Chapter Seventeen

Seungjae looked at his appa and Namjoon as they got ready to go out together. He wasn’t too happy about the two leaving him alone, but he had been warned that they wanted to go on a date, a meal out with just the two of them. He had seen Dae-Bong and his mother do it often enough to know that something more was going on. Namjoon was trying to tie his tie and messing it up, even ripping one and having to replace it with another one.

“You are hopeless Kim Namjoon,” Jin said with a fond sigh as he walked over and began to tie it for him.

“I can never get them right,” he complained, as he stood there patiently waiting for Jin to finish doing it up.

“How do you cope with work, you wear ties for that?” he asked. He knew Namjoon had a little trouble with them but he didn’t think it was this bad.

Namjoon blushed, “Erm,” he hummed a little, trying to think if he should give a proper answer.

“I’m waiting, Namjoonie,” Jin said as he patted the tied tie and stepped back, waiting for the man to answer his question.

“I got Yoongi to do them up and don't actually undo them unless they need washing,” he admitted sheepishly, ducking his head.

Jin looked at him, shaking his head and laughed, “So silly. I’ll teach you if you want?” he suggested, smiling softly at the man.

“I… I know how to do them, they just don't want to look right, or they rip,” he said, pulling a face as he picked up his earlier attempt.

“Ah, a danger to the tie world, as well as most other things then,” Jin laughed softly.

“Not nice Hyung,” he pouted.

Jin laughed and leaned in, kissing him chastely, “But you are my dear Joonie,” he teased, eyes alight. He was happy that he didn’t have to hide anything anymore. It was nice to have the freedom of having a proper date without all the secrecy that he normally had hovering around them when they went out on a date night.

Seungjae watched them as they interacted. He had never seen that look on his dad’s face. And Namjoon seemed different as well. They way they acted and looked at each other was different than what he was used to. When they had gone to the museum with the dinosaurs was a lot of fun for the seven-year-old, but even then he noticed that they were a little different. They held hands with each other, but unlike when Dae-Bong and his mother, they didn’t ignore him. They would call out to him if he went too far from them. Ask him things about what he was seeing and what he wanted to do next. It was all so different. But also normal, as while Namjoon and his dad hadn’t been like that before when taking him out they had both cared about him to talk to him.

“I thought Yoongi was going to get here by now,” Jin complained as he looked to his watch. They were going out for a nice meal out at a new place that had opened up recently. It has taken him a few days to be able to get a table reserved for the two of them. He really didn't want to be late.

“He’ll be here hyung,” Namjoon said with a smile, “You know Yoongi, he’ll be exactly on time and not a minute before,” he snorted.

Jin gave a scowl as he went over to the window and looked out, “I bet you he’s parked around the corner to make sure,” he pouted as he couldn't see the man's dark green car in sight.

“Wouldn’t surprise me,” Namjoon snorted as he went over to Jin and wrapped his arms around his waist, placing his head on Jin’s shoulder he added, “It would be just like hyung to make you wait those extra few minutes.”

“Hmmm,” Jin hummed, it sounded annoyed, but Namjoon could detect that little bit of amusement in his voice.

“Appa,” Seungjae called to his dad as he continued to watch them.

Jin immediately turned around, breaking out of Namjoon’s arms to go over to his son, “Yes?” he asked, kneeling down.

“I was just wondering what I’m going to be doing with Yoongi-ajusshi?” he asked.

“Well, we told him to take you out for your own meal,” Namjoon was the one to answer, as he had been the one to suggest Yoongi take Seingjae to the pirate-themed restaurant that Seungjae liked to go to when he had done something special at school.

“Really? Where?” he asked, he had been trying his best to give Namjoon a chance. He still wanted to push him away from his dad occasionally. But over the last week, since he had been told, he had seen that they really liked each other. There were these little touches and looks.

“That's a surprise,” Namjoon grinned at him, “I know Yoongi hyung is going to have fun with you today.” Namjoon knew that he owed the man a lot for him taking Seungjae out for the night. Since he wanted to be home with Jungkook a little, Jinyoung’s trial was in two days and the elder knew that Jungkook was nervous about it all. Still slightly fearful that the man would get free even with all evidence against him.

“So you’re not going to tell me?” Seingjae pushed, a little grin on his face.

“No chance my special little man,” Jin said ruffling his hair.

Namjoon shook his head and ran his fingers through it to straighten it out again, “He can't have messy hair when he goes out,” Namjoon said, a teasing tone in his voice.

“Perfectionist,” he complains. Though he knows it's not true at all. They were playing with Seungjae.

Namjoon was about to say something when the bell rang. Jin jumped up and rushed to the door, swinging it open and letting Yoongi inside.

“Hye hyung,” Yoongi said with a lazy drawl and a smile on his face. He had rang the bell at exactly 5:30 pm, to the second.

Namjoon had to wonder how long he had been standing at the door watching his watch and making sure that it was to the second that he knocked. “Hyung,” Namjoon said with a wave.

“Where have you been?” Jin started to complain as Yoongi took off his coat.

“I’m on time, what are you on about?” he grinned, knowing it would set Jin off.

Namjoon got up and grabbed his arms, “Come on Jinnie,” he said with a roll of his eyes, “We should go,” he added.

“Hmm,” Jin nodded and then glared at Yoongi, “You better make sure he has fun tonight, he’s been really good and he got a good grade yesterday as well,” he said as he looked at Seungjae, “Behave and I love,” quickly leaning down and hugging him, kissing his head.

Namjoon looked at him, going over and doing the same as Jin, “Love you too little man,” he smiled as the two of them finally left the house.

Yoongi looked at Seungjae, “Looks weird with them doesn't it,” he said as he went over to the sofa and sat down.

Seungjae nodded, “Yeah,” he agreed, “But they are okay with each other,” he added softly.

“Right, are you ready to go, since I don't want to hang around here. I’m afraid that your appa will come back just to be annoying and to stop our fun,” he joked a grin on his face.

Seungjae nodded, “Yeah, so where are we going?” he asked.

“Not telling,” Yoongi laughed as he saw the pout on the young child's face. He looked much like a younger version of his dad at that moment.

The two got their coats and headed out the front door. It wasn’t that much of a walk to where Yoongi was taking him for his dinner, so they walked it. Fielding questions from the child he stopped when he saw a familiar figure nearby. 

“Jungkook-hyung!” Seungjae called out when he saw the young man.

Jungkook looked at them, eyes wide in surprise. He didn’t think he would be seeing Yoongi when the man had gone out. He knew he was watching over Sungjae for the night for Jin. While he went on his date with Namjoon. “Seungjae-ah, Yoongi-hyung,” he greeted the two of them a smile forming on his face.

“Jungkook-ah, I thought you were going to stay home tonight?” Yoongi asked as the two of them walked over to the young nurse.

“I didn't want to stay inside, so I came out for a little walk. Was thinking of finding somewhere to have something to eat,” he said with a shrug, looking at Yoongi for a moment before glancing away.

“Why don't you come with us hyung?” Seungjae said brightly as he looked between the two of them. He saw something, a look that he had seen on his appa and Namjoon’s faces not that long ago.

“Is that really all right?” Jungkook asked as he looked too Yoongi.

“Of course it is, come on,” he said as he started to head towards the restaurant that Namjoon and Jin had told him to take Seungjae to.

“We’re going there?” Seungjae asked as he pointed to the place, the pirate on the side of the building brightly coloured and drawing the eye of those around it.

“We are,” Yoongi grinned as Seungjae did a little dance in happiness.

“He’s excited,” Jungkook smiled softly.

Yoongi looked at him, “Yeah, he loves this place.”

Seungjae grabbed the two of them by the hands and headed inside, “Come on, we have to get the best seats,” he said.

Yoongi rolled his eyes, but the two of them followed him inside. “Three please,” he said to the woman as she came over to ask how many.

“This way,” she said as he grabbed some menus and walked towards the far side of the restaurant as Seungjae pointed that way. It was where the ball pit was and the small adventure area was for children to play on.

Jungkook and Yoongi sit down and before they can say anything Seungjae tells them what he wants and rushes off to the ball pit. The two start to talk, neither of them realising that they have a watcher as Seungjae kept an eye on the two of them.

“Didn’t want to be alone?” Yoongi asks him softly after they finished ordering.

Jungkook shook his head, “No I didn’t, I just… I was thinking about the trail, I know I should just leave it for now. But it kept going around and around in my head all the time,” he sighed.

“Yeah, sorry I wasn’t at home. Though, maybe I should have thought to ask Jin-hyung if it was all right for you to come with us. I don't think he would have minded at all,” Yoongi said with a slight wince at Jungkook’s words.

Jungkook looked at him, “It would have been nice to have someone with me a while ago,” he admitted softly. His head hanging low as he looked at the rough wooden surface of the table.

Yoongi frowned, worry colouring his voice as he asked, “What do you mean by that?”

Jungkook looked up, “I got a call from my lawyer.”

Yoongi’s stomach dropped and his heart went into his throat, wondering what that means, “What’s going on?” he asked, wondering if he should grab Seungjae and get the two of them to Jin’s.

“He told me that Jinyoung has changed his plea to guilty. There won't be a trial,” he murmured, his voice shaking, as though a great burden had been lifted from his shoulders. And it had been. The trial had been hanging around for almost three months. Causing Jungkook nightmares and moments of distress that he hated to see in the young man. 

“Really?” Yoongi asked a small smile breaking out on his face.

Jungkook nodded, and gave a nervous laugh, “Yeah, and all I have to go to is the sentencing in three days, and that's it. It’s over. I… I don't know what made him change his mind. But you don't know how happy I am about this. I’m… I’m free,” he said, his shoulders relaxing a happy and the brightest smile on his face, “I actually feel free,” he chuckled nervously.

Yoongi was so happy he couldn’t help but move towards him and pull the young nurse into his arms and hug him tightly, “I’m so glad,” he said. Almost freezing when he realised what he had done. He let him go slowly, trying to fight the blush on his face.

Jungkook was a little red himself as he pulled back. “Yeah,” he gave a nervous laugh. “It means I can go home,” he said.

Yoongi nodded, trying to keep the smile on his face, but in reality, his heart was falling to the floor and shattering into thousands of pieces. He didn’t want to say goodbye to him. Jungkook started talking about going back home. Yoongi tried his best to be happy for him. He doesn’t notice the slightly sad tone in Jungkook’s voice as he makes his plans. It doesn’t take long for their drinks and meal to arrive and Seungjae to be called over to eat.

XxXxX

Jin and Namjoon wave at Yoongi and Jungkook as they leave. Seungjae is sitting on the sofa watching them. He waits for them to finishes their goodbyes and to walk back into the living room as he asks, “Does Yoongi-ajusshi like Jungkook-hyung?”

The two of them froze and shared a look, “Why do you ask that Seungjae?” Namjoon was the one to ask.

“Well, they were looking at each other like you look at each other. But they only did it when the other wasn't looking,” he answered waiting for them to say something more.

“Well,” Jin look at Namjoon, “We know they like each other, but they haven't told each other yet.”

Seunjae nodded, “Why not?” he asked.

Namjoon closed his eyes for a second, “Sometimes something bad happens and people need to get better, for a while Jungkook was hurt. He is better but there is still a little hurt there. Yoongi knows this so is waiting for him to get fully better before telling him anything.” He didn’t know how to explain it to him. But thought that was the best, for now, to leave it at that.

“Okay,” Seungjae nodded, though he didn't really get why they wouldn’t say anything. His appa and Namjoon had.

Namjoon had shared with Jin, what he had learned from Yoongi and then what Hoseok and Taehyung had told him about Jungkook. He was worried for whatever it was that the two of them planned, but he knew that they would come to him first to make sure that it wouldn’t hurt Jungkook at all. Seungjae was soon in bed and Namjoon and Jin relaxing to film before Namjoon went home. They both had work in the morning.