OUBLIEUX • taennie

treize

.˖⁺‧☁︎ ࿏ Appa!" — Hana's sweet voice rang through the room, accompanied by gentle nudges from her tiny hands.

"Appa, wake up"– she persisted, sliding his eye mask up, and opening his eyes with her little fingers, urging her dad to rise from his peaceful slumber.

"Wake up, appa" – she continued, her determination evident as she climbed onto the man who was still lost in the realms of sleep.

"Just a little bit more, c'mon. Let's cuddle for a bit," – Taehyung suggested, gently shifting the girl off his back and wrapping his leg around her as he pulled her close, his subtle attempt to prolong their morning cuddles and delay the inevitable start to the day.

"Noooo, appa! You have to wake up; you promised we would go get ice cream!!" – Hana insisted, quickly dodging her dad attempts to spoon, her excitement fueling her climb on her peacefully sleeping dad.

"It's 6 am, Hana. The ice cream store is closed." – Taehyung explained, glancing at the bedside Hatch alarm clock.

"What time does the store open?" – Hana inquired with hopeful eyes, sitting next to her dad.

"I'm not sure, munchkin, but definitely not at 6 am." – He replied, trying to manage her expectations.

"But the mall opens early, daddy; let's go there!" – Hana suggested eagerly.

"Not this early. How about you watch some TV?" – The dad swiftly proposed an alternative, eager to squeeze in a few more moments of sleep. He had stayed up late the previous night, and with Jennie on a two-week work trip, juggling responsibilities for Hana and the household was becoming challenging. Despite his parents' assistance, the bulk of the responsibilities still fell on him. Nevertheless, he and Jennie were a team, and he wouldn't gripe because he knew she'd do the same for him without hesitation.

"But mommy said I can only have 3 hours of screen time, and I wanna watch a movie after dinner" – The little girl explained her predicament, holding her two braids made by her dad the night before.

"But mommy is traveling, so you get 4 hours of screen time" – Taehyung reassured her.

"Okidoki" – the little girl agreed, crawling to grab the remote from Jennie's usual side of the bedside table.

"What do you want to watch, daddy?" – she asked eagerly, her eyes brimming with excitement as she adjusted the pillows to snuggle comfortably next to her dad.

"How about you go watch in your playroom?" – Taehyung suggested, hoping for at least one more hour of peace and relaxation.

"But I wanna watch with you, daddy!" –Hana pouted, melting Taehyung's heart. She had been particularly clingy since Jennie had left.

"Okay, Nana. Just keep the volume down, alright?" – he conceded, and Hana nodded gleefully, selecting Paw Patrol on the TV. Taehyung readjusted his eye mask and embraced his daughter tightly, the sweet scent of strawberries from her shampoo lulling him back to sleep swiftly.. ࿏ ☁︎ ‧⁺˖

.

Taehyung's eyes fluttered open as he searched for the familiar sight of his little girl in the bed beside him. The cruel reality washed over him like a wave as he realized it was merely a dream, a fleeting echo of an old memory. The lingering scent of strawberries, so vivid in his mind, only served to deepen the ache in his heart. With a heavy sigh, he faced the emptiness of the morning, his daughter's absence leaving him alone with his thoughts.