(n/a: not that anyone asked, but this is my favorite group chat convo of the whole story uwu)
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Now that everything was back to something somewhat normal between all the baby daddies, Jimin felt like a weight had gotten off his back. The days seemed so much lighter and brighter, and he couldn't ask for anything better.
He loved to see them interact, and they all seemed to get closer and closer.
Well, all but Jungkook and Yoongi. The both of them were on the quieter side, and they barely interacted on the group chat, but the times they did, it all felt complete to Jimin.
For the following days, Jimin got into a new kind of routine. In the early morning, Seokjin and Namjoon would come to wake him up and eat breakfast with him. Then, after lunch, Taehyung would come to spend time with him and go out for a bit.
Jimin would even sometimes go to Taehyung's studio to watch him paint. He would never see his paintings; he would mainly sit on the couch in front of Taehyung, the back of the canvas turned to him, as he scrolled through his phone, worked from his laptop, or read a book.
Taehyung was still living in a hotel room, the main reason being that now that he would spend more time in Seoul, he wanted to make some renovations in his apartment, so he thought it would be best to be off the constructors' hair as things were still a mess.
Jimin didn't mind his company at all; since he was on early maternity leave, he didn't have much work to do. Being part of an event planner company required lots of in-person meetings and driving around the city for numerous reasons, so the work he could do at home was underwhelming and boring.
He just had to redact lists, do some digital design for invitations and sites, answer some emails, or reorganize things. It was quite simple, and he would do it quickly between his day-to-day stuff. Besides, his co-workers wouldn't let him do a lot of work because of how stressful it could be for the baby.
Jimin was really thankful they were so caring and helpful, and he wished he had befriended them. Like, yeah, they were colleagues, they worked a lot together, and he knew a lot of personal stuff from some of his closest co-workers.
He had also gone out with them a few times, but he never had a deep talk with them about his or their lives. They lacked the kind of intimacy real friends had, but he still liked them very much.
But now that he was pregnant, it was obvious his colleagues were surprised because they didn't know he was back in a relationship soon after he had broken up with Yoongi. Jimin didn't know how to explain his situation, so he did his best to brush the topic off, and they never insisted.
So as far as the routine went, it was all pretty much the same. When work hours were done, Taehyung would drive him back home to meet Namjoon and Hoseok, so the four could get dinner together.
After that, they would watch some TV shows together until Namjoon and Hoseok had to leave because they had work early the next day, while Taehyung got back to his hotel room later or even slept in at Jimin's apartment when it got pretty late.
In this routine, Jungkook would come by just once or twice a week, mainly on weekends when the younger had days off of work. They would go out on friendly dates and talk about stuff, but never really about the things Jimin really wanted the maknae to talk about.
Either way, he was happy that Jungkook was opening up more to him; somehow, it made Jimin feel accomplished. Yet, despite bonding a lot during those times together, Jimin still wished the boy to be more sociable and even spend time with the other guys too.
And then there was Yoongi. How could Jimin describe how things with Yoongi were? They would never meet personally, and Yoongi would barely talk in the group chat, much like Jungkook, but in their private chat, things were different.
It wasn't like they would spend hours talking or even talk every day religiously, but they set up a new kind of interaction that was much similar to what they once shared before they started dating.
It would happen at random hours of the day when Jimin saw something he found funny or interesting to share, and he would send a link to Yoongi.
He never waited for him to reply right away; that was never Yoongi's thing. He would also reply randomly with a big, extensive dissertation on what he thought about what Jimin sent. It would somewhat always make Jimin smile and respond with another big text counterpointing Yoongi's point of view.
On the other hand, Yoongi would sometimes ask Jimin his opinion over a melody or a beat, and much like before, Yoongi would ask Jimin to send a file back of him humming along with the song. The music producer would always say that Jimin's voice would clean his ears and make the melody clearer in his head.
Their new interaction would look a lot like the old, long-cherished kind of friendship they had before, and Jimin was happy with that. Maybe being friends and cluelessly pining for each other, instead of lovers, was the best kind of relationship they could share.
Perhaps they weren't meant to be together as more than friends, and for Jimin, that was totally fine.
Even if sometimes it hurt, or if he missed kissing Yoongi, having his body against his, waking up next to him, and everything they shared in their happy moments as a couple, he didn't hope to get back together anymore. His main priority now is his baby.
In short, Jimin loved spending time with his baby's daddies and getting to know them better on a friendship level. He felt less lonely and felt loved by them a lot. Jimin has been smiling a lot lately, laughing unpretentiously, and feeling lighter and happier than ever before. After all the headaches and stress, the fights, and the distance, Jimin was sure that having them all as friends was for the better.
He didn't need a lover to feel complete. On the contrary, having them all as close friends was more fulfilling than a big, fluffy love story. He wouldn't trade this for anything, and whoever was the biological baby father, Jimin knew he was going to be a great dad.
But things started to take a turn suddenly. Jimin didn't think much of it at first; some of the dads were too busy to visit Jimin, the messages in the group chat became less and quieter, and Jimin was left to read a couple of times.
It made his heart constrict, and fear loomed over him. He tried to brush it off, but as it kept happening for days on end, two weeks passing by in the blink of an eye, the fear got bigger than his own body.
Jimin pleaded with Taehyung and Namjoon, trying to understand why they were so distant when they were the closest ones to him, but they both came up with excuses and empty apologies that never convinced Jimin.
He never showed it to them, always smiling and accepting any attention they could give them. Now, the routine he had fallen into and gotten used to was all broken. Seokjin would only come by once in a while to drop food but never stay long enough to chat with Jimin and eat alongside him. He said he had a big wedding menu to plan, and it was really stressful and busy.
Namjoon would still come by to eat breakfast with him every day, but he seemed tense and distant, just telling Jimin he was focused on a case that required a complex campaign overseas. But after work, Jimin would never see him until it was almost bedtime. Namjoon would come by to wish him goodnight and leave with a tired stance.
As for Taehyung, he would still come by for dinner, but the afternoons they would spend together were always postponed. Whether it was fundraisers or tea parties he had to attend to sell his work, either it was problems with the construction that he had to oversee closely that prevented him from spending time with Jimin.
Hoseok, too, was more busy than normal. He said he was training a group of kids for a school presentation, and they were working extra hours, so he couldn't come to spend time with Jimin as much as he wanted to.
The only ones that stayed consistent were Jungkook and Yoongi. Jungkook barely spent time with him anyway, and Yoongi only texted him sporadically, mainly at night.
Jimin couldn't help but feel like they were all pulling away. At night, when his head hit the pillow and sleep seemed far away from coming despite the exhaustion, Jimin would wonder if this was it. He had two to three more weeks before his labor, which meant less than a month before they all found out the real paternity.
The fear that the moment they all knew the DNA results, everyone would pull away from him, leaving Jimin alone again, was becoming unbearable to the point of making him cry to sleep at night.
It was stupid how insecure he was getting over just a bunch of bad coincidences, but still, Jimin could stop ruminating. Being insecure was a trait that Jimin thought he would have to live with for the rest of his life.
Sometimes he would question all of his life, all of his relationships, and all of his potential, but he always tried his best not to let those negative feelings get the best of him. However, it was getting too much. Maybe it was the pregnancy hormones; maybe it was loneliness creeping in.
He got so used to having them all to himself in such a short period of time that their suddenly fading away was like a cold shower. He hiccuped as he held his phone in his hands, his vision blurry and needy of affection.
"Hello? Jiminie?"
"Mom."
"Omo, what is wrong? Why is he calling so late? Are you crying? Is he crying?" His mom and his dad asked at the same time; his dad's voice was far away but soon getting closer.
"I'm sorry," Jimin mumbled in a choked voice.
"For what?" His mom asked, worry laced in her tone.
"For calling so late."
"Don't apologize for it, Jiminie. What's wrong? Is the baby okay?" His mother said first, and then his father questioned, softer and calmer but still concerned.
"Yeah, they are, but... I need to tell you something I've been hiding from you." Jimin pressed his eyelids together, trying to conceal the tears from falling, but it was fruitless.
"Whatever it is, we'll understand." His dad assured him, and Jimin really wanted them to be present—to feel their warmth and fall in their embrace.
"I- I don't know... who the father is." He stuttered, shame filling him up.
He never told them about his uncertainty when he told them he was pregnant. He never told them what he had done, but right now he needed to come clean.
"What? Isn't Yoongi?" His mom asked with confusion.
"It might be his, but... it might be someone else's." He confessed, biting his bottom lip as he anxiously awaited their reaction.
"Is it the neighbor? You told us he would always help you out when you fought with Yoongi; he seems like a nice kid." His mom pried further, and Jimin looked up at the ceiling, feeling his eyes burning and his throat ready to explode from all the emotions he was trying to hold back.
"It might be his too, but there's more."
"More?" His mom's high-pitched voice made Jimin tremble.
"More options."
"Aish, Jimin." She nagged but didn't comment further. Jimin heard a ruffle and hushed voices on the other end of the line, and his heart shrank painfully.
The last thing he wanted was to become a disappointment to his parents, who were always so good to him and supportive of him.
"I'm sorry, mom, dad. I was just in a really bad place, and I just wanted to feel wanted, and I made mistakes," Jimin said between sobs and hiccups, crying harder than he had been holding on.
"Who more?" His dad questioned hesitantly as if he were pondering if he really wanted to know.
"Four more." He whispered, almost inaudible.
"FOUR? Jimin, you're telling us that you slept with six guys?" His mother shrieked in complete shock, and Jimin sobbed louder, curling in his bed and hiding his face in the pillow.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm such a disappointment."
"Baby, no..." His father spoke softly. "You're an adult; you're free to make your own decisions and be with whomever you want." He added, and Jimin still wept louder against the pillow. "I'm sorry, honey; I was just surprised. I'm not judging you or ashamed, I promise. How are you dealing with this?" His mother added it right after. Jimin sniffled and swallowed his tears and cries, and he cleaned his tear- and snot-stained face with the end of his sleeve.
"They all know, and they have been helping me out." He told them, but his voice was still weak and choked.
"You told them the truth?" His father asked.
"Yeah."
"And did they react well?" His mom questioned him in concern.
"Surprisingly. They even got along with each other. Jin hyung is one of the potential fathers." He told them, starting to calm down as the worst part of his concealed feelings was slowly fading now that they were released.
"Seokjinnie? OMO! You rekindled?" His mom cheered, making a small smile appear on Jimin's lips.
His parents loved Seokjin more than any other partner he had, which only included Yoongi. It wasn't like they didn't like Yoongi, per se; they appreciated him, but they couldn't help but feel bitter after Jimin told them all about how their relationship ended, even if Jimin told them his own fault on that.
"Yeah."
"If everything seems fine, then why did you call us crying, honey?" His dad questioned him, and Jimin's eyes prickled again with new tears.
So Jimin told them. He opened up to them about everything he was feeling, everything that went down since he gathered them all, every little detail. He felt relieved for finally telling everything to his parents since he wasn't much used to hiding anything from them. The little he hid was for their own sake or from Jimin's embarrassment, but eventually, he told them everything.
After he discovered he was pregnant, it was hard to tell them how Yoongi and he were no longer together for months and how everything went down badly. He told them every little detail, even the most shameful parts, and he cried while they tried to console him through the phone.
At that time, all Jimin wanted was to book a ticket and fly back to Busan, to cry and curl in his parent's lap. But it was his parents who came to him instead, staying by his side for a week.
Right now he felt like doing the same, running away to meet his parents and to hide from the heartbreak he could go through once the other five left. After his parents talked him to sleep, saying he shouldn't listen to the monsters in his head, Jimin decided to try and maybe talk with the baby's fathers about how he was feeling.
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The next morning, he woke up with a headache. He felt sluggish and tired, wanting to stay in bed for the whole day. He didn't even want Seokjin or Namjoon to come to have breakfast with him, even though not seeing them enough was the exact reason why he had been feeling so down.
Jimin just wanted some time to himself to weigh out all of his feelings and prepare his speech to not look desperate and pathetic, so when they both warned in the group chat that they couldn't go, Jimin was relieved.
However, that sensation was short-lived because Hoseok beamed in the group chat that he had the day free and wanted to go out with Jimin on a friendly date.
Jimin felt somewhat happy that Hoseok wanted to spend time with him, but he still felt like shit, in an emotional hangover, so when the dance teacher arrived at the apartment, Jimin tried to convince him to stay in and just laze around.
"I don't wanna go..." Jimin whined with dragging words and little whimpers.
Hoseok completely ignored Jimin's attempts to act whiny and cute, choosing Jimin's clothes, helping to clean him out, forcing him to eat his breakfast, and then dragging him out of the house.
Now they were at the mall, walking towards the movie theater, as Jimin was dragged by Hoseok to a matinée movie session. Jimin was still whining, his feet dragging on the floor, and he had a big pout on his lips.
"It's too early to go watch a movie!" Jimin pulled his hand away, but Hoseok kept a tight grip around his wrist, but not too tight to hurt.
"Believe me, this is the best hour. The cinema rooms are all almost empty, the tickets are cheaper, the popcorn is the sweetest, and they don't fill your cup with more ice than the beverage."
Hoseok had a good point. Jimin hated to come to the movies during rush hour or on weekends because the chances of receiving weird looks and mean comments were higher.
"What are we gonna watch?" Jimin asked, completely bored. He had no interest in any movies that were in theaters now.
"Did I also tell you that in matinées they also reprise old movies? Make Your Move is on." Hoseok sang a song with a knowing smirk.
"Isn't that the dance movie with BoA?" Jimin asked with a raised eyebrow, and Hoseok nodded excitedly. "Fine, I'm sold; let's go." Jimin rolled his eyes, but internally he was really excited; he loved that movie and especially the soundtrack.
And as Hoseok said, matinées were a lot better in many points. He was glad to be able to enjoy going to the movies peacefully again. He also couldn't stop laughing at Hobi's comments and sound effects. The dance teacher was great company, so good at lightening the mood and making even the saddest scenes hilarious.
At another time, Jimin would be sobbing, but right now he was only crying from so much laughter. After the movies, they went for a walk in Hongdae, where there were a lot of street performances. Jimin was full of all the popcorn and the coke, and he needed to walk for a bit to digest everything before he felt like throwing up.
"OMG! Look at those cute kids!" Hoseok shouted suddenly, making Jimin jump-scare and put a hand on his chest before hitting Hobi's arm hard. "Ow, what was that for?"
"For making my heart race, you idiot."
"Aw, Jiminie, I knew you would fall for me eventually." Hobi joked, snaking his face towards Jimin's and dancing around him.
"Stop it; you're making me dizzy." Jimin giggled, pushing Hoseok away.
"Let's go see the kids dancing from up close," Hoseok asked, grabbing Jimin's hand and pushing through the crowd.
Jimin felt a little anxious but soon forgot all about it when suddenly Hoseok started to compete with the kids. There were children and young teens all dancing different styles of hip-hop, and it was so wholesome seeing them all smile and doing something they were so passionate about. Something Jimin loved so dearly.
He missed dancing. It had been one of his passions, something that he once dreamed of doing professionally, and his parents always supported him in everything. He remembers the first time he got back home because there was a dance competition at school, and he wanted to make a dance cover of one of his favorite artists.
His parents were so supportive, buying him all kinds of things for his dance sessions: clothes, music, shoes, making room for him at home, installing a big mirror on a whole wall, paying for private lessons whenever they could, and making all of Jimin's dreams concrete.
It was safe to say his parents spoiled Jimin a lot, trying to compensate for all the bullying he would go through the best they could. He was grateful to them for making his life a bit easier at home, at least.
He then grew to love contemporary dance, and his parents pushed him to take private classes. And it wasn't easy; his colleagues would be mean, bully him, and humiliate him, but his teacher saw something in him. He said he would be great, one of the best of his generation, so Jimin kept training despite everyone else.
But when his teacher died, Jimin also lost his passion. Not only because his biggest inspiration and supporter was gone, but because the teacher that came after would be as mean as Jimin's colleagues, always putting him down, extinguishing his light by putting him at the very back in dance recitals, or even putting him on the bench.
Jimin started to grow out of love with dancing, and when he was in middle school, things got worse for him because it was when his body started to change more, accentuating his double-gendered body, which brought him more hate and physical bullying.
His passion for dancing only came back in college, with Kai and Taemin. They had a dance group that still lives on to this day. One day he saw them perform in the middle of the campus, trying to attract people to a party, and Jimin's eyes sparkled so brightly seeing the beautiful movements of those two boys.
Jimin wanted to keep a low profile to avoid being bullied again, but he couldn't resist seeing the boys perform again. So he went to that party, and he kept going to other parties, staying in his own corner, just watching.
Eventually, Taemin noticed Jimin and befriended him. With time, Jimin also got closer to Kai, and even after they got to know Jimin was double-gendered, they acted the same as before.
Slowly, Jimin started to dance again. First at parties, just freestyling, letting go as his body followed the melody and surrendered to the rhythm. Then he started to train with Kai and Taemin, and soon their duo campus presentations became a trio, and with that, Jimin's popularity rose, and his identity ended up being revealed.
But he couldn't care much about it or about the mean comments that he received now and then, because despite that, there were a lot of people that didn't care about what he was and who respected him, admired him, and defended him.
Yet Jimin felt it was too late to get back to his main dream. Life was already happening; he was dating Yoongi; college was hard; and they started to have troubles when Yoongi finished college and started to work. Then they moved in together after Jimin finished college, and with his new work, Jimin started to drift apart from his college friends.
Despite that, he tried to keep dancing, signing up for Hobi's dance studio. At least he had that for some time. Until he got pregnant, the doctor said he should be careful with intense physical exertions, and he had to drop dance classes.
He didn't see the moment where he could do something he was passionate about again. He loved being pregnant; having a baby grow inside him was insane but good. He also couldn't wait to teach his little one to dance.
Watching Hoseok with those kids, Jimin could clearly see a future where he would be doing the same with his kids. It made Jimin tear up, happy tears. Hoseok looked his way at the end of one of the songs, quickly noticing the droplets of tears running down Jimin's face. His big heart-shaped smile faded, and he ran towards Jimin, his eyes full of worry as he grabbed Jimin carefully.
"What's going on? What are you feeling? Are you in pain?"
"I miss dancing." He sobbed, and Hoseok's eyes widened right before he started cooing and pulling Jimin into a comforting hug.
"Soon you'll get back to dancing, you cute little bean."
"Promise?" He asked, sniffling his tears away.
"A couple more weeks and this baby is out," Hobi said, touching Jimin's big belly.
"Then you'll be able to dance to your heart's content." He assured him, cleaning Jimin's tears with his thumbs and pulling him through the crowd.
"Hobi?" The called man hummed, and Jimin looked at him by the corner of his eyes, his lips jutting and his eyes red-rimmed, but no more tears slipped out. "Will you really keep being my friend even if this baby isn't yours?"
"What kind of question is that, Jimin? Of course, I will! We're friends, aren't we?" Hoseok questioned with a thin tone, weak and scared of the answer.
"Yes... it's just... the circumstances that brought us closer are temporary." He recollected, touching his belly.
"I won't go anywhere, Jiminie." He assured him, sighing and stopping their walk to stand in front of each other.
"I know I had a big crush on you and that maybe I got closer to you with other intentions, but I'm glad about how things turned out to be. Your friendship means more to me than anything else." Hoseok assured, cupping Jimin's face with his hand to caress his puffy cheeks. Jimin smiled, his heart full of love and happiness.
"You've been worrying your pretty little head with these thoughts, haven't you?" Jimin shrugged, but his lips kept pouting, contradicting his disinterest.
"I know I can only speak for myself, but I see the same adoration and unconditional love the others have for you. They won't go anywhere too, even if this baby isn't theirs." He added, knowing that the same thought might've extended to the other guys.
"I really hope so." Jimin broke into tears again, trying to control a hiccup that came unannounced.
"What we created in less than a month since I told you guys about my pregnancy... it's something I don't want to lose." He added as more tears streamed down his face, all caught by Hoseok's thumbs.
"You won't lose us, Diminie; I promise you that." And for now, that was enough to erase all of Jimin's insecurities.
"Take me home, please; I don't wanna stay here anymore," Jimin begged, hiding his face on the crook of Hoseok's neck.
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Hoseok parked his car in a free spot near Jimin's apartment building, but before they both left the car, Hoseok turned to Jimin to see his face. He had stopped crying a while ago, but he still had red-rimmed eyes and puffy cheeks. There was no reason to doll him up because Hoseok knew the second Jimin entered his home, he would start crying again.
"Are you okay now?"
"I'm sorry, I was being ridiculous." Jimin had such an adorable face, puffy cheeks, and pouty lips that Hoseok only wanted to squeeze it, and so that was exactly what he did. "Hyung~" Jimin whined, slapping Hoseok's hands but chuckling lightly.
"Don't apologize; there's nothing you have to apologize for," Hoseok added softly, caressing the blushed cheeks from the pinch.
"Let's get you home." They both left the car and walked towards Jimin's building, their hands clasped together lazily.
"Thank you for being here for me today. I was really down since I woke up, and even though I was reluctant to get out with you, it helped me feel better." Jimin said as they waited for the elevator to arrive at Jimin's floor.
"Of course, Jiminie, I'll be here for you always." When the elevator door opened and they walked out, Hoseok halted Jimin before he reached his apartment door. "Close your eyes." He said this, making Jimin frown.
"What?"
"Just close your eyes." Hoseok insisted with a playful smirk.
"Hyung? Are you preparing a surprise for me?" Jimin squealed with a big smile surging on his face, suddenly feeling excited.
"Maybe." He grinned wider, standing behind Jimin and putting his hand on his eyes, while with the other he put the code to open the door.
"Ohmygod, what is it!?" Jimin asked in a high-pitched voice as he walked inside his house for just a few steps until Hoseok closed the door.
The sadness had quickly faded as the excitement overlapped and made Jimin giddy. He loved surprises.
"Just a little longer, no peeking." He asked as he took his hands out of Jimin's face, kneeling down to help Jimin out of his shoes.
"I'm getting anxious! Can't you give me a hint?" He asked as he got bouncy, flexing only his knees up and down. "Wait, what is this smell?" He asked after he had breathed deeply.
It smelled of salty and sweet pastry, things he knew he didn't have at home. But it also smelled weirdly like perfume. No, not one; there was a mix of perfumes. They were making him dizzy and nauseous as he inhaled. There were sweet scents, but also wooded, maritime, floral, and citric smells. It was like they were surrounded by people in the street.
"Okay, you can open your eyes now." Finally, Jimin didn't have to guess anymore, as he opened his eyes and jump-scared when a group of people yelled 'surprise' to him.
"Ohmygod! What is this?" He asked in utter shock, seeing all the baby daddies, his co-workers, and even his college friends right in his living room.
The space was all rearranged; lots of chairs spread around, many that he knew he didn't have. There were some tables with what seemed to be games, and the corner of his living room had a beautiful decoration with balloons and a hot-hair balloon too. The kitchen, which was open to the living room, had the dining table all filled with varieties of food and drinks. It was all so pretty, it barely seemed like his house.
"It's a surprise baby shower," Taehyung said, coming closer to him and pulling Jimin into a hug. "Do you like it?" Jimin was overwhelmed by having so many people around him, so he just nodded and entered his apartment to greet all the guests.
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❁ Hello sweeties ❁
Jiminie got emotional on his date with Hobi :/
The boys are so sweet, preparing him a secret baby shower hehehe
This is a new phase for my ot7 uwu
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UPDATE 02.07.2022
For the new readers, ignore this.
For the old ones who like to re-read the story, read this note.
I did major re-writing and a lot of new information additions to this chapter, especially in the first part before Jimin's and Hoseok's date.
I also cut a part from this and will add it to the next chapter instead.
The social media screenshots from the beginning of the chapter are completely new, and the others from near the end were redone but barely got any changes.
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❁ Don't forget to vote, it helps boost the story, and if you would like, you can comment too, I do my utmost best always to reply. ❁
I wish you all an amazing day
x P A N D O R A x
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