Forever || Namkook

5. Talk

"You okay?", hoseok asks as soon as namjoon reaches him. Namjoon takes a seat beside him and lays his eyes on yoongi who's trying to eat hoseok's flower brooch.

As if magic, all his worries, all his dark thoughts dissipate and he reaches out to hold yoongi. Hoseok lets him, smiling fondly at his baby once he settles in Namjoon's arms.

"You okay, Joonie?", he repeats his question from before, brows furrowing in concern. "I will be", namjoon says, doesn't sugarcoat anything. He doesn't need to. After seokjin and his dad, if anyone knows him well, then it's hoseok. He can't lie to him even if he wants to.

"That's good", hoseok replies, trying to search namjoon's eyes. "I just want to see you happy", he says. And really, namjoon knows that. He knows that very well. Instead of saying that, he simply nods and gives him a sweet smile.

Then, he shifts his eyes at yoongi and watches as the toddler fiddles with his brooch now, trying to pull it out. Namjoon removes his little hands from his brooch because, unlike hoseok, namjoon's brooch isn't made of flowers, it's made of a weird kind of stone and namjoon doesn't want yoongi to accidentally hurt himself.

"Who's the best boy?", he speaks in his baby voice. "It's you! Yes, it's you!", he says in excitement. Yoongi squeals at that and wraps his arms around Namjoon's neck. Namjoon laughs and tickles under his chin.

"Joonie!", yoongi giggles and thrashes around in his hold. Namjoon doesn't let go, tickles him until he's tired of laughing. "You tired him out", hoseok whines. "Now he's gonna take a nap and then throw tantrum during his bedtime", he huffs.

Namjoon looks at him with a feign apologetic smile and pats yoongi's back as the toddler dozes off. "Sometimes I think you're the baby, not yoonie", he teases and laughs as hoseok whines and hits his arm softly.

"Kim Namjoon-ssi".

Namjoon looks up when he hears a voice calling out his name. He immediately recognizes the face. It's Jungkook's best man, one of the main dancers of a popular Korean dance groups.

"Yugyeom-ssi", he greets easily, standing up. Almost forgetting that yoongi's still sleeping in his arms, he goes to bow but stops midway when he realizes his mistake. "Sorry", he says softly when yoongi stirs in his hold.

"Mind if I steal you for a while?", Yugyeom asks and namjoon bites his lower lip, conflicted. And just like his guardian angel, hoseok comes to the rescue.

"Yugyeom-ssi, hope you're enjoying the party", he says and smiles charmingly at the younger. The man smiled back politely and they share handshakes. "Go with him. I'll take him", hoseok says and extends his arms to take yoongi.

Namjoon wants to deny going with Jungkook's best man, not wanting to leave his nephew. But he's a weak man, he wants to give off a good impression so he reluctantly complies.

"Love you", he whispers and gives yoongi's round head a gentle peck. Then, he reluctantly holds yoongi out in his arms and pouts when hoseok takes him. "Don't be too moody", hoseok whispers, patting yoongi's head when he whines in his sleep. Namjoon nods and then he's following Yugyeom.

"So, Namjoon-ssi, how's it going? You holding up alright?", Yugyeom asks and namjoon looks at him weirdly. So he knows. Then again, he didn't expect him to not know. He's Jungkook's best friend after all.

"Yeah, I'm good", he says. Wow, that sounded really honest. "You can call me hyung, by the way", he adds quickly. "I'm sorry but I'd rather not. It's an honorific i only use for people who i trust", Yugyeom says with an innocent smile.

Well, ouch?

"Oh, yeah, okay. That makes sense", namjoon says. Way to go, dude. Yugyeom chuckles softly. "Sorry, my boyfriend tells me i get intimidating when i feel the need to protect the people i love", he says.

Namjoon nods in understanding. "It's fine. Though, i really hope i can be someone you trust", he says, measuring his words. "You can always try", Yugyeom says.

They walk around the hall for some five minutes before Yugyeom speaks again. "Jackson hyung told me that you and jungkook are really similar. Now that i think about it, he's not wrong", he says.

Namjoon looks at him with a curious gaze. "Oh?", he questions. "Yeah. I'm willing to let jungkook go with you because i think you're a good guy, namjoon-ssi", Yugyeom answers.

"You do?", namjoon asks. "Yeah. I think your interaction with your nephew and brother in law is proof enough. You're really gentle. And right now, jungkook needs that gentleness", Yugyeom explains.

Namjoon's almost surprised at how honest the younger is. "Please take care of him, namjoon-ssi. Jungkook, being a virgo, always seeks perfection. So it's quite natural that when things don't go his way, he blames himself for them", Yugyeom continues.

"But it's not his fault", namjoon says, frowning. "It's not but he thinks it is. You're a virgo, too. So i believe you can understand his perfectionist tendencies a bit better than a lot of us", Yugyeom replies, smiling.

"I can relate", namjoon says after a beat of silence. Yugyeom just nods, not looking his way. "I think that's what i wanted to tell you. Jungkook seems tough and hard on the outside but he's just a sweet little boy who doesn't think he's deserving of all the love he recieves", he finally says and turns to look at namjoon.

"I hope when the next time we meet, i can call you hyung instead", he says. Namjoon can't help the smile that graces his lips. "That'd be wonderful", he says and bows politely.

"I should get going---",

"Hello, Kim Namjoon-ssi," a stranger says in a low, smooth voice, cutting Yugyeom off and smiling at namjoon with twinkling eyes. He looks familiar, but Namjoon can't remember where he has seen him.

"Hello? Uh-" the stranger cuts him off before he can ask his name.

"Congratulations on the new sugar baby".