#guccitae

“Oh, look.” Your mother said as she looked through the window across the street. You didn’t bother following her gaze, instead keeping your eyes glued to your calculus textbook. Ever since you were a young child, your mother had a nasty habit of what you and your friends liked to call ‘neighbor-watching’ something of which she was completely unashamed. In fact, she had even gotten you into it at one point, but you had forced yourself to break the habit. You didn’t want to be that nosy teenager known throughout the neighborhood for watching Red Truck Man obsessively wax his, well, red truck. Or the old guy who you called ‘Green Dude’ before he moved out. He was always cutting his lawn, keeping the grass at precisely one inch exactly in height. The keyword here was cut; he didn’t mow his lawn like normal people. He cut the grass. With scissors.

Now, you just had a bad habit of procrastinating. You would push off studying or doing your homework until the morning, rather than the night before.

“No, seriously, (Y/N), look. Someone’s moving in.” Your mother insisted after you ignored her first call.

“Into Green Dude’s house?” You confirmed as you flipped to the next page in your textbook, determined to finish your work before school.

“You mean One-Inch?” Your mother corrected. “Yeah.” She called him One-Inch, which probably made more sense for his weird antics, but, in your defense, he did always wear this weird green bodysuit when he cut the grass.  Despite the fact that he moved out, he still owned the house. So he made sure to stop by bi-weekly to keep up the precision of his cherished grass.

For your mother’s sake, you looked up to see her still staring out the window, as nosey as ever. From where you sat, you could see the large moving truck in the driveway of the house across the street. Emerging from behind said moving truck was the outline of what looked like a guy. His face was partially masked by the black beanie and face mask he wore. To be frank, it was hard to gauge his appearance from this distance, even with your sharp vision. He was carrying a couple boxes that looked somewhat heavy. You wondered if he had someone to help him or if he was moving everything by himself.

“Oh, there’s a kid.” Looking towards the house, you saw a small toddler dressed in a tiger onesie waddle out of the of the front door and plop down on the perfect grass. You felt your lips curve into a smile as the small child stumbled about. Watching her stand up and totter another few steps before falling again, you gathered that she was likely just learning to walk.

“Cute,” you mumbled. Sparing one last glance at the fumbling child, you reverted your attention back to the calculus textbook before you. However, you realized that you had lost your motivation to try to absorb any more knowledge of the wretched subject.

“We should go over and introduce ourselves,” your mother suggested as she placed a plate of hot pancakes in front of you. Finally, breakfast was served. You smiled gratefully at your mother as you picked up the fork, setting your textbook aside and indulging in your breakfast. Okay, so maybe your mom just put them in the microwave and cut up some apples on the side, but it's the thought that counts.

“Alright, I’m going to work. I’ll see you later, okay?” Your mother picked up her blazer from the back of the chair to your right and tossed it over her shoulder. Crouching slightly in her six-inch stilettos, she pressed a chaste kiss to your cheek and waved goodbye before heading out the door. You gave a non committal hum, but did not look out of the kitchen window to bid her goodbye, far too immersed in finishing up your breakfast so you could head to school yourself.

When you were finished with your pancakes, you gently placed the dishes in the sink and grabbed a bottle of water for the road. Before your walked out of the house, you checked all of the windows and doors that your mother had left open.

Your mother was a bit of an airhead and somewhat dependant upon your father when it came to common sense things such as locking up the house. However, with your father out on his business trip, you found that three windows were left unlatched, and the back door was wide open, as well. Leave it to your mom to give a burglar easy access.

After you locked the front door of your home and stuffed your keys into your backpack, you glanced across the street to see if the little tiger girl was still outside. You noticed that instead of attempting to walk once more on unstable footing, she was lifted into the embrace of the man you had seen earlier moving boxes. While your neighborhood was nowhere near sketchy, you couldn't help but wonder why he would leave such a young child unattended.

The child in his arms wiggled around in his grasp, reaching for his hat with determination. When she finally succeeded and tugged at it, he helped her remove it. While she played with the hat, you finally got a better glimpse of the young man. His black face mask had migrated to his chin at this point giving you a better view.

“Maybe he's her older brother,” you pondered, seeing him smile warmly at the toddler. You assumed their mom was already inside unpacking the boxes you had seen him carrying earlier.

Deciding that it was time to quit being nosey, you curiously checked your phone for the time. You realized with a start that you had been watching the scene play out in front of you for far too long. If you didn't hurry, you were definitely going to be late for school. You quickly turned on your heel and started sprinting to school.  

You made it to your classroom with only a moment to spare. The tardy bell rang as you slid into your seat, gasping for air.  You would have thought gym class would have better prepared you for an occasion such as this.  It didn't. Your classmates nearest to you gave you strange looks as you tried to calm your breathing. Please, like they've never been that close to being late. Oh well, it didn't really bother you anyway. One day they, too, will know your pain.

A sudden vibration in your pocket startled you and tore you away from your thoughts. You glanced up at your teacher, making sure that he wasn't looking your way before you dared to check the message.  Once you were sure the coast was clear, you pulled your phone from your pocket stealthily and checked the unread text.

Kasper 👻 [Wed. Dec 18. 8:14 AM]

Why were you so late???

You looked towards the back row to find your friend starting back at you expectantly. You rolled your eyes and relayed the mornings events to her. Almost immediately, your phone vibrated again. Your attention turned back to your phone as you read her reply.

Kasper 👻 [Wed. Dec 18. 8:23 AM]

Omg you're such a weirdo lol who even does that?

Kasper 👻 [Wed. Dec 18. 8:24 AM]

Was he at least cute?? ;)

You smile slightly to yourself as you began to respond.

“Miss (Y/L/N)!” You felt your heart drop as you blood turned ice cold in your veins. You could feel the entire the eyes of the entire class fall upon you as you nervously glanced around. Quietly in the back of the room, you could have sworn you could hear some very familiar snickers. You feel your phone vibrate once again, but you wouldn't dare chance a look at it this time.

“Ah, Mister Wang…” You began, trying your hardest to come up with some kind of excuse that would stop the inevitable.

“No excuses. Place your phone in the box. Now. You can see me after school.” His tone ultimately left no room for argument, but still you thought you could push your luck.

“But--”

“It can wait. I said now. Or should I send you out?” You knew better than to carry on any further. His tone was getting increasingly more annoyed and you didn't want to find out what would happen when he was pushed too far. You groaned inwardly, standing up in defeat as you quietly stomped your way over to the box behind your teacher’s desk.

Mister Wang had a strict no-phone policy, but he rarely stuck to it. He was actually usually pretty chill with phone usage, so long as you still paid moderate attention in class and you weren't on the brink of failure. However, with Economics being your easiest class, it was practically impossible for you to be even close to failure.

You reluctantly dropped your phone into the empty box, making a face at how lonely it looked. You gathered that Mister Wang must have woken up on the wrong side of the bed today. You silently began the walk of shame back to your seat, completely aware of all the eyes still glued to you in your moment of embarrassment.

“Next time, I hope you will pay more attention to my lectures.” Wang, well, lectured. You groaned inwardly at being called out once again before you nodded.

“Of course, sir.” You confirmed as you clasped your hands together obediently, before realizing why you’d been picked out in the first place. You were completely unprepared for class, you hadn’t even bothered to take your notebook out, and you weren't even paying the slightest bit of attention. You were just sitting there, staring blankly as Mister Wang droned on and on. That must have been what set him off, but who could really blame you? This was your easiest class,  after all.  However, you quickly admitted defeat and quietly pulled out a notebook to copy down the notes that were written on the board.

When your class was finally over, Kasper jumped up from her seat and scurried over to your side. You glance up at her and took in her new appearance, only mildly surprised. Instead of her usual brown hair, she stood before you with blonde hair with blue tips.

“You colored your hair,” you commented as you shoved your notebook into your bag, mood still a little sour from the earlier events of the class. You spared a glance inside your backpack and groaned. Where was your calculus homework? You could have sworn that you put it inside your bag this morning, you just couldn't remember where. You have to remember to clean out your bag at some point this week.

“Technically, I bleached my hair, and then I  dipped the tips,” she corrected. You rolled your eyes at your best friend and stood up.

“Whatever, same thing,” you muttered as you threw your backpack over your shoulder. “This is all your fault.” You reminded her as you glanced over your shoulder at Mister Wang, who remained behind his desk. You can tell that he feels your gaze but he does his best to avoid it. Asshole, you think to yourself. No. I don't really mean that. I really should have been paying more attention. You relent as you make your way out of the classroom.

“Looks like someone pissed in his cup of herbal tea this morning.” Kasper suggested as she followed you out of the classroom.

“I think you mean coffee?” You corrected, confused at why she would suggest herbal tea as a morning drink.

“Oh, he doesn't drink caffeine,” Kasper said, wrapping the pale blue ends of her hair around her finger and pulling the strands across the top of her lip to make a makeshift mustache. “Don’t ask me how I know.”

“Oh, I think I know.” You grimaced, not really wanting to consider why she knows that random tidbit.

“What do you think you know?” Kasper challenged, walking closely beside you as you walked to your next class; calculus for idiots. Except you seemed to be the only idiot in there. Before you could walk into the classroom, not that you really wanted to be there anyway, Kasper grabbed you by the arm, tugging you towards her. She kept a firm grip on your arm and looked at you expectantly, waiting on an answer.

“Kas,” you started, unsure of how to word this delicately. “you’re always falling for older guys. Don’t you think someone in our age group is better?” Kasper furrowed her brow as she waited for you to finish. “I know for a fact you went after class to Wang’s and asked for some help. Seriously? No one needs help in that class except that Justin Seagull kid, and that’s because he’s a few crayons short of a full box.” You finished your explanation, waiting timidly for your friends response.

“Wow,” Kasper crossed her arms across her chest and narrowed her eyes at you. “You’re my best friend. You're supposed to be supportive of me, not…” she waved her hand dismissively at you, “whatever this is.” She finished with a huff as you sigh and shake your head.

“No matter what happens, I will always support you. Don't ever doubt that.” You begin, your feelings mildly hurt that she thought differently, even for a moment. “So if older guys are just your type, I'll still support you.” You gently placed your hand on Kasper’s shoulder, squeezing gently to let your friend know that were, and always will be, there for her. “But maybe try dating some guys our age before you go after one of our teachers. Please.” You tack on, because, at the end of the day, the last thing that you want is for her to be hurt. You could only see a fling with an older man, a teacher at that, going terribly wrong.

“I promise.” You held your other pinky out, raising your eyebrow expectantly, and the corners of Kasper’s lips twitched upward into a smile. She hooked her pinky with yours as you grinned back at her. Arguments between the two of you never seemed to last long, but you really hated them nevertheless.

“I’ll be there for you, too.” Kasper agreed with a warm smile. “As soon as you find a guy of your own, that is.” She stuck her tongue out in a teasing notion, before turning on her heel.

“I'll have you know, I have no trouble getting a guy!” You call out defiantly as Kasper walked away from you and into the classroom. “It's just that no one here is really my type.” You explained, making sure to keep your voice down as you walked in. You certainly didn't want to draw any attention to yourself like you did during the last class. You followed Kasper to your usual seats, grateful that your calculus teacher let you pick your own seats. As soon as you took your seat, however, Mister Nam began his lesson, effectively ending your conversation and forcing you to take out your notebook and follow along.

When the school day was finally over, you met up with Kasper outside of your literature class. You hadn't seen her since your last shared class, which happened to be calculus. There she had made a fool of herself by actually falling asleep and banging her head on the desk when he arm slipped from under her chin. You snickered to yourself as you recalled the event, because, to be honest, it made you feel a little better about your own humiliation in economics. You took in her appearance as she met up with you, her hair was slightly disheveled and you could tell that she recently reapplied her bright red lipstick.

“Did you get your phone?” Kasper greeted, as she hoisted her backpack higher.

“About that…” You started as you began to play with the hem of your skirt, a sheepish grin mixing into your expression. “Come with me?”

“No.” Her answer was flat and simple, leaving no room for argument. But it couldn’t hurt to try, right?

“Please? Pretty please?” You practically pleaded with her. “I don’t get why you’re not jumping at the chance to see Wang, I thought you were crushing on the old man.” You were thoroughly confused at her refusal to join you.

“He is not old,” Kasper immediately came to his defense. “He’s just older,” Kasper corrected you as she crossed her arms across her chest, “Maybe you should find an older guy. You always act like you’re my mom or something. And by the way, I’m legal. You’re legal, too. It's not like it's a big deal!”

“Dating a teacher, however, is not legal.” You added, exasperated. You knew it didn't matter, though. She was never going to see it your way.

“What they don't know won't kill them,” Kasper gave you a petty smile. Before you could ask who they were and how she knew it wouldn't kill them, she changed the subject. “Anyway, I’ve got a hot date that I need to prepare for, so give Mister Wang my best wishes.”

“You have a hot date,” you asked incredulously as your best friend began to retreat.

“With my chemistry tutor. Yay me,” and you could hear the disdain in her voice. “Dude is a stone!” And with that she was gone, her bright hair disappearing around the corner. You breathed out a deep sigh; you had to go and enter the depths of hell. Alone.

As you approached the classroom, you stomach rolled in apprehension. You went to turn the handle to the door and froze. You could hear loud bangs and hints of Mister Wang cursing from inside. Either he was doing some heavy duty remodeling, or he was taking out some repressed anger on the old, metal filing cabinets. You stared at the door nervously, thoughts of turning back and heading home crossing your mind. Maybe I should just leave and get my phone another time. You thought to yourself uneasily. Ugh, who am I kidding? My entire life is practically on that phone. What would I do without it? You sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of your nose, while you sorted out this internal argument.

Fuck it. So what if he's having a bad day? Mister Wang told you that you could pick up your phone at the end of the day, and that's what you were going to do. With that final thought, you twisted the door knob with a false confidence and peered into the doorway to find Mister Wang shuffling through papers on the floor.

“Who is it?” He grunted, not even bother to look up. You said your name aloud and waited, but you got nothing. You looked around nervously and fiddled with your skirt in search of something to occupy your hands during this awkward silence.

“Your phone is on my desk,” he answered finally, only barely jerking his head upward towards his desk, and there you found the box where your phone had been tossed.

As you moved towards the large desk, you took notice of the state of the classroom. One of the filing cabinets had indeed fallen over, but that was about it. Some metal boxes were on the floor, which was also covered in piles of papers. Maybe he’d lost something?

“Thanks, Mister Wang. I’ll be leaving now.” You bowed slightly before scurrying out of the classroom. Mission accomplished.  You thought to yourself triumphantly once you were in the clear, and finally began your journey home. The school halls were already almost completely cleared, save for the people who had after school activities or were just dragging out the time it took for them to go home. You saw some people were chatting with their friends, and others were shuffling through their bag’s contents. You couldn't believe that in just a few short months, you would be relieved from your duty as a student. You subconsciously began to fiddle with the necklace that hung around your neck as you made your way home.

You kept a moderate pace as you walked home, though, after the day you had, you were just begging to be seated in the comfort of the couch in front of the television. Maybe I'll even take a nap. You thought gleefully. I always leave my homework till the last minute anyway. You reasoned with yourself. It wasn’t a very hard battle after all. Soon enough, your neighborhood came into view and you could practically feel yourself sinking into the soft material of the couch. You hummed aloud, maybe you’d make yourself some hot chocolate, too. The weather was certainly getting colder.

Movement out of the corner of your eye caught your attention. The little girl from earlier, still dressed snugly in her tiger onesie, waddled across the yard. You raised an eyebrow, confused. Are they still moving in? Even now? You pondered, wondering how they hadn't gotten everything into the house by now. You looked at the house and noticed that the door to the house was wide open. She must have wandered out on her own, you figured. You watched her plop down on her little tush and crawl a bit before deciding to chance standing up again. She started wandering towards the street and, from where you stood, it seemed that she was going to fall face first into the street. Before you even knew what was happening, you were running towards the toddler, arms out and ready to stop her.

“Oh no, be careful!” Before she could fall on the harsh asphalt, you scooped her up. You dusted the nonexistent dirt of her behind and held her close. “Where’s your mommy?” You asked, hoping she was old enough to know the answer. However, she said nothing. She just stared back at you with wide, warm hazel eyes and a confused expression.

“Oh, my gosh, you’re so cute,” you cooed, admiring the way a ring of gold hung inside her iris, adding another layer of depth to her already beautiful eyes. The little girl began to wiggle around in your arms, silently demanding freedom, so you set her down. “What’s your name, sweetie?” you tried again. After a moment of silence, she finally got around to yelping something that sounded an awful lot like... Kimchi? You blinked repeatedly, confused, and looked up at the large house with the front door still wide open.

“Come on, sweetie.” You said, taking the little girl’s chubby fist in your hand and walking to the front door. Not wanting to seem like an intruder, you rang the doorbell and waited. And waited. When there was no sound after a few moments, you were forced to resort to rapping your fist against the ajar heavy oak door.

“Coming!” The voice came from above. A deep, honey-soaked voice. Is that the guy from before? You wondered to yourself.  After a few moments, the man finally appeared. He wiped sweat from his forehead, exhaustion clear in his expression.

“Daddy!” the girl exclaimed upon seeing him, tearing her hand from your grasp and running—as fast as her little legs could carry her— to the guy you had seen earlier. No way, you thought in disbelief, this is his kid? She must be confused! There's no way he's old enough to be her father. Your jaw nearly dropped to the floor as you tries to wrap you mind around this fact.

“Oh, how’d you get out?” The man picked up his daughter with a smile and held her close, bouncing her up and down slightly. He swept his gaze over to you and looked you up and down. “Oh, hello?” You saw a hint of something flash in his eyes, but you couldn't quite put your finger on it.

You looked up at the guy. His eyes, you could see, were a light brown with the same golden ring in his iris. It wasn’t just his eyes that were pretty. His whole face was… pretty… handsome… whatever a normal person would call him. But the point was, this supposed father was extremely good-looking. “I...Um, she was outside. Alone.” You managed to stutter out, cheeks aflame.

“Uh…” The guy tilted his head in confusion, looking at you for more of an explanation.

“I, uh, live across the street.” You turned and pointed at your house to prove your point, but in reality, you wouldn’t really be able to prove it until you actually went inside. “I was on my way home from school,” You took in the way he glanced down at your uniform, “when I saw her running towards the street. I, uh…” You trailed off. You couldn’t tell if he was actually paying attention to you or not. His expression was so...blank, as if he either couldn’t understand you, or he just wasn’t listening to you. “Your door was wide open. Okay, sorry for bothering you, bye,” you rushed out in a single breath, ready to excuse yourself from this awkward situation. You turned around and started towards the front door, which was still wide open.

“Wait.”

You paused mid-step and slowly turned around.

“Thanks,” the man wiped the sweat dripping at his forehead again and gave you a small, somewhat boxy smile. “I guess I forgot to close the door when I moved the last box in. I left her to play inside.” He explained sheepishly, scratching the back of his head with the hand that wasn't holding the young child.

“I see… you should be more careful then.” You chastised. “Although, I guess my mom’s kinda like that, too. Really absent-minded, I mean. She left three windows and the backdoor open this morning!” Your eyes widened at what you just said. What if he was actually some creep who’d sneak into your house now?

“Chill. I don’t have enough time to actually come in and murder your family with an axe.” The guy started to chuckle, clearly amused by the whole situation. His daughter, on the other hand, just lay her head against his chest, while he steadily bounced her in his arms. She looked tranquil, her eyelids growing heavier and heavier with the notion of sleep consuming her.

“Well, that’s a relief, I suppose.” You felt the some of the tension in your body leave at the thought.

“Well, come on in,” He said as he motioned for you to follow him. “I'll just put her down for a nap real quick.” He went on as you followed him through the house. “I really am thankful for you. You practically saved her life!”

You seem a bit too calm for someone who's daughter narrowly avoided running out into the street, you thought, but ultimately you kept your thoughts to yourself as you followed him deeper into the house. Boxes were everywhere. To your left, to your right. They filled the entire house, it was no wonder it took him all day. You felt as if you were making your way through a mini maze with the way the boxes even lined the stairway.

Walking further into the house, you soon found yourself in a little kitchen-slash-living room situation. Here, some of the furniture was already organized and toys scattered the floor. You assumed this had been where he left her to play.

He came to a sudden stop in front of a small playpen, causing you to come to a stop as well, eyeing him curiously. He stayed like that before kneeling down next to the playpen and staring at it again, a puzzled look on his face.

“Um,” you took a single step closer. “Is everything okay?” You asked, not understanding what was going on.

He shook his head and looked up at you. “Oh, yeah. It’s just… could you help me out? I don’t want to wake her.” He motioned for you to come closer.

“Oh! Um, yeah, what do you want me to do?” You moved in, so you were in reaching distance of both father and daughter.

“Can you remove the mobile? It makes a lot of noise and I don’t want it to wake her. I’d appreciate it if you could just detach it and then I could put her down quietly.” You nodded and did as he asked of you, realizing just how loud it was as you popped it out. You placed it gently on the floor with an inevitable, but soft rattle, which caused the little one to stir a bit. He softly bounced and shushed her back to sleep, before gently placing her in the playpen. “Thanks,” he whispers as he stands up, brushing himself off.

At this point, you realized how much taller than you he was, standing so close to him for the first time. He was much taller than most guys you've met before, and it made you take a step back to marvel at his height.

“It was, uh, no problem.” You say, somewhat absentmindedly as you were still taken back by his height.

“What did you say your name was?” He suddenly took off in the opposite direction, and you didn’t know whether to stay put or follow him.

“Um, I didn’t?” Your statement came out like a question.

“I’m in the kitchen.” You took that as a summoning. Sure enough, he was digging through his fridge, and you could see boxes and bags of groceries on the counter.

You’d been inside Green Dude’s house once before, when you were in primary school. And although your memory wasn’t anything special, you could say with certainty that the inside had undergone some serious renovation. Instead of the slight dinginess it gave off years ago, you could describe the interior as homely, but stylish at the same time. You wondered if he had chosen the details himself or just hired a designer.

“So, your name?” He pushed as he suddenly placed a glass of what looked like iced tea on the kitchen island and motioned for you to sit on the stool in front of it. You thanked him and awkwardly scrambled to sit on the stool that was much higher than your own at home, before telling him your name. “Nice to meet you, (Y/N). Thank you for saving my daughter. Do you want anything to eat?” You shook your head, politely rejecting his offer.

“Nothing? I just bought this pastry when I went out shopping. Grapefruit tart; Mina really liked it.” He motioned towards the pastry in question, but you had something else on your mind.

“Mina?” You questioned, “Is that your daughters name?” The man before you nodded in confirmation as he continued poking around the kitchen. “And your name is?” You prodded, giving up on waiting for him to introduce himself.

“Wow, I'm a terrible host.” He chuckled as he stopped busying himself and turned to face you, “I can't believe I didn't introduce myself, I apologize. My name is Kim Taehyung, and I'm an, um, office worker. I just moved here from Daegu. I heard that the preschools around here were really good, so that influenced my decision as well.” The man, Taehyung, finished his explanation.

“Oh, that's cool,” you muttered. “If you don’t mind me asking… how old is Mina?”

“She’ll be eighteen months in a week, why?” Taehyung answered, eyeing you curiously.

“I don’t know if you know this, Mister Kim, but… most daycares only allow children two years or older.” You only knew this because during your previous year, you had been required to make a presentation on what you imagined your life would be like fifteen years from then. Yours, hopefully, included children.

“Oh…” His shoulders slumped and he looked defeated. It would've broken your heart, if it weren't for how adorable he looked. He almost looked like a sad puppy.

“B-but,” you stuttered out, “I’m sure the daycares here are great, too! I think my friend said her little brother went to a daycare and was able to go straight to a local preschool before his second birthday.” That was a complete lie, but the boxy smile that lit up his face was so much cuter than the pout he’d been sporting just moments before.

“Oh, really? Which one?” He pressed, eager to have another option.

“I, uh, don’t remember the name,” you said slowly, enunciating every word clearly. “But, I’ll, um, ask for it for you, Mister Kim.” Great, now you had extra homework. Find a good, local daycare for an adorable eighteen month old girl.

“Please, call me Taehyung.” Taehyung gave you a slight smile. “Mister Kim makes me feel so old. Besides, we’re neighbors; I have a feeling we’ll be seeing each other a lot more.”

“What do you mean?” You didn't realize that you liked where this was going.

“I mentioned I’m a office worker, right?” You nodded, unsure of what that had to do with this particular conversation. “That requires a lot of my time, and while the daycare is an option, when you are able to get me the name, I’m going to need a back up. A babysitter. How convenient is it that you live across the street?”

“But…” You looked around, not sure how to answer.

“Please? I’ll pay you anything you ask.” He all but pleaded.

“But sir…” You fidgeted nervously in your seat.

“Taehyung.” He insisted, looking at you with puppy dog eyes, breaking you down a small bit.

“Taehyung...,” you began carefully, “you barely know me. I could be a complete psychopath for all you know. And anyway, what about her mother?” Suddenly, Taehyung’s face fell and he sighed heavily. You immediately regretted asking him that. Stay-at-home fathers aren't exactly that common, so you really couldn't have known any better. Although, could he even be labeled as such? He did have a job, after all.

“She’s not here,” was all he was willing to offer.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” you understood the underlying message. ‘Don't push it.’

“No, it’s okay. But do you mind thinking it over? I’d really appreciate the extra help.” He looked down at you once again with big, beautiful puppy dog eyes.

“I’ll mull over it,” you assured him, although you were still unsure about the subject. What kind of person asks a complete stranger to take care of their child? “It was nice meeting you, sir--er, Taehyung.” You said as you hopped down from the stool.

“You as well, and thanks again for today. Are you sure you don’t want any of the tart?” His eyes sparkled with some kind of hope, as if the grapefruit tart he’d mentioned would somehow coerce you into agreeing to the job. You sighed, feeling somewhat defeated. It was almost as if he knew he was slowly whittling away at your once firm resolve.

“I’ll take some.” You finally relented, in hopes of seeing his beautiful smile once again.

“Great!” He clasped his hands together in victory. You could see that there were some paper plates in the boxes of groceries on the counter, so when Taehyung reached for a plastic tupperware container in the opposite direction, you were mildly confused. You then realized that this meant that you would be forced to wash and bring the container back. Regardless, once he sliced the tart and packaged it for you, you bowed thankfully and took your leave.

While you made the short walk from Taehyung’s front door to your own, you couldn't help but marvel at the fact that he had a child. Then you remembered that his daughter was only eighteen months old, so you figured he might not be that much older than you were. Why do I even care? You wondered as you unlocked your front door and hurried inside. The house was still as clean as you had left it that morning, so you gathered that you were the first one home. You dropped your bag by the door and walked into the living room, plopping down on the couch with a huff and switching on the television. You didn't really care what was playing, you simply used it as background noise while you played on your phone.

That following Saturday morning, you were woken up at some ungodly hour by an incoming call from your mother. You groaned in annoyance, knowing she was probably just in her room, down the hall. Nevertheless you answered the phone, groggily pressing the device to your ear and sitting up in your bed.

“Hello?”

“(Y/N)! I’m on my way home with your father!” You winced as your mother's much too loud, much too eager for this early in the morning voice rang through your ears.

“Oh, he’s back today, huh?” After wiping the sleep from your eyes, you slightly opened your curtains to allow the warmth of natural light into your room.

“We will be home in a few hours; we need to stop by the store to find some stuff for dinner. In the meanwhile, can you bake a cake or something?”

“Sure, but why? Are we celebrating Dad’s return?”

“You could say that. Anyway, please get to it, and clean up, too.”

“Sure,” you mumbled again. You exchanged ‘goodbye’s and ‘I love you’s with your mother before you heard the call end with a click. You stood up and stretched, trying to shake off the sleepiness that still remained, and found the closest pair of pants on the floor to slip on.

After making yourself a cup of coffee, you started on the short list of chores your mother had given you. You started with your room, which looked like it had been hit by a tornado before you started. Then you moved on to the main floor, wiping down the windows and cleaning the dishes that had begun to pile up.

By the time you had started baking your father’s favorite cake, a decadent lemon raspberry cake, it was already half past one in the afternoon. Exactly how long was “a few hours”? As the time flew past, you focused on making the cake perfectly. The process was long and grueling, but it was also calming in a way, especially when it came to frosting and decorating the cake. Once you were done, you placed the dessert on a cake stand and covered it. You glance at the oven to check the time and, in a pale green, digital font, it read ‘4:58’. You thought about calling your parents to see where they were, but before you could even pull your phone out of your pocket, you heard the front door open, followed by a hushed conversation.

“Maybe we should have hurried?”

“What time did you tell him to come over?”

“I… don’t remember? Nothing too early; maybe 6:30?”

“That should be enough time. I could probably whip something up quickly.”

“Welcome back, Pops,” you interrupted your parents conversation to wrap your arms around your father in a hug, grinning widely as you felt you fathers hand pat the top of your head gently. He had only been gone for a little over a week, but with your mom’s cooking, the time you’d spent apart seemed to drag out much longer than usual.

“Hey, kiddo. Have you finished the cake?”

“Frosted and decorated,” you released your father and stood at attention to salute him. “Welcome back, sir.” Your father chuckled and flicked your nose.

“Thanks a lot, kiddo. I’m gonna go ahead and get dinner started. Why don’t you go get changed, alright?” Your father suggested as he shrugged off his jacket and made his way towards the kitchen.

“For what?” You asked, quizzically looking down at your simple jeans and tank top, unsure what was wrong with your attire.

“Have you even showered since you got up?” your mom teased, finally speaking up, as she

“Of course! I showered as soon as the house was clean. But why do I need to change? It’s a normal dinner, isn’t it? Or are we going all out for Dad’s welcome party?” Your mother seemed to melt at your confused expression.

“Didn't you tell her?” Your father asked, poking his head out from the kitchen.

“I could have sworn I did! Hm. It must have slipped my mind. I’ll tell her now!” Your mother explained as she dragged you up the stairs. “We invited Mister Kim and his daughter over for dinner this evening. We’re trying to be exceptional neighbors.”

“Uh huh...” you nod, folding your arms across your chest and looking at your mother suspiciously.

“What?” She questioned innocently.

“You're just doing this to be nosey, aren't you? You don't care about being neighborly.” You accused, knowing instantly when your mother feigns shock that you are correct.

“What? Absolutely not!” Her voice went up an octave, giving away the fact that she had been caught in a fib. I was born at night, you thought dryly to yourself, but it wasn't last night. You rolled your eyes and sighed in defeat.

“So, I'm guessing jeans are off-limits,” you asked, when you reached your bedroom. Your mother nodded as she took a seat on your bed and you walked over to your closet. You groaned as you slid open your closet door and tried to find something to wear. You really didn't feel like wearing a dress, but that seemed more tolerable than one of your stupid uniform skirts.

After a few minutes of sifting through your closet, you decided to go with a silky, floral patterned dress, that you had forgotten that you even owned, and a pair of strappy, nude wedge sandals. Stepping into the center of the room, you gave a slight spin and gained your mother's approval over your outfit before pulling your hair up into a sleek ponytail, at her request. I really can't wait for this night to end, you thought as you gathered some accessories, but I bet Mom will definitely get a kick out of him.

As you were finishing getting ready, you heard the doorbell ring. Your mother hopped off of your bed excitedly and nearly ran out of your room. How she could be so steady in those stilettos was beyond you and you struggled to keep up with her, not nearly as well acquainted with walking in heels as your mother was. When you reached the door you hid slightly behind her, even though the two of you were nearly the same height, and peered around her shoulder as she opened the door to reveal your new neighbor.

“Good evening.” Taehyung greeted, holding his daughter in one arm, and a gift in the other. Judging from the long and narrow bag, you could only guess that it was a bottle of wine.

“Oh, you’re here! Just on time!” Your mother’s greeted eagerly. Liar, you thought, you don't even remember what time they were supposed to be here. You shake your head slightly at the thought.

“I hope you don’t mind, Miss (Y/L/N). I brought a friend to join us.” Taehyung grinned as he shifted his daughter between arms.

“The more the merrier.” You stood on your toes to peer over Taehyung’s shoulder to see a pale, dark haired man who was slightly shorter than Taehyung was. He, too, had a gift for your mother in hand.

“Min Yoongi,” Kim Taehyung stepped aside and allowed his friend to introduce himself.  “Taehyung and I just came from work, so excuse my attire.”

“Oh, no, it’s fine! What line of work are you in?” Your mother had a million and one questions for the two gentlemen but you were more interested in the little girl. Today, she wore a striped dress with matching bloomers, and she managed to pull off one of her shoes, gnawing on it with a bright smile. Gosh, she really is so cute.

“Oh! I can't believe I forgot to introduce my daughter! How rude of me.” Your mother gasped and wrapped an arm around you, pulling you closer. “Taehyung, this is  (Y/N), she'll be graduating this summer, I can't believe it!” You smiled at your mother's introduction. That is, until she went on. “They grow up so fast, Taehyung. She'll be nineteen soon, much too soon. You might not feel like that now, but it really happens all too quickly.” Your eyes narrow at your mother in embarrassment as you feel your cheeks heat up. Every time you had company, she felt compelled to bring this up.

Your mother gave a nostalgic sigh before quickly pulling herself together and leading the group into the living room. “My husband will be done with dinner in a moment, so I hope you don’t mind if we wait in here.” She explained as she motioned for everyone to take a seat.

Taehyung and his friend, Yoongi, nodded and smiled, making themselves comfortable on the sofa. Taehyung placed Mina on the floor and she stood using the coffee table for support. You sat down beside her, taking an interest in the young girl, once in a while tapping her little hand and showing her funny faces.

After getting close to little Mina, she took a seat in your lap and you allowed her to play with your hair. Sometimes she would tug it, but it wouldn't hurt too much. When she got bored of your hair, she began to hold onto your fingers. You looked up and figured you should try to pay attention to the conversation.

“Daycare? Oh, I know the perfect one! It's the one I used to send (Y/N) to when she was a little girl! It’s great, been up and running for a few decades now. Now, what was it called?” Your mother furrowed her eyebrows as she thought deeply. You were slightly startled when she suddenly looked at you and asked, “What was it called?”

“Mother, I don’t even remember what you made for dinner last night...” You muttered as you glanced down at Mina to see her comfortably sitting in your lap, except now, it seemed like her goal was to eat your fingers. You tugged your hands away from her slightly, still allowing her to fidget with your fingers.

“Over the Rainbow!” Your mother exclaims as she remembers the name. “That’s what it’s called! It’s about ten minutes from here? (Y/N) passes it every time she walks to school.” You looked at her curiously. I do? You wondered, I guess I don't really pay that much attention to my surroundings.

“Thank you so much, that will definitely come in handy!” Taehyung bowed his head slightly, grateful for your mother's suggestion.

“Why don’t you ask (Y/N) to take care of her, too? I’m sure you’re extremely busy, and keeping her at a daycare all day could get very expensive.” God dammit, Mother.

“Well, I actually did ask her before, but maybe you could convince her?” Taehyung flashed his pathetic puppy dog eyes at you before quickly redirecting his gaze to your mother.

“Oh, so you two have met before. Why didn’t I realize?” Your mother curiously glanced between the two of you, wondering how she hadn't know this.

“It was a few days ago, when I first moved in,” Taehyung cut his eyes to you and gave a boxy smile.

“Dinner is served,” your father entered the living room with a air of elegance. He wore an apron that was slightly dirty from all of his hard work in the kitchen.

“Excellent!” Your mother exclaimed with excitement. The guests stood and your mother led the way into the dining area, but one person stayed behind. Taehyung pulled at the legs of his slacks and crouched down beside you, opening his arms for his daughter. You dusted yourself off and before you could stand, a hand came into view.

“Need a hand?”

You realized there were only two options, and it almost felt like a dating simulator. Reject his offer—which kinda played in your head as slapping his hand away, but that was a bit extreme—and seem like a real bee with an itch, stripes and all, or accept his offer. Yellow was not your color. You gingerly placed your palm in his and tried to hide the fact that your body temperature was rising. What was it about him? Yeah, he was handsome. Like model-worthy. But why did just touching him make you want to blush?

You watch for a few moments with mild amusement at Taehyung tries to search through his diaper bag single-handedly before offering to hold Mina while he continued his search. You propped Mina on your hip and waited patiently. Once Taehyung found what he was looking for, a bottle that appeared to be filled with chocolate milk, you finally made your way into the dining room with Taehyung close behind you. You took your usual seat across from your mother and shifted Mina on your lap so that you could still eat comfortably.

“Are you okay with her sitting in your lap?” You looked to your left to find Taehyung looking at you curiously as he hands Mina her bottle. You subconsciously hold the small girl a little closer.

“Yeah, I'm okay with it.”

Dinner went on rather quietly. Every so often your father or mother would bring up random events, but you didn't really have much to contribute to the conversation so you remained quiet as you continued eating, bouncing your leg every so often when Mina would begin to wiggle around. What you really wanted to, but knew you couldn't, do was to retreat to your room and finish watching one of your shows, but that was off the table for the time being. You were in the middle of zoning out and finishing up the last of your meal when question caught your attention.

“...don’t you think?” Yep, the question was definitely directed at you.

You blinked repeatedly, stunned. “I’m sorry, what?”

“It’s a good deal, isn’t it?” Your mother and Taehyung beamed at you. You were so lost in your own thoughts that you hadn't been paying the slightest bit of attention to the conversation happening around you. You didn't want to chance asking them to repeat themselves and embarrassing yourself further, so you did what any normal person would do.

You nodded.

“Great! We hope that settles everything. Now, let’s eat cake.”

“Ooh, yes.”

a/n: hey all! i actually meant for this to be a christmas update... then a tae birthday update... but let’s just consider it all of the above and a new years update? haha <3 please enjoy. smut in the chapter to come.

SPECIAL THANKS TO BOTH MY EDITORS <3 [septiceyesky & sneheee]

You bring your hands up to his stomach, trailing feather-like strokes over his rippling abs and up towards his chest, curiously brushing over the exposed nipple. You jump slightly at the low groan that rumbles deep in his chest, suddenly tearing your eyes away from his hands and up towards his face, biting your lip ever-so-slightly as you find his gaze burning into yours. Taehyung brings his hand up to your face, thumb brushing against your lip before lightly tugging it free as he slowly leans in to- wait… Taehyung??

“Hey Kiddo, you’re going to be late if you don’t get up right now.”

You startled awake, hearing your father's voice travel through your bedroom door. You sat up, taking in your surroundings, slightly confused.

It was just a dream. You thought to yourself as your father continued to knock on your door in an effort to get you out of the comfort that is your bed. Mom would have just barged right in by now. You thought as you tossed your blanket to the side.

“I’m awake,” you called back. I'm awake. You shook your head in disbelief. Did you really just dream about your neighbor?

Swinging your legs over the edge of your pretty pink bed, you recalled the scene of your infamous neighbor shirtless and the sins you were committing, or were going to. You shook the image off  your head and began to get ready for the day. Though you just couldn't seem to neglect those addictive thoughts, your mind tediously drifting back to the dream you had just woken up from.

“Damn it, (Y/N), get it together,” you growled at yourself as you walked into the bathroom and gave yourself a once over, realizing you had very much looked like a worn out cab-horse. You’d obviously had a rough night. While the majority of your hair had managed to stay put in a loose bun, there were stray hairs tangled, balled up and rough, poking out here and there, every which way. Decorating your face, ever so slightly, was a trail of dried drool escaping the corner of your lips. Lovely. Truth be told, you could have spent hours pointing out every flaw in every nook and cranny, but you were pressed for time with your father’s nagging.

Your daily ritual was completed in record time, as you were fully dressed in a set of your neatly pressed uniform adorned with a slick ponytail. Stray hairs no more. When your mother called to you to hurry up for breakfast, you quickly put your shoes on and rushed down to the dining room. There, your mother sat at the table sipping her dark roast coffee and your father, shoveling food onto a plate.

“Aw, for me?” you swiped the plate out of your father’s hand and grinned as angelically as you could, earning an affectionate pat on the head.

“You need to hurry though, kiddo.” Your father pressed as he began to assemble another plate.

“What time is it?” You asked around a generous mouthful of chocolate chip pancakes. Oh, yeah, this was what you were waiting for. Thank God, you’re back, Dad, you thought to yourself blissfully as you glanced at the oven. “What are you guys talking about? I’m super early!”

“Did you forget?” Your mother finally chimed in, placing her coffee mug on the table and standing. She looked at the time on the stove and gasped, scurrying around the kitchen, gathering up her belongings and muttering something about being late.

“No surprise there; she is your daughter after all,” your father sighed as he untied the apron from around his waist.

“Forget what?” you questioned, looking between the two, thoroughly confused.

“You need to go to Mr. Kim’s house and pick up Mina.” Your father elaborated for you as he sat down at the table with his own plate.

“I’m not against seeing Mina… She’s the cutest little thing,” you started slowly before you shoved another forkful of pancake into your mouth, “But why am I picking her up?”

“Oh, hun, we really have to work on your memory skills,” your mother sighed as she pressed a kiss to your cheek and then kissed your father before waving goodbye, “Toodles.”

You hummed out a quick ‘bye’ before swallowing the lump of food, “Dad, I’m still not following.” You let out an exasperated sigh as you looked at your father once more.

“Of course not.” Your father shook his head with a chuckle. “Let’s just make this easy for you, kiddo; finish breakfast and go pick up Mina and drop her off at the daycare. After school, you’ll pick her up. I’ll make sure to text you and remind you. Understand, kid?” You nodded while your dad put the apron on its assigned hook before moving towards the staircase, “I’ll be in my office typing up some documents, so make sure to lock the door on your way out. You need to hurry, I can tell already you're going to be late.”

“Okay, okay,” you huffed. When did I even sign up for this, you questioned to yourself internally. Within five minutes, you were able to scarf down the meal your father had prepared. You grabbed your backpack and forced yourself to cross the street to Taehyung’s house. Before you knew it, your legs had carried you to the doorstep, but you were feeling nervous.

What would happen when you saw him? What were you going to do when you see him?

Stop being a little bitch, you finally told yourself, pressing the doorbell with a wavering finger. The door swung open only moments later, the abruptness of the action causing you to step backwards.

“You’re here! Just in time.” Taehyung stood before you with a tie wrapped around the collar of his shirt, left hand fidgeting with the tightness of the accessory. “Come on in,” Taehyung swung the door open a bit more and motioned you inside. You gripped the straps on your backpack, using them as your little security blanket.

“G-Good morning,” you finally stuttered out, and you heard Taehyung laugh. His lips formed what you were coming to realize was his signature boxy smile.

“So, I actually called the daycare yesterday morning, but of course they’re not open on Sundays. Luckily, I got to email one of the ladies there, and she said she’ll go over everything with you. I come home today sometime after six, so you and Mina can just hang out here until I get back. I’m kinda running late, so I left everything on the kitchen counter. Mina’s in the playpen.” Taehyung rattled off as quickly as he could once he looked at his watch and noticed the time.

You noticed Mina playing with the reattached mobile as Taehyung moved behind you. He picked up his jacket and kissed his daughter before awkwardly standing before you.

Aggressively, you nodded, unsure of what to do in this situation. What, was he going to kiss you, too?

Of course he wouldn’t, stupid.

Your cheeks were set aflame just at the thought, and your mind flashed back to the dream. You tried to distract yourself by taking in his appearance. But that did nothing. He looked good in a suit and tie, you noted.

Imagine how good he would look without it. Oh, wait, you already did. Against your wishes, you thought about his swollen lips and the purple bruises painting his skin under the dress shirt.

Taehyung cleared his throat, breaking the silence that had settled between you two aside from the occasional sounds Mina made. You quickly looked back up at his face, embarrassed at having been caught ogling him.

“Well, then,” he started, and you could have sworn you had seen an almost smug smirk take place upon his lips. “Take care and be sure to lock up.”

And then he was gone. You felt somewhat deflated, but for none of the right reasons. You kneeled beside the playpen and smiled widely at the little girl.

“Hey there, cutie,” you smiled. “Today’s polka dots, huh?” Similar to the striped dress and bloomers Mina had previously worn, she was now dressed in a pink polka dot ensemble. You picked the toddler up and propped her on your hip, making your way to the kitchen to find the diaper bag on the kitchen island. You assumed you’d just leave it at the daycare with Mina and pick it up later, swinging the object on your shoulder. Gosh, all this extra weight.

You looked around for a stroller for Mina so you wouldn't have to carry her the whole way. After a little searching, you found it. Folded up in the closet, you brought it out and set it up. Wait a minute, you thought to yourself as you stuffed the diaper bag in the undercarriage of the stroller, do I even know where this place is? I better make sure I search it.

You walked over to Mina to pick her up and place her in the stroller while she babbled away happily. After you strapped her in, you looked around for the keys that Taehyung must have left for you. You found it on the kitchen counter, along with a note from Taehyung.

(Y/N),

Here’s your key to the house. You can use it to lock up in the morning and let yourself in after school. There's food in the fridge and snacks in the pantry for Mina, you can help yourself as well.

Pajamas, diapers, and toys are all in her room, and if she starts to get fussy, try the music box next to her crib.

There was a lot more information written on just that little note, but the chain of numbers at the end caught your eyes.

Call me when you drop her off so i can save your number.

Thanks (Y/N) xx.

XX? Why did he put xx? Why did he need your number? Wait, your taking care of his daughter, of course he would want to call to check up on her. But xx? What did this mean? You blew out a sigh in an effort to calm yourself. You're overthinking this, you dork. You chastised yourself as you started to push the stroller towards the front door.

“Alright, let’s go, Mina.”

Dropping Mina off had been an easier task than expected. As you walked the small distance to the daycare, you couldn't help but notice the way that the neon sign for ‘Over the Rainbow’ stood out more than anything. Wow. You thought to yourself, Am I blind or what? How have I never noticed this place? You laughed at yourself as you took in the large sign adorned with clouds and rainbows; you really couldn't miss it.

It was relatively easy to get Mina checked in; all you had been required to do was write down her name, your name, and all of your contact information. Then the woman behind the desk, Alice, led you down the hall and into a room filled with other kids that appeared to be around Mina’s age. You followed Alice into the room and lifted Mina from her stroller before gently placing her on the floor. She stared up at you curiously, and as her lip began to quiver, you felt your heart drop a bit. Quickly, you grabbed the stuffed kitten you had found her with that morning and handed it to her, patting her cheek affectionately. She immediately lit up as she grabbed the toy and giggled, waddling away from you and towards the other children. You smiled to yourself and waved to the room’s aide, followed Alice back out of the room, and made your way to school.

“...and then, he asked me how much salt was in the average human body! I told him I didn’t know and the dude looked like he wanted to throw the textbook at me… Isn’t that a form of homicide? Homicide! He’s out to kill me! It’s Kasper-cide!” Kasper laughed at her own lame joke before she launched right back into another long-winded spiel.  “But, even then, he is rather good looking. His flawless skin, his beautiful face. Just... Him.” Kasper finished with a dreamy sigh.

Him. Taehyung. Honey. Everything about him reminded you of it. Sun-kissed, honey-soaked skin. Voice, smooth and feel like honey. Eyes a golden brown, like, well, honey. Sometimes you could swear he even smelled like honey.

“...Are you even listening?” Kasper asked incredulously, mid-story.

No, you absolutely weren't. You were mildly distracted to say the least, but upon hearing the question you answered in the affirmative and waited for her to continue her story so you could return to your daydreams. However, Kasper wasn't fooled by your half-assed answer, and she didn't bother to continue her story as she eyed you suspiciously.

“Okay, spill. What’s on your mind?” Kasper’s hand flew out and wrapped around your wrist, effectively halting you.

“Nothing.” You lied, unconvincingly, as your eyes avoided her gaze. More like, who’s on your mind. Throughout every single one of your classes, Taehyung had occupied your thoughts. It made no sense to you whatsoever; you had yet to figure out what had triggered him being in your dream last night!

“Sure as hell doesn’t sound like nothing. I thought we were best friends, (Y/N),” Kasper crossed her arms, releasing her hold on you, “And I tell you everything, so the least you could do is let me know what’s bothering you.” You could hear the twinge of sadness in her voice, a clear sign that she was upset that you wouldn't confide in her.

Your eyes fluttered closed and you thought about it before sighing in defeat. She wasn’t wrong; she really did tell you everything. Even the stuff I would prefer not knowing. You thought, internally shivering at unwanted memories.

“Well, I have this new neighbor.” You began, glancing at the time on your phone. Your school day had just ended.and while you were aware Mina was waiting at the daycare for you to take her home, you were sure that a few more minutes wouldn’t hurt anyone. Hell, it might even help you. Well, mentally, at least.

“And he’s cute, isn’t he?” Kasper asked, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

“Think more…” You pressed a thumb against your bottom lip in thought, “More model status? It’s not that he’s just cute; he’s literally ethereal. And he’s like a puppy a lot of the time, but he’s also hot. Like, wow, ‘Let me just take a moment to admire you’, hot.” You couldn't stop babbling about his attractiveness, mainly because you were still baffled by it.

“Okay, and...? There's gotta be more to it given how much you've been spacing out today!” Kasper pointed out, unsatisfied with your revelation, knowing there was more to the story.

“Right?” You grasped your backpack straps, “And he was in my dream last night.” You lowered your voice this time, glancing around to make sure no one overheard. Saying it out loud almost made blood rush to your cheeks; it made you kind of embarrassed.

“Dream? You dreamt of him? You mean, you had a..” Kasper leaned in to whisper, cupping her hand, “You had a wet dream?”

“No,” you pushed Kasper away from you slightly, your face burning red. “You have to orgasm to have a wet dream.” Kasper rolled her eyes at you. That’s how it works, isn’t it?

“Think of it this way, my friend. With sex, do you always orgasm? No. If you were doing some naughty things in that dream, you had a wet dream.” She explained with a knowing look.

“It wasn’t a wet dream.” You insisted. Though, it sounded as if you were saying it to convince yourself rather than your best friend.

“Shall we talk about this dream over ice cream?” Kasper suggested as the two of you walked outside.

You shook your head, “Ice cream sounds so good, but I can’t. I’ve got a job.”

“Oh, yeah?” Kasper seemed confused. “Since when did you have a job?”

“Yeah. Rain-check.” You offered Kasper a smile before turning on your heel and making your way towards the daycare.

The daycare was conveniently located about halfway between your school and your neighborhood, so it wasn't much of a hassle to get to; and for that you were thankful. As you strolled up to the building, your phone began to ring.

“I’m already at the daycare, Dad.” You knew exactly what your father was calling for. “Don’t worry,” you reassured him as you stopped just outside of the daycare, feeling it would be rude to be on the phone when she talked to the aide to pick up Mina.

“That’s good.” You could hear people chattering in the background, the overlapping voices making it slightly difficult for you to hear your father. “I actually almost forgot, too. Things are getting hectic here.”

“Don’t worry about me, Pops. I got this.”

“I’m not worrying. I’ll see you when I get home; love you, kiddo.” You replied with a ‘love you, too’ and hung up, escaping the bitter December air and entering the daycare. You saw that some parents or guardians were already picking up their kids as you searched for Mina. Your eyes landed on her as she was playing with a looping table of beads, her eyes focused on the colorful orbs as she pushed them around.

“Who are you here for?” You jumped slightly and whirled around, coming face to face with an unfamiliar woman. Alice, the woman who helped you check Mina in earlier, seemed to be busy helping other parents round up their children.

“Excuse me,” the woman prompted, bringing you back to your senses once again. “Who are you here for?”

“Mina Kim.”

“Little sister?” The woman turned the clipboard around for you to sign next to her name.

“Not quite,” you offered a small smile, and the woman’s expression faltered for just a second. Could she… “She’s my little cousin.” You fibbed. Not that it really concerns you. You thought, defensively, feeling like you were being judged.

“Oh!” The woman noticeably calmed down, breathing a sigh of relief. “I’m sorry; it’s just, as of late, there have been younger mother’s appearing. It makes me worry for their futures.” And what business would you have worrying for them?

“No problem..” You looked at the name tag on the woman’s collared polka dot shirt, Miss Anne. Your smile widened as you signed the clipboard for Mina’s release. “How was she?”

Miss Anne pointed at a color chart, ranging from red to green. “Do you remember these from when you were in school?” You nodded—how could you forget the ever-so-famous behavior chart when you’d always been the one dancing the dangerous line between orange and red. Miss Anne continued her spiel, “Mina was one of the best behaved. Has she been to daycare before?”

“Uh, no,” you shook your head with uncertainty. You just knew your new neighbor had moved down here for a pre-school, but had he brought her to a daycare before? You doubted it, she was still so young. “But that’s great, I’ll be sure to tell her father.”

Miss Anne waved over the other daycare teacher, motioning for her to bring Mina over. Mina let go of her hand and waddled over to you, raising her hands for you to pick her up. You smile at her and do as she pleases, hugging her close to your chest. She snuggles into your neck and you feel an unfamiliar warmth in your chest as you instinctively hug her closer, shifting her on your hip so you can gather the rest of her things.

“We’ll see you tomorrow then? I hope we meet her father sometime, too!” Miss Anne and the other daycare teacher smile and wave as you leave.

The rest of the week continues on like that: briefly meeting with Taehyung in the morning before he scurried off to work, dropping off Mina and leaving her with a little lunch bag, ditching Kasper to go and pick up Mina, and relaying what had happened that day to Taehyung before going home and sleeping.

“Did you want some?”

You jumped slightly at the the deep, teasing tone in his voice, turning quickly to face Taehyung as he leaned against the kitchen counter. He looked as beautiful as ever, staring at you, his hooded gaze penetrating your very being. You watch him poke the grapefruit tart in front of him with a fork. You couldn't help but stare as he lifted the fork to his lips and ate the very tart he had offered to you. He began to walk towards the stool you were seated on, stopping only once he stood in front of you. You could only watch as he stared down at you, stepping forward and gently nudging your legs apart with his knee so that he could stand even closer to you. Not once did either of you break eye contact, even when you felt his warm palm making contact with your knee, rubbing soothing circles into it before sliding further up your thigh towards your center, pushing the fabric of your skirt up higher as well. Your breath caught in your throat, his touch setting off a thousand butterflies in the pit of your stomach.

“Did you want some?” Taehyung repeated, his mouth now centimeters from your ear, and you could have sworn his voice had dropped an octave or two. The sound of it, combined with his close proximity, sent chills down your spine in the most delicious way. You opened your mouth the say something, anything, but you couldn't find the words. You could feel Taehyung’s hand slowly moving back towards your knee, and your mind cleared, little by little, with the increasing distance between his hand and your heated core.

“Y-you already a-ate it all.” There was an edge to your tone, and Taehyung’s lips lifted into a smirk. He leaned into you, his body flush against your own, his warm breath fanning over your lips. Before you even realized what was happening, you reached up and grabbed the collar of his shirt, closing what little distance was left between the two of you and pressing your lips firmly onto his own. You could feel his lips curve up into a smirk underneath your own just before he tilted his head and deepened the kiss. You could hardly begin to describe the intense satisfaction you felt as he placed one of his large hands on the side of your face, massaging you cheek tenderly. You couldn't help but sigh and lean into his touch just before you felt his other hand beginning to fiddle with the zipper of your skirt, pulling it down agonizingly slowly. The sound filled the room and you could feel your chest tightening anxiously. Was this for real? Was this actually happening-

Beep. Beep. Beeeeeep.

You startled awake as you fumbled around, searching for your phone to turn off that damn alarm. Once the task,was accomplished, you sat up and sighed, the remnants of your dream causing you to look around in a daze. You could still feel butterflies as you recalled the intimacy of your dream. You shook your head in an attempt to shake off the effects of your dream and decided to check your phone instead.

Today would be the first Saturday since you started babysitting Mina, but you weren't sure if your services were needed today. You debated texting Taehyung to see if you should come by or not, but you decided against it. He would text me if I was supposed to have gone there. You reasoned with yourself. Right? You shrugged to yourself before getting out of bed, not bothering to change your clothes before going downstairs to join your parents for a lazy Saturday. Your father glanced at you from behind his wire-rimmed glasses, forgetting about the laptop before him.

“Morning,” you greeted, grabbing an apple from the fruit basket on the counter. You bit into the fruit and watched your mother twist in her seat to face you.

“Is that what you’re wearing?” She asked, her tone incredulous.

“What do you mean?” You asked defensively, looking down at your clothes, unsure of why she had a problem with your attire.

“Nevermind,” your mother sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose in thinly veiled annoyance. You tilted your head, confused, before looking at your father for some kind of explanation.

Your father breathes deeply before getting up and putting his dishes in the sink. “What your mother means is, you can’t go babysitting in your pajamas, kiddo.” The piece of apple you’d been munching on nearly spilled from your mouth, your hand coming to salvage the mess.

“What,” you mumbled through the mouthful.

“What do you mean ‘what’?! You agreed to babysitting six days a week!” Your mother rolled her eyes at your forgetfulness and got up, shrugging on her blazer and leaving you there. You hissed a curse under your breath so your father couldn’t hear and ran back up the stairs to your room, scrambling for your phone. You went through your contacts and found Taehyung’s number, pressing call for the first time since you’d obtained it. When you’d gotten his number, you had only done what he’d said; shoot a text that read ‘Hi; it’s Y/N.’ The only indication that he’d gotten the darned text was the ‘READ 9:32AM’ below your own message.

“Hello?” The voice on the other end of the line made you freeze, bringing back the butterflies that you felt this morning. He had picked up on the second ring, hardly giving you any time at all to prepare yourself. “Hello,” the voice on the other end said again when you didn’t answer. The voice was deeper than you had expected it to be, and you felt like you’d dialed the wrong number. Maybe that's why he hadn’t replied previously.

“Sorry, wrong number.” You moved the phone away from your ear, about to hang up, when you heard a tiny voice yell ‘wait’.

“Y/N, right?” You nodded before answering with a barely audible ‘yes’, realizing he couldn’t exactly see you.

“It’s the right number, what’s up?”

“I… I didn’t realize I was babysitting six days a week. Do you still want me to go?” You asked, embarrassed at you own neglect.

“Oh, I thought you knew. I dropped her off at the daycare already, so whenever you’re ready, go ahead and pick her up. I figured you’d rather sleep in on your weekend.” He explained, not sounding bothered in the slightest.

You shivered at the sound of his voice. Deep and smooth, like honey. “Yeah, I did sleep in.”

You heard some shuffling on the other end, “So did you sleep well?” You imagined him in a large office, an even larger window behind his desk. You wondered what he actually did—you noticed some of his Gucci pieces, so you gathered that he was a big spender.

“Extremely,” you responded quickly, flashes of your dream springing to the front of your mind. “I’ll go get dressed and I’ll pick her up.” You said as you began to search for something appropriate to wear.

“Sounds good. I’ll see you later then.” Taehyung agreed.

“Of course. Work hard,” you muttered, and then you heard the click. You glanced at your phone screen. The conversation had lasted just over a minute, but already you were practically melting. Had his voice always been that smooth and deep? Or had your dream awakened feelings you weren't sure were welcome. You huffed, tossing your phone back onto your bed and going straight to the shower.

You took your time getting ready, feeling like you were in a daze. You had taken a twenty minute shower, waiting until the water ran cold and your fingers were pruney before stepping out and drying yourself off. You pulled your damp hair into a messy bun, deciding it could air dry on its own, and laid on your bed wearing nothing but your towel. You stared blankly at your phone in an attempt to block out the feelings that the phone call and your earlier dream had stirred up. What is going on with me?? You wondered to yourself, sighing deeply as you received a text from Kasper.

Kasper 👻 [Sat. Dec 28. 11:54 AM]

Busy today?

You read the message before sliding to open and reply to it. You typed out your thoughts, ‘Apparently. I didn't realize I work six days a week for a job I didn't even sign up for. I haven't even got paid yet!’ You rolled your eyes as you recalled the mornings events.

Kasper's typing bubble appeared and you waited patiently for a reply.

Bloop!

Kasper 👻 [Sat. Dec 28. 11:56 AM]

Dang, that's tough. Busy and broke. I was going to ask you if you wanted to come and hang out with me a little later today.

Kasper 👻 [Sat. Dec 28. 11:56 AM]

Maybe get some ice cream.

Kasper 👻 [Sat. Dec 28. 11:57 AM]

Then again... it's frickin freeezing outsideeeee.

YOU [Sat. Dec 28. 11:57 AM]

It looks sunny outside tho

Kasper 👻 [Sat. Dec 28. 11:59 AM]

Everyhthig is not as it seems.

Kasper 👻 [Sat. Dec 28. 11:59 AM]

Everything*

YOU [Sat. Dec 28. 12:00 PM]

Well, either way, I'm booked. Maybe tomorrow? I should be off then.

Kasper 👻 [Sat. Dec 28. 12:03 PM]

Why not invite me over to the bachelor's pad?

YOU [Sat. Dec 28. 12:03 PM]

I'm not trying to get fired during my first week lol

Kasper 👻 [Sat. Dec 28. 11:54 AM]

Too bad. =n= I tried. Catch ya tomorrow then

You laughed at the little emoticon Kasper attached, standing up from your position on the bed and walking to your closet. You pulled out a knit sweater and leggings, hoping Kasper hadn't been exaggerating the weather's wrath.

It felt oddly quiet as you walked to the daycare. You had gotten used to Mina’s abstract words and mumbles. All you could hear now were the occasional birds chirping and the cars zooming past you. You couldn't help but to feel a bit lonely.

The air was crisp; cold. You had barely managed to bundle up in a large sweater, even wrapping a scarf around your neck to shield yourself from the lashes of wind. You could already see yourself in the mirror, nose running, ears reddening. You couldn't believe that the sun had betrayed you; it had been so bright out!

You sped up your pace, reaching the daycare earlier than you had anticipated. There were less kids than normal, but it seemed like there were some new faces—a possible result of having come later than usual and on a Saturday. Upon your entrance, the door opened with a jingle, an occurrence you had never previously noticed, and Mina quickly rose to her feet, plopped down with the abruptness, and got back up before tottering over to your side in a matter,of,seconds. She latched her small arms around your leg and looked up at you with a grin.

Miss Anne picked up a small boy and made her way towards you, holding out an envelope and the clipboard to sign Mina out.

“How are you today?” Miss Anne beamed at you, pearly whites almost glimmering. You tried to match the magnitude of her smile, picking up the pen and signing your name in the slim blank space.

“I’m doing well; so far, anyway. My day has actually just started, anyway.” You explained as you put the pen back down.

“Did you sleep in?”

“I did,” you responded, finally answering the tugging of your leggings by lifting Mina into your arms. She snuggled her head into the crook of your neck and grabbed a fistful of your scarf, loosening it. “You seem exceptionally happy, as well.”

“Indeed. Care to guess why?” No, not particularly.

“I couldn’t imagine why,” you muttered quietly. You really didn’t even know the daycare teacher that well, so how would it be possible for you to know what made her so happy? Maybe none of the kids had made that much of a mess today? You shook your head and waited for her reply.

“Why didn’t you tell me Mr. Kim was so handsome?! Tell your brother to visit more often!” Miss Anne acted her thoughts out over-dramatically, waving her arms in large circle and making different symbols to match. You turned away slightly, moving Mina away from her teacher's flailing appendages.

“Wait…” You cut her off as she delved into how she couldn’t believe a man so handsome was in the vicinity. “Brother?” When had she gotten the idea that Kim Taehyung was your sibling?

“Well, you don’t look alike, but you did say this little bundle of sunshine here was your cousin.” Miss Anne reached over to pinch Mina’s cheek, but stopped upon realizing she had dozed off on your shoulder. Her lips parted slightly and drool leaked from her mouth to your shoulder. You crinkle your nose a little bit but you honestly didn’t mind too much.

I did, but that would make her my niece, you thought to yourself. “Oh! I did,” you finally say rocking your body just a bit to calm Mina’s stirring. “I don’t consider, er,” you cleared your throat, “Ahem, Taehyung…” Your voice rose an octave with his voice tumbling from your lips. “I don’t really consider him my brother; but Mina is like a cousin to me.” You tried to make sense of your words, but Miss Anne just stared at you awkwardly, nodding slowly.

“I’m sorry, that doesn’t make much sense,” you shook your head. “Well, I should get out of your hair…” You trailed off, desperately wanting to escape this situation. All because you hadn’t done your job and forced Taehyung to run late this morning.

“Is Y/N still here?” You and Miss Anne both turn to the violently jingling door with the abrupt interruption. In the doorway with mussed silver hair, was Kim Taehyung. Beads of sweat ran down his temple and his clothes were crumpled. He looked like he was in a rush.

"I'm here," you turned to face Taehyung fully, your voice coming out in a mumble laced with confusion. Taehyung breathed out heavily, pulling a napkin from his pants pocket and wiping it across his forehead. Some of the dye had begun to drip down his forehead, too, so the action caught the droplets before it could stain his honey skin. Although it was so light you wondered if it would even be able to stain the skin at all.

"Great! I caught you in time."

You were at a loss for words. Wasn't he just at work? What could have happened in the span of time between your call and you getting here to force him to run from God knows where to catch you? Had he even run here? Were you getting ahead of yourself? You scanned his appearance once more before realizing he had an umbrella in hand.

"Good afternoon, Miss Anne,"

Taehyung greeted before moving further into the room. He stopped beside you, offering a smile and his arms. You shook your head, explaining that she was sleeping.

"Oh, Mr. Kim," Miss Anne's tone shifted dramatically. From one of excitement, to one of pure lust. Was that allowed? You quirked an eyebrow discreetly, waiting to see how this scene would unravel. You felt an unfamiliar tightness in your chest as you looked between the two. "What are you doing here?" If this had been a scene out of any cliche teenage romance novel, you would have guessed that she would've attached some luring line at the end of her question. Something along the lines of 'Did you miss me?' or 'Couldn't get enough of me this morning, huh?' You just knew that Miss Anne clearly saw Taehyung as more than a client.

"I got off work early." Taehyung explained as he pulled the scarf from his neck and wrapped it around his hand, slowly unbuttoning his shirt to cool down. You wondered why he had been in such a hurry.

"Oh, is that so?"

"Mm-hmm," Taehyung hummed, almost looking bored. "How was Mina today?"

"Who?" Miss Anne's eyes looked as if she was a deer caught in headlights. Taehyung cocked an eyebrow at her before his glancing over at his daughter pointedly. "Oh! Yes, Mina was exceptional today. No tears. Ran off to Y/N as soon as she saw her, though."

"Y/N and Mina have struck up a bond quite quickly, don't you think?" Taehyung glanced at you before looking back at Miss Anne. You wondered whether you should leave, but saw no point. You felt like you were intruding on the conversation, but if you left, it would almost be like you were kidnapping his kid. You were conflicted.

"Yes, it seems so." Miss Anne began to fiddle with her apron pockets before finally pulling out an envelope similar to the one she'd give you. "Before I forget, this is just a little flyer. The kids are going to put on a performance; a few different plays. I gave Y/N the envelope with what Mina needs for these next few weeks, but the one I handed you, Ta--Mr. Kim, contains the time for her performance and such."

"I appreciate it." Taehyung took the envelope gratefully with both hands before flapping it, "I can't wait to see it."

"Indeed," Miss Anne echoed. "I..."

The cry of a child pulled Miss Anne's attention. The other daycare teacher had attempted to soothe the boy, but it just wasn't working out.

"Then, I hope to see you again." Miss Anne ushered off, leaving just you and Taehyung in the space next to the door.

"You dyed your hair," you awkwardly said after a few silent moments.

"For work." Taehyung stared down at you—maybe not at you, but at Mina. "You sure you don't want me to take her?"

"It's fine. I don't want her to wake up." You began to walk towards the door and Taehyung pushed it open for you due to your arms supporting his daughter. "I didn't know office workers dye their hair for work."

"Well, I'm not your ordinary office worker," he shrugged. Taehyung shivered at the cold wind before wrapping his scarf around his neck again. He opened the umbrella and moved close to your side, holding the object above both your heads. It was raining, and you hadn't even noticed.

"Where's your car?"

"I actually drove home first." Taehyung glanced at you before urging you to walk with him. "I saw the weather report today, but apparently you didn't. I ran from home to the daycare, just in case."

"Thanks."

"Of course. Don't want Mina getting sick. She's a pain with a stuffy nose." You felt your expression fall slightly— of course he was worried about his daughter; that was to be expected. "And if you go sick, then who'd babysit Mina when I'm out?"

"The daycare seems to love you,” you pointed out, glancing at him. As soon as you had done so, you immediately regretted it. You understood what Miss Anne was feeling. Kim Taehyung was too handsome for his own good; your heart almost couldn’t take it.

"Mina loves you, though." A car zoomed past, catching Taehyung's attention. He gripped the umbrella in his other hand before switching sides so you were on the inside of the sidewalk. You felt your heart skip a beat at the chivalrous act.

The walk to Taehyung's house was just as quiet as your walk to the daycare. The only difference was that instead of the mocking loneliness you felt earlier, now you felt an air of tension as your shoulder occasionally knocked against the taller man's arm. The walk, while you felt as if it had been dragging on due to the tension alone, ended all too quickly. Soon enough, you stopped at the door of Taehyung’s home, and he unlocked it quickly, stepping inside to escape the rain.

“Don't you want to come in?” he asked quizzically, realizing you hadn't followed him in. You almost didn’t hear him over the heavy pittering of the rain on the pavement. The roof of the house just barely shielded you from the rain, fat droplets rolling down and exploding against the ground. You shook your head, waiting for him to take the sleeping Mina into his own arms, but he just stared at you. His eyes gazed at you, almost peering into your soul. At least, that was what it felt like. You felt like you stood stark naked before him, and as if the cold hadn’t made you red enough, you felt your cheeks flush an even deeper red.

Taehyung leaned down, and while you assumed he’d take Mina, you feel his warm breath fan your face and his cold palm against your burning cheek. What is he doing? You thought nervously, butterflies returning at full force. As you opened your mouth to voice your though, his own lips came down upon yours, effectively silencing you. His lips moved lazily, and when you didn’t immediately move away, his other hand rested on your hip to pull you in, ignoring the small body between your chests. His lips were just as cold as his hands, but you welcomed the feeling.

You stood there for a moment, his mouth moving cautiously against yours, seemingly still testing the waters. You weren't sure what came over you but when you felt him bite your bottom lip and gently suck, you jumped back in surprise. The sudden movement caused Mina to stir and whine sleepily. You stared at Taehyung in a daze before you saw his eyes widen, as if he had just now realized what he had just done. He immediately began spitting out apologies, and you couldn’t help but stare at his lips, plump and bruised from kissing you. You. You shook your head and pushed Mina into his arms, ready to make a beeline straight to your room, but of course that wouldn't happen as you’d imagined it. His hand gripped your wrist, stopping you in your tracks.

“I’m so sorry; I didn’t—”

“See you Monday, Tae,” was all you said, not even realizing you’d called him a nickname as you shook your wrist free and ran across the street to your home. You thought back to your conversation with Kasper earlier that day.

You read the message before sliding to open and reply to it. You typed out your thoughts, ‘Apparently. I didn't realize I work six days a week for a job I didn't even sign up for. I haven't even got paid yet!’ You rolled your eyes as you recalled the mornings events.