14 Days | PJM

thirty-eight

The nurse preps you for discharge and hands you printed instructions as well as a prescription for prenatal vitamins. You listen diligently and safely tuck the papers away.

Jimin packs your bag and stands ready by the door. His baseball cap covers the upper half of his face while a mask hides the lower. However, his perfect silhouette easily gives away his identity. He leans against the door frame, patiently waiting for you to join him. He waits as if the world expects nothing of him, as though countless fans don't await his performance.

When the nurse finishes her checklist and records your last round of vitals, you thank her and accept Jimin's welcoming hand. "Let's go."

He walks quickly, dragging you along to the parking garage. "Do you need me to slow down?"

You shake your head, taking many small steps to keep up with his strides. "I'm okay."

You see the Porsche in the garage and climb inside right away, strapping on your seatbelt and taking a deep breath. Jimin drives off just before paparazzi jump out from behind other cars.

You close your eyes and pretend you're stranded on a beach far away. Though you're stranded, you have everything you need. You've got your cell phone, boba tea, a basket of fruits, and a massage gun. You relax and dry your ocean-drenched hair in the hot sun while you watch tiny turtles inspect the sand.

Your heartwarming fantasy is rudely interrupted when Jimin turns the car engine off and unbuckles his seatbelt. You glance around and rest your eyes on him. "Why are we at your dorm?"

He exits the car to open your door. "We have the whole space to ourselves. I figured a change of environment would be good for you."

You accept his help in exiting the car and follow him up to the dorm. You settle into his insanely comfortable bed and yawn into your hand. This is only your second time here.

"Get some sleep," he advises.

You shake your head as you nestle against his pillow. It smells like his peachy shampoo. "I've slept too much. I should stay awake for a while."

He sits beside you and smooths your hair back. "Okay."

You close your eyes and introduce a new topic. "I thought you'd be going back to your tour right away."

"I want to be with you," he responds without missing a beat.

You pout. "You can't disappoint your fans like this. They pay so much to attend concerts to see you."

He gives your arm a gentle squeeze. "You're having my child. I think that's a good excuse to miss a concert."

"Yeah, but I'm not giving birth today," you counter.

He chuckles. "I want to be with you along the entire way. I regret missing so much of your pregnancy's progress. I know you need me, too. You have no one else to care for you."

Saddened, you lay there and let his words sink in. "That's true. But we chose this occupation knowing that we must sacrifice our personal lives to entertain others."

Jimin retracts his hand to rub his forehead and sighs. You grab his wrist, bringing his hand back to you and silently asking him to resume his tender touches.

He strokes your arm again right away, saying, "Honestly, I don't care about anything more than I care about you right now."

This makes you sit up, but Jimin stops you. "Please rest," he begs.

You lay back down but shoot him a look. "Jimin, you can't say those things. You shouldn't take your career for granted."

"That's not it," he replies. "My fans should be supportive of me. How am I ruining my own career by sharing my personal life with them? I want everyone to know. You're having my baby."

You think about this, and you completely agree with him. But you know the company would fight his views to the death.

He moves himself to the foot of the bed and grabs your ankles. You look at him in confusion. He removes your socks and you try to run away, but he holds your foot firmly.

"Let me massage your feet," he says sweetly.

You relax and let his hands relieve the tension in your muscles. Normally, you'd be too ticklish to receive a foot massage, but this feels great. "Mmm," you groan.

"I need to take care of you," he says again.

You debate responding but eventually say, "What if we have another child in the future? Be with me during that whole pregnancy. For this one, I'll be fine caring for myself."

"You fell off a table," he says flatly. You're not sure whether to feel offended. "If I reviewed your choreography, I wouldn't have allowed it. And your schedule is another issue. Why are you performing back-to-back next week? Your body won't be able to handle it."

You stare at him, not sure what to say. He has such strong opinions, and his feelings are absolutely valid.

He rests your feet on the bed and stands. "I'll cook you a plain dinner tonight. I need to ask my manager to pick up the groceries and your vitamins."

You nod, watching as he leaves the room to make calls. Will Jimin really pull out of the rest of the world tour? His members are depending on him. That's not right.

You accidentally drift to sleep as you wait for Jimin to cook your meal. When he arrives with a tray, you groggily open your eyes and briefly gag.

He backs away but you wave him to enter. He sets the tray on the bed, allowing you to look over the contents. Unseasoned eggs with bits of salmon and spinach, toasted whole grain bread, grits, and coconut water.

"If you feel sick, don't eat it," he worriedly says.

You can see the sweat beads forming on his forehead and giggle. "Don't be so worried. Morning sickness is normal."

He nods and offers you a forkful of eggs. You bite and chew slowly, testing your tolerance. It's unseasoned but it's delicious.

You finish your meal and rub your belly, thanking Jimin for the nutrition. He washes the dishes and collapses beside you in bed.

"Did you eat as well?" you ask.

He shakes his head. "I'm not hungry."

You scoff. "How can you worry about me eating when you aren't caring for yourself?"

He wraps an arm around you and pulls you into him. "You're eating for two. It's different."

You pluck his forehead then snuggle into him. "And you have a world tour to return to."

"About that," he says, holding you tighter, "I talked to the company while you were sleeping. We're announcing your pregnancy in an interview later this week, and then I'll be returning to tour."

You gasp, trying to get up so you can look him straight in the eye and maybe even hit him for his bravery, but his grip is strong and he holds you down.

"Baby, calm down. The company understands that it'll be a huge lawsuit if you hurt yourself again."

You flail in his arms. "Why don't they listen to me? They only listen to you," you whine.

He doesn't say anything, but you already know the answer yourself. His success is unmatched, and the company works to please him. You're forever grateful for his thoughtfulness and willingness to protect you, but you regret that his career is always at stake.

"Jimin, your career—" you start.

"I told you, I don't care," he says monotonously.

You surrender to him and lay there lifelessly. You have a lot to think about. "So, everything will be out there," you assume.

He nods. "Everything."