Honey, Gold, & Gucci ch.2 | KTH
;pairing — taehyung x reader
;warnings — single dad x high school senior | first part smut-free
;summary — Honey-kissed skin, golden eyes, all adorned by Gucci. Maybe the fun part is just the thrill of him being older, getting to come back from a completely mundane day of classes and wrapping yourself in his arms, playing a pretend perfect family. But for sure, you knew you loved feeling him on you, in you, all over you.
;word count — 7,262
“(Y/N).” You shiver at the tone of his deep, honey-soaked voice. You felt an odd sensation in the pit of your belly, one you hadn’t quite felt before. You blush slightly, looking up at him as he hovered above you. You could see the purple bruises and bitemarks littering his chest, his kiss-bruised lips, and the way his cheeks flushed as he breathed heavily. Your head was spinning as you tried to fully grasp what was going on or why you were feeling this way.
You can feel his hands sweetly caressing your skin, the way they were firmly, yet gently grasping onto your thigh. Those same sinful hands gradually hitch your skirt up your hip. His head dips into the crook of your neck and you can feel his hot breath as he pants slightly, pressing open mouthed kisses against your soft skin. When he pulled back, you could see the veins in his neck straining beneath his damp skin as he loses himself in the moment.
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.
I think I just got paid, you thought, slamming the front door behind you.











