Friendships Desires and Secrets

When Nothing Else Matters

Namjoon bounced JiYoo on his knee, smiling broadly as the baby girl squealed with delight at the jostling. Alex watched from the kitchen area of the apartment that she and Joon truly shared now. He had even set up some space in one spare room for her art supplies. The third bedroom had three cribs for when they babysat.
JiYoo's shrill screech peiriced the veil of Alex's wool gathering. "You're going to make her throw up again, Joonbug." She said in an amused tone. Namjoons knee slowed slightly, but his eyes never left the baby's face. A few moments later, the door tone sounded. Alex let Yoongi and Jimin in, hugging each in turn. "So you are welcome to her if you can pry her away from her uncle." Alex chuckled. "She's well mixed and ready for a nap."
Jimin laughed loudly and covered his mouth. A pink blush painted his cheeks for a moment as Yoongi reached for their daughter. Jimin tickled the babies plump cheeks, and she, in turn, reached for his face with chubby fingers.
"Do do do da da da." Jimin kissed each of her cheeks, and she cooed back at him. "Doo doo doo." Drool spilled from her happy grin, and Yoongi grabbed her bib and swiped her chin.
JiYoo's head swiveled, and she plopped a drool kiss on Yoongi's cheek. "Aaahhh so nasty." He replied to her in English. "So nasty." He tickled her and repeated himself. She shook her head and kissed him again. Drool smeared on his cheek, and he again said, "So nasty." Yoongi showered her face with kisses until she giggled.
After the two happy daddies departed, Alex and Namjoon discussed plans for the weekend.
"There is a new art exhibition at the National Museum of Korea." Alex scrolled up on her phone.
"KKKKKKKsht. I want to go there when I have a lot of time to look around. It will be busy this weekend."
Alex nodded. "We can wait a couple of weeks. Kyobo Book Center is having a sale. That's not too big, and we can get dinner afterward."
Namjoon nodded. "Where is it?"
Alex glanced down at her phone. "Jongno-gu."
He nodded again as he stood and stretched. His back and knee popped loudly.
"You're getting old." Alex laughed as he shot her a dirty look.
"Everything still works." He snipped.
"Ok, Ahjussi." She laughed loudly as he attacked her.
"I will show you who's middle-aged." He started kissing her neck and chest.
Through her giggles, she managed to yell out. "You are middle-aged, but I'm still older." She wrapped her leg around his hips. "You have drool on your pants, ahjussi. Maybe I should take them off of you."

***

Jungkook swaddled Alexander Lee snuggly in the blanket and gently kissed the soft black fluff on the sleepy baby's head before laying him in the bassinet. The small mouth opened in a wide yawn, and his eyes fluttered closed.
Jungkook turned to look at his wife. Amy was gently rocking the chair, mindful of nothing save the tiny cupids bow working at her breast. She gazed down at Jeon Lee, her eyes full of sunlight and love for the tiny baby. Jeon Lee reflexively startled as he nodded off to sleep and fussed. Jungkook immediately started to reach out to comfort him.
"Let him cry, Buns. If he got a little milk down the wrong way, it's better that he cry it out." Amy rubbed the baby's back until he settled. When she tried to get him to latch back on, he yawned and swiped at his face with a tiny fist. "I think he's done." She said as she handed him to his ever-watchful father.
JK scooped the baby into his well muscled arms and hummed softly as he took the baby to the changing table.
Amy took the pump from the table and relaxed back in the rocker as she finished emptying her breasts. She did this every time, so she would have plenty when the twins got more hungry as they grew. If they were anything like their father....
After Jung Lee was changed and swaddled, JK laid him beside his twin. He knew when he came back to check them that his sons would be touching each other. Jungkook turned to Amy and leaned on the changing table until she was finished. He seemed mesmerized.
After she bottled up her milk, she started to stand with the machine in hand, but he quickly took it from her and went to wash it so she could stay where she was and rest.

***

Jimin put the car in park and looked back at his sleeping daughter. Her small hands were in tight fists around two of Yoongi's fingers. Yoongi, who was also asleep, looked exhausted. There were dark circles under his deepset eyes, and his cheeks looked slightly more hollowed. That might simply have been because his mouth was hanging wide open. Jimin had insisted that he get up when JiYoo woke at night because Yoongi was working on a new collaboration, an album, and all the promotional meetings. Yoongi would still wake up in the middle of the night and turn off the baby monitor. Jimin even set an alarm. When he went into JiYoo's room the first night he had set it, she wasn't there. He found the two of them sitting at the table, Yoongi's face was lit by a lovely bluish light. JiYoo was sleeping in the crook of his arm as he worked. Jimin could only shake his head and kiss his beloved as he took the baby back to her room.
They had finally found peace.

***

The yearly anniversary dinner meeting started off well enough until Jin brought a bottle of whiskey out from under his seat. He handed the bottle down to Namjoon, who looked confused. When Jin came out with another bottle and handed it to Yoongi, the two men glanced to each other.
Jin had bought everyone a bottle of his favorite whiskey. An hour and seven nearly empty bottles later, the happy chatter was reaching a roaring din. Alex and Amy chatted happily with Shelia. They were betting on who would pass out first. Alex had money on Jin because he had gotten started before the dinner did. Shelia was looking at Hoseok to go over first because he was drowning himself and had finished his bottle first. Amy was laughing hysterically at Namjoon, who was dancing around to the overhead music and kept having to pull one side of his jeans back up on his hips because his belt buckle had broken.
When Jin hit the floor first, there was a loud roar from the ladies, who paid up on their bets. "Ah! My goodness ladies, remember next time to always bet the sure winner." Alex chided them playfully. "Now. Let's get these boys home before they want to sing karaoke again!"

***

Thank you to everyone who has read and liked this story. And a special thanks to my biggest fan for keeping me going. You mean the world to me.

Please stay tuned for the next story.