court rooms in television are elegant.

crafted from vintage wood and deep seated pews, they were filled with people who only wore their sunday best and yet, in reality- court rooms were nothing of the sort.

in the waiting room sat a handful of fold out chairs, the classy ones with the padding on the top- classy being a strong word.

jungkook plopped down and attempted to make himself comfortable as he read through the packet of information he had been handed, careful to scan each word like it would be his last. although he seemed nonchalant, disregarding the momentous occasion to anyone who dare ask, he felt a pang in his stomach, a dread lingering in his bones because today would decide what he wasn't sure he wanted to know.

if divorce was on it's way to finalization and if, for the time being, he'd be unable to have custody of his daughter in any capacity.

it seemed likely, with his track record. the drinking, the constant traveling for tours- he hadn't been a perfect father but, he wanted to be. he wanted to keep trying.

his thoughts were interrupted, a serious voice echoing both him and his (soon to be) ex-wife into the small room where a judge sat, inches above the rest, decorated in a robe that asserted authority. jungkook scrutinized the man's features, age and wear and tear contributing to his stoic expression as he read off why the two were there.

as he said jennie's name, as she answered yes about divorce and custody proceedings, he couldn't help but admire her. she was beautiful, from her pitch black hair to the tip of her nose, to her dainty shoulders, all the way down to her cute toe wiggle- visible because she had opted for an open toe pump in place of her usual closed ones.

their daughter shared so many of her features, beautiful and elegant. jungkook hoped she had the same personality, the same sense of purpose and responsibility so that she didn't end up in the same boat jungkook was.

"mr. jeon, with your current record i'm not sure that i can grant you any ounce of custody besides supervised for the time being." the judge seemed to flip through his paper, desperate to wipe the sadness from the man's face with some form of good news that just didn't seem to come, "you'll have the right to see your daughter once weekly, for a maximum of three hours in a supervised setting with mrs. jeon present. do you accept the terms?"

his teary eyes trailed to namjoon who just seemed to nod; it was bleak but it was the only option, "i accept."

"mrs. jeon, are you willing to accept those terms and be present with your daughter for supervised visits on a weekly basis?"

jennie nodded between sniffles, trying to hold back tears as she choked out the words, "i accept."

"would you like to proceed with the divorce hearing or reschedule for another day?"

jennie seemed to sob at that, muttering apologies as she turned as far away from jungkook as possible. he read the way she reacted, stepping up to make it easier for her, "if we could reschedule; i think today has been enough. if that's alright with mrs. jeon?"

it felt odd, to hear her needs being recognized from the man who had betrayed her, "fine by me."

the judge slapped his gavel down, sending an echo through the entire room and as fast as it had begun, it was over, nothing but a paper trail to remind jungkook that he hadn't won the battle. not even close.

the two met in the hallway with lawyers present, namjoon standing near to ensure that he knew enough about the conversation to provide insight and assistance when need be.

"i think saturday's would be a good day for you to visit. you can come to the house before her nap, spend time with her, put her down- that way she won't be so aware that you're leaving." jennie hadn't stopped crying since the decision had been finalized, heart broken to see her perfect family in the checkered hallway of a building that was on the brink of falling apart.

"fine." jungkook could only agree, unable to say how he really felt when so many eyes and ears stood around him.

"she misses you and i know you miss her too but this is for the best!" the woman attempted to reach out, delicate fingers clinging to his sleeve in a bid to get him to stay put- he was always so keen on running.

instead he shook her off, eyes narrowed at the touch, "fine- is that all? everything?" he turned to his own lawyer, already ripping off his tie and loosening the buttons on his shirt.

"when would you two like to reschedule the divorce proceeding?"

"we can discuss that a later date. we have the papers drawn up, it's just a battle of assets at this point. making temporary solutions more permanent..." jennie wanted to wipe the tears of her husband face, forget what he had done with jimin, in front of the world, she wanted to be back in his strong arms but it was easier said than done. the lack of remorse in his tone and the cold stare he gave the floor, avoiding eye contact with her altogether.

she wondered where she had gone wrong as a wife- did she do a bad job cooking and cleaning? too caught up in her own career? when she had jiwoo, had she babied her too much, yelled at jungkook for making mistakes too often?

her hand covered her mouth to stifle the sob as he simply turned away, words almost unheard as they came out in a muffled whisper, "i'll see you saturday."

she continued to watch as he walked out the front door, his manager and his lawyer in tow. was he feeling the same sense of despair thinking about the past? she hoped that the two would have had more time, more to say, more connection within the moment but it all flew by far quicker than expected. it took longer to make the child then to decide the custody of her!

maybe that's where they had been naive. to think that fixing it could be easier than breaking it- that it could take a comparable amount of time.