Contract Marriage 18+ [A Hopekook Fanfiction] ✓

6.3🥀

Soobin had been expecting her and was waiting in the doorway with a huge smile on her face. She still retained the few kilograms that she had picked up during her pregnancy but she fairly radiated happiness and good health. She greeted Hobie effusively, enveloping her in a warm hug and spared a slight smile for Jeon who loomed above both of them.

"jeon, what a surprise," she nodded politely. "I didn't expect to see you today."

"I took the day off," he responded easily. "And when I heard Hobie was coming for a visit I thought I'd come along with her and see that baby of yours again." Again? Hobie wasn't aware that Jeon had bothered seeing Chaebin before now and she frowned in confusion, wondering why Soobin hadn't mentioned it to her before.

"Also, I had some business I needed to discuss with you." Hobie tensed at the last bit but Soobin simply smiled and nodded, making Hobie wish that she had called ahead to warn her cousin of the impending disaster.

Why would Jeon do this now? When he was getting everything he could possibly want? What merit was there in destroying Soobin's business? She looked up into his relaxed face and wondered if she could possibly have misread the situation but what other business could he possibly have to discuss with her cousin?

Soobin led them into the house and Jeon immediately gravitated toward the three-month old baby who was seated in a blue baby seat which was placed on the coffee table in the living room. His entire face seemed to light up at the sight of the infant and Hobie watched in fascination as he sank to his haunches until his face was level with the baby's head.

"He's grown a fair bit since I saw him last," Jeon observed in delight, reaching out to grab one of the infant's flailing hands.

"Well, I should hope so since he never stops eating," Soobin grimaced and Jeon laughed. Hobie took a step back, feeling like she'd just stepped into some alternate universe. Jeon was crooning down at Chaebin in Korean and the baby was staring up at him raptly, his green eyes unblinking.

"Would either of you like something to drink?" Soobin asked politely and Hobie shook her head numbly, watching while Jeon nimbly undid the straps of the baby seat and lifted the infant into his arms.

"Coffee would be nice," he nodded, rocking the baby soothingly. Chaebin made an uncoordinated grab for Jeon's hair and managed to latch on to a tiny fistful of it. Jeon grimaced good-naturedly and said something admonishing to the baby in Korean, while he reached up to loosen the baby's grip. Soobin excused herself to go to the kitchen but Hobie barely heard her, she was too busy dumbly watching her husband with the baby.

"I didn't know you liked children," she whispered, one of her hands absently dropping to her still-flat belly in a protective gesture that he couldn't miss.

"I like babies well enough," he murmured casually. "I am quite fond of them actually." She tried to disguise the stab of pain at his words.

"Any baby except mine, of course" she murmured half-under her breath and he inhaled impatiently, his eyes flaring with fury that he kept contained because of the baby in his arms.

"If you're going to be making asinine comments like that please make them when I have both hands free to throttle the life out of you," he said in the most personable, baby-friendly voice he could manage. He sat down on the sofa still holding Chaebin in his arms and feeling a flare of possessive resentment; Hobie made her way over to him and held her arms out for the baby.

"I would like to hold my nephew, if you don't mind," she informed coldly and he raised one arrogant brow, before standing up and gently depositing the serene baby into her arms. She sat down gingerly in the chair opposite the sofa and cooed at the sweet baby she held in her arms. Jeon stood up and stretched lazily.

"While you're busy in here, I think I'll go and have that chat with Soobin," she looked up in alarm but he was smiling gently down at her, his eyes warm with some emotion she had a hard time defining.

"Jeon," she began quietly.

"You stay in here with Chaebin," he murmured softly. "I don't want you getting upset by anything Soobin and I may have to say to each other." Before she could utter another word of protest he was gone.