jimin rest....

...“What time is the appointment tomorrow?” Yoongi asked. Jimin’s eyebrows lifted in surprise at the question....

...“Uh… 10 am, I guess.” Jimin said, watching Yoongi straighten his clothes. He looked really domestic in that white dress shirt and loose tie around his collar. His clothes were wrinkled now, though, and the knees of his dress pants were affected by the way he had jumped to the ground of the sidewalk to help him....

...“I’ll be here by 9, then.” he said quietly in the dark of Jimin’s room and Jimin closed his eyes, ready to sleep....

...“Don’t forget to drink the tea.” Yoongi remarked, his voice like a gentle scold, and Jimin lazily leaned to the side of the bed to take a sip. It was really good, and it did warm him up amazingly....

...“Thank you.” Yoongi said, and Jimin frowned in confusion. Shouldn’t he be the one to thank Yoongi, after all of this?...

...Yoongi walked to the door of the wide suite and looked one more time to the sleepy form of Jimin. He already had his eyes closed....

...Yoongi smiled to himself and closed the door....

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***