Chapter Text
He promised Jungkook that he wouldn’t do it all alone– but Taehyung had been in over his head. Because Jungkook has days where he doesn’t want to eat or can’t keep anything down– and Taehyung isn’t sure how much he should press him to do things. They don’t have that kind of relationship and he’s not about to step on any spikes.
So, he hides himself at work like a loser.
“Why are you hiding from him?” His mother asks from the other line.
“I’m not hiding,” Taehyung grumbles as he starts his car. He’s not going to admit it to her that he’s not sure how he’s supposed to talk to Jungkook– it had been a little easier before he knew of the pregnancy and the tape Yoongi had left for him, before he told Jungkook he didn’t have to do it all alone.
He’s going to have to be more than a roommate when the baby comes and he’s not sure he’s up for it. “Get to know him.” His mother says firmly, “You’ll have a baby in a few months– this can’t be healthy for him and the baby.”
“It’s not my baby, mum,” He winces right after he says that, it’s true, but he knows his mother doesn’t like what she hears.
“So? He’s your nephew, is he not?”
Taehyung narrows his eyes, “Niece. Jungkook’s set on the baby being a girl.” He only knows this because Jungkook refers to the baby as her– whenever Taehyung overhears him talking to Seokjin who has made it a habit of making whatever Jungkook requests and what’s healthy for him to be eating and drinking.
“Get to know him, okay?” She repeats.
“Sure.” He hangs up before she can continue.
There’s not much he can see himself doing– Jungkook is just his husband by name and nothing more.
Doesn’t mean that something twists inside when he looks at him– Jungkook is an omega, attractive and smells divine and Taehyung is lonely, hasn’t had sex in a long time. But Yoongi has been dead for two months and Jungkook is pregnant– he may be married to him, but it’s inappropriate.
He takes the time in the elevator ride to his penthouse thinking of what he’s going to say– he doesn’t think he has got to explain himself, but he feels a little bad. It’s almost 11 p.m. and he hadn’t warned him he’d be gone this long.
He unlocks the door and it’s quiet. He slips off his shoes before slipping his feet into the slippers. He shrugs off his jacket after loosening his tie as he walks further into the penthouse, he passes the kitchen and looks over at the living room across from it.
Jungkook is asleep on the sofa, the television is still on– the volume is very low. Taehyung walks quietly over to him; he pries the remote control over of Jungkook’s hand and when he puts it at the TV– he freezes at the sight of Yoongi on it.
He has got his hands clasped in front of his face like a prayer and he’s staring directly into the camera– or the person behind him. “…are you sure?” There’s a motion of nodding from the camera and then Yoongi reaches out to hold it, putting it towards Jungkook with a nervous smile.
They are high off the ground; the shakiness of the video almost gives him a headache. “What are we doing today?” It’s Yoongi asking and then the camera pans to Jungkook.
“Isn’t it obvious?” Jungkook grumbles and it’s a pout Taehyung has never seen on his face. His eyes are large and brighter in the video.
“Say it,”
“We’re bungee jumping.” Jungkook huffs and pulls at the rope secured around his waist. “He’s forcing me to go bungee jumping– hey, stop it!” The camera screen is covered and all he hears is Jungkook’s loud giggles and the unmistakable sounds of kissing.
The video cuts and the next clip of Jungkook trembling on his feet– “I hate you so much right now,” He says and all that’s heard before the clip cuts again to Yoongi’s unfiltered laughter and there’s more shaky camera realness and a lot of running and he’s out of breath as he says “But you did it! You’re brave for jumping off a–whoa, chill the fuck out. I’ll get you lamb skewers– Kookie!”
“Sorry,” Taehyung startles so hard and almost jumps out of his skin. He looks down at Jungkook staring at him with a sleepy gaze.
“Shit,” He says, and turns off the tv. “Sorry, didn’t mean to look.” He says sheepishly.
“It’s okay,” Jungkook rubs at his eyes, “I was looking through old clips– just–” He swallows and sits up on the couch, “I just wanted to hear his voice again, to see him again.”
“Yeah,” He says lamely.
“I miss him.” Jungkook mumbles and Taehyung watches him sneak his hand to his bump, under his sweatshirt he never seems to take off. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that it belongs to Yoongi.
“I know,” Taehyung sighs. He doesn’t know what it’s like.
“Sorry,” Jungkook blinks suddenly, “Welcome home.”
Taehyung drops the remote beside him and sighs some more. He settles down beside Jungkook and leans back into the couch, he pulls off his tie completely and turns to look at Jungkook. “What can I do to help?”
Jungkook blinks at him, “What?” He whispers.
“What can I do to help?” He repeats, “There must to be something.”
Jungkook stays silent before he moves closer to him– and then he rests his head on Taehyung’s shoulder before looking up and nuzzling his nose alongside Taehyung’s neck. Taehyung swallows thickly. “You sort of smell like him,” Jungkook whispers thickly. “Just– give me this, please,”
The last person he had let scent him freely was his fellow alpha that he had been in love with.
“Okay,” He whispers to Jungkook because the omega hasn’t asked him for anything else. Hasn’t made any demands to have full control of Yoongi’s funds that are now his– he seems content with the salary he gets from the various video editing he does for random strangers and his freelance photography.
“…I leave you alone for five months and now you’re what? Married with a kid on the way? What the fuck, Tae?” Jimin says as he flops down on Taehyung’s sofa in his office.
“How was backpacking across Europe?” He asks with an eyeroll, pushing aside the paperwork he knows he won’t be able to finish with Jimin in his space.
“Freeing.” Jimin tells him, placing his feet on the coffee table and smiling at him. “I saw the invitation once the shitty hostel’s Wi-Fi in Bulgaria connected– I would’ve made it if I was close.”
“It was nothing special.” Taehyung says. Because it’s true. The wedding was nothing special, it was his first wedding and Jungkook’s second wedding. He had never pictured himself ever getting married, even when he had been in one of his longer relationships.
“You’ve never wanted to get married.” Jimin points out, “How special were expecting something you don’t want to be?”
“He was married to Yoongi.” Taehyung says drily.
“Your brother?” Jimin blinks. Jimin had come into his life years after Yoongi left it and he has stayed. “That’s heavy.”
“He died.” Taehyung blurts out– and the silence that dumps on them is heavy.
“How do you feel?”
Taehyung isn’t sure how he should feel about it. Yoongi left when he was barely a teenager– and that was fifteen years ago. He’s in his late twenties now and has learnt to survive without him around– the anger and love he has felt for him has faded over time. But he will always be family. “I don’t know.” He hasn’t cried for him and maybe that makes him a cold-hearted bastard.
Jimin clears his throat. “Your mother says he’s pregnant– whose–”
“It’s not mine.” He says before Jimin can ask.
“Shit,” He mutters, “That’s rough. What happens now?”
“He’s my husband–”
“With the child?” He questions, “You’ve always been on the fence about kids.”
Taehyung frowns a little. “I don’t know– he’s my responsibility.”
Jimin stares at him. “He’s not one of your business deals or the alphas you deal with on daily here at work. He’s an omega– they will never admit it, but most of them have got to be treated gently.”
And if he’s honest with himself, Taehyung doesn’t know how to handle omegas. His mother is an omega, but she has always been independent– she had to get on her own two feet and managed to run a company with a buried husband, a toddler and an infant son, plus a new alpha she had to get used to.
And the other omegas he has been in contact with is through work or the few he slept with back in university had been a mixed bag, but his career path has him mingling with mostly alphas.
“What happens if he goes into heat?”
Taehyung pauses. “He’s pregnant.”
“…when you go into a rut?”
“I can’t go into a rut because he’s pregnant.”
“He’s not yours.” Jimin frowns. “So that shouldn’t mean anything.”
“He’s carrying my mark– have you even been to school before?” Taehyung glares at him and Jimin gives him hearty laugh.
“I work in accounting when I’m not climbing mountains– the fuck do you expect me to know about this?”
Jungkook spends a lot of his time on his phone, earphones propped in his ears. Taehyung wonders what he’s looking at and when he stretches his neck long and hard enough– he finds himself watching Jungkook flip through old images of Yoongi. He never cries, but his eyes always have that wetness.
He doesn’t have that many friends. That’s one thing they have in common, but Taehyung’s solitude is his own doing, and Jungkook has moved counties to come stay here with him.
They lived hours ago away from here when he stayed with Yoongi. That’s where the rest of his life is– and when Taehyung really thinks about it– Jungkook has got nobody here, he talks to Seokjin when he’s over preparing their meals and he’s always out with his mother whenever she has got the time.
“Do you have family, Jungkook?”
Seokjin is preparing some salmon in the kitchen, chattering away about a recipe with his mother and Jimin who decided to show up uninvited because of his curiosity to see Jungkook in person and he has a stupid grin on his face now.
Jungkook looks at him from where he sits, his legs to his chest and Taehyung catches himself thinking that maybe doing that isn’t so smart-in case he suffocates the poor thing he’s carrying. “Not really,” He answers quietly, “I only ever had Yoongi.”
“Your parents?” He presses.
Jungkook rests his head on his knees and looks at him. “They died when I was little,” And Taehyung feels like shit for pressing the matter. “I was raised by my aunt.” He looks down at his phone, shoulders slumping down and he bites his bottom lip.
“Oh,” Taehyung murmurs, “I’m sorry,” He whispers, swallowing thickly.
“It’s okay– I had my aunt.” The faint smile on his face falls a little.
“Your aunt is welcome here, anytime.” He offers because Jungkook is home alone most days and only ever goes out when his mother comes to take him out.
“I will let her know,” He glances up and avoids Taehyung’s eye. “Thank you, Taehyung.”
Every time Taehyung spots Jungkook’s bump– he finds himself staring a little too hard and long and he’s confused at how quickly Jungkook is growing.
He watches as the nurses takes Jungkook’s blood pressure, take his weight, asks him a few more basic questions before the doctor comes in. The alpha doctor greets them with a smile before she gets into the basics of prenatal care they’ve heard and shortly after that, she probs and touches Jungkook’s now more visible bump gently.
Taehyung’s in awe, if he’s honest with himself. And he’s wondering how Jungkook can keep it together– this can’t be easy for him.
“How are your eating habits?” The doctor’s questions force Taehyung to look over at her. She’s got a frown on her face.
Jungkook stays quiet and looks at Taehyung before he looks away. “I eat.” The omega mumbles under his breath.
“How often do you eat? And how much? This is important.” She bristles sternly, “I need you to be at a higher weight than what I’m seeing.” She says and looks over at Taehyung. “Make sure he eats and keeps his food down.”
Taehyung isn’t home as often to know how often Jungkook eats, he only wakes him up for breakfast before he leaves for work and comes back after dinner on most days.
If Jungkook eats lunch or dinner, Taehyung isn’t aware, and he hasn’t asked Seokjin about it either.
“Alright,” He nods his head and looks at Jungkook who refuses to look at either of them, choosing to keep his attention on the ultrasound machine the doctor has yet to turn on.
“I can’t keep anything down.” Jungkook finally says, a little defeated.
“I’ll ask Seokjin to try something different,” Taehyung offers because he’s sure Seokjin at least as some knowledge on what pregnant people eat.
The doctor goes over what he can try and has a list of numbers and names Jungkook can get in contact with if he’s got any questions.
The next step of the appointment is finding out what they’ll– he’ll be having and when the doctor confirms Jungkook’s earlier deduction– his smile is infectious, and Taehyung finds himself smiling back at him.
And then Taehyung realises and feels like shit that he has never considered even buying any baby clothes or anything for the baby. He wonders why Jungkook has never asked him for it – he’s not much of a shopper from what Taehyung has seen and the expenses Taehyung sees coming out of his card are just groceries or equipment for his editing job.
“Yoongi is going to love this when I tell him–” Jungkook is talking a mile a minute now, not thinking over what he’s saying as he looks at the ultrasound pictures the doctor has handed over to him. “He has always wanted a little girl–”
I think of a little girl with his eyes and I want to keep trying to survive, but even with all this money–
When he realizes just what he has said– he lets out a cry that Taehyung is sure will haunt him forever.
The car ride back home is in heavy silence. An omega’s sadness can be overwhelming – Jungkook’s sadness almost suffocates him and if he was the one driving instead of their driver, he’d crash the car because the need to comfort him would be distracting.
“I know he’s gone– I know he’s gone,” Jungkook had knocked on his door at three in the morning– and now he’s crawled up in his bed, snuggled ridiculously close to him and Taehyung’s got his arm around him.
It’s a little weird holding this close as Jungkook scents him, noses over his scent gland desperately, but he knows he needs this, needs this close contact. “It’s okay,” he says uselessly because he has got nothing intelligent to say so early and after being startled awake by a distressed omega.
“I never told him about her,” He whispers when he’s calmed down at little, his face his still buried in Taehyung’s neck so his words are still a little muffled. “But he was sick– I didn’t want him to worry about me– I didn’t want him to worry about a baby too.”
“You did what you thought was right,” Taehyung tells him and even dares to run his fingers down the small of his back, it’s a little awkward, but Jungkook relaxes in his arms.
“But what if I told him? Maybe he’d– he’d still be here, and everything would be fine–” He’s blabbering now, is almost going into hysterics and Taehyung pulls him closer, reaching to run his fingers through his hair.
“Don’t do this to yourself,” Taehyung whispers in the darkness. His mother had told him about Yoongi’s illness– and that even with the money he had reluctantly taken out of his account out of desperation to get the best treatments– it had only worked with pumping expensive drugs into his system– until he had stopped breathing one afternoon.
“I’m all alone now,” His breath hitches before a hitching sob, “He left me alone with his baby!”
Taehyung personally goes through the therapists his mother recommends to him, the ones that specialize in widowed omegas– he visits a few of them himself, squeezes them into his tight work schedule, until he finds the one therapist that satisfies him.
Jungkook doesn’t attend the first few sections with the omega therapist Kim Namjoon. He doesn’t talk about the night he had come into Taehyung’s bed and had a breakdown.
And like Taehyung when he’s struggling with something– Jungkook buries himself into his work, he starts taking on photography projects outside editing on the couch in their living room.
“He’s not eating much.” Seokjin says to him one morning as he prepares breakfast for one, worry in his voice.
“I know,” Taehyung tells him because he sees the clear signs of weight loss on Jungkook and it upsets him, makes him feel a little powerless and it’s something he hasn’t felt in a long time.
He barely eats his own breakfast.
He knocks on Jungkook’s door– he receives no answer.
With the money he’s got at the tips of his fingers– it’s easy to bring out one of the best and most successful therapists out of his office and to his house on short notice.
But Jungkook needs someone to talk to about this– someone who isn’t his mother, Seokjin, himself or even Jimin.
And Taehyung is willing to do just about anything. He tries not to visit the reason why– maybe it’s because on the tape– Yoongi had asked this of him and Taehyung knows he owes him nothing– but he can’t allow anything to happen to Jungkook, not on his watch anyway.
When he had married Jungkook that day a few months ago – no matter how unenthusiastic he was, he had vowed to take care of him.
Kim Namjoon shows up on their doorstep the next day– and Jungkook only lets his fellow omega into his room after the fourth visit.
“Sir,” His secretary’s voice comes from the door– her heels clicking sharply on the floor. “I’ve been trying to get in contact with you,” The omega gestures over his phone on the desk and Taehyung looks at her.
“What’s the matter?”
She looks a little distraught for a moment, “Your mother called,” She swallows, “She’s at the hospital with your husband, he collapsed–”
The alpha leaps to his feet without a second though, grabbing his coat and phone. “Have Mr. Jung overlook all my meetings for today.” Taehyung orders as he stalks around his desk.
“Your driver is waiting out front for you,” She says tightly.
Taehyung stands by the door in the hospital room and looks as his mother fusses over Jungkook sitting in bed, looking small and fragile, his stomach is large. “I just fainted.” He says to his mother. “Seokjin overreacted by calling you here.”
“What happened?” Taehyung finds himself asking tightly.
Jungkook looks at him, dark circles under his big eyes and he shrugs. Lips curled into a thin line. Taehyung has noticed the fat he has lost in his cheeks– he has tried to get Seokjin to sneak in more calories in Jungkook’s food, but all he eats is a few bites before he’s done– and he pukes out what he has eaten.
“I stood up too quickly,” Jungkook grimaces. “I’m fine now.”
“You’re not fine,” His mother cuts in, “The doctors want him on bedrest for two weeks,” She informs Taehyung before she looks back at Jungkook and hands a glass of water to him.
“You’re not taking care of yourself.” Taehyung says after moments of silence and he should stop, but he’s a little shaken for some reason and he ran over lots of scenarios in his head. He’s frustrated as well too, “You’re not eating right; you’re not sleeping enough.” He lists, albeit angrily as he studies how Jungkook’s face falls. “Do you want to lose this baby?”
“Taehyung!” His mother gasps, outraged and glares at him, “How dare you?”
And Taehyung thinks it’s in blind rage when Jungkook grabs the glass of water from his mother’s hand and throws it over to him with the intentions of hurting him– he moves away before it can hit him, he ignores the glass shattering against the wall behind him.
“You would like that, wouldn’t you?” Jungkook demands, voice thick with anger Taehyung has never heard coming from him. “After all, we were forced on you against your wishes.”
Jungkook’s not lying about that.
But Jungkook is lying about Taehyung wishing for him to lose the baby.
“Don’t put words in my mouth.”
“Get out.” Jungkook stresses and his voice is thick with tears, eyes shining and there’s colour to his cheeks from the anger and Taehyung turns around and leaves the room because arguing and stress cannot be good for the baby.
He tracks down the doctor and nurses that tended to Jungkook– he listens attentively as they tell him of the next steps to take because he asks them to forward everything to Namjoon.
He’s nursing a bourbon with Jimin at his side. The bar is cosy and quiet, and it has been a long time since Taehyung has gone out, it has been a little over a while since he had the chance to drink.
“For how long?” Jimin asks and Taehyung takes a sip of his alcohol before answering him.
“Until he calms down.” Jungkook is in his mother’s penthouse for the time being after being discharged that evening, and Taehyung thinks it’s for the best– his mother is at her penthouse more than he is home so Jungkook has someone to constantly watch over him.
Jungkook’s presence in his home is greatly missed and it feels strange without his scent there. Seokjin seems to feel the same, but he makes no comment on it.
The first few nights Taehyung stays late at work to avoid the lack of Jungkook’s fresh scent in their home. And when he returns, he sits on the couch and brings the pillow Jungkook normally rests his head on to his nose– Jungkook’s scent is the only way Taehyung finds comfort and sleep.
“…how old is your little one, sir?”
Taehyung snaps his attention from the rack of tiny colourful clothes to the omega standing across from him, pleasant winning smile on her face as she waits for his response.
“Pardon?” He asks and watches as she gestures to the clothes he has spent the last few minutes staring at.
“Your baby, sir, I’d like to guide you over to the correct sizes, but I’ll need your little one’s age.” She tells him.
“Oh, sorry,” He mumbles, feeling a little out of place. Alphas don’t come alone in stores like these and for Taehyung, this is the first time he has come here. He didn’t think much of it when he asked his chauffeur to drive him to the mall not too far away from work, he walked from the car– and into the first baby store he laid his eyes on.
There’s going to be a baby in the house, and they have nothing to welcome her with. “She’ll be joining us in five months,” He mumbles.
“Congratulations! Your first?” She smiles wider when he nods, “Come with me, I’ve got a few ideas in mind.”
And Taehyung is in a daze as he follows closely behind her.
He walks out with a tiny outfit– soft light pink dungarees with bunny details in the front and an impossibly tiny knitted hat to match.
Jungkook is one tough nut to crack and his scent is all fiery with anger when Taehyung comes to pick him up. “I don’t want to lose her.” He says to him fiercely and he stands tall, like he’s trying to be intimidating, but Taehyung can’t stop the smile that finds its way on his face.
He hides it behind the package in his hands and tries to gather himself because there’s nothing intimidating about a pregnant omega. And these last few months with Jungkook– Taehyung knows he hasn’t got a mean bone in his body. “I’m sorry for what I said,” he tells him with all the seriousness he can muster, Jungkook will not appreciate it if he sees him smiling.
“What’s that?” Jungkook finally asks, not accepting his apology but not telling him to fuck off either. Not that Taehyung plans on leaving without him– they’re stuck with each other.
Taehyung brings down the gift and holds it out to Jungkook. He watches the omega hesitantly reach out for it, after coaxing from his mother who has been watching the whole exchange in silence.
Jungkook waddles to the dining table, places the gift on it and carefully unwraps it– Taehyung had the woman wrap it in flowery wrapping paper with a nice bow to match.
Jungkook lifts out the outfit and hat, he looks over at Taehyung for a moment before turning back to look at it. He brings it to his face, hands trembling as he does so– he doesn’t cry, but it’s close.
He then sinks to the floor, like his legs can’t hold him up anymore– Taehyung and his mother are by his side when he does so.
“Thank you,” Jungkook whispers, his hair falling into his eyes and his bottom lip quivers as he holds the outfit to his chest and holds onto it.
They assemble the crib, Jungkook is better at following instructions laid out for them than Taehyung and he’s better with tools– Taehyung follows his lead and when the crib is complete– the smile on Jungkook’s face makes Taehyung’s heart skip a beat and he hasn’t felt this way in a long time.
“When do you want to paint the room?” He finds himself asking, staring at Jungkook on the floor as he tidies up the mess they’ve both made.
Jungkook pauses and looks up at him, “Really?” He asks quietly.
“Yeah,” He nods, “You can do anything you want with it.” His penthouse has three bedrooms, the one they have built the crib in– Jungkook uses the guestroom and Taehyung uses his own, even though some days, especially recently, he thinks about what holding Jungkook in his arms will feel like.
“What colour do you think works?” Jungkook asks after a beat of silence.
“I like purple,” Taehyung shrugs.
“Okay.” Jungkook smiles. “I’ll ask Seokjin to help me–”
“You don’t have to– I– I can,” The alpha stutters like an idiot. “I can help you.”
Jungkook doesn’t question him, and Taehyung breathes out a sigh of relief.
Taehyung is patting the towel in his hair as he steps into his bedroom– he’s surprised to see Jungkook curled up in his bed with the sweatshirt Taehyung had first seen him in in his arms, it’s a little tighter now around the middle because of the bump so he doesn’t wear it, but he keeps it close to him.
He’s asleep, snoring lightly and Taehyung doesn’t have it in him to wake him up and ask him to leave. He sees no reason to do so.
He crawls into bed as carefully as possible and slips under the duvet. He picks up his laptop from the nightstand and begins working on some projects from work– reading through emails, notes his secretary has sent him from this week’s meetings and over some contracts.
Jungkook wakes up as he shuts his laptop’s lid, “Hey,” Taehyung says to him lowly and there’s a dust of pink on Jungkook’s cheeks.
“Sorry,” He whispers, “I– I wanted to show you something, but you took forever in there and,” He stops, struggling to sit up and when Taehyung helps him, the look on his face is one of pure embarrassment. “Namjoonie thinks you’ll like this.”
“Show me,” Taehyung says softly.
Jungkook holds his hand out and he takes it and hopes Jungkook can’t feel how clammy his palms get. He brings his large hand to his belly after lifting his shirt and presses lightly. “Shh,” Jungkook whispers before Taehyung can ask him what he’s doing, “Just wait for it.”
Even in the dim lights Taehyung sees the baby move before the kick comes and he can’t help the gasp that escapes him. “Holy shit,” He whispers. There’s something like pride that swells up inside him and he’s filled with feelings that he can’t describe– feelings that are seriously out of leftfield.
“Yeah?” Jungkook tries to catch his eye, but for some reason Taehyung’s vision is getting blurry.
“Yeah,” He nods and is glad when Jungkook says nothing about the tears that slips out of his eyes.
He lays on his back and before he can shift positions– Jungkook comes even closer to him, head on his chest and lying to him as close as possible. It reminds him of the night Jungkook had lost it – only this time he’s smiling and he’s letting Taehyung keep his hand over the bump, she’s active. “She’s awake,” He murmurs softly, “Little owl.”
Taehyung wraps his arms around him, holds him closer. And he lets Jungkook stay in his bed.
They don’t make a big deal out of it and it’s the first night of many.
Taehyung kisses his husband for the first time when he’s in a rush to get into his car– ready to be driven to the airport for one of the few meetings he has aboard yearly.
He pauses by the front door, his lips tingling slightly and the taste of Jungkook’s lingers.
Jungkook is still shell shocked where he stands in the corridor and stares at Taehyung with wide doe eyes. “Taehyung–”
“I have to go,” Taehyung says hastily, like a coward because he hadn’t thought through this and Namjoon is waiting for Jungkook in the living room for them to start their session.
Jungkook nods, “We’ll talk when you return.”
“We will.”
The talk doesn’t happen.
Taehyung returns home late three days later and finds Jungkook in the bathtub for a bubble bath, playing soft music he sings along to and he’s got a beautiful voice that Taehyung knows he’ll never get tired of.
“Hey,” He greets and Jungkook looks at him– he’s pretty in the tub with his bump out in the air.
“Hey yourself,” Jungkook says with a smile. It’s easier talking to him these days– they skate over the kiss during the few phones calls they’ve shared while he was away, they dance around what it means now that Jungkook has been spending most nights in his bed and scenting him, licking over the mark over his neck.
“Can I come in?” Taehyung enters when Jungkook waves him in. He kneels by the tub, leans in and Jungkook lets him kiss him, it’s slow and careful and Taehyung feels Jungkook smile into it.
“Welcome home,” Jungkook pants when they pull back to catch their breathes. And Yoongi was right– Jungkook is the prettiest one he has ever laid his eyes on.
And he’s even prettier spread out underneath him on the edge of his bed, thick thighs quivering, and he’s wet, so wet that Taehyung feels himself salivating– and the sounds his makes– the whines he makes have Taehyung feeling like a fool for thinking this would be hell.
But then he’s a little guilty for enjoying himself this much, for touching Jungkook like he belongs to him. Jungkook has lost the love of his life, he’s going to have a baby in a few months– Jungkook who agreed to marry him to secure his daughter’s life and Taehyung is here taking–
Taehyung thinks Jungkook will be gone from his arms the next morning– and he’s proven wrong when he wakes to unruly curls in his face, wakes to his own scent lingering over the omega’s skin.
He moves closer, nuzzling instinctively and biting down a bit over the mark he left on Jungkook, just beside Yoongi’s– Jungkook’s little gasp wakes something in him.
He thinks that if Jungkook turns around and rejects him right here– he’ll take the hit, he’ll accept it. And he’s a little afraid that’s exactly what he’ll get, but Jungkook reaches out for his hand, pulling it over his stomach and squeezes his hand gently.
Taehyung palms over his stomach carefully as he buries his nose in Jungkook’s hair and he breathes in deeply– he still smells like Yoongi’s, but that’s okay. Yoongi’s scent lingering with Jungkook’s is something that he knows will be permanent and he’ll always be reminded that he’s competing with a dead man– it’s a race he knows he’ll never win. It’s a race his father never won because his mother loved him, but she loved her first husband to infinity and beyond.
“Of course, I felt like I cheated on him.” His mother says as she skims over the documents his secretary handed over to her. This isn’t a conversation he wants to have at work, but she had been in a meeting and Taehyung blurted out that he needed to talk to her after it was over.
Jungkook’s scent still lingers on his skin, more so now that they’ve done more than scent each other. It took his mother one look and deep breath for her to know what he wanted to know. “It’s normal for most of us who have lost our alphas– partners really– to feel this way,” She takes a seat across from him. “Felt like I was cheating on the memory of my first husband when I was with your father.”
Jungkook is facing him on the bed staring at him quietly, “What do you want to know?”
Taehyung pulls back the covers and settles next to him, he mimics his position– Jungkook winces before his hand goes to his belly, caressing over the stretched skin. “Shh,” He says as he looks down at himself, “He’s here now, stop that.”
“What you loved about him,” Taehyung whispers, reaching out to place his hand over Jungkook’s and smiling faintly at the kick that greets him. It’s become a routine for them to do this, lay beside each other and make themselves familiar with Jungkook’s bump.
Namjoon has mentioned it in passing that Taehyung needs to help Jungkook talk more about Yoongi– that it’ll help, and it has because Jungkook doesn’t cry anymore when he talks about his late alpha.
“This will sound stupid but,” Jungkook starts, he hides behind his other hand before he says, “I loved how he spoke, the sound of his voice and how he said certain words.” He pauses, “I loved his mind.”
Taehyung nods, focusing on the little kicks and flutters under his palm. “Loving him must’ve been easy,” He whispers and for a second he thinks he’s stepped on an eggshell.
“It wasn’t always easy,” Jungkook whispers back though, “Loving him, I mean, because he had those days where he– it’s hard to explain. He’s shut me out sometimes and it drove me crazy and we’d fight because I didn’t understand.” He sighs, “He started to see a psychiatrist and things got a little easier.”
That’s one part his mother feels like she failed Yoongi on– never getting him help for the issues he clearly struggled with back then. But she’s learnt to make peace with it.
“Did you know about us?” He asks suddenly, curious.
Jungkook hesitates before nodding slowly. “I did,” He answers, “When he got sick and we needed money– I demanded to know why the bills never came,” He looks at him, a little sad. “I know what me agreeing to marrying you makes you think.”
“You had no choice,” The alpha finds himself saying, not wanting to offend him.
“I could’ve fought not to, but,” Jungkook places his hand over Taehyung’s, “I was raised by my aunt and she tried her best, but a single omega with a child?” He rarely talks about his aunt– Taehyung has overheard him talking to her over the phone once and it was to apologise for something he missed. “It was rough and the world we live in is too– the kids I grew up with were cruel, the adults were worse. If this baby can– I need my little girl to have someone else to rely on if something happens to me.”
“Nothing will happen to you.” He promises.
Her room is painted shades of purple– it matches perfectly with her crib that has been repainted and the dresser (filled to the brim with clothes they picked out, and some clothes his mother had bought for her grandchild when she first found out, some that Jungkook’s aunt had shipped over to them). Jungkook has help from Seokjin who seems to now spend time outside his chef hours here and Jimin tags along.
Jungkook is thirty-three weeks, at a weight the doctor is satisfied with and he’s glowing. The appointments are frequent and whenever Taehyung is unable to make it– Jungkook makes sure he has a recording of her heartbeat.
And Taehyung’s heart swells with pride whenever he hears her strong and steady heartbeat.
She kicks up a storm whenever he’s around– she kicks him in the head when he rests it on Jungkook. “What’s her problem?” Taehyung asks as he raises his head and looks at Jungkook.
“She knows who her daddy is,” Jungkook says absentmindedly, “So she kicks me to get his attention.” When the words seem to sink it, he grows quiet and his scent sours.
“Jungkook,” Taehyung starts and Jungkook shakes his head and refuses to look at him.
“Only if you want to be hers,” Jungkook finally says, “Yoongi–”
“He’ll always be her father, Jungkook,” Taehyung says quietly. “She’s going to know him because you’ll tell her all about him. You’ll show her all his pictures and videos– she’ll know his voice.”
“But he’s not here.” Jungkook rubs at his eyes, “He’s supposed to be here with me.”
“Don’t do this to yourself,” Taehyung cups his cheeks, uses his thumb to rub away the tear that falls down his cheek. “I’m here and maybe it’s not good enough for you right now, but I’m here and I’m not going anywhere.”
She’s a tiny, but a loud little thing. Tiny angry red face as she makes use of her lungs and when Taehyung looks at Jungkook– he can tell he’s looking at his world, that the tiny girl wrapped in a hospital blanket like a burrito in his trembling arms is larger than the universe.
There’s a lot of noise around them in the room, but the alpha’s vision has gone all tunnel and all he sees at the two people in the room. He’s still in his suffocating suit, and the sterile attire they forced him into before he could get into the room makes everything even hotter.
But it’s easy to forget at the sound of her cries and the omega’s tearful laughter of what can only be joy as he looks down at the squirming new-born. He moves closer to the bed Jungkook is laying on and his hands are itching– restless because he wants to hold her, he wants to put his arms around them and be part of the moment.
Then there’s a sadness in him because here’s the girl Yoongi wished for, that he knew about, but life had to be cruel and take him away from her, from Jungkook.
It’s now he wishes life had taken him instead. Taehyung only had his job– Yoongi had a life. He had someone he loved and a part of them on the way– but life always takes the wrong people too early.
The sadness washes through him and he can tell Jungkook feels it because his sharp gaze is on his in an instant. He looks exhausted, but the happiness on his face is radiant.
Jungkook parts his lips and Taehyung isn’t sure what he expected, but the simple hoarse words that slip his lips leave him stunned, put him into a stupor. “Come closer, Taehyung, your little girl wants to say hello.”