You gave me love within
the numbered days,
And I'm grateful
•••••
"I'm glad you take time to have dinner with us even you have an overtime," Jimin said. He made sure to prepare dinner that night and asked Taehyung to have dinner with them before having his overtime.
"I'm sorry for spending more time in the office lately. Clients are coming in almost every week." Taehyung appeared to be tired and wasn't eating well. Jimin noticed but refused to comment.
"Jin is with you, I hope he's a great help. Will he be spending overtime with you tonight?" Jimin tried to catch Taehyung's gaze but Taehyung did not lookup. He continued to play with the food with his fork.
"I guess for some hours," Taehyung responded before forcefully put a chunk of food in his mouth. "The food is delicious, by the way."
Jimin smiled. He wasn't sure if that was an honest compliment or a forced one just to make him happy. "Thank you. I hope my cooking tastes better than Jin's."
Taehyung furrowed his eyebrows as he stared at his husband. He didn't know what Jimin meant but he was sure he didn't like it. "What are you saying? Don't compare yourself with Jin."
"I don't understand why he kept on bringing you food." Jimin countered.
"And who's giving you that information? Your best friend Namjoon?"
Ahni and Jiho looked at each other. Feeling the friction between their parents. Ahni cleared his throat trying to ease the tension. "Dad, I forgot to mention. I saw Uncle Hobi at my recital last week."
Jimin and Taehyung looked at Ahni. And it was Taehyung who spoke first. "You invited him?"
Ahni smiled and shook his head, "No. I thought you did. But it's okay. Uncle Hoseok is very nice to me. I will invite him next time so he can sit in the front. Maybe he heard somewhere. My hair is nice looking now because of him and Uncle Jin. Look at the color, Uncle Jin chose this."
"Of course, Jin is very fashionable." Jiho buts in making Ahni frown. "Shut up! Jin will not like you. Speaking of Uncle Jin, I think his best friend is Uncle Hobi's boyfriend. I also saw him there."
Jimin's eyes were fixed on Ahni. He didn't know why his heart started to beat faster. He didn't even know why he was nervous. "Who's that friend?"
"Uncle Yoongi. The one who fetched Uncle Jin at the airport? Uncle Jin brought him to one of our shopping sprees. We ate lunch together." Ahni relayed proudly. Not noticing the panic laced in Jimin's eyes.
Taehyung chuckled hearing Ahni's story. "Oh! So Yoongi is the secret man Hoseok is dating. Kook and I were trying to find out. Thanks for informing me. Did he mention anything to you, Jimin?"
Jimin still staring at Ahni did not hear Taehyung's question. His mind was occupied by so many thoughts. And fears.
"Jimin?"
"Uh... Oh. What was that?" Jimin finally came back to his senses.
"I asked if Hoseok mentioned anything to you that he is dating someone?"
Jimin shook his head, "No... We haven't seen each other in a while. And he's closer to you."
Taehyung smiled, "Hoseok is Jin's friend. I wondered if it was Jin who introduced Yoongi to him. I mean, what a small world. Isn't it?"
The information made Jimin more nervous. He knew Namjoon mentioned that he saw Jin at Hoseok's birthday party the last time with Yoongi. He didn't expect that the friendship or the coincidence, if that was the case, to be deeper than he could imagine.
Jimin nodded and forced a smile, "Yeah. I thought so too. I'll just try to keep it up with Hoseok."
"Uncle Yoongi is fun to be with. He's very nice to me. He asked if we could go out again..."
"No!" Jimin suddenly blurted out making everyone looked at him, surprised and confused. Jimin tried to smile, "No, I mean. No, that's embarrassing. What if he's busy? Just tell me when I can come with you. Or you can ask your dad. Just don't disturb someone for your shopping sprees. Is that understood, Ahni?"
Ahni frowned. "Okay." Taehyung patted his daughter's back and Ahni just pouted.
***
Jin was extremely happy that night. He never thought he would still be spending nights with the love of his life. He honestly thought, after what happened in the office some days ago, Jimin would restrict Taehyung from having 'over times'. Though he wasn't sure what's going on in Jimin's head, he was sure what's going on in his, and that what's more important.
The pain he felt the night of his birthday was gone. All the fears and worries that haunted him all weekend were forgotten. All he could feel right at that moment was happiness and contentment. He felt as if his prayers were answered.
Over a candlelight dinner in his apartment, all they did was laugh at their childhood memories. Jin felt that was the most intimate conversation he'd ever had with someone. He never felt so comfortable talking about it aside from Yoongi.
"Is marriage fun?" Jin suddenly asked after taking the last bite of the cake he baked.
Taehyung smiled awkwardly. One thing he wasn't comfortable talking about with Jin was his marriage.
"It's okay. I just want to know. If you don't want to answer, it's fine," Jin assured Taehyung after noticing he's a bit uncomfortable.
"Well. There's no perfect relationship. Marriage included. We have some bad days, we have some good days. It's actually the children that's making it somehow worth it."
Jin nodded, placing his chin on his hand as he stared at the married man he was crazy about. "Have you ever thought of, what if you marry a different person? Or what if you did not get married at all?"
Taehyung stared at Jin's provoking eyes. The smile on Jin's face was telling him something he could not get a grasp of. "Honestly, there were. We got married young. I got him pregnant at a very young age. Our parents didn't like it. Especially his parents. Our parents were both in the business world and they were afraid of a scandal. Their eighteen-year-old son got knocked up. So they forced us to marry."
Jin smirked, "Forced? You regretted it, somehow?"
Taehyung shook his head, "Not really a regret, but I felt they withheld us of our rights to decide for ourselves. And it's true, it came in my head so many times, what if I did not marry him? Well, maybe they wouldn't give me a right to Jiho and that's the most awful thing that could ever happen to me. And Ahni. We wouldn't have Ahni. And I can't imagine my life without Ahni. Our children are everything to me."
The fire in Jin's eyes slowly faded and it turned into a concern. He didn't know exactly for whom. For Taehyung, or himself. "How about getting married again? Did it ever cross your mind?"
The question caught Taehyung off-guard. He swallowed several times not knowing how to answer the question without him getting wrong
Jin suddenly giggled as he poured a wine in his glass, "I love how I always scare the shit out of you. You know, I always dream about getting married to the right man. The man who will love and accept me. No matter how dark my past was. But you know what? It won't happen."
Taehyung's eyes lingered on Jin's before taking the courage to ask, "It's impossible not to like you Jin. Why would you even think about that?"
Jin chuckled, drowning himself with a glass of wine. He then stared into Taehyung's eyes with a suggestive smile on his face, "Because he's still wearing a wedding band around his finger."
Taehyung thought his heart stopped beating for a while. He already expected Jin to say that but it hits him differently when it was said to him in person.
***
"Oh, fuck! Yes, don't stop, hard... hard!" Jin squirmed on the bed as Taehyung thrust inside him. Jin gripped on the blanket, face on the bed, ass on-air, eyes on Taehyung, as he received Taehyung's violent jerks.
Taehyung groaned as he came in the condom. Shutting his eyes closed as he savors his release. Grunting as he emptied himself inside Jin.
As he rolled on the bed, he stared at the ceiling. His breathing was heavy. Jin then lays down his head on Taehyung's chest, gently stroking Taehyung's stomach with his fingers.
"Thank you for being here," Jin whispered. "You made my birthday special."
Jin felt Taehyung's lips touched his forehead. Jin smiled before closing his eyes. But he opened it immediately when Taehyung's phone lights up. Taehyung picked it up from the side table and saw that Jimin was calling. Jin nodded and Taehyung answered the call.
"Hi," Taehyung answered with no sign of interest in his voice. Eyes closed from exhaustion while gently rubbing Jin's arm with his hand.
Jimin took time to answer causing Taehyung to open his eyes. "Where are you?"
"Office. I told you I have loads of work. Why? Is there a problem at home?"
"None. I called Jungkook. He told me you're with him. The surrounding seemed like he's in a club. The call got cut short because he seemed not to hear me. Did you go out with him?" Jimin inquired.
Taehyung removed his arm around Jin and sat up on the bed. Not knowing what to say. He forgot to inform Jungkook what to say and he sure messed up. "Earlier, yes. He was dancing and hooking up so I went out earlier. I texted him. Maybe he hasn't read it yet."
A hummed left from Jimin's lips. "I see. Where's Jin?"
Taehyung looked at Jin who was staring at him as he talks. Taehyung felt uneasy hearing Jimin's questions. He felt as if something was wrong. Jimin never questioned him whenever he was out. "Jin is with me but I will send him home early. Jimin, is there something wrong?"
Taehyung heard a sniff from the other line. And soon after, a very familiar sound of a bell causing him to jump out of the bed.
"What's wrong?" Jin asked as he noticed the sudden panic laced on Taehyung's face. He watched as Taehyung picked up his clothes on the floor and hurriedly wearing them. "What's the matter? Is there an emergency at home?"
Taehyung did not answer. Instead, he grabbed his phone and headed towards the door. Jin ran behind Taehyung and gripped on Taehyung's wrist.
"I need to go home. I think Jimin has a clue that we're together now." Taehyung finally answered. Anxiety was evident in his eyes as he stared at Jin whose tears started to well up.
As Taehyung hand gripped the doorknob, he felt Jin's arms wrapped around his waist. "Don't leave." He heard Jin's whisper.
Taking a deep sigh, he spun around to face jin. Tightly held his man's hand as he stared at Jin's face. Wiping the tears that fell on Jin's cheeks, Taehyung shook his head, "I cannot stay here now. If Jimin already has a clue, we're both busted."
"Are you scared? I thought you want me to stay? You said it."
Taehyung took another sigh, "Jin, I know. But I think it's better to be careful, right? I need to go home now."
"Don't go. Stay."
"Jin..."
"Okay," Jin sniffed while wiping away more tears. "I will let you go home now to fix whatever is wrong. But you have to come back for me."
"Jin?"
"It's just him or me."
Taehyung was shocked to hear the words coming out of Jin's mouth. It sure wasn't what he expected as Jin made him aware that he knew his position in his life. "Are you making me choose?"
Jin smiled weakly, "If it sounded like that, then yes. I'm making you choose."
Taehyung closed his eyes in frustration as he rubbed the back of his head. "Jin, I think you told me you know your position in my life."
"I changed my mind. You don't need to answer now. I will wait for you on Friday. If you come, you choose me. If not, then... It's over."
"Jin, it doesn't have to be like this."
Jin gave Taehyung a wicked smile. His eyes surely changed their expression. From its pleading earlier, it now turned into a provoking one. And it made Taehyung a bit scared. "Yes, it doesn't have to be like this. You told me to stay. I stayed. Now, I'm asking you to stay. I love you. Just go home now. And I'm expecting you to come home to me on Friday. I will wait for you."
Jin opened the door before kissing Taehyung on the lips. As he closed the door, Jin slowly slide down to the floor. Hugging his knees closer to his body as he cried. He felt it was nearing but he refused to surrender. Not now. Not ever.