Taehyung entered the house, exhausted from a long day at work. His tie was slightly loosened, and his shoulders ached from sitting at his desk for hours. He let out a deep sigh as he shut the door behind him, already craving a hot shower and some peace.

But peace was the last thing he was going to get.

Before he could even take another step, a blur of excitement dashed toward him.

“Taehyung, you’re back!” Y/N’s voice was filled with joy as she practically launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck before he could react. And then—before he could even comprehend what was happening—her lips crashed onto his.

His eyes widened.

His mind blanked.

Her lips moved against his with an eagerness that completely threw him off guard. He could feel the warmth of her body pressed against him, the scent of her floral shampoo filling his senses.

And yet—

He immediately pushed her away.

His hands gripped her shoulders, forcefully putting distance between them. His heart was racing, but his face was set in a cold, indifferent mask.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he snapped.

Y/N stumbled slightly from the force of his push, but she didn’t waver. Instead, she let out a small giggle and pouted. “What do you mean? I was just greeting my husband.”

Taehyung scoffed. Husband? He still wasn’t used to hearing that word.

“Don’t do that,” he said firmly, his voice sharper than intended.

But Y/N, being the stubborn and playful person she was, only grinned before lunging at him again—this time wrapping her arms tightly around his waist.

Taehyung stiffened.

“I missed you, Taehyung,” she mumbled against his chest.

His entire body tensed at the way she snuggled against him like a needy kitten. He was exhausted, irritated, and now completely overwhelmed by her sudden affection.

“Let go.” His voice was dangerously low.

Y/N, of course, ignored him.

Instead, she tightened her grip, swaying their bodies slightly. “You’re so cold, Tae. How can a husband be this distant from his lovely wife?”

That was the last straw.

“I said LET GO!”

His voice echoed through the house, filled with frustration.

Y/N immediately froze.

Her arms, which were holding onto him just moments ago, slowly dropped to her sides. She took a step back, her face devoid of the usual teasing smile.

For the first time, she didn’t have a witty comeback.

She didn’t say anything.

She just stood there, staring at him—her expression unreadable.

And then, without another word, she turned around and walked away.

Taehyung was still standing in the entryway, rubbing his temples in frustration after what had just happened with Y/N. His heart was still beating fast, though whether it was from anger or something else, he wasn’t sure.

But before he could process it further, the doorbell rang.

Ding-dong!

Before Taehyung could even react, Y/N—who had just walked away moments ago—suddenly sprinted back into the living room, her entire mood doing a complete 180.

“OH MY GOD, I THINK IT’S MOM!” she shrieked in excitement.

Taehyung blinked. “What—”

But before he could say anything, Y/N was already yanking the door open. And just as she had guessed, Taehyung’s mother stood there, holding a bag of what looked like homemade food.

“Mom!” Y/N practically screamed in joy, throwing herself at the older woman, hugging her tightly.

Taehyung’s mother laughed, patting Y/N’s back with a warm smile. “My sweet daughter-in-law! How are you?”

Taehyung groaned internally. Daughter-in-law? He still wasn’t used to this whole marriage thing, and the way Y/N was acting right now was only making his head hurt more.

“I’m amazing now that you’re here!” Y/N said dramatically, pulling away to beam at her. “Did you bring food for me?”

His mother chuckled. “Of course, I did. I figured my son wouldn’t be treating you well enough, so I brought something delicious for you.”

Y/N gasped as if she had just heard the most tragic news. “You’re absolutely right! Your son is horrible, Mother. He barely even talks to me!”

Taehyung rolled his eyes. “Stop acting like I abuse you.”

Y/N stuck her tongue out at him before grabbing his mother’s arm. “Come in, come in! I need to tell you all about how mean your son is!”

Taehyung’s mother laughed, allowing Y/N to pull her inside while Taehyung just stared in disbelief.

“Why are you acting like a child?” Taehyung muttered as Y/N guided his mother to the couch.

Y/N ignored him.

Instead, she sat down beside his mom, linking arms with her like they had been best friends for decades. “Mom, you don’t know how lonely I’ve been! Taehyung doesn’t even smile at me.”

His mother gasped in mock shock. “Is that true, Taehyung?”

Taehyung scoffed, crossing his arms. “Don’t believe a word she says.”

Y/N gasped dramatically. “See? SEE? He doesn’t care about me at all!”

His mother shook her head at her son. “Taehyung-ah, why are you treating my daughter-in-law like this? She’s such a sweet girl!”

Taehyung pinched the bridge of his nose. This is going to be a long day…

As if reading his mind, Y/N smirked at him before turning back to his mother. “Mom, can I just live with you instead? At least you love me.”

His mother laughed. “Of course, my dear. You can come over anytime.”

Taehyung clenched his jaw. “She’s not going anywhere.”

Y/N grinned at him, clearly enjoying his annoyance. “Aww, so you do care?”

Taehyung groaned. “I need some air.”

Y/N giggled while snuggling closer to his mom. “Don’t take too long, love~” she teased.

Taehyung was seriously considering running away at this point.

Taehyung sighed as he stood outside, inhaling deeply in an attempt to regain some peace. His mother visiting was already a handful, but Y/N acting like she was her long-lost best friend? That was a whole new level of headache.

After a few minutes, he finally stepped back inside, expecting some sort of dramatic greeting from Y/N. Instead, he was met with the smell of food wafting through the air.

When he entered the dining area, he saw them already eating. Y/N was happily stuffing her face, while his mother looked at her with pure amusement.

“Oh, you’re back?” Y/N said, her mouth still half full.

Taehyung frowned. “You started eating without me?”

His mother chuckled. “I told her to wait, but she said, and I quote, ‘I might die of hunger before he comes back.’”

Taehyung narrowed his eyes at Y/N. “You’re unbelievable.”

Y/N grinned, shoving another bite into her mouth. “You took too long. Your fault.”

With an exhausted sigh, he pulled out a chair and sat down. His mother instantly placed a bowl of rice and some side dishes in front of him.

“Eat, my son,” she said warmly. “You need energy to deal with your wife.”

Y/N nodded in agreement. “Exactly. You should thank me for making your life more interesting.”

Taehyung scoffed. “Interesting? More like stressful.”

Y/N gasped, clutching her chest dramatically. “Did you hear that, Mom? He called me stressful! After all the love and care I give him?”

His mother laughed, shaking her head. “Taehyung-ah, you really should learn to appreciate your wife more.”

Taehyung sighed, choosing to just focus on eating instead of arguing with both of them. But just as he picked up his spoon, his mother suddenly gasped.

“Oh! Y/N, have I ever told you about Taehyung’s childhood stories?”

Y/N’s eyes lit up. “No, but I need to hear them.”

Taehyung immediately stiffened. “No, you don’t.”

Y/N ignored him. “Mom, please tell me everything. Every single embarrassing thing he’s ever done.”

His mother beamed. “Oh, where do I even start?”

Taehyung groaned. “Mom, please—”

“Oh! I know the perfect story,” his mother said excitedly. She turned to Y/N with a mischievous smile. “Did you know that when Taehyung was little, he used to run around the house completely naked?”

Y/N nearly choked on her food. “WHAT?”

Taehyung buried his face in his hands. “Mom, stop.”

But his mother continued, completely ignoring him. “Oh yes, he hated wearing clothes as a child. Every time I dressed him, within minutes, he would take everything off and run outside screaming, ‘I’m a free man!’”

Y/N burst into laughter. “Oh my god! I’m a free man? Are you serious?”

His mother nodded. “Absolutely! And one time, he ran straight into the neighbor’s house—completely naked! The poor old lady next door nearly fainted.”

Y/N was crying from laughter at this point. “Taehyung! What the hell?! How do you go from that to this cold, serious person?”

Taehyung groaned. “I was three years old!”

Y/N wiped away tears of laughter. “Still, the image of you running around naked is now permanently in my head.”

His mother giggled. “Oh, I have more stories.”

Taehyung shot her a warning look. “Mom, don’t you dare.”

But she ignored him. “Did I ever tell you about the time he got a huge crush on his kindergarten teacher?”

Y/N gasped. “No, but I need to hear this.”

Taehyung looked like he wanted to die. “Mom—”

His mother smirked. “Oh, it was adorable! He used to bring her flowers every morning and once even tried to propose to her with a candy ring.”

Y/N was howling. “TAEHYUNG PROPOSED TO HIS TEACHER? WITH A CANDY RING?”

His mother nodded. “Yes! He stood in front of the whole class, got down on one knee, and said, ‘Miss Park, please marry me!’”

Y/N was practically rolling on the floor now. “This is the best thing I’ve ever heard in my life.”

Taehyung groaned, covering his face. “I swear, I’m leaving this house.”

His mother patted his shoulder, laughing. “Oh, don’t be so dramatic. Y/N loves you even more now.”

Y/N nodded enthusiastically. “I do! In fact, I might start calling you ‘Mr. Free Man’ from now on.”

Taehyung gave her a deadpan look. “I will ban you from speaking.”

Y/N smirked. “Try me, Free Man.”

His mother chuckled, enjoying every second of this. “Oh, you two are adorable.”

Taehyung, on the other hand, was already regretting ever coming home.