Accidentally Parental

07: Establishing Empathy

Two weeks had passed which considered to be both a blessing and a curse for Taemin and Naeun.

The passing weeks are considered to be a blessing for the two of them because it is a miracle that the two of them didn’t bicker much for the rest of the day. And it was also a curse because despite of now living under the same roof, they rarely talk or see each other because aside from their hectic schedules, Naeun prefer to stay inside her room during free time. She didn’t even bother joining the man on meals.

If ever the two of them got the chance to talk, awkwardness is always obvious on the two and they've been struggling to keep the conversation from dying.

Today was no difference.

At exactly four-thirty in the morning, Taemin jerked up so suddenly after hearing a loud retching sound next door.

After pushing the sheets away from his body, he run towards the next room and pry the door open looking for Naeun. She wasn’t on her bed which caused his heart to skip a beat, but when he heard another sound from the bathroom, a sigh of relief escaped from his mouth.

“Hey,” he started after walking up to the woman. “Are you okay?”

Naeun was on her knees, almost hugging the cold toilet bowl as her morning sickness continued kicking in.

The sight of her made Taemin feel bad but he couldn’t do anything to stop it from happening. So instead, he walk up closer to her and held her long hair away from her face. Up close, he can see the paleness of her causing him to still. He feel bad, so so bad.

He awkwardly patted her back in attempt to soothe her up and said, "Naeun-ah, can I do something to help you?"

A slight shook was her only answer and continued retching inexistent food. Sweat starts beading on her forehead and a single tear slid down from her eyes. Naeun angled her head away from Taemin's view to hide and wipe the tear away but it didn't escaped the CEO's kin eyesight.

"Naeun-ah, hey, why are you crying? Does it hurt? Is there something I can do?"

Again, all Naeun did was shook her head. She remained silent to let Taemin feel that she doesn't want him here despite of feeling the contrary. But her overbearing pride swells inside her for her to resort on facing the downside of her pregnancy alone.

A pair of warm hand cup her cold cheeks and it gently turn her head towards its owner.

Anxiousness is visible on his brown eyes and his brows are slightly knitted in concern. She gulped down when she felt that Taemin is lightly brushing her cheeks.

With a featherlight voice he murmured, "You don't have to bear this alone. I am here, I can help you get through it."

She was tired, so much tired from all the extra early mornings that she end up retching due to her morning sickness. For fourteen straight days, she was always jerking awake because of the churning feeling on her gut. And whenever she do, she tried not to make a sound since she doesn't want to disturb him. She knows that being the CEO means that Taemin has already much on his plate and she no longer want to add herself to it.

He needs to rest, that is what she keeps insisting.

"I-I am fine. You can go back to sleep." She replied on a hoarse voice.

The side of his lips hanged down due to her answer. "No, you're not. You're crying and you look like you haven't rested well."

Up close, he could see the dark circles resting under her eyes making him purse his lips. He never noticed it before. Perhaps because Naeun wears makeup everyday that his kin eyes failed to see it.