Chapter 50: Counting Days

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Panting, Jimin shifted his left hand and used his right to hold on to the bar of the stroller where Si Woo was currently sitting observing the scenery of the park with eyes about to close and cheeks reddening in pink. The writer jogged beside his lover, the actor had more stamina so he wasn't panting on the same level as him, but damn, he wanted to take a breather. Although they had been jogging for already thirty seven minutes, the need to stop got the best of him. Hopefully in another life, he could be a better runner.

"Stop. Stop." Jimin panted and stopped jogging and leaned his head against his arms that both held on the bar of the stroller. The blood pumping through his veins rushed everywhere and his calves began to pulsate. The sweat rolling down his body only added heat to his risen temperature, he just needed to drink water from the bottle Si Woo carried for them. "We're almost done with four miles. You okay baby?" Jungkook paused and leaned his hands against his knees while catching his breath and little Si Woo leaned back without trying to look at his parents.

"I need to breathe... Meanwhile, check on Si Woo, he's too quiet." Panted the writer with a worried expression, the urge to gasp for breath still lingering inside his system. He sometimes couldn't understand how men could run five or six miles without taking a breath break.

"Aegiya." The actor crouched down in front of the stroller and his eyes instantly began to glare with worry. "Aegi." He repeated and this time cleaned his own hand with the inside of his shirt before gently placing it on the little one's forehead. Si Woo opened his eyes slowly and his hands reached out to him wanting to be carried. "Shi... Jagiya, Si Woo's burning up. Let's go back home." The worried father instantly let Si Woo wrap his small hands around his not so sweaty neck.

"WHAT?" There was a surge of energy coursing through his veins the moment the actor informed him of their son's temperature. "Si Woo-ya." Jimin instantly walked over to them and pecked their son's left cheek to check the temperature. As soon was the risen warm temperature met his lips, it didn't matter how tired his body was from working out, getting medicine for their son was the most important and only instinct his mind and body could function on.

"Si Woo-ya, where does it hurt?" He asked while gently stroking back the soft dark locks of the three year old. With teary eyes, Si Woo pointed at his head while Jungkook held him without the little one losing balance after letting go of his neck. "Your head. Are you hurting anywhere else?" The actor bit his lip with worried eyes for their son. It wasn't every day the little one caught a fever or a cold, he was healthy. It couldn't have been from staying with Yoongi and Beomgyu because that was a few weeks prior already.

With slow movements, little Si Woo opened his lips and pointed his small index finger to the inside of his mouth. That was enough for both parents to understand how their son had a fever and his throat hurt; hopefully just a cold. "Gguk, We're going to Doctor Jeong but first let's go home and change, we can't go to a hospital soaked like sweaty pigs." Jimin most certainly took the lead in ordering about how they'd handle the arising situation while his lover listened to him and did exactly as they had planned.

It was a long ass day half spent in the waiting room of the pediatrician's office in the hospital and the other getting Si Woo to eat and to sadly force him to take off the aids until the diagnosed cold went away (for purposes of not triggering an ear infection that could already be the cause of his cold). When Jungkook's head began to throb after all the cries Si Woo did after having his aids removed not just for the rest of thenight but probably for a long while (two-three days), he sighed loudly and groaned irritatedly when their son began throwing a fit. Jimin observed him and gently massaged his arm.

"I can't see him like this. It's tearing me apart." With a heavy heart, the actor rubbed his temple with his other hand and felt his lover lean his head against his neck both of them having to ignore their son for a few minutes to get him to understand that he can't wear the aids.

"What if we have another baby and he also inherits the mutated gene? We need to be strong when he behaves like this. It's bound to happen, Si Woo needs to understand that we can't always give him what he wants. What if we let him have the aids until the night and then he wakes up tomorrow in a worsened condition? We can't risk that. Let's leave him be until he stops and calms down, today's the first day he's behaved so badly." The writer consoled his lover and silently pecked a few kisses around the neck to calm him down and in the process, his own words were also his own consolement. But it was as he had explained, Si Woo needed to understand.

"I know Baby. I understand, but he's never behaved like this. If he keeps throwing his toys around, he could gain more temperature than he already has. Tonight, I'll sleep beside him to continuously check on his temperature while he sleeps, okay? If he's worse tomorrow morning, I'll drive us to the emergency room." Jungkook used his arms to hug the writer and leaned his chin on top of the brown locks while glancing at the closed bedroom door of their son where silence now resonated

in the halls.

"Okay... but don't you have an interview tomorrow morning? I could stay with him instead." Jimin offered but the actor shook his head. He did have an interview, but he wanted to stay with Si Woo, even if that meant less hours of sleep and he could always talk to his manager to reschedule. "I do, but I want to stay with him. Go to sleep Baby, I'll handle this." Offering a peck on his rosy plump lips, Jungkook loosened the embrace and walked forward and entered the bedroom door.

Knowing his lover could handle the situation, the writer sighed and walked to their bedroom to do his routine before falling asleep; the actor already did his. He would miss Jungkook's warmth throughout the night but it was understantable where the actor was coming from; even he had to handle a four months old Si Woo getting sick and going to the hospital. And thus, he tried sleeping to the best of his abilities.

'Are you done?' Jungkook signed to his son after closing the door of Si Woo's bedroom. The toys were making a mess over the floor and Jimin would've certainly cleaned everything but he let it be. He walked over to him and picked him up from the floor while the little one nodded and leaned his heated forehead against his father's neck. Si Woo made sure he cleaned the tears on his face on the silk blue-white stripped pajamas of his father; not that Jungkook minded at all.

Gently tucking him on the bed, the father brushed his son's soft raven locks back with soft eyes while sitting on the corner of the bed beside him. When Si Woo started to cough, he helped him cough into his elbow and when he stopped, he cleaned the corner of his small lips with the pj's shirt the little one wore.

'Sleep.' After signing the word, Jungkook pecked little Si Woo's forehead and leaned away to to start picking up all the toys while keeping an eye on him every second. He saw his son's eyes wide open -although tired-staring back at him with pecks of red surrounding his nose and his aegyo sal. When suddenly, the door opened and Jimin entered wearing a matching set of silk pajamas.

"Let's sleep in our bed. Si Woo can sleep between us. I'm too worried to sleep alone." The older father approached the bed where their son lay wide awake already tucked in, and he gently picked him up by hooking his hands on the little one's underarms. Si Woo's confused eyes were on him now. His small arms began to weakly hold onto the neck and he rested his head against it as well.

"Okay then... Let me finish organizing all his toys." Jungkook replied while picking up a pair of small cars Taehyung had gotten Si Woo for his last birthday as one of the many gifts he had brought.

'We'll be here.' Jimin signed to Si Woo whose eyes trailer to him and Jungkook. After almost an hour, they couldn't get their son to fall asleep because his throat hurt. "I'll sing something..." Jungkook offered with loving eyes while cupping their son's hand and placing it above his throat with benignness.

"Do you love the rain?~ Does it make you dance~" With calmer eyes now, Si Woo sniffled and felt the vibrations of his father's voice under his small fingers. This was one of the things they did when he couldn't sleep well, and it calmed him down. He loved feeling the pulsation, it was almost as he could hear it and imagine his voice.

In Jimin's case, he brushed Si Woo's hair back and pecked his warm ear -from the side facing towards him-. Heating Jungkook sing for them was relaxing. Although the lyrics were not completely appropiate for a lullaby, what mattered was how Si Woo's eyes were almost closing just as the song continued on.

"I'd spend ten thousand hours and ten thousand more~ Oh, if that's what it takes to learn that sweet heart of yours~" With a curve of his rosy lips directed at his lover, Jungkook continued singing while feeling Si Woo's hand slowly falling down if it wasn't for his own cupping it. It worked again. Singing for him always worked when he felt the vibrations.

"I'm gonna love you~ Ooh~ Ooh Ooh~" Jimin felt himself also begin to doze off and he did, with a finally asleep Si Woo in his arms and Jungkook's soft voice to send him into a sweet dream until the morning came; fever down, and two parents exhaling sighs of relief.

Counting days.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

August 19, 2023.

Park Jimin found himself in quite the situation after returning from the bathroom. If it wasn't for the celebration of his best friend's wedding, he would've already left. He could not stand one bit of watching his lover and fiancé sit in a table talking with another man he did not know who was shamelessly holding his Si Woo on his lap while having an engaging conversation with his fiancé. It took guts, he admitted. Almost everyone in South Korea knew Jeon Jungkook was in a serious relationship with Park Jimin and how they have a son, so the writer was dubious as to if the man was flirting with his fiancé or being too adoring to his son; but the news of their engagement had not been made public.

He was pretty pissed and now the bar seemed to be the most interesting place to be if he didn't want to cause a scene.

"Your forehead vein is popping. Why so gloomy when I just got married to the love of my life?" Taehyung pouted when he approached him in a white dress shirt tucked under a black vest and black slacks. He had a white rose attached to the left chest side of the vest to replace the black blazer he took off for more comfortable purposes. His skin glowed and as did his eyes. And they had more than a reason to, he was planning on getting pregnant with Hoseok as soon as they leave for their Honeymoon.

"Check out five o'clock." Jimin grumbled and grabbed a glass filled with Hangar 1 Vodka before gulping it down while Taehyung focused his eyes on the man Jungkook was talking with. "Damn, he's talking with Mingyu already? They starred in a movie five years ago. There was a rumor they had sex backstage, but I'm one hundred percent sure Jeon Jungkook only has eyes for you now." Taehyung observed how Si Woo giggled when the man called Mingyu smiled down at him and ticked his sides.

"I get jealous..." With reddened cheeks already getting tipsy from the third shot he'd done, the writer set the glass down and glared at his fiancé. "Where's the damn microphone? I'm setting this straight." He faced his best friend and sighed by extending his bottom lip forward and blinked his eyes thrice. "I'm not letting you do something you'll regret. Dance with me instead. My gorgeous husband wouldn't mind at all." Taehyung managed to settle his hands on the writer's waist and arm to guide him to the dance floor away from the alcoholic beverages in the bar at the side of the big ball room. It didn't take long for him to figure out how Jimin was tipsy or already drunk to make a scene that could end up in total embarrassment.

"I only dance with my hubby~" Jimin snorted but danced along to the song the live band started to play. "He's too precious for me." He pouted as he danced with his best friend while letting the alcohol get to his mind.

"You're too precious for him as well. When you get home, show him who you are, Jeon Jimin." Comforting words from a best friend always seem to be taken to heart. And Jimin felt himself shake his head even though he understood those words. "I'm not Jeon Jimin yet. We're not legally married nor have we chosen a day for a wedding service like you and Hoseok hyung did for today." Just like the writer explained, the words were full of truth. Since the union of matrimony between two men was not completely accepted, they could get legally married and have a ceremony of exhanching vows without an priest or official, for a celebration between family and friends.

"You really haven't chosen? That's not like you Jimin. Spill it. What date did you think of?" Not accepting what his best friend said, Taehyung questioned him already knowing that he had thought of a date because he was that type of person.

"I... fine. May twelve of next year. I'm almost finished with a book I had been writing and my manager told me it's going to be published next month. Hopefully, it sells well like 'Love At First Sight My Ass' has." Suddenly feeling lightheaded, Jimin leaned his head against Taehyung's shoulder. "Stop spinning us!" He whined and the married actor chuckled before focusing his eyes on Jungkook. The younger actor was still engrossed in a conversation to bother noticing his fiancé's state.

"See, May twelve is a wonderful date. Let's hope I have my firstborn with my gorgeous hubby by then." In a flash, Jimin abruptly let go of Taehyung when he finished talking and stomped towards the bar again after his eyes saw that Jungkook was still happily chatting with Mingyu.

He now grabbed a bottle of Hwayo X Premium Soju from the bar and walked towards the stage where the band kept playing another song. "Jimin Andwae!" Taehyung whisper-shouted and followed after him but it ended up futile the moment his drunken best friend stepped on the stage and grabbed the microphone from the female singer; music abruptly stopping and everyone's heads on him for the sudden commotion.

"Hello my lovelies!" Jimin grinned while staring at the differenr faces on him. Seokjin blinked from the crowd with cheeks full of food and eyes wide assuming from the writer's red cheeks that he was drunk. Oh boy. Namjoon gulped a glass from his champagne and felt himself get embarrassed already from their friend's sudden actions.

Taehyung began to hide his own face under his right hand clearly expecting his best friend to make a fool out of himself. He might as well enjoy it and remember it forever. And Hoseok returned from his nature call to feel himself on the verge of laughing, at least it wasn't him doing something weird when drunk so everything was good.

Jungkook's eyes were finally on him and his rosy plump bottom lip parted. A high pitched Fuck screamed in his mind. Jimin was about to embarrass himself. "Appa." Si Woo's eyes were also on him and now.

"Today... watching TaeTae and Hobi hyung get married made me happy. It was so... lovely." Jimin continued grinning after saying the last sentence in english while his eyes searched for Taehyung's. "You're so lovely! I'm so lovely! But Jungkook is not lovely! But we're so lovely~ Lovely, lovely, lovely! Cheers! To the married couple!" Jimin raised the bottle on his left hand and some with awkward movements raised their glasses and returned the gesture to drink. After taking a long gulp of the Premium Soju, he noticed Jungkook's furrowed eyebrows and then he shifted his eyes to the man called Mingyu whose hands covered his mouth as if he was about to whisper something to him.

"Oh! News for everyone, I'm getting married to the stupid idiot called Jeon Jungkook on May twelve of next year. And I will definetely break his ass for the first time then. And you who is called Mingyu," Almost stumbling back, the writer pointed his right forefinger finger at the male called Mingyu and glared at him. "-get the fuck away from my son. Thank y..." Taehyung snatched the microphone away from Jimin's hands and with a nervous laugh guided him back down. It was one of the most embarrassing moments that has happened in his life but it comes second to the time Jungkook moaned his name when filming 'Just A Fling' years prior.

"Jimin, You're drunk and tomorrow you'll regret saying all of this. Let's go." Without any honorifics said and an evident calmed expression, Jungkook had approached them with Si Woo on his arms. His aura was definitely not to be messed with. He was angry but was controlling himself real hard because he also needed to understand what caused his lover to act this way. "I'm so sorry for this scene Taehyung hyung. We're leaving right now. Have a nice Honeymoon with Hoseok hyung; all the best." Jungkook informed while holding Jimin's wrist with his free hand. Mingyu stayed seated with a hurtful expression on his eyes, clearly embarrassed.

And they left the reception with a drunk Jimin whose eyes refused to acknowledge Jungkook's the rest of the day and night. The couch was definitely comfortable match for his drunken self but it wasn't the best side of himself he could've shown Si Woo who slept in Jungkook's arms that night.

Well it was counting days.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧