Best of Me

Chapter 6: Minjun

The sound of the alarm tore through Jeongguk's sleep, dragging him back into reality as a groan caught in his throat. Peeling open his eyes, he was greeted by his son sitting up, thumb in his mouth, and other hand touching his father's cheek.

"Good morning, baby," he greeted, moving his arm and wrapping it around the three year olds middle. The baby squealed and giggled as Jeongguk buried his nose in his belly and blue raspberries over his clothed belly.

"Daddy no!" the baby cried as he kicked his tiny feet. Amused and light hearted, he pulled his face away from his belly and focused on his eyes. The boy stilled and stared up at his daddy with his thumb inching towards his mouth.

Jeongguk took his hand and shook his head. "Min, you can't suck your thumb," he reminded him gently. The boy pouted, but offered a weak 'okay daddy'. Humming, Jeongguk glanced at the time. "Come on, bud. It's bath time okay? Then we can get some breakfast before I take you to daycare."

The smile vanished from Minjun's face, a small pout causing his bottom lip to curl downward and his big brown eyes to glisten. Jeongguk frowned, hating that look. "Daddy, Mini no wanna go. I stay with daddy," he babbled, crossing his arms.

Jeongguk fought off a groan- this was going to be another hard morning. He leaned forward and sighed. "Baby, open your eyes and look at daddy." Minjun hesitated before he raised his head and looked at Jeongguk. "You know how this is. Daddy... daddy has to work, and go to school so he can get smarter and get a good job. So daddy can buy you things."

"I no want things. I want daddy," the baby insisted. 

Jeongguk felt his heart squeeze, and it took almost everything he had inside him to not let his eyes well with tears. It was things like this that reminded him how alone he felt sometimes, how he could never really make friends because his life belong to this little thing pouting at him.

"Minjun," he whispered, fighting off the sting as he touched his son's leg. "I want to stay with you too. You're my little Iron Man, remember?" he breathed. "But, I have to do this for both of us. But I promise, this weekend, you and me, okay? But please, baby, I have to go."

Minjun sat quietly, thinking it over carefully, before he nodded. Relieved, Jeongguk leaned down and kissed his son's head. His eyes were stinging, but he held them off as he pulled away and smiled gently down towards his son.

"Okay, come on. Bath time. Want to play with duckies?" he asked, sliding off the bed as he pulled Minjun with him. Minjun squealed, kicking his legs in excitement at the idea of playing with his duckies.

Jeongguk sat him at the edge of the toilet, commanding that he pull off his pajamas. He quietly asked him to go to the bathroom, watching him carefully. 

He knows that Minjun is a little bit behind in certain milestones, speech being the biggest one, but he's beginning to worry that he is behind in potty training as well. He has spent so many hours in the bathroom with him, urging him to go on the potty, and he does, but he doesn't always tell Jeongguk when he needs to go.

Trying to keep his worried thoughts to himself, he urged Minjun on while turning the water on and checking the temperature. He placed the mat on the white bottom and made sure it stuck so that Minjun wouldn't fall.

Finally the sound of urine in the toilet nearly caused Jeongguk to exhale in relief. Instead, he grinned brightly and clapped. "You did it, Mini! You're such a big boy!" he cheered. 

Minjun smiled and happily showed his father how he wiped and flushed, and even getting his stool to wash his hands.

Jeongguk watched carefully as he rubbed his hands together, humming his hand washing song to himself, before he climbed off and held up his wet hands to his father. "Cwean daddy!" the three year old cheered. Jeongguk kissed his hands before helping him in the tub.