.•° ✿ °•.
Jimin's cheeks become round and bulby when he shakes my shoulder, a toothy smile present beneath his blonde hair. "Wah~ Hyung dyed his hair baby blue."
"You look like a carebear." Taehyung fluffs it.
You're one to talk. With that silver hair, you look 60.
I grumble and shove away their scrambling hands.
"So why are you two here then? Come to video each other crying drunk over dumplings?"
Jimin holds up one finger, "That was one time."
"I still have the video." Taehyung shakes his phone before Jimin pushes it down, "Nobody asked!"
Taehyung chuckles.
"I just got off from my flight and bumped into Jimin, we're thinking to go head out for lunch. You coming?"
"Uh..."
I look back onto the playground over my shoulder ever-so slyly. Minji happily hops off of the seesaw when her mother comes to collect her, but not before throwing her arms around Gumball in a big, friendly hug and waving goodbye.
"Come on Hyung... We know you don't like public settings but one lunch won't hurt. Let's go." Jimin then pulls my arm away.
Gumball instantly runs towards us from the playground and binds his arms around my leg in panic. I stumble slightly at the weight, making Taehyung and Jimin look down.
"Tsk, kid chill. I wasn't going to leave."
Taehyung gasps with wide eyes and an even wider box smile while Jimin does the same starstruck expression. "Why hello! Yoongi, who's little kid is this??"
I sigh and roll my eyes back at the thought of having to repeat this story.
"Just some kid I found the other day. He won't quit following me around."
"Really? Well have you tried—?"
"Yep."
"What about—?"
"I've tried everything, nothing's working out. I initially set out to find his mom but she's harder to bump into than I thought..."
"Well he's really cute." Taehyung sticks his long index under the hooks of Gumball's fingers. Jimin squats and playfully squeezes his waist, cooing in the tiniest baby voice. "Hello, you must like our Yoongi a lot. What's your name?"
Gumball only hides deeper behind my leg out of shyness, his pudgy cheek pressed against my pant sleeve.
"Don't be shy little guy. You can tell me."
"He doesn't talk."
"What? Like, at all?"
I shrug, "Somehow the kid manages to give me a headache without uttering a word."
"So what do you call him then?"
"I mean, Jungkook gave him the name Gumball so—"
"Gumball!" The two youngers gasp again with open smiles. Jimin hooks his hands under the kid's underarms, lifting and placing him on his hip.
"You know, he looks a bit like you Hyung."
"So I've heard."
"You two look cute, let me get a video." Taehyung whips out his phone with a boxy grin.
Gumball shows a gummy-smile for the first time when Jimin shifts him onto his back and spreads his arms like airplane wings, safely swirling from left to right. His banana-blonde hair and baby blue tee compliment the blue sky and it's fluffy clouds well.
This is too much jolly shit for me to take.
"Ah, this is such a cute video." Taehyung reviews the footage. "I wanna hold him now."
"No, shoo. He likes me more." Jimin playfully sheltered Gumball in his netted arms. Honestly, I wish they'd both just take him.
Taehyung lowers his brows in thought when approaching Gumball and pinching his baggy T-shirt.
"...What is he wearing?"
"I didn't have kids' clothes so I gave him my old sweater."
"And you put him in this?" Taehyung's lips box with distaste.
"Alright Mr. Fashionista, you buy him some clothes then."
"Alright, let's go."
"What?"
Taehyung takes Gumball on his hip and nudges his chin. "The mall's not far from here. Let's get him some new clothes and a toy or two. Maybe it'll make him open up enough to speak."
"Let's go!" Jimin pulls me along.
∘₊✧ ° 🌤 ° ✧₊∘
The moment we step through the automatic doors, shrine screeches practically blare through my ears as my eyes fearfully dart between the colorful, yet haunting shelves of plushies and dolls. I've had nightmares about places like this...
"Wah~ It's Jimin and V from BTS..." Two workers gasp and giggle from across the empty store.
"What about the one in black?"
"I think that's Jin..."
Taehyung snickers when overhearing the girls, already sensing my scowl. "It's because you barely leave your house Hyung."
"Whatever... Agh, what even is this awful place?"
"ToysRus." Jimin smiles. "I used to love this store when I was a kid. Makes me feel young to be back."
"Makes me feel like I need to puke."
"Let's get him some clothes appropriate for his age. Are there any colors or animals that he likes?" Taehyung asks.
I twist my lips and hum.
"Um... He likes ducks and ponds. So blue and yellow."
"Ooo, how about this?" Jimin speed-walks further down the aisle, laughing as he pulls out an impractical Donald Duck costume.
"This is why I'm the fashionable one. You urchins have no taste." Taehyung puts it back, playfully mocking a French fashion designer.
Fashionable one? I think he's forgetting about the mosquito jacket.
"Let's get him clothes that fit the springtime. Yoongi, is there anything else he likes?" Taehyung asks.
"Annoying me."
"Hyung."
I groan and toss my hand. "I don't know, uh... Candy?"
"Ooo! Look!" Jimin points and runs comedically, letting out ridiculous "Aish"es before sticking his head through the window of a plastic play kitchen.
"I used to love these things as a kid. Makes you feel like a real chef."
"You know you have to pay for the toys before playing with them, right?"
"I will I will, just let me have my nostalgia." He passes an apron and places a chef hat on Gumball's head as well as his own. The hat slightly covers Gumball's eyes from the oversize.
"What should we cook today Chef Gumball?"
Gumball digs his finger into his tucked lips in thought before pointing to the ice cream sticker.
"Mm, good choice! I love ice cream. Let's make some."
"...You're using a frying pan to cook ice cream."
"Geez Yoongi, sometimes it's about being a kid again and using your imagination." He sighs and shakes his head frustratedly. "No wonder the kid doesn't like you. You have no childhood."
He then lifts the plastic ice cream cone and crouches in front of Gumball. "All done! Wanna taste?"
Gumball nods before the two pretend to nibble on it.
"Ooo, Gumball, look what I found." Taehyung returns with a bubble-blowing gun that has a rubber ducky on it.
He tightens his finger around the trigger, letting wonderous rainbowed bubbles float in large groups through the shopping aisle. Gumball shows a closed smile that makes his cheeks chub up when he gently lifts an open palm, wanting one to fall into his hand before Jimin lifts him high enough to catch one.
"Let's shoot him back Gumball."
Jimin takes the gun and places it in Gumball's hands. He smiles sweetly whilst pulling the trigger to shoot bubbles and Taehyung dramatically clutches his chest, flopping onto the floor and playing dead.
"That floor's probably dirty you know. And I thought you two said we were coming to buy clothes?"
Everybody pauses their smiles and movements at my reminder. Jimin puts Gumball down, but catches sight on a miniature Mercedes that sports a tall pole at the back.
"Gumball, you get in and I'll push you while Taehyungie finds some clothes."
Gumball excitedly skips away with rapid baby steps as Jimin starts pushing him around the empty aisles of the toy store. At the same time, Taehyung brushes his hands along the clothing racks to look for something decent, sparing his best friend and the kid occasional soft chuckles.
He seems to get along with maknaes a lot better than he does with me. I'm practically out of the picture, not that I'm complaining.
I scratch my head and begin walking away.
"I'll wait for you guys by the entrance."
Jimin and Gumball are too busy playing to acknowledge my bid, so I casually stroll to the massive store's checkout and rest against a bench.
Man, I need a drink...
I stick out my hand when a worker walks past, "You people don't sell wine here, do you?"
She just returns me a questionable look, making me sigh.
"Forget it."
What use is a store this big if they don't even sell wine?
After looking around to make sure that I'm all alone, I rest my head back against the colorful bench and rest my eyes into slumber...
∘₊✧ ° 🧸 ° ✧₊∘
— SOMETIME LATER—
"He's out cold." Jimin laughs.
Taehyung's slender fingers start snapping above my eyes. "Psst. Hyung."
"Hmm..." I grumble.
I rub my eye open before blinking and scowling at the colorful mountain in the near distance. Jimin stands at the checkout, purchasing the insanely overflowed trolley of toys and clothes.
"Look at all the stuff we bought. Doesn't he look adorable?" He pinches Gumball's shirt with rosy Apple-cheeks. Instead of my old, baggy sweater, Gumball wears blue denim overalls over a yellow ducky t-shirt and matching shoes.
I blink twice more at the overflowed trolley.
"There's no way that shit's coming back to my place."
"You're right, there's no way." Jimin hands me one of the large bags. I look down and furrow my brows in confusion...
"We're bringing it back to mine."
"Yours?"
"Yeah. Since you said the kid annoys you, Jimin's gonna take Gumball from now on." Taehyung nods.
"Yeah, that way you can finish working on your song for the album without any interruptions."
"Wait wait wait, this is crazy. You can't just take somebody else's kid, you don't know... Oh."
"Uh Huh." Taehyung nods teasingly.
"W-well what about his mom? She could still be out there, I should continue finding her."
"And you can still do that." Jimin takes Gumball on his hip. "If you hear anything from his family, let me know and I'll bring him right back. But for the meantime... Little Gumball can stay with me, can't you?"
Jimin sticks out his chubby pinky finger when Gumball wraps his around it and the two press their thumbs together.
The sight makes me stare in thought...
Should I do this? I mean I'll finally get to enjoy my own space again. I'll get to work in peace without having to chase kids around or follow them on wild goose chases...
But at the same time...
I don't know.
Will Jimin be able to manage him? What if he disappears again? What if he's too much to handle?
Taehyung and Jimin wait for my answer as I scratch my head.
"I guess... Sure. Take him."
"Cool. Let's get these toys in the car before the sunsets. See you around, Hyung! Let's go little Gumball." I watch the three men walk out.
At last. Now I'll finally get that quality private time to work on my song.
Yep, quality private time...
By myself.
No pesty kids to look after.
Just me... In my cave... On my own.
. . .
Not only will Jimin steal your heart, your man, and your dad... But he'll take your kids too. 😗🐥💛