Jongup didn’t understand much at all. Jongup could barely walk on his own two wobbly legs and he hated it when he couldn’t even bathe himself, but he insisted he was a big boy. Jongup didn’t like that he still wasn’t fully potty trained and Jongup especially didn’t like thunder. Jongup really, really did not like thunder. It was too loud and too bright and mommy Chan would always just tell him to go back to bed, but papa Guk would be his Superman and hold him close. It was a shame papa was never home.

            Jongup pouted as his mother fixed him a bowl of Cheerios. Jongup was used to the fact now that his other dad, Himchan, or mom, really whatever Yongguk had called his spouse last, was the parent he liked the least. Momma Chan never gave him sweet cereal like his dad did. Mommy also insisted on bathing Jongup all the time even when Jongup wasn’t dirty. Himchan wouldn’t let him play in the mud or give him RC cars or play with children whose mothers he detested. Mommy Kim Himchan just didn’t like fun, Jongup assumed. Yongguk though was the best at fun.

            Jongup vividly remembered when Yongguk held his tiny hand and let him buy anything he wanted in the Toy’s R Us while mommy huffed whenever he’d throw something into the cart. Daddy though would flash a gummy smile and help Jongup pick something off of the shelf that was too big for his tiny arms. That night, Himchan yelled at Yongguk for ‘trying to buy our child’s love’, which Jongup had no idea what that meant, but he knew he was happy.

            All except for the nights when he saw on the news it would rain and storm. He’d look with wide eyes to his mother for condolences, but he’s only shrug and pat Jongup’s tush off to bed. He hated mommy Himchan.

            Yongguk wasn’t home often no thanks to his job. He worked long hours at the office and wouldn’t come home until late when Jongup was already in bed. He occasionally got to see his dad in the mornings when he’d accidentally wake up from Yongguk coming in to give him a kiss goodbye, and Jongup’s little child hands would reach up and grab on to his hair, pulling him down and smooshing his cheeks together.

            “Do ywou have to go to wowrk?” Jongup would whine, moving his papa’s cheeks all around to have him make funny faces. He saw in Yongguk’s eyes the tiredness of an overworked man. Jongup got that look too when he was in the sandbox for too long or when he ran around and played tag with Himchan, who half the time let him win. Jongup was a big boy; He could win without having mom let up.

            Yongguk looked down to his baby and gave him a chaste kiss on the forehead, pulling away and his cheek with a large hand. Jongup’s eyes fluttered from the warmth and he wanted to have his papa stay and hold him while they napped. When he pulled his hand away, Jongup started to cry.

            “Daddyyyyyyy!” Jongup would wail. He heard mommy groan from in the kitchen and the spatula clink on the counter. Yongguk shushed him and frantically looked over at a clock in fear he wouldn’t make it to work. He picked Jongup up in his arms and tried to silence the child by wispy hair and patting his back. Jongup’s cries began to stutter and Yongguk let out a sigh of relief. He absolutely hated not being there for his baby.

            And Jongup hated it when he wasn’t here for him either. The wind whipped at the windows in Jongup’s room and the tree outside casted shadows that looked like monsters ready to eat him up. Jongup was smaller than the rest of the children he played with, so he knew he was an easy target. The thunder hadn’t come along yet, but he knew it was right around the corner as the rain picked up and pounded the roof. He was mad that mommy couldn’t hear him whining over the rain. He just hoped his daddy would make it home safely.

            Jongup had heard something about his group of aunts who had gotten into a car accident and his favorite one, Hana, had gotten really badly hurt. She was hurt beyond band-aids and as far as Jongup’s mind could process, that was hurt badly. He heard that the roads were slick and sometimes when he was in the car with mommy on a rainy day, the car would drift on a puddle and Himchan would panic. Jongup only knew of puddles that you could jump in, not ones that could kill you.

            The first flash of lightning shone through his windows even though the curtains were pulled closed. Jongup pulled the covers up over his head and wrapped them around himself tightly, not allowing anything to break the barrier of blankets. Jongup knew if he wasn’t seen, the thunder monster couldn’t get him. That’s what daddy had said anyways, and he always trusted his father’s words. Yongguk was a super smart man in Jongup’s eyes, so anything he says has to be right.

            A small rumble vibrated the house, and Jongup knew that was just a growl. He was getting ready to strike, but only when he was masked in a shroud of heavy rainfall. Jongup had fought the thunder monster many nights before, but it always ended with him wetting the bed and a very mad mommy. Yongguk would change him though and not get mad, and that’s why at times he didn’t mind waiting until daddy came home. He looked at the time and while it really didn’t mean much to the mind of a four year old, he knew daddy was always home at seven on the dot. Jongup’s bedtime was 6:30 and he fell asleep in less than ten minutes, leaving him barely missing his dad coming home every night.

            There was only ten more minutes Jongup had to wait until his dad’s car drove up and he walked in the door. He knew at times he’d come in and give him a kiss goodnight, and he knew other times him and Himchan would make weird noises on the couch and giggle, and Jongup assumed they were telling funny jokes but sometimes they sounded painful. Jongup didn’t care though as long as Yongguk was in their house and safe and sound.

            The thought made Jongup smile until there was another flash of lightning and then, a roar of the monster. He knew Jongup’s knight in shining armor was going to come home soon, and prince Jongup was nothing against the dragon that was all around him outside. He felt his bladder weaken as there was another flash outside, a clap of thunder, and the house shook. Tears welled in Jongup’s eyes and he wanted to go and crawl up next to Himchan, but he knew mommy didn’t love him as much as daddy did and would send him back to bed.

            Just then, Jongup heard the rumbling of an engine and he threw the blankets off his head, looking out the window excitedly. There was a familiar shine of headlights and Jongup knew Yongguk was home! Despite his fear, Jongup bounded out of his room and tobbled to the front door, reaching on his very very tippy-toes to open it and greet his dad. When Jongup couldn’t reach, he stood back and rocked back and forth on his feet. Jongup watched the lock turn and then the door crack. Yongguk’s hair was soaking wet and his clothing was drenched, but that didn’t stop Jongup from tackling his daddy, scaring him in the process.

            “Wewlcome home!” Jongup said, clinging onto his father for dear life. Yongguk smiled down at his baby and gently pushed him away so he could set down his briefcase and strip of his shirt. Yongguk left Jongup to stand in the living room for a while while he started up the dryer and ruffled his hair dry. Jongup felt himself grow eager when his daddy wouldn’t return immediately.

Moving his tiny self to the laundry room, there was another loud clap of thunder, and Jongup’s body collapsed to the floor as he covered his ears. Yongguk rushed over to his child’s side and placed a hand on the shaking boy’s back. Forgetting about his briefcase and all the paperwork, Yongguk scooped Jongup into his arms and carried him to Himchan and Yongguk’s room. Jongup scowled.

            “Bring me to my room papa.” Jongup whined, curling into Yongguk’s chest and hiccupping a sob as another loud crack of thunder resonated through the evening air. Yongguk nodded and sided with the little one for once, because Yongguk also knew that Himchan wanted Jongup to grow up too damn fast.

            Yongguk strode down the hall with a baby Jongup in his arms and walked into his room, setting down Jongup on a bed with Pokémon sheets and climbing in with him. Jongup instantly curled up against his father, body shaking as the rain pounded down harder. Yongguk his back and gave him a tender kiss on his head. Jongup sniffled a little bit and blubbered.

            “D-daddy! I wawnt you hoooooome! Mommy is meaaaaan!” Jongup whined, clutching Yongguk’s shirt. Hail had come around, and Yongguk patted his back.

            “Shh, I’m here now baby. Mommy is just stressed okay, but she loves you. Daddy has too work a lot, and I’m sorry, but you’ll understand one day.” Yongguk said, shifting to move Jongup off of him. The little boy held on, and Yongguk huffed as he dragged Jongup to the kitchen with him to make the boy some sweets or something. Himchan kept a hidden stash of cookies out of sight and out of Jongup’s reach for occasions like these. Yongguk went along and poured them both a glass of milk before going down the hall to grab an armful of blankets. Jongup looked at him as he dunked his cookie into a very tall glass of milk.

            “What are you doin’ dada?” Jongup asked, munching on the cookie, spilling crumbs all down the front of him. Yongguk grunted a bit as he bumped his head on the couch, tacking up blankets and making a fort for the two. Jongup always really loved exploring, and Yongguk knew his kid like the back of his hands. When Yongguk had tacked up one last blanket, he grabbed a flashlight and swiped up Jongup, his cookie, and glass of milk.

            “Look Jongup! A Zubat!” Yongguk said, forming his hands so it cast a shadow of a ‘bat’ on the wall. Truth be told it looked like a garbled mess of nothing, but Jongup was enthralled.

            “G-go! Charmander!” Jongup shouted with a loud clap of thunder backing his tiny voice. This time, he smiled as Yongguk changed his hands to form what looked like a piece of broccoli. Jongup felt like it was good enough and started listing out Pokémon rapid fire and laughed when his dad would attempt to make them with his hands so the shadows would hopefully match. By the end of the storm, Jongup was giggling uncontrollably while trying to hide yawns. Yongguk smiled gently at his baby boy. There were only little trickles of rain falling from the sky as Jongup finally had to fight his eyes closing.

            “Are you tired little man?” Yongguk asked, and Jongup grumbled something, but no matter what he said, Yongguk knew his baby was ready for bed. Taking down the blankets from the wall, Yongguk made a nest for two and gathered a few pillows from the couches in the living room. Himchan always hated it when they were used for sleep, but Yongguk could just remind him of all the times he used them for napping.

            Jongup crawled over to the mass of blankets and curled up in the middle, but Yongguk moved him off to the side so he had some space for himself too. The two huddled close and the rain finally died out. Jongup let out a huge yawn before snuggling into his daddy.

            “Please always protect me from the scary monster storms.” Jongup muttered, burying his face into Yongguk’s shirt. He hadn’t even changed from work, but Yongguk hummed a yes and patted his kid’s head. Jongup smiled, gripping on to his dad with his petite fists and yawned again.

            “I’ll always be here for you baby. Even though I’m not home much, I’m always going to protect you. And your mom loves you too, but she’s tired a lot, so don’t give her too much of a hard time, alright?” Yongguk asked, but there was no response. Yongguk looked down in his arms to see his baby soundly sleeping, his little chest rising up in down steady, no longer in fear of the storms. Yongguk smiled, brushing some of Jongup’s hair away from his face and lightly kissing him on the forehead. He poked at a chubby cheek and giggled, wondering how someone like him was so blessed to have such an angelic child.

            Yongguk held Jongup closely and let the weariness of his day creep up on him, making his eyes droop and a yawn escaped past his lips too. He held his boy closely, allowing sleep to overcome him, but he made sure to never let Jongup go. Never, ever, would he allow anything or anyone to scare his child. Ever.

            “I’m glad you’re home daddy.”