quarantine (short story)

hoseok

we're a couple of days into quarantine, and taehyung and i have fallen into a routine.

he's usually up earlier than me, so he texts me when he wakes up and then watches cartoons until i answer.

i then talk him through getting breakfast for himself, usually toaster waffles.

ⓣⓗⓘⓝⓚ ⓣⓗⓔⓨ ⓖⓞⓝⓝⓐ ⓑⓤⓡⓝ

ⓣⓗⓔⓝ ⓣⓐⓚⓔ ⓣⓗⓔⓜ ⓞⓤⓣ, ⓛⓞⓥⓔ

ⓗⓞⓣ!!!

ⓑⓔ ⓒⓐⓡⓔⓕⓤⓛ ⓑⓐⓑⓨ

i'm working from home, of course, so i use the morning time to be productive, before he starts getting sad and clingy.

same deal with lunch as with breakfast. in the afternoon, i give him chores or little tasks to do.

"can you draw daddy a picture of.....rainbows and bunnies?" i ask him, over the phone.

"mhm!" he agrees eagerly.

about twenty minutes later, he calls me back.

"daddyyyyy i'm all done coloring!"

"that's great, babydoll. can you text daddy a picture? i'd love to see."

"yeeeep!"

i look down at my texts, keeping him on the line, as i receive the picture.

i can tell he put a lot of effort into this. it makes my heart swell.

"tae tae, you did so good! i want that on my fridge."

the little gasps in delight. "it's a fridge picture?"

"it's a fridge picture." i confirm.

dinner is always tricky. under normal circumstances, i would never let him use an oven. but here we are.

ⓣⓤⓡⓝ ⓣⓗⓔ ⓞⓥⓔⓝ ⓞⓝ ⓤⓝⓣⓘⓛ ⓣⓗⓔ ⓝⓤⓜⓑⓔⓡⓢ ⓢⓐⓨ ③⑤⓪

ⓘⓣ ⓢⓐⓨ ④⑤⓪

ⓣⓗⓔⓝ ⓨⓞⓤ ⓝⓔⓔⓓ ⓣⓞ ⓣⓤⓡⓝ ⓘⓣ ⓓⓞⓦⓝ ⓢⓞⓜⓔ

ⓞⓚⓘⓔ

ⓨⓞⓤ ⓗⓐⓥⓔ ⓣⓗⓔ ⓒⓗⓘⓒⓚⓔⓝ ⓝⓤⓖⓖⓔⓣⓢ ⓞⓝ ⓣⓗⓔ ⓟⓐⓝ?

ⓜⓗⓜ! ⓝⓤⓖⓖⓘⓔⓢ

ⓖⓞⓞⓓ, ⓝⓞⓦ ⓟⓤⓣ ⓣⓗⓔ ⓟⓐⓝ ⓘⓝ ⓣⓗⓔ ⓞⓥⓔⓝ ⓑⓤⓣ ⒹⓄⓃ'Ⓣ

ⓣⓞⓤⓒⓗ ⓣⓗⓔ ⓞⓥⓔⓝ

ⓓⓐⓓⓓⓨ?

ⓨⓔⓢ ⓣⓐⓔ ⓣⓐⓔ?

ⓣⓗⓔⓡⓔ ⓞⓝⓛⓨ ③ ⓝⓤⓖⓖⓘⓔⓢ ⓛⓔⓕⓣ ⓘⓝ ⓣⓗⓔ ⓑⓐⓖ

my heart drops. this was something i hadn't thought to be worried about.

the quarantine hit us so unexpectedly, i didn't have time to stock up for myself, let alone to go shopping with him. i have enough to last a few weeks, but....what if he doesn't?

ⓣⓗⓐⓣ'ⓢ ⓐⓛⓡⓘⓖⓗⓣ. ⓨⓞⓤ ⓒⓐⓝ ⓜⓐⓚⓔ ⓢⓞⓜⓔⓣⓗⓘⓝⓖ ⓔⓛⓢⓔ ⓣⓞ ⓔⓐⓣ ⓦⓗⓔⓝ ⓣⓗⓔⓨ'ⓡⓔ ⓐⓛⓛ ⓖⓞⓝⓔ i tell him, trying not to make him panic.

later at night, before his bedtime, we video call. i need to see him every day. just to reassure my racing mind that he's actually okay.

i've decided to keep reading him harry potter, one chapter each night. he usually falls asleep to me reading.

i look up from the book, to my computer screen, and smile when i see that his eyes are closed and his breathing is steady.

"goodnight, little tae. i love you." i whisper before ending the call.