Summary: your husband and daughter sneak ice cream but are caught by you. after teasing, you join them, bonding over stories. it strengthens the family bond with promises of more secrets.
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whispered laughs echoed late at night, as jeonghan and ara stealthily navigated the dimly lit kitchen.
"shhh," jeonghan hushes, gently lifting ara and settling her atop the kitchen counter. "let's keep it quiet, don't want to wake your ma from her sleep." his quieted tone carried both caution and excitement, which makes ara giggle and parrot her dad's hush.
with careful precision, jeonghan takes out the tub of ice cream from the freezer, and two bowls from the rack — scooping a little for himself and a smaller portion for ara.
"gimme gimme gimme," ara does the grabby hand.
"nuh, what do we say?"
"juseyo~"
"good girl," he praises as he hands her the bowl and spoon.
midst their indulgence, a gasp echoed from the kitchen doorway. jeonghan and ara froze, spoons suspended in mid-air. you stood — your arms crossed over your chest and your silhouette framed in the doorway, a mixture of shock and disappointment on your face.
jeonghan exchanged a quick glance with ara, their guilty expressions mirroring each other. he took a deep breath, setting down his spoon and bowl. "surprise?" he offered a sheepish smile, trying to diffuse the situation.
ara, glanced between her father and you, unsure how to react to the unexpected interruption of their secret snack time. "it was papa's idea," she says, pointing at him.
your eyes softened slightly as you fought to keep a stern expression, "is that so?" you teased, raising an eyebrow at jeonghan.
jeonghan, caught red-handed, chuckled nervously. "well, i may have encouraged a late-night treat, but ara was an enthusiastic co-conspirator, i assure you."
you couldn't help but let out a small laugh at the sight of your husband and daughter caught in their midnight escapade. "i see, so it was a joint mission, huh?" you remarked, stepping into the kitchen and leaning against the counter, arms still crossed, but a playful glint in your eyes.
ara squirmed a bit, feeling caught between your gaze. "sorry, ma," she murmured, her cheeks flushing with guilt.
you softened your expression, ruffling ara's hair gently. "it's okay, sweetie. i know how tempting ice cream can be, especially when papa's involved." you shot a teasing look at jeonghan, who chuckled in response.
"can i have some too?" you asked, pretending to pout playfully.
jeonghan grinned, already reaching for another bowl. "of course,"
as you settled onto a stool beside ara, the three of you indulged in the sweet treat, sharing laughs and stories from your day. the kitchen, once filled with whispers and hidden giggles, was now filled with a comfortable atmosphere, a late-night bonding session between the three.
after finishing the ice cream, you took the bowls from them and placed them in the sink. "well, as fun as this was, it's getting late. time for little sneak-thieves to head back to bed," you said, trying to sound stern but failing to hide a smile.
jeonghan lifted ara off the counter, giving her a piggyback ride towards her bedroom, whispering goodnight and promises of more secret midnight escapades in the future. you followed behind, grateful for these small moments that brought your family closer together, even if it meant surprise ice cream raids in the middle of the night.
