✔ We Accept The Love We Think We Deserve #namgi

~twenty four~

Yoongi's prenatal care checkup was scheduled for mid-morning. As they entered the clinic, a wave of nervousness and anticipation washed over him. Namjoon stayed close, offering silent support. The waiting room was bright and welcoming, adorned with soft pastel colors and calming artwork. Other expectant parents sat nearby, some engaged in quiet conversation, others absorbed in reading.

Yoongi's nerves buzzed under his skin, his eyes darting around anxiously. He feared someone might look at him and instantly know that the man beside him wasn't the baby's biological father. It was irrational, letting these thoughts consume him when they didn't matter. What mattered was that he finally had support after attending countless prenatal appointments alone.

But the truth was, it was easier for Yoongi to make excuses for his partner's absence rather than explain why said partner was out of the picture. Now, his neighbor-slash-friend-slash-complicated-relationship was the one accompanying him to his pregnancy appointments and, hopefully, later, the pediatric ones.

"Are you okay, hyung?" Namjoon asked, noticing Yoongi's jitters and grabbing his hand, feeling the cold sweat coating his skin.

"I'm just nervous..." Yoongi admitted.

"Nervous? Any reason why you should be nervous?" Namjoon pressed gently.

Yoongi stayed quiet, thinking. He soon realized there was no real reason to be nervous. No one here cared about who Namjoon was to Yoongi, so why should he let himself be drowned by his own self-induced fears?

"No. No reason at all, I'm just too much in my head," Yoongi confessed.

"Don't let the mean voices pull you down," Namjoon joked, giving Yoongi's hand a reassuring squeeze.

Yoongi nodded, a grateful glint in his smile, his hands warming up inside Namjoon's comforting grasp. As he looked at their linked hands, his brain fell silent—no mean voices, no anxiety or fear of judgment, just a swelling warmth in his chest.

When Yoongi's name was called, Namjoon helped him to his feet, and they followed the nurse into the examination room. The nurse was friendly, making small talk as she took Yoongi's weight and blood pressure. Namjoon stood by Yoongi's side, his hand resting reassuringly on his shoulder. The warmth of Namjoon's touch seeped into Yoongi, grounding him and keeping his fears at bay.

Dr. Lee, Yoongi's obstetrician, entered with a warm smile that immediately put Yoongi at ease. "How are we feeling today, Yoongi?" she asked, glancing at Namjoon and giving him a nod of acknowledgment.

She didn't ask who Namjoon was, nor did she question the absence of Yoongi's partner. Perhaps she didn't recall Yoongi's ex-partner's face since he had only attended the first appointment, or perhaps she simply didn't care to remember. Her focus was entirely on Yoongi, and her kind demeanor helped melt away the remnants of his anxiety.

"A bit anxious, but okay," Yoongi replied, trying to relax.

"That's perfectly normal," Dr. Lee assured him with a warm smile. "Let's start with a few questions, and then we'll move on to the ultrasound."