You didn't realise that it's already evening now. Nari was discharged from the hospital in afternoon but you had to make sure that she and your niece Jihyo were totally comfortable in their apartment.
You had put everything they could need in Nari's arm range so she wouldn't have to call Jimin every time. A decent and delicious meal was also prepared by you and with help of Jimin who looked too tired after everything. They both did actually. Is that what it's like to be new parents?
You smiled putting a blanket over the father who accidentally slept on living room couch without even having dinner. He deserved some rest after all and Nari would tell him to eat whenever he wakes up.
Kissing a goodbye to the mother and daughter duo and assuring them to call you if they need anything, you're ready to go to the bakery to pick up Taehyung.
It's 31 December, the night after Taehyung's birthday and the night before new year. Normally you would spend it with your friends, eating and drinking and watching fireworks together. But not tonight.
From the adventures of last night that includes fighting at a club recklessly and spending the night in hospital just to see the face of awaited baby, partying tonight didn't seem like a good idea. And what's better than being cozy in your home and watching new year programs with a cup of hot chocolate in hand and a good company?
There is such a rush in the bakery this evening. Everyone seems to be buying some goods and eat them later with their loved ones. But that crowd only means that Taehyung would have to work till later. So not wasting your time, you wear your apron and starts doing the waitress job which you've done countless times because it used to be your part time job before you got your permanent banking job.
Time seems to flow like sand from your fingers, so languid that it slips without much realisation and before you know it's already 9 in the evening when the bakery finally closes down for the day. Your muscles ache as if you've ran a marathon for a whole day which would actually be less compared to all the things you had actually done today.
Taehyung looks just as exhausted and you decide against making dinner and just pick up chinese take out on your way home. There's no rule that says you should eat traditional home meal on new year, is there? Almost falling asleep in the car when Taehyung drives you both back to the house time again seems to move faster than you can comprehend that you don't realise when those noodles and dumplings went into the pit of your stomach.
Now you and the hybrid are watching some music show on television in your usual position (you laying on couch and Taehyung sitting in front of you on carpet) but this time your hands are not moving in his soft luscious locks, scratching his scalp and ears. They are limp on the couch because you're a coward and can't touch the man anymore without thinking about his confession last night.
And once the recollection of that particular memory invades your mind, it doesn't go anywhere. It sits so heavy in your head that it's all you're thinking about now, totally ignoring the music show which you would've enjoyed otherwise.
You sit with a huff and flips the switch off, the tv dying down momentarily and a specific set of eyes setting on your face curiously.
"I think we have some ice-cream in fridge. Let's grab it and go to rooftop." And so you do, dragging your hind limbs across the floor as a sudden tiredness envelopes your whole body. You don't even want to think about it let alone talk it out with Taehyung but it's something that's inevitable and you'd rather do it now than waiting out.
With half bowl finished a silence follows the two of you, air thick with tension and you could feel it with the lack of oxygen in your lungs that suddenly develop.
"You don't need to say it. I know what you're thinking?" Talk about being straightforward. You had thought that it was a trait that only you possessed but maybe it's rubbing off on the jaguar-leopard hybrid as well.
"What am I thinking then?" Absentmindly you ask as your spoon scrapes against the bowl with a screeching sound that indicates your ice-cream is almost finished and you can't make it the excuse of staying quite anymore.
"Do I really need to?" An annoyed huff is what you would call escapes his mouth and cuts the thick air as sharp as knife. "Very well then."
"I know you want us to forget last night. You think what I feel for you is just infatuation."
"Isn't it? Just infatuation?" You can't help but ask putting aside the metal bowl and looking into the distance. It's dark but small dotted lights are scattered all over the place emitting to their fullest, looking beautiful as ever.
He chuckles, not happily but mockingly and you purse your lips into a thin line. "It's not and you can't change my mind otherwise." Taehyung takes a deep breath before continuing, "And now that I think about it, you're just....scared. Why are you scared Y/n?"
It's the first time you look into his eyes ever since the two of you sat on the rooftop of your small house and the look in his eyes says everything. He can read you like an open book and there's no escape for you from his enticing eyes and the way they hold you down to confess your deepest confessions.
"I'm your owner, legally and if I have a relationship with you then it'll all be so complicated. I don't want to take advantage of you Taehyung."
He chuckles again that mocking laugh of his and your eyebrows knits together at the sound. "How can you take advantage of me when I'm giving you all of my consent? Besides there's no law against having a relationship with your hybrid." He says annoying.
"Besides I don't even like you like that."
You spat before you can think twice and the air becomes more tense than before to the point it's suffocating your whole respiratory tract. Your eyes find Taehyung's again which falls on his throat and you can see him visibly gulp.
"Y-you-" He takes a deep breath, both to calm his breathing and his voice. It takes him a moment to collect himself and to look at you just so he could see if what you said was even true. Because again, you're like an open book to him and he doesn't need your words to know what's going through you.
"You're really going to lie straight to my face?" Taehyung asks in disbelief, his eyes set on just you meanwhile you're glancing at everywhere except his face because no, you can't lie if you look at his face.
"Y/n are you saying I can't feel how your breathing is picking up? Can't see how flushed is your face right now? Can't hear how hard your heart is beating?"
You hadn't realized these little details yourself until he pointed them out. It's something to do with his hybrid abilities right? You want to tell this to yourself but you know that noticing these things about you has nothing to do with him being a hybrid. It's just his nature that makes him observe everything and everyone with keen interest.
"Say something now." Taehyung presses and it's not that you don't want to talk but your mind is literally blank at this precise moment. He has rendered you speechless without even doing much, making you gulp down any other lie you were going to spew.
"Is it because I'm a hybrid? Maybe you wanted a human." You know he's pressing your buttons until you crack under the weight of his words and finally break free from the confines of your fears. And guess what? You take the bait.
"Tae- what even-" A puff of breath you've been holding finally escapes through your lips and you fall deeper into his trap before you can even realise. "You know I'm not like that and if I want someone then it would very well be you."
There's no noise around you after you said it and it's that very specific moment where you contemplate what your big mouth just said. That big grin on the hybrid indicates very much that he can see the embarrassment colouring your face some pretty shades of pink and red.
You try to hide them by cupping your cheeks and shutting your eyes close with a deep groan. "You are such a rascal!"
The man does nothing except from laughing, cupping his own mouth to muffle his laugh and not to make you embarrassed anymore.
After roughly ten seconds or so he takes your hands away from your face to take a better look at you and you open your eyes as well to watch the beautiful sight of Taehyung smiling warmly at you.
"Hey, you don't need to be shy. I'm not asking you to date me or something right now." You groan again hearing his words. The pretty colour that had started to subside from your face and neck returns, making you tug your hands from his hold so you can cover your face again.
But Taehyung is not having any of it. "You don't need to make any decisions now. Let's wait and see how thing go okay? Until you actually accept your feelings. What do you say?"
You sniff and then smile a little, heart warming at the affection and concern shows in Taehyung's eyes and squeeze his hand enveloping yours. "Yeah let's do that."
He smiles wider, the boxy shape you adore so much. His ears twitch and he literally bounces on his seat filled with excitement. "Now let's get back to normal and don't hesitate to touch me."
You laugh when you realise he must have felt your withdrawal for skin to skin contact so you scoot over to his side to hug him dearly.
His chin falls right on your shoulder, hot breath hitting the back of your neck. Suddenly an explosive sound reaches your ear making you flinch at the loud noice and Taehyung hugs you tighter in his embrace.
"Hey it's just fireworks. Open your eyes."
And when you do open your eyes, you're left to awe at the different glittery colours lighting up the sky. It makes you realise that new year has started and it's going to bring new things in your life as well.