TRIPLE update? y'all are spoiled ;-)
read chapters 12 and 13 first!
❁ CHAPTER 14 ❁
UNCLES AND APPAS
-------------- ★ --------------
How do you explain fatherhood to a 4 year old?
More importantly - how do you explain to a 4 year old with the brain of a 10 year old, who would see straight through any lies you told her, that her transient father-slash-celebrity wanted back into her life?
Of course, you'd had this discussion with Nari before. You'd told her that yes, she had a father who was a famous actor, but he wasn't around - but that was okay, because she had her mother and her uncles and Mrs. Kim to take care of her. Surprisingly, considering Nari's inquisitive nature, she had accepted this when you told her. You figured it was because she was so happy with her uncles' company, she never really felt the need for a biological father. Besides, she rather enjoyed the novelty of calling Taehyung 'the Man on TV'.
When Taehyung had turned up the other day at Mrs. Kim's house, it was the first time you had seen him in the four years since Nari was born. Truthfully, part of you had expected to never see him again - especially considering that he was now one of the most popular actors in Korea - and you were fine with that. He still sent money every month, and you used a little of it if needed, but mostly it went into Nari's college fund.
So seeing him on that doorstep was a complete shock, leaving you feeling dizzy and very slightly nauseous. You had a feeling part of that was to do with the fact that you were nearly certain Namjoon was going to kiss you not ten seconds earlier.
"...Taehyung?" you had breathed in disbelief.
Taehyung flashed you a boxy smile, even more heartstopping than ever. "Hi," he said softly.
For a moment all you could do was gape at him.
This can't be happening, you told yourself. This is a nightmare. This isn't happening.
But then he spoke again, and you knew it was real.
"I'm sorry for just... showing up. This is the last place I remembered you living in," he rubbed the back of his neck, brushing his sandy blonde hair that hadn't changed since the last time you saw him. "I was just... I've been doing a lot of thinking, recently, a lot of growing up - and I wanted to - well, I was hoping that maybe, I could... meet her."
Your jaw dropped once more, but someone beat you to a response this time.
"What the fuck," came a deep voice behind you, and you had whipped around to see Namjoon behind you, his shirtsleeves still rolled up and hands damp with suds, glaring at Taehyung.
"Hi, Namjoon-hyung," Taehyung said with a small smile. "You look well."
Namjoon didn't respond. He just shifted his gaze to you, jaw clenched in anger, and you had to admit that you were feeling it too.
Who was he to come back now, all these years later? Who was he to decide to be a parent when you had been doing his job all this time?
"Taehyung," you began, as calmly as you could, knowing you would not be able to have this conversation in front of Namjoon. "Can I call you about this? It's... not a good time."
The light in Taehyung's amber eyes had dimmed a little, and he seemed crestfallen, but he nodded nonetheless. "Yes, I mean... sure, I get that," he said, digging into his pocket for his phone and handing it to you to plug your number in, which you did with shaking hands.
When you handed the phone back, he looked down at the present in his other hand, but you cut him off before he could ask.
"She's sleeping," you said. "Give it to her when you see her."
Taehyung nodded, seeming buoyed by your use of the word 'when', and not 'if'. And then he had gone, and the door was closing behind him, and you and Namjoon were stood there, stunned.
Neither of you seemed able for words. You couldn't even begin to summarise how you felt about what had happened in the last few minutes - at the front door, or on the kitchen counter. All of a sudden, you couldn't bear to be there any more.
"I'm... gonna get Nari," you mumbled, half-dazed and moving past him into the living room. "Yeah. I'm just... gonna go."
You scooped your daughter into your arms, grabbing your bag and making for the door. Namjoon opened it and you stepped out into the warm air.
"Are you really going to let him back in?" he said, watching you as you turned to him. "Just like that?"
When you caught his eye, he looked desperate. Your stomach clenched with anxiety and a million other emotions.
"I don't know, Joonie," you admitted. "I really don't know."
With that, you were loading Nari into your car, and driving off into the dark night, as Namjoon watched on from the doorway.
You called Taehyung the next day, unable to wait to see what he wanted. He had met you in a cafe - ironically, the very same one you had told him you were pregnant in five years earlier - and he had been there on time and wringing his hands together nervously.
"I'm not making any promises," you warned him as you sat down. "I'm just here to listen."
Taehyung had nodded. "I understand. I appreciate that."
As he laid out his case, he surprised you. He genuinely seemed to have changed, though he was every inch as handsome and alluring as he'd been five years ago. Now, there seemed to be something beneath that - a sense of having experienced the world, experienced hardship, and survived it.
At 27 years old, Kim Taehyung had grown up, and now he wanted to be a father.
But did you want him to be one?
"I need to think about it," you said when he was finished, trying to hide the way your voice thickened with emotion. "I'll call you."
The moment he had thanked you and said his goodbyes, you'd called Jimin in tears, knowing you couldn't call Namjoon, as much as you might have wanted to.
For one, you still weren't sure where you stood with him after the whole near-kissing debacle.
And two, you knew he was busy - it was 'Take Your Child to Work' day at Page7, and you'd allowed him to take Nari along to his offices for the day. They'd be meeting you back here soon.
When Jimin arrived, you spilled the whole situation to him as he listened calmly, though you could sense the surprise in his expression. You left out the bit about Namjoon, figuring it was far less important.
"Woah," he said when you had finished. "I mean... shit. What are you going to do?"
"I don't know," you sighed, feeling utterly defeated as you sipped at your lukewarm coffee. "I mean, I know it's the right thing, to let him see his daughter if he wants to. He has a right to that. But... you know what he's like. Is he just going to waltz into her life and make her fall in love with him, and then up and leave one day? Because she doesn't deserve that, Minie."
"Well, maybe you make that clear?" Jimin suggested. "Tell him if he's here, he's here for good?"
You nodded, though you knew there would be no guarantee of enforcing that rule. Taehyung had walked away from you and Nari once. There was nothing to stop him from doing it again.
And yet, you really didn't want to be the one to deny Nari her father.
"Look," Jimin said after you were quiet for a while. "I don't know what the right thing to do is. But I know you will make the right decision for Nari. You always do."
"Thank you, Minie," you reached over and squeezed his hand, feeling reassured by your friend.
Jimin paused for a moment, regarding you with a cool expression. "What does Joon think of all this?"
You perked up at Namjoon's name. It had been a few days since Nari's birthday party, and you hadn't really seen him since. A jolt of anxiety rushed through you every time you thought about it.
"Hm? I don't know, I haven't spoken to him about it," you said shiftily. "Why are you asking me that?"
"Damn, sorry, I just thought your best friend and husband would have an opinion on it," Jimin rolled his eyes, and then he gripped the table with wide eyes. "Wait - did something happen between you and Joon?!"
"What? No!" You hissed, glancing around as though someone might hear him. "Where would you get that idea from?"
"You're blushing like a school girl," Jimin pointed out with a raised eyebrow, and you felt your cheeks. They were noticeably warm. "And you're being all shady about him now."
You were going to deny it, but something tugged deep inside you, and you found yourself blurting it out before you could stop yourself.
"Something... weird happened. Or didn't happen. I don't really know," you sighed, seeing Jimin's expression grow more curious. "I thought, when he hugged me the other day, he was going to... but it was probably nothing, Minie."
At first, Jimin simply sighed, mumbling something under his breath that sounded like oblivious, though you didn't fully catch it.
As he did so, you thought about that night in Namjoon's arms, and realised how ridiculous it sounded when you said it aloud. Namjoon had probably thought nothing of that night. You were best friends, after all - you'd seen him butt naked and he'd watched you go through labour. The rules of intimacy were sort of skewed when it came to you and Namjoon.
You'd probably just been hyperemotional, and exhausted after Nari's birthday party, and made a big deal out of nothing in your head.
"Look, whatever happened, you need to figure it out," Jimin said, and this you could at least agree on. "Why don't I babysit Nari tonight? You and Joon can hang out, have a conversation, see what's what."
You considered it for a moment, and warmed to the idea. If you were right, and you really were blowing this all out of proportion, then it was best to figure it out sooner rather than later so you could put it all behind you.
"You know what, Minie, that's actually not a bad idea," you replied. "You're sure you don't mind?"
"Of course not! Jin will help me," Jimin flashed you an innocent crescent-mooned smile. "Just go and have a night off. Talk to Joon. And if you accidentally end up fucking each others' brains out, that's a bonus."
You slapped his arm. "Park Jimin, I swear to god I'll-"
But you didn't manage to finish your threat, because at that moment the cafe door tinkled, and in came Namjoon with Nari in tow, sporting an adorable blue rain mac that Jimin had bought her last year. It matched the suit Namjoon was wearing perfectly. When she saw you her face lit up and you pulled her into your lap, squeezing her tight.
"She was good as gold," Namjoon said, sitting down beside Jimin and gratefully accepting a coffee from him. He looked up and grinned at you. "Charmed the socks off everyone at Page7. CEO Jung wants to recruit her the minute she turns eighteen."
You giggled, pressing a kiss to Nari's forehead, bursting with pride as Jimin turned to Namjoon and filled him in on the plan for that evening. You saw Namjoon nod, though if you weren't mistaken, there was a slightly loaded look in his eyes.
'Did you have fun today, sweetheart?" you asked Nari to distract yourself, brushing the dark hair from her eyes.
Nari nodded fervently, a huge grin on her face as you bounced her on your lap.
"I got to see a big office, Eomma! Where Appa works!" she exclaimed.
You, Jimin and Namjoon all froze.
"No sweetheart," you tried to correct her calmly, though your heart clenched. "Your Appa doesn't work in an office, remember? Appa is on TV, just like I told you."
But at this Nari just shook her head confidently, and pointed at a frozen Namjoon.
"Namoonie Appa," she said, as if she was deliberately trying to stir the pot.
You internally glared at your demon of a daughter, glancing at Namjoon in bewilderment.
Kim Nari, you little...
"I'm sorry," you said to Namjoon, trying to laugh it off, but it felt forced and awkward. "She's probably just..."
But Namjoon waved it off. "Don't worry," he said, though the look on his face told you he was finding it difficult too.
"Sweetheart," you said to Nari now, gently. "Namjoon is not your Appa."
"But," she pouted, amber eyes going wide. "Namoonie likes books. I like books too!"
"So do I," you replied patiently. "Does that make me your Appa?"
"No," Nari said, thinking hard, her tiny brow furrowing cutely under her dark fringe. "But Eomma... me and Moonie have the same name! You said that means family."
"Yes, but lots of people have that name, sweetheart," you laughed lightly. "Like Uncle Jinnie, remember? He has the name Kim too, but he's not your Appa."
Nari shook her head in agreement, as if this, at least, was obvious. "No, silly. Uncle Jinnie is Jimimi's Appa."
You furrowed your brow. "Huh?"
Nari pointed at Jimin, and in a completely serious tone, proclaimed - "Jimimi calls Uncle Jinnie his daddy!"
Namjoon choked on his coffee.
Your eyes went wide.
Jimin had jumped from his seat and was now steering Nari away with a nervous laugh.
"Okay, that's enough, kiddo!" he giggled, turning to you and hissing with a red face, "that child must have supersonic hearing, I swear-"
But you held up a hand. "Minie, what you and Jin do in the bedroom is none of my business, just don't let my daughter hear it, please?"
Jimin rolled his eyes. "Obviously. Now go! I'll take the little gremlin from here. How about it kiddo? Sleepover at my house?" he said, sweeping Nari up into his arms and shooting a glance at Namjoon, before he looked back at you.
"And have fun tonight," he winked.
Before you could protest any more, Jimin was lowering your daughter down for a goodbye kiss, and the pair of them were gone.
Namjoon glanced at you over the rim of his coffee cup. Your stomach flipped. It was the first time you'd been alone with him since that evening in his parents' kitchen. Something felt different - exciting and yet terrifying.
You weren't used to different with Namjoon. Things had always been the same.
"So," he began, his voice low and steady. "What shall we do first?"
-- ★ --