Laughter and smiling faces surrounded the kitchen table in Jimin’s small apartment. Sure, the pancakes were burnt, and the eggs were overcooked, but Jimin was the happiest that he had been in a long time. Taeseok’s eyes constantly shined during the meal. Jimin could tell that he was experiencing the same happiness as his papa. Hell, even Jimin’s mom was smiling brighter. It really felt like how it should have been along. But Jimin’s thoughts creep into his mind. I shouldn’t be doing this. WE shouldn’t be doing this. We aren’t a family anymore, at least not like how it was supposed to be. But I am happy. Is this what our lives could have been everyday if we didn’t it up?

“So, how is the photography business going, Jungkook? I have heard your name in the gossips a few times. Looks like you have really made a name for yourself, huh?.” Jimin’s mom said, sipping from her coffee mug and pulling Jimin from his thoughts.

He turned and looked at Jungkook, who was currently wiping the remnants of pancakes from their pup’s face. The pup ran from the table as soon as his daddy finished wiping his face. Probably going to go play with his new toys in the living room.

“Yeah, it is going pretty well. It took off a lot faster than I thought it was going to which is a good thing, I guess. I have been staying busy though. I’m mostly booked except for my weekends that I take off for Seok.”

“Wow. Well, call me impressed. I am glad that you didn’t let the break-up slow you down any! It seems like you have been doing just fine.”

And there it was. The moment that both boys knew was going to come up eventually. Their breakup.

“Mom. We really don’t have to talk about that, please. Especially not with Seokie around. Okay?”

Jimin’s mom raised her hands in defense.

“Sorry, still a sore subject, I see. Well, it should make you feel happy, Jimin, that you both are doing fine now. Even though I always preferred you two together, I am happy that you are still making time for your son and each other. It is important, you know? To be happy. Even if it isn’t with each other.”

A stiff silence fell across the table. All that could be heard in the apartment was the sound of Taeseok’s toys in the following room. Jimin looked down at his plate, quietly pushing around his leftover breakfast. His mind filling once again with the thoughts of the what ifs and what could have beens.

“With all due respect, Mrs. Park, I will never be as happy as I was when Jimin and I were together. That happiness cannot be replicated or replaced. Am I happy now? I think I am. Most of the time, at least. But it is hard to tell when all I do is compare my present to my past and in comparison, the past always wins.”

Jimin’s eyes grow as he stares at the alpha in front of him. He watched as Jungkook’s face, now red from the sudden confession, looked down at his hands in his lap, picking at his thumbs. Jimin didn’t want to say or what to do. He wanted to cry and ask a billion questions, but his gut told him that it wasn’t right. So, he sat in his chair and let the thoughts run rampant in his mind. He felt a gentle hand rub his back. He looked over at his mom, who smiled at him and with a look that only Jimin could read, he knew what he needed to do.

Jimin’s mom left shortly after the ordeal, but not before asking about Taeseok’s birthday party which was coming up quickly. Jungkook had agreed to throw the party at his apartment since it was bigger than the omega’s. Jimin was thankful that she had brought up the topic because it was one thing that Jimin was still avoiding. After she left, the stiffening silence filled the small rooms yet again. But Jimin was determined break it and to talk to Jungkook about what he had said at the table. He had so many questions and so many scenarios formed in his head that he just needed some answers. After Jimin cleaned up the mess left by his pup and the alpha, Jimin went to find them. He walked towards Taeseok’s room, and he could hear the boys talking from the hallway.

Taeseok was busy showing Jungkook the new toys that he had gotten at his grandmother’s house. They were loud and obnoxious and Jimin made a mental reminder to tell his mom to quit buying the pup so many toys. His basket was overflowing already!

“So, have you decided what you want for your birthday, Pup?”

“I want you to stay here forever.”

Jimin’s heart sank. This is what he was worried about. That his indecision and back-and-forth with Jungkook was going to have an influence on their pup.

“What do you mean?”

“Being here with me and Papa. Papa looks happy, right? I think that Daddy being here at my house makes Papa happy.”

There was a brief silence and Jimin could tell that Jungkook was trying to gather his thoughts. He was struggling, but what do you say in a situation like this? Jimin decided that the best thing he could do was to stop the conversation all together. He walked further down the hallway and entered the room, as if he had not been listening outside.

“Ohh, are you showing Daddy all of your new toys, Seokie? Can I see them?” Jimin said, sitting down on the floor next to his pup. Taeseok started to talk about his new dinosaurs, even telling Jimin what their names were and what they could do. Jimin just smiled down at the pup, rubbing the top of his head lightly as Taeseok leaned in him. Jimin looked over at the alpha, who had yet to say anything after Jimin entered the room. He seemed still shook about the conversation, but Jimin didn’t know which conversation, his one with Taeseok or the one at breakfast?

Jungkook cleared his throat, grabbing the attention of the omega.

“I guess I should probably get going. I don’t want to intrude on your day with Seok. ”

He cleared the pile of toys from his lap and returned them to the basket. He began to stand when Jimin quickly reached out and gently grabbed his wrist. Jungkook looked up at the omega.

“Stay. Just for a little while longer, please. It makes us happy when you are here.” Jimin said, smiling at the alpha, as Jungkook’s eyes grew big.

Jungkook just nodded slightly and returned his attention to his pup. Jimin stared at Jungkook, smiling slightly. He looked down to see that he was still holding on to the alpha’s wrist, but he wasn’t quite ready to let go so he didn’t. Jimin also turned to look back at the pup, who was now showing them a different dinosaur.

“And see, Daddy. I told you that you make Papa happy.”

Both parents looked at each other a shyly smiled.

It was a few more hours of playing and snacking and watching cartoons before Jimin got a second of alone time with Jungkook. The alpha had taken the pup to lay down for a nap as Jimin prepared two cups of coffee for themselves. He knew it was getting late, but with a slight hangover still lingering, he didn’t mind the extra caffeine.

Jungkook returned to the living room and saw Jimin waiting for him on the couch. He also noticed the extra coffee cup placed in front of the loveseat.

“For me?”

Jimin just nodded yes, sipping from his own mug, blowing slightly on the hot drink. Jungkook placed the cup gently in the air as a “Thank you” and took his seat next to Jimin. It was quiet at first but not as stiff as it was before., for which Jimin was thankful. The omega took one last sip before placing his cup back onto the coaster.

“So about what you said at breakfast, I think-“

“Jimin.”

Jimin stopped mid-sentence and looked up at the alpha, who was staring back at him. Jimin saw a look in Jungkook’s eyes that he had not seen in a long time. But he couldn’t quiet place what it was.

“We broke up almost two years ago. It was hard on both of us. Hell, all three of us. To be completely honest with you, being here today with you and Taeseok brought back a lot of emotions inside of me that I thought I had lost. I was happy and sad and content all at once. But just as the happiness was beginning to grow inside of me today, so was the sadness.” Jungkook took a pause but didn’t break his eye contact with Jimin. He took another deep breath before he continued.

“All I could think about was the day we broke up, the day I moved out, the day I found out you were with someone else. And it overtook all the happiness. All of it, Jimin. So, when I said that I would never be as happy as I was when we were together, I meant it. I can never be that happy again because of the sadness that I have now. The past always wins. It always comes out.”

Jimin looked at the alpha in shock. What does that mean? Does he not feel the same happiness that Jimin does?

“Then what was last night?”

“What about last night?”

“The scenting, Kook. The cuddling in bed.”

Jungkook took a deep breath. Jimin could not believe what was happening. Did all of this really mean nothing to him? The scenting, the blooming, the kisses. Nothing. Was Jimin reading more into the situation than what was there?

“You smelled like a different alpha, Jimin. I couldn’t sleep smelling that smell in this small apartment, okay? I needed you to smell like something else.”

Jimin scoffed.

“Like something else or like you, Jungkook? What about the kissing and not just last night but the other time after the zoo? Do you not wonder why your alpha feels like it must still protect me and be around me? Do you think that is normal after a breakup? To still feel so deeply attached?” Jimin said, talking faster than he wanted to but he couldn’t help it. He was angry, mostly with himself but still at the alpha as well.

“It is probably because of our pup, Jimin. I will always feel a deeper attachment to you because you birthed my pup.” Jungkook weakly explained.

“That’s bull and you know it.” Jimin said, standing from the love seat. He quickly left the living and beelined to the kitchen, not even bothering to look behind him. It didn’t matter thought. He could hear the alpha stand and he could feel the heavy footprints following behind him. He faced the sink as he felt the alpha close in behind him.

“What do you want me to say, huh? That things are better now? That things can go back to normal? You kicked me out, Jimin! You dumped me! You broke up our family and left me with nothing. You want things to go back to normal because of some scenting and kissing?”

Jimin turned away from the sink to look at the alpha. It froze Jimin in his tracks. The look in Jungkook’s eyes. Jimin remembered it now. It was the same look that Jungkook had given him when he left the apartment on the day he moved out. It is a mixture of disappointment, anger, and despair and it had somehow found its way back into Jungkook’s eyes. It felt as if the wind had just been knocked out of him. He could smell his own spoiling scent as much as he could smell the anger radiating from Jungkook. This is not the way that Jimin had thought this conversation would go. But Jungkook continued, anyways.

“You wanted to end things, Jimin. My side of the bed was still warm when you filled it with another alpha.”

Now, Jimin was angry.

“What does that have to do with what we are talking about, Jungkook? And do not talk to me as if I am an omega that can’t keep an alpha out of his bed. We were broken up from 7 months before I even got together with him! I didn’t love him. I was using him to try and fill the hole YOU left in my heart, Jungkook.” Jimin yelled.

“Well, it may have not been in your heart, but he was filling one of your holes!”

And there it was. The silence. That stiff silence. It almost feels as if the air is being removed from the room. That any deep breath might be the last. They aren’t sure how long it goes on. Seconds? Minutes?

“Jimin, I’m sor-“

“Get out.”

Jimin turned to walk out of the kitchen and past Jungkook. The alpha quickly turned to follow the omega. Jimin walked to the front door and opened it, showing Jungkook that there was no more discussion to be had. Jungkook slowly put on his shoes and grabbed his clothes from the bench. He turned to exit out the door, but he e more time to look at the omega. He could see the trail of tears down his cheeks while more filled his eyes. He had taken it too far. Once again.

"Jimin. Plea-"

Jungkook felt as the air left his lungs as the door was slammed in front of him. He stood still, momentarily unable to move away from the entrance. All he wanted was to be back in that apartment, back to the little extra happiness, but he messed it up.

By the time, he reached his car, he had replayed the last 20 minutes in his mind over and over. Why did he do that? Why did he lie to Jimin? Why did he act like he wasn’t the happiest he had been in over two years? Why did he act like last night meant nothing to him when it had meant everything? What was he so afraid of?

He reached into his pocket and quickly grabbed his phone. He dialed the number he knew would answer.

“Hyung, I ed up.”