"Are the twins okay?" You asked after looking up from the attendance sheet. They had been absent for the past three days.

It was your fourth day back at work for Kim after your depressing three weeks. Jimin had completely stopped contacting you and the last time you saw his face was at Jen's dinner. Even though he was out of your life, you couldn't stop thinking about him.

Every part of you wanted to see him. You missed him every sulking day, every dreadful minute. You no longer accompanied Kim at morning drop off though. You were smart enough to know that the both of you couldn't handle seeing one another.

You didn't go back to your job at the club — not yet. You were suppose to go back a week ago, but you weren't ready to face Wes or to give your best customer service. Every drink you created would taste sour or bitter. 

Keeping your distance from Minseo and Minjoo was hard. They were your students and called for your attention right when they saw you. Their smiles of delight when they saw you crushed the final pieces of your heart. You had to excuse yourself to the bathroom the first day you were back because you couldn't contain your tears. You didn't deserve them.

However, the Monday of the new week, they didn't show up to school or the following days. They always had perfect attendance, unless something happened to them.

Kim sighed, "they have the stomach flu."

You had the stomach flu before. It was horrible. Food didn't settle in your stomach and crawled up your esophagus after every small intake of food. Your bowel movements were the worst. It was like something from inside your stomach was ripping you apart, trying to escape through your abdomen.

Something kicked in. Minseo and Minjoo were probably in indescribable pain, their tiny bodies couldn't handle it. Your gut wretched and churned at the thought of them feeling like death. "I need to see them."

"(Y/N)– don't." Kim held your shoulders. "Leave them alone. Jen doesn't want you to bother them anymore. They don't need you."

You had told Kim to be harsh with you, it was the only way to stop yourself from running back to them. She had to be there to hold you back and if it meant hurting your feelings, then so be it. "Kim, I have to. I need to make sure they're okay." You got up, but she pushed you back down onto the swivel chair.

"It's just the stomach flu, not cancer. Calm down and stay put." She groaned and tried to tidy of the mess of crayons on the floor. You didn't listen, though. You got up the first chance she was distracted. Luckily, it was after school hours and traffic was minimal.

"(Y/N)!" Kim yelled for you down the hall, but you were too far gone to care to stop.

You rushed into your car and didn't bother to wait for it to warm up. Driving like a maniac, your thoughts were clouded with the image of the twins in agony. Their tiny arms hold their stomachs as they were hunched over in their beds. The tears of pain that soak their pillow cases and their dinner in buckets on the floor. 

Jimin. His hair was probably messy and his face aging five more years. Him, running back and forth between their bedrooms and the bathroom. Did he take days off from work? Was Jen helping him? Was he alone?

A rush of anxiety washed over your frantic body, similar to when you two lost Minjoo. That strange, inexplicable feeling of worry filled you up to the rim. It was all so confusing, and made your stomach flip upside down.

You arrived at the family's house and you sat in their driveway in your car. Looking up at the home, you hesitated from approaching the front door. Your grip on the steering wheel was so tight that your knuckles turned white. For some reason, you were crying again. They weren't sobs, they were silently rolling down your cheeks.

You saw Jimin's car parked at the curb, indicating he was only few feet away. However, you couldn't get yourself to move. You couldn't believe yourself. How did you end up back here again? It was ludicrous, you hated yourself.

You bit down on your trembling lip to refrain from shouting profanities at yourself. Tears were falling harder now, marking your jeans and your arms fell from the wheel. You released oceans in your hands, not sure why you were crying. The shattered piece of your pathetic heart still hurt, like a burning feeling in your chest you couldn't get rid of.

(Y/N), how dare you do this to them? You thought to yourself. You came running back to them, which you promised yourself you wouldn't ever do again. They didn't want you. They didn't deserve the pain of isolation you put them through, but you did it. They didn't deserve the confusion you caused by crawling back into their family, trying to jam your own puzzle piece into their picture perfect collage after harshly cutting them off, but here you were.

The noise of your ringtone caught your attention and you saw Kim's caller ID. You slid your thumb over the green button and she hollered, "(Y/N)! Where the are you?! Are you at Jimin's place, because if you are — I swear to god — I will lock you in your own apartment until you come to your senses!" Her voice gradually become louder and louder.

"I'm at his house, but I didn't go in. I'm outside, sitting in my car, crying. I didn't listen to you, Kim, so this is what I get. Pain and regret." Your voice cracked at different parts of your speech.

Kim was silent before she cleared , "it's not your fault. (Y/N), please just go home." Her tone was tired, like she had given up. Those were her final words of advice: just go home and you listened this time.

-

Yesterday's traumatic outburst was too much for you and you stayed home for another day. Your eyes remained glued to the ceiling of your bedroom until it hit nightfall. You contemplated about the life you had before you met Jimin. You weren't nearly as happy as you were when you were with him.

Jimin was also the only guy in your life that you wished to be with forever. Every other guy was scum and you often felt mistreated by them. Jimin felt real, like when your dreams become reality. He was genuine.

Your past relationships didn't compare to the time with Jimin. You've been in four your entire life. All of which you've never felt like how you felt for him. He took care of you and you meant something to him. He surpassed any I love you's you've shared in the past.

You didn't know what love was because you've never experienced it. Even though you said it often in the past, it was only to say it. Your love you's were empty because the feelings you had for your significant other at the time were nothing. You couldn't love a man who only saw you for your body. You've never been loved, until you had a glimpse of it with Jimin.

It explained why you were so greedy to have him. He knew how to cherish you for more than your appearance. He made you feel something. So could you really blame yourself for trying so hard? You hoped for a love that you could hold onto for a long time, so you held on tight for the ride. You didn't know who you'd affect, but it didn't matter. You were willing to suffer the consequences.

Your phone would not stop reminding you that your voicemail was full. You knew they were all from Jimin, but you were afraid that you'd break at the sound of his voice. That led to them being piled up and untended. Groaning, you decided that you were strong enough to listen.

(Y/N), I don't get it? What do you mean we should stop seeing each other? We can talk. We don't have to end things. Did I make you unhappy? Let's talk it out, please.

beep

I'm outside your door, please answer it. I saw your car in your spot, stop avoiding me. I need you to explain to me what's going on. Don't cut me off like this.

beep

I miss you. I wish you'd understand that it doesn't have to be like this.

beep

You weren't at school these past couple of days and I'm getting really worried about you. You're probably going through a lot and I'm sorry that I didn't notice. I couldn't be there for you. I'm horrible. You can yell at me. You can let out your frustrations onto me. I'll take it. I'd do anything for you, (Y/N). Please. I just need to hear your voice.

beep

I'm nothing without you, baby. The girls won't stop crying and I can't stop crying no matter how hard I try. I don't know why you left us, but we don't care. We just want you back. You're our family, (Y/N). You mean everything to me, to Minjoo and Minseo. Whatever happened, I'm sorry. I'm so ing sorry. I couldn't hold onto you fast enough. And now you're gone and I can't think straight anymore. Say something, (Y/N). I miss you.

beep

Whatever this was about, I just need you to know this. You are my solace, my energy. I spent six years of my life alone because I didn't think there was someone out there that would like me like how you did. I thought that no one would accept me being a father of twins. I didn't think that anyone wanted me, but you did. You, with your enticing smile and sparkling charms. You with your melodic voice and witty comments. You were there. And I haven't felt something this intense for so long. You were the one and I was afraid that I wasn't your one. I laid in bed restless at the thought of you not liking me as much as I like you. I didn't make things official, not because you were simply someone who kept me company, but because—

That was the final message of your voicemail. Jimin never got to finish his message because the time had ran out and you left them to pile. You quickly sat up in your bed and threw your phone in frustration.

You needed to know, nonetheless, what he was going to say. Before you could go see him, you needed to fix things. You needed to make things right. You didn't want to be the horrible person that had hurt him.

You were also tired of being tossed around by men. You learned from Jimin, that you deserved to be loved and that he was going to be there to love you. You wanted to be with Jimin and the twins, that was now your only wish.

You hurried to Wes' house to confront him. You were going to quit your job at the club and cut any connections with Wes. He could no longer push you around or exploit you for work. Without the job, he didn't have anything else to hold against you.

It would be a lie if you said you weren't scared. As you reached his house, you slowly approached it. You knocked before Wes opened the door. A surprised expression caught your attention.

"I was wondering if you were still alive. How has my favorite girl been?" He pulled you inside. His lips trailed down your neck and pushed you up against the wall.

"Stop, Wes. I'm here to talk." You shoved him off aggressively. He peered up, rather not amused by your actions.

Backing deeper into his home, your eyes didn't leave his taunting expressions. Shivers ran down your spine and your body tensed up. "I'm quitting."

"What?" Wes cornered you, eyes filled with rage.

"I-I've decided I don't want to work there anymore. I don't want to sleep with you to keep my job or feel like I belong to you." 

"Is this because of your boy toy? Do you think he cares about you?" His tone of voice dropped several decibels, his fists were tight at his side. You slipped on the floor, your body against the sofa.

"Jimin does care about me." 

"No.. that's where you're wrong. He will never love you. You don't know what real love is. You selfishly pushed yourself into their happy lives and then destroyed them. That's the kind of person you are. The kind of person who sleeps with her boss for a ing job, pathetic." He spat. 

The words hurt, but you needed to stay strong for Jimin. Clearing your throat, you spoke with your last might, "I deserve more than this."

That was when things started to spiral down. A sharp pain stung your cheek and your head whipped towards the right. Tears welled up in your eyes as your confused mind tried to make out what had just happened. However, Wes didn't let you try to process it. He only continued.

"You deserve nothing."

-

Your first instinct was to head over to Jimin's house. Your hair clung to your face, slick with your heavy tears. The roads were blurry and your body still shaking from the events from before.

It was by chance you were even able to escape. The pain seeped into every crevice of your sore body, and into your heart. You felt so small and hopeless.

Wes refused to stop, even when you screamed for him to. Every kick and every punch marked your body, causing a new pain to arise. You were sure he was going to kill you.

The rain poured from the dark night sky as you recklessly drove to their house. Bolting to the door, you regretted the second you rang the doorbell. A month after no more contact, you show up tattered. Wrecked.

Jimin opened the door. He had taken your breath away once again. It was as if you two were meeting for the first time. After not seeing his face for a while, you missed every line that traced his features.

"What happened to your face?" Jimin pushed your hair back to examine the eye catching bruise on your cheek bone.

"Nothing.." You left the rain drench you up and down.

"(Y/N), you don't just show up at my door steps, in the pouring rain, in the middle of the night, hurt for nothing. Tell me, let me listen to you." Jimin held onto your fingertips, causing you to flinch back, so traumatized from Wes.

"Wes.. He.. He- He..." You started sobbing, making it incredibly difficult to talk.

"Daddy?" Minjoo's voice alerted the both of your attention. It had been a while since the twins had seen you and neither of you wanted them to see you like this. Jimin stood in front of the door to block your messy appearance, and blinked at his daughter.

"What's wrong, baby?" He asked, worried that she'd come closer to discover your sad secret. She rubbed her tired eyes, carrying her blankie in her other hand.

"Who's at the door?" She yawned.

"Daddy's friend. Go to sleep, honey. It's past your bed time." She nodded and waddled back into her shared room.

Jimin turned around to see that you were gone. He rushed outside in the rain to search for you. You were over your steering wheel, head down. Jimin pulled the door open and he heard your loud sobs. "(Y/N), come inside and we'll talk."

"Oh my god! Jimin, I just don't know when to leave you alone, do I? I'm selfish. I'm selfish to you and your family. No one will ever love me because I try so hard to be someone I'm not. I will never be the mother to Minjoo and Minseo. I will never be someone you'd be in love with. Now you're out here, getting pelted by rain, risking your health because of me! You're awake because of my messy self being. Oh- god.. I need to leave!" You shouted at the top of your lungs, however the rain still played over you. You tried shoving your key into the ignition, but Jimin stole them from your shaking hands.

"Come inside, now." Jimin picked you up, cradling you in his arms like how he does with his girls. You wrapped your arms around his neck and cried into his collarbones.

He hurried you two inside and he set you in a chair at their dining table.

You could still remember your first dinner with them. You sat in that exact same chair, eating and laughing with the small family. At that time you didn't know what you were getting yourself into. You just wanted to belong and stay with them. You were theirs. They were yours.

Jimin wrapped a dry towel around your shoulders and sat in front of you. "What about you?" You looked up to see him slick with rain. His pajama pants were a darker shade and dripping with water. His black hair clung to his forehead and droplets fell from his chest.

"Don't worry about me. Let me worry about you. What's going on, (Y/N)?" Jimin placed his elbows on his knees and leaned forward to hold your hands in his own.

"Wes hit me, Jimin." You choked out, tears spilling down your bruised cheeks. Jimin's jawline tightened and his whole body stiffen. "I said I was quitting the job because I didn't want to have with him anymore. It was either I don't and I get fired or I do and have to suffer nights with him in bed. I'm sick of it, Jimin. I want to love. I don't want to be someone's toy. He held that against me, he owned me. I really needed a job because no one was paying for my tuition. He knew that and he took advantage of my vulnerability. He hit me when I told him I was leaving the job and.. him."

"Please tell me that was it. Tell me he didn't hit you anywhere else." Jimin scooted you forward to look for any other signs of injury. You shook your head and pulled down the collar of your wet shirt, a hand mark traveled around your neck. Lifting the edge of your shirt, you showed him the growing purple bruise at the side of your stomach "I really wish I was a cop now. (Y/N), you need to go to the police and a hospital."

"They'll never believe me." You pleaded Jimin.

"The evidence is on your body, why wouldn't they?" Jimin asked and picked up the phone. "I'm going to go with you."

"Jimin, you can't. The girls are sleeping right now. Wes can find you and come after you."

Jimin paced around, with the phone pressed to his ear. "No, he won't because he'll be in jail for domestic violence." He was heated. An uncontrollable shake took over his fingers. The anger filled him to the brim. The feeling being too oddly familiar.

"Jen, it's really important. Can you come to the house? I need to step out for a little bit. I'm sorry, I really am. I know you've been planning your wedding and you're tired. I just have to go. You'll see when you get here." Jimin stared at your scared figure and hung up.

The last person you wanted to see was Jen. She hated you to bits. She was the one who told you to leave them alone. What would she think when she sees you sitting in the middle of their living room?

When Jen arrived, she sounded panicked. She entered and her eyes laid upon your weak state, the hideous bruise on your cheek, hung open. Tears welled up in her eyes and she dropped her things to rush toward you. You weren't sure what she was going to do, but she simply hugged you. Her long arms held you close to her warm body. She didn't care that you were still so wet or that she hated you. She just embraced you. "Jimin, you're not going to—"

"— I'm not, Jen." Jimin answered. You had no context to what they meant. She pulled away and stared at you, tears falling.

"I'm so sorry." She bit her lip and scanned your confused face.

"It's okay, Jen."

"No, it's not." She shook her head and helped you up. "You need to go to the police station. I'll be here."

"Thanks Jen. I owe you." Jimin put his hoodie over your body to keep you warm. He had changed out of his cute pajamas and into warmer outerwear.

"You don't owe me anything, Jimin." She sniffed and picked up her bag.

-

Jimin held your hand throughout the entire questioning. Reliving the moments were hard for you to bear, but he was there to guide you.

You two sat outside of the police station after everything was done. Jimin waited patiently for you to finish crying. The police were on their way to arrest Wes by the time you two were dismissed.

Your worries were merely half over. It was no surprise that Jimin wasn't treating you like he was before. You just showed up after a long time after cutting him off with no explanation.

"I'm sorry you had to go through this with me. You've probably never been in that type of situation before." Wiping your tears away, you looked out the window. Droplets tainted the glass and the night seemed heavier than before.

"Haven't you ever wondered how I ended up with the twins?" Jimin's ghostly voice filled the dark car. You turned to face him, unsure by what he meant. "How I'm a single father of two beautiful girls?"

"I didn't think you'd trust me enough to tell me." Jimin intertwined your fingers together.

"If you trust me enough to protect you, then I trust you enough to tell you the truth." He started, your anticipation growing. "I'm not the twins' biological father. They're not my daughters, they don't have an ounce of my blood or DNA."

"What are you saying? You're not their father?" Your mind ran loops, unable to comprehend the words that fell off his tongue. Your mouth hung open, dangling down your chin. It was all so strange and confusing. Maybe he was joking, but Jimin's face remained blank.

"Stacey, the twins' mother, came to me the exact way you showed up at my door tonight." Jimin explained.

Jimin's best friend, Stacey, was in an abusive relationship. Her boyfriend hit her every day since they were together. She deserved so much more, but she was terrified to leave. She still loved him and was also afraid that he would try to kill her. Due to fear of the future, she sought out Jimin for an important favor. 

"I know it sounds horrible, Jimin." She picked at her fingers.

"What the hell? Why can't you just go to the police? Report him and get him in jail. That's the most logical thing to do." Jimin yelled.

"Jimin, I'm pregnant with his child. If he's in jail, he's only gone for a short time. He'll come back and he'll still be just as mad as he was before. Maybe even worse. He'd seek me out and kill me for what I did. I can't risk that, especially now that I'm not the only one I need to keep safe." She pleaded, getting down on her knees.

"Stacey.. Please get up." Jimin tried to pull her up.

"No, Jimin. Not until you do this for me. You said you'd do anything for me. I'm not asking you to kill him, put in him a coma or something. Paralyze him." But the thing was, Jimin actually ended up killing him. He wasn't sure how he was suppose to do it, so the results ended up with him dead.

"I knew where he was going to be that night. He took this road that was up in the mountains, it was secluded from the city. The road, it was, a dangerous path. One wrong swerve and you roll right off. I meant to spook him. As he was driving one way, I surprised him by swerving towards him. He spun away to avoid my car, hitting the mountain wall and spiraled down off the road before I could stop my car and stop it all. Police found his dead body several days later and said it was a drunk driving accident. He was drinking while driving that night."

"What happened to Stacey? Why are you taking care of them?"

"Stacey died during labor. She didn't know she was expecting twins and had lost too much blood. I can still see her monitor and the flat line that appeared within seconds. And then hearing a second baby crying — Minjoo. Jen's her younger sister, by three years. At the time of the twins' birth, she was finishing her last year of highschool. Stacey was all Jen had, their parents died in a fire when they were young. I couldn't leave Jen to take care of the girls and I knew that Stacey would've wanted someone to love and cherish them. She was going to give them her world, everything she had to offer, a life that she never had. She was going to love them and protect them. The doctor came out and handed me these two crying baby girls. I stared at them, crying. I was in tears because someone who I loved dearly died right in front of me. I had tears because I was afraid that these two precious children weren't going to have anyone to love them. So my last favor I did for Stacey was to take care of her twins for her. I made up my mind to adopt them, listening to those vulnerable girls cry in my arms. I was going to love them just as much as their mother was going to."

"Jimin, they're not even your kids and yet, you love them like a parent, even if they aren't your own." Peering over, you saw a twinkle in Jimin's eyes under the street lamps.

"That's the most amazing thing right? We, humans, are able to love other people and develop a parental love for children that aren't even your flesh and blood. I'm sure you've felt that too, haven't you?" He cocked his head, waiting for your response. He knew you well, like he was reading you as you were sitting there.

"Yes, it's more than blood or DNA. It's about something entirely different." All this time, your mind wasn't far as complex as Jimin's to figure out what that foreign feeling was. You felt a small tug here and there, especially times when it involved the twins.

"I learned what that something was throughout the years, raising the girls. The true meaning of family doesn't mean relation. It doesn't have to do with anything about having the same hair color or same eyes. It's about sleepless nights changing diapers, one after another. It's about who tucks you in at night and who wakes you up in the morning, or who hold you when you're crying over a scraped knee. It's about who you love and cherish. It's all these small moments that build this definition of a family. That's when it counts."

His wise words lingered in your mind. Despite the lost contact, you leaned over the middle console. Your hands held his cheek and turned him to face you. Before you were able to read his expressions, you dove and fell forward. It was the kiss you've both been waiting for. It was the perfect timing in a messy scene. The beautiful, secure love connected through your quick, soft lips.

Jimin couldn't get enough. He pulled you by your shirt, closer and closer towards his body. Inhaling sharply, you smelled the familiar strawberry soap that you both shared the nights you stayed over his house. It all seemed to wrap comfortably around you.

You hoped that this long waited kiss was able to show your gratitude towards him, finally able to show how you really felt. Thanking Jimin for showing you genuine feelings, teaching you the real meaning of family and loving like a parent, even when they aren't your own. 

(((there is an epilogue after this)))