The Meaning of Family: The Collections

Bonding Time with Namjoon (4/5)

It was only a few seconds after Namjoon pulled into the pickup lane at the middle school that Yoongi was climbing in the car. "Bye, Yoongi!" Sophia waved energetically to her best friend while waiting for her grandmother to arrive.

"Bye, Sophia!" Yoongi replied before closing the door. As he buckled himself in, he said, "Hi, Dad."

"Hey, Yoongi, how was school?" Namjoon answered as he pulled back out of the school. After Yoongi responded that it was good, Namjoon asked, "How do you feel about going out for hot chocolate after we get your brothers?" Yoongi nodded that he would like that.

When Namjoon picked up the other four from the elementary school and told them that they would be going out for hot chocolate, shouts of excitement rang throughout the minivan. The four of them sat around a table at Starbucks, the five boys with their hot chocolate while Namjoon opted to drink coffee.

"So, after everyone finishes their hot chocolate, we'll go home so Jimin and Hoseok can get ready for dance class and Taehyung can get together his soccer stuff." Namjoon decided to go through the schedule for the rest of the day with the boys in the hopes that it would help the afternoon go smoothly. "Tae, you can get ready in the bathroom at the dance academy, then you, Yoongi, Jungkook, and I will leave a little bit early to get you to your practice." Taehyung's Thursday soccer practice began at the exact time that Jimin and Hoseok's dance class ended. Normally, Namjoon would handle Jimin and Hoseok while Jin would handle Taehyung and the other boys, but with it being just Namjoon this week, it took a little extra coordinating to make sure everyone would get where they needed to be on time. Jimin looked a little worried over Namjoon's statement. "Don't worry, Minnie, we'll drop Taehyung off with his coach and turn right back around to get you and Hobi when your class is over."

"And then we'll watch Tae Tae play soccer?" Jungkook asked before taking another drink of his cocoa.

"Of course! We gotta cheer on our little soccer star." Namjoon ruffled Taehyung's hair as the seven-year-old beamed at the praise.

They went home, and the two dancers immediately went to get dressed in their required dance clothes (black t-shirt, black sweatpants, sneakers) before having a quick facetime call with Jin before they absolutely had to leave to get to dance class. About halfway through the class, Namjoon sent Taehyung into the bathroom to chance into his soccer uniform before leaving to take him to soccer. Yoongi and Jungkook stayed in the van while Namjoon walked Taehyung to the field his team practiced on, making sure Taehyung was settled and warming up before going back to the van and leaving to go back to the academy to pick up Jimin and Hoseok.

Once both practices were done, and the family was back in the van on the way home, a fairly loud chorus of rumbling stomachs started a special performance. "What are we having for dinner?" Hoseok asked.

"After last night's fiasco," the boys started giggling at the memory of how Namjoon managed to burn macaroni and cheese, "how about we just get Subway?" Five different voices seconded that motion and the family enjoyed a simple dinner of sandwiches and chips before going to bed.

***

"You boys are going to love The Princess Bride! It's one of my favorite movies!" Jin's voice rang out from the phone that was propped up on the coffee table as the family facetimed prior to their movie night. Even though Jin was in a completely different time zone, they were still working hard to make sure the seven of them could be together for family night whatever it took. The entire family was already decked out in their pajamas, and Jin even already had his pizza that he brought back to his hotel room after finishing his sessions for the day. However, the 27-year-old was holding back from eating until the rest of his family had their food, which was currently the only thing holding them back from starting the movie.

The doorbell rang as the boys started inquiring Jin about the movie they had never seen before. "That must be the pizza!" Namjoon announced as he stood up from the couch. After paying the pizza guy, he came back to the couch and set the pizza boxes on the table next to the paper plates that were already laid out in preparation for the movie night. "Let's get this movie night started!"

The five boys cheered and Jin counted down so that they would press play on the movie together, wanting to do everything together as much as possible. By the end of the movie, the twins were half asleep and Jungkook was totally conked out on Namjoon's lap. "You two keep talking to Jin while I get these three in bed." Yoongi and Hoseok enjoyed the special time they got to speak to their dad, so they had no arguments against Namjoon's statement.

After getting the three youngest to bed and sending the two oldest knowing they would fall asleep too within half an hour, Namjoon retired to his and Jin's room to have his own special time talking to his husband. "I can't wait for you to get home tomorrow." Namjoon said, wishing once again that his husband was lying in the bed next to him and not in a hotel bed a thousand miles away.

"And I'm ready to be home." Jin agreed. "I nearly cried today when you sent me those pictures of Jungkook from the kindergarten thanksgiving feast. And I'm going to be missing Tae's soccer game tomorrow." The 27-year-old pouted and Namjoon wanted nothing more than to be able to kiss the pout away like he always did.

"There will be plenty more thanksgiving feasts and soccer games to make up for these though." Namjoon assured him. "I know for a fact the boys aren't planning on leaving you alone once we pick you up from the airport tomorrow."

Jin chuckled quietly. "Well I hope that's not true." Namjoon quirked his eyebrow until Jin continued. "As much as I miss the boys, I also miss you, and I was hoping to have some...'grown up' time after I get back."

A smirk appeared on Namjoon's face as he realized what Jin meant. "Is that a promise?"

Jin shrugged, deciding to tease his husband. "Like you said, the boys aren't going to leave me alone, so we'll just have to see."