Jungkook POV:
"What do you think Noah? How about a grilled cheese for lunch? I think we have cookies too." I looked over at the little boy who was seated on the counter, swinging his thin legs.
"What's a grilled cheese?" Noah's question was confused and I couldn't help but feel a sense of pity for the sweet little guy who had missed out on so much.
"I'll show you." Pulling out a pan, bread and cheese, I held it up. "I'm going to make you Kookie's Sandwich Special. Now the secret to a great grilled cheese is this." I pulled out the jar of mayonnaise from the fridge and showed it to him. "Jin insists on using butter, but this adds a little more flavor.
Noah's eyes were wide and filled with interest as I began the process of making the sandwich. He watched my every move and it made my heart fill with love and adoration for the sweet kid. His eyes were on me the whole time and when I finished the sandwiches and handed one to him, he looked at it for a moment before taking a tiny bite. When the melted cheese hit his taste buds, his eyes went wide again and a huge smile crossed his face. "This is yummy!" I could see the delight on his face as he took an even bigger bite.
"They're pretty good, aren't they?" Noah nodded his head exuberantly at my question and I couldn't help but laugh. "Y/N likes her with tomatoes and pepper jack cheese, but this is my favorite."
"Pepper jack?"
"Yeah. It's a spicy cheese with peppers in it." Opening the fridge, I pulled out a plastic container of sliced chunks of cheese and handed him one.
Noah took it and bit into it, his little face scrunching up in disgust. Shaking his head, he handed it back to me. "Nuh uh. I don't like that one."
Tossing the chunk in the trash and sticking the rest in the fridge, I gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. Not everyone does." Opening the cabinet, I took out a package of chocolate chip cookies and handed him one. "But everyone likes these."
Noah looked at the cookie hesitantly and bit into it, eyeing me as though he didn't trust me. His smile brightened and he nodded happily. "Yes! I love that!"
Grabbing several cookies, I set them on his little plastic Spiderman plate then took a few for myself. "What would you like to do after lunch?"
Noah tilted his head in thought. "Can we color?"
"Sure. I like to do that." Nodding in agreement, I grinned at him and took a bite of my own sandwich. The smile stayed on my face as we finished lunch and while I cleaned up the kitchen. As I was rinsing the last plate and loading it into the dishwasher, Noah ran to his room to get his coloring books and crayons.
Climbing onto the stool, Noah grinned and pushed the coloring book towards me, a hopeful smile on his face. Sitting down next to him, I looked at the picture he had chosen for me: Iron Man. Knowing why he chose that for me touched my heart and so much love filled me, threatening to overwhelm me.
As I sat there coloring with him, I thought about the day we had spent together. I had been worried at first that I would be a terrible dad, that I would do something wrong, but things had been going almost perfectly. After my mates all left, we had decided to watch a movie. He had cuddled up close to me on the sofa, snuggled under a blanket, his eyes wide and on the television. I felt a sense of sadness wash over me as I realized just how much he had missed, how much he had never been able to experience and the idea of it had made me almost sick to my stomach.
It made me think about the last few months with Y/N and how perfectly everything seemed to be going. I knew we had our struggles and misunderstandings early in the relationship, both with her not knowing she was my mate, to the whole thing with Jimin, to her being kidnapped by that shitty ex-boyfriend of hers. It amazed me just how forgiving she actually was, how she was willing to push aside the hurt we had caused, how she was so willing to let us in. Sometimes I believed we didn't deserve her, but when she hugged me or kissed me or told me she loved me, I knew I could never let her go.
A ding from my phone over on the counter caught my attention and I stood to grab it. With wide eyes, I read the message from my human mate, a rush of anger crashing over me as I comprehended what she was saying. Unable to believe it, I told Noah I would be right back and headed into the living, need to verify what her message had said. Clicking on her contact name, I waited for the call to connect.
The call connected almost immediately and I heard Y/N's sweet, but frustrated hello. "Kookie? Is everything alright?"
"Not really. I just read your message. What the actual fuck is going on?" The question came out much harsher than I intended, but I couldn't hold back my own frustration.
Y/N sighed and I knew she was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders again, along with the weight of Sehun's pain. "It's all a mess. Evie was here and... and she was just awful to Sehun. She never wanted him, not the way he wanted her."
"How did Yoongi even get involved in all of this?"
"I don't even know. I can only assume she saw him here once and told her father." Y/N's voice was tinged with anger and part of me worried for the other woman's safety. "A man, who I bet was her father, showed up to Yoongi's studio trying to see if he was available for adoption."
Confused by the events, I couldn't stop the question from spilling from my lips. "Isn't Yoongi free and under your protective custody?"
"Yes and that's what Yoongi told him." Y/N sighed again and I wished I could be there to hold her, tell her everything was going to be okay. "I'm worried Kookie. It's clear he wants Yoongi now. He was at the coffee shop with Evie and mentioned him to Tae and Joon. Why is this happening? Things were just starting to finally look up and work out with all of us."
I could hear the pain and concern in her voice and it lit a protective streak in me a mile wide. The idea of someone making my mate worry like this pissed me off more than I could say, but I knew my rage would only add to her stress. Taking a deep breath, I tried to calm down and give her the serenity that she needed. "It's okay little mate. We're going to figure this out. He's not going to take Yoongi away from us. I promise you that."
Y/N was silent for a moment before speaking again. "How's Noah doing?"
I could tell from the question that she needed something to distract her, something to take her mind off the terrifying situation in front of us all. "It's been great. We watched a movie and made grilled cheese. Now we're coloring."
"Aww. That sounds like fun." From the wistful tone of her voice, I knew she would rather be here with us then there with all the shit going on. A distorted voice called her name and I could hear her tell them she would be there in a minute. "I have to go Kookie."
"It's alright little mate. You do what you need to do there. I've got everything covered here. I love you."
"I love you too." Y/N's words were soft, sincere and I was helpless to stop the stupid smile that crossed my face. The call disconnected and I sat there staring at it for a moment before shoving it in my pocket.
Not wanting Noah to worry, I put a smile on my face and headed back into the kitchen. However the little koala was a lot more intuitive than I thought and had a worried look on his face when I entered. "Kook? Are... are you okay?"
Wrapping an arm around his shoulders, I gave him a quick squeeze. "Yeah. There's something going on with a friend of Y/N, but it's going to be okay." I didn't want to lie to him, but I didn't want to frighten him either so I kept the information as basic and truthful as possible.
Noah studied me for a moment and from the way he furrowed his little brows, I could tell he didn't want to completely believe me, but he was going to trust me. "Okay. Going to still color with me?"
"Of course." I ruffled his hair, grinning when he swatted my hand away. However, I could see from the tiny smile on his face that he liked the attention and the affection. Unfortunately with his limited experience with it, I knew he didn't always know how to take it, how to open himself up to it. "Are you excited for the festival tonight?"
Nodding his head happily, I was glad to see his attention diverted. "Yes! Yoongi said he is going to play piano and I get to see people dance."
"That is correct. Jiminie and Hobi both have classes performing tonight so you'll get to see lots of different things." As the conversation turned to the festival and the coloring book, I felt a twinge of nervousness about tonight. From the way Y/N had explained it, Evie's dad wanted Yoongi. However, I knew that there was nothing that was going to take my mate away from me. Nothing at all.
Hoseok POV:
Collapsing to the floor, I gave Jimin a grin. We had just finished our final practice for the performance tonight and I couldn't be happier with the way everything had gone. We had the steps perfect and it looked exactly the way we had planned. I was excited to show our mates, to share with them what we had been rehearsing. Bringing me a water bottle, Jimin dropped to the floor next to me, laying his head in my lap. Giving him a smile, I brushed the sweaty hair back from his face before running my fingers over his velvety ears. "You excited for tonight?"
Jimin nodded, his ears flopping into his face. "Yes, but I'm also so nervous. What if our mates don't like the way I dance? What if I mess up? Will they still want me? What if...?" I stopped his rush of words with a gentle finger to his lips.
"Stop. It's going to be just fine." Jimin went to speak, but I shook my head. "No. You could fall a hundred times, mess up the whole routine, but they are still going to love you and want you. I will still love you and want you. Tonight's performance? It's only for fun."
Silent for a moment, I could see Jimin processing my words and the tension slowly fade from his frame. "Yeah. I guess you're right." He was silent for a moment longer and I could see there was something else he wanted to say, but our phones going off in unison stopped his words.
We looked up in curiosity and I went to grab them both from the table they were sitting on. Handing Jimin his, I opened mine to see a message from Y/N to our group chat. As I read the message, a vile feeling began to plant itself in the pit of my stomach, making me feel as though I was going to be sick.
"What the fuck?" Jimin's words were filled with shock and anger as he read the message. "Who the fuck is this guy and why does he want Yoongi?"
I remember hearing about Evie's father when Y/N first told us about being Sehun's mate. Her father wanted Sehun for a pet and now I could see he set his sights on Yoongi. "Yoongi... he's a white Bengal. He's rare. Even more so than an Asian Leopard Cat."
Jimin clenched his fists, his knuckles turning almost white. "No. No. Absolutely fucking not. We... we've have too many struggles to have some bastard come in and think he can break up our family. Not going to fucking happen."
After the rough start with Jimin and Yoongi, I was happy to see that their bond had begun to repair itself, that things between the two of them were going to be okay. "Yeah. Trust me. I get it."
Jimin was silent for a moment and I could see he had something else on his mind. Taking his hand, I held it tightly in mine, letting him know without words that he could trust me, talk to me. Sighing, Jimin turned to me. "Is... is it bad of me to prefer when Y/N wasn't talking to Sehun?"
"What do you mean?" When Jimin looked down at the ground, I touched his chin and directed his attention back to me. "Talk to me bunny."
Sighing again, Jimin gave me a guilty smile. "When she wasn't talking to him, it meant she wasn't touching him or letting him scent her or hold her. She... she was just ours and I liked it so much better that way." Standing up, Jimin paced back and forth. Letting him get his energy out, I stayed where I was, knowing he needed time to process his thoughts. "Having those thoughts makes me feel so fucking guilty, but I can't help it."
Getting to my feet, I moved towards him and took his hands, stopping his frantic steps. "It's okay Jiminie. It really is. She's our female mate and it's only natural to feel protective of her, to have this jealousy when you see someone touch her who isn't you, isn't one of us."
Running a hand through his hair, Jimin let out an aggravated huff. "I know, but at the same time, it makes me feel like shit because I know how important she is to him. I know she's his mate too."
From his last words, I could finally see where the frustration with the whole situation was coming in. "You're afraid Sehun's going to take her away from us, aren't you? Or that their relationship is no longer going to be platonic?" Jimin nodded miserably and I pulled him into a hug. "No bunny. It's not going to happen. Y/N? She loves us. Only us. She doesn't have those types of feelings for Sehun. If she was going to, it would have happened a long time ago."
Resting his head on my chest, Jimin nodded his head and I knew he was trying to let my words comfort him, let my reassurances help him alleviate the worry he was feeling. We stood there for a moment, just letting our scents flow over each other, providing comfort in the best way we knew how. After a few minutes, Jimin lifted his head, a small smile on his beautiful face. "Thanks Hobi."
"Anytime bunny." Giving his plump cheek a gentle pinch, I grinned at him. "You ready to head to the theater? Get those kiddos fed and prepared for the stage?"
Jimin nodded, the happiness returning to his face. His smile turned brighter and I knew he was excited to see his group perform, to see their pride when the crowd cheered for them, to see the happiness on their faces when they realize they had done well. "Yeah. Let's go."
Grabbing our bags, we headed out of the studio, giving a wave to Alex, who said he would be leaving in a few minutes to head to the theater as well. Getting into my car, we drove the short distance to the studio. From the way Jimin's leg kept bouncing, I knew he was nervous. Placing my hand on his thigh, I gave it a gentle squeeze. "It's going to be okay. The show is going to be amazing. We prepared the kids well and we practiced hard. It's going to be fine."
Placing his hand over mine, Jimin gave it a squeeze then turned to smile at me. "I know. Just a little pre performance jitters. I've never performed in front of anyone before so this will be new. And the dance troupe that got me interested in dancing is going to be there so it makes me even more nervous."
Knowing how he was feeling, I just returned the smile. Within moments, we were pulling into the parking lot of the theater and I could feel my own nerves start to sink in. Not wanting to worry my mate, I pushed them down, keeping the smile on my face. We headed into the theater and were directed to a large room where our classes were going to gather, along with the other performers. We staked out a spot for us and soon our kids began arriving, filling the room with excited chatter. From the looks on their faces, I knew they were ready.
Too soon, it seemed like the show was starting and my Hip Hop class took the stage, the kids' nervous energy exuding from their pores. With bated breath, I heard the first notes of the music come through and all the nervousness faded. Their steps were perfect, down to the second, and I felt a sense of relief as I saw all their hard work pay off. Peeking through the curtain, I caught sight of my mates in the third row, grins on their faces and I felt a sense of pride. I could see Jimin on the other side of the stage, his kids waiting excitedly and he gave me an enthusiastic thumbs up.
The last notes flowed through and the theater erupted into thunderous applause. With happy laughter, my kids took their final bow then hurried off the stage to me, hugging me excitedly. "Did we do good Mr. Hobi?" Toby's voice was hopeful and I ruffled his hair.
"You all did amazing and I couldn't be prouder." They cheered, their tiny voices happy and I pointed towards the room we had waited. "Go and get some water, have a snack and I'll be there in a few minutes. I want to watch Mr. Jimin's class." With nods of agreement, they hurried off, their excited chatter fading away and I turned my attention back to the stage. Jimin's modern dance class had taken their positions and I watched him give me a nervous smile. I gave him the same thumbs up he had given me and I watched him relax.
The music began and the kids began their routine, looking like little professionals. Every move was spot on and I was impressed with their hard work. I had not seen their routine, so it was a surprise to me. I watched in amazement at the amount of grace and smoothness they had to their moves and it showed just how good of a teacher Jimin was. The routine ended and similar to my group, his kids received a round of applause that threatened to shake the building. I watched as they hurried over to him then I headed back to the room. The kids gathered around me again and I congratulated them once again. Jimin's class entered the room and they hurried over to him, greeting the other group and telling them how well they did. I was happy to see the kids support each other and it made me feel good.
Jimin moved to my side, slipping an arm around me. "They all did so good, didn't they?"
Kissing the side of his head, I nodded. "They sure did." I wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him close. "You ready for ours?"
Hesitating, Jimin nodded and grinned at me. "Yes. Let's do this."