Single Father • Namjoon + BTS!Kids

cxlvii.

***

When Jin walked onto the field, he was starting to regret drinking all that water.

Not because of cramps, though. Because it made him want to pee. And being nervous made him want to pee even more, so...

Not a great way to start off his big night.

Although thinking about his bladder had certainly distracted him. One second, he was just crossing the sideline, and then next, he was centered on the field on the 45. His ears were ringing, maybe because of how loud the fans were tonight, he wasn't sure. He knew the cheering wasn't for him. He wasn't extremely good at what he did in the first place, and at the end of the day, he was just another uniform and helmet on the field.

Not after tonight.

Why did Jin feel like he was about to die? Was that normal?

"Hey, pretty boy. You gonna play or what?"

Jin blinked and nodded, taking his position after being called out by a lineman on his team. Jin bent his knees and made the calls for the play.

Finally, "Hike!"

The ball was snapped back to him. According to the play he'd called, he was supposed to fall back and (hopefully) complete a pass to the wide receiver down the right sideline. According to the play, the wide receiver would (hopefully) catch it and run it in for a touchdown, and, according to the play, Jin would (hopefully) avoid being sacked, tackled, or on the bottom of a piggy-pile.

According to the play, they'd (hopefully) end up with six points plus one extra for the conversion.

According to what actually happened, they ended up without gaining a single point, instead losing possession, and according to what actually happened, Jin must have looked like the worst high school quarterback in history.

That's if one assumed that what happened on the field was an accident.

It wasn't.

After being snapped the ball, Jin went against the play and instead started running, not necessarily for the endzone, but for a specific player.

A player on his own team.

A player that had started a fight with his brothers.

A player that had ended up causing his brother to have a seizure.

A player that wasn't prepared for a hit from behind.

Jin tackled the kid, and everybody sort of froze for half a second, because what Jin had just done violated all protocol for the sport.

The half-second was over pretty quickly as both teams ignored their insane quarterback and instead dove for the ball. The other team got it, and whistles were blown, but Jin still didn't get up.

"What the hell, man?!" the kid screeched, face down on the turf, trying to roll over to face Jin, but Jin wasn't letting up. "You're supposed to be hitting the other team! The other team, you moron! You're not even a lineman! What the hell are you doing?!"

"You're right," Jin said calmly. "We're supposed to be hitting the other team on the field. Not kids who go to our school and came to support our team who aren't even in the game. Next time I hear about you hitting up on my little brothers, I'm not going to let you off with a little tackle and a warning. And when that time comes - if it comes, if you're stupid enough to ignore my warning - you aren't going to be pulling the dick move of leaving your helmet on, you wimp. Probably better that you did, or Yoongi would have broken that thick skull of yours."

Jin finally got up, but he had one last thing to say. "And if you ever - and I mean ever - make fun of or humiliate Jimin or any of my brothers again, I will hunt you down."

Jin left the kid lying down on the 50 and walked off the field, taking his helmet off.

"What just happened?" Changkyun asked Jin, and Jin shrugged.

"The reason doesn't matter but I can assure you he deserved it. Now you're better get ready because I'm not going back in the game."

"I should think not!" the coach bellowed, jogging over the Jin with a furious expression. "What the hell was that out there, Kim? You-"

"I quit," Jin said, and the words felt like they had removed weights and chains from his body and soul.

"What?" the coach sputtered slightly. "Look, what you did out there was an atrocity, but you're not a bad player, Jin. So you made a mistake. I'm not putting you back in tonight, but there's next week, and-"

"There is no next week," Jin said, feeling more calm and at peace in the moment that he had in the past few years. "I'm done. I'm not playing anymore."

"But, Jin! The scholarship!" the coach cried out. In truth, the coach was furious at Jin for what he'd just done on the field - sacrificing their chance for a touchdown and tackling one of his own teammates - but he'd always appreciated Jin as a hard worker.

Jin winced at the mention of the scholarship but exhaled and shrugged. "I'm done here."

"But you'll forfeit your chances-"

"I know," Jin said. "And that's okay. I have more important things to worry about right now."

The coach opened his mouth to reply, but then he saw the play happening on the field and had to run toward the sideline to yell at his players.

Jin just gave a small smile and patted Changkyun on the shoulder. "Good luck," he said, and then he set his helmet on the ground and left.

***

"I still don't get football," Hobi said, "but that thing you did there was awesome! Everybody was cheering!"

Jin grimaced. The other team's fans had been sharing because he'd pulled a dumb ass move and given them possession, and what he'd done wasn't supposed to ever be done in football.

"Yeah, you wiped that one guy out!" Jungkook said, grinning and pantomiming one player knocking another down with his hands.

"Nice job, hyung," Jimin said quietly, biting his lip and looking away before looking back at Jin with a guilty expression. "About what happened in the h-hospital-"

"It's okay," Jin said, ruffling Jimin's hair, and Jimin was so shocked by the gesture of affection that his mouth fell open. "I needed to hear it. Thanks, Jimin."

Jimin slowly closed his mouth and smiled, leaning his head onto Jin's shoulder and closing his eyes for the car ride back, as they were all spending the night at Namjoon's because the dance was tomorrow.

The dance would be a night for them all to remember.

don't want to say the sequel is officially confirmed but i've already started working on the preview :> if you thought the angst was gone, you were wrong