“Baby, it’s me.” Jimin said into the speakerphone. I could hear Haru in the background as I drove home, my Bluetooth wedged firmly in my ear.

“Hi! How was your day?”

“It was good.” He replied, a smile in his voice. “I think Haru got cuter since I saw her this morning.”

“It’s probably the dress I put her in.” I grinned.

“Yeah, okay.” I could hear the eye-roll. “Haru, Mama’s on the phone.”

“Hi, Mama!” Haru called.

“Hi, baby! I love you.”

“Love you, too.” She sounded preoccupied.

“What’s she doing?” I asked Jimin.

“Eating a pear.” He told me. “What do you want for dinner?”

“Mmm…anything is fine. I’m not super hungry. Kinda nauseous.” I flipped on my blinker and turned into the parking garage. “Everything smells horrible.”

“Pregnancy nose!” Jimin crowed.

“Pregnancy nose.” I agreed dejectedly. I climbed out of my car and slung my bag over my shoulder. “I’m gonna be up in a minute.”

“Stay on the phone.” He said cutely. “I missed you today.”

“Did you and Hoseok figure out your choreo thing?”

Jimin grunted. “Don’t even remind me. I’m so annoyed! Like, I don’t need help with this. I can come up with my own choreo for my own songs.”

“Why are you getting all bent out of shape?” I asked, not unkindly.

He sighed. “I just feel like I’m not being trusted with my own solo project. I would never create choreo for Hoseok without asking him. It’s rude and frankly, insulting.”

“You think they think you can’t do it?”

Jimin’s voice sounded irritated when he answered. “Yeah.”

“You can do it.” I said gently. “You can do it, baby.”

“Thanks.” He sighed again. “Come home. I wanna kiss you.”

“No tissin’!” Haru cried in the background.

“Shush. Eat your pears.” Jimin laughed at her. “I’m gonna kiss your mama all the time and there ain’t nothing you can do about it.”

“Blehhhhh.” She replied.

By that time, I had reached our front door. Yukon scratched and barked happily at the door as I fumbled for my keys.

“I got it!” Jimin called from inside. A moment or two later, the door flung open and he scooped me up into his strong arms, crushing me in a very welcome bear hug.

“Hi, baby girl.” He spoke his greeting into my hair.

“Hi, Jiminie. I missed you.” I threw my arms around him and squeezed him back. Yukon barked and jumped up repeatedly, pressing his front paws against us.

Jimin eventually loosened his grasp and leaned back, his arms still wound around my waist.

I looked up at him, feeling my expression grow soft.

“You’re really handsome.” I commented quietly.

He smiled shyly, so pleased.

“Your eyebrows look great today.” I continued, reaching out to trace one with my thumb. “And your lips? Utterly kissable.”

“I dyed my hair.” He told me proudly, shaking it a little in my face.

“So you did!” I ran my fingers through the tousled strands. “It looks good, although I will always prefer you with black hair. You know, it kind of reminds me of the hair you had during the Danger promotions.”

“Oh, you’re right.” Jimin fluffed up his bangs, peeking down shyly at me.

“You look good. Gorgeous. Hard to believe you’re even human. Your face looks like angels carved it.”

“Now you’re just teasing me.” He said sourly.

I tilted forward and kissed his nose. “Nah. That’s how I really feel.”

Jimin cupped my face in his hands, thick fingers pushing into the soft skin of my cheek. He leaned in and kissed me, a deep, sweet kiss. My hands closed around his shirt and I tugged him nearer, opening my mouth and deepening the kiss. The front door was still wide open and Yukon barked around us, but I lost myself in his kiss.

Until a little voice interrupted us.

“Mama, what are you doin’?”

I broke away from Jimin, who cleared his throat, tips of his ears bright red. He hadn’t gotten any in a while and four years ago, kissing like this would have immediately led to half- passionate making out in our bedroom. And then…we had a kid.

“I’m kissing your daddy.” I replied nonchalantly.

“Why?” Haru asked, thumb in .

“Because I love him. When you love people, you ask to kiss them. And if they say yes, then you can kiss them.”

She nodded, head cocked to one side.

We sat at the kitchen island a little while later, munching on our dinner that had been lovingly prepared by Jimin.

“Daddy, is you going to live wif us in the new apa’tment?” Haru had one hand stuck in her mac and cheese and the other in her hair. She would definitely need a bath after dinner.

“Of course, little love. Wherever you live, I live.” Jimin smiled at her from across the table.

“Mama too?”

I patted her hair, running my fingers into her silky curls. “Mama, too.”

She busied herself with her mac and cheese, content to listen to our conversation.

“So, today I talked with a different editor.” I told him over a plate of kimbap. Haru didn’t like kimbap, hence the mac and cheese.

“Oh, yeah? What’d they say?” Jimin perked up, a piece of seaweed stuck in his teeth.

“He said that with some editing and maybe a plot twist or two, they’d be happy to publish it.”

He grinned at me. “That’s awesome, baby! I’m so proud of you!”

“Thanks.” I smiled back at him.

“What do they mean by a plot twist or two?”

“I don’t know.” I shrugged, a little despondently. “I hope it’s nothing outrageous.”

Jimin ran his foot over mine underneath the table, smiling softly at me. I met his eyes and his twinkled back at me, full of warmth and love. I felt lucky in that moment.

We all laid in bed together later that night. Haru wore little fuzzy footie pajamas with My Little Pony characters all over them. She lay next to me and Yukon lay curled up on Jimin’s chest. Haru and I held hands as Jimin slowly Yukon’s hair.

“Mama.” Haru said softly.

“Yes, baby.”

“I love you.” She threw her arms around me and burrowed her face in my sleeve.

“I love you, too.” I patted her curls, a huge smile spreading across my face.

Yukon yawned as Jimin scratched him lazily behind the ears.

“I want ice cream.” I said suddenly.

“You’re lactose intolerant.” Jimin chided.

“I don’t careeee.” I whined. “I’m pregnant and I want ice cream.”

“No.”

“Get me ice cream.” I tugged on his arm. Haru giggled sleepily.

“No way.” Jimin threw me off. “I’m tired.”

“Iceeee creaaaaammmm.” I moaned, poking Jimin’s side. “Get me ice cream.”

“No.” He refused stubbornly. “I’m tired. And in my pajamas. And I don’t feel like smelling your stinky farts all night.”

I pinched him and he yelped, then tried to bite me. I screamed and Yukon started growling at Jimin. Haru whined, half-asleep on the bed next to me.

“Jimin, please.” I whispered, changing my tactics. I cuddled close to him and ran my fingers along his bicep. “Please buy me ice cream.”

“Nope.” He set his mouth in a firm line. “I won’t.”

“Please.” I trailed kisses across his shoulder.

“Not gonna work, baby girl. I’m sleeping in half an hour.”

“Plenty of time to purchase some ice cream.” I cooed, slipping my hands under his shirt.

A dull thump and a muffled cry alerted me that Haru had fallen off the bed. I sat up and peered over the edge. She lay splayed out on the rug, fingers idly scratching at her side while her other hand was firmly lodged in .

“She okay?” Jimin asked. I straightened up and nodded.

“She’s fine. I’m gonna go tuck her in.” I bent over him and brushed his hair back from his forehead. I liked his new hair. The contrast of the brightly colored hair and his thick black eyebrows made me want to kiss him. So I did. He smiled underneath my kiss, hand weaving into his own hair. When I pulled back, the smirk on his face made my stomach tingle.

“Still not buying you ice cream, baby.” Jimin teased, sticking out his tongue.

I gave him the finger and carried Haru off to her bedroom.

She woke up again and it took me a half an hour to soothe her back to sleep. We read a story and sang a couple of songs. She insisted that I stay with her until she fell asleep, and when she pouted up at me with her father’s mouth and sad eyes, I couldn’t resist.

When I came back, Jimin was sitting up in bed with a mug.

“Coffee this late?” I raised an eyebrow as I climbed into bed next to him. He shook his head, his mouth full of something.

“’S not coffee.” He lisped, passing me a mug. I looked down to find it filled to the top with mint chocolate chip ice cream.

“Oh my god! I love you so much!” I took the spoon he offered and eagerly dipped it into the ice cream.

“Yeah, I know. I’m great. Best husband ever.” Jimin leaned over and stole the bite from my spoon. I tapped him on the head with the of the spoon, too gently to hurt.

“You’re amazing.” I cupped his face in one hand and admired his face for a moment. He quirked up the corner of his mouth in an endearing half-smile. He looked so handsome with his parted bright hair hanging in his face. A small trace of eyeliner still lingered around his eyes, highlighting the deep brown of his eyes. “I love you so much.”

“I love you, too.” Jimin murmured, voice low and raspy.

“Where’d you get the ice cream?”

“Convenience store down the street.” He replied, still staring into my eyes.

“I didn’t hear you leave.” I rested my forehead against his, noses brushing each other.

“You were singing to Haru.” Jimin’s breath felt hot against my mouth. We were so close to each other. It felt natural at this point, but still a little exciting sometimes. Like now, after he had been such a nice husband and gotten me the ice cream I so desired.

But, at the moment, I desired a little something else.

“We haven’t had in a while.” I said casually, rubbing my nose against his cheek.

“Mmm.” Jimin agreed.

“How long has it been?” I shifted so I straddled his waist. He looked up at me through hooded eyelids, his hand reaching out to tangle in my hair.

“A long time.” His voice lowered an octave. I missed the days when Jimin would blush and breathe heavily at the slightest provocation, but this calm, y demeanor of his did something for me, too.

“Have you been having a hard time?” I bent my head and latched my lips onto his neck. He inhaled sharply.

“Yeah. Cause you’re a ing tease.” He growled, breath hot against my cheek as he grabbed my hair and pulled me up to face him. Our eyes met and I smirked. “Little devil.”

“Angel baby.” I returned, resting my chin on his chin. We stared at each other for a moment before Jimin flipped me over and eagerly kissed down my neck, hooking his fingers in my pants. He pulled them off of me in two seconds.

“Take off your pants.” I demanded. He smirked at me and complied, revealing a pair of green boxer briefs decorated with pizzas. I burst out laughing.

“What?” Jimin asked, pouting a little bit.

“What are you wearing?” I giggled.

“A fan gave them to me.” He took advantage of my giggles to pull off my shirt. I abruptly stopped laughing and eyed him angrily.

“Don’t ing wear boxers that another girl gave you.”

“Well, they’ll be off in about thirty seconds, so no need to complain.” Jimin winked cheekily at me. “Also, a male fan gave them to me. He said, ‘I wonder if your wife will like these…’ in his note.”

“Oh, weird.” I scrunched up my nose. “I don’t want some erted guy thinking about me seeing you in the boxers he gave you.”

Jimin looked down at himself. “They make me kind of hungry, actually. Makes me wanna eat a bunch of little pizzas.”

“I can’t sleep with you if you’re wearing those.” I told him.

“Ah, it’s fine. The mood is lost. Let’s eat ice cream.” He plopped back down next to me and stole a bite of my ice cream.

I watched him for a little while, caught up in how cute he looked munching on his ice cream.

“Jimin.” I said quietly, making him look up in the middle of stealing some more ice cream.

“Baby.” He said back mock-seriously, a twinkle in his eye.

“What happened to those Calvin Klein black boxer briefs I gave you for Christmas?”

He flushed. “I, uh…I left them in Japan. Don’t be mad! I took them off before I went into the sauna and when I went back into the locker room, they were gone.”

“Somebody stole your underwear?!” I whisper-shrieked.

“Uh, yeah. Probably.” Jimin admitted sheepishly.

“Gross. A fan?”

“Probably a sasaeng fan.” He rested his head on my shoulder, soft hair brushing against my skin. I ran my fingers through it.

“That’s so creepy. I feel violated for you.”

“Some fans give me underwear, and some fans take my underwear.” Jimin kissed my shoulder.

“I’ll buy you all new underwear. Fancy- underwear. And I’ll write my name in them so everyone knows they’re stealing from me, too. Your boxers are my boxers.”

“That’s always been a very one-way street. I’m not about to hop into a pair of your underwear, but you get to wear mine? You know how many times I’ve run out of clean underwear because of you?”

“I’ll buy you a lot.” I kissed his hair. “Buy you a whole dresser full of black boxer briefs.”

“Alright.” Jimin agreed. “I’ll never lack for underwear then.”

I giggled and shared another spoonful of ice cream with him.

Jimin eventually took the rest of the carton out of the freezer and we ate it all while watching Boys Over Flowers on my laptop. By this point in our relationship, I had probably made him watch it at least five times. He secretly loved it, I knew.

He fell asleep with his head in my lap, a little ice cream stuck to the corner of his mouth. I shut the laptop and tucked him into bed next to me. His arms automatically wrapped around me and I inhaled a deep breath of his scent.

I traced his eyebrows with my thumb, falling asleep with my hand curved around his cheek.

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Hey guys! It's been a year since I started writing Stay Away from Me. Can you believe it's been that long?? I just wanna say thank you to all my readers who have been there since the beginning (agustdmin!! first subscriber ever!) and continued to read my stories. I'm really so surprised and thankful that so many of you read my story and enjoy it. It's been a fun year. :)