VHope Fluffshots

Piece of Peace

"Kim Taehyung?" the man asked apprehensively as he opened the front door. Taehyung kept his head up and did his best to display no signs of nervousness as he gave him a small, close-lipped smile. "Yes, sir," he confirmed as the man gave him a once-over, obviously judging him. He really didn't care; everyone who met Taehyung always judged his appearance before getting a taste of his character. Always. 

Just then, a girl came to the door and gently pulled her father out of the way. She smiled brightly at the tattooed man before her. "Hi! Please come in!" she cheered and pulled the young man into the large house. The high ceilings, expensive furniture and spacious rooms made Taehyung a little bit more nervous, but he kept a blank face as he looked around. "This is a very lovely home," he inquired as he was moved to the enormous living room, which had all-white couches and a loveseat.

"Thank you, Mr Kim," the girl's father grumbled, earning a humorless chuckle from the man. "Taehyung is fine. I'm only twenty-one," he remarked. 

The father nodded and allowed him to sit on one of the couches. The young girl sat down right next to Taehyung, resting a hand on her protruding belly - the sole reason he was even here in the first place. "It's a boy," she whispered in his ear so her father wouldn't hear. An interested smirk washed across Taehyung's face as he looked down at her. "Really?" he whispered back, earning a nod. "We found out today." 

Before he could offer another comment, the girl's father cleared his throat. "So, you want to adopt the baby?"

Taehyung smiled brightly, contradicting his intimidating exterior. "Yes, sir. I've always wanted children, but..." He cleared his throat and pushed his glasses up on his nose. "Considering my... my past... agencies have turned me down. They believe I'm still as reckless as I used to be." He swallowed hard as he remembered his old job. His best friend owned the business and, after forcing him to take an oath of silence, let Taehyung go so he could pursue the life he had always wanted. 

A lone tear attempted to run down his cheek, but he quickly wiped it away. "I just want a quiet life now. I'm young, but I would love to raise a child. I want someone to guide and love me unconditionally. I feel so horrible that you're giving your baby away, but... I can't express how thankful and grateful I am for this meeting right now. "

The girl smiled and patted his arm gently. "Taehyung, it's okay. I'm not able to bring up a child. I just want him to be healthy and happy and safe... I want him to be loved."

She placed Taehyung's hand on her belly as the baby kicked. He gazed deep into her eyes, his voice unwavering as he said, "He'll be loved, I promise."

-------

The two men cloaked in black stood side-by-side as they gazed into the one-way window of the hospital nursery. "I can't believe you're doing this," the first one said, shaking his head in disbelief. Taehyung sighed and turned to his friend. "Jungkook, you know that this life is better for me. Jin-hyung let me go because unlike you, I hadn't killed anyone. Yes, I worked with the drugs, but I have no enemies. Plus, he's still protecting me," he pointed out matter-of-factly. 

Jungkook pulled his black face mask back over his mouth and nose. "That doesn't give you an excuse to raise a fucking child," he bit back. A smirk graced the older man's lips. "I raised you." With that, he entered the nursery to go see his baby, leaving the young assassin alone in the hallway. 

One of the nurses led him to the middle of the room, to a baby in a crib, swaddled in an emerald-green blanket. Those brown eyes shone with some sort of wonder that normal people didn't possess as they locked with Taehyung's for a good five seconds, then away to another part of the room. He was a rather skinny baby and his pure, honey skin seemed to glow with its own light. 

"You can hold him," the nurse said with a knowing smile, watching as the intimidating-looking man tried desperately to hold in his tears as he picked up his son. Taehyung cradled him in his left arm, moving his bandaged right hand to allow a tiny hand to wrap around his index finger. "He's so beautiful," he whispered, voice cracking as he smiled down at the little bit of peace in his arms. This time, he didn't bother hiding his tears of joy; instead, they flowed down his cheeks in a steady stream. "He is," the nurse agreed, "What are you going to name him?"

Without taking his eyes off of the precious little baby, Taehyung breathed out, "Hoseok."

They were silent for a minute, then the nurse cleared her throat. "We believe there's something wrong with him. Like, he isn't mentally... there, you know?" she stuttered out nervously. Taehyung narrowed his eyes at her, silently allowing her to continue. "Just... keep a log of his activities and behaviors and bring it to every doctor's appointment; see if there are any irregularities with him." He nodded in understanding, flashing her an appreciative smile. "I will."

Looking back to Hoseok, a large, boxy smile washed across Taehyung's face as he kissed his baby's hand. "I love you, Hoseok. I just hope you love me, too."

-------

"Oh, you're so precious, baby," Taehyung cooed as he sat on the couch, Hoseok laying on his chest. His head was right over his heart; purple ink spelled out the word 'loved' on his bare chest. Hoseok slept soundly, the blanket he came home in drying in the dryer and his outfit changed to a white, long-sleeve onesie with little green socks and a little green hat to match. The tattooed man kept a large, protective hand on his son's back, his other supporting his bottom as he smiled down at him. 

Who knew that this one little boy - this tiny human - could make a man like Taehyung feel so happy, so at peace with the world. This little baby made Taehyung feel like a new man - a good man. Hoseok was his little piece of peace, which he would cherish and protect and lead away from the path he himself took. He kissed his son's head gently. 

"Please, Hoseok," he whimpered, voice cracking slightly, "Please don't ever be like me."

does this look familiar? Happy Days!

- Tae