SOMETHING LIKE COURAGE
᭝ ᨳଓ ՟ summary ⋆˚࿔
you have never wanted children. at least, that's what you told yourself — until you watched your husband feed your niece ice cream like she hung the moon, and something you thought you'd buried a long time ago quietly came back to life.
ᨳଓ ՟ tags/warnings ⋆˚࿔
fluff, established relationship, married couple, husband!jungkook, girl dad jungkook (technically uncle but we know), discussions of wanting children, emotional confession, soft!jungkook, domestic bliss, a child who commits ice cream crimes, happy ending
ᨳଓ ՟ word count ⋆˚࿔
~2.0k
For years on end, you have stifled the desire to raise children. It isn’t a lack of love for the life that could be, but a fear of the world it would awaken to—a place far too jagged for such sweet, cherubic souls.
But certainty is often non-linear.
Your gaze follows the careful movements of your husband, tending to his five-year-old niece — Hae-in — with the patience he reserves for your late night musings.
The little brunette is curled up on his lap with her wondrous doe eyes, tracking the rollercoaster his hand has become as he keeps the spoonful of ice cream just out of her reach, before bringing it to her waiting mouth with a theatrical woosh! noise. And every time, her cheeks flush like peaches under the sun, followed by endearing giggles.
Jungkook exists the way gravity does — effortless, inevitable, the kind of pull that makes everything orient towards him. And the moment settles in your heart like an old love letter — tucked way, but never truly forgotten.
However, your body seems to tug you towards the familiar laughter of your lover — bright, unguarded — anchoring you back to the familiar warmth of the living room. Your heart flips at the vision of his head thrown back in delight, eyes turned into tiny crescents that you long to feel under your fingertips.
Instead, your words come out a little breathless. Fond. “Penny for your laughter, darling?”
Jungkook barely manages to speak up between those melodic giggles, but his head is tilted slightly towards Hae-in, who is now giving him a traitorous glare for painting her button nose with chocolate ice cream, her cheeks puffed up like she’s beyond all this.
“Oh Christ—” He can’t even finish. Just dissolves back into laughter.
For the sake of her tiny pride, you stifle your giggle and press your lips together. Instead, your feet take you toward the adorable crime scene. Crouching down to be on eye-level with her, you flash her an understanding smile. “Oh, sweetheart,” you coo, your fingers gentle as they swipe away any traces of the sticky sweetness from her offended nose. “We must find a way to get back at your Uncle, hmm?” you cheekily suggest, earning an affirmative nod from her.
“Yes! Uncle Koo-Koo must be punished!”
The enthusiasm in her voice coaxes a warm laugh out of you. Though you seem oblivious to the heart-stopping gaze your husband directs at you. It is only when he lets out a soft gasp — realizing the mischief you directed through your niece’s ice cream laden fingers, now painting his nose in chocolate brown — that pulls your gaze to his reaction with a victorious smirk.
Yet again, any retort he might have ready on the tip of his tongue is swallowed by Hae-in’s chirp voice echoing in the space between you. “Silly Uncle!”
“Silly?! You wound me, princess.”
His lower lip juts out in a childish pout for emphasis.
Hae-in giggles, not fazed in the slightest by his theatrics. If anything, her arms reach up to you in solidarity to which you celebrate your successful revenge by scooping her up and your beloved husband receives the playful image of you sticking your tongue out at him.
“Oh no, my own wife is teaming up against me!”
“Heh. Gotta back up my princess, after all.”
“Woah—”
Hae-in, always one step ahead, declares smugly: “Aunt Y/N loves Hae-in more than Uncle Koo-Koo!”
“Oh, you brat—”
You laugh, warm and unguarded. Not even realizing the way your lover’s breath stills with something like realization and longing as you cradle Hae-in snugly to your chest and kiss her temple. Old letters are impossible not to revisit.
.☘︎ ݁˖
All good things must come to an end — however temporarily — because when Jungsu knocks on your door with a grateful smile and warm hugs, there’s a bittersweet reluctance that makes home in the space between your ribs. More so when Jungkook bribes Hae-in with more ice cream for next time to which the little sunshine responds by sloppily kissing his cheek.
“Uncle Koo-Koo is the best!”
“Oh, is he now?” He chuckles knowingly.
You, for your part, take it all in with a pensive smile on your lips. The ache in your chest threatens to consume you, but you lock that door and hope, quietly, that Jungkook will find the key. You’ve never been good at saying the thing out loud, but you’re getting better at hoping someone will ask.
The journey is always unpredictable, but in this moment — observing the same reluctance in your husband’s posture, the way his eyes follow Hae-in until the elevator closes behind them — shows you that maybe, just maybe… you’re not as alone as you think.
.☘︎ ݁˖
With night comes the blooming scent of jasmine, encompassing the air with floral, creamy notes. It mingles with your own scent of sweet coconut and citrus — washing away everything but the stubborn ache in your chest.
Occasionally, the ache is stifled when you focus on the steady rhythm of Jungkook’s heartbeat beneath your ear, your head tucked under his chin. But it returns with an persistence that’s hard to lock away as meaningless. The golden lamplight holds steady. You do not. You ignore it — choosing, instead, to focus on his fingers threading through your hair with tender reverence, his inked arm wrapped around your waist protectively.
A moment of silence passes. Then another. You sigh. Lifting your head just enough to glance at him, you note his closed eyelids and the tiny, peaceful smile on his plush lips.
"Koo…?" you call out, soft and hesitant.
"Mm?"
He lazily peeks an eye open. "What is it, jagiya?"
Despite your scattered thoughts, your lips twitch up in fond amusement at his endearing habit. He’s all sharp, beautiful curves framed by the amber glow.
As if sensing your conversational demeanor, his eyes flutter open to meet yours with renewed interest and curiosity.
“I’ve been thinking…” you start, albeit too careful. “The day passed beautifully because of Hae-in. Don’t you think so?”
Waiting for his reply, your thumb caresses over his cheekbone.
“Yeah,” he murmurs, his own thumb stroking small circles on your hip. “She’s a delight, really. Got me wrapped around her little finger with a look.”
He chuckles, then adds: “Even if she loved the ice cream more than me.”
A warm huff of agreement escapes your lips. But then you go quiet again. Your thoughts drift before you can stop them. “The house seemed to bloom with her giggles,” you muse.
Jungkook hums low in his throat. His fingers curl around your own as he brings them to his lips for a kiss to each one of your fingers. In-between kisses, he speaks— “Felt like some kind of untainted melody. I was in awe every time she smiled.”
I was in awe of you, you almost say.
Instead, you let the silence speak for itself. The warmth blooms into something sweeter as you reflect on the afternoon spent with your niece.
Jungkook props himself up on an elbow this time, his gaze roaming over your face.
It’s as if he’s trying to peek into your soul. “What?” you mumble.
He smiles knowingly. “You looked really happy with her. And she seemed smitten with you.”
“Eh, don’t flatter me like that.”
“I call it as I see it, jagiya.” A pause, then warmer: “She adores you.”
Your cheeks flush a charming pink. "She does?"
Jungkook hums, but it comes out more like a disbelieving huff. Almost like he can't comprehend how someone could be so unaware of the way she moves through the world — all quiet care and instinctive warmth, like she doesn't even notice herself doing it.
“Hyung told me she’s usually very reserved around people, but she immediately teamed up with you—”
That earns him a small laugh from you. He grins, continuing. "So yes, jagiya. She adores you.”
Deep down, maybe the thought had already taken root, but his assurance has made it bloom and settle in your chest like flowers on an endless pathway — briefly lessening the ache. The unknown ache. Where does it lead you?
You try to make sense of it, but it tangles like a knot the more you do. But as you think back to the time you spent with Hae-in, you’re reminded of the trust and affection she so sweetly directed at you, and it cracks something open in your chest.
A deep, suppressed melancholy.
Before your mind even catches up to the frown on your lips, or the single tear slipping down your cheek, you’re being cradled against a broad chest. Jungkook’s warmth envelopes you like a shield against your own thoughts — the familiar woody scent of his skin pulling you back from the longing quietly unraveling at the edges of your heart.
He doesn’t demand, doesn’t offer empty words — just holds you like a delicate, contradictory poem. “I’ve got you, jagiya.”
“Koo…” you breathe out, your voice shaky at the edges. “I— I don’t understand what I’m feeling. Everything feels tangled up with no loose ends.”
“It’s okay, sweetheart. There’s no rush.”
His lips brush against your temple in reassurance. “Breathe with me.”
Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.
Following the instructions, you repeat it until your heartbeat is far less erratic.
Even so, your thoughts flow like an endless stream, all pointing to directions you’re too afraid to admit even to yourself.
But when his arms tighten around you to hold you more snugly, you reach for the bravery you’ve not yet developed. “I…” you start, but trail off soon after.
“You what, jagiya?” he prompts gently, pulling back slightly to look at your face. He brushes a strand of your hair, tucks it behind your ear, and smiles patiently.
A soft pause and then:
"Whatever it is—you're not alone, sweet girl," he promises, well aware of how words tend to fail you when it matters most. “Never.”
You search his eyes for something — sincerity? acknowledgement? — and when you find it, the last of your frustration melts away into something like longing.
“I want to be a mother,” you confess. Your voice comes out too soft, almost like you’re afraid to let the words exist out in the world.
Jungkook goes still as a statue, his mind working hard to process your current words with the reality of your past ones. A flicker of doubt passes over his features. “Baby—”
“No,” you interrupt gently. “I know what you’re going to say. But, it’s not a temporary ‘baby fever’ because of Hae-in. It’s—” You pause, gauging his reaction. “It’s because of you, Kook. I saw how happy you were with her. And I remember how happy we both were. It made me realize that even when the world is cruel, the softness, the love — it starts with us.”
Jungkook is silent yet again. It lingers in the air like hope and anticipation. You almost take everything back until you notice the tears welling up in his eyes.
“Hey, hey—” You palms cradle his face with reverence preserved for prayers. “What’s wrong, honey? Did I say something wrong?”
He shakes his head. “No, no. It’s just…” Sighing softly, he leans in until your foreheads are pressed together. “I’m so overwhelmed with emotions, jagiya. That’s all.”
“Do you want to talk about it?” you offer warmly.
There’s a moment of silence as he gathers his thoughts. When he speaks up, his warm breath ghosts over your lips.
“I didn’t expect this. I never thought you’d change your mind,” he admits. “And it’s not that I wasn’t happy earlier — it was a mutual agreement, after all — but… if this is what you truly want, there’s no one else I'd rather start a family with, jagiya."
“I want this, Koo,” you affirm, the tip of your nose brushing against his. “I think I’ve been haunted by the narrative of my own childhood for the longest time. But after seeing how naturally we fit in with Hae-in — it gave me something like courage.”
“You’re not your parents, jagiya. Their patterns are not yours to carry anymore."
“I know that now.”
