Coffee Love #43 - Coffee Talk
Word Count: 2,319

Date in Chapter: 2017 June 24

Note: Happens the day after Coffee Love #42.

Seokjin’s POV

        Now that Jinhee is almost six months old, Seokjin is really starting to feel more like a father. It’s not really that he didn’t already feel like a father from the beginning or anything, but he’s really getting used to the idea that he is a father. When bringing Jinhee out in public places or around their friends, Seokjin used to feel really conscious. He wondered if Jinhee’s presence annoyed their friend, and he sometimes felt that the baby was a nuisance to others.

Recently, Seokjin doesn’t care about those things so much anymore. He enjoys bringing Jinhee out with them when they go to meet their friends. He likes the way Yoongi actually minds his language and behavior when they bring Jinhee around. He doesn’t even care if Jinhee gets a people’s nerves. Jinhee is a baby, Seokjin’s baby, and he’ll take him out and show him off as much as he pleases.

Well, of course, Jinhee is biologically Namjoon’s baby, but he’s just as much Seokjin’s baby.

“I see him all the time, but he looks so much bigger each time.” Hoseok says when they take their seat at Whole Latte Love. Namjoon and Yoongi had apparently talked about doing Saturday morning coffees together, and they thought that it would be a good idea to have Seokjin and Hoseok tag along as well. “And he never fails to get cuter and cuter each time, either!” Hoseok basically screams, and he grabs Jinhee’s hand and pretends to bite it off, earning himself some laughter from the baby.

“He looks like he’s taking after a Namjoon a lot, so let’s just see how long he keeps up that cuteness.” Yoongi teases, offering a small smile to his best friend.

“Haha, very funny, Hyung.” Namjoon says, very obviously sarcastic. “He takes after Hyuna, too, and I think that her looks will make him very handsome when he’s my age.”

“Even if he looks exactly like you, he’s going to be very handsome.” Seokjin assures his husband, and he kisses Namjoon on the cheek, enjoying the light blush that it brings to the other’s face.

“You two are disgusting.” Yoongi says, making fake gagging sounds. “Whatever happened to you being all shy and shi—everything? I miss the old Seokjin.”

“That’s too bad.” Seokjin says to the other. “I like the new Yoongi quite a lot, so it seems like it’s impossible to make the both of us happy.”

“Actually, I’m perfectly happy right now.” Yoongi assures him. “Namjoon doesn’t seem—”

A hard shove from Hoseok’s elbow gets Yoongi to shut up right there.

“I mean,” Yoongi says, wincing. “You both seem happier now that you’ve kind of…gained more confidence.”

“Appa! Appa!” Jinhee shouts, slamming his little fists on the high chair, dragging the attention back to himself. Seokjin loves that about babies too. How they’re just able to take the spotlight off of him and onto themselves.

Hoseok smiles. “He still hasn’t learned any new words?” He asks.

Seokjin shakes his head. “It seems like he’s incapable of even making other sounds.” He says. “The trouble is figuring out which one of us he’s talking to.”

“Seeing as how he says it twice every time,” Namjoon says, going through the bag to find some food. “I’m pretty sure it’s both of us.”

Taehyung’s POV

        “Hey.” Taehyung says. He squats on the couch with both feet under him, like he would do if he were sitting in the floor. He knows that it drives Jimin nuts when he sits on the furniture like that, but it’s a habit that he’s never been able to break.

“Hey.” Jimin says back, sipping on some hot cocoa that he had made earlier that morning. He has his notebook computer sitting on his lap, and he leans over it to set his cup back onto the coffee table. Apparently not having been in the mood for contacts this morning, he’s wearing his glasses. Taehyung likes it when Jimin wears his glasses. He’s cute in his glasses.

“Are you okay?” Taehyung asks. Jimin hadn’t said much to Taehyung since arriving home from dance practice yesterday, and he spent the night snuggled into Taehyung’s chest until he cried himself to sleep. Taehyung had pretended to be asleep, to not know that Jimin was crying because he knew that Jimin was only crying thinking Taehyung wasn’t awake to know. But Taehyung knew. It was painful not to say anything the night before, but he knew that Jimin would have brushed it off if he had asked.

“Yeah,” Jimin says dismissively. He continues typing on his computer, not even offering Taehyung a single glance. “I’m fine. I’m just trying to get this work done before Monday, so I’m sorry if I don’t seem as talkative as usual.”

Jimin’s word come out short and sharp, and Taehyung racks his brain trying to think of what the hell could be bothering him. It almost feels like direct jabs at Taehyung, so Taehyung feels like he did something to upset Jimin. Then again, knowing how bad Jimin is at directing his anger in the right direction, Jimin could honestly be mad at any random person right now, and Taehyung happens to be the one taking the blow because he’s right here.

“Did something happen during dance practice?” Taehyung asks, cautious.

Normally, Jimin would stay after class to get some more practice in. He didn’t do that yesterday. He came home earlier than usual, so Taehyung had assumed that something was wrong then. He didn’t say anything because he could tell that Jimin wasn’t in the mood to talk about it.

Jimin’s fingers slow from where they had been speedily moving across the keyboard, and he eventually shuts his computer down. He still doesn’t look at Taehyung, which is what is bothering the younger the most. “I got into a fight with Jungkook.” He says.

“A fight as in…” Taehyung pressures. If Jimin means a physical fight—if Jungkook hit Jimin, he’s definitely going to hear about it from Taehyung later. Taehyung has never been one for throwing punches or anything, but he will if it means protecting Jimin. “What did you guys fight about?” Taehyung asks, trying a different approach.

Jimin shrugs. “I asked him how he was doing since Jihoon isn’t there with him anymore, and he just…” Jimin pauses. He take a deep breath, and he finally looks at Taehyung. “He got really upset about me even bringing it up. I don’t know why. I guess I asked it in a way that he didn’t like or something.”

Taehyung smiles, and he brushes what he can of Jimin’s hair behind his ear. “He’s having a hard time because he’s never been the one home while Jihoon goes off abroad for anything.” Taehyung assures his husband. “I’m sure it was nothing against you, personally.”

Jimin shakes his head. “You know,” He says, taking another breath. “He brought up…he said something about me not accepting fault on my mistakes…” Now there were tears in Jimin’s eyes, and Taehyung regrets having asked about this in the first place. He doesn’t want to see Jimin cry. “He’s right, you know…I haven’t admitted fault on a lot of mistakes that I made, and I’m sorry for that. Taehyung, I’m so sorry. It’s too late to apologize to Jungkook for everything I’ve done to hurt him, but I want you to know…I want you to know that I’m sorry. I know the mistakes that I made, and I—”

“Jimin.” Taehyung cuts him off, keeping his tone gentle. “I’ve made lots of mistakes, too. We’re only human. It happens.”

“You trust me, though, right?” Jimin asks.

Taehyung smirks at that, and he brings his face closer to Jimin’s. “Babe, I trust you,” He says. “Don’t think I don’t notice how your eyes are only ever on me, and how you don’t even pay attention to the characters in when we’re watching it together.”

Jimin’s cheeks turn furiously red. “I’m not talking about that, Kim Taehyung! You ing ert.” Jimin says, shoving Taehyung away. “I mean—”

He’s silenced by Taehyung’s lips on his. “I know what you mean.” Taehyung assures him, giggling a little. “You are mine, Park Jimin, and I trust you to let everyone know it. You don’t have to give yourself to anyone, and I love that you give yourself to me because you want to and not because you feel like you have to.”

Jimin leans back into Taehyung’s lips, seeking another kiss on his own. “Sometimes it feels like I have to.” Jimin tells him, speaking just above a whisper. “Like when I’m not really in the mood, but you do something incredibly sweet that makes me feel like you deserve it.”

He grips the collar of Taehyung’s shirt and pulls the younger in for another kiss.

“We don’t have to do anything right now if you’re not in the mood.” Taehyung tells him when he gets the chance to pull back.

“I never said now was one of those times.” Jimin points out, and he pulls Taehyung on top of himself this time.

Jungkook’s POV

        “I’m only asking you because I trust your opinion.” Jungkook says, ripping more sketches out of his folder and laying them down on the table in front of Yoongi. If Jihoon were here, he would be the one Jungkook was going to for help, but he’s not. Jungkook would trust his advice anyway because listening to Jihoon’s advice had never steered him wrong.

“You want to know my honest opinion?” Yoongi asks after carefully examining each of the drawings Jungkook made for his mentor to look at tonight.

Jungkook nods.

“I think you’re putting too much effort into this.” He pushes the stack of drawings back in Jungkook’s direction, and Jungkook frowns. He feels slightly insulted.

“For your information, Hyung, I’m putting a lot of effort—”

“Jungkook,” Yoongi says, effortlessly cutting the younger off. “I don’t mean a lot of effort into your apprenticeship. It’s good that you’re working so hard for that. What I mean is too much effort into the drawings.”

Jungkook tilts his head in confusion.

“You like realism, I know.” Yoongi says. “But based on what you told me about the assignment that you were given, realism isn’t what this guy is looking for. He wanted you to show that you can do simple and cute designs to show that you have a variety of styles up your sleeve because, as a tattoo artist, you’ll have to do different styles.”

“And I did just what he asked for.” Jungkook says, looking at the drawing on top. It’s a cute little tiger drawing that Jungkook did for the Chinese zodiac year of the tiger. It has the Chinese character for tiger as well, incorporated in the tiger’s stripes. He doesn’t see the problem with his drawings.

Yoongi shakes his head. “You’re already his apprentice,” Yoongi says. “So stop drawing like you’re trying to impress him.”

Jungkook only gets more confused. “Then what am I supposed to be drawing like?” He asks.

“Like you want to learn from him.” Is Yoongi’s answer.

Jungkook is definitely going to need to talk to Jihoon before going to the parlor today because Yoongi isn’t making any since at all.

Hoseok’s POV

        The last Saturday of the month means that Seokjin and Hoseok get their movie night together. Because of that, Namjoon is stuck at home, watching Jinhee all by himself, and Yoongi is helping Jungkook with his assignment.

Hoseok looks forward to these days he gets with Seokjin because it lets him take a break from all of that, even for just a couple of hours. Most of the time they’re actually doing movie nights at Seokjin’s place, but the days they actually go to the theaters is much more fun. It usually leads to a dinner date afterward. Yoongi is actually the sort to view dinner dates as more of a ‘romantic’ thing, and he’s not okay with the idea of Hoseok going out with anyone else if it’s not business related or his sister. Seokjin is different though. Yoongi knows the terms of Seokjin’s and Hoseok’s friendship—he knows that friends are all they are to each other—so he doesn’t really get jealous about Seokjin. Over anything really.

It’s kind of annoying sometimes.

“So, are you planning on just starting up some more classes?” Seokjin asks as they sit down at a Korean BBQ restaurant. “Or are you actually going to hire some teachers to work at the school with you?”

Somehow it’s exciting to Hoseok to have someone to talk to about his business plans. Other than Yoongi, of course, who knows all about Hoseok’s business plans. In fact, Yoongi probably knows more about Hoseok’s business plans than Hoseok himself does because he’s sneaky like that, and he’s always making them behind Hoseok’s back. Hoseok doesn’t argue. Yoongi has been running Suga Styles successfully for a while now, so there’s nothing saying he doesn’t know what he’s doing when it comes to running a business.

“I talked to Yoongi hyung about it,” He says. “And he told me that the best thing to do right now is to just rent out the studio spaces for classes or individual studio practice.” Hoseok tells his friend. “That way it will get me some money saved up to actually start hiring teachers and such.”

Seokjin smiles. “I’m proud of you, you know?” Seokjin says. “You’ve really come a long way.”

Hoseok beams even brighter at his best friend. “I couldn’t have done it without Yoongi hyung.” Hoseok points out. “I love him…and it doesn’t even have to do with any of the things he buys for me. I can do without all of that. I can’t explain it, but—”

“I know, Hoseok.” Seokjin assures him. “Trust me. I know.”