Pastel Palette ㅡ Taekook

seventy-one.

"Daddy! Daddy! Wake up! It's morning already! We're going out today so you have to get up now!" Jeongguk groans when he feels the bed dipping and shaking a couple of times before it completely goes still. He realizes it must've been Storm jumping up and down his bed but instead of being annoyed, he cracks his eyes open and smiles warmly at the sight in front of him.

Storm had stopped jumping and is now laying down beside him, big doe eyes staring at Jeongguk with anticipation. He grins widely when Jeongguk is fully awake and the latter could only coo at how adorable his son is.

He opens his arms widely- an invitation for Storm to scoot closer and give his father a very big and warm hug. Jeongguk hugs him back tightly, peppering Storm's face with small kisses and now his son is a squealing mess. Storm tries to break free from his father's hold but instead of pulling away, he ends up colliding against his father's chest, earning a grunt from him.

"When did you become this heavy, Stormy?" He whines, poking his son on his ribcage in attempt to start a tickle fight. Storm squirms above him, tiny giggles filling the entire bedroom with so much glee.

"Grandma said that I'm a growing boy so she always gives me a lot of food even if I tell her that I'm not hungry," Storm explains with a pout. It's been seven months but Storm had changed almost drastically over time.

He had become more bubbly (and well, gullible) and is already a pro at socializing. He had become a social butterfly and Jeongguk is really confused as to where he got that trait from.

"Who's with you, baby?" Jeongguk asks as he nuzzles his face on Storm's hair.

"Auntie Sana! But she told me she'll be out for a while to buy us breakfast!" Storm replies happily. Jeongguk shakes his head at that, thinking that Sana must've learned her lesson to not work inside the kitchen anymore.

"Alright! C'mon let's get out of bed so that I can take a shower and we'll start our day, okay?" Jeongguk tells Storm but the kid just clings to him more.

"Don't wanna!" Storm mumbles, face buried on Jeongguk's neck. Jeongguk chuckles at this, arms wrapping around his son's small frame just so that he can hug him tight twice as much.

"That was not what you told me the moment you woke me up, buddy. I thought you were excited for me to get up so that we can go outside? Hm?" Jeongguk starts rubbing small circles on the kid's back.

"But I want to cuddle with you. I missed you!" Storm mumbles under his breath but lucky enough, Jeongguk was able to hear it.

"Oh, baby. I missed you too," he whispers before pressing a soft kiss on Storm's temple.

"You and Papa Tata would always cuddle with me back then..." Jeongguk freezes at the mention of an unfamiliar name.

"Papa Tata?" When he doesn't receive an answer, he pulls away from the embrace and forces Storm to look at him. The child is now biting his lip, fear evident on his face. He must've had a slip of the tongue. Was he not supposed to say that name?

"Stormy, who's Papa Tata?" Jeongguk asks for the second time- voice stern. He immediately felt bad the moment he sees Storm flinch but he still receives nothing from him.

"Storm, I'm asking you something," he tries his best not to scare the child some more, but the moment Storm looks at him with eyes full of tears, he instantly regrets using that tone of his voice.