He didn’t know!

He didn’t know???

Seunghyun unexpectedly parked at a curb somewhere along the highway.

“I’m an adult,” he began to say, “I can take whatever answer you’re gonna give. Just say it to me straight.”

His words implied like he didn’t believe he was the father of the baby. And I felt a bit hurt by that. Did he seriously think that just because I left him, I’d go around and get knocked up by any other guy?! Including Siwon?

That was it, wasn’t it?

“Oh, my god…” I said, the realization sinking in. “I can’t believe you!”

I quickly got out of the car, couldn’t stand to be near him.

“What’s going on?” he had the nerve to ask as he followed me to the roadside, and I swear I wanted to punch him on the face.

“You’re such an !” I screamed, before I turned to the road, on the lookout for a cab. I’d rather pay for a ride home than get insulted. By the one person I last thought of who’d do that to me.

Surprisingly, in all of this, the baby was as calm as the lake. It’s like she’s almost enjoying the show, watching and listening intently as her mommy and daddy fight.

Ugh, no! No daddy. He doesn’t deserve you. Clearly.

“What did I say wrong?” he asked in a tone that suggested innocence.

I raised my arms exasperatingly as I wheeled around to face him. “You know what? I get that you’re angry, and you probably hate me that I left you through just a note, in a time when you needed me the most, but you didn’t have to think that low of me!”

I turned my back on him again so I didn’t know what’s going on with him at that point. All I could discern was that he descended to silence.

Then at last, he spoke. “I wasn’t angry when you left. And I could never hate you. I could never.”

I swiveled to his direction, crossing my arms on my chest. “Then why didn’t you run after me? When I left?”

He walked closer but not close enough that there’s still a good three feet between us. “Because I felt guilty. I didn’t protect you enough from my family. I thought it was for your best that you left and just forget about me. Trust me, I wanted to pick up the phone and call you…but I couldn’t. I just think about the way I’ve hurt you through my mom and my sister and I balk.”

It was my turn to be silent now, thinking in incredulity at how he could blame himself for my leaving. None of it was his fault. “It was my decision, Seunghyun. To leave. And I realize how selfish that decision had been because I didn’t consider what you have to say. I didn’t give you a chance to fix whatever it was that had to be fixed.”

I closed in our gap and, a little cautiously, lifted one hand to cradle his jaw. This was the first time I’ve touched him in six months it’s rather sensible how electricity sparked through me. And, oh, how I wanted more.

“I’m sorry,” I said sincerely. “For being selfish.”

He angled his face to kiss my palm, his eyes bearing severe compunction as he looked back at me. “And I’m extremely sorry…for being a coward.”

Decisions had been made but it didn’t matter anymore whether they had been mistakes or not. The important thing was that in the end, we were still able to sort the kinks out, making the picture much clearer for us. There’s nothing left to do now but to move forward.

At least, that’s what I wanted. With him. I wonder if that’s what he wanted too.

For me. For our baby. For us.

I ignore the worry for the meantime and basked instead in the satisfaction with the outcome of our short squabble. Then I remembered our original discussion—“the father of the baby”—and I veered our focus back to that.

“I am just a little over seven months pregnant. Go figure.” I walked back to his car with a clever grin spread across my lips, and got inside, leaving Seunghyun dumbstruck from where he stood.

I was guessing he did figure easily and quickly. He just had to let the shock reel in to him first.

No less than a minute, he was getting in the car as well, and the smile on his face was indescribable. Immeasurable, even. It took him awhile to start the car and make it move. He kept on glancing at me with that big smile of his.

“What?” I asked, even though I knew why.

At least he’s happy. And that makes me happy too. Even if he still has all the right to be mad because I kept this detail hidden from him.

“Nothing,” he answered. “Just overwhelmed with happiness right now.”

“You’re not mad?”

His brows suddenly knitted together in puzzlement. “Why would I be?

“Because I hid this,” I gestured to my belly bump, “from you.”

He adjusted his bearings so he could face me. Then he reached for my jaw and cupped it, caressing my cheeks with his thumbs.

“I wanted to tell you, I swear,” I pressed.

“I’m not mad, Bom. Whatever the reason is for you not telling me, I know you did what’s best for you and our baby.”

Our baby…

Tears trickled from my eyes. I wasn’t even going to blame “mood swings” for them. These, after all, were tears of joy. Which were all well-deserved from the words Seunghyun just dropped.

Hearing his acknowledgment of our child was purely divine.

“Okay, this is not how I dreamed I would propose to you, but,” he fished a small black box from the pocket of his jeans and opened it to show a ring, “will you marry me?”

I blinked hard, trying to clear my eyes in case the tears were merely messing up with my sight and what I was witnessing was nothing but a trick.

But my sense of hearing couldn’t fool me.

I heard what I heard he said. And that was Seunghyun asking me to marry him.

Oh, my god. “Yes!” I squealed. “Yes!”

He slid the ring around my ring finger, before wrapping his hands around my neck and gently pulling me close to him to claim my lips. When he retracted after a few seconds, his eyes were glassy from moisture. His hands remained where they were though, heat prickling at the back of my neck and branching out all over my body.

“I love you,” he said, which just made the whole situation even more blissful. More momentous. Because these were words I thought I’d never hear from him again.

“I love you, too.” And I couldn’t help the tears that slid on my cheeks as he captured my mouth again for another deep and meaningful kiss.

~*~

This is like the last chapter, by the way.

But there is an Epilogue, which will happen when I'm done writing it.=)

So...

I hope it wasn't rushed, although I think it might have been.
But then this was supposed to be just a one-shot
(even with the number of chapters it produced, not to mention the 55k-word count!).

And I've got to admit that this wasn't my best work. But despite the nauseatingly oozing grammatical errors,
this has been one of my favorites because the plot is not that cliche.

Anyway, thank you, especially to those who have stuck through from the beginning.
(Do you still exist?=)) It had been a wait, wasn't it?

Thank you for reading.
To those who upvoted, reviewed and recommended this fic,
imagine me throwing out pieces of my heart through your screen.

I hope to see you guys again in my next TopBom fic. Whenever that will happen.

Long live our alien couple!