Contract Marriage 18+ [A Hopekook Fanfiction] ✓

10.3🥀

Hobie had argued, begged, attempted to reason but Jeon had refused point blank to defer his position as her coach to Soobin. In the end, Soobin had simply declined to go in to hospital with her, saying that it was best for Hobie to have her original partner with her. Shocked and hurt by what she felt was an unforgivable betrayal, Hobie had refused to look, or even talk, to her cousin while Jeon shepherded her out to his car. Soobin had seemed to be cheerfully and deliberately oblivious to Hobie's pointed and rather childish, silent treatment, promising that she and Eunwo would be at the hospital soon.

"She did what she thought was best, hobie," Jeon tried to placate en-route to the hospital. She simply turned her head and stared out at the passing scenery, scared and angry and not really in the mood to be comforted by him. "She knew that I would have insisted and we'd have just wasted time arguing futilely about it."

"I wanted somebody I trusted in there with me," she suddenly said, keeping her eyes glued on the road ahead. He didn't respond to that but from the corner of her eye she saw his hands tighten on the steering wheel and knew that she'd scored a direct hit. The rest of the journey went by quickly and before she knew it she was being admitted into the elite private maternity clinic that Jeon had arranged for months ago. She'd had only one contraction en-route but it had nearly sent Jeon off the road in a panic.

Still it was hours before anything more interesting than that happened. The doctor confirmed that she was indeed in labour but reassured them that it was perfectly normal for women to go into labour a few weeks early. They were taking extra precautions because of her health issues during the pregnancy but for someone whose pregnancy had been fraught with drama, Hobie's labour was pretty boring aside from the intense periods of pain. Her obstetrician monitored her condition carefully and weathered Jeon's demanding, panicked questions with admirable calm. Her contractions seemed to leave Jeon more wrung out than they did her and he wasn't dealing with it very well.

About five hours after her admitting Hobie found herself glaring up at her hovering husband in frustration.

"For God's sake, go and get yourself some coffee or something, you're driving me up the wall!"

"I won't leave you. What if you have another contraction? What if your water breaks and they rush you into the delivery room? What if there are complications?" He asked hoarsely, his eyes dilating more with each anxious question. And Hobie rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"I doubt any of those things will happen in the two minutes it would take you to leave the room and get a cup of coffee, Jeon," she sighed impatiently.

"They could," he insisted stubbornly.

"Unlikely." He didn't respond, merely continued to sit by her bedside. They were both silent for a few minutes.

"Why are you here?" Hobie suddenly asked tiredly.

"Because this is where I want to be," he responded promptly and she squeezed her eyes shut.

"Why do you want to be here?" She persisted.

"You're my wife, hobie. You're having my baby," he reached out and covered one of her hands with his. "I belong here."

"You don't belong here," she whispered hoarsely.

"I do."

"You have another life, a family that wants you to come home, a woman you love and who loves you. You don't have to be here, Jeon," she shook her head tiredly, tears seeping from beneath her eyelids.

"I have this life, with you. It's the only one that matters to me," he insisted. "I have a wife who loved me once, and who maybe... someday, would dare to love and trust me again? I don't have to be here... but I want to be here."

"Too many things have happened between us. More than two years of pain," she whispered rawly and his hand contracted around hers. "I can't go back to being the naive girl who loved you with all her heart."

"But maybe... the woman who replaced the girl could find a way to love the flawed man she'd once placed on a pedestal he had no business being on?"

"You've hurt me so many times," she confessed. Opening her eyes and meeting his gaze full on. He flinched slightly beneath the accusatory glare.

"I know."

"In so many ways."

"I know."

"Why should I forgive you and love you again? Why should I open up my heart to a man who would probably crush it in the palms of his hands?"

"You probably shouldn't," he smiled bitterly. "But I wish you would."

"I can't," she whispered, tears drenching her pale cheeks and he nodded slightly, reaching out to wipe at the tears.

"I know," he finally said again, before lapsing into silence.

Her water finally broke four hours later and she was moved to the delivery room. She and Jeon hadn't exchanged any further meaningful conversation, he'd just continued to soothe her and coach her through the ever-increasing pain. She didn't ever say it but she was pretty grateful to have him there. Even though he was as nervous and edgy as a cat in a barrel between contractions, he was a solid rock during them.

Four intensely nerve-wracking, sweaty and pain-riddled hours later, during which time Jeon supported her, swore at her doctors, threatened the nurses and seemed to come close to breaking down into tears on several occasions, Hobie finally gave one last painful push. There was a rush of activity at the foot of the bed as Hobie felt an overwhelming flood of relief. Jeon's eyes remained glued to her face, bright and feverish above the surgical mask they had forced him to wear. He dragged down the mask and leaned down toward her, until his mouth was so close to her ear she could feel his hot and moist breath fanning over her overheated skin.

"You're amazing, hobie. So incredible..." she jerked her head away from his mouth and turned her face to stare at him in bewilderment, rocked by the emotion she heard in his voice. But his attention was now on the doctor and the squalling, naked and tiny bundle the man held cradled in his gentle and capable hands.

"Here's the little lady who's been causing all that fuss and bother," the man was saying jovially.

"Congratulations Mr and Mrs Jeon you have a beautiful and perfectly healthy baby girl."

Hobie's breath hitched in her chest at the man's words and her eyes remained glued to Jeon's face. But instead of the rapidly concealed disappointment she would have expected to see, she witnessed something she would never have believed if she hadn't seen it with her own eyes... she watched her husband fall hopelessly and helplessly head over heels in love with the outraged bundle of femininity the doctor placed onto Hobie's chest.

Hobie was overwhelmed as she stared down at the tiny, wailing infant her chest and not entirely sure what to do with this baby girl who should have been a boy.

"She's beautiful," the smitten Jeon crooned, dropping a large hand to the baby's tiny head and stroking the soft skin and tufts of still-wet hair, gently. "She's so very beautiful, Hobie."

"Yes," she muttered automatically. "I suppose she is." He frowned down at her, puzzled by her response or lack thereof.

"Hobie... what's wrong?"

"Your wife is exhausted Mr jeon," the doctor said brusquely. "Give her time to recover and I'm sure she'll be fawning all over this little beauty in no time at all."

"Yes. I'm tired," Hobie said remotely and Jeon's brow furrowed. He watched as Hobie absently stroked the baby's down-soft back, without once looking down at the infant and knew that something was terribly wrong.