Fai_Ryy
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Origami Around
Kiana Khansmith
EXPECTATIONS
Discoholic 🪩
Product Placement
cherry valley forever
let's talk about Bridgerton tea, my ask is open
The Bowery Presents
❣ Chile in a Photography ❣
JVL
YOU ARE THE REASON
Misplaced Lens Cap
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Aqua Utopia｜海の底で記憶を紡ぐ
ojovivo
he wasn't even looking at me and he found me
2025 on Tumblr: Trends That Defined the Year
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seen from Slovakia
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@hyvnesangel
໒🍸꒱ ყou are the Ɩadყ in mყ Ɩife ,
๑՞. fiƖƖ you with the sweetest Ɩove ๑՞.
i’m telling yall i’ve always attracted cats bro they flock to me
Random Convo’s With Your Boyfriend Han🦢・₊✧
Pairing: Boyfriend Han! × reader
Genre: fake text, funny, chaotic,relationship
Context: Dialogue between you and your boyfriend Han on a daily.
Writers corner ݁ ˖Ი𐑼⋆
· · ─ ·ʚɞ· ─ · ·
Hey friends how y’all doing I hope you enjoyed this yall idk but I’m craving tacos so badddddd like I just wanna eat like food just be so good omgggg hit enough about me. Request are open friends ok baiiii
💌 Taglist: @niku0704 @kingsqueensandvagabonds @mvkas @astraaaaaa22 @aiyanotfound @moonylovesbiscuits @written-by-music @hoshi-lost @p1nkbfang @eri-s-big-sis @nougatjade @emeraldgem22 @fanaticstay
baby kitty with a kitty!! i miss my baby khloe omg she was so tiny
tinder girl does NOT deserve you girl, she can go fuck off with her ex you deserve so much better than that
-🪼💙
thank you!!! god knows it’ll end for them so whatever it’ll get karma
i needa be fucked to tears, senseless, dirty boooo i deserve it
⋆. 𐙚˚࿔ daddy 𝜗𝜚˚⋆
part 7 | series masterlist summary: he’s new to the neighborhood, moving into the house directly across from yours in the quiet little cul-de-sac. you don’t know much about him. only that he works on cars in his garage, mows his lawn shirtless like he’s trying to ruin your life, and always looks a little too tired. it’s not until a little girl appears in his driveway one afternoon that you realize the handsome mechanic across the street comes with a tiny family attached. pairing: girldad!bangchan x reader genre: fluff, angst, smut cw/tags: emotional vulnerability, themes of attachment, explicit sexual content - fingering, handjobs, making out soundtrack: butterflies - brent faiyaz , walls - Syd * ✩˚word count: 11.9k ˚✩ * a/n: chat!!!!!! Thank you for the patience and kind words some of you have shared with me while I got my mental health back together. From now on, updates will be on Fridays/Saturdays again. While working on this, why did a scammer try to fake dilf his way into my life using an idol’s photo? I thought it was too hilarious. anyways ta ta, enjoy ♡
During the years he'd been raising Jia on his own, Chan couldn't remember the last time he'd slept later than she had.
He'd grown used to waking before the sun, his body trained to listen for every sound. A cough down the hall. Small footsteps leaving the bed. A sleepy little voice calling for him. Even on the rare mornings Jia slept in, he never did.
Until now.
You were tucked against him, warm and impossibly comfortable almost completely under the covers. His arm was wrapped around your waist on instinct, and for once, his body's natural clock hadn't told him to wake up.
Somehow, somewhere between falling asleep and morning finding the two of you, his body had finally believed there was someone beside him who would help catch him if he rested.
Sleeping in, however, only lasted for a little while before the sound of small feet padded down the hallway.
"Daddy?" Jia called softly.
No answer.
She pushed the bedroom door open just enough to peek inside.
The curtains were still drawn, leaving the room washed in soft morning light. From where she stood, all she could really see was the familiar shape of her dad buried beneath the blankets.
Perfect. She grinned.
Without a second thought, she climbed onto the bed, careful at first, then considerably less careful as she crawled over the mattress toward him.
"Daddyyyy." Nothing again.
She planted both hands squarely on his side and started climbing over him, little knees digging into the blankets. "Wake up."
Chan only made a sleepy noise.
Jia huffed, "no sleeping." She bounced once.
The added weight shifted the mattress enough that you stirred first. A sleepy groan escaped you before your eyes even opened. You stretched instinctively, voice thick with sleep. "Chan..."
Jia froze.
Your eyes blinked open slowly as you pushed yourself up onto one elbow, still too asleep to register why Jia Chan suddenly had a very strange look on his face. "Hm...?" you mumbled.
For one suspended second, the room went completely silent. Then Jia's eyes grew as round as saucers. "AAAAAH!"
You yelped as Chan jolted awake so violently he nearly launched all three of you off the bed. "What? Jia? What’s wrong?"
Jia pointed dramatically between the two of you, bouncing in place with so much excitement she could barely get the words out.
"YOU'RE HERE!"
Before either of you could react, she launched herself forward, climbing over Chan to get to you. "How'd you get here?" she asked in one breath. "When did you come over? Did Daddy know?"
Chan let out a long, defeated sigh before finally looking up at his daughter. "Good morning, bug. Yes I did."
Jia barely acknowledged him. She was still looking at you with open curiosity, like she was trying to solve the biggest puzzle she'd ever encountered. "Did you sleep in Daddy's bed all night?" she asked.
You glanced toward Chan for help. Unfortunately, he looked just as lost. "Yeah..." you admitted carefully.
Jia nodded slowly, as though filing that information away, "were you cold?"
The question caught both of you completely off guard.
"What?"
"At your house," she explained patiently, like the answer was obvious. "Did you get cold?"
You couldn't help the laugh that slipped out, "no, sweetheart."
"Then…" Her brow furrowed. "Why didn't you sleep at your house?"
Chan opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again. "Um that's..." he rubbed another hand over his face, "that's a really good question."
Jia waited, looked at Chan then back at you.
Chan looked between the two of you before letting out a quiet groan, "can daddy brush his teeth before we have this conversation?"
Jia considered that very seriously, before smiling, "okaaay.”
Then she climbed over him again without another word and curled herself against your side beneath the blankets, completely content with postponing the interrogation.
You looked down at the little girl tucked against you before lifting your eyes to Chan.
He held your gaze for a moment before letting out a quiet sigh. There wasn't panic in his expression anymore, just resignation.
"Morning," he said dryly causing you to laugh before you could stop it.
"Good morning, you two," you said, unable to stop smiling.
Chan rubbed another hand over his face before letting out a slow breath. "Alright," he said, gently patting Jia's back. "Come on, bug."
She looked up immediately. "What?"
“I need you to go pick out your clothes for school.”
She frowned, “now?”
“Mhm.”
“What if I pick the wrong ones?”
He smiled, reaching over to smooth her hair, “then I’ll help.”
She thought about that for exactly two seconds before nodding, “okay.” She climbed off the bed, paused in the doorway, then looked back at you.
“Don’t leave yet.”
Your heart immediately softened, “I won’t.”
Satisfied, she disappeared down the hall, her footsteps quickly followed by the unmistakable sound of dresser drawers opening and closing.
The bedroom settled into a quiet that hadn’t existed a moment earlier.
Chan watched the doorway for another second, a fond smile lingering on his face before he finally exhaled. “She’s definitely putting together something interesting.”
You smiled, slipping your arm through his and leaning into his side. He looked down at you almost immediately, his smile softening.
“Pancakes?” you asked.
His eyebrows lifted. “You’re making breakfast?”
“I was planning on it.”
“You don’t have to.”
“I know.” You nudged him gently with your shoulder. “But I want to.”
He looked at you for a long moment before leaning down to press an unhurried kiss to your forehead. “She’s going to think this is the greatest morning of her life.”
You laughed quietly, “good.”
He smiled at you for another moment before reluctantly moving his arm causing yours to slip from his. “Give me ten-ish minutes,” he said, glancing toward the hallway. “If I don’t intervene soon, she’s liable to come out wearing rain boots with a princess dress.”
You laughed, “has that happened before?”
“More than once.”
“And you let her?”
He shrugged, already making his way toward the bedroom door. “I pick my battles.”
“Wise man.”
He paused just before stepping into the hallway, turning back long enough to steal one quick kiss from your lips. “Don’t start without me.”
“I make no promises.”
A grin spread across his face before he shook his head, “you’re trouble.”
“You seem to like trouble.”
“Unfortunately.”
He disappeared down the hallway before you could answer, his voice carrying after him, “Bug? You finding clothes or building a fort in there?”
“I’m finding them!”
You smiled to yourself as you headed toward the kitchen, finding the mixing bowls without asking. A quiet laugh escaped you when you reached into one of the upper cabinets and pulled out the pancake mix on the first try.
You paused for a second. A few months ago, you would’ve had to ask where everything was.
Now your hands moved on instinct. Butter from the top shelf in the fridge. Eggs from the door. Mixing bowl from the cabinet beside the stove. The familiarity settled over you before you had time to think too hard about it.
By the time you were whisking the batter together, you could hear muffled conversation drifting down the hallway.
“No, bug,” Chan said patiently.
“But it matches.”
“It matches in your heart.”
“That’s still matching.”
You bit back a laugh, continuing to stir as another drawer slid open.
“Try the blue shirt,” Chan suggested.
“The butterflies?”
“The butterflies.”
“Okay!”
Her footsteps hurried from one side of the room to the other, followed by Chan’s quiet chuckle.
You smiled to yourself, pouring the first scoop of batter onto the hot pan. The soft sizzle filled the kitchen just as another pair of footsteps approached.
“Look!”
You turned at the sound of Jia’s excited voice.
She came around the corner with a little bounce in her step, immediately doing a small spin so you could see the full outfit. The butterfly shirt, the carefully chosen combination, and the proud expression that came with it.
You smiled, setting the bowl down for a moment. “Okay, I see you.”
Jia beamed. “Daddy said it matches.”
You glanced over at Chan, who was standing behind her with an amused smile.
“It does,” you agreed. “Very stylish.”
Jia looked down at herself, pleased with the answer. “I helped daddy pick it.”
“I can tell,” you said. “It looks like something you would pick.” That seemed to be exactly the right thing to say because her smile somehow got even bigger.
Chan leaned against the doorway, watching the exchange with quiet amusement. “She’s been very serious about butterflies for the last month.”
“They’re my favorite,” Jia said immediately.
You nodded, turning back toward the stove. “I can tell.”
She followed your gaze, her eyes widening when she noticed what you were cooking. “Are those pancakes?”
“Mhm.”
“For breakfast?”
You looked over your shoulder, pretending to think about it. “I was hoping they were.”
Jia giggled as she climbed into her chair at the table, still looking down at her butterfly shirt every few seconds like she couldn’t believe how well it turned out.
Chan moved beside you, reaching for a plate while you continued flipping, “you found everything okay?” he asked quietly.
You looked over at him. The question was simple, but the smile that came with it wasn’t. You shrugged lightly. “I’ve been here enough times.”
His eyes stayed on you for a second longer before he nodded. “Yeah,” he said softly. “You have.”
By the time the pancakes were finished, the kitchen looked less like a model kitchen and more like a place people actually lived in. A plate of pancakes sat in the middle of the table, along with sliced fruit and Jia’s very specific request for extra syrup.
Chan sat adjacent from her, shaking his head as she carefully dipped each bite instead of pouring it over the top. “You know we could’ve poured the syrup, right?”
“I like it this way.”
“Of course you do.”
You laughed quietly, reaching for your own plate as Jia continued eating happily between the two of you. It was simple, just breakfast. But every once in a while, Chan caught himself looking up. At you sitting at his table, at Jia talking to you like she had known you much longer than she actually had. At the way none of it felt forced.
“Daddy?”
Chan looked over. “Yeah, bug?”
Jia was looking between the two of you, her fork paused halfway to her mouth, “when she sleeps over…”
You glanced up at the same time Chan did.
Jia continued, completely unaware of the weight behind the question. “Is she gonna be here every time I wake up?”
The question hung there for a second.
Chan set his fork down, looking at her carefully “What do you mean?”
Jia shrugged, her expression thoughtful. “Like when I wake up and you’re making breakfast,” she explained. “And she’ll be here.” Her eyes moved to you. “Like this, except I was up first this time.”
Chan looked at you briefly before looking back at her. The honesty of it almost made him smile. Because she was just trying to figure out if this was something she could expect. Something that would stay consistent.
“Well,” Chan said slowly, “not every time.”
Jia’s face fell just slightly.
“But…”
That got her attention again.
“But,” you interjected and continued, “I think I’ll be around a lot more.”
Jia considered that. “A lot?”
Chan smiled. “Yeah. A lot.”
She nodded, seemingly satisfied with that answer. Then, after another bite of pancake, she added, “Okay.”
Chan blinked. “Okay?”
“Mhm.”
“That’s all?”
She looked at him like he was the one making things complicated. “She makes good pancakes.”
You laughed before you could stop yourself.
Chan covered his mouth, trying to hide his smile. “Wow,” he said. “So that’s the deciding factor?”
Jia nodded seriously, “pancakes are important.”
“They are,” you agreed.
Chan looked between the two of you and shook his head, but he was smiling. “Good to know.”
Breakfast eventually turned into the usual morning rush. A missing shoe. A backpack that somehow ended up behind the couch. And Jia suddenly remembering she needed to bring a very specific drawing to school because it was “important.”
You and Chan stood by the front door with his keys in one hand while Jia struggled to put on her jacket the wrong way.
“Bug.”
“I got it.”
“Are you sure?”
“It’s hard.”
You smiled watching him help her fix the sleeves. It was a routine you had seen pieces of before, but something about being included in it felt different.
Once Jia was finally ready, Chan grabbed her backpack and opened the door. “Alright, school time.” Jia immediately stopped. The excitement she had five minutes ago disappeared as she looked between him and you.
“No.”
Chan blinked. “No?”
She shook her head seriously. “No school.”
He looked at you briefly before turning back to her. “That’s not usually how this works.”
“I want to stay here.” Her eyes moved toward you, “with you.”
You smiled softly at her, but Chan was already stepping in before the pout could fully settle.
“Jia.”
She looked up at him.
“You like school.”
“But she’s here.”
“I know.”
“And you’re leaving.”
“I’m taking you to school and then I’m coming back.”
“But she's staying?”
Before Chan could answer, you stepped closer and squatted to her level, “Hey, bug.”
Jia looked at you.
“I have things I need to do too.”
Her eyebrows pulled together slightly. “You do?”
You nodded. “Mhm. I have some errands to run and things I need to take care of at my house.”
She looked toward the front door, then back at you. “But you’ll come back?”
The question was so genuine that your smile softened, “of course.”
“When?”
You glanced at Chan, who was watching the exchange with an amused expression. “Maybe after you tell daddy all about your day.”
Jia immediately turned toward him, “can I tell her about my day too?”
Chan laughed quietly. “I think she'll already want to hear about it.”
That seemed to be enough of an answer for her. She adjusted her backpack and finally stepped toward the door. “Okay.”
Chan raised an eyebrow. “Just okay?”
Jia ignored him, already walking outside. You laughed softly as he followed after her, shaking his head. At the doorway, Jia turned back one more time.
“Bye.”
“Bye, Bug.”
She waved, but after a second, she added, “See you later.”
After getting Jia settled into her car seat, Chan closed the back door and walked around toward the driver's side. He'd just reached the handle when he stopped, glancing back toward the porch where you still stood, leaning against the railing with your arms folded.
You caught him looking almost immediately, "What?" you called with a smile.
He didn't answer right away. Instead, he let go of the handle, turned on his heel, and started walking back toward you.
You laughed under your breath, "what are you doing?"
"I forgot something."
You tilted your head. "Oh?"
He stopped in front of you, close enough that you had to look up at him. "Yeah."
"And what's that?"
Rather than answering, his hands found your waist, gently pulling you toward him until there wasn't any space left between you. The hug was warm and unhurried, his chin resting briefly against the top of your head as he let out a quiet breath.
"I didn't say goodbye."
Your smile softened almost immediately. "You walked all the way back over here for a goodbye?"
"I did."
"You've become clingy."
He shrugged his shoulders, completely unbothered by the accusation. "Probably."
A quiet laugh escaped you as you reached up to smooth a piece of hair away from his forehead, "I thought you were taking Jia to school."
"I am."
"So why are you still standing here?"
"Because I wanted another minute alone with you."
There was something so matter-of-fact about the way he said it that your teasing smile faltered for just a second. "You know you're going to be late."
"I know."
"And Jia's waiting."
"I know."
"You also know she's probably wondering where you disappeared to."
"I definitely know."
Almost as if she'd been listening, Jia's voice rang out from the back seat."Daddyyyy!"
You couldn't help laughing, "there it is."
Chan tipped his head back dramatically, "I have absolutely no idea where she gets her impatience."
You looked at him knowingly, "really?"
He held your gaze for a second before the corner of his mouth twitched, "okay....maybe she gets a little of it from me."
"A little?"
"A healthy amount."
You shook your head, still smiling, and gave his chest a gentle push, "Go. Before she wakes the whole neighborhood."
He caught your hand before you could pull it away, intertwining his fingers with yours for just a moment. His thumb brushed lazily across your knuckles as he looked at you with that same quiet expression he'd worn all weekend, "I'll stop by yours before I head to the shop."
"You don't have to."
"I know."
"Then why are you?"
"Because I want to."
The simplicity of the answer settled somewhere deep in your chest. Another impatient call drifted from the driveway.
"Daddy!"
"I'm coming, bug!" he called back, though his eyes never left yours. He leaned in just enough to press a lingering kiss to your forehead before stealing one from your lips, "I'll see you in a little while."
You smiled, "It’s only a few minutes."
"I know," he said, smiling back. "Doesn't mean I won't miss you."
You looked away for a second, trying not to let his words get to you as easily as they always did. “Go.”
"Yes, ma'am."
Only then did he finally let you go, jogging the rest of the way down the driveway while you stayed on the porch watching him. Jia already turned and waved excitedly through the window before he'd even climbed into the driver's seat, and you returned it with a laugh, waiting until the car disappeared around the corner before heading across the street to your own house.
𐙚
The house greeted you with its familiar quiet.
You slipped your shoes off by the front door, carrying your tote upstairs before unpacking it piece by piece. Your toiletries found their way back into the bathroom cabinet, borrowed clothes disappeared into the laundry basket, and after changing into something more comfortable, you started a load of laundry before making your way back downstairs.
Sunlight poured through the front windows, warming the hardwood floors as you wandered into the living room. You straightened a throw pillow that didn't need straightening, watered the plant by the window, then paused beside the bookshelf for a moment, your eyes drifting across the street almost on instinct.
It was strange. Coming home wasn't supposed to feel different, this was your house, your routine, your peace and quiet, and yet, for the first time in a while, the silence felt loud.
You were halfway through putting away a few more things from your bag when you heard a knock at the door. A smile crossed your face before you even reached it. When you opened the door, Chan was standing there with his work shirt on, keys in one hand and a coffee in the other.
You looked past him briefly, then back at him, "didn't you just drop Jia off?"
He smiled. "I did."
“Mm.”
Chan let out a quiet breath that was almost a laugh, but not quite, as he moved past you and set his coffee down on the counter. He looked more awake now than he had at the door, but only by a little.
You leaned back against the frame and watched him for a second while grinning. “Remind me why are you here again?”
His eyes came back to yours, steady and unhurried, “I wanted to see you before the day got away from me.” The words settled between you for a second before Chan glanced past you into the house.
“You already started unpacking?”
You looked down at the tote still sitting near the stairs. “Yeah. I figured I should probably put my stuff back where it belongs.”
He nodded, taking that in. “Makes sense.” There was something about the way he said it that made you look back at him.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
You raised an eyebrow. Chan smiled slightly, lifting his coffee toward you like he was surrendering. “I was just thinking it’s weird seeing you back over there.”
You leaned against the doorframe. “You mean across the street?”
“Yeah.”
A small smile pulled at your lips. “You know I only slept over for three nights, right?”
“I know.”
For a moment the two of you just stood there in the quiet, the kind that had started to feel different since the weekend.
Then Chan looked at you again. “What are you doing today?” The question caught you a little off guard, mostly because it was asked so plainly.
You set a mug in the sink. “I’ve got a few things to finish.”
“Like what?”
You glanced at him, deciding how much to say before answering. “I’m meeting with someone about the plant nursery.”
Chan’s brow lifted slightly. “That place you’ve been trying to buy?”
You nodded.
He was quiet for a second, looking at you in a way that made it clear he was trying to place the details. “The old one near the highway?”
“Yeah.”
“With the greenhouse?”
You blinked, then gave him a surprised smile. “You remember that much?”
He looked a little pleased with himself, though not enough to make a thing of it. “I remember you talking about it.”
A quiet laugh escaped you. “I didn’t realize you were paying attention.”
“I pay attention.”
The answer was said so easily that it made your smile fade into something softer. Chan noticed, of course, his expression shifted a little, quieter now. “So it’s happening?”
“Maybe.”
“Maybe?”
You let out a small breath through your nose. “It depends on whether everything goes through cleanly.”
He nodded once, thoughtful. “And if it does?”
You looked down for a second before answering. “Then I’ll finally have my own space. A real place to work from instead of trying to make everything fit in the corners of everywhere else.”
“That’s a big deal.”
You glanced over at him. “It’s just a business.”
“Maybe.” Chan leaned back against the counter, coffee still in hand. “But it’s something you’ve wanted.”
You looked down, a little caught off guard by how easily he said it, “I don’t know if I’d say all that.”
“You’ve talked about it more than once.”
“Have I?”
He smiled. “Yeah.”
You looked away first, reaching for a bottle of water. “It’s still a little scary.”
Chan’s expression softened. “Yeah?”
You nodded. “It’s a lot. Buying a place, fixing it up, figuring out what I want it to become.”
He was quiet for a moment, then after a second he spoke softly, “I think you’re good at that.”
You glanced back at him. “At what?”
“Taking something that’s been sitting there for a while and making it feel alive again.”
The words caught you off guard, because what did he mean by that? You smiled faintly. “You really thought about that?”
Chan shrugged, a little embarrassed. “I mean…yeah.”
You looked at him for a moment before shaking your head. “You’re supposed to be going to work.”
“I know.”
“And you’re standing in my kitchen talking about a plant nursery.”
“It’s important.”
That earned a laugh from you, and you leaned in to kiss his cheek. He smiled to himself, as his hand stayed resting lightly against your waist, his thumb absentmindedly brushing the fabric of your shirt.
“You never really told me why that place.”
You looked up at him. “The nursery?”
He nodded, “what made you want that one?”
For a second, you didn’t answer. Your gaze drifted past him toward the window, toward nothing in particular. “I guess…” You smiled to yourself. “Everyone else sees an abandoned nursery.”
He stayed quiet.
“I see what it used to be.”
His expression softened. You leaned into him as his arms wrap around your lower back.
“When I was little, my Nana used to take me to places like that.” A quiet laugh escaped you. “Not that one. Just little garden centers whenever she could. We’d walk around for hours, and she’d know the names of everything.”
Chan listened without interrupting.
“I always liked how peaceful they were,” you continued. “Nobody rushed. People wandered. They talked. Kids got dirty. Someone was always asking for advice about a plant they thought they’d killed.” You smiled at the memory. “It felt alive.”
Your eyes drifted toward the window again. “When I walked through that nursery…” You shrugged lightly. “I couldn’t stop thinking about how quiet it was.”
Chan followed your gaze.
“It looked like everyone had just…given up on it.”
“And you didn’t.”
You shook your head. “I don’t know exactly what it’ll become yet.” Your smile grew a little more thoughtful. “I’d love to bring it back as a nursery first. Maybe eventually add workshops. Somewhere kids can learn how to plant things without worrying about making a mess.”
A small laugh slipped out of you. “I’ve even thought about a little coffee corner someday. Nothing fancy. Just somewhere people can sit while they wait for someone who’s shopping.”
“You’ve thought about this.”
“For a while.”
“You make it sound like a place people would stay a while.”
“I hope they would.”
The room settled into a comfortable silence. Chan looked at you for a long moment, seeing something that had been there all along but somehow felt clearer now. It wasn’t really about the building.
It was about you. About the way you looked at things other people had stopped looking at. He rubbed the back of his neck before asking quietly, “Do you think you can do all that by yourself?”
You smiled, though it didn’t quite reach your eyes, “I’ll have to.” There wasn’t any self-pity in it, or frustration. Just a simple acceptance of what you believed was true. Something in his chest tightened before he could stop it.
You glanced at the clock on the wall and let out a small sigh. “I should probably head over there after lunch. The owner’s expecting me sometime this afternoon.”
“You excited?”
“Nervous.”
“Definitely both,” he chuckled. He looked at you one last time before leaning in to press a gentle kiss against your forehead. “I should get to work.”
“You probably should.”
He smiled, “I’ll see you later.”
“You will.”
He headed for the front door, grabbing his keys on the way out. You followed him just far enough to watch him step onto the porch.
Neither of you noticed the way his thoughts lingered on multiple things long after he’d walked down the steps.
The kiss you’d pressed to his cheek lingered far longer than he thought itshould have, and he found himself smiling at absolutely nothing as he climbed into his truck.
He didn’t even notice he was doing it until he caught his reflection in the rearview mirror. “Get it together,” he muttered to himself.
The repair shop wasn’t far, and by the time he pulled into the lot, Hyunjin was already outside with a cup of coffee balanced on the hood of his own car.
He looked up as Chan climbed out. “You’re late.”
“By three minutes.”
“So you are late.”
Chan rolled his eyes, grabbing his toolbox from the back.
“Traffic.”
Hyunjin looked toward the nearly empty road,“sure.”
𐙚
The rest of the morning slipped by the way it always did.
Cars came and went through the bays, each one replaced by another before the last had fully left. Someone had a brake issue. Someone else swore their engine “just started making that noise yesterday.”
Hyunjin disappeared beneath the hood of an SUV while Changbin argued with a parts supplier over the phone, and Minho quietly finished a transmission job before anyone else realized he’d already moved on to the next car.
Chan worked through it all on instinct. His hands stayed busy, but his mind didn’t.
Every now and then, without meaning to, it wandered back to your living room. To the way your face had changed when you talked about the nursery. Not excited exactly. Hopeful.
By the time lunch rolled around, the four of them had migrated into the cramped break room with whatever they’d packed that morning.
Hyunjin had barely opened his container before he looked across the table, “you’ve been quiet.”
Chan looked up. “Have I?”
Changbin snorted. “You put a ratchet in the socket drawer.”
“Twice,” Minho added without looking up from his food.
Chan blinked. “Did I?”
“You’re somewhere else,” Hyunjin said. “What’s going on?”
Chan shrugged, picking at the corner of his sandwich, “nothing.”
Three unimpressed faces stared back at him.
He sighed through his nose, “She told me something this morning.”
“The neighbor across the street you have a thing for?” Changbin asked.
Chan nodded. “She’s trying to buy an old nursery.”
That earned three different reactions.
“A plant nursery?” Hyunjin asked.
“Didn’t know those were still a thing,” Changbin muttered.
Minho was the only one who didn’t seem surprised. “Why an old one?”
Chan leaned back in his chair for a second, “I asked her the same thing.”
He smiled without realizing it. “She said everyone else sees an abandoned nursery.” His eyes dropped to the table for a moment. “She sees what it used to be.”
The room went quieter than before.
Hyunjin let out a small breath. “That’s….kind of a nice answer.”
“Yeah.”
Chan rubbed the back of his neck. “She wants to fix it up. Bring the nursery back first.” He shrugged. “Maybe workshops one day. Somewhere kids can learn about gardening.”
“That’s ambitious,” Changbin said.
“She knows.”
“Does she have people helping her?”
Chan hesitated, “I don’t think so.”
Minho finally looked up. “What’s wrong with the place?”
Chan opened his mouth, then stopped. He frowned slightly, “I don’t know.” The realization settled over him almost immediately. He’d asked why she wanted it. He’d never asked what it needed.
Changbin pointed at him with his fork, “you’re thinking about going over there, aren’t you?”
Chan didn’t answer. Which, judging by the knowing smiles spreading around the table, was answer enough.
𐙚
Chan tried to leave it alone. He really did.
But the thought followed him long after he left to pick Jia up. Not in a way that distracted him from work. Not enough to make him careless. He still finished his jobs, still cleaned his station, still made sure everything was where it belonged before he left.
But the nursery stayed in the back of his mind. The way you’d looked when you talked about it.
The way you’d said, ‘I’ll have to.’ Like doing everything alone wasn’t something you wanted. Just something you’d already accepted.
So instead of turning towards the road that takes him to Jia’s school, Chan found himself taking a different route.
He told himself he was only curious, that was all.
He wasn’t going to show up with a toolbox. He wasn’t going to start making plans without you. He wasn’t going to step into something that wasn’t his. He just wanted to see it.
The property looked different in person than it had in his imagination. Older, but not hopeless. Chan parked along the edge of the road and sat there for a moment, looking through the windshield.
Then he got out. The first thing he noticed was the fence. The second was the roofline. The third was the way the old greenhouse sat farther back on the property, weathered but still standing.
He walked slowly, hands tucked into his pockets as he took everything in. A few sections of fencing would need replacing. The wooden trim around the main building had started to rot in places. Several windows would have to be repaired or replaced completely. The electrical system would probably be a nightmare.
The greenhouse, though…
That caught his attention. The frame was old, but the structure itself was solid. It wasn’t something that needed to be torn down. It needed someone willing to bring it back.
Chan stood there for a moment, looking through the dusty glass at the empty space inside. He could picture it.
Not exactly. He wasn’t you. He didn’t know the details you had in your head.
But he could see the bones of it; a place that had been forgotten, a place that could become something again.
By the time he got back into his truck, he already had a list forming. Not a plan, a list. Because this wasn’t his project. It wasn’t his dream.
It was yours.
Chan stayed parked another moment, looking down at the notes on his phone before finally locking the screen.
He could figure out the details later. Right now, there was someone else waiting for him.
By the time he pulled into Jia’s daycare, the afternoon rush was already starting. Parents were coming and going, little voices echoing through the building as kids spilled out with backpacks and half-finished stories.
The second Jia spotted him through the window, her entire face lit up.
“Daddy!”
Chan barely had time to open his arms before she was running toward him. “Hey, bug,” he laughed, catching her easily. “How was your day?”
“Good.”
He raised an eyebrow as he adjusted her backpack on his shoulder, “just good?”
She thought about it for a second, “really good.”
“That’s more like it.”
She grabbed his hand as they walked toward the door, immediately launching into every detail she had decided was important.
“I got to be line leader today, and we learned about butterflies, and Mina said her favorite color is purple but I told her mine is still pink because pink is happier.”
Chan smiled, listening as he always did, even while another part of his mind drifted back to the abandoned greenhouse and the list sitting quietly in his phone.
“Sounds like a very important day.”
“It was.”
“I can tell.”
By the time Chan pulled into the driveway, the nursery had settled into the back of his mind. Not forgotten, just put on hold. Because the second he opened the car door, he heard the familiar excitement coming from the back seat.
“Daddy, can I have strawberries after dinner?”
Chan laughed as he unbuckled his seatbelt, “you just asked me that yesterday.”
“Because they’re good.”
He shook his head, smiling as he opened her door, “come on, bug.”
The rest of the afternoon moved the way it always did; shoes by the door, backpack put away, a very serious discussion about whether dinosaurs could wear pajamas.
Dinner stretched longer than usual because Jia had an entire day’s worth of stories to tell him, and apparently every single detail needed to be included.
Chan listened while he ate, nodding at the right moments, asking questions when she paused for breath, laughing when she corrected him for getting someone’s name wrong. The conversation moved from butterflies to playground games to a very serious debate about whether dinosaurs would have liked macaroni and cheese.
Still, every now and then, his mind wandered; to the nursery, the broken windows, the greenhouse standing stubbornly in the middle of the property. To the way you had looked at a place everyone else had written off and somehow seen a future there.
“Daddy?”
He blinked and looked up; Jia was watching him from across the table. “You’re thinking again.”
A small smile tugged at his mouth. “Am I?”
She nodded. “Your eyebrows are doing the squishy thing.”
“The squishy thing?”
“When they almost touch.”
Chan laughed quietly, rubbing a hand over his face. “That’s very observant.”
“I know.”
After dinner, while he was rinsing dishes at the sink, Jia wandered into the kitchen with Leebit tucked under one arm, “is she coming over?”
Chan glanced back at her. “Who?”
Jia gave him a look that clearly said you know who. Then she said your name with complete confidence.
A smile appeared before he could stop it. “I don’t know.”
Her shoulders slumped a little. “But she said she likes stories.”
That made him pause. You had said that, and apparently Jia had filed the information away for later.
“I know,” he said softly.
“So ask.”
Chan dried his hands on the towel and turned toward her. “What do you say when you want something?”
“Pleeease?”
The answer came so fast that he couldn’t help laughing. “Okay, bug," he reached for his phone. “I’ll ask her.”
Him: Jia has a very important question that needs an answer
Your reply came almost immediately.
Babydoll ❣️: Should I be worried? Him: Would you be coming over for bedtime stories tonight? Babydoll ❣️ : Is this a request from Jia or you?
A small smile found him as his thumbs moved across the screen.
Him: What if I said both? Babydoll ❣️ : Give me 10
After he hearted your text, he slipped his phone back into his pocket just as Jia wandered into the kitchen again, still carrying Leebit under one arm. "Did she respond? Is she coming over?"
Chan snickered, "yes bug, she'll be here in about ten minutes."
The excitement on Jia's face answered before she did. She spun on her heel and disappeared back down the hallway, her small voice echoing through the house as she announced to absolutely no one in particular that you were coming over. Chan couldn't help laughing to himself as he finished drying the last plate and slid it into the cabinet.
Exactly ten minutes later, three soft knocks sounded at the front door. Before he could reach it, little feet came thundering across the hardwood floor, "I got it!"
Chan shook his head, following after her at a much slower pace. Jia had already pulled the door open by the time he reached the entryway. "You came!" You barely had time to smile before she wrapped both arms around your legs.
"I did," you laughed, hugging her back. "I heard someone needed a bedtime story."
"I picked the garden book."
"You already picked it?"
She nodded enthusiastically before taking your hand without another word, "c'mon." You glanced over your shoulder toward Chan, amusement dancing across your face as Jia confidently led you deeper into the house to her bedroom.
"I don't think I have much of a choice."
"I don't think you do either," he admitted, smiling.
The bedroom looked much the same as it had that morning, except now pajamas had replaced butterfly shirts, and Leebit had somehow collected three extra stuffed animals waiting patiently at the head of the bed.
Jia climbed beneath the blankets while you settled onto the edge of the mattress beside her, reaching for the picture book she'd already set out. Chan lingered in the doorway, one shoulder resting against the frame as you opened to the first page. You barely made it through the opening paragraph before Jia interrupted to point excitedly at one of the illustrations.
"We have flowers like that."
"We do?"
"Mhm. The pink ones."
You looked closer before smiling. "You're right. There's some in your backyard." Apparently satisfied, she let you continue…for almost an entire page before interrupting again to explain how she thought the rabbit in the story should've stayed in the garden instead of running away.
You listened to every theory as though it were the most important part of the book, never rushing her back to the next page, never telling her she was getting off track. Chan found himself smiling before he even realized it. It wasn't the story that held his attention, it was you.
The way you looked at Jia whenever she spoke. The patience in your voice. The ease with which you let her curiosity shape the story into something entirely her own. There wasn't anything extraordinary happening.
Just a little girl interrupting a bedtime story every other page, and you letting her. Somehow, standing there in the quiet glow of the bedside lamp, it felt like one of the most natural things he'd ever seen.
His thoughts drifted back to the plant nursery for only a second before disappearing again. The repairs could wait until tomorrow.
Right now, he couldn't think of anywhere he'd rather be than standing in the doorway, watching the two people he cared about most discuss whether the rabbit should've planted more flowers.
Jia's interruptions grew farther apart with every page. By the time you reached the end of the story, her eyelids were already drooping.
Chan smiled to himself as you quietly closed the book. "Think that's our cue," he whispered.
You looked over to find Jia already asleep, one hand still resting on the edge of the blanket she'd insisted you help tuck around her. Within minutes of the bedroom light clicking off, the house settled into the quiet only nighttime seemed capable of bringing.
The hallway was dim now, lit only by the warm glow spilling in from the living room. Somewhere in the house, the dishwasher hummed softly, filling the silence without disturbing it.
Chan glanced back toward Jia's room before looking at you, his voice barely above a whisper, "she was asleep before the last page."
You smiled, "she fought it hard."
"She always does," he laughed quietly, the sound warm enough to make you smile a little wider.
Without really deciding to, the two of you wandered into the living room. Instead of turning the TV on, Chan reached for the lamp beside the couch, leaving only its soft amber light filling the room. You settled beside him first.
It lasted all of three seconds.
Chan rested a hand lightly against your hip, silently asking, and you shifted without a word until you were sitting across his lap. One arm slipped comfortably around your waist while yours found its place around his shoulders, your foreheads almost close enough to touch.
Neither of you spoke right away. The quiet wasn't awkward anymore. It was the kind that came after a long day, after a house full of laughter and tiny footsteps and a little girl who had somehow convinced both of you that one bedtime story could turn into two.
"You have a good day?" he asked eventually, his thumb tracing slow circles against your side.
You nodded once, "I think so."
His eyebrows lifted slightly. "Think so?"
You smiled, shaking your head. "It was a good day."
"Mm."
The sound made you look at him. "What?"
"Nothing."
You narrowed your eyes slightly. "Chan."
He smiled, pressing a kiss against your lips before looking back at you, "I'm just wondering."
"About?"
He hesitated for a second, like he was deciding whether or not he wanted to ask. "The nursery."
Your expression softened a little. "What about it?"
"I realized I actually don't know much about it."
You tilted your head, "you know enough."
"I know you’re buying an old nursery," he said. "I know it needs work. I know you’re excited about it." His thumb brushed slowly along your side. "But I don't know exactly what you’re actually walking into."
The way he said it wasn't worried or doubtful, it was just curiosity. You thought for a moment, "I don't even know if I fully know yet."
Chan smiled slightly knowing that he did a walk-around earlier that afternoon. "Fair."
"It's been abandoned for a while. The owner basically stopped maintaining it."
"How long?"
"A few years, I think."
His eyebrows pulled together slightly, "so is it bad?"
You laughed softly. "It's not falling apart."
"That's not what I asked."
You smiled at him, "some parts need a lot of love."
"Like what?"
The question came so naturally that you almost didn't notice what he was doing. "Are you taking notes?"
He looked completely innocent. "No."
"Chan."
"I'm just asking."
You laughed, but answered anyway. "The greenhouse is probably the biggest thing. It needs work, but the structure is still good. The fencing needs replacing. There's some electrical stuff that needs to be looked at."
He nodded slowly, filing each piece away, "what about inside?"
"The main nursery itself?"
"Yeah."
You shifted slightly in his lap, getting more comfortable as you talked. "That needs updating. The plumbing isn't great. The floors probably need to be redone."
"Anything else?"
You looked at him, amused, "you really are taking notes."
"I'm really not."
"You have your serious face on." You smiled, but his expression stayed thoughtful even after the joke faded, "I don't want to rush through this though."
"What do you mean?"
You shrugged slightly, looking down at your fingers where they rested against his shoulder. "I mean, I don't want to walk in and immediately start tearing everything apart because I think I know better."
Chan's eyes stayed on you.
"I want to spend time there first. Figure out what works, what doesn't. What can stay."
"What can stay?"
You nodded, "yeah. I think that's important."
"Why?"
You glanced toward the window, your thoughts drifting for a moment. "Because it already has a history."
Chan followed your gaze even though there was nothing outside the window that had anything to do with the nursery. "So you're not trying to make it something completely different."
"No."
You leaned against him, wrapping both arms around his shoulders."I want it to still feel like a nursery. I want people to walk in and feel like something is growing there."
His hands rested at the bottom of your back. "You already have a whole plan."
You laughed quietly. "No, I really don't."
"Sounds like one."
"I have ideas."
"Same thing."
"It's not."
"Okay," he smiled. "Ideas."
You rolled your eyes, but you were smiling, "I just don't want to get so caught up in making it successful that I forget why I wanted it."
Chan's expression softened, then his hand lifted, gently tipping your chin up until you were looking at him. For a moment, he didn't say anything. He just looked at you, like he was taking in the fact that this was the thing that had been sitting in your head all this time.
"You know you're kind of amazing, right?"
You immediately looked away, a quiet laugh escaping you. "Chan."
"I'm serious." There was no teasing in his voice, no attempt to make it bigger than it was. Just a simple honesty that made it harder to brush off.
"The way you think about things....the way you care about things." His thumb brushed gently along your cheek. "It's admirable."
Your breath caught, and your expression softened at his words, feeling the weight of his admiration settle deep within you. There was a tenderness in his eyes, a flicker of something more, something fragile and real.
"You're admirable."
Before either of you could speak again, he leaned in, closing the space between you with a gentle, deliberate motion. His lips met yours in a slow, unhurried kiss; familiar, warm, and full of unspoken emotions. It was a kiss that spoke of trust, of feelings that had been quietly building beneath the surface for so long.
The sensation of his lips was soft and warm, like a gentle fire igniting inside you. His breath was warm against your cheek, mingling with yours as the kiss deepened, slow and exploratory. You could feel the slight roughness of his stubble against your skin, contrasting with the tenderness of his touch. The subtle scent of his cologne mixed with the warmth of his skin, creating a heady perfume of intimacy.
The kiss lingered longer than either of you intended. Chan felt it in the small things. The way you relaxed against him without thinking. The way you trusted him enough to let yourself be held, to let yourself be seen.
Somewhere along the way, this had become more than stolen moments and easy conversations across the street. More than dinner invitations and bedtime stories. More than simply wanting to spend time with you. He had started imagining you in the quiet parts of his life, the places he never thought to share with anyone else.
That realization should have scared him. Instead, it felt natural.
When he finally pulled back, it was only enough to rest his forehead against yours. His eyes stayed on you, taking in the softness of your expression, the way you were still smiling faintly.
He didn't say anything, he didn't need to. For once, Chan wasn't trying to figure out what came next. He just wanted to stay right here.
"It would be selfish of me to ask you to spend the night again," he murmured softly against your lips.
You smiled slightly. "Free will exists."
Chan looked at you, a quiet laugh escaping him. "That simple?"
"Yeah."
Your hands rested against his upperback, thumbs brushing lightly over the fabric of his shirt. "You know you can ask me things, right?"
His expression softened, "I know."
"Do you?"
He smiled a little at that, but he didn't look away, "I just don't want you to feel like you have to."
The sincerity in his voice made your smile fade into something softer, "I don't." A second of silence passed, "I want to be here, Chan." Something in his expression shifted at that. Like he was still learning how to accept that someone could choose him without needing a reason.
His arms tightened gently around your waist, "Okay."
You smiled. "Okay?"
"Yeah." He leaned in, pressing a slow kiss to your forehead. "Okay."
For a moment, you stayed wrapped in each other on the couch. The room stayed quiet around you, the soft glow of the lamp casting everything in a warmth that felt almost unreal. His hand remained at your waist, thumb brushing back and forth absentmindedly as if he was still grounding himself in the fact that you were there.
"You know we actually should sleep," you murmured eventually.
Chan let out a quiet laugh. "I know."
"I have to leave early tomorrow."
His eyes opened, looking down at you. "For the nursery."
You nodded as he smiled softly. "You're really doing this."
You smiled. "I am."
Chan was quiet for a moment before he tapped your waist. "Come on," he said softly. "Before we both convince ourselves we don't need sleep."
You laughed, sliding off of his lap and pulling him off of the couch.
He let you tug him up, though the small smile on his face made it obvious he could have easily stayed there a little longer if you let him.
The house was quiet as you made your way upstairs, the kind of quiet that came after a long day when everything finally settled into place. Chan checked on Jia one more time before leading you back toward his room, lowering his voice when he found her still peacefully asleep.
You watched him for a moment from the doorway. The way he moved through his house without thinking. The way being a father seemed woven into every part of him. The way he still looked back at you like he was surprised you were there.
When he turned around and caught you staring, his eyebrows lifted. "What?"
You smiled slightly. "Nothing."
Chan narrowed his eyes, unconvinced, but he didn't push. Instead, he reached for your hand and pulled you closer. And maybe that was what made this feel different. Not the fact that you were spending another night here, or the fact that you were getting into his bed.
It was the fact that neither of you felt like you had to pretend it meant less than it did. By the time you reached the bathroom, Chan was already reaching for his toothbrush while you searched through your toiletry bag for yours.
"You realize this is dangerously domestic," you said, watching him squeeze toothpaste onto the brush.
He glanced over at you through the mirror. "Brushing my teeth?"
"No." You smiled. "This."
His eyebrows lifted slightly. "This?"
You gestured vaguely between the two of you. Chan looked at you for a second before a small smile appeared. "You're thinking too much."
"Am I?"
"Definitely."
You rolled your eyes, but you were smiling as you stood beside him, the two of you brushing your teeth in comfortable silence. Every so often, one of you would catch the other's eye in the mirror and laugh quietly. A shoulder bump here. A stolen smile there. Small moments that felt oddly familiar despite how new they still were.
When you finished, Chan was quick to steal a kiss before you could step away.
"You have toothpaste on your mouth," you mumbled.
"So do you."
"That doesn't make it better."
"It makes it fair."
You laughed softly, shaking your head as you walked back toward the bedroom. Getting into bed somehow took longer than it should have. Not because either of you was tired, but because every time one of you tried to settle in, the other found another excuse to lean closer; an accidental hand brushing your leg, a lingering glance, a gentle touch that spoke volumes.
A kiss before turning off the lamp. Another when Chan pulled the blanket over you. One more when you caught him smiling to himself.
"You know," you whispered, finally settling against him, "we're supposed to be sleeping."
“I know,” he replied, voice low but warm.
"You keep saying that."
“Because I do know.”
You smiled into his shoulder, feeling the quiet pulse of your shared anticipation. The room was dim, shadows dancing softly around you, but the air between you was thick with unspoken desire. When he finally turned off the light, his hand found yours beneath the blankets, fingers intertwining naturally, as if this was the most familiar thing in the world.
The silence stretched, comfortable yet charged. Your body shifted just slightly, and in that small movement, a silent understanding blossomed. You both knew what was coming, how to ease into it without rushing, savoring the intimacy that had been building all evening.
Chan’s hand didn't stay intertwined with yours for long. His fingers began to wander, sliding slowly up your arm, the friction of his skin against yours sending a sharp spark of heat through your nerves. He shifted, pulling you closer until your chest was pressed against his, the steady thrum of his heart beating a rhythm that matched your own.
"We really do have to be quiet," he breathed against your ear, his lips barely grazing the lobe. The reminder of the toddler sleeping just a few doors down only added to the tension, turning the need for silence into a delicious, agonizing challenge.
You let out a shaky breath, your hand sliding down his chest, feeling the hard planes of his muscles beneath his shirt. You didn't want the fabric between you. With a slow, deliberate movement, you removed his shirt, then you reached down letting your fingers find the waistband of his boxers. He let out a low, muffled groan into your neck, his grip tightening on your waist.
Beneath the heavy duvet, the world shrunk down to just the two of you and the heat radiating between your bodies. You slipped your hand inside his underwear, your palm cupping the heavy, throbbing length of his cock. He jumped slightly, a sharp intake of breath that he quickly stifled, his eyes fluttering shut in sheer pleasure.
"God," he whispered, his voice strained.
You began to stroke him, your grip firm but slow, sliding your hand from the base to the crown. You felt him twitch in your grasp, his cock hardening further as you maintained a steady, rhythmic pace. You watched his face in the dim light; the way his jaw tightened, the way his brow furrowed in concentration as he fought to keep his moans silent.
While your hand worked on him, Chan’s hand traveled downward, sliding under the hem of your his t-shirt, then traveling to your panties, slipping them down your thighs. He found the damp heat of your pussy, his fingers brushing against your clit with a precision that made your toes curl. You bit your lip, stifling a gasp, your hips instinctively arching upward to meet his touch.
He didn't rush. He knew exactly how you liked it, circling your clit with a slow, agonizing pressure before sliding one finger deep inside you. You were already slick, your body welcoming him with a needy warmth. He added a second finger, stretching you gently, his thumb continuing to grind against your nub in a way that made your vision blur.
You kept stroking him in that steady rhythm, your palm gliding over every inch of his cock while his fingers worked inside you with the same careful control. Neither of you spoke. The only sounds were the wet slide of your hand and the soft, shaky breaths you traded when your mouths met again.
His lips parted against yours and you felt the low, trembling moan leave him straight into your mouth. You swallowed it, tongues brushing as you both tried to stay silent. Every exhale became shared, every stifled sound pressed directly between your lips so nothing escaped into the room.
Chan’s fingers curled deeper, his thumb still circling your clit, and another moan vibrated against your tongue. You answered by tightening your grip on his cock, thumb smearing the fresh bead of pre-cum across the head while your own hips rocked in tiny, desperate movements. The kiss never broke for long; whenever one of you needed to breathe, the other’s mouth was already there, catching the sound before it could become anything louder.
His chest rose and fell against yours in quick, shallow bursts. You felt the heat of every ragged exhale on your lips, felt the way his moan turned into a shaky gasp when you stroked him faster. You gave him the same; your own quiet, broken sounds pouring straight into his mouth as his fingers thrust and twisted inside you, hitting that spot again and again until your thighs started to shake.
The two of you stayed locked like that, breathing and moaning into each other, the kiss turning wet and messy from the effort of keeping everything inside. Every time the pleasure spiked, one of you would press closer, lips sealing over the other’s to muffle the sound, tongues sliding together while the rest of your bodies moved in that careful, silent rhythm.
The pace increased slightly, a silent conversation of friction and heat. You increased the speed of your strokes on his cock, your thumb rubbing over the leaking tip, smearing the pre-cum across the head. Chan’s breathing became ragged, his chest heaving against yours, but he kept his voice locked away, the effort only making the intensity of the moment peak.
You could feel the tension building in him, the way his thighs flexed and his hips began to jerk rhythmically against your hand. You leaned in, kissing him deeply, your tongues dancing in a desperate, silent hunger. The kiss muffled the small, needy whimpers escaping your throat as Chan’s fingers worked faster inside you, hitting that perfect spot that sent waves of electricity crashing through your core.
You were right on the edge, the pressure building until it felt like you would shatter. You squeezed his cock tightly, sliding your hand up and down in a blur of friction. Chan let out a choked sound, his body stiffening as he reached his limit.
He buried his face in the crook of your neck, his teeth grazing your skin as he came, his cock pulsing violently in your hand. At the same moment, the friction of his thumb sent you over the edge. Your muscles clamped tight around his fingers, your body shuddering in a silent, crashing orgasm that left you breathless and trembling.
For several minutes, the only sound in the room was the heavy, synchronized thrum of your breathing. Chan didn't pull away; he held you tight, his forehead resting against yours, both of you drenched in a light sweat.
"Early morning," he murmured, his voice raspy and exhausted, though he was smiling.
You chuckled softly, leaning into him, the lingering tingles of pleasure still humming through your veins. "Worth it."
Chan stayed wrapped around you, his body still warm and heavy against yours. He pressed slow, lazy kisses along your neck and shoulder, each one soft and lingering like he was trying to soothe every spot he had touched. His hand slid up and down your back in gentle strokes, fingers tracing lazy patterns over your skin while your breathing slowly evened out together.
After a while he eased his fingers from between your thighs and brought them to his mouth, sucking them clean without a word. Then he reached for the small pack of wipes on the nightstand, cleaning both of you with careful, tender touches. He wiped the sweat from your brow, the dampness between your legs, the stickiness on your hand, every motion slow and attentive. When he was done he tossed the wipes aside and pulled the blanket up over both of you, tucking it around your shoulders before drawing you back into his chest.
You felt his lips brush your temple. “Sleep,” he whispered, voice barely there. His arms tightened around you, one hand resting over your heart as if to feel it settle. Your legs tangled together under the covers, bodies pressed close from chest to hip. The room stayed quiet except for the soft rhythm of your breathing and the faint, steady beat of his heart against your ear.
Chan’s breathing grew deeper, slower. His thumb kept making small, absent circles on your hip until the motion faded and his hand went still. You let your eyes close, the warmth of him surrounding you, the afterglow still humming low in your belly. The two of you drifted off like that; wrapped tight, skin to skin.
𐙚
Morning came quietly. Not with an alarm or a rush, but with the soft sounds of the house waking around you. For a few minutes, neither of you moved.
You were still tucked against Chan’s chest, his arm heavy around your waist, the warmth of him making it tempting to ignore the fact that you both had somewhere to be. His breathing was slow and even, a steady rhythm beneath your cheek that made the thought of getting up feel unnecessarily difficult.
Eventually, his alarm broke the silence with a soft buzz. Chan groaned quietly, reaching blindly toward the nightstand until he found his phone. You watched him with a sleepy smile as he silenced it, his hair messy and his eyes barely open as he tried to convince himself he was awake.
He sat up slowly, rubbing a hand over his face before leaning down to press a gentle kiss to your temple. “Morning,” he whispered, his voice rough with sleep.
You smiled, curling closer for another moment. “Morning.”
Neither of you moved right away, then Chan glanced at his phone again. “Okay,” he sighed. “Now we actually have to get up.”
You laughed quietly, finally letting him go.
The morning fell into place after that.
Chan moved through his routine with the same quiet efficiency he seemed to do everything with. Coffee first, Jia’s lunch packed, backpack checked twice because somehow there was always something important hiding at the bottom.
You stayed in the kitchen with him, helping where you could while watching him switch effortlessly between being Chan and being Dad.
“Did you find your shoes?” he called to Jia down the hallway.
“Yes!”
A pause.
“Both of them?”
Another pause.
“No.”
You bit back a laugh as Chan closed his eyes, already knowing exactly where this was going. A few minutes later, Jia appeared holding one shoe in each hand, looking completely unbothered.
“They were hiding.”
“Were they?” Chan asked.
“Yes.”
“Interesting.”
“They like playing.”
You looked away, trying not to laugh.
Breakfast was just as chaotic in the small ways that made it feel familiar. Jia talked through every detail of her morning plans, Chan reminded her three separate times to actually eat her food.
By the time everyone was ready to leave, the house had gone from quiet to lived-in. Jia slipped her backpack on while Chan grabbed his keys, and you stood by the door watching the two of them fall into their usual rhythm.
Then she looked up at you. “Are you dropping me off with daddy?”
You smiled softly. “Not today, bug.”
Her expression dropped just a little. “What about pick-up?”
Before you could answer, Chan glanced over. “Remember? She has something very important to do today.”
Jia looked between the two of you, then nodded slowly like she was accepting a very serious adult arrangement, “the plants?”
You smiled. “The plants.”
“Okay.” She adjusted her backpack. “You have to tell me about them.”
“I will.”
Satisfied with that, she turned toward the door. Chan held it open for her, but before stepping outside, he looked back at you.
“I’ll see you there.”
You nodded. “Drive safe.”
A small smile pulled at his mouth.
“Always.”
And then he was gone, following Jia down the driveway while you watched them leave, already feeling the nervous excitement building in your chest.
By the time you arrived at the nursery, most of the nerves had settled into something steadier. You had already been through the conversations, the questions, the inspections, the paperwork. Today was just the final step.
Chan pulled in a few minutes after you, stepping out of his truck with a coffee in hand and a look on his face that made it obvious he was trying very hard not to look like he was interested.
At least, that was the plan.
The final paperwork went smoothly. You signed where you needed to sign, asked the last few questions you had, and thanked the owner for walking you through everything.
Chan stayed quiet for most of it. Mostly.
It started when the owner mentioned some of the work that would need to be done before opening. “The greenhouse should be fine with some repairs,” he said. “The structure itself is still solid.”
Chan glanced toward the windows behind him. “How long has it been sitting like that?”
The owner looked over, slightly surprised. “A few years.”
“And no one’s maintained it?”
“Not really.”
Chan nodded slowly, eyes moving over the property again. “What about the electrical?”
You looked over at him. Not because the question was strange, but because you knew that look. The one where his brain had already started taking something apart and putting it back together.
The owner answered honestly, explaining what had been updated, what hadn’t, and what he knew would likely need attention.
“And the roof on the main building?” Chan asked.
You blinked.
The owner answered.
“And the plumbing?”
Another answer.
You tried not to smile because the man was not even pretending anymore. He had gone from politely accompanying you to conducting a full inspection. When the owner finally stepped away to grab the last documents, you looked at Chan.
“You know you’re not buying this place, right?”
He glanced back at you, almost confused, “I know.”
“You’re acting like you are.”
He grinned, “I’m just asking questions.”
“You’ve asked more questions than I have.”
“That’s because I don’t know what questions I’m supposed to ask,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck with a quiet laugh. “I just….don’t want you to get overwhelmed.”
The honesty of it softened your expression.
Because this was just who Chan was.
He didn’t always know how to say that he cared. Sometimes it came out in smaller ways. Checking on people without being asked. Packing extra snacks for Jia because he knew she’d get hungry later. Fixing things before anyone even realized they were broken.
And apparently, today, it looked like standing in an old nursery asking about electrical work he had no reason to know about.
“What?” he asked, noticing your smile.
You shook your head. “Nothing.”
“That’s never true.”
“You’re just…” You glanced around the property, then back at him. “You’re really worried about me.”
His expression softened slightly, “yeah,” he admitted simply.
No joke, or attempt to brush it off. Just the whole truth. Before you could say anything else, the owner returned with the last set of documents, saving both of you from having to figure out where to put the weight of that moment.
The rest went quickly; a few more signatures, a final walkthrough of what would be handed over, the set of keys placed into your palm.
It was strange how something so life-changing could happen so quietly. Chan stayed close, but he let you have the moment. When the owner left you both to take one last look around, Chan followed beside you as you wandered through the property.
“You’re already planning, aren’t you?” you asked.
He looked over. “What?”
You pointed at his face. “That look.”
He laughed quietly. “I don’t have a look.”
“You absolutely do.”
He glanced back toward the greenhouse. “I’m just thinking.”
“About?”
He hesitated for a second, “everything you’re going to need.”
You smiled. “Chan.”
“I know,” he said quickly, holding up his hands. “I’m not trying to take over.”
The fact that he immediately clarified made you laugh, “I know.”
His expression softened, “I just want to know what I can do.”
--
The owner’s car disappeared down the road, leaving the two of you standing in the quiet lot. You looked back at the nursery one last time, keys resting in your palm. Then you sighed, “I should probably go before I spend the next three hours just staring at it.”
Chan smiled. “Probably.”
You looked over at him. “You’re agreeing too quickly.”
“I have work.”
“Right.”
“And you have plants to distribute and pack.”
You laughed softly. “That I do.”
The two of you headed back toward your cars, splitting off without much ceremony. You had orders waiting at home, he had a shop to get to.
“See you later?” you asked.
Chan nodded. “Yeah.”
A few minutes later, you turned toward home while he headed in the opposite direction.
--
The repair shop was already busy by the time Chan pulled in. The familiar sounds hit him immediately; tools against metal, music blaring through the speakers in the garage, Hyunjin arguing with a customer about a part that definitely was not supposed to make that noise.
“Morning,” Minho called from under the hood of a car.
Chan barely made it two steps inside before Changbin looked up, “you’re late.”
Chan checked the time, "I called."
"Doesn't help the fact that you're late."
He rolled his eyes, setting his keys down. “Twenty minutes late and somehow I’m the problem,” he muttered.
“Correct,” Minho said without looking up.
Chan shook his head, grabbing his coffee before heading toward the next car waiting in the bay.
Work usually had a way of clearing his head. Once he was under a hood or had a problem in front of him, everything else faded into the background. There was always something to figure out, something that needed adjusting, something that required his full attention.
Today should have been no different. Except every time his mind went quiet, it went right back to the nursery. The things you hadn’t mentioned because you were probably too focused on making it happen.
Chan tightened a bolt, then paused when his thoughts wandered again, he let out a quiet breath. This was ridiculous. You weren’t asking him to fix anything, you hadn’t even asked him to come with you. He had chosen to be there, and now he was standing at work mentally walking through a building he didn’t own.
“Something wrong?”
Chan looked up. Hyunjin was leaning against the nearby workbench, watching him. “No.”
Hyunjin raised an eyebrow.
Chan sighed. “What?”
“You’ve been staring at that car like it personally offended you.”
Chan glanced back at the engine in front of him, “It didn’t.”
“Then what is it?”
Chan opened his mouth, ready to brush it off. Instead, he asked, “Do you know any good contractors?” The question slipped out before he could stop it.
Hyunjin tilted his head slightly, “A contractor?”
Chan glanced over. “Yeah.”
“For the nursery?”
The fact that Hyunjin already knew made Chan pause. “I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to.”
Chan shook his head, going back to what he was working on. “I’m just asking.”
“Right,” Hyunjin said, clearly unconvinced. “Because asking for commercial renovation contacts in the middle of work is something you do all the time.”
“It’s not a big deal.”
Minho looked up from where he was sitting. “What kind of work does it need?” Chan appreciated that he skipped the teasing and actually answered the question.
“The greenhouse needs some repairs, but the structure is still solid. The electrical is outdated, the plumbing needs attention, and the roof needs someone to look at it before she starts doing anything inside.”
Changbin nodded. “So basically the whole place.”
“Not the whole place,” Chan corrected immediately.
The three of them looked at him, causing him to stop. “Okay. A lot of the place.”
Changbin nodded slowly. “And you’re trying to figure it out before she has to?”
Chan didn’t answer immediately, which was an answer to them.
Hyunjin laughed quietly. “You know she didn’t ask you to do that, right?”
“I know.”
“She probably wouldn’t even want you stressing over it.”
“I know that too.”
“Then why are you?”
Chan tightened the bolt in his hand, focusing on the task in front of him for a second. He knew you could handle it, that wasn’t the question.
The question was whether you should have to handle every single part of it alone.
“I just want to help.”
The teasing faded a little after that, because they knew Chan. They knew this wasn’t him trying to take control. It was just the way he cared. Quietly and practically. By finding the thing that needed doing and figuring out how to make it easier. It was his love language, so why tease him over the way he shows affection.
Minho nodded toward him. “I know a guy who does commercial renovations.”
Chan looked up. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. Good with older properties too.”
“I’ll take his number.”
“And I know someone who does electrical work,” Changbin added. “I’ll send that too.”
Chan nodded, pulling out his phone. Hyunjin watched him for a second before shaking his head. “You’re already making a list, aren’t you?”
Chan didn’t look up, “no.” A few seconds passed, then he added, “Maybe.”
And somehow, that was the most honest answer he could give.
masterlist | next
a/n: three more chapters left chat!
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OBSESSEDDD
*bites nail* stawppppp don’t gas me up
AYE AYE CAPTAIN
THIS IS PURE ART AND HEAVENLY
would you be willing to write more binnie fics? :)
i would be!! just need more ideas:p
⋆. 𐙚˚࿔ daddy 𝜗𝜚˚⋆
part 7 | series masterlist summary: he’s new to the neighborhood, moving into the house directly across from yours in the quiet little cul-de-sac. you don’t know much about him. only that he works on cars in his garage, mows his lawn shirtless like he’s trying to ruin your life, and always looks a little too tired. it’s not until a little girl appears in his driveway one afternoon that you realize the handsome mechanic across the street comes with a tiny family attached. pairing: girldad!bangchan x reader genre: fluff, angst, smut cw/tags: emotional vulnerability, themes of attachment, explicit sexual content - fingering, handjobs, making out soundtrack: butterflies - brent faiyaz , walls - Syd * ✩˚word count: 11.9k ˚✩ * a/n: chat!!!!!! Thank you for the patience and kind words some of you have shared with me while I got my mental health back together. From now on, updates will be on Fridays/Saturdays again. While working on this, why did a scammer try to fake dilf his way into my life using an idol’s photo? I thought it was too hilarious. anyways ta ta, enjoy ♡
During the years he'd been raising Jia on his own, Chan couldn't remember the last time he'd slept later than she had.
He'd grown used to waking before the sun, his body trained to listen for every sound. A cough down the hall. Small footsteps leaving the bed. A sleepy little voice calling for him. Even on the rare mornings Jia slept in, he never did.
Until now.
You were tucked against him, warm and impossibly comfortable almost completely under the covers. His arm was wrapped around your waist on instinct, and for once, his body's natural clock hadn't told him to wake up.
Somehow, somewhere between falling asleep and morning finding the two of you, his body had finally believed there was someone beside him who would help catch him if he rested.
Sleeping in, however, only lasted for a little while before the sound of small feet padded down the hallway.
"Daddy?" Jia called softly.
No answer.
She pushed the bedroom door open just enough to peek inside.
The curtains were still drawn, leaving the room washed in soft morning light. From where she stood, all she could really see was the familiar shape of her dad buried beneath the blankets.
Perfect. She grinned.
Without a second thought, she climbed onto the bed, careful at first, then considerably less careful as she crawled over the mattress toward him.
"Daddyyyy." Nothing again.
She planted both hands squarely on his side and started climbing over him, little knees digging into the blankets. "Wake up."
Chan only made a sleepy noise.
Jia huffed, "no sleeping." She bounced once.
The added weight shifted the mattress enough that you stirred first. A sleepy groan escaped you before your eyes even opened. You stretched instinctively, voice thick with sleep. "Chan..."
Jia froze.
Your eyes blinked open slowly as you pushed yourself up onto one elbow, still too asleep to register why Jia Chan suddenly had a very strange look on his face. "Hm...?" you mumbled.
For one suspended second, the room went completely silent. Then Jia's eyes grew as round as saucers. "AAAAAH!"
You yelped as Chan jolted awake so violently he nearly launched all three of you off the bed. "What? Jia? What’s wrong?"
Jia pointed dramatically between the two of you, bouncing in place with so much excitement she could barely get the words out.
"YOU'RE HERE!"
Before either of you could react, she launched herself forward, climbing over Chan to get to you. "How'd you get here?" she asked in one breath. "When did you come over? Did Daddy know?"
Chan let out a long, defeated sigh before finally looking up at his daughter. "Good morning, bug. Yes I did."
Jia barely acknowledged him. She was still looking at you with open curiosity, like she was trying to solve the biggest puzzle she'd ever encountered. "Did you sleep in Daddy's bed all night?" she asked.
You glanced toward Chan for help. Unfortunately, he looked just as lost. "Yeah..." you admitted carefully.
Jia nodded slowly, as though filing that information away, "were you cold?"
The question caught both of you completely off guard.
"What?"
"At your house," she explained patiently, like the answer was obvious. "Did you get cold?"
You couldn't help the laugh that slipped out, "no, sweetheart."
"Then…" Her brow furrowed. "Why didn't you sleep at your house?"
Chan opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again. "Um that's..." he rubbed another hand over his face, "that's a really good question."
Jia waited, looked at Chan then back at you.
Chan looked between the two of you before letting out a quiet groan, "can daddy brush his teeth before we have this conversation?"
Jia considered that very seriously, before smiling, "okaaay.”
Then she climbed over him again without another word and curled herself against your side beneath the blankets, completely content with postponing the interrogation.
You looked down at the little girl tucked against you before lifting your eyes to Chan.
He held your gaze for a moment before letting out a quiet sigh. There wasn't panic in his expression anymore, just resignation.
"Morning," he said dryly causing you to laugh before you could stop it.
"Good morning, you two," you said, unable to stop smiling.
Chan rubbed another hand over his face before letting out a slow breath. "Alright," he said, gently patting Jia's back. "Come on, bug."
She looked up immediately. "What?"
“I need you to go pick out your clothes for school.”
She frowned, “now?”
“Mhm.”
“What if I pick the wrong ones?”
He smiled, reaching over to smooth her hair, “then I’ll help.”
She thought about that for exactly two seconds before nodding, “okay.” She climbed off the bed, paused in the doorway, then looked back at you.
“Don’t leave yet.”
Your heart immediately softened, “I won’t.”
Satisfied, she disappeared down the hall, her footsteps quickly followed by the unmistakable sound of dresser drawers opening and closing.
The bedroom settled into a quiet that hadn’t existed a moment earlier.
Chan watched the doorway for another second, a fond smile lingering on his face before he finally exhaled. “She’s definitely putting together something interesting.”
You smiled, slipping your arm through his and leaning into his side. He looked down at you almost immediately, his smile softening.
“Pancakes?” you asked.
His eyebrows lifted. “You’re making breakfast?”
“I was planning on it.”
“You don’t have to.”
“I know.” You nudged him gently with your shoulder. “But I want to.”
He looked at you for a long moment before leaning down to press an unhurried kiss to your forehead. “She’s going to think this is the greatest morning of her life.”
You laughed quietly, “good.”
He smiled at you for another moment before reluctantly moving his arm causing yours to slip from his. “Give me ten-ish minutes,” he said, glancing toward the hallway. “If I don’t intervene soon, she’s liable to come out wearing rain boots with a princess dress.”
You laughed, “has that happened before?”
“More than once.”
“And you let her?”
He shrugged, already making his way toward the bedroom door. “I pick my battles.”
“Wise man.”
He paused just before stepping into the hallway, turning back long enough to steal one quick kiss from your lips. “Don’t start without me.”
“I make no promises.”
A grin spread across his face before he shook his head, “you’re trouble.”
“You seem to like trouble.”
“Unfortunately.”
He disappeared down the hallway before you could answer, his voice carrying after him, “Bug? You finding clothes or building a fort in there?”
“I’m finding them!”
You smiled to yourself as you headed toward the kitchen, finding the mixing bowls without asking. A quiet laugh escaped you when you reached into one of the upper cabinets and pulled out the pancake mix on the first try.
You paused for a second. A few months ago, you would’ve had to ask where everything was.
Now your hands moved on instinct. Butter from the top shelf in the fridge. Eggs from the door. Mixing bowl from the cabinet beside the stove. The familiarity settled over you before you had time to think too hard about it.
By the time you were whisking the batter together, you could hear muffled conversation drifting down the hallway.
“No, bug,” Chan said patiently.
“But it matches.”
“It matches in your heart.”
“That’s still matching.”
You bit back a laugh, continuing to stir as another drawer slid open.
“Try the blue shirt,” Chan suggested.
“The butterflies?”
“The butterflies.”
“Okay!”
Her footsteps hurried from one side of the room to the other, followed by Chan’s quiet chuckle.
You smiled to yourself, pouring the first scoop of batter onto the hot pan. The soft sizzle filled the kitchen just as another pair of footsteps approached.
“Look!”
You turned at the sound of Jia’s excited voice.
She came around the corner with a little bounce in her step, immediately doing a small spin so you could see the full outfit. The butterfly shirt, the carefully chosen combination, and the proud expression that came with it.
You smiled, setting the bowl down for a moment. “Okay, I see you.”
Jia beamed. “Daddy said it matches.”
You glanced over at Chan, who was standing behind her with an amused smile.
“It does,” you agreed. “Very stylish.”
Jia looked down at herself, pleased with the answer. “I helped daddy pick it.”
“I can tell,” you said. “It looks like something you would pick.” That seemed to be exactly the right thing to say because her smile somehow got even bigger.
Chan leaned against the doorway, watching the exchange with quiet amusement. “She’s been very serious about butterflies for the last month.”
“They’re my favorite,” Jia said immediately.
You nodded, turning back toward the stove. “I can tell.”
She followed your gaze, her eyes widening when she noticed what you were cooking. “Are those pancakes?”
“Mhm.”
“For breakfast?”
You looked over your shoulder, pretending to think about it. “I was hoping they were.”
Jia giggled as she climbed into her chair at the table, still looking down at her butterfly shirt every few seconds like she couldn’t believe how well it turned out.
Chan moved beside you, reaching for a plate while you continued flipping, “you found everything okay?” he asked quietly.
You looked over at him. The question was simple, but the smile that came with it wasn’t. You shrugged lightly. “I’ve been here enough times.”
His eyes stayed on you for a second longer before he nodded. “Yeah,” he said softly. “You have.”
By the time the pancakes were finished, the kitchen looked less like a model kitchen and more like a place people actually lived in. A plate of pancakes sat in the middle of the table, along with sliced fruit and Jia’s very specific request for extra syrup.
Chan sat adjacent from her, shaking his head as she carefully dipped each bite instead of pouring it over the top. “You know we could’ve poured the syrup, right?”
“I like it this way.”
“Of course you do.”
You laughed quietly, reaching for your own plate as Jia continued eating happily between the two of you. It was simple, just breakfast. But every once in a while, Chan caught himself looking up. At you sitting at his table, at Jia talking to you like she had known you much longer than she actually had. At the way none of it felt forced.
“Daddy?”
Chan looked over. “Yeah, bug?”
Jia was looking between the two of you, her fork paused halfway to her mouth, “when she sleeps over…”
You glanced up at the same time Chan did.
Jia continued, completely unaware of the weight behind the question. “Is she gonna be here every time I wake up?”
The question hung there for a second.
Chan set his fork down, looking at her carefully “What do you mean?”
Jia shrugged, her expression thoughtful. “Like when I wake up and you’re making breakfast,” she explained. “And she’ll be here.” Her eyes moved to you. “Like this, except I was up first this time.”
Chan looked at you briefly before looking back at her. The honesty of it almost made him smile. Because she was just trying to figure out if this was something she could expect. Something that would stay consistent.
“Well,” Chan said slowly, “not every time.”
Jia’s face fell just slightly.
“But…”
That got her attention again.
“But,” you interjected and continued, “I think I’ll be around a lot more.”
Jia considered that. “A lot?”
Chan smiled. “Yeah. A lot.”
She nodded, seemingly satisfied with that answer. Then, after another bite of pancake, she added, “Okay.”
Chan blinked. “Okay?”
“Mhm.”
“That’s all?”
She looked at him like he was the one making things complicated. “She makes good pancakes.”
You laughed before you could stop yourself.
Chan covered his mouth, trying to hide his smile. “Wow,” he said. “So that’s the deciding factor?”
Jia nodded seriously, “pancakes are important.”
“They are,” you agreed.
Chan looked between the two of you and shook his head, but he was smiling. “Good to know.”
Breakfast eventually turned into the usual morning rush. A missing shoe. A backpack that somehow ended up behind the couch. And Jia suddenly remembering she needed to bring a very specific drawing to school because it was “important.”
You and Chan stood by the front door with his keys in one hand while Jia struggled to put on her jacket the wrong way.
“Bug.”
“I got it.”
“Are you sure?”
“It’s hard.”
You smiled watching him help her fix the sleeves. It was a routine you had seen pieces of before, but something about being included in it felt different.
Once Jia was finally ready, Chan grabbed her backpack and opened the door. “Alright, school time.” Jia immediately stopped. The excitement she had five minutes ago disappeared as she looked between him and you.
“No.”
Chan blinked. “No?”
She shook her head seriously. “No school.”
He looked at you briefly before turning back to her. “That’s not usually how this works.”
“I want to stay here.” Her eyes moved toward you, “with you.”
You smiled softly at her, but Chan was already stepping in before the pout could fully settle.
“Jia.”
She looked up at him.
“You like school.”
“But she’s here.”
“I know.”
“And you’re leaving.”
“I’m taking you to school and then I’m coming back.”
“But she's staying?”
Before Chan could answer, you stepped closer and squatted to her level, “Hey, bug.”
Jia looked at you.
“I have things I need to do too.”
Her eyebrows pulled together slightly. “You do?”
You nodded. “Mhm. I have some errands to run and things I need to take care of at my house.”
She looked toward the front door, then back at you. “But you’ll come back?”
The question was so genuine that your smile softened, “of course.”
“When?”
You glanced at Chan, who was watching the exchange with an amused expression. “Maybe after you tell daddy all about your day.”
Jia immediately turned toward him, “can I tell her about my day too?”
Chan laughed quietly. “I think she'll already want to hear about it.”
That seemed to be enough of an answer for her. She adjusted her backpack and finally stepped toward the door. “Okay.”
Chan raised an eyebrow. “Just okay?”
Jia ignored him, already walking outside. You laughed softly as he followed after her, shaking his head. At the doorway, Jia turned back one more time.
“Bye.”
“Bye, Bug.”
She waved, but after a second, she added, “See you later.”
After getting Jia settled into her car seat, Chan closed the back door and walked around toward the driver's side. He'd just reached the handle when he stopped, glancing back toward the porch where you still stood, leaning against the railing with your arms folded.
You caught him looking almost immediately, "What?" you called with a smile.
He didn't answer right away. Instead, he let go of the handle, turned on his heel, and started walking back toward you.
You laughed under your breath, "what are you doing?"
"I forgot something."
You tilted your head. "Oh?"
He stopped in front of you, close enough that you had to look up at him. "Yeah."
"And what's that?"
Rather than answering, his hands found your waist, gently pulling you toward him until there wasn't any space left between you. The hug was warm and unhurried, his chin resting briefly against the top of your head as he let out a quiet breath.
"I didn't say goodbye."
Your smile softened almost immediately. "You walked all the way back over here for a goodbye?"
"I did."
"You've become clingy."
He shrugged his shoulders, completely unbothered by the accusation. "Probably."
A quiet laugh escaped you as you reached up to smooth a piece of hair away from his forehead, "I thought you were taking Jia to school."
"I am."
"So why are you still standing here?"
"Because I wanted another minute alone with you."
There was something so matter-of-fact about the way he said it that your teasing smile faltered for just a second. "You know you're going to be late."
"I know."
"And Jia's waiting."
"I know."
"You also know she's probably wondering where you disappeared to."
"I definitely know."
Almost as if she'd been listening, Jia's voice rang out from the back seat."Daddyyyy!"
You couldn't help laughing, "there it is."
Chan tipped his head back dramatically, "I have absolutely no idea where she gets her impatience."
You looked at him knowingly, "really?"
He held your gaze for a second before the corner of his mouth twitched, "okay....maybe she gets a little of it from me."
"A little?"
"A healthy amount."
You shook your head, still smiling, and gave his chest a gentle push, "Go. Before she wakes the whole neighborhood."
He caught your hand before you could pull it away, intertwining his fingers with yours for just a moment. His thumb brushed lazily across your knuckles as he looked at you with that same quiet expression he'd worn all weekend, "I'll stop by yours before I head to the shop."
"You don't have to."
"I know."
"Then why are you?"
"Because I want to."
The simplicity of the answer settled somewhere deep in your chest. Another impatient call drifted from the driveway.
"Daddy!"
"I'm coming, bug!" he called back, though his eyes never left yours. He leaned in just enough to press a lingering kiss to your forehead before stealing one from your lips, "I'll see you in a little while."
You smiled, "It’s only a few minutes."
"I know," he said, smiling back. "Doesn't mean I won't miss you."
You looked away for a second, trying not to let his words get to you as easily as they always did. “Go.”
"Yes, ma'am."
Only then did he finally let you go, jogging the rest of the way down the driveway while you stayed on the porch watching him. Jia already turned and waved excitedly through the window before he'd even climbed into the driver's seat, and you returned it with a laugh, waiting until the car disappeared around the corner before heading across the street to your own house.
𐙚
The house greeted you with its familiar quiet.
You slipped your shoes off by the front door, carrying your tote upstairs before unpacking it piece by piece. Your toiletries found their way back into the bathroom cabinet, borrowed clothes disappeared into the laundry basket, and after changing into something more comfortable, you started a load of laundry before making your way back downstairs.
Sunlight poured through the front windows, warming the hardwood floors as you wandered into the living room. You straightened a throw pillow that didn't need straightening, watered the plant by the window, then paused beside the bookshelf for a moment, your eyes drifting across the street almost on instinct.
It was strange. Coming home wasn't supposed to feel different, this was your house, your routine, your peace and quiet, and yet, for the first time in a while, the silence felt loud.
You were halfway through putting away a few more things from your bag when you heard a knock at the door. A smile crossed your face before you even reached it. When you opened the door, Chan was standing there with his work shirt on, keys in one hand and a coffee in the other.
You looked past him briefly, then back at him, "didn't you just drop Jia off?"
He smiled. "I did."
“Mm.”
Chan let out a quiet breath that was almost a laugh, but not quite, as he moved past you and set his coffee down on the counter. He looked more awake now than he had at the door, but only by a little.
You leaned back against the frame and watched him for a second while grinning. “Remind me why are you here again?”
His eyes came back to yours, steady and unhurried, “I wanted to see you before the day got away from me.” The words settled between you for a second before Chan glanced past you into the house.
“You already started unpacking?”
You looked down at the tote still sitting near the stairs. “Yeah. I figured I should probably put my stuff back where it belongs.”
He nodded, taking that in. “Makes sense.” There was something about the way he said it that made you look back at him.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
You raised an eyebrow. Chan smiled slightly, lifting his coffee toward you like he was surrendering. “I was just thinking it’s weird seeing you back over there.”
You leaned against the doorframe. “You mean across the street?”
“Yeah.”
A small smile pulled at your lips. “You know I only slept over for three nights, right?”
“I know.”
For a moment the two of you just stood there in the quiet, the kind that had started to feel different since the weekend.
Then Chan looked at you again. “What are you doing today?” The question caught you a little off guard, mostly because it was asked so plainly.
You set a mug in the sink. “I’ve got a few things to finish.”
“Like what?”
You glanced at him, deciding how much to say before answering. “I’m meeting with someone about the plant nursery.”
Chan’s brow lifted slightly. “That place you’ve been trying to buy?”
You nodded.
He was quiet for a second, looking at you in a way that made it clear he was trying to place the details. “The old one near the highway?”
“Yeah.”
“With the greenhouse?”
You blinked, then gave him a surprised smile. “You remember that much?”
He looked a little pleased with himself, though not enough to make a thing of it. “I remember you talking about it.”
A quiet laugh escaped you. “I didn’t realize you were paying attention.”
“I pay attention.”
The answer was said so easily that it made your smile fade into something softer. Chan noticed, of course, his expression shifted a little, quieter now. “So it’s happening?”
“Maybe.”
“Maybe?”
You let out a small breath through your nose. “It depends on whether everything goes through cleanly.”
He nodded once, thoughtful. “And if it does?”
You looked down for a second before answering. “Then I’ll finally have my own space. A real place to work from instead of trying to make everything fit in the corners of everywhere else.”
“That’s a big deal.”
You glanced over at him. “It’s just a business.”
“Maybe.” Chan leaned back against the counter, coffee still in hand. “But it’s something you’ve wanted.”
You looked down, a little caught off guard by how easily he said it, “I don’t know if I’d say all that.”
“You’ve talked about it more than once.”
“Have I?”
He smiled. “Yeah.”
You looked away first, reaching for a bottle of water. “It’s still a little scary.”
Chan’s expression softened. “Yeah?”
You nodded. “It’s a lot. Buying a place, fixing it up, figuring out what I want it to become.”
He was quiet for a moment, then after a second he spoke softly, “I think you’re good at that.”
You glanced back at him. “At what?”
“Taking something that’s been sitting there for a while and making it feel alive again.”
The words caught you off guard, because what did he mean by that? You smiled faintly. “You really thought about that?”
Chan shrugged, a little embarrassed. “I mean…yeah.”
You looked at him for a moment before shaking your head. “You’re supposed to be going to work.”
“I know.”
“And you’re standing in my kitchen talking about a plant nursery.”
“It’s important.”
That earned a laugh from you, and you leaned in to kiss his cheek. He smiled to himself, as his hand stayed resting lightly against your waist, his thumb absentmindedly brushing the fabric of your shirt.
“You never really told me why that place.”
You looked up at him. “The nursery?”
He nodded, “what made you want that one?”
For a second, you didn’t answer. Your gaze drifted past him toward the window, toward nothing in particular. “I guess…” You smiled to yourself. “Everyone else sees an abandoned nursery.”
He stayed quiet.
“I see what it used to be.”
His expression softened. You leaned into him as his arms wrap around your lower back.
“When I was little, my Nana used to take me to places like that.” A quiet laugh escaped you. “Not that one. Just little garden centers whenever she could. We’d walk around for hours, and she’d know the names of everything.”
Chan listened without interrupting.
“I always liked how peaceful they were,” you continued. “Nobody rushed. People wandered. They talked. Kids got dirty. Someone was always asking for advice about a plant they thought they’d killed.” You smiled at the memory. “It felt alive.”
Your eyes drifted toward the window again. “When I walked through that nursery…” You shrugged lightly. “I couldn’t stop thinking about how quiet it was.”
Chan followed your gaze.
“It looked like everyone had just…given up on it.”
“And you didn’t.”
You shook your head. “I don’t know exactly what it’ll become yet.” Your smile grew a little more thoughtful. “I’d love to bring it back as a nursery first. Maybe eventually add workshops. Somewhere kids can learn how to plant things without worrying about making a mess.”
A small laugh slipped out of you. “I’ve even thought about a little coffee corner someday. Nothing fancy. Just somewhere people can sit while they wait for someone who’s shopping.”
“You’ve thought about this.”
“For a while.”
“You make it sound like a place people would stay a while.”
“I hope they would.”
The room settled into a comfortable silence. Chan looked at you for a long moment, seeing something that had been there all along but somehow felt clearer now. It wasn’t really about the building.
It was about you. About the way you looked at things other people had stopped looking at. He rubbed the back of his neck before asking quietly, “Do you think you can do all that by yourself?”
You smiled, though it didn’t quite reach your eyes, “I’ll have to.” There wasn’t any self-pity in it, or frustration. Just a simple acceptance of what you believed was true. Something in his chest tightened before he could stop it.
You glanced at the clock on the wall and let out a small sigh. “I should probably head over there after lunch. The owner’s expecting me sometime this afternoon.”
“You excited?”
“Nervous.”
“Definitely both,” he chuckled. He looked at you one last time before leaning in to press a gentle kiss against your forehead. “I should get to work.”
“You probably should.”
He smiled, “I’ll see you later.”
“You will.”
He headed for the front door, grabbing his keys on the way out. You followed him just far enough to watch him step onto the porch.
Neither of you noticed the way his thoughts lingered on multiple things long after he’d walked down the steps.
The kiss you’d pressed to his cheek lingered far longer than he thought itshould have, and he found himself smiling at absolutely nothing as he climbed into his truck.
He didn’t even notice he was doing it until he caught his reflection in the rearview mirror. “Get it together,” he muttered to himself.
The repair shop wasn’t far, and by the time he pulled into the lot, Hyunjin was already outside with a cup of coffee balanced on the hood of his own car.
He looked up as Chan climbed out. “You’re late.”
“By three minutes.”
“So you are late.”
Chan rolled his eyes, grabbing his toolbox from the back.
“Traffic.”
Hyunjin looked toward the nearly empty road,“sure.”
𐙚
The rest of the morning slipped by the way it always did.
Cars came and went through the bays, each one replaced by another before the last had fully left. Someone had a brake issue. Someone else swore their engine “just started making that noise yesterday.”
Hyunjin disappeared beneath the hood of an SUV while Changbin argued with a parts supplier over the phone, and Minho quietly finished a transmission job before anyone else realized he’d already moved on to the next car.
Chan worked through it all on instinct. His hands stayed busy, but his mind didn’t.
Every now and then, without meaning to, it wandered back to your living room. To the way your face had changed when you talked about the nursery. Not excited exactly. Hopeful.
By the time lunch rolled around, the four of them had migrated into the cramped break room with whatever they’d packed that morning.
Hyunjin had barely opened his container before he looked across the table, “you’ve been quiet.”
Chan looked up. “Have I?”
Changbin snorted. “You put a ratchet in the socket drawer.”
“Twice,” Minho added without looking up from his food.
Chan blinked. “Did I?”
“You’re somewhere else,” Hyunjin said. “What’s going on?”
Chan shrugged, picking at the corner of his sandwich, “nothing.”
Three unimpressed faces stared back at him.
He sighed through his nose, “She told me something this morning.”
“The neighbor across the street you have a thing for?” Changbin asked.
Chan nodded. “She’s trying to buy an old nursery.”
That earned three different reactions.
“A plant nursery?” Hyunjin asked.
“Didn’t know those were still a thing,” Changbin muttered.
Minho was the only one who didn’t seem surprised. “Why an old one?”
Chan leaned back in his chair for a second, “I asked her the same thing.”
He smiled without realizing it. “She said everyone else sees an abandoned nursery.” His eyes dropped to the table for a moment. “She sees what it used to be.”
The room went quieter than before.
Hyunjin let out a small breath. “That’s….kind of a nice answer.”
“Yeah.”
Chan rubbed the back of his neck. “She wants to fix it up. Bring the nursery back first.” He shrugged. “Maybe workshops one day. Somewhere kids can learn about gardening.”
“That’s ambitious,” Changbin said.
“She knows.”
“Does she have people helping her?”
Chan hesitated, “I don’t think so.”
Minho finally looked up. “What’s wrong with the place?”
Chan opened his mouth, then stopped. He frowned slightly, “I don’t know.” The realization settled over him almost immediately. He’d asked why she wanted it. He’d never asked what it needed.
Changbin pointed at him with his fork, “you’re thinking about going over there, aren’t you?”
Chan didn’t answer. Which, judging by the knowing smiles spreading around the table, was answer enough.
𐙚
Chan tried to leave it alone. He really did.
But the thought followed him long after he left to pick Jia up. Not in a way that distracted him from work. Not enough to make him careless. He still finished his jobs, still cleaned his station, still made sure everything was where it belonged before he left.
But the nursery stayed in the back of his mind. The way you’d looked when you talked about it.
The way you’d said, ‘I’ll have to.’ Like doing everything alone wasn’t something you wanted. Just something you’d already accepted.
So instead of turning towards the road that takes him to Jia’s school, Chan found himself taking a different route.
He told himself he was only curious, that was all.
He wasn’t going to show up with a toolbox. He wasn’t going to start making plans without you. He wasn’t going to step into something that wasn’t his. He just wanted to see it.
The property looked different in person than it had in his imagination. Older, but not hopeless. Chan parked along the edge of the road and sat there for a moment, looking through the windshield.
Then he got out. The first thing he noticed was the fence. The second was the roofline. The third was the way the old greenhouse sat farther back on the property, weathered but still standing.
He walked slowly, hands tucked into his pockets as he took everything in. A few sections of fencing would need replacing. The wooden trim around the main building had started to rot in places. Several windows would have to be repaired or replaced completely. The electrical system would probably be a nightmare.
The greenhouse, though…
That caught his attention. The frame was old, but the structure itself was solid. It wasn’t something that needed to be torn down. It needed someone willing to bring it back.
Chan stood there for a moment, looking through the dusty glass at the empty space inside. He could picture it.
Not exactly. He wasn’t you. He didn’t know the details you had in your head.
But he could see the bones of it; a place that had been forgotten, a place that could become something again.
By the time he got back into his truck, he already had a list forming. Not a plan, a list. Because this wasn’t his project. It wasn’t his dream.
It was yours.
Chan stayed parked another moment, looking down at the notes on his phone before finally locking the screen.
He could figure out the details later. Right now, there was someone else waiting for him.
By the time he pulled into Jia’s daycare, the afternoon rush was already starting. Parents were coming and going, little voices echoing through the building as kids spilled out with backpacks and half-finished stories.
The second Jia spotted him through the window, her entire face lit up.
“Daddy!”
Chan barely had time to open his arms before she was running toward him. “Hey, bug,” he laughed, catching her easily. “How was your day?”
“Good.”
He raised an eyebrow as he adjusted her backpack on his shoulder, “just good?”
She thought about it for a second, “really good.”
“That’s more like it.”
She grabbed his hand as they walked toward the door, immediately launching into every detail she had decided was important.
“I got to be line leader today, and we learned about butterflies, and Mina said her favorite color is purple but I told her mine is still pink because pink is happier.”
Chan smiled, listening as he always did, even while another part of his mind drifted back to the abandoned greenhouse and the list sitting quietly in his phone.
“Sounds like a very important day.”
“It was.”
“I can tell.”
By the time Chan pulled into the driveway, the nursery had settled into the back of his mind. Not forgotten, just put on hold. Because the second he opened the car door, he heard the familiar excitement coming from the back seat.
“Daddy, can I have strawberries after dinner?”
Chan laughed as he unbuckled his seatbelt, “you just asked me that yesterday.”
“Because they’re good.”
He shook his head, smiling as he opened her door, “come on, bug.”
The rest of the afternoon moved the way it always did; shoes by the door, backpack put away, a very serious discussion about whether dinosaurs could wear pajamas.
Dinner stretched longer than usual because Jia had an entire day’s worth of stories to tell him, and apparently every single detail needed to be included.
Chan listened while he ate, nodding at the right moments, asking questions when she paused for breath, laughing when she corrected him for getting someone’s name wrong. The conversation moved from butterflies to playground games to a very serious debate about whether dinosaurs would have liked macaroni and cheese.
Still, every now and then, his mind wandered; to the nursery, the broken windows, the greenhouse standing stubbornly in the middle of the property. To the way you had looked at a place everyone else had written off and somehow seen a future there.
“Daddy?”
He blinked and looked up; Jia was watching him from across the table. “You’re thinking again.”
A small smile tugged at his mouth. “Am I?”
She nodded. “Your eyebrows are doing the squishy thing.”
“The squishy thing?”
“When they almost touch.”
Chan laughed quietly, rubbing a hand over his face. “That’s very observant.”
“I know.”
After dinner, while he was rinsing dishes at the sink, Jia wandered into the kitchen with Leebit tucked under one arm, “is she coming over?”
Chan glanced back at her. “Who?”
Jia gave him a look that clearly said you know who. Then she said your name with complete confidence.
A smile appeared before he could stop it. “I don’t know.”
Her shoulders slumped a little. “But she said she likes stories.”
That made him pause. You had said that, and apparently Jia had filed the information away for later.
“I know,” he said softly.
“So ask.”
Chan dried his hands on the towel and turned toward her. “What do you say when you want something?”
“Pleeease?”
The answer came so fast that he couldn’t help laughing. “Okay, bug," he reached for his phone. “I’ll ask her.”
Him: Jia has a very important question that needs an answer
Your reply came almost immediately.
Babydoll ❣️: Should I be worried? Him: Would you be coming over for bedtime stories tonight? Babydoll ❣️ : Is this a request from Jia or you?
A small smile found him as his thumbs moved across the screen.
Him: What if I said both? Babydoll ❣️ : Give me 10
After he hearted your text, he slipped his phone back into his pocket just as Jia wandered into the kitchen again, still carrying Leebit under one arm. "Did she respond? Is she coming over?"
Chan snickered, "yes bug, she'll be here in about ten minutes."
The excitement on Jia's face answered before she did. She spun on her heel and disappeared back down the hallway, her small voice echoing through the house as she announced to absolutely no one in particular that you were coming over. Chan couldn't help laughing to himself as he finished drying the last plate and slid it into the cabinet.
Exactly ten minutes later, three soft knocks sounded at the front door. Before he could reach it, little feet came thundering across the hardwood floor, "I got it!"
Chan shook his head, following after her at a much slower pace. Jia had already pulled the door open by the time he reached the entryway. "You came!" You barely had time to smile before she wrapped both arms around your legs.
"I did," you laughed, hugging her back. "I heard someone needed a bedtime story."
"I picked the garden book."
"You already picked it?"
She nodded enthusiastically before taking your hand without another word, "c'mon." You glanced over your shoulder toward Chan, amusement dancing across your face as Jia confidently led you deeper into the house to her bedroom.
"I don't think I have much of a choice."
"I don't think you do either," he admitted, smiling.
The bedroom looked much the same as it had that morning, except now pajamas had replaced butterfly shirts, and Leebit had somehow collected three extra stuffed animals waiting patiently at the head of the bed.
Jia climbed beneath the blankets while you settled onto the edge of the mattress beside her, reaching for the picture book she'd already set out. Chan lingered in the doorway, one shoulder resting against the frame as you opened to the first page. You barely made it through the opening paragraph before Jia interrupted to point excitedly at one of the illustrations.
"We have flowers like that."
"We do?"
"Mhm. The pink ones."
You looked closer before smiling. "You're right. There's some in your backyard." Apparently satisfied, she let you continue…for almost an entire page before interrupting again to explain how she thought the rabbit in the story should've stayed in the garden instead of running away.
You listened to every theory as though it were the most important part of the book, never rushing her back to the next page, never telling her she was getting off track. Chan found himself smiling before he even realized it. It wasn't the story that held his attention, it was you.
The way you looked at Jia whenever she spoke. The patience in your voice. The ease with which you let her curiosity shape the story into something entirely her own. There wasn't anything extraordinary happening.
Just a little girl interrupting a bedtime story every other page, and you letting her. Somehow, standing there in the quiet glow of the bedside lamp, it felt like one of the most natural things he'd ever seen.
His thoughts drifted back to the plant nursery for only a second before disappearing again. The repairs could wait until tomorrow.
Right now, he couldn't think of anywhere he'd rather be than standing in the doorway, watching the two people he cared about most discuss whether the rabbit should've planted more flowers.
Jia's interruptions grew farther apart with every page. By the time you reached the end of the story, her eyelids were already drooping.
Chan smiled to himself as you quietly closed the book. "Think that's our cue," he whispered.
You looked over to find Jia already asleep, one hand still resting on the edge of the blanket she'd insisted you help tuck around her. Within minutes of the bedroom light clicking off, the house settled into the quiet only nighttime seemed capable of bringing.
The hallway was dim now, lit only by the warm glow spilling in from the living room. Somewhere in the house, the dishwasher hummed softly, filling the silence without disturbing it.
Chan glanced back toward Jia's room before looking at you, his voice barely above a whisper, "she was asleep before the last page."
You smiled, "she fought it hard."
"She always does," he laughed quietly, the sound warm enough to make you smile a little wider.
Without really deciding to, the two of you wandered into the living room. Instead of turning the TV on, Chan reached for the lamp beside the couch, leaving only its soft amber light filling the room. You settled beside him first.
It lasted all of three seconds.
Chan rested a hand lightly against your hip, silently asking, and you shifted without a word until you were sitting across his lap. One arm slipped comfortably around your waist while yours found its place around his shoulders, your foreheads almost close enough to touch.
Neither of you spoke right away. The quiet wasn't awkward anymore. It was the kind that came after a long day, after a house full of laughter and tiny footsteps and a little girl who had somehow convinced both of you that one bedtime story could turn into two.
"You have a good day?" he asked eventually, his thumb tracing slow circles against your side.
You nodded once, "I think so."
His eyebrows lifted slightly. "Think so?"
You smiled, shaking your head. "It was a good day."
"Mm."
The sound made you look at him. "What?"
"Nothing."
You narrowed your eyes slightly. "Chan."
He smiled, pressing a kiss against your lips before looking back at you, "I'm just wondering."
"About?"
He hesitated for a second, like he was deciding whether or not he wanted to ask. "The nursery."
Your expression softened a little. "What about it?"
"I realized I actually don't know much about it."
You tilted your head, "you know enough."
"I know you’re buying an old nursery," he said. "I know it needs work. I know you’re excited about it." His thumb brushed slowly along your side. "But I don't know exactly what you’re actually walking into."
The way he said it wasn't worried or doubtful, it was just curiosity. You thought for a moment, "I don't even know if I fully know yet."
Chan smiled slightly knowing that he did a walk-around earlier that afternoon. "Fair."
"It's been abandoned for a while. The owner basically stopped maintaining it."
"How long?"
"A few years, I think."
His eyebrows pulled together slightly, "so is it bad?"
You laughed softly. "It's not falling apart."
"That's not what I asked."
You smiled at him, "some parts need a lot of love."
"Like what?"
The question came so naturally that you almost didn't notice what he was doing. "Are you taking notes?"
He looked completely innocent. "No."
"Chan."
"I'm just asking."
You laughed, but answered anyway. "The greenhouse is probably the biggest thing. It needs work, but the structure is still good. The fencing needs replacing. There's some electrical stuff that needs to be looked at."
He nodded slowly, filing each piece away, "what about inside?"
"The main nursery itself?"
"Yeah."
You shifted slightly in his lap, getting more comfortable as you talked. "That needs updating. The plumbing isn't great. The floors probably need to be redone."
"Anything else?"
You looked at him, amused, "you really are taking notes."
"I'm really not."
"You have your serious face on." You smiled, but his expression stayed thoughtful even after the joke faded, "I don't want to rush through this though."
"What do you mean?"
You shrugged slightly, looking down at your fingers where they rested against his shoulder. "I mean, I don't want to walk in and immediately start tearing everything apart because I think I know better."
Chan's eyes stayed on you.
"I want to spend time there first. Figure out what works, what doesn't. What can stay."
"What can stay?"
You nodded, "yeah. I think that's important."
"Why?"
You glanced toward the window, your thoughts drifting for a moment. "Because it already has a history."
Chan followed your gaze even though there was nothing outside the window that had anything to do with the nursery. "So you're not trying to make it something completely different."
"No."
You leaned against him, wrapping both arms around his shoulders."I want it to still feel like a nursery. I want people to walk in and feel like something is growing there."
His hands rested at the bottom of your back. "You already have a whole plan."
You laughed quietly. "No, I really don't."
"Sounds like one."
"I have ideas."
"Same thing."
"It's not."
"Okay," he smiled. "Ideas."
You rolled your eyes, but you were smiling, "I just don't want to get so caught up in making it successful that I forget why I wanted it."
Chan's expression softened, then his hand lifted, gently tipping your chin up until you were looking at him. For a moment, he didn't say anything. He just looked at you, like he was taking in the fact that this was the thing that had been sitting in your head all this time.
"You know you're kind of amazing, right?"
You immediately looked away, a quiet laugh escaping you. "Chan."
"I'm serious." There was no teasing in his voice, no attempt to make it bigger than it was. Just a simple honesty that made it harder to brush off.
"The way you think about things....the way you care about things." His thumb brushed gently along your cheek. "It's admirable."
Your breath caught, and your expression softened at his words, feeling the weight of his admiration settle deep within you. There was a tenderness in his eyes, a flicker of something more, something fragile and real.
"You're admirable."
Before either of you could speak again, he leaned in, closing the space between you with a gentle, deliberate motion. His lips met yours in a slow, unhurried kiss; familiar, warm, and full of unspoken emotions. It was a kiss that spoke of trust, of feelings that had been quietly building beneath the surface for so long.
The sensation of his lips was soft and warm, like a gentle fire igniting inside you. His breath was warm against your cheek, mingling with yours as the kiss deepened, slow and exploratory. You could feel the slight roughness of his stubble against your skin, contrasting with the tenderness of his touch. The subtle scent of his cologne mixed with the warmth of his skin, creating a heady perfume of intimacy.
The kiss lingered longer than either of you intended. Chan felt it in the small things. The way you relaxed against him without thinking. The way you trusted him enough to let yourself be held, to let yourself be seen.
Somewhere along the way, this had become more than stolen moments and easy conversations across the street. More than dinner invitations and bedtime stories. More than simply wanting to spend time with you. He had started imagining you in the quiet parts of his life, the places he never thought to share with anyone else.
That realization should have scared him. Instead, it felt natural.
When he finally pulled back, it was only enough to rest his forehead against yours. His eyes stayed on you, taking in the softness of your expression, the way you were still smiling faintly.
He didn't say anything, he didn't need to. For once, Chan wasn't trying to figure out what came next. He just wanted to stay right here.
"It would be selfish of me to ask you to spend the night again," he murmured softly against your lips.
You smiled slightly. "Free will exists."
Chan looked at you, a quiet laugh escaping him. "That simple?"
"Yeah."
Your hands rested against his upperback, thumbs brushing lightly over the fabric of his shirt. "You know you can ask me things, right?"
His expression softened, "I know."
"Do you?"
He smiled a little at that, but he didn't look away, "I just don't want you to feel like you have to."
The sincerity in his voice made your smile fade into something softer, "I don't." A second of silence passed, "I want to be here, Chan." Something in his expression shifted at that. Like he was still learning how to accept that someone could choose him without needing a reason.
His arms tightened gently around your waist, "Okay."
You smiled. "Okay?"
"Yeah." He leaned in, pressing a slow kiss to your forehead. "Okay."
For a moment, you stayed wrapped in each other on the couch. The room stayed quiet around you, the soft glow of the lamp casting everything in a warmth that felt almost unreal. His hand remained at your waist, thumb brushing back and forth absentmindedly as if he was still grounding himself in the fact that you were there.
"You know we actually should sleep," you murmured eventually.
Chan let out a quiet laugh. "I know."
"I have to leave early tomorrow."
His eyes opened, looking down at you. "For the nursery."
You nodded as he smiled softly. "You're really doing this."
You smiled. "I am."
Chan was quiet for a moment before he tapped your waist. "Come on," he said softly. "Before we both convince ourselves we don't need sleep."
You laughed, sliding off of his lap and pulling him off of the couch.
He let you tug him up, though the small smile on his face made it obvious he could have easily stayed there a little longer if you let him.
The house was quiet as you made your way upstairs, the kind of quiet that came after a long day when everything finally settled into place. Chan checked on Jia one more time before leading you back toward his room, lowering his voice when he found her still peacefully asleep.
You watched him for a moment from the doorway. The way he moved through his house without thinking. The way being a father seemed woven into every part of him. The way he still looked back at you like he was surprised you were there.
When he turned around and caught you staring, his eyebrows lifted. "What?"
You smiled slightly. "Nothing."
Chan narrowed his eyes, unconvinced, but he didn't push. Instead, he reached for your hand and pulled you closer. And maybe that was what made this feel different. Not the fact that you were spending another night here, or the fact that you were getting into his bed.
It was the fact that neither of you felt like you had to pretend it meant less than it did. By the time you reached the bathroom, Chan was already reaching for his toothbrush while you searched through your toiletry bag for yours.
"You realize this is dangerously domestic," you said, watching him squeeze toothpaste onto the brush.
He glanced over at you through the mirror. "Brushing my teeth?"
"No." You smiled. "This."
His eyebrows lifted slightly. "This?"
You gestured vaguely between the two of you. Chan looked at you for a second before a small smile appeared. "You're thinking too much."
"Am I?"
"Definitely."
You rolled your eyes, but you were smiling as you stood beside him, the two of you brushing your teeth in comfortable silence. Every so often, one of you would catch the other's eye in the mirror and laugh quietly. A shoulder bump here. A stolen smile there. Small moments that felt oddly familiar despite how new they still were.
When you finished, Chan was quick to steal a kiss before you could step away.
"You have toothpaste on your mouth," you mumbled.
"So do you."
"That doesn't make it better."
"It makes it fair."
You laughed softly, shaking your head as you walked back toward the bedroom. Getting into bed somehow took longer than it should have. Not because either of you was tired, but because every time one of you tried to settle in, the other found another excuse to lean closer; an accidental hand brushing your leg, a lingering glance, a gentle touch that spoke volumes.
A kiss before turning off the lamp. Another when Chan pulled the blanket over you. One more when you caught him smiling to himself.
"You know," you whispered, finally settling against him, "we're supposed to be sleeping."
“I know,” he replied, voice low but warm.
"You keep saying that."
“Because I do know.”
You smiled into his shoulder, feeling the quiet pulse of your shared anticipation. The room was dim, shadows dancing softly around you, but the air between you was thick with unspoken desire. When he finally turned off the light, his hand found yours beneath the blankets, fingers intertwining naturally, as if this was the most familiar thing in the world.
The silence stretched, comfortable yet charged. Your body shifted just slightly, and in that small movement, a silent understanding blossomed. You both knew what was coming, how to ease into it without rushing, savoring the intimacy that had been building all evening.
Chan’s hand didn't stay intertwined with yours for long. His fingers began to wander, sliding slowly up your arm, the friction of his skin against yours sending a sharp spark of heat through your nerves. He shifted, pulling you closer until your chest was pressed against his, the steady thrum of his heart beating a rhythm that matched your own.
"We really do have to be quiet," he breathed against your ear, his lips barely grazing the lobe. The reminder of the toddler sleeping just a few doors down only added to the tension, turning the need for silence into a delicious, agonizing challenge.
You let out a shaky breath, your hand sliding down his chest, feeling the hard planes of his muscles beneath his shirt. You didn't want the fabric between you. With a slow, deliberate movement, you removed his shirt, then you reached down letting your fingers find the waistband of his boxers. He let out a low, muffled groan into your neck, his grip tightening on your waist.
Beneath the heavy duvet, the world shrunk down to just the two of you and the heat radiating between your bodies. You slipped your hand inside his underwear, your palm cupping the heavy, throbbing length of his cock. He jumped slightly, a sharp intake of breath that he quickly stifled, his eyes fluttering shut in sheer pleasure.
"God," he whispered, his voice strained.
You began to stroke him, your grip firm but slow, sliding your hand from the base to the crown. You felt him twitch in your grasp, his cock hardening further as you maintained a steady, rhythmic pace. You watched his face in the dim light; the way his jaw tightened, the way his brow furrowed in concentration as he fought to keep his moans silent.
While your hand worked on him, Chan’s hand traveled downward, sliding under the hem of your his t-shirt, then traveling to your panties, slipping them down your thighs. He found the damp heat of your pussy, his fingers brushing against your clit with a precision that made your toes curl. You bit your lip, stifling a gasp, your hips instinctively arching upward to meet his touch.
He didn't rush. He knew exactly how you liked it, circling your clit with a slow, agonizing pressure before sliding one finger deep inside you. You were already slick, your body welcoming him with a needy warmth. He added a second finger, stretching you gently, his thumb continuing to grind against your nub in a way that made your vision blur.
You kept stroking him in that steady rhythm, your palm gliding over every inch of his cock while his fingers worked inside you with the same careful control. Neither of you spoke. The only sounds were the wet slide of your hand and the soft, shaky breaths you traded when your mouths met again.
His lips parted against yours and you felt the low, trembling moan leave him straight into your mouth. You swallowed it, tongues brushing as you both tried to stay silent. Every exhale became shared, every stifled sound pressed directly between your lips so nothing escaped into the room.
Chan’s fingers curled deeper, his thumb still circling your clit, and another moan vibrated against your tongue. You answered by tightening your grip on his cock, thumb smearing the fresh bead of pre-cum across the head while your own hips rocked in tiny, desperate movements. The kiss never broke for long; whenever one of you needed to breathe, the other’s mouth was already there, catching the sound before it could become anything louder.
His chest rose and fell against yours in quick, shallow bursts. You felt the heat of every ragged exhale on your lips, felt the way his moan turned into a shaky gasp when you stroked him faster. You gave him the same; your own quiet, broken sounds pouring straight into his mouth as his fingers thrust and twisted inside you, hitting that spot again and again until your thighs started to shake.
The two of you stayed locked like that, breathing and moaning into each other, the kiss turning wet and messy from the effort of keeping everything inside. Every time the pleasure spiked, one of you would press closer, lips sealing over the other’s to muffle the sound, tongues sliding together while the rest of your bodies moved in that careful, silent rhythm.
The pace increased slightly, a silent conversation of friction and heat. You increased the speed of your strokes on his cock, your thumb rubbing over the leaking tip, smearing the pre-cum across the head. Chan’s breathing became ragged, his chest heaving against yours, but he kept his voice locked away, the effort only making the intensity of the moment peak.
You could feel the tension building in him, the way his thighs flexed and his hips began to jerk rhythmically against your hand. You leaned in, kissing him deeply, your tongues dancing in a desperate, silent hunger. The kiss muffled the small, needy whimpers escaping your throat as Chan’s fingers worked faster inside you, hitting that perfect spot that sent waves of electricity crashing through your core.
You were right on the edge, the pressure building until it felt like you would shatter. You squeezed his cock tightly, sliding your hand up and down in a blur of friction. Chan let out a choked sound, his body stiffening as he reached his limit.
He buried his face in the crook of your neck, his teeth grazing your skin as he came, his cock pulsing violently in your hand. At the same moment, the friction of his thumb sent you over the edge. Your muscles clamped tight around his fingers, your body shuddering in a silent, crashing orgasm that left you breathless and trembling.
For several minutes, the only sound in the room was the heavy, synchronized thrum of your breathing. Chan didn't pull away; he held you tight, his forehead resting against yours, both of you drenched in a light sweat.
"Early morning," he murmured, his voice raspy and exhausted, though he was smiling.
You chuckled softly, leaning into him, the lingering tingles of pleasure still humming through your veins. "Worth it."
Chan stayed wrapped around you, his body still warm and heavy against yours. He pressed slow, lazy kisses along your neck and shoulder, each one soft and lingering like he was trying to soothe every spot he had touched. His hand slid up and down your back in gentle strokes, fingers tracing lazy patterns over your skin while your breathing slowly evened out together.
After a while he eased his fingers from between your thighs and brought them to his mouth, sucking them clean without a word. Then he reached for the small pack of wipes on the nightstand, cleaning both of you with careful, tender touches. He wiped the sweat from your brow, the dampness between your legs, the stickiness on your hand, every motion slow and attentive. When he was done he tossed the wipes aside and pulled the blanket up over both of you, tucking it around your shoulders before drawing you back into his chest.
You felt his lips brush your temple. “Sleep,” he whispered, voice barely there. His arms tightened around you, one hand resting over your heart as if to feel it settle. Your legs tangled together under the covers, bodies pressed close from chest to hip. The room stayed quiet except for the soft rhythm of your breathing and the faint, steady beat of his heart against your ear.
Chan’s breathing grew deeper, slower. His thumb kept making small, absent circles on your hip until the motion faded and his hand went still. You let your eyes close, the warmth of him surrounding you, the afterglow still humming low in your belly. The two of you drifted off like that; wrapped tight, skin to skin.
𐙚
Morning came quietly. Not with an alarm or a rush, but with the soft sounds of the house waking around you. For a few minutes, neither of you moved.
You were still tucked against Chan’s chest, his arm heavy around your waist, the warmth of him making it tempting to ignore the fact that you both had somewhere to be. His breathing was slow and even, a steady rhythm beneath your cheek that made the thought of getting up feel unnecessarily difficult.
Eventually, his alarm broke the silence with a soft buzz. Chan groaned quietly, reaching blindly toward the nightstand until he found his phone. You watched him with a sleepy smile as he silenced it, his hair messy and his eyes barely open as he tried to convince himself he was awake.
He sat up slowly, rubbing a hand over his face before leaning down to press a gentle kiss to your temple. “Morning,” he whispered, his voice rough with sleep.
You smiled, curling closer for another moment. “Morning.”
Neither of you moved right away, then Chan glanced at his phone again. “Okay,” he sighed. “Now we actually have to get up.”
You laughed quietly, finally letting him go.
The morning fell into place after that.
Chan moved through his routine with the same quiet efficiency he seemed to do everything with. Coffee first, Jia’s lunch packed, backpack checked twice because somehow there was always something important hiding at the bottom.
You stayed in the kitchen with him, helping where you could while watching him switch effortlessly between being Chan and being Dad.
“Did you find your shoes?” he called to Jia down the hallway.
“Yes!”
A pause.
“Both of them?”
Another pause.
“No.”
You bit back a laugh as Chan closed his eyes, already knowing exactly where this was going. A few minutes later, Jia appeared holding one shoe in each hand, looking completely unbothered.
“They were hiding.”
“Were they?” Chan asked.
“Yes.”
“Interesting.”
“They like playing.”
You looked away, trying not to laugh.
Breakfast was just as chaotic in the small ways that made it feel familiar. Jia talked through every detail of her morning plans, Chan reminded her three separate times to actually eat her food.
By the time everyone was ready to leave, the house had gone from quiet to lived-in. Jia slipped her backpack on while Chan grabbed his keys, and you stood by the door watching the two of them fall into their usual rhythm.
Then she looked up at you. “Are you dropping me off with daddy?”
You smiled softly. “Not today, bug.”
Her expression dropped just a little. “What about pick-up?”
Before you could answer, Chan glanced over. “Remember? She has something very important to do today.”
Jia looked between the two of you, then nodded slowly like she was accepting a very serious adult arrangement, “the plants?”
You smiled. “The plants.”
“Okay.” She adjusted her backpack. “You have to tell me about them.”
“I will.”
Satisfied with that, she turned toward the door. Chan held it open for her, but before stepping outside, he looked back at you.
“I’ll see you there.”
You nodded. “Drive safe.”
A small smile pulled at his mouth.
“Always.”
And then he was gone, following Jia down the driveway while you watched them leave, already feeling the nervous excitement building in your chest.
By the time you arrived at the nursery, most of the nerves had settled into something steadier. You had already been through the conversations, the questions, the inspections, the paperwork. Today was just the final step.
Chan pulled in a few minutes after you, stepping out of his truck with a coffee in hand and a look on his face that made it obvious he was trying very hard not to look like he was interested.
At least, that was the plan.
The final paperwork went smoothly. You signed where you needed to sign, asked the last few questions you had, and thanked the owner for walking you through everything.
Chan stayed quiet for most of it. Mostly.
It started when the owner mentioned some of the work that would need to be done before opening. “The greenhouse should be fine with some repairs,” he said. “The structure itself is still solid.”
Chan glanced toward the windows behind him. “How long has it been sitting like that?”
The owner looked over, slightly surprised. “A few years.”
“And no one’s maintained it?”
“Not really.”
Chan nodded slowly, eyes moving over the property again. “What about the electrical?”
You looked over at him. Not because the question was strange, but because you knew that look. The one where his brain had already started taking something apart and putting it back together.
The owner answered honestly, explaining what had been updated, what hadn’t, and what he knew would likely need attention.
“And the roof on the main building?” Chan asked.
You blinked.
The owner answered.
“And the plumbing?”
Another answer.
You tried not to smile because the man was not even pretending anymore. He had gone from politely accompanying you to conducting a full inspection. When the owner finally stepped away to grab the last documents, you looked at Chan.
“You know you’re not buying this place, right?”
He glanced back at you, almost confused, “I know.”
“You’re acting like you are.”
He grinned, “I’m just asking questions.”
“You’ve asked more questions than I have.”
“That’s because I don’t know what questions I’m supposed to ask,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck with a quiet laugh. “I just….don’t want you to get overwhelmed.”
The honesty of it softened your expression.
Because this was just who Chan was.
He didn’t always know how to say that he cared. Sometimes it came out in smaller ways. Checking on people without being asked. Packing extra snacks for Jia because he knew she’d get hungry later. Fixing things before anyone even realized they were broken.
And apparently, today, it looked like standing in an old nursery asking about electrical work he had no reason to know about.
“What?” he asked, noticing your smile.
You shook your head. “Nothing.”
“That’s never true.”
“You’re just…” You glanced around the property, then back at him. “You’re really worried about me.”
His expression softened slightly, “yeah,” he admitted simply.
No joke, or attempt to brush it off. Just the whole truth. Before you could say anything else, the owner returned with the last set of documents, saving both of you from having to figure out where to put the weight of that moment.
The rest went quickly; a few more signatures, a final walkthrough of what would be handed over, the set of keys placed into your palm.
It was strange how something so life-changing could happen so quietly. Chan stayed close, but he let you have the moment. When the owner left you both to take one last look around, Chan followed beside you as you wandered through the property.
“You’re already planning, aren’t you?” you asked.
He looked over. “What?”
You pointed at his face. “That look.”
He laughed quietly. “I don’t have a look.”
“You absolutely do.”
He glanced back toward the greenhouse. “I’m just thinking.”
“About?”
He hesitated for a second, “everything you’re going to need.”
You smiled. “Chan.”
“I know,” he said quickly, holding up his hands. “I’m not trying to take over.”
The fact that he immediately clarified made you laugh, “I know.”
His expression softened, “I just want to know what I can do.”
--
The owner’s car disappeared down the road, leaving the two of you standing in the quiet lot. You looked back at the nursery one last time, keys resting in your palm. Then you sighed, “I should probably go before I spend the next three hours just staring at it.”
Chan smiled. “Probably.”
You looked over at him. “You’re agreeing too quickly.”
“I have work.”
“Right.”
“And you have plants to distribute and pack.”
You laughed softly. “That I do.”
The two of you headed back toward your cars, splitting off without much ceremony. You had orders waiting at home, he had a shop to get to.
“See you later?” you asked.
Chan nodded. “Yeah.”
A few minutes later, you turned toward home while he headed in the opposite direction.
--
The repair shop was already busy by the time Chan pulled in. The familiar sounds hit him immediately; tools against metal, music blaring through the speakers in the garage, Hyunjin arguing with a customer about a part that definitely was not supposed to make that noise.
“Morning,” Minho called from under the hood of a car.
Chan barely made it two steps inside before Changbin looked up, “you’re late.”
Chan checked the time, "I called."
"Doesn't help the fact that you're late."
He rolled his eyes, setting his keys down. “Twenty minutes late and somehow I’m the problem,” he muttered.
“Correct,” Minho said without looking up.
Chan shook his head, grabbing his coffee before heading toward the next car waiting in the bay.
Work usually had a way of clearing his head. Once he was under a hood or had a problem in front of him, everything else faded into the background. There was always something to figure out, something that needed adjusting, something that required his full attention.
Today should have been no different. Except every time his mind went quiet, it went right back to the nursery. The things you hadn’t mentioned because you were probably too focused on making it happen.
Chan tightened a bolt, then paused when his thoughts wandered again, he let out a quiet breath. This was ridiculous. You weren’t asking him to fix anything, you hadn’t even asked him to come with you. He had chosen to be there, and now he was standing at work mentally walking through a building he didn’t own.
“Something wrong?”
Chan looked up. Hyunjin was leaning against the nearby workbench, watching him. “No.”
Hyunjin raised an eyebrow.
Chan sighed. “What?”
“You’ve been staring at that car like it personally offended you.”
Chan glanced back at the engine in front of him, “It didn’t.”
“Then what is it?”
Chan opened his mouth, ready to brush it off. Instead, he asked, “Do you know any good contractors?” The question slipped out before he could stop it.
Hyunjin tilted his head slightly, “A contractor?”
Chan glanced over. “Yeah.”
“For the nursery?”
The fact that Hyunjin already knew made Chan pause. “I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to.”
Chan shook his head, going back to what he was working on. “I’m just asking.”
“Right,” Hyunjin said, clearly unconvinced. “Because asking for commercial renovation contacts in the middle of work is something you do all the time.”
“It’s not a big deal.”
Minho looked up from where he was sitting. “What kind of work does it need?” Chan appreciated that he skipped the teasing and actually answered the question.
“The greenhouse needs some repairs, but the structure is still solid. The electrical is outdated, the plumbing needs attention, and the roof needs someone to look at it before she starts doing anything inside.”
Changbin nodded. “So basically the whole place.”
“Not the whole place,” Chan corrected immediately.
The three of them looked at him, causing him to stop. “Okay. A lot of the place.”
Changbin nodded slowly. “And you’re trying to figure it out before she has to?”
Chan didn’t answer immediately, which was an answer to them.
Hyunjin laughed quietly. “You know she didn’t ask you to do that, right?”
“I know.”
“She probably wouldn’t even want you stressing over it.”
“I know that too.”
“Then why are you?”
Chan tightened the bolt in his hand, focusing on the task in front of him for a second. He knew you could handle it, that wasn’t the question.
The question was whether you should have to handle every single part of it alone.
“I just want to help.”
The teasing faded a little after that, because they knew Chan. They knew this wasn’t him trying to take control. It was just the way he cared. Quietly and practically. By finding the thing that needed doing and figuring out how to make it easier. It was his love language, so why tease him over the way he shows affection.
Minho nodded toward him. “I know a guy who does commercial renovations.”
Chan looked up. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. Good with older properties too.”
“I’ll take his number.”
“And I know someone who does electrical work,” Changbin added. “I’ll send that too.”
Chan nodded, pulling out his phone. Hyunjin watched him for a second before shaking his head. “You’re already making a list, aren’t you?”
Chan didn’t look up, “no.” A few seconds passed, then he added, “Maybe.”
And somehow, that was the most honest answer he could give.
masterlist | next
a/n: three more chapters left chat!
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OBSESSEDDD
screenshotting this cause omg that response made me so mad LILE BRO YOU WERE IN TINDER???? to what??? just look around???? MIND YOU SHE COULDVE STOPPED TALKING TO ME WHENEVER SHE WANTED TO SHE COULDVE NEVER RESPONDED TO ME ITS NOT LIKE WE ACCIDENTALLY STARTED TALKING SHE DIDNT TRIP ON HER PHONE AND ACCIDENTALLY CALL ME HER PRETTY GIRL LIKE WHY ARE U ACTING LIKE THIS WASNT A CONCIOUS DECIDION YOU MADE TO TALK TO ME IF YOU KNEW YOU WERE TRYING TO GET BACK W YOUR EX THEN FUCKING SAY IT
TINDER GIRL DID WHAT??? that decomposing slug because we did get so many sneak peaks of your messages and she must be a great liar because wtaf. obviously I dont know all the details on this but it seems like she wants to keep her options open because wdym she likes you a lot or she didnt know she was gonna talk to you? so ik you probably did it but ghost / block that parasitical barnacle because i have a feeling she will try to get back in your life (also idk if youre okay with me calling her these names so just a quick sorry just in case 🥲). no one deserves to be used like that and i hope people like that stay away from you and everyone reading this because it makes you feel so shitty and stupid about yourself for SIMPLY TRUSTING SOMEONE AND THINKING THEY WONT HURT YOU AHHHHH
anyways i sent you virtually hugs and cheek kisses because you deserve them 😚🩷🩷
thank you:( you guys are making me feel sm better no me and my coworker were like yelling at her CAUSE I TOLD EVERYONE ME AND HER WERE TALKING CAUSE I WAS SO HAPPY AND THOUGHT IT WAS GOING SOMEWHERE
and OFC she said a “i have to be honest w you text” and then waited four hours to tell me LIKE ARE U KIDDING ME so me and my coworker were like on the edge of seat and every few moments she’d ask em “has she responded yet?” LMAOOO I LOVE HER
literally tho like who does that like if ur trying to get over ur ex on a dating app cool whatever but just be honest about it because as far as i was concerned we really liked each other and it was going somewhere but instead i was just there to pass the time until ms. stinky coochie could come back into her life and they can go talk again NOT EVEN DATING SNE LITERALLY SAID “the girl i was talking to before.” TALKING TO?? SO YOURE LEAVING ME FOR SOME EX TALKING STAGE??? you’re gonna start coughing in five days
I cut my hair myself (the Brad mondo butterfly cut) every few months to refresh my hair.... AND I CUT OFF SO MUCH INSTEAD OF THE 1-2 INCH I WAS GOING FOR 😭 it used to go down to maybe a lil below my waist hard to tell because my hair is curly/wavy AND NOW IT IS ABOVE MY BOOBS AHHHHHHH 😭
i genuinely dont hate it, I was thinking about it a while back but my cousin is getting married and I had a long hair look planned so that's why I was putting it off lol. and it will be fine with short hair, its just i didnt plan it like i usually do so it was a little sudden and probably why i am a lil shaken and at times i look at my hair in the mirror and i clutch my invisible pearls oh! also i woke up and thought my hair was long but it wasnt so i was just shocked lol. if anything i am enjoying the short length AND THAT IS THE PROBLEM BECAUSE NOW I WANT TO CUT A FEW MORE INCHES OFF BUT IT REALLY WOULDNT SUIT MY FACE SHAPE SO I AM LITERALLY HOLDING MYSELF BACK AHHHHHHH!
in a nutshell, if I had been mentally prepared for this hair length like I was in April, we wouldn't be here. love the short hair... might keep it for longer because I was going to grow it out but GAH DAYUM THIS IS SO MUCH FUN. anyways, please motivate me to not touch the scissors because if I go shorter than this it will honestly not suit me one bit so yeah. also my scissors that I specifically used only for cutting hair (of 3 years) was struggling so it is a sign and i shouldnt ignore it. anyhoo! ta ta bye bye love ya 😚
DO NOT CUT YOUR HAIR AGAIN OH MY GOD PLEASE GIRL I WILL CUT IT FOR YOU INSTEAD
I’m sure it looks amazing tho but literally any big change w hair is so shocking and takes a few days to get used to we had a girl come in one day crying because she didn’t like her highlights cause they were too big of a change and fair enough like i get it it’s a shocker that takes awhile to get used to SO DO NOT MAKE IT WORSE BY CUTTING MORE OFF
https://www.tumblr.com/bibisbia/822474167380312064/%F0%9D%93%90%F0%9D%90%9C%F0%9D%90%9C%F0%9D%90%A2%F0%9D%90%9D%F0%9D%90%9E%F0%9D%90%A7%F0%9D%90%AD%F0%9D%90%9A%F0%9D%90%A5%F0%9D%90%A5%F0%9D%90%B2-%F0%9D%90%A2%F0%9D%90%A7-%F0%9D%90%A5%F0%9D%90%A8%F0%9D%90%AF%F0%9D%90%9E-%F0%93%8F%B2?source=share for u my kiki
♡ 🐇 (idk y the link looks like thaf)
oh girl i’m soaked that looks so fucking good
hey! i really love your recent chan fic but i wanted to let you know that you actually wrote about subdrop rather than subspace. not hate, but i thought you would like to know just in case you wrote something with that concept again.
thank you!!! it was my first time writing for anything like that and i looked up subspace and the google definition was like hella vague so i tried my best💔💔
you're lit so gorgeous and funny watdafook i hope ur feeling better now
♡ 🐇
thank u bunny:) i am!! now i need someone else to strap me down
biggest fumble of the year PLS DONT BE SAD KITTY SHE NEVER DESERVED YOU WE ALL LOVE YOU SO MUCH
♡ 🐇
it’s ok!!! i took a nap and cried a lot so i feel much better now it’s just one of those things like ouch that hurt whatever her loss it’s never a good idea to get back w an ex i just think it hurt the most that i chose her like i stopped talking to every other girl i was talking to, i deleted tinder and focused on her and it just took ONE night for her ex to come back cause she was lonely and she immediately chose her ex like boooooo but whatever karma will get her and whether or not she tries to come back to me when they inevitably breakup again or not she’ll know she fumbled
i hope she knows she fumbled
