Lifetime

Ambrosius

I called my dad first thing in the morning. I'd been moving in and out of sleep for hours, listening to Seokjin's footsteps and voice from the front of the house. I was too tired to tune into his conversation until I was washed and dressed for the day. He spoke rapidly and in his native tongue. I couldn't make out a single word with the way each ran together, but quickly put together that he was speaking to his father by the tension in his shoulders and terse tone.

He lowered his voice, wrapping up the conversation as soon as I made enough noise to alert him of my presence. The smile he sent my way during the goodbye didn't quite reach his eyes and I couldn't be sure the one I returned did either.

"Good morning," his lips smacked against mine the way they did with every initial greeting, "we need to be at the hospital for discharge by three, but I figured you might want to get there a little earlier in case the doctor comes by. I've already made sure the pharmacy has his medications ready to be picked up on the way and put in a grocery order. The guest room closest to ours is ready for him. I'll cook so we can have one more dinner with Faye before her ride picks her up for the airport." He blustered, spouting off just a few of his preparations for the day.

Laughter bubbled over my lips at witnessing the doeish widening of his eyes and parting of his lips as if he were on the edge of continuing his rambling. He paused, mouth agog while I covered mine with a hand.

"Sorry, it's just, is this what I'm like?" I stifled another laugh.

"I wanted to make sure everything was ready. I wanted to figure everything out." He breathed, mouth suddenly desperate and coated in unease.

He understood that I didn't mean harm when I found humor in his behavior, just as I usually did in the aftermath of his teasing. Still, I caught his bottom lip between mine with a tender apology. "Did you, figure everything out?" I asked tentatively.

"Almost." He answered, his phone ringing with an interruption. I was surprised when he excused himself to take the call in another room. He rarely made a point to exclude me from being present during conversations, even when topics became personal.

I skipped breakfast, going for the largest coffee mug in the cabinet and taking the last swallow just as he stepped back into the room. I'd barely placed my mug in the dishwasher before I was being lifted off my feet. He spun me around, a stark contrast to his former display of neuroticism as he pressed repetitive kisses into my neck that made me squeal.

"Let's go." He exclaimed once my feet were on the ground again.

"You're not going to tell me what that phone call was about?" I held my hands against his chest to stop him from moving toward the door, eager to retrieve his keys. The patter of his heart could be felt underneath my palm, a flutter that I wasn't sure was an indicator of nerves or excitement.

He shook his head in disagreement, fingers trailing over my hips. "I still have a couple of things to work out. I'll tell you tonight."

The response sparked my own anticipation and I was itching to know, the slight lift at the corners of his mouth that couldn't be tamed making my heart thump with intrigue.

Faye and my dad seemed astonished by his upbeat demeanor when we arrived at the hospital after yesterday's news. He was at my dad's bedside immediately, checking in to see if he had any need and then whispering something into his ear that made my dad smile with delight.

"He's up to something." Faye wiggled her brows at me, nudging her head toward Seokjin. He and my dad spoke so lowly that it was a wonder they could hear each other.

"I know, he made me drive and wouldn't stop scribbling in that notebook on the way over." I observed him back at it, penning just as fast as they spoke.