Between Blood and Desire ~ YoonMinSeok

A Quiet Respite.

Authors pov

One year later...

A year had passed, and so much had changed. Life felt simpler now, though the scars of the past still lingered in Hoseok’s heart. On the outskirts of Seoul, in a modest apartment surrounded by the hum of quiet neighborhoods, Hoseok had built a fragile sense of peace.

The laundry room was cramped, the scent of detergent hanging in the air as Hoseok folded the last of the clothes. His hands moved with practiced ease, his mind momentarily at rest until a sudden loud bang echoed from the living room.

His head snapped up, his heart skipping a beat. “Oh no,” he muttered, hastily setting down the clothes before rushing out of the laundry room.

He hurried down the short hallway and pushed open the door to his bedroom. Inside, the culprit revealed herself—a tiny girl sat on the floor, giggling as she held a lamp that was supposed to be on the bedside table.

Hoseok sighed, the tension leaving his body as he stepped inside and gently shut the door behind him. “So this is where the commotion was coming from,” he said softly, his lips curving into a fond smile.

The little girl looked up, her dark eyes lighting up at the sight of him. She clapped her small hands together in delight and got to her feet, wobbling on her unsteady legs as she toddled toward him. “Mommy! Mommy!” she chanted, her voice high-pitched and sweet, though slightly garbled.

Hoseok’s smile widened, his chest tightening with warmth as he crouched down to meet her. “My little troublemaker,” he murmured, scooping her up into his arms. “What were you up to, huh?”

The child giggled, her tiny hands reaching up to cup his cheeks. Her grin was wide, showing a mouthful of small teeth as she babbled excitedly. “Mama! Lamp go boom! Lila fix!”

Hoseok chuckled, his heart swelling at the sound of her voice. “Lila, you’re not supposed to play with the lamp,” he said gently, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. “I thought you were sleeping, sweetheart.”

Lila, his daughter, tilted her head as though deep in thought. Then, with a serious expression, she patted his cheek and declared, “Wake now! Lila play!”

Hoseok sighed, his exhaustion melting under the weight of her innocence. “Of course you’re awake,” he said, shifting her in his arms as he carried her toward the bed. He sat down, bouncing her slightly on his knee. “Do you ever stay still, hmm?”

She giggled again, her fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt. “No, Mommy! Lila no stop!” she announced proudly, her baby talk making him laugh.

As Hoseok gazed at his two-year-old daughter, a bittersweet feeling washed over him. Lila had come into his life sooner than he expected—far too soon. She had been born after just five months of pregnancy, a phenomenon that puzzled him and the doctors alike. And yet, despite all odds, she had been perfectly healthy.

He looked at her face, her bright eyes and tiny nose, the way her small mouth formed words she didn’t yet fully understand. She looked so much like Jimin. Too much.

Hoseok’s smile faltered for a moment, his thoughts drifting to the past. He missed Jimin. He missed Yoongi. Despite everything, there was a hollow ache in his heart where they used to be. But he had to let them go. For his sake. For Lila’s sake.

He kissed her forehead again, holding her close as she snuggled into his chest. “I just hope,” he whispered, his voice barely audible, “we never meet again. I can’t deal with that drama again.”

Lila stirred in his arms, her small hand grabbing at his shirt as she looked up at him. “Mommy sad?” she asked, her baby voice soft and concerned.

Hoseok blinked, startled by her question, and shook his head quickly. “No, baby. Mommy’s not sad. Mommy’s happy because he has you.”

She smiled at that, her laughter filling the room as she pressed her small hands against his cheeks again. “Lila love Mommy!”

Hoseok’s chest tightened as he held her closer. “And Mommy loves you, my little star,” he murmured, letting the weight of his emotions settle into a quiet resolve.

Whatever happened in the past, and whatever might come in the future, this was his world now—just him and Lila.

And for now, that was enough.