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The front door swung open, as Taehyung stepped in, holding Y/n's hand. They were still laughing over a stupid joke she made.
"Appa!!" the twins shouted in unison.
Hana and Ha-joon, six-year-old bundles of energy, crashed into Taehyung's legs, wrapping their tiny arms around him. He crouched down, pulling them both into a tight hug, his face lighting up with joy. "I missed you so much!" Hana exclaimed, her pigtails bouncing.
"We counted the days!" Ha-joon added. "Twelve! That's so many!"
Taehyung chuckled, planting kisses on both their foreheads. "I missed you both even more. Were you good for grandpa and grandma?" The kids nodded eagerly.
Y/n stepped forward with a warm smile, holding two carefully wrapped boxes. "Hey, I brought you both something from our trip."
But the twins didn't even glance her way. They were already pulling Taehyung toward the living room. "Appa, read us the lion story!" Hana begged.
"No, the pirate one!" Ha-joon insisted. "You promised last time, remember?"
Y/n lowered her hand slightly, her smile faltering. "I can read it to you too, if you want. Your appa can read the lion one and I will read the other one." Both children shook their heads, almost simultaneously.
"No, just Appa."
Y/n stood there awkwardly, the gifts still in her hands. Taehyung glanced over his shoulder, catching the momentary hurt in her eyes. He gave her an apologetic smile and gently touched her arm.
"Go rest, Y/n. You must be tired from the flight," he said softly. "I'll take care of them for now."
She hesitated, nodding slowly. "Okay... I'll just go unpack."
As she walked up the stairs, she felt heavy. They will accept her, right? ____
Y/n sat on the edge of the bed, brushing her fingers through her hair. The clock ticked past midnight, but Taehyung still hadn't come upstairs. She had changed into her nightwear, lit the bedside lamp, and waited with a book open on her lap, but her eyes kept drifting to the door.
With a small sigh, she set the book aside and padded barefoot down the hallway. She glanced toward the twins' room, the door left slightly ajar, and instinctively peeked in.
Her steps stopped.
There, curled up on the edge of the small bed, was Taehyung, fast asleep with Ha-joon tucked under one arm and Hana resting her head on his chest. A storybook lay open and forgotten on the floor. Y/n's heart swelled.
She stepped into the room quietly, careful not to wake them. Taehyung's arm was draped protectively around his kids, his breathing slow and steady, his long eyelashes brushing his cheeks.
Y/n bent down slowly, lifting the fallen blanket from the foot of the bed. Gently, she tucked it over them, smoothing it out around Hana's tiny frame and brushing a lock of hair away from Ha-joon's forehead.
