UNPLANNED | namjoon ✔️

13 - uninvited

   

   

double update, read chapter 12 first! <3

   

   

❁ CHAPTER 13 ❁

UNINVITED

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The party was a roaring success.

The other children had been astounded when they arrived and took in Mrs. Kim's back yard, and for the last few hours they had done nothing but play and laugh and sing in the sunshine. Nari had an incredible time, educating all of her guests about unicorns and their magical healing properties, as she sat in her seat at the head of the table in a unicorn onesie that Yoongi and Jungkook had bought for her. Jin had joined her and her friends on the bouncy castle, bouncing extra hard so that they went flying into the air, giggling and screeching as they did.

Jimin watched on with a lovestruck smile on his face. "Jin is so good with kids," he said dreamily.

At that moment you had glanced over at Namjoon, who was holding an exhausted Nari in his lap, letting her rest her tiny forehead against the side of his own as he fed her a piece of birthday cake. It struck you, for the thousandth time, how natural Namjoon was with kids too.

A sense of elation and lightness came over you at the sight of your daughter, content and excited in your best friend's arms. It felt right. Natural.

It felt like a ridiculously good day.

But once all the guests had trickled out, including all of your own friends too, you began to feel a strange sense of sadness seeping in.

Nari, entirely exhausted, had fallen asleep on the couch in her onesie, and you had left her there to get started on the clean-up, sending Mrs. Kim to bed too after thanking her for all her help. You walked through to the kitchen to begin washing up the countless dishes, but were surprised to find Namjoon there already, his white button-up rolled up to the elbow, olive-skinned arms dipped into the warm soapy water.

"Oh," you said, surprised. "I thought you'd gone home."

Namjoon smiled at you. "No, I figured I'd help you out with these," he said, raising two soapy hands before he carried on washing up. "How's Nari?"

"Out like a light," you chuckled. "Joonie - thank you. So much. Seriously-"

But Namjoon was already dismissing it. "It was nothing."

"No, it wasn't," you insisted, coming to stand beside him. "I mean, it must have cost you a-"

"Yah," he tutted, flicking some soap suds at you to cut you off, and you laughed. "Stop it. I told you, it was for Nari. You don't have to thank me."

At this you finally said nothing, just squeezed his forearm lightly, before you took a dry towel and hopped up onto the counter next to the sink. Namjoon began to hand you the wet, clean dishes, and you towel dried them, stacking them neatly next to you.

"Something on your mind?" Namjoon said, without looking, continuing to wash the dishes. Namjoon had always been able to read you like a book. He could sense something was up.

"I think..." you began, unable to verbalise it properly. "I think I just felt like a bit of a failure. For not being able to do that for Nari myself."

Namjoon stopped at this, gazing at you. "What do you mean?"