"Daddy! Daddy! Wake up! It's morning already! We're going out today so you have to get up now!" Jeongguk groans when he feels the bed dipping and shaking a couple of times before it completely goes still. He realizes it must've been Storm jumping up and down his bed but instead of being annoyed, he cracks his eyes open and smiles warmly at the sight in front of him.

Storm had stopped jumping and is now laying down beside him, big doe eyes staring at Jeongguk with anticipation. He grins widely when Jeongguk is fully awake and the latter could only coo at how adorable his son is.

He opens his arms widely- an invitation for Storm to scoot closer and give his father a very big and warm hug. Jeongguk hugs him back tightly, peppering Storm's face with small kisses and now his son is a squealing mess. Storm tries to break free from his father's hold but instead of pulling away, he ends up colliding against his father's chest, earning a grunt from him.

"When did you become this heavy, Stormy?" He whines, poking his son on his ribcage in attempt to start a tickle fight. Storm squirms above him, tiny giggles filling the entire bedroom with so much glee.

"Grandma said that I'm a growing boy so she always gives me a lot of food even if I tell her that I'm not hungry," Storm explains with a pout. It's been seven months but Storm had changed almost drastically over time.

He had become more bubbly (and well, gullible) and is already a pro at socializing. He had become a social butterfly and Jeongguk is really confused as to where he got that trait from.

"Who's with you, baby?" Jeongguk asks as he nuzzles his face on Storm's hair.

"Auntie Sana! But she told me she'll be out for a while to buy us breakfast!" Storm replies happily. Jeongguk shakes his head at that, thinking that Sana must've learned her lesson to not work inside the kitchen anymore.

"Alright! C'mon let's get out of bed so that I can take a shower and we'll start our day, okay?" Jeongguk tells Storm but the kid just clings to him more.

"Don't wanna!" Storm mumbles, face buried on Jeongguk's neck. Jeongguk chuckles at this, arms wrapping around his son's small frame just so that he can hug him tight twice as much.

"That was not what you told me the moment you woke me up, buddy. I thought you were excited for me to get up so that we can go outside? Hm?" Jeongguk starts rubbing small circles on the kid's back.

"But I want to cuddle with you. I missed you!" Storm mumbles under his breath but lucky enough, Jeongguk was able to hear it.

"Oh, baby. I missed you too," he whispers before pressing a soft kiss on Storm's temple.

"You and Papa Tata would always cuddle with me back then..." Jeongguk freezes at the mention of an unfamiliar name.

"Papa Tata?" When he doesn't receive an answer, he pulls away from the embrace and forces Storm to look at him. The child is now biting his lip, fear evident on his face. He must've had a slip of the tongue. Was he not supposed to say that name?

"Stormy, who's Papa Tata?" Jeongguk asks for the second time- voice stern. He immediately felt bad the moment he sees Storm flinch but he still receives nothing from him.

"Storm, I'm asking you something," he tries his best not to scare the child some more, but the moment Storm looks at him with eyes full of tears, he instantly regrets using that tone of his voice.

"Baby, I'm sorry. Shh. Don't cry. Daddy's not mad. It's okay, come here, I got you." It's when Jeongguk pulls Storm back into his arms that the kid fully releases a sob. His body is shaking and Jeongguk has to sit on the bed for him to comfort Storm gently swaying their bodies from side to side.

"I'm sorry, Stormy. It won't happen again," he presses a kiss of assurance on the crown of Storm's head, resting his cheek on top of it afterwards.

When the sobs die down, Storm looks at his father to answer the question Jeongguk had almost forgotten he had asked.

"You loved him... Papa Tata..." Storm says cautiously, afraid that he'd make his father angry again. Jeongguk isn't angry... he's just confused- lost.

"What do you mean, Storm?"

"You told me that you loved him even before Papa moved in with us... and you also tell that to him everyday..."

"Was he... was he my husband?"

Storm doesn't answer for a while, trying to remember the difference between a 'boyfriend' and a 'husband.' He remembers hearing something from his daddy when he was still four years old. His daddy and his Papa Tata were boyfriends but then they turned to be... what was that again? It started with a letter F.

"F- it started with that letter, daddy. M'sorry I can't remember it," Storm says dejectedly. Jeongguk pinches his cheeks before telling him that it's okay and that he understands what he's trying to tell him.

"Fiance. Were you meant to say that word, baby?" Jeongguk asks, chest heavy. He's not really ready to hear the answer from his own son.

"Yes! Papa Tata was your f-fiance," Storm sniffles. He felt Jeongguk's arms tighten its hold around his waist.

Jeongguk, on the other hand, is contemplating. Should he ask what 'Papa Tata' is like? What happened before the accident? Did they have a fight that resulted to him leaving? Did he hurt him? However, the more he thinks about it, the more he can feel the headache coming so he might as well give it a rest for now. He can ask Storm again at the end of the day, well, that is, if he'll come to terms with himself and be ready to hear the answers.

For now, he focuses on his breathing, focuses on his son who's still laying on his chest, eyes starting to get droopy from too much crying.

"Sleep, buddy," Jeongguk whispers.

"But-"

"I'll wake you up when we're about to go out, okay?"

"M'kay. Love you, daddy."

"Love you too, buddy."

- 🎨 -

sana

iMessage

Today at 17:45

Kookie!
How're you and Storm?
Have you eaten dinner already?

Sana
Why do you sound like my mom

Excuse me?
I was just checking up on you, asshole

Well then thank you very much for checking but we're fine
I can handle my son perfectly well

Whatever
I'm going to pick him up on Sunday evening, okay?

Wait what time does his class start on Monday?

The usual and by that, I mean 7:30. Why?

I'll be the one taking him to school then

Are you sure?

Sana

Fine. I'll just drop by tomorrow to give you his uniform.

And oh one more thing

What is it?

Can he please stay for another week?
Please?

Does your mom know about this?

She doesn't need to know. you told her he'd be with you, right?

Guk
Why don't you just talk to your mom?

Sana we've talked about this and I stand firm in my decision
It's enough that you've told me why I was distant with my parents even though I can't remember everything that happened clearly
I'm thankful that she's doing an effort just to take care of her grandson but I just can't bring myself to talk to her

The moment you told me what you knew, I was really shocked
I didn't expect for them to disown me... but, oh well. It's like you know me more than I know myself.

Jeongguk
I'm literally the cousin of the Storm's mother
Ofc I would know

So does that mean you know about this 'Papa Tata' Storm kept on mentioning, too?

I-
It's not my place to tell, Guk
I'd rather let you discover things yourself. I've intervened more than I should have

I understand
Just answer this last question

What is it?

Was he really my fiance?

Yes, Guk.

What was he like?

Guk, I don't think I could answer that.
Storm, however...
He knows everything
Ask him to show you the photo album he'd always carry inside his bag

Okay I will
Thanks, sana

No problem.
Good night! Give smooches to Storm for me

Alright

[read 18:02]

- 🎨 -

Jeongguk almost forgot about the 'Papa Tata' issue. Almost, because Storm surely had something prepared for him after watching The Corpse Bride. He was about to put Storm to bed but the little boy claimed that he still wasn't sleepy, so, here they are now, laying on the carpeted floor of their living room, Jeongguk telling Storm stories that would certainly lull him to sleep.

Storm was laying on his stomach, his chin resting on top of his palm as he looks at his father, eyes wide and is filled with hopes and dreams as he listens attentively to what his father was telling him. His eyes twinkle in the dark, as Jeongguk had observed, so he gives his best in telling the story- even using a lot of hand gesture and sound effects to make all of it seem realistic.

He decided to stop after the third story because he throat already felt dry from too much talking. He excuses himself for a while just so that he can drink water in the kitchen and he was surprised the moment he returns in the living room, seeing Storm now sitting properly on the couch as he fidgets with something he's holding... is that a book? is he reading? Jeongguk asks himself, but it's when he takes another step forward that he realizes it wasn't a book, rather, it's a photo album.

Storm notices him and beckons him to sit beside him, nudging the photo album towards his direction.

"Open," Storm whispers. Jeongguk looks at him then at the album, then his gaze settles towards his son once more.

"I have two favorite albums. You already saw the first one before so I brought the other one with me. You made this for Papa Tata..." Storm explains softly once he made sure that the album is now secured on Jeongguk's hand. He climbs off the couch, kisses his father good night, and goes inside his room leaving Jeongguk behind- heart beating fast as his hands shake the entire time he's holding the album.

- 🎨 -