Chapter Text
Awestruck
Perhaps it’s a cheesy, ‘tell me you’re a first-time parent without telling me you’re a first-time parent’ type of description, but Asahi reckons that it’s a fairly accurate description nonetheless.
The younger’s breath hitching as Jaehyuk ever so gently presses an almost hesitant kiss to their daughter’s forehead, her little button nose scrunching up unhappily as he does so, eliciting a soft laugh from the elder.
“You’re already so much like your Papa, hm? Pretending not to like it when your Daddy kisses you?” Jaehyuk teases as he looks up to meet Asahi’s eyes, his canines flashing as he grins. “She even has your nose scrunch down pat.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Asahi grumbles, his cheeks reddening ever so slightly as he looks away, ears tipped pink. “Also, no, she does not,” gesturing for Jaehyuk to hand their daughter over, his lips quirking upwards when their baby girl yawns, popping her little hand in her mouth with a gurgle.
“But she does,” Jaehyuk childishly whines, pouting, “I'm serious! She really does!”
“Whatever you say, Jaehyuk-ah,” Asahi can’t help but chuckle as he runs a finger over their daughter’s chubby cheek with a smile, “Whatever you say.”
Beautiful
“Quit taking pictures of us,” Asahi all but hisses, the blond glaring up at Jaehyuk as he attempts to soothe their currently wailing daughter. The back of his washed-out hoodie covered in partially digested baby formula from where little Katsumi had decided to spit up all over her Papa. “I mean it, Jaehyuk! I haven’t showered in nearly three days! Not to mention the fact that I’m literally covered in baby puke-”
“Okay, and? You’re still just as beautiful as the day I met you,” Jaehyuk whispers, setting Asahi's camera down as he moves to take Katsumi into his arms, though not before he gives Asahi a quick peck on the lips, the both of them giggling as they brush noses. “Right, Katsumi-chan? Wouldn’t you agree that your Papa’s just the prettiest Papa ever?” Jaehyuk coos, gently wiping at Katsumi’s tears as he bounces her, her sobs thankfully having been reduced to the occasional sniffle here and there.
“S-shut up, Jaehyuk,” Asahi stutters, face burning as he pushes his glasses higher up the bridge of his nose. “And don’t you go dragging our daughter into your lies,” the younger watching with great satisfaction as his normally smooth-talking husband fumbled about for a reply, Katsumi blissfully unaware of the pickle that her Daddy had found himself in.
“That’s not at all what I was doing! I would never-”
“Yah, quit your fussing; I was only messing with you,” Asahi smirks, reaching out to lovingly pat Jaehyuk’s cheek, his nose wrinkling at the feeling of stubble beneath his fingertips, “But seriously, delete them.”
Clueless
“Next, you fold the bottom of the swaddle up and over your baby’s feet, tucking the fabric into the top of the swaddle.” Asahi reads aloud, the blond looking up from his phone just in time to see Jaehyuk’s sad attempt at a swaddle completely unravel itself, Katsumi wriggling free from its confines with a kick of her chubby little legs.
(“You what?” Asahi momentarily forgetting about the half-finished state of the nursery as his lips twitch, the corners pulling into a hint of a smile.
“I said I watched a Youtube tutorial on how to hold a baby,” Jaehyuk repeats, sheepishly rubbing at the back of his neck as his cheeks flush an even deeper shade of red. “You know, for when the baby comes.”)
“Well, it’s not like she has to be swaddled-”
“But the pediatrician said that swaddling was good for them! Especially during their early months!”
(“Do I think you and Jaehyuk will be good parents?” Yoshi’s frown only deepening when Asahi manages a stiff nod, embarrassed to be even asking him this—but desperate times called for desperate measures.
“Y-yeah,” Asahi awkwardly replies, pretending to busy himself in sorting through the clearance rack as to avoid meeting the elder’s eyes, “I, uh, I asked Mashi but-”
“I don’t know,” Yoshi interrupts, not wanting to cut the blond off but also not wanting for Asahi to work himself up over nothing—something which he knew Asahi tended to do. “I don’t know if you and Jaehyuk will be good parents, but I do know that any kid of yours will be the luckiest kid alive.”)
“I know, trust me, I know, ” Asahi mutters, scooping Katsumi up with a sigh, the three-month-old reaching her pudgy arms out to pat her Papa’s nose. “But I can assure you that she won’t mind missing out just this once. Ne, Mi-chan?” Katsumi giving them a gummy smile as Asahi tickles her belly, her nose scrunching when her Daddy pokes at one of her dimpled cheeks.
“Though I do think that maybe next time we should leave the swaddling part up to me.”
“Shut up!”
Domestic
“ただいま！” Jaehyuk calls out, toeing off his shoes before setting the groceries down on the kitchen counter with a soft thud, digging the crumpled up grocery list out of his pocket with a smile.
Call him a weirdo, but there was just something about the blond’s little ‘愛してる〜♡’ at the end of every list that made them worth saving. Not that Asahi needed to know this, of course.
(“You’ll be there to welcome me home, right?” Jaehyuk whispers, his calloused fingertips ever so gently wiping away Asahi’s tears as the end credits rolled. Neither one of them having had expected for『おおかみこどもの雨と雪』to be such a tearjerker but, well, here they were.
“O-of course,” he sniffles, a wet laugh spilling past his lips when Jaehyuk beams, reaching out and taking Asahi’s hand in his, thumb rubbing small circles into the back of it. “Of course I will.”)
His heart swelling with something too big to name as Asahi sleepily makes his way into the kitchen, an equally (if not more) sleepy Katsumi cradled in his arms. Her dark lashes fluttering as she lets out a wide yawn, the woolen fabric of her Papa’s sweater gripped firmly in her tiny fist.
“おかえり。”
Exhausting
“Sahi?” comes a croaky voice, and Asahi looks over his shoulder to find a half-awake Jaehyuk leaning against the nursery doorway, rubbing the sleep from his eyes with a frown, sweatpants hanging low on his hips, chest bare. He blinks at Asahi, whose face softens as he watches him squint and rub at his eyes once more. “Is everything okay?”
“Mhm-hmm,” Asahi sleepily murmurs, gently patting Katsumi's back as he shushes her. "Mi-chan was just letting me know that it's time for breakfast."
"Oh? Is that so?" And it's almost embarrassing just how quickly Jaehyuk perks up at the mention of food. "She have any suggestions as to what we should have?"
"Well," Asahi's lips curling into a tired smile as he thinks back to their university days, to all the all-nighters that bled into early mornings spent at their local IHOP, "How do chocolate chip pancakes sound?"
Fretful
“So,” Jaehyuk begins, watching as Asahi busied himself with de-shelling the last of the shrimp, baby monitor sat on the countertop beside him. “I was thinking that maybe we could go out for dinner later tonight? You know, just the two of us.”
Asahi looks up from where he's bent over his task to give Jaehyuk a noncommittal shrug. “Maybe,” he replies, rinsing his hands off and wiping them on a nearby dish towel.
Jaehyuk pouts at this, but he doesn't let it deter him, leaning forward, elbows resting on the island in front of him. “Okay, well, then how about sometime next week?” He suggests, and Asahi frowns, nose scrunching.
“...But what about Mi-chan?” he asks, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear as he glances towards the baby monitor, “She’s, um, she’s never been away from us before...” Asahi says, trailing off as he looks back over to Jaehyuk, a flush slowly creeping its way across his cheeks.
Jaehyuk snorts, his eyes twinkling as Asahi lets out a tiny huff of annoyance, but there's no real heat behind the gesture, only fondness. “You worry too much; you know that, right?” Pushing himself off the island as he moves around the counter to stand behind Asahi, wrapping his arms around the blond’s waist as he presses a kiss to the nape of his neck, resting his chin on Asahi’s shoulder.
Asahi stiffens for half a second, before relaxing into Jaehyuk’s embrace, sighing quietly as he closes his eyes, leaning back against the elder’s chest. “Sorry,” he mumbles, letting out a shaky breath. “I uh, I just don't want anything bad happening to her.”
Jaehyuk hums, tilting his head slightly and pressing another quick kiss onto the side of Asahi's neck, smiling softly at just how protective Asahi could be when it came to their baby girl.
(“Remember, don’t forget to support her head,” Haruto rolling his eyes when Jaehyuk whips out his phone to record as Asahi carefully lowers the newborn into Jeongwoo’s arms. “She’s not—”
“—strong enough to hold her head up by herself yet.” Jeongwoo finishes for him, shooting Jaehyuk a wink upon noticing he was being recorded. “We heard you the first time Mama Bear, we heard you the first time.”)
“I know, I know. But she’ll be just fine, okay?” He feels Asahi nod against him, a slight movement, almost imperceptible, but still there enough to let Jaehyuk know he's heard him. “Besides,” fingers toying with the drawstring of Asahi's pajama bottoms, “You and I both know that it’s been way too long since we’ve last had any se-”
“Jaehyuk!”
Glowing
“—but don’t worry! ‘Cause they won’t bother you if you don’t bother them!” Asahi peering up from the tomato plant that he’s tending to right as Katsumi lets out an excited squeal, her mouth curving into a darling, toothless smile as Jaehyuk leans in close, rubbing their noses together with a breathless laugh, cheeks rosy from one too many hours in the sun. “And since they help out with Papa’s garden by spreading pollen from one flower to the next, you gotta promise me to always be super-dee-duper nice to the bees! ‘Kay, Sumi-chan?”
Katsumi burbles happily in response, and Jaehyuk grins brightly, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead, his eyes crinkling into crescents when she tries to push her face into the contact.
Jaehyuk chuckles quietly, bouncing her in his arms as he turns towards Asahi, the sunlight filtering through the trees dappling his skin with gold, highlighting the soft slope of his cheekbones, the plush fullness of his lips.
“You alright?” he asks, and Asahi nods, dusting his hands off on his overalls before taking Katsumi from him. Holding her close as Jaehyuk grabs the basket of tomatoes sitting beside Asahi’s watering can, swinging it back and forth as he waits for the blond to reply.
Asahi nods again, glancing down at Katsumi, who’s staring up at him curiously, her little hands grasping at his shirt as she blinks up at him, her big, doe-like eyes wide and inquisitive.
“Yeah,” he answers after a moment, the sun's rays catching on his glasses, dimples making themselves known as he looks up at Jaehyuk with a small smile, “Perfect.”
Homey
“かわいい子よ、泣かないで〜” Asahi softly croons, a pleasant sort of warmth unfurling in Jaehyuk’s heart as he watches the blond pace about the dimly-lit nursery, gently cradling a sleeping Katsumi against his chest. Her little face nuzzled into the crook of his neck, rosebud lips slightly parted, her breathing even and slow. “パパの手ほーらねあなたのこといつだって、守っているわ〜”
And Jaehyuk’s so caught up in the moment that it takes him a minute to notice that Asahi’s turned towards him, cheeks pink, eyes half-lidded.
“What?” Asahi whispers, but Jaehyuk just grins and shakes his head.
“Nothing, just thinking about how lucky I am to have you in my life,” he responds, Asahi’s blush deepening as he averts his gaze, ducking his chin down as he bites at his lower lip.
“O-oh, yeah, well I...” he starts, trailing off for a second before glancing back up at Jaehyuk from beneath his lashes, “I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.”
Icky
“C’mon Mi-chan, veggies are yummy,” a frown tugging at Asahi’s lips as Katsumi turns her head to the side with a whine, smearing her chin with Beech-Nut’s butternut squash puree in the process.
He lets out an exasperated sigh and leans forward, licking the pad of his thumb as he wipes at her face, trying his best not to wince when she lets out an even louder whine than before, her nose scrunching up in that adorable Asahi-esque fashion of hers.
(“Holy shit,” Hyunsuk smacking Jihoon upside the head as Asahi snatches Katsumi away from him, “Hyuk was right! She really does have your nose scrunch!”)
“Alright, alright,” Asahi grumbles, reaching for the baby bottle he'd prepared earlier, humming quietly as he scoops Katsumi out of her high chair and into his arms. “You win. We’ll try again at solids tomorrow,” he says, settling her in his lap as he brings the bottle to her mouth, watching with amusement as she immediately latches on, suckling noisily.
“Yeah,” Asahi smiles, running a finger across Katsumi’s cheek as her eyes begin to droop, “You’re definitely your Daddy’s daughter.”
Jealous
“Jaehyuk?” Asahi’s eye twitching in annoyance as the elder simply continues to sulk, his arms wrapped around his knees, head buried between them.
He looks up at Asahi with a pout, but doesn’t answer, and Asahi just stares back, unamused. “Do you wanna tell me what's going on?” he finally asks, and Jaehyuk just shrugs in response before burying his face back down into his knees, not willing to budge from his spot on the floor.
Asahi sighs, plopping himself down onto the ground beside Jaehyuk, nudging him slightly to get his attention, which is enough to get him to look over at Asahi, his mouth still drawn up into a pout.
“Well?” Asahi presses, raising an eyebrow at Jaehyuk when he flushes.
“...I’m still your favorite baby, right?” he whispers, and Asahi blinks once, then twice. Tilting his head to the side and squinting at Jaehyuk in confusion until it suddenly hits him, and he groans, pinching the bridge of his nose with a soft ‘まじか。’
“This is because I’ve spent the last two nights sleeping in Katsumi’s room, isn’t it?” he mutters, and Jaehyuk nods, lip caught up between his teeth as he looks down at the floor.
Asahi sighs again. “Jaehyuk,” he says, running a hand through his hair with a frustrated huff, “She’s literally a baby. Our baby. Why in the world would you be jealous of a baby?”
“Because you're mine just as much as you’re hers!” Jaehyuk childishly protests, puffing his cheeks out as he glares at Asahi in a way that’s honestly more endearing than it is intimidating.
There’s a pregnant pause, and then, Asahi snorts, rolling his eyes at Jaehyuk.
“Of course you’re still my favorite baby,” he says, Jaehyuk's face brightening almost instantly, “But, Katsumi is also my favorite baby—she’s my favorite baby baby, and you’re my favorite big baby.”
Kissable
“Can you hold Mi-chan for me while I pin my hair up?” Jaehyuk nodding as he takes Katsumi into his arms, both daddy and daughter watching curiously as Asahi clips his hair back with one of the Hello Kitty hairclips Jaehyuk had bought for Katsumi to use in the future.
“Thanks,” he smiles, kissing Jaehyuk’s cheek as he goes to take their baby girl from him, only for her to whine, Asahi frowning before letting out a small laugh. Shaking his head fondly as he presses a kiss to Katsumi’s cheek, too, making her squeal. “And thank you too~”
Little
“You ever wish that she could stay this itty-bitty forever?” Jaehyuk murmurs, the blond glancing up from admiring Katsumi’s sleeping form with a soft smile. “That we’d always be able to protect her, keep her safe like this?”
Asahi stares up at him, lips slightly pursed as he considers Jaehyuk’s question, gaze drifting down towards the little one cuddled against his chest before flickering back up to meet Jaehyuk’s eyes once more.
“Sometimes, yeah,” he admits, his voice barely above a whisper, “Not all the time, of course, but sometimes.” Leaning into Jaehyuk’s warmth as he gently strokes the wispy hair atop Katsumi’s head.
Jaehyuk hums, reaching out and brushing a thumb over her cheek, his breath catching as she snuffles in her sleep, eyelids slowly fluttering open, sleepily blinking up at the both of them.
“Me too,” he says, pressing a kiss to Asahi’s temple as he pulls him closer, “Me too.”
Mesmerizing
"You'll understand when you have a child of your own, Jaehyuk-ah," is what his mother had said upon his six-year-old self taking one look at his newborn cousin and loudly proclaiming that she—he'd hoped that it'd be a boy so that he'd have someone to catch crawdads with during the summertime; hell, he even had a matching red bucket to his blue one ready and everything—looked like a wrinkly, pink potato.
His little nose scrunching up as his auntie simply laughed as she beckoned him to come just a little bit closer; though to no avail, as he’d stayed rooted firmly in place, clinging to his mother’s leg with way too serious of a scowl for someone not yet tall enough to brush their teeth without the help of a kiddie step stool.
And although he can’t exactly remember what he’d said to that, he does know that he’d accepted it easily enough, tucking the notion away in the back of his mind for when he was all grown up and whatnot, as if his six-year-old self ever even had time for such things.
But, turns out, she was telling the truth.
Because as he sits here, in the rocking chair that Mama Hamada had gifted them, holding the most perfect little being in his arms, Jaehyuk thinks he finally begins to understand.