Chapter Text
If Taehyung had to name on thing they had cut down on after Moonwon came into their lives (other than sex, though that loss was not just a myth, they could testify) it was peaceful sleep. When their baby had first come home, he had spent his nights away in tears that drove them from room to room, desperately trying to rock him and walk him and soothe him into falling asleep. Jeongguk, with his penchant for late nights, had adjusted much better to that- while Taehyung took the early mornings. Still, he struggled a little with convincing himself to open his eyes whenever he heard the little boy sniffling into wakefullness.
Thankfully, he didn’t cry often in the mornings. Instead Moonwon, with his seemingly endless energy, simply hung over the railing of his crib and whined loudly, usually saying apa because that little boy was smarter than they all thought and knew exactly who would be drawn to him early in the morning. That morning too, Taehyung woke up to Moonie sniffling apa! apa! persistently until he groaned and lifted his head from the pillow.
Next to him, Jeongguk was still sound asleep (even though his work hours began earlier) and Taehyung made sure to wrap the blanket around his form gently; he got cold easily. The younger boy instantly curved into the blanket, taking its place where Taehyung had been earlier and he knew his soulmate wouldn’t be waking up any time soon. At least not without prompting and lots of kisses; he was a softie like that.
Satisfied, he walked over to the crib where Moonwon was predictably hanging over the wooden railing. The little boy reached out when he saw his dad, making grabby hands and pouting adorably. “Apa,” he whined, “My tummy is hungry.”
“Little man,” Taehyung raised his eyebrows but reached out and lifted the baby, swinging him around till he was giggling, “Already making plans? You know we have to brush first. And hmm, let’s see if your tummy is really hungry.” He lifted the boy up and pressed his ear against his stomach, feeling his heart soften when he heard it grumble. Moonwon giggled and squirmed in his grip, chubby legs kicking out, but looked at him pointedly when his stomach complained of hunger.
“Okay, seems that little monster needs to be fed,” Taehyung conceded, setting the boy onto his shoulders, knowing he would try to escape if he was on the ground at his next statement. “Brushing time first!” The fake enthusiasm in his voice was absolutely not requited and he carried the (once again squirming) boy to the bathroom, ignoring loud complaints like I’m all clean! and just one day, apa!
After much coaxing and promises of porridge with chocolate syrup (his healthy eating loyalist of a lover would crucify him; until Jeongguk was reminded of the time the week before when he had caved in and bought their baby gummy bears), Moonwon was brushed and scrubbed clean of a night’s grime and set on his high chair.
Taehyung warmed up some oatmeal on the stove, giving the baby a sippie cup of water in the meanwhile. He tilted in chocolate syrup like it was his lifeblood, not wanting to risk his baby getting cavities or anything close, and then sat next to Moonwon and offered up spoonfuls of porridge.
“You like?” he asked the baby, who was grinning a (still very hole-y) smile.
“Yum,” Moonwon agreed, patting his chubby stomach, “Yum for my tum.” He giggled then, like it was a super original and witty remark and not something Jeongguk said on the regular.
“Your appa needs to stop teaching you cute things,” Taehyung said, booping the little boy’s nose and making him chuckle even though he probably understand nothing of those words. “You’re going to have me wrapped around your finger little man, that’s not allowed.” Contrary to that declaration, the next spoon of porridge was lovingly adorned with a big swirl of chocolate.
“I have turn-” Moonwon began and then stopped, little forehead furrowing as he struggled to remember, “Tu- ten! Ten fingers, apa.”
Just then, a sleep rumpled Jeongguk walked into the room with a loud gasp. “Ten!” the younger said dramatically, “Ten whole fingers? That’s too much for a little boy. I think I should eat some of those, you should share with appa.” He then started singing a little song about a finger eater and fake nibbling on Moonwon’s chubby fingers, making the baby giggle and squirm.
“Okay, fine-” Jeongguk allowed finally after Moonie giggled appa, nooo, “I’ll stop if I get kisses.” And then they both dissolved into a pile of kisses and more giggles on their couch and Taehyung could do nothing but smile lovingly at them and try to convince his heart to settle down.
“C’mon baby,” he broke in after two whole minutes of letting them cuddle. The tiny bundle of love on the couch seperated slightly so two pairs of eyes peered up at him. Taehyung felt like the worst person on earth to break the gentle moment, but he had no choice. “Moonie, remember we told you you’re going to uncle Jimin and Yoongi’s today?”
Moonwon’s face brightened upon hearing that, and he immediately started blabbering about movies and popcorn and the little guitar Yoongi had found in some flea market and now kept in their house, to make sure the little boy stayed entertained in their home. Jeongguk’s face, on the other hand, darkened. Taehyung reached out and gave the younger man a hopefully reassuring hand squeeze. This day wasn’t going to be easy on any of them; not even Moonwon, whose future was up for discussion, even if their innocent son may have not realised it.
//
The man sitting in front of them wasn’t what Taehyung had expected. Maybe he had imagined someone… taller. Thin, deathly thin. And maybe with devil horns and an evil smirk. Hey, he was allowed to be biased, okay?
Instead Song Eukwan was a short-ish man with glasses and a friendly disposition. In another life, perhaps, Taehyung may have liked him. But this wasn’t another life and there was no way he was going to have any positive thought towards a man who had opened his mouth only to say things like-
“Taeri and I were together for years. We broke up but… I still cared about her deeply. That’s why I hope to take care of her son, to do my duty as his father.”
Jeongguk had no qualms the way his partner did about being slightly civil, even if it was forced. “I’m sorry,” he said sharply, clearly unapologetic. His voice was completely cold, enough to make Taehyung dig their fingers together in a clear communication. The younger man paid no heed. “Why is it that, if you were so close, Taeri didn’t name you in her will? She only ever mentioned Taehyung and other family members.”
Taehyung’s head snapped up, now analysing Eukwan’s micro expressions. He hadn’t thought about that, too focussed on how miserable he felt- he thanked his soulmate for being such a detail oriented person. The other man reached up to push his glasses up his nose and said, “Well. Taeri and I had just broken up. It was probably just residual anger at our break up, we were very serious. And amicable afterwards. There’s no other reason I can think of.”
When Jeongguk offered him the most dry, unimpressed look ever, Eukwan seemed to shrink under his glare. “Look,” the man said finally, “I’m prepared to submit a paternity test. What’s the problem?”
Taehyung let out a choked sound at that. One of the first things he had said since greetings and preliminary small talk. “What’s the problem?” he hissed, eyes flooding already, “The problem is that Moonwon is our son. We raised him. We love him. He’s a little boy; we can’t just pawn him off. Not to a stranger he’s never met in his life.”
He felt a little embarassed that he wasn’t able to keep it together, tears slipping just past his waterline at the mere thought. But Jeongguk gave him a tiny, proud smile. Then he faced Eukwan. “Taehyung is right. Taeri gave us no confirmation that she trusted you with her child. And being Moonwon’s parents is about more than just genes. We raised him, he knows us and loves us and we love him. It’s not as easy as a paternity test.”
Eukwan grimaced, unable to respond for a few moments. Then he swallowed hard and said, “Fine. I didn’t want to bring this up. But it seems you leave me no choice. Given your… lifestyle,” he looked pointedly to where their hands were joined, “Can you really give Moonwon a normal childhood?”
The breath left Taehyung’s lungs and he was filled with rage. Jeongguk’s fist came down to meet their table, loud enough to draw attention from the other customers in the restaurant and make their glasses of water rattle. “How dare you,” he hissed out. And then he stood, at the same time of Taehyung; in tandem the way they had always been and would always stay.
“Next time you see us, it’ll be in fucking court,” Taehyung snapped, knowing full well that a gay couple fighting for a child in their country was a lost battle. The thought filled him with almost crippling fear but he could only hope the threat scared Eukwan enough. With that, they left the restaurant and didn’t look back once. It was only once they got into a taxi that Jeongguk finally let his strong facade break down, and he cried and cried and Taehyung’s heart broke.
Doubt filled his mind as they walked up to pick up Moonwon, so scared of what happened and what was to come. Were they right for their little precious boy, the way they felt they were? Could they give him the childhood he deserved in every way? Taehyung was scared, so scared.
But then his little toddling son walked out of the house and straight into their arms, giggling about the mud puddle he had fallen into and the ducks who had been there next to him and how they were a little mean but he thought they were secretly humans, like all the fairytales said and Taehyung figured they would be just fine. This was worth fighting for.
09/01/19
1 year and six months
Thank you for the gift uncle Yoongi and uncle Jimin!