Archive of Our Own ^beta

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Jimin gently placed his palm flat on the cool plastic and his fingers twitched. There was a small buzzing noise close to him and the room was dimly lit, besides the lamp radiating heat into the dome surrounding the small, fragile being inside.

“Jimin, the doctors said he’ll be fine.” Yoongi sighed, looking into the bubble as well. There lay little Min Iseul, fingers curled into fists above his head as he slept under the warm, yellow-colored light. “He’s taking the treatment very well.”

Jimin’s eyes filled with tears and he choked out a quiet sob, not wanting to disturb his sleeping angel. He watched the rise and fall of the baby’s chest, tears rolling down his hot cheeks. The little boy was diagnosed with pneumonia seven hours after birth after Yoongi noticed he was grunting and it seemed as if he was having trouble breathing. It was quite common, however, Jimin couldn’t help but think his baby, his precious little sunshine, was suffering after being in the world not even a full day yet. They started treatment immediately, and they were not able to take him home until the fluid and bacteria in his lungs were entirely gone and he was able to breath without any complications. Yoongi knew the baby would be okay, but he found it hard to watch as his fiance broke himself down and worried that their son wouldn’t recover.

“He’s sleeping, we should go home. You’ve been standing for a while, too, I’m sure you’re still sore.” Yoongi gently tugged Jimin away from the incubator, watching as the younger had trouble tearing his eyes from the inside before finally complying and walking out of the hospital reluctantly. “Iseul will be fine, Jimin. They said it should only be another week and we’ll be able to take him home.” Yoongi wiped Jimin’s tears and pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek. The ride home was silent.

“I have great news for you, Jimin-ssi.” A nurse who was now familiar with the couple, considering she was in charge of checking on Iseul every thirty minutes and feeding him when need be. Jimin perked up at this, anxious to see his baby again, even if he had seen Iseul the day prior. “I heard Iseul will be going home today.” she mused, looking down at her clipboard as she lead the two back into the room they had grown to know the past two weeks.

“Really?” Jimin’s smile was impossibly large, bouncing on his heels. “So I’ll get to hold him again?”

The nurse chuckled, “Of course. He has made an outstanding recovery, just as we knew he would.”

“So he’s well again? Like completely well?” Yoongi chipped in, reciprocating the gentle squeeze his hand felt from his fiancé. The nurse nodded just as they approached the room. Iseul’s assigned doctor was weighing him for the final time of his stay, the baby not fussing in the slightest as he stared up at the tall male hovering over him.

“Oh! You’re here.” The doctor smiled, quickly recording Iseul’s weight and swaddling him up again. The baby found it easy to fall asleep again once he was comfortable in the man’s arms. “I have wonderful news for you both; Iseul will be going home today! I just have to do a final test and then he’ll be free to go.”

“Can I hold him?” Jimin blurted out, wanting nothing more than his baby in his arms. Yoongi gently nudged his side, but he didn’t budge.

“Of course. I’ll be back with the results, and if everything looks okay, you’ll be free to take little Iseul home.” The doctor handed Iseul over gently, leaving the room as Jimin sat down to admire his small baby.

“I missed you…” Jimin mused, pressing a kiss to Iseul’s rosy cheeks. The baby stirred, wiggling in his blanket and opening his dark eyes. “Hi.” His voice was soft and gentle, feeling a weight accompany him on the small loveseat-esque bench that was in the room.

“I told you he’d be okay.” Yoongi snaked his arm around Jimin’s shoulders, kissing his temple.

The first night, to say the least, was terrifying. Yoongi had to take control after the sun went down because Jimin was unsure that he was ready for their first night as parents on their own. That is, he didn’t doubt himself until they were on their own, in charge of a small, innocent child who depended on them. And, considering Yoongi’s minimal experience in feeding and generally caring for the baby, Jimin let him take over catering to the baby’s needs and wants.

“Is he hungry?” Jimin asked softly, arms wrapped around Yoongi as he held the baby close to his chest. Iseul was staring up at them, eyes drooping with a constant tiredness due to the medication he had been given the last few weeks.He was a calm baby, but Yoongi knew not to cut himself short just yet.

“He just ate.” Yoongi practically hummed, giving Jimin a glance.

“Oh…” Jimin’s voice quieted even more, feeling inadequate and useless because he wasn’t ready to take care of the baby.

“Stop being so apprehensive, Jimin. I have to take a shower, so can you stay alone with him for an hour?” Yoongi handed the baby to Jimin, the younger looking up at him with pure fear in his eyes. “You’ll be okay.” he chuckled, leaving the couch and disappearing upstairs.

Jimin realized he was on his own now, at least until Yoongi was done showering. He got up from the couch and slowly made his way to their bedroom, where Iseul’s small bassinet sat lonely beside his side of the bed. It was a gift from his mother before she left, along with many packs of diapers and cans of powdered formula. He laid the baby in the miniature crib and sat on the edge of the bed, pulling the bassinet close to it touched his knees. He watched Iseul easily drift off to sleep, his tiny fists relaxing as his head tilted slightly to the side. He was overwhelmed by the feeling of affection and the warmth that enveloped him just by looking at his son sleeping peacefully.

It seemed like a perfect moment, that is, until Iseul started to whine and rub his eyes with his hands, before breaking out into soft cries. Jimin panicked, taking the baby into his arms. He had no idea what was wrong until he brought Iseul close and a foul smell assaulted his nostrils. “Oh no…” Jimin mumbled to himself, taking his son into his clean nursery and going over to the changing station. It occurred to him that he had absolutely no idea how to change a diaper, so he did what any parent of the 21st century would do; consulted Google for answers. It was quite easy to find a tutorial on the problem at hand and cleaned Iseul up rather flawlessly, putting a fresh diaper on the baby and disposing of the dirty one. He had stopped crying by now, and was more than happy when Jimin picked him up and held him close.

If he was honest, Jimin felt pretty damn proud of himself. He sat in the comfy rocking chair and moved back and forth slowly, earning a happy expression from the baby in his arms. “I love you.” he practically giggled, kissing Iseul’s cheek. “Maybe I can do this.”

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“I’ll be back in two hours, tops. Please call me if anything happens.”

Yoongi watched Jimin scurry about the house, Iseul on his lap beating a wooden block harmlessly against his thigh. “We’ll be fine, Jimin. You’re just going to get groceries.” he deadpanned, face emotionless.

“I know, just…” Jimin’s shoulders slumped. He cupped Iseul’s cheeks, the baby looking up at him with a confused expression. “I’ll miss you…”

“Babe.” Yoongi chuckled softly, pulling him down for a small kiss. “Go. If we run out of snacks you know Iseul will have a fit.”

Jimin nodded, pressing a kiss to Iseul’s forehead before leaving with a sniffle.

“Looks like it’s just me and you for a while, kid.” Yoongi smiled as Iseul twisted to face him. “Think we can handle it?” he hummed, bouncing the toddler on his leg and eliciting a string of giggles from Iseul.

The next hour was spent on the couch, one dirty diaper and several drool-covered toys before Iseul finally got comfortable on Yoongi’s chest as the dad laid on his back to watch TV. Iseul wiggled around, clutching his father’s shirt in his tiny fists. “Stay still, kid.” he mused softly, placing a hand on the baby’s back as the smaller looked up at him with seemingly waiting eyes. “What do you want from me, hm? I’m not gonna sing to you like appa.” Iseul let out a whine, wiggling his bottom.

For a moment, Yoongi sighed and closed his eyes. He conjured up the courage and started singing, his voice rough and unhoned, the exact opposite of his fiancé’s angelic voice. Many a night he woke to a crying Iseul and a half-empty bed, the sound of a rocking chair and Jimin’s heavenly voice flowing out of the nursery and throughout their cozy family home. The baby’s cries softened and Yoongi found himself drifting off to sleep at the other’s singing.

But now, this was definitely not the case. Iseul pouted, reaching up to place his small hands over Yoongi’s mouth. His father huffed, opening his eyes. “Damn, tough crowd.” he mumbled, trying to mull over his options to help Iseul to sleep. He turned on their home stereo system and put on some soft house music, Iseul looking around for the source before relaxing again. “You’re really cute, little Iseul. You look just like appa.” Yoongi chuckled, rubbing circles on his baby’s back as the child seemed to be happily drifting off to sleep. “I hope you don’t grow up a stupid teenager like me. I did a lot of bad stuff back in my day.” he sighed. “I hope you can sing prettily like Jimin. You already smile like him; thanks for being the second ray of sunshine in my life.” By now, the baby was fast asleep. He smiled softly, still rubbing small shapes in the fabric of Iseul’s onesie. Yoongi closed his eyes, drifting off into a peaceful sleep as well.

When Jimin got home, he expected the worse possible scenario. After the door was opened and the groceries were in the kitchen, Jimin peaked his head in the eerily quiet living room. He cooed softly at the sight of Iseul sleeping soundly on his lover's chest, the oldest of them all also in a deep, blissful sleep. He couldn’t help but snap a few pictures and send them in the group chat with their high school friends.

Hours later, Jimin was preparing dinner when Yoongi woke up, the younger having put Iseul for his nap soon after he put up all of the groceries. He heard the other’s phone unlocking, and soon a groan resonated from the living room.

“Park fucking Jimin!”

Jimin snickered.

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Yoongi would be lying if he said he wasn’t at least a little agitated that Jimin insisted they bring their baby boy on their honeymoon. He almost knew his husband would plead and beg to take the baby on their trip to Japan, and how could he possibly say no to not only his lover, but the father of his only child? Since Iseul was born, Jimin cried whenever he even had to go to the grocery store without the little boy.

“It’s beautiful.” Jimin mused, eyes roaming the landscape as Iseul slept peacefully in his carrier strapped to the younger’s chest.

The sun was going down, casting a golden and fuchsia glow across the gorgeous sea of Taketomi Island. They walked together, Yoongi’s fingers laced amongst Jimin’s as they sank their toes in the pleasantly warm sand with each step. Yoongi admired how happy Jimin looked, an expression of fascination plastered onto his heavenly features as Iseul clutched his little hands into fists on Jimin’s chest.

If Jimin was happy, Yoongi would be okay with bringing Iseul everywhere. He would do anything to make Jimin as happy as he was right now forever.

And even if they had their wedding at the end of summer, not mid-fall like Jimin planned, just being married to the man next to him made Yoongi ecstatic to be alive; to be able to wake up to Jimin every morning, or find his husband in the nursery, singing a fussy Iseul back to sleep. Those little things made Yoongi’s heart soar, and he knew he was the luckiest man on earth.

“Isn’t it?” Jimin smiled at Yoongi when he didn’t get any sort of response. He had also caught Yoongi staring, chuckling as the older looked away with a soft pink glow on his cheeks.

“It’s gorgeous.” Yoongi said quietly. “Not as gorgeous as you, though.”

“That’s so greasy!” Jimin laughed, gently pushing Yoongi’s shoulder with his own. “But thank you. I think Iseul is enjoying the trip, too.” He looked down at the baby, mess of black hair strewn about as he leaned his head on Jimin’s chest. The baby looked impossibly peaceful, soft snores coming from his mouth as it hung open slightly. Jimin was thankful Iseul was a particularly calm baby.

Yoongi hummed, smiling at their little boy and pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead. Iseul whined, wiggling and opening his eyes when he realized he didn’t have as much room to move around as usual. “Good afternoon, sunshine.” He laughed softly, Iseul looking up at him with a dazed expression.

“I left his food back in our room… We should head back before he starts to fuss.” Jimin sighed, stroking one of Iseul’s tiny hands with his thumb. They turned around when Yoongi nodded. It was silent for a moment, Iseul drifting back off to sleep and Jimin sighed. “I’m sorry I insisted we bring Iseul… I just couldn’t spend two weeks away from our baby. Especially with Taehyung as a babysitter.”

“It’s okay, Jimin. It wouldn’t be much of a vacation if you were worrying about the baby the whole time. He’s behaving well, so I’m happy he gets to spend this time with us.” Yoongi kissed Jimin’s cheek, squeezing his hand.

“I’m just glad he didn’t cry on the plane. He got your sleeping habits.” Jimin laughed, still looking down at the baby.

“Don’t jinx us, we still have a week and a half and a plane ride back home.” Yoongi laughed as well, enjoying the warm atmosphere with his family more than anything.

Upon arriving back to the luxurious room they were staying in, Jimin placed Iseul in the travel bassinet he had brought, sitting down and coaxing the baby to go to sleep. Yoongi brought some tea, which Jimin gladly accepted, and once Iseul was asleep the two slid into bed, accompanying the spaces in between their legs with the other’s.

Jimin awoke to a warmly lit room, a coldness beside him, and the soft, yet familiar whines of a baby. He rubbed his eyes to get a clearer look around whilst sitting up. “Yoongi…?” his voice was quiet, his husband’s back facing him as the older sat on the edge of the bed.

Yoongi glanced back, “Oh, thank god. I think Iseul has a stomach ache and I can’t get him to sleep.” He moved to lay against the pillows next to Jimin, handing him the fussy baby.

Iseul’s crying was never loud. This was beneficial and worrying at the same time, because while the couple got much more sleep than most parents, they had to keep a closer eye on him and keep the baby monitor in his nursery on the highest volume setting in case he was upset.

So, it was no wonder that something was wrong and Iseul cried softly, eyes squeezed shut as tears coated his flushed cheeks. “Did you try burping him?” Jimin asked, pressing gentle kisses to the baby’s tummy and tiny hands. When Yoongi nodded wordlessly, Jimin huffed.

“Maybe he just had a bad dream…?” Yoongi inquired, getting close to Jimin and matching his expression of worry.

“Maybe.” Jimin said in a slightly sing-song voice. Iseul opened his eyes, though his cried failed to cease. “Would you like to sing to you, honey?” he didn’t expect a reply, though Yoongi rolled over and went back to sleep before Jimin started to sing for the baby a tune that always calmed him when he was a child and his mother sang it for him. Soon Iseul’s disgruntled expression turned into a relaxed one and he let himself fall asleep against his father’s chest.

Jimin had to remind himself every day that babies who didn’t crawl by their eighth month were probably okay and would get it soon. He did this to calm his nerves every time he played with Iseul, who had all but crawling and walking down to a science.

The temperatures were beginning to rise steadily, though it never got suffocatingly hot in Busan anyhow. He had re-learned this after moving back to his hometown. Which was a miracle in itself, really, considering Yoongi was transferred to a larger recording studio three months after their son was born. Sure, they had only moved five months prior, but Jimin’s mother was more than happy to help them sell the house and buy a new one in Busan that was only a half hour away from her own. Yoongi didn’t mind at all; he now had an even better paying job and he found himself quickly becoming a part of Jimin’s family. The younger’s aunts and uncles and friends of the family visited regularly with his mother, and he liked the company more than he originally thought he would.

So now, here Jimin sat, playing with some racecars with Iseul as the baby giggled in fascination with the rolling objects. He had learned to sit up on his own easily at five months, and he held his own bottle now when they fed him formula in the transition to solid foods. Iseul hated them, to say the least, and he was only interested in sweet potatoes and bananas when they could get him eating non-liquid foods. Jimin was patient, though Yoongi didn’t want him still drinking formula at three years old.

Jimin had a bag of chips leaning against his thigh, which had been neglected for a few minutes as he played with Iseul. When he did grab one of the thin snacks out of the bag, though, the baby was more than interested with what he had in his hand. And when Jimin watched him carefully and put the chip in his mouth, Iseul was on the edge of his seat. Babies are very entertaining creatures. Jimin giggled, eating another chip and watching as Iseul stared in fascination. He was going to ask Yoongi to give him the baby’s banana snacks until it occurred to him that his husband was currently at work. With a slump of his shoulders, Jimin got up and trekked to the kitchen himself. He could see Iseul clearly over the bar separating the living room and kitchen, so he had no worries as he got the yellow container of snacks from the pantry. He heard an odd misplaced sound of footsteps and as soon as he turned around, Iseul was sitting down beside the last stool of the bar.

“Oh my god.” Jimin’s voice was quiet. “Did you just…?” Either Iseul crawled to him, or walked to him. He hoped the baby took the more progressive route and stumbled to take his phone out and open the camera. “Iseul, come here!” Jimin smiled widely and sat on the floor, Iseul getting over his tumble to the carpet quite quickly. Grasping onto the rungs of the stool, Iseul hoisted himself up with determined grunts and regained his balance. He let out a giggle as he made his way over to his father, making grabby hands at Jimin. Jimin caught Iseul with an arm when he collapsed with a happy squeal in his lap. He cut the video and let his phone slide to the floor to hug his giggling son. “You are perfect, you know that?” Jimin beamed, pressing multiple kisses on Iseul’s chubby face and eliciting more happy squeals from him.

As if it were even possible, Jimin’s love for his son grew three times as large.

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“there's plenty of food in the pantry and in the fridge, and make sure he gets at least two servings or else he won't sleep properly. you know where his diapers are and if he’s got a little rash there's medicated wipes and cream on the second shelf of his changing table. he likes to chew on things so make sure he doesn't hurt himself, and he still isn't used to walking completely so he might fall too. phone numbers are on-”

“jimin.”

“yes?” jimin looks up at his best friend innocently, brown eyes wide with worry as he gets ready for his night out with his husband. ever since iseul’s birth nearly a year ago, jimin had nearly no free time between taking care of a baby and the house, as well as making sure yoongi’s comfortable when he arrives home from work in the evenings.his existence is simple and one identical to millions of people around the world, though he’s incredibly happy and looks forward to waking up every morning to a family he’s always dreamed of. the past few weeks have been especially stressful as the couple finalize plans for iseul’s first birthday. though iseul will only be two and surely won't remember his first actual birthday party, jimin wants it to be a special event for not only their baby boy but for the family as a whole.

“we’ve been friends for, what, ten years? iseul will be fine,” taehyung claps a hand down on jimin's shoulder, laughing softly. “i’ve been babysitting kids since i was fifteen, your precious angel is safe with me.”

jimin sighs, shoulders slouching as he looks at little iseul while the baby plays with yoongi’s fingers on their living room couch. “i guess you're right… i’m just worried something will go wrong. i haven't spent much time away from iseul.”

“everything will be great. me and iseul will eat dinner, watch some cartoons and play, and then he’ll be in bed before you get home. you two just enjoy your date and don't get completely smashed in the process.” now, taehyung starts shoving jimin towards the door, nodding his head at yoongi for the older to get up and leave as well.

“thanks again, taehyung. don't hesitate to call us if anything happens,” yoongi offers him a friendly smile as the two head out to his car.

taehyung hums and nods, folding his arms as he watches yoongi pull out of the driveway and disappear around the curve of their quaint subdivision.

“alright, little guy, it’s you and me tonight,” taehyung huffs with a smile as he practically flops onto the couch and attacks iseul’s tummy with tickles. the toddler immediately bursts into giggles and giddy shrieks, wiggling in the other’s hold.

“yoongi, i just don’t know.” even as the two are seated in the gorgeous outdoor setting, the atmosphere comfortable as lanterns hung overhead and cast a golden hue onto the boy’s face as he smooths out the fabric of his navy blue dress pants and looks up at his husband. “what if he misses us? what if he thinks we’ll never come back?” his bottom lip sticks out in a cute pout, causing yoongi to chuckle softly at him.

“iseul isn’t a dog, jimin, he probably won’t even realize we left. he loves taeyhung and we really needed a night out after all of the stress we’ve both been going through this past month. try not to think too hard about it, okay? i know tae has this handled.” yoongi tries to be reassuring as he opens up the restaurant’s menu to browse the selection of meals casually.

jimin slouches in his seat, hiding behind his menu so yoongi doesn’t see his pitiful expression. he honestly feels so lonely without iseul being here with them, squealing in a highchair and slapping stubbornly at colorful spoonfuls of slimy baby food. he supposes every new mother or father feels this way and it will go away at this point, though he can’t help but defend his own actions in his mind. i mean, you try carrying a human around inside of you for forty-one weeks and not get insanely attached to it, his conscious grumbles. half of him wants to get angry at yoongi for taking the absence of their baby boy so easily, just as quickly reminding himself that his husband works five days out of the week and has been accustomed to being away from both his lover and his baby for months now.

“sir?” a waitress with doe eyes asks, blinking her obviously false lashes as she stands at the ready with a pen in one hand and a notepad with only a few sheets left in the other.

jimin’s cheeks get warmer when he realizes he had zoned out, clearing his throat and sitting up straight. “i’ll have the chef’s recommendation, thank you,” he gives her a polite smile, folding up his menu and watching her tuck it under her arm and give them a polite bow before walking off to deliver their order. jimin looks up at yoongi, though the older is only tapping away at his phone like they aren’t on a date at a fancy restaurant at all. it makes him feel awful, hoping he hadn’t ruined their special night out with his excessive worrying. even as their food arrives and they begin to eat, the only noise between them is their utensils clinking and the occasional sip of fancy champagne.

“we’re going to the park after this,” yoongi mutters as he finishes his food. “i have something to show you.” he pauses for a moment before wiping his mouth with his cloth napkin and looks up at jimin. “even though i know how much you want to get home.” there's a bit of venom behind his last words, obviously irritated to some degree with jimin’s earlier behavior.

“no, that's okay!” jimin quickly shakes his head. “i’m fine with going somewhere else if you have something planned for us.”

“good,” yoongi simply replies as he waves over the waitress from earlier and asks for a check for their meal.

jimin makes sure his own face is clean, wiping his palms on the napkin as well and hoping he didn’t look as nervous as he felt. it reminds him of their first date when they went to a cheap barbecue restaurant because yoongi wanted to pay for the meal himself. jimin was a mess for yoongi then, and he’s definitely a mess for yoongi now, six years later and married.

“ready to go?” the mood seems to lighten slightly when yoongi cracks a small smile at jimin, grabbing his bag from the vacant seat next to him and sliding it onto his shoulder.

jimin nods, giving yoongi an affirmative hum. the duo stands together and keeps their fingers laced as they left the restaurant and began their short walk to a nearby park that they both know pretty well by now after taking iseul to it so many times in the past few months. “what did you want to show me?” jimin hums, looking around at the nearly-empty park that is only illuminated by the street lamps surrounding it.

yoongi says nothing as he leads jimin over to a thick patch of trees and brush on the other side of the tall chain-link fence. he sheds his pressed blazer and throws it over the top, carefully climbing over and landing on his feet with a soft grunt.

jimin furrows his eyebrows, though he does the same, holding yoongi’s hands on the way down to prevent him from accidently falling. “where are we going?” he chuckles, though he still receives no response from his husband as they start through the trails and leave their jackets behind on the overgrown grass in front of the tiny forest. they walk for a while before yoongi kicks down a particularly thick branch and spreads apart two tall bushes to reveal their destination. the gasp that escapes jimin’s lips is instantaneous.

before the couple is an old pier hanging over a gentle-flowing river, one that most have no idea exists on the other side of the brush separating the busy city with a more serene and natural environment. jimin has flashbacks of pushing taehyung into the water and snickering as kids, only to be pulled in by his legs instead. several nights were spent sneaking out and coming to this exact spot, just to get away from the crowded concrete jungle lifestyle. tears well in his eyes as he looks up at yoongi, he had forgotten all about his little excursions with tae, his ten-year-old self missing a new tooth every other week as he giggles nonstop at his best friend, twelve years old and bursting with personality at such a young age. the last time he’d been here was his last day in busan, the night prior to his family packing up their life and moving to seoul.

“taehyung told me you guys used to come here. i figured it’d be a night place to unwind and just forget about all of the stress in our lives for a couple hours, at least.” yoongi’s eyes glance at jimin’s stunned expression before he lets go of the other’s hand, unbuttoning his baby blue dress shirt and laying it on the edge of the pier for them to sit on, not caring about the damp neglected wood beneath it soaking into the fabric slightly and giving it an ugly brown tint. he plops down and gestures for jimin to come over, the younger quickly scurrying over to his husband and gently sitting next to him and hearing the aged planks creak with his every move.

“i can’t believe this…” jimin laughs through his tears of absolute joy, taking his shoes and socks off while rolling his pants up when he sees yoongi doing the same so the two can both submerge their feet into the chilly early-fall water. he thinks about taking his own cream-colored buttoned shirt off when a gentle breeze passes them, sending a wave of chills down jimin’s spine.

“we shouldn’t have left out jackets,” yoongi sighs as he wraps an arm around jimin’s waist, pulling him even closer.

jimin giggles, “it’s okay. this view is definitely worth it.” there really isn’t a view besides the flowing river and the trees border the other side, though the way the moon shone down on the rushing water puts jimin at ease just the same. “i love you so much, yoongi,” he smiles brightly at his husband, placing a wet kiss on his cheek.

“i love you too, but that was pretty gross.” yoongi takes his free hand and wipes the wetness from his cheek, grimacing a little but with a smile on his face.