-', ❝(009: 𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗲) ꒱ ↷👽🛸❞

"아홉"

IT WAS STRANGE TO SEE TAEHYUNG so amazed by something so simple and common like a grocery store.

He walked beside Aspen, looking around at all the aisles of food and other things. His dark eyes sparkled with wonder wanting to wander around and touch things, see what they were and what they would do. The food on Earth was far different from the food on his planet.

Aspen had ordered him to keep at least one hand on the cart at all times and that's what he did, denying his urge to touch things like a small child. She didn't want him to break anything.

While Taehyung was in his own little wonderland, Aspen was throwing food into the cart, enough food to last the 2 of them, and occasionally Jin when he comes over, for a while. Sure, it would blow a hole in her savings and completely discard her budget, but she had priorities, like feeding a constantly hungry and curious alien when crash-landed in her backyard.

"What is that?" Taehyung asked, pointing to the alcohol section of the store as all the bottles of wine. Aspen shook her hand and turned the cart away, dragging Taehyung along with her. "Nope."

Taehyung looked at her with a sort of confused pout on his face. "What? I do not get it." He was genuinely confused, looking back to the alcohol with curiosity.

"It's nothing. I'm just not sure I want you surrounded by glass. Turn too fast and you might take the whole shelf down." Aspen commented. She also feared what effects alcohol would have on him. It was better if she avoid the situation altogether. "Now, come on, we gotta go the long way to get the cookies."

Taehyung didn't know what cookies were, but if he could eat it then it was fine with him, so he just shrugged and shuffled along with the car as they left the aisle. They got their cookie dough and off they went to get some fruits and vegetables.

"Earth has Rahhea?" Taehyung pointed out the large bin of dragon fruit, completely discarding Aspen's rule of one hand on the cart. He picked up the fruit and smiled. "That is intriguing."

Aspen had no ideas what "Rahhea" was but she knew that was a dragon fruit. "I don't know what you're talking about. That's a dragon fruit." Taehyung stared for a long while, examining the fruit, turning it in his hand. "It looks similar to a fruit we have on my planet." Finally, he turned to look at Aspen, and with a blank stare, he said,

"I want it."

Aspen pursed her lips. "Nigga, you can ask." Taehyung raised a brow at her. "What is a ni-" two hands were slapped over his mouth before he could say it. In hindsight, Aspen probably should have told him not to say it beforehand.

"Don't say that. Never, ever, under any circumstances do you say that word, okay?" She kept her hands clamped over his mouth, waiting for him to give any confirmation that he understood. He looked slightly scared, mostly confused, and nodded slowly.

Finally, Aspen released him with a sigh and took the dragon fruit from his hands, and placed it among the rest of her groceries. Then, she grabbed him by the wrist and placed his hand back on the cart. "Come on."

Taehyung walked along with the cart, marveling at how Earth had very similar fruits to his own planet. Such as bananas. He thought it was odd that they were yellow of all colors. Tarus were normally a blush pink color on his planet.

Once back home, Taehyung asked Aspen to cut open the dragon fruit for him to eat. He was curious if it tasted anything like the fruit at home.

He was basically breathing down Aspen's neck watching as she hit the colorful fruit in half to reveal the white, heavily seeded innards of it. That is where the difference lied. Still, Taehyung hesitated not to grab a spoon and scoop out a spoonful of dragon fruit innards.

He shoved the spoon in his mouth and found that he was rather underwhelmed by the fruit. Rehheas on his planet were rather sweet fruits, these "dragon fruits" tasted like essentially nothing. Taehyung's like formed into a pout. "That's rather disappointing. If it supposed to taste this way?"

Aspen only shrugged. "I've never had dragon fruit before." It wasn't something she was particularly interested in trying despite it being quite an interesting-looking plant.

Taehyung scooped up some more and held the spoon to her lips. "Try some." He encouraged her to have some but rightfully, Aspen hesitated. She didn't know enough about him and how his body worked. What if his saliva was acidic? That was stupid, he would have burned through the spoon if it was acidic. Still, she hesitated to open her mouth.

"Go on." He encouraged with wide eyes. Slowly, Aspen opened her mouth and ate the dragon fruit from the spoon that was just in his mouth. He was right, it was kind of disappointing. A fruit so colorful and beautiful looking tasted almost like nothing. But Aspen couldn't really focus on the taste when Taehyung was standing so close to her, she could feel his warmth. She took a large step away from him. "You're right, it does taste bland." She turned away from him to start on breakfast.

Taehyung didn't leave though. He sat and accompanied Aspen while she cooked, not necessarily helping, but he wasn't entirely useless. He grabbed things from the cabinets and fridge, handing them to her when she asked. When he wasn't doing that, Taehyung was looking over her shoulder as if studying her human ways. He was a curious soul, studying everything to tell the people of Ashauu about how humans operate and go about their lives. Earth technology was so different from theirs, not less advanced, just different.

But Eventually, the heat of the stove was making Taehyung overheat and so he waddled away to the living room and flopped down on the couch beside Yeontan who perked his little head up. It was always a gamble with the small dog. Some days, he would be fine with Taehyung, walking over his lap, sitting beside him, but other days, one little thing would set the dog off and he'd be yapping at his feet and biting his ankles.

Taehyung didn't try to pet the dog, not wanting to take the chance of getting a small Pomeranian attached to his face by the teeth. He wondered if all dogs were so bipolar in their behavior or if it was unique to Yeontan.

After a few long minutes of cooking, Aspen came into the living room with two plates of food, sitting one of them down in front of Taehyung while going to the opposite side of the couch to eat her own food. It was a conscious effort to avoid him. She had allowed herself to become too close and knowing herself, she caught feelings like she caught colds, which was often.

"What is this sticky brown substance on the food?" Taehyung asked, referring to the syrup the was drizzled all over his plate. He picked at it suspiciously, looking to Aspen for answers. She didn't look back at him, strictly avoiding his gaze while she picked up a piece of bacon. "It's syrup, just try it."

Taehyung trusted her judgment for the most part. He didn't understand how she could drink coffee every day. He picked up his fork as well and stabbed some of the egg before putting it in his mouth and eating it as well. His lips turned into a smile as he hummed with delight. "This is good." He said as he stuffed his mouth full of food. Aspen shook her head. "Don't talk with your mouth full."

Taehyung swallowed the food in his mouth and smiled at her. "It's really good. You are a great cook." He complimented her, making Aspen's face heat and her skin turn slightly red.

"Thanks." She murmured. Taehyung looked at her curiously, wondering why she seemed so flustered, but he decided to leave it alone as he just wanted to eat.

After eating the hot food, Taehyung felt himself becoming overheated and went to go turn the thermostat down, even more, to accommodate, also hoping that Aspen would cuddle up with him again to keep warm, though he wasn't sure if she'd do that again after this morning. A man could hope.

Taehyung soon came back to collect Aspen's empty plate along with his to take into the kitchen and put in the sink so he could wash them later that night. When he came back, he sat down on his side of the couch once more. It took a little bit for the house to cool down and over time, he cooled down himself, yet, it was still too hot.

Aspen shivered slightly at the sudden chill that washed over the house and immediately looked to Taehyung. "You turned down the thermostat again didn't you?" Taehyung gave a sheepish nod of his head. He wasn't very good at lying. He wasn't good at the concept of being untruthful. "I was hot." He told her shyly. Aspen sighed and got up from the couch to go get a heater for herself.

Taehyung reached out and grabbed her wrist, stopping her. Aspen looked down at him with curiosity as Taehyung opened his arms, offering himself to her.

"Tae..." Aspen sighed, ready to tell him no that she had already been over this, but Taehyung had given her the saddest look and the softest "please". He liked hugging her, holding her close. It felt nice to embrace someone. To have that close intimacy. Taehyung was sure it was a product of him being on Earth. He never felt this way before.

"Fine." She caved reluctantly, allowed Taehyung to pull her down and into his lap. He opened his legs on either side of her as he wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tight to his chest. Aspen could honestly say that he was better than any heater than she could ever buy. He smelt masculine, something deep and earthy, ironically enough, and he was so warm, heating up her entire body and protecting her from the cold air like a blanket.

Aspen's head rested against Taehyung's chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart as she watched the kid's show with him without a word. She shouldn't be doing this, but her mind gave way and she simply hugged him.

Taehyung also enjoyed doing this, far more than he should. He's never done this before but it felt right. He didn't know how, but he felt it in his chest. He liked certain things about Aspen, noticed things that he didn't before, though he hadn't known her for very long, only a few weeks. He liked the way the corners of her lips would twitch upwards in a small smile when he didn't understand something. He liked her curly hair that was often pulled back in an unruly bun or ponytail, exposing her pretty features.

He liked how cold she could be sometimes, keeping Taehyung in check when he stepped out of line, but she could also be patient and caring if she had the capacity to do so that day.

Taehyung felt something and he wasn't really sure what it was. He didn't like the unknown, it scared him.

But he felt as though this unknown was good.

*.✧ Kᴀʏs Eɴᴅɪɴɢ Nᴏᴛᴇs

This chapter is very different from the original. I decided to change it cuz I didn't like it as it was before. Idk if you guys like this version better but 🤷‍♀️

Thank you all for reading. I hope you guys enjoyed and I wish you all a wonderful day/night.

사랑해

~Kay (●'3)♡(ε'●)