GREETINGS ALL!

This is the final part for this fanfiction, hope you all enjoyed.... it?  I kind of... don't want to post this in case I end up writing another one but anyway.  This is what my father is like.  this incident actually happened to my little brother and it was HILARIOUS to watch!

and yes I do love my brother >_<  anyway, thank you for reading and please, feel free to tell me mistakes and everything else wrong with it :D

One hand on the door frame, Dara stared at the small figure peacefully asleep in the single bed.  A hand rested on her shoulder and she started as her head jerked up to meet Seunghyun’s gaze.  Sorrow moved over the love on his face as he felt her slight flinch.  In the ten years of their marriage Dara still betrayed miniscule signs of the trauma the man had put her through so many years before.  But even as sadness formed on his features Dara was leaning back against him, her own slim fingers going up to close over his hand on her shoulder.  “What are you doing?”  Asked Seunghyun, remembering the original question he had been planning to ask her.

“Look at him.”  Whispered Dara, gesturing at the sleeping boy.  Seunghyun shifted to wrap both arms around her waist and rest his chin on her shoulder.  After all their years of marriage it was his favourite position, denoting both his vulnerable trust in her and the dependable reassurance he wanted her to feel with him.

“Mmm.”  Replied her husband conversationally as he toyed with the wedding ring on his wife’s finger.  “He’s going to grow up pretty girly though.”

Dara swung her head back to stare at him, her look demanding an explanation.  Their son was certainly not girlish despite his gentle loving nature.  He was already showing the handsome genes from his father combined with an extra sensitivity inherited from Dara.  

“Well, he takes after his mother – beautiful.”

Dara’s expression flattened at his words

“That’s so cheesy it’s sickening.”  She snorted.  Seunghyun bent his head quickly and kissed her, smiling. 

“Well… maybe not quite as beautiful as you.”  He murmured quietly and Dara chuckled. It had taken her years to finally relax into Seunghyun’s love enough to laugh when he talked about her beauty or his love for her.  Dara’s sense of humour was a joy to live with but when it came to Dara’s personality, her humour had been sadly obliterated.  Piece by piece Seunghyun had set about repairing it, carefully sewing fragments together and ignoring her rejections.  Finally the day had come when he woke up to find Dara staring at him, told her she was beautiful only to have Dara grin at him and retort, “How can you tell someone they’re beautiful when you have such bad breath?”  Seunghyun had almost forgot to breathe he was so shocked and Dara had giggled at the comical expression on his face.

Now Seunghyun kissed his wife again, thankful once more for the slow miracle he was continuously seeing in Dara’s life.  Their son shifted in his sleep, throwing his arms over his head and rolling slowly onto his back with a deep sigh.  Daesung junior was two months past eight and neither his parents or YG Aunties and uncles ever tired of watching his fascination for life.  His parents especially viewed his life as a marvel and loved him even more because of the tiny white gravestone in a corner of Seoul Cemetery.  Dara had never been able to have any more children.  Leaning back against her husband’s shoulder Dara sighed quietly. Seunghyun began walking her down the hall towards their bedroom as he asked sleepily, “What’s wrong Jagiya?”

“There should be two beds.”  Whispered Dara and Seunghyun stopped walking so he could turn her around and hug her properly.  Dara no longer cried about the loss of their first child.  It had happened almost nine years ago and time had soothed Dara’s first, anguished guilt.  But Seunghyun knew pain still ran deep in Dara’s heart just as it did in his own. 

Several minutes later they were in bed with the house creaking into the coolness of the night air around them.  Seunghyun had tried to find distraction in music after Dara suffered a miscarriage with their first son.  His first solo album had topped Korean charts and briefly, worldwide charts.  But empty dissatisfaction drove him away.  He had retired, bought a small house outside Seoul on the side of a mountain and they had been living there ever since.  On and off Seunghyun worked as a casual business man.  After years of depleting the national economy as a celebrity, he enjoyed putting work and money into it.

“You’re thinking about work again.”  Mumbled Dara and Seunghyun reached over to pat her. 

“Naaaee, guess I am.”  They both heaved a sigh of mutual relaxation then Seunghyun rolled over and pulled Dara close to him.  “Goodnight Jagiya.  Saranghae.”  It was a nightly habit established early in their marriage.  Seunghyun would never say goodnight to Dara unless he was touching her, preferably his face resting against her neck or arms around her.  Dara had never tired of the security it gave her and now she felt tingles go down her spine, then more as he chuckled.  Fumbling for her left hand in the darkness, Seunghyun lifted it and kissed her ring finger.

“Romantic babo.”  Mumbled Dara affectionately and soon complete silence enveloped the house as all its occupants fell asleep.

Next day Dara and Seunghyun were sitting on the front veranda having a morning coffee while Daesung rode his Go-Kart up and down the veranda at great risk to his parents’ toes. 

“Watch this Appa!”  He said enthusiastically, completely mindless to any conversation Seunghyun might have been having with Dara.  Seunghyun looked at him. 

“Show on son.”  Was his lazily encouraging answer.  Dara watched him as Daesung proceeded to demonstrate how he could “do a wheelie” with his go-kart.  Seunghyun observed him in silence rubbed a couple of fingers over his face in thought.

“That was pretty good.”  He paused then spoke as if he had just thought of it.  “When I was your age, I used to be able to ride my go Kart straight off the edge of the veranda and over that bush there at the end.” 

His son squinted at him quizzically and Dara stared at him aghast.  Seunghyun glanced at her, shrugged innocently and took another sip of his coffee.  His eyes were sparkling already.  His own sense of humour, deep and lively was wondering what his son would do.  Dara stared then at their veranda.  The house was set into the hill so the veranda was about five foot off the ground at one end and only one foot at the other end.  At the lower end were steps leading to a large concreted area and the garage.  At the other end was a low scrub bush then grass for several meters to the boundary fence.  Sitting in his go-kart at the stairs end, Daesung contemplated the veranda length before him.  Seunghyun enthusiastically began discussing landscaping ideas with Dara.  He had been designing a show garden for their house ever since they moved in and had never bought one plant yet.  Dara about it but Seunghyun simply reminded her about the curtain material she had bought at Daesung’s birth and never made.  Just then Daesung went past them, pedalling madly, his small mouth creased into determination as he strove for all possible speed.  Seunghyun half stood up, realising what his son was about to do.  Dara, slower to realise, followed her husband’s suddenly riveted gaze and was just in time to watch Daesung launch himself and go-kart, most gracefully over the veranda edge and square into the shrub at the end of the veranda.  Dara shrieked but Seunghyun… Seunghyun dropped back into this chair and laughed until he was breathless.

“You heartless monster!” Gasped Dara, almost laughing herself in sheer shock.  A wail came from the bush and Seunghyun instantly responded to it, his laugher still pushing out of him in deep, full chuckles of candid amusement.

“Hey Daesungie, How did it go?”  He bent to put one hand down on the concrete before swinging himself off the veranda.  “Aw, you didn’t go fast enough little mate!” 

Still shocked, Dara watched her husband haul a sobbing Daesung up onto the veranda.  Seunghyun set him down, brushed him off and inspected several of his larger cuts and rapidly forming bruises.  Finally Seunghyun look up at Dara and, sounding slightly guilty, said wonderingly.  “He believed me.”

“uhh, YES!”  Gasped his disbelieving wife.  “Of course he did!  You’re his father!” 

Looking crestfallen, Seunghyun rubbed his lips again then glanced back at the go-kart mournfully impaled through the middle of the bush.  Another chuckle broke from him and Daesung, still wailing ran to his mother.  “Umma-aa… I couldn’t pedal fast enough!” 

“D’you see what you’ve done?”  Dara exploded to Seunghyun over the boy’s head as she hugged him.  “He thinks it’s his fault now!”

“Well it is.”  Replied Seunghyun.  “I had to pedal much faster than that to get across the bush.”

Dara tried to find words, failed and finally shook her head in disgust as she led Daesung inside to the kitchen.  When the boy had been patched up enough to satisfy both mother and child, Seunghyun was confronted by a tragic face looking up to his with tears still glistening on Daesung’s eyelashes.  “You lied to me Appa.”  Said the boy gravely.  Seunghyun heard the quiver in his son’s words which he meant so manfully, and Seunghyun found himself laughing again.  He wasn’t laughing at his son, he was simply laughing at the events which had taken place.  Daesung was looking reproachfully at him however and Dara had much the same expression on her face.  Seunghyun cleared his throat and took Daesung to retrieve the go-kart and have a man to man talk about jokes, lies and common sense.  Dara heard her husband begin to explain as he swung Daesung off the veranda onto the grass.

“You see Daesungie, we only bought this house a year or two before you were born so I couldn’t have jumped over the bush when I was your age.  This house might not have existed then.”

The child looked up, processed the information then replied, still with that righteous indignation that he inherited from his mother, “Why did you lie to me then?”

“Well…”  Seunghyun scrubbed his hand back through his hair for a few moments trying to find the right words.  He glanced back at Dara hopefully but Dara blew him a kiss then folded her arms, clearly saying, “I’m listening too, it better be good.”  Seunghyun took a moment to rejoice that Dara felt free enough to “sass” her husband.  Then he turned back to Daesung.  “Well, you see…. I was just joking.  You know how sometimes when I’m jumping on the trampoline with you and I say I used to be an Olympic trampoliner?  Well that’s silly because I never was.  But it’s just… something I say sometimes…”  He trailed off rather lamely then glanced back up at Dara who was clearly unimpressed.  Tilting his eyebrows in an expression of helpless resignation Seunghyun looked back at his son.

Daesung heard everything in silence and watched while Seunghyun extracted the go-kart.  Then he suddenly beamed at his father and wrapped both arms around his waist.  Seunghyun ruffled his son’s hair then lifted his hand as Daesung looked up and said happily, “I’m sorry for calling you a liar then Appa.  It was mean of me.”

“That’s alright.”  Replied Seunghyun gravely.  “I’m sorry for letting you get hurt like that too. I should have made sure you knew I was joking first.  You ready to go play again?”

Daesung nodded emphatically, his hair shaking over his eyes and Seunghyun dropped one hand to ruffle it again. “Good boy.”  He grinned and Daesung returned the grin.  On impulse Seunghyun reached out to catch his son’s hand.  “Hey Daesungie?”

His son looked up cheerfully.  “Nae Appa?”

“You’re a really good little son you know that?  Saranghae Daesungie.”  Replied his father, finding the words harder to say than feel.  But Daesung simply nodded and grinned at his father.  He had his mother’s natural vivaciousness thought Seunghyun, happy with that knowledge.  Watching his son run around the side of the house to where his dog awaited him, Seunghyun wondered how blessed a man could be without becoming too happy.  He felt very close.  Daesung’s voice pulled his thoughts back down. 

“Appa?”

“Nae?”

“I think I hit my head in the bush.  I feel like I’m going to faint.”

Seunghun instantly bent over his son, who had sat down limply on the lawn.  Picking him up, Seunghyun put one hand on his forehead and stared at him anxiously.

“Just joking.”  Said Daesung gravely.

“You monster!”  Seunghyun blew his breath out in enormous relief and ruffled Daesung’s hair until he squirmed.  “Go play and don’t you ever do that to me again!  And where did you learn to talk about that kind of thing anyway?”  His son’s gurgle of laughter floated back to him with innocent mocking.

Dara wandered up the veranda just then and nudged him gently with one foot.  “Don’t forget that time I was mopping the floor and you came up behind me and started dancing with me.  Me and the mop actually.  You told me about the time you won dancing With the Stars; said you wanted to polish your skills.”

“Did I say that?”  Seunghyunwas genuinely shocked.  Then he groaned comically.  “I could have picked something slightly more believable that time couldn’t I?” 

“Nae.”  Agreed Dara with a dimple in her cheek, watching her husband pull himself stiffly onto the veranda.  “But you shouldn’t laugh at him Seunghyun.”

Seunghyun straightened and pulled her into his arms.  “It was funny, Sweet Dara.  He knows I love him.”

Almost without hearing him, Dara sighed with happiness as she relaxed into the safety of her husband’s embrace.  In the years of their marriage Seunghyun had filled out from a modelled celebrity with stylised muscles to a sturdy, well-built middle aged man.  Dara loved nothing better than to feel that rock solid calm envelope her after a long day.

A yelp rang out from behind the house and Seunghyun lifted his head.  “Daesungie!  What are you doing to the dog?”

His voice was deep and stern; they had been trying to break Daesung out of small cruelties to the dog for some time. 

“Nothing Appa…”  Came back the overwhelmingly cherubic reply and Seunghyun chuckled. 

“Don’t pull the dog’s tail remember or I’ll pull yours!”

His son’s giggle drifted out to him.  “I don’t have a tail Appa.” 

“Don’t you worry,” Replied Seunghyun.  “I’ll find it.”

Dara giggled in his arms and Seunghyun returned his gaze to her face.  Since their first son died Dara’s face had deepened with faint lines that added to her beauty in Seunghyun’s eyes.  Her hair had been allowed to soften into natural waves around her face and she no longer dyed it or tried outrageous fashions with it.  Her figure too had changed slightly.  Two pregnancies had put a permanent layer on her stomach and hips but Dara was still a slim woman.  Now she wore soft flowing clothes or T shirts and jeans.  Five years ago Seunghyun had bought her a white dress and whenever they did something special, Dara wore his white dress.  Her exuberance was still there; quieted first by grief then in gentle aging but it was still there.  Seunghyun loved nothing better than to watch his wife’s eyes light up with humour. 

“My beautiful little wife.”  Murmured Seunghyun gently.

“Only for you.”  Whispered Dara, laying her face against his chest again.  Behind the house Daesung shrieked with laughter and Dara felt Seunghyun chuckle.  Cherry blossoms were starting to shed petals of prettiness over the ground and sun filtered through the trees onto the couples’ front veranda.  For several minutes the scene did not change, then little Daesung came running back around the house and seeing his parents still on the veranda ran up to throw his arms around their hugs and pull them closer into a group hug.  Both grown-ups bent slightly to wrap their arms around the small boy. 

“I love you both so much.  Both my handsome men, I love you both so much.”  Whispered Dara lifting her head slightly to meet Seunghyun’s kiss as his embrace tightened slightly.

“All of you, Daesung, you and YongMin . I love you all.”  He returned and two pairs of chocolate eyes smiled unspeakable, triumphant happiness into each other while a third pair beamed up at his beloved Appa and Umma.