Home Is Where the Heart Is

Chapter Two

Jeongguk didn't break their agreement for the day. Mostly. At some point, while Seokjin was aptly listening to a shop attendant explain to him the different types of shampoos for baby feline fur, Jeongguk had snuck off with Taehyung to buy a toy, a car seat, a bag, and a stroller.

"The car seat is a legal requirement," Jeongguk had argued as Seokjin glared at him at the till. Taehyung was happily kicking in the stroller, the bag strapped across his chest, with a tiger-stuffed toy squished in his arms. "I was buying the toy for me. Taehyung happened to like it."

"And the stroller?" Seokjin questioned.

"... My arms were getting tired?"

Seokjin rolled his eyes, and the cashier giggled because no one was buying that as an excuse, but Seokjin let it go. It made Jeongguk happy, and the car seat was a legal requirement, and he was going to have to bake three cakes to go along with the cookies to pay him back.

"Will that be all?" the cashier asked with a grin as he finished ringing everything up.

Seokjin passed over his card, noticed that Jeongguk was standing firmly outside the store, and couldn't help but smile. Jeongguk was trying, at least, for his sake. As much as it was probably eating him up inside not to be able to coddle and dote fully, he respected Seokjin's wishes not to take over their shopping trip.

Seokjin stepped out of the store with the bags of supplies hanging on his arms. Jeongguk's fingers twitched on the stroller handles. Seokjin ignored it. "Alright! I've learned everything I ever needed to know about hybrids."

Jeongguk snorted. "You talked to the attendant for twenty minutes about feline shampoo."

"And conditioner, Jeongguk-sshi," Seokjin corrected. "My Taehyungie will have the softest, most luxurious hair and fur in the world."

"Luxoree," Taehyung said from his stroller, still kicking his feet. "Jin! Dr. Cloud!"

The tiny bag Taehyung had was lifted into the air. It was a pouch with a clear, curved window on the front. Inside of it sat Dr. Cloud, jostled but there.

Huh. "How resourceful, Taehyung-ah! Dr. Cloud fits right in there, doesn't he!"

"Yes!" Taehyung screamed. He put the bag back down and lifted the tiger instead. "Taetae!"

"Why hello, Taetae," Seokjin responded cheerily. "It's nice to meet you."

Taehyung giggled, pulling the tiger back to his chest and kicking his feet again.

Jeongguk gave him a look as he pushed the stroller away from the baby store. The hybrid baby store. Something Seokjin would have never even known to look for.

They were in a hybrid shopping center, and it was nice. Brightly lit by the sun and artificial lights, even though all the shops were inside. Floors of shops. Hundreds of plants decorated the walkways. People were laughing and passing by with their children. There was even a connected hotel!

It was nothing like the dingy, open-air markets he was used to.

"Taehyung-ah," Jeongguk said as he expertly maneuvered them through the crowd. "Before we eat, can we get you cleaned up?"

Taehyung pulled his tiger in tighter. "No hurts?"

"It won't hurt. Seokjin-sshi will be extra gentle," Jeongguk promised, looking at Seokjin with a nod.

"Oh, are we heading back home?" Seokjin asked. He tried to keep the disappointment out of his voice. "We can order in some burgers."

Jeongguk shook his head. "If you're okay with it, there's a children's spa in the hotel. I can get us an appointment room. Only if you're okay with it."