Baby Baby - 4Men

Narrator's POV

Min Yu stared at the blank television as she ate the cold, leftover instant noodles from the refrigerator. She still hasn't changed from her usual formal attire, for all she wanted to do -- and planned to -- was to go home and fall back immediately on the bed to sleep. So the woman stood up and walked towards the kitchen with the used ceramic bowl in her hands.

"Huh." A scoff sounded from above the stairs. She didn't have to turn around to see it was Donghae. "I didn't know you would be home this early. It's just half past midnight. You're somehow two hours early tonight -- or today, I should say." He trudged down the stairs noisily, stomping and marching with each step on purpose. And to make her feel guiltier he did.

She rolled her eyes and spun on the soles of her feet to look at him. "Just please, Donghae. I don't want to fight, okay?" she muttered softly. With a tired sigh, she began walking towards him and chanced upon the moment his expression would soften. "Please? You know what I do. If it's about me losing time for Bada, I'm sorry. And if there's anything I can do to make it right, please tell me."

He backed away from her. "How many times do I have to tell you that you don't have to work?" Just his first sentence made Min Yu smack her forehead with her palm in frustration. It was another day on repeat, an argument left for the next day to continue. "LISTEN TO ME!" he yelled. "How would you understand my side if you don't listen?"

"I LISTEN TO YOU, DONGHAE!" she shouted back. "It's just that you repeat it again and again and again and again! And so I have to repeat again and again and again and again just how I don't want, nor like, to sit back and relax and be a normal housewife like you want me to be! What's so wrong with that? Why can't you understand a simple thing like that?!" She nearly pulled her hair out of their roots in frustration.

"So what, you want to be the superior one in here, is that it?" Donghae balled his fists up in anger. Min Yu let out a tight chuckle. "IS THAT IT? You think I'm trying to overthrow you? WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING, DONGHAE?!" She let the bowl fall to the floor and break into a thousand little pieces. "I want us to work together. Is that so bad?"

"It's not bad, Min Yu." Donghae's voice lowered down and his eyes began to brim. "What's bad is that you forget what you are, what WE are. This isn't your house anymore. It's just a rest house to you now. It's the place where you eat and sleep and bathe. And Bada and I..." he trailed off, his voice choked up with his own tears. "Bada and I are just your housemates here. I'm just your roommate."

The woman covered her ears and paced around unsteadily. "And what about you, huh?" She raked a hand through her tousled hair. "At least I answer calls when you ask where I am. At least I get days off. At least I understand when you go home late or when you go out of the country all of a sudden. At least I still respect your privacy even in little things, Donghae, and it's something you should learn."

"Where's trust, huh?" He turned to her curiously. Min Yu shook her head from side to side wildly. "I have it in me. I don't know where yours went," she stated as if surrendering. "HOW CAN YOU TELL ME TO TRUST YOU WHEN WE DON'T EVEN TALK ANYMORE?!" Donghae yelled out. "See? I'm not even your best friend anymore, Min Yu."

"I don't have a best friend who acts as if I'm a dog on a leash! You keep ordering me around and telling me what to do and it's not just merely suggesting, Donghae. You hover over everything I do. You dictate me from what time I should go home to what clothes I wear! You're suffocating me, Donghae!" Min Yu screamed. "YOU'RE TOO CLOSE AND IT'S KILLING ME!"

"I NEED--" Donghae cut himself off in midsentence, realizing how his shouting affected his throat and caused the unusual rasp in his voice, making him sound meaner than he really means to be. "I need to think. I need to reconsider things and give everything a deep analysis." He nodded to himself, stepping further back as Min Yu picked up the broken pieces of ceramic on the floor.

Min Yu could only nod and wipe her tears silently, hearing the soft shuffling of his footsteps as he ascended the staircase slowly. "You're just hesitant to tell me that I'm too young to understand these things," she whispered to herself almost inaudibly. From upstairs, the bedroom door opened, but didn't fully close even after Donghae kicked it shut.

He yanked the closet doors open with both his hands and plopped down on the edge of the bed. He cradled his head on his hands and wondered what just happened. Without thinking, Donghae already managed to take his traveling suitcase and it. Tossing in as many clothes as he can see, he didn't even notice Min Yu sadly watching him from a slight opening of the door.

"Dad?" The seven-year-old Min Yu opened the door with the rusting door knob that Eun Woo never had time to replace. Eun Woo was a man she adored -- no, it was more than that. To say that is an understatement. He was someone she treated as an infallible heavenly being. The man's words were the universal truth that she believed her young mind had already grasped.

His face spoke of beauty, of youth, and of love -- and she had just realized that it wasn't unconditional, however. But now Eun Woo's face was in dire distress, like he was just told that he only had a few days to live. "Don't..." He raked a hand through his hair. "Don't call me that, okay?" he merely whispered like it had ached to speak louder. "It'll only make it harder for me to leave."

"You're leaving?" her then too shrill of a voice cracked. She had received her death sentence. The man nodded sadly, his gaze alternating from the girl to the bag of clothes on the bed. He sank on the bed and opened his arms wide to invite her in. With a balled up fist rubbing her b eyes, the little Min Yu dragged her feet to where Eun Woo was and sat on his lap.

He her hair gently, kissing the top of her head. "You know I'm not your real dad, right?" The man put an arm around her and held her tight. She nodded ruefully, somehow putting the blame on herself. "Uncle Eun Woo loves you very much, and as much as I could, I take care of you, right?" he continued, and his heart felt like being pierced slowly as the girl began sobbing.

"You could be my dad," Min Yu defended stubbornly. "You bring me to school and cook me breakfast. My real dad doesn't care about me anymore." The corners of were etched on a deep frown. "If you leave, omma will be sad and lonely again like how she was before you came," she cried some more with quick pants for air in between.

The man -- wanting so badly to forget about his own principles and give everything up to make the little girl stop crying -- still shook his head no. "Your mom and I..." Eun Woo took a deep breath. "We aren't going to work out longer." He nodded to himself, as if in agreement, and set Min Yu down on the ground. Min Jae came rushing in to calm the child down from her tantrums.

"NO! DON'T LEAVE!" Min Yu whimpered loudly, breaking free from her mother's grasp. Sadly, Eun Woo zipped his bag close and stepped forward to kiss Min Yu goodbye. "I'm sorry," he muttered softly before backing away. "NO!" The girl cried a waterfall while Min Jae could only pin her down just until the man had completely walked out the door and out of their lives, never to be seen nor heard of again.

She left, running down the stairs and locking herself inside a guest room. The woman couldn't believe it. She had seen this before, with a different man, different place, different situation, different time, and different woman. It was a scene all too familiar, yet she still couldn't believe what she had seen. Min Yu hugged her knees close to her chest and broke down.

Donghae's POV

"Dad?"

I turned around and found Bada by the doorframe. He clutched a plushie close to his chest and his eyes showed a combination of sadness, wonder, confusion, and sleepiness. Our shouty fight must have woken him up. "Dad, you're leaving?" he asked with a thick edge of grief in his voice. My heart clenched in a dangerous intensity.

"Dad?" Bada repeated, now walking towards me with one fist rubbing his eye and the other dragging his stuffed toy across the floor. He stopped in front of me, his height not even reaching my waist. I ducked down and came into level with his face. "Dad, no..." he nearly whimpered. And a drop of tear escaped the corner of his eye. "Dad, you promised me."

"Dad?" Bada opened the door of my study room late that night and dragged his blanket along. I removed my reading glasses and put down the book I was reading. "Yes, Bada?" I stood up and walked towards him, but he came to a halt in the middle of his tracks. "No, you're working." The four-year-old child dried his tears and was about to walk away.

"Eh~ no matter how busy dad is, you can always talk to me. Now come and tell dad what's on your mind." I gestured for him to come and held his little hand while advancing to a comfortable seat. The child remained silent as I sat and carried him to rest on my lap. Then he draped his blanket over the two of us, though all it really did cover was himself and my knees.

I wiped his tear-strewn cheeks with my palm and his chocolate brown hair lovingly. "Dad, I had a nightmare," he started off without me pressing him to go on. His apple red lips moved slowly before trembling in the slightest bit. I leaned in and planted kisses on his soft cheek before hugging him tightly. "And what did our Bada dream about?"

He sniffled slightly before continuing. "I dreamt about you and mom separating," he finally stated. I inhaled his scent, which was the smell of baby powder and mild detergent. Pulling away, I held either sides of his face and probed his cheeks with my thumbs. His brown eyes, the color of a steaming cup of coffee, stared back at me, eagerly anticipating my response.

"Come here." I clutched him and together we stood up, heading towards the world map plastered beside Min Yu's sketched masterpieces on the wall. The map was tattered on the edges and faded on most parts, but since it had been a witness to almost everything, we never talked about throwing it away or keeping it hidden.

"Even if mom was here..." I pointed with my forefinger on the farthest left of the map, next to the Americas. "...And dad was right here..." I let my finger travel to the farthest right. Then I shifted my gaze to Bada, who was busy staring at the position of my finger. "...I will always and only love omma. Keep that in mind, okay?"

Bada reached out with his hand that was not clinging onto the plushie and laid his hand flat on the map, right on the North Pole. "Even if mom was here..." And his small fingers trailed the way down to Antarctica. "...And you were here?" he asked, turning to me questioningly. I nodded with a warm smile. "I will always love mom, Bada. And you should, too."

"Someday you will know, Bada, that love isn't just a word on the 566th page of the dictionary. But as for now, stick to what you know and do: make mom happy. If omma is happy, then appa is, too." I carried him towards the grand piano and laid him gently on the seat. I sat next to him, and he laid his head on my lap while he dozed off to the lullaby my fingers played with the keys.

Without me noticing it, though, a pair of hands s its way around me. "I'm home~" Min Yu smiled against my cheek before kissing me. My fingers came to a halt in the middle of the song. She glanced at my side and dipped down to carry the already sleeping Bada. "I was waiting for you to come home and then he had a bad dream," I explained, observing as she cradled the boy in her arms gracefully.

"I'll take him to his room," I offered, my palms facing upwards to gesture for her to give him to me. Min Yu stuck her tongue out playfully. "No way, I'm already holding him." She kissed him on the forehead and rocked to and fro. "He came to me!" I whined. "Give him, give him, give him~" I held onto Bada's hand that was dangling over her shoulder.

Still defiant, Min Yu shook her head no. I crossed my arms over my chest. "Rock, paper, scissors, then," I challenged. And the girl was up and ready for a fight. With her fist as a rock and my hand open as paper, she sulked in defeat, handing Bada over to me angrily and storming out of the study. I chuckled and shook my head in disbelief.

Exiting and kicking the door shut with my foot, I headed to Bada's room and laid him carefully on his bed. Surrounding him with pillows, afraid of him falling off, I stepped back, surprised, as the child's eyes prodded open. "Appa?" he called out once more. I sat by his bed and tucked him in, pulling his blanket up to his chin. "What is it, Bada?"

"Don't leave mom, okay? She'll be sad and she'll cry. Mom will be sad...and she'll get lonely." He yawned and settled in more comfortably in his bed. I kissed him softly once more on his forehead. "I promise I won't leave mom. Now go back to sleep, Bada. And continue your dream so you'll see how I'll always come back to omma." I looked down and saw his hand clinging onto my forearm.

Just when I was about to stand up and leave, "I love you, Dad." Bada mumbled faintly.

I smiled and laid a hand on his cheek. "Appa loves you too." 

"Tell mom I love her, okay?"

My hand crept along the wall, feeling for the light switch. "Sure thing, buddy."

"And kiss mom for me, please."

I rolled my eyes, wondering where he inherited the restlessness from. "Goodnight, Bada. Go to sleep."

Suddenly coming back to my senses, I stumbled back, as if the memories were like a physical force beating down on me. I shoved the bag full of my clothes back into the closet, wondering what came into my mind to even think of leaving. "I'm..." I took Bada in my arms and started trudging back to his room. "I'm not leaving, okay? Appa's not leaving. I'm sorry."

"I'm so sorry, Bada." I rocked him back and forth, cradling him until he falls back to sleep. "Why did I even think of that..." I grumbled to myself repeatedly, remembering how the child's face looked like after he has seen me hastily packing clothes. "Dad, don't you love mom anymore?" Bada asked sadly, threatening to cry again. I kissed his forehead. "I do, Bada," I mumbled against his ear. "I love mom very much."

Narrator's POV

Wearing a pair of faded jeans and oversized shirt, Min Yu sat by Bada's bed and his hair gently. "If there's someone you should hate, it should be mom, okay?" she muttered through gritted teeth as she tried hard not to sob her heart out. She hadn't slept a blink for the last 24 hours, and maybe not even until the next day.

"Don't hate appa." Min Yu held onto his small hand. "All appa did was to give us everything we need and make us happy." She heaved a gloomy sigh, wondering and analyzing why things always seem to turn out to be the worst. "So don't go looking for me. Stick with dad, arasseo? Dad and I wanted to have you very much, so don't go disappoint dad, okay?"

"And I'm very sorry I'm not what you expect me to be," Min Yu continued. "Dad and I just don't understand each other anymore and I don't know what took him so long to realize that." She took his hand in hers and kissed it softly. "I love you, Bada. I love you and appa very much." And she stood up. Spinning around, she wasn't nearly shocked to see Donghae standing by the door frame.

Wiping her tears away, "I'll be going ahead. Don't worry," she told him softly, trying to get him out of the way. But Donghae blocked the doorway nonetheless, towering over so as she had no way out. "Donghae..." she sighed while looking down and playing with her fingers. "You're leaving?" the man who was only in his sweatpants, asked, to which Min Yu just nodded.

His gaze fell down to her empty hands. "Aren't you going to bring anything with you?" he asked sternly, which only made Min Yu feel worse. "Everything I have is yours, Donghae," she responded as-a-matter-of-factly. "What's mine is yours, remember?" And she alternated her gaze from side to side, trying to find a loophole she could pass through.

The man reached out, caressed her cheek, and lifted her chin up for her to look at him. "Why will you leave me, Min Yu?" he interrogated remorsefully. She gripped a handful of her own hair before pacing around the room wonderingly. "I saw you pack...a-and..." She took a deep breath, her pace getting faster and more unsteady. "This is your house, Donghae. It's...it's not mine...an-and..."

"And they left my mom..." "Who?" Donghae pressed calmly. "Everyone, Donghae. Everyone left us. Everyone left my mom. Her dad, her mom, Chun Hae, Eun Woo, Dae Jung, In Ho, Kwanghyun, Minsoo...I called them dad and they still left and my mom was young and I had no dad a-and every fathers' day, I had...I had no dad, Donghae," Min Yu continued without stopping to take a breath.

Donghae tugged at her wrists and pulled her into his arms, embracing her in a strong grip. "An-and Bada has a father. Bada has you. You can't leave, Donghae. He should not feel alone and abandoned and left behind every school day with only one parent who sometimes doesn't even attend. Our Bada should not feel how I have felt, Donghae," she cried and sobbed against his bare chest.

"So for a change, you want to be the one who leaves?" He buried his face deeper on her shoulder. Min Yu shook her head no. "I don't want you to walk out on Bada, Donghae. If you don't want to see me anymore, I'll be the one to leave. It's your house. He's your son. And you deserve to be greeted during fathers' day," she replied in between sobs.

He tucked tendrils of her hair behind her ear. "No one's leaving this house, Min Yu," Donghae whispered, pushing her further inside the room before closing the door shut behind him. Min Yu kept herself warm with the heat his body produced. "I'm sorry for everything." She rested her cheek against his beating heart but didn't bother to wipe away her tears which stained his skin.

"For tonight, we'll just sleep beside our Bada, okay?" Donghae flashed her a beaming smile before he carried her over to the bed and laid her gently next to Bada's peacefully sleeping figure. "They say most marriages usually last for only four years," Min Yu muttered as she watched the boy sleep. "You just made that up." Donghae smiled against the back of her neck.

"On a completely different and unrelated topic, do you think Bada would make a great big brother?"

-LOL this is what I consider fluff XD leave comments! One more chapter and I'll be saying goodbye to this fanfic forever T_T /sobs/