jangmi (장미) ● taejoon

f o r t y s i x .

  Namjoon tucked Jangmi to bed for the first time. Combing his fingers through her hair gently as she looked at the man with dazed eyes. "... Sleep well, okay? You still have to go to school tomorrow."

Her eyes fluttered at his calming touch. "... Will you still be here for me, daddy? Please don't go."

Namjoon rested on his knees by her bedside, his arms resting on the duvet. "Of course, I'll be waiting for you once you get home, but you have to stay at school till it's over. You can't keep leaving school early."

Jangmi hummed tiredly. "... Promise," she says, poking her hand out from the blanket and holding out her pinky.

Namjoon doesn't hesitate to link his pinky with hers.

"... I wanna go to the beach," Jangmi murmurs, "My classmates go all the time, but I don't know what that's like... Papa never took me. I wanna play in the sand, water, and bring home sea shells. One of my classmates brought a sea shell to show and tell before..."

Namjoon smiled softly, brushing Jangmi's hair out her sleepy face. "We'll go to the beach then," he says softly, "I'll teach you how to swim, build sandcastles, and your papa can help you collect sea shells for school."

"... No papa," Jangmi shakes her head, "Just you."

"Just me?" Namjoon asks, and the little girl nods lazily. "Alright, just me..."

"Now go rest," he hums, placing a kiss on her temple. "I'll wake you up in the morning."

"Night night, daddy," Jangmi latched her arm around a stuffed toy as her eyes went droopy. "... I love you."

Namjoon froze for a moment, not moving away from the bed before Jangmi fell asleep. He sighed softly, getting up and quietly shuffling out of the large and pretty room. Shutting the door behind him as quietly as he could.

He jolted when he saw Taehyung beside the door with crossed arms. "We need to talk," Taehyung says with hooded eyes.

"Yeah, we definitely need to talk," Namjoon whisper-grunted. "You seriously never took that girl to a beach? Are you fucking serious?"

Taehyung frowned. "Don't tell me how to-"

"No, no. I'm telling you how to be a father," Namjoon quietly hissed. "For god sake, how much time do you spend away from her? You know why she's having fits, tantrums, behavioral problems? It's because she wants your attention. You moron, she needs you here with her."

Taehyung's frowned turned into a glare. "As if you're a father. I'm busy trying to make sure she doesn't see what I do for a living, for what I do to get this house, the food, her clothes, her goddamn bed! Look at this place, I'm making sure she's living lavishly, so she doesn't need to worry about anything."

"You know what I'm worried about? Your goddamn sense of humanity, that's what." Namjoon seethed, "She doesn't care about the clothes, the toys, the food. She cares about how her father isn't there for her. She thinks you don't even love her!"

Taehyung hissed, grabbing Namjoon's wrist. "Let's not forget, you're here for-"

"Right now, I'm here for Jangmi," Namjoon snaps, yanking his wrist back. "If you want her to see you in a different light then start acting different. You're obviously just jealous at the fact she sees me more of a father figure  than you've ever been."

Taehyung sarcastically let out a chuckle. "You have no fucking clue how much I fought to get her back in my arms, Namjoon," he says, "You want to take about father figures? Gladly, why don't you tell me about your father? Hm?"

"Ha ha, nice cold attack," Namjoon rolled his eyes. "A father figure definitely isn't you, I'd say that. I'm going back to my captive room, and don't lock me in. I'm waking Jangmi up for school tomorrow, papa. If you want to be a proper father, clear out your schedule for friday. We're taking Jangmi to the beach, and you're going to spend time with her."

"What are you now? Her mother?"

"... Yeah seems like it," Namjoon crosses his arms.

He walked away from the man. Going down the hall, and opening the door to the guest room. He looked back at Taehyung, glaring before going inside.

Taehyung huffed, ticking his head to the side angrily before looking back at his daughter's bedroom door. He places a hand on the doorknob, but suddenly stops. Taking a moment of silence.

He lets go, turning away and going to his own separate bedroom right beside hers.

[unedited]