Work Text:
SEOKJIN
Namjoon came home, as loud as ever. “Hello? Honey, I’m home!”
“Shhh,” Seokjin shushed, nodding towards Taehyung, who was curled up in a ball, sleeping in the bay window. He was really too big to sleep there anymore, but Taehyung liked napping near Seokjin after a seizure. Seokjin had to work on dinner, so Taehyung had taken his familiar spot curled up in the sun like a cat.
Namjoon seemed to notice the tear tracks on Taehyung’s cheeks immediately. “Did he have a seizure?” he asked.
Seokjin nodded. “Yeah, he’s really tired. I was gonna let him sleep, have him eat some dinner, and maybe skip school tomorrow.”
Namjoon reached around Seokjin to grab a few elbow macaroni from the strainer he was shaking. “Sounds like a good plan. Maybe we’ll sit on the couch together and watch a movie later,” he said.
“That would be great. It would be amazing if you could get Yoongi to watch with you guys. He could use some time out of his room, and I think it would mean a lot to Taehyung,” Seokjin said.
Namjoon glanced at the ceiling. “Is he upstairs?”
“Everyone is,” Seokjin answered. Loud music pounded through the floorboards, shaking the whole house. “Jungkook came home from lacrosse cranky, and now he’s angsting in his room.”
Namjoon snorted. “Classic.”
“It would be a miracle if you could somehow convince him to watch a movie, too,” Seokjin suggested. “No pressure.”
“I’ll try my best,” Namjoon promised. “Is dinner almost ready?”
“Yep. You could probably go wake Taehyung up if you wanted.”
“Sure thing,” Namjoon agreed. He walked across the kitchen to sit on the last remaining sliver of bench. Taehyung took up nearly the whole thing. Namjoon shook his hip gently. “Hey, Taehyung. Dinner is almost ready. Why don’t you wake up so you can eat something?”
Taehyung’s eyes opened slowly. He blinked them a couple times –clearly confused- until he realized that Namjoon was across from him. As soon as he processed his dad sitting next to him on the bench, he shot up and lunged at Namjoon, wrapping his lanky arms around Namjoon’s neck.
Namjoon caught him easily, and looked over to Seokjin with a smirk. Seokjin grinned back. At least Taehyung was still snuggly, even if the other boys weren’t.
“Hey, buddy. You still feeling confused?” Namjoon asked. His shirtsleeves were rolled up to his elbows after a long day of work, and Seokjin could see his forearms flex as he held onto Taehyung. Seokjin smiled to himself as he went back to cooking. He knew just how warm and comforting Namjoon’s hugs could be. Taehyung was in good hands.
“I missed you,” Taehyung said instead. Namjoon rubbed his back, his palm open and flat on Taehyung’s spine.
“Yeah? It sounds like you had a really tough day.”
Taehyung sniffled. “Mhm.”
“Hey,” Namjoon said, pressing a kiss to Taehyung’s cheek. His nose flattened against Taehyung’s temple. “No crying. You’re okay. We’re going to eat dinner.”
Taehyung took a shaky breath, and Namjoon pushed his glasses up his nose, turning to Seokjin.
“What are we eating anyway?” he asked, clearly trying to move the conversation along. Taehyung was often disoriented for a few hours after his seizures, and it was good for him to have something to grasp onto. Talking about dinner and what was happening (what was current) was better than fixating on a seizure Taehyung could hardly remember.
“Ah, TaeTae will be excited,” Seokjin said, dicing a bell pepper. “I’ve got some chicken legs and zucchini on the grill; they’re almost done. And then I’m making Namjoon’s foster mom’s macaroni salad.”
Namjoon sat up straight at that. “Really?!”
Seokjin bit the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling too wide. The one thing Namjoon had kept from his old house was his foster mom’s macaroni salad recipe. It was cute to see how excited he got about it. “Of course, you love it,” Seokjin answered. “And TaeTae likes it, too.”
“Are you making extra?” Taehyung asked, sitting up on his own while Namjoon straightened out his bedhead.
Seokjin held up the now empty two-pound box of elbow macaroni. “Am I making extra?” he asked. “Look at all these noodles!”
Taehyung perked up a little bit. “That’s a lot,” he said, standing up next to Seokjin. Namjoon followed close behind, a steadying hand on Taehyung’s back. It was obvious Taehyung was exhausted. His eyes were droopy and his body was folded in on itself like his bones were using each other to prop themselves up.
Namjoon hugged him from behind, supporting him just in case.
“Yep. You wanna stir in the salad dressing?” Seokjin asked.
“Okay,” Taehyung agreed, and Namjoon let go of him for a moment to get him a spoon. Seokjin tossed in the diced pepper while Taehyung stirred. A little salt, a little mayo, and a little Crazy Janes finished things up.
“I’ll go get the kids for dinner,” Namjoon offered.
“It’s Hoseok’s turn to set the table,” Seokjin reminded him as he climbed up the stairs. He turned to Taehyung with a damp dishtowel in hand. “Now come here, kid, your cheeks are all salty.” He gave Taehyung’s cheek a kiss before wiping away his dried tear tracks. He had a feeling Taehyung still had some tears left to shed today, but he knew Taehyung would be embarrassed to be caught crying.
Taehyung was more insecure than his brothers. Sometimes he seemed hesitant, and he was easily embarrassed. He especially hated when his older brothers saw him crying or when Jimin found him with wet sheets the morning after a seizure.
Seokjin could understand why it might feel embarrassing for Taehyung. In some ways, he was more like a toddler than the fifteen-year-old he was supposed to be. But he had a lot on his plate. It wasn’t easy to feel so sick, and he couldn’t control what his body did when he had a seizure.
While it might not be normal for teenagers to cry and wet their pants, it was very normal for teenagers with epilepsy to have similar symptoms.
Taehyung couldn’t help his accidents, just like he couldn’t help falling to the ground and shaking. He couldn’t help the anxiety and confusion that swept over him after a seizure; he couldn’t help crying. It was out of his control. Everyone in their family understood that, even if Taehyung still felt uncomfortable about it.
Even as Seokjin wiped his face clean, Taehyung’s bottom lip wobbled. “You’re okay, TaeTae. Let’s just focus on eating, okay?”
Taehyung stretched out the bottom of his t-shirt. “Mhm.”
“Ah, macaroni salad!” Hoseok exclaimed as he bounded into the kitchen. Yoongi trudged in behind him, immediately going to the cabinet to help Hoseok fill up water glasses. “I’m taking out the big plates.”
“Make sure to get out napkins,” Seokjin said. He pulled out Taehyung’s chair. “Sit down, I’m going to get the chicken and vegetables off the grill.”
Seokjin went outside with two platters, and by the time he was back with the zucchini and chicken legs, Jimin was in the kitchen with Taehyung, making him laugh and poking his cheek. Seokjin smiled as he set the food down on the table. Once again, Taehyung was in good hands.
JIMIN
Jimin bounced down the stairs for dinner, a towel around his shoulders as he finished drying off his hair from the shower. Cheer practice had been exhausting. Coach Ansley had wanted to introduce him to a new tumbling routine, but she had also wanted to fix Dahyun’s toe touch.
Dahyun was Jimin’s flyer, and he was used to throwing her around. However, learning a new tumbling routine only to be rewarded with a half an hour of basket tosses was exhausting no matter who he was throwing up in the air.
At least he was home for the evening.
He still had homework to do before he could go to bed, but despite how tired he was, his current number one priority was Taehyung.
It was never easy helping his brother through a seizure. There was always that terrifying thought in the back of his mind: What if the seizure didn’t stop? What if it kept going and he had to call an ambulance? What if he had to administer Taehyung’s emergency medication? What if Taehyung ended up in the hospital?
What if he died?
What if he died and it was Jimin’s fault? What if he forgot to roll him onto his side, and he choked on his own spit, and Jimin was too stupid to figure out how to help him, or what if he tried to give him his emergency medicine and dropped it in the wrong place, or gave him too much, or did it wrong, and Taehyung’s seizure killed him? Jimin couldn’t even read Midazolam, how was he supposed to be responsible for giving it to someone mid-seizure?
But Jimin had grown up seeing Taehyung’s epilepsy. He knew what to do. While he wasn’t always confident that he was the smartest or best person to be helping Taehyung, Seokjin had reassured him time and time again that he could do it when he had to (and he often had to).
So Jimin had kept his cool in chemistry, and he had gone throughout the rest of the school day normally, despite all his classmates asking him questions about Taehyung’s episode.
(“Is your brother okay?! I heard he had to get medevac-ed out of here to some hospital in Philly!” “Ah, no, he had a seizure, but he gets them all the time. He’s home sleeping it off.”
“Jimin, was it your brother who had a seizure in the chem lab?” “Yeah, that was Taehyung. He’s okay, though, in case you were worried.”
“Hey, Jimin! How’s Taehyung?” “He’s fine, just taking it easy.”
“Is it true that he peed himself?” “Um, yes, but he can’t help it. That happens with seizures.”)
Now, though, he finally had his chance to cheer Taehyung up over dinner. “Ah, Taehyung!” he said as he waltzed into the kitchen. “Today was so boring without you. History was stupidly boring. I swear, I thought Mrs. Hurley was going to keep lecturing until the last syllable of recorded time,” he said, managing a small smile out of Taehyung.
“See? Even if you hate tic tac toe, you need it during classes like that,” Taehyung said, obviously still miffed that Jimin had rejected the last note he had passed him with a tic tac toe board still scribbled in the corner. Jimin rolled his eyes.
“There are other games to play in class.”
“Actually, there are no games that should be played in class,” Namjoon said, coming into the kitchen with Jungkook. “You should be focused on your teacher.”
Jimin gasped like Namjoon had said something scandalous. “Never!”
“Come here, kid,” Namjoon said, pulling him into a headlock and ruffling his hair. Jimin squealed. Taehyung laughed at his pain, however, so maybe it was worth it to see the smile on his face. Jimin slipped out of Namjoon’s grasp and sat down at the table next to Taehyung.
“It’s good to see Tae Tae smiling,” he said, poking at Taehyung’s cheek until he laughed again and batted his hand away.
“Did you all wash your hands?” Seokjin asked, smiling as he set down the food on the table.
“Yes.”
“Yep!”
“Yeah.”
“Yes, mom,” Jungkook muttered bitterly. He winced when someone —probably Yoongi— kicked him under the table.
Seokjin gracefully ignored his comment, and instead grabbed one last bowl and set it on the table. “Okie dokie, then let’s eat,” he said, sitting down at the foot of the table. Namjoon sat at the head, and Jimin gaped at the bowl in front of him.
“You made macaroni salad?” he asked, his stomach suddenly growling.
Hoseok smiled at him knowingly. “Right?”
“Oh my gosh, you guys make way too big a deal about this. It’s just some noodles and mayonnaise,” Seokjin said.
“But it’s the perfect amount of mayonnaise,” Namjoon corrected. Jimin’s head bobbed along with his dad’s explanation. “Not too much, almost too little, but not quite. And then the vinaigrette salad dressing really adds a certain quality –this little extra herby flavor- and gives it that extra punch. Plus, plus, the bell pepper-“
“A refreshing reprise from the elbow macaroni,” Yoongi tacked on.
Namjoon nodded sagely. “Exactly. And then there’s Crazy Janes-“
“Which is good on everything,” Jimin said.
“But especially macaroni salad,” Hoseok finished.
“You’re all loons, and you watch way too much Food Network,” Seokjin said. He hated when they watched too much TV. “But dig in before the zucchini gets cold, it never tastes as good after it’s been sitting for awhile.”
No one had to be told twice. There was a clattering of utensils as everyone served themselves. Jimin managed to steal more than his fair share of chicken legs, ignoring Jungkook’s dark glare when he stole the serving tongs out from under his nose.
Jimin made sure Taehyung got a serving of everything too. He didn’t miss Namjoon’s grateful smile or the excited look on Taehyung’s face when Jimin gave him a scoop of macaroni salad.
“You know, I think chicken legs are my favorite food,” Taehyung said.
Yoongi snorted. “You have a different favorite food every ten minutes.”
“You’re right,” Taehyung agreed after taking a bite of zucchini. “Zucchini is my new favorite food.” He took a bite of chicken. “Now, it’s chicken.” He picked at his macaroni salad.
“And now it’s macaroni,” Jimin filled in for him. Taehyung managed another small smile, and Hoseok made an indignant noise.
“Incorrect. Macaroni salad is my favorite food, none of you are allowed to steal it,” he said.
“Actually,” Namjoon butted in. “It’s been my favorite since long before all of you were born.”
Yoongi rolled his eyes. “More than one person can have a favorite food. They’re meant for sharing,” he said maturely. He toyed with his water glass. “In other news, I finished the piece I was working on for Yugyeom’s solo.”
Seokjin sat up a little straighter at that. “Oh, is that what you were working on in your room earlier?” he asked. Jimin crinkled his nose. He had heard Yoongi banging out something on his keyboard before his shower, but by the time he got out, Jungkook’s music had been blasting through his bedroom wall and Yoongi had switched to his headphones.
“Yeah,” Yoongi said. His fork scraped his plate when he suddenly got nervous. “Sorry, I didn’t mean for everyone to listen.”
“No, no, it’s great, Yoongi! I love hearing you play,” Seokjin promised, while Hoseok started drumming out a beat on the table. Jimin could remember Yoongi’s drum machine tapping out something similar earlier.
“Think I’ll spend eternity in the city,” he sang, picking up midway through the song. “Let the carbon and monoxide choke my thoughts away.”
Jimin’s eyes widened when he recognized the song. A wide smile spread across his face, and he sang along. “The pretty bodies help dissolve the memories.”
Jimin elbowed Taehyung in the ribs a couple times, and he managed a watery smile before joining them. “There could never be,” he sang, his voice a little shakier than usual, but he could still carry a tune.
Jimin and Hoseok shared a smile before screaming at the top of their lungs: “What she was. To. Me. She’s gone! Oh, why? Oh, why?”
“It really needs a bass guitar,” Yoongi muttered under Jimin and Hoseok’s shouting, his cheeks turning pink.
“She’s gone!” Jimin bemoaned. “Oh, why? What went wrong?!”
“She’s go~o~o~o~o~one, oh why?!” Hoseok screamed.
“I better learn how to face it,” Taehyung said normally, and Jimin laughed around a mouthful of zucchini, shoving him a little as he fought to keep from choking.
“Oh my god, shut up,” Jungkook complained, covering his ears with both hands.
Seokjin clapped his hands together. “Maybe settling down isn’t the worst idea. We’re trying to eat after all,” he said gently. Jimin glanced at Taehyung’s plate and saw it was still full. Maybe quieting down would help him finish eating.
“I was thinking,” Namjoon said, helping to change the topic, “that maybe we could rent a movie after dinner. Anyone interested?”
“But it’s a school night,” Jungkook said, arching an eyebrow.
Namjoon cleared his throat. “Yes, but... there are special circumstances,” he said, and Taehyung’s fork stilled on his plate. “I was thinking maybe that Blended movie Yoongi was interested in.”
Jungkook scowled. “Figures.” He stabbed at his macaroni salad. “The one time dad thinks about renting a movie, it’s Adam Sandler.”
“You give Adam Sandler such a hard time,” Yoongi sighed, pushing his hair out of his eyes so he could eat his chicken easier.
“Well, sometimes he’s pretty goofy,” Jimin said, still looking at Taehyung and waiting for him to move. “Like he’s made some bad movies.”
Yoongi flicked his bangs back into place on his forehead. “It doesn’t really matter what I think. What does Taehyung want to watch?” Yoongi asked.
Taehyung pressed his lips together, his eyes as wide as saucers. He didn’t seem to be up to answering the question. Jimin reached down to put a hand on his knee, but Taehyung stiffened. Jimin retracted his hand.
Taehyung didn’t always like it when Jimin tried to comfort him. Sometimes a hand on Taehyung’s knee or shoulder calmed him down immensely, but other times it was like he couldn’t let himself relax into it, and Jimin didn’t know what the hold up was. He didn’t know how to gauge what would make Taehyung the most comfortable.
“We can figure it out after dinner, whoever wants to watch,” Namjoon offered.
Jimin winced. “Yeah, I don’t think I can join, I have homework.”
“I’ll help you,” Seokjin offered. Jimin sat up a little straighter. He would love to have some extra help. Jin always said that all he had to do was ask, but sometimes it was nice when his dad offered without him asking.
“That would be great!” Jimin replied.
“I have... stuff to do,” Hoseok said. If he was trying to sound nonchalant, he was failing miserably. Hoseok had been sneaking off to his room a lot lately, and Jimin was curious about what he was up to.
“Well, then it’ll just be me, Tae, Sugar, and Cookie, then,” Namjoon determined.
“I never said I wanted to watch,” Jungkook complained.
“It’ll be good for you,” Seokjin promised, taking a big bite of his pasta. “Doing things you don’t want to do builds character.”
Jungkook didn’t say anything, just dug into his chicken leg. Meanwhile, Yoongi seemed perfectly content to watch a movie, and Taehyung just seemed... nervous, for lack of a better word. Jimin thought back to when they were walking to the nurse’s office earlier in the day; how Taehyung kept asking for Jin over and over and over.
Maybe Taehyung was still confused, or maybe he was just exhausted. Either way, it was probably for the best that Taehyung took it easy tonight with a movie instead of doing homework with Jimin. It would also probably be good for Namjoon to keep an eye on him.
Jimin was glad that his parents were able to take care of Taehyung when he wasn’t there to help.
NAMJOON
After dinner, Seokjin sat Taehyung on the couch, while Namjoon went upstairs to change out of his work clothes. He came back downstairs as soon as he could. As he walked around the sectional to join Taehyung, he noticed the bowl of popcorn in his lap. “Oh, look at you,” Namjoon said. “How’d you get so lucky?”
Taehyung blinked a couple times. He had seemed pretty aware at dinner, but Namjoon knew that vacant expression far too well. Taehyung was still a little confused, and Namjoon knew he had to be a little clearer.
“Did Jinnie give you popcorn?” he asked.
Taehyung looked down at his lap. He seemed startled by the bowl sitting on his legs, like he had forgotten it was there. “Ah, yeah.”
“Yum! Are you gonna share?” Namjoon asked, grabbing the TV remote and a blanket.
“Mhm,” Taehyung said, passing him the bowl as Namjoon sat down. Taehyung pressed into his side as soon as he was seated. Namjoon slung an arm around his shoulders, guiding Taehyung’s head into resting on his shoulder.
“Hi, TaeTae,” Namjoon said as Taehyung curled his knees in his direction. “Are you excited to watch a movie?”
Taehyung shrugged.
“I think Yoongi’s going to pick it out,” Namjoon said, craning his neck to see Yoongi coming down the stairs. Jungkook trailed behind him, his nose in his phone.
“It’s called Blended,” Yoongi said, stealing the remote to flick to On Demand. Namjoon let him sort through the titles. It didn’t really matter what they watched. Namjoon would be happy watching anything, Jungkook would be grumpy watching anything, and Taehyung probably wouldn’t be able to follow along or remember any of it anyway.
“All right, good choice,” Namjoon said, even though he had no idea whether it was a good choice or not. He patted the cushion next to him for Yoongi to sit. “Jungkook, wanna sit with TaeTae?”
Jungkook scoffed. “No,” he said, sitting as far away from his family as the sectional allowed. Namjoon smiled wanly as Jungkook pressed himself into the arm of the couch. Seokjin had said to be patient with Jungkook, and Namjoon was doing his best to give him space.
“Anyone need anything?” Yoongi asked, his thumb hovering over the play button.
“I think we’re all set,” Namjoon said, after giving Taehyung a thorough once over. Yoongi hit play, and the title screen appeared on the television. Namjoon relaxed, letting his fingertips graze up and down Taehyung’s arm. Taehyung seemed a little tenser than he had at dinner, and Namjoon wanted to keep him calm.
Unfortunately, about a half an hour into the movie, Taehyung’s breathing started to pick up. Namjoon kissed his temple a couple times, hoping to keep him from crying; however, a couple hitched breaths from Taehyung were enough to make Namjoon pull out the big guns (AKA: Snuggles).
“Oh, TaeTae,” he cooed, picking Taehyung up and pulling him into his lap. Taehyung’s legs slipped around his waist and his arms looped around his neck. Namjoon didn’t shy away from him, just held him closer despite the look Jungkook was throwing them from the other end of the sectional.
Taehyung gasped for breath but didn’t say anything. He didn’t need to. Namjoon knew exactly how he was feeling.
“Just relax,” Namjoon said quietly, smoothing a hand between his shoulder blades. His free hand cupped the back of Taehyung’s head, settling him on his shoulder. Taehyung’s cheek smushed against his collarbone and Namjoon felt tears dampen his neck. “You’re okay. You’re just tired and confused. It’s all right.”
Namjoon hated seizure days.
He and Taehyung had always had somewhat of a special relationship. When Taehyung came to the house as a tiny three-year-old, he had been skinny.
Like... skinny, skinny.
Like, Jungkook had been a failure to thrive baby, and Jimin had been abused, and Hoseok had been abandoned, and they had all been thin. But Taehyung had been emaciated. His seizures had been scary because Namjoon was unfamiliar with them, but more than that, Namjoon wasn’t sure if his body could take it. He was all skin and bones; he looked like he could rattle apart at any moment.
But even so, Taehyung hadn’t been very interested in food. He pushed away everything they gave him at first. Later, they realized it was because his seizure medication was making him nauseous and they were able to change prescriptions, but during that time, the only person Taehyung would let feed him was Namjoon.
He’d sit in his cute little seat. Namjoon would have to buckle him in, tickling his feet and pretending to eat his toes as he did so. Then Namjoon would give his food a taste-test just “to be sure it was safe.” He’d make a big show of it to make Taehyung giggle. And then he’d share with Taehyung, and Taehyung got to the point where he was eating so much that his medication would make him throw it all up anyway.
But he trusted Namjoon to feed him.
And Namjoon wanted to feed him. He wanted to be there for every meal. Sometimes, he’d travel home from work just to give Taehyung lunch because Seokjin didn’t have the time to sit with him and make him eat (not with three other toddlers fighting for his attention.) Most of the time, he would wake up early so he and Taehyung could have a few more minutes to eat a couple extra bites. Every night, he sat up with him while he waited for him to finish his peas and carrots.
Namjoon fell in love with Taehyung hard and fast. He had fallen in love with all his kids almost as soon as he had met them, but the way Namjoon felt for Taehyung as a toddler was no different than it was now after years of getting to know him.
He just loved Taehyung. He loved Taehyung, because he loved Taehyung, because he loved Taehyung. Because Taehyung was his; he was his son, and the first day Taehyung showed up on their porch, Namjoon knew he would be part of their family sooner rather than later.
And it hurt so much to see him so sad.
Namjoon’s fingers combed through the hair at the nape of Taehyung’s neck. Taehyung’s face was pressed into his collarbone, like he was trying to hide from Jungkook’s gaze. Namjoon snapped his fingers to get Jungkook’s attention and pointed towards the movie. The message was clear. Stop staring at your brother.
Yoongi, meanwhile, tactfully kept his eyes on the TV screen.
As the movie progressed, Taehyung’s tears slowed, and Namjoon pressed kiss after kiss to his temple. “Go to sleep if you’re tired, Tae,” he said gently.
“M’mbarrassed,” Taehyung whined into his shirt.
“Don’t be. You’re okay, you’re with me,” Namjoon said, knowing Taehyung often felt safer with his dads around. “Just rest, peanut.”
Taehyung made a noise of disagreement, but Namjoon slipped down on the couch a little to help Taehyung lay more horizontal. Taehyung was tired. Namjoon could feel it. Even his grip on his sleep shirt was weak, and Namjoon knew he would fall asleep any minute. Seizures left Taehyung exhausted.
Sure enough, Taehyung was passed out on Namjoon’s chest long before the end credits started rolling.
Yoongi looked over, checking up, and Namjoon ruffled his platinum blond hair. He left his hand on his head, thumbing at his bangs. Yoongi didn’t pull away. Just because Taehyung was anxious for an afternoon, it didn’t mean Yoongi’s anxiety stopped. Namjoon wanted to be there for him, too. He knew how often Yoongi felt strung out and on edge, especially after a long day.
He didn’t miss Yoongi’s knee brushing up against his. Thank you.
Namjoon kissed his hand and pressed it to Yoongi’s ear. Of course, I love you.
The movie ended and Yoongi sat up. “See? That wasn’t so bad,” Yoongi said, tossing a pillow at Jungkook. “You laughed, even.”
“I laughed at how bad it was,” Jungkook said, but his tone was different than usual: more teasing than angry. Yoongi smirked. “Come here, kid,” he said, jumping at Jungkook to tweeze his nipple. Jungkook yelped and pushed him off.
Namjoon sat up with Taehyung in his arms. “All right, kids, I think it’s bedtime.”
“Gross,” Jungkook whined.
“Fair enough,” Yoongi agreed, although he would probably just go upstairs to play on his computer or phone for a little while longer.
“Let’s get going,” Namjoon said, sliding and arm under Taehyung’s legs to scoop him up. Picking Taehyung up got harder and harder as he got bigger and bigger, but Namjoon had practice. Too much practice.
Jungkook and Yoongi scurried away, and Namjoon followed behind them slowly, careful not to wake Taehyung. When he slipped into his bedroom, Jimin was still up with Seokjin, studying at his desk.
“Switch?” Namjoon asked.
Wordlessly, Jimin flipped on his desk light. Namjoon turned off the overhead lights with his elbow before finally getting to put Taehyung down in his bed. He was cute in his too-big pajamas. Namjoon tucked him in, making sure his Magic Bumpers were in place just in case he had another seizure during the night, and kissed his forehead.
“Finish up soon,” Namjoon told Jimin as he left the room, kissing his temple. Jimin made a face.
“Stop that,” Seokjin said, smacking Jimin’s hip playfully. “You have two more questions. Focus up.”
Jimin sighed –trying to keep quiet for Taehyung- and ducked his head over his homework. Namjoon lingered in the doorway until he finished, smacking Hoseok’s butt as he walked across the hall to get to the bathroom. Hoseok smacked him right back on the way to his room.
“Done,” Jimin said wearily.
“You’re a miracle worker. Look at all this homework!” Seokjin exclaimed, holding up Jimin’s stack of worksheets.
“It took me ages,” Jimin said.
“Yeah, but you’re caught up for awhile now in Spanish and Chemistry. You did good,” Seokjin promised.
“Now go to sleep,” Namjoon said, like it was ten years ago and Jimin was too young and energetic to lie down. Fortunately, Jimin was a little more mature now than he was when he was five. He gave him a salute.
“Yes, sir,” Jimin said, throwing his work into his book bag. He ushered his parents out so he could change into his pajamas. Seokjin rubbed Jimin’s shoulders quickly before going out into the hall with Namjoon.
“How is he?” Seokjin asked, and Namjoon knew he meant Taehyung.
“He’s a little peely-wally,” Namjoon answered. “But he’ll be okay. Just let him sleep tomorrow and be ready to spend some time with him.”
Seokjin nodded. “That was the plan.”
Namjoon smiled and gave Seokjin a kiss. He was glad Taehyung had someone like Seokjin to keep him calm and cared for. Love for his husband swelled up in Namjoon’s chest. “You’re a great dad,” he said.
Seokjin kissed him back. “So are you. Taehyung’s lucky to have you.”
Namjoon snorted. “Is it corny that I was just thinking the same thing about you?” he asked.
“Of course,” Seokjin replied. “But you’ve always been corny.” He gave his hand a squeeze. “I just like you anyway.”