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Jongin moved to the city hoping never to run into Chanyeol again, but he couldn’t have his way, even when he was finally moving on.
Jongin knew if he did run into Chanyeol again it would be a problem, and it was more annoying when Chanyeol wouldn’t accept that Jinah wasn’t his—though she was. He just had to order a paternity test and get the court involved. Now Jongin had to see his ex twice a week to drop off his daughter and then pick her back up. At least he was getting a monthly child support check; it made taking care of Jinah so much easier.
“Look at the bright side, babe,” Kyungsoo said as he dried his hands on a dish towel. “Jinah gets to have her biological father in her life, and you get free weekends to spend with me.”
Jongin sighed as took off his glasses, too much on his mind to get any work done. “I know, but…acknowledging him as her father shoves the reality of the situation right in my face!”
As Jongin groaned, Kyungsoo came over to massage his shoulders. “Just…try not to think about it so much. Just think about how happy Jinah will be when you pick her up, or how delicious this food I cooked will be.”
Jongin laughed. “That does sound good. Your food is always yummy.”
“Yes, now go wash up and change into something comfy. Dinner is almost ready.”
Jongin easily complied, giving his lover a kiss before disappearing into the bedroom to change. Kyungsoo cleaned up his computer and paperwork so he could set the table, and by the time Jongin returned their plates were being set on the table.
“I could get used to this,” Jongin sighed heavily as they settled on the couch after dinner.
“I told you that you and Jinah could move in if you’d like.” Kyungsoo came to sit next to him, handing Jongin a half glass of wine. “She can have the guest room and you can stay in the master bedroom with me.”
“And I told you it was too soon for me to move in. It’s barely been a year since we started dating.”
“Thirteen months, twelve days, and—” Kyungsoo looked at his watch. “Six hours.”
Jongin rolled his eyes. “Next thing I know, you’ll be proposing to me within the next week.”
“Am I that obvious?” Jongin scoffed and pushed Kyungsoo away when he tried to swoop in for a kiss. “What? It’s not my fault for loving you so much. You’re just so easy to love.”
“Oh, stop!”
“It’s the truth.” Kyungsoo took the glass again and placed it on the coffee table so Jongin wouldn’t spill it as he pulled him closer. “I’m so lucky to be your love,” he then sang.
“I am the lucky one,” Jongin countered as he bridged the gap to kiss Kyungsoo.
Though she had been to this place many times now, Jinah was amazed at how big her Papa Chanyeol’s house was, it wasn’t as big as her grandmother’s house, but it was bigger than her and her Daddy’s place—maybe bigger than her uncle Kyungsoo’s too. At that moment, she sat on the couch, hugging the newest addition to her plushie collection, a white tiger, as she watched a movie about a city of animals. It was scary in some parts, but with her plushie and her Papa Chanyeol not too far from her, she felt safe.
This kind of situation felt familiar to Jinah, with her preoccupied with a movie or toys while her Papa worked at the table. Usually, it was like this with her Daddy when he was really busy with work, but that wasn’t often, and he would eventually stop and play with her. It wasn’t like Chanyeol didn’t play with her, he just spent a lot of time working on the computer after they played, then they would have dinner and go to bed.
There were a lot of things that were different with her Papa, like how many toys he bought her, how many times they ate pizza, and how many times they went to the amusement park. Since she only stayed at her Papa’s house on the weekends, it was almost every week, which was fun but she also liked going to the park with her Daddy on the weekends. Jinah and her daddy used to go to the park almost every day, but since he got his office job and she started kindergarten, they only go once or twice a week—three times if her Daddy gets a day off.
“Papa Chanyeol?”
“Yeah, kiddo?”
“What do you do for work?”
Chanyeol paused what he was doing to look at Jinah who was looking at him over the back of the couch. “I…uh, do a lot of things. I help people with their computers at my office, I input information for my boss, and I make music.”
Jinah gasped. “Like the music on TV?”
“Yes. On TV, on the radio, and even in movies.”
“Wow! Can you make me a song for my birthday?”
“Of course, Jinah. Maybe you can help me make it. When’s your birthday?”
“Next week. I’ll be six!”
“Wow!” Not only was Chanyeol surprised by how soon that was, but by the fact that he had been absent from her life for that long. It had really been almost seven years since he broke up with Jongin.
When Jongin and Kyungsoo picked up Jinah from Chanyeol’s place Sunday afternoon, Jongin tried to make the interaction as quick and easy as possible, but of course, he couldn’t always have things his way.
“Can I talk to you for a second?” Chanyeol asked after Jongin strapped their daughter into the back of Kyungsoo’s car.
“What?”
“How come you didn’t tell me Jinah's birthday was coming up?”
“I figured she would tell you.” Jongin was about to turn away, but Chanyeol stopped him.
“Do you have anything planned?”
Jongin sighed. “Of course, but it’s nothing too big. Just a play date with her friends at the park then a little get-together with my parents and Baekhyun.” Chanyeol winced at the other man’s name. Technically, they were on a break, but he wasn’t sure how long that would last. “Why?”
“I was thinking of doing something for her at my place so I could invite my parents and Yoora and they could meet her.”
“I don’t know…”
“I already asked Jinah, and she liked the idea of meeting her auntie and grandparents.” Jongin huffed in frustration but agreed nonetheless. “Great. Just let me know what time works best for you and I’ll plan accordingly.”
Jongin nodded and got into the car without another word, ready to leave, but Chanyeol knocked on the backseat window.
“Bye-bye, Papa Chanyeol!”
“See you later, kiddo. Take good care of Mr. Tiger for me.”
Jinah let out a little roar as she held up the stuffed white tiger plush, and Chanyeol growled back before blowing a kiss. They both waved at each other as the window was closed again and the car pulled off.
“How was your time at your Papa’s house, Jinah?” Kyungsoo asked as they drove along.
“It was fun! We went to the park and had ice cream and pizza for dinner!” The little girl rambled on about all the things she did with her father; her favorite things being how they pretended to go on safaris. This seemed to be a common occurrence when she visited since Jinah talked about all the animal plushies her father bought her. She wanted to bring them home with her, but there was no way several dozen stuffed animals would fit in their bed. Jongin managed to convince her to only bring one or two home and then swap them each week; this week being a white tiger. “Is Papa Chanyeol coming to my birthday?”
“Eh, we’ll have to see, sweetie.”
“He said he would make me a song for my birthday.” Jongin gave a quick humm in reply before she continued, asking, “Daddy, how come you don’t like Papa Chanyeol?”
He was completely speechless for a minute, not expecting such a question from his daughter. When they reached a stoplight, he turned to look at her and she was looking dead at him as she waited for an answer. “What makes you think I don’t like him?”
“Papa told me you didn’t like him…and you look angry when you talk to him.”
Jongin hummed. He tried not to let her see that, but Jongin guessed she was more observant than he thought. “Did he also tell you why I was upset with him?”
Jinah hummed in thought before saying, “Kind of. Papa said he wasn’t nice to you before I was born. Is that true?”
“It’s partly true. Did he say anything else?”
Jinah thought some more as they continued driving. “Oh, he said you loved each other but broke up because he was mean.” Jongin hummed in acknowledgment. Just how much did Chanyeol tell her? “Is that why you’re not married like my friends’ mommies and daddies?”
“I’m not sure if we would have gotten married, sweetie. It's…complicated.”
“Compicated,” Jinah tried to repeat. “Well, you like Uncle Kyungsoo. Will you marry him? Will he be my second Papa?”
Kyungsoo choked a bit, but it turned into a laugh. “Would that be a problem if I did marry your dad?”
“No,” Jinah quickly said, sounding very sure. “That means I’ll have two Papas and a Daddy, and that’s more than all of my friends have.”
“Well,” Jongin chuckled as he gave Kyungsoo a side-eye. “I’ll think about it.”
Once they reached Jongin’s apartment, Kyungsoo helped bring their belongings inside. He didn’t want to stay for too long so Jongin and Jinah could get settled and prepare for the next day, but Jongin insisted that he at least stay for dinner.
“I should really get going. I know you have to get up early in the morning, but I’ll see you at lunch tomorrow.”
“Alright,” Jongin sighed. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” After giving him a quick kiss, Jongin bid Kyungsoo farewell. He was surprised that he didn’t bring up what Jinah had said during the drive over, but maybe they would talk about it later.
Jongin did decide to talk to Chanyeol about Jinah’s birthday and agreed on something. Luckily, her birthday was on a Friday this year, so it wouldn't be a problem if he took the day off. Jinah would still have a small celebration with her friends, though Chanyeol agreed to book and pay for an indoor funhouse for the kids along with catering; they also agreed to meet at his house later in the evening so Jinah could meet his other relatives. Jinah could meet with Jongin’s side of the family like usual on Saturday.
Chanyeol offered to pick Jongin and Jinah up for the party, but Jongin insisted otherwise, saying that Kyungsoo could drive them. Jongin said he was doing this to be polite since Chanyeol paid for the party and didn’t want him to waste any more gas, but they both knew it was because Jongin didn’t feel comfortable being alone with Chanyeol. Jongin didn’t even want to be at the party for the simple fact of Chanyeol being there, but he was not going to miss his daughter’s birthday because of petty feelings. Luckily, other parents would be there.
At the end of the party, Jinah would go home with Chanyeol, and he would pick her up in the morning. However, halfway through the party, Chanyeol’s sister showed up.
“Oh my gosh! Jongin? How are you? You look good.” The older woman came up to him with her arms stretched out, and he gladly hugged her. Jongin never had any qualms about the rest of Chanyeol’s family, just him.
“I’m alright. Busy from work nowadays, but good.”
“That’s good to hear, and I am sure you are busy. Working full time now and taking care of Jinah? Chanyeol could never.” They both laughed, looking over at the man as he played around with the kids.
Jongin only rarely kept in touch with Yoora after the breakup. Yoora agreed that it was stupid of her brother to abandon Jongin during such a vulnerable time, but she understood when Jongin wanted nothing else to do with him. She did want to know how her niece was doing every so often and was glad to finally be able to meet her in person.
“I’m glad he finally manned up and reached out to you about Jinah.”
“Reached out?” Jongin scoffed. “I found him half naked and making out with my best friend when I came to pick up Jinah after work. We had no contact before that.”
“He did not tell me that.” Yoora gave her brother the stink eye, and as if sensing it, Chanyeol looked back at them.
“Nuna!” Chanyeol called as he moved away from the kids to greet his sister. “When did you get here?”
“Just a few minutes ago. Why did you not tell me how you really contacted Jongin?”
Chanyeol’s eyes widened, and he looked at Jongin in shock before looking back at his sister. “I…”
“No excuses! You really need to apologize to Jongin for all the trouble you’ve caused him. And I mean a real, sincere apology.”
Chanyeol’s mouth hung open for a second as he tried to find words, but then he stood back and bowed ninety degrees to Jongin. “I truly am sorry for how I treated you and for not being there when Jinah was born. I’ve wanted to apologize for a long time, but I was scared to face you. I had no right to say all those things to you, I was just scared and confused. I was in no way ready to be a father, and I still don’t think I am now, but I can at least try…if you continue to let me be in Jinah’s life.”
Jongin was completely lost for words, never expecting to hear something like this come from Chanyeol. He had spent so many years resenting Chanyeol and mourning their lost relationship, all while trying to be the best parent he could be for Jinah. “I…um—” Jongin looked around nervously, noting that some of the other parents were watching and whispering.
“I don’t expect you to accept my apology. I’m just grateful that you kept and raised her. I feel so lucky to be the father of such an amazing and bright little girl.”
“I…I can’t forgive you right now, but I hope I can eventually…for Jinah’s sake.”
“Thank you so much!” Chanyeol finally stood straight up and even grabbed Jongin’s hand. “That’s all I can ask of you, so thank you.”
When Jongin nodded, Chanyeol let go and gave a big smile. For a moment, Jongin was reminded of how good it felt to be in love with Chanyeol, but he knew that version he fell in love with was gone. Instead, what stood in front of him was a man who had clearly matured. They both had, and it gave Jongin’s heart peace knowing that.
It took a while, but with the help of Chanyeol’s family, especially Yoora, and the support of his amazing boyfriend, Kyungsoo, Jongin was able to slowly trust Chanyeol again. He couldn’t say they were friends yet, but at least he could sit with him in a room for more than thirty seconds.
Come Jinah’s seventh birthday the following year, they held a larger gathering with both friends and family at the park. Having continued his education and found a job at a bigger restaurant, Kyungsoo provided catering for the party. Jongin had also found a new job and begun taking online classes. Though he no longer worked at the office, he kept in touch with Junmyeon and invited him to the party. Baekhyun was also present, obligated to be there for his goddaughter and having made up with Chanyeol. Everyone was getting along well, and if Jinah was happy, so was Jongin.
“Hey, are you alright, babe?” Kyungsoo came up next to Jongin who was sitting by himself.
“Yeah…just thinking about how lucky I am to have all these people who love both me and Jinah.”
“I am sure they feel lucky to be a part of your lives too. I sure do.” Jongin laughed as Kyungsoo sat next to him, shoulder to shoulder.
“It so crazy to think that it was just me and her when I first moved to the city. It was great that my mom visited often, but…I just felt so alone for a while, and I know Jinah felt it too.”
“Well, you won’t be alone ever again with us around. We’re stuck like glue.” Kyungsoo playfully pushed into Jongin more, almost toppling him over, and they both laughed.
“Well, I guess I don’t mind having these people as my family, but it would be better having just one of them to spend the rest of my life with.”
“Oh? And who might that be?”
“It’s funny you ask, you two are quite similar. Shorter than me, soft cheeks, great personality.”
Kyungsoo laughed. “That could literally be anyone.”
“Okay, well this person can also cook, and has heart-shaped lips and a great ass.”
“That is more specific, thank you, and I may also know this person.”
“Oh? You do? Who?” Jongin leaned into Kyungsoo this time, putting their foreheads together. Kyungsoo didn’t really need to answer as he crossed the rest of the space to kiss Jongin, and they didn’t part until various squeals or sounds of disgust could be heard from the kids nearby. Jongin and Kyungsoo just laughed as some of the boys screamed about cooties and Jinah emerged to dispute them.
“I guess I can finally give you the ring I’ve been hiding for a few months. Maybe we’ll go to the restaurant where we had our first date.”
“Sounds great.” Just before Jongin could lean in for another kiss, they were interrupted again.
“What are you two lovebirds over here doing? Nothing indecent, I hope,” Baekhyun commented.
“We’re not like you, Baekhyun,” Jongin sighed, giving his friend a half-serious glare. “We are just discussing when and where Kyungsoo can formally propose.”
“Propose?! You two are finally getting married?” This gathered everyone’s attention, most importantly Jinah’s attention, and she gasped before running over to both Jongin and Kyungsoo to hug them.
Looking at everyone gathered around them, Jongin thought his heart would explode with how loved he felt. Even as he looked at Chanyeol who held Baekhyun close, he felt happy. When he was younger, he thought that they would be the ones to marry each other, but he’s glad they both moved on and found their forever love. He hoped to feel this happiness for the rest of his life.