This was supposed to be up for Christmas…….. buuuuutttttttt…...I didn’t have it done on time...I actually just finished this, like, last week, but I was unsure as to if I wanted to post it because it is past Christmas and even New Years and it’s about to be February sooooo….. yeah…. Inspired a bit by I’ll Be Home by Megan Trainer and a bit (a lot) by the Christmas Carol^^

 

DISCLAIMER: Santa doesn't actually call...

 

---

 

 

“I’m sorry, Jungkook. I just can’t this year.” I sigh and run my hand over my face, leaning back against my untouched hotel bed.

 

“That’s what you said last year, Tae. It’s just one day. Please.” I bite my lip at my husband’s pleading tone, tempted to just up and fly back home to his arms.

 

But I have a deal to take care of here.

 

“Jungkook...I can’t. I’m sorry. But I have to have this settled by-”

 

“It’s fine, Tae. I understand.” I sigh in defeat.

 

That’s the hard part, though. You always understand.

     “Jungkook?”

 

“Hmm, Tae?” I worry my bottom lip, not sure if what I’m about to say is something he wants to hear right now.

 

“I love you. You know that, right?” I ask, waiting worriedly for his answer.

 

“Of course, Tae. And you know that I love you too, right?” A tight smile makes it’s way onto my face and I squeeze my eyes shut to keep oncoming tears at bay.

 

“Of course. Tell Yeonsoo I love him, too, when he comes back from Namjoon’s house.” I say, my voice rough with emotions I try to control

 

“Ok, Tae. Sleep well. Goodnight.” And he cuts the call, and I’m left holding a silent phone to my ear.

 

I’m doing this for you.

 

I finally let my tears fall and they trail down the sides of my face and settle uncomfortably in my ears due to gravity, but I make no move to wipe them off.

 

Emotions run rampant throughout my being and it’s all I can do to just lay there and sob, letting them consume me.

 

I keep letting you down, Jungkook. I’m so sorry.

 

I bring my hand up in front of my face, taking note of how the blurred image of the gold band adorning my rig finger, glints in the low lighting of the room. A fresh set of tears gush out at the reminder of the promises I made to the only man in my life at the alter.

 

I will always be there for you.

 

My hand comes down as I curl onto my side on the bed, tugging on one of the pillows and clutching it to my chest, sobbing into it.

 

I’m trying.

 

I startle when I feel the bed dip and a hand rest on my shoulder. I jerk around to see a man dressed in white with shocking orange hair, frowning in a seemingly disapproving way at me.

 

“AHH!” I of the bed, and scramble for the nearest thing to protect myself with.

 

This happened to be only a pair of socks that hadn't made it into my dirty pile the other night.

 

Very helpful.

 

I throw them at the man’s face before scrambling further away to find something better.

 

“INTRUDER!” I yell. I grab my briefcase from the floor near the hotel desk and turn around, shielding the front of my body with it while backing towards the door. The man hurriedly makes his way towards me, and the next thing I know I'm on the floor, startled by his sudden close proximity.

 

“Who are you?” I ask weakly, staring up at him with wide, red rimmed eyes. He doesn’t say anything at  first, only continuing to stare down at me in that way of his for a while before opening his mouth to answer.

 

“Why did you tell him you wouldn't be home for Christmas?” My eyebrows furrow in confusion, wondering how the man knew this.

 

“Who are you?” I try again. He only shakes his head at me and crouches down, looking at me sternly.

 

“Why did you tell him that?” Annoyed, I sit up to be be able to look at him eye level.

 

“Look, whoever you are,. I don't know you, and frankly, I don't know how you got into this room. I’m going to have to ask you to leave before I call the front desk.” I state firmly. He looks away toward the door, furrowing his brows and sighing.

 

“I’m Jimin.” He squares his shoulders again before looking back at me.

 

“And you are Kim Taehyung. Husband of Jeon Jungkook, father of Kim Yeonsoo. And you just told your husband that you won’t be home for Christmas. Again.” He stares into my wide eyes, seeming to search for something in them.

 

“Why?”

 

Shocked and caught off guard, I gulp and fumble around for my words.

 

“I-I, because I-I can’t. I have work to do.” Jimin clicks his tongue in obvious disapproval.

 

“And he’s ok with that?” I pause.

 

“Jungkook, he...he understands.” I state weakly. He nods distractedly, emitting a small ‘ah’ of understanding, before keeping silent.

 

I nod too, looking down and picking at the seams of the briefcase I’m still holding, trying to force back a fresh wave of tears.

 

He understands.

 

“Taehyung.” I look up at Jimin, who is staring distantly  at the door.

 

“Yeah?” He slowly turns his head towards me, pinning me with an intense stare.

 

“I want to show you something. Will you let me show you something?” Not in control of my body, my head seems to nod on it’s own accord, and Jimin gives a bright smile, grabbing my hand and pulling me off the floor. The suit I had worn for today’s meeting I had yet to take off, was crumpled and in disarray. Even my shoes seemed to have lost lost the shiny luster they had this morning as my feet were dragged out the door and, ultimately, out of the hotel.

 

“Where are you taking me?” I question as we stop in the middle of the sidewalk. Jimin drops my hand and spins in a full  circle with his arms spread wide, passerby paying him him no mind.

 

“What do you see Taehyung?” I furrow my eyebrows and frown in frustration.

 

“What do you mean? I see busy sid-what?” I stand in shock as the surrounding night in New York City setting melted away to reveal the much more familiar daytime Seoul.

 

“What do you see, Taehyung?” Jimin repeats softly.

 

I-I don’t...what?” I look down at the shorter man beside me for answers, but all he gives a soft smile and an encouraging nod.

 

I look back out at the busy streets of Seoul.

 

“I-I see Seoul.”

 

“And” He prds.

 

“And?” I ask, confused and he gives an affirmative nod.

 

“And.” I slowly drag my eyes across the view in front of  me, trying to find what Jimin was accentuating about.

 

“And...I see a bu-”

 

“Oh my god! I’m so sorry!” I freeze halfway through my sentence.

 

I know that voice.

 

I spin around to see what was going on behind me me, and what I see steals all of the air in my lungs.

 

There, now in front of me, is a freshman Jungkook apologizing and bowing profusely to a sophomore Taehyung, right inside of Rosa’s Cafe.

 

Our first meeting.

 

“I see the cafe where I first met Jungkook.” I whisper, my emotions running high as I was the younger me just stand and stare in shock at Jungkook while holding his nose, remembering the thoughts that were running through my head at the first moment I saw him.

 

He was beautiful.

 

Jimin hms.

 

“How did you meet Jungkook, Tae?” Through my teary eyes I look at him before turning back to the scene, only to see a completely different memory.

 

I see Jungkook walk through the cafe doors, still dressed in his uniform, and look around before waving at someone in the back and walking towards them.

 

“My friends had dared me to hide behind the fake tree in front and scare the next customer that came in.” I start.

 

“Jungkook , well, he just so happened to be my unlucky victim. But when I jumped out with a yell, he jumped and punched me in the face.” I chuckle, thinking back at the priceless look on his face.

 

“I just remember thinking how pretty he was, in all his bunny toothed and rosy cheeked glory. So before he left, I caught up to him and asked if he could meet again the next  day.” Memory Jungkook,  who was making his way to the back booth, finally sat down in front of a smiley me.

 

“It became our regular meet-up spot.” I point at the booth they sat in, chatting amicably.

 

“That was our booth.” I finish.

 

The images sitting at the booth start shifting, progressing through all the years spent at the cafe, sitting at that booth. Showing the maturing of our ages, our first kiss over the  table, and rings appearing on our fingers in the midst of it before ending with us walking out of the cafe, hand in hand, smiles on our faces.

 

“Jimin, why…” I trail off, choking up a bit while looking longingly at the couple swinging their conjoined hands as they faded into the crowd.

 

I feel a tug on my on hand, pulling me further down the sidewalk.

 

“Wait! J-Jimin, no-I-” I try to tug my hand back so I could continue watching them, but his grip was too strong. I look back towards the direction the memories were, but I was surrounded by park.

 

I stop struggling to take in our surrounding and Jimin slowly lets my hand go.

 

“Does this place look familiar?” I nod dazedly.

 

Even though I haven't been here for years, how could I forget it?

 

“It’s the park I proposed at.” I mumble.

 

And there we are.

 

I was walking Jungkook down the path that surrounded the park. Reds, yellows, and oranges littered the ground and Jungkook was kicking through them gleefully, the sunlight streaming through the trees looming above the worn path cast wonderful shadows on his face.

 

“Wow, I look a wreck.” I snort at the sight of my jittery past self, his hands deep in his pockets and anxiety written clearly on his face.

 

“When did you propose?” Jimin asks curiously.

 

“On his seventeenth birthday.” I mumble, still watching as past me tugs on Jungkook’s hand and hurriedly dropping to his knee when he turns, stubbornly looking at the ground.

 

“So young?” I chuckled at Jimin's question.

 

“I had just turned nineteen and graduated. Everyone kept saying we were going to be together forever, and I..I just..” My throat tightens and I chike, bringing my hand to wipe stubbornly at the tears that haven't even made an appearance yet. A soft touch on my arm makes me turn to face Jimin, his face encouraging me to go on.

 

“You...you know those moments where something just...hits you?” I ask, staring into his eyes. He doesn’t respond, so I forge on.

 

“And you just...you just know.” I look back towards the happy couple sobbing in happiness and holding each other tight in the middle of the path.

 

“We had a fight.” I breathe out. I shut my eyes as a wave of emotions pass through me at the memory of one of the most painful times of my life.

 

“Jungkook, he...he was going through...stuff. And he wouldn’t let me...help him.” I look towards the swings where I had confronted Jungkook about it.

 

I was pushing him on the swing when I dropped the question on hm.

 

“When I asked him about it, he got mad…”

 

Past Jungkook pushes himself off of the swing and starts angrily moving his lips  at a frozen Taehyung.

 

”Why do you even care!”

 

“And in turn, I got angry…”

 

“Of course I care, idiot! Why wouldn’t I!”

 

“And we walked away from each other.”

 

Both past Jungkook and Taehyung turned away from the argument, tears streaming down both of their faces.

 

“When we made up and I had him in my arms again, I knew. I was never going to let him go again. I wanted him, no, I needed him, by my side forever. I wanted him to be my forever.” The park is filled with different versions of Jungkook and I now.

 

There was us playing tag.

 

Us jumping in leaves.

 

Us having a picnic.

 

Us.

 

“So I asked him to marry me on his seventeenth and we got married as soon as we could once he turned eighteen. We moved in together, I got started in dad’s company, we adopted Yeonsoo when Jungkook was twenty. We were happy.”

 

Jimin, who was quiet all this time, chooses now to say something.

 

“Do you still feel that way? That he should be your forever?” I look at him incredulously.

 

“Of course! That’s all I want.” He stares hard at my face.

 

“You’ve been bad at showing that lately.” I stare back appalled.

 

“What do yo-”

 

“When was the last time you remembered your anniversary?” I scoff.

 

“This year. I always remember our anniversaries.” He shakes his head.

 

“Let me rephrase that. When was the last time you were with him for your anniversary?” I prepare to shoot back an answer, but shut my mouth once I realized what the answer was.

 

“What about his birthday? Valentine’s day? What about Yeonsoo? His birthday? Were you even there for his first day of school?” My mouth wavers when it hits me that I’m never there.

 

I am a horrible husband and father.

 

“They...they understand…” Jimin scoffs.

 

“Sure, Jungkook may, but does Yeonsoo really?” I choke back a sob, “He’s five, Taehyung. All he understands is that he has a dad who’s never there.” I close my eyes tightly, chest heaving with all the accusations thrown at me.

 

“Open your eyes, Taehyung.” I shake my head, not wanting to see the next scene.

 

“Open your eyes.” Reluctantly, slowly, I open my eyes, and any control I thought I had over my tears slips completely away.

 

Because we are in our house.

 

And there was Jungkook.

 

He’s sitting on the sofa, timberland clad feet flat on the ground, staring blankly at the lit Christmas tree set up in the middle of the room, phone held limply in his hand.

 

“Jungkook…” He doesn’t respond to  my voice. I turn to Jimin.

 

“When-”

 

“This is Jungkook now. In this moment.” I look back at my husband through my  tears.

 

“Kookie…” I whisper and make my way to him. I kneel on the floor in front of him and cup his face in my trembling hands.

 

“Tae…” He sighs and closes his eyes. I nod rapidly, more tears tumbling out of my eyes as I his cheek with my thumbs.

 

“Yes, it’s me, Kookie. I’m here. I’m right here, I-”

 

“Why don’t you want to come home?” I feel a few tears slip past my fingers.

 

 

“No! No. Jungkook! I want to! I really w-want t-” I gasp for breath, trying furiously to wipe the tears off of his face and push his fringe back, but my fingers just glide over them, not making any difference.

 

“Stop crying, b-beautiful. Y-you know I hate it when you c-cry.”

 

“Tae-” The door swings open, cutting Jungkook off.

 

“Thank you for walking me home, hyung!” Jungkook hurriedly wipes the tears from his face and stands up, leaving Taehyung helplessly crying on the tiled living room floor.

 

“Yeonsoo! Home so early, little boy?” Jungkook jokes, walking over to the small five year old child to pick him up and swing him around. I listen to Yeonsoo squeal delightfully, eyes shining bright with mirth from above his bright red scarf and under his Go Diego! beanie.

 

“Appa!” Jungkook throws the boy over his shoulder and marches towards our kitchen.

 

“Hm, Yeonsoo?” Yeonsoo swings around a paper in his little fist wildly in the air, hitting the back of Jungkook’s head repeatedly.

 

“I made my Christmas letter at Uncle Joonie’s today!” Jungkook swoops him off of his shoulder and sits Yeonsoo onto the counter, proceeding to take the boys winter jacket, hat and gloves off of him to set on the bar.

 

“Oh really? Mind reading it to me while I whip up your favorite dinner? Hm, how does twice baked potatoes sound?” I watch Yeonsoo bounce excitedly in his place perched atop the counter, nodding enthusiastically and reading out his list. I wipe the tears on my cheeks, sniffling I get up from the floor and make my way over to the two most important people in my world.

 

As I pass him, Jimin grabs my arm. I turn to look at him and he opens his mouth as if to say something, but changes his mind at the last moment, dropping my arm and shaking his orange head. I give him a questioning look, but he just waves me off.

 

“Oo! And that Bubble Ball! Please, appa! Please?!” I continue my way to the smiling people in the kitchen.

 

“We’ll see, baby.” Yeonsoo cheers before continuing to read his list. As I make it into the kitchen I let a small smile grace my lips when I see Jungkook working diligently by the oven and Yeonsoo chatting excitedly about his list.

 

“What's next Yeonsoo?” I walk over and slide onto the counter next to my son, looking over his shoulder at his brightly decorated paper.

 

Dear Santa,

 

Uncle Joonie is helping me right this. I've been a very good boy this year, and I have lots and lots of wishes this year!! Get your suspenders ready big man, because this is gonna fill your pockets, and we don't want your pants falling hehe

 

-Superpowers!

-Meet Hulk (or IronMan, appa like IronMan)

-CANDY!!!

-Bubble Ball

-Games!

-Giant Teddy

 

But most important Santa, I-

 

“-want Daddy to come home for Christmas, so Appa can be happy! Love, Yeonsoo!” He finishes with a flourish, and I choke a bit, looking at him with wide eyes. Jungkook drops the fork he was using to mix the potatoes, also turning to look back at our son.

 

“What was that last one, Yeonie?”

 

“For daddy to come home so you can be happy, Appa.” Yeonsoo repeats, smiling sweetly.

 

W-what?

 

“W-why would you think appa isn’t happy, Yeonsoo?” Jungkook wipes his hands on his jeans nervously and busies himself with the pots and pans on the counter. Yeonsoo juts out his lip and fiddles with his hands in his lap, and I can’t help but think how cute he is, how big he’s gotten, how could I have missed all of this?

 

“I saw appa crying through the window…” He mumbles quietly. He takes a deep breath and continues.

 

“Appa is always sad after he talks to Daddy. So if Daddy comes home for Christmas, Appa will be happy…”

 

I look up to face Jungkook’s stiff back. When he turns around, his eyes are rimmed with red but no tears are escaping them. He comes over to wrap our son in his arms tightly and buried his face into his shoulder.

 

“I want Daddy to come home too, baby. But, I think it's just gonna be me and you again this year.” Jungkook says, squishing Yeonsoo’s face to his chest.

 

“Appa? Why is daddy always gone?” I stared wide eyes as Jungkook sighed and pulled back in order to see Yeonsoo’s face.

 

“Well, baby, daddy is very busy. But he'll come home soon.” Yeonsoo pouts again, “But daddy is never home.”

 

“I know…”

 

Yeonsoo frowns and Jungkook unconsciously pouts himself. “But we can send this letter to Santa tonight and see if he can change Daddy’s mind, yeah?” Yeonsoo smiles and nods.

 

“And maybe, if that doesn't work out, we can Skype him. How does that sound?”  

 

I don't want to Skype. I want to be here.

 

I frown at the pair making plans to include me for the holidays.

 

Has it really come to this?

 

“Let me put these potatoes on, and we can go mail that letter right now, ok?” Yeonsoo nods enthusiastically beside me. I keep my eyes on him, watching as his brown eyes sparkle in the kitchen lighting, cheeks flushed with youth and smile dazzling. The only thing I wanted in that moment was to actually be there to run my hands through my son’s hair. To smile with him.

 

But I'm not here.

 

“Come on Yeonsoo. Let's get your jacket and stuff back on so we can mail that letter!” I follow them to the door, intending to follow them out, but a hand grasps at my arm. I turn around, sniffling and eyes burning, already knowing he isn't going to let me go.

 

“Jimin, please.” I beg. I need to be near them for as long as I can.

 

“Taehyung.”

 

“Jungkook.”

 

“No Taehyung, I'm done.”

 

What?

 

I spin around at the sound of the cold tone of my husband.

 

What?

 

He's standing at the open door, a different outfit, a tired face.

 

What?

 

He's staring intensely at something over my shoulder, looking like he's simultaneously hurting himself by looking at it and freeing himself.

 

I want to wipe it off and replace it with gleeful smiles and eyes full of warmth.

 

“Why?” The Jungkook-that's-not-my-Kookie scoffs in front of me, and I turn around to take in the person causing my honeyboo’s lack of light.

 

I stare in shock at myself, looking back with nonchalance, looking relaxed and unaffected by the man I love saying he was done. I watched as zero reactions cross the face of the other me, but instead flickered across his eyes, as Jungkook spewed his reasons.

 

“You're never there.”

 

“You've changed.”

 

“You aren't mine anymore.”

 

“I'm tired of making excuses for you.”

 

Nononono.

 

I'm only moved out of my shocked state as Jungkook steps forward.

 

What is he doing? Nonono, p-

 

“-UT THAT RING BACK ON YOUR FINGER RIGHT NOW, KIM JUNGKOOK!” I scream, jumping forward to pull him back into my embrace, but my hands just glide through him, my hands grasping at nothing but air.

 

“Jungkook!”

 

“Bye, Taehyung.” He places the ring in the palm of Taehyung's hand and steps back again.

 

“No! Jungkook please!” I run towards him again, trying to keep him from picking up the bags by the door, but it's useless, I'm so useless.

 

“What about Yeonsoo?” Jungkook stops at the threshold, turning back to level the frozen Taehyung with an incredulous look. He returns it with a meek one.

 

“Yeonsoo is coming with me of course. Like hell I’m going to leave him here for you to forget about him, too.” Other Taehyung throws a half hearted glare at the man at the door.

 

“He's my son, too, you know.” Jungkook scoffs and turns back around.

 

“Is he really? ‘Cause you sure as hell don't act like any of us are your family.” And he walks out the door, and I'm left gaping dumbly at the spot he was just at because you are my family.

 

I turn back towards the other Taehyung in the room, pulling on the roots of my hair, hot tears already pouring over my cheeks. He's staring dumbly at the ring in his hand, not moving at all, and I'm filled with a sudden fire. I storm up to him, and yell desperately at his face.

 

“WHAT THE ARE YOU DOING? GO AFTER HIM YOU ! TELL HIM YOU LOVE HIM! THAT HE’S YOUR WHOLE WORLD! GET HIM BACK!” I try everything to get his attention. Punching, kicking. But everything just goes through him.

 

“Come on Yeonsoo. It's time to go.” I turn my blurry vision to the front yard, were an older version of my son runs over to the taxi parked in the driveway and excitedly bounds inside.

 

No.

 

“JUNGKOOK! NO, PLEASE!” I dash to the door and try to get out of the house, but my hands are met with an invisible wall keeping me inside.

 

No, God please no!

 

I wildly, desperately, bang my fists on the wall. I need to get to them. I need to get them back. They can't leave.

 

“JUNGKOOK!” When I hear the engine of the taxi start up, I feel my desperation peak, and I throw my whole body into the invisible solid mass.

 

The taxi pulls out of the driveway.

 

My whole side aches.

 

I slide down to my knees, hands laid flat against the face of whatever was keeping me inside, and I watch helplessly as the car drives further and further down the street before it turns a corner and disappears out of my view.

 

“Jungkook.” It's only after the taxi is fully gone that it seems the other Taehyung can react to the situation properly.

 

I watch with dead eyes as he sinks down to his knees, clutching the ring tightly to his chest as he begins to sob.

 

“I'm sorry.”

 

It's too late for that.

 

“Whew….that was intense.” I don’t react to the sudden appearance of Jimin by my side. Instead, I numbly watch as the other, older me gets up on weak legs and makes his way to the kitchen.

 

“Taehyung?” I hum noncommittally, watching still as the other Taehyung takes a nice long swig from a bottle of Jack Daniels.

 

I can already tell where this is going to lead to.

 

This is a nightmare.

 

“How do you feel?” I don't answer him, choosing instead to focus on the ongoing scene happening in front of me. Every new woman or man that walks out of the back room, every new beer bottle left forgotten on the steadily more cluttered floor, everything makes my head and heart ache.

 

Is this all I have to look forward to in my future?

 

“Taehyung?” I close my eyes to block out the sight in front of me and weakly turn my head towards Jimin to let him know I was listening.

 

“I asked you how you felt?”

 

“Sick.” And I do, I really do. I feel like I could vomit the gourmet dinner I had at the hotel’s restaurant.

 

I open my eyes at the slight touch to my knee by the orange haired male and see that we’re back in my hotel room.

 

“Do you understand now? Why I showed you this?” I nod my head, too choked up to give him proper words.

 

I’m going to ruin my family.

 

“It doesn’t have to be this way, you know?” I snap my head towards him, desperate to know that I didn’t make that excuse to my own self. He meets my watery gaze steadily.

 

“You still have time to change this. Go home.”

 

↤ ▢ ↦

 

“Appa! Wake up! Wake up! It’s Christmas!” Little Yeonsoo bursts through the door to his father’s room, clambering onto the king sized bed and flopping onto the large, still body still snuggled deep underneath the covers.

 

“Aaaaappaaaa! Wake up! We have to see what Santa got us!” Jungkook groans tiredly, throwing an arm out to pull the boy into his arms.

 

“Five more minutes, baby. Let me catch my beauty sleep.” Yeonsoo squirms in his father’s hold, writhing and wriggling.

 

“But appa is already so handsome!” He finally manages to break free and moves to squish the man’s face between his hands, giggling. Jungkook smiles and laughs, squeezing him against his bare chest and rolling around in the bed.

 

“Awwww, isn’t my baby justs so cute!”

 

“Appaaa! Stop! Let’s go open presents!”  The five year old whines and tries to squirm out of his hold again, but his father just tightens his hold on his waist.

 

“Ok, ok. But first! We need to wash your teeth and brush your face!” He exclaims, hopping up from the bed to make his way to the bathroom, a giggling Yeonsoo hanging over his shoulder.

 

“Appaa, it’s brush your teeth and wash your face!”

 

Jungkook sets the boy down on the sink, grabbing his toothbrush and his strawberry flavored toothpaste.

 

“Really? Are you sure?” He retaliates with a teasing smile. The five year old nods rapidly, opening his mouth obediently when the toothbrush probes his mouth.

 

“I don’t know, it looks like I’m washing your teeth right now.”

 

“Imfs ughing.” Jungkook chuckles, grabbing the boy's hand and putting it on the brushes handle to replace his own.

 

“Ok, ok, you got me. I need you to continue brushing for me, ok? Remember, you need to get everywhere.” The boy nods and proceeds to brush his teeth with vigor, bubbles sliding down his chin. Jungkook smiles and grabs his own toothbrush, wetting it and putting his own mouth.

 

They brush their teeth together in the mirror, laughing at the suds running down their chins and making silly faces, and when they’re done, they rinse their mouths and show each other their pearly whites, inspecting the others.

 

“Hey! Appa!” Yeonsoo exclaims when a warm, wet piece of fabric covers his head. Jungkook chuckles and rubs the washcloth all over the boys face softly, before rinsing it and letting him do his.

 

“Okay big guy, let’s go open those presents now.” He says, heaving Yeonsoo off of the sink and onto the floor. The boy whoops and races out of the room quickly.

 

“Don’t open anything until I get there!” A loud groan answers him and he laughs. He grabs his phone off of his bedstand and makes his way into the living room.

 

“Hey, let’s see if we can skype daddy?” He asks to the boy taking wrapped gifts and shaking them near his ear.

 

Yeonsoo looks up with wide excited eyes, nodding rapidly in agreement.

 

Jungkook opens his phone and sees a couple missed messages wishing him a Merry Christmas, but one stands out.

 

From: TaeTae

 

Merry Christmas bby!! Tell Yeonsoo I love him <333

 

Sent 6:32 am

 

He sighs frustratedly, frowning a bit before crossing his fingers and typing his response.

 

To: TaeTae

 

Skype??

 

Sent 7:03 am

 

He’s surprised by the almost immediate reply he gets, and smiles broadly when he reads it.

 

From: TaeTae

 

YES!!

 

Sent 7:03 am

 

“Yeonsoo! Come here!” He sits down on the sofa and pats the space beside him eagerly. Yeonsoo grins and pounces on the open seat.

 

“What did daddy say?” He asks, peering over Jungkook’s shoulder to the phone screen. Jungkook was opening the skype app and clicking Taehyung’s number to call.

 

“He said yes!” Yeonsoo cheers and drapes himself over his father’s shoulders, waiting for the other to accept the call.

 

“Hey guys!”

 

“DADDY!” Yeonsoo yells and shoves his face in front of Jungkook’s in order to be in full view of the camera as soon as the others face appears on the screen.

 

“Hey baby boy! Merry Christmas!” Yeonsoo giggles at the pet name.

 

“Merry Christmas!” Jungkook pushes the boy out of the way with a ‘I want to see him too’ and takes in the image on the screen.

 

“Hey baby. Merry Christmas.” He smiles.

 

“Hey hun. Merry Christmas!”

 

“Where are you?” Taehyung appears to be walking outside in the snow, nose tipped red, hat pulled low and scarf bunched under his chin. Not looking like he just got out of  a meeting at all. More so, shouldn’t it be night in New York? He could see the sky behind Taehyung and he could hear the wind blowing through the speakers.

 

Taehyung looks at something off screen for a second and Jungkook sees a mischievous smile spread across the man’s face.

 

“Oh, uhm...well…” Jungkook narrows his eyes threateningly.

 

“Taehyung…” Taehyung chuckles.

 

“Okay, okay. Just…,” Three sharp knocks sound from the front door, “open the door?”

 

Jungkook and Yeonsoo stare wide eyed at the door.

 

“Hello? It’s kinda cold out here…” Yeonsoo was the first to snap out of it. He jumps off of the sofa and races to the door, unlocking the lock and swinging it wide open.

 

“DADDY!” Taehyung smiles and scoops the boy into his arms, hanging up on the skype call.

 

“Yeonsoo!” The boy throws his arms around the man’s neck and squeezes tightly.

 

“YOU’RE HERE! SANTA READ MY LETTER!” Taehyung laughs and swings the boy around happily.

 

Jungkook watched the scene from the living room in disbelief.

 

He’s really here.

 

Taehyung catches his husband’s eyes and his smile gets impossibly wider, holding Yeonsoo with one arm and opening the other out wide, beckoning for him to come hug him.

 

This is real.

 

Jungkook quickly charges into his husband’s embrace, arms coming up to wrap around the man’s waist and burying his face into his neck.

 

“You came.” He whispers as Taehyung tightens his hold on his husband and son.

 

Taehyung smiles, pressing a kiss to the crown of Jungkook’s head and whispers, “Merry Christmas. I love you.”

 

↤ ▢ ↦

 

“How’d you do this one?” Jimin jolts from watching the family hugging in the doorway sand turns to look at the man next to him.

 

Jimin smirks, “I decided to go a bit old school and give him his own personal little Christmas Carol. Should’a seen him. Cried like a baby through the whole thing.” He and the other man laugh, watching as Taehyung and his family close the door and move to the living room. When Jimin finished recounting his story of about a week ago, he turns to the man questioningly.

 

“How’d yours go, Yoongi hyung?” Yongi in a breath through his teeth.

 

“Ah, well, this year’s was bit more stubborn than usual, but I got through to him, like always. Just had to be a bit more...physical with him. But I got him to realize the important things.” Jimin nods in understanding and awe. Yoongi always got through to his Keeps. He remembers a couple years ago, Yoongi had a Keep who was a major spoiled brat and used everyone for their money. Took Yoongi to have to make them dream an alternate reality where everyone who cared for them were dying off one by one because of their neglect, and only then did they realize that there were things worth keeping than just the newest style.

 

“That’s good, hyung. Another year well done. Congratulations.” Yoongi smiles and agrees, before beginning to walk down the road. Jimin begins to follow him, but stops and turns back to the house his Keep was in, smiling when he sees him and his family laughing by their Christmas tree.

 

That’s his favorite part of this whole business. Seeing the happiness radiate through everyone once everything takes a right turn. And knowing that he helped give them a push in that right direction and they actually took that push and took it in stride, well, that just made him feel all giddy inside.

 

“Jimin! Come on!” Yoongi yells from a bit down the road. Jimin snaps out of it and runs to catch up, slipping his hand into the other’s outheld one.

 

 

“Come on, let’s go home.”

---

 

 

Comments are greatly appprreeeeciaaaattteeedddd <33333333