4

As the receptionist showed Jungkook into the office, Min Yoongi rose from the seat behind his desk and extended a hand.

"Jungkook, lovely to see you. How's Haru doing?"

"Great, thanks. Growing like a wild weed," Jungkook said and smiled in response, "And Ahmy? How is she?"

"The same," Yoongi laughed, "Sometimes I regret that I decided to come back to work, but I know staying home with him full-time would drive me crazy. Splitting the days at home versus in the office between my husband and me has been working out wonderfully. This way, we have the best of both worlds."

Yoongi's husband, the other half of Jung and Min, shared child care duties, Jungkook envied them for their sense of unity.

While Eun-woo had looked forward to being a father, he'd made it clear that he wouldn't be hands-on until their baby was old enough to talk.

He'd wondered if he might change his opinion once Haru was born, but on consideration, he'd rejected the thought.

Older than him by ten years, Eun-woo had been so set in his ways he'd barely coped with the change in routine caused by marriage and sharing decision-making relating to the business.

When it came to their child, he probably would have done exactly as he'd said.

Yoongi gestured to Jungkook to take a seat and settled back behind his desk, "Tell me, what brings you here? I have to admit I was a bit curious. Don't you use the Cha family lawyers?"

Jungkook felt his gut clench and he forced himself to relax and breathe evenly, "Yes, we do. For the inn, but this is more... Personal."

He briefly outlined the situation, thankful that Yoongi was already aware of the circumstances relating to Haru's conception.

"The clinic is admitting liability?" Yoongi asked when Jungkook finished speaking.

"I'm not sure, but I understand they've been closed down," Jungkook reached into his bag, "This is the letter I was sent."

Yoongi took it and sat back, reading it carefully, "Seems a reasonable enough request," he commented, giving Jungkook a piercing look.

"Eun-woo is Haru's father," He has to be, Jungkook amended silently.

"Let's prove it then. If it turns out that this Party A is Haru's father, I imagine you will want to know ahead of time exactly where you and everything stand, right?"

"Yes," Jungkook exhaled on a breath before drawing in a new one, "And about payment-"

"Let's not worry about that unless it looks as if we have to go to court on any of this, okay?"

Tears sprang to Jungkook's eyes, "Are you sure, Yoongi?"

"I'm sure. I know you've had it tough," Yoongi said empathetically, "We're friends, right? Custody issues are not my speciality, but I will do more research for you. It might take me a while to get around to it because I have a rather full few days ahead, but I'll do what I can and call you, okay?"

"Thank you Eun-woo so much."

"Now, let's make sure we have all our details right," Yoongi said, reaching for a pen and starting to make notes.

Jungkook answered Yoongi's questions as best he could even though the prospect of having to share custody with Haru terrified him.

Rationally, he knew that if Eun-woo wasn't his baby's father that Haru's biological father should have some right to his son's life.

But emotionally…well, that was another story.

As a person who'd grown up with nothing and who'd run away from home, at sixteen, to escape a father who wished he'd never been born, Jungkook had fought hard to be where he was now - to have what he had now.

And he'd gone through hell and back to have his baby boy.

Haru was his and he'd do whatever he had to do to keep it that way.

An hour later, Jungkook exited the building.

He wished it were as easy to walk away from the glaring fear that held his stomach in a tight knot as it was to walk away from the building.

At least, he knew that Yoongi was taking steps to protect him and his son, Haru.

While Yoongi had agreed that his request for more information from the other party's lawyers was a way of stalling things, he felt it might carry more weight if the request came from him, acting as Jungkook's lawyer.

He also recommended that Jungkook instigate his testing to prove Eun-woo was Haru's father.

This, of course, engendered its problems.

Yoongi had called an independent laboratory that would courier a testing kit to Jungkook overnight. All he needed was a strand of Eun-woo's hair, or an old toothbrush of his, together with a mouth swab from Haru.

That would allow the lab to extract enough DNA to prove paternity.

Swabbing Haru's mouth would be the easy part, but finding something of Eun-woo's was another story.

He'd made it clear when he knew he was dying that he didn't want him to hang on to his things unnecessarily.

Respecting his wishes, after he'd passed Jungkook donated his clothes to a shelter and distributed specific possessions to his friends as he'd requested. His more personal effects had been boxed up to give to Haru when he was old enough to start asking about his dad.

But even if he got them out now, he doubted to find anything among his photo albums and awards from which DNA could be extracted.

He thought for a moment of the silver-backed clothes brush that he'd also packed away, a family heirloom that dated back to his great-grandfather, he'd carefully wrapped it in acid-free tissue and put it in the box with Eun-woo's other things.

He couldn't remember ever seeing Eun-woo use the brush... But.. maybe there would be stray hair still locked within its bristles?

Satisfied he had a starting point, Jungkook walked toward the café where Taehyung had said stay in. He cast a quick look at his watch and groaned inwardly at the time. He had been waiting quite a while.

Hopefully, Taehyung was a patient man, although somehow that particular description wasn't the first thing that came to mind when he thought of him.

And Jungkook did think of him.

A lot. 

Into his thoughts and his dreams at night. 

It was unsettling.

Kim Taehyung had worked his way into his thoughts with next-to-no-effort on his part.

He was still so newly a widow, he shouldn't be having feelings for another man.

But as hard as he fought against the attraction, there was a part of him that relished every moment with.

Awake or asleep.

In the dark of night, Jungkook tried to rationalize everything, he'd gone a long time without intimacy, so it was only natural that he'd miss it. Taehyung was the first man he'd spent any significant time with since Eun-woo's death.

And even when Eun-woo was alive, before he got sick, their relationship had not been sensual or physically satisfying for a while.

He and Eun-woo had begun to grow apart, trying to conceive had turned the focus of their marriage into constant rounds of temperature charts, and performance status for their surrogate candidate.

It was long before they'd won the lottery run by the IVF clinic that gave them the chance to finally have a child.

It was no wonder that two years ago Eun-woo had sought comfort in another woman's arms.

When, almost a whole year later, Jungkook had discovered his infidelity, he'd laid the blame firmly at his feet.

According to him, he'd destroyed every last moment of spontaneity in their marriage with his obsessive quest to become a father.

Of course, he'd sought a simple, uncomplicated affair with someone who only craved his company and made no other demands upon him.

Cha Eun-woo's words had cut deep.

Jungkook had always believed they'd wanted the same things.

A marriage that was a true partnership, sharing the day-to-day running of the business as well as their hopes and dreams for the future.

Dreams that included creating a stable and loving home and a family, together.

It hurt to learn that his plans were so different from hers and that he'd broken his marriage vows so easily, but he had accepted that. He had even accepted that some of the blame had lain with him for focusing all his energies into creating a child.

And that very focus, unbeknownst to Jungkook, has undermined his sense of power and masculinity.

But Jungkook could never entirely forgive him for the betrayal of his trust.

Eun-woo had ended his affair after he'd confronted him and then in one of those weird twists of fate, they'd won the IVF lottery.

He had said it would help solidify their marriage once the pressure of them becoming pregnant through a surrogate was off them both.

Jungkook wanted to believe him, even though the pain of his infidelity had stuck like a splinter in the back of his mind.

Of course, they hadn't counted on the bacterial infection that had attacked Eun-woo's heart. He'd gone from a vital and exuberant man to a dependant and demanding shell of his former self.

Their marriage had never really stood a chance to rebuild.

Jungkook did a swift mental shake, thinking about the past was no way to justify his reactions to Taehyung.

He was a paying guest.

That was all. 

Jungkook just needed a sharp reminder to keep it that way, he knew how life could turn on a dime.

How feelings and emotions could lead a person into difficult, sometimes terrible, situations.

As he neared the café he saw Taehyung seated at one of the outdoor tables. He looked up, directly at him then raised one arm and waved.

He waved back automatically, wondering just how long he'd been standing, he walked briskly toward him. As he grew nearer, he saw that his table held an empty plate, a crumpled takeout cup and a newspaper that was folded open before him, turned to the business section, Jungkook noted as he drew closer.

"Sorry I took so long. Would you like to head back?"

Taehyung gave a smile that made the knot in Jungkook's stomach tighten a little more, but this time for an entirely different reason.

So much for his resolution just a few minutes ago.

"I promised you coffee first," Taehyung said, rising from his seat, "Although if you're in a hurry to get back to Haru…"

"No, it's okay. I fed him not long before we left and I also left a bottle with Jimin, just in case. He'll be fine."

"What would you like?"

"A cappuccino would be great, thanks."

Taehyung was back a few moments later, setting the coffee on the table in front of him.

"Thanks," he said, lifting the takeout cup to her lips and taking a sip.

"I didn't know whether you wanted chocolate or cinnamon on top, so I told them to go for both. Is 

that okay?"

"More than okay. It's what I usually do," Jungkook said with a smile, "Saves making a decision that way."

Taehyung stiffened, his face suddenly pale.

"Are you okay?" Jungkook asked, concerned at the rapid change in him, "Did I say something wrong?"

"No, of course not. You just reminded me of someone for a minute."

Taehyung rubbed at his right upper thigh.

It was a subconscious action, Jungkook was sure, but he'd noticed he does that now and then and a limp would always be more pronounced afterwards.

"You're sore, aren't you? Don't bother denying it. We can head off now if you like, I can take my coffee with me," Jungkook said with a smile.

"Are you sure you don't mind?"

"Hey, it's no problem. I did what I came here to do."

Was it Jungkook's imagination or did his expression harden again?

Surely he was imagining things.

Taehyung bent to pick up a large shopping bag, emblazoned with the office supply store's logo.

"You got what you wanted then?" Jungkook asked as they walked to the car.

"Yes. It's not high tech but it'll do the job."

Again, Taehyung stiffened as they stopped by the car, drawing in a deep breath as if he was steeling himself for the ride back.

"Is my driving that bad?" Jungkook half-joked as they got in the car and Taehyung secured his seat belt.

This time without incident.

"Don't worry about me," Taehyung said, "I'm just not a good passenger."

"Bad experience?" Jungkook probed.

"Car wreck. I'd rather not talk about it," he replied, his voice a little harsh, "Can we get going?"

"Sure," Jungkook said, clipping his seat belt safely and starting up the car.

It must have been some wreck, he thought as he negotiated her way out of the city and onto the road leading them back to the lake. When they arrived back at the inn, Taehyung excused himself to head upstairs immediately, asking for his lunch on a tray, if possible,

Taehyung became distant and reserved, nothing like the man he'd come to know during the past few days.

Jungkook knew they had a spark of something between them.

He couldn't possibly have imagined it.

Maybe he was just one of those moody types whose disposition swung back and forth like a weather vane in a storm.

He did a mental shrug, telling himself it didn't matter at all, even while her heart gave a little twang of denial.

Kim Taehyung wasn't his problem.

After the emotional strain of telling Yoongi the whole story, he needed the comfort of his son. He had far more pressing matters than worrying about him, so he went to his private rooms.

"How did it go?" Jimin asked the instant he saw Jungkook.

"Okay? I guess?" He looked around for Haru, "Is he down for a nap?"

"Yeah, but I don't think he'll be asleep for long. I had to give him that extra bottle you left. He's a hungry bunny beast, isn't he?"

"Growth spurt, I expect," Jungkook answered, "I think I'm going to have to start him on solids soon."

"You think putting him on solids is bad, just wait until you have to let him go to school." Jiminie patted Jungkook's hand, clearly understanding her reluctance to embrace this next stage of Haru's development, "Now, give me the details. What did the lawyer say?"

Jungkook skirted over the basics of the discussion he'd had, "Yoongi's going to do more research, but feels it's important to first establish that Eun-woo was Haru's father. Now I have to find something with a trace of Eun-woo's DNA on it."

"It's all very CSI, isn't it?" Jiminie said, forehead wrinkling into a frown of concentration, "You gave most of his stuff away, didn't you?"

"Yeah, although I did keep the important things for Haru for when he's old enough to understand. There's an old coat brush is amongst those things that might hold his hair. Aside from that, I have no idea how I'm going to find anything."

Jiminie reached across and squeezed Jungkook's shoulder, "You'll come up with something. I'd better go, call me when you find anything?"

Jungkook saw his friend out, thanking him for caring for Haru.

"It's no problem," Jiminie insisted, "You know I love spending time with your baby bunny."

After Jiminie had gone, Jungkook put a quick lunch on a tray for Taehyung and took it upstairs. He knocked gently on the door to the room he'd given him as an office, staring intently at his laptop screen.

"Lunch," he said quietly, "Where would you like me to put it?"

Taehyung gestured, to a clear spot by the edge of the desk, without so much as lifting his gaze from the computer.

Jungkook did as he was instructed and turned to leave his guest to his own devices. He was about to close the door when a voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Jungkook, can you come back?"

He turned and came back into the room, "Is there a problem?"

"Yes," Taehyung said, his eyes lifting to meet him, "I'm sorry. That was rude of me."

"No problem," he hastened to reassure him.

After all, he didn't come here for his company, had he?

Even so, his apology soothed a bit of the sting of his earlier abruptness.

"It is a problem.. I'm not usually so impolite. Something you said reminded me of someone. It upset me and I let that affect my manners."

"Something I said?" Jungkook tilted his head to the side, confused.

"At the coffee shop, you said something my wife used to say. My.. late wife."

"Oh," he breathed a sigh of understanding, "I'm sorry."

"No," he said, rising from his seat, "I'm the one who's sorry. I shouldn't have reacted that way. If it's okay with you, could I still eat dinner with you in the kitchen tonight? I…I'd rather not eat alone."

Compassion flooded him, he'd been lucky to have Haru to keep his thoughts occupied at mealtimes but he knew and understood the loneliness that came after the loss of a spouse, especially in the everyday things that you'd always taken for granted.

Jungkook managed a small smile, "Sure, that's no problem. Dinner at six, then?"

Taehyung nodded, "Thanks, that'll be great."

An awkward silence opened between them, Jungkook looked at the printer now installed on the desk, "You got the printer hooked up okay?"

"Yeah, it's doing what it's supposed to."

"Alright, I'll see you downstairs at dinner, then."

Jungkook left the room feeling a little better, Taehyung's sudden shift in temperament was now explained, which left him with only one more problem.

Where the heck was she going to find something with Eun-woo's DNA?