[CONTENTID1] THE DOCTOR - part 2 [/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2]

Seokjin + OC (Kim Tae Li)

Word count: 3.7K

Written by: AnnieWilson

“Your lawyer’s pretty cute,” a somewhat tipsy Yoongi comments as the two men, him and Seokjin, sit in the living room of the former’s small apartment. “I mean- I love Ga Yoonie so, yeah, but- she’s cute.”

“Okay,” Seokjin laughs, patting his friend on the back. But he has to admit, “Yeah, she’s cute. Hell, she’s downright, drop-dead gorgeous.”

“Yeah, okay, chill,” the blond snorts and Seokjin elbows him, though he does so lightly. A single bruise on his body would drive Ga Yoon nuts — she’s very protective of him and very much so in love with him.

It’s almost disgusting.

If Seokjin wasn't so terribly jealous.

“If you find her so pretty, why don’t you ask her out?” This comes from Namjoon, who the two older men met a few days after Jinwoon’s birthday after Krystal insisted he meet her friends. It was then that Yoongi put two and two together, and realised that they were the pilots of that flight he was on so many months ago.

In short, Namjoon immediately fit in with his cool attitude and impressive wits. Seokjin finds it hard to believe the man is only twenty five years old, when he walks and talks like he’s experienced the world, and more.

But it’s not condescending or arrogant in any way. Seokjin just means that Kim Namjoon is far beyond his years, in the best possible way. He likes the pilot. Yoongi likes him, too, and Yoongi doesn’t like a lot of people.

“You’re young and naïve, so I’ll just pretend you didn’t suggest that,” Seokjin teases and the pilot snorts a laugh, sitting down on the other sofa opposite from him and Yoongi. He hands them bottles of soju over the coffee table and the two older men happily take them. They decide, to hell with shot glasses.

“No, but, seriously. You’re attracted to her, right? Why not make the move?” Namjoon asks before pressing the rim of his bottle against his lips. 

“Uh, because he’s married?” Yoongi  snorts, adding a “” afterwards at which Namjoon makes a face. “Well, separated, now. Right?”

“She’s still my wife,” Seokjin says, then takes a swig of the soju. “And I love Ga In. I’d never cheat on her, legally separated or not.”

“And if any of them pursue a relationship whilst separated, the other one can use it against them in court,” Yoongi relays to Namjoon what was said to Seokjin, by Tae Li. “It’s still seen as adultery. That’s no-no.”

“Damn,” the golden-blond male mutters under his breath, then takes a swig of soju. “Well, I mean— after. You can see her once all of this is done. Right?”

“It’s not that simple,” Seokjin sighs, rubbing his face tiredly. “I have a kid to think about. What would Jinwoonie think of his father if he started dating fresh out of a marriage with his mother? He already…we’re already distant. I don’t want him to hate me, Namjoon.”

“No one can hate you, Jin hyung,” Yoongi assures him, also taking a mouthful of alcohol. “I mean, , you look like a damn hamster. No one can hate a face like yours.”

“Well, Tae Li isn’t exactly fond of me,” the eldest chuckles, thinking about the beautiful lawyer. That’s a bit of a lie, though not really. Tae Li, he’s come to learn over the past few weeks, is a tough nut to crack. She’s professional and hardworking, and when she’s onto something, it’s impossible to throw her off. But she’s emotionally distant, she’s closed off and she very rarely displays any sort of emotion.

But to say she’s cold-hearted and dispassionate would be a total misconception and/or a downright lie. She’s just formal, he thinks. Seokjin is also sure that she reserves her casual, somewhat carefree side for those she fully trusts.

He’s only ever seen it once, and that was when he first met her and he saw her laugh at something Lee Jong Suk had said to her. He can’t help but kind of wish he could make her laugh. He can’t help but wish he could make anyone laugh. Like he used to make Ga In laugh.

He remembers the early years of his relationship with Ga In. They were so obvliously, hopelessly in love and they truly believed nothing could ever trump them. He used to make her laugh almost every second of everyday. and she’d make him smile until his cheeks hurt. But that magic is gone. Those feelings are dissipating.

He’s not sure if he’ll ever stop loving her. He certainly can’t hate her, not even with everything she’s putting him through because, dammit, he knows how much pain he’s put her through over the years. He hasn’t been a good husband, he knows that. He accepts it. But he also knows damn well that he tried.

Even when he was exhausted and could barely keep his eyes open, he’d try to stay up to help her with the baby. Even when he was moody after a hard day at work, he’d try to make her laugh. But long before Seokjin fell out of love with his wife, Ga In fell out of love with him.

“Hey, man, it’ll be okay,” Yoongi says, breaking Seokjin out of his depressing thoughts. He looks up and sees a somewhat blurry Yoongi and Namjoon. He doesn’t think he’s drunk enough for his vision to be impaired. But then, Yoongi sheds some light on the situation: “Don’t cry, hyung. Everything will work out.”

“And if they don’t, we’ll be here to pick up the pieces,” Namjoon comforts with an easy smile. Seokjin wipes his cheeks, tears smearing the back of his hands. He sniffs and offers his friends a shaky smile. “We’re here for you, hyung.”

“Thank you.”

~ ♦ ~

“I don’t get why I have to be here.”

Tae Li quirks a brow at the eleven-year-old sitting in front of her. She’s taken a good look at him already and found that he’s a good looking boy, who will only get more attractive as he ages. It’s not surprising, given the appearance of his father and the photographs she’s seen of his mother.

“Jinwoon-ah, don’t be rude,” Seokjin chides. His son rolls his eyes but says no more. Seokjin looks over to her, smiling apologetically. “Sorry about him. He’s just…not dealing with all this very well.”

“I don’t want to be here.”

“Jinwoon.”

"Seokjin," the boy retorts with attitude.

"Jinwoon!"

“Alright, enough of that,” Tae Li says then slides her gaze over to the boy. “Jinwoon, you’re here because in order for me to do my job as well as I want to, I need to know how you feel about all of this. I want your opinion and your feelings to be taken into consideration because, at the end of the day, you’re one of the most important aspects of this whole ordeal. Do you understand?” She adds a little wink to placate him, if possible.

“I understand, Kim seonsaengnim,” Jinwoon says, nodding. She offers him a smile and has to stifle a chuckle when his cheeks redden. 

“Okay, good,” She switches from him to his father, “would you give us a moment, Seokjin-ssi?”

“Ah- um, okay,” Seokjin stammers, hesitantly getting up. He then reluctantly leaves the two to themselves, closing the door behind him. Tae Li looks back at Jinwoon, smiling sweetly. His cheeks redden even more.

“What— what do you want to ask me, Kim seonsaengnim?” he asks, sounding a bit nervous.

“Jinwoon-ah, I want you to be totally open and totally honest with me, okay?” She pins him with a firm look and he nods immediately. “No lies or secrets. Got it?” He nods again. She takes out a few files, as well as a notebook and a pen. “Right, then. Jinwoon-ah, how are you dealing with your parents’ situation?”

“Fine, I guess?” He shrugs. “I’m a bit…upset. But I don’t cry or anything. I’m too big for that. I just play with my cars or whatever until they stop fighting.”

“They fight?” she asks, earning a nod. “Do they fight a lot or just a little?” The kid shrugs. “Jinwoon-ah, do your parents ever…make you feel guilty for being with the other one? Do they ever try to make you choose between them?”

“No, but I sometimes I hear them argue about who’s the better parent…or who should get to keep me,” he tells her whilst playing with a loose thread on his sweater. “I hate it. I’m not a toy, they shouldn’t fight over me like that. They think I don’t understand but I turned eleven a while ago, y’know. I’m not an idiot.”

“Of course not,” Tae Li agrees with a laugh. “I think people underestimate kids when, in reality, you guys are a whole lot more perceptive and intuitive than given credit for. Kids nowadays know more and are taught more than they were twenty years ago.”