Closer than Ever

Chapter 23 - Biased

Although it feels really risky to me, I finally give in and let Taehyung drive me over to my apartment to pick up my clothes and Luthien. He agrees to drop me off a block or two away from my place, circle around, and park out back. With his face mask, shades, and ball cap, I'm hoping he won't be too noticeable... Just your average tall, gorgeous man with fluffy hair and huge eyes, right?

"What's the door code?" he asks as he pulls over to let me out.

I climb the stairs, wondering if this is a crazy thing we're doing. Tae is already waiting inside, with Lulu snuggled up in his arms as if they've known each other for years. I look at them and shake my head. "Lulu is so whipped for you!" He grins and buries his face in her fur.

"She's such a sweet kitty!" he says, and starts singing her a song in English. "So I'll feed you, A million tiny fishes, You can have a cat bed, With kitty toys inside..."

"Kim Taehyung, I thought you were here to help!" I protest, laughing. "What are you two doing right now?!"

He laughs, but sets the cat down on the sofa. "What can I do to help?" he asks.

I grab his hand and pull him into the bedroom, and he goes "Oooh" in his deep-and-sexy-voice. Giggling, I say, "Not that, silly! Can you reach down my suitcase?" I point at the top of the armoire.

"It's an honor, my little one," he says, still using his deep voice. I spank his ass as he reaches up, and he laughs down at me, but hands me the bag.

"While I fill this up, can you go look in the storage thingy on the balcony for Lulu's carrier?" I ask him over my shoulder. Tae nods and salutes. I cram as many work clothes in as I can, along with yoga pants and t-shirts, two comfy pajama sets, and then all the sexy pieces I bought while shopping with my Pohang friends. Only about half of my clothes fit in the bag, but I can always come back again later for the other things.

I pull the suitcase out into the living room and find Taehyung sitting on the sofa, Lulu already snuggled into the carrier. He gives me a kind of strange look.

"What? What's that look?" I ask.

"Nothing," he answers, but he looks... smug, maybe?

"You're being weird, lovie!" I say. "But how did you get Lulu in the carrier so fast?!"

He looks down, surprised. "I just picked her up and set her in there," he replies. I walk over and grab his hands, checking them for blood.

"Seriously!? She scratches me to pieces, but you can just 'pick her up and set her in there'?!" I shake my head, and walk into the bathroom to grab the bare necessities.

The last thing I do is fill a shopping bag with the perishable groceries from my refrigerator and freezer. Steak, thin sliced chicken breast meat, fruit, veggies, cheese. I don't want these things to go to waste, and Tae's fridge is usually pretty sparse.

In ten quick minutes, we're back in the Palisade, headed... home, I guess? That word gives me a weird shiver down my spine.

As he drives, Tae glances at me a few times with that odd look in his eyes. "Noona," he finally says. "You're ARMY, right, so who's your bias?"

"I'm not going to tell you that!!" I say, giving him an appalled look. "I don't have a bias anymore, anyway. I have a sweetie man and his six brothers."

"OK, but who was your bias before?"

"Why do you want to know?" I ask, laughing.

"I'm just curious..." he says. "Who was it? Was it Hobi-hyung?"

"No."

"Namjoonie-hyung?"

"Hmm... are you just going to ask me everybody's name until you learn all my secrets?"