Baby Steps | hyunsung

13 | ESME HAN-HWANG

CHAPTER THIRTEEN;

ESME HAN-HWANG;

Jisung remembers the exact moment when Hyunjin stepped foot into his house. He was humming a tune to a random song that got stuck in his head that evening, body swaying from side to side as he cleaned dirty dishes. Esme was placed on the couch beside Felix—the Australian resting peacefully, mouth hung open and distant snores slipping every now and again. The little girl kept a firm gaze on the television where a cartoon about ponies played. Her once wounded knee was now cleaned and covered with a bright pink band-aid. Jisung even gave it light pecks promising that it would take away all of her pain. And with her being such a young age she believed him.

The blonde father had just finished placing a wet glass plate in a nearby drying rack when he heard the doorbell ring. It startled him at first, body jumping from utter surprise. He wasn't one to get visitors, especially so late within the night. So as he used a flower printed towel to remove any excess water from his hands, he began to leave the kitchen. He just didn't need to wonder who could possibly be standing outside his house any longer, because just as he was passing the archway he was almost immediately met with the handsome face of Hyunjin.

Jiusng was dreading this moment. When his ex-lover finally found the courage to accept his invitation to his house. And if Hyunjin was standing within the Han residence, then it meant that he still wanted to talk. It was the reason why once the two locked gazes, Jisung had to bite his tongue. He felt like screaming; crying; shouting curses at himself. He wasn't even close to being ready to tell Hyunjin about Esme. He wasn't ready for the reaction—for the rejection. In all honesty he could care less if the taller said that he didn't want to see him again. He's grown used to Hyunjin suddenly disappearing from his life. Jisung just didn't want the older man to abandon his only daughter. A little girl who has no idea she even had two parents. Someone who was just as clueless as her other father.

"Who let you in?" He didn't mean to sound uneasy. It just became natural while witnessing his ex-lover take steps closer. And it didn't help that he possessed the faintest of smiles.

"Me daddy."

Shifting his gaze to the floor, in padded his daughter. She was holding a frown as she maneuvered around a man she could label as a stranger, before encircling her small arms around Jisung's leg. She tried to hide her frail body behind her blonde father, brown irises staying stuck on the taller. He tried to return her stare with his best smile, but it came out more as a crooked grin. She squealed and moved out of his sight. Hyunjin frowned.

"Quokka, you shouldn't open doors for people you don't know," Jisung scolded with a sigh. But upon hearing her whimper and tighten her hold on his leg, he couldn't get too mad. He just clicked his tongue, before reaching down to pick her up into his arms. The blonde chuckled when she immediately wrapped her limbs around him and dug her red face into the crook of his neck.

"He said he know you" She raised her head the tiniest so they were able to look at one another. "I'm sorry daddy."

Jisung didn't respond, but instead gave her a grin. He even puckered his lips, moving them as if to signal he wanted a kiss. Esme gave a tiny giggle before leaning forward to give a peck. She ended up missing though which resulted in her smashing her own pink lips above where Jisung's were. He cringed at the feeling of some of her saliva smearing against his skin, but hid his disgust effortlessly. The three year old on the other hand openly wiped at her mouth, knowing how gross the quick kiss was.

"Uh, where's Felix? Why didn't he open the door?" The question was an open one, gaze trailing back to Hyunjin. He stood awkwardly, watching the father-daughter duo as they shared genuine love and happiness between one another. And once Jisung's voice strikes his ears, he's immediately standing straight, throat clearing to speak.

"Asleep on the couch" He was careful with his tone. He rather not come off loud and obnoxious and accidentally scare the little girl in Jisung's arms. Even if he did want to run and scream as he tugged at his hair, pandemonium coursing through him. "I'm sorry if her opening the door got her in trouble. It's just that it started to rain and-"

The blonde raising a hand was enough for Hyunjin to clamp his mouth shut, fingers twirling around one another anxiously. And when the pulling at the skinny digits wasn't enough, he began to run those same limbs through his lightly damp black hair. A feature that Jisung had just become aware of. His clothes held large amounts of droplets as well. He even looked to slightly shiver from the cold water sticking to his skin. It was an amusing sight to see. Confident Hwang Hyunjin pathetically standing before him, freezing, with a contorted expression that could easily resemble one of apprehension was definitely a sight. It was like a representation of how Jisung felt when his own life began to crumble. The person he believed to love was leaving miles away, (maybe to never be seen again) and then he tested positive for pregnancy.

"It's fine" He faced his daughter, poking the chunky cheeks she had inherited from him. "Just don't do it again, alright?"

Esme pushed his hand away with her beautifully cringey laugh. And the more that Jisung thought about it, the more he realized it resembled Hyunjin's quite a lot. The way they both tilted their heads back; and they way their eyes formed into little crescent-like slits. Almost everything about the three-year-old matched up with the ravenette. Jisung just doesn't know if he hates it or finds it admirable. It didn't take long for him to make his final decision. And all because Hyunjin grinned while staring fondly at Esme—a replication of that expression placed on the little girl's face. They were identical.

"What's her name?"

He blurted the words, taking a few steps closer. Jisung was stunned, his grip on his daughter getting a little tighter. He was afraid that Hyunjin would take her away from him, and possibly never give her back. Thankfully his silent worry alarmed the taller, because it wasn't long before Hyunjin retracted his movements. If he wanted to learn more about the little girl and hear the truth, he needed to respect Jisung's boundaries. He already bombarded his way back into the blonde's life, he didn't need to make things worse.

"Esme. Her name is Esme."