Jin: "Wait, are you serious? Damn, Namjoon that son of a hotdog didn't even tell me when we met yesterday."
He huffed and rolled his eyes.
Jungkook: "He didn't tell me either, I've heard it from Jimin hyung today."
He chuckled and snuggled up warmly to Seokjin on his beloved white couch.
Jin: "Are you that happy about their marriage? It's none of your business."
He laughed playfully as he played with Jungkook's soft brown locks.
Jungkook nodded with a pout.
Jungkook: "Of course I am happy! My best friend for so many years now is getting married! Aren't you happy?"
Jin: "Mhm, of course. He'll be the first among us to hear the wedding bells."
Silence engulfed them for a short moment as they focused on the horror scene playing on the television screen. The younger kept fidgeting around the couch and Seokjin could tell something was wrong with him.
Jin: "Are you scared? We can change the movie if you want, I won't call you a pussy and tell everyone about this."
Jungkook scoffed at his lies.
Jungkook: "I'm not scared, I'm not like you. I'm just thinking of something..."
Seokjin noticed the younger's cheeks gaining a light shade of red to them.
Jin: "Thinking of what?"
Jungkook held in his breath as his heart thumped loudly in his chest.
Jungkook: "D-do you think... we'll be just like Namjoon hyung and Jisoo noona someday?... Getting married..."
He barely whispered at the same time as the protagonist screamed in the movie, causing Seokjin to miss that.
Jin: "What? I didn't catch that."
He lowered the volume on the TV and turned his attention back on Jungkook.
Jungkook felt even more embarrassed as the pressure of repeating his question for the second time was building up. The full attention the older had on him now, wasn't helping either.
Jungkook: "I-I said... d-do you think we will be like them s-someday?..."
He looked into Seokjin's eyes timidly.
Jin: "Like them? Who? The zombies?"
He tilted his head to the side.
Jungkook: "No! W-wedding bells..."
He blushed heavily as he answered, making Seokjin blush slightly as well.
Jin: "Oh... I don't know..."
He turned his head back to the paused movie and everything went silent now.
Jungkook nibbled on his bottom lip and cursed himself for asking something so unnecessary. He hated the stiff atmosphere he had caused around them with his ignorant question.
Jungkook: "I-I'm going to sleep now..."
He stood up from the couch and walked back to his bedroom without even sparing a glance at Seokjin.
Seokjin stared at Jungkook's back until he had disappeared from sight. He then shifted his eyes back to the television screen as he thought about Jungkook's question through his head.
Jin: "Us, getting married?... Will anyone even congratulate the both of us?..."
He mumbled bitterly and switched off the lights and television, before making his way back to his bedroom.
~Next Day~
Jin: "Jungkook, wake up! You're gonna be late if you continue sleeping in!"
He knocked on Jungkook's door until the said opened it up in reluctance.
Jungkook: "Good morning..."
He rubbed his eyes tiredly.
It didn't take Seokjin long to notice the dark circles under Jungkook's eyes, and he knew that the poor boy didn't have much sleep last night as well.
Jin: "Good morning to you too. Now go and freshen up, then change into your uniform before we have our breakfast."
Jungkook nodded obediently and Seokjin walked back to the kitchen.
Jungkook changed into his uniform as instructed, before sitting down at the dining table within short minutes. He looked much more like a human now after he had just freshened up earlier.
Seokjin placed a steaming hot bowl of macaroni and cheese in front of Jungkook, before sitting at the chair opposite of him. The younger thanked Seokjin for the breakfast and dug in.
Jin: "Eat well, my child."
He smiled proudly as he watched Jungkook stuff his mouth with the piping hot macaroni and cheese.
Jungkook: "Hdmmmeh!"
He spoke incoherently.
Jin: "Don't speak with your mouth full, how many times must I tell you that?"
He scolded with a sigh.
Jin: "By the way, dad said he'll be back this afternoon. He bought tons of presents back for us from Thailand."
Jungkook gave the older a thumbs up since his mouth was too full to even form a coherent sentence. Seokjin chuckled at him and pulled the metal fork away from Jungkook's mouth.
Jin: "Stop stuffing yourself like that and eat slowly. I don't want you to choke after dad hits my head so hard last time... I'll go back to sleep now."
He yawned in exhaustion and slowly made his way back to his bedroom.
After Jungkook had finished devouring the meal, he placed the empty bowl in the sink and left for school. He still felt a bit awkward about asking the odd question last night, but he's relieved that Seokjin's acting like nothing had happened.
It's better this way.
~6 Hours Later~
Seokjin's dad: "I'm back!"
He announced cheerily as he closed the door behind him with a loud slam.
Seokjin glanced at his dad for a second and greeted him, not even bothering to help him drag the all of the luggages in this time. His dad grunted in irritation as he dragged multiple luggages into the living room.
Seokjin's dad: "Yah, you unfilial son. You could at least put all of the muscles on your body to use instead of just lazing on the couch like that!"
He scolded with a smile and plopped onto the couch while huffing for air.
Seokjin's dad: "Aren't you even going to give your dad a welcome kiss?..."
He held his arms out for a hug and puckered his plump lips at Seokjin.
Seokjin cringed and slapped his dad's arms. His dad laughed heartily at the shy boy, while Seokjin pouted and turned his attention back to the TV.
Jin: "Dad..."
He suddenly spoke up.
Seokjin's dad: "Hm? Have you thought about giving me the welcome kiss-"
Jin: "No, that's not it."
He deadpanned.
Seokjin's dad: "Then? What is it?..."
He asked, finally getting serious.
Jin: "I... d-do you think it would it be alright, or completely nonsensical if..."
His voice trailed off quietly.
Seokjin's dad: "What is it?"
He placed a hand on Seokjin's trembling shoulder to calm him down.
Seokjin huffed out an anxious sigh.
Jin: "C-can I start working now?..."
His dad furrowed his eyebrows.
Seokjin's dad: "Why? Is the pocket money I'm giving now too little for you? I can increase it if you want, you're at the typical age to spend more money."
Jin: "No! No, you're already giving us a lot... it's just... I'm really not a kid anymore, I'm an adult now and I should be working for my own money."
Seokjin's dad: "I understand that you want to be responsible for your own financial issues... but I'd rather you dedicate your time on studying, instead of working. You can always come to me if you need more money, my salary is more than enough to support all of us."
Jin: "No! That's not it... I-I just..."
He exhaled out a sigh and shut his eyes.
Jin: "I want to marry Jungkook..."
He looked at his dad sincerely with determination pooling in his eyes.
His dad blinked in utter surprise. He'd never expected them to progress so fast, that they're already thinking of marriage now. He hasn't even thought about them getting married at all.
Seokjin's dad: "A-aren't you two moving a little too fast?... Marriage already?..."
He chuckled dryly.
Jin: "I-I didn't mean that I want to marry him right now. We're still unprepared for the next stage of our lives and all, but I'm willing to give it a shot... I want to work and earn money for that special day in our future..."
Seokjin's dad: "Jin... do you have any idea what are you talking about? You two being a couple is one thing, but getting married is another thing!..."
Jin: "I know- dad, I just... I want to be even closer to him, I want to devote my entire life to him, I want to let people know that he belongs to me lawfully."
Seokjin's dad: "Son, I'm sure you are aware by now... it's not about how soon or far you plan to hold the wedding, it's about the gender of you two... and to make things worse, he's still your stepbrother after all... it's really not as easy as all of it seems, are you still insisting on getting married to him?"
Jin: "I know... b-but I really can't imagine my future without Jungkook..."
Seokjin's dad: "He could still stay by your side without you two getting married— he lives here, Seokjin. Moreover, getting married isn't a child's play. Even when you start working now, it'll still take a long time before you could earn a huge amount of money to hold a wedding. And to remind you, I object to you working right now. I don't want you to ruin your grades now."
Jin: "I can quit college and start working right this moment, you don't have to worry about my grades then."
His words earned a glare from his dad.
Education is important to his dad.
Seokjin's dad: "Have you lost your mind? You'd give up on your bright future just for a marriage with him?"
Yes, maybe Seokjin had indeed lost his mind. Love makes one a fool anyway.
Jin: "Please dad, I'd do anything I can to keep him by my side lawfully. I can give up anything in my life for Jungkook..."
He begged with tears in his eyes.
His dad groaned in frustration as he massaged his temples, knowing well that neither of them is ready for marriage yet no matter how much they love each other now. They are not ready for what the society can say.
Seokjin's dad: "Jin, just calm down and think through it again. I believe you're just in a heat of the moment. Let's put all the financial costs aside, are both of you truly ready to face this judgemental society? What will happen to your future if you drop out of college now? Who will want to hire you for a stable income, and how will you be able to support Jungkook financially by then?"
Seokjin hung his head low as tears dripped out of his eyes. He knew his dad was right— neither of them was ready for marriage anytime soon. Jungkook's question from last night made him realize that love really isn't all you need to be able to conquer everything. This isn't a sweet fairytale where everything goes so smoothly and end of the story— this is life, it's reality.
His dad patted Seokjin on his shoulder sympathetically before standing up.
Seokjin's dad: "It's not that I object to you two getting married, it's just that now's not the right time. There's no need to rush, Jungkook will stay by your side no matter what, alright?"
Seokjin nodded in silence while wiping his tears away from his moist eyes.
Seokjin's dad: "I'll go unpack my stuff in the room now, just... calm down..."
Seokjin was now left alone on the couch as he thinks about their future.