ELVEN | K.TH

62: ENDING

Two years later

RINEI

"V! Just help me out, dammit!"

"Those aren't my kids." He shrugs, looking bored on the couch with his legs crossed. He adjusts his book over his lap, shifting lazily with an amused look.

My eyes widen when I hear a splatter of something spilling onto the wooden floor. I whip around, to see Rinyoung pour an entire jug of milk on top of Taemin's head. He shrieks, his high-pitched crying echoing through the entire cottage.

I quickly pull a soaked Taemin away from trying to murder his twin sister.

"V!"

He sighs. And I nearly throw something, my stress already through the roof. Both Taehyung and I had spent a sleepless night last night, with the twins yelling and crying for no reason.

So I had forced him to switch with V and at least try get some rest.

"Fine." He whispers. Then he tosses the book down on the couch, before briskly walking over to pick Rinyoung up from the floor. She struggles, squealing wildly in his grip, but he hushes her with a hand over her mouth.

"So where do you want me to take her?"

"Anywhere." I gasp, as I try to avoid Taemin's flailing. "Anywhere away from here. They're not going to calm down unless they don't see each other right now."

"Alright."

He walks out of the cottage, with Rinyoung in his arms. And I can finally focus on Taemin— I knew that I could trust him to do a fine job. He had done this last time, a month ago.

I scowl.

It was just the matter of getting him to do it.

"Come on, baby boy." I purr, exhausted as I carefully wipe his pale cheeks with a warm cloth. "Don't cry. Come on now."

He sniffles. Then he finally quits crying, blinking his silver eyes as he snuggles against my chest. A weak smile tugs on my lips.

He really was an angel, when he wasn't crying.

He had a gentle demeanor. With ears tipped, cheeks pale like mine and eyes sterling silver. He looked mostly like me, while Rinyoung was a spitting image of Taehyung.

Her skin was deep golden, matching the dark bronze of her catlike eyes. Her demeanor was completely opposite from Taemin's, wild and always looking to pick fights with the younger twin. The sharp tips of her ears looked like they'd been chiseled by knives.

She was a real troublemaker, that one.

I sigh, falling back into the couch with Taemin cuddling in my arms. He's slowly falling asleep now, and I wait— humming a low lullaby.

When he starts snoring softly, I carefully lay him down on the cot where the twins slept. Just in time, V pushes through the door, with Rinyoung magically fast asleep in his arms as well.

"Thank you so much." I breathe as he lays her down next to her twin brother. He scowls.

"She nearly took out my eye."

I laugh. But now the twins are asleep, and I coo softly when Taemin wraps his small arms around Rinyoung in his unconsciousness. She wraps hers around his waist, mumbling something inaudible.