chapter 19.....

...Jimin is 24 weeks on his pregnancy, and smiling excitedly while Yoongi parks the car in front of a grocery shop....

...“Should we use these, or would it be too obvious?” Jimin asked, motioning to the black facemasks in his hands, that he got after fiddling in the glove compartment. It surprised him that Yoongi carried those around in his car....

...“Nah, definitely too obvious.” Yoongi murmured without looking in his direction, both hands on the steering wheel....

...It was night, almost too late to be actually shopping for groceries, but Yoongi had came back from work later than usual today. Also, they had been busy with Yoongi’s moving in....

...He didn’t have many things, it was mostly clothes and several boxes of heavy music production stuff - that took an entire guest room, which would be promptly transformed into a studio as soon as Yoongi had the time to work on it, - that were delivered at Jimin’s doorstep....

...At first, Yoongi said it was okay to just put the boxes in the garage, and that he didn’t want to intrude, but Jimin just scoffed and told the delivery men to bring them to one of his vacant rooms, downstairs. He wanted Yoongi to feel like it was his home, too....

...They soon found out that moving in together, as a real couple and with a baby on the way, is not nearly as simple as it seemed to be. If Yoongi was going to live in that suburban private neighborhood, he would need to re arrange his entire life, that, before, functioned around him living in the heart of the city....

...And since they didn’t want to bring any of his previous house staff, they would need to do everything by themselves....

...Including, now, grocery shopping....

...“Are you sure no one will recognize us?...” Jimin asked nervously, looking around in his seat. He was in a big, black coat and had a black beanie over his head....

...“Well,” Yoongi shrugged, “...If I think about the general age of supermarket goers, I don’t think any of them are familiar with instagram or youtube people.” Yoongi said and Jimin snorted cutely and tossed the facemasks back in the glove compartment....

...“You know what? You’re right.” Jimin said, adjusting his beanie nevertheless. Yoongi smiled fondly and leaned over to undo his seatbelt for him silently....

...They got out and walked a few steps on the night parking lot in a state of doubt and mild panic whether to link hands or not, but by the time they were halfway there, Yoongi reached his and clasped their palms together. Jimin looked up at him and smiled shyly, giving Yoongi’s hand a light squeeze....

...But when they got to the front, Jimin had to let it go for Yoongi to go get a cart....

...As they entered, Jimin was still mildly nervous about being recognized, but tried to reason with himself that it would be okay, the worse that could happen would be them being asked for selcas and the occasional autograph, right? Right....

...One look at Yoongi by his side, so overly domestic in checking the list they put up together in his phone, was enough to push all the worries to the back of his mind, though....

...“I think we should start… There…?” Yoongi pointed to the right end of the enormous line of aisles, and Jimin couldn’t help but snort,...

...“You’re asking me?” Jimin teased, and Yoongi huffed, putting his phone back in his coat pocket and grabbing the shopping cart handle....

...“It’s been so long since I did these things, you have no idea.” Yoongi said grumpily, and Jimin just laughed more. He went to hug Yoongi’s back and snuzzle his shoulder like a playful puppy, letting Yoongi practically drag him across the shop....

...“Are we shopping like this?” Yoongi’s voice caught his attention again, and Jimin just hugged him tighter....

...“Mmmprobably~ “ Jimin said, giggling and burying his head in Yoongi’s shoulder. He felt more than heard the man sigh, as he guided the both of them and the cart to the first aisle....

...Jimin felt so comfortable and giddy hugging Yoongi from behind, it took him a moment to notice that Yoongi had stopped his movements at the beginning of the aisle....

...Jimin cocked his head to the side to look at Yoongi’s face, and saw that he had his eyes closed....

...“Everything okay?” Jimin asked worriedly, squeezing Yoongi’s body a bit more,...

...Yoongi took a deep breath and opened his eyes again. All the fondness and adoration in his eyes caught Jimin by surprise, and he blushed when Yoongi just kept staring at him like that....

...“Uhm, we should probably… start… shopping…?” Jimin said, feeling shy with the way Yoongi was staring him down, and at Yoongi’s continued silence, he was about to say more, but got interrupted by Yoongi....

...He turned away from the cart and gently put his hands on Jimin’s hips, bringing him closer and kissing him chastely on the lips, seemingly out of nowhere. Jimin’s eyebrows shot up but he doesn’t try to move away as Yoongi hugs him more and kisses him again, and again, sweetly and gently, with his eyes closed....

...Jimin giggles under Yoongi’s kisses, bringing his hands up, one still holding his phone, to close them around Yoongi’s shoulders, accepting his embrace,...

...“Baby, I think you’re turning into a sap.” he said, giggling, and Yoongi joined his laughs. Jimin could only think how his gummy smile was the most precious thing on earth....

...“How can I not turn into a sap, when I have Park Jimin as my boyfriend, uh?” Yoongi laughed along, and continued distributing kisses all around Jimin’s face in a shameless, lovestruck display of affection, “You’re too cute,” he mumbled in between pecks in Jimin’s cheeks and lips,...

...“Hahah, sto-op,” Jimin tried to say, giggling as if Yoongi’s kisses tickled his skin, but Yoongi just pressed him closer, still somewhat aware of his baby bump, and rested his forehead on the shorter’s shoulder....

...“We’re in public, come on, and it’s getting late and we haven’t even started.” Jimin said by Yoongi’s ear, rubbing his back with his hands affectionately, to encourage him to move....

...Yoongi grunted and hesitantly slid his arms away from Jimin’s soft body. Jimin felt the pull to laugh again at Yoongi’s ridiculous, but adorable pout, but a weird feeling stopped him in his tracks....

...It was a weird pull, as if he could feel someone’s… anger? directed at him. Like someone’s heavy, intense stare was directed at the back of his head. As if we was being watched from afar, or even… stalked…?...

...Jimin hesitantly looked back, turning on his feet to see what was behind him, half expecting someone with a paparazzi camera, or even some teenage anti-fan, but his eyes only met the empty aisle of rice and flour. Even though he still felt a weird thing coming from that direction, there was not a single soul in that area besides him and Yoongi....

...Jimin gulped, letting his eyes dance around the surroundings behind him and Yoongi, still turned on his back to his boyfriend, even though he was mildly afraid of what he could find. Am I going crazy?...

...“What?” Yoongi’s voice brought him back, and he turned to see his frown, face full of worry. “Did you see something?”...

...“Uhm… I… I don’t think so.” Jimin shrugged, trying to act like it was nothing, and gave Yoongi a quick smile before ducking his head back to the list on Yoongi’s phone....

...They started dutifully putting things inside the cart, or at least Jimin was trying to be exact about it, while having to bat away Yoongi’s touchy hands from time to time....

...“Can you focus?!” Jimin exclaimed, but the laughter in his voice showed that he wasn’t really mad, as Yoongi hugged him from behind....

...“What? I’m focused.” Yoongi said with a straight face on as he rested his cheek on Jimin’s shoulder, and his hands so casually caressing Jimin’s belly....

...“Oh, really?” Jimin said as he grabbed Yoongi’s wrists with the intention of taking his hands off him, but in the end he gave up, just melting in Yoongi’s arms. He pouted, “We haven’t even finished the first aisle! How are we supposed to be responsible adults if we can’t even do one grocery shopping?”...

...“Baby, we are doing the shopping.” Yoongi muttered with his croaky voice, and nuzzled his nose against Jimin’s shoulder and neck, “It’s just that we’re doing it at our own pace.”...

...Jimin groaned in frustration. Yoongi wasn’t making it easier for him, and he was too weak to deny that....

...“Shouldn’t I be the clingy one?” Jimin practically whined in frustration, still not making any move to stop Yoongi’s touches, “Since I’m pregnant and all?”...

...“M’ not clingy.” Yoongi muttered, hugging Jimin tighter....

...“Yoongi, come on. Let go… We can cuddle all you want when we get home, how about it?” Jimin said, squeezing Yoongi’s hands that were still warm against his bump....

...“You promise?”...

...“Of course.” Jimin said softly. It wasn’t like he wasn’t looking forward to it, either....

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

...Yoongi and Jimin had finally made it to the second aisle of dry ingredients, when it happened....

...“Oh god.” he heard Yoongi mutter, and turned around to see Yoongi holding a package of mochi and rice cakes in different sizes, with a shit eating grin on his face....

...Jimin laughed. He knew people used to call him mochi in the internet, saying that he’s similar to one, but he honestly couldn’t see the appeal… that much. Yeah....

...“I need a picture, aww.” Yoongi honest to god cooed , and got his phone in place before Jimin could protest. Jimin rolled his eyes theatrically but gave in anyways, taking the package in his hands and making a V sign, puffing his cheeks and all, in the middle of the supermarket....

...Yoongi had an adorable gummy smile, in Jimin’s opinion, while he snapped several pictures of Jimin like a proud mom or something. They started giggling like teenagers as Jimin did the most ridiculous and dorky poses all around the empty aisle and Yoongi followed him around, holding his cellphone like it was a big, professional camera....

...“I’m gonna have these printed, Jimin.” Yoongi said still laughing a little as he snapped another picture of Jimin, this time leaning against a big pile of ramen packages, attempting a sexy pose but in the end just being silly and adorable, in Yoongi’s biased opinion....

...“I think we should have one of those instant cameras, you know? What’s the name again??” Jimin asked as they resumed walking through the aisle....

...“...I think the name is Instax, love.” Yoongi said it in such a fond, distracted way, that Jimin blushed, still looking ahead as they walked slowly. “Or… polaroid? ...And I think that’s a great idea, actually. Really great.” Yoongi continues, and by his face Jimin already knows he’ll see Yoongi with one of those cameras, probably by tomorrow morning....

...Jimin just laughed and continued going through the list, being interrupted by Yoongi a few times to pose for more snaps around the supermarket. The one that made Yoongi coo at him the most was when they were by the meat area, and Jimin got two cold packages and pressed them against his cheeks cutely. Yoongi had the biggest smile as he took the picture, looking like he was having the time of his life, joking around a grocery shop with Jimin....

...“I’m sending this one to your parents.” Yoongi admitted, but not looking one bit guilty,...

...“Oh my god please don’t- !”...

...“Too late.” Yoongi said as Jimin groaned, mostly embarrassed. His little sister wouldn’t let him live it down. The older looked at him a little unimpressed and said, “What? It’s a great one! I’m almost posting it on my instagram.”...

...Jimin’s eyes widened. He remembered Yoongi’s account - cool, artsy, all in black and white about his music studios or the aesthetically pleasing streets of Seoul, probably five million followers by now. How the hell would a dorky picture of Jimin holding two packages of cold meat to his cheeks fit into that feed?...

...“Oh my god, definitely not!” Jimin exclaimed, feeling his cheeks burn. Yoongi just laughed and absently took another picture of Jimin while he was flustered and red to his ears in front of him....

...“Why not? It would be so cute!” Yoongi protested, not at all taking it as seriously as Jimin was, “Come on, give me a good reason not to. I’ll wait.” Yoongi said and leaned his elbows on the shopping cart handle, looking at Jimin expectantly....

...Jimin stayed in silence for a second, and then sputtered,...

...“B-because it’s embarrassing!! ” Jimin exclaimed, still red in the face and flustered to no end, principally when Yoongi just kept staring at him unimpressed, but still with a hint of a fond smile in his lips, “A-and… and your… your instagram is so serious, right?!” Jimin tried to reason, but Yoongi just shrugged,...

...“And you’re not serious?”...

...“N-not like that !” Jimin exclaimed again, referring to the fact that, in that specific pic, he looked anything but serious....

...“Aww, it’s okaaay!” Yoongi cooed playfully and got closer to him, hugging his waist affectionately, “I can put it in the black and white filter too.”...

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

...They kept dancing around the supermarket, and taking double the time to shop, until the cart was filled and the list was, more or so, done. And Jimin had managed to completely forget about that weird, unsettling feeling from earlier. It was probably, definitely, just his imagination. Yeah....

...At least they had gotten all of their essentials, right? Jimin thought as his eyes went through the groceries that were starting to be passed by the cashier. Even though he was worriedly scanning through the products, Jimin was basically just standing there and watching Yoongi do the work, his hands resting loosely under his belly....

...Jimin decided to look, one last time, at the shopping list he did in Yoongi’s phone, when his eyes landed on the words....

...“Oh no, I think we forgot olive oil?” Jimin commented as he looked around the slowly emptying cart once more. Yoongi looked around too, and hummed....

...“I’ll go take it-” Yoongi started, but Jimin interrupted him, not really paying attention to what he said, and already moving,...

...“I’ll be right back.” Jimin said as he was going in the general direction of what he thought was probably the kitchen oils’....

...Yoongi didn’t go after him, and he continued, walking somewhat fast, but still taking the time to let his eyes go over each aisle in search of the thing....

...When he finally found himself in front of the right aisle, he thought, at the back of his head, that he was really, really far from where Yoongi was. The supermarket was really big, and he was basically alone, here....

...But nothing much could happen, right?...

...Jimin looked at the different brands of olive oil in front of him. There were a lot, but he thought that the best one was the brand that was in the higher shelf. He absently thought that he just wanted to take a look at it, see what was written in the label because he was one of those people to do that, but it was placed way higher than he had imagined....

...Jimin stretched, groaning to himself at his small fingers failed to reach one of the dark glass bottles of the oil....

...He was almost giving up when--...

......When another hand got it for him....

...Jimin felt a cold shiver run down his spine, and he immediately knew it wasn’t Yoongi. In the back of his mind, he had been already suspecting it, already sensing, already guessing… but too afraid to put a name and face to the “aura” that he had been feeling around him, for the past weeks, in the most odd moments of his days....

...Junmyeon....

...The man stood tall in front of him, the bottle of oil standing harmlessly in his hands, and his black hair was neatly combed back. He was in a light blue dress shirt and black, suit pants. Jimin remembered, his typical CEO appearance had never failed him, not even in the bedroom, somehow....

...Even though he was smiling, his expression was impossible to read. But Jimin could feel the danger about him even with his eyes closed....

...Jimin was at a loss of words, just staring at Junmyeon like a deer caught in headlights. The man was, too, in silence, looking Jimin’s frame up and down with a serious face, and letting his eyes stop at Jimin’s protruding baby bump. Jimin gulped, suppressing the need to flee away, because he knew too well that that would only make things worse, in Junmyeon’s case....

...He can’t decide what is the most unnerving thing in this situation: the fact that his overly possessive ex is staring at him, in an empty aisle, with the most serious and threatening expression Jimin has seen in a while ; or the fact that Junmyeon looks so completely out of place in that suburban supermarket aisle, and the implications of his appearance there....

...They stay in that way for a beat, no one saying anything, with Junmyeon’s eyes locked at the bump in Jimin’s abdomen for way too long. Jimin feels so vulnerable and nervous that in the back of his mind he knows his hormones and body will respond to that automatically in some hours. All that stress won’t be good for him at all, but now it’s too late....

...He nearly jumps when Junmyeon moves, his silent smile widening and he’s stretching his hand with the glass bottle of oil in Jimin’s direction. Jimin stares at it for some seconds, feeling like he’s underwater, until he sees Junmyeon shaking the bottle and Jimin slowly gets it, with the most precious attention in not letting his skin get nowhere near to touching the taller’s skin....

...Jimin brings the bottle to his chest and gulps, looking around and wondering if it would be okay to just silently walk away from the man, but he knows that he will just panic and be completely paranoid afterwards, if he does that....

...“What a surprise, seeing you here.” Junmyeon comments, his voice overly calm, and his smile too perfectly collected. Jimin feels his nervousness double in size at that, because he knows Junmyeon....

...“Hm.” Jimin still hasn’t found his words, and can’t bring himself to look at his eyes. The sense of vulnerability and nervousness is killing him, and he feels a panic attack getting closer. He takes deep breaths while trying to be subtle, but knowing that the other is most probably just staring right at his face while he tries doesn’t help at all....

...From the corner of his eyes, he watches Junmyeon put his hands in his pockets and relax his shoulders, cocking his head to the side....

...“It’s been so long since I’ve last seen you.” Junmyeon comments like he’s talking about the weather, and before he knows, Jimin is blurting,...

...“Why are you here?” he forces his eyes to stay in Junmyeon’s face, repeating in his mind that there’s no apparent reason to be scared like that. It’s just a person, not a dragon, he tells himself....

...“Ah! Good question.” he says, an easy smile on his face. He looks Jimin up and down again like he is extremely pleased with himself, “You see, I’ve recently taken a liking to the suburbs. I’ve realised it’s so… beautiful, out here.” Junmyeon’s voice sobers at the end, and Jimin needs to actually remember himself why he can’t just run away....

...This is not a problem he can just run away from....

...“We can see the sky in here.” Junmyeon continues, hands still in his pants’ pockets, “I can’t see the stars in the city. Too many lights… But when I come here, they’re visible… Almost like… They’re right under my nose. And I think it’s so pretty. Ah! I love stargazing.” Junmyeon says with a pleased smile. Jimin’s stomach drops....

...They both know he’s not talking about stars....

...“And I’ve seen you got yourself a new man.” Junmyeon’s voice is more sober, but still with a hint of acted lightness. Jimin looks up,...

...“You… You talk to him?” Jimin asks, hesitantly, because he knows they both come from the same “rich people”’s world. But Junmyeon scoffs loudly,...

...“Hah! Me? Talk to him? Please,” Junmyeon laughs at Jimin like he is a kid, “He’s more like the court clown.”...

...Jimin gulps, not knowing how to answer it. He doesn’t really care about what Junmyeon personally thinks of Yoongi, nor he understands the reference for real, but when he opens his mouth to at least try to defend his boyfriend, Junmyeon speaks again, changing the subject abruptly,...

...“You never told me you were a carrier.” Junmyeon deadpanned, and finally, his true colors are showing. His tone of voice was completely bitter and humourless, as he stared Jimin down almost angrily, “Things would have been a lot different, if I knew.”...

...Jimin feels like he has been physically backed up against a wall by the other, and has to take deep breaths. The unnerving vulnerability comes back in full force, and he just stays in silence. Junmyeon also doesn’t speak up, just pinning Jimin down with his gaze, a small flicker of something way too dark dancing in his eyes....

...“Junmyeon, look, I- I need to go-”...

...“Fuck, I miss the times you would call me Master.” Junmyeon interrupts him with a dark voice, and Jimin gasps loudly, in shock. That’s too much....

...“This is Harassment.” Jimin’s voice wavers, but he tries to be as intimidating as he can. He needs to be taken seriously, it’s not just him, this time....

...Junmyeon smiles and gestures his hands up in mock surrender, taking a step back. The way the man reacts jokingly to his threat only worsen Jimin’s nerves, and the pregnant man takes a deep breath, as if he was being choked before....

...With more space, now, Jimin just turns on his heel and immediately walks away, in the direction of the cashier Yoongi is waiting for him in. He is clutching the bottle in his hands too forcefully, but hopefully it won’t break....

...In the way Jimin needs to go through the too big supermarket, his mind replays his worst memories of Junmyeon. Just how much the man was possessive and obsessed with him, and it was exciting at first, but it quickly started to weird him out, until he broke everything up with Junmyeon when the man committed the biggest, worst crime possible in the history of contract-relationships: he ignored Jimin’s safewording....

...Jimin felt tears at the back of his eyes, and did his best to suppress them, feeling ridiculous for being that way. He needed to calm down before he faced Yoongi again, or the man would immediately know something was up....

...He remembered, then, how the post break up managed to be even worse than the relationship itself - Junmyeon following him around, insisting on giving him flowers every day, showering him in the most extravagant, expensive gifts he didn’t want, pulling every kind of possible scene and excuse to beg him to come back....

...It only really stopped when Jimin met Yoongi....

...Junmyeon had completely disappeared from his life, gladly, by the time Jimin started actively going out with Yoongi. At the time, Jimin just had assumed that Junmyeon finally understood that Jimin wasn’t available or interested anymore....

...Jimin took a deep breath as he turned the last aisle to Yoongi’s direction, and just seeing the man’s silhouette from afar calmed him down immensely. Jimin smiled to himself, still feeling a little out of breath....

...Yoongi had already passed everything by the register, and was only waiting for Jimin to come back with the oil. When he got a look at Jimin, he smiled easily and then asked, frowning curiously,...

...“What took you so long?” Jimin nodded with a small smile and passed him the bottle,...

...“I got lost trying to find it.” Jimin shrugged a little sheepishly, and Yoongi just laughed, caressing Jimin’s hair fondly....

...“I was thinking this had probably happened.”...

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

...When they get home, it’s late and they order takeout. They eat cuddled in one another on the sofa, only the lights of their newly acquired tv system are on, coloring their faces blue in the darkness of the house....

...They lazily stock their shopping in the pantry, or actually, Yoongi puts it lazily while Jimin mainly watches, and they go upstairs to the warmth of Jimin’s room to sleep....

...Jimin and Yoongi just cuddle each other to sleep that night, and Jimin doesn’t even think of mentioning his unhappy encounter with his problematic ex at the supermarket that night. Yoongi probably doesn’t even know about Junmyeon, and Jimin plans on letting it stay that way....

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

...Days later and Jimin is 25 weeks....

...It’s a saturday, and they finally have the time and mood to go to their furniture shopping....

...Yoongi has mixed feelings about it; Several times these past days, Jimin would bug him about nursery decorations, and constantly ask his opinion, ask him if he liked that picture of that other picture, and Yoongi was at a loss, not because he wasn’t interested, because he was - but because those “pinterest” ideas weren’t the kind of nursery he had in mind. He couldn’t decide if they were too simple, or too much. It was just that… he thought baby nursery rooms should be different than that....

...But how to say it aloud to the pregnant man, when he was practically jumping on his feet while they wandered around the big furniture shop, excitedly pointing to all the kinds of things that were similar to what he had seen on the internet?...

...Yoongi sighed, letting Jimin pull him by their interlaced fingers through the aisle....

...Also, something about Jimin, lately, has been making Yoongi feel like he could crack any second. There was something… off. Something not right about Jimin’s behavior, but Yoongi didn’t know what could it possibly be....

...He thought that coming to live with Jimin would be their “happy ever after”, but clearly, that was far from happening. Yoongi was subtly trying to read through Jimin words, but more often than not, he just felt like he was walking on eggs with the younger....

...One moment, Jimin would be all bubbly and ecstatic, jumping on his feet and laughing sweetly. But the other, he would be oddly quiet, lost in his own thoughts, seeming to be way too worried about something he clearly had no plans in sharing with his boyfriend....

...They had just entered the store, and Yoongi could already see an attendant getting their way....

...“Hello, can I help you?” the young man asked, an overly happy smile on his face, sincere only to the point of wanting to sell thousands worth of furniture and decor to the obviously expecting couple....

...Jimin smiled back, his eyes squinting adorably, in Yoongi’s silent opinion, and soon the both of them were lost in an overexcited exchange about color coordination and “neutral tones”, because Jimin was still strong with the idea of wanting to discover the sex of the baby only when it was born....

...By the time the attendant was talking about the difference of the types of wood, Yoongi was trying hard not to space out....

...They kept walking around the big store with the attendant guiding them through, but the thing Yoongi seemed to pay attention the most was how nice Jimin’s small hand felt in his. And how domestic all that situation was, too....

...Even if it was boring, - because Yoongi only cared that their baby had a comfortable and clean place to sleep, nothing else, - Yoongi nodded along with Jimin’s words and tried to participate as much as he could. All he wanted was to show Jimin that he cared, and that he wouldn’t be going anywhere....

...Through silent actions, since Yoongi didn’t know how to say it out loud yet, Yoongi wanted to let Jimin know that there was no reason to be worried, because it would all work out well, in the end. Yoongi just knew it....

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

...Jimin had continued to have his weird mood swings, and as the days went by in their quiet household, Jimin’s “happy” moments started turning more and more artificial, like there was something off in Jimin’s eagerness about things....

...He was either too bubbly, or too quiet, and, to Yoongi, it seemed like they were never talking about the important things....

...Yoongi just sincerely wanted Jimin to feel okay again, and he knew that his pregnant state was doing quite the number on him, his changing hormones affecting directly all his mood swings. And he thought that, probably, a good night out, just the two of them, would help take Jimin’s mind off his problems. A change of scenery....

...It would be their first real, romantic date, as a couple, ever , so Yoongi wanted to be sure everything would be perfect. He was nervous about Jimin’s reaction, too, because he never knew when the younger would be in a good mood....

...“You made… reservations?” Jimin asked, dully. Yoongi sighed internally but tried to conceal his expression of nervousness. By Jimin’s unimpressed stare, Yoongi already knew he was in for one of his bad moods....

...“...Yes. Uhm… It’s in a great restaurant I know, it’s on the ‘high end’ side but they actually sell food, I promise.” he said, trying to sound as cheerful and confident as he could, but also not wanting Jimin to feel pressured into doing something he didn’t want....

...Jimin was laying on their bed and fiddling with his phone, all in sweats, and his newly-dyed light blond hair was all over the place. Yoongi was standing in front of him, near the door. It was a saturday afternoon, and Yoongi had spent all morning working on actually building up his studio equipments....

...“You… … When did you do this?” Jimin asked, still with a blank face, and with Jimin’s lack of enthusiasm about it, Yoongi’s resolve for tonight weakened a little. But as he watched Jimin’s bored face, he realized that a night out might be just what Jimin needed right now, even if he didn’t realize it yet....

...“Two days ago.” Yoongi said with a faint smile, trying to get another one from Jimin’s lips. He failed....

...Jimin blinked slowly, phone still in hand, and said,...

...“And you’re only telling me about it now ? A few hours before we’re supposed to go?” Jimin asked, face all too serious and unimpressed....

...“It’s not a big deal, Minnie…” Yoongi murmured gently, ignoring Jimin’s cold stare and walking up to him. Yoongi sat on the bed and smiled down at him, “It’s just dinner.”...

...“It’s clearly not just dinner. And it’s already five pm, Yoongi. I’m not ready.” Jimin said harshly, and Yoongi’s shoulders deflated a little. But he still tried once more,...

...“You are beautiful, Jimin, you’re ready any time. But we can get a private room, like I said, there’s no big deal-”...

...“A private room.” Jimin deadpanned. Yoongi was confused. He didn’t know how to deal with this bitter, hormonal version of his bubbly, sweet Jimin. He had never seen Jimin act so harsh,...

...“Yes, if you want-”...

...“I don’t want it, Yoongi, you do. You just suggested it” Jimin cut him off again, and then turned to look at his face, an annoyed scowl on his cute one, “Are you that embarrassed of me, now? Uh? That you feel the need to hide when we’re together?!”...

...Yoongi was gaping, at a loss of words. What did Jimin even-...

...Before Yoongi could think of anything more to say, Jimin was hurriedly crawling off the bed and marching out of the room, leaving an astonished Yoongi behind....

...As Yoongi slowly, still shocked, got up from the bed to hesitantly trail after Jimin, he could feel his heart clench with anxiety. In the first days of his stay in Jimin’s house, they had been so sweet, but ever since, Jimin had been showing these weird signs and bad moods… Was Yoongi doing something wrong? Was Jimin second guessing his choice of inviting Yoongi to move in?...

...Yoongi didn’t think they would be perfect, but still, he was so completely unprepared for their first argument. What should he say? He knew Jimin shouldn’t be under pressure, as it was bad for his health and the baby’s. The doctor had said it countless times, that Jimin shouldn’t be under any kind of stress....

...What should he do to ensure that Jimin would be at ease again?...

...Yoongi walked out of the room slowly, and he could see, from above, that Jimin was stomping down the stairs in the direction of the living room. Yoongi took a deep breath and followed after him, trying to make himself look as harmless as possible....

...“Jimin, baby.” Yoongi almost whispered when he was standing by Jimin’s side. Jimin was sitting at the sofa with his arms and legs crossed, his face turned to the full length window that leaded to the front patio of the house....

...“Don’t call me baby .” Jimin said, still refusing to look in Yoongi’s direction....

...Yoongi sat down by Jimin’s side and complained in a gentle tone of voice, only half joking,...

...“But I like to call you baby…” he said and got closer to Jimin, but still not caressing his cheeks and hair like he wanted to. Yoongi leaned back on the sofa and watched Jimin’s beautiful profile getting softer, his shoulders relaxing a little....

...Jimin didn’t answer his comment, nor looked at him, so Yoongi spoke out again, in his most gentle and delicate tone of voice, as if he was talking to a wild animal,...

...“I’m sorry.” he murmured, and decided to let it at that, let the words float in the air around them....

...After some seconds, Jimin finally turned to him, with his arms still crossed, his recently dyed light blond hair falling on his forehead softly,...

...“Why are you saying you’re sorry? You did nothing wrong.” he said, and his voice wasn’t that harsh anymore. Yoongi let out a gentle smile and asked, curiously and amusedly,...

...“I didn’t?”...

...“...I guess not.” Jimin admitted, pouting slightly. He looked at Yoongi’s face through his eyelashes, a faint blush on his cheeks, and Yoongi had to physically restrain himself from swooning....

...He’s got it bad....

...“Oh, that’s great then.” he murmured fondly, and then allowed himself to risk pecking Jimin on the lips, quickly. Jimin blinked in surprise, but he still had his arms crossed around himself, and he wasn’t saying anything....

...“Do you wanna talk about our dinner date? Or should we just forget that ever happened?” Yoongi asked again, voice overly gentle, and then gave his pouty lips another soft, chaste kiss. Jimin didn’t respond, but didn’t turn away from it either....

...“It’s just… I’m ugly.” Jimin said, and his cute eyebrows furrowed annoyedly. Yoongi began speaking,...

...“Baby, what, you’re the most beautiful…” but then he realized Jimin was turning his eyes away from him, and the corners of his eyes were getting wet....

...Oh. Oh god. Jimin’s lower lip was quivering, and he was about to cry....

...“No no no no, wait-- Jiminnie, baby, please,- …!” Yoongi tried to get a hold of Jimin’s cheeks, but he was already turning his face to opposite direction, his shoulders hunched as he trembled and sobbed, covering his face with his small hands....

...“Jiminnie…” Yoongi murmured, at a loss of words, and feeling his heart clench. He rested a hand on Jimin’s shoulders, rubbing it slowly, “Please, don’t be like that, you’re so gorgeous,” Yoongi almost whispered, in his most gentle, soft voice....

...Suddenly, Jimin turned back to Yoongi and enlaced his shoulders with his arms, hiding his wet face in Yoongi’s neck....

...“I’m sorry, I’m a mess…” Jimin said in between sobs, and Yoongi just hugged him back, making shush sounds,...

...“It’s okay, it’s okay… there’s no reason to cry on this, right? You know you’re not ugly, come on. Everyone knows.”...

...Jimin just sniffed quietly, and Yoongi’s heart swelled once more....

...“Come on, there’s no need to cry.” Yoongi said while gently caressing Jimin’s blond hair, and delicately tried to bring his face up. Jimin sniffed cutely but let Yoongi gently rub the tears away from his blushing cheeks....

...“I really think it would be a good idea for us to get out a little, enjoy ourselves somewhere else… But if you want we can stay in tonight, no problem.” Yoongi said, and Jimin just nodded....

...“Okay.” he whispered, his voice still sounding wet from his previous crying. His face was still puffy and wet from all his tears....

...“Okay? We order chinese food and finish watching Goblin tonight, then?” Yoongi asked with a hint of laughter. Jimin cracked a smile too, his face still cradled in Yoongi’s hands....

...“No. I mean, let’s go.” Jimin said, and sniffed once more, “Let’s go out tonight.”...

...Yoongi smiled and gently leaned in to peck his lips again....

...“Okay. Whatever you want, Minnie.”...

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

...Jimin had been in a good mood when they had entered the car to head for the restaurant, but by the time they were seated in their designated table, the blond was quiet again....

...The restaurant was a quite expensive, french-european styled one, with a dim lit ambient, flowers and candles on the tables, and a panoramic view of the best part of the city, since it was on the highest floors of one massive building, in the central area....

...Yoongi gulped and watched Jimin look at the river’s sight by their place near the full length window. His blond hair was a bit fluffy now, and he was wearing an oversized, white woolen sweater with a turtleneck pulled up to his chin....

...Jimin looked silently annoyed, and small, but there was something else that made Yoongi’s heart unsettle in the most unpleasant way....

...He knew something was wrong. Jimin’s shoulders were too stiff, and he was refusing to look at Yoongi’s face, or into his eyes....

...“Uhm.” Yoongi murmured, opening his menu to look at the options. “Do you know what you’re going to order?”...

...Jimin had his arms crossed in front of his chest in a somewhat defensive manner, and just hummed in response. He was still facing the city view beside them....

...“It’s beautiful up in here, isn’t it?” Yoongi commented, trying to get Jimin to at least recognize his presence, or maybe say something, too....

...Jimin’s lips parted in a breathy sigh, and he blinked, still looking at the nighttime horizon....

...“I’ve been here before.” Jimin said with an unreadable face, and Yoongi frowned, confused with Jimin’s seriousness....

...“Oh, really? Oh, that’s,- that’s nice.” Yoongi nodded quickly, feeling, now more than ever, like he was walking on eggs with Jimin....

...Jimin sighed again, no trace of humour in his face anymore, and turned to look at Yoongi for the first time since they had sat down. The other man was in a knee-long dark blue coat, and had been wearing a woolen scarf before entering, too....

...The last time Jimin had been here, he was 20 years old and quickly, magically rising to the top of his modeling career. At the time, he was swimming in a seemingly endless ocean of fame and luxury, a total bliss. Junmyeon was always somewhere near him, too....

...The first time he had been in this french restaurant, a man in his early thirties, in a impeccable black suit and dark eyes had been right in the same seat Yoongi was now....

...Just how life was a merciless, ironic bitch....

...Jimin had to admit, he wasn’t his most intelligent self a year and a half ago… He had taken some choices and paths, and done some things that he would probably spend the rest of his life regretting....

...Also, the contrast was absurd. Before, that man would keep his hair neatly styled with gel, his tie perfectly knotted around his neck, expression perfectly schooled to conceal his emotions....

...Now, Yoongi stood in front of him with his face like an open book, his anxiousness rolling out of him like in waves. His hair was near messy, slightly fluffy and ruffled like Jimin’s, and he had put little to no effort on his clothes - he had just thrown in some pair of jeans, a random t-shirt and put on that big designer overcoat to cover most of it. Yoongi, in the beginning, was so similar to Junmyeon it hurt - in a good way....

...But now, what hurt Jimin and affected him the most was just how much softer Yoongi had became, with time. Now, Yoongi just stood in front of him in that poorly-lit restaurant looking all kinds of young and confused, and earnest. So much sincerity in his eyes that Jimin felt like crying in despair....

...Before any of them could say anything more, the garçon was already standing by their table, smiling politely and waiting for their choices. Jimin had lost all his appetite as soon as he had stepped foot inside this restaurant, but he knew he should at least try to eat. The food here was actually good, he remembered....

...The both of them settled their orders, with none of them drinking any wine, but having grape juice instead, since Jimin couldn’t, because of his baby, and Yoongi would be driving....

...After they were alone again, Jimin kept his silence. He looked away, to the floor-to-ceiling windows and its beautiful night city view....

...Yoongi, too, was silent. The worry inside of him was building up, and he wasn’t so caught up in hiding it; rather, he kind of wanted Jimin to see it. He wanted Jimin to look at him and know that he cared so much his chest could explode. Yoongi wanted Jimin to just realize, already, that he wasn’t alone, and that Yoongi was right here. He wasn’t going anywhere. He could talk to him....

...Feeling like he was in a tv drama, Yoongi opened his mouth to say, out of nowhere, exactly those words: You’re not alone....

...But the words didn’t get out. They couldn’t, because this wasn’t a drama. This, - Jimin’s silence and inner complexes, all these problems that were so obvious in his heart but that he’d still refuse to share with Yoongi, who was supposed to be the first one he would feel comfortable with, now, the one that would feel like home , - was real life, for Yoongi. There wasn’t a script or a camera capturing them; only the night sky through the big windows, the tiny candle in between them, the flowers. The silence....

...Suddenly, Yoongi remembered the last time they had been in this situation, and how badly it had ended - that night, it had been all Yoongi’s fault. He didn’t have the right to take it out on Jimin like that....

...Was this a collateral effect of that very first scene, the very first time Yoongi had risen his voice at Jimin, when all he needed was a hug, an assurance? Was this Yoongi’s fault, still?...

...As he sat in front of the pregnant man, silently watching his side profile and how beautiful he was, even when there was so much fear - fear - in his features, Yoongi felt his throat close, slowly. There was a horrible sense of deja vu in Yoongi’s mind, now. This was a repetition of that scene; the both of them at different sides of a table, Jimin in front of him drowning himself in secrets and anxiousness, and Yoongi completely incapable of helping the younger....

...They stayed like that the whole time it took for the food to arrive, and it was like the clock had stopped....

...And Jimin had been so relatively good, before entering here. But as soon as he stepped foot in this restaurant, it was like a switch had been flicked, and Jimin was like this again....

...As if he was at the edge of a breakdown....

...Yoongi watched Jimin eye his own plate of food apathetically, not making a single move to reach for the silver fork and knife. Yoongi took a deep, shaky breath, and tried to sound calm as he asked,...

...“Do you not like it in here?” he said in a gentle, normal voice. “We can go somewhere else-”...

...“Don’t.” Jimin interrupted him, his voice quiet and broken. He wasn’t looking at Yoongi....

...“What--”...

...“I said just shut up!!! ” Jimin said in a much harsher tone, but still looked like he was about to cry....

...Yoongi gaped, confused and heartbroken. He stood still as Jimin picked the the european cutlery in front of him and started aggressively cutting the beef on his plate in half....

...Jimin was looking down with his blond fringe covering his eyes from Yoongi, and his shoulders were hunched and stiff....

...Yoongi couldn’t bring himself to say anything, and his throat was clogged up again. He knew that he was way too close to crying himself, but he couldn’t....

...He was seeing what he thought was the love of his life, his happy ending, crack up, like a house of cards falling away disastrously. And he stood helpless, watching it crumble down right in front of his eyes. Yoongi had all the will in the world to cry his eyeballs out in this moment....

...But he couldn’t, because Jimin didn’t deserve to have to deal with Yoongi’s tears right now. It wouldn’t be fair....

...None of this was fair, for Yoongi, and he was hurting, here in this french high-end restaurant. He was quite literally sitting at the top of the world, but he couldn’t feel more miserable if he tried. Yoongi felt small, like he was getting beaten down to a pump, but he wouldn’t dare release a single whine of complaint....

...He loved Jimin too much to recognize his own pain right now....

...Yoongi took a deep breath and willed his own tears down. He felt childish for wanting to cry. He wasn’t even pregnant like Jimin....

...And it wasn’t like Yoongi wasn’t used to people yelling at him. Because damn, he was....

...In his mind, he could only think: Why does it have to be so difficult? This is my fault, isn’t it? I’m not good for him. Jimin is hurting now because of me ....

...His attention went back to Jimin. The young model was stuffing his face with food, aggressively munching on his creamy pasta while still cutting his piece of beef. Now, it was all chopped in small squares, but he continued chopping and chopping, non-stop....

...Yoongi couldn’t decide if what he was feeling was closer to an explosion, or an implosion. But it hurt ....

...Seeing Jimin hurt like this made him want to cry in complete despair, because he knew Jimin. The younger should be bright and smiling at him, joking about the silliest things and being in peace, like he always was, to Yoongi....

...Jimin’s plate was already half-finished and it had barely been five minutes. Yoongi was worried, that couldn’t be healthy, his insides were being pressed, after all. The older felt slightly more collected - by a millimeter, but still, - so he finally spoke out loud,...

...“Jimin…” he said tentatively, but Jimin ignored him and kept devouring his food like a famished, “Jimin. Maybe you should slow down…?”...

...“Why don’t you just f-f-ucking shut up?!” Jimin exclaimed, snapping his head up to stare at Yoongi. The angry frown didn’t suit his cute face at all. “I don’t want to talk right now, can’t you see?!” he said with a harsh voice, way higher than he would normally speak....

...“But why not-”...

...“ Because I don’t want to!! ” Jimin exclaimed louder, shutting Yoongi down. He let go of his cutlery, the sound of it falling to the porcelain plate startling Yoongi, and Jimin was visibly trembling, “God, you’re so annoying!!”...

...Yoongi gulped. He had to remember himself that Jimin wasn’t in his normal state, and that it was just a phase. Tomorrow, hopefully, he would be in a good mood again....

...“I’m just trying to help.” Yoongi said slowly, still so completely gentle and collected with the other. Jimin could be pointing a loaded revolver at his heart, and Yoongi would still be trying to soothe Jimin and make sure he would be happy. Jimin’s wellbeing, and now their little kid’s, was, in Yoongi’s opinion, way more important than his own happiness....

...“Then sto p!! I don’t want!... this-- Aah!” and it finally happened, Jimin broke down in a loud sob. His face was all crunched up in utmost sadness and exhaustion, tiredness, and he was openly crying, like a little kid, in the middle of the emptying restaurant, “Ah, Yoongi, I’m s-s-s-so oh s-so sorry-y,” he sobbed, covering his face with his hands, his mouth wide open as he cried....

...Yoongi was immediately leaning forward, almost standing up, desperately trying not to cry as well, and to soothe Jimin. His small shoulders were shaking violently, and he was wailing so loudly that Yoongi could see a group of garçons looking their way worriedly....

...“Let’s get going, alright? It’s okay, Jimin, you don’t need to apologize to me…” Yoongi said in a gentle voice as he moved away from his seat to stand beside Jimin, that was still compulsively crying his eyeballs out, curled in himself, hiding his wet face with his small, shaking hands....

...Yoongi felt his eyes stinging, and his heart breaking in a way he wasn’t aware it could, until now. Each sob getting out of Jimin’s lips was a new crack inside his chest....

...He was rubbing a hand on Jimin’s shoulders as he cried in his seat, while, with the other, motioned for one of the attendants to come. In the blink of an eye the garçon was there with the card reader already in hand....

...Jimin’s cries lessened to miserable sniffing in between sobs, and Yoongi did it all one-handed, refusing to lose contact with Jimin: open his balenciaga overcoat, get his wallet from the pocket inside, open it, and wordlessly motion for the man to take the blue card....

...The second the payment was over, Yoongi turned to Jimin, that was now just trembling and sobbing quietly, trying to dry his cheeks with the backs of his hands, and slid his hands through Jimin’s blond hair soothingly, getting it out of his forehead....

...Jimin stayed quiet, just letting out the occasional sob, while Yoongi fondled his face with delicate hands; passing his thumbs under his eyes to dry his cheeks, over his eyebrows, slowly, patiently through his hair to put his fringe away from his forehead, even under his nose that was a little runny, without an ounce of disgust, like he did that everyday. With those firm, gentle touches, Jimin’s breathing got closer to being normal, and so did his heartbeat....

...When Jimin took a deep breath and finally looked up, having calmed down a lot more, Yoongi smiled fondly, reassuringly, and leaned down to kiss his forehead, in between his eyebrows, and the tip of his nose, while still holding both his cheeks....

...“You good? Can we go?” he whispered, and Jimin, that wasn’t smiling yet, just nodded, sniffing quietly. He was blushing, but at least not crying actual tears anymore....

...Yoongi waited for Jimin to get up, and then tentatively held his own hand up in offering for Jimin. He was trying not to be nervous, but maybe Jimin wasn’t feeling like holding hands right now, and he--...

...Jimin took Yoongi’s hand in his, and squeezed it....

...He wasn’t smiling at all, and to be honest he looked kind of sick, but Yoongi wouldn’t dwell on it, not now. At the moment, his number one priority was getting Jimin safely home, tucked under his blankets and sleeping peacefully. That was all Yoongi needed to have a good night of sleep himself....

...They got inside the elevator, and as soon as the doors closed and the thing started moving down, Jimin closed his eyes and splayed one hand against the metallic wall of it....

...“Is something going on?!” Yoongi asked worriedly, and Jimin, still squinting his eyes closed and biting his lips, shook his head....

...He was all tense again, and when he whimpered quietly, Yoongi finally understood what could be happening right now....

...Was Jimin… scared of the elevator?...

...They had been in a really, really high floor of the building, so it was a long way down. Yoongi slowly, as if dealing with a cornered animal, got closer to Jimin, until he was hugging the pregnant man....

...Jimin didn’t let go of the wall he was leaning his hand against, but still whimpered again and buried his face on Yoongi’s neck, breathing heavily through his mouth....

...“It’ll be okay, Jiminnie. ...We’re going home. I’ll be with you, you won’t be alone.” Yoongi whispered on jimin’s fluffy hair, with his own eyes closed, too. Jimin sniffed against the material of Yoongi’s coat, and tried to concentrate on not puking inside the elevator....

...Jimin felt like a complete and utter mess. His limbs were aching, his nose was runny, his head was hurting, his throat, his stomach, his lungs, and to top it all, the baby was kicking like crazy. He sobbed once, feeling his face contort again, and took another deep breath, trying to concentrate on the sweet nothings Yoongi was whispering against his hair....

...The doors were finally opening, and Jimin moved first. He felt like he was going to pass out if he stayed another second inside that confined space....

...They walked a bit hurriedly, hand in hand, around the underground parking lot, until they found Yoongi’s car. He opened the door to Jimin, and the pregnant man entered but didn’t let him close the door once he was inside, holding it up. Yoongi didn’t seem to think much of it and quickly circled the vehicle to enter on the driver’s side....

...Yoongi put the ket on the ignition and Jimin hesitantly closed the door. The heater was immediately up, and Jimin closed his eyes, let his head fall against the seat, and tried to relax. It was okay, he was with Yoongi, he was going home. Nothing and no one could get to him....

...The car was out of the underground parking and into the streets in no time, and Yoongi allowed himself to relax a little. Jimin had his eyes closed by his side, appearing to be sleeping peacefully, and it was all fine, now....

...Yoongi turned on the freeway and soon, he was entering one of the main bridges of the capital, to head for Jimin’s home that was in a much calmer area. He let his eyes roam through his surroundings - the view was beautiful, even at night, and the long bridge, at that late hour, was practically deserted. He finally felt calm, because Jimin seemed to be at ease, at least as much as he could after that scene at the restaurant--...

...“Yoongi, pull off the road.” Jimin breathy, strained voice startled him, and his eyebrows shot up. “ Yoongi pULL OFF--” Jimin yelled at the top of his lungs, sounding like he was crying all over again, and Yoongi hurriedly turned the steering wheel all the way to park at the side of it, right by the edge, the water and fishing ships floating innocently beneath it....

...As soon as the car came to a halt, Jimin scrambled out with all that was left of his forces, stumbling through the deserted asphalt until he was half standing, half crouching behind Yoongi’s car--...

...Puking all of his dinner out....

...He didn’t even realize Yoongi was by his side, holding his shoulders up in order to not let his weakened body fall down, until much later. He was a mess, puking and crying, holding onto the edge of the bridge with trembling arms. He felt so, so sick, his headache was so bad, and his puking was so gross , the food wasn’t even digested yet, and even when he didn’t have any more to put out, the contractions of his throat continued, only making him cry and wail all over again....

...Yoongi was hugging him close now, not caring one bit for his clothes or that fact that Jimin was smelling bad. His arms enveloped Jimin’s trembling form warmly, and he was kissing his hairline, shushing his sobs gently. Jimin buried his head on Yoongi’s shoulder but didn’t cry so much....

...Maybe it was the icy cold wind of the bridge helping his face sober up better. Or maybe it was just that Yoongi’s presence was that effective on his mood....

...They stayed like that, hugging each other closely near the parked car as if they were one single person together, for what felt like hours. None of them was in a hurry, and Jimin took his time in calming down, reveling in the warm feel of Yoongi’s arms around him, breathing deeply the faint smell of sea salt, and focusing on the feel of the wind ruffling his hair up, a constant energy, not once stopping....

...“Jimin.” Yoongi whispered, and this time Jimin hummed in return to show that he was listening, “you know I really like you, and care about you, right?” you know I love you, right? that was what Yoongi really felt like saying, but he knew that wasn’t the best moment. A love confession, right now, wouldn’t fall good on any of their ears....

...“Mmhyeah.” Jimin mumbled, with his face still buried on the warm material of Yoongi’s coat. Yoongi’s arms squeezed him lightly in them, before Yoongi continued,...

...“And… You know that I worry, right? Because I do.” Yoongi breathed, “I want to help you Jimin, but you need to let me do it. If there’s… if there’s something bothering you, please just tell me, we can work it out.”...

...Yoongi’s voice was full of worry, hope and uncertainty, and it made Jimin’s stomach drop once again. He didn’t want Yoongi to worry so much, he wasn’t even supposed to realize --...

...“But please don’t stress over it, if you’re not going to tell me then just don’t. It’s okay.” Yoongi said in a soothing tone, a gentle voice that also held the message that no, it wasn’t okay, actually....

...“Yoongi…” Jimin murmured, voice a slight complaint. He wanted to just tell the older to not worry, but really, could he?...

...“I know something is wrong, Jimin.” Yoongi whispered in a secretive way, passionate and worried about it, way more than Jimin would like him to be. Jimin just buried his face further in his warm shoulder and neck. “And… and I know it’s not just the hormones. I’m not that wise, but I can tell that much.”...

...Jimin sighed, pressing his eyes closed and hugging Yoongi’s waist harder....

...“And… I’m serious, Jimin.” Yoongi continued. “Whenever you’re ready to tell me about it, I’ll be here. I’ll always be here.”...

...“...Please, don’t promise things you can’t be sure of.” Jimin murmured, making Yoongi stop for a moment....

...Yoongi really stopped to think about what he would say next, so much that Jimin felt tempted to disentangle from his hold just to look at his face. But then, Yoongi lowered his head, that was resting on his soft blond hair, to Jimin’s shoulder. The younger felt him press his cheek against his shoulder and take a deep breath....

...“You’re right. Okay? You’re right.” he mumbled, “I really can’t promise I’ll always be here, Jimin. I can’t, because I’m human and I’m not perfect.” he paused, and Jimin was holding his breath, waiting for the rest of his words, “I can’t promise you that I’ll be always by your side, it wouldn’t be a fair promise on any of us. Life is a circle, and we can’t control what happens. It is a wild sea. But, …” Yoongi got away from their tight hug, and got a hold of Jimin’s cheeks to look deep into his eyes, “I can promise you my right now. This moment we’re in is all I have to offer you. And I will, with an open heart, because you mean that much to me. I can’t promise you I’ll be here for you tomorrow, or next year, or ten years from now… But I can give you my word that you have me, all for you, right now . I can’t guarantee I’ll be there for you in the future, but… I’m here now . ” Yoongi said, sincerity dripping from every single word he uttered, under the night sky and by the Han river, as he stared earnestly right into Jimin’s beautiful eyes. And Yoongi’s eyes were beautiful too, for Jimin. The most beautiful he had ever seen. Yoongi opened his mouth to say, again, “So, if you want to rely on me now, you can. Whatever it is, it’s safe with me. I can promise that, too.”...

...Jimin’s lips parted, and he watched the cold wind ruffle Yoongi’s dark hair slowly. He was looking right back at Jimin, caressing his cheeks with his thumbs gently, full of expectation in his eyes. Jimin knew Yoongi was ready and eager to help him get out of this dark place he had recently found himself into, but… ....

...After some moments of losing himself in Yoongi’s eyes, Jimin’s lips cracked into a sad smile....

...Oh, he wished it was that simple....

...Everything was sad: his smile, Yoongi’s frown as his shoulders deflated a little, the ugly memories swimming in his head....

...Jimin, too, raised his hands to Yoongi’s cheeks, and fondled his face with his fingers, slowly. He frowned, looking at him with a sad, lopsided smile, and murmured,...

...“I’m sorry, Yoongi.”...

...It was like the wind of the night dutifully carried the whispered words through the air around them as soon as they were out....

...Yoongi’s shoulders deflated more and he, too, smiled sadly, resigned....

...For the rest of that night, they didn’t really talk much more....

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

...If last night ended in coldness and sadness, the next morning is definitely all warm and comfy....

...Jimin snuggles against his pillow, a silly smile on his face, and buries himself deeper in his fluffy comforter. Winter is coming, sure, but his recently installed heater is doing such a good job, it already feels like spring inside his bedroom....

...He has to admit that his hormonal crazy mood swings have their good side too. They make him sad when he’s supposed to be happy, but they also do the opposite....

...Of course, it’s clearly a false sense of happiness, but he can work with that, still....

...Jimin knows it’s probably late in the morning, almost afternoon by now, but he is okay with that. When he and Yoongi had gotten home, they still took quite some time to actually lay in bed. Jimin cried a little more, and then had a nice bath, but then cried just some more tears… and then drank some tea… and then Yoongi made him a delicious, wonderful, heavenly salty porridge… and then Jimin may have shed a tear or two after that too… and then he slept....

...Now, he could hear some voices downstairs. And after that, the sound of their front door closing....

...And Yoongi’s footsteps as he walked up the stairs....

...Jimin quickly closed his eyes and tried to pretend he was asleep; he felt silly for it, but he wanted to see what Yoongi was going to do, and if he would enter their bedroom at all....

...Yoongi indeed was headed for the bedroom, and Jimin faked an even breathing as the other walked up to his kingsized bed and laid right beside Jimin, hugging his blanket-burrito form....

...“Jiminnie… It’s one in the afternoon already~” Yoongi whispered right by what he guessed was Jimin’s ear. Jimin just hummed, trying to turn away from Yoongi’s bear hug, but the young man was already throwing a leg around his waist to stop him from turning....

...“Heyy, you’re awake?!” Yoongi singsonged with his rough, rapper voice, making it sound more hilarious than endearing, “C’mon Minnie, I have a surprise for you!~”...

...Jimin immediately uncovered his face from the white comforter, staring at Yoongi with his still sleepy face. He watched Yoongi silently, as if encouraging the other to continue going on about this surprise....

...“It’s a present, something that you’ll love.” Yoongi said with a smug smile, shuffling closer to Jimin’s covered body until the tip of their noses were nuzzling, “It’s in the living room, the deliverymen were just here… It was quite heavy, too.” Yoongi continued, and Jimin’s interest was immediately picked up. What could it possibly be?!...

...“Is it downstairs?” Jimin asked with his most sleepy voice, and then yawned cutely. But he had just woken up, and Yoongi was too close, so he made a face and squinted his nose....

...“Uhg, you have morning breath.” Yoongi said in a childish voice,...

...“Yah!” Jimin exclaimed, and slapped Yoongi’s shoulder, pouting....

...Yoongi laughed and went to hug Jimin again and stop him from getting away....

...“Yah, let me go! If my breath is so stinky, why are you holding me, uh?!” Jimin exclaimed, but not really fighting against Yoongi’s arms as he hugged the pregnant man from behind, burying his face in his shoulder,...

...“Mmhh~” Yoongi just hummed, and Jimin just sighed, smiling to himself, and let Yoongi use him as his personal teddy bear for some more time....

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

...When they finally managed to get downstairs, Jimin had his teeth freshly brushed, and was sporting a brand new collection of hickeys and tiny bites on his neck and shoulders, down to his chest and thighs....

...Not that they had had proper sex, no; they weren’t really going all the way anymore. Now, it was just wild make out sessions and getting each other off in the most creative ways possible....

...Jimin was on a loose t-shirt, sweatpants and socks, while Yoongi was the same, but wearing shorts. He was leading Jimin through the stairs, telling him not to look at his right side just yet. Jimin was smiling excitedly and letting himself be pulled around the living room....

...The side of Jimin’s stairway - that was built and styled just like one in an american house, - would be all white and bare, if it weren’t for a fake green plant that Jimin ordered online and put right in the middle of that blank area. The side of his stairway was also the entrance for the hallway downstairs, and his wooden floor was a light beige. The interior of his house was really, really white, but he loved it....

...When they got to the end of the stairs, Yoongi stopped and turned to Jimin, smiling with his mouth closed, something like nervousness and hope inside his eyes....

...“So… I know the house is yours, but I took the liberty of adding something to the decoration… I don’t know if you’ll like, but… I hope you do.”...

...Jimin scoffed lightly and squeezed Yoongi’s hand in his....

...“There’s no mine in here, Yoongi, this house is ours, of the three of us.” Jimin scolded playfully, “As long as you live under this roof, the house is yours as much as it is mine, okay?”...

...Yoongi looked down sheepishly, and nodded....

...“...Okay.” he mumbled, and then looked up again. He had a silly smile on his face, but he could see that Jimin’s mood seemed to be slightly more sober now....

...“So, let’s go?! I wanna see my surprise!” Jimin whined, a faint smile playing on his lips, and Yoongi laughed....

...He pulled Jimin to the right side of the stairs - the left was the wall, - and there it was;...

...An upright piano....

...Jimin gaped, his hand going slack in Yoongi’s hold. He wouldn’t have guessed that in a million years, even though it made sense for Yoongi want to make that kind of addition in their household....

...The piano was of a chocolate brown color, and looked impressive, absolutely expensive, old and huge ....

...“It’s an acoustic one, I can’t stand that electric type.” Yoongi explained, while Jimin was still mildly shocked. It was beautiful, looking square-ish by the wall of their staircase, with beautifully carved flowers on the hube box on the upside of it, and all sparkling in it’s glazed glory. The piano was so beautiful and unique it kind of looked like it belonged to a museum, to be honest....

...“...Did you… buy this?” Jimin finally found his words again to ask. Yoongi just shrugged,...

...“Yeah. It’s a Steinway.” Yoongi commented as if it was supposed to mean anything to Jimin. It didn’t....

...“Oh…” Jimin mumbled, not knowing what to say. He knew it shouldn’t be a big deal, it was just a piano that Yoongi brought so that he could play, no biggie - but the thing looked like a complete antique, and also, something in Yoongi’s posture told Jimin that it was, yes, supposed to be kind of a big deal....

...“Is it too much? I can return it.” Yoongi said hurriedly when he realised Jimin was still staring, but Jimin just exclaimed in a much bigger fuss,...

...“No, don’t do that, it’s okay!” he said quickly, raising his free hand to motion wildly to the upright piano. “It’s just that… it’s so beautiful, I was kind of shocked.” he laughed nervously....

...Yoongi blinked, and then huffed, with a gentle smile. He pulled Jimin closer to the wooden bench in front of it,...

...“I can guarantee you that the sound is even better.” Yoongi said in a quiet, gentle voice, and leaned down to kiss Jimin’s cheek. “And maybe I can get you to sing for me now, uh?”...

...Jimin laughed, a giddy feel in his stomach....

...“We’ll see about that.” he mumbled....

...When they were finally sitting on the bench, side by side, Jimin’s eyes were lost in the pretty details of the piano again....

...“Yoongi… I don’t wanna be boring or anything, but… Isn’t this piano too delicate? I looks like an antique to me. Is it okay to have it at home?...”...

...Yoongi scoffed while rubbing his palms against each other to warm up his fingers....

...“Of course Jiminnie, it’s mine. This one was in my other apartment.” he said smiling, but then, as he stood in silence thinking about something else, his face sobered a little,...

...“You know… I think I brought this piano here more for you than me.” he admitted with a somewhat sad smile on his face. Jimin’s eyebrows shot up,...

...“What?! Why?!” he asked, surprised. He didn’t want to be a burden, and he couldn’t read what was going on in Yoongi’s eyes, beyond the worry that he could very much recognize in there....

...“Because… When I was going through… something that may be similar to what you’re going through… The piano helped me, you know? The sound of its keys resonating around my house, back when I was a kid… H-helped me. So… I thought that I might help you as well.” Yoongi said in a quiet voice, as if they were sharing secrets right there, seated beside each other in that piano bench. Their shoulders were touching and their faces were close, and Jimin gulped....

...In a way, he wished he hadn’t understood the meaning behind Yoongi’s words, because then, they wouldn’t be true. But - he did. Jimin didn’t want to acknowledge what was going on in his heart right now, but he knew that Yoongi had picked up on the signals. It was scary to think that his mind would play against himself that much, but it was true....

...Jimin immediately felt his eyes wet, but he willed the tears down. He didn’t want to cry. There was no reason to cry. Right?...

...“...Do you think it will help me?” Jimin asked in a small voice....

...Yoongi rested his hands on the piano keys, without making any sound, and turned his head to face Jimin. He had a faint smile on his lips, warmth and fondness for Jimin shining in his eyes. He leaned forward to kiss one of his temples,...

...“We can try.” he whispered with a small, hopeful smile, and turned back to the piano....

...Jimin watched, mesmerized, as Yoongi took a deep breath and started playing, slowly, with feather-like hands movements. It was a simple, pretty, slow song, but the piano - the great quality of its sound - made it resonate deeply around the big house, and Jimin breathed, feeling his own lungs vibrate, and his heart could feel the waves of the clock-like beat. It was like a sweet lullaby, and Jimin could feel his shoulders relaxing, his faint need to cry disappearing for the first time in days....

...Jimin sighed and watched Yoongi’s fingers move slowly as he played. The song was calming and beautiful, and Jimin felt like he was in a movie. It felt like magic....

...Before he knew, the quiet, slow piece was over, but Yoongi was already going through another, playing by memory. It was perfect....

...Jimin’s breaths were regulated, and the music reminded him of ballet classes - it was similar to the ones his teachers would use for practices....

...The music continued for a long time. Yoongi kept playing song after song, one more beautiful than the other, and Jimin’s heart was lulled into peace. His baby, too, was quiet, probably sleeping....

...They kept like that for almost thirty minutes, and by the time Yoongi brought the sweet sounds of the piano to an end, Jimin felt like another person entirely. Or rather, he felt like himself again. Completely....

...“...Thank you.” he whispered, and kissed Yoongi’s shoulder. His hands were resting against his bump, and he was smiling, relaxed....

...Yoongi turned to place his hand on Jimin’s cheek and look at his face. They stared at each other’s eyes in a calm, comfortable way, until the blonde’s eyebrows shot up....

...“Give me your hand.” he said, smiling brightly. But before Yoongi could move, Jimin was already grabbing his other hand anyways, and placing it on his stomach....

...They waited, expectantly, Jimin watching Yoongi with a big, excited smile, as the other just looked at his hand on Jimin’s belly, holding his breath in expectation....

...And then it happened. A faint kick pressed against Yoongi’s palm, and he released his breath that he hadn’t even realised he had been holding. Jimin got Yoongi’s palm and moved it around his bump to the places where the kicking it was harder, and Yoongi’s lips parted, wonder all over his features....

...“I think she likes music. You’ll have to teach her how to play.” Jimin whispered with his signature eye smile, and Yoongi’s breath wavered....

...“Yeah.” he was so astonished that he didn’t even comment or realize the female pronouns Jimin used to refer to their baby. “I will. Just like my mom did to me.” he finally looked up again, with a big gummy smile, and it was so pretty, Jimin could only think that it would be so amazing if their kid inherited Yoongi’s smile....

...“Really?” he asked, still holding Yoongi’s hand in his. Yoongi pecked him on the lips, his free hand still caressing his cheek fondly....

...“Yeah.” he whispered, rubbing their noses together playfully, “I will. ‘Promise.”...

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