𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐒 | 𝐊- 𝐏𝐎𝐏

𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗉𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝗈𝗇𝖾 𝗁𝗎𝗇𝖽𝗋𝖾𝖽 𝖿𝗈𝗎𝗋𝗍𝗒 𝗌𝗂𝗑

Chapter 27: Domestication

Taehyung comes out of the shower clothed in Hana's pink silky robe to find her busy in the kitchen preparing something for them to eat. He wraps his arms around her waist from behind and peers over her shoulder at the pan on the stove. She turns her head to kiss his cheek, already settling into a comfortable pattern.

"You look amazing. That really suits you," she indicates her pink robe, teasing him, but deep down, she thinks it's true and she enjoys watching as he models it playfully.

"What are you making?" he reaches over her to grab a bit of the cabbage.

"Gaeran tost-u," she offers. "It's similar to what I would eat in Seattle. I hope you like eggs," she says realizing she knows almost nothing about his tastes. He kisses her cheek and walks over to the table to see that she has tidied up her books and papers. He sits down.

"I was hoping to look over some of your art books. Maybe you can share them with me later. I'd love to know what type of art you really love."

"Sure. I've got plenty of art books. I brought only books from Seattle. Well, and my Grandfather." She blushes at the statement. He smiles over at her as she carefully brings two plates to the table.

"Is he here? Now." He looks around cautiously.

"In my closet. It's not ideal but I have nowhere else that's safe to keep him until the day." She sits down next to him at the small table and begins to pour tea for him. He grows solemn.

"When is the day?" he asks quietly.

"On the 23rd, it's his birthday." She stares far off in the distance and he watches her. "I intended to do it a few months ago on the anniversary of his death, but, well, I wasn't ready to let him go yet. And, I told myself it was better to honor his birth." A single tear appears in the corner of her eye. Taehyun reaches his hand out to take hold of hers, squeezing it gently to comfort her. She looks over and smiles slightly, uneasy in the awkwardness of the moment. She squeezes his hand in return, and then turns to her teacup, pulling her hand away. He watches her for a moment. "I've decided to do it at sunrise. At the park where they met. It seems fitting."

"May I go with you? When you say goodbye." She looks over at him curiously. She smiles and nods slowly but doesn't speak. It's enough for him. He smiles to himself so broadly, as he tries to hide his joy. He wants to be there with her. He wants to support her. He's already sure of her. But for her, he realizes that allowing him to be part of such a ceremony is monumental. It means, not only that she expects to still be with him in a month's time, something she would have rejected before last night, but also that he is welcome at perhaps the most important moment in her life.

He watches her take a bite of her breakfast, and she closes her eyes, smiling at the food. He chuckles at her and she looks over surprised.

"What?" she asks, embarrassed.

"You made the cutest face when you smiled at your food." She laughs and a covers her mouth with her hand, hoping he won't notice how red she's turned. He begins to eat.

"Tell me about your Grandparents. Is it unusual to be raised by your Grandparents in Korea?" He shakes his head.

"Not really unusual. Sometimes families all live together. My parents were struggling, and my Grandparents lived on a farm with a lot of room, and they needed help too," he tells her. She looks up surprised.

"Oh a farm boy?" She laughs a little at the idea. "I wouldn't have guessed that about you." He smiles.

"I did warn you to expect surprises from me," he says proudly and she nods, agreeing. "My Grandparents were amazing. I always felt completely accepted by them. I was always a little, well, unusual. I wasn't like a lot of the other kids and they always made me feel like I was special and loved."

"Were you close with your parents?"

"I worshipped my father. I guess I still do." He smiles thinking of him. "I know he gave up a lot to try to make my life better."

"Where are they now?" she asks, unsure if she should ask, knowing how uncomfortable people become when they ask her about her own family.

"My grandparents have both passed. A number of years ago. First my Grandfather, and then my Grandmother two years ago. That was hard." She puts her hand on his to comfort him as she listens. "My parents moved back to Daegu last year. They were living in my apartment before that and it was really nice having family with me." He looks a little sad as he finishes his meal, cleaning his plate.

"Why did they move?"

"They wouldn't tell me at first. But weeks later my mother told me they left so I would have space to find my own family." They look at each other across the table, in awkward silence. She isn't sure how to go on but since he brought it up, she feels that she should.

"Do you want a family?" she asks, afraid to meet his eyes in case he gives the wrong answer. He reaches out and takes her hand in his to draw her attention to him. He smiles at her.

"Yes, very much." She bites her lip and drops her eyes, looking down at her plate shyly.

"I'll just clean up these dishes and-" he interrupts her.

"I'll take care of the dishes, you go shower and get changed." They stand to carry dishes to the small sink.

"What about your clothes? Not that I don't enjoy seeing you in my robe but you might prefer something of your own." He nods.

"I've already put in a call. I am having some clothes brought here later and they will take my car home so it doesn't attract anymore attention. I will call for a ride when we need to go somewhere." He has a system, and it's natural to him. It still seems unusual to her but he doesn't seem phased by any of it so she doesn't ask anymore questions. "Now, go get dressed." He kisses her cheek and points to the bedroom door. She smiles.

"Yes Oppa," she bows. He flushes red at the term, his eyes lowering and he arches his eyebrow at her seductively. She turns to leave before she gets too distracted at the sight of his lips, his sparkling dark eyes, or his soft hair still damp from her shower.