Single Father • Namjoon + BTS!Kids

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Namjoon stared at Jin, his mouth hanging slightly opened, as all of Jin's younger siblings, Jimin being the exception, turned to stare at him. "I'm sorry, say that again?" Namjoon asked, tilting his ear slightly closer to Jin with a concerned expression.

Jin pouted slightly, looking hurt. "You all don't have to act so surprised, you know," he mumbled, looking down, and Jimin looked up, just noticing the tension in the air, and turned his head back and forth between Jin and the others.

"Why can't Jin have a friend come over to play?" Jimin asked, tilting his head so his hair shifted, and Yoongi turned to look at Jimin.

"Because Jin doesn't have any friends," Yoongi said bluntly. "Never has, never-"

"Yoongi," Namjoon cut in sharply, giving him a look, and Yoongi rolled his eyes, turning away.

"His name is Jooheon," Jin said suddenly, looking up. "He's real."

"Of course he's real, sweetie," Namjoon said, perplexed not only by Jin's last sentence but by the entire situation. "And of course he can come over."

Jin exhaled heavily, looking somewhat relieved although still out of sorts.

To be honest, Namjoon also felt thrown out of whack. Jin had never mentioned a Jooheon before. Had Jin just been quiet about him, or was it a fairly new friendship? Was Jooheon a good kid, or was he messing with Jin somehow? Not that Namjoon didn't think Jin deserved to have friends, just that it was odd that Jin had never once asked to have a friend over, and out of nowhere, Jooheon pops up at the breakfast table.

Was Jooheon being serious in his friendship?

Namjoon hoped so. It was about time that Jin made a friend, a good one. He deserved it.

They all did.

***

Jin waited tensely at lunch for Jooheon to come like he always did. As soon as all the other children left the room, Jin pulled out his lunch but didn't make any move to open the bag, instead sitting with all of his muscles contracted, staring at the door.

When Jooheon entered, he seemed surprised to see Jin expecting him. "Hey. What's up with you today?"

"Can you come over?" Jin asked immediately before realizing that he didn't know how kids typically did this. "To my house, I mean. With me. Today. After school."

Jooheon blinked. "Today?"

Jin nodded, playing with his fingers before splaying them on the desk, trying not to fidget. "My dad said you could come over."

Jooheon shrugged. "I don't know," he said as he sat down lazily in the chair in front of Jin. "It's kind of short notice. I have to ask my dad too."

"They don't believe me," Jin blurted out before quickly covering his mouth, then slowly lowering the hand back down, deciding to just spill everything out. Jooheon had that effect on him. He made Jin just want to tell him everything, all his secrets, all his worries. Because he felt like Jooheon would listen. "About you. They don't think that you're my friend. They don't think you exist."

Jooheon blinked once, twice before pulling out his cell phone and dialing a number. "Hi. Yes I'm in school- Relax, okay? You're at work, aren't you? Shouldn't you be working?" A brief moment as Jooheon smirked at his dad's reply. "I'm going home with a friend today. You can pick me up around..." He looked over at Jin, who hesitated before smiling and throwing up a hand with all the fingers spread. "...five o'clock." Another paused. "Sorry, can you please pick me up around five o'clock?" A sigh from Jooheon as he rolled his eyes. "Yes, I know you're my dad. Yes, I respect you," he said, all the while pulling a Look what I have to put up with for you face at Jin. "Okay. Thanks." He hung up before sticking a thumb up. "Green for go."