Once Again

21

Earlier, Jungkook stood next to Taehyung and took a sip of his Shibori as he watched the guests. One of Taehyung's friends passed by and asked where his husband was. Before Taehyung could answer, another friend piped up and said Taehyung's husband must have fled from his cheapskate ass in the middle of the night.

"I feel right at home, Tae. Your friends know you almost as well as I do," Jungkook said drily as he took another sip of his beer.

Taehyung laughed and was about to respond when a child's voice rang out in the garden.

"Appa!"

Both men turned to look at the toddler running towards them. Jungkook was enchanted by the child's shirt. It had characters from MapleStory on the front. MapleStory was one of Jin's favourites.

Jungkook smiled. Everything reminded him of his Jinnie today. From the snow globes he had seen earlier, to the bed of tulips in the flower boxes along the perimeter of the garden, and now this child's shirt.

"Who are you?" Minjoon pulled on Jungkook's jeans to get his attention.

Jungkook crouched down so Minjoon could look him in the eye.

"My name is Jungkook. I'm your appa's best friend."

"Are you my dada's best friend too?"

"No, but maybe we can be after we meet."

The boy tilted his head as he considered Jungkook, and then nodded as if he approved. Jungkook smiled. The boy was beautiful and reminded him of someone. There were very few similarities to Taehyung, and this led Jungkook to believe the boy took after his other father.

Taehyung's husband must be a beautiful man, Jungkook thought. Just like my Jinnie. I wonder if my child with Jinnie would have looked like this boy.

"Do you like my shirt?"

"I do," smiled Jungkook. "It's MapleStory, isn't it?"

The boy clapped his hands, happy that this man recognised the characters. Most adults did not.

"It's my fae... fav... faev... I like it very much! My dada likes it too!"

"My boyfriend also likes it. This one especially," Jungkook pointed to one of the characters just as another man arrived next to Taehyung.

"That's the one my dada likes!"

The boy hopped up and down excitedly, obviously ecstatic at finding someone that shared his father's good taste.

"Jungkook," he heard Taehyung say, "I'd like you to meet my husband Yoojin."

Jungkook stood up, ready to hold his hand out for a handshake. His eyes rested briefly on the man's broad shoulders before they travelled up to the man's face. He smiled when he remembered how his Jinnie had broad shoulders.

But then his smile faltered as he registered the other man's features. His world tilted on its axis and the bottom fell out as all sounds muted and his surroundings disappeared. It was his Jinnie.