My Hybrid's Duality [ KTH ]

Chapter XIX. You Never Walk Alone

You find Taehyung in the kitchen, making breakfast.

"Ah, good morning, [Y/N]ie!" he greets upon noticing you, "I'm almost done here."

"What's for breakfast today, Taetae?" you ask, trying to peer at what he's making.

"Galbitang!" he answers, lifting the lid off of the pot with a flourish. The aroma of the soup wafts to your nose, and you feel yourself salivating at the delicious smell.

"Wow!" you exclaim, "You made galbitang all on your own?"

"Well, I had a little help from your recipe book," he says, "but don't expect too much!"

"I'm sure I'll like it anyway because Taetae made it!" you tell him, giggling as his cheeks redden. He waves his hand at you in a shooing motion.

"I'll serve it soon, so please take a seat!"

As you sit by your small table and wait for Taehyung, your mind chooses to busy itself by flashing back to the previous night's... almost-kiss. With impeccable timing, Taehyung arrives to set the table just as your face is heating up from the memory.

"[Y/N]ie, are you okay?" Taehyung asks, glancing up at you with concern.

"Y-yes! It's just the, uhh..." Your eyes fall on the galbitang. "...steam! It's the steam from the galbitang that's making my face red."

"I see..." Taehyung says, looking unconvinced. He seats himself on the other side of the table, across from you. There's a definite undercurrent of awkwardness as you both just sit there, staring at the steaming pot of soup between you, like you expect it to sprout wings and a tail, and breathe fire at any moment.

Taehyung clears his throat.

"Uhm... Shall we?" He raises the ladle to punctuate his question.

"Ah! Yes, of course!" you say, lifting your bowl in response, "Let's eat!"

Taehyung ladles soup into your bowl, and then into his, and you both proceed to eat your breakfast with the concentration of a surgeon performing open-heart surgery.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"So,  [Y/N]ie... What would you like for dinner tonight?" Taehyung asks casually as he's loading dirty plates into the dishwasher. You're in the middle of blow-drying your hair, and turn off the hairdryer in order to better hear Taehyung's question.

"Sorry, what?"

"Dinner..." Taehyung says, "What do you want?"

"Dinner?" you parrot dumbly.

"Yes, dinner," Taehyung confirms patiently.

Of course. Dinner.

After you get home from work tonight, you and Taehyung will be eating dinner together, as you always do.

'Because Taehyung will be here when I come home, like always.'

Irrational tears start forming in your eyes. Taehyung notices, and his expression immediately turns melancholic, guilt lacing his features. He wipes his hands on the dishtowel and approaches you.

"[Y/N]ie..." he says, "I promise, you'll never have to come home to an empty house ever again." He bows his head, looking ashamed. "Last night was... That sort of thing will never happen again, I swear."

"I know, Tae. I know," you tell him, holding back tears.

"Do you really?" Taehyung asks, insistent, "Because it's important to me that you really, genuinely believe it."