BABY MAMA | pjm

LXXXVII

ACT XVIII | SCENE LXXXVII

❝LADYBUG❞

TAEHYUNG SPREAD HIS arms out, momentarily blinded by rosalie's small hands over his eyes. "uncle tae can't see!" he yelled out childishly, causing the little girl that sat on his shoulders to move her hands higher on his face with a giggle.

he was helping watch the child whilst jangmi had been snatched by hoseok to be his assistant for the day. he didn't mind. after all, it had been a while since he'd spent quality time with the little girl. "vroom!" he cheered, running around the living room of jimin's new apartment. excited giggles erupted from rosalie as everything seemed to move faster.

jimin sat on the couch, hunched over his laptop, a couple of files opened next to him. his fingers moved over the keyboard, eyes skipping between the papers and the laptop screen. sniffling, his gaze moved up to the playing duo when rosalie let out a shriek like laugh, momentarily frightening him. plump lips curved in a tiny smile, the feeling that he had two children in his care never leaving him.

"jin hyung will be here soon, then i can go see my father." he announced after a moment. "why does he have to be here before you can leave anyway?" taehyung stopped running around, lips pushing out in a pout. "because," jimin dragged out the word, "when you're around kids, you suddenly share the same mental capacity as them. i can't leave you all alone with rosalie, i might as well be leaving two four-year-olds on their own."

the scowl on his younger friend's face only served to buttress his point. "you look like i just told you you could have only one lollipop from your halloween bag." jimin remarked with a laugh. "besides, you realise that in all these months, your brother hasn't officially met rosalie, don't you?"

"fine, because he hasn't met her yet." taehyung mumbled out begrudgingly as though jimin was ever going to change his mind. the girl in question patted his face. "uncle tae, vroom vroom!" she urged. the way his expression instantly lifted astounded jimin. "vroom vroom!" he yelled and before jimin could even blink, he was off.

barely fifteen minutes had passed when the doorbell rang. "that must be him." jimin grunted as he got on his feet, hurrying to the door. "hey, jimin." seokjin smiled as soon as the door was pulled open. "hi, hyung." jimin stepped out of the way to give him room to enter. "nice place." the older man remarked. "thanks."

seokjin raised a brow at the sight of taehyung and rosalie playing around. "rosalie, uncle jin is here!" jimin called, causing taehyung to stop. "oh, hyung!" his eyes widened cutely, lips parted slightly. rosalie mirrored his expression. taehyung reached up and brought her down.

"hi, rosalie." seokjin waved, a huge smile on his face. "i'm uncle jin." his smile got even brighter when she reached for him excitedly. "uncle jinnie!" he lifted her up, jiggling her a little in his arms. "rosie!" he grinned, bopping her nose. "a little birdy told me you like red so i got you this." he pulled out a toy ladybug from his back pocket. "a ladybug for the ladybug."

rosalie would not stop giggling as she took the gift from him. "thank you, uncle jinnie." she beamed. "you're welcome, ladybug."

"okay, princess, papa has to go out for a little while so you stay with uncle tae and uncle jin, hm?" jimin moved closer to her. her head bobbed in a nod, lips pouting slightly. pushing his index fingers into her cheeks, he pulled the corners of her mouth up. when she grinned, he kissed her forehead. "papa loves you." he whispered. "i love papa." she whispered back.

• • •

jimin felt the lump in his pocket, taking a deep breath before knocking on the door of the study. he waited for the familiar grunt of invitation, his hand wrapping around the knob when he heard it.

"good evening, father." he bowed, shutting the door behind him. "hello, son." the man looked up from the papers he was reading. "everything okay?" he gestured for his son to take a seat. "everything's fine." he assured, sitting down. "then what are you doing here this fine saturday evening?" the older man leaned back. "i came to return something."

jimin clasped his hands on the table, leaning forward. "did you take something from me?" myungsoo's brows scrunched together in confusion. "actually you gave it to me." jimin reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box, placing the small sapphire velvet cube on the mahogany desk.

myungsoo's brows moved in even closer. "jimin, that's the ring i gave you." he stared at the box. jimin expelled air through his lips with a nod. "yes, it is." he pushed it further across the desk towards his father. "i realised i don't need it. i'm not sure i ever did."

"what is that supposed to mean?" the older man queried, a mix of curiosity and suspicion in his tone. "i'm sorry dad but i can't keep it. i don't want it. and quite frankly, i have no use for it." jimin slid his ring up his finger, pressing plump lips together.

"did you get cold feet or...?" the man tried to read the look on his son's face. the younger man shook his head. "it's not that. i just– i don't know how to explain it. having it around isn't helping me. i feel burdened, like i'm being forced to do something i don't want to. and i really hate feeling that way." he confessed, features pulled in a slight frown, fingers toying with silver rings.

nodding, myungsoo reached for the box, flipping it open. the diamond instantly caught the light of the chandelier. "i'll keep it. whenever you want it back, come for it." he mumbled. jimin smiled soft, shaking his head. "i don't think i will."

• • •

jimin shoved his hands into his pockets after pressing the doorbell, waiting for an answer. his head lifted when the door finally opened, hair falling over his eyes. "we need to talk."

☀️☀️☀️

dun dun dun! who do you think jimin went to see? he's acting kind of weird, isn't he? i wonder what he's up to hmm. the next chapter's going to be pretty interesting. hehe see y'all on the next episode of dragon ball z

aND OMFG THANK YOU FOR 20-FUCCIN-K VOTES I CANNOT FREAKING BELIEVE IM SO GRATEFUL IM SO BLESSED ILY GUYS SM THIS AIN'T REAL I DON'T DESERVE Y'ALL ARE THE BEST