"I'll do my best." Which he didn't know would be good enough. Still, he could try.
Yoongi undressed once Namjoon was gone, making sure his memories were safe in his pockets. He could transfer things before he put them into the washing machine. For now he focused on finally showering, finally getting clean. It had been a while, he didn't even know how long. Yoongi ended up with a towel wrapped around his waist, staring at himself in the mirror.
The blond had almost grown out of his hair - he really needed a haircut - and he was thin. Still some muscle, luckily he had been in pretty good shape when it all happened, but the malnutrition was obvious. He pulled a face, really not happy with what he was seeing. Jungkook could be happy they weren't actually related.
Namjoon left some clothes out for him with his name written on a piece of paper just on top of them. He was downstairs, waiting for him, readying the washing machine after hanging Dooly up to dry. He sat downstairs, Tae in his lap and Jungkook on the floor, eating some snacks he'd been handed.
He was reading to the two boys, hoping to keep them cool and calm for when Yoongi came back.
"Here, this is the best." TaeTae fed Jungkook a tiny brezel, cause he did honestly think those tasted the best and he didn't want him missing out, other than that he mostly focused on the story, leaning back to better listen.
Yoongi walked into the room carrying his old clothes and wearing clothes that didn't fit him that well, but hey. Oversized was cool. He had combed his hair as best he could with his hands and then used the blow-dryer, so it looked better than it had in a long time.
"Hey, Jungkookie. Did you miss appa?" Might as well get him used to the appa thing.
"Ohhh, you look cool now!" Tae was easily impressed, in this case by the dual-coloured hair. His hyung looked boring by comparison.
Jungkook gasped and jumped up, beaming at Yoongi. "You look like a proper appa, appa. You're all clean and you smell nice!" He was very proud of his appa. He hugged his leg and giggled a little, dropping back on his butt so he could smile at Tae. "He's a cool appa. He's going to cuddle me by the Chinese place."
"... What?" Was Namjoon missing something? He frowned and then shook his head, dismissing it. "Yoongi-hyung, the washing machine is in that room, over there. Use as much fabric softener as you like and there's a dry cycle that'll speed along drying." He gave Yoongi a thumbs up.
"Your clothes will be all shiny and new. Like Dooly is!"
Yoongi nodded and ruffled Jungkook's hair. "Appa will try to find us a better place to cuddle. With a roof." Well, he would try. Maybe, if he could actually get money here today. If he could actually get the job. Maybe even if he didn't, Namjoon would allow them to spend one night here and then he could figure out what to do next.
For now he walked into the other room and Tae had a thousand questions.
"Why is your appa so young?! He is cool!" Well, he looked cool, so that was enough to convince Tae. "Do you live by the Chinese place? What's it like?"
"It smells like food and it's dry. We sleep there. Yesterday I slept in appa's coat! I dunno why he's so young but he's really cool. He's smart too and he--he cooks and everything." Jungkook bragged as he came over to Namjoon and tried to peer at the book, seeking out spoilers. Namjoon gently pushed him back.
"He is cool. I went to school with him, he's my hyung. He's very good at music and he's very clever." Even if he barely turned up to exams or turn in homework - though that did make him cooler. "I always liked him."
"Cause he's pretty." Jungkook said with a nod, thinking more from his own point of view.
Namjoon went red and his eyes widened with shock. "What?! No! No, no, no."
"You don't think appa is pretty?"
"Well.. yes, your appa is incredibly pretty but I don't -- I mean, I'm not. I'm ... let's just go back to the book, please."
"Joonie-hyung likes Jungkook's appa cause he's pretty, pretty, pretty~!" Tae was already singing, he liked making up songs. "Incredibly pretty appa~! Jungkook's appa is the prettiest~!"
The song was way better than the book. Well, at east right at the moment, because of how funnily Namjoon reacted. "Pretty appa, pretty appa, pretty appa~!"
Yoongi opened the door to walk back out, stopping in the door frame when he heard the song. Huh. "You have a nice voice, kid." Loud. Mostly loud.
"Thank you!" Now Tae was blushing too. Like brother.
"He's loud and annoying, you mean." Rolling his eyes, he set the book aside and started to play wrestle his little brother, tickling him into mercy and then looking up at Yoongi. Damn. He was really pretty. "Feeling better, hyung? Showers can work miracles for that kind of thing."
Jungkook smiled and ran over, hugging his hyung-appa and beaming up at him, holding his arms out.
He wanted to be held, he wanted hugs and cuddles. They were special when he got them from Yoongi-hyung. "I want to not be smelly too, appa!"
"Oh... We should get you a shower too." Yoongi thought about it quickly, because he figured he could toss Jungkook's clothes in with his if they hurried. "Namjoon-ah, are there any clothes for someone this little that he can borrow for a bit? Then maybe we can get you showered."
Jungkook wasn't in as bad a shape as he was, but he clearly needed a shower too.
"Jungkook can have a shower instead of me," Tae offered graciously. Well, cleaning was no fun. Unless it was bath time.
"No, you're also smelly, you're showering at home." Rolling his eyes, Namjoon lifted up Tae in his arms and carried him along as he walked towards the manager, asking her for spares. He came back with a duckie shirt and shorts, all they had available right now. "It'll be a bit chilly but this should do while the clothes wash."
"Duck!" Jungkook pointed at the duck and smiled at Tae because yes, he did know all of his animals, he was that cool. "Quack."
"Yeah, that's a duck. Do you want to take him into the showers or wash him in one of the sinks? He's pretty small and they're pretty big. It's like a small bath." Just an option, he wasn't sure if Jungkook had ever used a shower before or not.
"The sink should work. There's one in the room with the washing machine, Jungkookie, so you can get clean where your clothes get clean."
Yoongi took the clothes Namjoon had brought, then took Jungkook's hand. "You can make a really good duck sound. Can you make a cat sound too?" He walked through the door with him and closed it behind them.
Tae looked at Namjoon with a wide smile. "Jungkook is so cute! He is all tiny, but he's really smart."
He had taken to the boy, maybe because he had been entrusted to him. "At first his appa looked scary and smelled scary, but now he's all nice and pretty. Is he a fairy? Cause I think it's magic." Had to be.
Jungkook was happily meowing as the door shut and Namjoon had to laugh. What a cute kid, Tae was right. There was no way he was letting them back outside today. Well. Only if they were going somewhere. He was thinking either getting them a hotel or they could cash at their place, maybe. "He's very tiny and he lost his eomma so he needs you a lot, Tae. You're gonna be a really good hyung for me, aren't you?"
He smiled and ruffled Tae's hair, leading him away from the door so they could sit down.
"Yoongi-hyung was having a very bad time but he's trying his best now to be a really good boy so we have to help him. He's not a fairy... not that I know." Hey, he couldn't say for sure. "But he is gonna be an appa so we have to help him with that. Being an appa is so hard."
"I'm the best hyung. I will draw with him and show him the best hiding places and everything. And we will make every hyginous." Or something. Tae wasn't quite sure what word Jungkook had used, but it sounded very important, so he wanted to do that.
"Yoongi-hyung is a good appa, right? Not a bad appa." Because bad appas were the worst and he didn't want that for Jungkook. "I think Jungkook has a fairy appa and it's a good fairy, so it's all good."
Tae nodded. "I'll tell noona that she has to give Yoongi-hyung all the money!"
He already wiggled out of Namjoon's grip to go and do so.
"Woah, woah, no. Don't do that. It's fine, we'll talk to noona later. You can't demand money, you cute kid." He laughed and hugged Tae close, hauling him back into his lap with a small kiss to the cheek. "Look, hyung will handle Yoongi so don't you worry cause it's gonna be fine. Jungkookie will be well raised, he's definitely a good appa and that means he'll do anything for him."
And, hopefully, how he felt about Yoongi was totally on the money. He didn't like the contemplate alternatives. "He's going to take care of him and get a nice job here so you don't have to worry."
He'd already asked noona very nicely and they did need a janitor, it was a good option.
"Okay... But make sure that he gets a lot, lot of money, cause Jungkookie only has one toy and that's Dooly and Dooly still needs to dry." And therefore, his appa needed money to buy him toys. Clearly the most important thing here. "Joonie-hyung, if Yoongi-hyung was in your school, will you be an appa soon too?"
Because he kind of liked the thought of having a cute tiny baby. "Like Siwoo!"
"No, I have you, that's more than enough. To get kids, you usually have to adopt or have a mommy make one in her tummy. And usually that only happens when people love each other very much. I don't love anyone but you and we are not ready for a baby." Namjoon could say that for sure, easily, they barely kept on top of their chores together, let alone adding a baby.
The few times they babysat Siwoo were chaos.
"Siwoo comes here allll the time. He's your dongsaeng. Why would you need another baby?"
"Cause babies are cute." Duh. Tae didn't really think any further than that. "Siwoo is adorable and Jungkookie is precious and I'll be the bestest hyung in the world for them." He nodded happily. "And Yoongi-hyung is too a fairy, cause that's how he looks so young and is an appa. Ha!"
He had figured it out, so there. "So Jungkookie is a fairy too. I'll tell him, he should know."
"Yeah, smart." Namjoon laughed as he started to clean up, doing some tidying and preparing for the next play group. When Yoongi and Jungkook came back out, he greeted them with a smile and bowed. "Ahh, Kookie-ah, you're looking so clean and fresh. Did you have a nice bath?"
"Yeah. Appa helped me not get water in my eyes."
"Woah, so good." Namjoon looked at Yoongi and smiled at him. "We handed out the soup, the afternoon kids were hungry. They're loving it." Namjoon had some while dishing it up, so good. Tae was currently slurping his still.
"I'm glad they like it. We had fun cooking it, didn't we, Jungkookie?" Yoongi smiled at his boy, running a hand through his still slightly wet hair. "Let's get you some soup too, huh?"
He got a bowl and filled it for him, then sat down with him on his lap so he could help him eat. "It feels very different from yesterday when we had noodles, doesn't it?"
Looking up, he met Namjoon's eyes, for the first time. So far he had avoided looking directly at him and he still didn't have an easy time doing it, but he knew he had to try. If he wanted to be a person again. "Thank you for helping us. You didn't have to."
"It's okay, hyung, he likes you." Tae knew. "Pretty appa!"
"You're happier. And you hurt less. Yesterday appa had a bad head and tummy, today he feels better. He got cleaned and fixed like Dooly." Jungkook explained, blowing on the soup before letting Yoongi spoon it into his mouth. He still found eating kinda tricky but he was getting there with it. He knew to blow on hot foods!
"Shut up, I don't!" Namjoon glared at Tae,blushing furiously and looking back at Yoongi, sheepish as ever. "I mean I do like you but he's being a brat, ignore him. I, uh, I get what it's like so yeah, I wanted to help out. Kids are tricky."
And brats who rat out super secret crushes!
"We'll work out where you'll sleep tonight as well. Definitely not by your Chinese place. Doesn't sound like the best sleeping place for a little boy like Jungkookie."
"No, it's not. Although it's really smart that you found the place all by yourself, Jungkookie, as warm and safe as it gets on the streets. You are a really intelligent kid, you know?" Yoongi smiled at him and then shrugged, looking at Namjoon again. "I have a bit of money. If I can get some more, I can probably get us a room in a hotel, I know some cheap places nearby."
Because expensive was clearly out of their league. "And then we'll work hard together, Jungkook, yeah? Be good boys." His voice became a little softer. "Like you said. For our eommas."
"We'll be really good boys, hyung! Our eoomes will be so happy." Jungkook smiled, eating more soup before leaning forward to hug Yoongi. His new appa was feeling better and doing better, he no longer had to be so scared.
Appa-hyung would protect him.
"I can give you the money for a hotel. It'll put my mind at eases and besides, you cleaned the kitchen beautifully and this soup is amazing. I'd happily pay double a hotel for it again." Home cooked food was the best. He and Tae only got that if Jimin or Jin were generous and shared with them. "I would invite you to stay at mine but I don't know if that'd be a bit weird for you... it's not a big place."
It was near the uni and his scholarship helped to pay for it. It was a nice place overall. "Two bedroom but it's not got a lot to it but we have a kitchen and a bath."
"I don't want to take advantage of you." And that would kind of feel like he would, since it wasn't as if Namjoon really knew him or had any reason to care other than being a really nice guy. "But I can cook here again tomorrow. If I get the job. I can do it next to cleaning, I know a lot of recipes where you basically leave it to simmer for a few hours."
His eomma usually had something simmering for them later while working, so he had a lot of reference points for food like that. And the more useful he made himself, the more secure was his position, because he knew that Jungkook needed him now. He needed to get and keep it together.
"That'd be amazing. I spoke to noona again while I dished up food, she said that you can work here for a few hours each day at a base salary. You two can discuss hours after work today - she asked if you were handy. I think she misses when we had a janitor." And hell, they could afford a new one - he'd make sure Jin ensured it. That guy owed him for all the time he spent watching Siwoo.
And dealing with his boyfriends weird and irrational jealousy.
"So at the very least, I'll get you a hotel tonight and then going forward, you're always welcome to do some hours here." Namjoon supposed it was a tough line between charity and help, he just wanted to make sure that he could get them both in a stable place. "It's a nice job, good place to work. They're all very understanding."
"I can fix stuff. Used to do it a lot around the work, so yeah. I guess I'm handy." Yoongi smiled a little, not wanting to brag, but this sounded pretty good. He saw how Tae was painting a picture in the other room and he gently eased Jungkook from his lap, since the boy seemed to be full now. "Go and ask TaeTae if you can maybe draw too, yeah? Then you can draw a picture and we can hang it up when we get a room tonight. Make it homey."
Seemed like a good idea. But more importantly, it meant he was alone with Namjoon again. Yoongi lifted up his sleeves, looking at Namjoon. "I'm not an addict. So. You don't have to worry about that."
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Yoongi undressed once Namjoon was gone, making sure his memories were safe in his pockets. He could transfer things before he put them into the washing machine. For now he focused on finally showering, finally getting clean. It had been a while, he didn't even know how long. Yoongi ended up with a towel wrapped around his waist, staring at himself in the mirror.
The blond had almost grown out of his hair - he really needed a haircut - and he was thin. Still some muscle, luckily he had been in pretty good shape when it all happened, but the malnutrition was obvious. He pulled a face, really not happy with what he was seeing. Jungkook could be happy they weren't actually related.
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He was reading to the two boys, hoping to keep them cool and calm for when Yoongi came back.
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Yoongi walked into the room carrying his old clothes and wearing clothes that didn't fit him that well, but hey. Oversized was cool. He had combed his hair as best he could with his hands and then used the blow-dryer, so it looked better than it had in a long time.
"Hey, Jungkookie. Did you miss appa?" Might as well get him used to the appa thing.
"Ohhh, you look cool now!" Tae was easily impressed, in this case by the dual-coloured hair. His hyung looked boring by comparison.
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"... What?" Was Namjoon missing something? He frowned and then shook his head, dismissing it. "Yoongi-hyung, the washing machine is in that room, over there. Use as much fabric softener as you like and there's a dry cycle that'll speed along drying." He gave Yoongi a thumbs up.
"Your clothes will be all shiny and new. Like Dooly is!"
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For now he walked into the other room and Tae had a thousand questions.
"Why is your appa so young?! He is cool!" Well, he looked cool, so that was enough to convince Tae. "Do you live by the Chinese place? What's it like?"
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"He is cool. I went to school with him, he's my hyung. He's very good at music and he's very clever." Even if he barely turned up to exams or turn in homework - though that did make him cooler. "I always liked him."
"Cause he's pretty." Jungkook said with a nod, thinking more from his own point of view.
Namjoon went red and his eyes widened with shock. "What?! No! No, no, no."
"You don't think appa is pretty?"
"Well.. yes, your appa is incredibly pretty but I don't -- I mean, I'm not. I'm ... let's just go back to the book, please."
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The song was way better than the book. Well, at east right at the moment, because of how funnily Namjoon reacted. "Pretty appa, pretty appa, pretty appa~!"
Yoongi opened the door to walk back out, stopping in the door frame when he heard the song. Huh. "You have a nice voice, kid." Loud. Mostly loud.
"Thank you!" Now Tae was blushing too. Like brother.
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Jungkook smiled and ran over, hugging his hyung-appa and beaming up at him, holding his arms out.
He wanted to be held, he wanted hugs and cuddles. They were special when he got them from Yoongi-hyung. "I want to not be smelly too, appa!"
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Jungkook wasn't in as bad a shape as he was, but he clearly needed a shower too.
"Jungkook can have a shower instead of me," Tae offered graciously. Well, cleaning was no fun. Unless it was bath time.
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"Duck!" Jungkook pointed at the duck and smiled at Tae because yes, he did know all of his animals, he was that cool. "Quack."
"Yeah, that's a duck. Do you want to take him into the showers or wash him in one of the sinks? He's pretty small and they're pretty big. It's like a small bath." Just an option, he wasn't sure if Jungkook had ever used a shower before or not.
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Yoongi took the clothes Namjoon had brought, then took Jungkook's hand. "You can make a really good duck sound. Can you make a cat sound too?" He walked through the door with him and closed it behind them.
Tae looked at Namjoon with a wide smile. "Jungkook is so cute! He is all tiny, but he's really smart."
He had taken to the boy, maybe because he had been entrusted to him. "At first his appa looked scary and smelled scary, but now he's all nice and pretty. Is he a fairy? Cause I think it's magic." Had to be.
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He smiled and ruffled Tae's hair, leading him away from the door so they could sit down.
"Yoongi-hyung was having a very bad time but he's trying his best now to be a really good boy so we have to help him. He's not a fairy... not that I know." Hey, he couldn't say for sure. "But he is gonna be an appa so we have to help him with that. Being an appa is so hard."
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"Yoongi-hyung is a good appa, right? Not a bad appa." Because bad appas were the worst and he didn't want that for Jungkook. "I think Jungkook has a fairy appa and it's a good fairy, so it's all good."
Tae nodded. "I'll tell noona that she has to give Yoongi-hyung all the money!"
He already wiggled out of Namjoon's grip to go and do so.
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And, hopefully, how he felt about Yoongi was totally on the money. He didn't like the contemplate alternatives. "He's going to take care of him and get a nice job here so you don't have to worry."
He'd already asked noona very nicely and they did need a janitor, it was a good option.
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Because he kind of liked the thought of having a cute tiny baby. "Like Siwoo!"
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The few times they babysat Siwoo were chaos.
"Siwoo comes here allll the time. He's your dongsaeng. Why would you need another baby?"
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He had figured it out, so there. "So Jungkookie is a fairy too. I'll tell him, he should know."
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"Yeah. Appa helped me not get water in my eyes."
"Woah, so good." Namjoon looked at Yoongi and smiled at him. "We handed out the soup, the afternoon kids were hungry. They're loving it." Namjoon had some while dishing it up, so good. Tae was currently slurping his still.
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He got a bowl and filled it for him, then sat down with him on his lap so he could help him eat. "It feels very different from yesterday when we had noodles, doesn't it?"
Looking up, he met Namjoon's eyes, for the first time. So far he had avoided looking directly at him and he still didn't have an easy time doing it, but he knew he had to try. If he wanted to be a person again. "Thank you for helping us. You didn't have to."
"It's okay, hyung, he likes you." Tae knew. "Pretty appa!"
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"Shut up, I don't!" Namjoon glared at Tae,blushing furiously and looking back at Yoongi, sheepish as ever. "I mean I do like you but he's being a brat, ignore him. I, uh, I get what it's like so yeah, I wanted to help out. Kids are tricky."
And brats who rat out super secret crushes!
"We'll work out where you'll sleep tonight as well. Definitely not by your Chinese place. Doesn't sound like the best sleeping place for a little boy like Jungkookie."
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Because expensive was clearly out of their league. "And then we'll work hard together, Jungkook, yeah? Be good boys." His voice became a little softer. "Like you said. For our eommas."
He had to try and do his best.
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Appa-hyung would protect him.
"I can give you the money for a hotel. It'll put my mind at eases and besides, you cleaned the kitchen beautifully and this soup is amazing. I'd happily pay double a hotel for it again." Home cooked food was the best. He and Tae only got that if Jimin or Jin were generous and shared with them. "I would invite you to stay at mine but I don't know if that'd be a bit weird for you... it's not a big place."
It was near the uni and his scholarship helped to pay for it. It was a nice place overall. "Two bedroom but it's not got a lot to it but we have a kitchen and a bath."
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His eomma usually had something simmering for them later while working, so he had a lot of reference points for food like that. And the more useful he made himself, the more secure was his position, because he knew that Jungkook needed him now. He needed to get and keep it together.
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And dealing with his boyfriends weird and irrational jealousy.
"So at the very least, I'll get you a hotel tonight and then going forward, you're always welcome to do some hours here." Namjoon supposed it was a tough line between charity and help, he just wanted to make sure that he could get them both in a stable place. "It's a nice job, good place to work. They're all very understanding."
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Seemed like a good idea. But more importantly, it meant he was alone with Namjoon again. Yoongi lifted up his sleeves, looking at Namjoon. "I'm not an addict. So. You don't have to worry about that."
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