The Eight Extra: Petalâs First Christmas
The Eight Extra: Petalâs First Christmas
  With as busy as theyâd been, December was there before they knew it. The group was busy doing interviews as well as prepping for the MMAâs and MAMA award shows. The performances were pre recorded, but in true Bangtan style, they were huge and took a gigantic amount of energy.
  By this time, The Muse was seven months pregnant with twins, and felt like a whale. Petal was a little over 9 months old and had absolutely no mercy on her mother being a little slower and tired as she grew two more humans in her belly. The Muse was eternally grateful that there were seven other people in this world that Petal loved to no end that took some of the attention off of her.
  Yoongi had decided to finally fix his shoulder, and they all thought his healing would go faster if his daughter wasnât demanding to be picked up and climbing all over him. He was an absolute pushover for Petal, and tended to allow her to do whatever she wanted to him, even if it hurt. So he took Holly and went to Daegu to spend some time healing. They all missed him terribly, and Petal usually ended up crying after their nightly video calls. Not for long though, since the other 6 men couldnât handle her little heart being broken in any way and would do anything they could think of to make her happy. The Muse made sure to send Yoongi Petalâs happiness through their connection. It broke his heart to see her so sad, and their connection helped him heal and sleep.
   They celebrated Uncle Jinnieâs birthday just before the award shows. The Muse had found a little RJ suit that fit Petal perfectly. She wasnât walking just yet, but was a quick crawler, and the fuzzy suit helped the little princess zoom faster around on the tile floors. Jinnie was doing his own VLive while the others were all out of the dorm. The Muse stayed behind with him because Petal was napping, and found it to be the perfect time to surprise him with the RJ suit.
  Petal didnât mind the suit. She had so many RJ stuffies of different sizes and shapes that she was very familiar with him. She woke up from her nap and nursed while Jinnie was on with ARMY to celebrate. The Muse pulled the little sprout on top of Petalâs head out of its tie and brushed her hair back so that it wasnât in the way of the little hood. Petal was not a fan at first, grabbing at it and trying to get her head out of it, but once The Muse held her up to stand in front of the mirror, Petals' whines turned into giggles and grunts as she slapped her hands on the glass.
  Jinnie was cleaning up a bit when he heard the tell-tale slaps on the floor and giggle grunts of his favorite little person coming his way. Turning toward the noise, he burst into laughter at the little RJ scrambling across the floor at top speed to get to him. She tried to hold onto his leg to stand, but the footies on her suit were too slippery. Jinnie took pity on her and lifted her up with a flourish, throwing Petal into the air before he caught the giggling bundle and gave her kisses on her chubby little cheeks.
âDoes my little Petal want some chocolate cake?â he asked as he set her on his hip. Petal always wanted chocolate, she was her motherâs daughter after all.
  After a few mouthfuls of chocolate cake with strawberries, Petal sort of helped her mother sing happy birthday to Uncle Jinnie, who then was awarded the task of entertaining the sugared up beast while The Muse put her feet up.
  While she watched them crawl and play, The Muse marveled at how they were able to keep Petal a secret from the public as long as they had. There werenât even rumors about her pregnancy. It wasnât until some crazy fan climbed a tree and took pictures of Yoongi holding Petal when they were exiting from the back of a building after rehearsals that the world finally knew of her existence. Her face was still safely hidden, but the little dark head of hair and the cooing look of her father talking to her on the way to the car made headlines worldwide.
  There were some saesangs that called for BTS to disband. That was to be expected. But, more often than not the fans online wanted to see the men as fathers. So, every now and again they would release a photo of themselves with Petal, never revealing her face or name. Just the love they had for their little princess, exploding ovaries around the globe.
  The Muse was actually thankful that their cover had been blown. She was huge with this pregnancy, and hiding it would have caused more stress than necessary. Now she could wear whatever she wanted. Reporters and paparazzi could take as many photos as they felt they needed, and it didnât matter.
  One of the babies made a quick movement that caused her entire stomach to lurch outward.
âThat one is going to be a dancer. Or a soccer player. I donât know which, but good lord,â She complained as she rubbed a sore spot on her upper belly.
âIt really does look like a scene from âAlienâ when they do that,â Jinnie added as he sat still on the floor to be Petalâs jungle gym. âWhere did you find this RJ outfit! Itâs so cute. Almost as cute as you, Miss Petal,â he added as he made funny faces for his niece. Petal was grunting and giggling as she tried to climb up and around her current favorite person.
  Her favorite changed, depending on the time of day, who was around, and what mood she was in. Her mother was not very fun unless she was sleepy, hungry, or didnât feel well. Appa Jungkookie was her favorite when she was really excitable and wanted to play hard. Appa Tae was fun to cuddle and watch cartoons with. Appa Jimin danced and sang, which made her try to sing along. The Muse bet that her daughter would be just as good as Appa Jungkookie at matching pitch when she was older. Appa Yoongi made sure Petal had as many varied small piano toys around, and she loved to sit on his lap while he played. Guitars were becoming a common instrument around the apartment, as well, and Petal had a lot of fun trying to strum the strings,
  She really enjoyed bedtime stories with Uncle Joonie. He always had some sort of story to tell. Uncle Hobi still liked to get her all riled up. He was a particularly good tickle monster, and his noises had Petalâs shrieks of laughter louder than anyone else could get out of her. Uncle Jinnie could go either way. He liked to play and crawl around with the little one, but he also enjoyed holding her on his lap while he played games. She usually fell asleep, but occasionally she would actually watch and make her version of commentary on his gaming abilities.
  Since no one else was around, Jinnie was kind enough to just give The Muse a fork with the cake instead of pretending she wasnât going to eat the whole thing as soon as he turned his head.
âCan I have a glass of milk, please?â The Muse asked, batting her eyelashes at him in between mouthfuls of cake.
 Jinnie chuckled, âYou know, if I tell your husbands about this, they will probably make you eat nothing but raw vegetables for dinner tonight.â
 The Muse gasped in outrage, âThey wouldnât! And you had better keep quiet, Mr. Kim.â
Jinnie was still smiling when he brought her an extra big cup of milk. Petal wanted whatever her mom was having, so she used the couch to stand up and open her mouth in a very âFeed meâ manner.
The Muse giggled and gave her a tiny bite of cake.
âYou are SO my daughter,â she laughed.
The hood of the RJ suit had finally come off, and Petalâs hair was sticking out all over the place.
Thatâs how Appa Tae found them when he walked in the door, jovially singing Happy Birthday to Jinnie as he handed the man a present. He turned and chuckled at the look of Petal.
Hair all over the place, face smeared with chocolate frosting and chin dripping with milk from her motherâs glass.
âCome here my Princess Monster,â he said as he hoisted the little one into his arms. He turned and headed into the kitchen to get a cloth to wash her face,
âIs the cake good? Should Appa try some?â
Petal babbled an entire story to him, and Tae listened intently to every syllable. Nodding and agreeing every now and again to let her know that whatever it was she was saying was absolutely correct.
 With it being Petalâs first Christmas, theyâd decided to go all out and decorate the dorm, and Yoongi decided that he would come home, no matter how far along in his healing he was. He was not about to miss his daughterâs first Christmas.
 Christmas Eve came, and he snuck to the dorm while everyone was busy at the office. Petal âhelpedâ her mommy put up little decorations in their sitting room, and had a huge sugar rush when Uncle Steve showed up with a special christmas cookie for his favorite little girl before he drove them home. Steve fully enjoyed guarding them. The Muse was thankful they didnât go out in public much at the moment, because he could get extra intense when guarding Petal. It was going to be interesting when the new babies would arrive. Leif and Fern, as they were called for now.
  Much to The Museâs surprise, when she was able to check in with them for the first time, she found herself on a forest path, and the two little ones snuggled together on a soft bed of leaves. Petal found it entertaining to watch mommyâs stomach when the babies were moving and kicking. Although she did get a little cranky when she was in the mood to snuggle and they wouldn'tâ stay still. She was also terribly cranky about the process of being weaned. But, little by little, they were getting there.
  As per usual, The Muse and Petal were the first to return to the Dorm. She was so thankful Sejong had eased up enough to allow her to be without her Warriors for short periods of time. Now was one of those times she was extra thankful. Petal was cranky. Very cranky. She was whiny and teething, and probably a little hungry.
  They opened the door into the dorm with Steve in the lead. Normally he would be the one to carry Petal, especially with The Muse getting as big as she was. But with Petalâs mood, she was attached to her mother, and not going to let go without a fight. They were surprised to see the lights already on, which brought Steve to a halt. But the smell of food and the piles of togo boxes that were stacked on the kitchen table had The Muse pushing the man toward the table. He could protect her while she was stuffing her face.
âIs that Min Jia I hear? Is My Petal being a fussy baby?â Yoongiâs head popped up from where he was lounging on the couch, and Petal started pushing away from her mothers chest, almost desperate to get down and get to her father.
The Muse put her down and Petal took off like a flash, limbs moving before she even hit the ground, crawling as fast as she could on the slippery tile floors to get to her Appa. Yoongiâs smile was brighter than the sun as he leaned down and scooped up his daughter with his good arm and leaned back on the couch.
  Petal hugged her arms tightly around his neck and used her little legs to climb as high up on his torso as she could until her little booty was level with his face, almost as if she was trying to make sure all of him was there and couldnât leave again. He had to kiss her behind the ear because he couldnât reach her cheeks from how hard she was squeezing him.
  Yoongi was laughing as he tried to steady Petal and settle her down a little bit. The Muse came to watch her daughter attack her husband with love.
She said, âWe missed you, Yoongi,â as she sat down by his good side, leaning in for a quick kiss before Petal grabbed his face and brought his full attention back to her for her own kisses. Watching Petal squeeze Yoongiâs cheeks while screeching âDaDaDaDaâ, and the look of love and happiness on his face was almost too much for The Museâs hormonal emotions to handle.
  Steve poked his head around the corner, and with a chuckle asked if she was planning on staying in for the night. The Muse smiled and bid her security guard a good night before he left.
âWhat do you say, my little Flower. Are you hungry?â He asked Petal in between loud smacking kisses on her chubby little cheeks, âI got your favorite rice and noodles.â
  For the remainder of the evening, Petal was attached to Yoongi. She didnât want anyone else, which was difficult at times with Yoongi still healing from shoulder surgery. None of her other Appaâs would do, and her Uncles could be as entertaining as they wanted to, but she wasnât going to give up her Dada. She had missed him too much. When bedtime came, she allowed The Muse to give her a bath, as long as Yoongi was within reach. And, she insisted he hold her while she had her bottle.
  Yoongi didnât mind one bit. He missed her as much, if not more than she had missed him. They sat together in the rocking chair that was in her nursery, and he sang her songs until she fell asleep. Even then he asked for more time before his wife transferred Petal to her crib.
  The rest of the Warriors were busy, though. They wanted to surprise Petal with a tree that was decorated and loaded with presents. The Muse continually told them that, at this age, Petal wasnât going to remember anything they do now, but none of them could hold in their excitement. She checked in on Yoongi and Petal before heading out to the living room to watch what the Warriors were doing.
âSit down, Yeppeun,â Tae told her the moment she appeared, âYou need your rest. How are my babies?â He came over and rubbed her belly. If she thought he was all over her belly when she was pregnant with Petal, it was nothing compared to now. He was utterly fascinated with his babies and that belly. He curled around her side the moment she sat down and continued rubbing the belly. He talked to the babies and always had the biggest grin on his face when they responded to his voice.
âYa! Come and help us, Taehyungie!â Jinnie said, throwing a pile of shiny silver garland on top of his head, forcing him to sit up and pout.
âBut with Yoongi back, Yeppeun is going to want to sleep with him tonight, and I am not going to get my belly time in.â
The Muse leaned in and kissed Tae, âI love you. Go decorate.â
He giggled before kissing her back, and then kissing her belly twice before he was up and decorating again.
  By the end of the night, the entire living room of the dorm had been transformed into a Christmas extravaganza. Jimin also had a pretty Christmas dress for Petal to wear, but The Muse suspected it was a ploy for yet another photo shoot, this time in front of the tree.
  She found Yoongi and Petal fast asleep in the rocking chair, Petalâs bottle discarded on the floor. Careful not to wake either of them, The Muse picked up Petal and transferred her into her crib. A deep breath told her that Yoongi had woken up, too, and was wincing in pain when she turned to him. Tae wasnât lying when he said that she would want to stay with Yoongi that night. Sheâd missed him terribly. But, between his injuries and two babies pushing on her bladder, neither of them slept well that night.
  Petal demanded Yoongi immediately when she woke up in the morning,
âDADADADADAâ rang loud and clear throughout the dorm, as did the squeeks of her crib as she jumped up and down until her mother came for her. Picking Petal up out of the crib, she continued her tirade of âDadadadadadadaâ until Yoongi appeared over his wifeâs shoulder while she was changing Petalâs diaper. Thankfully she was about done, because once Petal caught sight of him, it became baby rodeo until The Muse could get the tabs of the diaper fixed in place.
  Yoongi was more than happy to take his talking little terror to each and every room to wake up her Appaâs and Uncles before they all surprised her with the holiday explosion in the living room. The grown men were more excited than the baby. Although, to be fair, she had no idea what was waiting for her. Appa Jiminnie had her first special Christmas outfit waiting, a red velvet onesie with a little pointed hood that had a white floof ball attached to the top. Once they got her changed into that, Jimin showed her his own matching onesie pajamas, and that he had one for Appa Yoongi, too. In truth, he had bought one for everyone.
  Even Yoongi was in the spirit! He took his pajamas, and left Petal with Appa Jiminnie to wake up the rest of the men and make sure they all wore their pajamas.
  Petal always had a great time being the alarm clock in the morning. Appa Tae Tae liked to pretend he wasnât awake already, which usually led to a rousing game of peek-a-boo that never failed to have Petal laughing hysterically. Appa Jungkookie usually lost the morning wrestling match and had to retaliate with tickle monster. Appa Jiminnie usually woke up with Petal laying over his head, telling him some story.
  Yoongi had been gone for a few weeks, so he had missed out on a lot of growth. When he had surgery, Petal was crawling slowly around. Now she was a speed demon on her hands and knees, and was able to pull herself up to stand. His wake up call had been Petal laying her face on his and telling him some sort of story until he acknowledged her. He loved waking up to her calling him today. Heâd missed her sweet little voice so much.
  Once everyone was awake and dressed in their matching outfits, Jungkook ran to the living room and crouched down, video camera up and ready as the men all made their debut. The Muse was following behind with Petal holding on to her fingers as she slowly tried walking. The menâs excitement got the better of her though. She stopped every few steps to giggle and bounce as they called her toward them. In the end, Petal let go of her mother to crawl as fast as she could toward Appa Jungkookie and his camera.
  Tae took his wifeâs hand and led her to the couch where he could get a kiss and his belly time in, and watch as their daughter experienced her first Christmas morning. Petal was laser focused on her Appaâs, and didnât notice the decorations at first. Once Jiminnie picked her up and took her to the giant lit tree in the corner, she wasnât sure what to make of it. The piles of presents around the tree sparkled and shined, but the baby girl wasnât sure how to feel about it. She got quiet and thoughtful as she took in all of the pretty decorations.
  Jimin set her down in front of the presents, but she kept a firm grasp on his hand as she looked at everything.
Uncle Jinnie decided to make breakfast for everyone, thinking that maybe Petal would be more excited if she had some food in her belly. As he cooked, she stayed close to the tree. She slowly got a little more brave, occasionally reaching to touch the tree and ornaments. It was fun to watch her interest grow.
  When breakfast was ready, they headed for the kitchen. Petal refused to sit, wanting to keep her eyes on the tree. So they moved her high chair to the end of the table where she could keep an eye on this new addition to their home. She didnât care what she was fed, eating whatever anyone offered without taking her eyes off of her prize.
 With breakfast finished and the dishes done, they all crowded around to take some family pictures before getting the grandparents on facetime. Throughout it all, Petal held tight to whatever family member was closest, and kept her focus on the tree.
  In the end, everyone got down on the floor with her, and slowly got her to open presents. She was suspicious of the first few, standing and wrapping her arms around her motherâs neck while keeping her eyes on the tearing paper and shiny bows. Uncle Hobi got her to tear a piece of the wrapping paper off of one of the boxes, and she was off. Petal didnât care what was in the packages, she just wanted to tear into them.
  Once she got started, Petal opened all of the presents, whether they were for her or not. The paper was deep, and she was screeching, laughing and playing with it all.
  It didnât take long before it was her nap time, and she was getting bratty and exhausted. As The Muse got a bottle ready, Uncle Joonie grabbed one of the new books heâd given her and took Petal into the nursery to read and settle down to sleep.
  The band had to work later in the day, but Petal looked precious in her little Christmas Dress that Appa Jimin bought for her. As far as they were concerned, Petalâs first Christmas was a huge success.
  A few days after that was Appa Tae Taeâs birthday. A small get together was planned at his parents' house, which meant Petal would get to play with Tannie. Tannie was a much bigger fan of the baby when she was not able to chase after him. Tae was sure the fancy, layered dress he bought for her to wear that day would get in the way enough for the pup to have time to get away.
âTae. Sheâs not even a year old. She doesnât need brand name anything,â The Muse said over and over again throughout the last 10 months. He would just chuckle and wrap himself around her, covering his wife with kisses until she was properly distracted. The Muse knew this tactic well, but he was so adorable when he did it, she had to let him get away with it.
  Taehyungâs family adored Petal, and lavished her with all kinds of love and attention. In fact, they were more excited to see her than they were for Tae for his birthday. Taeâs brother would get Tannie all riled up to play, making the baby laugh. His sister would nom on Petalâs cheeks and give her all of the love. His mother was constantly sneaking the little one treats, and his father was well known for having Petal sit on his shoulders whenever they did anything. Or nothing at all. They were also all as entranced with Leif and Fern as Tae was, and The Muse was guaranteed to have someone touching her belly at all times when she was in that household.
  Tannie got to snuggle up with The Muse as long as Petal was distracted. The moment she noticed the pup was in her snug spot on her mommyâs lap, though, she would fuss and wiggle until she made her way over, hoping the fuzzy dog would finally allow her to lay on him. It never worked, but you couldnât blame her for trying.
  After all of the food and cake and excitement, Petal finally got to snuggle with Tannie⌠after she fell asleep, the pup snuggled up and allowed the baby to run her fingers through his hair as they both slept off their dinner.
  As they got closer and closer to The Museâs due date, they tried their hardest to prepare Petal for life as a big sister. Unfortunately, no matter how many books you read or movies you show, life as an older sibling is something you just have to learn. Luckily, Petal had a mother, 4 doting Daddies, and 3 loving Uncles to help her along the way.
