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"Diēdiē say ahhh!" Tantai Jin looked up from the memorials he'd been reading to see a pastry nearly shoved into his mouth. Sighing affectionately, he stared at A Mi. "What's this?"
"A flower cake! Niángqīn helped me make it."
"Your Niángqīn HELPED you?"
"Hm!" He fixed a stare at his wife who had walked in behind A Mi with a smile.
"I'm not going to get poisoned am I?"
"TANTAI JIN!" Susu had her hands on her hips, her face red.
"I'll have you know my cooking has greatly improved since our time at the Jing Kingdom."
"By 'greatly improved' you mean 'barely passable', right?"
"You!" Susu blew on a stray strand of hair and pouted.
The gesture made him chuckle. Oh but she was so cute!
He turned to A Mi who watched their exchange with a wide grin, the pastry still held in her chubby fingers. "So, what's the occasion? Why did you suddenly make flower cakes for me?" Her grin melted and she rolled her eyes in exasperation. Eerily, it reminded him of himself.
"Silly Diēdiē! Did you forget what day it is?" That made him pause. What day was it? Surely it wasn't either of their birthdays? He'd rather undergo the Lightning Punishment a thousand times over than forget!
A Mi shared a look with Susu and they both sighed.
"What? What is it?" His daughter stomped towards his side and wagged a finger at him. "It's Father's Day of course! It's the day to celebrate you!"
"Ah? Such a day exists?"
"Of course! So does Mother's Day but we already had that last time. Now it's your turn!"
He blinked slowly as realization slowly dawned in his eyes. Suddenly, an itchy, warm feeling filled his heart. He was a father now and he was being remembered for it with a gift from his precious daughter. His mind recalled his Hostage Prince days that were rife with suffering.
It seemed surreal that he'd ever become a father, much more become a good one. At one point, he was even afraid he'd end up just like his. It was a fear that persisted even until now. And yet, looking at A Mi and Susu's expectant yet affectionate gazes, he knew that to be untrue.
"So that's why you made the cake." His voice thick with emotion, he coughed lightly.
"Hm! Niángqīn said instead of buying something you can easily get, you'd like something I made myself more." His gaze slid to Susu who beamed at him.
Hot tears pricked his eyelids but he quickly blinked them away. "Niángqīn is right as always of course. I love the flower cakes a lot."
A Mi giggled. "Silly Diēdiē! You haven't even tasted them!"
"Will you feed me then?" He drew closer and opened his mouth wide.
"Diēdiē you're like a little baby haha! A Mi will feed you. Here you go~"
Tantai Jin took a bite. The soft, fragrant cake melted on his tongue, the sweetness just right. A fat teardrop fell down his cheek, then another and another until he found himself crying.
"Ah Diēdiē! What's wrong? Does it taste bad? Oh no, A Mi made a mistake! Quick, spit it out! Niángqīn please get Diēdiē some water." Susu ran to the side, poured water into a cup and hurried over to them. "Here, drink."
The little princess was on the verge of tears herself. "I'm sorry. A Mi won't cook again."
He swallowed the rest of the cake in two bites then took the cup from Susu to drink. With shaky fingers, he wiped his tears away and stared at A Mi. "Why won't you cook again?"
"Ah? B-because I'm obviously bad at it?" She sniffled, no longer able to keep her tears at bay. He reached for her face and gently rubbed her cheeks. "Persistence maketh a man. Besides, I didn't cry because it was bad."
"T-then?"
Tantai Jin beamed. "It was delicious."
"It's the most delicious flower cake I've ever had." A Mi blinked her big, tearful brown eyes at him then at Susu. She smiled, ran around the table and enveloped him in a tight hug.
"A Mi is glad! Happy Father's Day, Diēdiē! Thanks for being the best diēdiē in all the realms."
He hugged her back just as tightly, his tears of happiness now endless. Glancing at his wife, he saw her grinning and near tears herself. "A Mi said I'm the best diēdiē." He mouthed silently at her.
"Yes you are." She mouthed back.
:･ﾟ✧:･.☽˚｡･ﾟ✧:･
When all the tears had been shed, all the hugs had been given and all the flower cakes eaten, Tantai Jin took his family for a walk in the imperial gardens. The bright full moon shone above them as they sat beneath the blooming peach tree.
"The flower cakes truly were delicious. Thank you, sweet pea."
"Hehe you're welcome Diēdiē! There is nothing I can't do when I do my best."
"Hm. My daughter is very skilled! You really do take after me."
"TANTAI JIN! A Mi is half of me too, you know."
"True. But she didn't get her cooking from you. That was all me."
Susu scoffed and playfully swatted his shoulder. "You just wait! I'll get so good at cooking, I'll leave you two in tears!"
The father-daughter duo shared a conspiratorial look and cackled. "We can't wait."
Susu made a "I'm watching you gesture" at them. Then she shook her head and laughed. Tantai Jin gently bumped his forehead against A Mi's then drew her and Susu closer to him, enclosing them in his arms. Together, they silently admired the moon and stars.
Once destined for suffering, Tantai Jin had lived a life of sorrow. But he never regretted a single moment of it. To be Susu's devoted husband and to be A Mi's doting father were the greatest gifts his tragic life brought him.
He'd never trade them for anything.