Christmas One year later.
I comb my fingers through my hair and rush over to the large window, hearing an automobile.
"Tae! Stay away from that window! Your groom is due any minute," Sehun says shaking his head.
"W-What if something happened? Where's my phone?" My eyes search frantically.
"Locked away," Sehun says, crossing his arms over his chest.
"What!? Why would you do that!?"
"Because you're getting married, and you have no need for it today."
"Whose idea was that!?"
"Wasn't mine. But it's a terrific idea," Sehun says smugly smiling.
"Damn, that Dae!"
I pace back and forth wringing my hands.
"Yeah, I'm getting married today. Oh God, Sehun, I'm getting married today!"
"Why don't you sit down and relax Tae? I never imagined you'd be a nervous wreck."
"Sehun, he's the most beautiful creature and I'm so in love with him. Did I tell you how adorable he is when he laughs?"
"Yes, Tae, many times."
"Did I tell you about his rants?"
"I'm quite familiar with Jungkook's ranting."
Just then a white limo pulls into the driveway.
"Oh My God, it's my Kookie!"
"Get away from there!" Sehun shouts as he physically pulls me away. "Tae, he doesn't want you to see him until he comes down the aisle."
"I'm going to die!"
"Tae, the wedding starts in 10 minutes. You're like a fucking child! Why am I arguing with you!?"
"Because you're my best man! It's your job to help and you're not doing well!"
Sehun throws his hands up.
"I haven't seen him in three days. God damn Wedding traditions," I hiss. I've shared the same bed with him every night since we've set the mattress of his pullout couch ablaze exactly one year ago, today. We spent two awesome hot and loving weeks together in Hawaii. No meetings, no responsibility, no phones, just us. I chuckle to myself as I think, of all the places in the world we could honeymoon, my sweetheart wants to return to Hawaii.
"Three days apart!" Sehun gasps. "Whose dumb idea was that!?" Sehun barks.
"Well, it wasn't mine and please don't call my fiancé dumb. He's amazing."
"Sorry, Tae, but you're dumb for agreeing to it."
"Of course, I agreed. I love him. Did I tell you about –"
"Yes, you have!" Sehun snaps.
"How do you know? You didn't let me finish."
"Tae, those three days you have not been with Jungkook, you've been at my place. Trust me, you've told me everything again and again."
"Well, I couldn't stay at our place alone." Sehun sighs audibly as his uncontainable smile and chuckle breaks through.
"I need to see my Kookie. I just want to look in his eyes and see his smile." That smile has sustained me. It took me 4 months to convince him to move in with me. He needed to take his time given his past trauma after that asshole conned him. Also, he did not like the idea of me paying for things. Dinner out at a nice restaurant was okay but not often. I might have gone a tad too far when I gave him a new Mercedes SUV for his birthday. I want to spoil him, but I must respect his boundaries. I try to move towards the window and my best man blocks me. Before I try to sneak around him, there's a knock at the door. The door opens and in comes Dae.
"Five minutes. You ready?"
"Where's my phone!?"
Dae softly smiles at me.
"Dae, is it safe to leave Groomzillia alone?" Sehun says as Dae covers her mouth and laughs.
"Dae, is he here!? My love?" I'm so breathless I barely get my words out.
"Of course, he's here. I don't know which of you two lovesick dorks is worse. He had the same question." My smile expands so wide my jaw aches.
"He is waiting for his love. You," Dae says. My heart radiates light through me.
"Okay, stand up straight. Let me see you."
I stand tall as Dae stands back and gives me a look over.
"Who tied that tie?"
"Sehun. I think he's lacking some best man skills if you ask me."
"As if you'll be any better when he walks down the aisle. Come, let me fix it. I can't have my boy meeting his groom on his wedding day looking a mess." She whispers in a small fit of fussing and complaining. "Where the heck is your comb?"
"Thanks, Dae. I knew you'd handle things well."
With my hair fixed and a proper tie, she stands back, giving her final examination. Suddenly she pauses. I look down towards her and her face is glistening with wetness and a trembling lower lip.
"Nice. Look at m-my handsome b-boy." I reach into my pocket and give up one tissue from my tissue stash.
"I-I wish they were h-here." I know she's referring to my parents.
"Me too," I say, softly moving in to hug her, and she steps back.
"You've ruined my makeup and now you want me to ruin your suit." She walks over to the door and turns to me before leaving. "Two minutes and don't you dare keep your greatest love waiting." I smile, feeling a burning sensation behind my eyelids.
"Never!" I declare.
"I know," she speaks and leaves.
Jungkook's POV
"You look fabulous, Kookie."
"Thanks, Lisa. Oh my God, I'm too excited Lisa. I'm just so happy."
"Are you nervous?"
"I was a mess earlier, but not now. I just can't wait to see my love. I'm just hoping I don't faint when I see my beautiful man standing there waiting for me."
"Kookie, I'm so happy you're my friend."
"Lisa, I love you and thank you for being my friend."
We both tear up.
"Okay, enough of this. Let's get you married."
"Lisa, we've written a new ending for our sad stories, haven't we?"
"Yes, we did. We really did." Her beautiful toothy smile beams.
We hug as Lisa's phone buzzes. She looks at the text.
"It's Sehun, they're ready. He says to hurry before he kills Tae's panicked nervous ass. Oh, I don't think I was supposed to say that last part out loud," Lisa chuckles.
"Oh no, my Tae is nervous. He's always so composed."
"Kookie, really? This is the biggest day of his life. He loves you so much." My heart flutters and I sigh. Yes, this is the biggest day of my life too and I'm about to marry the best man ever. The man that was made specifically for me.
"Okay, let's get me married. I want to kiss my husband."
As the music plays, I slowly come into the room. I see him. My man, my love standing by the fireplace in our family room. I feel light, yet overwhelmed by his beauty.
He is so attractive as he shifts from foot to foot and all I want to do is run into his strong arms.
The arms that have been my safe haven since last Christmas. A year ago, we both confessed our love to each other. Last Christmas, when we shared our first kiss and so much more in my tiny apartment.
My Tae looks up and sees me and just freezes in place. I mouth the words, "l love you," and then watch as his big boxy smile spreads across his gorgeous face. Slowly I move down the aisle, focused only on him.
Ahh, Mr. Kim. My new name.
Given the pain of my family's disownin of me, leaving the Jeon name behind was an easy decision. I'm excited to start a new life today, as Mr. Kim.
Tae's POV
The music starts and I can't stay still. And then I see him. My baby. My ranting little bunny. He looks up at me and I immediately freeze. He's more beautiful than I've ever seen him before. He's far more than I deserve.
I focus on him and only him. And then he mouths, 'I love you.'
With those words, a calmness rushes over me and there's only him and me in the room. I can't wait to press my lips to his. My husband, my baby.
Jungkook's POV
We start our new lives as Mr. and Mr. Kim. We stand in the beautifully decorated great room on the Kim estate and exchange our wedding vows with our closest family and friends in attendance.
It is an amazing event. Tae's large and loving family has adopted me, and I am now warmly known as Cousin Kookie.
Dae and I are very close, and I love her as a mother. She is all too happy to give me advice and a kick in the pants when needed.
This is also the first time I've seen Tae cry. He is so beautifully vulnerable. My big strong Alpha man was holding up pretty well until I read my wedding vows to him.
"I call you My Tae because you are my everything. You are my light and you've shown me more love than I've ever known."
"Tae, l promise to be your partner in all things, not possessing you but working with you as part of the whole."
"Tae, l promise you perfect love and perfect trust. For one lifetime with you could never be enough. This is my sacred vow to you, Equal in all things."
I depleted my pocket stash of fresh tissue as Tae read me his vows. It was if I am soaring in the heavens above.
"Kookie, I promise to encourage your compassion because that is what makes you unique and wonderful."
"Kookie, I promise to help shoulder our challenges, for there is nothing we cannot face if we stand together."
"Kookie, I promise to always put you first and to love you even when you get real sassy and go on a rant."
6 Years Later , Taehyung's POV
Kookie and I have 5 beautiful children. I continue as CEO of Kim's Department Store and Kookie home schools and cares for our children during the day. However, Kookie acts as a consultant for The Holiday Department every year
Dae is only working 3 days a week at Kim's and helps Kookie 2 days a week with the children. The children adore their Auntie Dae.
I'm home every day by 4 p.m. to help my husband prepare dinner and give baths. I also do grocery shopping and laundry. Kookie and I are very hands on and involved parents.
Returning from work, I find my husbandin the kitchen alone starting dinner.
"Hi, baby!" I say, going over to him and kissing him on his cheek.
"Oh, hi Tae." he says, barely responding.
"Oh no, I know that voice. What happened, sweetheart?!" He says nothing.
"Babe, where are my children?"
"Dae's reading them a book. Tae, do you know what happened to me today?"
"What happened, baby?"
"That! That Mrs. Yin is a beast!" Oh no, not the ongoing battle between Kookie and Mrs. Yin.
"Are you fighting again with Mrs. Yin?"
"She started it, Tae. I can't help it if she's controlling and wants everything her way." I buckle in, ready to hear the day's drama.
"Really?" I say, feeling a rant coming.
"Tae, the community center is casting the Christmas play and Seojae wants to be the cute elf that sings and dances and has about five funny lines. He's been working really hard. That witch gave his part to some other low talented child and offered Seojae the part of a Christmas tree!"
"Oh my," I say with a soft smile. This conversation is not going to go well. Now comes the rant.
"A Christmas Tree! Do you believe that Tae?! After he worked so hard on it. That stupid Christmas Tree just stands there and looks pretty. No lines, no dance number, and no solo. Well, I won't have it, Tae!" I just listen before I share my opinion.
"Well, you know I gave her a piece of my mind. Then Seojae was all upset, and it took 20 minutes to calm him down. What do you think of that, Tae!?"
I smile at my sweet husband as he shakes his head.
"Kookie, do you really want to know what I think?"
"Of course, Tae. That old hag said our son wasn't right for the part. How dare she?!"
"Baby, the community center puts on a wonderful Christmas play every year. It should be fun. You know Mrs. Yin directs the play yearly and evidently Seojae, in her opinion, is not talented enough."
Kookie gasps. "Tae!"
"Kookie, this is my opinion. And I think she's right."
"Tae, this is your child!"
"Kookie, I know he's my child. I think you want him to be the elf more than he does."
"What? Why would you say that?"
"Baby, I've seen him practicing with you and he really doesn't want to sing and dance. To be honest, he sucks. A nice Christmas Tree suits his talents, which are none."
"Tae, I can't believe you're saying that. We have to support our children."
"Yes, we do, and we will, but in stuff they enjoy and they want to do. He likes numbers. He'll take over Sehun's job in 15 years maybe. Lastly, when you got upset, Seojae got upset."
"Oh no, I didn't realize that. I guess you're right." Kookie lowers his head.
"Baby, isn't Zahara going to be in the Christmas play?" His head shoots up.
"Yes, she was given the part of the Sugar Plum Princess." My love says, quickly clapping his hands and smiling brightly.
"Oh, Tae, she has the sweetest little singing voice and loves to dance and perform."
"Okay, babe, so that's our little star, not Seojae. And we all will be in attendance to see our little Sugar Plum Princess on opening night and, uhm, our songless Christmas tree."
"Uh, there might be a problem with that, Tae," Kookie says biting down on his lip.
"Oh Husband, what did you do this time?"
"Mrs. Yin threatened to call the authorities on me and now we're banned from the community center. Mean bitch," he spits.
"Baby! Be nice. You and your rants." I burst into laughter as our children rush into the kitchen.
"Papa! Papa! Papa!"