Please Dry My Eyes: Part 5
Description: Jin, Hoseok, and Yoongi have had a running streak of bad luck, but Jin isn’t sure what to make of this one: His old friend’s trickery that leads to him being the new father of a little toddler, Jeon Jungkook.
Posted: 10/12/2020
WARNING: Mentions of death
Angst/Fluff: 2,846 words
A/N: Apparently I was on hiatus. So, here’s the next part. Sorry it’s been so long. Happy birthday Jimin!
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Jin hurried into the building, out of breath from the pelting rain and strong wind.
Namjoon hopped to his feet. “Hey, thanks for doing this.”
“No problem. What’s the story?”
“Well, he associates everyone here with the word ‘bad’ but we need to look at him and make sure there aren’t any more injuries.”
Jin's heart clenched. “Alright, how are we proceeding?”
“I was hoping you’d have an idea. We’ve tried everything in the book. That woman over there that looks like she’s trying to hide? Yeah, she’s worked here for forty years and she’s stumped.”
Jin looked around a moment, then discarded his coat and dropped the backpack on the chair so he could rummage through it. He kicked off his shoes and pulled a big fuzzy blanket and a stuffed animal from the bag. “Where is he?”
“Follow the sounds of screaming.”
Jin listened and winced. That was a very distressed baby. “Get me a water bottle.”
He hurried down the hall to the room where another worker was trying to get the screaming child to calm down and come to her.
She quickly backed off as Jin came over.
He shook the blanket out flat above the toddler and then let it drift down over the boy, then while the kid was confused he quickly sat where the boy would peek out and set the stuffed animal in front of him.
He caught the water bottle Namjoon tossed to him a second before the boy managed to peek out from under the blanket, obviously confused by the event.
The boy—Jimin—looked between the stuffed animal and Jin’s soft smile with red eyes. His nose was all snotty, and Jin imagined the boy had been crying for hours. It was a miracle he hadn’t puked from crying so hard.
“Hello, would you like some water?” He asked softly, showing the boy the bottle. “You’re a big boy, right?”
Jimin coughed a little after a wet sniffle, but nodded and crawled over, sitting back on his feet as Jin helped him drink from the bottle.
“There, you looked thirsty. Are you hungry?”
The boy shook his head, still sniffling.
Jin reaches back and grabbed a tissue. “Can I wipe your nose?”
The boy just waited and Jin took that as his cue to wipe it and, though the boy made a noise, he didn’t fight it.
“Blow?”
Jimin did and Jin praised him. “Good job, kiddo. My name is Seokjin, what’s your name?”
“Jimin,” the boy mumbled, eyes on the water bottle.
“You want more?” Jin asked.
Jimin nodded and carefully took the bottle when it was offered and drank more.
Jin waited while Jimin drank most of the rest of the bottle like it was juice.
The toddler spilled the last little bit on his face and shirt and almost started crying.
“Whoops,” Jin said in a light tone. “Did that mean water get you?”
Jimin looked at him with big, tear-filled eyes.
“Let’s see if we can get you a dry shirt. How’s that sound, Jimin?”
Jimin looked at his outstretched hand, then crawled the last foot between them and into Jin’s arms.
Jin quickly wrapped around the boy and grabbed the stuffed animal, lifting both of them and carrying Jimin over to where Namjoon had set Jin’s backpack.
He hummed a bit as he considered the situation and how best to handle it. “Can I set you down while I look in the bag?”
Jimin was slow to respond, but nodded, still sniffling a little.
Jin set him on the counter, grinning at the surprise in the boys eyes at not getting set on the floor. He set the plushy in the boy’s lap. “Can you hold this?”
Jimin hugged it tightly, nodding.
Jin kept humming as he went through the bag, pulling out one of the bigger shirts. “There we are!” He showed it to Jimin for the boys approval.
But the kiddo wasn’t even paying attention, face buried in the lavender scented plush.
Jin carefully changed the boy’s shirt, telling him what he was going to do in a silly song that eventually drew a giggle from Jimin. It also meant he got a good look at the bruises and already treated cuts on the boy. Jin didn’t often consider murder but this was one of those times.
He handled the baby carefully, managing to change his diaper and eat a small snack before the kid curled up in his lap with the blanket and the stuffed cat.
“Jiminie, is it okay if I take care of you for a while?” Jin asked softly.
The boy looked up at him sleepily. “Eomma?”
Jin stroked the little head, smoothing the hair from his face. According to Namjoon, Jimin’s mother was in critical condition at the hospital after the accident. Jimin has been assessed and they hadn’t found any serious injuries, treating some of the minor injuries before he became too unruly to treat anymore and was released to child service’s care until his mother was recovered or a family member claimed him. His father had been proclaimed dead at the scene, but apparently Jimin hadn’t really known him because he’d been deployed so often.
“Your Eomma was hurt when you were, she has to stay with the doctor and you can’t stay there because she doesn’t want you getting sick.”
Jimin nodded gravely. “Sick is bad.”
“Yeah, so can I take care of you for a while? Like a sleepover? Me, you, Jungkookie, Uncle Hobi, and Uncle Yoongi?”
“Uncles?” Jimin asked in a cute squeak.
Jin nodded, smiling softly and showing him a picture of his friends. “That one is Uncle Hobi, and that one is Uncle Yoongi. And Jungkook…” he swiped to a photo of the boy hugging his bunny plushy. “Is my…son.”
Jimin froze. “My brother.”
Jin glanced at Namjoon, who shook his head.
“Where’s my brother?” He asked, tears filling his eyes.
Jin shushed him softly. “Jimin, he got really hurt. Like your appa.”
Jimin’s eyes were huge and full of unshed tears. “Appa?”
Jin nodded gravely.
“They went to sky-place with gramma?” He asked, lisping and short of breath as he hiccuped.
Jin sighed and nodded.
“Is eomma goin’ there too?” He asked, voice breaking into a small wail.
“I don’t know Jimin. The doctors are trying to fix her, but she can’t take care of you while they fix her.” Jin gently rubbed Jimin’s back, tucking the stuffed animal back into the boys arms.
His lip was sticking out in a pout but Jin could tell the toddler was trying to be okay.
“It’s okay, baby,” he whispered softly, fingers lightly brushing away the tears. “I know it’s sad and scary.”
Jimin wrapped his arms around Jins neck, burying his face in the mans shoulder.
Jin wasn’t sure how much Jimin really understood, but however much was understood would have to be enough for now. “Do you want to come home with me until we know how your eomma is doing?”
Jimin nodded, still sniffling into Jin’s shoulder.
Jin nodded as well, getting up while still holding the toddler. “We’ll need to put your coat on, Jiminie.”
There was a soft whine, but the boy allowed Jin to put his coat on him.
Namjoon packed up Jin’s stuff, following at a distance so that Jimin wouldn’t get upset.
The toddler seemed nervous about being in the car again so soon, but Jin convinced him that squeezing the stuffy would help him be brave and quickly managed to close the door and get in himself after promising to call Namjoon after he got Jimin in bed for the night.
Jin talked to Jimin throughout the ride, telling stories and asking little questions like his favorite color and favorite food, favorite candy, favorite vegetable and fruit, and favorite movie which he was definitely using as a base to get to know the little tyke.
Jimin was asleep when they got to the house.
Jin carried him in, his jacket over the boy to shield him from the rain, almost immediately having to shush Yoongi of all people.
“Hyung—“
“Shhhhhh!” Jin hissed out. He pointed at the lump in his arms. “He’s asleep.”
Yoongi frowned in confusion, glancing at Jungkook. “Where have you been? Hoseok-ah said you just ran out after saying you had to leave and it’s nasty outside. We lost power.”
Jin gently removed his coat from over the toddler. “It was an emergency.”
Yoongi blinked, stunned, then he looked at Jin in mild disbelief and incredulity. “You’re…You…why?”
“It might just be temporary. His family was in an accident, with him, I might add. His dad and brother were dead on the scene, and his mom is in critical condition. It was an emergency.” Jin spoke softly, leaning down to kiss Jungkook on the head.
Yoongi paused then nodded. “Okay. We said emergencies were okay.”
Jin nodded, looking between the boys and starting to worry. “Was Jungkook…?”
“He didn’t notice right away, but once he did he didn’t stop crying until I convinced him you’d taken PupPup to the vet because he got a booboo that you couldn’t fix. Hoseok didn’t know what to do, and looked like he was about to cry himself. Thankfully Jungkook didn’t see me shove PupPup into the couch cushions.”
Jin nodded. “Good thinking. He accepted that?”
“After a while.” Yoongi led the way back to the nursery. “Hobi is already asleep in here. Is….”
“Jimin, I’ll keep him with me for tonight.” Jin stroked the boys soft hair. “That way if he wakes up I can comfort him quickly.”
Yoongi nodded, ducking in to put Jungkook down before coming back out. “The outlook for his mother?”
Jin sighed. “They didn’t tell me, but I think it’s grim.”
Yoongi nodded. “What’s he like?”
“Not sure, he was so upset. But he seems sweet and well-behaved.”
Yoongi nodded, holding out his hands. “Go clean up, hyung. I’ll get him laid down.”
Jin hesitated, but only made sure Yoongi had a good grip on the toddler and the stuffed animal before heading off to take a nice shower and change and enjoy just a few minutes to himself.
After getting comfortable, he went into his room, seeing Yoongi tucking the blankets around the boy.
Yoongi was looking down at Jimin so softly. "He’s so small. How old is he?”
“Three,” Jin answered, climbing into the bed next to the tiny boy.
Yoongi nodded. “So, about two years older than Jungkook.”
Jin nodded, eyes falling shut. “You take your meds?”
“Not since this morning. I feel fine, though.” Yoongi’s hand patted Seokjin’s back after pulling the blankets up around Jin’s shoulders. “Rest well, hyung.”
Jin hummed something in response, hoping it was a similar comment.
But next thing he knew it was 3 am and he was pulling a snuffly Jimin into his arms.
“Hey,” Jin murmured. “I’m sorry, baby.”
Jimin hiccuped and buried his face in Jin’s chest. “Eomma!”
“I know, Jiminie. I know,” He whispered, hugging him firmly and rubbing his back. “Are you hungry, Jiminie?”
A tiny nod.
“Okay, lets go get something to eat.” He kept his voice soft, picking himself and the toddler up out of bed. He was tired, he’d been awake all of the previous night with Jungkook, who’d had his first bad bout of nightmares in three weeks. But he also knew that Jimin needed patience. Gentleness. Soft voices and soft touches.
Unfortunately, he could also hear Jungkook calling for him quietly.
He paused by the door, looking down at Jimin, who looked back up at him with a soft little hiccup.
“Hey, Jiminie, it sounds like Jungkookie needs a snack too. Is it okay if we bring him, too?” Jin asked gently.
Jimin blinked a couple times, then nodded.
Jin nodded and carefully opened the door, gaze immediately meeting the teary eyes of Jungkook in the dim light.
Hoseok was dead-asleep.
Jin shook his head a little, putting a finger to his lips.
Jungkook mimicked it, but he was then staring at Jimin.
Jin reached down and carefully lifted Jungkook, quickly exiting out of the room and closing the door as much as he could. He took both toddlers down the hall and then sat on the couch with them.
Jimin reached out and gently patted Jungkook’s cheek. “Hi, baby.”
Jungkook stared at Jimin with wide eyes, almost shocked.
“Kookie, this is Jiminie. He’s staying with us while his eomma is sick,” Jin said carefully, not even sure if Jungkook would understand. “Jimin, this is my son, Jungkook.”
Jimin patted his cheek again. “Hi, Gukkie.”
Jungkook looked up at Jin.
Jin kissed his forehead. “Can you say hi?”
Jungkook scrunched his hand at Jimin, then hid his face in Jin’s shoulder.
Jimin giggled softly.
Jin shook his head a bit. “Can I set you down while I get us a snack, Jiminie? I think Jungkookie is a little grumpy.”
“Ok,” Jimin whispered, climbing down and then following Jin into the kitchen. He was limping a little, probably sore from his bruising and cuts. But he seemed to be in fairly good spirits now.
Jungkook clung to Jin’s neck, peeking over his shoulder at the other toddler.
“Alright, so, I think we have some yummy rice,” Jin said in a quietly cheerful voice.
Jimin’s face scrunched up with his smile.
“Rice it is,” Jin chuckled, grabbing the dish and popping it into the microwave since that was the best method. He grabbed a couple other things out of the fridge, preparing a meal as much as he could with only one hand.
Jimin followed him around like a little duckling, looking up at him as he waited.
Jin glanced at Jungkook, then down at Jimin. “We’re not going to be able to do this alone. Kookie, should we go get Yoongi-hyung?”
Jungkook perked up, then nodded. “Hyung.”
Jin nodded, then reached his hand down for Jimin to take. “Come on, we’re going to go wake up a grumpy kitty.”
“Grumpy kitty?”
“Yoon’i,” Jungkook squeaked happily. He was very fond of his grumpy kitty hyung, and knew that nickname by heart. He liked napping with grumpy kitty.
Jimin didn’t seem opposed, taking Jin’s hand and walking with them down to the master room where Yoongi was curled up.
Jin set Jungkook on the bed. “Wake the kitty, or cuddle the kitty?”
Jungkook crawled over to Yoongi, squishing his cheeks with his chubby hands. “Yoon’i-hyunnie.”
Yoongi muttered lowly, barely twitching.
But Jungkook was persistent. Stubborn, really, if someone younger than two could be described as stubborn.
Jin stifled a laugh, picking Jimin up as Jungkook pulled on Yoongi’s cheeks.
Yoongi startled awake, flinching away from the toddler and blinking in confusion at his surroundings, then up at Jin.
“Jimin is hungry, but Jungkook was awake. I was just going to have him cuddle with you, but….”
Yoongi huffed, grabbing Jungkook and trapping him. “Come on, kiddo. We’re sleeping.”
“Noooo.”
“Yesssss,” Yoongi muttered, pulling the covers over their heads.
“Jinnie.”
“No, no Jinnie. Jinnie needs to do something with Jimin. You need to sleep with your Yoongi-hyung.”
Jin chuckled and carried Jimin out, back to the kitchen, letting Yoongi deal with Jungkook.
Jimin was pretty quiet as Jin finished getting the food ready, sitting in a booster-seat at the table and watching. He played a little bit with the halved grapes that Jin set before him while he heated everything else up, but mostly he just popped one in his mouth now and then and watched.
Yoongi brought Jungkook out, sighing. “Well, it’s almost 4. Six hours of sleep isn’t my worst record.”
“Definitely not.”
“What time did Jimin wake you?”
“About 3.” Jin shrugged, then set some food in front of Jimin and some in front of his own seat since he hadn’t had dinner either. “You went to bed at 10? Who are you and what did you do with Yoongi?”
“Like you can talk, going to sleep at seven,” Yoongi muttered, squishing Jungkook’s cheeks. “I love how it was Hobi’s night to care for Jungkook and he’s the only one still asleep.”
Jin shrugged. “He did take extra shifts while you were recovering from removing your wisdom teeth.”
Yoongi shuddered. “I’m still afraid of getting dry socket.”
Jin rolled his eyes. “You’re out of danger.”
“So you say, but—”
Jin scoffed. “Jiminie, tell him doctors know best.”
Jimin giggled but didn’t say it.
“You’re not a doctor.”
“No, but the doctors said you would be fine by now, and doctors know best. So stop worrying.” Jin fed Jimin a bite from his plate since the boy seemed to prefer his food to his own for some reason.
Yoongi snorted and then let the toddler in his arms snuggle into his neck.
Jin fed Jimin another bite, noticing how distracted he was by Jungkook’s existence. “He had a little brother,” Jin told Yoongi, nodding toward Jimin.
Yoongi considered the other toddler, then nodded. “He’s doing well for how much has happened. Almost too well.”
“Don’t jinx us.” Jin leaned over and kissed one of Jimin’s chubby cheeks.
Jimin squished into a tiny ball of baby fat and a huge grin, then happily focused on eating.
Jungkook was already asleep on Yoongi’s shoulder.
“So, I expect Namjoon will be here tomorrow?”
Jin nodded. “Yeah, more than likely. Probably will have paperwork for all of us. Maybe more news on his mom.”
Yoongi nodded. “Glad we haven’t had the chance to make a mess.”
Jin’s phone started buzzing on the table, and he quickly answered it so that Jungkook wouldn’t wake up. “Hi, Namjoon.”
Yoongi’s gaze darkened.
“Hey…we just got the call from the hospital. She didn’t make it. I can tell him if you don’t think you can.”
“I think you should be here. I’ve never told anyone something like that before.” Jin met Yoongi’s gaze again and shook his head.
Jimin was blissfully ignorant, rolling some of his rice into a ball and then eating it.
“Alright. I’ll be by as soon as I can get the paperwork together.”
“Okay. Everyone but Hobi and Jungkook are awake.”
“That’s unfortunate. How’s Jimin doing right now?”
“Well, he’s fascinated by Jungkook, and he fell asleep before dinner so he’s just now eating, but I thought sleep would do him more good than waking him up.”
Namjoon made a sound like he agreed. “But he’s still doing well?”
“He’s great. Yoongi jinxed us about his behavior, but for now we’re doing well,” Jin said, feeding Jimin another bite of meat. “Aren’t we, Jimin?”
Jimin paused in chewing, looking slightly baffled by the question, then just grinned and continuing eating.
Yoongi snorted. “That’s adorable.”
Namjoon chuckled. “Alright. I’ll talk to you soon, Jin. Try to get a little more sleep.”
“You too.” Jin set the phone down, then gently brushed the hair from Jimin’s eyes. “Well, you need more food, Jiminie?”
Jimin shook his head, his cheeks full of rice.
Jin chuckled and lifted Jimin out of the highchair, standing him on his lap while the kid finished chewing his food. “How about a bath, Jimin?”
Jimin immediately pouted.
“You’re dirty, baby,” Jin said poutily, mimicking the expression in an attempt to prevent himself from smiling. “We’ll be careful about your ouchies.”
Jimin finally nodded, having swallowed all of his food, and then leaned forward and hugged Jin’s neck.
“Good thing JK is asleep,” Yoongi chuckled.
Jin laughed softly and headed down the hall with Jimin to draw a bath and try and clean the kid. There were some mishaps, cuts that stung when the baby shampoo got into them, but Jimin was sleepy when he got out and didn’t fuss as Jin rebandaged him, clothed him and took him back to bed.
Yoongi checked on them some time later.
Jin sighed, holding out a hand.
Yoongi came over and took it. “He asleep?”
“Yeah. Jungkook?”
“Still out like a light even after I lay him down on Hobi’s chest.”
“Hobi wake up?”
“Only enough to register that it was Jungkook. I put pillows around him to prevent him from rolling.” Yoongi sat down next to the bed, still holding Jin’s hand. “I’d offer to take care of Jimin, but I figure he needs you.”
Jin nodded. “You okay?”
“Just…calming down.”
Jin studied Yoongi again, noting his fidgeting fingers, and the slight tremble to his hands. “Yeah. Any ideas?”
Yoongi took a deep breath. “Paperwork. What if…the background check on me…what if it comes up bad, or I don’t get approved and it negatively affects you?”
“Yoongi-ah, they already did background checks on the two of you. If there was a problem, we would have heard by now,” Jin said calmly. “Stop worrying about that. Come on. I’ll move us over and you can catch a nap with us.”
Yoongi nodded.
Jin carefully moved himself and the toddler (whose breathing didn’t even change), allowing Yoongi to climb onto the bed with them.
Yoongi lay on his back beside Jin, both of them staring at the ceiling. “I don’t want to see Jimin crying tomorrow. He’s too young to be so sad.”
“I know.”
“And what do we do about his attachment to Jungkook when Namjoon finds him another home?”
Jin felt his chest tighten. “I don’t know, Yoongi. I really don’t know. All I know is that for as long as we have him, this will be his home and we will love him.”
But silently he hoped that the babes continued to get along and that Jimin would stay.
–
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Masterlist.
