The Meaning of Family: The Collections

Joe the Dick™️ (2/2)

Ages of the Characters:
Jin - 24
Namjoon - 23
Yoongi - 7
Hoseok - 6
Jimin - 4
Taehyung - 4
Jungkook - 2

"I'm sorry our date night turned out like this." Jin looked at Namjoon apologetically. Jin's mom was supposed to watch the boys that night so he and Namjoon could go out together but had fallen sick with food poisoning and had to cancel last minute. Jin had originally called to cancel the date, but Namjoon had suggested they hang out at Jin's house instead so they could still see each other, so they hung out with the boys for a bit until they went to bed, then the two of them had a casual date night consisting of board and card games.

"You don't have to apologize." Namjoon said for about the twentieth time that night as he helped Jin clean up the cards from their last round of Taboo, since they had both decided they were tired of games and would rather watch a movie. "I love spending time with the boys," Namjoon took Jin's chin between his thumb and forefinger to make sure his boyfriend was looking at him, "and any date is a perfect date as long as it's with you." Namjoon smiled as he pulled Jin's face towards him so their lips could meet while Jin just rolled his eyes.

"You are the cheesiest human I've ever met." Jin teased as Namjoon pulled him in for another kiss. When he pulled away again, he said, "Besides, you say that like I'm something special."

Namjoon gently stroked Jin's skin with his thumb, looking at him with soft eyes. "But you are~" He nearly whispered, kissing him again, but this one was more passionate than the previous ones. As Namjoon pulled away, he noticed that Jin's cheeks were flushed pink from the compliment, and he couldn't help but think once again how beautiful the man before him was and how lucky he was to have met him nearly three years earlier. "God, I love you~" Namjoon whispered as he stared directly into his boyfriend's eyes.

It only took two seconds for Namjoon to completely regret saying that phrase as he watched the 24-year old's eyes widen in shock and his body tense. "Oh...uh...I'm gonna go make some popcorn and get some drinks. You can pick whatever move you want." Jin rushed into the kitchen, leaving Namjoon cursing to himself as he moved to sit on the couch.

They were halfway through The Sandlot when Namjoon got fed up with the awkwardness between the two of them. "I'm sorry~" He blurted out, causing Jin to jump slightly before looking at him. "If I freaked you out or if I overstepped-"

Jin's eyes widened and he was quick to cut in. "No, no, no, it has nothing to do with you." Namjoon tilted his head, looking at Jin in curiosity and leaving the movie in the background completely forgotten. Jin took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "I get very weird when it comes to the...'L' word." Namjoon nodded, muttering an 'oh' as he understood, he himself was picky with who he shared that phrase with, but also confused. He never pictured his boyfriend, the human embodiment of love and compassion, to have problems with it. Jin looked down at his fingers, avoiding eye contact with Namjoon as he continued. "I don't really have the best experiences with it."

For the first time ever, Namjoon saw just how much pain Jin was keeping on the inside, and it broke his heart. "Do...do you want to talk about it?"

Jin shrugged, playing with his fingers. "If we're going to continue this relationship, I probably should." He paused, as if waiting for Namjoon to end things right then and there. When he didn't, he took a deep breath to calm his racing heart. "My first, and only other, boyfriend had always told me that it didn't matter that I could verbalize the love I had for him. That he knew that I loved him, and the knowledge was all that mattered and all we needed to keep our relationship going. Yet when I did finally say it to him, it wasn't enough for him to stay." A surge of pain rushed through Namjoon's chest at the mention of Jin's previous boyfriend but reminded himself that he didn't matter because Jin was with him now. "All of my previous girlfriends only told me they loved me so that I would say it back, then dumped me when I couldn't. And my stepfather..." Jin hesitated, and Namjoon swore he could see fear flash through the man's eyes. "...my stepfather, I don't really know what was going through his head, if he had a skewed idea of love, or if he just loved the psychological torture...all I know is that his words didn't match his actions."

Namjoon reached over and took Jin's hand in his, intertwining their fingers. "How so?" Namjoon may or may not have been tapping into his social worker persona, but he knew that it was best for Jin to talk it out than to keep it on the inside.

Jin shrugged. "Everything. He once spanked me with a belt when I was six because I got 'too loud' at the grocery store, then said it was because he loved me. He yelled at me and threatened to send me to boarding school when I signed up for drama freshman year instead of trying out for a sport and said he loved me so much that he wanted the best for me. When I first came out to him and my mom, it was by bringing my boyfriend home to dinner, and he flipped his shit, screaming, throwing things. He kicked Sandeul out and threatened to throw me out too. He kept saying 'I raised you, I've loved you, and this is how you repay me, by being a fag'. There's a lot more, but we would be here all night if I listed every specific incidence." Jin finally looked up at Namjoon and saw that his jaw was clenched. The 23-year-old stayed silent as he slowly let go of Jin's hand, standing up from the couch. "What?"

"What's your mom's address?" Jin looked at Namjoon in confusion until he elaborated. "I'm gonna go beat the shit out of your stepfather."

"Namjoon, no!" Namjoon was already halfway through the door by the time Jin got off the couch. Jin quickly grabbed him by the arm, tugging him until he was facing him. "Don't~"

"Why shouldn't I?" Namjoon asked, trying to contain his anger as Jin wrapped his arms around his waist, which successfully calmed him down a bit. But just a bit.

"Well first of all, he would call the police on you, you would get arrested for assault, you would lose your job, and I know how much you love what you do." Namjoon sighed, knowing Jin was right, so he settled for wrapping his arms around the older. "And I'm trying to move on. I've gone to therapy, I've learned coping mechanisms and how to manage my anxiety over it. I'm fine." Jin moved his head so he was looking into Namjoon's eyes, as the younger male had been refusing to look at him until then. "Really, I am. I can't make him change, you can't make him change, so there's no sense in trying. So just don't say anything to him, don't interact with him, and definitely don't beat the shit out of him."

Namjoon could tell that the psychological abuse Jin suffered at the hands of his stepfather ran much deeper than Jin was letting on, but he chose not to press him further at that moment in time. He slightly shook his head. "I don't know if I can do that."

Jin frowned slightly. "You do it all the time with people that are abusing and neglecting their kids."

Namjoon held back a scoff. "That's different." Jin asked how, and Namjoon responded with, "Because it's you!" Namjoon sighed. "I don't think you understand the effect you have on me. I can hold back my comments towards parents because when I'm on the job, there's a protocol and set of guidelines, but with you...all that flies out the window. You don't know how hard it was for me not to kiss you nearly every time I checked in on the boys over the years."

Jin flushed pink again, biting his lip shyly before responding. "Then I'll set a protocol. No interacting with my stepdad for any reason. Do it for me." Namjoon hesitated before nodding his head slightly, biting his lip to hold back further commenting. "Promise me~" Jin demanded.

"I promise." Namjoon's words came out as barely a whisper, and Jin thanked him by closing the distance between the two of them. And that's when Namjoon felt it. Every word, every phrase that Jin couldn't tell him because of what he had endured growing was put into that one kiss full force. And from that moment, Namjoon knew that was all he needed in his life.