Taecyeon was making pancakes while he hums a tune when you finally got out of your room that morning.  There was a pancake sizzling away in the pan on top of the stove while a stack of those already cooked on a plate was to his left, along with the butter, jam, syrup and other fruits.  He was making a mess in a green apron with some sort of cat character on it that made him look hotter and cuter than humanly possible.

You climbed on one of the stools and then leaned on the marble counter with a smile, watching him flip the pancake with ease.  A thought occurred to you that he should’ve been a chef.  He would look absolutely gorgeous as a chef, not that he was visually lacking in a suit.

He hands you a glass of orange juice, which you took and started drinking.  “Do you have plans today?” 

“I don’t think so.”  You shook your head and reached for a biscuit.

He smiled and went back to flipping the pancake.  “Then how about coming by to the office for lunch again?”

Your smile collapsed at the mention of the word office.  “I’m embarrassed to go.”  Your shoulders sagged as you nibbled on your biscuit.  “I mean everyone there sees me as the money girl.  They might even think I’m too much at playing wife when it’s just an arrangement and…”

“What?”  Taecyeon’s knuckles went white around the handle of the pan.  “Do you want to repeat that a little louder?”  His eyebrows came together in the middle of his forehead as he looked at you averting his gaze.

You stayed silent and slumped down on the cold marble counter.

“Baby.”  He turned the heat off under the pan.

“What?”  You muttered under your hair.

“Sit up.”  He said sternly and you slowly sat up, but refused to look at him directly.  “Who said those things to you?”  You reached for another biscuit, which Taecyeon quickly snatched away from your hand making you glare at him.  “Now that I have your full attention, tell me again why you don’t want to go to the office.”

“You know very well why.”

“No.  I really don’t.  You’re my wife and that’s my office.  We, you and I, own the whole thing.  So, I don’t understand how you can think like that.”  His hands rested on his hips as his face reached that familiar scowl territory.

“You own it…I just got you it.  Money girl, remember?“  You whispered quietly as your finger traced circles along the counter.

Taecyeon’s scowl was growing more evident.  “Who have you been speaking with that made you think that way?  Money girl?  What’s that even supposed to mean.”

“Nothing and no one.”  You shook your head and looked down with a frown.  “Nevermind.”  It took your best efforts to produce a smile to face him.  “I’ll be at your office at lunch and I’ll bring you something good and maybe we’ll have again and then -.”

“You’re not side-stepping this.”  Taecyeon stalked around the end of the counter and stopped in front of you.

“I don’t really want to talk about it.”  You squeezed your eyes shut, refusing to have this conversation.

He held your chin up and you started to open your eyes.  “It’s too late.  The words already spilled out of your mouth and I want to know why you think that way.” 

“It’s really nothing.”  You muttered under your breath.

Taecyeon lets out a sigh.  “You’ve been in a funk since the party and I know something must’ve happened there.  Who said what to you baby?  I really want to know.”

“So…”  Your voice trailed off as you looked down to your lap.  “George’s a girl, huh?”

“What did she say?”  He pinched the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes shut.

“Apparently, I’m not exactly your type.”  Your eyes flew back up to his face.  “But it’s okay since you get the company by marrying me.  Not exactly her words, but you get the point right?”

It took a while for Taecyeon’s heart to start beating again and a few more for his mouth to regain its function.  “She said what?”  The muscle in his jaw started to spasm.  “Why didn’t you tell me this at the party?”

“I didn’t want to cause a scene and I didn’t want to cause you any trouble either and besides, Junho said she might have been just drunk.  It’s just that…well…her words hit close to home.  So… does everyone in the company know about our arrangement?”

“No.”  All the voices in him wanted to go hurt the person who has made you feel so sad, regardless of gender.  “Baby.”  He clasped your face in his hands, forcing himself to be gentle instead of letting you feel how angry he was.  “Yes George is a girl, obviously.  And just so I’m not keeping anything from you, we did go out for a while in college and when I say for a while, I meant for several days.  And no, only a handful of people know about our arrangement, mostly family.  George just over heard me and Junho talking before.  But baby, do you believe that?  Do you really believe what she said to you?”

“I don’t know.”  Your eyes fluttered and suddenly they were drowned in tears.

“I’ve liked you since we were kids and loved you as I grew up.  What other type could I have other than you.  Do you think I married you for the money or the company?  I would’ve married you even if I incurred debts.  I would’ve paid and given everything I own just to have you.”  You flumped against his chest and covered your face with your hands, but Taecyeon tugged your hands away from your face.  “I think you have to know.  The whole idea was mine.  The whole getting married thing was my doing.  I asked grandpa and your parents to give you to me.  I did that.  I wasn’t forced into it, I wasn’t asked, wasn’t bribed.  I did that.  And since we’re being honest here, you have to know, I didn’t want the company.  I wanted you.  Grandpa wanted me to take over, I didn’t.  So I said yes with the condition that I get to marry you.  That’s the truth.”

“You did?”  You looked at him skeptically.

“Uhm.”  He nods with a smile.  “I’m actually the one to blame for all your arranged marriage miseries.”

“I’m sorry.”  You bit your bottom lip with a sob.

“What are you sorry for?”  He kisses you on the forehead.  “There’s nothing you have to apologize for.  George on the other hand,”  He rubbed at his throat as his mouth pinched together into a thin line.  “I will make sure she apologizes to you.  I’m really going to - “  Taecyeon’s muscle in his cheek twitched as his jaw shifted to the side.  Every vein and tendon in his neck stood out in perfect relief as his hands turned into fists.

You wrapped your arms around his waist and pulled him between your legs and then rested your face against his chest stopping him from speaking and calming his anger.  “I’m sorry I doubted you for a moment.  It’s just that she was so pretty.  She looked perfect and while we stood side by side, in that brief period of time I found myself lacking for you.”

Taecyeon held you tight and gently your hair as you dampen his shirt with your tears.  “You’re perfect and I wouldn’t change a thing about you.  You’re perfect for me, just as I am for you.”  He pressed a kiss on top of your head.  “I also think you have to know something else.”

“Another?”  Your voice muffled by his chest.

“Grandpa’s not really dying, he’s not even sick.”