Disclaimer: All credit goes to The Literary Dragon!

Dara walked along the path, not really paying attention to where she was going. The park suited her mood at the moment. Fallen leaves carpeted the ground, crunching slightly with each step. The bare limbs of the trees rattled together, whispering about the approach of winter.

Not surprising that her feet brought her out from under the trees, to the play area. Dara sighed as she looked around. The place was empty. Nobody was playing on the swings, or the teeter-totter, or the jungle gym.

"Hojin loves the park," she said, her voice sounding loud in the empty clearing. Thoughts of Hojin led her to thoughts about Hojin's daddy. She raised a hand to her lips. It had been two weeks, and still she could feel the pressure of his mouth on hers.

"Why did he kiss me?" Talking to herself was a habit she had picked up somewhere. At the moment she didn't really care. "I don't think that it's because I look like Kiko. She's so much prettier." She sighed. "He probably didn't mean it. I bet he was just trying to shut me up because I talk to much." Dara wandered over to the swings and sat down. With a gentle kick, she set the swing in motion.

Dara closed her eyes, pretending that Jiyong really did see her as more than an annoying schoolgirl. She shook her head before leaning against chain. The links pressed into her forehead, but she didn't care. Two weeks and she hadn't heard from him. Maybe Bom was right. Maybe it was a mistake.

A high-pitched squeal alerted her seconds before a small body rammed into her stomach. Dara let out a grunt of surprise automatically closing her arms around the child as the swing swung wildly.

"I missed you 'Dara-noona!" Hojin nuzzled against her. "Why don't you come over anymore? Are you mad at me and Daddy?"

"I'm not mad at you, munchkin." Dara pulled him closer, digging her heels into the ground to stop the swing. "I missed you too!" Gravel crunched nearby. Dara raised her eyes from the top of Hojin's head to look at Jiyong.

He stood at the base of the slide; eyes fixed on a point somewhere over her head. Dara felt her heart clench painfully. Jiyong didn't even want to acknowledge her. The kiss had been a mistake and now he was embarrassed to be around her.

"Hi, Jiyong," Dara said. "What are you doing here?" She didn't stand up, silently telling herself that it was because she was holding Hojin. But, really, she didn't think her legs would hold her.

"It's a free park," Jiyong said defensively. "I promised Hojin that I would bring him. We won't bother you." Tears pricked at her eyes. He couldn't look at her and didn't want to be in the same area. The silence stretched between them. Dara looked down when she felt a small hand tugging on her shirt.

"'Dara-noona?" Hojin looked up her. "Can I ask you a question?"

"What is it, Hojin?"

"Will you be my mommy?"

Dara almost fell off the swing. Her eyes snapped up to meet Jiyong's. He looked horrified. Was it because of the inappropriateness of Hojin's question, or was it something else?

"I asked Daddy," Hojin continued when she didn't speak. "But he said no. Don't you love me?"

Dara found her voice. "Of course I love you, Hojin!"

"Do you love Daddy?"

"Um. . .I. . .," Dara floundered. A blush stained her cheeks. She refused to look at Jiyong, afraid to see the rejection in his face. "I do like your daddy, Hojin We're. . .um. . .friends." And I don't think he likes me in that way.

A pair of strong hands reached out and lifted Hojin out of her lap. Jiyong set his son gently on the ground. "Why don't you go and play, Hojin? Dara-noona and I need to talk."

Hojin pouted, not happy at being told to leave. "Okay," he reluctantly agreed. "But I still want 'Dara-noona to be my new mommy." He ran over to the jungle gym, leaving two uncomfortable adults behind him.

"I'm sorry about that," Jiyong said. He sat down on the swing next to her. Neither one spoke for several minutes.

"Why does Hojin want a new mommy?" Dara asked unable to take the silence any more. "I thought he had a mommy. It's Kiko, right?"

"Kiko never wanted to be a mommy." Jiyong's face hardened as he spoke of his ex-wife. "And Hojin knows that Kiko doesn't care for him. This is all your fault, you know."

Dara twisted around to stare at him. "Why is this my fault?"

"That little brat cousin of yours- Harang. He filled Hojin's head with all sorts of nonsense."

"Can I help it if Hojin is tired of having a mother that can't stand to be in the same room with him?" Dara stood up and stalked to the edge of the play area, leaving the empty swing to dance behind her. Jiyong shot to his feet and followed. He grabbed her arm and spun her around.

"Leave Kiko out of this!" Dara took an involuntary step back at the anger in his voice. Then her own temper got the better of her.

"Are you the only one who can insult Kiko?" Her voice rose. "Well, I've got news for you. Kiko is a ! Even Hojin knows it!" Shock made him loosen his grip and Dara pulled her arm free.

"Kiko's not the only around here!" Jiyong struggled to regain control of the argument.

"So, I'm a now." Dara tried not to show hurt at the statement. She turned her back on him. "You've made your feeling perfectly clear. I'll just stay out of your life and you can explain things to Hojin. Tell him that all women are es and his daddy is a jerk."

"Where are you getting all this?" Jiyong sounded like he was an inch away from strangling her.

Dara didn't turn around. Despite her words, she didn't want him to see the tears in her eyes. "I know it was a mistake. You don't have to keep pretending. I'll continue to babysit Hojin if you want. Nothing has to change." She sniffled and surreptitiously wiped her nose.

"What are you. . .Oh." Jiyong reached out and gently gripped her shoulders, turning her towards him. She resisted for a moment before allowing him to manipulate her. Refusing to look at him, she stubbornly kept her eyes fixed on the ground.

"You are a little idiot." His voice was soft and amused. She snapped her head up. Was he laughing at her? His grip shifted, pulling her closer to him. Dara found herself blushing. What a silly little girl she was. Reading too much into a simple kiss. She wanted to die.

Dara squirmed in his hold. "I'm a fool. Just forget everything I- ." Her words cut off as Jiyong claimed with his. This was no simple kiss. He didn't back off until they were both gasping for air. And then it was only far enough to look into her eyes.

"Are you convinced?" Puffs of air caressed her skin as he spoke. She wrapped her arms around his neck and tried to steady her heart.

"Not quite," she whispered, a little breathless. Smiling, he bent his head. She met his lips eagerly. He moved his mouth over hers, coaxing her to respond. Placing one hand in the middle of her back, he urged her a little closer. She gasped into his mouth. This gave him the opportunity to slide his tongue inside. Shyly at first, and then with growing enthusiasm, she explored his mouth as he explored hers. Investigating the surface of his teeth and tangling her tongue with his. His hands slid to her waist and gripped tightly.

"I want a kiss too!" Hojin attacked his daddy's leg. Dara and Jiyong broke apart, breathing hard and a little embarrassed. "Did you kiss and make up? Is 'Dara-noona going to be my mommy now?"

Jiyong recovered first, picking Hojin up and planting a kiss on his cheek. "'Dara and Daddy aren't fighting anymore." He straightened the strap on Hojin's overalls, avoiding her eyes. "Maybe Dara would like to have dinner with me sometime and talk?"

Dara smiled. Suddenly the world didn't seem quite so gray and dingy. "I'd love too."

^**^

"And then what happened?" Bom leaned forward, her expression avid.

"Well. . ." Dara absently fiddled with the straw of her soda. The lunch crowd had come and gone and the late afternoon munchie crowd hadn't arrived yet. The small café was mercifully quiet for a Saturday. "After he called me an idiot he. . ." She blushed just remembering. "He kissed me and asked me out to dinner. Sort of."

Bom sighed and stared into the distance, probably remembering her first real date with TOP. She focused on Dara again. "How was it?"

Dara groaned. "It was beyond awkward. Neither one of us knew what to say without Hojin there. He asked me if I was having a good time at least two dozen times between the appetizer and dessert and complimented me on the whiteness of my teeth."

"You gotta give him credit for trying." Bom looked around trying to catch the eye of someone to give her a refill on her soda. For the sparse amount of customers present, flagging down one of the wait staff proved difficult.

Someone called to them. Dara looked up to see TOP waving from the door. Bom beckoned him over and he wove his way around the tables toward them. Jiyong was with him, holding tight to Hojin who was bouncing in his eagerness to see 'Dara.

"'Dara-noona!" Hojin scrambled into her lap, nearly upsetting the table and their sodas. "I missed you! Did you miss me? When are you going to come over and play with me again? I didn't like the other babysitter. She doesn't make the squeaky voices when she reads to me. Did you and Daddy kiss lots? Are you my mommy now? Harang says that mommies and daddies kiss lots."

Jiyong and Dara turned redder and redder. Bom muffled her giggles with her hands. TOP didn't have any such problems. He howled. At least he did until Jiyong's fist met his stomach. Then he bent double and wheezed.

"What did I tell you, Hojin?" Jiyong asked, fixing his attention on his son and avoiding Dara's eyes.

Hojin sat up straight on Dara's lap, his little face creased in thought. Suddenly, he smiled. "I remember now, Daddy. You said that you'd explain it to me later." His smile turned into a cute pout. "But I'm tired of waiting until later. Why can't 'Dara-noona be my mommy?"

Sudden inspiration! "Let's go to the toy store, Hojin," Dara said. "I'll buy you a present." Easily diverted, Hojin thought that was a great idea.

"We need to take Haeum with us," Jiyong said. At Dara's confused look he explained. "I promised my brother that I would look after her for a couple of hours this afternoon. Something about tedious paperwork and the girl should spend more time with other children. The place he's meeting us is only a couple of blocks from here. They toy store would be a good place to take both kids."

Hojin shot out of the booth almost as fast as he climbed in. A hand entered Dara's field of vision. She blushed again before allowing Jiyong to assist her. She stumbled against him and he took the opportunity to give her a quick kiss. TOP made several comments, even offering to watch Hojin if the two of them wanted some privacy. Bom's fist descended on his head. She waved to the three of them while TOP nursed the newest bump on his head.

Hojin grabbed the hand that Jiyong wasn't already holding and started jabbering about the toys he wanted. They both ignored him, giving vague mumbles of agreement whenever he stopped for breath.

Jiyong lightly the back of Dara's hand with his thumb. "So, you survived one date with me. Do you want to go on another?" Dara started to reply when she felt him stiffen. She peered ahead, curious to see what had upset him.

"Look, Daddy," Hojin shouted. "It's Mommy and the monkey man!"

------- Second update :)