seventeen;

       Hongjoong let four more days go by before he mentioned the village to Eunha, and that he wanted to take her there. She seemed excited to actually shop for the baby. Her and Yeosang have been working on a variety of clothes, some in different sizes just in case the baby is bigger or smaller. But Eunha had her eyes set out for a crib—although a bassinet would work too. Even though there's a chance it will never be used, she still wants to have it. They talked about it and decided just the mated pair would go, and Wooyoung would show up a bit after them. He was the fastest, and if anything seemed off he would be the one to head back for the others. So just before noon, they set off on a couple of horses and headed to Wonju. Eunha was happy to actually be outside and be somewhere other than those same castle walls. It was nice other than the cold that set in the air. Those warm days were over, and November would be too soon. But she relished in the small rays of sunshine that peeked through the clouds. "What else do we need?"        "Both of my siblings breastfed, but my mother said it took her a while to get me latch and she had to feed more alternatives. Probably wouldn't be a bad idea to grab some non-perishables." HongJoong stared at her for a moment, watching her think intently before she noticed his prolonged gaze. "What?" "Nothing. Just admiring my beautiful mate." Eunha wanted to say something back but instead she let her face heat up and shy away from him. Hongjoong steered his horse to walk closer with hers, reaching over to grab her free hand.        This caught her attention and placed it back on Hongjoong. "You never told me your biggest fear, you know?"        Hongjoong looked away from her but still kept their fingers locked. "I told you already."        She stared at him with confusion, even when he finally brought their gazes together. "You did? When?"        "Before you became pregnant, I'm surprised you don't remember." He smiled at her confused expression and squeezed her hand tighter. "I didn't plan on telling you that day. I don't even think I planned on ever telling you. Especially when it came true."        Eunha racked her brain for the answer she was seeking. He told her but she couldn't remember when and what he said. There were so many times he confided in her, especially after what happened in China. "Wow, you can't even remember. I'm hurt." He let go of the reins to place a hand over his heart, faking a saddened expression. "You didn't outright tell me it was your biggest fear, otherwise I would remember!" Eunha pouted and squeezed his hand. "I'm sorry." Hongjoong laughed lightly, returning a squeeze back. "It's okay. We both had a lot on our minds that day." Their conversation was soon ended by the revelation of the village through the trees. "We can talk about it some other time, it seems we've made it." A man welcomed them at the entrance by bowing a few times, grabbing the halter on the horses to lead them. The hybrid dismounted first and helped her down, giving a bow to the gracious man. "We should visit a carpenter first. I believe there's one that lives down this street." Hongjoong led Eunha in the direction he said, finding just what they needed. The man had several different builds sat outside. He had cabinets, wardrobes, even bed posts made of wood. But Eunha's eyes laid on the baby cribs off to the side, immediately walking towards them to gaze on what he had. The one that caught her eye was painted white, and every edge was perfectly made. She let her fingers graze it, falling more in love with it the longer she stared. HongJoong stepped beside of her, admiring it as well. "You like this one?" "I love it. It's perfect." She stepped around the side of it to the price tag hanging, picking it up to see the damage. She gasped loudly, putting the hybrid in high alert. He swiftly came to her aid, a hand reaching to steady her.        "What? What is it?"       "Gods, why is this so expensive?" She huffed out quite loudly, bringing a sigh of relief from the hybrid before he stared at her with a deadpanned expression. "Is it made of gold? I could build one better than this. Come on, we're leaving. A baby crib for that price? I don't care if you're rich, this place is just greedy."       Hongjoong couldn't help but laugh at her matter-of-factly tone and let her latch onto his arm to drag him away. "If that's what you want, baby girl."        "What I want is something nice but not outrageously expensive." She grumbled to him, both of them now flowing through the sea of people.        Wooyoung arrived not long after, picking them out in the crowd almost immediately. He stayed at a distance, locking eyes with the hybrid—who gave him a nod. "Why don't you look around a few of the shops? I have something I need to do."       Eunha looked up at her mate with a confused expression. "Is everything alright?"       "Yeah. Everything is fine. I just have a few questions I was hoping someone in the village could answer." Hongjoong caressed her cheek for a moment, taking in her features.        She didn't press him with more questions. "Okay, just don't take too long." She reached up on her tippy toes and kissed his lips. "I love you."       Hongjoong let go of her hand as she went further in the crowd. "Find Wooyoung! I love you, too."        The human was already far but she still heard him, turning to give him a smile before searching for the younger vampire. She didn't have to look far since a hand wrapped around her wrist and jerked in his direction.         Moving through the crowd made her disoriented but luckily he pulled them down one of the alleyway's, before turning around. Eunha didn't realize it at first but his height did seem taller. Wooyoung was taller than her, but not by this much.        That's when he turned to reveal it was not Wooyoung. "Nice day today, wouldn't you say little one?"