#but spreadsheeting is beautiful and wonderful and soul-healing

[violant-apologia]

with dual-stat challenges becoming more and more common, FBG have created a standard "exchange rate" between stats: BDR stats are with 10 main stat points each, while advanced stats and NII stats are worth 15.

this prompted the question:

Which equipment has the highest converted stat total?

(stick around, there's a cool spreadsheet for you!)

in other words, which is the most "valuable" based purely on its stats? maybe the ubergoat? perhaps the hellworm transport? (make a guess now! tell me if you were right!)

so i made a spreadsheet. with the item and its stats, it outputs the converted stat total of that item. and to make sure it was accurate when it determined the winner, i should really add

EVERY

SINGLE

ITEM

there are exactly 1000 non-boon equipments in the game, by the way. wild coincidence that this was when i made a list of them all

so i did that. i slogged through every item i owned, then every item in the bazaar, then every item on the wiki. i should – should – have them all. (except maybe ones that add no stats, because they don't show up on any of the automatic lists. but really that doesn't matter)

so, without further ado... the item with the highest converted stat total is...............

all the treasures. that was probably pretty guessable, huh

okay but AFTER them it's... the............

unquenchable firebird! pulled ahead of the other whitsun creatures by its random single point in neathproofed. after that is a similar case: the aurochs-fur coat, at 71. they both beat the ubergoat and hellworm by a slim margin; those two tie at 70, along with the efficient plenipotentiary.

but you may have noticed some other columns here. what's limited total?

well, since most multi-stat challenges are only two stats at once, i also decided to measure the point value of each item's highest two stats. the winner of THAT category is the hellworm, at 75, with its 6 dreaded and 1 KT/NP. half of the treasures fall in next – all the ones with a single BDR stat at 4, rather than two at 2 each.

you may have noticed some other things on the spreadsheet, too. what are all those tickboxes about?

since i already made a way for each item to care about its highest two stats, why not a way to care about a specific pair of stats? hell, what about any combination of stats?

if you check on the boxes beneath each stat, the sheet will find the specific value of each item considering ONLY those stats. then, by looking at the highest value for this specified total for each outfit slot, the sheet finds the overall specific total. (by default, specific total only checks an item if you have it ticked as "owned". if you tick the ownership override (OO) box, it disregards whether you own items or not.)

THEN the sheet finds the best-in-slot (BiS) items for that combination, and displays whether each item is BiS, not BiS (blank) or not owned. you can filter by the BiS column to find an outfit that maximises those stats!

so, for example, if i wanted to find my best outfit for a persuasive/apoc challenge, i'd simply select thost two stats and filter for BiS:

and it shows me my best combination, and its converted point gain (243)!

so, that's what i've been doing for the past few days. since the sheet has every item in the game in it, to personalise for your account, you just have to go through and tick all the items you have. here's the link! feel free to make a copy and play around with it yourself!

[confessionsofcalling]

This goes out to all my fellow control freaks. I get it, you're a product of your environment and genetics, my dad makes his own monthly calendars and has a spreadsheet about what's in our storage unit. I get it.

So much of your life has been so out of your control, you couldn't stop the pain cascading. Couldn't make yourself perfect because there is no such thing. All you wanted was to know what was coming next, to know that the world you fell asleep in would be the same world you woke up in. Boy do I understand.

But I've been thinking, as scary as it sounds, I think letting go might be the best path to healing. Letting go of control and accepting that there is no predicting might be the thing that gets us out of this hole. Hear me out.

There's too much you can't decide. What the weather is, who you'll meet on a random Tuesday, how fast other people drive, what goes on in your parents head, your eye colour. So much has been chosen for you, where you were born, your first outfit, where you went to school, who you were born to, who you lived nextdoor to, the country you grew up in - all those things in life that were and are pretty much entirely out of control. And in the chaos many of us have lived through we craved a choice we could make for ourselves, whether we became high achievers, under-eaters, over planners - whatever form of control we could get we clung onto for dear life. But my dears, it's not serving us anymore, it never served our souls what they deserved. Your inner child is screaming for freedom, let them out.

Letting go, and letting God, is exactly what we need. It's terrifying, it's hard - we won't get it right the first time, it's a journey that lasts a lifetime. But we can do it, we can't give up. Because, in letting go we still get to cling, because there are some things that can always be true:

You are dearly loved

You are enough as you are

You always have space to bloom

You are needed

You are beautiful

You are fearfully and wonderfully made

You are talented

You are chosen

You, my friend, are free

Here's the thing about control, it doesn't end up feeling like that. You easily lose track and fall off the rails, looking your tired eyes in the mirror and wondering where it all went wrong. But like a child running through long grass you can let your mind roam free. Let what is, be it is. Then the stuff you actually can decide and control, who you want to be, the things that give you life, the things you care deeply about - you'll have the energy to focus on them. So yeah, your day might not be planned to the minute, and yes you might lose track of what's in that kitchen drawer, but you'll gain a lot. You'll gain confidence, you'll eat well and laugh more, you can find hope in the inexplicable time of the unexpected - because you've spent too long expecting everything.

You are worth so much more than what life has convinced you you deserve.

Let go.

Let God.

Be free.

[spicykoreantatertots]

The Dive Bar and an Old Fashioned (or Five)

Pairing: CEO!Taehyung x Bartender!Jungkook (briefly ft. Beomgyu of TXT)

Word Count: 5k

Genres: Non-Idol AU

Warnings: Misunderstandings and a trip to the hospital (but everyone is okay).

A/N: I’m so happy I got the opportunity to write this fic in honor of one of @bangtan-headquarters​‘ editors, @rkivepacks​!! This is a very well deserved gift and I apologize for the delay on getting this out. I hope you can enjoy this! Also shout out to @guktro​ for the stunning banner! ~~~~~~~ After signing the lease on a new warehouse down town, Taehyung decides to stop by a nearby dive bar for a quick drink to celebrate the further expansion of his company. 

Taehyung pulls on the heavy door and quickly steps in. He starts to pull off his dark Armani jacket, but he quickly realizes that there is no one there to take it from him. He shrugs it back on and walks toward the bar. 

The dim lighting makes it hard to tell which of the bar stools is the least dirty and he wonders if that’s intentional. The bar top itself is surprisingly not sticky. While waiting on the bartender to make an appearance, Taehyung scans the other patrons. 

Several large men with oil-stained hands sit around a table, beers piling up quickly in the middle. A couple of older men sitting at the other end of the bar sipping on whiskeys. There’s a few people huddled around a game of cards in the back corner booth. Quite a few people considering it’s just after 5pm on a weeknight. 

“I’ll be right with you.” The bartender nods in Taehyung’s direction, appearing from behind a swinging door carrying a large tray of nachos. He takes it over to the table of large men and clears away the empty beer bottles. 

“What can I get you?” The bartender asks when he approaches. Taehyung looks up to ask for his usual, but his breath catches. From a distance, he didn’t realize how beautiful the bartender is. 

“Uh, just, uh, whatever’s on special.” Taehyung chokes out and, to his dismay, the bartender flashes a half smile. He quickly looks down at his phone to try and catch his breath. He scrolls through a few work emails and responds to a text from his mom, something he’d been putting off.

The bartender sets down an Old Fashioned in front of Taehyung and heads back into the kitchen. Taehyung sets his phone down and lifts the glass a few inches, inspecting its contents. 

He’s used to drinking cocktails made with the finest spirits, but he can’t imagine that this bar has anything higher quality than Jim Beam. There’s a thick slice of an orange and two cherries floating alongside the ice cubes. He’s not quite sure what to make of it, but he takes a sip anyway. 

The cheap bourbon burns on its way down, but there’s a sweet aftertaste that follows. The bartender definitely put too much sugar in, but the sweetness soothes his throat. Taehyung gulps down the drink, not wanting to offend the handsome bartender, but also not wanting to savor the taste of it.

“Did you like it?” The bartender seems to have appeared out of nowhere, his dark eyes wide and hopeful. Taehyung scans his beautiful features, a face he refuses to disappoint. 

“It was actually really really good!” Taehyung overenthuses. He picks up the glass and shakes the ice around. 

“Great I’ll make you another!” The bartender spins on his heels and grabs a new glass. 

“No I-” Taehyung stops himself, accepting his defeat. “That’d be great... what’s your name, Mr. Bartender?” He questions. 

“Jungkook.” The bartender turns back around and sets a fresh drink in front Taehyung. “And you are?” 

“I’m Taehyung. Nice to meet you.” Taehyung tries to smile behind another sip of cheap bourbon. It doesn’t burn as much when he’s got two doe eyes trained on him.

The third doesn’t burn quite as much either.

The fourth doesn’t burn at all.

The fifth... well Taehyung can barely remember the fifth drink of the night. 

~~~~~~~

A loud and unfamiliar ringing sound wakes Taehyung. When he opens his eyes, he can see sunlight pouring in, and he knows he’s late for work. He pulls back the sheets and rushes to find the source of the ringing. 

He follows the sound through his large penthouse and finds himself in a room he very rarely visits: the utility room. Hanging on the wall near the cabinet with cleaning supplies is a corded landline phone. 

Who even has landlines anymore?

“Hello?” Taehyung picks up the phone, fiddling with the tangled cord. 

“You’re late.” Hye-jin is on the other end.

“Why do I have a landline phone in my million dollar penthouse?” Taehyung rubs the bridge of his nose, a headache is forming behind his brow.

“So I can call you when your phone is dead and you are late.” She responds.

“Can you rearrange some things? I need a shower and some coffee.” And some time to remember what I did last night. Taehyung yawns into the phone. He just hopes he didn’t make too much of a fool of himself in front of Jungkook.

“I can’t rearrange an international call, you know that. There’s a driver there to pick you up, we’ll have to go pick up your car later. I hope it’s still intact. I’ll have coffee for you by the time you get here.”

“Thanks.” Taehyung slams the phone into its holder. Much more satisfying than hitting the non-existent button on a glass screen. 

Taehyung returns to his bedroom and plugs his phone into the wall. It charges up while he washes his face and brushes his teeth. He carefully puts on a clean suit and grabs a pair of sunglasses before he heads down to the ground floor. 

In the town car, he finally opens his phone and scrolls through the barrage of emails, texts, and other notifications from his assistant Hye-jin. At the bottom of the notifications, there are a few texts from The Cute Bartender.

The headache intensifies, but Taehyung clicks on the messages to assess the damage.

TCB [2:40am]: Hey let me know when you get home safe. 

TCB [2:46am]: Oh I realize your phone is probably dead. Maybe when you come back for your car you could stop back in for another drink. It was nice talking to you all night. 

TCB [3:34am]: Next time I won’t make you so many Old Fashioneds. 

Taehyung breaths out a small sigh of relief. It’s not as bad as he expected it to be considering he can’t really remember what happened. 

~~~~~~~

Hye-jin greets Taehyung in the lobby of the office building with an iced coffee. She updates him on his meetings for the day as they walk toward the elevator, but the moment the doors close, she changes the subject. 

“Tell me about Jungkook.” Hye-jin turns and cocks her eyebrow. Taehyung tries not to react. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He replies, taking a rather large sip of his drink. 

“Did you check all your texts this morning? You texted me a dozen times last night about “the cutest guy you’ve ever seen” and I want to know more.” She emphasizes her urgency with a few taps of her foot. 

“Can we do this later?” Taehyung rolls his eyes, but he knows he won’t be able to avoid her forever. 

“Fine, we’ll talk when I drive you to your car later.” The elevator stops on the 47th floor instead of the 50th. Taehyung gives Hye-jin a questioning look. “I’m going to go talk to the cute girl in IT that helped me set up my new computer. I think it’s got a virus...” Hye-jin gives her best pouty face and promises to be in the conference room for the international call before stepping out of the elevator. 

Taehyung takes out his phone and scrolls through his messages with Hye-jin.

Taehyung [1:32am]: i’m at th at bar dow by the new warehouse with the CUTEST BARTNDER UVE EVR SEEN

Taehyung [1:33am]: he’s CUTE AND SINGEL AND FUNNY???

Taehyung [1:46am]: he keeps making me drinks but they are not that good

Taehyung [1:53am]: his name is jungkook and i’m going to ask him out

Taehyung [1:54am]: HAHA i can’t ask him out

Taehyung [1:55am]: i asked him out

Taehyung [2:34am]: he said he would love to go out sometime and then called me a cab is that mixed signals or what

Flashes of boisterously drunk Taehyung appear in his mind as he reads through the texts. Did he really ask out Jungkook or was he being his dramatic drunken self?

~~~~~~~

The work day drags on with meetings and spreadsheets and green juice that Hye-jin swears will cure any hangover. Taehyung swears the only cure for his hangovers is a big bowl of ramen, which he orders for lunch. The soothing broth relaxes him, heals his soul much more than some watery greens could. 

Lunchtime is one of the few times that Taehyung can sit in his office undisturbed. His secretary holds his calls, Hye-jin leaves him alone, and he can sit and enjoy the view from his window. The world seems so small from the 50th floor. 

Today, after slurping down his ramen, he stands in front of the floor to ceiling windows and looks far off to the east. He can’t quite see the warehouse from here, but if he focuses hard enough he can imagine where it would be. He can imagine the bar down the street too. 

There’s not much that Taehyung can learn about Jungkook without having his last name. He searches for the dive bar on Google, but aside from the phone number and hours of operation, there’s not a lot of information to go off of. A text pops up, interrupting his thoughts. 

Hye-jin [1:17pm]: Sorry to bother you during your lunch, but I ran a background check on Jungkook. I can bring you the report if you’d like to see it.

Taehyung [1:17pm]: How did you find him, I don’t even know his last name.

Hye-jin [1:18pm]: Do you doubt my sleuthing skills?

He should have known that Hye-jin would go sleuthing sooner or later. Taehyung flips back over to the unhelpful Google search. And he thinks. Does he really want to know what that report has to say about Jungkook? His past jobs, education, relatives, his debt? And what does Jungkook know about Taehyung? Probably not a lot. 

Taehyung [1:19pm]: Is there anything dangerous in his past?

Hye-jin [1:21pm]: No, there’s not. He seems pretty legit.

Taehyung [1:21pm]: Then I don’t want to see it.

Hye-jin [1:21pm]: WHAT

~~~~~~~

“Would you mind explaining to me why you don’t want to read this THOROUGH report about your new love interest?” Hye-jin interrogates Taehyung the moment he steps into her car after work. 

“Can you even call him a love interest? I don’t even remember asking him out.” Taehyung points out. 

“I’m just trying to protect you.” Hye-jin sighs. “You know people take advantage of wealthy men with good hearts...” 

Silence falls between them in the car. Taehyung knows that she’s right. He’s been hurt many times before.

“Maybe I should... try to hide it.” He suggests.

“Hide what? Your money?” Hye-jin scoffs. “You better get rid of that Rolex and that Armani tie.”

“You think he can tell?”

“He’s a man who dates men. He can tell.” Hye-jin and Taehyung roll their eyes at each other. 

Hye-jin pulls up next to Taehyung’s BMW and waits for him to get out. 

“You know, you probably shouldn’t let him see that car either.” She laughs. 

Taehyung gets out of her car and walks around his car once to make sure everything is just the way he left it. After finding his hubcaps intact, he unlocks his car and gets in. Hye-jin honks a couple of times as she drives away. 

He flips the sun visor to look at himself in the mirror. His hair is getting long again, it’s curling at the ends. He looks pretty good for someone who got absolutely hammered last night. Looking down at his watch, he decides to shed the accessories that make him stand out from the crowd. His watch, his tie, and his Saint Laurent wallet, opting to shove a few twenties in his pocket instead. 

He gets out of his car and walks down the street toward the bar he visited the night before. As he approaches the door, he can feel the nerves fluttering around in his stomach. He recalls the cheeky smile on Jungkook’s face and he cannot wait to see it again. 

Once again ducking into the poorly lit bar, Taehyung heads straight for the bar. 

“There he is!” Jungkook shouts from behind the bar. He begins slowly clapping as Taehyung approaches the bar and sits down on the same stool from last night. “I’m glad to see you in one piece.” 

“Thank you.” Taehyung laughs, admiring the tall bartender. “I have to be honest, I’m still recovering my memories from last night.” He adds with a sigh. 

“Oh no, does that mean you don’t remember stripping on the bartop?” Jungkook chuckles.

“I did WHAT?” Taehyung’s eyebrows shoot up to his hairline and his cheeks turn red. 

“I’m kidding Tae. Calm down, calm down.” Jungkook, still laughing, places a napkin on the bar in front of Taehyung. “What can I get you?”

Taehyung, still stuck on being called Tae, gives Jungkook a puzzled look. Jungkook looks back at him with a small smile as he processes the information. But the lingering eye contact draws Taehyung in, the original question long forgotten, a new one forming to take its place. 

“Listen... did I...” Taehyung pauses, finally breaking eye contact. He licks his lips and starts again. “Did I happen to ask you out last night?”

“Yeah you did.”  Jungkook smiles to himself as his cheeks heat up. “You were pretty drunk though, so I wasn’t going to say anything.” He grabs a bar rag and wipes down the already clean bartop. 

“You probably get hit on at work all the time.” Taehyung watches the blush on Jungkook’s face deepen and he feels his confidence level rising. “Well, I’m sober now and the offer still stands, if you’re at all interested.” Taehyung lifts an eyebrow at the bartender. 

“I’d like that.” Jungkook flashes his teeth. “So, can I get you something to drink?”

“I think I’ll pass tonight. Would you like to meet for dinner on Saturday?” Taehyung asks. Jungkook works on weeknights, so he hopes that he has weekends off.

“Ahh Saturday?” Jungkook runs his fingers through his dark locks and looks off into the distance, thinking. “I can’t on Saturday. I know it’s a bit weird, but would Monday work? The bar is closed on Mondays.”

“Monday is perfect.” Taehyung replies. “I’ll text you details and see you then.” They exchange smiles and Taehyung leaves the bar. 

Once he’s back in his car, he lets himself breathe. He has a date with the most beautiful bartender he’s ever seen. His eyes shine even in the darkness of the bar, what will it be like to see him in the real world?

~~~~~~~

On Saturday, alone in his apartment, Taehyung sits and tries to focus on the movie his friend Jimin recommended he watch. All he can think about, though, is a pair of doe eyes and a brilliant smile. 

He tried to stay busy, but after working out, cooking lunch and dinner, and doing some online shopping, he still finds himself bored out of his mind, wishing that Jungkook had the night off. 

Taehyung [7:54pm]: I can’t stop thinking about him.

Hye-jin [7:55pm]: Don’t you have a short pink haired friend you can hang out with? Or at least text him, I’m sure he’s at home alone. 

Jimin [7:55pm]: I HEARD THAT

Hye-jin [7:56pm]: Did you seriously put us in a group chat??

Hye-jin [7:56pm]: I’m getting ready to go OUT LEAVE ME ALONE

Jimin [7:57pm]: Did you say he was working tonight, why don’t you just go visit him?

Taehyung [7:57pm]: I was thinking about it....

Hye-jin [7:57pm]: NO

Hye-jin [7:58pm]: DO NOT DO THAT YOU WILL LOOK SO DESPERATE

Jimin [7:58pm]: Don’t you have somewhere to be hag

Hye-jin [7:59pm]: DO YOU SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU PUT YOUR TWO GAY BEST FRIENDS IN A GROUP CHAT

Taehyung [8:00pm]: I’m going to the bar ttyl

Hye-jin [8:00pm]: NOOOOO

Jimin [8:00pm]: YESSSSSS

~~~~~~~

On a typical Saturday night, Taehyung would be in a town car on his way to a nightclub on the north side, decked out in Gucci from head to toe, ready to dance the night away. Tonight, he’s driving himself downtown, dressed in some casual clothes he normally wouldn’t wear outside his apartment. 

Taehyung finds a spot to park a block away from the bar and walks the distance, nerves nibbling away at his insides. As he approaches the bar, he can tell it's quite a bit busier than it has been before. Maybe this isn’t a great idea. 

Pushing away his doubts, Taehyung opens the door and walks into the now familiar bar. The place is pretty packed. Groups of loud, boisterous men huddled around tables and booths watching the game on the televisions. He approaches the bar and an unfamiliar face greets him. 

“What can I get ya?” The short bartender asks. Taehyung looks around to see if he can locate Jungkook, but after scanning the room he finds nothing. The bartender clears his throat and asks again.

“Actually, is Jungkook here?” Taehyung questions. 

“Are you his new friend?” The bartender scans Taehyung’s face, then shakes his head. “He’s with Beomgyu tonight.” 

“Oh.” The nerves flitting around his stomach turned to stone.

This wasn’t a great idea.

~~~~~~~

Sunday was spent at Jimin’s apartment eating carbs. Switching between cursing and praising Jungkook. He’s so stunning, Taehyung was stupid to think that he was the only one Jungkook was seeing.

“I’ve been avoiding asking you this, but are you still going to go out with him tomorrow night?” Jimin questions Taehyung gently.

The two of them are sprawled out on Jimin’s broken down sofa. The leather is worn out under them, but it’s much more comfortable than the high end couch at Taehyung’s place. They are sharing a bowl of popcorn. Some drama is playing in the background of their conversation. 

“I guess so. I mean it’s not like he lied about anything. It just kind of sucks.” Taehyung sulks.

“I think you should confront him about the Beom-whoever.” Jimin gets up from the couch to replenish their snacks. “What kind of name is that anyway?” He mumbles to himself. 

As Jimin continues muttering to himself, Taehyung grabs his phone from the coffee table. He ignores the I told you so messages from Hye-jin and opens his conversation with The Cute Bartender. As he rereads the caring messages Jungkook sent him a few days ago, the text bubble pops up. 

Taehyung sits up straight on the couch and Jimin returns with chips and pocky. The bubble pops up and disappears a few times before the message finally comes through. 

TCB [4:48pm]: Hey, are we still on for tomorrow night? Let me know what sounds good for dinner. 

Taehyung sets the phone back down on the table and closes his eyes. Why does he feel so much turmoil over this bartender. He barely knows him. What is so special about Jungkook? Taehyung tries his hardest to forget the curve of his cheeks... his nose... his lips. 

When he opens his eyes again, his phone is not on the table, it’s in Jimin’s hands. 

“What are you doing?!” Taehyung shouts, reaching for his phone. But it’s too late. The message that Jimin had been typing out was sent. 

Taehyung [4:49pm]: How was your date with Beomgyu?

“Why would you do that?!” Taehyung shouts. “Now he is going to think I’m stalking him!”

“You deserve to know the truth!” Jimin shouts in return. They both watch and the typing bubble appears. 

TCB [4:50pm]: What? 

TCB [4:50pm]: How do you know about Beomgyu?

Taehyung doesn’t hesitate with his response.

Taehyung [4:51pm]: The other bartender told me. I went to visit you at work last night, but obviously you weren’t there. 

TCB [4:51pm]: Yoongi?

TCB [4:51pm]: Listen, I promise it isn’t what it sounds like.

TCB [4:52pm]: Let me explain over dinner tomorrow night. My treat.

Taehyung and Jimin consider the offer. If he isn’t dating Beomgyu, then who is he? 

Taehyung [4:52pm]: Okay.

~~~~~~~

The sushi restaurant that Jungkook picked is a little bit... quaint. Is quaint the right word? Taehyung is used to dining at sushi restaurants that have plates starting at $40, but the most expensive thing on the menu here is a $12 Drunken Sailor roll. 

There are a few people eating at the bar and a few tables taken up around the restaurant. Taehyung arrived early so he could ground himself before facing Jungkook. He’s still embarrassed about the message Jimin sent. Maybe he’ll be able to explain himself....

“Hey! You’re early.” Jungkook is walking in the door. He’s wearing dark ripped jeans and a plain white t-shirt. The same thing he usually wears at work. Every part of him is shining. 

“Yeah sorry.” Taehyung tries to laugh, but it comes out more as a cough. “I’ve never eaten here before, thought I’d check out the menu.” He gestures toward the menu board that’s secured to the ceiling. 

“Well everything is good here. I come here at least once a week.” Jungkook smiles brightly. This is exactly why Taehyung came early. He knew he would struggle to focus on anything but Jungkook. 

It’s not just his physical beauty. The way he carries himself is so warm and inviting and Taehyung wants to be close to him. Even after the awkwardness from the day before, it feels so natural to be standing there with him. 

“The Drunken Sailor roll sounds interesting, but I may have to stick with the timeless classic, the California roll.” Taehyung says.

“Ah, you know I’ve been meaning to try the Drunken Sailor. It’s a new addition to the menu.” Jungkook steps forward to order and pay for the two of them. “Two California rolls and a Drunken Sailor roll. Oh and a bottle of sake.” 

Jungkook confidently leads Taehyung toward the back of the restaurant to a booth. The way he slides into the seat, Taehyung can tell this is his preferred spot in the restaurant. 

“So I guess, I should go ahead and address the elephant in the room.” Jungkook starts. A waiter brings two glasses of water, two empty cups, and a bottle of apple sake. Taehyung reaches for his water to sip.

“I think there was a misunderstanding. Yoongi thought you already knew about Beomgyu.” Jungkook says as he pours some of the sake into the cups, Taehyung chokes a little on his water. 

“Who is Beomgyu?” Taehyung finally asks. Jungkook waits a moment, sipping the sake before responding. 

“Beomgyu is my son.” Jungkook states plainly. Taehyung pauses to absorb the information, but quickly a feeling of relief washes over him. 

“Did you mention him when I was wasted?” He asks.

“No, no. I don’t usually tell people I have a son until after a few dates.” Jungkook replies. It makes sense. It’s safer to protect the child’s identity. “But I like you and I didn’t want to throw our chance away because I wasn’t telling you the whole truth.” 

Taehyung smiles, but he feels a twinge of guilt growing in his gut. He had been planning to hide his wealth from Jungkook, but maybe he should just be honest too. 

“In the spirit of being honest, maybe I should tell you that I’m... fairly wealthy?” Taehyung’s voice fades to a whisper by the end. “I run a company.” He adds. 

Jungkook cracks a smile. 

“I know.” He says. “You told me all about that when you were drunk.” Jungkook chuckles. 

“Oh really?” Taehyung scratches the back of his head. How embarrassing. 

“To be honest, that’s another reason why I didn’t want to tell you about Beommie at first.” Jungkook shuffles in his seat. “I don’t want you to think that I’m interested in you for your money. I mean look at this place, obviously I don’t make a lot of money.”

“Hey this place is great. I’m sure the sushi is delicious.” Taehyung argues. 

“Yeah, it’s just. I don’t want you to think that I’ve got a son and I’m a... gold digger.” At that, the two of them break out into laughter. 

“Well when I’m sober, I try not to let many people know about my money. It changes the way people act around you.” Taehyung sighs, pouring himself some of the sake.

“It’s the same with having kids. No one is interested in dating someone who is already tied down like that.” Jungkook watches Taehyung’s face carefully for a reaction, but he just furrows his brow. 

“I think kids are great.” Taehyung shares with a genuine smile. 

“I’d love for you to meet Beomgyu sometime in the future. I usually wait until things are more serious than a first date to introduce him to people.” Jungkook explains and Taehyung lifts a brow. 

“Not, not that there’s been a lot of people, I’ve only introduced him to one person I dated a while ago.” Jungkook tries to recover.

“Hey, hey it’s okay. We both have pasts. I am kind of curious though, are you gay or bisexual? Most single gays don’t end up with children.” Taehyung questions and Jungkook shakes his head a little.

“I don’t really like to label myself. I guess back then I thought I was straight, but now?” Jungkook taps his fingers against the table, thinking. “I guess most people would label me pansexual.” 

“Wow so I’m in competition with... everyone then?” Taehyung chuckles to himself and then takes a sip of the sake. 

“I actually met Beomgyu’s mother in high school, we were-” Jungkook is cut off by the sound of his phone ringing. Jungkook fishes the phone out of his pocket. “And this is her, sorry I have to take this.”

Jungkook scoots out of the booth and steps away from the table. Taehyung can tell by his body language that he’s worried. After just a few seconds on the phone, Jungkook returns to the table with a crease in his brow. 

“Apparently Beomgyu fell and hit his head pretty hard. He’s okay, but he’s at the hospital getting checked out...” Jungkook trails off. 

“Oh, okay, we can reschedule for another time.” Taehyung throws a couple of twenty dollar bills on the table and exits the booth, but Jungkook pauses. 

“Listen, I rode my bike here, could you possibly... give me a ride?” Jungkook asks hesitantly, rubbing the back of his neck.  

“That’s no problem at all.” Taehyung motions for Jungkook to follow him and leads the way to his car at a quick pace. Jungkook seems unfazed by the shiny BMW parked down the street. 

“I really appreciate this, Tae.” Jungkook smiles over at Taehyung as they buckle into their seats. 

“Please don’t worry about it.” Taehyung reaches over and squeezes Jungkook’s hand before driving off toward the hospital. 

~~~~~~~

“Would you like me to wait here, or I can schedule a Lyft for you?” Taehyung questions Jungkook when they arrive at the children’s hospital and he thinks about it for a moment. 

“Would you like to come in? I know it’s very sudden to meet Beomgyu, but...” Jungkook squeezes Taehyung’s hand that he hadn’t yet let go of. “I’ve got a good feeling.” 

The two men navigate the hospital corridors together, stopping to peer inside the window of Beomgyu’s hospital bed. The small boy, who shares many of his father’s beautiful features, is playing with his mother’s cell phone. 

“Would you mind waiting here for a few minutes?” Jungkook asks.

Taehyung nods and Jungkook enters the hospital room. Immediately Beomgyu abandons the phone and Taehyung can see him mouth something excitedly to his dad. Jungkooks sits on the foot of Beomgyu’s bed, his all black outfit stark against the clinical background.

Taehyung catches Beomgyu’s mom looking at him while she talks to Jungkook. She’s beautiful too. She stands and collects her phone from Beomgyu before exiting the room.

“I’m going for a coffee, would you like anything?” She says with a coy smile. Taehyung shakes his head and gives her a little wave. 

Jungkook is still chatting with his son. Beomgyu is animatedly explaining something to him and both his and Jungkook’s eyes light up, almost a mirror image. Taehyung is grinning when Jungkook looks over at him and motions for him to enter the room. 

Taehyung cautiously enters the room, but keeps his distance. He gives wide-eyed Beomgyu a wave and a slight bow. 

“Hello, I’m Taehyung. You must be Beomgyu?” The boy nods. “I’ve heard a lot about you.” Beomgyu smiles, but his attention is quickly grabbed by the doctor entering the room. 

“Which of you is Mr. Jeon?” Jungkook promptly stands. “I’ll catch you up quickly.” Jungkook follows the doctor back into the hall to discuss Beomgyu’s status. 

Taehyung crosses the room and sits on a chair near the window. Beomgyu’s eyes follow him curiously. 

“Beomgyu, what kind of things do you do for fun?” Taehyung questions.

“I like to do art!” He responds. 

“What’s your favorite medium to work with?” Taehyung continues.

“Medium..?” Beomgyu’s face twists with confusion. 

“Ah.... Do you like to draw with crayons or do you like to paint?” Taehyung clarifies his question. 

“I like to paint, but my mom thinks it’s too messy, so I mostly draw.” Beomgyu explains. 

“I like to paint too. Maybe we can paint together sometime. I have an art studio in my home.” Taehyung smiles. 

~~~~~~~

After the doctor gets the important information out of the way, the fact that Beomgyu will be okay and doesn’t require any treatments, Jungkook’s gaze falls back inside the hospital room. Taehyung and his son are laughing about something together. Taehyung seems like a natural. 

“Dad!”

“Beomgyu!” Jungkook responds as he enters the room. 

“Taehyung is so cool, he said we could do art together and he doesn’t even care if we make a mess!” Beomgyu practically falls off the hospital bed in excitement. 

“Wow that sounds like fun, as long as it’s at his house.” Jungkook winks at Taehyung, who smiles and nods in return. 

“Can he stay for dinner tonight?” Beomgyu asks, Taehyung’s smile growing wider. 

Maybe he can stay forever... Jungkook thinks.

~~~~~~~

Thank you so much for reading!