Chapter Text
Morning in their house never started peacefully.
It started with tiny footsteps.
Then a dramatic gasp.
Then—
“Paaaaa!”
Joong opened one eye.
Jaidee stood beside the bed with impossible seriousness and one sock on.
“Papa,” she whispered.
Joong whispered back.
“Yes?”
She pointed.
Dunk was still asleep beside him.
“Daddy sleeping too much.”
Joong looked at the clock.
7:03.
Reasonable.
He nodded solemnly.
“A serious problem.”
Jaidee nodded harder.
Then climbed directly over both of them.
Dunk made a sleepy sound as a toddler landed across his stomach.
Joong immediately moved to support her.
“Careful.”
Dunk opened his eyes slowly.
Jaidee pressed both hands onto his cheeks.
“Daddy wake up.”
Dunk blinked.
Then smiled instantly.
That was the thing Joong loved most.
No matter how tired he was, Dunk always smiled first when he saw Jaidee.
“Good morning.”
Jaidee looked offended.
“It’s not morning.”
“Oh?”
She pointed outside.
“Sun already.”
Joong hid his laugh.
Dunk groaned.
“Okay, okay. I surrender.”
Jaidee accepted this graciously.
Then she frowned.
She touched Dunk’s forehead.
“Daddy sick?”
Joong looked over.
Dunk looked… tired.
Not sick exactly.
Just quieter.
He’d noticed it for a few days.
Sleeping earlier.
Not finishing coffee.
Getting distracted.
Yesterday he’d stared at rice for five minutes before announcing dramatically:
“I want oranges.”
And then—
didn’t eat the oranges.
Joong narrowed his eyes.
Interesting.
Dunk caught the look.
Immediately suspicious.
“What.”
Joong smiled.
“Nothing.”
That expression meant something.
Dunk pointed.
“No. Tell me.”
Joong sat up.
“…You’ve been tired.”
Dunk shrugged.
“Jaidee is two.”
Fair point.
Parenting a toddler was cardio.
Jaidee was currently attempting to wear Joong’s T-shirt as pants.
But still.
Joong looked at Dunk.
“…And?”
Dunk opened his mouth.
Paused.
Looked away.
Looked back.
Then—
“…Actually.”
Joong became alert.
“…Actually?”
Dunk blinked.
Then laughed suddenly.
“No, forget it.”
Too late.
Joong sat up straighter.
“What.”
Dunk covered his face.
“I don’t know.”
Now Joong definitely knew something existed.
Dunk stared at the ceiling.
“…My app sent me a notification.”
Joong waited.
Dunk looked embarrassed.
“…And maybe.”
Pause.
“Maybe my period is late.”
Silence.
Jaidee climbed onto Joong’s lap upside down.
Joong blinked.
Then blinked again.
Dunk immediately waved his hands.
“Not saying anything! Could be stress! Could be random!”
Joong stared.
Dunk stared.
Jaidee stared because everyone else was staring.
Then she asked:
“…Snack?”
Nobody answered.
—
An hour later.
Joong stood in the pharmacy section.
Dunk stood beside him pretending not to exist.
Jaidee sat in the cart announcing prices incorrectly.
“Five money.”
“Seven money.”
“Twelve hundred.”
Joong picked up a pregnancy test.
Dunk looked away.
Joong quietly put in three.
Dunk looked at him.
“Three?”
Joong said calmly:
“We’re not doing emotional damage because one test looked weird.”
Dunk laughed.
Jaidee held one up.
“Toy?”
“No.”
—
Back home—
Dunk disappeared into the bathroom.
Joong sat outside.
Jaidee sat beside him.
Both looked at the closed door.
She whispered:
“Timeout?”
Joong whispered back:
“…Maybe.”
Three minutes later—
Door opened.
Dunk came out.
Expression unreadable.
Joong stood.
Dunk held something.
Looked at him.
Looked down.
Then quietly said—
“…Joong.”
His voice cracked.
Joong froze.
Dunk held out the test.
Two lines.
For one second—
nothing happened.
Then Joong looked up.
Dunk’s eyes were shiny.
And Joong smiled.
Small at first.
Then bigger.
Then—
he walked over.
Wrapped both arms around Dunk.
And just held him.
Dunk laughed weakly.
“Say something.”
Joong buried his face in his shoulder.
“…We’re doing this again?”
Dunk laughed harder.
“…Yeah.”
Joong looked at him.
Then touched his stomach carefully.
Nothing there yet.
Still.
His expression softened.
“…Hi.”
Dunk stared.
“…You’re greeting the invisible baby?”
Joong nodded.
Jaidee waddled over.
Looked between them.
Then asked:
“Why hug?”
Dunk crouched.
Looked at Joong.
Looked at her.
Smiled.
And asked—
“Jaidee.”
She looked up.
“What?”
Dunk touched her nose.
“How would you feel… if someday…”
He pointed gently at his stomach.
“…another baby lived here?”
She stared.
Thought.
Then gasped.
Looked horrified.
“…Eat daddy?”
Joong immediately lost composure.
Dunk laughed so hard he had to sit down.
Jaidee looked deeply concerned.
She climbed into Dunk’s lap.
Held his face.
“No eat daddy.”
Dunk kissed her forehead.
“No, sweetheart.”
She thought again.
Then whispered—
“…Baby friend?”
Joong smiled.
Dunk smiled.
And together they said—
“Baby friend.”
Jaidee considered.
Then nodded.
“…Okay.”
Pause.
“…Baby share snacks?”
Joong looked at Dunk.
Dunk looked at Joong.
And both realized—
their family had just changed.
Again.
And somehow—
their house already felt a little fuller.