Bound by Marriage ✔NamJin

Chapter 2: And So We Meet

Sitting stiffly in Kim's parlor were three people Jin didn't know. They weren't aware of his presence because he had been very silent, so he observed them for a moment. Their backs were to him so he couldn't see their faces, but Jin could see their dark hair and that they looked rather average in form. The weird thing about them Jin noticed was their stance showed more than some people's faces did.

The woman looked self-disciplining and somewhat insecure. The man looked like he was playful but intensely dedicated. The son-his HUSBAND, Jin reminded himself-had an annoying feel to him and it seemed like he thought most things were overrated. Jin wasn't sure of what to make of that.

He suddenly tuned in on what they were speaking about. "...more handsome than any other man his age in the world, I swear!" His father was saying to the dark-haired family. "People on the street stop and stare at him all the time. You should feel especially blessed that I am giving such a jewel to you, Shin!"

Shin? Jin wondered who this was for a split second. Then his mother noticed him. "Jin, darling!" She said cheerfully, gesturing him in with a slight look of displeasure that Jin hadn't cleaned up a bit more after his fit. "Come closer, dear, and meet your husband and his family!"

His father stood up and hurried over to him and distracted Jin from looking at the strangers as they too stood up to look at him. He kept his face just barely impassive, trying to look bold in front of their visitors, and stopped himself from glaring at the man who had sold him and violated his trust. His father smiled, looking proud. "And here's my precious jewel now! Jin-ah, step into the room, step into the room!" He ushered him closer, and that's when his eyes fell on the strangers once again.

The woman was smiling lightly and uncertainly like she was uncomfortable in this situation and state of dress. She was pretty in a subtle way. Her husband, the tall man, wore his hair up in a ponytail. He had blemishes on his face that made him look rugged but his expression was friendly, open and blessedly welcoming. Jin's eyes slid to the son.

He was a few inches taller than him with a clean handsome face. He looked vaguely annoyed as Jin had thought, and yet he didn't think it was him that was annoying him. He was concentrated intensely on Jin. He didn't smile at Jin and his eyebrows were furrowed, and he was studying Jin intently like he was himself. Although he didn't look as welcoming as his father did, Jin felt that it was more appropriate at such a time and surprisingly appreciated it. Their eyes met for a moment and Jin felt weak at just how INTENSE he was.

Jin bowed slightly. The man chuckled. "What a pretty and polite little boy you've got there Kim Seo!"

His father put his arm around his shoulders and pushed him softly against him. "You've got that right Shin! He's my crowning glory." He smiled down at him and Jin couldn't help but smile back, although he tried to convey that he was disappointed in him through his eyes.

Jin stepped away from his father and forward a little. He nodded at his mother, losing the feeling of anger, who walked over to stand behind him as well with a smile. She gently directed Jin towards the man. "Jin, darling, this is your father's friend, Kim Shin." Jin held out his hand to shake and the man laughed again and firmly shook his hand. Then his mother moved him towards the woman. "And this is Kim Jiho, his wife." Jin once again held out his hand, giving the woman a small smile. She was slightly blushing from embarrassment, but lightly embraced Jin, a gesture which Jin returned in an embarrassing way himself.

Then the man, Shin, pulled his son forward a few steps so they were face to face. Her mother's voice rung through his head. "And this is their son, your husband, Kim Namjoon."

Jin didn't bother with holding out his hand or making some other useless gesture. They stared at each other for a minute silently, before Namjoon furrowed his brows some more and dug into his pocket for a second. He held out a box for him to take. He took it, his fingers lightly brushing against his hand, and opened it. Inside was a beautiful gold ring that wasn't terribly overdone or too simple, with a medium-sized sapphire in the middle and two smaller pearls flanking it embedded in the gold then he looked up at him.

Namjoon gave him a strange-looking grin-it wasn't a smirk exactly, but it wasn't as nice as a smile-and shrugged. "I know it's pointless to give you a ring when the papers are already signed, but I thought you deserved this much, at least."

Jin looked surprised. Their parents were watching the proceedings intently to see what would happen. They, too, looked surprised, and Jin realized that Namjoon had gone out and gotten the ring himself without anyone else knowing about it. Jin's face broke into a warm, genuine smile and he blushed. "Thank you!" Namjoon seemed like a nicer person than he had assumed he was.

Namjoon didn't quite smile back, but he looked pleased that he hadn't thrown the box at him or refused it and stepped closer to him. He picked up the ring from his palm and slid it onto Jin's ring finger. Looking down at his hand he saw a bit of a real smile and heard Namjoon mumble what he thought was 'with thistle and lead' which made utterly no sense at all, but then it was back to the odd half-smirk and he stepped back. Kim Seo pulled his son back to him and kissed the top of his head.

"I'm glad you two get along!" He stated with a grin. "Tomorrow, as you know, Jin, you will be moving out of our house and into your husband's home. You should go off to your room now and get a good night's sleep!"

Jin looked at his bare feet uncomfortably, wishing he hadn't spent so much time with his appearance if he was to be shooed out after only a few minutes. "Yes, dad," he said and gave him a small hug, and heard another one of Shin's warm chuckles. He looked up at the three standing in front of him and bowed again, ignoring the man's chuckling at him, though he noticed that his wife Jiho tried to elbow him discreetly. "It was nice meeting you all," he said, feeling strangely vulnerable. "Have a good night," he said before turning around to leave, kissing his mother on the cheek and wishing her a good night as well.

As Jin left he heard his dad talking about him. "Yeah...that's our precious little boy. Be delicate with him, you thug." He directed at Shin.

Shin scoffed and laughed a little. "I'm no thug, Seo!"

~Edited