❝All the bad days, they're nothing to me, with you.❞
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Word Count: 1952

«NARRATION»

Taehyung's eyes gleamed in the warm light casted by the lamp on the bedside table. His mind was focused on reading the last chapter of the book he got from the library a few days back.

He was so consumed into reading the fiction that he didn't't notice his wife missing from the vacant space beside him, until he decided to stretch his arms a little and felt the other side of the bed, empty.

It was terribly snowing outside yet Lisa had insisted of going out to fetch some groceries from the nearby supermarket at a gas station without his help. He did comply, on the sole reason that she would call him in an hour or so after she was done.

He checked his phone, having discovered there were no missed calls. He felt a little strange, but decided to let go thinking he was being overly concerned.

Usually he wasn't the type of openly display his affection, so he rarely did the same — which didn't quite deny the fact that he loved her. He surely did, but he wasn't used to the comfort of having to live with an arranged partner just yet (although having married Lisa for over eight months now).

Upon finally finishing the book, Taehyung wandered around the house, back and forth with his phone in his hand, the soft trudging of his slippers echoed in the empty hallways.

'Should I call her? Would it be a better option to wait, she must be on her way home?' A number of similar questions drifted in his mind before he finally gave up and scrolled through his contacts to find Lisa's number.

The phone rang once, twice, thrice... before the call disconnected by itself. And when it finally connected after ringing up the nth time, he was quickly met by a car horn barging loudly against his ear.

"Lisa? You ok—"

"Can you quickly open the garage shutters for me? I'll explain everything to you once I reach in..." She sounded panicked, her voice shaken but there wasn't enough time to worry about that.

He quickly pulled the lever and watched the garage gate open before observing the headlights of a familiar car speeding towards the entrance. It felt very tense and noisy for a minute straight before atmosphere settled down in silence, only the soft patter of snow slipping from the roof being heard.

Lisa quickly grabbed her plastic bags before watching out for possible dangers, before pulling down the garage cover and rushed in upstairs directly into the hall where Taehyung had been waiting.

"Where were you? What happened there? Oh my, you're shivering?!" Taehyung bombarded her with a number of questions she never expected he would ever ask.

Lisa pressed her palm against his mouth to stop him, before passing him a heavy sigh.

"Promise me you won't freak out?" She requested before pulling her hands back to herself before he nodded and fetched her a glass of water.

"I was filling the car trunk with the groceries when a creep parked a pickup truck right beside me. It was weird since the lot was entirely empty and he could've parked anywhere though the real problem started when he lowered the window a little and kept staring at me. He didn't get down into the supermarket for once, he kept staring until I got into the driver's seat. I was shocked when he stepped out right then a very older and muscular guy, by the way. He stepped close and wanted me to let him into the car and when I kept refusing his request he violently hit on the glass window when I had to immediately rush out, with him following me. This is why I asked you to keep the shutter open because—"

"No, no. I get it. I told you I could've accompanied you, didn't I? But you chose to be a warrior yourself, speeding off in the slippery streets. What if you were knocked out huh? You keep shutting me up as though nothing happened. I am not accepting your silence."

"What are you planning to do?" Lisa bit her lip, worrying if Taehyung wasn't thinking of a crooked step that could land them both in danger.

"To the gas station of course. I want— I need to check the CCTV tapes by asking the manager for not installing security around."

"It's freezing cold outside, that creep might be lurking out somewhere nearby and you want to go out?! Don't be stupid!"

"Do you realise you are at fault for even stepping out in this cold weather? What sort of a husband would I make of myself letting my wife go out like that, under the threat of possibly getting killed?"

"You are seriously worried about that? Your reputation?" Lisa's brow twitched and she looked visibly annoyed with her husband's reluctance.

"No. My responsibility as your lawfully wedded husband."

"Am I a responsibility in your eyes? I can't believe you, Taehyung-ssi." She scoffed unbelievably before she barged into the bedroom leaving Taehyung astonished and obviously confused about her actions.

Moreover, she addressed him formally as if he were a stranger unlike her usual self. He obviously flinched a her tone, although pushing the guilt aside to ask for a suitable apology.

His cheeks immediately flushed pale when he walked into the shared bedroom on his wife standing almost half naked before him — only a bra that covered her bare upper torso.

"I...uh...I'll turn around." He spoke embarrassed, before taking a sharp spin of 180 degrees, his back visibly to her through the mirror.

"I'm sorry for howling at you back there." Lisa apologised in a muffled tone as she finished wearing her pyjamas, a gush of cold air suddenly sending chills down her spine. Winters were harsh after all.

"I think I overreacted. Sorry." He said quietly, a stone cold voice that cancelled against the snow pouring outside.

Lisa only hummed, before asking him to turn around and face her, a little smile lingered on her lips. Taehyung was convinced he was forgiven, just when Lisa sneezed — a little too loud for him to understand she could develop some symptoms of common cold after staying out with light clothing for long.

"Here. My mum used to make me this soup whenever I felt unwell. It's not great as my mum's recipe but it does work wonders." Taehyung reasoned while offering her a bowl of freshly made soup, and as she quietly sipped into it he went to retrieve a handkerchief from the drawer. Leaning close, he wiped her running nose, her cheeks kissed pink on the surprising behaviour of Taehyung who was practically lashing out on her a while back.

She couldn't understand nor ask for an explanation about the change in his attitude, maybe it was the guilt about taking her only as a responsibility.

It was past midnight when the two laid on the opposite corners of the bed with a fair amount of distance to fill in between.

Taehyung shifted a little, trying his best to fall asleep but he couldn't bring himself to — he couldn't believe his compassion slowly easing at the surface, completely opposite of his reserved self. There were times he'd think he wasn't doing well as a husband, because he had never expressed himself to anyone prior to getting married. Even in this arranged marriage he couldn't seem to fit in with Lisa's personality attributes that led to frequent clashes in his brain contemplating if he was better off being the cold guy he had always been or acting affectionate might seem clingy.

"Uh...." He cleared his throat, waiting for a response. "Yes, what do you want Taehyung?"

Relieved that Lisa was finally back to addressing him only by his name instead of a honorific, he continued.

"What was so important to go shopping today itself? I could've always picked the things up tomorrow."

There was a brief pause so Taehyung rolled over so that he was facing Lisa who seemed to look for an excuse.

"There were....things."

"What things? That's what I am asking for. And don't try to hide anything, I saw some decorative things on the platform when I went to prepare you soup."

It was impossibly difficult to hide anything. The decorations for Christmas were already completed a week back and the same decorations would be reused for new year without any expected guests given the quarantine period they were stuck in.

"It was for your birthday." She whispered in one go, leaving Taehyung baffled — he almost forgot his birthday that came just two days before the new year.

"I wanted to bake you a cake because we're living in quarantine and I thought maybe it would be a way you would start hating me a little less." She fidgeted with her fingers as she continued and Taehyung posed a frown.

"Hate you? What makes you think I hate you, Lisa?"

"I mean this argument...its not really the first time we have argued. Nowadays I get that its winter and the quarantine is getting worse that we can't meet any of our friends, so I thought maybe I could make you love me a little more....or that you wouldn't look at me in disdain, at least."

"Come here." He gestured her, before pulling her close to him by her waist, his warm breath hitting the back of her ear as she curled her toes together at the newfound skinship.

"I have been thinking on it for a while lately....I am not used to showcase my love for someone, but it doesn't rule out that I don't hold emotions at all. I don't hate you at all Lisa. Especially not when you do so much for me and even the slightest of things I fail to notice, you concern it. There are times I blame myself for being insensitive towards you, because we argue and everything goes silent then we never talk things out."

"You know Taehyung, I would never force you to show affection towards me — we are both engrossed in our routines and work from home schedules so its normal to have fights. But sometimes you tend to ignore me which makes me feel like maybe you were forced to marry me. I am fine with whatever you say, until you are too. Do you promise to keep no secrets from now on?"

"Yes." He mumbled before his grip on her waist fastened a little, her forehead being pressed gently against his heart — she could hear his slow, rhythmic heartbeats. He was cuddling her, in an attempt to keep her body warm to avoid the risk of getting a cold.

"By the way, I forgot to pick you a gift. Do you something?" Lisa asked upon the sudden realisation.

"No, I have it all." He said.

"But there must be you yearn for, a book or an album from your favourite artist—"

Taehyung only chose to nuzzle against her neck after planting a warm kiss on her forehead.

"My wish has already been fulfilled. You were my birthday wish."

He smiled before his soft lips brushed against hers into an affectionate kiss amidst the pure winter snow that continued to pour outside on the chilly December night.

fin.

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[A/N]

This scenario is so last minute that I added so many different imagines into one, lol. I obviously don't know if it turned out good because I have been doing a number of unusual things lately. I think I need to stop being indecisive nowadays :D
ㅡ Authornim.