loving lisa ↠ liskook au

» 31

It was nearing 1 AM; I could now honestly feel my eyelids dropping involuntarily. I moved about and let my legs hover above me as I kept myself awake through the night, my shirt hiking up and leaving my back bare to the scratchy surface of the sofa. I was waiting for Dad to come home, obviously. The clock beside the TV had been ticking and tocking on for hours, and yet he still wasn't here with me. I didn't even know he came home this late... What if he only had two hours of sleep every day? Hell, what kind of construction job was he even at?

"Ugh," I groaned, rubbing my eyes with the back of my hands as I struggled not to sleep. I had been practicing what I was going to say once my father got home, but as the moon outside went higher and higher into the sky and the streets got quieter, I realized none of that mattered anymore. I hummed and pinched myself and occasionally let out small screams. I should've slept hours ago, but I really wanted to speak to Dad sooner.

And then suddenly I heard Jack, our dog, bark from outside, and I leapt out of the sofa instantaneously. The sleepy feeling was gone in a second. I heard the muffled dangling of the keys as Dad was probably fishing them from his pocket, but I made a beeline to the door and swung it open first, and his shocked (dare I say, shook) face was very difficult to miss.

"Damn, Jungkook," Dad put his hands on his hips and looked away to breathe. The moonlight shone on his figure and highlighted everything time had etched on his old face. His hair was gray and there were unmistakeable wrinkles on his forehead and under his eyes, but he still has that air of youth in him, just hidden behind his lack of rest and constant frowns. "You would've given me a heart attack."

"I..." I let out a breath. "I don't want that happening ever."

Dad raised his gaze to look me straight in the eyes, but not too dramatically though. Perhaps he was still startled about things for the past few seconds. I didn't want him to think of this strange, even though I admit I would be thinking the same if I were him. So I didn't think twice and just launched myself at him to give him the tightest hug. I gripped onto his muddied shirt and just buried my face into his shoulder.

I felt his arms wrapping around mine. And at first they were hesitant, but now they were holding onto my body as if his life depended on it. Soon I felt his body quivering, and then sure enough I heard him sobbing, and I sobbed along quietly, tired out of my wits but still feeling.

"I missed this, son," he clapped my back numerous times. He let out a shaky exhale. "I missed this a lot."

I nodded in his shirt. "I do, too."

"Kookie, my boy," Dad pulled away to ruffle my hair with both enthusiasm and a kind of heaviness. "I hope you know in your heart how sorry I am. I'm really, really sorry for being the worst."

I smiled through my swollen eyes and red nose. "Let's go inside first, Dad." Dad paused for a while but when I went in for the second hug just to reassure him that it's all good now, he let out a low chuckle and finally got inside the house with me.

He set down his hard hat on the coffee table and slumped down on the sofa, just breathing in and out contentedly. I sat on the floor and just watched him do what he did, just like how I used to watch him back then.

"Can I speak to you, Dad?" I blurted out after a few moments. I saw him lean forward from his seat and I knew what the answer was going to be.

"Of course, Kookie."

"God, that's such a childish nickname," I giggled.

"Your Mom gave it to you," he let out a sad and sorry smile. And I just continued to nod in an attempt to be both understanding and to make Dad feel less sad, if ever.

"Well okay, it's not all bad," I said. Then I went and said what I was wanting to say to him for the past weeks. "Dad, there's this amazing girl I want you to meet."

"Oh wow," he chuckled and shook his head. "Look at how my son's all grown up now. How quick does time fly by..."

I grinned. "She's the strangest, loveliest girl there is out there."

"And I can't wait to meet this girl of yours," he grinned as well. I thought he looked just like me when he smiled like that.

"I promise you will." Then I yawned and finally stood up. Dad slapped me in the shoulder as he too stood up beside me. "I'm still learning to forgive, Dad." I admitted to him, and I saw him tense up for a split second. "But I'm not forgetting our bonds. I will never forget the time you spent with me."

He nodded. "You finally opening up to me is honestly more than what I deserve." Then he gripped my shoulder and smiled a tired smile at me. "You should go to sleep."

I smiled again. "Good night, Dad."

"Good night, son."

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author's notes

okay what are your thoughts for this one?

if you're in jungkook's shoes... would you do the same thing?

p.s. there's like, four or five more chapters to go and this book is finally a wrap