Minnie In Love

18. Family Dinner Pt. 2

"I guess we should get going. Don't wanna keep Mom and Dad waiting," Hoseok sniffed and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his palms.

Jimin dabbed at the corners of his eyes with a kitchen rag and nodded, "As far as I'm concerned, I could leave them waiting for longer. It's what they did to me."

"Jimin-ah..." Hoseok frowned. "What do you plan to say exactly?"

Jimin folded the kitchen rag several times and placed it neatly on the counter, "I'm not really sure... I just figured I'd think of something on the spot." He looked up and shrugged gently, "I mean, the feelings are there. Words will come later."

Hoseok put his hand on Jimin's shoulder and squeezed a little. He wasn't quite sure what he wanted to say. Maybe that he'd always have Jimin's back. From here on out at least. Or maybe tell him good luck. Perhaps, be strong and speak his mind. But nothing sounded right. The moment was too heavy and too precious to put words to it. So he opted to just squeeze his shoulder and stare into his eyes.

With a nod and a deep breath, he spoke to Jimin and Jungkook. "Let's go."

Hoseok walked further along the wide and spacious kitchen and turned into a new room. Jimin took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Jungkook took the time to gently wrap his arms from behind his smaller boyfriend and give him a back hug. Jimin leaned his head against Jungkook cheek and chin, taking in all of Jungkook's support. He opened his eyes and slowly turned to put his hands on Jungkook's shoulders.

"Promise me again." He held out his tiny pinky in front of Jungkook's face. "If you feel uncomfortable and want to leave, you say so. And we'll leave."

Jungkook removed his hand from Jimin's waist and held out his longer pinky. "That's for you too. You say the word and we're gone."

Jimin looked at his boyfriends long pinky then back to his eyes. They looped their pinkies and stamped their thumbs.

"Promise."

"Promise," Jungkook repeated with an encouraging smile.

With that, they dropped their hands and headed after Hoseok. It wasn't much of a walk. Not long enough for Jimin to drag his feet. And for once in his life he wished his old house was bigger.

He halted for just a split second before turning into the new room. But with Jungkook's strong presence behind him, he took the first step.

"If it isn't my second son."

"Hey Dad," he said with enough confidence that he surprised even himself. But the second it took for him to say that, his guard dropped. "Dad?"

The man that sat at the head of the table wasn't the man Jimin had remembered six or seven years ago. He looked weaker. More wrinkly. The fire and passion Jimin remembered in his father's eyes was replaced with stress and exhaustion. And frankly, he looked ten years older than he actually was.

Jimin rushed over to his Dad and stood next to his chair. Looking down, he noticed the few veins standing out in his father's hand. "Are you ok?"

"Sit down Jimin," his father said sternly; not wanting to make a fuss over anything. "Sit."

"Yes Sir," Jimin frowned and took his spot next to his mother, while Jungkook sat across from him and next to Hoseok.

It was precisely then that Jungkook locked eyes with the head of the household. It all came together for the young man. He was in the Jung Household. Hoseok almost identical to his father and Jimin almost identical to his mother. And the two parents seemed to have control over something that Jungkook just can't put his finger on. And it was in that feeling, and in the stare of Jimin's father, that made the young male duck his head. "Tell me, Jimin... who might this be?"