"Is everything okay?" Seunghee asked worriedly, stroking sleeping Hoseok's hair as she cuddled him in the bed "You seemed quite cheerful on the phone earlier..."
Namjoon smiled widely as he finished buttoning the buttons of his pyjama shirt, thinking back to his conversation with Seokjin, the man surely didn't seem approachable when he was interviewed by him and was rather expressionless, maybe because they were in a formal environment which was understandable, his boss to be was very professional as he should when he was conducting a very promising and profitable company.
"Believe it or not, Seokjin called me because he wanted to know what was Taehyung's favourite food..." Namjoon responded gleefully as he headed to his side of the bed, catching a glimpse of his wife's features. The male himself couldn't believe how concerned and thoughtful Seokjin was being towards his younger brother, especially after Taehyung described him, for that exact reason, he confessed to Seokjin that he was the last person who could make his brother happy "And we talked a little bit about my family and Taehyung, Seokjin caught me by surprise, Seunghee, he's more emphatic than I thought..."
"Are we talking about the same person who made Tae cry his eyes out for two days straight because he accused our baby of being temperamental and possibly being aggressive towards children?" Seunghee questioned doubtfully as she stared at the sleeping boy lying down on her side with his arms around her torso "I still can't believe he said Hobi was better off with his parents, it's your family, Joon, I shouldn't be disrespectful towards them, by given our situation, it upsets me, they were heartless..."
Namjoon gently climbed the bed to not wake up Hoseok, he sat down on the mattress, pulling the duvet and the blankets over him and his baby brother. He scooted closer to Hoseok, remembering how the little boy was as a newborn – his sparkling eyes, his parted lips, the blonde threads of hair sticking everywhere scruffily – and Taehyung's first time holding him as he gazed at him fondly, with the tears rolling down his eyes, but he had one of the biggest smiles Namjoon ever saw, maybe the first honest smile since their mother's death. Namjoon ran his fingers through Hoseok's hair, reminiscing about the blonde boy's light-hearted yet gloomy words a few hours earlier, when he confessed how he missed Taehyung, he also missed Taehyung, as did Seunghee, Jungkook and Yoongi, especially Yoongi, his brother never cut communications with them for this long and, despite knowing he was safe and sound, Namjoon wanted to hug Taehyung and provide the security he needed to talk about what happened, without judging, he never judged him, no matter the circumstances.
"Seokjin genuinely cares about Tae's wellbeing, I know it's shocking, but it's the truth, his well-mannered tone couldn't disguise how concerned he was with my brother..." Namjoon leaned his back against the headboard, sighing softly "About my family, you are not being disrespectful, sweetheart, you are just being honest and I can't reprimand you since I share the same opinion as you, I don't know what drove my father to have an affair, it was easier to file for divorce and do his own life, but instead, he cheated on my mom while she was still alive, the worst of all, I suspected that she had that knowledge, the day she died, her car was nearby my father's wife's neighbourhood..."
"Really? You never told me that..." Seunghee tried to keep the volume of her voice down, another sigh escaped Namjoon's lips "Baby, do you think your mom was going to confront them?"
"Maybe, I don't know, I just hate to think that she lived the last months of her life knowing that her husband didn't love her anymore..." Namjoon spoke sullenly, thinking back to when he and Taehyung heard their father was going to get married again, less than a year after their mother's passing, it was cruel and insensible, he took it hard, however, Taehyung was completely destroyed "I suffered a lot with her death, but Taehyung, he was devastated, he and she had a strong connection, I hated seeing my brother so depress, he didn't leave his bedroom for weeks and when Yoongi told me that he met his ex-boyfriend again and had shut himself down, I was afraid the same was happening, although I'm still worried about him..."
Seunghee extended her arm and cupped Namjoon's face, her thumb slowly caressing her husband's cheeks, making him look at her with a such pitiful gaze. "My love, Taehyung is one of the strongest people I ever met, amazingly, Seokjin is taking care of him and making sure he's comfortable, don't think about the worst, I'm positive that when he comes tomorrow, he will talk to you and Yoongi and sort everything out, okay?"
Namjoon hummed as he took Seunghee's hand from his face, he brought it to his lips and planted a lingering kiss on the back of her hand. "I love you, Seunghee, I hope Taehyung finds someone who loves him as much I love you, you are so important to me..."
"I love you too, Namjoon, to the moon and back, sweetie..." Seunghee reciprocated, giggling quietly with the tickles Namjoon was giving her with his feathery kisses on her hand "Do you, ah, do you think, Seokjin would ever be interested in Taehyung? I don't know if he's straight or not, he could be bi for all we know, either way, do you think he's a match?"
"You know I prefer to not pry on my brother's personal life, Taehyung feels more at ease with Yoongi and I don't mind that, if he wants to talk to me about a particular subject I'm always there for him, but if I'm being honest..." Namjoon paused, reflecting on the words he spoke to Seokjin earlier when they were on the phone, he truly didn't like invading Taehyung's life like that, but he had a formed opinion "Seokjin isn't Taehyung's type, but after the last two boyfriends my brother had, I think he's done with the "dating the relaxed and manly type of guy" phase, Minhyuk, his first boyfriend was mature for his age and very dedicated to his studies, Seokjin reminds me of him for some reason..."
"Oh, I remember Minhyuk, he was such a gentleman and very nice boy..." Seunghee recalled a few moments when she was hanging out with Namjoon during the winter break, it was snowing and incredibly cold outside, Taehyung was fidgety about spending his first Christmas with Minhyuk, that unique smile of his was so wide and bright, it could melt the entire snow surrounding the neighbourhood. The pink-haired female missed that Taehyung, despite the younger with colourful hair being the liveliest and most energetic person she knew, the person she saw almost every day, wasn't so cheerful and lively like the old days "Seokjin is not the same so, your comparison is kind of odd, sweetheart, although I admit, they looked very well together, did you see the photo Jungkook took of them yesterday, they seemed like a couple, I think we took a photo similar to theirs..."
"If you say something like that in front of my brother and Yoongi, you better prepare yourself to buy a tone of snacks for them" Namjoon chuckled lightly, making Seunghee laugh as well "But in all seriousness, I want to talk to Taehyung about Seokjin, I know my brother is going to talk about Hongseok with Yoongi, that is already a lot of pressure for him, I just want to make sure Seokjin didn't do anything to disturb my baby brother, I don't care if he's my boss, my family comes first"
"I love how protective you are towards Taehyung..." Seunghee said sweetly, gazing at Hoseok, who seemed to be restless during his sleep "And towards Hoseok as well..."
Namjoon admired Seunghee as she watched over Hoseok's sleeping form while praying to be blessed with a child of his own, his wife was gentle and nurturing, and she was going to be the perfect mother. Seunghee helped Hoseok or Taehyung when they weren't feeling themselves or were upset and bothered with a specific matter, she cared deeply for them and accepted them for the people they were. Namjoon was truly a lucky man for being married to the most beautiful and kindest woman on the planet, Seunghee was understanding and deserved the entire universe.
A loud sound came from outside, startling both Seunghee and Namjoon, who looked around the bedroom when the lights went down with the violent thunder. Both of them felt movement from their sides, probably the noise awoke Hoseok.
"Joonie!"
"Hobi, baby, I'm here..." Namjoon soothed Hoseok as he helped him sit down on the bed, patting his head "Want to sit on my lap?"
Hoseok nodded his head, not being able to see Namjoon very well because it was dark and he wasn't a big fan of the dark, especially during stormy nights. He carefully crawled towards Namjoon, with his big brother's help, he sat down on his lap, with a leg on each side and leaned forward, resting his head on the crook of Namjoon's neck, ignoring the frightening racket playing outside.
"I'm scared..."
"I know, baby, I know, but Joonie and Seunghee are here with you, okay?" Namjoon reassured calmly as he placed a hand on Hoseok's lower back and the other behind his back, feeling his baby brother's body trembling fearfully. The male glanced at Seunghee, who was getting up from the bed as she grabbed the phone "Are you going downstairs to get the candles?"
"Yes, I know Hoseok doesn't like thunder, maybe candles can appease him, at least he wouldn't be in the dark..."
"Do you like pretty candles, Hobi? They smell good too, like flowers..." Namjoon asked cheerily, holding Hoseok protectively in his embrace as he carefully ran his fingers through his blonde locks "They seem like little fireflies flying in the bedroom..."
"What are fireflies, Joonie?" Hoseok inquired curiously as he heard another scary sound coming from outside "Are they made of fire?"
Namjoon chuckled wholeheartedly at Hoseok's innocent question, he couldn't help to think how adorable was his baby brother. "No, baby, they are normal bugs that fly during the night and glow in the dark, their bodies produce their light through their oxygen"
Seunghee left the bedroom as she turned on the flashlight from her phone, smiling while hearing Namjoon explaining to Hoseok everything that he knew about the fireflies, probably to distract him from the pouring rain and the excruciating noises resulting from the thunder. The pink-haired female wondered if Taehyung was coping with the stormy night, knowing that he was probably as scared as Hoseok at that moment, she knew the reason for his fears and she understood, although, she remembered when Taehyung told her about him being up at night to hear the soothing melody made by the rain, the ranging thunder piercing through the sky and the lightning bolts that resembled fireworks, the younger male saw beauty in everything back in the day, now, they were lost memories he tried to put in the back of his mind, memories that made him recall the most disturbing day of his life.
***
Taehyung stealthily entered Seokjin's gigantic bedroom with Jimin's notebook in his hand, he immediately was welcomed by the large glass windows that presented him with the dark scenery of the back side of the property – the wild wind shaking the trees violently, almost ripping the few leaves attached to their branches, and the heavy clouds embellishing the non-visibly sky –, the frightening sight made the younger feel restless. Before Taehyung loved to hear the whistling of the wind and the sound of the rain hitting the windows, however, his adoration for the rainy and stormy days and nights transformed into fear after that day, the noises relating to rain and storms brought back unpleasant memories, memories that kept tormenting him after years.
Taehyung inhaled calmly, then exhaled, making himself focus on the purpose that drove him to Seokjin's bedroom, he truly wanted to see the expression on the dark-haired male's face the moment he saw what Jimin drew, it was a sign that the young boy was slowly accepting his father's advances. He searched around the ridiculously humongous master bedroom, hearing a few noises coming from the farthest part of the place, his eyes landed on the king-sized bed where a white t-shirt was lying there on the end of it.
Taehyung placed Jimin's notebook on one of the nightstands, he reached for the white t-shirt, thinking Seokjin had left it there, as he heard a shrieking noise that made him frown. He walked towards where the noise came from, encountering Seokjin's walk-in closet, of course, he forgot how the rich and powerful couldn't have a normal closet like normal people, they needed a special room to store their expensive designer clothes, among other outfits and accessories.
Taehyung approached the walk-in closet, the moment he did, he froze and rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't dreaming or imagining what he was seeing in that instant – Seokjin was shirtless and only wearing a pair of grey sweatpants while nonchalantly taking off his wrist watch in front of some kind of vitrine that had other watches that were sparkling under the light shining above them –, Taehyung had to admit, that was quite the view and he didn't hate it.
I already had a clue that Seokjin wasn't scrawny, but this is surprisingly pleasant...
Seokjin didn't have the same body type as Hongseok's, however, he still had a fit body without having the chiselled chest, the perfect six-pack and the excessive muscular arms. Taehyung, contrary to what people thought of him, didn't solely focus on the bodies of the men who approached them, he also cared about the personality of those who caught his eye because he found how some specific men acted all almighty and important just for having an attractive body, or face if it was Seokjin's case. Taehyung couldn't forget how smug the man used to be, well, he still was pretty smug and full of himself, but now he had a better understanding of the reasons.
Taehyung smirked as he observed Seokjin, neatly placing the wristwatch on the velvety red pillow, next to the others, something told him that particular watch had significance for the way the older male was handling it. The male with pink and blonde hair silently tip-toed towards Seokjin, still holding the white t-shirt that the older male probably intended to put on.
Taehyung cleared his throat to grasp Seokjin's attention. "Forgot something, Jinnie?"
Seokjin sighed heavily as he closed the glass vitrine, wondering why Taehyung was sneaking around his bedroom. He purposely let him explore Jimin's bedroom by himself to give him time to talk to his mother to assure his son was fine because of the near storm that was about to break out and to get dressed, but it wasn't enough to entertain the younger male.
"Taehyung, can you, please, give me my t-shirt back and some privacy?" Seokjin asked, already predicting what Taehyung was going to answer, but still, he wasn't going to let the younger male with those obnoxious hair colours get the best of him, he wasn't ashamed of his body, he just valued his privacy "Unlike you, I don't enjoy parading my body around in front of people..."
"I will give you the t-shirt back if you let me sleep on your bed..." Taehyung suggested amusingly, making Seokjin roll his eyes at him. He couldn't help but giggle at the dark-haired male's expression "Seokjin, you already slept with guys, right? This is no different, except for the sex part, and I wouldn't ask you this if I didn't have a good reason"
"I only shared my bed with the men I slept with to be physical with them, nothing more" Seokjin responded indifferently, catching a glimpse of Taehyung's playful smile "And if you have a perfectly good reason, just tell me which is it and I will ponder about it"
"Jinnie..." Taehyung whined as daringly shortened the distance between him and Seokjin, pouting. He looked up at the older male and blinked his eyelashes cutely "Am I not worthy of sharing a bed with you? Is it because I'm wearing sexy lingerie and you are afraid of losing control?"
Seokjin sighed once again as he ran his hand through his hair, starting to regret his decision to bring Taehyung to his house, even though the younger was happier than he was that morning and was acting like his usual self, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing, he honestly preferred seeing Taehyung smile than seeing him crying, however, it didn't give him the right to invite himself to his bed.
"You are so difficult to handle sometimes, you know that?" Seokjin asked knowingly, seeing Taehyung raising a brow "As a matter of fact, you are more childish than Hoseok and Jimin together"
Taehyung wanted to laugh at Seokjin's attempt to upset him, his "insults" were nothing that he already hadn't heard from the older male's mouth, however, he couldn't simply let Seokjin think that he could say random things to him and get away with it so if Taehyung was hard to handle and more childish than Hoseok and Jimin then he was going to behave exactly like that.
"So, I'm difficult to handle and more childish than Hoseok and Jimin, aren't I? Okay..." Taehyung pretended to be angry with Seokjin's nonsense by throwing daggers at him as he took the t-shirt he was holding and put it on, probably looking ridiculous, still, it was better than seeing Seokjin getting what he wanted. He took a step forward, practically glued to Seokjin, he gathered all his strength to not laugh at the older male's face and poked his bare chest "Because of that, I'll keep these two pieces of clothing and I won't help you with Jimin anymore, being difficult to handle and more childish than our babies doesn't make me qualified enough to help a big meanie like you"
Taehyung turned around, feeling pretty good about his brilliant and convincing performance, however, the second he did, he felt Seokjin's hand gripping his and twirling him around to face him, making him go against the older male's bare torso.
"Taehyung, you know very well what I told you it's true, but I didn't say you weren't qualified to help me quite the opposite, you are probably the only one who can do it, especially after today..." Seokjin spoke gently as he fixed Taehyung's hair which was all messy after swiftly putting his t-shirt on, he looked silly, but he preferred not to comment to not worsen the situation between them "I tried my best to make you forget about the hardships you went through last night and this morning, you needed to cheer up and for a person like me, that was a tough task, but I have a feeling that I was successful with said task and, at the same time, you helped me too, I was never able to speak about what happened with my wife's true love, not even with Jungkook so, I, ah, truly enjoyed our conversation"
Taehyung was slightly shocked by Seokjin's hearting speech and his sudden actions that, once again, had an influence on his stupid cheeks and his heart, making him curse at himself mentally, although he couldn't help it, Seokjin, despite being an annoying man most of the times, could be charming as well.
"I-I was kidding, Seokjin, I honestly didn't mean what I said..." Taehyung stammered sheepishly, feeling Seokjin's tight grip on his hand as he barely could make eye contact with the older male "You placed your trust in me and showed me that you genuinely had an interest in connecting with Jimin, you guaranteed me that you would be committed to exchanged for my help, it was a kind of verbal agreement between us, like the favours, I wouldn't go back on my word unless I had strong motives for that..." Taehyung added, smiling weakly at hearing Seokjin saying how he wanted to make him feel better despite not being an expressive person when it came to his feelings, for some reason, that made Taehyung's heart even more hectic than it already was "A-And, ah, hum, a-about helping me, I appreciate everything you did for me, Seokjin, I don't remember the last time someone when the extra mile for me..."
"I don't know why I'm surprised, I should have known, and now I embarrassed myself for nothing..." Seokjin complained, hearing Taehyung's quiet giggles. The dark-haired male gazed at the younger in front of him, basically glued to him, his cheeks were tainted with a dark shade of pink and his eyes were oddly sparkly "By the way, you look ridiculous with the t-shirt on, can you please take it off, I was serious about not liking parading my body around"
"Wow, first you said you were used to seeing me half-naked and now you are asking me to take off a piece of clothing, Kim Seokjin, you are naughty, no wonder guys loved to "share" a bed with you" Taehyung teased, seeing how Seokjin was preventing himself for rolling his eyes yet again, a habit he gained because of him, although the younger preferred seeing him smile again. The male with colourful hair raised his arm, and gently brushed Seokjin's hair, fixing it after he made puppy eyes to convince the other to let him sleep on his bed, he was going to do it either way "Instead of rolling your eyes at me, you should smile, I bet Jiminie would love to see it... "
"You like to distort my words and make me queasy about my past..." Seokjin retorted absentmindedly, noticing a big smile adorning Taehyung's lips, he never saw the younger smiling so much in his presence "About me smiling, well, I don't have the same ability as you, I can't smile if I don't have a reason to do it, not even if it's to make my son more at ease in my company..."
"Jinnie, everyone has a past and either it was good or bad, it teaches us to make better decisions and improve ourselves, if you want to get a stronger bond with Jimin, you have to slowly accept yourself, not only your present you, but your past you, it could help you be more affectionate too..." Taehyung let his hand slide down to Seokjin's face, cupping his cheek as he stared at his eyes, eyes that allowed him to see the dark-haired male's true feelings – uncertainty and fear. The younger kept smiling assuredly, thinking how the day before he wasn't comfortable with being so touchy towards Seokjin, at least, not at this level, his relationship with the older male changed so much in a short time, although Taehyung was truly joyful, his impression of Seokjin wasn't so negative anymore "And you want a reason to smile, well, I have one and I'll be happy to show you, however, I want to make a deal with you, Jinnie"
Seokjin staggeringly stared at Taehyung while feeling his warm hand caressing his cheek, absorbing the words spoken by the audacious younger with ridiculous hair colours about him accepting the person he was in the past and his present self to improve himself to strengthen his connection with Jimin. The dark-haired male didn't like to talk about his past deeds and the person he used to be, it reminded him of the time he had to succumb to his father's threatening words to him, forcing him to behave a certain way just because he didn't want him to be a disappointment and ruin the family's reputation, he also didn't like the person he was now, he was viewed as cold and stern, the reason he acted as such derived from numerous reasons, from his father's education to his shattered dreams.
To Seokjin, it was difficult to comprehend Taehyung's attitude and cheery behaviour, especially when he knew about the younger male's past and his relationships, Taehyung too went through a lot and, currently, was one of the most cheerful people he knew. Seokjin couldn't grasp what was Taehyung's motivations to keep on smiling, even when he was struggling to forget his cheating ex-boyfriend in the last few weeks and dealing with his complicated demeanour, Taehyung still was there to help people, independently of his state of mind. Seokjin wouldn't admit it out loud, nevertheless, he thought it was impressive and selfless which didn't help him understand Taehyung, he knew the reason why he was helping him improve his relationship with Jimin and helping him, however, Seokjin didn't know how he was so forgiving, especially towards himself.
"I don't know if I will ever be able to do that, Taehyung, accept the person I was and the person I am now, as you know, I'm not the most pleasant man out there..." Seokjin said dishearteningly, feeling bothered about himself. He wanted so badly to change to demonstrate to Jimin and Taehyung as well that he could act differently, even though it was a challenge for him "The person I used to be was immature and irresponsible, deep down, he didn't care about anyone else rather than himself, as for me, I hurt my son and put him on the side since my wife died..."
"Seokjin, I must admit, you aren't the most pleasant man in the world, you are quite the nuisance sometimes, but aside from that, I do believe you are going to be able to accept the person you once were and the person you are now, in fact, you are gradually accepting the person you are now already" Taehyung held Seokjin's hands firmly, wanting to encourage him and make him realise his progress, "You told me yourself at dinner that since Jimin fainted at school that you been thinking about the person you wanted to be for your son and what path should he follow, right? That alone is a sign that you changed, about your past self, I don't believe you were selfish, Jungkook adored you, he still does and he misses you, Seokjin, not the reckless and drunk best friend, but the companion and supportive best friend, the person who made him laugh with the stupid jokes, the person who showed emotion, not the guy who has frivolous eyes..."
"Still, I don't think I can-"
"Stop it, Seokjin! Stop fucking doubting yourself!" Taehyung involuntarily shouted at Seokjin as he freed his hand from the older male's grip, cupping his face "Instead of thinking about what you should do towards Jimin, you should just do it, I already told you we made a verbal agreement, I'm here for you, as is Jungkook, you are not alone in this journey and you should value the few changes you already made, you should be proud, tiny changes are better than nothing..." Taehyung gave the most warm-hearted smile to Seokjin, despite his aggressive speech, he intended to get through the elder's thick skull that he was capable of getting closer to Jimin, he was going to make sure of that "And how the hell did this turn into a serious conversation, I wanted to make fun of you, can we go back to the deal we were going to make? I bet any worries you may have will vanish in a heartbeat"
"I doubt that Taehyung, but, I appreciate your kind words, what I don't appreciate is your hands on my face, I already did my skincare and you just ruined it" Seokjin grabbed Taehyung's hands and took them from his face again while watching Taehyung glaring at him "So, the deal, let me guess, you'll only show me what you want to show me if I let you sleep in my bed, right?"
How can he be nice and a jerk at the same time? Now, I want to make fun of him...
"Right, and I'll give you your t-shirt back, and before you refuse, I know for sure you are going to love what I'm about to show you, also..." Taehyung remarked amusingly, tilting his head as he observed Seokjin's facial expression, he was certain the dark-haired male was going to be offended by his next statement "You don't have to worry about my hands in your stupid and ugly face, Jinnie, I know someone much more attractive and with much better skin than yours..."
Taehyung started laughing when he saw Seokjin's eyes widening, he knew how the older male cherished his beautiful face and perfect skin, however, he didn't like how the other sometimes thought he was the only handsome man on the planet.
"Taehyung, take it back..."
"No need to be so serious, Jinnie, I was joking, well, not about me knowing someone much more attractive and with much better skin than yours, besides me, of course," Taehyung retorted complacently, finding hilarious the facial expression Seokjin had, he was still pissed for accusing him of not being handsome, he could be pretty superficial sometimes, even though the male with colourful hair thought Seokjin was good-looking "Don't look at me like that and we are diverting the conversation again, I want to show you the thing, Seokjin, c'mon just accept the deal..."
"How can I let you sleep on my bed when I don't know the reason for your outrageous request?" Seokjin asked assertively, trying to understand what were Taehyung's motives for staying in his bedroom instead of the guest bedroom "I let you stay in my bedroom in the afternoon for you to have privacy, no one enters in here without my permission"
Taehyung didn't want Seokjin to find out about his phobia of the rain and the thunder, it was caused by traumatic events and he wasn't mentally prepared to share that information with the older male, maybe it wasn't fair since Seokjin shared so much throughout the day. Still, Taehyung didn't feel comfortable speaking about that specific day, although he promised himself he was going to tell Seokjin one day when he felt ready.
The faint sound of the drizzle tapping the large glass windows could be heard by Taehyung, panic progressively grew inside his gut. He had to remain calm to not let himself get swayed by his fears, for once, he was infuriated with Mother Nature, who was now making him recollect the memories that he so desperately buried inside his mind.
"I-I have a perfectly good reason for my outrageous request, I just can't tell you why, that's all..." Taehyung spoke timidly, slightly flinching with the howling of the aggressive wind "But, if you feel uncomfortable with me, I'll sleep in the guest room..."
Seokjin sighed heavily yet again as he studied Taehyung's body language and facial expression, the younger was fidgeting with his fingers nervously while pouting – the embodiment of a child basically –, making him wonder what reason could drive Taehyung to make such a request, despite the younger having the hobby of messing with him and mocking him. Seokjin believed whatever the reason the other male had was indeed a good reason, if it wasn't, Taehyung wouldn't seem so melancholic and restless, as he was at that moment, although the thought of sharing his bed with another person bothered him. In the past, Seokjin wasn't fond of the idea of having males in his bedroom, not only because he was afraid of being caught by his father – which ended up happening –, but also because he didn't like to get too attached to them, after all, he had one-night stands, not relationships.
The tapping in the window got louder, indicating the rain was becoming more aggressive and the storm was picking up its pace.
Seokjin noticed how Taehyung shied as he wrapped his arms around himself protectively when the soft drizzle transformed into a ruckus. It was uncommon for the older male to see the other acting so fretfully and nervously, Seokjin already knew that Taehyung wasn't a scaredy-cat, his audacious and intrepid personality was the proof, however, everyone had their fears, no matter how irrational they were, maybe Taehyung didn't like storms and it was connected to his past if that was the case then, it explained why the younger didn't justify himself.
"If you are telling me that you have a good reason for your request then I believe you, after all, you trusted me when I requested you to help me with Jimin, the only thing you asked me in return was my commitment," Seokjin said in defeat, observing Taehyung slowly relaxing with his words "With that said, I, ah, I will let you sleep in my bed, BUT, you have to respect my personal space so, you know, no touching, and I want you to give me back my t-shirt now"
"Thank you, Jinnie!" Taehyung squealed happily, as he threw his arms around Seokjin's body, completely ignoring the fact the older male was shirtless. The younger male parted from the hug, smiling in relief "And do you seriously not want to spoon me? I told you, you need a living teddy bear to snuggle at night"
"I'm going to pretend that I didn't hear what you just said, Taehyung..." Seokjin remarked unwaveringly as he extended his hand, gesturing to Taehyung to give him what he asked him a few moments ago "Now, take my shirt off and, please, do not say unnecessary comments, if you don't want me to regret my decision of letting you stay here tonight"
"Meanie..." Taehyung muttered, not enjoying dealing with a cranky Seokjin, especially during a stormy night. The younger stuck his tongue out as he placed his hands on the hem of the t-shirt, carefully lifting it off, then he finally gave it back to Seokjin in the hope he would be more content, Taehyung guessed Seokjin truly didn't like parading his body around, he didn't understand why, however, he preferred not focusing on that matter "Alright if you don't have anything else to complain about, I can finally show you the notebook"
Seokjin furrowed his brows as he put on his stolen t-shirt, not knowing what Taehyung was talking about. "Is that why you wanted me to a make deal with you? Because of a notebook?"
"It's not just a notebook, you grumpy old man, it's Jimin's notebook" Taehyung explained to the clueless man as he held his hand to guide him to the bed to finally show Jimin's drawings to Seokjin, doing this was a way to help the older male see what his son appreciated and wanted to purse in his life, instead of having his path already laid down for him to follow. Taehyung let go of Seokjin's hand and pushed him to the bed, obligating him to sit on the side of it, then he proceeded to grab Jimin's notebook and gave it to the older male "You want to know your son and what's best for him, right? Then, you should open that notebook and see what Jimin likes and the people who are precious to him..."
Seokjin stared intensely at the notebook with the black cover while hearing Taehyung speaking, already having an idea of what Jimin liked and the people he treasured the most, the people who had a positive effect on his life, who supported him, who were kind to him, who were there for him whenever he needed them, Seokjin couldn't relate to those people, Seokjin couldn't relate to Jungkook or Taehyung, who dealt with Jimin and satisfied his emotional needs.
Seokjin was being honest with Taehyung when he said he doubted himself and his abilities to connect with his son, a feeling he never had to deal with since he was always self-confident, a trait people mistook with smugness and presumptuousness. Seokjin had a lot to learn about emotions and how to express them because, there were times he expressed himself incorrectly, like that morning, Jimin wasn't completely comfortable around him which was understandable since he hadn't much interaction with him, so if wanted to bond and earn his son's trust, he needed to keep working hard to become a normal parent.
"Aren't you going to see what this notebook is all about?"
Seokjin felt the bed sinking by his side when Taehyung harshly sat down next to him, he gazed at the younger and his usual bright smile, having a feeling that there was something in the notebook Taehyung wanted him to see, something specific so, he decided to indulge the younger and finally opened the notebook to explore its content.