Third.

The alarm clock beeped endlessly, announcing that it was time to wake up and face reality once more.

A pale hand shot out from underneath the heavy blankets and slammed down on the clock mercilessly, killing the noise instantly.

Warm breath caressed Taehyung's neck and he shivered slightly when a warm hand crept alongside his side before coming to rest casually on his stomach.

“Hm, do you really have to get up now?” The woman murmured sleepily and a pair of soft lips brushed across his shoulder, while tufts of silky soft hair tickled his nape.

The warm and very welcome presence in his bed made it very difficult to actually get up.“Unfortunately, I do,” Taehyung sighed and turned to lay on his back. Half lidded eyes gazed at him when he turned his head. “I have several meeting scheduled in the palace for today.”

“Hm, that's too bad,” She murmured again and a mischievous smile tugged at the corners of her lips. “I had plans for us this morning.”

“Yeah?” Taehyung raised an eyebrow amused, while his own hand trailed over warm skin. “What kind of plans?”

“Well, they would involve us,” She shifted until she climbed on top of Taehyung, nudging her legs open so that she could lay in between them, “this bed and a lot of exercise.”

“I don't know whether I would like exercise in bed,” The dark haired man , while his hands came to rest on the woman's hips.

Glittering eyes locked onto her and a pink tongue came out to at rose lips. “Oh, I'm sure I can persuade you to like this particular type of exercise,” his lover breathed and wiggled her hips meaningfully. “I'm still prepared from last night ~” Pale hands were placed on his chest and his lover rolled her hips against Taehyung's. “I really, really need you inside me. Please, Taehyung.” That last sentence was expelled in a breathy moan and the woman yelped cutely when Taehyung roughly turned them around, not able to say no to such a delectable plea.

“Because you asked so nicely,” he grunted and holding those slim legs open, his hips snapped forwards and he …

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

The alarm clock met its demise against the wall, shattering in several pieces. The noise it had been making not even a few seconds ago died out with a last weak, shrill 'beep'.

Dark eyes with a reddish hue fixated to them glared up at the ceiling and a harsh curse escaped the raven when he slammed his arms back down on the mattress. The glare was turned towards the very prominent bulge making both his trousers and the sheets tent impressively. He had been this close, this close and of course that goddamn clock had to ing ruin it.

“Damn it, what was that?!” Taehyung growled and roughly threw off the sheets, leaving them in a rumpled heap behind on the bed, while he stalked towards the bathroom, ignoring the slightly cold air that managed to seep through the small cracks and linger throughout the house. The January air was ruthless, but the dark haired man didn't care about that. His sleepwear was dumped on the floor and he stepped into his shower as soon as the water had reached an agreeable degree of warmth.

Biting his lip, he looked down and contemplated whether he would take care of himself now or let it go away by ignoring it.

Ever since their conversation during the belated Christmas party, Taehyung had been plagued by dreams about Jiyeon. Some were fairly innocent; both exchanging kisses, hugging each other while watching firework―who knew Taehyung could have tame dreams like those?―and some were bordering on the line of being absolutely depraved and obscene; Jiyeon going down on him, while gazing at him with shiny, innocent eyes while he toyed with himself underneath watchful, dark eyes or Jiyeon clinging to whatever she could find for dear life while Taehyung ed her roughly.

That last type of dreams usually led to him waking up with either insistent morning wood or soiled trousers.

He had never had dreams like these before and it made him wonder why Jiyeon was so special to have triggered those. Sure, she was attractive; quite y as well. But so were a few of his other patients and he had never imagined how they would look like on his bed with hooded eyes. With Jiyeon however, he couldn't look at his bed anymore without an image of her lying on it popping up in his mind.

When walking into his kitchen, he sometimes caught himself wondering how it would be like if he woke up to Jiyeon preparing breakfast for him. In the living room he sometimes pondered what it would be like to arrive home during the evening and find the Jiyeon waiting for him with a welcoming smile on her face and a gentle kiss to greet him.

“I'm so ed,” Taehyung whispered and stared blankly at the bottom of the shower, watching how the water swirled around before it disappeared into the drain.

Maybe it was time that he admitted to himself that he was far more attracted to Jiyeon than he was supposed to be. He had denied having feelings for Jiyeon in front of Myungsoo and to himself for a while, but the dreams and the longing he felt to have Jiyeon in his life, as his wife, were quickly proven that his denial was futile and quite stupid.

Placing his forehead against the wall, he closed his eyes and sighed, while the water cascaded down his back, over his buttocks and legs, taking the soap suds with it. He didn't know what to do now. Maybe Myungsoo was right; maybe he had bypassed the stage of being attracted and he was on his way to falling in love with Jiyeon.

That thought scared him.

He had never really fallen in love before. Sure, he had had a girlfriend in the past, who he had genuinely liked, but it had never turned into real love – not the love that Myungsoo and Krystal shared with each other and which had made him jealous on various occasions. He wanted to have the type of his love his brother had managed to find with Krystal. He wanted to see the look of adoration and deep love that Krystal often had when looking at Myungsoo reflected in his wife's eyes. He wanted someone who loved him for whom he was – and not because he was rich and a member of the Kim family. He wanted to be as happy as Myungsoo was. He wanted a family of his own, a wife and children who would love him unconditionally.

He wanted all that and the person who he could envision sharing all that with him, was with someone else, trying to create a family with that man.

Was this all a cruel joke of the universe? Because he couldn't fall in love with his ex-girlfriend and had blown off every other person who tried to flirt with him? Was this some sort of punishment; finally finding that one person who could be it for him, only to never have a chance, because she was spoken for? Would he find another person who could make his heart skip a beat by merely glancing at her, who could make his stomach flip upside down, who created a weird sort of tugging feeling deep inside of him whenever he thought about them?

Or was Jiyeon his only possible chance at finding the love he envied his brother for having?

In a span of barely two months, Jiyeon had managed to turn his whole world upside down, made him feel something he had never felt before and that honestly scared him to death. How was it possible for someone to have such a strong hold over him when they had barely talked or spent time together?

The loud ringtone of his cell phone broke rudely through his thoughts and he jerked away from the wall, a bit disorientated.

When he realised that it was the ringtone he had set specifically for his brother, he hurried out of the shower, wrapped a towel around his hips and snatched his wildly vibrating phone off the sink.

“Myungsoo?”

“The baby is coming. You need to get here quickly,” Myungsoo spoke and his voice sounded strained as if he was holding back something.

“Okay, does she want to stay at your place?” Taehyung asked and marched to his bedroom to pull on some clothes. Carelessly he pushed some shirts to the side, before he grabbed a dark green shirt, threw that one on the bed and then started to hunt for some trousers.

Myungsoo sounded a bit muted for a short moment. “Yes, she doesn't want to go to the hospital. Do you think that will be fine?”

Hearing his older brother, one who always was in control of himself, so flustered and nervous was strange and it reminded Taehyung of the day Jisoo was born. Back then he had seriously thought Myungsoo would faint before he could hold his son.

“Yes, it'll be fine. I'll call an ambulance to be on standby just in case, but everything will be fine,” Taehyung murmured and pulled a pair of black trousers of the neat pile. “I'll be there in fifteen minutes, hyung.”

“Okay, see you soon,” Myungsoo said and he ended the call.

He rushed through dressing up and while he gathered everything he needed, he called the local hospital and told them to have an ambulance ready in case something went wrong with the home birth. He was confident in his skills and as Krystal hadn't had any problems during her pregnancy – unlike with Jisoo – he doubted that there would be any problems occurring during the birth. Still, it was better to be safe than sorry. He would never forgive himself if something went wrong with either Krystal or her baby, just because he had been too confident in his skills and hadn't bothered to call for back up.

.

*************

.

Myungsoo looked rather frazzled when he opened the door before Taehyung had even got the chance to ring the bell. His hair that normally was always comb neatly, is a mess today.

“You look like you've been through hell,” Taehyung greeted him dryly and kicked off his shoes, neatly slipping into the provided slippers. “The actual pushing part hasn't even started yet – how on earth are you going to survive?”

“Shut up, Taehyung,” Myungsoo growled and his fingers twitched as if he wanted to grab something.

Taehyung couldn't help himself from remarking, “How come it's you again who looks the most stressed out? Your wife is the one who has to push something the size of a watermelon out of her body, you know.”

“Taehyung, I swear to all that's holy, shut up,” Myungsoo snapped through gritted teeth. “God, wait until your wife is the one giving birth; let's see how you act then!”

Ignoring his brother's last comment, Taehyung entered the large bedroom in which he encountered Krystal bent over in front of the bed; her hand clenched tightly around the bedframe.

“Hello, Krystal,” Taehyung greeted her idly and walked over to her. “I see your second son is an early riser like his father.”

Krystal, whose cheeks were a fierce red and whose blond hair was already plastered to her forehead and nape thanks to the sweat sliding down, let out a weak chuckle. “Yeah, he seems rather insistent on coming out today,” She grimaced and moaned lowly while her stomach rippled with a contraction.

“How much time is there between the contractions?” Taehyung inquired and rummaged through his bag until he found plastic gloves.

“Ten minutes,” Myungsoo replied tersely.

At the same moment, Krystal answered, “Five.”

There was a short bout of silence. Taehyung flicked his eyes towards Krystal, who looked quite guilty. “Five already?”

“Did they suddenly come quicker?” Myungsoo asked bemused, but worry was lurking in his eyes.

The blond sighed and shook her head. “I didn't wake you up immediately, Myungsoo. I've been having contractions since midnight and my water broke at two a.m.”

“Why on earth didn't you wake me up sooner?” Myungsoo asked outraged and the red colour in his eyes grew in reaction to his agitation.

Krystal threw a hand up in exasperation. “What for? You would only be worrying for nothing. This way you still got some rest. It's not like you could really help me,”

Both Taehyung and Krystal didn't miss the flash of hurt in Myungsoo's eyes and Taehyung hurriedly turned away, making his way to the bathroom to sterilize his hands while Krystal spoke soothingly to his brother.

The sound of water gushing down wasn't enough to drown out Krystal's voice and unwillingly Taehyung listened to their conversation while he was washing his hands.

“You know I didn't mean it like that, Myungsoo,” Krystal murmured and there was the sound of shuffling.

“I can't help being worried about you. Not after what happened last time,” Myungsoo retorted and he sounded a bit nasal.

“What almost happened,” Krystal corrected him gently. “Taehyung was there to help me get through it and now he'll help me as well. We'll both be fine. I trust him, don't you too?”

“Of course I do,” Myungsoo grunted. “I wouldn't let him near you if I didn't trust him.”

There was the sound of a kiss and then a low moan of pain.

“Right, lay down on the bed, Krystal. I need to check your progress,” Taehyung said briskly when he left the adjoined bathroom.

His brother helped her clamber on the bed and Krystal shuffled backwards until she was leaning against a mountain of pillows, making Taehyung wonder vaguely where she had got so many pillows.

Time passed by without they realized it. A loud wail was Krystal's reward for pushing for more than two hours and the blond fell back against her husband's chest with a tired moan after expelling the afterbirth as well.

After cutting through the umbilical cord and carefully washing off all the slime and blood of the little boy, Taehyung wrapped him carefully in a white blanket and brought him over to Krystal.

“Here's your son; a healthy baby boy,” He announced and carefully placed the fussy baby in Krystal's arms.

“Oh god, look at him. So cute,” Krystal murmured and tears started rolling over her face, while she stared in wonder at the small bundle. A blond tuft of hair was peeking out from underneath the blanket and dark eyes blinked sleepily, while pouty lips smacked together.

“You did wonderful, dear,” Myungsoo whispered and he looked at their new born son tenderly, carefully brushing a finger across his chubby cheek. He murmured something in Krystal's ear, which Taehyung couldn't pick up, but he could make a good guess to what he had said.

Light brown eyes flickered towards Taehyung and a tired, but grateful smile bloomed on Krystal's face. “Thank you for helping me, Taehyung-ah.”

“Don't mention it.” Taehyung shook his head and for some reason his eyes lingered at the picture the three people on the bed were making.

Krystal was cooing to her son, while Myungsoo remained quiet, but shone with pride and love for his family.

That was what he wanted. A family to call his own. A wife who loved him, who he loved wholeheartedly, and children. Children his wife would carry.

He wanted the happiness and the love he saw displayed on his brother's and sister-in-law's faces in his own life too.

Helping his nephew being brought in the world triggered something in him. He hadn't gained that precious love and happiness without going through some trouble, so why should Taehyung let himself be stopped by some obstacles? Love wasn't always easy and if he wanted to obtain that dream of a family to call his own, he would need to work for it.

I'm sorry, Hyung, Taehyung thought as he rolled down his sleeves again, but it looks like I have to break my promise to you. I can't let him go without a fight. If this is my one chance at true love, I need to take it.

Now that he had made a resolve to not give up on Jiyeon yet, he realised he had no idea how to proceed next. Whether he liked it or not, Jiyeon was still together with her boyfriend and even attempting to get pregnant – not a very good combination for Taehyung. He wasn't such a bastard that he would purposefully do something to break up the couple, but naturally Jiyeon had to leave her boyfriend in order for Taehyung to have a chance with her. However, even if Jiyeon broke up with her boyfriend, there was no certainty that she would give Taehyung a chance.

How the hell was he supposed to act now? He couldn't ask his brother for help, because Myungsoo had made it quite clear that he should give up on Jiyeon. Asking Baekhyun and Jungkook – the ones he came closest to when thinking of friends – was out of the question entirely. Baekhyun would bug him too much and generally act like an idiot and Jungkook wouldn't be able to offer any decent ideas either.

For the first time in his life, Taehyung bemoaned the fact that he hadn't grown closer to more people.

.

*************

.

A week after Min was born, Taehyung impulsively took an afternoon off from his work; there were no patients scheduled during the afternoon and he was too distracted by thoughts of deep brown eyes glimmering in amusement to concentrate on his paperwork. When browsing through his schedule, he noticed that Jiyeon had an appointment scheduled later this week and the thought of seeing her again made his mouth dry out from sheer nerves. How was he supposed to act around the woman now that he had realised that his feelings went deeper than merely superficial attraction? He didn't want to ruin any possible chance – no matter how miniscule it might be – by acting like an idiot, but at the same time remaining aloof wouldn't help him either.

God, he felt so pathetic; was this how Myungsoo had felt when he was trying to propose Krystal?

Wait … Krystal. Maybe she could help him? Krystal would probably be delighted to hear that Taehyung was interested in someone and would be willing to offer him advice; as long as he didn't slip up and tell the blond who he had set his eyes on, it should be safe.

Nodding determined to himself, Taehyung shut down his computer, grabbed his jacket and closed off his office after quickly exchanging his shirt and trousers for a cashmere sweater and black jeans; wearing his work clothes while being around a baby who could throw up without any warning and who would drool was not a good idea after all. He had sent his secretary home an hour earlier, so all he had to do was turn off the lights and lock up the front door before walking over to his BMW. Throwing his bag on the backseat, he took a moment to study the air – it looked like it would start raining soon, judging by the grey clouds that were gathering ominously – and then slid behind the wheel.

He would need to figure out an excuse to get Krystal to talk to him alone since Myungsoo had taken time off from work to help his wife with their baby son and Myungsoo would know immediately about whom Taehyung was talking.

Well, he would figure something out when he was there.

He was almost near the only supermarket present in the town – Myungsoo's house was a few blocks past the supermarket – when his phone started to ring. Making certain it was connected to his Bluetooth – no way in hell was he risking an accident or a fine – he accepted the call when he saw the name “Krystal” flashing across the screen.

“Is there something the matter?” Taehyung asked curiously, bypassing the greeting.

Krystal huffed. “Why do you always assume something happened if I call you?”

“Just a feeling,” The dark haired man replied dryly. “Did something happen?”

“Well, I kind of need you to buy some baby powder for me,” Krystal admitted sheepishly and somewhere in the background, Min cried softly. “We ran out of it yesterday.”

“Why doesn't Myungsoo go out to buy it?” Taehyung raised an eyebrow. He could understand why Krystal wasn't going out to buy groceries; she needed at least two weeks of recuperating before they felt well enough to go outside. Her husband didn't have that excuse, though.

“Myungsoo is trying to keep Min calm while I'm making lunch,” Krystal sighed and footsteps sounded. “Please, Taehyung-ah? I really need that baby powder and your parents are out of town, so I can't call them.”

“What about your brother?”

“Seriously?” Krystal asked incredulously. “That idiot would probably buy shower gel. You know he's completely inept when it comes to baby stuff,”

“For 's sake,” Taehyung groaned and scowled at the yellow car in front of him. “Fine, I'll go pick some up. I'll call you back when I'm in the store.”

“Thank you, Taehyung-ah!” Krystal answered cheerily and the call ended.

At least he wasn't forced to leave his work behind for this. With a sigh, he turned left at the first intersection and was forced to follow a very slow driving Ford for a while before he could pass the car and drive into the parking lot of the supermarket.

“Let's get this over with,” He muttered and grabbed his phone with him. After locking up his car, he briskly made his way to the entrance of the supermarket. Bypassing the shopping carts – there was no need to either take a shopping cart or a basket, considering he only needed one thing – he studied the various signs dangling from the ceiling and made a beeline for the one pointing towards the stuff meant for babies.

Krystal picked up her phone immediately. “Are you in the supermarket?”

“Yes, of course. Why else would I call you?” Taehyung grunted and stepped out of the way of a harried looking mother, who was mumbling to herself whilst looking at her grocery list and dragging her whining child with her. “Now, can I just grab some baby powder or …”

“No, the one you need to pick up is called Johnsons baby powder,” Krystal told him. “The other ones aren't good for his sensitive skin,”

“Are you sure you just aren't picky?” Taehyung grumbled annoyed and had to press himself against the display case of the fresh fish to avoid being run over by an employee of the store pushing a large cart in front of him.

“I'm not picky!” She huffed. “I can't have Min's skin becoming irritated and that brand is the only one his skin will tolerate,”

“Did you even try out another brand before?” Taehyung asked exasperatedly and cursed underneath his breath when he had to avoid two screaming children running past him. Where the hell were their parents?

“Taehyung-ah, don't be difficult. Don't you want the best for your nephew?” Krystal questioned petulantly.

Taehyung snorted and shook his head, a bit agitated. He entered the aisle dedicated to babies and toddlers and made a beeline for the shelf containing the baby powder. “Sure, I want the best for my nephew,” he agreed. “But it's just baby powder.”

“It's not just baby powder,” Krystal retorted sharply. “I can't have my baby's skin becoming irritated because of bad baby powder.”

Dark eyes slid back and forth over the shelf and he tapped his foot in irritation when he couldn't immediately spot the brand he needed to purchase. Why were there so many different brands? Baby powder was baby powder; how on earth could there be a difference?

“Can't I just grab a bottle?” he asked exasperatedly.

“No, you can't! How many times do I need to repeat that?” Krystal shot back annoyed. “Min needs that brand, not any other one.”

“It's a baby! He won't care which brand it is!” He raked a hand through his hair and his bangs brushed against his cheeks. His patience was quickly wearing thin. “I don't even see the bloody thing! Tell that dear brother of mine to sacrifice his own time for this .”

“Taehyung! I …”

A familiar, pale hand entered his vie