Requested by a_fandompr1ncess
Family AU.

"Seonghwa?"

"Hm?"

"I want a child."

Seonghwa practically spat out his coffee over the marble countertop. His husband of three years stood across, propping himself with his elbows to look up.

"Hongjoong, that's impossible."

"You idiot. I know that." Hongjoong rolled his eyes. "I meant I want to adopt a kid."

Seonghwa looked away, thinking.

"I know it's early, and we're probably too young..." Hongjoong sighed. "But have you at least thought about it?"

"Yeah." Seonghwa softly smiled.

"Yeah?!" Hongjoong's face grew 100 times brighter.

Seonghwa shrugged. "To have a little troublemaker run around the house, annoying you and me... mostly you... I think so." He opened his arms, welcoming the smaller male.

Hongjoong pouted, hugging his waist. "The only person who's annoying is you," he muttered.

"So, are you ready?"

"...Huh?" Hongjoong's eyes widened. He was stunned. "What do you mean?"

"Let's adopt a child."

~

"Isn't this cute?" Seonghwa held up a girl's dress. "Jiyoungie?"

The five-year-old clapped her hands and nodded. "Pretty!" she exclaimed.

A grin formed on Seonghwa's face as he threw the fifth dress into the cart's basket. As he proceeded a few more steps forward, he caught sight of a flannel.

"Doesn't this look like daddy's favorite flannel, sweetheart?"

Park-Kim Jiyoung shrugged. "I dunno."

Seonghwa sighed. "He doesn't wear it too much anymore. He used to wear it when we went out on the weekends for dinner."

"Dada?"

"Hm?"

"Where daddy?" she asked. Seonghwa cupped her face and kissed her tiny nose.

"He's working again."

It was around midnight when Hongjoong arrived home. After turning the key and opening the door, he practically wanted to throw himself on the ground. Yet a light down the hall prompted him to investigate what it was.

"Wha... Seonghwa?" Hongjoong paused. The corner of his lips folded to form a smile. His daughter sat in Seonghwa's lap, comfortably hugging him close as they both slept. No TV was on, nothing to show they suddenly fell asleep. Hongjoong concluded there was only one reason:

Seonghwa and Jiyoung had been waiting for him.

"Seonghwa." Hongjoong gently nudged his loved one awake.

"You're home."

"Let's go to bed." Seonghwa nodded, chuckling when he felt his daughter sticking to him like glue.

"I can take her," Hongjoong offered. He was reaching to pull the little one as gently as he could, but she felt it.

"No!" she whimpered, clinging to Seonghwa while half-asleep.

Hongjoong gulped. "Sweetheart, it's daddy." Still, she shuffled in discomfort, almost about to cry.

Hongjoong didn't want her to cry.

His smile disappeared, and his lips were pursed upside down. Seonghwa caught it.

"It's alright, I can take her. I'll see you in bed, Hongjoong."

The parents' bedroom was silent the moment Seonghwa slipped into bed. But they weren't sleeping.

"Seonghwa," Hongjoong began his confession. "this is going to sound immature, but I don't think our daughter likes me."

"...Hongjoong."

"I'm serious." Hongjoong turned to his husband. "She avoids me. And... she prefers you more often."

"I love you, honey, but you're stupid sometimes," Seonghwa replied monotonously.

"Huh? How?"

"Cancel work tomorrow. Call in sick or something in the morning." The elder draped his arm over Hongjoong's stomach to hold him tight.

"Why? I-"

"Cancel it." Seonghwa sighed before drifting to sleep.

Hongjoong did as told. In the morning, he came up with a lame excuse to his boss that a family emergency took his time. They forgave him for once. After hanging up, he returned to the kitchen where Seonghwa brewed coffee.

"What did you need me for?"

"While you were calling your job, I called a few of the guys. Congrats. You get to take care of Jiyoung for today while I go shopping."

"Seong- What?" Hongjoong facepalmed in disbelief. "This was worth canceling a day of work?"

Seonghwa ignored him. He continued pouring his coffee into a mug. "Jiyoungie needs to have breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You can cook or buy it for her. If you take her out somewhere fun, she'll love you even more. I have to go change."
~

"Do you have everything, princess?"

Jiyoung looked around her as if there was something she could've possibly been missing besides the small backpack on her shoulders. "Yes, daddy. Where are we going?"

"Somewhere fun." Hongjoong looked over some minor notes Seonghwa left. Sure there were some ideas for what to do, but most of the decisions were still up to him. "Let's go. We'll decide on the way."

Little Jiyoung out of the house with her father behind her. Hongjoong couldn't help but chuckle at her new flannel; it looked similar to the one he wore as well.

The first stop was breakfast at a local restaurant. The pair, Jiyoung especially, loved the decorations of the place. The walls were splattered pink, decorations of neon signs and graphics. Soft rock music played in the background, and an overall family-esque vibe flooded through its interior.

The second was at a local amusement park. Hongjoong followed the little girl wherever she wanted to go. If she wanted something, more often than not, he would find a way to get it for her.

At last, in the evening after a movie and arcade, the pair arrived home. Jiyoung, too tired to leave the car seat, outstretched her arms towards her father. Her lips jutted out.

Hongjoong dropped everything he had of hers — the stuffed plushies, the cotton candy, her backpack — and brought her into his arms. She comfortably tucked her head towards Hongjoong's nape and sighed.

As Hongjoong entered the home, soft ballad music played down the hall. He chose to peek into the dining room.

"Tada!" Seonghwa grinned while gesturing towards a cake before him. It was simple yet perfect. Pink and white frosting flowers adorned it.

Hongjoong warmly grinned as he stepped into the room completely.

"Oh." Seonghwa laughed. He gestured to the little girl now sleeping in Hongjoong's arms. "Cute."

Hongjoong sweetly tucked Jiyoung into bed with the utmost caution. He stared at her features for a moment before kissing her cheek.

"I love you, princess," he whispered. He turned to leave.

But two little arms wrapped around him when he tried to. "I love you too, daddy. You're the best in the whole world."

Hongjoong hugged her tight, wishing never to let go. "I promise I'll live up to the name."

Watching them from the doorway stood a teary-eyed Seonghwa, ready to tell everyone he knew about the best family he had.