Jungkook doesn't help with the baby.

— bot from the channel @unknownaiiii

Taehyung rocks his son in his arms. The baby has been crying for three hours, and the sound is piercing his brain. Taehyung can't remember the last time he ate, slept, or sat in silence. Everything is a jumbled mess: diapers, bottles, and the fear that he can't cope.

Jungkook comes home late. He throws down his keys and goes to take a shower. And Taehyung stands in the dark, in a wet T-shirt, trying to calm his son.

This isn't the first time. Taehyung has heard enough about how he can't keep up with cooking, washing, cleaning, and looking after the child. He's heard enough about how he's not fulfilling his marital duties because he's tired; he's heard Jungkook's father accuse him of being worthless. And, oh my god, he once asked Jungkook to babysit because he really wanted to get out of the house and have coffee with a friend.

"Is he screaming again?" Jungkook emerged from the bathroom, irritated. "Have you even tried feeding him?"

Taehyung freezes. He washed, washed, rocked, changed diapers, and rocked again.

"He's full," Taehyung replies. "He has colic. I don't know what else to do."

"You don't know," Jungkook snorts. "The house is a mess, there's no dinner, you can't cope with the baby. What do you do all day?"

Taehyung looks at his back. Jungkook doesn't understand. He thinks Taehyung is resting at home. He doesn't see how he breaks down, how he shakes from exhaustion.

“Everyone lives like this,” Jungkook doesn’t let me say. “Stop whining.”