Home Is Where the Heart Is

Chapter Five

Jeongguk was lounging on the play mat with building blocks for some reason at eight at night on a Monday when the phone rang.

Granted, Seokjin knew the reason. The reason being that Jeongguk had invited himself to be a standing dinner guest ever since Seokjin had cooked a more formal 'thank you' galbi dinner for his help with Taehyung during the Cupcake Challenge (as Seokjin had begun calling it in his head) months in ago (god, had it already been three months with Taehyung?) because The culinary gods flow through you, hyung. Who am I to deny the whims of the heavens? and Seokjin didn't have it in him to argue with such a flattering compliment.

Besides, having Jeongguk over as often as he was proved to be very nice. He'd learnt more about the wolf, watched shows he never knew existed, and, as a wee bonus, got free massages any time he so much as started to complain about his body being sore.

"I spoil you too much," Jeongguk had groaned as he worked Seokjin's back after one such complaint. "I need to start charging you."

"I feed you dinner," Seokjin had countered through a moan. "And I'll let you pick Taehyung's outfit tomorrow — shit, Jeongguk-ah, right there."

Taehyung seemed to be thriving with them both. His sentences were growing longer and more proper by the day, and he was working through his anxieties and his past with Dr. Howard.

Taehyung still had bad days when he couldn't be left alone or night terrors that kept him up all night, but on those days, Seokjin knew he could call Jeongguk over if he ever needed to, and the man would happily spend time with the toddler to let him sleep.

Jeongguk had also taken to shifting in the backyard. As part of the work they needed to do with Taehyung, he said, which didn't require use of his backyard, but Seokjin let it slide. The first time he'd seen Jeongguk's shifted form sitting in his living room, he'd gasped just as loudly as Taehyung had. He'd never seen a wolf before. Not up close. Seokjin knew he should have been terrified, but those golden eyes belonged to one man and one man only, and the only feeling thrumming through him that first day was thrill.

The thrill had settled into a warm flutter as he'd watched Jeongguk and Taehyung interact. Even as a gigantic, pitch-black wolf, the man was unbelievably gentle with the toddler. When they romped outside, Taehyung giggling and running around as fast as he could on his two legs, with that boxy grin even knowing he would be caught, it was obvious the cub was happy and flourishing. He was. Truly.

He was still slightly too skinny for Seokjin's liking, but the bruising was mostly gone, the cast was gone, and those baby cheeks were filling out the way they were supposed to be.

Seokjin was beyond happy with Taehyung. He felt fulfilled and buzzed with some deep love he hadn't known even existed. Even when he was exhausted from the cleaning, or Taehyung accidentally knocked over his batter, or he caught the toddler drawing — again — all over his bedroom walls, he still loved his little tiger.

Taehyung had also taken to telling him 'I love you' with every kiss goodnight and every bleary-eyed morning awakening.

His heart was full.

Seeing Jenna's work number on his phone screen made said heart catch.

Jeongguk must have heard his gasp, or whatever it was wolves could hear, because he looked up from the small tower of blocks he was assembling under Taehyung's strict guidance. Taehyung, who was sprawled on the man's chest, half-asleep with fluttering eyelids.

Seokjin pressed the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

"Jin," Jenna said, sounding carefully neutral. "I have a placement for you."