"Slamming doors is not a good habit okay? Someone could get really hurt. If you're angry or upset its better to talk than to storm off" Kira reasoned and Jihye sniffed, slightly embarrassed of her angered reaction
"Why don't you want to move?" Kiras asked softly as Jihye clinged onto her, sobs finally subsiding.
"Because I won't see my friends at the park anymore and Jaemin uncle won't visit and...neither will you" she mumbled, cheeks puffed against Kira's shoulder as she rubbed her back gently
"Is that all?" Kira asked and Jihye hummed
"You know the new place isn't too far...your dad and I will take you to the park, even if its a longer walk" Kira joked and Jihye giggled
"And Jaemin uncle will definitely visit, he loves you. I'll make him" Kira said
"And what about you? You won't visit me anymore" Jihye asked and now Jaehyun who was leaning against the door frame for the whole conversation joined the two on her bedroom floor
"Actually baby, the new house is much closer to Kira's" Jaehyun said, planting a kiss onto the top of Jihye's head, and the two looked up at him with surprise
"Really?" Jihye asked, turning to her dad with wide eyes and he booped her nose a little before bringing his eyes back to Kira
"Yeah" he nodded, dimples poking out to match the ones of his daughter
"How close?" Kira asked and Jaehyun smiled
"Like...two floors above you close" he said, reaching his lips to the top of her head, planting a soft kiss.
"Seriously? Even though you hate those stupid power locks?" She asked and he laughed, remembering his vendetta against the innovative safety feature
"That means we can have more sleepovers!" Jihye exclaimed and Kira nodded
"Yeah, it does..." Kira said, giving Jihye a toothy grin before turning to Jaehyun
"It also means Krit and Kai are available for baby sitter duty, free of charge and-"
"Your brother's going to hate me, isn't he?" Jaehyun chuckled
"Shh, more sleepovers" Kira winked and he let out a chesty laugh, ruffling his hair quickly, loosening himdelf up from the previous tense situation. His ears were quick to turn red at the suggestive statement
"So...aren't you excited to move now?" Kira asked and Jihye nodded happily
"Good, so how about you pack your toys up and me and your dad can go clean the living room?" She asked and Jihye nodded, climbing off Kira's lap to go pack up her toys into the cardboard box Jaehyun had laid out for her
"Let us know if you need help okay?" Jaehyun said with a soft voice, giving his preoccupied daughter one more look as he closed her bedroom door
"Crisis averted" Kira smiled as she stepped back into the hallway, facing Jaehyun again with a relieved smile
"I haven't gotten that angry in a while" Jaehyun mumbled with a tiresome and guilty smile as he grabbed her hand
"You scared me too" Kira mumbled from behind him, allowing herself to be lead by him to the living room which was practically empty without furniture. He squeezed her hand lightly in attempts to silently apologise
"I thought you might get mad that I butted in" Kira said, as he turned of face her in the empty living room, boxes surrounding them with different labels on top
"No...You handled that perfectly...I don't know how you do it" Jaehyun sighed, admitting silently to himself that trusting Kira with Jihye might just be the best decision he had ever made
"You're just...amazing" he said, lowering his eyes to look at their now interlocked hands, his shoulders relieving themselves of the stress he was feeling a few minutes ago
"Yeah...I guess I am pretty great" Kira joked and he chuckled, shaking his head at her before tugging on her hand, bringing her front to his, engulfing her in the hug she had craved all over the holidays
"Yeah you are...so sleepover huh?" He said into her hair, and she could hear the smirk on his lips, wondering how she could forget he was in the NCT frat line
"Mhm, better get packing" she teased, too shy to look up at him all of a sudden
"Let's just stay like this for a bit" he whispered, going for a full bear hug now, leaving her no other choice but to relax in his hold, and even though she just got back from home, his arms felt more recognisable.
"I really missed you" she mumbled into his chest
"I missed you a lot and I was so worried...I thought you didn't want this anymore—"
"No baby this is what I want, this is exactly what I want" he said, cutting her off before she could even speak her worries, and they dissipated at his words. Her hands let go of his sweater that was balled up in her fists and instead her arms wrapped around his waist, giving in.
"I wanna be with you." Jaehyun said, now more sure than ever.
She was always there. When his schedules were delayed, when he had been a drunk mess, when he lost his temper, when he wasn't enough for Jihye, when he disappeared, she was still there. An unwavering rock in the midst of a storm. He felt bad that he had only begin to notice this now. He almost started blaming himself for not doing the same for her. But he wanted to give it all back.
"Really? Like...you want to be with me for like..a long time?" She asked, looking up at him with hesitation, not exactly the reaction Jaehyun had expected either
"...yeah...is that...not where this is going?" Jaehyun asked, biting the inside of his lip nervously as he looked down to meet her eyes
"No! No...I mean yes..wait! I need to talk to you" she panicked, and in turn he also wondered if he had completely screwed things over between them
"Jae...I-I don't know how to tell you this" she hesitated, losing her grip on his torso as she looked away from his eyes, but his arms stayed locked, not wanting to let go anymore than he had to over the last few days
"You can tell me anything" Jaehyun said, trying his best to put on a reassuring smile, making her look up at him again.
But just seeing him, dimples poking out on either sides of his face, exactly like his daughter's would just made her even more emotional. It was all she ever wanted to have. She wanted someone to take after her, to be a part of her. She wanted to give, care, cherish and just be the person her mother could never be.
"Mommy...can you help me?" A small voice asked from behind them, and her heart clenched at the call. Even if she could never be a mother to her own child, she was happy to even be in Jihye's head as one.
"Yeah of course" she said, releasing herself from Jaehyun's grip to face the girl who looked at her expectantly from the hallway. But before she could follow her out, Jaehyun tugged on her hand, making her turn back to him
"Whenever you're ready...I'll be there" Jaehyun said, realising it was his turn now to be there for her.
A/n: crying bc I'll never have what they have
YOU ARE READING
Spitting Image | Jeong Jaehyun
Fanfiction"Babygirl?" "Yeah?" "...I was talking to my daughter." Everyone has secrets, some come in the form of a 5 year old who spills hot chocolate all over the carpet. Who knew a mere part time job could lead Kira to meet her idol, and eventually find love...
