[M] Chapter 15 (1/1)

He never did leave, either. He was still there, three years later, sitting at the kitchen table with Haneul on his knee while the two messily splashed paint around on some paper. The little girl giggled in delight at the bright colours and sticky feeling of a blob of paint Dongwoon had playfully brushed onto her little nose.Gikwang walked downstairs,  fresh-faced with soaking hair after having just been in the shower. His eyes turned up with his mouth as he smiled brightly at the two having their bonding time. He tip-toed up behind Dongwoon and threw his arms around him, pressing a huge kiss onto his head, while Haneul squealed happily, her own eyes mirroring Gikwang’s. Dongwoon grabbed the younger man’s arm and shuffled Haneul onto one knee before pulling him onto the other.“Da~!” The little girl pined, stretching out her hands to Gikwang. Dongwoon picked her up, tickling her under the arms as he put her in Gikwang’s warm embrace. She smiled happily and cuddled close to her da.“Me and Princess have been painting! Regular little artist we have here, Kiki. Isn’t that right baby girl?” Dongwoon enthused. Gikwang gasped in mock surprise.“Is that right? Have you and daddy been painting?” he asked, bouncing her on his knee. She nodded, eyes big.“Yes! Daddy not very good..” she replied seriously, pouting. Gikwang chuckled as Dongwoon’s eyes widened.  He gave him a quick peck on the lips, pinching his cheek.“Aww, baby, did Haneul upstage you?” he teased.“Of course, as usual. Our daughter is a genius! I showed her how to do the first syllable of her name, see?” Dongwoon said excitedly, holding up the paper to show the younger man. Gikwang’s face lit up as if the very wobbly and only just recognisable bright red  ‘Han’ was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. He put a hand over his mouth and blinked back the joyful tears.“Da sad?” Haneul piped up, her lip quivering. Gikwang shook his head frantically and pulled his daughter into a hug.“Of course not, Princess. Da’s happy, that’s all. You’re growing up so fast..” he ran his fingers through her thick, black hair, smiling softly at her. Dongwoon put his arms around his two favourite people.“Does angel appa paint?” Haneul chirped suddenly, looking thoughtfully up at her parents. Gikwang and Dongwoon shared a small loving look before looking back down at their daughter.“I’m not sure, sweetie,” Gikwang started. He took a deep breath. “He didn’t ever paint when he was on this Earth, but where we lived didn’t really let us do what we wanted. But maybe he paints in heaven. Maybe he has a huge gallery ready to show you when you get very very old and have to see him!” He said it gently and slowly, trying to put it in a positive way that Haneul would understand.“Can angel appa see what I did with daddy today?” she blinked.“Course he can, Princess,” Dongwoon reassured. “And he’s just as proud as we are.” A further three years after writing the first syllable of her name, Haneul sat cross legged in the garden, nose stuck in a book- a pastime Dongwoon had tried tirelessly to pass onto her. She was a bright girl, taking in everything she was told with interest, and constantly asking questions. Her braid, which Gikwang must have redone at least eight times that morning following a few basic lessons from Narsha, fell down her back, safely out of the way from her precious pages. She nibbled her lip with her cutely crooked teeth and mouthed out a particularly long word, saving it in her memory so she could ask her parents what it meant. For a six year old, she sure was clever.Taecyeon sat next to her, now an eleven year old boy. He felt a strong bond with Haneul, having played with her as soon as she was able to crawl. Today, as she was reading, he didn’t say a word, just comfortable in the silence of the summer day while he pulled up clumps of grass as boys do.Dongwoon and Gikwang sat together on the bench in the garden, snooping on the children. The young couple were impossibly close, Dongwoon’s arm wrapped snugly around the younger man and his chin resting on Gikwang’s soap-smelling hair.“You really got her reading, eh?” Gikwang noted, playing with Dongwoon’s shirt hem. Dongwoon beamed, nodding.“I hope she always reads. Books have helped me through everything. Plus, her spelling and grammar has come on like a storm since she got into them! The best thing, though, is that it’s giving her the most powerful imagination I have ever seen. She’s only six, yet she’s roped Taecyeon into every imaginary game under the sun.” He said proudly. Gikwang chuckled.“Do you remember the fairytale one? She wouldn’t let go of his leg until he pretended to be a fairy queen..” he bit his fist as he said it, trying to suppress his laughter so he wouldn’t disturb the children. Dongwoon grinned.“Funny little thing, our Haneul. I think we’re doing a good job, baby. Just look at her. Everything we could’ve wanted and more. Doojoon would be so proud of you, you know that?” his tone dipped slightly, becoming softer and more loving. Gikwang smiled fondly and turned around in Dongwoon’s embrace, giving him a chaste kiss on the lips.Narsha skipped over to the children, ruffling Taecyeon’s hair and playfully tugging Haneul’sbraid. She sat down between them on the grass and put her arms around their shoulders, giving them each a kiss on the cheek. She had become like a sister to them both as the time had gone by and Haneul smiled up at her, leaving her book for a second to lean her head on the young woman’s shoulder.“How are you, little Princess?” Narsha asked, smiling.“I’m alright~” the little girl replied. “This is such a good book! Daddy bought it for me last week.” She explained happily. Narsha peeked at the title.“Fairytales again, eh? Those your favourites?” Haneul nodded meekly and returned to her beloved story.“I don’t know how you’re so good at reading, Hannie. I was never this good at your age..” Taecyeon sighed, pouting a little. Narsha pinched his cheeks.“Baby, Haneul has grown up with Dongwoonie as her daddy. He’s been shoving books in front of her face and sitting to read them  with her or to her since before she was even walking! I mean, I could always ask eomma to give you some reading comprehension homework~” Taecyeon’s face contorted into one of complete pain and he shook his head violently.“No! N-no! I’m ok..” he declined. Narsha grinned. She then patted the children on their heads and stood up.“Well, I’d better help eomma with dinner. You two have fun, yeah? Make the most of this lovely weather, children~!” she blew them a kiss each and turned her back to leave. Haneul put down her book and beamed at Taecyeon, who grinned back and stood up too, bowing low and holding out his hand to help her up.“Come on Princess Haneul! We have dragons to slay!” he said it in the voice he always used when they played a game. The little girl giggled and nodded, scrambling to her feet and rushing off with Taecyeon, squealing.Gikwang laughed as the children chased each other around the garden and gave Dongwoon a mischievous look. Dongwoon returned it and they jumped to their feet, running after the kids and pretending to be scary dragons. “Haneul? Sweetie, we’re leaving in ten minutes. Are you ok?” Gikwang whispered, sticking his head around the door to check on his eight-year-old daughter. She nibbled her nails, sitting on her bed, back to Gikwang. The young man frowned sadly and walked over, sitting down on the bed next to her.“Da?” she whispered, her voice quivering like she was about to cry. Gikwang put his arm around his daughter and pulled her closer.“Yes, princess?”“C-can you b-braid my hair?” she asked softly. Her father smiled gently and nodded, knowing the action calmed her down. He shuffled behind her and she handed him the brush. It glided through her shiny black hair without a single knot, obviously having been brushed countless times before in her sad state. He took a sky-blue ribbon from her bedside table and separated her hair into three soft, thick sections.“Are you feeling confused about today?” he said quietly. “Because if you are, you can ask me anything about Doojoonie. Today is about you getting to be closer to him and getting to know a bit more about him, because it’s your right to know about him.”“I’m just nervous, da.. you and daddy have always told me about him, but it’s different actually seeing where he lies..” she muttered, shaking a little. Gikwang smiled sadly at her back. He knew exactly how she felt, because he had cried endlessly when he had taken Dongwoon to the grave for the first time. However, after visiting a few times, he found it more comforting than ever and thought it the right time to share more about Doojoon with their daughter. It was what Dongwoon wanted, too, so a few weeks back they had proposed the idea to Haneul and she agreed. It was only natural she should develop butterflies now, though.“I know, Hannie, I know. It was strange for me too. If you really don’t feel ready yet, that’s ok. But I think it’s important for you to try. Me and daddy will be right there, holding your hands, I promise.” He reassured, his voice understanding. Haneul’s breath was shaky. Gikwang crossed the final strand over to the middle of the braid and wrapped the ribbon around the end, tying it into a neat bow. He smiled and patted his handiwork, pulling the long braid over her shoulder so she could see. “There we go, baby! I’ve improved!” he said proudly. The little girl played with the braid absentmindedly.“A blue ribbon..” she mused, a small smile playing on her lips. Gikwang nodded and climbed back over to sit next to his daughter.“Sky blue, for my gorgeous Haneul. You know, blue was Doojoonie’s favourite colour.” She looked up to her father with big eyes, the sclera showing.“That’s my favourite colour too!” she exclaimed, displaying her evermore crooked teeth. She couldn’t have looked more like Doojoon if she tried. Gikwang beamed.“You’re more like your angel appa than you think you are, sweetie.” He said. Haneul took a deep breath and looked more interested, genuine curiosity flashing on her face.“How so? Aren’t I like you too?” she asked.“Well, of course you’re like me! For a start, you’re tiny. You have ears just like mine and you’re clumsy sometimes, too, but I think you take after Doojoonie more. If only I had a picture of him here I could show you. I’m sure the orphanage we came from has documents, but I don’t think there’s much point going back… Anyway, you really are just like him. You have the same teeth, same eyes, same humour, same intelligence, same jaw-line..” Gikwang explained, expression saddening a little as he remembered Doojoon getting sick all those years ago. Haneul’s eyes widened at her father’s sudden sadness.“Do.. Do I make you sad, da?” she questioned, eyes watering. Gikwang held onto her and pulled her into a cuddle, wrapping his arms around her and shaking his head violently.“Baby, don’t you ever say that. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Me and daddy and appa love you more than anything, you’re our best girl. Without you, daddy and I would be incomplete. We loved you even before you were born and Doojoonie loves you even though he has never met you. I just think about your appa sometimes and of course I still miss him, but I’m not sad, not really, when I have you and your daddy.”There was a short pause as Haneul thought everything over.“Will daddy be mad if you’re telling me so much about angel appa?” she whispered, not wanting to make Dongwoon sad because she loved him so much.“Of course not, princess! We both want you to know about your appa. We’re never going to let him be forgotten, ok? Daddy and I have been together for eight years now, but he’s known about Doojoon since the day we met. He just wants what’s best for you and so do I. That’s why we want to help you get to know Doojoonie. He could never be angry at you for wanting to know your appa! Daddy will always be your daddy and appa will always be your appa. It’s a strange family situation, I know, but all that matters is that we all love you to pieces.” Gikwang said firmly, giving his daughter a kiss on the head. Haneul relaxed and smiled, holding her father’s hand and getting up from the bed.“I love you all more than anything!” she exclaimed cutely. “And.. I’m ready to go, da. I want to know everything about him.” She decided. Gikwang eye-smiled and nodded, standing up next to her.Dongwoon tentatively knocked on the bedroom door, smiling at his partner and daughter.“Are we ready?” he asked calmly. Haneul nodded determinedly and Gikwang steered her towards the door, kissing Dongwoon on the cheek and fixing the collar on his pale blue shirt.“Daddy, daddy! We match!” The little girl giggled, holding up her plait and comparing the ribbon to the fabric of his shirt. Dongwoon grinned and tickled her face with the end of her own braid.“So we do!”Taecyeon stood waiting at the doorstep, ready to go to the grave with the little family. He had accompanied Gikwang several times and had even visited Doojoon on his own when he was feeling down. He ran his hand through his clean black hair and smiled a little nervously at Gikwang, who took his hand as well as Haneul’s. Dongwoon took his daughter’s other hand and the four made their way to the graveyard together in a contented silence. Doojoon had been buried in the church graveyard just down the road from the orphanage, so the four of them had to take a train and a short walk to reach their destination. A/N: aww :) my feels :P