Sakimashita: Drunk On You

2

Yoongi never expected Taehyung. He never thought it would be that dongsaeng of all people to ring the doorbell few minutes before Minji turned nine. When he saw the nervous face on the intercom screen, he was shocked was an understatement of the year. Maybe even of the century. He hadn't stopped for a second's thought, he opened the door and wore his shoes. Then, he swivelled on his heels grabbed two umbrellas he had left on the couch. He came back out and hastened down the stairs. He tried not to run, his heart kicking against its cage, noise numbing around him as he got step by step closer. The streetlight leaves enough light outside but the figure isn't visible yet who is still on the other side. Yoongi could barely swallow and almost tripped on his own feet in his hurry. What if he was gone? What if he didn't wait? He stopped gripping the handle end of the umbrella tightly. Yoongi could now make out the tall, slender silhouette through the slight gaps in the gap. What if Taehyung didn't know this was his house? What if the other man had landed up here by accident? Yoongi squeezed his eyes shut and counted till three before releasing his breath.

No time like now to find out.

He slid the gate open.

***

Taehyung watches as the girl- Minji slurps on the soup from the ladle but he tries to not stare too hard which he knows he must be failing miserably. Yoongi is finishing the remains in his bowl and they have been doing this silently. They held hands- all three of them- as they closed their eyes and Yoongi muttered something under his breath. Taehyung just watched the older man. He is still the same and yet he looks so different. He has crowfeet as he chuckles at his daughter's attempt to sneakily open her eyes. His forehead wrinkles. It wrinkles . There's gray hair at the root ends towards the back but most of all he looks gaunt. His cheeks sunken, cheekbones more prominent than should have been on his face. Taehyung notices even the skin on his hand is just as wrinkled if not more and he frowns. Has the past decade been too hard on his hyung? While the house looks very homely and even falls so, Taehyung hasn't seen any photos except for a small frame kept on top of the oven. It is just Yoongi and Minji smiling at the camera (and as Minji had grudgingly but proudly informed, been taken the year before during a sports fest.) There is really nothing Taehyung can look at and know more about Yoongi and the man himself doesn't seem to be very forthcoming. Yoongi still doesn't ask him 'why are you here?' As they are done, the father-daughter help clear the daughter away.

"Minji-ah, do you want to open your gifts now?"

"Yes!", she chirps, grinning and wipes her washed hands on the towel kept on the sink counter.

"They are in the living room," he says smiling.

"I know, Appa," She rolls her eyes and exits the room.

"Won't you wait till tomorrow?" Taehyung asks.

"What for?" Yoongi enters the kitchen and Taehyung follows him. He stops near the threshold.

"Her friends? Maybe her birthday party?" He glances at his watch. "It isn't even twelve thirty. Why is it just you two?" Yoongi puts all the used utensils in the dishwasher and turns the machine on. He turns around after that and leans by it.

"Minji, she will go out with her friends to celebrate." Taehyung looks at him in disbelief.
"She is nine."

"She is." He echoes.

"Isn't that maybe too young for her to do so?" Taehyung can't help but ask and realises his mistake. He shakes his head. "Sorry, it is not my place to... yeah. Sorry." Yoongi sighs.

"Minji will be celebrating it with Jin hyung's kids." His eyebrows almost reach his hairline. "Besides, her friends can't come here." Yoongi waves his hand in the air making a vague gesture.

Oh.

He doesn't want to risk being recognised.

"Jin hyung knows you are back?"

"He has always known where I have been." He adds as an afterthought, "mostly." Taehyung squashes the irritation raising its head. He wants to ask about the others but he grits his teeth. Is Yoongi in contact with all the rest of them? "It is the only feasible solution we could come up with."

"Where is her mother?" Taehyung blurts and smashes his jaws together in frustration. What the fuck does he keep asking?

Yoongi's eyes widen for a millisecond before he smiles, ruefully and says, "Minji is adopted."

"Oh."

"She is Jihoon hyung's daughter." Yoongi reads the bewildered expression Taehyung keeps getting on his face. The other man shuts his eyes and his hands are balled into fists and Taehyung is extremely puzzled. He takes several steps towards him and stops himself.

"Hyung?"

"They are," Yoongi falters, he looks in pain and it hurts Taehyung. Yoongi tries again, "they are-", his voice is raspy and quiet. "She was an orphan when I adopted her." Taehyung's eyes bug out before he covers the remaining distance and embraces the shorter man in a tight grasp.

"I am sorry. I am so sorry," Taehyung murmurs repeatedly hugging him, trying to hold him closer. "I am sorry." Yoongi's hands grip him by the waist.

"Hyung was on his way to marry noona," Yoongi's voice is muffled against his chest. "But, he never reached that day."

"I am sorry," Taehyung says, his heart hurting for the other man. "I am so sorry."
Is this what Yoongi has been dealing with for the past decade? Loss and grief and raising a single child all by himself? Here he has been immersed in his own world and there Yoongi was in so much pain. Yoongi lightly pushes against him and steps back but his hands are gripping him by the arms while Taehyung holds him by the shoulders.

"It is .. okay," he says shakily. "It is okay." He winces and curls his fingers on Taehyung's sleeves. "Just... Minji-ah's birthday can be... difficult ... sometimes."
Yoongi is looking nowhere at him, his eyes constantly shying away from his face. Taehyung wants to keep holding him. He doesn't want to let him go. He doesn't want to lose him again but any moment now Yoongi will realise and step away and slip away. Taehyung knows he can't force him to stay.

"Appa?"

It is a quieter and more subdued voice which calls from the door and they snap their heads and find Minji standing there. She is holding a doll in one hand and a big plastic rocket in another hand. She takes in the scene in front of her and as he predicted, Yoongi slips away from his grasp.

"Sorry," he says and clears his throat. "I'll join you in a minute. Still washing the dishes." He roughly pushes his hair back and makes it messier. He turns away from both of them and barely looks at him when he says, "Taehyung-ssi, can you help her unwrapping the gifts? I'll join you soon."

Taehyung- ssi

The honourfic jolts him out of the stupor. "Of course," he says politely. "Do you mind if I join you for it?" Taehyung tries to sound as polite and as unshaken as possible. Minji is staring between them, her eyes wide. "Can I?"

"I-", she begins but Yoongi cuts her off.

"Minji-ah, show him your gifts." His tone brokers no argument.

"Yes, appa," she replies obediently, her head lowered. Taehyung glimpses back once to see Yoongi wiping his hands against his jeans. He is rubbing them on it and he wonders since when Yoongi has been so- his emotions weren't this easy to read through his body language. Since when have things changed so much?