Stuck With You [Taekook ff]

39 | Holy Shit

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Taehyung slumped into his chair at the office, his tie loosened and the faintest frown etched on his lips. He had been planning his trip to New York, coordinating with Joon and Yoongi. It was after hours as he and Jimin stayed late. They had been invited by his parents to dinner and so Taehyung thought he'd just stay at work, getting some things done. Across the desk, Jimin was packing up his laptop for the day, his mood considerably lighter. He always enjoyed dinners with the Kims.

"You ready?" Jimin asked, glancing at Taehyung.

"Yeah, as ready as I'll ever be," Taehyung muttered, grabbing his suitcoat. Tonight was his weekly dinner at his parents' house, and while he usually enjoyed his mom's home-cooked meals, there was an underlying tension that had made these gatherings less pleasant recently. His mom didn't like the fact that Jungkook was in his life. Ever since his mom tried to put pressure on Jungkook to leave him so that he could marry Tailor, the ex girlfriend he could hardly tolerate, he had been dreading spending time with his mom.

"Come on, it won't be that bad," Jimin said as they made their way out of the office. "Your mom loves me. I'll distract her."

Taehyung chuckled, appreciating Jimin's effort to lift his spirits. "I don't know if even you can distract her from her latest mission to marry me off to that bitch."

Jimin grinned. "Challenge accepted."

The drive to the Kims' was short, but the silence in the car felt heavy. Taehyung's thoughts kept drifting to the inevitable conversation that awaited him. The one where his mom would ask, yet again, if he had thought of giving Tailor a chance. He hadn't-and he didn't plan to. All he wanted was to someday get Jungkook safe and get him back.

When they arrived, the familiar scent of kimchi jjigae and freshly made side dishes greeted them at the door. Taehyung's mother appeared in the doorway, her face lighting up at the sight of her son and his best friend.
"Taehyung! Jimin! You boys are just in time," she said, ushering them inside.
"Dinner's almost ready."

Taehyung exchanged a quick glance with Jimin before stepping inside. His father was seated in the living room, watching the evening news. He stood and came to shake both the boys' hands, as they entered. This was his usual greeting.

"Good to see you, Mr. Kim," Jimin said, bowing slightly out of habit and respect.

"Likewise, Jimin. How's work going?
Wedding plans all sorted?" Mr. Kim asked, his tone light but inquisitive.

Jimin smiled, sitting down on the couch beside him. "Yeah, everything's coming together. We're keeping it simple, just close family and friends."

Taehyung, who had been hanging up his suitcoat, felt the conversation shift towards Jimin's wedding, and he couldn't help but feel a pang of envy. Unlike him, Jimin had found someone he seemed to care enough about to marry, and their upcoming wedding was the talk of their circle. Meanwhile, Taehyung was already married but couldn't be with his husband. Jungkook had left him. And all the talk about Jimin's upcoming nuptials made Taehyung more emboldened to dodge his mother's attempts to push him into a marriage he didn't want.

Mrs. Kim reappeared from the kitchen, a warm smile on her face. "Jimin, I've been meaning to ask-how's Maddy? She must be so excited for the big day!"

"She is," Jimin replied, his eyes softening at the mention of his fiancée. "She's been busy with last-minute details, but we're both looking forward to it. And you guys did get the new wedding date? We had to push it out to allow for more planning."

"That's wonderful," Mrs. Kim said, setting down a tray of appetizers on the coffee table. "And we did get the update. I'm sure you two will make a beautiful couple. Your parents must be thrilled."