Closer than Ever

Chapter 87 - Green Eyes

Taehyung sits on the love seat with Sol on his lap and just gazes at him as if he is the whole world. I am seated cross-legged on the other cushion facing them, watching the two of them instantly bonding. My heart feels full to bursting.

"You are the most beautiful baby on Earth, my son," Tae tells him. "I can't believe you are here! I love you so much!" He grabs the baby's little hands in his own and dots them with kisses, and Sol giggles loudly. They gently play pattycakes together and Sol very authoritatively tells his dad, "Apbo, rah." Tae picks the baby up and rolls him from side to side, kissing him all over while the baby squeals and waves his arms and legs in the air joyfully.

I grin at the two of them. "You guys are so similar," I say, chuckling. "If he didn't have green eyes, I would demand a DNA test to make sure he's really mine," I joke. Tae laughs and shakes his head at me.

"Dadada!" the baby interjects. We look at him in amazement.

"Whoa! Our kid is a freaking genius, Taehyung!" I say, laughing proudly.

Tae looks over at me, absolutely beaming. He sits Sol on his knee and puts his free hand out to gently cup my cheek. "Thank you for having him." I nod. "I'm sorry that I haven't been here to help. You must have had a hard time." His big eyes, so like his son's, look troubled.

"It's been OK," I say. "Childbirth itself sucked, though, I'm not going to lie." My voice cracks a little bit. "I missed you. I wanted you to be there, holding my hand, so I could yell at you for putting me through that!" I tease, and turn my head to kiss his palm, so he'll know for sure that I'm (mostly) kidding.

He laughs. "Do you want to yell now? You can. Just don't scare my baby." He wraps Sol up in his arms protectively and then nods at me that they're ready.

My eyebrows shoot up. "Oh, your baby?!" I laugh. "I'm not really in the mood to yell right now, babe, maybe later. I'm not inspired, without the excruciating pain."

I see Taehyung wince, and I almost feel bad, but not quite, because damn... giving birth was the worst.

Now the wheels in his head are spinning, I can tell. "So you'll yell at me twice as much next time?" he says, and gives me the old Tata Mic face.

I sigh heavily and roll my eyes, then throw my head back to laugh. "Remember what you said about twenty minutes ago about being sorry for moving too fast?" I ask, smiling and putting my hand on his shoulder.

His booming laugh rings out, and strangely I feel like I want to cry again when I hear it. But in a happy way? Yeah, I'm a mess.

Tae is gently bouncing the baby on his knee, now, giving him a horsey ride. Sol's little mouth is snapping open and closed, and his huge green eyes are riveted on his daddy's face. Tae tells him, "Eomma wants more babies, right? You are so lovely! She secretly wants more babies like you. Probably she wants six more." He smirks. 

Sol knowingly says, "Ahlbo."

I sigh, and shake my head at them. 'Here we go!' I think, and chuckle. "Maybe one more," I respond.

"She wants five more," he tells the baby.

"Two at the absolute most."

He tsks and shakes his head sorrowfully. "Maybe only four more like you, hm?" He gently runs his fingers through the baby's full head of dark hair.

"Family planning by barter. This is new," I say laughing and lightly cuffing Taehyung on the shoulder. "Kim Sol, tell your daddy that we can have three more, at the most. That's my final offer, and only if he hires a live-in nanny for you all."

Suddenly, Taehyung stops moving, staring at the baby. Then he looks at me with his eyes wide. "Birdie, you didn't," he says. "YOU NAMED HIM PINE TREE?!" He throws his head back and roars with laughter.